Chapter 18: Blood in the Water

Scott's POV

The next morning...

I rarely ever felt the urge to drink away my feelings, but the moment I woke up I instantly had to suppress that urge. I struggled to do so last night, Angela's words keeping me up most of the night. I'd memorized the layout of every crack and bit of dust on the ceiling since I spent the entire night staring at it, wondering what I was gonna do with myself. It was the first time I smoked a cigarette in quite a long time. I used to smoke to try and calm my nerves, but now I did it to distract myself.

'What the hell am I gonna do?'

That's practically all I could ask myself these past twelve hours. Even when I closed my eyes I could see Angela staring up at me, her words piercing my heart once more. It was just like when Genji was injured. She always found a way to stir my emotions up inside of me, leaving me to figure what to do. 'If you truly are her equal, and her friend, then you know you have to go.'

I growled, sitting up in my bed and staring at the window in front of me. The sun had already rose, and it was nearly noon. I'd spent the whole morning inside of my room for once, trying to keep to myself. I'd received a few texts from Lena and Genji, but I never responded. I preferred some privacy for the moment, and I didn't know what I was gonna do anymore. I had no clue.

Olivia was probably still sleeping, and I figured I'd just bother her if I came in. That's not even taking how uncomfortable I'll feel looking at her into account. As much as I hated to say it, Angela's words lit a fire in my heart. I thought I moved past this. That I accepted that I didn't need a dream to belong here. And that maybe Olivia could be that. Or Overwatch could. But I felt the urge to start off on another journey once more, to find my place. I believed this was my home. But how could it be? I never achieved what I set out to do.

But Genji's and Lena's words were pulling me back, telling me I belonged here. I could still feel Lena's loving hug as she held me tightly, the others begging me to stay. I still smiled at the thought, despite how shaken I was. I couldn't rightly say what I was going to do anymore. I hoped that I'd be able to brush Angela's words off, feel nothing. I bet she wanted me to stay as well. But I could feel Olivia's eyes peering at me and I felt like I was trapped in her shadow once again, struck by her speech.

I was the same as I once was, no matter how afraid or ashamed I am to admit it. And I was struggling to resist how tempting her words could be. I was still the man who stopped by fire to warm himself in passing. Nothing more. I could never be. Maybe I could fool myself into believing I was Olivia's equal. But I'd know deep down that it was a lie. And how could I live with that? How could I force myself to accept that?

No. I don't think I can do that. I don't think I can live without her recognition, her respect, her admiration. I can settle for nothing less. Looking down at my hand, I clenched it into a fist.

But first I must protect those I love. I cannot leave them behind. But after this is all done, I'll set off once more to find my dream. And I'll finally be their equal, and more importantly, her equal.

My thoughts were interrupted by erratic knocks on my door as someone pounded their fist onto it. I jumped up and moved to it, opening it swiftly.

Lena stood there, her eyes wide in shock, but they held a worrisome glance that she shifted up to me. I could see the others rushing around in a panic, and I frowned. "She's gone!" She exclaimed, and I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Who's gone?"

And then it hit me.

Olivia might've heard us outside of her room last night. And I soon realized that Angela and I drove her away.

"Oh no..."


Olivia's POV

"Olivia... Olivia..."

"Olivia?"

My eyes fluttered open to find myself in unfamiliar surroundings, sitting in a chair at a table made of solid wood. I was in a warm house, stairs behind me leading up to a large second floor, and a massive pit bull rested at my side, it's brown eyes meeting mine. I frowned in confusion, looking at my hands, studying the ring that rested on my finger. 'Marriage?'

I could smell pancakes and eggs being cooked, with a man in the kitchen to my left. I wanted to move, but soon realized I couldn't.

'Where am I?' I thought, but was unable to speak up.

"Darling? Still groggy from last night? Forgive me, we went a little overboard with the wine." I heard the gruff voice of Scott call from the kitchen, and he met my eyes with a loving grin. His mechanical arms danced along the pans and silverware all around him as he struggled not to burn anything. He was as clumsy as usual. But charming.

My eyes widened, and I figured out what was going on. 'Ah. A dream.' I finished, but I didn't have the strength to wake up, nor the desire. It was much too sweet of a dream to be snapped out of.

He stepped towards me, placing a plate filled to the brim with delicious sights and smells. A whopping serving of eggs, along with plenty of fruit and a few soft pancakes on the side. He wore an apron, looking quite awkward in it. His raven black hair was as dark as ever, although a few gray hairs were sprouting in his trimmed beard. I felt his lips grace my cheek as he sat down beside me, right in front of his own plate.

Scott turned to me, smirking. "Why're you staring at me? Something on my face?" He laughed, but I couldn't reply. I was trapped in this useless body. Even in my dreams I was hindered by my wounds. He sighed, offering me a shrug. "Dreaming about the old days again, huh?" He asked, shaking his head as he reminisced. "Well Genji and Angela are supposed to be in town this week. I was hoping we'd get to see them. I wonder what everyone is up to these days."

His gaze shifted over to a framed photo of us all smiling at the ball in Monaco as Scott held me close. 'I remember that photo. Before...before everything...'

"So many adventures, so many tales. The past all feels like one big dream, doesn't it?" Scott chuckled, turning to see the pit bull as it growled playfully at him. "No. I'll play with you later, okay bud?" He cooed, patting it on the head gently, ruffling its fur.

'This...is something I want. Despite how impossible it is, I still desire it. Despite how much we've been through, all the anger and sadness, it never changed how much I wanted this. But I destroyed it.'

Scott's brows furrowed in annoyance as he looked out the window.

"Hey! Lena, get out of the mud this instant! And go wash your hands young lady!" He demanded, and I could hear a shout in the distance. "Okay, Dad!"

'Named after Lena as well. This was all some sort of fever dream. Some vision my failing mind created before shutting down. That crash...was it real? Or was it all a dream? This past year? Scott said it himself. It all feels like one big dream. Maybe...maybe I'll wake up back in Monaco, and Scott would've never left. I would've achieved my dream...'

A small smirk spread across his lips as he shook his head. "Quite the handful we've raised huh? Mischievous. Reminds me of her mother." Scott turned to me, grinning. I found myself begging to stay in this dream. Here it was warm, comforting, and beautiful. Perhaps if I hadn't been so selfish, he could've been mine. This could've been real. "So much has happened. Everything feels like a distant memory now that we're older. But I feel a lot more comfortable here. You know, just the three of us. You, me, and our beautiful little girl, Lena. A family."

His titanium hand met mine, but I was horrified to look down and see my arms covered in bandages. Blood was dripping down my hands, and I soon noticed the glass stuck in my forearms. 'No...'

My eyes snapped open to reality, and I gasped for air. Slowly trying to steady my breathing, I looked down, and realized that my dream was correct. I was still trapped in this body, scarred, bruised, and battered. Like some hand me down clothes. My hands pushed my body upwards, allowing me to lean back in the seat. The front end of the aircraft had been completely destroyed, and a branch stuck straight through the passengers side to my right.

Slowly stumbling out of the chair, I used the seats to push myself up and out of the aircraft. I fell to the ground below with a crunch, and I felt something snap in my arm. I couldn't be bothered to look down to see what it was, and I was too numb to even care. I laughed at how pathetic I truly was, unable to even climb out of there.

The light that had led me here was gone, replaced with the bright sun that blinded me as I looked up at the sky. The trees that hadn't been destroyed in the crash swayed in the breeze, and I listened to the crack of twigs and crunch of the leaves as I crawled forward, slowly standing up. I stared at my gear, which was ripped and shredded in multiple areas, covered in dirt and mud. My arms were caked in blood, and I lost all feeling in my legs. But I continued moving.

The world spun around me for a moment as I tried to figure out where I was. All I could remember was following the light, following my dream to wherever it took me, never minding the consequences. It was how I always had been, never bothering to look behind or below me as I trampled over whatever stood in my way. I was lost in the woods, probably on some island near the base from what I could gather. But I didn't care.

'This was where I led everyone.' I thought to myself as I looked back at the wreckage behind me in awe. 'I brought them nothing but pain and misery in the end. All for the promise of a better world, of grandeur. But I've been holding on to a broken dream for much too long. It shattered in my hands along with my blade as soon as Scott left. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't let go. It was all that kept me alive.'

"SOMBRA!" I could hear Scott yelling, and for a moment I believed I was having another nightmare. But I heard his voice echo out once more, and I could hear footsteps nearing the wreckage. I looked up, noticing the smoke leading them right to me. "Sombra!" Another voice yelled, and I soon recognized Jesse's accent. Others were yelling my name, but they seemed even further away.

'They spread out across the island, looking for me. They were searching for me, searching for their last hope. If they knew any better they would've left me to die out here.'

I coughed weakly, using a branch to help balance myself. "S-stay away..." I trailed off. But I could tell it was of no use. Scott always caught up to me. He always found me, no matter how many times I tried to hide.


Scott's POV

'Olivia...was it really me? Did I drive you to this? Am I responsible for everything that's happened, and what you've become?' The thoughts echoed in my head as I sprinted through the woods towards the smoke. Jesse was right on my heels, breathing as heavily as I was.

'What should I do? What would you have me do? What can I do for you now?' I demanded, scowling in anger as I pushed myself onwards.

Everyone had split up, checking all around the island Olivia crash landed at. Jesse and I were headed to the crash, but the others were scoping out the perimeter in case she had fled the wreck or hid somewhere. We all took two aircrafts to rush over to her, leaving the third one behind in case someone at the base needed it. None of us bothered bringing our gear with us, leaving us exposed if anything were to happen. But we were all in a panic as we flew out to get her.

Winston, Hana, and Lucio stayed behind to keep the base secure, along with a quarter of the agents. But everyone else was focused on finding Olivia and bringing her back with us. "Sombra!" Jesse yelled, and the smoke from the fires of the crash caused him to cough, and I used my augmentations to peer through the smog.

She had fled in that aircraft in the middle of the night while we all slept, and has been here for hours. Did she intend to kill herself in the crash? Was it all some desperate attempt to leave this life behind? Or did she plan on going somewhere else, finding somewhere to be? Perhaps she was following something?

The thought that Olivia could be dead right now suddenly popped up in my head, and I growled in a rage I hadn't felt in months. After all of this, everything we fought for, it couldn't end like this. I won't let it.

My ears were able to make out the soft whimpers of someone nearby, and I gasped. There was a trail of blood left behind, and I could tell by the imprints left in the dirt that they were stumbling with practically every step they took. Olivia could barely walk, and I doubt she escaped from the crash without getting injured. "Jesse! Follow me!" I yelled, and he kept right beside me as I hurried deeper into the woods, ignoring the destruction behind me.

My eyes widened as I found Olivia sitting in the middle of a small pond, the water around her turning red with her blood. "Sombra!" I screamed, rushing into the shallow water to grab her. I could hear Jesse mutter a prayer under his breath as I got closer to her. I noticed how ragged her gear had become, and she sustained a wound on the top of her head. Blood was trickling down into her eyes as she shifted in my sights, eyes as wide in shock like mine. Her bandages were soaked with blood and muddy water. "Sombra...are you okay? Can you speak?" I asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, her violet eyes glistening in the sunlight as she cried. "Never again. Never again with you..."

I frowned, but before I could say anything gunshot rang out, along with a deafening scream behind me. I turned to see Jesse writhing on the ground in pain, his right leg bleeding. "Jesse!" I reached out to him as he fell, but I felt something strong wrap itself around my entire body. I felt as if an anaconda was wrapping its body around me and tightening its grip, and I felt an electric current shoot through my entire body. I yelled in agony as it shocked me, forcing me to my knees as I thrashed about in the water. I grit my teeth in pain as I turned to Olivia.

Behind her stood Moira, her long fingers resting on Olivia's shoulder, ginger hair shooting out in multiple directions. "They've got us surrounded!" Jesse yelled, but I paid him no mind. The woman responsible for what happened to me all those years ago stood in front of me, offering me a condescending smile. Her mismatched eyes danced along my body, analyzing every bit of me as I struggled against the tendrils wrapping around me. They glowed a bright red as the machine gave me another zap.

"My my, Scott, it's been too long. Though I must say you've seen better days. This little group of yours isn't doing so well." Moira taunted, her grin widening. Talon troops had emerged from behind the trees, their guns pointed at Jesse and I as we both tried to stand. I struggled against my bonds as I snapped at her like a wild dog. "Stay away from her!"

Olivia didn't seem bothered by her presence as Moira's nails began to drum along her collarbone. She offered nothing, not even a single emotion as she stared at me emptily.

"What a beautiful love you both share. It shall make her sacrifice all the more important." She muttered, and I stood up on my feet, only to feel a bullet rip through my upper thigh, and I groaned in pain. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Jesse demanded, and Moira laughed.

"Sombra, or should I say, Olivia, you always knew this day would come, didn't you? When you'd forsake those who followed you to hell and back, and sacrifice them to achieve your own dream? Those desires of yours, they're still very much ablaze, struggling against the blizzard around you. You know I'm correct." She turned to Olivia. "How did you...know her name?" I asked, and she smiled. "I learned a lot this past year. You don't think I never asked her what her own name was, do you? My, you must think me a terribly rude host."

Olivia stared up at the tall woman as she towered above her, not looking at either of us. "You want me to... to give them up?"

"Precisely. They've done nothing but weigh you down since Russia. They're much like the organization they fight for, old, decrepit, weak. Without you, they simply fell apart. But with me, with our combined efforts, we could end these destructive conflicts, bring an end to the struggle between Omnic and Human, see them intertwined. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. It's your dream, is it not?" She asked, speaking to her as if she was talking to a child.

"Don't listen to her damnit! You know what they're like! She's using you!" I retorted, but Olivia said nothing in response.

"Quiet. What would someone like you understand? I had hoped you'd be better, Mr. Gallagher. You were made to bridge the gap, to be the next step in evolution. But now you must be left behind with the others. Doomed to be another body in the pile."

"You didn't have any hopes for me! You just wanted a puppet! Someone to string along to do your every whim! You're trying to do the same thing to Olivia! I won't let you!" I could feel the bonds weakening as I continued to try and pull my arms apart, to rip them out from the grasp of the tendrils.

"Believe me, I want much more from Olivia than I ever have from you. Yes, you were an essential step in our progress, but you must be cast aside. Olivia, listen to me. You've always been a strong leader, that I knew from the start. I know you. Who you really are. A woman with the ability to make the decisions no one else can. One who knows that sacrifices must be made in order to win a war. I ask you, please treat this as any other battle. The only thing that stands in your way is those you care for. That weakness that holds you down."

"Don't listen to their bullshit boss! Fight!" Jesse exclaimed, and I stared at Olivia as she shook. 'What is she doing? Why isn't she refusing her offer already?'

Moira frowned, turning to look at Jesse and I. "I've known you. You've always had the qualities I desired in someone. Willpower. The ability to trample over others for the greater good, no matter the cost to those around you. This dream of yours is what drives you. And it has not left you. People like us, we need that dream to continue living and moving forward. It's the only that is still driving you onwards. You would've died long ago without it. And I believe you know that as well as I."

"This dream of yours can come true, if you come with me. We can do what is right for the world, even if people don't understand it. You have a choice. Either die here, in the mud with those who never truly understood who you were, or join me to help better this world. We can rule this world, give your dream a chance to come true. To see a better tomorrow. To see a better people, free from weakness." Moira continued, and Olivia turned to meet my eyes.

I shook my head. "Don't do this! You know we can still change this world. Us! You and I! You've seen what they do. Please...fight through this. For Javier!" I begged, and she still offered nothing but an empty stare.

'Olivia...don't do this...'


Olivia's POV

My eyes opened to find myself in the streets I spent my childhood in, stuck in the old rags I always wore as a kid. The road stretched on forever behind me, bells chiming as birds flew off in the distance. The same winding alleyways surrounded me as I ran through the abandoned streets, looking left and right for any sign of life. But there was no one there.

In front of me, the same familiar light of the city on the hill stood in front of me, blinding me with its beauty. I felt the same childlike wonder as I stared up at it in awe, admiring it from the streets below. I turned back to see the silhouettes of those I'd come to know standing behind me, and in front of them all stood Scott. They were all content with gazing up at their dreams like stargazers would with the night sky, never moving to make the dream a reality. 'Yes. This is what separates me from other people.' I thought as I ran forward, never looking back.

The cobblestone streets and small buildings seemed to dissipate as the village disappeared, replaced with hills stretching as far as the eye could see. I continued running, the bells still chiming as the city called me to it. I rushed through, before tripping as my foot caught on something.

I found my balance as I realized what I was standing on. The only thing that made up the ground I had been running on was the bodies of those who had died in my many battles. Some wore Overwatch uniforms, others wore dark Talon uniforms. Their bones crunched under my feet as I placed pressure. Their bodies were rotting, their skin stuck to their brittle bones like rubber, with flies circling their bodies as I recoiled back, gasping. "Ah!" I shouted, falling back and landing in a pile behind me with a sickening squish. I reached out to use my hand to push myself back up, but I turned to see the skull of an Overwatch agent cracking beneath my hand.

Maggots were infesting the bodies, and I screamed in terror at the sight, my rags being covered in blood, the stench of it filling my nostrils. I resisted the urge to throw up.

"Just as noisy as I remember you being." I heard the synthesized voice of a child coming from behind me. I turned, watching in horror as Javier approached me slowly. His chrome body was back to its original state. I could barely ever remember him when he wasn't battered and completely destroyed, that scarring experience had become all I could remember about him.

Javier didn't seem bothered by the corpses beneath him as he made his way to me. "Now why're you making all this racket?"

"This is terrible Javi! Can't you see all of these bodies everywhere?!" I demanded, tears in my eyes as I looked at him. A small smirk spread across his lips. "Don't you see that you're the one who did this?"

I turned to see the mist behind us begin to dissipate, revealing all of those who I was responsible for killing. I could see Maximilien and Michael staring at me, and the countless Talon soldiers I killed along the way, blood trickling down from their eyes as they stared at me lifelessly. The Overwatch flag fluttered in the breeze, with the hundreds of recruits who died in the battle I led them in standing behind it, their eyes locked on to me as well.

"You were the one who led them here. If you never ran towards those cities no one would've had to die!" Javier exclaimed, pointing behind him as the gray clouds parted, the light illuminating the massacre I found myself in. "N-no...that's not true. I never forced anyone to come with me..." I stammered, looking up at him in fear.

"Silence! How do you think you even made it this far? You knew all along what sort of path your dream would lead you down." He scolded me, and I fell to my knees, trembling as I felt the tears that I held back reveal themselves as I sobbed. "I...knew?" I asked.

"That's right. And you're going to have to pile up many more bodies if you wish to fulfill your dream. Otherwise you'll become a corpse yourself." He answered without hesitation.

"What have I done..." I stared down at the blood coating my hands, and Javier shook his head in disgust. "You fool. If you're going to regret it then you shouldn't have even come here!"

In those moments, I remained silent as I stood up. I wiped away the tears that had formed in my eyes, and accepted my fate. 'I knew. And yet... I cannot apologize.' I thought to myself as I stepped forward, striding past Javier as I trampled over the corpses in my way, ascending the hill in front of me that led me straight to my dream.

'I won't apologize.' I continued onwards, looking at the corpses that stood tall in front of me. I recognized them immediately. Genji, Angela, Lena, Reinhardt, all of them. They all stood at either side of me, lined up as I climbed. 'If I apologize, if I repent, then all of it shall come to an end.'

The last body stood tall in front of me. It was Scott, his eyes staring at me. He was soaked in blood, wounds covering his entire body like always. He stood in front of me, defiant in the face of death. I hesitated in front of him, clenching my hands into fists at my side. 'Never again with you.'

With one shove, he fell to the ground beneath me like the rest of them. 'I sacrifice.'


Scott's POV

Olivia remained silent for what seemed like forever. I could feel the grip loosening as I pulled it apart slowly, preparing to charge Moira. "Behold those who've flown with you. Your wings. Pile them up, Olivia. Take all you have left, and leave them behind." She offered Olivia her hand, smiling.

She hesitated for a moment as she stared at the hand. I growled, breaking free of the hold with a shout and rushing the woman as I extended my blades outwards to stab Moira. She stood completely still, that damn grin remaining on her lips. "DIE!"

I felt something sharp stab right through my side, stopping me in my tracks, but I frowned in confusion, noticing that Moira never moved. 'What...' I thought, looking down at my side to see a blade stuck deep in my lower abdomen, and my warm blood began to pool out below me. Olivia's remorseless violet eyes met mine as I gasped, before she ripped it out of me. "Olivia..."

"I've had thousands of comrades and enemies. Yet you were the only one who made me forget my dream. For that, you must suffer."

Moira smiled as she watched me stumble back, falling into the shallow water beneath me as Jesse struggled. "What the hell are you doing?! Scott! You okay?!" He demanded, before another shot struck him in the shoulder, knocking him down again. "What're you doing..." I trailed off weakly, clutching my side in pain.

Olivia offered no emotion in her gaze, her eyes focusing on me. "You should've known this was who I am. You, of all people, knew I was willing to do whatever I needed to change this world."

"No..." I shook my head, a tear running down my cheek.

"Dispose of them." Moira ordered. Talon agents trained their guns on us, and I looked at Jesse as he coughed weakly. "No! DON'T-"

Blood spurted from Jesse's chest as he fell to the ground, his hat tumbling into the water beneath him. I felt a bullet strike my chest soon after, and I hit the ground hard.

"Goodbye Scott. I thank you, for everything you've done." Olivia muttered, before she walked away.

I gasped for air, listening to the Talon agents lead Olivia and Moira away. "Find the others!" I heard Moira order. 'No. They're going after everyone else...'

"Olivia...what have you done..." I gurgled on my own blood, coughing profusely. The pain was immense, but it wasn't the worst part. I could still see Olivia staring at me, watching as we were both gunned down. 'She's leaving us all behind...killing us so she can keep her dream alive...'

The only thing that kept me going was an uncontrollable anger.

Struggling to stand up, I rolled over onto my side, turning to see Jesse laying in the water, his blood soaking his white shirt. I crawled over to him, grunting in pain as I lifted him up into my arms. He was busy gasping for air, his terrified eyes meeting mine. "Jesse...just focus on me. You're gonna be alright okay, you're gonna be alright..." I assured him, ignoring the pain in my abdomen and chest. His hand sprawled outwards, meeting my face as he coughed.

"Scott...go after them...save the others..."

"No. I'm not leaving you damn it! I'm gonna get us outta here!" I replied, but I felt him grip the collar of my shirt with a bloody hand. "Damn it listen to me! Listen to me...for once...go get the others...get em outta here..."

"Jesse..." I trailed off, tears forming in my eyes. "Don't go..."

"Not how I expected it t-to... keh...feel...get the others Scott, f-for me..." Jesse stammered, blood dripping from his mouth as I held him tightly, hoping that I could keep him alive. But we both knew that his wound was fatal. 'My augmentations could work to keep me alive despite wounds like this...but...' I decided not to even think about it.

"I don't think I can do this...not on my own..."

"S-sure ya can..." he offered me a grin.

"It's been an honor... Captain..."

I watched as the light faded from his eyes, and he released his final breath. His body went limp in my arms, and I sobbed as I gently laid him down. Closing his eyes with my hand, I clutched his lifeless hand in mine. I couldn't hold my tears back as I thought of him, all the times he smiled or gave me shit for something. I placed his hat on his chest with a shaky hand, and shut my eyes.

'It's never too late to stop hurting an' killing people, and start helping people. It's never too late to come back.'

Jesse was dead.

My grief and deep sadness and pain was converted into a rage unlike any other as I wailed against the silence of the woods, my tears dropping into the bloody water beneath me. The birds flew away in the distance as I yelled in anguish.

"OLIVIA!"


Lena's POV

Everyone in my group had heard the two gunshots echo through the sky, along with screaming and shouting. I could recognize Scott's voice instantly, and my heart sank deep into my chest. The woods were completely silent, and Angela and I shared a worried glance. Reinhardt and Genji surveyed the area as a few dozen recruits stuck right behind us.

Angela was leading us towards the edge of the woods near the smoke rising up from the crash. We had separated in case Sombra had run from the wreckage, but only now were we comprehending the severity of that mistake. 'Scott, you better make it out of this. You too, Jesse.' I thought, but I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread fill my body with fear, causing me to shake.

"Commander! Where are we goi-"

The recruit who called out was cut off, a bullet splitting through his skull, his head cracking open like an overripe melon as it burst. I snapped to where the bullet came from as we all instantly spread out in a panic. None of us had our weapons. And we didn't have our gear.

'The perfect time for an ambush...'

"GET DOWN!" Angela ordered, ducking behind a tree as a storm of gunfire ripped through the open air, massacring anyone who was unlucky enough to stand in the way. I blinked into cover beside her, my chronal accelerator whirring to life as I peeked out into the distance, noticing the enemy insignia. "Talon..." I trailed off.

Genji zipped through the crowds, using his sword to deflect some of the bullets back into the enemy lines, but it was no use. He stumbled to his knees as a bullet struck him in the leg, Reinhardt pushing him out of the way. Reinhardt was rushing back and forth, pulling others to safety and shielding them with his body, already covered in blood and riddled with holes, but the old man kept moving. Angela and I stared in shock as we watched explosions go off behind us, tearing men in half, some of them crawling around, leaving trails of blood as their intestines spilled out behind them.

Others were screaming before a stray gunshot ended their life, their bodies piling up beside one another in a horrifying manner, looks of terror frozen on their bloody faces. I couldn't move, rendered completely immobile as I watched everything we had all worked to keep alive be destroyed in front of me, their agonizing screams and panicked shouting stopping me in my tracks. Blood splattered onto my pilot's jacket, smearing across my face as I watched. 'This is how it ends...isn't it?'

Reinhardt dashed in front of me as he shielded Angela and I, holding us to his chest as the bullets ripped through his back and limbs. He smiled through a pained expression. "I-I AM YOUR SHIELD!" He yelled, grunting as he fell to his knees. Genji rushed over to us, his eyes meeting Reinhardt's as they nodded in acknowledgment. "What're you doing?! Let us go!" Angela shouted amidst the chaos, but Reinhardt shook his head. "Fly little birds...go!"

I felt the urge to cry as he smiled at us both. "Don't worry..." he stopped, another bullet tearing through his stomach, his entire body running red with blood. "I-I have been called... I must answer..."

Genji grabbed Angela and I by the wrist, offering Reinhardt a saddened glance. "Give them hell, Reinhardt..." He said, and Reinhardt grinned. "Gladly."

Genji picked me up and slung me over his shoulder like some oversized luggage, pulling Angela away in the other hand as she struggled against him. "GENJI! Let me go now! We can't just leave him!" She cried, kicking and clawing as he pulled us through the woods, ignoring Reinhardt's cries of pain and agony, along with a loud crash.

He let me go for a moment, and I stood, looking back in remorse. But I knew I couldn't go back. Reinhardt was gone, but his sacrifice would be for nothing if we just ran back to die with the rest. Angela needed to survive. She was our leader. All that remained of us anymore. I could only hope Scott and Jesse were okay.

"Angela! You're our leader now, don't you see that?!" Genji yelled as him and I shared a silent exchange and dragged Angela with us. I could hear a few Talon agents hot on our heels in pursuit, looking to finish the job.

Genji was struggling to ignore his wound as we sprinted through the woods. "You have to survive. As long as we have you two," he stopped, cutting trees down with his katana to slow them down. "Then it's not the end. I refuse to let it end this way! Do you hear me?!"

Angela had stopped kicking, instead reluctantly moving along with us as we fled. Genji threw a shuriken into a Talon soldier's neck, halting our sole pursuer for the moment. But they'd be on our trail soon enough. "We'll fight, claw, and struggle our way out of this!" Genji finished, his mind completely focused on his mission to protect us, despite his wound.

I stopped, staring for a moment at where Reinhardt had charged the enemy. It was completely silent, and there was no signs of anymore fighting. He was gone. A stray tear trickled down my cheek.

"Lena!" I turned, meeting Genji's stern yet understanding gaze. "We have to go. I'm sorry." He said.

"I know."

I didn't hesitate to rush to his side as we escaped, my tears drying as the wind flushed them from my eyes as I sprinted onwards, continuing so I could honor those who gave everything for me.

'Goodbye Reinhardt...' I thought to myself, hoping that his sacrifice wasn't in vain.

I warned you, didn't I?

The next chapter will come as soon as I can get it out. Olivia's dream is back, and she's accepted her evil ways and embraced them. It's only the beginning.

RIP Jesse McCree. RIP Reinhardt Wilhelm.

Until next time.