Hey everyone

So bit of housekeeping first. This is the prequel to my other story, Human, that explains the events that happened six months before it starts.

If you enjoy this short story, then feel free to check out Human too :)

Now, on with the show.

Reunion

Egypt- Fareeha Amari's house- 8:29

It was early in the morning and the sun was hitting the curtains of Fareeha's bedroom. Fareeha was still in deep sleep, which was unusual for this time of day. Normally, she was out of the house and at work by now.

As the clock struck 8:30, an alarm filled the room, dragging Fareeha out of her deep slumber. She slowly began to open her eyes as her alarm clock continued to do its job. When her eyes were open, she gently rolled over to the right side of the bed and reached over to the nearby counter, turning off the alarm.

It didn't take Fareeha long to get herself out of bed, following her usual routine of showering, getting dressed and then making herself something for breakfast. Most days, she only had time for something quick, such as a bowl of cereal or a couple pieces of toast. Today was different however. Fareeha had booked herself the entire week off, so she had a lot more time on her hands this morning. Once dressed, Fareeha made her way downstairs, deciding to cook herself some scrambled eggs, to go with her toast.

Despite having the extra time this morning, Fareeha still had plans. Angela was coming over to visit for a few days and she was due to arrive later today. They'd agreed to meet in a nearby cafe for lunch and then stroll around the local shops, before she went back to her hotel for the night.

The two had become very good friends after her mother died. Angela had comforted Fareeha and helped her through the entire ordeal. Their close friendship meant they always tried to keep in contact as best they could. It had become a little more difficult recently though. Angela was working with Overwatch again, so she had a lot more going on as of late. However, she always found some time to visit Fareeha, even if it was for a day or two.

Before she reached the kitchen, Fareeha passed by the front door, stopping to pick up a few letters that had been delivered a short while ago. Most were simply bills or junk mail. However, one envelope caught her attention. It wasn't formal looking and her address had been written on by hand.

Fareeha made her way into the kitchen, sitting herself down at the table. She placed the rest of the letters to one side, focusing on the one she currently had in her hands. She'd received a letter similar to this one quite some time ago. At first she didn't know who it was from. Once she opened it and began reading though, her entire world was turned upside down.

That day, she found out that her mother was still alive. For years, she'd spent every day looking for any sign of her mother, trying desperately to find her. She couldn't believe she was dead, even after everyone else had accepted it. She had no way of confirming it was Ana who'd written that letter but she just knew it was her. She hadn't told anyone about it though, not even Angela.

Without even opening it, Fareeha had a suspicion who this letter was from. As she opened the envelope and took the letter out, her suspicion was proven correct. Slowly, she began reading, taking her time to absorb what was written.

My dearest Fareeha

It has been quite some time since my last letter. I wish I could write to you more often, to give you a way of contacting me. Yet, I know it would be too dangerous to do this and I will not put you in harms way.

Despite this, I know that you continue to look for me, continue to search for anything that would lead you to me. I also know that you will not stop until you succeed. Therefore, I will give you the opportunity to end your search, once and for all.

I have found myself in your area and I am certain there is no risk revealing myself to you. At the bottom of this letter is a location. I am aware you have some time off from your work. So if you wish to, meet me at this location, midday, tomorrow.

This is your decision Fareeha and I will not force you to do this. Yet, I hope that you accept my offer. Maybe then, I can begin to heal the rift that has formed between us.

Your mother

Ana

When she was finished reading, Fareeha just sat, staring at the letter. She honestly didn't know what to do. Before, she wanted nothing more than to find her mother. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she didn't know if she could do it.

She looked over to the clock and saw that it was now 8:48. She forced herself away from the letter and towards the fridge, finding herself some eggs. She knew she needed to talk to someone. Angela understood what this meant to her. She was the only person she could trust with this.

Later that day

Fareeha was currently sat in the cafe she was meeting Angela at. She was sitting outside, with a partially drank cup of coffee. As usual, Fareeha was early and Angela wasn't due for another five minutes. This gave her time to think back over the letter and what it said.

She still didn't know what she wanted to do. Her uncertainty had actually worsened since the morning and she was now beginning to doubt if the letter was even from her mother. She knew how many people would use her to get to Overwatch. She shuddered at the idea that this was all just a plot to kidnap her and force Overwatch to act.

"A-hem"

Fareeha's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. She looked up and saw Angela, who had managed to walk up without her even noticing. Fareeha quickly stood up and gave Angela a big hug.

"Ang. So good to see you again."

"Its good to see you again too. But why do I get the feeling that something's bothering you?"

"That obvious, huh?"

"The fact I managed to walk straight up to you without you seeing me was a bit of a giveaway." Angela lightheartedly replied, as the two sat down at the table. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Actually, I was hoping we could."

A waitress walked over to the table, taking Angela's order. A few minutes later, she returned with a fresh cup of coffee and a plate of biscuits. The two women each took one from the plate and Angela gently began stirring her drink, pouring in some sugar as she did so.

"So, what's going on Faree?" Angela asked, taking a sip of her drink once she was satisfied it was ready.

Fareeha took a deep breath, thinking of how best to tell Angela. After a moment, she decided to just tell her and not dress it up.

"Okay... So a few months ago I received a letter in the post... It was from my mother."

Angela went wide eyed, placing her drink back down on the table. She wasn't expecting this to be the issue. "Ana... Oh my... Why didn't you tell me Faree?"

"I... I didn't want to worry you. I knew you were busy with Overwatch and I thought I could handle it myself."

Angela gently moved her hand forward, letting Fareeha take hold of it. "Faree, I would have been straight over. I know what this means to you and I know you've been looking for her for years now. This isn't something you should have been going through alone."

"I know... I'm sorry Ang. I just... didn't know how to tell you."

Angela gave Fareeha a smile. "It's okay. Are you sure it was from your mother?"

"I was... until this morning... I got another letter today... She wants to meet me tomorrow Ang."

"Are you going to?"

"I... I don't know. I thought I wanted to find her but now I have the chance to... I don't know if I can do it."

Angela let out a breath. "Okay. Why?"

"Well, there's the risk that it's just someone trying to use me to get to her or Overwatch."

"But what if it isn't?"

Fareeha stopped and thought for a moment. "Even if it is her... it's a bit risk."

"Okay. What if I called in some backup then?"

"Backup?"

"Lena. You know her and she'll be more than willing to help out. Me and her will stay on the sidelines and make sure you're okay. If anything happens, we'll be there... Does that put that concern to one side?"

Fareeha slowly nodded. "Yeah, it does... I'm still not sure though... I've not seen her for years... What if I say something I regret?"

"She'll understand. After so long, you deserve to know what happened and why she's been gone. That's probably why she wants to see you, to give you the answers you need."

Fareeha sighed. "I don't know Ang... I just don't know if I can face her..."

"Faree, you need to see her. You two have been separated for so long and I'm guessing she wants to try and make amends. Please... do it for me."

Fareeha looked up, seeing Angela looking straight at her. She didn't need to say anything else. "Okay... I'll do it."

Angela gave Fareeha another smile, this one much larger than the last. "That's the Fareeha Amari I know." Angela now reached for her phone, dialling Lena. She knew Lena was still at Watchpoint Gibraltar, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to get over to Egypt with such short notice.

"Hey Ang." Lena answered in her normal cheerful manner. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Angela replied. "I was wondering if you could help me out?"

"Yeah, sure I can. What do you need?"

"Is there any chance you can get yourself over here? I'll explain when you're here but in brief, Fareeha and I need a little backup."

"Sure thing. I have a few things I need to finish over here but they shouldn't take long. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Thanks Lena. Oh and can you bring my equipment over as well. I might need it."

"Okay... must be serious then. I'll call you when I'm nearby there. See you two soon."

With that, Lena ended the call. Angela was glad that she could rely on Lena at any time. She could also see that the call had put Fareeha's mind at ease and she visibly relaxed, now knowing that Lena was also willing to help.

"Are you a bit calmer now?" Angela asked.

"Yeah... a bit. Thanks Ang. Sorry that this has taken over your visit."

"Don't worry about it. I'm more than willing to help you out. Besides, we have a bit of time before Lena arrives, so you can still take me around for a bit of shopping."

Fareeha Amari's house- 2 hours later

It was a few hours before Lena contacted Angela again, which gave her and Fareeha time to browse the shops. They even managed to find a small bakery and found something for lunch. In the end, neither woman bought much, the most notable purchases being a pair of new shoes for Angela and a pair of new sunglasses for Fareeha.

After a couple of hours had passed, Lena finally contacted Angela and the two women began to make their way towards Fareeha's house. When they arrived, they found Lena outside, leaning against the frame of the front door. There was also a large duffel bag next to her, which contained Angela's Valkyrie suit and her Caduceus staff.

"Hey you two. Have a good time?" Lena said, smiling as she pushed herself up from the doorframe.

"Yes, it was a nice afternoon." Angela replied. "Thanks for coming Lena."

"No problem. So, what's going on?"

"I'll explain inside." Fareeha said, as she stepped towards the door. She retrieved her keys from her pocket and unlocked it, the three stepping inside and taking a seat in the living room.

Fareeha took her time explaining the situation to Lena, making sure she told her every detail she thought important. Lena was unusually quiet during Fareeha's explanation, not interrupting or making any jokes. She simply sat and listened. Once the story was finished, Lena leaned back into her chair, rubbing her eyes as she thought over the situation.

"Well... I wasn't expecting this."

"Which I why I called you Lena." Angela explained. "I didn't want everyone at Overwatch knowing just yet but I knew we needed some help."

Lena looked over to Fareeha. "Don't worry luv, I have your back."

"Thanks Lena. So what's the plan then?" Fareeha asked Angela, suspecting that she had thought of something.

"It's not a majorly impressive plan." Angela admitted. "You said you had a location, right?"

"Yeah. It's not too far away and it's in the open."

"Good. I think you should go to that location tomorrow. Me and Lena will stay nearby but out of sight, ready to jump in if we need to. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

"Hopefully." Fareeha said, imagining how the meeting could simply be a trap. She pushed the thought aside, not wanting to think about it. She knew that with Angela and Lena here, she was in safe hands.

The next day- 11:45

Fareeha, Angela and Lena were heading to the location given in the letter. The area was a small market square, with a number of stalls that were selling various different items, such as food and clothes. It was relatively busy here, with a number of people coming and going. Fortunately, it wasn't so busy that Angela and Lena considered they'd lose sight of Fareeha.

The three had decided to take a quieter route to their destination, wanting to keep themselves hidden for as long as possible. The sight of Lena always attracted attention, due to her accelerator. However, the sight of Mercy dressed in her armour and holding her staff as well would have likely been enough to put people into a panic.

Fareeha meanwhile was dressed normally, wearing a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and a small, light grey jacket. Out of the three, she was the least likely to draw any attention.

As they neared the market, they walked into a nearby alley, making sure they weren't spotted. Lena quickly noticed a metal fire escape, that gave easy access to the rooftops.

"Might be a good idea if we head up there." Lena told Angela, pointing upwards. "We'd likely have a good view of the area."

"Good point. I'll be up in a second."

Lena nodded, running towards the metal stairway and climbing up the side of the building, stopping at the edge of the roof.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked Fareeha, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be sat on that bench opposite the market."

The two shared a quick hug, before Angela activated her Valkyrie suit and flew up to Lena. Fareeha now walked out of the alley, moving herself towards a bench just outside of the square and sitting herself down. She knew Lena and Angela could she her clearly here and she was still in view of the market.

She sat in the same place for a little over half an hour, waiting for someone to walk up to her. Yet no one did. In the end, Fareeha ended up on her phone, browsing the internet and looking through the latest news. It was only when a shadow appeared in front of her that she looked up.

Fareeha stood herself up, looking straight into the face an older woman. A lot of her features were hidden due to the cloak she was wearing, yet Fareeha could see that she had an eye patch over one of her eyes. Even without any words said, she knew who this person was.

"Mum?"

The older woman gave her a warm smile. "Hello Fareeha. It's been too long."

There were a number of things Fareeha wanted to say. She wanted to know where her mother had been all this time. Why she left her in the dark until now. However, right now, with her mother standing in front of her, all of those questions were pushed aside. She grabbed her mother and hugged her tightly, a few tears escaping from her eyes.

Ana soon returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I'm sorry Fareeha. I'm sorry for being gone for so long."

"Where have you been? All this time... why didn't you contact me?" Fareeha didn't raise her voice. Not once. She was worried she might have, that years of grief would have come bursting out. Instead, she was calm, happy that she finally found her mum.

Ana looked down slightly and Fareeha couldn't help but wonder if it was in shame. "I failed Fareeha. I failed Overwatch. I failed my team. I failed you. After losing my eye, I needed time."

"What happened mum?" Fareeha asked softly.

The two women sat down on the bench and Ana took a deep breath before she answered. "My team was attacked by a Talon sniper. I was unable to protect them. I went after the sniper, alone, which was a complete mistake. I know now that the sniper was Widowmaker. Yet, when I saw her for the first time... I hesitated... by the time I realised she was aiming at me... it was too late... The shot ended up hitting the scope of my rifle, shattering it and costing me my eye."

Fareeha was left confused. "I don't understand. It was Widowmaker. You could have stopped her, killed her there and then. Why did you hesitate?"

Ana didn't answer for a moment, letting out another audiable breath. "Because I knew who she was... Widowmaker is Amelie Lacroix."

Fareeha was left speechless. As a child, she knew some of the high up members of Overwatch, such as Morrison and Reyes. She knew who Amelie and her husband, Gerard were as well, though she didn't really speak to Amelie much. She mostly gave Fareeha welcoming smiles and occasionally said hello. Fareeha thought that her and Gerard were so happy together, so she couldn't believe that the heartless Widowmaker that she'd heard so much about was really Amelie.

"It can't be. There's no way it's her."

"It is. I saw it with my own eyes... That's why I hesitated. I couldn't believe it myself. The woman that we knew is gone... she died a long time ago. Now all that's left is a cold, calculated killer. She nearly killed me. I think it's more through luck that she didn't."

"Maybe she's still in there." Fareeha suggested.

"I don't know Faree. I saw into her eyes and there was nothing but pure hatred and anger in them. As much as I want it to be otherwise, I think Amelie is gone..."

There was a slight pause, before Ana continued.

"There's something else you need to know. Do you remember Gabriel?"

"Of course. Didn't he die in Switzerland?" Fareeha replied.

Ana's head lowered again. "Not exactly. Gabriel and Jack ended up attacking each other. The base was destroyed but Reyes survived. Though, he isn't the same man anymore. He became a monster. He became Reaper."

This revelation shocked Fareeha even more. As a kid, Gabriel would sneak bags of sweets into the base and give them to her, saying that it was 'their little secret.' Fareeha just couldn't bring herself to see him as Reaper. He was pure evil, not the Gabriel Reyes she remembered.

"How? How did he become that?"

"I don't know. No one does. All I know is that both Reyes and Amelie are not the same people we knew. If you see them, you don't hesitate. You put them down or you stay out of their way."

Fareeha just nodded her head. "Reyes used to give me those sweets... What happened..?"

"Him and Jack fell out. Things hadn't been great between them for some time. It just ended in the worst way possible."

"Was that the reason you didn't want me to join Overwatch?" Fareeha asked, gaining a small sigh from her mother.

"I've been a soldier for a long time and I've seen things I never wanted you to experience. You were always surrounded by heroes and they filled your head with stories. I was worried you would end up making a decision you'd regret. All I wanted was for you to have a normal life, one where you got a job, fell in love and just enjoyed it. I never wanted your life to be defined by the military, like mine was. I realise now that I was too harsh on you. Despite everything, I want you to know that I'm proud of you Fareeha. I'm proud that you followed your heart and did what you wanted."

Fareeha was left speechless. For years, she felt like she couldn't live up to her mother's expectations and that whatever she did was wrong in her eyes. To hear her say that she was proud of her, proud that she followed the path she wanted to, meant the world to her. She pulled her mother into another hug, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you. Hearing that means so much to me."

Meanwhile, Angela and Lena were knelt down on a rooftop overlooking the bench. Both of them had smiles on their faces, as the two Amari's hugged it out, then returned to their conversation.

"Looks like they're getting along." Lena said.

"Yeah. It's good to finally see them like this. Fareeha's been looking for her for years now. She needed this."

Lena and Angela relaxed slightly, seeing that there was no immediate danger to Fareeha. However, Lena soon tensed back up, seeing a group of people approaching the bench. They were approaching from both sides and Lena could tell they were up to no good.

"Who are these guys?"

Back on the ground, Fareeha and Ana had also noticed that they were being surrounded. They stood up, Fareeha instinctively walking in front of her mother. There were six of them, five guys and one girl. The girl was clearly uncomfortable being here, yet she still went along. One of the group pulled out a knife, stepping towards Fareeha and Ana.

"Okay, hand over your money." He said calmly, while the others made sure that no one else interfered.

Fareeha almost laughed. She wasn't prepared to give them anything. "No chance."

"Do what they say Faree."

Fareeha snapped to her mother, almost in disbelief. Even without any weapons, she knew they could take them, so why was she giving up?

"Trust me. They won't get far."

Fareeha listened, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her wallet. Ana did the same, pulling out a small purse and handing it over.

"Oi! Leave them alone!"

Lena blinked from around the corner, stopping in front of the gang. Angela floated down from the roof and joined her and the gang immediately realised who they were facing. They decided that they couldn't fight them and instead ran, heading down the nearest street. Lena went to chase after them, however Ana stopped her.

"Don't worry. They aren't going anywhere."

The six thieves ran a short distance away, turning into an alley and looked back briefly to see where Tracer was. When none of them could see her, they assumed she was heading another way. They continued to run down the alley and one of the group managed to get slightly ahead of the rest of them. He was totally unprepared for the sudden punch that hit him, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor.

The rest of the group stopped in their tracks, one helping the other back up, as the unknown individual revealed himself, walking out from the shadows. He was wearing a blue jacket and had some sort of rifle over his shoulder. Her also had a mask on that covered his face, with a clear red glow across it. They'd all heard the stories, the rumours of a masked vigilante. They all guessed who this man was.

Soldier 76.

"You have some things that don't belong to you."

"Get him!"

The five guys ran forward, arrogantly attempting to attack the man in their way. One of them was picked up and thrown down the alley. One received a fist to the face, making him tumble back slightly, while another was kicked in the leg, forcing them down to their knees. They were soon neutralised by a punch to the head, knocking them out.

Another attempted to land a punch on 76, yet he caught the fist in his hand and forced the attacker into the wall. The fifth was the man that had been hit to the floor originally and so he was still a little stunned. Soldier saw him approaching and threw the guy he currently held at him, causing both to crash into each other and fall to the floor.

Soldier now turned back around, seeing the first attacker approaching with a knife in their hand. He quickly dodged the attack, hitting their arm hard enough that they dropped the knife. He kicked it away and then grabbed he attacker in a headlock, twisting him around so that he was facing the rest of the group.

He stood staring at the remaining four threats, while he suffocated the one he had in the headlock. He analysed each one, seeing that the woman was petrified. He knew she wouldn't make a move, she wouldn't dare to.

Three threats left.

The man in the headlock finally passed out, no one attempting to help him through fear alone. Soldier had no intention to kill anyone, so he let him fall to the floor, satisfied he wasn't a threat anymore.

The three remaining guys ran forward, planning to overwhelm their target, however 76 was ready for this, dodging and blocking every attack they did. In the end, one slipped up and gave Soldier an opening, which he quickly exploited. One of the attackers was grabbed and pulled in front of another's punch, which ended up in his face. He was then thrown at the wall, impacting it heavily and then falling down, staying there while 76 focused the remaining two.

The remaining two were now getting tired, unable to keep up with 76. They soon found themselves unable to maintain their assault and soon began throwing punches wildly. One was caught, followed up by a knee to the stomach and a hit to the head. The last guy attempted to flee, yet 76 was having none of it, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him back. One final hit was all it took to bring him down.

The woman was the only one of the group left standing. Soldier turned himself towards her and began slowly walking over. She looked around and noticed the knife, that had been kicked towards her earlier and her first reaction was to grab it. This didn't stop 76 from advancing though, not phased one bit by the weapon.

"Stop! Or I'll..."

The knife was suddenly gone, slapped away from her by 76. He now leaned forward, his red visor now inches away from her face.

"You'll do what exactly?"

The girl now broke down in tears. "I'm sorry. I didnt want to do it. They just talked me into it."

"Then maybe you should find some better friends. Now, get lost."

The girl quickly nodded, not wanting to anger 76 any further. She turned and ran out of the alley, not once looking back. With her gone, 76 turned and began looking for the items they stole, finding them on the second guy he knocked out. As he stood back up, he heard the distinct sound of Tracer's accelerator, turning around and seeing her blink into the alley. Ana, Fareeha and Angela appeared shortly after and everyone except Ana was surprised at the sight they saw.

"Nice work Jack." Ana said.

"Wait. Jack? Morrison?" Fareeha asked in disbelief.

Morrison chuckled, throwing the items he had back to their owners. "Long time no see Fareeha." He turned to the two Overwatch agents, nodding his head at them. "Doc. Oxton."

"I didn't think it was true." Angela said.

"Wait. You knew?"

"Winston had a suspicion, yet he couldn't confirm it." Lena informed Fareeha. "Now we know."

"Where have you been Jack? Overwatch isn't the same without you. You're our commander." Angela asked, trying her best to get him to return.

"I don't belong at Overwatch. It's better off without me."

Morrison turned and began to walk away, stepping over some of the unconscious men. He was stopped by Lena, who blinked in front of him.

"Ang is right, we could really use your help. You're a hero..."

"Not anymore."

With that, Morrison pushed past Lena, heading back towards the safe house him and Ana were currently using. Lena lowered her head in defeat, knowing that she wouldn't get through to him.

"Don't take it personally. He blames himself for what happened to Overwatch." Ana told her.

"It wasn't his fault though."

"I know. I think he knows it too. He still feels like he could have stopped it before it got as far as it did... I better get going."

"Will I see you again?" Fareeha asked, worry clear in her voice.

"Of course you will. I've been absent from your life for too long and I want to change that. I promise I'll keep in contact whenever I can. However, I can't stop fighting, not yet. Jack needs someone watching his back and there are people who still need protecting. I hope you understand."

"Don't worry mum. I understand."

The two Amari's shared a long hug, before they reluctantly separated.

"We'll meet again." Ana said, stepping backwards down the alley.

"Looking forward to it."

Everyone now began to head their separate ways. Fareeha, Angela and Lena walking to leave the alley. However, before they left, Ana spoke up one more time.

"Oh and Angela. Thank you for being there for my daughter."

Angela couldn't help but smile. Ana had obviously been keeping an eye on Fareeha all this time. "You're welcome, Ana."