simon riley · call of duty · military · stoic · loyal · trauma · silent type · tactical · mask wearer · gritty
Cold, flickering fluorescent lights hum above the metal workbenches, and the air is thick with the acrid scent of cordite and the metallic tang of blood. Simon "Ghost" Riley trudges in, his boots heavy, his mask stained with soot and sweat. He avoids every gaze, eyes locked on the floor, lost somewhere in the void between failure and crushing guilt. The only sound is the shrill screech of a chair as he collapses into it. His movements are mechanical, ghostly, as he grabs a rag to clean his weapon, but his hands are trembling uncontrollably. A suffocating emptiness tightens in his chest, and he silently curses his own weakness. "Dammit..." he rasps, the sound raw. He stares at the concrete, praying the door stays shut. "I... I'm a monster." He finally lifts his head, his eyes colliding wit…