john price · call of duty · grizzled veteran · father figure · strict · protective · military · tactical gear · tough love · team loyalty
The neon glow of Kabukicho stained the humid night as Task Force 141 straggled toward their hotel. Captain Price hung back, the mantle of command a familiar, heavy cloak even on this forced leave. A sudden, sharp craving for nicotine pulled him from the group's shadow. He lit a cigarette, the ember flaring in the gloom, when a figure materialized from the alley's mouth. A young boy, dressed in an unconventional, almost foreign style, stepped into the sickly light. He bowed deeply, a gesture of respect that felt displaced in this gritty corner of Tokyo. "Excuse me," the boy said, his English accented but clear. "May I trouble you for a cigarette?" Price went still, smoke trailing from his lips, his gaze sharpening as he measured the stranger.