Chapter 2: Arriving

Something was... different. The last thing he remembered was those two Arschl?cher bullying him yet again. Somehow, they were of the opinion that he was a freak and considering a certain amount of curious incidents in his past he was inclined to agree. Then after yet another incident where both bullies had ended up beaten on the floor and he himself very exhausted. Suddenly, she had appaered. He didn't know why he knew that she was called Mercy but whatever was wrong with him it concerned her. Now after passing out in front of three women he slowly awoke but noticed that he wasn't lying on the street anymore but in a bed. Everything about the room he was in was white: the bed, the table and the chair in front of it and even the frame of the big mirror opposite to his bed was white. He frowned. Something was off. Where was he?

The door - also white - at the far corner of the room opened and in came the blonde woman he somehow knew was called Mercy. She stepped to his bed an looked on a screen at his side. She then sighed and looked at him.

"Are you awake?" She asked kindly shining a lamp at his eyes.

He blinked uncomfortably. Somehow that seemed to satisfy her. He nodded. "I am, but where am I?"

"At an old Overwatch facility." She explained to him. "Officially, it's been vacated after Overwatch got disbanded but a dear friend lives here. He allowed us to bring you here."

His senses sharpened and he was now on full alert. She hadn't told him where the facility was and he had a feeling that she wanted to keep this from him for now. That was suspicious. "Why?"

"To fully diagnose what has been done to you." She began explaining. However she was interrupted by a giant monkey entering through the door.

"To fully diagnose what has been done to you." He reiterated. "After you passed out on the streets Doctor Ziegler here has run a few diagnostics on you since her medicine wouldn't work on you, it always works so that was curious. She, Lena and Miss Amari have found out that your body has been severely cybernetically altered. You have nanobots in your whole system, several computer-like structures in your brain, your skeleton is enhanced with a very sturdy metal alloy and next to your heart we found a generator. Do you have any idea what that could be for?"

He sat there speechless. That monkey spoke. Wait, no, that wasn't the weirdest thing. His body had been altered to such a degree? How? When? And why did he know that this monkey was called Winston? Maybe it was on one of those implants he supposedly had in his brain? He shook his head out of confusion.

"Can you help me remember?" He asked cautiously and faced Winston with a hopeful expression. These people kept some information from him but he couldn't find any hostility in their faces. He would trust them, for now.

"I'll certainly try to help you remember." Winston said. "And Doctor Ziegler has agreed to help you get through the process and any trauma that could be uncovered. As I've already told you your body has been severely altered. In fact it's been done to such an extend that the process to do it would probably be illegal in most countries. So it wouldn't be much of a surprise if your subconscious simply locked the memories away because they were too much to bear. Do you still wish for us to help?"

Behind the 'mirror' Lena and Fareeha stood listening intently. Both their weaponry was in the same room and Angela had been armed with her caduceus pistol. She hadn't want to carry it but Fareeha had insisted. It could very well be that 'Mark' was a potential threat once he discovered who he was or he just faked the amnesia to get in der midst. So certain measurments had been made to ensure the safety of Watchpoint Gibraltar and it's now five inhabitants. The room 'Mark' was in could be sealed of with a barrier similar to what Reinhard's shield is made of. The two women watched as 'Mark' nodded at Winston's words and confirmed again that he wanted to be helped.

"Please do." He nodded.

Mercy - Doctor Angela Ziegler - sat down on the chair she had dragged to the bed and opened a file on the tablet she had with her. "First things first: Do you have a name?"

He shook his head with a pained expression. "Not that I remember."

"Would you like one?" Winston inquired with a kind voice. He knew how it felt to have a personality but no name to associate it with. It was horrible.

"Yes, please."

"How about Mark?" Mercy asked looking at him openly curious how he would react.

He thought about it. The name had a nice ring to it and somehow he felt like he would like it if he was called 'Mark'. Mark nodded. "Yes that sounds wunderbar."

Mercy smiled. "It sure does. When we found you, you said that you didn't remember anything past the last two years. Can you tell us what happened during those two years?"

Mark began describing what he remembered. He couldn't tell them a concrete date of the first day he remembered but after about ten minutes he had described how he had been an orphan for at least those two years. He had been shoved from orphanage to orphanage finally landing at the one Mercy had found him in front of. But at that time he hadn't been an inhabitant of it anymore he had been shunted from it too and had lived on the streets. He had no home and nowhere to go. If Mark was honest with himself he was kind of glad that someone had finally come and picked him up. Mercy and Winston listened and paid him their full attention. Occasionally Dr. Ziegler would scribble something down on her tablet but apart from that she remained where she was. When he was finished her and Winston's had eyes a sad glint in them.

"You've been through a lot, but don't worry we're here to help you now." The blonde reassured him. "Is there anything else you remember?"

Mark's eyebrows came together as he thought about that. He felt like there were some more informations just beyond his reach. It was like they were locked away from him. However, there was something he hadn't told the doctor yet.

"Whenever I would get in trouble." He began carefully. "For example like when you found me with those two guys. Whenever something like that happened and whenever I was close to getting hurt something happens. I don't really remember anything from those occasions but the others always end up beaten and when there are bystanders they always look at me with fear - like I'm some kind of freak. To be honest at this point I kind of feal like one."

"Oh, and I heal kinda fast." He added.

Mercy nodded and made some more notes on her tablet. Snapping it shut she looked at Mark again. "That sounds like a complete amnesia. You don't remember anything past the last two years. That is highly unusual. In most cases the patient does remember at least some small thing. Maybe that what happens when you get into trouble could be a starting point for us? Hmm. No, we won't put you under any kind of pressure like that." She firmly shook her head. "First you'll have a decent meal and then you'll be assigned a room just for you. Maybe when some kind of stability enters your life - for example living here for a few days or weeks even - you'll start to remember something. It could be possible that your brain simply was too occupied to remember anything past the last two years. Can you stand?"

Mark shrugged. He felt pretty fine. "I'll try to."

With help from both Winston and Mercy he actually managed to stand up and once he stood he slowly regained his sense of equilibrium. Slowly he took his hands of their shoulders and stood on his own. "Wow. Normally it takes longer for me to regain my balance."

"You've been out for three days."

Mark stopped and turned with an incredulous expression. "Three days? How?"

"We don't know." Angela confessed. "We've tried to wake you up but nothing worked. Not even injecting your bloodstream with pure adrenaline. Maybe also because of your alterations."

Mark nodded. As sad as it was that made sense. It could be very possible that his body's metabolism was also altered to allow his body to host all the changes done to it. He wasn't a doctor but he knew that a normal body would probably try to repel foreign substances, for example an entire frigging generator next to the heart. He was guided out of the room and advised to follow Tracer. The cheerful woman first guided him towards the cafeteria. When they arrived Mark noticed that a delicious smell wafted through the room. He sniffed the air. He had never smelled anything like it but it smelled good. His stomach rumbled noticably and he looked sheepishly at Tracer.

"I don't suppose we could stop by for some food?" He asked.

She grinned. "That's the reason why I took you here. You were out for three days, luv. You're bound to be hungry and you're in luck. Fareeha makes a godly schawarma."

"Thanks."

Mark was relieved. To be honest he felt like he was starving. His body clearly disapproved of him not eating for three days straight and made it's opinion very clear so he went ahead and took a tray to the kitchen counter. Tracer was right behind him. When they arrived at the kitchens she called out.

"Fareeha, luv. How's it going with the food?"

The dark skinned woman emerged, smiling at her friend's antics. "Pretty good the first helpings should be finished by now. I take it you're both hungry?"

Tracer grinned. "Of course. Two helpings please."

"I would like some food too, if that's all right." Mark asked cautiously. He didn't want to make a bad impression so he tried to be as polite as possible.

"Three helpings of shawarma coming up." Fareeha announced and gave them back their plates now laden with food. "I've also prepared some salad so you better eat that too, Lena!"

The addressed woman simply laughed and twirled on the spot walking to a nearby table. "Of course. You know me!"

"That's exactly why I'm saying this."

Mark decided not to comment on this and simply followed Tracer to the table and took a place opposite to her. He took a careful bite out of the shawarma and his palate was flooded by sheer deliciousness. The chicken meat was tender and perfectly seasoned and the dough was crips but not rock hard. The rest of the fillings and the salad proved to be delicious as well and Mark quickly scarfed everything down. When he heard a giggle he looked up the last bit of salad just on it's way to his mouth.

"It's good, isn't it luv?" Tracer asked with a knowing smile. "But damn boy you can eat fast, can't you?"

Mark nodded sheepishly carefully and slowly chewing the last piece of salad. "This is really good and satisfying to eat."

"It is, innit?" Tracer agreed quickly taking a big bite out of her own schawarma. Mark noticed that she had arrived on her second serving by now.

"You know." She began. "It's really refreshing to see someone who eats about as fast as me. Due to my condition my metabolism is way faster than a normal person's so I tend to eat more and more quickly than any of my friends. Some envy me since I don't easily gain any weight but I lose weight way too fast so I always have to eat."

She concluded happily chewing on her food. "The upside is that I can eat tons of delicious food. "

Mark nodded and quickly realized that this reminded him of his own behaviour when it came to eating.

"Can I ask you something Tracer?"

"Do call me Lena, I'm not on duty right now. Anyways, ask away!"

"Why are you so friendly to me?"

Mark watched as Lena tilted her head to the side a curious expression on her face. It was clear that she didn't really understand why he asked.

"Well we don't really have any reason to believe that you're hostile towards any of us." She explained. "Besides my condition isn't that big of a secret. Many people know of it."

"So that means as long as they're not hostile towards you, you're friendly to anyone?" Mark asked with wonder. He had never met any person with such a positive attitude - let alone four of them.

"Exactly!"

Huh - that was nice. Mark had never met persons like that. Even the adults 'graciously' coming to the orphanages to pick up one or two children often did that with the intention to rub it in everyone's faces to stroke their egos. No one he had met before had been this good-naturedly without there being a catch. He smiled back at Lena.

"That's refreshing to hear."

Fareeha's head stuck out of the kitchen. "Any more schawarma you two?"

Both Mark and Lena enthusiastically agreed and in the end Fareeha joined them with a helping of schawarma herself. Lena entertained the two others by reenacting funny stories she had experienced with her time powers and funny accents she would mimic. Both women watched in awe as Mark demolished a total of six servings before he announced that his hunger was quenched - for now. Lena then dragged him along to further show him the base. She showed him the training facilities with a big gym and an even bigger shooting range. To say that Mark was impressed would be a crude understatement. To think that this base's technology was not state-of-the-art was mind blowing. After that Lena took him outside and guided Mark along a rocky path she later announced to be her track she regularly ran on whenever she was on site. She then challenged Mark who she had noticed had a tall and slim body with long legs fit for running to a small competition. Whoever would reach the base first would win.

"All right." Mark grinned at Lena challengingly. "I'll do it if you promise you won't use your powers to blink."

She sulked her plan clearly having been discovered but quickly recovered. Grinning sheepishly she called out. "All right. Athena, luv, you there?"

A speaker close to them chimed and a pleasant feminine voice spoke to them. "Yes, Lena?"

"Woah. You even have an A.I. system?" Mark was impressed.

"Yeah. Winston programmed her with learning abilities so by now Athena's practically a super intelligent human without a body. She's really helpful."

Athena simply chimed in agreement. Mark thought that it was suspiciously close to a hum of agreement. Everything about this place seemed to have been made with one goal in mind: signaling pleasentness for any person staying at the base. True it was a former military operations base but there were so many things Mark would not have expected from such a base. He always thought the military's soldiers would live a very spartan-like life but that seemed to be untrue for Overwatch.

"So what do you want Lena?" Athena asked.

"Well Mark and I'll have a little competition. We're about to have a race back to the entrance and I would like you to act as the impartial referee, is that okay luv?"

"Of course." Athena agreed and Mark would later swear that there was mirth in her voice. "Then on my count: 3 - 2 - 1 - go!"

Mark immediately speeded down the path they had come but he quickly noticed that Lena was effortlessly keeping his pace and slowly overtook him. She waved to him grinning cockily and he grinned back. The wind fron the speed they were going was exhilarating. Lena then suddenly shouted something at him but he couldn't understand it. The wind was too strong in his ears and adrenaline or whatever was the equivalent of that in his body was flooding his system. He didn't want to stop but then he saw the entrance and saw that the doors were closed. He tried to slow down but didn't really manage to do so, so he shielded his face with his elbows as he ran head first into the doors. Thankfully he had slowed down a bit so his arms got slightly bruised but that was about it. He triumphantly turned to Lena but he didn't see her. Then suddenly Athena's voice could be heard announcing:

"It's a draw!"

"Boop!" Lena suddenly blinked out of his blind spot directly in front of him. "You're seriously fast to keep pace with me."

Mark smiled nervously. "I've never run this fast but after all this superb schawarma I just felt like I could do anything."

"Wow" Lena said with wonder in her eyes. "Maybe your alterations enable you to such feats. Let's hit the gym! I want to test that theory. Athena please call Angela and Winston if I'm right they'll probably want to see this."

Angela and Winston were already there when Lena and Mark arrived at the gym. Mark was unsure what would happen next and he didn't know what he was supposed to do, but luckily Lena knew what she was doing and guided him from station to station and instructed him on how to use them. Angela and Winston followed them and the doctor noted whichever weight or how many repetitions Mark could do the most at the stations. Both her and Winston's eyebrows seemed to have decided to wander up their faces. Lena however was grinning broadly whenever Mark seemed to perform way past her expectations.

"All right Mark" Winston adjusted his glasses. "It would seem that your alterations enable you to perform 30 % better than most good athletes on the average. That is especially curious seeing how effortless you were handling these weights."

"I don't like that." Angela said with a stern expression. Even if she hadn't said that her face would've given away just how much she disapproved of Mark's performance.

"I'm sorry." Mark said abashedly. He was afraid that he had done something wrong but much to his relief Angela quickly explained that it wasn't something he had done.

"You're pretty slim so to enable your body to be as strong as you are..." She trailed off thoughtfully. "The alterations are probably even more severe than I thought or it's something we just don't see yet."

"It appears that only time will tell." Winston said with a warm voice. "That and maybe a few more diagnostics we'll have to come up. Until we've discovered and got back your memories you're welcome to stay here Mark. Of course, the same goes for you, Lena, Angela, Fareeha too!"

Even if it would probably be only temporary Mark finally felt himself being accepted and at home for the first time since he could remember. Given that he didn't remember much it was still a great feeling.

"I would love to." He said and after a moment of silence he embarrasedly added. "Could I see my room now?"