08:30 PM, Local Time
Rome, Italy
Tana del Lupo Training Centre
September, 2018
The team had just cleared out a room before heading for the next and final area. Ray had been leading his team throughout the course, armed with MP5SDs and suppressed MP7s. They were taking part in a training exercise under Gabriel's command to assess how fast they clear out a hostile-infested building. They have already reached the one minute mark which was the average time. The team made their way down the hallway, heading for the end of the hallway which was made out of wood and built to resemble a house.
Once the team stacked up by the door, Ray stepped aside and got out his flashbang. Genji stepped towards the door and slightly opened it, leaving a narrow gap wide enough for Ray to toss the flashbang. As soon as the flashbang entered the room, Genji swiftly closed it shut and waited as the loud bang erupted from inside.
Ray stepped forward and kicked the door open, entering the room filled with several steel targets shaped to resemble gunmen and opened fire on them as his team followed him inside and took care of the rest. Ray hit most targets with several shots and no misses. Once all the targets were hit, the team gave the all-clear as they double checked the room. Shortly, they heard the alarm ring. The announcer then spoke in Italian before pausing.
"Exercise complete. Please make your way to the nearest exit." The announcer said in English.
The team then headed for the exit nearby where they met up with Gabriel, Amélie, Moira and McCree who were all watching the exercise from the camera feeds.
"Nicely done," Gabriel said. "But it needs to be faster. Head back to the starting point and get ready."
The team complied and headed back. However, Ray had something on his mind affecting his focus. He wasn't sure what it was but he felt empty, like something was missing.
"Ray?" Gabriel called, snapping Ray back into reality.
"Yeah?" Ray hastily replied.
"You alright?"
Ray nodded hurriedly. "I'm fine, boss."
Gabriel almost looked as if he could see what he was thinking but he said nothing beyond that. "Good. You're on point again."
Ray went back with the team for the exercise redo and they were dismissed after completing several more runs.
11:20 PM, Local Time
Rome, Italy
Vicolo Cellini
Ray didn't feel like going back home without something to drink. He stopped by the particular bar some of his teammates frequent and ordered some vodka. Ray ignored the idle chatter from behind as he poured vodka into a glass to sip. The TV noise was drowned out by the voices echoing across the room. Ray's eyes plastered on the dull, wooden counter as he swirled his drink.
"Knew I would find you here."
Ray turned to his left and noticed Marvel standing next to him. Ray remained unfazed and turned away.
"Wasn't really hiding." Ray replied as he sipped his vodka.
"Well, you act like Genji sometimes," Marvel said. "Always a loner."
"Guess I'm just not that talkative."
"I can see that."
Marvel sat down beside Ray and called the waiter for some beer. Marvel took the glass filled with golden alcohol and frothy foam to top it off and took a swig.
"Moira told me you got divorced." Marvel said, wiping his mouth.
"Told you or told everyone on the team?" Ray asked.
"Told the whole team."
"Wouldn't say I'm surprised."
There was a pause between the two as the loud chatter behind them continued to flow in the bar.
"Sorry about your split." Marvel said.
Ray sighed as he downed his vodka. "It's okay. I'm over it. It was bound to happen at some point."
Marvel glanced at Ray who remained expressionless and unfazed over his divorce.
"Was she a problem?" He asked.
"Nah," Ray shook his head. "More like she believed I married for the job… and she's right. I've always preferred the field over normal work."
Marvel remained silent since there was nothing to say about it.
"To be honest," Ray continued. "Part of me did want the marriage to end… but one part of me wanted a normal life. Fat chance of me having it if there's gonna be some assholes out there killing innocent people while we just sit on the sidelines."
Marvel could at least understand Ray's point of view. Almost having the similar mindset as their team leader. Ray then took another sip of his vodka.
"Anyways, how'd you end up in Blackwatch?" Marvel asked, switching the topic. "Never really got the chance to ask."
Ray sighed as he set his glass down. "NATO saw my records of my deployments during my time with the Rangers. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. I was like a scalp collector of my squad back then. They gave me an opportunity to go after more bad guys and I was like 'yeah, why not?' And that's why I'm here."
Marvel was a bit surprised about Ray's background as he's just like any other Special Forces operator.
"What about you? What are you here for?" Ray asked.
"Probably for the same reason as you," Marvel replied, taking a sip of his beer. "I was part of a squadron for a joint military operation in Boklovo back in 2016."
"Kurjikstan?"
"Yeah, that one. You know about it?"
Ray nodded. "Yeah, the Boklovo Siege. ISIS overthrew the city and kept the outside world out. They held the locals hostages for a month until the US and the Kurjikstani army went in to liberate the city."
"Yeah, I was there. We took care of the airstrikes for the areas the military couldn't reach. It was a real tough one to crack, considering the terrorists somehow stole some advanced anti-aircraft weaponry but we managed to break through it. Guess NATO heard about me through that."
"Something tells me you went through more than just that. Something similar to that time you got separated from your team during that mission in Russia."
"Moira tell you that?"
"Told the whole team."
Marvel chuckled, knowing Ray can at least joke.
"Well, it wasn't my first time getting split from my team," he said. "It was way back in my cadet years. I was doing a field exercise with my group and the German Air Force when my aircraft suddenly malfunctioned. It was spinning like crazy. I couldn't keep the aircraft steady and there was nowhere safe I could land since we were over some forest. So I used the ejector seat to free myself."
Based on Marvel's experience, he does remind Ray of Scott O'Grady.
"Long story short, I landed in the woods and ended up getting my parachute tangled in the trees but the thing was, it was so fucking dark I couldn't see shit. For some reason, I took off my parachute while I was hanging and I broke my leg."
"Damn. How bad was it?" Ray asked.
"Hurt like hell but I wasn't gonna stop over a broken leg," Marvel continued. "I had to use the trees to steady myself and those LED finger lights from the survival kit to find my way around. About what felt like hours later, I reached a rundown village and used my signal flare to mark my position. About half an hour, I got picked up by the Kampfretter and got treated back at base, though I had to sit out of service for several months because of my leg."
Ray let out a whistle as he drank his vodka.
"That was pretty ballsy, wandering in a dark ass forest with a broken leg. Props to that, dude."
"Thanks," Marvel nodded. "Turns out, the reason why my jet malfunctioned was because of a mechanical issue and the mechanics didn't notice it somehow. They got a heavy scolding after they found out, and put them on suspension."
"That was a little harsh for a technical issue, don't you think?"
"Easy for you to say, man. You got shot on your first mission and still survived!"
"Not the first time I've been shot so that was nothing."
Marvel simply chuckled and the two clinked their glasses before downing their drinks.
The two then turned to the TV, with the news headline catching their attention. The language was in Italian but from what they could understand, there was a sudden car bombing in London near Harrods. Footage showed police surrounding a charred car near the destroyed shops.
The reporter then said that several people, including a police officer, were killed in the explosion while multiple people, including another police officer, were in hospital treated for their wounds while the surviving police officer was in critical condition. And the crazy thing was, it happened an hour ago.
"Jesus," Ray mutters. "This is fucked up."
"You can say that again." Marvel replied.
(One Hour Earlier)
9:58 PM, Local Time
London, England
Sergeant Joyce Welsh took a bite into her nearly finished burrito. Her schedule change had unfortunately disrupted her plans to spend her time with her family since the changes were in response to 'suspicious activity' for the past few weeks. Their nightly patrol so far spotted nothing out of the ordinary so she and her partner Inspector Tim Campbell got some Taco Bell down at the tourist-friendly and the upheld King's Row to spend some time together.
Welsh's partner was slightly older but more experienced which was where Welsh learned a thing or two from him. He was a reliable and trusty man to both his fellow officers and to Welsh and her family.
"So how's things back home?" Campbell asked, still eating his taco.
"Not too bad," Welsh replied, eating some of the fries. "We're just about done prepping for Tanya's birthday tomorrow."
Campbell sat up and glanced at her in surprise. "Wait, tomorrow's her birthday?"
Welsh bit half of the fry before looking at her partner.
"Yeah, didn't my husband tell you? I guess he forgot."
"Bloody hell, I was too busy catching jackers and drunkards. Didn't know your young daughter is about to have her 9th birthday."
Welsh scoffed. "You and your priorities, mate."
"Am I invited?"
"You know bloody well my daughter would want you to come. She practically worships you now."
Campbell simply chuckled and they ate in silence with Campbell finishing up his tacos while their radio faintly blared. Welsh remembered that one time Campbell tackled a suspect into a fountain when he was out terrorizing people at a park. This man was completely focused on his job to protect the people. That's what made him one of the many respected officers of the city.
Welsh looked out at the street they parked at and noticed a drunk couple stumbling across the road. The guy was in a tacky coloured tracksuit and the woman he was holding wore a light cherry playsuit and she was carrying her heels. Both of them look as if they had been wasted at the nearest nightclub and the woman was probably someone the guy sweet talked for some drinks. Welsh watched as the man leaned onto a parked car before reaching the path on the other side. She couldn't help but scoff and roll her eyes. Millennials these days. Besides, she hasn't heard from her partner's family for a while.
"How's your family doing?" Welsh asked.
"Me?" Campbell glanced at her.
Before he could continue, Welsh heard the sound of a nearby roar of a car engine and turned around to notice a grey car speed past them like lightning, completely ignoring the police cruiser behind them. Even Campbell had just caught on what happened.
"Right, we'll talk later. Let's get to work." Welsh said as she activated the sirens.
As Campbell quickly stored away his food, Welsh drove off and went after the speeding car with the sirens blaring loudly. They left the market street and headed down the main road.
"Dispatch, this is Unit 1. We are in pursuit of a speeding driver in King's Row. Grey BMW X5, no registration plate."
Quickly attaching the radio back, Welsh looked up and saw the grey car speeding down the street. The car doesn't look like it plans to stop but neither is Welsh. The cars in front of her began to swerve out of her way as she chased after the grey car. The car began to bump into other vehicles in their way, causing some to drive right into poles and almost into people.
"This bastard is gonna get someone killed! We need to stop him!" Campbell said as they chased the suspect.
"Dispatch, suspect is now driving erratically and endangering the public. Requesting backup, over."
"Copy, Unit 1. Officers are on their way to assist, over."
"Copy, Dispatch. Out."
A few intense minutes have passed and they have reached Knightsbridge. The sirens have managed to attract attention from shoppers and tourists alike. The grey car was going much faster than it was, zipping past several vehicles in front. As the remaining vehicles made way for the blaring cruiser, Welsh noticed the grey car was starting to slow down before stopping near Harrods where several passers were. Something must've made the driver come to his senses. Welsh parked the cruiser a few meters away from the grey BMW. She noticed several people were watching the scene unfold.
"Thank God. Alright, let's go talk to him." Campbell said before opening the door.
Welsh got out and approached the grey car alongside Campbell. Several people walked past the car to mind their own business while some had their phones out.
"Dispatch, suspect has pulled over. Approaching him now, over."
"Copy, Unit 1. Proceed with caution."
For some reason, she was feeling somewhat dreadful about what was inside the car. Something was giving her a really bad feeling. Campbell was the first to reach the car. As she approached the car, Welsh heard what sounded like a bag rustling from inside and noticed the driver sitting upright alongside the passenger, holding something up.
"Death to capitalism."
The last thing she saw was a bright, fiery blast flash in front of her eyes before everything went black.
(Present)
12:30 PM, Local Time
Rome, Italy
Embassy of the United States
Gabriel hadn't had lunch yet but he was going to pass up on it for now. His new Commander, Jack Morrison, has just called him in for a meeting. His best guess was that it was about the bombings that had rocked the world last night, ever since the bombing in London. Amsterdam, Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona, even Miami. All involving bombings and a handful of deaths. This was a coordinated attack and whoever's responsible must have prepared intensely. Fortunately, Italy hasn't been hit for now.
Terrorist attacks are unpredictable but this was beyond their expectations. Not one but several more attacks and this wasn't even Al-Qaeda's handiwork. These people are professionals, much more than Al-Qaeda. Gabriel hoped that he and his team would at least be given a shot to find whoever's responsible and take them down before they can hurt any further innocent people.
Once he arrived and entered the new briefing room, Gabriel found Jack standing near a board filled with pictures and files attached, including a large map with drawn circles.
"You called me, Jack?" Gabriel called.
Jack turned around to face him. "Yes, I did. We have a situation and I need you and Blackwatch for this."
"What's the sitrep?"
"There's a weapons deal scheduled to take place in Romania and the mafia's involved. I need it to be stopped."
Gabriel looked at Jack in confusion as the conversation had nothing to do with what's happening right now. To Gabriel, he feels like he was slapped in the face.
"What about the bombings?" He asked.
"It's Null Sector," Jack replied. "They've just come out of hiding after ten years and have claimed responsibility for the attacks, calling it their 'explosive comeback'. We have also just discovered possible Null Sector activity here in Rome so we're tightening security there."
"Then let's go after them."
"Can't. Too high profile and we can't afford to stir up further panic."
Gabriel then approached Jack, slowly closing in face-on.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "You want me and my team to go after a mafia while there's a group of dangerous terrorists out there wreaking havoc across the world?"
"I have a team handling this situation." Jack replied.
"Are they even good?"
"They're professionals like you, Gabriel. Of course they are."
Gabriel scoffed. Jack was trying to play it safe. He knows that Blackwatch doesn't operate under the rules, yet he's using another team to deal with the terrorists under the government's rule and for all he knows, this could be a mistake. Jack sighed and turned away to his desk to pick something up.
"I know you want to go after these guys but I need you and your team for this one." Jack said, handing Gabriel a Manila folder with 'classified' stamped on the front.
Gabriel silently took the folder and opened it. Inside was a pile of files with the one in front of him showing two photographs. One was an aerial image of a ranch house near a river with several deserted cars and bodies and the other was a black-and-white photograph of a familiar looking group.
"This rings any bells for you?" Jack asked.
Gabriel had already recognized the aerial image as soon as he saw it. He scared their hired hackers into staying away from them.
"The People's Republic of Romania?" Gabriel guessed.
"It's a good thing you have an extensive memory." Jack said.
Gabriel turned the page over and read another typed file with separate photographs of a different gang and a figure with a question mark as well as an aerial image of a rundown apartment complex. Dealer was written in red below the photograph.
"We've received intel that they're taking part in a weapons deal in Ferentari near Bucharest with a local Russian mafia and an anonymous arms dealer only known as the Coin." Jack continued.
"What's the product?" Gabriel asked.
"We don't know. Our guess is it's something big since the Coin is the one-stop-shop for organized crime syndicates and terrorist organizations. Interpol's got a Red Notice on his head and several other countries have been trying to catch him for a long time. He recently supplied weapons to the Gwishin of North Korea for their attempted assassination of South Korea's Prime Minister Chung Nam-il."
"When's the deal?"
"It's happening tonight. Fio's getting the plane ready for you and your team as we speak. Wheels will be up in 1900 hours."
Gabriel was still unsure about doing the mission but the Coin has been involved in a lot of his previous missions which makes it a big deal.
"You're sure that your team's capable of handling Null Sector?" Gabriel asked.
"I wouldn't have formed this team in the first place if they weren't." Jack replied.
Gabriel still doesn't trust Jack's team in dealing with the terrorists but this was just for the sake of doing a favor for his old friend.
"Alright. My team will take part in this mission."
"Good," Jack nodded. "And if possible, capture the Coin. We need to know his identity and find out who his buyers are so we can go after them."
Gabriel nodded and turned away, heading for the door.
"Gabriel," Jack called, grabbing the team leader's attention. "We'll get 'em. Don't you worry about it."
Gabriel simply grunted before walking out of the room to report their new mission to his team, which he knows won't be warmly accepted.
8:30 PM, Local Time
Romania Airspace
The team was just an hour away from their destination in Bucharest. All of them were involved since they were going to need more firepower just in case the situation escalated into a violent shootout. For the operation, the team was going to HALO jump out of the C130 to reach Ferentari.
Not everybody was keen on conducting an operation while there were ongoing terrorist attacks outside though it wasn't their position to object. Ray however wasn't going to stay silent about it.
"This is bullshit." He said.
"Easy now, Ray." McCree said.
"No, I'm serious. We should be going after those sons of bitches who are orchestrating those bombings. It's not just London whose under attack, it's happening all across the world."
"Our orders are to stop a potential exchange of a dangerous weapon." Gabriel said.
"Why are we wasting our time with the mafia when we should be going after the terrorists killing innocent people?"
"Cause we have orders, Ray!" Gabriel snapped, raising his voice. "We don't question orders! We follow them! If I hear one more word that is not related to this mission come out of your fucking mouth, I'll make sure your ass is not part of any other operations! Am I clear?"
Ray went quiet immediately, knowing he went out of line.
"Yes sir."
"Good. Now shut the fuck up and focus on the mission." Gabriel said.
Ray sat back and quietly sighed. Of course, his stance on this matter hasn't changed but this wasn't the time or place to make it obvious. The rest of the team remained quiet, not planning on provoking Gabriel anytime soon.
8:57 PM, Local Time
Rome, Italy
The drive down the lightly-lit roads of Rome was silent. The black SUV drove past the bridge, where the road would lead them to a potential Null Sector hideout. Intel has confirmed that Null Sector has plans to attack Rome and after pinpointing their hideout, the Valorant Protocol, founded by Jack Morrison, were given the green light to go after Null Sector. As an elite clandestine unit of NATO, Valorant handles counter-terrorism and off-the-books operations under the government's approval.
Team leader Brimstone, former DEVGRU commander and the co-founder of Valorant, set his sights forward on the road as the team drove down the partially empty and dark lane with small flashes of traffic lights. Brimstone is like any other American Special Force op, with his commendable bravery and his sturdy will for both himself and his Development Group boys.
For this operation, Brimstone and his team were given uniforms to resemble the NOCS to create a cover that they're conducting a raid as the tactical unit of the Italian police and even armed with the same gear and weapons the NOCS would carry. The team was ready and two minutes to their destination.
"All callsigns, abort objective! I repeat, abort the objective!"
Brimstone at first thought he heard wrong but his ears were fine. Morrison sounded desperate and when he is desperate, it could mean one thing. Brimstone tapped on the radio.
"Sarge to Command, what's happening, over?" He asked.
"I need you in Piazza di Spagna immediately!" Morrison quickly answered. "Our intel was wrong! The attack is happening now! I repeat, Null Sector is attacking Piazza di Spagna! Sending you the coordinates!"
Brimstone's eyes widened. His team around him glanced at him, waiting for further instructions while the driver was still heading straight. Brimstone quickly recollected himself and got back with the radio.
"Copy, Command. We're en route, out," Brimstone then turned to the driver. "Cypher, turn this car around now!"
"Got it!" The driver stopped the car and turned back towards their new destination.
9:50 PM, Local Time
Bucharest, Romania
Ferentari
After landing in Ferentari, the team spread themselves out across the open area where the meeting was going to take place. Ray was partnered up with Amélie where they're providing overwatch from a seven floor abandoned apartment complex 700 yards away from the open area. Ray watched through the spotter, focusing on the Russian and the PRR mafia waiting for the Coin. Generators were scattered across the area with the light illuminating the mafia for brighter vision.
Amélie had her M82A1 mounted on the ledge as she kept watch on the targets. While her eyes were through the scope keeping an eye on the mafia, she wondered how Ray was feeling right now. Even though she was the second-in-Command of Blackwatch, Amélie understood Ray's point though she was never usually the person to express it.
"You okay, Ray?" Amélie asked.
Ray briefly paused for a moment.
"I'm fine."
"I get that you're frustrated that we're not the ones handling the attacks. You're not alone."
"Just need to focus on the mission, that's all."
"I know. But I'm just letting you know that you're not the only one."
"Look alive. We have a vehicle approaching the mob." Gabriel informed through the comms.
Ray then noticed a black SUV arriving at the meeting before parking in front of the mafia. Shortly, a group of armed men with rifles stepped out and the last person stepping out of the car was a Caucasian man wearing a grey suit. The mafia looked at each other in confusion.
"Ты не тот, кого мы ждали." A Russian gangster said.
"Я его помощник," The man replied in Russian. "У моего босса есть дела стремиться к но у нас есть оружие, так что встреча будет продолжаться."
Some of the gangsters conversed with one another, seemingly deciding what to do. The Russian gangster turned away from the others and turned back to the assistant with a nod.
"Что у тебя?" The gangster said.
The assistant then called out for his men to show the goods in English. His men then pulled out some boxes from the boot as the gangsters waited and observed. Shortly, the men placed the boxes in front of the Russian. The Romanian gangsters waited for their turn but one of them noticed one of the assistant's men staring down at them and had just turned the safety of his rifle off.
Suddenly, as the Russian gangster opened the box, the assistant swiftly pulled out a gun from his jacket and dropped the Russian gangster, clean through the head. The assistant's men suddenly started to open fire on the rest of the mafia before they could react. The Romanian gangsters tried to get their guns out but each ended up gunned down to the ground just like the rest.
"The fuck is this?" Ray muttered.
"Let's move out!" The assistant ordered.
The assistant and his men then rushed back into their car.
"Shadow 2, don't let them get away." Gabriel ordered.
As soon as Ray gave Amélie the distance and wind speed for her to calculate, a shot rang from her sniper rifle and Ray noticed both the driver and the passenger turn into crimson splatter.
By the time the assistant and his last bodyguard got out of the car, Gabriel and Marvel had already reached them. Marvel took care of the last bodyguard while Gabriel approached the assistant. Before Gabriel could tell the assistant to surrender, he raised his gun, only to be shot in the chest twice before falling onto the ground.
While Gabriel finished off the assistant, McCree and Sombra checked the bodies of the Romanian mafia and Genji and Moira checked the Russian mafia. Gabriel and Marvel checked the bodies of the assistant's bodyguards. Gabriel searched the assistant's body and felt something solid in his pockets. Pulling it out, he found a phone with a lockscreen. Even using the assistant's fingerprints won't unlock the phone but it was intel material they could give to Sombra.
Gabriel then noticed something that caught his attention. A Fairbairn–Sykes knife with capitalized Greek letters and a thunderbolt was tattooed on his neck. It was a tattoo that's usually associated with the Delta Force. The Coin had been hiring Special Forces veterans.
"Uh, sir? We got a problem." Marvel called.
Gabriel walked towards Marvel standing next to the boxes. Gabriel looked inside and noticed it was empty.
"What the fuck?" Gabriel muttered.
Sombra and McCree approached the two to see what they were looking at.
"Was this a setup?" Marvel asked.
Gabriel tries to put all the pieces together of what's going on. The Coin doesn't show up for the meet, his men started shooting his buyers and quickly tried to leave the area. Gabriel then starts to realize that this isn't some sort of set up.
"This was meant to draw us out…"
...
The Coin watched and observed the footage on his tablet from the safety of his car. He had one of his snipers positioned on the rooftop of one of the many apartments from afar with a camera attached to his scope. To sum it up, the Coin had been waiting for Blackwatch, the government's secret weapon, to show up and show up they did. He watched their strategies and their method of taking down his assistant and his men with swiftness and discretion. They're smart, which is a rare praise the Coin would give to them.
"Am I clear to engage, sir?" The sniper asked.
The Coin stared at the leader with the skull mask checking the empty boxes as he flipped his golden poker chip through his fingers before catching it. His cold, unnerving eyes locked with the operative.
"No need. We have just enough intel for our friends back home." The Coin said before ordering the sniper and his driver to move out.
9:06 AM, Local Time
Rome, Italy
Embassy of the United States
When the team returned to Rome, they were immediately hit with the bad news. Ray's gut had been right after all. Null Sector ended up attacking Rome in Piazza Di Spagna and the other covert unit that was supposed to deal with them couldn't prevent it due to bad intel. The post mission report detailed that more than twenty people, including the Null Sector terrorists, were killed that night. To think that innocent people were murdered in cold blood while they were out in Romania was unbelievable.
Ray watched from atop of the Embassy where he could see Piazza Di Spagna from a distance. One of the towers was hit by a suicide bomber and the damage left behind was out in the open as a message.
"Mind if I join you?"
Ray looked behind his shoulder and noticed Marvel walking up to him.
"Go right ahead." Ray replied.
Marvel then reached Ray and stood next to him, watching the aftermath of Piazza di Spagna.
"Shame about what happened down there. Those guys did their best to contain the attack but the intel team fucked up on their end."
"I saw the report," Ray said. "There's no way they screwed this up and allowed this to happen."
Marvel remained unfazed, only sighed softly.
"We're not superheroes, man," Marvel said. "We can't save everyone."
The two stared down at the plaza in silence as sounds of beeps echoed from afar.
"So what now?" Ray asked.
"Dunno," Marvel shrugged. "Guess we just wait for the next mission that lands on our desk."
"Is this what we're doing now? Waiting?"
"It's what we do in the line of work, man."
Marvel then turned away to head back in.
"Do you know why I joined the army in the first place?" Ray suddenly said.
Marvel stopped before turning around to listen.
"I joined because of 9/11," Ray continued. "I was about 11 when the towers fell. The smoke came to me like a sand monster. I was wandering around the streets calling for my parents. Don't know why I did that while they were in the North Tower. My bratty ass went out exploring because I got bored watching my parents work."
Marvel said nothing. Even though he understood Ray's motivations, anybody would have joined the army when 9/11 struck. It was a wake-up call for the Americans there. Before Marvel could respond, the door behind them opened and the two turned to notice McCree approaching them.
"You two, we're needed for a meeting."
9:20 AM, Local Time
Blackwatch was summoned in the new briefing room where their leaders were expected to deliver some updates on the current situation. Joining them was both Jack and Valorant, the team that couldn't prevent the Rome attack. Valorant was already up to date with Blackwatch's situation with the Coin. The board in front of the team was covered with pictures and files all gathered in one place.
"Since we're all here, we have some intel regarding the mission Blackwatch conducted in Romania," Jack said. "The phone Captain Reyes retrieved from the Coin's assistant was enough to confirm our target's identity."
Gabriel then approached the board and flipped over a blank photo to a cutout of a Forbes magazine cover of a well-dressed man with slicked hair and noticeable elegance.
"Meet the Coin, Maximilien Rousset."
"Isn't that the magnate who owns a shit load of casinos and businesses across the world?" Marvel said.
"That's him alright," Gabriel answered. "But that's just his cover. He's an arms dealer in the black market but at some point, he has been working with a high value client or organization. We don't know who exactly but we know Maximilien has been indirectly responsible for several of our missions for the past few months."
"And we learned from our intel team that Maximilien had aided weapons to the Null Sector cell in Rome." Jack added.
The team said nothing but there were signs of surprise and anger.
"I know all of you are upset," Jack continued. "I feel the same way. To think that this happened not just in our homeland but across the world in one day… it's a lot to take in."
"And we'll be the ones to let these sons of bitches know we won't just take it lying down," Gabriel added. "We'll make sure anything like this never happens again, no matter what."
Shortly after a few words, the teams were dismissed and Jack went off to tend to Valorant. Gabriel stayed behind and spent his morning reading the board. Everything from pictures to reports and newspaper article cutouts. Something was bothering Gabriel about Maximilien. The fake deal in Romania was meant to draw Blackwatch out. Maximilien wanted to see Blackwatch in the flesh but why exactly? Something was telling him that Maximilien is going to be an adversary from now on.
"Staring at him won't make him appear." Amélie said.
Gabriel didn't need to look behind his shoulder. He anticipated she would stay behind. Gabriel simply sighed and continued reading the board.
"What're you still doing here?" He asked.
"Knew you would stay behind so I did the same thing." Amélie answered. Gabriel then heard her footsteps close in from behind.
"Of course. You're the mysterious Widowmaker."
Amélie chuckled. She was now standing beside him, watching the board with him.
"You should also know something," Amélie said. "It's about Ray."
"What'd he do now?" Gabriel asked.
"Nothing. But there's something about him that's very strange."
Gabriel glanced at Amélie. "What do you mean?"
"He reminded me of someone who wanted to be a soldier as if it was his destiny."
Gabriel wasn't sure what Amélie was talking about.
"What're you trying to tell me?" He asked.
"My point is that you should talk to Ray and at least listen to what he has to say. Because what he said back on the plane was right."
With that said, Amélie turned away and left the room, leaving Gabriel by himself. Gabriel knew Amélie was telling the truth about Ray but he wasn't sure how to handle it. He had always been a team leader who'd follow any order given by his superiors but there would be a time where his orders would cross the line morally and trap him on a tightrope. Still, Gabriel couldn't get Maximilien out of his mind and it was puzzling to piece the connections between Maximilien's intentions and the past missions.
(Three Weeks Later)
9:51 PM, Local Time
French Polynesia
October, 2018
Will Zambezi checked his watch with the screen reflecting from the ceiling. It was almost 10 PM and his client was still mingling with his business partners. His service in the South African Special Forces had prepared him for the job and his resume was packed with successful escorts for several other high-profile clients. His newest client for him and his security team: Vernand Sainclair, CEO of Sainclair Pharmaceuticals.
Sainclair acted as some sort of messiah to the public when he promised affordable medicine but like many other CEOs he knew, Sainclair was no different. Rich, stylish and self-centred, the many manifestations of a famous CEO nowadays.
The money he used went into clothes, jewelry, fancy cars and one hell of a superyacht which Zambezi was in right now moored away from his vacation resort in French Polynesia. Some messiah he is. Zambezi watched Sainclair try to speak through his laughs as he held his glass of champagne, wearing a light coloured summer shirt with cream coloured dress pants and gold jewelry. Alongside Sainclair and his business partners, they're being spoiled by beautiful women accompanying them. Zambezi would bet half of the women are their mistresses considering most of them are married except Sainclair.
Sighing, Zambezi stared ahead while his clients continued to go on with their drunken rants. He noticed Cruz and Russell across the lounge also standing in boredom while watching Sainclair as well. Suddenly, the room went dark and the chatter was cut off. It was pitch black and nobody could see anything.
"What was that?" One of the partners said.
"I can't see anything."
Zambezi looked around as the confusion arose. He then reached for his radio.
"Spearhead to Team A, status, over."
There was no response. His radio wasn't even working. Something or someone must've disabled the electrical system completely but there was certainty of who.
"Got nothing on my feed, sir." Cruz said.
Zambezi turned to Cruz and Russell. "You two, formation."
"Yes sir."
His bodyguards then surrounded Sainclair and his group, hands on their holsters. None of the guards had flashlights and that was hard enough.
"What's going on? Is something happening?" Sainclair asked.
"I don't know but I need all of you to stay calm." Zambezi said.
Suddenly, they heard gunshots from outside, startling everyone in the room. At this point, everybody was sobered up and panicking. Sounds of semi-automatic gunfire echoed from outside and it was starting to get louder with time. Zambezi and his men then pulled their pistols out of their holsters and closed in with Sainclair.
"Mr Sainclair, we need to move you and your group to the panic room ASAP. Follow me and do exactly as I say. Cruz, with me. Russell, take point."
"Yes, sir!"
The team began to make their move towards the door. Zambezi's best bet was that this was a pirate attack. However, there was no possible way for pirates to obtain some sort of device to start a blackout but it was more likely that they took the blackout as an advantage. As the team led Sainclair and his group down the dark corridor, gunfire continued to erupt with sounds of rapid rounds echoed from outside. Zambezi could hear what sounded like a LMG firing from the other side.
The entirety of the yacht was dark and Zambezi's eyes eventually began to adapt to the blackness as he and his team navigated across the expensive yacht. Russell, who was leading the team, peeked through a corner with his pistol aimed before allowing the team to continue safely.
The team had reached the stairs leading to the panic room. Suddenly, gunfire rang from nowhere and Russell fell over, tumbling down the stairs as the pistol bounced off the steps. Sainclair flinched and some of his friends panicked once again.
"Russell's down!" Zambezi shouted. Their attackers were surprisingly more capable than he expected since they were able to see through the dark.
"Nine o'clock!" Cruz shouted.
Zambezi immediately turned around and noticed several pairs of faint red dots illuminating from a distance before a flash and gunfire brightened up the dark. Cruz fell before he could react and before he knew it, Zambezi was hit in the chest and fell back with a violent thud.
One by one, Sainclair's group was mercilessly shot down when most tried to run. One of the women was shot in the neck and began to choke and gurgle as she fruitlessly tried to cover her bloody neck. The red eyed figures closed in and one of them reached the dying woman with his rifle aimed at her. Before she could beg, he shot her dead before turning away to focus his aim at Sainclair, who was the only one spared for some reason. More figures emerged from all around them and aimed their rifles at Sainclair, all shouting 'clear' as they formed. Sainclair already had his hands up.
"This is Doubleday, we got eyes on the asset, over." One of the figures said. A pause between. "Copy. Out."
Zambezi noticed through the dark that the figures didn't look close to being pirates. They were all kitted up in dark military-grade uniforms with armor from the shoulder pads down to the groin protectors, as well as M50 gas masks with red NODs attached to their helmets. Each of them bore a distinctive patch on their vests and shoulders but Zambezi couldn't make out what it was. Something was off about them. Something that felt supernatural and inhuman.
"Who are you people?! What do you want?!" Sainclair shouted. Nobody responded.
Shortly, another similarly geared up group arrived and one of them was towering over the rest, heavily muscular and large like a mountain while wearing the same gear but more armored. He was carrying a LMG fitted with multiple attachments like the others with the muzzle still emitting smoke. He was listening to someone through the comms as he approached them.
"Copy. We're clear at our in. Setting charges." A voice said.
The large gunman then approached Sainclair, walking over the bodies before him. As he held the LMG up, he then lifted his NODs up, giving Sainclair a view of the visor of his gas mask.
"Vernand Sainclair," He said. "It's been too long."
Sainclair's eyes widened when he glanced up at the bulky figure.
"M-Mauga?" Sainclair muttered, recognizing the filtered voice.
"I see you're doing pretty well for yourself, buddy. I mean, you can afford a nice yacht now. How's the company doing?"
"Why are you here? We had a deal! I gave your leader enough information and kept quiet about you all and you let me walk away!"
Mauga then erupted into laughter and the rest of the figures laughed along over their filtered masks. Sainclair stared in confusion and anger, unable to think straight.
"And you bought every single word they said? Heh, you got jokes, buddy. I'll give you that. But there's a catch you missed. No one leaves Talon that easily."
Mauga then pulled out his sidearm from his holster. Sainclair's pants began to increase by the second.
"Well, I did say I wanted to kill you," Mauga said as he racked the slide. "And today is the day I keep my promise."
Mauga aimed the pistol at Mauga with his finger lightly on the trigger. Sainclair's pleas were going nowhere and the gunmen all stood eerily still. A few seconds passed and no gunshot rang. Mauga suddenly snorted and let out a laugh, lowering the pistol.
"I'm just messing with ya, buddy! You shoulda seen the look on his face! He looked like he was having a heart attack!"
The gunmen laughed alongside Mauga while Sainclair stared dumbfounded but still fearing for his life. Zambezi caught a glimpse of one of the gunmen who was the only one not laughing. Eventually, Mauga and the gunmen calmed down and he holstered his pistol.
"Anyways, we aren't here to kill you. That comes later. Boss needs you alive and we're here to take you back."
"What does he want?" Sainclair croaked.
"Dunno. You've been a reliable asset for Talon for a long time and they really want you back home."
"Why?"
Mauga paused and sighed eagerly. "Let's just say that he has big plans for you. For all of us. For history to come."
Sainclair's eyes narrowed down into resistance and scowled at Mauga. Even through the gas mask, Zambezi could see the eyes of a predator ready to take its shot.
"You think I'll just agree to your-"
Suddenly, Mauga pulled his pistol in a split second and shot at Sainclair's shoulder, with the bullet just cutting past the surface of the skin. Sainclair shouted in pain as he stumbled backwards and gripped onto his shoulder.
"That wasn't a request, Vernand," Mauga said with coldness escaping his mouth. "You're coming back with us, one way or another, unless you want Captain to find out I did more than just graze you. I promised them I would bring you back in one piece and the last thing I wanna do is drag another body for tonight."
"Charges are set. Ready for detonation." The same voice from Mauga's comms said.
"Copy, Pacanowsky. Stand-by," Mauga then turned his attention back to Sainclair. "Bag the asset and let's roll outta here. And make sure to slow the bleeding. We don't wanna lose him on our way back."
The masked gunmen then approached Sainclair and pulled him up by his collar. Two of them tied Sainclair behind his back and the other put a bag over his head before dragging him with them and heading off.
Zambezi may be helpless and dying but he still got some fight in him. Blood was already oozing out of his mouth and his consciousness was slipping away but he was willing to make one last move. Sainclair may be a rich asshole but his behavior didn't change Zambezi's duty to protect him at all costs.
He reached his pistol and weakly raised it to aim at one of the gunmen. Zambezi's hand rigorously shook as he desperately tried to pull the trigger. Suddenly, Mauga stopped and spun around with his pistol aimed back at Zambezi's direction. A gunshot rang in front of him and the light went dark for good.