Angela crept through moonlit shadow. Down a hallway. Through a security door. And into the belly of the safe house.
Overwatch had fled to their safe house in the suburbs of Paris, France. And it really was a house. It was a quaint, old-fashioned brick affair with a garden bounded by a little picket fence. The scene would've been idyllic, were it not for their situation.
The dead quiet of 2am oppressed the house. Everyone was silent and sleeping, except for Brigitte, who was manning the control room in the top floor. Angela was glad the rookie was the one on watch right now. She didn't know how the systems worked yet, and Athena was more than happy to comply with Angela's request to keep her visit to the prison cells a secret.
So Angela crept into the prison area in the basement of the house. There were three cells all next to each other, each with their own toilet, bed, and a distinct lack of windows. Each was barred shut by an electrophysical wall that crackled silently with blue energy. Another one of Winston's designs. One could see, communicate, and even pass through the barrier - but only if they were authorised. A prisoner like Widowmaker would simply be zapped and thrown backwards. The assassin had found that out the hard way when she first arrived.
Once the security door slid shut behind her, Angela breathed a sigh of relief. She had made it in without Ana knowing. Of course the captain would be furious when morning came around. Angela had no clearance to interrogate the prisoner without the captain. Further, Ana had explicitly ordered Angela not to speak to Widowmaker. She had a personal stake in this. She had a weakness that Widowmaker could exploit and undermine the whole process.
But Angela wouldn't be going in unprepared. In her Valkyrie flight suit and armed with her staff and blaster, she would be more than capable of handling anything Widowmaker threw at her. It was flagrantly against protocol to do what Angela was about to do, never mind that she was disobeying Ana's orders to stay away from the assassin, but…
Who was counting? They were all outlaws anyway, decreed by the United Nations no less. This was anyone's game now.
And Angela would make it hers.
Angela, the angel of mercy, stood before Widowmaker, glaring hard. Widowmaker sat on the floor of the cell, back against the wall, eyes closed and breathing deeply. All her limbs were cuffed and chained to the wall. Angela tapped her staff on the ground. Widowmaker opened her eyes, otherwise unmoving.
"Ahh, Dr Ziegler. How is Genji these days?" said Widowmaker in a soft, silken purr.
Angela frowned. "I wouldn't know. You saw him last. Maybe you should tell me."
Widowmaker chuckled, looking away coyly. "Oh, you wouldn't, cherie. You're too precious for that."
Angela strode into the cell and jabbed her staff into Widowmaker's neck, pressing her against the wall. Widowmaker's eyes went wide.
Angela snarled down at the assassin. "Tell me. Tell me now."
Widowmaker's breathing wheezed against the pressure on her windpipe. Still, she grinned. "He's not doing too well," she rasped.
"So he's alive, then. Where is he?"
Widowmaker remained silent, smirking at Angela. Angela's blood boiled. With a flare of rage, she drew back her staff and slammed it against Widowmaker's face, marring it with blood and bruising.
But Widowmaker merely chuckled. "You think pain will make me talk?" she said. "You do not know pain like I do, cherie. You'll have to do something even I can't imagine."
Angela narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?" Her voice was calm. Oddly level, given the flaring of her nostrils and the wild fury burning in her heart. "You aren't afraid of me I take it."
"Correct."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Of course I do. You're Dr Angela Ziegler, aka Mercy. You got your MD at age 17, and your PhD at age 20. Your prodigal intellect caught Overwatch's eye. You were reluctant at first, but you came into their fold as the head of their medical division."
Angela nodded. "Correct so far, but I would have thought Talon's top assassin would know more."
"Hmm? Of course I know more. I know you possess knowledge and technology that countries all over the world would kill for. That Talon would kill for."
"Yes. I can heal things modern medicine can only dream of. But I can do more than that."
Widowmaker raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Do tell, cherie."
Angela smiled a cold smile, her blue eyes frosty. "I can control life and death itself."
Widowmaker snorted, then burst out laughing. "So can I! I kill people for a living. With the twitch of a finger I decide who lives and dies."
Malice bled into Angela's smile. "Oh no," she growled. "Not like I can."
She raised her blaster to Widowmaker's forehead. The assassin's eyes widened. "You won't."
"You have taken someone I love. Nothing is going to stop me from taking him back."
Then Angela fired.
The golden blast knocked Widowmaker's head against the cell wall. Blood erupted from her forehead. It sprayed on Angela's Valkyrie flight suit and dribbled down Widowmaker's face. The assassin's face was still plastered with surprise, her eyes vacant and empty.
Angela struggled to control her breathing. Her chest was heaving. What had she just done? What would Genji think of her if he knew?
She shook her head and squared her shoulders. It would never matter if she didn't get him back. She had to do whatever it took. Angela levelled her staff at Widowmaker's face and activated it. Golden light emitted from its end and suffused Widowmaker's head. It healed the wound, and with a sudden jolt Widowmaker jerked back to life, gasping for air.
"What…what just happened?" Widowmaker demanded, eyes wild. "What did you do?"
"I killed you, and then un-killed you." Angela knelt before Widowmaker so that their eyes were level. "Do you understand now? There will be no escape, no end to your pain. You don't even get to die unless I permit it. I can hurt you however I want, inflict as much excruciating, mutilating agony as I want, and there is nothing you can do. You are mine now. Forever."
Angela unstrapped a pouch from her belt and lay it open on the ground. In it were dissection tools. Scalpel blades, forceps, dissecting scissors, a bonesaw - everything she would need.
"I'm curious to see how Talon has enhanced you. Let's find out together." Angela unwrapped one of the scalpel blades and attached it to the handle. "First, I'm going to see what they did to your heart." She placed the tip of the scalpel against Widowmaker's skin.
The assassin glared back at Angela, her gold eyes hard. "Do it," she spat.
"But of course," Angela said brightly. She made her first incision and yanked the skin open roughly, revealing Widowmaker's sternum.
Widowmaker hissed, and then let out an involuntary grunt of pain. Her teeth were clenched, and she was sweating. But she still glared at Angela.
Angela grinned. "It's time for the bone-saw! Let's see what's beneath that ribcage."
The door to the basement burst open. Angela jumped and sprung to her feet, dropping the bone-saw. It was Ana, and she looked furious. She strode into the cell and dragged Angela out by the arm.
"What is this? What are you doing?" she hissed at Angela.
"I-I-I was just…we need intel, and I-I- "
"And you thought it appropriate to disobey a direct order to stay away from the assassin? You are too close to this!"
"I-I'm sorry, Ana."
Ana released Angela's arm. "Salute your Captain."
Angela stood at attention and snapped a salute. "Y-Yes, Captain. I'm sorry, Captain."
"I do not tolerate insubordination, and your methods are barbaric. I am thoroughly disappointed in you, Ziegler. Genji would be thoroughly disappointed. Now get out. We will talk about this later."
"Yes, Captain." Angela turned heel and hurried out of the basement, her face bright red.