Chapter 13: Things Better Left Unsaid

3 days later...

Lena's POV

I tossed and turned in my bed as the storm outside continued to rage on, the wind crashing against the window beside me. Sitting up, I nudged the blankets off of my body with my legs and pulled my knees up to my chest. The silence of this damned hotel never failed to keep me awake. Our stay here was going to last another week probably, as Katya was still trying to throw yet another party. From what I could tell, we were all about as lively as a graveyard these days.

I was used to the hum of the lights outside of my room at the base, along with the occasional pair of footsteps outside my door. But here...nothing ever made a sound.

Perhaps that was because practically no one had said a word since Scott left. Not even Sombra spoke to any of us. Jesse was the only person to ever try and hold a conversation, but it quickly died out this morning at breakfast as we all sat in relative silence. Even Reinhardt seemed a bit disheartened by Scott's departure.

Angela was just about the only one of us functioning properly. Though that was to be expected. But I could tell just by the way she held herself and how worn out she looked, she must be taking it pretty hard. After all, she tried her hardest to prevent Scott and Sombra from dueling with one another. But I suppose it had to happen.

Genji was doing alright, but he was even more quiet than usual. I suppose he still maintains that positive outlook, even now. I envy him at times. He always looks on the bright side of things, and he never failed to cheer people up. But I doubt even he could make everything seem better.

It was hard to believe at first. Hell, it's still pretty damn hard to believe. Scott was gone. He left with a few goodbyes and a smile. I expected him to say something else after Sombra fell to her knees, but he just said farewell and left. Scott didn't even turn around when Angela shouted his name. It was hard to explain. It was hard to understand why everything felt so wrong.

Scott was like a mascot to us, a testimony to what determination and willpower can accomplish. We'd always ask him about why he did the things he did, and what was going through his head when he did something so brave. He always answered with a grunt, and a small smile, as if even he didn't know what the hell he was thinking half the time.

Even though he wasn't always telling stories, or even speaking for that matter, his presence kind of held us together. I always felt safe with him around. I knew that if I needed him, he'd be one call away. But now that big oaf is off somewhere out there, finding something for himself. If I had only said something when he talked about leaving. If I had just told him that we cared about him, and that he belonged with us, no matter what kind of shit Sombra had said one night, maybe he'd still be here.

It's my fault he left.

Sombra hadn't left her room ever since Scott defeated her in one swing. I only saw her outside of her room once, and she was in Scott's old room in the hotel. Apparently he had left some things behind, but I was too upset to go shifting through what he didn't take with him. It just brought up bad memories. But Sombra was just standing beside the bed, contemplating something. She didn't even move.

I expected her to just brush it off. She was such a strong and confident woman, I believed she would be over it in a day. But it's as if everything that made Sombra the person she is today was shattered in the duel. She never went to speak with the crowds in the streets, and she never showed any emotion. Sombra just locked herself inside and never left. There was something between her and Scott that was destroyed, and it made her a shell of her former self.

On one occasion I tried to talk to her about it, but she didn't answer. When I knocked on her door again, she jerked the door open, and her eyes met mine. There wasn't anything in her eyes. No emotion. No life. Nothing. It was just empty. I just shook my head and excused myself, unable to say anything.

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes and slowly stood up, my feet meeting the cold wood floors. I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the lights, wincing as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. I looked as disheveled as I felt, and I leaned forward over the sink and closed my eyes for a moment, struggling to get my mind off of Scott. My mind always flashed to him walking away from us, Angela yelling his name, slowly shrinking in the distance before disappearing entirely.

The night on the rooftop meant so much more to me now that he left. I told myself he was just rambling, and maybe he was so hopped up on painkillers he wasn't thinking straight. But now that he's gone, his words mean so much more.

'Looking over you all, from up here, sometimes I feel like I can see each and every one of your hopes and dreams flickering in the light. All of them forming together to create the raging fire that is Overwatch.' I shook my head as I could hear him speaking, almost like he was whispering it in my ear.

'But mine isn't to be seen among them. Even after all this time, I feel like a man who stopped to warm himself by the fire before passing.' The clash of Sombra's knife breaking in two as Scott brought down his blades in one fell swoop rang out.

'Compared to what Sombra is trying to do, compared to what all of you are trying to do, me fighting a battalion singlehandedly is meaningless. Like me, it has no purpose.' His voice began to mingle with the his shouts of rage as he swung wildly, tearing through anyone who stood in his way. I could still see him covered in blood, leaning against the tree behind him, surrounded by hundreds of bodies. His screams and groans only became louder and more distinct as I focused on him leaving, the same image of his back turned to us all flooding my brain.

I could hear his faint laughter, and the rare moments where he smiled. I yearned for the times I'd hug him out of nowhere and all of his flustered protests. I always wanted to make him smile, not just because he practically never did, but because I wanted to repay him for all the times he made me smile. 'I'm tired of looking up at her from inside of her dream.'

He was my friend. But I never bothered to speak to him as often as I should've. It's my fault he left. All I could hear was the sound of Sombra falling to her knees as Scott's blades retracted back inwards. 'Farewell.'

A knock on my door snapped me from my thoughts. I hesitated and thought about not answering, but I figured they'd just knock again. "It's open." I answered, still feeling restless after everything that's happened. The crowds had been hounding us for a while now, and with Scott leaving it made it hard for us to smile and wave like we were supposed to. Sombra wasn't ever bothered by it, but she never even went outside anyways.

I could hear the familiar exasperated sigh of Angela outside of the bathroom, and I walked out to find her rubbing her eyes, probably struggling to stay awake. "What's up?" I asked casually, and she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry for barging in, but I was wondering if I could bounce some ideas off of you?" Angela asked, her voice hardly louder than a whisper. I shrugged and offered her a small grin. "Sure thing."

"Thank you. I'm not always the best at these sorts of things. But you're quite social, so I figured you'd be a big help." Angela leaned against the nightstand beside me, and I sat down at the edge of my bed. "Yeah. Shoot."

"Well, with everything that's happened, I think we all deserve a vacation to get our minds off of things. Just a day or two off to recuperate and unwind. Scott's gone but...that doesn't mean we aren't still heroes. Maybe we could all head to the beach or something? The weather is supposed to be lovely for the next week or so."

I paused, thinking about Scott. I could hear his footsteps as he walked away from us all on that hilltop, leaving all of us stunned. Shutting my eyes, I tried to think about something else. "I'm sorry, it's a stupid idea. No one is going to try to do anything of the sort with what Scott did. I shouldn't have even said anything."

"No, it's not that. I've just been having trouble with everything Scott said before he left. I could've stopped it but...I was just so focused on other things, or I just brushed it off. If I had just talked to him more, maybe it'd be different." Angela sighed and sat down beside me, resting her hand on my back. "It's not your fault, Lena. You didn't know how far he'd go just to be free. None of us did."

Angela hesitated, staring down at the floor for a few moments. "He told me about his plan to leave as well. I thought about telling the others before, but I didn't want to betray his trust. But now that Sombra is in the state she's in, I regret not informing everyone. If we had just all come together sooner, maybe he would've realized he didn't need to leave."

"I get it now. Why he left." I muttered, and she turned to me. "He really just wanted to find some purpose in his life. Scott never believed his existence was meaningful in any way. It's why he always fought so many people by himself. He valued our lives more than his own. I truly understand what he's been saying all this time. Scott has always been jealous of us, desperate for some dream to follow. And I know it's odd to say this..." I trailed off, thinking about the smile he gave us before he left. He seemed at peace for once.

"But I'm glad he left. He's finally doing something for himself. And the fact that he was willing to go through Sombra, and even look us all in the eyes before leaving, shows how determined he was. He never betrayed us, no matter what Jesse tries to say. Scott just started being true to himself for once. I hope I can see him again, and tell him I understand."

There was a moment of silence between the both of us, and Angela sighed once more, and she looked even more exhausted than I did. "He'll be back. I don't know when, but I know that he didn't mean for that to be the last time we speak. I hope he looks after himself."

"Not too long ago, you were at each other's throats. What happened to cause such a drastic change, if ya don't mind me asking." The doctor stopped, and she frowned. "Well, it all sort of started in Monaco. When Sombra was at that ball, I helped him limp up the stairs to her. But it's odd. I started to see him in a new light at the same time he saw Overwatch in a new light. If that night had went differently, he never would've left."

I raised an eyebrow, curiosity getting the best of me. What could've happened to change his outlook on his life and Overwatch so much? "What happened?" I asked.

"Somb-"

The door creaked open just as Angela began to speak and Genji poked his head out, and I found myself struggling to hide my smile after seeing such a cunning warrior act like an innocent child.

"Forgive me for the intrusion ladies, but have either of you seen Ms. Sombra?"

I contained my laughter as his eyes flicked between the two of us. "She isn't in her room?" Angela asked, and he shook his head. "Her room has been empty since this afternoon. I figured she'd be back by now, but she's nowhere to be found."

Frowning, I thought about Sombra. Where would she have actually gone? With how depressed she's seemed, I doubt she'd just go out on her own for no reason. And since she hasn't told anyone, I slowly felt a bit more nervous for her. "Did anyone else go with her or something?" I asked, and he shook his head. "I've asked everyone else, and they didn't even know she left."

"Do you think...?" Angela stopped, and her breathing hitched for a second. Genji looked down at his feet, and I stood up, looking at both of them as they exchanged worried glances. "What do you guys mean? Where would she have gone?"

"Did she...?"

"Leave us?" Genji muttered, and my eyes widened.

"No..."


Scott's POV

The night was cold, and the fire I made wasn't doing me much good. Although my arms didn't need any form of heat, the rest of my body was freezing. Shivering, I moved closer to the flames, releasing an exhausted sigh.

'If I was still with Overwatch, I'd be warm, safe, and surrounded by friends.'

Ever since I left, the draw back to the others had become much stronger than I anticipated. I expected to feel relieved when I left, or at least confident that I made the right choice. But now that I'm actually alone, huddled close to a fire, I couldn't help but feel regretful. I didn't regret leaving, but something about the way it went down was eating me up inside.

It was her eyes. Olivia's eyes as she stared at me before collapsing. I shattered her blade in one strike, and she just stood there in disbelief. The woman didn't say anything, or even change her facial expression. It was as if she was frozen.

'I shouldn't have done that. I should've just talked to her. Maybe she would've understood.' I thought to myself. I found myself doing that a lot more often these days. But I knew she'd never allow me to just leave. Olivia believed I belonged to her, whether that be in some romantic way or not, and defying her like that was unacceptable to her. But I only left because of her, and what she said. I realized she was right.

'To become my friend, someone must pour their heart and soul into their dream, and never betray that dream.' Her words echoed in my head, just like they did when I stared her down during our duel. 'Even if it meant opposing me.'

The sound of our blades clashing together was stuck in my head, and I couldn't control this overwhelming sense of unease about the whole thing. 'I'll forge something for myself, and then I'll come back. But who is to say how long that will take? Or what will change while I'm gone? Did I truly abandon them and lie to myself about why I was leaving? Was I just a coward like Jesse said?'

'If you wanna suffer then be my guest, but know that you're not special like Sombra is, and you never will be!' Jesse shouted once more, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away and tried to focus on something else.

Poking at the fire with a stick, I watched as the flames danced along the night sky, the fire extending outwards before tumbling back to the earth, much like the famous tale of Icarus. At times, I felt just like him. Maybe I flew too close to the sun, and now I've royally fucked things up.

Shaking my head, I watched the sparks fly upwards once more, and my eyes widened.

"Sparks." I muttered, thinking about the sparks I had seen in my life. My mind flashed to all the battles I had been in, and the sparks that were created when two blades crashed into one another. When Genji and I would practice with one another, I'd see my life in the sparks I created. It was the same when I fought an entire battalion alone. I felt like I could see everything I had done in my life up until that point, before it was snuffed out in an instant. It made me realize how fragile life was, and how easily it could be taken. It was why I fought. To see those sparks.

'Have I truly figured it out? Is this what I've been looking for my whole life? The small flickers of hope that I get when metal strikes metal?'

The fire in front of me raged on, and in return I felt the embers of a great fire were beginning to rekindle once more. Maybe my purpose was through fighting? Through protecting those that I love. Much like flames, life can be destroyed rather easily. I thought about Lena, Genji, Angela, Reinhardt, Olivia, and all the innocent people out there I strived to protect. That was it. If I was going to come back with a purpose outside of Overwatch, maybe I'd find it through becoming even stronger. I won't let anyone hurt those I love. Not after what happened to Megan...

A small smile started to form on my lips. 'Whether or not this is what I've been searching for all these years, I'll find something. I have to.'

"Thank you. Genji, Jesse, Lena, Angela, Reinhardt, Winston...Olivia. Thanks for everything."


Olivia's POV

He's gone.

He's actually gone.

'Why did he want to leave so badly? What did I do to cause this? Did he truly despise us that much?' I asked myself, my mind flashing back to the night before the duel. Scott's reassuring smile while we danced comforted me in a way I didn't even know was possible. I was always wary, cautious, and anticipating my opponent's move. But with him, I trusted him. Something about the way he smiled at me, and his laugh sends shivers down my spine even now.

But it was all a lie. He defied me, and turned his back on us all. I was wrong about him. I let him get close, and I got burned for it. But never again. I won't let something like that happen again.

Why did it have to be him? That reckless, courageous, intelligent man was truly an enigma. I revealed my greatest secrets to him.

I...I loved him.

But he left me, and I can't understand why that hurt so much. Scott carried himself in a way no one else did. He didn't care what the bigwigs at parties thought of him, and he was fearless in the face of death. Hell, he cheated it more times than I can count. Scott never even flinched as Jesse hurled every insult at him he could think of. And he never faltered, even under my gaze.

I was the one who faltered. During that duel, I struggled to look at him as an enemy, no matter what he was doing. Scott had stood by me for so long, and saved my life so many times. How could I fight him? The feeling was indescribable when our eyes met, and I couldn't decipher what he was thinking. He wasn't angry, or sad. He just stared at me. His eyes have haunted my dreams every night since.

I've been stumbling around the streets for a while now. I could tell my body was tired, but I was too numb to care. Nothing mattered anymore. Not Overwatch, not the world, not my dream. Everything was bland to me. I simply couldn't feel anything anymore. Not since Scott said that damned word. "Farewell." I muttered to myself, still able to hear his footsteps in the rain as he walked away.

'I've had thousands of comrades and enemies, and I've watched as hundreds died in front of me, and I never batted an eye. It was all for my dream. But you, Scott, you were the only one who made me forget my dream. On that hilltop, you were more important to me than anything. You made me forsake my dream.'

Luckily no one spotted me. It was dark outside, and I was wearing a hoodie to blend in. I was slowly making my way back to the others in hopes of drying off, allowing my feet to guide me through the familiar roads. I stared at the ground, thinking about Scott. I was too numb to smile, even though I suddenly felt the urge to as I thought about him.

'Didn't I tell you to stop breaking into my room?'

'Allow me to help you, Miss.'

'Well I could've went with sweetie.'

'I'm gonna try and find her.'

'I'll sleep when I'm dead.'

'Uh-huh. Ever at your side.'

'OF COURSE NOT! I refuse!'

'You know, it's that cocky attitude of yours that makes me sick!'

'Gah! Stop it! We're not kids!'

'You shouldn't be risking your life for me.'

'What are you waiting for, a kiss?'

'Damnit Sombra, you're not ready to get up yet!'

'I kept you warm with my body.'

'Olivia...thank you."

'And...you've got me, Olivia.'

'You belong with the others, leading them to victory. I belong here.'

'Please, stop shaking me...it doesn't seem to be helping with the pain...'

'You've changed us, inspired us, given us hope.'

'Take a break, for me.'

'Just stay safe.'

'It's time to go and greet your army, Commander.'

'Thanks. Thanks for... I don't know, everything.'

'H-hey! Stop spinning! I'm gonna get dizzy!'

I clenched my fist involuntarily as I thought about our duel on the top of that hill. That look in his eyes, like he was staring down an enemy.

'Thanks for everything. You've all been a family to me.'

'Can't you just settle for a smile, and a fond farewell?'

'Step aside Angela.'

I could see him lunging at me, bringing his blades crashing down upon me. Our eyes met, and he stepped away. I scowled. He left me with nothing. Nothing but one word.

'Farewell.'

As I looked up at the building the others were residing in, I felt a gun be placed at the back of my skull, and I heard a familiar yet unsettling cackle. I slowly turned around, meeting the hooded figure as two more lasers rested on my chest. Snipers were ready to blow me to bits. But I stood there as calm as ever, unable to say anything in return. All I could think of was Scott.

I sighed.

"Gabriel."

Cliffhanger again! Things are gonna start picking back up again, and Talon isn't out for the count just yet! And with Scott gone, the others depressed and Olivia distraught, Overwatch is, pardon my French, fucked. Some shit is about to go down next chapter, so you guys better hang on to your seats!

Until next time, everybody!