Finding Strength (CLOSED)

"Dunno. Fighting somebody you've known a while. I just get the jitters whenever I'm about to go into any battle myself, however brief.". He sighed a bit, leaning up against the wall. "You sure you're fine? Bit muffled."

"Trust me, killing Anatoli will bring me so much pleasure." Katherine flexed the muscles on her back, pulling the wounds open a bit more. She let out a little grunt, and relaxed her muscles slightly, keeping them just tense enough to cause a little pain. "I-I'm fine, Calum, really..."

Calum sighed, saying, "Alright... Just concerned for you a bit.". At that, he walked away from the doorway, sitting next to Evan and Kyle. The three discussed plans for when they breach inside, as Michael finally came back in himself. During the discussion, Calum couldn't help but feel just the least bit worried for his friends.

As soon Calum had left, Katherine pulled on her hoodie, and headed straight to the bathroom for a warm shower.
Since she didn't have a new outfit yet, she decided to wear her second Deathstroke outfit, but clipped her mask to her thigh. She didn't really care if her wounds were fully healed or not.
As soon as Katherine was ready, she joined the others, not saying a word as she drank some rum. She had changed, she wasn't the usual happy Katherine. When she eventually spoke, her voice seemed void of any emotion.
"So, I take it everyone's ready for tonight?"

Calum nodded, Evan saying, "Yeah.
We were just discussing some stuff about what we would be doing on the inside.". Michael gave a thumbs up, with Julian himself adding on.
"We should be fine. We've all gotten better since Abstergo, and there's no way the Bratva are better off than them.". Samm was merely looking out the window, enjoying the scenery.

"That's good." Katherine took another sip of her rum, looking across the room, trying to avoid looking Calum in the eyes. "Transport there... I got my car back, and I got a wrangler off Bane. Michael, since you're so large, you'll be in the Wrangler. Everyone else, you can choose. I'll be on the bike." Selena entered the room, already wearing her outfit. It was just a simple yet attractive skintight black suit, sharp claws attached to her fingers, her whip tied to her hip, and a set of cat ears.
"Well, I'm ready. You good, Kat?"
"For now, yes" Katherine said with a sigh before heading outside, and climbing onto the roof with a cigarette.

"I'll take the Wrangler with Mikey. He'll need some company I'd reckon.". Calum stated, with Michael nodding appreciating him doing so.
"Kyle and I'll take your car, Katherine."
"I'll join you two," Julian added on, "don't wanna intrude on the Butchers 'ere. By the way, Sel, what are you takin now? Nice outfit, too.". Julian chuckled lightly.

"I think I need to go with Michael and Calum. Besides, Kat's car is a four seater." Selena nibbled at a cookie, and looked over to Julian. "Thank you, sugar" Selena said with a chuckle. She had pushed the event with Katherine to the back of her mind, and had forced herself to accept that's what Katherine wanted.

"I'll prolly take passenger. Mikey's better sized for drivin' it anyway, I'd imagine."
"Fair 'nuff. 'Ey - where's yer suit, anyway?". Michael lightly scratched the back of his head.
"It'll be there soon 'nuff. Ye'll see there." Calum said, not giving many details to Michael. Julian merely shrugged their conversation off, not thinking about it too much.

Katherine returned from outside, and headed to her room. She put her guns in their various holsters, and loaded her backpack with ammo. When she had everything she needed, she made her way to the others.
"Let's head out." Katherine handed out the keys, pulled on her mask before heading outside, and climbing on the bike, waiting for the others.

Everybody got into the cars they said they would, leaving Samm behind as he got comfortable on the couch. As Michael sat in the driver seat, he turned to Calum, whi was getting in himself, and said, "I take it you grabbed mah stuff too,
yea? At this place yer sayin' our gear is?"
"'course ah did. Can' have yeh goin' in there improperly 'quipped now, can I?"

Selena climbed into the Wrangler, sitting comfortably in the backseat. She watched as Katherine pulled off, and hung her head.
"You two are the most important people to Katherine, so I feel you need to know this." Selena took a deep breath, and looked at the two Butchers, a lump in her throat. "Kat... she's breaking. Practicality forced me to whip her for nearly an hour, said she doesn't want to feel, said she never wants to love again." She let out a sigh of relief, glad she had told them.

Calum clenched his fist a bit tightly as Michael silently pulled off, following Katherine, with Evan driving and following them in return. Eventually, Calum said, "...that so, huh. Guess that's why she was like that earlier when I checked on her." Michael got a slightly concerned look on his face, focusing on the road still.
"Ah feel bad no' bein' there for everythin'. Ah feel she got trus' issues or sumfin',
'cause she can confide in us ah reckon.". Calum nodded, deciding to add more to what he said.
"Is... That what you were doing in the forest earlier? We thought ya two were trainin'. She does know she can tal' tah me, yea?" he turned to face her, showing the look of extreme concern on his face as he asked this. "Ah don' wan' 'er tah think she's got nearly nobody."

"Not trust issues. She's gonna try push everyone away so she doesn't get hurt again. She thinks she can deal with it on her own." Selena opened the window a bit for some fresh air. She had been thinking earlier while she was in her room with her hot chocolate, trying to figure out what was going on. "Yeah, that's what we were doing out there. I'm sorry, guys, she practically forced me to." She thought for a moment, piecing everything together. She looked up quickly when everything finally fell into place, all the pieces put together, a shocked look on her face. "Oh my God... that's why she wanted me to go so hard on her, why she's not talking to anyone... Holy shit! Now I understand. It all makes sense... It's you, Calum! I think she loves you. "

Calum couldn't help but essentially realizing his heart was in his body, seemingly trying to pound its way out. "You.. I... Huh..." he stammered out, incapable of grasping any words at the moment. Michael tensed up a bit, speaking specifically to Selina.
"Cal always compared 'er to this one lass he knew in the Brotherhood. 'ad a fire in 'er,
he told me. Got killed in a mission a long time back, when Cal was jus' recently twenty seven. Imma... Inma jus' say they were quite close wif each other.". Calum nodded, wiping a stray tear from his eye.
"Yea, he's... Yeah. Nearly called her by what I always called her when we first met - just 'Sister', as was common among Assassins. Almost called her tha' when she was debatin' cybernetics for 'er condition.". Calum choked up a bit on his words, not sure exactly how to process this information.

"I mean, thinking about how she acts around you, it sort of makes sense, really." Selena looked out the window, watching Katherine driving along on her bike, leading the way to where Anatoli was hiding out. She felt kind of bad for Calum, Katherine, and the fact that she had to get involved before anything happened.
"If you're gonna let her down, let her down gently." Selena leaned back in her seat, resting her head against the window, thinking.
"I know, I shouldn't have said anything, but I'm worried about her. She's just... well, she wants to have another go soon, and I can't do that again. Said if I won't do it, she'll find someone from Abstergo to do it."

Katherine was riding along on her bike, dodging rocks and trees while passing through obstacles. When she finally reached the road, she sped off, trying not to think of anything but the mission.

Calum thought for a bit before nodding his head. "Yeah... How she does act sorta makes sense, now I think about it." He turned in his seat again, saying, "I don' plan on lettin' 'er down, Sel. I've... Sorta 'ad some feelin's mysel' here an' there."

"I have to admit, I never would have thought. It never looked like it, or I never noticed." Selena sat silently, trying to process everything, and trying to figure things out. As soon as they reached the town, Katherine sped off to the building, and waited with Meekara, talking with her.

Michael pulled up to roughly where Katherine was, and said, "Accordin' to Cal, our gear is stashed somewherr near 'ere. We'll run off tah grab tha' real quick.". At that, the two Butchers got out the car, essentially running off - Calum expectingly being much faster. Evan pulled up beside where Michael pulled up to, with Julian getting out the car first, slightlt confused.
"Where's they go off to?"

"They've gone to get their gear" Katherine said with a sigh before lighting a cigarette as she leaned against the wall. She still had a bit of discomfort on her back from earlier, but she didn't really care. She checked a few of her guns before turning her attention to her cigarette again.

After a few minutes, Michael and Calum returned wearing their gear. Michael had the same sort of pants he always wore - armored ones with extra reinforcement on the knees for back breaking. He wore an expressionless, face-fitting mask that was quite black. Calum's arms were exposed, yet the rest of him was a pitch black. Wearing the mask he wore the first time he fought Katherine, he said, "Nothin' too special when it comes to our gear, but mine's made to resist the hottest temperatures I can make and be flame-resistant.". He looked over to Katherine, looking away a bit quickly.

"Looks good. Meeks, how many inside?" Meekara approached the wall Katherine was leaning against, and rested her hand on the wall.
"A group of five men playing cards, seven surrounding another, near the back. Nine at the bar, and fifteen seated in the booths. That's the most I can see." Katherine took a pull from her cigarette before turning to Selena, "Selena, take the ones playing cards. We'll head for the ones at the back, everyone else can handle the rest. Go for the ones closest to you." The Arkham family nodded collectively, and made sure their guns were ready. Selena scaled the side of the building, getting in through a hole above the air vent. Katherine killed her cigarette, and pulled on her mask before turning to the others. "Let's move" Katherine said coldly before moving toward the entrance.

Calum, Evan, and Kyle slightly followed Selina's lead, getting in through a window and positioning themselves near the bar, waiting for the others to head in before initiating. Outside, Michael and Julian were following Katherine. "Alrigg' -
I'll rush in on yer mark. Knowin' Cal, he took th' nine at th' bar.". He clenched his fist, getting ready for the fight. Julian was inspecting the simple M16 he had, making sure everything was ready.

Katherine led the charge against the Bratva, quite litteraly tearing through people. She lopped off some poor soul's head with her katana, sending the head rolling. She seemed to be having a good time, just fighting and killing. Selena was fighting at the table, pulling her enemies in close with her whip before stabbing them. Those that managed to pull a gun on her were quickly disarmed. Bane, as usual, tore through his enemies, flinging them around like toys. Anatoli stood at the very back, barking orders to his men. The men were fighting with all they had, bullets flying everywhere.

As soon as everybody had got in, the three Assassins had leapt on to a person each, quickly killing the target. At that, Evan and Kyle swifly went to working on disarming and killing anyone nearby. Calum had grasped one man by the face, swiftly focusing heat into his heads and doing nothing as the man struggled. Julian was firing at whoever wasn't being fought by somebody else, and Michael was fighting much like Bane was, yet was laughing as he did so.