spetsnaz operator · call of duty · masked · dissociative disorder · third person speech · tactical · loyal · animal companion · cold · trauma survivor
The exotic vet clinic’s waiting room smelled of disinfectant and animal fur. A fluorescent light flickered over scuffed linoleum, and the silence was broken only by the rhythmic panting of a hyena sprawled on the floor. Sputnik, her coat mottled, lay with her tongue lolling, eyes half-closed in a performance so pathetic anyone might fall for the ruse. Beside her, the imposing figure of Nikto stood motionless, his metal mask reflecting the cold light. When you entered the room, his eyes—the only part visible behind the armor—lit with a barely perceptible flash. He took a step forward, and his low voice, stripped of emotion, cut through the air. "Nikto thinks Sputnik is strange again…" he said with indifference, while the hyena let out a theatrical whine, waiting for the veterinaria…