Plan B -34-

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(Ghost)
We boarded the sub, U.S.S. Chicago, and Nikoli flew away, I'd have to thank him later for waiting. It turned out Shepard was here too, and after telling him everything we had to go through to get this intel, he seemed more and more impressed with us. At least we'd have a night's rest before we were on our next op, which Shepard still didn't tell us!
It was maybe six in the evening and we finally got around to breifing. MacTavish looked up at the planned route, and seemed puzzled because we were heading somewhere near Eastern Russia. After looking over the path he asked as Shepard sat himself down, "Seems we're headed the wrong direction, Sir. Shouldn't we be coming back to the fight?"
Shepard turned to see the planned route and answered, " Plenty of fight to go around, MacTavish." He turned to face everyone who now sat down. "Glad you made it outta South America. You're meeting up with the 6th Fleet. Leadin' the counter-strike." He took note of the intel and read the name, "Prisoner Six-Two-Seven. We believe that's who Makarov's got the mad-on for. But we can't get to him."
The screen then started to survey an oilrig, pointing out SAM sites. This only made the Captain even more confused about what General Shepard was getting at. "Oilrigs, sir?"
"Russians are using them as SAM sites. Oil workers are human shields so we can't just blow up the rigs wholesale. And this one is the least defended." He let out a sigh and studied all of our faces. Mine being the hardest to read with the mask on. "Boys, I know I'm sending you into the meat grinder in this one..."
"They're defending it, so it means we want it." MacTavish agreed now seeing what was needed to do. Then he added, "Especially if it gets us to Six-Two-Seven."
Shepard then stood up and told us, "We should be getting there around early tomorrow, better rest up while you can. You'll need it." Then walked out leaving us alone.
I looked over to Roach who laid his head on the table sleepily, "Roach, if you need to rest then why not go to the bunk hall."
"Yah sure," He yawned and tiredly blinked his eye before he left, followed by a bunch of other teammates who were all sleep depribed.
MacTavish stood up and looked at the path on more time, "I don't know about this."
"Sir?" I asked, "What do you thinks gonna happen?"
"Nothing good I'm sure," He shook his head. "Ghost, why not you go with the others and get some sleep. I have to make some condolance calls." I could see him forcing the sadness to stay from his face. This was the hard part about the job, having to tell families that they've lost someone. I probably would have broke down by now if I were in his position, but he seemed so good at holding everything together.
I then went down to the crew quarters where I found Roach and a few others asleep. I slumped down onto one of the bunks and just thought for a moment, something else was going on with the Captain. Something.

Meanwhile (Soap)
As soon as Ghost let I sat back down in a chair, my head pounding to the point where I thought it might burst open. I couldn't place it but I felt like something was going to happen, I could place what, but something. Something that would take away my men, Ghost, Roach, all of them! And now knowing there was someone else I was going to have to watch out for, this 'Prisoner 627', it was too crazy for me. And I couldn't help thinking Shepard was up to something.
My vision because misty and I looked around the room again, no one was here. I whipped my eyes on my sleeve, and muffled my sobs. I shut my eyes tight and rubbed my temples to try and ease the headache. And images flashed through my mind, some that didn't even seem real. Of Scarab, shot and on the ground. Her trembling like it was a meatlocker. And her sitting on the floor, a tear stained face and messy hair, all complete with a nightgownd.
"I'm going crazy," I cried then my hand found itself around my combat knife. 'One quick slash. One stab in the jugular. And I could end it!' Then my grip lessened and I dropped it on the floor, the room going cold. All I could do was still there, tears running down my face.
But then next thing I know is I'm on one of the bunks in the crew quarters. Everyone asleep, was this all one crazy dream? It had to be, it just had to be. One that felt so real! I rubbed my eyes and realized that my face was tear soaked. I let out a sigh, this was one weird day.
My watch read 3:06 am. It was early, that HAD to be a dream. But then again, I didn't even remember going to bed. I heard a groan and looked at the sorce, Roach. His face buried into his pillow and his feet dangled over the edge.
I laid my head back down and stared at the bottom of the bunk above, my eyes ajusted to the dark. To the bed next to me I heard Ghost grumble, "No. Stop, leave me alone! I don't the big hook!"
"Big hook," I whispered in confusion. Must have been some crazy dream.
"Roda!" He sat up and was breathing so deeply that it surprised me the others were still fast asleep. I could see the sweat on his face, I didn't say anything as he looked around. His eyes passed right by me, then lcked on me. "C-Captain? What are you doing up?"
"Whose this Roda guy?" I asked.
"I asked you first," He grumbled.
"I'm only up because of a crazy dream," I sighed. "At least, I think it's a dream."
"What do you mean?" Ghost questioned dropping an eyebrow.
"It was just very vivid," I explained. "Now whose Roda?"
"A monster," Ghost muttered. "He was the drug dealer who had captured the American team I was working with."
"And the hook?" I interrogated.
"What is this," Ghost asked. "Twenty questions? I refused to give Roda what he wanted and had me dangled from a branch with a HUGE hook in my side."
"Creepy," I mumbled.
"You don't know the half of it." He sighed. "It took me forever to convince everyone I wasn't insane when I got out. That whole thing lead to my family all dying."
I stared wide eyed at him, I had no idea ALL his family was killed. "My brother was paralized because of fighting in the military, and my girlfriend was killed even though she wasn't involved."
"No Scarab was in the fight," Ghost disagreed.
"What? No not Scarab!" I corrected. "It was a girl a met three years ago. And a communist bastard shot him."
"Wow, sir," Ghost chimed. "I didn't even think you knew shares with the lack of you saying them."

"Shut up," I grumbled as I fell back onto my pillow and tried to go back to sleep. A half hour past and Ghost was asleep, not me.

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A/N: Yah Soap faces some internal confict, because the whole thing with Shepard whipping away any memories of his plan to betray them is starting to lose it's effects. But yet he managed to clean it up fast enough that there is a whole in his memory that I will patch up later on. I warned you all this was weird.

Yah I made a reference to the Ghost comics again. You know, he might not be the most 'sane' man on the planet.

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