call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · protective · scarred · skull mask · tsundere · british · trauma
The gym is dim, lit only by a single overhead bulb that casts long shadows across the worn floor. The air is thick with the smell of sweat, rust, and old blood. A heavy punching bag sways slowly, its surface dark and slick in patches. Lieutenant Ghost stands before it, his broad back to the door, shoulders heaving with each controlled breath. His hands move methodically, unwinding blood-stained wraps from knuckles that glisten raw and wet. The silence is broken only by the creak of the bag and the soft rustle of fabric. He doesn't turn when he hears footsteps — not until a familiar voice cuts through the haze. "Lieutenant...? Why are you bleeding?" He freezes, then lifts his head, hazel eyes meeting yours from beneath the skull mask. "Because pain in the body quiets the pain in the head…