The fight in the underground city was swift and brutal. Once the initial, heavily armed defense was broken, the remaining defenders offered little resistance.
They were quickly overwhelmed by the combined force of the Guardians and Overwatch agents. Weapons were dropped, hands raised, as the order to cease fire echoed through the smog-filled streets.
Gabi, Mark, Aiko, Klein, and Kurt moved through the clearing battlefield, weapons still hot. The air, though slowly clearing of the chemical agent thanks to the air density manipulation by Kurt and other Quantum users.
They quickly rounded up the surviving men, forcing them to drop any hidden blades.
"Alright! Line 'em up!" Officer Kurt barked, his voice rough even through the gas mask. The captured men, faces grim and defeated, were pushed against a graffiti-covered metal wall, hands behind their heads.
There were perhaps fifteen of them, the dedicated few who hadn't fled.
Around the perimeter of the city, the sounds of pursuit continued briefly as other Guardians hunted down any stragglers who had tried to escape through tunnels or alternative exits.
Search teams began moving through the makeshift buildings, kicking down doors, looking for intel, weapons caches, or anything else of interest. The operation was efficient.
Corporal Ardin walked up to the lined-up prisoners, his gas mask still on, his cheerful tone gone. Two Guardians stood ready behind him, rifles held steady.
"Alright boys," Ardin said, his voice muffled. "Who's in charge here? Who are the Keepers? Where did the rest of your pals go?"
Silence. The captured men stared ahead or at the ground, defiance etched onto their dirty faces.
Ardin sighed, a weary sound. He looked at the men, then back at the Guardian standing beside him. For a brief second, through the opaque lens of his gas mask, Gabi thought he saw a flicker of sorrow, a sad sag to Ardin's shoulders before he straightened up.
"Last chance," Ardin said, his voice flat now. "Talk, and maybe you get to see tomorrow."
Still no answer.
Ardin was silent for another moment. The silence stretched, thick with tension. Then, in a low, clear voice that cut through the remaining sounds of the cleanup, he gave the order.
"Execute them."
A collective gasp escaped the masked figures of Squad 7.
Order: Execute Prisoners (Unarmed, Surrendered). Justification: Refusal to Cooperate, Potential Security Threat (Knowledge). Ethical Violation: Severe (Standard Extrasem Procedure?). Emotional Response: Negative. Gabi's mind reeled, struggling to process the cold command.
Aiko flinched violently beside Gabi, her hands tightening on her rifle. A small, choked sound escaped her gas mask.
Her eyes, visible behind the plastic, were wide with horror. This wasn't like the chaotic death on the street; this was deliberate, ordered, against men who were no longer fighting.
Mark stood perfectly still, his arms dropping slightly from their ready position. His usual cynical grin was absent, replaced by a hard, unreadable expression. Even for him, the casual order felt... jarring.
Kurt remained stoic, his gaze fixed on Ardin. He didn't flinch, but the muscles in his jaw tightened visibly under his mask. He had spoken of death being common, but a mass execution of surrendered prisoners was a different kind of common.
Klein, his face grim behind the mask, said nothing. He just watched, his eyes reflecting a deep, familiar weariness. The kind born from witnessing too many necessary, terrible things. He knew the rules. He knew the stakes. He knew why Ardin gave the order, even if the cost was immense.
The two Guardians raised their rifles. Aimed.
Gabi wanted to shout, to protest, to point out the intelligence they could gain. But the words caught in his throat. His hands, still sore under his own gloves, clenched into fists. He was a Null, a provisional officer, standing amidst Guardians who were merely following a protocol that seemed as ancient and unyielding as the city above.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The shots rang out, sharp and final in the confined space. One by one, the captured men slumped against the wall, blood blooming on their chests and heads, bodies hitting the ground with sickening thuds.
Ardin watched them fall, his head tilted slightly. When the last body hit the floor, he lowered his head for a moment.
The sad expression was clearer now, visible even with the mask on a heavy, almost mournful look. It wasn't joy, or even grim satisfaction. It was just... sadness. Resignation. The unpleasant duty of command.
"Alright," he said, turning away from the wall of corpses. His voice was back to its muffled, cheerful efficiency, the switch jarring after the brief moment of sorrow.
"Clean this up. Secure the perimeter. Detective Klein, Officer Kurt, you guys work with Lieutenant Sharma's team on the intel sweep. Find anything about these 'Keepers.' We'll get a full report sent up to the Colonel."
He didn't look back at the dead men. He didn't look at the stunned faces of Squad 7. He just issued orders, already moving on to the next task.
Aiko was trembling, openly sobbing now behind her mask, her shoulders shaking. Kurt placed a heavy, gloved hand on her shoulder for a brief moment, a silent acknowledgment before turning to follow Klein towards the deeper parts of the city for the intel sweep.
Mark walked over to where Aiko stood, still frozen in horror. He looked at the bodies, then back at Aiko, his expression unreadable. He didn't offer comfort. Just stood there for a moment, the quiet sounds of the ongoing cleanup operation the only thing filling the air.
Gabi watched it all – the execution, Ardin's sad efficiency, his squadmates' reactions. This wasn't just a job. It was a grinder. And it changed people. Klein's jadedness, Kurt's stoicism, Mark's cynicism... was this what awaited them?
He looked at Aiko, her small frame wracked with sobs. Would she become like them? Would he? The thought sent a cold dread through him, heavier than any chemical gas.