A/N:

Hey all! Just a quick One-Shot to add to my Short Tails collection. Hope you enjoy this one! Remember, none of these stories are related in any way and are all individual plot-lines.

Hope you enjoy this one! I plan on getting another chapter on Of Flames and Fury done very soon. If you haven't checked that out yet, take a look! I also hope to get another one-shot done on my PAWsome Love collection.

As always, if you have any comments or recommendations, reach out to me via PM. Maybe you have a good idea for a one-shot.

I'm in the planning and pre-writing stages of a couple other stories. Trying to see where I go with them before I bring them public. But my schedule is slowing down so hopefully I have more time to write.

But for now, that's it! I hope you enjoy this short One-Shot, Call of Duty.

Darkness had fallen throughout the town and silence echoed through the desolate streets. The formerly bustling vacation destination was a wasteland, the scars of war littering her once beautiful façade. Remnants of times past fluttered aimlessly in the cool breeze of a coastal evening – posters and flyers decorated with happier times dotted the broken windows. Abandoned vehicles were strewn with bullet holes, a sad reminder of the downfall of a once majestic city.

War had taken its toll. Internal conflict throughout the country divided a once united nation. The serene countryside became savage battlefields, and the cities outposts for the two sides.

A German Shepherd pup strategically worked his way along the shadows, hiding from enemies unseen. A modified pup pack carried an automatic rifle, always armed and ready for action. Night vision goggles covered the pup's eyes, giving him the gift of sight in the darkness all around him. He peered around the corner nervously, exhaling as he found it clear. He slinked over to the next building and crouched down, readying himself for his next move.

The pup was not a fan of war, but he volunteered to fight for his side. His team followed him into battle. A natural-born leader, the shepherd slid right into the commander role. He scanned his surroundings before he radioed to the rest of his team.

"Any signs of anyone out there?" he whispered through his communication device. A moment of static was followed by a few responses from his teammates.

"Negative, Alpha," he heard from one of his teammates.

"All clear ahead," crackled through the frequency after that.

"Alright, let's push forward," Chase responded, working his way towards the large building in the center of the square. He smiled to himself briefly; he enjoyed taking charge and liked his callsign – Alpha. But he regained his seriousness and pushed on; a brief loss of focus could end in disaster.

The squadron had a single mission that night – recover a package from the town hall. Chase had earned a high ranking within the squadron, but even he wasn't privy to the classified information contained in the package. All he knew is that it contained intel that would give them the upper hand in the bloody war. He prayed this would bring them closer to resolution, but he wouldn't dare get his hopes up.

He slinked along through the darkness, careful to avoid bringing attention to himself. His prior training had taught him the skillful art of observation, which came in handy more times than he could count. In the distance, the unmistakable pop of gunfire sounded in the night.

"I was thinking it was too quiet…" Chase thought to himself. He took a deep breath and continued forward. The team planned to split up this evening; they wanted to hit from all directions. Chase was tasked with the final recovery of the package, while the rest of the team would help him. Chase stopped momentarily as he closed in on the square. He looked in all directions before he radioed his teammates one last time.

"Alright, guys. We should all be in place. In five minutes, we will begin to descend upon the hall. Keep your eyes and ears open for the enemies. We know they are present. Good luck to all." He finished his motivational speech and took another deep breath. Responses of acknowledgement coursed the airwaves; the team was ready.

"Remember, the package is on the third floor of the hall. It will be heavily guarded. Be careful, and follow our plan," Chase continued. "Use of lethal force is warranted. We're ready for this."

Chase steadied his breathing; another technique he'd been working on for months. As the clock ticked onward, he took one final deep breath. He radioed his squadron with one final message: "Let's roll."

The team quietly approached the city square. Chase was lucky to avoid encounters with the enemies so far. He looked around as he approached the hall. Suddenly, the crack of gunfire broke the silence. Chase ducked behind an abandoned car, narrowly avoiding the initial barrage. Some of his teammates, though, weren't so lucky.

"I'm hit, ah shit!" he heard through the radio. A yelp of pain echoed through the night. Chase peered carefully around the car and fired three shots, taking out the two foes who ambushed him. The crackle of shots continued for a few more minutes, but as quickly as they began, they ended. Chase sat down on his haunches to catch his breath and radioed his team.

"How many did we lose?" he asked, needing to know but dreading the answer.

"We're down at least two, Alpha," he heard.

"Copy that," Chase answered. "Let's move on." He stood up from his hiding place and made his way towards the hall. He closed in on the back door, his planned route of entry. Using his night vision, he scanned the hallway behind the entryway, ensuring there were no rivals waiting on the other side. He barked quietly, summoning a modified C-4 to be placed on the door. He retreated and covered his ears. The C-4 detonated, destroying the door and allowing Chase entry into the building. He listened as a few more explosions indicated his teammates were soon following him inside.

He barked again. His night vision goggles covered his eyes and his ears were plugged. He heard a metallic "ting" along the floor, drawing the attention of his enemies. A few seconds later, a flashbang ignited. Chase looked around and swiftly terminated two more stunned adversaries. He scanned the rooms around him, ensuring they were clear, and pressed on.

Chase slowly walked down the hallway, careful to scan every room he passed. He could still hear faint gunfire from elsewhere in the building; he silently hoped his teammates were alright, though he had no time to worry. Again, he softly barked; the automatic rifle he had was swapped for a silenced pistol, a much better close-range and clandestine weapon.

Over the past couple months, Chase had become an expert in different artillery classifications, having had a keen interest in the subject matter since his days at the police academy. He worked with his teammates to identify the proper weaponry to use in certain situations, which came in handy more than once.

He continued to work his way towards the secondary staircase. He fired a couple silenced rounds, taking out another enemy who was guarding the door to the stairs. He pulled the cadaver out of the hallway, wanting to bring as little attention to his progress in case there was a patrol.

Once the hall was cleared, he swiftly ascended the stairs, working his way to the third floor. The blueprints of the building flashed on his night vision screen, leading him to the target. He quietly slipped through the door, lunging to stab another foe before he pressed onward. He heard a few faint pops of suppressed gunfire from the floors below; his team continued to keep the adversaries occupied as Chase worked to complete the mission.

As he rounded another corner, he fired a couple more rounds, shooting an enemy square in the head. The enemy crumpled to the ground in a silent heap. He exhaled; "that was close…" he thought to himself, almost stumbling straight into the path of that opponent. He worked his way past more empty rooms, following the path indicated on his helmet screen. Suddenly, he ducked into an empty room; he barked once to shoot again as one of his rivals walked past the open door. The enemy stumbled and coughed, yelping in pain before his lifeless eyes slipped closed one final time.

Chase breathed out; he still didn't enjoy taking lives but realized it was a cruel necessity of war. He slowly exited the room and approached the target. The hall before him was empty, though gunfire still rang out below. "I just hope they keep them occupied a little longer…" he thought to himself, thankful for his teammates.

Chase took one more deep breath; he had made it. He scanned the room containing the package, finding it empty. He pushed open the door and used his goggles to find the target. He slipped the package into his pack and radioed his teammates.

"I've got it! Let's move out!" He called excitedly. Chase turned and readied himself to retreat. In his exuberance, though, he forgot to scan the hallway in front of him. The unmistakable crack of a single gunshot sounded in his ears. He looked downward as blood was running down the front of his uniform. He put a paw to his chest, the warm liquid covering it quickly. Seconds later, the searing pain caused his vision to wane. He tried to radio to his teammates, but the last thing he heard was a second gunshot before everything went black.

"Damn it!"

Chase slammed the controller on the ground and threw his headset against the floor.

"How did I lose again!"

Ryder peeked his head around the corner to see what was causing the commotion.

"Chase, are you playing that video game again?" Ryder asked, a hint of anger in his voice. Chase looked up at his team leader and his ears folded back.

"Umm…" Chase stuttered, embarrassed he had gotten caught.

Ryder walked over to the monitor and ejected the disk from the console. He grabbed the case and placed the game inside. "I thought told you pups not to play it anymore," Ryder continued. "That game is causing you nightmares almost every day. It's definitely not a game for pups."

Chase glanced down at his paws. "Sorry, Ryder, sir. I won't play anymore." He looked up at the boy, who had a small smile on his face.

"Good. Now, let's go get dinner." Ryder exited the lookout's top floor, setting the game on the top shelf. Chase followed him downstairs, ready for his supper. A few seconds later, a Dalmatian stepped out from his hiding place. He jumped up to the top shelf and grabbed the game, placing it in the console. He took the controller and headset and readied himself to play.

"Let's light it up. Time to show them who's boss."

A/N:

So, just a fun little chapter here. Hope you enjoyed it! Again, if you have any recommendations, reach out to me via PM.

Until next time,

-Zomatic-