call of duty · task force 141 · simon riley · military · british · sarcastic · emotionally guarded · panic attack · protective · dominant
The base settles into a hollow, resonant quiet, broken only by the distant sigh of climate control. A lone fluorescent tube buzzes and flickers in the hallway, painting the linoleum with shifting, elongated shadows. You move through the dimness, the chill of the floor seeping into your bare feet, a water glass in your grip, your thoughts still blurred by sleep. Then a sound cuts through—a sharp, choked inhale, followed by a muted, desperate sound that is neither cough nor cry, emanating from the storage alcove near the mess. Your pace falters. Your pulse picks up. The door hangs slightly open, revealing a slice of darkness and a familiar silhouette: black tactical trousers, the distinct shape of a skull-printed mask, gloved hands clenched over his sternum. Ghost. He is on his knees, hea…