"Awake are we?" a cold, feminine voice purred next to Brian's ear.
"That depends, am I tied to a table?" Brian said, equally as quiet.
"You are indeed," the voice answered. This time Brian could clearly make out the deep french accent.
"Then, yes, I am, in fact, awake," he sighed. "Though I would rather not be."
"Naturally," a bright light came on above Brian, it's suddenness forcing him to wince, blinking away watery tears. "However, I intend to have you awake as long as possible."
After a moment, Brian's eyes adjusted enough for him to look to where he heard the voice. "Shit…"
A blue woman stood next to the medical exam table he found himself attached to. Her features were sharp, angular. Not like Moira's were. This woman was beautiful, even with her cold, dark expression. Her body suit was darker purple, the front left open enough to reveal a generous amount of cleavage. And her helmet...was the same multi eyed one that Brian had shattered just over a year ago.
"Yes, indeed, petit," Widowmaker almost smiled. "Merde. You are in it."
"I don't suppose I could just say that I was sorry and be on my way?" Brian gave a weak, hopeful smile. One that faded as the killer shook her head.
"I think not, petit. You and I have some...talking to do," Widowmaker looked him over slowly. "I do not like failing. It hurts me. It makes me feel." Her face turned dark, almost savage as she tapped her helmet. "I don't like to feel, petit."
"Are...you going to torture me or something?" Brian swallowed, attempting to wiggle to the side, as far as the restraints allowed.
"Non, non," the blue woman smiled. "Torture is such a...barbaric act. The things they can do...like for me, as an instance. The mind is so very flexible. With the right chemicals, the right questions, the right amount of sleep….you will be whomever we wish."
"That...sounds a lot like torture, actually," Brian swallowed.
"Ah..well then," Widowmaker smiled a small, horrifying smile. "Then I suppose torture it is."
"Widowmaker," a dry raspy voice carried as if from a great distance, though it was as clear as if were right next to them. And at it, the woman, Widowmaker, scowled again. "I thought I reminded you that Akande said to leave him be."
"And I said that isn't what he said," Widowmaker spun and growled at the darkness. "He said that the boy wasn't to interfere with the mission. And he hasn't. We dropped the building on the little workshop. There is no way Efi or that stupid robot got out of there alive."
"Heh," Brian couldn't help the little bit of laughter that bubbled up from him Unfortunately, it also drew the attention of the woman. And, apparently, a humanoid puddle of show with...a skull mask. "Shit."
"Ah, this is funny to you?" Widowmaker shook her head. "Poor little boy."
"How did he survive?" the dark man asked, steeping close and examining Brian.
"I…" Widowmaker frowned for a moment then shook her head. "When I dropped into the rubble to make sure there were no people, I saw him. He was staggering outside the dust cloud. A quick dart and here he is."
"Yup...here I am…." Brian sighed. "Hate to break it to you, but I know Efi survived. You probably didn't get any of the others, either. Dropping a building was a bit sloppy."
Widowmaker's jaw clenched as her eyes narrowed at him. The dark man, simply nodded slightly. "He may be right. First responders swarmed the site faster than expected."
"Well, that's Numbani," Brian allowed himself a real chuckle. "Always ready to help each other."
"We should take him with us, Reaper," Widowmaker said to...apparently, Reaper. "I think it would be quite exciting to see what Moira would be able to do with the boy."
"Akande and the other board members are already unhappy with how long this is taking," Reaper turne to regard the blue woman. Brian could feel the cold malevolence radiating off him, like smoke.
"Of course I am," another voice boomed in. It was deep and powerful as it carried through wherever they had taken him. "This city is stronger than we had believed. There hearts are too open. It shall be their undoing, but not yet."
"Seriously?" Brian groaned. "How many other people are lurking out there? Is Mrs. Morris, my third grade teacher there too? She's about the only person that I am more afraid of then Doomfist."
"Clever boy," Doomfist chuckled as he stepped into the circle of light and looked around. He was as big as Brian remembered. The huge metal arm reflected light as it flexed. The man wearing it was dressed in a quite snazzy looking white tux jacket and dark pants.
"Well, you look really good for an international terrorist that killed my family," Brian snorted as he let his head drop back onto the table.
"Why thank you, young man," Doomfist chuckled. "I am afraid I kill many families. Nothing personal, mind you."
"Felt pretty personal to me," Brian muttered as he stared at the ceiling. Or, more accurately, at the direction the ceiling would be in.
"Of course it would," Doomfist shrugged slightly. "That is part of the tragedy of this world. Innocent people die. They are not protected as they should be. But the only way to grow stronger? That is through hardship. Work. Suffering. And can we get real lights on in here? I am not into the movie villain atmosphere."
At Doomfist's words banks of lights come on above them, showing Brian that they were in what appeared to be a small warehouse. Of course they were.
"Now then, young man," Doomfist nodded to Brian as he leaned in, resting the giant metal hand on the table above Brian's head. "I would certainly like to know how you were able to activate the doomfist itself. And managed to break it."
"Ummm….No idea?" Brian gave a weak smile as Widowmaker, standing behind Doomfist, with her arms crossed, snorted. A rather delicate little snort. Kinda cute, actually. Yeah...he was going to die.
"Hmm," Doomfist eyed Brian for a long moment before grinning, showing rather remarkably clean and white teeth. His breath smelled minty. "I think we will have plenty of time to figure it out. As Widowmaker said, we have ways of making you talk."
"For not liking the movie villain atmosphere, that was probably the most cliched line you could have said," Brian smirked. "But really, I'm a bit of a lightweight when it comes to the pain area."
With another delicate snort, Widowmaker stepped around Doomfist and grabbed the front of Biran's shirt, ripping the already heavily damaged cloth open.
"My, my," Doomfist raised an eyebrow as he looked over Brian's scarred chest. "It looks like you have been through some things. And for having a building dropped on you, you are remarkably uninjured."
"The boy is odd," Widowmaker scowled as she looked at Doomfist. "I do not like it. I do not like him."
"Well, we have him, and I have questions I want answered," Doomfist shrugged. "We will take him with us. For now, the minions will get him ready for travel. Reaper, you come with me. I have some things to take care of."
"And what do I do?" Widowmaker's lip curled as she glared hatefully at Brian. It was all he could do to not wiggle his fingers in a small wave.
Pausing, Doomfist looked over at the woman and sighed. "Try not to kill the boy."
"Widowmaker, huh," Brian said, trying to sound casual. But to be truthful, he was just really bored. It had been nearly four hours since Doomfist and Reaper had left. "They call you that because you kills so many people?"
"I killed my husband," Widowmaker said, as if she were discussing the weather.
"Was he a bad guy too?" Brian winced as he asked the question. The really stupid question.
"Non," Widowmaker just sat, staring at Brian, just as she had been for the past four hours. "He was, in fact, a good man. Kind. Righteous."
"So you killed him?" Brian frowned slightly as he craned his neck to look at her. "No...You were saying how they could change who you are…."
"Indeed," Widowmaker sighed as her eyes seemed to unfocus. There was...something behind them. "Do you know why I look like this?"
"I...what?" Brian blinked at the sudden shift in conversation.
"Talon. They did things to me here," Widowmaker tapped her head lightly. "But they also altered my body. My heart is slowed. I am the perfect sniper. Amelie was broken. She was weak. As Doomfist said. People are made stronger by suffering. I do not even feel the cold. Like you."
Again, Brian frowned, unsure of what she was talking about.
"You didn't even notice?" Widowmaker chuckled as she uncrossed her legs and stood up. "This is a refrigerated warehouse. It is thirty degrees in here."
"Oh," Brian blinked. He hadn't, in fact, noticed. He did that sometimes, but not usually when it was this cold. Well...to be fair, Numbani never really got that cold.
"Mysteries and mysteries," Widowmaker smiled slightly as she leaned over Brian. "I look forward to seeing how you break."
"Cold is the heart that beats slowest," Brian mumbled in french. "Even as warm summer blossoms into life, Cold. Cold is the heart that beats slowest."
With a dark frown, Widowmaker stood back up. "I see you at least know a civilized language," she shook her head as she shifted to french as well. And you read Amelie Sonta."
"I do," Brian shrugged as best he could while tied to a bed. "One of the better poets of the last fifty years."
"I would agree," Widowmaker smiled slightly. It was odd. It wasn't the same sarcastic smile as before. There was something behind it. The same something that had been behind her eyes when she had spoken of her husband. "Gerard used to read it to me when we were courting."
"You loved him a lot, huh?" Brian asked quietly.
"I did. Very much," she sighed looking away. "I visit him on Christmas. He loved that holiday." She actually giggled a little. "One year he took me…."
Then it was gone. The little bit of light that had begun to seep in was wiped away as she looked back down at him. "Why do I feel the need to say these things to you? Why do I even feel?"
"Because you are still human, inside, no matter what Talon did to you," Brian said softly. "People did things to me too. Hell, I'm not even real. I died a long time ago. I...don't know why I am telling you this." Brian then frowned.
"Hmm…" Widowmaker smirked as she slowly climbed on top of the table. She leaned in close to Brian's face as if examining it. Then, suddenly she kissed him.
It was a hell of a kiss, to be honest. It was cold, but sweet. A bit sour. It reminded Brian of those lemon candies he used to eat when he was little.
Then she was done, sitting back onto his hips. Her tongue ran over blue lips as she seemed to consider. "You are warm. Not unpleasant. You make me feel."
"I..uh... Thought you didn't like that?" Brian swallowed as he looked up at the woman.
"I do not," Widowmaker shrugged, slowly unzipping her jumpsuit further, exposing her breasts. "But it is different. Like picking at an injury, yes? I think I want more…"
She leaned back in, her face hovered above Brian's, separated by on a few inches when the wall exploded inward.
"Merde!" Widowmaker spat as she tumbled from her set atop Brian.
She hit the ground with a roll, coming up with her grapple shooting from her wrist. It clamped onto something above Brian as she zipped away in a flash.
"Dammit," a deep female voice cursed from the newly created hole. It spoke russian as Brian tilted his head, trying to look behind him. "Missed. Ah, well."
"Are you here to rescue me?' Brian called out in russian as well.
"Eh?" Heavy tromping signaled the approach as a rather large, muscular woman appeared in his vision. She was bulky with large muscles. However, they did not detract from her attractiveness at all. In fact, her short pink hair and even the large cross shaped scar over her right eye, combined with her bright smile to make her look almost cute. "Huh, young man. You seem to be in a bit of a...bind?"
Brian groaned as he closed his eyes. "I think I'd rather be tortured by Talon…."
"Ha!" the woman barked a laugh as she hefted the large...cannon, that she carried. "One moment."
Grinning, the pink haired woman lifted her weapon up and pulled the trigger. A brilliant purple beam shot out with an electronic roar and the smell of burning ozone.
There was a flash from above as the beam cut through a catwalk above them, sparking and throwing droplets of molten metal to the floor.
"Oop! Incoming," the woman stepped back as she pointed the cannon at Brian, and scaring him to death. But instead of that beam, a bubble of swirling energy surrounded him. Just before several rounds that should have killed him, instead splashed off its surface.
There were the echoes of voices, the reports of weapons firing. Even screams of wounded. And through it, the woman stood over Brian, her large dark eyes sliding around, watching. "Bah," she said at last, dropping the back end of her weapon on the ground. "Widowmaker got away. Ah well, looks like we cleaned up the rest of the cell."
"Don't suppose you could let me off this table?" Brian looked up hopefully.
"Ah, sure," the big woman shrugged and pulled a rather large combat knife from her belt. "I am Zarya. From the Russian Defense Forces. I happened to be in the area, hunting for a different Talon agent."
After cutting Brian free, Zarya smiled warmly at him and clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to rock him slightly. "Don't suppose you saw a mexican woman? Purple implants?"
"Not today," Brian blinked, trying not to think about Sombra.
"Ah, then you have seen her!" Zarya winked. She was surprisingly astute. "Do not worry my friend. You are safe with me! I will protect you like large siberian bear!" Or she was a bit off in the head.
"Hey, thanks for the rescue," Brian nodded, attempting to avoid Zarya's question. "Do you know anything about the building that fell down? Did they all get out?"
"They did," Zarya nodded. "There was a single missing person, but I think it is fair to guess that you are Brian?"
"Yeah, that's me," Brian nodded back, letting out a long sigh of relief. "Thank god. I was worried for my brother."
"He is fine. In fact, there was a large rescue crew already there when I happened by," Zarya laughed for a moment before frowning. "Too many omnics though."
"You said you were russian," Brian let out a slow breath as he shook his head. "Your people have it rough with the omnics. Almost like Korea."
"Speaking of which!" Zarya dropped her fist into her palm before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a comm device. "This is Zarya. I've located Brian….Yes...Main building. Yes. Maybe bring some blankets and warm food?" Zarya raised an eyebrow at Brian, nodding as he acknowledged her. "Alright. Tell to calm down, yes?"
" ?" Brian looked startled.
"Yes, that gamer woman was in town. Her robot thing was quite useful. Cut through the Talon like they were soft cheese," Zarya chuckled. "She was particularly upset when she heard you were the one missing. How did you meet a movie star, anyway?"
"Online games?" Brian shrugged. Why the hell was all this happening to him now?
Maybe he was cursed.