A/N THIS IS COMPLETED WORK TAKEN FROM AO3. JUST TRANSFERRING THE FANFIC. TO THIS SITE. IT'S NOT BETA'D READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. MATURE CONTENT. IF YOU AREN'T A FAN OF SLASH OR THE OMEGA VERSE PROBABLY BEST NOT TO READ. EVERYONE ELSE ENJOY.-MARY


CHAPTER 1. VOLUNTEERS

The battle had gone poorly and the able-bodied troops headed out, the medical corps was ordered to stay behind and see to the wounded. Thirteen members of medical staff all Omegas, for the usual antiquated reasoning.

It was simple really, the Alpha managed army didn't allow the weaker sex to do anything but cook or play nurse maid.

These injured Alphas had no one else, prejudices aside, these Alphas, even if they believed it or not, they were Captain John Watson's responsibility.

So when the small medical base was attacked, the medical corps stood their ground. They took up arms that had been denied them.

Only the higher-ranking Omega officers were allowed to carry a weapon and it was a small hand gun, a Browning. Still the medical corps tried to hold their own with the borrowed weapons of the fallen.

John and the twelve other Omegas fought hard but being out gunned they were overcome easily, and surrounded. Then once the bullets stopped a man's voice broke the silence using a bullhorn.

"Just give us the Omegas and the rest of you can live. We know there are thirteen of the filthy little creatures. If we don't have all of them then we'll start killing after torturing the wounded. I do understand some of them may have had the misfortune of being killed by bullets. So, I want the dead bodies of the Omegas as well. No tricks now, come along."

The voice had sent a chill to John's very soul. Some of the walking wounded turned on the medical team almost immediately. Another group of Alphas protested, but in the end John knew there was no other way.

"Doctor Watson!" Staff Sergeant Stamford clutched John's arm, "Captain." He amended. "This is insanity. You cant-" The wounded Alpha took a deep breath, but John wouldn't allow him to continue.

"We don't have a choice." Captain Watson gently worked to pry, the fingers that caught his arm. There it was the protective Alpha instincts; John had to give a sad smile. This was his choice, he could do this for his friends, a handful of protective Alphas were trying to close in to keep the Omegas safe.

"You can't!" Another one of Alpha soldiers yelled. "We'll stand and fight." The good Doctor felt a twinge of pride, the medical team was made up of Omegas they were at least valued in the eyes of some soldiers under their care.

With calm and cool control, the army Doctor gave instructions to the walking wounded. He wrote down his directions as well as went over the necessary care; choosing the ones capable tending to the more seriously injured.

He wanted to be sure,and had to be sure everyone was taken care of after the medical team left.

The man on the bullhorn shouted impatiently. "I'm waiting! You have five more minutes before we go in and get you!"

He waited as the others said their goodbyes, at least two of the seven surviving Omegas had a bondmate here.

John was grateful that those Alphas were sedated or this could be more difficult. Bonded Alphas were highly protective of what was theirs. Bonded Omegas were equally territorial, this is the reason the two bonded Omegas volunteered right away. Their instinct to protect their mates was stronger than the impulse to not part from their other halves.

"Let them go! What's their lives to ours!? They are only Omegas." someone had shouted, John had mended the man's shoulder earlier in the week. Ungrateful prick, but that was the attitude of most Alphas civilian and soldier alike.

What were seven Omega lives to even one Alpha's?

The Doctor called his medical team together, it had to be a unanimous vote, he couldn't order anybody. In the end all seven of them agreed, and the other six were dead from the battle.

John took his trusty browning and handed it to his friend. "Stamford. Hold on to this for me?" He crouched down near Mike's cot, adjusting the bandages around his friend's arm.

"John." The older Alpha cringed trying to sit up in the cot. "Don't do this."

"Stay down Mike." John pushed his friend back down gently, "I have to. It's my choice. I want you to know you've been a good friend. You and Bill were my only Alpha friends. Tell Murry I guess he doesn't have to pay me back that ten quid he owes. He's a bad poker player, keep an eye on him."

John stood and left his wounded friend in the care of a Beta Private Jones. "Change that bandage in another hour, keep the wound clean. A fever, redness around the bandaged area, foul smell or discoloration is a sign of infection. Give him antibiotics if this happens, they are in the small medical tent. Clearly labeled, just one bag should do. Understood?"

"Yes sir. Captain." The young man saluted, something very uncommon, even though Omegas could hold rank, it might as well mean nothing. They never made it higher than Captain and Betas and Alphas weren't required to salute them. "It's been an honor knowing you."

"Likewise." John returned the gesture ignoring the catch in his voice.

The seven stepped out beyond the stone barriers they'd put up around the camp. John lead his team towards the cargo trucks parked just a few meters away, he could see the armed soldiers.

The desert air was suffocating even more than usual. John felt his skin tighten in response to the blazing sun. The weight of the stretchers they carried the dead on, seemed almost heavier with every step.

The blond Doctor cringed at the thought of their fallen brothers in arms handed into enemy hands. They would have wanted the others to live, of this John was sure. Somehow just handing them over to be dissected or left out for the elements seemed beyond disrespectful, no matter the reason.

The medical corps reached the trucks, several men in black uniforms and heavy AK's surrounded them. The tall Alpha with the bullhorn smiled like a kid in a sweets shop.

He then thrust his Bullhorn to one of his mercenaries to hold, and approached the group. He demanded that the Omegas get into a line and stand at attention. The dead were collected and counted, a man with a clipboard checked off names as if they had already had a list.

The blond Alpha, the leader had military cropped hair, and gold eyes, gold like a lion's. Standing at a towering six foot, the man was definitely an Alpha, his dominance rolled off of him in waves.

The Captain held his breath wishing to keep his wits. He would not give into biology, he refused to be submissive and cower.

He could feel the other Omegas in his group tense, he needed to keep calm for them. Omegas were sensitive to shifts in moods, he tried to emit his own composed reassurance. It worked because the tension of those beside him seemed to lessen.

"Alright when you hear your name I want you to step forward, let's do this quick." The man with a hardened face, looked directly at John, sizing him up as if he were nothing more than livestock. John met his gold eyes with a hardened glare of his own. A direct challenge, Alphas found it disrespectful to be looked in the eye without permission. John couldn't give a damn, he believed respect was given when it was due.

"You Captain-" The man cupped John's chin with his calloused hands. "You are going to be fun." John pulled away taking a swing at the taller man, he connected with a hard jaw, surprising the blond with the lion's eyes.

This earned the Doctor a quick and efficient strike to the abdomen, from one of the armed mercenaries. The leader touched his lip and licked the blood from his fingers. "Yes. I think, I'll have fun breaking you." He smiled but there was no humor in it, more like a promise of cruelty.

Sergeant Sawyer helped John to his feet; he coughed, and tried to ease his breathing. He refused to look weak in front of the enemy.

"Barnes, Hill, Danes, and Morris." The Alpha growled the names out like they had a foul taste to them.

The four called stepped forward, John caught Jessica Hill's quick glance back at those not called.

The captain observed the three in his group remaining. The four that were called, John knew one thing they had in common other than gender. They were all bonded, John felt his stomach knot. The army didn't allow bonded Omega to join normally, but the medical corps was in such a need for trained medical staff that they made exceptions. All bonded Omegas had to have their Alpha's permission in the form of a signed waiver.

The three called forward, to John's distress were young, each had a bondmate serving in the military. In fact Barnes and Morris both had a bondmate in camp. Hill and Danes' bondmates were stationed somewhere closer to the front lines.

"Very good." The tall blond Alpha smiled, he then took out his pistol and shot the bonded Omegas in the head. It was so sudden and cold, John nearly fell to his knees in despair.

"You bastard!" He growled feeling a piece of himself severed, and draining like the blood from those four. John knew somewhere the four's bondmates were falling to their knees, dizzy with the sudden loss.

Enraged John rushed forward to attack, not caring what happened to him, he wanted blood. He wanted revenge.

"Leave em, let the sun and the sand have them." The leader shouted, several strong hands caught the feisty little Omega with a Captain's rank. The remaining survivors were bound, and gagged. John wondered who these rogues were, they weren't Afghani some had British accents. He didn't feel the hit to the back of his head, he just remembered the lights going out in the desert.