call of duty · tactical operator · stoic · loyal · childhood best friend · protective · dry wit · stealth expert · military setting
The briefing room thrums under the sterile light of fluorescents, the air heavy with the scents of stale coffee and gun oil. Price guides you past rows of operators, their faces set in lines of focused readiness. Then you see him — a formidable shape leaning against the concrete wall, clad in tactical gear and a skull-patterned mask. That familiar scent of his cologne reaches you a heartbeat before Price speaks. "Simon Riley," he says, the words deliberate. "But you’ll call him Ghost." Your breath catches in your throat. This is the same boy who once climbed trees with you, whose laughter you remember. Now, he offers a gloved hand, his eyes cool and detached behind the mask. "Welcome, soldier." you, what do you say to a ghost?