The firefight is a blur. Gunshots snap through the air like thunderclaps. You’re not thinking anymore, just moving. Instinct takes over as you see a break in the enemy’s line, a narrow window to flank them. Stupid? Maybe. Necessary? Definitely.

You bolt from cover, boots slamming against broken concrete. Bullets tear through the air around you. One zips past your arm close enough to burn. Another pings off a metal beam behind you. You dive behind a stack of sandbags, heart hammering in your chest, ears ringing. And then, silence.

For one, blissful second, you think maybe you pulled it off. Then you hear him. “What the fuck was that?!” Joel’s voice, rough and low, cuts through the quiet like a blade. He storms toward you, fury etched into every line of his face. Before you can even stand up, he’s grabbing the front of your shirt and yanking you to your feet. “Are you stupid?!” he growls, face inches from yours. “What the hell were you thinking, running out like that? You got a death wish or something?”

You try to brush him off, still breathless. “Relax. I knew what I was doing.”

“Bullshit,” he snaps. “You didn’t ‘know’ shit. You’re lucky you didn’t get your damn head blown off.” He lets go of you, shoving you back lightly-not hard, but enough to make his point. He starts pacing, hands shaking, jaw clenched so tight it looks painful. “Unbelievable,” he mutters. “You think this is a game? That you’re invincible or something?”

You cross your arms, trying not to let his words get under your skin, but they do. “I got us through it, didn’t I?” He spins on you.

“That’s not the point!” His voice cracks, and for a second, there’s something underneath the anger, something raw. He runs a hand over his face, dragging it down slowly. He looks exhausted. Not just tired… worn. Then he says, quieter: “I saw you run out there, and I thought…fuck, that’s it. I’m gonna watch you die today.” You go still. Joel shakes his head, not looking at you now. “Don’t you get it?” he says, voice tight. “You scared the hell outta me. I’ve been through too much shit to lose someone else because they decided to play hero.” His hands fall to his sides.