The Petras Act. One of the most destructive and unnecessary laws to ever be passed by the United Nations. All Overwatch members could no longer be in the same facility at any one time after today's allotted hour. After that was the complete shutdown. No more Overwatch.
How could they just brush Overwatch under the rug after 10 years of peace between humans and omnics? What have they done to deserve this torment? You knew it was most likely the incident in Switzerland that made the UN act, but it still wasn't fair.
Today was the day the vote went through. The vote tally to destroy Overwatch was unanimous, and agents only had an hour to say goodbye and hand in their badges. Head Overwatch members were gathered in the meeting rooms at the British base, saying final farewells to their colleagues, friends, and their extended family. People were hugging, crying, or trying to tuck their emotions away.
The base was filled with a melancholy atmosphere, something few were handling well.
You were one of the most hysterical. Everything you had was going to be taken away from you. Overwatch was the only thing you had left. All of it was going to go away. Your career, your friends, your family, and Genji.
Genji was the love of your life. The noblest and kind man you could ever ask for, someone who accepted you for who you were, faults and all. Genji was also a fellow member of Overwatch, also affected by the Petras act. No strings must be left attached, so the law even applied to married or engaged couples that both worked as
Overwatch agents.
Genji was standing before you and holding you in a tight embrace, trying his best to cure you of the dread you were feeling. Genji was doing his best to keep himself composed, even if you were the complete opposite. You needed to be grounded, and Genji felt that you needed him
more than ever. Petras was ruthless and was about to tear the two of you apart. Forever.
It was now law that you and Genji could no longer be together, no matter what you did. You would never be married. You wouldn't be able to be in the same building, block, or town. You would never see Genji Shimada for the rest of your life; unless you wanted to rot in prison.
"Hey, it's going to be alright, (Y/N)," Genji said, gently rubbing your back as you cried into his chest.
"You know that? Nothing is ever going to be okay. How can they do this to us?" You sobbed, tears flowing freely down your cheeks. You were a snivelling mess, how could you not be?
"Maybe one day they will change the law. We never know… There is always hope that we must hold on to." Genji spoke softly, and you knew he was trying to comfort you, but it was easy to hear the doubt in his voice.
"What hope is there for us now? You know what the original draft of Petras was. We are lucky Morrison pushed for a change. This is the end for us. I'll never see you again!"
Genji slid his hands up your back and took hold of your shoulders, gently pushing you backwards to get a look at your face.
"(Y/N). I love you, and you know that. Please believe that there may be some other way. We need to hold on to whatever belief we have. We may not be able to see each other for a while, but not even death can stop true love." Genji wiped the stray tears away from your cheeks.
"I love you too, Genji." You snivelled again, trying to gain composure. You leant into his touch when Genji cupped your cheek. His metal hand was cool on your hot and flushed face. "Can you please take off your mask?" You plead, desperate to see Genji's human face one last time.
Nodding, Genji moved his hands to detach the faceplate from his head. It wasn't often he removed it in public, but he couldn't deny your wish.
As soon as he put the plate down on the table next to you, you jumped up on your tiptoes to kiss him. Genji was heavily scarred, and you felt the scars on his lips as you kissed him. Your cheek also sometimes bumped against the metal parts of his head, but you didn't care. His
skin was still soft as silk, and his lips even more so.
You had intended for this kiss to be graceful, but it was not even close. You had begun to cry again, taking in small breaths through your nose. Every time you separated you both dove back in with more fervour. The only thing that stopped you two from going into an all-out make
out session were two UN soldiers that entered the room.
Dr Angela and Lena didn't mind you and Genji, they both felt immense sympathy for you and thought that it would be demeaning if they made you separate early. They held a conversation at the other side of the room, and soon after tried to stall the UN soldiers as they came into the
vicinity.
"Sirs, if you'd please. Let them have a little more time to themselves. This law is too overwhelming to them." You hear the doctor just inside of earshot as Genji gripped your waist a little tighter.
"No. The hour is up, you all need to clear out and be given your new rooming assignments. In the next half hour, people are going to be arrested if they do not comply. Even those two, no exceptions." You knew they were pointing at you as they spoke.
"You've got to at least be reasonable," Lena countered, trying to hold back the agents from approaching you. However, the pleading of both of them couldn't buy you any more time.
"It is time to leave now, now, Ziegler, Oxton. Your assignments must not be kept waiting." Two other soldiers entered the room, grabbing the two women by their arms, escorting them away. There was no way that either of them could put up a fight. It was too risky.
You and Genji had barely separated when the soldier finally made it to you. "Come now, your time is up." He said, looking down at you as you wiped more tears from your face. You now stood behind him, as he held out an arm to block you from the soldier. Genji was not about to
leave you without protest.
"Please, give us a little more time. (Y/N) needs to calm down first." Genji told the soldier, an angry tone filled his voice, and another loud sniffle left you.
"No exceptions, Shimada. A law is a law, and you've already freed yourself from it once. Leave her and go get your new assignment." The soldiers stood, seemingly unmovable, like statues.
"No, I will not leave her!" Genji shouted defiantly, taking a step forward and sizing up the soldier.
"Fine. Then we will use force." Both soldiers began to move again, one grabbing Genji by both arms before he could reach for his swords that were set down on the table alongside his mask. The soldier put Genji's hands behind his back as if the soldier was about to put
handcuffs around his wrists.
The other grabbed you, easily picking you up by the waist, also trapping your arms within his grip. Their grip was so tight that you could barely breathe, but you still managed to kick and squirm. However, it did not seem to do very much.
"Let me go! Genji!" You squealed, as you and Genji were being carried out of different doors by the soldiers.
"GENJI!" You screamed as you kept trying to escape the grip of the soldier. "GENJI!"
"(Y/N)!"
That was the last time you heard his voice.
~~~~
10 years later
Sighing, you set down a mug of coffee on your dining room table, slumping down in a chair lazily. It was a long day and you were tired from working with all of your clientele. You managed to keep your old profession of being a prosthetic engineer, but your occupation did
not console you from the separation that happened ten years ago.
Everything had fallen apart. You were dirt poor and were still crying yourself to sleep over Switzerland and the Petras Act. Your flat was smaller than your dorm room at Gibraltar, and it always smelled of rotten fish and mildew.
It was so lonely here, despite the familiarity of being back in your hometown of Collingwood, Ontario. You had no friends since most of the public had succumbed to fear mongering and had come to despise Overwatch and therefore you. Only the omnics and humans with
prosthetic limbs came to you for repairs, and that was only because it was a necessity.
You were also under almost constant surveillance by the UN and therefore could not contact anyone from your past life, which made you feel even worse than your job did. The only companion you had was Athena, an A.I remnant of an Overwatch science division project,
something gifted to all agents, but with the communication device removed. It was the only piece of Overwatch that former agents were allowed to use.
"Your coffee's getting cold," Athena beeped as you pulled your laptop to the edge of the table.
"I'll take a drink in a minute." You mumbled as you observed yourself through the reflection of your crummy laptop screen as it started up. You had bags under your eyes and the dark circles were barely hidden by your lotion, foundation, and concealer. It looked as if you hadn't slept in the past few months, and in truth, you didn't sleep very much at all.
Today was the 10th anniversary of the Petras act, the very event that plunged you into this depression and isolation. You had no friends, no family, barely any money, and no real purpose.
As soon as you felt a tear rolling down your cheek, you wiped it away and took a sip of your coffee. It was true, you were miserable. The only thing that kept you in reality was the image of Genji. His beautiful face, his smile, his accent, his touch, his smell. Even though it had been
10 years since you saw him; you would never forget him. The only remnant of Genji you had was a few of his old scarves that were tucked away in your bedroom. All of those items had long lost his smell, but it still helped you at least relax a little bit at night.
"Athena, check my logs. Do I have any mail?" You ask the A.I, logging into your computer.
"Yes. It is a video message. I will open it for you now."
You plugged in your earbuds and put them in your ears, waiting for the mail to load. Suddenly, something you never thought you would see again appeared on the screen.
The Overwatch flag.
An audible gasp left your lips. Who would….? How would..?
Pausing the video and quickly standing up, you turned out all the lights in your apartment, closed the curtains of your windows and sliding patio door, and checked to make sure that nobody would see what you were watching.
The only light that was left was that of your computer screen, where Winston's face had appeared. He explained to you that with the help of some mercenaries, he was finally able to reach all of the Overwatch agents that were scattered around the globe. The second omnic
crisis has arisen, (You've known about this for a while, despite the movement not reaching your region yet), and it was time for Overwatch to start "Recall", a top secret operative that was put into place in case anything like the Petras act had ever been passed. It was secret
even to the United Nations.
You never thought Recall would ever go into effect, and over the years it had completely removed itself from your thoughts. You always thought everyone was too afraid to even think about taking action lest the UN find out about it. Just the thought of what the Petras Act originally
proposed made you believe that Recall was going to end up scrapped.
It was the last hope you overlooked. A hope that was staring you right in the face. A ray of hope that you would see Genji again. You could have started screaming right then and there, even if Winston's video was still playing. Grabbing a notepad and pen in front of you, you quickly took down notes on the set time and place to meet up with other members of
Overwatch.
Only moments later did you pull together whatever funds you had left to buy a plane ticket. You had never been this nervous and excited in the past 10 years. Overwatch, though only a few members, were returning; was going back into service. You would see your family! You would see Genji! You didn't care if the UN followed you back to Watchpoint Gibraltar, it would be worth it to see him one last time before you went to prison.
You soon snapped your laptop closed and raced to your room to pack the essentials. This was it. A dream come true.
~
There it was, Watchpoint Gibraltar. It had been so long since you had seen the beautiful British coastline and the orangey glow the accompanied the Overwatch base. The place looked slightly run down; and not without its reasons, as only Winston lived there since the shutdown. Sliding open the fence, you walked into the vicinity. Not long after, Winston appeared.
You quickly made your way up to your friend, tightly hugging the gorilla as best you could.
"It's been much too long, Winston," you say, your voice cracking. You felt like you were going to cry tears of joy as if you hadn't already done so on the plane.
"It has," he replied, patting you gently on the back. "Come, there's tea inside."
As you followed Winston inside, a knot tightened in your chest. The whole thing was overwhelming you. The impossibility of it all made you think that it could be a dream. You took your bags to the crook of your arm and pinched the skin of your wrist, just to make sure you were still experiencing reality.
Walking into the room, you saw familiar faces as you scanned the room. Lena was sitting at a large table with Mei, Jesse, Fareeha, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, and Angela, who was pouring tea into porcelain cups as Winston joined them. Where was Genji? Winston said he would be
here. Perhaps he hadn't arrived yet, Winston did say many people did accept the invitation to return to active duty, and there is a lot to do in order to arrive without being followed as well.
"(Y/N)~!" Lena called as she blinked over to you, gripping you in a tight hug. Despite how skinny she looked, Lena packed in a lot of strength. You returned the hug, completely speechless that any of it was actually happening.
"Lena… I missed you so much!" You managed to squeak out, as the other members stood up to walk over to you.
You were being smothered by hugs from everyone in the room. You especially ecstatic to receive a big hug from Jesse. Even though he didn't seem like the squishy huggable type, he was engulfing you in a hug, lifting you up in the air as he kissed your cheek.
"Been too long since I've seen ya, sweetheart." You blushed at McCree's pet name, returning his hug. McCree was always there to make you feel welcome and safe, even if he made a lot of puns and western jokes. He was like an older brother to you.
Once all the pleasantries had been made, you took a second take of the room. Still no sign of Genji. You sighed, you were being impatient. 'Give him time,' you kept thinking to yourself. As you drank your tea, everyone eyed you as if they knew something you didn't. At one point,
Lena was passing out cookies and seemed as if she was doing all she could not to laugh or blurt something out.
You tried to ignore your curiosity at first, but it bugged you and scratched at the back of your head. Once your cup of tea was empty and your cookies finished, you decided to ask.
"Where's Genji?"
Everyone turned away from you, looking instead at Lena. She was staring right at you; barely able to contain her excitement about something. Immediately she stood up, walking over to you and grabbing your arm gently.
"Come with me," she said, leading you out the main doors and into the light of the sunset. In the middle of the terrace stood Genji, his mask absent from his face, and he was completely surrounded by a bed of flowers. In his hands were a large bouquet of your favourites.
The display was honestly remarkable, but you couldn't have cared less about it. The only thing that mattered to you was a sight you despaired over for 10 years. A sight you thought you would never see again. That was when you started running. You collapsed onto Genji, a fit of tears erupting from your eyes again. You hid your face into the crook of his neck and revelled internally when he wrapped his arms around you.
You couldn't form words, and you didn't need to. Ten years worth of misery, poverty, and isolation led to this. Your friends, family, and above all, Genji. When you separated, Genji smiled down at you.
"I've been dreaming of asking you this for years," he said, finally handing the bouquet of flowers to you. You cradled the flowers in your arms, your heart beating out of your chest. 'Oh my God', you repeated over and over again in your head, a great big smile unable to escape your face.
Slowly, Genji kneeled down in front of you, taking up a small black box from the terrace. You
were completely overwhelmed, in a good way. The word 'yes' was already screaming in your
head, but you knew the drill, Genji had to ask the question first. Or, at least, attempt to ask it.
"Will you m-"
You couldn't hold it in any longer. "Yes!" You did your best not to shout, but it still came out at a higher volume than you intended.
The feeling of comfort, acceptance, and love all came crashing down on you at once. The waterworks were back once again, you had thrown the bouquet to the side and joined Genji down on the ground. You were peppering an immeasurable amount of kisses onto his face as he slid the engagement ring onto your finger.
Not very long after, you heard the sound of clapping behind you. The other members had gathered on the terrace and were all smiling warmly at you and Genji. It was a small moment when you stopped your barrage of kisses when Genji was finally able to stand, pick you up, and get a proper kiss in front of your teammates and family.
In those moments, the Petras Act was forgotten. Your misery was in the past, and you could easily come to think that the past ten years were merely a nightmare. Recall saved you, and you
you couldn't be more thankful.
You savoured the best day of your life and vowed to yourself that no matter what, you would never be separated from Genji again.