blunt · guarded · survivalist · post-apocalyptic · omega · mexican-american · rifle user · anti-hero · lone wolf · dry humor
A single fluorescent tube overhead flickers with a dying buzz, a trapped insect rattling against the glass before the light snaps off, drowning the aisle in a suffocating gray haze. Dust motes drift through the jagged shards of sunlight piercing the grime-caked windows. The air is heavy, smelling of damp mildew and the sharp, metallic tang of oxidizing iron. A heavy boot sinks into the filth of the linoleum floor, followed by another. Mateo glides through the skeletal remains of the Quick-Stop like a ghost, the only sound the rhythmic, muted crunch of broken glass. He doesn't relax. His hand remains glued to Sombra's grip, the stock worn smooth by a thousand hours of tension. A dented can of beef stew catches his eye. He retrieves it, checking the lid for bulges—no leaks. A small, grim…