I've decided to make Tales of The 501st a 1st person point of view story to make it easier to explain things and easier for you guys to understand what is happening
Out of all the Overwatch members I have fought along side throughout the months of my service, I've never met anyone braver than Gabriel Reyes. Technically he wasn't Overwatch, he was Blackwatch. Blackwatch was the special operations branch of Overwatch. Basically the cleaners. The sweepers of dirt. The janitors.
They were the ones that come in and clean up any tracks or messes that Overwatch had made after an op or when Overwatch needed something done, Blackwatch was the one that did the deed.
Heh... Reminds of the 501st.
Delta Platoon was soon joined by Commander Cole, who I haven't seen in months, then were shipped out towards Switzerland. Switzerland was where Overwatch had set up base and the growing tensions between them and Blackwatch had rose even higher.
When we landed, I had found out the Amelie Lacroix was taken by Talon and the commanders of Blackwatch and Overwatch were in a 'You Did It!' tug of war. The UN sent the 501st to intervene and try to cool things down a bit.
Finally with the help of Commander Cole, they came to a decision to send a task force to a Talon base of where they believe Amelie had been taken to. The 501st was chosen to lead the assault and was to be accompanied by Blackwatch.
Much to my surprise Gerard Lacroix, Amelie's husband, volunteered to lead the Blackwatch unit alongside Reyes. Though it shouldn't have surprised me, if I had a wife that had been taken by the enemy, I would want to do everything in my power to get her back. Not that I'll get a wife.
But none the less, the bravery Gerard showed raised my respect for Overwatch by a bit.
I sat with Gerard and Reyes tweaking cleaning my rifle while they drank their last drink before we leave for the Talon base. The Overwatch HQ was full of life, seems like that matrix we had given Overwatch was being tested on an experimental time travelling jet called the 'The Slipstream'. A couple of hot shot pilots are going to be flying it for the test.
Sad. It's happening today and I won't be there to see it.
"So... You're Eli?" I raised my head and looked at Reyes then nodded.
Gerard smiled and took a sip from his cup "I've heard stories about you. You worked with my wife before haven't you?"
I placed my rifle on the table gently and used a rag to clean the grime off my hands "Yes, I have. About a month ago"
He nodded and took another sip "You've made quite a name for yourself. Here in Overwatch they call you the Grim Reaper" I dropped the rage besides my rifle and raised a brow at him.
"Grim Reaper? That seems a bit...Cheesy" Gerard laughed and drank the last drips from his cup. He then stood up and patted me on the shoulder then walked off. He turned to Reyes and I as he walked.
"Get ready to move!"
I didn't need to be asked twice, I hated the peace. I grabbed my rifle along with the rag and jogged towards where my gear was kept.
It was quiet as we flied towards the Talon base. The 501st members sat with their helmets on waiting for the battle while some Blackwatch members prayed and others slept.
Gerard was looking at a picture, from my angle I couldn't see but my guess would be that it was a picture of him and Amelie. I looked towards Reyes who was standing leaning up against the walls of the dropship. He had his arms crossed and eyes closed as if he too was waiting for the battle.
"You should enjoy the peace while you can... It might be your last" Reyes said staying the in the same position. Gerard snapped out of his trance and stuffed the picture into one of his pouches and turned his attention to me.
I looked at Reyes to answer "I was made for battle. The peace is temporary...War is forever"
Gerard shook his head "You shouldn't look at it that way. No one is just made for war. Don't you plan to settle down one day? Form a family?"
I shook my head. "I already have a family" I motioned to the 501st soldiers "The 501st... There all my brothers, we've bled, we've been tortured, we've been shot at, we've been through it together... Besides if there was ever to be peace, Overwatch would not be here nor will Talon"
Overwatch WON'T be here...
Gerard looked at Reyes who shrugged and closed his eyes once again. Gerard turned back to me "Kid... You look extremely young but your eyes show something different...It shows experience." He stood up and walked next to me.
"I don't see that often in soldiers like you... I just have a feeling you'll change the future of Overwatch one day" He smiled to me before slamming a button that triggered the rear ramp to begin to open.
Commander Cole walked out of the cockpit and nodded at me.
I quickly put my helmet on and grabbed my rifle then stood up.
"GET READY!" The 501st soldiers and Blackwatch agents all stood up and lined up to perform a jump. I followed Commander Cole to the front of the line where Reyes and Gerard had been.
Commander Cole grabbed a backpack off the dropship wall and handed it to me "In here are our presents for Talon. When we leave, leave it"
Though because helmet blocked his face, I couldn't see his expression but, I can feel him smirking at me. I nodded and we proceeded our push towards the front of the line.
Once we were in the front, it wasn't long before we were given the greenlight to jump.
And jump we did.
The jump had no hitches, both Blackwatch and Delta Squad (the group of 501st soldiers that came with Blackwatch) were both equipped with jump-packs that will soften out landing.
'Landing'.
As soon as we got in range of the Talon base, the air was filled with canon fire coming from the base, Blackwatch members began to drop life flies and it wasn't long before some members of our squad were hit.
The communicator in my helmet came to life with a transmission from Commander Cole.
"Everyone! Dive forward and drop faster! Within 50 meters from the ground activate your packs! And try to aim for that little crevice on the side of the base!" We didn't ask question and did as instructed.
I turned and saw a Blackwatch agent had been hit on the pack. I glided over to him and grabbed him.
He panicked when I did but when he saw my armor he calmed down.
"Thank you!" I dived forward, increasing our acceleration. Soon Blackwatch caught on to our plan and dived forward as well.
Once I was close to the ground, I activated my jump-pack and landed safely next to some of the Delta squad members who were in a firefight with Talon soldiers coming out of the base. I dropped the Blackwatch agent and joined in on the firefight.
Commander Cole knelt next to me and fired at the Talon soldiers. Soon were were joined by Blackwatch and Gerard.
Both him and Reyes stood knelt next to us and returned fire.
Reyes grunted "We'll never get out of here if Talon pins us here! We need to move!"
I looked around for any openings towards the base but found none. The Talon soldiers blocked that entrance to the base. I then turned my attention to the side of the base.
This base was carved inside a mountain almost blending into it. Our little strike force landed in a little crater on the side which had a good angle on a part of the base which was expose by the erosion of the mountain.
I turned to the Commander. "Sir! There's an exposed part of the base right over there! If we get these explosives placed there we might be able to blow our way into the base!"
"Good eye, Eli... Who's going?"
No one answered. Reyes growled
"Are you fucking kidding me? You're supposed to be the brave 501st?! Fuck it give me the damn bag!" I tossed him the backpack. He dropped his rifle and prepared.
Reyes took a deep breath and looked at me "Cover me!" I nodded and grabbed a smoke grenade from my belt. I pulled the pin and smoke began to come out of the little container. I waited a couple seconds then chucked it toward the direction of the Talon soldiers.
Reyes immediately took off once it began to cover the area.
"Seize fire! Your gunshots might expose him!" Gerard yelled. Everyone stopped firing as I popped off another smoke grenade. We waited for the explosion. You see the reason none of the 501st members volunteered was because of our training.
It taught us to do whatever we can to survive. The odds of this plan working is slim and so the odds of survival is slim. But then there was the boom.
I felt the vibrations as the charges were set off. Commander Cole stood and charged towards the source of the sound, we all soon followed and with the cover of smoke grenade, the Talon soldiers were caught off guard when we appeared out of the mist.
We were soon rejoined by Reyes who had a cocky smile plastered across his face. We made our way inside the Talon base.
"Where could the cell block be?" Gerard said impatiently. Reyes approached a door way and pressed a button on the control panel next to it. It opened and inside were Talon agents.
"Cover! Up against the wall!" I yelled as I slammed myself into the wall next to the walk. I pulled out an incendiary grenaded and prepared to throw it inside the room. Gerard held up a hand.
"Whoa! That's inhumane! Just shoot them, no point in burning them alive" I looked at him and pulled the pin on the grenade.
"These guys are the enemy. Inhumane or not, our job is to kill the enemy" I threw the grenade inside. I pressed the button on the control panel and the door closed.
We all heard the pop of the grenade releasing the flames. We heard the cries for help. We all heard their dying yells as they burned.
Gerard looked at me and shook his head. As the group moved forward he stopped next to me.
"They maybe our enemies but... They're all still human. Like us" He placed a hand on my chest then followed the rest of the group. Commander Cole walked next to me.
"Let's check out the room" I nodded and pressed the button once again. The door, though a bit slower this time, slid opened to reveal the charred bodies of the Talon soldiers inside.
Again. Another reason i'm grateful for the helmets, they blocked out the smell of the bodies.
"Found a survivor" I snapped my attention to Commander Cole who had knelt down besides a barely living...Thing. This didn't look human. The man's body has shriveled up and is eyes were the only thing with color out of his entire charred black body.
I stood behind the Commander who had began to question the...Man.
"Where are the cell blocks"
The thing looked at him as he shook.
"2...2...2...2A...Help...me..."
The commander turned to me "2A... Did you get it?"
I looked around and found a working terminal. I powered it on and soon it showed a screen with several menus. After a moment of digging I managed to find the base lay out and downloaded it onto a holo-pad.
I opened it up and looked at the base...
"2A... Found it. Straight down the hall we came from and it's the first door to the right at the end of the hall" The Commander nodded and stood up.
"Let's not keep the others waiting" He walked out the room. I looked at the burnt man and pulled out my pistol. I knelt down beside him and placed the barrel on his head.
"You shouldn't have gone to Talon" I pulled the trigger. The bang echoed into the hallway.
I holstered my pistol and walked out the room.
There wasn't much resistance after that. It had felt like Talon had made it too easy. But it was a successful mission none the less. Amelie was found in a cell unconscious but in good condition.
There was clear signs of torture from the bruises on her arms and the cuts on her face...They also for some reason tattooed her. I don't know how Talon works and I'm not willing to find out.
After the mission Gerard did not look at me the same, as if he found out a horrible truth and he is trying to avoid it. It didn't matter, Delta Platoon was shipped back to the to the UN HQ for leave.
I never did get a chance to talk to Amelie afterwards. She was put into the hospital for treatment and therapy, Gerard following her everywhere. I understand why though.
To prevent something from happening again you must always be one be vigilant to KEEP it from happening again. And Gerard was that. Vigilant. He stayed by her side through out the therapy and the treatment. He protected her with all his might.
Three weeks later, I found out from Reyes that Amelie had killed Gerard in his sleep the week before and was discovered to be a Talon sleeper agent.
It truly is sad...
The person he tried so much to protect was what killed him in the end.