Her eyes snapped open when her phone buzzed belligerently on her nightstand. Jessica covered her eyes with her arm and let out an irked sigh. 

"We don't have to answer that." The phone continued to buzz. "It's the middle of the night, and we could just say we didn't hear it if we miss something."

She rolled over and looked at who was calling. Of course, it was the Captain. "But my job depends on this," she thought. "Besides, I just got back in MacTavish's good graces; the last thing I need to do is piss him off again." 

"Hello?" she murmured groggily, her eyes closed as if it preserving some sleep as she listened. "... Yes, sir, I'm on my way."  Jess hung up and rubbed her face. 

"I say we just go back to sleep."

Jess rolled her eyes open. "No, we have to go. MacTavish will kill us if we bitch out on him."

"He's not going to kill us... You're just like pleasing people."

She swung her feet to the floor and looked for her clothes."I like pleasing my superiors... And when did you start getting all chatty?"

A scoff. "Since my gentle nudges started going unnoticed..."

"They haven't gone unnoticed," she snarled. "I just know what thoughts are mine and which are yours."

"Really?" came the reply. "And how's that?"

"Because I'm not an impulsive, horny idiot," Jessica replied, pulling her shirt on over her head.

There was an amused, though passive-aggressive chuckle. "You don't have to cut so deep, you know." 

She tied up her hair and put her cellphone in her pocket. "Just shut up, Sasha. Let me go back to living without your grating voice in my ear."

Sasha gave a hum of compliance. "Fine, fine... I'll try my best."

"Try harder..."

Ghost looked over the map and then over the ridge. "Bravo Seven, what's your status, over?"

"At 138 346, looking at the objective at 116 324," Walcroft responded. "Looks like the other team has already captured it."

The Lieutenant chuckled. "Damn. Guess we've just gotta steal it back then, eh?" He found the coordinates on the map and nodded. "Alright, here's the plan," he said over the com. "Walcroft, Roach, Mamba, and Chemo, you will approach from the west; we'll approach from the southeast and join you in the attack. We'll hit 'em full force, take the flag and capture the objective. Over and out." 

He looked around. "Reaper, Griffon, you two are battle buddies; Jess, you're with-" Ghost stopped and looked around. "... Where the hell'd you go?"

Galaxy crouched on top of a boulder and scented the air. "I don't need a battle buddy," she said over her shoulder. "I've got this."

Ghost shut his eyes with a huff. "I didn't ask what you want, Gal..."

"I didn't say 'want,' I said, 'need.'" 

"Gal, get over here and help the team."

The great blue-grey wolf looked over her shoulder with a blank expression and begrudgingly strode over to him. "Lead the way, battle master. Time's a'wasting."

Ghost narrowed his eyes and motioned the team onward. "Let's do this."

Before long, they stood on the outside of the objective, a little shack in the middle of a circle of concrete barricade walls. "We're in position," said Wolcroft. "On your command, Lieutenant. Over."

Ghost stroked Galaxy's head and grasped her scruff when he heard her let out a low grumble. "Copy that." He looked at the others. "Let's get 'em."

But he wasn't able to give the order before Gal shot out from beside him. "You stupid mutt!" he hissed as she pelted away. "Gal's sodding off on her own; the rest of you, engage the objective, and it anyone sees her in there, take her out for me," he said into the com. "Out."

Galaxy halted at the barricade and laid down. She could see a Private- Russ if she recalled- walking by. He caught sight of her and before he could tag her out, she reached out and took his arm in her mouth, dragging him to the ground and shifting to kneel on his shoulders to pin him. "You're done," she said.

"Aw, man..." he groaned. "Alright, let me up."

She continued into the compound until she made it to the shack. Three more of the opposing team's soldiers noticed her just before she could shut the door and ran to engage her when Roach grabbed the rifle of the first, swept the feet of the second, and, after pinning the first, picked up the rifle and aimed it at the third. "You're dead!" he exclaimed.

As the three other men walked off the field, Jessica looked at him with wide eyes. "Are the others behind you?" she asked.

"Yeah. Ghost put a bounty on your head; he wants you dead or alive." He smiled.

She scoffed. "Help me clear the shack first and you can take me out." 

"Sounds fair," he said. They stacked on a door and when Roach kicked it open, they took on two more people inside.

"Wait, wait!" yelled the Captain as Galaxy clamped his shoulder in her jaws and wrestled him to the floor. "Don't fu- ow!- bite me!" 

Roach chuckled. "You're down, Captain; doesn't that mean you're out?"

MacTavish stood and rolled his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah..."

Outside, there were more shouts of "Bang, bang!" and "You're dead!" Roach walked outside with the Captain with Gal in tow. As they left the shack, a hand came down on Galaxy's scruff and yanked her backward. She yelped, tossed against the ground, and she looked up at Ghost with an unamused expression. 

"You're not too good at listening to orders, are ya?" he sneered. 

She sighed. "I saw an opportunity, and I was about to lose it listening to you yap."

He made a twisted smile, though it was obvious he wanted to pummel her for her disobedience. "What's the point of working in a team if you're going to do things your way?"

She snorted. "I gave you a route in, didn't I?"

"Shut up, Gal," said MacTavish. "Who's out and who's left?" Once everyone identified themselves, he nodded. "Looks like Ghost's team won. Well done, you guys."

The Lieutenant sighed. "Yeah, in spite of Jessica's treachery, we won."

The wolf growled and popped her jaw at him when the Captain swatted her on the muzzle. "Knock it off- you're like havin' siblin's on the team. Everyone head back to headquarters and get yourselves squared away. Once you're done, get somethin' to eat. Let's go."

"So, Lone Wolf," said Ghost, cutting the near-quiet of the shower room. He was sitting on a bench with his arms propping him upright. "Are you ever going to listen to me when I make an order?"

Jessica startled and looked past the wall, covering herself with her arms. "What the hell? Warn a girl when you walk into the shower. I'm not dressed," she scolded.

He snickered. "It's cute you think I want to see you naked."

"Should I be flattered or offended?"

Ghost didn't indulge her with a response. "Why have you been so obstinant lately?"

She stood in silence, rinsing some suds off her body. "Not obstinant, just experienced and independent."

"You know superseding the orders of your superior could get you in a lot more trouble than it did today."

The water shut off and she wrapped a towel tightly around herself. "I achieved our goal, didn't I?"

Ghost sighed. "It's not about getting our goal done, it's about having a plan so we all get out alive; you pull a stunt like that on the field and you could be killed, or worse: get one of your mates killed."

She stood with a blank expression, staring at her clothes. "... Apologies. It won't happen again, sir," she said quietly. 

"Good." He stood up from his place on the bench. "Meet you at mess, Lone. Don't be too late."

"Look at that," said Sasha as Ghost walked away. "I think Ghost just gave us a new codename!"