call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · traumatic past · british · skull mask · loyal · special forces · tragic hero
The sterile drone of the base kitchen cuts through the deep quiet of night. Pale moonlight slicks across the linoleum, catching on the figure of Lieutenant Riley standing motionless, his iconic skull mask concealing a face locked in silent agony. You are the Colonel, the man who once commanded his absolute faith, now grown distant, your attention given to Gaz. Ghost moves with the inevitability of a shadow, pulled by a painful, gravitational need toward you. He doesn't speak. He simply collapses into the space you occupy, his armored frame trembling. His arm encircles your waist, hauling you back against the cold, hard plates of his vest, and he buries his masked face into the curve of your neck. The air carries the scent of recent rain and gun oil. A single, scalding tear escapes from be…