Writing this chapter was really fun~
A new chapter should be up soon I'm almost done editing it!
Enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think.
Valor huffed as she carried a heavy crate up the stairs, towards the firing range they had previously cleaned up. She wasn't sure how she had gotten stuck with the heavy lifting when super- soldier was in the nice air conditioning talking to Winston about their next move.
She carefully set the crate down on the metal flooring before wiping away the sweat that had been stinging her eyes. Valor hopped on top of the crate to rest for a moment before going back to work.
Valor wondered if maybe Jack was more attached to the commander position than he let on. That would explain why he wanted to be informed of everything that went on around here, down to the last ammo crate. However, she wondered if it was simply because he didn't trust them, and that thought hurt a bit more. After all these years how could he not trust them? They weren't the ones who blew up the Swiss headquarters.
Valor sighed and leaned back. That wasn't fair of her to think. No one really knew what had happened in Switzerland, no one except Jack and Gabriel, and one of them was dead.
She closed her eyes, trying to will the thoughts about her former captain away. Valor had done so well to push him to the back of her mind at all times. It almost hurt more to think about now that she knew Jack was alive, because it meant Gabe wasn't coming back. If he was alive she knew Jack would have told her.
Her sharp hearing picked up the loud sound of a ship incoming, though it was still many miles off. It was enough to distract her and she hopped down from the crate. Hana and Lucio were set to arrive by boat either today or tomorrow so she figured it must be them.
Valor arrived at the docks a few minutes later, unsurprised to find that Lena had beaten her there.
"Ready for the new recruits?"
"Yeah, I've heard a lot about them. And as much as I love you guys it'll be nice to have some fresh faces around here."
Lena laughed at that. "Not quite as many as we were used to, but I'm sure more people will be happy to join us!"
Valor could just now make out the small boat on the horizon. She tilted her head and sent Lena a smile, "You're probably right. I guess I'm just itching for something to do other than cleaning."
"Aren't we all." McCree had arrived behind them, as well as Jack and Winston.
They settled into silence, all of them watching as the boat came steadily closer. The next thing on their agenda would be training the new arrivals, which meant even more time before they started to do any missions. The thought irritated her a bit, considering how dire Winston had made the situation with Talon out to be.
The boat arrived and their rushed introductions were almost a blur, like most first meetings. Hana and Lucio were led to their rooms and given time to settle in.
They all had dinner together that night, a change from usually grabbing food whenever they happened to be hungry. It was nice, almost like their little family was back together. Hana and Lucio fit in well and seemed eager to start helping out and training. Both of them were talkative and lit up the room with their presence. It made her wonder if the rest of them had been that way, before everything had happened.
Jack left the table early and without a word. She couldn't help but wonder if this had brought back too many memories for him. But where she had embraced the nostalgic feeling he only wanted to run away.
Valor went to her room that night feeling happier than before and hoping that, against all odds, their little team could make a difference.
The next morning came with more work, which meant lugging more heavy boxes.
It was around noon when Valor took a break. She took a moment to sit, legs dangling off the side of the metal platform. Valor redid her bun and watched the water for a bit. Gibraltar had always been one of her favorite watchpoints. After every mission here her team would swim in the waters below, but it felt wrong doing it now. Instead she contented herself to sitting there and reveling in the memory of it.
Footsteps interrupted her thoughts, the clanking of shoes on metal stairs louder than usual to her sensitive hearing. She was pleasantly surprised to find Hana making her way up the steps.
"Not much cardio in a mech, huh?" Valor asked upon noticing that she was slightly out of breath.
"You could say that," she laughed it off with a smile. "That's actually why I came."
"For cardio?"
Hana laughed again and Valor found it almost contagious. "No, no, my mech came in today so I thought you might want help with the heavy lifting!"
Valor couldn't help but smile widely, "Yes, please! God, it's been so hot and those crates weigh a ton. With your help we could probably move everything by the end of the day!"
"I'm happy to help! Just show me what needs moving and I'll start."
Hana made quick work in her mech, and Valor was amazed at the precision in which she piloted it. She had no doubt that she would be essential to the team.
Valor didn't let Hana move everything herself though, and insisted on moving some of it as well. They made quick work of it and it wasn't long before she was standing in front of the empty corner of the hangar they had just cleared. Valor put her hands on her hips, satisfied that the work was done and she had gotten her first good workout in a while from it.
"How did you do that?" Valor looked in the direction of Hana's voice to find her trying to lift up a corner of a box she had just moved, with little avail.
"Stop, stop," Valor laughed as she jogged over. "You need one of these."
Hana stared at her for a moment, perplexed, as she tried to figure out what she was talking about.
"Oh!" Valor spun around lifting the back of her tank top up, revealing the parasite. "This!"
"Oh wow, I mean I've heard about it but I never expected to see it." Hana lifted her hand only to lower it again. "Can I touch it?"
Valor shrugged, no one had ever asked her that before. "Sure, why not? Can I ask you something though? I knew that Overwatch agents identities were public knowledge for the most part but how did you even hear about me? I wasn't exactly ever in the spotlight."
She could feel Hana's fingers drifting across the metal on her back. "I know it was a long time ago, but I saw the one time that you were in the spotlight. I was still very little, but I remember watching it in the living room with my parents."
"Oh," Valor said sourly, already knowing what she was talking about.
"I'm sorry," one more swipe of her finger across metal before she stepped away. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
Valor forced herself to relax. Hana had sounded sincere. Besides, that had been a long time ago and she should have let it go by now. Somehow she couldn't, not while knowing that the world had changed very little since then.
"It's fine, honestly that was probably one of the worst nights of my life," Valor said, trying to laugh it off.
Hana's face remained serious. "Can I tell you why seeing that news report was so important to me?"
Valor was completely thrown off by the events that were unfolding. Not knowing how to respond, she simply nodded.
She watched as Hana fiddled with a lock of hair, her face slowly turning pink in embarrassment of what she was about to confess. "It was important because I saw you were scared. It showed me that even heroes were scared sometimes, but that it didn't stop them from being heroes. I've—I try to remember that whenever I'm in combat." She mumbled the last sentence quickly, concluding her heartfelt monologue and looking away. In that moment she was just Hana, a nineteen year old gamer who had met her hero. MEKA, Overwatch, none of it mattered right now.
Valor was too stunned to say anything for a moment. She had almost forgotten how the others had been regarded as heroes by much of the public. But no one had ever looked at her that way before. Her heart swelled with emotion, her thoughts drawn to the father she had barely known. A hero, that's what people had called him. She had never known whether or not she wanted to be a hero, but she knew now.
She could be a hero if it meant inspiring the same hope she saw in Hana's eyes.
Valor swiped away a tear before it could fall and laughed. "You know if Lena were here I'm sure she'd say something inspiring like 'The world could always use more heroes!'. I'm sorry I don't have anything like that but I just want to say that I'm glad I'll be fighting side by side with you."
Hana looked perplexed for a moment before she bust out laughing. "You realize you did just say something cool and inspiring!"
Valor covered her mouth with a hand before smiling, "Oh no, I must be getting old if those kinds of things slip out so easily. Well, at least I'm not the oldest here, Jack has me beat on that one."
"Were you two close when you were in Overwatch?"
Valor half-smiled. "You could say that. We ended up running a few missions together."
She had begun to lead them out of the hangar, headed to sit on the top of a building to watch the sun set. Hana didn't say anything else until they were seated, both of them watching as the sun glittered orange off of the waves below.
"Sorry, but I really have to ask, were you guys a thing?"
"How perceptive," Valor undid her bun before laying back to watch as the sky darkened and gave way to stars.
"When we had dinner last night he couldn't keep his eyes off of you," Hana sounded more than a little embarrassed for him.
Valor snorted. "He always tries to act like he's so 'professional'," she punctuated the word with air quotes. "The man doesn't know what he wants, he never has."
She crossed her arms. Maybe she was revealing a bit much, but she had gotten caught up on talking about the past. Besides, Hana was an eager listener.
"But you still want him anyways."
"Yeah, I do." Sadness crept into her voice despite her best effort to keep it out.
They both grew silent for a while, listening as the waves crashed on the cliffs.
Valor smiled and turned to Hana, ready to shake off the memories of her past. "Will you tell me something about yourself?
She turned to her. "Like what?"
"Like anything! Favorite color, childhood pets, anything you want."
"Hmm. Favorite color, pink. I had a bunny named JoJo growing up." Hana counted the two out on her fingers before turning to her and shrugging. "I dunno, I just like to play video games and stuff. My turn, does Jesse wear the cowboy outfit unironically?"
They went on asking questions back and forth like that for a while. It was only when Valor noticed lights flicking off in the barracks did she insist they go to bed.
Hana's room was the closest and they stopped once they were outside her door.
"Thanks again for the help with those boxes. Oh, and I would suggest you and Lucio get ready for training. I'm sure it'll start soon."
"Are you training us?" Hana sounded hopeful.
"I can try, but I'm not sure what the others have planned. It might be all of us or it might be one of us. I'll make sure to ask Jack tomorrow and let you know."
They then said goodnight and Valor made her way back to her room. The hallway was dark and quiet, everyone else having already gone to bed. She hadn't even realized they had stayed up so late talking.
When she arrived at her door she could see light shining through the crack at the bottom. Valor already knew it was Jack before she walked in.
"Need something?" She asked cooly upon entering the room. Part of her wanted to be happy to see him, but she had been upset ever since he had left her apartment without saying goodbye.
"You missed dinner." He was sitting on the edge of her bed, on the table across from him was a plate with a sandwich on it.
"Oh, yeah. I was talking to Hana and forgot." She crossed the room to grab clothes and a towel. "Was that all? Because I need to shower."
"You'll need to leave tomorrow."
She didn't turn to look at him, instead her hands clenched around the towel. "Why?"
"We need you to do some recon, and everyone else sticks out a little too much."
"What about training Hana and Lucio?" Valor had desperately looked forward to helping them.
"We'll handle it. I just want you to focus on the objective."
The bed creaked as he stood. She wanted to refuse him, to tell him that since he didn't want to be the commander anymore then he couldn't order her around like he was one.
When she turned he was already at the door. "Jack, wait."
He turned to her, eyes filled with some unknown hope. Maybe he was hoping she would fling her arms around him and kiss him, maybe even hoping she would ask him to stay. She wanted to do both, but it was time she either got answers or moved on. Valor couldn't continue this way, hoping beyond all hope that he would do or say something that would change everything that happened.
"Did you really want to leave me? Are you so afraid of losing me that you'll give up being with me at all?" She needed his answer.
"It doesn't matter what I want." His eyes were downcast, as if not looking at her would make everything easier.
Valor dropped her things and went to him. "Look at me," she demanded and tilted his chin up.
It was the first time she had touched him since they had been in her apartment. It wasn't the same though. Her touch was rough compared to how gentle and tentatively she had touched him then, as if he might disappear permanently.
"Kiss me now if you want me, because you already know I would kiss you in a heartbeat. If you don't, then leave." Valor realized that this was it, this could make or break them
His blue eyes were wide, a decision had been placed before him that he hadn't anticipated. Valor was everything. Despite it all she was the reason he woke up in the morning, she was the reason he wanted to make the world a better place. He had run out of time.
Her touch set his skin on fire in ways he hadn't felt since he was young. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. Gorgeous and terrifying, her eyes bore holes into him. He wanted to surrender to her heated gaze, to reveal everything to her that he felt.
"Jack?" Her hand was still on his cheek, the other had moved to the center of his chest. Her voice saying his name was like a sirens call, one he desperately wished to follow.
"V," his voice was soft as he pulled her hand away from his face, "I can't."
He had his reasons, ones he couldn't reveal to her, not without hurting her more. Jack knew he was out there.
When he looked up again he found her eyes were cold, her expression full of anger and hurt before she reined it into a mask of impassiveness.
"Then leave."
By the next week Valor had recovered from her injuries. McCree was still having a hard time coping with his. His new metal hand couldn't fight off the nightmares, but she could help.
Her door was always unlocked in case he needed her. He was her best friend here, and she felt responsible for what had happened, even if it wasn't truly her fault.
Jesse ended up in her bed most nights. They would usually stay up and talk about things, even occasionally cry together. She would reassure him that eventually things would be okay again, even if she wasn't sure of it herself.
Jack had practically been missing since they had come back from that mission, she wasn't sure if he was simply caught up in work or avoiding her. In comparison she saw Gabriel all the time. He was constantly worried and checking in on her, which made her reconsider if he had really even been upset with her before the mission.
If there was even one bright side to this it was that it gave her some down time. She had finished several books and could do yoga whenever she pleased rather than rushing from training to meetings to missions. It couldn't last though, she knew that, but even the thought of another mission filled her with anxiety. The thought of someone else getting hurt was almost too much to bear.
But she would have to bear it. If she wasn't there then who would watch her teammates backs? They needed her, and she would be there for them.
Days came and went with little change. She hadn't seen Jack for nearly a whole week and was getting tired of waiting for him to come to her. It hurt a little too, that he hadn't come to see her more when she really could have used his support.
What was done was done though, and if it was because of his job as commander then she couldn't fault him for it. Instead she dressed and got ready to leave her room to find him. It was evening so hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to track him down. She could visit the mess hall first, she thought while she dressed, and if he's not there she could always pick him up a slice of apple pie and check his office.
She was determined until she reached her door, with a simple touch on the handle she could tell that there was someone on the other side. Jesse maybe, or Gabe, she wasn't sure.
Instead of either of the two she opened the door to find the man that she was looking for in the first place. "Jack!" Her face lit up upon seeing him, "I was just about to go find you."
He wore a half-smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Can I come in?"
"Sure," she stepped aside, still smiling and blind to his distress. Valor had missed him so much lately, but she hadn't even realised how much until she saw him. His presence alone was able to light up her dim room and she couldn't help but admire him as he moved past her.
"Sorry I haven't been around much. Work is...well, you know. And I had to think some things over." He hadn't sat down on her bed like she had expected him to, instead he had simply stopped, hands clenched at his sides and facing away from her.
"Are you okay, Jack? I know things have been rough, but I'm here. You know you can always talk to me-"
"Stop."
"What?" His tone was harsh and she was taken aback.
"This is already hard enough, Valor. Please don't make it harder."
It felt like a vice was being squeezed around her heart. "What are you talking about?"
He turned to her then and she could finally see the anger and sadness in his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I made a mistake last mission. I knew you could phase your body through the explosion, I knew you would probably be perfectly fine, but then I still chose to try to shield you over McCree."
She could see that this had been tormenting him, just as it had her.
"Everything happened so fast, Jack, it's not your fault."
"It is though, V. My decision could have changed everything, but instead of listening to my head I listened to my heart." He turned away from her, "I can't let this happen again. I'm so sorry."
Her hands were trembling now. She already knew in her heart what he meant, but every inch of her was screaming that this wasn't real. She needed Jack, maybe even more than he knew.
"Please, don't." Valor's voice nearly broke as she tried to keep her tears at bay.
"I don't have a choice."
"You always have a choice, Jack!"
"Not in this." He said softly. "Too many people are relying on me."
"I'm relying on you! Don't I matter?"
"Of course you do." He looked back at her, his eyes mirroring her look of hurt. "Which is why I have to do this, to keep you safe."
Jack approached her, his hand cupping her cheek before gently stroking her hair, maybe for the last time. He had to do this. Ana had been right all along. He couldn't do his job as commander as well as have Valor. If it was up to him he would have her leave Overwatch, but he knew it was something she would never agree to. All he wanted to do was keep her out of harm's way, and if her living meant that he couldn't be with her then so be it. His suffering meant nothing in comparison.
Suddenly she was kissing him. He could taste her desperation in the salty tears on his tongue. Jack could have caved in, he could have melted into her kiss as he had done so many times before.
He pulled away. "Valor, I'm sorry. This isn't what I wanted."
Valor was already crying by the time she reached the shower. All of this had only brought up more terrible memories. Her heart hurt just as it had that day, like nothing had even changed between then and now.
She didn't want to remember how much she had cried after he left her, or how she would stare at the necklace he had given her, or how nothing had changed. She didn't want any of it. Valor had tried everything, but he still wouldn't budge, still wouldn't stop feeding her the lie that somehow this was keeping her safe.
What point was there in being safe if she wasn't happy.
It didn't matter. Jack had made his decision and now she would make hers. She wouldn't be strung around begging him to come back. Valor was going to do this mission, and the mission after it, and the mission after that. Just as she had always done. Maybe it really was time for her to move on.
Overwatch was all she had known for so long, and now that it was back it was all she needed.
Valor rolled out of bed not feeling better, but at least feeling more determined. She dressed in a tank top and pulled her jumpsuit up to her waist before tying it off. The halls were empty but she could hear a commotion going near the firing range. Hana and Lucio must have already started training, but she couldn't think about that now.
Instead of heading in the direction of the noise she went to Winston's lab. If Jack wasn't their leader then Winston was the closest thing they had to one.
"Knock knock!" She called out more cheerfully than she felt as she entered the large space.
Valor caught sight of him working diligently in front of a computer. He finished whatever he was doing and swiveled in his chair.
"You're up early," he commented upon checking the time.
"Should I not be?"
"No it's perfect, we need to talk about your mission anyways." He stretched before standing and ambling over to the holo map.
"Full disclosure, Winston, I know I was a part of Blackwatch but I didn't exactly do a lot of recon."
"You're the best we have. Besides, I have faith in you."
She and Winston had never been close but the vote of confidence was comforting.
He then launched into an explanation. There was a man she needed to tail, he was very rich and possibly selling weapons to gangs in the area. "We have a room at the resort he is staying at reserved. Think of it as a working vacation. It's on the beach so you might as well enjoy it, besides you'll need to in order to keep your cover."
"And what's my cover?"
He handed her a paper with a profile. She was going to be a rich girl who was using her father's money to take a vacation. It was simple enough that she probably wouldn't have to exercise her lack of acting skills. Plus she supposed she still looked young enough to play the part.
"A boat will be here to pick you up in about an hour. There will be clothes waiting for you when you get there so until then just dress in something inconspicuous."
"How long should I tail this guy?"
"Until we're able to get evidence of his involvement."
"And what if he leaves the resort?"
"Then you follow him. If we're going to make a move we'll need to get proof first. One of us here will be in contact daily, and of course Athena will be available to help."
Valor took a deep breath, she could do this. "Alright, I'll go get ready."
"Good luck, and inform us once you arrive."
Valor went back to her room to pack. She was still living off of the duffle bag she had brought with her. Already she was having a hard time putting together something that looked good enough to belong to someone rich. Her only option was to wear a running jacket and some yoga pants to possibly pass off as just having come from a workout until she could change.
She pulled her white hair into a ponytail and slipped on some sunglasses. Valor double checked that her handgun was concealed and made her way to the docks. It was around ten thirty now, which meant the boat would arrive in about five minutes. She didn't have time to say goodbye to Hana or Jesse, but she reassured herself that she might be able to talk to them during her check-ins.
There was a gentle breeze on the docks which cooled her off from the long walk. In the distance she could hear the loud hum of a boat motor.
Valor clutched her bag tighter, she could do this. It had been so long since she had done anything like this that her anxiety didn't surprise her, what did surprise her was how excited she truly was. She tapped her foot impatiently. Why could she barely contain herself at the thought of a thrilling chase or getting in a fight? Maybe it was because she was finally beginning to feel in control of her powers. Valor knew that was the truth, and thought of improving even more only served to make her more excited. She wanted to show the world that she was worthy of being called a hero.
The boat ride was shorter than she expected, and when her feet hit land she was immediately greeted by a tall man in a suit.
"Ms. Morales."
"That's me, did they send you?"
"Yes, I will take care of anything you require, including getting you checked in to your room."
"Oh, cool." Valor was hardly paying attention, her focus instead drawn to the massive resort.
"I will return shortly with your room card then."
She could see now what they meant when they said that she would blend in the most. The resort was almost exclusively full of young people. All of them very beautiful and very rich, which made her feel like she didn't actually fit in at all.
It made her wonder where her target fit into this place. He was supposed to be in his late forties. But maybe he had a young wife, she considered as she walked away from the beach, towards the pool and closer to the resort.
Valor felt a small tingle in the base of her spine. Her eyes scanned the area casually from behind her sunglasses, looking for a sign of danger. There was nothing, nothing but fancy cocktails and bathing suit clad richies.
On her second sweep her eyes were drawn to a woman lounging on a pool chair.
Valor nearly jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find the tuxedo man who had been hired to help her. "You're all checked in, do you need anything else?"
"No, no thank you." She said quickly and took the key from him.
Valor turned to find the woman gone. Something was off, like she didn't belong here either. It could have been her imagination though, and probably was.
She left the pool, knowing that she needed to let this go for now and inform Winston of her arrival. The resort was vast and it took her awhile to find her room on the third floor. It was almost too beautiful and too fancy for her, and she wondered how the hell they even afforded this. Maybe they had some secret beneficiary, who knows, she wasn't in charge of that.
She traversed the room with tentative steps. The bed was a luxurious California king size with a box of complimentary chocolates lying on the pillow. On the side table were several flyers with activities around the resort. She read parasailing, diving, and helicopter rides before moving on.
Valor was most impressed by the bathroom, which was almost a whole room in and of itself. The tub was jacuzzi style and a bottle of champagne waited on the sink to be opened.
She wanted to explore the balcony next, but duty was literally calling. She answered the cellphone she had been given and confirmed with Winston that she had arrived safely. The conversation was brief and to the point.
Valor sat on her bed with a huff, unsure what to do first. Maybe she would just check out the beach or the pool, the mysterious woman completely unrelated. Besides, it was still early and her first day here, she had plenty of time.
Decision made, she scoped out the closet for what she had been provided with. It was a walk in, of course, and had many options from cocktail dresses to casual wear to even the bathing suit that she needed. A plain black two piece would get the job done, she was more concerned with a mystery suitcase lying in front of the shoes on the floor.
Valor knelt down and popped it open. She recognized an earpiece as important and put it on.
It activated automatically. "Hello, Wight."
"Athena?" Well, Winston had said she would be there to help. "Can you tell me what some of this stuff is?"
"You have been provided with ocular surveillance, several smoke bombs, gps trackers, and med kits."
"Thanks, Athena."
She took out the earpiece and changed into her bathing suit, only remembering at the last minute that she would have to cover up the parasite. With a little digging she was able to find a shawl that was just opaque enough to ensure it wouldn't be seen.
Valor hid her gun and other equipment in the closet, feeling giddy and a bit like a spy in a movie.
After ensuring her room was locked she headed in the direction of the pool. Men and women were laid out tanning, and several lounged on rafts in the water. Unable to go swimming, she instead went in the direction of the bar.
With daiquiri in hand she took up shelter under an umbrella with a good view of the area. If he was here she would see him.
An hour passed and she bought another drink with the fake name and tab she had been given. Valor never knew that relaxing could be so boring. She sipped pathetically at her drink, not only was she bored but she was alone.
"I've never seen someone at a resort look so miserable."
Valor nearly spit out her drink. The woman she had been looking for was standing right before her, hands on her hips. She wore a purple bathing suit that complimented her dark skin. Her eyes were piercing but also held a mischievous glint that Valor found more interesting than any of the pampered people around her.
"I'm kidding," she laughed off Valor's silence and held out her hand, "I'm Rosa, I just happened to see you check in today."
Valor shook her hand, "Veronica."
"So what brings you to this little piece of paradise?"
Valor had to think of an excuse quickly. "Oh, you know, the magazine's all say that this is the place to be."
"Do they? Well I personally find the drinks unimpressive and the people boring." The woman looked off to the ocean and sipped her own drink lazily. "Well, except you."
Valor blinked perplexedly a few times. "Why me?"
"Would it be weird if I said I didn't know?"
She laughed a little, feeling awkward and wanting to get out of the situation. Still, something in her gut told her that this person was important.
Rosa seemed to brush off her awkwardness with a grace Valor wish she possessed. "There is a cocktail party tonight, will you be attending?"
Valor smiled, it would be the perfect place to find the guy she was looking for. Maybe this was the reason she was drawn to this woman, she seemed to have information she needed. "I wouldn't miss it!"
"Wonderful. Well then, what shall we do to alleviate our boredom until this evening?"
She hadn't even thought about what she would do. Honestly, the longer she stayed here the less Valor felt qualified for this job. She took a deep breath and tried to ground herself, everything was going fine so far.
"Hmm," Valor hummed and scanned the area around her, trying desperately to think of something. All that came to mind were the flyers in her room but nothing really sounded appealing.
"You know I think I heard something about yoga classes on the beach or something," Rosa mentioned casually.
Valor couldn't tell if it was just a coincidence or if somehow this woman knew her. She quickly shook it off as being paranoid, it had been awhile since she had been on a mission after all. Besides, the sound of the ocean lapping against the shore was so relaxing that she couldn't resist.
The cocktail party wasn't until nine, which meant this was going to be another late night for her.
Valor returned to her room at around seven, which gave her plenty of time to get ready. She'd had a wonderful time with Rosa and they even ate lunch together after yoga. After she warmed up to the conversation Valor found that she was funny and charming, but she wouldn't let her fun detract from her mission. She knew better than that.
With all of this extra time, though, she found the bathtub calling her. A bit giddy, she grabbed the chocolates off of the bed and began to run the hot water. In retrospect, it had been such a long time since she had given herself even the smallest "me time". Before Jack had arrived at her apartment her life had been a monotonous blur.
Valor popped a chocolate into her mouth to try and distract herself from the thought of him.
The tub was full and small wisps of steam rose from the water. She stripped and lowered herself into the tub, almost moaning at how good it felt after all of the work she had done the past few days. The large window in the bathroom overlooked the shimmering waves below. Everything about this place was beautiful, but she still wanted to be at the base. Her friends, old and new, were there and she longed for their companionship after so many years alone.
Valor trailed her fingers around the surface of the water slowly, watching as it rippled outward. She gradually stopped her movements. Something was off, and for a moment she couldn't tell what. She inhaled deeply and realised that something in the room smelled familiar.
The scent of leather was there, like a jacket. Which made her think it was probably Jack she was reminded of, but there was something different about it. What began as an undertone was suddenly an overpoweringly acrid, smoky smell.
A cold tingle went up her spine, and she felt like she was being watched. Whatever she had smelled was quickly forgotten. The water was suddenly very cold as she curled her fingers around the rim of the tub, preparing to turn and face whatever was behind her.
There was nothing, just the large bed and the clothes she had thrown on the floor. The balcony door was open though, even though she was sure she had shut it.
By now Valor was done with her bath, unable to escape the cold feeling that lingered in the metal on her spine. She wrapped herself up in a comfy robe and moved to close the balcony doors as well as the curtains.
She was beginning to feel a bit better now that she was hidden away. Again she wondered if it was just paranoia. It was getting late, though, and she had to dress for the party.
The closet in her room held a variety of different clothing, and she was sure that whoever was helping Overwatch spared no expense. She chose a simple maroon dress that was fairly modest as to not reveal the parasite on her spine. Valor then grabbed her gun and a few tracers, just in case she happened to lose sight of her target. That was if he was there at all, she thought glumly. The resort was nice but she didn't want to stay there longer than she had to.
Valor spent the rest of the time she had before the party fixing her hair and makeup to look presentable enough to pass as her cover. Before this she had never realised how hard being a spy could be. When it hit nine she was already ready to crawl into bed. Her late night with Hana along with her nightmares made it difficult to stay awake. She hoped they had some coffee or something.
She made her way leisurely to the ballroom, her heels making her progress slower than usual. There were others making their way there, but they all ignored her for which she was grateful. The only reason she was here was to take care of this mission, not make friends. However, as soon as she saw Rosa waving at her, champagne glass in hand, she wondered if she hadn't already made a friend even with her fake identity.
Valor strode past groups of people, picking up a champagne glass of her own as she walked near a waiter, hopefully looking far more confident than she felt.
"You clean up nice," Rosa commented lightly as she approached.
"I do my best," Valor teased lightly as she scanned the room. Nothing.
"I can tell this isn't your type of party."
"My kind of party involves a little more tequila." She repeated the words Gabe had said to her so many years ago without even thinking about it. Valor downed her glass of champagne in hope that it would kick in quickly and she could forget.
Another glass was in her hand before she could even ask.
"You want to forget something, I get it, just don't make yourself too sick." Rosa said sympathetically.
"It's fine," Valor lied with a smile. Just one more drink, she told herself, just enough to make her forget her former captain.
In the long years since the Swiss headquarters incident there had been plenty of time to mourn Gabriel. It also gave her time understand that he was the only other man she had loved. She would give everything to have him alive today. He had always been there for her, through everything that had happened in Overwatch.
Valor looked around the room to distract herself from the thought of him. The champagne was as dry as the party surrounding her, and the other guests milling about barely served as a distraction at all.
Rosa sighed next to her. "Well this is more boring than I thought it would be."
Valor was glad she wasn't the only one thinking it. Although it didn't surprise her that Rosa didn't enjoy it, she seemed to enjoy higher energy parties.
"Guess we just have to make it better then," Valor grabbed two more glasses for them and they downed them together.
Maybe she had decided to get drunk because she wanted to forget, or maybe it was just because Rosa was easy to let loose around. Mostly everything had just been too much lately. She needed to forget it all just for a little bit. Besides, she doubted her target would show up anyway.
By the time it was eleven she'd had just enough champagne for her whole body to feel tingly. She and Rosa had gotten giggly and were entertaining themselves with making jokes about the people who had begun ballroom dancing, all of whom were acting like they were gods gift to the earth.
She and Rosa joined them on the dance floor, both of them dipping and twirling each other dramatically. They giggled as the others gave them dirty looks at their antics. It was the most fun she'd had in a long time, but before she knew it the party was winding down. However, Rosa convinced her that they didn't have to stop here and led her by hand down to the beach.
A full moon was out and the beach was lit up enough that she could make out others roaming around. They sat on the sand just close enough to the ocean that water lapped at their toes, both not caring about their party dresses as they carelessly tossed their shoes aside.
They laughed and tried making sand snowmen for a while until a larger wave sent the water racing up their legs so that they had to scramble backwards to avoid getting soaked. Valor was so drunk and tired that she leaned against Rosa for support after they had settled down again. Rosa's arm went around her to help, but a shock ran through Valor's spine as her hand brushed over the clothing-covered metal. Valor pulled away, unsure of what had happened.
"Sorry," Rosa apologized innocently, "must have just shocked you a bit."
She felt a bit more sober now though and stood. There was a lingering static feeling on the parasite that made her want to go back to her room and check it out.
"Sorry, I have to go." Valor made a rushed excuse about not feeling well and started to stumble through the sand towards the hotel.
"It's past twelve and you haven't turned into a pumpkin yet, princess!" Rosa called after her, but Valor was determined to get back to her room.
Sombra sauntered up to her room, completely sober and pleased at her own acting.
Reaper was sitting in a chair in the corner as she entered, right where she expected him to be.
"Your Cinderella's glass slipper," she teased as she tossed the black high heel Valor had forgotten on the beach. He caught it but didn't say anything.
"You know, I really like her. She was a lot of fun." Sombra kicked off her own heels. "I take it you saw her at some point?"
There was a moment of silence before Reaper growled out that he had.
"How cute, I can see why you had a thing for her. I mean she's very pretty Gabe, although a bit of a lightweight when it comes to drinking. I don't think I believed her for a second when she said she wanted tequila, oh and-"
"Did you find out what you needed?" Black wisps of smoke were pouring off of him which told her that she had succeeded in pissing him off.
Sombra gave him a charming smile. "Of course I did, and I think Moira and I will-"
"Then we're leaving." Reaper stood and interrupted her once again.
"You really know how to ruin a girl's fun," she mumbled sourly.
"We aren't here to have fun."
"Maybe you aren't, but fine, let's go back so you can scheme some more even though she's right here."
"There are too many people and we haven't prepared."
"Fine, fine, we'll go back and 'prepare' if that makes you feel better."
He remained silent, his face hidden behind a white mask of impassiveness. She was used to it though, and shrugged off his bad mood. He could pretend all he wanted regarding what this was about, but she knew better.
Reaper watched as Sombra made her way to the closet to pack up her gear, seemingly not a care in the world.
The mission had gone without a hitch. Overwatch, or what was left of it, hadn't suspected Talon's involvement at all. Which was good because he needed all of this to go right, for several reasons.
Originally it had only been for business. Talon wanted more information on the Overwatch revival, and they wanted a key member to kill in order to send a message. Valor had been their target, and Reaper hadn't had a second thought about it.
Seeing her, though, had woken up a side of him that had remained dormant for far too long. Amidst the fog of years since the fall of Overwatch Gabriel Reyes had rarely felt anything. Pain, yes, there was almost constant pain. Anger too, as it was all that kept him going. He suppressed everything else. It was too hard to be Gabriel Reyes with the voice constantly whispering that he was Reaper.
When he looked at her though, that's who he was. He was Gabriel again. It had been like a shock had gone through him, as if he had been resuscitated once more.
He had been close enough to touch her. Clawed gloves inches away from her inviting, soft skin. She looked exactly the same, which only hurt more. It was as if nothing had changed, and yet he had.
After seeing her he knew that he couldn't kill her. What little of his heart was left still beat for her. She was the only one who saw him for what he was: a good man who had been put in too many unfortunate circumstances.
He convinced the higher-ups at the last second that the parasite on her back would be more valuable to them than her death. They had agreed and Sombra was more than willing to check out the strange piece of technology.
Gabriel felt more like himself than he had in years, which scared him as much as it excited him. He was also reluctant to leave, worried that once she was out of his sight he would revert back to being only Reaper.
One thing he was sure of: he would get her back and make Valor his.
When Valor returned to her room she couldn't find anything wrong with the parasite no matter how much she stared into the floor length mirror. She would have Winston look at it, she reassured herself, before giving in to the urge to pass out on the bed, still clothed.
She woke with a pounding headache and her phone blaring loudly at the foot of the bed. Valor pushed her hair out of her face with a huff before retrieving the ringing phone.
"Hello?"
"Where have you been?" It was Jack, and he sounded angry.
"Oh, you know, living it up." She replied sarcastically while massaging her forehead. Why couldn't it have been someone else on the phone?
"We don't have time for this, Morales." Oh, that only infuriated her more. "Our informant was a fake, your target doesn't exist we think-"
"Well that explains why I haven't seen him the whole time I've been here," she mumbled and moved to grab a water from the mini-fridge.
"We think it's Talon."
Valor straightened. She knew enough about Talon to know that she didn't want to be anywhere near them. Especially if they knew who she was. She had heard enough about Overwatch agents getting killed off to be concerned.
"Look, a boat will be there in thirty minutes to bring you back. We're undecided if we are going to move bases yet but you need to return now."
"Alright, I'll be there." She hung up without a goodbye. The hangover plus Jack's tone was enough to piss her off, not to mention that this had all been a waste of time.
She packed up what little belongings she had and made her way to the docks. It was around noon and the resort was swarming with people. Valor couldn't help but glance around nervously as she walked, hoping that there wasn't a Talon agent following her.
Once she was on the boat she finally relaxed, but that didn't last long.
Jack was at the docks waiting for her when she returned. His arms were folded across his chest, his expression was enough for her to know she had fucked up. Valor gave him her best innocent smile as she tried to walk past him but he grabbed her forearm to stop her.
"You're hungover." It wasn't a question, so she didn't answer.
Could she possibly have died because she got drunk last night? Yes, she knew that now. But that was something she had to deal with, not him. Granted, she had abandoned her mission in the process. That he could be mad about, she deserved that at least.
"Just. Just go, Valor. Give your debriefing to Winston." He let go of her and turned towards the ocean, arms crossed again.
She wanted to feel bad, but he had done this to himself. His bullshit excuse of keeping her safe wouldn't hold up and he was going to have to deal with it. Her life was in just as much danger as it had ever been, this little trip proved as much.
Valor stalked up the hill, not looking back. She headed for her bunk. Her thoughts strayed to Talon, the biggest threat to them all right now. She wondered if they were going to move bases or just increase security. The decision would probably be left with the group, they were few enough in numbers that it was easier to put things to a vote.
If it were up to her they would leave to another base. If they were going to face Talon they would need the upper hand. It was already clear to her that Talon had more information than they did, even if Winston had confirmed that none of the files had been stolen.
Valor entered her room, tossing her duffle bag on the floor at the foot of the bed. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and ran her fingers through the locks as she sat down. Talon had to have gotten something from their attack here. She highly doubted that Reaper would leave empty handed, he had a bit of a reputation after all.
Something wasn't adding up.
Valor hadn't been entirely idle after the fall of Overwatch, and had her own connections for information. She would contact them soon and see just what she could find about what Talon was planning.