The glass window was smooth and spotless, showing Isaac's bed in full view tubes and all. He was breathing steadily, yet a slight wheeze came with the help of the ventilator. There was one other person, a worried Shoshanna sitting next to him as she simply watched him rest still. Harry watched with cross arms, Gustav coming from behind him, wearing a simple lab coat with casual clothes underneath.

"Harry, he'll be fine. Isaac's resting well and his injuries are healing," he said, grabbing onto his shoulder. "He's a tough one. According to his medical records, this isn't the first time he's had a close call."

Harry simply crossed his arms, sighing as he looked down. "Concussions don't get better the more you had them."

There was a soft smirk on Gustav's face, looking up to tell Harry a rather funny story Isaac told him initially checking him over at the hospital. Maybe that'll cheer him up. "Yknow, he was going on about an alien invasion earlier in New Mexico, and sending the team to Bolivia to stop El Sueño, the drugking. Then something about broadcasting our operators to the world in The Program, said it was your idea? It was a strange occurrence, he said he kept dreaming it all."

"Really? Why in the world would we put our operators on TV, we have an organization to keep secret."

Gustav chuckles. "I don't know. I was more surprised about the Alien nonsense than the drug lord and TV show."

The two laughed quietly before it died down, Harry looked back to the window, seeing Isaac's form gently laying down. "How do you think he'll react. Or how will he think of himself?"

"What?"

"Well," Harry sighed. "I'm just worried what he'll think when he realizes he didn't save the hostage."

Gustav looked down, thinking for a response. The mission was a blow to their reputation and to the operators. Some of the more intense ones blaming different things for a mission failure. He looked back up, seeing Shoshanna brush away something off Isaac's brow. "We can't save everyone, but we must do our best to do so. We might have saved more lives by ridding the White Masks for the FBI in the building."

Harry looked back up, smirking solemnly at the platitude. He viewed the two in the room. "She's a compassionate one."

"It's a good trait to have. I haven't seen much of anyone else come to check up on him. She's been here nearly everyday." He crossed his arms. "It's better to have some worry for your team than to have a grudge."

"I feel like you're noticing it, too." Harry said, turning to the Frenchman. "The growing disdain."

"I try not to, but since I help keep everyone in check… they tend to let me in on their feelings. It's beginning to split us, Harry."

"Do you know why?"

Gustav rubbed his chin. "We're growing too fast, we've haven't let our operators relax or take a break. It's hard for new members to acclimate, hard for pathfinders to get used to. We're too separated and dedicated to units back home... That's what I've noticed."

Harry felt a small wave of ideas spark into his mind. Maybe he can solve these problems with one fell swoop. "Thank you Gustav. I'll be checking on Isaac later, please make sure that Shoshanna gets some rest as well."

Harry walked off and waved goodbye. Gustav stood in place. "Harry."

"Yes?"

"There are rumors going around, saying there's a mole in our Team. I haven't started to lose my trust in our other team members just yet, but…" he grimaced. "I'm beginning to think they are starting to lose trust in Rainbow. Are the rumors… true?

Harry stood deathly still. He didn't say a word until he started to walk off again, looking back at Gustav before slipping into the hallway. "Make sure Shoshanna gets some rest."

Gustav stiffened up. Has he no idea who the mole is? "Of course, monsieur. I'll make sure she'll get some sleep."

The frenchman sent Shoshanna a message through her phone. She took a quick glance and looked through the window, giving a nod to Gustav. He suppose that he could check on Isaac tomorrow. For now, he needed to rest as well.

Isaac opened his eyes, already feeling sore and beaten just by opening them. He looked around through blurry focus, seeing the usual bed and IV of the infirmary. Shoshanna was at his right side, nearly sleeping on his arm. "Shoshanna."

She slowly woke, and gave a small smile to Isaac. "You're awake."

"Why are you here?" He asked, simply staring at the messy blob that was in front of him. In all honesty, she reeked like sweaty feet. "Are you tryna kill me with your BO?"

She chuckled, holding his hand to comfort him. "I was worried about you, I know we haven't known each other for a while, but—"

Isaac stopped her by lifting his battered hand to her face, silencing her with her finger. "You don't know who could be listening. Go get some sleep."

She smiled silently. She stood up and brushed his hair back gently. "Whatever you say," she said, her voice so low that her accent was barely recognizable. Shoshanna left the room, before another figure emerged from the doorway across from her. Shoshanna didn't notice.

He squinted, seeing a small bob of green hair, and recognizing it as Miles. He had a cup in his hand, and a cigarette in another. God, how he desperately needed a cigarette. He smirked, not bothered by his messed up appearance. "I hear you smoke."

"I wouldn't mind one,"

Miles chuckled, pulling up a seat and setting himself down at Isaac's level. He pulled out a lighter and gave the cigarette to Isaac. With a weak arm, he grabbed the cig and put it to his mouth, and Miles flicked the flame on. He took a puff, and sighed amazed. "God, that felt good."

"You know, my first impression of you wasn't all that negative. You're starting to warm up to me."

"Oh? How did I come off."

"Like a strict asshole, typical military man that was all business and no fun. At least to a lot of the guys here, anyways," He chuckles as he brings out a flask, pouring something in the coffee cups. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Ha, you're like a dream come true right now." Isaac says, taking a mug slowly and sipping it as fast.

"Yeah, I figured you can use some company. I've noticed not a lot of people came to visit," He took a sip of his drink.

"And why's that?"

"Frankly, they've been blaming you on the hostage getting killed."

He scoffed, taking another long puff of his cigarette. "Of course they are. Can't always expect everything to happen the way you plan. Not like most of them fought in an actual war."

He looked at him intrigued. "You said you were in Iraq, right?"

"Yeah, I was. I was all over…"

"Can you tell me how it was? Or at least when you got there?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Miles shrugged. "It helps me get to know people better."

Isaac straightfaced, taking a long smoke. "I was there for the Invasion in 2003. I was 19, fresh out of basic training. God, I swear the heat could melt the rubber off your boot."

"You must've seen a lot, haven't you?"

Isaac got quiet, his eyes looking at something in the distance, despite looking only at his hand with the cigarette. "Of course. I've seen lots of things… some things lots of guys here haven't seen… dead civvies aren't anything new. Hell, sometimes they just got in our way."

Miles looked at him with a painful knowledge. He had seen vile acts when he was in Law Enforcement, people cut up or murdered over petty squabbles. It was different in war, Miles guesses. It wasn't his right to judge. "Sorry that I brought it up. I didn't mean for you to get like this."

"It's fine. Not the first time I've been blown up." He chuckled, taking the cigarette to his mouth. It had nearly burned down to his fingers, a long log of ash in its end. "Talking about these things helps, yknow?"

"I guess it does." Miles leaned on his elbows. "I figured that's why I designed my panels, so I can try to protect whoever I can."

Isaac didn't say a word, but nodded in agreement.

Miles wiped away at something on his nose, looking to Isaac once more. "Is there anything else you need Isaac? I can get something from the cafeteria if it's still open."

Isaac shook his head. "I'll be fine. Go ahead and get some sleep. I appreciate the gestures." He took another puff of his cigarette and put it out. Miles gave a slim smile and got up, leaving Isaac to slowly fall asleep back into his bed.

"Today, US Forces were attacked today in Jordan by militant insurgents for revenge of the death of Jamseh Sejati, head of the—" Director flipped the channel to see another live broadcast on the next news channel, showing a report on Russia.

"In a recent turn of events, Russia has finally elected Demetri Yahkov, head of the Ultranationalist party today. In a landslide, he beat the former President Chemsky, who had been in power since 1998. In the center of Red Square, crowds gather to celebrate the victory of the newly elected president—"

Madsen shut off the TV in his office as he leaned back into his chair and gave a distressed sigh, already hearing his intercom blaring with incoming notifications of the recent news. He pressed the button to his secretary, who replied quickly. "Yes sir?"

"Simone, please hold off all calls until I say so. I don't want to deal with it."

"Of course Mr. Director." The call cut off, and the rings came to an abrupt stop. Across from him, the aged figure of Deputy Director Jarod looked semi-amused, her shiny lips of red forming into a crude smile.

"Guess they're calling for the election." She simply replied, crossing her arms.

"We just entered a new Cold War." He replied, leaning into his desk and clasping his hands together. "And we are not prepared."

Jarod nodded in reply. "What is the current status of Operation Birdsong."

"Slow," he said. "Slow and painfully dull."

Jarod kept her conniving grin. "Shame too, we can really use the intel that the Russians and Chinese are probably getting right now."

Madsen groaned, rubbing his eyes. "So what do you suggest, Helen?"

"Considering we have most of Team Rainbow files on the ready for our future operations, I suggest that we take a more… extreme approach for our contingency plan."

He looked at her pensively. "Please, explain the details."

"Pandey is trying to decentralize Rainbow. Spread the influence of theirs across the world before local units can react to terrorists threats, and to distribute their Research and Development to more secure locations. This could be a problem if it interferes with our operations and Operation Birdsong. We have to convince Pandey to keep the network within Hereford."

"What do you think we've been trying to do?" Madsen replies. "Harvey is stubborn."

"The operators have families, they have people to go home to; kids, wives, husband's. Even Dr. Pandey has a wife and son. Worst comes to worse, we use them as leverage. Hostages until we can negotiate, or eliminate, our resistance."

"You understand the ramifications of having a whistleblower leak the mission. Like the one in Detroit."

"Kristine Lynch was killed in the mission. White Mask suicide bomb," Jarod explained. "She was our only confirmed leak, and the information was handed off after it was retrieved from an operators gear."

"You realize that if this is leaked, we're done for." He leaned back into his chair. "What's in it for you?"

"Simple, I want your spot once you're gone from the Agency. I'll take full responsibility for the inclusion of the operation and you can walk off scott free."

Madsen grinned. "Always one for rising through the ranks, aren't you Helen?"

She gave a knowing smile. "I think it's better to have an extra plan than the false flag plan if we are compromised."

The phone began to ring again. He angrily looked at the phone on his desk, muttering to himself as he reached to pick it up. "Goddamn it Simone I told you to put all fucking calls on hold."

"Maybe she's on a bathroom break." Jerod chimes in. She took too much amusement from seeing Madsen getting worked up.

He shook his head at her and pressed to check in with his secretary. "Simone, I said that all calls are to be put off 'til tomorrow.

"It's the Secretary of State, sir."

Madsen was taken back at first. He wasn't expecting a call from Miss Aurelia Arnot. "Put her on the speaker."

"Right away sir."

The machine beeped and the call was put on the speaker. "Director Madsen." He heard the hard woman's voice speak. "We need to talk."

"Of course Miss Secretary. What brings you to call?"

"We need to discuss Team Rainbow. I would like to speak to you directly on the matter."

Madsen was surprised, to say the least. He shot a knowing look to the Deputy Director, who simply smiled the same knowing grin to Madsen. "Of course, Miss Secretary… how does lunch sound?"

A/N: Hey everyone, new update here. Things are very slowly getting back to normal in the military so now I don't have as much time to work on this than before, so I'm sorry. The plot thickens, what does the former head of Rainbow Six want?

As for why some characters are confused about the mentions of Operation Outbreak and other things, it's me just poking fun at the silliness. I just thought it would be fun to mock it, just because I have a few thoughts about R6 and it's quite frankly dumb canon decisions.

I consider a lot of stuff in the canon to be out of place and I really don't regard it when it comes to writing (I'll go so far to consider it 'non-canon' in my headcanon). Main things being Operation Outbreak, Operation Archangel (the Ghost Recon WILDLANDS crossover), and the whole tournament scene/The Program. On why: Operation Outbreak is pretty obvious; aliens is a pretty random ass thing for a CTU to do. Operation Archangel; mostly because Ghost Recon was never part of the Ryanverse (Tom Clancy had never written a Ghost Recon book) like Rainbow 6 was, and kinda contradicts the stories in the established Rainbow Six lore. If Bolivia is a narco-terrorist state, then why didn't Rainbow 6 intervene when it did the exact same thing in Mexico during the book? Now on The Program; it's just a big Ad for the real life eSports tournament, considering the operators' identities are supposed to be secretly guarded but yet show off their faces to a world where a group of terrorists are apparently known to be the biggest threat to world peace. That's why excluded the televised event but mentioned how Six plans to decentralize. Idk, just a lot of rambling and complaining from my end.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter. Next one will go more in depth on character relations and a new mission! Stay safe!