*Gibraltar: Meeting Room*
"As a reminder, the only active agents who will remain on the base are myself, Genji, Angela, Winston, and Mei" Morrison added after the hour-long briefing.
Everyone nodded in acknowledgement, relieved that it is over. Poring through so much details so close to the holidays has always been an exhausting activity.
"I would like to request not to be put into combat duties" Mei said timidly.
"No, I need everyone here to be available in case something happens, especially after what happened at Volskaya"
Mei looked downcast and Winston gave Morrison a look.
"But... As you are in our science division, we will call upon you when no one else is available as Genji requested that you remain in the labs to finish the project he has set for you" he added quickly in the end, cheering her up in the process.
"Any other questions?"
Everyone shook their heads, eager to leave.
"Very well, Lieutenant Oxton and Corporal Zero, stay back. The rest of you are dismissed"
They waited until everyone left the room before he shut the door.
"Right, to business then... Lena, I have granted your request to have Quillion to be your bodyguard" he said.
"Yay! Looks like you're coming with me luv!" she said happily, causing him to blush slightly. At least he hope is slightly.
"Is there anything I need to know sir?" Quillion asked.
"You will be given our standard equipment for bodyguard duties and here is the file, look through it now and let us know if you have any questions"
The file contains codewords, procedures and the mission objective.
"All pretty standard" he thought to himself.
Then he saw that the number of people he is protecting is two instead of one.
"I think this is a mistake? This should be one instead of two"
Morrison shook his head.
"No, you are assigned to protect two people, one is Lena and the other is Emily"
"Ok, who is Emily? Your sister? Cousin?" Quillion asked Lena, who looked annoyed that the file mentioned two persons.
"Oh? You didn't tell him?" Morrison asked curiously.
"Huh? What is he talking about? Why did he ask the question like that?" Quillion thought, a strange sick feeling began to grow in his stomach.
"I guess since that's on the table, I should let you know properly" Lena sighed.
"Emily is my girlfriend and I visit her every 2 years in London"
At first Quillion felt nothing, but soon he felt a little sick. Girlfriend?
Despite this revelation, he remained calm and collected. Now is not the time to freak out. Wait... Why would he freak out? It's not like they're together.
"Jack and Winston were kind enough to keep her identity a secret and provided her with some protection from Overwatch"
"Your mission is simple. Shadow them and handle anything that could compromise their identity and protect them from harm. Other than that, enjoy yourself, I hear London's decoration is pretty good this year" Morrison summarized.
Quillion said nothing for a second before smiling.
"Sounds like this is going to be fun"
Glad to see his reaction, Lena punched him playfully on the shoulder.
"Yeah! That's the spirit!"
"But why are we using commercial flights? I thought we could just use our shuttles?"
"England has tripled its security measures since the Null Sector attacked Paris and Algeciras, so flying from Korea is your best entry. Our sponsor, Ms Song, is kind enough to assist us with your itinerary" Morrison said.
"Well I gotta go pack, we leave tomorrow!" Lena said happily as she blinked away.
Not wanting to be left alone with Morrison, Quillion quickly gathered his things but he was too slow.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm good"
"And you're lying"
Quillion stopped and looked at him.
"Permission to speak frankly?"
"Granted"
"Are you not eating your own words sir? First you told me not to get attached and now you're letting Lena run around London with her girlfriend"
"It is necessary that she has Emily by her side now, if you do not know the reason why, I do not think you should allow your feelings to cloud your judgement"
"They won't sir, I can promise you that" Quillion said sincerely.
Morrison studied him for a moment before passing Quillion a thumb drive.
"A map of the city, codewords, our safehouse location, etc. Study it and formulate your own routes. As long as they are safe by the end of the mission"
"May I ask, what will you guys do when we are all away?"
"Back in the old days we will send agents to places where attacks could happen during Christmas, but now we can only monitor the war in Russia"
"How is that going?"
Morrison's mood darkened.
"Nothing you need to worry about now"
*Venice: Talon Base*
"I am disappointed Gabriel, you had them in your grasp" Moira said as she injected some strange fluids into Reaper's arm.
He did not say anything as he felt the familiar pain that always accompanies his recoveries burn his veins.
"You are lucky that one of our agents found you when he did" she continued.
"Maybe if you can make me fly this wouldn't be a problem" he growled.
"I am a scientist, not a magician, it is already a miracle that you can bend your body at will to slither around, let alone fly"
"How long until I will be ready for combat?"
"Knowing you, probably within the day"
The crack of a gunshot rang across the room, causing Reaper to form his weapon and point it towards the door.
"That was Widow's Kiss, why is it firing?"
"She is sparring with SS28 and Sigma"
"Sparring? She never trains anyone that she calls amateurs"
He notice Moira has a strange prideful smile stretch across her face at those words.
"Apparently my creation is no amateur. Let's go and have a look" she said.
A short distance away down the hall, the sound of gunshots grew louder, which attracted a crowd who had gathered to watch the spectacle.
Even from the distance, they could see Widowmaker zipping through the air between 3 pillars while firing her weapon, never staying at one spot for more than a few seconds. When they got close enough, an impressive sight met their eyes.
Each shot from Widow's Kiss are being deflected as if they are mere annoyances rather than threats. Jumping through the air, SS28 charged with little to no concern for her safety, her movements confident and absolute, while Sigma threw boulders rapidly while absorbing her shots.
Despite their efforts, Widowmaker glided through the air gracefully, her movements controlled and it is clear that despite facing two powerful opponents, she is the one in control of the fight.
"Apparently your pet project is a success" Reaper said as he observes SS28.
"Indeed, increased speed, increased toughness, I think the only ones who are a match for her head to head in combat are you and…"
"Enough" a voice called out, stopping their spar immediately.
"This is too easy for all of you, you will never improve" Doomfist said as he walks into the training field. Everyone looked on in awe as they realize he has taken off his shirt and is equipped with his iconic gauntlet.
"Come at me, all of you, do not hold back" Doomfist challenged, a grin across his face as he casually walks into the sparring floor.
Immediately SS28 charged at him with little hesitation, slashing at him with her claws, which Doomfist blocks calmly. At first it looked as if she had the advantage as she intensifies her attacks, but soon everyone witness that he was slowly gaining ground at a steady pace.
Seeing this, Sigma launched a makeshift boulder towards him, hoping to reset the pace of the fight back to SS28's advantage. Seeing the boulder, Doomfist spun around and obliterate it with his gauntlet while his other arm smacked SS28 on the side of her head, sending her flying across the room.
Without stopping, he completed his spin with his left fist, shooting at Sigma with his Hand Cannon, who quickly absorbed it to add additional metal to his armor. But it was all a ruse.
While he was focused on attaining more metal, Doomfist's flew towards him with surprising speed. Unable to react, Sigma let out a shout of pain as he was met with a fully charged punch from his opponent, knocking him out immediately as he slammed into the wall.
SS28 launched herself back at him and Widowmaker took this opportunity to fire a shot.
In a flash Doomfist launched himself into the air with an uppercut, knocking SS28 towards Widowmaker, who immediately used her grappling hook to escape. Predicting her path, the Talon leader met her in midflight and grabbed her by the throat and sent her skyrocketing down to the ground.
Everyone recoiled as they expect a crash... Which never came. Looking up they saw Doomfist just stopped short from crushing Widowmaker, instead he just let her go, dropping her to the ground.
"Disappointing, I expected more from all of you" he scoffed.
The onlookers watched in amazement at this performance, it was so flawless, so brutal, but yet so calculated. Each man secretly wishes to spar Doomfist at least once, to feel the power gap for themselves, however, they knew that even if he would agree to a spar, they would not be alive long enough to give their thanks.
"Go to the medical bay, I have a mission for all of you when you recover" he said simply as he walked off.
Reaper growled in frustration. As much as he has confidence in his own abilities, he hated the fact that he is no match for the Talon Leader.
"What mission is he talking about?"
"I do not know" Moira said as she watch the defeated agents begun making their way towards her medical bay.
"Do not worry, you are invited as well" Sombra said behind them.
"Me? Why would I need to go?" Moira asked curiously.
"I'm sure it's because someone needs to… Control that pet of yours"
Moira glared at her before she simply faded away to attend to the injured.
"Heard you got pretty banged up in Russia, so I suppose that's the second time you failed?"
"In case you've forgotten, it was because of you that Volskaya is still alive" Reaper growled.
"Details… So, I suppose you are going back to Russia to finish the job?"
"Why are you asking" Reaper said as he stepped forward threateningly towards Sombra, who backed off. As confident as she is, she knows better than to be on Reaper's bad side.
"Never mind, just trying to be friendly" she said sarcastically as she walks off.
"Reaper, I have another assignment for you" Doomfist said as he walks towards him.
"I'll see if I can slip it into my schedule" Reaper said threateningly, his pride still ache from the last time they met.
"I do not trust that Sombra, I would like you to keep tabs on her"
"I am not your dog, go find someone else that will do your dirty work"
Everyone held their breath as Doomfist clenched his gauntlet, electricity crackling across it with dangerous intent.
"Do I need to remind you who is in charge here?" he asked with venom in his voice.
"Would you care to tell me?" Reaper said, forming his Hellfire Shotguns and pointed them at the Talon leader.
Nobody moved, nobody dared. Dread filled each onlooker as they waited for either men to do something, all of them wish to run out of the room but burning curiosity rooted them in place.
Who would be the victor? Which of their two most powerful fighters would win if they clash? Will it be the black mercenary who hunts ex-Overwatch agents? Or the towering Talon leader who punched his way out of maximum prison?
In a gold flash, Doomfist propelled his fist towards Reaper with killing intent. With matching speed, Reaper changed the trajectory at the last second by shooting it as he dodged, while the other he shot at the exposed stomach of Doomfist, which would have severely wounded him if it was not knocked away by his free hand.
Angered, Reaper quickly formed another shotgun and laid down an ever increasing hail of bullets at his opponent, which was promptly blocked by his gauntlet. With no movements wasted, Doomfist threw an uppercut that was so narrowly avoided that the onlookers looked for Reaper's body in the air before realizing that he has entered his Wraith form to avoid it.
Lodging his fingers into a pillar, Doomfist watched and waited as he prepares for his next attack. Reaper took refuge behind another pillar where he prepares to counter when he could no longer maintain as a wraith, throwing away both shotguns, he formed a long forgotten weapon.
The gold gauntlet came down like a meteor, shattering the pillar as if it was made of legos, and a crater formed where he landed. Reaper jumped away at the last second before launching a grenade straight at Doomfist, who was not expecting such an attack, blowing him into the last pillar.
Reaper dropped to his knees, grunting in pain as he nursed his ankle. Though he managed to dodge the Meteor Strike, the tremor of the force itself have sprained his feet. This would not have happened if he did fallback to the Hellfire Grenades as they took up too much of his powers to use consistently.
But this is not the time to feel pain. He knows the fight is not over yet. There is a reason why Doomfist is the leader.
His caution is rewarded well as Doomfist stood up, bruised but not defeated. With an angry roar, he grabbed the pillar that he flew into and snapped it in half like a toothpick before spearing it towards Reaper.
Quickly gathering the remains of his power, Reaper shot another grenade, blowing it apart into harmless rubble before casting it aside and formed back his shotguns.
Not willing to give Reaper any breathing room, Doomfist charged at Reaper who quickly resumed his attack. Everyone looked in awe as they witness Doomfist is just as nimble and he is strong. No longer fooling around, he dodged each shot with relative ease as his gauntlet cackled with electricity again, obviously preparing for the final punch.
Reaper has one more trick up his sleeve, an attack he has saved for this very moment. Just as Doomfist closed the distance, black smoke filled the room, causing many Enforcers to dart for cover when they realize what the Black Mercenary is about to do.
Just before either man can execute their final attack, the sound of the alarm pierced through the chaos, announcing:
"Phase 2 has begun, we have confirmation that Phase 2 has begun"
These words stopped the two fighters in their tracks. They stared at each other for a moment before slowly lowering their weapons.
"Shall we continue this another time?" Doomfist ask politely.
Without answering, Reaper turned around and made his way to the Medical Bay, doing his best not to show that he is limping.
"Logistician!" Doomfist shouted at the crowd, making them all jump.
A man ran up and saluted.
"Phase 2 is now operational, make sure every soldier in Russia eats from our crates and only from our crates"
"On-only from our crates? S-s-s-orry sir but we do not have the funding for that" the man protested.
"I have made arrangements, you will get your funding from Egypt, Maximilien will personally oversee this"
"W-what if the other companies will not be bought off?"
Doomfist looked down at the terrified man.
"Make. Them."
*Vence: Doomfist's Office*
"Idiots" Doomfist said to himself, sipping on a drink he just made.
"Weak... Each of them... But that will end soon"
He looked at the floating gauntlet before him.
"How would you have felt about this Akinjide? That your pupil has become far more powerful than you could ever be"
Next to the gauntlet is a picture of his family, the last picture they took as a family before the Omnic Crisis ripped them apart.
He remembered the heat of the flames, the screams that echoed around him. He was just a boy.
The Null Sector came like the plague, destroying everything in their path.
He remembered being dragged by his father as they ran pass the military blockade. The roar of battle rang in his ears as they ran. He does not remember how far they ran, but they ran.
Then it happened.
Adhabu Ngumi, the First Doomfist, rocketed into battle from the air, destroying a scores of machines with a single punch.
However, the blockade behind them did not hold for more than a few minutes and every attempt by Doomfist to stop the Null Sector evaporated as the soldiers flee for their lives, leaving him as the only line of defense, which the Null Sector promptly ignored.
This was when a plasma bolt exploded behind him, causing him to fall to the ground.
His parents stopped and turned around for him but before they could even reach out, they were both mercilessly gunned down by the advancing machines.
Seeing their dead bodies threw the young boy into despair. In a rage he attacked a passing Slicer and lost his left arm when he attempted to wrestle it to the ground.
This would have been the end of him if it were not for Doomfist who saw him and punched the Slicer into oblivion before quickly picking him up and escaped the battle.
Young Ogundimu was inspired by such heroism, but soon brought him anger and shame. If only the military was stronger his parents would not have died. If he did not lose his balance over a small explosion, they would still be alive. If only he was strong enough he would have avenged his parents.
He learned something that day. He learned that without power, humanity will always be weak. Without pain, there could never be power. This led him to be an avid reader of Nietzsche and he gained some influence.
But it is never enough.
Though his father's business flourished under his leadership after he took over, no amount of money can fill the void of his need for more power. He learned that money will never give him the strength he desires.
That was when he met Akinjide Adeyemi, who introduced him to Talon and it was there he earned the gauntlet from his cold dead hands to becoming the Third Doomfist.
Talon provided him the chance to fix that. It is in Talon where he can gain the power to create more power.
The First Doomfist is known as the Savior, his mentor, the Second Doomfist is known as the Scourge.
Since he is known as the Successor, he had decided to succeed what the Savior could not. That man did not recognize that the Null Sectors are trying to save humanity, not destroy it. Humanity needs monsters, not heroes.
The Savior failed to save humanity by making them weak.
This time, under his vision, humanity will grow more powerful than ever before.
And he will become its true Savior by destroying the very foundations that made it weak. Then from the ashes, only the strong will survive.
I have created a forum for your participation :)
In the forums I have the answer to some of the questions that you have asked that I've decided to make public that I think everyone will benefit from and a place where everyone can share their thoughts if you so choose to.
Forum Name: Adventures of Quillion0
If you could not find it, the link is in my Profile where I am able to post the link.