#cod theory

[codesm]

Okay people I have been sitting on these feelings for a hot minute (aka since release date.) I have a crack theory that came to me while I was playing the Emergence level (I still feel uneasy thinking about the level. Y'all can tell me if it's the dumbest idea ever or something so funny, either way here I go.

I will put a spoiler warning just to be safe.

SPOILERS FOR CAMPAIGN OF BO6.

Here is my theory: Case is Adler's kid.

Here is my evidence:

1) Adler worked at the lab that Case was at, the same time Case was there.

2) Adler is very trusting of Case and can be seen joking, and even calling him kid (Assuming Case is in his 30s.)

3. Why would Adler's file showing the children part redacted? (It could be a nod to Harrow, but that some mental gymnastic.)

At the end of the day this was a theory that popped up in my head while I was screaming trying to get away from the zombies. If y'all enjoy it. I could flesh it out more, but I would love to hear opinions, even of yoy think it's stupid.

[tacticaldisguise]

Ghost's Autism vs Konig's Autism

so basically i was chatting with my mates while playing call of duty the other night and began speculating about the nature of the characters of Ghost and Konig, and began discussing them with my friends. After a small discussion about these characters, I came to the rather sudden conclusion that both Ghost and Konig were both neurodivergent. Now to some this would be obvious, they are both veterans of war, one being a mercenary and the other a member of a well trained military taskforce, there would very likely be some sort of neurological divergence in order for them to consider that a worthy path to take their lives down, however that is not the type of neurodivergence I was thinking of. Ghost and Konig are both autistic. (or ADHD perhaps, there is a lot of overlap) After many hours of concideration I have come to one simple conclusion; Ghost spends all his time in his room play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and milsim games when he doesn't have anything to do, and Konig is a furry. Now some of you may disagree, some of you may thing I am rather strange for thinking this, but I pose you this simple retort; it would be kind of funny if this was true.

[akai-akai]

tf141 assisting in a drug bust, except the drugs get lit on fire and they're accidentally breathing in the fumes and getting high as fucking balls.

Johnny is MIA, chased some fucking wild animal off into the brush and he's not answering comms.

Kyle is having a crisis, nearly in tears as he yells "I promised my mum I'd never do drugs!!" at the ground as if it's the dirt's fault he's fucking baked.

Simon is sitting on the ground, head in his hands, not speaking a word and sitting so still he could be mistaken for a highly realistic mannequin.

John is squinting at each of them, can't focus his eyes, blurting out "where the fuck is Soap?" after doing the 9th headcount. Doesn't realize he's been leaning way off to the side and tilting his head with each headcount until he almost loses his balance.

And Laswell. Poor Laswell. She's directing the extraction team with minimal help from any of these idiots, pinching the bridge of her nose and wondering how much paperwork this is going to end up in.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

based on that one video of the news reporter high as fuck as a ton of drugs are burning behind him, it's one of my favorite news videos

[yi3248]

inspired by these 2 devastating tweets:

[machveil]

trying to figure out when Simon “Ghost” Riley was born and possibly headcanoning an age for him is an amazing use of time

*Simon, in 2016, is killed in the Caucasus Mountains (full blown adult)

in 2003, Simon returns home on leave from service (in England, you can volunteer for service at 16)

just prior to joining service, Simon works as an apprentice butcher at a grocery (the minimum age for working is 13 - I would assume Simon starts working late 15 to early 16)

Simon returns home from service in 2003. Simon leaves his apprenticeship as a butcher and joins the army after Sept 11 (2001) - assuming Simon left home as soon as possible to join service at 16, Simon returns home age 18-19 possibly

taking the year he comes home and presumed age he could be (2003 - (18 or 19)), Simon could have been born 1984-1985

knowing the year Simon dies (2016), I would wager Simon is 31 or 32, thank you for listening to my theory on Simon’s headcanoned age

*it’s worth mentioning that I will write for all CoD characters as if they never die in-game. we’re happy and healthy here

[qwimblenorrisstan]

(your girl is back and better than ever with a new chapter. took me a while to make this but please don’t hate simon💔 I think i accidentally made his internal monologue very conflicting, plus reader is going THROUGH IT, hate to leave yall on a cliffhanger but…enjoy?)

tw: mentions of rape, forced injection, punching, doctor, implied assault, panic attack, derealization, fighting, dysfunctional pack dynamic, omegaverse, lying, manipulating, illegal medicine, drugs??, mental breakdown/spiraling

Simon Riley was used to being alone.

It was the way he’d grown up, surrounded by nobody but his hateful father, his quiet mother, and his troubled brother.

He’d been the quieter one in school, though rowdy and easily riled up. Minding his business, for the most part. He didn’t need an unnecessary fight, especially not when he had too many at home already.

Broken glass at home stained the walls, seeping into the brick until not even the fresh start of his recruit days, the long bus ride to his very first training camp, where he stared out the window and wondered if this was the right path for him. The sky had been dark that day, raining hard, hitting the windows and slamming into them with a force beyond the punch his face took, the pain slamming him back into the moment suddenly.

“You left them!”

Johnny had come into his room late at night, not the nest, Ghost hadn’t slept there for a few days now. From what he heard, the alpha was still hiding away in the room, plagued by parasites of a weakness they couldn’t control.

Soap had almost been avoiding Simon.

Of course, he’d noticed, the previous bright-eyed smiles replaced with little glances, judging, piercing, as if trying to find the answer. The hugs and pats, the kisses, the little scenting, replaced by an eerie emptiness that made Simon, hell, made Ghost feel entirely alone.

Price was cooped up in his office. Working himself to death, doing background checks, and research, when he wasn’t hanging onto Kyle with a desperation Simon hadn’t seen before.

Kyle was maintaining a subtle distance from him. The two of them hadn’t always been the closest, but this was different, he knew.

At least Ghost tried telling himself Soap was simply affected by the bullet in his brain, that differences in behavior and cognitive functions had been put down as symptoms, that PTSD could play a role, panic attacks, that the Johnny he knew may never be back again.

He’d been assigned as the handler of Soap, with Price already under enough stress handling the aftermath of the mission.

“It’s likely he may have outbursts of violence, or sudden displays of unusual behavior or activity.”

The doctor’s voice had explained, monotone and flat, not particularly interested at all. As if this wasn’t a miracle. As if it wasn’t good enough.

Simon never liked doctors.

There was a difference, in his eyes, between being unaffected by death and killing, it was easy to kill someone, but then saving someone? It was incredible.

To bring a corpse with glossy eyes back to life and bring a human being back from wherever you go after you die, was a feat that Simon had never thought possible.

But they’d done it to his Johnny. And here this doctor was, acting as if it was his normal 9-5.

Simon had swallowed his feelings down, his pride down as well, as he found himself doing much too often these days, and nodded stiffly. Jaw clenched and fingers in tight fists, itching for something.

The man droned on, pulling a small card from his white coat pocket, the card having an email and number, something Simon could recognize as contact information, and handed it to him.

“If he has any serious episodes, where he poses a risk to himself or others, contact us and we’ll take him back into the hospital indefinitely.”

Simon had pocketed the card, later setting it under his thin mattress for later.

“They needed you! And you left!”

Soap’s fists pounded into Simon’s chest, the height difference almost laughable in any other situation.

Johnny’s scent was dark, deep like molasses, with a bit of a sour tang to it that made Simon’s nose wrinkle. He could still smell your scent wafting off of Soap, the man had spent nearly an entire day sitting in your room with you.

Too attached too quickly, if you asked him. You may never recover, at this rate. Not with the past trauma, or the consistent symptoms despite nearly a week having passed by now.

“They had a goddamn panic attack because I scented them, you think they wanted me there? They didn’t need me.”

Simon knew what he’d done was wrong. He’d been forcefully scented before and knew what it felt like to have handprints burned into your skin that would never leave. He didn’t know your full past, but he knew enough to understand your reaction.

You wouldn’t have wanted him there. Surely.

Price should’ve been there, he was their main omega, strongest scent, the leader of their pack. Price should’ve been there.

It snuck into his tone, the subtle accusation, and Johnny paused just to step back a moment, tear-stained eyes, that sent a pang through Simon’s heart he didn’t acknowledge, staring in disbelief.

“You’re blaming this on Price?”

The angry Scot yelled, launching a fist forward that Simon caught, carefully moved his arm to his side, and forcefully held it there. It was for his own good.

“Stop. You’ll rip a stitch.”

Simon muttered, glowering as he moved, looking around at where he knew by heart where the wounds were.

He knew he was overcompensating, doting, and looking strictly after Soap, watching his every move, because his instincts wanted him to make sure you were okay first and foremost. It was a truth he couldn’t ignore.

Except, well, he could ignore it.

“You’re worried about me? I’m not the one bedbound, hardly eating, that hasn’t left the same room in a week.”

A moment of silence as Johnny stared at him in fury, shoving him off, and turning to storm away.

Your scent was left lingering in his room. He’d grown to hate it. It wasn’t unpleasant, simply a harsh reminder of the fact that Soap, his Johnny was drifting away from him.

Simon was used to the bitter taste of loneliness on his tongue, but he wasn’t used to having something so sweet given to him, only to be stolen away.

It wasn’t fair.

He’d become friends with Soap through missions, saving each other’s asses, stupid jokes, bleeding wounds, and bullet holes, but you were drawing Johnny near just because you were some sad little alpha, taking advantage of his instincts.

Taking advantage of him.

And now Simon Riley was losing his friend, comrade, lover, all because of you.

If he thought about it, maybe that had been your plan all along. Plant the seeds against him, draw the others in by manipulating their instincts, till you slowly replace him.

The door slammed shut, and he was left alone in his room, thoughts spiraling in a harsh whirl until he stumbled over to his medicine cabinet, grabbing his heat suppressants, a blacked-out list of risks and symptoms (he didn’t ask questions, it wasn’t like he got them legally anyway), and popped some in his mouth.

The others thought he had simply had many of his omega qualities tortured out of him.

A lie.

Unimportant, though, compared to what they all faced now. Simon needed to stop this, whatever was happening between you and Johnny, whatever you were doing to him, changing him.

He walked to his mattress, the floor spinning slightly until it stopped, and lifted his mattress, grabbing the business card and giving it a closer look.

Grabbing his old, cracked phone, he decided he had a call to make.

~

Johnny had been coming to visit often, staying the night more often.

The thin military blanket was beginning to smell like him, it helped that he scented it as often as possible when he wasn’t busy gently inching his way closer to you, testing the limits.

The lights weren’t as bad now, but the primal part of your brain still itched and clawed at your every action, controlling and demanding, convinced you were in danger.

Constantly being in a state of fight or flight was exhausting.

Not to mention that the state of fight or flight meant reduced saliva production, deeper breathing, dilated pupils, increased heart rate, and more symptoms that made surviving harder than it had been before.

It was like you were hibernating. Sleeping all day, waking up in a haze with fog in your brain, drinking nearly a gallon, and eating as much as Kyle could get you to, before collapsing again.

Your Sympathetic nervous system was working overtime.

Johnny had stayed with you, told you stories to pass the time when you had been even semi-conscious and not trying to fight him.

“You know, Simon, the big assface who made you freak out in the first place?”

You vaguely remembered him. The big boy with the skull mask.

“He’s not tha’ bad, really. I mean, fuck, I’m pissed at the bastard, but I love ‘im, you know?”

It had made you shift up a little, foggy brain clearing a bit in the present moment as Johnny sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He looked like he’d been crying.

For some reason, you didn’t like that.

The emptiness of the room seemed to disappear for a moment, as you inched forward just a bit, moving towards him. You hadn’t been in control of yourself in quite a while, instincts running your body in order to survive.

Johnny didn’t seem to notice, sniffling, rubbing at his eyes, and leaning back as he stared at the concrete ceiling with 8,738 freckles of darker grey. You’d counted.

Being stuck in your head meant you had a lot of spare time.

“I just—he’s always tryin’ to act tough, never wants to talk with me, I just wanna help him, you know?”

The crushing atmosphere of the room seemed to lighten, like you’d been pulled suddenly from the bottom of the Marianas Trench, and were floating high above it all now, as you reached him, wrapped your hands around him.

This time, it wasn’t instincts making you do it. Protective mode kicked into overdrive by something you couldn’t control. No, this was because this was your friend, your family, your pack.

And he was hurt.

By “Simon”.

Your tongue lay uselessly in your mouth like lead, eyes sullen as they draped down onto the floor, eyelids slowly swooping down until you could simply smell his salty tears and his scent, upset, troubled, anxious.

It didn’t make you lean away, or wrinkle your nose in disgust or distaste. Your scent had been worse, you knew, and he’d never shown a lick of judgment for it.

It lifted for a moment, the haze, the feeling of being in danger and needing help, as he leaned into you, and you cradled his warm body, the slightly overgrown ridiculous mohawk, the scruff of his face rubbing gently against your arms. His warm tears pooled on your shirt, body leaning limply into you, sobs shaking his body.

For just a moment, everything felt all right.

Good, even.

A moment of silence came, where both of you seemed to simply melt into the world, only to be shattered moments later when he wiped his tears, going to try and hold you back, only for his brows to furrow when he touched your face.

Your head cocked slightly sideways at the confusion in his expression, and he moved, sitting up, seeming suddenly alert as he hurriedly wiped any remaining tears away and laid the back of his hand against your forehead.

“Hell’s bells, you’re burning up. Gotta call the doc’—“

You went to object, panic building up, scooting away from him. You didn’t want to see the doctor. You didn’t like doctors, how they poked and prodded, touched what wasn’t theirs, did their fancy tests with their gadgets, so desensitized to it all.

Before your mouth could even open, the door slammed open, and Johnny was on his feet in half a second, staring down the man in a lab coat, accompanied by two armed men.

“Sergeant MacTavish, we would appreciate your cooperation in this matter,”

Johnny sighed, running a hand through his hair, his other hand gesturing towards you.

“Good, you’re here, they’re burnin’ up, doc, something’s gotta be wrong, I mean with their sickness and all that shite—“

The look on Soap’s face visibly changed to confusion and a hint of anger when he saw Ghost lurking behind the three men up front, mask on, deep brown eyes watching everything happen as the armed men moved forward, taking Johnny by surprise as they shoved him against the wall.

He struggled, kicking and flailing, eyes widening as one of the men pulled out a syringe.

“The fuck is this-? Ghost, call ‘em off! I didn’t do a damn thing, tell them!”

He yelled frantically, struggling as the needle was pushed into his neck, fluid injected as he grunted. He glanced over at you, huddled in the corner of the room, watching with wide eyes and a hand over your mouth.

“Ghost!”

He glanced at Simon once again, confusion in his cloudy gaze as his limbs slowly began failing him. The doctor stepped forward, pressing a hand against your forehead, frowning when you clawed the hand off.

“Simon?”

His vision went blurry, shapes turning to blobs of color, until everything went black, the last thing he heard being,

“…them as well. We’ll need to find the cause of the fever.”

~

Kyle hadn’t seen either Ghost or Soap all day, which was odd, considering they were usually wondering about the base, especially Soap at this time.

Usually, Ghost would’ve hit the gym on base by now, maybe gone to Price’s office, where Kyle was currently seated, savoring the scent of his Captain before it faded in the coming week.

The door opened, and Ghost walked in, pace just a bit faster than normal. Kyle perked up, brows raising in surprise as he set down the file he’d been browsing over, the alpha’s extensive background, and psychological testing results. He’d read it until it was burned into his skull.

“Gaz.”

A gruff greeting, but a hint of surprise in it. Kyle studied Ghost for a minute, his stiff posture, clenched fists, the look in his eye. It was odd, but they all had their own ways of coping with the recent events, he supposed.

Everyone was stressed.

“Ghost.”

A tense moment of silence.

“Where’s the Captain?”

Gaz casually set the folder back in its designated filing cabinet, as if it hadn’t been high above his clearance, high enough to get him disciplinary action even from Price. A little snooping never hurt, after all.

“Out on a mission, surprised he didn’t tell you. Short notice, I guess, he’ll be gone for a week’s the word.”

He mentally reprimanded himself for making an excuse for Price. That wasn’t his job, nor his place.

Ghost gave a slow nod, clearing his throat, and almost seeming to hesitate before speaking.

“Soap’s been…admitted.”

Kyle raised a brow at that. Soap had been doing well up until now, as far as he’d seen. Bonding with their alpha, slowly healing pack relations.

“Any particular reason why?”

“Had an episode. A bad one.”

Kyle grimaced at that. They all had their fair share of PTSD, but he couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to be shot in the head, maybe have an entirely different personality, to deal with the aftermath of that. He couldn’t imagine how hard it was on Ghost to have to make that call.

“Guess that means the rut-partner responsibility’s shifted.”

Price had originally been in charge of any rut a potential team-alpha went through, as long as both parties were comfortable with the arrangement. With Price gone, and your closest contact here, Soap, clearly not in the mental state to do anything, it was between Ghost and Gaz.

Ghost was a higher rank than Gaz, meaning the responsibility fell on his shoulders.

Kyle watched the realization dawn on the man, the way he unconsciously almost seemed to fiddle with his fingers, as if nervous. The Ghost was never nervous. He’d shared heats with Soap before, albeit after a bit of warming up to each other.

His behavior had been strange all day, for quite a few days, now that he thought of it.

Something was off. But he didn’t know what yet.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

[nullyisgoinginsane]

i had a vision at 4am last night

[pettyprocrastination]

House Husband

tw: somnophilia, consensual non-consent

Thinking about something happening with KORTEC that requires Konig to go into hiding indefinitely. Like full on faking his death, changing his name and adopting an entirely new personality.

That personality namely being your new husband.

When the team reaches out to you about the notion you shoot it down immediately- your job is to help create new identities. Passports, ID's, entire backstories to be slipped into government databases as if they had been there for years- but not playing house to a 6'6 Austrian in your sleepy suburban home.

Eventually you acquiesce, making a marriage licence and a believable story for your neighbors about the sudden appearance of the man who looks over your shoulder each time you open the door.

Thinking about how he accepts this new reality almost immediately and with little to no complaint. You'll expect to clash with him daily but instead you wake up to the smell of coffee and breakfast in the morning with him already doing the dishes. The contract killer is entirely too comfortable playing husband and wife because why shouldn't he? He's spent his entirely life being a complete recluse and now he's close quarters with a beautiful woman and a wedding band on his hand for God knows how long instead of waking up as the asscrack of dawn to run drills- he'll be milking this for as long as humanly possible and as far as you'll allow him.

It's slow at first. He's tentative- trying to see where your boundaries lay with him. When a well-meaning neighbor shows up on your to ask about your wearabouts, you feel his hand slither around your waist- eyes boring into the person standing in your doorway until they leave. Days later when you leave the house for work he insists on walking you out to your car and pressing his lips to your cheek is a chaste kiss goodbye with a promise that you'll have a good day at work. That's what a good husband would do, after all!

A week later he asks to stay in your bed- the measly twin in the guest room has done nothing but aggravate old injuries and cause a twinge in his back. You feel so bad seeing this downright gargantuan man try to fold himself into such a tiny space that you allow him into your own- pleasantly surprised when you wake up to his broad chest as your pillow and firm arms wrapped around you in the dead of night as well as his insistence that he sleep on the side closest to the door, lest anybody in search of him breaks in while you sleep.

You rationalize the sensation of his tongue greedily ravaging your cunt as it pulls you from your peaceful slumber because isn't that what good husbands do? What kind of man would he be if he left you wanting? Maybe he'd notice your lingering gaze or heard your muffled moans in the shower as you tended to your own desire spurred on by this kind-hearted but still dangerous shadow that had happily clung to you for the past month.

It's all you can do in return to spread your legs wider and curl your fingers in his firey hair, meeting your husbands eyes as he groans at your taste.

[merakilii]

Gladiator Simon Riley

The sands of the Colosseum were never clean. They drank the blood of fallen men, swallowing their last prayers into the earth. The crowd roared for more, always more. A hungry beast that never tired of carnage. And at the centre of it all stood a wraith.

He was a phantom who wore his helmet like a second skull, never letting the world see what lay beneath. His adversaries tried to pry it from him. It had become a challenge that passed between the fighters who stepped onto the sands with him. Knock the helmet off. Unmask the Ghost.

But none ever did.

They fell instead, one after another, their bodies added to the graveyard he built with his own hands. He fought like death itself, silent, brutal, merciless. His sword spoke in place of his lips.

And you…you watched.

From the heights of the private booth, where wine was poured into crystal goblets and silk draped over soft cushions, you sat perched like a raven in its gilded cage. The scent of roses and sweet oils surrounded you, a contrast to the iron tang of blood in the air. You were of refinement, of wealth, of power in your own right. And yet, you returned to this savage place, again and again.

It had started as a curiosity. A man who hid his face so completely, who left no opening for the world to claim him. What was he hiding? Did he simply just enjoy the game of secrecy?

Your presence did not go unnoticed.

He was not a man of indulgence. He lived for the fight, for the bloodshed, for the roar of victory. But even he was not blind to the person who had become a fixture in the stands, always watching, always present. There was something in the way you leaned forward when he fought, how your lips pressed together as if savouring each brutal strike.

He wondered what you saw when you looked at him.

A monster? A beast?

Or something else entirely?

And when he raised his sword in triumph, covered in the crimson of yet another fallen foe, he found himself tilting his head ever so slightly in your direction. Are you entertained?

You knew that men like him were not meant to be tamed.

He did not live as men did.

Men laughed. Men spoke. Men indulged in pleasure, drowning in wine and silk and the bodies of those who worshipped them. He did not. He belonged to the Colosseum, to the chorus of the crowd and the steel of his sword.

And yet.

There was you.

You watched him like a predator in disguise. Dressed in elegance, with rings adorning your fingers and a goblet poised to your lips, you did not belong in a spectacle of carnage.

Drawn to him.

It amused him at first. A wealthy woman with eyes sharp as daggers, watching him as though he were not a man but a puzzle to be solved. But amusement had turned to something else, something restless.

He had fought countless battles, spilled more blood than he could remember. Yet, after each kill, after each victory, he found himself looking up. Searching for the glint of gold, the silhouette draped in finery, the gaze locked onto him as if you could peel away his armour, his mask, his very soul, with a mere look.

It was maddening.

He had no name beyond the one whispered in fear. He had no past, no future, only the present moment of blade meeting bone. But you, sitting high above the pit, seemed determined to make him something more.

He should ignore you.

But he did not.

You had never spoken to him. Never approached him. But your presence alone was a challenge. You were not a simple spectator. No, he had seen those, brutish men eager for blood, bored aristocrats seeking amusement, gamblers looking for their next bet.

You had the eyes of someone seeking something else.

And he hated that he wanted to know what.

[makeila04]

I’ve always wondered… What was Adler like with his former family? What kind of father was he?

I mean, we know he was married because of his comment about his ex-wife in Call of Duty: Cold War, and in Black Ops 6, we see the "children" section censored in his file. So, with the little we know about him, we can only speculate and hypothesize based on what we know about his work, personal life, history, etc. What was Russell Adler like with his former family? What was he like with his two children? And perhaps… What led to his divorce from his ex-wife? We only know that by the age of 44, he was already divorced.

What was Adler like as a husband?

Adler is a reserved, controlled man, addicted to his work. His life has been marked by manipulation, betrayal, and constant paranoia, which means his marriage couldn’t have been easy for his wife. Despite that, I don’t think he was an openly hostile or cruel husband, but he was emotionally distant. His wife was probably an intelligent and strong woman, someone who initially saw beyond his coldness and believed she could connect with him. But over time, Adler’s lack of emotional openness, combined with the tension and secrets of his work, must have made the relationship increasingly difficult.

The fact that he still remembers her (as he does in Cold War) indicates that the relationship wasn’t irrelevant to him. But at the same time, his sarcastic tone suggests that the relationship ended on bad terms or with resentment. It’s most likely that Adler tried to protect her from his world, which led him to hide many things, becoming even more closed-off and disconnected in the relationship.

It’s possible that his wife couldn’t stand living with a man who was always emotionally and physically absent, trapped in missions, unable to share what was really happening in his life. Even if he loved her in his own way, his nature and work made him incapable of being a present husband.

What was Adler like as a father? This is where the story becomes even more interesting. In Black Ops 6, the "children" section of his file is censored, suggesting that the topic is too delicate or painful to be exposed. This could mean several things:

His children are dead → This would explain why the information is censored and why Adler never mentions them.

Adler lost custody and completely distanced himself from them → Perhaps his ex-wife gained full custody, and Adler no longer had contact with them.

His children are alive, but he keeps them secret for their safety → It’s possible he decided to distance himself from them to protect them. In any of these cases, one thing is very clear: Adler couldn’t have been a fully present father. If his children died, that might have been the breaking point in his marriage. Perhaps they died due to an accident, an illness, or even something related to his work (retaliation? a threat?). This would explain why the topic is censored and why he never mentions them. If his children are alive but he lost custody, this suggests that his ex-wife didn’t want them growing up near a man like Adler. It could be that his work and lack of stability made him a danger to his own children, and she decided to keep them away from him. If they’re still alive but he distanced himself for their safety, this would make him similar to other agents who cut ties with their families to avoid putting them in danger. But, beyond what happened to them, Adler isn’t the type of man who could have been a traditional father. I can’t imagine him playing with his kids in the park or helping them with homework. But I can imagine him fiercely protecting them, even if he didn’t know how to show affection. If his children ever saw his tender side, it must have been in rare and fleeting moments, like when they were asleep or when no one else was around. He might never have known how to express love, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t care for them. If his relationship with them ended in tragedy or forced distance, this could explain part of the cynicism and extreme hardness we see in Black Ops 6. If he was already broken in Cold War, by 1991, there’s nothing left of the man he might have been as a husband and father.

What led to the divorce? Considering all this, there are several reasons why his marriage ended before 1981:

Adler couldn’t disconnect from his work. He was always on missions, in the CIA, in covert operations. He wasn’t a present husband.

His wife couldn’t stand the paranoia and secrets. Living with someone like him must have been like living with a ghost.

If his children died or something terrible happened to them, that destroyed them as a couple. Guilt and grief might have made it impossible to stay together. It’s possible that Adler wanted the marriage to work at first, but his nature, his work, and his inability to connect emotionally made it impossible. And when they finally divorced, instead of grieving too much, he simply moved forward with more brutality, cynicism, and coldness. But the fact that he mentions his ex-wife sarcastically in Cold War suggests that, even if he doesn’t talk much about her, what happened still weighs on him. And if his children are no longer in his life, that would also explain his emotional hardness, lethality, and emotional detachment.

Conclusion: Adler, a man broken by his past Adler wasn’t an ideal husband or an affectionate father, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel love in his own way. It’s just that his way of showing it must have been clumsy, distant, and full of silence. The censorship in his file in Black Ops 6 suggests that the topic of his children is something very serious, something that can’t be revealed or that he himself doesn’t want to face. If his children are dead, if they’re alive but don’t remember him, or if he distanced himself to protect them, the fact that he never mentions them is a sign that it’s a pain he can’t afford to show. His ex-wife, his lost family, are invisible scars that turned him into the man we see in Black Ops 6. And even though he seems "indestructible," the small moments when he mentions Bell, Hudson, or his ex-wife tell us that his past still haunts him, even if he’ll never admit it. Personally, I lean toward the idea that they died, perhaps due to retaliation, and that’s why everything ended in a divorce full of pain and resentment. It would explain why the "children" section of his file is censored. Because if he had them or not, it would’ve been as simple as writing "yes" or "no." And not blacking out everything. Maybe the long line had their names and/or status, something like "John Adler, Mary Adler. Status: deceased," and that’s why the censorship bar is so large. And maybe that’s why Adler, even with sarcasm and pain, can mention his ex-wife but never his children. Because that pain is even greater, and we know that Adler can be defined as: reserved. Especially when it comes to hiding his pain and maintaining that impeccable image of a tough guy who isn’t affected by anything.

What led to the divorce?

Of these three possibilities, I lean toward the third: that his children died. Why do I insist on this? Because first comes the couple, and then the children. It’s likely that Adler’s ex-wife already knew him while he was working for the CIA or at least when he was still in the military.

Let’s remember that Adler joined the military at 18, and by his late 20s and early 30s, he was already working for the CIA. By 44, he was divorced. So it’s obvious that she already knew what being with a man like him entailed.

Obviously, she would also have to be a very independent woman. Few types of women can be with someone like Russell Adler.

Especially because no one can change Russell Adler.

So while we don’t know anything about his ex-wife, we can sketch a profile of what she was like based on what we know about Adler. Because to take THE Russell Adler to the altar, we’re talking about a VERY specific and particular type of woman.

As I said, Adler isn’t easy, so the divorce must have been over something extremely serious and irreparable. Because she wouldn’t be a woman who’s easily intimidated; she had to be someone on his level. Because Adler wasn’t a conventional husband due to his work, and you’d have to know exactly what you were getting into to get involved with someone like Russell Adler.

But it’s also true that when it’s just the two of you, life is one thing, but when children come into the picture, everything changes. It’s easy for me to imagine that she didn’t have as many problems when they were just dating or newlyweds, just the two of them.

But when the children came along, she probably tried to endure as much as she could, maybe she still didn’t mind Adler’s work too much. Also because, well, I don’t know how someone convinces Russell Adler that having children with his job is a good idea, but it must have seemed like a good idea to both of them. Maybe out of naivety or overconfidence, and that’s why if the children died in an accident or as retaliation, it would explain why when we meet Adler in Call of Duty: Cold War, he’s already resentful toward his ex-wife and already hides his pain.

During the missions in Vietnam in the 60s, when Adler was in his 30s, we still see him fairly relaxed, within his serious demeanor, not as cold, even smiling at times. But when we return to the present in 1981, the contrast is stark: Adler distrusts Bell, beyond the fact that he was Soviet, Adler is manipulative to the extreme by subjecting Bell to MK-Ultra, Adler is colder and more distant than usual, even with Sims, whom we know Adler has known since Vietnam from the "Fracture Jaw" mission. And it’s implied that the others know Adler more personally because even Helen Park strongly recommends how to deal with Adler to Bell. Maybe she even knows the real story behind Adler’s scar.

Maybe it’s because of all this that, even at 44 in 1981, Adler could tolerate or hide his pain better, but by Black Ops 6, which is set in 1991 when Adler is 54 and in the meantime has experienced the deaths of Jason Hudson and Frank Woods being confined to a wheelchair, among other events, it was like a breaking point, compounded by someone in the CIA framing him for the 1989 disaster in Panama, where Hudson was killed and Woods was left in a wheelchair, and although we don’t know for sure, Alex Mason probably died too.

So, having lost his only close circle of, the closest thing Adler could have to friends, was what finally broke him, and that’s why in Black Ops 6, we see this Adler who’s no longer afraid because he has absolutely nothing left to lose.

He’s lost everything: wife, children, friends… he has nothing left. At the end of the campaign, Adler regains his position as a CIA agent and is no longer a criminal, but… he doesn’t smile. In Black Ops 6, he smiles a little between jokes with Woods or out of pure sarcasm. But at the same time, in his room, there are beer cans scattered on the floor and several whiskey bottles, with one half-empty on his nightstand… which we can infer that everything that’s happened to him over the last ten or fifteen years, since Cold War at least, has weighed heavily on him. To the point where, internally, we see signs of a collapse or crisis. But as always, he hides it.

This explains lines from Zombies mode like:

"Hudson would’ve loved this shit."

"I didn’t survive Fracture Jaw to die in this hole."

Interesting, "Do you mind if I call you Tinker Bell?"

"You and I have work to do." Especially the ones referencing Bell, because even though he says it sarcastically, it means Bell still lingers in his memory, even though he killed him. And that’s a lot for Adler… The same goes for Hudson, whom he mentions with a melancholic and nostalgic, almost sad tone, because he’s already dead…

Returning to the topic… The theory that his children died as retaliation fits too well with the censorship in his file, his emotional detachment, and the visible transformation in his personality between the 60s and 90s. He’s a man who’s lost everything, but instead of completely breaking down, he clings to the only thing he has left: his work and his facade of absolute control. If his children died, I imagine the guilt consumed him in a silent but constant way. Adler is a man who doesn’t show weakness, but the pain doesn’t disappear; it’s just hidden under layers of cynicism, alcohol, and suicidal missions. Maybe he never got over the idea that his work, the very thing that defined him and made him feel in control, was what indirectly led to the tragedy. The fact that he mentions his ex-wife but not his children is a key detail. With her, there can be resentment, anger, or even disdain, but with his children… there aren’t enough words for the kind of loss that represents. If they survived but were taken from him, the result is similar: they’re dead to him emotionally, unreachable. And the mention of his evolution in Black Ops 6 is brutal. He’s not the same man we met in Cold War. In the 80s, he still had some structure; his mask was strong. By the 90s, he’s at a point where alcohol and nihilism are eroding him. He has nothing and no one left. He’s a ghost clinging to the only thing he knows how to do: fight. Not for a noble purpose anymore, but because it’s the only thing he has left. The detail of the Zombies lines is incredible. Especially the references to Bell and Hudson. It means that, no matter how much he pretends nothing matters, the memories are still there, etched in his mind. Adler isn’t a man who "gets over" things; he just buries them until they become part of his essence. All this makes me think… if he ever had a moment of weakness, of true catharsis, what would it have been like? Did he ever allow himself to cry for his children, even if it was in solitude, or did he just let the pain eat away at him in silence, like everything else?

What did Adler feel after the divorce? If his children died, he probably felt a mix of love, hate, and guilt. He might have loved her but also hated her for what happened. Maybe he never forgave her, or maybe he understood that she also suffered and let her go in his mind. If she just left him, maybe she remembers him with resentment and pity. She knew him when he still had a spark in his eyes, but if she saw him in the 90s, she’d know that man is broken. She might hate him, but deep down, it would hurt her to see him like that. This profile fits the idea that Adler never mentions his children but does mention his ex-wife. With her, the pain is bearable; it can be disguised with sarcasm or indifference. With his children… the pain is too deep, too real. And that’s something he can’t allow to surface.

Why do I also believe his children died, and that led to the divorce?

Because Jason Hudson was married and had children, Alex Mason was also married and had a son, though his wife passed away. So, in essence, marriage or Adler’s job weren’t obstacles to having a relationship. Even with Adler’s personality, that wasn’t the issue. Clearly, it was something so grave that it led to a breaking point in the relationship…

The marriage itself wasn’t the problem. Hudson had a wife and kids, and Mason did too, though he ended up a widower. Even Woods, with his hardened soldier’s life, managed to build a bond with his son. What sets Adler apart from them is that something happened that made it impossible for him to stay married. Something irreversible. The divorce wasn’t just the result of a worn-out relationship; it was the final point of a devastating event. And the best explanation is that his children died, and that destroyed everything left between him and his wife.

Why is the death of his children the most likely explanation?

Adler doesn’t mention his children but does mention his ex-wife.

If his children were alive, even if he had no contact with them, the way he’d talk about his family would be different.

Instead, he mentions his ex-wife with bitterness and sarcasm but never talks about his children, not even in jokes. The silence is a scream.

If his children had survived, the CIA might have given him some access to them.

The CIA has the resources to protect identities but also to facilitate secret contacts if necessary.

Hudson could see his family. Mason, though under different circumstances, could too. If Adler has no relationship with his children, the most logical explanation is that they no longer exist.

The way Adler deals with pain is self-destructive.

We know Adler is a man who, despite his control, has self-destructive tendencies.

Alcohol and cynicism are his ways of numbing himself.

If his family simply left him, it would hurt, but it wouldn’t destroy him the way losing them forever would.

The event that changed everything: the death of his children How did they die? The death of Adler’s children wasn’t accidental or natural. For it to have had such a brutal impact on his life and marriage, it had to be related to his work.

They were killed in retaliation for his work Adler made too many enemies over the years. KGB, Viet Cong, traffickers, toppled dictators… anyone could have wanted revenge on him. His family was his weak point, and someone knew it. A targeted attack on his wife and children would have been a clear message: "you’re not untouchable." If this happened, Adler probably feels guilty because he knows it was his fault. His work, his life, brought danger to them.

They died in an attack he couldn’t prevent Maybe they were in a foreign country under CIA protection, and there was an attack that went wrong. Perhaps a bombing, explosion, or shooting caught them by surprise. If this was the case, Adler was far away when it happened. He couldn’t do anything. He only received the news too late. The helplessness of not being there would have destroyed him.

An "accident" that was never clear It’s possible that the CIA officially classified it as an "accident." But Adler knows it wasn’t a coincidence. Maybe there was a cover-up, maybe he never found the responsible parties. That would consume him even more.

The divorce: the final breaking point When his children died, his wife never forgave him. Maybe she blamed him directly. "If you hadn’t been in the CIA, this never would’ve happened." "You knew we were in danger, but you never protected us enough." "You chose your job over your family, and now we’re paying the price." Or maybe she didn’t blame him directly, but the pain was too great. It didn’t matter how much they loved each other; the weight of the tragedy was unbearable. Both became shadows of what they once were. Every time they looked at each other, they only saw the memory of what they’d lost. Adler probably reacted by throwing himself into his work. He didn’t face his grief. He dove headfirst into more missions, more war, more adrenaline. His wife watched him drift away until he became unrecognizable.

What kind of man was left after that? The Adler of the 80s and 90s is a man without roots. He has no family. No home. No purpose beyond war and missions. He’s trapped in a cycle of self-destruction. But, above all, he never allowed himself to grieve. That’s why he doesn’t mention them. That’s why he never talks about his children. Because if he did, all his control would crumble. The only thing that doesn’t add up is… if his children died for any of these reasons, whatever it was, why didn’t Adler seek revenge? If the guy is unstoppable… why just self-destruct? If his children died and he didn’t seek revenge, something really messed up must have happened. The most likely reasons:

Because he never knew who was responsible If the attack was planned, it’s possible that the person or group behind it left no trace. If the CIA covered up what happened, Adler might have received manipulated versions of the events. If it was a covert attack, maybe the responsible parties were eliminated before he could find them. If it was a calculated assassination, maybe the culprits were too well-protected for him to reach. If he never knew for sure who did it, he couldn’t take revenge. And that would drive him insane. Not knowing, being in the dark, would be worse than anything else. It would leave him without direction, without a clear enemy to kill. And instead of focusing on revenge, he’d end up consumed by his own despair.

Because he already took revenge… but it brought him no peace Another possibility is that he did find the responsible parties and killed them, but it didn’t help. Maybe it was something cold and calculated, a hunt where eliminating the culprits felt empty. Maybe he thought killing them would bring relief, but the truth is that his children were still dead. When your only reason for revenge is to bring back the dead, there’s no satisfaction. If this happened, it was the final straw that broke him.

Because it was an internal betrayal This scenario is messed up, but it’s possible that his own people—the CIA—were involved. Maybe his family was exposed because someone in the CIA decided they weren’t worth protecting. Maybe the CIA covered up the truth to protect their own reputation. If Adler found out about this, he knew that confronting the CIA would lead nowhere. This would explain his resentment toward the agency. It’s not just bitterness over the time he gave in service. It’s contained rage, helplessness from knowing he was betrayed in the worst way. In this case, the self-destruction isn’t just from grief but from being unable to get justice.

Because deep down, he blames himself Regardless of who was responsible, Adler probably feels that his children’s deaths were his fault. "If I hadn’t been in the CIA, this never would’ve happened." "If I’d protected them better, they’d still be alive." "If I hadn’t left them alone, they wouldn’t have been killed." Maybe even his ex-wife said something that destroyed him: "You were an unstoppable soldier all over the world… but you failed at the one thing that really mattered." If he believes it’s his fault, then his punishment isn’t revenge but his own suffering. That’s why he doesn’t seek justice. Because in his mind, the real culprit is himself.

In honor, and in advance, for: @mypetitelune

I hope you like it.

Siempre me he preguntado...¿Cómo debió ser Adler con su antigua familia? ¿Cómo era cómo padre?. 

Quiero decir, sabemos que estuvo casado por su comentario a su ex esposa en call of duty cold war y en Black ops 6 vemos la parte de "hijos" censura en su expediente, así que con lo poco que sabemos de él sólo cabe preguntarse e hipotetizar en base a lo que sabemos de él, su trabajo, lo personal, historia, etc. 

¿Cómo era Russell Adler con su antigua familia? ¿Cómo era con sus dos hijos? Y quizás… ¿Qué los llevó a su ex esposa y él al divorcio? Solo sabemos que a los 44 ya estaba divorciado. 

¿Cómo era Adler como esposo?

Adler es un hombre reservado, controlado y adicto a su trabajo. Su vida ha estado marcada por la manipulación, la traición y la constante paranoia, lo que significa que su matrimonio no debió ser fácil para su esposa. A pesar de eso, no creo que haya sido un esposo abiertamente hostil o cruel, pero sí emocionalmente distante.

Su esposa probablemente era una mujer inteligente y fuerte, alguien que inicialmente pudo ver más allá de su frialdad y creyó que podía conectar con él. Pero con el tiempo, la falta de apertura emocional de Adler, sumada a la tensión y los secretos de su trabajo, debió hacer que la relación se volviera más difícil.

El hecho de que él siga recordándola (como lo hace en Cold War) indica que no fue una relación irrelevante para él. Pero, al mismo tiempo, su tono sarcástico sugiere que la relación terminó en malos términos o con resentimientos.

Lo más probable es que Adler intentara protegerla de su mundo, lo que lo llevó a ocultar muchas cosas, volviéndose aún más hermético y desconectado en la relación.

Es posible que su esposa no soportara vivir con un hombre que estaba siempre ausente emocional y físicamente, atrapado en misiones, sin poder compartir con ella lo que realmente pasaba en su vida. Incluso si la amaba a su manera, su naturaleza y trabajo lo hacían incapaz de ser un esposo presente.

¿Cómo era Adler como padre?

Aquí es donde la historia se vuelve aún más interesante. En Black Ops 6, la parte de "hijos" está censurada en su expediente, lo que sugiere que el tema es demasiado delicado o doloroso como para ser expuesto. Esto puede significar varias cosas:

Sus hijos están muertos → Esto explicaría por qué la información está censurada y por qué Adler nunca los menciona.

Adler perdió la custodia y se distanció completamente de ellos → Quizás la ex esposa ganó la custodia total y Adler ya no tuvo contacto con ellos.

Sus hijos están vivos, pero los mantiene en secreto por seguridad → Es posible que él mismo decidiera apartarse de ellos para protegerlos.

En cualquiera de estos casos, hay algo muy claro: Adler no pudo ser un padre completamente presente.

Si sus hijos murieron, es posible que eso haya sido un punto de quiebre definitivo en su matrimonio. Quizás murieron debido a un accidente, una enfermedad, o incluso por algo relacionado con su trabajo (¿una represalia? ¿una amenaza?). Esto explicaría por qué el tema está censurado y por qué nunca los menciona.

Si sus hijos están vivos, pero él perdió la custodia, esto sugiere que la ex esposa no quería que ellos crecieran cerca de un hombre como Adler. Podría ser que su trabajo y su falta de estabilidad lo hicieron un peligro para sus propios hijos, y ella decidió alejarlos de él.

Si aún están vivos, pero él se distanció por seguridad, esto lo haría similar a otros agentes que cortan lazos con su familia para no ponerlos en peligro.

Pero, más allá de lo que haya pasado con ellos, Adler no es el tipo de hombre que podría haber sido un padre tradicional.

No lo imagino jugando con sus hijos en el parque o ayudándolos con la tarea.

Pero sí lo imagino protegiéndolos ferozmente, aunque sin saber cómo expresarles afecto.

Si sus hijos alguna vez vieron su lado tierno, debió haber sido en momentos raros y fugaces, como cuando estaban dormidos o cuando nadie más estaba cerca.

Puede que nunca haya sabido cómo demostrar amor, pero eso no significa que no los haya querido.

Si su relación con ellos terminó en tragedia o en distancia forzada, esto podría explicar parte del cinismo y la dureza extrema que vemos en Black Ops 6. Si ya estaba roto en Cold War, para 1991 ya no le queda nada de la persona que pudo haber sido como esposo y padre.

¿Qué llevó al divorcio?

Teniendo en cuenta todo esto, hay varias razones por las cuales su matrimonio terminó antes de 1981:

Adler no podía desconectarse de su trabajo. Siempre estaba en misiones, en la CIA, en operaciones encubiertas. No era un esposo presente.

Su esposa no soportó la paranoia y los secretos. Vivir con alguien como él debió haber sido como vivir con un fantasma.

Si sus hijos murieron o algo grave les pasó, eso los destruyó como pareja. La culpa y el dolor pudieron haber hecho imposible seguir juntos.

Es posible que Adler haya querido que el matrimonio funcionara al inicio, pero su naturaleza, su trabajo y su incapacidad para conectar emocionalmente lo hicieron imposible. Y cuando finalmente se divorció, en lugar de lamentarse demasiado, simplemente siguió adelante con más brutalidad, cinismo y frialdad.

Pero el hecho de que mencione a su ex esposa con sarcasmo en Cold War sugiere que, aunque no hable mucho de ella, aún le pesa lo que pasó. Y si sus hijos ya no están en su vida, eso también explicaría su dureza emocional, su letalidad y su desconexión emocional.

Conclusión: Adler, un hombre roto por su pasado

Adler no era un esposo ideal ni un padre afectuoso, pero eso no significa que no sintiera amor a su manera. Solo que su forma de demostrarlo debió haber sido torpe, distante y llena de silencios.

La censura de su expediente en Black Ops 6 sugiere que el tema de sus hijos es algo muy serio, algo que no puede ser revelado o que él mismo no quiere enfrentar. Si sus hijos están muertos, si están vivos pero no lo recuerdan, o si él se alejó para protegerlos, el hecho de que nunca los mencione es una señal de que es un dolor que no puede permitirse mostrar.

Su ex esposa, su familia perdida, son cicatrices invisibles que lo convirtieron en el hombre que vemos en Black Ops 6. Y aunque él se vea como alguien "indestructible", los pequeños momentos en que menciona a Bell, a Hudson o a su ex esposa nos dicen que su pasado lo sigue atormentando, aunque jamás lo admitirá.

Personalmente elijo la opción de que murieron, quizás por represalias, y por eso todo terminó en un divorcio lleno de dolor y resentimientos. Explicaría el por qué en su expediente la parte de "hijos" esta censurada. Porque si los tuviera o no, era tan fácil como poner "si" o "no". Y no tachar todo. Quizás el renglón extenso tenía sus nombres y/o estado, algo como "John Adler, Mary Adler. Estado: muertos" y explica por qué la barra negra de censura es tan grande. Y quizás por eso Adler, aún con sarcasmo y dolor puede mencionar a su ex-esposa, pero jamás a sus hijos. Porque ese dolor es aún más grande y sabemos que Adler se puede definir en: reservado. Sobre todo cuando implica que puede ocultar su dolor y seguir con esa imagen impecable de tipo duro que nada le afecta. 

¿Qué llevó al divorcio?

De estas 3 posibilidades que más creo que podrían ser me decanto por la tercera, que sus hijos murieron, ¿por qué insisto en esto? Porque primero viene la pareja y después nacen los hijos. Es probable que la ex-esposa de Adler ya lo haya conocido trabajando en la cia o como mínimo cuando aún era militar. 

Recordemos que Adler entró al ejército a los 18 y para finales de sus 20 y principio de sus 30 años ya trabajaba en la cia y para los 44 estaba divorciado. Así que es obvio que ella ya sabía todo lo que implicaba estar con un hombre como él. 

Obviamente ella también tendría que ser una mujer muy independiente. Pocos perfiles de mujeres pueden estar con alguien como Russell Adler. 

Sobre todo porque nadie puede cambiar a Russell Adler. 

Así que si bien no sabemos nada de su ex-esposa si podemos trazar un perfil sobre cómo era ella en base a lo que sabemos de Adler. Ya que para poder llevar AL ALTAR AL MISMÍSIMO RUSSELL ADLER estamos hablando de un tipo de mujer MUY específica y particular. 

Como digo, Adler no es fácil, así que el divorcio debió ser por algo sumamente grave e irreparable. Porque ella no sería una mujer que se deje intimidar fácilmente, ella debía ser alguien a la altura de él. Porque Adler no era un marido convencional por su trabajo y tendrías que saber muy bien dónde te estás metiendo para involucrarte con alguien como Russell Adler. 

Pero, también es cierto que cuando la pareja es de a dos la vida es una pero con los hijos cambia demasiado. Me es fácil imaginar que ella no tenía tantos problemas cuando eran solo novios o recién casados, siendo solo dos. 

Pero cuando se sumaron los hijos seguramente intentó aguantar todo lo que pudo, quizás hasta seguía sin molestarle tanto el trabajo de Adler. Además porque, bueno, no sé cómo convence alguien a Russell Adler de que tener hijos con su trabajo es una buena idea, pero a ambos debió parecerles. Quizás por ingenuos o sobre-confianza y por eso si murieron los hijos en un accidente y o como represalia podría explicar por qué cuando lo conocemos a Adler en call of duty cold war ya era resentido con su ex-esposa y ya guardaba mucho su dolor. 

Durante las misiones en Vietnam en los 60s, cuando Adler rondaba los 30s, aún lo vemos bastante relajado, dentro de lo serio que es, no tan frío, hasta se sonríe. Pero cuando volvemos al presente en 1981 se nota demasiado el contraste: Adler desconfía de Bell, más allá de que era soviético, Adler es manipulador hasta el extremo por someter a Bell al MK-Ultra, Adler es más frío y distante que de costumbre incluso con Sims, a quien por ejemplo sabemos que Adler conoce desde Vietnam por la misión de "fracture Jaw". Y se da a entender que el resto conocen de forma más personal a Adler, porque incluso Helen Park recomienda a Bell encarecidamente cómo tratar con Adler. Hasta que quizás ella sepa la verdadera razón de cómo Adler se hizo su cicatriz. 

Quizás es por todo esto que aún con 44 años en 1981 Adler podría de cierta forma tolerar o ocultar mejor su dolor, pero para black ops 6 que es en 1991 cuando Adler tiene 54 años y en medio han ocurrido las muertes de Jason Hudson y Frank Woods quedó en silla de ruedas, entre más eventos, fue como un punto de inflexión, sumado a que alguien en la CIA lo había incriminado por el desastre de 1989 en Panamá, donde mataron a Hudson y Woods quedó en silla de ruedas, y aunque no sabemos, probablemente también murió Alex Mason. 

Entonces, al haber perdido a su único círculo cercano de, lo más parecido que Adler podía tener como amigos, fue lo que terminó de romperlo y por eso en black ops 6 vemos a este Adler que ya no tiene miedo, porque no tiene absolutamente nada que perder.

Ya lo perdió todo: esposa, hijos, amigos...no le queda nada. Al final de la campaña Adler recupera su puesto como agente de la CIA y ya no es más un criminal, pero... no sonríe. En black ops 6 sonríe un poco entre bromas con Woods o por sarcasmo puro. Pero a su vez en su habitación hay latas de cerveza regadas por el piso y lo mismo con varias botellas de whisky, mientras que una esta a la mitad en su mesa de luz... lo que podemos intuir que todo lo que le ha pasado en los últimos diez años o quince, desde cold war al menos, le ha ido pesando demasiado. Hasta el punto donde, internamente, vemos que ya tiene señales de un colapso o crisis. Pero como siempre él lo oculta. 

Esto explica frases del modo zombies como: -"A Hudson le habría encantado esta mierda", "no sobreviví a Fracture Jaw para morir en este agujero", Interesante, "¿te molesta que te llame campanita?", "tú y yo tenemos trabajo que hacer". Sobre todo las que hacen referencia a Bell, porque aunque lo diga de forma sarcástica significa que aún ronda el recuerdo de Bell, aunque lo mató, en su memoria. Y eso en Adler ya es bastante... Lo mismo con Hudson, que cuando lo nombra, se nota el tinte melancólico y nostálgico, casi triste, porque ya está muerto…

Volviendo al tema…

La teoría de que sus hijos murieron como represalia encaja demasiado bien con la censura en su expediente, su distanciamiento emocional y la transformación visible en su personalidad entre los años 60 y 90. Es un hombre que lo ha perdido todo, pero en lugar de derrumbarse por completo, se aferra a lo único que le queda: su trabajo y su fachada de control absoluto.

Si sus hijos murieron, imagino que la culpa lo devoró de una manera silenciosa pero constante. Adler es un hombre que no muestra debilidad, pero el dolor no desaparece, solo se oculta bajo capas de cinismo, alcohol y misiones suicidas. Tal vez nunca superó la idea de que su trabajo, ese mismo que lo definía y que lo hacía sentir en control, fue lo que indirectamente llevó a la tragedia.

El hecho de que mencione a su ex esposa, pero no a sus hijos, es un detalle clave. Con ella puede haber resentimiento, ira o incluso desdén, pero con sus hijos... no hay palabras suficientes para el tipo de pérdida que representa. Si sobrevivieron, pero fueron alejados de él, el resultado es similar: están muertos para él en el sentido emocional, inalcanzables.

Y la mención sobre su evolución en Black ops 6 es brutal. No es el mismo hombre que conocimos en Cold War. En los 80 todavía tenía algo de estructura, su máscara era fuerte. Para los 90, está en un punto donde el alcohol y el nihilismo lo están erosionando. No le queda nada ni nadie. Es un fantasma aferrándose a lo único que sabe hacer: pelear. Ya no por un propósito noble, sino porque es lo único que le queda.

El detalle de las frases en Zombies es increíble. Especialmente las referencias a Bell y Hudson. Significa que, por mucho que quiera aparentar que nada le importa, los recuerdos siguen ahí, grabados en su mente. Adler no es un hombre que "supera" las cosas, simplemente las entierra hasta que se convierten en parte de su esencia.

Todo esto me hace pensar… si alguna vez tuvo un momento de debilidad, de verdadera catarsis, ¿cómo habría sido? ¿Se permitió alguna vez llorar por sus hijos, aunque fuera en soledad, o simplemente dejó que el dolor lo carcomiera en silencio, como todo lo demás?

¿Qué sintió por Adler después del divorcio?

Si sus hijos murieron, probablemente sintió una mezcla de amor, odio y culpa. Pudo haberlo amado, pero también odiado por lo que pasó. Tal vez nunca lo perdonó, o tal vez entendió que él también sufrió y lo dejó ir en su mente.

Si solo se alejó de él, quizás lo recuerda con resentimiento y lástima. Lo conoció cuando aún tenía un brillo en los ojos, pero si lo viera en los 90, sabría que ese hombre está roto. Puede que lo odie, pero también que en el fondo le dolería verlo así.

Este perfil encaja con la idea de que Adler jamás menciona a sus hijos, pero sí a su ex esposa. Con ella, el dolor es soportable, se puede disfrazar con sarcasmo o indiferencia. Con sus hijos… el dolor es demasiado profundo, demasiado real. Y eso es algo que ni él puede permitir que salga a la superficie.

¿Saben por qué también creo que sus hijos murieron y eso llevó al divorcio? 

Porque Jason Hudson estaba casado y tenía hijos, Alex Mason también estuvo casado y tuvo un hijo, pero su esposa falleció. Así que en sí, el matrimonio o el trabajo de Adler no eran impedimentos para tener una relación. Aún con la personalidad de Adler, eso no fue el impedimento. Evidentemente fue algo tan grave que llevó a un punto de inflexión en la relación…

El matrimonio en sí no era el problema. Hudson tenía esposa e hijos, y Mason también, aunque terminó siendo viudo. Incluso Woods, con su vida de soldado endurecido, logró crear un vínculo con su hijo. Lo que diferencia a Adler de ellos es que algo pasó que hizo imposible que siguiera casado. Algo irreversible.

El divorcio no fue solo el resultado de una relación desgastada, sino el punto final de un evento devastador. Y la mejor explicación es que sus hijos murieron, y eso destruyó todo lo que quedaba entre él y su esposa.

¿Por qué la muerte de sus hijos es la explicación más probable?

Adler no menciona a sus hijos, pero sí a su ex esposa.

Si sus hijos estuvieran vivos, aunque no tuviera contacto con ellos, la forma en la que hablaría de su familia sería diferente.

En cambio, menciona a su ex esposa con amargura y sarcasmo, pero nunca habla de sus hijos, ni siquiera en chistes. El silencio es un grito.

Si sus hijos hubieran sobrevivido, la CIA podría haberle dado algún acceso a ellos.

La CIA tiene recursos para proteger identidades, pero también para facilitar contactos secretos si fuera necesario.

Hudson pudo ver a su familia. Mason, aunque en circunstancias distintas, también. Si Adler no tiene ninguna relación con sus hijos, lo más lógico es que ya no existan.

La manera en que Adler lidia con el dolor es autodestructiva.

Sabemos que Adler es un hombre que, a pesar de su control, tiene tendencias autodestructivas.

El alcohol y el cinismo son sus formas de anestesiarse.

Si su familia simplemente lo dejó, eso dolería, pero no lo destrozaría de la misma forma que perderlos para siempre.

El evento que lo cambió todo: la muerte de sus hijos

¿Cómo murieron?

La muerte de los hijos de Adler no fue accidental ni natural. Para que haya tenido un impacto tan brutal en su vida y en su matrimonio, tuvo que estar relacionada con su trabajo.

1. Fueron asesinados en represalia por su trabajo

Adler hizo demasiados enemigos a lo largo de los años. KGB, Viet Cong, traficantes, dictadores derrocados… cualquiera pudo haber querido vengarse de él.

Su familia era su punto débil, y alguien lo supo. Un ataque dirigido a su esposa e hijos habría sido un mensaje claro: "no eres intocable".

Si esto pasó, Adler probablemente se siente culpable, porque sabe que fue su culpa. Su trabajo, su vida, atrajo el peligro hasta ellos.

2. Murieron en un ataque que él no pudo prevenir

Tal vez estaban en un país extranjero bajo protección de la CIA y hubo un ataque que salió mal.

Quizás un atentado, una explosión o un tiroteo los tomó por sorpresa.

Si este fue el caso, Adler estaba lejos cuando sucedió. No pudo hacer nada. Solo recibió la noticia demasiado tarde.

La impotencia de no haber estado ahí lo habría destrozado.

3. Un "accidente" que nunca quedó claro

Puede que oficialmente la CIA lo haya clasificado como un "accidente". Pero Adler sabe que no fue casualidad.

Quizás hubo un encubrimiento, quizás nunca encontró a los responsables. Eso lo consumiría aún más.

El divorcio: el punto de quiebre final

Cuando sus hijos murieron, su esposa nunca lo perdonó.

Tal vez lo culpó directamente.

"Si no hubieras estado en la CIA, esto nunca habría pasado."

"Sabías que estábamos en peligro, pero nunca nos protegiste lo suficiente."

"Preferiste tu trabajo a tu familia, y ahora estamos pagando el precio."

O tal vez no lo culpó directamente, pero el dolor fue demasiado grande.

No importaba cuánto se amaran, el peso de la tragedia era insoportable.

Ambos se convirtieron en sombras de lo que fueron.

Cada vez que se miraban, solo veían el recuerdo de lo que perdieron.

Adler probablemente reaccionó hundiéndose en su trabajo.

No enfrentó su duelo. Se tiró de lleno a más misiones, más guerra, más adrenalina.

Su esposa lo vio alejarse hasta volverse irreconocible.

¿Qué tipo de hombre quedó después de eso?

El Adler de los 80 y 90 es un hombre sin raíces.

No tiene familia. No tiene hogar. No tiene más propósito que la guerra y las misiones.

Está atrapado en un círculo de autodestrucción.

Pero, sobre todo, nunca se permitió llorar.

Por eso no lo menciona. Por eso nunca habla de sus hijos. Porque si lo hiciera, todo su control se desmoronaría.

Lo único que no me cuadra es...si sus hijos murieron por cualquiera de estas causas, haya sido lo que haya sido, ¿por qué Adler no buscó venganza? Si el tipo es imparable...¿por qué sólo autodestruirse?

si sus hijos murieron y él no buscó venganza, algo muy jodido tuvo que haber pasado.

Las razones más probables:

1. Porque nunca supo quién fue el responsable

Si el ataque fue planeado, es posible que la persona o el grupo detrás de ello nunca dejó rastro.

Si la CIA encubrió lo que pasó, Adler pudo haber recibido versiones manipuladas de los hechos.

Si fue un atentado encubierto, tal vez los responsables fueron eliminados antes de que él pudiera encontrarlos.

Si fue un asesinato calculado, tal vez los culpables eran figuras demasiado protegidas para que él pudiera alcanzarlas.

Si nunca supo con certeza quién lo hizo, no podía vengarse. Y eso lo volvería loco.

El no saber, el estar en la oscuridad, sería peor que cualquier otra cosa. Lo dejaría sin dirección, sin un enemigo claro al que matar. Y en vez de enfocarse en la venganza, terminaría consumiéndose en su propia desesperación.

2. Porque ya se había vengado... pero no le trajo paz

Otra posibilidad es que sí encontró a los responsables y los mató, pero no le sirvió de nada.

Quizás fue algo frío y calculado, una cacería donde eliminar a los culpables se sintió vacío.

Quizás pensó que al matarlos encontraría alivio, pero la verdad es que sus hijos seguían muertos.

Cuando tu única razón para la venganza es traer de vuelta a los muertos, nunca hay satisfacción.

Si esto pasó, fue la gota que lo terminó de romper.

3. Porque fue una traición interna

Este escenario es jodido, pero podría ser que su propia gente—la CIA—estuvo involucrada.

Quizás su familia quedó expuesta porque alguien en la CIA decidió que no valía la pena protegerlos.

Quizás la CIA encubrió la verdad para proteger su propia reputación.

Si Adler se enteró de esto, sabía que enfrentarse a la CIA no lo llevaría a nada.

Esto explicaría su resentimiento hacia la agencia.

No es solo amargura por el tiempo que le dieron en servicio.

Es rabia contenida, impotencia de saber que lo traicionaron de la peor forma.

En este caso, la autodestrucción no es solo por el dolor, sino porque no puede hacer justicia.

4. Porque en el fondo se culpa a sí mismo

Independientemente de quién fue el responsable, Adler probablemente siente que la muerte de sus hijos fue su culpa.

"Si no hubiera estado en la CIA, esto nunca habría pasado."

"Si los hubiera protegido mejor, todavía estarían vivos."

"Si no los hubiera dejado solos, no los habrían matado."

Tal vez hasta su ex esposa le dijo algo que lo destruyó:

"Fuiste un soldado imparable en todas partes del mundo... pero fallaste en lo único que realmente importaba."

Si él cree que la culpa es suya, entonces su castigo no es la venganza, sino su propio sufrimiento.

Por eso no busca justicia. Porque en su mente, el verdadero responsable es él.

En honor, y adelantado, por y para: @mypetitelune Espero te guste.

[marcsburnerphone]

Orange peel theory

John price x F!reader

Warnings: none

——-

You and John were relaxing in the sun room during mid day just enjoying each other’s company as the summer breeze swept through the net door. You admired him for a second, strong arms being slightly strangled by the tee shirt he wore, silly little bucket hat on his head, all muscle and man yet very john.

He was reading through some book with specific annotations gaz had given him weeks prior. Just then as you sat in your thoughts you noticed the bowl of clementines and nectarines sitting on the small coffee table and then you remembered the online trend you’d seen not too long ago about the gesture of someone peeling an orange for their loved one had greater meaning below the surface of the thought.

“These look good.” You say softly as you grab a ripe orange from the bowl.

“Hmm darling?” He says looking up before noticing the vibrant orange fruit in your hand.

“Oh yeah they are, I actually had one this morning.” He says gazing at you briefly then back to the book.

“I just don’t care for the brines under my nails you know.” You say smiling foolishly at the thought of doing this.

“Really I actually like it, the smell of citrus that is, the way it lingers” He says giving you a warm smile.

“The stickiness on my hands just bothers me, it looks really good though.” You say looking longingly at the fruit.

He sets the book on his chest and reaches a hand out from the sofa he lays on urging you to hand it to him.

“Give it here, I'll peel it for you.” You smile and hesitate to put it in his hands.

“Are you sure my love you really don’t have too?” You say batting your lashes at him.

“If you want it, I want to give it to you.” He says reaching further to pluck it from your hands and beginning to peel it.

You smile with a small giggle and get up to make your short way to him.

“What?” He says lightly, giving you the same smile throwing the rinds he’s peeled off in the bin beside him.

You straddle his waist as he lays beneath you, peeled orange in palm.

“You’ve passed the orange peel theory test.” He looks at you puzzled.

“The orange peel theory test? My darling what have you got going on now?”

“Supposedly if someone you love peels your orange for you without you outwardly asking, it's a form of showing love.” You say the last couple words mere inches from his mouth which he extends upward to connect your soft lips to his own.

When you pull away he offers the orange up to you.

“You better eat this damn orange my darling.” He jokes grabbing at your waist when you grab it from him peeling a slice from it to eat.

————-

The idea of someone peeling an orange for me makes me swoon, it's the simple things in life.

Comments and reboots are appreciated.

[castlingvanias]

those "game hector is a gigachad alpha male" memes unironically hurt people's perception of curse of darkness as a story more than how he is treated in the show

like yall know hector in the games is also an abuse victim right?

you know the real reason why the way hector's treated in the show is so insulting isn't because "hector is less masculine alpha" but because it shat on the game's original themes of gaining your own agency and independence after years of abuse by having hector fell in love with his abuser and never truly realizing he deserved better by himself right?

it genuinely piss me off that people ignore that cod is also an abuse narrative and the show sanding Dracula's edges made ppl forget how genuinely awful he is

[forestshadow-wolf]

Soap hates when his foods mix. He won't say anything if someone gets him food and just lumps it all together, he just... won't eat it. He'll pick at it, push it around, maybe pop a piece into his mouth.

He's been like that since he was a kid, used to get in a lot of trouble for it. Always the "picky eater" when really he's usually willing to try just about anything.

On many occasions soap has forgone lunch because everything got lumped together. Nobody really notices since he never says anything.

But ghost notices. It's his thing to notice the things that other people don't.

At first he couldn't figure it out. There was on pattern, and no decernible rhyme or reason to it. Just some days soap would eat, some days he would. It wasn't even that he'd have had a bad day. Sometimes it was 3 days in a row without lunch or 3 weeks of consistent lunches.

It was only months later that ghost finally figured it out. Months of watching him closely. Finally ghost realized, after watching soap receive chicken tenders and mash potatoes next to each other one day, and on top of each other another.

From from then on when ghost noticed soap skip lunch he made sure to bring soap something he would eat. Ghost brought it up the first time. Soap explained with a sheepish laugh, saying it was a bit embarrassing, ghost assure him it wasn't. After that soap usually have ghost his unwanted food. Sometimes ghost would do the work of separating his food items for him if there was time, it was the least he could do since soap pealed his peaches for him without complaint.

[hollowmem]

Two soumlates

GN!Reader x Johhny "Soap" MacTavish x John Price

I decided to take on a 2 week challange that may or may not extent to a month, we will see. I will be posting everyday, a new story with a prompt I will get for that day

Day 10: Red string of fate but with two soulmates instead of 1

The briefing room smelled faintly of coffee and gun oil. They stood at attention just inside the doorway, shoulders squared, heart hammering hard enough that they were sure it could be heard. The gloves on their hands felt too tight and their uniform sleeves too stiff.

They had been through hell to get here. Now, they were standing in front of the most legendary unit in the military — Task Force 141.

Captain John Price leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a critical but not unkind look in his sharp eyes. Beside him, Sergeant John "Soap" MacTavish grinned wide enough almost to look mischievous, but there was a spark of curiosity there too.

"New blood?" Soap asked, tilting his head.

"New operator," Price corrected, voice low and steady. He turned his gaze on them, assessing — not harsh, but careful. Measuring.

"They’ve been assigned to us. Impressive record." He nodded once, a slight sign of approval. "We’ll expect nothing less here."

They nodded, keeping their expression neutral, professional. "Understood, sir."

Price stood, offering his hand — and for a moment, they froze. Gloves.

They always wore them. It had become a habit long before today — before they stopped believing in the old stories about fate, red strings, soulmates. Myths, they thought. Fairy tales for people who couldn’t accept being alone.

They shook his hand firmly, relieved that he didn’t seem to notice the way their fingers tensed. Soap stepped forward next, slapping a hand on their shoulder with a friendly grin.

"Welcome to the madhouse," he joked. "Hope you’re ready."

They managed a small smile. "I’ll manage."

Price smirked slightly at that as if he liked the answer.

"Good. You’re dismissed for now. Gear up — we move out at 0600." As they turned to leave, they caught a brief glimpse of Soap tugging off one of his gloves absentmindedly, fingers flexing. They quickly looked away, heart squeezing tight in their chest for reasons they didn’t want to name.

No use looking for strings. No point in hoping for things that weren’t real.

They shoved their hands deeper into their pockets and kept walking.

The first mission had been a blur of gunfire and flashing lights, the usual chaos of a field operation.

Task Force 141 moved like clockwork, their teamwork so fluid that it almost felt rehearsed. But, for all the precision and experience of the team, nothing could have prepared them for the unexpected. Nothing could have prepared them for what would happen when the mission went sideways.

They had been sweeping through a warehouse on the outskirts of a hostile city, clearing rooms and securing intel. Soap, as always, was the first to kick the door open, charging forward with his usual bravado.

But in the chaos of clearing the room, Soap's foot slipped just slightly — a moment of carelessness, an instinctual lunge — and in that instant, everything shifted. They barely had time to react.

One of the enemy combatants, a figure hidden in the shadows, fired a shot. The bullet went through them — enough to send them crashing to the ground, vision blurring as their body hit the cold concrete floor.

Pain shot through them as they gasped for air, eyes wide in panic. Soap’s voice cut through the haze.

"Shit! Stay with me, Y/n!" He was at their side instantly, his hands already working to stop the bleeding, but the world around them was spinning.

Price’s voice came through the comms, steady, commanding. "Soap, get them out of there. Now."

Soap’s eyes were frantic, his hands moving in a blur as he carefully helped them onto their feet, supporting their weight as they staggered. But then, in an act of panic, his gloved hand brushed against theirs — the contact was brief, barely even noticed, but to Soap, it felt… different.

A pull. Something subtle, yet undeniable. He glanced towards their pinkie, where the red string should be but he stopped himself.

But there was no time.

The battle raged around them, the sound of gunfire still echoing through the building as they were moved to safety. Soap didn’t care about the string right now. He just cared about them. About getting them back to base, where they could be fixed.

The next few hours were a blur of pain and exhaustion. The medbay was sterile and quiet, the hum of machines providing a cold backdrop to the aftermath of the mission.

Soap sat at their bedside, hands restless as he watched them, waiting. His own thoughts were a mess, something gnawing at the back of his mind.

Price had been the one to give the orders to rush them to safety, but now, even Price couldn’t mask the concern etched in his expression. He stood by the door, silent and observant as Soap fidgeted with his gloves.

The air was thick with the unsaid.

Finally, Soap couldn’t hold back anymore. He stood, pacing for a moment, before turning to Price, his voice low but urgent.

“Price,” Soap started, his voice tight, “I—I think there’s something… I think they’re my soulmate.”

Price turned to him sharply, eyebrow raised.

Soap's words came out in a rush, the frustration and confusion clear in his tone. “I— I felt something earlier. When I helped them up after the hit. A pull. A tug. I don’t know what it was, but it didn’t feel like an accident, Price.”

Price’s expression was unreadable. He watched Soap carefully, then glanced back to the Y/n, who was still unconscious on the bed. He let out a breath, his gaze flicking back to Soap. “Think you might be right, son. You’re not the only one who noticed something.”

Soap froze, confusion clouding his features. “What do you mean?” Price didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he nodded towards the bed. “Wait until they’re awake. You’re not the only one here feeling something odd.”

After a while, their eyes flickered open slowly, the sterile white lights blinding at first. The pain in their chest was still there, still persistent. Soap was at their bedside instantly, his hands restless as he watched them, waiting. His voice was gentle.

"Hey, easy there," he murmured, his tone low and concerned. "You're alright. You're safe."

They blinked, the world coming into focus as Soap’s face came into view.

"What… what happened?" They asked weakly, trying to sit up but wincing in pain.

"You got hit," Soap replied, the worry in his eyes almost palpable. "But don’t worry. You’re gonna be fine. Just take it easy."

As they looked around, their eyes caught Price standing at the door, leaning against the frame, arms crossed. There was something in his gaze — something unreadable.

"How are you feeling?" Price asked, his voice even but laced with something else. Was it concern? Something more? They swallowed, trying to push through the fog in their mind. "I’m okay," they muttered. "Just… just a little dizzy."

A long silence passed before Soap stepped forward, his voice low, his hand moving to the side of their bed. "Listen, I have to ask something," Soap said, trying to steady his nerves. "Can you… can you see the string?"

They blinked, confused. "What?"

Soap’s voice was almost quiet as he asked, "Can you see the red string on my pinkie?"

They furrowed their brows in confusion, the question strange in the moment. But then Soap moved his hand up where his string was. They lifted their gaze slowly to Soap’s pinkie — and there it was, a red thread that shimmered faintly.

And then, as if the world wasn’t already strange enough, they turned to Price. He had his arms crossed, but they could see it. Price’s pinkie was adorned with the same red thread. A wave of disbelief hit them all at once, and they stared at their hands, then at each other. There was no hiding it now.

For a long moment, none of them said anything. They just stared — at the faint threads that connected them, at the way the strings didn’t just stretch between two people… but three.

Price was the first to move, shifting his stance slightly, a deep frown cutting into his features.

"This… isn't supposed to happen," he said lowly, almost to himself. Soap let out a breath that was half a laugh, half a gasp of disbelief. "No shit, mate" he muttered, shaking his head like he was trying to clear it. He looked at Y/n again — wounded, still pale, but their eyes were sharp now, sharp and full of the same raw confusion he felt.

They swallowed thickly, voice rough. "I thought—" they started, then stopped, gathering their words. "I thought it was only supposed to be two people. One string. One bond."

Price dragged a hand down his face, exhaling slow and heavy. His gaze was steady when he looked at them both, though there was something wounded deep behind it.

"Some things in life don't follow the rules," he said simply.

"Bloody hell…" Soap muttered, pacing again. "I used to think… if it ever happened — if the string was real — it’d be simple. Just me and one other person. Not… not this." He motioned helplessly between the three of them. "Not… all of us.

Y/n gave a little hollow laugh that hitched in their throat. "Same." Another beat of silence. The tension in the room was thick — but underneath it was something new. Something fragile, and terrifying, and real.

Price moved first, stepping forward and lowering himself carefully into the chair on the opposite side of the bed from Soap. His movements were slow and deliberate, like he was afraid he might spook them all if he moved too fast.

"I don’t know how this happened," he said, voice low. "I don’t know why. But… it's real. You feel it too, don't you?"

Y/n hesitated… then nodded. The tugging sensation of belonging was impossible to ignore now that they were aware of it. It was there, even now, tugging gently at their heart, binding them to the two men who sat by their side.

Soap let out a long, shuddering breath. "Fuck," he said under his breath, looking up at the ceiling like he was asking the universe for answers. "So what now? We just… what, accept it? Pretend it doesn't change anything?"

"No pretending," Price said, voice firm. "Not here. Not with this." He leaned forward slightly, elbows braced on his knees, locking eyes with them — first Y/n, then Soap.

"This changes everything," he admitted. "But it doesn't have to be a weakness. Not if we trust each other."

Soap barked a dry laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Trust, right. That’s easy for you to say, old man. You’re good at keepin' your head on straight."

Price smirked slightly, a rare thing — soft, almost fond. "You'll manage, Johnny."

Y/n closed their eyes for a second, trying to slow the frantic beating of their heart. "I… I never thought it could mean more than one person." Their voice was rough around the edges, raw with something they didn’t know how to name.

"Neither did we," Price said immediately, steady as ever. "But that doesn’t change what it is. It’s real." He gave a small nod, like he was reassuring not just them, but himself too. "And we’ll figure it out how to navigate it. Together."

Soap finally sat down, almost like his knees had given out. "You’re stuck with us now, bonnie," he said, with a tired smile that didn’t hide the thick emotion in his voice. "Hope you’re ready for a whole lot of trouble."

Y/n let out a breathless laugh, the first real one since the mission. It hurt — but it also felt good.

"I think," they said, voice trembling but steady, "I've been looking for trouble my whole life."

Price leaned back, studying them both — and for the first time, there was no distance in his gaze. No walls.

"Then it looks like you finally found the right place," he said. And somehow, for the first time in a long time, the cold, sterile med bay didn’t feel so cold anymore.

[bryce-711]

i drew up :(

yea. 😁

im , I'm jus gonna add everyone in the tag... 🐟...

[machveil]

insanity part two - I already did this for Simon “Ghost” Riley, trying to figure out König’s birth year and possibly headcanon an age for him

König volunteered for service at 17 (year N/A)

König joined KorTac in 2022 - side note: oh my god?? 2022?

well, knowing König joined KorTac in 2022, subtracting from the only given age we have, König volunteered for service in 2005

subtracting his age from the year he joined service (2005-17), König was born in 1988 - present day (2024) that would make König 36 years old

thanks for watching me do math, also I can’t get over how he literally joined KorTac in 2022 like hello?? lol