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Meghan "Valkyrie" Castellano

The darkened room illuminated with a flick of a switch. It revealed rows upon rows of cabinets and lockers, festooned with all sorts of firearms and other hardware. There was no time to waste.

"Alright, boys and girls. Lock and load." A burly voice spoke.

The sun hasn't risen yet at the base, but somewhere in the world it is already a bright morning, with trouble afoot. The handful of men and women in the room knew that they're needed there, and so they hurried to stock up on their gear.

"Max out ammo and flashbangs." The man spoke again. "Wheels up in five."

They were fast asleep, waiting out their next shift, when the call came almost an hour ago. They weren't briefed about the situation, yet already they were being asked to respond posthaste. The team still had weary eyes and their bodies egged them back to their bunks. Yet none of them complained. Everyone knew the score: people would die if they didn't act now.

That's what Meghan liked about this new outfit: different faces, different tongues, but one motivation.

"Hey Craig, any word on civilian casualties?" she asked her bearded friend.

"Nothing." He replied. "We'll be briefed en route. Assume the worst."

As the surveillance expert, Meghan knew that it would be her job to tap into the security feeds and establish contact with the Consulate staff, if they're still there. If not, at the very least she should coordinate with the first responders on site. Since her French was a bit rusty, Meghan hoped Emma could help her out with the talking. Gilles would be on point, Jordan on breaching duty, and Emma was to handle rear security. Meghan and Craig were to standby as the second assault team, in case things went south.

Entry and assault maneuvers played over and over in Meghan's head as she loaded fresh magazines for her MPX. She hasn't yet seen the Consulate's blueprints, but she could assume a typical scenario of close quarters, tight corridors, and large doors, as it was standard for civic buildings. Her eyes scanned for the pack of Black-Eye cameras she requisitioned yesterday; she'll need them to set-up OPSEC.

Suddenly, her cellphone rang. She pulled it out; to her surprise, it was an international call.

"Hello?"

"Meg? Are you there?" an older man replied.

For a moment, she was speechless. Then, Meghan grabbed her weapon and went outside the room, not minding the glances from her teammates as she walked past them. She hurriedly closed the door and found a nearby corner. Leaning back on the wall, she brought the cellphone to her ear.

"Yeah it's me…" Meghan spoke in a hushed tone. "Anything wrong?"

"No. Just watching the news..."

She took a deep breath. It has not been that long since she heard from him, but his voice sounded worried.

"Really? What's going on?" she asked.

"It's a stand-off in Abidjan. Police are all over the place. It's been going on for an hour now."

Meghan was hardly surprised when she heard that; the man was always an early bird. She could only imagine the scene being described by the press. Considering there was nary a peep about the current situation from Six, she felt that the man on the other end of the phone knew more about what's going on better than her. The perps behind this attack may have also been the same guys who shot up Moscow and Hamburg a few months ago.

But then her mind drifted to elsewhere: a small two-floor house in the suburbs, a fresh lawn, a musky living room, and antique furniture. The TV was hung beside the fireplace, if she could remember. That's probably where he's watching the news. Meghan sighed in her mind; she hasn't returned there for more than a year.

"Yeah. I'm also at the TV right now."

"I thought about calling you," the man continued. "…I know your ship is stationed near there…"

Meghan didn't say anything.

"…Is this a bad time? I can just-"

"No, no…" she cut in, "I… just got out of bed."

Tension built up as Meghan stroked her blonde hair. A part of her wanted to panic. She hasn't told him yet about her 'new posting'. She knows that he'll go ballistic if she does.

Hell, he almost lost his mind when she showed him her tats almost a year ago, how would he react once he learned she already left the Navy? She can still remember that time when she rotated back from the Pacific. He was always proud that Meghan kept pushing the envelope since BUD/S, but he didn't realize that she would piss on the grooming standards along the way, even if she's a SEAL.

"Really? You on Reveille duty?"

Meghan chuckled. "God I hope not!"

The newfound freedom to do whatever she liked was another reason, albeit a petty one in hindsight, why Meghan joined Rainbow. The stakes were higher, true, but now there's very little holding her back. She can focus on getting the job done without worrying about a backseat driver from the White House.

It has been two months since her transfer, since she and Craig 'passed the audition' in the Middle East. And yet, she still hasn't thought of breaking the news to the man on the phone. She hoped that her friends at ONI could keep him in the dark for a while longer, but he did have some friends in high places. If he called in the right favors, he would know the truth. Still, she prayed that he wouldn't; there were plenty of reasons why Six wanted the taskforce to remain a secret.

"Listen. I'll just keep this short." The man spoke again, "I know you'll be busy."

Those words were puzzling to Meghan.

"No, no… we're uh..."

At the corner of her eye, she saw Craig standing beside her all kitted-up. He held his helmet in one hand and her shemagh in another. A rifle was slung on his back. He motioned for her to take her headwear, but she held up a hand; she needed to take this call.

"…We're fine. I haven't heard anything from the Commander, so I guess we'll stand down on this one."

Not a moment too soon, the rest of Meghan's team emerged from the door one by one, fully-armed and with their game faces on. Jordan and Gilles didn't say anything, but Emma gave her a concerned look as she went past her. It was a brief gesture, but it spoke a dozen words; it was almost time to head out. Meghan nodded and urged her to go on. Craig didn't leave her side as he crossed his arms, waiting patiently.

The man on the other end of the phone took a deep breath.

"Don't bullshit an NCO, Meg… I know it's only a matter of time before the brass brings you in…"

Meghan thought that he was talking about her SEAL platoon. That would be the most plausible reason. She kept her cool. Then she lost it when he spoke again.

"…I just want to say good luck…"

She closed her eyes. She heard those words before, typical well-wishing from one soldier to another, but they had a different weight this time. Craig understood how she felt and turned around, giving her space as he followed his teammates to the hanger.

…

When Craig was finally out of earshot, Meghan spoke softly.

"…Dad. What brought this on?"

The older man chuckled a bit.

"You don't have to tell me anything. This secret of yours… it's way above my pay grade, right?"

Meghan remained silent. How could he have known? Did he ask ONI? There's no way this was a father's intuition.

"…I don't know where you are right now, Meg. But I think I know enough."

She laughed. "Jesus Christ, Dad... You do realize they can cut your pension for that?"

"Heh heh. They can try." The man laughed back.

That glee of his was a soft reminder why Meghan aspired to be like him: tough as nails, but with a heart he wasn't ashamed of. When her dreams for Olympic gold in Sydney were crushed like her arm, it was her father who told her not to give up. So what if she could never compete again? It was more important for her to get back up on her feet, one way or another. And that she did, thanks to his firm voice, strong will, and compassion. It was refreshing to remember all of it again.

Now, she's a woman who has proven herself worthy of being inducted among the toughest men on the planet. Now, she's a member of an elite cadre of like-minded soldiers sworn to protect the innocent. She wondered about her father's reaction if he saw her now, all jacked-up serving in a different, nationless outfit. But she needn't worry.

"Just… just be careful sweetheart…okay?"

She smiled, thinking about teasing him.

"Get your eyes checked, old man. I'm hardly a 'sweetheart' anymore."

Her father laughed again. The levity between them almost felt like she was back home. Next time, for sure, she'll be taking that cab to Oceanside.

"Stay safe. I love you Meg."

She smiled in silence. It took a great deal of effort from her not to sob. Good thing, then, that nobody was around to see her like this, someone other than 'Valkyrie'.

"I know Dad. Likewise…"

...

Daybreak was coming. The wind chopped as the Blackhawk's blades started to spin. Gilles, Jordan, and Emma boarded the aircraft with their gear in tow, firearms locked and loaded. They left the door ajar; Craig was still outside. His left hand gripped Meghan's shemagh, while the other cradled his Mk17. His eyes stared at the closed door leading to the hallway.

Soon enough, it opened with a noticeable clang. His blonde partner emerged and her face was pensive. It must have been the call she took.

"You okay Meg?" Craig asked.

She quickly looked up; she was deep in thought when he called to her.

"Yeah. Yeah… I'm fine."

Craig grinned. It was so out of character of her to be contemplative. But he understood. He then handed Meghan her shemagh as he gave her a reassuring pat to the shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you come back in one piece."

Strangely enough, she seemed much less drowsy than the rest of the team.

"Ugh. You're not my boyfriend you know..." she scoffed, jokingly, as she boarded the helicopter.

Once inside, she wrapped the shemagh over her head. She didn't realize that she was grinning like an idiot as Emma frowned her eyes, looking at her. Meghan didn't care, though; it felt good to have much less weight on her chest. Once Craig boarded and closed the door, the Blackhawk began its ascent.

The bearded man offered his fist.

"Ready roll, Valkyrie?"

She smiled and accepted it. Her head was back in the game.

"Hell yeah!"

It was time to work.

Author's Comments/Notes: Valkyrie wasn't actually the first character I planned for my 'Behind the Mask' series. But I've been having so much fun with her recently that I decided to give her a go. The father-daughter dynamic is just a thing I came up with after reading her bio. Well, that's it for my first Siege fic. Hope you liked it!