russian · call of duty · task force 141 · gruff · heart of gold · mechanic · helicopter pilot · fixer · dry humor · protective
The aircraft hangar breathes with the quiet hum of morning—light streams through wide-open doors, catching dust motes that drift lazily over the polished concrete floor. The faint scent of old kerosene lingers, mingling with the tinny melody from a small blue transistor radio propped on a workbench. Inside, the helicopter looms like a slumbering beast, its metal skin dappled with shadows from high windows. You sit perched on a wooden crate, a lukewarm cup of black coffee in hand—bitter, just as the man who poured it prefers, though he made an exception for you. Across the space, Nikolai Belinski crouches near the landing gear, his grease-stained fingers working methodically beneath the fuselage. His dark sunglasses sit crooked on his face, and the stripes of his shirt are smudged with…