Debriefing The Team

[A/N: I've realized that the past two releases I haven't done shout outs so I'm going to include them here. Plus, not going to lie, I'm addicted to Marvel Rivals. So, if a release is late, that's why.]

Shoutout to Reticulum. May your turret get play of the game while you are respawning as Torbjorn. 

Shoutout to Kyash3025. May you hit a sleeping dart on a Pharah that makes her go off the map.

Shoutout to omega24. May you get into a deflect battle with another Genji and win.

Shawn POV:

I didn't let them fry their brains as I needed them for a final session of the day before calling it. This was just to get their brain juices flowing. Instead, I bring their attention to myself. 

"A month. That's the time limit any new recruits are given to learn about the horrors of this war. It sounds as bad as it is. But that's all the time we can have before we send more against the enemy. That's the severity of the situation. Despite all the propaganda you might have heard, the hope your leaders gave you, we were losing. Humanity was at its last legs. 

However, now, that isn't the case anymore. We have found a way to fight back against this omnic oppression. This is the turning point in the war. Whatever we do now, makes all the more difference in pushing back the omnics and reclaiming our lost cities. So for these next couple of weeks, this is our schedule. You are to wake up and be at the front of HQ at the time I did this morning, if you're even a second late, you get 15 more laps. Once there, you will run. After you're done running, your brain will run. Then, after that, we increase and test your medical skills. Any questions?"

Leslie raises her hand, "No disrespect meant, but I don't understand why we have to run. Even though we're a part of the military, we're not soldiers." She asks, and everyone turns to me in agreement. Mostly because they don't want a repeat of this morning. 

"By all means, you are correct. A medics job is to save the soldiers' lives in battle. That being the case, you have all seen the numbers as much as I have. Our fatality rate has been the highest it's ever been these past few months, even though the number of medics deployed on missions have been doubled if not tripled. Does anyone know why this is?" 

Sonya raises her hand, "Because no matter how many medics there are, there is only so much a medic can do at a time. Some will go without while waiting and succumb to their wounds." 

"A good answer, and it isn't wrong, but that wouldn't get the fatality rate to the number it is now. It would only contribute to that. Think of it like this. In a battle, who is the most at risk?" I ask.

Dwayne raises his hand, "Those risking their lives on the front lines." He says proudly.

"Exactly. You have an estimated 95% of being injured while on the front lines. Now, tell me, if you're injured on the front lines, what happens to you?"

They ponder for a second before Steve answers, "You fall back to the medics to get treated." He answers and they all agree with him. So naive.

"WRONG!" I purposely shout startling them. I click a button and the room grows dark as a Bastion unit appears on the screen behind me. 

"This is the Bastion Siege Automaton E54, the most common omnic that you'll face in battle. Their primary weapon is a sub-machine gun while programmed to march on until every living thing before them is no longer breathing. They are immune to small arms, meaning you need a heavier weapon to even penetrate their armor. To make matters worse, if you don't even finish it off, every single one is capable of self-repair. 

Then, just when you thought it was already worse, there are some who are capable of transfiguring into a turret form. Once in this form, they possess a machine gun that will mow down entire lines of men within seconds. These are just the foot soldiers of the enemy, meaning you face thousands of these things in just one battle. Now, I'll ask again, what happens if you're injured on the front lines?" 

Information on the different enemy types wasn't known to the public. However, they were the talk once you became a soldier. Every day was another story about how a Bastion unit almost ended their lives, or an OR14 bot just ignoring concentrated fire. So, I kind of expected their shocked looks as they gazed on the Bastion unit. Expect Felix, who met them before, and was looking at it with fear. 

So, as everyone was stunned by the image before them, he says, "They're dead. They're all just dead." Everyone grows quiet as they know that he's faced them before and he's talking out of experience. 

"Sadly, that is the truth of the matter. As it stands, those who are on the front lines, have no hope of surviving." I tell them. 

The room is silent as they reflect on the information I've just given them, and I let it marinate in their minds. Then, Marco interrupts it and says, "But you've been on the front lines yourself and survived, surely you've come up with a way?" He asks.

My smile at his question begins to unnerve them. "I'm so glad you asked that Number 8. I did indeed have come up with a solution to that problem. Us." I click again, and the screen goes to an image detailing my plans for the team. 

"The Rose Rescue Specialist. Our job will be to minimize the causality rate in any battles that we're deployed to. Our team will consist of nine members, three medics who will remain behind, tending to the wounded, and five forerunners, who will go around collecting the wounded who are unable to make it back to the medical station themselves. While I go on the front lines and assist those who have fatal injuries."

Just as I had expected, they're appalled by the idea I've presented to them. Hell, I was sure that if I told Adawe beforehand, she would have taken back my promotion. Leslie is the first to respond.

"But sir, isn't this a bit....." She struggles find the right word to describe it, so I interrupt her. "Unorthodox? Yes." 

"That's not the word I was going to use, but yes." She admits to me. 

"That's fair. You all are entitled to have whatever opinions you might have on the matter. I know when you submitted your applications to me, that you were looking to hone your medical skills by learning from me, and this isn't what you signed up for. That's why I'm prepared to sign any releases to any other if this isn't for you. However, I'll tell you this. 

Whatever reason you might have for coming to me, you can't deny that the calling to be a medic, the calling to help those in need is why you joined. These omnics, they're not stupid. With each battle they learn, adapt, they outsmart. They know that if they give us time, we can heal up, which is why they're so aggressive and apply so much pressure. If we don't change our tactics, nothing we do will matter. So, before you make your decision to transfer, sleep on it. I'll await your decisions in the morning. You're dismissed."

I walk out to let them think on things. I was prepared to do this with or without them, but I much preferred having help. I only hope my words were good enough to convince them. Besides, it was fun training someone. I wonder if Mamoru had this much fun bullying me while he trained me.

General POV:

The group sat in silence as they thought about everything he said. Marco speaks up, "I wish he had told us this before making us run. I would have instantly put in a transfer." 

Dwanye looks at him with disgust, "Is that all it takes for you to quit? A little running?" 

Marco shrugs his shoulders, not caring for Dwayne attitude towards him, "You heard his plans. Can you imagine what we'll have to do. Whoever is a forerunner is going to have to do a lot more than running. Plus, imagine how swarmed whoever the medics are going to be with patients. All while he goes off and plays soldier. Is this really what we signed up for?" He asks making them think. 

Virginia speaks up for the first time, "Yes. It is."

Everyone looks at her, Marco asks, "Why are you even here with us?" 

"The same reason as you, I'd hope. To make a difference. He's giving us an opportunity to make a difference, and you're complaining about it. Plus, not to mention, you'll be passing up the opportunity to learn from one of the best medics. You want to run, go ahead. But I'm staying." Having said that, she walks out the room. Before anything else can be said, Spencer speaks up. 

"Making a difference eh. You guys are so accomplished, I envy you. Before this war, you might as well have considered me to be the villain. You asked her why she's here, but out of everyone, I'm the one who doesn't belong. He knows this and yet, here I am. So, here I stay." Standing, he also leaves the room.

"It's as she said. I don't want to pass up the opportunity to learn from the best medics. I'm staying too." Sonya says as she leaves as well. 

"I'm just going to get some sleep while I can, if we're going to up at that time and running." Steve says as he leaves.

Seeing that Steve was right, both Felix and Dwayne leave as well, hoping to get as much sleep as they can, leaving just Leslie and Marco together in the room. 

Marco looks at Leslie who was deep in thought since Shawn left. Breaking the silence between them, he asks, "Are you staying?" 

Leslie looks at him, "I don't know. His plans put us at risk, but he makes so much sense. Every decision made in this war isn't easy." She sighs and mumbles to herself, "Is this that they would want?" Realizing who she means, Marco stands up, feeling a bit guilty as he had planned to flirt with her for a bit but decides to leave. Not noticing his absence, she continues to brood for a few minutes before leaving to get some much-needed rest herself.