It started with Soap. Of course it started with Soap.

“Watch your step!” he chirped, mid-sprint—then proceeded to do a full banana peel–level slip and crash, hands flailing for salvation. That salvation… being you.

He grabbed your vest in panic, yanking you down with a wet slap into the nearest puddle. You screamed like a woman being thrown into lava.

You reached out blindly, shrieking, and your fingers found Alejandro’s collar.

“¡Mierda—!” he grunted as you dragged him off his feet.

Rudy, poor Rudy, had just started turning around when Alejandro caught him in a chokehold on the way down. “Ay cabrón—!”

Like a domino effect in reverse.

Price, being the next unfortunate soul in line, caught Rudy’s boot square in the gut and lost his footing with a low, rumbling “For f—’s sake.”

Gaz blinked just in time to see Price’s arm flailing for anything, and instinctively reached for him. He shouldn’t have.

“Don’t pull m—GHOST!”

Gaz latched onto the back of Ghost’s tactical belt with both hands.

The ghost of the team was the only one with stable footing, having long since figured out not to trust terrain like this. He didn’t budge at first.

Then the weight hit.

He didn’t even fall. He just slowly sank backward, dragged by the full force of five muddy, cursing bodies and you at the center of it all, screaming about cross-contamination.

The drive back to base was quiet. Uncomfortably quiet.

The squad sat shoulder to shoulder in the back of the armored vehicle, soaked to the bone, heads tilted back against the walls. No one made eye contact. You were twitching.

Soap had his chin on your shoulder like a soaked dog, shivering slightly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered for the seventh time.

Your eye twitched.

Price coughed. “I smell like swamp and regret.”

Rudy tried to wring out his sleeve. “Does anyone else feel like the mud is inside their pants?”

Alejandro rubbed his neck. “It’s in my ears, hermano. My ears.”

Ghost remained completely still, eyes closed behind the mask. “Y’all are dramatic.”

Gaz snorted, wiping grime from his nose. “We’re not even allowed back in the barracks like this. They’re gonna make us hose off in the bay.”