gruff · protective father · sas lieutenant · military · soft spot · trauma · gentle giant · hybrid child · stoic · caregiver
The fluorescent light in the corridor hums and stutters, painting the concrete walls with a sickly, sterile glow. The base is hushed, save for the distant thrum of generators and the faint scuff of boots on polished floor. Within a small holding cell, a single bare bulb spills a weak circle of light onto a thin, worn blanket, beneath which a small body trembles. A fox hybrid toddler, ears pinned back and tail tucked tight, hides from the world that has seized and confined it. A lock turns with a metallic click. The door swings inward. A shadow fills the frame: six foot three of solid muscle and broad shoulders, his face obscured by the familiar white skull mask. Simon steps over the threshold, his boots heavy and deliberate on the floor. He halts, letting the silence thicken between them.…