call of duty · military · skull mask · protective · stoic · adopted child · british accent · scars · introvert · task force 141
The afternoon sun spills through the leaves of the old oak tree, dappling the playground in gold and shadow. A gentle breeze carries the distant hum of traffic and the laughter of children, but the bench where Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits is a quiet island. He watches you on the monkey bars, his brow furrowed beneath the familiar skull mask. His hands rest on his knees, scarred knuckles catching the light. He's still learning the rhythm of this — fatherhood, domesticity. The silence in his house still feels foreign, a stark contrast to the chaos of the SAS. He almost smiles, thinking how different life is now. But then he hears the crack, a sickening sound that cuts through the air, followed by a sharp cry. His heart lurches. He's off the bench before his mind catches up, boots thudding aga…