Author's note:
Happy much belated New Year everyone! Terribly sorry this chapter took so long to get out (a month, yikes!) but between overseas family visiting and Christmas I had next to no time to write!
Thank you to ShiftFrame for another review! No ending, no prank, just a chilling vision of things that could have come, but thankfully didn't!
Thank you to Vedahzii for another review! I hope you enjoyed the ride ;]
Anyway, I'm not prolonging this any more, here is the chapter for you. Hopefully you'll enjoy!
Villen woke up suddenly, his eyes desperately trying to get a read on the room, and his body, despite his efforts, still refusing to cooperate. He tried to rise again, the only thing he managed to accomplish being his robotic arm embedding itself slightly deeper into the mattress. His mind started to catch up. He was in the Watchpoint's medbay, but what about…
Angela, who noticed the commotion, quickly walked up to the knight's bed. "Villen, what's wrong?" She asked, worry clear in her voice.
Villen's eyes immediately darted to her. She noticed a flash of panic in them, quickly replaced by recognition. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong." He smiled. "I just… needed confirmation, on what was and was not a dream."
Angela looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"It does not matter now." He sighed again, relaxing visibly. "All is, as it should be."
Mercy sighed as well, pretty much used to the knight keeping his secrets. Ordinarily she would have complained, tried to get some more information, but given Villen's state, and the fact that she was usually getting more out of him than most, she decided to leave it alone. She moved to the monitor showing the knight's vitals. "How are you feeling?"
"Well." He answered, his eyes not leaving her for a moment.
"Mhm." She responded, unconvinced. "I'm aware of your extraordinary healing ability, Villen, but I somehow doubt it."
The knight let out a low chuckle, followed by a couple of coughs. "I do feel better than yesterday."
"That is still a far cry from well, isn't it?" She turned to him, a warm smile on her face.
"I suppose." He answered. "However, I cannot help but to feel… well when you are around, Lady Angela."
Mercy turned her head away, back towards the monitor, in an attempt to hide her blush. "Flattery will not get you an early release, Villen."
"Is it flattery, if it is true?" The knight inquired, fighting off his own blush.
"I suppose, technically, it isn't." She couldn't hold back a smile that insisted on creeping onto her face.
"Good." He responded, pausing for a second to think. "How long was I out?"
Angela thought for a second, tapping the side of her chin with her finger. "Just over a month. And I'd probably keep you in here for another, but I feel like that will be difficult." Her smile widened slightly.
"If you mean keeping me stuck in the bed, then yes, I would say it is somewhat excessive, since my regeneration will accelerate exponentially, as my nanites regain their numbers." He spoke slowly, speaking still causing him some pain.
"Oh?" She asked, her expression turning a bit more smug. "What else could I have meant?"
"Well, one can hope that, you could mean keeping me by your side. And that would not be particularly hard." Villen answered confidently, his chuckle at Angela's cheek turning a slightly darker shade of red turning into several light coughs.
"Oh..." She stammered out, suddenly finding something very interesting to look at on a monitor across the room.
Villen calmed his coughs, and settled more comfortably into the bed, trying to move his gaze up to the ceiling, but it almost immediately drifted back to the doctor. He watched her for a moment, and started noticing the signs of fatigue that somehow managed to escape his attention before. Her more sluggish than usual movements. Slumped shoulders. "Lady Angela." He said, and the woman turned, her eyes also showing signs of tiredness, despite the bright spirit and happiness also very much present in them. Villen extended his right arm towards her, palm up, and made a slow grabbing motion. Angela smiled and walked over, putting her hand in his. "You should rest."
Mercy laughed. "I should be the one telling you that."
"I have slept for over a month. If anyone here needs rest it is you." He responded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I am not going anywhere." He chuckled, managing to stop himself from coughing this time, and gestured with his head to his still mostly immobile body.
Angela's smile faded as she turned her head, her gaze trailing along his body and down to his legs. "I'm not sure. I shouldn't…" She paused, feeling another gentle squeeze of her hand, she turned her worried eyes back towards the knight's face, finding a reassuring smile on his lips.
"I will be fine, and you look exhausted. There is no reason for you to overwork yourself, Lady Angela. So go rest. Doctor's orders." He winked, and Angela couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, fine." She rolled her eyes, and sighed in mock defeat. "But don't get used to this 'Doctor's orders' thing working." She pointed a finger at him accusingly, and smiled widely.
Villen returned the smile. "I will try not to." When Angela got up from her chair, he cherished the last moments of holding her hand. This seemingly simple gesture, brought him a surprising amount of comfort, an interesting fact that he planned to think on later. He slowly released her hand, returning to reality from his momentary lapse in focus. "Sleep well, Lady Angela."
"Thank you, Villen." She seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking into his eyes. Then she leaned in and placed a soft, quick kiss on his cheek, before turning away and moving towards the door. "Try to rest as well." She shot back at him, turning towards him briefly at the door, before leaving the medbay.
Villen let himself sink into the pillow, closing his eyes and letting out a satisfied sigh. Despite everything that happened, and the fact that usually he would have worried and thought of state of the world at this point, there was only one person that occupied his mind. And he was happy.
His happiness didn't carry over into the realm of dreams, however, as he woke up in cold sweat not long after, feelings of panic lingering as his mind reentered the waking world. In the nightmare he relieved Angela getting shot, the fear in her eyes, the blood on her suit, the panic that threatened to overwhelm him, as she kept fading, almost dying as he knelt beside her.
He groaned, and rubbed his eyes with his robotic fingers, running his palm down over his beard. "Vea, what happened to nightmare control." He said weakly, his attempts at moving anything but his right arm failing miserably.
"Sorry, Sir. The nanites are still too few for comfort upgrades to kick in, especially since a lot is dedicated to allowing you to speak clearly. I know that is always your top priority. So, unfortunately, only essentials for now." The AI responded, her voice carrying a hint of worry.
"I see. Just make sure it gets priority, when there is enough. I have a feeling it is going to be a rough couple of weeks..." Villen responded, relaxing his neck and sinking back into the pillow.
"Of course, Sir."
A short time later, the sound of the medbay doors sliding open threw Villen out of his thoughts. "Villen." A loud whisper, that the knight almost immediately attributed to Tracer came from the door. "Are you asleep?"
"No, Lena." Villen answered, smiling. "Come on in."
A blue flash and a whoosh later, the Brit was standing right next to his bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I have been better. But I am recovering, thank you for asking." Villen turned his head slightly, to face her, and lifted up his hand, giving her a thumbs up.
"That's great, love. You've given us all quite a scare, you know." Lena was animated as ever, and wearing her signature grin.
"My apologies." Villen smiled at her.
"Apology accepted!" The woman grinned wider. "Hey, I've been wondering. You've been out cold for some time. Want me to catch you up?"
"Sure, I believe that would be useful." Villen answered, and Lena almost jumped from excitement.
She jumped into the chair by his bed, and settled herself comfortably, although Villen had a feeling she wouldn't really be staying in it for long. "Alrighty then! I suppose I should start from… well the start!" She giggled. "We got to you and Ang, and packed you both into that sweet aircraft of yours. And then your reinforcements showed up! It was pretty much clean up from there! We just steamrolled through the city, right to the black site's doorstep. Turns out, Talon didn't even get inside yet! Can you imagine that?" Throughout her retelling she was accentuating her words with wild gestures. She giggled again. "I mean, it took us a pretty long time to get in, too. Turns out there was some pretty good security in that place. It took Forge, with assistance of Winston and Athena like a good…" She looked up, and tapped the side of her chin. "Six hours maybe to crack the password. It was sooo boring." She ran her hands down her face, stretching her skin a bit as she did. Villen chuckled at her antics, and she responded with a wide grin. "What? It was!" She giggled. "Anyways, in the meanwhile we were sweating our butts off, holding off Talon's counterattacks. They must have really wanted the stuff inside! Anyways, we drove them off and bish bash bosh, got inside, and found some really cool stuff!" She giggled again. "Well, at least as far as I understand. If you want details, you need to talk to someone who understands all that technical shizzle wizzle." She gave him a large grin.
Villen responded with a chuckle of his own. "I will keep that in mind, thank you Lena."
"No problem, love." She answered, cheerily. "Oh, and just wish you could have seen Angela after she got better! As far as I know Ember struggled to keep her from worki-" She paused, her head snapping towards the medbay doors that just opened.
In the doorframe stood the bulky, furry shape of a certain scientist. Winston adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "May I come in?"
"Of course, commander. It is your base." Villen answered, smiling at the gorilla.
Tracer jumped to her feet. "And I've basically finished catching good old Villy here, on what he missed." She paused for a second, recognising the guilty look on the scientist' face. She rocked back and forward on her feet, throwing a quick glance at the medbay clock. "Oh boy and would you look at the time, I'll miss my training session! So have a good chat, loves, I'm off!" And with that she blinked past Winston and into the corridor.
Winston huffed, as he made his way towards the knight's bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Perhaps I should ask you that same question, Winston." Villen answered, fixing the scientist with a stare. "You seem troubled."
"Troubled?" Winston waved him off. "What gives you that idea?"
"I may not know you that well, but Lena is not known for her subtlety. She clearly excused herself to give you an opportunity to talk to me alone." His eyes were following the gorilla as he moved around the room, having not stopped at the knight's bed. "Not to mention you are pacing. A sure sign of a troubled mind." He chuckled as Winston stopped dead in his tracks, realizing he was indeed pacing around the room. "What is on your mind?"
Winston looked at him for a moment, before heaving a sigh and rubbing a bridge of his nose. "I, uh, wanted to apologise…"
"Apologise?" Villen gave him a look of confusion. "I do not recall anything you would have to apologise for."
"Well, I authorized the mission, and both you and Angela nearly died. Thankfully you survived, but if that wasn't…" Villen could see the guilt on the scientist's face, as well as clearly hear it in his voice. Winston was rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke, struggling to keep eye contact with the knight.
"Let me stop you right there, Winston." Villen stated, calmly, yet firmly, causing the gorilla to fall silent steady his eyes on him. "You do not have much experience with command, do you?"
Winston's shoulders visibly slumped as he exhaled another sigh. "No. It has been some time since I was basically given command of this reforming Overwatch, but…" He shook his head. "I'm still completely overwhelmed."
"I think you have done an excellent job." Villen replied, reassuringly. "And trust me, it does get easier. You also have the benefit of getting help from your friends, although having to command them, brings you a whole another level of challenge."
"Indeed." Winston climbed into the chair, and it creaked slightly under his weight. He rubbed his eyes, his fingers raising his glasses slightly. "It was easier until now, since it was going so well… But now I fully realised the danger. How do I keep sending my friends to their potential deaths?"
"It comes with the job, I am sorry to say." Villen smiled at him. "Since I doubt you would wish to distance yourself from them, you will have to learn to deal with it. To not see them as friends when you give orders, but as soldiers. I will not say it will be easy, because that would be a lie. But I believe you will manage, Winston." Villen kept his voice calm and steady as he spoke, ignoring the pain that laced every word.
A sigh of resignation escaped the gorilla's lips, and he lowered his head. "At least one of us does, then."
"Do not judge yourself too harshly. You are running an illegal, underfunded and undermanned operation, and still manage to make a difference. You have shown that you understand what it means to be a leader, that you are able to take advice from others, to rely on their skill to supplement your own. You have changed the command structure significantly from the original, allowing much more input from your fellow agents. That has its benefits, but comes with dangers as well. You still need to make decisions, not allow differing opinions to diminish your effectiveness." Villen took a couple of deep breaths, and coughed, fighting the pain rising in his chest, clearing his throat that also started to become sore. "But most importantly you must not let your feelings for your friends blind you to opportunities. It might seem heartless, but you will have to risk their lives, and probably see them get hurt for it."
"Is there even a way to do what you speak of?" Winston huffed, his voice filled with resignation.
"Yes. Maybe not completely, but enough. You will still be biased, much more so than if you didn't know the names of people you were sending on missions. But yes, it is possible. Make use of the support your friends are giving you. And if you need advice, feel free to talk to me. I have gone through this myself." Villen offered the scientist a warm smile.
"Oh, you did?" The scientist asked, curious about the still very much mysterious man's past.
"Indeed." Villen took a deep breath. "When I was younger, I thought it prudent to know everyone that served under me. And so I do. Some of them I got to know very well, well enough to call them friends. It made it difficult at first, to deploy them anywhere. But I managed to forge it into an advantage. I know what they are capable of, I know they are loyal, and I know that I can rely on them to get the job done. This is what you must strive for." He coughed, and the pain in his chest spiked, making itself almost unbearable. He grunted in pain.
"Perhaps I should leave you to rest." Winston said, his voice filling with concern. "I shall think on what you've told me." He rested his big hand on Villen's shoulder for a moment. "I hope you make a swift recovery, friend."
"Only a matter of time." Villen smiled, fighting through the pain again.
Winston returned the smile. "I'll see you soon, then." After receiving a nod from the knight, the scientist turned around, and moved out of the medbay.
As Villen watched him leave, he started to realize how much strain those conversations put on him. He felt his eyelids grow heavier, and soon after the door closed behind the gorilla, a wave of exhaustion washed over him, taking him back into the unconscious realm.
Villen stirred awake the next day, thankful for a dreamless sleep. He let out a long sigh of relief, which caught Angela's attention. She moved towards his bed, stopping by a monitor to check his vitals. "How are you feeling?" She asked, offering him a warm smile.
Villen turned his head towards her, and return a smile. "Better now."
Angela rolled her eyes. "I'm serious." She said, but her smile has not left her, and her cheeks turned just a tint more red.
"So am I." Villen chuckled, his eyes not leaving Angela's face for a moment. "I could use some water, I suppose."
Mercy nodded, raising the upper part of the medical bed, so that Villen's body was more upright, before grabbing an empty glass from a small table next to the bed, and moving to fill it up. When she came back, Villen extended his robotic arm, and she passed it to him gently, brushing her fingers past his robotic digits.
Villen carefully moved the glass to his lips, tilting it and gulping down the liquid. He closed his eyes for a moment after finishing the drink, breathing a few deep breaths. Reopening his eyes, he looked over at his left arm, focusing on it. His fingers twitched as he strained for a moment, causing a small smile to appear on his face. He turned back to Angela, passing the empty glass back to her. "Seems the feeling in my limbs is starting to return. I will be out of the bed in no time."
Angela took the glass, moving to refill it. "Not until I'm sure you've recovered." She returned with the drink, setting it down on the bedside table.
Villen's smile turned smug. "Lady Angela, you could just admit you would prefer me to stay."
Mercy returned a similar smirk. "If by that you mean, I'd rather not have to drag you back here after you inevitable collapse after leaving too soon… Then yes, I admit."
Villen gasped in mock offense, his robotic arm darting over to his heart. "You wound me, Lady Angela. I would have dragged myself in."
"Mhmm, I'm sure." She gave him a condescending look. "It's more likely you would be trying to get away, as you were being taken back here."
"Away from you? Never." Villen answered in a serious tone, but his smile returned a moment later, even wider than before.
Angela smiled as well. "Good. Makes it easier to treat you properly."
Before Villen had a chance to retort, the medbay doors slid open again, catching their attention and revealing a familiar figure. "My Lord." He bowed. "Am I interrupting?"
Villen glanced at Angela before motioning him in. "No, Henry, come in. I wished to speak with you anyway.
"I'll leave you two to it." Angela said, with a smile, and started moving away.
"You, can stay, Lady Angela." Villen said, his attention turning back to the woman.
Mercy shook her head. "Thank you, but I really should get back to work." She smiled, before excusing herself.
Meanwhile Henry made his way to the bed, and Villen motioned for him to sit down in the chair next to it. "Good to see you're feeling better, my Lord."
"As well as might be expected, my friend." Villen responded, turning back to him, after watching Angela disappear behind the lab doors. "It is good that you are here. I wanted to hear your report."
"I thought as much, sir." Henry nodded, settling in the chair. "The technology we found in the blacksite is quite remarkable. Incredibly high sensitivity sensors of various kinds, as well as some anti-scrambling technology that could prove useful. I have already sent a copy of the schematics to our science teams, to figure out how to implement them into our designs."
"Have a copy sent to me as well, I want to look them over." Villen said, before pausing for a few moments. "But more importantly, what are our casualties?"
Henry shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure this can't wait until you feel better, my Lord?"
"I am sure." Villen responded decisively.
"Fifteen dead. Seventy-three wounded. Thirteen of those critically, but they are stable by now." Henry said heavily, noticing the darkening mood it put Villen in. "Considering the amount of resistance, and enemy casualties, we have been very lucky."
Villen let out a heavy sigh. "Who died… and how?"
"Nills, Vlach, Orosz and Heino died when their squad were securing a flank, and they encountered an overwhelming enemy force. They managed to hold the enemy until reinforcements arrived, but by that time only Peim and Demets survived. Still, it saved a lot of others." He took a deep breath. "Nowak, Cancilla, de Soto, Stevens, Cazal and Haik were all picked off by sniper fire. Aavik, Sowa, Lindelöf and Munz bled out from the injuries sustained in holding our position at the blacksite."
There was an audible pause, as Villen processed the information. "What about the fifteenth one?"
Henry exhaled, bracing himself before speaking again. "Hart, sir. She took a shot meant for Van Doorn."
Villen seemed to sink lower into the bed, letting his head drops and bringing up his robotic arm to rub his temples. "Zaraza." He cursed. "Jane was an excellent soldier. I was about to promote her…" He heaved a heavy sigh, before looking back up at Henry. "Bring me parchment, and a writing desk. You will take the condolence letter back with you."
"Of course, my Lord." Henry bowed his head.
"Another thing. I was told I have been out for over a month. What day is it today?" Villen responded, his voice still incredibly serious, the information he just recieved still weighing heavily on his mind.
"It's the 23rd of September, Sir." Henry replied calmly.
Villen breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I have not missed it."
Henry cleared his throat. "Should I move the ceremony? It is only ten days, and given your condition…"
"No." Villen interrupted him, firmly. "There is no chance I will miss it, even if I have to crawl my way there. Make the usual preparations."
"As you wish, My Lord." Henry responded, knowing that arguing about it had little sense. "Is there anything else?"
Villen paused, looking at the man sitting next to him for a few moments. "No, I think that will be all. Thank you for coming personally, Henry. It means a lot." He gave him a small smile.
"I only wish I had better news, my Lord." Henry said, getting up from his chair. "I shall leave you to rest for now, sir. I'll send someone with the parchment. Do not hesitate to call on me, should you need anything."
"Of course." Villen chuckled. "And you feel free to visit."
Henry returned the smile before bowing. "It will be my pleasure." With that, he excused himself and left the room, leaving Villen alone with his thoughts again.