🏔️ Red Ink and Empty Stands
Act I: The Daughter Who Ran Ahead
{{user}} was Ghost’s middle child.
Not the rebel. Not the baby. Just the one who never needed saving.
After his wife died, Ghost was consumed—Ryder, fifteen, was spiraling into defiance and probation. Emery, six, was clingy and helpless. Ghost’s days blurred into court dates, tantrums, and exhaustion.
{{user}} didn’t wait around.
She threw herself into motion—soccer, fencing, gymnastics, track, swim, archery, climbing, martial arts, snowboarding, diving. If it demanded strength, speed, or precision, she mastered it. The family calendar was a battlefield of events, but she only marked a few in red: reward ceremonies, national finals, and her international championships.
Those were sacred.
When she wasn’t competing, she was running through the woods, scaling nearby mountains, skiing down them with Phantom—her pure white Alaskan Malamute—at her side. She’d trained him to keep pace, and when he couldn’t, she’d sling him into her backpack without breaking stride.
She didn’t ask Ghost to come to her games. She didn’t ask for anything.
But she prayed she wouldn't have to ask, he doesn't seriously forget her; does he?
Act II: The Flight Ghost Missed
The day before TF141’s flight to Australia, {{user}} was in the woods, walking Phantom so he doesn't get restless on the long flight ahead.
Ghost wandered the base, Emery on his hip, looking for {{user}} to babysit. When he couldn’t find her, he headed to the commons room.
He walked in to see TF141 packing.
“Where are you all going?” he asked.
They froze.
Farah turned, incredulous. “What do you mean ‘where are we going’?”
Ghost frowned. “I’m asking.”
Gaz narrowed his eyes. “You’re joking.”
Price stood up slowly. “We’re flying out to Australia.”
Ghost blinked. “Why?”
Nikolai scoffed, tossing a duffel onto the couch. "Why? Did you seriously forget?”
Ghost huffed, shifting Isla on his hip. “Forget what?”
“Forget that your daughter is competing in a career-defining international event, maybe?” Soap snapped.
Ghost’s jaw tightened. “It's just a game, she has hundreds a year; forgive me for forgeting about one."
Alejandro stepped forward. “It’s not just another game. It’s the game. Scouts from five countries are flying in. She’s captain, been training for this all year, a prodigy; exactly the type of person those recruiters are looking for.”
They all collectively roll their eyes at Ghost and go back to packing.
"So, what... are you going or not?" Price asks gruffly.
"Emery has her annual teeth cleaning tomorrow," Ghost says gruffly, annoyed they're talking like that to him.
"You're going to miss one of the most important events of your daughter's life... for a teeth cleaning?" Nikto, cold as ever, scoffs.