Chp.2
Guada buckled the uniform around Nataio's chest and waist. She rubbed her face against his, ran her fingers along the dog's ears.
"You ready, baby boy," she whispered as he lapped at her face, "Let's see how long it takes for us to get sent back home."
Puerto Rico had sent them in to audition for Overwatch.
The Super Soldier program had had 300 subjects, twenty-five who came from the island. Not an insignificant portion of the entire testing group. More importantly, to Guada, Puerto Rico had been the location of animal testing for cyborg animal warfare, animal super soldiers.
A program that Puerto Rico took full control of when it became its own country. They had had to revamp the program, and, no longer constrained by the USA military, they had welcomed geneticists into their labs that other countries had turned their backs on.
Of the entire animal program, ten of them were dogs. A super bred fighting team, that had been augmented at the age of one year to be stronger, faster and hardier than the regular war dog.
Looking into the pup's eyes now, she imagined what he was thinking. She remembered how scared he was before the cyborg surgery, how different he felt upon being returned. More… serious?
Panting was less common and more for the show, he accepted his strict diet, and was less responsive to her emotional state. Nataio still behaved as if he was a trauma dog, but… lacking somehow?
Guada hadn't been top of the group, but that was alright because neither was her pup. By all comparisons to their counterparts, Guada and Nataio were middle of the road.
That didn't matter, because Nataio and Guada were the last of their kind.
Puerto Rico had stepped out if lane. Attempted to assist a foreign country. Guada didn't have the information on who or where, at the time she had been waiting, exhausted inside of the vet's office. Some kind of infection in Nataio's system had appeared overnight according to the animal welfare team.
Guada stood, brushed off the memory, lead Nataio to the door and grabbed her cap.
"Let's get this over with," she sighed.
Morrison held the files in hand, Lacroix walked ahead of him as they strolled amongst the military personnel from Puerto Rico.
"As requested, I brought back their very best."
"I can't help but notice that out of 40 of these best soldiers, half of them were super soldiers created by the US military," Morrison commented sarcastically.
Gerard smirked and called on one of the soldiers randomly, "Soldier… 17, what do you have to say about that."
"This soldier has a name, sir."
Gerard stepped up to them and read their tag, "Soldier William Correa, yes?"
"Sir, yes, sir."
"What do you have to say about your part in the US military study."
"In all fairness sir, it's not Puerto Rico's fault you targeted their people for scientific study in the first wave of soldiers," he turned towards Morrison and looked him over, "Sir."
Morrison jotted down a note, "And not exactly the most respectful."
Correra smiled.
"The Puerto Ricans cleared their soldiers to decide for themselves about Overwatch. You're just as much applying for them as they are for you, Morrison," Gerard shook the Correa's hand firmly.
Morrison glared from over his paperwork.
"There's supposed to be 40 here, and one is missing."
"She's not, the issue is that she's classified, well more classified. Puerto Rico's pièce de résistance. The reason we're meeting indoors with limited people."
He waved his hand, a man in the small crowd yelled something in Spanish, and a door to the side of the hall opened. A young woman marched out, in step with her a dog that seemed part german shepherd, part Doberman, and part omnic.
The dog wore boots over its metal paws. The uniform pattern matching with its leader.
The 29 other soldiers began to applaud almost as if on cue upon their entrance. Morrison resisted rolling his eyes.
"And who's this," he asked over the clapping.
Lacroix put his hand in the air, "This is Guada Perez," the woman bowed her head, Gerard gestured over to the dog then, "More importantly, this is one of Puerto Rico's very own super soldiers, Soldier 299."
"This soldier has a name, Sir," Guada interrupted
"Of course he does," Morrison said as he put his hands down, cupped in front of him looking the two of over.
"His name is Nataio. The word is of Taino origin, Taino natives being the original islanders who were killed by colonization. Our nation looked to honor them in our program.
Nataio means brother."
Another set of applause.
"And what does Nataio do?" Morrison asked over the applause, "Why is there only one of him here?"
"That information is classified," a sharp voice rang from behind him.
It was a woman in the last row, reddish-brown hair.
"What's your name, soldier," he called to the back of the room.
"Alma Vega, and it's my job to assert that all information on our personnel that isn't in the paperwork in front of you is classified until proven trustworthy… sir."
"I thought these files felt a bit light," Morrison flipped through the paperwork until he found Vega's, added a note, then walked back to Gerard, "Did you bring me back Overwatch applicants or a kindergarten class."
"It's in the country's slogan, Jack, 'We do what we want,'" he smiled looking them over, "You sent me to bring you back their best, and I brought them."
Jack handed off the files to one of the other overwatch agents standing nearby, "Start the one-on-one interviews, without Lacroix," he said pointedly.
He turned to look Guada and Nataio over again, "And someone set up a course for that dog."
"He doesn't go anywhere without me," Guada asserted before adding a belated, "Sir."
Jack stared into her eyes before turning away shaking his head.
The back doors opened again, Reyes walked in with Amari by his side.
"So these are the new recruits?" he asked as they were both handed copies of the paperwork.
"For your consideration," Gerard stated with a flair.
"We need more medical personnel, so hopefully they stand up to quality," Ana Amari said as she flipped through, "I feel I'm missing half my packet. Why does each soldier have barely a sheet of information?"
"Apparently it's all classified," Morrison gruffed walking past the pair.
"This should be fun," Reyes sighed.
"You're not dismissed, but you are welcome to get snacks, relieve yourself or whatever you will. We'll be reviewing you each individually in about an hour," Lacroix spoke
"Half an hour," Morrison yelled from the hallway.
"In a half hour," Lacroix repeated.
The soldiers relaxed, many of them strolled out of the meeting hall, but a few of them seemed to cluster upfront. Reyes raised an eyebrow.
Amari smirked at Lacroix, "You're a dog," she said to him simply.
He tried not to laugh, "What can I say, when a friend has an itch. You scratch it."
"What are you two on about?" Reyes asked with his hands on his waist.
The two tried not to laugh.
Reyes rolled his eyes stepping towards the small crowd, "Soldiers, of those of you left here… since there's barely anything in your paperwork. If you have special talents, feel free to see me and name them."
The crowd parted and formed lines and there she was at its center. No curls this time, just two braids pulled back into buns on either side of her head.
Reyes felt his mouth go dry. Her lips parted a bit, but eventually, she sucked them in and worked hard not to smile. He looked over the dog by her side.
"At ease," was all he said as he turned his back to them and left.
They had set a clipboard of lined paper on the table. Guada had taken to taking sheets off of it to make balls she could use to throw and play catch with Nataio. She couldn't imagine having to sit like this without him.
Nataio was in the middle of dancing for her when an older woman and Morrison walked in.
"This is Captain Amari, she'll be reviewing for potential in medical," Jack Morrison spoke short and to the point as they all settled down.
"I'm going to begin honestly, Puerto Ricans betrayed the USA, we as Overwatch have no reason to believe you won't do the same. Convince us otherwise."
Guada pulled the dog's front paws up to her lap, "With all due respect, Captain Morrison, the USA has spent over a century abusing Puerto Rico, it wasn't a betrayal, it was self-preservation."
"USA needed you most of all, and you left, convince me that you will provide life-saving care to the world without stopping to self-preserve, as you put it."
"If the people you expect me to save start trying to kill me, I will self-preserve without guilt, sir."
"Not entirely a bad decision," Amari noted as she wrote on the files in front of her, "Your dog, he provides medical care?"
"Yes, ma'am, he does."
"Explain his process."
"He moves very quickly ma'am, our MWDs were bred and worked on to be the fastest on the map. He doesn't carry the materials on his person, but he does grab medical supply and bring them to the team in better time than any human. Medical supply is dispensed as quickly as human hands can work it.."
"And what about you?"
"What about me ma'am?"
"What makes you special, soldier?" Morrison sat back with one leg crossed over the other.
"My name is Guada Perez, sir."
"Then tell us, Perez, what makes you special."
"I'm his handler sir. No one else can order Nataio what to do unless I die. In which case he goes to whomever I've named my second."
"And who's your second?" Amari asked.
"That's classified, ma'am."
"Do you have any tracks? Stats? Records?" he was getting flustered.
"Where is Reyes?" Jack asked looking at the mirror behind Guada, "He should be in here."
"He'll interview her separate from you, Morrison. He knew you had a bit of a bias…"
"I don't have a bias," Morrison sighed as he rubbed at his eyes.
"You seem, like, really biased… sir," Guada made a sarcastic face and smiled.
Jack stared at the woman, her hair wasn't even up to code, this entire thing felt like a joke, "I'm done. You and Reyes can pick at this one, I don't need her on my teams."
Amari raised her eyebrows and shook her head.
"Bye," Guada said to the closing door before leaning in, "Is he always that stiff?"
"Yes," Amari sigh.
"Are you always so patient?" Guada asked with a soft smile.
Amari smiled and looked up at an angle, "Usually."
"How long have you worked here?"
"From the start."
"Amazing."
"Gerard told me about you. Far as I'm concerned, you're hired."
"Gerard technically wasn't suppose to tell you anything."
"And you, technically aren't supposed to have relationships with higher-ups," she leaned back with her fingers laced, "I saw you at the bar last night."
She watched Guada look over her shoulder quickly, "Don't worry, there's not actually anyone back there, we've no reason to document this.
Far as the world is concerned, Puerto Rico isn't even interviewing."
"Has he said anything about me?" Guada shifted in her seat and struggled to keep a line of sight as Nataio climbed into her lap.
"He keeps to himself."
"That's not what I remember," Guada said in a sing-song voice.
"Don't mistake me for Gerard," Amari organized the papers in front of her, "I can keep secrets, I know what that's like, but I'm not your friend. Besides," she waved the paper in the air, "I hardly know you."
They both laughed.
The door opened then, the man from two nights ago walked in.
"Amari," he said as a greeting.
"Reyes," she said simply in returned with a smirk.
"Perez?" Gabriel questioned.
"Yep, hi!" Guada said casually with a sassy wave her hand.
Nataio stepped off her lap and looked him over quickly with a tilted head before laying by Guada's side.
"She's a shoo-in, we need someone to carry extra medical equipment. The dog is perfect," Amari chimed, "Only so much you can ask someone to carry out into the field."
"Aren't you like, one of the world's best snipers, what are you doing see over medical?" Guada asked pulling a leg up beneath her and leaning across the table.
"I ask myself that, all the time," Amari rubbed her eyes, "But when you're watching over nearly an entire field of people, you start becoming the shot caller for where medical needs to go."
"Why not, like… the big shot caller?"
"Things don't always make sense around here," Reyes sighed as he placed a hand on Amari's shoulder.
"Oh shut up, I had to watch you strut around this place too," Amari waved his hand off her shoulder.
"Yea, about that, what are you still doing here after they fucking shafted you," Guada tilted her head and with an open smile, and she licked at her canines.
Gabriel smiled stiffly, "Mind your business kid."
"These interviews are incredibly casual," Ana wrote down notes on her paper, "How fast does the dog run?"
"Oh, he runs super fast, like really really."
"You mean fast-fast?" Gabriel mocked
"Like, confidential fast," Guada shot back with a sarcasm heavy with cockiness, "And let's be honest, this can't be any more casual than when y'all magically hired that one outlaw for Overwatch. How did that even happen? He was like only a baby, super suspect if you ask me."
"There's literally no point to this," Amari stood laughing, "You're already hired, I don't care anymore."
She shook her head with an exhausted smile as she grabbed up her things and walked out of the room.
Guada stared at the door after Amari left, "That is the sound of a non-man who has had to deal with cis men all her fucking life… and is done."
Gabriel raised his eyebrows and looked at the empty sheets scattered on the table and the balls of paper around the room, "Your dog is ridiculously quiet."
"He speaks only when spoken to," She folded her hands together.
"Really? That seems unnerving and can't be healthy."
"No, not really," As she sucked in her bottom lip to chew on it, the dog inched closer, she spoke through her teeth, "He's just incredibly professional."
"As professional as you? What with lying to future higher-ups?" He sat in the chair with an arm hanging off the back, one of his long legs casually laying out as he angled himself towards her and the dog.
"I mean, let's not get upset here, I was only doing my job… My very existence in this country is like, not even a thing as far as everyone else is concerned. So like, you're not the only one who's being lied to."
"Lying is a terrible way to start a relationship, but I agree, we could use the dog on the field, especially on my team."
"First of all, we are not in a relationship, it was just a thing, didn't even have sex, like, wow, slow down, and second of all, yea, I know you guys want me on your team. Just have to figure out if I want to be on yours."
Gabriel's eyes widened with annoyance as he nodded along to her statements, "I meant the working relationship, where I will basically be your boss, but, sure, kid."
Guada turned red, "Well fuck."
Gabriel didn't know what to say then, he tapped the papers on the desk, "You've made this incredibly harder on yourself, ya know that."
"If it's any consolation, I'll let you in a secret," she leaned across the table, "We were 'given permission' to be rude as we want to y'all. Puerto Rico really doesn't care about US soldiers for shit, and Morrison was a royal fuck up choice… if you ask us, anyway."
He tried not to smirk, "Interesting."
"Yea… interesting." she smiled then, "You have no idea how much we thought of you."
He perked his eyebrow, pretending to read over the sheet, "Oh yeah?"
"Yea, you who stayed behind when so many Latin Americans left. You who lead the charge for Overwatch. You handed them so much of your life. We were in awe of you, Commander Reyes."
He could feel his adrenaline rise slightly as he made eye contact with her then but he kept his cool.
"Why did you stay? Why didn't you respond to Puerto Rico's open call?" she sighed.
"It was my job. I was good at it."
She rested her face into her hand, then only absentmindedly petting her dog, "I'm sure you're good at a lot of things, throwing your life on the line isn't what you were born to do."
"We're not here to talk about my job," He tapped the papers onto the table as if to announce the end of the discussion.
"I asked Gerard to set us up, you know. When I met with him in Puerto Rico. After a few drinks, we were laughing. I begged him to introduce us."
"Wait, Gerard, knew."
Her eyebrows raised and her smile widened, "Oops."
Gabriel shook his head and rubbed at his thick eyebrows, "Yep, anyway, how fast can he go."
"I know I said it was confidential, like, you're not gonna embarrass me into telling you his top speed."
"How much can he carry?" Gabriel picked up a pen and flicked it around his fingers.
"Confidential."
"How old is the dog?"
"Confidential," she said, and the dog pushed his head into her lap.
"What's you're shooting score?"
"Confidential."
"How old are you?"
"Confidential."
He stood and leaned in then, "You said you were 24."
Her face took on a warmth then, "Oh shit."
"Yea, oh shit." He rolled up the papers in his hands, "I'm done here. We'll see you at the dog's field."
"Wait, no, I'm not done yet."
"I am."
"Oh okay, cool, bye," her voice held obvious annoyance, Nataio seemed to react to that and perked up to bark at Gabriel, "But let's not forget, I'm interviewing Overwatch as well, Puerto Rico isn't just gonna hand over its manpower for nothing."
"Very professional," Gabriel said turning and staring at the dog.
"Trust me, he knows what he's doing. Sit," she stood then keeping eye contact and her demeanor took on a suddenly serious tone, "Commander Gabriel, I'd hate to remind you that Overwatch is painfully understaffed and as much as other countries laud Overwatch, they hesitate to send you more troops, doing so only to gain some kind of protection.
They risk losing good men. Troops who can't give them open communication, troops that might die, and, something the USA knows all too well, troops that cost them money to train and create, money they'll never get back."
"This isn't the US Army." Gabriel crossed his arms and met her eyes with certainty.
"Could have fooled me, two of its top commanders are US military super soldiers. It's third just so happens to hail from one of its allies in the Middle East, and it's fourth from a ridiculously racist country, and, again, a good friend, France."
"Gerard is a good man," Gabriel said as he walked back to the table to sit.
"I never said he wasn't. I'm saying it's suspect how Overwatch just happens to reflect US's interests."
"I promise you, it's not like that."
"Okay. I trust you," she shrugged and hovered by her seat, the dog sitting by her side peacefully once more.
He squinted at her and moved back to his seat.
"I trust you because you're a brown latin who stayed when he didn't have to; because you use to be the lead commander... until you got shafted for the position and it got handed off to a white boy," she laughed, "God, does it get any more American than that?!"
"Why is that so pivotal to you?"
"Why not to you? You don't see how they used you?" Her voice took on an accent as she worked herself up, "The way they used all of us? Tested on Puerto Ricans as a pre-alpha, kept it hush-hush until the all clear then moved on to stolen immigrant Mexican-American children who joined the military in hopes for full citizenship, aka, you," She tilted her head and squinted, "That doesn't upset you?"
"I didn't say that," he stared at his hands, "US has a terrible history, I agree, and I have my issues with it, but… this is now and we need to work on keeping the world safe."
Her features softened then, "You really are a hero."
"You're just a baby, you talk about it like you were there."
"Todos para uno," she said and finally sat down, "We know a lot about you, Gabriel, we think you're an amazing inspiration."
"You all seem hyped up on anti-USA propaganda."
"Sorry, were we supposed to be hyped up on Overwatch Prop instead? Anti-omnic and robotics tech prop perhaps?"
"I suppose not," he snickered, "What is it that you all need before you're willing to join us?"
"You have to honor the word to protect Puerto Rico, including from the USA. No favorites."
"And you'll all join? Because from the sounds of it, I want you all working under me."
"No promises, but," she leaned in across the table, "I'd be more than happy to work under you."
He smiled with hooded eyes and laced his hands together in front of him, "That's against the rules."
"That's against the rules? You mean like Blackwatch?"
He leaned away eyeing her, "Gerard?"
"He trusted me."
"What a fool."
She sat on the table and patted her lap which the dog then stood into, "Don't worry, we're both very good boys."
"That's not what you said the other night," he gathered up his papers, and wrote down a note, "You also gave me a fake phone number."
"Okay, so he's a good boy, and I'm a very chaotic neutral."
He smirked then and he scratched his head, "It's gonna be a long six months."
There was a knock at the door, Gabriel ushered them in as Guada sat back into her seat.
"Jesse McCree, meet your potential new medical, Guada Perez."
"Hi!" Guada said with cheer.
The young man tipped his hat in her direction, "My lady, uh... Reyes they sent me to tell you the field was set up, I assume this is why."
Guada smirked as Jesse eyed Nataio over while they stood to leave, "Don't worry about him, he doesn't bite as harsh as I do."
They drove out in covered vehicles for a while. Guada held onto Nataio tightly, across from her Morrison held onto a clipboard purposely avoiding eye contact.
"Such a beautiful drive," Guada attempted at conversation.
Morrison nodded, "Yes," and continued in silence.
The "field" was actually a large warehouse.
Stepping out of the vehicle Guada was met by Gerard, Amari and Gabriel stepping out of their own vehicle.
"The warehouse has the scent of 3 different bomb types," Gerard explained, he looked down at Nataio, "It's your job to find them."
"This isn't what he's supposed to be here for, Lacroix," Guada sighed.
"Humor them," he said and patted her on the back.
Guada got down on one knee and unhooked Nataio's leash. Her words came out fast, as if in a language they didn't understand.
The dog shook his coat, then tried to offer Guada his paw. Guada took the heavy metal paw then kissed the dog's forehead.
"Is this all part of it," Morrison asked writing notes.
Guada rolled her eyes as she moved over to the warehouse door. The dog was eager and slipped in. Guada shut the door after him.
"How do you keep track of his marks?" Ana Amari asked as she held her clipboard at her waist, clearly already done with the proceedings.
Guada pulled a small device out her pocket, it looked like half a pair of glasses. She placed it on, clipping it to her ear.
A screen appeared in front of her right eye. She watched as the dog maneuvered through the warehouse.
He hovered at a box, the screen lit it up red.
"In the 3rd room, 5th row of boxes, the one in the middle."
The dog had already moved on, within a handful of minutes he had located two more, and as he ran into the very back of the building he located another.
Guada squinted at Gerard, "Who snuck in the 4th box?"
Morrison nodded his head, "It was me."
"Nice," Guada sighed tapping at her glasses, "Next?"
They had Nataio attack a man in a protective bodysuit, Amari was clearly impressed by his strength and capabilities. They had him crawl through a course. They tested how he responded to others giving commands (he didn't.) They measured his capabilities to find Guada after separation, and she reassured them that had he not been on normal dog speed, it would have not taken so long.
"How fast can he go?" Morrison asked.
"I'm still not at liberty to say sir," Guada pulled out a pair of gloves.
Nataio jumped into her arms and she loved on him sweetly while she tried to regain her balance.
"We need to see it at least," Amari suggested seeing the frustration in Morrison's face, "Even if it's not top speed, if you could show us that he goes faster than our regular working dogs, it would greatly help."
Guada stared at Morrison who simply stared back, they both had a look that smoldered with disdain.
"Fine," she finally said after a while, "Gather up some men."
"I don't wanna waste any more time on this, what do you need us to do," Morrison set his pad down on top of his vehicle.
"You're gonna need more bodysuits," she warned.
After a few minutes, the few dog handling personnel present were spread out across a field in coverage gear.
"You ready boy?" Guada scratched him behind the ear, "Round em up! Naca'n!"
Nataio was off in a flash. Within seconds the men in the suits were slowly finding themselves being moved inch by inch towards the center of the field.
Guada ran into the middle of it, she watched as the men struggled to stand in the whirlwind of Nataio's movements. He'd systematically pull each a bit towards the center than move on to the next.
The air was filled with the menacing sound of his barking. It was hard to distinguish what was an echo and what was just yet another bark.
Within seconds Nataio had the men in a circle around Guada. The radius couldn't have been more than twenty meters.
"To me, Nataio," Guada commanded. "Now, one of you try to run."
One of the personnel lifted itself from the ground and struggled against the weight of the suit to get away.
"Pursue!"
Nataio was off. He caught the man by the leg and began to tug heavily against his strength. Slowly he dragged the man back towards Guada who walked to meet them.
"Leave it," she commanded, and Nataio released him.
The man stood back up, and lifted off his helmet, he spoke with a southern drawl "Geezus."
"Sorry, McCree," Guada smiled as she offered him a hand.
"Thought I was gonna lose my leg too," he laughed as he took it to stand.
He began to shrug it off as the commanders walked up to them. The other personnel were dismissed as Gabriel patted McCree on the shoulder.
"Well, I like her," Gabriel said.
"Me too, say… That dog wouldn't happen to know how to wrestle up cattle would he?" McCree joked.
"My vote is on the dog as well," Amari said with a smile.
Gerard, who had been laughing and clapping at the scene joined in, "She's had my vote since I first met her."
"Then it doesn't matter what I think," Morrison handed his papers to Amari, "We don't have half the information we regularly require. For all we know that dog is full of malware ready to hack into the Overwatch database, but sure… she's in."
He turned his back to them and stormed off.
"He is literally like the biggest brat I have ever met," Guada said.
"You should see how he gets when a date turns him down," Amari jeered as she watched him walk away.
"If you think he's a brat, wait until you actually have a conversation with Jesse, here," Gabriel teased roughing the man's hair.
"Hey," he tried to pat down his hair, "My lady, I promise you I ain't no bother."
Guada grimaced, "Oh, I doubt that, but you're still pretty cute."
"We have other hires to interview later in the year, high hopes for more medical, so, Gabriel, if you need her," Ana said closing the folders in her hands and trying to organize them.
"I can find some uses," Gabriel licked his teeth as he looked off into the distance, "Definitely could use someone like her."
Guada smiled and tried not to look directly at him, but instead pretended to be busy cuddling Nataio who stood on his hind legs licking at her face, "So when do I get a cool jacket? Does it have to be blue and white? Like, I'm down, but… ya know."
"Field training first, then we can talk about all that," Gerard stepped in.
"Blackwatch doesn't wear white and blue anyway," Gabriel said.
"So that's that then, Guada Perez is a Blackwatch agent." Gerard put his hand out to shake Guada's hand.
"Mind yourself, Gerard," Guada and him looked into each other's eyes with raised eyebrows and tight smiles.
"Anyway, what about the rest of my troops?" Guada asked stepping back from her dog who landed with a thud.
"Your troops?" Gerard asked with a mock-confused looked taking his hand back.
Guada simply replied with a shrug.
"I'll take those too, we need more personnel," Gabriel flipped through the pages in his folders rapidly.
"I suppose it is a perfect fit," Gerard said with a giant grin, "What better way to empower our invisible arm than with a group of people who do not wish to be associated with working with the US anyway? Who could have possibly planned such a perfect arrangement."