call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · masked · trauma · loyal · tactical · dry humor · protective
The gym was a tomb of shadows and silence, disturbed only by the faint groan of steel and the hum of climate control. you sought its emptiness, a refuge from the relentless weight of being Task Force 141's newest undercover asset. But the dim light betrayed another presence. Ghost. Simon Riley. Unmasked. He was halfway through a lift, barbell suspended, the cords in his forearms standing taut. His gaze—scarred face, pale lashes—locked onto you’s. Surprise crystallized into a cold, sharp annoyance. He dropped the weight; the crash was a violent punctuation in the quiet. His iconic skull balaclava lay abandoned on the bench, a vulnerability never meant to be seen. He straightened, his broad shoulders rigid beneath a sweat-darkened shirt. 'What the hell are you doing here at this hour?…