Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2/ Overwatch

*NOTE: The current events happened a few days after the late chapter: « Ace, the crusader of flame »

*Inside the engineer's laboratory

The silent atmosphere of the working condition annoyed the engineer who has been working on his experiments for days. The constant lack of results and news only added more weights to his mind. Sitting on his chair out of exhaustion, Dane looked at his invention in disappointment.

Dane - Aaargh! Why are there so many unfair darns things in this world!

In a flashback, he remembered the morning when he saw Kadyn all beaten up and bleeding. It was clear, despite her injuries, that what's truly been hurt was her heart. She sat on the floor and looked at him in despair. It was that moment that made him question the equity of the world that he's living in. Pushed by her effort and determination, Dane swore to help her out in any way possible. The machine that can help rehabilitate a man's mentality that he's building right now was up until this day without any success.

Suddenly, in a burst, the Medic entered the room holding a printed message. Quickly running to the Engineer, he shouted:

- We must go and help our friend, in Australia!

Dane (In confusion) - What the hell are you talking about? We ain't got a friend in Australia!

Bernhardt - I know that we don't!

A silence stood between the two men as they both looked at each other.

Dane - What did you smoke this morning, Bernhardt?

Bernhardt - Oh, sorry, I mean yeah we don't have a friend before in Australia. Now our pal, Heavy, is trapped in Australia because of the war.

Dane - Hold up, Aleksei Misha, our long lost pal, in Australia?

Bernhardt - Yeah, I just received his S.O.S. signal a few hours ago.

Dane - Gather your stuff, I will call in some volunteers for this mission.

Bernhardt - Alright, I will get a jet. Be ready in 45 minutes.

In speed, the two of them ran into different directions.

*40 minutes later

McCree's team was summoned for the rescue mission by the Engineer. Now standing in front of the jet, Dane explained the mission one last time.

Dane - Listen up, we will find and pick up a man named Aleksei Misha. Our mission will be over after that, we will have to as much as possible avoid confrontation with the enemy force. We don't want attention on our tail.

McCree (lighting up a cigar) - Alright, I and the boys will make sure work of it.

Genji (In whispers) - McArthur, where did Ferdinand and Berendina go?

McArthur - Ferdinand refused to come to this mission and McCree ordered Berendina to keep a close eye on Ferdinand.

Genji - Right, I guess it's up to us now.

McArthur - Yeah.

Dane - Get on the ship, boys, we have to get going!

After every single one of them got on the ship, the ramp closed behind them and the jet started its engine. In a quick and smooth take-off, the jet flew in high speed into the clouds before becoming invisible with its invisgenerator. The jet flew for a few hours. As everyone fell asleep, they were suddenly woken up by a violent shake.

Bernhardt - It's just an air current, guys, don't worry about it.

Turning his head to the side, Genji jumped in surprise as he sees Ferdinand sitting beside him.

Genji - Ferdinand, how are you here with us? I remember you said you didn't want to come with us.

Ferdinand - I changed my mind, that's all.

Genji - That's impossible, you weren't with us when we boarded the ship!

Ferdinand (Looking straight into Genji's helmet visor) - That's totally possible!

Genji - You are right, that's possible.

McCree (Noticing Genji's reaction) - Wait, what?

Ferdinand - Everything's fine, right everyone?

McCree - Yeah, everything's fine, pardon me!

Dane - Yeah, yeah!

As everyone remained silent, the jet soon arrived in Australia.

The 7 men stepped out of the ship after landing inside a small village. Taking the message, the Medic walked toward the rest.

Bernhardt - The message came from another village 4 kilometres away from here.

McCree - All right, let's get going then.

After climbing up onto some ground motorcycle, the team proceeded to drive toward the next village from their current location. The vast wasteland of the Australian outback flashed in front of them as they drove deeper into enemy territories. If there are no omnic units, there will be groups of scavengers or junkers, ready to steal and kill anyone they can get their hands on. The group, after a long ride, arrived in front of the small village's wall, guarded by omnic guards. The village was totally under Talon's control even though the association was rarely interested in the Australian outback's lands.

McArthur - Why would Talon set a base here?

Bernhardt - Heavy is imprisoned in there for sure.

Reinhardt - Alright, it looks like we will have to bust through them.

Dane - Not so fast, this feels like a trap to me.

Bernhardt - I sent a spy inside Talon to verify the message's credibility and he confirmed that was a real distress message.

Ferdinand - Guys, we will have to eventually do something or they will detect us.

McCree - Let's do it then!

Finally agreeing, the group prepared for an offensive attack as Genji settled bombes around the front door of the village while Reinhardt activated his shield.

Genji - Ready?

The rest nodded their heads. Pressing on the switch, a sudden giant explosion destroyed the main entrance to the village in a burst of flame and smoke. Entering the base armed behind Reinhardt's shield, the group started to shoot down every enemy they can see while searching for Heavy. The fight was short as, shortly after their entrance, every bot guarding the village was shot down by the team.

Dane - Well, that was easy.

Bernhardt - Indeed but where is our friend?

McCree - Reinhardt, you search the South, Genji and Engineer, you search the North, I and Medic will search the East and Ferdinand and McArthur, you will search the West. Call the rest if anything happens!

Parting ways, all the groups searched their respective sectors with care.

Walking in an alley, McArthur and Ferdinand searched for any potential threat or sign of Heavy.

Suddenly, a shadow ran past them in speed.

McArthur (In a hurry) - Catch him!

Running after the shadowy figure, they soon got out of the village through a secret passageway that got them close to a cliff. Looking around, McArthur failed to spot the mysterious object running away from him. Approaching the cliff, he can only look down a dark and deep valley leading to certain death.

McArthur - Ferdinand, do you think he fell into it?

With no response from Ferdinand, McArthur turned his head to find the man standing right behind him with a dark smile on his face.

Ferdinand - Do you think if someone fell down there, he will die?

McArthur - I don't know, did you find that mysterious thing trying to escape from us?

Ferdinand - Do you wanna try to fall?

McArthur - We don't have time for this, where is he?

Ferdinand - No! You won't have much time!

McArthur - What do you mean?

Ferdinand - Just stop pretending, Mike, I know it's you.

McArthur (confused) - Who's Mike? I don't know who you are talking about.

Ferdinand - I thought you would be smarter but I realized that you are pretty dumb!

McArthur (confused) - What are you trying to do?

Ferdinand - Come on, just stop pretending, I know your true identity. Lord CR-455 will be pleased to hear about your death.

McArthur - Don't try to do anything funny, I can end you right here!

Ferdinand (In a laugh) - What are you going to do?

McArthur advanced toward Ferdinand with a punch toward his face. Before even touching Ferdinand's face, his movement was suddenly stopped. McArthur froze in mid-air unable to move or speak.

Ferdinand (Putting his hand on McArthur's face) - You killed our saviour, lord Sniper, you think you can get away from it like this? I had the honour of ending you myself and I'm gonna enjoy it! By the way, your friends are inside a trap I made for them, they will soon be my slave.

McArthur angerly looked at Ferdinand.

Ferdinand - Listen, Mike, this is farewell, I hope you enjoy Hell!

Pressing his finger on McArthur's forehead, McArthur's eye turned white and his body released itself. Slowly he fell to the ground and stopped breathing. McArthur was no more, he was sent where he belongs. Putting his foot on McArthur's dead body, he pushed the corpse down into the depth of the valley. The corpse quickly fell and disappeared into the darkness.

Ferdinand (looking down the valley) - Pathetic!

*Back inside the village

After a long walk, Medic and Genji found a jailhouse where people seemed to be imprisoned inside. Cutting down the main entrance with his swords, Genji entered first inside the building followed by Bernhardt. Inside was a giant prison where hundreds of inmates were kept behind bars. Walking to see Heavy imprisoned inside the 8th prison cell, Medic quickly ran to meet his friend.

Bernhardt - Aleksei, is that you?

Aleksei (Slowly waking from his slumber) - Huh?

(In surprise) - Doctor, what are you doing here?

Bernhardt - To rescue you, my friend!

Aleksei - No! It's a trap, get out of here!

Bernhardt - Genji, use your ability to break him out!

*No response...

Bernhardt (turning his head) - Genji, use your...

Like a frozen film, Genji stood still, unable to move at all.

Genji - I can't move! What's going on?

Ferdinand - Good question, maybe I can answer you when I will be in the mood to do so.

Bernhardt - What the heck, what's going on?

Ferdinand - Welcome to the Australia mine and ore company. You will be fed, given clothes and given regular shower time for the condition of forced labour. Your stay will be for eternity and no one will come to get you.

Bernhardt - Gack! McCree!

Ferdinand - Don't worry, they will soon join you guys.

*Back inside the valley

The dust and rubbles rolled down the cliff as the lifeless body of McArthur laid on the rocky ground. The injury to his body was minimal. As on the other side, Kadyn's invisible body also laid on the ground heavily injured from protecting McArthur's body in its fall. Slowly opening her eyes, she turned her head to look while two strangers suddenly appeared and quietly after a conversation, dragged McArthur's body toward a nearby shelter. Painfully sitting against the dusty wall of the valley, Kadyn looked, using her status reporter, the damage done to her system during the fall.

System: Body function: semi-functional, none critical, multiple bones were broken.

Left-arm: Critical, damaged beyond repair, a replacement needed.

Right-arm: No critical, hard light generator damaged, functional but unable to regenerate.

Legs: semi-functional, replacement suggested.

CENTRAL GENERATOR: BREACHED, REPAIR REQUIRED.

Looking down her abdomen, a piece of sharp metal pierced inside her body, reaching all the way to her power generator. Using her right hand, Kadyn tried to pull the piece out of her body.

System: CENTRAL GENERATOR: BEACHED, CRITICAL, SHUT-DOWN REQUIRED.

Quickly holding her action, she pushed in pain the piece back inside her body. In agony, Kadyn gradually stood on her two feet once again. Most of her clothes were torn in her fall. It's almost Winter here in Australia, the cold wind chilled her to the bone as they were constantly blown against her exposed flesh.

* A few hours later

Slowly waking from his coma, the young man slowly crawled out of his medical bed. After a short moment, Kadyn rendered herself visible to him and walked toward him.

Kadyn - McArthur, are you feeling alright?

Looking at her with an evil grin, the man jumped out of his bed, grabbed her by her throat and proceeded to slam her against the wall.

The mad man - What do we have here? I remember you, the last time we met, you hurt me! This time I won't let you get away from me! DIE!

Kadyn wanted to escape but her damaged body didn't even have enough strength to walk properly. As the mad man's grasp tighten, Kadyn also quickly lost her mind.

Kadyn (In her mind) - « This is it then, this is how I die, I'm glad I can finally leave this rotten world, I'm glad I can finally meet you up there, Mike »

Suddenly, the mad man dropped her on the floor.

The mad man - This will be a too easy way out, I will torture you and humiliate you until I force you into committing suicide. Hahahaha, isn't this exciting?

Kadyn looked at the mad man in anger and hate, she never felt such emotions in her life. Because of her current condition, she quickly turned invisible and fleeted the scene.

The mad man (Yelling) - If you appear again, I will make sure you suffer, I know you will come back and I know ways to make you suffer.

*EXTRA

-Profile: McCree

-Real name: Jesse McCree

-Ability: [West's Gunslinger] "Can create air current in the shape of a tornado that can aspire small objects such as bullets, small missiles, etc... and force them into changing their direction or accelerate their speed. "

-Rôle: secondary character

-Affiliation: Overwatch

-Backstory: explained in overwatch wiki, google it yourself

ABILITY STATS: *(Stats explained in chapter « Crystal power system »)

Power - E

Speed - C

Sub. Speed - C

Range - C

Durability - B

Sub. Durability - C

Precision - B

Potential - B