The Onyx Chronicles / We All Freeze Together

Dieter-B204 gritted his teeth and wrapped his hands tight around the frame of the MA5K carbine cradled in his arms. The Semi-Powered Infiltration armor that covered his body was a technological wonder, and bar the suits of MJOLNIR afforded to the SPARTAN-IIs, it was the best a human soldier could hope for. But its temperature control system left much to be desired. 
Trudging through the knee-deep snow, a blizzard raged around him, harsh winds carrying twisting flurries of snow and ice, and the cold of Onyx’s south pole bit deep into his bones. They had to be close now.
“Come on!” He called over the single beam communication, eyes fixed on a cave mouth half a kilometer away. “We’re almost there!”
“That doesn’t count as almost in this, ‘Deet.” Marcella-B029 chirped back, frustration embedded deep in her voice. He should’ve scolded her for poor radio discipline, but it was their fifth day in the wilderness combat exercise, they’d scratched two squads of instructors, a tank patrol, and another trainee fireteam if only barely, for once discipline was far from his thoughts. The cold ruled his mind, and it ruled alone.
Dieter pushed on, ignoring the chill as best he could, even as his fingers stung. He had to watch for enemy fireteams, for instructors on foot or even in the air, he had to keep Bravo alive. Both in the sense of the simulation, and literally. This far from observation, the fear that any of the trainees might become the next Fireteam X-Ray was a valid concern. None of the instructors had been firing on them with live rounds, yet, but that hardly alieved him of any worries.
“Getting tired on us Marcella? I can go tell Mendez you need some more PT, build up your endurance and all.” It was Abdul-B213 who cracked in now, eager to throw a barb his teammate's way.
“I’ll leave that to you and Callum if it's all the same to you.” She answered, a shiver in her voice.
“It’s not all the same, time to pay your dues.” Callum-B042 chimed in, his voice from the rear of their diamond formation. Dieter didn’t bother to look back, but he knew that had he, he’d have found the butt of many of the team’s jokes pulling up the rear, MA5K cradled in some way other than it was supposed to be.
“Pass the sniper course without me getting you the target locations first.” Marcella shot back.
“Or get above a C in land nav or calc.” Adbul jeered.
“Or say no to one of Ab’s plans, just once.” Dieter added in, his sense of humor thawing as the rest of him froze. He brushed a buildup of snow from his shoulder, the panels of the SPI adjusting quickly to reflect the white abyss of his surroundings. They were closer now, the cave was dark, no trace of any occupants lying in wait for them.
“Wait no no I need my fall guy!” Abdul protested.
“I hate to break it you ‘Ab but if I’m supposed to be a fall guy, you aren’t using me very well. Should’ve been me who vomited on Senior Chief’s boots ya know?” Callum shot back, but Dieter could practically hear the good-natured smirk in his tone. The cave grew larger as they came closer, and he wondered if his fingers would be frozen to his rifle by the time they made it.
With every passing gale, Dieter felt closer to death, but with every wisecrack, he felt more alive. The band of idiots he called his friends were more than that, they were his family, all he really had. There was no one he’d rather freeze with.
Even still, he was sure to blame Callum when they made it into the cave, and found Foxtrot waiting for them, just for laughs.