A Soldiers Story: Ghosts of the battlefield

Chapter 5: Pause

Poltergeist POV

After getting back to the dorm area I decided to check out the break room for the first time.

It was next to the cafeteria but not as big. There was a big TV to the left, together with a couch and two chairs on which Blitz and Iq sat and watched the news, a pool table to the right, on the other end of the room was a shelf with things like card decks, a chessboard, etc., next to two big tables with benches.

At one table Jäger and Bandit were playing cards. Next to them Vigil, who wore his ballistic mask, and Twitch were playing chess.

At one end of the other table, a man with a thick grey beard and moustache read a book. on the other end, Valkyrie and Blackbeard were arm wrestling. They seemed pretty even.

Blitz: „(G)Hey Brezel. How did it go?" he asked me in German, after turning towards me as I got into the break room.

Geist: „(G)Good. We found out that both Mutes jammer and Thatchers EMP shut off the PCS."

Blitz: „(G)Well that's good to know. Want to take a seat?" he asked pointing to the empty chair.

Geist: "(G)Anything interesting in the news?"

IQ: "(G)For the most part just Trump being Trump."

Blitz: "(G)So we're watching comedy instead of news?" he said with a grin.

In the background, we could hear Jäger cursing as he threw his cards on the table. Bandit had a smug grin on his face.

Geist: "(G)What's it with those two?"

Blitz: "(G)Bandit is probably cheating again. The most fitting description for those I have is they're like siblings and Bandit is the slightly older one."

Geist: "(G)And you're the oldest brother then, I guess?"

Blitz: "(G)Probably."

Geist: "(G)I bet Kolb would get along with them quite well." I said quietly with a slight laugh.

Jäger stood up from the table and sat down on the couch, cursing about bandit under his breath. Bandit, visibly satisfied with his work, started to put away the cards.

Geist: "(G)You made the AVS, right?" I asked Jäger.

Jäger: "(G)Yes that's me."

Geist: "(G)A good piece of German engineering." I said with a slight smirk.

Jäger: "(G)Yep. And then comes Bandit with his overrated car batteries."

Bandit: "(G)I can hear you."

IQ: "(G)Don't start that argument again, you two."

Jäger sighed and turned back to me. "(G)But I also have to say that I admire your work."

Geist: "(G)But it isn't mine alone, remember. It's all based on Alibi's prisms."

Jäger: "(G)Nevertheless, I'd imagine this wasn't an easy task flipping the whole concept around. I mean instead of creating a new Image you delete one."

Geist: "(G)That isn't entirely true. I use one to do the other, basically."

Alibi: "Bragging about our work again?" she asked after she leaned on the back of the chair I sat in.

Blitz: "(G)Speak of the devil..." he joked.

Geist: "I wasn't bragging, I was explaining." I leant back in the chair, then looked up. To my surprise, Alibi was standing behind the chair and looked down at me, our faces almost touching.

Slowly I could feel my face getting a little warmer while she slightly smirked.

Geist: "Hi."

Bandit: "Are you two reenacting the one scene from Spiderman or what?" he asked as he got over also getting on the couch.

Alibi: "I wanted to ask if we should try working on some improvements for your prototype?" she said ignoring Bandit.

Geist: "Yeah, sure. Go ahead, then." Alibi stood back up. "See you later." I said to the others and we went towards the workspaces.

„You never told me where you went after we finished the cloak." I said, a bit in thought. (?)

„I was on a very long mission, undercover... I would like to not speak about it."

„Fine by me."

„What about you?" Alibi asked.

„I got back to the GSG9, of course. Blitz and I continued our missions as best as we could while we were still getting used to working together while I am invisible."

„That was probably very chaotic, wasn't it?"

„Not really actually. At least for Blitz and me, because we know each other that well. But for the others? It was difficult."

„I can imagine." we both let out small laughs before finally getting to the workbenches and started working on the PCS.

After many improvements were either written down for later, dismissed or already done we decided to take a break after we noticed that we both slowly got unfocused.

„Sticking to the topic of our pasts... How was your time before you got into the GSG9?" Alibi asked.

„Back then I was in Afghanistan as a Sergeant, Fighting terrorists."

„You fought against the Taliban?"

„At first yes, but after... an Ambush on one of our convoys... by another Organisation, priority quickly shifted for me and my squad."

Thinking about all of that again brought up many old scars and emotions. Alibi noticed it.

„You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." she reminded me with a caring tone.

„I think we should go back to work for a bit." I suggested, hiding most emotions like I always do.

While we were working again Alibi sometimes looked over to me, seeming worried.

At some point, Maestro showed up. „You two want to take a break?" he asked. "They got some of the good coffee in the cafeteria again."

Alibi: „Wouldn't say no to that."

Geist: „Me neither. You two can go ahead I'll clean up a bit."

Maestro: „Ok. We'll see you there."

After they left they started to speak in Italian. Maestro asked Aria something as he pointed back at me. I couldn't understand anything they said and I didn't bother trying to translate the few bits I heard. I had other things on my mind.

~Timeskip~

After getting our coffee we got back into the breakroom. Now Thatcher and Mute were playing chess, the Russians were playing cards and Ash was watching the news.

We were currently deciding on where to sit and if we should play a game or something when Ash shouted: „Guys? You should see this." and turned the volume up.

TV: „As of this moment the terrorist group called „White Masks" started another attack on the Café Dostojevski in the middle of an important event attended by many politicians. The target is speculated to be Yuri Nazarov, an important witness in one of the terror groups last attacks."

In the background, the Russians, most of whom had stood up by now, were cursing loudly. Shortly after the intercom turned on. „Operators Kapkan, Jäger, Mira, Alibi and Poltergeist are to meet in the briefing room in full gear. ASAP."