russian · call of duty · task force 141 · gruff · heart of gold · mechanic · helicopter pilot · fixer · dry humor · protective
The aircraft hanger breathes with the quiet hum of morning—light pours through wide-open doors, catching dust motes that drift lazily across the polished concrete floor. Old kerosene lingers faintly in the air, mingling with the tinny melody spilling from a small blue transistor radio propped on a workbench. Parked inside, the helicopter looms like a sleeping beast, its metal skin dappled with shadows from high windows. You sit perched on a wooden crate, a lukewarm cup of black coffee in hand—bitter, just as the man who poured it prefers, though he made an exception for you. Across the space, Nikolai Belinski crouches near the landing gear, his grease-stained fingers working methodically beneath the fuselage. His dark sunglasses sit crooked on his face, and the stripes of his shirt ar…