WARZONE - König

6 Pt. One

As time slowly passed, Nadja's stomach began to growl. She looks down, holding her hand over her stomach in embarrassment as Konig glanced her way. She seemed grumpy with a pouty lip like an impatient child who didn't get their way. 

"We should eat, yes?" Konig says, slowing his pace as Nadja continued to pass. 

"No, we have to find those women. Even if we have no exfil, my mind will be at ease knowing they're in our hands and safe." She retorts, Konig sighing as he shook his head. 

"I'm starting to think you're taking this mission personally." He says kindly as he catches up with her. 

"What does it matter?" She rolls her eyes. 

"It matters a lot. In my line of work, I've learned to never let a mission cut deeper than the flesh. It'll drive you crazy, especially if something goes wrong." 

Nadja makes a sudden halt, twisting to face Konig and looking up at him between their massive height difference with a disgruntled expression wrinkled between her brows. "This mission will not go wrong, not as long as I'm in control. Those women will make it home safe and sound under my protection."  She hisses, pointing her finger authoritatively. 

Konig simply stares down to her, unthreatened by the short angry woman before him. He had no words and often chose to avoid women like her in fear of this exact scenario. Yet while he disagreed with her mindset, he had to acknowledge that they were partners through thick and thin, even if he didn't like it. 

"My comrade," he begins kindly, stepping back, letting her take the dominance as he spoke. "You should eat. Fighting on an empty stomach is never a good idea, plus I'd like another raisin cookie if you have one." He looks away, shrugging his shoulders. "But it's up to you. If you wish to save those hostages with a lack of nutrition fueling you, then I cannot stop you." He says passively, obviously trying to use reverse psychology on her.

Nadja stares angrily in, crossing her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently, curling her lip in thought. She lets out a heavy sigh, looking away and shaking her head in frustration. "Fine. We'll eat. But we don't rest until we find those women and kill their capturers." She snaps, turning and stomping away as her two rifles hung tight by her side, her hands balled in a fist. 

"Hmph. We'll see." Konig says quietly, following behind her. 

They approach a gas station nearby, walking inside through the emptied and ransacked isles towards the back where they could still see through the entrance windows. Nadja crouches down, digging through her pack and pulling out two MRE's, tossing one to Konig with attitude, ripping hers open and starting the cooking process. 

As Konig was still opening his, he glances over to her, nervous to spark an argument. "So..." He begins. "What meal did you get?" 

"Taco meat with tortillas." She says back, avoiding eye contact. 

"And the snack?"

"Oatmeal cookie." 

"Ah, unfortunate." He sighs. 

But as silence fell between the two while her meal was being heated, she tosses the cookie into his lap, surprising him.

 "Thank you..." He says softly. "I got cheese tort- er - torti...?" He pauses, stuttering as he tried to read the label. 

"Tortellini." Nadja cuts in, correcting him.

He nods, looking through the rest of the bag. "And a chocolate nutrition bar...!" He says with a spark of excitement, looking up to Nadja who ignored him with her knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs as she leaned against the wall with her face tucked between her knees.