[ the man he is now? is that a good thing? he blinks through a couple turns before deciding it's too long a pause, alex deserves the truth, even if he probably doesn't need every sordid, gory detail. ]
I was tasked with leading a secret black ops hit team in the Middle East. Thing is, thought we were taking out terrorists and thugs, so I shot 'em like dogs out there. Followin' orders, you see.
[ his lip curls in disgust. it might be similar to what alex felt seeing the hybrid for the first time, understanding what mars had loosed in the solar system. ]
Well, they weren't. They were husbands and fathers, like you and me. [ he puts his hands flat on the table to keep from rocking back and forth in his chair. it's too much for him, even now, but he goes on. ] My commanding officer and the piece of shit above him who put the whole operation together - well. He was the director of Covert Ops for the whole fucking country, wouldn't even tell us his name. That should've been our first clue, but when I turned out to be too good at my job and got every one of us back safe he was livid. Spittin' venom about how I didn't get his precious target. My CO almost lost his arm, we were outgunned and outmatched, so I did what any Marine would do. I broke his goddamn face.
And then I came home, Alex. We were gonna be a family again, Maria and me, my-my beautiful little girl, Lisa. Frank Jr. [ he didn't tell alex about his kids before now and it feels like a weight off, honestly. he bites his lip and looks down at the table between them. ] Never got the chance to find out if that was even in me before they took it all away. Tried to wipe us all off the map so I wouldn't find out their secrets but they were sloppy. I got back up. Their worst nightmare: personified.
[ he looks back up, eyes surprisingly soft for the hard statement he'd just dealt. frank takes a deep breath, trying not to think about if his family had lived he'd probably end up like alex. chasing war and getting farther and farther away from them, even if he couldn't go all the way to space like he did. that didn't matter, he could be a world away a room over, as maria had found out early on in their marriage. ]
Turns out? They were smuggling heroin back to the US, clearing billions in the bank on our blood, our lives. Men who gave up everything for God, country and the goddamn American flag. [ all he can do is shake his head, looking away again. ] So yeah, I hunted each one of those sick bastards down and I put a bullet in their brains, like they did to me. Only way I could get some peace. My friend - my friend David that I told you about, he. And this fed, Madani. They saved my life. When I didn't want to come back from it, they brought me back. And without them - without Karen too - I never would've unraveled the whole thing.
[ he knows it sounds like a crazy conspiracy spouted by a vet who snapped overseas, but if alex believes him... well. he doesn't have to. all he asks is to be given that chance. ]
no subject
I was tasked with leading a secret black ops hit team in the Middle East. Thing is, thought we were taking out terrorists and thugs, so I shot 'em like dogs out there. Followin' orders, you see.
[ his lip curls in disgust. it might be similar to what alex felt seeing the hybrid for the first time, understanding what mars had loosed in the solar system. ]
Well, they weren't. They were husbands and fathers, like you and me. [ he puts his hands flat on the table to keep from rocking back and forth in his chair. it's too much for him, even now, but he goes on. ] My commanding officer and the piece of shit above him who put the whole operation together - well. He was the director of Covert Ops for the whole fucking country, wouldn't even tell us his name. That should've been our first clue, but when I turned out to be too good at my job and got every one of us back safe he was livid. Spittin' venom about how I didn't get his precious target. My CO almost lost his arm, we were outgunned and outmatched, so I did what any Marine would do. I broke his goddamn face.
And then I came home, Alex. We were gonna be a family again, Maria and me, my-my beautiful little girl, Lisa. Frank Jr. [ he didn't tell alex about his kids before now and it feels like a weight off, honestly. he bites his lip and looks down at the table between them. ] Never got the chance to find out if that was even in me before they took it all away. Tried to wipe us all off the map so I wouldn't find out their secrets but they were sloppy. I got back up. Their worst nightmare: personified.
[ he looks back up, eyes surprisingly soft for the hard statement he'd just dealt. frank takes a deep breath, trying not to think about if his family had lived he'd probably end up like alex. chasing war and getting farther and farther away from them, even if he couldn't go all the way to space like he did. that didn't matter, he could be a world away a room over, as maria had found out early on in their marriage. ]
Turns out? They were smuggling heroin back to the US, clearing billions in the bank on our blood, our lives. Men who gave up everything for God, country and the goddamn American flag. [ all he can do is shake his head, looking away again. ] So yeah, I hunted each one of those sick bastards down and I put a bullet in their brains, like they did to me. Only way I could get some peace. My friend - my friend David that I told you about, he. And this fed, Madani. They saved my life. When I didn't want to come back from it, they brought me back. And without them - without Karen too - I never would've unraveled the whole thing.
[ he knows it sounds like a crazy conspiracy spouted by a vet who snapped overseas, but if alex believes him... well. he doesn't have to. all he asks is to be given that chance. ]