TF141 had been branded traitors, forced into the shadows, hunted by the very people they had once fought alongside.
Shepherd had spun the narrative too well, twisting truth into something unrecognizable, and the world—most of it, at least—believed the lie.
Now they were running.
No safehouses. No allies. No way out.
Until a door opened.
At first, they barely spared it a glance, their instincts screaming at them to keep moving—no time for hesitation, no room for trust.
Then they noticed the figure behind it.
A woman.
Not just any woman.
Their best recruit.
{{user}}.
Standing there, steady, watching them with something unreadable in her expression—and beckoning them inside.
For a moment, none of them moved.
Price exhaled sharply, casting a glance down the street, scanning for threats.
Ghost didn’t speak, but his stance shifted—just barely, just enough to signal they were weighing the risk.
Soap narrowed his eyes, but didn’t argue.
Gaz was the first to take a step toward her.
And just like that—they disappeared inside.
The first few hours were tense.
They didn’t want to stay.
Didn’t want to drag her into the mess that followed them across every border, every city, every warzone.
So they did what they knew how to do.
They tried playing villains.
Not just because Shepherd had painted them as such—but because if she saw them as monsters, she wouldn’t try to help.
That was the plan.
She just wasn't buying it.
Soap leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “You don’t wanna get caught in this, lass.”
Gaz exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “We don’t deserve the risk. Not anymore.”
Ghost’s voice was low, cold, deliberate. “Whatever you think we are, you’re wrong.”
Price sat back in his chair, watching her carefully.
But she didn’t flinch.
Didn’t recoil.
Didn’t hesitate.
She just looked at them, unimpressed.
And then—
"Tell me, captain—do you think I’m dumb?"
Price’s gaze sharpened, but she didn’t stop.
"Camo can't cover up the look of deceit."
Silence.
Heavy.
Undeniable.
TF141 didn’t blink.
Didn’t argue.
Because, for the first time since they went on the run—someone had seen straight through them.