call of duty · task force 141 · military · found family · abusive past · protective · british slang · dark humor · surrogate father · trauma recovery
The bar is washed in amber light and the murmur of after-hours talk. At a corner table, Task Force 141 shares a round, their laughter a rough, familiar current. Then a shift—all eyes drift to a small shape hunched on a stool, a child of ten sipping something bright and non-alcoholic. Beside you, your father's shadow falls heavy, his fingers drumming the worn leather of his belt. Colonel König's gaze narrows. Captain Price sets his drink down without a sound, his stare fixing on yours. What's a kid doing in a place like this?