Call of Duty Imagines: Captain Price

Part of the Family

"Redacted!"

You snapped back to reality when you heard your codename. For a brief moment, you looked up, catching yourself before you completely rolled your eyes and sighed. "Yes, Captain Sobel?" you replied, standing stock still until he ordered you to look at him.

"Sobel, have at least an ounce of respect when addressing the sergeant," said another man. You didn't recognize his voice and momentarily glanced sideways to see if you could get a visual of who it was. Your eyes focused ahead of you again when you saw the oak leaves of Major Hamilton. Shit... What was this about..?

Hamilton stood in front of you with Sobel beside him. "Sergeant Y/N, do you have a moment to talk?"

You cleared your throat apprehensively. "Yes, sir, I do. What about?"

The Major opened a door in the hallway to his office and allowed you in. "Sergeant," he said, closing the door behind him. "Captain Sobel has brought to my attention that you are no longer cohesive with Alpha Team. Captain Sobel has requested that you are reassigned, and I agreed."

Your brows curved upward in a worried expression. "Sir?"

"Listen, Y/N, I know the incident you haven't been the same; I know what it's like. It's hard to blend with the team when you've lost your battle buddy."

It was true. Since you lost your mate, Jaeger, in Afganistan, you hadn't been the same. He was the only one who truly got you, and since his death, you couldn't quite cope. It didn't help that the rest of your team didn't want you around; it's not like it was a secret. Hell, Sobel decided to codename you Redacted. It almost felt like you had no identity.

But still... It almost felt worse that he wanted you gone. 

"If I'm not going to be a part of Alpha Team, Major, then... Where am I going?" you asked.

He leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Bravo Team has offered to take you into their ranks. You'll be transferring the day after tomorrow."

So soon? You closed your eyes and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Hamilton dismissed you. As you closed the office door you heard Sobel erupt. "Bravo Team?!" he spat. "They're already a fuck-up here in Alpha Team, why would you give them to Captain Price? They're just going to fuck up everything for him; Price and Bravo Team are some of our best soldiers! What are you thinking?!"

"Silence yourself, Sobel!" barked Hamilton. "I asked a few other people as well, and Price was the first one to respond. If Price wants them, he can have them. It's none of your concern anyway, right? Let it go."

A grin crossed your mouth, it was about time someone put Sobel in his place. Maybe this transfer was a good thing.

TAC, TAC, TAC!

You gripped your rifle close to your chest, breathing hard and shaking from the adrenaline pulsing through your veins. "Shit..." you muttered to yourself. pressing your distress beacon, in-vein though it might have been. It was your first mission with Bravo Team, and you'd somehow managed to get yourself separated during a firefight. In a panic, you glanced around, hoping to see someone you recognized through the smoke and hail of bullets. Nothing. No one. 

A bullet tore across your bicep and you yowled in pain, scrambling away on clumsy feet. Through broken wood boards and battered, crumbling brick walls you ran until one of your boots cracked a rotten floorboard and you fell into a lower level of the ruins of a house. As you lay on the dusty floor, you closed your eyes, feeling a lump in your throat and tears trace the definitions on your face. You were going to die here, and no one was coming for you. Footsteps came closer and closer, and you felt your last moments drawing near. Soon, the enemy would find you, and your body would be torn to shreds by heavy fire.

"Redacted??" came a desperate call. You looked above you and saw Captain Price looking down at you. "Hey! Get your arse up here! We've got to go!"

You stood up, though wincing at a tenderness in your ankle, and reached up for his extended hand to pull you out of the floor. He grabbed you by your rucksack and ran with you out of the house, Bravo Team on your heels. "Hunter-2-1, we've got Redacted, we're en route to the LZ, what's your status, over??"

"Roger, Bravo Six, we're touching down now, 90 seconds to dust off. Get your asses over here, over."

"Copy. Over and out!" Price pushed you ahead and turned back to shoot at more advancing tangos. "Go! Go!" he bellowed over the loud gunfire and explosions of grenades. "Get to the LZ!"

You rushed into the bird, nearly piled on top of by the rest of the team and you were soon pulling away. "Package is secure," said Gaz, smiling at Price and waving a laptop in a case. "Mission well done?"

"Very well done," said Price, laughing huskily. "Good job, Bravo Team. Drinks on me when we get home." Everyone onboard let out a ragged but delighted whoop of approval. 

Everyone except you. You felt a deep sense of dread in your gut.

"Sir?" you called as Price began to walk away later. He looked over his shoulder at your and raised his brows, almost as if concerned. 

"Yes, Y/N?" he asked.

You avoided eye contact in favor of looking at the ground at first, but then stood at attention as he came closer. "Apologies for the mission, sir. I didn't intend to get separated from the team, and I certainly didn't mean for you to come back and have to save me."

Price scoffed and cocked a brow. "Why the hell are you apologizing to me?"

You tried to avoid his eyes, but soon he was standing too close and you momentarily locked eyes with him. "I honestly thought you were going to leave me out there, sir... I feel bad that you all risked your lives to come back for me. You should have-"

"Left you behind?" finished the Captain. You looked at the ground and he folded his arms. "Y/N, look at me." You hesitantly met his eyes again and he continued. "I know Alpha Team treated you like absolute shit, and on their behalf, I'm sorry. But I don't run my team that way. No one gets left behind, not even the FNG." He grinned reassuringly. "You're part of the family now, and that means I look out for you, and you look out for me. Clear?"

You felt a great sense of relief in your chest and exhaled a relaxed breath. "Yes, sir... Thank you, sir."

As he smiled and walked away, for the first time since Jaeger's death, you felt a sense of belonging.