Bertha trudged along the snowy wood trail, the cold biting at her furry cheeks. She pulled her coat tighter around her, her breath forming small clouds in the frigid air. The bottle of whiskey she had so hastily retrieved from Jade and Ramirez's house dangled from her gloved hand, its amber contents sloshing gently with each step. The woods were eerily quiet, the only sound the crunch of her boots in the snow. Bertha's mind wandered as she walked, drifting through a haze of memories and half-formed thoughts. She had always found a strange solace in the solitude of these trails, a temporary escape from the harsh realities of their world. Suddenly, the stillness was shattered by a sharp command. "Private Otterson!" Bertha froze, her heart leaping into her throat, thinking Shes been caught for holding weed and whiskey. Out of the trees emerged a group of men and women clad in white and gray camouflage, their faces obscured by masks and goggles. The insignia on their uniforms was unmistakable: ARC-Ops, the Arctic Response Corps. Elite soldiers and snipers, highly trained and deadly, but there the good guys. "What the hell are you doing here again?" Bertha demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. The leader of the group, a tall man with piercing blue eyes like Bertha, stepped forward. "Bertha, we need you and your friends: Jade, Ramirez, and Polarson. Your skills are required again in the war against the Red Kobra." Bertha's heart sank. The Red Kobra, the terrorists that had been terrorizing the region, had been a looming threat for years. But she and her friends deserted after getting tired of the war. focused solely on surviving and protecting their small corner of the world. "Hell No." Bertha said firmly, giving them a middle finger. "It's not a F*cking war I wanna be apart of." The leader's expression hardened. "This isn't a request. Your presence is required. Refusal is not an option." Bertha's mind raced, anger rising in her chest. "It's not our god d*mn war, we don't want to be in it anymore." Another ARC-Op soldier stepped forward, his voice cold and authoritative. "The situation is dire. The Red Kobra poses a threat to everyone. You have skills that are valuable to our cause. You will help, whether you like it or not." Bertha clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing. "And what if we refuse you cock sucker?" The leader's gaze did not waver. "your joining no matter what, Like it or not. YOU PEOPLE ARE JOINING."
