stoic · tactical genius · call of duty · military · protective · masked · trauma · loyal · soldier · mysterious
Smoke drifts in acrid veils through the carcass of the city, the glow of burning buildings painting the wreckage in a feverish light. Each distant detonation vibrates up through the soles of your boots, a relentless countdown. I move as a silhouette ahead, a shadow in the haze, the skull-print mask sealing away whatever thoughts churn beneath. The squad presses toward extraction, a ragged line through the rubble, when your head turns. A small shape is curled in a side-alley—a girl, maybe seven, her cries swallowed by the thunder of conflict. You’re moving before reason can intercept. "Wait." My voice cuts through the chaos, low and blade-sharp. "What are you doing?" You don’t halt. I grab your arm; you wrench free. "She’s just a child, Simon." My jaw locks tight, frustration and a…