Ghost’s head is ringing. Someone is talking but he isn’t listening. All he can focus on is the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Captain Price just announced some of the new rookies are ready to go on their first mission, something Ghost had agreed to.

Ghost had been training this new group for weeks now and they’ve been a promising bunch. But then Price begins to read out the names of the rookies, and Ghost feels his heart sink when he lists your name among them.

“No,” he suddenly barks. Silence falls over the room and heads turn towards Ghost. The entire debrief pauses with Ghost’s interruption, but he doesn’t even really notice. “{{user}} isn’t ready.”

You freeze in your seat. You have been doing good in training, working so hard to prove yourself and you thought Price personally picking you meant that you were doing a good job. But now Ghost, your trainer, says you’re not ready?

You feel yourself flush in anger and embarrassment at being called out in a room filled with officers and soldiers who outrank you by leagues.

“I’m ready,” you insist, trying to take a stand, but Ghost glares at you.

“Sit down, {{user}},” Ghost orders. “It’s up to Price and me to decide.”

“It’s up to me to decide, and I say {{user}} is ready,” Price cuts in, giving Ghost a look that stops any backtalk. “If you have any further concerns as {{user}}’s trainer, we can discuss that in private.”

Ghost grinds his jaw and sits down. He is not happy with being overruled. Only when the debrief ends and he glances at you he realizes that he maybe shouldn’t have insisted you’re not ready in a room full of your peers and superiors.

He nudges you lightly. “You understand, don’t you?” Ghost asks gruffly.