Junebug

Go with Soap & Ghost? (CHOICE 1/2)

A/N: This chapter will lead to Soap and Ghost's endings.

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"I'll help sweep the building."

You responded confidently, looking at the Sergeant and Lieutenant with a slight smile.

Price voiced his affirmation before dismissing everyone, sending the task force piling out of the meeting room.

You, Soap, and Ghost turned down the hallway towards the stairwell, and Price and Gaz headed the other way towards the doors outside.

You noted Ghost handing off a gun to Soap, who chuckled with glee as the firearm was granted to him.

"Get ready Junebug, ye'll be a blood-thirsty killer after this!" He called back to you jokingly, and you rolled your eyes.

"Just regular thirsty, I'm gonna need a drink after this." You responded with a huff.

Ghost's eyes met with yours and there were no words spoken, yet you could tell he was thinking about the earlier events of today–the panic attack you had in the hallway.

"But I gotta kick everyone's asses first!" You added, almost as a reassurance to Ghost that you could handle this. Ghost's response didn't come verbally, instead it came in the form of a blink, it reminded you almost of a cat blinking its trust to a human. He fixed his gaze ahead of the three of you, pointing out the sound of heavy footsteps down the hall where it divided into two different directions.

"Careful," Ghost warned in a significantly lower tone than before, making you and Soap conscious of your own footfalls.

The footsteps down the hall stopped abruptly and the three of you could hear whispering. You could barely make out a hushed 'we've found them', and you looked between Ghost and Soap with alarm. The two heard the same thing you did, and Ghost wasted no time pulling a smoke grenade from his utility belt, seemingly the only thing he could grab ahold of in the chaos of the sudden attack on base, and you watched as he pulled the pin and tossed it down the hall.

Spoken words of alarm came from some of the hidden footsoldiers when you heard the loud but dulled thud of the grenade exploding, followed by smoke filling the confined space. Soap and Ghost advanced into the smoke with their guns drawn, you following suit only a step behind them. Gunshots rang out freely and the light of the ignited gunpowder from the firearms stood as the only indication of anyone's location in the smoky hallway, even as it began to dissipate.

When the smoke did clear, there were bodies littering the floor that slowly began to stain with crimson. A slight shaky curse escaped your lips as you checked your magazine, finding it empty after the ordeal.

"They ken we're here," Soap stated, a noise of annoyance coming from him as he ran a hand through his mohawk. It had become slightly messy, stray strands of hair poking out from the usually heavily gelled hair.

"And we'll waste them all." Ghost responded in a firm voice, checking the magazine of his gun and cursing as he found limited rounds left. "Grab what you can, Junebug." He commented, glancing at you before scanning any of the fallen foes guns for compatible rounds. Nice to know body looting wasn't only a player-driven action?

Now you had the chance to hand Soap's gun back to him, which he took gratefully before picking up a rifle and chuckling with glee as he found it lightly fired and quite easily handled.

Despite doing this countless times in your numerous playthroughs, something irked you about physically being the one to pick a gun from a body. You cringed as your hand gripped a pistol with already congealing blood on the handle, wiping the dark substance on your thankfully black pants.

"Well, well, if it isn't the pest." A familiar voice rang out, making the three of you quickly turn your attention to the sound of the voice. Soap and Ghost quickly drew their guns, and yet you stood frozen.

"Annette." You spoke, voice laced with venom as you finally took the cue to draw your weapon on her. There she was, sure as shit, Annette Begum as you knew her. Behind her stood a considerable suit of guards, 6 from what you could see. They too had their weapons drawn, except you could see down the barrel of each one of them as they kept their sights on you and your companions.

"I really didn't think it was you that was messing with all of my hard work." She commented lamely, as if she were more disappointed in you than angry.

"We did what we needed to, yer damn machine was a danger t' the rest of the world." Soap barked.

"Not you, Shrek. I speak to your little friend here," The dark haired woman grinned, taking a step closer to the three of you. Her soldiers followed in sync, their footsteps ringing out a dark harmony that echoed through the halls. "Junebug, they call you? It must be for your annoying presence. I pity Robin for having to live with you." She spoke in a mock tone, poking her lower lip out in a pout.

"You leave Robin out of this." You seethed, and your superiors gave you questioning looks.
"You know Begum?" Ghost questioned lowly.
"I'll explain later," You muttered before taking a step closer to Annette. Her soldiers honed their aims on you solely, making your heart nearly leap out of your chest. A cruel smile formed on Annette's lips, and she tilted her head curiously.

"You see, my microwave transporter is much like yours, Junebug." Annette started. You could see the way Soap looked at you, almost like he...knew exactly what Annette meant. Before you could return a glance to the Scot, his attention went back to the Norwegian. "It was a passion project, I suppose; something to tinker on. Tell me, Junebug, do you believe in alternate realities?" She questioned as she advanced to you further, her guards acting as an ominous shadow behind her as she drew closer.

Your brows furrowed.
"What? What are you talking about?" You looked back at her with suspicion. You understood the concept of alternate realities of course, you'd be on the internet long enough to witness the numerous college AUs, coffee shop AUs, soulmate AUs, the works. Of course it was just fiction, something to keep the mind occupied.

"Think of it as a train. Your reality is one station, this one is another station– it is the train that we have struggled to catch for so long. My microwave transporter, in all its glory, was a train between these realities. You destroyed that."

Holy fuck.

You stood, frozen and dumbfounded.

This was another reality. Another reality with real people in it, real feelings, real danger.

The kills you'd marked between yesterday's mission and today made you sick as the realization that you weren't annihilating code, but other living and breathing people. The guns pointed right at you, they were really a threat to your wellbeing. You paled.

"Alternate realities? Junebug, what does she mean 'your reality'?" Ghost questioned- more so demanded an answer from you. You looked at him, lost for words. You had no way to explain anything coherently, not with the active threat you faced at the moment.
"I..." Your voice came in the form of a weak breath, finding his intense eyes hard to keep contact with.

"You didn't know? And you're supposed to be the smart one," Annette clicked her tongue and shook her head. Ghost's attention was brought from you to Annette, and you saw his gaze turn immediately to silent rage. "Your little lovebug isn't from this world, Casper."

"That true, June?" Soap spoke this time, and you caught his icy blue gaze.

You silently nodded your head.

You couldn't force words to leave your mouth as you felt eyes burning into you from all angles, unsure of how to proceed.

"We'll talk about it later." He stated in a low voice, and you weren't sure if you should feel fear or relief.

"Oh, I'm sorry to break it to you Shrek, but you won't be talking about anything later. To make sure no one gets in my way again, I will eliminate all who oppose me, starting with you." Her smile slowly fell to that of an angry scowl, before she gave a signal to her guards to open fire.

Protect Soap? (Soap 1/2)

Protect Ghost? (Ghost 1/2)

Go for Annette? (Soap 2/2)

Take out the Guards? (Ghost 2/2)