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The first time came as a total shock.
The mission had been easy enough: scout out and secure a location for a new Overwatch base. Angela and Lena had left their aircraft and walked and talked animatedly for what felt like hours, yet it passed in the blink of an eye. Angela smiled as the two of them walked alongside a river. Light scattered across the water in the most beautiful way, and the guardian angel of Overwatch wished the moment could last forever. Morrison rarely assigned her to non-combat missions, preferring her to provide medical support to their fighters, so she appreciated the chance to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. When the two women completed their mission, Lena smirked and blinked ahead, cheering. Angela shook her head at the younger woman’s impatience, smiling despite herself, and took a step to follow when-
Bang.
The shot rang out through the air, the distinct shot of a rifle dreaded by all who did not carry it. Angela screamed as her friend fell before her eyes, the tangerine fabric of her torso stained crimson. She’d been struck down with a single bullet before she could recall. The Widow’s Kiss. Widowmaker is here. But how? There was no time to hunt her down. She lifted her friend as gracefully as she could and took flight, flapping her wings and picking up speed until they arrived back at the aircraft.
“Lena!” Angela pressed her fingers to her friend’s neck and waited. No pulse. No, no… She allowed herself three seconds to panic, three seconds of shaky hands and ragged breaths, before she steeled herself and pressed a hand to the wound. The logical part of her knew this could go horribly wrong. Her new technology hadn’t even been tested yet; it could have any number of side effects, any number of harmful consequences. Angela raised her hand and concentrated regardless, focusing on locating the energy of her friend’s soul and coalescing it back into an earthly form. I can’t lose her. Not now.
For almost two horrible prolonged seconds, she thought she’d failed. Her friend’s body remained still and cold. But then, just as she was about to pull back, Lena Oxton breathed again.
“Huh? Doctor Ziegler? What’s going on? I think…something happened- I was just walking and then-” Lena let out a squeak of surprise as Angela suddenly embraced her in a crushingly tight hug. “Uh, Doctor Ziegler? Is everything alright?”
“It’s alright now, Tracer. You’re alright.” She shuddered through a sob. “Everything will be alright.”
The second time wasn’t any easier.
“It’s high noon…” Never before had the cowboy’s southern drawl given such terror. Jesse McCree stood tall upon the roof of the scaffolding, deadeye blazing with crimson light. The Talon agents panicked, crashing into each other in their haste to find cover. A full round from the cowboy’s six shooter was all it took to dispatch all of them, buying the rest of his team valuable time to recover.
“Thanks, McCree!” Lucio laughed. “Those guys didn’t stand a chance!”
“Boys, focus.” Angela chided. Lucio and McCree’s rivalry amused her at first, but recently it had brought nothing but trouble as the two used increasingly risky maneuvers to rack up kills. The doctor sighed. Sometimes it seemed her words of wisdom would forever go unheeded.
“No need to worry. I will keep them safe.” Orisa strategically positioned her barrier in front of them, blocking off the entrance to the alley where she and Lucio stood. McCree reluctantly climbed down the scaffolding to join them, then busied himself with reloading his gun. Angela turned to face the back of the alley and squinted to make out any movement amidst the shadows.
“What’s wrong, Mercy? Scared of the dark?” The DJ teased affectionately.
Angela shook her head. “Not at all. Merely cautious.”
“Aw, c’mon, you’re the best medic we’ve got. Nothing bad can happen with you around!”
As if on cue, the first bullets impacted against the barrier. Angela shot him a pointed look. “You were saying?”
“Hey, that wasn’t my fau- Angela, behind you!”
With a flap of her wings, she took to the skies just in time to avoid a rain of bullets from an agent that had managed to sneak around the back. She pulled out her pistol and fired. The agent dropped dead, but another crept out to replace him, then another. “They’re flanking us!” She caught sight of the grenade just as the words left her mouth. “Everyone, take cover!”
Lucio skated up the scaffolding to the roof, but McCree and Orisa had nowhere to go. Angela swooped down and lifted the cowboy with all her strength, carrying up into the air just as the grenade exploded in a fiery blast.
The next moments were a brutal bloodbath. The team struggled without Orisa’s barrier. Angela knew she shouldn’t take the risk, but there wasn’t much time. A few more seconds and Orisa would be gone forever. Her mind made up, she swooped down amidst the soldiers, raised one hand, and focused, hoping and praying she wouldn’t be shot down.
“Oh, let’s break it DOWN!”
Orisa’s body reformed from the ashes in a burst of golden light. With Lucio’s shield surrounding each of his teammates, they reunited in the center of the alley. Orisa set up a new barrier. Back to back, they fought off the remaining soldiers until those that still stood retreated.
“Orisa.” Angela panted, exhausted from the battle, “How do you feel? Is there anything you need?”
“I feel fine, Doctor Ziegler. Brand new, in fact. What exactly did you do? How did I survive the explosion?”
The doctor swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her adrenaline was beginning to wear off, but the bone-deep fear remained. “I’m afraid you didn’t. Your body was completely destroyed. I had to resurrect you using my Caduceus technology.”
“I…was dead?”
“Yes.”
The omnic fell silent for a few moments.
“I couldn’t save you in time. I am so sorry, Orisa.”
“Do not be. You did your best. You even returned me to life. You are truly incredible, Doctor Ziegler.”
“Thank you, but I do not feel worthy of such praise.”
“You are. You are incredible! No one else can do what you do!”
Angela nodded halfheartedly, agreeing only to end the conversation. The flight home was a quiet one. Angela did her best to move on, to focus on writing the mission report, but her mind whirled with images of the fallen. First Lena, then Orisa. How many more would there be? How many times would she fail to reach someone in time?
Confronted with the harsh reality of death, McCree and Lucio acted a little more cautiously from then on.
The third time was all her fault.
Morrison knew the mission would be incredibly dangerous. He’d said as much when volunteering to lead it personally. Angela had followed him on the mission for precisely that reason. She made eye contact with Zenyatta, Winston, and finally Morrison as they waited on the roof of the skyscraper, weapons drawn. Statistically, there was a high probability that one or more of them would fall in the upcoming fight. Angela steadied herself and pushed the images of Lena and Orisa from her mind. She’d been too late for them, yes, but she’d managed to save them regardless. If anything went wrong now, she would do the same.
The first agents to run up the staircase were dispatched with ease. Zenyatta’s orbs took down the first few and Morrison’s bullets took care of the rest. Winston busied himself with maintaining his barrier and zapping enemies that got too close. Angela waited with bated breath, her services not yet required.
They held their own surprisingly well, so well the doctor was shocked. The number of agents they’d encountered was suspiciously low. She realized why when their commander finally showed himself.
“Reaper. I should’ve known.” Morrison grumbled.
Reaper tilted his head from where he stood several meters away, having appeared seemingly from out of nowhere. “Soldier 76. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment.”
“You don’t strike me as the patient type.”
“I’m not.”
“You could’ve had us killed, but you didn’t. Why are you toying with us?!”
“I’m not.”
“What do you-” Morrison’s voice cut off as the building shook.
“You fought well. Here’s hoping you die even better.” Reaper’s form dissipated into shadows as the ground quaked beneath them. “No need to waste my men’s lives. This should be more than enough.”
“Dammit, he’s setting off explosives! We need to move, now!”
“I fear there is no time,” Zenyatta murmured. “The base of the building will collapse long before we can escape.”
For a brief moment, no one spoke as the severity of the monk’s words hung heavily in the air. Then Winston grimaced and placed his barrier around his team. “Stay close, everyone. This will be rough.”
The team stood together as the building shook. Angela’s heart pounded. She took a deep breath to keep the rising panic at bay. They would be fine. They would be. They would-
The floor beneath them gave way as the skyscraper exploded.
Winston wrapped his arms around the others, holding them in a secure grip as they fell. His barrier bubble fell with them. Rubble and shrapnel impacted against it. Each piece left a crack along the transparent blue shield. A particularly sharp piece of metal penetrated it entirely and pierced Winston’s shoulder. His grip loosened against his will.
Angela screamed. She slipped from Winston’s grasp and hit the barrier with a hard smack . Weakly, she tried to fly, only to realize that the impact had dislodged one of her wings. She helplessly slipped closer and closer to the newly gaping hole in the barrier. No… She was going to fall. She was going to fall and perish, leaving her teammates helpless against any future threats. No…not yet…they still need me! Not yet! She closed her eyes as she was sucked through the opening, unaware of the golden glow and the six arms cradling her firmly but gently.
When she opened her eyes, she lay atop of a heap of broken mechanical parts. Her head throbbed. She groaned and rolled off the bits of metal, then looked around. Winston and Morrison stumbled toward her from behind a pile of rubble. Angela relaxed at the sight of them- battered and bruised, but alive.
"Angela!" Winston bounded over, eyes wide with concern. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to let go. I-"
"It's fine, Winston. Where is Zenyatta?"
Winston and Morrison exchanged hesitant glances.
Angela's blood ran cold. "Where?"
Winston let out a shuddering breath. "When… when I let go… he went after you. He passed into the Iris to protect you from the worst of the damage, but… he couldn't keep it up forever."
Horrified, Angela turned back to the pile of broken metal parts she's landed on. She suddenly felt very sick to her stomach. “Zenyatta!” She quickly lifted her hand and concentrated. Something was different this time. Lena and Orisa’s souls had returned eagerly, but the monk’s soul was far more elusive. She tried harder, reaching out to his energy and centering her attention on pulling it back to the land of the living. It took several moments before Zenyatta’s soul finally relented. Golden light surrounded his body as it appeared in her arms, whole once more. The light faded as he came to consciousness.
“Angela…” The monk sat up slowly. He levitated and bowed his head, seemingly deep in thought. “I passed on, did I not?”
“You did.” Her eyes widened in surprise. Lena and Orisa hadn’t realized they’d died until she told them, so she hadn’t expected Zenyatta to know immediately. Then again, the monk had always been more attuned to the energies surrounding life and death than either of them. “How did you know?”
The monk’s voice quieted, lifting to a wistful and heartbreaking tone. “I saw him again… Tekhartha Mondatta. My brother.”
Angela lowered her voice so only the two of them would hear. “Is that why you resisted? You wanted to stay with him?”
“I did, yes. I missed him dearly…” His voice trailed off. “But he told me the Iris did not call me to be one with it, not yet. I felt your presence. I sensed your grief. And so I chose to return.”
“Thank you.” She hugged him tightly. “Thank you for coming back. And I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for you to sacrifice yourself for me.”
Zenyatta spoke softly and kindly. “Do not be sorry. You would have done the same for me. That is what it means to be friends.”
Morrison awkwardly cleared his throat. “Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we need to get back to the base. Can’t risk standing around; more explosives could go off at any time.”
“A wise decision.” Zenyatta agreed. “Let us depart, then.”
Winston and Morrison exchanged some words on the way back. Zenyatta chimed in occasionally. Angela just walked in silence. Guilt still festered in her heart despite the monk’s words. If I had been stronger… no. There is no time for what-ifs in this profession. Still, the horror of seeing his broken body lingered in the back of her mind, and she knew she would never forget.
The fourth time was an accident.
It all started when Hana Song got addicted to the newly released video game Bunny Sniper 3 . From what Angela heard, the title was pretty self-explanatory. Following the game’s release, Hana spent almost all her free time competitively sniping virtual animals and streaming her success.
“... And that’s how I built my first mech!” Torbjorn exclaimed boisterously, slamming his mug down on the cafeteria table for dramatic effect.
Angela rolled her eyes affectionately. Everyone knew the story by heart at this point, but the engineer told it so enthusiastically that his companions couldn’t help but listen. She laughed along with the rest of her friends, then took another bite of her sandwich. She truly appreciated having the time off to relax for once.
“Haaaaanzooooo! Hanzo!” Hana bounced over to their group and tapped the archer on the shoulder. “Hanzo! Play with me!”
“I am not a child,” Hanzo grumbled through a mouthful of spaghetti. “I will not play.”
“Aww, but Hanzo, this game is super fun! You’ll love it! And-” Hana leaned over to gingerly pluck a meatball from his plate- “My viewers want to know if I can snipe better than the famous Hanzo Shimada.” Hana swallowed the meatball in one gulp.
“Ah, so that’s what this is about. A frivolous competition to boost your fame.” Hanzo shook his head and sighed. “A video game does not determine one’s skill as a sniper. Sniping requires practice, patience, and most importantly, a real weapon. All that silly game requires is the press of a button.”
“No fair! You can’t say that because you haven’t even played it!” Hana huffed and crossed her arms.
Hanzo ignored her and continued eating. Angela exchanged awkward glances with the other agents at the table. Each and every one of them had witnessed Hana’s wrath at one point or another, and each and every one of them knew this couldn’t possibly end well.
Mei cleared her throat awkwardly. “Um, Hana? Hanzo doesn’t want to play right now. Maybe the two of us could play that racing game instead?”
“That sounds great, Mei, but my viewers want to see Hanzo right now. Maybe later?”
Hanzo slurped up his last noodle and stood. “ I will not participate in this foolish game of yours. If you truly wish to prove your worth as a sniper, you can meet me at the training ground.” With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the cafeteria.
“Grr… he thinks he can beat me! I’ll show him!”
“Oh, no, you won’t!” Angela grabbed the girl’s wrist before she could run after him. “You’re still recovering from last week’s battle. Gaming is fine, but lifting a heavy weapon will no doubt twist your shoulder all over again.”
“But, Angela…my viewers!”
“Your viewers can wait. Your health is what’s most important.”
Reindhardt chuckled. “Angela, she’ll be fine. She’s almost made a full recovery. A little workout would be good for her.”
“See? Reinhardt agrees!” Hana whined, trying to tug herself out of Angela’s grip.
Angela shot Reinhardt a pointed glare. “Reinhardt wouldn’t know what was good for him if it stared him in the face.”
“Ah, relax, Angela!” The old knight insisted. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“This could be entertaining.” Torbjorn agreed. “We haven’t had a day off in forever! Who’s to say we can’t have a little fun, eh? Anyone up for a bet?”
“Torbjorn!” Angela made the mistake of throwing her hands in the air out of frustration. Hana took the opportunity to scamper off. “Oh, now you’ve done it! The poor thing will tear a muscle and leave me no choice but to work on my day of rest!”
“Do not worry, Doctor Ziegler. My calculations indicate that this activity presents much less danger than an active battlefield. You are a talented medic. Should she acquire an injury, she will likely recover quickly in your care.” Orisa commented, then moved to follow Hana. The rest of the group followed her, apparently not having anything better to do.
Angela sighed. Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one with common sense around here! She accompanied the group reluctantly. If they were in charge of helping her heal, they wouldn’t be allowing this! Why do they never listen? She stopped short. The rest of the group had headed through the final hall and out into the training yard, but Lena lagged behind- something so out of the ordinary that Angela immediately sensed something was wrong. “Lena? What is it?”
Lena jumped. She’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed the medic approach. “N-nothing, Doctor Ziegler! I’m fine!”
Angela crossed her arms. “In my experience, patients with good well-being will usually say they feel okay, good, or great. Only the patients who are struggling claim they feel fine.”
“I… I just…”
“Whatever it is, you can tell me. Doctor-patient confidentiality, you know.”
Lena sniffled, unable to look her in the eye. “Alright. It’s just… I’ve been nervous around sniping weapons ever since… you know…”
“Oh, Lena.” Angela’s expression softened. “I am so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want you to blame yourself.”
It made sense. Though Angela had lost many patients in the past, losing one she considered a friend was very different. The loss had stunned her, and even though she had revived Lena, the traumatic sight had left its mark on her heart. Orisa and Zenyatta’s deaths had only added to her guilt as well, despite Orisa’s affirmations of gratitude and the monk’s kind monologue about how no good ever came from blame. The guilt swelled within the doctor once more as she realized she’d been so self-focused she’d never even considered how the trauma would have affected her friends. What kind of doctor forgot the well-being of her patients?
“See? You’re doing it again. You’re thinking bad things about yourself, I can tell. You’ve got to stop thinking that way; it isn’t good for you.”
“I’m so-”
“Don’t apologize. You’re a great doctor and an even better person. I just wish you could see that.”
“I’m-” Angela bit her tongue to stop herself from making another apology. “I just wish I had been there for you. To help you.”
Lena gave a wobbly smile. “It’s okay. You’ve helped enough already. Facing my fears- that’s something I need to do on my own, I think.”
“If you insist. But I am here for you, Lena. Always.”
“Thanks, Doctor Ziegler. That means a lot.”
“Call me Angela.”
“Thanks, Angela.”
“Angela!” Torbjorn burst into the hall. His voice cracked as he shouted her name. There was panic written all over his face. Not one trace of his previous confidence remained.
“She injured herself, didn’t she? I told you-”
“It’s Reinhardt.”
“Reinhardt?!” Angela gasped as the small man took her hand in an iron grip and all but pulled her along. “What happened?!”
“He volunteered to set up the targets. Hana was practicing lining up her aim and accidentally fired her gun. Hit Reinhardt straight in the head. His helmet as off- we need to hurry there was so much blood-”
Lena paled. She took a few steps after them, then hesitated. Angela didn’t have the luxury of looking back. She hurried after Torbjorn, nearly tripping over her feet as she rushed into the training yard. She pushed through the shocked throng of her friends to find Reinhardt laying in a pool of blood, unmoving. Ana and Lucio were trying to heal him to no avail.
“Angela!” Brigitte nearly wailed. “You’ve got to help him. Please!”
“I will.” Angela pushed the other healers aside and pressed two fingers to the knight’s neck. No pulse. She raised a hand, and in a few seconds, raised her friend as well.
Reinhardt opened his eye slowly and blinked in confusion. “Angela! Everyone…? What’s wrong? Why do you all look so frightened?”
Brigitte squeezed him in a tight hug. The others visibly relaxed, if only slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Angela noticed Hana crying into Hanzo’s shoulder a distance away from the crowd. She focused back on Reinhardt for the moment, waving a hand to disperse the group. “Everybody move. He needs some space.” Her friends left one by one, with Brigitte waiting the longest before departing.
“Angela…” The knight sat up slowly and looked around. Understanding dawned on him as he took in the puddle of blood. “Hana- she shot me, didn’t she?”
Angela nodded. “Not on purpose, from what I hear. But, Reinhardt… there’s no easy way of saying this. You were killed.”
Reinhardt didn’t speak for a long moment. He climbed to his feet and stared blankly at the blood-stained ground. Eventually he cracked a tentative smile. “Well. That explains why everyone looked so worried.” His smile faded. “Where’s Hana? Poor girl must be shaken.”
Angela gestured towards the opposite side of the training ground. The young girl’s shoulders shook as she sobbed. Hanzo stood as still as a statue, somber and unyielding as she spoke to him in broken words and phrases. She followed Reinhardt as he made his way over to them.
“Hana.” Reinhardt lay a hand on her shoulder- an awkward gesture considering their respective sizes.
Hana couldn’t face him, opting to hide behind Hanzo. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought… I thought the gun would lift easily, like in the game. It was stupid. But I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you- I-”
“I know. And I don’t hold it against you.” He murmured gently. “When I was young, a mistake I made cost the life of someone very dear to me. His name was Balderich von Alder… leader of the Crusaders. My predecessor.” Reinhardt’s eye glazed over, and Angela knew he was once again reliving that fateful day in Eichenwalde. “I know how you feel, Hana. You are shocked and in pain, and you keep thinking over and over about how things would have been different if you hadn’t fired that gun. If you hadn’t challenged Hanzo. If you hadn’t played that video game in the first place. So I’m going to tell you now what Balderich once told me: live with honor. Every mistake is a new chance to learn.”
“But you- you were dead.” Hana’s voice cracked on the last word. “I killed you.”
“Accidents happen. Even to us agents of Overwatch. But live with honor, and you will achieve great things one day.”
“He speaks the truth.” Hanzo said hoarsely. “If I had lived my life with honor, perhaps it would have been different… for myself, and for my brother as well.”
Hana nodded slowly. She wiped the last remaining tears from her face. “Okay. I- I’ll do my best.”
“Good to hear. Now run along. You’ve still got a whole day off, might as well make the best of it!” Reinhardt clapped her on the back and laughed uproariously. Hana left, seeming much less shaken than before. Hanzo paused for a moment, then followed her. Reinhardt’s smile remained on his face until the two escaped his view. “What I said wasn’t just for her, you know.”
“When did you get so wise?”
“You know what Ana says. With age comes wisdom.”
Angela chuckled weakly. “Well, there’s no arguing with Ana.”
“True, true. I stopped trying long ago.”
The two stood together in silence for a moment, deep in thought. Angela had always envied the knight’s ability to laugh off the most serious situations. She encountered pain and death almost daily, but the old man never failed to cheer her up. Perhaps she truly would not only grow wiser with age but more light-hearted as well. That night, Angela vowed to set aside her guilt, if only for a while. For Lena. For Orisa. For Zenyatta. For Reinhardt. And for all the people she hoped she’d never fail to save.
The fifth time required a sacrifice.
A rocket exploded against Mei’s ice wall. Panicking, she hurried to rebuild it before reinforcements arrived. “No, no, no…this isn’t good…”
Brigitte and Reinhardt stood behind their shields, Winston behind his barrier. Torbjorn cursed as the payload refused to move despite his efforts. Angela stood with the Shimada brothers inside their protected circle, keeping a keen eye out for Talon activity. Hanzo took down the man who’d launched the rocket with a well-placed arrow, but the damage was already done.
“Need any help with that?” Brigitte moved to help her father, but Angela held out an arm to stop her.
“Don’t move! We need your shield, Brigitte. We could be ambushed at any time.”
The squire bit her lip nervously and hoisted her shield higher. She and the others were visibly nervous. Angela couldn’t blame them; the plan had gone awry hours ago when an assassin had rushed McCree and very nearly killed him. Ana had evacuated the battlefield with him to find a safe place to check his injuries just as a bomb went off, separating Lena and Hana from the main group. Morrison had set off on his own to rescue them, but not before entrusting command of this mission to none other than Angela herself. She had no idea why he’d assigned her the responsibility and not the more experienced Reinhardt. Well, at least now I understand why he insisted such a large group take on this mission. Our usual strike teams would have been far outclassed. She’d expected one of Talon’s main bases to be well-guarded. Well-guarded was a definite understatement.
Mei let out a sigh of relief as she finished building up her ice wall once again, yet she still trembled, and not from the cold. None of them had intended to be out in the open courtyard for such a long time. They were sitting ducks for Talon’s snipers, and Angela checked on Reinhardt out of the corner of her eye. The old man seemed unnerved, yet determined to shield his team no matter what. A new wave of soldiers could come any minute from any direction. Think, Angela, think. What would Morrison say?
“Angela.” Genji took her hand gently. “It will be alright.”
She smiled despite herself. Even in the most hopeless situations, the younger Shimada would make her heart flutter. She loved him. She’d tried so hard to fight it- such attachment could become dangerous in their professions- but had eventually given into his gentleness and charm. She’d never once regretted it. “Thank you, Genji.”
“He trusted you for a reason. You can guide us through this.”
Angela knew by Genji’s tone that he was smiling softly under his visor. He only spoke that tenderly to her, and she loved falling asleep to those tender whispers in her ears while he stroked her hair. It will be alright. Genji is with you. Everything will be fine. I love you, Angela. The medic steeled herself. She had to stay strong. For her team. For Genji. She raised her voice. “Torbjorn, the explosives on this payload are the only ones strong enough to take down the base’s blast doors. What’s your status?”
“Stupid thing won’t work! I think their hacker knew we were coming. I’ve never had a single piece of technology cause me this many problems before.”
“How much longer will it take to get it moving?”
“A few days. A few years. A few millennia, maybe!” The engineer cursed again. “Once I get my hands on that Sombra I swear I’ll-” Something within the payload clicked and its internal processes whirred to life. “Huh?!”
Mei giggled from the opposite side of the payload. “Torbjorn? You should’ve pressed the button on the back. I think that made it work!”
“I- uh- wha-” Torbjorn stammered in surprise. “I didn’t even see it there! Mei, you’re a genius!”
“Not really. It just helps being tall.”
“Oh, very funny.” He grumbled. “Let’s just get this thing moving.”
The next few minutes were quiet. Too quiet. Where are all the soldiers? The payload approached the blast doors without issue. The Overwatch agents backed up a safe distance, waiting for it to blow. Angela opened her mouth, about to warn her team to be careful, when she saw it- a dark shadow against the moon. “It’s a dropship! Look out!” Her cries went unheard as the payload exploded. The blast doors to the main base being reduced to rubble was suddenly the last thing on her mind. Suddenly soldiers rappelled from the dropship and the sky rained bullets. A flash of indigo atop the dropship caught Angela’s eye. It was enough to send a chill down her spine. Widowmaker.
The next few moments consisted of a mad dash for cover. The shields and barriers had been prepared to ward off flanking attacks, not an aerial assault. Angela sprang into action and dashed from teammate to teammate, healing gunshot wounds as soon as they were inflicted. “Everyone! Into the base, now!” There could be any number of soldiers waiting inside, but the team needed to regroup. Every second they spent outside left them exposed and vulnerable; inside, they could find cover behind the walls, and no more dropships could surprise them there. It was risky- far too risky- but what choice did they have? “Stay together! Keep blocking those bullets, Reinhardt! Nice shot, Brigitte! Now join me!”
“You got it!” Brigitte smirked as she withdrew her flail from where it had smacked one of the rappelling soldiers off the ship. She turned and retreated after the others.
Angela whipped her head around. Most of the team had taken cover behind the building’s walls and the debris that remained of the blast doors. She counted Winston, Reinhardt, and Torbjorn sheltering together. Brigitte hurried to join them. The Shimada brothers had scaled one of the walls and hidden behind a ledge. Genji held out his blade to deflect the bullets aimed at his brother as his brother aimed his bow. Hanzo dispatched several soldiers with a well-timed dragonstrike, and the whole ship shuddered. Angela’s heart lifted for the briefest of moments. Wait… someone’s missing. Where’s Mei?! The flash of indigo moved slightly. No! Her fragile relief shattered, Angela bolted towards the brunette, who was too busy aiming at a soldier to realize the sniper aiming at her. She wasn’t going to make it. Mei would fall, just like the rest, except this time there would be no resurrection. The doctor would be shot to pieces if she paused to resurrect her in the open. She was going to lose her. She was- no. Her friends’ voices came back to her, one by one. Memories of Tracer’s pleading, Orisa’s praise, Zenyatta’s wisdom, Reinhardt’s faith, and Genji’s loving whisper washed over her one by one. No more guilt. No more shame. I will not fail! Disregarding her doubt, Angela took flight. Her wings ached with the effort. She couldn’t feel it. All her focus was on her friend. Just one last burst of speed and she could save her.
Angela tackled her to the ground just as the shot went off. She quickly scrambled off the startled woman and helped her up. “Hurry, Mei! We must group up with the others!”
“Sorry!” Mei jumped to her feet and brushed herself off.
Angela, looking past her, caught sight of Widowmaker lining up her next shot. She whirled around, looking for the nearest cover. Nothing was close enough, and Talon’s finest sniper was not known to miss. One fleeting thought crossed through the doctor’s mind before she closed her eyes and stepped directly into the line of fire: Please, Genji, protect them in my stead.
She waited for the shot. It never came.
“Cheers, love! The cavalry’s here!”
Angela opened her eyes and let out a breathless laugh. Hana’s mech shot across the sky like a shooting star. Atop it, Lena blasted soldier after soldier down before vaulting on top of the dropship. Mei took the opportunity to run and Angela leapt into the open air, preparing to aid her friends.
“Well, well. It isn’t every day I shoot someone down who lives to tell the tale.” Widowmaker crooned, aiming her gun at the brunette’s head. “Here to die again, Tracer?”
“No.” Lena’s eyes blazed with righteous fury, and in them, Angela saw no fear. “I’m here to stop you, once and for all!”
“Amusing. Do your worst, girl. I look forward to watching the life leave your eyes.” Widowmaker dashed forward with alarming speed. Lena blinked away from the first spray of bullets and readied her pulse pistols.
Hana activated her defense matrix and grinned. “We’ve got this, Angela! Go help our team!”
“But, Hana-”
“Go!”
Angela nodded and dived back towards the others. She hit the ground running, retrieving her blaster and shooting down anyone who got too close. She made it to the base just as the ground rocked from another explosion. Her teammates cheered as she rejoined them at last.
“Angela!” Mei nearly tackled her in a hug.
“Mei! Is everyone alright?”
“Yep! We heard some fighting further in, so Hanzo and Genji went to check it out. They thought it might be Morrison.”
“What about McCree and Ana?”
“Ana called in just before you got here,” Brigitte informed. “She said McCree will be fine, but he’s too injured to keep fighting, and she can’t risk traveling here alone.”
“I see.” Angela took a deep breath and began to collect her thoughts. “Hana and Lena are dueling Widowmaker. They were fine when I last saw them, but they may be in need of assistance. Brigitte, be ready if they need healing. Torbjorn, set up your turret at the nearest chokepoint. We can’t let the remaining soldiers get too close. Reinhardt-”
“I will shield him!” The knight roared. His shield flickered back into existence, fully charged and ready for battle.
“Good. Winston, Mei, come with me. We must find the Shimada brothers and regroup. We cannot win this fight with a divided team.” Angela’s friends began to move into position. They trusted her with all their hearts. The medic resolved once more not to let them down.
Winston bent low. “Mei, Angela, get on my back. I’ll carry you.”
Angela hopped on his back behind Mei and held on tight to his fur. “Ready when you are, Winston.”
“Mei?”
“Ready!”
“Okay. Here we go!” Winston launched himself into the air and hit the ground several meters away, then sprang up again. Angela clung to him with all her strength as they bounded past frightened and confused Talon soldiers on patrol. Mei picked off a few with her snowballs along the way. Winston raced faster and faster and the world whipped past them as the sounds of battle grew neared. “Almost there…now!” He turned a corner into a large hangar. Across the room, three figures in Overwatch attire darted about in formation as a group of assassins hounded them relentlessly.
Mei and Angela jumped off the gorilla's back in unison and took off running. Winston bounded after them. Angela's lungs burned and her legs ached from the effort, but she pushed through the exhaustion. Morrison had trusted her to lead this mission, and now he needed her help. She couldn't let him down.
Morrison didn’t acknowledge their presence except for a slight nod. His primary focus was on dodging the assassins’ blades and finding a way to get a clear shot. Genji darted back and forth between his commander and his brother, slashing with his katana and deflecting bullets left and right. He smiled slightly once he noticed his lover, but said nothing, too busy countering blows to have a conversation. Hanzo struggled to put distance between himself and his attackers. From the wild shock written on his face, Angela suspected the assassins had caught him off guard. The elder Shimada preferred to fight at close range as little as possible. Angela focused on boosting Winston’s attacks. His Tesla cannon made short work of three of the enemies. Morrison shot one, Mei another, and together the group converged on the last until she breathed no more.
“Angela.” Genji was beaming under his mask, she knew. “You’re safe.”
“As safe as one can be on the battlefield.” Angela let go of her professional demeanor for just long enough to press a kiss to his cheek.
Morrison grumbled. “Quit it, lovebirds. We’ve got a mission to finish.”
“Good to see you, too, commander.”
“If you’re looking for praise, you’ll get it once we’re done. We need to stay focused. Where’s the rest of the team?”
“They’re positioned by what’s left of the blast doors.” Winston shifted nervously. “We should get going. We passed a few Talon patrols on the way here. Chances are they’ve alerted their leaders that we’re inside.”
Morrison sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ugh. Of course this couldn’t have been simple. Listen, after I found Lena and Hana I caught an agent by surprise and beat some answers out of him. He said the Reaper is the one in charge of this place.”
“The Reaper? We were expecting Widowmaker, but…oh, no…” Angela swore. The team was equipped to deal with snipers and assassins, but against the Reaper himself, they were sure to struggle.
“Angela.” Morrison’s tone somehow grew even more serious. “I put you in charge because, while you’re a great fighter, you also know when to show mercy. For that reason, you need to be the one to face him.”
Angela frowned. “You…want to spare him? After all he’s done?! I understand that you two were close once, but he’s tried to kill us! He tried to murder our friends!” And succeeded once, she thought as the memory of Zenyatta’s broken body flashed before her eyes.
“I know. But I know Gabriel Reyes. I know he used to love you. And if there’s anything left of him in that wraith-like body of his, he’ll listen to you. It needs to be you. And if he’s really gone… it needs to be ” Morrison’s words were shaky, pained, so unlike the gruff phrases he muttered most of the time. Angela could sense his heartbreak. A love like what the man had felt for Gabriel Reyes couldn’t be crushed so easily, even when Gabriel’s heart had beat for someone else. Even when Gabriel’s heart had grown cold.
Genji glanced at her uncomfortably. She squeezed his hand and took a shaky breath, looking Morrison in the eyes. “... I can’t say I agree with your orders. But you are my commander and my friend. Even though he tried to kill me, I will talk to him… for you.”
“Thank you. The agent I talked to said he was skulking about the room up the stairs to your left. Genji, Hanzo- go with her in case things get bad. Winston, Mei, we need to rendezvous with the others. Move out!”
The group split up at his command. Angela and the Shimada brothers climbed the stairs in silence. Hanzo's expression was guarded, unreadable. Genji kept an eye on Angela and a hand on the hilt of his katana. Despite her stress, she smiled. Oh, Genji. Always looking out for me. It was no secret that he was paranoid for her safety whenever she went on missions. It was why they had started undertaking more and more of them together ever since they became a couple. Neither of them would let the other come to severe harm. They finished ascending the stairs and paused outside the door. The brothers looked to Angela as all her teammates did, yet something was different this time; Hanzo regarded her with earned respect, Genji with love.
“On the count of three.” She decided. “One…two…three!”
Hanzo broke down the door with a mighty kick and nocked an arrow. Genji dashed ahead, then stopped short. No one occupied the room except for the skull-masked figure who sat behind his desk, his fingers drumming a steady tap-tap-tap on the sturdy wood. Angela swallowed her fear and approached.
“Huh. So you actually showed up. Certainly kept me waiting.” The deep voice spoke with a dangerous edge. “And you know how impatient I am.”
Angela’s eyes narrowed. “Reaper. Your reign of terror ends here! Our forces will overrun this base in minutes. You have nowhere to run. Surrender while you still can.”
“I don’t plan on surrendering.” He stood slowly. His bulking frame rose to its intimidating full height. “Soldier 76 made a big mistake sending you to me. But I’m not surprised. He always was the weak one.”
Hanzo’s finger twitched on his bow, ready to fire if the wraith so much as breathed the wrong way. Genji subtly shook his head, cueing him to wait for Angela’s signal.
Angela continued to speak. “Trust does not make a person weak. Trust revived Overwatch after Petras. Trust brought Zenyatta back from the dead. Morrison trusts you enough to give you a second chance. Please, return to Overwatch. For him… and for me.”
Several long seconds of silence passed. Then Reaper laughed. His low, drawn-out cackle was enough to send chills down her spine. "You speak of trust when you betrayed mine. You refused to help me after the explosion of the Swiss base. You left me to die.”
Angela gritted her teeth. I knew what you would become, she nearly said. I knew if you lived, you would become like this. I knew that the Gabriel Reyes who loved me was already gone.
“You didn’t help me back then. You betrayed my trust. I loved you, and you betrayed me… so this is what you deserve.” He aimed his gun faster than she’d thought possible, and for the second time that die, Angela was sure she would die.
The gun fired. There was no time to dodge, parry, or deflect. Angela didn’t have time to scream as the bullet hurtled towards her…
…and smashed straight through Genji’s head. With his quick ninja reflexes, he’d somehow managed to throw himself in front of her. He crumpled to the ground at the same time as a purple-clad woman flickered into existence just behind his brother. Angela had no time to shout a warning. As Hanzo whirled to face the woman- the hacker, she realized, Sombra- the hacker was already pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the archer between the eyes, and he fell backwards with a spray of blood. Sombra smirked, then followed the Reaper retreating out the door.
It hit Angela that this had been his plan all along. His plan to make her suffer. His plan to cause her the greatest possible amount of anguish as revenge for abandoning him on that fateful day. He’d known that Genji would take the blow for her. Focus. Focus! Her doctor training kicked in. She quickly assessed the brothers’ wounds, thinking of them not as friend and lover but as injured soldiers. Distancing herself from them temporarily was the only way she could keep from panicking at how swiftly the blood was pooling beneath their heads. The cyborg was dead; he’d died as soon as the bullet passed cleanly through his skull. The other man was certainly dead as well- the bullet had lodged itself somewhere in his brain, and his eyes remained wide open as they had just before the shot, frozen in a state of shock and betrayal. She could only resurrect one of them. Her caduceus staff wouldn’t be able to resurrect them both before one of their souls was lost to the other side forever. There simply wasn’t enough time. Heart racing, she tried to think of some reason, some justification for who it should be. Their wounds were of equal severity and Overwatch benefited from both their skill sets. Genji had fallen first, but he was younger; statistically he would live a few years longer than his brother would. But would his brother even want to live without him by his side? Guilt had plagued Hanzo in his every breath. He’d barely made it through losing Genji the first time- losing him a second time might push him over the edge. Genji would mourn his brother greatly, but would he carry with him his brother’s guilt? Would he be able to move on, or would he forever be a hollow husk, a shadow of the man she loved?
And there was her answer. Angela was a doctor, but she was also a woman. Her professional demeanor vanished as she choked on a sob. Hanzo was a dear friend to her, but Genji… Genji was her world. If Genji died, her heart would die with him, and where would that leave her? She thought bitterly that a doctor should not be factoring in those personal feelings. But she wasn’t at fault- the fault belonged to Reaper and Sombra who had wielded the weapons used to murder her companions, and perhaps to Morrison who’d been foolish enough to think the Reaper could still be saved. No. Don’t think about fault. Blame didn’t matter. She pictured her friends’ faces; especially the faces of those she’d lost and later saved. Tracer. Orisa. Zenyatta. Reinhardt. They wouldn’t want her to think about blame. They would trust her to save who she could.
With a heavy heart and tears streaming down her cheeks, Angela Ziegler raised her hand and looked into the light.
Under his visor, Genji’s eyes opened.