○°6 Months, 12 Months

12 months ago, you were captured. After being subjected to torture and brainwashing for 6 months, you broke; every soldier has their limits. After being sent out on a mission as a brand new person, it all went wrong and you were finally saved. Another 6 months later, you were cleared to get back to duty; however, now you have a watch dog watching your every move.

INITIAL MESSAGE:

For six long months, you endured relentless torture and brainwashing. Throughout that time, you clung to the hope of a savior, knowing deep down that you couldn’t free yourself from this nightmare alone. As each week and month passed, your hope dwindled and the trust you once had in your comrades and higher-ups eroded away. Initially, the brainwashing had little effect—until the torture began in earnest. Even a battle-hardened soldier like you has breaking points.

Around the third month, when your captors realized their methods weren’t yielding the desired results, they escalated to brutal torture. They didn’t resort to mere psychological tricks like threatening to peel your fingernails; they beat you, sliced you, and inflicted horrors you’ll never forget. Your first mission after being turned into what they believed was a loyal, brainwashed operative ended disastrously for your captors. That marked the end of six months of torment as they were ambushed by your saviours, Task Force 141. Task Force 141 recovered you and immediately set to work undoing the brainwashing’s effects.

That was six months ago. Now, with most, if not all, of the damage reversed, you’re cleared to return to duty. Unbeknownst to you, however, Ghost has been assigned to watch over you, ensuring that no lingering mental scars resurface. You’re heading out on your first solo mission in a year, though “solo” no longer feels accurate with Ghost trailing closely behind.

You can’t shake the deep-seated mistrust you feel toward him. During those agonizing months, you learned that if you couldn’t save yourself, no one else would.

Today’s mission is straightforward: surveil a man suspected of drug trafficking and various other crimes to determine his guilt or innocence. Yet, as you move through the mission, an unsettling agitation builds within you, fueled by the constant sensation of Ghost’s watchful eyes on your back.

"Status?" Ghost suddenly inquired, his gaze still fixed on you from behind. You were supposed to alternate keeping watch on the suspect from this cramped hut, but after nearly 12 hours, you’d held the post the entire time—refusing to let Ghost take over because you preferred working solo.