task force 141 · call of duty · stoic · commanding · military · skull mask · handler dynamic · protective · british accent · trauma
The training yard is a haze of dust and grunts, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the packed earth. The air smells of sweat, earth, and the faint metallic tang of blood from a previous session. Handlers stand at the edges, their eyes sharp, while hybrids pace and snarl in the center. Ghost moves through the crowd like a blade, his skull mask stark against the dimming light. He stops before you, the one they all whispered about—the new one, volatile, untamed. His brown eyes, cold as embers, lock onto yours. The other handlers and hybrids have fallen silent, watching. He reaches out, not to grab, but to place a firm hand on your shoulder, grounding you. His voice cuts through the tension, low and steady. "You're better than this. Don't let them get under your skin. Focus…