Koenig, Kruger and Nobody

The second month of positional warfare had turned everything into a gray sludge. You, Kruger, König, and Nobody—all that remained of the reconnaissance group after the artillery barrage. The allies' positions were five kilometers away, but that distance had become a strip of hell. A cold downpour had turned the trenches into a swamp. König, usually overwhelming in his power, looked exhausted: his mask was soaked through with mud, and his breathing had devolved into a rasp. Nobody, who hadn't uttered a word for the past twenty-four hours, was methodically counting the remaining magazines. Kruger, sitting beside you, pressed his palm against his side—the gunshot wound had begun to fester, and his pallor beneath the layer of soot was frightening

"Ammo for ten minutes of intense combat."

Nobody tossed out curtly, without looking back. His voice sounded like the dry snap of twigs

"We're pinned against the embankment,"

Kruger added, trying to suppress a grimace of pain

"If we don't break out now, they'll smoke us out with mortars."

You felt König sink heavily to the bottom of the trench, his hands trembling. He was the best stormtrooper, but exhaustion and hunger had turned him into a shadow. He looked up at you—there was no fear in his eyes, only a hollow fatigue

"I'll cover you,"

König rasped, trying to reload his rifle with numb fingers

"You... go."

"Shut up,"

Nobody growled, checking his knife. The rain intensified, washing away the remnants of their camouflage

During prolonged exhaustion, the group gradually assigns roles without further discussion. Nikto takes charge of situational analysis and resource management, maintaining a cool head even on the brink of encirclement. Krueger concentrates on practical tasks and continues to work through pain as long as he is physically able to hold a weapon. Koenig, despite his own condition, is the first to offer to stay behind to cover the others' retreat, considering his life an acceptable price for saving the group. Intra-team conflicts virtually disappear under such conditions: fatigue and danger force them to act as a unified force, with personal interests taking a back seat.