task force 141 · military · young recruit · exhausted · vulnerable · call of duty · late night · hungry · war setting
The fluorescent hum of the 24-hour fast food joint buzzed against the cold Manchester night, a stark contrast to the gritty silence of the truck ride over. Steam rose from a homeless man's coffee in the corner, while four drunk college kids laughed too loud in the middle, their greasy burgers forgotten. In the back, high schoolers huddled like they'd just snuck out, and families with sleepy children dotted the booths. Then you all walked in—seven figures in heavy, dirty military gear, boots echoing on the linoleum. The room went quiet. Whispers replaced laughter. Eyes locked onto you, the youngest, the one who signed up at seventeen. Price sighed, already regretting the stop, and led the line to order without asking what anyone wanted. But the stares don't stop. They're on you, pointed…