SoapGraves

SoapGraves is the slash ship between John “Soap” MacTavish and Phillip Graves from the Call of Duty fandom.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
Commander Phillip Graves, leader and CEO of the Shadow Company, and Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish first meet on October 30th, 2022 in Las Almas, Mexico during another mission to locate and capture Major Hassan Zyani, a known terrorist. Soap, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley and Colonel Alejandro Varga are fleeing from corrupt units of the Mexican Army who are protecting Hassan. As the three men are working their way up stream, more soldiers of the army block them from a bridge. Graves, allied and acquainted with Ghost already, provides air support by bombing the bridge, eliminating any and all hostiles in the area. In the clear, Graves informs them of Hassan’s current location. Soap and team head for a compound on cartel land. With Graves providing his continued air support, the team is able to locate Hassan and apprehend him. Following Hassan’s capture, the team interrogates him, however killing him would be an act of war, forcing them to let him go after they hack his phone.

On November 1st, 2022, Graves, Soap and team need to gather intel on the whereabouts of three American missiles, one of which had been accidently found in an unmarked warehouse by Soap and Ghost days prior. They know Hassan is using the Las Almas Cartel to move them, so they devise a way of meeting with the mysterious El Sin Nombre (The Nameless, in English), leader of the Las Almas Cartel. Soap volunteers himself to be the one to walk up to El Sin Nombre’s mansion, while Graves circles the area in a helicopter as lookout. Graves offers Soap his Shadow Company insignia as a way of proof. As the team prepares to split up, Soap and Graves fist bump, before Graves then pats Soap’s shoulder in good luck. As Soap walks up the driveway and is taken by El Sin Nombre’s guards, Ghost confirms with the rest of the team that Soap’s made it inside. Hearing this, Graves comments that Soap’s “got sand”. Upon Soap surviving the interrogation, he gets to the penthouse where El Sin Nombre is located and apprehends her as she attempts to flee. In the helicopter, Graves assists him by putting her in a spotlight.

From intel from El Sin Nombre, on November 2nd, 2022, Graves, Soap and team know one of the American missiles is located on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, though its controls are on a nearby cargo ship. The missile had been placed in the first stages of launch soon after they first boarded the rig. Now on the cargo ship, it’s too late to disarm it, leaving them no choice but to launch it elsewhere. Through Graves’ guidance, he and Soap work together to redirect the missile to that very oil rig. Mission success, they admire their teamwork at the destroyed rig. Graves pats Soap’s shoulder and patiently waits for him to acknowledge him. Soap turns and the two smile at each other before clasping hands and bringing themselves in for a hand-to-heart embrace.

The team arrives back to Alejandro’s base, which was being used as the base of operations, where Graves reveals he “admires it,” so he’s taking it. At the turn of events, Soap and Alejandro confront him. Soap aims to call General Shepard, to which Graves tells him Shepard sends his “regards,” as he knew the group wouldn’t take this well. Alejandro attacks first, sending Soap back, before he is taken as prisoner. Graves hesitates to shoot Soap, though one of his Shadows fires first. Soap takes a handgun from a different Shadow and shoots the Shadow standing next to Graves. Graves open fires on Soap, shooting him in the right arm, sending him to the ground hard. From behind a truck, Ghost yells for him to get out of there. Picking himself up, Soap then slides down a hill and escapes into the night. Graves watches him go before ordering the remaining Shadows to find him and Ghost.

On November 3rd, 2022, Soap escapes into the city of Las Almas, wounded and without a weapon, attempting to evade Graves and his Shadow Company. Graves and his men are playing “judge, jury and executioner,” while rounding up policemen and civilians in the search for Hassan, while also hunting Soap and Ghost. Soap works his way through the city, coming to the church where Ghost had told him to rendezvous with him. As Soap exits a shop door he is met by a Shadow, who shoves him down. The Shadow radios for others, with Graves being head ordering them to kill Soap. They’re snipped by Ghost from his position in the church, allowing Soap the opportunity to get up and run. Soap and Ghost reunite soon after and escape in a pickup truck.

Later that same morning, Soap and team work to break out Alejandro and the rest of his men from an abandoned prison Graves is holding them. It is revealed Shepard and Graves having worked together to cover up the three American missiles going missing. Freed, everyone rendezvouses at Alejandro’s safehouse. A plan is devised to retake Alejandro’s base and kill Graves – the two teams becoming Ghost Team. From there, Ghost Team is split into two teams – Soap on Team-2. Soap and his team locate Graves in the HQ. Soap spots him first, running away from them. He gives chase with Ghost and Alejandro’s second-in-command, Sergeant Major Rodolfo Parra. Ghost remains back to help Team-1, while Soap and Rodolfo continue forward over an outdoor barrier.

On the other side, Soap is met by Graves operating a tank. While evading Graves and any Shadows in the area, Rodolfo instructs him to locate C4 to use against the tank. Through their radios, Graves taunts Soap about “f-cking with the wrong hombre,” to which Soap claps back at each remark. Graves admits to liking Soap due to Soap’s “healthy disrespect for authority,” and goes back to taunting him, calling him “Johnny,” before telling Soap he’ll be sipping tequila, forgetting where he buried him in a week. Eventually, Soap destroys the tank by having thrown enough C4 at it. Without ever seeing Graves’ body, Soap pronounces him K.I.A to Ghost.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
Season 05 of Warzone 2.0 confirms Graves was never killed by Soap in Modern Warfare II as he appears as an operator, a player character. He is on KorTac, the opposing team to Soap’s SpecGru.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)

 * Soap and Graves fist bump.
 * Graves pats Soap’s shoulder.
 * Soap and Graves clasp hands and bring themselves in.
 * Graves hesitates to shoot Soap.
 * Graves admits to liking Soap.
 * Graves calls Soap “Johnny”.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
"Kid’s got sand."

- Graves about Soap, as Soap volunteers himself to offer intel to El Sin Nombre.

"Let’s enjoy our handiwork, Sergeant."

- Graves to Soap, having successfully disarmed a missile together.

"Graves, what the f-ck!?"

- Soap, following Graves’ betrayal.

"Let’s finish this as-hole…"

- Soap about Graves, helping Rodolfo over an outdoor barrier.

"Holy sh-t, Graves brought a f-ckin’ tank!"

- Soap, engaging Graves in battle.

Fanon
is a decent size ship within the Call of Duty fandom. A handful of people genuinely ship them together. The primary interest in the ship is based on a few insistences: which include how well they work together in general (before Graves’ betrayal), how touchy they are with each other (fist bumps, handshakes and shoulder touches) and finally Graves’ canon quote, ''“You got a healthy disrespect for authority, Soap. I like that about you…”'' All these little moments added up to fans believing that out of everyone on 141, Soap was Graves’ favorite, in addition to some thinking Graves had a crush on Soap, whether seriously or as a joke.

On AO3, has 80+ works in its romantic/slash tag, and 15+ in its platonic/general tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Variations

 * GhostGravesSoap refers to the ship between Simon “Ghost” Riley, Soap and Graves