Modern Warfare: Ghosts

MW3: 3

The green smoke rises, leaking in under their feet like a flood as it swirls up, inching closer and closer. Ghost looks down to Nosia, stone cold fear in her eyes as she clutches her fist trying to stay strong. As the chemical level reaches their chest, she starts to cough, where Ghost is quick to react, placing his gloved hand over her nose and mouth.

"Try not to breathe, love." He says with a kind voice, hiding his own fear to protect her. Nosia clings to his hand over her face, choking as she holds her breath, Ghost unable to contain himself as the chemicals begin burning his lungs and blurring his vision, when suddenly a rope falls from atop the reactor.

"Grab on!" Gaz shouts over comms. Acting quickly, Ghost snatches his ascender from his belt and attaches it to the rope, holding Nosia tight as she wraps her legs around him, the ascender pulling them up. As they rise, Nosia looks back down to the dead soldiers still barely visible through the thick green gas. She squints her eyes as she focuses, seeing what seemed to be their melted, bubbling faces.

They both fall into a fit of coughing as they reach fresh air where they're met with Price and Gaz standing aside the landed helicopter, Nosia nearly falling over before the two catch her, Ghost hunched over with his mask pulled over his nose as he spits out the taste of the chemicals, saliva drooling off his lip as he tries to breathe. Price pats Nosia's back as she wheezes before she slowly falls to her knees, gritting her teeth as she fights to stay conscious. With her head lowered, hands on her knees, she feels her body go cold as her surroundings blow up in a bright white light.

"Stay with us, Scope!" Captain commands before she finally collapses onto her back and blacks out.

-

Nearly an hour passes before she finally awakes, gasping as her head rises. She looks around, the crew all looking at her with relief, Ghost tight next to her in the back of the helo.

"Mornin' young lady." Price jokes as he hands her a headset with comms linked in. "Take it easy. You beat the gas but you still need time to recover."

She gives a thumbs up, her breathing labored as she holds her hand over her chest, still feeling the burn. Ghost lays his hand on her shoulder, nodding his head in a way to indicate concern. She nods back, affirming she was okay.

"You got a headache? Nausea?" Gaz asks.

"When don't I." She jokes with a laugh turned cough.

"She's good." Ghost affirms.

She leans forward as her breathing calms, her face serious as she stares into the metal floor. "Their faces..." She begins. "The chemicals melted their skin. It was like a horror show." She shakes her head, gripping her fists. "Enemy or not, I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Ghosts eyes drop as he sees the horror in her blank stare, looking over to Price. "Konni got away with the chemicals?" He asks.

"Affirmative. Makarov's been out of prison for six hours and he's already ahead of us." He says with distain.

"What the hell is in that gas?" Nosia questions, sitting up as she grabs the metal handle above as the turbulence grows rough.

"Remnants of Barkov's program. Sarin. Highly concentrated, far more lethal." Gaz responds.

"One pod contaminated the whole area..." She says with worry. "And they made off with enough to kill a whole country."

Price perks up, his brows tense as he looks at the three who now shift their focus to him. "Right now, it's in Farah's back yard. We've got to find her." He says, determination and authority laced in his tone. Everyone nods in agreement, feeling a surge of energy to get done what needs to be done, inspired to keep fighting.

Their continuation of the mission was imminent. As they recuperated, they readied up for the next task at hand, Laswell beginning the briefing in their hideout on Russian soil.

"I've tracked Farah's missiles to an abandoned bunker complex... built during the cold war."

"Why does Konni need a silo for portable missiles?" Price chips in with an inquiry, his tone suspicious.

"Exactly. You'll have to split up. Price, you RV with Farah while Ghost and Gaz sweep the complex. Get those missiles back."

Nosia looks around in confusion, then to Laswell. "And me?"

"I have a task for you. I need you to head into Arklov to meet a contact who may be able to help us. Stay behind when they leave."

Everyone looks to Nosia, then to Laswell. "Kastovian military base?" Ghost interrupts. "Alone? How's she gettin' in there alive?"

"Leave that to her and I. The rest of you, focus on those missiles."

"Rog." Price says before Ghost could argue further as she noticed the look in his eye.

"See you on the other side." He finishes, standing and leading the others out as Ghost stares at him with clear resentment, staying back for a moment by Nosia.

"Do you not believe in me?" Nosia asks teasingly.

"That's--" He sighs. "You'll be surrounded by the enemy with no backup."

"I'll be fine, I survived this long." She smiles, Ghost staring at her to find a hint of stoicism, but her bravado demeanor held strong as she tilts her head, lowering her voice. "After what we went through last year, I'm like a roach. Durable as hell. Zaufaj mi." She reassures him in Polish.

Ghost nods in acceptance, finally exiting with Price to the aircraft, taking off to their mission.