Pharah

It was the crack of dawn when Fareeha awoke. She slept hard, having assisted Dr. Ziegler late into the night. When the Egyptian woman started bobbing her head midway through a patient's conversation, Angela had encouraged her to go to bed, and Fareeha cursed herself for being incapable of even thinking about waking up until now. She went to her bag (which was returned to her quite readily by the guards when Angela gave her approval) and changed her clothes, stretching the basic black t-shirt over her body and pulling at it to remove the folds before adjusting her jeans' button and zipper. She had "shared" a room with Angela, although Fareeha had a feeling the doctor didn't sleep the night before, which only weighed on the girl's mind further. Calling where Angela slept a room might have been an exaggeration as well.

Fareeha still couldn't get over it. Angela Ziegler was a genius; a prodigy. She had won multiple awards for her research in nanotechnology and her contributions to the medical field globally. From an incredibly young age, she was a household name among doctors. She could have had it all. She could have been rich and living in the lap of luxury for the rest of her days with ease. She was beautiful. She could have any man she wanted with the right bat of her gorgeous eyes. She was everything Fareeha wasn't as an "ideal" woman.

So, why?

Fareeha moved through the hospital, pushing aside the various drapes and listening to the now familiar sounds of patients and the doctors that would help them. Many of the residents were still sleeping, it seemed, but that didn't mean there wasn't work to be done. Angela was always busy, and Fareeha's heart went out to her. She truly was a hero of Overwatch. Everything that Fareeha had read about her didn't do the woman justice. She was an angel among men. She inspired Fareeha so quickly and easily by her actions alone.

Fareeha passed by Fadhil's area and stopped, deciding to step in and check on the young boy. He was sitting up, staring at his hands with his single eye. Fareeha almost didn't want to disturb him, but he turned his attention to her, and she thought she saw a glimmer.

'Good morning.' Fareeha smiled awkwardly.

Fadhil nodded, looking away again.

'Hi, Fareeha.' Sara beamed, some teeth missing.

'Hello. How are you feeling today?'

'Good. Mercy visited us already.'

'You…call her that?'

'Sometimes. She doesn't like it though. I don't know why.'

Fareeha snickered.

'It's a complicated matter.'

'Adult stuff?'

'…Yes.'

'Oh.'

Fareeha moved to Fadhil's bed, sitting near it in a fragile chair.

'Are your hands okay?' She tried, knowing he was a difficult patient but feeling she could continue the connection they shared the day before.

Fadhil nodded again, gripping his fingers into a fist.

'Fight.' He muttered.

'Fight?'

'The bad people. I want to fight…with Overwatch.' He was still mumbling, but some life was in his voice now, and Fareeha's chest flipped.

'When you're older, I would love to have you, Fadhil.'

'Now.'

'Not yet. You need to heal first.'

Fadhil's face construed, but then he nodded a third time in defeat.

'You're part of Overwatch, too?' Sara crawled to the end of her bed.

Fareeha lifted a finger to her mouth and winked, sharing the secret among some of the patients.

'You can't have Mercy!' A man chimed in from the corner of the room.

'She has no intention of going back to Overwatch. Do not worry.'

The room seemed to breathe out in unison.

'Take care of her, everyone. She's a special individual.'

'We know…'

Fareeha looked to Fadhil and grinned.

'Protect her, Fadhil. I'm counting on you.'

The boy's expression didn't change much, but it was enough to be a sign of affirmation for Fareeha. She waved goodbye and proceeded to seek out Angela. Her flight would be expecting her in about an hour or two, but Fareeha felt she needed one more good conversation with the doctor before she departed. She enjoyed Angela's company. She could completely understand why the patients here loved her so.

Fareeha rounded a scuffed-up corner and found a room completely closed off with one of the guards standing by. His arms were crossed, and he noted Fareeha with feigning disinterest.

'Is something wrong?' Fareeha asked.

'Surgery.' Was the gruff reply.

'Oh.' Fareeha waited, wanting to witness Angela at work but knowing a guard meant her chances were unlikely. 'Is it serious?'

The man nodded. His eyes were bloodshot, and he hadn't shaved for a very long time. He was fairly tall, but not altogether built large. His skin was dark and leathery. His large rifle certainly sent a particular message.

Someone groaned uncomfortably through the thin walls, and Fareeha heard Angela's soothing voice shortly thereafter. The sounds of discomfort continued, but they lessened, Angela's words continuing to prevail slowly.

'Who is she helping?'

'…Noora.'

Fareeha blinked. Noora didn't have much time. Even Fareeha could tell. What procedure was Dr. Ziegler attempting to pull off now? What was the point?

The groaning became rhythmic, and Angela's words grew more urgent. Others were sniffling as Noora's voice rose, and she began speaking Arabic. Fareeha could only pick out a few words. Her heart hammered in her chest, and the panic reached a fever pitch before an unsettling silence. The guard shuffled on the spot, standing aside. Some doctors, nurses, and perhaps friends exited the room. Fareeha caught a glimpse of Angela, and pushed her way in, scanning the area and seeing the poor woman seated next to an unmoving Noora. There was blood all over Angela's gloved hands. She was like a statue, staring at nothing with a curled upper lip.

'Angela?' Fareeha tried, and at first, the former Overwatch medic hardly blinked, but then she turned, water filling her eyes.

'We lost her. I attempted to inject nanomachines to help her stomach's damaged tissue and nerves, but her body wouldn't take to them. She was dying. It was the only solution. She wanted me to try. I knew it wouldn't work. The variables were too erratic, and the setting isn't ideal. I don't have the proper tools or assistance, and I don't understand precisely her…her…'

'Shh. It's alright.' Fareeha wasn't sure what she was saying, but she knew she needed to calm Angela. She looked more worn out than before, if that was possible, and Fareeha hadn't expected her to be hit so hard by a death. Wasn't she used to it? She must've been by now. How many people had she seen pass on? Fareeha wondered if something was wrong with her since the army had done an admirable job of desensitizing her reactions to such tragedy.

'A death of any kind is never alright, Fareeha. That is the fundamental problem with this world.'

Fareeha didn't know how to respond. She could only watch single tears drip down Angela's cheeks as she pulled some sheets over Noora. Her mouth was tight, and it was clear she was trying not to cry harder than she was already.

'Can I do anything?' Fareeha attempted, feeling less than helpless.

'No. Nothing.' Angela answered curtly, tears persisting. Her voice was strong again, however.

Fareeha watched the doctor clean up everything but the water lining her face. She didn't look at Fareeha as she tidied. The fact nobody entered the room led Fareeha to believe that Angela desired time alone during such happenings. Fareeha almost left herself, sensing the repelling force from Dr. Ziegler. But instead, she found a fresh tissue and lifted it to the woman's face, dabbing at the tears and forcing her mouth to work.

'I'm sorry.' Fareeha said, and Angela stopped, her expression faltering and her shoulders shaking.

'Even with all my power and knowledge…I still can't save those right in front of me at times…'

'But you have saved many, have you not?'

'I have also lost many.'

'You're not a Goddess. You're a human doing more than most.'

'That's hardly saying anything whatsoever.' Angela snapped bitterly, but she didn't push Fareeha back, even as the Egyptian took the doctor's trembling shoulders and held them firmly. 'T-thank-you…' She muttered, looking away. 'I cannot help myself. I wish I could numb my heart, but it breaks every time. It is my weakness as a physician, I know.'

Fareeha huffed, releasing Angela so as to not overextend her welcome. The woman's form was small and slender, pleasing to the touch, surprisingly. It was harder to let go than Fareeha assumed it would be.

'Your weakness? Perhaps. I suppose some may view it in such a way.'

'My peers certainly did.'

'Well, I do not.' Fareeha confirmed, straightening up. 'Not in the slightest. True, I find it somewhat odd, but I stand in admiration more than I did before here and now, and that is saying something, I think.'

'Oh?' Angela chuckled slightly, regaining the composure she needed in her position. The pain remained in her eyes, but she was a professional, at the end of the day. 'That's an intriguing statement, Ms. Amari. You are not quite what I expected, I'll admit, when I first met you.'

'You are more incredible than I expected, Ms. Ziegler.'

Angela barely reacted to the repeat compliment as she had before. She was used to being praised, it would seem. This irked Fareeha for reasons she couldn't quite ascertain…which bothered her more.

Angela sniffed one more time and then made her way out of the room once she was done cleaning. Fareeha followed, noting how the other doctors and one of the guards entered after them, likely to deal with the body.

'You are preparing to leave soon?' Angela asked, leading Fareeha to the front sector of the hospital.

'I am. I would stay, but there is only so much time allotted to this mission. I'm sure there will be more for me to perform.'

Angela stopped, stepping off into a tiny area that consisted of a single chair. The women were forced to be close, practically breathing one another's discharge of air. Dr. Ziegler sat, graceful again no matter how ragged she must've felt.

'You are overjoyed to be part of Overwatch now.' It wasn't a question, and Fareeha could do little else but confirm the statement with a nod. 'If Winston is in charge, and if the government isn't involved, I suppose there is hope. Jack was too emotional and proud. Gabriel was even worse, in a way. Winston is smart, and above all, he doesn't have an ounce of damaging greed in his body. I cannot support Overwatch now, but…I am not ignorant enough to claim it is without its virtues if handled correctly this time.'

'I will do my best to ensure it stays on the path of truth, Dr. Ziegler.'

'I know.' Angela forced a smile, and Fareeha shivered slightly. This woman was dangerous. It was lethal enough that she was intellectually brilliant, but even in her state Fareeha could recognize a natural beauty as well. Who could resist the good doctor if she cleaned up just a bit? Fareeha doubted many would be capable. Angela went on. 'You are honest to a fault, it would appear. I do not dislike that, but some may attempt to take advantage of such a trait. Be careful, Fareeha.'

'You as well, Dr. Ziegler. This is not a safe country.'

'And that is why I am here.' Angela winked, and again, Fareeha was filled with anxiety. Not even men she had dated before could invoke such an effect. Was she just tired? Was she blinded by respect and appreciation for a hero she had admired for as long as she knew of her? Likely stories. Nothing to fret over.

'May I…visit you again should the opportunity arises?'

'I may not be here at that point, Fareeha.'

'Oh. True.' Fareeha blushed, feeling like a child even though she was a fully-grown woman in her early thirties.

'However, should we exchange contact information, it won't be an issue.'

A shiver ran Fareeha's spine.

'That would make sense.' She tried to stay composed, but felt as though she was failing as Fareeha extracted her phone and typed in Angela's contact information.

'If you need anything else, Fareeha, feel free to call me, understand?'

'I'm sure you'll be busy enough as it is, but I will keep that in mind.'

'I cannot deny it. Also, the reception is terrible. I hardly keep my phone charged, to be honest.'

'So I've noticed.' Fareeha glanced about, seeing the cracks in the weakened walls, the boarded-up windows, the sticky floor, the messy bedding, and more uncomfortable living conditions. She shook her head, sighing inwardly. 'How do you do it, Dr. Ziegler? I could last a few days, but…'

'Because I can, Fareeha. It's as simple as that. If I could duplicate myself to help the world over at the expense of my own life's length, I would without a second thought.'

Fareeha swallowed. Angela wasn't lying. Her resolve and selflessness were blinding.

'But…why?'

Angela giggled.

'I already answered your question, Fareeha.'

'But there must be more to it than that.'

A pause, and Angela's expression hardened, as if she was recalling something unpleasant. Fareeha waited for her, and just as her mouth seemed to resist speaking again no further, an explosion shook the entire hospital, chunks of the ceiling falling and dust filling the rooms instantly. The patients could be heard coughing and panicking at the sudden impact.

'No…' Angela stood up, dashing past Fareeha. The Egyptian followed without hesitation, but just as the two women began to seek out the source of the chaos, gunfire echoed within the building, the sound of granite breaking apart and flesh being torn into by lead overly prominent. Screams erupted, and Angela Ziegler addressed the patients, doctors, and singular guard in her immediate vicinity, thrusting her hand behind herself.

'Get everyone out the back without delay! Go!'

There wasn't time for questions. Action was needed, and Fareeha prepared her firearm, holding it next to her face.

'Has this ever happened before?'

'Never.' Was all Angela said. Fareeha could see the utter panic in the doctor's eyes. Patients were dying. The gunshots were pumping out at regular intervals. They were being raided. It seemed odd that the hospital would be attacked now, while Fareeha was present. Odd, or incredibly lucky, for Fareeha was no slouch when it came to combat. If she had her armour, it would all be over within moments.

The shouting and screaming persisted, and Fareeha knew proceeding toward the source of conflict wasn't ideal, but there was no stopping Angela either, surely. She would evacuate the next room, and the room after, and as many rooms as she could.

'They're moving through the building quickly.' Fareeha remarked. She wouldn't leave Angela's side, but she also felt they were rushing into a perilous scenario.

'You are free to run. I won't abandon them.' Was the doctor's answer, and it wasn't unexpected.

They reached another room; the same space that Fadhil and Sara were in. The young boy was standing at the front entrance, as if the room's sole protector, with the others doing what they could to arise and stumble their way out. Just as Angela and Fareeha entered from the back, Fadhil was kicked over, and six soldiers dressed completely in black filtered through the doorway, guns at ready and movements almost robotic.

'Angela!' Sara shouted, and the other patients looked to their angel with desperate eyes.

'Who are you?' Angela demanded to know, but Fareeha instinctively understood what was coming next, and she grabbed hold of the doctor, practically tackling her out from whence they came. The gunfire resumed, so loud it rang in Fareeha's ears.

'No! No! No!' Angela shrieked, struggling within Fareeha's grip.

Talon. It had to be. There were too many of them as well. Fareeha couldn't do it on her own. They were trained killers; every single one. They hadn't hesitated to rout women, children, and the elderly whatsoever. Cold-blooded terrorists. The guards were little more than men with enough strength to wield a gun, otherwise, they were nothing compared to such savagery.

'We have to go.' Fareeha stated as calmly as she could, but Angela's hands were all over her, pushing her away fiercely.

'No! I will not!'

There wasn't time to argue. One thing Fareeha had over Angela was strength, and the Egyptian wasted not a moment hoisting Angela Ziegler over her shoulder and running as fast as her legs would let her. No matter how much Angela struggled, beating Fareeha with her fists and refusing to give up on her patients, Fareeha wouldn't let her go. She knew this was torture to the kind-hearted genius. It was torture to Fareeha. Fadhil and Sara were gone. Dead. Murdered. They were still children. They were so innocent. Fareeha barely knew these people and her heart was breaking. How else could Angela react other than with hysteria? She was already sensitive to death and violence, but this? This was hell on earth. This was why Fareeha wanted to become strong. This was what drove Fareeha to admire Overwatch.

'Put me down! Put me down this instant!'

That wasn't happening. Angela wasn't in the right mind to confront this situation. Would she rush to her own demise? That didn't seem probable. Angela had fought in the first Omnic Crisis. She must've been more capable of steeling herself against such devastation. Nonetheless, Fareeha wouldn't take the risk. She made it to the back of the hospital, but hesitated to make use of the exit. A second later, and gunfire was coming from both directions.

'They're waiting for us in the back as well. This is perfectly coordinated.' Fareeha breathed, knowing her single handgun wouldn't be enough.

'Put me down…' Angela uttered, absolute dismay weighing her intonation into despair.

Fareeha knew it was safe to do so, and when she felt the weight of Angela off of her shoulders, she could see the woman was destroyed. Her face said it all. Emptiness. She still held a certain level of attractive rebellion, but even Dr. Ziegler could understand how dire the situation was in her sorrow.

'Monsters…' Angela whispered.

'Yes. This was more than a random assault.' Fareeha fiddled with her phone, begging for a signal as she constantly dialed her pilot's number. It wouldn't be long until they were pincered by two groups of terrorists. 'They are likely coming for you, Dr. Ziegler. If it's Talon, I can almost guarantee it.'

'Obviously.' Angela hissed.

'I don't know if I can get us out of this situation. Is there a way to the roof?'

'No. Not from inside.'

Fareeha's mind pushed through every scenario she could. She had less than a minute or two. She could already hear the men in the back considering their next move, and the frontal assault team had little reason to be overly cautious now as well. She continued to dial her pilot's number, unable to talk now as Talon drew closer and closer. They would find Angela and Fareeha, and they would kill them both, presumably.

'Come with me.' Angela finally demanded in silence, pulling Fareeha to one of the washrooms. The back door began creaking open. They were officially pincered in. Seconds left. The doctor pointed at the wall where the makeshift piping was located, indicating the cracks and fragile state of the infrastructure. Fareeha didn't need to be told twice. She tackled the wall, her whole body jolting from the impact and her shoulder aching something terrible. But her adrenaline was already taking over, and she grappled Angela's hand, pulling the woman behind her as they fled. It was the tiniest of leads, but it was better than nothing. Angela struggled to keep up, her muscles not nearly as developed as the taller woman's.

'If we make it into the city we should be fine. My flight will be waiting for me. Are you coming?' Fareeha turned off the safety on her gun and fired a few rounds behind her at the pursuing force. There was a squad of them, and they were gaining quickly, their own retaliation sure to follow any moment.

'What choice do I have?' Angela huffed bitterly, gasping for air.

Talon caught up frighteningly fast, however, and Fareeha didn't gain the distance she wanted to before she was forced to turn and at least face her opponents. The streets were empty save for a few Iraqis who were quick to find shelter. This wasn't an abnormal occurrence; not in this part of the city. Angela's haven was too remote.

Fareeha held her gun forward, standing in front of Angela and biting at the inside of her mouth. She could take out maybe one or two, but –

A single bullet dug into Fareeha's ribs, the pain hitting her before her ears could even register the sound of the gun firing.

'Ugh…!' Fareeha screeched with her teeth grit, gripping at the wound and immediately feeling nauseous.

'Enough. You have me now. Leave her be and I'll go with you willingly.' Angela was standing in front of Fareeha, her arms outstretched.

The terrorists didn't even hesitate prior to firing at the good doctor, emotionlessly crippling her legs until she collapsed, veins protruding from her neck as she grunted in frustration.

The seeming leader of the group stepped forward, his size and armour differentiating himself from the rest of the soulless grunts.

'Heal.' He growled.

'Leave her alone…!' Fareeha screamed, but a quick kick to her shoulder made her crumble again, some men going to either side of her and restricting any further movement.

'Heal.' The man commanded in his thundering voice anew, nodding to Fareeha. 'Or we'll cut off her head.'

Fareeha's vision blurred. This was Talon. This was what Overwatch would stand against. They were demons. They couldn't be reasoned with.

Angela closed her eyes, and within seconds, bullets slowly emerged from her legs, clanging to the ground as though they were born from her skin. The blood remained, but the wounds closed up in another minute or two. It was like watching time go in reverse. Fareeha knew of the doctor's rumoured skill to self-regenerate, but even she was floored by just how powerful the ability appeared to be.

Angela opened her eyes, glaring at the man before he reached down and grabbed the doctor by the hair, bringing her face to his.

'Good. You may live. Kill the other one.'

'No!' Angela yelled, and just as she did so, something landed barely shy of the group, an explosion scattering dust and granite, giving Fareeha enough time to shrug off her assailants and get to Angela. She pushed her gun under the "leader's" helmet and ended him brutally, an eruption of blood and guck seeping out of the protection. The men readied their weapons, but another attack landed, practically hitting Fareeha and Angela. The two women began running from the scene again, more and more bombs going off behind them with shots being fired from Talon.

Fareeha looked up, seeking out their potential savior, and found the helicopter she had arrived on in the distant sky, already descending in what the Egyptian assumed was a clearing. With the cover fire persisting, Fareeha knew she was going to be safe. She recognized her weapon's rockets now, and despite there only being a few more rounds until it needed to be reloaded, its destructive capability would be more than enough for the time being.

She would get out of this alive.

She would save Angela Ziegler from Talon.

Fareeha's resolve could only be strengthened now.