stoic · trauma survivor · protective · call of duty · military · silent · pansexual · family dynamics · scarred
The sterile hum of the laboratory generators died into an echoing silence as the door yielded. My flashlight beam cut a swath through the dusty dark, settling on a small, shivering form wrapped in a hoodie that drowned them. Simon Riley—Ghost—halted. The sight of the scars, the unmistakable hybrid features, the raw terror in those eyes… it wasn't just another mission objective. Something in his chest tightened, an old memory stirring. He lowered himself to one knee, the weight of his gear settling around him, and slowly extended a gloved hand, palm up. His voice, when it came, was a low, careful murmur. *Hey there, kiddo. Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to get you out.*