Kindred Spirits

Chapter Six: Closing In

~ o ~

Two Months Later- Venice, Italy

"Is everything in order for the evening?"
"Of course Mr. Plavia. We are progressing as planned."
"Excellent."

Listening to these two imbeciles made me sick to my stomach as I took aim with my rifle. I smiled to myself.

"One hour of waiting has finally paid off...now just a little more..." I whispered.

Peering through the window, I waited for the second man to be within my sights and once he cleared enough distance, I fired two shots in quick succession. The darts hit them each in a vital area, dropping them both to the floor. Proud of my handiwork, I made my way to the apartment using my grappling hook. After climbing in through the open window, I ensured that no one was around before locking the entrance. I dragged one of the men into a closet and locked the door before approaching my intended target: the man dressed in the suit and red tie. I lifted him into a chair and tied his hands behind it as well as his feet together with some rope. Once I was satisfied that he would be helpless once he came to, I slapped him repeatedly to get him to wake up. It took a few seconds, but he finally came to. He looked absolutely horrified to see me.

"No! You're supposed to be dead!" he cried.

I smiled deviously at him.

"No such luck. Now let's get down to business...Marcus Plavia." I said.

I drew my rifle from my back and placed the barrel on his chest.

"I'm looking for someone. You must have an idea of where I can find him." I said.
"What're you talking about?!" he replied.

I reached into my jacket pocket and produced a picture.

"This man. The one who ordered my assassination in Annecy one month ago. Where can I find him?" I reiterated.

The man froze in fear and from the look of his face, he was barely able to think coherently. I rolled my eyes before slamming the butt of my rifle into his stomach.

"My patience is running thin. Talk." I said firmly.

The man shook his head vigorously.

"I'm not high enough on the ladder to know information like that!" he replied.

I gave him a wicked smile.

"The only thing worse than not answering my questions...is lying to me." I said.

I immediately fired a bullet into his kneecap, causing him to scream in agony.

"You have one more knee. I'm sure you'd like to keep it intact...now speak." I ordered.
"Alright! I'll talk!" he screamed.

Feeling satisfied with my work, I lowered my rifle but kept my eyes on him.

"The man you're looking for is Oscar Jaeger. He doesn't stay in one place for long; he travels often because he's important to Talon operations across the continent. I know where he will be for the next two months. Please let me go!" he cried.
"How do you know? Is there anything that you can give me as evidence?" I asked politely.

He nodded before gesturing to his jacket.

"In my pocket is a portable drive that contains everything you need to know. Please! Let me go!" he cried once more.

I reached into the jacket and just as he promised, there was a portable drive. I took it from him and nodded.

"You've been very helpful...but now you know that I'm still alive and I can't afford to lose the element of surprise." I said.

Before he could say another word, I shot him directly in the head. I felt absolutely no remorse over the kill, though I did notice the relative lack of satisfaction. I had been on the hunt for this man for nearly two weeks...but for some reason, I didn't feel the usual euphoria I entered whenever I made a kill. Now...it felt diminished.

"Perhaps my reconditioning truly is breaking..."

I removed the unconscious man from the closet before taking the pistol from his jacket. I then fired two shots into the corpse in order to frame him for the murder. Once I was satisfied that I had no tracks to be followed, I left the apartment.

Later That Night

"Did you find everything you were looking for?"
"Yes. Thank you for the tip." I replied.

He was quiet for a few moments before he let out a sigh.

"If I had known about the intended hit on you...I'd have let you know beforehand."
"I know. It took me this long to contact you because I had other matters to attend to. Not to mention that I needed to ensure that everyone believed I was dead." I explained.
"If there's anything else I can do to help, let me know." he said.
"Merci. I don't know when we'll be able to meet again considering that you still need to be a part of the organization...but good luck to you." I said.
"The idea of Project Darkwind doesn't appeal to me in the slightest; I'm not interested in killing people who don't deserve it. I don't think I'll be a part of this for much longer...who knows. I might join you on the run."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"You already know that's a horrible idea. You've risked enough with what you've done already." I replied.
"True...anyway, I have to move out now. I'll keep you updated on anything concerning your status in Talon's database."

I nodded.

"Take care of yourself Reyes."
"You too Widowmaker."

The video call ended as I let out a deep sigh. It had taken a tremendous amount of effort to remain hidden, but I managed to contact the infamous assassin known as Reaper. He also happened to be my old partner. We weren't the best of friends, but after having worked together for so long...I suppose we were used to watching each others backs. He was the one who gave me the keys to his hideout here in Venice as well as the one who tipped me off on the information I so desperately sought after. Now that I knew where I could find Oscar, all I needed to do was prepare for the trip and most importantly, his assassination. He was the man who almost brought my life to an end two months ago and now...it would be his turn cower in fear.

I looked over all of the information I gathered over the past three weeks, piecing it altogether so that I could understand it all. In the last two months, I had truly gone on the warpath; I've killed a total of seventeen people in order to finally arrive at the man I've sought after most.

"...But why am I not happy?"

Before I decided to visit Gerard's grave...nothing made me feel so fulfilled than killing a target. Now...it seemed with every kill, it became less of a thrill and more of a goal to be met. It was no longer about feeling the fulfillment but it was now a means to an end. I was so close to finding the man who started this chain reaction that led up to now. My thoughts then drifted back to my friends...who I left behind two months ago.

~ o ~

Two Months Earlier- Paris, France

"You said you wanted to talk?" I asked.

Aiden didn't take his eyes off the floor since I walked into the room. He let out a deep sigh before finally looking up towards me.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier...I thought I discarded that side of me." he said.

I shook my head, taking a seat beside him.

"Nothing terrible happened so no harm done." I replied.

He looked at me, still with a lot of guilt in his eyes.

"I nearly tried to kill you..." he said.
"You didn't. That's what matters."

He seemed evidently shocked that I was so forgiving of him...but how could I not? He would've tried to stop me in the same way if I was the one in that state. After everything he's done for me...the least I could do is forgive a momentary relapse of his old persona.

He let out a deep sigh before looking at my suitcase, which was packed up.

"Where are you off to?" he asked.

I shook my head, my eyes narrowing as I pointed at the map on the desk. He got to his feet and looked over it for a few moments.

"I take it that everything you learned from Ronard as well as everything we got from the database Sombra hacked gave you all of this info?" he asked.
"Yes. I have a few leads that I'm going to follow up on; I need answers." I replied.

He nodded slowly.

"And you've decided to take this on alone."

I didn't answer him, instead giving him a half-serious, half regretful look.

"I...didn't intend for things to get out of hand. None of you are safe as long as I'm here because now, some are aware of me being alive." I explained.

Aiden nodded in comprehension.

"There's no way we could've known that Ronard had a transmitter implanted inside of him; not even Sombra could find it." he replied.

I let out a heavy breath.

"They already want you dead because you took two of their members hostage...but now they'll be on an even more relentless hunt because they know you've been helping me." I said.
"You don't have to worry about them finding me; I've hidden myself for years. A few more won't be a problem." he said.

I then took out my PDA and showed it to him.

"Reyes gave me a few tips about someone in Italy and left his hideout there for me to use. I have some old clients who don't support Talon and have offered me discreet transportation. Everything is in place." I explained.

The assassin nodded before reaching into his pocket. He got to his feet and approached me before placing something in my hand. I looked down to see that it was a small box that had a good amount of weight.

"What's this?" I asked.
"Open it." he replied.

I lifted the cover off to see a set of keys as well as the same suppressor he loaned me for yesterday's rescue.

"When you arrive in Italy, make a stop in Florence. All of the equipment I used during my contracts there is stored in a suite at the Hotel Villa Agape. Ask for Simon and tell him that I've entrusted everything to you." he explained.

I looked at him in disbelief but he offered me a smile.

"I won't try to convince you that going alone is dangerous; you're more than capable of taking care of yourself now that you're back to your peak." he said.

I could tell that he felt a great deal of sadness by looking into his eyes. I've known this man for a very long time...and even though we saw each other for the first time in years a few days ago, it felt as if he never left. He was just as kind as he was back then and even now, despite his instincts telling him to not let me go...he was allowing me to make my own choice. He could stop me if he really wanted to...but he didn't. Instead, he chose to support my decision.

"Don't stay in one place too long; Italy has a large Talon presence within it. Especially in Venice where a lot of the higher ups live." he explained.

My eyes suddenly drifted to his crimson ones and for some reason, my hand unconsciously drifted to his cheek. The act silenced him immediately, his eyes now focusing on mine.

"...Will you be alright? Will your daughter be safe?" I asked.
"I decided to call an old friend from Overwatch. Though I don't agree with their views, they said they would take good care of Nicole and they will also get started on research for Project Darkwind's countermeasures." he explained.

I shook my head.

"You trust them enough to take care of your daughter?" I asked.
"The one thing that Overwatch has over Talon is that they care for their own. They do not view me as an enemy so they accepted my offer with open arms." he replied.

I sighed in relief as I looked to the open door.

"What about Sombra? Is she leaving too?"
"She'll stay with me for a few more days before she goes back to her usual contracts. They still have no idea that she's been helping us so she's not in any danger." he replied.

I laughed softly; it was just like that hacker to always cover her tracks perfectly.

"...That just leaves you." I said reluctantly.

I knew that I was worrying him greatly by making this journey on my own...in fact that was probably the understatement of the year. The black ops division of Talon was now aware that I'm alive and they will stop at nothing to find me and finish what they started that night in Annecy.

"Don't worry about me. Focus on finding the answers you're looking for. And know that if you ever need help, I'm only a call away."

For some reason, I felt my heart fill with warmth, though a part of me wanted to slap him for being so uncompromisingly righteous. Then again...it's who he is.

Rather than to say something else, I instead placed the box on the bed behind me and wrapped my arms around his neck. He flinched briefly in my embrace but after a few moments, he embraced me as well.

"Thank you...for everything Aiden." I whispered.
"You're welcome."

~ o ~

Present Time

I had barely kept in contact with any of them these past few weeks. Initially, I believed that I could slowly break myself off and return to my lone wolf lifestyle but...I couldn't.

My thoughts kept going back to each of them. I didn't have to worry about Sombra because she made it a mission to let me know how things were going on her end, keeping me posted on Talon activity and letting me know when I needed to keep a low profile. She also never ceased to tease me, saying that I missed her. Truthfully, half of me wanted to clobber her with the nearest blunt object but other times...I truly missed the companionship. As annoying as she could be sometimes, she always meant well.

More than once I had contemplated giving Aiden a call, but considering the developments concerning Talon in France and Italy, I believed it wiser to keep silent; the last thing I wanted to do is expose him and his daughter. I knew at least that Nicole was in safe hands; she moved to North America about two weeks after I left thanks to an update I received from Sombra. Though I don't imagine Aiden being okay with the fact that she was so far away, it was certainly better than putting her in danger of being captured once more and then being forced to make weapons capable of killing thousands.

The girl was really something special; I had seen some of her research notes and at times, I had a difficult time believing that she was merely sixteen years old. She was truly leaps and bounds ahead of any scientist her age and I imagined that she would put her skills to good use in trying to help the unfortunate. Before all of this, I would've probably considered that a waste of talent...but a world where Talon is at the top of the food chain meant that all others would be wiped out and that in itself...was not a noble goal.

"Perhaps one day...when all of this is over, I can teach her how to defend herself."

I let out a deep sigh as I got into my bed, suddenly feeling drained.

Come to think of it...this isn't the first time recently that I've suddenly felt very tired. Normally, I had problems falling asleep due to an abundance of energy...but as of late, my body just felt like it needed hours of sleep for no apparent reason. Was there something going on inside of me that I wasn't aware of? Perhaps I've just been working too hard; I was on a manhunt for two weeks which involved me traveling all over Italy.

After convincing myself that I just needed some rest, I drew the covers over myself and let sleep take hold.

Meanwhile- Somewhere in Venice

"So we have confirmation? Is she really still alive?"
"Yes. She's already killed ten of our operatives in Italy."

One of the men laughed softly, though he did growl for a moment afterwards.

"That woman is disrupting all of our plans. Like a persistent wolf picking off livestock." he said.

He then looked down to a small device, bearing three buttons.

"Is it time to use it sir?"
"Using it now...will do nothing because she's not within range. It's time to enact our contingency plan."
"You mean it's time for that?"

The man smiled evilly.

"She'll never see it coming...activate Project Specter."
"At once Mr. Jaeger."

The underling immediately left the office as Oscar Jaeger looked to his computer screen to see a picture of Widowmaker, several weeks ago when she was in Florence.

"Soon little spider...your world will come crashing down. And when everything you hold dear has turned to ash, you'll beg us to take you back...then I will give you the most painful death imaginable."