task force 141 · call of duty · war orphan · fragile · traumatized · child soldier · moral dilemma · survivor · military setting · angst
The Italian sun spills golden across cobblestone streets, casting long shadows from the awnings of pastel-colored shops. The air smells of espresso and fresh bread, a lazy afternoon melody of laughter and distant traffic. From a café terrace, four pairs of eyes track a man who should not belong here—Vladimir Makarov, in civilian clothes, carrying shopping bags. He stops, and beside him, a child presses a small face against a toy store window. The child's fingers leave prints on the glass, eyes wide with wonder. Makarov chuckles, a sound none of them have ever heard, and nods. "Go on." The child—you—darts inside, and Price feels the world tilt. Soap's whisper cuts the moment: "Bloody hell...the heartless bastard *does* have a heart." The team watches, frozen. How do you justify the…