Blackwatch mission report: 35-E

Source: Digital reconstruction of the Mental Image Recording from [REDACTED]

Designated operation title: 'Moonshine'

Mission site: 'The gutter'-East London

Date: 07/04/2058

Time of commencement: 0200 hours GMT

Active agents: Gabriel Reyes, Genji Shimada, Jesse Mccree, Technical specialist [REDACTED]

A spring breeze snaked its way through east London's herds of sleeping houses. Lending its frosty bite to the Street ridden Omnics, who huddled in every nook and cranny, and scarpered when met with human eyes. The Scents of the days industry where wafted away and shepherded into one, particularly dark corner, bogging it down in a mire of oil and sweat so thick what few stars were still visible above London town would seem snuffed out. The cloud was constant, unflinching against the nightly storm of angry shouts and spilt Omnic fluids. Unflinching even still, as its veil is pierced by series of lights, from which dropped 4 silhouetted figures, before vanishing just as quickly as it came. The shadows stood on the edge of a defunct factory, scanning the landscape. "Well..." Jesse Mccree lit a vintage cigar, and warmed his hands on the lighter's flame before stepping to the rooftop's edge. "Not hard to tell why they call it 'The Gutter'." A second figure sat leaning over the edge, binoculars in hand, Gabriel Reyes.

"It's well known for its violence between humans and Omnics, especially at night. And we don't wanna' provoke any more tension than this place already harbours. So stay out of sight, especially you tin-man." He ordered half jokingly. The third, more slender figure kept its distance from the pack and let out only a disgruntled Hmph. Finally I spoke up "So what exactly are we doing here sir? You were all pretty hush hush on the way over here, and I get the distinct feeling this isn't going to be mentioned to commander Morrison is it?"

"Nope." Reyes replied nonchalantly before rising. "Don't worry [REDACTED], it's not the first time. If anything we're saving him the extra paper work." He pointed to a more remote warehouse of some kind "That's the place. And we're just here to investigate." Without warning the trio took off, and I followed, diving and sprinting from roof to roof. I noticed a faint rising from the structures roof windows and, as we drew closer, that it was flickering. Once we arrived we peered through inside, Genji scoffed in disgust but the others watched un-phased. Below us was a table, on it was an Omnic, half stripped of its parts but still functional, a crowd of rough looking thugs, a gang of some sort, cheered and chanted from afar 'SCRA-AP THE CLANKER! SCRA-AP THE CLANKER!', whilst a man in an expensive looking suit paraded about beside the battered Omnic. "This part of town is practically swarmin' with anti Omnic gangs, but none more brutal than this bunch." Mccree elaborated, his smoke fogging the glass slightly. "But we've got a hunch that there's something more to these guys than just your bog standard Omnic hatred."

"We needed someone low-profile, but knowledgeable in the more technical surveillance stuff. That's why you're here [REDACTED]." Reyes passed me a data tablet smirking. "And if you tell Morrison, I'll just have Genji kill you." Sweat nearly erupted from my forehead, despite the cold. The cowboy and him laughed and he patted me on the back. "I'm joking...Mccree'd do it. Now, can you get us into the cameras? We need full audio and video feed." I open the tablet and get to work, trying not to think too much about what was just said.

After some fiddling it crackles and a fuzzy image crackled across the screen. Centred on the "Presenter's" show. Behind him there was revealed yet another Omnic held in chains, its muddied clothes torn and even seared in places. The victim on the table squirmed and sparked violently from its wounds. 'So whaddya' say boys? This one look about ready for the scrap heap!?' He roared in a thick cockney accent, bashing and prodding with a crowbar, and shocking with a stun gun. Taking special care to drive it into the broken or missing sections of its faceplate. I'd never seen an Omnic die, I was almost surprised at how similar it felt to watching a human suffer. I wondered if any of the others felt that way, then returned focus to the mission. After gratuitous amounts of riling up the crowd, the man revealed a small orb from his jacket, who whooped at its presentation. "It's an EMP?" I question aloud, "No."Even Reyes seemed surprised. "It's called a 'Bluescreen'. It's an EMP, but specifically designed to terminate an Omnic component by component, to make it suffer. They've been outlawed since the crisis..." As the host crammed the device into a gash in the Omnic's chest Mccree flicked his cigar aside and sighed "Makes ya' wonder where the law's gone." And as the Omnic spasmd violently, releasing a final garbled scream Genji scowled "It makes me wonder, why you are familiar with such things, Reyes." Reyes ignored the comment, instead watching the feed even more intently. The host flung the scraps of the victim into the crowd, who cheered and clambered for pieces, And then spoke.

'Now, before we entertain our next guest, I'd like to give a special mention to our sponsor, the ones who see the truth about the bots! Who paid for our wonderful toys, and to keep the cops from stickin' their nose in! Please put your hands together for the ones who see things as We do! Talooon!' with this a holographic video began on stage, displaying row after row of soldiers in red and white armour, in the style of Omnic crisis propaganda, I had heard of Talon, but only in hushed tones. There was a series of k-tink's behind me as Mccree loads his revolver "Looks like you're lead was right boss, dunno' what business a hacker has with any of this but at least they're reliable."

"I-I thought this was just surveillance?" I stammered. Reyes drew his shotguns and inspected them closely, dismissing me "For you, it was. If Talon is involved, and I presume you've heard of them, then we need to change our mission parameters a bit. To interrogation. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Mccree grinned, his revolvers laser sights flickering to life.

"Let's make this quick." Shimada counted his shurikens before retracting them back into his mechanical hand with what looked like pain. Gabriel pressed the barrel of his gun to the glass before turning to me, "[REDACTED], you did good. Now just stay put and tomorrow you can forget this ever happened. I stood back from the window and nodded. "Mccree. Flash bang, On my mark." Mccree drew one of several from a clip on his belt. There was a moment of silence, the wind howling softly and the faint monotone ramblings of the film almost overtook a shared deep breath.

Then, there was a bang! Mccree casually tossed the flash bang down, and in an instant the trio were down there. The chill of night seeping in behind them. Amidst the shocked roars I can make out Reyes. "You're coming with us." He snarls. There is the clatter of weapons being drawn and the half blind crowd erupts into a violent stream of battle-cries. I watch over the scene from the window. The host drew a machine gun. Spraying at Blackwatch. Bullets tearing through the blood red hologram. The gang members charged. Reyes gestured and Genji immediately drew his blade and dashed back, whilst Mccree steadied himself, taking aim. The captive Omnic curled up in panicked screaming. Reyes ran for the ringleader, bullets grazing his chest piece. As the wave of bodies hit him, Genji leapt, sprinting across the wall, his sword dancing from neck to torso to limb in one fluid motion. Any stragglers were swiftly met with a precise Pitew! As Mccree unloaded into the crowd. All the while Reyes threw a barrage of punches at the leader, sending them flying. Cackling maniacally, he unloaded another hail of bullets, this time at the ceiling. Shattering most of the lights. And the window.

The pain hadn't finished shooting through my midriff when I hit the floor.

The glass shards jammed themselves into my hands and face. The already lightning fast skirmish was now a blur, cut into brief segments where my consciousness and the flickering of the remaining light fixtures aligned. The noise was just a static fuzz of yells, and the sights just blood and muzzle flash. Broken only by a bright streak of green. My sight finally focused enough for me to make out Genji stood before me, repelling the stampede of bullets headed for me with a miasmic flurry of his blade. "Stay. Awake." Is what it sounded like he said. But by that point all but my sight and sound were faded...

Everything came rushing back once more, if only for a minute. I saw the corpse of the gang leader strewn beside me, and the Blackwatch team standing ragged and bloodied over it. "Well that got...ugly" Mcree sighed, lighting another cigar. "Doesn't matter. We got what we came for. We know at least some of what talon is up to. And we can start making some progress where Morrison won't look. " Reyes was examining another data tablet.

"But at what cost?" Genji sank his head, observing the body count, including me.

Mccree whistled "Now that's why we should've brought Moira."

"Damn, [REDACTED]." Genji leant over me. "They won't make it." He said.

"At least take his M.I.D." Reyes sighed. "It'll make the report much easier."

The End