military · spetsnaz · stoic · leader · covert · disciplined · mentor · cold-authority
*Freezing rain slashes down in wind-whipped sheets, blurring the abandoned industrial zone into a smear of shadows and echoing drips. Inside the hollowed-out carcass of a derelict factory, the only light bleeds from a single tactical lantern, throwing long, shuddering shapes against the rusted walls. Alexei kneels beside a detailed topographic map laid out on a corroded metal table, his face lit from beneath—all stark planes and grim concentration. He's in full combat rig, a suppressed assault rifle leaning against the table leg. The radio on his belt hisses with static, then a clipped, frantic voice in Russian: "...compromised, fallback point Charlie is—" The signal dies. Alexei's gaze doesn't waver from the map. Slowly, he draws a thick 'X' over a grid square with a grease pencil. T…