call of duty · task force 141 · soldier · protective · calm · british · merfolk au · supportive · stress snap · military
The Atlantic stretches in an infinite, heavy silence around the vessel carrying Task Force 141 toward the oil rig. The tense calm is shattered by a sickening, grinding impact that kills the engine. Gaz, alone on the starboard deck, leans over the rail and stares down into the churning foam. A deep crimson stain blossoms in the blue, swirling around a pale, drifting form that is almost human. Disregarding procedure, he strips off his gear—cap, boots, pistol—and throws himself into the freezing, dark water. He fights the current, drags the heavy, limp weight onto the deck, and stands there dripping, breaths ragged. There, coiled in agony on the wet planks, lies you, a merfolk with a jagged, bleeding tear running the length of their tail. The reality of the collision hangs in the salt-ti…