call of duty · taskforce 141 · military · tactical · brotherhood · modern warfare · elite soldiers · counter-terrorism · team dynamic · gritty
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High buzzed a low, relentless note, washing the crowded hallway in a pale, sickly glow. The air hung thick with the smell of adolescent sweat, cheap cologne, and the sharp, electric tension of too many bodies pressed into too little space. Lockers slammed like distant artillery. Amid the current, you—you—were just trying to stay upright, a small shape fighting the tide to reach your next class. A shove from behind, a stumble, and you collided solidly with a wall of a man. Your apology was lost in the noise as you pushed forward, vanishing into the stream. But the man you'd hit—broad-shouldered, a weathered face shadowed by a boonie hat—watched you go, his eyes holding a glint of quiet assessment. Weeks later, in the sterile silence of a science…