A/N-Shoutout apip123 for the powerstones!!
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Everything hurt, his arms, his legs. It wasn't a dull pain from too much training, or the fresh sting from a combat wound. This hurt, like his bones had been broken then pieced together with super glue.
He could feel his heart beating faster, his eyes burned in the light despite his eyes still being closed. His head felt like scalding hot nails were being hammered in, it hurt so fucking much!!
"Put him back under, let him set for a few more hours." A voice said, far away and right in his ear all at the same time. Something pierced his skin and he cried out, his nerves felt like a flaming scalpel was slicing through them, cutting a jagged scar across his arm. Then, he blacked out as the pain faded away, sinking into the depths of unconsciousness.
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The months following augmentation were difficult, even without training. Due to how invasive the surgeries were, everything hurt, their bones ached, eyes bleed at random times or when strained. Their heads throbbed for weeks, like someone was beating them constantly, but not hard enough to cause damage.
Those were the lucky ones. Not all of them made it, some had been disfigured as their bodies aggressively rejected the augmentations, a few like more fortunate ones, like Red Team, had been pulled out in time and would still be able to operate as full Spartans after some recovery time, not all were so lucky, some died there, on the cold table.
The losses weighed heavily on the minds of all of them, especially John. But there was nothing he could have done, so he pushed forward, always pushing to be the best so that none of them would die pointless deaths like that ever again.
Shawn for the most part had been sedated. They were afraid that he might not survive, but Dr. Halsey told them to have faith in their comrade, so they did. Shawn was unconscious for a full week longer than the others, and spent the same amount of time in recovery. When he was back with them he seemed, more alive, yet more empty at the same time.
He hid it well, joking like always, encouraging those close to him, preforming much better than most save the best of them once they were put back into training, but something still felt off. They didn't have time to worry about however as the were finally put into the field against the insurrectionists.
After eight long years of training, they were finally being put to use, ONI was more than happy. Seemingly overnight, Insurrectionist leaders were killed, supply depots destroyed, and terror was sown among them as the UNSC hunted them with renewed vigor.
The terror part was all Shawn's fault though. Seemingly the only Spartan with an intact moral code, ONI had no choice but to send him after the worst of the worst. Child abusers, gang leaders, slavers, all the worst kind of people both in the Insurrection, and outside of it. Many corrupt officers had quickly discovered the fear of having an almost 7 foot tall super soldier hunt you down, with nothing capable of stopping it.
Though a headache for ONI, and the greater UNSC, they had to admit it was nice not having to clean house so often, as most officers and general personnel, didn't want to find out if the rumors of the 'Night Haunter' were real. A vengeful demon than hunted those who wronged the common people, killing and stringing them up in horrific ways.
Shawn for his part, didn't mind killing them. After reading all the crap that ONI would get up to back in his old world, he never fully trusted the information they gave him of his targets. So he would always look into them himself, just in case.
This proved wise as more than one ONI spook had tried to have someone they didn't like killed, not because they were a threat to the UNSC or UEG, just because they didn't like them, or because they found the annoying.
So he quickly made a reputation in ONI, but most had decided to just leave him be, since getting tangled up with him was more pain than it was worth.
That was how he found himself with Blue Team, en route to deal with a UNSC officer turned Insurrectionist leader.
It was strange being on a team after months of grisly solo operations, but Shawn quickly acclimated as he cracked jokes with Fred and Sam like they did during training. Right now they were in the bowels of the cargo ship that was headed to their target destination, the Rubble.
Each had their own hammock and they went over the info at their own pace, with John pouring over it as he devised the best course of action. "Shawn, I'm trying to read your action reports but can't find any, got any idea why?" John asked as quiet settled over them.
He was trying to find the best use of Shawn's abilities to cause terror, he didn't like it, but it was the best use he'd come up with so far. "ONI, they don't like sharing much do they? It's fine." Shawn shrugged already guessing that ONI had probably hidden most of his works behind closed door, not wanting to be linked to him in anyway other than his creation.
He didn't mind, he didn't like ONI, even after already knowing what they were like from the books, he still didn't like the casual disregard they had for human lives, and how easily corruption spread through them. So he spent a few minutes telling John and Blue team the censored version of the missions he'd been on, as John took that and worked it into a plan he had in mind.
"Heads up, ship's coming out of slipspace." Kelly called out as everyone stowed away their gear and got ready, Colonel Watts had no idea what was coming for him.