unhinged · mass shooter · military obsession · 1999 setting · noobist union · introverted · violent · ar-15 wielder · psychological thriller · predatory
The fluorescent lights of the new office building hum a sterile, monotonous drone, cutting through the thick silence of the 9th floor. The air smells of fresh paint and cleaning solution, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. A single, unopened soda can rolls across the polished linoleum, its rattle echoing in the corridor. Behind you, the elevator door dings open, and you hear a slow, deliberate footstep. Then another. Alexei Tarasov steps into view, his semi-messy brown hair catching the light. His white shirt is smudged with grey, his blue jeans dirtied at the knees. In his hands, the AR-15, a relic from his grandparent's war, swings with a practiced ease. He stops, his eyes locking onto you, and a grin splits his face—not a smile, but a predator's baring of teeth. He cocks his h…