Mercy

She was awake. Wide awake. Her skin was prickling, and her chest was heavy. The new piece of jewellery around her neck pressed into her heart, and she gripped the tags, feeling the markings that made up Fareeha's name, rank, and I.D.

Angela slipped out of bed, blindly making her way to the washroom and using it as quietly as she could. She held her tired face in her hands, leaning over her legs even after she was done. Her cellular structure was pulsating oddly. Her whole body was reacting to something, but she couldn't know what.

Angela stealthily went outside onto the balcony of the hotel room. Fareeha was breathing so heavily she was practically snoring. She had worked hard. Worked muscles she usually didn't. Thrust into Angela with so much affection it was like the doctor was drowning. It wasn't a terrible experience. No. It was wonderful, really. Angela was already planning when they could do it again. Perhaps she could make use of the advanced piece of technology herself next? Would Fareeha allow such a thing? How interesting it would be!

The doctor stared out over the ocean, playing with her new necklace and knowing her eyes were watering. Every day hurt. Every exchange reminded her of what she had to lose. Even now she wanted to awaken Fareeha and not waste another minute without her. Her body was warning her. It had been whispering urgent messages for quite some time now. The signs were small at first; completely negligible. But more and more recently…

'Foolishness…' Angela muttered. 'I still have many years left to be with her. I simply need to avoid pushing my abilities. It isn't so difficult, is it? Ultimately, it is my decision.'

It's what she told herself.

Angela gripped the balcony's rail until her hands turned white. She gazed over the night sky and the ocean below it. The lights of Busan continued to illuminate the distant city even at this time. Life. Activity. Peace. She had to protect it all.

Goosebumps pervaded her arms and neck anew, but it wasn't overly cold, and that strange sensation that had awoken her stirred her soul again.

And then…

A loud siren began sounding over Busan, whirring ominously for a few seconds before the earth trembled, the very hotel shaking beneath Angela's feet.

'What on earth…?' Angela gasped, although she could fathom a guess. She held the balcony tighter, and now stared hard into the distant ocean, the sirens reaching an ear-piercingly loud pitch. The water concaved deep into the horizon, a mass of darkness swallowed whole prior to an eruption reaching to the stars. Another tremor and Angela was falling into Fareeha's arms.

'F-Fareeha?'

'It's the Gwishin.' Fareeha uttered lowly.

'Yes.' Angela felt Fareeha's hands on her shoulders.

As the water in the distance trickled away from the source of its disturbance, a colossal omnic remained; bigger than anything Angela had personally seen. Even Russia would be dumbfounded by this monstrosity's size.

'Hana fights such a thing…' Fareeha commented, her voice a mixture of fear and contemplation.

'They're likely assembling as we speak.'

'Then I best do the same.' Fareeha gripped the window to allow herself back in, but Angela held her fast, tugging her back.

'Are you positively mad, Fareeha Amari? Your suit cannot possibly compare to what the Meka are capable of; five of them, no less.'

'I will defend the innocent. It is my duty.'

'No. I won't allow you to. There is not a singular possible way you could benefit this fight. Not this one, Fareeha.'

"Attention. The titanic Gwishin has surfaced once again. This is not a drill. Attention. Retreat to your assigned bunker immediately. Move calmly but swiftly. This is not a drill. Meka is being deployed. The army is providing backup. Attention. Retreat to your assigned bunker immediately. The titanic Gwishin has surfaced again…"

Her eyes narrowed angrily, pleadingly, and Fareeha shook her head.

'I can. My suit is not so unlike a Meka's. I have this power available to me. I will not stand by and watch as others fight on my behalf while I am perfectly capable.'

'You're being a fool!' Angela shouted, her whole being screaming alongside her. 'That thing is currently the most powerful omnic this world has ever seen! There's a reason it hasn't been defeated yet. It can only be pushed back, and Hana's squad are professionals at doing so! Its increased activity only proves that it is getting stronger and learning more with every interaction. I do not permit you, as a Grandmaster and…and as the woman who loves you beyond words, to do anything but retreat to safety with me where we can help with the evacuation and those who may be injured.'

Fareeha's gaze fluctuated, and Angela knew she was playing a heavy hand, but she couldn't allow this young woman to fight this battle. It was a suicide mission for a girl in armour. The last fight had left four out of five Mekas devastated. The Gwishin was becoming too strong. Who knew what this fight would entail?

'…I'm sorry, Angela. Just as you could never turn your back on a suffering soul, I will not hide from a threat to the innocent. That isn't my justice. I will be careful. If I feel it isn't my place to be, I will make a tactical retreat. But I have to at least try.'

Fareeha wrenched her wrist free and went to her enormous suitcase, entering the password and allowing the encased Raptora armour to be revealed, cooling mist emitting from the container.

'You would place yourself in danger knowing how devastated I would be should the worst come to pass? Knowing what I endured when Gloria was lost to me?' Angela whimpered, the powerlessness of her current circumstances puncturing her from every angle.

Fareeha paused, turning back to her, her strong, dark stare glimmering as well.

'If Hana's Meka squad fails and the Gwishin makes it to Busan…nobody will be safe. If I have the power to make just the smallest difference, I must fulfill my duty.'

Had Angela ever truly been angry at Fareeha before? She couldn't recall it if she had. No. They had been nearly perfectly synchronized since first meeting. The yin to one another's yang. The missing puzzle piece in this ridiculous thing called life. However, Angela was positively fuming now, and she huffed loudly, stomping to her own suitcase and removing her Valkyrie suit.

'No, Angela. I have protection. You do not. I will not – '

'You also do not have a body that can heal itself, do you? My armour allows me to fly, for the most part, so long as you are reasonably nearby. I can provide you with increased power, encasing your rockets with a substance that amplifies their explosives effectiveness through my Caduceus Staff.'

'You'll be too vulnerable!'

'This is my compromise, Fareeha Amari! You go with me at your side or not at all! That is how I wish it…to always be! Keep the skies clear for me, and I will keep you alive! You are my one and only! I will not let you go on your own! That is not how this relationship works!'

'You're being a hypocrite! I just saved you from a mission that practically killed you! A mission you accepted willingly! Now you have an idea of how that felt! How it felt to think you were dead! To think that the most important person in the world to me was gone forever…!'

Angela didn't have a response for that. Anything she said wouldn't counter the claim. Thus, she simply stripped down to her underwear, and began equipping her suit, the siren and announcements returning to prominence as the earth continued to shake and the Gwishin began moving.

'Damn it, Angela! I have military training! I have been in combat more times than I can count! Please!'

'This is no longer a discussion. I'm coming with you. That's all there is to it.'

Fareeha huffed, but then went quiet. She allowed her armour to snap all over her body, Torbjorn's improvements to the process incredible in realization. They didn't face one another as they dressed. Angela had won the argument, it would seem. She would fight with Fareeha. It was dangerous; she knew, but far better than any alternative. Thank goodness Fareeha had finally given in –

Something grappled Angela's neck from behind, and she gripped the armoured piece before her.

'I'm sorry. I love you too much to allow this.'

'No…!' Angela gasped. 'Fareeha…no…!'

She was a professional, after all. In seconds, Angela had no choice but to fall into darkness.

The announcements were still going. They were what brought Angela back into consciousness. The rumbling earth was the second consistency she noticed. She blinked her eyes open, pushing up from a small bed nestled in the corner of an enormous gymnasium that housed hundreds, if not thousands of individuals.

'How are you feeling, Dr, Ziegler?' A young Korean man asked in uniform. He seemed to be assigned to her specifically, which meant he likely worked for Overwatch as well.

'How long have I been here?' Angela inquired, rubbing her face. Her back hurt from where her wings had been pressing into her as she was out.

'Fareeha Amari left about ten minutes ago. She went to help defend the city. A brave woman, that one.'

Angela stood up, taking a moment to regain her balance. The man touched her shoulder gently, spotting her politely.

'My name is Jun-yung. Fareeha asked me to look after you and…make sure you didn't pursue her. I'm certain you guessed it, but I'm with you guys. This facility is fairly deep underground and built to take a beating. The Gwishin would have to obliterate all of Korea to find us.'

He was not an unattractive man. Plain, really. Some prickles around his square jaw. Kind eyes. Short, greying black hair. Tall. About the same height as Fareeha.

'Thank-you for your service, Jun-yung, but I must go. Fareeha needs me.'

Jun-yung appeared hesitant, stepping in front of Angela and putting his hands on his hips while shaking his head at the floor.

'I wouldn't be serving Overwatch proper if I allowed you to do that, Dr. Ziegler. Fareeha was right to bring you here. She can at least fight with her armour.'

'As effectively as a mosquito against a human, yes.' Angela hissed. 'Did she reveal that we are involved romantically?' The doctor pushed aggressively.

'Er…no.'

'Well, we are. Quite intimately. She is my one and only. Now, if you would be so kind, simply escort me to the exit and allow me to do what I must to save that frustratingly loyal woman.'

'I'm sorry.' He was. It was obvious. But that didn't make anything better. Not in the slightest. Fareeha was fighting. Perhaps even hurt already. How Angela needed to apologize more for putting her through something similar. She would be driven insane if she remained. She had to at least witness the battle.

'Over there.' Jun-yung pointed, multiple projected screens located throughout the facility. It's what most people were doing; watching the fight. Angela almost stumbled to the least crowded space, pushing her way through and mostly getting her wish due to her unique presence.

The Mekas were attacking with everything they had, circling and pushing forward, barraging the Gwishin with a variety of weapons. Dva's pink suit was the most impressive to watch, the way she could navigate the thing leagues above her partners. The crowd cheered when Dva dashed in, unloading nearly twenty missiles and then backing off, a shield matrix of some kind diminishing the counterfire of the Gwishin. The other Mekas supported her brilliantly, damage seemingly being done, but the movements of the colossal titan hardly slowing.

More explosions erupted near the chest plate of the Gwishin, and the cameras turned to Fareeha, her suit moving through the air and her continuous attacks having an impact, but showing no lasting signs of disruption. The commentator over the broadcast mentioned the unidentified ally, stating how she was like a Western superhero, her courage truly worth attention.

'Fareeha…' Angela covered her mouth.

"The Gwishin's attacks are becoming more consistent within every cycle. If the Mekas can't do some lasting damage this time, Korea could be in catastrophic danger. With the help of an outsider, can we hope for a different result? Send your wishes and encouragement to our defenders! Korea, they need us!"

Angela turned away from the projector, and Jun-yung grabbed hold of her shoulder.

'You can't go. You see how dangerous it is?'

'Do you have a family, good sir?' Angela looked at the man directly, her eyes shimmering.

'Y-yes. A wife and daughter.'

'They are in that fight we see on the screen there. Imagine it. Please. Now, what do you do. Remain here?'

'It's not the sa – '

'It is. Precisely the same. She is all I have left. My parents…my sister…they're all gone. Lost to me. If I lose her too, well…I might as well be lost myself.'

'Dr. Ziegler…'

'I'm not being dramatic. I'm not. I promise you this. Keeping me here while the woman I care about more than any other human being on this planet potentially dies without my help is the same as killing me yourself. If I lose her, Jun-yung,' Angela's lip quivered, and she gasped as she breathed in shakily, controlling her emotions enough to go on. 'If I lose her…you might as well report my death to base, because I will be as good as gone. Do you want to be the one responsible for that?'

Jun-yung evidently weighed the scenarios, his face contorting.

'Please…' Angela gave one final shove, and he shook his head again, releasing her and turning his back.

'Follow me.'

It was frightening. Jun-yung drove Angela through Busan, and the lifeless streets were uncanny enough to unsettle her. Lights still flashed, the wind continued to blow scraps of paper and garbage about the alleys and roads, but not a single human or omnic remained. The earth shook again and again, the Gwishin's presence truly feeling closer than before.

'I can turn around.' Jun-yung offered, Haeundae Beach coming into view, and the spectacle of lights and explosions from where the battle waged causing Angela anxiety.

'Never. I could never live with myself if I abandoned her.'

'…Fair enough.'

Not another word was exchanged until Angela was stepping out of the vehicle, Jun-yung giving her a hand as she did so. It was almost hard to stand with some semblance of dignity. Effort was required with how much shaking the beach was enduring.

'Good luck.' Jun-yung saluted, his eyes hesitating one last time before he let Angela go, preparing to get back into his car.

'Thank-you. Very much.'

'You bring up my family…and what can I do?' He grinned sadly, and Angela nodded, but then was flinching back as something flew overtop of them, crashing into the earth and destroying a corner store building. A fire began, and both Jun-yung and Angela rushed to the scene. It was a blue Meka. Overlord. Seung-hwa. His head was split, blood pouring over his face as he gasped, gripping at his chest from within the shattered machine.

'Seung-hwa! Open the hatch!' Angela demanded, but the boy was barely holding himself together as it was. He was in a state of shock, naturally, and likely wasn't registering things properly anymore.

Jun-yung climbed on top of the Meka and ripped at the glass, the damage to the machine allowing him to manually crack it open enough to drag the young boy out. He was breathing erratically, all signs pointing to lung damage and a severe concussion. His body was dying. He was choking on his own blood.

'Seung-hwa! Stay with us!' Jun-yung ordered.

Overlord struggled, and Angela prepared herself, nestling in beside prior to ripping his shirt open, placing her bare hand on his chest and closing her eyes.

'Dr. Ziegler…?'

'Shh.' Angela begged, and the familiar pull took place. The soul hadn't left yet. The piece of humanity she would never understand fully remained, and thus, there was hope. Still time. The counter was far from expiring. However, her nanomachines questioned her. Her own body rebelled against the demand, finally becoming clear with its concern. She needed to fully concentrate. She needed to override the logistics she hated acknowledging.

There. A connection.

The flow linked, and she fed Seung-hwa enough to assist with the reconstruction. Just enough. Just barely enough so his internal workings wouldn't be forever compromised. It took longer than before. She used to be capable of instantaneous "resurrection". Not anymore. She had been young and foolish; drunk with power and ability. She struggled. Angela's hand shook. The nanomachines bit back at her. They didn't want to leave. They didn't want to harmonize. They had become her power and undoing.

'I'm so sorry, Fareeha…' Angela whispered, but Seung-hwa stabilized, and he was sleeping peacefully minutes later. Jun-yung whistled.

'Unbelievable.' He uttered. 'I heard all about it but…you brought him back from the brink of death. That's…otherworldly.'

'Yes.' Angela closed her eyes, bringing her focus to the present anew. 'At a price I thought I was willing to pay…'

The angel of Overwatch left her fellow agent dumbstruck, slowly pushing through the winds that surrounded her and the waves of earthquakes that attempted to bring her down. She walked as if upon water, a dampness lining her cheeks and reaching behind her ears. Angela gripped her staff, and her wings sprung out behind her, fragments of gold sprinkling about like a fairy had presented itself to the world.

Angela narrowed her eyes upon Fareeha in the distance, seeing her despite the darkness, and channeled all the energy and will she had left into her suit and the power she had instilled within herself.

'I will watch over you…' She promised breathlessly, exploding from her spot and launching into the air, spiraling about and switching her staff's function to amplification. She soared, drawing closer to the insane fight, and latched onto Dva first, as she was the closest.

'Whoa…!' The girl's voice exclaimed through the speaker system. 'Weapons overloading…! Heheh! Nerf this, you creep!'

Angela used her momentum to lift herself even higher, slowly descending as she continued to spot Dva, the incredible pilot proving her worth again and again, damage output illustrated by the way the Gwishin lurched, its legs taking the brunt of the attack.

'Keep on the offensive! Drop its balance! The joints at the knee! Go for the joints!' Kyung-soo encouraged, and Angela switched to him, feeding his Meka power and scanning the area for who could use her next. She thought she heard Fareeha scream her name, but without the amplifiers the Mekas had, her voice was lost to the explosions and commands of the Meka pilots.

What followed was a spectacle to be had, Angela was sure. Her Caduceus Staff could only repair a machine so much, thus, she focussed on increasing the power of the weaponry, directing her enhancements on the bullets, rockets, and pulse weapons themselves prior to their launch. It was difficult to manage, but the results couldn't be denied, and Angela kept moving, refusing to be an easy target for the Gwishin, which quickly realized how pesky this newest bug had become. She flew from one Meka to another, her suit capable of that much for quite some time so long as not too far a distance was created. Her wings worked through bursts of flight, but she didn't have enough individual strength to keep flying without draining her suit completely. Angela relied on "lift", and the constant winds helped to an extent.

The Gwishin switched priorities hastily, true to its lethal nature and learning frightfully fast. It went for Angela. It needed her out of the fight. She was supporting like a madwoman, moving from Meka to Meka and carefully timing her lifts and slow descents to the point that she became nearly impossible to hit without leaving itself too open to counters from multiple angles.

Various compartments opened around the Gwishin's shoulders, and a waterfall of pulse missiles poured out of it, the act coming from desperation and immediately putting all Mekas into emergency evasive maneuvers.

'Spread and don't stop moving!' Yuna commanded, stress in her voice.

'You got it!' Dva confirmed, and the Mekas separated, leaving Angela to frantically figure out who best to latch onto. Fortunately, Fareeha swooped in and cradled the woman in her arms, bursting up high in an attempt to ward off the pursuing beams that appeared to have some semblance of homing capabilities. No words were exchanged, and Angela doubted she could have said anything if she wanted to they were moving so fast and the wind was cutting into her face so painfully.

'It's trying to keep us away from its legs!' Kyung-soo observed.

'Feh. Then we know the job is almost done. I'm going in.' Jae-eun cut his communicator, knowing his teammates would be against the reckless attack.

'Idiot…!' Hana cursed.

'I'll do what I can to support him. This is our chance. Approach it somewhat cautiously!' King decided.

'Men…' Dmon groaned.

'See? That's why you should stick with me! Heheh!'

'Are you seriously saying that right now?'

'Damn it…! I took a hit! Those damn pulse beams are relentless…!' Casino was back online.

'Can you still fight?'

'Heh. Of course, I can.'

Fareeha nosedived back through the clouds, spinning about as she shook off the last of the pulse attack. She steadied herself and gripped Angela even tighter as she observed the battle reaching its climax. The Meka Squad was giving it their complete and total all in one last effort, the Gwishin notably staggering as it continued to push out more missiles and energy blasts.

'We will be having a talk.' Fareeha said at last, and Angela could only nod.

'They need me.' She touched the bottom half of Fareeha's face, her chin caked in sweat.

'…Be careful.'

Angela smiled, and Fareeha brought her back to the fight. They understood one another so well in most cases. Fareeha knew well enough not to argue any further if Overwatch's Mercy was willing to go so far. She was a grown woman. She didn't need to be babied further. Angela was thankful to have such a partner. Such a lover. Such a friend.

She went back into the fray, and Fareeha did what she could as well, unloading a barrage of rockets from every venue her own suit had to offer, completely directing the attack at the singular leg upon the Gwishin that the team persisted directing all focus. Angela boosted her gallant knight, and the explosions that followed made even the Meka Squad marvel.

It seemed as though that would be it. Fareeha's ultimate attack was a sight to see, and Angela pushed midair to get closer, planning her next lift and spotting Dva preparing another expertly enacted tantrum. It was coming to a close. Victory could be seen. Cripple the omnic and entrap it in the water for the finishing blow. All of Korea's military might would rain down over the Kwishin and destroy it at last. Dva would join Overwatch. All would be well.

A hand on her chest. The tag within her armour pressed into her skin. Everything stopped.

Fareeha was looking at her, her mouth partially open as if to say something, Angela was stuck in the void. She tried to push for an answer. What was Fareeha about to say? What was happening? They were about to win, weren't they?

Time resumed.

And Angela wished it hadn't.

She was pushed away with a force so intense she lost all command of her flight. However, as she spiraled out of control midair, a massive object swung through the space, and an ear-piercing "crunch" – as if a truck had just crashed into a bicycle at full speed – sounded, Fareeha now nowhere to be seen.

It all didn't register immediately.

Angela knew her brain had switched to emergency mode, recognizing the visual threat to her very life. She didn't feel Dva catch her. She didn't see the Gwishin's leg finally give and erupt in a flurry of fire and smoke, toppling it into the ocean. Casino's Meka dashed across the sky, a blur of green, submerging itself into the water.

'F-F…F-F…' Angela's teeth chattered.

'Jae-eun is gonna get her, Angela. It's gonna be okay.'

'F-Fareeha…F-F…' The doctor recognized her delirium, and the more the reality of the moment settled, the more her body pushed down on her consciousness, pressing her into shock and covering her eyes with darkness.

'We'll get her to a hospital. We got great doctors here. It's fine. I-it's gonna be fine…!'

No. No, it wouldn't be. Angela wasn't as gifted in physics as the other sciences, but even she understood what it meant to be hit by something that big, that hard, that fast. Fareeha was a fly. The Gwishin was a vehicle. The result was the exact parallel.

She couldn't survive it. She would be dead without a fragment of doubt. She wasn't Angela. She wasn't Mercy of Overwatch. The "immortal". The "ethereal". All she had was her courage and dedication to justice. Her honesty. Her purity. Her kindness. She was flesh and blood. Human. Fragile. Hardly full of nanomachines that bent the very laws of nature.

A high pitch ringing made Angela squint and she covered her ears, her eyes hurting and her mouth sore. The ringing wouldn't go away. The pain was just the beginning. What on earth was that sound?

Ah.

Of course.

Angela closed her mouth, but her voice continued to burst from her throat, scratching at her neck until she could scream and scream and scream over and over and over before madness throttled her raspy cries of devastation into silence.