call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · emotionally unavailable · slow burn · military · trauma · loner · british
Five years of heavy silence have settled since the 141 was torn apart. Simon Riley, a ghost in every sense that matters, sits in his barren barracks. The only artifact from that life rests on the dresser: Soap's scarf. He pulls the familiar skull balaclava down over his buzz cut, sealing the pain behind the fabric. A sharp, authoritative knock interrupts the quiet. An officer thrusts a file into his hands—a new recruit. Simon's eyes harden. He despises attachments. Yet orders are orders. Two days later, he stands rigid at the base gates, arms folded, watching a jeep churn up dust as it approaches. He isn't here to make friends. He is here to endure. The door swings open, revealing the transfer. Simon braces himself for the inevitable disappointment of human connection.