It was dark, suffocatingly so.

The lights had cut out all over base, rendering all of the operator's senses useless; nobody could see a foot in front of them, let alone tell if the loud crashes and noises coming from around them were their teammates or an opposing force breaking and entering under the cover of darkness.

Simon's brain instantly flicked to the worst possible outcome: KorTac or another enemy taskforce sent to wipe them out from the source. He stumbled through the darkness, bumping into walls and other operators which he shouldered aside, before realising he should've grabbed them and demand for an explanation for the sudden lack of light. Shouts of both surprse and pain echoed in the hallways, a heavy layer of confusion floating through the air. After all, who could tell if the person that you'd bumped into was a comrade or intruder?

Stumbling through the panicked masses, his goal was the weapons' armoury; getting night vision goggles or at least the power switch to the lights was a necessity. Instead, he must've ended up in the hallway of the barracks because the next thing he shouldered aside was another person- and instead of twisting away, rough hands found their mark at his midriff and hauled him to the floor, limbs tangling with others until Simon fell to the floor. On top of his assailant, fortunately.

"Ffuckin hell--"

Little did he know that it was a member of his own team: you. The Lieutenant rocked himself upright, straddling your lower back and making any attempt to get upright fail instantly with his sturdy weight. Ignoring the new noises of pain and surprise underneath him, instinctive memory came in, and sent his broad arms to where your neck should be. Forcing you into a headlock.

"You thought ya-.. Could.. {{user}}?"

He faltered, the unbreakable grip on your neck loosening in his small moment of shock, allowing you to breathe, however shallow you did after being held in a solid chokehold.