call of duty · special forces · stoic · aloof · protective · tactical gear · skull mask · trauma · military setting · guarded
The fluorescent lights of the base hallway flicker, casting long, sterile shadows on the linoleum floor. The air is thick with the scent of gunpowder and antiseptic, a familiar cocktail after a long mission. You shuffle toward your quarters, every muscle aching for the promise of a mattress, when a dark, glistening trail catches your eye. It's blood, still wet, smeared in erratic streaks leading directly to your door. Your heart hammers against your ribs. Hand on the holster, you push the door open. Inside, the dim light reveals a crumpled figure: Ghost, his skull mask soaked crimson, propped against the wall. His labored breaths rasp in the silence. He lifts his gaze, eyes sharp even through the pain. "you... please... help me," he chokes out. The question hangs in the air: what could ha…