The sound of twenty five highly-armed TRACE operators breathing through gas respirators was barely audible in the chopping of rotor blades above them. There was no conversation, as always, as the helicopter sped them along to their target. They were in a different helicopter this time, a larger and bulkier transport type fittingly nicknamed 'the Grouse' after its resemblance to the bird. The grouse wasn't a stealth helicopter- rather, it was optimized to be robust, able to take hits, while also having a much higher maximum carrying capacity.
Eve breathed in and out through her respirator, the apocalyptic sound somehow sounding mesmerizing as she looked out the window of the sliding door. Alongside them was another heli carrying the BHISL teams.
Then a voice crackled over the radio. "All squad leads, this is your team lead. Numbers check, over."
Over the communications channel, Eve could hear the BHISL squads calling in. "TRACE squad one, four bodies accounted for, over."
Eve then heard Elisa's voice call in for TRACE team two as the Seaward squad leader, as well as the rest of the TRACE squads.
Warrant Officer Falin called in over the radio again: "All squads, perform last minute checks. We'll lose contact shortly as we head into the clouds, and we will arrive at our drop zone soon. TL out."
Given that they were trying to land in a densely-wooded area, the teams had no choice but to fastrope down- there simply was no room for the helis to land.
The clacking of bolts and slides sounded throughout the grouse as each operator checked over their kit, before checking over the operator next to them. Eve gave her team a thumbs up, and was reciprocated by nods.
Ready.
The helicopters plunged into fog and the clouds. Eve could hear the outside of the helicopter rattling, battling against the wind as de-icers built in the grouse worked overtime to keep moisture off the rotors and the helicopter's body, stopping it from freezing up.
Not five minutes later did Eve receive a call over comms.
"This is your TL. Prepare to drop. ETA 30 seconds."
Two helicopter crew members held onto the metal railing on top of the door, testing the door as they slid open, buffeting both teams with freezing cold air that wouldn't seem out of place above fjords. The heli crew checked the door once more as well as their surroundings as the two grouses slowed to a hover.
The crew gave them a thumbs up.
"Ready to drop."
Thick, heavy ropes were flung out from the grouses, two on each side, up to one rope per squad. Warrant Officer Falin came over the comms again. "Drop, drop, drop!"
Eve stepped forward to the open door, boots treading steadily on the interior hull of the helicopter. The rotors thundered above, pressing wind against her shoulders like invisible weights. Her gloved fingers tightened around the rope hanging from the cabin ceiling, her rifle secured by its sling across her chest.
She turned briefly, offering a quick thumbs-up to the crew. "Thanks for the ride."
Then she kicked off into the void. For a heartbeat, she was weightless, nothing in view but the rope and the sound of howling wind. Then her boots bit into the cord and her descent began. She released and caught the rope one hand at a time, her body gliding downward in smooth, mechanical rhythm.
The forest rose up to meet her.
She touched and her rifle came up immediately, sweeping for threats. Fog pressed in from all directions— thick, heavy, and white as bone. Even with her visor's enhanced optics, visibility was poor.
Trees stretched around her in every direction- tall, spindly things with pale bark that peeled in thin curls. Moss crept across the trunks like mildew, and long vines swayed gently despite the stillness of the air. Light filtered down in dim rays through the canopy, diffused into a sterile gray by the mist. What should have been a beautiful, high-altitude forest- something out of a fantasy novel- was instead a hidden canvas, and Eve half-expected a skeleton to lurch from the fog.
Eve's pulse slowed, her senses heightening. Every subtle sound- the snap of a branch, the rustle of her own movements- felt amplified.
Then came the shots.
Not loud at first- just a crack of suppressed gunfire that cut through the mist like a whip. Eve ducked instinctively as rounds punched the air beside her, their path close enough to feel the pressure.
A split second later, Taeyeon was halfway down the rope. Muzzle flashes blinked through the trees and a cluster of rounds slammed into her chest. She let out a grunt but kept her grip, the plate carrier catching the brunt of the impact. Her descent faltered then steadied as she hit the ground without collapsing.
Before Eve could even shout, Seo was already beside Taeyeon, checking her over. Vian was crouched low, firing short bursts toward the flashpoints through the trees.
"Contact- northwest!" Eve called over comms. "Engaging!"
Her voice was nearly drowned out as something heavier opened up- from what it sounded like, probably something along the lines of a light machine gun. The sudden roar of 7.62mm fire tore across the treeline, raking the side of the helicopter. The fuselage shrieked under the impacts, and a crewman still near the door was flung back into the cabin, riddled with rounds, their body convulsing before falling still.
"Shit! Shit, shit- " Eve ducked lower, scanning for muzzle flashes.
The LMG fire continued to hammer the helicopter, but the engagement seemed only in their sector. Only one enemy position had opened up- so far. The rest of the operators finished descending and scattered into cover below.
The damaged heli peeled and limped away, screaming as it clawed back into the clouds. Its side was now perforated with bullet holes, the shape of the exit wounds like ragged stars.
"Taeyeon, you up?" Eve called out.
"Yeah! I'm good!" Taeyeon shouted back, already behind the wide trunk of a twisted tree, returning fire with her PDW in quick bursts.
Eve flipped up her magnifier and dropped to a low crouch, peering through the fog. She picked her targets from the stuttering flashes among the brush and fired back, rounds snapping as they left her suppressed barrel. Across the tree line, muzzle flashes flickered like fireflies- dozens of them, dancing in and out of view.
Then, one by one, they went dark.
The firefight ended as suddenly as it had begun. The final few shots echoed, then vanished into the white.
A brief silence.
"This is Warrant Falin, all squads- report!" the comms crackled, his voice brimming with force.
Squad leaders answered one after another. "TRACE Squad One," Eve said. "One light injury- plate carrier absorbed the hits. No surface wounds. All fit for combat."
There was a pause, radio static buzzing faintly. Eve assumed Falin was relaying the contact to higher-ups. "Copy," Falin replied. "All squads get into formation. No change to ROE. Hostiles confirmed, proceed east with caution."
"Wilco," Eve responded, rising to a low ready.
The team shifted into a loose formation, boots muffled against the mossy undergrowth. The mist around them refused to lift, and the separation between mist and cloud was invisible. It clung to everything- gear, bark, skin. Even the enhanced vision from their visors struggled to discern more than a few meters ahead. Switching to thermal optics proved useless- the landscape was painted white by the omnipresence of fog.
They moved slowly, deliberately.
The forest remained eerily quiet.
The squad felt watched.
Not by enemy forces, but by the forest itself.