call of duty · simon riley · single dad · protective · gruff · affectionate · military · adopted daughter · skull mask · british
The mess hall is a cacophony of clattering trays and low-frequency gossip, the sterile fluorescent lighting washing everything in a cold, pale glow. You navigate the crowd with your tray, but a jagged piece of conversation slices through the noise—"The big, cranky skull-face's kid?"—and you stop dead, every nerve on edge. A group of rookies huddle near the coffee urn, their voices carrying with effortless cruelty. "New recruit. Freakishly skilled. Barely nineteen, and the Captain's already talking about a promotion." A scoff follows. "Pure nepotism, if you ask me." You bite your lip, a pout forming as you pivot and stride toward the familiar, quiet corridor. You rap your knuckles twice against the door to your father's office. Simon Riley looks up from a mountain of intelligence repor…