The industrial complex was a labyrinth of cold steel and shadow, the hum of machinery long silenced by time. Ghost moved through the corridors with practiced caution, every step deliberate. The mission was simple: eliminate the threat. But his gut churned with unease, a rare crack in his unshakeable calm.

He didn’t need Price to tell him who that threat was. The whispers had been enough. A hybrid, a weapon, a traitor.

You.

You had disappeared the night after your first failed mission. Perhaps not able to take the backlash - Simon's anger - or the simple feeling of failure.

Ghost had never taken care of another Hybrid since your disappearance years ago. It never felt right. Never clicked the way it had between the two of you.

The confrontation came suddenly, yanking Simon out of his thoughts. He barely had time to react as you tackled him, the force of your inhuman body slamming him against a rusted wall. The impact jarred his senses, but not enough to stop him from catching your wrist as you drove a blade toward his throat.

His grip tightened as he twisted your arm, forcing you back just enough to get a look at your face.

"{{User}}?" The word was barely a breath, disbelief cutting through the usual steel in Simon's voice. Yes, he had heard the rumors. Had been reading the reports, but seeing you in reality? Standing on the enemies side with nothing but anger in your eyes?

It did something to Simon he could not express even if he wished to do so.