Operation: Bright Tablet

Settling in

Denver's pov
I carefully unpacked my bag always keeping my gun and magazines on my body, I heard Grace ask "any reason you don't take your gear off?" I answered after a second "old habits." She looked at me in interest before she countered "you were in the same unit as Erik, he doesn't carry his gun with him all the time." I replied nonchalantly "yes he does, he keeps it in a holster on the inside of his waist band" she stammered "no way, there's no way" I looked over and asked "why don't you check if you don't believe me?" She sighed and muttered something about being too cocky although she did pull out her phone and begin typing something. I smirked to myself, I don't think she was prepared to accept that I know Erik better than her. I double checked that I had everything how I wanted it before standing and closing the drawer. I looked around and saw a bunch of posters for different games and movies causing me to muse "awful lot of personality" she looked up and snipped "got a problem with that?" I replied smoothly "no, not at all. Just interesting."
I looked at the clock before asking "Anyway, would you be a dear and lead the way to the team room?" She sighed and stood "follow me little dog" I chuckled as we walked out and I saw Erik walking towards the room. He noticed I was still in kit before asking "got live rounds in that?" I replied like it was obvious "I always do, you know that" he chuckled as I reached into his waistband and pulled out the sig p226. I saw Grace's eyes widen as Erik snatched the pistol from my grip and tucked it back in the holster. He asked as he looked around "the hell was that for?" I replied absentmindedly "a certain someone thought I was the only one who stays armed at all times, she called my bluff when I told her about your little piece" he sighed before looking at Grace and muttering angrily "don't tell a fuckin soul about this" she nodded as we started walking again. I chuckled at her expression gaining her attention as she asked "why are you here? Really?" I replied jokingly "oh you know I enjoy being the hero, had to come save Erik"
Erik replied slightly annoyed "tell the truth" I sighed and mumbled "buzzkill" before returning my attention to the hallway as my hands rested on the back of my head and I leaned back "I'm here because I was told to be here, Gates has given me a lot, probably more than I deserve. I've never let her down and this is our biggest contract in the companies history, she asked me to handle it and I told her I would" she asked confused "so you're only here because of the contract? You don't want any glory or recognition" I replied growing bored with the conversation "I got that when I was in the Army, now I'm just an honorable merc making his way through the world covering his boss's bases" Erik commented "he's got a Distinguished Service Cross already, the only thing else he could get that would add to his Legend is the Medal of Honor" I commented "which I don't want" Grace asked clearly intrigued as to my comment "why not? Don't you want your countries highest honor?" I asked "do you know how people get a MOH?" She replied slowly "you have to be really brave in combat, right?"
         I nodded and replied "typically that means things have gone to shit, something very bad has happened and usually there's casualties. I don't want a Medal of Honor if it means my teammates die." She nodded before Erik spoke "you say that like rushing MG nests is a normal thing to do in the Army" I countered "it is when the nests need to be taken out and your demo man is already wounded. You would've done it too" Erik laughed and replied "no, no I wouldn't. I'm not that stupid" I chuckled and nodded "yeah, that's fair" I heard Grace say "you've got an interesting past" I nodded and shrugged. Erik laughed and replied "Just wait til you get to know him, he's more vulgar and informal. He's only being this professional so Gates doesn't yell at him" I asked in return "you've worked with her before, you know how she is. Besides I told her I'd be good" he laughed and I heard Grace ask "is this Gates that scary?" I replied after a second "she's not scary per say, but she definitely demands the respect she's earned. She's a good woman, always had my back so I always have hers"
Erik commented "you two were always inseparable, it was odd to see" I chuckled before straightening when I heard Gates "Denver!" I turned and asked "yea?" She walked forward and spoke in hushed tones "keep your eyes on Nighthaven" I asked in return "they're here?" She nodded and replied "Their leader second in command and one operator" I stretched and replied "I can handle them" she spoke pointedly "do not engage them, I'm gonna talk to Harry to try to get Bear and Myself added to the contract." I sighed and asked "why do you have to cock block me like this?" She replied with a tone of annoyance "enough, there will be no engaging of Nighthaven forces, do not even shit talk them. Only ever be reactionary" I groaned before replied "check" she smiled and said "go get settled in, I'm heading back to the office" I turned and joined the two operators that watched our conversation trying to overhear anything on the topic. We started walking again before I asked "so when were you going to tell me there's Nighthaven operators here?" Erik sighed and muttered "fuck" as Grace asked "is there some bad blood?"
       I asked "have they ever used you guys as bait?" She paused for a second before speaking "during a training tournament Kali used me for bait and got me killed. Ash and her got into it after" I replied "that's why we have bad blood, we got a joint contract and Kali and Nighthaven used some of our guys as bait. It's been an on sight hatred ever since" Erik sighed and spoke "so that's why they were glaring at you during the induction test" I pulled the priming handle on my car-15 "they're lucky I told Gates and Harry I'd be good or i'd hunt them down" erik replied "calm down, they've been fairly well behaved on missions" I commented nonchalantly "don't be surprised if they accidentally fall out of the helicopter" Grace shrugged and said "I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it, they keep to themselves" I heard Erik playing devil's advocate "no team killing friendlies" I countered angrily "they might be friendlies to you but to me they're just acceptable casualties" he sighed as we reached the team room and I opened the door following both Grace and Erik in, I looked around.
      Soon enough my eyes landed on Wamai, they sharpened and I fought the urge to attack him right then and there. He noticed me and I saw him looking me over before his eyes stilled on my rifle, "ah hello again Denver" I sharply commented "Wamai" he asked "still not over Nepal?" I asked in return "found a way to bring back my dead man?" He sighed and said "I guess not" I flexed my fingers on my car-15's pistol grip as the rest of the room watched the interaction. As Wamai stood and walked past me to the door, he stopped and said "I am sorry about that" I didn't reply as I heard the door close. Buck asked "bad blood?" I replied simply "more than you know" I pulled a chair up and turned it around resting my arms on the backrest. They went around the room introducing themselves as it got to me and I said "Denver" Eliza replied sounding outright pissed "you won't even tell us your real name after we told you ours?! Fucking mercs I swear" I just laughed as Erik joined me making the rest of them grow confused.
      I replied "Eliza, my name is Denver Winters. It's not just a callsign it's legitimately my name" she froze at the revelation as the other 5 operators laughed at her expense. Max asked "Oi, why do you wankers have bad blood?" I replied simply "not just me and him, both of our companies hate each other. Kali and her company used mine as bait and we lost one of our guys in the attack. Which they could have stopped before it happened, it's basically been a war since." Sebastien asked "how do you know erik? You two act like old friends?" I looked at Erik as he replied "we are, he was my staff sergeant when I first joined The Unit. Known him for about 5 years now?" I nodded and added "3 years at the Unit together and then I retired 2 years ago so yeah about 5 years" Eliza asked "so why become a contractor?" I replied simply "Gates gave me the offer, Erik and I had run missions with the 6-4 before. Gates used to be a CIA SAC operative. She retired and started The 6-4, when I retired I looked for some jobs and ran into her one day. I bet she was watching me and knew I was fresh out"
      Max commented "just a tad creepy" I chuckled before Sebastien asked "so when did you and Nighthaven get into your pseudo-war?" I replied "about a year and a half ago? One of their agents is still on the side of that mountain" I heard Erik comment "I hadn't heard anything about that gunfight?" I kept looking out the window as I replied "there wasn't one, just a few strong words, guns drawn and a single round" Eliza asked slowly making sure she worded it how she wanted "so now The 6-4s and Nighthaven are at war with each other?" I replied nonchalantly "not officially, but we have had more than a few skirmishes" Grace was being surprisingly quiet gaining my attention as I stared at her. She noticed the look and asked "뭐?(what?)" I answered "you're being extremely quiet, no questions?" She looked at my gun and asked "why use a platform from the 60s? You had the best of the best with CAG so why go back to something so ancient?" I looked at my Car-15 and thought about the answer.
      I looked at her and asked "you sure you wanna know?" She nodded as did 3 out of the other 4 as I explained "my Father was in Vietnam, he fought with his fellow warriors in the green berets under the Banner of MACV SOG. My gun is a direct copy of his, I always heard the stories of when he would be wounded or narrowly escape an NVA assault, I wanted to honor that story so when I joined the 6-4 I had a Car specially ordered. The internals have all been modernized and it shoots just as well as any M4 platform I've used" I heard Sebastien ask "so why the 20 round magazine? You have access to 30 round mags don't you?" I nodded and explained "like I said it's a replica of my dad's, besides I like the look of the 20 round mags more" he shrugged and replied "well you kicked my ass today so I think you got it down pat" I laughed as Eliza said "you're not as bad as I thought you'd be" Grace and Erik replied "he's still pretty bad" they looked at each other in shock as I sighed "great now there's 2 of them"