Howdy everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but I've been really busy with school work! I'm still getting used to the new schedule, and I just couldn't find any time to sit down and write this chapter until now. I appreciate the support, and I'm glad you guys are being patient with me. It means a lot.
I apologize if this chapter seems a little shorter than usual, but that's because I want to try and get these out on a weekly basis. That, and the next few chapters are gonna be really fast and chaotic, so if I spent time writing 10,000 words it'd probably lose the tone I'm going for. I want everyone to feel out of breath and downright confused as shit starts to hit the fan in this story.
Anyways, thanks again!
Chapter 14: The Fall to Earth
1 day later...
Angela's POV
Shivering, I watched as the air I exhaled spread out like a mist around me, signaling how cold it was. I rubbed my hands together for warmth, leaning against the tree behind me as I could hear some of the new recruits complaining. Jesse was sulking across from me, his arms crossed as he shuddered, shivering worse than I was. Genji wasn't affected by the cold, and Lena didn't seem the least bit bothered. Reinhardt sighed and sat down on the stump of a tree nearby.
It had been nearly half an hour since Sombra ordered us to meet her here for training, yet she hasn't shown, or alerted anyone about where she is. I found it suspicious, seeing as how she never returned last night, but the others seemed too preoccupied with not freezing to death out here. Although it wasn't humid enough to snow, it was around ten degrees outside. It was also six in the morning, so it was safe to say no one was having a good time.
The crows above me cawed as they flew overhead, fluttering away in the distance. The tree I was resting against was dead, the bark practically painted black. I sighed, checking my watch once more, tapping my foot impatiently. 'Why the hell does she want us out here right now? And why're we so exposed? Is this supposed to be some form of test?' I thought to myself, noticing how eerily quiet things were. Reinhardt seemed troubled, as if he could hear something that he couldn't quite make out.
"What could this be about?" Lena asked, looking up at the gray clouds above, pulling her scarf closer to her face. Jesse adjusted his hat before rubbing his arms to generate some warmth. "It's trainin'! What else could it be?" Jesse replied, and Lena frowned in response. "Then why wouldn't she tell us to bring our gear? Somethin' seems off." She muttered, looking in the distance. The hill above us was preventing us from getting a better view of the place, and although we had familiarized ourselves with the streets of Monaco, none of us had ventured too far into the woods like this. 'Perhaps she's getting us out of our comfort zone?' I thought.
"I don't know! Maybe we're practicing our formations, or hand to hand combat. Since we beat Talon we ain't been in a decent fight." Jesse offered once more, kicking a pebble. A few crows that rested on the branches of the dead trees around us snapped their heads to the hill, cawing once more. I scowled, and a sudden feeling of dread overcame me, yet I had nothing to justify my paranoia. "Could've picked a warmer day to do this though." The cowboy grumbled.
"She never came back last night. I guess Scott leaving was an even bigger shock to her than I thought." Lena speculated, and Jesse scoffed. "Don't be a dumbass. The boss wouldn't get so worked up over something like that!"
"I know, but-" she tried to retort, but he quickly interrupted her. "Would ya give it a rest?! Who cares about that self centered asshole?! Sombra's a hero to these people! She wouldn't let something so small bother her. You're all being ridiculous!"
"But Jesse-" Genji tried to intervene, but the man growled. "But NOTHING! I've had enough of your shit! Just SHUDDUP! Tsk, ever since he left everyone is actin' all depressed! I'm sick of it! We should be celebrating!"
"Still, it's not like Sombra to be this late. Perhaps something serious ha-"
Everyone stopped as loud footsteps could be heard. What must've been a hundred agents were marching up hill, and I noticed the tension in the air. The crows began to fly away in fear as Reinhardt's ears perked up, and he turned.
"INCOMING!" He bellowed, and we all snapped up to full alert, looking up at the hill just like Reinhardt did.
I watched as hundreds of men in bright gear began to fire upon us, their bullets flooding the sky as a few grenades were thrown downhill. I stumbled backwards, feeling a bullet graze my shoulder. The brains of the recruit beside me splattered on the cold bark of the tree, my ears ringing from the explosion that went off beside me, knocking me away from the tree.
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, a few dozen of our agents had been killed in an instant. Genji rushed over to me, deflecting a few bullets away from us. Jesse rolled behind a tree, covering his head. "WE'RE BEING AMBUSHED!" He yelled, and Lena blinked into cover as a piece of shrapnel whizzed by her. Reinhardt picked up a shattered log from the ground, using it to shield others from the bullets.
"Damn! Are they survivors from Talon?!" I demanded, trying to get a good look at who we were up against. Unlike the usual Talon agents, they were dressed in a blue and white uniform, along with even better gear than before. All of them were in full body armor. 'No... it couldn't be...'
"It's...it's the United Nations..."
Olivia's POV
I winced as the harsh crack of the whip met my naked body, my blood spraying outwards to the dark wall beside me. Nothing illuminated the room except for one small light that dangled precariously above my head, keeping everything else in darkness. I looked at all the bloody tools and knives they had lined up on the table to my right. Soon there was another crack, and I felt the whip cut into my abdomen. I didn't make a sound as I met Moira's mismatched eyes.
The woman was sweating, her ginger hair matted down to her forehead. She panted, growling as she stared at me. "I should have known. I should've alerted the others to your schemes. I could've ended this destructive conflict, once and for all. But it was all for your dream!"
She continued lashing out in anger, her spit spraying onto me and she yelled. "After all the times I favored you! This is how you repay me?!" I struggled against the chains on my wrist which held me up, but it did me no good. 'Is this how Scott felt? Held against his own will while I tortured him? Had he really hated me this entire time?' I asked myself, before scowling. 'He's a traitor. He always will be.'
"It's over for you and that band of mercenaries you call HEROES, you hear me!?" Moira shouted, the now red whip meeting my cheek, cutting through my skin like butter. I could feel the warmth of my blood drip down my skin, my entire body already scarred from the short time I've spent here.
From what I could tell, with all the news and attention Overwatch was getting, the UN decided to target us. They claim we're disrupting the peace, and what remained of Talon alerted the UN to our position. I was willing to bet the others were dead already. But instead of feeling remorse or guilt, I felt nothing. They mean nothing to me. Nothing but a way to fulfill my dream. 'But Scott destroyed that dream. I should've killed him as he walked away, made an example of him.' I thought, but a part of me knew full well that I couldn't do that. I loved him.
Moira stopped, struggling to catch her breath as I looked at her. "I get it now. I always thought it was strange. Talon has never had any trouble with murdering their prisoners. But for some reason you're keeping me alive. Is it because of your underlying jealousy perhaps? You feel that you can't waste my skills and influence, so you plan on keeping me alive, torturing me for as long as you need, until I break and give in to you. You lust for my power. You desire me, just like you did Scott."
Her eyes widened as she slowly realized I was right, and her brows furrowed once more. "HOW DARE YOU! You will pay for your insolence!" She snapped as she began whipping me once more, her strikes becoming more fierce and desperate as my blood trickled down to the floor below me.
Angela's POV
I ducked, another bullet striking the young man behind me. I had no time to mourn the loss of these young and talented men. Instead I had to find a way out of this. With Sombra and Scott gone, the responsibility of leading us out of this fell to me.
"I refuse to die until we figure out what the hell is going on!" Jesse exclaimed as Reinhardt shielded him, the force of all the bullets slowly forcing the large man back. "Hey! Why're they attacking us?! We helped save people, and this whole damn city! Sombra, Scott, where are you?!" Lena cried out, desperate for someone to save us. I looked at her, my mind flashing to all the times she needed my help in the field. 'I can't let her down now. I can't let them down!' I told myself, gritting my teeth as I rolled back into cover beside Jesse. Genji was struggling to stay alive, and a bullet was lodged deep into his calf.
"We need to fan out! They're just firing into the crowd!" Jesse ordered, as agents were already fleeing, most of them being shot in the back as they struggled to climb up hill. If we ran away from them we'd be left exposed. We needed to charge them head on to break through their lines and escape. A lot of us would die trying, but it'd be better than us all dying as we try to flee. I refused to go out like that, struggling to claw my way out of this. I smiled for a moment, despite myself and the situation, as a new sense of determination flooded my body. 'I'll lead the others. We'll make it.' I thought.
It's what Sombra would do. It's what Scott would do.
"Wait! McCree! Don't scatter!" I yelled, picking up one of the rotting logs of wood that had been cut down long ago, preparing to use it as a shield like Reinhardt did. I met everyone's eyes for a moment as they looked up at me. 'So this is how it feels.'
"If we spread out we won't be able to break through their lines! Fall in! We'll charge through the enemy at their weakest point and escape! Overwatch has never been one to run away from a fight! Now let's show them what we're made of!"
Jesse and Lena smiled. "Yeah!" The cowboy yelled, a newfound confidence sprouting within him. "You got it Angie!" Lena laughed. The remaining recruits all nodded their heads and shouted in approval. Genji offered a curt nod, and Reinhardt laughed. "HAHAHA! NOW THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR!" He guffawed, and I smiled.
"Alright! Everyone, charge through!" I ordered, and they all rushed in front of me, but I didn't lag behind for long. I screamed at the top of my lungs as we ran up hill and into the gunfire, and I prepared for the hell that would await us. 'If Scott can do it, I hope the entirety of Overwatch can too.' I thought to myself, and I could see Scott smiling in my head.
Reinhardt smashed through the UN's lines, completely ignoring the gunfire as they flew through the air, screaming. We followed him through, and I dodged an attack from one of the UN agents and broke my log over the top of his helmet, cracking his skull.
"FOR OVERWATCH!"
Olivia's POV
Moira was exhausted, and I couldn't feel anything except for pure and unadulterated pain. But I lacked the strength to cry out in agony, or defy the woman any longer. 'Scott gave me that strength. He was my crutch. Why was I so weak without him?' I could still see Scott leaning up against that tree, covered in blood and guts, but he always kept moving. I thought about my friends, realizing that they were probably all dead, rotting in the woods somewhere. I led them all to their demise. Scott had left. But I could still feel it. That small flicker of hope, the embers of a once great fire within me. My dream.
"Reaper! I want you to do your worst to her. She has all but destroyed Talon. But we will rebuild. No matter what, keep her alive. I want her to fully understand the pain she's caused us, then, and only then, can she be allowed to join us. Maybe she'll realize she is doomed without us."
Moira walked away, opening a door near the end of the room, light flooding in for a moment as she turned back. Gabriel cracked his knuckles, chuckling to himself. 'They're going to try and turn me into Widowmaker. They want me to work for them. But they'll work for me in the end. They all will. This world will be mine. Overwatch is dead. But that doesn't mean I am.'
"She must be forced to face the consequences of her actions for as long as she can draw breath. I'll come back regularly to check up on your progress." Moira said as she turned to look at me, my naked body covered in blood. A small yet satisfied smirk spread across her lips.
"It seems that your lover, Scott, won't be coming to save you."
2 months later...
Scott's POV
An malicious grin spread from ear to ear as the bell rang and the crowd cheered. I had barely broke a sweat this whole damn day, and apparently they've been putting me up against the best of the best. Soon enough they started putting five to ten people against me to make it even slightly entertaining for the crowd. I could hear them betting on me all the way, throwing money near the blood stained arena.
The men in front of me were already scared, and I laughed as I charged them. "I'm gonna hurt you so bad they're gonna have to stop the fight! If you know what's good for you you'd tap out right now! They're gonna be piecing you all back together for weeks."
I joined this little tournament a day ago just for the hell of it. I figured I'd get a good fight. So far I've gotten nothing but a few good laughs. This was an arena for people with augmentations, that more often than not gave them superhuman strength or abilities. We were allowed to be a bit more violent than usual, but that was because we were seen as second class citizens because of our association with omnics. I didn't mind. It let me beat these fools within an inch of their life without getting in trouble.
I caught the first strike sent my way, snapping his wrist with one flick and then shattering his mechanical knee with one kick. I dodged the next blow, allowing him to charge forward. I caught him by the forehead with one hand and slammed him into the ground. The crowd loved it. "COME AT ME!" I laughed, watching as they all attacked me at the same time. I slid under the legs of one of them before planting my knee into his back and flinging him out of the ring. Another two kicked at my head and torso, but I blocked both of them and parried with two swift jabs to the throat, knocking them to the ground.
The man from earlier with the shattered leg and broken wrist was still crying out in pain, and I approached him slowly, grinning. I picked up what remained of his leg and ripped it off of him, before bringing it over my head to swing down upon his chest. "You'll kill him!" I heard the announcer yell over the microphone, and I chuckled.
"He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" My eyes met the man below me, and I didn't hesitate to swing.
"DIE!"
A few hours later...
The others that weren't in an ambulance or hospital right now, mostly because they didn't face me, were all busy talking with one another in the locker room as we all got back into our normal clothes. A group of people, whose names I couldn't be bothered to remember, approached me, their frustration with my actions pretty apparent as they all scowled at me. I didn't mind. It'd just mean more fights. 'The more fights, the stronger I get.' I thought to myself, my mind flashing to the friends I wanted to protect. 'I hope they're doing okay.'
"Dude! What the hell is wrong with you?! I realize it's a tournament but we're not supposed to kill each other! Some of those guys were my friends you bastard!" One redhead exclaimed, and I shrugged. "Not my fault the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory."
"What the fuck man?! You should just get the hell out of here before we-"
"Before you what? Break your arms at me. Move it, extras."
One guy behind me offered me a smile. "Hey man, let's all just chill out. I'm willing to bet we could all work it out over a couple of drinks." He said, and I held back a grin. 'You remind me of Genji.'
"These people don't matter. The only thing that's important is that I beat them." I scowled, moving over to the corner of the room that I had claimed, ignoring the glares others were sending towards me.
I grabbed my bags and slung them over my shoulder like always, figuring I'd clean up in my apartment later. I didn't have a tv or anything in there. Just a bed and a closet for my clothes, along with a bathroom. I rarely went there anyways, and the money I got from working in places like this was enough to get by.
I could overhear two men talking with one another behind me, and one of them was really excited about something. I was about to ignore it and walk by, but I chose to listen to what the man had to say. Maybe it was a job I could take part in.
"What's with all the shouting? Calm down." The man said, but the blonde beside him chuckled. "Aww don't be like that. I came here to offer you a job. Pays well too." He added, and I raised an eyebrow.
"A job?" The other asked, and he nodded. "We need get some weapons soon. We'll get paid generously."
I butted in, stepping beside them as I towered over the two men. "But why? Another war start?" I asked, and rather than shooing me away, the blonde seemed to welcome me. "Ah good! You're a big man. We could use that. We're hunting bandits. Some band of mercenaries or something."
"Mercenaries?" I looked down at him, and he nodded. "Yeah. Some troop of some famous bandits are on the run from some bounty hunters. Apparently the whole government is after them. I can't exactly remember their name. All I know is they used to be some famous group, kept the peace or something like that." He answered, and I frowned. 'Could it be? Has something happened to Olivia?'
"We could make some easy money. There's supposedly like a hundred of them left after they escaped some ambush. As long as we join the hunt, we'll get some money." He continued.
"Do you know who they are?" The other man folded his arms, and the blonde laughed. "Yeah. Rumor has it they're being led by some woman. A famous doctor or something. Dr. Ziegler? I don't know."
"Dr. Ziegler?" I asked, my hands clenching into fists, and I thought about my friend. 'Why would she be leading them? And why're they on the run? What happened to Olivia?' I wondered, and I was becoming angry. 'Why does the world always try to kill the heroes they claim to so desperately need?'
"Oh yeah!" He said, snapping his fingers. "Overwatch! Talk about a blast from the past! Nearly forgot they ever existed! Apparently they've been fighting some terrorist group, helping some city. Forgot all the details."
I snatched the man by his collar, growling as I stared into his eyes. "What's that? What did you just say?!" I spat, and the other man tried to pry my hand off of him, but I shoved him away. "Aaa-Ah, I..." He stuttered, and I slammed him into the wall. I could feel eyes drawn towards me as I started a scene, but I couldn't care less. "Tell me what you just SAID!" I demanded.
"O-Overwatch! Led by Dr. Ziegler! Wh-what's your problem?!"
My eyes widened, and I realized what a horrible mistake I had made. 'I left them vulnerable. And now... now they're almost all gone. What if something happened to Genji, or Lena, or Angela, or...'
'Olivia.'
"No..."
