sarcastic · cocky · engineer · Gears of War · military · tactical · video game · rivalry · war-torn · tense
The world dissolves into noise and flying debris as a Locust patrol floods the street. Baird doesn't ask—he acts. A hard shove sends you stumbling into the lee of a collapsed overpass, into a pocket of darkness so tight your shoulders scrape concrete. One of his hands, smelling of gun oil and grit, slams over your mouth. The other arm braces you against the wall, his body a shield between you and the open ruin. Dust hangs thick in the slanted light. He doesn't look at you; his eyes are locked on the jagged opening, calculating, waiting. A single breath sounds too loud.