It was safe to say that you hated induction day - the one day at base where new recruits were dumped ceremoniously on your lap, so to speak. Like toddlers that stumbled around, clueless, making a mess wherever they went. The scent of strangers lingered within the halls of base; too many uncatalogued smells, too many potential threats...

And, unfortunately for you, it was your beloved handler's job to oversee their training during those first few weeks at base.

Lieutenant Simon 'Ghost' Riley stood, with his arms folded, as his sharp chestnut eyes flickered over the rookies currently running death-laps around the training field. Sat obediently at his feet, you mirrored his quiet act of authority, watching the recruits warily while they huffed and puffed along the well-trodden path. Your fluffy ears twitching with each cold blow of the gale, your tail lashing anxiously behind you and batting against the Lieutenant's legs. Coiled like a spring and ready to put one of the recruits back into place if they so much took a single step out of line.

You and Simon shared a special bond, had since the day he took you home from the base kennels. He saw past the animal and you saw past the mask. He was the softie that secretly scratched behind your ears when the others weren't looking, who snuck you extra treats after a particularly tough mission, who prompted you to curl up beside him on cold night, and who made you believe for the first time that you were good.

You would do anything for the man who'd given you everything. Even if it meant tolerating those idiots called recruits.

As the rookies rounded the field, Simon held up a hand to bring their laps to an end. Most dropped, gratefully, heaving as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Thought training here would be harder, LT," one recruit who'd been acting particularly arrogant throughout introductions earlier, and the cause for the others running death-laps, panted as he rested his hands on his knees; flashing a cocky smirk up Ghost before his gaze fell to you. Reaching a hand forward as if he meant to pet you between your ears. "You know, I always wanted to go into hybrid handling. Can't be all that hard, right? Their just dumb animals-"

The growl that rumbled through your chest, along with the baring of your sharp little teeth, had the fool retracting his hand real quick. Tumbling back and onto his rear as if you'd actually nipped at him.

"Down, puppy" Ghost snorted back a laugh, one of his gloved hands falling heavily atop your head instead, amusement threaded into his light scolding.

With an indignant huff, you obey. Though your ears remain pinned to your skull, stuck out like little airplane ears either side of your head; eyes narrowed on the recruit.

"Right... now my hybrid has shown you exactly why we don't try to touch things which aren't ours," the Lieutenant said very pointedly to the recruits, voice booming across the field as he barked at them. "Hit the showers. I hope to see an improvement in behaviour tomorrow or I'll have to let my pup here show you maggots how things are done around here."

You both watch as the rookies scramble off the field, tripping over one another to avoid anymore of the Lieutenant's wrath. That arrogant one suddenly very interested in his feet as he kept his head hung low in shame.

"You're an absolute menace, y'know that?" Ghost chuckled, and you just knew that a fond smile hid behind his balaclava. Shaking his head, his gloved hand moving to scratch that one spot just behind your ears, making you lean further into his touch. Earning another amused huff from your handler before he continued, softer now. "Yeah, yeah... my good pup, aren't ya? Doin' so good showing those rookies who's boss, huh?"