CH.10: Dire trouble part two
Tracer awoke with a stir and as her eyes flicker open she notices she is in her bed. Sitting up she feels a gentle hand easing her back down and at first she wishes to fight it…till she notices who the hand belongs to. The woman had kind features, caring eyes, blond hair that fell about her…no way…could it be-?
"Mercy…what are you doing in my room?" Tracer pulls the sheets about her and Mercy lets out this melodious laugh.
"Still the same as ever I see, eh Tracer? If you forget I was the one who gave you your physical back when you were just a Cadet. It is good to see though you are taking care of yourself…aside from chasing down blue assassins and inhaling poison that is."
Tracer places her head on her pillow and breathes…finding it somehow easier to breathe than when she had poison in her system; that being said, she was happy to be among the living. "Where have you been?"
"I have been traveling about…been in New Africa, Tunisia, keeping busy. I haven't seen many of those who once were part of Overwatch…kind of sad really. When Winston got in touch with me and filled me in I stopped what I was doing and here I am. I remember during the Omnic Crisis how things were so bad here…now…hard to say."
Tracer knew what she was talking about. Even though it was years later King's Row was still one of the places where people feared Omnics and equality among humans and Omnics was still a struggle. Tracer had nothing against Omnics…in fact during the Omnic Crisis they were part of Null Sector and because of this it sort of gave Omnics a bad name. She looks over noting her Chronal Accelerator sitting at her bedside.
"I hear you have a lady friend now…how come you never told me?" Tracer felt her cheeks darken and she pulls the covers about her more.
"I'm sorry…been trying to figure out things on my end and all. I'm also sorry for not keeping in contact…though, truth be told you were never easy to get a hold of." Tracer and Mercy share a smile. Tracer recalled a time after they had parted ways of trying to get in touch with her…but…she was moving about so much each time she left she made sure to change her contact information to fit the place she was working at. Mercy had always been about the care of others over herself…it was vital in her line of work and given she was a Doctor it only made sense.
Mercy checks her vitals before she makes a few notes on a clipboard she has. Tracer notes she is wearing a blue dress and with the light spilling through the window a certain way it made her seem like an angel. Of course given her wings it fit the bill.
"I want you to take it easy Tracer…even if I managed to remove all the poison from your system you won't be up to full speed, even with your Chronal Accelerator. Our friend Widowmaker won't do anything too drastic…and even if she does she won't kill-."
"Blast…I shouldn't be lying up in bed…I have to save Emily!" Tracer throws off the covers forgetting her lack of state of dress, her hands immediately seek her body hugging outfit and clutches at her chest as she finds it hard to breathe.
"Did you not hear a word I said? Tracer, you need to take it easy, Doctor's orders. Winston can you come in here and help me…my patient is unruly and if this keeps up I will have to sedate her." Tracer hears footsteps and notices the way that Winston fills out through her door.
"Tracer…did you know you are out of peanut butter?" Tracer looks over noting he had peanut butter on his lips. Looking past him she notices that her peanut butter was on the table empty.
"Winston…did you eat all my peanut butter? I swear I need to hide that better. Look, you two, Emily only has so much time…the longer we sit around on our bums the more time Widowmaker has to do things to her…unpleasant things. I am not naïve in thinking she will not lay a hand on her…she hates my guts and that means she hates Emily. I will take it easy…but…if you are so worried about my health…"
"Oh no, I don't do that stuff anymore Tracer. I'm about saving lives…I haven't used my weapon in…ages. However…if you are intent on going out…and my word as a Doctor won't be enough…" Mercy walks past her and returns with a watch.
"What is this?" Tracer examines the watch as Mercy puts it on her. "Do I really need this?"
"This is a special watch…it will react to your body and when it vibrates you need to rest. I know it'll be a pain, no fun, but if you wish to rescue Emily you need to pace yourself. If you ignore the watch…if you blink too much…you will suffer major internal damage. Oh…and no recall…you are not allowed to use that as it will shut you down for good…so…keep safe."
Tracer sighs knowing this will be no fun, but, she also knew safety first. Walking over she hugs Mercy and the two hold a bit before she gives her a smile. Mercy goes to hug Winston as well and their family parts once again. Tracer had missed Mercy…she missed all of them really. Putting on her outfit she takes a breath and makes for the streets.
Emily screams out as she feels the electricity course through her body. Her body bucks about as she sits there in her bra and torn pants. Her nails dig into the arm of the chair and she feels like they had been at this for days instead of…what was it…hours? Her eyes were bloodshot and her figure was marked up by scars that had formed from her knife wounds. Widowmaker turns the juice off of the machine and she smiles.
"I have never seen anyone last as long as you Red. You have suffered knife wounds that would break most any woman or guy…and yet you still hold on. I'm not even trying to extract information…just passing the time…by every right you should be unconscious…though you did nod off a few times-."
"Screw you…I don't care what you do to me…Tracer will come for me…" Emily felt her head lol about, her body ached all over but at this point the tears just wouldn't come. She felt a resilience building in her and Widowmaker seemed unphased by it.
"You are still holding out for that girl…I am certain you are in for disappointment." She walks away from the device that cranked out electricity into her body. Releasing her from her binding she fell the floor and her hands attempt to hold her up.
"I love her…she is coming for me…and you are going to get it…" Emily feels the boot press down on her head keeping her down…yet she refuses to let her get the best of her.
"If she does show…but…without that author…you will die. One shot…one kill…remember that." Emily bites back any retort she has and the heel leaves her head. "Go take a shower…I have some calls to make."
Emily swallows past the lump in her throat and after lying there for a bit…unsure if she will return, she gets up. Aside from electricity, knives, she also was whipped and beaten. She was still dealing with her injuries from the car crash and now this. It was hard to say really what was holding her together, whether her hope for Tracer to show, her love for her, or some message in her head not to quit.
She was losing sight in one of her eyes…possibly due to the light and dark playing in the room. Thankfully though she wasn't going blind…just…her eye was closing and it was hard to keep it up under the intense torture. Stripping off her clothes she steps into the shower and as the water is turned on she breaks down. Holding herself she sinks to the floor as she feels no tears…though the water running down her body is about as close as she can get.
Tracer and Winston head out from her flat as they begin their walk, rather slowly to their destination of Alderworth Hotel…where Mei was currently looking after Jackie. "I really hate walking…how do you stand it Winston?"
Tracer looks over at her good friend and watches him scratch his chin. "I suppose I'm never in a rush to go places. I have preoccupied my time doing research projects and…well…debating about issuing a recall-."
"A Recall…you serious Winston? Aren't we criminals to the world…bringing us back could be serious trouble. Everyone is scattered about living their own lives…free of the turmoil of a world set in their ways…do you believe they can set that aside to let us back in? I'm not dismissing the idea, well, I might be…but…I'd be down for getting back with everyone. I miss it all…and yet…isn't there that act that prohibits us working together again?"
Tracer notes the strain on Winston's features before he relents and heaves a sigh. The two of them stop a little before the Hotel and he adjusts his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know, but the more spread out we become…the more chances it will remain permanent and a crisis can rise and who will save it? The Earth does not have a defense force…and…that would mean hiring mercenaries to do the job…and that would be money that could be used in helping repair buildings, feed the homeless, and even help the Omnics."
Tracer knew he was right but it was pointless arguing. She spots movement nearby and tries to blink but she stumbles. Drat…she knew that feeling from only one person. "Oh alright…you've had your fun…come out Sombra."
"Hola, I see you caught on to me…too bad you have yet to catch me Tracer. Winston, always a pleasure, got any information I can hack?" Stepping out of the shadows was the dark haired woman wearing a skin tight outfit, her smile predatory.
"Ugh…could you have chosen a worse time to show yourself? What is it you want…we are kind of busy with something." Tracer folds her arms and examines the woman who seems bothered little with their pressing matter.
"Oh, I am sure you will make time chica. I know that you are about to take that author who is 'not' in that Hotel to save some girl from a blue skinned assassin with a figure men fantasize about and females want to have. How am I doing so far?"
Tracer and Winston exchange glances and that is all the woman needs to hear. She continues like she did not miss a beat.
"I also know that the Police wish you not to leave King's Row…which last time I checked your destination is outside of King's Row…be a shame if those cameras catch you leaving-."
"I don't have time for this Sombra…my…the girl I love is going to die unless I take her the author!" Tracer is desperate hoping that this might sway her…it did not.
"Love, well, that is a different matter…it means you have to do what I want even more. Oh…and you can bring monkey man here…I'm sure his knowledge of tech will prove worthwhile. If you do this for me…I will blanket the city with enough blind spots that you can sneak a criminal out of the city…if that is what you wanted-."
"Why didn't you open with that?" Tracer says exasperated. Time was wasting and then there was the matter of where this little errand would take place.
"I like to keep people on the edge…makes their reaction that much sweeter. Now, to really sweeten the deal, that abominable woman can take your author to a safe point…and leave her there. You can pick her up after you do my errand…it is that simple."
Tracer hardly agreed there…nothing was simple with this woman. She hacked and thieved and it was hard to tell at times what side she was on. "Alright…what do you want us to do?"
"Oh it is nothing…and you will laugh when I tell you…I need you to break into the Police Department and steal back something that was taken…er…put away for safe keeping…"
Tracer face palms herself and Winston hmphs. The two of them stand there as it begins to set in just how much of a dire problem they had here…and Emily was running out of time.
Authors note: Tracer and Winston are in a jam as they must break into the Police Department…or…sneakily procure the item for which Sombra had taken from her, or, placed away till she needed it. Meanwhile Emily struggles to keep it together and thinks back to the time she came out to her parents.