We finished our meal and headed outside. Soap muttered, "Idiots."

I replied, "Only idiots? They're more than just idiots."

Soap smiled at my response.

I turned to Soap and said, "I'll just quickly check the armory."

He nodded, "Okay, but keep an eye on your phone in case Laswell calls you back."

I acknowledged his advice and made my way to the armory.

At the armory for special operators, there's always someone checking your credentials. I showed my ID, and the person scrutinized it and hesitated before nodding and granting me entry.

Inside, I laid eyes on an array of different weapons. You could take them for missions, but it was mandatory to register and return them; otherwise, you'd face significant trouble.

I searched for specific weapons-DQL33 sniper, M4 assault rifle, and an RPD machine gun. I looked intensively when I heard someone else enter the room. We locked eyes, and I rolled mine when I saw who it was: Keegan.

I observed as he returned a weapon and logged out online. Then, he looked at me and commented, "Quite the theater act in the cafeteria."

I responded dryly, "The theater act was necessary to put the idiots in their places."

He briefly glanced at the ground and then back at me, "I'm sorry for what happened in the interrogation room. I had doubts about you, and how many times have I interrogated people who made the same claims, only to discover they were traitors, war criminals, murderers?"

I looked at him, arms crossed, and said, "Not everyone is the same, are they?"

His masked face made it hard to read his expression, but his icy eyes locked onto mine.

I continued searching for the weapons, and he asked, "What weapons are you looking for?"

I handed him the list.

He glanced at the list and then at me with a touch of irony, "Going to war, are you?"

I responded seriously, "Yes."

He looked at me intensely before taking a deep breath and showing me where the weapons were.
After we were done, I headed to the door, turned back to him, and said,
"Thank you," before leaving the room, no time to waste.

I went to our base with the heavy weapons, placed them at the stands, and then made my way to the meeting room.

Upon seeing Price, I asked, "Still nothing from Laswell?"

He shook his head, taking a drag from his cigarette, and replied, "Probably one or two more days."

I stepped out of the room again to prepare myself for the night. I had a training plan to follow. I ran 10 km on the training grounds, then took a brief rest on the cold ground, drinking water to replenish myself. "Holy shit," I murmured.

After a 10-minute break, I did 30 squats,50 pull-ups, 50 push-ups and 30 crunches. Exhausted, but not willing to give up, I needed to practice hand-to-hand combat, specifically slitting throats. I needed someone experienced. However, Soap and the others were busy with other tasks. I looked around the training grounds and spotted Keegan with his right-hand man again. Somehow, we always ended up crossing paths, and I didn't like it.

I called out to him, "Do you have a moment?"

He looked at me from a distance, nodded, and approached with his right-hand man beside him. From behind, he looked similar to Ghost, and it pained me.

He came closer, his cold voice asking, "What's up?"

I wrapped bandages around my fists and pulled out a rubber tactical knife, saying, "Feel like some hand-to-hand combat? I need someone experienced."

His hands were on his bulletproof vest, and he glanced briefly at the person beside him and then back at me, as if I had asked something dreadful.
"With me?" he questioned.

I replied nonchalantly, "Yes, why not?"

The person beside him, named Hesh apparently, chimed in,
"Fighting him is like facing the devil himself."

I retorted dryly, "Well, you can't be better than Ghost, can you?"

He let out a bitter laugh and said, "We'll see about that," before taking off his vest and not even bothering to get into a fighting stance.

I looked puzzled.

The tension in the air was palpable as Keegan stepped forward, his expression stoic and his movements fluid. I tightened the bandages around my fists, preparing myself mentally for the upcoming fight. We circled each other, our eyes locked in a silent battle of determination.

As the training grounds remained eerily quiet, Keegan suddenly lunged forward with blinding speed. His fist shot towards my face, but I managed to deflect the blow with my forearm, countering with a swift kick to his midsection. He blocked the kick with ease and retaliated with a powerful elbow strike aimed at my head. I leaned back, narrowly avoiding the attack, and seized the opportunity to land a hook to his ribs. The blow landed, but Keegan barely flinched, showing his incredible resilience.
He came at me again, this time with a series of rapid punches, each one aimed precisely at vulnerable spots on my body. I focused on my training, blocking and parrying his strikes, but his onslaught was relentless. I managed to land a few counterattacks, but it was clear that Keegan's combat skills were top-notch.

With a sudden change in tactics, Keegan closed the distance between us, attempting to grapple and throw me off balance. I swiftly maneuvered out of his grip, delivering a knee to his abdomen. He grunted but quickly recovered, throwing a roundhouse kick that I narrowly evaded, feeling the breeze as it grazed past my cheek.

However, my victory was short-lived as Keegan retaliated with a devastating spinning backfist, catching me off guard. I stumbled backward, momentarily disoriented, and he seized the opportunity, pinning me to the ground.

Keegan's knee pressed against my chest, and he held me in a chokehold. Gasping for breath, I tried to break free, but his grip was unyielding. My vision blurred as I struggled, my mind racing for a way out. With a final surge of energy, I managed to wriggle free from his hold, flipping him over with a well-timed judo throw.

As he hit the ground, I took a moment to catch my breath, knowing that this was far from over. Keegan quickly got back on his feet, his eyes still fixed on me with unwavering determination.

I wiped the blood from my lip and chuckled, "Quite strong, I must admit."

Keegan's response was cold, "Are you done already?"

I shrugged, "I think that's enough for now."

He let out a bitter laugh, then turned and walked back to Hesh. I watched him go, acknowledging his strength and experience. He was undeniably a force to be reckoned with.

Exhausted, I picked up my water bottles and made my way back to the base, then to my room for a much-needed shower. Afterward, I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep.

But the nightmares returned. I found myself in a dream where Ghost was shouting for help, "Yn, I need assistance!"

I rushed towards him, but he remained out of reach, like a haunting apparition. Just as I was about to touch his fingers, he dissolved into a pool of blood, leaving me startled and frightened. I woke up abruptly, drenched in sweat.

I leaned against the bed and rubbed my temples, muttering as a tear rolled down my cheek, "Ghost..."