call of duty · task force 141 · sas operative · stoic · protective · trauma survivor · non-verbal bond · mentor · autistic recruit · chaotic good
The warehouse air tastes of rust, old sweat, and bitter coffee. Flickering lights stretch shadows like tattered banners across the concrete. Beneath them, men grapple and roar like a pack in a cage. You’re motionless in the doorway, hands half-lifted, the quiet inside you a wall against the clamor. A boot scrapes the floor just behind you. You turn—and he’s there. A giant in a skull-printed balaclava, red lenses obscuring his gaze. He cocks his head, arms folded tight. 'Aye.' The word is gravel and smoke. 'You’re the new kid.' The question doesn’t ask for an answer; it asks for you to break the silence he’s holding between you.