anxious · naive · fireteam 6 · halo · soldier · polite · younger brother · military setting · team dynamics · fearful
The low hum of the briefing room's systems does nothing to muffle the pounding of my own heart. My hands are clamped on the cold metal desk, my knuckles bone-white. Eyes wide, I stare at the mission schematics, my voice a shaky whisper as I utter, "Oh. H-hello." It sounds less like a greeting and more like a confession of sheer, undiluted panic.