#i hope to get the groove back into joining mercy76 week

[eostre94]

[Fanfic] Laid to Rest

Fandom: Overwatch

Characters: Jack Morrison/Soldier 76, Angela Ziegler/Mercy

Pairing: Mercy 76 (Jack x Angela)

Concepts: RoleReversed! AU for Mercy and Soldier 76 in which it was the former who "died" and came back as the vigilante Nemesis. The latter would be under the code SC - 76.

Preface: Greetings everyone! It's been quite a while since I wrote something like this, since I have been very busy with stuff happening (ie. LoA in Med School, seeking help, trying to now find work, etc.). I just hope to anyone who wants to read it to enjoy really. If you happen to like it, feel free to tell me. Comments/reviews/PMs? will be greatly appreciated (criticisms will be fine as well as long as it is fully meant to be constructive, let's all be nice here)

P.S.: I still want to say big thanks to the people who brought like Mercy76 around for me to enjoy being hopefully a part of! Big shoutout to people like @ynartistic, @xavirne, @angelicsoldier who made amazing fanart and fanfic that I wanted to contribute in the way I can. Hope to also meet more people! I also hope to put some more time into writing in general now!

It was dark for 2PM in the afternoon. Way too dark and cloudy for a supposedly nice Tuesday out. If I can recall, the weather omnic from the local news said that there would be a storm coming around Friday. I guess even today, with some much advancements in, weather reports can still get it wrong.

Tugging at my overcoat's collar more, careful not to ruin the thing I held onto, I continued my walk to where I needed to be. It was nice for the former higher ups to keep hush about where all the things were laid to rest. It was also nice that a lot of supporters still allowed the place to be kept nice and well. It was the same for those who remained to be here without welling up in anger and or sadness.

I continued my walk around the place, thankful that there weren't many people around the place. It was always a hassle when people noticed who I am. It was nice at first to be remembered as "The Poster Boy" for what was once loved. Then be hated, destroyed and now after so long, to have resurfaced. I shudder at the thought that history might repeat itself again, but I am confident at the new path the recall. Hoping it will lead a path much different from before.

'Not that I was of any fucking help.'

I groaned in my head for letting that bit of self-depreciation blurt out in me, not that there wasn't any truth to it. Being here right now in this place is a testament to what had happened.

This place that held so many memories and now is a place of remembering those memories.

A memorial.

A memorial of what was once the Swiss Headquarters of Overwatch.

The memorial for the members that fell when it fell with them.

When she fell with them.

I had to stop for a bit from my steady pace along the way, trying to make sure I don't well up in tears. I even look down to see the thing I was holding on my left that made me miss her more.

'Some soldier you are.' My thoughts tease back at me when I try to wipe any excess moisture on my eyes. I take take a steady breath, feeling the slight chill that signals rain coming sooner than later.

"I better hurry up and see her before I get the brunt of the storm." I muttered to myself. I decided to make a hasty pace along the other parts of the long walk in the memorial. I did not even stop by to pay tribute to monument that engraved various members who fell.

I made an internal nod to these people who died for their cause, but I needed to reach a specific statue in mind.

One that was dedicated to the humanitarian views of Overwatch.

One who fought for the right in the organization to focus more on helping the needs of others. A goal on humanitarianism rather than more on the militaristic views.

The one they used to call the Angel of Overwatch.

"Angela." I whisper it out her name once I finally reached where she laid to rest, or at least where she was last seen.

A beautiful row of white and yellow flowers were lined it lead up to a marvelous statue of clean cut gray marble. The statue was like Michaelangelo's La Pieta. It had an unnamed Overwatch soldier cradled by the angelic beauty herself. Her features still showed grace as her hair was in the usual ponytail, accompanied by her halo. Her suit accentuated her lithe body and her wings were very detailed and real. It would have seemed the statue would very much have taken flight with the fallen comrade. Her right hand caressed the soldier's nape to lift it up while her left held the thigh. Her bio-tech staff held as well upright, to illustrate the action she was known best for.

The power to heal and protect. To very much bring those close to death's clutches back to life. A gift that spoke volumes upon volumes to how amazing of a woman she was.

I walk close enough to see the pedestal the statue was placed, embedded in it was a golden metal plaque that wrote:

"Angela Ziegler, M.D.

Code name: Mercy

Born: XX/XX/2039

Death: XX/XX/2070

Truly an Angel amongst Men.

'Heroes Never Die' - Mercy"

Her famous words engraved next to an engraving of her signature next to it. As I walked towards the plaque, my gloved hand traced the neat and cursive strokes of her signature. I imagined that she was saying those words she always does that quite literally brings life.

"Heroes . . . Never Die." I muttered under my breath, as though her words would have brought her back.

Taking a step or two back, I marveled at the tall statue more up close, how it had captured her image down to her calm smile. Major respect to the sculptors who made this statue. It was so well done, that it was always a lot harder to confront her resting place every time I go to see her.

I steadied my breath and began.

"Hey Angel." I stated out, hopeful that it was not loud enough for anyone to hear, despite being somewhat empty. The slight tinge of a cool breeze acknowledged my greeting, prompting me to continue. The scenery was starting to become more dark-gray.

"It's been a while since I last came here. I have been busy." Trying to keep this awkward one-sided conversation going, I tried to keep going. Thinking like she was still here listening which would pretty much be as awkward as before.

It was a good 5 or so minutes of random idle chatting when I finally felt the chill of the air become more prominent. I huddled in my overcoat more, and realized I was still holding onto her gift while I tried to ramble on.

"I brought you these. I hope you enjoy them . . . wherever you are now." I placed the beautiful piece next to where I usually placed them whenever I had the time to visit. I am thankful the cleaners of the memorial in having kept the area clean from any dried ones from before. Sitting down in front of her statue, I tried to find myself comfortable.

"I hope you love them. I know you like these flowers, apart from the ones the people planted in front of your resting place." I look back the row of flowers of white, orange and yellow only to look back at the rather large an elaborate bouquet.

"They're called Gladiolus. They reminded me of like those tiger lilies from before and I thought you'd like them. More so since I remember how you'd always tease me for not knowing flowers." Chuckling from remembering how she would chuckle at me from the instances I bought her flowers saying the incorrect name, to which she would laugh her beautiful hearty laugh.

I remember how she would laugh with a slight snort when she finds something hilarious. How she would shake her head slowly but have that smile still grace her face when she sees an embarrassing moment happen to me and my antics. How she would have a radiant yet unkempt glow in her face when she wakes up after our nights together, something that drew me in more and more to her. How she would scrunch her face in concentration when she patches my wound, partly due to being angry with me for wounded, despite knowing my job description. The little things that she does that makes her more and more amazing.

Remembering them all makes me yearn for her so much more, even after 5 or years of being 'dead' I still miss her. I find myself comfortable in sitting in front of your statue, not even giving a flying heck if the storm rolled in right now and drenched us in its cold unforgiving deluge. I wouldn't care anymore because while they said that time heals all wounds, it still hurts knowing I caused the fall of Overwatch, I caused the tensions to happen between Gabe and I, and that I caused the love of my life to die when I should have died during the end.

"It shouldn't have been you, Angela. It's been around 6 years and I still can never forgive myself for having killed you." I looked back up to the angel in the statue, thinking it's still her, looking down upon but not in anger since I know she would have hated hearing me say that.

"I hope wherever you are, you are happy; that's all I can now hope for and while I don't believe in an afterlife, but maybe . . . just maybe, I'll get to see you again." The breeze picks up more as slight moisture form droplets which signal the start of dark stormy days. I look up to the sky and see that the dark cloud have finally rolled in, welcoming me with light rain that will only be the first wave before the storm kicks in.

"I . . . I have to go now. The storm's coming soon and I am probably going to have to leave the country as well since I have to continue helping out in the new Overwatch. The one I've told you about a couple of times? Yeah." The rain started to drop harder than before, telling me to wrap this up. Picking myself up from where I sat down, I continued to look at the statue as it was still her.

"I'll see you soon okay, Angel? I promise you that." I started to feel tears form in my eyes again, trying to hold it in before I finally say what I needed to say to her again.

"I-i . . . I love you so very much Angela. I hope you can hear me say them." I felt the nearby trees and shrubs rustle, but I didn't bother to look since it's probably the wind picking up and or some animal trying to hide now from the weather, nor did I care anymore as tears starting rolling down my eyes, not giving a care anymore who was watching a grown man, a soldier nonetheless, cry his heart out. Wiping my eyes from any tears, I started to walk away, hoping though that the bouquet will be fine. Probably not, and it was probably a stupid idea for me to leave them there when a storm is practically approaching, but in the end, it's not going to be there the next time I have time to meet with her again.

Walking back to my vehicle was a good 5 or 10 minute walk since frankly I wanted to savor my time in the memorial, even when the gust was getting stronger and the droplets were becoming heavier. I didn't want to leave, but I knew I had to. As long as there's still things Overwatch can do to make the world better, then I have to put my service again.

As I finally reached my vehicle, the breeze mitigated a bit and the rain wasn't as heavy which meant that it was a momentary calmness before the second wave. A calm before the storm as one would say. I looked straight up to expect a slight rain droplet or a patch of light shining through the dark gray clouds, but what I somewhat saw was something completely different.

I could have sworn I saw a silhouette in the sky that looked like a large black bird, or rather something that looked like it had arms along with wings. It was hard to decipher it rushing past in the dark sky, coupled with the fact that the darkness of the clouds made it even harder to even see if it was even a black bird at all. What was the strangest of them all as what fell on my nose as it sped past from where the memorial was.

I felt the texture of what fell on my nose, seeing it as colorful in my nasal visual field. It felt like a big velvety paper confetti, colored in bright off pink. Taking it off my face for better observation, I was even more perplexed by the thing that fell on my nose.

It was a flower petal.

A pink gladiolus flower petal.

Looking up back to see where that flying thing flew, I could barely make out anything in the sky as it started darkening once again, signaling the end of the calm and the start of the real beginning of the storm. As I start the engine of my vehicle, I still look at the petal now at my dashboard. I am starting to have weird ideas that are way too exhausting to entertain at the moment. All I know is that she heard me.

My Angel heard me, wherever she is.

Everything has been strange.

Well, if you count the things happening to my life one can make a notion that it is strange. Dead but not really dead. Working in the shadows to heal people, but have no longer much qualms about taking down those who wish to harm others. Once a physician to stop wars throw at us, now turned to an adversary with the sole mission to cut the bud before more terror happens. Skilled with now both medical technology and the blade, I find myself wondering why life couldn't throw me a bone and not make even going to a place not be something that ties my past together with a neat bow.

Case in point, finding myself along the memorial which was once the Swiss Headquarters of Overwatch.

Second case in point, having to hide and be silent as I see someone walk towards the famous statue of my 'final resting place' with what appeared to be a large bouquet. That someone was greeting my and rambling as though I was there listening to him talk. Interesting how I was also getting interested in what he was rambling on about in this one-sided conversation.

Final case in point, said someone was my former lover who brought me a beautiful and large bouquet of pink lilie-

"They're called Gladiolus. -"

Sorry, a beautiful and large bouquet of Gladiolus flowers perched upon my statue. I see him comfortable sitting in front of it, marveling at the statue that depicted me in a way that was me, but no longer me.

"It shouldn't have been you, Angela. It's been around 6 years and I still can never forgive myself for having killed you." I hear him state it as though it was fact. I almost found myself wanting to glide towards him and prove him wrong, but I know that would jeopardize everything I have worked hard on.

"I hope wherever you are, you are happy; that's all I can now hope for and while I don't believe in an afterlife, but maybe-"

'Maybe what, Jack?' I find that voice within me ask in hope. It was a voice I haven't found in myself for so long. It was the voice of Angela, the woman who was still very much alive and very much in love with the man in front of me.

". . . just maybe, I'll get to see you again."

"Oh Jack . . . if that were only that simple." I mumbled to myself, finding my heart to still beat in ecstasy to see the man who should have moved on after my 'death' 6 years ago, still love me and want to see me again.

The wind started picking up once again, accompanied now with slight moisture and droplets; it was practically telling us that it had to be wrapped up soon. I find him get up from his spot, telling 'me' that he needed to go soon. I felt a wave of sadness wash over me as he said that, knowing that this was the situation we both now live in: The living who still loves the dead and the 'dead' wanting to stay hidden away from the living, but still very much alive for vengeance.

I almost lost my grip at the tree and shrubs I was leaning onto, almost ruining my position for him to have noticed, thanking the heavens he must have mistaken it for the wind picking up. It would have been completely unjustifiable when in battle, but what he said before he finally left just threw my seriousness out the metaphorical window.

"I-i . . . I love you so very much Angela. I hope you can hear me say them."

'Love.'

'I love you.'

'. . . hope you can hear me say them.'

It was almost like those words now in my head taunt me with how he just said those words, almost as though he knew I was there all along and wanted to throw this charade we were playing. But it wasn't the case since I see his figure walk away from the statue.

Brisk walking my way to my monument, I found myself drawn to his bouquet. It wasn't like I didn't know he hasn't visited before with flowers, but this might be the first time I catch him in the act. Oh how fate can be a cruel and make my life even more strange.

I take the bouquet with me, but not before flying up to be at eye-level with the statue of my former self. The way the sculpted my face well that it even had the same expression I used to have when I would heal a person with my skills in peace. A peace that for some reason no longer resonates for me.

'Angela Ziegler is dead. Only Nemesis remains.'

The last thought finally brought me back to my conviction and resolve. I am who I am now because of what happened here. I cannot for the life of me back down now.

"I must fulfill my goal. Even if it means making necessary sacrifices." I whispered to myself in somewhat comfort. Looking back up to the sky I see that there is a brief calmness before the breeze and rain continue, to which I should take that as my signal to finally leave this place.

I jettison my way out of the memorial site, bouquet held tight with my right hand as I fly away from it all, back to where I need to pack my equipment and continue my goal. To fly away from my former life. To fly away from the name Dr. Angela Ziegler. To fly away from Overwatch's Mercy.

I can do all of that.

I felt slight moisture pool under my eye, thinking at first it was rain droplets once again, but I know that my visor will have prevented weather from hitting my eyes. I know it's my tears from the last thought I had but I don't want to acknowledge it enough to finally think of the answer for it like the others.

"To let go and fly away from the man I love." I mumble to myself as I continue flying away past the road that connects the memorial, and a parking lot for the visitors. Just thinking about the visitors of the memorial brought me back to him again, and what he said before he left.

"I hope you can hear me say them."

Thinking back to those words, and I am letting that inner voice within me answer it, since I know I can't even begin to think of it right now.

'I did hear you Jack Morrison.'

'I heard you loud and clear.'

The last one was enough to even get me smile at the thought as I continue flying past everything, eventually nearing my hide-away.

"Your Angel still heard you."