Chapter Text
Meet me at our favourite spot at midnight. S
Carr was sitting in Moira’s lab, comparing test results on her holopad as the message appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen. It vanished as soon as she read it and it was nowhere to be found. For a moment, she thought that it might be her sleep deprivation playing tricks on her, as she stayed a bit late yesterday to catch up with work she didn’t complete the day before, but it wasn’t the first time Sombra contacted her like this, so she believed the message must be real. She raised her head and looked around to check if anyone in the lab saw her receiving the message, but once she realised no one is paying attention to what she is doing, she felt calmer. She quickly fixed her white hair and went back to work, deciding to not worry about what might be the reason for them to meet so late at night, at least for now. She still had a few hours ahead of her.
When the clock showed 3PM, Carr greeted the end of her shift with sigh of relief. She took off her lab coat and hung it on the hanger and headed straight to the door. She enjoyed her lab work, learning about medicine and genetics was entertaining, though, she despised all the tests and examinations she had to go through along with them. She hoped that, over time, she would be able to give up on constant testing of her healing gear, and yet, here she was, having the same blood tests, the same checkups, the same procedures she went through every day since she was able to use it. Every day, for three years, God knows why. The whole ‘lab assistant’ gig was only to keep her busy during the day, as her main role was just being Moira’s lab rat and a walking healthpack.
‘Kid,’ said Moira just as she was about to leave the lab. Her voice low and harsh, as always. The sudden interaction made Carr shiver. ‘I expect you to be in perfect shape tomorrow. I will need your assistance with something delicate that demands a full contrentration.’
‘Of course,’ sighed Carr not looking at her. ‘See you tomorrow.'
She went out of the lab and stretched vigorously her arms and back on the way out of the medical wing. After her shift was over, it was time to eat something in the cafeteria, and go back to her own duties. She usually chose a gym or shooting range to train a little bit and keep herself in good shape. Today, the choice was gym, just to wake herself up a little bit. She didn’t feel like using her blaster today.
She ate alone and trained alone, not really having many friends here, by her own choice. It has been three years, but she still hasn't gotten used to people here. Carr clearly knew she isn't the same as them. She didn't want to be here, obviously, she wasn’t there from her own choice. She never had a choice. She wanted to help and be useful for something other than medical aid during terrorist attacks. The people she loved and admired are long gone, and the only person she trusted was Sombra.
When she got back to her room, she took a quick shower, put on her traditional sleeping attire - a loose T-shirt and a pair of maroon sweatpants and went to bed. She still had a few hours before meeting Sombra, so he grabbed her holopad to keep herself busy and not let herself fall asleep.
Carr’s room was small; it was obvious that she lived in a room that previously served as an on-call room, in which medics taking night shifts could take a short nap while waiting for the call. It was intentional; Moira wanted her to be close, keeping an eye on her at all times, considering her weird state of health.
The room contained a few furniture items - on the right, there was a slim wardrobe and a bed, which was covered with a bedsheet and a warm, maroon blanket. On the opposite side of the room stood a small desk with a chair, a bookshelf and door to the bathroom. Right in front of the entrance there was a small window that kept the room lit during the day. It was at least two times smaller than usual quarters, but she didn’t have much things anyway to need extra space. It was enough.
Within those three years, Carr managed to make her own little room cozy and decorated it with some things - a long string of fairy lights was attached to the bed railing, there were photos on the wall above the desk along with a blueprint of the robotic eye she had a surgery for two years ago. On the desk stood a mug holding various pens and pencils, electric kettle and another two mugs to make herself tea in the morning. Next to them a small radio, a gift from her best friend, the first thing she truly owned in this hell of a place. Books and other little trinkets were piled up on the bookshelf, and this was also where she usually put the holster with her gun when she didn’t use it.
She watched the Overwatch cartoons for two hours. Being in Talon not from her own will made her find unusual ways to cope with it, and one of them was watching cartoons kids found inspiring. She found them inspiring, too; they were reassuring in some ways, she promised herself that if she ever gets out of here, she will be just like them - helping other people and using her gear for a good cause. If Overwatch still existed, she probably could join them and train under their wings. But would they really take her? A weakling with health issues so severe she had to be under constant supervision? She had to deal with the comments and being treated differently anyway, there was no guarantee it will be better outside of this place.
The sudden thought annoyed her, so she turned off her holopad and grabbed a book from the desk to keep her mind busy.
15 minutes before midnight Carr got out of the bed, grabbed a warm hoodie and put a pair of old sneakers on. Carefully, she went out of her room and left the medical wing, knowing no one is going to wander around there at night. To not light the corridors with the dim light of her gear, she put her left hand into the hoodie’s pocket.
She was as quiet as possible, slowly going through the corridors. She had to go right, left, take the stairs down to the lowest level possible, and then turn left twice. No one was around, she didn't hear any footsteps.
When she arrived at their meeting spot, exactly at midnight, no one was there. A few seconds had passed before a familiar silhouette appeared in front of her. Sombra. She was carrying something in her hands.
Without a word, Sombra handed her a thick folder with, as she understood, documents. ‘Thick’ isn’t even expressing the overall bulkiness of it; it was huge , she never saw a documentation this big, not even in Moira's lab.
‘What is this?’ Carr asked quietly. She didn’t move from her spot, expecting an explanation first.
‘Your past,’ replied Sombra immediately. ‘Everything I’ve been able to find about you.’
‘What?’ she whispered, not expecting such response.
‘You heard me right. It’s your medical file. It’s time you learn the truth. It won’t bring your memories back, but at least you will be able to get your identity back.’
Carr’s blue eyes wandered from the files to Sombra, and back to the files. She suddenly felt lightheaded.
'I will help you get out of here safely tonight if that's what you'd like to do,’ added the hacker.
‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier?’ she asked, visibly confused. ‘Why now?’
‘Because your health wasn’t stable enough to let you go yet. You wouldn’t survive without Moira.’
Carr looked at the documents again, trying to process what she just heard. It was so sudden, so surreal to just think that she will ever get to know her past, be able to learn who she was before they kidnapped her and wiped out her memories, if they really did that.
‘I’m giving you a choice, amiga’, Sombra said with a smirk, after a long moment of silence. ‘You can stay here and suffer under Moira’s filthy hands or run away and finally live however you want. I’ve been waiting to give this to you since you arrived here.’
This didn’t make sense.
She wanted to give it to her for how long, three years? And she couldn't do it earlier? Was her state really this bad that it had to wait so long to get her freedom back? And if she really gets out of here, then what? She had nowhere to go. She highly doubted somebody was waiting for her.
‘Did he know?’ Carr asked quietly.
Sombra nodded.
‘Yes. From the first day you appeared at his workshop. Protected you all this time.’
Of course he knew. Though, it was surprising that he managed to keep it a secret from her for so long. He wasn’t the type to keep secrets.
'Please, take it, my hands are in pain,' muttered Sombra after a few seconds of silence.
Carr slowly stretched out her arm and grabbed the files, hugging them to her. She’s holding a knowledge about her whole past in her arms. Her heart, already pounding in her chest, started to beat faster. She stood there completely frozen, not knowing what to say. A moment has passed since Sombra spoke again.
‘Read it thoroughly and be ready at 3 AM. Pack only necessities, don’t leave the files in your room. You will find everything you need in this folder to be able to go. I will be waiting at the back entrance and guide you from there. I will knock the security cameras down for this time but be careful for any soldiers wandering around, got it?’
Carr nodded lightly and looked at the hacker.
‘Thanks, Sombra,’ she muttered.
‘Oh, don’t thank me yet. Go and prepare yourself.’