---External POV---

The room was eerily quiet, safe for the constant beeping of the heart-monitor and the soft huffs of the man's breathing before he shifted slightly in the bed, pulling his eyes away from the curtains that kept daylight out of the room.

Pain was evident on the man's face, though you couldn't detect if it was physical or emotional pain. Perhaps it was the combination of both, judging by the way he grunted when he moved his arm in the wrong way and the redness of his eyes.

A soft knock resounded through the room before the red-haired nurse gingerly peeked inside. "Good day sir, did you nee- Oh my goodness, you can't get up till the doctor says so!" the nurse exclaimed, rushing inside in an attempt to stop him from standing up.

He swayed slightly in his sitting position, perspiration glistening on his forehead as he clenched his jaws tightly while the nurse fussed over him. "Ma'am, please don't." He stated shortly, trying his best to stay polite and keep his manners in check. The southern drawl in his voice was thick and prominent, pushed to the forefront by the pain coursing through his body.

The nurse wordlessly stepped aside, silently stepping back till she was by the door so she could press on the bell near it. Seconds later, the doctor just stepped in to witness the first steps of the barely healed soldier before he cursed under his breath and rushed forwards.

"Mister Ellis, sit your ass down on that bed this instance before I call nurses in here and sedate you!" He snapped tiredly, knowing that the incredibly fit and build man wasn't going to listen one bit. In fact, he was going to do the opposite.

And indeed, his Texan patient shuffled closer to the edge of the bed and slowly rested his weight on the tips of his toes, taking deep and calculated breaths. If it wasn't for the clicking of a pair of boots and the stern, "Ellis!" that was barked out, the doctor knew that stubborn man would've been dressed and out the door before he could stop him.

"Stand down son. You need to heal before you'll be debriefed and sent back. That's an order, Viper." The sergeant barked with a dangerous glint in his eyes when Viper's head spun around, mouth opened to reply.

---Viper's POV---

I swallowed and shut my mouth at the stern look the sergeant gave me and shuffled backwards on the bed. He didn't tell me to lay back down, so I stayed upright, though with a bit of strain on my shoulder and back.

The pulsing pain in my shoulder distracted me for a moment, remembering me of the second a white-hot bulled had sped through my body, entering through my shoulder and exiting halfway out of my back. According to the doctors, I had been very lucky indeed, since the bullet had only pierced muscles but still it managed to hurt like a bitch.

It broke several bones on its way out though, disabling my shooting arm before I was shot several times again. By the time they had managed to round us up, half of my team was already dead.

I can still remember that look on Foxtail's face, as he was rushing towards me before he managed to get a hold of me and dragged me out of the ambush, dodging bullets as he went. My vision had constantly blurred in and out of focus but I'll never forget that horrible moment, where one of our ambushers had aimed his gun on me and smirked, before pulling the trigger.

It was pure sacrifice what Foxtail did, but he always thought of others first before himself; he had seen the man from his peripheral vision and had twisted us around, taking the bullet that would've been imbedded in my forehead, and instead died instantaneously as it pierced his own skull.

A shiver coursed over my body and I gasped, focusing back on the present as the sergeant sighed softly, removing his hand from my shoulder. My fingers itched to rub over my face, but I knew it was only the memory of Foxtail's blood that made my skin burn.

But still...

"Viper." I blinked, realizing only now that the sergeant was still waiting patiently beside my bed and the room was empty beside him. Clearly the doctor and nurse have taken their leave, causing me to sigh softly.

"How are the others, sir?" I asked respectfully, wanting to avoid what I suspected to be an interrogation; I didn't need to relive my nightmares during the daytime. His eyes pierced through mine and his lips tightened slightly but he nodded before scratching at the back of his balding head.

"I meant to discuss that point with you. With all due respect Viper, but the council has declared that you're no longer able to fight, at least, not for a long while. You're going to heal and nurse your wounds back to health. All of them." He added pointedly while my mood was quickly dropping below zero.

His expressions twitched lightly while he kept observing me before he sighed and stood upright, looking back out the window. Despite the turmoil going on in my head, my instincts flared to life when I saw a small bead of sweat pearl down his temple.

I wasn't a sniper just because I was a good shot; I needed to make split-second decisions in battle, decisions that always pushed the lives and deaths of several people in my hands. To do that, my mind was sharper than most others' and I had a knack for figuring out the unconscious signals people were throwing off.

My muscles tensed slightly but I forced them to relax, shuffling slightly on my bed so I was leaning back more, in a slightly more weak position. Sergeant Grey glanced out of the corners of his eyes towards me before he really turned, observing my probably pale face, the perspiration gathering on my body and the way I favored my arm.

He smirked.

His lip pulled up in a twisted smirk, a sign that he unconsciously showed his satisfaction with the fact that I lied here wounded and have been close to death. It disappeared instantly but it was enough for me to remember the reason why Mother had ventured out here, on his final mission.

°°°Flashback°°°

"I can't say too much Viper, because I don't want to endanger either your team or mine. " Mother told me while the pilots were preparing the birds for my team. I glanced at them out of the corner of my eyes, frowning before he nudged my shoulder with a serious look in his eyes.

"Doubt you wanted me to start worrying 'bout your health but Mother..." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck whilst staring at him. We'd been best friends after we butted heads when we first enlisted. Our playful rivalry had soon escalated into a brotherhood, a silent oath sworn between us.

He sighed heavily before stepping aside so he could look at his team, who were chatting with my men excitedly whilst prepping for their mission.

"میںچوہوںکاشکارکررہاہوں" He whispered under his breath whilst brushing by, making sure that it seemed that he was telling me something funny by looking over his shoulder at me with a wide grin before he tapped his head once and turned back around.

Mother walked away as soon as he spoke in Urdu but I couldn't help but stare at his back whilst my brain instantly translated that small sentence that, unknowingly to me, would change my whole life.

"I'm hunting for rats."

°°°End Flashback°°°

Yes, rats indeed. From what I could detect from Grey's body language, he was one of them. The small quirk of his eyebrow, the shiver of his lip and the way he couldn't disguise his mirth when looking at my wounds said it all.

A knock resounded through the room, making both of us look up, me with tempered curiosity and growing suspicion, the sergeant with annoyance. Whoever stood behind it didn't wait for any call; they simply pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Sir, you have a call on line two, HQ. Its urgent." The soldier added with a tilt of his eyebrow when Sgt. Grey didn't move directly. He was waved away with a nod and literal wave of the hand before Grey turned towards me.

"Honestly Viper, you've done remarkably but now its time for you to step behind the scene and take a breather. That's an order." He firmly stated with a hidden glint in his eye before leaving the room, allowing me to take a breath.

"Fuck..." I hissed between my teeth when my muscles twitched and irked my shoulder in the wrong way. The bullet had been shot with great accuracy, shattering my arm in several pieces by the shockwaves caused by the bullet, not to mention the hole that had exposed a part of the bone as well.

I reached up and traced the wound gingerly, feeling the heat pulse through the bandages while I thought back for a moment. Rats in the army...but how far? Mother must have found something out if it got him killed, along with my whole team. So judging from that, the rats must go way up in the rankings.

But how was I going to solve this on my own? I didn't have the necessary equipment and I would be a dead man walking if I started poking around, trying to look for any signs Mother has left behin-

My hand dropped down as the thought popped in my head before I closed my eyes for a moment.

His family and Neptune! Off course!

"Ahum." I blinked and nearly shot up in my bed before I recognized the man in my room as a CIA agent. His black hair was messed up slightly, though his grey eyes pierced me with intelligence and certain apprehension before he smiled whilst showing me a dogtag, which he flipped between his fingers.

"I have a limited amount of time before I'm needed by Sgt.Grey, so let's make this as quickly as possible; You know by now that Mother is KIA and his team has been debriefed. " He flipped the tag so Mother's name was clearly visible before he tugged it up in his hand and folded it up.

"You're to join Neptune's remaining members at Mother's house, where they're trying to figure out who the rats are. Its best adviced to keep silent about your mission, since only a select few can be trusted with this knowledge. If word about this reached the wrong ears, you'll never be able to get all of the traitors."

I blinked and looked down at my hand when he reached forwards and dropped the tag along with a small USB drive in the palm, gesturing for me to slip it away.  Just as pushed it against my leg, the door opened to Sgt. Grey, who instantly looked at Officer Andrews with suspicion.

Andrews smiled softly, his whole face turning sad while he gestured towards the tag still wrapped in my hand. "That's all I can give you. I hope you'll remember your friend with this. My condolences."

I nodded and bit my lip slightly, knowing that Grey was watching the exchange closely though, judging by the flash in his eyes, he didn't suspect a thing. "Thanks." I rasped, clearing my throat at the sudden lump. "I think I'm gonna take your advice and get back home. Got a home waitin' for me in Texas." I replied, gesturing with the tag before I looped it around my own neck.

"I'm glad you finally see reason Viper." Sgt. Grey nearly cheered before looking back at Andrews. "Now if you'll excuse me, but both of us have urgent business back at base but I'm sure you can depart the hospital later this night Viper." I nodded with a smile, biting my tongue as I stared that traitor straight in the eye before he left.

Soon enough I was left alone again, only this time, I had a mission and goal set out for me, driving those depressing memories out of my head. Mother has tried to save all of our asses by risking his own life and now I was going to repay my debt by keeping his family safe.

---Sage's POV---

I cracked my knuckles and sighed before rubbing over my neck, trying to alleviate the gnawing pain from looking down for so long. After the cyber attack and me saving the Seal's, I had been explaining Richard what I've done and showed him the used viruses before letting him scurry of with my laptop.

Honestly, he looked as happy as a child at Christmas morning.

A pair of hands suddenly pushed mine to the side before the thumbs dug in, drawing soothing circles in the tense muscles of my neck. I shivered and bit down on my lip to contain the groan of joy when I felt the pain being soothed by those expert hands.

"Here, sit up a bit." Declan stated before hoping over the back of the couch, patting his lap when he twisted around so he was facing me. I tilted an eyebrow at the smile growing on his face before shrugging slightly and turning around, my back towards him.

I was a bit surprised though and tensed when he reached up and pulled me down, forcing me to shuffle closer where he tenderly massaged the aching muscles. My eyes fluttered shut on their own accord and I relaxed as Declan's hands roamed over my neck and shoulders, finding each and every tense muscle and leaving them completely relaxed.

Soon I couldn't help the moan that slipped out when Declan's fingers gently dug down, rasping over the skin before the pads of his fingers soothingly rubbed over the trail. I swallowed and pulled away, feeling my body tense for completely different reasons.

On one end, my body was screaming at me, wondering why I had pulled away from Declan's amazing touch, which had been anything but sensual. But I knew my limits and though Declan hadn't meant anything with it, I think, the touch was sending me closer and closer to the edge.

What would Dad think of me if I threw myself at his friend like some desperate teen? Besides, I know next to nothing of the guy...

Declan smiled, observing me closely all this time before he reached up and cupped my cheek, rubbing his thumb soothingly over my cheekbone. I wanted to close my eyes to fully enjoy the warmth of his touch, but the tenderness that came from his eyes enraptured me, forcing me to stare at him until he pulled me closer.

Our lips met in a gentle peck before he gently nipped at them, drawing his teeth over the plumpness of my lower lip. I groaned softly at the sensation, feeling his breaths rush over my face. I could almost taste them on the tip of my tongue as I flicked it over the abused lip.

Declan's eyes followed the little movement and I saw him bite down on his own lips as his pupils dilated slightly. Soon his lips were on me again, but this time hungry for more. They devoured my own, his tongue flicking over my lips before abruptly shoving inside.

I moaned, blinking rapidly with my eyes when I realized I had closed them in pleasure and felt the coolness of the couch beneath my back. For a moment, I couldn't think past Declan's lips on my own, his hands roving my body as he was pressed flush against me.

It was only when he pulled back after a gentle nip on my tongue that left me panting for breath, that I realized he had stopped on his own accord. His hips shifted a bit, and I nearly blushed at the intimate contact of our straining erections before he dropped down again, placing his head on my chest.

"I know Sage." He said in a hushed breath, swallowing before he nuzzled his cheek against my chest. My hands drew up to tangle in his hair while I frowned, slightly confused at his sentence.

He interpreted the silence correctly and explained, "I can almost feel your need and withdrawal at the same time. You've just lost your father and now you're having emotions for me, I hope." He added, glancing up at my face before sighing and closing his eyes.

My heart drummed under his ear while I played a bit with his hair, causing him to smile, eyes still closed. "Thanks. For trusting me and for helping us today. I only want you to give me a chance 'cause I'm sure as hell am interested in you and I know its vice versa."

I sighed slightly yet a smile slipped over my face while I let my fingers rasp over his scalp.  We laid there like that, feeling the sexual tension between us simmer to a low burn as we both realized we were willing but waiting.

The room stayed silent, only a few distant murmurs of the others were heard while I enjoyed this moment with my Seal. Sure, I was still apprehensive to plunge head first in a relationship but I had a feeling that I could trust Declan with my life, and that he wouldn't play my feelings.

Let's just see what tomorrow will bring us.