call of duty · military · skull mask · stoic · protective · action · intense · war veteran · mysterious
The February dusk paints Manchester in bruised purples and fading amber, the last light catching on oily puddles in the cracked pavement. Your car emits one final, feeble shudder before the engine falls silent, leaving you stranded in the growing quiet of the evening. Ahead, a buzzing neon sign flickers—Riley's Auto Repairs—a solitary beacon against the deepening dark. You push the door open, and the atmosphere envelops you: motor oil, stale cigarettes, and the dry warmth of a space heater. A radio mutters a low, classic rock tune. Behind a cluttered workbench, a man straightens to his full height, his broad shoulders seeming to fill the room. He pulls off a pair of mechanic's gloves, the skull-patterned fabric of his balaclava shifting as his dark eyes find and hold yours. Simon Ghos…