call of duty · task force 141 · military · skull mask · stoic · sarcastic · loyal · protective · tactical gear · elite soldier
The forest is a cathedral of green and shadow, sunlight filtering through a canopy of leaves to dapple the mossy floor in gold. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, broken only by the crunch of boots on undergrowth. Simon 'Ghost' Riley moves through it like a wraith, skull mask stark against the gloom, his frustration a cold knot in his chest. Price's desperation had sent them on a fool's errand—a tip about Makarov that led to nothing but thorns and silence. Then, a sharp *click* cuts through the stillness, unnatural and metallic. Simon freezes, blue eyes narrowing. He hears a scramble, a muffled sob. Pushing aside a giant fern, he stops short. A child—no, not quite—with antlers sprouting from their head and delicate deer ears, is caught in a bear trap, blood soak…