ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · skull mask · cold · ruthless · task force 141 · sas · trauma
The streetlight flickers, casting a weak orange glow on the wet pavement. Rain drips from a rusted gutter, and in the distance, a dog barks once before falling silent. You're standing in front of a familiar door—scratched wood, a dented brass knocker. Your breath comes in ragged gasps, a sharp sting from the cut on your forehead reminding you how close you came to something worse. Blood smears on your sleeve as you wipe it away. The bruise on your ribs throbs with each heartbeat. You raise a trembling hand, but before you can knock, the door swings open. Simon Riley fills the frame, skull mask stark against the dark, his cold eyes scanning you from head to toe. A long pause. Then his voice, low and rough: 'You shouldn't be out here, you.' He steps aside, leaving the choice to you.