So, this is a little bit longer than most I have done so far. It has lots of emotion in it, and an apology, so be happy! Thank you for reading this far!
Roach didn't know where he was going. He just knew he was running. The area around the warehouse had some light tree cover, so that is where Roach went. He kept dodging bark and trunks, panting in rage, and sometimes, sadness. Once he got to the middle of rather thick cover, he shimmied up on of the thickest and tallest trees, settling himself on one of the high branches. He was confused and angry. He had thought Ghost was like an idol, a hero he looked up to. Every time they went on recon together, Roach noticed the bravery and strong willed way that Ghost plunged into the fray, not worried about his safety, only because he trusted himself. Roach had thought that grinning skull practically shitted self-confidence, and the mask was something to strike fear into others, not hide the scars that Ghost didn't want to face. He let his back rest against the trunk, and rested there for a moment, panting with emotions. He felt like a child running away from his problems, but until this point he had followed Ghost in what he did. What could he do now? He drew a breath in, and closed his eyes. He wanted to think.
It wasn't long that Roach was alone before he heard the crashing footsteps. He heard a familiar voice calling his name, and to his relief, it wasn't Ghost. "Roach, where are you? I know you went this way. It's me, Archer!" Roach waited until the man came into the clearing just below the tree before he called attention to himself. He broke off a branch and dropped it down, watching Archer jump as it hit the ground heavily inches from him. This got a smile from Roach as Archer looked up into the tree. "Roach, come down, please!" Sighing, Roach slid down the tree. "What is it?" He asked the sniper. Archer slung his arm around Roaches shoulder. "Listen, kid, I know he was like an idol to you. I looked up to him too. It was a surprise to us, and I know how you feel. But we can't all run from our troubles. We have to face them and get over them. Besides, the chopper will be here soon. We don't want to miss our only ride back." Roach nodded, as he knew what Archer said was true. They began to walk back to where the chopper would be, and Roach heard himself burst out. "I just can't believe it! He always was so brave!" Archer frowned, and Roach listened closely to his words. "Listen, please, Roach, get this straight. I am extremely pissed at him for being a coward like he is, but that doesn't mean he isn't brave. Does the fact that he hides his face from the world undo the things he has done? Does it undo the brave tasks he has gone through and the battles he has fought? No. I know you are upset, but don't beat him up too much, okay?" Roach nodded, taking a deep breath as the trees thinned.
Ghost walked towards the helicopter that had just landed, and was following after Toad and Worm, who were carrying Rook. He had his face tilted down, but brought it up just in time to see Archer and Roach walking in from the tree line. He let his face drop down again as he clambered into the metal beast, trying to avoid all the glances he was getting. Once Roach finally crawled in, Ghost tried to watch the scenery around them they had around them as they took off. Toad was the one closest to him at this point, but he was still a considerable distance. Ghost tried to bite back a scream of exasperation. He wasn't a different man! He wanted to tell them he was sorry, but he knew somehow that whatever he said wouldn't change anything. They had marked him as a coward and weren't going to take it back.
Roach tried to avoid looking at Ghost for the whole twenty minute ride back to base. He didn't want to look at the man again, but somehow he felt his eyes drawn in that direction. Ghost was sitting, hunched and alone, on the other side of the chopper. Roach only caught his face once, and it was a miserable broken mess. For a moment, Roach wanted to say something, but then took it back. He didn't want to talk to the coward.
The chopper landed on the helipad at base, Archer and Worm helping unload Rook, while Toad dealt with the weapons. Roach simply shot Ghost a frustrated look and slid out. Ghost felt his face, fingers tracing gently over the scars that were engraved there. He had to prove to them he was not a coward. He had to show them he was the same man without a mask that he was with one. He stepped out of the chopper, his booted feet hitting the hard packed dirt. He walked to the mess hall, and on the way there, he bumped into Ozone. The man looked at him with confusion on his face. "Who the hell are you?" Ghost swallowed, and spoke. "It's me" Ozone took a step back. "Hell, Ghost, that really you? You shitting me or something?" Ghost glowered at him, trying to maintain his usual effect on the men, but it failed. "Yeah, it's me. What it to you?" Ozone backed up a bit, the look in his eyes accusatory. "Nothing." And with that, Ozone walked away quickly, as if something was on his tail. Ghost sighed. That went well. He thought to himself. If a laid back man like Ozone had that reaction, he could only dream of the others. Ghost stormed away to the barracks, thankfully not bumping into anyone else. Ghost climbed onto his top bunk, and acted like a child, jamming his face into his pillow, trying not to cry.
Roach stormed off to MacTavish's office, and knocked once. He heard the captain's gruff voice "Come in" and Roach did. The captain must have seen the look on Roach's face right away, as he immediately asked "What wrong? What happened?" Roach swallowed. "Rescue went according to plan, sir. Rook was shot, but is in the infirmary now. Worm is fine, and Ghost was on the verge of torture, but we escaped with him only getting a cut on his cheek." As Roach said this, MacTavish raised an eyebrow. "His cheek?" Roach swallowed. "Yes sir, his cheek. And, no disrespect sir, but why didn't you tell us that Ghost is a fucking coward?" Roach watched as MacTavish leaned forward, putting his elbows on the desk. "And why do you say that, Roach?" Roach felt his brow furrow. He stopped speaking in such a formal tone out of anger. "His face. His fucking mask, that's what. It came off when he was tortured, and now we see his face. He wore it because of his scars. He was acting like the tough guy, the hero, the one I wanted to look up to, and now I find the whole time he has been shitting us. A coward hiding his face behind a skull. I looked up to him, and now I know it was all an act." MacTavish looked at him with a hard glare. "Now, Roach" he began coldly. "I am going to pretend you never said any of that. For your information, he was never a coward and will never be one. He is still the same man without his mask as he is with one. Now, get out of my sight." Roach did, making sure to slam the door behind him.
Ghost sat on his bunk, his face ground into the pillow. Somewhere deep inside, he might have been trying to stop breathing, but the thin cotton didn't allow for it. He heard a banging sound, and then MacTavish's voice. "Ghost, I know you're in there. Open this door! That's an order!" Ghost groaned, pulling himself out of bed and to the door. He swung the door open, glowering. "What do you want? Come here to make fun of me too?" MacTavish returned his glare, stepping into the room and closing the door. "Ghost, what happened? Why the fuck are you breaking down all of a sudden? You aren't acting like the man I know you are." Ghost scowled. "What man am I? A coward who hides his face?" MacTavish reached out and slapped his face. Ghost didn't see it coming, and he didn't know how to react. "Simon, pull yourself together! You did wear that to hide your face, and you fucking know it! But that doesn't make you a coward. I know you. You are the first into battle, the first to sight the enemy. You are the one that runs out of ammo first because you are out there saving our asses. You are not a coward, but a man full of courage, and you can't wallow in here." Ghost felt a shock at his core, to actually hear his captain, and friend say such a thing. "Night is almost here, so I will allow you to stay in here. Prepare yourself for the day tomorrow. And get ready for Roach. He is pretty upset. I expect to see you running those men in the pit at 06 hours. Understand?" Ghost nodded. He knew the captain was right. He just stood there as the man walked out of the room.
Roach walked to the infirmary and entered the room that Alison was in. She let out a small sound of surprise when he walked in. "Hey, knock!" He smiled a weak smile. She looked at him. "What's wrong?" he heard her ask. He figured that it was fine to tell her. "You know the other guy with the skull mask? Ghost?" She nodded, speaking. "Yeah, he's freaking scary! The whole mask and shade get up is freaky, and he is killer tall and strong. Oh, and if I can, I would like to talk to him for a bit." Roach looked at her, surprised. "Why?" She shrugged. "I wouldn't think that you would ask that. I thought you would know. He saved my life. No matter how much he freaks me out, I want to thank him. I thanked that other guy, Meat, earlier, when he came to talk to me." Roach sighed. "Well, the thing is, no one has ever seen his face. Ever" She looked at him with wide eyes. "Ever?" He confirmed with a nod. "Ever. But today, on the mission, we found him being tortured." Alison let out a gasp, and he regretted saying that. Was she ready to hear something like this? But he heard her ask a question full of concern. "Is he okay?" He grin-grimaced. "Yeah, but they cut his cheek. To get his cheek, the mask came off. His face is a mass of scars, and that's why he hid it. A coward to hide from showing us his face." To his surprise, she looked at him with angry eyes. "Why do you say he's a coward? Why isn't it okay to hide his face?"
Roach sighed. He knew she wouldn't understand. "You wouldn't understand." He murmured. She crossed her arms, Roach noting the IV was gone now. "I have heard you talk about him a lot in the little over a day I have known you. You thought he was brave, and monster brave at that. You looked up to him. Now, just because he didn't show you his scars, you run?" Roach looked at her, shell shocked. How could she say, much less understand stuff like this? He was about to speak, but she started up again. "No, don't speak. You thought he was your friend, and just because he has some scars, you run? Maybe that's why he wore it in the first place. So cowards like you wouldn't run from him. Maybe, they are personal and painful, so he doesn't want to be reminded of them. You are a freaking judgmental jerk for labeling him like that. I would have thought you were different!"
Roach was stunned. He wouldn't have wanted to think of it like that! Maybe she was right, in a way. Maybe he hid it so people like him wouldn't want to react. Roach cleared his throat. "So, you think he wore it for the rest of us, rather than himself?" Alison nodded. "What do you think? You don't think he is the kind of guy to run from his troubles, so he probably isn't. Maybe those scars are something he wants to forget, and that mask or whatever helps him." Roach stoked his chin, deep in thought. What if what a little girl, who knew nothing about him or Ghost, really, was right? He wondered for a moment if what she had said was as really as obvious as it seemed. He hoped it wasn't, because he needed to talk to Ghost. Maybe apologize.
True to Roaches thoughts, a few moments later, Alison piped up again. "You are going to apologize, right?" He looked at her, and she had a glowering accusatory look in her eyes. He held up his hands in defeat. "Fine. I'll apologize." He grumbled. It didn't help when he was getting told what to do by a thirteen year old. He got up. "So, I'll go find Ghost, apologize, and send him down here so you can thank him. How does that sound?" Alison looked at the clock on the wall. "I don't know. It's getting pretty late. Maybe tomorrow?" Roach should have known that she, as a kid, would need some more sleep than the rest of them. While it was relatively early for Roach, he had had almost a year now of staying up till midnight with drinking and poker only to wake up the next morning five hours later. He smiled. "Sure, no problem. So, see you tomorrow then?" She nodded, and he walked out, closing the door with a gentle click. Roach took a breath and leaned his back up against the wall, putting the palms of his hands over his eyes and sitting there, thinking. He knew what he had to do, and he knew Alison was right. He had to apologize.
Roach worked his way to the barracks, taking some congratulations on the mission, and finally arrived at the door to his and Ghost's room. He grabbed the handle, to find that it was locked. He wiggled it a little, then knocked on the door. No answer. Roach went to pounding on the door, yelling as best he could. "Ghost, listen, open up! I need to talk to you, and get some sleep!" He waited a moment, hoping the door would open. It stayed sealed shut. Roach slammed his fist onto the door. "Open up, God dammit! I want to apologize! Come on, man!" Roach ran a hand through his messy hair, praying that the door would open. It didn't. Anger came up inside of him again, a feeling he was not accustomed to yet had happened often lately. "Ghost, you can't hide in there forever!" And with that, and a well-placed kick, the door flew open.
Roach stormed in, his eyes flying to the top bunk. Ghost was there, head jammed under a pillow. Roach reached up and grabbed it, pulling it away from Ghost. This was a move he never normally would have tried, but today he was desperate. Had it been a normal day, grabbing that pillow would have been saying you have a death wish. Today, all that happened was Ghost growled through the mattress "give that back, bug" Roach threw the pillow on his own bed. Ghost jumped up in his bed, showing his face, an angry mask. "You want to talk, huh?" The older man yelled. Roach opened his mouth, but Ghost wasn't done yet. "You came here to insult me, didn't you? Call me a coward for covering my face? Well, look at it! I'm not hiding any fucking longer! Are you happy?"
Roach was scared. He had seen Ghost angry, furious, even. But never as upset as he was right now. Ghost swung his legs over the edge of the bunk and put his head in his hands. Roach backed away slowly, placing his hand on the door. "Wait" Roach turned around, his body tense. Ghost spoke again, but this time, in a voice of sheer exhaustion. "Listen, bug. I didn't know you looked up to me. I was stupid enough not to see that. I know I let you down. I'm sorry." Roach stood still. He swallowed, unsure of how to respond., When he found the right words, they wouldn't stop coming. "No, I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to call you a coward. I just assumed you wore that to make us scared. When I saw your scars, I saw nothing but my idol falling to his knees in front of me. I'll admit it; I lost it. When Archer found me and I told him what I thought, he reminded me your mask coming off doesn't undo the things you have done. It doesn't change you. But I was still angry. Then I talked to that girl. I told her the same thing, and she got angry too. She shot me with the logic that Archer did, and maybe the fact that you weren't hiding yourself. I reacted the way I did when I saw the, Maybe you covered them for people like me who are the real cowards."
Roach drew in a deep breath, unbelieving that he had just admitted all of that. What was this, share our feelings in kindergarten? To Roach's relief, Ghost didn't snap. Instead, the man raised his scarred face. It wasn't smiling. Well, it wasn't frowning either. It was a look of plain indifference. "Roach, you are right. I was afraid to let people see my face. I was afraid they would run away, or ask questions that would bring up memories I prefer to have hidden. Now, it's just coming back to hurt me. Roach smiled. "Naw, I would say you are scarier without it." Ghost glowered at him briefly, but broke into a small smile. Roach had never seen him smile. It was odd, but not unpleasant or unwelcome. Ghost looked at him, asking in a quiet tone. "So, now that we have this sorted out, can I trust you have me back?" Roach shrugged. "Never didn't."
Roach turned to the door, and started to open it. Ghost called to him one last time. "Yeah?" Ghost looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Not that I'm not glad we got that over with, but please promise me we won't have to go through this heart to heart shit again unless it is a matter of life or death? You know what, never mind. Just, never again, okay?" Roach smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it." And then, he exited the room.