"An' with God as my witness, I ain't never see someone hit that hard in my life," chuckled McCree. "Mrs. Ana just 'bout slapped Gabe a different color!"
Pharah joined in on the laugh, recalling with a sort of bittersweet amusement that day. The two floated in the pool, doing a bit of catching up for old time's sake. Though Pharah and McCree didn't have as much time to spend with one another as they used to, there were few residents of the OverHouse with a bond as strong as their own. Pharah looked at McCree as the older brother she never had, and Jesse had always protected his little Fara like a sister. They had some great memories, many of which involving Gabriel Reyes getting into hot water with the deceptively ferocious Ana Amari.
"I remember that," said Pharah with a grin. "Oh, she was so upset at him for taking me to the firing range, but what she did to Gabriel paled in comparison to what she did to you." McCree grimaced at the memory, sinking a little deeper into the water.
"Damn it, Fara, here we were havin' a good time an' you just had to go an' remind me of that," grumbled McCree. "Damn near broke my fingers with that damn wood spoon of hers for giving you that rocket launcher."
"It occurs to me that I never properly thanked you for that. In a way, you were partially responsible for me finally being able to join Overwatch. If it weren't for you giving me that rocket launcher… I might still be working for Helix, or worse… my old job at the TSA…"
"Don't mention it. Y'all had my back when we was younger. Call it even. In fact, considering how much damn trouble I got in with yer ma, I probably owe you." McCree shuddered slightly. "That woman's got the face of an angel and the temper of Satan himself. Ain't nobody scared me more than she did."
Pharah raised a questioning eyebrow. Somehow, that didn't seem quite right to her. While she was the last person on the planet to doubt her mother's ferocity, she assumed that there would be someone higher on McCree's list of of entirely rational fears.
"Really? Nobody scared you more?"
"Not even close."
"What about Gabriel? He was basically your father. I remember him giving you hell."
"Fara, lemme tell you something. Gabe might've scared you, but I got enough sense to know who really to worry 'bout," said McCree with a shake of his head. "Thing is, Gabe was always an asshole, so at least you could prepare for it. Mrs. Ana, though… She's the toughest, scariest agent Overwatch ever had."
"My ears are burning."
McCree immediately sat up a bit straighter, while Pharah just rolled her eyes. Two women settled into the pool, one of which being the subject of discussion. Beside her was Mercy, which brought a smile to Pharah's face. She had always been fond of Doctor Zeigler, being among the sweetest and most good-hearted people Pharah had ever known. Plus, Mercy tended to be assigned missions with her, so Pharah had developed a bit of a friendship and familiarity with the good doctor.
"Hello, Mother, Angela," said Pharah. "Jesse and I were just strolling down memory lane. We were just recounting how terrified he was of you."
"Hey, I could do without that attitude," said McCree with a chuckle. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Mrs. Ana always seemed mighty scorned 'round me."
"That's because you were always causing trouble," remarked Ana. "If you would have just followed orders instead of devoting your life to antagonizing Gabriel, I wouldn't have had to be so tough on you."
"You did give him a hard time, though," noted Mercy. "You afforded him very little leniency."
"Hm. I suppose I was tough. But only because I saw what you were capable of, Jesse. I thought a bit of tough love would do you good. I knew you could grow up to be a good man." Ana gave a devious smirk. "It's not too late."
"Har-de-har. I guess you knew what you were doing, though. I turned out pretty okay," said McCree. "All things considered, I mean."
"I understand that you can be quite intimidating, Mother," said Pharah. "But I don't know if I agree with his claim that you were the scariest member of the original Overwatch. I give that title to Gabriel. Even before his obsession with skulls, souls, and black leather, he was incredibly scary."
"I'm telling you, Fara, yer ma made Gabe look like a birthday clown."
"Actually, Jesse, I'm not the scariest," said Ana. "Nor is Gaberiel."
"Then who is?" asked Mercy.
"Oh, that's easy. You are, Angela."
All of the present parties looked at Ana as if she had just sprouted a second head.
"Uh… What?" said Mercy. "Me? How am I the scariest? I'm a medic!"
"You are a Dr. Frankenstein with the ability to raise the dead and with no regard for the laws of human morality. You are capable of creating an army of terrifyingly-powerful, furious, unkillable demons such as The Reaper. Some cultures, my own included, would call you a witch and have you stoned to death."
Pharah wanted to argue, but, when she heard it explained like that, it was difficult to continue looking at Angela Ziegler as the sweet, good-hearted doctor that Pharah thought her to be.
"Eh… Angela, can you be considered… A mad scientist?" asked Pharah cautiously.
"I suppose you could call me that," admitted Mercy. "But, personally, I prefer the term 'savior of the damned'." She turned to pout at her fellow Healer. "And I am not scary! I use my abilities for the good of mankind! Though I may have had to argue with the university the ethics of what I do, I do nothing but good things with my Resurrect!" She paused to think for a moment. "Besides creating The Reaper, of course. That was an accident. The point remains, I am not scary!"
"Tell me, Angela, do you recall the Omnic Siege on Zürich?" asked Ana.
"Natürlich! How could I forget the attack of my home?"
"Specifically, do you recall how it came to an end?" Mercy didn't respond immediately, which meant to Ana that it was story time. "It was before you had perfected Rez, and you could only revive those who had passed very recently. Before you even carried a gun. You, Winston, and Torbjorn had just created what you called the Valkyrie Suit MK II. You claimed it would give you unparalleled healing capabilities and safety on the battlefield."
"And?" asked Pharah. "Did it?"
"It did indeed, habibti. But it also gave her much, much more."
Angela Ziegler stood amongst the rubble of her hometown, her hand tightly grasping her Caduceus Staff as it beamed towards her fellow doctor, Dr. Claudio Castagnoli. She swore under her breath, wishing she was quicker. She had known Claudio since medical school, close friends during their studies. Now, he sat bleeding onto the stones of his ruined city. Strewn among the devastated buildings of the previously prosperous, beautiful city of Zürich were the bodies of her fallen comrades. There was nothing that she could do. Their souls had long since departed, and not even Mercy's Resurrect could save them.
"Come on, Claudio," she whispered. "Wake up! Please, don't die, please…"
The stomping of metal against stone stole Angela's attention from her fallen friend. Approaching her was a horde of omnics, at least twenty bots who didn't care in the slightest that she was an unarmed medic. They would kill her just the same. The smart thing to do would be to evacuate, but Mercy couldn't even consider it. She couldn't leave Claudio here. Not after all he had done for her.
"It is time to go."
Angela didn't look up from her fruitless healing, even as her superior officer approached. Captain Amari knelt beside Mercy, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"He's gone, Doctor Ziegler. I don't want to see you join him," said Captain Amari. "There will always be another battle. That is where you're needed."
"They… They killed him," said Angela. Captain Amari noted the approaching omnics. They had only a few minutes before they were upon them.
"And that is a shame. Castagnoli was a good man, and a better doctor. He's saved countless lives on the battlefield. The man is a hero. He would not want you to throw your life away for nothing." Captain Amari pulled Claudio's dog tag from around his neck and pressed it into Angela's hand. "Live to heal another day, Doctor. Claudio may be gone, but he is not dead. Heroes never die."
Captain Amari stood up, waiting patiently for Angela to join her. Though their time was limited, this wasn't something that one could rush. She had to give Angela a chance to come to terms with things.
"Captain Amari, can I ask you a favor?" said Angela gently.
"Anything, my dear. Just say the word," said Captain Amari.
Angela grabbed the small light pistol that Claudio had clutched with his last bit of strength. She stood up, checking the charge and staring down at the approaching army of omnics, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white.
"Nano Boost me."
Captain Amari tensed, placing a hand on the wrist-mounted dart launcher that fired her Nano Booster. It was a powerful ability, one that the Captain used very sparingly. Not just anyone received a Boost. It was normally only after serious consideration and discussion between Captain Amari, Commander Morrison, and Strike-commander Reyes does an agent receive clearance for Nano Boost.
"I'm sorry, Angela, but I cannot," said Captain Amari gently. "It wouldn't be—"
Captain Amari stopped, her words lost as she caught Angela Ziegler's cold, dead expression. A chill ran through her body. Amari thought she was past that, that her stint in Overwatch had shown her all of the horrors that life had to offer. The cold, unending rage in Angela's eyes, however, taught her that she had only just begun to learn what horror truly means.
"Verdammt nochmal," said Angela, her voice devoid of all emotion. "Tu es einfach. Just fucking do it."
Captain Amari was taken aback, but slowly aimed her Nano Boost regardless. She fired, a tiny blue syringe burying itself into Angela's shoulder. Immediately, she burst into bright blue light, and gripped her borrowed light pistol even tighter.
"Valkyrie Mode, engage." The wings on Doctor Ziegler's suit expande, large, glowing feathers of light spreading out of her back. With little more than a sideways glance at the Captain, Angela zipped forward through the air, her focus locked onto the still-marching omnics.
"Doctor, wait!" Captain Amari's concerns died immediately. Angela zipped through the air ferociously, blasting apart omnics as if they were made of paper. When her pistol lost charge, she discarded and dispatched the remaining omnics with a combination of blunt melee swings with her Staff and her bare hands. Captain Amari watched in awe for about twenty minutes, eventually approaching when the bots were no longer moving and Angela was simply beating scrap metal.
"Doctor, I think they've had enough," said Captain Amari. One of the bots, his top separate from his bottom, tried to crawl to safety. Angela approached, placing her foot on its middle. Captain Amari grabbed her shoulder. "Stop. You've beaten it. Though we are enemies, you should show him some mercy."
"Mercy? You want me to show it mercy?" asked Angela, outraged. "They've shown us no mercy! They've shown my city no mercy! They've shown Claudio—"
"They are merciless machines. That is why you shouldn't be." Captain Amari pulled Angela back. "Remember your oath, Doctor Ziegler. You are not meant to take lives. Spare him. Be a mercy to the world."
Angela said nothing for a moment, then slowly nodded. She collected the light pistol from the ground and strapped it to her waist. She felt her knees go weak and, before she could hit the ground, Captain Amari slipped her arm beneath her for support.
"You really shouldn't have been Boosted for that long," said Captain Amari. She placed her finger to the comm in her ear. "This is Captain Amari, requesting evac. Sending coordinates now."
"M… Mercy…" said Angela breathlessly. "I… I think I like that…"
Pharah and McCree stared at Mercy with a mix of horror and awe. Mercy hardly ever fired her gun, even in life-or-death scenarios. To hear that, at some point, she was capable of destroying over twenty omnics by herself… It was sobering, to say the least.
"There is a saying, young ones," said Ana. "Demons run when a good man goes to war. You can only imagine what happens when it's an Angel that goes to war."
"Mein Gott, I wish I didn't remember that," sighed Mercy. "It was not my best moment. I was acting rashly, and it was a bad example to set. Please, don't think of me as that. I wish to be more."
"Well, geez," said McCree. "Sorry, Mrs. Ana. The Doc has you beat for sure."
"Seriously, Mom, you should have sent me to Doctor Ziegler's when I misbehaved," said Pharah with a shudder. "I never would have stepped out of line again."
"I assure you, I don't make a habit of blood-thirsty rages such as that," promised Mercy. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment. "Hm… I never perfected Valkyrie Mode. Perhaps I should look into it again some time…"
Pharah glanced at McCree, both of them sharing looks of concern.
"Please, no!"