<REMADE> Soldier 76 | Reporting For Duty

Shrike

"Ana." I whisper in return. "You should be dead."

"It was best for me to disappear, after I lost my eye. I needed to become a ghost," she replied, turning away.

"You have a daughter."

"Why the hell do you think I'm here, Jack? To see a friend?" Ana snaps at me, slowly sinking to the floor. "I wanted to see her. Atleast one last time. But it doesn't seem like I'll be able to do that. Come with me, please. I don't want to talk about this here."

I nod.

<Necropolis>

"I need to rest for while, Jack. I'm not as young as I used to be," Ana mumbled. She immediately slid down a wall, pulling a holo-disk put of one of her pockets. "Oh, my Fareeha. How I wish to see you at least one more time."

"We'll see her again. I promise." I respond.

"Do not promise something you can't guarantee, Jack." She says quietly before drifting off to sleep.

--------

"Ana. Wake up," I whisper, "we have company."

"How many?" She asks me in return. I take a moment to marvel at her ability to go instantly into command mode when needed.

"No clue. I came in to wake you up as soon as I saw movement."

"Get you visor on. We might need it in a minute," she whispers, sitting up without a sound. I nod, attaching my visor, but not activating it.

"What do we do, Cheif?" Someone asks, not that far away.

"Search and clear. We don't know if anyone is here. Keep it to non-lethal force. If someone is here, and they fire at us, keep it non-lethal, we want them alive for questioning." Another voice orders. I see Ana visibly stiffen at the voice.

"Alright, Cheif." the first voice replies. "Can you help me clear this building?"

The quiet footsteps begin to approach our position. I could picture the two soldiers in my mind, walking side by side, scanning their surroundings.

Their footsteps become more pronounced as they enter the building.

"Someone definitely lives here, Cheif. The question is, who?" The first soldier asks.

"That's what we're going to find out. They're definitely here, since they left their weapons." The second person, the Cheif, mutters. I stifle a curse as I remember that I had set my weapon down.

"Who's in there?" A voice asks. Damnit. "Show yourself!"

Ana sends me a hard look, then gestures for me to reveal myself. She puts a finger to her lips, telling me to not mention her.

"I'm here. Don't shoot. I'm coming out." I raise my voice to be heard. I put my hands on the back of my head, keeping my face away from view.

"Identify yourself." The Cheif asks. I take a moment to check out the person infront of me. Helix Security.

"Ah, well. I can't do that." I mutter. I can't let them know that I'm not dead.

"Identify yourself, sir."

"John." I growl. "That's all you're going to get from me, at least until I know who you are."

"Helix Security Cheif Amari." They respond. I pause.

"Who?"

"Helix Security Cheif Amari." They repeat.

"ANA!" I yell. The Security Cheifs reaction is impeccable, sending a concussion blast directly beneath my feet and knocking me into a wall.

"Don't hurt him! I'm coming down. Let's talk this out," Ana shouts.

"Slowly now." The Cheif orders, then turns to the man beside them, "Mark."

"Alright, Cheif. I'll be outside." The soldier replies.

"Who are you?" The Cheif asks me again.

"John."

"Who is she?" They gesture to Ana.

"Ana." I respond. "The rest is classified information. Best if it's left unsaid."

"I will keep it that way then. I will only tell my superiors." They respond.

"He can't even tell you, Cheif. Saying who we are will only complicate things so much more." Ana steps in.

"Why not?" The Cheif asks. It's clear they're getting frustrated.

"Hard to explain." I mumble.

"Get on with it then. What is said here will be kept here unless it's important enough to go to my superiors."

"Its no question that you have heard of Overwatch, yes?" I get a nod in response, "Ana and I were both members of Overwatch."

"Much more than members, John." Ana sighs.

"I, I was one of the leaders of Overwatch in its prime." I say, casting a side long glance at Ana.

"John, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but would you mind taking your helmet off, Cheif?" Ana asks.

"I suppose there's no harm in it." The Cheif shrugs and unlatches her helmet.

"Oh my dear Fareeha." Ana whispers. Fareeha stiffens at the mention of her name.

"How do you know my name?"

"Do you not recognize your own mother?" Ana chuckles as she detaches her mask.

"You should be dead. You died. You got shot in the eye!" Fareeha gasps.

"And I was blown up." I interrupt. "I should also be dead, but here I am."

"Jack?" She whispers.

"In the flesh, kid." I grin underneath my mask. "Now you see why we said it's complicated?"

Fareeha pauses for a moment, supposedly listening to something in her earpiece.

"CHEIF!" Someone shouts from outside, "we got company. And it's not the good kind."