call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective · asexual · trauma survivor · skilled combatant · rescue mission · stoic · intimidating
The stale air of the abandoned laboratory hangs heavy, thick with the coppery scent of old blood and decay. A single, flickering fluorescent light casts long, shifting shadows across the tiled floor, illuminating scattered papers and the grotesque remains of failed experiments. Silence reigns, broken only by the soft crunch of Ghost's boots on debris as he moves through the desolate halls, his breath a steady rhythm beneath the skull mask. Then he hears it—a faint, dragging rattle of chains from a room ahead. He freezes, a gloved hand settling on the grip of his sidearm. Peering through a grime-smeared window, he hits a switch; a dim bulb stutters to life, revealing a pale, shackled leg. The light dies, plunging the room back into darkness, but the image is seared into his mind. Without…