GhostRoach

GhostRoach is the slash ship between Simon “Ghost” Riley and Gary “Roach” Sanderson from the Call of Duty fandom.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
In 2016, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley and Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson are teamed with Captain John “Soap” MacTavish. Following the death of new teammate Private First Class Joseph Allen, they travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to investigate an alleged contact of Makarov, the man who killed Allen, Alejandro Rojas. Due to Allen’s death, Russia initiates an attack on American soil, believing Makarov’s terrorist attack was an American-supported attack, due to Allen being American. They locate and subdue Rojas’ assistant, with Ghost staying back to interrogate the man. A short time later, he gets the location of Rojas and informs Roach. Roach is further ahead when he gets the call, leading to Soap telling him there’s no time for back up and that he’s going to have to do it on his own. Roach reaches his intersect of Rojas as Ghost and Soap follow from their end. Ghost and Roach watch as Soap crashes into Rojas, tackling him out of a two story building, landing on a parked car.

Upon torturing Rojas, he tells the team the only person Makarov hates more than Americans is locked up in a Russian gulag – Prisoner #6-2-7. As the team decides to get the person in the gulag, they’re pursued by the Brazilian Militia, actively trying to kill them. A radio for an exfil is made and as Ghost and Roach are jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Roach misses a jump. He falls and struggles to gain his bearings as more militia fill the streets, heading straight for him. From the exfil helicopter, Ghost calls out to him and warns him how he can see an incoming group of the militia coming for him. Roach picks himself up and begins running and evading enemies. Through guidance, Roach reaches the rooftops and manages to jump for the helicopter and climb the ladder.

In order to retrieve Prisoner #6-2-7 from the Russian gulag, Ghost, Roach and team take a small submarine ride to an oil rig. After disabling SAM sites, they ride to the gulag. They navigate their way through the prison and come to a point where Ghost separates from the team and stays back to hack from the prison’s control room, opening cells and cell doors. With his assistance, they’re able to locate the prisoner, who is fellow man Captain John Price, previously captured during Operation Kingfish. The prison begins to shake as the Navy has resumed their bombardment. The team run to avoid falling debris and find an escape, Ghost finding his own means of escape. The team is rescued and hoisted into the air as the gulag explodes and burns beneath them.

Following the rescue of Price, the team carries out a plan to end the war in the United States. They need to secure a route to a docked submarine at the Rybachiy naval base, which is located near Petropavlovsk, Russia. Roach and Price partner up and meet up with Ghost and the rest of the team. Price leaves to head for the submarine, asking Ghost and Roach to cover him from the guardhouse. Ghost tells Roach to follow him and the two take up positions of defensive. As they defend the guardhouse, the silo doors on the submarine open and a nuclear missile launches.

Knowing Makarov is hiding in one of two places, Shepherd sends the team to both locations to eliminate him. While Soap and Price go to the Boneyard in Afghanistan, Ghost and Roach head to a safehouse on the Georgian-Russian border. Before the mission is set to begin, Ghost requests to be partnered with Roach, which is granted by Price. Ghost, Roach and their team reach the safehouse, only to be ambushed. Roach barely survives, but they press forward. Upon clearing the safehouse, they gather intel from Makarov’s computer, where Roach sets up a DSM to download the information while still evading off Makarov’s forces. With the download complete, Ghost yells for Roach to follow him to the LZ, where Shepherd is.

As Ghost and Roach are heading for Shepherd’s location, Roach is struck by a mortar attack. Ghost yells he has Roach and for him to hang on. He helps Roach stand up while telling him to get up and that they’re almost out of there. Too injured to walk on his own, Ghost wraps an arm around Roach, steading him as they continue toward Shepherd. Shepherd’s helicopter lands, with him asking if they have the DSM, Ghost confirming they do. Shepherd immediately shoots Roach, with him falling to the ground. Ghost turns to try to catch him while screaming “no”. As Roach hits the ground, Ghost turns back to shoot Shepherd, though Shepherd is quicker and shoots Ghost as well. Shepherd gestures for a couple operatives of the Shadow Company to come in and dispose of their bodies. Roach, still alive, though too injured to fight back is thrown into a shallow pit, with Ghost’s body being thrown in next to him moments later. Through Ghost’s radio, Price’s voice is heard trying to warn them of Shepherd’s betrayal. Gasoline is poured over Ghost and Roach, before Shepherd tosses his cigar onto their bodies, setting them alight.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)

 * Ghost warns Roach of the impending Brazilian Militia heading his way.
 * Ghost requests to be partnered with Roach.
 * Ghost helps an injured Roach walk.
 * After Roach is shot by Shepherd, Ghost tries to shoot Shepherd in retaliation.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
"Roach! We can see them from the chopper! They’re coming for you! Dozens of ‘em!"

- Ghost, warning Roach of the impending Brazilian Militia heading his way.

"Roach! You’re gonna get hit by a mortar! Lose ‘em in the smoke! Go, go, go!"

- Ghost warning Roach, if Roach stands in the field too long.

"I’ve got you, Roach! Hang on! […] Roach! Hang in there! Come on, get up! Get up! Get up! We’re almost there!"

- Ghost, helping an injured Roach walk.

"NO!!"

- Ghost, upon seeing Roach get shot by Shepherd.

Fanon
is a popular ship within the Call of Duty fandom. During the original run of the Modern Warfare sub-series (2007-2011), it gained traction for how well Ghost and Roach worked together, but primarily for how they died together. Following the 2019 reboot of the Modern Warfare series, more specifically the 2022 game, new life has been breathed into the ship even though Roach does not appear in that game. Ghost is a main character and fans were quick express their disappointment in Roach being absent. However since Roach is absent and Ghost lives, fans are hopeful for them to be reunited in the next installment. Fans are also noticeably happy that both Ghost and Roach are alive in this reboot, or rather they believe Roach is alive.

Those who ship often portray Ghost and Roach finding love on the battlefield. Due to Roach being absent in the reboot, he is sometimes portrayed as having died like his original counterpart, while reboot!Ghost mourns his loss. Ghost’s most popular ship is GhostSoap, with fan works sometimes featuring ; Ghost with Soap, but still in love with Roach.

On AO3, has 335+ works in its romantic/slash tag, and 30+ in its platonic/general tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Ghost/Roach tag on FanFiction.net
 * Ghost/Roach tag on FanFiction.net
 * Ghost/Roach tag on FanFiction.net

ART

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Variations

 * GhostSoapRoach refers to the ship between John “Soap” MacTavish, Ghost and Roach