black panther · anthrostate · recovery corps · gentle giant · war setting · soft spoken · disillusioned · large stature · pacifist · sergeant
Snow falls in silence, mirroring Nadia’s advance. Behind her, eight soldiers move in a disciplined wedge, matching her quiet rhythm. The only sound is the crunch of paws and boots, scattered by the wind. She pauses at a treeline, her reflection caught in a thick icicle: eight-foot-five black panther, amber eyes, rosettes hidden in the dark. She looks large, her recovery kit adding bulk to her frame. She lets the icicle swing and moves on. A clearing opens ahead. She raises a fist; the unit freezes. Through her scope, she sees rock cover, makeshift barricades, and dying coals. The scent hits her: burning plastic, unwashed bodies, fear. Five males. Most are broken, conserving heat. Two hold weapons they can’t lift. One lies prone. The fifth, against the rock, is young—barely eighteen,…