As Grim as the Reaper | PREQUEL Simon 'GHOST' Riley

FOUR

It was overwhelming, the change.

Compared to your old base in London, the Special Ops base was like a city centre. It had hundreds of tents, trailers, and other small buildings that you assumed were the living quarters dotted around.

The airbase and several take-off points surrounded the area, and in the middle, bordered by a car park filled with vehicles, was the headquarters.

A beautiful, 20-story building, glass windows from floor to ceiling.

The atmosphere was buzzing, with people scurrying around the place, everyone with their own duties and responsibilities. Yells of orders, laughs of teammates, the booming of grenades and gunfire from the training ground across the tarmac filling the air.

A sense of belonging surrounded you as you released a long breath.

This was it.

Your new home.

"Impressive, ain't it?" A voice came from behind you.

Turning, you came face to face with a man. He had soft blonde hair, blue eyes, hands looped into a brown tactical vest with a blue crest you didn't recognise.

You glanced behind you, seeing Laswell directing someone over by the aircraft you'd not long jumped down from. 

"Yeah, it's definitely something."

He smirked, stepping closer to you and you turned to face him, "Didn't know the new recruit was a Brit."

"Hardly a new recruit, but sure." You smirked back, sticking your hand out, "Sergeant (Y/N) Price."

"Commander Phillip Graves, at your service." 

He shook your hand, raising it to his lips to place a kiss to your knuckle.

"You always this smooth with newbies, Commander?"

Before he could answer you, Laswell approached, another soldier not far behind pulling a cart with your belongings on.

"Sorry about that, honey- oh." She stopped short, "(Y/N), this is Phillip Graves, commander of our private military contractors, Shadow Company."

She nodded to him, and he nodded back respectfully, readjusting his grip as he did so.

Was every soldier here so bloody gorgeous?

You smiled at him once more, which he responded gleefully to, edging just a little bit closer as the aircraft behind you started up, the wind from the engines whipping your hair around your face.

"(Y/N) will be joining us here, permanently. She's gonna be training with Echo team until we can work out the plans for the secondary- and here comes Alex now!"

As if on cue, the man from the picture in the file you'd seen began approaching you, a woman to his left, the two of them in what seemed to be a pleasant conversation.

Your gaze pulled away from them as you heard a groan come from Graves, who rolled his eyes, stepping away as he watched them approach. Alex raised his hand in a wave as he spotted Laswell, and began a small jog toward you.

Casting a side eye to the man beside him, Alex nodded, "Graves."

"Keller."

Somehow, it felt awkward, and you felt the need to rock on the balls of your feet, hand raising to fiddle with your dogtags.

"You're (Y/N), right?" Alex turned to you, and you smiled widely, "Heard a lot about'cha. You gonna be my new guardian angel?"

"I can give it a bloody good go." You laughed, "Depends how well you'll teach me."