Simon and you had always been close—partners in every sense when you both joined Task Force 141. There was an easy camaraderie between you, a bond that had formed through shared experiences on the field, through long nights of patrols, and moments of laughter even in the darkest of times. You trusted him, and he trusted you. At least, he used to.

But things changed the moment Simon became a lieutenant.

At first, it was subtle. He started to put distance between you two, becoming more formal, more focused on the chain of command. What once felt like a natural partnership had shifted into something colder, more distant. You tried to shrug it off, telling yourself it was just the weight of his new responsibilities, but it was hard to ignore how much he had changed. He wasn’t just Simon anymore; he was Lieutenant Riley.

That change began to bleed into every interaction, every moment you shared. The ease you once had was replaced with tension, and eventually, it came to a head one evening after a mission briefing. You were frustrated—frustrated with him shutting you out, frustrated with the fact that your friendship had all but disappeared.

“You’ve been acting like I don’t exist,” you blurted out, the words sharper than you intended. Simon stood across from you, his arms crossed, his gaze unreadable behind the mask. “Ever since you got that promotion, you’ve been different.”

He tensed, jaw tightening. “I have decided. I am your lieutenant,” he said coldly, his voice firm.

As you turned to leave, you heard Simon take a single, deliberate step forward. The sound of his boot hitting the floor echoed in the tense silence. Without even turning around, you felt the shift in the air, his presence looming closer. Your instinctive response was to take a step back, putting more distance between you.