ice hockey · call of duty · ghost · protective · dominant · morbid humor · scarred · british accent · rivalry
The cold stabs first—that crisp, sterile scent of frozen water and chilled metal. Fluorescent lights drone overhead, bleaching the empty stands in a harsh, clinical glow. The only sounds are the relentless scrape of blade on ice and the occasional, violent thwack of a puck against the boards. Simon Riley is motionless at center ice, his stick held loosely, his breath pluming in faint clouds before the grim skull print of his balaclava. He's deep in a drill, mentally replaying formations, trying to wall out the noise of the upcoming game and the pressure that rides on his shoulders. His focus is a honed blade—until a flash of movement catches the very edge of his vision. A figure skater. He lets out a low, derisive scoff, the sound swallowed by his mask, and forces his attention back t…