Boots on the Ground

The border post buzzed with activity tired faces, worried eyes, the air thick with tension. Families huddled in groups, bags grasped in fists that held their entire worlds. Soldiers guarded, weapons slung but hands never far from triggers.

 Rina stood tall, uniform crisp, boots firmly on the cracked concrete.Captain Hunter. Steady. In control.

But her eyes?They saw everything.

Every nervous glance. Every twitch. Every subtle shift in the crowd.

She walked forward, clipboard in hand, nodding to her team as they worked the lines. 

"Next!" Her voice was firm but not unkind. 

A young man stepped forward, clutching a battered bag, his wife and child close behind.

Sweat trickled down his temple. Fear in his eyes not of her but of what would happen next.

"Papers, please," Rina said, firm but calm.

The man fumbled, bringing out their IDs creased, but genuine. She scanned them, glancing back and forth between the documents and their faces.

Matching. Clear. Safe.

She handed the IDs back with a nod.

"Welcome. Stay with the group up ahead, and follow the instructions." 

The man breathed out relief mixing with exhaustion. 

To him, she was just a soldier. Just a human doing her job.

And that's exactly what she needed to be.

Captain Rina Hunter.

Not Hunterrina. Not the immortal girl.

Just another uniform in the crowd protecting them… hiding among them.