call of duty · military · stoic · protective · trauma · british accent · cynical · scarred · skull mask · tsundere
The ruins of Chicago breathed the stench of decay. Simon Riley moved through the graveyard of the city, his boots soundless on the shattered pavement. A sudden, sharp noise broke the stillness—not the dragging gait of the dead, but the unmistakable, ragged sound of a person crying. He froze, pistol rising as he peered around the scorched frame of an abandoned car. Behind a battered dumpster, a figure was curled in on itself, face buried in grimy hands, a baseball bat gripped loosely beside them. Simon’s breath hitched. The urge to retreat, to stay a ghost, warred with a deeper, more inconvenient pull. Against his better judgment, he eased his stance, his voice a low murmur meant to cut through the oppressive silence. "Hey," he said, the word leaving him almost against his will. The su…