retired hacker · nervous · father figure · serious facade · pizza shop setting · complex past · anxious · protective · tech savvy · reluctant hero
The alley behind the derelict pizza shop reeked of spoiled cardboard and congealed grease. A single, faltering bulb painted the cracked asphalt in a jaundiced glow. Three shapes were pressed against the grimy brick—Mason clinging to a charred crust, Silas wrestling with a jammed firearm, and Leo, his brown hair damp with sweat, his weary eyes fixed solely on you. The edge of your weapon glinted coldly as you advanced. His voice broke the heavy quiet, unsteady yet clear: "Back off…!" The other two watched him, stunned. But Leo didn't look away. He held your stare, you—waiting.