Chapter 12: A Past Life
The loud and sharp bang of a bullet passing through a chamber took me by surprise. The accuracy of the doctor I was training was even more shocking. Angela flashed me a look that said 'Told you I could shoot.' While I was busy wiping the flabbergasted face I adopted away, she reloaded another mag with the skill of a well trained sharpshooter. She placed precision shots in each target, her eyes snapping to her targets. I know I had taught her a little already but she was an even faster learner than I expected.
By the time I had picked up my jaw off the floor, her gun was back on the table, with her hands set neatly beside her waist. Her smile was enough to make me laugh, or at least chuckle at myself for finding that attractive of all things. I guess my obsession with guns stemmed to my heart as well. She stared up at me, resting on the tips of her toes due to the height difference as I towered a good head over her even when she stretched herself out.
"Not too shabby." I grinned, and she scoffed, crossing her arms, clearly not satisfied with the reaction, and I leaned down a bit. "It was good. Not perfect." I added, booping her nose with my index finger, as she scrunched her nose in annoyance. "Well you said you'd show me how to do well, not perfect." She replied, and I shrugged. "True enough." I answered, finding myself drawn to the woman even more since witnessing the spectacle that was that session.
Our mission in Numbani was still a few days away, so we had time to perfect any hesitations or mistakes she made. I had spent hours upon hours of my time to make sure she would be able to handle herself in intense situations. Ana had said I was using that as an excuse to spend time with her, but I ignored the comments, even though a part of me knew that was a bit true. I didn't mind doing all of this, it gave me a chance to unwind after all of my work out sessions, and show Angela a few tricks. She was beginning to remind me of Lena with how quick of a learner she is, having mastered many arts of shooting. The doctor was even beginning to learn new ways to break bones.
I took some time to show her basic hand to hand combat, and she quickly stood a fair chance of kicking my ass. The woman, while petite and not able to take many hits, was agile, and knew her pressure points. I took a certain pride in my work, training her for the biggest mission either of us had faced.
And with the time we spent training, came even more time spent unwinding together, finding ways to relieve stress and keep our spirits high, despite the high chance of death. We had opted out of drinking, much to my dismay, since she said it would dull our senses, and we needed to aware and alert. So I decided against us just talking while we worked on paperwork together, so we came to a compromise. We decided on walking around the base and chatting for a while, and meeting up at certain places to talk.
Not much happened. Just us letting loose and enjoying the time we had before it's too late in case our lives are cut short by a certain violent terrorist. Hand to hand combat wouldn't do us much good against a large metal fist, with a mountain of a man wielding it as well.
Apparently it was a special day here at the Overwatch HQ, allowing agents to invite family members to see them at work. I saw it as a cruel joke, since most of the agents wouldn't come back from our next mission, but I guess the higher ups disagree with me on that. I didn't have any family to come down. Or at least none that I'd want to see. Jesse didn't either. Angela too. And with Genji I would assume that would be horribly awkward. So I sort of tip toed around him, being sure not to set him off. We had a bit of a friendship, but I figured reminding him of his signature nickname I'd slapped onto him wouldn't help with keeping our bond tight. Much less keeping my head on my shoulders. Though I did love calling him "Shim Sham".
Angela and I walked back to her office, passing by a few agents getting ready for all the visitors. The base would soon be even louder than usual with all the wandering bodies and voices. I sighed, not wanting to deal with that now. Not with all the work I had ahead of me. I didn't want my precious hours of sleep to be replaced with greeting unfamiliar faces. Rather antisocial I had to admit, but I had begun to avoid things like this for a while. Wasn't my kind of shin-dig I suppose.
It was late in the evening, and I was off to catch some shut eye after leaving Angela. "So I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, and she nodded. "Yes. Though I might be running a little late. Scheduling this whole event has become quite the hassle, and apparently I'm responsible for making sure this doesn't go badly. I feel like I've become the mom of this organization." She smiled, and I laughed.
'Can I be the dad?' I bit my tongue, offering a much less suggestive comment. "They see you as a role model. Who wouldn't want to have Dr. Ziegler watching over 'em?" I replied, and she giggled. "You apparently, since you don't seem to stay long in the infirmary." I raised an eyebrow. "Oh so you want to look at me in one of those gowns?I mean there are easier ways to see me without pants on."
'What the fuck did you just say you fucking idiot?!' I began to realize the error of my ways for saying that, stumbling over my next words. "F-forget that last part." She smiled, placing a hand on my arm. "I'll see you tomorrow. I expect you'll be wearing pants?" She teased, and I blushed. "Y-yeah."
"Goodnight Nathan."
"G'night Angie."
I slammed my head into the wall as soon as the door closed, never having said something stupider in my life. Why was I such an idiot around her? I hadn't been so nervous around a girl since...
I stopped my train of thought, refusing to think of the girl who came to mind. To a woman I loved. My first love. I had promised never to speak of her again, not after what she did to me. After how much it hurt. After everything. After the life I left behind. My feet began to shuffle away from the hallways, heading down to the barracks, in hopes of finding a way to get rid of the painful thoughts and memories.
A familiar silhouette found me stumbling through the hallway, a cowboy hat placed firmly on their head. I immediately recognized Jesse's sly grin, as he tipped his hat to me. I returned an empty smile, as he didn't notice it. "So partner, have a good time with Angie? You two sure are friendly..." he smirked, and I flinched a bit as he placed a hand on my shoulder, as we walked side by side. Only now was I realizing how familiar this situation was. Angela was just like her...
"Shut up." I snapped to him, and he chuckled. "Yeah yeah. Sure ya ain't doin' nothin' you're not supposed to?" He continued, his relentless talking and mocking irritating me. "It ain't like that." I answered, and he grinned. "'Course. Nate ain't never fell in love before. Reminds me of a certain someone."
I clenched my hands, tempted to punch his smug grin right off his lips. "We're not talking about that. Never again." I growled, and he held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just sayin'. You don't have to hide your feelings. You two are practically married already."
"Now isn't the time Jesse..." I warned. "And when is the time? When you two are both dying in Numbani? When you ain't have a life to live with her anymore? I'm not tellin' ya to break the rules. Just bend 'em." He shrugged, and I shook my head. "It's not that simple! You know it's not! Not after what happened!" I yelled, and he stopped in his tracks, as I continued walking. For a moment there was silence, as I was about to turn a corner.
"Just because that whore Jane treated you like shit don't mean ya can't ever love again!"
The name he said sent me into a fit of rage. Jane. Jane Wilson. I began to remember everything. How we met. All the dates we went on. The drinking. The sex. The love I began to feel for her. How she told me she loved me. How I said the same thing. How stupid I was. If I had just said no thank you...none of it would've happened. I began to storm back to Jesse. He stood tall, but a quick left hook to the cheek sent him into the wall.
He held his cheek in pain, as I glared at him. "We promised to never speak of that woman again! You said I'd be able to leave it all behind! And I did! Now drop it!" I spat with all the venom I could muster, staring my best friend in the eyes. His brows furrowed. "I tried to tell you. But you didn't listen. If ya had listened to me you would've been fine. All the heartbreak would've ended there. But you insisted on proposing to the whore. Ya only listened to me when I said-"
I tackled him to the floor, as he grunted in pain. I began to wail on him, all of my pent up anger and sadness let out in the coming punches. He held his arms up, blocking them, before rolling over, as he was now on top. He gripped me by the collar of my shirt, slamming me into the hard floor below me. My ears began to ring as I felt a sharp pain shoot through my head, and I groaned, feeling another fist strike my jaw.
I lifted my knee, hitting him in the stomach, as he wheezed, the wind knocked out of him. I took the opportunity to flip him off me, as he rolled on the floor. Standing, I wiped the blood from my lip, smearing it on my shirt. Reaching down, I picked up my hat, placing it back on my head. I sniffed, feeling the blood in my nose trickle back down my throat, as the taste of copper coated my tongue. Jesse began to stand back up, spitting the red liquid out of his mouth.
The man didn't falter, as he stood his ground, ready to fight me. "Jesse...I'm sorry." I sighed, and he wiped his nose with his forearm. "Yeah." He responded, and I felt the pang of guilt stab me in the chest. He didn't deserve that. Jane was the one who hurt me, not him. He was right. He was only trying to help.
Jesse took a look at me, and frowned. "I'm gonna go get a drink. Have fun with Angela." He spoke softly, shoving past me. I was tempted to try and stop him, but I let him go. There was nothing I could do. I made a mistake. And now my best friend was walking away. "Fuck me." I muttered, and I began to head back to the barracks. Some sleep would be good. I've had enough of this shit to last a lifetime.
Flashback...
It had been a long day. Possibly the dangerous shit Jesse and I had ever been on. But hey...that's what I signed up for at this shit whole. I took a long sip of my whiskey, hoping it would kill a bit of the pain. I took a few shots in that shootout. Getting shot isn't the bad part. It's getting the fucking bullets out of you that burns like all seven hells. So, burning my throat with a bit of alcohol could sort of even it all out.
The food here at the diner has been especially shitty, but the whiskey wasn't too bad. I made the mistake of ordering a bit of food in my delirious state of mind after stumbling in from the shootout. Tasted as good as I remembered, so I requested a shit ton of drinks to wash the stuff down. Better than going hungry now wasn't it?Well...debatable.
The deal went south fast. Quicker than usual. It was supposed to just be a normal deal, get them the weapons and drugs, get the money, get the hell out. Simple. Turns out one of the boys was a rat for the police. It was a setup. Got Jesse and I shot a few times, and we barely survived long enough for back up to arrive to send the fuckers off. Out by the skin of our teeth again. I tipped my hat down low, the memory bringing back the pain in my shoulder, as I ordered another refill. Good thing the people here didn't request any ID, or else I'd be fucked.
Wasn't the first time I'd been drinking. I was 15 when I started, and here I am 2 years later drinking at the same place, for the same reason. Life has it's ways doesn't it? Well, even if the joint started requiring some identification or proof I was old enough to drink, I looked damn near 20 from all the stress and the stubble I had, and I knew a few guys who could forge some IDs. So I was safe.
Before I could really respond or recognize the situation, a girl had scoped me out, her eyes analyzing every inch of me. Her sharp green eyes never left me, as her lips began to move, and I focused in. "Need a drinking partner?" The brunette asked, placing a hand on her hip, drink in the other hand. I gestured to the seat beside me, and smiled.
Couldn't deny how pretty she was. Looked my age, long brown hair, green eyes as sharp as any blade I could imagine, with petite figure and lush lips. I gulped, a little giddy. "What's a fine lady such as yourself doing around here?" I slurred, and she raised a curious eyebrow. "Looking for a lovely meal at a fine establishment where the workers care about hygiene and safety rules." She joked, and I laughed. "You'll find plenty of that here."
"Yeah. Just looking for some place that sells some booze to delinquents without checking for ID. Makes it easy for me to get a little pick me up."
I grinned. I liked the way she spoke, how honest she was. Smarter than most girls you could find around here. That brain of hers was clearly as sharp as her eyes, as they pierced into mine. I found myself unable to look away from her. I noticed her bite her lip ever so seductively, as I finished my drink. "So...what do you do for a living?" She asked, and I sighed. "You actually care or just being social?" I quipped, and she giggled. "I'll leave that up to you to figure out."
"Well if you need to know... I kill people."
The blunt honesty of the words that came out of my mouth met a cold and hard silence, as she sat quietly, a serious look in her eyes. I returned the same stare. For a moment I expected her to leave it at that, or find some other subject to talk about. But the young girl just stared.
Then her lips curved upwards into an amused grin, as we began to laugh together. I couldn't tell if I was laughing just to get by that awkward moment, laughing just to laugh, or laughing because it was genuinely funny. All three at once I suppose. She seemed to be laughing for the same reasons. Something was special about her. Probably the alcohol.
"So what's your name?" I asked, and she smiled. "Jane." She answered. That was a nice name, rolls off the tongue. "Well Jane," I began, raising my glass in the air. "To killing people and shitty establishments that don't check for IDs!" I cheered, and she raised her glass as well, clinking it against mine, her eyes connecting with mine. "And to making new friends."
I snapped up from bed, the memory of meeting Jane coming back to haunt me. I was breathing heavily, with sweat drenching my forehead. God damnit. If I had just said no...my life would be so much different. And if I listened to Jesse when she...when she...
Growling, I stood up from my bed, placing new clothes on. It wasn't late at night, just barely 10 o'clock. I guess I was even more tired than I originally thought I was. With all of those people out there talking in the hallways, I wondered how I ever got a wink of sleep. Suppose I could go out and talk with Angela, get her mind off of all the work in making sure this didn't go horribly. All those bodies in there, it's gonna suck.
I sucked it up, opening the door, and heading outside, hearing a few others already outside in the halls. I kept my feet moving, hoping it would be easy to find Angela in the sea of people that were here. I was already getting claustrophobic, and when I arrived in what I assumed to be the cafeteria, since it was so full and jumbled up I could barely recognize it, I damn near fainted.
All those families and unfamiliar people...
Pushing past others, I wandered around the large area until I could find the woman I was searching for. Her hair was let down, reaching her shoulders, with her lab coat as white as the lights above us, with her fidgeting with the pen in her fingers, biting her lip in distress. "Angie!" I called out, and she jumped, startled by me. "Mein gott! Nathan! You scared me!" She exclaimed, and I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry darling. Can't really sleep very much, figured I'd see how you were doing." I explained, and Angela smiled. "I'm fine Nathan, thank you. You're too kind."
Shrugging, I gripped her hand in mine. She didn't seem to mind. "Well...what can I say? I like seeing you Doc."
Angela opened her mouth to respond to the comment, but a certain yell caught my attention. Her voice was familiar, with the name catching me as well. "LOGAN!" I turned, finding a short woman rushing towards me. She had a bright smile, with long brown hair, and green eyes. I recognized her immediately, my eyes widening. "Karen?"
"Who?" Angela asked, as I let go of her hand. The woman looked just like her daughter, only a few wrinkles here and there. The way she called out to me. No one had referred to me as Logan in years. Ever since Jane...
My train of thought was interrupted by her hugging me tightly. "Oh Logan...you've gotten bigger. And even more handsome than I remember." She teased, and I frowned, confused as to why she was here. I didn't invite her. "Logan?" Angela muttered, but I didn't have time to explain nor did I want to. "Mother please..." I grinned, as she turned to a puzzled Angela, who looked at me in the eyes. "Oh. And who is this?" Karen asked, and I stumbled, still trying to process the fact that she was here. I hadn't seen her in years. Not since I left Jane.
"This is my good friend, Dr. Angela Ziegler." I introduced her, as Angie plastered on a fake smile and began speaking. "Good to meet you Ms..." she trailed off, as Karen spoke up. "Ms. Wilson. Please, call me Karen."
"Well, it's lovely to meet you Karen." Angela replied, and Karen nodded. She took a long look at me, green eyes reminding me of her daughter. My first love. I shook my head, focusing once more. "Logan, would be so kind as to show me around? Or at least a good place to rest? It's been a long hike from home." Karen spoke softly, and as kind as I remembered. She was a good person, though I had no idea if that was genuine kindness or her hiding the pain of what happened in our past. She probably resents me.
"Of course, Mother." I turned back to Angela. "Who is that?" She asked, and I sighed, realizing this wasn't a dream. My past life is coming back to haunt me once more. I thought I left this all behind. But it's here.
"My mother in law."
What a twist! Bet ya didn't know that about Nathan. A lot of juicy stuff about his past will be revealed, since I feel it was shrouded in a lot of mystery. So I think it'll be cool to show what happened to him, and what his past life was, and why he left it behind, all while juggling his friendships and relationships in Overwatch, and the stress that comes with his future mission. It'll be some interesting next few chapters. Leave a review! I'd love to know what you think!