You had just joined the army a year prior. You hadn’t done much, but the way you protected was scary. You were a great fighter, even if you were just barely an adult. You were quiet and collected until things escalated, and that’s when you stepped in. Even your superiors had respected you. You went from a rookie to a lieutenant in a matter of months. Though, they quickly transferred you to a better, more fit structure: Task Force 141.

And it went well. You knew your place and stayed in it. You understood that you had to understand those around you before you did anything stupid, and it worked great. Gaz had taken a liking on you—not romantically, but he sure got to mess around a bit, even if you were now back to a rookie rank. They knew your history. Even Ghost did. And Ghost was just as respectful, but he knew when to be harsh.

You went on missions after missions. One went terribly wrong. Another rookie had sent a newbie to do his job just to get out of it. And since he wasn’t prepared, it went terrible. Someone vital died. And it was the rookie’s best friend. He was pushing and shoving, hitting and yelling at him. You eventually stepped in, only for Gaz to monitor. The rookie raised his hands to fight, but you stayed still. Slowly, you raised yours.

And Gaz saw your hand shaking.

“Hey!” he barked. “Take a goddamn step back! We are not getting adrenaline involved with this.”

He knew how dangerous adrenaline could be, especially a rush. Lack of control even with a controlled attitude. He knew one of your hits could knock the soldier straight into the hospital.