Operation: Pointed Spear

The move

Alik's pov
I woke up the next morning on the cold hard wood floor after successfully maneuvering my way out of Monika's grip the previous night, I stood and walked my way into the kitchen in the pitch black of the predawn room. I turned on the overhead light and saw Gunther sitting at the table drinking some coffee, I asked "What're you doing up at 04:30?" He replied "I always wake up this early, why are you awake?" I answered "this is the time my shift at the station started, it's just habit" he asked "can I ask you a question that's been haunting me for a while?" I nodded as I pulled out the eggs, bacon, beans and bread "What can I answer for you?" He asked "what's it like to kill someone?" I looked down and replied "at first it's really difficult, you see them as the person they are. You see their family and the lives they live and then you snuff that out in a second. Eventually you do it so much, it just becomes another day in the life" he asked "Do you have any regrets?" I looked over my shoulder "no, keep it or lose it. No regrets"
He repeated "no regrets" I nodded and spoke "no fuckin' regrets, that's it" he spoke "no fuckin regrets" I smiled as I spoke "there you go" he spoke once more "Kein Bedauern(no regrets)" As the others started to wake up at the smell of breakfast, he changed the subject "so when are we leaving?" I answered "we're supposed to leave at noon" he nodded before sitting down and speaking "my daughter cares about you deeply, don't hurt her by staying reclusive" I paused for a second before answering "I can do that" I could sense the smile on his face as Monika walked out and asked "what're you making?" I answered "eggs, toast, sausage and beans" she nodded and sat down across from her father and asked "what were you two talking about?" He answered "Alik was just enlightening me" she replied "oh? What about?" He looked at me slightly panicked as I supplied "he wanted to get to know me a bit better, we haven't had much time to chat since you and I were overnight security" she laughed before replying "you both have to work on your lying" I heard Gunther mutter "worth a shot" as Anna walked out "smells good" I replied simply "thank you" as Monika started interrogating her father, I finished up the food and spoke "Mon, let the man eat before you kill him with questions" she sighed but took the plate I was handing her as Anna laughed.
     We sat and talked until Zara and Reinhard woke up, an hour and a half later. When they walked out and saw the rest of us talking they asked "did we wake up late or something?" In unison, I asked Gunther "were they born at the same time or something?" He nodded and spoke "they're twins, Monika is our oldest" I blinked away my shock before Monika asked "do you have anything you need to do?" I replied "I need to get another glock, I lost mine in the tunnel." She asked the group "everyone good with a field trip to the armory later?" They all voiced their agreement before Reinhard and Gunther asked "can we shoot guns?" Anna didn't look pleased as Monika and I shrugged and Monika answered "I don't see why not" as they two pumped their fist in the air causing me to chuckle. I walked over to my closet and pulled out new fatigues as I walked into the bathroom and tossed my blood stained ones to the ground. I quickly changed my patches over before I leaned against the counter watching the family interact and laugh together.
I thought about my parents wondering how they were doing until I noticed Reinhard had taken my seat I walked over so I was behind him as I gripped his shoulders and spoke pretending to be angry "Jump in my grave why don't you?" He looked at me and asked nervously "you're not that mad are you? I can move, you know" before I let the front drop and shook my head no "You're good, it's just fun to make you nervous" he crossed his arms and pouted "not funny" Monika teased her younger sibling "I thought it was funny, wasn't it papa?" Gunther nodded as I spoke "Mon, if you wanna hold the fort I can run down and grab the stuff I need" she asked "are you going now?" I shrugged "if you want to stay here then I can" she stood and spoke "alright everyone, change into your clothes. We got an adventure" I watched them meander around searching for their suitcases as Monika leaned on the counter next to me, "So what were you and Papa talking about?" I replied "just talking about some inventions I want to work on" she nodded and went "mmhmm, sure"
I replied "seriously, it wasn't anything important" she nodded as we fell to our signature silence before the group appeared infront of us in the outfit they wanted before I nodded grabbing my Belt and holster clipping them into place before I opened the door and Monika walked out with her pistol clipped in place as the other 4 walked out behind her and I pulled up the rear and we made our way to the armory and range. We walked in and Monika took position next to the door as I walked forward and spoke "I need to sign out a glock 17" he asked "what attachments?" I replied easily "an ELO red dot, laser and a muzzle break" he nodded and walked back before I looked at the group, they seemed so out of place as Corey and Tina walked in looking surprised at seeing us "Alik, Monika, I thought your guys were on mission?" I listened as Monika answered "we're here until noon, we were forced to relocate" Tina asked "are these your family?" Monika nodded and introduced them while I heard the gun master behind me "don't lose this one" I chuckled and spoke "can I get a box of 9mm too?"
He slid it to me as I walked over pulling one of the magazines from my holster slowly hand loading the magazine until Corey walked over "fun people" I nodded as he asked "are you always this quiet?" I shrugged as he sighed and asked "I heard you did something crazy on the mission, what was it?" I replied "I beat three masks to death with a hammer" he asked "like sledge's hammer?" I shook my head no "a regular hammer, the one you'd use to pound in a nail" he blinked away his shock a couple times as I finished loading my pistol before I slid the magazine in and cocked the pistol. I heard Monika "watch this" as I watched the target go 40 meters back before Monika called "Shoot as fast as you can" I nodded as Corey stepped back and I took aim. I took in one large breath slowing my heart rate and steadying my aim before I fired all 17 rounds in 2 seconds, I cleared my pistol to safety as Corey clapped "impressive" I nodded my thanks as Gunther asked "mind if you show me how to shoot?"
I saw Monika looked somewhat disappointed that he had asked me as I side stepped from in front of him and extended my hand towards Monika "Sir, I believe that's an honor your daughter should have" he caught on to my tone and asked "Honey, would you teach your old man to shoot?" She smiled before nodding "of course papa" as she walked forward and I stepped back into the shadows as Tina and Corey walked over to where I was spectating, Tina spoke "you did an honorable thing" I replied "I don't like seeing her sad" Corey answered "that's called being in love" I spoke "you yanks don't know anything" he responded "that's what you think, just give it time" i asked "so why do you two keep trying to talk to me?" Corey answered "because you're an interesting man" as Tina spoke "you're the first person I've seen Monika close to, I want to know why. Plus making new friends is always a good thing" I nodded as Anna walked over "can I talk to him in private for a second?" Corey spoke "come on babe, let's go shoot for a bit. Give them some privacy" I watched them walk away while I leaned against the wall in the shadows.
Anna stood next to me and spoke "Danke, dass du Monika Gunther unterrichten lässt(thanks for letting Monika teach Gunther)" I replied "I don't speak German, but I'm guessing you're thanking me for stepping out?" She nodded and spoke "it's nice to see her so happy" I replied "for you and me both" she asked another question "Why are you way over here alone?" I replied like it was obvious "I'm just stepping out and observing, I don't want to crush Monika's thunder." She mused "and you're sure this isn't because you still feel like an outsider?" My head snapped towards her as she nodded "I suspected, come. You're part of this family now" as she gripped my elbow and dragged me out from my shadowy veil and into the light where I watched Monika teach her family to shoot. After Monika taught them the basics she walked back and sat on the table next to me "danke" I replied simply "it's not my honor to have, plus I thought it'd make you happy" she nodded "it did, I'm glad I got to do that" I replied with a small smile "that makes me glad"
They shot for a while until Corey walked over "they'll be shooting like pros in no time" I nodded and complimented "they had a good teacher" he chuckled as Mike came into the armory "Alik, Monika!? Where the fuck is Alik and Monika?!" I raised my hand "here" he walked over "Bring the folks, we've got a brief" I sighed and spoke "breaks over" as I pulled Monika to her feet and yelled "Come on folks, you get to see how the military works" as Gunther handed Monika her pistol and we walked to the briefing room. When we walked in I saw a team of people I hadn't met yet but Monika seemed familiar with, six spoke "I'm glad you could all make it. There's been a change of plans, I've pulled this team off of break and I'm assigning them to protecting your family. You guys are getting redirected to Direct Action missions on the mask strongholds" I stood and spoke "sir, with all due respect. No" he asked "no?" I replied "no, we've spent 2 months bonding and getting to know these HVIs. They trust our judgement and we have the connection. If we switch body guards we lose that and it gives the masks a chance to get to them"
He spoke "I see your points but you're one of our highest performing teams we have at rainbow, having you sit around on hostage protection duty is misusing resources and giving the masks a bigger lead" I replied angrily "and what happens to that lead if they manage to get their hands on them? The lead doesn't matter when we have possession of key leverage pieces the masks want. I'm telling you as an Officer, you're making a mistake" he replied "it's been duly noted but the decision has been made and Capitao's team will provide security for IQ's family" I heard Mike "I agree with Alik, this is a shite decision." Six spoke sternly "enough, this is not up for debate. You're being shifted to DA missions on mask strongholds hunting down Feral, we need to get the intel he holds" I sighed as Lera spoke "I pray you don't regret your decision Harry" I looked at him as he replied "you and I both" I stood and threw my chair before storming off to my smoking spot, pulling a cigarette from my pack and lighting it as Monika appeared next to me "I knew you'd be here"
I replied "he's making a bloody mistake, it's fookin' bullshite. Fookin' muppet" I released a breath of smoke as Monika answered "I don't want to do it either but he has a point, we haven't done anything besides repel one mask attack and sit around for 2 months" I stared out at the storm on the horizon "but we knew for a fact your family was safe, I don't like the idea of switching guards like this" Monika spoke "I know" as I took a long drag of my cigarette still silently fuming over the sudden change of orders. Monika spoke "I thought you were quitting" I replied "I'm trying, it's hard to quit cold turkey" she nodded and spoke "I'll let this one pass" I rolled my eyes and joked "oh such a gracious mood" she replied with an audible smile "I got you to smile" I looked over "no you didn't" as I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. She leaned over "I know you want to" as I lost my battle and smiled before I took a drag and dropped my cigarette stomping it out, I spoke "I suppose we should go pack" she nodded and turned to the door before walking inside with me hot on her heels.