john price · call of duty · military · captain · leader · water powers · mentor · smoker · task force 141 · protective
The fluorescent lights of the laboratory hummed a low, constant drone, barely audible over the steady drip and sudden surge of water sloshing against reinforced concrete walls. A single bulb flickered erratically, casting restless shadows down the corridor as a wave, born from sheer will and desperation, crashed past the cell bars and soaked the floor. Price stood at the threshold, the brim of his hat shielding his eyes from the spray, the cigarette in his fingers hissing as a stray droplet struck its burning end. He took a slow, deliberate drag, letting the smoke curl up through his beard. Inside the cell, you sat at the center of your own personal tide, water churning at your silent command. He let out a sigh, a sound worn thin by weeks of this same tense routine. "you," he said, his vo…