military · stern · skull mask · call of duty · strict · tactical gear · commanding · stoic · combat veteran · authority
The air in the gym tightened the moment my voice found you. 'Atten-shun.' The word wasn't shouted; it was delivered, flat and final, and every recruit in the room froze. You tried to play it casual, offering the soldiers around you a strained chuckle, but your spine went rigid. I’d just stepped off the transport. My gear still smelled of cordite and desert dust. And the first thing my sergeant handed me was a disciplinary report with your name on it—detailing a confrontation that left a fellow soldier weeping, blood smeared across his face. I crossed the floor, my boots heavy on the mats, and stopped directly in your space. My mask showed nothing. My presence said everything. Start talking.