*Pacific Ocean: Northbound*
Quillion felt himself wake up with a start and before even opening his eyes, he swung his arm out in hopes to hit Reaper, who charged at him, but instead his fist cracked across someone else's face.
"Stop!" Baptiste shouted and wrestled his arm down.
He struggled against him and opened his eyes, immediately filling him with revulsion and regret when he saw who he struck. Though his last memory were his bullets phasing through a shadowy figure, his attacks should've never connected with her, even if it were an accident.
"Ammie! I'm so sorry!" he gasped, clutching his own fist.
"It's alright" Amelie groaned, clutching her broken nose.
Quillion laid there still as a statue as Baptiste realigned her nose with a sickening crack. It has been a year since he felt like this, a feeling that he told himself that he would never experience again. Only this time it was far worse.
When he stabbed and disabled Lena's Chronal Accelerator, it was to save her from the path of revenge, to save her from being consumed by her own wrath. Despite it being somewhat of a 'noble' action, he had nothing but regret for his actions, as he (at the time) was unfamiliar with the ways of the new world nor were their feelings towards each other mutual.
But now… He had struck Amelie without reason, without motive, nothing that the burden could be shared with. Angered and annoyed that there was nothing he could do, he looked out the window, which was located above his pillow and waited, until Baptiste finished his work.
"Good thing your heart rate is so low, don't have any bandages on me" he heard Baptiste say to her.
"I would beg to differ" she replied.
Looking over, Quillion felt himself grimace with pain when he saw what only he could see. Though she would look exactly the same to everyone else, he was dismayed to see that he had forever scarred and marred her perfect face.
Their eyes met for a few seconds before he looked away, not deserving to see that despite all that, she still looked at him with unfaltering eyes. As he feared, she dismissed Baptiste and sat on the bed.
"You should stop overthinking things, it's unhealthy" she said.
"But-"
"It was an accident, nothing more"
"But-"
"You don't think I can take a hit?"
When she saw he was sighing heavily and still in deep thought, she tapped his shoulder.
"What?" he asked and turned around, only to have his head snap back as she punched him.
"Oww!" he said, rubbing his stinging nose.
"Now we are even" she chuckled.
Whether it was her laugh or his stinging nose or both, he was not sure, but it cleared his mind, and even started laughing with her.
"What happened?" he asked when the pain faded.
"The breakout was successful, now we are flying North"
"Where are they?"
"All of them sitting outside in the corner. From what I've heard, they were still thinking about their next move and about you"
"Me?" he asked, surprised "Why would they be talking about me?"
"Apparently, they think you are a threat"
"How? Didn't Reaper beat me?"
"Yes, but you beat Moira and Sigma, so he is still weary"
"Well… Glad he didn't kill me when he had the chance" he said, lying back down.
"You'd think I would let them?" she asked, also lying down next to him face to face.
"No…" he replied, pulling her closer to him, it has been so long since they were so close "No you wouldn't…"
For a wild moment, they both felt as if they were back in the Chateu when he felt her muscles relaxing as he massaged her fatigue away from her ordeal in the submarine, regaining that small part of the blissful life they had lost in the flames.
Brushing her hair aside, he was saddened to see the bruise on her nose, but it melted away when she stroked his cheek. He could feel her breath now, a sensation that still sends shivers down his spine.
They would be lying down just like this and took their time to enjoy each other's presence. He could see the soft, passionate woman hidden underneath the cold, stony demeanor and he hoped that whoever she sees in him could be someone who can make her happy, as she had done so for him.
Even if she says it was just "simple meals", he always cherished each dish that was presented to him on the table, determined to live a life that he could've lived if he were not frozen. He almost laughed when remembered that he had to endure one of her cold gazes when he suggested taking some of the leftovers for his lunch the next day.
It was not long before he realized that the money they were using was from Amelie's inheritance (which was shocking but he guessed Overwatch may have helped her behind the scenes), prompting him to quickly find a job to at least contribute to the bills, regardless how insignificant it was in comparison.
He is fully aware that she does not like him to be a Cashier instead of a higher paying job, but he was afraid to tell her that besides being still somewhat intimidated for living in the future, he was still plagued by the horrors of war, and now without violence or the military life to distract him, he needed time to adjust.
Until he is ready for heavier responsibilities, he would tell her.
Unbeknownst to him, she was also privately recalling the life they had.
She was planning new ways to renovate or maintain the Chateu when he randomly came back and told her he took up a job as a Cashier. As emotionless as she was at the time, she felt a cold annoyance at his choice, not because of the meager pay as he apologized for, but because he possesses talents that far exceeds that line of work.
This annoyance would increase when he would come home with that stupid smile, sometimes with a bag of groceries that she would never buy just because it was on sale.
She tried multiple times to encourage him to create new identities and background stories so he could work in a job better suited to his skills, but he remained adamant against it, which she guessed he must be held back by some principle that carried over the decades.
Then the walks, gods the walks that he would force her to join every weekend... Unnecessarily long detours and sometimes stop for him to sketch something or to "enjoy the fresh air", especially when they visit the swans, which she heavily suspects he does so because of her old ballet days.
She never understood or appreciated it. At least until now, when she realized one unwavering factor.
She wants it all back. And from how he looks at her now, she knows he wants it too.
"I never asked, why did you grow out your hair?" she asked.
"This? Just a reminder of home"
"Your old one?"
"Both"
"Hehe… Does that mean you have another song in mind?" she chuckled.
"Maybe" he grinned.
"It better be easy to sing in French"
"It is… It starts with English first, like..." he said before clearing his throat.
Lonely, the path you have chosen
A restless road, no turning back
One day you will find your light again
Don't you know? Don't let go, be strong...
"Excuse me, Quillion. Amelie. Sombra has called for a meeting" Athena interrupted.
"Right… Thanks…" he sighed as Amelie sat up.
Not suffering any serious injuries, he equipped himself with the gear that he brought but were unable to use in the submarine, hoping that an additional show of force would dissause the Talon Agents.
As he hovered his finger over the door pad, they shared one last, knowing look, before sighing away the remnants of those soft, sweet memories, replacing it with the hardened fighters that they needed to be.
Everyone was already there, standing on each side of the table. The Talon agents on one, the rest the other.
Reaper towered over all of them with his arms crossed, Moira was playing with a gold orb hovering over her hand, and Sigma was still muttering. Sombra was leaning over the table, with both arms stretched across it, next to her were Lena, who looked like she was ready for a fight, and Baptiste, who was sweating bullets.
"Just in time, we're just waiting for one more before we can start the meeting" Sombra said.
Merely nodding, they stood next to Lena, which prompted Reaper's interest.
"Tell me, when did you switch sides?" he asked Amelie.
"About the same time you joined Maximilien" she replied.
"Didn't think you'd answer… How are you feeling, Lacroix?" Moira suddenly asked, eyeing her carefully.
Amelie looked like she was about to answer when Sigma suddenly started shouting numbers randomly.
"I said be quiet!" Moira scolded and pinched his face.
"Why don't you remove the headsets already? Or is it because-" Sombra started but was cut off.
"Because we are flying in the sky! You really want me to risk it?!" Moira snapped back, angered that she would even need to explain something so obvious.
"He is ready, connecting him in" Athena announced.
Then at the end of the table, Commander Morrison flickered into view in such a way that Quillion was immediately reminded of the old Star Wars movies, as there was even a blue tint color. However, he could not enjoy the nostalgia for long when Reaper's demeanor suddenly became dangerous.
"Morrison" he bristled, his claws digging into the table.
"Reyes" was the equally venomous reply.
No one dared to move or make a sound for a few seconds until Sombra decided to jump in, though not before checking if her Relocator was still online.
"Okay okay, both of you are alphas, we get it, can we just grow up and get down to business?" she said.
"Once I'm done with this mission, I'm coming for you" Reaper threatened.
"Then you better be ready because I'll be waiting" Morrison growled.
"Sombra! What's the mission?" Reaper barked, making everyone jump.
Not wanting to test his patience, she obliged, but not without a hint of sarcasm.
"The mission is simple. We go in, kill everything inside, hack their system, then we're out"
"Simple yes… But I am guessing it is not going to be easy?" Moira said.
"Nope. Each of us has our part to play and there is no room for mistakes. First we have to borrow a rocket to the moon, then we are going to go in guns blazing and-"
"Forgive me, our containment deep underwater must've damaged my ears. Did you just say the moon?" Moira interjected again.
"Yes, pay attention" Sombra snapped back, earning a wrathful gaze from Moira "We go in guns blazing, install a software of my own design, then we jump ship and drop back to Earth. Questions?"
"Plenty" Lena said, stunned at how ridiculous everything sounded.
"Alright, shoot"
"First off, I don't know if you'd notice, but there aren't anyone who has a spare rocket lying around for you to borrow"
"Not to mention the complete lack of information about the target" Quillion said.
"Most importantly, it sounds very much like a suicide mission" Amelie added.
"One thing at a time amigos, one thing at a time! Trust me this ain't no suicide mission, I ain't that crazy"
"What do you think?" Lena asked Morrison, who was still glaring at Reaper.
"Everything is according to plan, once you drop them at the designated location, you will drop a beacon before returning to base with-" he replied and looked visibly confused when he scanned the room.
"Where is the shapeshifting girl?" he asked.
"You mean SS28? She is dead" Moira answered.
"What? How?"
"Old age, sad little thing, never really was built to live as long as she did"
"That's disgusting!" Baptiste exclaimed, suddenly finding his voice.
"I agree, all that time and resources for nothing" Moira nodded.
"Excuse me?"
"We did not learn anything new from her, which was aggravating since I had to oversee everything personally"
"She's just a kid!"
"And your point? I believe the good Morrison planned to use her for his own ends as well, yes?"
"Enough… The plan does not change. Lieutenant, drop them, activate a beacon, and come back"
"Eh? Who's gonna keep an eye on them?" Lena asked, looking around the table.
"I will send someone else to look for them in a few days, you are needed back here"
"How about us? Do we proceed with the mission?" Quillion asked, hoping not to take instructions from Sombra.
"What do you think?"
Quillion looked at Morrison puzzlingly. This was the first time he answered a question with a question, so his mind buzzed with what it could mean.
This mission had been extremely shady since the start. From what he gathered, Morrison had recruited Sombra seemingly out of nowhere and placed her in charge to break these monsters out of a UN facility.
Now that he ordered Lena to return to base, he is entrusting Sombra to control them without Overwatch's supervision for a few days, a fact that made Quillion extremely uncomfortable from his own experience with her.
Furthermore, he told them that he is forming a team and these are his supposed teammates to attack the moonbase? Then a fearful thought crept into his mind, tying in closely to what Amelie said earlier.
It is a known fact that Morrison despises Reaper, more so than any living being, so much so that it is unthinkable that he would willingly accept the idea of him running free. The only logical way to convince him to break them out would be either they were put back into prison by the end of the mission, which is impossible, or...
"A suicide squad… He must be forming a suicide squad… It'll be the only thing that makes sense" he thought.
If he says yes, he would subject not only himself, but Amelie, to certain death. As confident as they are in their abilities, to fight a massively powerful and unknown enemy on the moon does not lead to a positive outcome, but it is the only way to keep her safe...
If he says no, then they would lose their best chance to attack the moon, and that sentence, in and of itself, sounds ridiculous enough already. Like Lena said, he doubts anyone has a spare rocket lying around for them to hijack, let alone pilot.
But if he does not take this opportunity, they will be back to square one and their entire involvement with the submarine would've been in vain…
As he struggled for an answer, he felt Amelie's hand slither at his lower back and he felt her writing out a word. To his shock and relief, she was writing out the same conclusion that he had hoped.
"No sir, we will return to base" he answered.
"Yes, you will return to base and await further orders" Morrison replied, to which Quillion doubted he would've cared either way.
"Well ain't that a bummer, here I thought both of you are hell bent on revenge" Sombra said.
"Just tell us where we are going" Reaper growled.
"Fine fine… We're gonna meet an old friend, in fact I'm going to call her right now"
*Gibraltar: Engineering Room*
"Hammer down!"
Training bots fell like pins the moment Reinhardt's hammer touched the ground. To his displeasure, there was still a bot standing.
"Tch" he spat, wiping off a layer of sweat on his face.
This was the third time that his 'ultimate move', as he liked to call it, failed to knock everything to the ground, a new record in recent years. To add to his aggravation, his hammer has become far heavier than he remembered, almost as if his very fingers have attached extra weights to themselves.
In fact, his whole body felt heavier. The pain in his back had forced him to hunch a little, the soreness of his legs had him sat down far more than usual… In fact, everything about him was still throbbing.
Wrapping his fingers around the handle, he had to fight the urge to use two hands when he lifted it off the ground, unwilling to give into the pain, which should fade tomorrow, as it always has.
"Reinhardt?" a soft voice called from the door.
He looked over and was disappointed to see that it was Hana. She's the last person he wished to talk to now, but as a Crusader, it doesn't matter who it is. As long as he is called, he must answer.
"Hello Hana, how can I help?"
"I just… I want to apologize"
"There is nothing to apologize about" he grunted, immediately smashing a bot apart and waited as it put itself back together.
"There is! I mean… I just want you to know that what we had planned was the most appropriate strategy"
"Of course! Of course… Like you all said, the team's gonna be 'balanced' as you say"
"Well…"
"However, I still do not understand why there should only be two Tanks, two DeePeeSessays, and two Supports for the Response Team!"
"Err… It's DPS but… It's just how I think would best operate for the Response Team"
"Why not three Tanks and three Supports? I'm sure that'll be far better than having two of each!"
Hana had hoped that after a day, he would've calmed down for her to explain, but unfortunately, she could tell that he is still angry at the decisions made during the meeting.
"It wasn't personal" she said finally.
"Personal? It is not about being personal! Its about the lies! You said you want balance, but I was not selected for the Response OR the Ground Team! I cannot understand why everybody will go out to fight except for me! Why am I the only one back in base?"
"No I mean…"
"No? Let's go through the list shall we? Yourself and Winston will be on the rooftops with Ana. Angela, Brigitte and Mei… Even Mei! Will be hiding in the crowd. Fareeha and Torbjorn will be stationed near King's Row to assist. Genji, Lena, Jack, everyone will be out there except for me!"
Taking a breath to calm himself, Reinhardt leaned his hammer against the wall and sat down on the ground next to Hana in an attempt to see her eye to eye, only to find out that he still towered over her.
"Look, you can talk to Jack, just put me on the ground, somewhere close so I can help"
"I can't do that, that'll ruin the-"
"I know-!" Reinhardt boomed, making her jump and he quickly lowered his voice "- that the team composition was made just to keep me out of the fighting!"
"None of us is trying to keep you out" she squeaked.
"Then pair me up with Torbjorn! We were part of the original team to put down the Uprising in King's Row after all! You can't deny that my experience will be… Be… Err..."
"Invaluable" a voice called from the door and echoing in the room.
"Haha! Just the man I needed to see!" Reinhardt said enthusiastically and stood back up.
"I figured" Morrison said, walking in.
"So this is what I'm thinking, all you need to do is drop me of at-" he began but it was waved off.
"You're not going to London"
Hana could feel the tension growing fast as Reinhardt's face went from somewhat hopeful to confusion, then anger.
"Why?"
"As you said, you have experience, experience that would be better displayed here behind the scenes"
"Don't toy with me Jack! Just tell me why don't you want me serving in the front?"
"What are you talking about? I have not denied you anything"
"You didn't wait for me when you attacked Talon and now you are not allowing me to be the shield for the ceremony?!"
"You were in Germany, there was no time to wait for you"
"That was barely a fight and you know it! I could've gone back within the day!"
Hana almost cowered away as his voice grew steadily louder, but she stood her ground, not wanting to show any sign of weakness because… She doesn't know why, it was a mix of burning interest and shock. Reinhardt is acting very differently from how she read him up to be.
Reinhardt had always shown to be the embodiment of a Crusader, the most confident, positive, and inspiring of men, someone who is above this sort of petty complaining, and perform all duties with the utmost focus and determination.
"It is because I have an equally important mission for you"
"What could possibly be more important than this?" Reinhardt asked, nearly shouting now.
"I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on a few people" Morrison said, glancing at his watch.
"I'm not a babysitter!"
With that said, Reinhardt picked up his hammer and left, leaving them both in the room.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, he'll come around" Morrison apologized to Hana, who was still standing still.
"No it's alright… Is he going to be alright?"
"I'll handle it. You're dismissed"
Hana saluted and scurried out of the room, hoping not to bump into any fanboys so she could go back to her room for a well deserved rest.
"It's hard getting old" Morrison said to himself, looking around the room before exiting.
*Russia: Volskaya Industries*
For the first time since its inception, the factories fell silent after she decided to give everyone a two day holiday. She even managed to complete the first day spending time with her daughter to join the last day of the festivities, which were lovely, having denied these moments due to the high levels of security she has before, during, and after the war.
She kept the security detail for so long, she realized she was creeping into the realms of paranoia and, with the advice from Zarya, she sold everything off, even making a small fortune for herself.
But now… It had to be today…
After she signed off her Security Detail and saw them off at the airport, thanking them profusely for their efforts, she got the call.
"I swear I will kill her… I swear on my life she will die today..." Katya said.
"Do not worry, this time she will not be let off so easily" Zarya replied.
The mighty door of the factory groaned as they slid apart. The first thing they saw was the bright moon high in the air, a sight that Katya took her time to take in, privately praying that this would not be the last time she would see it.
She had taken a tip from the Army's Heavy Units, hiding not one, but two shield generators that she had condensed down into wallet sized discs that she had patched into her attire, one would always be active and the other would only activate once the first one failed.
But her strongest defense is none other than Zarya herself, who is now piloting their most advanced and battle-tested Mech, following closely behind her.
Then finally, she made sure to clear anything and everything in the appointed landing zone, ensuring that when she lands, there will be no cover for at least 100 feet, which is more than enough time for Zarya to lock on and take her out.
With these plans set, she was fairly confident that her troubles would soon be over. Fairly.
Looking up to the skies, they saw a shuttle flying straight towards them. Russian airspace without any escorts, which was unsurprising. Normally going through Russian airspace and landing within the city would require an escort, but if anyone could have hacked into the system for all the access codes, it would be her.
"It'll be so easy…" Zarya said, pointing a cannon at the shuttle.
"Not yet, we have to make sure she's in the shuttle" Katya instructed.
"Yeah yeah..." Zarya replied, disengaging.
In a gust of wind, the shuttle came down where she hoped, right in the middle of the landing zone. Now Sombra is trapped. Interestingly, the shuttle looked like hell. Huge scorch marks and the glass are cracked. Wherever they came from, it looked like they had to fight their way through.
"Is this why she called? She's hurt?" Katya wondered, hoping that it were true. This way it'll be far easier to kill her.
Before she could ponder further, the door suddenly popped open, slamming the ramp down to the ground in an almost comedic scene. And standing on top of the ramp… Was no one.
"Anyone?" Katya called out, disguising the question to Zarya, who merely shrugged, her cannons rising and falling uncharacteristically.
"I've got nothing" she said, double checking the screens.
Puzzled, Katya thought about what to do when a crashing sound came from inside the shuttle, followed immediately by a multitude of voices… And it sounds like they're fighting.
"Hold him down!"
"I'm trying!"
"Put those things back on"
They watched as the shuttle started to shake, a couple of times it even levitated off the ground, only to send it back down with a loud crunch.
"Should I blast it apart?"
"Not yet, not until we see her"
It didn't take long for their patience to be rewarded with an almost spectacular eruption of the shuttle, all its parts ripped away and floated into the air, orbiting around a man with his arms outstretched. Shockingly enough, there was a multitude of people that were orbiting him as well.
"I'm free!" Sigma shouted with his eyes closed as a chorus of music filled his ears.
"Get behind me" Zarya shouted, charging her cannons.
"What is that?" he asked before swooping down straight at them.
Letting loose her particle cannons, large purple beams fill the skies, she squinted in annoyance when she was forced to take great care not to hit anything that looks like a body, and any shots she swore would get him were blocked by the orbiting debris.
"Let's see how you dodge this!" she shouted as he sped towards them.
Slamming her cannons together, she unleashed a massive explosion of energy straight at Sigma, whose eyes opened in complete shock as the Graviton Surge hit him in the chest. As he was stunned by the shot, everything orbiting him fell to the ground, allowing Zarya a clear shot.
"Bullseye" Zarya smiled and fired a volley of attacks at him.
Every single shot hit home, micro missiles, lasers, bullets, plasma bolts, everything, she did not miss a single shot, however...
"Something's wrong" Katya called out.
Her ammunition now dry, Zarya flicked a few switches to recharge and reload her weaponry, and as the smoke cleared, her eyes widened in shock.
In all her previous battles, her Graviton Surge has always held targets in place, no matter who they are, but now… It seems that the man had not only held it in place, but according to her scanners, he had not only absorbed it, but he seemed to be feeding on it, becoming stronger by it…
"Sweet music! What terrific, beautiful, fantastic, terrifying music!" he roared.
To everyone's surprise, everything slowly became normal, as he levitated down to the ground, his face filled with absolute bliss.
And the whole ordeal lasted no more than three minutes.
"Who and what is that?" Katya asked.
"Sorry, I didn't mean for that kind of introduction" Sombra said, rubbing her back as she stood up, making Katya jump behind Zarya's Mech "Anyways… I need one last favor from you"
"Oh god" Katya gasped when she saw Reaper was the next to rise.
Author's Note:
Hi everyone, hope everyone is doing well and again, happy to see you all here :D
I suppose I need to put a credit here for the song that Quillion was singing.
It was "I Believe in You" and covered by Il Divo and Celine Dion, which I recommend everyone to give it a listen.
And I've read in Reddit that I should actively acknowledge the comments in the comment section here instead of replying as personal messages, so I'm sorry that I have neglected that part of Fanfiction etiquette.
Yeah, I really love reading your comments and I thank you for them. I will repay by finish this story to the best of my abilities. Like I said, I aim to finish this within 30 chapters so until then, stay safe, healthy, and hope everyone will continue to have fun with this story :D