COD one-shots

Human Tripod - König 18+

♪ Shameless - Camilla Cabello

The plastic chair digs into my thighs on Friday evening. I'd been looking forward to some downtime this weekend, as promised by our superiors. Yet here I am, sitting in the briefing room and getting assigned night duty. Great. Just how I wanted to spend my time off. The others in the room seem to be thinking the same. Frustrated sighs and grumpy soldiers who all got their plans cancelled for the little downtime we get. There's always going to be someone that draws the short straw and gets assigned weekend duty. It just sucks when it's you.

There isn't much to do here besides work. Our base is located in the midst of Al Mazrah, which is boring to begin with. The city is destroyed, buildings bombed, gunfire constantly heard downtown. Most shops are raided, so there isn't much to buy either. The civilians run at the sight of uniforms. No fun.

We've been deployed here for a few months, and everyday it's the same. Most of us get sent out to pointless firefights, some get sent to infiltrate the enemy base - the common factor is casualties on both sides. I don't see the point, really, but I follow orders. That I'm good at. Extract what they want retrieved, destroy what's in their way, eliminate who they want gone. I'm a footsoldier, a pawn. It doesn't bother me as long as I get paid.

Which brings me back to my current shitshow - night patrol. It's five P.M and I've been up since before dawn already. The shift starts at seven, so I can catch dinner and a nap before I need to trek back out into the streets. Night patrols are the most boring part of the job. Most of the time it is just waiting for something to happen. Waiting, waiting, waiting... and nothing ever does. I do the route, note any activity down and am back in the barracks before dawn. No use standing outside all night observing the unruly city.

"(callsign!) You will be assigned to post watch with König tonight." Captain Nolan's voice has me shift my gaze to him. I nod, confirming that I got the order. "Roger, sir," I mutter, glancing over at the man who was designed to be my partner for the night. A 6'10" Austrian Colonel who is the grumpiest man on the earth. I get it, no one likes it here, but that man is a pain to be partnered with. He'll brood, glare, grunt, just be in a pissy mood in general. He's rather stuck up as well, a real rule follower. I doubt he'll let me skip patrol. This'll be a fun night.

His body language doesn't reveal any hint to his reaction. This is one of those times where I wish I could see his face. König is damn hard to read, thanks to the sniper hood covering his face 24/7. I can't tell if he's as frustrated as I am. Sensing my stare, his head suddenly turned in my direction, causing me to quickly look away. I'd rather not end in a staring contest with him, or any kind of contact. The man could crush my throat with one arm before I'd even known he was there. I'd be a fool not to be scared of him.

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At 18:54 I'm waiting by the main entrance to the base, waiting for König. I'm wearing long sleeves with my tactical vest on, dressed in black head to toe. The sandstorms and winds pick up at dusk, so I tied a dark bandana around my face for protection, concealing everything under my eyes. My hair is braided back and tucked under my shawl; washing sand out of it is a pain. My boots are tightly laced and polished. I won't give König any ammunition to correct me on uniform violations. I check my watch again. 18:57. My pulse spikes. Is this my lucky day? Is König actually late? I can't wait to rub it in his face when he finally shows up–

"Are you ready, Private?" I nearly jump out of my skin. König is standing right behind me. How long had he been standing there? He must've been lurking in the shadows, watching me wait for him like an idiot. "Ready when you are, sir," I mutter under my breath and push off the wall I was leaning on.

I feel ridiculous standing next to König. He's huge next to my 5'7, and I have to crane my neck so far that it hurts to look up at his face. His face that is once again covered. At least today I'm also concealing my face, so he'll be the one struggling to read me. "Do you have the equipment?" His German accent adds a gruff edge to his voice. "Yes, Colonel." I lift the bag I'm carrying in emphasis. It is unwritten protocol for the inferior to bring the equipment needed for patrols or exercises.

"We'll be taking post at the west tower," König informs me. I nod, confirming that I'd heard him. We walk in silence out the main doors, out into the night. Al Mazrah is different at nighttime. Debris and sand cloud the air, making the stars blurry and invisible. The sky is bathed in orange and red hues, the ground is littered with rubble and wreckage. The tower we're headed to is behind a village, so we'll have to move through it. Based on my previous interactions with the civilians here, König's presence won't do us any favours. A big scary soldier like him is gonna attract unwanted attention, and the last thing we need is casualties tonight.

The street is filled with an eerie silence. The cobblestone clacks underneath my boots, mixing with the sound of my breathing. Yeah. My boots and my breathing. König has an uncanny way of moving around silently and going unnoticed. If he were behind me, I'd probably not even have known he was there. It's a strange skill considering his size. From what I've heard, König applied for the sniper position at first, but got rejected because of his height and massive build. It's only rumours, I don't know if it's true, but it has me thinking he would make a rather nice sniper. König is definitely someone you'd want in your team. Despite being an ass, he's got skill.

Faint lights shine from a broken down mosque across the street. It is praying time. I glance at König. "Even in the midst of hell, they still have their faith." My tone is somber. It's been a long time since I've believed in anything.

König is quiet for a long time. His gaze darts off into the distance, as if he's remembering something. Once again I'm curious as to what he's thinking about. He stares off into the abyss for a few moments, until his answer comes out cold and lifeless. "Faith won't save them."