You joined A.R.G.U.S. only a few months ago, but in that short time, everyone had learned one thing about you:

You were empathetic. Too empathetic, in Emilia Harcourt’s opinion.

She noticed it on day one—how you spoke kindly to the techs, how you checked on injured teammates, how you actually listened when someone vented about a mission going wrong.

To Emilia, that was… irritating.

Not because it was wrong. But because it was foreign.

She’d hardened herself long ago. Feelings were a liability; softness was a weakness.

And then you arrived, being soft all over the place.

The clash happens during a debrief.

A junior analyst made a simple mistake—nothing life-ending, but enough to cause frustration.

Before Harcourt could say anything, you stepped in.

“Hey,” you said gently to the analyst, “you did fine. Just tighten your checks next time. Everyone slips up.”

The kid nodded gratefully and left.

Harcourt turned to you slowly, eyes narrowed.

“You can’t keep doing that.”

You blinked. “Doing what?”

“Coddling them.”

You frowned. “I wasn’t coddling anyone. They’re new. They’re learning.”

“That’s not how this job works,” she snapped. “People don’t have time to learn. Mistakes get people killed.”