MODERN VERSE ! trigger warning: abuse, fire.
when echo was eight, her parents tragically died as the result of a house fire. her father was consumed by the flames as he fought desperately to get echo and her mother out the door, while her mother died hours later from smoke inhalation and extensive burns. echo’s recollection of the night is hazy at best, but there are certain components she remembers vividly: the stench of the smoke, her mother’s frantic hands around her shoulders pushing her towards the door, the smell of her father’s skin rotting / her mother’s hair alight in flames. it was horrific, tragic, and because both of her parents had estranged (at best) relationships with their families, echo entered the foster system.
echo bounced around from foster home to foster home for quite some time. most were group homes, overflowing with screaming kids scrambling to have their needs met. she hated it. for the most part, echo stayed quiet and reserved, a little overwhelmed by the abundance of people / the constant and unending noise. she watched as the younger children were taken to their forever homes, scooped up and rescued from the turmoil, while she was left behind. cast aside, too traumatized, too old for anyone to want.
around the age of twelve, echo was placed into what would become her adolescent home. the rawling family came from very humble beginnings, their house overrun with their own biological children. it was pure chaos, but with the group homes filled to the brim, her social worker had little choice.
mrs. rawling was nothing short of a complete terror. with a short temper and a heavy hand, she ruled the household militant-style. echo rarely talks about what happened in the home, but she bears the faded scars to prove it. here, she was taught how be quiet and strong. here, she was taught that emotional displays would be met with violence. here, she stole and lied and met violence with violence in order to survive. here, she learned that nightmares weren’t reserved for when you’re sleeping. sometimes nightmares were your life.
needless to say, on her eighteenth birthday, echo signed up for the united states marine corp. she had a natural talent for combat, her encounters with her foster brothers helping her find a home amongst the boys in her unit. to be quite honest, boot camp was like a freaking dream compared to her foster home, and she pushed herself so far beyond her limits in order to succeed. echo doesn’t do anything without giving it her all, and she certainly gave her best efforts in the marines. her tactical mind and fast-developing skill with a gun made her a natural, even while deployed overseas. she was a natural leader, and her talents did not go unnoticed.
within three years, echo was offered the chance to try for the marine corp special forces. there were no guarantees, but the chance was all she needed. echo was sent to the marine corp special operations individual course, and emerged nine months later a marine corp special ops raider. she is now a member of the usmc special operations team, specializing in entering high pressure situations to gather valuable intelligence in support of usmc operations.
* DERIVATIVE: in some verses, echo’s public school counselor helped her to gain a full ride scholarship. the scholarship was need-based and granted to echo due to her status in the foster care system. in college, she chose to study criminal law. she has always been very observant, and her tumultuous adolescent life led to more than one encounter with the law. eventually, echo enters the federal bureau of investigations. starting out as special agent caldwell, she eventually lands herself in the behavior analysis unit.
