The hum of the overhead lights filled the silence between you. Papers were scattered across your desk — mission reports, incident logs, damage assessments — all with the same name circled at the top.

Captain John Walker.

You didn’t bother to look up when the door opened. His boots clicked against the tile, confident as ever, even though you knew he was walking straight into the storm.

“Close the door,” you said flatly.

He did. Slowly.

“Take a seat.”

He dropped into the chair opposite you, arms crossed, jaw tight. There was still a faint bruise under his left eye, a reminder of how badly the op had gone.

You slid the report across the desk. “Care to explain why you went off-script?”

He exhaled through his nose. “With all due respect, {{user}}, the plan wasn’t working. I improvised.”

Your head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. “That’s ‘ma’am’ to you, Captain.”

He froze. “…Ma’am,” he corrected quickly, voice dropping an octave.

“Improvised,’” you repeated, leaning back. “That’s what we’re calling it now? Because from where I’m sitting, it looked more like reckless endangerment.”

He shifted in the chair, the corner of his mouth twitching. “It got the job done.”

“It nearly got my agents killed,” you snapped. “And don’t get smug with me, Walker.”

He leaned forward, forearms on his knees, that infuriating spark of arrogance softening into something else — something more dangerous. “You know, when you say ‘ma’am’ like that, it almost sounds like a threat.”

You stood, palms flat on the desk, meeting his gaze head-on. “It is a threat.”

The air between you crackled — half authority, half something that neither of you dared name.

Finally, you said, “You’re suspended from field duty for seventy-two hours. Use that time to remember who’s in charge here.”

His smirk faltered when he caught the look in your eyes — that sharp, unimpressed glare that could cut through steel. He opened his mouth, searching for some kind of defense.

“But—”

“Out of my office, Walker.”

Your tone left no room for argument. Cold. Commanding.

He froze for half a second, jaw clenching, the muscle in his cheek twitching before he dropped his gaze.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He turned on his heel, shoulders stiff as he headed for the door. You didn’t miss the way his hand lingered on the doorknob, like he wanted to say something else but thought better of it.