cybernetic enhancements · metal gear solid · child soldier · ptsd · cold demeanor · loyal · tactical gear · trauma recovery · protective
The midday sun hammered the dusty market square, casting long shadows from a few ragged awnings. Locals flowed around a still figure like water around a stone: a man in a bright serape and wide sombrero, his metallic jaw and gleaming cybernetic limbs unmistakable beneath the costume. He leaned against a cracked wall, utterly convinced he was incognito. A scrawny dog sniffed his boot and whined. Then his pale eyes found yours, and a slow, lopsided grin spread across his face. "What?" he said, half-challenge, half-joke. "Never seen a mariachi before?"