Suggested Music – Game of Thrones Season 8 Soundtrack (The Bells)
You opened your eyes to find yourself greeted by a familiar sight. White padded walls, a glaringly bright ceiling light and small bed which was bound to the floor. There were no pillows, nor was there a duvet. No furniture filled the room, only a bland and incredibly uncomfortable bed.
In the corner, out of your reach, you could see a security camera with a little red light, proving that someone was watching your every move. The idea of someone staring at you while you slept was more than a little disconcerting but nowhere near as frightening as the idea that you were trapped here. As you tried to sit up and make yourself comfortable, you found yourself pulled back sharply by metal chains which had you tied to the bed.
A few moments passed, and you watched the door open in front of you. A brown-haired woman entered wearing a formal grey suit, flanked by a pair of nurses wearing surgical masks. The nurses wasted no time attending to you, preparing a syringe, and swiftly injecting something into your arm that made your muscles go limp. They then unlocked the metal chains and propped you up against the wall, before leaving you alone in the room with the woman.
"Ugh...huh...how many times...are we gonna do this?" you questioned weakly, taking slow and deep breaths.
"Tell me your name" the woman requested in a cold, business-like tone.
She was a psychiatrist, military-grade, trained to help soldiers get over their PTSD, but also to get enemies of the state to admit to their crimes.
"Y/N L/N...I was a corporal in the US military...now I'm not..." you answered, just about unable to move thanks to whatever you had been injected with.
"And where do your loyalties lie now? With Talon?" the psychiatrist questioned, noting down your responses on a clipboard.
"No...my loyalties...are with Sombra...always her..." you replied, imagining that the hacker was stood before you now.
Her purple flowing hair, her deep violet eyes, her sarcastic attitude.
"And who is Sombra? L/N...who is Sombra?" the psychiatrist asked, leaning closer as if she were on the verge of a breakthrough.
"A friend..." you whispered, watching as the psychiatrist's face lowered with a sigh.
Even with your defences lowered by nauseous chemicals, you would never give up her name. That was one secret you would take to your grave.
"We will return to this tomorrow, with a stronger dosage" the psychiatrist stated, standing up and walking away with a swift movement.
"W-wait...just listen...Talon's plan..." you stuttered, feeling your head grow heavy from the chemicals coursing through your body.
"Tell me about Talon. Where is their base? What is their plan? Who are their members?" the psychiatrist questioned in quick succession, staring at you curiously.
"I've told you all of this before...I don't know where the base is...it was always kept secret. But they have an army...an army of omnics...they threaten the entire planet" you answered, causing the psychiatrist to sigh and roll her eyes.
"If you expect me to believe this obvious deception then you're wrong. I was hoping you might speak some sense" she said with a look of disdain.
"Look...you're the one who keeps injecting me with chemicals...so if I'm not making sense then it's your fault. But I came to you...why would I do that just to lie? What would be the point?" you asked, beginning to get fed up with trying to persuade her of the truth.
"Until very recently, corporal, you have been heavily involved with the terrorist group known as Talon. You say you've cut all ties, but what proof is there? For all we know, you are a Talon saboteur, sent to throw us off balance by spreading false rumours" the psychiatrist countered, causing you to shake your head with a sigh.
Try to do the right thing by warning people and this is what you get, the nice ones always finish last.
"Nothing I say will persuade you...and I have no proof. So, have it your way, in a month, maybe two, when the world is burning, and Talon reveals itself...you come find me. You know where I'll be" you stated, leaning back against the wall.
But the psychiatrist gave you an odd look, as if she knew something you didn't.
"You might not be around that long. In a week, you will be put on trial before a military court headed by Lieutenant General James Richards. If found guilty of colluding with Talon, then you could face any variety of punishments from prison time to the death sentence. I always found it curious how they brought back the capital punishment for deserters during the Omnic Crisis and never bothered to get rid of it again. Perhaps it's so we can deal with people like you" she explained, watching the look of shock appear on your face with a smile.
You didn't know what psychology course she had taken, but she obviously wasn't very skilled in the field. Even a basic psychiatrist would know that she was completely crazy.
"James Richards? Shit...I'm already dead then..." you muttered aloud.
He was the one who had ordered you to activate the EMP all those years ago, and he was also the one whom you had spat and sworn at just before you left the military.
"Probably...but you have a week to think about that...for now, you need to sleep" the psychiatrist answered, calling in the two nurses.
They quickly restrained you, injecting you with a different chemical which immediately made you feel sleepy. Your head collapsed down onto the bed as you were wrapped in chains once again.
"Wait...how long...have I been here?" you asked quietly, having lost track of the amount of time you'd spent in this maddening cell.
"Three months...sleep well, Y/N L/N..." the psychiatrist responded, her voice fading away to nothing as sheer blackness engulfed your vision.
You heard footsteps growing ever more distant as the door closed and you were left alone again. Another day in paradise...
A week passed, and you were not disturbed again, other than for meals and toilet breaks. This gave you a lot of time to think, wondering if handing yourself into the government had been a mistake. On the one hand, you were potentially facing jail time or death for your actions, but on the other hand, you were trying to warn these arrogant jackasses of the danger. More and more, you were wishing you still had that data drive from Oasis, that would clear all of this up.
Did you have any regrets? Well, you regretted the whole Miami affair, but you had already accepted that you would never make up for it. Anything else? You supposed your only other regret was failing Olivia. You were supposed to disappear, but you had allowed your conscience to get the better of you, and this was the result. You hoped she didn't hate you too much when you were gone.
"Y/N L/N...it's time to go...please hold your hands out" a soldier stated, holding a pair of advanced handcuffs.
You gave a grim smile, standing up and allowing him to restrain you.
"Happen to know how the death sentence is carried out these days?" you questioned casually as you were led out of your cell.
"I uh...usually chemically, I think. But military personnel are often executed by firing squad" the soldier replied, giving you a sympathetic look.
"Ah...that's nice...good...team building exercise...hm" you commented, still trying to come to terms with all of this.
You were led by a team of five armed soldiers down multiple corridors, with a solemn silence falling over you as you walked. The facility where you were being held was enormous, and since you had given yourself in at Washington DC, you suspected it was some department of the Pentagon.
Fifteen years ago, you would have loved to have been here, finding out how military operations were organised behind the scenes. And now, here you were, running from a terrorist organisation and being tried for murder and robbery. It was almost interesting to see how far you had changed. Now, though, your actions had caught up with you...
You were led into a large circular room, with thirteen military officials sat behind raised desks in a semi-circle in front of you. Around a dozen armed guards, interestingly dressed in United Nations uniforms, lined the walls. It appeared that the UN were wanting to be present for your trial. You glanced up, noticing an ornate glass dome in the roof, giving you your first glimpse of a night-time sky in months, that was something.
With a small shove, you were pushed towards your booth and your handcuffs were tied to a nearby railing, preventing you from moving. The sympathetic soldier from before looked down, leaving the room again without glancing back at you. All of the doors suddenly closed, and the lights glared brightly as the room turned deathly silent.
"I declare this court session open. We now move to address the case of Y/N L/N" a general, whose name you did not know, stated in a gruff voice.
"Ahem...Y/N L/N, you are accused of conspiring with the terrorist organisation, Talon, to steal and murder and sabotage. Do you plead guilty?" Lieutenant General James Richards questioned, staring directly into your soul.
Bastard...
"Sorry, but usually with these cases, don't you need evidence to try me? I don't see any witnesses lined up to speak against me. Where's your evidence?" you asked in response, causing the board to quietly squabble among themselves.
"You have admitted on numerous occasions to our trained psychiatrist that you were involved with Talon for approximately seven months. Do you deny this?" Richards stated, projecting security footage from your cell of these admissions.
But you were not about to lie down and give up, not just yet.
"I admit I said those things, while I was under the influence of chemicals in a padded cell. But your psychiatrist also accused me of being senseless with what I was saying" you countered, watching frowns appear on the faces of your prosecutors.
"What about the murder of Sanjay Korpal? Security footage, courtesy of Vishkar, places you running from their headquarters just minutes after he was shot. Explain that" another general said, showing overhead footage from Utopaea.
"Do you have footage of me holding a rifle and shooting the man? No? Then you still don't have any proof. What sort of trial is this? You seem determined of my guilt with no evidence" you answered, impressed with your own literary skills.
A life and death situation seemed to bring out the best in you.
"Enough of this. You are accused of colluding with Talon? Do you plead guilty?" Richards questioned, beginning to lose his patience.
This was it. This speech would determine whether or not your life would be cut short by the people you were trying to protect. You had not written it down beforehand, nor had you practiced it within the confines of your cell. No, the words that came out of your mouth next were honest and true, which was more than you could ever say of half the generals on this board.
"I'm guilty...I joined Talon...I committed all of these crimes and more. But if these are to be my last words then you're sure as hell gonna listen. I joined to destroy them from the inside before they burn the United States, and every other country, to the ground. I wish I had evidence for you but they're just too good to leave any behind. Kill me now if it pleases you, God knows I deserve it. But if you do, know that you'll also be killing your greatest ally in the wars to come" you explained, taking a deep breath once you had finished.
With your subtly fingers crossed, you closely examined the faces of each prosecutor as they weighed up your guilt. They muttered between one another for a few moments in hushed whispers, preventing you from hearing. And finally, after what felt like an age, Richards turned around to face you with a frown on his face.
"Your story is insane, and you're using it to justify your horrific crimes. However, the lie detectors state that you're telling the truth, about the omnics, about everything. You genuinely believe you saw these things...but that does not mean that you did. We've examined your file, and you're showing textbook post-traumatic stress disorder. In light of your circumstances, we will get you the help you need at a psychiatric ward. That is our decision" Richards stated, slamming his gavel against the desk with a loud crack.
Suggested Music – Skyfall Soundtrack (Enquiry)
You saw several guards start to surround you as they moved to escort you out and raised your bound fists for a fight. You couldn't let it end like this, you just couldn't.
But suddenly, as the guards moved to grab your arms, a bullet cracked through the air, piercing the Lieutenant General's gavel and causing it to shatter in his hands. Richards cried out in pain, rapidly glancing from side to side for any sign of the shooter.
A second later, more bullets flew past, piercing the armour of the guards around you and causing them to collapse to the ground. Still handcuffed to a railing, you crouched down on the ground, covering your head with your hands. You saw a shimmer of purple in the corner of the room and widened your eyes in surprise. And suddenly, a bullet fired straight through your handcuffs, freeing you.
You rubbed your wrists with a sigh of relief, before slowly sneaking up on a nearby guard. He had his back to you as he desperately searched for the shooter, and you knocked him unconscious with a single sharp blow. As much as you wanted to pick up his assault rifle and shoot your way out, you couldn't bring yourself to kill innocent men. Not this time.
Instead, you stayed low and moved to the corner of the room, hoping you wouldn't get spotted. But someone did spot you, James Richards. The Lieutenant General spied you from across the room and slid over his desk, charging at you, and attempting to restrain you. You aimed a punch his way, but he swiftly evaded it, kicking you in the gut.
"You've been away for too long Y/N...forgotten how to be a soldier" Richards said in a mocking tone, delivering another sharp blow to your arm and causing you to stagger backwards.
You quickly regained your footing and punched him on the nose, but it had little impact on him, and he simply kicked you again, this time causing you to cough up blood. Crouching on the ground, you looked up as he stood above you, noticing that his M1911 sat loosely in its holster.
"You could have been a national hero, Y/N. You had it all, a medal of honour, a string of promotions. But you threw it away, for what? A sense of honour? You saved lives when you activated that EMP, Y/N...now I'm gonna save them by ending yours" he stated, chastising you continually.
But while he was making his little speech, he had failed to notice something.
"Ugh...huh...you know...you talk too much..." you commented breathlessly, swiftly grabbing the pistol from his holster and whacking him as hard as you could over his forehead.
The lieutenant general staggered backwards, collapsing on the ground with a satisfying thud. Waited fifteen years for that, you thought to yourself, dropping his pistol carelessly on the ground.
As you slowly caught your breath, you noticed something slide along the ground towards you, a purple disk. You recognised it immediately, one of Sombra's translocators. With a deep breath, you pushed the button on the side and found yourself transported in an instant to the passenger seat of a car outside. The doors were locked, and the windows were shaded, forcing you to sit there and wait tensely.
But finally, after what felt like forever, you heard the familiar whoosh of a translocator and looked to your side with a smile. There she sat, with those same deep eyes, that same flowing hair, absolutely beautiful as always. You stared for longer than you should have done, overjoyed to see her for the first time in months. But she didn't even afford you a glance, instead planting her foot on the accelerator and propelling you forwards. And with that, you were off...
Brief Summary – After handing yourself in to the government, you are held in a padded cell and questioned continually. Eventually, the day comes for your trial regarding numerous crimes you have committed under Talon. But just as judgement is given, a mysterious shooter rescues you, transporting you to a car outside. It is revealed that the shooter was actually Sombra, but with her firm silence and stern face, her motivations remain unclear...