Two weeks had passed since Shawn's miraculous return. When the medics examined his body, they discovered his abnormal conditions, but he didn't care. It was getting hard to hide his abilities anyway. Word was traveling fast of a man who could remove even lethal wounds, taking them on himself. Even with the higher ups putting a gag order on it, rumors travelled faster than a plague. Due to this Shawn was basically on vacation if you called it that.
Yet war waited for no one.
Shawn stood in the briefing room alongside his medical unit, now affectionately dubbed "Rose's Thorns." Since the California omnium, more medics desperately wanted to join his team, which he accepted. Due to new revelations, Shawn developed a plan that would revolutionize humankind. Since the world changed regardless, there was no more need for him to be in adherence to the timeline. Therefore, in order for humanity to come out on top, drastic measures needed to be taken.
S3bastian, ever-present at Shawn's side, appeared utterly disinterested as Jack Morrison entered, face grave as usual. Adawe learned that it was better to let Jack handle their debriefing instead of herself. She found dealing with Shawn and S3bastian quite draining.
"The situation in the Middle East is deteriorating rapidly," Morrison announced. "Anna Amari and Reinhardt Wilhelm are pinned down, holding what remains of Cairo. Anubis' followers have launched an all-out assault. They're pushing to reclaim the city, and we can't afford to lose such a strategic position."
He pointed at Shawn directly. "Rose, your unit is deploying immediately to provide critical support and extraction capability. Reinhardt and Anna have held their ground admirably, but they're barely hanging on. Casualties are mounting fast, and your abilities might be the key to keeping them alive."
"Understood, sir," Shawn nodded. S3bastian gave a dramatically exaggerated sigh, causing a few smirks among the soldiers.
"At least we'll get some action again. Just when I was getting so comfortable."
Middle East- 4 days later....
The heat of Cairo hit Shawn like a wave as they exited the dropship. The city burned around them, streets littered with remnants of battles, the dead bodies of both omnics and humans alike. Gunfire, explosions, and Reinhardt's booming battle cries echoed through the air.
"Let's move!" Shawn shouted. "Stay tight, watch each other's backs!"
Navigating swiftly through debris-filled streets, they reached the frontline. Reinhardt stood at its center, shield battered but steadfast, directing a squad of soldiers with unyielding confidence. He roared orders, soldiers repositioning with disciplined precision, every blow from his massive hammer creating openings for their gunfire.
To his right, an Orisa unit peeked its head over the ruins of some buildings and his team didn't take notice. Shawn went to intercept the flanking bot, but a crack echoes through the air, and the Orisa's head explodes. There she was. Ana Amari. Even though she was several buildings away, he locked eyes with her, which she responds by winking with a smirk before she moves on to another target.
Shawn went forward with his soldiers as S3bastian stood back with the medics. The area wasn't secure, so the runners weren't clear to do their thing quite yet. He needed to get the situation from either Ana or Reinhardt before they could get to work.
"How's it going big guy?" Shawn asked as he slid next to Reinhardt.
"You're a sight for sore eyes!" Reinhardt shouted, slamming his hammer into another attacker.
"Better late than never, Rose," Anna's voice came calmly over the comms, unbothered by the surrounding chaos. "We have wounded two buildings over. Extraction is critical, and time isn't on our side."
Shawn nodded as he sensed the area around him since this was all they were aware of. Omnics were mostly in front of them, with little presence around. He noticed that enemy presence was heavier here compared to other countries through. Probably because Anubis was somewhere housed anywhere nearby.
"Marco, Spencer, and Steve, you guys make your way to Lieutenant Amari's location and provide medical assistance to those in need. Everyone else, remain here and got those who are fallen off the front. S3bastian, assist Lieutenant Wilheim in holding the line. Give us some time to make sure no one gets left behind."
"Hope you don't plan on just standing around." S3bastian retorts.
"I'll prioritize those who needs medical attention the most."
He sprinted to the injured, dropping immediately beside a critically wounded soldier. His hand glowed blue, Vital Synch transferring injuries to his own body in rapid succession. Pain flared briefly, only to vanish as his enhanced healing quickly mended each wound. Soldier after soldier, he repeated the process, his energy strained yet resilient.
Nearby, Reinhardt directed the soldiers expertly, forming defensive lines and counterattacks, each command executed flawlessly. Anna's rifle continued to defy physics, shots landing where they shouldn't, disrupting enemy formations and halting Ravagers in their tracks.
"Incoming Ravagers!" Anna warned, urgency creeping into her voice. "We're almost out of time!"
Shawn clenched his jaw, feeling his strength wane with every healed wound. Standing unsteadily, he took a deep breath. The bioelectricity and Body Supremacy massively increased his stamina, but he still had a limit. He just hadn't reached that limit yet. But if he got a half hour to hour to catch his breath, he would be mostly back at peak condition.
"That's everyone!" one medic called, relief evident.
"Good," Shawn said, strength flooding back momentarily. "Time to go! Reinhardt, Anna, fall back!"
They retreated swiftly, Reinhardt's disciplined squad covering their exit while Anna's impossible accuracy kept threats at bay. Transport engines roared to life as they boarded, barely clearing the blast radius of a devastating explosion.
Inside the transport, Reinhardt laughed, triumphant yet exhausted. "Rose, you're truly something special! Reminds me of old times!"
Shawn smiled weakly, leaning against the transport wall, fatigue heavy. "Just doing my job."
Anna regarded him thoughtfully, her eyes intense. "I see the reports on you weren't exaggerated. You are quite the extraordinary one aren't you. Even I was almost considering this place lost. We have many battles ahead of us, glad they'll have hope in them now."
Shawn glanced down at his faintly glowing hands and nodded slowly. "One battle at a time."