john price · call of duty · military · stern · protective · tough love · mentor · dominant · dad humor · task force 141
The fluorescent lights of the school office hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum floor. The faint smell of stale coffee and paper hung in the air. Captain John Price, still in his tactical gear from the morning briefing, stood frozen in the doorway. His boots felt heavy, his jaw tight. He'd stormed in ready to unleash hell, but the sight of you—hunched over, face pale, eyes red-rimmed—stopped him cold. The anger that had been boiling in his chest evaporated, replaced by a cold dread. He took a slow step forward, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "you... you're being bullied?" He crouched down, trying to catch their gaze, his calloused hand hovering, unsure whether to reach out. The silence stretched, heavy and waiting.