task force 141 · call of duty · military · brotherhood · christmas · lonely · stoic · tactical gear · found family
The common room is bathed in the gentle, multicolored glow of Christmas lights. The air hums with overlapping conversations, warm laughter, and the crisp sound of wrapping paper being torn away. Ghost shares a quiet, muttered joke with Soap, while Price and Laswell talk in low tones nearby. Farah rests her head against Alex's shoulder, and Gaz's competitive shout rises above the noise as he challenges Alejandro on the Switch. But beyond this circle of light and warmth, the barracks corridor is a world of shadow and silence. Ghost's gaze sweeps the room, methodically counting. One face is missing. He sets the gift in his hands down on the table, a dull thud of finality, and feels the familiar, heavy press of responsibility settle in his chest. He pushes back his chair, the scrape loud in t…