I've never released chapters this fast. I hope you enjoy.
The screen flickers, the image slightly losing focus, then slowly stabilizes.
"Fascinating."
Inside his laboratory, Winston is fiddling with a wall mounted chronal accelerator. His desks are completely covered with notes and a couple chalkboards are filled with calculations.
If what I'm seeing is real, this is truly a fantastic discovery!
He carefully cuts the power to the device, then writes off a couple notes.
This could rewrite entire chapters in quantum physics! I should contact the MIT...
The ring of the telephone snaps him out of his reflections.
"Oi Winstooon! Hellooo!"
Tracer's voice explodes from the telephone.
"Hi Lena!"
"Winston, why are you still working? It's Christmas, you should relax for a bit, at least today!"
Winston smiles, glancing at the calendar.
"Dear Lena, You know how I am. Always curious. In fact, I believe I've made a fantastic discovery!"
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. You see, I was checking on one of the accelerators I have here. I wanted to test a theory and well...I've made a slight modification to the device."
"So? What did you find?"
"If my preliminary analysis are correct, this could very well be a different timeline. A different universe!"
"Whoaaa!"
"The system I've developed works only when two similar devices can communicate. In other words, it would appear that on the other side, there's another chronal accelerator modified just like the one here."
A second of pause.
"You mean there could be another Winston overworking in the other universe?"
"It could be, yes." Laughs the gorilla. "Lena, imagine the possibilities! The confirmation that parallel universes exist is something extraordinary! I must gather more data, I think I could send a small burst of..."
"Wiiiinstoooon."
"All right, all right." Surrenders the scientist. "I will take a pause in my experiments. But I'll resume them as soon as the clocks ticks December 26!"
"That's so like you." Laughs Tracer. "Hey, why don't you drop by? We could have a walk around here."
"I'll try. Right now the base is in a complete mess. I need to fix a couple things. And before you ask: yes they are important."
"All right Winston. Take care."
"You two girls."
"Oh and Winston? Merry Christmas!"
Hugging a pillow, Widowmaker is sobbing inside a bed. The clerk at the hotel desk didn't ask questions when she demanded a room. Probably her purple face wet with tears discouraged him to speak.
Something inside her has snapped and a whole hell of emotions has broken loose.
"I don't know Ana. I'm more comfortable with a semi-auto rifle. I prefer a higher rate of fire in the missions I'm sent into."
A young Ana Amari is sitting beside her, cleaning a very old, wooden bolt action rifle.
"Ah but you see, with this I'm extremely precise. I prefer how a bolt action handles. And I like less jamming."
"Guess we are different agents."
"indeed."
*Ba-dump* *Ba-dump*
Her whole body is burning, not used to that much blood circulating through it.
Jumping from the bed, Widowmaker slams the bath door open and looks at herself in the mirror.
Removing her shirt she gapes at her body.
Whole patches of skin are colouring, turning from cold blue to an unhealthy pink.
She sits on the WC, gasping.
Pressing the pillow on Gerard's face, Amélie felt weird. She rationally registered what she was doing, but her emotions were numbed. She could barely hear a small part of her screaming in terror and agony, begging her to stop.
Gerard started moving as he tried to...
Widowmaker blasts her eyes open.
This has to stop. I'm going to die. I can't take it anymore. I need control!
Washing her face with warm water, the sniper forces herself to calm down.
Taking slow, deep breaths she manages to slow her heartbeat.
She's feeling dizzy, her limbs not responding correctly to her commands.
I need to get out of here.
I can't believe we're out of beer!
Dashing at full speed with the accelerator, Tracer is desperate to find a market still open.
Where the hell am I going to find a shop open on Christmas?!
The streets are not crowded: small groups of kids playing around in the snow, a couple walking alone, friends meeting in front of pubs.
Tracer quickly reaches The City, where she finds plenty of 24h open supermarkets.
I'm glad I found this brand. Emily loves it!
Darting out of the market, Lena quickly thrusts herself in small alleys.
Bloody hell. The accelerator's already down! 'ave to tell Winston 'bout this.
Lena starts walking to the nearest Tube station, breathing in the cold Christmas air.
Before she can turn a corner, a slender figure stops on her tracks.
"'Sup mate? I'm afraid I can't stop. You know, Christmas dinner, stuff like that."
Wait a second...
Donning a heavy, dark coat and a wide brimmed hat, a purple woman with pink marks is panting right in front of her.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" yells Lena, arming her guns and pointing them at Widowmaker.
"I'm not here to hurt you." The sniper's whisper is barely audible. "I need help. Bring me to a doctor, s'il te plaît." You have no reason to help me, but please don't let me die here. Feeling her vision clouding, Widowmaker collapses on the ground, hearing nothing but her fast heartbeat.