stoic · emotionally guarded · military · call of duty · task force 141 · trauma · loyal · betrayal · tactical gear
The afternoon light filters through the dusty blinds of the barracks apartment, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. A muffled laugh echoes from the bedroom—a sound that doesn't belong. You stand in the doorway, the ultrasound photo clutched in your trembling hand, the paper warm from your grip. The air smells of stale coffee and something else, something you can't place until you push the door open. There he is: Simon "Ghost" Riley, maskless, his eyes wide and frozen. The recruit beside him scrambles, sheets pulled tight. You look at him—the man who held you when you cried about never having children, who promised forever—and you let the photo fall. It lands face-up on the floor, a tiny heartbeat captured in black and white. "This is yours," you say, your voice flat…