The Darkest Knight
Part I: The Reforming of Overwatch
Chapter 8: The Conductor
Hana Song watched as the bright lights of Rio's downtown metropolis raced by the window before her, the loud roar of the cars engine filling her ears. The bumps and jumps of the road caused her head to bounce, her hair falling in front of her once again to where she was forced to blow it out of her face.
Her thoughts, though on the surface occupied by the sights, truly lingered on Nate and on whatever he was doing. He was cryptic when he said 'the gangs of Rio'. He had then taken off with only a goodbye and the simple instructions to stay with Lucio till he returned, which of course meant go to the docks since thats what Lucio had stated they would do.
But even thought she was staying with Lucio and headed to the docks like they had agreed, she still wanted to know where he was, what he was doing. She honestly didn't know what he did on a regular day since he'd spent the last few weeks protecting her.
What was he doing?
"So this Nate guy…" Lucio started, his voice soft from the drivers seat. His foot pressed the brake and the care came to a stop before a red light.
"What about him?" She asked, not meeting his eyes as she continued to absorb the sights around her. She'd never been this far west.
Lucio cleared his throat. "Do you really trust him?"
She blinked once. "Yeah. Mostly. At least enough to keep me alive."
It was true, she really did. Maybe not enough to call him close friend, but enough to trust him.
"Hana, he stabbed you." Her friend pointed out.
"It was an accident." She retorted.
Lucio shook his head. "You can't tell me that was an accident. The whole world saw the video of him shoving his knife into your chest!"
"It was an accident." She snapped, glaring at her friend as the car once more started to move.
"How?" Lucio asked, glancing at her with a frown.
She sighed. What was she to say? Nate barely talked about this… Kathy, this special someone. She died, and she could tell when he spoke of her that whatever happened to her had hurt him far deeper than even the most grievous of wounds.
Did she have a right to mention it to Lucio?
"Hana?"
She pursed her lips. She could at least say what was wrong with him right? So long as she didn't talk about the cause. Her mind made up she replied, "I think…. I'm pretty sure he has PTSD…. Like, serious PTSD…."
The driver failed to comment so she decided to continue. "He mentioned someone named… Someone that died in the war. Whatever happened must have been awful… I can tell whenever he mentions war… He… I don't know."
"So he lost someone special…" Lucio concluded.
She nodded. "From the way he talks about it… yeah, they were pretty special to him, but I don't know who they were. Like I said, he doesn't like to talk about it."
The man next to her pursed his lips as the car started forward again. "But how can you trust him just cause he lost someone? Hana, a lot of people lost someone special, but they don't go around stabbing the people who protect them."
"He told me he had a flash back. That, something I did triggered him and he…. he just reacted. He panicked I think. He freaked… And plus he's had like twenty chances to kill me if he wanted. Or he could've just let me bled out."
"Let you bled out…" Lucio grunted.
"Stop." She glared.
Her friend shot her a curious glance. "Why?"
"He's done nothing wrong." She replied.
"You care for him don't you?"
She blinked and opened her mouth to reply but hesitated. What was he getting at? She closed her mouth and hardened her look. "What does that mean?
"I mean, do you care for him. Not like romantically, but like a friend. A good friend."
She glanced at the dashboard of the car. "I don't know."
"Is it…" She heard the hesitation and swore she would hit Lucio if he said- "is it romantic?"
"I trust him ok?" She instantly snapped. "That's it."
She crossed her arms and turned away.
"Promise me you'll be careful all right? No need to having the worlds biggest video game star dying on us." Lucio grinned.
She smiled lightly. "Just promise me, if he turns out bad…"
"I've got your back. You know that." Lucio heartily laughed. She nodded, the man did keep his word. Not to mention he had experience with taking out bad people, though an rotten corporation wasn't exactly the same thing as taking down someone like Nate.
Was it?
She wasn't sure.
"But, even if he is good, he's not gonna wreck Rio right?"
She chuckled lightly.
"No. He's pretty good about keep things close to the chest. Trust me."
"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit floooooorrrrrrr!"
Loud music blasted my eardrums as I jammed my elbow into the mans gut before spinning and crashing my heel into the second man that dared to charge me. The second one flew back, and the first stumbled before I drew my knife and buried it in his leg, drawing Satenine Rapier with one hand and blowing the second man's right arm clean off with one shot.
I dashed at a third man who managed to get off a few shots from his pistol, which off course just reflected off my shields, and I rammed him with shoulder, slamming him against a wall and effectively cracking the dry wall.
"Let the bodies hit the Flooorrrr!"
I uppercut him with enough force to knock back a Fallen Captain and his head snapped back, rendering him unconscious or dead. I wasn't sure, but hopefully he wasn't dead. Either way its not like he was innocent. I'm sure he has a long list of crimes, considering the way he had acted towards the waiteress before I interrupted.
Either way I'm not fond of hurting other humans, but in the Last City there were gangs that threatened to disturb the peace, so Guardians were normally sent in to clean them up. I've done my fair share of cleaning up, so it's not new to me, hurting humans.
I kicked a chair up, grabbed it a tossed it a fourth man who was just coming in from the back of the dinners kitchen. It shattered as it hit him and he flopped to the ground.
Still, it sucks hurting people, and I'd prefer not to, but when a bunch of gangbangers start shooting at you and trying to kill you and the poor innocent waitress just because you were asking around, well… lets just say pissing off a Guardian is a stupid idea.
I turned and aimed my rifle at the fifth and last man standing, a six foot tall, three hundred pound giant with a shotgun pointed at me. "All right tinkerbell, so talk or you end up like your friends."
I gestured to his unconscious friends around me, littering the diner with their forms, the poor waitress silently shaking against the wall.
The man dropped the gun and raised his hands. "I'll tell you whatever you want." He spoke in english in my helmet, courtesy of the quick fixer-up translator Dig made for me.
I nodded and lowered my weapon. "The docks were robbed not long ago. A heist, same day I showed up and almost leveled an apartment building. Who did it?"
"I- I don't- I don't know! No one knows!" He said, visibly shaking as he backed up against the wall.
I shook my head and fired my rifle into the roof. "That's one for lying. You don't want to see two and three."
"I only heard about it!" The man rushed out. "Some say that Francis at the docks knows what happened! He runs everything down there!"
"Could've just said that earlier…" I sighed. "Thanks tinkerbell."
With that I lunged, and with one good right hook, knocked the man out.
"Hmm." Dig mumbled. "Well, you took out thirteen goons in less than three minutes. New record. Nice."
"Eh" I replied, carefully stepping over the bodies and opening the door. "Sorry about the mess!" I called out to the waitress before slipping out into the night.
I turned invisible, and within a few minutes, I was back on the rooftops, moving and scanning the city of Rio from on high. I found a comfortable spot on the the tallest skyscrapper, and draped my legs over it.
I leaned back on my hands. "Everything points back to the docks. No one knows about anything other than the docks."
"We should probably head down there. Hana and Lucio should be almost there. At the very least we can look into the places they can't. More eyes is always better." Dig replied.
"Tell that to a Fallen Captain. Those fuckers are ugly." I laughed.
We had parted with Hana ways a few hours back, me heading to contact the gangs and Hana staying with Lucio till they moved on to the warehouse at the docks. Initially I felt a bit of concern leaving her with him, but at her reassurance I left them be.
I trusted her. Maybe not so much Lucio and his girl, but I trusted Hana. Hopefully Lucio didn't convince her to call the police on me or try to trick me into surrendering or some crap. But that's why Dig was monitoring all police channels as well as Lucios phone, to make sure the man didn't put Hana, or myself, in harms way.
Of course he was also using it to track their location so I could see where they were just in case Vape God inconveniently showed up as usual.
Either way, Lucio seemed nice, but sometimes being nice and having good intentions lead to shit consequences. I would know.
"All right." I stood up. "Give me a waypoint for the docks."
A white marker appeared on the hud of my helmet and I instantly lunged off the building, using my blink and boosters to ensure I landed on the next highest roof. Then the next, and the next. I was like a ape, climbing and jumping through the urban jungle of Rio.
It was kind of fun.
And finally twenty minutes or so later I landed with a thump on top of a large purple bus, don't ask me why it was purple, and felt the metal bend under the weight of my armor.
I frowned and gently trotted forward as my invisibility washed over me. I laid down, careful to keep my eye out for anyone who might've seen me.
Of course I'm sure someone somewhere saw me, but I was looking out for the cops. Didn't want them coming after me right now.
Didn't have time to deal with them you know?
I bided my time as the bus headed straight, but a few minutes later it made to turn left, forcing me to leap to another vehicle; a truck where the driver saw me and went wide eyed before screaming since my invisibility cut out a moment too soon.
"Sorry!" I yelled back before leaping to another bus, a long yellow one.
I landed, and rolled, doing my best to keep quiet as I once more went invisible and laid down. It would be faster to use my sparrow, but that would attract cops, and well we didn't need those around.
So the process of leaping between vehicles continued. A few people saw me as I continuously leapt from car to car on my way to the docks, but fortunately no cops did.
I yelped as the tall eighteen wheeler I was on headed under a bridge and I was forced to flatten myself against the roof.
The sounds of rushing air screamed all around as we slid under the bridge and moments late popped out on the other side.
I shook my head. No way in hell did I want to become a pancake!
I leaped to another, fortunately shorter, truck.
Thank God the docks weren't far.
Playing leap frog was only so much fun…
Hana Song stopped a few feet behind her friend, nervously rubbing her arm and eyeing the dark spots all around them. There were too many places she couldn't see into, too many places those who wanted her dead could hide and wait.
Currently Lucio was talking to the security guards in front of the warehouse where he kept his old equipment. They were laughing and though she was close enough to join the conversation, she decided not to.
She felt wrong.
She could feel eyes watching her, following her every movement. She was sure someone was following them.
She had felt it the moment they parked and got out. Who was following them? Was it really one of those who wanted her dead? A stalker?
Had someone recognized her?! What if they posted a picture of her on social media? On Facebook or twitter?!
Overwatch would find it! Who wanted her dead would find it!
They'd come for her, for Lucio for-
"Hana?"
She jumped and looked wide eyed at Lucio who stood before her.
"You coming?" He asked, eyeing her curiously as one hand was pointed over his shoulder at the now open warehouse, courtesy of the two guards before it.
She shook her head and calmed her racing heart with a deep breath. Nate was rubbing off on her.
She was getting way too suspicious.
"Sorry, just thinking." She smiled, walking a few steps forward. "Lead the way."
Her friend took his cue and started into the warehouse, to which she followed.
The guards both gave her a warm greeting, which she politely returned, before she walked into the warehouse.
With a creak the doors shut behind her, and she shivered involuntarily. Why did being here feel so wrong?
Nothings wrong Hana… She scolded.
Nothing…
"All right so all my stuff's in the back under lock and key. Janeiro didn't want it getting in the wrong hands so we came up with a super advanced biometric locking system." Lucio explained as they walked through the dimly lit place.
Massive shelves lined the floor, filled with various items, most of which she could barely recognize. Swap lights hung from the roof, casting circular glows on the concrete floor beneath them, and giant vents pumped fresh air into the warehouse from above.
For most of the walk they went on in silence, Hana observing their surroundings while Lucio simply whistled some tune he had written.
She sighed and looked up at her friend, smiling softly as she said, "so how'd you meet your girlfriend?"
Lucio stopped whistling and chuckled. "Ah its not some sweet romantic story. I was at the store and I bumped into her."
She frowned. "That's really boring…"
"Hey its the truth! I fell, she helped me up, and Romeo and Juliet from there!"
She rolled her eyes. "Then what do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know. Music?"
"You write music. Doesn't talking about it now just seem like overkill?" She asked as they turned one corner.
"Nah."
Again, she rolled her eyes. "Okay… so… uh… Oh! Why didn't Janeiro tell you about your stuff being stolen right away? You mentioned that earlier."
"Well thats the thing," he shrugged, "nothing was taken."
That caught her attention. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, the company didn't tell me because nothing was actually stolen…"
Hana stopped in her tracks. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Lucio and her hand twitched in anticipation. "You told Nate something was stolen… you said-"
"I know, I know." He held up his hands, "just let me finish."
She bit her lip.
"So nothing was stolen, so they thought. I came down here a few days ago and ran my own check through everything and found out several things were missing, but they weren't like, big big things so Janeiro's investigators missed it. I wasn't lying." He started walking once more, his brow furrowed.
"What did they take?" She asked, cautiously following him, her hands resting on the small of her back, where the pistol thing Nate had given her was hidden beneath the light jacket she had. Sure it bulked up but Lucio didn't ask about it so it didn't matter.
"They took exactly three things, the amplifier I have, well had, the concentrator, and a prototype generator I was working on." Lucio replied. "Only the amp was even halfway built. The rest was barely in its blueprints stages."
She raised an eyebrow, slowly catching back up to him and pretending like she hadn't reached for her weapon.
"I don't get why'd they steal that stuff. None were even close to being developed, like I barely had the new advancements implemented. Street value it might make sense to steal it and sell it, but you'd get more buck if you sold the physical stuff I had."
"Why do you think they took that stuff?" Hana asked, glancing at the roof where skylights were void of light thanks to the night.
"Beats me, but it was supposed to be my new suit. Strong sonic blasts meant to root people in place instead of knocking them back. Would make catching crooks easier, but I can tell you if they got someone smart enough they could probably have developed it themselves. Probably already have."
She frowned. "They probably want it to catch someone."
"But who?" Lucio replied darkly, his brow dropping and his shoulders sagging as he shook his head. "If what your pal says is true then he interrupted their heist but they still got away. If they have the blueprints and built it then why not use it to catch you? Or Nate?"
"I don't know…" She sighed. To be honest, to her, the smart thing would've been to use the tech on her and Nate and off them both. Of course they, whoever they are, had the chance already to do that but neither her nor Nate had come across such tech.
So why would they have it and not use it?
"So many questions and yet no answer. Perfect right?" Lucio grimly chuckled.
She didn't reply as they turned the corner, heading somewhere to the- her eyes narrowed slightly. At the end of their path was what looked like a room. It's door was massive and obviously made of metal, a keypad next to it.
"That's my workshop. Six inch steal doors with biometric scanners and surrounded on all sides by twelve inch thick concrete walls." Lucio smiled. "Almost impenetrable."
"Almost." Hana muttered soft enough that the musician failed to hear her.
A few moments of silence later and they found themselves standing before the door, Hana crossing her arms as Lucio reached for the scanner, which was blinking with tiny green lights.
"Once we're inside I'll show you the copies of what they took. Maybe then we can-"
Beep.
Lucio frowned at the now red scanner. "What?"
He placed his hand on the palm reader again.
Beep.
"Lucio?" Hana asked, turning around so as to watch the shadow wrapped parts of the warehouse.
"I'm the only one registered to open this… well me and one of the stockholders and Leon, head of security. Otherwise, I'm the only one who can change this thing…"
He huffed, and reached for his phone. "I'm calling Leon. Gotta figure out what's going on with my workshop."
It was quiet and the sense of unease started to die when-
"My call failed…"
The way his voice dropped set off alarms in Hana's head.
"Lucio?" She asked, warily looking back at him.
He spun on his heel glancing up at the roof, before dropping his phone and eyeing the roof. "Somethings blocking my phone."
She looked up and saw… something.
Shadows dancing above on glass windows above. Shadows.
Instantly he grabbed her arm. "We need to go now!"
"What're you-"
Crash!
The glass above them shattered and the lights died.
Fifteen minutes…. Wait no twenty…. Well maybe it thirty but… Ah fuck it.
Honestly, I don't know how much time passed before I found myself standing in front of the large fences that separated the docks from the streets. All I knew was that I was finally here!
Stupid Taxi driver took a wrong turn…
Anyway the fence ran around the entire docking complex for several miles in either direction, and in the distance I could see large cranes, warehouses, and several large container ships hanging out in the bay. There were a few cranes too, but they were just kind of there.
Lights were sporadically placed about from what I could tell, but it looked relatively abandoned thanks to the time of night.
"Where are they?" I asked, cautiously approaching the front.
"Towards the back, in warehouse… forty two. They've been there for about twenty minutes, but it's weird cause the signals all fuzzy. I can't get a lock on her position inside."
"Strange…" I frowned.
"Probably the shit signal inside a giant warehouse."
"Probably." I replied before looking at the security station to the right of the massive front gates. Yellow light bathed the area in light and two people were sitting down inside, one a large man and another a smaller woman.
Their backs were to me.
I squinted. Odd.
They're security right? Seems bad that their not even facing the front.
"Just find the cameras and find Hana. Make sure they're both in one piece. Poor Lucio might be burnt to a crisp if she treats him even half as bad as she treats me."
"Oh stop whining." Dig chided.
I ignored him and started forward, still barely covered in the night embrace.
"Huh… There's no cameras in the immediate area, at least none that are on… Strange. It's like anything connected to surveillance equipment was just turned off. Really weird considering this place is probably loaded with cameras to ensure nothing gets stolen." Dig stated.
"Maybe they can't afford to keep the power on?"
"They're a shipping company. They make millions dumbass."
I shrugged and kept going forward instead of responding, wondering how I could talk my way through this as my armor disappeared, leaving me in just regular clothes.
I was starting to like walking around in regular clothes.
"Hey guys!" I called out as I reached the front window and crossed my arms.
They didn't move.
"Hey I'm looking for a man named Francis?"
Still nothing.
"Guys?" I raised an eyebrow and started to get even closer.
Drip.
My eyes went wide as I finally caught sight of it; blood, dripping down the side of the woman's head. And more of it dripping from the mans back, his black outfit making it hard to see form afar.
Instantly my armor reappeared over me and I raised my scout rifle and swept the entire area behind me with one swift spin.
"Dig, check them." I stated, my eyes narrowing dangerously.
I felt my ghost leave me and as I turned back around, after determining no one was indeed watching which was strange considering how big the city was, he returned almost instantly and I could feel his anxiety sky rocket.
"They're dead Nate. Two clean head shots and a body shot to the man."
Head shots. Smurfette was here.
"Get me to Hana now!"
Instantly a waypoint appeared on my hud and I opened my palm. The docks were giant and on foot no way I'd be fast enough to reach her before smurfette did.
My sparrow appeared before me and I leapt on, slamming on the thrust as I did. I shot forward and my sparrow broke the gates open, shattering the locks holding it closed. The hum of the boost filled my ears as I sped up and shot past dozens of crates and containers. Cranes sat in the distance, and warehouses started to race by me one by one.
"Dig, do you have access to any of the cameras at all? Even a fucking cellphone camera?"
"No man! Everything's offline!"
"What about security? Any radio signals."
"No, somethings jamming all radio frequencies!"
I grit my teeth as I hit the brakes and took a hard right turn, leaning sideways as momentum pulled me. A quick flick of my wrist and my sparrow accelerated once more, kicking up dust as it shot forward and through the maze of containers.
My eyes quickly glanced to the waypoint, and I hit the brakes once again as I hit another sharp turn, drifting around the corner and barely avoiding the edge of a pile of crates.
Finally the waypoint became clear; a warehouse down the lane between the containers, right next to the waters edge.
Yellow light shined deviously above the front doors, and the windows above were dark. Then there were the two bodies in front. They weren't moving.
I knew Hana and Lucio were inside, yet it was dark inside. Too dark, and I'm basically one hundred percent sure they didn't turn off the lights to a giant warehouse.
Something was definitely wrong.
I hit the brakes and slowed to a stop in front of the warehouse. I climbed off my ride, aiming my rifle at the doors, and sweeping the area as best I could. My sparrow disappeared and I looked back to the doors of the warehouse.
My senses were on full alert as I made my way forward, my rifle up and at the ready.
The gravel crunched against my feet with every step. I stopped in front of the doors and with one hand pushed the right one open.
The light on my helmet powered up as the darkness tried to swallow what little light entered from the outside with me. The first thing I noticed was that it was way too dark for anyone to see without help, let alone walk around. The second was the dead silence.
My eyes scanned the area and my hud instantly went into night vision mode. The green hue appeared so I started into the warehouse though extra care.
I'd had more than enough experience with dark places and ambushes, so I knew I was walking into one. Of course though, I had to go in. I had to find Hana.
"Dig, any luck on finding out what the hell is going on?"
"None. Whatever's blocking phone and radio signals is somehow keeping itself untraceable. I really have no idea what we're walking into." Dig replied, concern riddling his voice.
I huffed. "Well shit."
My steps were light and each one was planned to ensure I made as little noise as possible. A few years back, Cayde had left me out in the middle of the cosmodrome on some test to see how stealthy I could be.
Of course it took me dying two times to figure out that there were snipers literally everywhere and being sneaky was the only way for me to get out of there since fighting just got my head blown off.
I kept a close eye on my motion tracker, but made sure to keep my rifle moving left to right as I walked through the maze of giant shelves.
Nothing was out of place, and nothing made a sound. Only the faintest noise from the city miles away was audible and even then it only sounded like the smallest of rumbles, to the point I almost even forgot a city was nearby.
It made me uncomfortable, the giant shelves and crates laying around in the darkness.
The silence.
I kept going, my breath even. My heart beating steadily.
Thump…
My trained body swept the entire area with practiced precision. Nothing escaped my gaze.
Thump…
not the crates stacked upon on another.
Thump….
Not the lack of air conditioner, or the strange swap lights hanging form the roof.
Thump…
Not even the flicker of green fire-
Thump! Thump! thump!
Green fire! No! No!
My eyes went wide, the howls of thralls filled my head, my heart started to race, my-
"Nate."
I blinked and then it was just the warehouse in front of me, just the tall shelves and the darkness caused only by the lack of electrical lights.
It wasn't the Darkness.
I wasn't there.
"Breath man." Dig stated.
I swallowed hard, my throat already as dry as sand paper, and kept going, reminding myself that this wasn't the pit. Crota wasn't here. He's dead.
Remember that Nate.
I continued on for a few more minutes, but the longer I found myself in the pure silence and darkness of the warehouse, the more sure I was something was wrong. I turned the next corner I saw, and to my surprise found a complete open area, shaped in a square and surrounded on all sides by rows of shelves like the one I was next too.
It was only visible thanks to my night vision but-
Clank!
Suddenly the square was filled with light! The swap lights above had turned back on!
My grip tightened on my weapon and I backed around the edge of the shelf, only sliding part of my body around the corner so I was aiming right at the square.
The light coming back on wouldn't have bothered me if it wasn't for the fact the entire square was the only thing lit up.
Unfortunately literally nothing was happening, so I still had no idea what was going on here. Obviously something was wrong, but this was just… weird…
"Dig, can you find-"
"Leave me alone!"
I snarled, which was fortunately kept quiet by helmet, as Hana was suddenly yanked into the square by… someone dressed in all black.
How I had not managed to hear anything before was beyond me. Something was happening here.
They were easily taller than me, so definitely taller than Hana, and wore body armor. The helmet they had was thick and their eyes were red neon lights. Whatever kind of weapons they had reminded me of the very first weapon I picked up when Dig brought me back to life for the first time in the Cosmodrome.
The weapon wasn't much threat to me now, but as three more… soldiers, gathered around the first and Hana, who they were now gagging with rope to kept her quiet, I knew they could overwhelm my shields with enough sustained fire.
Hana struggled, kicking and punching at each of the men and scowling so viciously that I really did wish looks could kill. Finally one slammed his fist into her cheek and her head snapped to the side. Her eyes flickered as she fought the seduction of darkness, but her retaliation had stopped which allowed the men to drop a black sack over her head and her hands were tied behind her back with chains.
One of the soldiers reached for their ear and pressed into the helmet, nodding as if they were speaking.
"Dig, intercept that signal, find me whoever's in charge." I stated, waiting anxiously to jump in and rip these four men apart. I just needed to wait for Dig to find their leader.
I could end this whole charade in one night.
"One moment…"
I girt my teeth as the soldier looked up and I followed his gaze. The windows above the square were open and a rope started to descend.
"Dig…" I growled as the men tied Hana in the rope and yanked on it once. Then she started to ascend.
"Nate there's no signal! I can't find anything! wait-"
"Fuck it."
I blinked forward, drawing a knife and throwing it with deadly accuracy. It flew right at the first mans head and I fired at the second before it even hit.
Imagine my surprise when the blade went right through the man and my shot went right through the second.
"What the-"
"The Vigilante!" A voice suddenly roared.
The four soldiers and Hana's rising form suddenly flickered and faded from existence.
Holograms…
I spun around and…. looked up… and up…
It… him… Fuck I assumed it was a dude thanks to the deep voice, but other than that it was a giant fucking machine. Tall and broad, at least twelve feet tall and standing at the end of the square, just where he would've been out of my line of sight from my earlier vantage point.
It was a sleek, polished metal armor with curves and no visible opening in it's design. It's head was shaped like an ancient kabuto. The mouth was covered in what resembled plate armor from when horses and arrows were the pinnacle of technology, and the eyes were a dangerous red like the soldiers.
Its arms were raised as a deep chuckle left it, and it took a step forward, drawing a massive sword from its back.
"How the fuck did someone build this in this primitive time?" Dig gawked and I couldn't help but nod in agreement.
I stepped back as Raze Lighter appeared on my back.
"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, my voice echoing in the warehouse as did his giant steps.
"I am the one who never sleeps. The third, as the one who never dies is the first, and the one who never misses is the second."
"Yay another cryptic fucker." I taunted, lowering my stance so I could dodge at a moments instance.
The sword was easily six feet long and he was closing the distance, I needed to be ready for when he struck.
He laughed once more and suddenly I heard footsteps all around me and my motion tracker started going off like a wild animal. I keep my eyes on the samurai wannabe and Dig informed me, "Nate, you're being surrounded. At least fifteen hostiles all armed like those soldiers were."
"You ran in here rather quick after you saw Ms. Song in trouble. Unfortunately you're about two minutes too late. She's long gone now. She fought rather valiantly but, too bad you can't save her now."
"If you tell me where she went I won't kill you slowly." I said, my voice dropping dangerously low.
They had Hana.
They had her!
My grip tightened on my weapon, and flickers of Arc started to roll over my arms.
"Haha!" the man laughed, twirling the giant sword. "She'll be returned alive I promise you that. But in what state she'll be in… let's just say no one is strong enough to resist torture forever."
I lunged, Arc energy pouring into my right arm. I blinked forward, effectively going through his sword swing and jammed my knife into his chest.
It sunk in, and electricity shot through the machine. Unfortunately it didn't slow down and a back hand sent me flying to the side. I hit the concrete floor and rolled a few feet before stopping. The sword came down at me and I managed to roll to the side in time so I wasn't cleaved in half.
Void power wrapped around me and I flipped up, awkwardly but the light kept me from hurting myself, so once I was upright I opened fire. My bullets hit their mark, his right side, but I couldn't see any visible damage.
The sword swung back at me and I ducked under it. I twirled around its body, blinking forward as I primed a grenade. I lobbed the sticky grenade at the machine and open fire once more.
Suddenly my shields started to flare as the soldiers behind me stared to open fire on me.
The grenade detonated, and I saw the scorch mark appear on the armor. Part of it seemed to weaken and it looked like it had warped under the heat, but nothing else had happened. I cursed.
I flipped back to avoid another sword swing and charged a second grenade, the arc bolt. I landed on my feet and tossed the grenade behind me before, in one swoop, swapped my rifle out for Raze Lighter.
I twirled it above my head just in time to catch the robot man's sword just as the grenade vaporized at least four soldiers.
He grunted something under this breath.
I grinned. "My turn."
Sol power flourished over my body and Raze Lighter shot upward, ripping straight through his sword. I spun and blinked at him, slamming my blade into his right arm. My sword melted it like butter, and I sliced it clean off at the hinges.
Bullets still hit me, and my shields dropped to half strength. Even protected by sol it wasn't enough to protect me from such sustained fire. I needed to end this guy.
I flipped my sword as I landed and spun-
Boom!
I flew back into one of the shelves, denting its metal frame before falling to the ground and landing on all four, my sword falling-out of my hand and the flames of Sol extinguishing as its power was consumed in saving me. Unfortunately my shields had about a tenth of their power left.
I looked up.
The robots remaining arm… well it wasn't an arm anymore. It was a giant canon. Coils lined the inside, and yellow energy discharged from the back as whirring sound started up. It was aimed at me and the sheer size was insane.
I needed Gjallarhorn.
"Dig, I'm gonna use shadow shot. Give me Gjallarhorn on my command."
"Got it."
I slowly got to my feet and the robot took a step forward,as the soldiers behind it started flanking it.
"I'll tell Ms. Song you said goodbye." The man said, his voice dark. Obviously he was upset I ruined his giant suit. Asshole.
The whirring stopped, and the canon started to glow bright.
Purple shadows surrounded my hands and I narrowed my gaze.
I wasn't going to lose to this-
"Oh this place is jammed!"
Suddenly a wave of green shot over the entire area, knocking the men and robot forward, and washing over me. My shields suddenly quadrupled in strength, but the mans canon still fired right at me.
I grit my teeth and tried blinked, but my concentration had been broken. I failed to blink in time.
The blast of yellow hit me head on, tossing me like a rag doll, but as I flew back again, hitting and rolling to a stop on the concrete this time. However, I saw my shields had only depleted to half of their new strength!
I had no idea what it was but…
"Oh, fuck yeah!" I laughed flipping to my feet and raising my hands as Shadowshot appeared.
The mystical arrow shot forth and slammed into the robot. Lines of void power wrapped around the surrounding soldiers, rooting them in place and they wailed as their ability to move suddenly vanished.
"Now!"
The legendary rocket launcher appeared on my back and I grabbed it.
"What sorcery is this!" The man roared as his robot struggled against the dark power of the void.
I fired without responding and the rocket slammed into him, instantly vaporizing him, but the power of the blast was suddenly conserved and transferred to the surrounding soldiers still trapped by the void. They too were vaporized, or blown to bits by the attack and I simply released Gjallarhorn and it, plus Raze Lighter, disappeared in a flash of white.
"That guy was a class A asshat." Dig grumbled in my ear.
"Nate." Lucio's voice spoke up.
I stepped forward around and saw the man, now dressed in a green and blue outfit with some weapon that I couldn't even begin to describe in his hands. He also had roller skates? Or something like that on. Plus a backpack.
However my gratefulness was short lived. Lucio had last been with Hana. What had happened?
I stepped forward again. "What happened?"
He sighed. "I don't know. They set a trap. Waited for us to reach my lab and jumped us. We took down the first few guys, but we tried to run after that. Hana, I guess, knew we wouldn't get away. She hit me over the head with this after saying to find you once I woke up."
The darker man held out Last Word to me. I took it without replying and twisted it in my hand.
"I woke up under some plastic sheets and Hana was gone. Probably hid me after she knocked me out. I grabbed my stuff to go after her then I heard your fight so I came to help…" He shook his head and threw his arms behind his head. "I failed her man…"
I couldn't argue with that, but still I said, "don't worry about it, we'll find her."
"Dude they took her! The people who wanted to kill her! Why do you think they took her?" He exclaimed, obviously upset.
I sighed. "She's alive right? As long as she holds out then she'll stay alive. That's her best bet at surviving and by knocking you out and not hiding herself, she obviously knows that."
"Man, what do we do?"
I crossed my arms. "We find her, and kill those who took her."
Clap.
Instantly Last Word was raised at the top of the shelves were the sound came from. I could feel Lucio tense up behind me and prepare himself for another showdown.
Clap.
Boots. Heavy, and defining thundered as a person walked right to the edge of the light, covered in darkness and dressed in what I assumed was all black. Only their hands were visible, and the pale, rough skin did nothing else other than to ease my mind in the fact it wasn't Vape God.
Clap.
"So you are the vigilante who is so desperate to ruin our plans?" The voice was electrical, covered in static and was obviously using something to ensure no one would recognize them.
I knew Dig would set to work at decrypting their voice, but I had to keep them talking. Plus, maybe if I pissed them off they'd let slip wherever they'd taken Hana.
"And who exactly is we?" I asked, my shoulders relaxing but my aim staying true, right for where I knew their head would be.
The hands disappeared, and the boots made softer sounds as the person obviously started to walk away. "Now that would be telling wouldn't it?"
I growled and blinked up before boosting to the top of the giant shelves. Fuck this dude.
I landed and my night vision showed me exactly who I was now facing on top of the giant shelves in a warehouse.
They were indexed dressed in all black, but their face was concealed by a mask and hood. A black cloak billowed behind them, similar to my own, and their hands were clasped behind their back.
"Fascinating. Almost as fast as the pilot…" They muttered, and I could almost visualize the smirk on their face.
"What pilot? And where's Hana?"
The person turned away from me. "Oh you know the pilot! Cute, short, British. Much more attractive than the child prodigy wouldn't you say?"
"All right enough!" I roared and I lunged forward.
Imagine my surprise when my fist missed their head. Except I didn't just miss, they weren't even there anymore!
My first instinct was to think hologram like Hana's earlier plight had been, but the person spoke up from behind me this time.
"Tsk tsk. Not as much control as the pilot though, but as angry as the cowboy. Hmph. You're abilities are indeed interesting, much like Doomfist himself, though he of course was a mindless brute."
I spun and fired Last Word six times in less than two seconds right in the direction of their voice. I missed, but this time I saw their form shimmer and fade as my bullets virtually fazed through them.
I snarled and Sol powered wrapped around my free arm, and Golden Gun came to life. "Where's Hana!"
"To your right!" Dig informed me.
I saw the figure fleeing, leaping from shelf to shelf as they headed towards the exit.
"They're trying to escape!" I yelled out for Lucio, who I wasn't even sure was still around after I sort of ditched him on the ground.
I blinked after them and fired Golden Gun. The bullet missed at the last second, as they twisted just in the nick of time, and the bullet slammed into a crate, turning it to ash with a orange flash and blasting the other crates behind it to smithereens.
My feet landed on the next shelf and I blinked again. When I landed I rolled and fired off two shots with Last Word before complimenting it with another shot from Golden Gun.
The figure once more faded from existence and I went wide eyed as they repapered, this time over thirty feet ahead of where they had been, landed atop a crate with enough force to audibly crack it.
"Stop moving! Dig, lock onto them!" I yelled as I once more leaped from shelf to shelf.
"I can't! They don't have anything, not even a heat signature to lock onto!"
It was dark still, but the flashes of light from my weapons and my night vision made it clear as day for me.
The doors to the front of the warehouse came into view as a third shot from Golden Gun missed, and the figure landed on the second to last shelf before he reached the doors. I was too far!
I still had four more shelves to go! How did he get so far ahead!
"No!" I roared.
They had Hana. They were getting away!
I couldn't fail!
NOT AGAIN!
With a blind fury lightening swirled around my Sol covered body, replacing orange flames with white flickering light, and I instantly blinked forward three times, closing the distance instantly between us and using up the entirely of the power I could safely use.
But it was enough, and I landed only feet from the figure as they landed on the last shelf.
"You!" I roared and I blinked forward once more, drawing my blade and raising Last Word.
However I reappeared and the figure disappeared with a flicker, evading my shots and my swipe.
I spun and-
"Bonjour."
Two heels slammed into my chin throwing me back with enough force so that I landed on the concrete floor and slide to a halt about five feet in front of the door.
"I'll tell the girl you said your goodbye."
Boom!
Something detonated, I was thrown back even further, my shields blaring and Dig yelling something in my ear to the effect of 'are you alive?'
The cold embrace of the night swallowed the flames from the explosion and I crashed onto my back, coughing as the air was knocked out of my lungs.
"Fuck!" I growled only seconds later, adrenaline pumping through my heart at a pace that would put even a race horse to shame.
I started to get to my feet when-
"Put your hands in the air!" A voice suddenly said, though the electric buzz on the translated voice caused me to freeze.
I blinked and turned around.
Police cars, sirens, and at least a dozen police officers surrounded the warehouse, and were all armed to the teeth. They… They set me up! Again! Fuck!
I saw the flicker of yellow behind me and glanced back.
The warehouse was on fire. All of it.
God only knows if Lucio even made it out.
"Hands in the air!" The man repeated.
I grit my teeth. They were in my way!
"Look!" I started. "I need to-"
"On the ground!" another cop yelled and I heard them cock their weapons.
There were a lot of them, and I could easily kill them all. I needed to find Hana… but would I really kill these men who were just doing their job to find her?
I told her to trust me, and if I killed them all just to get by so I could find her… Would I be worth that trust?
What was I supposed to do?
"Nate, I've almost got the black box open." Dig stated.
"Hana…." I muttered under my breath glancing up at the dark sky.
"You have ten seconds to comply or we will open fire!"
Ten seconds to decide…
Violence…
Or cooperation…
I didn't know where Hana was. They took her, but the back box was almost open. I could find her then. They had to have something useful on there! But how long would she be alive? Obviously they needed her for something now, hence their kidnapping of her instead of just blowing the warehouse with her inside….
What did she know or have these people could want!
What could I do?
I was never trained for tracking down a missing person in a world full of people who would die to ensure she'd never be found! I'd never had to scour a globe filled with human civilization to find the one person in this place that trusted me….
These cops were in my way.
"Nate."
"They're in the way." I felt the light boiling under my skin.
"You don't kill for no reason. She didn't kill for no reason. Don't taint the name of Guardian for even this. You're a protector."
She called me that once…
A protector.
With the sickening feeling of guilt raking my heart, with the pain of betrayal stinging my eyes, I raised my hands. I would surrender myself for a moment, if only to buy Dig time.
I prayed to the Traveler, to God, to whatever was listening that Hana would last the night…
If she didn't….
I'd never forgive myself…
An hour later I found myself sitting in a chair inside a stingy gray room with no personality other than a camera in a single corner of the room. Only one person had come by to talk to me, and if I was to guess, it was most likely a lawyer, though they seemed as interested in me as I was interested in watching paint dry.
Then of course they had tried to take my helmet off. Imagine their shock when I sent electric shock therapy, courtesy of sending a burst of Arc energy through my body, through the poor sap that tried to pry it off.
Dig had yet to say anything, which left me to assume he was almost through with the box, and which left me here feeling very angsty.
I was worried that if one cop said one bad thing to me or about Hana, I'd snap and break every bone in his body.
I couldn't help but think of what they were doing to her. Was the hologram even real? Would they tie her up? Beat her? Cut her apart piece by piece? Torture her in the most heinous of ways?
The thoughts were too much, but they kept coming.
I'd seen some shit in the Last City, and it would take a lot to break my resolve, but it'd never happened to someone I'd know before.
Anyone whoever tried to hurt a Guardian in the Last City was killed on the spot. No remorse for traitors against your species, against those that were doing their absolute best to keep you alive.
Still….
Here I was. Waiting. And counting every second.
Hana was strong. She'd last. I hope she would at least.
If she didn't…
I couldn't have another Kathy. Another Marcus. Or Fredric. Or Sahara. Or-
My thoughts ground to a halt before ether vision came back. I couldn't let the past get to me now. Hana needed me to focus.
I, needed to to focus.
But this silence was killing me! If they were gonna charge me with murder of some bull shit then they just needed to charge me already!
Once they tried to take me to prison I could escape. They wouldn't be ready for it, wouldn't be trigger happy, and would feel secure. I could get away with only knocking them out cold.
I really didn't want to kill anyone, especially innocent cops who were just doing their job.
Suddenly the click of the door lock rung out and I tensed as it swung open.
The man who had basically identified himself as the police chief when I had arrived at the station walked in, the lawyer following close behind.
"Since you've given us no information," the man started, his dark skin and eyes a contrast to the lawyers light skin and green eyes, "we're going to hold you indefinitely at the Favela Prison. This is your last chance to take the bargain."
The bargain was something the lawyer had talked about earlier. Granted I had barely paid attention, but the gist of it was that if I agreed to testify against my supposed accomplices I would get a reduced sentence.
Of course I had nothing to say so I said nothing in response to the chief.
He grunted in clear disapproval once he got the hint and stood up. "Alejandro, Jacon, get in here and take him to the truck."
Two more officers, smaller than the chief and barely about my height, barely, walked in but instead of making their way to me they turned to the chief.
"Uh chief," The smaller, rounder one started, "apparently his girlfriends here? She want's to talk to him about a lawyer."
That made me raise an eyebrow. I had no girlfriend first off, and second off the only other ally I had in this city was Lucio who was most definitely a dude. And was probably cooked like a kabob…
Poor guy…
"Who the…" The chief growled. "Watch him and I'll deal with her." With that the chief left, lawyer in tow, and the two officers looked at each other before looking at me with skeptical eyes as the door closed.
Each moved to one side of the room, and one leaned adjacent a wall while the other crossed their arms and looked down at me.
"So, you some sort of lun-nananana-atic?" The one with crossed arms asked, the translator glitching for a moment. Hopefully it wasn't too damaged.
"Probably on drugs." The other chuckled.
"Look at the way he's dressed." The first scoffed leering down at me. "Definitely on drugs."
I rolled my eyes.
"Think he's like… trying to impress his girlfriend?"
"Probably compensating for something, ahaha!"
Okay I said I didn't want to hurt the cops, but these two could do with a few broken bones. It would lighten up their egos if they couldn't walk for a few weeks.
"Think he's a timmy two inch?"
"You see his girl? No woman like that would want something like that. Of course he is! Which is why he plays dress up and tries to be some hero!"
Oh these fuckers we're gonna get it.
However before I could continue to plot my revenge the door flew open and the Chief stuck his head in. "Out you two." He looked at me. "You two have three minutes."
The two officers left without a word, obviously smart enough to stop being shit heads in front of the Chief, but as they left someone else slipped in.
Someone I… Well literally the last person I expected walked in. Or maybe it was the last person of a group of persons that I literally didmc expect walked in?
It was the cheerleader, but she was dressed in short shorts, and had a light coat wrapped around her upper body, obviously covering what I assume was that damn glowing orb on her chest. He hair was still the same, aside from now being a bright pink, and she wore cute glasses now instead of her googles and heavy eyeliner that helped change her appearance.
The only reason I noticed her was because of the eyes. You don't forget the eyes of someone who's shot at you at point blank and fought you toe to toe.
That, and the fact a picture appeared of her normal appearance on my hud. Obviously courtesy of Dig.
She grabbed the chair across from me and sat down with smile, exclaiming, "babe I told you this was bad idea…"
I was surprised how her accent barely translated over to the language the locals spoke. Obviously she knew how to disguise herself.
She pulled out a simple phone and tossed it on the table nonchalantly.
"Hun, if you don't cooperate then they're going to through you away. Just… turn Garrett and Jose in and-" I watched as her hand slithered to the phone and pressed on the screen.
I glowed white for a moment before darkening and immediately she switched back to her British accent with english words as company.
"Love, how you got caught I don't know, but we have two minutes before they realize it's not their equipment messing up." She stated leaning back, and I noticed the camera in the corner wilt. "Where's Ms. Song?"
My mind was on overdrive. Why was she here? Obviously Overwatch had resources enough to find me across the world, but they also seemed to avoid violence with the authorities. Whether it was for moral or logical reasons I didn't know, but I knew part of their reputation at least. Hana had been adamant about their purity.
Should I trust this woman? At least enough to help get me the hell out of here?
Maybe trick her into taking me to Overwatch and slipping away from her if she was alone.
"Look," She started, "we have a minute and a half. Where's Ms. Song?" She asked, her voice dropping, but her eyes pleading with me to answer. "Did you-"
"No" I snapped, but I sighed afterwards. "They took her. Whoever that damned sniper worked with. They took her."
"The sniper from where we fought?"
"Yeah, not dressed modestly and not much of an eye sore either." I replied.
Her eyes went wide. "Talon has her…"
"Who?"
"Thats the name of the group she works for. Talon, an organization we've been fighting for years!" She shook her head. "How'd they get the drop on you?"
I narrowed my gaze behind my helmet. "We don't have time for stories, but they set me up again and lead the cops to me. I wasn't about to slaughter all the police who were there to arrest me so I let them take me in. Once they transferred me I was gonna escape and find Hana."
"You don't know where she is?"
I shook my head.
She pursed her lips. "If I know Talon, and she's still alive then they want information from her."
"Obviously." I retorted. She shot me a glare but it wasn't even close to the intensity Hana normally shot at me.
Then she replied. "They'll probably send her to their lead interrogator… Some Russian… We don't know who he is, but we've seen his work…"
She let the dark implication hang and I clenched my fists.
"Then we need to find her." I stated.
She nodded but kept her suspicious gaze still locked onto me. "I'll have to take you to the others first. They want to talk to you, give you one more chance considering our last date was sort of ruined."
"How about we get me out of here first?" I gestured to the room around me.
"And you'll come quietly?"
"I promise not to punch you in the face or kill any cops. Does that count?"
She glared at me. "We'll talk more outside. Wait exactly thirty seconds then make your move." Her hand hit the phone on the table and I glanced to the corner of the room. The camera suddenly straightened itself.
Whatever she did I had no idea, but the door opened not ten seconds after she had done it and the police escorted her out. From their demeanor she obviously wasn't a suspect, so she left and-
Did she wink at me?
The door slammed shut and the two officers, the losers from before, moved around the table towards me. One held cuffs and the other had his hand on a pistol.
"Twenty seconds." Dig informed me.
"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, my helmet automatically switching to internal speakers.
"For your information I just decrypted the black box thank you very much. Wasn't too hard once I realized that the biological seal was breakable by-"
"Enough technical shit. Did you find anything?" I asked as I slowly stood and raised my hands. The man with the cuffs grabbed my wrist and started to pull it behind my back.
"Ten. And yes. I found the favorite base of operations for one sociopathic Russian named Ranzeek Gorbotraugh. Nasty work like cheerleader said. Fortunately for us, his base is only a couple hundred miles north of her in a country called Mexico."
"How much do you wanna bet Hana's there?" I asked.
"I'd bet you Raze Lighter." Dig stated, his voice holding a dark tone.
The man grabbed my left arm and locked the cuffs around my wrists.
"Did you find out what they were planning?"
He sighed. Not good. "Well, I broke the lock without a key and the information got scrambled, and by scrambled I mean the moment I was in the box activated a wireless signal and dumped its contents onto the web. Now its a matter of putting it all together from across the globe. Five seconds."
I cracked my neck with a slow roll, but only the man to my right, the one with his hand on the gun noticed. He just raised an eyebrow.
"Can you get it done by tomorrow?"
"Dude its across the world… Half of it basically disappeared and we'd have to track it down. You're lucky as shit I caught a few terabytes of data and managed to find the sociopath cheerleader thinks took Hana."
Three…
"Then start looking. First we find Hana, then the info."
Two…
"Yes, boss."
"Don't be a shit."
One…
I flared Sol over my body, and the fire melted the cuffs. The cops yelled something unintelligible, and I pivoted on one heel, slamming my now flying heel in the side of the cop reaching for the gun. He buckled and gasped for air, but I used my momentum to carry me around and slammed my fist into the face of the second officer, throwing him to the wall and knocking him out with a single blow.
One down, one to go. I turned again and socked the first officer in the chest. He flew back and hit the wall, before my first to his face knocked him out too.
I stretched my shoulder. "Good riddance."
With that I made my way to the door and kicked it open, Last Word appearing in my hand as I rolled out and took aim.
But no one was there?
Like the halls of the station were empty…
What the hell did Cheerleader do?
I kept my weapon raised and walked down the halls and past the holding cells, prepared to ignore the criminals who I was sure would sneer and leer at me only to find them sound asleep.
Odd.
I made it to the front reception area without a hitch and kicked the door open. There had been plenty of desks and cubicles in the front when I came in, meaning a lot of officers, and I was ready for a fight.
And there was no one again…
The shit?
I started forward and looked over the wall of one cubicle- only to find the officer sound asleep on his desk. I blinked and lowered my gun before looking around the other cubicles and desks to find that literally everyone was asleep.
"Bit creepy staring at someone sleep, don't ya think love?"
Cheerleader was standing next to the front doors, her arms crossed and a smile plastered on her face as she obviously chewed gum.
"The hell did you do?"
She shrugged. "Let off some nap time gas. Knocked the poor sluggers right out."
"Smart." But I didn't lower my weapon. Instead I raised it and cheerleader frowned. "So how about we talk about this getting impounded by Overwatch thing?"
"We just want-"
"I want a puppy and sixty three ice cream cones." I scoffed. "But Hana needs to be saved now. Theres no time for sitting down and talking to your boy band, so if you'll excuse me."
Instantly she blinked and was standing in front of me, her sub machine gun planted firmly on my chest.
I frowned.
"Love, I don't want to fight. We can talk."
We were wasting time, and a fight with her could go on way too long for comfort. I had to end this now, and there were only two ways to do that. One, drive my knife in her heart. Two, ask her to listen.
"Then listen."
She blinked, obviously caught off guard by the response.
"Help me find Hana," I started, "Once we do, and she's safe, we'll talk."
She studied me for a few seconds, wasting what little time I had, and I was prepared to just punch her when she replied, "you really want her safe?"
I pursed my lips. "That's all I've been trying to do for weeks. Keep her safe."
She stared at me, her eyes giving away her indecision. She had been told other things, seen other things like the video of me stabbing Hana. She had seen Hana defend me, and now she saw me going after Hana after she was taken.
She didn't know what to think.
She was at a loss.
"Either decide, or move." I growled. "I don't have time-"
She held up a hand.
"Lets go get her."
The first thing Hana saw was darkness. Pure blackness, not an inch of light in sight.
It took her a moment to realize that her eyes were closed so she tried to open them. Unfortunately it was actually…. hard to open them. Not like you were asleep and were just waking up hard, it was like your eyelids were being dragged down two bricks taped to them.
When was the last time she had felt that? That's right. Never.
But after some struggling she managed to open her eyes. She was met with gray concrete. Well a gray concrete floor if her position told her anything.
Her muscles ached and she felt the bruise forming on her cheek. How had she gotten that?
Oh yeah! That giant dude had punched her!
Her eyes went wide.
The ones who kidnapped her!
She forced her head up and instantly tried to move. Her wrists were held in metal. That, she could feel.
She looked up, but it was so close to being pitch black all around that it was nearly impossible to make out the shape of chains wrapped around her wrists. She tried to kick, but the pull of cuffs holding her ankles told her she was bound to the floor as well.
A cool breeze washed over her and she shivered, her short shorts offering her little to no protection from the frigid air.
She struggled for a few moments but realized quickly it was useless. With a deep breath to calm her fear ridden body she took in her surroundings. She could see the two metal tables on either side of her. She could see the vague outlines of tools on them.
An involuntary shiver ran over her spine.
Where was she?
She decided to focus on whatever lay beyond the tables, but it was too dark for her to tell.
She wanted to call out but knowing she had been kidnapped, knew it was a terrible idea. Of course though that left the question of why she had been kidnapped. If it was the same people who wanted her dead… well that didn't make any sense!
They wanted her dead! Why take her alive?
Creak…
She shot her head up and saw light flood the room as two doors at the front of the room opened up. She was momentarily blinded and glanced away so her eyes could adjust.
"Little Hana Song. Smaller in person." A light voice with a thick Russian accent picked up from somewhere in front of her.
She squinted and looked up, and caught the outline of some man dressed in darker clothes, as a light above was suddenly turned on. She didn't bother to give him a reply.
"You see," the man stared as his voice trailed off to where she knew the tables where, "I 'ave been given the most unfortunate task, of…"
Her vision adjusted and she watched as the man lifted up a large nail, inspecting it from behind his massive, circular rimmed glasses.
"…making you sing." A smile etched its way onto his face.
She gulped and subconsciously pulled away from him, though the chains kept her from going anywhere.
"See, it is alvays a tragedy when perfection is blemished." He placed the nails down and the doors closed leaving them alone.
Beads of sweat stared to form on her forehead.
He grabbed something else, a saw. It was rusted, and its once serrated edges were now dull. He twisted it in front of him before speaking up. "And you, are perfection indeed."
The saw was discarded onto the table.
He picked up a box and shook it. Something inside rattled. He smiled and she shivered again.
"You see Ms. Song, you are a hero, a celebrity, and a beautiful woman all at the same time." He slithered around the table, staring at her like she was some sort of lab rat. "So few in all of history have been all three at once."
His wrinkled hands open the box in front of her, and her eyes went wide as she saw its contents; hooks, barbs, needles, and fish-wire.
"Alas, you may be exquisite, but you must sing. Therefore," he plucked a needle, a simple fish hook and grabbed the wire, looping it through the small hole at the hooks end, before looking back up at her.
"I will be you conductor."
D'Va's screams filled the air.
A/N So here's the next chapter. Sorry for it being so late. See I just started school again, with 21 hours and working to pay bills. I haven't had much time, and what time I do have is gone to homework, writing the chapter, writing my actual novel, or miscellaneous things like friends, naps, or staying alive.
It's been a hell of a week, and fortunately now that my schedule I was able to finish this chapter before the week was up. I split it initially because I wanted to update but needed more time to finish the last half, so I split the chapter.
I do apologize for the lateness, but it's hard to write when your brain's on overload.
Anyway hope you like depths chapter! The ante has been uped, and now Hana's in danger, and Nates on the verge of killing a bunch of people. Now for anyone wondering, Nate's not willing to kill innocents, or harmless people. People who attack him and try to kill him or a friend? Fair game. Innocent? No.
Now hopefully the idea of torture doesn't turn you away….
Review Response
ecoolasice: Thanks :D
TheJester: Agreed. I just thought it was a promise I could keep. Life proved me wrong.
Cyberknight: We'll see. To be fair, I only have the first arc truly planned out. Of course there are major plots points and characters I've planned for the the rest of the story, but they won't come out till later.
Guest: …. I did not know he was so short….
Horizon Unsheathed : Well their meeting happened here. More of awkward, and kind of a meeting that fits the situation, but Tracer will offer an explanation next chapter and they'll really get down to talking… or fighting.
Lord Salad Bar: The detective part will still keep going, as is evident by the fact they now need to scour the globe for the information the Black Box dumped.
Sneky : Not much of a spoiler, but yeah he's been in the crucible.
GummyBears117: Everyone will see his power. Just not yet. They just got a glimpse of it this time.
Anonymous: Mercy and Nate… hmmm. ;) Maybe.
unknown: As in the ship ship, like his group of ragtag heroes? Or the ship in which he ends up with them romantically?
Guest: Maybe Guardians don't lose part of themselves. Still doesn't mean they like dying even if they can come back. And its a small part of losing yourself, and either way why would the elder guardians care about you dying if you can just revive? Why would your ghost care?
Courier47: Haha! Maybe that will happen! As of now thought shit's kind of hit the fan. Next chapter you'll get the consequences of this chapter and we'll see if Lucio's alive, Tracers reaction to Nate and his side of the story, and if Hana can survive being tortured.
ZILLAFAN: In sheer strength Chief still has even Guardians beat. Of course thought, there will be things Nate has to fight that only together they could, but well… I'll save the surprise for later.
Well thats that friends.
If you want, leave your opinion of the darker take this story will have. That was always the intent, but I have a backup plan in case the readers don't want it to be too dark. I won't go into like, super super detailed description of things like Hana being tortured, but there'll be references and glimpses of it if you all are cool with that.
Anyway! thanks for reading! Review please! God Bless you guys!
P.S. PM me if you have any specific questions that just can't wait.
-Metal4k