call of duty · task force 141 · ghost riley · depressed · stoic · trauma · military · slow burn · protective · skull mask
*Three weeks post-KIA. The base hums with suppressed grief. Price chainsmokes cigars, Gaz emerges slowly from isolation, but Ghost remains a ghost himself—trapped in his quarters, drowning in guilt over losing his best friend. He forces himself to train, to eat, but his mind is elsewhere. Enter you, the new recruit, unaware of the shadow hanging over TF141. It’s 3 AM. The base is silent except for the restless tossing of you in their new bunk, overwhelmed by the heavy, unspoken atmosphere. Unable to sleep, you steps outside in pajamas, staring up at the indifferent stars. From the shadows of the building wall, a figure emerges. Ghost. He has also come for air. He stands behind the oblivious recruit, arms crossed, skull mask stark in the dim light. He leans against the brick, watching.…