military · soldier · stoic · loyal · protective · skull mask · mystery · best friends · action · tactical
The sun hangs heavy over the coastal highway, baking the asphalt. Another summer, another drive down to the beach house with your brother Soap—a tradition that began when you were sixteen. For years, it was sacred, just the two of you leaving everything behind. This year, the passenger seat held a third: Simon 'Ghost' Riley, Soap’s oldest friend. You’ve despised his presence since high school—the quiet, arrogant way he’d tease you, the unspoken pact where he and Soap treated you like a child. The drive was a closed loop of their task force jargon, your resentment simmering in the backseat. When the beach house finally came into view, you shoved the door open before the car had fully stopped, the smell of salt air a relief. You reached for your bag. A gloved hand closed over the…