Rain poured down in thick sheets, drenching the battlefield in a cold, merciless downpour. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of burning metal. You panted, gripping your rifle with trembling hands, your muscles screaming in protest from the fight.

Ghost stumbled beside you, blood seeping from a deep wound in his side. His breaths were labored, but he pushed forward, his resolve unwavering. The ambush had caught you both off guard, and though you had fought tooth and nail to survive, the price had been steep.

A sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath you, and Ghost collapsed with a sharp gasp. You barely caught him before he hit the ground, your heart hammering in your chest.

“Ghost!” you called, shaking him slightly. His mask was smudged with dirt and blood, but his sharp eyes still held that same unyielding determination.

“Get out of here,” he rasped, gripping your vest weakly. “That’s an order."

The world around you blurred, the rain mixing with the blood on your hands as you held onto Ghost. The battlefield was a graveyard of shattered steel and broken bodies, and you knew—deep down—that neither of you was walking away from this.

A second explosion sent debris scattering through the air, the shockwave rattling your bones. You shielded Ghost as best as you could, feeling the sting of shrapnel slice across your arms. His grip on your vest slackened, his breaths coming in short, uneven gasps.

“Stay with me,” you muttered, your own voice barely audible over the storm.

Ghost gave a weak chuckle, though it was laced with pain. “Can’t… Orders, rookie…”

You ignored him. You had followed orders your whole life, but not this one. Not today.

Gunfire cracked through the air, growing closer. Shadows moved through the smoke, enemies advancing. Your rifle was heavy in your hands, but you raised it anyway, pulling the trigger until the magazine ran dry. Every shot sent searing pain through your body, but you didn’t stop. You couldn’t.

Ghost coughed, a wet, awful sound. “They’re coming."