"You okay luv?" The brits voice from behind me seems deafening in my tired mind. I swivel round to her and give a faint smile to her head which is peeking around the corner of one of the bedroom doorways. "Never better Lena" I lie but she can clearly see the bags under my eyes. "Honestly Angie…you look pretty shit" Lena or 'Tracer' says and steps out from the corner. Her painfully bright orange vest shines bright enough to make me rub my eyes but her dark blue pants seem to dimmer the flash. "I'm okay Lena" I say and I can hear the weariness in my voice. She goes in front of me and stares me in the eyes intensely. "Angela…your eyes are tired and your hair is messy; you're not okay, seriously" she points out and I turn away from my roommate and rub my face. "I had another nightmare that's all" I say and I can hear Lena wince behind me. "Again?" "Yes Lena…again" "Should we get a doctor?" "I am the doctor" "Yeah but surely-" "I think it's just being stationed here which is rough" I interrupt and Lena steps back for a moment to think. "You mean here in Japan?" She questions and I nod slightly. She has to think for a moment upon realising the issue. "Oh right…" she says and she steps back away from me. "Sorry…I'll leave you to wake up and all" she says and before I have time to say anything, she dashes into her room. Sharing an apartment room with one of the youngest members of Overwatch can be a gift and a burden. On one hand she's always happy and able to cheer you up but sometimes it feels like I'm a underpaid babysitter or something. It's not a bad thing of course but I think she has to realise sooner or later that the world is not perfect. There has been times where she has been sad and heartbroken and miserable. That's when she just seems to lose herself. She just locks herself in her room for days sometimes without even eating anything. Times when she's broken up with someone or when she's failed a mission with a big loss is what usually effects her the most. Lena has an effect with her mood on everyone and not just me. If she's down, everyone down. Case closed. I lazily sling on my lab coat over my buttoned long-sleeved shirt and tie my hair back in my usual style. I might start wearing my hair down a bit more soon since it's getting colder towards the end of the year. It's late September so the days have started to get shorter and the temperature colder. But for now, I put my hair up the way I always do with my hair a bit ruffled. I grab my set of keys and I watch them dangle around my finger for a moment, seeing the silver shaped objects reflect the morning sun around the room. I snap out of my daydreaming, slide the keys into my pocket and then open the front door to leave. "Lena, there's a meeting in thirty minutes so you better be there, I'm leaving early" I shout rubbing my eyes yet again. "Yep I'll be there within a jiffy luv!" She shouts from her room and I smile, walk out the door and close it behind me. My feet tread along the sleek green carpet, lining the corridors of the apartment floor. My briefcase in my hand contains everything I need for the day. Things like water, patient records and a notepad full of all the modifications I've made to people's body. It holds a record of replaced limbs, recovered memories from brain loss and the patients which I've treated. I see the metal elevator standing at the wall with its doors open waiting for someone to come by. I walk inside and press the 'ground floor' button with a weak hand. The doors close with the accompanying sound of a bell and then I begin to feel the machinery take me downwards. I stare at the dull grey wall thinking about nothing but sleep. My eye lids get heavy and I lean up against one of the elevator walls. I'm sure no one will mind. My eyes flutter shut for a moment and I feel fatigue hit my body. My back slumps and my knees become slightly weaker as I begin to doze off into unconsciousness. The dinging of the elevator jolts me awake and I bolt upright with a straight back. A man wearing a blue and white jacket stands there whilst scratching his short, scruffy hair. He's wearing black trousers along with some form of tactical boots. His identifying factor though, is his red visor attached to a carbon bandana around his mouth and nose. I breath out in relief knowing I can relax a bit. "Morrison" I address. "Dr. Ziegler" he acknowledge whilst entering the silver elevator, standing beside me. I awkwardly smile and then look away as he presses the button to the ground floor as well. We stand in silence with me holding my briefcase and him with a black duffle bag slung over one shoulder. "Rough night?" He breaks the silence and I secretly thank him for doing so. "Yeah…" I groan back. "Another nightmare?" "Yup" "Maybe you should go see someone about it?" "Who is there to see?" "I don't know…Zenyatta maybe?" "How would he help me Jack?" "He seems like a good omnic for that type of stuff" "I think it's just me being stationed here" I say and Morrison gets what I mean straight away. "No one you've changed blamed you for anything Dr. Ziegler" he assures me. "Yes I know Jack, I know. It's just - I feel like I turned the people I've experimented on into weapons. And of course I know that isn't the case but…" "Angela" he interrupts. We stare at each other for a while as I wait for a response. The doors ding to a stop on the ground floor as he puts his hand on my shoulder. "Someone had to do it" he says and then walks out of the opening elevator. I can't say anything. I want to argue back but all I can do is stand there like an idiot and contemplate what he said. Someone had to do it? What does that mean? I shake my head and try to forget what he just said to me a even though it's going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day. I walk out the doors myself and follow Morrison through the halls of Japan's Overwatch centre. It's quite a simple design with not the much to the building itself but it's still effective. Morrison turns into a room which I can only assume is the room we're having the meeting in. I turn to enter the room which has soft blue walls and bits of technology strewn around the walls. Coffee machines, water dispensers - basically your average things in a work station. I stare down the coffee machine closest to me and I can already feel my mouth water. I would kill for a coffee. I grab one of the many mugs from a side table and lay it under the dispenser of the machine. A slow twenty seconds float by until I have a dark brew of caffeine sitting in front of me. I weakly smile and pick it up by the handle and take a long sip being careful not to spill the liquid down my stainless white coat. "Morning Ms Ziegler" a quiet, gruff voice from behind me makes me pause for a moment and then smile in recognition. Only one person calls me by the title Ms. "Mako" I greet and swivel round to see Mako (or Roadhog which is his code name) who's a large man in his late forties leaning back on his chair. He gives a small smile before closing his eyes again. I sit a seat away from him so there's a space in between. I'm not doing it because I dislike him or anything, it's just that his friend might be here soon and I don't want to seem rude. Mako isn't wearing his usual pig design of a gas mask and instead he's got his face surprisingly clean with only a slight bit of grey stubble. He's wearing a light blue t-shirt, a pair a grey camouflaged shorts, some brown lace up boots and his grey hair is styled in his usual short ponytail. "How's Jamison finding it here?" I ask and he sits up now opening both of his eyes and he rub his face with one hand. "Well he's certainly finding it weird, but he's mainly focused on the money more than the sights" he says opening the newspaper in front of him. Jamison Fawkes and Mako Rutledge are know as Junkrat and Roadhog in the news. They're one of the most wanted duos in the world. They've stolen a large amount of money and some important artefacts in the past and a large bounty has been put on their them. Last time I checked they had a price of around twenty-five million U.S dollars on their heads. We thought they would be a good asset in Overwatch so we made a deal with them. We would pay them a large sum for each time they would come to a certain part of the world with us to complete an operation there. We also agreed that as long as they didn't cause any more chaos, we wouldn't arrest them and turn them in to the authorities. Overwatch offered the dynamic duo a job which consisted of being stationed in Japan for just under a month. Mako was actually interested in the sights and the certain landmarks but James was just interested in the money. "You don't look so good doctor" Mako questions and I sigh. How many more times am I going to explain that question today? "I just didn't get much sleep last night. That's all. Nothing else" I reply sternly not wanting to tell him again. He looks into my eyes and he can tell I'm lying as I stand up. "I know there's something up but I can tell you don't want to talk about it so I'll leave you alone" he says. I'm actually surprised for once. Usually, you would think that one of the most dangerous criminals would be pressing and kind of mean to everyone but not with Mako. He's just…Mako. I'm about to open my mouth again when the slow clanking of a peg leg starts to register in my ears. I hastily sit down, practically falling into the foldable chair a seat away from him. Jamison Fawkes stumbles into the room wearing some back cargo pants and a red Hawaiian shirt showing her bare chest. It's not that weird for him to show his chest but I think Mako is at least trying to teach him some manners. "Roady! Why'd you make me come so early!?" Jamison shouts and Mako sighs. "You would of been late otherwise" he replies tiredly. "That's not true!" "I've been riding with you for a couple of years now. I know you, you would of been late" "Well…why are you here so early?!" "I'm just here" "Oh! I know. Is it to flirt with the doctor huh?" Jamison suggests childishly and I almost choke on my coffee. I can tell Mako is slightly agitated as well. "Blow off choffer" Mako says harshly taking a sip of his coffee. "Come on then ya drongo!" Jamison taunts and beats his bony chest twice. Mako wrenches himself out of his chair and I have to save my cup of coffee from the shaking table. Jamison actually gets a bit scared and begins to run around the table like a five year old whilst Mako pursues. They're both idiots. I slowly realise that my fatigue is catching up with me since I feel my eyelids get heavy. Even with the boost of caffeine, my back is still slouching and my arms are weighed down. I begin to close my eyes until a hand pats my shoulder making me jump slightly and snap my neck round to the person the hand belonged to. Lena smiles brightly back at me and sits down next to me. I smile weakly back and grasp my coffee again, needing the boost of energy to talk to Lena. The bubbly Brit watches me take another sip noticing the bags under my eyes and my slouched spine. You can tell by the way she cocks her head the second she notices. "Luv…really you don't look good, honest" Lena comments and I chuckle. "Really Sherlock?" I say sarcastically and ruffle up my hair. Lena chuckles a bit as well. She then leans in close to my ear and covers my ear with her hand in a secretive gesture. "You can get some shut eye if you want, I'll wake you up when the meeting officially begins" she whispers and then giggles once she gets back into her seat again. One part of me wants to praise her for allowing me to get some more sleep but I just nod my head in appreciation. I'm about to close my eyes when a familiar figure walks into the room. His cybernetic armour makes a clanking noise every time he takes a step. "Oh! Genji is here. Hi Genji!" Lena waves to him and he nods upon seeing the young girl but then cocks his head slightly upon seeing my battered state. "You seem off Dr Ziegler" Genji states the obvious. I shake my head. "Just a rough night" I reply and he nods his head again and then proceeds to sit down on the other side of the table from me. If only he knew why I wasn't getting any sleep… I shuffle in my seat in a comfortable position and place my head down on my folded arms which are resting against the table. The sounds of the room begin to silence. The birds stop singing and the clicking of footsteps halt and fade away. Then I fall I to a deep, deep sleep. My heels click as they make their way across the marble floor. I scribble down names on my parch board, noticing the dates and the conditions of certain patients. I've been sent to do another checkup on a patient who's been damaged again. It was strange when they described them as 'damaged' instead of just saying that they were injured. Maybe they meant mentally damaged. I hope they didn't mean that. It's not an unbearable experience but it's so sad seeing people like that. Some people have been stricken by war and some have just gone insane. I turn a corner and see a group of doctors discussing between themselves and cock my head. This must be the room where the patient is. One of the doctors spot me and inform the others of my presence and they turn to meet me and I start to feel under pressure. "What's the patient like?" I ask ready to take notes. Nothing comes from the scientists and I cock my head without looking at them. "Anything?" I ask again but everyone just looks at each other not wanted to answer. Finally, a bulk man in heavy armour pushes past the other scientists with a rifle in hand. He scratches the back of his head nervously. "I don't say how to say this doctor but…you need to have a look for yourself…follow me into the room" he says and my eyes naturally squint at him. What does he mean by that? I do as he says though and he holds open a metal door for me to enter and I walk through seeing the sealed door only openable by a key code. High security huh? "'Mam…" the soldier behind me starts and I can tell he's scared of telling me something. I smile and adjust my glasses. "I assure you, if there is something you need to tell me…" I insist and he looks like he's going to spill it but he just shakes his head. "The code is 9274 'mam…" he says under hesitation. I nod not wanting to press him further so I enter the code into the door and I feel the door unlock. I grip the handle but then a hand touches my shoulder making me swivel round to meet the soldier. "Just as a word of warning…I know you two were close before…the event but…he's dangerous…just to say" he says and exits the room. My heart sinks upon recognition of what he just says as all the pieces fit together. The patient is damaged. We were close. 'He'. Genji. A sharp pain shoots through my stomach reminding me of the wound still healing in my chest. I clutch at the shirt I'm wearing but the contact only makes it sting more. I look down expecting to see a blade in my chest but nothing is there but the memory of that time. The blood. The moment. The 'event'. I let go of my clothing knowing the wound might open up again and take a deep breath out. He won't know it's me. Rooms with high security are made out a type of glass where you can see into it but you can't see out of it but you can still talk to whoever is inside and vice versa. I realise this and thank the makers of building realising that he won't be able to see me; I can't look at him again. I can't look at the face which almost murdered me. My fingers tenderly clutch around the door handle as I hear the click of the lock release. I swing open the door and see the see through room in the centre of the room. Then I see him. I see his half cybernetic body with the other half covered in bandages and an levitating IV bag. What happened? I clear my throat and decide to lower the tone of my voice to partially disguise myself. Just act dumb. Act like you don't know anything. "Genji Shimada hmm?" I say and actually manage to pull off a somewhat menacing voice. He looks around for a second expecting to see someone but there's nobody there for him. "Yes…funny…you're the first doctor to be brave enough to talk to me" he comments and I cock my head slightly. Genji betrayed Overwatch at one point killing several people and almost murdering me as a trial to get into Blackwatch which was a evil group of former Overwatch members. I still can't believe he actually did it. "Well, that might be because you killed…what-twelve people? And, critically wounded the main doctor of Overwatch?" I say with a bit of a sting in my voice. I see his meditating body slouch over a bit clutching his knees. "I didn't want to…but I had to" he says with real pain in his voice. I stop for a moment wondering about this answer but I decide to carry on. "Why did you still do it then?" I question and he stares at the ceiling. He wipes his masked face with one metal hand. "It was a task and I also had a fair purpose" he says. I stop pacing around. How do you have a fair reason for murder Genji? "What was that reason?" I say ignoring the whole 'task' part of his previous sentence. He shuffles uncomfortably a bit. "She made me into this" he says and gestures to his body. I feel a knife of guilt drive into my brain. I want to say that I didn't want to that I was just trying to keep him alive but I'll blow my cover then. "I'm sure she didn't-" "I hate my body. I hate her! I can't believe how much she ignored my suffering!" He shouts punching one of the glass walls. I could of sworn I heard the walls crack. "I can tell you're angry at her, she must of been horrible" I manage to squeeze this half lie out of my lips without me breaking my character. He calms down. "So I stabbed her through the chest to make her pay for what she did to me" he says without any regret in his voice. I flinch rather abruptly feeling my throat getting tighter than usual. I don't reply for a while whilst the words bounce around in my head unlocking my deepest feelings. For him. "Listen…you need to calm down Mr Shimada, just relax for a moment" I say and he thinks for a while before sitting down. He wipes his face again and sighs. "Although…a part of me regrets the decision I made" he mutters and I sigh in relief. At least Talon hasn't taken all of his body. "Why do you think that?" I question and he scratches his hair nervously. "I felt bad…I think…I think she appreciated me more than anybody else did. She liked me a lot more than anybody else did. I thought of this after I had done that and…I feel like I've sinned" he finishes. I'm lost for words. I can't decide whether or I should trip him up for his mistake or reveal that I'm still alive. You have sinned you bastard. A fiery voice inside of my head cackles at me and I stand up straight with it controlling my tongue. "So she was fond of you? And you kill her?! Sooner or later Mr Shimada, you need to realise that you can't go round playing with the whole world and care less about singular people! That is the most important thing Genji! You betrayed us and then almost killed that woman who was the only human who wanted to keep you alive!" I begin to lose my voice so I decide to stop and breathe. I can already feel how sore my throat is going to be. My brain slaps me in the face after realising what I just said. "I-…I'm sorry" I apologise almost immediately. Stupid. I was stupid. Luckily, he seems unaffected by my rant and continues to meditate before sitting up with his hands on his knees. "I just don't understand…why would she want to save me? I would rather die" he says with a sting in his words. I turn away from his body and clutch my shoulders. I speak before I can think. "Because heroes never die Genji" I say with my usual warm tone and my soft eyes. I smile remembering the fondness of the times when he still knew I was around with him, out in the fields where he lived. This memory helps me to realise my fatal mistake. Heroes never die. My catchphrase. Dr Ziegler's catchphrase. Not the catchphrase of a normal doctor. Shiße. "Wait…" Genji starts and I snap my body round to him backing away from the glass slightly, seeing his eyes stare intensely at the ground trying to remember. "Doctor Ziegler?" He says and suddenly stands up. He must of heard my footsteps heading towards the door. "Doctor! It is you!" He presses his metallic hand up against this glass. "G-goodbye Genji" I choke on my own words and open the door to leave. "Doctor wait! Please!" He says pounding on the glass. I can't tell if he wants to get out to see me again or he just wants to kill me. As I close the door to lock out the man who I was almost killed by, I hear his faint shout beyond the closed door. I hear him called the name of a doctor who I know very well. She liked him…once. She was a nice person. She made him into the half man, half machine that he is today. Doctor Angela Ziegler of Overwatch also known as 'Mercy'. That woman is me.
