Suffering: Male Reader x TWDG

Chapter 46: Ghost

It's evening time as you reach the gates of Dixieland and you can feel the electricity in the air.

"This is the calm before the storm" Anderson says, pulling his mask over his head as the others do the same, "Now let's go and save some lives".

At the gates there is a lone soldier who regards you with horror. "Guys we have company!" he yells out, levelling his rifle towards your general direction.

You all slowly raise your hands as more Militia soldiers approach the gates, guns drawn in your direction.

"We mean you no harm" Anderson states, stepping forwards towards the gates of Dixieland.

"Captain Anderson?" a voice shouts out from the other side of the gates. It's Chloe, and she looks at you all, a mix of confusion and fear in her eyes. "Is that you?".

Anderson nods and glances around at the rest of the Forsaken, "Yes Chloe, it's me. We really need to get into Dixieland, it's a matter of urgency" he replies.

"Where's Y/N?" she asks.

You instinctively step forward to greet Chloe but Anderson's firm grip on your shoulder pulls you backwards, "He's alive and well" Anderson says, "But we really need to get inside Dixieland's walls, I can explain more in there".

The Militia soldiers mutter amongst themselves until one of them shouts over the gates, "What are you lot wearing masks for?".

Anderson pauses, most likely trying to think of a good explanation, but Bug steps forward; "I'm sure you've heard on the radio about what's happened to us Rangers so we're hiding our identities until everything is sorted out".

A puzzled look affixes itself onto the faces of the Militia soldiers, "Our radio here is broken and we've been unable to fix it so far" one of them shouts back.

"Wait, so you don't know about the attack on Dixieland that's happening tonight?" Bear blurts out.

"Oh shit" Chloe exclaims, "That would explain why we caught those two Delta scouts earlier today".

Some more bickering happens between the Militia soldiers until a couple of them begin opening the gates, "We need all the help we can get" Chloe says to the others, "And if Captain Anderson and his band of masked men are willing to help us, then I don't see why we should turn them away".

As the other Forsaken make their way through the gates, Anderson pulls you to the side, "This may be a huge battle and I don't want you or anyone else distracted so try to keep Chloe from finding out it's you under that mask" he whispers, "You can tell her everything after the fight though, and I mean everything, it's not like we can go back to Fort Summer and, hell, maybe she could even join us".

Chloe rushes over to the both of you, who quickly break up your hushed conversation.

"So..." Chloe says nervously, "Where's Y/N?".

"He's at a secure location nearby" Anderson lies, "Waiting with a small detachment of men to cut the Delta soldiers off if they try to retreat".

The urge to talk to Chloe is almost too much but you manage to suppress it and leave Anderson to carry on his conversation with Chloe. After all, you've got a battle to prepare for.

_

The rain lashes down as you crouch on the flat roof of a drug store overlooking the most likely direction of a Delta attack, the town's eastern flank. The sound of boots slapping the wet roof behind you sends shivers down your spine. "Umm, hi" Chloe says as she kneels down next to you.

You stay silent, she can't know that it's you. Not yet anyway. Her radio chirps, "Movement spotted in the trees". Your grip tightens on your rifle and you let out a short, sharp breath. The nerves are getting to you slightly. Your grip on your rifle tightens even further as you peer into the dense foliage that borders the eastern edge of town.

You point to the direction of a bush that's rustling slightly in the almost windless night. Chloe nods silently and keeps her eyes peeled on that part of the treeline. The radio crackles again with another update from the Dixieland lookouts: "Multiple hostiles incoming from the north". Your heart hammers against your ribs like it wants to lurch out of your body; there's no more time for hesitation or fear, the attack has begun.

With every fiber of your being on high alert, you watch as murky shadows begin to move against the backdrop of the trees in the east. They're attacking from more than one direction. A sudden clap of thunder booms overhead, lightning erupting, illuminating your surroundings for the briefest of moments. There's about ten of them, all with rifles.

Automatic fire echoes from the northern edge of town. You begin firing too, careful and calculated shots, hitting their targets with deadly precision. Your rifle, joining the cacophony of gunfire coming from all over town, is also joined by Chloe's rifle, which cuts down a handful of Delta soldiers before they can even let off a shot of their own. 

Muzzle flashes pop up from all over the vegetation only to be ceased by the ever increasing number of Militia and Dixieland personnel who are taking up arms to defend the town. You point the barrel of your rifle at one of the Delta soldiers who is brave enough to leave the safety of the forest and pull your trigger. It clicks signifying it's empty. As you reload, Chloe guns down the soldier and winks at you, "I got your back man!" she shouts over the gunfire; which is now beginning to die down.

You hear shouts, nay, cries of fear from the Delta soldiers as they turn and run from Dixieland, back into the forest. You did it, you successfully defended Dixieland from the onslaught of Delta soldiers, a task of which not even the General thought was possible. You smile to yourself, and sling your rifle before climbing down the ladder that's latched to the side of  the building.

Chloe follows close behind, a huge grin on her face also. You want to talk to her, but you've heard the stories of the people with skulls for faces. People in the Militia always talk about it, usually at night and around a campfire. About how they caught a glimpse of one before the news that an entire camp of bandits was brutally murdered in the region.

You are something to be feared when you put on the mask, you are something that personifies the word brutal.

To the rest of the Militia you are a ghost story, you are Ghost.

And she doesn't need to know this.

Not yet anyway.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and if you did, remember to vote on it as it helps my book get recommended to more people who may not have heard of it otherwise.

Also, we're getting close to the end of Part 2 now so I hope you're gonna be hyped for Part 3, more details on that soon.