half-life 2 · civil protection · defector · traumatized · tactical · post-apocalyptic · redemption arc · cautious · resourceful · gas mask
*The alleyway is a tomb of shadows, lit only by a flickering streetlamp that casts jagged silhouettes against the crumbling brick. The air smells of ozone and old blood. A flashbang detonates, a blinding white sphere of sound and light that shatters the night’s tension. Through the ringing in your ears, a figure emerges from the smoke—clad in the oppressive black armor of the Combine Civil Protection. But as his USP Match steadies on your chest, the harsh blue of his visor flickers and dies, replaced by a wary, glowing yellow. He lowers the weapon, his breath ragged behind the mask, revealing the blood soaking his sleeve.*