Widowmaker

'There's no way they're not dating.' Lena laughed, and it was a strange thing to say once the last rocket had exploded, Fareeha already in the facility and wreaking further havoc. Was she implying Fareeha and Angela were an item? Were all women in Overwatch sexual deviants? Widow smirked. Of course not. She was being foolish. It may have helped her with her current thoughts, however, as Tracer winked at her and unlocked the entrance.

'Might as well take advantage of the chaos! Let's get in there, Amelie!'

Widow didn't correct her. There wasn't any need. She felt as thought Widowmaker and Amelie were finally seeing eye to eye. She readied her gun and nodded in affirmation. She could kill now, that would never change. But she could also save others. She had that power. Tracer had shown her multiple times what it meant to use one's abilities for good. She had, after all, used her skills to bring Widow to this very moment.

There wasn't any shortage of guards and Talon agents, but they were nothing against Tracer. She blinked through the halls, shooting at legs and arms while using the butt of her guns to finish off multiple foes. When Tracer failed to take out a grunt, Widow rose up from behind her or afar, every bullet that left her Widow's Kiss dropping one individual after the next.

She did not kill.

Her innards begged for it, but Angela's medicine continued to subdue the urge, and she managed the rest. It would be the difference between being Widowmaker completely, and successfully merging the new Amelie with what she couldn't change about herself just yet.

'Whee!' Tracer squealed, jumping through the air, three opponents closing in on her and Widow, alarms sounding throughout the whole base. As the girl was off the ground, Widow slowed the world with her cybernetic eyes, taking aim and shooting two bullets in near succession. One grazed Tracer's stomach, but both found their mark. As Tracer landed, she swiped the feet from under the final Talon agent, and had him out cold a second later.

'Thanks, Luv!' She waved, continuing in the direction of Fareeha's attack.

Such trust. Tracer knew Widow would have her back during such a stunt. The realization sent a shiver through the sniper's chest, and she tried not to allow her newfound emotions to weigh her down.

Widow struggled to keep up with Tracer, but she fortunately didn't have to be exceptionally close to provide backup. Indeed, they cleared every room and hallway with ease, their abilities too much for the everyday grunts Moira had employed. It wasn't until Tracer stopped quite suddenly once she entered a somewhat larger room did Widow get the sense that they were in any kind of real danger. A black omnic, much smaller than the one that had attacked Overwatch Gibraltar, stood between the girls and the next hall, its presence demanding attention and respect despite its grotesque physical appearance.

'Tobias…name…My name…' It practically growled, bizarre teeth shaped within the black material forming its semi-humanoid form atop the mechanical skeleton within.

'Oi. Another one of these guys, huh? Probably faster than the one we danced with. Bloody hell. No time for this.' Tracer scowled, reloading her Pulse Pistols and groaning in annoyance.

'Is he…malfunctioning?' Widow questioned.

'All the better for us. Can't show mercy with these guys, unfortunately. You got my back, Amelie? I'm gonna do what I can and maybe stick a Pulse Bomb on him.'

'…Naturally.' Widow prepared her gun.

'Brilliant. Got one of Ana's juicers if things get hairy, but I'm near useless after the rush ends, so, I'd rather not, you know?'

Widow's eyes lingered on Tracer then, the girl's composure and attitude shining in a different light now that she knew more about her. It was silly to have such thoughts at this moment, of all times, but she found herself observing Tracer with much more sympathy and…affection. Sisterly affection? Perhaps. She wasn't certain. Tracer's existence was just sadder somehow to the sniper. She felt an overwhelming urge to protect her smile, because she had seen death, and was mostly who she was now because of the experience. She wanted to make Lena happy; the same way she had so adamantly sought to save Widow. What could she do, however…?

'Watcha lookin' at?' Tracer smiled mischievously.

'An annoyance.' Widow responded instinctively. She was embarrassed by the considerations, and lashed out to her own dismay. Luckily, Tracer took it in stride, as she tended to do, and shrugged.

'No way. You weren't thinkin' that, were you?' She teased, and Widow could only sigh angrily. 'Sorry, Tobias, but my friend here and I gotta get to Angela and Moira. Mind lettin' us through?'

'Moira…Moira is…my friend. Helped Tobias wake up. Must…protect…Heheh…Must…eat…!'

Widow barely had time to react. Tobias launched from his place and nearly teleported to Tracer, slamming the ground with his mechanical fist encased in black goo and uplifting the cement with seeming ease. Tracer blinked out of the way, just at the last minute, and Widow snapped her rifle, shooting with perfect precision, drilling a bullet into Tobias' neck and making the omnic twitch in potential discomfort. All it did, however, was change his focus, and the omnic lunged at Widow, his ability to move with such agility impressive for an omnic.

Tracer cut in, both feet planted into the omnic's face and sending him off a bit.

'Not nearly as heavy as the last one, huh?' She gasped.

'But much quicker. Evade!'

'I can't understand you when you throw random French in there!' But Tracer and Widow both split, maneuvering away from Tobias' latest assault.

The omnic howled like a monster, and the black tar covering his body almost resonated with the anger, lashing about and creating a frightening, humanoid beast where a humanoid being used to be.

'We can't play with him too much longer. Fareeha might need our help, and we gotta do something about Moira!'

Widow's head twitched, a needle puncturing into her brain. Moira O'Deorain. She owed her much.

'Very well…' Widow confirmed. 'Give me a shot and I'll make it count.'

'Gotcha!'

Again. Tracer didn't question Widow's motivations. She burst from her location and entered the fray, unafraid of being betrayed or hurt. Widow truly understood where this young woman gained her credentials within Overwatch. She really was the sun of the organization. At the very least, she had quite convincingly become Widow's own light within the darkest of nights. She wouldn't let Tracer down. She wouldn't let herself down again.

Kill her.

Ah. She wondered when it would speak anew. The urging was but a muffle compared to what it used to be. Kill Tracer? Never. A passing notion of history. Kill Tracer? No. Save your breath. What Widow wished to do to Tracer now was quite the opposite, indeed. Protect Tracer. Uplift Tracer. Encourage Tracer. Widow owed Tracer her life. She would never forget what the young woman had done for her. Never. Kill Tracer? How absurd. Kill anything that threatened Tracer? Why, that could be arranged.

'Brought ya something!' Tracer declared, sticking a Pulse Bomb upon the omnic and recalling away. Widow knew the timing too well. The omnic reached for the bomb to dislodge it, but it was too late, and the natural E.M.P. that was built into such a device stalled Tobias momentarily, giving Widow precisely what she needed. She slowed her world again, her nerves stretched to their limit, and took aim, noting the way Tracer's slow-moving evasion allowed her to watch Widow work.

'I don't miss…' Widow muttered quietly to herself.

Two shots, both penetrating the omnic's eyes and crushing the innards within. For anyone else in the world, save for perhaps Ana in her absolute prime, the little slits that exposed Tobias' makeup within would be but wishful thinking to strike successfully. Talon had magnificently created the ultimate assassin, and now that same assassin fought against her creator.

This monster hardly sought acceptance. It only wanted revenge.

The black omnic screamed, the black tar pulsating like another living being. Tracer appeared next to Widow and grabbed her hand.

'No time to dawdle, Luv. Let's move!'

Right. Destroying a black omnic was a difficult feat. Would Widow's work be enough? They couldn't find out. Tracer was right. Widow used her physical prowess to keep up with the other girl, a new form of ecstasy filling the void that only killing could provide before.

The hallways leading to where Fareeha had attacked directly were empty. It was strange, really, until Tracer stopped quite suddenly, covering her mouth and indicating a singular corpse, half its face ripped apart. This horrific vision was followed by more and more bodies, the Talon agents seemingly disfigured by whatever had created the blood smears everywhere.

'Bloody hell…' Tracer whispered.

'Tobias, perhaps. Talon won't stop until they create the perfect demon, it would seem.' Widow sneered.

Tracer hesitated, glancing behind her from whence they came. Widow knew what she was thinking, and it annoyed her while simultaneously filling her with endearment.

'We cannot go back.' She stated clearly.

'I…I know, Luv. Come on.'

She wanted to save them. They were the enemy, but she wanted to warn the Talon agents of Tobias' rampage. Such softness. It would get her killed…unless Widow remained by her side to prevent an early death.

The two women finally made it to Moira's lab. It was evident, because it was completely in shambles. Tracer rushed about, searching for Angela, while Widow prowled through the broken machinery and piles of granite. It was nothing compared to the equipment Moira could work with in her primary facility, but it still reeked of the woman's lunacy, and Widow's brain recalled just how much madness the doctor exhibited when dealing with her.

'I think…Fareeha got her?' Tracer said hopefully.

A small cough made both girls jump, and Widow turned to the source, her eyes widening and mouth tensing at the sight of Moira, blood dripping down her forehead and the seemingly perpetual grin of superiority wiped clean off her terrible visage. She groaned pathetically, holding her stomach and acting almost delirious.

'Oh, my gosh! This is her, right? Moira?' Tracer needed to confirm, and Widow simply approached the doctor, her steps heavy and mind muddled.

Kill her.

Now, such a command wasn't so farfetched.

'Remember me?' Widow cooed confidently, looking down upon Moira and relieved to see the woman seemed to be gathering herself enough to understand where she was and who was before her.

'Hmm…One of my finest…subjects…' Moira uttered.

Widow saw that her torso had been demolished. Moira was quite literally holding her body together. Fareeha hadn't shown any mercy. Why on earth would Widow? Someone like Moira could still survive such an injury if left to her own devices. It was now or never. Revenge. Sweet, succulent revenge for destroying Amelie's life.

'She ain't your "subject" anymore.' Tracer stepped in. 'And you're coming with us! We'll getcha to spill everything about Talon, and then we're taking your evil organization down!'

A pause, with electricity still sparking periodically the only real sound present beyond perhaps Tobias' distant howls.

'That…hardly appears to be your companion's wishes.' Moira chuckled.

'Amelie. We can't kill her. She's too valuable.' Tracer urged, and Moira only laughed more…although with some effort.

'You have them calling you "Amelie" now? How truly…pathetic.'

Widow snickered as well, but then snapped her foot across Moira's face, cracking the woman's head to the side and forcing an uncomfortable grunt from her.

Kill her.

'You can still speak with such arrogance?' Widow's eye twitched.

'Of course.' Moira grinned, licking the blood dripping from her mouth. 'If you believe…you'll ever be anything but a killer, you're wrong. Amelie Lacroix is a murderer. She killed her own husband, had an abortion, and escaped with another man, disappearing into the horizon forever. If you ever publicly show your face again, you'll be arrested and put away for life. You seem…to be under the misconception that a semblance of normalcy could ever be in your future. Heh. How wrong you are. Did this child feed you…such pretty lies? Talon is not to be trifled with.'

'No! There's always a way! Amelie can clear her name! I'll make sure of it!' Tracer yelled, but Moira's laboured laughter only made her sound more like a little girl having a tantrum.

'If Talon was your only enemy, perhaps. But alas, Overwatch remains the epitome…of ignorance.'

Kill her.

'If Lena says she'll help me…that's all I need to hear, my dear.'

Moira blinked in temporary confusion.

'Oh? So…you have changed. A riveting development…in its own right.'

Truthfully, Widow was struggling. Her body was beginning to shake. She was seconds away from strangling Moira, and she knew if she humoured the thoughts further she would have another breakdown. Just moving seemed like it would set her off. She couldn't look directly at Moira either. The room was shrinking, and black fuzz pulsated around her vision.

Kill her.

'Well, do what you will.' Moira rolled her eyes. 'Tobias is a failure. This facility is now useless. I'm your captive. Well played, Overwatch. To think…you would use quite easily your most valuable member as bait. Truly…it was unprecedented.'

There was a "but". Widow had known Moira long enough to recognize the fact she would have the last laugh somehow. She waited, and the ambitious woman did not let her down.

'However, might I ask you both: was it worth it? Talon…cares not for my fate, ultimately. I am even disposable by this point. Dr. Ziegler, on the other hand…can the same be said for her?'

A desperate pause, and Widow held her breath for what she knew would be Moira's finale.

'Angela Ziegler's death in exchange for my captivity? My…how deliciously deranged.'

'W-what…?' Tracer breathed.

'Unless, of course, her precious nanomachines can reconstruct her brain proper, but even then, will she even be Angela Ziegler anymore? Heheh…!'

Kill her.

'Yes.' And Widow was on Moira, pinning the woman by the neck with her heel and slamming her fist into Moira's face over, and over, and over, and over until blood sprayed from her knuckle with every withdrawal.

'Amelie! No! Stop! S-stop! Amelie!' Tracer's distant plea faded.

Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her.

Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

'Amelie! Bloody hell!'

'Hgn…Heh…H-heh…Ngh…U-ugh…Heheh…!'

Why wouldn't she stop laughing!? Why!? She was dying by Widow's hand at last yet all she did was laugh. Blood splurged from her mouth, and her face turned purple, but she laughed all the while.

Yes. This is all you'll ever be. A killer. A monster. A cold-blooded murderer.

'Amelie…!' Tracer cut into the mauling, and Widow felt the young girl's face against her fist, the sensation and vision of Tracer stumbling backward, holding where the blow had landed with Moira's blood transferred to her skin instantly breaking Widow's state of berserk.

'T-Tracer…' Widow stammered, looking at the mess she had made of Moira's face, the woman somehow still giggling through the destruction.

'You…will always…always…be my little…pet.' Moira gurgled. 'And…without Dr. Ziegler…you'll never…know what living is…'

She fell unconscious at last, and Widow shook her head in dismay, unable to make eye-contact with Tracer as she spoke aloud.

'Perhaps…she's right.' Widow whimpered, but Tracer was next to her instantly, touching her face and beaming brightly despite the swelling already beginning to take place on her pretty little expression.

'Nah, Luv. She ain't right. Not one bit.'

Widow caught a glimpse of Tracer's visage, and saw her eyes were red and her jaw was tight. Right. She was accepting the news that Angela might have been lost. How horrific. They had such history together. Angela was one of the linchpins for Overwatch. If she truly died…

'I haven't been able to get in touch with Winston since we got in here. Might be a jamming field or something. Let's take her and go before Tobias decides he isn't gonna stay down. Sound good?'

Widow nodded, volunteering to take Moira since she had more strength to offer between her and Tracer. She followed the other girl through the back door, taking the exit and navigating about the rubble left behind by Fareeha. Once both women created enough space between themselves and the facility, circling back to the Slipstream, Tracer began speaking aloud, seemingly connecting to Winston at last.

'Yeah. We got Moira. Might want to let Jack and his boys do a sweep of the place when they get here. Yep. Another black omnic. Could still be alive and kickin'. Bloody rambunctious. Uh-huh…'

Widow hated this feeling. Just when she had decided to return the abundance of favours she owed Tracer, she hurts her and now can't find the words to support the woman when she needs it most…again. Perhaps Moira was right. Perhaps the voices were always right.

'R-really…? Like, really? A-are…we sure or…?'

They were talking about Angela. Tracer's tone shifted an octave. It was breaking. Her speech patterns were becoming erratic. She was in pain. She was scared. She was about to despair.

'O-oh. Oh, thank God. B-but…it's still pretty bad, huh? God. At least…at least there's hope, right? Bloody hell. Oh, God…'

Hope? Relief?

'Angela's breathing again.' Tracer directed the comment to Widow, and the woman almost dropped Moira in shock. 'But…we could lose her at any second. We gotta get to Fareeha and bring her and Angela back to base. Oasis isn't safe, Winston said. Things are way crazier than any of us thought.'

'Of course…' Widow didn't know what to say. She was still processing everything that had happened. She needed her medicine. She needed…many things…

'Is it okay to jump with Angela on board? Uh-huh. Yeah…I guess so. Okay. Send me Fareeha's coordinates. We'll get this done in a jiffy. Thanks, big guy. Tracer out.' Tracer continued leading Widow, scanning the area as they went. 'You good carrying her?'

'I am…' Widow spoke lowly.

Silence. Just the distant sounds of Oasis to be heard. Why didn't Tracer say anything about what happened? Widow had lost herself. True, it could have been much worse, but she still went ballistic, hurting Tracer – however minor – in the process. She almost wished Tracer would reprimand her in some fashion.

'You did amazing back there, by the way.' Tracer finally said, yet it was the complete opposite of what Widow had expected. She was dumbstruck again. Speechless. Thus, Tracer went on. 'Seriously. No joke. I mean, you even held back on killing any of the Talon agents. And don't get me started on Moira there.'

'I…struck you.' Widow barely choked out.

'Huh? Bah. That was nothing. I can take a lick. Besides, I was just as close to going nuts on Moira. She's way crazier than I expected. Scary, really. No remorse. Nothing. Bloody daft. After everything she did to you…I'm just really, really impressed you didn't take her out before I could say a thing. Part of me…maybe kinda wanted you to. Heh. Yikes. That's hard to admit, you know? But she tried to kill Angela. She royally messed up your life. You two are super important to me. It was a tough situation all around.'

Widow couldn't answer Tracer from that moment on. Her chest was imploding, and her knuckle ached. The two women made it to the Slipstream within half an hour, binding Moira while applying some minor first aid to ensure she would survive the trip. The woman obviously had some method of restoring herself to some degree, because any normal human would have been dead. Traces of what appeared to be a golden biotic substance lingered over her wounds, although the source of such healing was long gone, likely back at her lab.

Once Moira was settled, Tracer started up the Slipstream, the engines humming and the bird ready to take flight within minutes.

'Fareeha isn't too far from here. She knows to wait for us. Once we have her and Angela, we're home free with minimal casualties…specially if Angela pulls through.'

'Yes…' Widow glanced around anxiously.

'You okay, Luv? Not still worried about what happened back there, are ya?'

'I'm not.'

'Then what's up?' Tracer hit a few more switches, and Widow could only watch as she did so. She really did need her medicine. Her mind was becoming confused. Yet, it wasn't the worst notion in the world, despite her adamant rejection of the concept before. Widow stepped forward, her neck tensing, and then pivoted away to her seat, breathing deeply and chancing glances at Tracer prior to her taking her own chair and buckling up.

'Nothing. Let's go…'

'Roger!'