Phantom ~ [Simon Ghost Riley]

XLVII. The Price of Redemption (Part 1)

Nervous.

It's the one thing I'm not supposed to be, but given everything that had happened, I can't help but feel precisely that. On the other side, I'm ready. Ready to put an end to the organization. Ready to stop them from whatever sick shit they were doing to those poor citizens and god knows who else if we don't jump in.

König stands behind me, braiding my hair as I look at myself in the mirror. His chest rises and falls behind me, and through the small mirror in front of me, I can tell he steals some glances at my face here and there.

I know he can sense how nervous I am.

He always can.

"We will get them," he says, his eyes still on his hands as he works all the way down to the end of my hair. "No need to be nervous," he says before securing the braid with a hair tie.

I sigh, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I know. I just.. I don't want something bad to happen. To any of us."

"We won't let that happen. You know it."

I nod, my gaze dropping to my hands as I switch my ring over from finger to finger. As I look up in the mirror again, I lock eyes with Ghost. He's watching us from the back of the armory with a content look. The man is like an island of calm in the chaos, never letting nerves get the best of him.

Taking a deep breath, I try to quell the nervous feeling in my stomach, this time from his eyes on me. König pushes the braid over my shoulder to the front and gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before stepping back. I turn to face him, forcing a smile to mask my unease.

"Thank you."

König is the one with who I'd shared most with about my past. Of my problems, my anxiety. He had seen it all, and he had helped me get through every single one of them. He knows me, and I can tell he can see right through me.

"We'll be okay," König mumbles once more, placing another hand on my shoulder. He nods once, before he turns away, continuing to prepare his gear for the mission too.

As I continue to fidget with my ring, Ghost finally starts walking towards me. His every step exudes a sense of purpose, and my heart skips a beat as he draws closer. He's clad in his tactical gear, looking every bit the fearless soldier that he is.

My gaze meets his, and for a moment, everything else fades away. His eyes are intense yet, comforting.

"You ready?" Ghost asks, his voice low and steady, sending a shiver down my spine.

I nod, trying to match his composure, though I can't hide the nervousness in my eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"You got this," he says, his hand reaching out to touch my arm gently. "I believe in you. In us."

His touch electrifies me, and for a moment, it feels like all my problems simply slip away. In the midst of danger, uncertainty, and an impending mission, there's a reassuring warmth in his presence.

Before I can delve deeper into my thoughts, König's voice breaks through, grounding me in the moment. "Time to go, Lieutenant," he says. "The sooner we wrap this up, the sooner we all come back home."

The three of us make our way to the briefing room, where the rest of our team awaits. Price stands at the front, going over the final details of the mission. His stern demeanor adds an air of seriousness, reminding us of the importance of the task at hand. He's usually serious, but the look on his face right now only adds to the intensity of it all.

If I didn't know any better, I'd nearly think he was nervous too.

"There were drones sent to their base last week to gather information about the layout. We managed to capture most of it and we're certain that they did not notice," Price says, scraping his throat once more. "So... we're moving once night falls. There will be fewer workers at the base, just the ones staying there permanently."