Scorned (Rainbow Six Siege Fanfiction)

Feeling Ghosts

"Kámá," Gunnar calls out softly, shutting the door to the loft behind him. He sees her sitting on the bed in a tank top and snow-veralls, several crates on the floor beside her. He could tell she got out of the shower not long ago since her hair was still darkened by water and starting to curl. "Are you ready to leave for REACT?"

"Yeah." She nods firmly, a tiny smile at the corners of her lips. "First time I'm actually leaving in, what was that, two years ago now?"

"I think so," Gunnar smiles, throwing his snow speckled coat onto the bed. He plops down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You're doing a great thing... I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you, too." She whines softly, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. His eyes trace the floor, and she can sense something bothering him. She leans in towards him and grasps his knee, gently shaking it to recapture his attention. "What's wrong, Gunnar?"

"I have something I need to tell you before you go." He looks deep into her eyes. His sudden, serious tone rattles her slightly.

"What?" She whispers, sitting back.

"I've been... I need to be honest with you because I don't want to take the chance that I never get to." He starts, folding his hands and placing them in his lap. "I... I don't just know you from the Mirage."

"What do you mean?" Ritual leans back, confused.

"I was your partner in Operation Blind Flight." He admits. "I was the White Shield."

"What...?" Ritual doesn't seem to process his words for a moment, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. "W-What did you-"

"Kámámê, I was your 'White Knight'-"

"No!" She stammers, standing to her feet. "Don't say that." Tears begin steadily streaming down her cheek. "How do you know about the White Knight, how could you..." She starts to breathe heavier, backing up and pressing herself against the door. "How could it be you? I watched him die in my arms, I-I carried his lifeless body as my shield, and I held him in the helicopter. I watched him die."

"They didn't shoot me in the heart." He recalls the moment; The burning in his chest as she held him, the room buzzing with shouting and gunfire. "Dextrocardia." He taps his chest gently. "I was born with my heart on the right side of my body."

"But..." She shakes her head, trying desperately to understand. " But t-the evac-"

"It was a cover-up, Kámámê." He says carefully. "My death was faked to get me out of there and back to my unit... Away from you." He gulps softly, throat tightening as she stares at him like she's seen a ghost.

"I should've known, too, there's only one person I could love. You felt so familiar all this time." She sobs after a long pause, sliding down the door. "Why would you do that to me?"

"I was..." He stumbles into a whisper, looking down at his own two hands like they didn't belong to him. He then shakes his head. "I was recruited by NIGHTHAVEN." He drops the worst of it on her, watching her slowly look up.

"That fucking bitch, she was in on it this whole time?" She stumbles back onto her feet, furious. Her voice quivers from the anger coursing through her. "Gods strike me, Gunnar, if you don't have a good explanation for this-"

"I do..." He tries to calmly reassure her. "I do. Kali found me before I could reach out to Rainbow after your recommendation. She recruited me to locate the White Queen before you could. She wanted to gain the world's trust- to be better than Rainbow -so she could poach your operators for her own recruitment. They rigged me up to meet you and gain your trust so I could convince you to stay out of the way... B-But I just couldn't do that." His voice breaks slightly, and he finally looks up to meet her hardened, frantic gaze.