#something something executive dysfunction

Day 5: Sports 💜🏆🩷

Twitter | Bsky

Butterflies In Blood

A miracle did, in fact, come for the boys in the form of one burly, highly amused Russian man. Price must have called in a favor, likely realizing something had gone wrong when his boys’ comms went dead.

“Stand down, boys,” came Nikolai’s familiar burr through the radio’s crackle. “These ones are mine.”

“Nikolai,” König responded with a displeased grunt. You, on the other hand, brightened.

Nikolai? Nikolai was radioing in? Did that mean you’d get to see him?

You rose off your feet and limped towards König, who was holding his radio up by his mouth. When you mouthed the Russian man’s name in question, König only rolled his eyes.

"These ones are not enemy," Nik responded. “Need them alive.” 

König pinched the bridge of his nose through his hood. "They were in our territory. Our mission." 

"Mix up from higher ups. You know, not good at communication, да?"

You made grabby hands at the radio, and your protective giant sighed like he was just about to take a nap when someone asked him a favor. The radio was in your hands in an instant, anyway, seeing as he could never say no to you. He merely took the opportunity to go stop the rest of the team from killing Soap and Ghost.

“Nik. O. Lai,” you greeted, a smile already threatening to overtake your lips.

“Ah! Is that my мышка I hear? Как делаешь, красавица?”

You flustered a little at hearing him call you beautiful, even over the radio. “I’m. Okay. How are you?”

“Better now I can speak to pretty lady and not grumpy men,” he joked, pulling a giggle from you. “Convince them to not kill them for me, можешь?”

“Only if. You. Bring me. One of those. Pi. Piro. Pirozhnoye.” 

“Of course, could never deny you, мышка.”

You grinned at your success. “Are you coming. Here?”

“Do not know yet. Do not worry, we will see each other soon.”

As he spoke, the door to the other room opened, and your boys came out looking distinctly sulky, like they had their toy trains taken from them. How you could tell beneath the masks they all wore was a gained and nurtured skill. They each grumbled to themselves as they exited, followed by a (visibly) relieved Soap and (continuously) neutral Ghost. His masked face you could not read.

“Let’s go,” König ordered. When he held his hand out to you, you quickly bade Nikolai farewell and returned the radio, which he clipped to his chest. To you, he asked, “Okay, hase?”

“I’m fine,” you reassured him.

“We’ll go slow,” he murmured. “Let’s get this over with.”

Blessedly, you were able to take a much needed nap in the truck while KorTac did their thing, everybody cautious to let you sleep. A good rest like this was a struggle for you to get, your own body fighting against itself, so nobody dared rip a peaceful, dreamless snooze from you.

When you woke naturally, you came to with a snort and found a coat around your back, and another across your front. Your cane had been retrieved and propped up between the seat in front of you and the door to keep it in reach, but out of the way. To your right, Nikto and Horangi both had their arms crossed and heads down, eyes closed, though you doubted they were sleeping. You’d never seen them sleeping, not once.

In front, König was driving, and Krueger bopped his head to some music that quietly played through the vehicle’s radio, though you couldn’t tell what it was over the rumble of the engine.

You felt like someone was missing.

Confused, you looked around, counting in your head until you turned properly and saw Soap and Ghost relegated to the bed of the truck, hands and ankles bound and secured. Dogs in the doghouse, you supposed.

“We’re here,” König announced, and (unsurprisingly) Nikto and Horangi already had their heads up when you checked on them. Weeping angels, those two.

You presumed “here” was an airstrip, seeing as there was literally nothing around except a small hangar, a tower, and a long ass strip of asphalt. About as isolated as you could get. If you had to guess, it was a decommissioned airstrip, too, with a dead tower and empty hangar. Nothing to spot you for miles and miles all around.

The car rolled to a stop, and everyone that could hop out immediately did. As if he teleported, Horangi opened your door, and held a hand out for you to use as you carefully climbed out and grabbed your cane. Once you were stable, he gave your hand a squeeze, and went to help the boys release the, uh… cargo.

At the very least, the air was delightfully fresh. You sucked in a breath, holding it in the depths of your lungs, then released it.

Jesus, was that so much to ask for? Some goddamn fresh air?

All this drama just for a sip of the good stuff. 

Once everyone was sorted, the trek down the runway began. You had mixed feelings – on one hand, you had so many questions, but on the other… you weren’t sure if you wanted to have them answered. Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss. 

You simply tried to focus on what awaited you: your favorite Russian sweet ever.

Keyword: tried.

Briefly, your entire body jolted, your muscles stiffening and your joints locking. 

To any random onlooker, to anyone who didn’t know, it merely looked like you’d frozen in place, as if having suddenly remembered something. But your boys knew better.

At the back, König inhaled sharply. “Catch her!” He screamed right as you went down.

Your muscles gave way, everything releasing all at once. It was only due to razor-sharp instincts – and being prepared for this exact event – that Nikto was able to catch you by the pits, while Krueger snatched your cane. As soon as he had a secure grip on you, he knelt down, laying your head carefully on his lap.

By then, you were gone – your eyes had rolled back into your head, body unmoving, completely lax. It’s like you’d fallen asleep, though they all knew better.

“What’s happening!?” Soap panicked, dropping down to his knees beside you. His hands reached for you, but Nikto’s literal hiss caused him to retract. “What’s goin’ on wit’ ‘er?”

“Seizure,” Nikto answered bluntly.

“Seizure!?” The Scotsman practically shrieked. “She’s– we need ta get ‘er to a hospit–”

“No,” Krueger interrupted. “No hospitals.”

“Why no’?”

Horangi sighed as he crouched beside you. “It’s normal. Just give her a second.”

Right on cue, you inhaled sharply and your eyes fluttered open, bleary at first before they centered on Nikto’s face above yours, the featherlight stroking of his thumb across your cheek. “Добрая утра, принцесса,” he said. Good morning, princess.

You groaned, your face scrunching. Your fingers clenched and unclenched, as if testing your strength, then you pushed yourself to sit up with his help. “How long?”

“Seven seconds,” he answered.

“Better,” you exhaled, looking around at everyone. Your eyes locked with Soap’s, and your brows furrowed. “Why are. You. Looking at me. Like. That?”

He balked. “Ye jus’ had a seizure!”

“Oh,” you blinked at him.

“‘Oh’? Whit do ye mean, oh?”

You raised a hand to your face, rubbing it stiffly. “Thought it. Was. Something serious.”

“This is serious!”

You waved him off absentmindedly, already focused on something else. Nikto murmured something in your ear, to which you rolled your feet around, then shook your head. Accepting your silent answer, he got up, and they all waited as you rose to your feet, too, gratefully taking your cane back from Krueger.

A nudge to his back had Soap turning around (albeit reluctantly) and walking again with the group. Despite the effort KorTac put into keeping the 141 as distant from you as possible, he did his best to get closer to you.

“Are ye in pain?”

You sniffled, wiping under your nose with your arm. “‘S never. Pleasant. But I’m fine.”

“Ye sure?”

You side-eyed him, but didn’t respond. It felt like needles in his heart.

You weren’t far from where Nikolai said he’d be now, and in the distance, you could just barely spot a dark figure leaning up against the side of a small aircraft. You’d recognize the silhouette of his beloved bird alone anywhere, and the tension you unconsciously held in your shoulders melted. Крошка had been his trusty plane ever since you first met him (from your memory, anyway. He never commented on whether or not you two knew each other before your amnesia.)

Another person emerged from the other side of the plane, but you paid him no mind, focused solely on greeting your friend and getting your favorite treat from him. Your group let you go ahead, knowing they were close by if something happened.

Nikolai grinned brightly upon seeing you, ruffling your hair affectionately as you reached him. "Ah, good to see my favorite мышка is still alive. Taking care of health, да?" 

He always called you that; his favorite mouse. As if he knew many mice.

You nodded, playfully shoving his hand away. "I'm fine, Nikolai. Good. To see you. Too." 

He tsked. "Kolya for you, мышка. Do not forget this time." 

"Kolya," you repeated, earning his nod of approval. For your cooperation, he pulled out a wrapped treat from his pocket, and you lit up like a firework. You immediately went to work unwrapping the ice cream-like snack, squealing with excitement at the first bite of chocolate-coated goodness, the outside crunchy and the inside delectably soft. “Thank you!”

“Enjoy.”

As you chewed, you glanced at Soap and Ghost, conflicted. "Here to. Pick them up. Right?" 

"Да. Their captain called in favor. Very lucky, those ones. KorTac does not hold back." 

You hummed, pausing to speak before you took another bite. "It's be. Cause. I was there." 

At that, he raised his brow. "On the field?" You nodded. "Why?" 

"Bad. Surveillance coverage. In. A. Rea. Needed to be cl. Clo. Close by." 

His ever-present smarmy grin faded, turning into the slightest downward tick of a frown. "What happened?" 

You exhaled through your nose. "Needed air. Got. Out. Out. Of. The. Tr. Tr. Truck," you stumbled over your words more than usual. "They came. Grab. Grabbed me. Me. I scream. Ed." 

His brows furrowed, and he placed a comforting hand on the back of your neck, the weight calming you. "Still no memories, eh." 

A statement, rather than a question. 

You nodded anyway. 

He sighed, waiting for you to finish the rest of your treat. "You know who they are?" 

"Know. Callsigns." 

He was quiet for a long stretch of time, and when you looked up at him, you saw the debate warring behind his eyes, a choice he wasn’t sure he wanted to make. When you followed his gaze to the group, you saw that other man again – only the back of his head, some sort of strange hat. Eventually, Nikolai made his choice. "They were your teammates, once." 

Your body went stiff, mouth slightly parted, yet no words came out. 

"You were, ah, how they call it... corporal? Не помню. New addition. Everything was fine, but there was bad mission, many lives lost."

“What happened?” It came out as barely a whisper.

All he did was smile somberly at you, his thumb coaxing the knots loose from the base of your neck. “Nothing you need worry about anymore, мышка. All that matters is you are alive.”

From behind you, somewhere inside the plane, there was a sudden shuffle and thunk. Confused, you turned to see a person hurriedly rush from around the other side of the craft, a wild, frantic look on his face.

But, when his eyes met yours, everything seemed to freeze.

(what the. who threw a wife plot device in the middle of a peak lord meeting)