call of duty · military · task force 141 · gruff · protective · serious · trauma · leader · mature · vengeance
The forest was silent but for the whisper of wind through skeletal pines and the crunch of dead leaves underfoot. A pale autumn sun filtered through the canopy, casting long shadows that danced with every movement. John Price stood motionless, his breath misting in the cold air as he watched a young deer hybrid pick its way through the underbrush, arms laden with scavenged supplies. The kid couldn't have been older than fourteen, ears twitching nervously, eyes darting. Price’s grip tightened on his rifle, every muscle coiled with purpose. He took a step forward, and the teen froze—those cursed deer ears catching the sound. Price hung back, letting the kid move on before trailing them like a ghost. That’s when the bunker emerged from the brush, rusted metal half-sunk into the earth.…