- "Hell... fitting word indeed. You want answers? I'll tell you soldier. When Jilane was captured by the Locust, all the survivors were forced to fend for themselves. We fought bravely, and though the COG lost most of the city, we survived. But we found ourselves alone. COG forces were gone, our communication facilities destroyed, but we still had the children. And our duty to them, and all of humanity."
- —Matron, defending her actions to the Gears
Matron was the leader of the Grievous Bodily Love and a former staff member of the Jilane Birthing Creche. When she was working at the Birthing Creche, she was responsible for declaring women barren and sending them into the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army. Following the Jilane Massacre, Matron led the surviving women and children for four months until Delta-One arrived to search for survivors. Matron died detonating a bomb in the city to destroy Locust forces that attempted to stop the evacuation.
Biography[]
Working In Jilane[]
Matron was a staff member of the Jilane Birthing Creche and was responsible for declaring women barren and sending them to boot camp to become Gears. One of the women she sent was Alex Brand, who became a Sergeant in Foxtrot. When Jilane was attacked by the Locust, Matron and several other female staff members and patients, along with some children, survived the attack, even though the Coalition of Ordered Governments retreated from the city. However, Matron and the others found themselves cut off from the COG, and had no communications to alert them of their survival. Matron decided they would stay in the remains of the birthing creche and attempt to survive, protecting the children for the future of humanity. She founded the Grievous Bodily Love,[1] and they set up mycroprotein and vegetable farms for sustenance, and had a secure bunker to hide in.[2]
Liberation of Jilane[]
Return of the COG[]
- "Your optimism is refreshing soldier... I wish more of your brethren shared your views."
- —Matron to Dominic Santiago, after he said he thought that the GBL had a choice about whether they wanted to come back or not
Four months after the fall of Jilane, a COG squad came to investigate Jilane, and began searching the birthing creche. Matron led a group of GBL members to determine why they were there, and surprised three of them. However, Cpl. Damon Baird raised his weapon at them, and insulted Annalisa, which caused her to start firing. As the Gears took cover and tried to persuade them that they were there to help them, Matron ordered them to throw down their weapons and surrender. They did, and Matron ordered them to stand up and put their hands up, but three more Gears arrived, flanking the GBL, and Cpl. Dominic Santiago ordered Matron and her people to surrender themselves. The commander of the Gears, Sgt. Marcus Fenix, then asked Matron why they had fired on them, and that they were only responding to their beacon. Matron was confused, and told him that they hadn't set off any beacon, and that they had been doing fine without the COG. Marcus asked how the hell they were feeding all of themselves and the children, and Matron told him that "hell" was a fitting choice of words, and explained to him what they had been doing since Jilane fell, and how she had been continuing her duty to protect the children. One of the other Gears then remarked that "duty" was an interesting choice of words coming from her, surprising Matron. The female Gear then asked if she even remembered her, and Matron realized that it was Alex, and she told Matron that she had gotten what she wanted, and turned her into a solder. Matron was left speechless, but Baird then pointed out that they were wasting time, and if they had detected a beacon, then the Locust could pick it up as well. Marcus took him and Pvt. Augustus Cole to find the beacon, leaving Dom, Alex, and Pvt. Jace Stratton with the GBL. Matron talked with Dom, who apologized for the way Baird behaved, and that he had a short fuse. Matron remarked that with the way he acted, she imagined he had other short things as well.[1] Dom then asked if they were going to return to Jacinto City with them, and Matron asked if they had a choice. Dom said he liked to think so, and Matron liked his optimism, and wished that more of his fellow Gears thought the way he did.[2]
Locust Attack[]
- "He's not our highest priority."
- —Matron to Dom, after Marcus was injured and trapped outside the bunker
Not long after, Alex alerted them of Locust activity and said they needed to get to the emergency bunker. Matron led the fallback of GBL members and Gears back to the bunker, while Alex and Annalisa went to bring back Marcus and the other Gears. When they reached the bunker, Dom asked Matron how long before they had to shut down. She told him they couldn't wait long for the others, and Jace pointed out that Jace was missing as well. Matron said that he would be fine with Thecelia, but Camille pointed out that they had gone to the procreation room, and that route was infested with Locust and they would need help. Matron told her and Dom to find them, but that she couldn't give them long and the children were their first priority. Both groups eventually fought their way back to the bunker, but Camille was killed and Marcus was knocked out outside of the bunker by a Mauler.[2] Matron ordered Annalisa to close the bunker door, which outraged Dom and Cole, who demanded she open it and let them save him. She told them that Marcus was not their highest priority, and that the children were more important. Baird agreed with her and ordered the others to stand down, and that he would come up with a plan. Annalisa asked who put him in charge, and he told her that he knew more about fighting Locust than she did, and Matron agreed with him. He came up with a plan to rescue Marcus and get everyone to safety and evacuate, and ordered Matron, Dom, and Cole to stay in the bunker while the rest left via the tunnels. They would take cover behind blast doors while the Locust charged into the bunker, setting off Bolo Grenades. Matron and the others would then rush out of the bunker in the confusion, with any remaining Locust that survived being trapped inside. Cole gave her a Gnasher Shotgun to use in the close quarters, but Matron was worried she wouldn't be very good with it, and said she might prefer a Mauler's flail. Dom said she might get her wish, as the Mauler began pounding on the door with its flail. The plan worked, and they took cover outside the bunker and opened fire on the remaining Locust, while Baird, Alex, and Annalisa killed the Kantus leading them. They all regrouped, but Thecelia noticed that Molly, a mentally ill women who had set off the beacon, was missing. Baird said that she was still in the bunker with the Locust, and Matron wished that she would find peace in death. Baird told her not to waste time mourning her, and that they were not going to take her back anyway, since her condition might have been genetic. Matron demanded that he show some respect, and that maybe none of the women wanted to return with them. Baird told her it didn't matter, and that none of them had any choice in the matter. However, the argument was cut short with the arrival of more Locust, including Corpsers and Reavers.[3]
Sacrifice[]
- "Yes... I just wish I could have saved you too..."
- —Matron, after Alex told her that she had saved the children of the GBL
Marcus then awoke, and asked Matron if the GBL had any vehicles they could escape in. Matron told them they did, and Marcus asked where they were and how they evacuated. Matron told him "they" didn't, and that the GBL would be making a stand there, with death being preferable to going back to the farms. Baird asked if they were completely insane, but Marcus told him it didn't matter, and that they would get to the vans and take the children, and any women who wanted to come with them without a fight. Matron led them to the vehicles, but she and Annalisa elected to stay behind and set off a bomb that would cover their escape, and prevent themselves from being taken back to a farm. As they headed toward the bomb, Annalisa thanked Matron for everything she had done for them, and Matron told her that she just wished that the world had been a better place, and that they had had a chance to live normal lives. As they finished preparing the bomb, Alex arrived, and asked them to leave the city, even if they didn't go back to Jacinto. Matron told her that their decision had been made, but Baird then arrived and told them they could still get out while there was time. Matron told Annalisa that she could handle the bomb from there, letting her attack Baird and put a gun to his head, but Alex shot and wounded Annalisa to save Baird. Alex tried once more to convince Matron to leave while Baird took Annalisa to a vehicle, but she told her that she had to make sure the Locust didn't catch up with them before the bomb went off. Alex told her that it was her choice, and then said that no matter what had happened to her when she was younger, Matron had still managed to save the children in the GBL. As Alex walked away, Matron whispered that she wished she could have saved Alex as well. Matron stood against dozens of Drones by herself, keeping them away from the bomb long enough for it to detonate and destroy a significant part of the city and all of the Locust in it. The vans carrying the Gears and GBL all managed to escape, and Matron's heroic actions were reported to the COG.[4]
Personality and Traits[]
- "I'm sorry this world is what it is. You deserved better... we all deserved better. But we still have our promise to the children."
- —Matron to Annalisa, wishing that things had turned out differently for them before setting off a bomb that would kill the Locust in Jilane
Matron felt that she had a duty to protect the women and children of the Jilane Birthing Creche in order to protect the future of humanity. One of her jobs at the birthing creche involved sending barren women to join the army,[1] something that created inner turmoil for her. Matron wished that the world had been a better place for the women and children she led, and was willing to sacrifice her life to try and make the future better for them.[4]