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Gency Week Day 7: Camellia/My Destiny Is In Your Hands

Day 7: My Destiny Was Always In Your Hands AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19071907/chapters/46102117

This chapter is for Obamacare4u and for @glazzrain, for loving this series when I was insecure about it myself. Special thanks and love to a certain hobbit @historicfailure writer for helping me with this <3 It’s also for all the others who had silently loved this. The final chapter!

Closing the book in her hands, there was a moment where she simply stared off into space. Her mind wasn’t whirling with thoughts nor was she terribly troubled by it, rather... she felt at a loss. Was this what he had intended? To blindside her with this book? Filled with his feelings and memories? Staring blankly at the book, she traced the golden calligraphy of the title, feeling the slight friction and raised bumps of the dried ink under her fingernail.

‘Was he afraid I'd forget him?’

‘You already did.’

‘I’m remembering him now though?’

‘He’s already reduced to a mere memory to you in his mind. It’s never the same.’

She gave a rueful grin, bringing the book closer to her chest and held it close. How much pain had he been suffering? Because of her. He never once complained about it, not even when he initially found her coincidentally in the café. It was like he had accepted her and was willing to start anew.

A drop of water plopped as her head ached with a dull thump. Like a crack in the sky, rain began to pitter-patter on the cold pavement. Looking up with a wince and fingers on her temple, she watched the rain fall from inside the kitchen, staring at the reflection of light dancing in the water curtain.

‘It was raining when I found him too. Just like it was raining after dinner in the office.’

Hugging the book with an arm, she reached out the open backdoor to touch the cold falling droplets, letting it trickle down the slender fingers. They move slowly around her digits, the droplets transparent yet opaque, falling as if beckoned to the ground with the crook of a siren’s finger. With the breeze, her fingers grew cold, but would it be crazy if she said that she felt warm at the touch, as though she felt close to it, a bond that couldn’t be broken.

‘Because it’s a connection between him and I?’ She bitterly chuckled before retracting it back into the warmth of the kitchen.

Seeing that the time for her break was almost up, she hurriedly returned to her job, settling the book back into the bag and dumping it under the counter. Yet, drama already started to roll before she even stepped out of the kitchen.

“Moira? What are you doing here.” Mei’s tone was flat with an edge around it, though the smile remained. It lacked any warmth, having simply been forced there as the shorter woman looked at the newest incomer.

Brushing the ginger hair out of her mismatched eyes, she grinned lazily at Mei. “It’s been a while, Doctor Zhou, but I wonder if I could still read your colleagues' research into the long-term effects of cryogenic freezing.”

Mei tried to stay firm against the woman, but she couldn’t deny the tremble in her knees, the tight grip on her pen as she inwardly cried softly: Why is this woman even here! Moira’s smile may have seemed friendly to those oblivious, but Mei knew first-hand of the mad woman’s persistence in science and its discoveries, and her experiments can be lethal. Look at Widowmaker, damn it!

Moira went up to the counter, the lethal grin still on her sharp face. “Could I place my order?”

“Yes... Well... S-Sure... maybe?” Mei’s smile twitched as she dug her heel onto the floor, stopping her from taking a step back and ignoring Moira’s knowing smile at the same time. There’s nothing Moira could do to her now, don’t panic, don’t worry, she kept telling herself. With a deep breath, she recollected herself and asked in a friendly manner, “What would you like to order?”

Before the ginger woman could even get a word in, Angela appeared from the kitchen with a paper bag in hand. “Moira? What are you doing here?”

Pleasant surprise shone in those pair of mismatched eyes. “You’ve remembered, huh? Took you long enough.” Confusion flitted across both Mei and Angela’s faces. Moira laughed in dark glee at the sight before gesturing for Angela to talk to her in a corner. The two women shared a glance when the café owner ultimately agreed. Looked like she was extending her break time.

“How’s your head doing?” Moira asked when the pair reached a quiet spot in the corner of the café. Buds of camellias decorated the café this week, dotting the place with various tones of red, pink and white, where even a row blocked them from view of curious onlookers.

Angela was apprehensive and Moira rolled her eyes at the blonde doctor’s silence. “I’m the one that helped you recover your memories, Doctor Ziegler.” A groan escaped her lips when Angela stared incredulously at her. “It wasn’t hard. Those quack doctors don’t even know what they’re doing. Your body’s been altered with your applied nanobiology, so it has always been functioning different than normal humans.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve already stimulated your cells to begin their proper, actual recovery. So, how are you feeling?”

Angela nodded her head slowly, digesting the new information that she was told. “It’s not hurting as when I first remembered a memory. But I feel like I haven’t remembered everything.”

Moira drummed her fingers on the table, resting her chin in the propped-up palm thoughtfully. “It seems like quite a slow process. But it should be the majority of your memories because by now only two weeks had passed. Do you feel any different?”

Angela shook her head. She felt nothing different apart from feeling a lot lighter than she used to be.

Moira nodded slowly. “Alright. After today, you should probably remember it all.”

“What do you mean –”

A clawed hand reached out towards her face, the limb enlarged and glowing orange before her eyes. A chill ran down her spine as fear quickly consumed her. Subconsciously, Angela moved back from the unknown but Moira was quicker. She shot to her feet and leaned forward; the sound of the chair scrapping back echoing exceptionally loud in Angela’s ears. A cold sensation washed over her body, but unlike the odd warmth that she felt before, this was a cold that chilled her bones to their very core. She forced herself to keep breathing, to stop the panic from rising in her chest, and the palm descended upon her head. Fingernails dug into her scalp, sight shrouded in a flickering orange and she felt a force enter her cells. It stimulated the blood in her veins, causing them to pulsate and thump with a life force unlike the norm. A tinge of gold surfaced from the red cells, detaching and floating in the stream of blood as though they belonged before hopping and allowing the current to bring them away. They travelled through every vein, every stream, bringing about a chilly comfort in her body as she felt lighter and lighter, and the dull ache in her head fully disperse, dissolving into the shadows with no traces of its existence.

But images danced in her mind, filled with voices and emotions, rushing and flashing like a movie on play. She saw a young blonde girl chasing after her father and mother, a loving couple who kissed her and called her their little angel; she saw death and chaos as the world fell into ruins with the war on omnics; found light in saving and healing people with her own two hands, that there was where she belonged. And then there was a shroud of darkness before her sight was filled with still colours and light, and Moira’s smug grin was clear in front of her eyes.

“That should be all but it should come back to you over time. Maybe in the next month or so.”

Angela blinked to steady the blurring of her vision, slumping into her seat, not recognising the farewell Moira gave or the sound of her departure, for she was too focused on the memories playing in her mind.

~*~*~

I thanked the elderly man for the keys and walked into my new apartment. It was slightly on the older age, but still sturdy and comfortable despite the weather on the walls. It was a little out of the city, nearer to the outskirts, with flowering trees lining the pavements. My room was a lot smaller than the dorm room I had in the bureau, but it gave me a sense of control and freedom as I looked at the white walls, the wooden frame of the hard bed, and the similar hard wood furnishings around the place. It was perfect, at least it was for the next month before I leave.

Dropping my bag on the round table, I tugged the scarf away from my neck as I slowly made my way to the large window. I felt no pain except for the malfunctioning of my cyborg self. I was limping, the left leg heavier than my right and it would creak as it bent at the knee. I pulled it up and straightened it on to the wide ledge by the windowsill, leaving my other leg dangling down as I rested my chin on the crook of my elbow, watching the people go about in their daily lives. They were laughing and smiling leisurely, unlike the lowered heads of those busy bustling in the city. Pink flower petals rustled and drifted down, painting the grey pavements a bright colour. It reminded me of the time when Sakura blossoms would bloom in Hanamura and I’d watch people pass just like this. Simple and carefree. And that’s when I caught sight of my own reflection against the glass, the dark black hair hanging limply against my forehead, locks having grown longer. My eyes traced the scars on my face like they’ve done so many times before, yet I felt at peace. At peace with the scars, at peace with my choices. It wouldn’t be long now.

All there’s left was dinner.

I sat there, remembering the memories that she and I shared in the past weeks, a tender smile floating on my lips. Even when there was the pitter and patter of rain against my window, my eyes closed for favour of basking itself in Nature’s orchestra. Soft and rhythmic, battering against the glass, and I descended into darkness at the gentle lull of sleep, one where I was free from the jeering and murmured insults behind my back, one where I felt safe.

~*~*~

But his rest wasn’t long at all, because on the fourth day after settling in, his left leg was acting up; It refused to bend and move according to his wishes, lying straight as a rod, as dead as any metal could be. Heavy pants heaved his chest to rise and fall, fingers tightly gripping the metal thigh as desperation silently screamed in his scarred countenance. Move, just move, damn it! There was a panic in his eyes when the mere feeling of his leg faded, as though the leg became simply what it was before: A dead metal. Fuck, fuck, fuck. No! His fingers clawed into the dead thigh, unwilling to accept the sheer hopelessness of the situation, and in a fit of despair, I started beating at my leg, pounding at it with my fists in hope that it’ll move. Just fucking move! I should have known that my light was frail, that my hope was nothing but a fleeting moment, a wistful thinking. The deep darkness swallowed me whole, diminishing all the happiness and bliss of all that I looked forward to. I cried in anguish while wrapping my hands around the thigh from where flesh met metal, the vision blurring in my eyes as a layer of wetness appeared on the surface.

Why? Why now!

Another howl was ripped from my throat and I laid down in defeat on my thigh, my sweaty forehead coming into contact with it.

Please. Why?

Couldn’t you have lasted another month?

Fuuuck!

Roaring out in unwilling rage, I harshly brought my fist back down onto the thigh, slamming it with every ounce of power that I could muster. The moment my fist pounded onto the limb, there was an instant jerk and a painful shock electrifying my senses that made me wince and cry out in pain. A relieved, wet smile broke out on my face when I felt the tingling sensation running along the limb.

Oh, God. Fucking hell. Fuck.

I grunted, willing my leg to move. It twitched, sending sparks of joy off in me. Any movement was better than none, right? I kneaded at my thigh, urging for the blood to flow in the flesh, hoping that it would stimulate it to function. A deep breath in and I tried again, but the more I pushed, the more it felt like I was trying to move a hundred-year old tree trunk. It inched bit by bit towards the edge of the bed, toes wiggling in between – A desperate grasp onto hope if you will.

A dull thump echoed in the silent room when the foot dropped onto the floor, leaving only the sounds of my heavy breathing. Sweat oozed out from my every pore, jet black hair clinging onto my face, feeling like the battlefield was already half won. Pushing off the bed, I grimaced as my arm creaked under the pressure and got to my feet. The room tilted and swayed, and I quickly steadied my staggering feet. A foot lifted, toes tapping on the floorboards, and I was elated at the sensation of touch. Breathing out the stress bubbling in my stomach, I combed my hair back with a hand, preparing myself for a very long day.

~*~*~

When the night came, I had somehow gotten my leg to manage walking around like a normal human, and not lug around like a headless zombie. Dropping onto the chair, I stared proud yet pained at my leg, and then my hands. How nice would it have been if I was human? Then I could go see a doctor for any pain that I would have and I could cure with just the simplest medicine or physiotherapy, but no. I had to suffer at the hands of my older brother, turned into a machine for the use of others, and when I thought fate had been kind enough with giving me her presence in my life, allowing me to see the light in the dark, it equally ripped it away and now I’m left with a broken body that no one could possibly fix.

“Haha... That’s just how it is. My life’s not mine to live for.”

My soul had been battered and bruised, scarred and cut, leaving behind just a graveyard of buried hopes.

But at least I’ll spend the last of it with her, and then I’ll gladly dissolve away into just being her memories.

A deep rumble echoed from the depths of my empty stomach as a laughter burst from my chest. Before that, food! As I stood up, proud that I didn’t stumble or fall, I dove for my phone on the bed, only to jump in fright when the device suddenly vibrated and rang.

‘Some agent I am,’ I chuckled lowly, bringing the phone up to my ear after accepting the call. “Hello? Genji speaking.”

“Genji, it’s Gabriel.”

Subconsciously, I straightened my back and levelled my tone as I gave him my greetings.

“There’s no time for that right now. I know you’re no longer an agent, but I have a request to make. Is there a way for us to meet?”

I frowned at the severity in his voice. “Alright, I’ll meet you at the office.”

“No. Not there. It’s not safe here. We need to meet somewhere else.”

My frown deepened while I sat up properly atop the bed. There was of course another option to meet up at, plenty actually, but for those that were actually safe? Those were far few and between. Eyes glanced around the quaint little room, teeth gritting in uncertainty. Should I offer up the one place of a sanctuary that I’ve managed to find? One where my frantic heart could calm at, where I wouldn’t be judged endlessly?

I really wanted to say no, that I’ve changed my mind. Besides, it wouldn’t be unreasonable of me, right? I did, after all, decide to leave behind the battlefield of shattered dreams and dark hopes. But this was Gabriel that we were talking about, the one man that, grumpily and secretly happy (I’m sure), took me in despite the war machine I was created into, gave me a place like home that – Sigh.

“Genji?”

“Meet me at my place. I’ll send you the address.”

I couldn’t regret it even if I wanted to now.

~*~*~

A series of raps sounded on the door and my head whipped up to stare at it unhappily with the noodles in my mouth. Slurping the rest of it down, I stood up while a resigned sigh escaped.

I came face to face with Gabriel’s haggard appearance upon unlocking the door, which brought forth a wave of confusion as it was a sight rarely seen on the man. He stepped into the room while the scent of food assaulted his nose, waking him just ever so slightly. Tired eyes scanned the minimal possessions that littered the place, before falling upon the unfinished cup of instant noodles by the table.

Apologetically, he turned towards me when I walked past him and back to my dinner. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, Genji.”

“It’s alright. What happened?” I fought the urge to squirm under his watchful gaze. Had he noticed? Of slowing steps and ragged movements?

“It’s Jack.”

I paused mid-action, the slightly warm noodles caressing my open lips that curved into a frown. Jack. It’s Jack again. Exhaling the rising anger with a deep breath, I reluctantly put my food down when the atmosphere grew tense and breathing was a little hard.

Gabriel took my stare and silence as a sign to continue. “On the day you resigned, Jack took it upon himself to complete a mission that was initially put aside for you.”

“What kind of mission?”

“An infiltration mission. Recent intel reports gathered that the real Slade is the real owner behind the Lumiere corporation that owns majority of the high-end hotels.”

I nodded, indicating that I was following along in understanding the situation. With that much power and money, he could easily build up another underground drug ring, and with that kind of potential customer base, he could easily gain more profits. The only thing I couldn’t fathom was: “Why make the corpse poison then?”

Gabriel bitterly laughed. “That... is probably related to us. We have reasons to believe that that poison was concocted to be used on us, the “scum of the earth” as Slade put not-so-subtly.”

“Us? What did we do?”

“Remember Blackwatch?” Gabriel sighed as he dropped onto the chair. “With the stories of assassination, coercion, kidnapping, torture, and others that went around, he was one of those extremists that believed Overwatch was a façade put up for our real identity: Blackwatch.”

My lips tugged downwards at the distant memory. Blackwatch had been created and it was present at some point, but it was not exactly those rumours made it out to be. It was, to put it simply, the ones that did the dirty work for Overwatch, as the latter was made to maintain peace and fight against terrorism. It had to show up a ‘good’ front to the public, but there were scuffles that couldn’t be done in a ‘nice guy’ way, if you knew what I mean.

“So, the mission was to infiltrate the company and take him out, and if possible, to destroy all sources of the corpse poison,” Gabriel finished with a dejected sigh.

And I could see why it was originally left aside for me until I recovered. No one was stealthier than I was. This was easy for a ninja after all. I looked at Gabriel’s slumped form. Sure, I now understood the bigger picture, but something still nagged at me. Infiltration missions were fairly normal and we got them sometimes while at the bureau, but why the extreme secrecy? There shouldn’t be a reason that we couldn’t have met at the bureau, unless...

Gabriel watched grimly as the realisation dawned upon my face. I returned it with a wide-eyed stare full of shock. Mouth slightly agape, fingers trembling.

Unless, there was a mole.

There must be something or someone that he was trying to avoid, a factor that could potentially jeopardise the entire mission that Jack was on, one that could endanger his life. Which could then explain how every Overwatch member was sent an envelope with the dinner party at Lumiere Hotel because I was pretty damn certain that our information was confidential (the invitation was a dead giveaway that it was a trap anyway).

Gabriel nodded in agreement, as though he could hear my thoughts just from my changing expression alone. The man probably could. “We’ve already suspected that there was a mole in the bureau from the moment we received the envelope, but didn’t think they’d make another move so fast. Jack’s mission has already been compromised.”

“What?”

“We’ve already lost contact with him for,” he glanced at his watched with pursed lips, “by now, 13 hours. He was supposed to check in with us over an hour ago.”

My expression was scrunched up as logic was playing in my mind. The lack of communication itself shouldn’t indicate a compromised mission, especially not if it’s only been less than 24 hours. The situation might have changed where Jack could not check in with the team, an occurrence that happened fairly often.

The rustling of clothes caught my attention and I watched curiously as Gabriel slipped a hand into his trench coat, revealing a wrinkled white envelope that was lined with plastic from the sound of crinkles. He pushed it across the table and I took it into my hands, breath turning sharp and expression going grim at the chopped off phalanges. It seemed freshly cut as the blood still looked red and bright, with a little block of white from the bone sticking out at the end, and from the looks of it, it seemed to be Jack’s little finger.

“This was sent an hour ago.”

They’ve already got him, was what Gabriel didn’t say. Closing the envelope, I looked up to face him in the eye. “And you want me to go and save him?”

Gabriel closed his eyes, face tight and lips straight. When I saw the dark gaze hidden beneath the eyelids, the light in them had dimmed. “Please? Could you?”

“And at the same time, finish the mission,” I finished flatly. Holding my hand out, he dropped the USB flash drive fished out of his pocket, but before he dropped it into my palm, he turned to me seriously.

“Are you sure that you’ll do this? You need to understand that you’ll be doing this as a hired assassin, rather than someone from within the bureau.”

“And if I get into trouble, you and the bureau will pretend to not know me at all. My files will be wiped. I understand.”

“Then why do this? You don’t have to.”

I could only give him a wry smile. “I don’t. But I want to.”

Gabriel sighed, feeling the heavy guilt weighing hard on his mind, and finally dropped the USB flash drive into my hand. “Have access to a computer?”

“My phone should work.”

The chair scrapped along the floor when Gabriel got to his feet. I followed suit.

“Thank you, for doing this, Genji.” His voice sounded weary, vulnerable even.

“It’s not a worry, Gabriel. The least I could do for you.” I’m sure he caught onto the specific words in my sentence but he smiled it off.

“Good luck.”

With the door now locked, I went back to my bed, pulling open the drawer by its side as I searched for a certain device. It was a small and black little connector that would connect his phone to the USB flash drive Gabriel left, and it wasn’t until he was about to insert the flash drive that his phone lit up with a new short message.

Angela: Hey, are you asleep?

I vaguely sensed the outlines of the phone in my fingers from gripping it tighter and tighter. I wanted to so badly reply that no, I’m not. And hopefully hear her voice, a sweet melodious tune dancing, with lips curved and soul at peace, but no. I couldn’t. It was enchanting, so much so that once I was drawn in, I fear I wouldn’t leave and if I didn’t, then the mission wouldn’t be completed and Jack. Jack would die.

He’d die.

Not like he was ever my problem.

My thumb tapped and held against the glass screen, forcing it to stay lit as I stared at the words. Not daring to unlock it, afraid I’d be shown online for that brief passing in the messaging app, I dropped my tense shoulders and my hands onto the bed.

Yes, I hadn’t wanted to leave. Staying and visiting her would be my priority for my remaining days here, tasting her food and drinking her coffee, and when the day was right, I’d bring her out for dinner. Not a day too late, but not a day too early either. A dangerous balance to tease, for the former would be risking it against my injuries and already failing limbs, but the latter would make me wish for more, want more, and that was dangerous. Having any desires was a hindrance to my already decided plans; I wouldn’t dare leave when I had to, I wouldn’t want to leave her.

A heavy feeling had settled in my gut when I chose swipe her message aside and to plug in the USB flash drive, choosing to accept and allow the device permission in my phone, and also choosing to ignore her.

Because it was one thing to live in blissful ignorance. Being with her would most definitely be the wasabi to my soy sauce and I know I would find joy in her presence, but choosing so would forsake Jack, and in turn, forsake knowing why Jack did what he did.

I’m not out to seek comfort for his actions, not out to satisfy my humanly urges at wanting to know why. Seeking the truth was seeking liberation.

It only took a couple of seconds for the phone to load everything that was in the USB flash drive and the icon of one folder appeared, so lonesome yet so frighteningly dreadful. And one tap on that folder sealed away any other wistful thoughts that I so endearingly held in this fleeting four days of freedom.

~*~*~

She blew at the long bangs before her eyes away exasperatedly with a huff. Her blonde locks were getting a little long now, the front bangs already reaching below her chin even with a slight wave. Groaning, she combed her hair with her fingers, bringing all of them up into a high ponytail and tying it tight with the hair tie she held between her lips.

Fishing out her phone from her pocket, she stared at the time and grunted unhappily. With a small scowl and her phone stuffed back into the pocket, she turned around and left the kitchen to smile at any customers by the counter.

It’s been four weeks since she last heard from Genji. Not a peep. Not a word.

Her messages had been sending through at first, measured by the double ticks that appeared, but they’ve never been replied to, and his last seen was also a month ago. At first, it was worry and concern on her part when she didn’t hear a word from him, that something was wrong and something might have happened, but yesterday, on her day off, with her recovering memories, she took it upon herself to visit the one building she hadn’t been to in nearly six months: The Intelligence Bureau.

The building was still grand, tall and wide in cream coloured walls and a dusty red roof. Tall evergreen trees on either side of the entrance and its steps lined up its perimeter. She remembered the nervousness she felt, staring up at such a place. Cladded in her long coat, standing in the late summer wind, she stood there by the entrance as waves and waves of memories flashed by, though some sweet, mostly were bitter.

“Hi, welcome! What can I do for you today?” Angela asked a new customer as they approached the counter.

“Could I have the caramel slice cake, please? Takeaway.”

“Sure thing.”

Angela brought out the caramel slice cake and wished her goodbye, and reminisced.

It wasn’t until she saw the first person to exit the building, a familiar face indeed, that she snapped out of her thoughts. Tall and dark skinned, a chiselled jaw even more charming with the short stubble that he was sporting, and hands stuffed in the large pockets of his coat. Equally dark eyes widened in surprise upon catching sight of the blonde café owner.

“Angela?”

She managed a small smile at the old acquaintance. “Hi, Gabriel.”

They had a small talk over lunch, catching up and sorting out any confusion that had bloomed. It was only when she touched upon the topic of Genji that the older man stiffened.

“Genji... he’s on a mission.” Gabriel managed to utter as he set his drink down.

With tight brows and a frown, she asked, “Didn’t he retire from the job?”

And with a resigned sigh, he began to fill her in on the gaps, of how he requested Genji’s assistance, of Jack’s predicament and of the mole in the bureau. He watched her displeasure darken, only to crumble into shock.

“Do you have the details on the missions?” she had asked.

Gabriel’s lips had parted before he closed them again and took a gulp of his drink. “You know I can’t hand out the information. It’s confidential. And you’re no longer a member of the bureau.”

Angela scoffed, averting her eyes from his when she opted to gulp down her annoyance with her tea. “And neither was Genji.”

Gabriel refused her again, but she was persistent, stubborn once her mind was set to it. Following him back to the bureau, he was helpless against her and they tacitly agreed to ignore the weird looks colleagues and ex-colleagues alike gave. Murmured whispers floated into their ears, like incessant chatter of rats in a corn field.

And like before, back to a little under six months ago, Angela ignored them all. She never paid any of them a single heed then, and she still wouldn’t now.

Gabriel’s hand hovered above the doorknob to his office in mid-action of unlocking it just as her voice sounded behind him. “Is Jack’s office open?”

“No,” his eyebrows were tightly knitted. What had she wanted now?

“Do you have the keys?”

Lifting his own set of keys, he turned to look at her with a serious expression. “I do, but why?” No matter what, she was still someone he trusted his life with, a bond forged through the blood, gore and guts of their enemies.

“Are my things in his room?” It was a mere guess, but she had a gut feeling that the things they moved out from her office would naturally be in his.

“It... is. Come.”

And she obediently, wordlessly followed Gabriel to the office a few doors down from his, unlocking it with a resounding click. Stepping into the room, she noted the small layer of dust that covered the place. Neatly stacked papers sat at the side of his table with the desktop computer switched off. A couch and a coffee table in a corner of the room, a bookshelf with some books and files, and there, on the spot behind his table, were boxes arranged nicely. Boxes filled with her things. Her steps were resolute and Gabriel didn’t have the heart to stop her as he watched from the door. Beside those boxes filled with her research and papers, was a fairly large briefcase made of black leather. It was twice the size of the boxes, spanning a little over half a meter long, but she picked it up with ease.

When he saw her pick it up, he sighed sadly in his heart. There was no turning back now. Angela wouldn’t take no for an answer.

As she heaved herself up, an odd little object caught her attention from the corner of her eyes. Bending down, she rubbed away at the collected dust using her thumb, exposing the red velvet surface of the box smaller than her palm. She fiddled with it, wiggling her thumb by the crack and forcing it open with a nail, only to abruptly clasp it shut when a heavy memory speared through her mind without warning.

“Agh!”

Grimacing at the mere pain, her hand holding the box flew up to her head while Gabriel shot forward to steady her staggering steps. A short memory she recognised, now complete, when the remaining cracks pieced themselves together like a puzzle. She saw flowers – snapdragons – and smelled a fruity smell – orange juice – and somehow, she saw familiar silhouettes.

A dark haired man and a blond one.

The last memory.

When the pain receded, she reassured Gabriel that everything was alright.

He didn’t voice his concerns but something in her eyes shook his very core. Bright, vivid blue eyes stared dead into his, the spark dim.

When he entered his office with a heavy heart, he gave her what she wanted: access to the mission details. No hardcopy, no softcopy. Just read it off the computer.

Because she was going in as a rogue, someone unaffiliated with the bureau. It was a little different from Genji’s situation as he was still technically hired, but Angela? She was going in herself. For herself.

And he couldn’t stop her no matter what or how he tried.

“That’s the last for today. Finally,” Mei cried out as she stretched her back, feeling a few pops along her spine. “Such a long day today.”

“Yeah, it was,” Angela absentmindedly nodded.

Mei turned towards her with a frown, dropping her arms to the side and flipped the open sign to close. “What’s wrong? You’ve been out of it today.”

“It’s... nothing.” Memories were a funny thing, having both good and bad. Without them, she was lost and confused, yet she had to endure silently the humiliation and pain as though nothing was wrong. “When do you leave for your trip to the Arctic?”

“I was planning to go in a month, so I’m thinking to quit after two weeks.” Mei didn’t comment on Angela’s sudden change in topics, believing that her friend would tell her when she wanted.

A thoughtful hum from said friend. “I will be gone in the next two weeks. An emergency came up. I was hoping you’d watch over the café for me.”

A series of impatient knocks cut off Mei’s words as a both ladies turned to the glass door. Scowling behind the glass was Junkrat with two ice creams in his hands, foot tapping on the ground and back slouched. Mei gave Angela an apologetic look and she repeated ‘sorry’ three times as she picked up her bag and rushed towards the door.

“I’ll take care of the café for the time you’re going! Good night, Angela!”

“Good -” the café owner smiled helplessly when the Asian woman had already dashed out of the doors, grabbing the strawberry and cream ice cream just as the door swung shut, “...night.”

When the last of her employees had left for the night and she locked the door behind her, she went home. The summer sunset was warm, but underneath its glow were clouds tinged with dangerous foreboding. People on the sidewalk subconsciously avoided the expressionless blonde, chattering while they walked away. Shadows casted over her face while a deep rumble growled among the clouds. Voices grew louder, higher pitched at the first drop of rain and the women shrieked when the following downpour fell, but not Angela. Soaked to the bone with clothes getting heavier, she padded across the sidewalk silently without complaints, unbothered to remove even her convenient carry-on umbrella.

Dark coloured patches discoloured the tiled flooring, leading up to her apartment door. The sounds of water sloshing echoed in the empty hallway.

Click.

And the door shut behind her.

A blinding white light flashed, lighting up her shadowed features. Like yesterday, the radiance in her eyes had dimmed, but what Gabriel couldn’t catch from the glimpse was the burning desire, one to save the men.

Men needed to be saved sometimes too, just sometimes by a woman.

~*~*~

Just prior...

In the dead of the night, a soft caress of the wind mercilessly plucked a few flowers off the trees, bringing them for a dance before selfishly dropping them onto the grassy grounds of the garden and drifting off again. I relished in the cool air upon my face and exposed skin. Stripped from my usual full body suit, I reverted back to something more minimal, but only because the outer shell of my suit had begun crumbling. I flexed my left arm, gripping at nothing but the dancing breeze skating across my bare arm and I couldn’t help the smile that flitted across my lips. My mask was swapped in favour of the old one as well, one that covered my head but retained a gap for my eyes, unlike the green visor that my latest suit had.

A couple of voices wafted in the air and I immediately slunk back into the shadows of the leafy tree I was lying in, careful to mask any rustling alongside the wind’s path. With thick stems and lush green leaves, it served as the perfect cover for the night.

I had been staking out the building for over the past three weeks, observing and watching the patterns of those going in and out, and those already inside. Not once in these three weeks that I’ve been here did I see hide nor hair of either Slade or Jack, though I was suspicious (and pretty confident) that the latter might be kept in a place more inconspicuous. The Lumiere Corporation’s headquarters kept a tight security of those that went in and out, requiring a key card and a body scan through the doors. The body scan I’m not too worried about, but the key card...

The couple walked into the garden, giggling and chuckling. I went on alert when I clearly saw who walked in. Katy Campbell and Shawn Duncan, two of the more senior personnel in the company.

Katy looked up at the darkening clouds with a frown. “It looks like it’s about to rain.” She let out a surprised shriek when Shawn snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

“But we just only got on our break,” he grinned at her flushing cheeks.

“Hey! We’re outside,” she chided him when his palm went a lot lower than her waist. “And it’s going to rain soon.”

“No one can see us. Everyone’s too busy with the Chairman’s meeting. And it won’t rain yet.” Shawn pulled her closer to his chest and dipped his head to capture her lips in his, when a black silhouette crashed into the two of them.

“What the fuck!” Shawn swore at the shadow as he pushed himself to a stand, pissed at being disturbed just as he was getting to the good part.

“H-How did that thing get in here?”

A growl rumbled from the dog’s throat and the couple jumped in fright. They paled at the bare fangs and hurriedly scrambled to their feet. In their distress, they failed to notice the black shadow that had been standing behind them, equally failing to note that the dog’s attention wasn’t on them all along.

I tucked the key card away in my pocket and snarled at the dog, giving it only a silent apology for mistreating it. The poor canine yelped at the pair of crimson eyes gleaming in the dark and backpedalled in fear, crying inwardly at how victimised it was before running away.

Dog: I’m innocent! I was thrown here by that man!

I leapt away from my spot as lights flooded the garden and the couple from earlier returned with security. Grabbing onto the drain pipes, I swiftly scaled up the wall just as Katy cried out: “There was a dog in here!”

The frantic shrieking and confusion gradually died down as I scaled higher and higher. Under the cover of the stormy clouds, I easily made my way to the rooftop undetected. Mentally, I brought up the blueprint designs of the building once I reached the top and quickly traced the path I had long prepared. With a quick swipe of the key card, I broke open the door leading to the roof and was immediately greeted with the long staircase spiralling down.

After three long weeks of scouting and a hell lot more waiting, it was finally time to make my move. Even though it was partially thanks to Shawn for the extra information.

Without batting an eyelid, I grabbed onto the railing and effortlessly swung myself over, allowing myself to begin the freefall down the sixty-storey building. Wind rushed past my face, bringing a stinging chill upon it. My expression remained unfazed at the possible death. The Chairman’s room was on the twentieth floor and with the meeting that they were having, most, if not all, of the board members were conveniently all in the same room.

55...

50...

I counted down the floors as I free-fell, but upon gaining too much speed, I bent my knees and braced myself. Lightly tapping on the railings with my toes, I winced at the slight forceful change in the inertia shocking my nerves, but nevertheless bearable as the impact spread across my limbs and minimised the internal damage it could have done. I flexed my muscles, testing for any irreversible damages, but found none. For now, my body seemed to want to hold up. Once back on my toes, I tipped myself over the edge and fell once more.

Time was clicking on the clock as I was sure by now that the surveillance team had noticed an anomaly, an intruder, in their midst.

45...

40...

I slowed my descent again.

When I approached the thirty first floor, the corresponding door was slammed open as a team of men rushed into the already narrow emergency escape stairway. Seeing the firearms in their possession, I pulled out my wakizashi, skilfully deflecting a few bullets back at them and tilted my body so that I landed on the railing.

Clink! Clink!

Easily hopping over the bullets, I dashed across the railing and brought my blade down towards the men, scoring first blood. Landing in a crouch, I sidestepped and palmed the knife-wielding arm away from inside, the blade spearing past my face. I brought my other hand up, the wakizashi firmly gripped within and pushed at the arm in the opposite direction. And I twisted.

“Ahhh!”

I smirked at the resounding, satisfying crack.

The man dropped to his knees and cried out in pain at the breaking of his bones, while I ducked simultaneously, causing the punch to fly overhead.

With muscles tensed, the strength in my calves exploded as I leapt up and spun around, landing a solid turning kick at my attacker and sending him barrelling towards the men behind him.

And you’d think they’d know not to crowd a small space.

With the small bubble that I created, I flipped my wakizashi around and darted forward, slicing at every man in the immediate vicinity. Crimson drops sprayed out of their necks like a broken fountain, splattering around the greyed white walls, painting an abstract art on the plain canvas.

And everything only took roughly four minutes.

When the last man was disposed, I pulled my arm back and held onto the railing before backflipping, and fell. Unlike before, I jumped off the edges, accelerating down the floors with ease and control now that there were only eleven floors left. On the way down, any enemy that appeared from the doors were met with my blade and shuriken instead, silently dropping dead by the same doors they opened.

And it didn’t take long for me to reach the meeting room where all the higher ups were gathered. Disregarding the fact that it was too quiet, I charged right through the thick wooden doors with my katana as splinters bounded off my mask. I raised my blade in preparation to strike, yet all I saw was Slade’s smug smirk from the other end of the long room.

They couldn’t have evacuated in less than ten minutes, could they?

Irrespective of that, three shurikens flew with a flick of my wrist and I rushed forth with my blade back in its sheath, hand at ready on the hilt. A green halation began to pulse around the sword as I stirred the power lying dormant in my blood. Slade easily dodged the flying projectiles, but I was already near.

“Ryūjin –”

“No! Stop!”

My body reflexively halted at the voice, so sweet and bewitching, yet so confusing. Distracted at the familiar voice, I failed to see the gun that Slade pulled out from behind, failed to catch the signs before I could move. All because I was wondering why, of all places, would I hear her voice here? Why would she be here? Until the grim realisation dawned that she wasn’t. That all I heard was a recording that sounded awfully close to her voice.

That I should have protected myself against this tactic was a slight mistake on my part. Because why would Angela even be here at all?

“Argh!”

My body jerked when the bullet landed at close range, deeply lodging itself into my left shoulder. Growling at the infuriating smirk, I lunged forward with great difficulty while calling upon the dragon once more. The halation of my blade coloured the room with a green shine as it was unsheathed from its abode.

“Ryūjin no ken wo kurae!”

I couldn’t think. I didn’t want to think. And I sure as hell didn’t want to know why my blade felt the slightest of resistance as it sliced through Slade.

I just wanted this done and over with.

His maniacal cackles echoed in my ears even after my blade tore through his body in half. Wide amused eyes stared blankly up at me and I was further infuriated at the crescent shaped grin that split his face that I stabbed mercilessly at the skull with all the rage I could muster and flicked it aside. How dare he use her like that? How dare he get under my skin with the one reverse scale that I had?

Steadying my emotions, I exhaled all my irritation. Now’s not the time for this.

I scanned the room, a nagging feeling gnawing at my senses.

Slade wouldn’t be here alone unless there was a damn good reason for it. And the missing board members were highly suspicious as well. Running through the blueprints in my head, I stared at the meeting room and roughly estimated its diameter.

The dimensions did not match up.

While the power was still channelling itself through my sword, I took a gamble and swung. The walls crumbled like tofu under my strength and instantaneously, I was assaulted with the smell of blood.

~*~*~

You have to understand that damaged women are the most dangerous kind.

Not for any other reason but of already knowing they can survive.

She followed the smell of blood, a scent she couldn’t be more familiar with. Crimson liquid painted the walls and floors in the metallic tang of blood. Dead bodies littered atop each other like piles of thrown out rubbish.

She continued making her way down.

Judging from the rigor mortis and paleness of the bodies, they were dead only recently, which to her, meant that Genji had begun his mission not long before she arrived.

Cladded in armor of blue and white, she hurriedly followed the trail, unperturbed by the sight of gore surrounding her. She came upon a pair of broken large doors.

Women are resilient. You may abuse them, break them, destroy them, but the strong ones will survive.

And when they do, you will wish your mother gave you another pair of legs.

Rushing into the meeting room, the place was oddly clean except for the two halves of a man that was left on the carpeted floor, a hole pierced through his skull. Even she shuddered at the sight. Further down was a large gaping hole, a secret room. Cold air blasted at her face when she neared, and bringing with it the scent of warm fresh blood. Underneath the tips of her toes was a vibration she couldn’t pinpoint. Like the early signs of an earthquake.

In a panic, she rushed headlong into danger.

~*~*~

“Damnit, Jack. Can’t you fucking move!” I snarled at the blond man in my arms, desperation clinging onto him and my words. A fog of mist temporarily hindered my vision as the hot breath chilled in the room. Jack had been beaten black and blue, bruised and battered like a punching bag, but even sandbags looked better than he did at the moment.

“Urgh...” my ex-commander groaned as he tried to stand, but the broken limbs anchored him down heavier than the Earth’s gravity. “Just leave me. Why did you come and save me?”

I’ll admit, my heart ached at the depressed tone of his voice. Lifeless. Hopeless. But damn him to hell if I was leaving without him! Bending down, I scooped the man up into my arms, disregarding the warts that were beginning to form on his face and skin, and pushed to a stand. Behind me was a large machine gurgling and violently shaking, the force enough to make even the ground quiver.

I took a step forward, the ground splashing beneath it. Pools and pools of blood covered the place. The walls were made of metal and bolts, and the temperature was set well below zero degrees.

I didn’t know why. And I don’t want to know why.

When I had dashed into the secret room, I found the remaining board members surrounding Jack like coyotes, whipping and slicing at his skin in sheer madness. The gas masks they wore were indicators enough that this room was exactly the source.

“W-Why are you even saving me... Just leave!” Jack groaned louder as I dragged his body with a limp across the dead bodies.

My left leg was acting up once more, choosing the best time to malfunction as I couldn’t even bend it now. The bullet still lodged in my shoulder caused great pain when I moved my arm, but I had to hold on. I had to.

“I can’t just leave you here!” I bit back harshly.

Shrill screams were erupting from the machine behind us. Fuck, why was the secret room so long!

“We’re not going to make it...”

“Shut the fuck up. We’re going to leave here. Alive!”

“N-No, Genji. Stop.” Jack gripped onto my arm with a hand. A last attempt. A last breath. “You deserve to know why I did what I did.” Jack cut me off with a stern look, one that I still reflexively clammed up patiently. “A little under six months ago, Angela had an accident in her apartment.” I knew that one. “I found her lying there on the floor and had her sent to the hospital. It was then that when she woke up from the short coma that she had forgotten her memories. It was painful, but I was also glad. Because I didn’t want her to suffer.”

My eyebrows shot up in confusion.

“You may not know this but she was ostracized while she was in the bureau.” Jack wheezed in a sharp breath as I fought to take another step forward. “Fellow colleagues were stabbing her in the back and dehumanising her.”

“Why?” I bit out through gritted teeth.

“Because of you.” I froze in place, pausing in my steps and turning my head slowly to stare at the half-dead man. He managed a bitter smile. “I didn’t want you to know because it’s not your fault. They spoke badly of her behind her back because she saved you, because she created a monster, quote unquote, like you.” He shook his head. “And when the two of you were seen together, it made everything worse. I tried to stop it. I tried to protect the two of you. But things kept getting out of hand. They simply refused to accept someone like you or her.”

I watched, literally watched, as the life in his eyes dimmed. Blood began to flow from his orifices as warts began to break out faster on his skin.

“And when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, she wanted to propose to you.”

“Propose!?”

That was the only word I could get out when the machine behind us exploded, blasting us through the air and across the room. I vaguely heard a scream, as though someone was calling my name, but I couldn’t tell with the ringing in my ears before Jack and I ate the blood on the ground.

Everything was still for a while, when Jack’s lifeless voice floated over.

“Part of me was selfish. When she lost her memory, I wished it stayed that way. Then at least I’ll have a chance of loving her too.”

No, no, no. Stop talking. I’ll get us out of here.

I felt his grip on me slacken as I tried to orientate myself right, but my head was still ringing and my back was burning. Probably from the poison. Maybe I shouldn’t have jammed the thing shut and cut off the supply.

“Just leave, Genji. Go.”

I got onto shaky feet and fought to stand upright on the quaking ground, one hand stubbornly clinging onto Jack’s sleeve and mustering all the willpower it took to not pass out from pain. “No. We’re leaving t-together.”

Heavy pants. Screaming muscles.

I pushed against the ground with my left foot, a little too much as I slipped and fell face first onto the blood puddle. I cried out in pain with a crack of my foot, bent back too much sideways, just like it was back in the hospital.

No no no – We're not dying here. Noo!

“And this whole mess? Started with me anyway,” Jack mumbled under his breath as he felt the darkness gradually closing in. The vibration was numb against his fingertips, the blood tasteless. “Slade was someone like you, a cyborg. Only thing was that he was incomplete. He wished he had someone like Angela to save him, but Overwatch turned him down when he asked for our help. He wouldn’t have started this whole crusade… I should have said yes... I should have said y-ye...s… ”

I pushed up against the floor, gripping onto a motionless Jack with all my might. If only I was better, stronger, then I could get us both out of here. The ground began to shake even harder, the puddles rippling faster and more. Oh, Kami-sama. Please.

~*~*~

There is something about two people who find each other time and time again. No matter what situation they end up in, or how far apart they are – They come back to each other.

Genji...

“Genji!” Angela screamed on top of her lungs when she spotted the man before her. In a swift glide towards him, she cradled his face in her arms, ignoring the blood that soaked the gloves. Dark crimson covered his scarred – beautiful – face, mixed with tears and snot. His eyes were glazed over until realisation rubbed at them.

Angela. It was Angela Ziegler. Doctor Angela Zielger, fully decked out in her combat medic uniform.

I lifted a shaky hand to gently caress her cheek, surprise and disbelief shocking my system. If this was a dream, then I never wanted to wake up.

Oh, how I wish I could tell her how much I love her. That I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. That I’m sorry I couldn’t spend the rest of my time with her.

This was the end for me. And Jack.

Oh, Angela... Please forgive me.

“There’s nothing to forgive, you idiot,” she cried out in desperation, but her hands were already moving faster than her words.

She prayed she was also at least quicker than the explosion. The rumbles were getting stronger and a crack split the ground from where the machine was. The Caduceus Staff lit up with a warm yellow glow as the mechanical wings on her back unfurled. She could feel it rush through her blood, the same familiar power that she wielded all those months ago. At its peak, she felt the holy power surge like a rising tide, spreading out towards her wings and into her palms.

A phrase, all so familiar yet foreign rolled off her tongue, as the power rushed towards the men in one swift gust. “Helden sterben nicht!”

Heroes never die!

~*~*~

I suppose, you do remember that I would have married her if not for Jack Morrison, right?

Without him hiding her away, keeping secrets, then yeah, I was supposed to get married to Angela Ziegler. Although I never knew we were dating, according to her, we already were. All those times we spent together eating dinner, drinking coffee, chatting by the window – Just us two? We had already been dating since the very first dinner I took her out (for constantly saving my life). We didn’t need to put a label on it. So, by technicality, we were already dating for years.

Now I just feel dumb for wanting to ask her out. (She’d disagree, of course. Saying she found it cute.)

Which she did, again, by the way. Saving my life. She single-handedly saved Jack and I from disaster, and single-handedly killed anyone that got in her way. The woman’s aim was pretty damn good, probably third to Ana and Jesse if I may say so. I heard from her later that she did find the mole, one of the few doctors that led the party against her. She found him on route to escape. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be a mole for anyone else. Anymore.

In the end, I did kill Jack, if you think about it. If I was better, stronger, faster, and less entrenched in my preconceived views of him, I could have saved us both. And he would have wanted to live even more if I wasn't the cause of his heartbreak.

But like she said, sometimes men did need saving, sometimes just by women.

“Does this mean you agree?”

I looked up from the handmade book I gave Angela to quirk an eyebrow at said woman herself. “Agree with what? That men needed saving?”

“That and if you’ll marry me.”

I slowly blinked at her. She slowly blinked back.

“If you’re worried about a ring, I do have one,” and she fished out the red velvet ring box that she had found in the box sitting in Jack’s office.

My eyes widened in a pleasant surprise. No, no, I was not blushing. It was just a little warm, okay! “Aren’t I supposed to ask you out?”

Angela innocently shrugged her shoulders as she leaned over the hospital bed. “You didn’t even take me out for dinner. I figured I should make a move first.”

“But I didn’t know we were dating!”

“So, that’s a yes.”

“O-Of course, it’s a yes! Why would it be anything other than a – mmpfh!”

And of course, like all happy endings... we have the kiss.

Her fingers gently traced my jaws before sneaking around to my neck and pressing her lips against mine a little harder. It was only a momentary pause when I felt the sweetness upon mine, and I wholeheartedly responded when my brain booted up again, meshing my lips tightly against hers, fitting like two puzzle pieces. A bandaged hand curled around the back of her head, feeling the soft locks fall between my fingers as I deepened the kiss, this time taking the lead. Her hair had grown longer, much longer I realised, but it was nice. Still made her carry the charm of a beautiful and elegant mature woman. Her body melted against my touch as she matched my movements. My other hand worked its way to her waist, feeling every curve, every perfect line of her body while hers traced the muscles it could reach.

We pulled apart when air was much needed, and I grinned proudly at the redness of her lips. I stared into her eyes, full of love and warmth, and couldn’t resist pulling her in again.

Remember the two people that somehow, constantly, keep finding each other no matter what?

I believe that those are the people who have a little thing called ‘fate’ on their side.

Such an enviable thing, hah, but it’s alright.

Because dear readers, it’s almost as if the world is telling us: “Stop separating. You’re meant to be together.”

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#gency au