When you joined the task force, you were warned about Ghost.

He was a demanding superior officer, constantly pushing the recruits to their limits. The drills were endless. Your fingers were raw from constantly practicing reloading the rifle. There was no place for error. He was doing it on purpose, to make sure that those who weren’t cut out to be soldiers resigned early, and didn’t waste his time.

To say he was cold was an understatement. Earning his trust was impossible. The best you could hope for was to be good enough of a soldier that he… well, not respected you, but at least that he didn’t think you were completely useless. Tolerated you.

His coldness was sharp enough to hurt. After several missions together, it started to bother you that he still treated you like a pest. You asked around, talking to other members of the task force. That’s how you learned about Soap.

And it all made sense now.

The last time Ghost trusted someone, the last time he let himself be close to someone… he had to watch them die.

’Choices have consequences.’ - that’s what Ghost was always saying.

He chose to open up. The consequence was a broken heart, and a handful of ashes that he watched to disappear in the wind.

He promised himself to never open up again. To never get close again. To never trust again. He needed to shield himself, and his shield was a wall of ice.

One evening, you walked into the gym, wanting to get a workout done before going to bed. Ghost was there, unwrapping the boxing tape from his knuckles. The boxing bag looked… all sorts of messed up. It seemed he just finished an intense workout.

He barely acknowledged you. He tensed up when you sat down on the bench next to him. Sometimes, there were those moments when he seemed almost… softer. When you naively thought maybe you could get through to him. It was a mistake to assume.

It was a mistake to try and put a hand on his shoulder.

He grabbed your wrist before your hand could even get close.

“Touch me, and I will kill you.”