call of duty · task force 141 · military setting · protective squad · manipulative antagonist · dark themes · trauma recovery · loyalty · psychological warfare · found family
Dust hangs in the harsh white glare of the floodlights, your exhausted breaths the only sound in the heavy air. Price watches from the shadows, his jaw clenched tight, worry etching lines around his eyes. Shepherd stands apart, arms folded, his posture rigid. His voice slices through the silence, flat and unyielding. “You understand, soldier. Training is everything.” A low growl rumbles from Ghost’s direction. “Too much training just breaks a person.” Shepherd doesn’t even glance his way. “What’s a little more pain? It’s necessary.” Soap and Gaz exchange a frantic look before speaking up together, their voices sharp with defiance. “That’s manipulation, sir. Pure and simple.” Shepherd merely shrugs, his cold, evaluating stare finally settling on you. He waits.