Soap managed to get one of the Shadow's guns before reinforcement came. And they started searching the houses nearby for whatever that was responsible for the explosion. Which meant Rora was fucked.

She tried her best to make a run for it but soon realized that her best option was to hide inside and sneak up on them when they got to her hideout. She got behind the bar counter, looking for anything that she could use as a weapon. Rora found a built-in safe, but there was no chance of getting it open. She was good at illegal shit, but not that good.

Franticly searching through the bottom cabinets she came across some cleaning supplies, but other than an itchy eye they won't do anything. She cursed to herself, getting upset that all of out of the places she would get stuck, of course it would be one where there was no weapon. Just her luck.

„I told you it's the fucking Brits!" a voice hissed, causing her hand to stop rummaging through the trash under the bar.

„I'm pretty sure the girl is American," another male voice spoke up, his tone more unsure than the first one's.

„She's with them, it's practically the same," the first man declared, his ignorance pissing her off. „What a shame though, she was actually kind of hot."

Her eyes widened at his statement, flaming hot fury clouding her vision. Dragging her injured leg behind her, she moved closer to the edge of the counter, ready to lash out at them. That was when she spotted an ice pick on the floor, the one bartenders use. It was small and sharp, just what she was looking for. Without a second thought, she grabbed it, her fist curling around the handle with such a strong grip, her knuckles turned white.

She heard another footstep, this one being more careful than the others.

„What was that?" the second voice asked, panic radiating from behind his words.

With a gunshot, she heard something heavy drop to the floor, and she took that as her cueto do her magic, seeing a pair of black boots stopping right in front of her.

Her hand shot out at the speed of lighting, slashing the back of the Shadow's knees, a yell so loud escaping him that it even could be heard by his dead teammate. His body collapsed to the floor, his hand grabbing at his cut-open legs, blood gushing out from the wound like a cursed fountain. Ignoring the way her palm got in direct contact with his warm blood, which started pooling under him, tinting the dark wood flooring.. She climbed on top of his back, wincing as her thigh cried out under the movement. He desperately tried to reach for his dropped gun on the floor, but she was quick to grab his head and tilt it backward.

With a strong blow, she drilled the ice pick in the side of his neck, a gurgling noise making her skin crawl. And after another four strikes, he wasn't breathing anymore.

Her hands coated in thick, dark blood, she pushed herself off his body, only now seeing Soap's lingering figure only a few steps away. With a handgun in his hand, his arms hung by his side, a slightly shocked expression etched on his face as he watched the body then his eyes snapped to Rora. She was breathing heavily, the entirity of her body covered in blood. Mostly the Shadow's, party hers.

He didn't hesitate to step forward and lift her from the ground, shaking his head as he did so.

„I told you it was a shitty idea," he murmured, setting her down on a nearby bar stool. She only gave him a weak smile in response. There was something so sinister about the way she was covered in blood and still smiled. „But bloody hell, good thing you're on our side."

Both of them looked at the man she just mutilated. It was the one that called her 'kind of hot', judging by his voice. She didn't feel any remorse.

„Yeah, you wouldn't stand a chance against me," Rora retorted, still trying to calm her rapid heartbeat down. Soap gave her a doubting look.

„I'm not so sure about that. But Ghost could definitely take you."

Just like he sensed they talked about him, his voice erupted inside her earpiece.

„Wells, what the fuck was that?"

She didn't take her eyes off MacTavish.

„You mean the big, broody skeleton?" she tilted her head to the side, watching as his lips got pulled into a small smile like they didn't just kill four men. „I had worse."

„Soap?"

„Yeah, yeah," Soap brushed her off, reaching for his radio. „We got it under control, Lt. On our way."

But before that, she searched the man she just killed. She found a pretty good combat knife in of his side pockets, flipping it in the air and catching it again as she tried it out. It was razor-edged with some little indentation at the top part, and it got a pretty good length to it. She could do a lot of damage with that, and she liked the black and white marble handle, so she tuck it inside her pocket. Soap got the Shadow's gun, and the two of them were off to finally meet Ghost at the church.

°•○●⸸●○•°

„Hey, do you remember when I told you I had enough of life? Yeah, I still stick by that," Rora mumbled as she kept her eyes trained on the Shadows patrolling in front of them.

„You told me this is an average night out for you," Soap argued back, his brows knitting together as he reloaded the gun he just borrowed from a dead Shadow. Soap didn't like the word 'steal'.

„That doesn't mean I wanna live it anymore," and the more she looked at the distance separating them from the church, the more she was sure about her words.

Ghost said that they had to cut through a flooded tunnel to reach him, which she didn't like one bit. She still had flashbacks from the last time she had to swim in Las Almas, and she just hated swimming in general.

„Ghost, cheer me up," she spoke into the comms because he was her only hope. „Tell me your favorite color."

„I like the color of the Shadow's blood," came his answer, a small smile appearing on her face. That was such a Ghost-answer, dodging her question but answering at the same time.

„So you like your woman in red?"

Her mind started counting how many red clothes she owned. Clearly, it was not enough.

„I like my woman alive," he sighed, causing Soap and Rora to lock eyes. By the shit-eating grin plastered on his face and the slight blush tinting her cheeks, both of them knew that shit was about to go down.

„Is that a suggestion, Lt.?" she taunted, her blush deepening. Sometimes, she was sure that she had some masochist part of hers that just liked to see her get herself into uncomfortable situations and watch everything burn.

„I feel uncomfortable," Soap shook his head, directing his words only to Rora as he got up from his spot. „I'll just go clear them."

She only nodded, still struggling to find her voice. God, she was so stupid, but it was so fun to make grown men uncomfortable with some harmless flirting. The only problem was that this time, she wasn't just joking around.

She watched Soap move as one with the darkness, his stealth almost as good as hers. He was quick to take down the closest Shadow, pulling his lifeless body behind some trashcans. Rora huffed out a breath, her frustration with her situation growing with each minute. The only time she really needed her body to work, it just gave up. So, to make herself useful, she started assembling her Molotov-cocktail.

That's when she heard two Shadows talking, not far from her hiding spot, where Soap left her.

„I don't wanna test my skills against 141. We should white flag out, or everyone gonna end up dead."

„You gettin' scared, dude?" the other one teased.

„I'm not fucking scared, but I'm not stupid either."

Rora struggled to get into a more comfortable position, accidentally kicking a broken piece of a metal sign in the middle of it. It wasn't loud, but it caused the Shadows to stop in their talking.

„What was that?" the first Shadow asked, panic clear in his voice.

„I thought you said you're not scared..."

„I'm worried," the first one corrected, earning an eye-roll from Rora. It was the same fucking thing. „But you tellin' me you see that big boy with the skullface and you're not gonna start sweatin'?

His fear of Ghost caused her to smile. He was so terrifying, even the ones that only heard about him were scared of him, and here she was, asking about his favorite color only a few minutes ago.

„I'm not gonna see him-"

„You're right, you won't see him. It's too late if you see him, you're fucking dead already."

Rora almost chuckled at that, because it was a hundred percent true. If Ghost was here, he wouldn't waste a second killing them off, and it filled her with pride. She was glad to be on the same team as he was.

„C'mon, the woman ain't scary," the second Shadow argued, causing her smile to drop. „Have you seen those lips? Bet she could do things with those. Have some fun, y'know."

„Keep sayin' that and you might just summon her to cut your throat," First pointed out, and somehow she didn't dislike him anymore that much. „Heard that she killed a kid 'cause he looked at her ass."

That was clearly a rumor. She only pierced one of his eyes, and he was a 17-year-old Russian boy with no manners. She only taught him a lesson. At least they could've got their facts right, but whatever.

„Rora."

„Ghost," she replied in a heartbeat, ignoring the way her heart started beating faster. When he called her by her nickname, it did something to her.

„You're awfully quiet," he commented, taking notice of her weird behavior. A small smile appeared on her face as she twisted a knot on a piece of purple fabric she found on her way.

„I'm making a trap," Rora replied, her eyes searching for Soap in the dark. He killed another Shadow.

„Isn't that like, the third one already?" Soap chimed in, his breathing a little more heavy.

„My specialties are traps and knives, gentlemen."

„The Shadows are fucked," Soap mused, clear amusement lingering behind his words. The one who was afraid of them told his mate he was going to check out the other corridor. Leaving the one who wanted to have some fun with her. She's gonna show him fun, alright.

„Fucked, indeed," she tucked the purple cloth inside the bottle, testing her lighter just to be sure. „And soon dead, too."

And with that, she lighted up the cloth hanging from the bottle and chucked it across the barrier that covered her, setting the remaining Shadow on fire, his screams making her smile widen. She watched the scene unfold in front of her with pride, watching as he crumbled on the ground, so desperately trying to put the flames out. Two other Shadows came to help him, but even if they could save him, he would have a reminder of this night.

„That was a bit overkill," Ghost's voice snapped her out of it, and even though his words didn't show any sign of it, she could hear some pride behind them.

„He was an asshole," she replied, not taking her eyes off him. He stopped moving till the other two Shadows could put out the fire. „But since when do you see me?"

„You can't set people on fire because they are assholes, Wells," he said matter-of-factly like she was walking around setting people on fire left and right. She rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure he would've been more brutal in her place. „And spotting flames isn't that hard."

„Next time I'll cut their throat, then."

„Good work, nonetheless."

°•○●⸸●○•°

After almost drowning herself in the flooded tunnels, they finally reached the church. She could barely believe her eyes. They had to shoot some Shadows midway, Ghost covering them with a sniper from the top, but when he replied to their call through the radio, the rapid gunshots in the background caused her heart to miss a beat. She was pretty sure he will be alright, but that was what she thought about Everett, too.

Soap carrying most of her weight, they wobbled up the steps and reached a metal fence that cornered the church away. With a defeated sigh, she broke away from Soap, her hand desperately clutching the metal bars, eyes scanning the entrance. She only heard gunshots for a while, making her draw out her pistol. She still had two bullets inside, one for her, one for somebody else.

But as soon as Ghost appeared in sight, her heart missed a beat. Shooting behind himself, he took out two more Shadows, then continued running towards them, the three of them finally meeting. She noticed the beaming smile appearing on Soap's face at the sight of their lieutenant, and she couldn't help but smile, too. It was like they haven't seen each other for ages.

But her smile quickly faltered when she noticed one more Shadow emerge from the dark entrance of the church, his gun raised, ready to pull the trigger. And his aim was perfectly on the back of Ghost's head.

She didn't hesitate to point her gun, pulling the trigger two times, panic making her blood freeze inside her veins. The same time the Shadow dropped dead on the wet ground, Ghost jumped over the fence separating them with ease, eyes trained on her face.

For a moment, the three of them froze, the men watching Rora drop her now empty gun on the ground, her eyes not leaving the man she just killed. For a moment, she saw Everett getting shot down, tears stinging her eyes, but with a blink, she was quick to erase that image. It got replaced by a dead Ghost instead, which somehow was much scarier.

„Rora," his voice called out to her, causing her eyes to finally wander over him.

Taking a minute to take her in, Ghost noticed how pale her face had gotten, her eyes lost their shine. A few pieces of dark hair came loose from her bun, the platinum piece on the back of her neck somewhat tinted by all the filth.

„Let's go, boys," her voice came out more broken than she anticipated, Ghost being the first one to take her side. His arm circled around her waist in no time, taking most of her weight off her legs. Not like Soap, he didn't even picked his breathing up. While Rora tried her best to breath normally despite his touch.

It wasn't until she was seated in the backseat of a truck they just claimed, Ghost hopping behind the wheel and Soap taking shotgun that she was able to let out the breath she was holding back the entire time. She was happy to have the entire backseat to herself, she had more room for her leg. Not like the time when they drived around Las Almas.

Ignoring the way her clothes clung to her body because of the rain and her leg radiating agony in every second, she couldn't help but think about one thing: the fact that she had no bullets left for herself, because she used all of them to save Ghost.

With a sigh, she let her head fall back on the back of the seat, closing her eyes in frustration. Sure, she panicked, and she values his life, but a quick escape was her only control over her life. But it was too late now, and if she could go back, she would probably do it again.

A loud crash and the car getting thrown around something they just went over caused her head to jerk up, desperately trying to get a grip on the seat in front of her, before she would fly out the windshield.

„You drive like a blind monkey with half an arm!" Rora threw her words at the back of Ghost's head, clearly not impressed by his driving skills. Who the fuck let this man have a license? "Did you get you licence from a fucking cereal box, man?"

Ghost sent her an unamused look through the rea rview mirror, while Soap tried his best to hide his grin behind his hand, pretending to scratch his face. She eased back in her seat, and as the adrenaline started to leave her body, tiredness caught up with her. Her entire body ached, she could barely keep her eyes open, and suddenly it felt like an ice bucket was dunked over her head.

A jacked being thrown on her lap snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking at the large piece of clothing, her brows knitted together in confusion, Ghost catching her gaze.

„Your teeth clattering is annoying," he gave the simple answer, his eyes going back to the road. She stuck her tongue out at him, but nonetheless, she accepted his jacket, because it was way too warm to say no to. Rora spread it over herself like a blanket, his body warmth kept by his jacket warming her up.

A good few minutes passed by, the three of them sitting in the car, still trying to process what they went through. The betrayal of Graves stung in her heart like a thorn but knowing that it was Shepherd who gave out the orders was somewhat worse.

She needed a distraction.

„Do we have music?" Rora broke the silence, watching as Soap reached forward to mess with the radio. The whole thing just fell out of its socket, falling to pieces on the floor, earning a defeated sigh from the woman. „Guess not."

„I can sing to you," Soap offered with a smile, her eyes lighting up.

„Don't," Ghost sent him a warning glare, but it just only fueled her fire more.

„Please do!" she wrapped the jacket around herself more snugly, Soap's smile widening at her sudden mood change.

„When marimba rhythms start to play, Dance with me, make me sway."

Her smile now showed some of her white teeth, his choice of song making her happier than it should. And even though his voice was rough and out of tune, it was soothing.

„Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, Hold me close, sway me more," she continued, her voice a little coarser than usual, but it was still smoother than his. Both of them looked at Ghost now, waiting for him to join in, but he only shook his head, letting out a low sigh. „C'mon Ghost, it's your turn!" she leaned forward, her face popping up between the two men, getting a better look at him.  He looked like he considered jumping out of the moving vehicle, just to escape the duo.„Like a flower bending in the breeze, Bend with me..."

Knowing damn well that she was going to annoy him through the whole trip, he sent a heated glare to Soap for even starting this whole thing, but his eyes caught sight of her beaming face. Her eyes got their shine back a little, her smile genuine despite walking through hell and back, and he just couldn't take that away from her. Not now.

„Sway with ease," he gruffed out, his words were almost drowned out by the engine, but she caught it perfectly. It was the saddest quotation she have ever heard, and he sounded like he was dead inside, but he still did it.

„That's what I'm talking about!" Rora boxed into Soap's seat in enthusiasm, finally breaking the Scotsman as he let out a chuckle. „We should totally make a band!"

„Bloody hell, settle down, Wells!" Ghost turned his head to send her a glare, but only got back the most beautiful smile on Earth.

„You can't ruin my mood, Broody James Bond," she brushed him off, humming the song to herself as she sat back, and in a few minutes, she dozed off, silence finally falling among them.

 The sweet silence that fell above the car claimed them, Ghost murmering a prayed inside his head that Rora finally fell asleep, and even MacTaish seemed seemed too tired to ramble about his usual nonsense.

„I think she fancies you," Soap commented when she was finally asleep, oblivious to the fact they were about to talk about her. In other cases, Soap was sure that she would break a jaw if somebody were about to talk about her feelings, but he just hoped he had a friend-privilege to avoid that.

Ghost's eyes involuntarily went to the rearview mirror, his gaze lingering on her face. She looked so peaceful, her usual frown smoothed out, the scar on her face popping against her pale skin. Like she felt she was being watched, her nose scrunched up, pulling the jacket to her chin in her sleep.

„Get some rest, Sergeant," he replied in a low voice, choosing to say nothing about his theory.

Because at the end of the day, he got his soul broken, his heart burned in the same house with his family, and he couldn't feel anything most of the time. But then Rora Wells came along, like the cold-wrecking havoc she was, causing chaos in her every step, ripping the cold shadows that were wrapped around his heart with ease.

He started to understand why storms were named after people, after all. Because Rora Wells was one of the most dangerous havoc he ever came across, mostly because she threatened to give something to him he barely knew anymore: feelings.

_______________________

heeey guys!

i wanted to update earlier today, but my wattpad was broken for like 1,5 days. but i got lucky and somehow it workes again, so i'll post this quickly. i dunno if i'll be able to write u guys back, but we'll see lol