What comes with Fame and Glory ep4
SWAT: Ghosts of the Fallen
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A/N: Hi lovelies! This chapter starts in the second half of S7 ep 13, since the case for this chapter began in the previous episode of the season (ep 12), and I wanted to take parts of that episode and mix them with episode 13. Don't worry, it will kind of make sense when you read!
“My life depends on getting this right, Tan, and if me doing my best to make it stable bothers you… well, that’s a you problem… asshole.”
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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."
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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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Thank you for reading ep 4 of SWAT: Ghosts of the Fallen, What Comes with Fame and Glory. 🫶💜 Hopefully, this chapter made sense, as it draws on scenes from ep12 and 13 of S7 (Tan and Alfaro fight over the Hondo issue). Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the scenes are about to get intense!! I'm finally getting into my plotline little by little. Have you spotted the Easter eggs?? Lmk your theories! Please continue to support Tan and Rosalina's story on SWAT by liking and commenting!🫰💜
