"What the hell were you thinking, One?" Evelyn was apoplectic, her hands shook as she held the Holophone and her voice shook along with it. Her free hand clenched hard enough to whiten her knuckles. "You almost blew the entire thing! Your job was to get the Omnic, not to go on your own and ignore orders!"
"Acknowledged" Replied One. He sighed. "The Omnic is… hard to find. It's learned its lesson from previous encounters with Blackwatch, and the others seem to have set up a sort of rapport with it. I saw an opportunity and I took it" Evelyn did not scare him, but he knew he would be foolish to underestimate her. Her mind was visible to him, and it was expansive and wide. Flashing in purple and blue like a thunderstorm with moments of brilliance. But still, she was obviously not the worst threat he had ever encountered. "I decided to expand the parameters. And you will be interested in what I have to find"
"Oh, and what will that be?"
"Angela" he gave a small shiver of pleasure at the recollection of probing her mind. "Is exquisite. I've never experienced such genius before in years… not since Krystianson"
"And? So what?"
"A mind like hers… a storm of brilliance. Chaos and genius combined. Imagine if such a mind could be coveted" One replied. "Imagine the possibilities, the options we could have. She would be a fantastic addition to our ranks"
"Do you think I didn't consider that?" Evelyn's voice dripped with ice. "I didn't want you trying because this very thing would happen! If they capture you that monk could rip everything they want from your head!"
"His abilities have been dulled"
"As has your mind"
"Hurtful"
"Shut it!" Evelyn shook her head. "This is what is going to happen, you are going to pull back and come back to base" Evelyn let that sink in.
"Or" she continued, and Ones head lifted up. "You continue your mission, but if captured you must make the ultimate sacrifice"
"I see," One said. His voice was as slow and monotonous as always. Evelyn hated his voice. No matter the situation it was calm, condescending and reeked of arrogance. "You wish for me to die if I fail"
"If that or have the entire organisation put in danger, yes" Evelyn replied.
One laughed. "And how will you ensure my death?" He asked. He gently shook his head and then stopped. He could hear Evelyn speak, he could see her lips move in his mind. But the words he did not understand. A buzz in his mind, the clicking of resistors moving into place on the inside of his head. He realised his mistake.
"What have you done?"
"I've initiated the shutdown process of your subsystems. Everything inside of you is waiting to be turned off and to let your body cool"
"You" The voice did not change. "You did what?"
"If you are captured, it is up to you to initiate the final shutdown. All it takes is a single word. You hear it or read it, you die"
"What?" One looked up. "How will you tell me if-"
"When the time comes, you will know" Evelyn grinned. "So, these are your options. Either you come back, or you continue, and face the possibility; the first in a long time, of dying" She shrugged. "The option is up to you"
One shuddered as he felt his position weakened. He considered his options and then bowed his head down to superior authority.
"I will see what I can do with Angela"
"Good. Keep me updated" at that Evelyn closed the connection. A snicker from the other side brought Evelyn's eyes to Widowmaker.
"I saw what you did there" she chuckled. "You really put him in a bind. Either he comes back with both Angela and the Bastion or he dies in the attempt. Either way, none of our secrets are released. But what if he has Angela attack us along with the Bastion?"
"He won't be able to change Angela that quickly. And the Bastion… well, I'm sure you can manage that if he is suicidal enough to try"
"That's true. But are you really happy letting him die?"
"Happy?" She turned to Widowmaker. "Widow, I'll be jumping for joy"