My Uncle's Team
Chapter 8
Unknown Location
"Hmm. It seems like you haven't lost your touch after all these years, which would make this far more complicated." The Administrator said, drumming her fingers on the console as the video feed turned off. "It seems like a change of pace is necessary."
Sighing, the Administrator pressed a few buttons on a remote to have her chair move from the current console she was at to another one. Bringing herself closer, she typed in her password with the computers, granting her access a second later. After going through some files, the Administrator eventually found the one she was looking for and opened it.
"And they say digital hoarding is a bad thing." The Administrator said, chuckling. "This should keep both parties busy for a while. And in the meantime, I can finally move forward with my plan to repay the debt."
Breathing out, the Administrator pressed a button on her life extender machine. It beeped a few times before delivering an excruciating shock and pumping some of the Australium into her. Once it subsided, the Administrator felt life return to her legs as if she were a young woman again. Getting up, she resisted the feeling of being able to walk again before exiting the room.
'Just a few more loose ends to tie, then I can finally make my move.'
Mercs
"You know, boys. I can safely say that I missed this." Engineer said, not flinching or reacting when a nearby truck exploded. "And that we caused a hell lot of less damage than in any of previous fights against Grey Mann's machines or the Blu Team."
"Still. We must remain vigilant and careful as we no longer have our respawn machines. And it will be a while before I can get mine up and running. And even then, it will be limited." Medic reminded them as he and Mercy finished healing some injured civilians.
"Right. It will definitely take some time for me and Saw Bones to get everything together. And even longer before it's active and ready."
"Plus, we might be rich from our time working as mercenaries and then for ." Scout began.
"If we did not blow it all on Tom Jones memorabilia." Spy interjected, smirking when Scout glared at him.
"But I doubt we will have enough to cover all expenses if we keep this up." Scout said as another car exploded. Thankfully, Mei used her Ice Gun to put out the flames.
"Not to mention, we should probably do our best to keep a low profile." Sniper said.
"That's right. Overwatch are heroes; we're mercenaries." Demoman said before taking a swig of his scrumpy. "And people aren't so tolerant of mercenaries."
"Right, you are, Cyclops. Some don't recognize when they need some good old American help, even in the form of mercenaries." Soldier said.
"Mmph mmmph mph-mph mmph mmmmph?" Pyro asked.
"Pyro's right. While we don't really give a damn about our reputation, we know Overwatch does. And they were walking on a thin line with the World Governments." Engineer said.
"Right. They don't need more on top of their plate, which is already full." Heavy agreed.
"They certainly don't need any more crap to go on top, especially since we now a part of them." Demoman said.
"Luckily, a lot of our records were burned down long ago." Sniper said.
"But it seems like that might change." Medic said as he noticed Soldier 76 and Reaper walking toward them. "And it seems like we might have to come clean about her."
"Indeed." Spy said. He then turned to each of his fellow mercs, asking them a silent question. They all looked at each other momentarily before nodding, giving Spy his answer. Nodding back, Spy turned back to face Reaper and Soldier 76. "Yes? Do you two require something?"
"We just wanted to say thanks for the help." Soldier 76 answered.
"With your help, we managed to keep the battle short and contained." Reaper said before holding back a sigh when a door to a store fell from being so heavily damaged. "Too bad the destruction couldn't have been kept to a minimum."
"It will be a while before this place gets back to normal."
"Makes you wonder how none of the places we used to fight Blu Team are still standing. What with all the fire, bullets, and explosions happening every second." Scout said.
"Yeah. Some places should not be standing." Sniper said.
"Makes you wonder what they made those buildings and structures out of." Demoman said.
"Especially since we know both Mann brothers liked to cheap out on things." Medic added.
"The paperwork to cover this is going to be a nightmare." Soldier 76 said, overhearing the other Mercs and not wanting to imagine the kind of destruction they were talking about.
"Indeed." Spy said. "So, what now?"
"Now, we are waiting for Winston to send another Orca to pick us up."
"Which should take another hour or so before it arrives." Reaper said before grabbing his shotguns. "But in the meantime, you can tell us about this mysterious person-"
"Alright." Spy interrupted.
"Uh... what?" Soldier 76 asked, not expecting Spy to just agree. He honestly thought they might need to threaten them a bit more.
"My colleagues and I initially wanted to keep this quiet since it is a matter that is both personal to us and one that you need not worry about for multiple reasons. However, as you can clearly see..." Spy began before gesturing toward the downed Orca and dead Talon agents. "Things have escalated to the point where we must now inform you about her."
"Who is this "her" you all keep talking about?" Reaper asked.
"And why do you all seem so afraid of her?" Soldier 76 answered.
"Let's just say there is a reason why for everything." Spy answered. "And we're willing to tell you everything. But there's a catch. You just have to trust us."
"Name it. And we'll do it." Soldier 76 said, catching the glance Spy sent toward the nearby fishing store. Despite it being destroyed, his visor allowed him to see that something was just off about it. Plus, even though he didn't say it, Soldier 76 knew Spy was also motioning toward the dead Talon members, who just so happened to know where they were.
"First, have your friend scan your entire base several times over. And I do mean several times. Then, have him do it again but in different ways before doing the same to all of your other members. Also, have him call back the Orca. We'll need another way to return to your base."
"Winston." Reaper said, calling Winston on a private line. "Recall the Orca and scan the base and everyone inside it, including you and Athena. No exceptions. Do it a couple of times in every way you can think of. We'll explain once we return."
"What else?" Soldier 76 asked.
"While the Laborer said he'll fix Orca, that will no longer be the case. We need to destroy it in a safe manner. Your Junkrat and our Demoman can do it."
"We'll need to clear the area first. But that shouldn't be too much of a problem." Soldier 76 said, thanking their luck, well, whatever was left of it, that the Orca crash landed in a spacious parking lot.
"Anything else?" Reaper asked.
"Yes. But they will come as we return to your base. However, once we get there, take us to your most secure room and only invite the members you trust the most. It doesn't matter who they are, what they are, or even how old they are. They just have to be your most trusted ones." Spy answered.
"Very well."
"So, how will we get back to the base?" Soldier 76 asked.
"There's a place we used to fight at. There's a plane still there that we could use to get to your base. Plus, it's where we stored some of our gear that should help us in our future endeavors." Spy answered.
"How far is it?"
"Not far from our current location. We can use your associate's Orca to get there. But we will need to blow it up afterward to eliminate any potential risks."
"Alright. Let's get to it. Finish cleaning up and get ready. I'll inform the others."
"Very well." Spy said before he and the other Mercs went about cleaning up the place as best they could while also helping any injured civilians. However, the Engineer had to occasionally stop Pyro from burning to death any Talon members who were somehow still alive, as they might have helpful information.
"What do you think, Reaper?" Soldier 76 asked, turning to his friend.
"A lot. And none of it good." Reaper answered.
"Yeah. Putting the Mercs on edge is one thing, but the fact that this person managed to put out this hit so quickly is something else entirely."
"It's not even about the Mercs being on edge. Whoever this person knows what they are doing and can easily pull the strings on anything without anyone questioning anything." Reaper said while kicking a dead Talon Assassin. "And while Talon is ambitious, they are not idiots. They are not just going to dive headfirst into something. So, to trick them into doing this so quickly while also knowing where we were going without telling anyone is unsettling."
"We're going to need to watch our every step from now on. This person is playing chess with us and Talon and is setting up for a check-mate."
"Right. But we should listen to what the Mercs have to say first before planning anything."
Nodding, Soldier 76 and Reaper went to help the other Overwatch members clean up the place. Thankfully, while a lot of property was destroyed during their battle, it wasn't as overwhelming as they initially thought, and it could be fixed rather quickly. Additionally, despite all the explosions and guns blazing, there were no civilian casualties. After about ten minutes, Mercy, Medic, and Baptiste finished healing all the injured civilians.
"It certainly is nice to have another healer on the team." Mercy said.
"It does take the load off." Baptiste said. "Although, we should keep an eye on Medic since he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to let morals and ethics dictate his actions."
"If his stories are anything to go by, then I'm sure he and Moira would get along well." Mercy said, suppressing a shiver when she recalled Medic telling his story about how he implanted two baboon fetuses into a fully grown man.
"I'm honestly more worried about Pryo. It doesn't seem friendly, and I don't want to be set on fire." Sombra said, appearing next to them as they watched Pyro light a pile of dead Talon bodies on fire to get rid of them.
"Don't worry about that. I got enough burn cream to handle it." Baptiste said.
"What you should worry about their Demoman. I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on having an alcoholic handle dangerous explosives." Reinhardt said.
"Yeah. Take Junkrat for what you want, but he knows what he is doing." Roadhog agreed.
"Alright, everyone. Change of plans." Reaper said, walking over to them.
"What's happening?" Zarya asked, curious.
"Something we should have seen coming. We'll explain later. Just know that we're going to make a stop at another location before heading home."
"Isn't Winston sending an Orca to pick us up?" Tracer asked, blinking over.
"No."
"So... we'll be going in mine?" Mei asked.
"Yes, but not to the base. Again, just trust us for now. We'll explain everything once we return to base."
"Alright."
"But uh, why are Demoman and Junkrat setting explosives to the downed Orca?" Mercy nervously asked.
"To destroy anything that could be traced back to us." Reaper answered, annoyed, before leaving so they could ask any other questions.
"Well... that wasn't cryptic or vague at all." Sombra said.
"Yeah. But they probably have a good reason for it." Reinhardt said.
"And it seems like it involves our new members." Tracer said.
"Do you have any idea what it could be, Zarya?" Baptiste asked.
"No. While Heavy is my uncle, he hardly ever told me about his past life. I know as much as you do." Zarya answered.
"Well, hopefully, it isn't too bad." Mercy said.
"Hopefully."
"Anyway. It looks like the cleanup is done. Let's head to my Ocra while the Commander, Junkrat, and Demoman blow up the downed Orca." Mei said.
Nodding, the others followed Mei to her Orca. But they did tense up considerably when the explosives went off. The force behind it was enough to shake the ground and nearly send them to the floor.
Two Hours Later
"Alright. Make sure nothing is left on the Orca, as we're also going to blow it up." Soldier 76 said.
"Where are we, Uncle?" Zarya asked, curious, as she looked around.
There was a factory and a farm on each cliffside, with a bridge connecting them. And beneath the bridge was a railroad track that connected the sewers. But it was the factory and farm themselves that stood out the most. The factory was made out of metal and spray painted blue, while the Blu Team's logo was on the side. The farm was almost the exact opposite. It was made out of wood that was painted red and had lots of windows to let in natural light while Red Team's logo was near the entrance.
"This place does not have an official name. We simply called it Double Cross because of what both places hide." Heavy answered.
"What exactly do they hide?" Mercy asked.
"Just some secret bases. Nothing too fancy, though." Spy answered while lighting up a smoke. But he made sure to stay a bit away from the group so the smoke didn't hit them.
"So why are we here?" Roadhog asked.
"Some of our stuff is here. This is just a pit stop to collect them." Medic answered.
"And the plane?" Reaper asked, looking around and not seeing anything that could hint at a plane being here.
"It is just beyond the Red base." Demoman answered.
"Alright. Let's get what we came for and then get out." Soldier 76 said.
Nodding, the Mercs took the lead while the Overwatch members followed them. The walk there was silent for the most part, save for the occasional question about what the place was and the hoot of an owl. Luckily, the moon was shining bright tonight, so they didn't need to worry about not seeing where they were going. After a couple of minutes, they arrived at the gate, which turned out to be locked. Junkrat was about to offer some explosive 'assistance' but couldn't when Pyro grabbed the lock and melted it in its hand without using its flamethrower.
Needless to say, some of the Overwatch members were disturbed at seeing that. Pushing the gates open, the Mercs led the Overwatch members across the bridge toward Red Base. Once inside, they headed upstairs and entered the control room. The Overwatch members were confused as there was hardly anything there outside of a few rusted consoles that were also covered in cobwebs. But that quickly changed when the Scout went up to the opposite wall and inputted a code into a number panel. However, it kept beeping red, stating that it was wrong.
"Come on. Come on." Scout said, annoyed, as he kept trying and failing to input the correct code.
"Stand back, son. I got this." Soldier said as he effortlessly picked up Scout and moved him to the side.
"Ugh, fine."
"Alright. Let's see here. Okay. One, one, one... uh... one." Soldier said.
"Don't tell me that's the actual password." Soldier 76 said.
"No, it is not." Spy sighed. "We do not have time for this. Heavy, if you please."
"Alright." Heavy said as he approached the wall. He then raised his fist and punched the wall, causing a section to fall down, revealing that it was a hidden door.
"Thank you."
"That was... unnecessary." Sombra said. "You know, I could have just hacked it."
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that." Demoman said as they entered the room. Turning to the side, the Engineer flipped a switch, causing the lights to turn on. Looking around, they saw numerous lockers lining the walls, each with a Merc's respective logo.
"Aahhh. I miss that smell." Soldier said.
"What smell?" Mercy asked, waving her hand in front of her face.
"The mold, mildew, or dampness in the air?" Baptiste asked.
"Yeah. This place could do with a makeover." Medic said. "But so could have all the places we have been to."
"Anyway. Let's get to it, lads." The Engineer said. Nodding, all the Mercs went to their lockers and opened them.
"So, that's where my spare ball went." Scout said, opening his locker and spotting his spare ball for his sandman. "The memories. Oh, and here's my mad milk."
"Uh, mad milk?" Tracer asked, confused, as she looked at a jar filled with what she thought was regular milk. "What does it do?"
"Oh. I throw that at some goons, and they become coated in it, and a fraction of the damage we deal them returns to us as health. It's useful for staying for the fight a bit longer. Just don't expect to be able to tank through the damage because of it."
"That's cool. But what is it made out of? Cause I doubt it is milk."
"Uh... huh, huh." Scout nervously chuckled as he stored it on his person. "You really don't want to know."
"Sweet land of liberty. I have been looking for you. Man, they don't make boots like you anymore." Soldier said, picking up his Mantreads.
"Boots?" Soldier 76 asked, curious. While he would admit they looked nice, he didn't know why Soldier had them or what benefit they gave him outside of keeping his feet warm during winter.
"Not just any boots, son. These magnificent beauties are the Mantreads. They allow me to glide through the air while rocket jumping more easily. And they pack a punch whenever I land on someone. Plus, they keep my feet warm. I don't know about you, but I like having feelings in my feet."
"I can understand that." Soldier 76 said, still unsure about the gliding part but agreeing on how nice it felt to feel his extremities.
"But what about that thing?" Reaper asked.
"Oh, this thing." Soldier said, grabbing a retrofuturistic raygun. "I call it the Cow Mangler."
"The Cow Mangler? What does it do?" Soldier 76 asked, confused.
"It shoots energy projectiles and vaporizes our enemies. I can also charge it up to fire a bigger projectile to disable some poor bastard's little toys. Ain't that right, Engy?"
"That's right. That is until it gets blasted back at ya." The Engineer said before chuckling.
"Hmmm. What does this button do?" Soldier 76 asked, pressing a button on the side. And once he did, a charging sound was heard.
"OH!" Soldier gasped, his helmet bouncing his head a little. Worried, Soldier 76 and Reaper took a step back. And no sooner than they did, the Cow Mangler launched a red projectile that sent Soldier into the air momentarily while also setting him on fire.
'Shit.' Soldier 76 and Reaper thought, not expecting that.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! I AM ON FIRE!" Soldier shouted, running out of the room. Peaking outside, Soldier 76 and Reaper saw Soldier running toward a hole in the ground before diving in. An extinguishing sound was heard, followed by a sigh of relief. "I'M OKAY!"
"We... should probably not let some of the others near him while he has that weapon." Soldier 76 said.
"Agreed." Reaper said.
"Must you carry so many incendiary weapons? Our world is worth fighting for." Mei said, horrified at how many weapons Pyro had.
"Murr hurr mphuphurrur. HA HA HA HA HA!" Pyro laughed as it checked its favorite flare gun, the Scorch Shot, before storing it on its person. It then reached into the locker and pulled out its Sharpened Volcano Fragment. Pyro then pulled out a Scout Doll and sliced it with the Sharpened Volcano Fragment. And to Mei's horror, it caught on fire.
"AH! OH, I'M BURNING! I'M-I'M BURNING!" Scout suddenly shouted. Looking toward Scout, everyone saw that he was now on fire for some reason. He then extinguished himself with Mad Milk. Thankfully, Tracer and the other Overwatch Members weren't nearby, so they didn't have to smell it or risk getting it on their clothes.
"Don't worry about Pyro here, little missy." Engineer said, walking up to them and placing one arm around Pyro while resting a weird-looking wrench on his right shoulder. "It knows when and when not to set things on fire. Just don't piss it off."
"Alright." Mei said, not entirely convinced. "But what kind of wrench is that?"
"Oh, this little thing. I call it the Eureka Effect. It's one of my many wrenches that helps me build and repair my sentries."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"I'm no expert. But it seems kind of heavy and not well-balanced."
"Yeah, it's a bit on the heavy side. But there's a reason for it."
"What is it?"
Instead of answering, the Engineer smirked before taking a few steps back. He then raised his Eureka Effect. Mei was confused but became horrified when lightning somehow struck the wrench despite them being inside and the sky being clear. The Engineer's body seized up before disappearing in a bright white flash. Once it died down, Mei looked around and didn't see the Engineer. She was about to call out to him but didn't as he did so.
"That's the reason. The Eureka Effect lets me teleport to a nearby Red Team's Spawn room or an exit teleporter I built."
"Wow. Does it hurt, though?"
"Outside of a sudden jolt from being teleported, nope."
"That's good." Mei said, still unsure about Pyro and its weapons.
"So, tell me. Do you have any other explosives?" Junkrat excitedly asked.
"Or how about swords and shields?" Reinhardt asked.
"Yup. I got myself a Tider Turner and a Claidheamh Mòr." Demoman answered.
"What do they do?"
"Well, my shields let me charge at my enemies. But it's hard to turn while doing so with my other shields. Yet, with the Tide Turner, I can turn with no problem. And the Claidheamh Mòr lets me extend my charge by a bit more."
"And your explosives?" Junkrat asked.
"There's my Loch-n-Load and Loose Cannon."
"What do they do?"
"The Loch-n-Load fires the grenades faster while also making sure that any contraption Talon makes becomes scrap a second later. As for the Loose Cannon, well, it shoots cannonballs. While a bit trickier to use, it is satisfying seeing your victims realize their impending doom as they are launched above the about-to-explode cannonball."
"Oh, ho. I should really come up with something similar." Junkrat said, laughing.
"Ah, Natascha, Oksana, Svetlana, and Sheila. How have I missed you all." Heavy said, admiring and cleaning his miniguns.
"I didn't know you had so many miniguns, Uncle." Zarya said, impressed.
"I do. And each one has helped me in... how do you say... different situations."
"But what about these boxing gloves?"
"Sometimes, Iis not fair to use gun on such a tiny man." Heavy said, chuckling.
"Yes. Sometimes, I feel like it is just not fair to the enemy when I use my Particle Cannon."
"Hah. Maybe I should get you some as well." Heavy said, looking forward to spending more time with his niece.
"Ah. There's my Amputator. I thought I lost it." Medic said, relieved that he did not have to go through the trouble of creating a new one.
"Uh... that's a bone saw. And Amputator is generally a title given to surgeons who cut bones or limbs." Baptiste said.
"On a technical sense, yes."
"Uh... for which part?"
"Does it have a special function like some of your colleagues' weapons or items?" Mercy asked.
"It has one." Medic said before placing the blade against his throat and beginning to play the Amputator like a violin. A reddish aura appeared at everyone's feet, and, for some reason, they felt instantly refreshed.
"That's amazing." Baptiste said, amazed.
"How did you do it?" Mercy asked.
"That's a trade secret." Medic answered.
"But why did we hear a light melody play?"
"I'll be honest with you. That, I do not know."
"Do you know how to play the violin?" Baptiste asked.
"Only a little."
"Well, do you have any things you could show us, like your Medi guns?" Mercy asked. "I recall when we were in Australia that you said you had a few other Medi Guns."
"Ah, yes. I have three others at my disposal. But since we are running low on time, I can only show you one. The others, another time." Medic answered.
"So, which one are you going to show us?" Baptiste asked, curious.
"This one. I call it the Vaccinator." Medic said as he put on the Vaccinator's backpack before grabbing the gun part.
"What does this one do?"
"And how is it different from your other?" Mercy asked, her medical mind racing with possibilities on how to create something similar while also eliminating the need to replace a patient's heart with that of an animal.
"A few things. First, it provides my patient and me a passive resistance to a specific damage type, whether that be bullet, explosion, or fire damage." Medic answered.
"And does it have a special feature like your other one does?"
"Kind of. It simply boosts our resistance for a few seconds. And it does not last as long."
"Oh, so while it does not make you invulnerable, it lets you take reduced damage." Baptiste said.
"That's the gist of it."
"Yeah, I could see that being useful in specific situations."
"Do they all require body modifications?" Mercy asked.
"Just to be used on, no. But yes, for the Ubercharges."
"That's unfortunate. But is there any way to change that?"
"Let me see."
"Hopefully." Sniper said as he grabbed his Cleaner's Carbine and examined it.
"That's a fancy-looking gun." Somba said, appearing beside him.
"Eh, not really."
"So, just a regular gun?"
"Again, no. After dealing enough damage, I can activate its special feature to let me deal increased damage for a short while."
"Well, something is something, I guess."
"Ain't that right."
"But what about this thing?" Sombra asked, pointing to a partially chipped hand-carved tribal shield with red and white paint, a car battery taped to the back, and two wires going from the battery to the shield.
"Oh, this." Sniper said, picking up the Razorback. "Eh, just some attempt to stop the enemy spy from backstabbing me."
"Did it work?"
"Only for the first few battles. Then, the enemy spies started just shooting me from a distance. So, it failed."
"Yeah. It doesn't seem like it would have done much in the first place."
"Yup. I sure learned that the hard way."
"So what about you, Spy? What do you have?" Sombra asked, moving to stand next to Spy.
"Nothing too fancy." Spy said as he cleaned off some dust off his L'Etranger.
"What are these watches for? Telling the time?"
"I wish. But they are Invis Watches. They allow me to become invisible."
"Oh, that's neat. Kind of like my invisibility. But why two? For backup reasons?" Sombra asked, curious.
"No. One is called the Invis Watch, and it lets me stay invisible for as long as the battery holds out. And be decloaking, it begins to recharge."
"And the other?"
"It can hold an indefinite charge. However, its battery usage is tied to my movement. The more I move, the quicker the battery drains."
"Oh, so one is for staying in one place for longer periods of time while the other is to get from one place to another undetected."
"Yes."
"Makes sense. But why do you have an icicle in your locker? And how come it hasn't melted yet?" Sombra asked, pulling the icicle out of the locker.
"A true assassin can turn anything, even an icicle, into a lethal weapon." Spy said, taking the Spy-cicle from Sombra. "But also because it extinguishes me when that monstrosity sets me ablaze and keeps me immune to its fire for a brief period of time."
"Oh." Sombra said, tensing up when they heard Pyro laugh. But they were unsure if it was because it heard them or for some other reason. "Uh, do you think I could get one?"
"I'll see what I can do."
"Alright. Do you all have everything you came for?" Soldier 76 asked.
"Yes." The Mercs answered.
"Alright, then. Let's get going." Reaper said.
"Care to have another race, Tracer?" Scout asked.
"You betcha." Tracer answered.
"Mind if we join?" Demoman asked as he and Soldier walked up to them. Demoman had his Sticky Jumper, while Soldier had his Rocket Jumper and Mantreads.
"Sure. Just try not to feel too bad when you lose to us by a long shot." Tracer said as they exited the base.
"Oh, don't you worry about us." Soldier said, laughing.
"On your mark, get set, GO!" Demoman shouted. Scout immediately took off with Tracer right behind him. However, Demoman and Soldier remained where they were.
"Uh, is everything alright?" Mercy asked.
"Yup. Just giving those city kids a head start." Soldier answered.
"But how will you catch up to them?" Roadhog asked, curious. "You two hardly look like runners."
"Who said we were going to run after them?" Demoman asked as he launched two sticky bombs before him. "Ready, Soldier?"
"You betcha, Demo."
"FREEDOM!" Demoman shouted as he jumped over his sticky bombs and detonated them, with the explosion sending him sky-high and miles away.
"SCREAMING EAGLES!" Soldier shouted before rocket-jumping after him.
"How do they not hurt themselves again?" Reinhardt asked, curious.
"I created a little something for them so they won't lose their legs with any of their other rocket launchers or sticky launchers." The Engineer answered.
"Plus, they are using their Sticky Jumper and Rocket Jumper. They can use them to Sticky Jump or Rocket Jump and not take any damage." Sniper said.
"But they will still take fall damage." Medic added.
"Come on. We're wasting time." Reaper said. Nodding, the remaining Mercs led the Overwatch members to the plane so they could return to their base.
Two Hours Later
"Ah, it's good to be home." Tracer said.
"It sure is." Reinhardt said as they exited the Orca.
"Now, if our bases always had a seaside view. Then they almost would have been worth putting up with." Demoman said.
"I doubt it, Cyclops." Scout said.
"There you are. I was beginning to get worried." Winston said, approaching the groups.
"Ah, don't worry, Winston. We're alright." Tracer said, blinking to her friend and hugging him.
"That's good to hear."
"Did you scan the base and everyone in it like I asked?" Reaper asked.
"Yes."
"And what did you find?" Soldier 76 asked.
"Where to begin? And none of it good." Winston said, sounding shocked and worried.
"Is the War Room set up?"
"Yes."
"Good. Call the others. Tell them the meeting starts in half an hour." Reaper said. Nodding, Winston left for his room to contact the others.
"As for you all." Soldier 76 said, turning to the Mercs. "Head to your rooms. They are all next to each other with your names on the doors. The Mercs that were here longer will show you where they are. In a little bit, one of our members will come get you and take you to the meeting."
The Mercs nodded before heading to their rooms.
Thirty-Five Minutes Later
"So, what's this meeting about?" Roadhog asked.
"Is it about this mysterious lady the Mercenaries keep talking about?" Reinhardt asked, curious.
"Yes." Soldier 76 answered.
"But first." Reaper said, turning to Winston. "What did you find?"
"A lot." Winston answered, placing hundreds of chips on the table. "Even though Athena and I scan the base daily, there were hundreds of spy bugs and cameras all over the place. There were some even on some of our members like Orisa, Hanzo, and Symmetra. And that's not even the scariest part."
"What is then?" Ana asked.
"After scanning the base, I scanned Athena and had her do the same. After doing it several times, we found nothing. But I still felt like there was something there for some reason. So, when you guys returned, I had Sombra scan her."
"And I left no file unturned. No line of code unchecked. Basically, everything that makes up Athena I checked. I even used some of my more advanced scans and found nothing. Yet, it wasn't until I went back and tried a completely different method that I found something." Sombra said.
"What did you find?" Sorjourn asked, curious and worried. And the rest of the Overwatch members felt the same. If someone could hide something that well from one of the world's most infamous hackers, then they knew they were not dealing with an ordinary person.
"Apparently, someone implemented a software program that would force Athena to send all the data she collected for the day before sending it to a third party that I could not locate. Then, it would force her to wipe her memory and all the files she sent."
"That's really concerning." Torbjörn said.
"Do you know who we are dealing with?" Mercy asked.
"The Mercenaries do." Reaper answered. At this, all the Overwatch members turned to face the Mercs. The Mercs looked at each other before nodding, with Spy standing up a second later.
"We do. Not much is known about her, even her full name. Her name is Helen. But we call her the Administrator." Spy said.
"Who is she exactly?" Ana asked.
"No one knows. Not even Miss Pauling, her loyal assistant and closest ally, knew that. The Administrator is an enigma." Sniper said.
"Then what do you know?" Soldier 76 asked.
"The Administrator has ties deeper than one would expect about our Red vs Blu war." Demoman answered.
"That's right. She was the one pulling the strings for years." Soldier said.
"Even after that, with the Mann vs Machines war and our battle against the Classic Mercenaries, she was pulling the strings. Granted, this one was to help us out." Medic added.
"So she's willing to even help out her enemies to succeed with whatever she is planning?" Roadhog asked.
"That's right. Even if it goes against what she is planning or would set her back a good bit, she is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her plans afloat." Scout said. "And this whole thing runs deeper than you would think."
"How so?" Winston asked.
"As I told you before, the point of the Red vs Blu wars was to claim the gravel lands for one of the Mann Brothers. But despite the time that had passed, they were still in a stalemate. At one point, Blutarch called in a man known as Radigan Conagher to make him a life extender machine that ran on Australium. He figured if he could not win the war, he would outlive his brother." Heavy began.
"And it would have worked. But for some reason, who we think is the Administrator's mother convinced him to build another life extender machine but for Redmond." Engineer said.
"Do you know what happened to her?" Torbjörn asked.
"No. My family might have had some affiliations with them, considering Radigan was my grandfather, but even then, we were kept in the dark most of the time. Then again, I also chose to keep my hands as clean as I could since it wasn't any part of my business. Plus, I knew everything there was just a mess and that I should keep my involvement to a minimum."
"So, her family was there from the very beginning?" Mercy asked.
"Yup."
"Do you know if she has any living or... notable relatives?" Sojourn asked.
"Nope. She has none. It's just her. She has no ties to anyone. Even to Miss Pauling, she considered her a work associate that she was willing to drop at a moment's notice."
"Hmm. What of her skills?" Sombra asked. "What can she do?"
"She's not a dangerous foe in person if there's nothing standing in between you and her. In fact, she's a frail older woman. The only reason she is still around is because she also has a life extender machine. A regular person with the bare minimum fight skills would be able to defeat her." Spy answered.
"So why not just find her and kill her right now? Save us the trouble." Roadhog asked.
"It's not what she can physically do that should concern you. It's what she can pull off that should frighten you." Sniper said.
"That's right. Each of Talon's attacks that we encountered while gathering the team and the one that happened in Texas were all orchestrated by her. And in such a short time as well." Medic said.
"Plus, she was the one who planted all these bugs and infected this Athena without anyone here knowing." Soldier added.
"If she can do all this in such a short amount of time, what do you think she can do if she had more time." Heavy said.
"And believe us, she has been planning this for a long time." Scout said.
"What is she planning, anyway?" Baptiste asked.
"We don't really know. And all I know is that she wants to settle a debt. And while I don't know what that debt is, it seems like she might be close to achieving it." Engineer said.
"And she's not going to let anything stand in her way." Demoman added.
"So we have a brilliant and resourceful adversary that could pull the strings on nearly any situation and turn almost anything against us." Soldier 76 said.
"Mmm hmm." Pyro said, which the Mercs translated.
"So, the question is, how do we stop her?" Reaper asked.
"Technically, all you have to do is wait her out. Her life extender used Australium, and she is running out. And with how little is left in the world, I would say it would take about a month or two at most for her to run out and die." Engineer said.
"But who knows what kind of damage she can do in the meantime?" Reinhardt asked.
"He's right. We have to act swiftly. And we have to act now." Sojourn said.
"And they call me hot-headed." Torbjörn said, earning a glare. "If you just head on in, you'll just be walking into her trap."
"He's right. This Administrator is clearly an experienced tactician with years of experience under her belt. She probably already has three countermeasures in place for every move we plan." Baptiste said.
"And ways to get out should they fail." Roadhog answered.
"So, how do you all think we should go about this?" Ana asked the Mercs.
"First off, remember. We will be fighting on three fonts." Spy said.
"How so?" Winston asked.
"First, as you already know, here is the Administrator. Second is Talon and the Classic Mercs."
"Which we should assume that they already met or will meet soon." Medic added.
"Then there are any stragglers or other interested parties that catch wind of Australium. It is a rare but powerful material that can be sold for billions or power any weapon for a long time after all." The Engineer said.
"True. So we should make getting the Australium that's still left in the world our top priority." Soldier 76 said.
"Exactly. We should search every possible location, find all remaining Australium, and destroy it. While it could provide numerous benefits, the consequences are far too great." Spy said.
"Right." Reaper agreed.
"Where should we start?" Sombra asked.
"And what of Talon and these Classic Mercs?" Mercy asked.
"There are some known and unmarked locations that held large caches of Australium. We should start there." Soldier answered.
"As for Talon and the Classic Mercs, we should eliminate them whenever we encounter them. Which would be a lot since the Administrator will likely make it so that we run into each other quite often." Sniper added.
"And once that is done, we can focus on looking for the Administrator herself." Medic said.
"And after that, we can finish Talon once and for all." Heavy added.
"Sounds like a plan." Torbjörn said.
"But we should also create passwords, signals, protocols, and anything else we can think of to throw the Administrator off as much as possible or feed her as little as possible about what we are doing." Reaper said.
"Right. We need to be prepared every step of the way." Soldier 76 said.
"But what about the rest of your members?" Demoman asked. "What should we tell them?"
"Cyclops is right. They are going to get curious." Scout added.
"We'll handle them. Don't you worry about that." Anna said.
"Alright."
"But we can figure out the rest tomorrow. It is late. We should all get some sleep." Mercy said, letting out a yawn after checking the time. Seeing that it was late, the rest of the Overwatch members and Mercs agreed to call it a night as they could discuss anything else they needed to talk about tomorrow.
With the TFC Mercs
"So, what do you think about all this, Medic?" TFC Engineer asked.
"We are pariahs in a foreign land that bears no resemblance to ours." TFC Medic said.
"Yeah. And we ain't exactly young either."
"A stroke of luck that whatever is keeping the Teufort Mercs alive and ageless also affected us."
"But we ain't immortal, ain't we?"
"Not in the slightest. We are the same as the Mann Brothers and the Administrator when they use up a good portion of the Australium in their life extender machines. Except we do not have one and can die just like any ordinary person."
"We're going to have to be careful. Talon and Overwatch is something, but the Administrator is in a league of her own."
"That's why Gray Mann took every possible precaution and thought of every possible scenario before making his hostile move. After all, his brothers were the incompetent ones, not her."
"True. She did tip off the Deadlock gang about some precious artifacts in Australia. And we both know Ashe is a cautious one. She wouldn't send any of her followers on a pointless suicide heist."
"Indeed."
"So, what now? What's our plan here?"
"Act like we are following Akande's grand plan. That way, we can remain safe for the time being as the Administrator and Teufort Mercs know we are working for Talon and will attempt to take us out the moment they see us."
"And then?"
"We wait."
"We wait?" TFC Engineer asked, confused.
"Yes. While I can enhance some of Talon's soldiers while you upgrade their machinery, what would be the point if it achieves nothing?" TFC Medic asked, turning to face his friend. "We wait until both sides start crumbling down. They will get tired, and will eventually become more reckless. Then, we will strike and take both down with ease. And from the ashes, we will build something infinitely better. And no one, not even Saxton Hale and the Administrator, can stop us."
"And that's why you were always the boss, Medic. Not the Heavy." TFC Engineer said, smiling.
"He was smart, yes. But he was also impatient, always demanding immediate results while ignoring any potentially devastating consequences." TFC Medic said. "Anyway. We should head back now. Akande is probably wondering where we are, and we still need to keep up the ruse of being under his command."
"Right."
Unknown Location
"Not if I have anything to say about it." A mysterious figure said, turning off a monitor before moving to face a portrait of the Mann Family, Saxton Hale, and the Administrator. "You all taught me a lot. Now, it's time to make things right."
