Sorry that this one is gonna seem a bit shorter than usual. I just want to release a quick chapter showing the aftermath of Olivia's betrayal, and add a little epilogue so to speak before continuing with the story. I plan on adding a few new characters, one of them being Efi Oladele. I have big plans for her and Scott.
Thanks for all the support I received for the last two chapters! It means a lot to get feedback from my readers. Thank you so much for continuing to read and follow my story.
Chapter 20: Agony
The blazing sun brought down a blinding light upon me as my eye opened, birds above circling me like some carcass they planned to feed upon. I could hear the waves of the ocean crashing against the rocks, and tiny bits of sand irritated my skin. Inhaling, I felt a sharp pain radiate through my body, reaching my hand out to force myself upwards. My titanium limb stuttered, struggling to even move. I slammed it into the puddle of water beneath me in frustration, growling as I sat up slowly.
The sky was a dark red as the sunset cast an orange hue to my surroundings, as I looked around me, nothing but death staring back at me. The beach was much like the one in Gibraltar, only most of the water in the ocean was red, the blood of my comrades flowing into it. Looking down, my limbs were shaking, and my body was bleeding as bad as it was before, but I continued onwards. 'This has all been some nightmare...'
My hand grazed across my face, feeling the fresh scar tissue that ran up my cheek and eye, wincing in pain. I groaned as I turned my head, gasping as I saw the bodies of my friends piled up behind me, their corpses mangled and bloodied. I crawled towards them, too weak to walk. The vultures picking at their bodies flew away as I coughed violently, staring at the man who lay before me. Genji had been mutilated, his maimed figure laying face down in the sand, his cybernetic enhancements completely crushed.
Placing my hand on his body, I felt tears work their way out of my eye, as I looked at what remained of everyone I had loved. Angela had been tossed right beside him, her skull split open from the bullet Moira fired. Jesse was nearly unrecognizable, buried by the bodies of dozens of recruits. Reinhardt had most of his skin picked off by the vultures overhead.
I could make out the trembling figure of a young woman to my right. My eye widened in shock as I noticed it was Lena, her signature jacket a deep red from the blood, her chronal accelerator sparking, barely releasing its usual hum. Her cries for help still echoed in my ears as I pulled my body towards her, slowly approaching her. My hand hesitated as I sat in front of her, and I feared what I'd find when I turned her over.
Lena was breathing, calm, like she was in a deep sleep. I rolled her onto her back, looking at her face. Her messy hair had been matted down to her face, covering her eyes. Dried blood covered her cheek and forehead, as I picked her up in my shaking arms and held her closely, feeling myself lose control and begin to break down. At first I sobbed softly, thinking of everything that I had just lost, and the terrors that Lena had to go through. The terrors I had to witness. But my breathing slowly hastened as I began to wail, holding her close to my chest as I buried my face in the crook of her neck, screaming. My mind continued to flash to their screams, the gunfire, the sound of laughter.
I shut my eye in hopes of ridding myself of the horrors, but instead all I could see was Olivia smiling down at me as I bled out beneath her. I screamed into the sky, listening to it echo, but receiving no response in return. It was completely silent.
Until I could hear the roar of an engine. Squinting, I peered off into the distance, noticing a familiar aircraft approaching directly ahead of me. A sadistic grin spread across my lips as I noticed the Overwatch insignia.
Overwatch was dead.
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me as the aircraft got closer, and I didn't resist it, collapsing into the sand beside what remained of everyone I loved. It's where I belong. My eye closed, and sleep soon took me.
My eye slowly fluttered open, as the leak in the ceiling above me dripped onto my cheek, waking me up. I sat there, too exhausted and weak to move, watching as it slowly dripped down again, splashing in the same place it had before. Looking to my right, I could make out the familiar surroundings of the medical bay in Gibraltar. The white sheets held me tightly, as if strapping me down to the bed beneath me. A glass of water had been set on a table right beside me, along with a few flowers and a picture. The lenses in my eye contracted and zoomed in, analyzing the photo.
In it held the smiling faces of everyone I had seen die before my very eyes, all of their staring eyes glancing my way, unsettling me. I had my arm wrapped around Genji's shoulder, with Lena standing right beside me offering a wink at the camera. Jesse leaned against Reinhardt awkwardly, drunk, with Angela scoffing as the picture was taken. Olivia stood next to Lena, her hand resting on her collarbone, the same way it had before she tortured her. I shuddered, looking at all of our truly happy and delighted expressions as we stood together in the ball in Monaco thrown in our honor. Before all of this happened.
Looking down at my body, I noticed my titanium limbs had stopped shaking since I last woke up, and oddly enough my body was covered in bandages, most of them soaked in blood. Raising my hand to meet my face, I felt the coarse exterior of even more bandages wrapping around my head, running diagonally across my left eye. My head ached, and my body was on fire, but I slowly sat up in the hospital bed, planting two shaky feet on the cold tile floor.
Sunlight had begun to shine through the window to my right, and I looked at the clear glass, fearing the monster that stared back at me in my reflection.
My hair was a mess of raven black hair sticking out in every direction, with the one eye I had left looking around sporadically, horrified. The bandages that went around my eye were red in the center, indicating how much I bled from my eye socket. A long, deep red scar ran from my cheek to up my left eye and above my eyebrow. A horizontal cut rested on the bridge of my nose, and three distinct cuts ran along my right cheek, as if claws raked against my skin. A small cut ran down my lower lip and into my beard. And as always, I looked like a mummy, most of my upper body completely white from medical bandages.
The door behind me opened with a creak, and three pairs of footsteps rushed inside upon seeing me. "Scott! You're awake!" Winston rushed towards me, adjusting his glasses to fit his large face. Hana, the pilot I trained before leaving, and Lúcio stared at me with wide eyes, as if looking at a ghost. "Winston..." my voice trailed off, hand still clutching the bloody bandage that covered my missing eye.
"Oh thank goodness! We were all so worried you wouldn't make it!" Winston exclaimed, and the DJ, Lúcio, smiled weakly. "We thought you were a goner for sure."
"There was gunshots and screaming, at least that's all we could make out from the static of your attempts at messaging us. Next thing we knew, we found you all piled up at the beach, not far from where Sombra crashed. The bodies..." Hana muttered, shaking her head in dismay.
"Scott, how did this happen to you? Who did this? And what of Sombra?" The gorilla knelt down beside me, waiting for an answer. My body shook, slowly realizing that this wasn't all some terrible dream. That I wouldn't wake up to find myself in my own bed, and walk out into the hallways to find my friends bustling around in the morning. That Olivia had actually sacrificed all of us for her dream.
"Say, what happened to the others? And where did you get all those injuries? What happened out there?" Lúcio asked me as soon as he figured I wouldn't respond to Winston's questions. My eye widened in fear, panic rushing through me as I snatched him by the collar, pulling him within an inch of my face, scowling. "LENA! WHERE IS LENA?!"
Lúcio seemed startled, both Hana and Winston jumping back in surprise. He averted his gaze, terrified by my sudden movements and appearance. "Sh-she's..." He stammered, before Winston placed a massive furry hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "Lena survived. She's right over there, hopefully you'll be able to speak with her."
I gasped, my head snapping behind me, as a few beds down, Lena was sitting upright in her bed, staring at the floor. Her messy hair poked up in its regular fashion, with her pilot's jacket resting on her shoulders, along with the light humming of her accelerator, which rested on her bed. It was no longer sparking, and from what I could tell, her wounds had healed.
Limping over towards her, I ignored the others urging me to sit back down, and the pain rushing through my scarred body, stopping right behind her. She stood still, completely oblivious to my presence. My gaze softened upon seeing her. A smile spread across my lips, splitting the scars back open, reaching my hand out towards her. "Lena." I grinned, my hand meeting her own.
The woman recoiled back immediately, gasping in fear as she turned away from me, unable to look me in the eyes. I frowned, stepping towards her as she backed up. Looking down at my still bleeding body, I figured she wasn't able to recognize me, chuckling lightly. "Lena...it's me. Scott." I whispered reassuringly, placing my hand on her shaking shoulder. As soon as I made contact with her she screamed at the top of her lungs, running away from me. "No! Stay away!" She shouted, my eye meeting her own horrified ones, her once soft and kind eyes staring at me like a child would a stranger, completely stricken with fear.
Winston and the others remained silent behind me as I calmly walked towards her, watching as she clawed at the walls in a desperate attempt to escape my clutches, as if I was some monster. "Please! Don't come any closer!" Lena yelled, and my brows furrowed. "Hey. That's enough kidding around. Lena..."
She was huddled in the corner, on the verge of tears as I got closer to her. Lena attempted to dash out of my reach before I grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back and shaking her as I held her by the shoulders. "It's over! We did it! We survived! Lena-" I stopped as she shoved me back, nearly toppling me over. She ran towards Winston and the others, as Hana and Lúcio hushed her, calming her down as she cried.
"What... what happened to her..." I trailed off as she stared at me, growling at me like some dog. "Lena has...episodes, so to speak. At times, she'll wake up and remember everything, even told me about what happened to Genji. But other times, she'll lose all memory of who we are, and can't even recognize me, and start screaming and wailing. We've been able to calm her relatively every time, but it doesn't make her any less frantic or scared of us. I suppose what she witnessed there broke her, drove her insane."
Winston looked at his old friend, sighing. "From what I can tell, she has these 'nightmares' randomly, and Lena can no longer distinguish reality from dream, and instead of seeing us, or you, she sees whatever terrifying vision her mind can conjure up. She's been like this ever since we found you both." He continued, meeting my eye. I stared at her, hands clenching into fists as I thought of what happened to her, only now realizing the effect it must've had on her, and that it had taken its toll on her mind.
"My best guess is that her accelerator malfunctioned, and although it's been repaired, her mind can be stuck in a trance, trapped in those moments in time. I'm sorry, Scott. More than half the time, she simply won't remember you. I-I wish the news was better."
I watched as Hana and Lúcio held her close, hushing her as Hana brushed her hair in hopes of soothing her. "There, there. I know, he can be a very scary man." Hana said, and a tear trickled down my cheek. The only one who witnessed it, who had been by my side, who had been a true friend despite everything I had done, had been left broken in front of me. All by a woman I truly loved, and a woman Lena respected and admired. Knowing that Olivia had done this made the pain all the more unbearable.
But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the fear in Lena's eyes as she ran away from me, terrified of the thing she saw before her. The only true friend I had left couldn't recognize me, and instead of the hugs I received during our time together, I was offered screams and pleas for mercy. I wasn't her friend in her eyes, only some thing who came after her.
I could hear her laughter in my head, echoing as I thought of her. I could see her smiling at me at the docks I met her in, and the moment she helped me stand up from the bodies in Maximilien's casino, along with the grins she offered me as I drank with them. Her eyes were mesmerized by my speech, as I longed for a dream, her shocked gaze as I stared at her in the rain, the night of my departure. I could feel her arms wrap around my waist as she hugged me upon my return, crying into my shoulder. And the last thing engraved into my left eye was her reaching out to me, screaming for help, being tortured at the hands of Olivia.
In that moment, I realized I was truly alone.
I hadn't stopped running since Winston told me about her condition. I never paused or slowed down as Winston called out to me, begging me to stay inside and rest for my own safety. But I couldn't focus on my safety, or my own wellbeing. I could only see the ghosts of those I knew haunting me in this base, reaching out to me.
The recruits that remained here watched as I ran past them, rushing outside of the medical bay and near the rooftops, crying. I ripped the bandages from my eye, feeling the sun grace my still raw skin, my eyelid permanently shut. Blood poured from my eyelid, gushing out as it streaked down my cheek and down my neck. I fell to my knees as I tripped over something, turning around to see the rooftop I sat on so often. I could see Lena and I staring at the stars as I talked about their dreams with such a longing. Looking forward, visions of the campfires we had so often flooded my vision, Genji and Reinhardt laughing as they told stories. Scrambling back to my feet, I began to flee the sight, hoping to rid myself of the now painful memories of days past.
I jumped over the railing beside me, losing my footing once more and tumbling down the hill. With each crash I could see my friends smiling at me, offering encouragement. My head slammed into a rock, and I could see Jesse boasting as he offered a cocky grin. I rolled over, my leg cracking beneath me, Reinhardt smiling widely, his crusader armor shining in the sunlight. My ribs crashed into a tree, with Genji staring down at me with a smirk, his head in his hands. I gasped for air, falling face first into the sands of the beach below, groaning as Angela closed her eyes and nodded at me, a small grin gracing her lips. Lena offered me her usual warm smile, and a thumbs up as well. I coughed, struggling to stand up. Olivia's crying echoed in my head as she pulled me into a tight hug as I rested against that tree in Russia. I scowled, shouting as I stood back up, sprinting towards the setting sun, feeling the sand dig into my bare feet.
The waves crashed into the rocks to my left, the salty water splashing and soaking my titanium limbs as I continued to run, unable to stop the tears that began to stream down my face. My scars stretched with my face as I screamed in agony, knowing that no one could ever comprehend the pain I feel. My suffering was incommunicable, separated from everyone I had ever loved, watching their corpses be paraded around like trophies.
I looked up into the setting sun, watching as it slowly disappeared behind the trees. I ran, despite my body begging me to stop as I heaved, lungs slowly giving out. Despite the fact that I knew I could never escape the pain, no matter how desperate I became. Despite the fact that my memories continued to haunt me, the ghosts of my friends staring at me from afar. Despite knowing that I should be dead. Despite the urge to end my suffering and throw myself into the ocean to let the waves wash me away. Despite everything.
I could see us all in the parade in Monaco, waving at the adoring crowds as we rode by, the civilians tossing flowers at us as the bands played. I could see myself smiling, Genji right beside me as he playfully punched my shoulder. Jesse rode on his horse in front of me, waving at the women who shouted his name. Reinhardt stood, struggling to walk as the excited children clung to his body like some playground. Angela grinned at the crowds, blushing as she smelled the roses a young girl had given her. Lena was laughing, hoisting the colors of Overwatch as the flag fluttered proudly in the breeze. And in front of us all, rode Olivia, her gaze locked onto the cities in front of her as she strode past elegantly. Not the crowds, or her soldiers. Staring at where her dream was taking her.
But then Olivia turned and met my eyes, offering a loving smile.
I cried as the moon rose slowly, screaming out in anguish into the night sky, remembering everything.
2 months later...
Winston's POV
The tv was blaring behind me, the sounds of the news reports keeping me up late at night as I stared with wide eyes. Things had only gotten worse, and the tensions between Omnics and humans had reached an all time high. And it was only going to get worse from here.
A week after we had retrieved Lena and Scott from the island, reports of psychotic rampages came from all over the world. Something in the systems of both omnics and people with augmentations had driven them to insanity, forcing them to commit violent acts on anyone who was unlucky enough to be near them. It didn't matter what they could get their hands on. They'd kill you with knives, guns, bats, or even their bare hands if nothing else was present.
They call it, "The Omni-Incident", and for good reason. Hundreds of thousands of people had died in days, and millions more were injured. Families had been torn apart, and riots broke out in the streets not long after.
Many TV stations and large company buildings had been destroyed in fires caused by psychotic Omnics, and multiple explosions were reported in the cities.
It only took a day for the world to fall apart, and the shaky alliance between omnic and human to come crashing down. After the incident, the Omnics and people with augmentations were herded out into the streets, mass executions taking place in multiple third world countries. From what scientists and doctors had told us, they had no control over their bodies during the incident, as if having some seizure, but that didn't stop humans from calling for their heads.
The UN was being asked to step in, help herd Omnics and augmented people into ghettos, their own towns governed by strict law enforcement. Despite their best efforts, it seemed like there was no other way it could end. Omnics were being beaten and killed in the streets, stripped for parts and thrown away like garbage.
Luckily enough, Scott was barely affected by the Omni-Incident. Instead of rampaging and murdering anyone in sight, he stopped in his tracks, weakened and falling to his knees, as if he was resistant to it. My best guess after analyzing him and finding nothing out of the ordinary was that he had built up a tolerance, since Scott told me Sombra had used it on him, testing him like a lab rat. He told me that it was all part of her plan. She'd cause a rift between them, then bring them together over the years to unite them and find a cure, all while gaining power and authority all over the world. She'd be labeled a hero. Her dream would become a reality.
It was still impossible for me to imagine Sombra doing such a thing. She had always cared for those who followed her, even going so far as to risk her life for them. Perhaps her time in Talon had changed her more than we anticipated. At least, that's what I told myself to ease my troubled mind.
Mourning the loss of practically everyone I've ever known hasn't been easy, and the same went for Scott and Lena. Many nights I'd wake up in a cold sweat, or find myself staring at the old nostalgic photos of us from before this had all happened. Saying goodbye was the easy part, surprisingly. The hard part was knowing who was responsible, and that they truly suffered before dying. I couldn't get the sight of their maimed bodies out of my head, no matter what I did. All that I had left was Hana, Lúcio, Scott, and Lena. That and painful memories. The recruits had all left, and I couldn't blame them. The world was falling apart, and my life was along with it.
Scott and Lena's physical wounds had healed, although Scott looked a lot more intimidating due to his scars and missing left eye. Lena was slowly getting better during her nightmares, as if at times realizing that it was a dream. But it was a mixed bag. Other times she'd become just as frightened as always, kicking and clawing to escape our loving grasps. The things she must've seen... I didn't really want to know.
Lena avoided talking about it, for good reason I imagine. She spent her days crying most of the time, that or having another nightmare. She muttered things about Genji in her sleep, talking about dragging him as he slowly bled out. I sighed, thinking of the cyborg. I was always fond of him.
Scott had barely said more than a few words to me in the weeks he spent here. I'd find him sharpening his blades, or sharpening Genji's katana. It was the one memento he picked out, and I was fairly certain why he wanted it. He had crafted his own sheath that he could strap to himself, which I found lying near his bed. I expected to hear him crying, or mourning the loss of his friends. But instead I found him swinging Genji's sword, practicing his movements as he got used to having only one eye. There was a rage inside him like no other, and he'd jump at the slightest of sounds. His scars were slowly healing, but they hadn't faded. And mentally he'd never be the same.
One night I came in to check on Lena, but I found him sitting beside her on her bed, his hand resting gently on her shoulder as he watched her sleep. He had always been protective of Lena, but was even more so now. Scott and Lena talked, at least during the moments she could remember what happened. I even tried to talk to him about his anger, realizing that he probably planned to leave and find Sombra to get revenge. But I just couldn't. I feared him, as ashamed as I am to admit it. He stared at me, and all I could see in his eye was a burning hatred, the deaths of his friends engraved into his memory.
I stood up as I heard something bustling around in my laboratory. Shutting off the tv, I hurried down the steps to find Scott standing at the doorway, his back turned to me. The glow of Genji's katana lit up in the darkness, his silhouette covering me as it continued to rained outside, lighting flashing as thunder crashed in the distance. He pulled his long and torn black cloak up, which rested on his shoulders and ran down to his feet like a cape, covering the blade. He wore a black vest, along with a brown utility belt that ran diagonally along his chest, throwing knives stuffed into each slot. His pants were just as dark as the rest of him, and his muddy boots left footprints behind him. His cloak fluttered in the breeze behind him as I met his eye.
"You're leaving?" I asked, and he nodded in reply. Shaking my head, I took a step forward, adjusting my glasses. "You don't have to do this." I pleaded, but he shook his head sharply. "I must. You wouldn't understand." Scott answered coldly, and I released a reluctant sigh.
"I'd tell you not to go, but I know you won't listen. Just be careful, and don't get yourself killed. I'd miss you."
He stood there for a few moments, making me uneasy. "Take care of Lena for me." He muttered, and I smiled weakly. "You can count on me. Good luck, Scott. It's a dangerous world out there." I warned. Perhaps it was just my imagination, or the darkness of the room that fooled me, but I could swear I saw a smirk spread across his lips.
Scott turned his back to me. "Hrmph." That was the last thing he said before stepping out into the storm in front of him.
And just like in Monaco, he never looked back.
Just like that, Scott's long journey for revenge began.
Until next time.
