Nikto and Krueger [Call of Duty AI Generated Stories]

Shadows of Halloween: Halloween Special

It was late October, the air crisp and cold, biting at their skin even through their tactical gear. The base was quieter than usual, with a majority of the team on leave or off-duty for the Halloween break. However, Krueger and Nikto remained. They were never ones to get caught up in the festivities, preferring to keep their routines strict. But tonight had a different energy—something neither of them could quite place.

"Hard to believe people celebrate by dressing up in ridiculous costumes," Krueger muttered, his mask pulled snug over his face, making his voice sound more sinister than usual. He was leaning against a wall in one of the empty base corridors, his arms crossed, watching as a few soldiers passed by in cheap plastic masks.

Nikto gave him a sidelong glance, the glow of his own mask catching the dim light. "Some people like fear when it's controlled. When it's...safe," he responded, his voice quieter, a low rasp as always. He never understood the appeal of Halloween either. Fear wasn't something that amused him; it was something he lived with, a companion he could never quite shake.

Krueger chuckled darkly. "We wear fear on our faces every day. The masks, the blood—what's Halloween to us?"

Nikto didn't respond at first, but there was a subtle tension in the air between them. The two had grown closer over the past few months—far closer than either had expected. Despite their brutal and hardened exteriors, something soft had formed beneath the surface, a bond neither had asked for but couldn't deny. Tonight, though they weren't on a mission, the weight of that connection felt heavier.

"We could do something," Krueger said after a pause, surprising Nikto. His voice had taken on a different tone—lighter, less hardened. "Something different. It's Halloween, after all."

Nikto turned to him, narrowing his eyes suspiciously behind his mask. "Like what?"

Krueger pushed himself off the wall, taking a few steps toward Nikto. "A small break. The mission can wait." His tone was almost casual, but Nikto could sense the undercurrent of something else—a challenge, maybe.

"A break?" Nikto echoed, his voice dripping with disbelief.

Krueger tilted his head, his mask giving him the appearance of a predator eyeing its prey. "Come with me."

Before Nikto could protest, Krueger was already walking down the hall, his steps deliberate. Nikto hesitated for only a moment before following. Curiosity outweighed his discomfort.

They slipped out of the base and into the nearby woods that surrounded it. The night was dark, the sliver of moonlight casting long, haunting shadows through the trees. The leaves crunched beneath their boots, and the wind whispered through the branches. Nikto walked in silence beside Krueger, their footsteps the only sound for miles.

After a while, Krueger stopped, turning to face Nikto. In the moonlight, Krueger's mask looked especially menacing, but Nikto was long past being afraid of him.

"What are we doing out here?" Nikto finally asked.

Krueger shrugged, a rare gesture from the usually composed man. "Just wanted to get away from the base for a while. Thought we could spend the night...out here. It's Halloween, after all."

Nikto raised an eyebrow, though the motion was hidden behind his mask. "Spend the night out here?"

Krueger's eyes gleamed beneath his mask, catching the light in a way that made Nikto's pulse quicken. "Ever been camping?"

The question threw Nikto off. Camping? Out here? This wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when Krueger mentioned a "break."

"I've never seen you as the camping type," Nikto muttered.

Krueger chuckled again, softer this time. "Neither have I. But I figured...we could make something of it. The night, I mean." His words hung in the air for a moment, carrying more weight than they seemed to on the surface.

Nikto looked around, his sharp eyes scanning the treeline, the darkness between the trees. It was quiet, peaceful even, but the silence felt unnatural to him. Still, something in Krueger's tone made him want to stay.

"Fine," Nikto muttered, his voice low. "But if something happens, it's your fault."

Krueger only smirked. He pulled a small flask from his jacket, offering it to Nikto. "Consider it part of the experience."

Nikto took it, hesitating for only a second before unscrewing the cap and taking a swig. The alcohol burned as it went down, but it was warm, and in the cold air, that warmth was welcome.

As the night wore on, they set up a small fire, its flickering flames casting soft light on the ground beneath them. The two men sat in silence for a while, the fire crackling and popping, filling the void between them. Despite the chill in the air, the heat of the fire and the subtle tension between them kept Nikto from feeling cold.

Krueger finally broke the silence, his voice softer than usual. "You ever wonder what it would be like if we weren't...this?"

Nikto glanced at him, confused. "This?"

Krueger waved a hand vaguely. "Soldiers. Killers. Always on edge. What if we were just...normal?"

Nikto shifted uncomfortably, not liking the vulnerability the question stirred in him. "We're not normal. Never will be."

Krueger nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the fire. "No, we won't. But maybe...just tonight, we could pretend."

Nikto's throat tightened at the words, his heart beating a little faster. It wasn't like Krueger to speak like this—soft, vulnerable. Nikto didn't know how to respond.

Before he could think of something to say, Krueger shifted closer to him, his arm brushing against Nikto's. The warmth of the contact startled him, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he let himself relax, just a little, leaning into the touch.

The silence returned, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. There was something intimate in the quiet—something neither of them would acknowledge aloud, but it was there nonetheless.

Eventually, Krueger turned his head slightly, looking at Nikto. "You're not scared of the dark, are you?" His voice was teasing again, though there was a softer edge to it.

Nikto huffed, though the sound was more amused than annoyed. "No. The only thing I'm scared of is your bad ideas."

Krueger let out a low laugh. "This one isn't so bad, is it?"

Nikto didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked into the fire, feeling the warmth of Krueger's arm against his, the steady thrum of the night around them, and the peace that came from being here, with him.

"No," Nikto finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "It's not so bad."

And for the first time in a long time, Nikto allowed himself to feel...okay. Maybe even more than okay.

In the shadows of the Halloween night, away from the horrors they faced every day, they found something neither had expected—comfort, connection, and something that went deeper than fear.