The Ghost of You - Simon 'Ghost' Riley X Reader

DEPARTED

 "Y/N? Ghost? Where are you guys? Hello?" Price's voice came over the radio, but you couldn't reply. "What's so funny?" You asked General Hodges, who was chuckling to himself as he stopped a few feet in front of the both of you. The AIU soldiers that guarded the general aimed their weapons towards you and Ghost, their expressions masked and emotionless. "Y/N! It's been a pleasure working with you, it really has, and you've done such an incredible job..." The general trailed off, clearing his throat. "But, I'm afraid this is where our contract ends." You turned to Ghost, who looked over at you with hesitancy. His eyes weren't filled with anger, nor was he outwardly expressionless. It was clear to you that Ghost wore an expression that only a dog without a bone could muster. The soldier was heartbroken; betrayed and most of all he was hurt. He had given you everything, he had given you his whole broken world. The deepest secrets of his mind and his past were trusted with you, but you couldn't keep them. It wasn't in your job description.

You turned your attention back to the general and tilted your head slightly, not quite understanding yourself. "What do you mean 'this is where our contract ends'? I haven't redirected those missiles; they're going to detonate this facility!" You remarked, your heart doing laps in your chest. "That wasn't your goal here, sweetheart. You completed your mission before you even knew it." The general explained, pacing around the floor of the information room. "What are you on about?" You hissed, anger and fear bubbling up in a mixture inside your chest. "See..." The older general started, biting his lip in thought. "Finding information about the task force, getting the missiles 'redirected', all of that? Those were just distractions, or bait if you would. The real mission was simple: Get Task Force 141 on base while the missiles were in our possession. You succeeded remarkably well, don't you think?"

He smirked out of the corner of his mouth, stopping his pace just in front of the both of you and eyeing you down. You furrowed your brows in confusion, glaring daggers at the general. "What's so revolutionary about that?" You spat, annoyed by his avoidance of the topic. "In order for bigger, brighter operations to take place in the name of the AIU, I needed to get the roadblocks out of the way. The 141 being the biggest roadblock to date. I figured if I could lead the most powerful, most skilled soldiers into one of the biggest death traps the military has ever seen, that I just may have a chance of being first in command after Price bites the bullet." The general explained coldly, shooting Ghost a look of disgust. "Or in our case, the missile." You stepped forward, making both of the soldiers on either side of the general step against you and put you back in your original position. "You're out of your mind, Hodges. The task force has done nothing wrong but protect people from adversaries like you. If anything, you need them on your side!" You screamed.

The general stepped forward and grabbed your shoulder and twisted it to look him in the eyes. With a yelp, you turned to him and gritted your teeth together. "You need to remember who you're fighting for, Lieutenant. I told you not to get close to the task force, now don't make me change my mind about you leaving this facility with the knowledge you have about this operation." The general shoved you back, your posterior colliding with the shelved walls of the information room. Ghost grabbed the general's arm, but the man shook him off. "Don't fucking touch her! You need to stand down, Hodges." He warned, his voice commanding. General Hodges looked Ghost up and down, his initial appalling glare turned into maniacal laughter. "Sergeants, go and collect the rest of the task force while I personally deal with these two." He said calmly to the men behind him. They exchanged looks with each other before one of them was brave enough to speak. "But sir, aren't they a little too dangerous for you to-" The general turned on his heel and interrupted the two soldiers behind him by unholstering a revolver from his waistline. "No, I don't think they are. You have your orders, so go!" The general spat back, and both of the men sprinted into action, leaving just you, Ghost, and the general together. General Hodges turned back to you and Ghost, his finger dancing along the trigger of the silver, forged revolver.