Amelie LaCroix - Widowmaker
Amelie plunged her hands into the stream of bitingly cold water, and drank greedily. It seemed that Overwatch's facilities were only partially online. There was no hot water at all, but that didn't deter her from stripping off the makeshift tunic. Walking to one of the shower stalls set up for the facility staff that had to spend both their waking and sleeping hours in the base. Cold water sluiced over her violet blue skin, sending shudders through her that she ignored. Yes her core body temperature was less than a baseline human's, but that didn't mean she couldn't be chilled. She just soldiered through it because the cold was the lesser evil to the unclean feeling she suffered. Va au Diable … To the Devil with that Swiss bitch and her tiny act of kindness! Damn her…
She had it under control. Even when the blonde bitch had asked that question.
"How did Talon break you?"
Amelie had spent years doing her best to NOT remember, but she didn't quite dare forget. Knowledge was power and she couldn't afford to give up even a small scrap. Not even for peace of mind. Overwatch's pathetic interrogation and psychological intimidation was not even a shadow of what Talon had dragged her through. Dieu le veut, God willing, she would never have to experience such things again. What did that blonde cow know of such things? Dieu… She would blanche and vomit if Amelie were to give her the answers she wanted. Amelie had it under control. Until Angela had soothed away the pain and healed her. Stupid, stupid kindness…
10 years ago
Amelie kept biting her lower lip, trying to keep it from trembling. She was so afraid! But she was Amélie Lacroix, she would be brave so her husband Gerard would not be ashamed of her. He was a hero, and he would save her, she knew this in her heart of hearts. He would come. No matter what these Talon criminals did to her, she'd endure, for Gerard.
If only she could see. The hood that blinded her muffled sound as well. It had been so quick. One moment she had been outside her car, coming back from the grocery shopping, and the next she was brutally abducted, being taken places unknown.
She cried out in surprised pain as an unfamiliar hand began to fondle her roughly. Tears welled up in her covered eyes. Gerard, please come soon, she prayed. Please!
Here and Now
Stepping out of the shower, Amelie ran her fingers through her now sodden hair, wringing out the moisture as best she could. She looked at the makeshift tunic, and made a face. But, beggars and choosers… She slipped it back on and walked out to the waiting giant who was now guarding her. He said nothing about her now damp state, but walked her back to the medical bay they'd been keeping her in. Staying silent herself, she let him rebind her to the gurney, this time not so tightly. With his departure, the lights went out as well. She was in darkness. But she was familiar with darkness. It was almost soothing in it's own way. She supposed they had forgotten about the food. Who was here to make it but those few? They were probably dissecting everything she'd said or not said during the interrogation, forgetting to eat themselves. Gerard would roll over in his grave if he knew how badly off Overwatch was, that they could not even keep a simple cook on staff. But Gerard had been a man to enjoy the minor comforts of home and hearth. A simple meal cooked by his lovely wife, a bottle of wine, and he had been a happy man.
He had died smiling in his sleep, her last gift to him. After dinner she had made love with him with all the fervor of their wedding night, holding back nothing as she screamed his name into the darkness. He had been so completely sated, that sleep claimed him without hesitation. Then, soon after, sleep's darker sister death claimed her own.
Amelie turned the memory over in her mind like a jewel, each facet polished by care and time. Her first human kill. The most perfect kill. She had wept and rejoiced in that instant. The incandescent pain of loss, the rapture that was the taking of life. She had never felt such suffering or glory before, or since. She had never killed anyone she had loved as much as Gerard. Perhaps that was her mistake. Perhaps she should allow herself the chance to love again. No. Love was a weakness. Love was allowing another to become more important than survival. She was a survivor. She'd had to be. Because all those years ago, when Talon had taken her, Gerard had not come for her after all.
10 years ago
"Hot damn! Nova, you ever seen anyone so pretty? She's like a fucking doll! Get it? Fuck Doll? "
Amelie tried not to shudder. Tried not to show her captors how their leering looks disturbed her. It wasn't even just the men, but the females too who were looking at her like a starving dog looks at unprotected meat. Her clothes were loose from their groping touches, and the sense of shame that pervaded her very essence was like nothing she'd ever felt before. They'd taken her to some kind of medical facility, which should have been comforting in any circumstance but this. Now, the hospital-like surroundings were a nightmare. What were they going to do to her?
The woman whose call sign was Nova, because her Nordic blonde good looks and long high ponytail made her look like a Starcraft gaming character, laughed at her subordinate's joke.
"I get it. And we'll get to enjoy our reward soon enough. I hear they are going to give this one the works. Top brass even called their thought reform experts in from the Shadow Base. We'll get to help break her in, and then they'll get to put the pieces together in all sorts of new, fun ways. Hell, this sweet piece of ass might end up becoming something that they've been experimenting with over in R&D. Something called the Black Widow project."
Amelie couldn't repress the shudder that ran through her. She hated spiders! So many legs! So many eyes! She'd been afraid of them since she was a little girl. Could this nightmare get even worse?
"Oooo, look!" the smaller, more sprite like dark haired woman who wore her hair cropped short and messy, chucked Amelie's head up with a finger tip under the captive's chin, "That got to her. She's afraid of spiders."
"Something to give the head doctors." Nova chuckled, "Let's get her ready for her examination then. The white coats will be here at oh nine hundred and it's already nearly 8 am. You know how spastic those elite bastards are if every little thing isn't primed and perfect for their use. Lola, you and Brock can do the honors. Strip the bitch and get her on to the examination table."
Here and Now
Amelie blinked, eyes watering at the sudden illumination. Angela Ziegler had entered the room, and with her came McCree with a covered dish on a rolling trolley. The only silverware was a plastic spork. Nothing that could be used as a serious weapon, even though she'd once used a coffee stirring straw to put down a target.
"Still hungry? Reinhardt made chicken dumpling soup. It's nothing fancy, but it's nourishing."
The doctor's voice was upbeat, and disgustingly pleasant. You would not have known she'd spent the last several hours badgering Amelie with her questions. The scent of spiced chicken broth made her mouth water. She no longer cared how chipper the Swiss blonde was anymore. Amelie's stomach clenched, and she would have even put up with the Overwatch's little chipmunk Tracer, if it got her something to eat.
"I'm afraid we can't unbind you." Mercy's face was red with embarrassment, "McCree has volunteered to feed you though. I've advised him to be on his best behavior, so no fooling around, verstehen? I have a report to write up or I'd be doing this myself."
Angela, gave both the American gunslinger and Amelie a searching glance, not convinced leaving them alone was the best idea. But there was not a lot of choice. Reinhardt had eaten his share of dinner and gone straight to his quarters. Mercy didn't want to disturb the elder Overwatch agent, and McCree had volunteered. Surely he would not do anything to jeopardize Overwatch's reputation, especially with how thin a tightrope they were walking by keeping the Talon agent captive. She could trust his commitment to Overwatch. She would have to.
"I'll be back soon. Just feed her McCree. Just… " Angela turned to leave the room, as Jesse McCree finished her sentence for her.
"Just don't do anything you wouldn't do, Doc?"
"Yes. That." Angela frowned at his chuckle before exiting the room, muttering in German under her breath.
"Open up for Unca McCree," the gunslinger made choo choo noises as Amelie lifted an eyebrow, but obediently opened her mouth.
The first spoonful was heaven. Amelie did not bother to suppress her moan of pleasure. Licking the salty residue from her lips, she tilted her chin up, letting the warm broth slide down her throat.
"Well damn." McCree's western drawl brought her back to reality, "This might be harder than I thought."
To be continued.