Widowmaker stared at the machine before her. It looked like a normal processor, though uncommonly large. She looked it over for ports, access points or monitors but she only found the one. She did not know why it attracted her so, only she felt it was momentously important. When she checked next, the port had been taken up by a small data stick. Widowmaker frowned, trying to remember where the stick had come from. But for whatever reason, she felt a burst of satisfaction.
"Widow" came Evelyn's voice behind her. "Why are you so interested in the Morality Probability Processor?" she asked.
Widow shrugged. "It's big"
"It's disgusting. You know the story behind it, don't you?"
"No" The voice was back. "And I don't want to know, now that I think about it"
Evelyn raised an eyebrow and cocked her head sideways. "Daydreaming?"
"Reminiscing"
"Hmm… I know you put the vulture in her bed."
Widows face was the mask of innocence.
"Whose bed?"
"You know" Evelyn almost laughed at Widowmaker's perfect poker face. She rolled her eyes. "Ashe's bed"
"Oh!" Widowmaker put a hand to her chest and theatrically gasped "Is she upset? I didn't mean any harm from it. I thought she would like one of her own kind as a friend"
"That was a dumb move," said Evelyn.
"She has her jokes, I can have mine" Widowmaker replied sharply.
Evelyn shook her head. "Must you antagonise her?"
"Must you tolerate her?" Widow shot back. "She undermines you in everything you do"
"She can have her jokes. For the time being, I only need her to stay loyal"
Widow sniffed "You know she's been collaborating with the local gangs; Deadlock mostly, increasing narcotic dealing, human trafficking. She even talked with Moira to try and make some "pharmaceutical drugs". She wants to produce them so that if any of our biological weapons go off she has a market. Doesn't even care if they work, says they're meant to cure fear, not diseases. Why are you permitting this?"
"Because she won't be a problem for long" Evelyn placed her hand on Widows' shoulder. "Which is what I need to talk to you about"
"Yes?" Came the weary reply.
"I want you to act as security for Moira once she is head of this place. She will be under constant threat from below, and she needs some muscle"
Widowmakers eyes widened. "What? But what about you? I'm your guard, not hers!"
"What's it matter? You were a spy for 2 years and couldn't defend me then. Besides, once she's settled in and got a layer of support, we can send you back into the field"
Widowmaker knew she was making sense. But for whatever reason, the order rankled her. It felt wrong, and the voice was shouting at her to prevent this from happening.
"Why are you so resistant to this?" Evelyn made a face. "You've been acting strange lately"
Widowmaker made to reply and then stopped. Slowly, she felt the stress leave her body, the voice answered.
"Sorry. I just got used to being around a friend" she replied. "I'm worried about you"
"You don't need to" Evelyn replied. "I'll leave the security detail to you. Have it be ready by 5 days from now"
"5 days" Widowmaker lightened up. "So we're-
"Yes. But for Christ's sake, keep it down. I have a plan, I don't plan to kill her, but-
Amelia didn't speak, instead, she slammed her fist into the wall beside her, and turned to Evelyn with raging eyes.
"What?"
"I don't want to kill her!" Came the honest reply. "I don't want us to operate like that anymore, I want us to be properly structured"
"Properly structured?" She gave a small terse laugh. "Mon Dieu, Evelyn, we haven't done anything "Properly" in decades. People expect you to kill her, people want you to kill her. Those who support you are sick of her, establish yourself!"
"Why is it so hard to see what I'm trying to do?" Evelyn sighed. "That was the old way. The way where we were beneath Reaper and Kristianson"
"Okay, Evelyn. Fine. I'll accept everything you're saying if you answer me this one question"
"I'm all ears"
"If you want to do everything properly, then why don't you allow the UN to regulate us?"
Evelyn started and then opened her mouth. When nothing came out she closed it again.
"Precisely" continued Widowmaker. "You don't want to do things "Properly", you want to do it your way. The way that allows you to do the best you can" She grabbed Evelyn's hand in hers, and clasped it tightly. "And those who follow you are fine with that! We expect that! We want that! Those who follow you want you to do it your way so we can finally do our work with purpose. But if you allow people like Ashe to undermine you, to control you, Yes; don't shake your head, control you! Then we don't get to do any of that. We don't follow the "proper way", we want to be able to follow you!"
Evelyn listened to Widows impassioned speech with a calm face, taking it in with a stony disposition as each word impacted her. Evelyn knew there was a problem with thinking like this, the following of a single person over the following of ideology was something Evelyn had knowledge of, and she knew what it leads to.
"Widow… just"
"For now" Came the desperate reply. "Just for now, act like how we want you to act. Exert your will, and the others will follow. You just need to take action, and once you have their fear, respect will follow"
"I don't want us to be like that anymore" Even to Evelyn, it sounded like whining "I'm trying to-
"Grow past it once we are not treading on thin ice"
"And what if they resist?"
Widowmaker snorted and dug her fingernails into Evelyns hand, and as Evelyn tore it away, she watched small beads of blood being eclipsed by the golden glow that came from behind them.
"What's the point of making a suit for yourself when you can't even use it?" WIdow asked "Who better to assert your dominance then you? That suit, even the veterans wouldn't be able to beat you while you wear it"
"What did you gouge my hand for?"
"Imagine how scary it would be if you had been shot. Just get right up again, that is more terrifying than any superhero suit you could put on" Evelyn looked to Widow "Clearly you don't see the opportunities given to you"
Evelyn wrung out her hand and saw that the flow of blood had stopped. "I'll talk to you about the plan when you are in a better frame of mind to listen," She said with ice in her voice.
"Fine" Widowmaker turned back to the processor
"But I will consider what you said," Evelyn said finally, and waited for Widow to reply.
Without turning back, Widow gave a terse "Thank you"
Evelyn looked at Widow, and then turned to leave. Once she did, Widow doubled over and watched as the blue fled from her fingers, and the skin became warm and brown.
I have to tell Olivia and Sparrow!
