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| - Log Title: Melting the Ice Location: Frusenland Tundra Date: February 7, 2014 TP: None Summary: Angel arrives in Frusenland, and does he melt the ice in Artemis' veins? Sitting in a small group of trees, which is almost buried by snow, is a Cobra WOLF. The snow camouflages it fairly well, making it hard to notice, unless one knows that it is there. However, it is a little easier to spot tonight, as nearby the WOLF there is a campfire banked to embers, that still puts out a soft glow that can be seen for about 500 feet. Standing, leaning against the WOLF, but still in range of the heat the campfire is giving off, is a short figure, watching the group of 5 Range-Vipers (Decked in white Arctic Gear) sitting at the fire, and talking. The figure is wearing white herself, and seems to be listening to the Range Vipers, but remains quiet. Sitting next to her, resting on the WOLF, is a long rifle, the outline might show it to be a XM-2010 Sniper Rifle, which as it is not commercially available would show that the Cobra Operative who owns it must have acquired it through less than legal means. There is a faint rumbling as another Cobra WOLF makes its way to the campsite. Oh good, here comes the cavalry. Nah, it's just another unit of Range-Vipers. The WOLF comes to a stop, and the passengers clamber out, faces all obscured by goggles and balaclavas> A couple start making wisecracks in Russian as they double-check their gear. One in particular, slighter than the others perhaps, is examining his rifle very carefully. Diana glances up as the new WOLF shows up. She watches the new arrivals and calls out, in a harsh whisper, "Keep your voices lower, morons." She sighs softly, and straightens up, muttering, "I wonder if my backup Sniper is one of those idiots?" The two Russians duck their heads and mutter apologies, and continue their conversation at a lower volume. The one who was busy looking over his rifle nods to himself, slinging it over his shoulder and marching towards Diana. "Angel, reporting for duty ma'am." coves the voice, muffled by layers of fabric. "How are things here, besides cold as the seventh layer of Hell?" A grin appears on Diana's face as Angel speaks. "Well, actually, the seventh layer is probably warm. Filled with Murderers, rapists, and lusty folks, got to be pretty full, if you ask me, all that body heat?" Angel tilts his head in puzzlement, and then scratches his head. "..Was is the fifth level that was frozen, then? It's been a while since I read Inferno." He chuckles. "It's good to see you, Artemis. It's been a year almost, I think?" Diana shrugs, "I believe Dante thought all of Hell was cold, unlike the common Christian belief that Hell is fire and Brimstone." She shrugs, "But it is definitely cold." She smiles, "It is good to see you as well, Zack.", she looks at him closely, and bites her bottom lip for a few seconds, "Look..." she begins hesitantly, and sighs softly, "... I've heard the rumors...." She pauses, "I just need to know if you are up for this. I don't want you to... have any issues." She reaches into her breast-pocket and pulls out a bottle of medicine, "... I've been on these for a while, and I know how hairy things can get, when your mind is not right. I don't want to hurt your feelings, I just need to know.... ya know?" Her voice is soft, compassionate, a rare thing for Diana Angel might be making a face under that fabric. "Look, I - Sorry, I know you mean well, Diana... I appreciate it. I really do. I've sorted things out, now. I'm a lot clearer in the head. And, Interrogator said he's get me a prescription if he deemed it needed. Thanks." He's clearly smiling now. Artemis nods, "I had to ask. The Queen of Cobra wouldn't ask for a Loyalty test, if she thought things were fine." She smiles back at him, and says softly, "Of course, if you *do* have any issues, at least you are with another 'crazy' person, right?" She pokes him the ribs, hoping he'll find it funny, and not insulting. Angel makes an exaggerated giggle, acting like the Pillsbury Doughboy for a moment. "I think we're all a bit crazy, right? I mean, what sane person would stand outside in this weather? Then again, it's actually not much colder than back home right now..." He shrugs, and then straightens. "...A loyalty test? Um, what does that involve?" Diana threads her arm through Angel's and leads him towards the fire. She looks at the Range-Vipers, and says simply, "Scram." Her voice is harsh, leaving little doubt as to the authority behind it. The Range-Vipers don't even groan, the just follow orders, and move about 300 feet further into the forest, away from Angel and Artemis. After they are out of earshot, Diana gently pushes Angel onto one of the logs, around the fire, that a Range-Viper has abandoned. She sinks down next to him, and looks thoughtful for a few seconds. "A Loyalty test is different for every person. Mine was disobeying Cobra Commander, for the benefit of Cobra itself. It took me days to figure out what to do... Hardest choice I ever had to make, but in the end, I made the right call. No one person is infallible, not even Cobra Commander. I am still devoted to him, and would follow him anywhere, but I can think about things now, and decide if his order is best for Cobra, and if it is not, I can let someone in High Command know..." She shrugs, "I won't know what your loyalty test is, until the situation arises. It may be tomorrow, it may be in a month." Angel listens to Artemis carefully, and nods slowly. "I think I understand." He looks away, into the fire for a few minutes. "I just hope... Diana, I want to trust you with something. Please, don't tell anyone else, okay?" He looks back at her. He's asking this as a friend to a friend, not subordinate to superior. Artemis says softly, "Everyone has secrets. I won't tell anyone, and to make it clear that I won't, I will tell you one." She pauses, for a brief moment, than continues, "Since joining Cobra, I have slept with Kamakura, the G.I. Joe ninja on a few occasions...." Quickly she continues, "Not in a long time, and.... I knew him, growing up...." She looks away from Angel, waiting for the judgment. Angel is silent for a few moments, carefully choosing his words. "All is fair in love and war, eh?" he says finally, his tone indicating that he's perfectly okay with Artemis having shagged a Joe. "...My secret's pretty similar, in a way." he says softly. "There's a Joe... named Raven..." Angel takes a deep breath. "He's my brother. My twin brother." Diana nods, ever-so-slightly, "I know. I've met him in combat, and I've seen the resemblance." She shrugs, "You can't pick your family, not your blood family." She rests a hand on Angel's arm, and she looks at him, with concern on her face, "Are you worried that you may have to face him on the battlefield?" "He's my little brother. We're twins, but I was born first." Angel says, not moving his arm away. For all of the rumors he'd heard about Artemis, the truth seemed to him that she was a sweet, if somewhat strange, woman. "I love him, and... he loves me, Diana. He doesn't care that I'm Cobra. He loves me." Artemis nods, ever so slightly, and frowns, "It would be unfair to make that your loyalty test. Even I, with as cold as I can be, would not do that to you. The Baroness might, but I wouldn't..." She reaches a metallic hand up, and softly cups his face, "Listen, Zach, you are going to have to decide for yourself, if you want to stay with Cobra. I struggled with it myself, for some time, after learning that Kamakura was a Joe. I eventually realized I could not turn my back on Cobra, but Raven *is* your blood... but..." She shrugs, not moving her hand, "I'd like you to stay." Her voice is soft, still, almost tentative, or nervous. Angel places one of his hands over Artemis's, smiling. "That means a lot to me, Diana. I was so worried that - that I would be forced to hurt my brother. And..." He chuckles a bit, almost shyly. "I do want to stay. I've made friends in Cobra, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm in a position to do something worthwhile." "You are..." Diana says softly, "But one day... He will be across the Battlefield from you... You may not have to shoot at him, but what if I have to?" She closes her eyes, afraid to see his response. Acting on impulse, Angel tugs down his face covering and gives Artemis a quick kiss, before pulling back. His cheeks are red, from a mix of cold and emotions. "I hope that never happens, Diana. But, if it does... Just aim for his foot, or something. I'll forgive you." He's still holding her hand in his, in a gentle grip. Diana's eyes shoot open at the kiss, and her eyes peer into his. She hears what he says, but makes no response to it. Instead, she just continues to look at him, directly in the eyes, as if trying to peer into his soul. Finally, her left eyes flashes a bright blue, of unnatural light, for a brief instant, and her hand pulls his face mask up, and she leans forward, "If you really mean it, don't make it quick..." She stops, when her face is about a foot from his, and says softly, "It will change nothing, either way... but if you do not stop me, I am going to kiss you." Angel only chuckles, and then tugs his mask back down, grinning like a school kid. He really is innocent looking, especially now. "And why should I stop you, Diana? You're a beautiful woman." Diana leans forward, and lets her lips softly touch Angel's. Her hand cups his cheek, gently, not intentional showing her control over her cybernetics, but doing so, none the less. Her other hand rises to his shoulder, to hold herself steady in her half-standing, half-sitting position. She does not break the kiss, willing to let Angel lead, as she is more nervous than she has been in some time. Angel is at first almost shy and hesitant, obviously being rather rusty in the kissing department. He doesn't push to make the kiss a deep one, for now just enjoying the feeling. He wraps his arms around Diana in a loose embrace, being careful to over slowly to not startle her. Diana slowly lets the kiss break, as her legs grow weak, and she sits down, next to Angel. She leans against him, and in the distance, a loud whoop can be heard. Seems a Range-Viper spotted the kiss. Diana blushes deeply, realizing that they were spotted, but she does not pull away from Angel, instead, she rests her head on his arm, and mutters, softly, maybe inaudibly, "Jansen, you idiot...." Angel pulls Artemis close to him, sighing happily. This felt nice. Almost romantic. At the loud whoop, he groans and shakes his head. "Oh dammit, now everyone's going be giving me crap about kissing the commander." he complains. But he's smiling. "It's worth it, though." Artemis says softly, "If they give you any crap, just remind that that you *did* kiss the Commander, and that if they ever want to be warm again, it might be wise of them to stow it." She lets herself be pulled close, and she lets her eyes drift closed, than they quickly open, and she glances at the fire. She frowns, slightly, "It'll never make it through the night, without more wood... If you grab the sleeping bag I stashed in the WOLF, I'll get the fire settled for the night, and we can share the bag, for warmth, of course." Is that a glint in her non-cybernetic eye? Angel actually blushes at that. "I do have my own sleeping bag... Let me grab that too; we can unzip it and throw it over us like a blanket." he almost stammers, and he quickly scurries off to grab the sleeping bags. Artemis, I think you embarrassed him!
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