The desert sun was unforgiving, beating down on the rugged landscape where Taskforce 141 was stationed. They were deep in enemy territory, tracking down a lead that could bring them closer to one of the most dangerous men in the world: Vladimir Makarov. The air was thick with tension as the team prepared for what was sure to be a deadly confrontation.
Among them, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick moved with a quiet determination. He had been with Taskforce 141 for years, surviving countless missions, but this one felt different. There was an unease gnawing at the back of his mind, a sense of foreboding that he couldn’t shake.
“Gaz, you good?” Captain Price’s voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
“Yeah, Cap. Just ready to get this done,” Gaz replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.
Price nodded, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. “Stay sharp. Makarov’s a slippery bastard, and if the intel’s right, he’s got some heavy hitters with him.”
Gaz tightened his grip on his weapon, his thoughts drifting to the past. There was someone else who might be with Makarov, someone who had once been a part of his life—Y/N. She had been a close friend, a fellow soldier, and someone Gaz had trusted with his life. But that was before everything changed.
Years ago, Y/N had disappeared without a trace after a mission went horribly wrong. The official reports said she had gone rogue, but Gaz never wanted to believe it. She had been like a sister to him, a vital part of their team. Losing her had been a blow, one that he still hadn’t fully recovered from.
But then, the rumors started. Whispers in the shadows, reports from the field—Y/N wasn’t just alive; she was working for Makarov. At first, Gaz had refused to believe it, but as more evidence came in, the truth became undeniable. Y/N had turned against them, joining the very enemy they had sworn to fight.
Now, as they closed in on Makarov’s hideout, the reality that he might have to face her, might have to fight her, was something Gaz wasn’t sure he was ready for.
The team moved silently through the compound, taking out guards with surgical precision. Gaz’s heart pounded in his chest as they reached the central building. This was it—the moment they had been preparing for. But as they breached the doors and stormed inside, nothing could have prepared Gaz for what he saw.
Standing beside Makarov, clad in black tactical gear, was Y/N. Her face was as he remembered, but her eyes were different—harder, colder. She didn’t flinch as the team burst in, her expression unreadable as she locked eyes with Gaz.
“Y/N…” Gaz’s voice was a whisper, barely audible over the chaos around them.
Makarov’s lips curled into a cruel smile as he stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on Y/N’s shoulder. “Ah, Garrick. I see you’ve met my finest soldier. I must say, she’s been quite an asset.”
Y/N’s gaze didn’t waver, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something that gave Gaz a sliver of hope.
“Y/N, this isn’t you,” Gaz said, taking a step closer despite the danger. “Whatever he’s told you, whatever he’s done—this isn’t who you are.”
Y/N’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t lower her weapon. “You don’t know anything, Gaz,” she replied, her voice colder than he remembered. “You don’t know what I’ve been through.”
“Then tell me,” Gaz urged, his heart aching. “Tell me what happened. We can help you.”
“Enough,” Makarov hissed, his patience wearing thin. He turned to Y/N, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Show them where your loyalties lie, my dear.”
Y/N hesitated, her finger hovering over the trigger. For a moment, the air was thick with tension, the possibility of violence hanging in the balance. Then, slowly, she lowered her weapon, her eyes never leaving Gaz’s.
“Makarov,” she said quietly, stepping away from him, “you’re on your own.”
Makarov’s expression twisted into one of fury. “You dare betray me?” he spat, reaching for his sidearm.
But Y/N was faster. In a blur of motion, she turned and fired, the shot striking Makarov in the chest. He staggered back, a look of shock on his face before he crumpled to the ground.
For a moment, the room was silent, everyone frozen in place as they processed what had just happened. Then, the remaining guards opened fire, and chaos erupted.
Taskforce 141 sprang into action, engaging the enemy with lethal precision. Y/N fought alongside them, her movements swift and deadly, just as Gaz remembered. But this time, there was a different intensity to her actions, as if she was trying to make up for everything she had done.
The firefight was brutal, but eventually, the team gained the upper hand. As the last of Makarov’s men fell, the dust began to settle, and the only sound was the heavy breathing of the soldiers who had survived.
Y/N stood in the center of the room, her weapon lowered, her face a mask of conflicting emotions. Gaz approached her cautiously, his heart still racing from the encounter.
“Y/N…” he began, but she cut him off.
“I know what you’re going to say, Gaz,” she said, her voice weary. “But it’s not that simple.”
“Then make it simple,” Gaz insisted. “Why? Why did you do it?”
Y/N looked away, her shoulders slumping as if a great weight had finally settled on them. “After that mission went south, I was captured,” she said quietly. “Makarov found me. He… he broke me, Gaz. He made me believe there was nothing left for me, that you all thought I was dead or worse. So I joined him. It was easier than trying to fight.”
Gaz felt a wave of anger and sorrow wash over him. “You should have known we’d never give up on you.”
“I know that now,” Y/N said, finally meeting his gaze. “But back then, I wasn’t strong enough. I didn’t see a way out.”
Gaz sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re out now, Y/N. Whatever you did, you’re with us again. We can figure this out.”
But Y/N shook her head. “I can’t just walk away from what I’ve done. There’s blood on my hands, Gaz. A lot of it.”
“Then we’ll deal with it,” Captain Price said, stepping forward, his voice firm but not unkind. “You made a choice today, Y/N. You chose the right side. That counts for something.”
Y/N looked at Price, then back at Gaz. For the first time in years, there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, but it was tempered by the weight of everything she had done.
“I don’t know if I can ever make up for what I did,” she admitted, her voice cracking slightly.
“You don’t have to do it alone,” Gaz said, his tone gentle but resolute. “We’ll figure it out together. You’re still part of this team, Y/N.”
Y/N hesitated, the conflict in her heart clear on her face. But then, she nodded, a small, tentative gesture that spoke volumes. “Okay,” she whispered. “I’m with you. All of you.”
Price nodded approvingly, and Soap clapped her on the shoulder with a reassuring smile. But it was Gaz’s steady, unwavering presence that gave Y/N the strength she needed to take that first step back into the light.
As they left the compound behind, Y/N walked alongside Taskforce 141, her past still haunting her, but with a new determination in her heart. She had a long road ahead of her, but she knew she wasn’t alone. With Gaz and the rest of the team by her side, she finally had a chance to make things right.
