Been a while guys, sorry about that. I have a large AN at the bottom the explains it all but here's a key thing I need to get across. This is, nor was it ever intended to be, a large story. I have maybe 2-3 chapter left before it's done. The chapters will be between 5,000-15,000 words for each one which will decide the number. I'll put an AN on the second to last one so you guys aren't blindsided by it. Again, more explained at the bottom but feel free to leave a review and I'll get back at you with PM.

'One new perception, one fresh thought, one act of surrender, one change of heart, one leap of faith, can change your life forever' ~ Robert Holden

Chapter 3

Dr. Zeigler was not having it today. Not. At. All. And it was certainly obvious to everyone that passed by the lab and certainly her staff that was helping with any task she gave them. The only issue was, no one could say anything since it was technically part of her job but here she was, listening to a Korean pilot she knew nothing about flirt with her at every turn. A simple question on an old mission statement he had or body injury when he was young was answered swiftly, uncaringly and diverted to either a compliment about himself or one he said about her. She wasn't necessarily against the compliments on herself, she enjoyed the affection at times but this was not the 'affection' she was seeking at the moment. At least not with the 22 year old male hot shot MEKA pilot, Tao Hyung.

"Do you feel that taking something which could heighten your five senses, increase your speed, strength and reaction time would help you in a combat scenario?"

"Yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm already really good so there isn't much to get better at, haha!"

Everyone's though inside the room was unanimous 'Hana has you beat at every turn besides strength.' It was at that moment, right as Tao was speaking, Hana burst through the door and stormed up to Angela. Usually, seeing the top MEKA pilot got attention but it was much more grabbing when she more or less kicked the door open and stormed up to the guest scientist and medic before slamming her hands on the desk.

"You cheated me."

"I'm sorry?" asked the doctor, thoroughly confused as to what was happening. The normally loud and bragging Tao was just sitting in shocked silence, watching as the assistants were.

"Yesterday, you called me the coolest when I threatened a food fight. You cheated me on your admittance and I'm back for the rest of it. Pay up, Miss Zeigler." Now the MEKA pilot was much closer to the combat medic, their faces now level as she leaned down a little to match the blonde sitting in the chair. Hana never dropped eye contact as she watched the woman contemplate everything that day, seeing where she slipped up and she was about to give another clue when the woman's eyes lit up.

"You're….the….super coolest…" said the doctor, almost in a question instead of a statement. That got a reaction out of the brunette, her face turned from dead serious to a goofy grin as she stood back to full height and let out a laugh.

"Hahaha! You're damn right, doctor! I am the super coolest of them all!" she proclaimed loudly, leaving everyone in the room confused and slightly worried for her mental well-being as she flexed a little.

"Is that all you needed, Miss Song?" asked Angela, trying to keep a formal tone in the workplace. She was ok with speaking to her in a normal sense in almost any other setting but in a lab, with another pilot around, was not the place for informal names.

"Until I get back, then I promised you could run that questionnaire thingy on me. I did come to get Tao here, hope he didn't bother you too much."

"I did nothing the doctor had spoken out against" said Tao smugly, as if his coming on to her was like a gift from him he graciously gave.

'I will wring your neck, boy' said Mercy with a much darker thought before quickly pushing that aside. That was a little voice in her head she usually tried to keep toned down, a darker side she had but almost never brought out. Hana noticed Angela's eyes shift a little down when she nodded, her smile seemed more forced than it did when she spoke with her or others normally.

"Let's go Tao, I've gotta be back here and get this stuff moving too since I'm last to go." Tao just waved her off and left, close behind but Angela didn't miss the subtle look from her that said 'We'll speak more about this later.' Once the door shut the assistants move right back to work and Angela tried to do the same but there was something in the back of her head that itched all day long.

'Be safe, Hana.'

Cafeteria- 8:45 pm (I wanted to use international standard time((military time)) but I decided against it since I realized not a lot of people get that time relay to a 12 hour period.)

The famous doctor sat alone at a table, enjoying a rather large meal as she skimmed through a video file on the tablet she carried with her. It was something Winston created just for her since she traveled so much. It had two white handles on either side, each around the size of a pen but it had no backing. The two handles projected the image as any tablet would through pixels on either side. It was kept solid with two pieces of thin, bendable metal that could retract and extent out of each handle which made it much easier to bring around with her.

"Looking at some pretty recent test footage there, doc" said a voice, causing her to jump a little and spin around to face her favorite MEKA pilot with her hands in the air.

"Sorry sorry, didn't mean to make you jumpy! I just got back and I was told by one of your assistance that you'd be here."

Angela shook her head and smiled a little "It's fine, I just really focused on the footage I wasn't paying attention to much else. Let me finish up then we can go somewhere and start the questions."

"Alrighty, sounds good" said Hana, sitting down and eating an apple she assumed she'd taken from the lunch table. The blonde woman skimmed through the footage and quickly finished her meal before reconnecting the two handles to her tablet and pocketing it. Hana helped her take her food to the trash bin and followed behind her into the elevator.

"Let's go to my place. I didn't get to show you yet." Angela was going to say something but she already pushed a floor just a few above their room floor. She sighed and kept it too herself, there was no harm in it. She made up her mind so no harm would fall her if she decided to at least agree to go somewhere her patient would be more comfortable. Or so she thought until she arrived at the large room. As soon as the door shut and the lights flickered on she noticed this wasn't just some game room, this was specifically her room. The walls were painted bright pink, just like her MEKA, with or Hana Song here and there. There was a large tv against the right wall, a top of the line computer in front of her, a wall of games on the left wall and an assortment of amenities against the wall where the door was.

"Want anything to drink, doc?"

"Water would be great" responded Angela, sitting down on the L shaped couch in front of the tv. She turned to see Hana grabbing three bottles of water from the fridge and a bag of chips before jumping onto the couch. She handed the older woman a water and set everything else down on the glass coffee table.

"So, whatcha wanna talk about?" asked Hana, opening a bottle of water and downing the first one rather quickly.

"Just some basic questions for you. It's partially a mental examination and others are for different things I'm looking for in the patient."

"Ooooohhh, sounds fun! Let's trade questions then….If…..that's ok…" Doctor Zeigler was certainly surprised, rarely anyone asked that and with her mental preparedness she wasn't expected to have a back and forth one going.

'Calm yourself, she's just wanting to make things fair on her and possibly relax her own nerves. Go with it.'

Angela nodded her head and pulled out her clipboard "That's fine, I'll go first. How did your transition from pro gaming to a MEKA pilot?"

Hana shrugged "It wasn't too hard, really. The unit works really similar to how my flight console back in the day did. The worst part I guess was just the conditioning. Everyone selected was somewhat fit, only a handful were overweight by a few pounds, but it was rough. They wanted us where we are now in a much shorter timeframe than most military worked with so they pushed us really hard.

A few dropped out and got cut but the majority of us made it without much trouble. The team we have now dreamed of something like this, fighting against an enemy that destroyed our home in a real life game. We even get to stream some missions and regular games to make side money that's not given by the pensions. Overall, it wasn't bad but the body conditioning was the worst!"

Angela wrote some notes down on the paper and before she spoke Hana butted in "My turn! How's life as a field doctor? I've never met someone like you, an established doctor and a field medic. A lot of times it's one or the other."

"I understand, I've been asked that question many times. For me, it's just another workplace. Since I change battlefields so quickly at times this is just a new one, with a new enemy. Granted, here is much calmer than a war zone, sometimes they feel about the same when you're really in the heat of things. Now, for the next question." For the next two hours the duo traded questions, sharing some laughs as other questions called for backstory and other times it got quiet. As it became apparent it was getting very late Angela finished up the final question.

"Do you feel that taking something which could heighten your five senses, increase your speed, strength and reaction time would help you in a combat scenario?"

"In all honesty, I don't know. I've never been one to use that kind of stuff. You know, anything that helps you preform above your standard abilities. My saying goes, no hacks required!...ugh….I…..I know for the team it's best to have something so handy at hand but it's just something I'm not a fan of. For all I know, my mind might psyche me out every time and make it cause some unintended side effects cause of it. If I can get past my own issues, definitely. If not, I really don't know. Is that an ok answer?"

"It's a response which is all I needed. Now, don't worry about being forced to take anything Hana. I already spoke with Suyin about you. We've agreed to create a base serum that would only heighten your senses but this is more set to be used at your digression and not just as soon as you eject from the MEKA. You're skills are highly respected and with the rate you have they saw no reason to force that on you with your performance outside the unit. The base is mandatory though, in case your ever in danger it could save your life or your teammates."

Hana took a long sigh and leaned back to face the ceiling "Ugh, fiiinneee. I guess it's ok if it's not whatever everyone else is taking. I don't need that stuff and I'm sure you knew since you saw the footage they gave you. No one's close to my combat skills, partly because I started training before these guys did. I was the guinea pig before they joined a few months later. Hey….Angela, can I ask you a question?" The doctor perked up a little bit, knowing when Hana used her name then normally it was a serious question.

"Of course." The pilot sat up on her feet and turned to her with a look that nearly broke the doctor's heart. It was a painful look, one someone like her shouldn't have.

"I'm not a…..a…do I seem like I show off in those videos?"

Angela blinked in surprised then seemed to collect her thoughts "Not that I can tell, you've got a mouth but that's more of a normal quirk in that kind of environment. Passed that, nothing but team work and leadership is what I've seen, in or out of the unit. Why?"

"To simplify it for you, that's why I'm so alone in the team. After what they said one day I just decided it was better we stayed a team on the field and not off. We're all gamers, we can operate like that just fine and when your country is looking to you while your life is on line the you tend to push personal business aside. I'm the leader and the outcast, no one wants to…..to speak to me, or hang out with me….or stream…anything. I'm just a good pilot to them."

By now Angela had seen her happy shell break and the real weight of her job showed. Her body slumped tiredly, eyes unfocused ahead as tears threated to spill out. It seems there was much more Angela didn't know and when she saw the girl in front of her it became glaringly obvious. It was something the doctor had been suspicious of but never though to deeply for the fear she'd grown more attached to the brown haired girl.

She wasn't any different than herself in many ways, being the team medic was her one duty and past that she was isolated mostly. Only a select few even attempted a full conversation outside of work with her. Right in that exact moment, the great Doctor Angela Zeigler, realized Hana Song wasn't some child on the battlefield. She was just like any other soldier but she was one who saw the job in a way Angela had, and still did.

Not making a sound the doctor scooted closer, bringing the smaller girl into an embrace on the couch. She said nothing as Hana turned to hug her back, silently letting tears fall as she cried for the first time about the issue. There wasn't anyone to turn to here besides a small handful of people and she constantly lived with the people she was never going to be friends with, for more than one reason. She worked with them, assisting them and making sure everything went smoothly, damned to her mental and physical well-being. Just as Angela did, as Mercy always had done since joining Overwatch.

"You know, when I was in Overwatch, even now, I experience the same thing. As the medic, most see me only as such, a healer and a doctor, nothing more." 'You told yourself you'd shut it off, keep your distance but….but she's more like you than you thought before Angela. Damned the age, damned the consequences, you haven't had a chance like this in….ever. Don't let it slip just because you think she won't return the same feelings, because you won't admit you're scared. Let what happens, happen. Enjoy the moment, and hope for a better future without the regret of a What If. God, I sound like Ana giving advice…..'

Hana sniffled and spoke "R-really?"

"Of course, it's not common for regular medics but someone like myself it's an everyday occurrence. I'm a pretty face with a healing hand and my words carry little weight to those that only see me as such. You chairman is no different, respecting my time in the military but seeing me only as a doctor and a healer. Mind them, I am a woman with her own feelings and damn good at combat with a pistol. I haven't lived through the worst war we've seen just because I can heal others. You aren't alone Hana, I'm here for you when you need me. Promise."

Hana pulled back, rubbing her eyes with her thumb before sniffling as she faced the doctor. Now they were in close proximity and neither would admit it then but they could feel their hearts beat faster. Hana wouldn't say it just yet either but she could hear the pain in the blonde woman's voice crystal clear, it was one that said they truly did share the same pain.

"Thanks Angela, for being here and listening to me. It means a lot, probably something you'd know from what you just told me, but nonetheless I'm glad to share this with someone."

Mercy smiled "You're welcome, it's in my nature to help others and you certainly are a special case. Now, you're a very beautiful woman so straighten up and smile some more for me." Not paying heed to her own body she brushed Hana's hair behind her left ear and wiped away some tears from her cheeks. Neither spoke of the pink dust that danced onto Hana's cheeks nor Mercy's after the girl spoke with a shy smile.

"OK, just for you though." Silenced filled the room, neither spoke after it due to embarrassment and the end of the conversation. Neither spoke but seemed to move a little closer as seconds ticked away. Their heads leaned in, closing in towards one another as eyes closed. Closer…..closer…..almost…RIIINNNGGGGG

Hana jumped and nearly grabbed the gun she carried with her at all times before realized it was her watch going off. She flicked it and an emergency light came up with her team's callout badge shown brightly in red before the assistant to the Chairman appeared from the hologram.

"Attention all MEKA unit alpha members, code red has been activated. A terrorist attack downtown has just caused massive damage. We need immediate assistance for firepower and civilian evacuation. Units are being prepped currently, move to position 46-B effective immediately. All units respond." The code died off but her watch continued to flash. Hana turned to Angela with an apologetic smile, and an obvious blush from what was about to happen.

"Gotta go doc, duty calls after all. Let's talk more later, kay?" As Hana stood Mercy did too, holding the soldier's wrist.

"I want to hear more about 'that day' you keep referring too. So come back and meet me in the lab when you have the time. The other assistance are off on other projects tomorrow if you want to stop by."

Hana seemed hesitant but shook off her worry quickly "Alright, deal. I guess I have to do whatever you ask anyway since you sat through my little breakdown. I'll try to see you tomorrow around lunch."

"Good, and Hana, please be safe." The pilots smile returned once again but this time Mercy could see it had reached her eyes. What she didn't expect was for the girl to lean over and kiss her cheek before rushing to the door.

"I'm always safe, cause I'm the best there is! Feel free to stay around and play some games if you want. Once you leave the place will lock itself up and shut down. See ya!" Hana left, shutting the door behind her and rushing towards the elevator. No one was around to see once the doors closed to the elevator but she jumped up high, throwing her fists in the air in excitement.

"Yes! I did it! She…she looked like she liked it too! I can't wait for tomorrow! Ahhhh!" Hana rarely showed her more feminine side, keeping a more tough appearance compared to other girls was key in the military but she couldn't help but scream in happiness. Everything was going so right for her she only hoped it got better from there.

Three days later

Angela regretted many, many things in her life in Overwatch. A major one being the missed opportunity to save it from itself, prevent the collapse but it was in the distant past. The wound she bore now was recent, and it stung. She wished she'd said more to the pilot before she left, she wished she'd opted to go and assist. Her presence alone would have turned the tide with a healer behind them but it wasn't so. Now she was standing beside a hospital bed as Hana Song, her tag being more know, lay hooked up to all kinds of monitors she knew too well.

Her heart hurt, she wanted to see her smile again and listen to what she promised she'd speak about to her. Now, she was still in the bed as an oxygen mask was strapped to her. She was in good enough condition a tube wasn't needed but her body wasn't anywhere near top shape. Even after the famous medic had stepped in, things could only be fixed to a certain extent. All wounds were healed, a broken arm, fractured foot, severe internal damage and a multitude of smaller issues were almost none existent thanks to her swift arrival at the hospital upon request. Quietly the Suyin and Yi-ling approached her from the right and stood near the bed.

"After a final report and a small meeting we've agreed to discuss what happened to you as an Overwatch member. Our agencies deserve to share information on such events freely to assure things like this don't happen again. What we know right now is the attack wasn't a terroristic one. It was bait, to bring out the MEKA units for a trap waiting. They were ambushed by a multitude of hidden omnics nearby as well as two highly skilled agents of Talon. Reaper and Widowmaker are the code names we've obtained after speaking with your representative, Winston.

The moment it went south everyone panicked, none of the team had experienced an ambush like that, no one but her. She controlled the unit and got everything mostly under control but the entity know as Reaper was causing problems for a newer pilot as they began to retreat and regroup. Hana rushed in and told the pilot to push back, taking the civilian evacuees to safety with the team for support against Widowmaker. Not much is know about what happened then but when the unit returned a few minutes later her MEKA was destroyed and the Talon agents seemed to be recalled, leaving the pilot clinging to life nearby in a hiding spot she had found under some rubble.

Thankfully, with your help the doctors said she should be awake before tomorrow and once she's awake she can return to the base. All operations will be ceased for her until she's been cleared for light duty roughly in two weeks. Thank you for your assistance in healing her, Doctor. We may have seen permanent damage done if you weren't around."

"I was just doing the very thing I swore an oath to. Were any other pilots injured? I only treated Hana and some civilians in the hospital."

"No, everyone is fairly unharmed" said Yi-ling.

"You're welcome to stay the night and make sure everything is ok when she comes around tomorrow. I'll stop by in a few minutes to check up on her once again before leaving. I need to asses some damages from the civilian side. Excuse us, Doctor." The man and his assistant left silently, leaving the two alone once again. As the door shut Angela sighed in relief. She was happy that no one else was seriously injured in the attack, it was a miracle no one died but the quick response was the cause of that. If only Hana hadn't gotten so hurt.

Years of being in war zones kicked in her instincts and the doctor ducked, spun left and swung a fist right into the hard mask of the man known as Reaper. He showed barely any sign of damage, only a slight shift backwards before another fist came right for Mercy's face. It hit air once more as she slid left to avoid and brought a heel down intent to shatter the kneecap with a pointed end but only hit nothing as he became an intangible mass of smoke. This time, she couldn't follow the sudden reappearance of a fist that slammed into her gut. The doctor stumbled backwards, grabbing whatever was next to her and tossing it in front. The medical tray was thrown against the wall carelessly as the black cloaked specter's boots thumped forward. She made it almost across the room when she stumbled and fell on a loose cord from one of the machines hooked up to Hana. A moment later the barrel of a shotgun faced her but Reaper narrowed his eye's behind his mask. The gold and white gun he'd known so well now aimed towards him, ready to fire.

She smirked "What? Think I'd just beg for mercy?" The man formerly known as Gabe resist the urge to chuckle, he'd heard the line before, it was still funny now. He's forgotten how sharp the Doctor was, even without her suit and staff she knew how to handle a gun and fist fight just fine. All those lessons with Genji taught her what she needed to know to survive.

"You're at a disadvantage here, Reaper. I've got a clean shot on your head but your shotgun is going to hit my shoulder and back. I'll heal, I always heal. You won't get the chance to even shift before you drop dead."

"You're far from a helpless Doctor, Mercy. As expected of a field medic but are you really willing to test that theory?" asked the man in a gruff voice. She never had the chance to respond, or even think about one before he dropped to the ground, knocked out before he even hit it. Mercy looked to the unconscious man before her head turned to see Hana, up and moving. The cords still connected to her but her mask was long gone. She huffed, dropping the empty oxygen tank that was left nearby before he knee's shook.

"Nice to see you again, Angela." Without another word she fell but never hit the floor, Angela already rushing forward to catch her. The older woman hugged the pilot, feeling the weak hug back before leaning backwards to face each other.

"Hana! You're awake! When did you get up!? Are you ok?!" The woman seemed to glance all over her body, looking for any signs of bleeding and such but a pat on her arm told her she was good.

"Nothing I can't handle, Doctor. I just woke up when I heard you gasp and fall. I turned to see that guy and just found whatever was closest before hitting him as hard as I could. How about you, huh? How's your day been?" Angela could only stifle back tears, listening to the woman talk and see her weak smile once again take over her features.

"I missed you, you know? I was really worried. You scared me when I saw you a day ago" said Mercy, her tears starting to fall. Hana's smile only brightened and she used her free hand to wipe the tears off Mercy's face, just as she had a few days ago.

"I know, sorry 'bout that Doc. I just wanted to make sure everyone got out safely. They did, didn't they?"

She nodded her head "Yeah, no deaths and I made sure everyone injured is stable, including you."

"No wonder I feel so refreshed" said Hana weakly, flexing her free arm, what little muscle she had there, making the two laugh. Just as they stopped the door burst open, a female MEKA pilot Angela knew as Lin Yang and the Chairman, rushed in. As they did, the figure had knocked out faded into smoke, crawling through the vent and out of the room.

"Seal off the building and search every room! Lin, help me get Hana back on the bed!"
The man took charge quickly and with the help of the two woman Hana was walked back and helped back on the bed.

"I didn't think he'd get into here so easily. I'm sorry for what happened once again. Doctor. It's our job to keep you safe as long as you here." Mercy waved him off, she understood the situation was difficult and he nodded his head as thanks.

"Are you feeling ok?" asked Lin. This was possibly the only pilot, male or female, that held nothing against personally. She saw her as a great leader and an energetic girl but just joining the force a few months prior there was little time to socialize with the busy pilot leader.

"I'm fine, just sore and feeling a little weak. My foot tingles and my arm is kinda sore. Better than broken like before though, huh?"

"Much better looking too. It was nasty when we found you" responded Lin and Hana laughed a little then turned to Suyin.

"So, when can I go home? I hate hospitals and you know that."

"I'll have you signed out once I leave but we need to find someone to care for you. You can't do actual work for a while and like that you'll be limited with your movement."

"I could use an assistant to keep track of information in the stage I'm at. Without the need to write notes I can vocally say it and keep moving with the testing. It should cut my time down significantly." Neither medic, nor pilot, missed the knowing look in his eye or the small smirk before he turned heel and began to leave with Lin on his tail.

"Very well, I'll trust my star pilot to the world's best medic until you've cleared her for duty again. I only hope it's not too long of a time before she clears you. I'll see you for briefing in a few days Doctor Zeigler." With his final words he left and Hana chuckled at Mercy's shocked, beet red face.

"H-he knows? How could he know anything about it?"

"He's good like that, just get used to it. I don't even try to lie to him anymore. He's got his own superpower like the rest of us. Now help me get dressed, I want to get some food in my stomach. I'm starving!" And so began the process of helping her friend up and trying to dress her with her eyes closed. Mercy wouldn't peak at the girl, no matter it was her newfound crush, when she was so vulnerable. It was wrong. But, a little peak as she slipped the shirt on didn't hurt anyone but 's snort when Mercy's face turned redder than a tomato only meant she was caught.

"Alright, peeping tom. Let's head to a ramen shop just across the way from HQ. I want three big bowls for celebration!"

"That's a little too much, you just recovered and your body may not agree to the massive intake so suddenly" said Mercy as they walked out. Hana was ridden with a walking cane to help her ankle and bandages around a good portion of her arm, both legs and chest. However, Mercy didn't expect the cane to be a bar, making her stop just as Hana turned to meet her gaze, inches apart now.

"I don't think I'd be telling me what to do if I were you, dear Doctor. I'm not the one who snuck a peak on an innocent patient." Her surprise and dust of pink on her cheeks was all needed before a smile spread.

"Not that I minded, all you had to do was ask" then she turned and shouted forward "To the ramen shop!" Angela moved to stand nearby, her embarrassed face at the shameless flirting in brought daylight only made the pilot laugh harder as they made their way up the street. Neither would admit then but despite the near-death experience for both woman, they'd grown closer because of it. After all, longing made the heart go fonder.

Boom, new chapter in a much-needed update. I got pretty angry at the broken comp system of Overwatch after posting and it killed my drive to write. I mean, nearly half, to more of my matches, was either terribly one sided by rank or the fact someone left early in the game. Never failed, and no one can join to replace them! So I was fucked over day in and out with no way to climb!

After playing a little again and seeing my friend play, I took a gander at reading through this story and got my gears turning. There's still a few chapters left to call it done. Yes, like 2-3 max. before I call it complete. I never intended for this to be a huge story by any means, more of a backstory to the beginning of their relationship. The relationship between the two and how I'm setting things up did move a little quick here but in my own experience that's how it happened for me. Similar experiences in life really can change a mind and push feelings on quicker than normal. Seeing yourself in someone else changed your views and mind, and with doubt already in Mercy's mind it pushed her feelings forward once her mind saw the connection.

I'll make sure you see some familiar faces before it's said and done, we only just introduced Talon's two star players. I may have kept one hidden for….later purposes which you'll see in the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed this and with my new job you guys won't have to wait so long for a new update. Take care everyone!