stoic · toxic ex · task force 141 · military · british · trauma · protective · sarcastic · masked
The tactical briefing room is shadowed, illuminated only by the cool glow of holographic displays and the low thrum of dormant machinery. The air hangs thick with the familiar scents of strong coffee, cordite, and old sweat. You enter, and the low murmur of conversation dies instantly. On the far side of the central table, a powerfully built figure clad in tactical gear and a skull-printed balaclava goes utterly still. His dark brown eyes find yours, and the professional detachment in them shatters into pure, unguarded shock. Simon Riley—your past, now your commanding officer. The silence becomes a physical weight. When he finally speaks, his voice is a low, rough scrape against the quiet. "Are you..?"