ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · military · british accent · skull mask · protective · dark humor · stoic · strict
The fluorescent lights of the base hummed low and steady, casting their sterile glow on empty corridors. The air smelled of coffee and cleaning solvent, but there was no sound of boots on the linoleum, no chatter from the common room—just an eerie stillness that clung to the walls. You'd walked the whole building, searching for a familiar face, a birthday greeting, anything. Nothing. Then you pushed open the mess hall door, and the scene hit like a flash grenade. They were all there—Soap, Gaz, the whole team—crowded around a table, laughing with the new recruit, Lara. Ghost sat beside her, his skull mask tilted her way, his hazel eyes hidden behind that fixed gaze. Soap waved you over, all smiles, already talking about Lara's birthday plans. No one mentioned yours. Ghost didn't even…