The briefing room was cold, the hum of overhead lights casting a sterile glow over the faces of Alpha Team. A single screen on the far wall flickered with data—their mission objectives. It was an assassination assignment, pure and simple: Bravo Team had escaped Bucharest and was now operating in the Danube Corridor. Osiris had tasked Alpha Team with tracking them down and eliminating them.
Captain Griffen Alan Smith stood at the front of the room, a wall of controlled intensity. His posture was rigid, his gaze sharp as it scanned the team assembled in front of him. Behind him, the screen showed the route Bravo Team had taken after fleeing the city, but there was little to work with. No intel on exact locations, no firm estimates. Just a trail of resistance activity and burned-out safehouses. The hunt would be grueling.
"Alright," Griffen started, his voice low but commanding, "Bravo Team's been in the wind for too long. They've been cutting through resistance cells, and now they've thrown the fight into high gear. Our job is to bring them down, no exceptions. We don't get to fail."
His words were direct, as always, but the tension in the room was palpable. The mission was critical. But beneath the surface, there was something else. The team had already started to fracture, just under the surface. This mission would either pull them together or tear them apart.
Maxwell Robinson, known as Maxi, was the first to break the silence. He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed and his eyes half-lidded as he studied the screen. His calm exterior hid the seething doubts that had been building within him ever since the operation in Bucharest. He had been in the fight long enough to know that not all missions were as black and white as they seemed. He trusted Osiris less with every passing day.
"I don't get it," Maxi said, breaking the tension. "We're hunting down people we used to work with. What exactly are we supposed to be—hunters? Or assassins?" His tone was casual, almost sardonic, but the question hung in the air.
The words were out before Griffen could respond. Joshua Cortés, Josie to most, immediately snapped, "They turned traitor, Maxi. They chose the wrong side. It's not complicated."
Josie was the youngest of the group—eager to prove himself, always following orders without hesitation. He had no qualms about the mission. Bravo Team was a threat, plain and simple. But there was something in his eyes as he glanced at Griffen—a hunger for approval. Josie wanted to be more than just a soldier. He wanted to be a leader, someone Griffen would respect.
Griffen raised a hand, quieting the room. His gaze shifted between Maxi and Josie, weighing their words. "It's not about traitors or loyalty. This is a matter of elimination. Bravo Team is a threat to Osiris's operations, and they have to be stopped."
There was a pause, and Karl Messerschmidt, known as Karlo, cleared his throat. He had been silent up until now, always the more reserved of the group. "What's the play, Griff? We don't know where they are. And every time we get close, they vanish like ghosts. What's the strategy here?"
Griffen didn't flinch. "We'll track them down, piece by piece. Start with the resistance. They're our best lead. There's a lot of chatter in their ranks about Bravo Team. We'll follow the breadcrumbs until we find them."
Miya, Hirata Fumiya, who had been leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, spoke up. Her voice was cool, almost disinterested, but her eyes flickered with something more. "We've been getting a lot of false leads. We're chasing shadows. How long do you think we can keep this up before it falls apart?"
Her question was simple, but the undertone was unmistakable. Miya, ever the realist, was beginning to doubt the mission's clarity. Her loyalty to Osiris was starting to fray, especially after the events in Bucharest, where the brutal retaliation against the civilians and resistance fighters had shaken her sense of purpose.
Griffen paused, considering her words. His face was unreadable. "We'll keep it tight. We stay focused. No mistakes." He glanced around the room, meeting each of their eyes. "I need all of you on this. No distractions. This mission isn't just about stopping Bravo Team. It's about proving our loyalty to Osiris and maintaining the order they've set in motion."
Maxi's lips curled slightly, but he said nothing. Karlo remained quiet, though his furrowed brow betrayed his doubt. Josie, eager to please, nodded resolutely. Miya's eyes narrowed, and she exhaled, clearly unconvinced but unwilling to openly oppose her commander.
The tension in the room was thick, the air heavy with unspoken thoughts. Griffen could sense it all—doubt simmering beneath the surface, questioning loyalties, and hidden frustrations. But he would not show weakness. Not yet.
"Maxi," Griffen called, his gaze settling on the sniper. "You'll take point. Start by triangulating resistance movements in the region. We'll follow their pattern and see where it leads."
Maxi nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on the screen. "Alright. I'll get started."
"Josie," Griffen continued, "you're with Miya. You'll handle reconnaissance in the field. Watch for any signs of Bravo Team's movements. We'll need eyes on the ground."
Josie grinned, eager to jump into action. "You got it, Griff."
"And Karlo," Griffen said, turning to the heavy weapon specialist. "Stay in the rear. You'll provide backup when needed."
Karlo gave a sharp nod, his silence speaking volumes. He had always been the most methodical, the most patient. But even he was starting to grow restless with the never-ending chase.
Griffen turned his attention back to the map of the region. "We move out at 0700 hours. Stay sharp. If Bravo Team knows we're coming, we'll be in for one hell of a fight."
As the team dispersed to prepare for the mission, Griffen stayed behind for a moment. He stared at the screen, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew that Alpha Team was starting to unravel. He could feel it in the air—the unspoken doubts, the shifting alliances.
Griffen had always been loyal to Osiris, but even he was beginning to wonder if their cause was truly just. The more he watched his team, the more he realized that loyalty to Osiris was becoming a weight they were struggling to bear.
Chapter 15: The Hunt Continues
As Alpha Team moved deeper into the rugged Danube Corridor, the tension between them simmered just beneath the surface. The mission was clear: find Bravo Team and eliminate the threat. But the more time they spent hunting their former allies, the more the cracks in their unity grew wider. Griffen could feel it—the distance between them was becoming impossible to ignore. His once tightly-knit team was fraying at the edges, and every moment that passed made it harder to ignore the slow-burning conflict that threatened to consume them.
The quiet murmur of their radios was the only sound as they moved through the dense forest, the air thick with mist. The landscape was barren, the once-thriving villages they passed through now reduced to ruins. It was a ghost town—a grim reminder of the devastation that had swept through the region under Osiris's iron grip. The sight made Griffen uneasy, but he didn't show it. He had a mission to complete. And failure was not an option.
Maxi, always the most perceptive, was the first to break the silence. As they took cover in a thicket, he took a knee, scanning the area through the scope of his rifle. His voice, quiet but biting, sliced through the air. "You know, Griff, this whole thing feels like a damn joke."
Griffen glanced at him, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Maxi said, still not looking away from his scope, "we're chasing ghosts, following the crumbs the resistance left behind. They're smart—Bravo Team's smart. They know we're coming. They've been playing us this whole time, and we're too stupid to see it."
Griffen's jaw clenched, but he kept his voice level. "Focus, Maxi. We're not here to second-guess. We have a job to do. We stick to the plan."
Maxi's lips twisted into a thin smile, but he didn't respond. He wasn't convinced. But then again, he wasn't sure what he was convinced of anymore. He had joined Osiris for a reason, but now? Now it felt like the reason was slipping through his fingers like sand. Every mission felt more hollow, more like a piece of a bigger machine that was no longer about control—it was about crushing resistance. And he wasn't sure he was still comfortable being a part of that.
Josie, ever eager, nudged the conversation forward. "You're being too pessimistic, Maxi. We just have to keep pushing forward. They've got to slip up at some point."
Maxi shot him a glance, his voice cold. "You've got a lot of faith, kid. What happens when they don't slip up? What happens when we've wasted days chasing shadows, and Bravo's still out there, getting stronger?"
Before Josie could respond, Miya cut in, her voice even, almost detached. "Doesn't matter how long it takes. Our job is to find them. It's not about making sense of it. It's about the mission. You can doubt all you want, but in the end, we don't get to question orders."
Griffen shot Miya a quick glance. There was something in her tone that felt almost… resigned. Was it fatigue? Or something else?
They were all beginning to question things.
"She's right," Griffen said, his voice low but firm. "We're not here to second-guess. We follow the mission, and we get the job done. Everything else is noise."
There was a moment of silence before Karlo spoke from the rear, his voice gravelly. "We've got movement up ahead."
Maxi's head snapped around, his eyes immediately sharpening. The rest of the team fell silent, hands moving toward their weapons instinctively. Griffen signaled for them to hold position as Karlo and Miya moved forward, eyes scanning the terrain.
Karlo was the first to spot the signs—fresh footprints in the mud, the faintest traces of disturbed foliage. Bravo Team had been here. They were close.
"Tracking's still hot," Karlo said. "We're getting closer."
"Alright," Griffen said, his voice tight, "Maxi, get eyes on the road ahead. We're not moving until we know where they're headed."
Maxi nodded, adjusting his scope. He was the best at this—he'd had years of experience in the field, tracking enemy movements, finding snipers, knowing how to read the landscape like a map. But as he scanned the area, something gnawed at him. The resistance in the area had been strong, but why was Bravo Team so elusive? Why couldn't they pin them down?
As Maxi adjusted his rifle, his thoughts drifted again to Osiris. He knew the stakes were high—this wasn't just about Bravo Team anymore. If they failed, it wouldn't just be his career on the line. This was about proving Osiris's control over Eastern Europe. The corporate empire was watching. They had to eliminate any threat to their vision of dominance.
But how long could they keep this up? Chasing their former comrades across an endless stretch of land, tearing down resistance without ever questioning whether they were fighting for the right cause?
Maxi didn't have an answer.
As the team pushed forward, the tension in the air grew thicker. They were so close now, but every step felt heavier. Griffen led them with determination, but even he couldn't ignore the cracks that were deepening within the team. They were moving as a unit, but the cracks were beginning to show.
When they reached the edge of the forest, they halted again. Ahead of them was a small village, barely more than a collection of dilapidated homes and abandoned buildings. The resistance had used this area as a staging ground, but Bravo Team had come through. The signs were everywhere—fresh equipment stashed under debris, smoke rising in the distance from a small campfire. They were close. So close.
But it wasn't Bravo Team that they found first. It was a group of resistance fighters, huddled in the shadows of the village. The team immediately went into formation, ready for an engagement, but Griffen held his hand up.
"Hold fire," he commanded. "Let's see what we're dealing with."
The resistance members were on edge, clearly aware of the danger, but not yet panicked. They had seen Osiris's forces before—there was no love lost between them. But they knew better than to make a move without cause.
One of the resistance fighters, a man with a ragged beard, stepped forward cautiously. "What do you want?"
Griffen's gaze didn't leave the man. "We're looking for Bravo Team."
The fighter's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything.
"Listen," Griffen continued, his voice cold but composed, "We don't need to fight you. Just tell us where they are. We'll leave, and you can go on with your business."
The fighter hesitated. He was smart enough to know that trusting Osiris meant death for him and everyone in his group. But it also meant dealing with Bravo Team, and that was no better. The resistance had learned the hard way that the Reapers weren't as straightforward as they seemed.
"You think they'll let you walk away?" the fighter finally spat. "You're just the hammer to their nails, aren't you? It's all about control, isn't it?"
There was something bitter in the man's voice, a distrust that echoed through the team's thoughts.
Maxi stepped forward, his voice low but deadly. "We don't have time for games. Give us the information or we'll take it."
The tension in the air was thick as steel. Josie, who had been standing near the back, spoke up, his voice too loud, too eager. "Just tell us where they are! We'll make it quick, no more bloodshed."
"Shut it, Josie," Karlo growled from the rear. "This isn't a damn game."
Griffen cut through the rising tension with a sharp command. "Enough. We're not here to make enemies. We're here for Bravo Team, and that's the only priority. If they know something, we get it. If not, we move on."
After another long silence, the fighter spoke, his voice low and resigned. "They're headed for the mountains. There's a supply depot up there. That's all I know."
Griffen nodded, the tension easing slightly, but not fully. He knew that Bravo Team had used this exact route before. It made sense.
"Alright," Griffen said, his voice steady. "Move out. We're taking the mountains."
As the team moved out once again, the storm inside Alpha Team continued to build. The questions, the doubts, the resentments—they were all still there, bubbling just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over.
But for now, the hunt continued.
Chapter 15: The Hunt Continues – Part II
The mountain pass loomed ahead as Alpha Team moved swiftly through the dense underbrush, their boots crunching the frozen ground beneath them. Each member was grim-faced, the cold air biting at their exposed skin, but the real chill was the tension that had settled between them. Their mission to hunt down Bravo Team had begun to feel less like a simple operation and more like a test of their own unity. With every passing moment, the cracks in their cohesion grew, but no one said anything.
The night was coming, and with it, a new set of challenges. The mountain pass that lay ahead was treacherous, prone to avalanches and rockslides. They knew Bravo Team would take every advantage of the terrain, but it also meant they would be vulnerable. The question was whether they could find them before the resistance, or worse, Osiris's own forces, did.
Griffen led the team with a laser focus. He had to. If he let the tension in the group get to him, if he allowed their doubts to become his doubts, they were all dead. The orders were clear—locate Bravo Team, eliminate them, and ensure there were no survivors. No mistakes. The mission came first.
And yet, Griffen couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was something more at play here, something bigger than just a hunt for Bravo Team. It was almost as if they were being manipulated—no, not almost. They were being manipulated. The way Bravo Team moved, how elusive they were—it wasn't just survival. It was a calculated play. They were testing them, just as much as Osiris was testing them.
Maxi walked silently beside him, eyes scanning the darkening path ahead, rifle at the ready. It had been days since they had gotten any rest, and the weight of the mission was clearly taking its toll. Maxi had always been the skeptic, the one who questioned every move, but now, the skepticism was more than that—it was a deep, gnawing doubt.
"You really think this is worth it?" Maxi asked, his voice low, barely a whisper against the wind.
Griffen shot him a glance. "What do you mean?"
Maxi didn't look at him but kept walking, rifle in hand. "The whole thing. This war. Osiris. It's all just... endless. They keep us moving, killing, chasing one thing after the next. What's the point?"
Griffen clenched his jaw, but he didn't respond right away. He didn't have the words. Hell, he barely had the energy to answer that question himself.
They reached a narrow gap between two large boulders, and Griffen held up his hand, signaling the team to halt. They crouched low, barely visible in the dark, but the shadows played tricks.
"Form up," Griffen said quietly. "We're about to enter enemy territory. We stay tight. We stay quiet. No mistakes."
Karlo, ever the stoic, was already moving ahead, setting up his sniper rifle. He took position, his eyes never leaving the dark mountain valley below them. If Bravo Team was anywhere, it was down there, in the shadow of the cliffs. The terrain would be tricky, but it was exactly the kind of place Bravo Team thrived in—narrow paths, steep cliffs, and jagged rocks. The perfect place for a fight in which Alpha Team would have to give everything they had.
Miya moved silently as well, her eyes scanning their surroundings, nerves taut. She didn't speak, but the way she moved told everyone that she was in control of the situation. Miya was used to silence—used to the pressure of waiting for the moment to strike.
Maxi slung his rifle over his shoulder and crouched beside Griffen. He wasn't happy with the way things were unfolding, but he knew better than to challenge his captain directly. Not yet. "You think they'll come for us?" he asked quietly.
"They have to," Griffen replied. "They won't leave us this close and not engage. We'll get them or we'll get killed trying."
Maxi nodded, but his face remained grim. He wasn't so sure about Griffen's certainty. Every instinct he had screamed that something was wrong. It wasn't just Bravo Team out there—it was everything they were doing. The longer this hunt stretched on, the more it seemed like they were being drawn into something they couldn't control.
Suddenly, Josie spoke up, his voice eager but laced with tension. "I think I've got movement, maybe 100 meters west."
Griffen immediately raised a hand to silence him. "Not yet. Wait for confirmation."
The wind picked up, rustling the trees around them, masking any sounds. The valley was eerily silent, save for the occasional screech of an eagle in the distance. The seconds stretched into minutes. Time seemed to crawl as the team waited, hearts thumping, senses heightened.
"Hold," Griffen muttered, eyes fixed on the horizon.
The silence was broken by the faintest sound—a footfall, then another.
"Contact!" Karlo hissed through the comms.
Griffen didn't hesitate. "Everyone, move out."
Alpha Team sprang into action, moving like a single unit, no hesitation, no wasted energy. Griffen took point, leading the charge down the narrow mountain pass, through the thick brush and over jagged rocks.
As they closed in, Bravo Team emerged from the shadows. They had been waiting for them, setting a trap in the treacherous terrain. The battle erupted in a flurry of gunfire, the sound of bullets whizzing by, splintering rocks, and the screeching of men's shouts.
Griffen's heart pounded in his chest. This was what he had trained for—this moment. But as he and his team engaged Bravo Team, something felt... off.
Karlo fired from his position, his shots precise, taking down targets with deadly accuracy. Miya moved fluidly through the chaos, a shadow among the shadows, executing her targets with the ruthless efficiency she was known for.
But Maxi wasn't his usual self. He hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough to make the difference. A sharp crack rang through the air, and Maxi barely dodged the shot aimed at his head, the bullet grazing his cheek. His eyes widened, and for a split second, the doubt in his mind took root. He had almost died.
Josie's voice crackled through the comms. "Maxi, snap out of it! Focus!"
But it was too late. The hesitation had already spread, and with it, a seed of doubt. Maxi's eyes locked onto Bravo Team's lead figure—Elias Scott, the one person he had once respected above all others. Seeing him again brought the old memories rushing back, the days when they had fought side by side, when there was camaraderie, trust. But now—now everything was fractured.
The doubt in Maxi's heart grew. What was he fighting for?
At that moment, he lost his clarity.
He moved recklessly, firing shots he shouldn't have, his aim less controlled than usual. Karlo, who was covering him, saw the shift in behavior but didn't have time to call it out. The mission had to be finished. There was no turning back now.
As the battle raged on, Griffen fought his way through the chaos, trying to keep the team focused. But in the midst of the fray, he caught sight of Miya, who had been following closely behind. She was moving faster than normal, too fast, too aggressively. And then he saw it—the way her eyes were locked onto Bravo Team's ranks, the way her movements were becoming more erratic.
She was fighting with too much anger. Something was wrong.
"Focus, Miya!" Griffen barked, but she didn't hear him, her gun jerking wildly as she fired at anything in front of her.
The battlefield had turned into a storm. One by one, the team fell deeper into the chaos, and what was once a calculated hunt had now descended into a personal fight—a fight for survival, for their very humanity.
In the final moments of the battle, Griffen found himself face to face with Elias Scott. The two men locked eyes, each seeing a reflection of their former selves in the other.
"You can stop this," Elias said, his voice ragged but calm.
Griffen's grip on his rifle tightened. "Not anymore."
The storm of gunfire continued as both teams clashed, their pasts, their loyalties, and their futures all hanging by a thread.
The mission, now far more complicated than anyone had anticipated, was just beginning.
Chapter 15: The Hunt Continues – Part III
The aftermath of the skirmish between Alpha and Bravo Team left the mountain pass littered with the wreckage of both sides. The crackling of distant fires and the faint, hollow echoes of gunfire in the distance were the only sounds breaking the silence.
The battle had been brutal, and in its wake, both sides were left reeling. Alpha Team had lost a few men to Bravo Team's precision strikes, and Bravo Team, though victorious in their ambush, had suffered their own casualties. Both groups now knew the other was not just a target to be eliminated but a formidable force that could strike back, relentlessly.
Griffen Alan Smith stood among the wreckage, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement, his hand tight around his rifle. The adrenaline of the fight was still wearing off, but something gnawed at him—something deeper than the physical toll of the battle. The conflict with Bravo Team was no longer just a mission. It was personal. And it was beginning to unravel them all.
He turned to face his team, their expressions a mix of fatigue and frustration, each of them processing the aftermath in their own way. Maxwell "Maxi" Robinson stood at the far side, his posture stiff, eyes distant. He'd taken a few shots but was mostly unharmed. Still, there was something about the way he moved that told Griffen all wasn't well with him.
Joshua "Josie" Cortés, younger than the others, stood next to him, wiping sweat and blood off his brow with a grimace. The battle had rattled him, but it was clear from his wide stance and quick glances that he was still ready for action. He was more than a soldier—he was a survivor, and survival was in his blood.
Hirata "Miya" Fumiya, meanwhile, was inspecting her gear, a flicker of anger still in her eyes. She was good at masking her emotions in combat, but Griffen knew her well enough to see the edge to her movements—the erratic pace with which she checked her ammunition and the terse, clipped words she muttered to herself. She was losing patience, and he could feel the pressure building between them.
Then there was Karlo. The sniper. His face was cold, but his hands trembled ever so slightly as he wiped down his rifle, as if to assure himself that it still functioned properly after the chaos. Karlo wasn't one for emotional outbursts, but Griffen knew him well enough to understand that there was something more simmering beneath his stoic exterior. The tension between him and Miya was palpable—he was noticing her aggression, and it unsettled him.
Griffen took a deep breath and stepped forward, his commanding voice cutting through the tension. "Regroup. We're moving out."
The words, though clipped, carried weight, and the team followed his lead, but it wasn't without murmurs of discontent. Maxi was the first to speak up.
Maxi ran a hand over his face. "You heard Elias," he said, his voice tinged with frustration. "He knows us. He knows me. We're not enemies here. Not really."
Griffen's eyes hardened. "You still think there's a way back to that? After everything that's happened?"
Maxi shook his head, his voice tight. "I don't know anymore, Griffen. I don't know what the hell we're doing here anymore. We're hunting people we once fought beside. And you heard what Elias said, too—this doesn't feel like a war. It feels like we're part of something bigger. Something that's controlling us."
Griffen's jaw clenched, but he didn't respond immediately. Maxi's words had struck a chord—he was right. Every step they took in this pursuit of Bravo Team felt less like a mission and more like a descent into something darker, something more sinister.
The silence that followed was interrupted by Miya, her voice sharp as a blade. "This isn't the time for doubt, Maxi. We're here to finish this. Bravo Team is a threat, and they've already cost us enough. No more hesitation."
Griffen glanced at Miya, seeing the anger in her eyes. It was the same anger he'd seen during their last mission, when she'd almost gone off the rails. She was slipping, and he knew it. But he also knew this wasn't the time to address it.
"We finish this mission, then we deal with everything else," Griffen said, his tone firm. "Now move out."
The team moved as one, their earlier friction simmering beneath the surface but not enough to derail their mission. They had to find Bravo Team and end this. At least, that's what they kept telling themselves.
Hours later, they found themselves standing in the ruined remnants of a small village on the outskirts of Galati, a city that was rapidly becoming a hotbed of insurgency activity. The small community had once been home to resistance fighters, but now, it lay abandoned and burned to the ground. It was the perfect hideout for Bravo Team—or so they thought. The place was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that suggested danger was lurking just out of sight.
"Eyes open," Griffen muttered, scanning the ruins. "Bravo Team's likely been here. Stay sharp."
Miya moved first, her movements cat-like as she darted from shadow to shadow, checking windows and corners for any signs of life. Maxi followed behind, his rifle raised and his expression distant, lost in thought. Josie was closer to Griffen, moving with a quiet energy, his eyes darting from building to building. Karlo, ever the sniper, took position at the highest point of the village ruins, his eyes trained on the horizon.
Griffen was about to give the order to move forward when a noise echoed from one of the nearby structures. A door creaked, followed by a muffled shout. Bravo Team had been here—and they weren't alone.
Griffen's instincts kicked in. "Weapons free," he ordered, voice low but authoritative. "Prepare for contact."
The team dispersed quickly, fanning out in a semicircle, with Karlo in his elevated position covering their rear. The tension in the air was thick, the only sound the faint scrape of boots on the broken ground.
Miya's voice crackled over the comms. "Contact. Three o'clock."
Griffen moved toward her position, his rifle raised. "Clear it out," he barked.
Maxi, finally snapping back to the mission at hand, nodded and followed closely behind Griffen. But as they rounded the corner, they were met with an unexpected sight: A group of resistance fighters, no more than five or six, were crouched behind a set of rusted vehicles. They didn't seem to notice the Alpha Team soldiers approaching.
Griffen held up a hand to signal the team to stop. "They're not Bravo Team."
Miya stepped forward, stepping cautiously toward the group of resistance members, who now looked up in surprise. One of them—a young woman with dark eyes—stood and held up her hands in surrender.
"You're the ones hunting Bravo Team?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Are you... are you the Reapers?"
Griffen paused, his heart sinking for a moment. The mention of the Reapers—of their role in this war—was a stark reminder of how far they had fallen. How their reputation had been twisted into something unrecognizable.
He took a step forward, lowering his rifle slightly. "We're here to end this."
But Josie, his voice heavy with uncertainty, interrupted him. "End it? Is that what we're really doing? How many more of us have to die? How many more of them?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered. The cracks in Alpha Team were widening, and as they prepared for the next phase of their mission, it was clear: The slow burn of internal conflict had reached its breaking point. The war wasn't just on the battlefield anymore—it was in their minds, in their hearts, and it was threatening to tear them apart.
As the resistance fighters scattered and the sun dipped lower, the team knew this: There was no going back. Not now. Not ever. The hunt for Bravo Team wasn't just about eliminating a threat—it was about confronting everything they had become. And whether they liked it or not, the war had already changed them.