Being born into a time of a major Omnic threat is always going to lead the person to grow up seeing nothing but devastation around them. To live with constant worry of when alarms would go off after a couple of years had passed silence. To live with paranoia that this time might be the last time they saw their family or friends. To live with the possibility that they would have to live off food rations for the next few nights, as they weren't allowed out of the bunker while the MEKA drones tried to deal with the threat. To live with the fear that the last thing they see while they're alive, would be darkness.
It was only natural that people would cling onto something to help take their minds off of the looming threat. Stories, writing, cooking, drawing…
For Hana Song, it was games.
She loved having control of a character, having the freedom to go wherever she pleased so long as it was on the map. She loved going against something that looked as though it were out of the world, but was tangible to defeat. She loved the idea that she could try again on the off chance she 'died'. She loved having an escape from reality. She loved winning.
But… with how the Omnic threat continued adapting to the MEKA Drone's fighting tactics, building and reprogramming itself to better itself, it would of course end up interfering against wireless connections. It would cause glitches in servers, monitors to flicker in brightness, players or games to freeze in place, or a lag in the game. These occurrences were unpredictable, there was never an indication as to when it would happen and it would always catch her off guard. And every few years, these glitches and lags would become severe, often times causing electricity and connection to waver. Which was a sure sign that the threat was emerging from the depths of water.
She detested it.
Glitches quickly became an indication that something was about to happen. A nuisance when she was about to win, only to freeze in spot or be disconnected from the game. An annoyance when she was trying to join in a game, only to be shown there was a problem connecting. A sign that the threat was coming, reminding her to scramble over to the next rooms to check and grab her parents and her siblings. A reminder that she had to rush her family into the overcrowded underground bunkers before the threat came.
Glitches were a reminder that reality was cruel. A reminder that death is the end, game over - that there weren't any more tries.
She hated glitches.
So when she was given the opportunity to play in gaming tournaments out of her country where there were stronger and faster connections, she took her family and snatched the offer up, thinking that she would never have to see a glitch ever again.
And when she did, it was under rather unorthodox circumstances and she wasn't sure what to do.
She was only 16 when it happened, and it was around that time that talks of utilizing gamers to help fight against the Omnic threat began. So it should have been predicted that a sudden invasion from an unknown group and omnics would occur in the middle of one of her tournaments at London, England in hopes of ridding of the more professional players. She had been separated by the others, forced to hide behind a makeshift barricade, a table that was toppled over to its' side and was being fired upon. She was certain that she wouldn't be able to make it through.
But when the sounds of groans, bodies dropping, and metal clanging onto the floor had begun reverberating down the hall, she couldn't help but take a peek over her barricade only to see someone seemingly teleporting about with an ethereal blue trail following after. It looked like one of the glitches Hana had seen once before growing up, where a player would disappear for a moment and reappear the next…
And after so many years of conditioning the emotions that came with glitches, she couldn't do anything to prevent the fear taking hold of her heart and the thoughts of possible death to arise in her mind.
" right?" A heavily accented British voice asked from besides her, causing her to flinch and jerk her head up to the side as she was caught off guard. She was met with the sight of a woman with windswept brown hair and playful eyes, colors unknown as large orange goggles that covered most of her upper face obscured them. Hana knew that she had seen the stranger before, but nothing came to mind.
"Uh… Yeah." Hana shakily answered, completely unsure as to where the other person came from or where she recognized them.
The British woman grinned as she quickly twirled her twin guns, causing them to click as an indication that they were ready to fire at anyone she so chose to. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!" She said encouragingly. "By the way, love your headset, it's cute!"
Even if she still didn't know where the stranger came from, Hana definitely knew when to take a compliment when she got one. Slowly, an award winning smile emerged onto her face as she happily gave a "Thanks!" Successfully garnering another grin from the other woman.
"Right! Stay low and behind cover!" The stranger firmly stated before she ran back out with guns blazing.
It was at that moment Hana realized who that was, and she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed before. Tracer was only on just about every worn Overwatch poster and was widely known to be the youngest pilot in the program. Hana knew of the accident that Tracer had been caught in during an experimental flight test as well, it would be hard to find someone who wasn't aware of that incident. So she of course, understood that what Tracer was doing wasn't exactly glitch-ing, but Hana still wasn't sure what it was that was happening to Tracer.
But understanding it didn't prevent the cold fear brushing itself within Hana's chest as she watched Tracer blink about. Though, it was quickly replaced with a sharp rise of panic as she whipped her head back behind cover as gunshots fired in her direction.
At one point, a few threats ran her way, giving her a clear view of them from the side. Sure enough, the field of view went both ways as their scanners picked up her signature and made their heads turn toward her. With a startled sound emitting from her throat, she tried her best to quickly scrambled backwards to find new cover. When a gun was brought up and pointed to her though, she squeaked as she quickly pushed herself onto her feet and tried her best to stumble away in a zigzag-like pattern toward a pillar, in hopes of shaking their aim off her.
"It's a game, it's just like a game," Hana continuously murmured to herself, hoping that if she said it out loud then it would help her stay calm "You just need to keep moving to keep enemy fire off you." She tried reasoning.
Though, it fell short when someone blocked her path with a gun pointed to her face.
"Stand down." They ordered.
Hana warily stared down into the barrel of the gun, her hands slowly rising as she took a step back. Right when the other person took a step forward though, Hana quickly twisted her body, her front foot swinging around her before executing a spinning hook kick to their head. While they were still stunned, she grabbed hold of the pistol in their hand and twisted her body around, forcing the other person to twirl with her as she forced the gun out of their hold before kicking them away.
With the tables turned, she held the gun up toward the person, "Eat this." She said mockingly before shooting them twice in the head as she skipped backward.
"Whoa! Nice!" Tracer cheered, blinking next to her to help fire against the remaining omnics that were pursuing Hana. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
"I have an older brother." Hana stated.
"Oh?"
"He used to get bullied at school. So I had to beat them up."
Tracer threw her head back with a laugh, "If you fought like anything you're doing now, then you sure showed them!"
A grin formed on Hana's lips, though it was short lived as more shots were fired toward the both of them, forcing Hana to turn around so she could run faster.
Until she felt someone grab hold of her, causing her to tense up as she was caught off guard. "Hang on love!" Tracer shouted, the device on her chest glowing just a bit brighter. Before Hana knew it, the bright surroundings had changed to a more shady area, behind the pillar to be more precise. "You were doing great! Just keep on doing what you were if you find yourself in a bit of a-"
She was suddenly interrupted with a groan escaping from her lips. Hana was filled with dread, her pale facing as she saw the pained expression on Tracer's face. The gamer quickly tried searching for the source, though her eyes widened upon seeing the heavy red stain spreading from the right side of Tracer's abdomen.
Hana's eyes snapped up in panic when the British woman's hands let go of her body, but her eyes turned into that of confusion upon seeing a small smirk grace Tracer's face.
Hana didn't even get to blink when Tracer suddenly vanished before her eyes, though her hopes were once again brought up upon hearing the familiar sound of cheering from behind the pillar. Whipping her head over to the side, she found Tracer whooping in joy at the exact same place she had grabbed Hana, though this time… Tracer began shooting at the remaining omnics.
The gamer stared in disbelief. Tracer had just used a retry.
A retry in real life.
It just couldn't be possible, but there she was… back to normal and at the spot before Tracer was shot at.
The sound of firing and more whoops shook Hana out of her stupor. She whipped back behind the pillar, slapped her cheeks to help her mind to refocus and back in the game before she peered back out to give Tracer some cover.
The fight didn't last long, and as more and more omnics fell, the more Hana felt courageous enough to run out of cover to steal another gun before running back.
By the time it was finally over, Hana couldn't believe that was still alive as her body trembled from her neck to her fingertips with adrenalin. Her knees shook from the rush, causing her to slump down to the floor.
"You okay love?" Tracer asked, suddenly appearing in front of the gamer with a face filled with concern, offering a hand to help Hana up.
Hana stared at the offered hand warily for a moment, before placing her own in it and allowed Tracer to pull her up. "You glitch." Hana stated frankly once she was standing.
The woman's brows rose in question, slightly pulling up orange goggles making her expression look more animated than it should have been. "Come again?" she asked, her arm slackening.
Hana frowned in disapproval, "You glitch." She restated, as though the other person had not heard her before. "You keep appearing and reappearing and I can never tell where you're going to be." There had been numerous times where Hana nearly shot Tracer when she was trying to provide cover.
Eyebrows knitted together, her face showing that she was trying to make sense of what the gamer was saying, until her eyes widened with realization. "Oh! Yeah, I do that. It's kind of like my super power." Tracer shrugged.
Hana glowered at the statement, a headache starting to weigh in at the prospect of having a glitch that could never be fixed. She needed answers. "But why?"
Tracer hummed in thought, bringing a hand up to the scratch the back of her head as though it would help her figure out an explanation. "Well you see, because of some experimental test gone wrong, my body is all wackey and I would phase in and out at random, appearing back at different times." She began before lightly tapping the large, circular device attached to her sternum. "If it weren't for this doo-hickey, I wouldn't even be able to stay here. I'd kind of be like a time traveling ghost or something. Spooky ain't it?" She asked rhetorically with a small grin. "It's also what allows me to blink all over the place like you saw earlier. It comes in handy for me really, like some sort of superpower, but it's also kind of a bit of a doozy for others. Both friendly and inbound." She finished with a crooked smile, as if her mouth couldn't decipher whether it was a blessing or a curse.
The headache lessened as Hana came to an understanding; this was a glitch that the other woman had some control over, using it to her advantage so long as she had her device to anchor her.
Hana wasn't entirely sure how to handle information such as this. She didn't think she would ever see a glitch ever again.
It was a complicated feeling, as she knew she should feel grateful toward Tracer and relieved for being able to live to see another day, but the fact that the other person could glitch was intimidating and caused a knot to form within Hana's chest.
"Good job hanging in there by the way. That was some wicked footwork you had, you kind of looked like a rabbit running around like that." Tracer stated with a thumbs up.
Hana glanced down at the gesture in question; her emotions still not completely sorted out before looking up at the slightly taller individual's easy going and reassuring smile. It seemed enough to placate and calm her fears and conflicting emotions as the pilot couldn't help but to returned the gesture with a grin. "Thanks for coming when you did."
A cross between a chuckle and giggle rang through Hana's ears, making her perk up just a bit more as pleasure bubbled inside her for being a proper source of entertainment even off camera. "Too bad about your tourney though."
"Oh," Hana voiced out, taking a look around the devastation of the hall. "It's okay, I'm sure it'll be up and running in no time." She said with a smile and a wave of a hand, though deep down she was fairly annoyed at the time of disruption as she would have bagged another kill before then.
Tracer hummed in thought before giving a lopsided shrug, "Right then. I'll be getting out of your hair now. Good luck on your next matches." She grinned as she turned to leave.
Hana frowned, "You're not staying?"
Tracer froze, turning her head back with a raised brow. "Er… No. Besides, I don't understand what you kids are into these days."
A pout formed on Hana's lips as her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. She hated it when she was treated as a child. Before she could allow her retort to be voiced out though, she noticed Tracer warily eyeing a Starcraft poster barely hanging on the next pillar over with some confusion and curiosity. It was evident that Tracer didn't intend to treat Hana as a child, but merely the simple fact that she really did not understand the interests and ideas of entertainment of gaming.
Understanding, she began to deflate in disappointment, Hana merely gave a solemn nod. "Okay." But Hana perked up, determination rising within her at the prospect of getting to know the mysterious glitch in reality. "How about we do something else then? I doubt they'll let us stay here anyway."
A look of perplexity crossed Tracer's face as an awkward chuckle was forced out. "Uh… I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I really should get going."
"Oh." Hana frowned once more, looking down at the floor as she lightly toed an invisible speck. "Maybe some other time then?" Hana asked, brushing a hair back behind her ear as she peered up.
Tracer let out an awkward laugh, "Maybe when you're old enough to no longer be considered a teen love." She said before blinking away.
Hana stared at the empty space quizzically, until the realization of what she said and how she acted might have sounded like a come on dawned upon her, causing cheeks to turn pink in embarrassment and making her splutter in indignation.
Though, it was a thought to ponder on, Hana wasn't sure when she would get to see another glitch again…
It wasn't until a few years later when she was drafted into piloting a MEKA suit along with Korea's other top gamers that she experienced another glitch.
Fighting against the colossal sized omnic that had been the nation's bane since before she was born though had only made the glitch seem normal. Especially when glitches used to be an indication to that particular Omnic's emergence.
More than half of the pilots had faced grievous injuries, and she was one of the remaining few that were still well off. Knowing fully well what was making her fellow players suffer, she had trying to get a hit on one of the Omnic's aggravating cannons, riskily using her boosters to jump up on top of buildings and closer to the monstrosity that dwarfed her in comparison.
Static sounded through her intercom as her teammate's voice tried forcing it's way through the noise, "D. Va don't lance this!"
Hana gritted her teeth, thrusting her controllers forward as far as they could go to reach the top of Seol tower. Her HUD flashing lights and warning signals all across her interface, the window from her stream blinking on an off as words from viewers poured in, dragging the scroll down rapidly. The markers on her scanner moved about like floaters in the corner as friendly marks flashed further away from the center while the massive red dot came closer. There was so much disruption coming from the omnic, that it had been causing major glitches to occur in everyone's MEKA suits. "I know what I'm doing!" She growled over the static. "Just hurry up and move!"
"This isn't a game ! You could actually die!"
"Well if you have a better idea, it'd be nice if you shared it." Hana retorted with an eye roll.
A familiar voice, british and feminine in tone, cut in through the channel without any other noise interference. "Not dying is one if you ask me." The new voice caught Hana off guard, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.
"What? Who is this?" The other player demanded right when Hana's eyes flickered in recognition. Before she realized it, a small smirk made itself known on her marked face as a mischievous glint shone in her eyes.
"That's our cavalry!" Hana happily quipped as she glanced down in the corner of her scanner, spotting four new marks… and one glitch
"Don't worry loves! Cav-!" Tracer began at the same time Hana spoke, though paused as she realized she was beaten to it. "Hey! You didn't let me say it!" She whined through the channel, right when a bulky blue suit pulled up next to Hana as their chest and shoulder plates opened up to unleash a storm of rockets onto the Omnic.
"You don't always have to say it…" Another voice muttered right after the rockets disabled the exact canon on its' shoulder that Hana wanted to take out. The suit of the other's closed the plates back over the launchers. "They understand back up when they see it."
The head of the suit turned toward Hana, the helmet peeling back to show another woman with a tattoo of the Eye of Ra surrounding her own. "If you're injured, fall back and regroup with our medic. She'll take care of you."
"I'm fine." Hana insisted.
The other hummed, her helmet folding back over to cover her face. "Then keep it that way. There's no reason for a kid to be going to war only to sacrifice themselves." She quipped before jumping off the side of the tower, her jets burning fuel to slow her descent.
"I-I'm not a kid!" Hana tried arguing back as she followed after.
The other voice huffed, "Still young enough to be considered a child."
Hana puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.
The sound of Tracer's laugh filled Hana's ears before speaking, "She's no older than I was!"
Silence reigned through the channel and for a moment, Hana thought something might have been wrong with her intercom until a soft, unrecognizable voiced cough filled it. "Not to be rude Lena, but you're not the best comparison."
"Hm. Can't argue with that!" Tracer laughed once more, though Hana found a bit of pleasure in knowing Tracer's real name.
The lighthearted banter continued throughout the battle, everyone talking or warning each other about certain things to look out for though with no specific person leading. Hana actually enjoyed it because she knew that what they were doing was what teamwork, with members who actually knew what they were doing, looked like.
Due to her piloting a rather heavy machine, Tracer took it upon herself to act as Hana's support for the duration of the battle. Blinking to and fro in a large radius surrounding Hana to ensure protection while making her scanner glitch.
It was a welcome change, as the constant blinking marker that moved about became a sign of safety. And when something became a bit much or too heavy for Tracer, she would playfully jump behind the MEKA as Hana activated the defense matrix.
Sure enough, by the time the battle was over, Hana felt completely drained and exhausted, but beside the occasional bruises and swelling, she was mostly fine.
"Nice moves!" Tracer cheered as she warped beside the gamer, holding a fist out for a bump.
Hana couldn't help but to flash a wide grin and return the gesture. "GG."
Tracer seemed to have positive views of the act, if her dimples and lightly flushed pink cheeks were anything to go by.
Though… That could have been sheer exhaustion and overheat from the battle.
"You fight well kid, but I'd feel better if you went and checked in with our medic." The other woman with the tattooed eye, that Hana learned was Pharah, said as she landed by Tracer.
Hana puffed her cheeks out. "I'm not a kid."
Tracer merely laughed, "Don't worry about it love. Everyone is a kid to her… 'cept maybe Satya." She finished with a mischievous grin.
Pharah blushed, coughing into one hand to clear her throat. "Y-Yes. Well… As Lena said, I have a habit of calling anyone younger than myself that. So pay no mind to it." She explained, completely ignoring the snickering that came from Tracer. "Regardless, we should all check in with Angela before moving out."
Hana frowned at that statement, "You're not staying?"
Tracer and Pharah solemnly shook their heads.
"You know what they say," Tracer shrugged. "No rest for the wicked."
"Oh." Hana voiced, looking down at her controls. A sound from the bulk of her suit caused her head to snap back up though and see the hand Pharah placed there in comfort.
"Chin up kid," She said, "We'll most likely see you again within the coming months."
Hana tilted her head in question, turning her gaze over to Tracer for confirmation who nodded in agreement.
"Yup! You'll probably be deployed wherever there's a major threat. And where there's a major threat, Overwatch is there!" She promised with a grin.
"Though, technically we are not official." Pharah noted, "By all accounts, we are considered to be breaking the pact that prohibits any Overwatch activities is still enacted. Therefore, we would appreciate if you would keep quiet about this."
"What about you?" Hana blurted out in question, referring to Tracer. She hadn't meant to seem so forward, but she decided to roll with you. "I want to see you again."
"Er…" Tracer seemed to be taken aback by that and spluttered, tripping over her own words as she tried to come up with a reply. "U-Uh. Yeah! Of course I'll be there! I-I am on the assault team after all…?" She said with a questioning tone, as though unsure of her information.
Pleased with the answer, Hana beamed in happiness before taking her hand off one of the controls and lifted her index finger with a serious expression. "You better be! Otherwise I'll never forgive you!"
Tracer stared down at the finger with wide bewildered eyes, unsure of how to react to such a demand.
Hana slightly deflated, her finger lowering as she loosely wrapped her fingers back over the control. "You said you would." She pouted, thinking about what Tracer said all those years ago.
She probably forgot.
Tracer furrowed her brows in thought, until her eyes widened in realization as pink dusted her cheeks. "You mean back at your gaming tournament?"
Pharah mouthed the last two words in question as though they were some foreign concept.
Hana smiled, happy to learn that Tracer didn't completely forget. "Yeah."
"I-…" Tracer hesitated, casting a sidelong glance over to Pharah for help. "Aren't there like… rules against this?"
Pharah shrugged before giving a mischievous smirk, "There aren't any rules against hanging out love." She said in a mocking tone before quickly jetting off.
"I-Hey! That's- That's what I told you when I-! Y-You can't do that!" Tracer whined, as Pharah took off and left her in a stuttering mess.
When it became clear that Tracer was not going to get a response, she slowly turned back around toward Hana, her freckles spread along her cheeks gaining a new red background.
It was cute, though Hana wasn't sure if that thought was appropriate at the moment. If she were completely honest though, Hana didn't care about that at all and was determined to keep the adorable sight in her view.
"She's right you know," The former pro gamer began, "I just wanted to know if I'll see you again." Hana said with a crooked smile.
Tracer warily eyed her with a raised brow, "And that's it?"
"You're the one who thinks I've been implying something else." Hana teased.
Tracer let out a sigh, running her hands through her messy hair to collect herself, though it did nothing to help rid of the color from her cheeks. "Well, unless Angela – Er… Dr. Zieglar I mean – says otherwise, then yeah. I'll be there."
Hana grinned, "Great! I'm looking forward to playing with you again."
Tracer's cheeks darkened as she ducked her head, "Er. Yeah. We make a good team." She said with a nervous smile.
"We sure do." Hana agreed with a smirk.
It seemed like the banter was getting a bit much for Tracer then, as she quickly announced in an undecipherable speech that she had to leave before warping off."
Hana waved goodbye with her MEKA in the general direction Tracer left in, a pleased smile cementing itself on her face.
As Pharah and Tracer said, the members of the vigilante group in the coming months continued appearing at any area where there were major threats. And since Hana was a war asset, her nation deployed her to help the rest of the nations fight back against the threats, causing her to consistently glance over to her scanner in hopes of catching a glimpse of a glitch that would appear. It became apparent that Tracer would look out for her as well, as the former flight pilot would appear around her just a short while after Hana was out on the field.
Because of that, glitches quickly became something Hana began to enjoy seeing, as it transitioned from being a sign of fear to a sign of safety.
After the threat was dealt with, Tracer and whomever else she was partnered with would always invite Hana back to their base to be healed up. Hana usually accepted it, as she was typically not expected to be back with her superiors immediately after, allowing her to get to know the other members of Overwatch better. She even got invited to play sport games with them, though she would always decline since she didn't have the coordination to participate and would watch from the sidelines with Dr. Ziegler and Satya to cheer. As she watched, she quickly learned that fair play did not exist in their minds, as everyone would quickly find ways to cheat. Lena especially would be the first to abuse her chrono accelerator when playing; causing everyone to complain and start taking advantage of their own perks.
"It's always turns out like this." Angela sighed out once while everyone was jumping around to play basketball. "Everyone here is too competitive. Even when we try to play fairly, Lena always somehow brings that side out."
Satya hummed in agreement, "It's because she knows she can get away with it."
It was fascinating for Hana to learn more about Lena, how she was so fun-loving that no matter what she did – she could make others laugh, how she's not consciously aware of how expressive and animated her face is, of how optimistic she is no matter how negative the situation may look, that Lena loved classic Disney shows and would actually quote a line from a movie if she had the chance (her favorite quote seemed to be, "I laugh in the face of danger! Harharhar!" as she would often say it after someone told her to be careful or how an area is dangerous before recklessly charging in.) How Lena loved startling everyone (especially Hana it seemed) around base, appearing right by their side or behind them to catch them off guard as she greeted them, causing them to jump just a little before they whirled around on her to reprimand her. (The only person who didn't seemed to react was Angela, who would always calmly greet Lena back in turn or before Lena even got the chance to) Just little bits that Hana was happy and surprised to learn about over time as she grew closer and closer to the older woman.
Lena seemed more than happy to recount stories, tell little tidbits, or answer any questions Hana had. Though, she was happier to learn about games that Hana grew up with. She was surprised to find that Hana grew up with really classic board games, a result of not having a stable electrical outlet in the bunkers growing up. Still, Lean was rather fascinated about these games as she was, causing the gamer to occasionally bring something to the Overwatch base when she could to teach her… along with everyone else. Game nights quickly turned into a regular occurrence, laughter always ensured to accompany the activities as everyone poked fun of one another and Hana thought that with classic games, there was no way for Lena to be able to cheat. Though, she was proven wrong as Lena proceeded to do just that, making it the first time Hana had ever seen a glitch occur in a classic, physical game. After that, everyone seemed to get creative when it came to playing dirty, and at some point, Satya was banned from ever playing another game of Jenga. Usually, Hana loathed people who cheated in games, but with Lena and the rest of the members, she couldn't help but find it fun.
Hana didn't think she would ever love seeing glitches.
But… Of course… she had to be reminded of the cruel reality of glitches.
They were unpredictable, and they always caught her off guard.
Green and blue tinted screens continuously flashed with words of the MEKA's current status, graphs, or words streaming from the chat off of 's stream. The window continuously moving down as viewers sent their concerns or shared her ire at her last battle. The words only reminded her of her annoyance, making her growl as she cut her engine off once she parked her MEKA suit, effectively shutting her stream without so much of a word of good-bye. She pushed herself out of her suit, stumbling out from the sudden wave of dizziness that hit her while her eyes squinted at the sudden transition of bright lights. Once she gathered herself, she tore off her headset, shaking her head partly in frustration, but mostly out of habit to allow her strands to be free. Still, she threw it to the ground in frustration, her headset clattering away somewhere off to the side as she stormed back into base.
Who cares if her headset broke? She could always get a custom made one again.
"Hana! Wait!" Dr. Ziegler yelled, hurrying over to the pilot in a plainclothes with the tail of her medical coat whipping behind her. "You need to be checked up. You took quite a heavy number of hits earlier on-"
"I'm fine!" Hana snapped.
Angela did not appreciate Hana's interruption as she narrowed her eyes down at the shorter girl.
The glare would usually be enough to cause the 19-year old to wilt and succumb to a medical check up, but at the moment it wasn't enough to cool off Hana's rage. Still, she realized that she shouldn't have snapped at Angela, knowing fully well that the doctor was only trying to look out for her.
"I'm sorry…" Hana mumbled, her brows still knit together in frustration. "But I'm fine, just a few scratches."
Mercy sighed, lightly shaking her head before poking Hana's forehead. "You're only 19, much too young to be making that face. So stop it."
Hana scowled, lightly smacking the Doctor's hand away. "I'm almost 20." She stated, as though it made all the difference.
"Almost does not mean that you are." Angela quipped, "Now come along so we can get you all fixed up." She finished, turning around as she began heading toward the med bay.
The pilot breathed through her nose in frustration, "Shouldn't you be checking on the others?" Hana reasoned, crossing her arms in defiance, leaning on her right leg and popping her hip out in that direction as she casted her gaze off to the opposite side. "Le- I mean-" She gritted her teeth, clenching her hands so tightly, she was certain she left crescent marks in her biceps. "I'm sure the others took harder hits."
Angela turned her head, arching a brow as she came to a halt. "I suppose you mean to ask about Lena?" She said more than questioned. The name that escaped from her lips caused Hana to freeze, her body going completely rigid. Along with it though, her scowl became deeper and the crinkles on her forehead more prominent. The doctor sighed once more as she gave a small smile. "There's no need to worry, the moment she arrived after being sent back early, she was seen to by myself and Winston. You on the other hand, still need to be tended to." Angela firmly stated, walking off once more.
Hana heaved a sigh, running her hand through her brown locks as her shoulders drooped and caused all her tension seemingly draining out to the soles of her feet before she followed after.
The walk to the medical bay was silent, and although Hana was fully capable of making her way there by herself, she still kept a few steps behind Dr. Ziegler, allowing her to lead the way as Hana kept her brown eyes trained to the ground in front of her.
Angela seemed to understand that Hana wasn't in the mood to talk and made no effort to start a conversation. She knew that Hana's thoughts were somewhere else, it was expected as her last battle was rather… strenuous; both emotionally and physically. The younger woman was merely trying to process through them all; she'll speak when she's ready.
Until then, it was Angela's job to make sure that Hana hadn't suffered any serious physical injuries.
Once the two arrived to the bay, Angela immediately had Hana sit down on the bed and began taking her through the basic medical routines; checking heart rate, flashing light into pupils to check for brain trauma, lighting tapping specified areas to gauge reaction time, etc. Throughout the procedures, Hana continued fidgeting, slightly shifting in her seat as though she were uncomfortable, and while Angela knew that Hana didn't like staying in one spot for too long, she knew that her restlessness was due to something else entirely.
Despite that, Angela was able to finish without hearing a single complaint. Overall, Hana was mostly fine but… "You have a concussion." Angela sighed, "So I'd prefer to have you stay so I can monitor you…"
Hana snapped her head up at that suggesting, persisting through the next wave of dizziness as her eyes widened with panic. "You can't!" she insisted, "I have to-"
"Rest." Angela finished with a tone of finality.
"But what about-"
"Lena is fine." Angela continued, "She's resting, just as you should be doing."
"But I- Her Chro-" Hana stuttered, her eyes welling up as her hear clenched in fear at the thought she tried to spill out. Her breath hitched as she continued in a shaky voice. "I need to apologize to her."
"You need to rest," Angela repeated, her voice still leveled and firm. She was used to restless patients far worse than how Hana was currently acting. "Besides, she hasn't woken up yet, so, you wouldn't be able to apologize regardless of whether or not you had a concussion."
Hana let out a shaky sigh, leaning back on the cot and forcing her muscles to relax is resignation.
"Good." Angela nodded in approval, going as far as patting Hana on her head as she got up to walk over to her desk.
Silence reigned in the room aside from the occasional sound of a hologram being moved or turned on for a while as Hana stared up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Hana asked, "How bad was it?"
Angela paused in her work, turning her head toward Hana with a raised brow. "Could you clarify?"
The 19-year-old frowned fiddling with her thumbs that were resting together on her stomach. "How badly injured was Lena?"
"Ah," The doctor voiced, "She only suffered a few minor injuries, a scratch or bruise here and there, and a minor concussion like yourself. The harness to her Chrono accelerator had fortunately cushioned her impact, though, at the cost of her device itself and thereby causing her to…" Angela paused, pursing her lips together to think of a suitable word.
"Glitch." Hana offered
Angela thought about it for a moment, and nodded in approval. "Yes, causing her to glitch and making it look far worse than it really was. Thankfully, Winston was able to stabilize her condition before it took a turn for the worse and bring her back home to get patched up."
Hana looked away in shame at that statement, her eyes welling up once more.
The doctor seemed to have noticed the heavy feelings that the 19 year old was carrying and sighed. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known she would do that."
"I should have though," Hana insisted. "I should have ejected from the suit and ran instead of staying. If I had just done that, she wouldn't have needed to come and-"
"You didn't though," Angela interrupted, standing up and making her way over to Hana's side, kneeling down onto the floor to be at eye-level with the lying patient. "But when you noticed, you stood your ground and protected her against a whole group raining bullets down on you by yourself. That takes a lot of strength and courage Hana, and I'm so proud of you for doing so. I'm proud of you for staying with Lena to protect her, even at the cost of your own life."
Stray tears fell down Hana's cheeks as she shifted her body toward Angela who held a gentle, loving expression as her eyes glowed with pride. "But it was still my fault she ended up like that." Hana whispered, her voice cracking slightly from the small knot that had formed in her throat.
"You couldn't have known." Angela repeated as she gently reached out for the younger woman's hands, grasping them in a comforting and secure hold in her own. "It was just an accident Hana, it happens. What matters is that Lena is fine. She's just resting, and once she wakes up, she'll bounce right back to her usual self."
Hana gave a light sniffle, as she tensely nodded her understanding and squeezed the doctor's hands. "Okay." She said, letting go to wipe the tears from her face while giving a watery laugh. "Don't tell anyone I cried okay? They'll make fun of me for being a kid."
Angela laughed, "Crying does not make you a child Hana. Even grown adults are allowed to cry. In fact, even Zarya has cried."
"Really?"
A nod, "Yes. She shares the same investment as Lena does with Disney movies, specifically those featuring animals, and will always turn rather emotional during certain scenes no matter how often she watches it. But you didn't hear that from me, understand?" Angela asked, lightly touching her own nose.
Hana lightly giggled, nodding in understanding, her eyelids growing heavier as her body sagging further into the cot. "I didn't hear a thing."
"Good girl." Angela smiled, placing a hand on top of Hana's head to pet.
The feeling was comforting, and soon… Hana found herself succumbing to sleep, completely drained exhausting events that had occurred.
It was only a few hours later when she was being pulled from her dreamless sleep by the tickling sensation of her hair being brushed off to the side from fingers that continued to lightly trail down from the side of her face in a gentle caress. Still feeling sleepy, she shifted her head away from the feather touches, raising her hand up to aimlessly wave the perpetrator to leave. The sound of a familiar giggle rang through her ears, most likely at her displayed attempt to shoo them away, causing her to eyes to snap open and quickly sit up to get a clear look at the source.
An action that her head did not appreciate as a dull headache and strong wave of dizziness hit her the moment she did.
"Easy there love," Lena said in a soft, near whispered voice, placing a hand on Hana's shoulder and gently pushing her back to lie down. "The doc said you still have a concussion."
The sight of Lena, and the physical touch of her hand on Hana's shoulder, allowed the former pro gamer to heave a shaky sigh of relief. "It's nothing. I'm fine." Hana mumbled, complying with the subtle order regardless. A small lump formed in her throat when she was finally able to take a look at the former pilot who held a few purple blotches at the side of her face, a deep bruise in the shape of her goggles surrounding her right eye, and dotted scratches caused by the gravel of when she fell. Hana's eyes glanced down at the scratched harness and chrono accelerator around Lena's chest, other than a few dents and chipped paint; the device seemed to be in perfect condition.
It didn't help let up the tight feeling of guilt that knotted itself inside Hana's chest though, and she couldn't prevent the tears from falling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry…" She whimpered, grabbing hold of Lena's hand as though to make sure that she was still there in the present. That she was still alive.
An empathetic smile crossed Lena's face as she gave Hana's hand a squeeze. "Why are you apologizing? I should be thanking you, if anything I should be the one apologizing."
"But-!" Hana argued, "If it weren't for me you wouldn't have-"
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here now." Lena interrupted, "You saved me Hana. You stayed back and risked your life to keep me safe, and I'm always going to be grateful for that. I should be the one apologizing for putting you in that situation, I thought I had enough time and power to accelerate, but I was wrong."
Hana sniffed, bringing her free hand up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It wasn't your fault though. You couldn't have known. You were just trying to buy me some time to get away."
A strained laugh emitted from Lena's throat, "See how well that turned out?" The laugh quickly died out though as Lena's expression grew somber, a glint of pain flashing in her watery eyes. "I thought I was going to lose you Hana. You were risking your life to keep me safe, and I thought you were going to…" She couldn't say it, her voice cracking just right before as she took a shaky breathe. A stray tear fell down from the side of her face as she leaned down, resting her elbows on the side of the bed as she held Hana's hand tightly in her own, pressing it to the side of her face. "I thought I was going to lose you." She breathed out.
Hana shifted onto her side to return the tight grip, her own tears falling freely now. "I thought I was going to lose you." She whispered
For a few minutes, the two stayed holding each other's hand in silence with the occasional sniffle.
It was finally broken by a watery chuckle that escaped from Lena, "Look at the two of us, we're a right pair aren't we?"
Hana smiled, "We could be."
Another laugh, this time much more cheerful than the previous one. "You're persistent."
"I only play to win. Losing is not an option."
The statement elicited another laugh from Lena, making Hana relax in pleasure upon hearing the sound. "Okay."
The single word made Hana tense up, her eyes snapping up to meet Lena's in perplexity, not entirely sure if what she heard was correct. "What?"
Lena's eyes shone with mirth as an amused smile crossed her face, "Okay." She repeated, resting her chin on top of their entwined hands.
Hana was skeptical, and in a state of disbelief. She had to make sure what she heard was correct. "Really?"
Lena didn't give Hana the honor of a verbal agreement, instead – she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Hana's lips.
Hana didn't get a chance to find satisfaction with the peck, as it happened much too quickly and lasted much to shortly. The only reason why she knew it happened, was from the tingling sensation on the younger woman's lips, and the constant flips her heart was doing.
A giggle snapped Hana out from her daze, making her refocus her attention back onto Lena. "You okay there, love?"
With a teasing smile, Hana slowly shook her head. "Again?" She asked.
Pink dusted her cheeks, as Lena let out another giggle before complying with the request.
This time, Hana had the chance to take pleasure in the action as she allowed her eyes to flutter close. Like previously, it lasted much too short for her taste – so before Lena could sit up straight, Hana repeated her request in a whisper. Lena seemed more than happy to accept the request, pressing another chaste kiss to Hana's lips.
"Again." Hana breathily demanded, lightly tugging on Lena's hand to encourage her to come closer.
The former flight pilot climbed onto the small medical bed, resting on her side to face Hana as their lips met once more while they kept their hands together.
The two continued the near silent interaction, breathing in each other and sharing the air between them as they pressed their foreheads together. Each kiss confirming that the other was still alive. Each kiss confirming that this moment was real, that this wasn't a dream. Each kiss confirming that the other was with them, here.
For Hana, each kiss quickly became an indication that the fluttering feeling in her chest was about to happen. With each kiss, her heart would flip when she asked for another, only for it to pound against her chest, rampaging against her ribs in approval. An eager smile would stretch across her face when Lena complied, only for a small bump of their heads to get in their way. A chuckle would pass between them before Lena leaned her head back, reminding Hana to compose herself as much as she could before their lips met. Each kiss was a reminder that this moment was real, a confirmation that Lena was more than just a glitch. Each kiss confirmed that although reality could be cruel, there were moments where it wasn't. That second chances, a retry, could be made given the opportunity.
Hana loved each kiss she shared with Lena.
"I love you." Lena murmured, pressing a kiss to Hana's forehead before tucking her head under her own.
"I love you too." Hana whispered, her eyes still closed as sleep began to take its' hold on her.
"Rest up love, I'll wake you up when you need to." Lena said, rubbing her thumb over Hana's hand in a comforting gesture.
"Stay with me?" Hana asked as she snuggled further into Lena, unperturbed by the harness between them.
Another kiss was pressed to the crown of her head. "Don't you worry love, I'll be here when you wake."