Alice definitely needed a day off, as Reyes explained, so after their short walk and her trying her best to assure the Commander that she was all healthy and ready for another assigned mission, she gave up realizing that there's no point in arguing with her boss.
"Morrison asked me to lead a team to London, apperently Null Sector is launching a large-scale attack there. If I'm bein' honest, I'm not too excited about it," Reyes said, his voice laced with hint of exhaustion. He gestured towards McCree, who was standing next to the girl, "McCree, you lead the mission, take the ninja and some others with ya."
Alice slowly lifted her hand.
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"Angela said that you took hard blow to your ribs. She dosen't think that you should go on another mission so soon, and I don't want her to have her on my throat. She says that you should stay here to recover."
"I agree," Genji spoke up and Alice immediately shot him a glare. He met her gaze innocently shrugging.
"I am fine, and ready to kick ass. You need all the help you can get-"
"Kid you broke three of your ribs, I don't even know how are you still alive."
Alice scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "I heal fast, alright? It's not as bad as it sounds."
Reyes shook his head, a mixture of frustration and concern evident on his face. "I can't risk you getting hurt again, Alice. You need to rest and recover properly."
"But Commander-"
"No buts, Alice." Reyes cut her off sternly. "This mission is important, I know, but your well-being is more important. We'll manage without you this time."
Alice's shoulders slumped, a mix of disappointment and resignation washing over her. She knew Reyes was right, but it didn't make it any easier to accept. She had always been determined to prove herself and be a valuable asset to the team, and being sidelined due to her injuries felt like a setback.
McCree stepped forward, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "Don't worry, darlin'. We'll hold down the fort while you recover. Just promise me you'll take it easy, alright?"
Alice stayed quiet for few seconds, observing carefully their face.
"Look, kid, you're stubborn and that's an adorable quality. But you know what's not an adorable quality?" Reyes said.
"Burning yourself out and risking further injury," Alice finished his sentence with a hint of resignation.
Reyes nodded, his expression softening. "Exactly. I need you at your best, and that means taking the time to fully recover. Trust me, it's for your own good. Just sit this one mission out, Alice. I already told Morrison that you're gonna help train some of the newest recruits, anyways."
Alice send him a look, 'Are you serious?' though she sighed in defeat, she knew better than to argue against not only Gabriel's orders, but Commander Morrison's as well. Relucantly, she nodded and Reyes seemed satisfied with her agreement.
"Don't worry, darlin. I promise I will bring you something nice from England," McCree said, offering a small smile. "Maybe a souvenir or somethin'."
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"So, you're that scary bad owl everyone have been talking about! You don't look that scary from close, but that spooky mask of yours is definitely scoring some points in the fright department. Is it handmade or did you buy it from a store?"
Her name is Lena Oxton, no we're not friends, not yet at least. I believe she is far too bubbly for her own good, but I have to admit, her energy is infectious. Still she found herself taking a liking to the small British girl almost immediately; it was nice seeing someone close to her age. Lena was the youngest person to volunteer to test an experimental aircraft called the Slipstream. During her flight, the aircraft malfunctioned and she disappeared for months. She was trapped between past, present, and future, causing her to physically and temporally distort.
She recently reappeared, though because of the matrix malfunction in her aircraft, she was unable to anchor herself to the present. Her body had become desynchronized from the flow of time, disappearing into thin air for days or even weeks on time. One of the Overwatch's top scientists, Winston, called it "chronal disassociation," and he only recently discovered a way to control it.
Alice glanced at the machine that was attached to Lena's vest, a glowing sphere of blue light emitting from the center of it. Winston had named it a "chronal accelerator," and it allowed Lena to anchor herself to the present whilst also controlling her own time. Now, she had the opportunity to test it in a combat as a true Overwatch agent, or rather a newbie.
"Name's Alice, your personal training dummy, but this one is going to fight back than rather just standing there and taking hits," Alice replied with a smirk, making a dramatic bow.
Meanwhile behind the glass of an balcony Angela and Winston observed as the two agents fought each other.
"She is quite impressive," Winston said, reading through Angela's notes of Alice strange condition. "It seems to be a complex fusion of technology and organic matter."
Angela nodded, watching as Alice was struggling to keep up with Lena; Khai-Ja was slowly learning and adapting to the girl's fighting style, and soon was able to predict where Lena would strike next. "We're still trying to fully understand its capabilities and how it interacts with her physiology."
Winston furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "And the suit's AI, it's sentient? It looks... parasitic, It's completely fused with her spine, making its removal impossible without killing the host."
"Yes, that seems to be the case," Angela replied, her voice filled with concern. "The AI has taken over her central nervous system, but it dosen't seem to try to control her in any way, It's rather helping her enhance her abilities and protect her."
"A symbiotic relationship between a man and machine... I didn't though it was possible," Winston mused. "But what are the long-term implications? Will this fusion eventually become detrimental to her health?"
Angela sighed, her worry evident in her voice. "That's what I'm afraid of. The constant stream of information and energy flowing through her body could potentially overload her system. And if the AI ever decides to turn against her, it could be disastrous."
"How is the new recruit doing?" Morrison asked, entering the small office.
"Unfortunately, we don't know too much about her condition." Angela said, "But assuming she dosen't experience any setbacks, I think she's fit for active duty. We will need to continue monitoring her to see how she copes. Turns out, time travel isn't an exact science. Is it, Winston?"
"Problems?" He watched as Lena teleported behind Alice and shot at her back. Alice swiftly turned around and kicked the girl away, retaliating with a series of punches. "Nothing we can't handle," Angela replied. "Alice seems to be adapting to Lena's movements quite well."
"Winston?"
"No! Well... nothing too serious... uh, sir." Winston said.
"In the context of someone who can get lost in time, what does "nothing too serious" mean, Winston?"
"Just a few reliability issues to work out, sir."
In a blink of an eye, Lena disappeared before Alice could tackle her to the ground and reappeared behind her again, firing rubber bullets at her.
"You're good!" She yelled, using her talons to climb onto the wall, the metal screeching under her weight.
"Oh really? Thank you, captain!" She smiled as she teleported into the air, high enough to reach the girl.
"But I'm better!" Alice added, throwing at her small balls that immediately exploded into Lena's face and released a sticky substance, coating her completely and gluing to the floor.
Lena struggled to free herself from the sticky substance, but Alice wasted no time. She swiftly descended towards Lena, spinning as she did so, and sent a powerful kick crashing into Lena's chest. The impact sent Lena flying across the balcony, crashing into the glass behind Angela and Winston.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Winston asked, his concern growing as the glass cracked from the impact.
Angela gazed at the cracking glass but remained calm. "Don't worry, the reinforced glass can withstand the force. Besides, this is what they signed up for."
"Not bad." Morrison commented, impressed by the display of skill and power. "She definitely got potential."
"But let's not forget that Lena is no pushover either," Angela added, turning her attention back to the training session. Despite the setback, Lena quickly recovered and launched herself back into the fight, using her chronal accelerator to dodge and counter Alice's attacks.
"Has there be any update on the situation in London, Commander?" Angela asked.
"Nothing good. The prime minister has expressly forbidden us from intervening. That's why I send Blackwatch to handle it discreetly," Morrison replied. "They've been working on gathering intel and trying to find a solution."
"He's a fool, then. How many thousands in King's Row are in need of medical aid? What happens when Null Sector takes more of the city. It'll be Egypt all over again, and we don't have the resources to deal with another humanitarian crisis."
"We're doing our best, Angela," Morrison said, his voice filled with frustration. "But the prime minister is adamant about keeping Overwatch out of it. We have to respect that, even though I don't agree with it."
"This is what Overwatch was made for. Instead of wasting time sitting on the sidelines, we could be saving lives."
"I don't disagree, doctor, but my hands are tied."
"Well, that's not good enough, Jack. And a lot of people are going to die."
"I know, Angela... believe me I know." With that he left, leaving the two scientists alone.
As the door closed behind Morrison, Angela and Winston exchanged a worried look. They both knew that the situation in London was dire, and the limitations placed on Overwatch were frustrating.Angela sighed and turned back to the training session, her focus shifting from the ongoing fight to the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Alice's eyes widened at what Lena had called her, dismissing the title with a wave of a hand, "I'm not a Captain. I'm just a Blackwatch agent."
Lena looked confused momentarily, but shrugged it off. "Oh, sorry! Usually, they leave the training to Captains, so I assumed that you were one!"
"I'm just an agent." Alice said again, scowling ever so slightly as she once again thought about the mission she was currently missing out on. "The Commanders decided to keep me locked up in base while my team goes out and does all the fun stuff."
Lena looked disheartened for a moment, and Alice immediately regretted her words, "I don't mind training with you at all, It's just-"
"I get it," Lena interrupted her cheerfully, "Being out in the field is always much more fun."
Alice nodded in agreement. She liked Lena, the British girl was very friendly and nice to talk to, a great change of pace compared to most of the Blackwatch agents. Movement out of the corner of her eye caugh her attention just before she reponded, and she turned to see Angela entering the training facility.
"You two did well," Angela said, walking over to Alice and Lena. "You're both showing great progress and adaptability. I'm impressed."
Alice nodded, "Well thank you." She bowed, causing Lena to laugh. "I heard that they are serving chili in the cafeteria today and I can't miss it."
Angela chuckled softly. "Well, I'm glad to hear that you're motivated by food, Alice. But before you go, I wanted to inform you that there might be a change of plans for your mission. We've received some new intel that could potentially make it more dangerous than we initially thought."
Alice's expression turned serious as she listened to Angela's words. "What kind of intel?"
"Details are still being gathered, but it seems that there's a high-profile target involved, someone with a history of dealing in dangerous weapons. We believe they might have ties to Talon," Angela explained.
Lena's eyes widened at the mention of Talon, the notorious terrorist organization. "That sounds serious, love. Should we be worried?"
"Yes, we should, but we're in a tight spot right now. And we can't do anything until your team will be back, all we can do is observe and wait. You two are free to go now."
Alice and Lena exchanged a concerned look before nodding to Angela.
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.
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Alice was the first one to greet her team when they returned back to the base. What surprised her, however, was the solemn expressions that they wore on their faces as they trudged through the front gates. McCree shot her the faintest smile, and Ava greeted her with a short wave, though neither of them said anything as they began to make their way towards the Commander's office.
Genji came through the gates shortly afterwards. Alice's eyes widened at the state that he was in; dark blood covered his cybernetic suit, and fresh cuts accompanied the scars that ran up his arms. He held his katana limply in his hand, and she noticed that the blade was also covered in blood.
"You look worse than I expected." Alice said, walking to him. His state reminded her of how badly she must have looked when that entire building collapsed on her. "Come on, someone has to patch you up." She grabbed his katana from his hand, of course waiting first for his acknowledgment, and led himinside the building.
"Blood is hard to clean from metal." She said, gesturing to his blade, "You're gonna have to use something stronger than whatever you use to clean your katana."
"The blood is not mine." Genji muttered, and Alice rolled her eyes.
"It dosen't matter who's blood it is as long as they deserved to be cut to pieces by your blade. But seriously, you need to get those wounds taken care of." Alice replied, her tone filled with concern. She led Genji to the infirmary, where the medical team was supposed to be, but it seemed that they must have been send to help the other team.
"Just sit here, looks like we'll have to wait for the medics to come back." Alice gestured for Genji to take a seat on one of the examination beds. She rummaged through the cabinets, finding a first aid kit filled with bandages, disinfectant, and other supplies.
He has not suffered any internal damage, but his cybernetic body may still require maintenance and repairs.
Alice glanced at his cybernetic arm, and she noticed few small scratches and dents on its surface. Wires and circuitry were exposed in some areas, indicating a need for immediate attention. She reached out and gently traced her fingers along the damaged parts, trying to assess the severity of the damage.The scratches seemed superficial, but the dents hinted at potential underlying issues.
"I am fine," Genji said to her, noticing her concern.
"What do you mean 'fine', just look at yourself. Cyborg or not, you're still human, and humans die. Angela is missing, so I guess It's my job to fix you up now."
She grabbed his organic arm first, causing him to flinch under the contact for a moment, though he then relaxed. She began wrapping bandages on his wounds, eyes only focusing on her job.
"No matter what I do, I cannot escape my fate." Alice looked up at him, noticing the defeat in his voice and confusion etched over her features.
"What are you talking about. You're still alive, and probably saved a lot of people during the mission. You're making the world better place by killing the bad guys."
"Murder is still murder." Genji grumbled.
Alice sighed, she knew he was not trying to be short with her: Genji had never hesistated to kill before, if she had known any better, she would have thought that he enjoyed it.
"You know, I killed people too, not just omnics." She paused.
Genji was silent for a moment, his eyes watching as the girl wiped the blood from his cybernetic arm, not showing any disgust. "I am worried," he then said, "Because I enjoy it. My blade slicing through my enemies brings me joy."
"I enjoy hurting people too, Genji. I am not proud of it, but killing people never brought me any satisfaction. I kill, because I can, because I have to, and It's easy. I know that I am mentally unhinged, and if not for Overwatch, I would probably join Talon, or... I don't know, fuck why I am telling you all this? To make you feel better, we're both in the same boat." She chuckled darkly, a bitter tone lacing her words. "This can sting a bit."
She placed her hand at his shoulder, from her fingers, little vine-like threads entered his suit. Genji felt a surge of energy coursing through his body as the vines traveled, repairing the exposed wires and circuitry. The damaged areas slowly began to heal, but the scratches and dents didn't disappeared.
"I can feel blood flowing through you; you may look like an abomination, but you're still very human, more human than you might think. You have to remember that. Nobody is perfect." She pulled her hand away, retreating the vines, "Everything is back in it's place. How do you feel?"
"Huh? What-" His cybernetic hand gripped her hand. He tensed as he felt the material of her suit; it was sticky to the touch, soft but strong, and it seems... alive? His brows furrowed in confusion.
Alice's eyes widened at Genji's reaction, her mind racing to come up with an explanation. "It's... it's a synthetic material," she stammered, trying her best to hide her panic. "A new type of fabric that mimics the feeling of real skin. It's... experimental, but it has its benefits."
Genji didn't release his grip on her hand, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "This fabric... it feels... alive," he remarked, his tone tinged with uncertainty.
Alice's heart pounded in her chest as she quickly searched for a plausible explanation. "It's infused with nanobots," she blurted out, hoping he would buy her hastily made-up story. "They give it a sort of... responsiveness. It's meant to enhance mobility and provide better protection."
Genji continued to study her, his grip on her hand easing slightly."It is intriguing."
Alice let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that her impromptu explanation seemed to have appeased Genji, at least for the moment. "Yeah, it's cutting-edge stuff," she replied, her voice laced with forced enthusiasm. "But let's focus on you now. How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort?"
Genji immediately caught on to her lie, as she was always terrible at lying. Just as their father had described her as too nice and naive when she was younger, Genji could see right through her attempts at deception. It was something about her expression, the slight twitch of her eyes, or maybe it was just the way her voice faltered ever so slightly. Whatever it was, Genji knew his sister too well to be fooled.
"I am feeling well," He replied, his voice calm. "Do you remember how was your life, you know, before you joined Overwatch?" He suddenly asked, changing the topic.
Alice's brows furrowed at Genji's sudden change in topic, but she quickly composed herself and tried to recall her past. "Um, not much, really. My life before Overwatch was just... ordinary. Nothing extraordinary happened. Why are you asking?"
Genji hummed, "Just curious. But your fabric, it still raises questions. Why lie about it?"
Alice hesitated for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "I don't understand what you're talking about, there's nothing wrong with my armor, I am fine." She said, though she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.
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.
.
He is right. He is fucking right. Overwatch wanted a deadly weapon and they got two. My existence is pointless, my mission is pointless... why am I even alive? When I shouldn't be.
I know things people don't know. I've seen things they can't even imagine.
I keep telling him that a heart of a man still beats inside him, but all I hear are just the robotic whirrs and beeps of his mechanical body.
I'm tired.
Tired of lying, of predenting that I'll find them one day, that everything will be back to normal.
Look at me.
Nothing is going to be the same again.