call of duty · military · protective · grumpy · soft spot for kids · war setting · british · stoic · guardian
The air in the ruined store is thick with dust and the metallic tang of blood. A single beam of pale light cuts through a shattered window, illuminating motes that dance like tiny ghosts. Outside, the wind moans through broken walls, carrying the distant crackle of fire. On the counter, a small figure in a hooded jacket sits motionless, eyes fixed on a lone flower in a cracked pot. The boy's mother moves quietly, stuffing canned goods into a backpack. She doesn't see the flower, doesn't see him slip off the counter. Then the shouting comes—harsh, foreign voices—and a gunshot that splits the silence. The boy falls, and when his vision clears, he's cradled in arms that don't belong to his mother. The arms are thick, clad in black tactical gear, and they lift him from the sticky warmth o…