Proving Myself To Ghost

Take My Shot

I follow after Ghost begrudgingly as we both exit the training building to the rest of the team sitting around chatting. As we exit they all turn to look and I guess from the look on my face and confident strut of Ghost's form they realize who had came out on top, quite literally in this situation.

Soap walks towards me and gives yet another swift hard slap on the back, "don't take it too hard kid, I have yet to best L.T. either."

I shrug Soap off quickly, my anger beginning to bubble up, "I am not a kid, I'm a Lieutenant, whether I get the respect of my title here or not, it would do well for everyone to remember who exactly I am."

Soap takes a step back and silently holds his hands up in surrender as he awkwardly turns around to begin reloading his magazine for the next training round. I was short and rude to him and it was unfair as he's the only one who's truly made any attempt to be nice but I don't care right now, I'm tired of being treated like shit or as if I'm incapable of doing my job.

I walk to the table and quickly begin reloading my magazine next to Soap. He refuses to look up at me and I can't blame him. I was a complete and utter ass to him for no reason other than that I was mad at Ghost and the rest of the soldiers who have treated me like I don't exist all day, soon my anger begins turning into guilt and embarrassment at what I had said to him,

"Sorry," I finally mumble to him after a few moments of me calming down.

Soap looks up at me and meets my eyes before he finally grins, "it's alright lass, L.T. has that effect on people," he finishes with a wink, "ain't that right?" he turns and says with another grin to Ghost who unbeknownst to me had been standing behind me the entire time. Soap is so quick to forgive and I am more than grateful for that, but if Ghost's eyes give any hint to his feelings, it only hints at anger.

I meet Ghost's eyes as they stare directly at me, obviously assessing me yet again with his irritatingly silent demeanor,

"It's time for the next exercise," he simply states before turning around and directing soldiers to different areas again.

"Chin up L.T.," Soap whispers in my ear as he leans over and nudges my shoulder with his, "most people he would have just shot by now if they challenged him like you did," he laughs again as he saunters off as if that piece of information would make me feel any better. It did feel nice just a little to hear Soap acknowledge my rank though, even if only in a whisper so Ghost wouldn't overhear him.

I take a deep breath, grab an extra mag to slip into my plate carrier, and turn to face the crowd. Fortunately for me most had already turned and slipped back into the training building with Ghost leading the group and Soap following behind. All that remained was Gaz and the Captain who were silently watching me.

"It will make your stay a lot easier if you try to not make too many enemies," the Captain says when I walk up to him and Gaz.

"Well, it would be a lot easier if both parties were willing to meet in the middle," I scoff back with frustration.

"That is true," the Captain chuckles in return, "well, get in there," he finishes with his thumb jerking towards the building.

With that Gaz and I enter the building, a new fire ignited in me that burns with an intensity to prove myself and my abilities to the rest of the team, especially that cocky bastard, Ghost. I was going to show them exactly why I shared the rank of their beloved and feared Ghost. I grip my weapon a bit tighter and begin the slow, methodical process of clearing room by room.

With the same efficiency of Ghost and Soap, Gaz and I cleared the rooms of the soldiers and saved the "hostages" being portrayed by other soldiers. What the task force didn't realize is I had been trained by Kortac's own insertion specialist, König, who is considered one of the best. A smile comes across my face as I realize that only Soap and Ghost are left to deal with.

I gesture to Gaz to get behind me and keep cover, refusing to make the mistake Soap and Ghost did by splitting up due to their overconfidence. Gaz gets behind me while turning sideways to watch behind us for ambush as I make my way forward. I gently push the door open with my foot and jerk right as Gaz jerks left. I immediately see the movement in the corner and train my sights down on it and squeeze the trigger as soon as I see the clothed face.

I hear a grunt behind me as I whip around to see Soap with Gaz in a headlock and his gun trained on me,

"Sorry lass," he chuckles as he fires, the chalk round hits me in the chest and I look down in disbelief at the white circle of dust.

I let out a long sigh trying to control my frustration at the realization that I again lost when I hear a gruff accent behind me,

"I wouldn't take it too hard this time, you managed to have a quicker trigger finger than me," Ghost speaks plainly as he walks out from behind his cover in the corner of the room, a clear white chalk mark in the center of his forehead above his small eye protection the Captain forced him to wear.

"I take some solace in that," I admit with a smirk, knowing that even if no one will see it behind his balaclava, that would leave a mark that could have been prevented had he opted to wear the full face simulation mask the rest of us did, but he was too cocky that no one would land a shot on him, "I hope it hurt like a bitch too," I finish as I pull my mask off, the sweat dripping from by brow.

Soap takes his own mask off, equally sweaty as he begins laughing, having long since let Gaz go who had already pulled his own from his face,

"I seriously don't know how you wear that mask all the time, L.T., I'm gonna have a heat stroke, mate," Soap says as he stretches his neck side to side and pulls his collar up to wipe the sweat from his face.

"Discipline," Ghost responds simply, still not taking his eyes off me, at that statement I roll my eyes and audibly groan before turning to leave, the man truly is impossible to deal with and he has a knack for crawling under my skin with annoyance.

As we leave the building, Captain Price approaches us with a chuckle while gesturing at Ghost's mask covered with white chalk with his chin, "I take it this round went a little better for ya, eh Boom?"

"We still lost but that did make me feel a little better about it," I grin back, "maybe big man's getting a little rusty," I finish with a wink towards Ghost as he glares down at me through his eyeholes. I roll my eyes again at him as I walk forward to return my mask and weapons to the table.

The rest of the team quickly follow suit and we all begin our journey back to the barracks in a group. I'm beginning to find my place in the group, even if it is temporary, so maybe this whole thing won't be as terrible as I'd originally thought.