rrv

[unamused-kookaburra]

I don't want to jinx myself but my second 12 hour shift at the hospital is going really well, especially compared to yesterday's 12 hour shift (I fainted in the last hour and the team leader made me call my parents to pick me up :))

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 137

SUMMARY: When new intel comes to light about the mole Frank Wolverton-Randall, Fergus is buoyed by what he discovers. He goes to Madeline’s Office where Section’s leaders are waiting for him, with a progress report and tells Operations and Madeline of his findings and they are gobsmacked to know the identity of the mole in Section. They reflect on their dealings with Frank in order to make sense of his hatred for them as well.

WOO! HOO!  I missed my 2 year Anniversary of posting this story at the end of July (Chapter 135(S) ) so I just wanted to give a shout out to all who have at one time or another … ever read one, or more, or all of my chapters over this time, left kudos, a like, a comment, reblogged the chapters or contacted me via a DM.  THANK YOU ALL … SO MUCH.  Much love to each and every one my readers YAY!

Chapter 136 (S-NSFW) and all other chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations  Sorry to say I am not on Ao3, but perhaps when I finish this story I will try and navigate how it works and how to post there.  

CHAPTER 137

 During the week Fergus Claudel was busy, as usual, at his computer collating any last-minute details in his report for Operations and Madeline about the mole. He wanted to make sure that he had all his t’s crossed and his i’s dotted before he presented the intel to his leaders. He’d been exhausted when he’d eventually left Comm. last night, but he’d certainly slept well knowing that what he had to show his superiors today would be most pleasing to them. Hopefully the Intel would also help reverse his pal’s fiancée’s evaluation status. He was totally convinced that his data would be just what Operations and Madeline were looking for.  Absorbed in his task he was unaware that Murtagh Fitzgibbons had walked up behind him. The first indication that he realised that he was not alone was the sound of something being dropped onto his desk and a familiar voice saying, “Open it.”  After the initial shock of being crept up on registered in his brain, Fergus looked down at his desk and saw a hard, plastic case containing a computer disk. He picked it up and immediately his eyes lit up when he realized what he held in his hands. The computer geek couldn’t contain his excitement.

“No! … No way!” he exclaimed in shock and excitement. “Yes,” Murtagh replied very pleased that at his buddy’s reaction. Fergus was chuffed at the gift as if his best mate had given him the most precious of items on the top of his wish list. “Oh ... this is awesome!” The older operative was delighted at his friend’s reaction to his surprise gift. “First off the line ... and you can retrain the display ... as much as you want without losing data.”  “Oh, wow! Thanks,” Fergus replied unable to stop looking at the gift his buddy had given him.  “No ... no, thank you,” Murtagh answered back thinking that it was the least he could do to repay his friend for all the help he had given him. “For what?” Fergus asked realising that no favour he might have done warranted such an awesome gift of thanks. “For Bóinne. Things went great on our date. I also saw this little black cat jewellery box and I knew she’d love it. I couldn't have done it without you amigo.”  Suddenly, Murtagh stopped talking and looked behind him when he heard light footsteps and saw the woman, they were discussing approaching.

“Speak of the devil's mistress.”  The Med Lab nurse watched the two friends deep in conversation and saw the look on her fiancé’s face which told her that he’d asked Fergus to do something for him. Bóinne could tell by his expressions as Murtagh was an open book for her. She gave him a warm smile and finally came closer.

“There you are honey.” His eyes crinkled in delight at seeing her. “Hi.”  Severing their gaze, Bóinne then looked down and smiled at his friend. “Hello Fergus.”  He was a little surprised at her attempt to be so nice to him. “What's up?”  “Nothing ..., I just stopped by to say hi … and to tell you what a great time we had the other night.”  “That’s fantastic.” “Oh, and by the way, I also found this in Med Lab,” Bóinne said handing him a small contraption in a plastic bag. “I was wearing surgical gloves when I discovered it, so I haven’t contaminated it Fergus. Murtagh thought it might be important for you to check out.”  Fergus’ brows knitted somewhat when he saw the tiny device she held out in the palm of her hand. He looked at the device then back up at her, “Where did you find this?” “I was preparing one of the beds for a new patient and found it under the gurney in ICU.” “Where Jamie was?” Fergus asked nonchalantly, not wanting to raise any undue concerns.  “Yes, it was actually. Why?” “Oh nothing … I’ll check it out and see if it’s anything significant. Did you find any others?” “No … that was the only one.” “Thanks I’ll look into it.” Fergus declared.

He was not at all surprised that he had failed to locate the device when he’d done a sweep.  It was small and would have been hard to detect. Obviously Bóinne had smaller hands and perhaps it had dislodged when the bed had been remade or was hidden under the mattress, he thought. Anyway it could be another piece of the puzzle about the mole and if Frank Wolverton-Randall had placed it there then this would be significant if he could find something on the device that would incriminate him. As they were talking, Murtagh happened to look up past Bóinne and saw Operations approaching their way, so he brought the conversation to a swift end whispering to Fergus, “Okay. I’ll see you later. We have a whole day of downtime.”  “All right. I really have to finalise my report for Operations and Madeline. See ya.” The two operatives quickly slipped away not wanting to confront their superior especially when they had better things to do on their day off.  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fergus was busily watching the departing couple and didn’t realize that Dougal Mackenzie had walked up to his station and had joined him at his desk. He was a little startled that Section’s leader had approached his station at this time, especially when he was to report to Madeline’s office shortly. He was also a little miffed too that he’d been caught unprepared for his briefing because Murtagh and Bóinne had taken up his time and he hadn’t realised that he was indeed late for the meeting.  “Fergus … Madeline is expecting you. What is the hold up?” “Nothing sir. I was just collating any final points for the briefing. I didn’t want to miss anything,” he nervously replied. “And I was just handed something that I must check out as well. It might be an important piece of the puzzle about the mole.” “I see … very well. I’ll inform Madeline that you’ll be another thirty minutes.” “Thank you sir.” “Bring all your data to her office as soon as you can then. We’ll be interested to hear your report.” However, the other reason Operations was there was that he needed Fergus to pull up a different assignment that was imminent, “But first I want you to upgrade another Mission ... the one we're running in Somalia.”  “I'll pull the file.”  Swinging his chair around, Fergus accessed the information from another computer. Operations then started to give him a quick sketch of what he wanted done. “The Profile calls for an Abeyance Medical Team of five to infiltrate a terrorist compound where insurgents are wounded to gauge the Intel we require on the health of their leader. The Primary Team will carry out the Mission to destroy their headquarters and all medical facilities if he is found to not be there. Send the Abeyance Ops to Murtagh to get their inventory when he returns from his downtime.”  “What's the survival likelihood of the Abeyance Team?”  Operations gave their IT specialist a “that's a silly question” look, before answering. “Zero.”  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Once Section’s leader had left his station, Fergus Claudel was left with a problem. Bóinne Rivière’s standing would automatically place her in the Somalia mission. He pulled up her profile and stared at the abeyance standing flashing on the screen. He couldn’t send Murtagh’s fiancée to her death on this mission. Not now … not when his friend was so happy. He had to do something. Making a decision that he hoped would give him enough time to find a way to repeal her termination ranking, Fergus speedily changed her status to the highest level of eight then quickly exited her Profile.  He then took the small device she had given him and ran it through his system. To his delighted surprise it came up trumps. “BINGO!” he exclaimed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Gathering up his evidence, Fergus Claudel made his way to Madeline’s office where he knew that Section’s leaders would be waiting for him with his Intel and a progress report. With a strong belief that the information he’d found and especially from the device so unreservedly given to him without fear of any consequences, he just might also have enough information to change Operations and Madeline’s minds about sending Bóinne Rivière on the Somalia mission. Fergus hoped that what he’d found would please them about the mole in Section and give him some leverage to place a case for the Med Lab nurse’s reclassification and change their minds about her abeyance mission. He had a slim chance but he had to try for Murtagh’s sake. Last night he’d combed the whole system trying to find a connection to any of the operatives in Med Lab and any associated with Jamie and Claire over the past few weeks of the Rising Dragons’ mission. The fact that he’d been able to find anything or anyone who had passed the Intel to Colum and how, was a miracle. Frank Wolverton-Randall had certainly hidden his tampering extremely well and had gone to great pains to cover his tracks, but Fergus had managed to find the link and what Bóinne had given him would certainly be the final nail in his coffin. Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together had not been easy but it was a good thing that he had, because Operations and Madeline were both vulnerable if Intel keep leaking to Oversight. It seemed strange to Fergus that Colum would be keeping tabs on procedures in Section One when he had been debriefed on several occasions, however with a little further digging he’d come to establish a reason why he’d enlisted Frank’s expertise in doing so and it appeared to be personal. Oversight was the board and the only entity Operations had to answer to. It was all tied up in the Rising Dragons’ mission and Oversight’s perception as to how expediently Section was dealing with the triad. It was well known that Colum and Operations were rivals and there was little love lost between the two adversaries. Perhaps Colum was displeased that things were not moving as fast as he had hoped, but then again in his search Fergus had also stumbled across a communiqué from Colum to Mr Lambert which was very revealing as to his motives.  Fergus knew that Operations and Madeline would be pleased with what he’d found. He had managed to solve the conundrum of the mole in Section … the ghost mole actually … as the person responsible was not physically present but had still managed to pass on Intel surreptitiously despite being transferred to another substation.  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ An apprehensive Fergus Claudel stood on the threshold of Madeline's office with the information firmly in his grasp. She was talking to Operations who was there as well, but when they saw him, they motioned for him to enter.  “So Mr Claudel I trust that you bring us good news.” “I’ve made some progress sir.” “Excellent.” “We’re listening,” Section’s leader stated pricking up his ears in the hope that the mystery would finally be solved. “Please inform us to your findings. What did you discover?” Madeline instructed leaning on her desk. Although he was a little nervous, Fergus began his briefing to his superiors on his results and gave them a status report on his findings. “I ran an inventory of all the possible people who may have been involved as a possible mole in passing Intel to Colum at Oversight and I checked out all the people on your list as well.”  “And?” “Zero … Dr Foster and Bóinne Rivière came up clean and although both had tremendous access to Med Lab, there is nothing to indicate that they were involved.” “Hayes and Lesley?” “Likewise.” “So you’re telling us that all of them came up clean?” “Yes sir… I was also unable to find any surveillance cameras or listening devices in Med Lab.”  “I thought you said you had something for us Claudel … this is not what I hoped you would find.” Before they could protest some more, Fergus continued, “But … I have now come into the possession a small mechanism that was discovered in Med Lab by nurse Bóinne Rivière.  I have just run it through the system. It confirmed my suspicions and gives us concrete evidence of the perpetrator. Without her finding the device I only had my gut feeling and supposition to go on. She was invaluable and is, I believe, totally innocent and loyal to the Section or else she would have disposed of the device instead of handing it over to me,” he added glowingly for extra clarification. Operations heard his statement about Bóinne Rivière but chose not to respond to it, instead he stated, “Go on.” “It was a sophisticated, minute listening device that was attached to James Fraser’s bed in ICU. I ran a fingerprint on it and I found something very interesting.” “Get to the point Fergus.” “I said I’d found no one suspicious but … there is one exception. The fingerprint showed up a match. I narrowed it down to one prime suspect.” That information whetted their appetite. Operations was all ears. “Who?” “A person in another substation but no longer in Section.” “Cut to the chase Fergus … who is it?” Section’s leader insisted as if he had little time for the mundane facts he’d given them already. He wanted something concrete … and he wanted it now!  “Frank Wolverton-Randall,” Fergus blurted out. “Who?” Operations exclaimed incredulously but it made sense given their history and how he’d transferred him away from Systems and Fergus. “Frank Wolverton-Randall,” he repeated.

“I heard you the first time,” his superior barked turning to face Madeline with anger in his eyes.

This was certainly a surprise. Madeline took a seat behind her desk thinking that Wolverton-Randall had had little contact with medical or the Rising Dragons mission that they knew of since he’d been transferred to another sector just after Jamie and Claire arrived back from the retrieval Mission. Operations looked at his second in command. “Didn’t Colum specifically ask for Frank to be transferred?” “He did … and we were only too glad to see the back of him. Do you remember?” Madeline added. “Yes … I do.” Operations stated with disdain. He was livid at the underhand tactics Colum had used. He realised that his brother must have planned this all along and was just waiting for his chance to discredit them by using Frank as his mole especially given his knowledge of Section.  Fergus waited and listened to the exchange between the two leaders before continuing with his findings. “I raked the system, all of it and I cross-correlated every piece of data on Wolverton-Randall I could find. Once I was able to solve the deeply hidden channel code that I discovered, it all made sense that he was the person responsible.” “How is that possible when he is no longer in Section but at our substation?” “I believe he did have time to set this scam up before he was transferred. He was my main focus because he is the only person who could manage to infiltrate sensitive files about operatives and then pass this Intel on to Colum.” “But why him? Why Frank Wolverton-Randall? Did he approach Colum or he was approached?” Ever pragmatic Madeline gave Operations the answer. “Several reasons Dougal. Think about it … Frank has a number of personal motives for being Colum’s mole and he had the expertise to pull off such a coup. He has the computer knowledge on the same scale as Fergus and he has ulterior reasons to find your brother’s proposition advantageous to seek retribution against us.”

“Hmmm,” he mumbled.

“Not only that, but Colum knew that Frank had animosity towards you and I.  He made a bargain with the devil for sure with both parties benefiting from this collaboration. It would be a win-win for your brother too if he could discredit us but you in particular Dougal.  He has always had an axe to grind over Letitia’s unexplained disappearance and I would suggest that he blames you for that. After all you did take over Section One when no trace of her was found.”

Dougal Mackenzie took stock of what his second in command had stated and what Madeline said made sense. They now had to come up with a plan to put a stop to it. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Frank Wolverton-Randall was the mole! Fergus’ information raised a number of plausible scenarios in Madeline and Operations’ mind as to why the operative had done what he’d done, and they both in their own way, reflected on what would also provide motives for his deception.

Operations recalled the circumstances under which they’d dealt with Frank when he’d been recruited at such an early age. It was a catch twenty-two situation. Wolverton-Randall was young but he was smart and Section One needed him, however, it was his stupidity and the invincibility of youth that had been his downfall. It was obvious that Frank would have a personal vendetta against him for being brought into Section One. The young man’s rebelliousness and seditious attitude because he was incarcerated away from his mother and father would be legitimate grounds for him to have a special grudge against them as well. 

Section’s leader remembered their conversation as if it had happened only yesterday.  

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

“Hey, go to Hell! Where am I exactly? Stupid City? I want to talk to the man in charge!”  "I am the man in charge."  With the irreverence of youth Frank’s reply to him had been derisive and sarcastic. "You couldn't be in charge of my crotch." It had taken less than a minute for the young upstart to get the better him, a man who had kept his cool under the most trying conditions. He realised then and there that he would be a thorn in their side but they needed him and that was that. He didn’t have to like the lad. He saw nothing funny about their teenaged guest. Frank Wolverton-Randall was dismissive, cocky and was not afraid when he was brought to his office. His disregard for authority was apparent and he saw everything as a challenge regardless of the consequences. His body language showed that he didn’t fear or feel threatened by the leader of Section One which totally ticked him off. The thought that he could make almost every captured target and operative in Section shake in fear, but couldn’t faze a teenager was galling. He’d taken great delight in telling the youth that he would not be leaving Section. But in his inimitable way the lad was unimpressed. “Unfortunately ..., this place cannot tolerate mistakes. You've seen that.”  “Spare me the lecture, Old Folks. Are you going to let me go or not?”  “No, we're not.”  He’d smiled realising that he had the upper hand over the teenager that was until Frank snookered him in his arrogant manner knowing that he would release him or else he would not fix the problem he had created in Comm. “Hmmm. You may want to reconsider that.”  “And why would I want to do that?”  “Ask Fergus.” It was obvious that the recalcitrant youth had set up some sort of a virus in their system. He’d stared at Frank for a moment, then walked over to his window where he had a clear view of Comm. and Fergus in the middle of a multiple anomaly because the decoded sequence was generating a virus that was bleeding into the system. Wolverton-Randall’s cocky and boastful reply was the last straw. “I might be able to fix that for you.”  He immediately realised that Frank, who was wearing a very smug expression on his face, knew about the possibility of a virus before he’d left on his little sight-seeing tour of Section and knew that it was his get out of jail card if he needed it. But of course that hadn’t eventuated and the tables had indeed been turned on the lad with Section’s subterfuge when Frank thought he was home and hosed and going back to his parents. Operations understood that Section’s double jeopardy alone by reneging on their agreement was enough reason for him to side with Colum in his vendetta against him in particular and Section One. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Madeline also internalised what Fergus had told them about Frank Wolverton-Randall.

She remembered vividly when he came into Section and was cognizant of his tender age but his mental prowess was undeniable. There was no denying that the lad was a genius in his field, so what Fergus had told them was entirely feasible. But Operations was far from happy with the Intel about his compatibility to life in Section and it was not what he had wanted to hear when they had discussed the youth.

“What about Wolverton-Randall Madeline?”  “I'm working on an integration program.” “What’s his survival likelihood?”  “Over 92 percent, actually ... He's a surprisingly good match.”  Section’s head strategist remembered sitting at her desk observing the lad on her monitor. Operations was standing behind her, also staring at the scene. He’d leaned down to get a closer look at Wolverton-Randall and had watched as Claire left Frank to amuse himself. She noticed his 'realignment' of the computer hardware and wiring and had brought up Fergus Claudel's Profile on the monitor to prove that he was capable of accessing their files to ally his boredom while he was waiting to be told why he was there. Her observation of his behaviour was very telling. “Fergus? Fergus Claudel. Age - twenty-one; one hundred thirty-five pounds; 20-80 vision; SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION for every host on this Local Area Network. Should I continue?”  Madeline had acknowledged his skill but only because they had let him. “We've let you roam through an outer, non-secured area of the network to give you something to do."  “Gee, thanks. You think I can't dig deeper?”  His scornful reply was soon silenced by her ice-cold demeanour. She’d turned from distant and kind to threatening. Moving closer to Frank he’d immediately felt her intrusion into his personal space which was exactly what she had wanted him to feel. But more importantly, Wolverton-Randall soon realised that her threatening tone left no illusions in his mind … she meant what she had said. Frank, being the bright genius that he was, picked up that this woman was dangerous and he needed to tread lightly. “If you did ... and by some fluke ... happened on to something, classified ... You'd never go home again. ... Never see your family again. ... Your life would be over.” For a brief moment their eyes held a type of holding war. Then her warning delivered, she’d returned to her 'distant and kind' impersonation and Frank was slightly intimidated.  “We've gone to a great deal of trouble to protect you, don't work against us Frank. We need you to break a code.”  “What if I don't do it?” Her threat … “You'll do it,” and her cold stare had left him in no doubt that she meant exactly what she said and there would be no deviation whatsoever. Frank was facing a personality that he had never had to face before. She was someone intelligent enough to realize his potential, but cold enough not to be more lenient due to his age. She was a formidable woman and Frank knew when to listen and do what he was told. A slight smile bowed her lips recalling this incident, but her thoughts soon turned to others involved in Frank Wolverton-Randall’s incarceration. Perhaps he also had a grudge against Claire Beauchamp and James Fraser as well given that they were the ones that captured him and brought him into Section. That could explain his helping Colum with Intel about them from the mission as well. If he was able to destabilise the operatives crucial to the Rising Dragons’ mission then he would have accomplished his job … to sabotage the mission for the head of Oversight … or for his own retribution against Section One. Perhaps it was the fact that she’d gone back on her word. Frank may have perceived this as a lie which had left him in Section One against his will with no chance of returning to the life he once had, or more importantly to his mother and father. “I’m sorry we had to do this, Frank. We need your assistance for a short time ..., then you'll be safely returned.”  All Colum’s platitudes about them doing so well were obviously just a ploy in the early phase of the Rising Dragons’ mission so that when the end game was near, Colum then would put in motion his plan … whatever that was and for whatever his reasons were. More than likely his motives were because of his lost love Letitia and Dougal’s succession under suspicious circumstance as she’d already alluded to with him.  Colum had never come to grips with the disappearance of his love … Section One’s founder … and if he knew that Dougal was in any way involved then he would seek vengeance on his brother.  That could very well explain his skulduggery in involving Frank as a mole hoping to find a link between her vanishing and Operations more so than the triad per se.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Section’s leaders each had cause to reminisce on Frank Wolverton-Randall but were also interested in Fergus’ take on the young man and his reasons for thinking that he was Colum’s mole. “Go on.” “I've worked with him. But I never trusted him.” “Surely this is just sour grapes on your behalf?” Operations interjected but not entirely convinced by the young techie’s answer. He realised that Frank had kept Fergus on his toes and had come into Section because their IT mastermind couldn’t solve the problem.  

Was he just saying this because he was better than him and this was what riled him? Did he still have self-esteem problems over the computer genius’ methods?   

Fergus realised what Operations was alluding to and he vehemently denied this assumption. “Of course not! He's the only one who could have gotten through for Colum like he did. I found something that I’m sure is how the Intel was passed on to him.”

“Continue.” “I re-routed a deep channel and found an interesting anomaly. It would appear that Frank Wolverton-Randall has the expertise to monitor our systems even from afar. After Bóinne Rivière gave me the mechanism, she’d found that I’d missed in my search, I re-scanned the Med Lab computers and I found a suspicious tag on Dr. Foster’s workstation computer that held Claire and Jamie’s medical history while they were in Med Lab … It was a programme piggy backing off his case files.” “So he could access their progress without us even knowing. Is that what you are saying Fergus?” “Yes. That's right.” “Let me get this clear … what you’re telling us is that Frank Wolverton-Randall would be able to access these medical files when they were open and then pass that Intel on to Colum without anyone knowing.” “Precisely. I've unlocked a half dozen security two files as well. Each contains a treasonous breach which would result in immediate cancellation. They're all linked to Frank by an iris match. He set up an elaborate system that was not easily detected and he went to a lot of trouble to cover his tracks.” Operations leaned on Madeline’s desk with a thought provoking look on his face. Madeline too had a similar disposition. “Explain.”  “That's the scary part. He’s been beta testing the software … working out the kinks. Frank used an unusual code, but I remembered the similarities to when he first came into Section One for that very purpose to solve the complex code. He was the only one who had any idea how to approach that thing. This one had elements of that code that Frank had initially solved. It has his footprint all over it. Methods used to decipher it had been implemented in reverse so no one would suspect or be able to find the decryption to decode it. It was difficult but I did it … and voila … it linked to Wolverton-Randall totally.”  “I see.” “There is one other damming thing that you may be interested in.” Fergus had already given them enough Intel to ponder and they were surprised that there could possibly be more explosive information. “What is it?”  He took a deep breath before uttering, “Colum has been keeping tabs on the Rising Dragons’ missions and in particular Jamie and Claire’s success.  He also has been collating data on the disappearance of the founder of Section One, Letitia Chisholm. ” The look on Operations face was incredulous. He couldn’t believe what Fergus had just said. “He’s doing what?!?” “How is that possible?” Madeline added perplexed. “A lot is possible if Frank Wolverton-Randall is involved it would seem,” was Operations terse reply. 

“Thank you, Fergus, … I think I have a lot to discuss with Operations. You have been most thorough.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued on Tuesday 11th August.

[bmblboop]

A Team Shattered - RWBY Fic

Immediately after the Fall of Beacon, Jaune’s team must remain overnight in Vale due to the general chaos and lack of communication.

Warning: Volume 3 Spoilers, Some Volume 4 Spoilers, Discussion of Character Death, and lots and lots of ANGST.

Basically, what happened after Jaune’s plea to Weiss the night Beacon fell, from his POV. Canon-compliant.  Posted to celebrate the JanuRWBY prompt ‘Missing Scene’. This is my first ever fic I’ve shared publicly.

--

“Please…”

His shattered scroll lay on the shattered pavement as Jaune fought to contain his sobs. He wracked his brain for answers. Everything happened so fast – the vault, the woman, then Pyrrha… Why? What did Ozpin tell her? What was that machine? Why was she in pain? Why didn’t anyone tell me?

One coherent thought surfaced from the spiral – I need answers.

From where the rocket-locker landed in downtown Vale, Jaune had no choice but to seek help on foot. He wanted, desperately, to run all the way back to Beacon, to Pyrrha, but fruitlessly wandered deeper into the city. He happened across the safe zone set up by Glynda and Qrow, and informed them of the situation at the school. The rogue robots, the Grimm Dragon’s appearance, and…

“Ozpin told Pyrrha to find you two, and that ‘the tower can’t fall.��”  

Qrow and Glynda looked at each other.

“P-Pyrrha is still out there, but I know she’ll need help –“

Qrow started moving. “I’m on it. Hold down the fort,” he pointed at Professor Goodwitch.

“Wait I can -” Jaune was stopped by a firm hand. “No,” Glynda said, “We have informed the other professors about the need for an evacuation. Our mission right now is to protect the survivors.”

Jaune opened his mouth for a comeback that never came. Instead he just watched the empty street, the distant cry of a crow fading into the night.

--

Jaune was too anxious to be bored. Everyone was in the dark about the situation at the school. He fiddled with the cracked remains of his Scroll, hoping it would turn on and hoping there would be enough of a signal to call Pyrrha and make sure she was alive. To call home and tell his parents he was alive. It was a hopeless hope, spurred by the regret of having smashed it grief and anger. When he thought about getting up to find a CCT terminal, Glynda announced that all wireless communication had come to a standstill and she had no answers for when it would return.

More and more airships landed and the building became crowded. Jaune began to look for familiar faces. Some students he’d recognized, some Vytal Tournament participants that had been fending off Grimm were getting bandaged and checked by the nursing staff.

“I’m tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree, while his friends fight for their lives.”

Those words came back to him, vivid and pained. That feeling of wanting to do more, wanting to be more, while looking at opportunities that have already passed. That feeling of uselessness that sank and turned to knots in his stomach.

A familiar pair of pink and green caught his eye and his legs started moving on their own. The second Nora’s eyes met his; she pushed herself off the table and threw her arms around his neck. She started talking, her face buried in his hoodie, but he couldn’t hear her over the ambient chaos of the First Aid stations. Only when she turned her face away from his chest could he tell she was crying.

“…we didn’t want to leave because we thought you were still in the school. And Pyrrha! And then Ruby and Weiss took off too. We lost Scroll signals during the flight so we couldn’t even reach anyone!” She took a shaky breath before letting go. Her blue eyes were streaked with tears. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” Jaune’s own voice catching unexpectedly in his throat.

-

Nora had suffered heavy bruising as a result of a punch to the gut from an Atlesian Paladin. One of Ren’s ribs broke, but it was an aligned fracture, a non-threatening crack that would heal on its own. Even still, Jaune came to find out that this half of his team made it out easy compared to half of Ruby’s.

Blake had been bandaged up at the school for her injury, and was hovering over an unconscious Yang. Her right arm, or what once was her right arm, was being bound in new bandages atop the ones she had already bled through. Blake was noticeably shaken up, but Jaune could not find the words to ease her fears. The other blond who arrived with them (I think his name was Sun?) was keeping an eye on the huntresses, so the three JNPR members let them be.

They sat in the hallway and exchanged their experiences. “…so I rushed over to push him out of the way…” Nora recounted, jabbing a thumb in Ren’s direction. “…and the next thing I know, I’m waking up short of breath and being rushed to the docking bay in front of the school!” She pouted. “Some help I was during that Paladin fight…”

“It was reckless, Nora.” Ren inhaled sharply at the memory. “I still ended up getting punched by that thing, so I wasn’t much help either...”

“Well, I knew I had more Aura than you, so I thought I could take it, but ooh-” Nora groaned. “What about you Jaune?”

He could tell in her eyes the real question. Where’s Pyrrha?

He wish he had an answer.

“We… went down into the school, into… it think they called it a vault? Pyrrha knew what was going on, but there wasn’t enough time to explain it. I was keeping watch until-”

She started screaming. That other woman showed up. We started running. Pyrrha-

It felt like a lifetime ago, has it only been an hour? Two? No matter how much he wants to understand what just happened, nothing makes sense. No one is telling him anything, not even Pyrrha told…

“Jaune?” Nora’s worried tremble broke the silence Jaune didn’t realize he’d left. Ren’s eyes are locked with concern. He had to say something, they are her teammates too.

Jaune swallowed stiffly. “Pyrrha left to fight someone. I think it’s the woman behind that message in the Coliseum.” What else could he say? The encounter in the vault was so brief he really didn’t get a good look at her face, but she had arrows, fiery eyes, and the ability to fly. Everything about her felt… unnatural.

Another airship landed, whipping the bricks with wind and shaking the windows. Jaune stood up. It was getting late and the building was already crowded.

“That’s strange. I thought all the evacuations were done by now?” he told his teammates.

The three of them stood and made their way to the main entrance. The automatic doors parted to show Qrow’s return, with Weiss trailing briskly behind him. He mumbled something to her, but Jaune was more focused on what he was carrying. Cradled in his arms was the tiny, cloaked form of Team RWBY’s leader.

“Ruby!” Jaune yelled as his team sprinted over. Qrow was gripping her shoulder with one hand and lifting her knees with the other. Her head lolled into Qrow’s shoulder, like a sleeping child. She looked so small, cradled in his arms like this. Her optimism and drive made her feel larger than life - it was chilling to see her so helpless.

“What happened, is she-?!”

“She’ll be fine, give us some room will ya?” The huntsmen turned his shoulder to push past him and marched into the empty sickbay. The team followed, a few feet behind, as Qrow found an empty room and bed to lay Ruby down in. He closed the door on the curious onlookers, who stood in the hall with uncertainty.

“I’m sure she’ll be okay.” Weiss broke the silence, but she didn’t look as confident as she sounded. She was holding one arm across her chest and hadn’t taken her eyes off the door. She wasn’t bruised or dirty from the battle, but her eyes were rimmed with exhaustion. The door on the opposite side of the hall squeaked open and a familiar face stepped out into the hallway with them.

“Weiss?”

“Blake!” The heiress turned and ran to greet her teammate. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine.” Blake said, but was hugging her stomach with a pained look on her face. “Did you and Ruby just get back?”

Weiss glanced down at the floor, “Yeah, sorry we took so long.”

“What happened tonight?” Jaune asked. Not to anyone in particular, but Weiss audibly sighed in response.

“We got back on campus and made it to the CCT tower at the same time we got your call.” Weiss glanced at Jaune. A flicker of hope rose in his chest. They were right there, maybe they saw what happened. Maybe they were able to help.

Weiss continued, gripping her sleeve. “Grimm were surrounding the base, so we had to cut a path through them. There was this loud crash and the Wyvern kept roaring.  I used my Semblance to propel Ruby’s climb up the side, but… she didn’t come back down. And the dragon stopped moving.” She paused as she looked at everyone’s faces. Glancing around, Jaune could tell everyone was feeling as bewildered as he was.

“Qrow nearly gave me a heart-attack when he showed up.” Weiss continued with a half-laugh. “We climbed the tower and found Ruby unconscious up there, in Ozpin’s – well… what’s left of the office.  I think that Grimm took the entire roof off.”

That’s how they found Ruby, and she was already out cold? Where did Pyrrha go?    

“Wait, isn’t that roof the CCT antenna?” Blake balked.

“Is that why communications are down?” Nora gasped.

Weiss nodded.

“That means communication is down everywhere.” Blake said, shaking. “Outside of Vale, no one knows what’s going on.”

“Yeah.” Weiss slumped. Jaune thumbed over his broken scroll again. At that moment, the door to Ruby’s room opened.

“Still here?” Qrow’s attempted scowl was betrayed by the underlying tiredness and concern in his voice. Closing the door gently, he continued. “She’s just exhausted is all, might be a day or two before she wakes up.”

Some of the tension visibly eased among the teenagers. “That’s good to hear.” Blake mused quietly.

Managing to catch Blake’s eye, Weiss asked warily, “How’s Yang?”

Blake looked away, and then turned her head toward Yang’s room with a gentle nod. Weiss hurried past her to the door and closed it behind her. Blake watched and turned the opposite way, walking out the main entrance and into the shadows of the night.

Qrow began walking toward Yang’s room, but Jaune reached out to stop him. “Hey wait! You were at the CCT Tower, the Vault, the… whatever! Did you find Pyrrha?” Jaune’s voice wavered.

Qrow stopped and was quiet for a minute. Turning to face Jaune, he said, “The elevator was busted, so we used Ms. Schnee’s glyphs to scale the tower. At the top, we found charred rubble and fallen gears in what remains of Ozpins office.”

Qrow dropped his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Kid, there’s no easy way to say this.” He reached behind his back for something. “Aside from Ruby, this was all we found up there.”

Qrow revealed a soft, folded red cloth sitting in a golden disc. Atop the cloth were three twisted scraps of metal and a golden circlet – a tiara. Jaune’s eyes widened in recognition. Her crown? The metal suddenly clicked too – it was red and gold like her javelin, but melted and snapped into thirds.

His hand fell on Jaune’s shoulder, and Qrow placed Pyrrha’s weapons in his hands.

“I’m sorry.”

Jaune felt as if he had been kicked in the chest. He struggled to breathe, and felt his knees going weak. He stared at her belongings – her shield, her sash, her crown – until his vision ran blurry. He felt a hand on each shoulder as he sank to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut. Gripping his last memory of her in his hands, the tears began to fall.

--

People rolled out mats and sleeping bags, everyone trying to sleep away the worries of what tomorrow might bring. The hall, like an empty cafeteria, felt awkward and uncertain – strangers sitting too close to each other in a large, repurposed room.

It reminded him of the first night they slept in Beacon.

Nora was restless, turning over and over, half-asleep. Jaune could sympathize; despite the emotional exhaustion, he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes. Ren was sitting up, staring out the window. He could be listening to the distant skirmishes of Huntsmen and Grimm or just be lost in thought and Jaune would not know the difference. His calm demeanor seemed unbreakable.

Nora groaned and crawled her way over to Ren, resting her head on his knee. “Ren?” she asked in a frustrated, exhausted whine.

“Hm.”

“Can you do the thing?”

He moved his hand and rested it on her head, brushing her hair behind her ear. Starting at his fingertips, Nora began to change. It wasn’t dramatic, at first Jaune thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but her coloration began to fade. For a moment, her whole body turned shades of black and white, and then the color returned as she began to snore.

“W-what did-?” Jaune stammered, hoping for his own sanity that what he saw wasn’t some kind of illusion.

Ren looked to him, then back at his hand. “I can calm emotions, suppress turbulent feelings. It even helps with avoiding Grimm.” He gently lifted Nora’s head off his knee and onto his sleeping bag.

“That’s… so cool.” Jaune didn’t know what it was like to have a Semblance, but he could imagine it. A tranquility semblance like that would make it easy to evade or sneak up on Grimm. A great semblance for a Huntsman.  

Some distant explosions sounded off, senior Huntsmen fighting off Grimm, probably. They both looked up, a wave of dread returning them to this harsh reality. Jaune attempted to re-rail the conversation.

“So, how did you unlock it?”

“It was like tonight, when I discovered it.” Ren was still looking out the window.

Like tonight? The gears in Jaune’s mind turned. A Grimm attack? Or something more calculated? Ren looked at Nora, sound asleep on the top half of his sleeping bag.  “I unlocked my Semblance that… the night I met her.”

Jaune could tell he was avoiding the question, but if it was as bad as all …this… then no wonder he never brought it up. Ren never talked about his past at all, now that I think about it. Jaune turned to lie down, drop the whole conversation here, but Ren spoke up.

“Jaune, would … it be alright if Nora and I stayed with you for a while?”

Jaune couldn’t meet his eyes. Ren was still looking away, dropping his voice to a whisper.  

“We- we don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Of course.” Jaune’s throat tightened, but pushed the conversation out of his mind quickly. He needs to be somewhat rested for tomorrow, and another cry will just keep him up longer.  But I promise, he thought before drifting to sleep, I won’t let you two down.

[15001700tt]

Descendants of the Moon

Matter of Life and Death

Descendants of the Moon Masterlist

Word Count: 3,381

Tag list: @chastja  @multi-fan-trash @serpentityx @syublush

Dm me if you want to be on the tag list!

Key: Italics- things that happened in the drama but do not old any importance to the story line

Key: Bold- Dialogue said in the Drama

A/N: I forgot to post the teaser for this chapter, my bad. ill post it with tomorrows teaser.

Episode 3:

Mo Yeon and Nurse Choi moved into the bunkers, organizing whatever they were able to bring on the helicopter.

“There’s not much to organize,”  Min Ji huffed softly.

“It’s ok since we’re tired anyways” Mo Yeon responded, folding her towel.

“Knock knock” a male’s voice interrupted their conversation. The girls looked and found a young man standing in front of them in military clothing.

“Have you been well?” he asked them, earning blank looks, Mo Yeon and Min Ji didn't seem to remember meeting him.

“The patient who ran away” he tried jogging their memories by jumping on one foot.

“Ay! Coupon thief!” Mo Yeon’s memory finally snapped and he remembered the young man that got beat up so badly. He was also the reason she met Shi Jin. They conversed when a girl’s voice interrupted.

“Excuse me, it’s time for me to see my friends” Mo Yeon recognized Yoo Ji’s voice as Yoo Ji shoved Ki Bum out of the way.

“Ahhhhh what are you doing here?” Mo Yeon squealed.

“I got transferred to the Taebaek unit last week, I guess they want me to cover what you guys do here.” Yoo Ji explained.

They talked for a bit more while Mo Yeon settled in, they even went to check on Nurse Ha and Doctor Song. they found them arguing over something, the two girls decided to leave them alone.

“Oh! I forgot my phone back in the bunker, you go ahead of me, I'll catch up.” Mo Yeon sighed.

Yoo Ji made her way to the dinner table and observed the scene, the Haesung team unit was still settling down but most of them were sitting around and enjoying the sun and the food, the unit prepared for them. She took notice of Chi Hoon and was about to go over and greet him. He was taking pictures with his camera, her steps halted when she saw one of the men stood in front of him. She got a little closer to hear their conversation.

“I need to inspect your camera,” Woo Geun said with his intimidating face. Yoo Ji rolled her eyes, he was using his face to scare poor Chi Hoon.

“You will delete these pictures immediately,” he told Chi Hoon.

“Why? Did you not like it? I can take another pictu-”

“We’re not allowed to have our pictures taken” Woo Geun responded. Yoo Ji snorted, ‘that’s ridiculous, why wou- oh’ she thought, she thought back to her conversation with Gwang Nam when she assumed he’s Special Forces. She turned her attention to Gwang Nam and Cheol Ho, trying to avoid camera flashes subtly. She guessed that the Captain and Deputy Leader were the head of the team.

While she wasn’t paying attention to Chi Hoon, Mo Yeon approached them snidely commenting on military regulations.

“They can’t tell us anything due to military regulations”

Woo Geun bowed his head to excuse himself from that awkward conversation. Yoo Ji couldn't hear what Mo Yeon said to Chi Hoon since her voice was a murmur at this point. Yoo Ji moved from her spot and decided to take part in the festivities. Some of the medical units recognized her and greeted her.

Gwang Nam was standing behind all of his friends and he was thankful, they would tease him until death if they caught him staring at Yoo Ji. the team and the soldiers knew her as the pretty reporter that can kick their ass. It didn't seem to matter to her what their rank was or how well trained they were, she always managed to turn the odds in her favor. She has been there for only a couple of days but they had seen her take Cheol Ho down when he was teasing her.

-they raise the flag and they go to the Medi-cube-

It was time for Haesung Unit to start their work. They were instructed to get blood tests from the soldiers to check for any irregularities. Yoo Ji stayed at the door and just observed as the doctors got settled down, the soldiers came in and hurried towards the female nurses and doctors. Yoo Ji snorted at their tactics. 

Shi Jin came in, he nodded at her and walked towards Mo Yeon’s station. Yoo Ji watched as they interacted with each other. She knew what happened back home, and it seemed like they still aren't over it.

Gwang Nam moved to her side and watched his friend interact with the girl he likes. 

“Do you think they’ll give their relationship a try again?” he pondered.

“Not after she pokes him like three times,” she responded when Shi Jin yelped. Gwang Nam looked at Mo Yeon with a scared expression. 

“She’s not gonna do that to you” Yoo Ji rolled her eyes. Yoo Ji nodded her head at the old man came through the door.

“You’ve been working hard!” he praised.

“Did you come to receive the packages?” Shi Jin asked, still holding his arm.

“I did and I just came to greet you!” he laughed, and Shi Jin grinned. 

“We should play ball and eat some meat this weekend” Shi Jin offered, his slight smile was gone when they heard a faint crash and a long horn-like car. Yoo Ji immediately moved from her position towards the exit. Trying to see if it was from the main entrance or not, she didn't get very far, Gwang Nam held her back, shaking his head no.

“This is your Captain, report the situation at the front gate” Shi Jin’s voice cut through all the soldier’s two-way radio.

“Everything is in place by the front gate, it seems to be a car accident by the mountainside” the soldier’s voice cut through the silence as some sighed in relief while one man’s eyes widened in panic.

“If it was the mountain road...did my car flip with my kids inside!?” the old man gasped in horror.

The Alpha team quickly assembled their gear and moved towards the Jeep. Yoo Ji swiftly got into the car through the open roof and waited for the guys to get in.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gwang Nam commanded. 

“I am coming with, I am a reporter, I can do that” Yoo Ji pulled out two cards, one of them her ‘badge’ and the other is just a card that says ‘I do what I want’. 

“You can’t, you’re a civilian. It could be dangerous” Shi Jin stated calmly but also allowed no room for discussion. 

“Alright but don’t blame me if one of your vehicles go missing” Yoo Ji shrugged, swinging out of the car and jogging to where they kept their cars.

“Yoo Ji, wait” Dae Young’s voice called out while keeping eye contact with Shi Jin, having a nonverbal argument.

“Fine, she comes but you stay in the car” Shi Jin’s defeated tone called her.

“Sure, we’ll see” she nodded her head but muttered under her breath. Shi Jin turned to Gwang Nam and Woo Geun instructed them to stay on base just in case.

Gwang Nam couldn't argue with his Captain about his choice, but he couldn't help the worried look he sent Yoo Ji. she gave him a small smug smile and they were on their way.

They approached the flipped car, Shi Jin got out first and signaled Dae Young and Cheol Ho to follow him. As soon as they surrounded the car, Yoo Ji got out of the jeep and crept around the van to inspect the damage. She saw Dae Young checking for a pulse on the bleeding guy, and then moving around to the back where the doors are closed with a lock, Shi Jin inspected the bottom of the car that was on the top now. He frowned, something was wrong, how did the car manage to get there from the cliff, it was a little too far from the usual fall. Cheol Ho’s voice broke Shi Jin out of his thoughts.

“Police! hands up!” 

“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! I’m UN! UN!” the young man’s voice yelped putting his hands up.

Cheol Ho swung his gun to the side and went to check the injured man’s body for weapons. She was still looking at the car and she noticed that there was a key that looked small enough to open the clasp on the van’s back door on the key chain,  she quickly took out the keys.

“I am hurt! I am hurt! Treatment! Treatment!” the man frantically explained, he turned around not noticing Yoo Ji watching him from the other side. His face changed and he looked like he just screwed up. Yoo Ji furrowed her eyebrows. And stood up and tossed them to Dae Young who looked at her with a dismayed look. She mentally snorted, he really thought she would stay in the car.

Since Yoo Ji moved from her spot she didn’t see the man open the glove compartment, he slowly took out a G-47 and sharply turned to point the gun at Shi Jin. 

Shi Jin saw it coming and intercepted it and punched him in the nose. His groan alerted Yoo Ji that he might not be who he is. She went to Shi Jin’s side and glanced at the gun.

“Isn’t he a member of the U.N.? The relief team isn’t allowed to carry guns” 

“Then why would he have a G-47?” she questioned.

“They say they’re U.N. but they have tattoos from foreign legions and their clothes don’t fit properly” Shi Jin inspected. 

“Yet they insist they are UN, who are these people?”

Dae Young finally opened the back door to the van, he found trunks that were filled with packaged clothes and guns, big guns. Yoo Ji was standing behind him, her eyebrows shot up.

“They’re trying to smuggle weapons across the border using the U.N. as a cover?” Yoo Ji furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“You tell me, you’re part of the U.N.” Shi Jin stated back. Yoo Ji shook her head, she didn't hear any chatter about smugglers at the U.N. meetings. She went up to the injured smuggler and took his identification card, and inspected it.

“It looks like the ID is fake, the serial numbers don’t start with 103- its 003” Yoo Ji informed them. In the end, Shi Jin called the local police, but Yoo Ji doubted they would stay at the station for a long time. The police in Urk was always bought with money and don’t really stand for justice. She knows first hand because she was able to get information from one of them before.

As they went back to base, Mo Yeon caught them walking.

“Did anyone get hurt?”

“No it was just a car accident, don’t worry about it” Shi Jin assured her.

Shi Jin needed to go to the main base in town to report the car accident, and Mo Yeon needed Wifi so Dae Young, the best wingman on earth, suggesting that Shi Jin takes Mo Yeon to an internet cafe. 

Dae Young caught Yoo Ji chuckling at his suggestion, Mo Yeon being one to never back down from a challenge, which that’s what it felt like to her. She took him up on the offer and got into the blue car with Shi Jin.

“What if they kill each other in that car?” Yoo Ji was amused. Gwang Nam joined them looking at the retreating car.

“One is great with sharp objects and the other has martial arts.” Dae Young weighed the possibility.

“She doesn't have her scalpel with her, I think they’ll be fine” Dae Young waved off. Gwang Nam chuckled at his comment.

“How do you know if I didn't teach her how to defend herself without weapons” Yoo Ji faked her serious tone. Truthfully she taught Mo Yeon basic self-defense but Shi Jin can totally overpower her in a few seconds, the boys didn't know that. Gwang Nam and Dae Young’s face fell and dread settled in their stomachs, but Yoo Ji’s laughter made them sigh in relief.

Shi Jin drops Mo Yeon at Ye Hwa’s convenience store and goes to do the report, his superior tells him to leave it alone because the police are getting involved in some shady shit and they don’t want to ruin Korean relations with Urk. he went back to pick her up and they went to the secluded beach while he told her the story of how he met Seo Dae Young and Yoon Myung Ju. They came back really late to Chi Hoon carrying a small child to the infirmary. Mo Yeon quickly followed him and Shi Jin on her heels. After they finished diagnosing the child, Shi Jin went to where Dae Young and Gwang Nam and Yoo Ji were playing cards.

“So how was it? Everyone back in one piece?” Dae Young teased when he saw Shi Jin at the door. He had a pensive look on his face as he leaned on the doorway.

“Did you know that the Haesung Chairman tried to get Mo Yeon to sleep with him on their first date?” he asked Yoo Ji who was trying to focus on the game.

“Of course I knew, I am not cut off from the world” she rolled her eyes and put down three hearts.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Shi Jin asked with a pout on his face.

“Why would I? Are you dating Mo Yeon?” she seriously asked him, looking him in the eye.

“No but that guy is an asshole!” he let out a frustrated groan.

“I know, I was tempted to punch him too but I was here and I couldn't do anything” she replied.

“I should’ve circumcised him before I left so he would only have his illegitimate children when he needs an heir” Yoo Ji muttered, making all three men look at her in surprise.

“What? Are you surprised I know that or that I can get violent?” she questioned.

“He has illegitimate children?” Shi Jin’s lips started to widen into a smile, then it was a full-blown laugh.

“How do you know these things?” Gwang Nam queried.

“I have sources.” she cryptically said. When all three of the men’s radios went off. Something was happening. 

“We’re going under FPCON BRAVO” Dae Young informed Yoo Ji.

“Force Protection Condition” Gwang Nam translated to Yoo Ji. They left their game and went to get ready, they were going to get briefed on the situation. All that they knew was that the Medi-Cube was under protection. 

“It turned out that President Mubarat of the Arab league needs medical attention” Shi Jin repeated the information that was given to him by his superior, Dae Young and Shi Jin were briefing their team on who the resident was, and how important his role was.

Yoo Ji was waiting with the medical team, she was observing quietly from the back, it seemed that she didn't pick up on the tension between Shi Jin and Mo Yeon because they seemed to be upset with each other. Shi Jin silently handed Mo Yeon the medical chart of the patient. 

“What is this? Everything is censored, how do they want us to read it and make a proper diagnosis?” Doctor Song protested when he saw the black lines going through the vital information.

“In the VIP Charts there are more lies than truths anyway” Mo Yeon responded 

“Why would any doctor do that?” Chi Hoon was puzzled, probably thinking about how it’s illegal to record false information.

“Just like poor people need Schweitzer, VIPs need special doctors too, their medical history can be used as their weakness” Mo Yeon continued, not noticing Shi Jin’s look, Yoo Ji did, and he looked like he regretted something. Probably something he said to her.

The patient arrived and they started performing emergency medical procedures, the president’s bodyguards tried to make Yoo Ji step out of the room. Yoo Ji already knew that they would try so she showed them her UN badge and that she can be their translator as she was able to speak Arabic fluently. They had no choice but to allow her, as there were a language barrier and so little time.

As they talked about the patient’s treatment, it seemed that it wasn’t going too well, and the guards were expecting Yoo Ji to translate, but she found herself confused as well.

“The symptoms don’t add up, how is that even possible?” she added.

“That’s because there is something that they don’t want us to know about,” Mo Yeon said, turning to look at Shi Jin.

“I need to open him up to see what's causing the bleeding in the abdominal cavity,” Mo Yeon told him before turning to her medical team.

“Prepare the operating room quickly!” her order was cut off when the main security guard spoke up in English.

“I can’t let you do that, you can’t operate on him” he paused,“The President’s doctor will be here in an hour,” he stated.

“The patient won’t last an hour, they need to operate now” Yoo Ji intervened in Arabic knowing that if they didn't save him now it will be blamed on them and if he does die then it’s also on them, and she saw in Mo Yeon’s eyes that she was willing to take the chance. Everyone’s eyes widened when they heard her speak Arabic, they didn't know she spoke Arabic fluently.

“I can’t let you put a knife in the leader of the Arab world.” he insisted.

“What do you mean? If I don’t operate now he won’t last 20 minutes” Mo Yeon responded in English.

“Only Arab doctors perform on the President!” the bodyguard pulled out his gun and pointed it at Mo Yeon, Yoo Ji could see the breath she sucked in. Yoo Ji surveyed the room and tried to find a weapon she could use in case things got ugly. She was still standing beside the bodyguards and with the way things are going that didn't seem safe. She locked eyes with Gwang Nam. The medical team took a visible step back while the Alpha Team all reached for their guns, keeping their hands above the holster when Shi Jin motioned with his hand to wait.

Gwang Nam signaled with his eyes to start making her way to their side behind him. She slowly inched towards them as Shi Jin listened to his superior on the radio and Mo Yeon told the bodyguard that once she removes her hands, he will die.

“I am not trying to change history here.” she tried one last time to convince him. When he didn't budge, Shi Jin listened to his superior as he talked. The alpha team is doing the same. Yoo Ji watched Gwang Nam’s face to try and decipher what he’s saying, she didn't think it was anything good as all of their eyes flickered to Mo Yeon at the same time. 

“Can you save this patient?” Shi Jin asked Mo Yeon, it seemed like he made a decision already and Dae Young was on the same page as him. It really impressed Yoo Ji how they communicated silently and got the message across to all five of them without uttering a word. Gwang Nam gestured for her to hurry up.

“I can save him” Mo Yeon’s soft voice called out and Shi Jin nodded and turned off the radio, and took out his earpiece while Gwang Nam gestured Yee Ji again to come closer. 

“Then save him” he put up his gun quickly. Yoo Ji had swiftly made her way to Gwang Nam’s side and was standing behind him. He was pointing his rifle at one of the bodyguards. Yoo Ji held onto his back feeling his warm body. She slightly blushed at the contact but she knew now isn’t the time and especially when this could be their last day on earth, she shook it out of her head and focused on the bodyguards’ faces from behind team Alpha.

If this was any other circumstances he would have totally had a moment about her touching him, but this was life and death right now, he’ll have to wait.

[shastelly]

Ocean - March Klance Prompts from MonthlyKlance - Day 19

Yes, it's April, no I don't care :)

This fic brought to you by Seagram's extra dry Gin…enjoy responsibly...the typos took longer than usual to edit out, perhaps drinking and writing aren’t the best combo

  Day 19 - Ocean

  It didn't happen in slow motion.  He didn't get a time-lapsed forever to weigh his options and make his decision.  It was not like the movies at all, but even now as his air and time were running out, he would not have made a different choice.  Even now he knew that split-second decision had been the right one.

  Three Varga ago…

  The plan was solid.  They would infiltrate the Galra cruiser when it was docked at the fueling station on Alien Waterworld.  Lance did not remember the name it had way too many consonants in it to pronounce properly and besides it was totally alien Waterworld, covered nearly entirely in ocean.  The fueling station was a tower that soared up out of the water into the pink sky.  The water was somewhat surprisingly blue, and Lance really appreciated its resemblance to Earth water. 

  Pidge explained that the tower was converted electrochemical energy produced in the alien ocean to fuel.  It was not ecofriendly, and they were slowly killing the planets ecosystem with the three fueling stations towers.  She had suggested that once they completed the mission with the cruiser data retrieval that the castle blast the other two towers as well.

  The towers were manned primarily by droids according to intel and scans.  The team would use Green and her cloak to get into the tower and then sneak aboard the cruiser as it was docked.  Then Lance, Keith, and Hunk would place a series of detonators in key spots around the ship while Pidge and Shiro hacked the mainframe and copied the prisoner records and troop movement information they needed.   When they had the information they needed, they would take a pod and drop down to the ocean where Green waited and Pidge would set off the detonators.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  And Shio had rolled his eyes when Lance said it, but it was, it was supposed to be.

  Another brilliant plan ruined by stupidity - Galra stupidity.  One of the detonator's was discovered, one on the starboard engine.  The brilliant detective decided to mess with the bomb and set it off blowing himself and the engine to bits.  Lance is sure that's what happened, because Keith apparently saw the bomb go off as he was trying to stop the idiot from setting it off.

  Now, Lance thinks, maybe being next to the bomb going off wasn't Keith's best plan and that they definitely need to get that boy a long-range weapon of some kind.  At this point Lance thinks a sling and some rocks would be better than nothing.

  "Shit!"

  "Keith, are you okay?"  Shiro yells in the com.

  "Yeah, yeah, mostly."  Keith's breathy voice almost echoes.  "Blast busted my helmet.  The visor is cracked.  Stupid patrol set off the bomb.  I think we're going down."

  "No kidding, did the free fall clue you in?"  Lance snarked as he clung to the wall in the hall he was in, not far from Keith. 

  "Everyone to the pod now, we need to get off of here before we hit the water."  Shiro ordered.

  Keith was the furthest away and had to make a detour around damaged sections of the ship as doors were sealed in attempt to keep the thing in the air.  It wasn't working, but it was causing Keith a lot of issues.  Lance wasn't having much more luck as he wasn't much ahead of Keith.  About two dobashes after the ordered retreat they found themselves in the same hall.

  "Pidge?  Help?"  Lance asked.

  "I'm in the pod with Shiro.  I can pull up a map."  Pidge's typing could be heard over the com.

  "I'm almost there.  I see the pods."  Hunk yelled.

  "Shit, we have three dobashes to waterfall."  Pidge yelled frantic.

  "Go then!"  Keith yelled as he and Lance moved faster, still not sure how to get to where they needed to be.

  "Don't wait for us."  Lance echoed.

  "We can give you one more dobash."  Pidge snarled.

  "Won't make it.  Get Hunk and go."  Lance panted.

  "Hunk's on board."  Shiro stated.

  "Go Shiro!"  Keith yelled.

  "Pidge, launch."  Shiro ordered.

  "No, we can give them…"

  "They aren't going to make it in time.  Keith, Lance - You are too far out to get to the pods.  Find a secure location and brace for impact.  We will give you the count."  Shiro commanded, sounding sure that they would be okay.

  "Fuck."  Pidge cursed as she pressed the button to launch the pod.  "You have 2.5 dobashes."

  "On it."  Keith answered, though his voice was weak.

  Lance could see the blackened marks on the red paladin armor and the shattered visor and cracked helmet revealed bleeding cuts on Keith's face.

  "Here?"  Lance nodded to a small room to the left of the hall.  It looked like a dorm room, complete with desk and bed.

  "Yeah."  Keith agreed.

  The bed seemed to be bolted into the wall.  They both crawled under it and braced themselves.

  "This sucks."  Keith growled.  His breathing seemed shallow and Lance worried that there was more wrong with him than he had told.

  "Yeah, I've heard of hiding under the bed from a monster or a tornado or maybe a fire, but not a shipwreck and the others never work out either."

  "Lance, you're babbling."

  "I'm not babbling, I am pretending not to be freaking out about our imminent deaths by talking about random things to distract myself.  Where you aware that cows have four stomachs?"  Lance knew he was babbling, he didn't care.

  "No."

  "They do, it's so they can digest grass and stuff, which humans can't because of just the one stomach.  I had to have my stomach pumped when I was six and drank an entire bottle of tequila that I found in the kitchen cabinet."

  "Really." 

  Lance wasn't entirely sure that Keith was paying attention, but he did seem to be humoring him, "Yeah, I got a popsicle and a night in the hospital.  Hospitals aren't so bad when the nurses are nice.  I went out with a nurse once when I was at the Garrison.  She was like five years older than me.  I'm not sure why she said yes when I asked.  She was a good dancer.  We went to three clubs and did shots of tequila.  Then at like 3 am we went cow tipping."

  "Are all your stories about cows and tequila?"

  "Important hallmarks for my childhood."  Lance snarked, though his voice shook slightly.

  "One dobash, are you guys safe."  Shiro asked over the com.

  "We found a good spot.  Riding this thing in."  Lance came back trying to sound confident.

  "Okay.  Hold tight.  Get to an outer area of the ship as soon as possible and we will get you out if we have to make a door."  Shiro responded.

  Something about their leader's voice seemed to fill him with a sense of safe.  Shiro wouldn't let anything happen to them.

  "Okay, Shiro, be careful yourselves."  Keith responded.  He was well aware that Shiro would throw himself into fire if he thought it would save his team.

  Pidge's voice shaking came over the com, "Ten, nine, I love you guys, five, four, three, two, one."

  At one the world shook.  The sound was like a thousand trains running into a thousand cliffs and blowing up.  The paladins were bounced hard against the bed and back down to the floor several times.  Clutching desperately to the bed and each other they tried to minimize the impact and stay contained in their little corner.  They didn't realize they were both screaming at first, the sound covered by the monstrous noise of the crash.

  When Lance came to, he was pressed between the wall and Keith, clutching the former like his life depended on it.  The bed had apparently come loose at some point and Keith was clutching the bed in front of them like a shield.  All in all, Lance decided he wasn't doing too bad.  He felt stiff, his back hurt and his arms and hands were so stiff he had trouble convincing his fingers to let go.

  "Keith?"  Lance jostled him a little as he tried to remove his arms from around the Red Paladin.

  Keith groaned and apparently let go of the bed as it went crashing to the floor.

  "LANCE!" Pidge's scream left his ears ringing.

  "We're here Pidgie.  I'm okay, a little stiff but no damage.  Checking on Keith now."  Lance answered.

  "Quiznak don’t scare me like that again!"  She growled.

  "'m 'kay” Keith slurred.

  "Yeah, not convincing, mullet."  Lance carefully climbed around so that he could see Keith's face and the rest of him.  He didn't see anything new, but that didn't mean he was okay.  Keith blinked a couple of times and then managed to focus on Lance.  "Okay, so head injury from explosion or crash?"

  "Um…both?  I think my helmet's damaged or maybe my headache is just getting worse."  Keith answered squinting at Lance.

  "Okay, well, definite helmet damage because the explosion blew out your visor.  Can you sit up?"  Lance reached out to steady him when Keith wobbled, but he managed to sit.  He closed his eyes and then snapped them open.

  "Dizzy."  He muttered.

  "Okay, you guys get that?"  Lance asked.

  "Yeah, we hear you."  Shiro answered.

  "Lance, we need you guys to get out of the ship, Pidge is sending you the quickest route to an exist.  The blast left a pretty big hole and the ship is starting to sink heavily on that end."  Hunk came over the coms nervously.

  "Route sent."  Pidge returned almost immediately.

  "Okay, Keith, we gotta go."  Lance helped him up.  The fact that he didn't say a word and just did as Lance asked kind of freaked him out a little.  "Moving."

  "We read you.  I'm monitoring your progress."  Pidge offered.

  "Okay."  Lance was nearly carrying Keith by the time they got to the second hallway.  He wasn't sure if it was the head wound or something else, but he was worried.

  "Guys!  You need to hurry!"  Hunk's panic bled through the com.  "The ship is breaking up."

  "What?!"  Lance leaned down and managed to lift Keith up over a shoulder.  "Quiznak you are heavier than you look!"

  "Lance?"  Worry colored Shiro's voice.

  "Keith's too slow, I'm going to try to move us faster."  Lance panted managing to move to a jog.  Keith growled from his back but broke off into a whimper.  Lance tried to move faster.

  The sounds the ship had been making were getting louder.  The rocking from the waves made on impact had accompanied groans and creaks, but now there were louder metallic noises that filled Lance with a kind of dread.

  "LANCE!"  Hunk called out just as the floor in front of him split open with a shriek.

  Lance may have joined the floor in shrieking as he scrambled backwards.  The ship in front of him split and tilted forward, falling away and forward.  He scrambled as the ship rocked hard sliding them back and forth across the hall.  Lance clung to Keith.

  "LANCE?!"  Hunk cried.

  "Ow!  Quiznak!"  Lance slammed hard into the wall and the two section of the ship separated.  The far section moved farther away bobbing like a cork in the ocean.  While the section they were in shifted and started tilting forward, trying to drop them into the ocean below. 

  "No, no, no."  Lance tried to push them back away from the edge, Keith was clinging weakly to him and despite his efforts they were sliding forward. 

  "Lance?!"  Hunk yelled again.

  "Falling, falling, shit."  Lance's outstretched arm managed to grab the corner of a door, but the jolting stop caused Keith to slide out of his arm and he was now clinging to his legs.  "Stopped," he grunted.

  "Lance, where are you?"  Shiro called.

  Lance couldn't focus enough to answer, his arm burned, and Keith was slipping.  He saw another hand hold further down and letting his one go, he managed to get a grip on Keith again and grab the next door.  This time expected the jolt he was able to brace himself and keep his grip on Keith.  Keith groaned.

  "Hanging on."  Lance muttered.  The water was rising.  They were about thirty feet above it.  Their part of the ship was continuing to tilt, and Lance wondered if it would go completely upright and if he could hold on if it did.

  "We are coming to you."  Pidge gritted out.  "We've made it to Green."

  The ship jolted and it was as though an entire level disappeared into the deep blue ocean.  The ship shuddered and shook, and Lance found his grip loosened again and they were sliding and Keith was sliding faster.  Lance gave up all pretense of trying to stop their fall and desperately grabbed for Keith.

  They were almost to the edge and Lance almost had him.  He saw Keith reach out his hand and Lance reached out his.  They were less than an inch apart when Lance's armor hung up on debris from the hall and he was jerked to a stop and Keith slid off the edge and out of site.

  "NOOOO!"  Lance jerked himself free of the debris and slid to the edge.  Keith was just visible sinking into the water almost thirty feet down.

  "LANCE?!"  This time it was Shiro that yelled.

  "Lance, Keith isn't showing up on the scan!"  Pidge shrieked.

  "Water must block the scan, Pidge, you'll have to fix that."  Lance spoke calmly and stepped off the edge.  He crossed his arms over his chest and kept his legs tightly together trying to aim himself after Keith.  That was the moment.  No slow motion, no questions about their fate, no thoughts other than "go".

  "What?  Lance?  Water?" Hunk sputtered.

  It hurt hitting the water that fast, but he his armor protected him.  He searched for Keith and spotting him began swimming for all he was worth.  Keith was sinking further into darkness.  His eyes closed and face slack.

  "nonnonnononnonononononono…" Lance didn't even realize he was talking until another voice answered.

  "Lance.  What's going on?  Talk to us, buddy."

  "nonononononononnonononnonononononono…."  Lance finally reached Keith hands grasping his armor and pulling his body to him.  As he did the water around him darkened like night falling.

  "Lance, the ship!"  Hunk yelled.  "Please!"

  Lance looked up to find the ship and tilted on over and was now coming his way at an unfortunate speed.  He grabbed Keith and began trying to swim away, but the water displaced from the ship was pulling them back.  He had to get Keith air, he had to get him out of the water.

  "nonononononono.." Lance panted breathlessly.  The ship was getting closer.  Soon Lance was swimming up into the ship, dodging between halls.  He realized about two ticks later that the ship had stopped moving.  He just needed to find some air.

  "Need air."  He growled.

  "Air?  There are pockets in the ship, try to reach one.  I don't know where you are because you are in the water."  Pidge fretted.

  "Keith?" Shiro uttered his name like a prayer.

  "Needs air."  Lance gritted out.  He broke the surface of the water in a hallway.  Up and to the right was a doorway.  Lance managed to pull Keith up with him and hauled him out of the water.  Later he would wonder how he managed it, but at the time it was just what needed to happen.

  He pulled Keith's helmet off and his hair spread around wet and dark behind him.  His face pale and unmoving.  A sound came out of Lance like a wounded animal before his lifeguard training kicked in and he began CPR.

  "Breathe damnit!"  Lance hissed as he felt Keith's ribs crack under the pressure.  "Breathe, you stupid mullet!"  Lance wailed.  "BREATHE, PLEASE KEITH!"

  And then he was sputtering and spitting out water, his body jerking and moving, and Lance rolled him to his side sobbing in relief.

  "Lance?"  Shiro begged.

  "Breathing, he's breathing."  Lance choked out.

  "Thank you."  Shiro whispered, Lance wasn't sure if he was talking to him or Keith, but it didn't matter at least the idiot was breathing.

  To be continued in Day 23 Hands