Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the Operators or Deputy Director Six. I only own the OC.

This chapter is the new first chapter of this rewritten story. If you were fans of the original one, you'd like this one even more. I was disgusted by the way things have turned out in my story. The one thing I would like to point out is the rushed romance between Roman and Taina. I felt that there was no real buildup, and it was rushed quite immediately, only needing six or seven chapters after the third to make it happen. However, I will take my time & make sure they develop the right chemistry before they start seeing each other in a different light.

Name Roman Y. De La Rosa

Codename: Matalino (Tagalog for intelligent, smart).

Speed: 2

Armor: 2

Ethnicity: Filipino and Mexican.

Nationality: American

Height: 6'3

Weight: 235.7

Place Of Birth: Newport Coast, California.

Date Of Birth: October 15, 1991.

Education:

- High school diploma from Newport Harbor High School. Valedictorian, age 10.

- Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Irvine. Summa Cum Laude, age 14.

- The University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, three years (left in his fourth year).

Affiliations:

- United States Marine Corps (current, 0370 Special Operations Officer. Team Commander of Joker Team).
- Rainbow (current, K-9 and Scout Sniper).

Training:

- MCRD San Diego.

- School of Infantry, Infantry Training Battalion (ITB).

- Advanced Infantry Training Battalion.

- Basic Reconnaissance Course (BRC).

- Marine Corps Scout Sniper School (including Mountain, Cold Weather, Urban, and High Angle).

- Marine Corps Close Quarters Battle School.

- Marine Corps Methods of Entry.

- Marine Corps Helicopter and Rope Suspension Techniques Master Course (HRST).

- Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center Okinawa.

- Individual Training Course (ITC).

- Tactics l MAGTF Integration Course (TMIC).

- Marine Corps Officer Candidate School.

- USMC Combatant Diver Course.

- Army Mountain Warfare School.

- Army Ranger School

- SERE program (All levels).

- Army Airborne School (HALO and HAHO jump).

- Army Air Assault School.

- Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (2nd-degree black belt).

- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (De La Rosa Academy, 2nd-degree black belt).

- Kali (De La Rosa Academy, Master 2).

Relevant Experience:

- Battle of Los Angeles (2011).

- Battle of Pearl Harbor (2011).

- Battle of Manila (2011).

- Battle of IloIlo City (2011).

- Battle of Okinawa (2011).

- Battle of Tokyo (2011).

- Battle of Seoul (2012).

- Battle of Beijing (2012).

- Operation Diamond Sword (2014).

- Operation Skyfall (2014).

- Operation Red Grass (2017).

- Staples Center Hostage Crisis (2017).

Firearms/Utilities:

Primary Firearms:

- Modified M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR).

- M200 CheyTac Intervention rifle.

- McMillan Tac-388 rifle.

Secondary:

- Modified P226 pistol.

- Modified M45A! CQBP pistol.

Utilities:

- 2x Frag Grenades

- 3x Breach Charge

Special Ability/Equipment: Thor is a genetically bred German Shepherd. Both of his parents were genetically enhanced as part of Abstergo's "Specialis Canis" program. He was separated from his birth parents since he was a month old puppy. The dog was tested in the most inhumane ways and was always tased or beaten with a police baton if he would underperform or refuse to obey the scientists' orders. He would also be strangled whenever he successfully bit one of the scientists as well. Thor's only friend at the time was a Malaysian King Cobra named Osiris, who was also suffering the same consequences as him.

Three months after Thor was born into Earth, the facility that he was located in was assaulted by Joker Team, a Marine Raider unit from the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. Being the optimistic puppy he was at the time, Thor hoped that the men dressed in the combat gear would take him and Osiris along. For a moment, Thor became very upset when each Marine passed by, ignoring both him and Osiris. He ended up thinking that he was going to end up trapped inside his cage and die from starvation. Before he was going to cry, the Marine that would end up becoming his best friend and companion, Roman, took him and had his sister Victoria Osiris out of their cages and brought them back to Camp Pendleton, where they would stay with him inside of his office.

Thor and Osiris were delightful in their new environment. Roman never had verbally or physically abuse either of them and was thankful that they had someone willing to take care of them. Over the months that passed by, Thor grew at an exponential rate, reaching his full adult size when he reached 11 months of age. His friend Osiris was the same, reaching 17 feet in length at 11 months.

One day when he and Roman were at the Anaheim Convention Center, his companion was jumped by five unknown individuals. Thinking that his best friend was in trouble, Thor got angry, and three out of the five assailants lost their arms. That was when he and Roman both realized his true potential.

Initially, for apparent reasons, Thor was very hesitant in following Roman's commands when he tried to train him and would cower in fear whenever Roman would appear "angry." Roman then recruited a K9 handler into Joker Team to see if Thor would obey his commands. Thor wouldn't, and Roman had the K9 handler transferred to another Raider team. Thinking of several options, Roman gave up being a Scout Sniper in favor of being Joker Team's K9 handler instead. After several months of training and receiving juicy Ribeye steaks as a treat after every session, Thor's trust for Roman grew to the point where he would only follow his commands and not everyone else's.

Roman couldn't blame Thor for not wanting to oblige to anyone else. The abuse made him very hesitant in trusting people for some time. It made Roman cry when he got a hold of all the recordings of Thor being experimented on. The needles, the pills, the verbal and physical abuse Thor received broke Roman. He hugged and kissed the good boy's head, promising never to abandon him.

The physical beatings Thor received as a puppy only further his durability in taking punishment. His physical strength, dexterity, and intelligence level made him the most feared living being on the field. Even Roman could not keep up with his loyal companion when both of them race at top speed.

Just be glad that Thor is a good boy.

Bio: De La Rosa's father is of Filipino descent and is the richest man in the world, with a net worth over $530.50 billion. His mother was born in Culiacán, Mexico, but emigrated to the United States at the age of three and enlisted in the Navy at eighteen, attaining the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer after just fifteen years of active duty service. She worked as a Hospital Corpsman before her retirement. Both of Roman's parents have reached the highest success in their respective career fields, and he was expected to do the same.

Since he was able to walk and talk, Roman was studying relentlessly. He began practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kali when he turned four years old at De La Rosa academy. It was a multi-generation owned martial arts studio/gymnasium home to some of the world's best martial artists. Practicing at a very young age with his mother allowed Roman to win every single BJJ tournament he competed in. His superior strength, athleticism, and intellect gave him an advantage against his opponents, especially the ones that were taller than him.

Roman was born with a very high intelligence capacity that seemed to have no end. He managed to skip primary school and began high school at the age of six, graduating as Valedictorian. All eight Ivy League schools were relentless in their recruitment of Roman. He settled at the University of California Irvine and graduated as Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry. Roman took every single quiz and exam seriously and passed all of them without missing a single question. He then went on to UCI's School of Medicine.

After attending medical school for three years and only needing one more to graduate, Roman decided that he wanted a real challenge, something that would put him to the test mentally and physically. With some convincing, he managed to have his parents let him drop out and enlist in the United States Marine Corps. However, nobody knew the main reason why he decided to drop out of the blue. Roman had everything in front of him. One more year of medical school, a couple of years of residency under his mother's supervision, and becoming a full-fledged doctor by the age of 21.

Even his recruiter was baffled by his decision, but he was still accepted into the Marine Corps no less. He scored. Maybe one day, Roman will tell everyone the exact reason why he went into the Marine Corps instead of finishing medical school.

Psychological Report: Specialist Roman Y. De La Rosa and I get along quite well. The both of us share a fascination for video games, comics (he likes D.C. while I love Marvel, anime, sports, and music!) You should've seen the look on his face when I told him that I was a Slipknot fan, haha. I'm quite surprised that he's very polite and calm with me. I could tell by his attitude when Aurelia and I talked to him for the first time before meeting him in person, that he was very eager and motivated to join his new unit. When I asked him if he has or had a love interest or not, he immediately stiffened up and refused to answer. I was prying him for more information. Specialist Tsang made me aware before meeting De La Rosa that they used to date for two years before them joining Rainbow, even though it didn't end so well for both of them. They still are good friends.

I firmly believe that De La Rosa is the most polite Rainbow operator that I have met so far. However, there's a couple of problems that Roman has, and that needs to be solved as soon as possible. There are just a handful, not a lot. But if they are not resolved, they could bring a lot of issues into the unit. Let's talk about the positive things first, followed by the negatives right after.

One thing that I would like to point out is De La Rosa's physical health. I have seen athletic people, I have seen people who could push the pace, but Roman sets everything to the next level. He could run for miles without getting exhausted. Roman would finish the first six out of ten times when I have all of the operators do a daily five-mile run (I do include myself haha). Specialist De La Rosa came close several times from shattering several records that his colleagues have set before his recruitment. If he were to give a little more effort than he currently does, he could dethrone Specialist Kötz as the most physically active operator.

Thor's a fascinating organic being, more so than Roman himself. His parents were both genetically enhanced as part of the "Specialis Canis" program revealed by Abstergo and were the only survivor from the litter of seven puppies. Thor outgrew both of his parents at just eleven months of age, according to Roman, with an official height of 34 inches, and he's almost as heavy as I am! I will admit that I was a little terrified of Thor when I met him and Roman for the first time because I thought that he was about to maul me to death, but Thor turned out to be the sweetest dog that I have met. I can firmly say this without any doubt that Thor is the most intelligent animal on the plant, and I'm also willing to debate anyone that disagrees. There is more to Thor that I would certainly love to explain, but I think Roman explained Thor's capabilities better than I. After all, Thor is Roman's best friend.

His relationship with his colleagues is quite remarkable, especially with Specialist Jordan "Thermite" Trace, the closest operator to Roman. They have both served in the Marine Corps, both are Infantry Marines, both were Sergeants, and above all else, they love videogames. They have a knack of competing in various games such as For Honor, Watch Dogs 2, and a couple of other things. Of course, Jordan wins most of the time as Roman is barely getting into the gaming world. Both Marines also love their hand to hand combat skills. I want Roman to train me in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu based on how easily he out-grappled Jordan.

According to Trace and De La Rosa themselves (both were Sergeants), 99.9% of the butter bars (Second Lieutenants) fresh out of OCS are usually ill-informed of how to lead a platoon and would often let the Platoon Sergeant do most of the work. Roman was glad that he was a Sergeant prior to becoming a Captain. The information, skills, techniques, and patience he has learned as an NCO translated most elegantly. De La Rosa even told me that if I didn't believe him, that he would personally buy me a first-class round trip to Camp Pendleton and ask the Marines that were under his command about how great of an officer he was. I do believe him, although the first-class trip does sound nice lol.

Operators are allowed to buy their gear to take with them on missions, and De La Rosa is no exception. Whenever I stop by the recreation room to hang out with whoever is present, I would always see him on his laptop looking at new gear, firearms, and anything he could bring with him on operations. He would even go as far as to offer to pay for everything his colleagues wanted. He didn't care, and that's what I like about him the most. He always put everyone before him. Their safety over his every single day, no exceptions. First man in, last one out.

De La Rosa has admitted to me that his intelligence has been slightly dropping. He had told me that he hasn't been studying seriously, going over notes, and whatnot. I believe it. He always comes to my office so we could explore on whatever subject he wants to learn about. Whether it would be calculus, astronomy, biochemistry, or criminal justice. His grades through high school are probably the best I have seen, ever. De La Rosa never allowed his grades to slip past an A, an A! I'm usually impressed by my children's straight-A minuses. He maintained an A+ average throughout the four years. If he decides to study more frequently and go over his field notes, I will put him as the smartest Rainbow operator. Currently, only Pichon and Chandar are above him, barely.

Now, let's get onto the negatives.

You see, as an officer, many of the men and women under your command look up to you as an example. Many of De La Rosa's colleagues see him as motivation despite being younger than most of them, most notably Weiss, who seems to have a fondness for the young Marine. De La Rosa puts in a lot of effort into anything that he does, including, but not limited to, physical activity, studying, shooting weaponry at the firing range, practicing hand to hand combat, you name it, but does tend to show off a lot. The reason why? De La Rosa thinks too highly of himself and gets cocky when he outperforms his colleagues despite getting along quite well with most of them.

I know I mentioned earlier that De La Rosa cares about the well-being of others before his? It is true, but that doesn't prevent him from leaving snarky remarks when he outperforms another operator. He and Specialist Timur "Glaz" Glazkov have a friendly rivalry with one another, each man having experience with long guns. Both men would try to outperform the other, with Glazkov holding a very slight edge over De La Rosa due to having more experience in the field of warfare. In spite of this, De La Rosa would, how do I put this? "talk shit" about how he's going to "take a fat dump" over Glazkov once he catches up in skill. Glazkov does not take his remarks to heart, and he just laughs it off.

Though I do notice that De La Rosa does mean what he says, including all the rude remarks he would casually leave. I do allow ribbing since it has been proven that it lightens up the mood of the operators, but De La Rosa pushes his words a little bit too far. Doctor Kateb had been advised about his behavior and is already planning on several options on how to help his colleague's attitude. He doesn't have a problem with anyone at all. It's just he needs to be more careful with his choice of words.

Actually, there's one person that he has a problem with, and that's Specialist Taina "Caveira" Pereira.

I don't know what's the valid reason for De La Rosa's hatred towards Pereira, and vice versa, but I could piece together from what I know.

De La Rosa sometimes likes to take things lightly, while Pereira is the exact opposite. De La Rosa is outgoing, carefree, admirable, and courageous while Pereira is an introvert, silent, stoic, and has a reluctance to trust others. I do not think there has been a conversation between the two that has not to lead to an argument. Maybe it's because De La Rosa is vibrant and doesn't understand the hardships that Pereira went through, continually having to spend 90% of her salary to her family in Brazil. I do believe that De La Rosa should see things from her view and understand that the entire universe doesn't revolve around him and that he needs to get along with her, whether he hates her or not. For Pereira, she should know that affluence is not necessarily a bad thing. I could slightly understand why Pereira hates rich people, as they tend to care about their businesses and not the consumers usually, but De La Rosa isn't that kind of person. Maybe I should have her assigned to be Roman's partner. Yeah, no. They might try to kill each other, and I wouldn't doubt it a second. Or maybe I should? I would have to get the two of them in my officer together, a meeting between the three of us. - Dr. Harishva "Harry" Pandey, Director of Rainbow.

(P.S.; I don't understand why Roman didn't try out for UCI's basketball team. He could've easily gotten onto the team, and maybe lead the team to victory!)

Notes:

Device: Thor (not a machine)

Operator: Captain Roman Y. De La Rosa, United States Marine Corps.

Evaluation Lead: Specialist Elena María "Mira" Álvarez, Director of Rainbow R&D. Oversight from Operator Roman Y. De La Rosa.

I will admit that I didn't believe that Thor was smarter than all of us put together and that he was just an average K9 with a sexy handler! Oops! I need to remain professional here.

To say that Thor is a special kind of dog is an understatement. With the information that Roman as given me, I can make comparisons to some of the machinery that I worked on over the years.

First, Thor's intelligence level is quite remarkable. I would make the argument that he's the most intelligent land animal. It should be evident that Thor knows basic dog commands as all other dogs should. However, he could understand more complex commands. If you tell him to go around and wake up the other operators, he would bark at you once and sprint off to the living quarters and bark loudly. If you tell Thor to find a specific item, let's say one of our wallets, for example, he'd find the wallet that belongs to a particular person and give it to them. To keep it simple, if you could come up with any command for Thor, he would do it. However, Thor only listens to Roman's commands. Neither he nor anyone else here could explain why. More research from Roman and I would be needed.

Going on to Thor's physical strength, speed, and flexibility. Thor is the most reliable dog by far than any other breed, extinct or not. Thor can carry five times his weight with little to no difficulties and can pull even much more than that. Our Cougar HE's, the ones we use when we deploy on operations by ground, weigh around 17 tons. Guess what? Thor can and will pull that vehicle as if there's no tomorrow, granted that it's a little heavy for him to draw.

There are more things about Thor that I would love to talk about, but at the request of Harry, I will have to stop right here. I could say without any doubt that Roman is the best addition to Rainbow since me, of course! Haha! In all seriousness, having Roman and Thor on board as Rainbow operators bolstered our strength as an organization. The young Marine and his dog are best friends, completely inseparable from one another.

Chapter 1: Insert Coin

September 11, 2017

En route to Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, California, USA.

06:35 hours

September 11, 2017, six years since the day of the Battle of Los Angeles. The battle recorded the most substantial single loss of civilian life in American history; over 150,000 citizens perished during the conflict. The battle was initiated by a coalition invasion force consisting of China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, and they were fiercely fought off by the Marines from the 1st Marine Division. The battle lasted 47 hours, and it resulted in 4.114 Marines sacrificing their lives to protect the American citizens. The Marines bought enough time for reinforcements from the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, and a massive air squadron from the Nellis Air Force Base to drive back the enemies to where they came from.

Before the battle, Russia, out of nowhere, launched two hydrogen bombs into the hearts of New York City and Washington D.C., completely obliterating every single living organism that was caught in the blast. Windows shattered, cars flipped, and the glass shattered. The United States responded immediately by launching two of its hydrogen bombs at St. Petersburg and Moscow. The hydrogen bomb launched by Russia was a decoy for the coalition forces to invade the United States of America.

The Battle of Los Angeles gave Congress the perfect excuse to declare war on the volatile countries, passing through the Senate and the House without a single member voting against it. This, along with several NATO members and allies west of the Pacific Ocean, joined along with the United States effort, effectively starting World War 3. Several months later, in 2012, the bipartisan bill, the Iron Stand Act of 2012, was passed.

After World War 3, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was finally signed by every single member of the United Nations. It effectively prohibited any nation from the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use, and the threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities. All nations that owned nuclear weapons negotiations were made, and timelines were given as to when the nuclear programs will end and the nuclear weapons to be dismantled.

However, the United States created a top-secret program with DLR Industries called the "ODIN (Orbital Defense Initiative) Project." An orbital kinetic bombardment system was developed to be the ultimate defense platform in the case of another U.S. mainland invasion. The project started with a $2.5 trillion budget and had a final increase to $5.1 trillion before completion.

The ODIN system consisted of 24 orbiting weapons platforms with the ODIN Space Station being in control of the platforms. Six officers from the United States Air Force and six officers from the United States Marine Corps were the crewmembers of the station, tasked with keeping ODIN operational at all times. The average length of 12 crewmembers being on board was three months to prevent muscle atrophy, skeletal deterioration, and to maintain combat readiness should ODIN ever be needed.

No nation on Earth dared question the United States about their development and deployment of ODIN as some of them even tried to make their own orbital kinetic bombardment system, most of them failing due to financial problems. All of NATO supported the United States and also offered to help fund ODIN to keep it operational in return that they (NATO) shall receive protection from ODIN. The United States agreed, and it led to the country becoming the world's first "Mega Superpower" country.

The Armed Forces of the United States also saw their budget increase significantly when the Iron Stand Act of 2012 was passed. The budget was increased from $650 billion to $930 billion. The Marine Corps' budget increased the most while the Navy, Air Force, and Army received similar increases. The volunteer force saw an increase from 1.4 million members to 4.1 million. More men and women than ever before since World War 2 were volunteering to join the military after the Battle of Los Angeles. The Selective Service System was dissolved and deemed unnecessary by Congress.

The city of Los Angeles had an extensive renovation that lasted five years since the start of the third World War. DLR Construction Engineering, a subsidiary of DLR Industries, led the effort in rebuilding their home city. The entire project cost DLR Industries $6.3 trillion, 1.2 more than the ODIN Project. The cities of Inglewood and Huntington Park merged into Los Angeles, doubling its size. Los Angeles also became the capital city of California after the governor, and state senators agreed to the transition. Also, the city became the most populous city at 5.1 million residents. However, that was only because New York City was wiped from the face of Earth.

A limousine cruised down the highway en route to Camp Pendleton to meet with their potential new operator. A blond woman was the driver. She had Maori tattoos on both of her arms for some odd reason. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt rolled to her elbows, blue jeans, and aviator sunglasses. Valkyrie, they called her in Rainbow. Meghan Castellano was her real name.

"Castellano, are you sure De La Rosa knows you?"

"Affirmative ma'am. Joker Team has trained with DEVGRU a couple of times. That's how Craig and I met Roman."

Aurelia Arnot, also known as Six, was the Director of Rainbow. Currently, she is the one that calls all the shots, negotiating new deals with the countries that are involved with the Rainbow program financially, and handles all of the politics whenever her organization comes into question by NATO. She genuinely liked her job very much and would stay if she was not offered to be Secretary of State. The new position would allow her to back in the United States and closer to her family. It took Six a very long time debating whether she should or not but agreed nonetheless. She appointed Harry to be her successor, pending NATO approval.

Six went over the file she had on Roman Y. De La Rosa.

"Captain Roman Y. De La Rosa. United States Marine Corps. 0370 Special Operations Officer and K9 handler. Team Commander of Joker Team. Saw extensive combat in World War 3. Two time Navy Cross recipient. Written up for misconduct on five separate occasions. Once at MCRD San Diego, twice at Officer Candidate School, once an Army Ranger School, and once at School of Infantry. The last incident was De La Rosa verbally and physically abusing a Marine Drill Instructor after he caught the DI abusing a recruit. Safe to say that he cares about the recruits and hates people that abuse their power. I honestly like it. Anything else you want to mention, Harry?"

Harishva "Harry" Pandey was Six's right-hand man, acting as her military culture and psychological advisor. He was also the first person Rainbow operators talk to when they have a problem that they couldn't deal with on their own. Harry was a very understanding man. Rainbow operatives have better chances of seeing a unicorn than hearing Harry yell in frustration. He was the first person everyone approached when they had a problem that couldn't be solved.

They passed by the newly rebuilt Staples Center 2.0 after the original one was destroyed during the battle. There was a very long wall with names of the American civilians that died. Next to the memorial was another one dedicated to the 1st Marine Division. The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor was on full display and surrounding it were the ranks and names of the Marines. Their memorials were the headlines of several major news networks for days on end. The entire country before the conflict was torn between whether if war is necessary or not. This brought everyone together, and since then, the military memorials gained a significant increase in visitors, and the United States Armed Forces' popularity increased.

"Oh, there's more to him. He was offered to try out for MARSOC in May of 2012. Normally, it would take most Marines an average of three years, but Joker Team was the exception. Roman assumed command of Joker Team shortly after his graduation from Officer Candidate School. The original commanding officer was convicted of sexually assaulting several female Marines during the team's liberty. Due to the nature of the job, Roman was commissioned as a Captain rather than Second Lieutenant. He specializes in reconnaissance, direct action, and hand to hand combat. Roman also used to be a Scout Sniper, but has stopped being one after he got Thor."

"Thor? The K9 Captain De La Rosa is bringing with him?" Six asked, taking a sip from her coffee.

"Thor is more than just being Joker Team's K9 and unofficial mascot. He's Roman's best friend, fiercely loyal to him. Roman found him during an operation with Joker Team on Paradox Interstellar's main laboratory. He found Thor trapped inside a cage, crying to be released from his confinement. Thor was bred from two genetically enhanced German Shepherds. I was not able to acquire more information on Thor as his background was kept a secret, but I'm sure our new operator would be more than willing to share more information. But I know one thing, Thor is the most intelligent land animal by far."

"To talk about Roman's accomplishments. He has trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kali since the age of four, but he was more focused on the former. Roman's a second-degree black belt in BJJ, but I would assume his skill level is around a fourth-degree. If he doesn't mind, I intend to assigning him to be one of our martial arts instructors. Souza would be delighted to hear the addition. Although his protégé would not be fond of it." Six crossed her legs.

Both of them continued to travel down the highway in silence. Harry was fascinated with Roman's history. What made Rainbow's recruiting advisor curious about Roman was his decision to join the United States Armed Forces, more or less the Marine Corps, instead of completing his last year of medical school. Roman was on track to be one of the youngest doctors in American History. There has to be a legitimate reason as to why his career choice took a u-turn in the opposite direction when he was on the right path. Harry looked around his files, checked Roman's background, and the "friends" that he talked to. They all gave the same explanation. Harry went so far as to speak with Roman's recruiter, the same answer. He refused to believe the answers.

Not that serving the military is a wrong choice, as it is one of the most honorable things an American citizen can do, but Roman's initial career choice didn't seem to add up. One day, Harry swore, that he will find out the real reason behind Roman's enlistment with the Marine Corps.

A moment later.

41 Area, Camp Pendleton.

Camp Pendleton received an extensive upgrade after the Battle of Los Angeles. Security has beefed up considerably. Marines pulling guard at the gates now had a LAV-25 to assist just in case someone tries to get past the Marines without proper security clearance and authorization. There was to be a Staff Sergeant or above to be present at all times to act as a supervisor. All Marines and other members of the Armed Forces were now required to provide their biometrics along with their military ID to be let inside the base. This was also needed across all military installations and embassies. The Iron Stand Act allowed this.

After reaffirming that Six, Harry, and the driver were the correct people, the Marines allowed them past the gates and went on to where they need to go. They passed by a bunch of Marines doing various things. Some were doing PT on the grass, some were driving motorized vehicles, and some were practicing their martial arts techniques and skills.

They arrived at the 1st Marine Raider Battalion barracks, home of the most diverse and notorious unit in the military, Joker Team. No other branch has a group or team that has been on more operations in the last five years than Joker Team. They have more accounted enemies killed in action, more hostages rescued, more captured high values targets, and more disciplinary actions. You heard it right, more disciplinary actions.

You see, Joker Team may be the best at what they do, but the Marines that compromises them are a different story. The Marines in Joker Team are the ones that were in a lot of trouble in their previous units but not enough to warrant a court-martial or a dishonorable discharge. Even then, getting rid of one of Joker Team's members would be a huge blow, and it would require an extensive background check from Roman to find a new member. All of the Marines, aside from Roman, are troublemakers.

The first case was when Joker Team attended Army Ranger School as a unit, the self-proclaimed "hardest combat course in the world." Sure, some of the exercises were difficult for the Marines to do, but Roman was there to lead them, far and beyond every solider that attended. On the very last day of Ranger School, where the trainees needed to extract the hostage from the drug compound, Roman thought it was an excellent idea to let the platoon of soldiers provide covering fire while Joker Team went behind and use the chaos as a distraction. They were very much successful in the extraction, not taking a single hit, but it made some of the soldiers livid, causing a scuffle.

It led to a few soldiers receiving bruises and bloody noses, and Joker Team being sent back to Camp Pendleton without their Ranger tabs.

The Army tried to reprimand Joker Team for their actions, but the President himself told them to stand down. Since then, the relationship between the Army and the Marine Corps was strained. Funny enough, Joker Team was still allowed to attend Airborne School and the Air Assault course.

Six and Harry stepped out of the limousine along with Meghan

The three walked into the Raider Battalion's main building, where most of the offices, their conference rooms, and where the Marines love to hang out. The walls had picture frames hanging, life-size statues of their World War 2 predecessors that gave birth to the modern units. A shrine of the great Lieutenant General Chesty Puller, the deity that all Marines worship.

The Marine Roman aspires to be.

A Marine, standing around 5'10, walked up to the guests.

"You three must be Rainbow. I'm Staff Sergeant Stephen Miller, second-in-command and communications specialist of Joker Team." Stephen shook their hands.

"Lieutenant JG Meghan Castellano, intelligence officer for Rainbow." Meghan greeted.

Harry and Six exchanged greetings with Stephen.

"Roman will be here any minute now. I can give you a tour around if you like?"

"Of course, Staff Sergeant, I'm very intrigued what kind of stuff Joker Team's really into." Six smiled.

Stephen showed the guests around. They saw how Joker Team lived, which surprised Six a little. They all lived in one big bedroom with several mattresses spaced out appropriately to give the Marines of Joker Team their personal space. There was a bunk bed in the middle of the room, with the only foam being on the top bunk. A label was on top with the word "initiate."

"I'm curious as to why that bunk bed in the middle is not occupied?" Six asked.

Stephen smiled lightly "It's for the new guys that join Joker Team. They're only required to sleep on that bunk bed for one night, and then Roman gives them their mattress. The last guy to sleep on that bunk bed was a CIA agent attached to us about three months ago. He didn't even last a week. Everyone fuckin' hated him."

"Is there any reason for that?" Harry inquired.

"I'm not at liberty to give that information out, haha. But let's say Roman organized a very nice party. It involved a blanket, though."

Meghan grinned at what Stephen said. She knew what Stephen meant by "very nice party" and "blanket."

Stephen then showed them the armory of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. Each platoon had its section within the armory: rifles, handguns, LMGs, HMGs, everything else in between. Of course, Joker Team had the most prominent space out of everyone. Thor even had his workbench.

"So this is where we gear up. We store all of our utility uniforms inside our lockers. Firearms and cartridges are kept separately for safety purposes."

Six looked around for a moment. The armory room was slightly smaller than the one located in Hereford, but she has fewer operators under her command, which gives them more space to work with. Although, Six was more impressed with the fact that the entire armory was kept clean and everything was secured to where they need to be. She was not trying to downplay her operators by any means, but she was going to take a page out of the Marine Corps and add it to her own.

It was common knowledge in the Marine Corps to not fuck with stuff that doesn't belong to you. If you did, you would receive a very lovely party courtesy of Joker Team's commander.

Stephen escorted the guests to Roman's office so they could wait for him to come.

"Normally, we don't allow guests into his office without prior knowledge, but since he's expecting you three, I'll make an exception." Stephen waved goodbye.

Six, Harry, and Meghan nodded goodbye as he left, leaving the door open. Meghan got up from her seat to look around. She was impressed, more or less surprised, by how many academic and BJJ tournament medals he has, most were 1st place save for two silver medals which were under a gold one. His Biochemistry degree was in a frame and placed next to his monitor to show it off. There were a couple of bonsai trees he kept on his shelves to give a more relaxed atmosphere.

A rather large snake vivarium was right to the left of Roman for all of the guests to see. Meghan looked inside but couldn't find the snake. Harry got up and looked for the snake as well. They couldn't locate the snake at all. Roman didn't even mention that he owned a snake. It made Six a little uneasy.

Then.

A huge German Shepherd biting down on a Frisbee walked into Roman's office. He titled his head to the side in confusion as he looked at the guests in curiosity. The dog sniffed the guests to check if they're carrying any firearms or any contraband on them. He barked twice at Six and Meghan but didn't do anything else. Six smiled and patted the good boy's head, which made him wag his tail. Harry began writing down notes about the dog. He has never seen a German Shepherd that massive in his life. It was like experiencing a mid-life crisis but in the right way. Meghan was a little intimidated by the dog but sucked it up as she continued to look around.

"I see that you all have met Thor. I'm Captain De La Rosa, team commander of Joker Team and former medical student. And this is my King Cobra Osiris. Give me a moment, please." Roman walked in, holding his King Cobra.

Harry immediately got back to his seat while Meghan stood there, studying the King Cobra as it went back into its home. Roman then pulled out a thawed python and gave it to Osiris to eat. He went out to wash his hands and came back in soon after.

Harry studied Roman in silence. He wore his woodland MARPAT uniform. His sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his tattoos that he has gotten over the years of being in the Marine Corps. Hair slicked back in a comb-over. Some people thought Roman was the famous racing driver Marlon Stöckinger. Even his father looked exactly like him. Clean shave, as he preferred. Roman hasn't looked like he aged in five years despite all the weight that was on his shoulders.

"Captain De La Rosa, it's a pleasure to meet you in person finally. I'm Six, Director of Rainbow." Six stood up to greet Roman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, and I'm sure we have a lot to discuss."

Harry and Roman exchanged greetings. The former was very eager to ask the captain questions as both men loved to talk a lot, to no end sometimes. Osiris finished eating his tasty meal and watched his owner in curiosity, despite not being able to hear them speak.

Roman turned around to Meghan, who had a big smile on her face. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before hugging. Neither Six nor Harry were surprised. Instead, they smiled. Some of the operators in Rainbow had trained with Joker Team when they were in their old units, so having Roman being familiar with them was a plus to the organization as a whole.

Both Roman and Meghan exchanged kisses on the cheeks. It was common for both of them, the strength of their friendship.

"It's terrific to see you again, Meg. You made my day by being here." Roman patted her shoulder.

Meghan blushed lightly "It's good to see you too, sir. Poor Craig was so disappointed when he found out that I was accompanying Six and Harry. It would make him even more upset if he found out that we were here to recruit you into Rainbow."

"That idiot got into Rainbow? How is he by the way? I can't believe someone with a low IQ level got into the top CT unit in the world." Roman joked, Meghan chuckled.

"Beats me, haha. He's doing great. He actually took your training exercise recommendation literally. Craig's been doing 200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 200 squats, and a 5 mile run every single day. He still does other exercises as well, but mainly the ones you told him."

Roman chuckled at Meghan's words. She was one of his close friends besides the Marines of Joker Team. They talked almost every day, exchanged funny memes, selfies, and Roman would send videos of Thor incapacitating bad guys. Meghan was like an older sister to him and was glad that their relationship had no signs of progressing further beyond a sibling type relationship.

Although, she had caught his eyes numerous times in the past wandering below her head level, down to places where she wouldn't even let other men do. Meghan would laugh and lightly punch Roman every time he was caught in the past.

Meghan grinned when she caught Roman looking "down" again.

"Um, I believe we have something to discuss." Roman closed the door.

Six, Harry, and Meghan moved their chairs closer to Roman's desk. He untied his boots and took off his socks, giving his feet fresh air to breathe as he sat in. He made sure the room smelled good in case one of the guests caught a whiff of what's behind the desk.

"I'm sure you already know what we are here for, but I would like to broaden the discussion and our terms of agreements. It is slightly laxer than what you are accustomed to, but it is similar. In Rainbow, you can operate your teams the way you want to, the same way how you manage Joker Team. It would have to be by the book, but there will be little to no repercussions if it is not by the book, depending on the situation. You will be given the option to bring all of your equipment and any firearms that you own into Rainbow. We can accommodate your needs as long it is within reason, and it's not out of our budget." Six said.

Roman was thinking for a moment. Rainbow would be an upgrade for him in his opinion, but he would be losing the one thing that was necessary for showcasing his true potential, Joker Team. Funny enough, all of the Marines in Joker Team were recruited into Rainbow, but all of them declined except for Roman. His chemistry with his Marines was beyond light-years, stretching past the observable universe. He was sure in Rainbow that all of the operators were unique in their ways and that he and Thor could build synergy with them, but it would take days, weeks, or even months to bring it near the level of Roman's synergy with Joker Team. Plus, he would be going into an organization where he doesn't know at least 90% of them. Even the few operators he had met in the past would take some time to work correctly alongside out in the field. It could be done, though. Roman's smart, very smart. He could find ways to get along with anyone, even if it including spending a couple of millions of dollars. It would be tough for him, and it could be stressful.

"I'm interested, and I'm leaning towards agreeing. Leaving Joker Team would hurt me a bit, and it would require me to brainstorm different strategies, methods, and tactics on how I operate on the field as an individual. Would I be allowed to lead operations at times?"

"Of course, captain. It is required for all Rainbow operators to go on a minimum of two operations before they are given the evaluation whether they are capable of leading a team or not. Given the success of Joker Team and your exceptional leadership capabilities, I can make an exception if you only have to go on one operation before the evaluation. I am sure that you will be able to pass with little or no difficulty, considering that you are a very young captain with much potential. If you have any requests, you may say them." Six nodded her head.

"Hmm, let me say this first. I firmly believe that in life, an individual has to prove themselves if they want to be part of an elite organization. I have done it countless times before. I earned my rank of Lance Corporal at the time because I was the top recruit in my recruit battalion. I was the number one graduate at my Scout Sniper School graduation and its additional courses. Joker Team and I were given a tryout for the Marine Raiders at the early stages of our careers because we proved that we were worthy of becoming Marine Raiders. You want me to run three miles in under 18 minutes? No problem at all, I can run three miles in under 16 minutes easily. You want me to shoot targets at over 300 yards? I've done it before. Can I go on a 20-mile hike with a 70-pound rucksack? Joker Team does that twice a month. Our feet would hurt, though. Give me the challenge to prove that I belong in Rainbow, that's my main request."

Harry smiled. He was genuinely intrigued by the young Marine and was barely containing his urge to cut Six off and ask his questions. He turned to Meghan to ask her something, but she was busy listening to Roman talk with a smile on her face. He nodded and wrote down Roman's request.

"She is truly eager to hear what Roman has to say. I can tell you that they are very close. It must be a powerful bond since it hasn't progressed to the romantic side of things." Harry thought.

"Would that be all captain?" Six asked.

"Actually, no. I have a couple of other requests, but I am not sure if your other operators' requests are similar to mines. One, I would like to order fresh raw fish and have them delivered on base. I have a fast metabolism because I love PT, and I have to constantly eat to give the body fuel that it needs to push myself beyond my limits. Yes, I will make sushi out of the fish; that is what I have been mainly eating for the last three months. Second, I want my office to be as close to my bedroom as possible without intruding into the other bedrooms. It will be where I mostly do admin stuff, and I will probably be drafting ideas and tactics that would be presented. Third, I want to have the largest bedroom possible. If someone else is occupying it, tell them I will pay them $10 million to find a different room to sleep in, haha. If not, then I would like to any unoccupied space and turn it into a bedroom. Lastly, I want to take Osiris with me. I do not know anyone that would be willing to take care of him. Osiris is a big boy and he does like to mark his territory." Roman replied.

"We can adhere to your requests. I always give my operators the best living conditions possible to make them feel at home. If those requests you made could make you feel great, then why not?"

"Thank you, but I have one last request. I want to pay for all of those requests instead. I understand that you are helping me out a lot, but I would prefer it if I could finance them. I do not want anyone to speculate that you are showing me favoritism because those requests are a lot to me. I want to fit in, that is all."

Six nodded, turning to Harry and Meghan to see if either of them had any questions.

Of course, Meghan had questions for her younger brother.

"Sir, do you an individual that goes by the name of Tina Tsang?" Meghan inquired.

"No, I do not know this person. I may be brilliant, but even the most intellect individuals don't know everything in the universe." Roman lied.

If there was anything Roman was terrible at, it was being a liar.

"Are you sure, sir? Did you know that she's also a part of Rainbow and I have asked her very similar questions? Presumably speaking, you are a horrible liar. You always speak the truth, and it is admirable, no doubt. But I can assure you that not telling the truth about your past relationships will not end well for you."

"Fine. Tina and I had dated long distance for exactly two years. We exchanged phone calls, texts, memes that I would find on Facebook and Twitter, and pictures."

"What of pictures?" Meghan grinned.

Roman would be falling into her trap if he wasn't aware of what she was trying to do. Harry and Six were smart enough to step outside for a moment, giving the two friends privacy.

"You know, selfies of each other. I'd send pictures of my firearms, the medical books I've constantly been reading for when I go back to finish medical school so I can be the top student again. And yes, pictures of Thor."

"Are you sure you haven't sent pictures of more, for lack of a better term, lucrative things?" Meghan crossed her arms.

"I'm not at liberty to say that Lieutenant. Tina broke up with me exactly on our second anniversary. She said that the long-distance thing was not working at all and that she couldn't come up with an excuse a while ago. I can't blame her, to be honest. She was well within her rights to break up with me. In the two years that we had dated, we have visited each other 17 times. I was more at fault. I didn't put enough effort into the relationship as I'm too dedicated to the Marine Corps. I'll admit that I was not a good boyfriend and that she could find a guy that would treat her right. I wouldn't consider my relationship with Tina to be a legitimate one. I'm still new. I don't know how to act around a woman that I'm involved with romantically."

"Would you like to go on a date with me, captain?" Meghan walked over and began to massage Roman's shoulders.

"Lieutenant, I do appreciate the offer, and I would definitely accept under different circumstances, but you are here to get me into Rainbow, not to seduce me," Roman smirked.

Meghan pretended to be shocked at Roman's answer but laughed anyway.

"I'll join Rainbow. I trust that Six could accommodate my requests as they would help me fit in better. My father's moving company will have everything packed up in a couple of hours and have it shipped to England. Victoria will help make sure Osiris has a safe trip." Roman said as he signed the papers of his transfer.

All that was needed was the papers to be sent to the MARSOC commander to recognize the transfer, which in turn be forwarded to USSOCOM to reaffirm it. The assignment will mark a new chapter in Roman's life.

After waiting for Roman to pack the rest of his belongings into duffel bags and boxes, Meghan drove the limousine back to LAX to where they will be taking their ride back to England.

"Are you ready, Marine?" Meghan asked, turning her head from the driver's seat.

"Of course, Lieutenant, I am always ready." He responded.

Right before Meghan was about to make a left turn, they ran into four Marines and a Navy Sailor in their Service Dress Blues, with Stephen being the Marine directly blocking their path. The Marines and the Sailor drew their NCO swords, which confused Meghan, Six, and Harry. It was confusing, and embarrassing for Roman, because those individuals were the ones that compromised Joker Team.

Roman facepalmed, trying to hide his flushed face. Thor looked out the window in curiosity, wondering why his other friends were dressed in their fancy uniforms instead of the sweaty camouflage that they usually wore.

Stephen walked over to the right side, where Roman was sitting.

"Sir, we are going to miss you. However, we must play taps for you! Because losing you is a funeral!" Stephen jokingly yelled.

"Dude, you can't be fucking serious?" Roman asked.

"Yes I am sir, we must do this!"

Another Navy Sailor came out of nowhere with a trumpet and began playing taps as the Marines raised their NCO swords. Roman groaned in frustration, telling Meghan to slowly drive as he gave his Marines one last middle finger. The Marines laughed off as they saluted their officer off, wishing him the best.

A couple of hours later

Roman was now dressed in just a plain black shirt, Lakers basketball shorts, and black slippers. It was not common to see an affluent man that could afford any items of clothing that he wants, to dress in everyday clothing that costs less than $50. Although he would buy expensive clothes and shoes for his Marines if they asked without hesitation because he cares for them and only wants the best for them. It's not in his tastes to own costly fabrics.

Funny though, Roman owns the most expensive yacht in the world after his sister dared him that he doesn't have the cojones (balls) to buy the yacht. It has been in his siblings' possession since the purchase, though.

He looked out the window to see the beautiful lights of Los Angeles. It looked much more modern compared to what it looked like six years ago before the invasion. The U.S. Bank Tower was replaced by a 2,250 ft. Skyscraper owned by his father's company. DLR industries played an essential role in the restoration of Los Angeles when 57% of the city became uninhabitable. Los Angeles International Airport, more commonly known as LAX, was now owned and operated by the United States Air Force after LAWA was shut down a few months after the battle.

Staples Center was rebuilt. The original arena was destroyed during the battle, along with the surrounding buildings. There was a collective effort between the city council and DLR Industries to how the new stadium should be built. A new, 25,000 capacity arena was build in the same spot where the old one was. It was more modernized that it allowed the fans to interact better with the athletes. Currently, it is the new home to the Los Angeles Lakers, owned and operated by DLR Industries while the Buss family still owns the basketball organization, as it should be.

Roman wondered what life could've been if he decided to stay and finish his last year. Sometimes, he blames himself for ruining the friendship he cherished the most. He loved her, he did. He didn't care if he was 14 and she 22. Roman was just a horny little kid that thought with his penis instead of thinking with his brain. It was his jealousy that got the best of him. It was the first time he considered losing his friendship a real loss, not counting the three losses he has in his BJJ tournament record.

The plane was eerie quiet. Six was already fast asleep, soundproof headphones on. Meghan was the same.

"Hey, you haven't said anything since the jet took off. Don't tell me you're already having doubts." Harry joked.

Roman chuckled lightly.

"No, Sir, I'm just thinking about someone and just wondering if I wasn't such an asshole to her. She did almost everything for me, and I just let my emotions take over my thought process. You usually except older kids to be mean. Not in my case."

Harry wrote down what Roman said. He listed being slightly emotional at times on his application form, but it turns out that it may be more than slightly.

What makes it even worse was that the last person Harry interviewed was Roman's ex-best friend. The meeting was a little weird since she and Roman no longer talked and with the added fact that Roman had a crush on her. She ended up breaking down when she asked if she could call Roman, and he responded by saying that "Roman had no desires to talk to you again."

"How did you find Osiris?" Harry asked.

"My King Cobra? I found him in his enclosure right beside Thor's during my first mission with the Marine Raiders. I was initially going to take Thor, but it made me upset to see Osiris being the only creature left behind. I couldn't take it. So I decided to take Osiris with me. I hate it when animals are lonely without anyone to socialize with. Funny, Thor and Osiris are great buddies, never an implication from either one of them that wants to attack the other. I have considered taking Osiris on missions with Thor but I do not think that would work out to my imagination."

"I see. What kind of snakes do you feed Osiris?"

"Normally, I feed Osiris dead pythons that I order from a hunter in Florida. But since I will be living in England with Thor and Osiris, I might have to find someone that hunts and kills Grass Snakes. I'm not sure if the guy I buy pythons from ship overseas, more or less to a military installation. I would feed Osiris other animals, but he prefers snakes." Roman patted Thor's head.

"If you can get your supplier to ship them overseas, I can try to convince Six to bend the rules a little to allow the shipment of dead pythons, okay. " Harry suggested.

"I would appreciate that. Osiris' favorite food is ball pythons after all."

Roman and Harry talked about various subjects ranging from sports, music, martial arts, and his time in the Marine Corps. For some reason, Roman felt at ease when he talked to Harry as if he's some no-bullshit therapist that doesn't lie to you, that kind of guy. The best part was that he and Harry were Slipknot fans! If there were one wish that he could make real, he would wish that there were more leaders (specifically officers in the U.S. Armed Forces) like Dr. Harishva "Harry" Pandey.

The Marine closed, finally relaxed and stress-free. He hasn't gone to church recently, but he prayed to God that his new life would be better, not worse. He prayed that he could prove himself again that he belongs with the best and wants to be the best. He prayed that he and Thor get to enjoy the food in England. Most importantly, Captain Roman Y. De La Rosa of the United States Marine Corps, prayed that he can be happy and that wherever she is, whoever she is with, she can be satisfied because he couldn't provide that for her.

Roman, for the first time since the Battle of Los Angeles, the worst day of his life, fell asleep with a smile on his face. And, he finally had a good dream, not a nightmare.

Hopefully, his younger sister Elizabeth was okay.

Over a month ago.

July 20, 2017.

School of Infantry, Camp Pendleton, California.

09:30 hours.

"Remember when you get the back mount, sink your hooks in, but don't cross them if you don't want to allow your opponent to apply a foot lock to get out. " Roman said as he walked around, looking at the recruits.

Captain Roman Y. De La Rosa, Special Operations Officer, team commander, and dog handler of Thor, Newport Harbor's class of 2002 valedictorian, only high school graduate to have all eight Ivy League schools create and offer a full-ride scholarship just for him, was in the middle of overseeing recruits practicing their hand to hand combat skills, being assisted by his team, colloquially known as "Joker Team" due to their unusual antics whenever out in the field with other Marines. Their battalion commander usually permitted Joker Team to assist the MCMAP instructors when there wasn't anything on their schedule, and today was one of those days. Thor, as usual, tagged along. He was in a sitting position while he's watching his handler teach the recruits. He enjoyed it, and it was his entertainment.

Some of the moves and techniques Roman and his team were teaching the recruits were not meant to be shown at the beginner level, which agitated some of the instructors. But who would dare tell a bunch of Marine Raiders that they weren't supposed to be teaching such moves at an early stage? There was also a freight train in the form of Thor they should keep an eye out for. Roman loved to fight. It was in his blood.

Roman came from a family of fighters. He and all of his siblings were 2nd-degree black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because of their mother, a red/black coral belt at De La Rosa Academy. Roman also holds a similar belt rank in Kali, the national sport of the Philippines. Both of his parents are world-renowned martial artists with several gold medals and first place trophies from competitions. Everyone praised De La Rosa as one of the top families in the world of martial arts. Along with being a Marine Raider with MCMAP training, Roman's a well-refined fighter, and it would take someone above Jon Jones' level to beat him. Then again, there aren't many people that are like Jon Jones.

If he wasn't so caught up in himself, Roman could've been an MCMAP instructor and would've changed the ways the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program was taught.

"Remember to hook your left leg on his right leg if you're trying to get him off the mount." Roman said to a recruit.

"Yes, sir!" The recruit replied.

Roman considered enlisting in the Marine Corps to be the best decision of his life and has stated multiple times that he would do it again with no hesitation. He says that the Corps is his life and that going to medical school to become a doctor just was not for him. His reason for joining the Marine Corps was this:

"I wanted to do something different, to be different from everyone else. Everyone considered me different than them because I am rich, that I am smarter than all of them put together. I wanted to prove to everyone that I am human just like them and that I could do the same as them. I found medical school too easy if I'm honest with myself. I wanted a reach challenge, a challenge that would push me to my absolute limits. Each branch of the military went balls deep in trying to get me to enlist. But you know what? After doing my research on each branch, their history, and the way how they teach the recruits, I decided that the Marine Corps would give me the best challenge. It just felt right at the beginning when I watched documentaries of the Marine Corps that I should be one of them. Everything is different behind the camera, but Navy RDC's seem too soft for me, they try too hard to be like my Drill Instructors, and they also get too friendly with the Navy recruits. The Army, oh, boy. Where do I start? The bonuses could have swayed anyone else, not me. I'm not in the Marine Corps for the money. The Army offered me a Green Beret contract, and if I tried hard enough the same way I'm doing right now, I probably would've gotten into The Unit. The Army just never interested me. Sure, they have gung-ho warriors that are willing to fight to the death. However, in the Marines, especially in the infantry units, you will always see Marines with fucking hard-ons, still itching for combat. The Marine Corps offered me everything that I've asked for. Disciplined people, excellent leadership, and just everyone are willing to do their job. The history of the Marines interested me. Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Chosin Reservoir, all of those battles that were popularized was because of the way the Marines fought. The Germans, specifically the Marines during the First World War, "Devil Dogs" for a reason."

While that may be particularly true, the main reason was utter horse shit, and there's only one other person that knows the truth for his enlistment besides Roman himself. She swore not to tell anyone, at least for now.

Roman and Stephen continued to train the recruits for another hour. They taught various Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu submissions such as the Kimura, Omoplata, and the Bow and Arrow choke.

They continued to help train the recruits for another hour before they had to leave. Roman drove his team back to their barracks.

Several hours later

Joker Team arrived after going off base to eat lunch. They all went to their rec room to relax while Roman went to his office to handle some paperwork.

"Huh, I never thought I'd do some paperwork. Can't complain." Roman said to himself.

He walked into his office and locked the door.

Roman's office was neat and tidy. It was decorated with a couple of bonsai trees placed around evenly. He had his medals hanging on the walls along with a couple of photos from his early years in the Marine Corps. His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belts were hanging nicely on a rack. To put it simply, Roman had everything that he earned that was important to him on display.

He walked over to the desk and sat down on his chair. Being an officer was a lot more complicated than Roman honestly expected. More paperwork, more politics, more bullshit, and more politics, and more bullshit. He sometimes expresses how he hasn't decided to leave MARSOC due to the ridiculous amount of responsibilities that were given to him. Complaining wasn't in his dictionary as Roman was already used to it all. After all, Roman is a team player and was always looking out for the best interests of Joker Team. To be the best, you got to be with the best.

There was a photo on his frame that took his attention away from the documents in front of him. Roman picked up the frame and examined it. The picture was of him and an unnamed female that seemed to be a couple of years older than him. They were both in their scrubs, posing with a fake human endoskeleton. Roman remembered how out of place he was in college and medical school due to being much younger than all of the other students, but the woman in the photo with him helped him get through everything — building a bridge between two worlds.

"Lucíana" Roman thought.

So that was her name?

The two of them were best friends despite the age gap between both of them, Inseparable even. Some people would even joke about Lucíana wanting to date Roman despite him being a lot younger because she was always spotted hanging out with him almost all the time. Both of them had been through a lot. UCI, medical school, the school events they participated in, they were always there together. Roman and Lucíana were the #1 and #2 students, respectively. Everyone thought they were going to accomplish everything together.

Those people were initially right until Roman decided to drop out of the blue to join the world's most lethal fighting force.

The Battle of Los Angeles was the last time the duo met. Roman thought it was the end.

Roman missed her, he did. Maybe if things didn't turn out the way they did and he reached the legal age, then perhaps they could've been something more than just best friends. It was his emotions that started everything.

Jealousy.

The photo frame was tossed across the room, the glass breaking into small fragments.

Osiris, Roman's King Cobra, slithered up to Roman and curled around his shoulders to comfort his owner. His King Cobra was indeed one of a kind. While Osiris may not be smart as his friend Thor, he is intelligent enough to know that neither Thor or Roman are hostiles and should not be bitten no matter what. Due to being bred from two genetically enhanced King Cobras (part of Paradox Interstellar's genetic testing program), his venom has mutated, becoming more potent, and dangerous.

A knock was on the door. Roman got up to open it, revealing Stephen Miller, his second in command.

"Sir, you need to see this right now!" Stephen said, almost in a panic.

Roman got up and followed Stephen towards the common room. When they got inside, Joker Team and other Marines from the 1st Marine Raider Battalion were gathered around the television. Some Marines were in shock, a couple weren't looking, but what everyone was feeling, they were angry. The last time Roman saw Marines acting the way they were was almost six years ago.

The broadcast showed dead bodies, crying children, mutilated limbs, and a lot of blood. Screams were coming from the attendees as they rush out of the arena to escape the gunfire. Some were successful, but many more met their fate. An explosion was heard in the background; the shockwaves shattering all windows within the radius. Fragments impaled anyone caught.

Fox News reporter: gunmen wearing white masks were seen storming into Staples Center, firing at anyone and everyone that they see. They have used explosives to tear down several walls and stores located inside the arena. LAPD officers and LASD deputies have responded to the scene while they were being shot at. Over two dozen LEOs are dead with more wounded. I honestly do not believe whats going on, ugh. This feels like the start of the Battle of Los Angeles almost six years ago. However, these men, or women, weren't wearing any uniform belonging to any foreign military, nor were they picking their targets. Anyone that moved were just killed on the spot without any remorse coming from the gunmen.

The reporter and cameraman knelt to avoid the gunfire coming from the gunmen

I have just received intel that the LAPD, LASD, and FBI SWAT teams have been deployed to contain and stop the situation from getting out of hand. It is just horrific, and this has to be the biggest mass killing event in the past five years. I have never seen something more terrifying than old folks having their arms or legs blown off, parents holding their dead children, and LEOs not even having the chance to fire back.

The reporter threw her microphone to the ground and began to cry. It was too much for her to handle.

The cameraman pointed to the SWAT officers arriving on the scene. The majority of them began to set up the perimeter as firetrucks and ambulances started to roll in to help transport injured civilians to the hospitals. The Magic Johnson statue collapsed. There was so much blood that it could fill up. Several shooters appeared on the top of Staples Center and lynched ten LAPD officers by the edge of the arena for the world to see. Their eyes gouged, and genitals mutilated. Armored trucks were blocking the civilians to keep them safe from the gunfire that erupted again.

Roman looked at the screen in shock and anger. He was thinking that it was happening all over again. He nearly gave his life defending the city, and seeing Staples Center being the target of a terrorist attack triggered his bad memories, like moving pictures in his head for years and years they've played. The atmosphere in the room was eerie quiet, not a single Marine daring to talk. Emotions were surprisingly kept in check.

Roman's battalion commander walked in.

"Joker Team, I need y'all in the conference room ASAP!" The BC yelled.

The Marines of Joker Team followed their battalion commander towards the conference room. There were six Marines and two Navy Sailors that compromised Joker Team:

- Captain Roman Y. De La Rosa, Team Commander, K9 Handler.

- Staff Sergeant Stephen H. Miller, Team Sergeant, Communications Specialist.

- Sergeant Joseph N. Waller, Machine Gunner, JTAC Specialist.

- Sergeant Anthony N. Aubert, Machine Gunner, Combat Engineer.

- Sergeant Rudolph G. Steiner, Rifleman, CBRN Specialist.

- Sergeant Curtis I. Lee, Rifleman, Scout Sniper.

- Petty Officer 2nd Class Ahmed U. Khan, Rifleman, Senior EOD technician.

- Petty Officer 2nd Class Steve T. Kim, Rifleman, Hospital Corpsman.

The eight Marines gathered around the hologram table. The table displayed the current layout of Staples Center, the surrounding areas, the perimeter, the lists of all civilians that were taken alive as hostages. It showed everything that Roman needed to know on how to approach the situation. Over 500 civilians were confirmed dead and with many more in critical condition. The table then showed all possible entry points for Joker Team, the difficulty of the operation, and the descriptions of what the terrorists are armed with.

"Due to the nature of the mission, the President of the United States has requested Joker Team to take care and handle the situation at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. FBI Hostage Rescue Team will be inserting through the entrance on 11th street, and ATF Special Response Team will be entering through the Plaza front. The Attorney General and the President have transferred authority of the mission towards me. Your team will be the lead during the operation. Joker Team will be inserting through the roof of, and your main objective will be to neutralize all hostiles to allow HRT and SRT to extract all civilians hiding inside. I want this by the book, gentlemen. We're operating with everyone's eyes on us. I know how unorthodox and controversial your methods are, so please try to keep it at a bare minimum. I don't want the Commander In Chief and the USSOCOM commander bombarding me with phone calls. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, you all are dismissed."

Roman didn't even respond to his battalion commander as his Marines walked out. He stared blankly at the death toll that was slowly rising, and the critically injured climbing as well. It angered him from within. He couldn't wait to deploy, to get his hands on those dirty fucking terrorists. He was going to show them the wrath of The Captain, and Joker Team will bring Armageddon.

An hour and several minutes later.

The sky was now black and gray, raining hard. It was very unusual for California to receive rain in September. A thunderstorm roared through the sound barrier. There were some close calls of the Osprey being struck by lightning, but none enough to scare Joker Team.

Roman looked out the open rear door. He ordered his Marines to check their gear and firearms as they approached the landing zone. There were dozens of body bags containing the bodies of the people who were killed in the initial attack. He looked over to the Hostage Rescue Team and found them preparing to breach the front entrance. Joker Team's commander had his team activate their night vision goggles.

The only unfortunate part about this mission was that they had to find their ride back home because the storm will be too dangerous for the Osprey to fly in by the time Joker Team was done. A tent was set up for the Marines, courtesy of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"Thank you for the ride, sir! I own you one!" Roman said.

"The only thing you own me son is a dead fucking terrorist! Go get some!" The senior pilot yelled in motivation.

Roman nodded in response as the Osprey inched closer to Staples Center.

"Joker One Actual, this is Viper Seven Actual, we are ready to kill the lights, waiting on your call."

"Wait for my signal Viper Seven Actual, Joker Team's landing on the roof."

The Osprey hovered above the roof as Joker Team jumped out one by one. The rain began to intensify, but it didn't mean the mission should be stopped. The lights illuminating from the surrounding buildings allowed Roman to see how many people were looking. He wasn't surprised when he noticed dozens of civilians, whether if they were on the streets or inside safe in a building, they were looking at Staples Center, they were staring at all the men geared up in tactical gear hoping that everyone trapped inside could come out safe. Roman thought the civilians on the street were smart enough to know that the terrorists were armed with explosives with a massive blast radius. He felt that they should go home or go to the hospital if they have an injury or more.

"Go ahead, Viper Seven Actual, kill the lights." Roman said.

In less than three seconds, all electricity that was giving life to Staples Center was turned off. It was pitch black inside the building. Screams from the civilians trapped inside were heard, thinking that they were about to be executed in the darkness. The crowd began to talk loudly as the "tactical men" were going inside to face the danger.

Anthony opened the hatch of the arena. Thor got in first, followed by his handler and the Marines.

They were inside the attic, as the staff members called it. Various objects ranging from concession stands, available vending machines, Lakers memorabilia, etc., were stored. The shortest Marine, Waller, took point. He was the shortest by far at 5'6, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't fit for the job. Joker Team walked over to the open elevator doors. Roman picked up Thor and hooked him on his vest.

"Alright, Miller and I will be rappelling down first."

Roman and Miller rappelled down slowly. If the lights were still on, the civilians would have an excellent visual of two Marine Raiders and a large German Shepherd descending.

The elevator doors a level below were also open. Two terrorists wearing white masks were talking to one another. The captain quietly unhooked Thor, which was a feat itself because it required a lot of strength to carry the 140 lbs dog without making a lot of noise. The terrorist on the right turned around to see Thor being tossed at him. He tried to respond, but his skull was crushed instantly. The other terrorist tried stabbing Thor, but the knife bent when it connected with the vest. It was a fatal mistake. Thor bit the knife hand and ripped it off, causing the man to scream in pain, was silenced when Miller shot him.

"We're good here, come down."

The rest of Joker Team rappelled down to regroup with the two Marines. There was a line of concession stands, Lakers items, items you would typically see. Blood painted the floor, ceiling, and walls. Dead bodies littered. Some were even set on fire. Missing limbs were everywhere due to the explosions set off earlier.

"Alright, Waller and Lee, the both of you will stay here and watch the elevator doors. We will be using the lines to rappel down to the first floor once we clear this one. Miller, you will take Joker Team and clear the left side and take any survivors you see back here so Waller can rappel them down to safety. Thor and I will clear the right side and search for any explosives and survivors."

Stephen nodded and took temporary command of Joker Team, going the opposite direction to clear the floor more efficiently. This wasn't the first time Roman and Thor did something by themselves, nor it would be the last time. Roman was trained in the art of combat the Marine Corps way, making him the most efficient infiltrator he could be. He used to do several missions by himself and his spotter during his Scout Sniper days in Force Recon. But since he's given a much larger responsibility, that wasn't possible anymore. Thor, however, is what he needed.

There was a little girl that looked no older than nine years old Mexican girl hiding under a table. She wasn't crying or anything. The girl was curled up with her eyes covered, trying not to make any noise. She was alive, though, evident by the breaths she was taking. Roman walked up to the little girl and comforted her. She was going to scream, but Roman covered her mouth instantly. Thor sat and looked the other way, just in case someone tried to sneak up on his best friend.

"I'm friendly. I won't shoot you." Roman said.

"Okay, my name is Hera." The girl greeted quietly.

"Hey Hera, my name is Captain Roman De La Rosa, United States Marine. I'm here to help you. Do you know where your parents are?" He asked.

Hera pointed behind Roman. He turned around and saw Hera's parents dead. Her father was on top of her with multiple gunshot wounds. Her mother's skull was busted open with a knife that was still lodged in. It was apparent Hera's father was trying to protect her mother, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. She was a strong girl for her age, which Roman liked a lot.

"You are brave, do you know that?" Roman smiled as he began checking Hera for any visible injuries.

"No, you are!" Hera said.

After clearing Hera, he looked around to survey the hall for any more survivors. Thor was then alerted to more terrorists walking towards his direction. Roman was informed immediately by his companion. He told Monica to stay quiet and gave her his dog tags.

"Stay quiet, alright?"

"Okay, sir."

Roman smiled. He was impressed by the little girl, definitely raised right by her parents. Unfortunate that she wouldn't grow up with either of them. He hoped that she had a family that lived in the United States that would be willing to take of her. She hid behind the table again.

Thor hid in the bathroom. Roman taped one of his frag grenades on the wall. He took a piece of yarn from his pouch and tied it to the pin. Going back to the spot where he found Hera, he waited for the terrorists to walk by. Roman peeked and saw four terrorists armed with AK-47's and a European Shepherd.

One of the terrorists walked too far ahead from his group and pulled the yarn with him. The pin from the grenade was pulled. The grenade then exploded, killing the first terrorist right away. The other three became alert, rifles raised and pointing in the direction where the blast was. The European Shepherd was barking furiously, begging to be let off the leash. The other two terrorists walked cautiously, kicking the bodies to make sure that they were dead. A man groaned but was killed instantly by an AK round.

Roman placed his KaBar down and unsheathed his knife and drew his pistol. The first terrorist approached. Roman sliced the terrorists' thigh and shot him once in the skull, dropping him to the ground instantly. The second aimed his rifle at Roman, but he responded first by throwing his knife directly at his eye and receiving three rounds in the crotch, killing him also. Roman then shot three rounds at the other terrorist holding his dog. The dog quickly approached Roman, narrowly dodging the last bullet fired from his pistol. Roman tried kicking the dog, but it promptly pounced on him. He held the dog by its snout, teeth barely inches from his face.

The captain punched the dog once, but the punch barely did anything as the dog retaliated by biting Roman's elbow. He grunted in pain from the pressure but was lucky that he wore protective elbow pads.

Thor came rushing from the bathroom and tackled the European Shepherd off of Roman. The good boy barked violently, his teeth painted with the blood from the evil he killed earlier. The European Shepherd recovered but struggled a little as the impact earlier was hard. Thor continued to bark as the other dog barked back.

German Shepherd vs. European Shepherd, a fight to the death.

Funny, it wasn't going to end well for the latter.

The European Shepherd charged first, jaws wide in an attempt to bite and latch onto his opponent. Thor stepped back and used his left front paw to smack the other dog hard. It stumbled back but tried taking another bite at Thor.

That was the unfortunate end.

Thor, being the more massive and physically stronger dog, bit the dog's snout entirely, closing its mouth. The European Shepherd cried in pain, trying to wiggle its way out of the firm bite of Thor. Despite its attempt, Thor crushed his opponent's snout, rendering the dog immobile as it began to bleed out. It tried to get up one more time, but Thor bit the dog's head and swung his head left and right mercilessly as if it was his dog toy. Thor then released the now deceased dog and ripped its head off and barked in victory.

Roman stared at his best friend in awe. He never saw Thor that violent before. Not even when he was pretending to get beat up before. Maybe it was because Thor was very protective of Roman and was willing to fight to the death. Evident by mauling the European Shepherd to its fate. Thor then walked to Roman, looking at his body for any injuries.

"Wow, your dog is strong." Hera whispered.

Roman almost forgot about the little girl. He smirked as he pulled Thor behind the table. Taking a canteen attached to Thor's harness, Roman used the water to rinse the blood away from his teeth. Thor ate and drank worse things before than blood, but Roman didn't want to take any chances. He then offered the rest of the clean water to Hera to drink, which she accepted graciously.

"Hey Hera, I need you to go that way and make a left when you get to to the elevator sign. There's are two Marines named Waller and Lee. They will rappel down and escort you to safety."

Hera thanked Roman for saving her life, giving her the biggest hug she could give. He hugged her back, shedding a tear. Thor patted the girl's hair as she ran towards Waller and Lee. Roman watched as the girl turned left. He turned to Thor.

"It's unfortunate that her parents won't be around to see her grow up. Hera is a strong girl who will mature into a woman. She will be successful. I can bet on that. Her strength and courage motivated me."

Thor barked back in agreement, completely understanding what his handler said. Despite not being able to talk back like a human would, Thor understood every single word that came out of Roman's mouth. He also understands the other several languages he speaks.

"Sir, a girl named Hera approached us. I'm rappelling down to hand her off to HRT." Waller called out.

"Roger that Waller, go ahead and climb back up if you can, of course, with your short frame."

"You are lucky that you are not gay and a lot of women like you, sir. If you were gay, I would try to fuck you in the ass."

Roman just laughed in response. Yes, Waller was and IS gay. But that doesn't matter when he's one of the best Marines around. Anyone who dared to harass Waller was met with brute force from the captain.

The Marine and the dog continued their way down the hall. He now ran into the executive offices. There was a chance that one of the rooms were rigged with explosives and if Roman opened the wrong one, it would mean the death of him and Thor. Thinking of a solution, Roman pulled out a silencer from his trouser pouch. He attached it to his ACR.

"Miller, can you send Khan to the executive hallway?"

"Copy that sir, I'll send him now."

It took less than a minute for Khan to arrive. Petty Officer 2nd Class Khan was the EOD technician assigned to Joker Team for the duration of his current contract. What made him famous was that he's a Muslim serving in the Navy, funnier when others realize that he's one of the best EOD technicians, the complete opposite of the apparent stereotype of his religion.

"Yes, sir?" Khan asked.

"We're clearing all eight rooms one by one. I need you to defuse any bombs that we find."

"Of course, sir, that's my job. I'm also a Muslim, so if I end up getting blown up as well, I'm doing my job!"

Roman sighed as he tried not to laugh. He truly enjoyed the fucked up jokes Joker Team told him. It was one of the things that could break Roman and make him laugh.

They got to business soon after. Khan and Thor stacked up behind Roman as he shot the first doorknob. They cleared the room, no bomb, and no hostages. The three of them walked out slowly in case if motion sensors triggered some of the bombs. But then, the bombs would have detonated by now if motion detectors triggered them. Still, neither of them wanted to take that chance.

Roman, Khan, and Thor then cleared the next six rooms. A few survivors were found, some with light injuries. Roman had Joker Team rotate back and go to his location. The survivors were escorted back to Waller and Lee.

Joker Team, minus Waller and Lee, stacked up by the last door. Miller opened the door, in came the team. A man wearing a white mask with a bomb vest strapped to him sat on the chair, surrounded by Joker Team. He held the detonator by his hand, thumb close to the button.

"Huh, Captain De La Rosa, I'm not surprised that you are here! After all, your family does love to fucking steal the attention!"

"Enough about my family, we're not here to talk about them! Identify yourself!" Roman commanded.

The terrorist got up, detonator still in hand. Joker Team still kept their aim locked on the terrorist's head, but none dared to shoot because it could result in the bomb being triggered, which would kill the rest of the occupants.

"You want me to identify myself, Captain? Do you really want me to? What about my fellow brothers in Afghanistan that never got the chance to identify themselves as friendlies as they were gunned down by men that wear the same Marine uniform that you are wearing! Why should I tell you who I am when Soldiers and Marines are killing innocent Afghans and Iraqis! You fucking infidels come into my country to take our fucking oil and to protect the assets that belong to those fucking billionaires like your parents! Fuck you, Captain! Fuck you and your stupid fucking family! I am fucking glad that your whore Elizabeth got fucking raped! Because if I had my hands on her, I would rape and kill her myself! Your fucking unit! This Joker Team of yours! All eight of you are abominations to this society. Fuck you for bringing more harm than good to this world. Fuck you!"

The terrorist's words angered Roman, but he managed to keep his cool. Nobody dared to talk about his family, more or less insult them. So for the terrorist to talk about his family without facing any repercussions, it was a blessing for him. As much as he wanted to get his hands on the terrorist and torture him while keeping him alive, it wasn't an option as long as the bomb vest was still attached to him. He needed to use his unparalleled intelligence to think of something. The money wouldn't work at all. The terrorist wouldn't take Roman's money. Roman thought of talking instead.

"Hey man, all of us make mistakes. I made mistakes before; my Marines made mistakes. But we did not commit those war crimes, none of us have. Why do you blame us for their actions? I agree that the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq were mistakes and that the United States shouldn't have been there. And why do you accuse us of bringing mishap into this world? We have to do our jobs by saving American citizens from such incidents as this. We have never deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. We are not even trained to be deployed in that kind of environment. And why would you insult my sister? Of course, she did get raped, and yes, I gave the men what they deserved? But why would you stoop down to their level and announce to me that you want to rape my sister as well?"

The terrorist stood still for a moment, thinking of what to say.

"You know what? I agree with you. Of course, you and your pathetic fucking dogshit Marines made mistakes! You all should be hanged from the fucking necks and be burned by the White Masks!"

"White Masks, huh? Why am I not surprised?" Roman thought.

"You and your men wear the same fucking uniform that those devils wore in my homeland, the ones that killed civilians. And you know what? Those civilians that were killed during the Battle of Los Angeles? All 150,000 or whatever fucking number deserved to die! They deserved to die after what happened to my people! The 4,114 Marines that also died? Good!"

The terrorist pressed the button as the Marines hid behind the furniture for cover. Roman peeked, looking at the terrorist who was furiously trying to get the bomb to explode.

Being a Marine Officer, it was Roman's duty to ensure that his Marines safety was a top priority, even if that means sacrificing his life to keep them safe.

He charged at the terrorist, and there was a five-inch height difference, with Roman being the taller individual. He grabbed the terrorist by the head and slammed his head on the table several times. He pinned him down as his Marines approached to remove the vest allow Khan to defuse it. As soon as the vest came off, he threw himself and the terrorist out the window and into the fountain, which suppressed the impact of the fall.

Both men were finding their bearings to recover. Roman was the first to get up, although it was very leisure. He looked around the police lights were flashing not that far away as a SWAT team from the FBI began to approach him and the terrorist. He looked at the individual and picked him up.

"You know what? You'll never get the chance to fuck my sister!"

Roman dropped the terrorist and challenged him to a boxing fight. The terrorist obliged as he adjusted his white masks. He charged first at the Marine, throwing haymakers that were dodged easily. Being half Filipino and Mexican, where boxing was extremely popular and was treated as a religion, Roman was encouraged by both his parents to also take up boxing on top of his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kali training.

The rain intensified again as both men circled each other again.

He approached the terrorist, Mike Tyson style, and delivered a devastating right hook to his opponent's ribcage. It was broken due to the terrorist's reaction to the blow. It was excruciating. The FBI's SWAT team approached Roman and the terrorist, but none of them wanted to interfere in the ass-beating that the evil will receive. Joker Team also arrived to watch.

Thor didn't interfere at all. He knew that his best friend had everything under control.

The terrorist threw three jabs and a left hook that managed to connect with Roman's jaw, but it did little to nothing as Roman countered tremendously. Roman delivered a jab, another jab, a right hook, a left jab, a right hook, and a nasty left uppercut. More power, more speed, more precision. The masked man stumbled back in pain. His eyes were swelling up, his nose and cuts on his face were dripping blood. He looked at Roman, who was furious and wanted to beat the living crap out of the terrorist. To say the terrorist was scared of Roman was a colossal understatement.

The terrorist was frightened by the Marine Officer. He was a renowned fighter in his home country, and to be wholly dominated without landing a successful blow was damaging to his ego. The anger in the terrorist flared inside of him. He charged at Roman but was immediately knocked back with a sick front kick from Roman that inevitably broke the terrorist's jaw.

"It was a good thing that you didn't try to grapple with me, you piece of shit. I would break more than just your jaw!" Roman said as he spat.

"Then I'll grapple with you!" The terrorist barely said.

The terrorist tried shooting for a takedown, but due to the weight and size difference added with the fact that he was severely injured, it was not successful. Roman swept his opponent over and got into the side mount position. He asked if the terrorist wanted to give up, but he spat blood on his uniform in response. Disgusted by the terrorist's actions, Roman kneed the injured man once and locked his arm in a wicked Kimura.

"If you tap right now, I won't break your arm!" Roman yelled.

"Fuck you, dirty American! I'd rather die!"

The terrorist pulled out a hidden knife from his pocket with his free hand, but it was immediately taken away from him by Roman. He locked the terrorist's arm back in the Kimura and snapped the elbow and shoulder joints, rendering his arm useless. He screamed in pain as Roman finally had the FBI guys apprehend the terrorist, being "careful" in not injuring the other arm and having him "walk" back to the truck.

"We ran into a little trouble back inside, but it seems you had everything under control, sir," Aubert said, motivated by his commanding officer.

Roman laughed.

"Of course, how do you think I have all of you under control?" Roman joked, earning a laugh from his team.

"I don't think I'd mind being under your control, sir!" Waller joked.

"Get out of here with that gay shit Waller! Our captain is only interested in females and females only! The last time I checked, you are gay and that you have a husband!" Khan yelled with jest.

Roman chuckled as Joker Team began to make fucked up jokes about one another. Ranging from calling Khan a White Masks terrorist in disguise, to Lee being accused of being a dog eater, none of them knew when to stop when it came to dark humor. It was all in fun, and Roman approved it. That's how his team got along, and it was how it built a lot of trust amongst one another. If you could make cruel jokes about your fellow Marine and he doesn't get angry at all and retaliates with one of his own, that's when you will know that the Marine was fit for the job.

Roman looked along. More hostages were being escorted safely outside. Many of them either were had minor bruises or scratches or had a severe injury like a gunshot wound or a deep laceration to a part of the body. More White Masks terrorists were being walked out while handcuffed, bags covering their heads to prevent them from seeing anything.

Joker Team walked towards the FBI, ATF, LAPD, LASD, and the CDC had their tents set up. The National Guard was also on sight to escort the White Masks to a holding site. A tent was set up correctly for them. They walked in and threw their gear on the ground. Admittedly, Roman thought it was one of the toughest, if not, the most robust operation he went on and the toughest conflict since the Battle of Los Angeles. He wasn't physically tired by any means. He could go on a 26-mile hike with a 70-pound rucksack on with no problem. Roman was tired mentally. He needed to sleep and relax in the comfort of his bed. He's sure that Osiris was missing both he and Thor and just wanted to play with the latter.

Joker Team removed their boots and began stretching out their feet. It was recommended by their Corpsman Lee to change their socks to avoid contracting any foot fungus. It was nasty and very irritating for Lee to deal with as he had to deal with other Marine Raiders that showed up to his office, every single day. Even Roman himself was not stupid to not change his socks. They were very sweaty anyways, and a nice change of socks and his boots sounded kind to him. He had no boots, though, as neither he or his Marines brought rucksacks, but Thor always carried a fresh pair of socks. He took them from Thor, cleaned his feet with water, sprayed cologne on them, and placed the new pair back on.

The rain was still heavy but began to slow down. The dark sky still appeared. LAPD officers and LASD deputies were walking around as security. Some were talking to their superiors, and others were comforting the civilians that were crying.

Looking over to the tent where on-site doctors and nurses were treating the wounded, Roman swore, he saw a woman that looked like Lucíana a lot. So much so that Roman was tempted to approach her. He didn't, though. It wasn't worth being caught in his emotions even more after what happened moments ago. Sometimes Roman wished that there was no more conflict in the world. That there was no more hate between two races, religions, nationalities, or countries. Peace was all the Marine asked for, nothing more. But as long evil still existed on Earth, Roman will stay and fight against the evil men who wished to watch the world burn.

Several hours later, present time

September 12, 2017

Hereford Base, Herefordshire, England

11:30 PM UK Time.

Roman woke up from his dream. It was a real event that happened, though, but it was replayed in his mind while he was asleep. It wasn't pleasant, as it involved many deaths of many innocent civilians. It was an operation, a mission, and a conflict. He hoped that he would never see it happen on American soil ever again. It angered him when he saw the terrorists slaughtering the civilians who did not harm them. Being in a position that required professionalism and a lot of helicopter observing from his superiors, Roman always made sure to keep his cool.

An angry Roman wasn't someone to be messed with. Because if you are not able to kill him with your bullets, you better be skilled with your fists and kicks, or else you'll be damned.

Because Captain Roman Y. De La Rosa was now out for blood. Thirsty to drink the White Masks' blood.

Author's note (11/18/2019): I would like to thank every single of your that are committed to joining me on my journey of rewriting the story entirely. I appreciate every single one of you who read the first 25 original chapters. Unfortunately, I had to remove all of them as I personally didn't like them from a writer's point of view. I do hope that all of you enjoyed reading this new first chapter.

To address a couple of things before I receive DMs and reviews:

1.) I have decided to apply Roman knowledge explicitly. In the old story, he was the Valedictorian of his graduating class at the age of 17 and enlisted right after. The rework will have Roman graduate as Valedictorian at age 10, graduating Summa Cum Laude at age 14, and attend Medical School for three full years. Now, some of you may think that I'm making Roman a little too smart. Trust me on this, the new and improved Roman will be a lot more likable, and less will question his character.

2.) I have decided to have Roman enlist with a Force Recon UZ contract instead of just joining and trying out for MARSOC. Let's be real here, guys. The Marine Raiders won't take any average Infantry Marine, more or less, let them try out. Being in Force Recon is the best possible way to have MARSOC offer you a tryout. Roman, in the original story, was unrealistic with little to no training. With the new novel, Roman will have extensive training from all the Marine Corps and Army schools and courses he took. He and Joker Team have also cross-trained with other Tier-1 CT units such as Delta Force, Seal Team Six, GROM, SAF (Philippines), for example.

3.) I introduced Thor towards the middle of the story, replacing that stupid explosive drone I gave Roman two years ago in August of 2017. I have written Thor to be Roman's companion and best friend from the start of the story instead of being introduced later on. That way, I can explain Thor's new backstory and the relationship between him and Roman. No more of that stupid explosive drone shit! Really? It will be a waste of money if you're going to have them mass-produced, used only once in combat, and produced again. Thor is a lot more efficient and effective than some drone that makes a lot of noise. Oh, I have decided to give Roman a pet King Cobra named Osiris, a similar background as well.

4.) Joker Team is the Marine Raider's flagship unit and the first to always respond to significant threats on the President's direct request. Joker Team is the most diverse team across all Special Operations Forces, but they are also the most notorious Marines in history, in which every member was averaging six Article-15's. They are the best at what they do, and that includes being in a lot of trouble lol.

5.) The Iron Stand Act of 2012 will be explained later on in the story. But let's say that it gives the President of The United States more freedom with using the military. In part of the act, Joker Team only responds to their captain's orders, the battalion commander, USSOCOM commander, and the President of The United States.

6.) The relationship between Roman and Taina felt a little too rushed for me. That's one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to rewrite the entire story. I tried to make the relationship feel natural, but that wasn't the case in the old story. Too much pointless smut with no real meaning behind them, along with their other sexual desires. With the rework underway, their romance will have a severe buildup, aka a slow burn. I don't know when they will officially be boyfriend and girlfriend, but it definitely won't happen in the first 15 chapters. I will take my time to build it up. I want their romance to feel natural and lovely. Roman and Taina will develop romantic feelings for one another.

7.) Lucíana Acosta is the name of Roman's ex-best friend. She's around seven or eight years older than him, but I haven't given an exact age and birthdate, so don't quote me on that. She will be explained more often by Roman and at times, by Harry and Roman's mother, María. Let's say the way their friendship ended was based on pure jealousy and rage.

8.) I changed Roman's relevant experience so I can explain it much more comfortably. World War 3 broke out in my story, which lasted a little over three years, with the majority of the fighting being in the European and Asia theaters.

To all of you again who supported me from day one and to the people who supported me whenever and continue to do so, I thank you all for sticking by my side and for being patient with me when I took down the entire story so it can be rewritten. It will be longer and a lot better.

I want to thank my friend GrinGravy for helping me out with my story since August of 2017. Literally, without him, my story wouldn't have made it this far, and with the rewritten story coming along, he has his work cut out for him lol.

I appreciate you all. The Unsung Hero will be better than ever.