The park was buzzing with activity. People out enjoying the sunshine and warm air. Family's having picnics, people playing fetch with their dogs. And among them a man running the paths of the park.

Exercise was therapeutic they say, which if that was true Henry should be the most content guy on the planet. He was running in his sneakers and shorts, a white tee-shirt slowly plastering to his sweaty chest. His tactical pouch dangled against his leg, a sports bottle full of water jostling around as he moved.

His headphones were in, blaring hard rap music into his head. He had gotten into the genre when he was younger, when he related more to the topics of gang violence and law breaking. Now it was just something familiar to occupy his mind.

He finished his third mile and slowed to a halt, finding a rock to lean against. He popped out his headphones and took a drink of his water. His stomach gave a little growl and he looked about. There was a hot dog stand, nope didn't really feel like going the next hour with a spiral tail and pink fur, and a pretzel stand, bingo.

Henry walked over and ordered a pretzel and sat on a bench to scarf it down.

It was a good day to be outside. The sun was shining and it wasn’t the oppressive cold New Yorkers live with every year.The Ranger lived for when it warmed up. While he didn’t miss one-hundred days of one-hundred degrees, he never did get use to the cold.

Finally a day in the year the Ranger could run without a jacket or hoodie or anything more than shorts and a shirt. Grey with a Ranger Tab across the front. Perhaps a bit too on the nose for those who knew his call sign, but he was after all an Army Ranger. Also odd for those who knew him well, he was wearing athletic shoes instead of cowboy boots.

The Ranger worked to maintain his state of physical conditioning. When you get in as many knockdown drag outs as he does you always need to be at your best. This of course meant lots of running. And often. Today he was pounding pavement with his Bluetooth headphones playing the Turnpike Troubadours. While not from Texas, they’re Okies, even Ranger had to agree they were one of the greatest Country bands

After running his fifth mile, what he planned on being his last, he headed to grab a bite to eat. Pocketing one of his earpieces the Ranger ordered a hot dog. He would find something better and more filling later, for now he just wanted something.

Food in hand he looked for somewhere to eat. Most of the benches and picnic tables had people at them. There was one that had a lone occupant. The man looked military. ”Mind if I join y’?”

Henry sat enjoying the pretzel, dipping it into the provided cheese sauce when he saw fit. Cheese was great. Henry was a vegetarian, more out of necessity than anything else. His mutation made consuming meat basically useless nutritionally, so getting calories had to be done some other way.

A man approached, carrying a hotdog and asked to join Henry. His shirt denoted his service and Henry made a gesture with a hand holding a cheese cup since his mouth was full. He swallowed quickly.

"Sure."

He set the cup of cheese beside him and dug into the collar of his tee-shirt and produced a chain with dog tags attached.

"You serve? I was with the 5th SFG. Rangers are a hell of a team, worked with you guys before." He said respectfully.

"Sure."

Permission granted the Ranger took a seat on the bench to eat his hot dog. At the same time the man fished out a set of dog tags. "You serve? I was with the 5th SFG. Rangers are a hell of a team, worked with you guys before."

The Ranger looked from the man to the tags. It wasn't every day you ran into a fellow operator. The Ranger had worked with some of the 5th SFG ODA guys before. More so since he went into working as a contractor than in his military days. "I was in Green. Was a Ranger before I went through selection." The Ranger responded. Green was a common name thrown around for people who were in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detainment-Delta or Delta Force as it was more commonly known. Holding out his hand the Ranger introduced himself, "Michael Hunter" He then asked, "ODA?"

The special forces were broken into several teams and within those teams had Operational Detachments Alpha through Charlie. Alpha was the boots on the ground, Bravo was support, and Charlie was command and control.

Henry gave a quick nod as Ranger explained his deployment and offered a hand and a name. Henry dropped his dog tags, letting the cool metal fall back into his shirt and against his chest and gripped the man's hand in a strong shake.

"Henry Turner, hell yeah ODA." He replied proudly.

He shoved another quick bite of pretzel and grinned. He liked soldiers, they seemed to understand him. Plus people were a hell of a lot less judgey about mutants when they'd had their ass saved by one. It was how Henry had gotten his nickname Darwin, survival of the fittest, he was the fittest.

"How long you been stateside?" He asked," I got back six months ago. Took over the family bakery on 12th. Bit quite back here in the western world."

"Henry Turner, hell yeah ODA."

The pair shook. and they both took another bite of their respective foods. It was always nice to run into someone who was able to relate somewhat to what the Ranger went through in the military. While Henry wasn't JSOC he was still tip of the spear. A job so few could ever even dream of being able to do.

"How long you been stateside? I got back six months ago. Took over the family bakery on 12th. Bit quite back here in the western world."

If he was 5th SFG and only got back stateside six months ago, it is possible they crossed paths. Though Henry didn't look familiar, so he might not have worked with his squad.

"Separated several years back Worked the last few years as a contractor in CENTCOM and ARFICOM. Jus' got back a month ago. I worked with some of the 5th, yall know how t' get shit done."

Henry gave an appreciative nod in response to Michael's praise of the 5th and considered the man.

"We like to think so. I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths before, though on the field we might not have known. Were you involved with the Caligari op?" He asked.

Caligari was a group of small villages in the middle East that had been hiding terrorists. Pretty closed lip but Henry had gone in numerous solo ops in the towns. His powers had given him away as something not human and had earned him the myth in the villages as the Desert Wolf. The locals told stories of a wolf man who had been taking out extremist groups. It had culminated in Henry literally wiping out a facility that had abducted about a dozen children. You don't hurt kids.

"They called me Darwin, locals called me the Desert Wolf. It was a long year." He said with a non committed shrug.

"Fresh off the jet eh? What you plan on doing now that your home?"

"We like to think so. I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths before, though on the field we might not have known. Were you involved with the Caligari op?"

The Calgari Op? Yes, the Ranger was involved. He'd been contracted to make night time abductions and termination of high value targets. Several locations that were to be hit by infantry had been hit by the Ranger in advance to soften them up. Nothing was better than showing up at a compound and finding the guards on shift already dead. On a few occasions he had to go loud. He knew a story of someone swinging a truck and tossing it through a building to make an hole.

"I was there. DoD hired me for some of their more sensitive missions."

"They called me Darwin, locals called me the Desert Wolf. It was a long year."

That stopped the Ranger right before he took a bite. The Desert Wolf, the 5th SFG Operator who was unknowingly working opposite the Ranger in Caligari. The guy who the Ranger's job was made easier by.

"Y' were the Desert Wolf? How were y' only 5th SGF? That was more impressive work than most o' the guys in Green could manage." Henry having dropped that bomb the Ranger couldn't be outdone. "Hear about the raid on that general's compound? Infantry was deployed, heavy casualties expected. Guys show up and catch 'em with their pants down. Whole guard dead or missing. That was me."

The look of surprise at the mention of his name was evident on the man's face and Henry felt a small swelling of pride in his chest. He didn't love compliments but he knew he was good at what he did.

"The 5th was a good squad, guys were like family. I got some other offers but hey why leave a good thing ya know?" He said in response.

It was Henry's turn to be surprised as Michael talked about the raid. He had been in that infantry, hell he had said a few prayers before going in on the off chance some cosmic power would decide to have his back against some terrible odds. Instead of certain death though he and his fellow soldiers had found mounds of corpses and the vital targets trapped in a storage closet basically begging to be taken in. He gave a whistle of appreciation.

"Damn. I had heard they sent in a heavy hitter before us to handle some of the more delicate movements but I gotta admit I'd never seen anything like it."

He gave an earnest laugh and smiled wolfishly at the fellow soldier.

"We've been playing tag for a few years now it sounds like. Passing trains and what not. Pleasure to finally meet ya." He said.

"What are you doing now that your out?" He asked curiously.

"The 5th was a good squad, guys were like family. I got some other offers but hey why leave a good thing ya know?"

”I got lucky, I passed selection shortly after I got into the 75th. Hadn’t build those strong bonds yet.”

"We've been playing tag for a few years now it sounds like. Passing trains and what not. Pleasure to finally meet ya."

The Ranger laughed. Henry’s description of their almost interaction was accurate. ”Same t’ you. I almost feel like I know y’ just from yore work.” People could lie when they talk to you. The results of their work didn't.

"What are you doing now that your out?"

”I started a security company. Blackforest Tactical. Well, the public face is security. We act as a PMC an’ work for NATO countries. It's why I was in Caligari. We got contracted by the DoD for a series of Ops in AFRICOM an’ CENTCOM. Spent the last three years overseas. Now that I'm back is back to managin’ an’ usin’ security work to keep the lights on.”

Henry gave a nod as Michael explained his business. Some men decided they preferred the battlefield and didn't want to leave it. Instead they just find a way to make a better profit doing it.

"That great man. Seems like a pretty solid business in this city. Always someone who wants hired prptection. I thought about doing it myself but my old man passed and someone had to run the shop." He said.

He leaned in a little to the man.

"You be willing to share your equipment supplier with me? I have my personal sidearm but having some gear helps ya sleep at night ya know?" He said simply.

His little run had turned into quite a pleasant day. He checked his watch and saw the time and looked over at Ranger.

"You keep up with your PT I take it? I'm about to move on from cardio and do some lifting. Care to join?" He asked.

”Sorry about y’r loss. I lost both my parents back when I was in the service. Tried runnin’ their business. I wasn’t cut out to run an oil business so I sold it. Next year the oil market fell off a cliff, so I guess it worked out. THat’s how I had the funds to start my PMC. What business was y’r old man in?”

Henry then asked about sharing his equipment supplier. ”I cain’t do that, but what I can do is sell t’ you at cost. Same thing, but it keeps my suppliers happier. They don’ like dealin’ with small clients. Jus’ let me know what y’ need an’ I can get it ordered. Least I can do for a fellow Sof member” The Ranger said SF like the word soft without a t on the end.

The Ranger finished his hot dog as Henry asked, "You keep up with your PT I take it? I'm about to move on from cardio and do some lifting. Care to join?"

After swallowing the Ranger checked his watch and replied, ”Sure, as long as y’re fine havin’ someone out lift y’.” He smiled as he said it, it was a half joke. He could out lift most people he’d ever lifted with, and that was without his mutation. Henry looked strong though, he might be able to keep up.

Henry gave an appreciative little smile at Michael's condolences. There was a sense of fellowship between people who had both lost their parents. A small thread of past experience and loss that was shared. Michael had apparently turned the negative around, starting his company with his family's old business funds. Henry wasn't at the point yet where he could imagine shutting down the shop, the wound was too fresh.

"I run a bakery on 13th. Torta De Turner. Best damn cakes you'll ever taste," He said with a hint of pride, "it doesn't scratch the combat itch but if you've ever had five dozen cookies baking at once you'd know it's plenty to keep a guy busy."

Michael offered him weapons at cost, which in New York was equivalent to charity.

"Makes sense. Most big suppliers don't want small fries taking up their time. Square deal I'll get ya a shopping list. Between my advances and inheritance I got a good bit put back, might as well use it on what I love." He said with a faint smile.

Michael agreed to the workout with a confident line. Henry notched a brow at him and shrugged as he rose.

"No shame in it, not always about being the strongest. Brains win battles after all." He said.

He walked through the park for a few minutes to the fenced off gym area. It was one of the reasons he came to this park to run. Some health but had decided that making equipment accessible to the public in parks would help cut down on obesity. It probably would have been easier to just shut down McDonalds but you get what you can.

He opened the gate and went over to the weight bench and began piling black circles on one end.

"What's your standard lift?" He asked running the numbers in his head to put the weight on.

"I'll have t' stop by. I'm not a huge baked good eater, but sometimes y' just gotta have one." If nothing else it would be a way to support a fellow Operator.

Henery said he'd get the Ranger a list and that it was to use to do what he loved. "I hear that."

The Ranger chuckled a little at Henry saying brains win battles, he was completely right but, "If y' can be smarter an' stronger the dice tend to roll a little more in y'r favor." Anything you can do to keep 'em off snake eyes as long as possible.

The pair walked for a few minutes to the fenced off gym area. The Ranger had never used this particular gym. There was nothing wrong with it, he'd just never stopped here before. It being so close to where he ran might make it worth revisiting. After they had stepped in Henry asked what was the Ranger's standard lift.

Lifting and pursuing greater and greater numbers had become something bordering an obsession for the Ranger. He had discovered that the stronger and faster he became normally he gained greater amounts of strength and speed at the top end of his power.

"I rep three seventy-five on bench, five hundred on squat, and five fifty on deadlift." There were those who could do higher than he could, but most were not at his weight.

The Ranger then pulled off his shirt. He'd sweat a little while running. Lifting would drench it, setting it aside would keep it from smelling too badly. Besides, he could use the sun.

Henry let out another little impressed whistle as Michael told him his lifting weights. For a man his size that was damn impressive. Henry was only a few inches taller than the man and they both had layers of thick muscle. Henry didn't know if he could match those numbers, not without augmenting his strength with his ability.

He balanced out the weights as Michael stripped out of his shirt. He capped the weights and looked around. The gym areas wasn't incredibly busy, mostly small groups of guys who looked like they worked out more for their appearance than a desire to be strong.

Henry got into the spotting position and waited for Michael to start.

"Damn that's an impressive lift. Remind me to call you when I need help moving." He said with a chuckle.