Overwatch
Chapter 1
The woman walked slowly through the streets of Ilios, hiding in the darkness of the alleyways as she watched the streets closely. The leather of her pants stuck to her legs uncomfortably in the heat of Greece. The inked snake coiling up her arm seemed to move in the dim lights that she passed under. Her skin was so pale that it appeared almost grey in the light as she lifted her arm to her mouth to take a bite of the apple she held in her hand.
She smiled softly when she heard some kids playing in the street up ahead. She made her way up to them and they cried out in joy as they ran up to her. She patted one on the head and hugged another before looking at all of them.
“Persephone! Come play with us!” One little boy cried out and tugged on the end of her shirt. She raised an eyebrow at him and sighed.
“Now what did I tell you about playing outside at night?” She asked sternly and they all looked at each other with guilt.
“It’s too dangerous.” One girl said and Persephone nodded quickly. Many gangs had begun to form in Ilios and some of them were ruthless enough to even hurt children. Persephone had taken upon herself to make sure the children of the small town would make it home safely, despite the weary looks the mothers gave her.
One child gasped when they began to hear shouts and explosions, along with some gunfire. Persephone quickly looked up and narrowed her eyes at the noise before looking at the children again.
“Now, you’ll go straight home and nowhere else?” She asked and they all quickly nodded. “Promise?” They all nodded again and she smiled reassuringly. “Then go and tell your mothers to lock their doors.” They all quickly took off and she turned back towards the noise once again.
She slowly made her way through the skinny alleyway, her arms and hips brushing against the walls. Just as she reached the exit of the alleyway she gasped as a form went flying past her at break neck speed, their giggling trailing after them.
There was a small group of people in the open area surrounded by buildings and she watched the scene curiously. There were three men facing a group of people all in dark clothing. She looked on in a bit shock as she recognized Jesse McCree and Hanzo Shimada. Since when do those two do anything together? She thought to herself as she looked on at the situation.
“Leave here now!” The man with the mask said gruffly to the man across from him. Persephone recognized the 76 on the back of his leather coat and raised her eyebrows. Is that Jack? She turned when she heard the man across from 76 chuckle.
The man seemed to be created by the very shadows as the white of his skull mask stood out from the black smoke that surrounded him.
“And why would we do that?” He asked in a bored tone and the woman with strange blue skin standing next to him chuckled. There were a few men in black standing behind them.
“We’ve only come for some girl; Talon thinks she has power for some reason. She calls herself Até, ever heard of her?” The woman had a thick French accent as she grinned cheekily at the trio. And is that Amélie? Persephone could only stand there in confusion as all the people she once knew seemed to be in her town all at once.
“I don’t care who she is, love, yah can’t have her!” Persephone jumped slightly as a woman appeared in front of the men. She almost lost it when she immediately recognized Lena as she stood tall, proud, and cheerful as always in front of the men.
Persephone bit her lip as she thought of what she should do. Seriously, why the hell are they here? It seemed Amélie and her friend were looking for her and that didn't sit well with her. She just wanted them all to leave, friends included, but obviously they weren't going to. Persephone sighed as she began to step out of the alleyway. She couldn't let her friends get hurt just because she was afraid to show her face to them, they probably hated her guts by now, if they even remembered her.
Her mind made up, she took confident strides out to the middle of the group. She waited as it grew silent around her and she felt the four behind her tense up. Persephone tried her best to only face Amélie and…whatever it is she was into now. Was she actually part of Talon? The Amélie that left Angela’s medical wing so many years ago was not the same woman standing before her now.
“You rang?” Persephone asked with an eyebrow raised and the two observed her for a moment. Amélie gave her a grin of recognition and accomplishment, taking a step toward her. Persephone felt her power begin to course through her as she tensed up.
“Hmm, they told us you wouldn’t scare easily.” The woman grinned and Persephone glared at her. “But I suppose you would've already known that?” She asked the man standing beside her and he growled at her.
“What do you want? It better be good; you are disturbing my peaceful town with your atrocious noise.” She growled out as she felt the darkness swirl around her. She was sure by now her eyes were glowing.
“We have come to take you with us, ma cherìe!” The woman said with mock enthusiasm and Persephone laughed.
“Please, leave, and take your silly notions with you.” She hissed and grinned darkly at the woman. She could see all of her already, her very soul, her deepest fears and darkest memories. Her screams as she was strapped to that chair for so many days. She felt a small bit of pity for what she assumed happened to Amélie, but she couldn't let that get to her now.
“We aren’t going to leave without you.” The man next to the blue woman growled out and Persephone rolled her eyes.
“Are you deaf or just stupid? I don’t care what you think you are going to do. You are leaving. Voluntarily or not? Well, that's your decision.” She growled back and took a threatening step toward him.
“You think you scare me?” He snorted and she smirked as she made her way towards him. She stopped right in front of the man taller than herself by a foot or so
“Even the Reaper has fears, dear.” She said sweetly and she could feel the man’s glare burning through his mask. She suppressed her gasped when the man grabbed the front of her tank top and shoved her against the wall.
“Oi, let her go!” She heard the high-speed woman cry out and Persephone began to chuckle.
“Αχερων καλεί εις σέ.” She whispered and the man paused for a moment before jumping back and holding his arm in pain. “That was a warning, believe me, I can make you hurt even more.” She huffed and smoothed her clothes a bit. “Do not touch me, I will kill you, or worse.” She gave a dark grin as the man growled but did not make a move towards her. She held in her feelings of shock and fear as images of the man she once knew, once loved, flew past her mind’s eye. No, that is not him, he is not this person in front of me. He would never join Talon. She shook her head to keep herself from getting distracted by the thoughts.
“Come, Reaper, we will come another time.” The blue woman said warily as she watched the woman closely and snatched the man’s arm, dragging him away with her. Her ponytail swished from side to side as the man tore his arm away from her grip and cursed at her, but he made no sign that he disagreed with her.
Persephone watched them a moment more before turning her head slightly so she could see the group of four out of the corner of her eye. No one seemed mortally wounded, not that she could have helped them anyways, healing was always Angela’s thing and hurting was hers. She felt she could leave them and they could get home, wherever it was, safely.
“Persephone?” She heard Hanzo call out as she turned to go back through the alleyway. She froze and squeezed her eyes shut. She had only met Hanzo once or twice, each time he was chasing after Genji, and she had never thought she would have needed to make him forget. In fact, she thought he didn't even remember her in the first place anyhow.
“I do not know anyone by that name, I'm sorry.” She said, turning around and staring straight into Hanzo’s eyes. He remained quiet as he studied her. She imagined he was confused as to why he knew who she was, but none of his companions did.
“Genji is looking for you.” He said shortly and nodded towards her. Persephone knew he understood, they didn't know her because she didn't want them to know who she was.
“I'm sorry sir, I don't know a Genji either. Please, if you’re done making holes throughout my town with your arrows then be on your way.” How the hell could Genji remember me? The only reason should be if she allowed him to and she hadn't seen him for years. What happened to him that he could remember who she was? Hanzo will probably tell him where I am now. She thought with a sigh and turned around.
“Wait.” She heard Lena call out softly and she quickly turned again, ready to chew them out for making this harder than it already was. But Persephone paused at the expression on Lena’s face. She looked a bit lost, confused, and hurt. “Don't you remember us, Perse? It's us, it's me, Lena, Tracer? Ring a bell?” Persephone stared at her in pure confusion and shock.
“Look, darlin’, I don't know about you, but I don't know this lady or a Persephone.” Jesse said and glanced at Persephone before turning his attention back to Lena.
“Don't remember her?! Oi, did you get knocked in the head or something?! You only had a crush on her for like five years!” Lena babbled out and Persephone smiled as she blushed a little.
“Lena…how?” She didn't know quite what to say or how to explain to one of her closest friends that she made her forget.
“Don't know, love, I just…remembered you one day.” Suddenly she saw a flash of blue and felt a smack on the back of her head. “That's for making me forget you! Why on earth would you do that, love?!”
“Ow, Lena!” Persephone cried out and glared at Lena who remained in front of her, silent and waiting. “They wanted me! I couldn't risk you guys any longer! I…I couldn't bare the thought of you guys getting hurt because of me, if I made you forget no one was hurt, because no one remembered, and everyone was safe.” She said and Lena looked at her sadly.
“No one but you.” Lena said and Persephone shrugged with a sigh.
“That was a risk I was willing to take.”
“It would be nice if someone could fill us in.” Jack said gruffly as he stood next to Jesse, who also looked quite confused. Hanzo merely glanced at the two women and Persephone glared slightly at him.
“Seriously, Shimada? You're gonna give me away and then not help me!” She huffed at him and he only shrugged lightly.
“I did not know you were in hiding.” He said, the same stoic expression on his face that she remembered him always having. She continued to stare in surprise though when she saw a small twinkle in his eyes and a hint of amusement on his lips. Hanzo Shimada amused? Okay, seriously, what happened here? She sighed and turned away from him.
“We will tell you later, Jack, I don't feel like shouting my secrets to all of Greece.” Persephone said and Lena giggled.
“Oh, don't be so over dramatic, love.” She patted Persephone’s shoulder, but paused when Jack aimed his gun at the woman he had never met in his life. He began to wonder if Widowmaker somehow did something to Lena and Hanzo, she was often tricky like that.
“How do you know who I am?!” He demanded and the woman raised an eyebrow at him, her long black curls swaying slightly in the wind.
“Seriously? You think I would forget that god awful jacket that I tried to get you to throw away so many times? Or that you were the 76th participant of the soldier enhancement program?” She asked with a scoff and he quickly shook off his surprise, how did she know that?
“Well, you did make him forget that you ever existed Perse.” Lena said with a sad tone in her voice and Persephone paused as she stared at him. That's right, she thought, he did forget all those times and all the times that…she sighed, he was going to hate her after this.
“Fine, you win Lena, we better go back to…wherever you people are hiding now-a-days. We shouldn't do this here.” She said shortly and Lena clapped her hands together. “I want to get my baby first!” She cried out before Lena could take off for what she assumed was the jet. She could practically feel Lena buzzing beside her, waiting for the perfect moment to convince her to go home with them.
“You have a baby?” McCree asked in confusion and she smirked. She wanted to laugh at the fact that he forgot how many times he, for the most part, embarrassed himself trying to convince her to let him ride her motorcycle.
“It's a shame I had to make you forget her.” She said cheekily, waiting for him to fall for it. He stopped short and looked at her with wide eyes.
“Now listen here darlin’ I don't know you…” Persephone was already laughing as she walked away, she couldn't even let him finish, the facial expression alone was enough, she certainly missed him.
“It's a motorcycle, Jesse.” She heard Lena whisper to Jesse and started laughing again as she disappeared into the dark, she had been wrong all this time, messing with Jesse never gets old.