Overwatch: A Short Story
The screen flickered and turned off. Mercy opened the blinds, she always did like natural light better than the eco-friendly electric ones.
“Well?” Mercy demands.
“Well, what?” Rae asks. She knows, but she’s not going to lose this partner too. At the very least, she’s not going to be the one that breaks this. It was light and fun and laughter, and she wanted to keep it to herself. Hug it to her chest and never let go of this newfound happiness. If that made her selfish or crazy, then so be it. This belonged to her now.
“They’re criminals!” Mercy nearly shouts.
“They’re agents of Overwatch!” Rae reasons.
“They don’t belong here.”
“Everyone can find a place to belong in Overwatch! You’re the one who told me that.”
That gives Mercy pause. She sighs.
“I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt.” She admits. The word “again” hangs between them. She didn’t say it, but they were both …show more content…
thinking the same thing.
The silence is suffocating, filled with regret and pain.
“It wasn’t your fault. Nobody could have known.” Rae says quietly.
“It should’ve never happened.” Mercy says angrily, clenching her fists, her gaze burning a hole in the desk between them.
Rae remembers that anger. She had it too, at first. When she would look at her arms and see the metal of the Solaire gauntlets and the scars left by their violent fusion, instead of soft skin and light freckles from a time when her mother was still alive. She wore long sleeved shirts and gloves, but they would make the gauntlets uncomfortably warm. Anytime the gauntlets were warm it was uncomfortable. It brought memories of searing pain, of screaming her vocal cords raw, of passing in and out of consciousness as the nano in her body tried to quickly repair the damage.
Rae shook her head. She’d forgiven everyone already; it was time to let the past be.
“Mercy, please.”
“You used to call me Dr. Ziegler.”
The comment stung.
Before the accident, she had been Mercy’s best student. Referring to her as Dr. Ziegler reminded Rae of what she was working towards, and it was also a testimony to how close they were. After the accident however, when Rae had still been frustrated and upset about the event Mercy had come to visit her, and they had gotten into a vicious argument. They had both said things they had regretted. Rae remembered venomously spitting insults and starting to call her Mercy to add weight to her anger.
“I’ve forgiven you already.” Rae tried again.
“It doesn’t change things, Rae. I’ve made many mistakes in my quest to help people, I’ve deeply hurt people that I intended to help. Some recovered, others didn’t, but I should never have let you get hurt. For that, I am truly sorry.” Mercy looked straight into Rae’s eyes. “You deserved better.”
“I’m sorry too.” Rae said. They stood there, looking at each other’s faces in despair. Mercy looked away first and went over to one of her bookshelves. She took down one of the picture frames from a higher up shelf and motioned Rae
over.
It was a picture of Mercy showing Rae how her nano technology worked. Rae was staring, transfixed at the golden light emitting from the Caduceus Staff, and Mercy was lovingly smiling at Rae’s amazement. It looked like a picture Rae used to have of her mother. It was a picture of Rae’s seventh birthday party and she had been just about to blow out the candles, her mother had her hands on Rae’s shoulders and their faces had been illuminated by the glow from the candles. Rae blinked and the picture went back to normal.
Mercy handed Rae the picture frame. “I want you to have this.”
“No, I can’t.” Rae tried to give it back, but Mercy just firmly shoved it back into her grip.
“I insist. Now, I have some more work to do, but… let’s talk again soon. Okay?” Mercy gave Rae a gentle hug.
Rae hugged back and exited the room with a small smile.
She dazedly made her way back to her room, trying to sort through all the thoughts and emotions that conversation had created.
She opened the door to her room and nearly screamed when she was forcibly pulled forward, and the door slammed shut behind her.
She looked up at Junkrat incredulously.
“We’re gonna break you outta here.” He announced, picking her up and spinning her around with an enthusiastically crazed laugh.
“Well?” Mercy demands.
“Well, what?” Rae asks. She knows, but she’s not going to lose this partner too. At the very least, she’s not going to be the one that breaks this. It was light and fun and laughter, and she wanted to keep it to herself. Hug it to her chest and never let go of this newfound happiness. If that made her selfish or crazy, then so be it. This belonged to her now.
“They’re criminals!” Mercy nearly shouts.
“They’re agents of Overwatch!” Rae reasons.
“They don’t belong here.”
“Everyone can find a place to belong in Overwatch! You’re the one who told me that.”
That gives Mercy pause. She sighs.
“I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt.” She admits. The word “again” hangs between them. She didn’t say it, but they were both …show more content…
thinking the same thing.
The silence is suffocating, filled with regret and pain.
“It wasn’t your fault. Nobody could have known.” Rae says quietly.
“It should’ve never happened.” Mercy says angrily, clenching her fists, her gaze burning a hole in the desk between them.
Rae remembers that anger. She had it too, at first. When she would look at her arms and see the metal of the Solaire gauntlets and the scars left by their violent fusion, instead of soft skin and light freckles from a time when her mother was still alive. She wore long sleeved shirts and gloves, but they would make the gauntlets uncomfortably warm. Anytime the gauntlets were warm it was uncomfortable. It brought memories of searing pain, of screaming her vocal cords raw, of passing in and out of consciousness as the nano in her body tried to quickly repair the damage.
Rae shook her head. She’d forgiven everyone already; it was time to let the past be.
“Mercy, please.”
“You used to call me Dr. Ziegler.”
The comment stung.
Before the accident, she had been Mercy’s best student. Referring to her as Dr. Ziegler reminded Rae of what she was working towards, and it was also a testimony to how close they were. After the accident however, when Rae had still been frustrated and upset about the event Mercy had come to visit her, and they had gotten into a vicious argument. They had both said things they had regretted. Rae remembered venomously spitting insults and starting to call her Mercy to add weight to her anger.
“I’ve forgiven you already.” Rae tried again.
“It doesn’t change things, Rae. I’ve made many mistakes in my quest to help people, I’ve deeply hurt people that I intended to help. Some recovered, others didn’t, but I should never have let you get hurt. For that, I am truly sorry.” Mercy looked straight into Rae’s eyes. “You deserved better.”
“I’m sorry too.” Rae said. They stood there, looking at each other’s faces in despair. Mercy looked away first and went over to one of her bookshelves. She took down one of the picture frames from a higher up shelf and motioned Rae
over.
It was a picture of Mercy showing Rae how her nano technology worked. Rae was staring, transfixed at the golden light emitting from the Caduceus Staff, and Mercy was lovingly smiling at Rae’s amazement. It looked like a picture Rae used to have of her mother. It was a picture of Rae’s seventh birthday party and she had been just about to blow out the candles, her mother had her hands on Rae’s shoulders and their faces had been illuminated by the glow from the candles. Rae blinked and the picture went back to normal.
Mercy handed Rae the picture frame. “I want you to have this.”
“No, I can’t.” Rae tried to give it back, but Mercy just firmly shoved it back into her grip.
“I insist. Now, I have some more work to do, but… let’s talk again soon. Okay?” Mercy gave Rae a gentle hug.
Rae hugged back and exited the room with a small smile.
She dazedly made her way back to her room, trying to sort through all the thoughts and emotions that conversation had created.
She opened the door to her room and nearly screamed when she was forcibly pulled forward, and the door slammed shut behind her.
She looked up at Junkrat incredulously.
“We’re gonna break you outta here.” He announced, picking her up and spinning her around with an enthusiastically crazed laugh.