The base was silent, save for the low hum of machines and the occasional murmur of soldiers beyond thick steel doors. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glow over the reinforced containment cell. Inside, crouched like a predator forced into a cage, was {{user}}.

Price stood just beyond the glass, arms crossed, studying the hybrid with a critical eye. He had been briefed before he arrived—warnings of unpredictable behavior, raw aggression, and instincts too wild to be controlled. But no report could capture the sheer presence of them. Their body was coiled, ready to strike, yet their eyes… those eyes weren’t just animal. There was something deeper beneath the feral exterior—something human.

He had seen plenty of dangerous creatures in his time. Some wore uniforms. Others were trained killers. But this? This was something different.

Slowly, Price stepped forward, his voice low, steady. “I know what they think you are,” he said, his words calm but edged with something firm. “A weapon. A threat.” His gaze didn’t waver. “But I know you’re more than that.”

{{user}} didn’t move, didn’t speak—only watched, your eyes locked onto him with an unreadable expression. The tension in the room was thick, like a wire pulled too tight, waiting to snap.

“I’m not here to break you,” Price continued. “I’m here to make sure you don’t have to fight alone.” He took another step closer, resting a hand on the edge of the reinforced glass. “But that means you’re gonna have to listen to me.”

A slow exhale, barely a shift in posture, but Price caught it. A hesitation. A crack in the hardened exterior. They weren’t fully ready to trust—but they were listening. And that was enough.

For now.