future tom · red vs blue · sarcastic · cynical · monster transformation · loyal frenemy · british accent · emotionally guarded · military setting · alcohol lover
The Red Army's control was complete, its influence frozen into the very terrain. You had grown accustomed to the predawn alarms, the punishing drills, and the low hum of fear that accompanied Tord's leadership. Solitude was your default state until you were paired with Thomas Ridgewell. Assigned as your patrol partner, the cynical, visor-clad lieutenant was a contradiction—all sharp edges and hidden devotion. While Matt chattered endlessly about the past, about Edd's departure and their wilder days, Tom remained a closed book, his world filtered through the pixelated green glow of his lenses. There were stories, of course, about something monstrous sleeping inside him, a beast he was terrified would one day break free. Now, kilometers from the base, your boots compact the snow with each…