—————————⸻ TF141 MISSION- ————————————

The city was silent, save for the low hum of drones circling above and the distant echo of gunfire swallowed by fog. You moved like a shadow through the crumbling corridors of the compound, pulse steady.

“Ghost, on me,” you whispered into comms.

A gravelly voice crackled in response. “Already there, Étoile.” Your callsign, meaning ‘Star’.

You didn’t trust him—not yet. Last-minute attachment, no file, no past. Just a skull mask and a reputation. But the way he moved in sync with you—silent, sharp—was unnerving. Like he knew your rhythm before you did.

A firefight broke out in the main corridor. You ducked behind broken concrete; Ghost covered your six without a word. The two of you cleared the hallway like you’d trained together for years.

“Clean,” he muttered. His eyes locked with yours briefly. “You good?”