#20-squad

1 month into Rosalina joining SWAT

Today was just like any other day, except 20-Squad, or what remained of it, was falling apart.

The whole of SWAT was dealing with one of its biggest problems yet. An extremist attack threatening the majority of LA and the thousands who live in it.

After Elisa, a Green Rebellion member who had kidnapped a rich man's son to get him to expose his father's business, was stopped, the boyfriend of Elisa went on a rampage to get revenge for her death.

After stopping some of his crew in the morning and realising they were setups, 20-Squad had to dive deeper into what the boyfriend really planned to do with so much Semtex.

=====

Just as the team wrapped up taking down some more of the extremists who were trying to destroy some pipe valves, the team reported the incident to HQ, where Hicks and a friendly face—Vasquez from the FBI—were helping with the case.

Once the team returned to HQ, another member of SWAT urgently rushed 20-Squad into the building, saying they were needed immediately by Hicks.

Rushing into the main room where Hicks and Vasquez waited, the second the two saw 20-Squad approaching, they called them over quickly, their faces conflicted with heightened tension, anger, and worry.

Rosalina POV

Hicks looks like he's aged at least ten years since we left for our mission. The look didn't help to calm our nerves, especially after being rushed inside with urgent matters.

"20-Squad, gather round. We have a much bigger problem on our hands than we thought," Hicks spoke, his voice carrying its usual demanding tone, but it was laced with worry.

Hicks then told us that pipeline we found two people destroying the valves for? Yeah, well, those valves connected to all of LA's fuel. A pipeline that runs right through the centre of LA.

When we questioned why they would be trying to target the fuel line, Vasquez shared a piece of information we absolutely dreaded. A piece of information that almost had me itching the tattoo across my chest.

They wanted to blow up LA, and they would do it big. We just didn't know where they'd start.

------

Later, when Tan and I were checking through Elisa and her boyfriend's history, trying to figure out where they could be planting the Semtex, I thought it would be the perfect time to make some things clear with Tan.

Just a few days ago, we were dealing with the worry that Hondo might get kicked off of SWAT due to shooting a black person who had run off after taking shots at Hondo and tried to raise his gun at a girl on a basketball court.

The whole thing got blown out of proportion. 20-Squad's leader was once again being questioned about whether his actions were right or not, just like Buck was all those years ago.

When videos started spreading like wildfire on social media, Alfaro was caught by Tan watching one of the clips with another SWAT member. And, well, that didn't exactly go well with Tan.

He had a few choice words for Alfaro and even went as far as saying he wouldn't want him to be on 20-Squad, that he wouldn't fit in. He even went and said he was practically waiting for Hondo's downfall.

Well, the kid wasn't too pleased with Tan's character view. Heck, everyone could tell Alfaro wasn't like that, but for Tan... he just couldn't see it.

So I decided I had to be brutally honest with him again. Though I hadn't talked with the guy at all for the last few days, with how we ended our conversation the other night.

"Y'know... you have an awful habit of judging people based on your own narratives," I started, breaking the long silence between us.

"First me, then Alfaro... you're kinda getting a track record for being not so nice to newbies."

"So what, you're just listening in on all my conversations, huh?" Tan asked dryly without looking up.

"Well, it's not being sneaky if I can overhear your conversation while I was just doing something... that ring a bell to you?" I added the small jab, reciting his own words from when he overheard mine and Luca's conversation.

He just snickered but kept listening.

"The kid's not like what you think. He genuinely wants to join 20-Squad. Heck, many new people in training and in the academy glorify 20-Squad. It's the dream team of SWAT, the best of the best. And Miguel is just like them. He really wants a spot in this team now that there are spots open."

I walked over towards his side of the table before continuing, making him face me and listen fully to what I had to say next.

"The kid looks up to Hondo, Tan, and you saying he's just waiting for his downfall so he can swoop in and steal his position? To become the youngest SWAT leader?" I asked, my voice thickening as I questioned.

"Even you know that isn't true. And Powell telling you that he wants to impress Hondo? He wants Hondo to choose him for 20-Squad. He wants to prove to Hondo that he's reliable, that he can work well within this team. And he's helped us all this time. He's always the first to request transferring teams to help fill in our spots."

"Yeah, well, he found watching the clips of that shooting pretty amusing. Didn't stop him from using it as entertainment, did it?" Tan pushed, trying to get me to see his side.

"You know... I get why this is hitting you so hard. With Deacon trying to retire, with Street gone at Long Beach, and with me just popping in randomly, I can see why you feel like this team is breaking. Why you're so protective of what remains of it... but you can't keep trying to stop it from growing... you're just making it have a bigger chance of going away completely whenever you shut someone like Miguel out," I said before leaving him with his thoughts again.

------

No POV

Just later that day, Alfaro cracked the location of where Zane could be planting the Semtex. He checked the Green Rebellion's social media and found the first possible location where Zane and Elisa met. The location being an area where the pipeline runs directly under.

"We're anticipating heavy resistance. These men are not afraid to die for their cause. And today, their cause is to destroy our city. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it..." Hondo briefed the squad inside Black Betty on their way to the location.

"The stakes are higher than ever, and it all comes down to us. I know we haven't been gelling as a squad lately. Some of you still haven't settled your differences..." Hondo's voice carried out, Tan turning to look at Alfaro next to him, then in the mirror at Quinn.

"But real talk, bottom line, this could be 20-Squad's last ride. I don't know what the team's gonna look like tomorrow. But I do know there will be a tomorrow. Because this team right here... we're gonna make sure of that."

"So let's get out there and give 'em hell. And save our city."

Hondo's commanding and reassuring voice bounced off the vehicle's walls.

--------

Over at the site, Zane and his crew were setting up the Semtex inside one of the compartments that gave direct access to the pipeline. Unknown to him, SWAT had arrived and was sneaking around as he spoke.

Tan, Powell, and Alfaro went one way, while Hondo, Quinn, Deacon, and Vasquez went the other. The two groups made their way into the site with quiet precision.

Powell's group spotted Zane and his crew, moving into position to try and catch them off guard. But before they could radio it in again, they were spotted.

Fire started flying through the air. The extremists fired at SWAT, the officers returning fire. While this happened, Zane made a run for it with another extremist, heading in the direction of Quinn's team.

Alfaro called the rabbits through to Hondo and the others, who made chase.

While they chased after the two, Alfaro and Tan had to momentarily put their feud aside and try to disable the bomb whose detonator was connected to a cellphone.

On the other hand, Hondo's team had cornered one of the rabbits while Zane fled. This extremist, however, had the cell in his hands and was threatening to set it off. The two were left in a standoff with nothing to do but hope Tan and Alfaro got the bomb defused in time.

As they waited, the man made a move to press the detonate button on the cell. When it didn't work, he tried again, his confidence failing him by the second.

Just then, Tan called in to say that they had disabled the bomb.

Suddenly, the guy tried to shoot the team, but Quinn was faster and got him before he could fire.

As they went to check his condition, Zane drove out with a fuel tank. Hondo gave chase immediately.

Quinn, Deacon, and Vasquez ran after him, but he jumped onto the back of the fuel tank and was being driven away with Zane.

Just as they thought they wouldn't be able to catch up to Hondo, a helicopter flew above the group.

Quinn had no other choice. Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she turned towards Vasquez and yelled,

"Get that helicopter down now! We're going to save Hondo."

=====

With Hondo up on the tank, he tried to enter the hatch to stop Zane, but the tank's hatch was locked.

Just as he told the team he would use the door breakers to blow the tank, the radio erupted with the team's protests, all voices heard except one.

Then it broke through the voices, calm and sure.

Quinn.

"Hondo... I need you to trust me here. I'm going to shoot Zane from the helicopter... but you're gonna need to jump."

"Quinn, you won't be able to take that shot. Your position isn't stable! I can do this!" Hondo yelled back over the wind.

"No! Hondo, please... trust me," Quinn called back, desperate and sounding more sure than ever.

"...Okay. Alright, I'll do it. You've got one shot, kid. Don't miss."

"Don't worry, I won't," Quinn responded.

Deacon prepared to catch Hondo while Quinn situated herself on the edge of the helicopter.

Her one hand looped into the handrail and onto her gun to hold her in place as the upper half of her body stuck out of the helicopter.

"What is she doing?" Tan questioned, seeing her from afar where they were driving Black Betty at a safe distance behind.

Taking aim, Quinn ordered the crew to fly down closer to the tank.

Once they were close enough, she made the call to Hondo.

"Hondo, on my count, I want you to jump. Deacon's got you, Hondo."

Quinn counted down from five. On three, she shot, then when she reached one, she got Hondo to jump.

At the same time Hondo jumped, and Deacon managed to catch him, the fuel tank lost control and spun onto its side before exploding.

"This is Officer Quinn to command... we're Code 4. We've got Hondo."

=====

After the team lands and gets back to HQ, the whole of SWAT is waiting for them at the carpool. The second the doors of Black Betty open, applause sounds through the courtyard, whoops and cheers filling the ears of 20-Squad.

The carpool filled with Hondo’s name being chanted over and over. And while Quinn pulled out the equipment from the back of Black Betty, Tan approached her along with Alfaro and Powell.

“Aren’t you going to go get your credit? You know, soak up the glory?” Tan questioned Quinn.

“Yeah, sis, you did amazing! That shot you did—it was what saved all of LA and Hondo’s life,” Alfaro spoke after.

“They’re right, Ro… you did amazing today. Really came in for us. You should be over there with Hondo,” Powell also added.

“Thanks, you guys… but I don’t need all that attention. Hondo’s the one who jumped from a tank onto a helicopter. He deserves the praise. He literally ran after Zane and was willing to endanger himself to stop him.” Quinn shook her head and turned fully towards the others.

But before she could slip away, Hondo spotted her and yelled out, “Ah, there she is! The true hero of the day! Quinn, get over here!” He motioned her over, the girl in question having no choice but to follow.

The chants of Hondo were replaced with chants of Quinn.

“Officer Quinn over here is the one who really saved LA. I just jumped off a tank and looked all Indiana Jones-like,” Hondo laughed, giving credit to Rosalina where it was due.

“She’s the one who shot Zane in a moving tank from the seats of a helicopter. Her precision is what saved all of LA,” Hondo announced with clear pride in the younger member, encouraging others to clap and congratulate her.

Rosalina thanked everyone and continued her way inside, avoiding stopping too long for anyone. But when Hicks approached, she had no choice but to stop and listen.

“Every cop in the city and many people of LA are thankful for you, Officer Quinn, and want to say thanks.”

“Thanks, Commander. I was just doing my job,” Rosalina responded.

“Well, you did a damn good job at it, kid. The whole country saw what you did. It’s all over the news,” Hicks commended her.

“Wait… what do you mean the whole country saw it?” Quinn asked, her voice not carrying the same relief it did earlier.

“Well, with such a high-priority case and as many departments on this, did you think the world and country weren’t going to watch how SWAT handled it?” Hicks asked the kid, thinking she was just feeling camera shy.

But Rosalina wasn’t camera-shy. No, she knew all too well what happens when you’re in the spotlight. And for Rosalina, it wasn’t about to be all fame and glory. 

======================

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With the shift's end nearing, Street steps into the locker room, peeling his shirt off with a sigh; it's been a long day for the team. Chasing down Street's uncle may have brought up some triggering memories, but keeping it to himself seemed like the best idea as he didn't want to worry anyone.

Tan was next to enter the locker room, sitting on the bench behind Street "we don't have to go; we could just go home, have a shower, cuddle, watch movies or even just sleep?" Street softly sighs. The team had decided to go out for drinks tonight; he didn't want to go; Street didn't even know why he agreed; maybe keeping it a secret was a bigger deal than he realised. Street shakes his head slightly as he puts on a new shirt, closing his locker and turning to face Tan "why? I'm fine," he says. He Kisses Tan's forehead before leaving the room; he's thankful for his boyfriend's efforts, but pretending everything is okay just feels like the better option.

-

A wave of anxiety hits Street as they enter the bar; he's not sure why, but the noise, a large number of people, and he's suddenly very aware of everything and everyone. With his emotions on high alert, Street is ready to turn around and run straight home to bed. It isn't until Tan places his hand on his lower back that Street remembers why they are there, but moving seems impossible, with the memories flooding his brain. Tan pushes him slightly, placing a light kiss on his cheek. Street shoves his hands in his pockets and holds his head up high; he can do this, he's got to do this, so walking up to his team with a smile, he steals Luca's beer. Tan sighs softly, following him but not before buying them a beer; he doesn't want to deal with a Luca and Street fight tonight.

Street taps his fingers on the table as the conversation of today's shift continues to flow through his ears. This is not what Street needs to hear, and Tan knows that. The team doesn't, and saying anything just seems to jeopardise Street's wants, "it's not often I say this, but I'm glad we got to hand over this case; that man made me sick, and the thought of what else he could've done-" Deacon cuts himself off with a sigh. That's when Tan notices Street is staring. Although he wishes he could say Street's just zoned out, he can tell it's an anxiety attack. The tapping of the fingers, the staring in the mix of rapid blinking, the small foot taps, it's all a dead giveaway. Tan wraps his arm around Street's waist, hoping not to draw too much attention to them. Pulling Street closer, he kisses his forehead softly. Today the team had to chase down Street's uncle. Nearing the end of the shift, Hicks found out who he was, so instead of causing a scene, he handed the case over to 50-squad. Tan's sure Hicks came up with some sort of excuse. Still, he didn't care about that because Tan just couldn't figure out how he knew the guy; it wasn't until Hicks handed the case over to 50-squad and Street wasn't around that it clicked. Now Street was the only priority; he just wanted to get him out of this chaos without causing a riff in his relationship or his team. Don't date teammates.

-

Tan's holding back tears as he drives, a quick 15-minute ride home now feeling like an eternity as he listens to his boyfriend's sobs. Honestly, he expected this; the breakdown had been brewing all day. As Tan pulled into the driveway, he looked at the broken man sitting next to him. Getting out of the car, he grabs their bags and places them inside; then, opening the passenger side door, he picks Street up gently, causing an immediate bear hug for Tan. Street needs a different kind of love, the kind you need after watching your mother kill your father in front of you and try to get you to take the blame, the kind of love you need when one of your abusers needs a place to stay, and they pick your apartment, the kind of love you need when you bottle your emotions up till you can't take it anymore, and you finally break down, the kind of love of hiding even from the people you care about most. Tan? Tan gives that love away for free he might as well tattoo it on his forehead. And Tan loves Street more than anything in the world; he'd do anything for him, so cuddling and playing with his hair while he waits for Street to drift off is how this night ends.

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ep1: Simulation training

ep2: False identities

ep3: The Easy Story

ep4: What Comes with Fame and Glory

ep5: Family First

ep6: The Quinn Legacy

ep7: Let me be Honest

20-Squad POV

This morning was like any good morning before their shifts started. SWAT HQ was packed with everyone from the different squads milling about; some sparring in the ring, some using the gym equipment to work out, and some standing around talking amongst themselves.

But this morning wasn't anything like the regular routine. As 20-Squad were huddled near the ring watching Deac and Rocker spar, with Tan and Alfaro yelling words of encouragement and insults at 30-Squad, the gym area came to a standstill when Hicks walked in with another official from the LAPD.

"Listen up, ladies and gents, gather round! With 20-Squad being down three members with Chris gone, Street at Long Beach, and Luca in London, you all have been working shifts to rotate through 20-Squad to fill up numbers. Now that Cabrera and Alfaro are assigned to 20-Squad, we have been looking out for a permanent last member."

Hicks paused, his gaze shifting around the room, stopping longer on each of the 20-Squad members before he continued.

"And as such, we have recruited a new member who will be joining 20-Squad. They will be arriving soon, and they have joined before recruitment time due to the urgent need for a final 20-Squad member. They have been approved and have sat trials to qualify, though this was not done in our usual rookie competition style under the watch of all full-fledged officers. So don't take it to heart; you'll have your chance to challenge the rookies later in the year."

Just as he finished, approaching footsteps were heard through the HQ halls. The confident, heavy thuds of footsteps approached the officers waiting. Around the corner walked a woman already wearing her SWAT uniform. She was not all that tall or threatening-looking in physique, but the look on her face was fierce, not the nervous wreck that most rookies were on their first day.

Taking up position next to Hicks, the recruit folded her arms across her chest and stood in front of the officers confidently, her face analysing every person in front of her.

"This is Officer Rosalina Quinn, the final member of 20-Squad. Let's give her a warm welcome," spoke the other commander.

Slowly, claps began to flood the once-silent room, each officer looking at the rookie with uncertainty, unease, and curiosity.

Noticing the responses, Commander Hicks broke the tension. "Officer Quinn has passed at the top of her class in police recruitment, is a top shooter in her ranks, and has shown outstanding theoretical knowledge for tactical operations."

Hicks explained this to the officers before turning to Rosalina and drawing her gaze over to 20-Squad. "Quinn, this is 20-Squad, and this is Sergeant Harrelson, leader of 20-Squad..."

Hicks introduced Rosalina to all of 20-Squad, who introduced themselves and their squad names. When it came to Tan's turn, however, he opted to simply nod a greeting with low enthusiasm and said, "Tan," before avoiding her gaze.

=======

After dismissing everyone else, Hicks and the other commander remained with the full 20-Squad and instructed them on their practical testing, to which Tan and Alfaro groaned at the mention of it. The older two and the girls looked at the others with amusement but didn't comment.

The other commander present explained that the team needed to clear a situational practice to see if Quinn would gel into the group before they would be cleared for duty, and only when she was fully adapted.

Tan had a few choice words to express his frustrations about the situation.

"Come on, Commanders, we can't be benched until she decides to adapt to the team! It could take her months to get ready!" Tan exclaimed to the two heads, Alfaro joining in and seconding that.

After being told that there wasn't any other way around it, 20-Squad made their way over to the live simulation area. Gearing up and establishing their orders within 20-Squad to Rosalina, the team walked over to Hicks to receive their "tip".

After being briefed by Hicks, the squad was about to begin their simulation, going against another squad acting as suspects and possibly hostages.

Just as they were getting in line, Tan approached Quinn.

"Try not to get in my way, alright... and keep up." He spoke coldly to Quinn, who turned around and replied equally as coldly.

"Don't worry about me... I won't be the one needing to catch up." She said it before turning back around smugly and joining the rest of 20-Squad.

======

Rosalina POV

The situation was easy: get in, disarm any suspects, avoid confronting the attackers with the hostage, try to figure out a way to save said hostage, and get out with minimal loss on both sides.

I can do that easily. Tan was about to get a rude awakening.

I didn't top my class for no reason. This scenario is textbook-level, barely scratching the surface of how rough it could get on a real task.

We came up to the front side of the "property", each of the squad jumping out of Black Betty. Hondo instructed Deacon and me to move to the east side of the building while Alfaro, Cabrera, and Powell moved towards the back, and Tan and he took the main entrance.

Walking around to the east side of the place, Deacon and I got into position, Deac in front and me supporting. We made the call to Hondo that we were ready.

Getting the signal to breach in three, we waited on Hondo's signal. The second we heard "breach", we busted through the east door into the laundry room.

Deac and I scanned each room nearby and cleared them before we found one suspect. I "shot" them in the hand before they could even fire to prevent them from shooting Deac.

Just as we got the first suspect cuffed, Hondo radioed through that the main suspect was in the living room with a hostage.

Making our way over towards the space, we emerged slightly concealed by the hallway where a shelf stood next to it.

Tan asked over the radio if anyone had a clear visual on the suspect, as they couldn't do anything without hitting the hostage.

Alfaro called negative to their visual. However, we had an almost perfect view of the suspect from this angle.

Deac radioed in, "Hondo, we have a visual on the suspect from the east hallway. We have a clear shot."

After a second, Hondo said they would try first and, if it didn't work, then we could fire at will.

Hondo and Tan tried to talk the "suspect" out of it, trying to reason with the guy into setting the "hostage" free. However, as the minutes went by, the "suspect" got impatient and made a move to point their gun at Tan and Hondo.

Before they could lift their gun fully, I fired right into the "suspect's" head, successfully neutralising the threat without harming the civilian.

After everything was clear, Deac and I made our way over to our hostage, untied them, and escorted them out with our other suspects, where Hicks waited, a pleasantly amused smile lingering on his face.

"Good job, 20-Squad, for clearing that scenario out smoothly." Hicks complimented all of us, with minor surprise floating between his words.

From the side, Alfaro perked up. "That was awesome, Deac! That shot you took within a second of that guy moving was slick!"

Tan shared his own surprise before giving Deac an impressed tap against his chest, Hondo and Powell nodding along.

Deacon let out a small chuckle at the squad's antics but corrected them, just as amused as the others. "Actually, that was little Miss Quinn over here who took the shot." He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, that is correct, 20-Squad. That shot did indeed come from Officer Quinn. Quite a nice shot, might I add, Officer. She also disarmed another suspect in the same way, covering Deacon's back before he could get shot too."

Commander Hicks explained, giving me some small praise and a quick nod.

"Thanks, Commander. Deac. It's just training, nothing much. Nothing fancy." I replied simply before working to remove my bulletproof vest and helmet.

"Well, after such a demonstration, I believe you can operate quite well within the squad, and as such, I believe that you have passed the trial and are cleared to work with 20-Squad immediately. Congrats, Quinn." Commander Hicks informed us all before leaving the rest of us to clear up.

=======

After cleaning up the set a bit, 20-Squad headed back into HQ to freshen up and ready themselves in case of a call.

Before Rosalina could head in, Hondo and Deacon walked over to congratulate her and headed inside, Powell and Cabrera doing the same with more enthusiastic smiles before heading in. Alfaro just walked past, gave a quick tap on the shoulder, said "good job", and disappeared as quickly as he came.

Now it was just Rosalina and Tan standing outside.

Tan tried to slip past her while she fiddled with her gear but was stopped by her voice, a cold amusement lacing every word.

"Maybe I should have done worse..." She thought out loud before acknowledging him directly.

"Then Hicks would have kept us in simulation for a few more days... make you suffer a bit more."

He sends her an unamused look, but she carries on. 

"Don't worry about me keeping up with you, Tan; it wouldn't be hard for me, even on my worst days."

Rosalina made her way over to Tan. As she passed, she turned back to him quickly and added, "Try not to let it ruin your week." She snickered and continued back into HQ.

Tan stood alone outside for a few minutes, shocked by the pure sass and confidence in her voice after a mere single scenario simulation.

Geez, what have we gotten ourselves stuck with this time?

He thought to himself, shaking his head before heading back in.

---------------

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Hello loves! I hope you enjoyed this episode of SWAT: Ghosts of the Fallen! 🫶

This chapter is more of an intro for the cast, so I can kick off the plot straight away without dragging it along.

I saw that SWAT got updated on Netflix (S7 & 8) and have been wanting to make a story for this for sooo long, but didn't put much thought into it back then (I hadn't started writing yet). And with the Tan having very minimal work, I really wanted to give my guy some love, as he was quite literally my favourite character.

At Powell's house.

Rosalina had been living with Powell for the last week after some drunk driver crashed their car into Luca's house, effectively taking out half of Luca's room and the living room in one sweep.

Tan, on the other hand, had been living with his new girlfriend, Olivia, a reporter who had helped SWAT a time or two with gathering information on cases she had reported on.

After the incident at the prison, Tan was kind enough to lend his room out to Quinn for the time being so the girl could feel safe sleeping within her own space, unlike the couch she insisted on sleeping on.

But after the incident, the three were forced to split and stay with others. For Powell and Quinn, that meant more bonding time and paying less for petrol as they carpooled to work most days.

This night was no different from how the last week and a half had been. The girls—Powell, Cabrera, and Quinn—gathered to have a girls' night, watch some dramas, order takeaways, drink a random bottle of expensive wine, and just sleep over before heading into work together the next morning.

That night, the girls watched an especially steamy drama where their mutual celebrity crush starred. Once they had drunk a little too much wine and beer, they called it a night.

Well, they didn't make it very far to their rooms. Cabrera managed to reach the next couch before she collapsed and fell asleep, while Quinn and Powell didn't even bother moving from their spots.

========

The next morning, when the girls got up and were getting ready for work, which wouldn't start until midday, Powell casually brought up something Quinn did in her sleep.

"Hey, Lina, do you get nightmares in your sleep or something? You were twitching and turning for a good while last night. Saw you when I was going to the bathroom," Powell questioned as she poured the girls' coffees.

"What? No, I don't," Quinn replied quickly.

Cabrera and Powell immediately took notice of the girl's change in demeanour.

"Hey, Q, you can tell us... we promise we won't think of you any differently," Cabrera tried to ease the older girl into opening up.

"I-I, uh, get nightmares from time to time, yeah. But it's nothing too serious. Just... when I was younger, there was an accident that happened, and I lost a few friends in the mess," Quinn said, unsure of how to bring up the topic, but continued.

"From time to time, I get nightmares of that day. Or when it's someone's birthday, even when I see something that I used to associate with them or that reminded me of them."

The girls shared a concerned look before walking up to Quinn and hugging her. The girl stuck in the middle didn't know what to do, awkwardly patting their hands around her.

After the girls ate the breakfast Quinn made, packed their coffees into takeaway cups, and geared up, they headed into HQ.

========

When they arrived, they got settled in, put their things in the lockers, dropped their lunches off in the fridge, and sat around the Eagle Room drinking their coffee while waiting for their shift to start.

Just then, Hicks walked into the room. The three girls stopped to stare at their commander, who also stood still and watched them sip at their coffee.

"Umm, good morning, Commander. I-uh, I brought you some coffee too. A flat white. It's in the fridge for whenever you want it..." Quinn trailed off, trying to play off their relaxed mood by reminding their commander that they had brought in a treat for him too.

"It's not that, you three. But thanks for the coffee. We have a problem, and I want you all to suit up immediately and head to the location I'm going to send you. We have two officers down at a truck stop. Go, go now!" Hicks commanded.

The girls dropped their coffees on the table and ran to their unit vehicles.

=======

At the location, they found a gunman sitting in a police car with a hostage in the back seat. Quinn was ordered to take up a sniper position while the others surrounded the area, Hondo trying to make contact with the suspect.

"This is Sergeant Harrelson. I'm with the LAPD. How's your leg?" Hondo called out to the suspect, who refused to respond.

However, as the squad tried to get him out, they noticed that he was talking with the hostage. But that conversation didn't go as smoothly as it started. The suspect was visibly getting more agitated, and Alfaro called it in to the team.

Just as they tried to think of a plan, Deacon spotted the hostage pointing a can of some sort at the suspect.

Within the next minute, she yelled at the suspect and, when he turned to her, sprayed him in the face with what the team presumed was pepper spray.

Alfaro and Tan managed to get the woman out, but as the suspect got out and tried to open fire, Quinn was quick to shoot him down.

=======

Later that afternoon, the team returned to HQ after finding a mutilated and tortured body tied up in the back of one of the trucks, turning this regular truck stop into a much more serious problem.

They found out that an LA trucking office had been hit, the manager getting shot before torching the place, possibly by their second shooter.

The team tried contacting the trucking company in Brazil but came up empty. The downed gunman from that morning ended up being another dead end. He had arrived from the Dominican Republic six months ago and had no information to go off to determine who he was running with.

The team went off to chase the lead given by the hostage at the truck stop. When they arrived, they found gunmen already at the scene, but within a few tense minutes, they had taken them down.

Deacon and Hondo found a necklace on one of the gunmen's bodies, a necklace belonging to Los Altos, a notoriously dangerous biker gang with connections to a cartel in the Dominican Republic.

The squad realised that if that cartel was trying to smuggle drugs into the country through that biker gang, and someone stole from them, they would go to any lengths to get their cocaine back.

===========

When Powell and Alfaro got the phone off that morning's other shooter, they realised, thanks to Hicks' not-so-rusty Spanish skills, that the cocaine was being transported in a rabbit case.

And that very rabbit case had been seen in the background of the Brazilian singer's dance video.

The team knew that if they had managed to spot it in the social media post, then the biker gang would have too.

So they were off to the stadium to try to track down the backup singer who took the case.

======

Later, they managed to catch the suspects from the gang and save the backup singer from being killed by the dangerous gang, though Hondo and Quinn had to go on a dirt bike chase around the stadium to catch the final suspect.

The squad thought they were done for the day, but when they returned to HQ, there was another problem waiting for them. A problem that was about to get much bigger than that morning's.

Alfaro, Powell, Cabrera, and Quinn were in the kitchen laughing and talking over some fizzy drinks, trying to get their energy up, when Quinn decided to suggest:

"Hey, we should all hit up the pub on the weekend after our shifts to celebrate and just chill after the last few intense weeks. How's that sound?"

Quinn suggested, sounding unusually excited today, more than she ever was.

After a round of enthusiastic yeses, the group walked out of the kitchen and headed towards the Eagle Room, where Hondo, Luca, Tan, and Deacon stood along with Hicks.

But the second the group caught sight of, and felt, the intense mood in the room, their laughs died out.

(Warning, there is about to be a lot of dialogue from Quinn, so please bear with me and trust that it is important!)

------

Rosalina's POV

The second we walked into the Eagle Room, our laughter and upbeat mood dropped. The tension in the room hung heavy.

When I got fully into the room, what I saw on the screens stilled me in place. My heart started beating rapidly, and my body began to tremble.

I turned to Hicks and asked, "Hey, Commander, where did you get that clip?"

"We have some CIs in the Los Altos gang, and they got rumours of this other associated gang who are planning to broadcast this video in about two hours. More or less an hour and a half for us to figure out what's happening here before the city goes into panic," Hicks explained before turning to me and asking if I recognised the two men in the video.

"Y-yeah, I do. I more than recognise them." My words caught in my throat before I steeled my nerves and spoke again.

"Tristan and Tyler."

Deacon asked me how I knew those names when their faces didn't come up in any system.

"Try with the last name Harris, born five years after me," I said, my voice soft, but it still carried.

This time, it was Hondo who asked how I knew that information once Tan pulled up their birth records.

"Because I'm their older sister..." My voice broke through the chatter, the defeat clear in every word.

Silence. Pure, pin-drop silence filled SWAT HQ for the first time, and I knew I was the reason for it.

"Officer Quinn, those boys are sons of the Monarchs Biker Club. Your last name is Quinn, and I don't think I need to mention the clear distinction between the three of you that shows you're not related," Hicks interrupted the silence, trying to make sense of the bombshell I'd just dropped.

"That's true... they're not. But they are in more ways than just blood and bones." I turned fully towards Hicks, my confidence returning at the statement.

"Now, Commander, I want you to listen to everything I have to say from here on out. And I know I've lied to you all about my identity, but I need you to listen to me very carefully and believe every word I say... because if that symbol at the back of the twins belongs to who I think it does... the whole outer LA area is going to come under serious fire, and many people will get caught up in this mess if we don't stop it."

"Believe me when I say this, not as their big sister, but as your officer who has worked alongside you for almost three months now..."

Believing I needed to start from where this all began, I decided to put all my family cards on the table.

"My parents moved to LA after leaving their families behind to come to the US and have children. They came with nothing, though. No support, no family, and only a couple of thousand dollars.

"So when they moved to the outskirts of LA, they struggled, and they almost got into trouble with dangerous loan sharks when the twins' parents stepped in and helped them, putting them back on their feet, getting them jobs, and helping chase off the loan sharks."

"After that, our parents became close friends, even best friends. One day, my parents decided they would help the twins' parents the same way they had helped them, so they became their right hands, or what they called VPs."

"Both of the twins' parents were only children in their families, just like my parents, so they had no one else to rely on. They became each other's chosen family."

"The thing is, before my parents moved, the Monarchs Biker Club had a rival. It was a local street gang, one of the biggest, and they lived down the block from the Monarchs. But when a third rising gang, Los Tiburones, or 'The Sharks', started getting into the mix, the Monarchs and the street gang married off their children to form an alliance.

"Their mum and dad got married, and the club and street gang merged into a powerhouse on the outer side of LA. They wanted to take down the third gang, but not because they wanted power. No, it was because of what they did, what they stood for, which the two families hated."

"They were into drugs, collecting illegal weapons, but mostly—and the worst part—trafficking. They trafficked women and young girls to the worst kinds of people for cash and anything else they could get."

"Why would they want to take them down for that sole reason? Normally, gangs would just leave them alone unless directly attacked," Deacon questioned.

"Because the Monarchs aren't called that for no reason. They're called that because of the Original Eight. The founding members. All sisters."

"And the eldest, Valentina Quinn, was the first Monarch. A truly brutal, determined woman who was fiercely loyal and protective of her family."

"But that's the thing. Her and her sisters' wish to continue their bloodline through daughters ended with them. None of the Original Eight had daughters. They only had sons."

"And Valentina? She had it worse. She only had one child in her lifetime—a son. The twins' grandfather, Andrew Harris. The sole heir to the Monarchs' patch.

"But that didn't stop the legacy of the Original Eight because every child born would carry the Quinn name. On paper, they would take the Harris name.

"Which leads to me..."

I fought back my emotions, not wanting to lay every broken piece of myself out on the table.

"I got this name from the twins' parents, after Valentina Quinn. I got this name because..."

I paused, forcing myself to continue.

"Because when I was four, Los Tiburones killed my parents as a way to get to the Monarchs. I survived because I was at the park with the twins' four older brothers at the time."

"Their parents took me in. Seeing as they were my godparents, naturally, my custody went to them. They adopted me and changed my last name to Quinn after Valentina, and five years later... those chaotic twins were born."

My voice carried a sombre, nostalgic tone.

"That family treated me like I was their own blood daughter, whether it was because my parents died because of them or because I was the closest thing to a true Monarch they would ever get..."

"But those brothers, all six of them, treated me like a princess. And if Tristan and Tyler are in their hands... Los Tiburones will stop at nothing to get to my godparents."

--------

No One's POV

The moment Rosalina finished explaining her history with the Monarchs and the twins, the room sprang into action.

Luca, Deacon, Hondo, and Hicks moved about, trying to call, text, and search for any information they could find on the gang.

While this was happening, Rosalina tried to approach her remaining squad members and friends. But the second she approached and tried to speak, she was cut off before a word could leave her mouth.

"I thought you were being real with us, Quinn! I even considered you my big sister, but you lied... You played me, the team! You told me you cared for me as your little brother... but family doesn't lie about who they are. They just don't..."

Alfaro spat out the words. The youngest member struggled to decide whether he was speaking from anger, betrayal, or sadness.

When he finished, he left a stunned, open-mouthed Quinn standing there, her eyes beginning to water.

When she turned to Powell and Cabrera, the two girls she had just been enjoying her night and morning with, they looked at her with such betrayal and unfamiliarity, as though they didn't know her.

But really, did they know Quinn at all?

"Zoe, Alex? Please, just listen to me..." Quinn tried.

"No, Quinn. Don't. Just don't," Powell started before Cabrera spoke.

"Was anything you said this morning real? The accident?"

"Yes. Yes, it was. I do get nightmares, but the deaths aren't about friends... they were about my parents. About the image of them being attacked by Los Tiburones. I-I just... changed the way they died so I wouldn't have to bring up the gang, but I had to do that anyway."

Quinn tried to explain, but her own words lost their hope when she realised how betrayed they must have felt.

"We told you that you could trust us. That we had your back... but you still chose to lie? About something this big?" Powell questioned, her voice breaking halfway through.

"Were you ever going to tell us if you weren't forced to?" Cabrera asked softly.

The two didn't wait for the answer and left, following Alfaro.

When Rosalina tried to approach Tan, the second his name escaped her lips, he turned without a glance and left the Eagle Room.

Leaving Quinn standing there, heartbroken and shaking.

All that remained in the room were Hondo, Deacon, Hicks, and Luca, the latter walking up to Quinn and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Taking a deep breath and steadying her watering eyes, she approached the table with Luca at her side.

Once more, taking a deep breath, Quinn lifted her eyes, looked directly at Hicks, who was already watching her, and spoke.

"Commander, Hondo, I know the team doesn't—and probably won't—trust my words ever again after this... but we need to stop Los Tiburones before anyone innocent gets hurt."

"But more than that, the reason they're coming after my family is because my godfather and his dad took out all of The Sharks' leading members before the 2000s rolled in, including the previous gang leader, the then-current leader, all their right hands, and their cousins who could have taken up the positions."

"Their return means they want revenge... and getting rid of the Monarchs for good is their goal. We need to prevent the Monarchs from walking straight into their own execution."

"The club doesn't do anything illegal anymore after that incident, so many innocent members of the club can and will get caught in the crossfire."

Quinn informed the others and reassured Hicks that she wanted to protect the innocent members of the club, like the twins and the people of outer LA, from this gang war.

Just as she made a move to leave, she turned around and informed the men in the room.

"I need to make some calls. I'm going to stop this gang war before it even starts."

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