Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The helicopter's rotor roared like an angry storm over the deserted city. Rain lashed against Soap as he opened the door. He felt his hands clench the rope tightly. Opposite him stood Ghost, green night vision goggles on his helmet. His mask stood out in the darkness of the night.

"Ready to risk your head?" I glanced over at the taller man. No laughter, no reaction. Simon never responded to provocation. “Always ready.” his voice was little more than a muffled whisper. The eyes behind the mask fixed on the roof, the damp concrete, the broken skylights. He noticed every drop of rain, every reflection of light. I laughed inside. Just like the good old days.

We landed hard on the roof, as I untied myself from the rope. Water ran down my shoulders and my pulse quickened. Simon rushed forward like a shadow and literally disappeared into the darkness. His mask glinted slightly in the dim light of the helicopter.

I followed, the calibre of my weapon in my hand. Rain dripped over my helmet. Below us lay the old department store, a grey, massive block marked by time and decay. The glass was shattered, the roof tiles were loose, and the rain glistened on every surface.

“Roof secured.” Ghost reported briefly. No trace of excitement, just that cool precision that I both admired and feared. "All right, LT." I muttered.

___

Ghost spoke over the radio: “Alpha-2. We're on the roof now. Everything quiet so far. Advancing now. Target: Basement, old boiler room. Secure data storage.”

“All right, keep it quiet. It's best if they don't notice anything in the basement. Get the information and then get out of there! See you later.” came Captain Price's voice over the radio. Simon didn't want to waste a second and got ready.

Flashback:

“The mission is simple. You go in, find the information, and get out again.” Price explained in the briefing. “It's an abandoned shopping centre. That means it's open and has lots of rooms. The outside area is monitored by cameras, so we'll drop you off on the roof with the helicopter. You'll have to get out on your own. Work your way down; there should be about 30 of Stepan's men there. According to our informant, the computer is in a basement compartment that used to be used as a boiler room. You retrieve the information and then come to the meeting point. Any questions?”

Price looked around. “So, it's just Ghost and me?” I grinned. My question was simply ignored. “When do we go?”

Present:

They moved to the edge of the roof. The wind whipped the rain against the two men. John looked down. Simon had made it through the door, to the stairs. His footsteps were inaudible. Soap loved going on missions with Simon. His precise manner, his calm approach. He quickly snapped out of his daydream and followed Ghost down the stairs.

___

“Two steps down, main hallway directly under the stairs.” Whispered Simon. I nodded. Once we reached the bottom, we looked around. The interior was a labyrinth of ruins. Old shelves had been knocked over; mannequins lay on the floor and there was broken glass everywhere. Rain had seeped through the cracks into the interior, leaving behind a damp, mouldy smell. Added to this was the faint smell of metal. Blood!

“Two men in the corridor ahead of us.” I whispered. My night vision goggles showed them clearly. They stood there carelessly, thinking they were alone. Ghost nodded without saying a word and moved forward.

I followed quickly, my fingers on the trigger. Three steps forward, cover on the left, targets in the hallway. Then, I saw movement. I fired. One man sank to the floor, the other silhouette turned towards us. Ghost reacted immediately. Silently, the bullet passed through the silencer and killed the second man.

“Well shot.” I murmured with a smile. Ghost didn't answer and rolled his eyes. He checked the bodies and was already moving again. My gaze rested on him briefly, amazed. That was exactly how this man had stolen my heart.

“Hey, LT. When we get back, will you make me some scrambled eggs?” The mask flashed through the darkness. “Concentrate, Johnny!” A low murmur sounded through the shopping centre.

___

They moved deeper downstairs, several opponents involuntarily hitting the ground. Somewhere, metal clanged. Soap felt his heart beating faster. The adrenaline made him restless. Simon led the way, deadly and beautiful at the same time. John followed, covering him.

Finally, they reached the basement. Downstairs, it smelled of oil, dust, iron. Old pipes stretched overhead, water dripping steadily down. They approached the metal door, the terminal flashing a faint red. The Brit worked quickly, the interface clicked and the door opened.

Both entered, weapons at the ready. Three enemies looked over at them in surprise. And then chaos broke out. Shots were fired on both sides and the noise echoed throughout the department store. A moment later, silence returned. Only the soft whirring of the computer remained. “So much for ‘be quiet’.” laughed Soap, looking at the flashing display. He inserted the stick he had received from Laswell and waited for something to happen. A window opened and showed a download. He grinned with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Ghost went to a still-closed door to check it out. He stopped abruptly, his weapon half-raised. “Johny...!”

Chapter Text

“Soap...!” Ghost's voice snapped Soap out of his focus. He froze for a moment, staring at the stick that was still plugged into the terminal downloading data. Then he called again, more urgently: “Johnny...! Come here quickly!”  

The Scotsman flinched, left the stick in place so that the download wouldn't stop and followed the voice. Ghost was standing in front of a door that Soap hadn't noticed before. A heavy metal bolt, half eaten away by rust, had kept the door closed. Ghost's posture was rigid, his finger on the trigger of his weapon.  

 ___

“What did you find?” Ghost just nodded, silently, into the room and I stepped closer, immediately sensing that something was wrong. Then I saw him: behind the door, in the dim light, a man was crouching. Chained. His hands were tied in front of him, and he was huddled in the far corner. A sniper mask covered his face. Nevertheless, you could feel his fear, which spoke from every angle of his posture. He was injured, blood stuck to his clothes and the room didn't look any better. His upper body was shaking. He was wearing tactical clothing, even though it was torn. Was he also on a mission here? What happened to him? Many questions swirled in my head. But I immediately stopped caring when I saw the panic in his eyes.  

“Damn.” I whispered, my voice barely more than a whisper. Instinctively, I walked towards the injured man and wanted to help him.  

The man flinched as I approached and reflexively held his hands up protectively. “Hey, it's okay. Calm down! We'll help you.” I tried to speak gently, but he became more panicked. He grabbed my arm, which I had extended towards him and looked at me in horror. Ghost was immediately at my side, pointing his weapon at him. “Soap, back off!” His voice was sharp and controlled. The authority in his voice was enough to stabilise the situation. 

I paused briefly, raised my hands and showed openly that I was not a threat. The man slowly let go and staggered back a little. His knees hit the cold floor, and he crouched down in the corner again. His shoulders were hunched, and his head was bowed. I could literally feel him shaking. He radiated pure fear.     

“Ghost... we have to help him!” I murmured. Ghost's gaze was focused on the heap of misery in front of us. “We're not doing anything as long as he's defending himself. Let him calm down.”     

Then, I picked up the radio. “Captain, we've found someone, maybe another soldier. Bring him with us, he's injured!” The words felt strange, given the hunched, panicked figure staring at us with wide eyes.  

I stepped forward, slowly, very slowly. “Hey... you're safe now. We won't hurt you. Come on, we'll get you out of here.” I tried to keep my voice soft. Gentle, like you would speak to a frightened animal. But the man didn't move. No reaction, just his eyes fixed on me, his posture tense, like a drawn bow.   

Ghost watched him closely, his weapon still at the ready. “Soap, don't get too close. Be careful.” 

A faint noise behind us made me flinch briefly. I was too focused on the man in front of me to identify it immediately. The prisoner flinched again, this time in a different direction. His hands clutched the mask, and I felt the adrenaline rising in my veins again.   

Then, we heard the footsteps. Quick and determined. Enemies, who had sneaked back into the building. Damn. Ghost reacted quickly, standing between me and the man. The first shots rang out. Two, then another. I felt the man flinch under my gaze. I'm going to get him out of here! Ghost ended it all in seconds, the air still vibrating from the sound of the shots. He stood there, still on alert. 

Then he turned briefly and shot at the chain that bound the man to the room. “Hey, get up and come with me! Now!” Ghost ordered, his voice hard and full of authority. The man flinched, looking first at Ghost, then at me. The fear in his eyes was palpable. Slowly, hesitantly, he stood up. I froze for a moment, he was bigger than I had first thought. Over two metres tall and muscular. And yet, he seemed so small, as if every noise could hurt him. His size left me speechless for a moment.   

“Okay... okay, come with me, big guy. Follow me!” I whispered. He obeyed me, albeit hesitantly. I took the rest of the chain in my hand, for safety. We grabbed the stick that was still hanging from the terminal, and Ghost secured the room. We quickly found the exit. I kept turning around to keep an eye on my protégé.   

Outside, the helicopter was waiting, its rotors screeching through the rain, the machine swaying slightly in the wind. I helped the man inside and he immediately crouched down on the floor in a corner; his hands still pressed tightly against his body. Ghost and I took up our positions. The machine took off and the city below us was now just a blurry sea of lights and darkness.   

 ___

Captain Price was already waiting at the base when the helicopter landed. The tension was palpable, the man's fear hanging like a thick fog between everything. “Man, Soap, where do you find all these strays?” Price addressed Soap, who just looked at him wistfully. The captain couldn't refuse him. He wanted to take care of him; after all, he had saved him. They stood at the door of the helicopter and looked inside. The injured soldier was still sitting there, just as he had been at the beginning of the flight. “...Okay, but you're responsible for him!” Cap finally relented. Soap beamed from ear to ear.    

Ghost stood silently beside him, arms crossed. No matter what he said, if the captain had made up his mind, there was little he could do to change it. And certainly not this time. Soap could almost feel the tension in Simon's body. He would have preferred to check everything immediately, to rule out any danger. But Captain Price was the boss.  

 ___

I got back into the helicopter and cautiously approached the man, who finally looked up. His wide eyes fixed on me. Every little movement was analysed. I knelt in front of him. “It's all right, I'll take care of you now. You must come with me and listen to me. Do you understand?” It was gentle, but commanding. Even though I was reluctant to do so, otherwise we would be sitting here for another three days. Slowly, the man nodded. I smiled at him. “Well then, come with me.” I said as I stood up. He did the same.   

His gait was more reminiscent of a frightened dog than a soldier. His demeanour didn't even come close to his appearance. How can a person be so big and make himself so small?    

I picked up the chain again, so it wouldn't drag behind him. I'll worry later about how we're going to get this thing off. When we reached the door, I signalled to the others to step back a little and then got out first. The man followed me and stood uncertainly for a moment when he saw the surroundings. His gaze wandered everywhere, until it landed on me again. I smiled encouragingly at him.    

We went to the infirmary to have his wounds treated. “Please take off your top.” The nurse prepared a few things. In the meantime, he laboriously took off his tactical shirt and held it in his hands.    

I was overwhelmed and left breathless. Not because of his physique, even though it was impressive, but no. His entire skin was covered in injuries. Cuts, burns, bruises. And all relatively fresh. How could anyone do that to someone? Even if it was an enemy. My fists clenched. The soldier noticed immediately and looked at me in horror. I quickly relaxed my posture and smiled. I had to make him feel safe now.     

“Could you please take off your mask as well?” The nurse had just stepped up to the bed and was still looking at a bottle of disinfectant. So quickly that I was startled, the injured man got up and wanted to run out of the room. However, the chain connected to his foot was still in my hand. He stumbled and almost pulled me down with him. Now, he crouched there, unable to leave. In a panic, he clutched the mask covering his face and shook his head repeatedly, his eyes tightly closed.    

I reacted immediately when I realised what was happening. It was probably the same for him as it was for Simon. “It's all right. You don't have to take off your mask. We won't take it away from you. Everything's fine!” Slowly, he raised his head again and looked at me gratefully. “It's all right, the nurse didn't know that it wasn't all right for you. Please, sit back down on the bed.” Ghost had apparently heard the commotion and was now standing in the doorway in front of him. The soldier looked behind him uncertainly, as if he had sensed him. Or, rather, his gaze. Simon nodded towards the bed. Slowly, my protégé got up again and went back to bed.    

The nurse was new. Those who had been working here for a long time knew that many soldiers here would never simply take off their masks, including Ghost. That's why he gave her a warning before she turned her attention back to the injured man. In the end, he was almost completely wrapped in bandages. “I'll be honest with you; I would actually like to keep him here for three days.” said the nurse as I was about to leave with him. My throat tightened at the thought of leaving him here with all these strangers. After I assured them that we would come to the infirmary for check-ups in the morning and evening, we were allowed to leave.  

“Well then, come with me, we'll go to my room first.” I grinned.