Disclaimer: Jeff Kaplan owns all rights to Overwatch and its characters. I own rights to this story ;) Also, sorry for any characters being out of character, such as Morrison maybe.
Chapter II: Tactical Training
Satya woke early the next morning, shifting about under the sheets. Letting out a small groan, she lifted her head to observe the time, the hologram clock marked an hour before sunrise. Unable to rest any longer, the former Vishkar pulled herself out of bed with a sigh. She didn't really have any issues with the bed or room that would cause concern, but a nightmare disturbed her enough to keep her from getting any good sleep. It was never a good sign to experience a bad dream on the first night in a new place, and the dream wasn't the type she'd ever forget. After all, it was about the Vishkar tower shattering into shards of light particles. She changed back into her formal garb and made her way to the kitchen to fix some coffee, unsure of whether any of the other residents would drink any or not. She decided to make a few extra cups worth just in case.
As Symmetra sat down to drink her coffee, she let her gaze wander about the empty room. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but the quietness of the room was immediate relief to her and made her feel more relaxed ever since she joined Overwatch. The peaceful atmosphere was ruined only by the appearance of Commander Morrison, who also produced a cup of coffee for himself. Taking a sip to test its taste, he nodded his head in approval. "You've got good taste in brew strength there, Vaswani," he complimented, bidding her a good morning.
"One must recognize the perfect ratio to achieve a balanced flavor," she replied, appreciative of his words. If there was one thing she could admit to enjoy as much as traditional Indian dancing, it's the taste of a perfectly made cup of coffee. The commander took a seat at the table, rolling his neck to stretch and looking every bit as exhausted as she, possibly even more so. Understandable as the man was always busy and has probably had more sleepless nights than she did. In a way, he reminded her of an older version of Sanjay.
Tapping a finger on the handle of his cup, he inquired, "How was your first night in the base?" She paused, unsure of how to respond, feigning deep thought for an answer. There were no real issues when it came to her stay, so far. The party from the night before wasn't what she expected, but she had no room to complain either. Perhaps her pause was too long. He picked up on it right away, taking another sip of his coffee. "Well, it is just the first day after all. It takes everyone a while to get used to things around here."
"Yes, I suppose that's true," she admitted. It was never easy for her to adapt to new environments, save for when she joined Vishkar, and sometimes she wondered how she ever grew accustomed to going out on missions for the company. Maybe the reason was because she donned an entirely different ego as Symmetra – a cold, no-nonsense type of persona – on duty.
"If nothing else, I hope you've had enough rest. Today starts your training and analysis. All new recruits are tested for their abilities so that I can determine which position and tasks best suit you. Once Dr. Ziegler has everything prepared in the lab, we'll be ready to start. I'll summon you when the time comes," instructed the commander.
"Affirmative," she replied with a curt nod. Everything said and done was as she figured to be expected of her. Training would pose no problem like it would for some new recruits. The two were soon visited by the doctor and Captain Amari, both women making their way into the kitchen to begin preparing the morning meal.
Satya was beginning to wonder how rations were given and whether or not Overwatch had its own kitchen staff or not. It seemed more like there were members who were given certain duties to get things done. Everyone pulled their own weight. It didn't surprise her that the base would have its own meals on occasion, but she wasn't sure of who would perform the duty of cooking. Noticing her wandering gaze, Morrison spoke up. "We provide meals when given the chance if missions don't get in the way. When there's no one who can cook, then we order something to be sent in and prepared in the cafeteria. Fast meals are usually more common, but this week we're on break. Angela prepares the food most occasions, aided by Ana and Mei sometimes. I've even seen Rutcliffe in the kitchen a few times."
Symmetra blinked, focusing her blank expression back on the commander. Her eyebrow furrowed in scrutiny and disbelief. "That Rutcliffe?" She couldn't even fathom the thought.
"Surprisingly, the man knows how to cook. He does love food after all, even though most of his meals focus on junk foods and sweets. His explosive friend is another matter, however. Let's just say there was a lot of property damage and he's not allowed anywhere near cooking appliances. Even the toaster," Morrison sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Satya nodded in understanding. She couldn't imagine the smaller Junker to have any decent enough qualities, likely the type to burn food beyond the point of edibility. The commander made it obvious the Junker would do much worse than that. Though, if she was to be perfectly honest, she hadn't any experience in the culinary field herself. Preparation of ingredients wouldn't be a problem, but she had no talent for constructing meals. She's never had the necessity to cook before.
The scent of food promised the company of the other residents before long. As if on cue, Roadhog and his scraggly companion were the first to appear and pile up their plates, followed by a hungover cowboy and dwarf-like man. Reinhardt bellowed a hearty good morning to the others as Zenyatta and the Shimada brothers entered the room. The omnic and half-mechanical Genji had no need for food, but they were not ones to skip out on socializing with their peers. Tracer dashed in, heading straight for the pantry to grab a tub of peanut butter and three bananas for her furry friend Winston. The only ones not present were still on mission elsewhere – , Lucio, Pharah, Mei, and Zarya. Bastion was about in the mech room, idling with its bird companion Ganymede that was being fed seed.
Symmetra waited until the commotion settled down before fixing a plate for herself, thankful that rations were surprisingly enough to satisfy the large group. Her portions were humble, not unlike that of some of her peers and highly contrasting that of Roadhog's several plates. The large man, along with Reinhardt, required more sustenance for energy, though she didn't think the former any less of a pig once he raised his mask just enough to wolf down the food, the rest of his face still a mystery to the others. His heavy snorting as he scarfed down the meal and lack of cutlery use made him seem even more of an animal in her definition. At least Reinhardt had the decency to eat with a knife, despite the meal consisting of mostly eggs.
Satya turned her focus to her own plate, subconsciously setting it in a perfectly symmetrical fashion, even portions of eggs, sausage, and toast on both sides. Her plate was accompanied by a more preferred beverage of milk to compliment her cup of coffee, compared to that of the punch of last night's party. She tilted the cup to her mouth, relishing the cool, sweet drink with every sip she took. Throughout the meal, she balanced bites of each item with a sip or two of her drinks until the plate was emptied. Symmetra was perfectly aware of the limit of food she could intake, satisfied from the amount she had acquired. Not too much to stuff her, but just enough to where no hunger would show for several hours, no matter if she took part in strenuous activity or not.
All through breakfast, she ate quietly and slowly, taking her time to observe the others around her. Though most were present, their behavior was not as chaotic as last night. She could actually grow accustomed to them better around mealtimes, provided they weren't nearly as rowdy. The commander and Dr. Ziegler were the first to excuse themselves, both having business to take care of, followed closely by Ana, Tracer, Winston, and Torbjorn. Zenyatta and Genji relocated to a patio outside to meditate, Hanzo pondering on whether to join and meditate or practice on the target range. He chose the latter. Though the brothers were both on better terms since Hanzo joined Overwatch, a surprising turn of events for both the archer and swordsman, the two still had a lot of history to mend, and Zenyatta was the perfect middle ground between them. The process was going slowly only on the account of the elder Shimada's stubborn pride. He would never let it show, but he was relieved to have found at least a little bit of inner peace, and he had his own brother to thank for that.
No longer finding comfort amongst the noisier members, Satya took this chance to leave the room as well, heading off to prepare for training that was soon to come. She was in her room, straightening her battle gear, when her communicator rung. Her focus was drawn to the holographic message it displayed, her summons and a small map appearing to direct her where to go. Memorizing the layout, she locked the door behind her and wound her way through the titanium halls. Reaching the grounds, she was greeted by both Commander Morrison and a less hungover McCree. They joined inside with the Swiss doctor where Symmetra was tested for her vitals and adorned with neuron-trackers. The nanotechnology was used to monitor their conditions during combat.
"Well then, if you're ready Miss Vaswani, you may enter the grounds," Mercy instructed. Satya nodded, checking her photon gun one more time to make sure it was fully charged before stepping into the room. Setup was just as expected, simply a room with targets, training bots, and synthesized environmental covers made for emergency escape from enemy fire. She made sure to take note of her routes and any hidden passages that could either serve in her favor or provide an opportunity for enemy ambushes.
Satya readied her gun before her, her robotic arm coming up to activate her communicator as she shifted into a battle-ready stance. "I'm ready to begin," she informed. She was answered by the whirring of activated bots. Her first action was to project a barrier to block fire. The photon frame soaked in the bullets, melting away the ammunition into nothing but vapor. Occasionally, a few bullets made it through with little damage, only to be discarded harmlessly onto the floor from the barrier. Defense was her specialty, but she knew a counterattack was expected of her.
Lining up a shot, Symmetra charged a particle blast from behind the barrier, the orb of convoluting and convulsing light growing into a point of near instability. Just before the shot could retract or backfire to her, she released the trigger, sending the blast to a number of bots. Some managed to escape her shot, too distracted to return fire. Three were caught in her line of fire, dense metal plating melting slightly at the hard-light's intense heat. Had she sent a direct shot to anyone, her target would become severely injured and suffer from fourth degree burns. A more precise orb would penetrate skin and even kill her victim if she so chose. Her personal motto was not to kill unless it was absolutely necessary, but she showed no hesitancy towards combat programmed bots.
In the room above her, McCree let out a whistle, though she was unable to hear them without the communicator on. "Sure would hate to get caught in that," he commented, running his organic hand over the stubble on his chin. He was both impressed and anxious at the same time, attempting to hide the nervousness in his voice to no luck.
Angela laughed, her attention never leaving the monitors. She stopped taking notes on her clipboard to point her pen towards him. "You're not getting cold feet now all of a sudden are you?" she teased.
"Hey now, anyone would have concerns about getting hit by that thing. Though come to think of it, you know we've seen much worse," McCree retorted in defense. In hopes to change the topic, he continued, "Can't deny that shot would come in handy in a real fight, even if it may be slower than normal bullets."
"You make a good point there," said the commander. He continued to observe the trainee with arms crossed. "We could certainly use that kind of artillery on some missions. Don't get discouraged though, McCree. You'll be in there soon. We can't have you getting all… what do you call it? Lily-livered?" He chuckled at the expression the cowboy gave him.
Down below, Satya chanced a glance to her gun, noticing the amount of photon particles it had left in its ammunition storage. She would soon need to reload. Directing another barrier before her, she took a moment to relocate behind a false boulder to shelter her. Flicking her biotic wrist, she called up a polygon of hard-light that was redirected to recharge the gun. Once the cartridge screen flashed to full, Satya prepared herself for the second phase of combat. Her eyes scanned around her shelter for an alternate route from which she entered. Simply programmed or not, there was no doubt the training bots were waiting for her to reappear. Finding a suitable passage, she carefully constructed a portal pad at her shelter before sprinting onward.
Taking note of the lotus-like stage she had erected, McCree mused, "Wonder what that thing is used for. You don't recon it's some kind of bomb do ya?"
Mercy shook her head in response. "The scanners are picking up atomic emissions that warp around the structure. It could be another form of barrier that adds energy particles around those nearby as protection," she explained, her observation depending heavily on the equipment before her. To be perfectly honest, she was only making an educated guess and could be completely wrong. Winston could better explain the readings, but he was currently busy in his own lab. The cowboy only let out a contemplative hum in return before focusing back on Symmetra.
"Well, let's just wait and find out," Morrison added. He nodded his head to direct their attentions back to the training grounds where Satya was beginning her next attack. "She may surprise us."
The ex-Vishkar moved swiftly to the next wave of enemy bots, readying her gun before her as she marked another route with her eyes. She shot a few hard-light orbs to her targets, drawing their attention to her new position. As she expected, the entire remainder of the bots advanced on her. Continuing to fire her rounds, she waited for the perfect opportunity to commence the next step. Morrison noticed the change in behavior just from her stance. He smirked, a little impressed by her strategizing, though his two companions weren't aware of it yet. They were oblivious to what would happen next, but the commander began to figure it out.
Satya waited patiently for the bots to draw nearer, almost casually sending orbs their way while dodging their bullets with ease. She didn't bother with a barrier this time as she's memorized their attack patterns by this point. Once they came within the range she had prepared, she feigned to her left into another escape route. Her gun was still half loaded, but she had another plan in mind rather than reloading. As she counted down seconds in her head, she reached a hidden pocket and set up another lotus stage. The stage whirred to life, hard-light appearing as an oval the size of her body. Its counterpart in the other location followed suit. Without hesitation, she jumped into the light… and vanished from sight.
"Hey, hold on. Where the heck did she go?" McCree asked, squinting his eyes to search for the invisible woman. He leaned against the observation panel, beginning to wonder if maybe he was still drunk when his vision faltered slightly. His question was answered by a single point of the commander's finger towards the other portal. From the oval, Symmetra's form was reconstructing into appearance, unscathed. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle," exclaimed the cowboy, scratching the back of his head at what he just witnessed. "That's one hell of a trick."
"She's got another one up her sleeve," Morrison added, observing Satya's determined expression. He saw the realization don on both of his companion's faces as they watched. Down below, Satya crept to the exit of her shelter, behind the unsuspecting training bots, and fired a fully charged orb of light their way. Before any of the bots could figure out what was going on, too concerned with following her previous route before the teleportation, they were melted away by the energy blast. The tight, synthetic corridor she had led them into left no means to escape its linear path. As the light particles faded away, she was able to admire her own work. Everything went as she planned. There were no bots left that were capable of counterattack now.
"Well done, Miss Vaswani!" Angela cheered over the communicator. She was still shocked by the turn of events, equally impressed and excited from the thrill. "That was spectacular." Her gaze idled over the bots with concern. They weren't beyond repair, but she felt sorry that Torbjorn would have to find more parts rather than put them back together like he usually did. The energy orbs melted most of the metal plates in some, even disabling some wires and frying chips.
Morrison spoke next, "Are you ready for your next challenge or do you need a break?" From the looks of things, Symmetra seemed to be as collected as when she first started, never breaking a sweat. The vital scanners had only shifted when she dashed through the teleporters, a pause in its tracking at the moment she physically disassembled into light particles before rematerializing seconds later.
As if to confirm this, she replied, "I'm ready to commence." At this response, the commander nodded to McCree.
"Alright, you got it," said the cowboy, tipping his hat as he exited the room to join Satya on the training grounds. "Let's see how you do in a real fight," he smirked earning no response that he was expecting. Symmetra bowed her head to her opponent, staying silent as she began to formulate a new strategy. She anticipated having to face an actual person during combat training, but there were only a select few abilities she was willing to use against a living person, still standing by her motto of not taking lives.
"In battle, you'll have to get used to knowing how your opponents move and the likelihood that they may or may not already be aware of your own abilities," Morrison announced over the communicator. "Show us what you've got, Vaswani." He pulled his hand away from the switch to cross his arms again in his usual pose. Now, the real test starts.
At his command, both sparring partners drew their weapons, McCree producing his at a much faster rate and sending a series of four bullets almost simultaneously. Instinctively, Satya erected a swift barrier to render the bullets harmless, causing the man to smirk again. "Kind figured you'd do that," he remarked, rolling to the side of the barrier to send two more bullets her way. In the same moment, he reloaded his pistol with six fresh bullets, his speed almost inhuman. The shots were faster than that of the bots', and she had no time to redirect her shield. Instead, she dashed away from the line of fire, a bullet just missing her by a hair's breadth. Satya couldn't help but enjoy the challenge, allowing a miniscule smirk to grace her features as well. Her adrenaline was finally starting to kick in.
She wouldn't go as far as to say she enjoyed violence, preferring to use her skills in building more than anything and feeling battle to be unnecessary and barbaric, but she did love to make use of her abilities when given the opportunity. Seeing her strategy work in her favor also pleased her. The former Vishkar retaliated with her own blasts that were avoided just as easily. There was no room for error against her swift opponent. She redirected the barrier between herself and McCree, already charging a much larger blast and sending it his way before ducking to another shelter.
He just barely dodged the molten orb that traveled much slower than the others. Though it was slow, it was massive enough to leave little room to escape. The whiskers on his chin fringed at the proximity of the hard-light's heat as he let out another sharp whistle, watching it pass by. "That's mighty hot. Glad I moved," McCree remarked, redirecting his direction to where his opponent hid away. "But you're not gonna fool me with that trick."
He was right. She knew he was expecting an ambush of some sort, but he wasn't aware that she had another idea in mind. In the observation deck, Mercy wondered aloud, "What do you suppose she'll do next?"
Morrison shrugged his shoulders, answering honestly, "No clue. I'm sure she's got something else in mind. I get the feeling she hasn't shown us everything she's got yet." A lot of ideas ran through his head, some possibly having gone through her mind as well. At the same time, he figured the former Vishkar had another ace up her sleeve to play.
"Same here," the doctor admitted. She continued to take notes of the change in Satya's condition as the two combatants below planned their next moves.
McCree waited with patience to see what Symmetra would do, almost wishing he had a cigar as he waited. Too bad smoking wasn't allowed on the grounds. He hooked his thumbs to his belt, spitting to the side. "You know, I ain't one for waiting," he announced casually. Truth be told, he was ready for her attack any moment. From his observations, he could tell long-range projectiles weren't exactly her strong suit. The cowboy assumed close combat to be her specialty, though she had yet to act in accordance to those suspicions. So, he decided to wait to see what she had in store for him. As if on cue, he caught the tail end of her dress out of the corner of his eye. The cowboy readied his pistol as she emerged from hiding. "There you are."
They exchanged shots, both grazed by each other's fires as they simultaneously ducked out of the way. McCree's organic arm seared in the heat, but the light wasn't enough to reach bone as he expected. In fact, the heat even seemed to cauterize the fresh wound. But it still hurt like hell, he hissed mentally, grasping at the wound with his biotic hand. In return, Satya wore a similar injury, a scratch at her cheek that was beginning to drip blood and a hole in her own prosthetic arm. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to damage any of the light producing mechanisms or else she'd be out of commission until it was fixed.
"Incredible reactions from the both of them," Mercy mused, eyeing the burn on McCree's skin. "And quite the interesting weapon. I wouldn't have to heal that since it's superficial." Even as she watched the two combat against each other, she made sure that things didn't get too out of hand. The less she had to patch up, the better.
"Hm," Morrison responded with a grunt, tapping a finger on his bicep as he held his pose. "She's being careful not to severely harm him, to which I'm grateful right now, but that would cost her in a real fight."
As he said this, McCree confirmed the commander's critique by aiming a shot at Satya once more. The cowboy didn't feel the need to be careful in his position, not when facing a worthy adversary. He was confident in her ability to avoid danger, raising his armed hand a bit to level with her head, a direct headshot lined up. Satya flinched momentarily. She knew he meant business by that point, surprised that the cowboy could be anything besides the drunk fool he was last night. He was a true soldier, despite his usual demeanor. The ex-Vishkar rolled out of the way just in time as the shot was fired, attempting to escape to another shelter again. She would have to try another approach soon.
"Oh, you're not getting away to play hide-n-seek this time, missy," he hollered at her retreating form, giving chase with a kick of his boots. Despite his speed in shooting, she had the upper hand when it came to mobility. Surprisingly swift for one who ran in heels. McCree followed as fast as his clunky boots would permit, determined not to let her escape his sights as she was beginning to round a corner. Just as he followed suit, he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He took a step back from his advancement, just as a laser beam shot out from the corner behind him. "Ah, what the hell? So, you got turrets too, huh?"
The design was smaller and much more different from that of the turrets Torbjorn builds, but he recognized the focusing beams right away. McCree made sure to stay out of their line of fire as he redirected his attention towards the escaping architect. Shit, he cursed himself mentally. Where will she ambush from? He relocated to a more secure spot, cutting off most routes for her to sneak up on him with. She could only attack from above or in front of his position, so he waited, pistol at the ready and a flashbang in his mechanical hand.
Satya shot out from the shelter behind him, aiming a kick from directly above. He rolled out of the way and threw his flashbang, successfully hitting his mark at the wall behind her. The flash momentarily blinded her as she shook her head to clear her vision. McCree had to keep from shooting her in the head out of habit as she was coming out of her stupor, instead aiming for her leg to immobilize her and end the session. What he didn't expect was for her to direct a counterattack while still blinded.
Thin, wispy tendrils of light particles were produced from her gun as her finger enclosed around a second trigger. The streams grew until they formed a large ray of tangible hard-light, coming in contact with his body. It didn't burn as bad as the blasts she sent earlier, but it did drain him of his energy immediately. He could feel his legs collapse beneath him despite his protests as his body began to go numb. It wasn't until he dropped his pistol that she ceased fire, her vision returning as she gazed upon her weakened opponent. Their match was over, and victory was hers.
McCree let the energy slowly return to his body as he caught his breath, too tired to holster his weapon that laid before him. Once he was able to speak, he chuckled. "That was one hell of a show you gave, miss."
"You were formidable yourself," she returned the compliment, lowering her gun and returning his pistol to him. She offered a hand for her opponent to stand, to which he had no complaints as he was still regaining feeling in his limbs. They exchanged a single handshake before turning on their communicators to speak to their observers.
"Did you get everything you need here, Doc?" McCree asked of Angela. He was answered by an affirmative. "Good, 'cause I think I'm done. I ain't got any more strength in me right now and I'm sure as hell hankerin' for a smoke."
Of course, Satya thought with a roll of her eyes. She couldn't help but catch the scent of cigars wafting from the man at this proximity. A drunk and a smoker, why am I not surprised? Her mental sarcasm hung heavy even in her own thoughts, she was afraid it might slip through her mouth for a moment. "Likewise, I'm also ready for a break and shower," Satya added. The two training partners were responded with a dismissal to which they exited the grounds with relief.
As McCree went outside for his smoke and Satya headed for her room, Morrison and Dr. Ziegler went over the analysis of their session. "Well, that's that. I have a good understanding of Vaswani's abilities now, and I believe I know just the team to assign her to. She won't be out on our most dangerous missions, at least not yet. I feel like she's still the type to hold back," Morrison commented.
"She did tell me once that she abhorred killing," Angela replied, stacking her paperwork and saving the file on the system before standing from her seat. She hadn't even realized that an hour and half had already passed and lunch was soon to start.
"Well, we wouldn't want it any other way here in Overwatch, anyway," the commander pointed out. He was right. The group wasn't the type to kill, unlike a certain organization that made it its duty to all but exterminate life indiscriminately, including the lives of Overwatch members. Talon had proved to be a thorn in their side as of late, and, if there was any of his enemies that deserved elimination, the organization was priority. Other than that, Overwatch was primarily concerned with keeping the populace safe from harm caused by different groups around the world. Their more dangerous missions were only concerned with countering Talon's attacks.
The commander and Mercy left the observation deck to their own quarters, completing their tasks of planning missions and organizing data, respectively. They rejoined with the other members of Overwatch as lunch was being served, this time prepared by Ana. After lunch, Symmetra headed straight to her room to rest and exercise with yoga, finding comfort in the temporary solitude and peace. She was informed that afternoon that her roommate's group was finished with their mission and were making their way back.