Jack Morrison was his name. The Commander of Overwatch, the golden poster boy, the Grand Champ. The world's most iconic and legendary hero. Those were all the descriptions people gave when asked who was Jack Morrison. Commander Morrison was one of the key soldiers of the ragtag strike team OverWatch. Back then, it wasn't as a big organization as people know now. It wasn't even an organization, just a small team but with that team, a symbol emerged. A symbol of peace. They ended the world's worst war, the Omnic Crisis. Though Jack Morrison wasn't actually the leader of OverWatch when it was just a team, he was the one with the charisma and passion of a leader and thus the higher ups thought it was a great idea to give him the promotion rather than give it to the one who was actually the leader, Gabriel Reyes.
After the Omnic Crisis, the soldier was promoted to Strike Commander. Though Commander Morrison was a great leader with good intentions, he now had to lead the world's most important organization, and it came with stress. After around 20 years of the Omnic Crisis, villains and terrorists popped all around the globe. The people started to lose faith and blamed all the trouble on OverWatch, saying it was all the organization's fault. BlackWatch's less-than-subtle shifty operations didn't help with the PR nightmare. People wished for Jack Morrison dead. They got their wish.
This is the story about what happened to the Swiss Base in the eyes of Angela Ziegler, codename: Mercy.
It was a cold morning in the Swiss Overwatch base. Nothing was out of ordinary. It looked like it was going to be a peaceful one, but soon to be remembered to be one of the darkest days ever to happen porst-Omnic Crisis. Explosions that came from the inside took out a large portion of the base. The death toll rose to the hundreds, many more injured.
The Doctor Angela Ziegler was on site when it occurred, doing research with Torbjorn on the prototype known as "Valkyrie Suit", a suit that will make the wearer have more mobility as a first response. She was arguing to the Swedish dwarf on how the suit should not have missiles on it because it was intended to save lives, not end them. As she finished that very sentence, the earth was shaking, many of the medical equipment and bits of the ceiling were falling all around her and screams were heard from the outside. At first she and Torbjorn thought it was just an earthquake but then Torbjorn looked out the window in utter disbelief.
"What is wrong?" The doctor before looking out the window herself and saw an image that will forever haunt her forever. "Mein Gott" was all she muttered.
Overwatch's main building, the one where politicians would have meetings, the one where it had the barracks, the one with Weapons research, was half gone. The sight was horrendous, smoke was blocking the sky above it, the fire burning on the top floors and the bodies all around the front. She was in shock, she couldn't believe it. All she could think was that Morrison and Reyes were there. Commander Morrison had told her that very morning that he was going to talk to Gabriel Reyes about how Blackwatch is going have to be plugged off if they were to ever get the public's trust ever again. Her world was shattered, her two closest friends, people she considered to be family were more than likely gone.
"Doc! We have to get over there! We have to help, d-damn it!" Torbjorn was already heading out the door when he was yelling, Angela couldn't tell if he was holding back tears or felt an unfathomable rage. She shook her head and grabbed the Valkyrie Suit. 'People need me, they need me now. I can grief later, but now I need to save as many lives as possible' she told herself. She will no doubt cry afterwards but as of now, she needed to focus.
'I hope this works' she thought as she finished putting on the Valkyrie Suit and the Caduceus Staff, another prototype which can regenerate cells and heal damaged ones (or so it should). She ran outside and ran as fast as she could to the scene and as she got close to the wreckage, she realize just how truly terrible the situation was.
Luckily there was already some emergency first responders on the scene trying to attend some of the wounded but even then the scene was just horrifying. There were more limbs than dead bodies scattered all around, fires were blazing hot on the inner parts of the destroyed base, the air was filled sounds of sirens and people screaming in agony. She saw Reinhardt coming from the base holding a dozen injured men and putting them all gently down where a medic was. She scurried over to help those men and was about to begin to heal them when Reinhardt brought her attention.
"Doctor Ziegler, the people inside need your attention more than these ones. These people vill get the help they need." Though it may have sounded a bit cruel at the moment, he was right, she was needed inside the base, there may be people who cannot move, people who are about to die, Reyes and Morrison…
She needed to know. She NEEDS to know if they are alive and if she can still save them. "Ich verstehen" she muttered before she followed him to the wreckage.
It wasn't long before they agreed to split up to find more survivors. Except Angela couldn't find another living soul. She was so desperate to save someone, her eyes darted left and right very frequently. It's been 6 minutes since she broke off from Reinhardt and she was beginning to lose hope that she'll find someone. At this point, she was hoping that Reyes and Morrison were found and were alive but even she knew that was a farfetched idea.
At that moment however, she heard a very quiet whimper. It was so quiet, Angela knew that it was someone who was in need of her assistance but she couldn't find the source of the noise.
"Hello!? Please! Where are you?!"
"Right… here…" said a familiar voice. She looked at the general direction of where it came from and it only took a couple of steps to see who was in need.
It was the Blackwatch Commander, Gabriel Reyes. His legs were all bending in places where they shouldn't be bending, his left arm was missing and a pipe had penetrated his left side of his chest . There was too much blood for a normal human to lose.
"What took… you so long doc?" Reyes' breathing was slow and irregular, and he was coughing up blood when he finished that sentence.
"What happened, Gabriel?" Angela knelt down beside him and tried to see of a way to get that pipe out of his chest before she can use her staff on him. She wanted to know what happened but the main reason she asked that was so that he could be distracted.
Reyes started laughing. This wasn't any normal hearty laugh Angela heard. This laugh… was different, it seemed… evil.
"I wouldn't…" He coughed up more blood, his eyes staring at the medic and spoke again. "Worry about… it." He began to laugh more manically until his coughing interrupted him.
Then he stopped coughing. He stopped moving. He stopped breathing. Angela wouldn't lose him. Not like this. She grabbed the pipe and pulled it of his lifeless body so that she could use her staff. She aimed it at him, set healing on and turned it on and
Nothing.
It wasn't doing anything, not even patching up his wounds. Angela was dumbfounded, she refused to believe this was happening. She turned the staff on and off and nothing kept happening.
She was holding back tears. She couldn't save Reyes. She couldn't save her friend. She couldn't save someone that was like family to her. She couldn't believe it. Then it hit her. She needed to activate the Resurrection option of her suit. In Layman's terms, it allowed anyone near her that was dead to be brought back to life but like her suit and staff, it was just a prototype and it was all a theory. Out of all things, this is the one thing she wasn't even sure if it would work but she was desperate, she needed to try this, she needed to bring back Gabriel Reyes.
"Please. Please. I beg of you. Please work." She told herself that, it may have been her trying to get luck on her side, or maybe asking god a favor, but what she really cared for was getting bringing back the Blackwatch Commander. She gripped real hard on the staff, raised her hand and a yellow glow emitted in her palm and she yelled out on top of her lungs "HEROES NEVER DIE".
Her whole body was covered in a yellow glow and so was Gabriel's body. 'It's working! It's actually working!'. She was smiling, her gamble was working, she was bringing someone back from the grave.
Except nothing happened. He wasn't moving.
She stared at his corpse and he wasn't moving, the only thing that changed was that his wounds were all gone, his legs were back to normal and he had his arm back but he wasn't moving. Angela once again felt her world crashing down. She couldn't believe she was such a failure. Then she noticed his finger twitched.
He sat right up and he opened his eyes and stared at the German doctor. His eyes were black and there was black smoke that was forming around him.
"WHAT… HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS!?" His voice has changed, it sounded like he was a demon. Angela was scared. She knew there was bound to be some heavy side effects to the resurrections, but this was something she could never have predicted.
Before she could even respond to him, his body was slowly starting to turn into ash.
"Wait no! Gabriel! Hold on! I can fix you up, I can sa-" before she finished, a gust of wind blew all of Gabriel Reyes. He was gone. She was a failure.
Having heard the doctor's screams, Reinhardt rushed into the scene and saw Angela Ziegler sitting and struggling to hold back tears on top of some bloody concrete.
"Angela? Vhat has happened?" he asked, knowing more than likely that she saw something that has traumatized her. She just turned her head to face him and all he sees is a broken woman, red puffy eyes and tears tracking down her cheeks.
"I… I couldn't save him… I couldn't save him, I tried but I failed."
Reinhardt assumes that she was talking about either Morrison or Reyes but he doesn't see any corpse nearby. He knelt down besides her and spoke in a soft voice.
"It is ok, Angela. You are the world's best medic. If you couldn't save him, then nobody could." He smiled at her and added, "and I'm sure you did your absolute best."
He pulls an item from his pocket and shows to Angela.
"I didn't even find any more survivors, only corpses. However I did find that".
It was Commander Morrison's visor. The blue object that he always wore that helped with his aiming and among other things. The crystal part was shattered and it was completely covered in blood. There was no doubt about it however, it was his blood. The commander's blood.
Reinhardt spoke up and with a sad face. "I didn't find his body. Just that. Found it around from where it looks like the explosion took place. I'm afraid… I'm afraid his funeral will have to be a closed casket one."
With that, Angela remembered something she long forgotten.
Something she realized when she saw her parents die in front in of her, when she saw soldiers dying to keep her safe, and when she heard that all of her friends from elementary school all perished.
She remembers just how cruel this world is.
Reinhardt nudges her and breaks her away from her thoughts.
"There's nothing more for us to do now, let's head back to Torbjorn. They'll want to do a full body count on whose alive." Reinhardt then begins to walk away, gazing downwards but then the Doctor asks him a question he didn't want to be asked.
"This is it isn't it? This is the end of Overwatch. It's not Overwatch without Morrison."
Reinhardt doesn't stop walking, and responds "We are finished now."
-9 Days Later-
"Think we'll see each other after the whole fiasco?" asked a worried McCree
"Maybe, hopefully in the near future." Answered a sad Angela Ziegler
"Hmm."
It was the day of the burial. Reinhardt was right, it was a closed casket funeral. Only a select few of Overwatch members and Jack Morrison's parents were there. Lena Oxton, Angela Ziegler, Torbjorn, Reinhardt,Jesse McCree and even Fareeha (daughter of the late Ana). It was raining for half an hour but nobody either cared or mind.
Reinhardt gave a heart-moving eulogy, about how great of a commander, soldier and human being Jack Morrison was. Every one was deeply saddened because the world lost a hero. After the burial, everyone was scattered around making conversations with people.
"I feel guilty." Said a certain cowboy before taking a swig on a bottle of alcohol. Angela looked at him, puzzled as to why McCree of all people would feel guilty when he wasn't even with BlackWatch. He left about 3 months before all these events played out.
"Why would you feel guilty?" asked the blonde doctor.
"I just… maybe because whatever happened in that base wasn't Talon's doing. Maybe it was. Maybe if I didn't leave, I could've prevented all of this."
"Jesse, this isn't your fault, you didn't know any-" before the doctor could finish, Jesse looked straight into her eyes.
"I left because Gabriel was insane. He was going more and more crazy by the minute. Growing a grudge against Morrison. Always saying how he has the guts to do what is necessary and that Jack was too much of a boy scout to get results. He was always so angry about the fact that Morrison got the promotion instead of him…" Jesse looked forward, staring off into space as he was describing the late BlackWatch Commander.
"Vhat? This doesn't sound like the Reyes I know, Jesse." Reinhardt was right behind him and couldn't help but eavesdrop their conversation.
"Believe me when I say this, Reyes is a different person when around OverWatch personnel. It's like… he switches personas. And the anger he felt for Morrison… I think he was the one who blew the base up…" Jesse finished his sentence and took a big swig. Angela wondered if he was drinking for while or just started.
"That is..."
"Disturbing."
"Ja."
Mercy couldn't process this information. She doesn't believe this. She can't. She can't believe that one of the two most important people in her life actually killed the other one. She walked away and went to try to talk to anybody else, anybody. Then she came across Mr and Mrs Morrisons.
Angela not wanting to be rude, greeted them.
"Hello Mr and Mrs Morrison, I am so sorry for your loss."
Mr Morrison was a tall, bald, thin man with lots of marks all over his arms, with blue eyes that look like they've seen a thousand years worth of pain. Mrs Morrison was shorter with aforementioned marks as well, she had green eyes and her hair was fully white. She looked like she was older than his husband but not terribly old.
"Ah yes, thank you Ms…" Mr Morrison looked at her as if he's met her before but can't place on what her name was.
"Ziegler, Angela Ziegler."
"Ah, call us Eustence and Muriel young one. Tell us young lady, how did you know my dear old son?" The older man smiled, although it looked like a sad smile, she knew he genuinely wanted to know his son's friends.
"I am the Head of OverWatch's Medical department, I had many meetings with Commander Morrison… but I was also his friend. He & I talked very frequently about… everything. I always enjoyed listening talk, he always talks about how OverWatch can make the world the better place. He also goes straight to me when he needs patching up as in he refuses any other medical personnel."
"Sounds like my dear old Jack grew fond of you Ms Ziegler" Jack's mother said with a happy face".
"I hope he did… I… was fond of him too. He was everything I despised at first but when I got to know him, he was everything I loved."
At first, Angela despised Jack and OverWatch. She was very much a pacifist and hated the organization solely because it was a military one. That was until the golden boy himself along with the stubborn but efficient scary soldier went to visit the young prodigy at the hospital she was currently working at and offer her to work in OverWatch. She was going to say straight deny his offer until he convinced her that OverWatch was not really a military organization but rather a peace force, to keep the world safe. That alone didn't convince but then he said those words… 'You can save many more lives with our resources doctor. In a hospital you may save those in a local area if, and only if, they're bring to you but with us, you can save people on a global scale. A hospital is not where you are meant to be. Come with us.'
After a while working under OverWatch, she grew very fond of the golden boy. She understood why he was so affectionate and why everyone loved him. He wanted to be a hero, one to keep people safe and secured. Angela started to wonder if she liked him romantically or she actually likes him as a form of respect, a kind of respect that means she'll always listen to him and watch over him carefully.
She was lost in memories until Muriel asked her a question.
"Aww, did you ever get together with him?"
"No…" Angela said, with a sad face. "I don't think he actually held those feelings for me. As Commander, he simply didn't have the time to be with someone… atleast that's what I tell myself."
"Oh don't think such things." Chimed in Jack's mother. "From everything he wrote in the letters, it seemed that he was a busy man. So don't feel so bad young lady"
Letters? Jack Morrison still sent old fashioned letters to his family? She never knew that.
"We better leave, honey. Our flight leaves in about 3 hours."
Jack's father took one good long look at the statue that was erected in honor of the Strike Commander. It was a rather simple one, Jack Morrison holding a gun one hand and saluting with the other. He took his wife's hand and both began to walk away.
Angela turned to go and talk to the others but she heard something that broke her heart from Mr Morrison as she did.
"The world can be so cruel, Muriel."
"I know sweetie, I know"
She thought of that. Over and over again. In reality she already agreed with that statement but never did she think actually hearing someone else saying it would bear such weight, especially coming from the parents of a dead hero.
She met up with McCree, only this time Torbjorn was there and not Reinhardt. She took a quick glance around to see where Reinhardt was and there he was, carrying Fareeha around, playing games most likely. The hearty laugh of Reinhardt was very loud but it brought up the mood, not by much but it definitely helped.
"And THEN, the crazy bastard jumped on the back of this monstrosity of an omnic and started shooting. The darn thing started shaking and the sight was hilarious! It looked like he was riding a bull!" Angela listened to torbjorn's story. She actually remembers this one, it was one of her favorites.
Torbjorn was barely holding his own laughter while telling it. "Jack didn't even have trouble trying to stay on though, that's the juice part! His inner farmboy got a hold of him and he grabbed on with ease. He…" Torbjorn was laughing so hard that Angela was worried he was actually chocking on something. "He actually yelled on top of his lungs 'Yeehaw'"
Now it was McCree's turn to laugh like crazy, Torbjorn still was, and Mercy took a moment to really appreciate the sight. There's no telling when will be the next time a moment like this will happen.
"That's some gold, Torb. That's some mighty gold." McCree actually had tears in his eyes before he wiped it off. Then the cowbow noticed that Mercy was right behind them. "Oh hello again doc"
"Sharing stories are we?"
"Yes ma'am."
"He was one hell of a guy… and one hell of a friend." Chimed in Torbjorn with a depressed tone.
"Who do you reckon was Jack's main pal, doc?" Jesse asked as he pulled a cigar from seemingly out of thin air and light it up.
"Surely Reyes was his most valued friend during the Omnic Crisis, but during his time as Strike Commander? Maybe Ana? Or even Reinhardt."
"Nah, he actually spent a lot of time with you doc compared to rest of us." Torbjorn pointed out.
"Oh?"
"Said he liked the doctor because she wasn't a soldier like everyone here. A fresh breather is what he called it." That was something she didn't expect. She did remember that he was talking about how all perspectives are interesting and it was important to hear those who have different opinions on matter.
"Oh." Angela sighed. She was relieved. She was a good friend to him it seems judging from what Torbjorn said and for that she will treasure his memories.
"Welp. We best be moving. Trial starts at around 1 and it's already high noon. Think everything will work out?" McCree asked, already knowing the answer but was trying to be optimistic.
"Not likely" Reinhardt appeared of nowhere and Mercy wondered how could someone so big be so stealthy. "They've been looking for an excuse to shut us down. This… is the end of our journey."
No one spoke up. They knew Reinhardt was right. As much as anyone likes to think he's just a bonehead with a lust for battle, they knew he had a point.
Angela looked to the side and then Lena shows up with Fareeha at bay.
Poor, poor Fareeha. She was the only daughter of the late Captain Amari, a grade A sniper and loving member to OverWatch. She was killed in action less than 2 years ago. After her mother died, Morrison and Reyes watched over her as if they were her fathers. She grew very attached to both of them, even Reyes.
"Everyone… I just wanted to say… Thank you. I always saw you as a family. My mother thought so too. I will miss you all but I hope I get to see you all in the future!" Fareeha said with a big smile but everybody can tell she was holding back tears. "I will miss all of you."
"Come on love, limo's here. Say goodbye to all of them"
As Fareeha was hugging each of the OverWatch members, Mercy overheard McCree and Oxton talking.
"Like playing babysitter?"
"It's not playing babysitter, Jesse. I'm just watching over her."
"That's babysitting, darlin'."
"Oh hush it you Hollywood wannabee." Lena took a jab at Jesse and laughed.
"As much as I hate to say this. You were a good one, Lena. Don't ever change, alright?" McCree had a smile on his face but you could tell that he meant those words. Angela wondered if they had a thing going on or if it already happened, she didn't really know and felt it wasn't her business to ask.
"I could say the same McCree. Love ya love, I'll see you in court. Come on, Fareeha. Ride's waiting on us."
Lena took Fareeha's hand and they both leave. Leaving Reinhardt, Angela, McCree and Torbjorn.
"We gotta go too, folks. Time's a-wasting" Jesse started walking away without looking back. Angela thinks to himself that Jesse's mood changed dramatically fast, maybe this is how he copes with this type of scenario.
"Gotcha." Torbjorn responded as we followed Jesse.
Angela also started to walk but she felt something was off. She looked back and saw Reinhardt staring at the statue.
"Reinhardt. We have to leave. You know how the 'suits' are with being on time."
Reinhardt didn't shift his gaze, he kept looking at the statue. "You know vhat bothers me the most about this, Ziegler?"
Angela noted that he used her last name. He always uses her first name.
"Not the fact that ve're about to lose an organization that ve vorked for, sweated for, bled for. Not even the fact that we lost both Morrison and Reyes themselves."
Reinhardt turned to face the doctor and she saw the face of a man who lost everything and is full of regrets.
"I'm not bothered by that. I knew that one day, ve vould lose Jack. Vether it'd be in combat or assassinated, I just knew. Vhat truly bothers me is that we never even found his body. Nothing to bury. Couldn't even find an arm. Just blood. A hero should be buried and be hailed for his brave actions… and ve didn't even bury the world's greatest hero."
Angela was holding back tears. Reinhardt was right again and she hated it. She hated that Jack wasn't even buried. Didn't matter that there was a funeral, it's not complete without a body. Reyes' funeral yesterday was different, she saw him turned into dust and even though she hates herself for not saving him, she is fine with the fact that he too was a closed casket with no body inside, there was nothing to bury.
Reinhardt walked up to Angela and hugged her tight. He whispered in her ear. "I'm sure Jack himself vould tell you to move on if he was here but that's the worst thing anyone could do. Treasure your memories of those vho had fallen and be happy that you've lived those moments vith them, don't be sad because they're gone."
He released her from his heart and smiled. "Let's go."
Angela followed Reinhardt and turned back to look at the statue. She noticed something odd. Maybe it was her imagination, maybe the rain was creating an illusion but she thinks she saw someone somewhat far away was watching her. Or watching them.
As soon as she looked at the person, they turned and walked away. She couldn't tell much details as it was more of a silhouette than anything.
Maybe Angela was hallucinating. Maybe she wasn't. Reinhardt didn't seem to notice as he wasn't looking back anymore.
But in that split second she saw that person, that figure looks like Jack Morrison's.