Overwatch: A Clash of Worldsby Lightning SpearChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 5Chapter 1Berg Manor Assembly Hall Stuttgart 1200 hours A young man knelt on the floor of the assembly hall. Although years of training have tempered him into a steadfast individual combined with matching physique and skills, his nerves were chaotic at that moment. He was about to be knighted to take his place as a Crusader. The Crusaders were a German paramilitary organization active during the Omnic Crisis. They were known for their imposing suits of power armor, enormous blunt melee weapons, and knightly codes. However, after the Omnic Crisis ended in humanity's victory, The Crusaders' current status remain unknown, with most members either killed or retired. But ideals are undeterred by time or bullets. Moments later, an elderly man and woman entered the room. Despite their old age, their physique reflected their fighting days as Crusaders. Back then, they were known as Captains Jacob and Eva Berg. But after some time serving at Overwatch, they retired, and adjusted to civilian lives. Now, they own a successful bakery franchise with worldwide branches. Jacob approached the kneeling man, and placed his right hand on the young man's shoulder... "Be without fear in face of your enemies. Destroy the wicked with your weapon. Protect the innocent with your shield. Seek out evil and tyranny wherever they take root, no matter how monstrous your enemies may be. And forever more, never abandon those who need you. That is your Oath." Jacob backhanded the man across his jaw, causing him to recoil a little. "And that is how you will remember it. Arise, Edward Berg, a Crusader." Edward Berg rose with pride and hugged his parents, who did the same to him. "Do you have everything ready?" Eva asked as they parted. "Yes, mama. Everything has been loaded to the aircraft. I shall fly to Watchpoint: Gibraltar and find Uncle Reinhardt as you instructed." "I see, then everything is settled. Be safe." Jacob patted his son's shoulder. "Oh you know I cannot promise you that, papa." He smirked "Live with honor." "Die with glory," replied his parents. With that said, Edward hugged his parents one last time and headed to the airfield. Watchpoint: Gibraltar 1700 hours Light peered through Edward's eyelids as he woke up from his dreamless nap. He quickly checked his aircraft's navigation computer, and saw he was flying above the Mediterranean Sea heading straight to Watchpoint: Gibraltar just as planned. He never thought this day would come; a day where he would join Overwatch. His childhood dream which turned to ash when the organization fell, was rekindled again when after Overwatch recalled all of its former agents. Edward was not an agent of Overwatch of course, as he was only a child when the organization was shut down. But his parents were. Now at the age of twenty nine he would be finally taking his place on the ranks. His eyes panned to the metallic Overwatch medallion sitting on his cockpit controls which was given to him by his father. Along with the medal, Jacob also passed down his grey hued Crusader Armor and rocket-powered Lucerne hammer from his days of service. But the suit has since been heavily modified to keep up with more modern weaponry. The modifications included a stronger shield barrier, retrofitted with twin voice-activated missile launchers integrated to the pauldrons which were connected to the armor's targeting system, compensating for the armor generation's lack in ranged attacks. The launchers use revolving magazine cylinders, with 4 multipurpose missiles in each, totaling the suit's missile capacity to 8. The armor was also equipped with a state-of-the art AI module to assist the wearer both in and outside of combat. And finally, the suit was also decorated with an emblem of a bear's head on its chest. Despite having been provided with a formidable arsenal, Edward still felt a gut-wrenching doubt deep in his heart. Would he be worthy for Overwatch? "AEGIS, what's the ETA to destination?" Edward asked his ship's AI system, AEGIS, trying to distract himself from his worries. "ETA to destination ten minutes, sir," AEGIS replied. "Thank you, AEGIS." "My pleasure sir." He got off from his seat, took the medallion, and headed down to the ship's cargo hold where he stored his essentials in order to commence a final check before arrival. Edward quickly donned his skin-tight black body armor and stepped in to the suit's holding dock where the machinery began placing and screwing together the hulking Crusader Armor on him. After that was done, he retrieved his helmet and put it on. The suit's HUD came online and the distinct sound of it's roaring engine increased in volume. "Crusader Armor at 100% capacity," AEGIS reported. "We are being hailed by the base, sir." "Patch them through." "Greetings, agent," said a synthetic female voice from the other end. "Please authenticate your ID code." Edward flipped the medallion over and read the code below his father's name "Juliett-Bravo-Charlie-One-Nine-Seven-One." A moment of silence. "Agent, you may proceed to hangar nine." "Thank you. See you soon Watchpoint." As the base cut off the transmission, Edward instructed AEGIS to take them to their designated position. The aircraft descended, and navigated its way to hangar nine, which was built to the north-east cliffs of Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Edward grabbed his Lucerne hammer and waited until the aircraft has perfectly landed in the hangar. Once it did, he opened the cargo ramp and stepped outside; only to be held at gunpoint by ten Overwatch soldiers. They were accompanied a massive gorilla clad in a suit of white armor that looked like it was more designed for space exploration rather than being down here on Earth, holding a cannon that sparked electricity from it. And a large man wearing a grey hued Crusader Armor, holding his massive Rocket Hammer in both hands. "Identify yourself!" the gorilla boomed, pointing his weapon at Edward. 'Uncle Reinhardt and Winston.' Edward smiled underneath his helmet as past memories began to surge. If there were people Jacob and Eva ever talked about most in their career as agents, they would be them, aside from Doctor Angela Ziegler that was, the combat medic who kept patching them up during and after missions. Edward often met them when he was a kid as he followed his parents wherever they were stationed next. When his parents were away on their missions, if any of them were around, they would watch over him and tell him stories of their past missions. Especially Reinhardt, who could talk about his exploits alone for hours while also teaching him rudimentary fighting skills as requested by Jacob and Eva. And lastly he also had a childhood friend by the name of Fareeha Amari, who he haven't heard from again since his parents retired. They practically spent their childhood together since they were among the few children who were allowed within Overwatch's bases. How he missed her. "I understand the precaution..." He put his hammer on the hangar's floor, and took off his helmet. "But I did not come here to be killed by my own friends." Edward smiled, tucking his helmet to his hip. "Uncle Reinhardt, Winston." "Lower your weapons, my friends. You are all dismissed," Reinhardt commanded the men in front of him. As soon as they received their orders, the men filed out of the hangar. "I am very sorry Edward, when ATHENA detected your voice, it did not match with your father's. So, as a precaution we--" "I completely understand, Winston. It is not like I told you anything before coming here. And with all that is happening, you can never be too careful. It is so good to see you again after all these years, old friend." And the two exchanged a hug. Edward was relieved that he wore his armor, otherwise the intensiveness of Winston's hug could easily crush his spine. "And you owe me a lot of stories!" Reinhardt boomed with laughter. "Come here!" Edward and Reinhardt exchanged the Crusader's handshake by firmly grabbing each other's forearm and shaking them. "How many years have it been since we last saw each other? Ten, fifteen years?" Reinhardt asked. "More or less." "Where are your parents?" the older Crusader asked again. "They passed down their place to me, their fighting days are over they said." Edward showed him Jacob's medallion. "I can't say I blame him either, after all the things done by Overwatch...you people deserve better." "Ah, no point of lamenting the past now. Come, lets meet the others." Reinhardt chuckled, slapping the back of his former protégé. Edward put on his helmet, and picked up his hammer before following Reinhardt and Winston out of the hangar. Meanwhile, at Canterlot Castle... Princess Celestia put down her quill with an exhausted sigh and stacked another letter of requisition to its pile. There were five other similar stacks of paperwork laying on her desk directly in front of her, each containing about one hundred sheets of paperwork for her to sign. And so far, she signed ninety nine of them. Ever since The Storm King was defeated, and Equestria returned to its peaceful state, it was back to signing mountains of paperwork for the Sun Princess. The word "boring" would be an understatement for her. How she wished for an excuse of distraction. Maybe Twilight would teleport in and inform her of a new discovery, or Luna, who seemed to have an aptitude on acquiring the castle's latest gossip. And suddenly, Luna landed at Celestia's work desk in a flash of blue light, scattering all of the stacked documents and mixing them with one another. "I am very sorry sister, but I have a matter of utmost importance to tell you." "Oh it's fine! It's fine! I could use the distraction from all these...what do you have in mind? Is it about that new captain every mare have been talking about?" At that moment, Luna's expression changed into a somber one. "No, it is about the Spark of Life. Believe it or not, it has re-emerged." Celestia's heart fell to her stomach. "Guards, leave us," Celestia ordered. The guards bowed and left the throne room, leaving the two princesses alone. "Impossible, I banished that artifact a long time ago into the horizons of space and time. You must have been mistaken, sister. It cannot possibly re-emerge here. You must be mistaken, Lulu." The Sun Princess tried to rationalize with her sister. "No I am not. Do you remember who created the stone? Who enchanted it with such vile magic?!" Luna growled. "I do." "Then you know I am not mistaken. However, you are right about one thing. The Spark of Life is not here. It is on Earth." "The war-torn homeworld of the humans...then things just got a lot worse." Celestia sighed. "If that artifact falls to the wrong hooves, the outcome would be catastrophic. We have to do something." "Actually, I already have something in mind," Luna replied. "Do tell." "We go to Earth, find the stone, and destroy it." Author's Note Heya folks! Lightning Spear speaking! So I want to talk about a few things here: Holy hell it is sooo good to finally make this long-dreamed fanfiction of mine a reality! Edward Berg is a fictional OC of mine, not the game's real character. It is my representation in game since I fell in love with the Crusaders. Y'all Overwatch nerds might be familiar with the Spark of Life as it is an essential piece of artifact in the events of Junkenstein comic and it's following aftermath The Return of Junkenstein . Or if you don't know about them just click the link above lol. See you in the next update guys! Chapter 2After hearing Luna's statement, Celestia pondered for a while. She paced around the throne room, and would occasionally stop and gazed out of the windows for a long time. The Sun Princess was more than worried. After all that has happened, would it be wise for her to agree to Luna's idea of traveling to a war-torn world in order to destroy a lost artifact she cast away so long ago? Would it be worth the price? Maybe she should flat out refuse Luna's offer. The Spark of Life was no longer in Equestria...no longer their concern. No. That was her own selfishness talking. No other living being should pay the price of their past misdeeds. Still, doubt gnawed at Celestia's conscience. "Sister?" Luna called out to her. "What say you?" "Lulu, do you not see another way?" Celestia asked, turning to face her younger sister. Luna shook her head. "If there is any, I would not have suggested this." "Very well. But I am not letting you go on your own. I'm coming with you," Celestia affirmed. "No. Absolutely not. If you come with me and something happens to both of us, nopony else would be capable of rising the Sun and Moon...whilst you rule over them both. I have some other ponies in mind to accompany me." "So, who else is here?" Edward asked as he and Reinhardt strode through the Watchpoint. Winston went to inform the base of the false alarm, while the two Crusaders headed to the armory to shed their hulking suits of power armor. Reinhardt laughed. "You will see later. We are here." The two stepped inside the armory, stored their Rocket Hammers, and immediately headed to the suits' docking pads. The machines quickly stripped them off their armor, and the parts were safely stored away inside their respective contraptions. "Now let's go meet the others." Reinhardt chuckled, placing an arm over Edward's shoulder. "Gladly." Just as the armory's doors slid open, a girl bumped into Edward, spilling her bottle of water all over his body armor. "I am so sorry!" the girl apologized. "Let me get something for the mess--" "Oh no no no no, it's fine really. Waterproof material, see?" Edward pointed to his grey hexagonal-patterned suit with no sign of wetness whatsoever, in fact the water have completely dripped to the floor. "Be more careful Brigitte," Reinhardt said. "Actually, you look awfully tired. Don't tell me you have been working all night repairing Bastion." "I can't help myself Reinhardt, I got carried away while repairing all of those combat damages," Brigitte replied. "By the way, I am Brigitte Lindholm." She extended her hand to Edward. "Edward Berg. Call me Edward or anything you find suitable along those lines. Nice meeting you Ms. Lindholm." Edward smiled while shaking her hand. Brigitte chuckled. "Just call me Brigitte. There is no need to be so formal." "Lindholm...as in Torbjörn Lindholm?" Edward inquired. "Yes you're right! How do you know?" "Well, lets just say I've known your papa since I was a kid. Speaking of which, where is he now?" "Oh, he's at Winston's lab. So is everybody else." The three talked a bit more, before going their separate ways. Edward and Reinhardt continued their trek to Winston's lab while Brigitte headed to her room. It was not long before the two reached Winston's lab, a place where Edward had spent most of his time when he was a kid, either watching Winston and Torbjörn working on their gadgets, or having a question and answer session with ATHENA on Winston's office. Reinhardt placed his right hand on the door's biometric scanner, opening it. "After you." He smiled, gesturing Edward to go first. Edward took a deep breath as he stepped inside, trying his best to not look like an idiot. However, upon seeing the faces of those he'd never thought to see again...tears flowed out from his eyes. Captain Lightning Spear, a unicorn royal guard captain, waited patiently outside of Canterlot Castle's war room. He was the newest officer to be posted at the castle so he wondered what could possibly caused him to be summoned directly by Princess Luna herself. Although in her message she emphasized for him to be there when his shift for the day has ended;,so it must be important. Just then, two young castle maids cantered towards him, a pegasus mare and a unicorn mare. He hoped that he would be unnoticed, but that was not the case. His electric yellow coat would be the most conspicuous in a hallway where the color composition is mostly grey and white. Coupled with the fact that he was clad in his golden armor, which brilliantly reflected the afternoon sunlight, any chances of him being stealthy flew out the window.. "Hey captain," they greeted him. "Hello ladies," Lightning replied with a bow, causing the maids to giggle. "How is your day?" asked the pegasus maid. "As fine as I can be. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure? " "We were wondering if we could steal you away for a moment?" asked the unicorn. "You won't regret it." "I am flattered by your offer miss, but I am still on duty." "Another time perhaps?" The pegasus asked again. "Another time." Lightning smiled. The two maidens took their leave, leaving Lightning to himself once again. And still, no signs of Princess Luna. The Moon Princess also informed him that two very important ponies would be joining them in the rendezvous, adding more questions to his mind. Albeit uncertain, his gut feeling told him that he was about to enter something big. "Lightning?" said a familiar voice from the hallway's entrance. Lightning turned to the voice's source, and saw his cousin Twilight standing there with a big smile on her face. He ran to her, and threw his hooves around her neck. She in turn did the same. "It's so good to see you again!" Twilight smiled. "We haven't seen each other again since you were transferred to Manehattan three years ago." "Ancient history that one. So, what do I call you now? Is Twily still legit ? Or is it 'Your Highness The Illustrious Egghead Princess Twilight Sparkle'?" "Oh I miss you too. So, have you seen Princess Luna yet?" Lightning shook his head. "But since you're here, mind telling me what this is all about?" "I don't really know myself, but Princess Luna mentioned something about a big quest. Like, really big. In the meantime, I'd like you to meet someone. But promise me you won't do anything impulsive." "I'm not a savage." Twilight then stepped to the side, revealing a pony that Lightning had failed to notice while conversing with Twilight, a purple coated unicorn mare with a scar over her right eye and a broken horn. "Lightning, this is--" "Tempest Shadow. I've heard about you." "Actually, it's Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Call me Fizzlepop. Captain Lightning Spear, yes?" "Call me Lightning," he said as the two bumped their right hooves together. "It's a shame we didn't get the chance to cross blades with each other. The Storm King would not take an ordinary unicorn soldier as his lieutenant." "And I've heard you are the Royal Guard's most skilled Spellsword. Care to find out sometime?" Tempest grinned. "Count me in." "Very well. Just don't get carried away while you two are at it," said a certain midnight blue alicorn behind them. Lightning and Tempest immediately turned around and bowed before Luna who chuckled at their skittishness. "Please, there is no need for such formalities. Now, shall we?" The quartet entered the war-room. It was a large dome-shaped room, with white marble walls illuminated with wall-mounted magic-crystals. Multiple suits of armor were positioned neatly all over the room, surrounding a large black-hued crystal round table with Equestria's map engraved on its surface. When they all entered the room, Lightning used his telekinesis to shut the large wooden double doors. "Now that everypony is here, let's get down to the matter at hoof. I need the three of you to accompany me to Earth to locate and destroy the Spark of Life." The whole room fell into silence. "Pardon me Princess Luna, are we still talking about the mythical crystal which breathes life into everything it touches?" Tempest inquired. "You are correct. However, it is not a myth. My sister banished it a long time ago into the horizons of space and time, but for unknown reasons, it has recently re-emerged on the humans' war-torn homeworld, Earth." The Moon Princess paused, letting the information to sink in. Already she saw questions written on everypony's faces. "In order to locate the Spark of Life, I have devised a tracking spell called Seek Guidance, which I will share with you should you choose to accompany me on this journey. You heard me right, you are free to choose whether to accept or decline this quest. I will not lie, the risks are great. Some of us might not come back. So if any of you want to do so, you can leave now." Despite the massive amount of doubt pounding in their heads, the three knew Luna wasn't lying. And so, none of them left the room. But the questions were too much for them to bear. "Pardon me, Princess Luna. We do not know much about Earth and the hazards we will run into there. I think it is necessary to bring more guards with us," Lightning proposed. "As comforting as it may be, I want our mission to be a clandestine one. The only pony who knows about this is my sister, and now the three of you. Making a public announcement of another grave danger would stir panic for the civilians. A small team of minimum numbers and maximum sets of skill would be better suited for this kind of mission." "Maximum sets of skill, Princess?" Asked Tempest. "You and Captain Lightning are among our most powerful Spellswords. Earth is a dangerous place, and I doubt to find allies there. But I'd prefer to put violence as a last resort. That is where Twilight comes in. She is an excellent diplomat and negotiator. Then we will see how reasonable these humans are." "I see, but what's our plan?" Twilight asked. "This is going to be a simple search and destroy mission. Once I share Seek Guidance with you, we should all know the Spark's location. And after that, we will teleport directly to the spot, find the stone, destroy it, and go home. We will embark tomorrow, rendezvous at the Throne Room at 06.00 A.M, take everything necessary with you. Now, return to your homes and get some rest." "One more question, Princess," Lightning said. Luna nodded in approval. "Forgive me if I sound rather straightforward, Princess, but...why are we doing this? Earth has been drenched in blood for centuries as if bloodshed is the natural cycle of life there. Why must we aid a warmongering species who would rather kill each other than to make peace?" Twilight and Tempest shared his thoughts as well. "Because the humans have never seen what that kind of dark sorcery could do. Should the Spark ever be used, the results would be catastrophic. We cannot let the humans pay for our past mistake. If there are no more questions, you are all dismissed." The three bowed, and left the War Room. When they gained a bit of distance, Lightning motioned for the mares to follow him. He ignored all inquiries from the mares until they reached a small garden with a fountain in it's center. "Okay Lightning, why have you brought us here?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. "I just feel like something's off with the Princess's statement." "About?" "The reason we are going on this mission. I feel she is not telling us everything. I know, it's not my place to say so but--" "Relax cousin, you are getting all paranoid again. Besides, there's a whole new world waiting to be explored out there. Think of the possibilities, the knowledge, the--" "Okay, Egghead. I get it. It's just..." Lightning sighed. "Fine then, sorry if I acted like a paranoid cuckoo." With that, they left the garden, unaware of the watching eyes above. After the explosion of hugs, and reunion with his old friends, Edward was taken to Dr. Angela Ziegler's office at the base's medical wing for a health examination before being put to active duty. "Angela, I told you I am fine," he grumbled as they entered Angela's office, causing the combat medic to chuckle. "Oh Edward, still afraid of needles hmm?" she teased. "I can hold him down if ya want to, doc." Jesse McCree, an American with the country's signature Southern accent whose entire outfit screamed cowboy proposed with a sly smile. "Don't you dare Jesse. I'm warning you." Edward glared. Despite his willingness to be a bullet sponge for his friends, needles and syringes were always something ominous for him. "Relax kid, it's just protocol. 'sides, she ain't gonna stick ya if it ain't needed." The cowboy slapped Edward's back. Angela told him to take his seat while Jesse leaned on the door frame. "Now hold still," Angela said while taking out her handheld medical scanner. As she pressed the activation button, a beam of blue light scanned Edward head-to-toe. The scanner then relayed the results to ATHENA, and she declared he was perfect for active duty. Just then, someone knocked the door to Angela's office. "Come in!" the doctor said. The metal sliding door slid open, and in stepped a grey cyborg ninja with a futuristic katana sheathed on it's back. It's visor was lit with a green light and so was several parts of it's body. At first Edward thought it was an omnic, but soon he realized that it was Agent Genji Shimada. He didn't really know him, as he was one of Blackwatch's most intimidating agent which scared Edward when he was a kid, so he tended to stay clear from his proximity. With the protruding cables, red eyes, and all... However, Angela and her team upgraded him inside out. And thus, Edward began to interact with him, albeit not that much. "Heya Genji." Jesse greeted him. "What brings ya here today?" "Greetings Jesse. I think there is something wrong with my right arm sensor. I can barely feel anything with it." Then, he shifted his sights to Edward. "Hello, Edward. It has been a long time since we last met." "Same to you Genji." Edward shook Genji's extended right hand. "Did you feel my grip?" "Only a little." Angela quickly got to work on Genji's right arm with her Caduceus Staff which emitted a stream of yellow light filled with Biotics, microscopic machines capable of repairing both organics and synthetics. "Better?" Angela cooed, kissing Genji's forehead. "Better," The cyborg replied by cupping his newly repaired hand on Angela's cheek. "Angela, you haven't told me everything." Edward smirked. Before she could reply, alarms started blaring in the entire base. Author's Note So if any of you don't what a Lucerne hammer is, there you go. Just imagine it like unrealistically large, with all the futuristic Crusader design, and rocket engines underneath the hammer's claw. As for Genji's 'old appearance' compared to his 'current appearance': Here's the old one, imagine you are a five year old kid and see this guy walking up at ya. And here's his current canon appearance. Cool stuff right? Again, thank you very much to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter. Chapter 3Edward rushed to the armory with several Overwatch personnel in tow. Angela, Genji and Jesse immediately left for their posts. Had he known this would happen he would have kept his armor on. At the same time, multiple missiles struck the buildings nearby, causing massive fiery explosions, incinerating everything and everyone unlucky enough to be caught in the radius. The blasts were followed by five black Talon aircraft jetting above their heads, continuously spraying their auto cannons and firing salvos of high-explosive ordinances against Watchpoint: Gibraltar's anti-air defenses. Thanks to their advanced stealth technology, air-to-ground missile batteries were having a hard time targeting them. However, not completely. An EMP missile hit one of the Talons' aircraft, burning out every single electronic component within, causing it to crash into the rocky cliffs below. Also, a pulse auto-cannon destroyed the wing of another, sending it spinning in flames to the front of Winston's lab. Edward met Reinhardt in the armory, and stepped into the docking pads to don their armors. "Have you ever been in life or death situations before?" Reinhardt asked as armor pieces were being fitted on his large frame. "A couple of times helping Stuttgart's finest in hostage rescue," Edward replied nonchalantly as his' were screwed on. "Then we shall prove ourselves in glorious combat!" "Don't get yourself killed old man." He chuckled as he put on his helmet. It's orange visor lit up as the suit's power surged up to it and AEGIS reported that the suit was combat ready. "A squad of Talon troops are deploying right outside of the armory!" ATHENA reported. The operatives were clad in black body armor, complete with helmets and face-obscuring ballistic masks; Regular Talon rank-and-file grunts. "Good! Let's crush these bastards head on!" Edward exclaimed as he took his rocket powered Lucerne hammer from it's storage. "But remember, the team's safety is our primary concern. Do not charge in if you will compromise your team," Reinhardt advised, a lesson he learned the hard way. Edward nodded in reply. "We're ready, sir," said Sergeant Zhou as his men finished arming themselves. The Crusaders deployed their large blue energy barriers from their left arm shield generators, safely shielding themselves and the men behind them. "ATHENA, open the door," Reinhardt commanded. As the armory's large metal sliding double doors opened, they were barraged with rockets and machine gun fire. However the ordinances were rendered useless as they impacted the Crusaders' energy barriers. As most of Talon operatives ceased fire to reload, the Crusaders advanced with men behind them, returning fire at their Talon attackers. Several hostile operatives were killed while others were incapacitated. Edward, seeing a cowering Talon operative, grabbed him by the head and hurled him towards three of his still firing comrades, knocking them down like bowling pins and effectively silencing the Talon assault towards the armory. Back in their days, the Crusaders fought against omnic combatants whose bodies were made of metal. And so, humans encased in hard bulletproof suits of armor would be nothing compared to them. Volleys of "don't move" and "drop your weapons" were heard. What was left of the Talon squad then surrendered. After Sergeant Zhou assured them that they will handle the rest, Edward and Reinhardt proceeded to where cries for help were heard most. Lightning stood in front of Canterlot Castle's Throne Room with Princesses Luna and Celestia, waiting for Twilight and Fizzlepop to arrive. It was very early in the morning, and so the castle was very quiet. Sometimes there were the occasional chirping of birds and other sounds of nature, but other than that, silence. Lightning was wearing a black tinted version of the Royal Guard armor. Aside from the color, another difference was the helmet was without it's signature blue tassel. A dagger was also strapped to the armor's side, stripped of all decorations, and crafted only for battle or explorations. With his trusty spear and supply-packed saddlebags, Lightning was ready to depart. Luna was also clad in her own armor. Her armor was made of midnight blue steel with radiating purple gems adorning several areas. She carried her own saddlebags and a longsword was strapped to her hip. "So, have you prepared everything for the mission, Captain Lightning?" Luna asked, breaking the silence between them. "Everything is ready on my part, Princess." "I mean, everything. Do you still have any unresolved internal issues? Doubts perhaps? As I told you before, some of us might not come back. If you haven't, it's best for you to do so now." A cold chill crept up Lightning's spine. Had Luna overheard him stating his suspicion last night? Despite his unease, he decided it would be best to bottle up his baseless accusation for now. "No, Princess. Everything is settled." Twilight and Fizzlepop arrived shortly. Their backs strapped with saddlebags containing a mountain of items inside, suitable for a long journey. A contrary to Twilight, who wore nothing other than her usual, Tempest wore her old dark purple armor, although the Storm King's crest was already removed. She also carried a longsword on her back. "Hello. I assume you have everything ready?" inquired Celestia. "Physically and mentally, Princess." Twilight grinned. The group then entered the Throne Room. Once they got to the room's center, in exception for Celestia, the group formed a circle at Luna's behest. Not only did it ease her to share Seek Guidance, teleportation between worlds requires immense magic to perform. One of the methods would be to combine a concentrated arcane energy to teleport away. This also need extraordinary focus from all participants, because should one get distracted, the teleportation will not succeed. "Now, I am about to share with you all the Seek Guidance spell. This spell requires no concentration to receive nor to cast. However, there will be pain when you receive this spell. So close your eyes, and try to relax." Luna closed her eyes and horn started glowing with magic. Soon, tendrils of blue light reached for the horns of everypony in the circle. Soon, pained cries were heard. "Stay with me, it will be over soon." Fizzlepop and Lightning felt their heads were being squeezed like grapes, and just when the pain reached its climax, it disappeared as fast as it had surged. The two crumpled to the floor as the world around them began to spin, while Twilight didn't even flinch. Alicorn perks maybe. Celestia rushed towards them and cast a healing magic to ease the pain. "There, there. The pain will go away soon." She smiled. True to her word, the pain subsided. Lightning quickly recovered, but he noticed Fizzlepop was still on the floor; shaking her head to get rid of the sensation. "Are you okay?" "Yes, just a bit dizzy. It'll clear up in no time." But Lightning took his initiative. He offered his hoof which Fizzlepop accepted, and helped her up. "Thanks." The mare smiled. "Don't mention it." At his heart, Lightning was still a bit distrustful towards Fizzlepop after the things she had done towards those he'd sworn to protect. However, as his former drill sergeant always said: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." And also: "Destroy your enemies by befriending them." Plus, he also trusted Twilight's judgement as both his cousin and one of Equestria's leaders. If she trusted her, then so should he. Other than that, he believes that everypony deserves a second chance. Still, should she try anything that will endanger Twilight or Luna...then he will do what's necessary. "Pardon me, Princess Luna, but I do not feel any wiser regarding the Spark's location," Fizzlepop commented. "Oh, that is to be expected. The spell will work once we arrive on Earth to avoid anomalies here, such as giving false locations and so on," Luna explained. "That being said, is everypony ready to go?" "Let's." Celestia hugged her younger sister and kissed her forehead. "Be safe out there. Take care of each other." "Fizzlepop, since you can't teleport, you can hold on to me." Twilight smiled. She gratefully accepted her offer and did what she was asked to do. Their horns were charged with the arcane, which grew stronger with each passing second, and in a flash of bright light, the ponies vanished. Edward charged through a swarm of Talon operatives advancing towards the Watchpoint's launch pad, laughing loudly at the sight of humans being hurled aside after colliding with his massive and heavy armor. He grabbed an operative by his head, scraping him against the floor before tossing the barely alive man into another crowd of operatives firing behind cover, successfully knocking them down and smashing the last one with his rocket hammer, turning him into a puddle of gore like other Talons who were unlucky enough to face the punishing weapon. Those who did not face the rocket hammer suffered from broken bones, internal bleeding, fractures, dislocations, and other serious injuries that will render them useless in battle. "Just like cracking eggs." He chuckled. "All clear!" Several Overwatch soldiers popped their heads behind their makeshift cover of metal containers and saw that they were no longer being fired upon. "Still alive old man?" Edward laughed as Reinhardt skated next to him, propelled by his rocket engine. "Heroes never die!" he boomed as he took his helmet off. By then, the Talon gunships were either shot down or retreated as they were being overrun by Overwatch's retaliation. "That's my line!" Angela replied as she flew in with the help of her Valkyrie Suit with Genji, Jesse, and Lena "Tracer" Oxton in tow. "Are you two hurt?" "Ah it's just a scratch. Help those in--" Reinhardt was cut off as an explosion of bright light engulfed the surrounding area. Everybody present shielded their eyes in order not to lose their precious eye-sights. After the brightness subsided, the humans couldn't believe their own eyes as four multicolored ponies layed on the ground. What's more, they were stirring awake. "Angela, what the hell did ya put in my drink?" Author's Note Well, it's that time of the year again folks! Gathering together with your loved ones, getting all cuddly in winter (tbh I don't know what winter feels like since I live in Indonesia), exchanging presents with each other, while also eating so much until you cant feel your faces Maybe it's a little late, but regardless; Merry Christmas to you who celebrate! I wish that all of you have a blessed one this year . I am updating the next chapter ASAP. As always, big thanks to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter ! Chapter 4Venice, Talon H.Q. As embers of the recent battle still smoldered on Watchpoint: Gibraltar, leaders of Talon observed the spectacle through live camera feeds from the attacking gunships. Despite having lost the battle, the emergence of Earth's newest visitors seemingly out of nowhere caught their attention. "Now that's interesting," said the infamous Talon hacker known as Sombra as she zoomed the camera with her computer-integrated left hand. From the live feed, they saw a large hover-truck being driven to the location and Overwatch personnel loading the ponies into it. "Can you hack into their systems?" asked Akande "Doomfist" Ogundimu, one of Talons' supreme leaders. "As much as I want to, the answer is no." She glanced at Gabriel "Reaper" Reyes, the notorious black robed Talon terrorist who growled at her, remembering his foiled attempt to retrieve the roster of Overwatch agents in Watchpoint: Gibraltar. "Then have the remaining gunships to deploy the Scouter Drones and tell them to retreat," Akande ordered, which Sombra relayed to the three remaining gunships. The gunships then jettisoned an amount of five insect-formed drones each, which then quickly scattering across the Watchpoint. The drones were incapable of doing any form of physical damage, but they excel at information gathering. "Our bugs are in place." Sombra leaned back in her seat, placing both hands behind her head. "Now, all we have to do is wait," Akande said. "To think that such creatures truly exist...I want a full 24 hour surveillance on them! Keep me updated," he said as he walked out of the room. "Sure thing boss." Sombra grinned. Luna opened her eyes only to see a blurry shade of white, her entire body feeling numb, and being unable to move her limbs. However, she did not panic, as she knew this would be the side effect of teleportation on such a massive scale. Luna took a deep breath, and closed her eyes in meditation in order to regain control of her body. Slowly but surely, she could feel her limbs again and her vision cleared. It was then when she realized she was lying on a hospital bed in what looked like a hospital's recovery room, albeit a lot more advanced than the hospitals they have back home. She tilted her head to the left and saw Lightning, Twilight, and Fizzlepop who were also stirring awake from their unconsciousness. However, despite their overall fine condition, all of their weapons, supplies, and suits of armor were nowhere to be found. "Where are we?" Fizzlepop asked as she dragged herself out of the bed. "Not sure, but if things went according to plan we should be right where the Spark of Life is," Twilight said. "Speaking of which, the spell should have kicked in now, but honestly, I don't feel a thing," Lightning commented. "But I think we have bigger problems right now. For starters, where are our things?" "The humans must have taken it away. But I do not think they did this to do us harm, because if they did, we would not be recovering in this hospital right now," Luna noted. Then, the room's sliding doors opened and four humans stepped in. They were wearing protective white clothing which covered their entire bodies, complete with boots, gloves, and surgical masks. The one leading the humans has a slender and curvier build compared to the other three which suggested femininity. And the other three were much more masculine in build; must be the males. "I see you're all awake," said the leading human with a soft, motherly tone, kneeling on one knee to meet the ponies on eye level, staring at them with her soft blue eyes. And as much as they tried not to let their guards down, her attitude calmed them down. "How are you feeling?" she asked. Of course she was not expecting any answers as her question was meant to calm them down. For the humans, they were staring at what they assumed to be mythical animals. Animals, which were supposedly incapable of human speech. Until... "Still a bit shaken from the long-range teleportation, but other than that we're just fine. Thank you." Twilight smiled. This caused the humans to virtually freeze where they stood. An Alicorn, a mythical creature, an animal, just spoke to them in human tongue. English. After a long silence, in which Twilight practically held on to her grin, the female human cleared her throat. "You...can talk?" "All of us can." "But you can't! You two are Alicorns, and the rest of you are Unicorns!" "Based on your experience with our kind? As far as I know, we are your first," Lightning interjected. "A-actually that's a good point. I think we started this the wrong way..." she said, taking off her surgical mask, revealing her true face. "My name is Doctor Angela Ziegler, call me Angela or something along those lines. And you are?" She stared at Twilight. Luna thought it would be best to refrain from using their formal titles since these humans didn't know who they were anyway, but how about their things? Surely the humans must have caught something about their identities. Their weapons...suits of armor...however, it would be best not to take any chances. She tapped into her magic in order to contact her friends telepathically. "Don't use your titles. Don't ask, just do it." She got a chorus of "okay"s in response. After introducing themselves respectively, Angela and her medics left the room in order to bring some food and water for the ponies. Also, Angela told them that she would be returning with a friend and they would answer the ponies' questions when they return. Ten minutes later, the doctor returned with a food cart loaded with fruits, vegetables, and four bottles of water. Accompanying her was Winston, who practically captivated the newcomers. The gorilla scientist, however, didn't share their surprise as much. However, he was still surprised of the fact that the ponies can talk. "Hello there!" greeted Winston, receiving a bunch of weak "hi"s in return. "I know I know. I am a gorilla, and yes, I can talk." "Actually that's nothing new to us," Twilight remarked. "In our world, a lot of animals can talk. We're just surprised this world has talking animals too!" Despite a bit objected by the word 'animal', Winston was more eager in learning more about these equine newcomers. But as Angela told him, they would be answering their questions first. "Well, I suppose all of you have a lot of questions to ask," Winston said while adjusting his glasses. "So, who's first?" While Winston and Angela tended to the ponies, the rest of Overwatch personnel tended to the attack's aftermath, clearing the debris, putting out the fires, detaining surviving Talons, evacuating the wounded, and disposing the dead. The bodies were to be cremated and their ashes scattered at sea. They were stored into wooden coffins, ready to be set on fire. "Would anybody like to say something?" Lena "Tracer" Oxton asked, grief audible in her voice. Reinhardt stepped forward and faced the lines of soldiers before him. "Today we pray for those who gave their lives fighting for what they think is worth dying for. Both Overwatch, and Talon. We know that our grief is nothing compared to that of their loved ones. And it is them we also hold tonight in our thoughts and prayers, and ask that they may somehow find the strength and courage to face the days ahead. Rest in peace, my brothers and sisters. May you know no more strife, watch over us in our days to come, and one day...we shall all be reunited again." Reinhardt returned to his original place on Edward's right and the coffins were torched. As Edward witnessed the fiery spectacle, he was once again reminded that any of them could be next. A risk taken by all of Overwatch personnel when they joined the organization, hoping that they could make a difference for a better world. And he acts as one of their shields in doing that, so it would be partially his responsibility if anything should happen to those under his protection in the field. He shrugged off the uncertainty on his mind. All he knew for certain was that this was only the beginning. Author's Note Hey guys how's it going? So, I recently got into Dying Light and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (I am late AF I know) but when u dont have the cash to buy a machine powerful enough to run the game back then, I guess you dont really have much choice XD. And now I can't stop playing it, hence for the slow upload :( #sowwy. As usual, thank you to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter . Chapter 6As the aircraft entered hypersonic speed, the team gathered near the conference table to discuss their game plan. ATHENA provided a bird's eye view of Dorado and an old fortress overlooking the town by the name of Castillo. Jesse began the discussion. "As y'all can see, this place is kinda cramped with a lot of folks on the streets, especially when that festival hits. Even now people are already crowdin' Dorado to prepare for the fiesta. I don't wanna put any civilians in danger, which is why it's damn crucial to prevent bullets from flying during D-day." "Sounds like you have a plan luv." Lena grinned. "I do. Our mission's focus ain't gonna be at Dorado. Instead, we're gonna hit Castillo, Los Muertos' crib. The area's off limits to civies, so weapons free. Shame, they got a mighty fine bar right there." "The one you were drinking stupid at last Christmas?" Angela crooked an eyebrow. "Yep, ran into Olivia too., he mumbled. "Oooooh, playin' with fire there Jesse." Lena smirked. "Who's Olivia?" Edward asked. "Olivia Calomar. You probably know her as Sombra." Angela told him, causing his lips to form a nasty grin. "I told ya, it was a one-night stand. We fucked and that's it." "I'm surprised she hadn't filmed the whole thing and uploaded to some porn site or something." Edward chuckled. "She did. Top browsed for roleplay category." The entire ship burst into laughter for some time before gradually calming down. "Back to the matter at hand, what is your entry plan?" Genji inquired. "Old or not, Castillo is still a fortress. In addition, the spy satellite suggested there is at least one armored combat mech on site, so barging in through the front door should be considered as a last resort." "Infiltration could work. You, me, and Lena could wipe out the sentries in a flash and take over the place without a soul knowing we were there in the first place. Then we open the door from inside, that's when Edward and Angela will join." Jesse suggested. But Edward have an alternative. "Let’s say if I can lend us some extra firepower, what do you say?" "Go on." Jesse crooked an eyebrow, a hint of doubt visible on his face. "An acquaintance of mine, Antonio Gutierrez, is commissioner of Dorado's police force. He's an Overwatch sympathizer and a fierce opponent to Los Muertos. I could convince him to lend us some extra firepower," Edward suggested. "The police are going to arrive eventually, and we do not want to be there when they do. What makes you think your friend will be any different?" Genji inquired. "Besides, I don't want to put more lives on the line." Jesse added. "Don't you worry about it. Antonio is one of those people who still believe in our cause. That means instant-arrest is out of the way. Besides, we will be sharing a mutual advantage here. We help them with their work and they help ours. The difference is, we'll be there with less cloak and dagger aura. I know I sound so naive and I admit, I prefer Jesse's strategy. But like it or not, Overwatch fell because we lost the world's trust, and if we want to regain that trust...clandestine missions are not the way." "Okay kid, your tongue's made of silver you know that? Talk to this guy and bring us all the Mexican firepower you can get plus some public trust while you're at it. But if that doesn't work, we'll do it my way. That clear?" "As day, Jesse. Objections anybody?" Edward asked, but the rest shook their heads. Suddenly Genji drew his wakizashi blade and dashed forward towards the crusader in a flash of green. Before anybody could react the cyborg had caught something invisible behind him, pinning it to the ground with his weapon held tightly against it. "You're good." the unseen apparition spoke before de-cloaking. It was none other than Lightning Spear, who had sneaked aboard the ship. "Not anypony can just discover me like that." "What is your purpose here? And do speak the truth, I'd hate to kill you." Genji asked as he pressed his blade harder against Lightning's neck, slightly digging its sharp edge into the pony's electric yellow coat. "Luna told me she couldn't help, but she didn't say she won't be sending any with you." Lightning calmly answered. "Now can you please get off of me?" "Before he does, what's up with the sneakin'? Could've just asked nicely." Jesse crossed his arms. "Please, you would've said no anyway, and Luna is not a mare who will take no for an answer in situations like these. Besides, I wanna see for myself if I can sneak past you and all of your tech here and it seems I got my answer already. Is that good enough for you?" "He is telling the truth," Genji said as he sheathed his wakizashi into its horizontally positioned scabbard on his lower back and helped the stallion on his feet. "I’m very sorry." Lightning sighed and bowed his head. "For this, and not being entirely honest to you." "What do you mean?" Angela inquired. "You see, I'm not just a regular adventuring stallion, and those three mares are...how should I put this...very, very important ponies in Equestria." Lightning began his explanation. "In truth, I am a captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard and along with Fizzlepop, my job is to protect Luna and my cousin as they are both Princesses of the realm during this quest." "Huh, should've figured it out by your suits of armor and weapons. Too high quality for civilian use." Edward remarked. "Why didn't you tell us before luv? That recovery room's a hardly fitting accommodation for a group of royal emissaries." Lena took a knee to meet him at eye level. "Safety precautions, Lena. We know humans are not exactly the most peaceful species and there are also fear of the unknown, the understandable, and the uncontrollable which we all share in common. But, seeing that you've treated us nicely instead of strapping us at dissection tables and cutting us open like toads have reminded us that a rotten apple does not spoil the whole bunch. And there's also the fact that our teleportation magic, which should have brought us to the closest location of the Spark, did not work as intended as we don't sense the artifact anywhere back at the base. Either a malfunction happened...or was it something else that sent us to you? Perhaps the will of a higher power? Or maybe destiny? I guess we'll never know. What matters now is that our paths have crossed, and the best course of action would be to help each other out. Just don't expect us to blow up a planet or something like that. So, friends?" Lightning offered his right hoof. "Wow, you sure you're a cap'in there partner? You sound hella like a diplomat to me." Jesse smirked and shook Lightning's offered limb which the latter felt to be rather awkward as they usually bump it together but went with it nevertheless. Maybe it's a human custom. "Friends." "Oh no no no. Being a diplomat is too much politics." Lightning shuddered. "But enough with the rhetorical statements. By now I’m sure all of you are wondering if I am qualified enough for this mission of yours. Aside from telekinesis and restoration spells, you've seen my Chameleon spell which virtually renders me invisible, but I assure you there's more to it than that." "Now this I've got to see!" Angela perked up. "Still a nerd Angie?" Edward patted her shoulder. "Shhhh!" "Hey hey! Just don't trash the ship will ya?! Or you're going swimming at the North Atlantic!" Ray yelled from the cockpit. "I won't!" Lightning hollered. "He's got a point though, it's not safe to use my other abilities here. So, I'll demonstrate the shield dome." "Wait wait, I think it's best for us to move to the basketball ring. More space there, nothing precious to damage," Angela suggested. After they moved to the intended spot, they gave Lightning some space and gave the green light. His horn glowed with a yellow light and in a blink of the eye, a translucent shimmering yellow sphere enclosed him. "A simple, yet powerful energy barrier. I can expand the size at will should it be necessary, but that will require more magic and concentration. Now don't be shy, gimme your best shot!" As fast as lightning, Genji threw threeshurikens simultaneously towards the unicorn only for the throwing weapons to clatter to the floor upon impacting the energy barrier. Seeing the futility of his first attack he quickly flicked six moreshurikens, resulting the same as his previous attack. "C'mon G, you can do better than that," Jesse taunted. A nasty grin formed underneath Genji's mask. He brandished hiswakizashionce more and dashed towards the translucent barrier trying to penetrate it with a close-range attack. However, as his blade made contact with the dome he felt as if he had sliced into something very malleable and he was thrown back towards the recreation table. The cyborg manipulated the momentum into a couple of back-flips and lunged towards Lightning again, but this time he brandished hiskatanaand shouted his signature phrase. "Ryūjin no ken wo kurae!" A green dragon seemingly made of pure energy danced around his blade and Genji struck Lightning's shield with one of his most devastating attacks. Thekiimbuedkatanawent through his shield like knife through butter and stopped mere inches from Lightning's throat, leaving the captain with a look of unfazed astonishment on his face. "*ahem* I-impressive, I do not know humans can use magic as well!" Lightning stammered. "Your magic is very powerful Genji." Genji crooked an eyebrow underneath his mask. "This is not magic. It is calledki, a vital force that forms every living thing which can be harnessed to perform incredible feats provided one knows the way." "Huh, sounds like magic to me." Lightning smirked. "Perhaps thiskiis not so different than magic? Your last attack emitted a lot of magical energy you know." "I shall not accept nor deny your claim for now," Genji spoke. "After seeing the feats you did...it seems I still have much to learn." He bowed, which Lightning returned. "Your shield's not perfect, nothin' is. But magic steel out there is pretty rare. The main threats would be these." Jesse flashed his Peacemaker revolver before pointing at Lena's twin rapid-fire Pulse Pistols and Angela's Caduceus Blaster. "If your barrier can hold out against these, then you're comin' with us." "Bring it on!" Lightning puffed his chest and once again conjured his shield dome. Jesse fired a round directly in front of Lightning's face but as Genji'sshurikens before, the bullet fell deformed to the ground. "Nice, but that's a warnin' shot. Now ready up I'm bout ta fan the hammer." Jesse smirked. Lightning had no idea what that meant but something in him urged to maintain a very steady barrier. The cowboy leveled his gun to hip level and jerked the hammer repeatedly, emptying the remaining five rounds into the energy dome. This time cracks formed on the dome's surface. "Cracking but holding, Lena...Angie you're up." Jesse retreated to the recreational table and sat down at one side of the couch. "Stay still luv." "Not going anywhere." Like Jesse, the two fired testing shots first before emptying their clips on his shield. By then, heavy cracks were already visible as if the shield was ready to fail at any second and Lightning himself was panting and sweating heavily. He collapsed to the ground and his yellow translucent energy dome dissipated. "Lightning, are you okay?!" Angela rushed towards him in order to tend to whatever was wrong, but Lightning raised his right hoof. "I'm fine, just exhausted that's all...my shield never absorbed so much damage at such rapid rate before." Edward picked him up and set him down on the recreational table's cushioned wall-fixed seating. "I guess you passed the test my friend. Welcome aboard." The crusader patted Lightning's shoulder strongly. "ATHENA, how long 'till deployment?" "Approximately one hour and five minutes from now," the AI replied. "Thank you ATHENA!" "You're most welcome." "Well we still have some time left, get some rest Lightning. We'll wake you up later." With a thankful nod, the unicorn closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. "Incoming transmission from H.Q." ATHENA announced. "Patch them through." Jesse ordered. The hologram globe changed into Reinhardt sitting in the command center, pressing an ice pack to the left side of his face and underneath a large bruise could be seen. "So what's up old man? New intel?" Jesse folded his arms. Reinhardt presented a decapitated gray robotic cockroach on his hand. "Talon bugging device outfitted with stealth tech." he told him. "If Twilight hadn't found this, we will have a lot more damage to deal with on our hands. We are currently sweeping the base for more of these bugs, do the same with the ship." "Goddamnit, must've deployed after the attack. I bet Talon knows about our new friends already." Reinhardt nodded. "You can assume so. From this point forward I think we will be meeting each other more and more frequently. Luna told me that Lightning is with you now?" "He is very capable, tested that ourselves. By the way, what's up with your face?" "Uncle, you are the one tasked with the beating, not getting beaten yourself." Edward chuckled. "Ah it's nothing, another sparring hazard with Brigitte. You should try and spar with her when you have the chance. My age is starting to catch up with me." The senior crusader chuckled. "Ah shush, you're doing great," Brigitte's voice echoed on the background. "Against someone who bested Reinhardt? Of course! I'd spar with you anytime Brigitte." "I'll take you up on it." the armorer walked up to the camera with a wink. "One more thing, papa's hands are still full with the repairs, so try to keep the armor in one piece okay?" "I'll try." "Stay safe guys." With that, she cut off the transmission. After setting down by the rocky cliffs at Dorado's outskirts, Edward and Lightning immediately headed to the city's police department in order to rendezvous with Commissioner Antonio Gutierrez whom Edward had previously contacted. Due to the Orca's stealth technology and integrated active camouflage the ship was practically undetectable by both radar and visual instruments. Also, the ship was free from bugging devices. While the rest of the team stayed behind at the ship, the two teleported to a dark alley adjacent to the department which to their luck was empty. While teleportation is Lightning's forte, for Edward that was his first time to experience such an event, and thus he was experiencing quite the vertigo and nausea. "Don't worry about it. First timer's side effects. Should wear off in a few seconds." Just as he said that, the crusader emptied his stomach on the brick pavement. He reached inside his black leather jacket for an orange pill bottle and consumed a couple to dole out the effects. "Buck, a shame I came here unequipped. I have some medicine in my satchel for this situation." "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. But since you brought it up, I will have a word with the rest so you can have your equipment back. You will be coming with us every now and then anyway." "Appreciate it, now let us get underway. I will stick to the rooftops and shadow you with teleportation and Chameleon. Once you're done we can return to the ship." With that, Lightning once again cloaked himself and Edward made his way to the police department. The streets were bustling with a lot of people wearing colorful clothes, balconies were decorated with blooming flowers, flags and banners flew on the city's skies, decorative lighting were set up here and there, and market stands were brimming with an assortment of goodies ranging from clothes to consumables. Despite the cheery atmosphere, this didn't help Edward much as he needed to get to the department ASAP. After slowly squeezing through the crowds, he arrived at his destination and walked through the automatic glass sliding doors. He immediately headed to the receptionist table which was adjacent to the doors. "Edward Berg meeting with Commissioner Gutierrez." "Take a left, up the stairs, on the left end," said the receptionist lady with a bored tone, her large spectacles and tired eyes reminded him of his first grade math teacher back then. "Gracias, have a good day." Edward smiled before taking the given directions. A moment later he arrived at a simple looking wooden door with a glass pane fixed to it and on its surface was writtenComisario de Policía. Despite his little to no knowledge in Spanish he was pretty sure that meant 'Police Commissioner' in English. Before he could knock, a large silhouette appeared behind the glass pane and opened the door for him. "Aaayy It's been too long niño!" Antonio said while giving his friend a strong bear hug which Edward returned. "Come in, come in!" Edward thanked him and the two took their seats. "So, how are things Antonio? I hope all is good." "Aside from those Los Muertosperroscausing trouble every now and then all is good. You?" "Living the dream, my friend," Edward said as he slid his Overwatch badge on Antonio's table, which caused the latter's eyes to widen. "This calls for a celebration! We should drink to this!" the commissioner quickly dove under his table and fished out a bottle of Mexican wine, one hundred years old. "Ooooh, that is an exquisite drink my friend. But I have to painfully reject your offer, I am on duty." Antonio's playfulness was replaced by a serious look "Oh? And I assume you need my help?" "You are not wrong but allow me to straighten this out. We both need each other's help right now." "Go on." "You see, our recent...recruits informed us that recently Talon has been backing up Los Muertos operations in Dorado and Castillo. Both of us do not wish to see bullets flying on your streets during Festival de la Luz tomorrow so we intend to strike their headquarters soon, crippling their leadership. We need your men's firepower. If this mission succeeds, you will get a commendation and we do not see more innocent blood on the streets." "That makes sense, my men have reported a sudden increase of their numbers and possession of advanced weaponry recently. Alas, I cannot grant your request." "May I ask why?" "Our forces are already stretched thin as it is, we simply do not have enough numbers to oppose them, let alone commencing a frontal assault. However, I won't leave you empty handed. I have a squad of undercover agents there ready to strike at a moment's notice. In addition, I shall disavow any Overwatch activity should any ‘questions’ arise. We will make it look like a gang war or coup just happened from within. There are six of my men there stationed at the fortress' courtyard. I shall notify them to make the necessary preparations by mixing the guards' drinks with their own drugs. When will you attack?" "1700 hours. How can I thank you my friend?" "Simple. Kill every single one of those bastards." "Meet me at the alley Lightning, we have all we need," Edward said as he left the police station, putting on his black AI interface sunglasses to shield his eyes from the afternoon sun. "Copy." As he strolled through the crowded streets once again, a scent Edward knew very well filled his nostrils--baked goods. As he helped his parents run their worldwide bakery franchise especially in the baking department, this was nothing unusual for him, a daily treat to his nose and stomach. Frankly he was quite hungry, but unfortunately he did not come prepared with the accepted currency in Mexico so he tore himself from his hungry cravings. "STOP! THIEF!" A young girl's voice tore through the crowd. Her voice was followed by a cacophony of angry grunts, no doubt from the people around. Edward glanced over his shoulder and saw a lanky man with a Mohawk cut running through the crowd. Chasing the man was a young girl at her early teenage years with an angry look plastered on her face. He couldn't believe that nobody around was willing to lend a hand. Either they were too busy or simply did not care. He positioned himself and waited for the perfect opportunity to take this thief down. As the escaping pickpocket got in front of him Edward simply extended his right leg and the criminal crashed to the ground face first, clearly not expecting the sudden movement. The pursuing girl arrived shortly after, with a mixed expression of relieve and worry. "Nice," Lightning's voice spoke in Edward's ears. "How is he?" The crusader flipped the man on his back and placed his hand on the pickpocket's neck to ensure his pulse was still there, and to his relief it was. Aside from his bruised visage and bleeding lips he was at prime condition. Once again, he was shocked how little the people had paid any attention to the fiasco, some just took a quick glance while others did not seem to even acknowledge his and the man's existence. "Unconscious, but still breathing." He then noticed a fat blue coin purse on the ground, presumably belonging to the girl. He picked it up and handed it over to her before notifying Antonio about the pickpocket. Not long after, two police officers arrived on scene and took him away. "Um, t-thank you mister," the girl stammered. Edward took a knee to meet the girl at eye level. "Be more careful next time. Where is your home kid?" "It's just around the corner, at Panadería Las Nieblas bakery," the girl gleefully said. "May I walk you home?" Edward offered as he felt responsible for the girl's safety to which she accepted. Besides, the team will not mind the short delay, especially when it concerns the well-being of a child. "Jesse, I'm taking a short detour. I have to walk a girl home. I'll explain everything later," he informed his friend. "Copy that." Author's Note As usual, thanks a lot to XIII Hearts for being such an awesome editor . Chapter 7"We have been expecting you. Sergeant Roberto Santos at your service," said a stocky man with a thick Mexican accent as Overwatch's strike team arrived at the gates of Castillo. The man was wearing a sleeveless black shirt, green military cargo pants, a vest fitted with magazine pouches, and a custom made AK-74 assault rifle was slung on his shoulder--quite an ancient weapon in a world filled with advanced weaponry. "So what's the situation sarge?" Jesse inquired, exchanging a handshake with the sentry. "And where are the rest of youramigos? I thought there is a squad of you here." "Guards here are all in dreamworld. In there thosehijo de putasare partying hard and drinking stupid. My men are standing by inside. They will be ready when shit hits the fan." "Just to be clear, if anyone from Los Muertos or Talon want out we're to give them just that." They quickly made their way through the gates and soon arrived at the fortress' circular courtyard, only to be greeted with a tactical disadvantage. The buildings and circular arches were garrisoned with Talon and Los Muertos' soldiers, a large armored manned combat mech aimed its particle beam cannon at the intruders, and to make things worse, six Los Muertos thugs which turned out to be Roberto's men were held at gunpoint by a complementing number of executioners near the graffiti stained wooden double doors. "Do you seriously think Talon is that stupid?" Sombra de-cloaked in front of the hostages "Heymi amor." She winked seductively at Jesse, who returned the gesture with a dirty smile. "Buy me some time. I'm going around to the hostages,"said a cloaked Lightning through telepathy, something which the team was still getting used to. "Olivia." Jesse tipped his stetson hat. "Kinda strange runnin' into you here." The stealth hacker laughed. "I could say the same to you and youramigoshere." She twirled her fingers. "Why don't you just give up and we can continue what it was that we left that night, hmm?" she cooed. "Keep talking Jesse." "Why don'tyouand your pals here do that, celebrate holiday gettin' chummy with one another...and we can fuck like there's no tomorrow. Whaddaya say?" "Not a chance, the boss is planing something big. Told me that if you won't surrender, then you'll die." "What's in it for Los Muertos?" "More weapons, money, we can take over Dorado with this kind of back up!" one of the thugs roared, followed by the jeering laughter of the rest of his mates. "In position, I'll take care of the hostage takers and your lady friend. On your signal." "I'm not going to ask you again, Jesse." Olivia aimed her machine pistol towards the cowboy, who smugly smiled at her. "I wish there's a better way to end this, but oh this is gonna hurt." In a split second, licking arches of bright yellow electrical discharge struck the hostage takers. The attack knocked all hostiles unconscious yet left the hostages untouched. Lightning quickly conjured an energy dome to shield him and the hostages after commencing his attack from the incoming bullet storm. "Want to live? Come with me!" the guard captain barked at the flabbergasted cops who began to quickly untie themselves, grabbed the weapons nearby, and began to return fire as they moved to the western walls for cover. "You look important," Lightning spoke to no one in particular and nonchalantly lifted Olivia with his telekinesis, taking her with the group. Edward stepped forward and activated his Energy Barrier, shielding his team from their own share of bullets as they also ran to the western walls. Their retreat was going as planned until the armored mech turned its sights on them and fired its particle cannon straight towards the shield bearer. Edward side stepped the attack in order not to get hit in the torso, but didn't do much else as he would be putting his team in danger should he try to do evade the attack completely. The energy blast tore through Edward's right shoulder, effectively punching a large hole through the armor's thick shoulder guard. Intense pain caused him to fall to his knees, but regardless kept his shield up for his teammates to get to cover. The attack also crippled his shoulder integrated missile launcher, but thankfully the ordinance inside did not explode. "Get the fuck outta there!" Jesse yelled as the mech began to recharge it's cannon. "AEGIS, red phosphorus missile, now!" He grunted. "RP missile, primed and ready." Edward straightened his torso and the targeting computer tracked his line of sight to the largest threat available - the mech. Locked on. The missile streaked towards its target and exploded, blanketing the area with a thick phosphorus smoke, effectively blinding all nearby hostiles as Edward shuffled towards his team. Unlike it's white counterpart, the red phosphorous' smoke did not cause thermal burns upon contact, but concealed against thermal and visual imaging systems just as effectively. "Bloody hell, are you alright?" Lena asked concernedly. "It's just a flesh wound, I'll live. We need to do something about that mech though. My shield is useless against that particle cannon." Edward grunted painfully as he slumped against the wall where Angela began shining his wound with her staff's yellow biotic beam, scolding him in the process. "And fast, this smoke screen won't last any longer." "DIOS! What is that?!" Roberto aimed his gun at Lightning who was descending down the steps with the sergeant's men on his six and an unconscious Olivia on his telekinetic grip. "Baby, you'll have to buy me a round or two for that info." The stallion winked. "It's okay, he's with us," Angela assured the sergeant. "So, what do I do with this sleeping one?" Lightning asked as he dropped the hacker to the ground. "Stay here and don't keep your eyes off her. She's got a bunch of tricks up her sleeves." Lena growled as her Pulse Pistols ejected from her gauntlets and to her hands. "If she gets up, just zap her again." "Got it." "I can take that thing out." Jesse smirked as he twirled his Peacekeeper revolver. "When that mech's out of the picture, we all move in, pincer attack. Sarge, I'm counting on you and your guys to provide fire support." "Wait! Get behind me." The crusader pushed himself up and activated his shield barrier to protect his friend in case hostiles started shooting blindly. And true enough, the sounds of gunfire soon filled the courtyard. "Cease fire! Cease fire!" exclaimed a Talon soldier before being shot in his head by a stray bullet, blood and brain rapidly gushing out from his helmet. Some impacted Edward's energy barrier, turning them into orange sparks. Jesse's hand stayed on his gun's grip, ready to draw and fire as soon as he saw any hint of the mech's cockpit. As the smoke began to dissipate, the mech's towering shadow loomed above Castillo, providing him with the opening he needed. A loud bang echoed throughout the courtyard and the mech fell to the ground with a loud crash, it's pilot dead with a bullet embedded in his head. "Well done," the crusader praised. "Genji, Tracer, nail the higher levels! Tin man and I will sweep the lower ground!" Behind him, Roberto barked orders at his men, splitting them into two smaller groups of three rifles each. "On it cap'n!" The team quickly commenced their counterattack, both sides engaged each other guns blazing. Lena's attack squad advanced quickly, overwhelming Talon and Los Muertos rapidly, but two of Roberto's men were killed in a grenade blast. Out of the blue, three Talon gunships flew in and deployed three more mechs to the battleground. As Edward, Jesse, and their fire support team were in the battlefield's center, they became prime targets for the machines of war. The crusader told his companions to leave the proximity as they would not stand a chance in close quarters combat with the beasts of steel, but he can...or at least live long enough to land the killing blow. He managed to evade some of their melee attacks but he was eventually hit and thrown against a wall, effectively demolishing the structure. Thankfully, his suit took the brunt of the attack, only leaving him with bruised ribs instead of being squashed like a bug. Genji, who was coincidentally positioned behind one of the walkers when they landed quickly took action in the form of a slashing leap with his Dragonblade. As the pilot didn't expect the unseen attack, there was little he can do other than bracing for impact as his mech's torso got severed in two, other than a nosebleed and bruised visage he did not suffer any other damage until the cyborg ninja stabbed his heart through the cockpit. Lena did an equally impressive feat as well. Due to her inhuman speed, it was impossible for a regular mech pilot to even see where she was going, much less getting a bead on her. It's melee attacks were akin to a panicked child swatting stinging bees. She fired her Pulse Pistols repeatedly at the walker with no effect as her weapon cannot punch through that kind of armor. It was then when she armed her Pulse Bomb to try and blow a hole on the protective plates. She zipped and somersaulted behind it's back and chucked the sticky explosive before zipping to a safe distance and a few quick beeps later the bomb went off, exposing the mech's reactor. Seizing the opportunity, Jesse fired a round into the power source, effectively turning it into scrap metal. Already recovered from the blow, Edward took it much up close and personal with the towering war machine. The mechs' weapon was not designed for close range combat so he only needed to worry about it's massive swatting arms - it's only defense at such engagements. Using his suit's powerful rocket engine and integrated heavy duty skates, he maneuvered under it with relative ease, and smashed his rocket powered lucerne war hammer to its right knee, resulting in fatal structural damage to the mech's right foot. He quickly twirled and used his momentum to at strike the back of the walker's left knee, eliminating its ability to stand at all. Once the machine was incapacitated on the ground, Edward smashed its particle beam cannon, toppled it to its back, and slammed his hammer through the cockpit's canopy, turning the pilot into a red smear. After witnessing the carnage, what's left of the enemy quickly surrendered and threw down their weapons. But then, their radios were hailed. "Huh, looks like we missed the party."a woman's voice came from the other side. She spoke with a thick Egyptian accent. "Actually we could use some help hauling these guys off." Jesse chuckled. "Get your butt down hereCaptainAmari!" Edward froze where he stood, a mixture of excitement and nervousness belched into his stomach. He would literally walk through a storm of bullets for his teammates, even taking one or two of them in the process with no hesitation, but when it came to occasions like these...that's another story. "How are you feeling?" Angela asked as she glided to him with her Valkyrie Swift Response Suit. "Your heart rate spiked up just now." Edward looked at her and smiled underneath his helmet "Ja, just a little bit surprised that's all." "That mech hit you hard. Are you sure you are not hurt?" "W-well my ribs are h-having quite the bruise right now," he stammered. "You sound nervous. Oooooh, is this because of Fareeha?" Angela smirked as she once again engaged her staff's healing stream. "You know, I miss the days back when you two were still at this size." She pinched her index and thumb together, leaving a small space in between. Edward chuckled. "T-those were the days." Not long after, Captain Fareeha Amari, otherwise known as Pharah, landed at Castillo's courtyard with three of her men - Mahmud the medic, Tariq the rookie, and Saleh, her second-in-command. "Saleh, take the boys and secure the area. I will have a little chat with our friends here." "You got it boss," the mercenary said before signaling his fellow guns for hire to follow him. "Who's the big guy? That's definitely not Reinhardt's suit." Fareeha asked as she lightly jabbed Jesse's shoulder, glancing at Edward who stood frozen like an ice sculpture. She crooked an eyebrow at his demeanor as she noticed there was something oddly familiar about him. "Just ask him yourself." Taking in the cowboy's advice, she approached him, shouldering her signature rocket launcher. "So, what's your name tin man?" "Stay calm," Angela whispered before flying away to check on the other injured. Edward inhaled deeply, mustered all the bits of calmness left inside of him, and took off his helmet. Fareeha's jaw dropped, and the two locked stares for a long time. "*Ahem* Hello Fareeha, I don't know if you still remember me-" "Of course I still remember you Ed. It's been too long, too long- Oh what happened to your shoulder?" she pointed to the missing portion of his right shoulder armor, and the freshly recovered scar underneath. "Work hazards." he shrugged nonchalantly. "Angie took care of it though, no worries. That's a nice dress by the way." He pointed at her blue tinted Raptora Mark VI combat suit, a signature to Helix Security International. Fareeha chuckled, playfully punching Edward's breastplate. "And yours too. Now, if you're done being a fashionista lets get these people out of here." She smirked, putting on her unique avian head shaped tactical helmet. Despite wanting to get this mission over with and get some time to chat with his old friend, Edward couldn't help but to wonder as how Helix could have possibly known their whereabouts as Overwatch's firewalls were practically impenetrable by external intrusions. One has to physically access the servers, in Gibraltar, to steal such information. Unless... "Wait, how do you know we are here?" "Anonymous tip, why?" "Kuso! We walked right into a trap. Recall your men right now but do it calmly, distress will only prompt them to strike sooner." Genji suggested walking over to Jesse who was coordinating with Roberto and his men to escort the prisoners out of Castillo. "Regroup on me, we are moving out." Meanwhile...Mahmud, Tariq, and Saleh were scouring the surrounding buildings for hidden hostile remnants and anything useful for Helix to use, say Talon intel for example. "I know they surrendered and all...but isn't this a bit too quiet?" Tariq asked in a hushed tone as he took a turn on a corridor. Despite having proven himself as a capable soldier and IT specialist during the battle against "god program" Anubis - a type of artificial intelligence capable of corrupting and controlling lesser AIs, such as omnics or sentry bots - the transition from being a rookie to an experienced battle hardened soldier did not happen overnight. "Yeah...but I see nothing on the scanners though," Saleh reassured him. "The moment we rely too much on our tech, is the moment we doom ourselves," Mahmud said grimly. It was then when they entered a living quarter tinted with purple lighting. They swept the room from top to bottom for any signs of hostile activity, but found none. "Hey, what do we have here?" Tariq enthusiastically approached an unusually high technology computer sitting inside the room. He checked the device for any IEDs or similar traps, but again, null and void. He sat down on the setup's chair and propped his weapon beside him. "This...could possibly be...our biggest catch, today." "If this device belongs to who I think she is...then yes." Saleh gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. Tariq quickly sliced his way into the data bank, but alas found nothing, as if the whole data was purged right before the battle started. "What? I-impossible. There should be at least something here!" He entered some commands into the computer, but then it locked him out from accessing any further. "Regroup on me, we are moving out."Fareeha's voice rang on Saleh's earpiece. "Copy that, you heard the lady, let's move! Tariq leave it!" Mahmud ordered. "Damn it!" the IT specialist cursed, snatching his weapon on as they exited the building through its wooden sliding doors. But before the squad could even realize what was going on, a spider shaped device landed on their feet and exploded into a deep blue smoke. In a matter of seconds, breathing became such a heavy task for them as the venom began to ravage their lungs and nervous systems. Coughing violently and gasping for air, their bodies became weaker and weaker as each second passed. They were finished. With the last bit of his consciousness, Tariq hailed his captain's earpiece. "C-captain *cough* *cough* g-get..." "Tariq! Respond damn it! Tariq!" Static. Without sparing a second thought, Fareeha bolted to her men's last known position. "Fareeha! Wait!Scheiße!" Edward shouted, tailing her closely. A quick turn later they arrived at the scene of murder. As Fareeha attempted to approach her now lifeless soldiers, Edward held her back, shaking his head. "My scans indicate traces of a very poisonous gas in the air. With no chem-suit on you will end up like them. I'm sorry Fareeha. They didn't make it." She knew this as well. According to her helmet's HUD, their vital signs were gone. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard and half of Fareeha's helmet shattered into pieces. She collapsed with blood covering the left portion of her face. "Like mother, like daughter." Author's Note As usual, thank you to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter . Chapter 8"Merde!" Widowmaker cursed as her shot ricocheted off her target. She tried to aim for another shot, but that large armored oaf deployed his large energy barrier around her prey. Not only that, but the chance of exposing herself would be high by then. Her mission was complete, and there was nothing keeping the assassin there. That was, until a flash of light invaded her peripheral vision. If it were not for the Spider's cat-like reflexes, she would've lost her head to Genji's wakizashi strike. But that was not the end of her troubles, as Lena blinked and tackled her off the ledge. As she fell, the sniper fired her grappling hook to a nearby cliff, taking the young Brit with her outside of the fortress grounds with her rifle pointed at the latter's stomach, switching on the weapon's automatic mode. "Adieu,chérie." Bullets spat from the weapon and tore through Lena's unprotected stomach, blood rapidly gushing out from her abdominal wounds. Unable to continue holding on to her target, she felt her grip slipped and the Brit fell to the ground at breakneck speed. Just before Lena lost her consciousness however, she tapped into her Recall ability - rewinding her seconds back into the past mere moments before the French assassin pulled the trigger. Before Widowmaker could empty her gun into the Brit once again, the latter blinked away from her assailant, returning fire of her own - but alas her twin rapid-fire Pulse Pistols works best at close quarters, thus rendering her shots ineffective. As her grappling hook line reached its end, Widowmaker landed on top of a waiting Talon gunship which quickly left the airspace and the Spider vanished into the jet-black aircraft. Sparing no more seconds, Edward fired a surface-to-air missile at the fleeing aircraft from his remaining shoulder-integrated multipurpose missile launcher. However, the gunship deployed its flares, disrupting the ordinance from its intended target and causing it to explode by the countermeasure. Before he could ready another shot, the jet-black gunship accelerated into hypersonic speed. "Target out of range," AEGIS declared. The crusader cursed under his breath. Seeing no remaining hostile activity Edward turned his attention to Lena, who was walking straight towards him with a happy-go-lucky grin on her face. "The fuck was that Lena?! Are you trying to fucking kill yourself!?" Edward roared as the pilot walked up to him, losing his usually calm and collected composure. "Relax love, I came out of it just fine!" she parried with a small chuckle, pointing to the chronal accelerator strapped to her chest. Truth be told, she didn't expect him to explode like that. "And what if you find yourself in a similar situation and that device stopped working? Or cooling down after extended use? I knew it happened before, and it could happen again!" Edward sighed, frustration and anger thick in his tone "I’m sorry," he said. "Are you alright?" Lena asked softly. "Of course." Edward cleared his throat which was rather parched after the ensuring battle as they regrouped with the others. "Just try not to be so daring next time. Judging by how Reinhardt looked at you before this mission I think you have someone important waiting for you back home." The young Brit chuckled. "Remind me to introduce you to her later." "Ray, we're done here," Jesse called their pilot while lighting up his cigar. "Roger that, arriving shortly at LZ," the pilot answered. "How is she?" Edward asked as he approached Angela who was tending to Fareeha's wounds. He saw her chest rose and fell, a sign that she was still breathing, a major relief for him. "She will be fine, but I’ll examine her thoroughly after we return to base." "Well, you people certainly did quite a mess here." Roberto and his men walked up to them. "Yes, but better here than on your streets no?" Genji countered. "Very true. Regardless we cannot thank you enough for what you did today. Had all of you not came...I think this whole show could’ve gone even worse. We will take it from here, we have an arrangement to fulfill anyway." The Dorado police sergeant winked. "Much obliged sarge." Jesse extended his hand, which Roberto shook. "And uh...we’re sorry for your loss." "Those men knew the risks when they signed up as undercover agents. They will be remembered as heroes." He smiled sadly. "Heads up people, this is not over yet. There is one massive bogey coming at you," Ray relayed. At that moment, a quartet of steel grey Talon dropship appeared overhead with a giant mech suspended by equally massive support cables. The mech was at least as tall as a three-story building, its body armored with a combination of red and dark grey plating, and of course armed with a plethora of weaponry, but its most distinct tools of destruction were its shoulder mounted Gatling gun and massive particle cannon. A Triglav Protector combat mech, courtesy of Volskaya Industries. Not wanting to let his opportunity go to waste, Edward fired his remaining surface-to-air missiles towards the dropships and their cargo. The dropships were unable to evade due to their heavy load, and blew up mid-air as the missiles hit. But the mech was protected by an energy shield and thus spared from the explosion. Detaching from its support cables, the automaton landed on the ground, kicking up a plume of blinding dust to the air. "Get outta here Ray, LZ's too hot, you and your men too sarge. We can't let this thing loose on Dorado." The cowboy huffed a smoke from his cigar, terminating his transmission with the aircraft. "Roger, good luck." "And let you fight this diablo alone? Not a chance!" Roberto and his men laughed. "You too doc, get Fareeha outta here." Jesse drew his Peacekeeper, tossing away his cigar. "Don't bother, I'll take care of that. But I only can teleport four at a time, myself included." Lightning relayed his message to everybody via telepathy. "Alright then," Jesse said, aiming his gun at the Triglav, knowing full well on which remaining three Lightning meant. "Take 'em away." Before Angela could protest, she was back on the Orca alongside an unconscious Fareeha, Olivia, and a heavily panting Lightning - much to Ray's shock. "What the fuck?! How?!" Ray jumped on his seat as if he just saw a ghost. "Magic..." Lightning said through ragged breath, before collapsing on his side on the aircraft's floor. As Ray flew away from the scene, the ground force realized it was going to be one hell of a fight, one that they may not live to see through. It was at that moment, Edward felt a very familiar burst of energy surging through his veins, one that he had not felt in a long while. Jesse's barks of orders turned into a cacophony of muffled whispers in his head, as his thoughts were only focused on reducing his adversary into heaps of scrap metal. He stood still like a metal statue. The Triglav Protector saw Edward as a prime target, and brought down its massive arm on top of him. Regardless of the blaring of his armor's warning system, Edward remained still, unflinching. Everybody else screamed for him to get out of there, emptying their guns into the behemoth to no avail as their bullets failed to even nick the shield and screams fell on deaf ears. Seeing his stillness, Genji brandished his sword, sprinted, and leaped high into the air in hopes of severing the massive limb. His plan; slash his way up to the top, and cleave the mech's head clean off. Suddenly, Edward dropped his weapon as his palms shot open, feet planted firmly on the ground, causing the mech's arm to stop dead on its tracks as if being held by an unseen force. The word 'disbelief' would be an understatement for the witnesses. Despite his own shock, Genji nevertheless took advantage of the opening and sliced the massive arm in two. But despite continuing on with his initial plan, the cyborg ninja jumped off the falling severed mechanical limb and returned to cover, curious of what might happen next. Despite his distance, Lightning felt a powerful stir on the atmosphere which sent shivers down his spine. Then, he knew a potent arcane force was at play. By whom however, he did not know at that time. Edward lifted both of his arms and the mech was violently hoisted to the air, suspended fifteen meters above the ground. The crusader closed his palms, and the mechanical giant was instantly crumpled into a ball of deformed steel with deafening sounds of shattering steel. He brought his hands down in a slamming motion, hurling the massive war machine to the ground and destroying it to oblivion. As the surge of power began to fade from his system, Edward felt his muscles turning to iron as severe exhaustion was gripping him. With his consciousness and strength ebbing away from him, he collapsed to the ground with rapid footsteps coming towards him being the last noises he heard. ________________________________________ When Edward opened his eyes, bright white lights shone through his eyelids, blurred shapes moving around him, and muffled noises invaded his ears. Slowly but surely however, all those began to clear up. "He's waking up, Edward...Edward...can you hear me?" The soft tone of Angela's voice rang in his ears followed by flashes of white light, her visage slowly coalescing in his vision from a blurry shade into the soft, caring, motherly face he had known for so long. Edward gave a barely perceptible nod, blinking a few times more to focus his sights on his surrounding, dizziness clouded his nerves. He realized that he was inside the Medical Wing with Angela flashing his eyes with her flashlight, stripped of all combat attires and was wearing a pristine white medical undersuit instead. He sat up before turning his attention to the bed on his right beside him, and saw Fareeha sleeping with biotic bandages covering her wounded face. She was also wearing an outfit similar to his' instead of her signature Raptora Mark VI combat suit. "She’s going to be okay." The combat medic smiled reassuringly, pouring him a glass of water. "How long was I unconscious?" Edward asked, rubbing his head. "Twelve hours." Angela handed the glass to him, which he downed in one gulp as his throat was parched beyond words. Edward turned his attention to a nearby wall clock and the time showed 10:00 p.m. "What did I miss?" "I thought you can...explain that." Winston brought up a computer tablet and showed him a recording from Genji's visor camera of what happened during the Triglav fight. Specifically, the part where he lifted the massive walker, turned it into a ball of crumpled steel, before slamming it into oblivion. "Scheiße..." he cursed under his breath, burying his face on his palms "All those years...all those years of painstaking therapy and medication...are now for naught." Angela crooked her eyebrow "What do you mean?" Edward sighed, frustration thick in his tone "Please Angie, it's...not something I want to talk about right now." "But you have to," Luna said as she entered the room with Reinhardt by her side, "if you want to learn to control it." "This is not your fucking business Luna." He growled at her. Realizing his rudeness however, he quickly got off his bed and bowed in apology. "It's not...that I can't control my powers or anything of the sort...but for as long as I have this ability, all I have inflicted is suffering and death." "Tell us everything, from the start," Luna told him. At this moment, all eyes in the room fell on the young Crusader. Edward nodded and told everybody to take a seat as this was going to be a rather long story "On my 20th birthday, I joined the Bundespolizei - Germany - er, my country's federal police force. It was there my powers sparked, internal at first, and manifesting at certain times only -- specifically, when adrenaline started pumping in my veins." "What happened back then?" Luna shifted on her seat. "Well, my physical capability excelled that of a normal human being. Being able to run at 40 kilometers per hour for two and a half hours and not dropping dead afterwards, punching through reinforced concrete wall without shattering my own bones, and dodging bolts fired from an automatic plasma rifle without so much as a single scratch on my skin just to name a few. But, when I am outside of combat, the magic ceased, and I am a regular human being again. Something that still happens now I guess." He stopped to let everybody digest his words, and by their looks they seem to have a hard time believing him. Which of course, was no surprise to him. Hell, he himself couldn't believe it. "My superiors deemed me to be a waste in the regular force, so they had me transferred to the newly formed Ordnung der Morgendämmerung or in our common tongue, Order of the Dawn. A small independent rapid response force specifically formed to defend Germany against the growing threat of cyborg terrorists and other inhuman threats. Of course, we were not only comprised of normal infantrymen, but the elites, super soldiers, cyborgs, omnics, and other talented individuals. We were given the authority to strike any target within Germany's borders at will, access to any and all possible resources my country could muster, and we only answer to the chancellor alone. It was there when my telekinesis started to develop, and I proved to be a very useful asset for them. Back then I was granted the rank of ritter-kommandant, or knight-commander, and a squad of the best under my command. Soldiers and friends." His tone beaming with pride. "Ah I see, but I have to admit, for a commander you commanded a rather small force. No offense my friend, but a commander in our ranks command at least two hundred soldiers." Edward smiled. "Why, we are a rather small force Luna, and super soldiers along with cyborgs are not produced in the masses. That, and our doctrine demanded us to operate in minimal numbers to wipe out targets swiftly and efficiently. Something rather difficult to execute with a large force I daresay. But back to the main topic. I taught myself to control and manipulate magic, and realized that it was, and still is a very powerful weapon. The user's creativity and endurance being the only limitations. Take something too far however, consequences are bound to happen - hence why I fainted. Worst case scenario, death." Edward aimed his open right-hand palm and lifted a clear drinking glass from the nearby sink into the air, Luna observed him intently, using her own magic to gauge him. While the others still cannot grasp what they were seeing at the moment. "It can be as simple as levitating an object," he closed his palm, instantly shattering the glass into jagged pieces mid-air "to this, and this." He turned his wrist, simultaneously causing all of the glass shards to point at his chest. Before anybody could do anything, Luna's horn glowed with magic, and seized the sharp shards from him with her own arcane grip and disposed them to a nearby trash can. "That. Is. Enough," Luna sternly said, sensing his foreboding intention. Edward sighed. "Old habits...die hard--" He was cut off when Angela walked up to him with fire burning in her eyes, and socked the crusader hard against his jaw, causing his lips to bleed a bit. "Du idiot!" she spat. Reinhardt and Winston shook their heads, not because Angela punched someone in the face which was very uncharacteristic of her, but their slight disappointment was directed to Edward's self-harming intention. "I deserve that, forgive me." He wiped the blood away with his finger. "And what was that about the therapy and medication?" Angela asked again after a brief pause to collect herself. Her gaze considerably softened than before, but still retained that spark of anger and shock. "After our final mission, my superiors told me that I am the sole survivor of my team. Guilt tore me apart. At that moment, I vowed that I shall never use my powers ever again. Afterwards, they disbanded the Order and disavowed of its existence, so I started taking medications, or more appropriately, chemical lobotomy, as they severed my connection to my powers which was controlled by the brain's prefrontal cortex. But when I was without power, I felt a great emptiness inside, so I considered ending it all...to relieve me of this torture." After hearing his story, Angela immediately walked towards him and wrapped her arms around Edward's back and cradling his head on her chest as a mother would do to her child, whispering her apology for hitting him without knowing his side of the story first. To which, he responded by returning the hug. Luna followed by draping her wing across his shoulders. Edward tensed due to the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed and patted the feathery limb as a sign of gratitude. They were similar to that of a bird's, no, an eagle. "Why didn't you tell me this?" the combat medic asked again as they pulled away from each other. "I could have helped." "That sounds like a grand idea!" he smirked, creating a phone gesture with his right hand "‘Hello Angela, how are you? Listen, I need your help, what is your medical verdict on telekinesis? Also, I am in a severe state of depression bordering to insanity.’ Sounds like a good way to get locked up in a padded cell with a straitjacket on." The Swiss smiled sheepishly, realizing she had asked her previous question out of emotional impulse rather than rational thinking "I... haven’t thought about that." Winston, Reinhardt, and Luna chuckled at this remark. "But Luna, what might have caused this awakening in him?" Reinhardt inquired after the laughter died down. Luna put a hoof under her chin, thinking for a bit "I... don't know for sure, but it is possible if...Edward, did you expose yourself to any external source of magic recently? Maybe, Lightning teleported you somewhere, or talked via telepathy to you?" Edward nodded. "Ah that explains it. When you carry the gift of magic, no matter how hard you try, you can never get rid of it. Even when you do not use magic for a long time, it only lies dormant. True, you cannot use magic in that state, however, expose yourself to any source of magic and/or the appropriate stimuli..." "I see...well, it's not Lightning's fault, he couldn't possibly have known. But now, as my powers are reawakened, it becomes a grim reminder of what I have done and what I am capable of doing. I don't know, I only wish that I can do something else than just...killing." Hearing this, Luna smiled "I think I can help you with that. Meet me at the cliffs by the sea, adjacent to Winston's workshop at seven in the evening." "You have my gratitude, princess." Edward bowed courteously. "I beg your pardon?" Reinhardt questioned him with a teasing look "I never knew you fancy her so." Luna merely smiled at the aged crusader's statement, but beneath her midnight blue coat she was actually blushing a bit. "What? No, uncle, you misunderstand me." Edward then explained what Lightning told him en route to Dorado about the truth of the Equestrians' identity. Thankfully, although a bit shocked by the revelation that they have been sheltering monarchs from another realm, Reinhardt and Winston took the news rather well and even (Reinhardt especially) insisted on giving them better accommodations, a gesture which Luna politely turned down. "Well, I thought of telling you the news myself but apparently my soon-to-be-apprentice already did the job for me." Luna rolled her eyes in amusement. "But please, for all of you, I am only Luna. My title means naught here." She smiled. With that, Luna wished everybody a good night and left the room with Reinhardt trailing behind her. "Magic...had you told me that magic was real a week ago, I would have laughed in your face. But now that I have experienced everything myself, I don't know what to say anymore." "Well Angie, that is a statement I hear too often. So, how is my condition from a medical perspective? Am I cleared for active duty?" "Medically, yes, you are completely fine. But until we hear what the Equestrians have to say about your talents, I think it would be best for you to remain here. And before you say anything, yes, doctor's orders." Edward felt a tinge of anger at Angela's statement as he felt there was nothing holding him back from field operations. But he also knew very well that this is his opportunity to learn more about magic and its secrets, as he was probably the only one left on Earth who possess such power. And there's also the fact that he never had any sort of teacher in this field before. "Fine..." "I’m glad you see it my way." The Swiss flashed him a cheeky smile. "On a different topic, I will have your uniforms delivered here tomorrow." "Danke, Angie." "I-if you don't mind, I would also like to come tomorrow," said Winston, clearly intrigued by chance to investigate something that the scientific community was trying so hard to debunk. "Of course, it would be great to have a scientific point of view in all of this," replied the German with a smile "By the way Winston, is ATHENA here?" "At your service, Agent Berg," replied the AI from the speaker above them. "I'd like to make a request if you don't mind." "Certainly, what can I do for you?" "Can you tell me if you will be needing any kind of dessert tomorrow, for breakfast, lunch, dinner maybe?" "A moment please, I have to cross-check with the Subsistence Department log." "What are you doing?" Angela asked, heavy curiosity audible in her inquiry. "You will see." he winked. "Thank you for waiting Agent Berg, according to the logs, ingredients needed for the regularly served coffee cakes just ran out, it will take at least a day for --" "Perfect! I just happen to have something that might help. If it is within my authority, I would like to cover for tomorrow's line of dessert. My signature butter-filled, coffee-cream-smeared-bun, the Frühstück." "Technically, you are not authorized, agent. But, according to my background check a moment ago, I found that you have the necessary qualifications for kitchen works, and we also need all the help we can get. Okay, I shall alert the kitchen staffs of your visit tomorrow." "You have my undying gratitude, ATHENA." "Anytime." "Waiiiiit, when did you start baking?" "Another story for another time Angie, I am very exhausted right now." "Okay, just don't forget to save one for me." "And me," Winston chimed in as well. "One is never enough my friends. I know that very well." Edward smiled slyly. "Everyone will be the judge of that, little brother. Everyone." The Swiss medic pecked his cheek, much to his amusement and embarrassment at the same time. They both wished him a good night, and left the room. Before going back to his bed however, Edward walked towards Fareeha and placed his right hand on the exposed side of her cheek, wordlessly conveying his condolences for her lost, his joy of seeing her again after so long, and his wish for her speedy recovery. If it were not for his exhaustion, Edward could have sworn that a very faint white light glowed from his hand when it rested on her cheek. But again, that was probably due to severe exhaustion, so he brushed it off as a trick of his mind, and went to bed. ________________________________________ It was very early in the morning when Edward headed to the mess hall, behind him were a quarter of large food containers labeled "Morale Booster!!!" were being hauled on a compact sized hovercart. The appliances had an advanced integrated cooling system that lasts up to a year, so transporting the containers over long distances were a trivial task without worrying the spoiling of foodstuffs inside. As it was around 0450 in the morning, most of the base's personnel were still getting ready for the day, save for those being on duty at the hour. Now, replacing his armor with a standard-issue black short-sleeved overwatch undersuit, tan tactical pants, and matching tactical boots, he was able to walk more spryly, feeling the cool morning air blowing against his skin in the base's corridors. "What do you got there?" asked a curious sentry as Edward passed him on his way to the kitchen. "See for yourself at the mess hall when your shift is over." "Will do!" he replied enthusiastically, reaching over to his communication device to contact his friends. "Good morning!" Edward entered the kitchen area and greeted the omnic kitchen staffs who were already up and about, receiving a collective of good mornings in return. "Ah Agent Berg is it? ATHENA told us you are coming, so we will be working on buns, correct?" asked the omnic sous-chef with a thick British accent known as Codsworth, extending his right hand in greetings. "Correct, er, Sous-Chef Codsworth, correct?" Edward took the omnic's hand and shook it properly. "I thought this kind of situation might happen, so I have pre-made them into lots of dough balls which are currently stored in these containers, so we just have to proof them in your fermenting boxes, pipe them with coffee cream, and bake them in preheated ovens for 15 minutes per batch at 200*C." "Marvelous! But first we have to unpack these containers no?" the floating omnic glanced at the hovercart behind Edward. And so, they brought the hovercart into the kitchen and got to work. Soon, wonderful coffee aroma began filling the kitchen as freshly baked light brown crusted buns were served for all to enjoy. ________________________________________ After breakfast, Edward and Angela returned to the Medical Wing to check on Fareeha's condition, nervousness clawing at their chests and throats. Both have witnessed people dying under their wings, strangers and comrades alike, either in battles or hospital beds. As hard as it were watching them perish however, it was even harder breaking the news to their loved ones - the wails and tears would never be something they could ever get used to. True she witnessed her men's deaths personally, so it was not about telling her, but rather seeing her reaction. As they entered the room, they were shocked to find Fareeha's bed empty save for her unfurled biotic bandages, but was soon relieved when they saw the balcony doors opened. And there she was, gazing to the Mediterranean Sea with the morning sun shining overhead. Angela and Edward both placed their hands on each of her shoulders, pulling her away from her reverie. They noticed her eyes were red and puffy, a sign that she had been crying her eyes out...but it seemed her tears were that of acceptance, the ones a person would shed when a loved one is saying goodbye. They could tell she was very sad, but...there was also sound satisfaction etched on her face. "It's weird," Fareeha said, still maintaining her gaze out to the ocean. "I am very sad, but...I feel like I should be feeling more than this. I almost feel..." she paused, choosing her words carefully inside her head, "at peace." None of them said a word. Angela was a bit curious of her statement but took it positively. Edward however, had a hunch. That spark of white light, did he do this to her? And if he did, was that a right thing to do? Of course, he wanted to help her through her sorrow, but on the other hand, was it wise to abruptly whisk those feelings away? Shouldn't Fareeha be given a chance to accept and heal on her own? "None of that matters now. What's done is done." Edward thought to himself, wrapping his arm tightly across her back, silently letting her know that they were there for her. "I am sorry for your losses Fareeha. They seemed to be good men." Angela finally spoke, breaking the silence. "They were good soldiers, and better friends." She smiled sadly. Angela folded her hands "Well, let’s check you up for final diagnosis and if you are well enough, we can drop you off at the nearest Helix H.Q." Angela proposed with a slight smile. "I will take her. We cannot risk an Overwatch aircraft to go anywhere outside mission territories. Mine is unaffiliated, private use." Edward countered. "No," Fareeha interjected, her tone suddenly filled with burning determination. "I won't serve under Helix Security International anymore. There is nothing for me there now. But here, I have all of you with me." "Fareeha, are you sure?" Angela questioned her, grabbing the soldier and turning her so she could stare into her eyes "Remember the Petras Act? We are fugitives now. If you join us, you constantly have to look over your shoulders, your reputation will be tarnished, and most of all this is not what Ana would have wanted for you." "Don't." she growled. "Don't speak for her, Angela. She is her own person, and I am my own. It has been my life-long dream to someday join Overwatch, and I cannot see a better opportunity than now - when the world needs it the most," Fareeha stated boldly. "That, and you have the best capability and resources to combat Talon. If I am going to find the bastard who did this to my team, Overwatch is my best chance. Besides, I don't give a shit about my reputation and well-being. How can I, when the lives of others are in danger? If I am with Helix, they are going to fuss over bureaucracy and administrative bullshit while people are dying. And lastly, if I am to die in the end, I'd rather do it fighting alongside my family." "Fareeha, we appreciate your determination, and you know we will all be happy to have you with us. I will be happy to have you fighting by my side on the field of battle. But if this is about vengeance... it is best to rethink your course of action." Edward said, moving to Angela's side, trying to dissuade her for the last time. "No, this is about justice. I am sure you would do the same in my shoes, Edward. And if I start acting crazy, I have you to remind me to stop, won't I?" she smirked. Edward nodded. "ATHENA, did you get that?" "Of course." came her voice from the ceiling's speakers. "There you go, that should serve well as your reminder." Edward smirked at his friend. "Welcome aboard, Captain Amari." "No, call me Pharah." ________________________________________ After an exchange of hugs between the three, and a quick bath for Fareeha, the new recruit's physical and mental capabilities were declared fit for duty. Angela sent her to the quartermaster for her standard issue pistol and accompanying amenities alongside a strict order to get some food. Once she was out of earshot, Edward took the combat medic aside to her office to converse in private. "Speaking of the Petras Act, be honest with me Angie, how's our...diplomatic condition so far?" Edward knew it would be impossible for Overwatch to stand undisturbed by the U.N. for so long if it did not have any political, military, and economic support from sympathizers in the worldwide organization that has now condemned them. All supports were, of course, off the records. Despite being a doctor rather than a politician, as a member of Overwatch's inner circle she was aware of the organization's political state "Well, I suppose it's a 50-50. The good news, we still have plenty of unofficial supporters inside the U.N. but they are barely enough to keep us off the grid and the numbers are dwindling. The bad news, powerful Talon supporters are also plenty inside the U.N. and they are growing in numbers. Corrupt politicians and corporate owners I say." Angela seethed. "Come now my dear Angela, 'corrupt' is a point of view. The world is not so black and white, especially when it comes to political and economic interests. While a lot people consider us their knights in shining armor, plenty of people also think Overwatch is no better than Talon. We are breaking the law here Angie, and for that we are outlaws, accept that. But sometimes, to do the right thing, one must act beyond the boundaries of rules and become mavericks. As for our adversary, while they are considered terrorists by most folk, for some people Talon is their savior. The omnic partisans for instance, they fight because we do not grant them equal rights, yet charge them with an exorbitant amount of obligations. Whether if Talon will grant them a better future or all of this is merely propaganda, is another story. All omnics on our side are treated with utmost respect and equity, I know, but I suppose we are partly to blame for not acting enough for omnics and people across the world. While on the other hand, we know even with our power back then, it would be impossible to reach every single person and omnic in the world. Plus, as humans we have an inherent tendency for conflicts and all of us wanted to 'make the world a better place' without realizing the ambiguity that exists within that statement." He concluded with a rather monotonous tone, "But, enough with philosophy. I shall draft a proposal for the inner council about our next diplomatic maneuver along with possible allies to recruit and adding more support to our side as I do have a lot of strings to pull, and a lot of favors to call in." Angela nodded, her face beaming with pride "My my, you have definitely changed, dear. You're no longer that fat little brat I used to know. The one who would pick fights with everyone on the base, the one that had to be chased around so he would do his homework, and the one that absolutely had to take every single one of my dessert...remember him?" Edward chuckled, his cheeks flushed with a light shade of red. "Hey, you were the one who kept talking about doing diets and staying in shape, I was only helping you out." he smirked "As a matter of fact, I can still do that for you, you know?" Before Angela could answer, the door leading to her office slid open and in stepped Lena along with Twilight and Fizzlepop in tow. "Hiya luvs! Got some visitors for ya'!" the cheery Brit chuckled. "Ah the man of the hour!" Twilight grinned when he saw Edward in the room "You, my friend, owe me some explanations." "Well Twilight, I have Lightning to thank for waking me up. But if by explanations you mean how I came to possess magic, I have not the faintest idea myself." Twilight nodded. "It's wonderful! We didn't expect to run into any magic users in this world, and to think this is the first case of magic dormancy we've ever encountered..." the lavender coated mare trailed off. "What brings you here today?" "I promised I would try to look into Fizzlepop's broken horn today, there must be at least something I can do to mend the damage." Angela told him, her tone filled with glittering hope "But, I need to analyze her physiology first as we know nothing about how a unicorn's horn works..." she trailed off, realizing how ridiculous she might be sounding like if she were discussing this with her peers, "which is why Twilight is here today, to help me out." "Darn it, I’m a klutz." Twilight smacked her forehead. "I left that book about pony physiology somewhere, hang on, be right back guys." She declared before disappearing in a bright flash of light purple. Of course this was not the first time they had seen Twilight's teleportation, but the bright flash was something they won't be accustomed to in a long while. "That was rather...flashy of her, am I right?" Edward chuckled awkwardly, sweeping his eyes on Angela, Lena, and Fizzlepop, who except for the latter gave him looks that said 'really?' "Ahem, by the way, where is Lightning and Luna?" Edward asked again, finally breaking his own awkwardness. "Last I saw them, they were heading towards the war room with Jesse. Want to go there m'self after this, coming with?" Lena chimed in. Edward nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, we have a long discussion ahead of us." Just before the two took their leave, Edward noticed Fizzlepop was awfully quiet since she entered the room. Edward knelt to meet her on eye level and looked into her cerulean eyes "What's wrong?" he asked the Storm King's former second in command, also noticing the tension on her neck. "Nothing." she replied flatly. "I can see your neck's tension Fizzlepop. Whatever is stressing you out, it must be quite the pickle." "With all due respect, this is all horseshit." The warrior mare growled, her eyes narrowing in anger and despair. "I relished at the thought you humans could cure my condition. But then I realized, my own kind gave up on me, told me that my horn is incurable. And in Equestria, magic could cure almost everything, so what can you possibly do? You barely know anything about us let alone magic!” "You are right," Edward countered. "We barely know anything about your kind let alone magic, but that doesn't mean we are not going to help you, or at least try to do so. Besides, you said magic could cure almost everything, that means your condition is incurable with magic alone. But what about if we combine technology to that effort? Not to sound arrogant, but do you Equestrians possess the same level of technology as us? I am dead certain with Angela and Winston's efforts combined, we can do something for your horn." He glanced at Angela. The purple mare's gaze turned from anger to curiosity. Indeed, most of Equestria's healing techniques are heavily based on magic, with very little technological intervention. Aside from things like X-rays and the like, most treatments are based on the arcane. Angela moved over to Edward's and showed her his steel gray robotic left arm. "Our technology is not capable of regrowing limbs organically...yet, but, like this arm here, we might be able to create something similar for your horn. Of course we will require a lot of studies, primarily on how you can harness magic, which part of your horn is responsible for that, et cetera." She squatted to meet her on eye level "Fizzlepop, we can't promise you anything. As you know, you are our first. But I assure you, we will do our best to help you." Hearing the honesty and gentleness in Angela's voice, Fizzlepop smiled in acknowledgement. Not only the latter appreciated their intentions for her, but the doctor's honesty of not promising anything somehow brought relieve for her as well...perhaps because the last time she was promised of having her horn restored, things did not go so well. "I am sorry, for fuming out like that. That was selfish of me, and it won't happen again. It's not my place to demand so much from you. I’m not going to lie, I can use magic...but the only thing I can do, is dangerous. It's only good for destruction, and nothing more. Well, some fireworks show, but...that's it. I suppose I am a painter with a broken brush, but the catch is...I cannot just simply buy a new brush." Fizzlepop said, lowering her head in a mix of shame and regret. For Edward, her statement hit him on his core, because it appeared he and the purple mare have more in common than they realized. He gently lifted her chin up, wiped away a tear which managed to escape her scarred eye, and with a kind smile assured her... "But a brush is not the only way for a painter to color." He winked before taking his leave with Lena in tow. "Hey...Edward?" Fizzlepop called out to him as he was about to exit the office. "Ja?" He turned towards her. "Thank you." "Anytime, later Angie." He smiled and disappeared around the corner. Just then, Twilight reappeared in the office "Ha! Found it!" The lavender coated mare triumphantly hoisted a thick book in her telekinetic grip "What did I miss?" "Uh, nothing much." Fizzlepop said with a faint smile curling on her lips. Author's Note My apologies after a year of absence my friends, as I said before in my last two blog posts, last year has been very eventful for me, so I had to put writing aside for a while. But I am back now, and I am ready to pump up new chapters for you Anyway, I think I will put one more chapter to this story before getting back to work on Back Into the Light for its final...yes, FINAL chapter. Then, I'll probably get working on Legacies of the Fallen and then Sentinels of Equestria. I hope you enjoy this one my friends, leave a like if you like this story, or dislike if you don't like it and please do talk to me in the comments about what you like or dislike, and just to chat in general. And as usual, thank you so much for XIII Hearts for being such an awesome editor Chapter 9As Edward and Lena walked together towards the War Room through the Watchpoint's depopulated Hangar 18 - a common sight on the base as Overwatch's numbers was a shadow of its former self - the latter's phone rang. "Who could that be?" Edward asked as Lena fished her phone out of her jacket's pocket. The screen displayed an incoming video call from a certain red-headed woman. Her happy youthful visage was peppered with freckles on her nose and cheeks which added more to her personal charm. "Is this who I think she is?" "Uh-oh, I think I'm in trouble now..." Lena muttered under her breath and picked up her call, but thankfully, the cheerful face that appeared on the screen lifted her worries away. Sensing it would be rude to stand so close, Edward decided to move away from them and chat with ATHENA about the seemingly decommissioned OSS-7 Aurora - an atmospheric aircraft similar to the MV-261 Orca, but much smaller and was only intended as troop transport instead of an aerial command center. Lieutenant Maria Estrada was the aircraft's designated pilot, but she was nowhere to be found as she didn't answer Overwatch's recall. With nobody to pilot it coupled with severe internal disrepair, the aircraft remained suspended on the hangar's maintenance dock above them. "Hey Em!" Lena chirped, a wide smile curled on her lips. "Hey babe!" chimed the redhead. "You haven't called in days. You had me worried you know?" "Aw I'm sorry luv, a lot of things happened lately. You wouldn't believe it if I tell you." "Good or bad?" Emily asked, her expression changed from happiness to a bit of anxiety. "All good!" Lena immediately answered, struggling not to look elsewhere and maintaining her voice pitch on its normal cheery state. "Anyway babe, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Oi Edward!" Hearing his name, Edward excused himself from his chat and walked briskly towards the Brit, shooting her a questioning smile. "Edward, meet Emily. Emily, meet Edward." "Hello Emily, it is so nice to finally meet Lena's girlfriend! She told me so much about you." "Hahaha, the pleasure is all mine, Edward. Only the good things, I hope. Though, I have to say, after seeing you in person Lena's stories are definitely outdated." Emily chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Well, I’m not the one with the Chronal Accelerator. Time affects me, unlike Lena here." The crusader shrugged. "Listen, I know you two are busy so I won't keep you any longer. But, Edward, may I ask you a favor?" "Of course!" "Take care of Lena for me, please? Sometimes she doesn't know her limits." Emily sighed. "H-hey! I am right here!" Lena protested. "Worry not, Emily." Edward assured her, smiling gently "Lena is completely capable of that. But regardless, you have my word, and my shield." "And yourself too, of course. I am looking forward to meet you in person. Come home soon, Lena...I miss you a lot." "I miss you too, babe. Take care of yourself, okay? Love you." "Love you too," replied Emily before ending the call by blowing a kiss to the camera. "You are very lucky to have her by your side," Edward said as Lena put her phone back to her jacket. "M-hmm, she is just the best. I sometimes think I don't deserve her at all." The Brit smiled as they resumed their walk to the War Room. "So, next time we are away on missions, try not to take a stomach-full of bullets again, understand? Stay where I can protect you. Lena, I'd hate to see you get hurt or worse. I made a promise to the lady, and I intend to keep it," he concluded, his tone leaving no room for negotiations, eyes locking onto hers. "As you said before, I can take care of myself. But...of course, and thank you for your concern, luv. And I really hope you don't end up like a pot who calls a kettle black. Remember, we don't need you to be a hero, we need you in one piece." Lena smiled warmly, giving his arm a quick hug as they walked. "I'll try not to disappoint." Before they could even exit the hangar however, the usually open sliding doors closed on them. The sudden anomaly was followed by rapid footsteps approached them from behind...accompanied by the sound of cocking guns. Lena and Edward spun on their heels, and saw ten men pointing their assault rifles at them, they were positioned tactically all over the room, 5 of them were set up on the ground floor while the rest took aim from the suspended walkways and balconies. They were clad in Overwatch blue body armor, but these men weren't part of those who answered the Recall. "It's those bloody Talons we took in...damn it!" Lena cursed under her breath. Edward cracked his neck and stretched his shoulders, a dark smile appearing on his face. "Well, lookie here boys! Our first kills of the day," a bald man shouted as an ox stepped forward, pointing his rifle at the two. Lena recognized him as the Talon captain Jesse and Genji had interrogated during their induction to Overwatch. He turned his attention to Lena who just ejected her pulse pistols from her gauntlets, a nasty scowl on her face. "Or maybe we should fuck that deviant whore in every hole first, turn her into the real woman she should be. I will make you watch as she screams, then we will slit her throat and break your neck." "Now now, why did you have to say that? I’m afraid I’ll have to teach you some manners as your parents clearly have failed to do so." Edward grinned in an unsettling manner, like a predator ready to tear its preys apart. "Oh? And how will you do that? Will you spank our bums?" Edward chuckled darkly. "No. You will stand still and not move an inch." As if on command, the Talon operators froze on the spot. Their facial expressions showing signs of intense struggle to even move their fingers, which would not budge at all. But most of all, they were horrified. Next to him, Lena's boiling blood subsided into amusement. "I haven't the time to do this all day with you, I think you learned your lessons and I am prepared to send you home. AFTER you apologized to the lady, AND tell us who else is being naughty and why you are being unruly. Do I make myself clear?" Of course, no answers of confirmation or denial came; as their mouths were shut tight by an unseen arcane force. Edward lowered the force field surrounding their mouths. "Fuck you motherfucker!" spat the captain. The rest were silent, yet maintained deviant gazes towards him. Edward lifted the captain from the suspended walkway he was standing and set him down in front of him and, with one swift motion slammed his robotic arm into the operative's face with a loud sickening crunch emitting from the blow. Blood cascaded down his swelling nostrils like a waterfall. Normally, a person would have fall flat on their backs from such a blow, yet Edward's arcane grip kept him eerily still. Edward grabbed the captain on his collar, and looked him dead in his eyes. "There are ten of you here, yes? Then I shall give you exactly ten attempts for you to both apologize and answer my question. Fail to apologize, answer inappropriately, try to lie to me, make me wait too long...and I will make you shoot at your own men. Piece by piece." "You'd never--" His deviance was interrupted as Edward's telekinetic manipulation moved his limbs on command, not unlike how a puppeteer would control a marionette by its strings. The captain unwillingly lifted his rifle, took aim, and fired four times at the nearest standing operator. The high velocity 5.56mm armor piercing bullets tore through his kneecaps, and thighs - rupturing the femoral arteries which caused him to bled out rapidly, screaming inhumanly. Again, instead of falling over, the operative remained locked in place, standing like a bleeding statue. Soon enough, blood started pooling by his boots. At that moment, both the captain and Lena's amusement instantly vanished. "Nine attempts to go," Edward said coldly, his tone cold and merciless. "He's a grunt anyway, no major loss." The captain smirked, still trying to maintain his crumbling foolhardiness. This time, Edward forced the captain to aim at those perched on the suspended bridge leading to the OSS-7 Aurora. He pulled to the trigger, and fired twice. The rounds found their mark on an operator's shoulders, tearing the arms completely from their sockets. They fell to the hangar floor, spattering blood all over the impact point. As if in a macabre orchestra, pained howls began to fill the hangar which was slowly turning into a slaughterhouse. "Based on the two you just shot, I estimate they will all bleed out in minutes. But you can still save the rest, 8 attempts to go." "Bloody hell, what the fuck are you doing?!" Lena growled. At that point her amusement had completely vanished. She grabbed Edward's shoulder and forcefully turned him to face her. She stared hard into his eyes, a mix of anger and fear filled her own, only to be petrified of what she saw. The images of a cheery boy running around the Watchpoint were gone, replaced in their stead by a hollow darkness. "You might want to confess a little faster, captain!" Edward continued his torture, as he shrugged Lena's hands off his shoulders. This time, Edward made the captain draw his pistol from its drop-leg holster. With one hand still holding on to his rifle and the other taking aim with his side-arm, the captain fired eight consecutive shots at four operators. Using his telekinesis, Edward slowed the bullets to the point where they were only powerful enough to pierce their eyeballs without getting through their brains. Tears of blood gushed out from the wounds and streamed down their faces, accompanied by inhuman screams of pain. The remaining untouched assailants screamed for their lives, to be delivered from their tormentor. At this point, Lena found it difficult to not retch her breakfast on the floor. She stood there, petrified and powerless to do anything by what she saw. She was all too familiar to the cruelty of warfare, as all Overwatch agents are. But cruelty on such a scale, she never seen nor did. Neither rebel omnics nor Talon butchered their victims in such a way. But this...this was something else. And the one who did it, was someone she thought to never be capable of doing such atrocities. Outside, she could hear people trying to open the door manually on Winston's command, as Talon had apparently overridden the electrical systems so ATHENA cannot intervene. A fatal mistake on their end. "Four more attempts to--" "STOP! PLEASE! I'LL DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT!" The captain screamed, bawling and sobbing like a child. Edward nodded, taking away the captain's rifle, pistol, grenades, and combat knife, turning him around to face the one who he insulted. Edward forced the weeping man onto his knees "I-I-I'm sorry f-for t-threatening y-you like that." Lena did not respond. "And for the second inquiry?" "N-nobody else is i-involved! When you brought Sombra in, we saw it as a prime chance to escape! We were planning to grab her, and bail! That's all! I swear it on my mother's grAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" He roared in pain as Edward broke the captain's right hand with his telekinesis, bending it to an unnatural angle. "W-what the fuck man! He told you what you want, it's all true!" roared one of the unscathed operatives from his back. The captain hissed in pain, now pale as a ghost, his wall of arrogance having completely been torn down. Now he groveled pathetically on the floor, not unlike a common coward. "Then I must thank all of you for your cooperation." Edward then created a pistol gesture with his right-hand thumb and pointer finger, and placed the 'barrel' of the gun under his chin. The Talon captain and his men, save from the two who already bled out to death, followed him suit. But instead of their pointer fingers, they put their pistols' barrel under their chins, their screams and howls of terror played like execution drum rolls on Edward's ears. "P-please! H-have mercy!" croaked the captain amidst cold sweat and ragged breath. Edward knelt and gazed deeply into the captain's fearful eyes "Mercy? You threatened to rape my friend." he growled and slammed the Talon's head face first to the hangar floor, shattering his lips against his own incisors which also got snapped in the process. Edward grabbed him by the vest and effortlessly lifted him up with one hand, once again looking the captain dead in the eye. "You set out on killing a lot of people on this base. Had you not ran into us, you probably would have done so. Of course, this is not your first rape and murder is it? And now you dare beg for mercy? No captain, you do not ask for mercy to men like me. Now, auf wiedersehen." He brought his thumb down in the manner of how a gun's hammer would come down each time the trigger is pulled. Eight simultaneous gunshots echoed throughout the hangar. Edward stood up, and ceased his arcane grip on the now dead operatives, they slumped to the floor...blood gushing out from the gaping holes on the top of their skulls. As Edward's face was only a hair away from the captain's own as the shower of gore blew from the latter's cranium, his face was covered with the captain's fresh blood...still gazing into the Talon's terrified dead eyes. He finally broke eye contact, stood, and turned towards Lena. "Are you alright, Lena?" Returning to her senses, but heavily shaken, Lena only managed to nod slowly. Suddenly the massive blast doors were torn open from their place, crumpled like a sheet of paper. And where the doors used to be stood Luna, Lightning, Winston, Reinhardt, Jesse, and a dozen of Overwatch soldiers ready for battle. Before Edward could do anything further, Luna's horn glowed with magic, and a flash of intense white light was the last thing he saw before blackness consumed him once more. As his consciousness return to him, Edward found himself seated on a metallic chair bolted to the floor. His arms and legs were restrained by thick steel clamps. He realized that he was being held at the base's detainment facility, probably as precaution after the twisted 'this little piggy' act he pulled off on the hangar. Of course, Overwatch Military Codex would have condemned the traitors with capital punishment anyway, but perhaps Edward's methods were too...violent for them to handle. So there was another possibility that he was being punished for his actions, not that he could not rip these shackles off himself, but this time his captors were people he considered to be his own kin. They must have a good reason in doing so. Speaking of which, just because he was curious, Edward tried to concentrate his telekinetic grip on the clamps restraining his limbs. To no avail. It was then when his eyes fell on a bluish metal ingot sitting by his feet, the kind of which he could not recognize. It didn't take him long for him to conclude that this strange ingot was the reason behind his inability to use his power. The stark white cell's eerily silent monotony was broken when it's sliding door opened with a hiss, revealing Winston, Luna, and Lightning on the other side. "You're awake, good. How are you feeling?" the alicorn asked as they entered the room, smiling slightly. "Well, aside from these binding shackles, I am fine. If I may ask, why am I restrained? Is it because what I did to those traitors?" "After you dealt with the rogues, your magic energy was too volatile. I was worried you might harm yourself and others around you, so I knocked you out. Although I never would have thought the results would be so macabre, instability is prone to happen when such a powerful energy is kept dormant for an extended period of time. I instructed the others to keep you here, as a safety precaution to others." "Well? Is it okay to free him now?" Winston crooked his eyebrow, Luna nodded. The scientist mirrored the gesture to a guard waiting by the cell's door, and in a flash, the steel clamps were disengaged. "My apologies about that, Edward. ATHENA, please tell Doctor Ziegler to breathe easy, everything is under control." "At once, Winston," came the AI's reply. "It is fine, you did what was necessary." Edward got up from his seat with a groan and stretched his stiff limbs. He turned his attention to the bluish metal ingot lying on the floor, and knelt down to pick it up. He balanced it on his hands, feeling it, and studying it carefully, Luna was about to say something but refrained herself until he made his conclusion. "An alloy of iron, cobalt, no. This is something else. What is this?" "We call it, dimeritium. This metal prevents the transfer of magical energy. If you wear or are in the proximity of one, you wouldn't be able to use your powers in any way. Effective against magic wielders but useless against those without such abilities. There are, however, known cases where extremely powerful mages manage to overcome the restraints generated by dimeritium. Without it, these shackles would be useless as you could have easily rip them off your limbs should you went berserk." As Luna finished her explanation, she took away the ingot with her mouth and placed it inside her saddlebag. Then, they proceeded to exit the facility. "So, will you please tell me what happened?" Winston asked. "I was on my way to the war room with Lena. Emily called, we talked a bit. Talon rebels cornered us, thought they had the upper hand. They said something about...ahem, having their way with Lena and making me watch while they have their way with her before killing us both. Well, you know the rest. By the way, how is Lena? Where is she now?" Winston crinkled his face in disgust upon hearing what those Talons had planned for them. "She is in the medical wing with Angela and Reinhardt. A bit shaken, but physically she is fine. Before you...er, executed them, did you learn anything from them at least?" "Well done, you inconsiderate pile of shit." Edward mentally slapped himself upon realizing that he had potentially traumatized Lena for life. He will have to make it up to her somehow. "To put it simply, they were going to free Sombra, kill everyone who gets in their way, and escape. Thankfully, nobody else were involved in their scheme. They had the element of surprise, had they not ran into us they very well might have done so. Speaking of which, has our Sleeping Beauty woke up from her slumber?" "Well, by human standards I suppose she is rather attractive, despite her cyber-- oh, OH! Okay, I get the reference." Winston smiled shyly, causing his two companions to laugh at his antic. Lightning however, remained stoic. "Unfortunately, she is still out cold. Thankfully though, Lightning's electric blast did not damage the cybernetics grafted on her brain and spine, so aside from the immense pain before fainting, no harm was done. It's only a matter of time before she's up. I made sure of it. Before you ask, don't worry, I only restored the cybernetics' base functions, enough to keep her alive. But I bet my right arm she won't be messing with our computers, nor cripple us with that infamous EMP blast of hers." "Good. I want to have a little chat with her once she is awake. I assume she is in this very facility, yes?" "In the maximum-security block, yes. However, I feel obliged to remind you, to not do any unnecessary violence to her. She is a VIP, and we need her cooperation. We don't need another body bag, I-I hope you understand." "Fret not, my friend." Edward smirked, patting his friend's shoulder. "My tongue is made from the finest silver. And I must have a word with the inner council to re-evaluate our conscription procedure. I trust I don't have to remind you about the whole situation in the hangar?" "Yes, tomorrow then. Same time, same place." "I shall be there as well, there is something I wish to propose before we got so rudely interrupted," chimed Luna, who remained silent through the whole conversation. "Ah yes, this brings Fizzlepop to my attention. Tell me, do you have any idea how to help her at all?" Luna's eyes seemed hopeful as well upon hearing this question. But, would it be right to make Overwatch to dabble in a field they barely understand, while they have more urgent problems to worry about? Not to mention, their time and resources were also limited. But, in Equestria, she knew nopony else who would do anything for the poor mare. At least she should give Overwatch a chance, right? "I suppose I must wait for Angela's report about her anatomy and physiology before I can even begin to think about the cybernetics. So regretfully, I cannot say much right now. BUT, but...based on the Castillo mission, I managed to read plenty of bio-electric activities each time you used your magics. Maybe I have to start constructing micro electro generators as the primary catalyst for the prosthetic horn. Along with the cybernetic grafts for the brain and spine of course. L-Luna, I told Edward yesterday that I'd love to come to your training session today, he said yes, but I'd like to ask you myself. Can I come?" "Of course you may! But I have to say Winston, even we Equestrians have given up on her. Neither medicine nor magic in our world could repair such a damage. You have your own concerns to worry about, more urgent expenses which would require all available resources at your disposal. If you feel that this would cost you a heavier burden, don't hesitate for a second to quit from this endeavor. Nopony would blame you." said Luna. "We do not wish to trouble you more than we already have." Edward showed the alicorn his cybernetic left arm without speaking, implying that there was hope of repairing Fizzlepop's horn. Maybe it was not perfect, but it would be better than to be left with completely nothing. "Trouble? Nonsense, Luna! You are very welcome to stay as long as you wish, and this is also a prime opportunity for us to study about magic from a scientific point of view, a privilege which I daresay, possessed only by us. We will do our best, don't worry." Winston assured the Moon Princess with a warm smile. "Tonight, I'll bring my MRI drones to get a good read on what is really happening to you when your powers are at play." "Thank you, Winston. We will never forget this." Luna smiled. "Do not thank us yet, princess," Edward said. "We still have to find the Spark of Life. If anybody knows it, it would be one of Talon's inner council members. One of which, is unconscious in the detention facility. We will squeeze every last piece of information from her regarding this matter." "I might have a way to help you with that." Luna grinned mischievously. "One which is less...violent." "Agent Berg, please report to the armory." ATHENA's voice echoed through the Watchpoint's P.A. speakers. "It seems I will have to visit the armory first before anything else." "We shall speak more of this during your training." Luna said, stopping him. "Which starts two hours from now, don't be late." "I won't." Edward winked before taking his leave. "Your father allowed you to make this hideous modification?! Damn idiot must've lost his mind! If he is here right now, I'd like to hammer some sense into that thick skull of his!" Torbjörn seethed, hitting his forging hammer on the disassembled shoulder missile launcher which got damaged on the previous mission to Castillo. The sudden sharp noise caused Edward's eardrums to ring. "Well uncle, he agreed on my prospect to add more firepower and attack range. And you have to admit it, the base suit lacks range," the young Crusader replied in a measured voice. "Do you know why the Crusaders do not arm their armor with any explosive ordinance? Pray tell!" The engineer fumed again. "We are prone to get shot, and so, if anything penetrated the armor and hit anything volatile, namely missiles...we are done for, as we have no way to escape the suit. And that could endanger the entire team taking cover behind me." "EXACTLY!" Torbjörn let out a sigh of frustration. "I get it, you want to add more offensive capability to your arsenal. But whoever had worked on these launchers, probably want you dead. Both the missiles and launchers are too bulky, no missile shielding...I am telling you kid, you are very lucky the particle beam did not trigger the missiles." "So, what can be done?" "Until I can figure out a way to compensate your losses, no missile launchers. Understand?" Edward mentally cursed as he lost his primary means of ranged attack, but he indeed felt someone had hit his stomach with a sledgehammer when he elaborated the reason why a Crusader's armor was not armed with any explosive ordinance. In his transitioning days from being a Knight Commander of the Order of the Dawn to donning the mantle of Crusader, he would take jobs here and there as a lone wolf, so he would need an effective way of wiping out enemies as quickly as possible by his lonesome. And his answer was - more firepower the better. But now...he was no longer a lone wolf, but a member of a pack. And it was his responsibility to be their shield, not their doom. "I understand, thank you uncle. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" "I do. Although the results are a bit...messy, you saved us from a lot of trouble today. And also, yesterday with that mech. You deserve a reward, so, I am allowing you to pick anything from the armory, free of charge." "Oh! Um, I believe that will not be necessary, uncle. I have all I need with me." "Really?" The engineer smirked underneath his bushy blond beard "You won't be interested in this?" he asked, pointing at a steel grey rectangular weapon container beside him which Edward had failed to notice earlier. The engineer turned the container's rotary lock, resulting in a clicking sound and a steady hiss. The container automatically opened itself, revealing the weapon that was stored within. It appeared to be a German longsword, but if it were to be brought to the Middle Ages, every knight would gaze at it with shock and awe. The weapon was clearly more advanced than its medieval counterpart, looking more like a machine rather than something hand forged. Even the black scabbard, which hugged the blade's shape perfectly, looked robotic. "This is Siren, a little pet project of mine," said the engineer, with a smile of satisfaction. "Draw it." Needing no further command, Edward placed his right hand on the sword's black hilt, while his left held the scabbard near the longsword's steel grey cruciform hilt and carefully parted the weapon from its sheath, letting out a metallic hiss as it was being pulled away. After the longsword fully came into view, his eyes filled with astonishment, and his heart swelled with pride. The longsword's gleaming silver blade, cruciform hilt, and circular pommel were shining with a lustrous glow. Its morphology was based on the XVIa longsword type, according to Edward's memory on Oakeshott typology - the blade was long and slowly tapering, with a flat hexagonal blade cross-section and a fuller running along one third of the blade - perfect for both thrusting and cutting. However, Edward knew very well that there was something else to this weapon. The unearthly gleam and high-pitched whistle each time he swung the sword ascertained him that this was in fact, a vibrosword. Vibroswords, like all vibroweapons in general, are equipped with vibro-generators - energy emitting machines sent out high-frequency sonic pulses that could cause anything attached to it to be sent into an extremely quick vibration, most often found in the hilt or handle of the weapon. This frequency enabled the weapon to weaken the molecular bonds of anything it strikes, and therefore should it make contact with something, the vibrations rippled across the material, destroying a giant portion of the target and damaging it more devastatingly than a regular version of the weapon. This caused even the slightest glancing blow to potentially become a gaping wound, one not even biotics would be capable of instantly closing as the regenerating cells around the wound would also be destroyed. Another equally noteworthy aspect of the sword, was its material. It was forged from pure meteorite steel and silver with special forging techniques heavily classified by the Ironclad Guild. Ordinary steel will not do for vibroweapon forging. This is because when the vibro-generators were fitted, a mundane steel weapon would immediately crumble due to the high-frequency sonic pulses rupturing it's molecules at a hyper-accelerated pace. As a result, vibroweapons are virtually indestructible. However, other vibroweapons and or energy weapons could be used to counter it. "No need for words, I know when someone loves my work just by looking at them," he said, still maintaining a smirk on his face. "I do, uncle. This is a very, very beautiful sword. Overall length, 132 centimeters...blade length, approximately 101,6 centimeters...hilt length, 25 centimeters...and the weight...er, I'd say 1,2 kilograms. I used to have one like this." "I see you know your swords. All of your measurements are correct," Torbjörn said, surprised. "Whatever happened to the previous one?" "I...returned it to its rightful owner." Edward smiled softly, returning the longsword to its scabbard, and placing it back down inside the container. "But, why this? Vibroweapons are extremely rare and difficult to forge, not to mention the cost. Uncle, are you sure about this?" "Difficult?!" Torbjörn laughed out loud. "That would be one hell of an understatement, my boy! Only members of the Ironclad Guild know how to forge one properly, not to mention the material -- but, don't concern yourself with that. You definitely know your swords. I assume you know how to use one?" "Better than what I know in theory," Edward said pridefully. "Uncle, if I may, I would also like to send some of my personal weapons to you for inspection. If you require payment, I will gladly do so." "What kind of weapons are we talking about?" "H&K G36C and 417 rifles." "Huh, antiques. You must have made some very interesting modifications to keep up with today's weaponry, I would love to take a look at them." "I will fetch them for you. Maybe you can do a general analysis while you are at it? As a weapon smith, you surely have keener eyes than me, uncle." "Why not. But may I ask you a favor first? Consider it as payment for me." "Happily, what is it?" "Spar with Brigitte, will you? Regularly. Reinhardt is getting too old for this kind of job, and most of those amateurs who answered our recall could not keep up with her. Genji is currently her more regular sparring partner, but she says she's always interested with new opponents." "Of course, I am also very intrigued to see her fighting prowess." At that moment, Brigitte walked into the armory with Bastion and its bird friend, Ganymede. The yellow northern cardinal was perched on the omnic's right shoulder, and it seemed to be in a "conversation" with Bastion as both seemed to be chirping and beeping at each other. Edward was absolutely intrigued by how responsive this unit was, as books dedicated to the First Omnic Crisis deemed Bastions to be mindless killing machines with no semblance of personality whatsoever. Despite this new revelation, he kept his distance, just in case. "I've done the final testings as you asked, papa. Bastion is ready for combat and won't be firing at any Overwatch personnel and or civilians, ever. Oh, hi Ed!" chimed the young Swede. Bastion stopped his talk with Ganymede, walked up to Edward and extended its left hand in greetings. "Wzzzz.Wooo," beeped Bastion with an inquisitive pitch. "Oh, hello!" Edward smiled, grasping the former omnic's hand with his own, shaking it. "Hello to you too, Brigitte." "Good." Torbjörn responded. "If it does act up again, I am turning it into scraps." "Papa!" Brigitte shot her father a rebuking stare, Bastion however seemed oblivious by his threat. "So, what's going on? Whew, the heat is intense." she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her palm. "Your papa just gifted Siren to me," Edward said. "And I am your regular sparring partner now. Alongside Genji, Uncle Reinhardt, and others you'd like to beat of course." "YES!" the brunette cheered. "Congrats on Siren by the way, I sure hope you know how to use her. It sickens me to see such a beautiful blade just sitting there doing nothing." Edward chuckled. "Speaking of which, what do you say we do just that, right now." Brigitte nodded furiously, a wide smile etched on her face. "Grab your gear then," Edward said, retrieving Siren from its container. "The gym ring, fifteen minutes." After making a quick detour to his aircraft in order to grab his gear, Edward stepped into the gym. He was clad in a spare Crusader undersuit with Siren strapped on his back and a blunt steel longsword about the same size as Siren on his hip, safely secured on the undersuit's tactically placed magnetic weapon holder strips. Normally, he wouldn't wear a sword on his back as his martial doctrine discouraged him to wear one in such a position. The primary reason was, it would be impossible to draw a sword that size from one's back, as a normal human arm would not be able to provide sufficient pulling range. But, remembering his telekinetic ability has returned, Edward would debunk such reasoning without lifting a hand, literally. On its own, a Crusader's undersuit was already a formidable combat armor as it was weaved from carbon nano tube, ensuring no conventional bullets or blades will ever go through while also greatly negating blunt force trauma thanks to the hydrostatic gel fitted under the linings and padding. However, the undersuit would be useless when put up against more sophisticated hazards, such as energy weapons. Of course, he was not expecting to face gunfire during this sparring session, nor he believed he would suffer a grievous wound as he definitely went through worse, but he wore it because if Angela found out that he sparred with no protective equipment on him whatsoever, the good doctor would surely skin him alive. Something he was really trying to avoid. The gym was rather bustling with activity as a lot of Overwatch's personnel were training, and on the gym ring he saw Fareeha sparring fiercely with Sergeant Zhou with Jesse as referee. So, Edward stopped by and decided to watch the show. They both traded blows with each other, each giving and getting as good. Fareeha however, had learned the sergeant's attack pattern, and feigned a step, seemingly placing herself right at his hook. But that feign was immediately transformed into a roundhouse kick, hitting Zhou square in the temple, knocking him to the ground. Luckily, his head was protected by a thick foam training helmet, so aside from a ringing head and dazed vision, he won't be suffering from anything else. Jesse closed the match, and Fareeha proceeded to walk towards a recovering Zhou and helped him on his feet. "A blow well executed, captain," Zhou said weakly as his head was still spinning. "That was a good match." Fareeha smiled and gave the sergeant's shoulder a hearty pat. "Well, well, color me impressed!" Edward smirked as the sergeant was led away by his men to the audience stands. "You're joking right? After what you did recently, this is all just a sideshow. The entire base is talking about you." She dismissed him as she vaulted over the ring lines "Speaking of which, thanks for the help with those Talons. Shame, would have loved to fight them myself." "Don't worry, this will not be over anytime soon. You'll have your fill, believe me." "What's better, we will fight them together." "To have the legendary Pharah as my air support. Why, it would be an honor." Edward bowed deep in a teasing manner. Seeing this annoyingly ridiculous gesture, Fareeha quickly placed him in a headlock which caused him to tap her locking hand repeatedly as a sign of submission. "I see you're all suited up. Who's your dance partner?" Jesse asked after Fareeha let him go. As if on cue, Brigitte entered the gym. Clad in her own protective undersuit, armed with a training mace and a yellow silver-rimmed steel heater shield. Edward knew she's always been athletically shapely, a detail only a blind person would miss, but now, that he focused entirely on her, Edward couldn't help but stare at her like a brute. Toned muscles, ample breasts and lovely hips which seemed to sway each time she took a step - a frame which would put supermodels to shame. A fair, beautiful face which was complimented by a bright pair of hazel eyes and a long, wavy mane, neatly kept in a ponytail which color resembled that of autumn leaves. Adding to this, were the twin strands of hair elegantly going down just by her ears which only emphasized her beauty. But what really captivated him, was that confident and warm smile which seemed to light up the entire room. "Edward, du idiot! Sie ist Torbjörns tochter, um Gottes willen!" (Edward you idiot! She is Torbjörn's daughter for God's sake!) he berated himself internally and shake off his musings as Brigitte approached them. He hoped that nobody had noticed his stupid reaction. "Oh hey! You must be Fareeha Amari. I am Brigitte Lindholm, but please call me Brigitte." She strapped her mace on the undersuit's hip magnetic strip and gave Fareeha her right hand. Fareeha took her hand and gave it a hearty shake "Call me Fareeha, please. Lindholm...wait, so you are Torbjörn's...?" Brigitte nodded, still maintaining her smile. "In the flesh, I am looking forward to fighting with you Fareeha." She paused before turning towards her sparring partner "You too of course, Ed." "We Overwatch brats have to stick together." Fareeha chuckled, throwing her arms on her friends' shoulders. "It feels like another lifetime huh? You know, since we dreamed of joining Overwatch." "Yes, but unfortunately we are getting off topic here. I would love to go on a spree of nostalgia later, but we are here to spar are we not?" Edward smirked. Brigitte mirrored his gesture, picked up her mace, and stepped into the ring with her sparring partner. Jesse tossed Edward a training helm, which he caught and donned. Brigitte however, refused hers when the cowboy was preparing to chuck the headgear. "Don't be ridiculous, put on your helmet." Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, never needed one before. Nothing bad has ever happened to me, and for your information this is not my first fight," countered the young Swede, still wearing that prideful smirk on her face. "I see Uncle Reinhardt's bravado bled to you. Very well, don't say I didn't warn you." "Don't hold back." "I won't." Unsheathing the blunt longsword from its leather scabbard, Edward leveled his sword to his midsection, his stance spring-loaded like a snake ready to strike. His opponent unstrapped her mace, and raised her shield. Before anybody else could blink, Brigitte arched her weapon and the mace's head shot forward towards Edward's face in an audible whistle, with a cord holding it on to the rest of the weapon. Quickly, instinctively, Edward side-stepped the incoming blow while at the same time parrying with his sword. The deflected ball of solid sand-packed kevlar, quickly returned to the short pole as Brigitte charged forth with her shield raised. Screaming a mighty war cry, she delivered a powerful shield bash before swinging her flail in a flurry of blows. The shield connected with Edward's torso, causing him to stagger backwards, and for the first few blows to hit his head, face and core, but thanks to the helmet and undersuit, the impact was heavily negated. Still, a bit of blood was pouring from his nose and got into his mouth. Her strikes were powerful enough for him to know that, if he did not wear any protective equipment, they could potentially bruise his ribs and probably cause a minor concussion as well. Between deftly dodging and parrying with his sword, Edward was very impressed by her sheer speed, precision, and strength. But what's more, her brutality. A normal flail would not be capable of being swung so rapidly with such a deadly accuracy as the steel head would need some time to regain its striking trajectory. It seemed the armor smith had improved the ancient weapon to be suitable for precise close quarters combat, each swing extending the solid striking head with a cord that retracts it back to the pole so that it could be swung again mid-way as the user saw fit. The spectacle apparently has drawn every single person training in the gym, gathering into a small crowd around the ring. With half of them believing the fight would end in moments, with Brigitte standing as the victor. but the other half had their doubts as well. Contrary to his bulky frame, Edward's movements were akin to a lizard scurrying across sand. He swiftly dodged, and pirouetted around her, his blade constantly deflecting her blows while riposting at the same time, trying to find a gap in her robust defense, as each of his own blows were met by her heater shield. Putting her entire weight to the front, Brigitte executed a shield bash in order to stagger her opponent, and end this fight with a swift blow to the head. This was the opening Edward had been waiting for. Avoiding the powerful charge, he quickly pivoted behind her and, delivered a powerful strike to her right ear with the flat side of his blade. Brigitte was heavily dazed due to the intense pain ringing inside her head, but despite her will to continue fighting, she felt Edward's blade pressed against the side of her neck which supposedly marked the end of the match. "Yield." Brigitte however, did not intend to surrender that easily. She spun around, shifting her position away from the blade, while simultaneously swinging her flail - wrapping the cord on Edward's front leg - and pulled. Having not expected his move, the sudden powerful tug caused Edward to lose his footing and fell on his side. Edward, equally tenacious, twirled his tied leg as leverage in order to bring her into grappling range. He successfully brought her down, and clamped her neck between his legs - quickly cutting off her airway. "You already fought beautifully! Now yield!" Edward demanded once again. Brigitte tried to free herself, but with her weapon arm pinned under Edward's leg and her vision quickly blackening, she finally relented and tapped his thigh three times. Edward quickly let her go, and she inhaled deeply as her airway was finally relieved from pressure. At this moment, the crowd was cheering loudly. "Are you okay?" Edward asked over the audience's cheers as he gently helped Brigitte to her feet. The young engineer chuckled and wiped beads of sweat streaming down her face. "That was one hell of a fight though, we should do that again ASAP." "I am your regular sparring partner now anyway." Edward smirked, grimacing a bit as his lips were swelling from Brigitte's flail strike earlier. They retrieved their weapons which got discarded during the ground fight, and proceeded to exit the ring. "That was some next level shit, fellas." Jesse grinned while patting their backs heartily, before turning his attention to the rowdy crowd. "Alright y'all, show's over." "But I’m serious. Thank you very much." Brigitte smiled warmly as they walked some distance away from the ring and sat on a nearby bench. "Whatever for?" Edward asked as he wiped off the now drying blood from his face. "For not holding back on me. Aside from you, Reinhardt, and Genji, people here tend to do that when they spar with me. You know, because I am Chief Engineer Lindholm's daughter. Emphasis on, daughter. Yet, I defeated them all the same." "Your father mentioned something of the sort. And you are very welcome." He smiled and patted her back. "By the way, that was quite an impressive flail, I thought that was a mace at first." Brigitte smirked pridefully. "You have no idea what I've got in store for you then. I have my own suit you know, not as bulky as yours though." "Is that so? Why didn't you wear it then?" "Haha, that is a great way to get yourself killed." "I couldn't tell if that was a spar or a real fight," Fareeha cut in as she arrived with a med-kit containing a couple of blue glowing biotic tubes. She quickly unpacked them and prepared to administer the healing agent by spraying. "Alright, don't move." As she began applying the medication, all of the injuries they sustained in that spar were instantly gone. Aside being drenched in sweat, it seemed like nothing had happened in that match. "Thanks, Fareeha," said the two in unison. "So tell me, who taught you to fight like that? I never expect someone of your build to move so..." Brigitte asked, stifling a giggle, "gracefully." Fareeha also seemed to be interested in her query, since she also shot him a questioning glance. "Just because I am 195 centimeters tall and weighing 90 kilograms, I’m supposed to be slow, rigid, and clumsy?" Edward smirked in return. "Well, when I was younger my parents put me through a lot of martial arts, namely Kyokushin Karate, Aikido, Jiujitsu, and of course, the German school of fencing. I also practiced Wushu for a little bit, before I started law school in the University of Oasis." "Well, well, what do you know, a brute with a working brain." Fareeha snickered. "Don't interrupt, Fareeha, or I'll make you sit in the corner. Anyway, back to the main topic, fighting with so many disciplines was difficult at first, but as time went on, I began to develop my own techniques with the base concept of a 'dancing tank'." "I see your point," said Brigitte. "Felt them, in fact." "Now now, don't be so glum." Edward squeezed her shoulders. "As I said before, you fight beautifully. Uncle Reinhardt's doctrine of never dropping one's shield seems to be seared into your muscle memory. Your flail techniques are masterful. Tell me, did you practice with an instructor or by yourself?" "I practiced by myself mostly. Being out on the road with Reinhardt don't exactly give you the opportunity to practice with the masters. Besides, the greatest teacher of all is experience itself, no?" The young armor smith smiled proudly. "Speaking of which, will you show me a few tricks?" "Gladly. But I have a prerequisite for that to happen." "Oh yeah? What's that?" "Defeat me, and you will know everything I know." "Challenge accepted." Brigitte smirked. "So, what do we do now?" "Want to go hit the weights?" suggested Fareeha. "Only if we can get something to eat afterwards. I am actually kinda starving." Brigitte rolled her eyes in amusement. "I will take care of that." Edward smirked. After exercising the afternoon away with his friends, making them some fluffy ice cream topped pancakes afterwards (which they wolfed down in minutes), and taking the liberty to freshen up at his room, he was now waiting in front of Winston's laboratory for Luna to arrive. Maybe some people won't bother and would proceed to train first and bathe later, but he was about to begin his first day of arcane training with a sovereign for God's sake. So, he preferred not to reek of sweat. He was still clad in his undersuit, which thanks to its material, only took seconds to dry after he sprayed it with water to rinse away sweat and other not so pleasant secretions. He had Siren strapped on the left side of his hip, and his heavily modified Glock 34 pistol secured on the other. In addition, he also carried a silver DM51 fragmentation grenade and a spare 17-round magazine for his pistol. Not that he was expecting a fight, but better to have an umbrella ready in case it rains. During his approach to the cliff, he had this distinct feeling of tingling electricity coursing through his system; but he brushed it off as excitement for finally starting his training. Just before coming there, he thought about checking on Lena - her room only a door away from his own - but he decided it would be best to leave her alone for the day. "Tomorrow it is then..." Edward mumbled to no one in particular, his eyes panned the skies, painted a vibrant bluish orange as the sun was setting over the horizon. A bright flash of light caused Edward to cover his eyes, revealing Luna, Lightning, Twilight, Fizzlepop, and Angela as the light died down. "You arrived early." Luna smiled. "I'd rather not be late on my first day of training. And the sunsets here are always beautiful." Edward chuckled before turning his attention to Angela. "You look tired Angie. What are you doing here? Why don't you go get some rest? I don't know, spend some time with Genji. I hardly see you two together since I set foot on this rock." The doctor stretched her tired limbs, letting out a long yawn in the process, before fastening her white medical coat as the cold sea breeze hit her frame. "What can I say, little brother? After a whole day of studying pony physiology, I simply must see how magic works for humans. Besides, after what happened on Hangar 18 today, well, I want to make sure you are alright. And Genji...can wait." "Speak of the devil." Edward grinned as he saw Genji darting from roof to roof. He quickly made his way down a walkway towards the small group, flipped to the air, and landed gracefully on the ground without so much as making any noise. "I have a feeling I would find you here," said the cyborg ninja as he took off his mask entirely, revealing his scarred face and light brown eyes underneath. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Edward asked him to take Angela to their room so she could rest. Genji agreed, but a sharp glare from Angela refrained him from doing so. Seeing there was no way to change her mind, Genji pulled a spare chair from the adjacent satellite dish station for his lover - an offer she gratefully accepted. Angela placed her Caduceus Staff against the wall and slumped on her seat. Throwing his arms up in submission, Edward decided not to push any further. "How are you doing, Fizzlepop? Any luck with Angie today?" Edward asked gently, kneeling to meet her on eye level. "And I am very sorry about the ruckus that happened in the hangar earlier." "Well, we chipped out a bit of my horn for sampling, had some blood taken, and--" "Angela scanned her with this device, and it was AWESOME! The machine projected a live image of Fizzlepop's organs to the air! And we ended up studying pony anatomy and physiology for today! Let's just say even I learned something new." Twilight cut her friend off, finishing with a wide grin on her face. Edward smiled and nodded in response. "I see everybody's made it," said Winston, entering the area with a tablet computer alongside a quartet of the aforementioned MRI drones. "G-go on, pretend we are not here." "We invited Winston to join us," Edward said, turning his attention to the remaining ponies. "I believe his presence is necessary to provide a scientific point of view to our training, I hope you do not mind." "Of course not," Twilight said with a wide smile plastered on her face. "In fact, I was hoping you'd come, Winston. We could scrutinize every last data together!" "W-we'll get to that later, Twilight." The gorilla chuckled. "So, are you ready?" "Yes, master." "Oh please, there is no need for that." Luna chuckled as they walked towards the cliff's edge. "Now then, onto your first lesson. In magic training, a strong bond between teacher and pupil is essential. There are two ways of achieving such a bond; one, is through years and years of mutual rigorous training - the traditional method, which I will not use since we do not have such time. And the second, Hive Mind." "I see. Care to explain how this works?" "As the name implies, Hive Mind is a way for magic users join their minds together to achieve the ultimate coordination and understanding with each other. Since magic is abstract in nature, words often couldn't convey the proper illustration of what somepony has in their mind. While this could be mistaken for telepathy, the goal is to understand each other's way of thinking and feeling, essentially creating a collective consciousness between us, where ideas and imagery could be exchanged and understood almost instantly - much more complex than mere inter-mind speaking. In addition, we will have access to each other’s' knowledge and memories...should we wish to share them." "Okay, how long is this going to take?" "Could be seconds, could be hours. It all depends really, as each pony or human in this case is unique." "Princess, forgive me my insolence but I must object to this decision." Lightning protested telepathically with a rather blunt tone, keeping a flat expression on his face as he did not want to draw the wrong attention. "Edward seems like a good person, however we barely know anything about him, and now we are trusting our arcane knowledge to a human whose power range is yet to be known?" "True, but he seeks a way to explore his vast arcane capabilities, in hopes that he may use his magic for peaceful purposes. He needs our help, Lightning. It is our duty as Equestrians to always help those in need, when we can, while we can," Luna said sternly. Lightning did not speak again. Luna spoke again. "And a word of warning Edward, this is going to re-open your third eye. You will experience quite a vertigo, not the most pleasant of processes, I know, but without your third eye, any wish of exploring your potentials would remain a wish." "Ah fick..." Edward cursed under his breath. "Well, if it must be done, then so be it." He noticed Angela was about to ask something but stopped her politely, promising he will explain later. As they sat down face-to-face near the cliff's edge, Luna's eyes locked with Edward's own. "Hive Mind is not something that is done lightly, we will not just link our minds together with a random subject. I do not wish to make you feel forced into doing this...but there is no other way, not under our current circumstances." Of course, this did not help with Edward's latent anxiety. "Then in that case, I am glad you are the one doing this. I cannot begin to thank you for the trust you have placed on me, a complete stranger no less, with something so personal." "Soon, we won't be strangers anymore." She smiled softly, closed her eyes, and rested her horn on Edward's forehead. A spark of blue light caused Edward and Luna to recoil in pain as the sensation was akin to being stung by a powerful jolt of electricity. Edward's vision flew into a kaleidoscope and he curled on the ground, clutching his head which was whirling inside like a typhoon while keeping his eyes shut. "There, there," Luna said softly as she cast her calming spell on Edward, eliminating the pain at once and his eyesight quickly returned to normal. "How are you feeling?" "That, was the worst vertigo I have ever had." Edward grunted as he rolled on his back and sat back up, Angela was already kneeling by his side at that moment, placing her hands on his back and chest respectively. She asked if he was feeling okay as his heartbeat shot through the roof according to Winston's scanners, to which Edward confirmed that he was indeed unharmed. Nearby, Twilight and Winston were deep in discussion about what had just happened. Winston stated he had never seen such a heavy activity on a human brain before, and was even more amazed by Luna's own, as the MRI readings lit up when the alicorn cast her spell. After making sure Edward was alright for the last time, Angela joined Twilight and Winston to see for herself what had just happened. Luna thought of an object in her mind, a silver cup decorated with blue sapphires. "Now, tell me, what am I thinking about?" asked the alicorn. "A silver cup, with blue sapphires around it," answered Edward nonchalantly as he stood back up. "Correct! Now, you try. Think of ideas, sentences in other languages, anything!" "Lex specialis derogat legi generali." "A law ruling over a specific matter, overrides a law ruling over a general matter. Interesting doctrine of law interpretation. I believe the language is, Latin?" "Precisely! Tell me Luna, is this line of communication exclusive between us, or can I establish a new one with others?" "Since your third eye is now open, you are also a conduit of magic. So yes, I believe you can now converse with Twilight, Lightning, and Fizzlepop anytime you wish. But unfortunately, you cannot initiate Hive Mind just yet. To master it require years and years of practice. It is one of those spells I cannot teach you through thought transference at your level. Because if I try to force it on your unprepared brain, the massive energy stream could kill you or even render you in a vegetative state. But for now, to help you understand the basics, I shall teach you telepathy. Close your eyes, relax, but pay close attention." Heeding her instruction, Edward closed his eyes and felt a building stream of energy swirling inside his head. Unlike the head-splitting vertigo he experienced when he was linked to Luna's Hive Mind, the sensation was actually rather pleasant, like that slight dizziness one would receive after drinking a cup of twenty years aged wine. Soon, the stream subsided and Edward opened his eyes. At that moment, the knowledge hit him faster than a speeding bullet train. He knew how to tune his own brain waves so they may intermingle with those of his interlocutors', translating them into vocal speech which could be heard correspondingly with each other inside their respective minds. He only needs to think with whom he wished to converse with to begin. "It feels good, no?" Luna smirked, her tone barely above a whisper. "Now try it on Angela over there." Edward pictured the blonde in his head, adapting the ghostliest tone he could muster. "Do you believe in ghosts now, Angela?" The doctor immediately sprung to an alerted posture, startling Winston and Twilight who were standing beside her. She grabbed her staff, frantically looking in all directions "W-who's there?!" she yelled out. Of course, the source of the ghostly voice was nowhere in sight, but she could've sworn she recognized that voice somehow. Genji, confused at Angela's sudden outburst, went over to her and asked what was wrong, trying to calm her down. However, her frantic confusion was cut short when she heard snickers coming from Edward and Luna's direction. When she turned her attention to them, the pair burst out laughing. "Do you believe in ghosts now, Angela?" Edward repeated his words between his fits of laughter. "My Lord, I cannot believe you fell for that! Oh...you should have seen your face!" Finally realizing by whom she had been played, Angela ran to him at an astonishing speed despite the fact that she was wearing formal attires despite her combat gear and started smacking her staff against his gut, which was thankfully protected by the armored undersuit. He couldn't help but to guffaw even harder. Minutes later, the laughter died down and Edward apologized, giving Angela a quick hug. "Now, can you tell me why I picked this particular spot?" asked Luna after the hustle and bustle finally subsided. Knowing he couldn't possibly be well informed in something like that by himself, Edward tried probing his mental connection with Luna for answers, hoping she would share them. Fortunately, she did. "Mana veins," he said confidently. "Where we stand now, is the linking intersection of all the veins contained on land, water, and air. It all makes sense now! Geographically speaking, we are situated between Europe and Africa, flanked by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean! Furthermore, various winds also blow through this place; namely, the Mistral blowing from the northwest - this cold, strong, wind we are currently feeling, Tramontane from the north, Gregale from the northeast, and Levante from the east." "I see you are getting accustomed to our bond, good. This place is fertile with Mana, an ideal place for those capable of manipulating the arcane. However, not all places have the same condition as this particular spot. Some could hold more veins, while others, next to none. And thus, vary in yield. You could harness some to create city-leveling earthquakes, while others are barely enough to light a campfire. Yet, I expect you to be able to find even the smallest available veins as your survival could very well depend on it. A general rule of hoof - or thumb - in detecting Mana veins, would be that distinct feeling of excitement coursing through your body. The stronger it is, the more abundant the Mana, and vice versa. I trust you are feeling it now?" "I do! I thought I was just excited for training!" Edward awed. Luna laughed at his childlike reaction. "Mana is known to do that. After all, it is a limitless source of power. However, it is very easy to lose yourself in that feeling of power. Do not get carried away in the vortex, or you will no longer be able to control yourself. It will control you. Be very careful. I mean it, do you understand? Be. careful." Edward nodded. "Now, since you have never drawn from the veins, I will teach you. Pay close attention." As Luna transferred her thoughts to his subconsciousness, he knew exactly what to do. Closing his eyes once again and eliminating all unnecessary distractions, he focused his senses to attune himself with his environment; feeling the cold Mistral blowing against his frame, the solid rock upon which he stood, and the sound of waves crashing against the outcropping slopes far below. Within each motion of nature, a powerful primal force surged through his system. He let this ethereal strength flow through him a while longer, not realizing a cloak of dark blue flames had manifested around him which intensified as he maintained his growing connection to this newfound vigor. The rocks beneath them began to tremble, the already strong winds were howling, and the waters below began to grow white with fury. Some Overwatch personnel posted nearby rushed out from their stations as they thought there was an earthquake. But after they saw for themselves what was really happening, they were glued to the spot. He felt himself drowning in the powerful swirl of magical current, but remembering his mentor's words, Edward immediately snapped back to his senses and severed himself from the energy stream. When he opened his eyes, his emerald green irises flashed with a vibrant mesmerizing glow. Soon, his eyes returned to normal, his fiery cloak faded, Mistral's howls dissipated into a gentle breeze, the earth stopped shaking, and the sea's fury regained its tranquil temper. He turned his attention towards Luna who smiled with relief. Looking behind him, he noticed Winston, Twilight, and Angela had their mouths agape while Genji, Lightning, and Fizzlepop could barely hide their amazement. Everything was silent for quite a while, the only audible sounds were the gently blowing winds, the crashing waves, and the steady humming of Winston's hovering drones. Luna was first to break the silence. "I see you remember my warning, and that is good. However, you forgot one very important detail. Earlier, when you answered my question about why I picked this place, you forgot to mention the most vital component of them all - yourself. Aside from us alicorns and certain beings, I have never seen such a powerful magic wielder in our world - the phenomenon we experienced suggest as much. The amount of Mana you could harness is massive, and I am certain your power is still growing. However, the more powerful you become, the more likely it is for you to lose yourself. Which is why it is essential to know who you really are, and I don't need a magical bond to notice that," The Moon Princess said solemnly. "You are strong and steadfast. Despite the great many hardships you have experienced, you are capable of great empathy for loved ones and strangers alike. Thus, you will do your utmost to protect them, or die trying. You heed wisdom from others, even if it is difficult for you to accept at first. However, in that unwavering personality lies your greatest weakness - you are stubborn. Once you have your mind set on something it could be very hard to convince you to do otherwise, even if that mission could cost you dearly. You keep every bad experience to yourself, even though there are others who will readily aid you. And lastly, you show absolutely no mercy to your enemies. This stubbornness, combined with your keep-to-oneself attitude, and mercilessness, could corrupt you beyond repair. Trust me, I know that very well. A story I will tell all of you, soon enough." A brief image of a dark demonic mare with rows of sharp fangs which bore an uncanny resemblance to Luna flashed on Edward's mind, sending a shiver down his spine. His fight-or-flight instinct told him to draw his weapon and extract the information from her by force. However, his rational judgement drowned this violent impulse, telling him, if she was still under the influence of this malevolent force, Luna would not bother sharing this information and would directly resort to bloodshed. His mental bond with Luna also urged him she bore no ill will, but rather...a profound regret. And thus, Edward collected himself and remained silent, waiting for his mentor to continue. "Edward, what I said today is not meant to turn you into arrogant fool nor to judge, but it is important to remember the two different wolves fighting inside your soul. For the one you feed most, may very well determine your destiny." Luna stepped closer to him, her icy blue eyes staring deep into his emeralds. With her midnight blue coat, coupled with the ethereally waving starry celestial mane and tail, she appeared to be a personification of the night sky itself. Which was not so far from the truth. "The power of magic, any magic, comes from here," Luna said, placing her hoof against Edward's heart. "But only when tempered by your mind, by discipline, self-control, and most importantly - wisdom - is where your true strength lies. You must never forget that. Understand?" Her tone soft and motherly. Edward knelt down, and gently but firmly held her hoof in his hands. "I understand. Thank you, Luna. You have given me much to think about." Luna couldn't help but to get a bit flustered by his action. "Before we end tonight's session, is there anything you wish to ask?" "I do have some questions, but I suppose they can wait. Perhaps we should answer their questions first?" Edward pointed at the small curious crowd who had gathered behind Winston which they had failed to notice because of getting too immersed in their conversation. At the crowd's fore were Jesse, Brigitte, and Fareeha, wearing what would be colloquially known as shit eating grins on their faces. Despite being exceptionally proficient of not directly showing her emotions at court, Luna found it difficult not to blush at the scene. Edward let go of the alicorn's hoof, before springing back up to his feet, and clasping his hands together. "So, how can I help you?" As the crowd dispersed from the area with their questions satisfied, Edward and company retired to their residential wing to rest. But some had other ideas. Winston decided to work on the data with Twilight (despite Lightning's insistence for her to rest) right away while Jesse McCree decided to spend the night in Sombra's cell again, to keep an eye on her in case she wakes up. So, those who remained were Luna, Lightning, Fizzlepop, Angela, Genji, Fareeha, Brigitte, and Edward himself. When they entered the living quarters, they saw Reinhardt and Torbjörn passed out on the bar after emptying two large pitchers of cold golden frothy beer. While the others settled down for drinks themselves, Edward helped his adoptive uncle to his feet while Brigitte did the same with her father, quickly escorted both men to their quarters and rejoined the others. However, by the time they returned, Fizzlepop and Lightning (requested by Luna to watch over Fizzlepop) had already gone to bed. Of course, the electric yellow unicorn did not agree to this, but he dared not deny a request from his liege. "So Angela, what were you going to ask?" Asked Edward to the doctor as he plopped down on a nearby sofa with Brigitte beside him, helping himself to a big glass of refreshing cold beer served on the table. "What does this 'third eye' do, exactly? Esoterically, I know this is supposedly a speculative invisible eye which grants perception beyond ordinary sight." "Yes, but that is not all," answered Luna as she finished her beer, putting the glass down with her telekinesis. "When your third eye is open, you essentially open yourself to be able to interact with things that are normally unseen. It is a far more interesting experience than merely seeing them. Some could only see them, true. But, those with a more powerful third eye could outright manipulate those invisible forces as they wish," she said as she refilled her glass and drank half of the content in an instant. "In Edward's case for example, he is already bestowed with telekinesis and Enhanced Condition - a term we use for one with physical and mental condition beyond the peak of mortal capabilities. Now that he is capable of drawing from Mana veins, this could very well increase these abilities to supernatural levels without killing himself - but most importantly, his powers are still growing, which means there is an endless possibility of new arcane developments." "Very interesting," said Angela. "But I can't help but wonder, does the unseen include...you know..." "Supernatural entities?" Edward smirked. "Yes." "Psssh, bullshit." Fareeha scoffed, taking a swig of her beer. "I know I might sound stupid, but...I still have a hard time believing their existence." Angela sighed, leaning to Genji's chest as fatigue seemed to be getting to her now. "After all you've seen lately, and you are still skeptical?" Edward furled his eyebrows after finishing his round, and filling himself for a second. "I thought I made myself clear that during my time with the Order, I defended Germany against the growing cyborg terrorists and other inhuman threats." "Order? What Order?" asked Brigitte, putting down her empty glass. Fareeha also shot him a questioning look. It was then, when the lights went out. Sensing this was not a mere electrical issue, Luna immediately illuminated the room with a vibrant white light radiating from her horn. Adding to the situation, the room's temperature dropped drastically to the point where white condensations appear on the occupants' breaths. "Oh ha ha," Fareeha remarked sarcastically in the dark. "Nice try, but I am not falling for your conspiracy with ATHENA." Edward ignored her as he felt that distinct, cold presence on his back. He could feel every follicle of hair on his skin standing straight, which caused him to focus his other senses as well. It was then when the unmistakable stench of sulfur and rotting flesh invaded his nostrils, a telltale sign of a demonic presence. Suddenly, a cacophony of shrill shrieks filled the room like a symphony from Hell itself. The infernal choir went on for a full minute before stopping abruptly. "Edward, if this is an elaborate prank you set up with ATHENA, you win, okay?" said Angela with an audible hint of fear in her tone. And given her experiences as a combat medic, Angela was not someone to be so easily spooked. Genji however, knew something was very wrong. He told Angela to grab her Caduceus Staff, and placed his hand on the hilt of his Vibro-Wakizashi. Lightning with Fizzlepop came galloping into the room, his horn glowing with a bright light similar to Luna's from having navigated his way through the dark corridors. Then, a pair of heavy shuffling footsteps could be heard approaching from the hallway connecting the living quarters with the bedrooms. Edward and Genji drew their Vibroswords in a reverberating hiss, flanking Brigitte who armed herself with a shock baton and tactical shield from a nearby wall mounted weapon rack, behind her, Fareeha cocked her pistol. Lightning charged his already glowing horn with sparks of yellow electricity, Fizzlepop took a combat stance with her horn brandished forward ready to blast any hostiles to oblivion. Luna conjured ten mesmerizing arrows seemingly forged from moonlight itself, arranging them around her form in a tight half-circle formation. And finally, Angela was ready to support the team with healing and damage boosting biotic streams with her Caduceus Staff when needed. Seeing that everybody was prepared, Luna brightened her light to see what they were dealing with, and saw... Reinhardt and Torbjörn, still very much drunk. Heavily dazed and disheveled from the liquor, the two trudged drunkenly across the hallway, before noticing the armed group ready for combat. "Heeeeyyyyyyy, wwwuatss goings oon heeere?" The large man slurred out. "Yoouuu biiig idiiiooot, young 'uns r havin' a pawrty." replied the other. Brigitte attempted to break formation, but Edward stopped her. First off, when these two had drank that much liquor, they will not wake up again until noon the next day. And second, the ungodly smell of sulfur and rotting flesh only seemed to intensify as they drew closer. Edward nodded to Luna, and she loosed a couple of her moonlight arrows at "Reinhardt" and "Torbjörn". They whistled through the hallway at blinding speeds, and buried themselves deep in the doppelgangers' skull with such force that the arrows tore their heads from their necks and pinned the severed appendages to a nearby wall. As the headless bodies dropped to the ground, with thick pungent dark yellow blood spurting from the neck holes, so did their charade. Two sets of mangled Overwatch body armor could be seen fused to their flesh, which were now deformed beyond all human recognition. Some were even dangling from the armors' gaps as if they were melting from the bones. The left hands were now bloated with pitch black claws for nails, and their right hands were fused with Overwatch standard issue assault rifles. Edward retrieved the heads pinned on the wall for closer examination; broken helmets melted into warped faces, leaving only one yellow beady eyes and wide lip-less mouths stretching from ear-to-ear bristling with jagged fangs visible. The most noteworthy aspects however, were the gaping holes blown through their craniums. "Even dead those Talons are still troublesome. But apparently the one they made a pact with, transformed them into Grunts, cannon fodders of Hell." Edward clicked his tongue with disgust, casually dropping the heads on the ground which rolled around like a pair of gourds. He proceeded to stab their hearts repeatedly despite they were already very much dead, causing more blood to erupt from the wounds. The vile liquid boiled intensely upon making contact with the sword's silvery blade, before evaporating into a cloud of smoke. From the living room, Luna could be heard issuing a direct order to Lightning and Fizzlepop. They were tasked to escort Angela out to safety while Fareeha volunteered to act as their rear guard. Six gunshots echoed from the darkened hallway followed by a trio of audible thuds, Genji investigated the noise, his sword ready to kill, and found Edward carrying the real Reinhardt and Torbjörn in his telekinetic grip, having dispatched three more monsters who tried to ambush them along the way. Quickly returning to the living room, he dropped the intoxicated men to the evacuating group (of course after assuring them that they are not copycats). "Power is still offline here." Edward walked to a nearby window and saw that other parts of the Watchpoint was not affected by the blackout. "It means their Tether is still alive. Get out of here, I will signal you when the coast is clear." "I am coming with you, and that is non-negotiable," said Luna with a rather commanding tone. She saw Lightning and Fizzlepop were about to protest but shot a glare that refrained them from doing so. Seeing her stare was sharper than his sword, Edward relented. "We will join you as well," said Genji with Brigitte beside him, her 50.000 volt shock baton sparking dangerously. "No, I need you outside to maintain perimeter security. Besides, we will work faster with fewer numbers." Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the second floor, Lena's scream. Saying nothing more, Edward and Luna immediately ran into the darkness. The two swept through the hallways like a pair of hurricanes, dealing blow after blow to every dark abomination unlucky enough to cross their paths, leaving only dead bodies and pooling blood in their wake. They fought as a coordinated force, one constantly supporting the other. The pair had just reached the second floor when they immediately pressed themselves against a corner leading to Lena's bedroom where her painful screams intensified. Despite the ember hot ire burning within his core, Edward forced himself to stay calm. He peeked his head from around the corner, and saw the hallway was filled with Grunts. Fighting them one by one would waste precious time, so Edward took out the silver DM51 frag grenade from its magnetic strap, pulled the pin, and threw. The ordinance bounced and clattered on the floor before exploding in a cloud of nitrate gas laced with silver shavings which spread throughout the whole area. In an instant, the demonic creatures suffered from anaphylactic shock as the silver entered their systems. As they seemingly gasped for air, their bodies swelled rapidly to abnormal proportions as their sulfuric blood boiled when the silver permeated into their bloodstreams. Luna also poked her head out to see what was going on, but was immediately pulled back by Edward - seconds before the infernal creatures burst into piles of rotten viscera. Edward sprinted towards Lena's bedroom, blasted the sliding doors open, and saw a large Grunt pinning the naked, barely conscious woman on the floor in a spread-eagle position, its preternaturally long tongue dangled from its grotesque maw, licking circles between her breasts. It was aiming its inhumanly large throbbing shaft against her entrance when it received a powerful kick to the face. The force of the blow was enough to send the creature flying across the room, breaking all of its fangs, and severing its tongue. Luna arrived soon after and evacuated Lena from the ransacked room. "Take her to my room, Luna. It's just next door to the right, and take her Chronal Accelerator with the charging dock as well. I will rejoin you shortly," Edward said as he readied his Ox Guard stance. Luna did as she was told, and left just as the Grunt stood back up. It brandished its rifle-arm to fire, but before it could, Edward executed a rising cut with his longsword - severing the limb in two. The assault was followed swiftly by a diagonal strike aimed at its shoulder ridge - the blade cleaved through it's flesh like a hot knife through butter, nearly bisecting it completely. With its last gurgled breath, the Grunt uttered out its final words, with Siren still embedded deep in its body. "T-to H-Hellllll w-with youuu," it strained in a deep guttural voice. Edward furiously yanked up his sword, gutting the Grunt all the way to its neck. He tore out the blade, pivoted, and with the added momentum, felt no resistance as the Grunt's head fell from its mutilated body with a resounding *squelch*. The victor tilted the severed head with his boot and upon closer study of its mangled features, this used to be the same person who threatened to violate his friend - the Talon captain. "You first, Captain. Someone down there is very, very excited to claim their due." Edward chuckled darkly as he returned Siren to its sheath after the smoking blood had fully evaporated from the weapon. At that moment, power was restored to the building and the sickening stench of rot and sulfur subsided at once. The captain's dead body disintegrated into a trail of smoke, but instead of going upwards like smokes usually do, it went downwards and disappeared into the floor. The same happened to the hallway just outside, no more demon viscera in sight. Aside from the broken flooring due to the grenade blast, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He retrieved an intact set of Lena's usual clothing from her destroyed closet, her signature flight jacket which had been torn here and there, and her gauntlets - still containing her twin Pulse Pistols. Edward concluded that Lena had to be ambushed when she was sleeping, having taken off her Chronal Accelerator for charging and disarmed herself. Otherwise, that Grunt will be dead right then and there. When Edward entered his bedroom, he found Luna casting a gentle shroud of light over her ward. Lena's shivering frame had numerous bleeding cuts and blackened bruises, no doubt caused by the Grunt's savagery. He sauntered to his desk and started to neatly arrange Lena's things before finally plugging the Chronal Accelerator's charging dock back in. Thankfully the device had charged up considerably when the blackout hit, otherwise it may take months to find her again in the time stream should Lena de-synchronize from the current timeline. "Don't blame yourself," the Moon Princess spoke gently, sensing his brewing anger and regret. "You couldn't have known." "I know." Edward sighed, locking his gaze on his incapacitated friend. Gradually, the alicorn's spell healed all of Lena's wounds, her breathing steadied, and her quivering stopped. Amazed, Edward asked her what manner of spell Luna had performed. "That was the Moonlight's Embrace, a healing spell which soothes ailments to the body and mind." Luna smiled as Edward pulled the blanket to cover the pilot's naked form. "Of course this will not make her forget what she suffered tonight, but she will not collapse into depression, fear, and everything else that might occur to victims of rape." "Brigitte, come in." Edward activated his communication device, receiving a response from the other side. "The coast is clear, no casualties." "We’re on our way." The next morning, Lena woke up and realized she was not in her room. Feeling a warm sensation on her left arm, she shifted and saw Edward's head resting by the bedside, he was sitting on a metal chair by the bed with his hand gently holding on to her own. Which added to the question, how was it that she was there? Sensing the movement and feeling Lena's breath on his face, Edward stirred from his sleep and greeted her with a smile of relief. "W-where am I?" Lena could barely speak, as her throat felt clogged and parched. She sat up, began coughing violently and Edward poured her a glass of water. She downed the whole content as if that was the first drink she ever had in a long time. "You are in my room. After what happened last night, your room is quite uninhabitable." Lena pondered on his statement for a bit before the memories crashed down on her like a tsunami. She remembered vividly what had transpired last night, how she woke up paralyzed in the darkness, how the demonic figure appeared in her chamber, and that low guttural voice before she was assaulted relentlessly. She could still feel the intense pain as the demon threw her around the room like a rag doll, beating her and raking its claws over her exposed skin. She tried reaching for her weapons, but that thing was faster and pinned her to the floor. She felt utterly defenseless as it began tearing at her clothes. It moved its clawed hand to her throat and squeezed, causing her to gasp for air, and the creature extended an abnormally long tongue and forcibly shoved it down her throat. She felt her body going numb as the fleshy tendril writhed inside her, a heavy taste of metal invaded her oral cavity, and then, all was blurry. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she started hyperventilating. Edward immediately took her face in his hands, telling her to look into his eyes and box breathe. He repeated this command a few more times, before Lena started breathing in a rhythmic pattern. She inhaled for four seconds, held her breath for four more, exhaled for another four, and held it again for the same amount of time. After some time of rinsing and repeating the process, her violent breathing was reduced to choked sobs. Edward offered her his arms, she responded by collapsing against his frame, mentally drained and physically exhausted. She let him hold her close. His warm embrace allowed her to weep into his chest until her tears ran dry and her shoulders no longer shuddered with each sob. Still, he did not let go. His fingers traced slowly up and down her back, while his head rested against hers. "I am so, very sorry, for what happened, Lena. If it's any consolation, I killed the demon who did this to you," Edward broke the silence, still holding her tightly. "I am sorry that you have to experience such an encounter, but what I regret the most was the fact that I have contributed to that trauma. What I did in the hangar, was--" "Ed." Lena pulled away from him, looking straight into his eyes. "Please don't take me the wrong way, I know you were only trying to protect me, and I really appreciate that. But, did it have to be so...gruesome? You know, shooting them limb from limb, and all..." "I have to admit, that was...messy. Imagine the public outrage if they see Overwatch operating in such a way - let's be realistic, maybe half of the world wanted us gone right now. But I think you knew I had to act fast, they were rebels, therefore they must be dealt with at an extreme prejudice, no? And..." "And?" Lena looked expectantly, taking his hands in hers. "A story for another time, okay? This morning is already tragic as it is." Edward smiled, gently wiping the dried tears from her face. "Now, take a shower and after that, we'll get something to eat, sounds good?" Lena beamed and nodded furiously. Edward chuckled at her reaction. "Oh, and I've taken the liberty to salvage your things, they are over there on my desk." He pointed "Unfortunately, your jacket has sustained quite the damage, but thankfully, everything else is fine." The Brit hugged her companion once again, pressing her head against his chest. "Thank you, for everything." "Bitte schön," Edward replied, returning her hug. "Hey, I was wondering, if I was stripped naked last night, who put these on me?" she referred to her white baggy t-shirt and red shorts and gasped. "Did you--" "No!" He said immediately with his heart pounding in his rib cage, his face heating up in shade of crimson. "Angie did that, I swear!" Lena giggled and parted from him. "I am just pullin' your leg, luv. Wow, you really are shy, aren't you?" she teased. He stammered a bunch of I's in response, causing Lena to laugh like a horse. Edward just stood there awkwardly, as her laughter died down. "Luv, you are just too adorable. How is it that you keep your composure through the bleakest of hours, but when it comes to small things like this, you go to a vegetative state? Oh Ed, don't ever change." "For God's sake Lena, take a bath already, I am starving!" Edward blurted out, trying to bring himself together again. Lena gave him a wink as she took her clothes and entered the bathroom. Edward sighed and chuckled, wondering how is it that he would stare death right in the eye, but that same bravery could be instantly shattered when he was put on the spot like that. "Ed, you up yet partner?" said Jesse's voice on his earpiece. He went to his desk and put the communication device in his ear. "I’m here. What is it Jesse?" "Brig told me what happened last night. How's Lena? She alright?" Edward confirmed that she was indeed more than alright. "Good to hear. Anyway, meet me at the slammer when you're done there. Sleeping Beauty's waking up." "Copy that." Author's Note Many thanks to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter (you're the best!) Aaaaand another chapter's up! Law school's been busy, so I am surprised I am able to write 15k words (this is the longest chapter I've ever written so far during my time here in Fimfiction) I suppose this is progress compared to a year of absence, no? When you read this note, and have questions about the strong supernatural presence at this story, allow me to explain. Although magic in Overwatch universe is sparse for as far as we know (only present in the Junkenstein comics/events), but Blizzard games are not strangers to it. Take Warcraft and Diablo for example. In fact, the idea of Mana and demons are inspired by them. Of course there's also the game Heroes of the Storm, which basically talks about the convergence of the Blizzard multiverse. Also, Overwatch is essentially the more advanced version of our world. In this context, considering the various myths, superstitions, and beliefs our world has to offer, I don't think the existence of otherworldly forces in this universe is too far fetched, no? And finally, this is a crossover with MLP, so magic is bound to exist. By the way, I cannot speak German at all, my German speaking friend is helping me to create the dialogues (not a native speaker). So, if any of you are German natives, or know German well, feel free to correct me in the comments below if you happen to stumble upon any linguistic errors. Also, since I will be using a lot of fencing terms, here's a little something to help your visualization about longsword guards or stances: I am still a newbie fencer, so if there are HEMA veterans out there reading this somehow, your inputs are very very appreciated. But please keep in mind I don't want too much realism here, after all this is a fantasy/science fiction universe. And as for Siren, here's the base design As always, thank you so much for reading, I hope you find this long chapter enjoyable, do leave your responses down in the comments and I'll gladly respond to them. Have a good one folks, see you soon! Chapter 10"You've been out for long. Had me worried back there," Jesse's muffled voice rang in Olivia's ears as she slowly regained consciousness. As her senses returned to her slowly but surely, Olivia noticed she was being held in a stark white prison cell - an Overwatch solitary confinement cell. The walls were padded and soundproofed, rendering the room's audio activity to a minimum both internally and externally. Guards assigned to bring food into the cell would wear special white environmental suits which muffled even the sound of their footsteps, and meals would usually be white rice served on a white paper plate - a place designed to break the wills of even the most hardened of subjects by inducing them with sensory depravity. Olivia sat on her bed and saw Jesse pouring a cup of water for her, making her realize how parched she was. "W-where am I?" she croaked out, but the intense dryness inside her throat caused her to cough violently. "Oh c'mon, you're smart. Figure it out." He handed the full cup to her, but despite her need to drink, Olivia did not do so immediately as she contemplated an escape plan. Electronics was the backbone of the Watchpoint's operating system, one EMP blast and Sombra could cripple all of the automatic doors in her area, disable automated defense turrets, and other sensitive equipment that would enable her escape smoother than silk. Just needed to wait for the right opening - a blinding splash of water will do. It was then when she noticed that the cybernetics on her left hand were not glowing the purplish light they usually emit. Panic started brewing in her core. "W-what did you do to me pendejo?!" she angrily dropped the plastic cup to the floor, spilling its content all over. "We're not idiots, sweet pea. You don't need cybernetic interface to keep you breathing, so we figured it'd be better to disable those high-tech light bulbs." Jesse leaned closer to her, his face only inches away from her own "Olivia, I know you better than you realize. Just now, you were gonna throw the water at me didn't ya? Knock me out, fry all the computers, and bail. Say if it ain't so, sugar. Say if it ain't so." Olivia gritted her teeth as her options were very limited at that moment. Trying to escape right then and there would be stupid, like there was any way to begin with. The fact that Overwatch's maximum-security prisons were probably the most state-of-the-art in existence, and her cybernetics were shot certainly did not make it any easier for her. She could probably knock the cowboy out, but even if she did, what then? Heavily armored security guards will just waltz into her cell and spray her with lead. Her machine pistol and translocator devices were nowhere in sight. Hell, even her signature electric purple coat was gone - traded for a white prisoner bodysuit. Olivia sighed. "What do you want?" She never felt so desperate before. As much as she valued her position in Talon, she valued her life and well-being more. And knowing Akande, once a Talon agent is taken hostage, he wouldn't bother to send rescue for them because he would deem them unworthy - a weakling. The only way back would be if she was to somehow escape and return to Venice. But even then, there would also be a chance she would be killed for suspicions of hostile collaboration, or worse, had her cybernetics disassembled for intel and parts with Doctor Moira O'Deorain as the surgeon. The simple thought of the Minister of Genetics sent shivers down her spine. So, the best current option for her...was to cooperate. As crazy as that might sound like. The cell door lifted and Edward entered with a food tray with three bowls of freshly made spaghetti alla carbonara and a pitcher full of orange juice with three paper cups by its side. The steaming dishes quickly filled the room with their fragrant scents, causing Olivia to realize how hungry she was. "Sorry for the delay, Jesse," Edward said as he set the tray and its contents down on a nearby table. "I thought the three of us could have breakfast together." "Jesus, thanks partner! I'm starvin' as fuck," Jesse said as he took his seat and started digging into his meal. Edward turned his attention to Olivia, flashing her an inviting smile. "Come now, don't be shy." Olivia did not move from her bed, still staring the stranger with cold suspicious eyes. Her stoic wall however, came crumbling down like the walls of Jericho when an audible rumble escaped her stomach. Edward pulled a chair for her and told her to come over. Seeing it was already useless to resist any further, Olivia finally relented, sat in front of him and started wolfing down her food. "So, did I cut anything important between you two?" Edward asked. "Shwe ahked mwe wuat we wuant," said Jesse while chewing a mouthful of spaghetti. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Jesse. You see Miss Colomar, what you said back at Castillo that intrigues me. The boss is planning something big...can you explain that to us please?" At that moment, Olivia practically choked on her food and started coughing violently. Jesse attempted to help her but she held out her hand, letting him know she didn't need any. Of course, she was rather shocked by the friendly tone he was giving her as she thought he was the 'bad cop' at first. "Oh wow," the hacker said after chugging a whole glass of orange juice. "Finally, someone with manners. You can learn a thing or two from him, cowboy." "What did I ever do to you?" Edward chuckled. "I am flattered, Miss Colomar." "No no no, for you handsome, you get to call me Olivia." "Very well, Olivia." They continued eating in silence until their plates were scrubbed clean, during which Edward learned quite a few things about Olivia. She ate fast. Of course he knew Olivia was hungry, but the way she ate suggested this woman was deft, precise, and very, very, thorough. She would make either a dangerous enemy, or a very valuable ally. "How was the food?" asked Edward as he poured some more orange juice into his companions' cups. "Mmmh, that was probably the best spaghetti I've ever eaten. Did you make these?" "Unfortunately, no. I didn't have enough prep time, but you can thank Sous-Chef Codsworth for doing a very magnificent job," replied Edward. "Anyway, let's talk about the obvious. Talon wants Overwatch gone, I think you know that already. And..." Olivia leaned forward, "war." "Interesting. Do go on." "You are aware of the omnic oppression going on worldwide, right? Well Doomfist, ugh I hate that moniker, Akande, is trying to start Omnic Crisis 2.0, to strengthen humanity through conflict, to separate the chaff from the wheat and all that crap. Just between us though, I think he's starting to lose it." "How so?" "Look at us. Overwatch, Talon, tomayto, tomahto. Conventionally, we are at a stalemate. You hit us here, and we hit you there. You have a strong influence within the U.N. but so do we. You see, Akande wants a total game changer. Something more...radical. He came to the conclusion that our current modern civilization alone won't be interesting enough, so he started digging through old myths, legends, folklore stuff, and guess what he came across?" "I have no idea, getting Jörmungandr to release its own tail and start Ragnarok maybe?" Edward said out loud, without thinking. While in truth, he had already known the answer as he was already tapping into Olivia's mind since he entered her cell, in case she attempted to lie. "Similar concept, but he is not that stupid. He wants something he can control. I am talking about the Spark of Life. Supposedly this artifact is capable of resurrecting the dead or reanimating inanimate objects and gain control over them." "I see. Do you have any idea what the Spark is? Physical description, et cetera. Since this is a mythological object we are discussing about, everything surrounding it could be entirely fictional. Plus, there are a lot of potentially non-existent artifacts out there with similar properties. At this rate, I think we are all going to die of old age before any of us could actually discover anything." Olivia laughed. "I never said the prospect is smart, chico. We have zero intel, nada. We don't know what to look, or where to look, but you don't know him. He is prepared to do whatever it takes to win, even if he have to scour through every last nook and cranny on Earth to search for it, he will. God, now that I think of it, I’m glad I’m off their boat." Edward nodded in understanding. "But of course, this massive wild goose chase will not keep Talon from committing more atrocities, no?" A faint devious smile curled on Olivia's lips. "Perhaps you are kind enough to share more information with us?" asked Edward again. "I promise you won't regret it." Olivia chuckled "I would, but since my cybernetics are screwed, I can't access the necessary data anymore. Unless, you are kind enough to set me back online?" "You know the answer to that, darlin'," answered Jesse. "In that case, as much as I want to, I can't help you any further." "Luna? Do you have any input to the situation perhaps?" "No, but I suppose it is time I tell you my story. To the war room," came her reply. "Then that will be all for now. Thank you for your cooperation, Olivia," Edward said as he and Jesse got up from their seats, tidying the table wares into the tray and proceeded to exit the room. "One more thing," she said, stopping them in their tracks. "Talon is also very very interested with your new...friends. I'd keep a close eye on them if I were you." "On the other hand, I am also very interested with members of your inner circle. Quod seminat hoc et metet." Edward grinned and left the holding cell with Jesse in tow, leaving Olivia stunned and pale, slumping against her seat. As the party arrived at the war room, Edward contacted Twilight via telepathy to get Fizzlepop, Winston, Reinhardt, and Torbjorn to get there as well in order to attend the meeting. Not long after, Twilight told him that both men were still passed out due to the alcohol they consumed last night - but the Ruler of the Castle of Friendship had an idea, she informed him they will be there shortly with Reinhardt and Torbjorn completely sobered up. And true enough, the five appeared soon after by means of teleportation. The command center was rather small in size, but was equipped with an arsenal of high-tech communication and monitoring devices to ensure the utmost coordination for Overwatch's forces. The room's most sophisticated feature however, was the war table. A built-in projector located on its center displayed a dark electric yellow holographic globe which allowed Overwatch to monitor the world in its live state thanks to the Satellite Drone XR-9 - an intelligence/communication satellite Winston launched to space before recalling all Overwatch agents back to active service. Whenever there was trouble, they would know about it. In combat, the war table would feed all sorts of data on the battlefield, like environmental details, troop movements, and troop vitals for instance. "Okay, now that we are all here...do you mind telling us what this is all about?" Jesse asked as the group took their places around the war table. Standing on his side of the table were Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Genji, Winston, Lena, and Angela. And on the other, were Edward, Fareeha, Brigitte, and the Equestrians. "To talk about a few elephants in the room." The alicorn took a deep breath and exhaled. "The Spark of Life...I created it." As soon as Luna said that, the whole room fell into a deep silence and all eyes fell on her. "Come again?" "You heard me right." Luna paused, letting her companions to digest her words. "Let me tell you how it all came to pass. "A thousand years ago, a great war was waged in Equestria between me and my older sister, Celestia, because I refused to lower the moon to make way for her rising sun. At that time, I was...embittered by her. Everypony basked in the glory of my sister's day - they played, worked, and adored her so much - while they shunned away from my night's embrace and slept through it. And so, I never received the same kind of love my sister did. But the final blow for me was, when my sister began taking me for granted as well. Hate overcame me, and with my entire army, I turned on her and Equestria. Although we were lower in numbers, we had the element of surprise and our affinity to the night made us twice as strong. But my sister was a brilliant tactician, she quickly turned the tide of war and decimated half of my army in a year's time. I was desperate, so I delved deep into ancient forbidden tomes and found a way to contact a being capable of granting me incomprehensible power to defeat my sister and replenish my ranks." Luna swallowed a growing lump in her throat as her voice began to strain and her eyes began stinging with tears. "But of course, there were prices to be paid. First, I was to sacrifice an item I treasured most by concentrating all of my utmost desires at it. And second, surrender my body and soul to them so they could imbue me with their powers. At that time, all I had left was a hunk of uncut emerald my sister gave me when we were fillies - the single fragment of better days between me and her. It was that gem which gave me a semblance of hope that we may mend everything that went wrong - but I needed this power, I needed to win, and I believed only I am the master of my own self, so in my foolish recklessness, I poured out all of my hatred, my envy, my bitterness, my undying will to rebuild my army, and my desire for the ultimate power - coalescing them into the stone. And thus, the Spark of Life was born." She paused, and continued again. "When the Spark's creation was finished, I realized it too late that by draining so much energy has left me vulnerable both physically and spiritually. They possessed me, corrupting my form, and pushing my ego so deep inside my own head, that I was no longer in control of myself. But I remained aware of everything that transpired. I cannot do anything other than witness as the Spark resurrected the fallen from my army and my sister's as twisted undead abominations and we breached Equestria's capital city in merely three days, leaving nothing but death and destruction in our wake. It was then when regret and sadness tore me apart, despite all what I had wanted a year prior finally came true at that fateful night. When I finally met my sister again, she begged me to lower the moon and told me how sorry she was for everything. I screamed inside my mind, trying to regain control of my own body and embrace her. But alas, I could not do anything as my possessed form dealt blow after blow to her. But my sister remained as resourceful as ever. At the fight's most critical juncture she unleashed the power of the Elements of Harmony - six supernatural artifacts representing subjective aspects of harmony. They are: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic. With them, my sister banished me to my own moon for a thousand years and threw the Spark into the horizons of space and time where it shall never be found ever again. But it seems, destiny does not agree with her plans forever." Once again, silence pervaded over the room's atmosphere. Everybody exchanged subtle glances, wordlessly relaying their doubts and questions with each other. But for Edward, and those connected to Luna's hivemind, knew this was the raw truth. Seeing his mentor on the verge of tears, he placed his right hand on her shoulder. Edward felt Luna briefly jump at the sudden touch, and droplet of tears began streaming down her face. Edward instinctively knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. Despite him trying to shrug off the sensation, he could feel the electricity from Lightning's glare behind him, possibly for breaking royal etiquette. However, during times like these, he couldn't give a damn about any sort of royal protocol. "Thank you," Luna whispered as Edward let her go when the alicorn finally collected herself. "I suppose," Genji spoke up after a period of silence, "we would be foolish if we choose to not believe your story. But how do you propose we find the stone? Even your detection spell is unable to complete its task." Genji asked. "There is another way," Luna suggested with a thick hint of reluctance in her speech. "The Spark has just arrived in your world, relatively speaking. I suppose the Elements of Harmony must have nearly wiped out its power with its last remaining essence being used when I felt that stone's presence here on Earth. In order to find it, we have to generate enough stimuli to restore its potent arcane energy, which we will be able to finally track down and destroy. The more its power grows, the more influence it will exude on its surroundings, gradually inflicting chaotic degradation to the climate, plants, animals, and even people in your case, so we should keep our eyes open for anomalies like these in the future." "Is it possible to be reversed?" asked Winston. "There are two alternatives, but I am afraid my preferred method is rather impossible to perform as we need the presence of all Element Bearers to reverse the corruption." "And the other alternative?" "Once the signs of the Spark's influence begin to show itself, we have to pinpoint the affected area, and evacuate every living soul in that vicinity. However, if the damage has already been done, then the other alternative would be through death," Luna answered grimly. "I am sorry, I wish I could tell you there are other alternatives...but unfortunately, there is not much we can do in that regard. All we can do is to minimize the impact by neutralizing the stone as soon as possible after it activates." "And what kind of stimuli do you have in mind to find this stone?" asked Angela, feeling a subtle chill on her spine as a grave implication started brewing in her mind. "Something tells me, you know the answer to your own inquiry," the alicorn said stoically. "Fuck," the doctor muttered under her breath. "The stone absorbs everything wrought by bloodshed. The more there are, the more powerful it will grow. And judging by your world's current standing, I daresay we will not find any shortage of that." "I am not one who wishes for more conflict, but I do hope we find that Spark first. I cannot imagine should the artifact fall into the wrong hands," Reinhardt concluded somberly. "And thank you very much Luna, for your honesty. I know it is not pleasant to relive such a dark past, but you just saved us all from a great deal of trouble." Luna smiled softly. "Wait, Luna. You are normal now, right?" Jesse crooked his eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but we can't be too careful these days." The alicorn laughed. "Of course I am normal now. Thanks to Twilight and the Element Bearers." She glanced at the aforementioned mare who bowed her head down in embarrassment. "But I think that is a story for another time. There is still another matter we need to discuss." Luna glanced at Edward who pulled a microchip from his pocket and fed it to one of the war table's chip readers. "ATHENA, process the chip and copy all of its data. Trust me when I say, we are going to need this." "At once." After a few seconds, the three-dimensional holographic globe was transformed into that of a heraldic heater shield with an azure background. On its center was the depiction of the pale crescent moon and the golden sun, melding together into a single sphere. Embellished under the symbol, was a Latin adage embroidered in gold: Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. "So, is this the Order you mentioned yesterday?" asked Brigitte with a growing interest in her tone. He shook his head, chuckling. "Not exactly, this is just our insignia. As I have told some of you two days ago, I was a commander of a small independent rapid response task force specifically formed to defend Germany against the growing threat of cyborg terrorists and other inhuman threats. We were known as, Order of the Dawn." "Sounds like something straight from the Middle Ages," remarked Fareeha with a cheeky smirk. Edward laughed. "Oh that is indeed, very true. Elements of knighthood could be found nearly everywhere in the Order, ranging from our paraphernalia and even down to our ranks - mine for example, was ritter-kommandant or knight-commander, it's Bundeswehr equivalent would be oberst or colonel. But that does not mean we were so ancient we did not use modern technology, oh no. In fact, we had a plethora of either self-developed or joint-developed assets which, so far, only exist in your wildest fantasies." "Any chance we could get to know those assets better?" Torbjorn drooled. Edward chuckled. "A topic for another time uncle, it's best to talk about such things over pitchers of beer." "What is your specialization if I may know?" asked Luna, returning the conversation on its course. "As our main purpose was to take direct actions against threats too overwhelming for regular units to handle, we were very extensively trained in various fields, namely; unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, hostage rescue, foreign internal defense, counter-terrorism, and information warfare. Of course, these are some among many other capabilities we have in our disposal. However, it is very important to note that each individual have their own specific skills which further boost our versatility - a vital component due to our small numbers." "How small?" "In total we had 100 personnel with us. But they were only charged with support duties, you know - auxiliary tactical teams, a K9 unit, maintenance crews, intelligence, medical, R&D division, but there were only 10 field operators who did most of the heavy lifting." "What?" asked the whole room simultaneously. "We were the 0.1% from 99.9%, personally handpicked from Germany's special forces, such as the Kommando Spezialkräfte. I was recruited from the Police Tactical Unit, Grenzschutzgruppe 9 der Bundespolizei or GSG 9 for short. In the beginning of the selection process, there were 40 of us, but the numbers quickly dwindled because of the extremely grueling training and indoctrination process where human rights were basically non-existent - most of them quit, while others lost their sanity, and even their lives. When the whole meat grinding process was done, there were only 20 of us left. Afterwards, those who survived were subjected to the Týr Initiative - a super soldier experiment similar to America's Soldier Enhancement Program. By the time the procedures were completed, half of us were already dead. So, there we were, ten survivors selected by Lady Fortuna herself." "How come none of us have ever heard of this?" asked Reinhardt. "Because officially, we do not exist. Even after our disbandment, we still remain blacker than black." "Won't you get in trouble for sharing this sort of information, then?" asked Fizzlepop, concerned. "Trouble? That word would be an understatement my friend. The last time I shared this information, well...let's just say I was buried neck-deep in shit. However, by now, I don't think I have to worry about that anymore. But still, what I am telling you here today is not something our world is ready to receive yet, so for now at least, I urge you to keep this conversation between ourselves. Is that understood?" He received a collective response of confirmations, a faint smile forming on his lips. "By the way, why were you trained in foreign internal defense? I thought you were only stationed in Germany," chimed Fareeha again. "Occasionally, we were sent to other countries too since cybernetical and supernatural threats does not only occur in Germany. We have been deployed to France, U.K., U.S., Greece, China, Japan, but the most notable took place in Korea and Russia. That's how I met Hana ‘D.Va’ Song and Aleksandra ‘Zarya’ Zaryanova respectively." "Wait, you know D.Va?! Like,THE D.Va?!" Brigitte's eyes went wide as saucers, brimming with excitement. Edward couldn't help but smile. "I knew it was you who put her poster in the Orca. You know, I haven't checked on her in ages anyway. I can introduce you to her later if you want." Brigitte squealed with joy after hearing his offer, but quickly collected herself as she remembered she was in a middle of a briefing. "Before we start talking about the main topic, I'd like you to understand about the actual reality we live in - please bear with me if I sound like a rambling madman." Edward fished his pocket for his water canteen and took a sip from it before continuing with his lecture. "To put it simply, think of our reality as a layer within an infinitely large crepe cake. The layers of realities overlap with one another, while also continuously forming their ever-expanding networks. These worlds have existed long before we came to be here, and will persevere long after our bones have turned to dust. Some are exactly like our own with only minor differences - for example, in another reality, I am wearing a red polo instead of black - while others have their own laws of physics. Some are beautiful, fertile, and filled with all sorts of wonders, yet there exist others our eyes should never witness. Protecting these realities from crashing into each other, is an unseen barrier we call The Veil. While it is hypothetically impossible to rip open the entire thing, relatively small breaches are known to occur at random with varying results, ranging from object displacements to otherworldly invasions. Any questions so far?" Winston raised his massive hand. "You are discussing about the Multiverse concept, yes?" asked the gorilla scientist. "Correct." "Now that is not too far-fetched for me because personally, I believe in this theory. Please, do continue." "Closing in to last night's incident, there are telltale signs of determining when a breach is about to happen. At times we can sense their presence through a sudden, unknown scent, temperature drop, or a strange feeling of anxiety with no apparent cause. I believe we have experienced all of that yesterday. When something breaches into our world, they require a lot of energy both from their and our end. Which means, they have to possess some degree of power on their own, and the environment they are materializing in must also be ideal for this transition to occur successfully." "Ideal environment?" asked Angela. "Well, it depends on what type of creature is coming through. If we are dealing with benevolent entities, they tend to appear in places where good things happened. On the other hand, if we are dealing with malevolent entities, they tend to appear in places where bad things happened. Please note the word, tend, as these entities have their own...affinities, if you will. A Valkyrie may appear before a dying soldier in the middle of a battlefield, or a Kobold appearing in a wedding festivity, blurring pictures and souring the food. The most preferable scenario would be - nothing will happen at all. It's just a flux at The Veil." "Wait, there are benevolent entities as well?" the doctor asked again, this time she was rather excited. "Why yes, there are many of them. In fact, I own a portion of Schwarzwald, sorry - the Black Forest - just on the outskirts of Eichenwalde, where I built a place for my friends to stay. I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to visit them sooner or later. If you'd like to, you are more than welcome to join. But I have to warn you, they could get rather frisky. I suppose various exciting misadventures could happen when you have a family consisting of a Lamia, a Centaur, a Harpy, a Mermaid, a Super-Amoeba, and an Arachne -- forgive me, I am getting off topic. Just a second." Edward continued to fiddle with the computer, changed the chip's interface language from German to English and quickly sifted through the files, accessing one labeled as "Bestiary". Once he opened it, a multitude of data regarding every known legendary creature in the world were laid out in the projection. To save time, he entered the keyword "Grunt" and opened the corresponding file. A holographic render of the same creatures which attacked them last night was displayed in the air. Edward noticed Lena's growing uneasiness and asked whether she was fine to proceed or she could leave for the time being. Albeit he could tell she was forcing herself to stay, Lena insisted that she was indeed fine. Edward enhanced the Grunt's image, showing it in more detail. This particular specimen had no armor nor was it armed, revealing it's twisted gnarly pinkish flesh for all to see. "Infernales Militum, or Grunts, are souls of wicked soldiers who fell in battle and accepted an offer from Hell's leaders to walk among the living once again to delay their punishment. However, instead of a chance in atonement, they were turned into twisted half-dead half-living beings with only destruction, hunger, and carnal lust seared into what's left of their minds. Generally, they are armed and armored with those they had before they died. Hence why our attackers had our assault rifles and body armor fused into their flesh. Returning to my previous explanation about the Veil breach, when demonic entities do decide to pay us a visit, the first telltale signs would be a sudden dramatic decrease on temperature, problems in electrical equipment, and of course the rancid stench of sulfur and rotting flesh. Other symptoms include feelings of being watched, uneasiness, fear, and anxiety. The best way to combat these creatures, and other monstrosities in general, would be with silver." "Silver?" his companions asked in-sync. Edward nodded. "Now, don't let that 'silver is a holy metal' BS get to you. Creatures archived to our data banks are known to carry unique strains of bacteria and/or chemical compounds in their blood which react adversely to silver. For our visitors last night, their blood is highly sulfuric. Which is why Siren worked wonders against them, since High-Frequency blades use silver in their forging as it is the most conductive metal in existence. For cyborgs, silver short circuits their system as the metal's conductivity disrupts energy distribution - once it has entered their bodies of course - this is why silver-based weaponry is a standard issue for us Knights of the Dawn since they are very powerful jacks of all trades against the things we hunt. Cyborgs, monsters, you name it." Edward drew his pistol from its holster, ejected the magazine, and extracted one bullet from it. At first glance it seemed to be a 9x19mm armor piercing round but when Edward used his sword to cut it in half, it was revealed that there was a small silver sabot inside. Just like those found on APFSDS tank rounds. "This here is an example of a Mistletoe round, oh they come in multiple calibers too by the way - 5.56mm, 7.62mm, 12.7mm - you name it. As you can see, this is a 9x19mm armor piercing bullet with a tungsten carbide penetrator. When it finds its mark, the penetrator will defeat almost any form of armor our enemy possesses where the silver sabot will seal the deal. Of course, conventional means could work against them - you know, by ripping off their heads for example - but why go to such lengths when a 5.56mm Mistletoe round could stop a charging orc dead in its tracks. And before you ask, yes they do exist." "Mein Gott, so last night was not a dream," Reinhardt remarked, swallowing a lump in his throat. "How did those...things, get here in the first place?" "I have a hypothesis on this situation." said Twilight. "As some of you have known, this base is built on top of a massive convergence of mana veins. Aside from their function as arcane energy sources, mana veins also act as...oh, what's the term -- information superhighways. While the ones you are familiar with are extensive electronic networks such as the Internet, it's arcane counterpart functions in a similar manner, for those with access of course." "I'm afraid I do not understand." "Ok, boomer," Edward whispered telepathically to Brigitte and Fareeha before snickering quietly with them. Luna glanced a questioning smile at them but soon joined the stealthy guffaw as her apprentice relayed the contemporary wisdom to her via mind-link. Twilight continued. "I'll put it this way. The internet has many functions, no? But the bottom line is, you use the network to find information. Be it the past, the present, and even the future -- mana veins work in the same manner. Just like how the internet rapidly transfers information such as sound, video, and graphics to the whole world, so does the veins. The more veins there are, the stronger the output will be. While the internet can be accessed with your computers and cellphones, only certain beings are able to tap into the veins, namely magic users. Or demons, in this case. As to why they have picked this particular place, as I have said before, the veins rapidly transmit information to those with access. What sort of information you may ask? Well, environmental energy from what had transpired in a particular place. As Edward brought up before and I quote: when something breaches into our world, they require a lot of energy both from their and our end. Which means, they have to possess some degree of power on their own, and the environment they are materializing in must also be ideal for this transition to occur successfully. Before we came here, Talon attacked this base no? A lot of people died. Q lot of chaos happened. And there's also the encounter in that hangar. Do you see what I am trying to say?" Edward nodded eagerly. "All of that trauma saturated into the veins. Shed a drop of blood into the ocean, and sharks will surely be drawn to it. And the fact that those creatures we killed were fallen Talons, they must've made a deal out of revenge, obsessed with returning to these fertile grounds." "So, you are basically saying we are standing on top of a massive supernatural beacon which attracts diabolical entities?" asked Winston in conclusion. "You are right Winston. We are indeed standing on a massive supernatural beacon. But no, they normally won't attract diabolical entities. You see, the veins here are rather sensitive to change, but the mana coursing through them is inherently good in nature. So, if we could keep unnecessary bloodshed away from this place, our next visitors could be beneficial for us." "I see. Before we go any further though, I have to ask you something. Now Twilight, I believe you, but you..." Jesse turned his attention to Edward. "Now, I don't want to be a dick, but you sure you're not pulling things outta your ass now?" Edward shook his head, chuckling. "I expected nothing less from your response, Jesse. But to answer your question, no. Let's just say, I have several associates kind enough to show me the ropes." "Incoming transmission." ATHENA's voice silenced the conversation short as a garbled live feed appeared on the holographic projection. From what little could be deciphered from the video feed, the woman was oriental looking with short brown hair. A pair of thick black framed glasses rested on her face, and she seemed to be wearing a full set of Overwatch standard-issue winter gear. "ATHENA boost that signal!" Edward barked. Acknowledging his order, ATHENA quickly cleared the transmission to a crystal-clear level. "H-hello? I-is anybody there? W-Winston? A-are you there?" said the woman's voice from the other end. Her quivering voice was ripe with fear and anxiety. "MEI?!" Winston exclaimed, nearly leaping to the air in excitement "B-but how?! I thought the Ecopoint -- you know what, never mind. Are you okay? Where are you?!" Suddenly, the signal plummeted again and the transmission began to break off with the last audible words being: "Help, Antarctica, hurry!" Before cutting off completely. A rescue team was dispatched immediately to Antarctica following the transmission's abrupt end. Due to the small nature of the base, sending a full squad of agents was deemed unnecessary so only Edward, Brigitte, and, Angela were chosen for the mission. Luna volunteered. She first received rather strong objections from both her Equestrian and Overwatch companions at first. However, due to ATHENA's prediction of a massive blizzard approaching the facility, they let her join the mission as weather manipulation is part of her perks of being an alicorn. Twilight also offered to replace Luna as she was also an alicorn, but the Moon Princess quickly shot down her proposal as compared to her, Twilight lacked combat experience. To ease them more, Luna promised she would remain at the Orca to provide support and would only engage in combat when necessary - that is, if there were to be any at all. Fareeha also volunteered for the mission, but just like Luna she was only to act as support. Air support, to be more precise. The cramped close quarters environment of the Ecopoint means she could not utilize her Raptora Armor's air superiority prowess and explosive weaponry to maximum use, so she would not be joining Edward, Brigitte, and Angela on the ground. The Ecopoint's courtyard, an intersection that connected all of its modular buildings, is completely exposed from the air - giving the research complex a perfect bird's eye view from the sky of everything and everyone in it. Should Talon decide to ambush them, that courtyard would most likely serve as their insertion point. Only then would she be deployed. Despite her slight annoyance, Fareeha agreed. For this mission, Edward was appointed as squad leader with Fareeha as his second-in-command. He was also given the call sign Warden which he proudly accepted. After a quick briefing of their mission today, Luna learned that their VIP was Mei Ling-Zhou, an Overwatch climatologist stationed at a modular science station known as Ecopoint: Antarctica. The station was maintained by Overwatch in order to study climate changes and cryostasis technology. It was staffed by a researcher named Adams, an engineer named MacReady, cryo engineers Opara and Torres, and climatologists Arrhenius and Mei herself. One day however, the station stopped communicating with the outside world. Normally, a quick reaction team would be dispatched to assess the situation, but at that very same day, Overwatch's headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland was destroyed in an ensuing explosion. This particular event was speculated to be the direct result of a fight between two of the organization's most prominent leaders: Strike Commander Jack Morrison and Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes, effectively crippling Overwatch which eventually led to its disbandment. And so, the Ecopoint's fate was left in uncertainty and Winston assumed the worst as nearly a decade had passed and the station remained silent still. Until that very day, of course. Their mission objectives were: rescue Mei and the Ecopoint's staff, find out what happened to the facility, gather any crucial data, and if necessary - scuttle the entire base. Despite the lack of Talon presence in this mission, they were still armed to the teeth. Luna donned her midnight blue steel armor again, armed with her longsword. Edward decided to travel lightly, instead of his hulking Crusader power armor and rocket hammer, he brought an Overwatch's standard issue arctic warfare assault armor and armed with his heavily modified G36C rifle, Glock 34 pistol, a pair of DM51 frag grenades, a smoke grenade, and of course, Siren. In case they have to destroy any sensitive data and/or equipment, Edward took the leeway to supply his teammates with Thermite Grenades, one for each. He wanted to grab the weapons case and have his tools of trade inspected, but he noticed Fareeha was spacing out beside him on the recreational table. "What's wrong?" Edward nudged Fareeha waking her up from her reverie. She met his eyes for a split second before quickly looking away towards Brigitte who was practicing her throws at the Orca's on-board basketball court, seemingly out of boredom. "Nothing's wrong. I am fine," came her reply. "Fareeha, I have known you since we were very little. I know if something's bothering you. You always put on this nasty scowl, like this." Edward then proceeded to display a comical mockery of Fareeha's stoic expression, bringing his eyebrows uncomfortably close with each other and pouting his lips as physiologically possible. Fareeha chuckled. "Thanks, I'll never pout ever again. It's nothing big really, remembering that shitty day is just a bad trip for me, that's all." "See? Is that so hard to say?" Edward clapped her shoulders. "But I agree, that was a very shitty day." He then proceeded to levitate his weapons case from the Orca's storage racks, opened it, and laying down its contents in an orderly fashion in front of him. "I'm still getting used to seeing you do that. You know, this whole telekinesis stuff," commented Fareeha as Edward quickly disassembled his assault rifle before doing the same with his pistol, carefully inspecting and cleaning every single one of their parts. Once he was finished, he quickly reassembled his weapons. The G36C was equipped with a holographic sight, a MOE vertical grip, and a tactical flashlight mounted on its left handguard rail. The G34 was equipped with an underbarrel micro tactical flashlight/laser pointer. Normally, a G36 rifle is mostly made out of carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide. However, Edward's was fully constructed of titanium. The modification alone would mean more weight, but this does not seem to bother him that much as his superhuman qualities kicked in during combat, and also because Edward often used the rifle as a baton, one time bashing a Talon Heavy Assault Trooper so hard that he cracked both the trooper's skull and the weapon itself. "You and me both," Angela said as she shifted closer to Fareeha's side while Luna circled the table and sat on Edward's left. "Anyway, where did you get these from? They look like museum worthy artifacts." The Crusader chuckled while loading four of his magazines with 5.56x45mm Mistletoe rounds stashed in the weapons case. "Famous last words for those unfortunate enough to be staring down the barrel's end, Angela." A buzzer sounded throughout the aircraft and a blast of confetti was expulsed from the basketball hoop as Brigitte had thrown her ball right into it. Seeing Brigitte coming towards them, Angela tossed her a military canteen filled with water. She caught it and drank nearly a quarter of its content before returning the water bottle. "Thanks, Angela." "Make sure to drink regularly whenever you can, understood? Hydration is important, you know," Angela said with a tone similar to a mother reminding her child to eat their vegetables. Well, for Edward and Fareeha, that's not far from the truth at all, as she practically helped their parents raise them from birth to their childhood. And that caring, motherly trait remained the same until then. Brigitte rolled her eyes in amusement. "Got it, doc." And turned her eyes to Edward who was loading the last bullet into his last magazine with Fareeha helping him to load his pistol's spare magazine. "Hey, Edward, Fareeha, did you see that?!" "You still have a long way to go, kid. How about I show you the ropes?" Fareeha smirked. "Basketball is my specialty, you know." "You're on! Let's go!" Fareeha handed him his magazine and got up from her seat. Out of the blue, a rather strong turbulence rocked the Orca, causing her to fell on Edward's lap, her back hitting his chest. "Don't worry, people. It's just a small turbulence," Ray the pilot called from the bridge. "Whoa, are you okay Fareeha?" Edward instinctively grabbed her shoulder to help his friend get back on her feet. "Uh huh, I just lost my balance for a bit. Thanks for breaking my fall." "Your heart skipped a beat," Luna teased him as the former Helix captain made her way to the court with Brigitte. "Isn't there supposed to be a set of etiquettes for telepathic privacy or something like that?" countered Edward as Fareeha scored a point from a flawless lay-up. "There is, but you are just too fun to mess with." The midnight blue alicorn proceeded to mischievously lay her head on his chest, pretending to be asleep. She pulled off a convincing act for sure. Her breathing became rhythmical, her eyes were shut and completely still, her posture relaxed. To make matters worse, Angela immediately noticed his compromised position. Also Fareeha and Brigitte, who just concluded their short match with the former's victory, had turned their eyes on them. "Lass mich in ruhe!" Edward groaned. As the team arrived at their destination, Ray dropped the ground operators off at the Ecopoint's helipad. Due to the Orca's weight and size, it was unable to land on the base. Ray told them he will monitor things from the air, and pick them up as soon as they were ready. The blizzard ATHENA predicted also came true, a massive shroud of snow and ice could be seen approaching from the horizon. The AI predicted they have an hour and counting, before the storm hits them - not they have much to worry about since Luna was with them - however, it would be inconvenient should they got caught up in it. As the team scanned their surroundings, everything seemed to be frozen as thick sheets of snow blanketed everything in sight and stalactites of icicles hung from every ceiling. Hell, even the helipad they were standing on was frozen solid. There was a communications tower nearby, however it was in a very bad shape - half destroyed in fact. "Maybe this is why her signal dropped. The damn thing's barely standing." Edward thought, cocking his rifle. "A blizzard must've swept through this place. And judging by how frozen this place is, it was massive and relentless," remarked Brigitte, now clad in her own suit of yellow and dark grey power armor, shouldering her signature Rocket Flail. Edward was very impressed with her armor, however he rebuked her for not wearing any sort of protective equipment on her head. "You’re probably right. But we'll never know for sure until we talk to the people here. Okay, time to find our dear clima--" The pitter patter clanking of metal against boots signaled Mei's ascending footsteps to the helipad. For a moment, she stood completely still, her expression resembling that of a person who's just seen a ghost. Now that they have a better view of her, she wore a thick red Overwatch parka, dark grey winter pants, a pair of light blue gloves and boots, and a white furry winter hat. Most notably however, she had a cryo-tank on her back with a small blue drone attached to it, and armed with a crude makeshift blaster connected to the same tank. "Speak of the devil," Edward said under his breath. "D-doctor Ziegler? I-is that you?" "Yes, Mei. It's me." Angela smiled, her eyes betraying no emotion as tears streamed down her face. The doctor dropped her Caduceus Staff as the two embraced each other in a tearful hug. Edward left the two to their moment for a couple of minutes before deciding to continue with the mission. "Pardon me for the intrusion Mercy, but I believe we still have an important mission at hand." Edward's expression was unreadable as his face was obscured by a white, full-faced tactical helmet with a polarized visor. In turn, this also caused his voice to be heavier and robotic. The rest of his body was covered in white tactical plate armor made entirely from tungsten carbide, layered underneath by an insulating CNT undersuit of the same color. The overall suit had a sleek and dynamic design to it, and would work on par with more modern gear despite its older age. Its only drawback was being heavy due to its material. However, this does not seem to bother the wearer very much. "Right, of course Warden," said Angela as the two parted. The doctor gently looked her friend in the eyes. "Mei, what happened here? Where are the others?" Before Mei could answer, a sudden chill ran down their spines. The group shivered in the already unforgiving cold, but for Edward, this was a foreboding feeling he's gotten used to by now. At that moment, five spectral figures stood by Mei's side, 3 on her left and 2 on her right - placing her right in the middle of the ghostly row. They symbolically placed their hands on her shoulder, as if they were trying to comfort her. Edward immediately realized that these were the spirits of the base's former staff members: researcher Adams, engineer MacReady, cryo-engineers Opara and Torres, and climatologist Arrhenius. "Mercy, I don't mean to scare you, but the answer to your second question is standing right in front of you. All five of them. I'm sorry, but Doctor Zhou here is the sole survivor." he spoke to her telepathically. "What?" Angela stared at him with a half confused, half terrified expression. "You’re not joking, right?" Although she cannot see his face, Angela could tell he was looking at her with a dead serious visage. "Let me see if they are willing to talk." Edward squeezed her shoulder and proceeded to approach the ghostly retinue. He set his eyes on the apparition of a dark-skinned man of African descent. He wore a blue parka with a brown shawl wrapped around his neck and a yellow beanie on his head. A thin-framed spectacle with small circle lenses rested on his face, and seemed to be smoking a lit cigar, not unlike Jesse's. Edward identified this man as cryo-engineer Opara, captain of the Ecopoint's team. Opara immediately took notice on him, he tossed his cigar and crushed it under his foot. "Ah, so rescue finally came after all these years. I must say you have a unique perceptiveness, maybe that is why you can see us. Captain Opara, at your service," the cryo-engineer spoke with a thick Numbanian accent, extending his hand to shake Edward's own. Being a ghost, Opara's hand passed through Edward's own, causing him to sigh in frustration. "Sometimes, I forget that I am already dead. We all do." "My sincerest of apologies, Captain Opara. For what happened to you and your crew," Edward said solemnly. "Call me Warden. We were sent here immediately after receiving a transmission from Doctor Zhou. If you don't mind my asking, what exactly happened here?" "E-excuse me?" Mei asked in utter shock and disbelief, rage began building up in her core. She then proceeded to pull Angela aside. "Doctor Ziegler, who is this man? And why is he talking to nothing but thin air? And referring to Captain Opara at that?!" Her voice increasing with each question asked. "It's a long story, Mei. And I know this sounds rather outlandish, but he can interact with those we cannot see," replied Angela, leaving the climatologist in a dumbfounded state. "We will explain everything later, I promise." "Doctor Zhou," Edward turned around to face her, having obviously overheard Mei's questions. "I am sorry for excluding you from our conversation. As Mercy had said before, all shall be explained later. I know I am asking a lot, especially that I'm nothing more than a stranger to you. But for now, please have faith in me." The raw honesty on Edward's voice was enough to calm Mei down, her curiosity was also sparked which rivaled her previously dominant skepticism. With that, Edward returned to his conversation with the retinue. "That's Mei, alright." Arrhenius, the Swedish climatologist chuckled. "Now, to answer your question Warden, we got hit by a massive blizzard. Our solar array and communications tower got damaged, cutting us off from the outside world. As our supplies dwindled, we entered cryostasis in a last-ditch effort to survive until a rescue attempt could be made. However, our pods malfunctioned, cutting our oxygen supply and suffocating us to death," said Opara. "And we have been here ever since." Edward nodded. "Once again captain, I convey my deepest regret, and humbly ask for your forgiveness on the behalf of Overwatch. Our organization was crippled by the time you lost contact with the outside world, and eventually disbanded. But now that we have been reactivated, we are going to make sure to never repeat such a fatal mistake." "There is no need to be sorry, son." Opara attempted to place his hand on Edward's shoulder only for it to phase through him again. "Right, ghost. Anyway, something tells me you are not the one who caused all of this mess to happen." "If I may ask, what keeps you here?" Edward asked again. "I assume you all have an unfinished business of some sort?" "Why, to watch over Mei of course. We are not abandoning one of our own behind," answered Arrhenius, determination brimming from her voice. "But, we can see she is in good hands now. My my, such relief, such lightness! It's been a long time since I have felt anything like this." Edward knew his time was running out as the spirits were finally able to move on. "Before you depart from this world, do you have any last wishes?" "Before power went down for good, Mei copied everything in our database. Please, let the world know about our work, and do take care of her, Warden." The climatologist smiled. "Consider it done, ma'am. One last question, where can we find your bodies? Dead or alive, we are here to take you home." "Oh, don't you worry about us. We don't want to trouble you more than we already have." "Please, it is the least we can do after everything that's happened," Edward insisted. "If you insist, you can find us in our pods in the Cryo Lab," Opara informed him as he began to fade away with the rest of his crew. "It has been a pleasure Warden. Tell Mei, we love her." Edward nodded. "The pleasure is mine, Captain Opara, Doctor Arrhenius. Thus, our paths diverge. Go in peace." He swept his gaze across the rest of the staff, wordlessly conveying his thanks to each and every one of them, who smiled at him in return. Edward maintained his sights on them, until they have completely vanished from his field of vision. The Crusader muttered a quick, silent prayer, and turned back towards the rest of his teammates. "Doctor Zhou, we are going to the Cryo Lab to retrieve your friends. Would you like to come with us or --." "Yes, I am coming with you," Mei answered firmly. Due to the power outage, the whole research complex had a dark gloomy atmosphere to it. The howls of wind whistling through the empty, darkened hallways and shattered windowsills only strengthened that brooding ominous feeling. Edward took point with Mei while Brigitte and Angela followed behind them. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Despite the complete blackout throughout the entire Ecopoint, the Cryo Lab was still operational. Mei explained the lab was completely separated from the main power grid and thus was equipped with its own independent power source. The four quickly got to work, inspecting each cryostasis pod and confirmed that they were containing the corpses of Adams, Arrhenius, MacReady, Torres, and Opara himself. In front of each pod, were mugs of varying colors filled with frozen tea - Edward surmised that Mei must've put them there some time ago, out of respect for her fallen friends. "So much for computerized controls. We have to rip them open somehow," said Brigitte, after attempting to open the hatches via the lab's malfunctioning computer console. She then tried to pry Arrhenius' glass hatch open, but despite her armor enhancing her strength and being naturally strong herself, Brigitte was unsuccessful in her effort. "Fan!" she cursed in her native tongue. "Tillåt mig," Edward replied back in Swedish, catching Brigitte by surprise. " Ja jag pratar lite Svenska." He stood in front of the pods, stretched out both palms, and closed his eyes. Getting the memo, Brigitte moved out of the way. Within moments, the groaning of metal and cracking glass reverberated throughout the lab which climaxed in a chaotic chorus of crushing steel and shattering glass as he tore the hatches from their hinges, and tossed them into the courtyard below. Mei was completely speechless after witnessing what happened, keeping her eyes glued on him. She simply couldn't believe it. They've only known each other for give or take thirty minutes, but everything Edward pulled off in that time span blew her mind compared to everything Mei experienced during her entire scientific career. At least for the telekinesis part. Still using his power, Edward unzipped the body bags Angela had provided and one by one, carefully placed the frozen remains inside using his arcane grip in order to not damage them. Edward walked towards Mei, who was trying to wrap her head around what she was seeing. "Doctor Zhou, I know it's hard to believe everything you have just witnessed in the last half an hour, but Doctor Arrhenius told me you have copied everything about your work before power went down for good. Do you still have the copy with you?" Edward asked as soft as his helmet would allow him to. "Y-yes, I do." Mei pulled out a white USB with an Overwatch insignia on it from her utility bag. "H-how did you --." "As I said before, I will explain everything later. But for now, we must know, where are the computer servers?" "It's that way, take the stairs and turn left, you can't miss it. May I ask why?" "Call it a preventive measure, doctor. Ladies, your Thermite Grenades please. In the meantime, call Ray for extraction Brigitte. I shouldn't take long." After receiving Brigitte's and Angela's grenades respectively, he went off on his own towards the server room where he pulled the pins and melted every single data containing electronics to worthless piles of half molten scrap metal. Just to be sure, he also chucked one of his fragmentation grenades in there to turn everything into a million pieces. "What was that explosion just now?" Brigitte asked him when Edward returned to the Cryo Lab. "I thought Thermite Grenades don't go off like that." "Well, I tossed an extra in there. You can't be too careful with Talon. Stand back, and cover your ears." Edward warned his team before switching his rifle to full-auto mode, and emptying its entire magazine on the lab's computers. "Now we're done," he concluded, placing his spent magazine into one of his armor's empty magazine holders, loading a fresh one, and slipping his index and middle fingers to the rifle's charging handle, racking a round into the chamber, before flicking the safety back on. "Talon? As in the terrorist organization, Talon?" Mei inquired as the earsplitting barrage of gunshots dissipated. "What's this got to do with them?" "We don't know, doctor. But it's better to be safe than sorry. Those bastards would try to get their hands on every piece of our intel." "Heads up people, we have four Talon gunships approaching our AO. I'm coming in hot." Ray warned them. "Get your team ready on the helipad, Warden!" Edward lifted the body bags with his arcane grip. "You heard the man, move out! On the double!" They sprinted back to their extraction point, and Ray's MV-261 Orca appeared from the icy cliffs, hovering only a stone's throw away from the ground. Edward passed the body bags to Luna's telekinetic grip as he was about to enter the helipad's connecting building. They quickly raced up the stairs and hopped aboard through the opened bay door. As the aircraft started ascending, Mei was, needless to say, shocked - when she set her eyes on Luna who was securing the body bags on the loading bay with ATHENA's guidance. With no time to explain, Edward helped Mei to her seat, strapped the safety harness, and stowed her gear away before doing the same himself. "Hang on to your butts people, we are going hypersonic," warned the pilot as he throttled them away from the scene. Just as when they thought they were safe however, ATHENA's voice started blaring throughout the aircraft. "Missile! Missile! Missile!" Seeing the imminent threat, Ray took a sharp turn to the right while deploying the aircraft's chaffs and flares, causing the missile to miss its mark. However, a second missile soon caught up to the Orca. Ray cursed, jerking the aircraft aside in order to avoid the missile. This time the guided ordinance exploded close to the aircraft, damaging one of its rear engines, but the craft was still flight capable. "I think I have a plan, but you have to trust me!" Luna called out, before telepathically relaying her plans to Edward. The alicorn proceeded to teleport out from the aircraft and swiftly flew into the approaching blizzard. Edward disengaged his safety harness and rushed to the bridge, taking the co-pilot seat and strapping himself in, much to Ray's confusion. "Ray, fly into the blizzard! Luna has a plan!" The bearded pilot looked at Edward from underneath his flight helmet as if he had lost his mind. However, he quickly obliged to his command after they were barraged by autocannons. The shots rattled the ship and multiple damage indicators started popping out on their screens. "You better be right about this one Warden!" he gritted his teeth as the ship accelerated evasively towards the blizzard with three Talon gunships in hot pursuit. As they soared through the icy curtain, the already roaring storm intensified tenfold as Luna's influence on the weather began to take effect. Outside, the air temperature dropped beyond human comprehension as the ship's weather HUD displayed absurd numbers of below zero. Strangely however, only the attackers were adversely affected as ice started forming throughout the gunships and encased them not unlike a caterpillar in a cocoon. They froze mid-air and fell to the icy plains below, shattering them into pieces. Gradually, the blizzard calmed down and Luna teleported back into the aircraft. "Wait, where's the other one? I'm not seeing them anywhere on our radar. I know they are stealth, but if they’re in pursuit, we should be able to see them by now," called Fareeha from the conference table below. "My bet? It landed on the Ecopoint, scavenging for intel and what not." Edward turned his attention to the pilot sitting next to him. "Ray, how are we doing? Can we make it back to base in one piece?" He nodded. "But with one of the rear jets damaged, I cannot push her too hard. This little setback will cost us two hours from our total flight time." "We can live with that, keep us posted." Edward unstrapped himself from the co-pilot's seat, and descended to the living quarters to attend to his friends. Behind him, Ray radioed the Watchpoint about their current condition. He thanked Luna for saving them, and introduced her to an extremely dumbfounded Mei who was only able to reply with trembling, broken words, and a gaze of shock and awe. Edward removed his helmet, revealing his face which put Mei at a relative ease. He then knelt to meet her on eye level. "Doctor Zhou, my name is Agent Edward Berg. The lovely ladies by the conference table are Agents Fareeha Amari and Brigitte Lindholm. I believe you are well-acquainted with Doctor Ziegler here. I know you have a lot of questions, doctor, so do fire away, and we will gladly answer them for you." Reaper stood in silence on the center of the Ecopoint's cryo lab, observing his men as they turned the whole place upside down, searching for any piece of useful information they could find. But unfortunately, there was nothing to be found aside from the server room whose contents have been melted and pulverized beyond all hope of salvation, destroyed computers, and empty cryo pods. Whoever had done this was very meticulous in disposing of sensitive information. Reaper had a hunch of the perpetrator, but he secretly wished with all of his being that his gut feeling would only remain as such. Thankfully, his tactical mask which was crafted to resemble a yellowed owl skull obscured his expression. "Sir, I think you should take a look at this." One of his soldiers approached him with a bullet extracted from one of the computers inside a small transparent evidence bag. Upon laying his eyes on the projectile and observing it closely, Reaper felt something he hasn't felt in a long time. Fear. Author's Note Updated! So, here's a bit of dictionary for you (native speakers of the following languages, please correct me if I am wrong). Quod seminat hoc et metet: Latin, roughly translated to "whatever one sows, that he will also reap." Lass mich in ruhe: German, roughly translated as "leave me alone." but in this context, could also be used like "gimme a break." or "good grief." (you just read that in Jotaro's voice didn't you?) Fan: Swedish for "damn!" or "fuck!". Tillåt mig: Swedish for "Allow me." Ja jag pratar lite Svenska: Swedish, roughly translated as "Yes, I do speak a little bit of Swedish." As always, thank you for XIII Hearts for editing this chapter. Chapter 5"Well! Well! Look what the cat dragged in!" Jesse said as he circled a captured Talon captain from yesterday's raid. The detainee's hands and legs were bound with hard light shackles tethered to a bolted metal chair he was sitting on. The captain's vitals were monitored closely by ATHENA, so they would know whether he was lying or could only take so much punishment before dying. The prisoner remained silent, but ATHENA noticed an increase in his heart rate. Genji silently stood in the corner, arms crossed and leaning to the wall, rolling his shurikens between his fingers. "Look partner." Jesse lighted his cigar. "We don't wanna be here, and you don't wanna be here. So why don't we all just co-operate and all will be mighty fine come Christmas. So whaddaya say?" "You might as well just kill me," the operative replied. "I'm dead anyway." "Huh, that so?" Jesse puffed out a cloud of smoke. "But whaddaya say if we can...change all that?" "What do you mean?" "Y'know, you can work for us. Steady pay, good food, and all the fun stuff. IF you wanna co-operate." "And if I refuse?" "Well, you are free to leave. AFTER, we wipe your memory clean. Both are fresh starts if you ask me. So, pick your choice partner." While the interrogations continued at the holding cells, both human and omnic personnel worked in tandem to repair the damages from yesterday's skirmish. But this time, the Equestrians also joined their efforts, and thus causing the repairs to be more effective and efficient compared to their previous session. Their magics proved to be immensely helpful in the reparations, restoring a lot of debris to their proper form while those which cannot be salvaged were loaded to hovercarts and hauled away. Those who haven't came into contact with the Equestrians were anxious by their presence and seeing their abilities didn't make it any better. But most of them were thankful that their jobs were done rapidly. For the Equestrians, after being briefed about what happened yesterday and who caused all the ruckus they were also thankful of not landing on the wrong side of the faction. All except for Fizzlepop who observed their work from a distance with a deep frown on her face. She wished that she could help, that her horn was intact and not broken. She tried asking Torbjörn if there were anything else that could be done, only to be turned down by him. The carts in this world were mechanized with devices which cause them to float above the ground, commandeered by machines to move around. Plus they were incredibly large and absurdly heavy, making it impossible for her to help with manual labor. "Someone doesn't look too happy today," Edward said, shouldering his Rocket Hammer. "Fizzlepop, yes?" Fizzlepop snapped from her muse and mustered the best smile she could give, albeit she was certain the body language was very awkward. Thankfully the human didn't seem to notice, or at least chose not to say anything about it. "Uhuh, that's me. Edward right? Angela told me that you carried my unconscious flank to the recovery room last night. Thank you for that." "Ah it's nothing. You're as light as a feather." Edward chuckled, his voice came out rather gravelly than usual due to the voice processor in his helmet. "If I may ask, why the long face?" Fizzlepop looked at him with a confused stare. Edward was just as baffled when suddenly something clicked in his mind, a realization which caused his face to heat up in embarrassment. "Ohmein Gott, I truly apologize. I didn't mean to mock you or anything.Mein GottI am terrible at these, I meant to ask why are you looking so upset." "Don't you worry I'm not mad, but I must say I am not familiar with that expression and thus your reason of apology." "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. It's because you Equines have elongated faces, and I am afraid by asking you that, I have truly made you upset whereas my intention is to help you." Fizzlepop smiled sadly, her eyes fell to the floor. "I don't think anypony can help me with my issue. You see, my horn is broken, and because of that I cannot perform magic that requires high concentration such as telekinesis." She pointed her hoof towards her friends who were helping with the repairs. "Why didn't Angela explain the possibility to her last night? Probably didn't want to offend her."Edward thought. That powerless gaze reminded him of those he found in the eyes of his comrades back during his days of service in Bundeswehr such as when they lose their limbs, or friends in combat. Sometimes, the damages were so severe that they never actually return home by the time they left from service. Heck, he went through that himself when his left arm was blown off due to the failure of his shield generator. Although replaced with a perfectly working prosthetic, the phantom pain often cause his nights to be sleepless. The crusader put his hammer down, sat down next to the purple unicorn mare, and gently placed his large armored hand on her back. Being ever so careful as his suit augmented his strength to easily punch through reinforced concrete walls. "I understand your feelings, Fizzlepop. As a matter of fact, my left arm here is not made of bone, flesh, and blood anymore." "Thanks Mister Obvious. I can see that." She chuckled. Of course he had to say that when he was fully armored, when none of his body is made of bone, flesh, and blood. "Hey, just so you know.." he took off his helmet, revealing his short kempt black hair, pale complexion, and green eyes much to Fizzlepop's surprise. "I am made of bone, flesh, and blood too. All this metal is not my real body. Well it's a second skin to me at least...you know what, I'll show you later. Back to the matter at hand, I think we can fix that horn right up. Getting you a new horn is easy, but will it function like those of your friends'? I cannot say. Angela and Torbjörn should know better though." Fizzlepop's face beamed up with a bright smile. It has been a long time since she had given up her hope of getting her horn restored, but in this world...which was supposed to be a world filled only with chaos, she may at last found a new way. The mare stood on her rear hooves and wrapped her front around his left arm. Edward was surprised by the response, left him frozen a bit, but eventually began to gently stroke her back with his free hand. "Well well, look at these lovebirds!" Lena chirped as she zipped between the embrace. "Very funny Lena," Edward said as he withdrew from the hug. "So what is it? I doubt you came here just to ruin our intimate moment." He shot Fizzlepop a wink which caused her to blush slightly. "Our new compadres have been mighty cooperative." Jesse grinned as he walked up to the group. "They're just grunts so they can't offer much info, but there's one thing that's makin' me nervous." Sensing a serious talk not intended for her ears, Fizzlepop took her leave. "Oh yeah? And what would that be?" asked Edward. "A couple o' weeks ago, Talon just set up shop in Dorado. Word is they're working with the Los Muertos. I bet to my last penny, they're gonna stir some shit up at the Festival de la Luz two days from now." "I thought they didn't speak much." Lena smirked. "I said they didn't give much information, but I didn't say they didn't give any at all. We're goin' to good ol Mehico, friends. Rendezvous at the hangars in twenty minutes." "That's a complicated word for him to say." Edward whispered to Lena as they started walking, causing the two to chuckle. "I heard that, damn it!" In exactly 20 minutes, a team consisting of Genji, Lena, Jesse, Angela, and Edward was all set and ready on-board Overwatch's signature atmospheric aircraft, the MV-261 Orca. The armor assembling/disassembling machine quickly stripped Edward's armor and hammer off him. The main floor of the ship has a conference table in front of the bridge with a hologram globe above it, showing the current location of the ship and a satellite. On the walls on either side of the table, there are seats, parachutes, first aid kits, and emergency oxygen tanks as well as boxes of ammunition and other supplies. On the opposite side of the main floor, there is a recreational table on one side and a basketball hoop on the other. There are four basketballs in the ship. Shooting one into the hoop will cause it to drop confetti and play a buzzer sound. The back of the ship has a loading bay with an array of servers on the wall. The front of the ship has the bridge, with a variety of monitors and a single Pachimari by the pilots' seats. "Huh, it's just as I remembered. Well these Pachimaris are new. What, Hana's poster? I have a strong suspicion who her fan might be." Edward remarked as he inspected the transport's interior. "Ray, can this fossil still fly?" he shouted towards the cockpit. "Don't underestimate her kid. She'll outrun that rusty old tub o' yours in a split." Ray the pilot scoffed. One of Overwatch's most mysterious personnel, only a few have actually seen him. As if he was the physical manifestation of the ship's will itself. Moments later, Luna stepped on board with an unarmored escorting Reinhardt by her side. "Plannin' to join Luna?" "As much as I want to go and see more of your world, it will be unwise for me to interfere. I do not want to sound demanding, but should any of you find anything that is related to our quest here...we would appreciate it if you share it with us so we can narrow down our search instead of only relying on our magics alone." "We ain't promisin' anythin', since the stuff you're lookin' for is also a legend in this rock. But we'll try, if anybody should know about somethin' as shady as this...it will be Talon." "Thank you, for everything. I wish you all good luck on this mission." Luna smiled. "Watch each others' backs out there, and come back safely. I do not want to be sending your urns and a folded flag to your families." Reinhardt emphasized, glancing at Lena and Edward as he said that. After that, both Reinhardt and Luna made their way out from the aircraft. Lena closed the entrance ramp from her seat in the cockpit adjacent to Ray's and initiated take off procedures. Author's Note As always, thank you so much to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter. Dictionary mein Gott: German expression for "my God." Bundeswehr: German armed forces. Note: Guys, Ray is not a made up character he really exists.Source.
Chapter 1Berg Manor Assembly Hall Stuttgart 1200 hours A young man knelt on the floor of the assembly hall. Although years of training have tempered him into a steadfast individual combined with matching physique and skills, his nerves were chaotic at that moment. He was about to be knighted to take his place as a Crusader. The Crusaders were a German paramilitary organization active during the Omnic Crisis. They were known for their imposing suits of power armor, enormous blunt melee weapons, and knightly codes. However, after the Omnic Crisis ended in humanity's victory, The Crusaders' current status remain unknown, with most members either killed or retired. But ideals are undeterred by time or bullets. Moments later, an elderly man and woman entered the room. Despite their old age, their physique reflected their fighting days as Crusaders. Back then, they were known as Captains Jacob and Eva Berg. But after some time serving at Overwatch, they retired, and adjusted to civilian lives. Now, they own a successful bakery franchise with worldwide branches. Jacob approached the kneeling man, and placed his right hand on the young man's shoulder... "Be without fear in face of your enemies. Destroy the wicked with your weapon. Protect the innocent with your shield. Seek out evil and tyranny wherever they take root, no matter how monstrous your enemies may be. And forever more, never abandon those who need you. That is your Oath." Jacob backhanded the man across his jaw, causing him to recoil a little. "And that is how you will remember it. Arise, Edward Berg, a Crusader." Edward Berg rose with pride and hugged his parents, who did the same to him. "Do you have everything ready?" Eva asked as they parted. "Yes, mama. Everything has been loaded to the aircraft. I shall fly to Watchpoint: Gibraltar and find Uncle Reinhardt as you instructed." "I see, then everything is settled. Be safe." Jacob patted his son's shoulder. "Oh you know I cannot promise you that, papa." He smirked "Live with honor." "Die with glory," replied his parents. With that said, Edward hugged his parents one last time and headed to the airfield. Watchpoint: Gibraltar 1700 hours Light peered through Edward's eyelids as he woke up from his dreamless nap. He quickly checked his aircraft's navigation computer, and saw he was flying above the Mediterranean Sea heading straight to Watchpoint: Gibraltar just as planned. He never thought this day would come; a day where he would join Overwatch. His childhood dream which turned to ash when the organization fell, was rekindled again when after Overwatch recalled all of its former agents. Edward was not an agent of Overwatch of course, as he was only a child when the organization was shut down. But his parents were. Now at the age of twenty nine he would be finally taking his place on the ranks. His eyes panned to the metallic Overwatch medallion sitting on his cockpit controls which was given to him by his father. Along with the medal, Jacob also passed down his grey hued Crusader Armor and rocket-powered Lucerne hammer from his days of service. But the suit has since been heavily modified to keep up with more modern weaponry. The modifications included a stronger shield barrier, retrofitted with twin voice-activated missile launchers integrated to the pauldrons which were connected to the armor's targeting system, compensating for the armor generation's lack in ranged attacks. The launchers use revolving magazine cylinders, with 4 multipurpose missiles in each, totaling the suit's missile capacity to 8. The armor was also equipped with a state-of-the art AI module to assist the wearer both in and outside of combat. And finally, the suit was also decorated with an emblem of a bear's head on its chest. Despite having been provided with a formidable arsenal, Edward still felt a gut-wrenching doubt deep in his heart. Would he be worthy for Overwatch? "AEGIS, what's the ETA to destination?" Edward asked his ship's AI system, AEGIS, trying to distract himself from his worries. "ETA to destination ten minutes, sir," AEGIS replied. "Thank you, AEGIS." "My pleasure sir." He got off from his seat, took the medallion, and headed down to the ship's cargo hold where he stored his essentials in order to commence a final check before arrival. Edward quickly donned his skin-tight black body armor and stepped in to the suit's holding dock where the machinery began placing and screwing together the hulking Crusader Armor on him. After that was done, he retrieved his helmet and put it on. The suit's HUD came online and the distinct sound of it's roaring engine increased in volume. "Crusader Armor at 100% capacity," AEGIS reported. "We are being hailed by the base, sir." "Patch them through." "Greetings, agent," said a synthetic female voice from the other end. "Please authenticate your ID code." Edward flipped the medallion over and read the code below his father's name "Juliett-Bravo-Charlie-One-Nine-Seven-One." A moment of silence. "Agent, you may proceed to hangar nine." "Thank you. See you soon Watchpoint." As the base cut off the transmission, Edward instructed AEGIS to take them to their designated position. The aircraft descended, and navigated its way to hangar nine, which was built to the north-east cliffs of Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Edward grabbed his Lucerne hammer and waited until the aircraft has perfectly landed in the hangar. Once it did, he opened the cargo ramp and stepped outside; only to be held at gunpoint by ten Overwatch soldiers. They were accompanied a massive gorilla clad in a suit of white armor that looked like it was more designed for space exploration rather than being down here on Earth, holding a cannon that sparked electricity from it. And a large man wearing a grey hued Crusader Armor, holding his massive Rocket Hammer in both hands. "Identify yourself!" the gorilla boomed, pointing his weapon at Edward. 'Uncle Reinhardt and Winston.' Edward smiled underneath his helmet as past memories began to surge. If there were people Jacob and Eva ever talked about most in their career as agents, they would be them, aside from Doctor Angela Ziegler that was, the combat medic who kept patching them up during and after missions. Edward often met them when he was a kid as he followed his parents wherever they were stationed next. When his parents were away on their missions, if any of them were around, they would watch over him and tell him stories of their past missions. Especially Reinhardt, who could talk about his exploits alone for hours while also teaching him rudimentary fighting skills as requested by Jacob and Eva. And lastly he also had a childhood friend by the name of Fareeha Amari, who he haven't heard from again since his parents retired. They practically spent their childhood together since they were among the few children who were allowed within Overwatch's bases. How he missed her. "I understand the precaution..." He put his hammer on the hangar's floor, and took off his helmet. "But I did not come here to be killed by my own friends." Edward smiled, tucking his helmet to his hip. "Uncle Reinhardt, Winston." "Lower your weapons, my friends. You are all dismissed," Reinhardt commanded the men in front of him. As soon as they received their orders, the men filed out of the hangar. "I am very sorry Edward, when ATHENA detected your voice, it did not match with your father's. So, as a precaution we--" "I completely understand, Winston. It is not like I told you anything before coming here. And with all that is happening, you can never be too careful. It is so good to see you again after all these years, old friend." And the two exchanged a hug. Edward was relieved that he wore his armor, otherwise the intensiveness of Winston's hug could easily crush his spine. "And you owe me a lot of stories!" Reinhardt boomed with laughter. "Come here!" Edward and Reinhardt exchanged the Crusader's handshake by firmly grabbing each other's forearm and shaking them. "How many years have it been since we last saw each other? Ten, fifteen years?" Reinhardt asked. "More or less." "Where are your parents?" the older Crusader asked again. "They passed down their place to me, their fighting days are over they said." Edward showed him Jacob's medallion. "I can't say I blame him either, after all the things done by Overwatch...you people deserve better." "Ah, no point of lamenting the past now. Come, lets meet the others." Reinhardt chuckled, slapping the back of his former protégé. Edward put on his helmet, and picked up his hammer before following Reinhardt and Winston out of the hangar. Meanwhile, at Canterlot Castle... Princess Celestia put down her quill with an exhausted sigh and stacked another letter of requisition to its pile. There were five other similar stacks of paperwork laying on her desk directly in front of her, each containing about one hundred sheets of paperwork for her to sign. And so far, she signed ninety nine of them. Ever since The Storm King was defeated, and Equestria returned to its peaceful state, it was back to signing mountains of paperwork for the Sun Princess. The word "boring" would be an understatement for her. How she wished for an excuse of distraction. Maybe Twilight would teleport in and inform her of a new discovery, or Luna, who seemed to have an aptitude on acquiring the castle's latest gossip. And suddenly, Luna landed at Celestia's work desk in a flash of blue light, scattering all of the stacked documents and mixing them with one another. "I am very sorry sister, but I have a matter of utmost importance to tell you." "Oh it's fine! It's fine! I could use the distraction from all these...what do you have in mind? Is it about that new captain every mare have been talking about?" At that moment, Luna's expression changed into a somber one. "No, it is about the Spark of Life. Believe it or not, it has re-emerged." Celestia's heart fell to her stomach. "Guards, leave us," Celestia ordered. The guards bowed and left the throne room, leaving the two princesses alone. "Impossible, I banished that artifact a long time ago into the horizons of space and time. You must have been mistaken, sister. It cannot possibly re-emerge here. You must be mistaken, Lulu." The Sun Princess tried to rationalize with her sister. "No I am not. Do you remember who created the stone? Who enchanted it with such vile magic?!" Luna growled. "I do." "Then you know I am not mistaken. However, you are right about one thing. The Spark of Life is not here. It is on Earth." "The war-torn homeworld of the humans...then things just got a lot worse." Celestia sighed. "If that artifact falls to the wrong hooves, the outcome would be catastrophic. We have to do something." "Actually, I already have something in mind," Luna replied. "Do tell." "We go to Earth, find the stone, and destroy it." Author's Note Heya folks! Lightning Spear speaking! So I want to talk about a few things here: Holy hell it is sooo good to finally make this long-dreamed fanfiction of mine a reality! Edward Berg is a fictional OC of mine, not the game's real character. It is my representation in game since I fell in love with the Crusaders. Y'all Overwatch nerds might be familiar with the Spark of Life as it is an essential piece of artifact in the events of Junkenstein comic and it's following aftermath The Return of Junkenstein . Or if you don't know about them just click the link above lol. See you in the next update guys!
Chapter 2After hearing Luna's statement, Celestia pondered for a while. She paced around the throne room, and would occasionally stop and gazed out of the windows for a long time. The Sun Princess was more than worried. After all that has happened, would it be wise for her to agree to Luna's idea of traveling to a war-torn world in order to destroy a lost artifact she cast away so long ago? Would it be worth the price? Maybe she should flat out refuse Luna's offer. The Spark of Life was no longer in Equestria...no longer their concern. No. That was her own selfishness talking. No other living being should pay the price of their past misdeeds. Still, doubt gnawed at Celestia's conscience. "Sister?" Luna called out to her. "What say you?" "Lulu, do you not see another way?" Celestia asked, turning to face her younger sister. Luna shook her head. "If there is any, I would not have suggested this." "Very well. But I am not letting you go on your own. I'm coming with you," Celestia affirmed. "No. Absolutely not. If you come with me and something happens to both of us, nopony else would be capable of rising the Sun and Moon...whilst you rule over them both. I have some other ponies in mind to accompany me." "So, who else is here?" Edward asked as he and Reinhardt strode through the Watchpoint. Winston went to inform the base of the false alarm, while the two Crusaders headed to the armory to shed their hulking suits of power armor. Reinhardt laughed. "You will see later. We are here." The two stepped inside the armory, stored their Rocket Hammers, and immediately headed to the suits' docking pads. The machines quickly stripped them off their armor, and the parts were safely stored away inside their respective contraptions. "Now let's go meet the others." Reinhardt chuckled, placing an arm over Edward's shoulder. "Gladly." Just as the armory's doors slid open, a girl bumped into Edward, spilling her bottle of water all over his body armor. "I am so sorry!" the girl apologized. "Let me get something for the mess--" "Oh no no no no, it's fine really. Waterproof material, see?" Edward pointed to his grey hexagonal-patterned suit with no sign of wetness whatsoever, in fact the water have completely dripped to the floor. "Be more careful Brigitte," Reinhardt said. "Actually, you look awfully tired. Don't tell me you have been working all night repairing Bastion." "I can't help myself Reinhardt, I got carried away while repairing all of those combat damages," Brigitte replied. "By the way, I am Brigitte Lindholm." She extended her hand to Edward. "Edward Berg. Call me Edward or anything you find suitable along those lines. Nice meeting you Ms. Lindholm." Edward smiled while shaking her hand. Brigitte chuckled. "Just call me Brigitte. There is no need to be so formal." "Lindholm...as in Torbjörn Lindholm?" Edward inquired. "Yes you're right! How do you know?" "Well, lets just say I've known your papa since I was a kid. Speaking of which, where is he now?" "Oh, he's at Winston's lab. So is everybody else." The three talked a bit more, before going their separate ways. Edward and Reinhardt continued their trek to Winston's lab while Brigitte headed to her room. It was not long before the two reached Winston's lab, a place where Edward had spent most of his time when he was a kid, either watching Winston and Torbjörn working on their gadgets, or having a question and answer session with ATHENA on Winston's office. Reinhardt placed his right hand on the door's biometric scanner, opening it. "After you." He smiled, gesturing Edward to go first. Edward took a deep breath as he stepped inside, trying his best to not look like an idiot. However, upon seeing the faces of those he'd never thought to see again...tears flowed out from his eyes. Captain Lightning Spear, a unicorn royal guard captain, waited patiently outside of Canterlot Castle's war room. He was the newest officer to be posted at the castle so he wondered what could possibly caused him to be summoned directly by Princess Luna herself. Although in her message she emphasized for him to be there when his shift for the day has ended;,so it must be important. Just then, two young castle maids cantered towards him, a pegasus mare and a unicorn mare. He hoped that he would be unnoticed, but that was not the case. His electric yellow coat would be the most conspicuous in a hallway where the color composition is mostly grey and white. Coupled with the fact that he was clad in his golden armor, which brilliantly reflected the afternoon sunlight, any chances of him being stealthy flew out the window.. "Hey captain," they greeted him. "Hello ladies," Lightning replied with a bow, causing the maids to giggle. "How is your day?" asked the pegasus maid. "As fine as I can be. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure? " "We were wondering if we could steal you away for a moment?" asked the unicorn. "You won't regret it." "I am flattered by your offer miss, but I am still on duty." "Another time perhaps?" The pegasus asked again. "Another time." Lightning smiled. The two maidens took their leave, leaving Lightning to himself once again. And still, no signs of Princess Luna. The Moon Princess also informed him that two very important ponies would be joining them in the rendezvous, adding more questions to his mind. Albeit uncertain, his gut feeling told him that he was about to enter something big. "Lightning?" said a familiar voice from the hallway's entrance. Lightning turned to the voice's source, and saw his cousin Twilight standing there with a big smile on her face. He ran to her, and threw his hooves around her neck. She in turn did the same. "It's so good to see you again!" Twilight smiled. "We haven't seen each other again since you were transferred to Manehattan three years ago." "Ancient history that one. So, what do I call you now? Is Twily still legit ? Or is it 'Your Highness The Illustrious Egghead Princess Twilight Sparkle'?" "Oh I miss you too. So, have you seen Princess Luna yet?" Lightning shook his head. "But since you're here, mind telling me what this is all about?" "I don't really know myself, but Princess Luna mentioned something about a big quest. Like, really big. In the meantime, I'd like you to meet someone. But promise me you won't do anything impulsive." "I'm not a savage." Twilight then stepped to the side, revealing a pony that Lightning had failed to notice while conversing with Twilight, a purple coated unicorn mare with a scar over her right eye and a broken horn. "Lightning, this is--" "Tempest Shadow. I've heard about you." "Actually, it's Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Call me Fizzlepop. Captain Lightning Spear, yes?" "Call me Lightning," he said as the two bumped their right hooves together. "It's a shame we didn't get the chance to cross blades with each other. The Storm King would not take an ordinary unicorn soldier as his lieutenant." "And I've heard you are the Royal Guard's most skilled Spellsword. Care to find out sometime?" Tempest grinned. "Count me in." "Very well. Just don't get carried away while you two are at it," said a certain midnight blue alicorn behind them. Lightning and Tempest immediately turned around and bowed before Luna who chuckled at their skittishness. "Please, there is no need for such formalities. Now, shall we?" The quartet entered the war-room. It was a large dome-shaped room, with white marble walls illuminated with wall-mounted magic-crystals. Multiple suits of armor were positioned neatly all over the room, surrounding a large black-hued crystal round table with Equestria's map engraved on its surface. When they all entered the room, Lightning used his telekinesis to shut the large wooden double doors. "Now that everypony is here, let's get down to the matter at hoof. I need the three of you to accompany me to Earth to locate and destroy the Spark of Life." The whole room fell into silence. "Pardon me Princess Luna, are we still talking about the mythical crystal which breathes life into everything it touches?" Tempest inquired. "You are correct. However, it is not a myth. My sister banished it a long time ago into the horizons of space and time, but for unknown reasons, it has recently re-emerged on the humans' war-torn homeworld, Earth." The Moon Princess paused, letting the information to sink in. Already she saw questions written on everypony's faces. "In order to locate the Spark of Life, I have devised a tracking spell called Seek Guidance, which I will share with you should you choose to accompany me on this journey. You heard me right, you are free to choose whether to accept or decline this quest. I will not lie, the risks are great. Some of us might not come back. So if any of you want to do so, you can leave now." Despite the massive amount of doubt pounding in their heads, the three knew Luna wasn't lying. And so, none of them left the room. But the questions were too much for them to bear. "Pardon me, Princess Luna. We do not know much about Earth and the hazards we will run into there. I think it is necessary to bring more guards with us," Lightning proposed. "As comforting as it may be, I want our mission to be a clandestine one. The only pony who knows about this is my sister, and now the three of you. Making a public announcement of another grave danger would stir panic for the civilians. A small team of minimum numbers and maximum sets of skill would be better suited for this kind of mission." "Maximum sets of skill, Princess?" Asked Tempest. "You and Captain Lightning are among our most powerful Spellswords. Earth is a dangerous place, and I doubt to find allies there. But I'd prefer to put violence as a last resort. That is where Twilight comes in. She is an excellent diplomat and negotiator. Then we will see how reasonable these humans are." "I see, but what's our plan?" Twilight asked. "This is going to be a simple search and destroy mission. Once I share Seek Guidance with you, we should all know the Spark's location. And after that, we will teleport directly to the spot, find the stone, destroy it, and go home. We will embark tomorrow, rendezvous at the Throne Room at 06.00 A.M, take everything necessary with you. Now, return to your homes and get some rest." "One more question, Princess," Lightning said. Luna nodded in approval. "Forgive me if I sound rather straightforward, Princess, but...why are we doing this? Earth has been drenched in blood for centuries as if bloodshed is the natural cycle of life there. Why must we aid a warmongering species who would rather kill each other than to make peace?" Twilight and Tempest shared his thoughts as well. "Because the humans have never seen what that kind of dark sorcery could do. Should the Spark ever be used, the results would be catastrophic. We cannot let the humans pay for our past mistake. If there are no more questions, you are all dismissed." The three bowed, and left the War Room. When they gained a bit of distance, Lightning motioned for the mares to follow him. He ignored all inquiries from the mares until they reached a small garden with a fountain in it's center. "Okay Lightning, why have you brought us here?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. "I just feel like something's off with the Princess's statement." "About?" "The reason we are going on this mission. I feel she is not telling us everything. I know, it's not my place to say so but--" "Relax cousin, you are getting all paranoid again. Besides, there's a whole new world waiting to be explored out there. Think of the possibilities, the knowledge, the--" "Okay, Egghead. I get it. It's just..." Lightning sighed. "Fine then, sorry if I acted like a paranoid cuckoo." With that, they left the garden, unaware of the watching eyes above. After the explosion of hugs, and reunion with his old friends, Edward was taken to Dr. Angela Ziegler's office at the base's medical wing for a health examination before being put to active duty. "Angela, I told you I am fine," he grumbled as they entered Angela's office, causing the combat medic to chuckle. "Oh Edward, still afraid of needles hmm?" she teased. "I can hold him down if ya want to, doc." Jesse McCree, an American with the country's signature Southern accent whose entire outfit screamed cowboy proposed with a sly smile. "Don't you dare Jesse. I'm warning you." Edward glared. Despite his willingness to be a bullet sponge for his friends, needles and syringes were always something ominous for him. "Relax kid, it's just protocol. 'sides, she ain't gonna stick ya if it ain't needed." The cowboy slapped Edward's back. Angela told him to take his seat while Jesse leaned on the door frame. "Now hold still," Angela said while taking out her handheld medical scanner. As she pressed the activation button, a beam of blue light scanned Edward head-to-toe. The scanner then relayed the results to ATHENA, and she declared he was perfect for active duty. Just then, someone knocked the door to Angela's office. "Come in!" the doctor said. The metal sliding door slid open, and in stepped a grey cyborg ninja with a futuristic katana sheathed on it's back. It's visor was lit with a green light and so was several parts of it's body. At first Edward thought it was an omnic, but soon he realized that it was Agent Genji Shimada. He didn't really know him, as he was one of Blackwatch's most intimidating agent which scared Edward when he was a kid, so he tended to stay clear from his proximity. With the protruding cables, red eyes, and all... However, Angela and her team upgraded him inside out. And thus, Edward began to interact with him, albeit not that much. "Heya Genji." Jesse greeted him. "What brings ya here today?" "Greetings Jesse. I think there is something wrong with my right arm sensor. I can barely feel anything with it." Then, he shifted his sights to Edward. "Hello, Edward. It has been a long time since we last met." "Same to you Genji." Edward shook Genji's extended right hand. "Did you feel my grip?" "Only a little." Angela quickly got to work on Genji's right arm with her Caduceus Staff which emitted a stream of yellow light filled with Biotics, microscopic machines capable of repairing both organics and synthetics. "Better?" Angela cooed, kissing Genji's forehead. "Better," The cyborg replied by cupping his newly repaired hand on Angela's cheek. "Angela, you haven't told me everything." Edward smirked. Before she could reply, alarms started blaring in the entire base. Author's Note So if any of you don't what a Lucerne hammer is, there you go. Just imagine it like unrealistically large, with all the futuristic Crusader design, and rocket engines underneath the hammer's claw. As for Genji's 'old appearance' compared to his 'current appearance': Here's the old one, imagine you are a five year old kid and see this guy walking up at ya. And here's his current canon appearance. Cool stuff right? Again, thank you very much to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter.
Chapter 3Edward rushed to the armory with several Overwatch personnel in tow. Angela, Genji and Jesse immediately left for their posts. Had he known this would happen he would have kept his armor on. At the same time, multiple missiles struck the buildings nearby, causing massive fiery explosions, incinerating everything and everyone unlucky enough to be caught in the radius. The blasts were followed by five black Talon aircraft jetting above their heads, continuously spraying their auto cannons and firing salvos of high-explosive ordinances against Watchpoint: Gibraltar's anti-air defenses. Thanks to their advanced stealth technology, air-to-ground missile batteries were having a hard time targeting them. However, not completely. An EMP missile hit one of the Talons' aircraft, burning out every single electronic component within, causing it to crash into the rocky cliffs below. Also, a pulse auto-cannon destroyed the wing of another, sending it spinning in flames to the front of Winston's lab. Edward met Reinhardt in the armory, and stepped into the docking pads to don their armors. "Have you ever been in life or death situations before?" Reinhardt asked as armor pieces were being fitted on his large frame. "A couple of times helping Stuttgart's finest in hostage rescue," Edward replied nonchalantly as his' were screwed on. "Then we shall prove ourselves in glorious combat!" "Don't get yourself killed old man." He chuckled as he put on his helmet. It's orange visor lit up as the suit's power surged up to it and AEGIS reported that the suit was combat ready. "A squad of Talon troops are deploying right outside of the armory!" ATHENA reported. The operatives were clad in black body armor, complete with helmets and face-obscuring ballistic masks; Regular Talon rank-and-file grunts. "Good! Let's crush these bastards head on!" Edward exclaimed as he took his rocket powered Lucerne hammer from it's storage. "But remember, the team's safety is our primary concern. Do not charge in if you will compromise your team," Reinhardt advised, a lesson he learned the hard way. Edward nodded in reply. "We're ready, sir," said Sergeant Zhou as his men finished arming themselves. The Crusaders deployed their large blue energy barriers from their left arm shield generators, safely shielding themselves and the men behind them. "ATHENA, open the door," Reinhardt commanded. As the armory's large metal sliding double doors opened, they were barraged with rockets and machine gun fire. However the ordinances were rendered useless as they impacted the Crusaders' energy barriers. As most of Talon operatives ceased fire to reload, the Crusaders advanced with men behind them, returning fire at their Talon attackers. Several hostile operatives were killed while others were incapacitated. Edward, seeing a cowering Talon operative, grabbed him by the head and hurled him towards three of his still firing comrades, knocking them down like bowling pins and effectively silencing the Talon assault towards the armory. Back in their days, the Crusaders fought against omnic combatants whose bodies were made of metal. And so, humans encased in hard bulletproof suits of armor would be nothing compared to them. Volleys of "don't move" and "drop your weapons" were heard. What was left of the Talon squad then surrendered. After Sergeant Zhou assured them that they will handle the rest, Edward and Reinhardt proceeded to where cries for help were heard most. Lightning stood in front of Canterlot Castle's Throne Room with Princesses Luna and Celestia, waiting for Twilight and Fizzlepop to arrive. It was very early in the morning, and so the castle was very quiet. Sometimes there were the occasional chirping of birds and other sounds of nature, but other than that, silence. Lightning was wearing a black tinted version of the Royal Guard armor. Aside from the color, another difference was the helmet was without it's signature blue tassel. A dagger was also strapped to the armor's side, stripped of all decorations, and crafted only for battle or explorations. With his trusty spear and supply-packed saddlebags, Lightning was ready to depart. Luna was also clad in her own armor. Her armor was made of midnight blue steel with radiating purple gems adorning several areas. She carried her own saddlebags and a longsword was strapped to her hip. "So, have you prepared everything for the mission, Captain Lightning?" Luna asked, breaking the silence between them. "Everything is ready on my part, Princess." "I mean, everything. Do you still have any unresolved internal issues? Doubts perhaps? As I told you before, some of us might not come back. If you haven't, it's best for you to do so now." A cold chill crept up Lightning's spine. Had Luna overheard him stating his suspicion last night? Despite his unease, he decided it would be best to bottle up his baseless accusation for now. "No, Princess. Everything is settled." Twilight and Fizzlepop arrived shortly. Their backs strapped with saddlebags containing a mountain of items inside, suitable for a long journey. A contrary to Twilight, who wore nothing other than her usual, Tempest wore her old dark purple armor, although the Storm King's crest was already removed. She also carried a longsword on her back. "Hello. I assume you have everything ready?" inquired Celestia. "Physically and mentally, Princess." Twilight grinned. The group then entered the Throne Room. Once they got to the room's center, in exception for Celestia, the group formed a circle at Luna's behest. Not only did it ease her to share Seek Guidance, teleportation between worlds requires immense magic to perform. One of the methods would be to combine a concentrated arcane energy to teleport away. This also need extraordinary focus from all participants, because should one get distracted, the teleportation will not succeed. "Now, I am about to share with you all the Seek Guidance spell. This spell requires no concentration to receive nor to cast. However, there will be pain when you receive this spell. So close your eyes, and try to relax." Luna closed her eyes and horn started glowing with magic. Soon, tendrils of blue light reached for the horns of everypony in the circle. Soon, pained cries were heard. "Stay with me, it will be over soon." Fizzlepop and Lightning felt their heads were being squeezed like grapes, and just when the pain reached its climax, it disappeared as fast as it had surged. The two crumpled to the floor as the world around them began to spin, while Twilight didn't even flinch. Alicorn perks maybe. Celestia rushed towards them and cast a healing magic to ease the pain. "There, there. The pain will go away soon." She smiled. True to her word, the pain subsided. Lightning quickly recovered, but he noticed Fizzlepop was still on the floor; shaking her head to get rid of the sensation. "Are you okay?" "Yes, just a bit dizzy. It'll clear up in no time." But Lightning took his initiative. He offered his hoof which Fizzlepop accepted, and helped her up. "Thanks." The mare smiled. "Don't mention it." At his heart, Lightning was still a bit distrustful towards Fizzlepop after the things she had done towards those he'd sworn to protect. However, as his former drill sergeant always said: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." And also: "Destroy your enemies by befriending them." Plus, he also trusted Twilight's judgement as both his cousin and one of Equestria's leaders. If she trusted her, then so should he. Other than that, he believes that everypony deserves a second chance. Still, should she try anything that will endanger Twilight or Luna...then he will do what's necessary. "Pardon me, Princess Luna, but I do not feel any wiser regarding the Spark's location," Fizzlepop commented. "Oh, that is to be expected. The spell will work once we arrive on Earth to avoid anomalies here, such as giving false locations and so on," Luna explained. "That being said, is everypony ready to go?" "Let's." Celestia hugged her younger sister and kissed her forehead. "Be safe out there. Take care of each other." "Fizzlepop, since you can't teleport, you can hold on to me." Twilight smiled. She gratefully accepted her offer and did what she was asked to do. Their horns were charged with the arcane, which grew stronger with each passing second, and in a flash of bright light, the ponies vanished. Edward charged through a swarm of Talon operatives advancing towards the Watchpoint's launch pad, laughing loudly at the sight of humans being hurled aside after colliding with his massive and heavy armor. He grabbed an operative by his head, scraping him against the floor before tossing the barely alive man into another crowd of operatives firing behind cover, successfully knocking them down and smashing the last one with his rocket hammer, turning him into a puddle of gore like other Talons who were unlucky enough to face the punishing weapon. Those who did not face the rocket hammer suffered from broken bones, internal bleeding, fractures, dislocations, and other serious injuries that will render them useless in battle. "Just like cracking eggs." He chuckled. "All clear!" Several Overwatch soldiers popped their heads behind their makeshift cover of metal containers and saw that they were no longer being fired upon. "Still alive old man?" Edward laughed as Reinhardt skated next to him, propelled by his rocket engine. "Heroes never die!" he boomed as he took his helmet off. By then, the Talon gunships were either shot down or retreated as they were being overrun by Overwatch's retaliation. "That's my line!" Angela replied as she flew in with the help of her Valkyrie Suit with Genji, Jesse, and Lena "Tracer" Oxton in tow. "Are you two hurt?" "Ah it's just a scratch. Help those in--" Reinhardt was cut off as an explosion of bright light engulfed the surrounding area. Everybody present shielded their eyes in order not to lose their precious eye-sights. After the brightness subsided, the humans couldn't believe their own eyes as four multicolored ponies layed on the ground. What's more, they were stirring awake. "Angela, what the hell did ya put in my drink?" Author's Note Well, it's that time of the year again folks! Gathering together with your loved ones, getting all cuddly in winter (tbh I don't know what winter feels like since I live in Indonesia), exchanging presents with each other, while also eating so much until you cant feel your faces Maybe it's a little late, but regardless; Merry Christmas to you who celebrate! I wish that all of you have a blessed one this year . I am updating the next chapter ASAP. As always, big thanks to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter !
Chapter 4Venice, Talon H.Q. As embers of the recent battle still smoldered on Watchpoint: Gibraltar, leaders of Talon observed the spectacle through live camera feeds from the attacking gunships. Despite having lost the battle, the emergence of Earth's newest visitors seemingly out of nowhere caught their attention. "Now that's interesting," said the infamous Talon hacker known as Sombra as she zoomed the camera with her computer-integrated left hand. From the live feed, they saw a large hover-truck being driven to the location and Overwatch personnel loading the ponies into it. "Can you hack into their systems?" asked Akande "Doomfist" Ogundimu, one of Talons' supreme leaders. "As much as I want to, the answer is no." She glanced at Gabriel "Reaper" Reyes, the notorious black robed Talon terrorist who growled at her, remembering his foiled attempt to retrieve the roster of Overwatch agents in Watchpoint: Gibraltar. "Then have the remaining gunships to deploy the Scouter Drones and tell them to retreat," Akande ordered, which Sombra relayed to the three remaining gunships. The gunships then jettisoned an amount of five insect-formed drones each, which then quickly scattering across the Watchpoint. The drones were incapable of doing any form of physical damage, but they excel at information gathering. "Our bugs are in place." Sombra leaned back in her seat, placing both hands behind her head. "Now, all we have to do is wait," Akande said. "To think that such creatures truly exist...I want a full 24 hour surveillance on them! Keep me updated," he said as he walked out of the room. "Sure thing boss." Sombra grinned. Luna opened her eyes only to see a blurry shade of white, her entire body feeling numb, and being unable to move her limbs. However, she did not panic, as she knew this would be the side effect of teleportation on such a massive scale. Luna took a deep breath, and closed her eyes in meditation in order to regain control of her body. Slowly but surely, she could feel her limbs again and her vision cleared. It was then when she realized she was lying on a hospital bed in what looked like a hospital's recovery room, albeit a lot more advanced than the hospitals they have back home. She tilted her head to the left and saw Lightning, Twilight, and Fizzlepop who were also stirring awake from their unconsciousness. However, despite their overall fine condition, all of their weapons, supplies, and suits of armor were nowhere to be found. "Where are we?" Fizzlepop asked as she dragged herself out of the bed. "Not sure, but if things went according to plan we should be right where the Spark of Life is," Twilight said. "Speaking of which, the spell should have kicked in now, but honestly, I don't feel a thing," Lightning commented. "But I think we have bigger problems right now. For starters, where are our things?" "The humans must have taken it away. But I do not think they did this to do us harm, because if they did, we would not be recovering in this hospital right now," Luna noted. Then, the room's sliding doors opened and four humans stepped in. They were wearing protective white clothing which covered their entire bodies, complete with boots, gloves, and surgical masks. The one leading the humans has a slender and curvier build compared to the other three which suggested femininity. And the other three were much more masculine in build; must be the males. "I see you're all awake," said the leading human with a soft, motherly tone, kneeling on one knee to meet the ponies on eye level, staring at them with her soft blue eyes. And as much as they tried not to let their guards down, her attitude calmed them down. "How are you feeling?" she asked. Of course she was not expecting any answers as her question was meant to calm them down. For the humans, they were staring at what they assumed to be mythical animals. Animals, which were supposedly incapable of human speech. Until... "Still a bit shaken from the long-range teleportation, but other than that we're just fine. Thank you." Twilight smiled. This caused the humans to virtually freeze where they stood. An Alicorn, a mythical creature, an animal, just spoke to them in human tongue. English. After a long silence, in which Twilight practically held on to her grin, the female human cleared her throat. "You...can talk?" "All of us can." "But you can't! You two are Alicorns, and the rest of you are Unicorns!" "Based on your experience with our kind? As far as I know, we are your first," Lightning interjected. "A-actually that's a good point. I think we started this the wrong way..." she said, taking off her surgical mask, revealing her true face. "My name is Doctor Angela Ziegler, call me Angela or something along those lines. And you are?" She stared at Twilight. Luna thought it would be best to refrain from using their formal titles since these humans didn't know who they were anyway, but how about their things? Surely the humans must have caught something about their identities. Their weapons...suits of armor...however, it would be best not to take any chances. She tapped into her magic in order to contact her friends telepathically. "Don't use your titles. Don't ask, just do it." She got a chorus of "okay"s in response. After introducing themselves respectively, Angela and her medics left the room in order to bring some food and water for the ponies. Also, Angela told them that she would be returning with a friend and they would answer the ponies' questions when they return. Ten minutes later, the doctor returned with a food cart loaded with fruits, vegetables, and four bottles of water. Accompanying her was Winston, who practically captivated the newcomers. The gorilla scientist, however, didn't share their surprise as much. However, he was still surprised of the fact that the ponies can talk. "Hello there!" greeted Winston, receiving a bunch of weak "hi"s in return. "I know I know. I am a gorilla, and yes, I can talk." "Actually that's nothing new to us," Twilight remarked. "In our world, a lot of animals can talk. We're just surprised this world has talking animals too!" Despite a bit objected by the word 'animal', Winston was more eager in learning more about these equine newcomers. But as Angela told him, they would be answering their questions first. "Well, I suppose all of you have a lot of questions to ask," Winston said while adjusting his glasses. "So, who's first?" While Winston and Angela tended to the ponies, the rest of Overwatch personnel tended to the attack's aftermath, clearing the debris, putting out the fires, detaining surviving Talons, evacuating the wounded, and disposing the dead. The bodies were to be cremated and their ashes scattered at sea. They were stored into wooden coffins, ready to be set on fire. "Would anybody like to say something?" Lena "Tracer" Oxton asked, grief audible in her voice. Reinhardt stepped forward and faced the lines of soldiers before him. "Today we pray for those who gave their lives fighting for what they think is worth dying for. Both Overwatch, and Talon. We know that our grief is nothing compared to that of their loved ones. And it is them we also hold tonight in our thoughts and prayers, and ask that they may somehow find the strength and courage to face the days ahead. Rest in peace, my brothers and sisters. May you know no more strife, watch over us in our days to come, and one day...we shall all be reunited again." Reinhardt returned to his original place on Edward's right and the coffins were torched. As Edward witnessed the fiery spectacle, he was once again reminded that any of them could be next. A risk taken by all of Overwatch personnel when they joined the organization, hoping that they could make a difference for a better world. And he acts as one of their shields in doing that, so it would be partially his responsibility if anything should happen to those under his protection in the field. He shrugged off the uncertainty on his mind. All he knew for certain was that this was only the beginning. Author's Note Hey guys how's it going? So, I recently got into Dying Light and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (I am late AF I know) but when u dont have the cash to buy a machine powerful enough to run the game back then, I guess you dont really have much choice XD. And now I can't stop playing it, hence for the slow upload :( #sowwy. As usual, thank you to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter .
Chapter 6As the aircraft entered hypersonic speed, the team gathered near the conference table to discuss their game plan. ATHENA provided a bird's eye view of Dorado and an old fortress overlooking the town by the name of Castillo. Jesse began the discussion. "As y'all can see, this place is kinda cramped with a lot of folks on the streets, especially when that festival hits. Even now people are already crowdin' Dorado to prepare for the fiesta. I don't wanna put any civilians in danger, which is why it's damn crucial to prevent bullets from flying during D-day." "Sounds like you have a plan luv." Lena grinned. "I do. Our mission's focus ain't gonna be at Dorado. Instead, we're gonna hit Castillo, Los Muertos' crib. The area's off limits to civies, so weapons free. Shame, they got a mighty fine bar right there." "The one you were drinking stupid at last Christmas?" Angela crooked an eyebrow. "Yep, ran into Olivia too., he mumbled. "Oooooh, playin' with fire there Jesse." Lena smirked. "Who's Olivia?" Edward asked. "Olivia Calomar. You probably know her as Sombra." Angela told him, causing his lips to form a nasty grin. "I told ya, it was a one-night stand. We fucked and that's it." "I'm surprised she hadn't filmed the whole thing and uploaded to some porn site or something." Edward chuckled. "She did. Top browsed for roleplay category." The entire ship burst into laughter for some time before gradually calming down. "Back to the matter at hand, what is your entry plan?" Genji inquired. "Old or not, Castillo is still a fortress. In addition, the spy satellite suggested there is at least one armored combat mech on site, so barging in through the front door should be considered as a last resort." "Infiltration could work. You, me, and Lena could wipe out the sentries in a flash and take over the place without a soul knowing we were there in the first place. Then we open the door from inside, that's when Edward and Angela will join." Jesse suggested. But Edward have an alternative. "Let’s say if I can lend us some extra firepower, what do you say?" "Go on." Jesse crooked an eyebrow, a hint of doubt visible on his face. "An acquaintance of mine, Antonio Gutierrez, is commissioner of Dorado's police force. He's an Overwatch sympathizer and a fierce opponent to Los Muertos. I could convince him to lend us some extra firepower," Edward suggested. "The police are going to arrive eventually, and we do not want to be there when they do. What makes you think your friend will be any different?" Genji inquired. "Besides, I don't want to put more lives on the line." Jesse added. "Don't you worry about it. Antonio is one of those people who still believe in our cause. That means instant-arrest is out of the way. Besides, we will be sharing a mutual advantage here. We help them with their work and they help ours. The difference is, we'll be there with less cloak and dagger aura. I know I sound so naive and I admit, I prefer Jesse's strategy. But like it or not, Overwatch fell because we lost the world's trust, and if we want to regain that trust...clandestine missions are not the way." "Okay kid, your tongue's made of silver you know that? Talk to this guy and bring us all the Mexican firepower you can get plus some public trust while you're at it. But if that doesn't work, we'll do it my way. That clear?" "As day, Jesse. Objections anybody?" Edward asked, but the rest shook their heads. Suddenly Genji drew his wakizashi blade and dashed forward towards the crusader in a flash of green. Before anybody could react the cyborg had caught something invisible behind him, pinning it to the ground with his weapon held tightly against it. "You're good." the unseen apparition spoke before de-cloaking. It was none other than Lightning Spear, who had sneaked aboard the ship. "Not anypony can just discover me like that." "What is your purpose here? And do speak the truth, I'd hate to kill you." Genji asked as he pressed his blade harder against Lightning's neck, slightly digging its sharp edge into the pony's electric yellow coat. "Luna told me she couldn't help, but she didn't say she won't be sending any with you." Lightning calmly answered. "Now can you please get off of me?" "Before he does, what's up with the sneakin'? Could've just asked nicely." Jesse crossed his arms. "Please, you would've said no anyway, and Luna is not a mare who will take no for an answer in situations like these. Besides, I wanna see for myself if I can sneak past you and all of your tech here and it seems I got my answer already. Is that good enough for you?" "He is telling the truth," Genji said as he sheathed his wakizashi into its horizontally positioned scabbard on his lower back and helped the stallion on his feet. "I’m very sorry." Lightning sighed and bowed his head. "For this, and not being entirely honest to you." "What do you mean?" Angela inquired. "You see, I'm not just a regular adventuring stallion, and those three mares are...how should I put this...very, very important ponies in Equestria." Lightning began his explanation. "In truth, I am a captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard and along with Fizzlepop, my job is to protect Luna and my cousin as they are both Princesses of the realm during this quest." "Huh, should've figured it out by your suits of armor and weapons. Too high quality for civilian use." Edward remarked. "Why didn't you tell us before luv? That recovery room's a hardly fitting accommodation for a group of royal emissaries." Lena took a knee to meet him at eye level. "Safety precautions, Lena. We know humans are not exactly the most peaceful species and there are also fear of the unknown, the understandable, and the uncontrollable which we all share in common. But, seeing that you've treated us nicely instead of strapping us at dissection tables and cutting us open like toads have reminded us that a rotten apple does not spoil the whole bunch. And there's also the fact that our teleportation magic, which should have brought us to the closest location of the Spark, did not work as intended as we don't sense the artifact anywhere back at the base. Either a malfunction happened...or was it something else that sent us to you? Perhaps the will of a higher power? Or maybe destiny? I guess we'll never know. What matters now is that our paths have crossed, and the best course of action would be to help each other out. Just don't expect us to blow up a planet or something like that. So, friends?" Lightning offered his right hoof. "Wow, you sure you're a cap'in there partner? You sound hella like a diplomat to me." Jesse smirked and shook Lightning's offered limb which the latter felt to be rather awkward as they usually bump it together but went with it nevertheless. Maybe it's a human custom. "Friends." "Oh no no no. Being a diplomat is too much politics." Lightning shuddered. "But enough with the rhetorical statements. By now I’m sure all of you are wondering if I am qualified enough for this mission of yours. Aside from telekinesis and restoration spells, you've seen my Chameleon spell which virtually renders me invisible, but I assure you there's more to it than that." "Now this I've got to see!" Angela perked up. "Still a nerd Angie?" Edward patted her shoulder. "Shhhh!" "Hey hey! Just don't trash the ship will ya?! Or you're going swimming at the North Atlantic!" Ray yelled from the cockpit. "I won't!" Lightning hollered. "He's got a point though, it's not safe to use my other abilities here. So, I'll demonstrate the shield dome." "Wait wait, I think it's best for us to move to the basketball ring. More space there, nothing precious to damage," Angela suggested. After they moved to the intended spot, they gave Lightning some space and gave the green light. His horn glowed with a yellow light and in a blink of the eye, a translucent shimmering yellow sphere enclosed him. "A simple, yet powerful energy barrier. I can expand the size at will should it be necessary, but that will require more magic and concentration. Now don't be shy, gimme your best shot!" As fast as lightning, Genji threw threeshurikens simultaneously towards the unicorn only for the throwing weapons to clatter to the floor upon impacting the energy barrier. Seeing the futility of his first attack he quickly flicked six moreshurikens, resulting the same as his previous attack. "C'mon G, you can do better than that," Jesse taunted. A nasty grin formed underneath Genji's mask. He brandished hiswakizashionce more and dashed towards the translucent barrier trying to penetrate it with a close-range attack. However, as his blade made contact with the dome he felt as if he had sliced into something very malleable and he was thrown back towards the recreation table. The cyborg manipulated the momentum into a couple of back-flips and lunged towards Lightning again, but this time he brandished hiskatanaand shouted his signature phrase. "Ryūjin no ken wo kurae!" A green dragon seemingly made of pure energy danced around his blade and Genji struck Lightning's shield with one of his most devastating attacks. Thekiimbuedkatanawent through his shield like knife through butter and stopped mere inches from Lightning's throat, leaving the captain with a look of unfazed astonishment on his face. "*ahem* I-impressive, I do not know humans can use magic as well!" Lightning stammered. "Your magic is very powerful Genji." Genji crooked an eyebrow underneath his mask. "This is not magic. It is calledki, a vital force that forms every living thing which can be harnessed to perform incredible feats provided one knows the way." "Huh, sounds like magic to me." Lightning smirked. "Perhaps thiskiis not so different than magic? Your last attack emitted a lot of magical energy you know." "I shall not accept nor deny your claim for now," Genji spoke. "After seeing the feats you did...it seems I still have much to learn." He bowed, which Lightning returned. "Your shield's not perfect, nothin' is. But magic steel out there is pretty rare. The main threats would be these." Jesse flashed his Peacemaker revolver before pointing at Lena's twin rapid-fire Pulse Pistols and Angela's Caduceus Blaster. "If your barrier can hold out against these, then you're comin' with us." "Bring it on!" Lightning puffed his chest and once again conjured his shield dome. Jesse fired a round directly in front of Lightning's face but as Genji'sshurikens before, the bullet fell deformed to the ground. "Nice, but that's a warnin' shot. Now ready up I'm bout ta fan the hammer." Jesse smirked. Lightning had no idea what that meant but something in him urged to maintain a very steady barrier. The cowboy leveled his gun to hip level and jerked the hammer repeatedly, emptying the remaining five rounds into the energy dome. This time cracks formed on the dome's surface. "Cracking but holding, Lena...Angie you're up." Jesse retreated to the recreational table and sat down at one side of the couch. "Stay still luv." "Not going anywhere." Like Jesse, the two fired testing shots first before emptying their clips on his shield. By then, heavy cracks were already visible as if the shield was ready to fail at any second and Lightning himself was panting and sweating heavily. He collapsed to the ground and his yellow translucent energy dome dissipated. "Lightning, are you okay?!" Angela rushed towards him in order to tend to whatever was wrong, but Lightning raised his right hoof. "I'm fine, just exhausted that's all...my shield never absorbed so much damage at such rapid rate before." Edward picked him up and set him down on the recreational table's cushioned wall-fixed seating. "I guess you passed the test my friend. Welcome aboard." The crusader patted Lightning's shoulder strongly. "ATHENA, how long 'till deployment?" "Approximately one hour and five minutes from now," the AI replied. "Thank you ATHENA!" "You're most welcome." "Well we still have some time left, get some rest Lightning. We'll wake you up later." With a thankful nod, the unicorn closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. "Incoming transmission from H.Q." ATHENA announced. "Patch them through." Jesse ordered. The hologram globe changed into Reinhardt sitting in the command center, pressing an ice pack to the left side of his face and underneath a large bruise could be seen. "So what's up old man? New intel?" Jesse folded his arms. Reinhardt presented a decapitated gray robotic cockroach on his hand. "Talon bugging device outfitted with stealth tech." he told him. "If Twilight hadn't found this, we will have a lot more damage to deal with on our hands. We are currently sweeping the base for more of these bugs, do the same with the ship." "Goddamnit, must've deployed after the attack. I bet Talon knows about our new friends already." Reinhardt nodded. "You can assume so. From this point forward I think we will be meeting each other more and more frequently. Luna told me that Lightning is with you now?" "He is very capable, tested that ourselves. By the way, what's up with your face?" "Uncle, you are the one tasked with the beating, not getting beaten yourself." Edward chuckled. "Ah it's nothing, another sparring hazard with Brigitte. You should try and spar with her when you have the chance. My age is starting to catch up with me." The senior crusader chuckled. "Ah shush, you're doing great," Brigitte's voice echoed on the background. "Against someone who bested Reinhardt? Of course! I'd spar with you anytime Brigitte." "I'll take you up on it." the armorer walked up to the camera with a wink. "One more thing, papa's hands are still full with the repairs, so try to keep the armor in one piece okay?" "I'll try." "Stay safe guys." With that, she cut off the transmission. After setting down by the rocky cliffs at Dorado's outskirts, Edward and Lightning immediately headed to the city's police department in order to rendezvous with Commissioner Antonio Gutierrez whom Edward had previously contacted. Due to the Orca's stealth technology and integrated active camouflage the ship was practically undetectable by both radar and visual instruments. Also, the ship was free from bugging devices. While the rest of the team stayed behind at the ship, the two teleported to a dark alley adjacent to the department which to their luck was empty. While teleportation is Lightning's forte, for Edward that was his first time to experience such an event, and thus he was experiencing quite the vertigo and nausea. "Don't worry about it. First timer's side effects. Should wear off in a few seconds." Just as he said that, the crusader emptied his stomach on the brick pavement. He reached inside his black leather jacket for an orange pill bottle and consumed a couple to dole out the effects. "Buck, a shame I came here unequipped. I have some medicine in my satchel for this situation." "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. But since you brought it up, I will have a word with the rest so you can have your equipment back. You will be coming with us every now and then anyway." "Appreciate it, now let us get underway. I will stick to the rooftops and shadow you with teleportation and Chameleon. Once you're done we can return to the ship." With that, Lightning once again cloaked himself and Edward made his way to the police department. The streets were bustling with a lot of people wearing colorful clothes, balconies were decorated with blooming flowers, flags and banners flew on the city's skies, decorative lighting were set up here and there, and market stands were brimming with an assortment of goodies ranging from clothes to consumables. Despite the cheery atmosphere, this didn't help Edward much as he needed to get to the department ASAP. After slowly squeezing through the crowds, he arrived at his destination and walked through the automatic glass sliding doors. He immediately headed to the receptionist table which was adjacent to the doors. "Edward Berg meeting with Commissioner Gutierrez." "Take a left, up the stairs, on the left end," said the receptionist lady with a bored tone, her large spectacles and tired eyes reminded him of his first grade math teacher back then. "Gracias, have a good day." Edward smiled before taking the given directions. A moment later he arrived at a simple looking wooden door with a glass pane fixed to it and on its surface was writtenComisario de Policía. Despite his little to no knowledge in Spanish he was pretty sure that meant 'Police Commissioner' in English. Before he could knock, a large silhouette appeared behind the glass pane and opened the door for him. "Aaayy It's been too long niño!" Antonio said while giving his friend a strong bear hug which Edward returned. "Come in, come in!" Edward thanked him and the two took their seats. "So, how are things Antonio? I hope all is good." "Aside from those Los Muertosperroscausing trouble every now and then all is good. You?" "Living the dream, my friend," Edward said as he slid his Overwatch badge on Antonio's table, which caused the latter's eyes to widen. "This calls for a celebration! We should drink to this!" the commissioner quickly dove under his table and fished out a bottle of Mexican wine, one hundred years old. "Ooooh, that is an exquisite drink my friend. But I have to painfully reject your offer, I am on duty." Antonio's playfulness was replaced by a serious look "Oh? And I assume you need my help?" "You are not wrong but allow me to straighten this out. We both need each other's help right now." "Go on." "You see, our recent...recruits informed us that recently Talon has been backing up Los Muertos operations in Dorado and Castillo. Both of us do not wish to see bullets flying on your streets during Festival de la Luz tomorrow so we intend to strike their headquarters soon, crippling their leadership. We need your men's firepower. If this mission succeeds, you will get a commendation and we do not see more innocent blood on the streets." "That makes sense, my men have reported a sudden increase of their numbers and possession of advanced weaponry recently. Alas, I cannot grant your request." "May I ask why?" "Our forces are already stretched thin as it is, we simply do not have enough numbers to oppose them, let alone commencing a frontal assault. However, I won't leave you empty handed. I have a squad of undercover agents there ready to strike at a moment's notice. In addition, I shall disavow any Overwatch activity should any ‘questions’ arise. We will make it look like a gang war or coup just happened from within. There are six of my men there stationed at the fortress' courtyard. I shall notify them to make the necessary preparations by mixing the guards' drinks with their own drugs. When will you attack?" "1700 hours. How can I thank you my friend?" "Simple. Kill every single one of those bastards." "Meet me at the alley Lightning, we have all we need," Edward said as he left the police station, putting on his black AI interface sunglasses to shield his eyes from the afternoon sun. "Copy." As he strolled through the crowded streets once again, a scent Edward knew very well filled his nostrils--baked goods. As he helped his parents run their worldwide bakery franchise especially in the baking department, this was nothing unusual for him, a daily treat to his nose and stomach. Frankly he was quite hungry, but unfortunately he did not come prepared with the accepted currency in Mexico so he tore himself from his hungry cravings. "STOP! THIEF!" A young girl's voice tore through the crowd. Her voice was followed by a cacophony of angry grunts, no doubt from the people around. Edward glanced over his shoulder and saw a lanky man with a Mohawk cut running through the crowd. Chasing the man was a young girl at her early teenage years with an angry look plastered on her face. He couldn't believe that nobody around was willing to lend a hand. Either they were too busy or simply did not care. He positioned himself and waited for the perfect opportunity to take this thief down. As the escaping pickpocket got in front of him Edward simply extended his right leg and the criminal crashed to the ground face first, clearly not expecting the sudden movement. The pursuing girl arrived shortly after, with a mixed expression of relieve and worry. "Nice," Lightning's voice spoke in Edward's ears. "How is he?" The crusader flipped the man on his back and placed his hand on the pickpocket's neck to ensure his pulse was still there, and to his relief it was. Aside from his bruised visage and bleeding lips he was at prime condition. Once again, he was shocked how little the people had paid any attention to the fiasco, some just took a quick glance while others did not seem to even acknowledge his and the man's existence. "Unconscious, but still breathing." He then noticed a fat blue coin purse on the ground, presumably belonging to the girl. He picked it up and handed it over to her before notifying Antonio about the pickpocket. Not long after, two police officers arrived on scene and took him away. "Um, t-thank you mister," the girl stammered. Edward took a knee to meet the girl at eye level. "Be more careful next time. Where is your home kid?" "It's just around the corner, at Panadería Las Nieblas bakery," the girl gleefully said. "May I walk you home?" Edward offered as he felt responsible for the girl's safety to which she accepted. Besides, the team will not mind the short delay, especially when it concerns the well-being of a child. "Jesse, I'm taking a short detour. I have to walk a girl home. I'll explain everything later," he informed his friend. "Copy that." Author's Note As usual, thanks a lot to XIII Hearts for being such an awesome editor .
Chapter 7"We have been expecting you. Sergeant Roberto Santos at your service," said a stocky man with a thick Mexican accent as Overwatch's strike team arrived at the gates of Castillo. The man was wearing a sleeveless black shirt, green military cargo pants, a vest fitted with magazine pouches, and a custom made AK-74 assault rifle was slung on his shoulder--quite an ancient weapon in a world filled with advanced weaponry. "So what's the situation sarge?" Jesse inquired, exchanging a handshake with the sentry. "And where are the rest of youramigos? I thought there is a squad of you here." "Guards here are all in dreamworld. In there thosehijo de putasare partying hard and drinking stupid. My men are standing by inside. They will be ready when shit hits the fan." "Just to be clear, if anyone from Los Muertos or Talon want out we're to give them just that." They quickly made their way through the gates and soon arrived at the fortress' circular courtyard, only to be greeted with a tactical disadvantage. The buildings and circular arches were garrisoned with Talon and Los Muertos' soldiers, a large armored manned combat mech aimed its particle beam cannon at the intruders, and to make things worse, six Los Muertos thugs which turned out to be Roberto's men were held at gunpoint by a complementing number of executioners near the graffiti stained wooden double doors. "Do you seriously think Talon is that stupid?" Sombra de-cloaked in front of the hostages "Heymi amor." She winked seductively at Jesse, who returned the gesture with a dirty smile. "Buy me some time. I'm going around to the hostages,"said a cloaked Lightning through telepathy, something which the team was still getting used to. "Olivia." Jesse tipped his stetson hat. "Kinda strange runnin' into you here." The stealth hacker laughed. "I could say the same to you and youramigoshere." She twirled her fingers. "Why don't you just give up and we can continue what it was that we left that night, hmm?" she cooed. "Keep talking Jesse." "Why don'tyouand your pals here do that, celebrate holiday gettin' chummy with one another...and we can fuck like there's no tomorrow. Whaddaya say?" "Not a chance, the boss is planing something big. Told me that if you won't surrender, then you'll die." "What's in it for Los Muertos?" "More weapons, money, we can take over Dorado with this kind of back up!" one of the thugs roared, followed by the jeering laughter of the rest of his mates. "In position, I'll take care of the hostage takers and your lady friend. On your signal." "I'm not going to ask you again, Jesse." Olivia aimed her machine pistol towards the cowboy, who smugly smiled at her. "I wish there's a better way to end this, but oh this is gonna hurt." In a split second, licking arches of bright yellow electrical discharge struck the hostage takers. The attack knocked all hostiles unconscious yet left the hostages untouched. Lightning quickly conjured an energy dome to shield him and the hostages after commencing his attack from the incoming bullet storm. "Want to live? Come with me!" the guard captain barked at the flabbergasted cops who began to quickly untie themselves, grabbed the weapons nearby, and began to return fire as they moved to the western walls for cover. "You look important," Lightning spoke to no one in particular and nonchalantly lifted Olivia with his telekinesis, taking her with the group. Edward stepped forward and activated his Energy Barrier, shielding his team from their own share of bullets as they also ran to the western walls. Their retreat was going as planned until the armored mech turned its sights on them and fired its particle cannon straight towards the shield bearer. Edward side stepped the attack in order not to get hit in the torso, but didn't do much else as he would be putting his team in danger should he try to do evade the attack completely. The energy blast tore through Edward's right shoulder, effectively punching a large hole through the armor's thick shoulder guard. Intense pain caused him to fall to his knees, but regardless kept his shield up for his teammates to get to cover. The attack also crippled his shoulder integrated missile launcher, but thankfully the ordinance inside did not explode. "Get the fuck outta there!" Jesse yelled as the mech began to recharge it's cannon. "AEGIS, red phosphorus missile, now!" He grunted. "RP missile, primed and ready." Edward straightened his torso and the targeting computer tracked his line of sight to the largest threat available - the mech. Locked on. The missile streaked towards its target and exploded, blanketing the area with a thick phosphorus smoke, effectively blinding all nearby hostiles as Edward shuffled towards his team. Unlike it's white counterpart, the red phosphorous' smoke did not cause thermal burns upon contact, but concealed against thermal and visual imaging systems just as effectively. "Bloody hell, are you alright?" Lena asked concernedly. "It's just a flesh wound, I'll live. We need to do something about that mech though. My shield is useless against that particle cannon." Edward grunted painfully as he slumped against the wall where Angela began shining his wound with her staff's yellow biotic beam, scolding him in the process. "And fast, this smoke screen won't last any longer." "DIOS! What is that?!" Roberto aimed his gun at Lightning who was descending down the steps with the sergeant's men on his six and an unconscious Olivia on his telekinetic grip. "Baby, you'll have to buy me a round or two for that info." The stallion winked. "It's okay, he's with us," Angela assured the sergeant. "So, what do I do with this sleeping one?" Lightning asked as he dropped the hacker to the ground. "Stay here and don't keep your eyes off her. She's got a bunch of tricks up her sleeves." Lena growled as her Pulse Pistols ejected from her gauntlets and to her hands. "If she gets up, just zap her again." "Got it." "I can take that thing out." Jesse smirked as he twirled his Peacekeeper revolver. "When that mech's out of the picture, we all move in, pincer attack. Sarge, I'm counting on you and your guys to provide fire support." "Wait! Get behind me." The crusader pushed himself up and activated his shield barrier to protect his friend in case hostiles started shooting blindly. And true enough, the sounds of gunfire soon filled the courtyard. "Cease fire! Cease fire!" exclaimed a Talon soldier before being shot in his head by a stray bullet, blood and brain rapidly gushing out from his helmet. Some impacted Edward's energy barrier, turning them into orange sparks. Jesse's hand stayed on his gun's grip, ready to draw and fire as soon as he saw any hint of the mech's cockpit. As the smoke began to dissipate, the mech's towering shadow loomed above Castillo, providing him with the opening he needed. A loud bang echoed throughout the courtyard and the mech fell to the ground with a loud crash, it's pilot dead with a bullet embedded in his head. "Well done," the crusader praised. "Genji, Tracer, nail the higher levels! Tin man and I will sweep the lower ground!" Behind him, Roberto barked orders at his men, splitting them into two smaller groups of three rifles each. "On it cap'n!" The team quickly commenced their counterattack, both sides engaged each other guns blazing. Lena's attack squad advanced quickly, overwhelming Talon and Los Muertos rapidly, but two of Roberto's men were killed in a grenade blast. Out of the blue, three Talon gunships flew in and deployed three more mechs to the battleground. As Edward, Jesse, and their fire support team were in the battlefield's center, they became prime targets for the machines of war. The crusader told his companions to leave the proximity as they would not stand a chance in close quarters combat with the beasts of steel, but he can...or at least live long enough to land the killing blow. He managed to evade some of their melee attacks but he was eventually hit and thrown against a wall, effectively demolishing the structure. Thankfully, his suit took the brunt of the attack, only leaving him with bruised ribs instead of being squashed like a bug. Genji, who was coincidentally positioned behind one of the walkers when they landed quickly took action in the form of a slashing leap with his Dragonblade. As the pilot didn't expect the unseen attack, there was little he can do other than bracing for impact as his mech's torso got severed in two, other than a nosebleed and bruised visage he did not suffer any other damage until the cyborg ninja stabbed his heart through the cockpit. Lena did an equally impressive feat as well. Due to her inhuman speed, it was impossible for a regular mech pilot to even see where she was going, much less getting a bead on her. It's melee attacks were akin to a panicked child swatting stinging bees. She fired her Pulse Pistols repeatedly at the walker with no effect as her weapon cannot punch through that kind of armor. It was then when she armed her Pulse Bomb to try and blow a hole on the protective plates. She zipped and somersaulted behind it's back and chucked the sticky explosive before zipping to a safe distance and a few quick beeps later the bomb went off, exposing the mech's reactor. Seizing the opportunity, Jesse fired a round into the power source, effectively turning it into scrap metal. Already recovered from the blow, Edward took it much up close and personal with the towering war machine. The mechs' weapon was not designed for close range combat so he only needed to worry about it's massive swatting arms - it's only defense at such engagements. Using his suit's powerful rocket engine and integrated heavy duty skates, he maneuvered under it with relative ease, and smashed his rocket powered lucerne war hammer to its right knee, resulting in fatal structural damage to the mech's right foot. He quickly twirled and used his momentum to at strike the back of the walker's left knee, eliminating its ability to stand at all. Once the machine was incapacitated on the ground, Edward smashed its particle beam cannon, toppled it to its back, and slammed his hammer through the cockpit's canopy, turning the pilot into a red smear. After witnessing the carnage, what's left of the enemy quickly surrendered and threw down their weapons. But then, their radios were hailed. "Huh, looks like we missed the party."a woman's voice came from the other side. She spoke with a thick Egyptian accent. "Actually we could use some help hauling these guys off." Jesse chuckled. "Get your butt down hereCaptainAmari!" Edward froze where he stood, a mixture of excitement and nervousness belched into his stomach. He would literally walk through a storm of bullets for his teammates, even taking one or two of them in the process with no hesitation, but when it came to occasions like these...that's another story. "How are you feeling?" Angela asked as she glided to him with her Valkyrie Swift Response Suit. "Your heart rate spiked up just now." Edward looked at her and smiled underneath his helmet "Ja, just a little bit surprised that's all." "That mech hit you hard. Are you sure you are not hurt?" "W-well my ribs are h-having quite the bruise right now," he stammered. "You sound nervous. Oooooh, is this because of Fareeha?" Angela smirked as she once again engaged her staff's healing stream. "You know, I miss the days back when you two were still at this size." She pinched her index and thumb together, leaving a small space in between. Edward chuckled. "T-those were the days." Not long after, Captain Fareeha Amari, otherwise known as Pharah, landed at Castillo's courtyard with three of her men - Mahmud the medic, Tariq the rookie, and Saleh, her second-in-command. "Saleh, take the boys and secure the area. I will have a little chat with our friends here." "You got it boss," the mercenary said before signaling his fellow guns for hire to follow him. "Who's the big guy? That's definitely not Reinhardt's suit." Fareeha asked as she lightly jabbed Jesse's shoulder, glancing at Edward who stood frozen like an ice sculpture. She crooked an eyebrow at his demeanor as she noticed there was something oddly familiar about him. "Just ask him yourself." Taking in the cowboy's advice, she approached him, shouldering her signature rocket launcher. "So, what's your name tin man?" "Stay calm," Angela whispered before flying away to check on the other injured. Edward inhaled deeply, mustered all the bits of calmness left inside of him, and took off his helmet. Fareeha's jaw dropped, and the two locked stares for a long time. "*Ahem* Hello Fareeha, I don't know if you still remember me-" "Of course I still remember you Ed. It's been too long, too long- Oh what happened to your shoulder?" she pointed to the missing portion of his right shoulder armor, and the freshly recovered scar underneath. "Work hazards." he shrugged nonchalantly. "Angie took care of it though, no worries. That's a nice dress by the way." He pointed at her blue tinted Raptora Mark VI combat suit, a signature to Helix Security International. Fareeha chuckled, playfully punching Edward's breastplate. "And yours too. Now, if you're done being a fashionista lets get these people out of here." She smirked, putting on her unique avian head shaped tactical helmet. Despite wanting to get this mission over with and get some time to chat with his old friend, Edward couldn't help but to wonder as how Helix could have possibly known their whereabouts as Overwatch's firewalls were practically impenetrable by external intrusions. One has to physically access the servers, in Gibraltar, to steal such information. Unless... "Wait, how do you know we are here?" "Anonymous tip, why?" "Kuso! We walked right into a trap. Recall your men right now but do it calmly, distress will only prompt them to strike sooner." Genji suggested walking over to Jesse who was coordinating with Roberto and his men to escort the prisoners out of Castillo. "Regroup on me, we are moving out." Meanwhile...Mahmud, Tariq, and Saleh were scouring the surrounding buildings for hidden hostile remnants and anything useful for Helix to use, say Talon intel for example. "I know they surrendered and all...but isn't this a bit too quiet?" Tariq asked in a hushed tone as he took a turn on a corridor. Despite having proven himself as a capable soldier and IT specialist during the battle against "god program" Anubis - a type of artificial intelligence capable of corrupting and controlling lesser AIs, such as omnics or sentry bots - the transition from being a rookie to an experienced battle hardened soldier did not happen overnight. "Yeah...but I see nothing on the scanners though," Saleh reassured him. "The moment we rely too much on our tech, is the moment we doom ourselves," Mahmud said grimly. It was then when they entered a living quarter tinted with purple lighting. They swept the room from top to bottom for any signs of hostile activity, but found none. "Hey, what do we have here?" Tariq enthusiastically approached an unusually high technology computer sitting inside the room. He checked the device for any IEDs or similar traps, but again, null and void. He sat down on the setup's chair and propped his weapon beside him. "This...could possibly be...our biggest catch, today." "If this device belongs to who I think she is...then yes." Saleh gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. Tariq quickly sliced his way into the data bank, but alas found nothing, as if the whole data was purged right before the battle started. "What? I-impossible. There should be at least something here!" He entered some commands into the computer, but then it locked him out from accessing any further. "Regroup on me, we are moving out."Fareeha's voice rang on Saleh's earpiece. "Copy that, you heard the lady, let's move! Tariq leave it!" Mahmud ordered. "Damn it!" the IT specialist cursed, snatching his weapon on as they exited the building through its wooden sliding doors. But before the squad could even realize what was going on, a spider shaped device landed on their feet and exploded into a deep blue smoke. In a matter of seconds, breathing became such a heavy task for them as the venom began to ravage their lungs and nervous systems. Coughing violently and gasping for air, their bodies became weaker and weaker as each second passed. They were finished. With the last bit of his consciousness, Tariq hailed his captain's earpiece. "C-captain *cough* *cough* g-get..." "Tariq! Respond damn it! Tariq!" Static. Without sparing a second thought, Fareeha bolted to her men's last known position. "Fareeha! Wait!Scheiße!" Edward shouted, tailing her closely. A quick turn later they arrived at the scene of murder. As Fareeha attempted to approach her now lifeless soldiers, Edward held her back, shaking his head. "My scans indicate traces of a very poisonous gas in the air. With no chem-suit on you will end up like them. I'm sorry Fareeha. They didn't make it." She knew this as well. According to her helmet's HUD, their vital signs were gone. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard and half of Fareeha's helmet shattered into pieces. She collapsed with blood covering the left portion of her face. "Like mother, like daughter." Author's Note As usual, thank you to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter .
Chapter 8"Merde!" Widowmaker cursed as her shot ricocheted off her target. She tried to aim for another shot, but that large armored oaf deployed his large energy barrier around her prey. Not only that, but the chance of exposing herself would be high by then. Her mission was complete, and there was nothing keeping the assassin there. That was, until a flash of light invaded her peripheral vision. If it were not for the Spider's cat-like reflexes, she would've lost her head to Genji's wakizashi strike. But that was not the end of her troubles, as Lena blinked and tackled her off the ledge. As she fell, the sniper fired her grappling hook to a nearby cliff, taking the young Brit with her outside of the fortress grounds with her rifle pointed at the latter's stomach, switching on the weapon's automatic mode. "Adieu,chérie." Bullets spat from the weapon and tore through Lena's unprotected stomach, blood rapidly gushing out from her abdominal wounds. Unable to continue holding on to her target, she felt her grip slipped and the Brit fell to the ground at breakneck speed. Just before Lena lost her consciousness however, she tapped into her Recall ability - rewinding her seconds back into the past mere moments before the French assassin pulled the trigger. Before Widowmaker could empty her gun into the Brit once again, the latter blinked away from her assailant, returning fire of her own - but alas her twin rapid-fire Pulse Pistols works best at close quarters, thus rendering her shots ineffective. As her grappling hook line reached its end, Widowmaker landed on top of a waiting Talon gunship which quickly left the airspace and the Spider vanished into the jet-black aircraft. Sparing no more seconds, Edward fired a surface-to-air missile at the fleeing aircraft from his remaining shoulder-integrated multipurpose missile launcher. However, the gunship deployed its flares, disrupting the ordinance from its intended target and causing it to explode by the countermeasure. Before he could ready another shot, the jet-black gunship accelerated into hypersonic speed. "Target out of range," AEGIS declared. The crusader cursed under his breath. Seeing no remaining hostile activity Edward turned his attention to Lena, who was walking straight towards him with a happy-go-lucky grin on her face. "The fuck was that Lena?! Are you trying to fucking kill yourself!?" Edward roared as the pilot walked up to him, losing his usually calm and collected composure. "Relax love, I came out of it just fine!" she parried with a small chuckle, pointing to the chronal accelerator strapped to her chest. Truth be told, she didn't expect him to explode like that. "And what if you find yourself in a similar situation and that device stopped working? Or cooling down after extended use? I knew it happened before, and it could happen again!" Edward sighed, frustration and anger thick in his tone "I’m sorry," he said. "Are you alright?" Lena asked softly. "Of course." Edward cleared his throat which was rather parched after the ensuring battle as they regrouped with the others. "Just try not to be so daring next time. Judging by how Reinhardt looked at you before this mission I think you have someone important waiting for you back home." The young Brit chuckled. "Remind me to introduce you to her later." "Ray, we're done here," Jesse called their pilot while lighting up his cigar. "Roger that, arriving shortly at LZ," the pilot answered. "How is she?" Edward asked as he approached Angela who was tending to Fareeha's wounds. He saw her chest rose and fell, a sign that she was still breathing, a major relief for him. "She will be fine, but I’ll examine her thoroughly after we return to base." "Well, you people certainly did quite a mess here." Roberto and his men walked up to them. "Yes, but better here than on your streets no?" Genji countered. "Very true. Regardless we cannot thank you enough for what you did today. Had all of you not came...I think this whole show could’ve gone even worse. We will take it from here, we have an arrangement to fulfill anyway." The Dorado police sergeant winked. "Much obliged sarge." Jesse extended his hand, which Roberto shook. "And uh...we’re sorry for your loss." "Those men knew the risks when they signed up as undercover agents. They will be remembered as heroes." He smiled sadly. "Heads up people, this is not over yet. There is one massive bogey coming at you," Ray relayed. At that moment, a quartet of steel grey Talon dropship appeared overhead with a giant mech suspended by equally massive support cables. The mech was at least as tall as a three-story building, its body armored with a combination of red and dark grey plating, and of course armed with a plethora of weaponry, but its most distinct tools of destruction were its shoulder mounted Gatling gun and massive particle cannon. A Triglav Protector combat mech, courtesy of Volskaya Industries. Not wanting to let his opportunity go to waste, Edward fired his remaining surface-to-air missiles towards the dropships and their cargo. The dropships were unable to evade due to their heavy load, and blew up mid-air as the missiles hit. But the mech was protected by an energy shield and thus spared from the explosion. Detaching from its support cables, the automaton landed on the ground, kicking up a plume of blinding dust to the air. "Get outta here Ray, LZ's too hot, you and your men too sarge. We can't let this thing loose on Dorado." The cowboy huffed a smoke from his cigar, terminating his transmission with the aircraft. "Roger, good luck." "And let you fight this diablo alone? Not a chance!" Roberto and his men laughed. "You too doc, get Fareeha outta here." Jesse drew his Peacekeeper, tossing away his cigar. "Don't bother, I'll take care of that. But I only can teleport four at a time, myself included." Lightning relayed his message to everybody via telepathy. "Alright then," Jesse said, aiming his gun at the Triglav, knowing full well on which remaining three Lightning meant. "Take 'em away." Before Angela could protest, she was back on the Orca alongside an unconscious Fareeha, Olivia, and a heavily panting Lightning - much to Ray's shock. "What the fuck?! How?!" Ray jumped on his seat as if he just saw a ghost. "Magic..." Lightning said through ragged breath, before collapsing on his side on the aircraft's floor. As Ray flew away from the scene, the ground force realized it was going to be one hell of a fight, one that they may not live to see through. It was at that moment, Edward felt a very familiar burst of energy surging through his veins, one that he had not felt in a long while. Jesse's barks of orders turned into a cacophony of muffled whispers in his head, as his thoughts were only focused on reducing his adversary into heaps of scrap metal. He stood still like a metal statue. The Triglav Protector saw Edward as a prime target, and brought down its massive arm on top of him. Regardless of the blaring of his armor's warning system, Edward remained still, unflinching. Everybody else screamed for him to get out of there, emptying their guns into the behemoth to no avail as their bullets failed to even nick the shield and screams fell on deaf ears. Seeing his stillness, Genji brandished his sword, sprinted, and leaped high into the air in hopes of severing the massive limb. His plan; slash his way up to the top, and cleave the mech's head clean off. Suddenly, Edward dropped his weapon as his palms shot open, feet planted firmly on the ground, causing the mech's arm to stop dead on its tracks as if being held by an unseen force. The word 'disbelief' would be an understatement for the witnesses. Despite his own shock, Genji nevertheless took advantage of the opening and sliced the massive arm in two. But despite continuing on with his initial plan, the cyborg ninja jumped off the falling severed mechanical limb and returned to cover, curious of what might happen next. Despite his distance, Lightning felt a powerful stir on the atmosphere which sent shivers down his spine. Then, he knew a potent arcane force was at play. By whom however, he did not know at that time. Edward lifted both of his arms and the mech was violently hoisted to the air, suspended fifteen meters above the ground. The crusader closed his palms, and the mechanical giant was instantly crumpled into a ball of deformed steel with deafening sounds of shattering steel. He brought his hands down in a slamming motion, hurling the massive war machine to the ground and destroying it to oblivion. As the surge of power began to fade from his system, Edward felt his muscles turning to iron as severe exhaustion was gripping him. With his consciousness and strength ebbing away from him, he collapsed to the ground with rapid footsteps coming towards him being the last noises he heard. ________________________________________ When Edward opened his eyes, bright white lights shone through his eyelids, blurred shapes moving around him, and muffled noises invaded his ears. Slowly but surely however, all those began to clear up. "He's waking up, Edward...Edward...can you hear me?" The soft tone of Angela's voice rang in his ears followed by flashes of white light, her visage slowly coalescing in his vision from a blurry shade into the soft, caring, motherly face he had known for so long. Edward gave a barely perceptible nod, blinking a few times more to focus his sights on his surrounding, dizziness clouded his nerves. He realized that he was inside the Medical Wing with Angela flashing his eyes with her flashlight, stripped of all combat attires and was wearing a pristine white medical undersuit instead. He sat up before turning his attention to the bed on his right beside him, and saw Fareeha sleeping with biotic bandages covering her wounded face. She was also wearing an outfit similar to his' instead of her signature Raptora Mark VI combat suit. "She’s going to be okay." The combat medic smiled reassuringly, pouring him a glass of water. "How long was I unconscious?" Edward asked, rubbing his head. "Twelve hours." Angela handed the glass to him, which he downed in one gulp as his throat was parched beyond words. Edward turned his attention to a nearby wall clock and the time showed 10:00 p.m. "What did I miss?" "I thought you can...explain that." Winston brought up a computer tablet and showed him a recording from Genji's visor camera of what happened during the Triglav fight. Specifically, the part where he lifted the massive walker, turned it into a ball of crumpled steel, before slamming it into oblivion. "Scheiße..." he cursed under his breath, burying his face on his palms "All those years...all those years of painstaking therapy and medication...are now for naught." Angela crooked her eyebrow "What do you mean?" Edward sighed, frustration thick in his tone "Please Angie, it's...not something I want to talk about right now." "But you have to," Luna said as she entered the room with Reinhardt by her side, "if you want to learn to control it." "This is not your fucking business Luna." He growled at her. Realizing his rudeness however, he quickly got off his bed and bowed in apology. "It's not...that I can't control my powers or anything of the sort...but for as long as I have this ability, all I have inflicted is suffering and death." "Tell us everything, from the start," Luna told him. At this moment, all eyes in the room fell on the young Crusader. Edward nodded and told everybody to take a seat as this was going to be a rather long story "On my 20th birthday, I joined the Bundespolizei - Germany - er, my country's federal police force. It was there my powers sparked, internal at first, and manifesting at certain times only -- specifically, when adrenaline started pumping in my veins." "What happened back then?" Luna shifted on her seat. "Well, my physical capability excelled that of a normal human being. Being able to run at 40 kilometers per hour for two and a half hours and not dropping dead afterwards, punching through reinforced concrete wall without shattering my own bones, and dodging bolts fired from an automatic plasma rifle without so much as a single scratch on my skin just to name a few. But, when I am outside of combat, the magic ceased, and I am a regular human being again. Something that still happens now I guess." He stopped to let everybody digest his words, and by their looks they seem to have a hard time believing him. Which of course, was no surprise to him. Hell, he himself couldn't believe it. "My superiors deemed me to be a waste in the regular force, so they had me transferred to the newly formed Ordnung der Morgendämmerung or in our common tongue, Order of the Dawn. A small independent rapid response force specifically formed to defend Germany against the growing threat of cyborg terrorists and other inhuman threats. Of course, we were not only comprised of normal infantrymen, but the elites, super soldiers, cyborgs, omnics, and other talented individuals. We were given the authority to strike any target within Germany's borders at will, access to any and all possible resources my country could muster, and we only answer to the chancellor alone. It was there when my telekinesis started to develop, and I proved to be a very useful asset for them. Back then I was granted the rank of ritter-kommandant, or knight-commander, and a squad of the best under my command. Soldiers and friends." His tone beaming with pride. "Ah I see, but I have to admit, for a commander you commanded a rather small force. No offense my friend, but a commander in our ranks command at least two hundred soldiers." Edward smiled. "Why, we are a rather small force Luna, and super soldiers along with cyborgs are not produced in the masses. That, and our doctrine demanded us to operate in minimal numbers to wipe out targets swiftly and efficiently. Something rather difficult to execute with a large force I daresay. But back to the main topic. I taught myself to control and manipulate magic, and realized that it was, and still is a very powerful weapon. The user's creativity and endurance being the only limitations. Take something too far however, consequences are bound to happen - hence why I fainted. Worst case scenario, death." Edward aimed his open right-hand palm and lifted a clear drinking glass from the nearby sink into the air, Luna observed him intently, using her own magic to gauge him. While the others still cannot grasp what they were seeing at the moment. "It can be as simple as levitating an object," he closed his palm, instantly shattering the glass into jagged pieces mid-air "to this, and this." He turned his wrist, simultaneously causing all of the glass shards to point at his chest. Before anybody could do anything, Luna's horn glowed with magic, and seized the sharp shards from him with her own arcane grip and disposed them to a nearby trash can. "That. Is. Enough," Luna sternly said, sensing his foreboding intention. Edward sighed. "Old habits...die hard--" He was cut off when Angela walked up to him with fire burning in her eyes, and socked the crusader hard against his jaw, causing his lips to bleed a bit. "Du idiot!" she spat. Reinhardt and Winston shook their heads, not because Angela punched someone in the face which was very uncharacteristic of her, but their slight disappointment was directed to Edward's self-harming intention. "I deserve that, forgive me." He wiped the blood away with his finger. "And what was that about the therapy and medication?" Angela asked again after a brief pause to collect herself. Her gaze considerably softened than before, but still retained that spark of anger and shock. "After our final mission, my superiors told me that I am the sole survivor of my team. Guilt tore me apart. At that moment, I vowed that I shall never use my powers ever again. Afterwards, they disbanded the Order and disavowed of its existence, so I started taking medications, or more appropriately, chemical lobotomy, as they severed my connection to my powers which was controlled by the brain's prefrontal cortex. But when I was without power, I felt a great emptiness inside, so I considered ending it all...to relieve me of this torture." After hearing his story, Angela immediately walked towards him and wrapped her arms around Edward's back and cradling his head on her chest as a mother would do to her child, whispering her apology for hitting him without knowing his side of the story first. To which, he responded by returning the hug. Luna followed by draping her wing across his shoulders. Edward tensed due to the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed and patted the feathery limb as a sign of gratitude. They were similar to that of a bird's, no, an eagle. "Why didn't you tell me this?" the combat medic asked again as they pulled away from each other. "I could have helped." "That sounds like a grand idea!" he smirked, creating a phone gesture with his right hand "‘Hello Angela, how are you? Listen, I need your help, what is your medical verdict on telekinesis? Also, I am in a severe state of depression bordering to insanity.’ Sounds like a good way to get locked up in a padded cell with a straitjacket on." The Swiss smiled sheepishly, realizing she had asked her previous question out of emotional impulse rather than rational thinking "I... haven’t thought about that." Winston, Reinhardt, and Luna chuckled at this remark. "But Luna, what might have caused this awakening in him?" Reinhardt inquired after the laughter died down. Luna put a hoof under her chin, thinking for a bit "I... don't know for sure, but it is possible if...Edward, did you expose yourself to any external source of magic recently? Maybe, Lightning teleported you somewhere, or talked via telepathy to you?" Edward nodded. "Ah that explains it. When you carry the gift of magic, no matter how hard you try, you can never get rid of it. Even when you do not use magic for a long time, it only lies dormant. True, you cannot use magic in that state, however, expose yourself to any source of magic and/or the appropriate stimuli..." "I see...well, it's not Lightning's fault, he couldn't possibly have known. But now, as my powers are reawakened, it becomes a grim reminder of what I have done and what I am capable of doing. I don't know, I only wish that I can do something else than just...killing." Hearing this, Luna smiled "I think I can help you with that. Meet me at the cliffs by the sea, adjacent to Winston's workshop at seven in the evening." "You have my gratitude, princess." Edward bowed courteously. "I beg your pardon?" Reinhardt questioned him with a teasing look "I never knew you fancy her so." Luna merely smiled at the aged crusader's statement, but beneath her midnight blue coat she was actually blushing a bit. "What? No, uncle, you misunderstand me." Edward then explained what Lightning told him en route to Dorado about the truth of the Equestrians' identity. Thankfully, although a bit shocked by the revelation that they have been sheltering monarchs from another realm, Reinhardt and Winston took the news rather well and even (Reinhardt especially) insisted on giving them better accommodations, a gesture which Luna politely turned down. "Well, I thought of telling you the news myself but apparently my soon-to-be-apprentice already did the job for me." Luna rolled her eyes in amusement. "But please, for all of you, I am only Luna. My title means naught here." She smiled. With that, Luna wished everybody a good night and left the room with Reinhardt trailing behind her. "Magic...had you told me that magic was real a week ago, I would have laughed in your face. But now that I have experienced everything myself, I don't know what to say anymore." "Well Angie, that is a statement I hear too often. So, how is my condition from a medical perspective? Am I cleared for active duty?" "Medically, yes, you are completely fine. But until we hear what the Equestrians have to say about your talents, I think it would be best for you to remain here. And before you say anything, yes, doctor's orders." Edward felt a tinge of anger at Angela's statement as he felt there was nothing holding him back from field operations. But he also knew very well that this is his opportunity to learn more about magic and its secrets, as he was probably the only one left on Earth who possess such power. And there's also the fact that he never had any sort of teacher in this field before. "Fine..." "I’m glad you see it my way." The Swiss flashed him a cheeky smile. "On a different topic, I will have your uniforms delivered here tomorrow." "Danke, Angie." "I-if you don't mind, I would also like to come tomorrow," said Winston, clearly intrigued by chance to investigate something that the scientific community was trying so hard to debunk. "Of course, it would be great to have a scientific point of view in all of this," replied the German with a smile "By the way Winston, is ATHENA here?" "At your service, Agent Berg," replied the AI from the speaker above them. "I'd like to make a request if you don't mind." "Certainly, what can I do for you?" "Can you tell me if you will be needing any kind of dessert tomorrow, for breakfast, lunch, dinner maybe?" "A moment please, I have to cross-check with the Subsistence Department log." "What are you doing?" Angela asked, heavy curiosity audible in her inquiry. "You will see." he winked. "Thank you for waiting Agent Berg, according to the logs, ingredients needed for the regularly served coffee cakes just ran out, it will take at least a day for --" "Perfect! I just happen to have something that might help. If it is within my authority, I would like to cover for tomorrow's line of dessert. My signature butter-filled, coffee-cream-smeared-bun, the Frühstück." "Technically, you are not authorized, agent. But, according to my background check a moment ago, I found that you have the necessary qualifications for kitchen works, and we also need all the help we can get. Okay, I shall alert the kitchen staffs of your visit tomorrow." "You have my undying gratitude, ATHENA." "Anytime." "Waiiiiit, when did you start baking?" "Another story for another time Angie, I am very exhausted right now." "Okay, just don't forget to save one for me." "And me," Winston chimed in as well. "One is never enough my friends. I know that very well." Edward smiled slyly. "Everyone will be the judge of that, little brother. Everyone." The Swiss medic pecked his cheek, much to his amusement and embarrassment at the same time. They both wished him a good night, and left the room. Before going back to his bed however, Edward walked towards Fareeha and placed his right hand on the exposed side of her cheek, wordlessly conveying his condolences for her lost, his joy of seeing her again after so long, and his wish for her speedy recovery. If it were not for his exhaustion, Edward could have sworn that a very faint white light glowed from his hand when it rested on her cheek. But again, that was probably due to severe exhaustion, so he brushed it off as a trick of his mind, and went to bed. ________________________________________ It was very early in the morning when Edward headed to the mess hall, behind him were a quarter of large food containers labeled "Morale Booster!!!" were being hauled on a compact sized hovercart. The appliances had an advanced integrated cooling system that lasts up to a year, so transporting the containers over long distances were a trivial task without worrying the spoiling of foodstuffs inside. As it was around 0450 in the morning, most of the base's personnel were still getting ready for the day, save for those being on duty at the hour. Now, replacing his armor with a standard-issue black short-sleeved overwatch undersuit, tan tactical pants, and matching tactical boots, he was able to walk more spryly, feeling the cool morning air blowing against his skin in the base's corridors. "What do you got there?" asked a curious sentry as Edward passed him on his way to the kitchen. "See for yourself at the mess hall when your shift is over." "Will do!" he replied enthusiastically, reaching over to his communication device to contact his friends. "Good morning!" Edward entered the kitchen area and greeted the omnic kitchen staffs who were already up and about, receiving a collective of good mornings in return. "Ah Agent Berg is it? ATHENA told us you are coming, so we will be working on buns, correct?" asked the omnic sous-chef with a thick British accent known as Codsworth, extending his right hand in greetings. "Correct, er, Sous-Chef Codsworth, correct?" Edward took the omnic's hand and shook it properly. "I thought this kind of situation might happen, so I have pre-made them into lots of dough balls which are currently stored in these containers, so we just have to proof them in your fermenting boxes, pipe them with coffee cream, and bake them in preheated ovens for 15 minutes per batch at 200*C." "Marvelous! But first we have to unpack these containers no?" the floating omnic glanced at the hovercart behind Edward. And so, they brought the hovercart into the kitchen and got to work. Soon, wonderful coffee aroma began filling the kitchen as freshly baked light brown crusted buns were served for all to enjoy. ________________________________________ After breakfast, Edward and Angela returned to the Medical Wing to check on Fareeha's condition, nervousness clawing at their chests and throats. Both have witnessed people dying under their wings, strangers and comrades alike, either in battles or hospital beds. As hard as it were watching them perish however, it was even harder breaking the news to their loved ones - the wails and tears would never be something they could ever get used to. True she witnessed her men's deaths personally, so it was not about telling her, but rather seeing her reaction. As they entered the room, they were shocked to find Fareeha's bed empty save for her unfurled biotic bandages, but was soon relieved when they saw the balcony doors opened. And there she was, gazing to the Mediterranean Sea with the morning sun shining overhead. Angela and Edward both placed their hands on each of her shoulders, pulling her away from her reverie. They noticed her eyes were red and puffy, a sign that she had been crying her eyes out...but it seemed her tears were that of acceptance, the ones a person would shed when a loved one is saying goodbye. They could tell she was very sad, but...there was also sound satisfaction etched on her face. "It's weird," Fareeha said, still maintaining her gaze out to the ocean. "I am very sad, but...I feel like I should be feeling more than this. I almost feel..." she paused, choosing her words carefully inside her head, "at peace." None of them said a word. Angela was a bit curious of her statement but took it positively. Edward however, had a hunch. That spark of white light, did he do this to her? And if he did, was that a right thing to do? Of course, he wanted to help her through her sorrow, but on the other hand, was it wise to abruptly whisk those feelings away? Shouldn't Fareeha be given a chance to accept and heal on her own? "None of that matters now. What's done is done." Edward thought to himself, wrapping his arm tightly across her back, silently letting her know that they were there for her. "I am sorry for your losses Fareeha. They seemed to be good men." Angela finally spoke, breaking the silence. "They were good soldiers, and better friends." She smiled sadly. Angela folded her hands "Well, let’s check you up for final diagnosis and if you are well enough, we can drop you off at the nearest Helix H.Q." Angela proposed with a slight smile. "I will take her. We cannot risk an Overwatch aircraft to go anywhere outside mission territories. Mine is unaffiliated, private use." Edward countered. "No," Fareeha interjected, her tone suddenly filled with burning determination. "I won't serve under Helix Security International anymore. There is nothing for me there now. But here, I have all of you with me." "Fareeha, are you sure?" Angela questioned her, grabbing the soldier and turning her so she could stare into her eyes "Remember the Petras Act? We are fugitives now. If you join us, you constantly have to look over your shoulders, your reputation will be tarnished, and most of all this is not what Ana would have wanted for you." "Don't." she growled. "Don't speak for her, Angela. She is her own person, and I am my own. It has been my life-long dream to someday join Overwatch, and I cannot see a better opportunity than now - when the world needs it the most," Fareeha stated boldly. "That, and you have the best capability and resources to combat Talon. If I am going to find the bastard who did this to my team, Overwatch is my best chance. Besides, I don't give a shit about my reputation and well-being. How can I, when the lives of others are in danger? If I am with Helix, they are going to fuss over bureaucracy and administrative bullshit while people are dying. And lastly, if I am to die in the end, I'd rather do it fighting alongside my family." "Fareeha, we appreciate your determination, and you know we will all be happy to have you with us. I will be happy to have you fighting by my side on the field of battle. But if this is about vengeance... it is best to rethink your course of action." Edward said, moving to Angela's side, trying to dissuade her for the last time. "No, this is about justice. I am sure you would do the same in my shoes, Edward. And if I start acting crazy, I have you to remind me to stop, won't I?" she smirked. Edward nodded. "ATHENA, did you get that?" "Of course." came her voice from the ceiling's speakers. "There you go, that should serve well as your reminder." Edward smirked at his friend. "Welcome aboard, Captain Amari." "No, call me Pharah." ________________________________________ After an exchange of hugs between the three, and a quick bath for Fareeha, the new recruit's physical and mental capabilities were declared fit for duty. Angela sent her to the quartermaster for her standard issue pistol and accompanying amenities alongside a strict order to get some food. Once she was out of earshot, Edward took the combat medic aside to her office to converse in private. "Speaking of the Petras Act, be honest with me Angie, how's our...diplomatic condition so far?" Edward knew it would be impossible for Overwatch to stand undisturbed by the U.N. for so long if it did not have any political, military, and economic support from sympathizers in the worldwide organization that has now condemned them. All supports were, of course, off the records. Despite being a doctor rather than a politician, as a member of Overwatch's inner circle she was aware of the organization's political state "Well, I suppose it's a 50-50. The good news, we still have plenty of unofficial supporters inside the U.N. but they are barely enough to keep us off the grid and the numbers are dwindling. The bad news, powerful Talon supporters are also plenty inside the U.N. and they are growing in numbers. Corrupt politicians and corporate owners I say." Angela seethed. "Come now my dear Angela, 'corrupt' is a point of view. The world is not so black and white, especially when it comes to political and economic interests. While a lot people consider us their knights in shining armor, plenty of people also think Overwatch is no better than Talon. We are breaking the law here Angie, and for that we are outlaws, accept that. But sometimes, to do the right thing, one must act beyond the boundaries of rules and become mavericks. As for our adversary, while they are considered terrorists by most folk, for some people Talon is their savior. The omnic partisans for instance, they fight because we do not grant them equal rights, yet charge them with an exorbitant amount of obligations. Whether if Talon will grant them a better future or all of this is merely propaganda, is another story. All omnics on our side are treated with utmost respect and equity, I know, but I suppose we are partly to blame for not acting enough for omnics and people across the world. While on the other hand, we know even with our power back then, it would be impossible to reach every single person and omnic in the world. Plus, as humans we have an inherent tendency for conflicts and all of us wanted to 'make the world a better place' without realizing the ambiguity that exists within that statement." He concluded with a rather monotonous tone, "But, enough with philosophy. I shall draft a proposal for the inner council about our next diplomatic maneuver along with possible allies to recruit and adding more support to our side as I do have a lot of strings to pull, and a lot of favors to call in." Angela nodded, her face beaming with pride "My my, you have definitely changed, dear. You're no longer that fat little brat I used to know. The one who would pick fights with everyone on the base, the one that had to be chased around so he would do his homework, and the one that absolutely had to take every single one of my dessert...remember him?" Edward chuckled, his cheeks flushed with a light shade of red. "Hey, you were the one who kept talking about doing diets and staying in shape, I was only helping you out." he smirked "As a matter of fact, I can still do that for you, you know?" Before Angela could answer, the door leading to her office slid open and in stepped Lena along with Twilight and Fizzlepop in tow. "Hiya luvs! Got some visitors for ya'!" the cheery Brit chuckled. "Ah the man of the hour!" Twilight grinned when he saw Edward in the room "You, my friend, owe me some explanations." "Well Twilight, I have Lightning to thank for waking me up. But if by explanations you mean how I came to possess magic, I have not the faintest idea myself." Twilight nodded. "It's wonderful! We didn't expect to run into any magic users in this world, and to think this is the first case of magic dormancy we've ever encountered..." the lavender coated mare trailed off. "What brings you here today?" "I promised I would try to look into Fizzlepop's broken horn today, there must be at least something I can do to mend the damage." Angela told him, her tone filled with glittering hope "But, I need to analyze her physiology first as we know nothing about how a unicorn's horn works..." she trailed off, realizing how ridiculous she might be sounding like if she were discussing this with her peers, "which is why Twilight is here today, to help me out." "Darn it, I’m a klutz." Twilight smacked her forehead. "I left that book about pony physiology somewhere, hang on, be right back guys." She declared before disappearing in a bright flash of light purple. Of course this was not the first time they had seen Twilight's teleportation, but the bright flash was something they won't be accustomed to in a long while. "That was rather...flashy of her, am I right?" Edward chuckled awkwardly, sweeping his eyes on Angela, Lena, and Fizzlepop, who except for the latter gave him looks that said 'really?' "Ahem, by the way, where is Lightning and Luna?" Edward asked again, finally breaking his own awkwardness. "Last I saw them, they were heading towards the war room with Jesse. Want to go there m'self after this, coming with?" Lena chimed in. Edward nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, we have a long discussion ahead of us." Just before the two took their leave, Edward noticed Fizzlepop was awfully quiet since she entered the room. Edward knelt to meet her on eye level and looked into her cerulean eyes "What's wrong?" he asked the Storm King's former second in command, also noticing the tension on her neck. "Nothing." she replied flatly. "I can see your neck's tension Fizzlepop. Whatever is stressing you out, it must be quite the pickle." "With all due respect, this is all horseshit." The warrior mare growled, her eyes narrowing in anger and despair. "I relished at the thought you humans could cure my condition. But then I realized, my own kind gave up on me, told me that my horn is incurable. And in Equestria, magic could cure almost everything, so what can you possibly do? You barely know anything about us let alone magic!” "You are right," Edward countered. "We barely know anything about your kind let alone magic, but that doesn't mean we are not going to help you, or at least try to do so. Besides, you said magic could cure almost everything, that means your condition is incurable with magic alone. But what about if we combine technology to that effort? Not to sound arrogant, but do you Equestrians possess the same level of technology as us? I am dead certain with Angela and Winston's efforts combined, we can do something for your horn." He glanced at Angela. The purple mare's gaze turned from anger to curiosity. Indeed, most of Equestria's healing techniques are heavily based on magic, with very little technological intervention. Aside from things like X-rays and the like, most treatments are based on the arcane. Angela moved over to Edward's and showed her his steel gray robotic left arm. "Our technology is not capable of regrowing limbs organically...yet, but, like this arm here, we might be able to create something similar for your horn. Of course we will require a lot of studies, primarily on how you can harness magic, which part of your horn is responsible for that, et cetera." She squatted to meet her on eye level "Fizzlepop, we can't promise you anything. As you know, you are our first. But I assure you, we will do our best to help you." Hearing the honesty and gentleness in Angela's voice, Fizzlepop smiled in acknowledgement. Not only the latter appreciated their intentions for her, but the doctor's honesty of not promising anything somehow brought relieve for her as well...perhaps because the last time she was promised of having her horn restored, things did not go so well. "I am sorry, for fuming out like that. That was selfish of me, and it won't happen again. It's not my place to demand so much from you. I’m not going to lie, I can use magic...but the only thing I can do, is dangerous. It's only good for destruction, and nothing more. Well, some fireworks show, but...that's it. I suppose I am a painter with a broken brush, but the catch is...I cannot just simply buy a new brush." Fizzlepop said, lowering her head in a mix of shame and regret. For Edward, her statement hit him on his core, because it appeared he and the purple mare have more in common than they realized. He gently lifted her chin up, wiped away a tear which managed to escape her scarred eye, and with a kind smile assured her... "But a brush is not the only way for a painter to color." He winked before taking his leave with Lena in tow. "Hey...Edward?" Fizzlepop called out to him as he was about to exit the office. "Ja?" He turned towards her. "Thank you." "Anytime, later Angie." He smiled and disappeared around the corner. Just then, Twilight reappeared in the office "Ha! Found it!" The lavender coated mare triumphantly hoisted a thick book in her telekinetic grip "What did I miss?" "Uh, nothing much." Fizzlepop said with a faint smile curling on her lips. Author's Note My apologies after a year of absence my friends, as I said before in my last two blog posts, last year has been very eventful for me, so I had to put writing aside for a while. But I am back now, and I am ready to pump up new chapters for you Anyway, I think I will put one more chapter to this story before getting back to work on Back Into the Light for its final...yes, FINAL chapter. Then, I'll probably get working on Legacies of the Fallen and then Sentinels of Equestria. I hope you enjoy this one my friends, leave a like if you like this story, or dislike if you don't like it and please do talk to me in the comments about what you like or dislike, and just to chat in general. And as usual, thank you so much for XIII Hearts for being such an awesome editor
Chapter 9As Edward and Lena walked together towards the War Room through the Watchpoint's depopulated Hangar 18 - a common sight on the base as Overwatch's numbers was a shadow of its former self - the latter's phone rang. "Who could that be?" Edward asked as Lena fished her phone out of her jacket's pocket. The screen displayed an incoming video call from a certain red-headed woman. Her happy youthful visage was peppered with freckles on her nose and cheeks which added more to her personal charm. "Is this who I think she is?" "Uh-oh, I think I'm in trouble now..." Lena muttered under her breath and picked up her call, but thankfully, the cheerful face that appeared on the screen lifted her worries away. Sensing it would be rude to stand so close, Edward decided to move away from them and chat with ATHENA about the seemingly decommissioned OSS-7 Aurora - an atmospheric aircraft similar to the MV-261 Orca, but much smaller and was only intended as troop transport instead of an aerial command center. Lieutenant Maria Estrada was the aircraft's designated pilot, but she was nowhere to be found as she didn't answer Overwatch's recall. With nobody to pilot it coupled with severe internal disrepair, the aircraft remained suspended on the hangar's maintenance dock above them. "Hey Em!" Lena chirped, a wide smile curled on her lips. "Hey babe!" chimed the redhead. "You haven't called in days. You had me worried you know?" "Aw I'm sorry luv, a lot of things happened lately. You wouldn't believe it if I tell you." "Good or bad?" Emily asked, her expression changed from happiness to a bit of anxiety. "All good!" Lena immediately answered, struggling not to look elsewhere and maintaining her voice pitch on its normal cheery state. "Anyway babe, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Oi Edward!" Hearing his name, Edward excused himself from his chat and walked briskly towards the Brit, shooting her a questioning smile. "Edward, meet Emily. Emily, meet Edward." "Hello Emily, it is so nice to finally meet Lena's girlfriend! She told me so much about you." "Hahaha, the pleasure is all mine, Edward. Only the good things, I hope. Though, I have to say, after seeing you in person Lena's stories are definitely outdated." Emily chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Well, I’m not the one with the Chronal Accelerator. Time affects me, unlike Lena here." The crusader shrugged. "Listen, I know you two are busy so I won't keep you any longer. But, Edward, may I ask you a favor?" "Of course!" "Take care of Lena for me, please? Sometimes she doesn't know her limits." Emily sighed. "H-hey! I am right here!" Lena protested. "Worry not, Emily." Edward assured her, smiling gently "Lena is completely capable of that. But regardless, you have my word, and my shield." "And yourself too, of course. I am looking forward to meet you in person. Come home soon, Lena...I miss you a lot." "I miss you too, babe. Take care of yourself, okay? Love you." "Love you too," replied Emily before ending the call by blowing a kiss to the camera. "You are very lucky to have her by your side," Edward said as Lena put her phone back to her jacket. "M-hmm, she is just the best. I sometimes think I don't deserve her at all." The Brit smiled as they resumed their walk to the War Room. "So, next time we are away on missions, try not to take a stomach-full of bullets again, understand? Stay where I can protect you. Lena, I'd hate to see you get hurt or worse. I made a promise to the lady, and I intend to keep it," he concluded, his tone leaving no room for negotiations, eyes locking onto hers. "As you said before, I can take care of myself. But...of course, and thank you for your concern, luv. And I really hope you don't end up like a pot who calls a kettle black. Remember, we don't need you to be a hero, we need you in one piece." Lena smiled warmly, giving his arm a quick hug as they walked. "I'll try not to disappoint." Before they could even exit the hangar however, the usually open sliding doors closed on them. The sudden anomaly was followed by rapid footsteps approached them from behind...accompanied by the sound of cocking guns. Lena and Edward spun on their heels, and saw ten men pointing their assault rifles at them, they were positioned tactically all over the room, 5 of them were set up on the ground floor while the rest took aim from the suspended walkways and balconies. They were clad in Overwatch blue body armor, but these men weren't part of those who answered the Recall. "It's those bloody Talons we took in...damn it!" Lena cursed under her breath. Edward cracked his neck and stretched his shoulders, a dark smile appearing on his face. "Well, lookie here boys! Our first kills of the day," a bald man shouted as an ox stepped forward, pointing his rifle at the two. Lena recognized him as the Talon captain Jesse and Genji had interrogated during their induction to Overwatch. He turned his attention to Lena who just ejected her pulse pistols from her gauntlets, a nasty scowl on her face. "Or maybe we should fuck that deviant whore in every hole first, turn her into the real woman she should be. I will make you watch as she screams, then we will slit her throat and break your neck." "Now now, why did you have to say that? I’m afraid I’ll have to teach you some manners as your parents clearly have failed to do so." Edward grinned in an unsettling manner, like a predator ready to tear its preys apart. "Oh? And how will you do that? Will you spank our bums?" Edward chuckled darkly. "No. You will stand still and not move an inch." As if on command, the Talon operators froze on the spot. Their facial expressions showing signs of intense struggle to even move their fingers, which would not budge at all. But most of all, they were horrified. Next to him, Lena's boiling blood subsided into amusement. "I haven't the time to do this all day with you, I think you learned your lessons and I am prepared to send you home. AFTER you apologized to the lady, AND tell us who else is being naughty and why you are being unruly. Do I make myself clear?" Of course, no answers of confirmation or denial came; as their mouths were shut tight by an unseen arcane force. Edward lowered the force field surrounding their mouths. "Fuck you motherfucker!" spat the captain. The rest were silent, yet maintained deviant gazes towards him. Edward lifted the captain from the suspended walkway he was standing and set him down in front of him and, with one swift motion slammed his robotic arm into the operative's face with a loud sickening crunch emitting from the blow. Blood cascaded down his swelling nostrils like a waterfall. Normally, a person would have fall flat on their backs from such a blow, yet Edward's arcane grip kept him eerily still. Edward grabbed the captain on his collar, and looked him dead in his eyes. "There are ten of you here, yes? Then I shall give you exactly ten attempts for you to both apologize and answer my question. Fail to apologize, answer inappropriately, try to lie to me, make me wait too long...and I will make you shoot at your own men. Piece by piece." "You'd never--" His deviance was interrupted as Edward's telekinetic manipulation moved his limbs on command, not unlike how a puppeteer would control a marionette by its strings. The captain unwillingly lifted his rifle, took aim, and fired four times at the nearest standing operator. The high velocity 5.56mm armor piercing bullets tore through his kneecaps, and thighs - rupturing the femoral arteries which caused him to bled out rapidly, screaming inhumanly. Again, instead of falling over, the operative remained locked in place, standing like a bleeding statue. Soon enough, blood started pooling by his boots. At that moment, both the captain and Lena's amusement instantly vanished. "Nine attempts to go," Edward said coldly, his tone cold and merciless. "He's a grunt anyway, no major loss." The captain smirked, still trying to maintain his crumbling foolhardiness. This time, Edward forced the captain to aim at those perched on the suspended bridge leading to the OSS-7 Aurora. He pulled to the trigger, and fired twice. The rounds found their mark on an operator's shoulders, tearing the arms completely from their sockets. They fell to the hangar floor, spattering blood all over the impact point. As if in a macabre orchestra, pained howls began to fill the hangar which was slowly turning into a slaughterhouse. "Based on the two you just shot, I estimate they will all bleed out in minutes. But you can still save the rest, 8 attempts to go." "Bloody hell, what the fuck are you doing?!" Lena growled. At that point her amusement had completely vanished. She grabbed Edward's shoulder and forcefully turned him to face her. She stared hard into his eyes, a mix of anger and fear filled her own, only to be petrified of what she saw. The images of a cheery boy running around the Watchpoint were gone, replaced in their stead by a hollow darkness. "You might want to confess a little faster, captain!" Edward continued his torture, as he shrugged Lena's hands off his shoulders. This time, Edward made the captain draw his pistol from its drop-leg holster. With one hand still holding on to his rifle and the other taking aim with his side-arm, the captain fired eight consecutive shots at four operators. Using his telekinesis, Edward slowed the bullets to the point where they were only powerful enough to pierce their eyeballs without getting through their brains. Tears of blood gushed out from the wounds and streamed down their faces, accompanied by inhuman screams of pain. The remaining untouched assailants screamed for their lives, to be delivered from their tormentor. At this point, Lena found it difficult to not retch her breakfast on the floor. She stood there, petrified and powerless to do anything by what she saw. She was all too familiar to the cruelty of warfare, as all Overwatch agents are. But cruelty on such a scale, she never seen nor did. Neither rebel omnics nor Talon butchered their victims in such a way. But this...this was something else. And the one who did it, was someone she thought to never be capable of doing such atrocities. Outside, she could hear people trying to open the door manually on Winston's command, as Talon had apparently overridden the electrical systems so ATHENA cannot intervene. A fatal mistake on their end. "Four more attempts to--" "STOP! PLEASE! I'LL DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT!" The captain screamed, bawling and sobbing like a child. Edward nodded, taking away the captain's rifle, pistol, grenades, and combat knife, turning him around to face the one who he insulted. Edward forced the weeping man onto his knees "I-I-I'm sorry f-for t-threatening y-you like that." Lena did not respond. "And for the second inquiry?" "N-nobody else is i-involved! When you brought Sombra in, we saw it as a prime chance to escape! We were planning to grab her, and bail! That's all! I swear it on my mother's grAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" He roared in pain as Edward broke the captain's right hand with his telekinesis, bending it to an unnatural angle. "W-what the fuck man! He told you what you want, it's all true!" roared one of the unscathed operatives from his back. The captain hissed in pain, now pale as a ghost, his wall of arrogance having completely been torn down. Now he groveled pathetically on the floor, not unlike a common coward. "Then I must thank all of you for your cooperation." Edward then created a pistol gesture with his right-hand thumb and pointer finger, and placed the 'barrel' of the gun under his chin. The Talon captain and his men, save from the two who already bled out to death, followed him suit. But instead of their pointer fingers, they put their pistols' barrel under their chins, their screams and howls of terror played like execution drum rolls on Edward's ears. "P-please! H-have mercy!" croaked the captain amidst cold sweat and ragged breath. Edward knelt and gazed deeply into the captain's fearful eyes "Mercy? You threatened to rape my friend." he growled and slammed the Talon's head face first to the hangar floor, shattering his lips against his own incisors which also got snapped in the process. Edward grabbed him by the vest and effortlessly lifted him up with one hand, once again looking the captain dead in the eye. "You set out on killing a lot of people on this base. Had you not ran into us, you probably would have done so. Of course, this is not your first rape and murder is it? And now you dare beg for mercy? No captain, you do not ask for mercy to men like me. Now, auf wiedersehen." He brought his thumb down in the manner of how a gun's hammer would come down each time the trigger is pulled. Eight simultaneous gunshots echoed throughout the hangar. Edward stood up, and ceased his arcane grip on the now dead operatives, they slumped to the floor...blood gushing out from the gaping holes on the top of their skulls. As Edward's face was only a hair away from the captain's own as the shower of gore blew from the latter's cranium, his face was covered with the captain's fresh blood...still gazing into the Talon's terrified dead eyes. He finally broke eye contact, stood, and turned towards Lena. "Are you alright, Lena?" Returning to her senses, but heavily shaken, Lena only managed to nod slowly. Suddenly the massive blast doors were torn open from their place, crumpled like a sheet of paper. And where the doors used to be stood Luna, Lightning, Winston, Reinhardt, Jesse, and a dozen of Overwatch soldiers ready for battle. Before Edward could do anything further, Luna's horn glowed with magic, and a flash of intense white light was the last thing he saw before blackness consumed him once more. As his consciousness return to him, Edward found himself seated on a metallic chair bolted to the floor. His arms and legs were restrained by thick steel clamps. He realized that he was being held at the base's detainment facility, probably as precaution after the twisted 'this little piggy' act he pulled off on the hangar. Of course, Overwatch Military Codex would have condemned the traitors with capital punishment anyway, but perhaps Edward's methods were too...violent for them to handle. So there was another possibility that he was being punished for his actions, not that he could not rip these shackles off himself, but this time his captors were people he considered to be his own kin. They must have a good reason in doing so. Speaking of which, just because he was curious, Edward tried to concentrate his telekinetic grip on the clamps restraining his limbs. To no avail. It was then when his eyes fell on a bluish metal ingot sitting by his feet, the kind of which he could not recognize. It didn't take him long for him to conclude that this strange ingot was the reason behind his inability to use his power. The stark white cell's eerily silent monotony was broken when it's sliding door opened with a hiss, revealing Winston, Luna, and Lightning on the other side. "You're awake, good. How are you feeling?" the alicorn asked as they entered the room, smiling slightly. "Well, aside from these binding shackles, I am fine. If I may ask, why am I restrained? Is it because what I did to those traitors?" "After you dealt with the rogues, your magic energy was too volatile. I was worried you might harm yourself and others around you, so I knocked you out. Although I never would have thought the results would be so macabre, instability is prone to happen when such a powerful energy is kept dormant for an extended period of time. I instructed the others to keep you here, as a safety precaution to others." "Well? Is it okay to free him now?" Winston crooked his eyebrow, Luna nodded. The scientist mirrored the gesture to a guard waiting by the cell's door, and in a flash, the steel clamps were disengaged. "My apologies about that, Edward. ATHENA, please tell Doctor Ziegler to breathe easy, everything is under control." "At once, Winston," came the AI's reply. "It is fine, you did what was necessary." Edward got up from his seat with a groan and stretched his stiff limbs. He turned his attention to the bluish metal ingot lying on the floor, and knelt down to pick it up. He balanced it on his hands, feeling it, and studying it carefully, Luna was about to say something but refrained herself until he made his conclusion. "An alloy of iron, cobalt, no. This is something else. What is this?" "We call it, dimeritium. This metal prevents the transfer of magical energy. If you wear or are in the proximity of one, you wouldn't be able to use your powers in any way. Effective against magic wielders but useless against those without such abilities. There are, however, known cases where extremely powerful mages manage to overcome the restraints generated by dimeritium. Without it, these shackles would be useless as you could have easily rip them off your limbs should you went berserk." As Luna finished her explanation, she took away the ingot with her mouth and placed it inside her saddlebag. Then, they proceeded to exit the facility. "So, will you please tell me what happened?" Winston asked. "I was on my way to the war room with Lena. Emily called, we talked a bit. Talon rebels cornered us, thought they had the upper hand. They said something about...ahem, having their way with Lena and making me watch while they have their way with her before killing us both. Well, you know the rest. By the way, how is Lena? Where is she now?" Winston crinkled his face in disgust upon hearing what those Talons had planned for them. "She is in the medical wing with Angela and Reinhardt. A bit shaken, but physically she is fine. Before you...er, executed them, did you learn anything from them at least?" "Well done, you inconsiderate pile of shit." Edward mentally slapped himself upon realizing that he had potentially traumatized Lena for life. He will have to make it up to her somehow. "To put it simply, they were going to free Sombra, kill everyone who gets in their way, and escape. Thankfully, nobody else were involved in their scheme. They had the element of surprise, had they not ran into us they very well might have done so. Speaking of which, has our Sleeping Beauty woke up from her slumber?" "Well, by human standards I suppose she is rather attractive, despite her cyber-- oh, OH! Okay, I get the reference." Winston smiled shyly, causing his two companions to laugh at his antic. Lightning however, remained stoic. "Unfortunately, she is still out cold. Thankfully though, Lightning's electric blast did not damage the cybernetics grafted on her brain and spine, so aside from the immense pain before fainting, no harm was done. It's only a matter of time before she's up. I made sure of it. Before you ask, don't worry, I only restored the cybernetics' base functions, enough to keep her alive. But I bet my right arm she won't be messing with our computers, nor cripple us with that infamous EMP blast of hers." "Good. I want to have a little chat with her once she is awake. I assume she is in this very facility, yes?" "In the maximum-security block, yes. However, I feel obliged to remind you, to not do any unnecessary violence to her. She is a VIP, and we need her cooperation. We don't need another body bag, I-I hope you understand." "Fret not, my friend." Edward smirked, patting his friend's shoulder. "My tongue is made from the finest silver. And I must have a word with the inner council to re-evaluate our conscription procedure. I trust I don't have to remind you about the whole situation in the hangar?" "Yes, tomorrow then. Same time, same place." "I shall be there as well, there is something I wish to propose before we got so rudely interrupted," chimed Luna, who remained silent through the whole conversation. "Ah yes, this brings Fizzlepop to my attention. Tell me, do you have any idea how to help her at all?" Luna's eyes seemed hopeful as well upon hearing this question. But, would it be right to make Overwatch to dabble in a field they barely understand, while they have more urgent problems to worry about? Not to mention, their time and resources were also limited. But, in Equestria, she knew nopony else who would do anything for the poor mare. At least she should give Overwatch a chance, right? "I suppose I must wait for Angela's report about her anatomy and physiology before I can even begin to think about the cybernetics. So regretfully, I cannot say much right now. BUT, but...based on the Castillo mission, I managed to read plenty of bio-electric activities each time you used your magics. Maybe I have to start constructing micro electro generators as the primary catalyst for the prosthetic horn. Along with the cybernetic grafts for the brain and spine of course. L-Luna, I told Edward yesterday that I'd love to come to your training session today, he said yes, but I'd like to ask you myself. Can I come?" "Of course you may! But I have to say Winston, even we Equestrians have given up on her. Neither medicine nor magic in our world could repair such a damage. You have your own concerns to worry about, more urgent expenses which would require all available resources at your disposal. If you feel that this would cost you a heavier burden, don't hesitate for a second to quit from this endeavor. Nopony would blame you." said Luna. "We do not wish to trouble you more than we already have." Edward showed the alicorn his cybernetic left arm without speaking, implying that there was hope of repairing Fizzlepop's horn. Maybe it was not perfect, but it would be better than to be left with completely nothing. "Trouble? Nonsense, Luna! You are very welcome to stay as long as you wish, and this is also a prime opportunity for us to study about magic from a scientific point of view, a privilege which I daresay, possessed only by us. We will do our best, don't worry." Winston assured the Moon Princess with a warm smile. "Tonight, I'll bring my MRI drones to get a good read on what is really happening to you when your powers are at play." "Thank you, Winston. We will never forget this." Luna smiled. "Do not thank us yet, princess," Edward said. "We still have to find the Spark of Life. If anybody knows it, it would be one of Talon's inner council members. One of which, is unconscious in the detention facility. We will squeeze every last piece of information from her regarding this matter." "I might have a way to help you with that." Luna grinned mischievously. "One which is less...violent." "Agent Berg, please report to the armory." ATHENA's voice echoed through the Watchpoint's P.A. speakers. "It seems I will have to visit the armory first before anything else." "We shall speak more of this during your training." Luna said, stopping him. "Which starts two hours from now, don't be late." "I won't." Edward winked before taking his leave. "Your father allowed you to make this hideous modification?! Damn idiot must've lost his mind! If he is here right now, I'd like to hammer some sense into that thick skull of his!" Torbjörn seethed, hitting his forging hammer on the disassembled shoulder missile launcher which got damaged on the previous mission to Castillo. The sudden sharp noise caused Edward's eardrums to ring. "Well uncle, he agreed on my prospect to add more firepower and attack range. And you have to admit it, the base suit lacks range," the young Crusader replied in a measured voice. "Do you know why the Crusaders do not arm their armor with any explosive ordinance? Pray tell!" The engineer fumed again. "We are prone to get shot, and so, if anything penetrated the armor and hit anything volatile, namely missiles...we are done for, as we have no way to escape the suit. And that could endanger the entire team taking cover behind me." "EXACTLY!" Torbjörn let out a sigh of frustration. "I get it, you want to add more offensive capability to your arsenal. But whoever had worked on these launchers, probably want you dead. Both the missiles and launchers are too bulky, no missile shielding...I am telling you kid, you are very lucky the particle beam did not trigger the missiles." "So, what can be done?" "Until I can figure out a way to compensate your losses, no missile launchers. Understand?" Edward mentally cursed as he lost his primary means of ranged attack, but he indeed felt someone had hit his stomach with a sledgehammer when he elaborated the reason why a Crusader's armor was not armed with any explosive ordinance. In his transitioning days from being a Knight Commander of the Order of the Dawn to donning the mantle of Crusader, he would take jobs here and there as a lone wolf, so he would need an effective way of wiping out enemies as quickly as possible by his lonesome. And his answer was - more firepower the better. But now...he was no longer a lone wolf, but a member of a pack. And it was his responsibility to be their shield, not their doom. "I understand, thank you uncle. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" "I do. Although the results are a bit...messy, you saved us from a lot of trouble today. And also, yesterday with that mech. You deserve a reward, so, I am allowing you to pick anything from the armory, free of charge." "Oh! Um, I believe that will not be necessary, uncle. I have all I need with me." "Really?" The engineer smirked underneath his bushy blond beard "You won't be interested in this?" he asked, pointing at a steel grey rectangular weapon container beside him which Edward had failed to notice earlier. The engineer turned the container's rotary lock, resulting in a clicking sound and a steady hiss. The container automatically opened itself, revealing the weapon that was stored within. It appeared to be a German longsword, but if it were to be brought to the Middle Ages, every knight would gaze at it with shock and awe. The weapon was clearly more advanced than its medieval counterpart, looking more like a machine rather than something hand forged. Even the black scabbard, which hugged the blade's shape perfectly, looked robotic. "This is Siren, a little pet project of mine," said the engineer, with a smile of satisfaction. "Draw it." Needing no further command, Edward placed his right hand on the sword's black hilt, while his left held the scabbard near the longsword's steel grey cruciform hilt and carefully parted the weapon from its sheath, letting out a metallic hiss as it was being pulled away. After the longsword fully came into view, his eyes filled with astonishment, and his heart swelled with pride. The longsword's gleaming silver blade, cruciform hilt, and circular pommel were shining with a lustrous glow. Its morphology was based on the XVIa longsword type, according to Edward's memory on Oakeshott typology - the blade was long and slowly tapering, with a flat hexagonal blade cross-section and a fuller running along one third of the blade - perfect for both thrusting and cutting. However, Edward knew very well that there was something else to this weapon. The unearthly gleam and high-pitched whistle each time he swung the sword ascertained him that this was in fact, a vibrosword. Vibroswords, like all vibroweapons in general, are equipped with vibro-generators - energy emitting machines sent out high-frequency sonic pulses that could cause anything attached to it to be sent into an extremely quick vibration, most often found in the hilt or handle of the weapon. This frequency enabled the weapon to weaken the molecular bonds of anything it strikes, and therefore should it make contact with something, the vibrations rippled across the material, destroying a giant portion of the target and damaging it more devastatingly than a regular version of the weapon. This caused even the slightest glancing blow to potentially become a gaping wound, one not even biotics would be capable of instantly closing as the regenerating cells around the wound would also be destroyed. Another equally noteworthy aspect of the sword, was its material. It was forged from pure meteorite steel and silver with special forging techniques heavily classified by the Ironclad Guild. Ordinary steel will not do for vibroweapon forging. This is because when the vibro-generators were fitted, a mundane steel weapon would immediately crumble due to the high-frequency sonic pulses rupturing it's molecules at a hyper-accelerated pace. As a result, vibroweapons are virtually indestructible. However, other vibroweapons and or energy weapons could be used to counter it. "No need for words, I know when someone loves my work just by looking at them," he said, still maintaining a smirk on his face. "I do, uncle. This is a very, very beautiful sword. Overall length, 132 centimeters...blade length, approximately 101,6 centimeters...hilt length, 25 centimeters...and the weight...er, I'd say 1,2 kilograms. I used to have one like this." "I see you know your swords. All of your measurements are correct," Torbjörn said, surprised. "Whatever happened to the previous one?" "I...returned it to its rightful owner." Edward smiled softly, returning the longsword to its scabbard, and placing it back down inside the container. "But, why this? Vibroweapons are extremely rare and difficult to forge, not to mention the cost. Uncle, are you sure about this?" "Difficult?!" Torbjörn laughed out loud. "That would be one hell of an understatement, my boy! Only members of the Ironclad Guild know how to forge one properly, not to mention the material -- but, don't concern yourself with that. You definitely know your swords. I assume you know how to use one?" "Better than what I know in theory," Edward said pridefully. "Uncle, if I may, I would also like to send some of my personal weapons to you for inspection. If you require payment, I will gladly do so." "What kind of weapons are we talking about?" "H&K G36C and 417 rifles." "Huh, antiques. You must have made some very interesting modifications to keep up with today's weaponry, I would love to take a look at them." "I will fetch them for you. Maybe you can do a general analysis while you are at it? As a weapon smith, you surely have keener eyes than me, uncle." "Why not. But may I ask you a favor first? Consider it as payment for me." "Happily, what is it?" "Spar with Brigitte, will you? Regularly. Reinhardt is getting too old for this kind of job, and most of those amateurs who answered our recall could not keep up with her. Genji is currently her more regular sparring partner, but she says she's always interested with new opponents." "Of course, I am also very intrigued to see her fighting prowess." At that moment, Brigitte walked into the armory with Bastion and its bird friend, Ganymede. The yellow northern cardinal was perched on the omnic's right shoulder, and it seemed to be in a "conversation" with Bastion as both seemed to be chirping and beeping at each other. Edward was absolutely intrigued by how responsive this unit was, as books dedicated to the First Omnic Crisis deemed Bastions to be mindless killing machines with no semblance of personality whatsoever. Despite this new revelation, he kept his distance, just in case. "I've done the final testings as you asked, papa. Bastion is ready for combat and won't be firing at any Overwatch personnel and or civilians, ever. Oh, hi Ed!" chimed the young Swede. Bastion stopped his talk with Ganymede, walked up to Edward and extended its left hand in greetings. "Wzzzz.Wooo," beeped Bastion with an inquisitive pitch. "Oh, hello!" Edward smiled, grasping the former omnic's hand with his own, shaking it. "Hello to you too, Brigitte." "Good." Torbjörn responded. "If it does act up again, I am turning it into scraps." "Papa!" Brigitte shot her father a rebuking stare, Bastion however seemed oblivious by his threat. "So, what's going on? Whew, the heat is intense." she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her palm. "Your papa just gifted Siren to me," Edward said. "And I am your regular sparring partner now. Alongside Genji, Uncle Reinhardt, and others you'd like to beat of course." "YES!" the brunette cheered. "Congrats on Siren by the way, I sure hope you know how to use her. It sickens me to see such a beautiful blade just sitting there doing nothing." Edward chuckled. "Speaking of which, what do you say we do just that, right now." Brigitte nodded furiously, a wide smile etched on her face. "Grab your gear then," Edward said, retrieving Siren from its container. "The gym ring, fifteen minutes." After making a quick detour to his aircraft in order to grab his gear, Edward stepped into the gym. He was clad in a spare Crusader undersuit with Siren strapped on his back and a blunt steel longsword about the same size as Siren on his hip, safely secured on the undersuit's tactically placed magnetic weapon holder strips. Normally, he wouldn't wear a sword on his back as his martial doctrine discouraged him to wear one in such a position. The primary reason was, it would be impossible to draw a sword that size from one's back, as a normal human arm would not be able to provide sufficient pulling range. But, remembering his telekinetic ability has returned, Edward would debunk such reasoning without lifting a hand, literally. On its own, a Crusader's undersuit was already a formidable combat armor as it was weaved from carbon nano tube, ensuring no conventional bullets or blades will ever go through while also greatly negating blunt force trauma thanks to the hydrostatic gel fitted under the linings and padding. However, the undersuit would be useless when put up against more sophisticated hazards, such as energy weapons. Of course, he was not expecting to face gunfire during this sparring session, nor he believed he would suffer a grievous wound as he definitely went through worse, but he wore it because if Angela found out that he sparred with no protective equipment on him whatsoever, the good doctor would surely skin him alive. Something he was really trying to avoid. The gym was rather bustling with activity as a lot of Overwatch's personnel were training, and on the gym ring he saw Fareeha sparring fiercely with Sergeant Zhou with Jesse as referee. So, Edward stopped by and decided to watch the show. They both traded blows with each other, each giving and getting as good. Fareeha however, had learned the sergeant's attack pattern, and feigned a step, seemingly placing herself right at his hook. But that feign was immediately transformed into a roundhouse kick, hitting Zhou square in the temple, knocking him to the ground. Luckily, his head was protected by a thick foam training helmet, so aside from a ringing head and dazed vision, he won't be suffering from anything else. Jesse closed the match, and Fareeha proceeded to walk towards a recovering Zhou and helped him on his feet. "A blow well executed, captain," Zhou said weakly as his head was still spinning. "That was a good match." Fareeha smiled and gave the sergeant's shoulder a hearty pat. "Well, well, color me impressed!" Edward smirked as the sergeant was led away by his men to the audience stands. "You're joking right? After what you did recently, this is all just a sideshow. The entire base is talking about you." She dismissed him as she vaulted over the ring lines "Speaking of which, thanks for the help with those Talons. Shame, would have loved to fight them myself." "Don't worry, this will not be over anytime soon. You'll have your fill, believe me." "What's better, we will fight them together." "To have the legendary Pharah as my air support. Why, it would be an honor." Edward bowed deep in a teasing manner. Seeing this annoyingly ridiculous gesture, Fareeha quickly placed him in a headlock which caused him to tap her locking hand repeatedly as a sign of submission. "I see you're all suited up. Who's your dance partner?" Jesse asked after Fareeha let him go. As if on cue, Brigitte entered the gym. Clad in her own protective undersuit, armed with a training mace and a yellow silver-rimmed steel heater shield. Edward knew she's always been athletically shapely, a detail only a blind person would miss, but now, that he focused entirely on her, Edward couldn't help but stare at her like a brute. Toned muscles, ample breasts and lovely hips which seemed to sway each time she took a step - a frame which would put supermodels to shame. A fair, beautiful face which was complimented by a bright pair of hazel eyes and a long, wavy mane, neatly kept in a ponytail which color resembled that of autumn leaves. Adding to this, were the twin strands of hair elegantly going down just by her ears which only emphasized her beauty. But what really captivated him, was that confident and warm smile which seemed to light up the entire room. "Edward, du idiot! Sie ist Torbjörns tochter, um Gottes willen!" (Edward you idiot! She is Torbjörn's daughter for God's sake!) he berated himself internally and shake off his musings as Brigitte approached them. He hoped that nobody had noticed his stupid reaction. "Oh hey! You must be Fareeha Amari. I am Brigitte Lindholm, but please call me Brigitte." She strapped her mace on the undersuit's hip magnetic strip and gave Fareeha her right hand. Fareeha took her hand and gave it a hearty shake "Call me Fareeha, please. Lindholm...wait, so you are Torbjörn's...?" Brigitte nodded, still maintaining her smile. "In the flesh, I am looking forward to fighting with you Fareeha." She paused before turning towards her sparring partner "You too of course, Ed." "We Overwatch brats have to stick together." Fareeha chuckled, throwing her arms on her friends' shoulders. "It feels like another lifetime huh? You know, since we dreamed of joining Overwatch." "Yes, but unfortunately we are getting off topic here. I would love to go on a spree of nostalgia later, but we are here to spar are we not?" Edward smirked. Brigitte mirrored his gesture, picked up her mace, and stepped into the ring with her sparring partner. Jesse tossed Edward a training helm, which he caught and donned. Brigitte however, refused hers when the cowboy was preparing to chuck the headgear. "Don't be ridiculous, put on your helmet." Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, never needed one before. Nothing bad has ever happened to me, and for your information this is not my first fight," countered the young Swede, still wearing that prideful smirk on her face. "I see Uncle Reinhardt's bravado bled to you. Very well, don't say I didn't warn you." "Don't hold back." "I won't." Unsheathing the blunt longsword from its leather scabbard, Edward leveled his sword to his midsection, his stance spring-loaded like a snake ready to strike. His opponent unstrapped her mace, and raised her shield. Before anybody else could blink, Brigitte arched her weapon and the mace's head shot forward towards Edward's face in an audible whistle, with a cord holding it on to the rest of the weapon. Quickly, instinctively, Edward side-stepped the incoming blow while at the same time parrying with his sword. The deflected ball of solid sand-packed kevlar, quickly returned to the short pole as Brigitte charged forth with her shield raised. Screaming a mighty war cry, she delivered a powerful shield bash before swinging her flail in a flurry of blows. The shield connected with Edward's torso, causing him to stagger backwards, and for the first few blows to hit his head, face and core, but thanks to the helmet and undersuit, the impact was heavily negated. Still, a bit of blood was pouring from his nose and got into his mouth. Her strikes were powerful enough for him to know that, if he did not wear any protective equipment, they could potentially bruise his ribs and probably cause a minor concussion as well. Between deftly dodging and parrying with his sword, Edward was very impressed by her sheer speed, precision, and strength. But what's more, her brutality. A normal flail would not be capable of being swung so rapidly with such a deadly accuracy as the steel head would need some time to regain its striking trajectory. It seemed the armor smith had improved the ancient weapon to be suitable for precise close quarters combat, each swing extending the solid striking head with a cord that retracts it back to the pole so that it could be swung again mid-way as the user saw fit. The spectacle apparently has drawn every single person training in the gym, gathering into a small crowd around the ring. With half of them believing the fight would end in moments, with Brigitte standing as the victor. but the other half had their doubts as well. Contrary to his bulky frame, Edward's movements were akin to a lizard scurrying across sand. He swiftly dodged, and pirouetted around her, his blade constantly deflecting her blows while riposting at the same time, trying to find a gap in her robust defense, as each of his own blows were met by her heater shield. Putting her entire weight to the front, Brigitte executed a shield bash in order to stagger her opponent, and end this fight with a swift blow to the head. This was the opening Edward had been waiting for. Avoiding the powerful charge, he quickly pivoted behind her and, delivered a powerful strike to her right ear with the flat side of his blade. Brigitte was heavily dazed due to the intense pain ringing inside her head, but despite her will to continue fighting, she felt Edward's blade pressed against the side of her neck which supposedly marked the end of the match. "Yield." Brigitte however, did not intend to surrender that easily. She spun around, shifting her position away from the blade, while simultaneously swinging her flail - wrapping the cord on Edward's front leg - and pulled. Having not expected his move, the sudden powerful tug caused Edward to lose his footing and fell on his side. Edward, equally tenacious, twirled his tied leg as leverage in order to bring her into grappling range. He successfully brought her down, and clamped her neck between his legs - quickly cutting off her airway. "You already fought beautifully! Now yield!" Edward demanded once again. Brigitte tried to free herself, but with her weapon arm pinned under Edward's leg and her vision quickly blackening, she finally relented and tapped his thigh three times. Edward quickly let her go, and she inhaled deeply as her airway was finally relieved from pressure. At this moment, the crowd was cheering loudly. "Are you okay?" Edward asked over the audience's cheers as he gently helped Brigitte to her feet. The young engineer chuckled and wiped beads of sweat streaming down her face. "That was one hell of a fight though, we should do that again ASAP." "I am your regular sparring partner now anyway." Edward smirked, grimacing a bit as his lips were swelling from Brigitte's flail strike earlier. They retrieved their weapons which got discarded during the ground fight, and proceeded to exit the ring. "That was some next level shit, fellas." Jesse grinned while patting their backs heartily, before turning his attention to the rowdy crowd. "Alright y'all, show's over." "But I’m serious. Thank you very much." Brigitte smiled warmly as they walked some distance away from the ring and sat on a nearby bench. "Whatever for?" Edward asked as he wiped off the now drying blood from his face. "For not holding back on me. Aside from you, Reinhardt, and Genji, people here tend to do that when they spar with me. You know, because I am Chief Engineer Lindholm's daughter. Emphasis on, daughter. Yet, I defeated them all the same." "Your father mentioned something of the sort. And you are very welcome." He smiled and patted her back. "By the way, that was quite an impressive flail, I thought that was a mace at first." Brigitte smirked pridefully. "You have no idea what I've got in store for you then. I have my own suit you know, not as bulky as yours though." "Is that so? Why didn't you wear it then?" "Haha, that is a great way to get yourself killed." "I couldn't tell if that was a spar or a real fight," Fareeha cut in as she arrived with a med-kit containing a couple of blue glowing biotic tubes. She quickly unpacked them and prepared to administer the healing agent by spraying. "Alright, don't move." As she began applying the medication, all of the injuries they sustained in that spar were instantly gone. Aside being drenched in sweat, it seemed like nothing had happened in that match. "Thanks, Fareeha," said the two in unison. "So tell me, who taught you to fight like that? I never expect someone of your build to move so..." Brigitte asked, stifling a giggle, "gracefully." Fareeha also seemed to be interested in her query, since she also shot him a questioning glance. "Just because I am 195 centimeters tall and weighing 90 kilograms, I’m supposed to be slow, rigid, and clumsy?" Edward smirked in return. "Well, when I was younger my parents put me through a lot of martial arts, namely Kyokushin Karate, Aikido, Jiujitsu, and of course, the German school of fencing. I also practiced Wushu for a little bit, before I started law school in the University of Oasis." "Well, well, what do you know, a brute with a working brain." Fareeha snickered. "Don't interrupt, Fareeha, or I'll make you sit in the corner. Anyway, back to the main topic, fighting with so many disciplines was difficult at first, but as time went on, I began to develop my own techniques with the base concept of a 'dancing tank'." "I see your point," said Brigitte. "Felt them, in fact." "Now now, don't be so glum." Edward squeezed her shoulders. "As I said before, you fight beautifully. Uncle Reinhardt's doctrine of never dropping one's shield seems to be seared into your muscle memory. Your flail techniques are masterful. Tell me, did you practice with an instructor or by yourself?" "I practiced by myself mostly. Being out on the road with Reinhardt don't exactly give you the opportunity to practice with the masters. Besides, the greatest teacher of all is experience itself, no?" The young armor smith smiled proudly. "Speaking of which, will you show me a few tricks?" "Gladly. But I have a prerequisite for that to happen." "Oh yeah? What's that?" "Defeat me, and you will know everything I know." "Challenge accepted." Brigitte smirked. "So, what do we do now?" "Want to go hit the weights?" suggested Fareeha. "Only if we can get something to eat afterwards. I am actually kinda starving." Brigitte rolled her eyes in amusement. "I will take care of that." Edward smirked. After exercising the afternoon away with his friends, making them some fluffy ice cream topped pancakes afterwards (which they wolfed down in minutes), and taking the liberty to freshen up at his room, he was now waiting in front of Winston's laboratory for Luna to arrive. Maybe some people won't bother and would proceed to train first and bathe later, but he was about to begin his first day of arcane training with a sovereign for God's sake. So, he preferred not to reek of sweat. He was still clad in his undersuit, which thanks to its material, only took seconds to dry after he sprayed it with water to rinse away sweat and other not so pleasant secretions. He had Siren strapped on the left side of his hip, and his heavily modified Glock 34 pistol secured on the other. In addition, he also carried a silver DM51 fragmentation grenade and a spare 17-round magazine for his pistol. Not that he was expecting a fight, but better to have an umbrella ready in case it rains. During his approach to the cliff, he had this distinct feeling of tingling electricity coursing through his system; but he brushed it off as excitement for finally starting his training. Just before coming there, he thought about checking on Lena - her room only a door away from his own - but he decided it would be best to leave her alone for the day. "Tomorrow it is then..." Edward mumbled to no one in particular, his eyes panned the skies, painted a vibrant bluish orange as the sun was setting over the horizon. A bright flash of light caused Edward to cover his eyes, revealing Luna, Lightning, Twilight, Fizzlepop, and Angela as the light died down. "You arrived early." Luna smiled. "I'd rather not be late on my first day of training. And the sunsets here are always beautiful." Edward chuckled before turning his attention to Angela. "You look tired Angie. What are you doing here? Why don't you go get some rest? I don't know, spend some time with Genji. I hardly see you two together since I set foot on this rock." The doctor stretched her tired limbs, letting out a long yawn in the process, before fastening her white medical coat as the cold sea breeze hit her frame. "What can I say, little brother? After a whole day of studying pony physiology, I simply must see how magic works for humans. Besides, after what happened on Hangar 18 today, well, I want to make sure you are alright. And Genji...can wait." "Speak of the devil." Edward grinned as he saw Genji darting from roof to roof. He quickly made his way down a walkway towards the small group, flipped to the air, and landed gracefully on the ground without so much as making any noise. "I have a feeling I would find you here," said the cyborg ninja as he took off his mask entirely, revealing his scarred face and light brown eyes underneath. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Edward asked him to take Angela to their room so she could rest. Genji agreed, but a sharp glare from Angela refrained him from doing so. Seeing there was no way to change her mind, Genji pulled a spare chair from the adjacent satellite dish station for his lover - an offer she gratefully accepted. Angela placed her Caduceus Staff against the wall and slumped on her seat. Throwing his arms up in submission, Edward decided not to push any further. "How are you doing, Fizzlepop? Any luck with Angie today?" Edward asked gently, kneeling to meet her on eye level. "And I am very sorry about the ruckus that happened in the hangar earlier." "Well, we chipped out a bit of my horn for sampling, had some blood taken, and--" "Angela scanned her with this device, and it was AWESOME! The machine projected a live image of Fizzlepop's organs to the air! And we ended up studying pony anatomy and physiology for today! Let's just say even I learned something new." Twilight cut her friend off, finishing with a wide grin on her face. Edward smiled and nodded in response. "I see everybody's made it," said Winston, entering the area with a tablet computer alongside a quartet of the aforementioned MRI drones. "G-go on, pretend we are not here." "We invited Winston to join us," Edward said, turning his attention to the remaining ponies. "I believe his presence is necessary to provide a scientific point of view to our training, I hope you do not mind." "Of course not," Twilight said with a wide smile plastered on her face. "In fact, I was hoping you'd come, Winston. We could scrutinize every last data together!" "W-we'll get to that later, Twilight." The gorilla chuckled. "So, are you ready?" "Yes, master." "Oh please, there is no need for that." Luna chuckled as they walked towards the cliff's edge. "Now then, onto your first lesson. In magic training, a strong bond between teacher and pupil is essential. There are two ways of achieving such a bond; one, is through years and years of mutual rigorous training - the traditional method, which I will not use since we do not have such time. And the second, Hive Mind." "I see. Care to explain how this works?" "As the name implies, Hive Mind is a way for magic users join their minds together to achieve the ultimate coordination and understanding with each other. Since magic is abstract in nature, words often couldn't convey the proper illustration of what somepony has in their mind. While this could be mistaken for telepathy, the goal is to understand each other's way of thinking and feeling, essentially creating a collective consciousness between us, where ideas and imagery could be exchanged and understood almost instantly - much more complex than mere inter-mind speaking. In addition, we will have access to each other’s' knowledge and memories...should we wish to share them." "Okay, how long is this going to take?" "Could be seconds, could be hours. It all depends really, as each pony or human in this case is unique." "Princess, forgive me my insolence but I must object to this decision." Lightning protested telepathically with a rather blunt tone, keeping a flat expression on his face as he did not want to draw the wrong attention. "Edward seems like a good person, however we barely know anything about him, and now we are trusting our arcane knowledge to a human whose power range is yet to be known?" "True, but he seeks a way to explore his vast arcane capabilities, in hopes that he may use his magic for peaceful purposes. He needs our help, Lightning. It is our duty as Equestrians to always help those in need, when we can, while we can," Luna said sternly. Lightning did not speak again. Luna spoke again. "And a word of warning Edward, this is going to re-open your third eye. You will experience quite a vertigo, not the most pleasant of processes, I know, but without your third eye, any wish of exploring your potentials would remain a wish." "Ah fick..." Edward cursed under his breath. "Well, if it must be done, then so be it." He noticed Angela was about to ask something but stopped her politely, promising he will explain later. As they sat down face-to-face near the cliff's edge, Luna's eyes locked with Edward's own. "Hive Mind is not something that is done lightly, we will not just link our minds together with a random subject. I do not wish to make you feel forced into doing this...but there is no other way, not under our current circumstances." Of course, this did not help with Edward's latent anxiety. "Then in that case, I am glad you are the one doing this. I cannot begin to thank you for the trust you have placed on me, a complete stranger no less, with something so personal." "Soon, we won't be strangers anymore." She smiled softly, closed her eyes, and rested her horn on Edward's forehead. A spark of blue light caused Edward and Luna to recoil in pain as the sensation was akin to being stung by a powerful jolt of electricity. Edward's vision flew into a kaleidoscope and he curled on the ground, clutching his head which was whirling inside like a typhoon while keeping his eyes shut. "There, there," Luna said softly as she cast her calming spell on Edward, eliminating the pain at once and his eyesight quickly returned to normal. "How are you feeling?" "That, was the worst vertigo I have ever had." Edward grunted as he rolled on his back and sat back up, Angela was already kneeling by his side at that moment, placing her hands on his back and chest respectively. She asked if he was feeling okay as his heartbeat shot through the roof according to Winston's scanners, to which Edward confirmed that he was indeed unharmed. Nearby, Twilight and Winston were deep in discussion about what had just happened. Winston stated he had never seen such a heavy activity on a human brain before, and was even more amazed by Luna's own, as the MRI readings lit up when the alicorn cast her spell. After making sure Edward was alright for the last time, Angela joined Twilight and Winston to see for herself what had just happened. Luna thought of an object in her mind, a silver cup decorated with blue sapphires. "Now, tell me, what am I thinking about?" asked the alicorn. "A silver cup, with blue sapphires around it," answered Edward nonchalantly as he stood back up. "Correct! Now, you try. Think of ideas, sentences in other languages, anything!" "Lex specialis derogat legi generali." "A law ruling over a specific matter, overrides a law ruling over a general matter. Interesting doctrine of law interpretation. I believe the language is, Latin?" "Precisely! Tell me Luna, is this line of communication exclusive between us, or can I establish a new one with others?" "Since your third eye is now open, you are also a conduit of magic. So yes, I believe you can now converse with Twilight, Lightning, and Fizzlepop anytime you wish. But unfortunately, you cannot initiate Hive Mind just yet. To master it require years and years of practice. It is one of those spells I cannot teach you through thought transference at your level. Because if I try to force it on your unprepared brain, the massive energy stream could kill you or even render you in a vegetative state. But for now, to help you understand the basics, I shall teach you telepathy. Close your eyes, relax, but pay close attention." Heeding her instruction, Edward closed his eyes and felt a building stream of energy swirling inside his head. Unlike the head-splitting vertigo he experienced when he was linked to Luna's Hive Mind, the sensation was actually rather pleasant, like that slight dizziness one would receive after drinking a cup of twenty years aged wine. Soon, the stream subsided and Edward opened his eyes. At that moment, the knowledge hit him faster than a speeding bullet train. He knew how to tune his own brain waves so they may intermingle with those of his interlocutors', translating them into vocal speech which could be heard correspondingly with each other inside their respective minds. He only needs to think with whom he wished to converse with to begin. "It feels good, no?" Luna smirked, her tone barely above a whisper. "Now try it on Angela over there." Edward pictured the blonde in his head, adapting the ghostliest tone he could muster. "Do you believe in ghosts now, Angela?" The doctor immediately sprung to an alerted posture, startling Winston and Twilight who were standing beside her. She grabbed her staff, frantically looking in all directions "W-who's there?!" she yelled out. Of course, the source of the ghostly voice was nowhere in sight, but she could've sworn she recognized that voice somehow. Genji, confused at Angela's sudden outburst, went over to her and asked what was wrong, trying to calm her down. However, her frantic confusion was cut short when she heard snickers coming from Edward and Luna's direction. When she turned her attention to them, the pair burst out laughing. "Do you believe in ghosts now, Angela?" Edward repeated his words between his fits of laughter. "My Lord, I cannot believe you fell for that! Oh...you should have seen your face!" Finally realizing by whom she had been played, Angela ran to him at an astonishing speed despite the fact that she was wearing formal attires despite her combat gear and started smacking her staff against his gut, which was thankfully protected by the armored undersuit. He couldn't help but to guffaw even harder. Minutes later, the laughter died down and Edward apologized, giving Angela a quick hug. "Now, can you tell me why I picked this particular spot?" asked Luna after the hustle and bustle finally subsided. Knowing he couldn't possibly be well informed in something like that by himself, Edward tried probing his mental connection with Luna for answers, hoping she would share them. Fortunately, she did. "Mana veins," he said confidently. "Where we stand now, is the linking intersection of all the veins contained on land, water, and air. It all makes sense now! Geographically speaking, we are situated between Europe and Africa, flanked by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean! Furthermore, various winds also blow through this place; namely, the Mistral blowing from the northwest - this cold, strong, wind we are currently feeling, Tramontane from the north, Gregale from the northeast, and Levante from the east." "I see you are getting accustomed to our bond, good. This place is fertile with Mana, an ideal place for those capable of manipulating the arcane. However, not all places have the same condition as this particular spot. Some could hold more veins, while others, next to none. And thus, vary in yield. You could harness some to create city-leveling earthquakes, while others are barely enough to light a campfire. Yet, I expect you to be able to find even the smallest available veins as your survival could very well depend on it. A general rule of hoof - or thumb - in detecting Mana veins, would be that distinct feeling of excitement coursing through your body. The stronger it is, the more abundant the Mana, and vice versa. I trust you are feeling it now?" "I do! I thought I was just excited for training!" Edward awed. Luna laughed at his childlike reaction. "Mana is known to do that. After all, it is a limitless source of power. However, it is very easy to lose yourself in that feeling of power. Do not get carried away in the vortex, or you will no longer be able to control yourself. It will control you. Be very careful. I mean it, do you understand? Be. careful." Edward nodded. "Now, since you have never drawn from the veins, I will teach you. Pay close attention." As Luna transferred her thoughts to his subconsciousness, he knew exactly what to do. Closing his eyes once again and eliminating all unnecessary distractions, he focused his senses to attune himself with his environment; feeling the cold Mistral blowing against his frame, the solid rock upon which he stood, and the sound of waves crashing against the outcropping slopes far below. Within each motion of nature, a powerful primal force surged through his system. He let this ethereal strength flow through him a while longer, not realizing a cloak of dark blue flames had manifested around him which intensified as he maintained his growing connection to this newfound vigor. The rocks beneath them began to tremble, the already strong winds were howling, and the waters below began to grow white with fury. Some Overwatch personnel posted nearby rushed out from their stations as they thought there was an earthquake. But after they saw for themselves what was really happening, they were glued to the spot. He felt himself drowning in the powerful swirl of magical current, but remembering his mentor's words, Edward immediately snapped back to his senses and severed himself from the energy stream. When he opened his eyes, his emerald green irises flashed with a vibrant mesmerizing glow. Soon, his eyes returned to normal, his fiery cloak faded, Mistral's howls dissipated into a gentle breeze, the earth stopped shaking, and the sea's fury regained its tranquil temper. He turned his attention towards Luna who smiled with relief. Looking behind him, he noticed Winston, Twilight, and Angela had their mouths agape while Genji, Lightning, and Fizzlepop could barely hide their amazement. Everything was silent for quite a while, the only audible sounds were the gently blowing winds, the crashing waves, and the steady humming of Winston's hovering drones. Luna was first to break the silence. "I see you remember my warning, and that is good. However, you forgot one very important detail. Earlier, when you answered my question about why I picked this place, you forgot to mention the most vital component of them all - yourself. Aside from us alicorns and certain beings, I have never seen such a powerful magic wielder in our world - the phenomenon we experienced suggest as much. The amount of Mana you could harness is massive, and I am certain your power is still growing. However, the more powerful you become, the more likely it is for you to lose yourself. Which is why it is essential to know who you really are, and I don't need a magical bond to notice that," The Moon Princess said solemnly. "You are strong and steadfast. Despite the great many hardships you have experienced, you are capable of great empathy for loved ones and strangers alike. Thus, you will do your utmost to protect them, or die trying. You heed wisdom from others, even if it is difficult for you to accept at first. However, in that unwavering personality lies your greatest weakness - you are stubborn. Once you have your mind set on something it could be very hard to convince you to do otherwise, even if that mission could cost you dearly. You keep every bad experience to yourself, even though there are others who will readily aid you. And lastly, you show absolutely no mercy to your enemies. This stubbornness, combined with your keep-to-oneself attitude, and mercilessness, could corrupt you beyond repair. Trust me, I know that very well. A story I will tell all of you, soon enough." A brief image of a dark demonic mare with rows of sharp fangs which bore an uncanny resemblance to Luna flashed on Edward's mind, sending a shiver down his spine. His fight-or-flight instinct told him to draw his weapon and extract the information from her by force. However, his rational judgement drowned this violent impulse, telling him, if she was still under the influence of this malevolent force, Luna would not bother sharing this information and would directly resort to bloodshed. His mental bond with Luna also urged him she bore no ill will, but rather...a profound regret. And thus, Edward collected himself and remained silent, waiting for his mentor to continue. "Edward, what I said today is not meant to turn you into arrogant fool nor to judge, but it is important to remember the two different wolves fighting inside your soul. For the one you feed most, may very well determine your destiny." Luna stepped closer to him, her icy blue eyes staring deep into his emeralds. With her midnight blue coat, coupled with the ethereally waving starry celestial mane and tail, she appeared to be a personification of the night sky itself. Which was not so far from the truth. "The power of magic, any magic, comes from here," Luna said, placing her hoof against Edward's heart. "But only when tempered by your mind, by discipline, self-control, and most importantly - wisdom - is where your true strength lies. You must never forget that. Understand?" Her tone soft and motherly. Edward knelt down, and gently but firmly held her hoof in his hands. "I understand. Thank you, Luna. You have given me much to think about." Luna couldn't help but to get a bit flustered by his action. "Before we end tonight's session, is there anything you wish to ask?" "I do have some questions, but I suppose they can wait. Perhaps we should answer their questions first?" Edward pointed at the small curious crowd who had gathered behind Winston which they had failed to notice because of getting too immersed in their conversation. At the crowd's fore were Jesse, Brigitte, and Fareeha, wearing what would be colloquially known as shit eating grins on their faces. Despite being exceptionally proficient of not directly showing her emotions at court, Luna found it difficult not to blush at the scene. Edward let go of the alicorn's hoof, before springing back up to his feet, and clasping his hands together. "So, how can I help you?" As the crowd dispersed from the area with their questions satisfied, Edward and company retired to their residential wing to rest. But some had other ideas. Winston decided to work on the data with Twilight (despite Lightning's insistence for her to rest) right away while Jesse McCree decided to spend the night in Sombra's cell again, to keep an eye on her in case she wakes up. So, those who remained were Luna, Lightning, Fizzlepop, Angela, Genji, Fareeha, Brigitte, and Edward himself. When they entered the living quarters, they saw Reinhardt and Torbjörn passed out on the bar after emptying two large pitchers of cold golden frothy beer. While the others settled down for drinks themselves, Edward helped his adoptive uncle to his feet while Brigitte did the same with her father, quickly escorted both men to their quarters and rejoined the others. However, by the time they returned, Fizzlepop and Lightning (requested by Luna to watch over Fizzlepop) had already gone to bed. Of course, the electric yellow unicorn did not agree to this, but he dared not deny a request from his liege. "So Angela, what were you going to ask?" Asked Edward to the doctor as he plopped down on a nearby sofa with Brigitte beside him, helping himself to a big glass of refreshing cold beer served on the table. "What does this 'third eye' do, exactly? Esoterically, I know this is supposedly a speculative invisible eye which grants perception beyond ordinary sight." "Yes, but that is not all," answered Luna as she finished her beer, putting the glass down with her telekinesis. "When your third eye is open, you essentially open yourself to be able to interact with things that are normally unseen. It is a far more interesting experience than merely seeing them. Some could only see them, true. But, those with a more powerful third eye could outright manipulate those invisible forces as they wish," she said as she refilled her glass and drank half of the content in an instant. "In Edward's case for example, he is already bestowed with telekinesis and Enhanced Condition - a term we use for one with physical and mental condition beyond the peak of mortal capabilities. Now that he is capable of drawing from Mana veins, this could very well increase these abilities to supernatural levels without killing himself - but most importantly, his powers are still growing, which means there is an endless possibility of new arcane developments." "Very interesting," said Angela. "But I can't help but wonder, does the unseen include...you know..." "Supernatural entities?" Edward smirked. "Yes." "Psssh, bullshit." Fareeha scoffed, taking a swig of her beer. "I know I might sound stupid, but...I still have a hard time believing their existence." Angela sighed, leaning to Genji's chest as fatigue seemed to be getting to her now. "After all you've seen lately, and you are still skeptical?" Edward furled his eyebrows after finishing his round, and filling himself for a second. "I thought I made myself clear that during my time with the Order, I defended Germany against the growing cyborg terrorists and other inhuman threats." "Order? What Order?" asked Brigitte, putting down her empty glass. Fareeha also shot him a questioning look. It was then, when the lights went out. Sensing this was not a mere electrical issue, Luna immediately illuminated the room with a vibrant white light radiating from her horn. Adding to the situation, the room's temperature dropped drastically to the point where white condensations appear on the occupants' breaths. "Oh ha ha," Fareeha remarked sarcastically in the dark. "Nice try, but I am not falling for your conspiracy with ATHENA." Edward ignored her as he felt that distinct, cold presence on his back. He could feel every follicle of hair on his skin standing straight, which caused him to focus his other senses as well. It was then when the unmistakable stench of sulfur and rotting flesh invaded his nostrils, a telltale sign of a demonic presence. Suddenly, a cacophony of shrill shrieks filled the room like a symphony from Hell itself. The infernal choir went on for a full minute before stopping abruptly. "Edward, if this is an elaborate prank you set up with ATHENA, you win, okay?" said Angela with an audible hint of fear in her tone. And given her experiences as a combat medic, Angela was not someone to be so easily spooked. Genji however, knew something was very wrong. He told Angela to grab her Caduceus Staff, and placed his hand on the hilt of his Vibro-Wakizashi. Lightning with Fizzlepop came galloping into the room, his horn glowing with a bright light similar to Luna's from having navigated his way through the dark corridors. Then, a pair of heavy shuffling footsteps could be heard approaching from the hallway connecting the living quarters with the bedrooms. Edward and Genji drew their Vibroswords in a reverberating hiss, flanking Brigitte who armed herself with a shock baton and tactical shield from a nearby wall mounted weapon rack, behind her, Fareeha cocked her pistol. Lightning charged his already glowing horn with sparks of yellow electricity, Fizzlepop took a combat stance with her horn brandished forward ready to blast any hostiles to oblivion. Luna conjured ten mesmerizing arrows seemingly forged from moonlight itself, arranging them around her form in a tight half-circle formation. And finally, Angela was ready to support the team with healing and damage boosting biotic streams with her Caduceus Staff when needed. Seeing that everybody was prepared, Luna brightened her light to see what they were dealing with, and saw... Reinhardt and Torbjörn, still very much drunk. Heavily dazed and disheveled from the liquor, the two trudged drunkenly across the hallway, before noticing the armed group ready for combat. "Heeeeyyyyyyy, wwwuatss goings oon heeere?" The large man slurred out. "Yoouuu biiig idiiiooot, young 'uns r havin' a pawrty." replied the other. Brigitte attempted to break formation, but Edward stopped her. First off, when these two had drank that much liquor, they will not wake up again until noon the next day. And second, the ungodly smell of sulfur and rotting flesh only seemed to intensify as they drew closer. Edward nodded to Luna, and she loosed a couple of her moonlight arrows at "Reinhardt" and "Torbjörn". They whistled through the hallway at blinding speeds, and buried themselves deep in the doppelgangers' skull with such force that the arrows tore their heads from their necks and pinned the severed appendages to a nearby wall. As the headless bodies dropped to the ground, with thick pungent dark yellow blood spurting from the neck holes, so did their charade. Two sets of mangled Overwatch body armor could be seen fused to their flesh, which were now deformed beyond all human recognition. Some were even dangling from the armors' gaps as if they were melting from the bones. The left hands were now bloated with pitch black claws for nails, and their right hands were fused with Overwatch standard issue assault rifles. Edward retrieved the heads pinned on the wall for closer examination; broken helmets melted into warped faces, leaving only one yellow beady eyes and wide lip-less mouths stretching from ear-to-ear bristling with jagged fangs visible. The most noteworthy aspects however, were the gaping holes blown through their craniums. "Even dead those Talons are still troublesome. But apparently the one they made a pact with, transformed them into Grunts, cannon fodders of Hell." Edward clicked his tongue with disgust, casually dropping the heads on the ground which rolled around like a pair of gourds. He proceeded to stab their hearts repeatedly despite they were already very much dead, causing more blood to erupt from the wounds. The vile liquid boiled intensely upon making contact with the sword's silvery blade, before evaporating into a cloud of smoke. From the living room, Luna could be heard issuing a direct order to Lightning and Fizzlepop. They were tasked to escort Angela out to safety while Fareeha volunteered to act as their rear guard. Six gunshots echoed from the darkened hallway followed by a trio of audible thuds, Genji investigated the noise, his sword ready to kill, and found Edward carrying the real Reinhardt and Torbjörn in his telekinetic grip, having dispatched three more monsters who tried to ambush them along the way. Quickly returning to the living room, he dropped the intoxicated men to the evacuating group (of course after assuring them that they are not copycats). "Power is still offline here." Edward walked to a nearby window and saw that other parts of the Watchpoint was not affected by the blackout. "It means their Tether is still alive. Get out of here, I will signal you when the coast is clear." "I am coming with you, and that is non-negotiable," said Luna with a rather commanding tone. She saw Lightning and Fizzlepop were about to protest but shot a glare that refrained them from doing so. Seeing her stare was sharper than his sword, Edward relented. "We will join you as well," said Genji with Brigitte beside him, her 50.000 volt shock baton sparking dangerously. "No, I need you outside to maintain perimeter security. Besides, we will work faster with fewer numbers." Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the second floor, Lena's scream. Saying nothing more, Edward and Luna immediately ran into the darkness. The two swept through the hallways like a pair of hurricanes, dealing blow after blow to every dark abomination unlucky enough to cross their paths, leaving only dead bodies and pooling blood in their wake. They fought as a coordinated force, one constantly supporting the other. The pair had just reached the second floor when they immediately pressed themselves against a corner leading to Lena's bedroom where her painful screams intensified. Despite the ember hot ire burning within his core, Edward forced himself to stay calm. He peeked his head from around the corner, and saw the hallway was filled with Grunts. Fighting them one by one would waste precious time, so Edward took out the silver DM51 frag grenade from its magnetic strap, pulled the pin, and threw. The ordinance bounced and clattered on the floor before exploding in a cloud of nitrate gas laced with silver shavings which spread throughout the whole area. In an instant, the demonic creatures suffered from anaphylactic shock as the silver entered their systems. As they seemingly gasped for air, their bodies swelled rapidly to abnormal proportions as their sulfuric blood boiled when the silver permeated into their bloodstreams. Luna also poked her head out to see what was going on, but was immediately pulled back by Edward - seconds before the infernal creatures burst into piles of rotten viscera. Edward sprinted towards Lena's bedroom, blasted the sliding doors open, and saw a large Grunt pinning the naked, barely conscious woman on the floor in a spread-eagle position, its preternaturally long tongue dangled from its grotesque maw, licking circles between her breasts. It was aiming its inhumanly large throbbing shaft against her entrance when it received a powerful kick to the face. The force of the blow was enough to send the creature flying across the room, breaking all of its fangs, and severing its tongue. Luna arrived soon after and evacuated Lena from the ransacked room. "Take her to my room, Luna. It's just next door to the right, and take her Chronal Accelerator with the charging dock as well. I will rejoin you shortly," Edward said as he readied his Ox Guard stance. Luna did as she was told, and left just as the Grunt stood back up. It brandished its rifle-arm to fire, but before it could, Edward executed a rising cut with his longsword - severing the limb in two. The assault was followed swiftly by a diagonal strike aimed at its shoulder ridge - the blade cleaved through it's flesh like a hot knife through butter, nearly bisecting it completely. With its last gurgled breath, the Grunt uttered out its final words, with Siren still embedded deep in its body. "T-to H-Hellllll w-with youuu," it strained in a deep guttural voice. Edward furiously yanked up his sword, gutting the Grunt all the way to its neck. He tore out the blade, pivoted, and with the added momentum, felt no resistance as the Grunt's head fell from its mutilated body with a resounding *squelch*. The victor tilted the severed head with his boot and upon closer study of its mangled features, this used to be the same person who threatened to violate his friend - the Talon captain. "You first, Captain. Someone down there is very, very excited to claim their due." Edward chuckled darkly as he returned Siren to its sheath after the smoking blood had fully evaporated from the weapon. At that moment, power was restored to the building and the sickening stench of rot and sulfur subsided at once. The captain's dead body disintegrated into a trail of smoke, but instead of going upwards like smokes usually do, it went downwards and disappeared into the floor. The same happened to the hallway just outside, no more demon viscera in sight. Aside from the broken flooring due to the grenade blast, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He retrieved an intact set of Lena's usual clothing from her destroyed closet, her signature flight jacket which had been torn here and there, and her gauntlets - still containing her twin Pulse Pistols. Edward concluded that Lena had to be ambushed when she was sleeping, having taken off her Chronal Accelerator for charging and disarmed herself. Otherwise, that Grunt will be dead right then and there. When Edward entered his bedroom, he found Luna casting a gentle shroud of light over her ward. Lena's shivering frame had numerous bleeding cuts and blackened bruises, no doubt caused by the Grunt's savagery. He sauntered to his desk and started to neatly arrange Lena's things before finally plugging the Chronal Accelerator's charging dock back in. Thankfully the device had charged up considerably when the blackout hit, otherwise it may take months to find her again in the time stream should Lena de-synchronize from the current timeline. "Don't blame yourself," the Moon Princess spoke gently, sensing his brewing anger and regret. "You couldn't have known." "I know." Edward sighed, locking his gaze on his incapacitated friend. Gradually, the alicorn's spell healed all of Lena's wounds, her breathing steadied, and her quivering stopped. Amazed, Edward asked her what manner of spell Luna had performed. "That was the Moonlight's Embrace, a healing spell which soothes ailments to the body and mind." Luna smiled as Edward pulled the blanket to cover the pilot's naked form. "Of course this will not make her forget what she suffered tonight, but she will not collapse into depression, fear, and everything else that might occur to victims of rape." "Brigitte, come in." Edward activated his communication device, receiving a response from the other side. "The coast is clear, no casualties." "We’re on our way." The next morning, Lena woke up and realized she was not in her room. Feeling a warm sensation on her left arm, she shifted and saw Edward's head resting by the bedside, he was sitting on a metal chair by the bed with his hand gently holding on to her own. Which added to the question, how was it that she was there? Sensing the movement and feeling Lena's breath on his face, Edward stirred from his sleep and greeted her with a smile of relief. "W-where am I?" Lena could barely speak, as her throat felt clogged and parched. She sat up, began coughing violently and Edward poured her a glass of water. She downed the whole content as if that was the first drink she ever had in a long time. "You are in my room. After what happened last night, your room is quite uninhabitable." Lena pondered on his statement for a bit before the memories crashed down on her like a tsunami. She remembered vividly what had transpired last night, how she woke up paralyzed in the darkness, how the demonic figure appeared in her chamber, and that low guttural voice before she was assaulted relentlessly. She could still feel the intense pain as the demon threw her around the room like a rag doll, beating her and raking its claws over her exposed skin. She tried reaching for her weapons, but that thing was faster and pinned her to the floor. She felt utterly defenseless as it began tearing at her clothes. It moved its clawed hand to her throat and squeezed, causing her to gasp for air, and the creature extended an abnormally long tongue and forcibly shoved it down her throat. She felt her body going numb as the fleshy tendril writhed inside her, a heavy taste of metal invaded her oral cavity, and then, all was blurry. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she started hyperventilating. Edward immediately took her face in his hands, telling her to look into his eyes and box breathe. He repeated this command a few more times, before Lena started breathing in a rhythmic pattern. She inhaled for four seconds, held her breath for four more, exhaled for another four, and held it again for the same amount of time. After some time of rinsing and repeating the process, her violent breathing was reduced to choked sobs. Edward offered her his arms, she responded by collapsing against his frame, mentally drained and physically exhausted. She let him hold her close. His warm embrace allowed her to weep into his chest until her tears ran dry and her shoulders no longer shuddered with each sob. Still, he did not let go. His fingers traced slowly up and down her back, while his head rested against hers. "I am so, very sorry, for what happened, Lena. If it's any consolation, I killed the demon who did this to you," Edward broke the silence, still holding her tightly. "I am sorry that you have to experience such an encounter, but what I regret the most was the fact that I have contributed to that trauma. What I did in the hangar, was--" "Ed." Lena pulled away from him, looking straight into his eyes. "Please don't take me the wrong way, I know you were only trying to protect me, and I really appreciate that. But, did it have to be so...gruesome? You know, shooting them limb from limb, and all..." "I have to admit, that was...messy. Imagine the public outrage if they see Overwatch operating in such a way - let's be realistic, maybe half of the world wanted us gone right now. But I think you knew I had to act fast, they were rebels, therefore they must be dealt with at an extreme prejudice, no? And..." "And?" Lena looked expectantly, taking his hands in hers. "A story for another time, okay? This morning is already tragic as it is." Edward smiled, gently wiping the dried tears from her face. "Now, take a shower and after that, we'll get something to eat, sounds good?" Lena beamed and nodded furiously. Edward chuckled at her reaction. "Oh, and I've taken the liberty to salvage your things, they are over there on my desk." He pointed "Unfortunately, your jacket has sustained quite the damage, but thankfully, everything else is fine." The Brit hugged her companion once again, pressing her head against his chest. "Thank you, for everything." "Bitte schön," Edward replied, returning her hug. "Hey, I was wondering, if I was stripped naked last night, who put these on me?" she referred to her white baggy t-shirt and red shorts and gasped. "Did you--" "No!" He said immediately with his heart pounding in his rib cage, his face heating up in shade of crimson. "Angie did that, I swear!" Lena giggled and parted from him. "I am just pullin' your leg, luv. Wow, you really are shy, aren't you?" she teased. He stammered a bunch of I's in response, causing Lena to laugh like a horse. Edward just stood there awkwardly, as her laughter died down. "Luv, you are just too adorable. How is it that you keep your composure through the bleakest of hours, but when it comes to small things like this, you go to a vegetative state? Oh Ed, don't ever change." "For God's sake Lena, take a bath already, I am starving!" Edward blurted out, trying to bring himself together again. Lena gave him a wink as she took her clothes and entered the bathroom. Edward sighed and chuckled, wondering how is it that he would stare death right in the eye, but that same bravery could be instantly shattered when he was put on the spot like that. "Ed, you up yet partner?" said Jesse's voice on his earpiece. He went to his desk and put the communication device in his ear. "I’m here. What is it Jesse?" "Brig told me what happened last night. How's Lena? She alright?" Edward confirmed that she was indeed more than alright. "Good to hear. Anyway, meet me at the slammer when you're done there. Sleeping Beauty's waking up." "Copy that." Author's Note Many thanks to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter (you're the best!) Aaaaand another chapter's up! Law school's been busy, so I am surprised I am able to write 15k words (this is the longest chapter I've ever written so far during my time here in Fimfiction) I suppose this is progress compared to a year of absence, no? When you read this note, and have questions about the strong supernatural presence at this story, allow me to explain. Although magic in Overwatch universe is sparse for as far as we know (only present in the Junkenstein comics/events), but Blizzard games are not strangers to it. Take Warcraft and Diablo for example. In fact, the idea of Mana and demons are inspired by them. Of course there's also the game Heroes of the Storm, which basically talks about the convergence of the Blizzard multiverse. Also, Overwatch is essentially the more advanced version of our world. In this context, considering the various myths, superstitions, and beliefs our world has to offer, I don't think the existence of otherworldly forces in this universe is too far fetched, no? And finally, this is a crossover with MLP, so magic is bound to exist. By the way, I cannot speak German at all, my German speaking friend is helping me to create the dialogues (not a native speaker). So, if any of you are German natives, or know German well, feel free to correct me in the comments below if you happen to stumble upon any linguistic errors. Also, since I will be using a lot of fencing terms, here's a little something to help your visualization about longsword guards or stances: I am still a newbie fencer, so if there are HEMA veterans out there reading this somehow, your inputs are very very appreciated. But please keep in mind I don't want too much realism here, after all this is a fantasy/science fiction universe. And as for Siren, here's the base design As always, thank you so much for reading, I hope you find this long chapter enjoyable, do leave your responses down in the comments and I'll gladly respond to them. Have a good one folks, see you soon!
Chapter 10"You've been out for long. Had me worried back there," Jesse's muffled voice rang in Olivia's ears as she slowly regained consciousness. As her senses returned to her slowly but surely, Olivia noticed she was being held in a stark white prison cell - an Overwatch solitary confinement cell. The walls were padded and soundproofed, rendering the room's audio activity to a minimum both internally and externally. Guards assigned to bring food into the cell would wear special white environmental suits which muffled even the sound of their footsteps, and meals would usually be white rice served on a white paper plate - a place designed to break the wills of even the most hardened of subjects by inducing them with sensory depravity. Olivia sat on her bed and saw Jesse pouring a cup of water for her, making her realize how parched she was. "W-where am I?" she croaked out, but the intense dryness inside her throat caused her to cough violently. "Oh c'mon, you're smart. Figure it out." He handed the full cup to her, but despite her need to drink, Olivia did not do so immediately as she contemplated an escape plan. Electronics was the backbone of the Watchpoint's operating system, one EMP blast and Sombra could cripple all of the automatic doors in her area, disable automated defense turrets, and other sensitive equipment that would enable her escape smoother than silk. Just needed to wait for the right opening - a blinding splash of water will do. It was then when she noticed that the cybernetics on her left hand were not glowing the purplish light they usually emit. Panic started brewing in her core. "W-what did you do to me pendejo?!" she angrily dropped the plastic cup to the floor, spilling its content all over. "We're not idiots, sweet pea. You don't need cybernetic interface to keep you breathing, so we figured it'd be better to disable those high-tech light bulbs." Jesse leaned closer to her, his face only inches away from her own "Olivia, I know you better than you realize. Just now, you were gonna throw the water at me didn't ya? Knock me out, fry all the computers, and bail. Say if it ain't so, sugar. Say if it ain't so." Olivia gritted her teeth as her options were very limited at that moment. Trying to escape right then and there would be stupid, like there was any way to begin with. The fact that Overwatch's maximum-security prisons were probably the most state-of-the-art in existence, and her cybernetics were shot certainly did not make it any easier for her. She could probably knock the cowboy out, but even if she did, what then? Heavily armored security guards will just waltz into her cell and spray her with lead. Her machine pistol and translocator devices were nowhere in sight. Hell, even her signature electric purple coat was gone - traded for a white prisoner bodysuit. Olivia sighed. "What do you want?" She never felt so desperate before. As much as she valued her position in Talon, she valued her life and well-being more. And knowing Akande, once a Talon agent is taken hostage, he wouldn't bother to send rescue for them because he would deem them unworthy - a weakling. The only way back would be if she was to somehow escape and return to Venice. But even then, there would also be a chance she would be killed for suspicions of hostile collaboration, or worse, had her cybernetics disassembled for intel and parts with Doctor Moira O'Deorain as the surgeon. The simple thought of the Minister of Genetics sent shivers down her spine. So, the best current option for her...was to cooperate. As crazy as that might sound like. The cell door lifted and Edward entered with a food tray with three bowls of freshly made spaghetti alla carbonara and a pitcher full of orange juice with three paper cups by its side. The steaming dishes quickly filled the room with their fragrant scents, causing Olivia to realize how hungry she was. "Sorry for the delay, Jesse," Edward said as he set the tray and its contents down on a nearby table. "I thought the three of us could have breakfast together." "Jesus, thanks partner! I'm starvin' as fuck," Jesse said as he took his seat and started digging into his meal. Edward turned his attention to Olivia, flashing her an inviting smile. "Come now, don't be shy." Olivia did not move from her bed, still staring the stranger with cold suspicious eyes. Her stoic wall however, came crumbling down like the walls of Jericho when an audible rumble escaped her stomach. Edward pulled a chair for her and told her to come over. Seeing it was already useless to resist any further, Olivia finally relented, sat in front of him and started wolfing down her food. "So, did I cut anything important between you two?" Edward asked. "Shwe ahked mwe wuat we wuant," said Jesse while chewing a mouthful of spaghetti. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Jesse. You see Miss Colomar, what you said back at Castillo that intrigues me. The boss is planning something big...can you explain that to us please?" At that moment, Olivia practically choked on her food and started coughing violently. Jesse attempted to help her but she held out her hand, letting him know she didn't need any. Of course, she was rather shocked by the friendly tone he was giving her as she thought he was the 'bad cop' at first. "Oh wow," the hacker said after chugging a whole glass of orange juice. "Finally, someone with manners. You can learn a thing or two from him, cowboy." "What did I ever do to you?" Edward chuckled. "I am flattered, Miss Colomar." "No no no, for you handsome, you get to call me Olivia." "Very well, Olivia." They continued eating in silence until their plates were scrubbed clean, during which Edward learned quite a few things about Olivia. She ate fast. Of course he knew Olivia was hungry, but the way she ate suggested this woman was deft, precise, and very, very, thorough. She would make either a dangerous enemy, or a very valuable ally. "How was the food?" asked Edward as he poured some more orange juice into his companions' cups. "Mmmh, that was probably the best spaghetti I've ever eaten. Did you make these?" "Unfortunately, no. I didn't have enough prep time, but you can thank Sous-Chef Codsworth for doing a very magnificent job," replied Edward. "Anyway, let's talk about the obvious. Talon wants Overwatch gone, I think you know that already. And..." Olivia leaned forward, "war." "Interesting. Do go on." "You are aware of the omnic oppression going on worldwide, right? Well Doomfist, ugh I hate that moniker, Akande, is trying to start Omnic Crisis 2.0, to strengthen humanity through conflict, to separate the chaff from the wheat and all that crap. Just between us though, I think he's starting to lose it." "How so?" "Look at us. Overwatch, Talon, tomayto, tomahto. Conventionally, we are at a stalemate. You hit us here, and we hit you there. You have a strong influence within the U.N. but so do we. You see, Akande wants a total game changer. Something more...radical. He came to the conclusion that our current modern civilization alone won't be interesting enough, so he started digging through old myths, legends, folklore stuff, and guess what he came across?" "I have no idea, getting Jörmungandr to release its own tail and start Ragnarok maybe?" Edward said out loud, without thinking. While in truth, he had already known the answer as he was already tapping into Olivia's mind since he entered her cell, in case she attempted to lie. "Similar concept, but he is not that stupid. He wants something he can control. I am talking about the Spark of Life. Supposedly this artifact is capable of resurrecting the dead or reanimating inanimate objects and gain control over them." "I see. Do you have any idea what the Spark is? Physical description, et cetera. Since this is a mythological object we are discussing about, everything surrounding it could be entirely fictional. Plus, there are a lot of potentially non-existent artifacts out there with similar properties. At this rate, I think we are all going to die of old age before any of us could actually discover anything." Olivia laughed. "I never said the prospect is smart, chico. We have zero intel, nada. We don't know what to look, or where to look, but you don't know him. He is prepared to do whatever it takes to win, even if he have to scour through every last nook and cranny on Earth to search for it, he will. God, now that I think of it, I’m glad I’m off their boat." Edward nodded in understanding. "But of course, this massive wild goose chase will not keep Talon from committing more atrocities, no?" A faint devious smile curled on Olivia's lips. "Perhaps you are kind enough to share more information with us?" asked Edward again. "I promise you won't regret it." Olivia chuckled "I would, but since my cybernetics are screwed, I can't access the necessary data anymore. Unless, you are kind enough to set me back online?" "You know the answer to that, darlin'," answered Jesse. "In that case, as much as I want to, I can't help you any further." "Luna? Do you have any input to the situation perhaps?" "No, but I suppose it is time I tell you my story. To the war room," came her reply. "Then that will be all for now. Thank you for your cooperation, Olivia," Edward said as he and Jesse got up from their seats, tidying the table wares into the tray and proceeded to exit the room. "One more thing," she said, stopping them in their tracks. "Talon is also very very interested with your new...friends. I'd keep a close eye on them if I were you." "On the other hand, I am also very interested with members of your inner circle. Quod seminat hoc et metet." Edward grinned and left the holding cell with Jesse in tow, leaving Olivia stunned and pale, slumping against her seat. As the party arrived at the war room, Edward contacted Twilight via telepathy to get Fizzlepop, Winston, Reinhardt, and Torbjorn to get there as well in order to attend the meeting. Not long after, Twilight told him that both men were still passed out due to the alcohol they consumed last night - but the Ruler of the Castle of Friendship had an idea, she informed him they will be there shortly with Reinhardt and Torbjorn completely sobered up. And true enough, the five appeared soon after by means of teleportation. The command center was rather small in size, but was equipped with an arsenal of high-tech communication and monitoring devices to ensure the utmost coordination for Overwatch's forces. The room's most sophisticated feature however, was the war table. A built-in projector located on its center displayed a dark electric yellow holographic globe which allowed Overwatch to monitor the world in its live state thanks to the Satellite Drone XR-9 - an intelligence/communication satellite Winston launched to space before recalling all Overwatch agents back to active service. Whenever there was trouble, they would know about it. In combat, the war table would feed all sorts of data on the battlefield, like environmental details, troop movements, and troop vitals for instance. "Okay, now that we are all here...do you mind telling us what this is all about?" Jesse asked as the group took their places around the war table. Standing on his side of the table were Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Genji, Winston, Lena, and Angela. And on the other, were Edward, Fareeha, Brigitte, and the Equestrians. "To talk about a few elephants in the room." The alicorn took a deep breath and exhaled. "The Spark of Life...I created it." As soon as Luna said that, the whole room fell into a deep silence and all eyes fell on her. "Come again?" "You heard me right." Luna paused, letting her companions to digest her words. "Let me tell you how it all came to pass. "A thousand years ago, a great war was waged in Equestria between me and my older sister, Celestia, because I refused to lower the moon to make way for her rising sun. At that time, I was...embittered by her. Everypony basked in the glory of my sister's day - they played, worked, and adored her so much - while they shunned away from my night's embrace and slept through it. And so, I never received the same kind of love my sister did. But the final blow for me was, when my sister began taking me for granted as well. Hate overcame me, and with my entire army, I turned on her and Equestria. Although we were lower in numbers, we had the element of surprise and our affinity to the night made us twice as strong. But my sister was a brilliant tactician, she quickly turned the tide of war and decimated half of my army in a year's time. I was desperate, so I delved deep into ancient forbidden tomes and found a way to contact a being capable of granting me incomprehensible power to defeat my sister and replenish my ranks." Luna swallowed a growing lump in her throat as her voice began to strain and her eyes began stinging with tears. "But of course, there were prices to be paid. First, I was to sacrifice an item I treasured most by concentrating all of my utmost desires at it. And second, surrender my body and soul to them so they could imbue me with their powers. At that time, all I had left was a hunk of uncut emerald my sister gave me when we were fillies - the single fragment of better days between me and her. It was that gem which gave me a semblance of hope that we may mend everything that went wrong - but I needed this power, I needed to win, and I believed only I am the master of my own self, so in my foolish recklessness, I poured out all of my hatred, my envy, my bitterness, my undying will to rebuild my army, and my desire for the ultimate power - coalescing them into the stone. And thus, the Spark of Life was born." She paused, and continued again. "When the Spark's creation was finished, I realized it too late that by draining so much energy has left me vulnerable both physically and spiritually. They possessed me, corrupting my form, and pushing my ego so deep inside my own head, that I was no longer in control of myself. But I remained aware of everything that transpired. I cannot do anything other than witness as the Spark resurrected the fallen from my army and my sister's as twisted undead abominations and we breached Equestria's capital city in merely three days, leaving nothing but death and destruction in our wake. It was then when regret and sadness tore me apart, despite all what I had wanted a year prior finally came true at that fateful night. When I finally met my sister again, she begged me to lower the moon and told me how sorry she was for everything. I screamed inside my mind, trying to regain control of my own body and embrace her. But alas, I could not do anything as my possessed form dealt blow after blow to her. But my sister remained as resourceful as ever. At the fight's most critical juncture she unleashed the power of the Elements of Harmony - six supernatural artifacts representing subjective aspects of harmony. They are: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic. With them, my sister banished me to my own moon for a thousand years and threw the Spark into the horizons of space and time where it shall never be found ever again. But it seems, destiny does not agree with her plans forever." Once again, silence pervaded over the room's atmosphere. Everybody exchanged subtle glances, wordlessly relaying their doubts and questions with each other. But for Edward, and those connected to Luna's hivemind, knew this was the raw truth. Seeing his mentor on the verge of tears, he placed his right hand on her shoulder. Edward felt Luna briefly jump at the sudden touch, and droplet of tears began streaming down her face. Edward instinctively knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. Despite him trying to shrug off the sensation, he could feel the electricity from Lightning's glare behind him, possibly for breaking royal etiquette. However, during times like these, he couldn't give a damn about any sort of royal protocol. "Thank you," Luna whispered as Edward let her go when the alicorn finally collected herself. "I suppose," Genji spoke up after a period of silence, "we would be foolish if we choose to not believe your story. But how do you propose we find the stone? Even your detection spell is unable to complete its task." Genji asked. "There is another way," Luna suggested with a thick hint of reluctance in her speech. "The Spark has just arrived in your world, relatively speaking. I suppose the Elements of Harmony must have nearly wiped out its power with its last remaining essence being used when I felt that stone's presence here on Earth. In order to find it, we have to generate enough stimuli to restore its potent arcane energy, which we will be able to finally track down and destroy. The more its power grows, the more influence it will exude on its surroundings, gradually inflicting chaotic degradation to the climate, plants, animals, and even people in your case, so we should keep our eyes open for anomalies like these in the future." "Is it possible to be reversed?" asked Winston. "There are two alternatives, but I am afraid my preferred method is rather impossible to perform as we need the presence of all Element Bearers to reverse the corruption." "And the other alternative?" "Once the signs of the Spark's influence begin to show itself, we have to pinpoint the affected area, and evacuate every living soul in that vicinity. However, if the damage has already been done, then the other alternative would be through death," Luna answered grimly. "I am sorry, I wish I could tell you there are other alternatives...but unfortunately, there is not much we can do in that regard. All we can do is to minimize the impact by neutralizing the stone as soon as possible after it activates." "And what kind of stimuli do you have in mind to find this stone?" asked Angela, feeling a subtle chill on her spine as a grave implication started brewing in her mind. "Something tells me, you know the answer to your own inquiry," the alicorn said stoically. "Fuck," the doctor muttered under her breath. "The stone absorbs everything wrought by bloodshed. The more there are, the more powerful it will grow. And judging by your world's current standing, I daresay we will not find any shortage of that." "I am not one who wishes for more conflict, but I do hope we find that Spark first. I cannot imagine should the artifact fall into the wrong hands," Reinhardt concluded somberly. "And thank you very much Luna, for your honesty. I know it is not pleasant to relive such a dark past, but you just saved us all from a great deal of trouble." Luna smiled softly. "Wait, Luna. You are normal now, right?" Jesse crooked his eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but we can't be too careful these days." The alicorn laughed. "Of course I am normal now. Thanks to Twilight and the Element Bearers." She glanced at the aforementioned mare who bowed her head down in embarrassment. "But I think that is a story for another time. There is still another matter we need to discuss." Luna glanced at Edward who pulled a microchip from his pocket and fed it to one of the war table's chip readers. "ATHENA, process the chip and copy all of its data. Trust me when I say, we are going to need this." "At once." After a few seconds, the three-dimensional holographic globe was transformed into that of a heraldic heater shield with an azure background. On its center was the depiction of the pale crescent moon and the golden sun, melding together into a single sphere. Embellished under the symbol, was a Latin adage embroidered in gold: Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. "So, is this the Order you mentioned yesterday?" asked Brigitte with a growing interest in her tone. He shook his head, chuckling. "Not exactly, this is just our insignia. As I have told some of you two days ago, I was a commander of a small independent rapid response task force specifically formed to defend Germany against the growing threat of cyborg terrorists and other inhuman threats. We were known as, Order of the Dawn." "Sounds like something straight from the Middle Ages," remarked Fareeha with a cheeky smirk. Edward laughed. "Oh that is indeed, very true. Elements of knighthood could be found nearly everywhere in the Order, ranging from our paraphernalia and even down to our ranks - mine for example, was ritter-kommandant or knight-commander, it's Bundeswehr equivalent would be oberst or colonel. But that does not mean we were so ancient we did not use modern technology, oh no. In fact, we had a plethora of either self-developed or joint-developed assets which, so far, only exist in your wildest fantasies." "Any chance we could get to know those assets better?" Torbjorn drooled. Edward chuckled. "A topic for another time uncle, it's best to talk about such things over pitchers of beer." "What is your specialization if I may know?" asked Luna, returning the conversation on its course. "As our main purpose was to take direct actions against threats too overwhelming for regular units to handle, we were very extensively trained in various fields, namely; unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, hostage rescue, foreign internal defense, counter-terrorism, and information warfare. Of course, these are some among many other capabilities we have in our disposal. However, it is very important to note that each individual have their own specific skills which further boost our versatility - a vital component due to our small numbers." "How small?" "In total we had 100 personnel with us. But they were only charged with support duties, you know - auxiliary tactical teams, a K9 unit, maintenance crews, intelligence, medical, R&D division, but there were only 10 field operators who did most of the heavy lifting." "What?" asked the whole room simultaneously. "We were the 0.1% from 99.9%, personally handpicked from Germany's special forces, such as the Kommando Spezialkräfte. I was recruited from the Police Tactical Unit, Grenzschutzgruppe 9 der Bundespolizei or GSG 9 for short. In the beginning of the selection process, there were 40 of us, but the numbers quickly dwindled because of the extremely grueling training and indoctrination process where human rights were basically non-existent - most of them quit, while others lost their sanity, and even their lives. When the whole meat grinding process was done, there were only 20 of us left. Afterwards, those who survived were subjected to the Týr Initiative - a super soldier experiment similar to America's Soldier Enhancement Program. By the time the procedures were completed, half of us were already dead. So, there we were, ten survivors selected by Lady Fortuna herself." "How come none of us have ever heard of this?" asked Reinhardt. "Because officially, we do not exist. Even after our disbandment, we still remain blacker than black." "Won't you get in trouble for sharing this sort of information, then?" asked Fizzlepop, concerned. "Trouble? That word would be an understatement my friend. The last time I shared this information, well...let's just say I was buried neck-deep in shit. However, by now, I don't think I have to worry about that anymore. But still, what I am telling you here today is not something our world is ready to receive yet, so for now at least, I urge you to keep this conversation between ourselves. Is that understood?" He received a collective response of confirmations, a faint smile forming on his lips. "By the way, why were you trained in foreign internal defense? I thought you were only stationed in Germany," chimed Fareeha again. "Occasionally, we were sent to other countries too since cybernetical and supernatural threats does not only occur in Germany. We have been deployed to France, U.K., U.S., Greece, China, Japan, but the most notable took place in Korea and Russia. That's how I met Hana ‘D.Va’ Song and Aleksandra ‘Zarya’ Zaryanova respectively." "Wait, you know D.Va?! Like,THE D.Va?!" Brigitte's eyes went wide as saucers, brimming with excitement. Edward couldn't help but smile. "I knew it was you who put her poster in the Orca. You know, I haven't checked on her in ages anyway. I can introduce you to her later if you want." Brigitte squealed with joy after hearing his offer, but quickly collected herself as she remembered she was in a middle of a briefing. "Before we start talking about the main topic, I'd like you to understand about the actual reality we live in - please bear with me if I sound like a rambling madman." Edward fished his pocket for his water canteen and took a sip from it before continuing with his lecture. "To put it simply, think of our reality as a layer within an infinitely large crepe cake. The layers of realities overlap with one another, while also continuously forming their ever-expanding networks. These worlds have existed long before we came to be here, and will persevere long after our bones have turned to dust. Some are exactly like our own with only minor differences - for example, in another reality, I am wearing a red polo instead of black - while others have their own laws of physics. Some are beautiful, fertile, and filled with all sorts of wonders, yet there exist others our eyes should never witness. Protecting these realities from crashing into each other, is an unseen barrier we call The Veil. While it is hypothetically impossible to rip open the entire thing, relatively small breaches are known to occur at random with varying results, ranging from object displacements to otherworldly invasions. Any questions so far?" Winston raised his massive hand. "You are discussing about the Multiverse concept, yes?" asked the gorilla scientist. "Correct." "Now that is not too far-fetched for me because personally, I believe in this theory. Please, do continue." "Closing in to last night's incident, there are telltale signs of determining when a breach is about to happen. At times we can sense their presence through a sudden, unknown scent, temperature drop, or a strange feeling of anxiety with no apparent cause. I believe we have experienced all of that yesterday. When something breaches into our world, they require a lot of energy both from their and our end. Which means, they have to possess some degree of power on their own, and the environment they are materializing in must also be ideal for this transition to occur successfully." "Ideal environment?" asked Angela. "Well, it depends on what type of creature is coming through. If we are dealing with benevolent entities, they tend to appear in places where good things happened. On the other hand, if we are dealing with malevolent entities, they tend to appear in places where bad things happened. Please note the word, tend, as these entities have their own...affinities, if you will. A Valkyrie may appear before a dying soldier in the middle of a battlefield, or a Kobold appearing in a wedding festivity, blurring pictures and souring the food. The most preferable scenario would be - nothing will happen at all. It's just a flux at The Veil." "Wait, there are benevolent entities as well?" the doctor asked again, this time she was rather excited. "Why yes, there are many of them. In fact, I own a portion of Schwarzwald, sorry - the Black Forest - just on the outskirts of Eichenwalde, where I built a place for my friends to stay. I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to visit them sooner or later. If you'd like to, you are more than welcome to join. But I have to warn you, they could get rather frisky. I suppose various exciting misadventures could happen when you have a family consisting of a Lamia, a Centaur, a Harpy, a Mermaid, a Super-Amoeba, and an Arachne -- forgive me, I am getting off topic. Just a second." Edward continued to fiddle with the computer, changed the chip's interface language from German to English and quickly sifted through the files, accessing one labeled as "Bestiary". Once he opened it, a multitude of data regarding every known legendary creature in the world were laid out in the projection. To save time, he entered the keyword "Grunt" and opened the corresponding file. A holographic render of the same creatures which attacked them last night was displayed in the air. Edward noticed Lena's growing uneasiness and asked whether she was fine to proceed or she could leave for the time being. Albeit he could tell she was forcing herself to stay, Lena insisted that she was indeed fine. Edward enhanced the Grunt's image, showing it in more detail. This particular specimen had no armor nor was it armed, revealing it's twisted gnarly pinkish flesh for all to see. "Infernales Militum, or Grunts, are souls of wicked soldiers who fell in battle and accepted an offer from Hell's leaders to walk among the living once again to delay their punishment. However, instead of a chance in atonement, they were turned into twisted half-dead half-living beings with only destruction, hunger, and carnal lust seared into what's left of their minds. Generally, they are armed and armored with those they had before they died. Hence why our attackers had our assault rifles and body armor fused into their flesh. Returning to my previous explanation about the Veil breach, when demonic entities do decide to pay us a visit, the first telltale signs would be a sudden dramatic decrease on temperature, problems in electrical equipment, and of course the rancid stench of sulfur and rotting flesh. Other symptoms include feelings of being watched, uneasiness, fear, and anxiety. The best way to combat these creatures, and other monstrosities in general, would be with silver." "Silver?" his companions asked in-sync. Edward nodded. "Now, don't let that 'silver is a holy metal' BS get to you. Creatures archived to our data banks are known to carry unique strains of bacteria and/or chemical compounds in their blood which react adversely to silver. For our visitors last night, their blood is highly sulfuric. Which is why Siren worked wonders against them, since High-Frequency blades use silver in their forging as it is the most conductive metal in existence. For cyborgs, silver short circuits their system as the metal's conductivity disrupts energy distribution - once it has entered their bodies of course - this is why silver-based weaponry is a standard issue for us Knights of the Dawn since they are very powerful jacks of all trades against the things we hunt. Cyborgs, monsters, you name it." Edward drew his pistol from its holster, ejected the magazine, and extracted one bullet from it. At first glance it seemed to be a 9x19mm armor piercing round but when Edward used his sword to cut it in half, it was revealed that there was a small silver sabot inside. Just like those found on APFSDS tank rounds. "This here is an example of a Mistletoe round, oh they come in multiple calibers too by the way - 5.56mm, 7.62mm, 12.7mm - you name it. As you can see, this is a 9x19mm armor piercing bullet with a tungsten carbide penetrator. When it finds its mark, the penetrator will defeat almost any form of armor our enemy possesses where the silver sabot will seal the deal. Of course, conventional means could work against them - you know, by ripping off their heads for example - but why go to such lengths when a 5.56mm Mistletoe round could stop a charging orc dead in its tracks. And before you ask, yes they do exist." "Mein Gott, so last night was not a dream," Reinhardt remarked, swallowing a lump in his throat. "How did those...things, get here in the first place?" "I have a hypothesis on this situation." said Twilight. "As some of you have known, this base is built on top of a massive convergence of mana veins. Aside from their function as arcane energy sources, mana veins also act as...oh, what's the term -- information superhighways. While the ones you are familiar with are extensive electronic networks such as the Internet, it's arcane counterpart functions in a similar manner, for those with access of course." "I'm afraid I do not understand." "Ok, boomer," Edward whispered telepathically to Brigitte and Fareeha before snickering quietly with them. Luna glanced a questioning smile at them but soon joined the stealthy guffaw as her apprentice relayed the contemporary wisdom to her via mind-link. Twilight continued. "I'll put it this way. The internet has many functions, no? But the bottom line is, you use the network to find information. Be it the past, the present, and even the future -- mana veins work in the same manner. Just like how the internet rapidly transfers information such as sound, video, and graphics to the whole world, so does the veins. The more veins there are, the stronger the output will be. While the internet can be accessed with your computers and cellphones, only certain beings are able to tap into the veins, namely magic users. Or demons, in this case. As to why they have picked this particular place, as I have said before, the veins rapidly transmit information to those with access. What sort of information you may ask? Well, environmental energy from what had transpired in a particular place. As Edward brought up before and I quote: when something breaches into our world, they require a lot of energy both from their and our end. Which means, they have to possess some degree of power on their own, and the environment they are materializing in must also be ideal for this transition to occur successfully. Before we came here, Talon attacked this base no? A lot of people died. Q lot of chaos happened. And there's also the encounter in that hangar. Do you see what I am trying to say?" Edward nodded eagerly. "All of that trauma saturated into the veins. Shed a drop of blood into the ocean, and sharks will surely be drawn to it. And the fact that those creatures we killed were fallen Talons, they must've made a deal out of revenge, obsessed with returning to these fertile grounds." "So, you are basically saying we are standing on top of a massive supernatural beacon which attracts diabolical entities?" asked Winston in conclusion. "You are right Winston. We are indeed standing on a massive supernatural beacon. But no, they normally won't attract diabolical entities. You see, the veins here are rather sensitive to change, but the mana coursing through them is inherently good in nature. So, if we could keep unnecessary bloodshed away from this place, our next visitors could be beneficial for us." "I see. Before we go any further though, I have to ask you something. Now Twilight, I believe you, but you..." Jesse turned his attention to Edward. "Now, I don't want to be a dick, but you sure you're not pulling things outta your ass now?" Edward shook his head, chuckling. "I expected nothing less from your response, Jesse. But to answer your question, no. Let's just say, I have several associates kind enough to show me the ropes." "Incoming transmission." ATHENA's voice silenced the conversation short as a garbled live feed appeared on the holographic projection. From what little could be deciphered from the video feed, the woman was oriental looking with short brown hair. A pair of thick black framed glasses rested on her face, and she seemed to be wearing a full set of Overwatch standard-issue winter gear. "ATHENA boost that signal!" Edward barked. Acknowledging his order, ATHENA quickly cleared the transmission to a crystal-clear level. "H-hello? I-is anybody there? W-Winston? A-are you there?" said the woman's voice from the other end. Her quivering voice was ripe with fear and anxiety. "MEI?!" Winston exclaimed, nearly leaping to the air in excitement "B-but how?! I thought the Ecopoint -- you know what, never mind. Are you okay? Where are you?!" Suddenly, the signal plummeted again and the transmission began to break off with the last audible words being: "Help, Antarctica, hurry!" Before cutting off completely. A rescue team was dispatched immediately to Antarctica following the transmission's abrupt end. Due to the small nature of the base, sending a full squad of agents was deemed unnecessary so only Edward, Brigitte, and, Angela were chosen for the mission. Luna volunteered. She first received rather strong objections from both her Equestrian and Overwatch companions at first. However, due to ATHENA's prediction of a massive blizzard approaching the facility, they let her join the mission as weather manipulation is part of her perks of being an alicorn. Twilight also offered to replace Luna as she was also an alicorn, but the Moon Princess quickly shot down her proposal as compared to her, Twilight lacked combat experience. To ease them more, Luna promised she would remain at the Orca to provide support and would only engage in combat when necessary - that is, if there were to be any at all. Fareeha also volunteered for the mission, but just like Luna she was only to act as support. Air support, to be more precise. The cramped close quarters environment of the Ecopoint means she could not utilize her Raptora Armor's air superiority prowess and explosive weaponry to maximum use, so she would not be joining Edward, Brigitte, and Angela on the ground. The Ecopoint's courtyard, an intersection that connected all of its modular buildings, is completely exposed from the air - giving the research complex a perfect bird's eye view from the sky of everything and everyone in it. Should Talon decide to ambush them, that courtyard would most likely serve as their insertion point. Only then would she be deployed. Despite her slight annoyance, Fareeha agreed. For this mission, Edward was appointed as squad leader with Fareeha as his second-in-command. He was also given the call sign Warden which he proudly accepted. After a quick briefing of their mission today, Luna learned that their VIP was Mei Ling-Zhou, an Overwatch climatologist stationed at a modular science station known as Ecopoint: Antarctica. The station was maintained by Overwatch in order to study climate changes and cryostasis technology. It was staffed by a researcher named Adams, an engineer named MacReady, cryo engineers Opara and Torres, and climatologists Arrhenius and Mei herself. One day however, the station stopped communicating with the outside world. Normally, a quick reaction team would be dispatched to assess the situation, but at that very same day, Overwatch's headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland was destroyed in an ensuing explosion. This particular event was speculated to be the direct result of a fight between two of the organization's most prominent leaders: Strike Commander Jack Morrison and Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes, effectively crippling Overwatch which eventually led to its disbandment. And so, the Ecopoint's fate was left in uncertainty and Winston assumed the worst as nearly a decade had passed and the station remained silent still. Until that very day, of course. Their mission objectives were: rescue Mei and the Ecopoint's staff, find out what happened to the facility, gather any crucial data, and if necessary - scuttle the entire base. Despite the lack of Talon presence in this mission, they were still armed to the teeth. Luna donned her midnight blue steel armor again, armed with her longsword. Edward decided to travel lightly, instead of his hulking Crusader power armor and rocket hammer, he brought an Overwatch's standard issue arctic warfare assault armor and armed with his heavily modified G36C rifle, Glock 34 pistol, a pair of DM51 frag grenades, a smoke grenade, and of course, Siren. In case they have to destroy any sensitive data and/or equipment, Edward took the leeway to supply his teammates with Thermite Grenades, one for each. He wanted to grab the weapons case and have his tools of trade inspected, but he noticed Fareeha was spacing out beside him on the recreational table. "What's wrong?" Edward nudged Fareeha waking her up from her reverie. She met his eyes for a split second before quickly looking away towards Brigitte who was practicing her throws at the Orca's on-board basketball court, seemingly out of boredom. "Nothing's wrong. I am fine," came her reply. "Fareeha, I have known you since we were very little. I know if something's bothering you. You always put on this nasty scowl, like this." Edward then proceeded to display a comical mockery of Fareeha's stoic expression, bringing his eyebrows uncomfortably close with each other and pouting his lips as physiologically possible. Fareeha chuckled. "Thanks, I'll never pout ever again. It's nothing big really, remembering that shitty day is just a bad trip for me, that's all." "See? Is that so hard to say?" Edward clapped her shoulders. "But I agree, that was a very shitty day." He then proceeded to levitate his weapons case from the Orca's storage racks, opened it, and laying down its contents in an orderly fashion in front of him. "I'm still getting used to seeing you do that. You know, this whole telekinesis stuff," commented Fareeha as Edward quickly disassembled his assault rifle before doing the same with his pistol, carefully inspecting and cleaning every single one of their parts. Once he was finished, he quickly reassembled his weapons. The G36C was equipped with a holographic sight, a MOE vertical grip, and a tactical flashlight mounted on its left handguard rail. The G34 was equipped with an underbarrel micro tactical flashlight/laser pointer. Normally, a G36 rifle is mostly made out of carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide. However, Edward's was fully constructed of titanium. The modification alone would mean more weight, but this does not seem to bother him that much as his superhuman qualities kicked in during combat, and also because Edward often used the rifle as a baton, one time bashing a Talon Heavy Assault Trooper so hard that he cracked both the trooper's skull and the weapon itself. "You and me both," Angela said as she shifted closer to Fareeha's side while Luna circled the table and sat on Edward's left. "Anyway, where did you get these from? They look like museum worthy artifacts." The Crusader chuckled while loading four of his magazines with 5.56x45mm Mistletoe rounds stashed in the weapons case. "Famous last words for those unfortunate enough to be staring down the barrel's end, Angela." A buzzer sounded throughout the aircraft and a blast of confetti was expulsed from the basketball hoop as Brigitte had thrown her ball right into it. Seeing Brigitte coming towards them, Angela tossed her a military canteen filled with water. She caught it and drank nearly a quarter of its content before returning the water bottle. "Thanks, Angela." "Make sure to drink regularly whenever you can, understood? Hydration is important, you know," Angela said with a tone similar to a mother reminding her child to eat their vegetables. Well, for Edward and Fareeha, that's not far from the truth at all, as she practically helped their parents raise them from birth to their childhood. And that caring, motherly trait remained the same until then. Brigitte rolled her eyes in amusement. "Got it, doc." And turned her eyes to Edward who was loading the last bullet into his last magazine with Fareeha helping him to load his pistol's spare magazine. "Hey, Edward, Fareeha, did you see that?!" "You still have a long way to go, kid. How about I show you the ropes?" Fareeha smirked. "Basketball is my specialty, you know." "You're on! Let's go!" Fareeha handed him his magazine and got up from her seat. Out of the blue, a rather strong turbulence rocked the Orca, causing her to fell on Edward's lap, her back hitting his chest. "Don't worry, people. It's just a small turbulence," Ray the pilot called from the bridge. "Whoa, are you okay Fareeha?" Edward instinctively grabbed her shoulder to help his friend get back on her feet. "Uh huh, I just lost my balance for a bit. Thanks for breaking my fall." "Your heart skipped a beat," Luna teased him as the former Helix captain made her way to the court with Brigitte. "Isn't there supposed to be a set of etiquettes for telepathic privacy or something like that?" countered Edward as Fareeha scored a point from a flawless lay-up. "There is, but you are just too fun to mess with." The midnight blue alicorn proceeded to mischievously lay her head on his chest, pretending to be asleep. She pulled off a convincing act for sure. Her breathing became rhythmical, her eyes were shut and completely still, her posture relaxed. To make matters worse, Angela immediately noticed his compromised position. Also Fareeha and Brigitte, who just concluded their short match with the former's victory, had turned their eyes on them. "Lass mich in ruhe!" Edward groaned. As the team arrived at their destination, Ray dropped the ground operators off at the Ecopoint's helipad. Due to the Orca's weight and size, it was unable to land on the base. Ray told them he will monitor things from the air, and pick them up as soon as they were ready. The blizzard ATHENA predicted also came true, a massive shroud of snow and ice could be seen approaching from the horizon. The AI predicted they have an hour and counting, before the storm hits them - not they have much to worry about since Luna was with them - however, it would be inconvenient should they got caught up in it. As the team scanned their surroundings, everything seemed to be frozen as thick sheets of snow blanketed everything in sight and stalactites of icicles hung from every ceiling. Hell, even the helipad they were standing on was frozen solid. There was a communications tower nearby, however it was in a very bad shape - half destroyed in fact. "Maybe this is why her signal dropped. The damn thing's barely standing." Edward thought, cocking his rifle. "A blizzard must've swept through this place. And judging by how frozen this place is, it was massive and relentless," remarked Brigitte, now clad in her own suit of yellow and dark grey power armor, shouldering her signature Rocket Flail. Edward was very impressed with her armor, however he rebuked her for not wearing any sort of protective equipment on her head. "You’re probably right. But we'll never know for sure until we talk to the people here. Okay, time to find our dear clima--" The pitter patter clanking of metal against boots signaled Mei's ascending footsteps to the helipad. For a moment, she stood completely still, her expression resembling that of a person who's just seen a ghost. Now that they have a better view of her, she wore a thick red Overwatch parka, dark grey winter pants, a pair of light blue gloves and boots, and a white furry winter hat. Most notably however, she had a cryo-tank on her back with a small blue drone attached to it, and armed with a crude makeshift blaster connected to the same tank. "Speak of the devil," Edward said under his breath. "D-doctor Ziegler? I-is that you?" "Yes, Mei. It's me." Angela smiled, her eyes betraying no emotion as tears streamed down her face. The doctor dropped her Caduceus Staff as the two embraced each other in a tearful hug. Edward left the two to their moment for a couple of minutes before deciding to continue with the mission. "Pardon me for the intrusion Mercy, but I believe we still have an important mission at hand." Edward's expression was unreadable as his face was obscured by a white, full-faced tactical helmet with a polarized visor. In turn, this also caused his voice to be heavier and robotic. The rest of his body was covered in white tactical plate armor made entirely from tungsten carbide, layered underneath by an insulating CNT undersuit of the same color. The overall suit had a sleek and dynamic design to it, and would work on par with more modern gear despite its older age. Its only drawback was being heavy due to its material. However, this does not seem to bother the wearer very much. "Right, of course Warden," said Angela as the two parted. The doctor gently looked her friend in the eyes. "Mei, what happened here? Where are the others?" Before Mei could answer, a sudden chill ran down their spines. The group shivered in the already unforgiving cold, but for Edward, this was a foreboding feeling he's gotten used to by now. At that moment, five spectral figures stood by Mei's side, 3 on her left and 2 on her right - placing her right in the middle of the ghostly row. They symbolically placed their hands on her shoulder, as if they were trying to comfort her. Edward immediately realized that these were the spirits of the base's former staff members: researcher Adams, engineer MacReady, cryo-engineers Opara and Torres, and climatologist Arrhenius. "Mercy, I don't mean to scare you, but the answer to your second question is standing right in front of you. All five of them. I'm sorry, but Doctor Zhou here is the sole survivor." he spoke to her telepathically. "What?" Angela stared at him with a half confused, half terrified expression. "You’re not joking, right?" Although she cannot see his face, Angela could tell he was looking at her with a dead serious visage. "Let me see if they are willing to talk." Edward squeezed her shoulder and proceeded to approach the ghostly retinue. He set his eyes on the apparition of a dark-skinned man of African descent. He wore a blue parka with a brown shawl wrapped around his neck and a yellow beanie on his head. A thin-framed spectacle with small circle lenses rested on his face, and seemed to be smoking a lit cigar, not unlike Jesse's. Edward identified this man as cryo-engineer Opara, captain of the Ecopoint's team. Opara immediately took notice on him, he tossed his cigar and crushed it under his foot. "Ah, so rescue finally came after all these years. I must say you have a unique perceptiveness, maybe that is why you can see us. Captain Opara, at your service," the cryo-engineer spoke with a thick Numbanian accent, extending his hand to shake Edward's own. Being a ghost, Opara's hand passed through Edward's own, causing him to sigh in frustration. "Sometimes, I forget that I am already dead. We all do." "My sincerest of apologies, Captain Opara. For what happened to you and your crew," Edward said solemnly. "Call me Warden. We were sent here immediately after receiving a transmission from Doctor Zhou. If you don't mind my asking, what exactly happened here?" "E-excuse me?" Mei asked in utter shock and disbelief, rage began building up in her core. She then proceeded to pull Angela aside. "Doctor Ziegler, who is this man? And why is he talking to nothing but thin air? And referring to Captain Opara at that?!" Her voice increasing with each question asked. "It's a long story, Mei. And I know this sounds rather outlandish, but he can interact with those we cannot see," replied Angela, leaving the climatologist in a dumbfounded state. "We will explain everything later, I promise." "Doctor Zhou," Edward turned around to face her, having obviously overheard Mei's questions. "I am sorry for excluding you from our conversation. As Mercy had said before, all shall be explained later. I know I am asking a lot, especially that I'm nothing more than a stranger to you. But for now, please have faith in me." The raw honesty on Edward's voice was enough to calm Mei down, her curiosity was also sparked which rivaled her previously dominant skepticism. With that, Edward returned to his conversation with the retinue. "That's Mei, alright." Arrhenius, the Swedish climatologist chuckled. "Now, to answer your question Warden, we got hit by a massive blizzard. Our solar array and communications tower got damaged, cutting us off from the outside world. As our supplies dwindled, we entered cryostasis in a last-ditch effort to survive until a rescue attempt could be made. However, our pods malfunctioned, cutting our oxygen supply and suffocating us to death," said Opara. "And we have been here ever since." Edward nodded. "Once again captain, I convey my deepest regret, and humbly ask for your forgiveness on the behalf of Overwatch. Our organization was crippled by the time you lost contact with the outside world, and eventually disbanded. But now that we have been reactivated, we are going to make sure to never repeat such a fatal mistake." "There is no need to be sorry, son." Opara attempted to place his hand on Edward's shoulder only for it to phase through him again. "Right, ghost. Anyway, something tells me you are not the one who caused all of this mess to happen." "If I may ask, what keeps you here?" Edward asked again. "I assume you all have an unfinished business of some sort?" "Why, to watch over Mei of course. We are not abandoning one of our own behind," answered Arrhenius, determination brimming from her voice. "But, we can see she is in good hands now. My my, such relief, such lightness! It's been a long time since I have felt anything like this." Edward knew his time was running out as the spirits were finally able to move on. "Before you depart from this world, do you have any last wishes?" "Before power went down for good, Mei copied everything in our database. Please, let the world know about our work, and do take care of her, Warden." The climatologist smiled. "Consider it done, ma'am. One last question, where can we find your bodies? Dead or alive, we are here to take you home." "Oh, don't you worry about us. We don't want to trouble you more than we already have." "Please, it is the least we can do after everything that's happened," Edward insisted. "If you insist, you can find us in our pods in the Cryo Lab," Opara informed him as he began to fade away with the rest of his crew. "It has been a pleasure Warden. Tell Mei, we love her." Edward nodded. "The pleasure is mine, Captain Opara, Doctor Arrhenius. Thus, our paths diverge. Go in peace." He swept his gaze across the rest of the staff, wordlessly conveying his thanks to each and every one of them, who smiled at him in return. Edward maintained his sights on them, until they have completely vanished from his field of vision. The Crusader muttered a quick, silent prayer, and turned back towards the rest of his teammates. "Doctor Zhou, we are going to the Cryo Lab to retrieve your friends. Would you like to come with us or --." "Yes, I am coming with you," Mei answered firmly. Due to the power outage, the whole research complex had a dark gloomy atmosphere to it. The howls of wind whistling through the empty, darkened hallways and shattered windowsills only strengthened that brooding ominous feeling. Edward took point with Mei while Brigitte and Angela followed behind them. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Despite the complete blackout throughout the entire Ecopoint, the Cryo Lab was still operational. Mei explained the lab was completely separated from the main power grid and thus was equipped with its own independent power source. The four quickly got to work, inspecting each cryostasis pod and confirmed that they were containing the corpses of Adams, Arrhenius, MacReady, Torres, and Opara himself. In front of each pod, were mugs of varying colors filled with frozen tea - Edward surmised that Mei must've put them there some time ago, out of respect for her fallen friends. "So much for computerized controls. We have to rip them open somehow," said Brigitte, after attempting to open the hatches via the lab's malfunctioning computer console. She then tried to pry Arrhenius' glass hatch open, but despite her armor enhancing her strength and being naturally strong herself, Brigitte was unsuccessful in her effort. "Fan!" she cursed in her native tongue. "Tillåt mig," Edward replied back in Swedish, catching Brigitte by surprise. " Ja jag pratar lite Svenska." He stood in front of the pods, stretched out both palms, and closed his eyes. Getting the memo, Brigitte moved out of the way. Within moments, the groaning of metal and cracking glass reverberated throughout the lab which climaxed in a chaotic chorus of crushing steel and shattering glass as he tore the hatches from their hinges, and tossed them into the courtyard below. Mei was completely speechless after witnessing what happened, keeping her eyes glued on him. She simply couldn't believe it. They've only known each other for give or take thirty minutes, but everything Edward pulled off in that time span blew her mind compared to everything Mei experienced during her entire scientific career. At least for the telekinesis part. Still using his power, Edward unzipped the body bags Angela had provided and one by one, carefully placed the frozen remains inside using his arcane grip in order to not damage them. Edward walked towards Mei, who was trying to wrap her head around what she was seeing. "Doctor Zhou, I know it's hard to believe everything you have just witnessed in the last half an hour, but Doctor Arrhenius told me you have copied everything about your work before power went down for good. Do you still have the copy with you?" Edward asked as soft as his helmet would allow him to. "Y-yes, I do." Mei pulled out a white USB with an Overwatch insignia on it from her utility bag. "H-how did you --." "As I said before, I will explain everything later. But for now, we must know, where are the computer servers?" "It's that way, take the stairs and turn left, you can't miss it. May I ask why?" "Call it a preventive measure, doctor. Ladies, your Thermite Grenades please. In the meantime, call Ray for extraction Brigitte. I shouldn't take long." After receiving Brigitte's and Angela's grenades respectively, he went off on his own towards the server room where he pulled the pins and melted every single data containing electronics to worthless piles of half molten scrap metal. Just to be sure, he also chucked one of his fragmentation grenades in there to turn everything into a million pieces. "What was that explosion just now?" Brigitte asked him when Edward returned to the Cryo Lab. "I thought Thermite Grenades don't go off like that." "Well, I tossed an extra in there. You can't be too careful with Talon. Stand back, and cover your ears." Edward warned his team before switching his rifle to full-auto mode, and emptying its entire magazine on the lab's computers. "Now we're done," he concluded, placing his spent magazine into one of his armor's empty magazine holders, loading a fresh one, and slipping his index and middle fingers to the rifle's charging handle, racking a round into the chamber, before flicking the safety back on. "Talon? As in the terrorist organization, Talon?" Mei inquired as the earsplitting barrage of gunshots dissipated. "What's this got to do with them?" "We don't know, doctor. But it's better to be safe than sorry. Those bastards would try to get their hands on every piece of our intel." "Heads up people, we have four Talon gunships approaching our AO. I'm coming in hot." Ray warned them. "Get your team ready on the helipad, Warden!" Edward lifted the body bags with his arcane grip. "You heard the man, move out! On the double!" They sprinted back to their extraction point, and Ray's MV-261 Orca appeared from the icy cliffs, hovering only a stone's throw away from the ground. Edward passed the body bags to Luna's telekinetic grip as he was about to enter the helipad's connecting building. They quickly raced up the stairs and hopped aboard through the opened bay door. As the aircraft started ascending, Mei was, needless to say, shocked - when she set her eyes on Luna who was securing the body bags on the loading bay with ATHENA's guidance. With no time to explain, Edward helped Mei to her seat, strapped the safety harness, and stowed her gear away before doing the same himself. "Hang on to your butts people, we are going hypersonic," warned the pilot as he throttled them away from the scene. Just as when they thought they were safe however, ATHENA's voice started blaring throughout the aircraft. "Missile! Missile! Missile!" Seeing the imminent threat, Ray took a sharp turn to the right while deploying the aircraft's chaffs and flares, causing the missile to miss its mark. However, a second missile soon caught up to the Orca. Ray cursed, jerking the aircraft aside in order to avoid the missile. This time the guided ordinance exploded close to the aircraft, damaging one of its rear engines, but the craft was still flight capable. "I think I have a plan, but you have to trust me!" Luna called out, before telepathically relaying her plans to Edward. The alicorn proceeded to teleport out from the aircraft and swiftly flew into the approaching blizzard. Edward disengaged his safety harness and rushed to the bridge, taking the co-pilot seat and strapping himself in, much to Ray's confusion. "Ray, fly into the blizzard! Luna has a plan!" The bearded pilot looked at Edward from underneath his flight helmet as if he had lost his mind. However, he quickly obliged to his command after they were barraged by autocannons. The shots rattled the ship and multiple damage indicators started popping out on their screens. "You better be right about this one Warden!" he gritted his teeth as the ship accelerated evasively towards the blizzard with three Talon gunships in hot pursuit. As they soared through the icy curtain, the already roaring storm intensified tenfold as Luna's influence on the weather began to take effect. Outside, the air temperature dropped beyond human comprehension as the ship's weather HUD displayed absurd numbers of below zero. Strangely however, only the attackers were adversely affected as ice started forming throughout the gunships and encased them not unlike a caterpillar in a cocoon. They froze mid-air and fell to the icy plains below, shattering them into pieces. Gradually, the blizzard calmed down and Luna teleported back into the aircraft. "Wait, where's the other one? I'm not seeing them anywhere on our radar. I know they are stealth, but if they’re in pursuit, we should be able to see them by now," called Fareeha from the conference table below. "My bet? It landed on the Ecopoint, scavenging for intel and what not." Edward turned his attention to the pilot sitting next to him. "Ray, how are we doing? Can we make it back to base in one piece?" He nodded. "But with one of the rear jets damaged, I cannot push her too hard. This little setback will cost us two hours from our total flight time." "We can live with that, keep us posted." Edward unstrapped himself from the co-pilot's seat, and descended to the living quarters to attend to his friends. Behind him, Ray radioed the Watchpoint about their current condition. He thanked Luna for saving them, and introduced her to an extremely dumbfounded Mei who was only able to reply with trembling, broken words, and a gaze of shock and awe. Edward removed his helmet, revealing his face which put Mei at a relative ease. He then knelt to meet her on eye level. "Doctor Zhou, my name is Agent Edward Berg. The lovely ladies by the conference table are Agents Fareeha Amari and Brigitte Lindholm. I believe you are well-acquainted with Doctor Ziegler here. I know you have a lot of questions, doctor, so do fire away, and we will gladly answer them for you." Reaper stood in silence on the center of the Ecopoint's cryo lab, observing his men as they turned the whole place upside down, searching for any piece of useful information they could find. But unfortunately, there was nothing to be found aside from the server room whose contents have been melted and pulverized beyond all hope of salvation, destroyed computers, and empty cryo pods. Whoever had done this was very meticulous in disposing of sensitive information. Reaper had a hunch of the perpetrator, but he secretly wished with all of his being that his gut feeling would only remain as such. Thankfully, his tactical mask which was crafted to resemble a yellowed owl skull obscured his expression. "Sir, I think you should take a look at this." One of his soldiers approached him with a bullet extracted from one of the computers inside a small transparent evidence bag. Upon laying his eyes on the projectile and observing it closely, Reaper felt something he hasn't felt in a long time. Fear. Author's Note Updated! So, here's a bit of dictionary for you (native speakers of the following languages, please correct me if I am wrong). Quod seminat hoc et metet: Latin, roughly translated to "whatever one sows, that he will also reap." Lass mich in ruhe: German, roughly translated as "leave me alone." but in this context, could also be used like "gimme a break." or "good grief." (you just read that in Jotaro's voice didn't you?) Fan: Swedish for "damn!" or "fuck!". Tillåt mig: Swedish for "Allow me." Ja jag pratar lite Svenska: Swedish, roughly translated as "Yes, I do speak a little bit of Swedish." As always, thank you for XIII Hearts for editing this chapter.
Chapter 5"Well! Well! Look what the cat dragged in!" Jesse said as he circled a captured Talon captain from yesterday's raid. The detainee's hands and legs were bound with hard light shackles tethered to a bolted metal chair he was sitting on. The captain's vitals were monitored closely by ATHENA, so they would know whether he was lying or could only take so much punishment before dying. The prisoner remained silent, but ATHENA noticed an increase in his heart rate. Genji silently stood in the corner, arms crossed and leaning to the wall, rolling his shurikens between his fingers. "Look partner." Jesse lighted his cigar. "We don't wanna be here, and you don't wanna be here. So why don't we all just co-operate and all will be mighty fine come Christmas. So whaddaya say?" "You might as well just kill me," the operative replied. "I'm dead anyway." "Huh, that so?" Jesse puffed out a cloud of smoke. "But whaddaya say if we can...change all that?" "What do you mean?" "Y'know, you can work for us. Steady pay, good food, and all the fun stuff. IF you wanna co-operate." "And if I refuse?" "Well, you are free to leave. AFTER, we wipe your memory clean. Both are fresh starts if you ask me. So, pick your choice partner." While the interrogations continued at the holding cells, both human and omnic personnel worked in tandem to repair the damages from yesterday's skirmish. But this time, the Equestrians also joined their efforts, and thus causing the repairs to be more effective and efficient compared to their previous session. Their magics proved to be immensely helpful in the reparations, restoring a lot of debris to their proper form while those which cannot be salvaged were loaded to hovercarts and hauled away. Those who haven't came into contact with the Equestrians were anxious by their presence and seeing their abilities didn't make it any better. But most of them were thankful that their jobs were done rapidly. For the Equestrians, after being briefed about what happened yesterday and who caused all the ruckus they were also thankful of not landing on the wrong side of the faction. All except for Fizzlepop who observed their work from a distance with a deep frown on her face. She wished that she could help, that her horn was intact and not broken. She tried asking Torbjörn if there were anything else that could be done, only to be turned down by him. The carts in this world were mechanized with devices which cause them to float above the ground, commandeered by machines to move around. Plus they were incredibly large and absurdly heavy, making it impossible for her to help with manual labor. "Someone doesn't look too happy today," Edward said, shouldering his Rocket Hammer. "Fizzlepop, yes?" Fizzlepop snapped from her muse and mustered the best smile she could give, albeit she was certain the body language was very awkward. Thankfully the human didn't seem to notice, or at least chose not to say anything about it. "Uhuh, that's me. Edward right? Angela told me that you carried my unconscious flank to the recovery room last night. Thank you for that." "Ah it's nothing. You're as light as a feather." Edward chuckled, his voice came out rather gravelly than usual due to the voice processor in his helmet. "If I may ask, why the long face?" Fizzlepop looked at him with a confused stare. Edward was just as baffled when suddenly something clicked in his mind, a realization which caused his face to heat up in embarrassment. "Ohmein Gott, I truly apologize. I didn't mean to mock you or anything.Mein GottI am terrible at these, I meant to ask why are you looking so upset." "Don't you worry I'm not mad, but I must say I am not familiar with that expression and thus your reason of apology." "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. It's because you Equines have elongated faces, and I am afraid by asking you that, I have truly made you upset whereas my intention is to help you." Fizzlepop smiled sadly, her eyes fell to the floor. "I don't think anypony can help me with my issue. You see, my horn is broken, and because of that I cannot perform magic that requires high concentration such as telekinesis." She pointed her hoof towards her friends who were helping with the repairs. "Why didn't Angela explain the possibility to her last night? Probably didn't want to offend her."Edward thought. That powerless gaze reminded him of those he found in the eyes of his comrades back during his days of service in Bundeswehr such as when they lose their limbs, or friends in combat. Sometimes, the damages were so severe that they never actually return home by the time they left from service. Heck, he went through that himself when his left arm was blown off due to the failure of his shield generator. Although replaced with a perfectly working prosthetic, the phantom pain often cause his nights to be sleepless. The crusader put his hammer down, sat down next to the purple unicorn mare, and gently placed his large armored hand on her back. Being ever so careful as his suit augmented his strength to easily punch through reinforced concrete walls. "I understand your feelings, Fizzlepop. As a matter of fact, my left arm here is not made of bone, flesh, and blood anymore." "Thanks Mister Obvious. I can see that." She chuckled. Of course he had to say that when he was fully armored, when none of his body is made of bone, flesh, and blood. "Hey, just so you know.." he took off his helmet, revealing his short kempt black hair, pale complexion, and green eyes much to Fizzlepop's surprise. "I am made of bone, flesh, and blood too. All this metal is not my real body. Well it's a second skin to me at least...you know what, I'll show you later. Back to the matter at hand, I think we can fix that horn right up. Getting you a new horn is easy, but will it function like those of your friends'? I cannot say. Angela and Torbjörn should know better though." Fizzlepop's face beamed up with a bright smile. It has been a long time since she had given up her hope of getting her horn restored, but in this world...which was supposed to be a world filled only with chaos, she may at last found a new way. The mare stood on her rear hooves and wrapped her front around his left arm. Edward was surprised by the response, left him frozen a bit, but eventually began to gently stroke her back with his free hand. "Well well, look at these lovebirds!" Lena chirped as she zipped between the embrace. "Very funny Lena," Edward said as he withdrew from the hug. "So what is it? I doubt you came here just to ruin our intimate moment." He shot Fizzlepop a wink which caused her to blush slightly. "Our new compadres have been mighty cooperative." Jesse grinned as he walked up to the group. "They're just grunts so they can't offer much info, but there's one thing that's makin' me nervous." Sensing a serious talk not intended for her ears, Fizzlepop took her leave. "Oh yeah? And what would that be?" asked Edward. "A couple o' weeks ago, Talon just set up shop in Dorado. Word is they're working with the Los Muertos. I bet to my last penny, they're gonna stir some shit up at the Festival de la Luz two days from now." "I thought they didn't speak much." Lena smirked. "I said they didn't give much information, but I didn't say they didn't give any at all. We're goin' to good ol Mehico, friends. Rendezvous at the hangars in twenty minutes." "That's a complicated word for him to say." Edward whispered to Lena as they started walking, causing the two to chuckle. "I heard that, damn it!" In exactly 20 minutes, a team consisting of Genji, Lena, Jesse, Angela, and Edward was all set and ready on-board Overwatch's signature atmospheric aircraft, the MV-261 Orca. The armor assembling/disassembling machine quickly stripped Edward's armor and hammer off him. The main floor of the ship has a conference table in front of the bridge with a hologram globe above it, showing the current location of the ship and a satellite. On the walls on either side of the table, there are seats, parachutes, first aid kits, and emergency oxygen tanks as well as boxes of ammunition and other supplies. On the opposite side of the main floor, there is a recreational table on one side and a basketball hoop on the other. There are four basketballs in the ship. Shooting one into the hoop will cause it to drop confetti and play a buzzer sound. The back of the ship has a loading bay with an array of servers on the wall. The front of the ship has the bridge, with a variety of monitors and a single Pachimari by the pilots' seats. "Huh, it's just as I remembered. Well these Pachimaris are new. What, Hana's poster? I have a strong suspicion who her fan might be." Edward remarked as he inspected the transport's interior. "Ray, can this fossil still fly?" he shouted towards the cockpit. "Don't underestimate her kid. She'll outrun that rusty old tub o' yours in a split." Ray the pilot scoffed. One of Overwatch's most mysterious personnel, only a few have actually seen him. As if he was the physical manifestation of the ship's will itself. Moments later, Luna stepped on board with an unarmored escorting Reinhardt by her side. "Plannin' to join Luna?" "As much as I want to go and see more of your world, it will be unwise for me to interfere. I do not want to sound demanding, but should any of you find anything that is related to our quest here...we would appreciate it if you share it with us so we can narrow down our search instead of only relying on our magics alone." "We ain't promisin' anythin', since the stuff you're lookin' for is also a legend in this rock. But we'll try, if anybody should know about somethin' as shady as this...it will be Talon." "Thank you, for everything. I wish you all good luck on this mission." Luna smiled. "Watch each others' backs out there, and come back safely. I do not want to be sending your urns and a folded flag to your families." Reinhardt emphasized, glancing at Lena and Edward as he said that. After that, both Reinhardt and Luna made their way out from the aircraft. Lena closed the entrance ramp from her seat in the cockpit adjacent to Ray's and initiated take off procedures. Author's Note As always, thank you so much to XIII Hearts for editing this chapter. Dictionary mein Gott: German expression for "my God." Bundeswehr: German armed forces. Note: Guys, Ray is not a made up character he really exists.Source.
