Sorry about the long wait! Pokemon Go has killed so much of my free time since my husband drags me to spots to catch Pokemon when we're both off so that ate lots of my writing time!
Please enjoy this chapter :) And thank you to all favoriters and followers!
+ daxdax1234: Unintentionally evil! Glad you enjoy
+ BrutusSilentium: And more to come. Honestly these two without banter would be like bacon without bacon
+ hodhod2011danger: :D
+ KeepingThemAtBay: Which way did you think the story would go out of curiosity? :) Just wondering but the trigger phrase is a bit complicated!
+ SpawnOfSatan: I had this almost ready to be uploaded when you posted your interview :p
Remember, I do not own Overwatch, Battlenet, or anything really!
Chapter 9: Dead Useful
The last thing Jack Morrison expected was to be riding in a Tesla Roadster, speeding off towards the west coast of the United States. It was thanks to Reaper's suggestion too that they should bail out of the convention area altogether lest they be apprehended prompted quick action from all three. Reaper and Soldier: 76 were easy to play off as mercenaries in this situation but Sally on the other hand was in a conundrum altogether. She had exposed her powers quite publically at a televised event and it was going to be difficult. "Can I change the music?" Morrison finally asked from the back seat. "I tire of country music."
He did not expect a glare from the gloomy man in the front. "It's annoying enough you intrude," he sneered. "I do agree though a change of music is nice. Nonetheless, if Talon is after us, we need to get away from any city near the convention. Sally, any destination in mind or just driving down this long, empty highway?"
The medic glanced towards both agitated men. "West. Don't know. I expect to find quite a few deserted locations where we can converse safely. And I suppose you wanted music? Let me try one of my programmed stations."
Reaper already braced himself and covered his ears, confusing Soldier: 76 until loud music started blaring from all the car's speakers. "DOES IT RUN IN YOUR BLOOD, TO BETRAY THE ONES YOU LOVE? YES IT RUNS IN YOUR BLOOD, TO BETRAY THE ONES YOU LOVE."
Sally sheepishly turned down the music as she noted the white haired male rubbing his ears. "Sorry." And those fucking lyrics. God damn my music. Does all my musical taste say something about me?
"I can't hear you," he replied a bit too loud. "My visor had an attachment which helped enhance my hearing. It's out of synch right now thanks to the music," he practically shouted to the couple's amusement.
"Jack's getting old," Gabriel stage whispered dramatically as he attempted to put a smile on her gloomy face. Sally gave a slight grimace as she was trying to shake off the headache that the music gave her. "You okay?"
"Yeah... Tired. Glad that Jack at least had the forethought for us to get out of there though before anything else could happen or slow us down. Despite having to deal with Jack being Jack, I prefer another gun near us with us and not against us."
"And loath as I am to admit it, the hick is good at shooting."
"I can hear you two," Jack Morrison growled as he started to tweak with his visor. "And thank you for turning down the music. My ear drums are a little sensitive right now but not bad."
"Sorry again about that," Sally apologized meekly. "I like my music loud. Drowns out the shitty days and clears the mind."
"But why would your mind need cleared? And how is that relaxing?" the white haired commander questioned. "You just barely found out about your... past." He chose his next words carefully, knowing that a certain Gabriel Reyes would not hesitate to shoot him. "What other things could be troubling you?"
"You insensitive fuck," Gabriel hissed but he was stopped by Sally putting a hand on his wrist, stopping him from drawing a shotgun. "Hey! Sally! Eyes on the road."
"No shooting while the vehicle is in motion," she muttered in warning. She swerved around a raccoon on the road, causing both men to move their hands far away from their guns in order to brace themselves.
"Gabe... Did she do that on purpose?" Soldier: 76 whispered quietly.
"Jack, the only reason I can talk without fear is because I won't die from a car crash and I shouldn't be able to vomit despite the amount of motion we're in." He paused and then placed his forehead against the dashboard as a sudden chill crawled up his spine. "On second thought..."
"Not in the car," she groaned as she quickly pulled over. She watched both men leave the car in a hurry and slumped in the driver's seat. Damn it. I thought I was driving carefully.
Both former soldiers had headed to a bush several yards down but made sure they were out of earshot. "Brilliant," Gabriel muttered as he gave a couple raspy coughs for emphasis. "Now we can have a quick talk and she'll drive a little smoother."
Jack mock collapsed onto the ground and smirked. "I may not be a covert ops type of individual but we are soldiers. You think she'll start remembering shit? After that little thing with the song, she had a haunted look. Also, when she swerved..."
"I found that weird too," the mercenary admitted as he reached for a water that had been tossed to them by the concerned medic. "Not to make her sound heartless but she normally just runs over small animals head on. Says it's safer. And I can attest to the fact she usually drives better with more people. Something about being a hero if you go alone but an asshole if you take others with you kind of shit."
"Sounds like her," Jack muttered as he was also tossed a water bottle. "We need to watch her. These recent revelations may not make her a sleeper agent but could unlock troubling things. Any word from Widowmaker?"
Reaper checked his phone and frowned. "Nothing but I'll ask."
Meanwhile, Lúcio was humming happily in his tour bus as he was going over his latest single. The song, other than sounding good because Lúcio did not simply put out a shoddy beat, had the effect of when played on certain amplifiers had a healing effect. He had modified his makeshift weapon to also be able to produce this beat. It had taken much correspondence with the Swiss doctor, Angela Ziegler, to be able to procure some research that would be able to help him as well as converse about anything intricate.
When he noticed his phone go off, he checked it to see it was a video being uploaded to the internet. He frowned when he saw the title. "Doctor Jones: A Human Generator? Stops Bullet!" He watched the footage and his eyes widened so much he thought they would pop out of his skull. The amount of views shocked him and he opened up his email curious to verify that it truly was the same woman. Only months ago he had written to the doctor in an effort to inquire about non-intrusive medical procedures just to get referred to Angela Ziegler. She had been cordial and even offered to forward him any other relevant documents as she acquired them but he had thanked for her the time spent and insisted a reference to the famous Mercy was enough. "Odd."
He had no time to contemplate the matter as the tour bus sputtered to a stop. "We aren't anywhere near our destination..." Lúcio questioned as he headed to the front of the bus. "Hey, what's the hold up?"
"Some engine broke down."
Lúcio looked at his employee with a perplexed expression. "Some engine?"
"I don't know these American machines," the man simply shrugged. "We have the bodyguard's car. We'll go drive to the next town and return with a mechanic."
The musician shrugged in response. "Sounds like a plan. Be safe," he cheerily waved before returning to his phone. "I hope that lady is alright... She seemed nice over the computer. Such a humanitarian."
Widowmaker smirked however as she uploaded the next document over to Reaper. Every entry she cracked would cause her to salivate in anticipation. Learning more about the potential target was so tantalizing that if she was honest with herself, made her wetter than any perfect kill she had accomplished with her rifle. "I wonder what he will think of such a delicious detail. Will he still desire you?"
Reaper's throat was tight as he read the next journal entry. Him and Jack were back in the Tesla, trying to recover and thankfully, Sally was driving with more restraint. "I'll pick up some more medical supplies at the next town. Electricity cannot do much for nausea," she kept apologizing but both men tentatively waved her off.
The document however he discreetly passed to Soldier: 76, knowing the other man would need to see it. "She changed again and was in anguish. I need to escape. We need to escape. She... she is colder as an electric being. She... said she wondered if she would feel anything if she held my beating heart in her jaws. She... asked if she finally would get nourishment from her mother that way. I am a horrible person. All the experiments took a toll on her psyche, that much was evident no matter how well she kept it hidden. When she transformed, she was so angry and enraged I truly feared for my life. She did not physically lash out at me however. Her words had an unearthly hiss as she glared at me, as if she wanted to incinerate my soul. Sally as a human was a timid yet powerful asset to Talon. This... being. Salvation truly."
"Damn it," Soldier: 76 cursed as he slid the phone back to Reaper.
"Another tid bit from your source?" Sally asked harshly as she ran over a chipmunk. Both men winced as they could feel her speed up.
"Your form seems to harness more anger. Your electricity form that is," Reaper trudged on bravely. Like that, her bad mood dissipated and instead was replaced by a thoughtful one. "You apparently went through a lot of pain as a child and were right to put your mother as the cause of it. If you remember your reaction during that song back in your home town..."
"Yes, I remember." She sighed softly and motioned towards a stopped tour bus. "That is a bit odd. Let's go help them."
"Are you serious?" Soldier: 76 scowled. "You can't help every person in your path. You have to think of more than just your desires for one moment."
"Jack, you act like I'm giving whoever is in there my fucking kidney," she snarled. "Let's just check on them. Maybe they need some gas or a jump. Shit happens, okay? Not everything is a Talon incident waiting to happen."
"And you had a failed assassination attempt that you foiled at the expense of ousting yourself to the world. Sally, I don't know what rock you've been under..."
"Oh this is rich from the old man who didn't think anyone would figure out he's Jack fucking Morrison," Reaper could not help but chime in. "The figurehead of a powerful international organization dying was a shock but you became immortalized as a hero. I'm on the side, as if tacked on to be politically correct. It's demeaning how you believe..."
"Gabriel. Jack. Not now," Sally growled as she parked behind the van. "I'm looking into who is in there if there is anyone. Are you two with me?"
Both men groaned. "Like we have a choice. He'd kill me if I tried to restrain you," Soldier: 76 pointed out as Reaper shrugged.
"I'm not going to grasp onto an unwilling person who could turn into a giant electric ball." The other two winced at the unintentionally insensitive assessment as the men grabbed their guns. "But we're being careful about this. You had military training but you weren't on the field."
"He's right," Morrison stated as he dashed past her, standing protectively. "I'll take point. If I see a threat, I can deal with it head on and Gabe can flank. Stay behind me, Sally."
"Alright," she said quietly as she reached for her Desert Eagle. The electricity she generated she began to charge inside the gun, just in case. "Just tell me what to do."
"I wish you didn't park right behind the fucking tour bus," Reaper hissed as he reached for his mask. He knew that Soldier: 76 was doing the same as well to refasten his visor properly. "We're exposed to any snipers."
"We'll just drop her name again and see what happens," the white haired man said quietly as they crept along the bus. His visor was scanning the desert landscape cautiously before he motioned for both to follow him. "It seems clear. We should hurry though. They'll try tracking her car."
"Damn it. Why don't you have multiple license plates?" Reaper hissed in annoyance. "Any good Blackwatch operative..."
"I wasn't in Blackwatch, remember?" Sally reminded the former commander with a groan. "All I was in Overwatch was a damn medic who had contact with primarily underlings. Knowing any of you, even slightly, was coincidence."
"You underestimate yourself," Morrison chipped in. "You still were the second in..."
"Cállate," Reyes barked sharply. Sally looked sheepish while Jack glanced back at them questioningly.
"It means 'shut up'," Sally explained quietly.
"I really should have gathered that from how many times he used to..."
"And both of you cannot understand the English translation either!" Reaper scowled as he looked around. "I'm busting in the door. Cover me."
Sally's face was slightly pink from the admonishment. "It could be unlocked."
The former head of the covert branch was about to scowl at both of them when the door opened. "Did you guys grab the machine part yet? This place is boring! And this dry desert is not good for the skin at all..." A Brazilian youth blinked at the trio with guns. He was not threatened however as he noted they were just as surprised as he was. "You... aren't the roadies."
Soldier: 76 went up to the youth man with his rifle tight in his hands. "Tell me who you are!"
The youth tilted his head and sighed. "Really? Wow man. You must be like... old."
Gabriel snickered despite himself. "That is Lúcio Correia dos Santos. He is on Talon's watch list as he has had a hand in many anti-Vishkar movements."
"He's a famous musician," Sally added as she shook her head at Morrison's lack of knowledge. "Some of his music has been shown to have special properties. He has collaborated with several doctors about this."
"But how do you know that?" the musician asked as his brow furrowed. "I only corresponded with two..." He stared at the woman and then his eyes widened. Part of him wanted to reach for the cell phone at his hip and his fingertips twitched in realization. "Oh... my... god!" A bright smile lit up his face. "Sally Jones! You were the one who recommended me to Angela Ziegler for my audio therapy research!"
The medic smiled and gave a half bow. "It isn't every day I find someone able to recognize me. People are used to reading or listening to my work now."
"Well... You kind of are even more famous now," the DJ began. "Someone at that convention was streaming when you did that shield thing."
"Streaming?" she practically squeaked. Reaper walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Just the simple gesture seemed to calm her down. "What was broadcasted?"
Lúcio winced slightly at the demanding glares from the other two men and the pleading look from the female as he pulled out his phone and replayed the video he was sent. The medic's jaw seemed locked as she watched the short clip. "Well... at least they didn't see the sniper kill himself," Reaper commented lightly as he motioned with his shotguns. "That would have painted you in a negative light."
"That's putting it lightly," Soldier: 76 grunted as he watched the video end. "Luckily, it didn't catch footage of either of us. We can't afford the shit show."
"And I can?" Sally quipped back as she massaged her forehead. "I'm so fucked." It did not help that the video's thumbnail was of her stopping the bullet with an electrical field around her.
"No, you aren't," Lúcio smiled at her winningly. He spun around his phone and gave a thumb's up. "Trust me on this."
"What is he...?" Soldier: 76 growled as he saw the Brazilian enable his selfie camera on his phone.
"Hello, hello everyone!" Both former soldiers winced at how happy and chirpy the DJ was. "Now, I want to address something I've seen on the news channels and on social media. The video on everyone's phone and page right now..." Sally winced as she thought about it. Despite the oddities in their world, enhanced humans were still a rarity. Especially when she was not a cyborg either but rather, something else entirely. "And now, as someone who actually has spoken with and corresponded with Miss Sally Jones in the past, I have one thing to say..." He gave a dramatic pause before clearing his throat seriously. "Please, just leave her alone. She saved many people that day. Who cares if she has sparks out of her fingers? That means she is a hero. A big damn hero. I'm jealous to be fair," he confesses as he glances off screen to look at Sally. The medic gasps slightly at the DJ's words. "The best thing to do is to give her space. Don't attack her for protecting others. We need to embrace her. She is a person. We are people, no? That's it for now! Bye everyone!" he chirped happily before ending the stream and turning to the three former Overwatch members. "Why the serious faces?"
"That was..." Sally began before turning away. She sniffled slightly and wiped her eyes before any tears could fall. "Just... thank you. Thank you so much."
The white haired soldier merely nodded while Reaper hummed slightly. "Muy bien, hijo."
"Ah, Spanish?" Lúcio beamed. "It's similar to Portuguese but there are some terms that translate differently if you've noticed..."
"I know. Speaking of which, where are your security personnel?" the grim man stated as he motioned around with his clawed gloves. "Celebrities don't just sit in the middle of nowhere in their fancy bus."
"Reaper, what are you doing?" Sally asked, carefully making sure to emphasize his code name since she wanted to give Lúcio the benefit of the doubt, he technically was an unknown quantity to Overwatch or Talon.
"He's just doing his job," Soldier: 76 spoke up. "He's good at interrogation and information gathering. Let him do that. We'll scout. Let's go," the gruff soldier motioned. Sally hesitated until Reaper waved her off and even the Brazilian gave a shrug.
"He'll protect you or he dies," Reaper promised before motioning towards the bus with his head. "Let's go, Rana," he intoned towards the musician who groaned.
"I do know some Spanish, you know."
Sally could not help but smile slightly as she followed the grumpy Soldier: 76 around. He was carefully tapping his visor ever so often as he scanned the landscape. "I'm detecting some heat signatures but it is at too far of a distance to tell if it is human or an animal," he muttered. "Would you have any luck?"
She frowned as she looked around. "The air is very dry so that would help me slightly if there were some clouds at least. But not a damn cloud and the whole area is pretty open. I'd have to exert a lot of electricity to try to get a read on this area." She paused before adding. "At least an area big enough to be covered by a sniper rifle. Also... you would likely die from the amount of electricity that would have to pour from me and I probably would as well."
He did not have the heart to tell her that he doubted that very much. "Well... Let's err on the side of caution. I don't fancy one of Gabriel's shotguns pointed at my stomach."
"It wouldn't be like that, Jack." She smiled serenely as she let electricity spark between her fingertips. "It would be both of them." He groaned slightly but before he could retort, she shushed him. "I'm going to try to enhance my vision. It'll hurt like a bitch though so, watch over me?"
"I got your six."
Nodding, she clenched her fist, causing the electricity to disappear. Closing her eyes quickly, she opened them to reveal them a blazing blue. She scanned around and the old soldier noted her eyes appeared to be tearing up but he did not speak for fear of distracting or harming her. She hummed slightly and blinked again. The glow faded and she rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, that definitely hurt. But I'm fine. I see a shadow moving towards us along a road. Maybe a car but it was too far away that I could not see anything." Jack was about to open his mouth but she cut him off. "No I didn't see a license plate."
"Damn. I was hoping..." He started before glancing back at the tour bus. He could faintly, thanks to his visor, see inside where Reaper and Lúcio were conversing next to a window. Rather than being intimidated by the aggressive mercenary, the DJ was relatively at ease and slumped backwards. "Gabriel... He's different now."
"Between the pale skin, ghostly powers and voice modification he likes to fuck around with far too much," Sally drawled in response. "I wouldn't have guessed."
"Very funny," he grunted before looking back at her. "You softened him up."
"He still kills and eats souls. Last I checked, total opposite of soft. Edgy even."
"He is protecting and not killing Overwatch agents," the former commander corrected. At his words however, Sally's brow furrowed deeply. "The last thing I want to do is use you..."
"You're damn good at that, Morrison," she retorted with hurt. "I might not necessarily want to hurt you any longer but that doesn't mean I forgive you. For any of it."
"I'm sorry how I treated you..." he began but she smacked him upside the head.
"Look. I'm not just talking about our..." she paused as she tried to search for a word while he made a vulgar, jerking motion with his hand. "Yes. That. Anyways, it is more than just that. You threw away a friendship that survived the military. That pisses me off. I wish... I wish I had that. A person to rely on back then who would have had my back."
"I wish I didn't throw that away either," he admitted grimly. "He is in such pain. And I caused some of it."
"Yes, you did. But you are helping too," Sally admitted. "Don't think I don't notice the banter. You both miss it."
He did not say anything for a few moments but merely nodded. "He was my best friend."
"He can still be a friend," she pointed out quietly. "Things are different..."
"He's a murderer," Jack pointed out angrily. "He killed so many and..."
"And it was okay when he led Overwatch? It was okay when he was placed in Blackwatch? The ones who decide what is right are the survivors. You murdered too. I..."
"What happened to the good little medic I used to date?" he asked grimly. "You actually killing seems so impossible."
"I saw someone being forcibly resurrected. I saw my relationship crumble before realizing I wasn't in one at all. I was threatened by death only to become the friend of the bearer." She looked at her hands and was not surprised to see electricity gathered in them. "I am Salvation."
"And don't you think you could protect the others? As a medic, aren't you obligated to try to save as many lives as possible?" the former commander pointed out. He saw her jaw tense tightly as her eyes narrowed at him. He knew hitting her at the logical side of her heart would make her have a reaction to his words. "If you save someone before they need it, they won't need to be healed. They won't need Angela to try to intervene."
"What are you saying, Jack?" she hissed. "If you are insinuating I become a honey pot..."
"Wouldn't it be your duty?" he pointed out with a smirk. "And you shouldn't mind. You apparently care about him and that way, you save lives."
"And now you're acting like a shitty friend," she sneered. "Why can't you take at least responsibility for what happened to Gabriel? You could be a decent friend without trying to assign me... You know what? I'm not an Overwatch agent. I'm his friend and apparently a better one than you. Fuck you, Jack."
She did not like the dark look on his face as he leaned close to hiss in her ear. "In case you forgot, you did already. And you enjoyed it."
She burned red and felt electricity gather in her fist but before she could be further provoked, a voice spoke up in their communication devices. "If you're trying to scout and protect the area, maybe movement would be advisable? Just saying since I was the Commander of Overwatch for a bit and wanted to pass down some expertise," Reaper drawled. He smirked as in the distance from the tour bus, he saw the duo finally patrol around the bus before turning his attention back to the DJ. "They need kept in line sometimes. He's a hothead who thinks he knows everything and she has military training but no practical experience."
"They don't sound too...," Lúcio began before Reaper interrupted him.
"And it's awkward because they used to fuck," he said bluntly.
"Oh."
"Exactly." He reached for the liquor that Lúcio had grabbed for the two of them. "But enough about that or I'll need more than this. If your employees are missing, they could be dead."
"That's rather grim," the musician frowned. "Traveling in the States can't be that dangerous."
"This is territory for the Deadlock Gang," the mercenary grunted in annoyance. "I should know. And if the fucking ingrate was here..."
"Pardon?" the Brazilian blinked at the sudden surge of hostility.
"It's a group of bandits and thugs," he summarized bluntly. "And chances are, they eliminated your guards and employees."
"Shit man," Lúcio moaned. "How will I tell their families? When I tried calling earlier and the phone didn't go through, I just assumed dead batteries."
"I'd be more worried about surviving this," Reaper intoned darkly before reaching for the communicator. "Report."
"Sally saw something north of the bus. My visor is picking up some smoke trails. Hard to tell if it is emissions from an automobile or..."
"You two should come back," the mercenary cut in sharply. "We don't have anything against a sniper if they sent another one or Widowmaker against us."
"I blocked a bullet if you remember," Sally retorted in irritation.
"Once. Can you do it again? Multiple times? For all of us at once? And how to strike back?" Reaper would have smirked if it was not her he was admonishing. "Thought so. Hurry up."
Lúcio gave a low whistle at the display. "You sound like a soldier, man."
"Before this," he tapped his mask for emphasis. "Long story. Anyways, you are likely in danger. What I'm curious about is why you're passing through such a dangerous area without a larger entourage."
"Well, there was a reason for that," Lúcio murmured. "My tour manager wanted us to be cautious since some fans have gotten a bit fanatical after what happened in Brazil against Vishkar. She told me to be a bit discreet if possible and take the road less traveled."
"I swear, did people get stupid while I was gone?" Reaper muttered under his breath. "Look. There is a difference between being discreet and just outright throwing caution to the wind. How long did you have this manager for?"
The Brazilian frowned as he tried to think back. "You suspect foul play?" Soldier: 76 muttered as the two others entered the bus.
"Obviously. It's like I've never worked with covert operations before," Reaper drawled. His words extracted a wry smirk from the doctor but she said nothing as she glanced outside warily. "We need a plan. We're in Deadlock Gang territory and from what McCree always bragged about was that they liked having a backup plan for everything."
"I can call him up and have him..." Soldier: 76 began but was cut off by an irate doctor.
"That won't do any good. For all we know, they could have gotten worse since he was recruited into Overwatch," she carefully noted. "Jesse was only recruited because he was noted as the only one with a moral compass. He was their leader because he was the strongest easily. They are not to be underestimated but in comparison, are mere thugs. They are driven by shorter term goals. Now something Lúcio represents must be what they're after. Taking down a revolutionary on that merit alone should not appeal to a Deadlock."
"Money." The single word escaped Lúcio's lips before he could stop it. "That's it, isn't it?"
"Likely," both former Overwatch commanders agreed simultaneously.
"It seems simple but it makes sense," Sally added. "You rapidly rose to fame and all the trappings of wealth. It is hard to resist the temptation to acquire the wealth if you ever were not born into it." She put her hands up as Lúcio seemed to get angry. "I'm not saying you are that way. I'm referring to them. I've seen people try way too hard to get at money in my life. And they will go to drastic lengths to do so. The ransom money they could get for you would be immense."
"Most of my money has been going to charity though," the star admitted but Sally chuckled darkly.
"And what about your rabid fans?" He paled dramatically as it dawned on him. "You've likely had your share of women and men flinging themselves at you but there are those who would pay money to see you safe. And even some would pay as much to make you suffer."
"Vishkar," he hissed coldly. All three were slightly surprised by the sudden rush of fury and bitterness. "What could connect the two? Vishkar does many illegal things but outright associating with a gang..."
"Talon," Reaper chipped in. "They have many fronts and organizations they manipulate like a puppet. You'll find many of the troubles of global importance do have connections with each other more than ever."
"So, we need to kill those thugs and rescue a celebrity?" the gruff white haired soldier glanced outside the windows and activated his visor. "I see them. So far on this side, five."
"Don't treat me like a damsel. I can fight," Lúcio tried to speak up before being sat down by Sally.
"This will be different. Vishkar and you were conflicting in the public eye thanks to everyone streaming. This is opposite. These thugs don't need to play nice or pull punches."
"But I'm far from helpless," he shot back. "Besides, aren't you a medic? Shouldn't you be far away from the action as well?"
"Both of you stay here," Reaper hissed from behind his mask as he rubbed the top of the mask. "The Soldier and I have some medical training but not a lot of it. With you both here, our chances to survive increase."
"But we don't get to help," Sally whined slightly. "Please? Let us at least try to..."
"No. You're sitting your ass down on standby." With a mutinous look, she looked towards Soldier: 76 but he nodded in agreement. "You two don't have the same fighting experience we do."
Both of the supports sighed in protest but the two old friends nodded towards each other. "So... Reaper?"
"Yeah?"
"Like old times."
He chuckled darkly as they both exited the vehicle. Together, they circled the bus to eyeball what they were facing. "So, who takes point?"
"I will," Morrison said gruffly. "You're better at that flanking shit."
"Fancy what happens when you catch them off guard," Reyes quipped with a smirk as he Shadow Stepped behind a few men hiding on a nearby bluff. "Hello there," he hissed as he drew his shotguns.
"Oh shit!" the men shrieked before the shells flew through the air as the mercenary unloaded into each of them.
"Don't have too much fun, Gabe," Morrison smirked as he took out a few on another point with his helix rockets. "Six."
"Amateur. I'm at eleven," Reaper snickered under the mask as he Shadow Stepped again in a cluster of mooks. "Qué putada...," he muttered in contempt before beginning his deadly dance. "Die! Die! DIE!"
"Teleportation is cheap bullshit," the white haired soldier complained. "So you can't complain then."
"Complain about what, farm boy?" Reaper snarked back before seeing the white haired man tap his visor and then he groaned. "Okay then. Use the thing that basically synchronizes with your weapon to ensure a guaranteed shot? Now that is bullshit. I get up close and personal at least when I use my shotguns."
"A weapon that if you're close enough, gets you pretty much a guaranteed kill without any aiming," Morrison fired back as he smacked a thug with his gun before putting a bullet through his skull. "And you have your hyper regeneration crap going on there. Now that is just bending the rules," he groused as he had to place a biotic field when a bullet grazed his leg.
"Blackwatch remember? All about the covert and looking for loopholes," Reaper grinned behind the mask. "But you still came off better than I did from the whole ordeal."
"Oh?" Morrison hummed as he reloaded his weapon. "Other side of the tour bus, Gabe."
"Repositioning," Reyes commented as he Shadow Stepped again. "Thanks, boy scout."
A loud female groan sounded over the communication line. "Are you two going at it, again?"
"If I may say, this could be unresolved sexual tension?" Lúcio chipped in. Sally's groan turned into snickers and dead silence from the two men outside.
"So I wasn't the only one who thought so as well..."
"Sally, we are not having this conversation," Reaper chillingly spoke over the comm line.
"It pains me to say it... but I agree with him," Soldier: 76 choked out as he deactivated the visor. "All clear?"
The sound of the tour bus's door opening made both men scramble back when they saw a thug had pried it open. What they did not expect was the man to be blasted back by Lúcio's weapon then shot in the skull by an electricity infused bullet. Sally cautiously stepped out then beamed at both men but did not expect Reaper to materialize in front of her with concern in his posture. He immediately pulled her to him. "Are you hurt?"
She chuckled before smiling softly at him. "No. You protected me, remember?"
"Good," he murmured as he lifted up his mask slightly to give her a strong kiss before releasing her. "Soldier!" he shouted as he turned away slightly. "Is it clear now?"
"It seems so." The doctor smiled at both men as they examined the corpses, Lúcio trailing slightly behind them perplexed by the sight in front of him. "Maybe we can try to find something out about them.
"Did you drain their souls, again?" Sally quietly asked as she rolled over a body with her foot. The white haired soldier frowned in distaste while Lúcio looked slightly nauseous at the thought. Sure enough, she trailed her fingers down the sagging but empty feeling skin and shook her head slightly before turning towards the slightly sheepish mercenary.
"...Sorry."
She sighed slightly and shrugged her shoulders. "We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise." She motioned her hands towards the bodies before rising and walking past them. "There has to be some corpse that he didn't soul suck."
"Please don't call it that," he groaned as he rubbed the side of his head not covered by his mask.
"What would you call this? Reaping?" she retorted before she saw him awkwardly rub the back of his head with his shotgun. "Oh god. You do. No me jodas."
"Lo siento," he murmured quietly as she started to chuckle slightly. He noticed Lúcio smile softly and even Soldier: 76 smirk. "What are you fuckers looking at?"
"We need to come up with a plan. Sally? Find anything?" Morrison interjected before he could argue with his old friend. "We need to do something about these bodies."
"I could try to burn them," Sally offered as she let electricity spark between her fingertips. "After we identify and get any information from them that is. Even the bodies that are drained still have fingerprints and teeth that could be examined. They still have clothing that we can search." She moved some of the loose flaps of skin on a man's face to extract a tooth quickly before closing his mouth. She noticed Lúcio's jaw tense at the sight. "You don't look too well," she noted. "You should go back in the bus. I know you aren't used to..."
"You guys were right. Vishkar were more politically correct about fighting. There never was anything graphic like this... Even the infamous Symmetra..." he began before frowning. "She never would have tolerated this."
Both of the former commanders perked up. "I've heard of her," Reaper commented quietly. "Works for Vishkar covertly to enforce any loose ends or force through a contract. Heard she caused quite a commotion to get them a contract in Rio de Janeiro." He paused before continuing. "Despite having some ties to Talon, they seem reluctant to involve their agent in any schemes."
"After Brazil, they must be trying to drag themselves back into the public's good graces," Morrison hummed knowingly. "If they had another revolutionary or someone snitch on them because of connections to Talon..." He gave a meaningful look to Sally before glancing at Reaper. The medic was so busy examining another body that she did not think much of his pause while Reaper crossed his arms threateningly at him. "No matter. Lúcio, where is your next destination?"
"Hollywood actually," he hummed slightly in an effort to distract himself from the carnage he was surrounded by. "I hear it is a nice bustling area but still has some anti-Omnic sentiment."
"Very urban but yes. While subdued anyone who loudly speaks against Omnics are not popular. Unfortunately, they are borderline radical," Reaper informed them. "It'll be interesting to go there."
"Oh?" Sally glanced at the mercenary. "Didn't think you'd take an interest in a location."
"Well, it's home. Or was anyway before the military."
"You always have a home. Whether it is there... or with me," she offered quietly. He walked towards her and helped her up from examining another body. "That one over there still looks normal. Can you intentionally try to absorb the soul?"
He glanced towards the DJ who looked sick at the thought and the grim soldier who looked like he wanted to put a bullet in him for trying before glancing back at the focused doctor. "I suppose no harm."
"Alright. Time to find out what makes this... Reaping work." She dragged along the grumpy mercenary to another body and stood him next to it while examining it carefully.
Lúcio glanced at the couple before turning to the soldier next to him. "They're a weird couple."
Soldier: 76 gave a very stiff nod. "I don't even know how it works. She protects him and he protects her but they shouldn't fit together. Yet..."
"Now is a poor time to not soul suck," she groaned as she dragged Reaper to crouch next to her above the body. "How am I going to get results to fix any problems you have if you don't present them to me?"
"Well, when I took their souls earlier," Reaper muttered in utter refusal to call it soul sucking. "I had minor injuries. Nothing worth troubling you over. Just minor scrapes and such. Maybe when I have no physical injuries after a fight, nothing happens?"
"I could fix that," Soldier: 76 chirped in while Reaper shot a rude hand gesture to him in response.
"I don't want you hurt just to test a theory," she murmured quietly after shooting an annoyed look at Morrison. "We'll try another time during the next fight."
"You realize how impractical that is, right?" Reaper pointed out. "I would prefer not to lug around dead bodies and such. But our other two..." He motioned towards the queasy looking celebrity and the not so much pale but now green soldier. "You wouldn't really enjoy the bodies in the hot sun. Just trust me on that. And during an actual battle, I can't just put my hands up and say, 'Can we pause a moment? My doctor needs to test out a theory on how I heal with souls.'"
"Fine, fine. You made your point," she huffed slightly. "I'll give you a papercut or something."
Despite it being covered by the hood and mask, Reaper felt the side of his head twitch slightly. "Papercut? No me jodas," he hissed darkly, repeating her earlier words.
"I'm not fucking around. I don't want to do something and then you can't heal. Damn it. Is it so bad that I don't want you hurt?" she responded in protest as she hugged him tightly. He grunted slightly at the unexpected motion and was pretty stiff before Soldier: 76 rolled his eyes behind the visor and strode over.
"Oh for fucks sake. Here," he muttered as he yanked back Reaper and twisted his arm tight enough to cause a cracking sound that made Lúcio wince. "There. He might even have a few bruises you can test out."
"¡Qué te jodan!" Reaper hissed slightly. "You could have given some warning there. I might be numb to some pain but this is rather uncomfortable."
Sally led him over to the body and watched slightly as sure enough, little orbs slid out of the body towards him. "Clothes off," she muttered as she watched the orbs.
"Wrong time to be turned on, doc," Soldier: 76 growled from the sidelines.
"I have to see how his body reacts or does your visor see through this thick ass jacket and armor? No? Thought so. Clothes now," she turned towards the mercenary who grunted slightly.
"Fine." He quickly shed off his gauntlets and gloves to not tear his clothing and shucked the longcoat. He barely had time to shed the armor when the orbs reached him. They seemed to dance around the injured arm before ascending to the shoulder region. Sally gasped as it sunk into his skin. "What is it?" he pondered as he ignored the orbs dancing around his injury.
"You have absorbed when not injured though, right?"
He paused and thought on it as he turned to watch the last of the orbs sink into his arm as it began to right itself before their eyes. "If hadn't eaten in awhile. Actual food. Not souls. Stop looking at me like I'm a complete monster," he hissed towards Soldier: 76.
"You're as human as I am," Sally told him with conviction but she didn't notice Morrison's uncomfortable shuffling and because of the mask, would not see the guilty expression on Reyes' face. "Your body must use souls like a pick-me-up when you're not injured. Don't you recover naturally?"
"Yes but it takes longer than this. Faster than normal humans," he confirmed before motioning towards his arm. "Are we done? I don't want to burn in this hot sun."
"It would make up for all the times you used to tease me," Soldier: 76 muttered lowly. "You got real pale."
"My body was practically dead and you got even more pale than I am. I'm more... ashen."
"Oh stop trying to be the edgy one." Despite his words, there was a slight smile on his lips as he scanned the perimeter. "I have to admit though. To heal like that is dead useful. I'd be screwed if I ran out of biotic emitters." He motioned towards Sally and Lúcio. "Actually if we ever did combat operations, this would be a nice dream team. Everyone could heal in their own way if I understood how Lúcio's music helps."
"Why would I do combat operations?" Sally questioned with a frown. Reaper picked up on her tone right away as well while he was gathering other bodies.
"You're not dragging her into Overwatch to go on some bullshit mission, are you?" he hissed as he reached for a shotgun. "She's not a soldier like us and you know it. She didn't go through the same training and preparation we did."
"But I could have... for all we know," she said quietly with a sad tone. "Whatever my mother did..." She paused as she looked at Lúcio who had his head tilted towards her in confusion. "Let's not discuss this now. In any case, we have to help Lúcio don't we?"
"We do. And Reaper can look into whatever your mother did. Actually... Her name was Brigitte wasn't it?"
"The German. Reinhardt was accompanied by a woman named that when he was forcibly retired. I believe she had brown hair and freckles," Reaper confirmed. "It is a longshot though. She is younger. Much younger than what Sally's mother would have been anyway. She did have blue eyes like the cyborg but it likely is a name coincidence and nothing more."
"I'll ask him about it," Soldier: 76 persisted.
"You can't just interrogate someone over their name and appearance," Sally groaned as she watched the pile of bodies heap up. "Just drop it."
"If it can help," he insisted but her look darkened.
"Jack. Drop it. We'll find out something else but you're not dragging any innocents into my mother's mess," she swore darkly before holding her hand towards the bodies. "Anyways. I'm going to try something."
"What are you...?" Reaper began before he saw the bolt of electricity arc out and swarm the bodies. Sparks seemed to fly between them before it caught aflame. "Ah. Disposal. We could have gone about it a different way."
"Had to test it out," she said somewhat sheepishly as the bodies began to char. "Now what?"
"We should stop here or at least nearby for now and rest a bit. At night, we can move," Soldier: 76 declared.
"Sally? Can you cover an open area with your electricity to detect movement?" Reaper inquired and she gave a half shrug. "Maybe there is a nearby cave we could park the vehicles in and you could shield there?"
"Yeah. That would work. I think we saw something earlier."
"Yeah. Should fit the bus and the car," Soldier: 76 confirmed. "So Lúcio, I hope you know how to drive the bus."
"I do," Sally volunteered but both former soldiers shook their heads adamantly. "Fine then."
"You'll ride inside the bus until we get to the cave. But you're not driving. Lúcio, knock her out if you must. She must not touch the steering wheel," Reaper stated darkly.
"Then that means only you will drive my car," she retorted back. "I don't trust Morrison with my vehicle."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he muttered in annoyance.
"She's picky about who touches the Tesla," Reaper clarified. "And it's better that way and just suck it up. I drive better than her."
"Thank god something went right," the white haired vigilante muttered under his breath. "Reaper, did you take stock of the tour bus?"
"Yes. There is space for us to rest but we shouldn't be alone in case one gets assassinated."
"So we got to pair up?" Lúcio clarified. The other two men nodded. "And I know it seems you like two want to protect me and Miss Sally Jones but... don't pair us together please." At Soldier: 76's raised eyebrow, he clarified. "I'm not stupid enough to sleep with or next to another man's woman."
"You'll be with Soldier: 76," Reaper confirmed as he reached out for the keys to drive the Tesla.
"It's all good," Lúcio chirped. "I'm a bit of a cuddler but I can give you space," the Brazilian teased, causing the doctor to laugh. "Unless you want that," he winked at the elder soldier, causing him to flush slightly.
"Let's just get moving," he muttered under his breath at the laughing couple and smirking DJ. Damn youngsters.
