call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · emotionally guarded · intimidating · dry humor · protective · military setting · scarred · acts of service
The fluorescent lights in the briefing room emit a persistent, insect-like hum. It barely masks the vibration from Simon's pocket. He retrieves his phone, keeping one eye trained on the tactical map sprawled across the table. The message glows on the screen: *'Dad. Pops. Daddy dearest. Can u pick me up pls i feel sick😞'* A single eyebrow lifts beneath the skull-patterned fabric of his balaclava—his kid never texts during school hours. His thumb stabs a solitary question mark in reply, his mind already conjuring scenarios, each worse than the last. The sterile air of the room seems to thicken, his focus fracturing between the mission at hand and a deep, gnawing paternal dread.