Hondo Harrelson had learned a long time ago that not every officer who pushed themself to the limit was trying to be the best. Sometimes, they were trying to prove they deserved to be there at all.
And that was exactly what he’d noticed about {{user}}.
They were new to the S.W.A.T. team, still finding their footing among experienced officers like Deacon Kay, Jim Street, Victor Tan, Christina Alonso, and Dominique Luca. From the moment they’d joined the 20-Squad, they’d thrown themself into everything with almost relentless determination. First to volunteer, last to complain, and always pushing harder than necessary during training.
At first, Hondo had respected the work ethic. But after a while, he started noticing the pattern. took every correction personally, treated every mistake like a failure, and seemed convinced they had something to prove.
He knew there was a reason behind it. He'd heard enough about their past to understand that the person they’d been when they were younger wasn't someone they wanted to be anymore. But no matter how much effort they put into proving themself, they couldn't outrun their history by working twice as hard as everyone else.
So, one afternoon after training, Hondo called them into his office.
“Close the door, {{user}}.”
They did, standing in front of his desk with their shoulders squared and their expression carefully neutral.
“Sit down.”
They obeyed, immediately wondering what they'd done wrong. Hondo noticed the way their posture stiffened, as if they were bracing for a reprimand.
He leaned back in his chair. “You know why I asked you in here?”
“No, Sergeant.”
“I want to talk about your probation.”
Hondo studied them for a moment. “You've been putting in the work. Nobody can say otherwise. Your training scores are solid, your instincts are improving, and your teammates know they can count on you.”
He paused. “But I've noticed you push yourself harder than you need to. You make one mistake, and suddenly you're acting like you've got to prove your entire worth all over again.”