Y/N sat huddled behind a crumbling wall, her breath steady despite the chaos around her. The once-bustling city was now a warzone, with echoes of distant explosions and the relentless rattle of gunfire reverberating through the narrow streets. She peeked around the corner, catching a glimpse of the enemy forces advancing, their black-clad figures blending seamlessly with the charred remains of the buildings.
“Move up! We’re pushing them back!”
Keegan’s voice was calm, but his eyes were fierce as he motioned for Y/N to follow. She hadn’t known him long—just a few months since she'd been assigned to the Ghosts unit—but there was a quiet strength in him that put her at ease, even in the midst of chaos.
She took a deep breath and sprinted to his side, staying low to avoid the spray of bullets. As they reached the next cover, she could feel the heat of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Keegan nodded at her, signaling it was time to make the next move.
“They’ve got a sniper covering the eastern approach,” Keegan said, reloading his rifle with swift precision. “We need to draw their fire while the others circle around.”
Y/N nodded, gripping her weapon tightly. “Got it. I’ll draw him out.”
Before he could protest, she was already moving, darting from cover to cover, making herself a target. The air whistled as bullets flew past her, and she threw herself behind a broken-down car just as a shot rang out, the sniper’s aim barely missing her.
“Dammit, Y/N!” Keegan growled over the comms. “You didn’t have to be a hero.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” she shot back, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth despite the situation. “Just doing my job.”
He grunted in response, but there was a hint of amusement there. She could hear it. Keegan took the opportunity to line up his shot, taking down the sniper with a single, precise round. As the Ghosts continued their advance, he reached her side again, crouching beside her.
“You’re reckless,” he muttered, his blue eyes piercing into hers.
She shrugged, still catching her breath. “Guess I’ve got something to prove.”
“Not to me, you don’t.” He extended a hand to pull her up. “Let’s finish this.”
Together, they pressed forward, moving with a practiced fluidity that came from trusting each other with their lives. The enemy was resilient, pushing back harder with every block they tried to take, but Y/N and Keegan worked in sync, covering each other’s blind spots, providing support when needed.
In a lull between gunfire, Y/N found herself standing close to Keegan, close enough to feel the heat of his breath as he checked the street ahead. She didn’t know if it was the tension of the fight or something else entirely, but for a brief moment, there was a spark—a connection that went beyond the battlefield.
“Stay close,” Keegan said softly, his voice just loud enough for her to hear over the chaos.
Y/N nodded, feeling a warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with adrenaline. "Right behind you."
As the fight raged on, they pushed together, an unspoken understanding between them. Whatever came next, they would face it as a team. After all, it wasn’t just about surviving anymore. It was about having someone to survive for.
