I am so glad I got the majority of this chapter wrote before Wednesday. A novel I preordered based off of Overwatch (the game that is the inspiration for this trilogy) came out Tuesday and it arrived on my front steps the very day of release and It's been taking up a good chunk of my free time. And let me tell you something everyone, it's giving me a lot of good ideas on how to make this story even better so this story might be even longer than originally planned. Or at the very least I take out a few unneeded things to make room for the new ideas.
Anyway the novel is called "The Hero of Numbani and it's based on the creation of this robot hero in the game and her journey to be a hero for her city as she fights to save her home from the terrorist Talon agent Doomfist.
If this trilogy has made you interested at all on the Overwatch franchise and you want to check out some of the lore this is a good one to check out.
Anyway, blah, blah, blah, enough of that LET'S GET ON WITH THE STORY!
After a full day of sleeping off her hangover with the only breaks involving puking her guts out in the bathroom, Reby was on her feet the very next day. Like promised, after breakfast Reby went grocery shopping, parking her giant mech in the middle of the parking lot before spending more than two hundred dollars on food and beverages.
After a hour of food shopping Reby walked out to the parking lot to see to her horror a cop writing a ticket on Reby's Mech.
"What the hell our you doing?" Reby screamed "I didn't park next to a meter!"
"No but you did park next to a fire lane," The cop replied handing her the ticket.
"Oh for Christ sake, where else am I supposed to park this damn thing? It doesn't exactly fit in the regular parking spaces."
"Have you ever tried getting a regular car?"
"A regular car?" Reby gasped almost offended "Do you have any idea who I am? I am D. Va, a freaking celebrity, the hero who has saved this city a hundred times!"
"Well then you should have no problem paying that ticket then, have a nice day." The cop then got in his cop car and as he drove off Reby screamed in his direction and waved the ticket in the air angrily.
"Yeah no autograph for you! And your not invited to my next victory party!"
Grumbling to herself Reby shoved the groceries into the Mech, thanking herself for making more space in the mech during one of it's many remodels four years ago before flying home, cussing to herself the whole time.
Reby was still upset when she got home, slamming the screen door opened as she carried four bags in her hands.
"Hey what did we talk about slamming the screen door?" Jo scolded at the sound of the loud slam.
"I don't really care right now," Reby grumbled dropping the bag of groceries at the refrigerator before going outside to get some more.
"What's the matter, the store out of Lucio' Ohs?" Jo asked noticing Reby's grumpy behavior
"Oh no they got some," Reby replied when she walked back in with more groceries, pulling out the box of her favorite cereal that just so happened to be named after her favorite techno singer. "Turns out despite my celebrity status I still can't park my Mech next to a fire lane, even though none of the parking spaces are big enough for that thing.
Reby thought Jo was going to be upset, either at Reby for taking the Mech grocery shopping or at the cop for ticketing her, none of those two things happened, instead to Reby's surprise Jo just burst out laughing.
"Hey are you listening to me? I said I got a ticket." Reby replied offended that her own cousin was laughing at her predicament.
"Oh yeah, I heard you, that's why I am laughing. I knew this was going to happen someday and I have been waiting for it to happen so I could finally laugh and say I told you so."
"You knew this was going to happen?"
"Oh yes, since the first time you used your celebrity status to get out of a ticket. I knew one of these days you was going to come across some cop who didn't care and give you one anyway. So Ha Ha!"
"Okay just for that, you don't get to be the first one to read the latest issue of the National Enquirer!" Reby replied angrily as she pulled put the magazine.
"Hey give me that!" Jo lunged at the magazine also tackling Reby to the ground as she grabbed the magazine and opened it to the first story. Not even waiting to sit at a table to read it.
"Oh by the way I got us lunch," Reby took out two bowl of Korean food. It's barbecue with veggies and a spicy gochujang sauce along with a bowl of dumplings."
"Oh thanks, I'm starving." Jo walked up and grabbed a couple of dumplings, a pair of chopsticks and the bowl of korean barbecue as she walked to the living room, holding her food in one hand and reading her magazine in the other. Impressed how Jo didn't drop anything or walk into a wall while reading her magazine Reby picked up her food and joined Jo in the living room.
Plopping down on the couch and setting her food on the coffee table Reby turned on the TV to watch the latest Overwatch League Match while eating her lunch.
"Who's playing?" Jo asked, not even looking down from her magazine as she ate a bite of noodles.
"Paris and Seoul. Seriously could it kill them to bring a team into Italy? They have teams in France, South Korea, and all over the world plus several in America but none in Italy? Come on girl I want to try out."
"Wouldn't that be kind of hard with your career right now?" Jo asked before nearly spitting out her food in laughter over something in the magazine.
"What's so funny?" Reby asked turning to make sure her cousin wasn't about to choke on some food.
"This article," Jo chuckled wiping away some tears from laughing so hard. "Oh God I hope you don't show this to Branch, he will hunt down the author and kill either him or her."
"Okay now you have my attention."
Jo started to read "Branch is actually gay, surfaced photo shows Watchdog's leader, Branch and another male troll in a romantic scene."
"Oh God I can hear Suki already having fun at his expense over this one, being the only open LGBT member on the team."
"Get this," Jo replied showing Reby the photo of Branch out to dinner with another male troll in what looks like a patio in Venice Italy. "This troll is Branch's cousin who he hadn't seen in years. Oh God when Branch sees this he is going to explode."
"I can see that already happening." Reby chuckled already picturing Branch's head literally exploding off his body when Reby shows him the article.
"And Seoul takes the first match!" The announcer on TV Spoke.
"Well duh," Jo replied still not setting down the magazine "They have the best player in the world on their team."
"Second best player," Reby replied "But the best who is actually in the league."
"Oh come on," Jo rolled her eyes when she heard this. "Hana Song is worlds better than you."
"No she isn't, I could beat her one on one easily. Not my fault I'm to busy to join a team because I'm out saving the world."
"Come on Reby, your out of practice. You haven't been able to pick up that game in a long time thanks to your schedule, and she probably plays for hours each day."
"I think I recall I use to be like that too before I became a Watchdog, and I may not have played in a while but I am nowhere near rusty. If I ever get a chance to face Hana, I will challenge her to a little one on one match up."
Suddenly the game was interrupted by the local news causing Reby to jump up from her feet in anger.
"Oh come on, they were just about to start the second map!"
"We interrupt your programming with breaking news, several flying robots have been spotted terrorizing downtown, no casualties have been reported yet but there have been several confirmed injuries."
"Looks like your needed," Jo replied finally setting down her magazine as she watched the destruction unfold on TV. The robots was attacking a carnival sending everyone in attendance scrambling for safety.
"Oh come on, can I get more than two days without having to be a hero?" Reby complained as she sat down her food and started walking towards her mech suit. "It's seriously gotten to the point I can't even eat lunch and watch a Esport event anymore."
Getting into her mech Reby pushed the ignition button and flew off towards downtown. "Let's make this quick I want to be home in time to watch the final map!"
As Reby arrived to the scene of the attack she saw five flying robots shooting missals at a Ferris wheel where several people were still trapped.
"D. Va engaging!" Reby shouted shooting at the robots getting their attention.
"Hey!" Reby replied as the robots turned as faced her. "Why don't you fight someone who can actually fight back? Will make things a whole lot more fun."
"Don't taunt the enemy Reby," Jo spoke up over the Mech's intercom "It speaks of overconfidence."
"Oh Jo, your sounding more like Branch everyday."
Suddenly the robots gave chase allowing Reby to lead the robots away from civilization and into the ocean
"Alright you flying tin cans, it's time for some hero action."
The five robots shot missals at Reby head on, but Reby just smiled as she put up her defenses.
"Activating Defense Matrix." A small shield appeared in front of the Mech blocking all of the missals and covering the sky in smoke.
"Reby, I can't see you on TV" Jo replied as she watched the action unfold at home "There is nothing but smoke are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Reby replied as she blocked the last missal. Now it was time for her to counter. Reby fired the guns on both of the Mech's gauntlets as well as it's missals, but as the robots flew in closer and closer they just swerved out of reach of Reby's attacks surprising Reby.
"These things are smart, almost like they are adapting."
As the robots flew past Reby, she had to turn her mech around in order to unleash a second attack.
"Reby they are splitting up!" Jo replied over the intercom as she saw two robots go up towards the sky and three go below closer to sea level.
"I see," Reby answered deciding to take the two heading towards the clouds first. As she shot at the two robots she stared at the sky and noticed that a storm was forming. Suddenly hard rain started to fall and the sky darkened making it harder to see her target.
"You have got to be kidding me?" Reby screamed as she fired blindly, to her surprise she actually hit one and watched it explode at the corner of her eyes.
"One down four to go."
"Reby, the storm is getting bad out there," Jo watched as lightning was flashing in Jo's area and the rain was getting heavier and heavier by the second. "Wrap this up quickly and get out of there!"
"I'm trying!"
Chasing down the second of the robots she flew her mech close enough that she was able to land on the robot and fire into it until it broke into pieces.
"Okay, just three to go, you can do this Reby," Reby exhaled and turned her mech towards the other three.
As she approached the three robots, she gasped as the metal tentacles appeared from the robots and started spinning fast like blades. The large tentacles blades scraped into Reby's mech damaging it and breaking off one of her gauntlet.
"I'm taking damage!" Reby screamed as red lights started flashing on her screen signalling heavy damage.
"Reby, land and call for reinforcements now! You cannot take another hit like that!"
"They won't get here in time!" Now it was Reby who was on the run, with one gauntlet down Reby was at a huge disadvantage. Reby turned her engines to full speed hoping to at least lose them long enough to plan out her next strategy, but no matter how hard she flew her mech could not lose them.
"These things are fast!"
The three remaining robots where firing blast after blast at Reby, and it was taking everything she had to avoid her suit taking another hit. She couldn't lose them, there was no way, turning her mech around, she flew backwards as she fired blindly in there direction, somehow managing to take out two of them.
"Come on Reby, one left, let's do this!" Reby replied to herself, wiping sweat off her brow.
She aimed her one remaining gauntlet at the robot, only to look on in surprise as it turned and headed towards the city.
"Reby, it's heading back to the city!" Jo pointed out "If it reaches city limits again who knows what damage it will do!"
"Then let's make sure it doesn't get there!"
Reby turned her mech around and chased after the robot. But with the hard falling rain, heavy winds and black clouds it was nearing impossible to see, much less keep up.
Suddenly a flash of lightning struck her mech suit, catching one of her engines on fire.
"Crap!" Reby screamed looking at the flames coming from here right engine.
"Reby, land that thing and get to safety! I will call for backup!"
"Jo they will not get here on time!"
"Reby, if you keep pursuing you will die!"
"If I retreat thousands more will die!"
Ignoring Joe's orders Reby continued pursuit, aiming her gauntlet at the robot's silhouette that peaked out from the hard rain.
"Come on!" Reby fired everything she could at the robot but it saw her attack coming and dodged everyone.
"No!"
Reby's eyes lit up as the robot changed course and charged her. Reby tried to fire another round but the robot grabbed hold of the gauntlet before Reby could fire. Reby struggled to loosen the gauntlet but it was no use, she watched in horror as the robot ripped it clean off, leaving her defenseless.
"No!" Reby cried "I can't stop this thing!"
Reby looked at the many red lights flashing on the mech's screen, the mech's systems were overloading, it couldn't take another hit.
As Reby was about to accept her defeat she remembered something Branch told her shortly after she joined the Watchdogs.
Being a hero isn't about just saving people from dangerous situations, it's about being willing to lay down your life for the people in those situations.
Closing her eyes, realizing the only move she had left Reby called Jo.
"Jo, get the Watchdogs on the line, I am going to stop this thing no matter what."
"How? You got know weapons left."
"No, there is one card I still have left."
Jo's eyes widened as she gasped "Reby no, you can't, you will die!"
"If I do, than I just do, but it's the only way I can save everyone."
"But Reby, I need you."
"Call the Watchdogs, tell them to get here as quickly as possible, and Jo, if this is my fate, I just want you to know, I love you."
"I..." Jo choked not wanting to say it, not because she didn't love Reby cause she did, she was her cousin and basically a sister to her. But saying it meant that this very well might be the last time she speaks to her. "I love you too."
With that Reby turned off her intercom and focused squarely on the robot as it was about to approach the city. Pushing some buttons on the mech's screen a mechanical voice was heard over the intercom.
"Self destruct sequence is thirty seconds."
The mech didn't have much fuel or charge left do to losing the first engine, but using what she had left she pressed down on the controls full speed and charged at the robot.
Self destruct in twenty seconds.
Reaching the robot she said the famous lines from her favorite Overwatch character, the one she named herself out of and designed her mech from, then ejected from the suit.
"Nerf this!"
"Self destruct in ten... nine... eight... seven... six..."
The world slowed as Reby fell towards the sea, and she saw her whole flashed before her eyes. Was this what dying felt like?
"Five... four... three... two... one"
Reby saw both her beloved mech and the robot explode in a giant fire ball. Then she saw a giant light as she got caught in the explosion that slammed her at such a high speed into the ocean she felt like she slammed into a brick wall. Then, her entire world went black.
There was only two memories that Reby remembered before she fell into coma, the first was the Split Stream lowering a crane to pick her up out of the water. The other was Jo being by her side, a face of shear horror and worry as Tooth led her to the base infirmary.
"Reby, stay with me Reby, I'm right here." After that, she fell into coma.
The whole Watchdog team waited outside the imfirmary, hardly anyone said a word as they waited on Tooth to work her miracle procedure on her. Puss, holding a bouquet of roses in his hands walked up to Jo, who sat in a bench, her head in her hands as she sobbed out a prayer for her cousin. Sitting down next to her he handed the bouquet to her.
"To give to Reby when she wakes up." Puss replied in a soft comforting voice.
"Thank you," Jo sobbed as she accepted the roses.
"You know what Reby did saved thousands of lives." Puss replied hoping to comfort the scared woman seeing how distraught she was over her cousin. "She's a hero you know."
"I know," Jo sniffed
"You know Reby's a strong woman. The fact that she not only survived the explosion and hitting the ocean as hard as she did, but also surviving floating in the ocean until we reached her. That, is a miracle right there. Don't worry, if anybody can save your cousin, it's Tooth."
Branch waited in the break room for the news, as he waited he watched as the world news reported on the incident. He saw as many of Reby's biggest fans were laying wreaths and flowers at Reby's and Jo's home in support of their beloved hero, several others were holding up signs of support and love. Branch always knew that Italy loved Reby, but he never knew just how much they loved her until he saw with his own eyes the concern her home was showing for her as she fought for her life.
"Still no word on D. Va's condition but as the world prays for a miracle we can only ask ourselves these two questions. What do we do now? And how can we be safe when Italy's only hope is fighting for her life?"
Branch hung his head low and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew who was responsible for this, Creek.
"This was one of our own," Branch growled as Hiccup walked into the room.
"Branch we got to stay calm and focused."
"This was one of our OWN!" Blanch slammed his fist on the table causing the mug on the table to rattle. "Creek's going to pay for this, I'm going to make damn sure."
"Commander," Suki walked into the room "Tooth is out and she has news."
Everyone gathered in the hall as Tooth delivered the news.
"Will she be okay?" Jo asked, still in tears "Tell me she will be okay!"
"She will live, that's the only thing I can say for certain right now."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief at that news.
"She suffered severe burns and fractured bones when we found her. How she survived until we reached her is a nothing short of a miracle. I did everything I could with the nano technology but even though she will live, I cannot promise you she will ever be the same."
"Can I see her?" Jo asked "Please?"
"You may, but I promise you, you will not like what you see."
As Jo walked into the infirmary she saw Reby laying comatose, strapped to a ventilator, her right arm in leg in a cast, bandages all over her face, body and left leg, and burn marks over most area's of visible skin.
"My God," Astrid gasped as she saw Reby like this.
Pulling a chair next to Reby, Jo leaned over her and sobbed.
"She will pull through," Tooth insured putting a comforting hand on Jo's shoulders. "Reby is a strong woman."
"I hope your right."
"So Branch," Jack asked as Branch as they stared at Jo crying over Reby, his heart breaking. "What now?"
"Now," Branch growled "We get revenge."
Dear Reby, please don't kill me for what I've done to your character, she's not dead, just will be out of commission for a little bit. Inspiration for this chapter actually came from the Overwatch Animated short "Shooting Star". It's worth watching if you want to compare it to this chapter or if your interested in learning about the product this trilogy is based off of.
Till next time.