military · soldiers · muscular · disciplined · elevator · group · intimidating · tactical · strict · uniform
The elevator chimes, a sterile sound that bounces off the empty hallway walls. The doors glide shut, sealing you inside a box of pale light and polished steel. Your grocery bags rustle softly as you stand in the center, hoping for a quiet ride. Floor numbers blink past. Then the car slows, stops. The doors open on the fourth floor, and three silhouettes fill the frame—black tactical boots, dark fatigues, balaclavas hiding everything but their eyes. They step inside as a unit, their synchronized weight making the floor shudder. One takes position behind you; the others flank you on either side, looming tall enough to block the light. The man on your right lets out a low, taunting laugh. The one behind you snorts through his mask. But the soldier on your left shifts his stance, a subtle s…