Ash Williams is the Chosen One, the hero against deadites. But what if it wasn't him, and it was Scotty instead? Welcome to an Evil Dead movie trilogy rewrite with Scotty as the Hero!

There was never a dull moment in the lives of the X-Men.  Even though Warren wasn’t part of the active team anymore, he was one of the first five - Xavier’s first students and the first X-Men that existed.  It was hard not to feel like part of the X-Men still, to not consider himself part of the team, especially when he was frequently called on to help, whether that was with the X-Corp business, defending Krakoa, or just generally being a hero overall.  He really wasn’t supposed to be an active fighter, but it was what he was trained to do since being a teenager.  And besides, there was still an almost unbelievable amount of danger in the business world, cutthroat didn’t even do it justice.  He really enjoyed the simpler moments of just doing good and not being questioned at every turn, or having to watch his back for any hint of betrayal.  

He was thankfully a tough guy, though, able to withstand a decent amount of punishment while being lightning fast in the air.  Maneuverability was his practiced strength, and he was sure he was the best at flying with all of his training.  But even with all of his prowess and a healing factor to back him up, he still got hurt.  While things rarely ever let him rest properly, he could push through it.  He had to when Scott had called, and needed the aerial superiority that Warren had.  He had to push aside singed and missing feathers, but at least transitioning his wings to the sleek metal regrew them in an instant.  And now, he could focus on taking care of strange monsters from another dimension, a rift opened as the result of playing with powers far outside of mortal comprehension.  

Traveling through a Krakoan gate and flying fast to the north Californian coast, it didn’t take Warren long to rendezvous, already seeing Scott and Firestar waiting.  The young Mutant was proving to be a skilled X-Man So far.  

“So, what are we looking at?”

Scott, arms crossed, lets out a soft hum.

“One moment.”  

Warren tilts his head, moreso just wondering what they were waiting on until Magik's characteristic stepping disc appeared.

“Now,” Scott starts, “Rictor and Magik will prioritize closing the rift.  Firestar and Angel, you'll keep them engaged and limit their destruction.  Jean has located them traveling north. Don't let them get any farther.  Firestar, are you alright with staying in telepathic contact?”  

Simple enough; And Firestar gives a nod of confirmation at Scott's question.  Warren knew she wasn't the fondest of telepaths, or at least of Emma Frost.  Which was probably a story for another day.  And besides, he was keen to take off and get into the action.  

“As always, be careful.  We don't have much solid information on what these creatures are capable of, but they've so far been largely difficult to spot via visual contact.” 

Another brief response of confirmation was all Scott was looking for, and Warren knew that.  He kept himself alert, trying to spot anything that just didn't seem right.  Firestar, to her credit, was using her powers to fly and as a sort of detection if anything was disrupting the air unseen to the eye.  And if he were anyone else, he would've missed it; the glimmer of light that just didn't look right.  

“Firestar, there!”  Warren directs, and the heated blast hits something full force that lets out a horrible shriek.  Whatever camouflage it had faded, revealing a creature similar to a manta ray albeit without a stinging tail.  It was like its skin reflected the light, and newfound burns disrupted it.  These things definitely couldn't stick around.  There were probably more of them too, but Warren wanted to be careful with his flechettes.  While a few blades hit their mark on the injured creature and quickly work to paralyze it, that’s when he gets a good look at the underside of the creature revealing a large maw of colossal razor sharp teeth and tucked claws shaped like scythes.  And finding out how deadly those were was not on his agenda.  

He caught sight of another creature, and darted for the more open ocean off the coastline.  Keep them distracted; that was the goal.  While their course had turned back towards the rift, probably sensitive to whatever work Rictor and Magik were doing, this was the time to really let loose and not let a single of these monsters do anything more.  He turned to climb skyward, a few flechettes making sure that he drew the monster’s attention.  But as he climbed, he could see the way light reflected off the creature and how quickly it gained on him.  Maybe he couldn’t outspeed it, but he could outmaneuver it.  He moves into a loop, seeing the monster speed past him and try to turn around to dive on him.  But it just takes one powerful beat of wings to send more flechettes towards the now extended claws, while enough hit their mark, the feeling of those sharp claws scratching against his wings were not at all pleasant and forced a grunt of pain from him as they managed to cut him.  

But he’d heal just fine, and now he sped back towards the coastline to get sights on more of them.  

“Scott, how’re things there?”  

“Fine,” He says back, but Warren could tell that something was up.  And it wasn’t that much of a surprise to hear Jean’s voice in his head, with her maintaining the telepathic connection.

“Hurry back, more of those creatures are trying to stop Rictor and Magik.”  

No time to waste now; Warren pushes to his maximum speed to get back as quickly as he can.  Classic Scott, having a plan already that wouldn’t call for backup.  But he was already on the way, and already able to see the familiar blasts hitting some of the monsters.  And he was handling it perfectly, though Warren could see a creature coming in for a dive bomb.  Easy enough to intercept, he figured, as he climbed higher and focused on the beast.  

“Scott, incoming!”  

He collided directly with the monster and turned to open it up to a direct blast from Scott.  It shrieks from the hit, and the claws fully extend to reveal the jagged teeth (for lack of a better term) on the inside of the limb.  It tries to grab hold of Warren’s wing, managing to tear a good chunk of the metal feathers to pieces.  He lets out a shout then, but he’s able to still recover and keep himself from crash landing.  

“Warren, are you okay?”  

Jean’s voice in his head was concerned, and he let out a breath to compose himself.  

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”  

He’d worry about it later, and besides - this was far from the worst he’s ever experienced.  He could still fly fine, and with Firestar reconvening back at the shoreline and helping with the monsters, it was a simple task to hold them off long enough for the rift to be closed.  The creatures went with it, vanishing with little more than a screech to signal their departure.  At least that was that, and Warren for once was glad to land.  

“You look a few pounds lighter, Angel,” Magik spoke up, and he couldn’t help rolling his eyes.  

“Veeery funny, Magik.  I’m fine.”  “You seem so, so I wasn’t asking that.  Time to head back home.”  

She opens a stepping disc once more, bringing them all back home to Krakoa.  Warren’s priority now was to find a spot where he could relax and worry about his wing.  Scott was sure to have to report to the Council how things went, and that would give Warren some free time.  Or at least, he was assuming, until he heard Jean’s voice in his mind again.  

“Warren, you’re hurt.”  

He knew that tone, that obvious worry when Warren’s first solution would be to isolate himself and handle it himself.  And he knew he really shouldn’t if he didn’t want one of the most powerful telepaths he knew to come looking.

“It’s not that bad, Jean, really.  The damage’ll heal when they transform back.”  

And that was true, they would.  It’d hurt like hell, but they’d be pristine white feathers again with hardly any indication that something happened.  He’d be exhausted, sure, but he didn’t have anywhere to be.  

“I know, but still.  You know we’ll worry.”  

He can’t help a soft laugh then.  She wouldn’t force him, he knew, but it was also painfully clear that she would much prefer if he spent his time resting in the Summers house on the blue side of the moon.  And while he adored the breeze he felt on Krakoa often while flying, the moon wasn’t so bad.  

“Alright, alright, I’m on my way.”  

He was definitely a bit amused.  He wasn’t that reckless young guy anymore, charging headlong into danger.  And he was tougher now, with a healing factor that helped him and his much stronger form that he had learned how to control.  But, in the same breath, it’d be nice to be able to relax with the people he had known the longest, and trusted wholeheartedly without hesitation.  It was an easy enough task to fly to the gate that would take him to the house, landing once he was right outside the gate and stepped through.  That was one thing that was always sort of interesting - suddenly being in a brand new place altogether.  But then again, all the times traveling through them at least made them feel more normal.  

The moment he was in the Summers home, he was aware of just how quiet it was.  The kids must be busy with something, Alex out somewhere, and Gabriel off to God knows where.  But he wasn’t going to worry about that at all, especially when he was keen to lay back and relax.  He sat down on the couch and let out a soft hum then, and it didn’t take long for Jean to meet him.  

“Warren, it’s always great to see you.”  

He gives a soft laugh then, waving to Jean as she steps around the couch.  “You too, always.  But I mean it, I’m fine!”  

Jean answers him by running a hand over the still metallic feathers, gentle and careful though it was very clear that she knew how to avoid being cut by the flechettes, and stopped right at the part where the feathers had been ripped off.  He took that memo clearly enough.  

“Okay, it will be fine.  Is this the part where you offer to keep me from feeling the pain of them shifting back?”  

“If you want, I’d like to help.”  

And he knew that Jean meant it wholeheartedly, but wouldn’t push it if that wasn’t something he was comfortable with.  He generally disliked anyone messing with his mind, but there were a select few he trusted.  So he lets out a soft breath, nodding.  “That’s fine, just dull it so it’s more bearable, maybe.”  

She nods at that, only dampening Warren’s ability to feel pain as he willed his wings to change form again.  Like this, it still hurt, and he could still feel the way the feathers rapidly regrew to fill in the empty space, but it wasn’t as bad as it once was; when his wings first became white feathers again.  He had to make sure to keep taking steady breaths, stay focused and composed.  Once they were back to their normal form, he leaned back against the cushions in relief. 

“Are you sure you feel okay, Warren?”

Jean asks, and he can't help a laugh.  

“Yeah, I feel alright, especially thanks to you.  I appreciate you, Jeannie.”  

 “That’s good to hear.”  Scott’s voice makes Warren jump, because hell, wasn’t giving a report on things more time consuming than that? “Sorry Warren,” Scott says as he comes around the back of the couch, standing off to the side.  “I just wanted to come and check on you myself.” Warren can’t help a laugh at that, shaking his head.  “I’m telling you both, I’m fine!  I’m not fragile!”  

But he knows why they worry so much, and it’s not as if it’s unwarranted.  With all the pain they’ve all had to endure over the years, it was natural to worry about each other.  Scott worried about others, sought to make sure they were okay and safe.  It was what the leader did, so his own tone wasn’t upset; it was more playful and lighthearted.  

“I know, but still.”  Was the unsurprising answer from Scott.  Even after all these years, some things didn’t change.  

“Is this going to lead into a question of staying to take some time off?”  He can’t help teasing, and while Scott shakes his head, Jean lets out a hum.  

“Not if you don’t want to,” Scott starts, but Jean picks up.  “But it’d be nice to have some time with you.”  And Warren understands that sentiment.  They would generally have plenty of time to enjoy the peace and quiet, if all things went well, but taking moments now while they fought to keep themselves safe day in and day out was always a warmly welcomed respite.  And if there was anything that Warren appreciated, it was a comfortable night in with his loved ones.  

“Alright, I’ll stick around.  You’re lucky I love you both.”  He jokes, and Jean gives him a warm smile and tousles his hair just a bit as she stands.  “Love you too, Warren.”  And she even goes as far as pressing a kiss to his forehead before she walks off.  That leaves Warren just a bit dumbfounded, because that was new.  And when Warren looked over to Scott, he was sure the stoic leader had an amused smile on his face.  There was definitely a whole conversation that those two had that he missed out on entirely.  

“What did you two say?”

Scott just hums.  “Nothing.  You heard us, didn’t you?”

Warren rolls his eyes dramatically at that.  “Alright, you cheeky weasel.  You know what I meant.”  

Out of everything he imagined his life being like when he was a young and idealistic kid, Leon never expected to be forced to become a government agent dealing with zombie threats.  He didn't regret his choice, having done so to make sure Sherry was safe.  It didn't end up exactly as he would have liked, but he was never given much time to dwell on his worries about it.  His job as an agent kept him busy, especially with missions like the one to Spain being about par for the course.  Maybe not with the same stakes, but he couldn't count how many things he was supposed to handle on his own, or had to rely on himself for one reason or another.  He tried to keep in contact with Claire as much as he could despite it, getting updates on how she was doing and how Sherry was.  He still felt responsible for her, even though her care wasn't technically in his hands anymore.  

And while he tried not to pull too many strings for favors, just in case he really needed it later, he felt like this was as good a time as any to try something now that the cold winter months were set in to stay.  He just wanted Sherry to enjoy a nice vacation from tests and being analyzed even years later, and besides; The President surely owed him a little favor after getting his daughter back, even if he was ordered to do it.  He knew Director Simmons wasn going to be irritated at best about it, but Leon couldn’t find it in him to care too much.  If it was that big of a deal, he’d just have to make up for it later.  

Leon was grateful for the fact that did get that favor, being allowed one day to take Sherry wherever so long as he brought her back.  But now he had the arguably harder task of planning a fun day for Sherry without spoiling the surprise to Claire.  He wanted to be sure that Sherry got to really enjoy herself, and it wouldn’t be right to not include Claire in that reunion of sorts.  He also wanted to be sure to get her some early Christmas presents, things small enough that she could hide, so he opted to get her a small necklace with a golden music note.  

He made sure to handle every possibility, not wanting even a slim chance of something going awry, and still he was apprehensive.  The feeling of uneasiness only builds as he’s guided through the halls to go pick her up, taking note of the guards and scientists in this part of the building.  Undoubtedly still testing the G-Virus even years after the incident.  It made his heart pang, especially now.  She’s still young, for fuck’s sake.  He knew he couldn’t really call her a kid anymore with how much she’s grown, but still.  He takes a deep breath to compose himself, knowing that he doesn’t hide his irritation very well and that was the last thing he wanted Sherry to see.  

The moment the door opens, Leon doesn’t even have a chance to say anything before Sherry rushes him to give him a tight hug.  He lets out a wheeze, patting her back.  

“Leon!  You’re really here!”  

He lets out a quick breath, then has to take a moment to recollect himself when Sherry lets go of the hug.  He laughs, letting his hands rest on her arms.  

“Good to see you too, Sherry.  You ready for a little sneaking out?”

He ignores the pointed look from one of the guards, smiling when Sherry nods and reaches to grab one of his hands to hold.  

“We’re seeing Claire too, right?”

He nods again, and gives her hand a gentle squeeze as he starts walking back through the halls to the garage.  

“Yeah, of course.  And it’s a surprise, so shh.” Sherry laughs at that, unable to help her excitement at the prospect of getting outside for a total, even if brief, getaway.  

“Claire’s going to meet us there, but we’re going to head to a mall and then go wherever you want, okay?”

Sherry glances from her surroundings to Leon, giving him a nod.  “Yeah, sounds good.  I’m just glad to spend time with you.  Thanks for setting all of this up, I know it can’t have been easy.”  And the statement makes Leon’s heart pang, because Sherry rarely ever asked for much.  It would be worthwhile to give her a day just for her.  He pauses after unlocking the car, giving her a small smile.  

“Don’t worry about it, alright?  I just want you to enjoy today and be as selfish as you want.”  

Sherry still laughs at that, getting in the passenger seat and not wasting a moment to turn on the radio to the cheesiest Christmas songs she can imagine.  Leon grins as he starts driving, listening to Sherry sing along to any song that she can remember.  He rolls his eyes and pretends to be annoyed, but he knows that Sherry can see right through the facade as she sings even louder.  Moments like this, they could almost pretend they had normal lives, Sherry going with her parents to browse through gift ideas unbeknownst to her.  The thought was bittersweet, but Sherry was able to push it aside without any of the sorrow and grief she once didn’t know how she was going to work through.  

The moment they park, Sherry gets out and lets out a long breath, seeing it coalesce and be blown away by the freezing breeze.  It makes her shiver, pulling her coat closer to her to keep warm.   

“You can wait in the car while I call Claire if you want, Sherry.”  

She shakes her head at that, grinning despite the way her nose and cheeks start turning red.  “I’ll just hide behind you.”  

Leon laughs a little at that, nodding as he dials Claire and even puts it on speaker when Claire answers so that Sherry can hear her voice.  

“Hey, Claire.  Just got here.  Want me to wait for you here in the parking lot or head inside?”

He can hear a quick laugh from her end at that, and he can’t help grinning over at Sherry, just in time to see her cover her mouth to keep quiet.

“I’ll be right there, just wait.  And you call me impatient, Kennedy.”  She laughs louder this time, and Leon can’t help chuckling in response.  

“You’re notoriously impulsive and bullheaded, Red.  But I’ll be here.  See you soon.”

Claire just makes a pfff sound at that.  “See you.”  

Once she hangs up the phone, Leon motions for Sherry to duck behind the car and stay quiet.  It only takes a minute for Claire to spot Leon, jogging over with a wave.  

“Hey you!  You could’ve at least told me where in the parking lot.”  She shakes her head, and Leon can’t help the shrug.  “You found me, though.”

Claire rolls her eyes, crossing her arms.  “Yeah, cause I’m that good at hunting you down.  Ready to go now?”

Leon hums, then shakes his head in response.  That makes Claire tilt her head, but Leon speaks up before she has a chance to question it.  

“I’ve got a surprise for you.  Close your eyes.”

She narrows her eyes at him suspiciously.  “It’s a little too early for a Christmas present, isn’t it?  And if it’s something I have to carry around the whole day…”  She huffs, but she closes her eyes and waits patiently.  Leon just shrugs, stepping aside to nudge Sherry forward.  

“Merry Christmas, Claire!”  She shouts, and Claire’s eyes open in a heartbeat to stare in stunned silence.  She stands for a few long seconds, then rushes forward to pull her into a tight hug.  

“Sherry!”  Sherry herself can’t help laughing, returning the sentiment as best as she can.  When Claire lets go, she’s quick to grab both her hand and Leon’s hand to walk in between them.  

“I think we’re ready to go now?”

It was still a struggle for Jill Valentine to fully relax most nights.  A survivor of both the Manor and Raccoon City, she had made it through both close brushes with the dead, and both had left their marks - for better or for worse.  It was reassuring now to have Carlos with her after escaping Raccoon City, but she still had bad nightmares that weren’t so easily soothed.  At least they were getting fewer and farther between, but they liked to resurface with a vengeance.  

Tonight was one of those dreaded nights where she woke up with a jolt, sitting up and taking deep breaths.  The memory of the nightmares, most times, faded quickly, but she couldn’t as easily escape the way her heart pounded in her chest, or how every muscle tensed in anticipation.  She rubbed her face and focused on her breaths, starting to relax.  It was all just another nightmare.  That was, until she heard footsteps down the hall from her bedroom.  The sound made her heart leap into her throat and spur her to get up and grab her pistol.  It was unlikely that it was anything inhuman and not her pet dog, but she wasn’t keen on taking that chance.  

The silence was the most torturous part of it all as she slowly creeps around the dark apartment.  She had no way of knowing who, or what, was where, and there was little ability for proper identification.  She kept her breaths as silent as possible as she searched every dark corner, getting closer to the source of the footsteps in the living room.  She takes a quiet, deep breath before she rounds the corner, gun raised.  It quickly lowers when her eyes settle on what she finds.  

Carlos turns his attention from her dog to her, clearly mid-messing around as he has it’s paws in his hands and helping the dog keep on it’s back legs.  It would be adorable and dorky to find them pretending to dance, if it wasn’t three in the morning and her mind was resorting to the worst case scenario.  She quickly flips on the light, able to see the surprise on Carlos’ face clearly.  

“Oh, Jill-”

“Carlos.  What the hell are you doing?”

He blinks at the question, expression conflicted between embarrassment, confusion, and concern.

“I was just having a little fun.”  

“I could’ve shot you.”  

He moves to get up at that, stepping closer to her to pull her into a reassuring hug.  

“I’m sorry for scaring you, Jill.  You wanna watch something to relax.”  

She sighs quietly, slowly pulling away from the hug to put her pistol down.  

“You wanna show me what you were practicing instead?”

She feels a little mean for chuckling at Carlos’ surprise.  

“It’s... uh, not done yet.  So I can’t.”

He’s so funny.  She leans in close to give him a kiss on the cheek.  

“Let’s just go back to bed, okay?”

Iana was excited to join Rainbow.  When she received the proposition from Harry, she couldn’t have been more thrilled.  She may have been barred from becoming a fighter pilot, but she was being offered a position as a member of an elite team to fight terrorist forces, and she would be foolish to turn the offer down.  Of course, she would need quite a bit of training and practice before she would be on the same level as the other operators.  

Currently, though, she was heading to the workshop to meet Twitch and Echo.  She had met Mira already, the head of the R&D department for Rainbow, and had a nice conversation about her Gemini replicator.  Twitch and Echo were going to help in making the replicator as efficient as it could possibly be, and while Iana was nervous, she was also extremely excited to see what these professionals had to offer.  

She was proud of the work she had done on it, assisted by state of the art tools and technology.  And, she had to admit, Rainbow’s facilities were impressive.  She wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting, but when she was flown in and saw the large compound from the skies, she knew she would be in for a delight.  She was eager to investigate some of the buildings she saw and explore, but she would have to save those explorations for later.  She was happy to start with the workshop, which was much bigger than she expected it to be.  

She only takes a few steps inside when Twitch walks up to greet her.  She could spot the woman easily, having been given a description from Mira, and Twitch certainly matched it with her hair tied in a bun, blue shirt, and jeans.  

“Hey!  You must be Iana!”  

Twitch most definitely seemed like an outgoing woman, and she was a bit surprised to see that Mira’s description of Twitch held up solidly: a bright woman with an even warmer smile.  

“That is me, Nienke Meijer.”  

“Emmanuelle Pichon, pleasure to meet you.  Shall we get started?”

She nods, giving a wide grin in response to the question.  

“Of course.  I’m eager to see what improvements can be made to my replicator.”  

Twitch nods eagerly, guiding Iana into the workshop where she and Echo were prepared and waiting.  Echo already gave her the impression as someone who wasn’t as friendly, but she didn’t mind that so much.  Echo was intelligent when it came to this area of expertise, she could tell, and she had no doubts that he and Twitch were going to make impressive updates to her Gemini replicator.  

She wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed with periodic updating and testing it out, up until the hologram looked exactly like her, down to every single detail.  It was Twitch who was more invested in making sure that everything was designed to Iana’s preference and comfort, so that Iana could easily familiarize herself with using it.  

After a few more test sessions and confirmations that it was working just as Iana hoped, Echo quickly excused himself while Twitch shook Iana’s hand.  “I’m glad you like it!  If you have any questions, or anything you wish to bring up to me, feel free, okay?”

Iana nods fondly, shaking Twitch’s hands in return.  

“Of course, thank you very much.”

Ash was a newer individual compared to the veterans of the fog.  He quickly learned how things worked, not unfamiliar with insanity-inducing situations, but this was brand new.  Admittedly, though, he was adjusting well!  It wasn’t the most difficult thing he had done in his life, and his expertise in combating evil demons could be applied to killers employed by a faceless, spider-legged monstrosity.  

Still, though, he found that he got hurt a lot.  He was limping back to the campfire after a few bad steps against the Trapper.  He didn’t exactly regret it though, since his teammates had made it out alive.  He was glad to have Bill and Nea helping him as much as they could with distractions.  Nea always had an uncanny ability to use flashlights to their best, and Bill was, well… Bill.  

He was too caught up in his thoughts to really notice Bill walking towards him, surprised when he suddenly felt the hand on his arm dragging him back to the campfire as soon as he reached the clearing.  

“You took your sweet time.” 

Ash couldn’t help a loud laugh. 

“Yeah, your brave, dashing hero had just barely made it out by the skin of his teeth, fighting back the onslaught of that big bastard!”  Bill scowled, unimpressed.  

“You mean you screamed like a little girl for help every time you stepped in a trap.”  He hums quietly at that, aware of Nea barely containing her laughter.  

“You must be losing your memory.  I understand, not everyone is as fortunate.”  

“You’re only a few years younger, and you’re crazier than I am.”  “And still handsome as hell.”  Nea can’t help laughing out loud at that, all while Bill groans and Ash grins as if he’d just won the lottery.  

“You’re worse than Ace…”  

Bill mutters half under his breath, rolling his eyes at Ash’s scoff.  

“Scuse you, I’m one of a kind.”  

Bill just sighed.  

“Just shut it and sit down so I can patch your damn leg up, you lunatic.”  

When she had been informed about the revamping of the stadium for Rainbow to use, Monika was eager to get into action with the newfound capabilities.  The ability for them to practice against each other, with all of their gadgets in effective use in an environment that could be modified and altered as needed was an invaluable tool.  She was confident that she’d be able to adjust quickly and do well in the training simulations, all while proving why she was one of the best.  

Of course, she knew very well that teamwork was essential.  She wasn’t going to be a one-man army no matter what, and that meant she had to work with her team.  They needed her as much as she needed them.  That was what made it so frustrating to be barely into the round and be taken out by one of the defenders - more than likely Bandit, she knew- and have to sit out and provide no real help to the others.  

It wasn’t generally something that bothered her so much; she could recover from that setback and recompose herself.  It was the repeated struggle, of trying to get close and getting shot at, and then when she finally got to a position of helping the team, the defenders were doing an excellent job of picking her teammates apart and leaving her alone versus two, sometimes three or four defenders.  

They had come close, despite all the trouble, and were close to either winning or losing it all in a single round.  She was on her own, again, against three others, and listening carefully to every bit of information she could get from hearing them move.  She had quickly learned the area, at least, and was sure she could hold her own.  She had just enough time to get it all right, but she had no room for mistakes.  She was against Maestro, Bandit, and Goyo, already able to take care of Mute and Pulse.  All three of them would be a challenge, but she couldn’t dwell on how impossible it seemed and instead focus on what she could do.  

She was glad that she was able to surprise Goyo, detecting the jammer he was sitting close to and taking him out, but Bandit was quick to follow up.  She wouldn’t expect anything less; she and the rest of the GSG9 always pounced on an opportunity that showed itself for even a heartbeat, and while she had been able to take him out, one of his bullets had hit her visor and shattered the glass, leaving her essentially blind while she lifted it up.  It didn’t take much time at all, but it was all Maestro needed to move and fire at her, several bullets hitting her in the face.  

It was a close loss, and she wasn’t one to throw a fit and blame others for it.  Even so, the loss was heartbreaking, especially when she was so close to winning it, and combined with the fact that the fake bullets they used for these simulations still hurt like hell.  She was sure she’d have plenty of bruises, and needed time to just think.  She walked to the edge of the stadium and tossed the helmet aside, taking off her balaclava as she sat down and sighed.  What could have been done better?  The pain in her face only made things worse.  

Jordan could tell that Monika was taking this loss harshly.  He didn’t like losing either, but it was an inevitability with so many highly trained operators in one place.  But, he also supposed that it wasn’t always so brutal, and he noticed that Bandit certainly wasn’t giving any mercy.  Most of them would get past this match with time, relaxing with their own methods, but he knew Monika would take this sort of loss very badly, the sort where she gave it everything she had and still failed.  He was keen on trying to help as much as he could, walking over to her and kneeling beside her.  

“You alright, Monika?”

She huffs, and he could see the bruises on her face.  He tries to give a small, reassuring smile.  

“You know it wasn’t your fault, right?  I dropped the ball a lot.”

She scrunched her hair in her hand, frowning.  

“It could’ve been much better.”  

He frowns at that, frowning again.  

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, Monika.  You did a lot, and all by yourself.  You gotta give yourself credit for that.”  

She opens her mouth to respond, but Jordan speaks up before she can.  

“And don’t start with the whole ‘it doesn’t matter if we failed’ bit.  We can’t be perfect, and better for it to be in training than on the field, right?”

She pauses, wanting to say something in response, but sighs as she closes her mouth.  

“...I suppose you’re right.”

He grins at that, shifting to stand up and offer her his hand.  

“How about watching the others have a go for a bit?  We can laugh at Smoke getting roughed up by Thatcher for shit-talking his boat again.”

She hums as she takes his help up, grabbing her helmet in the process.  

“Sure, but I need to get this fixed.”  

“I’m sure Mira’ll take care of it after.  But, that’s a concern for later, right?”  

First, thank you so much anon!  It really does mean a lot to me to hear nice things about my work, and I appreciate it more than words can say. ❤  I did also sit on this ask for a bit, because I did want to fulfill this request, and also state I am openly doing them again!  As always, the requests page of this blog has more info, but here is the story you asked for, anon, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it!

Mozzie was always someone with plenty of energy.  He lived for the rush and excitement of action, and for the heart-pounding intensity of it all.  Unsurprisingly, he despised the quiet moments where nothing was happening, the same moments that Gridlock seemed to enjoy the most.  Both of their sleep schedules were some sort of messed up with traveling around the world for work with Rainbow, but Gridlock always managed to fix hers far before Mozzie ever did.  

It worked out whenever they had watch duty, being able to simply swap with one another when one of them got tired.  But, that was if they were put on active assignment when they came back from wherever Rainbow sent them.  While Mozzie loved hanging around Gridlock and her family, right now, they were sleeping and he was bored.  

Gridlock’s farm was huge, and she did a great job keeping everything in line.  He was standing on the porch, and he had to admit, the place was eerie to look at in the dark of night.  Nothing at all in sight for miles.  He groans out loud, leg bouncing as he looks over the horizon.  He could try riding his bike, but he knew that would wake up everyone in the vicinity without a doubt.  He groaned louder, heading back inside to try and find something to entertain himself with.  Surely Gridlock would’ve kept some of their old drones and robots somewhere.  

But, wherever they are, Gridlock has them hidden well, or at least, somewhere he can’t reach.  He growls in annoyance, going as far as to look at the back of the shelves.  

“Motherfucking… Where did those little shit ass bitches go?”

While he’s searching, he hears a sudden, but quiet bark right behind him, unable to help jumping and shouting in surprise when he hits his head on the top of the shelf.  He turns to see Gridlock’s dog standing there, looking tired even for a dog.  

“Jesus fucking christ, I thought you were a mangy fucking wild dog, you little cunt!”  

He rubs the back of his head as he groans in pain.  Great.  

“MAX!”  

Uh oh.  He sees Gridlock fast approaching from the stairs, and wastes little time in trying to leap over the couch.  

“Tori, wait, hold up!  I didn’t mean it!”  

“C’mere, you little pest!”  

He scrambles away from Gridlock, but isn’t fast enough to get away from her grabbing his collar and can’t help yelping.  

“Wait, okay, I know you’re mad, but I’ve got a wife and kids, Tori!”  

He knew this was par for the course for them messing around, and she wasn’t truly going to murder him, but he still yelped when he was put in a firm headlock.  

“Quit yelling like a little lunatic, then!”

“Your dog started barking at me…!”

“Yeah, cause you started waking up the whole fuckin’ country!”  

“I didn’t try to, though!”  

He makes a weird noise when Gridlock tightens her grip briefly.  

“Alright, I’ll stop!  I’ll shut up!”  

She laughs at that, letting go and patting him on the back.  

“Alright, I’m going back to sleep.  You wake me up again, though, and you’ll have hell to pay, mate.”  

“Tori!  You wouldn’t dare!”  

She gives him a look, and Mozzie just nods in response.  

“Alright, note taken, don’t mess with Tori’s sleep.”  

It was, admittedly, a tough task to balance work and personal obligations for Jordan.  He could do his job well, but with his current situation, it was difficult.  He didn’t like to admit it, and did what he could to focus on his work.  But, sometimes it was inevitable that he had to head home suddenly in the case of emergencies.  It was for the better; he wouldn’t be able to think about anything but his sister right now, anyways.  

He had a bit of time to compose himself before getting home.  He had made sure that Hailey would be as comfortable as possible, going so far as making sure that there was always someone taking good care of her if he couldn’t be there.  It was as much as he could do now, since no treatment would be able to reverse the progression of her illness.  It was a call he had dreaded to hear at first, but dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything.  He didn’t want to waste what time he had.  

He takes a deep breath when he walks up to the front door, calming his nerves as much as he could before he walked inside.  

“Hailey!  Guess who’s home!”  

He puts his bag aside and goes right to her room.  It still pained him to see just how much of a toll she had taken from cancer, but she still gave him a soft smile.  

“Jordan… You’re here.”

He gives a grin, sitting on the edge of her bed.  

“Course I am.  Your big brother’s always here when you need him.”  

She smiles again, reaching weakly for his hand.  He’s quick to grab it, scooting to lounge back on her bed and let her rest against him.  

“Your hands… are still so rough.”  

He can’t help laughing quietly, watching her trace his fingers.  

“I know, I’m sorry.  Good lotion’s hard to come by, y’know.”

She laughs at that, shaking her head slightly.  

“No, it’s okay.”  

Jordan smiles, making sure to be as gentle as he could while rubbing her arm.  It was always her choice on what they would watch while he was there, and of course he couldn’t ever help making cheeky jokes whenever he could.  He still loved hearing her laugh, and he treasured these moments of the two of them being close.  He always made sure to carry her to the kitchen, so she could watch him cook and smell what he was making, and then he carried her right back to her room to watch something else.  It was easy to lose track of time like this.  

They shared plenty of silent moments together, and while it was common, he still worried each time.  

“Hailey?”  

Still silence.  She sometimes drifted off to sleep, after which he would check her pulse on her wrist to be sure.  He knew the moment would come eventually, but he still felt fear in his stomach as strong as ever.  Especially this time, when he felt nothing.  

“Hailey?!”

His stomach twisted more as he moved his hand to check her pulse at her neck.  Nothing. 

He wasn’t stupid.  He knew no amount of praying or pleading would change anything.  He had done everything he could to save her, and everything he could do to make sure she was taken care of in the comfort of their home when there was no chance for recovery.  It just wasn’t enough to change the inevitable.  

“...I’m so sorry, Hailey.  I’m sorry.”

Quentin was much happier now that he had a better sense of something resembling peace of mind.  Since he and the other survivors had managed to find their way out of the hellscape of the Entity’s realm, he had been much better.  While he would’ve liked to have been sure Freddy would be entirely destroyed before he managed to escape for good, he could at least figure something out here while having the space and safety to rest without fear.  Plus, it was nice hanging out with Feng all the time without fighting to survive.  

It was kind of funny, with how the two of them had gotten close (and Feng had developed a habit of stealing his much bigger clothes).  He didn’t mind, and it was nice when she decided to stick close to him to nap.  Those moments, like now, were entirely worthwhile.  His sleep schedule was usually some sort of fucked up, but so was Feng’s, so it wasn’t really all that bad.  It meant they tended to sleep near the same time, and Quentin didn’t mind laying in bed if Feng was adamant about cuddling.  

He took a deep breath as he carefully reached for his phone, noting how early in the morning it was.  Fine by him, especially with Feng still sleeping, half draped over him with her head on his chest.  He wished he could take a good picture, but he knew the angle would be awkward.  He just laid back to enjoy the moment, everything right for just a few moments.  

Up until he realized that he needed to pee.  Badly.  But, that meant disturbing Feng to get up, and he didn’t want to wake her up.  It was similar to having a cat sleeping on you, disturbing them rudely meant they would get up and go somewhere else entirely and you’d miss on the opportunity to watch their cute little selves sleep.  But, he really needed to pee.  

He took a deep breath to focus.  He could hold it, right?  She had gone to bed before him, so she had to be waking up sometime soon.  He hoped, at least, because he was starting to feel physical pain in his attempts to hold it.  Every second felt like hours of increasing agony.  He tried to shift as subtly as possible, so Feng didn’t wake up because of him.  He couldn’t help the sigh of relief when he saw her stretch and slowly wake up.  

“Mmmmorning, Quen.”  

“Morning, Feng.  I hate to make you move but I need to pee so bad it hurts and I didn’t wanna wake you.”  

Feng took a few moments to register Quentin’s words, but then she couldn’t help a laugh as she shifts to let Quentin get up.  She doesn’t even get a chance to speak before Quentin is up and running to the bathroom.  She grinned, then scoots to take his very warm and cozy spot in the bed.  

Since arriving at Hereford and becoming a fully fledged Rainbow operator with the program’s revival, Marius had solidified a reputation of being in one of two places whenever he had time during the day; either the hangar, amidst various aircraft he had come to know like the back of his hand, or the workshop and testing range, always trying to further his devices and try to find anything to improve on.  If he wasn’t there, he was always where most others were, nearly endlessly eager to talk and be close with any other Rainbow operator, sometimes to their annoyance.  His curiosity never waned, and he enjoyed sharing things with others that he thought they might like, regardless of the time.  

Knowing his team was vital.  He couldn’t do his job if he didn’t know how the others like to handle situations when his primary goal was always to keep them from getting a grenade to the face.  Some, like Doc, preferred to be defensive and insisted on the others doing the same, but he got especially offensive if it meant he could prevent friendlies getting injured.  Others, like Caveira or Ela, were almost always aggressive and looking to take down hostiles.  Then, there were ones that adapted to the situation and their teammates, like Maestro or Valkyrie.  

But, Marius didn’t just talk to others to better work with them.  He wanted to know them, genuinely, and hear what they had to say.  Most other operators had wildly different experiences than he did, and he wanted to know it.  Information was key to relating to others, and his curiosity made it easy to dig into any topic that even hinted at holding a cool new tidbit he didn’t know before.  Then, he could share it, and maybe find a new topic point to talk about with someone.  He did, however, sometimes prefer just being on his own to work on a project, easily able to get fully absorbed into it and lose track of time, like now as he sat on top of his helicopter to check out the blades and ensure they were clean and working properly.  His mind never really stopped working unless he was sleeping.  

He took great care in making sure his Magpie projects went well.  The ADS device was important, and he took good care of anything that he deemed important, regardless of what it was.  The freedom to work on what he wanted, on his own terms, all while serving his country was the best option he could have found.  Typical education was too stifling, and made him stressed at being told exactly what to do and how.  Progress isn't made by following what was done before!  It was expanded on by the past, and that was why he had spent weeks watching and reading historical references of defensive measures while working on his Magpie.  

It was all to make sure his teammates made it home in one piece.  He didn’t want anyone getting hurt, especially with his fellow GSG9 operators.  He didn’t play favorites with his friends, and never wanted to seem like he preferred some people over others, but the other GSG9 were ultimately who he’d see most often.  Even when they’d, probably one day, head back home to Germany and continue service there, the other GSG9 would still be there.  

He did love his family back home, genuinely.  His uncle was the reason he went to school for aeronautical engineering, getting a Bachelor’s for all his troubles in it.  But, his uncle was never an easy man to talk to.  He was cold at best, never really enjoying conversations like Marius did.  There were so many things he had wanted to say and talk about, but he never had the chance to talk to anyone his age, either.  He was glad that Rainbow was different, and he had the opportunity to talk about a wide variety of topics to people who were just as interested.  

He could talk with Monika all day about various engineering and technological topics, and she always understood what he was talking about, and even gave wonderful feedback on his ideas.  Elias was just as cheery to talk as he was himself, and always eager to chat even if he didn’t entirely understand like Marius did on the topics he knew well.  Dominic wasn’t excessively talkative, but he was content to just listen and let Marius talk about whatever he desired without end.  It was nice, with the added comfort of speaking in German.  It was a nice sense of familiarity, he enjoyed their company, and he knew for a fact he’d make sure to stay in contact with them because of it.  

He blinks in surprise when he hears- and feels- metallic tapping.  When he glanced down to the ground, he noticed Dominic standing there, Monika and Elias in the hangar’s doorway.  

“Hey, space cadet.  Wanna come back down to Earth now?  We’ve been watching you space out for five minutes now.  ”  

He glances around, checking his phone to see what time it was.  He swore they wouldn’t have been around for another hour and a half, but once checking the time, he realized he was a full hour later than what he expected.  Dominic couldn’t help laughing.  

“You wanna come join us for movie night now?”  

Marius quickly stuffed his phone away.  

“Alright, give me a few minutes.”  

Dominic grins, crossing his arms as he starts stepping back.  

“Don’t be too late, schnucki.”  

Darius was a newer scavenger in the Garden, at least officially, but he took to it well.  He had practiced extensively in these Gardens on his own time, after all.  It was something else being in an actual chase, running for his life amidst gunfire.  He was young, he knew, especially compared to the other scavengers he often ran into, but that didn’t mean he was any less capable than them.  

He was getting the hang of running with the others, getting used to seeing Sawbones, Ghost, and Fog, occasionally Switch or Inked whenever the former wasn’t around at all.  She stuck to herself, he noticed, but when they were together in a game in the Garden, she tended to stay nearby to grab ammo and power cores when Darius was grabbing some for himself.  He didn’t think much of it, admittedly, since the crates he interacted with came back much faster than if the others accessed them.  

There wasn’t any time to dwell on it, anyway, with the more pressing concern of evading the Hunters. This time, it was the Stalker, and Darius wasn’t convinced she had entirely forgotten about him.  As good as he was at running, he didn’t want to get into a stupid chase so soon.  She was a harder Hunter to evade, but they were able to do well with constant assisting each other.  Part of him was convinced that Ghost was getting found on purpose, and Sawbones was determined to help him out.  Even while he wasn’t the one being chased, he could feel the stakes getting higher as time elapsed.  They always did.  

They didn’t have much time left, and with Sawbones and Ghost both recovering from their constant chases, he wasn’t surprised that the Stalker came over to him and easily found him.  He just had to buy time for the others to get all the blood they needed, or for the time to run out.  He was getting better at keeping Hunters busy, but it still got his heart racing and adrenaline rushing as bullets raced by his head.  The Stalker’s precise aim, and the long range rifle to back it up, made it a special sort of challenge, but he welcomed the way it got his blood pumping.  

Try as he might, though, he wasn’t perfect and there was only so much his teammates could do to help him.  The bullets were very quickly closing in on him, only needing one imperfect turn around a corner to get a bullet tearing through his leg.  He couldn’t help crying out in pain as he went down, hoping that Sawbones or someone else could get to him quickly, or that she’d not be able to find him as he crawled to a bush.  They were so close to the end that he was fully expecting an execution to be his fate.  

“Follow me closely.”  

He was surprised, then, to see Switch helping him up, using her vambrace’s power to clone the both of them.  Once the Stalker turned her attention to the clones, Switch took off running with Darius close behind to keep up.  They didn’t get a single moment of respite as the siren and announcer’s voice called for the time elapsing.  Now to just escape the Garden.  

They quickly resupplied from a power core crate, the Stalker catching sight of them as the red threshold crossed over them and revealed them.  With his speed bolts, they could easily race to the exits, Switch using her clones to try and confuse the Hunter, crossing paths with her clones and moving as erratically as they did.  Once the exits were open, they both rolled towards it, Darius letting out a sigh of relief when promptly out of the Garden.  

“Hey, Dash.  You good?”

His attention jumps over to Switch in surprise.  She really didn’t talk to anyone, that he could tell or remember.  She pats his shoulder, her eerie mask lifted just enough to show a grin.  

“Good.  Glad you listened to me.”

He nods again at that, lowering his facemask.  

“You did save my ass, so I owe you.”  

She shook her head at that.  

“Nah, you don’t.  You make doing this a lot easier, so I can at least help you out now and then.  Least I can do for you making my job faster.  See you tomorrow.”  

Monika was someone who dedicated herself to her duties, without any intention of slacking.  But, the one day she knew she couldn’t do that was her birthday, not because she herself had any intentions of taking it easy, but because she knew her fellow German teammates wouldn’t let her go more than an hour without insisting she do something fun, enjoy just one day to herself, and relax a little.  Elias was the most insistent, but Dominic and even Marius got involved in never giving her the space to treat it as any other day.  

After the first few years of the same thing, she eventually relented, taking the day to sleep in and watch something on her phone.  She was still an early riser, that would never change, but it was sort of nice to relax a little and wait before getting up to take a shower.  Of course, one of the three guys was sure to put a new soap and shampoo in the shower, clearly labelled ‘For Monika Only’.  Probably Dominic, if she had to guess, since he was never someone who was obviously affectionate or nice.  

Marius was more practical, and she knew he meant well with every action.  He was just more of the type to do something helpful as a nice thing, and she could figure that meant sorting out her tools in the workshop, or going ahead and fixing something of hers.  He wasn’t subtle like Dominic, and usually asked very pointed questions about what was causing her issues.  Not that she minded letting him go ahead and fix some things of hers having problems, or outright replacing tools that needed to be replaced.  

Elias was always the one of the team who was the most open.  He was a more lighthearted individual than the rest of the GSG9, making cheeky jokes and always trying to keep a situation light and free of tension.  But, he was still part of the GSG9, and could get as serious as the rest of them, he just chose not to be.  It helped, truthfully, when he was willing to throw himself headfirst into danger to protect the others of his team.  It made it easier to not worry about him when he joked about needing a lot of band-aids to patch himself up.  

She stretched once she got out of the shower, making sure to dry herself off and get into casual clothes for the day.  Of course, once she got to the GSG9 commons, it didn’t take long for the sound of a party horn and confetti and streamers raining down over her to startle her from her thoughts.  

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONIKA!”  

She really shouldn’t have been surprised that all three of them would be waiting, leaving her to sigh and brush the party decorations off of herself.  

“Thank you.  I assume you’ve already got my day planned out?”

Elias grins, nodding. 

“You bet.  First, breakfast, then we’re going out on a shopping trip for you, and then a movie, and after that we have lunch and come back to celebrate and party!”  

“And I’ll be getting blackout drunk at said party.”  

Dominic says almost entirely deadpan, leaving Monika to roll her eyes.  

“Alright, let’s go.  I’d hate to keep you waiting on your important plans.”  

It was Jordan's idea to set up an old Western style showdown between the law and bandits, maybe just a little inspired by western movies he was all over as a younger kid.  He was extremely dedicated, putting every last outfit and backdrop together for a proper Western scene.  Proposing the idea to Maestro had gone a lot better than he expected, although that was probably because Maestro had gotten way more into it than he ever would’ve thought, too, going as far to get Alibi into it and convincing her to join him for an almost Bonnie and Clyde trope.  

It was definitely a little -more like piss your pants- terrifying to try and ask Caveira to join in, but when given the freedom to wear whatever she wanted, plus getting Capitão to join in, she was much more cooperative about it.  That was a good sign for his well being in the future around base.  It made things a lot easier when Maestro was keen on asking others to join, or a few like Rook and Twitch were more than eager to join in with permission.  There was just one person he wanted to ask specifically, and he already had her outfit all ready.  He just had to find where she was, and after a bit of asking Miles and Jack, he knew exactly where to go.  

Once he made sure he had her outfit in his bag, he slung it over his shoulder and headed to her room.  He always had a tendency to knock a little bit harder than he needed to on her door, 

“Hey, Eliza, are you still here or did Miles and Jack send me on a wild goose chase?”

He can hear someone getting up to open the door, and he can’t help grinning when Eliza opens the door.  

“No, I’m here.  What do you need?”  

He pats his bag, still grinning.  

“I have a great idea.”  

She eyes the bag suspiciously, then glances to him.  

“Jordan-”

“It’s not like last time, I promise!”  

She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.  

“What is it, then?”  

His grin grows wider as he brings out the hat, Eliza opening her eyes when he holds it out to her.  

“Where did you get this?  And what is it for?”

“I made it!  And you’re gonna wear it, of course.”  

Her eyes widen at that.  

“I’m going to what?”  

“It’ll be fun, Eliza!  I’ve got a whole Western Showdown party planned, and there’s already a bunch of others to join in!  Even Caveira is getting into it!”  

Eliza could only rub her face.  

“Are you joining in, too?”

“No, I wish.  I have to set everything up!”  

“Jordan-”

“Eliza, come on, I made it just for you!”  

She sighs, especially when Jordan takes her hands and holds them together in that way he always did when pleading her for something.  

“Fine, give me the damn outfit.”  

He grins widely at that, handing her the bag and taking a step back so she could close the door and change.  He leans against the wall next to her door, tapping his foot as he waits for her to open the door again.  When she walks out, he grins widely.   

“See?  You look fantastic!”  

“This is ridiculous, Jordan.”

“Come on, you’re doing a great job at the whole Texas Ranger look!”  

She just sighed again, shaking her head. 

“Where’s the damn thing you have set up for this?”  

“Not so fast, I’m taking pictures first.”  

Before she could say anything in response, Jordan is quick to pull out his phone and take a few pictures.  

“Jordan!”  

He just grinned at her, waving her to follow.  

“Come on!  Don’t get left behind!”  

Kaid, truthfully, was not someone who messed around.  Nomad had gotten well used to it with her time at the Fortress, but it never fazed her.  The Commander was always a formidable man to stand before, but he was admirable and she couldn’t think of a better role model.  Focused, driven, and never shaken, no matter what happened on the field.  He was someone she could go to for advice, and know she would get a solid opinion that was outright honest.  She was especially honored to be a pupil of his, and did everything she could to live up to his standards.  If she was ever uncertain, she could ask, like she was going to now.  

His normal demeanor is why it was so surprising to see him in a… cowboy outfit?  

“Ah… Commander?”

She really didn’t know what to say or do.  He doesn’t seem to be bothered, but he wasn’t a man who really showed his emotions.  

“Sanaa.  Do you need something?”  

She shook her head, her previous question definitely well forgotten about.  She definitely wanted to memorialize this moment, but she’d have to sneak a picture later so she can properly draw it.  

“No, just… What are you wearing, Kaid?”  

She can’t help giggling, especially when he straightened up and stood taller.  

“For a special occasion.  Adriano was insistent I join in.”  

She tilts her head, obviously very amused.  

“Are you going to keep the outfit?”  

He tilts his head slightly at the question; a subtle motion Nomad has learned to pick up on when he’s curious.  

“What would I keep it for?”  

Nomad covers her mouth to laugh.   

“Sentimental value.  You’ll have a reminder of a fun time, no?”

Kaid clearly gives it some thought, but Nomad knows that look, where he purses his lips together and narrows his eyes.  She grins, holding her hands together in front of her chest.  

“At least keep it because I ask you to?”  

His expression changes again to a forced stoic look, and she knows he would really be thinking about it.  

“I’ll keep your request in mind.”  

She’ll have to take that for now.  She nods, giving her farewell as she turns to head out.  Of course, she has to sneak a picture with her phone as she walks out.  Good reference for later.  

Kaid relents and lets himself smile faintly.  He’d more than likely keep the outfit to humor her, he knew, but he was still going to hold off on telling her.  He wanted to let her be surprised by the fact he knew very well that she was going to try taking a picture, using his hand to cover it instead.