A woman ran around the headquarters , a pitifully short lap but preferable to the treadmill Angela had tried in the gym. The day had been long. Questioning, reports and endless streams of tests. Angela had promised Lena too keep running even when Lena couldn't, and it was a promise Angela intended to keep even when Numbani was off limits. The look of shock in Lena's face as her harness was ripped from her had stuck in Angela's mind, and she was hoping to outrun it. She passed the spot where she and Lena had crashed and kept going, a stitch in her side and breathing heavily. After pushing herself hard she stopped at a mile and a tenth. She had hoped to keep going, to improve, to show that she was stronger than someone who had just watched as their friend was ripped from them. The first friend she had made since coming to Numbani and the first person for her too have hung around during her breaks. Gone in a flash. Angela hung her head. It could take months for her too come back; if she did, the first incident resulted in her disappearing for a whole year, none knew what could happen this time.
Lena hadn't been the only one to disappear that day, Amir and Akira had disappeared from the face of the earth alongside "Apocalypse Blowjob" and his friend, the women in purple. The eyes of the suit support team had followed Angela's back in the laboratory and she could tell they blamed her for their disappearance. Pharah was to face a inquiry into why she had fired into a crowded area. Lucio and Zarya were recovering in Hospital and William had been sent from for, with the hope being that between him, Angela and a team of scientists they could fix or replace Gungmir. The rest of the day Angela had too listen to the terrified warnings from her Uncle and Aunt, desperately telling her not too push herself too hard.
"Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but your mother obsessed over these sort of things, put herself in places of danger and got herself hurt. And you know what sort of person she turned into"
"You think I'm like her?"
"The way you obsess, the way you work to your fingers bleed, the ways you grow so cold sometimes. Yes, sometimes I wonder if you carry more from my sister then you should"
Angela recalled the phone call from earlier that day with hatred. In the end she had promised to keep herself safe while on the edge of snapping. Later on before she hang up, she heard the sound of sobbing coming down from the phone and she felt a wave of guilt. Then she went for her run, hoping to outrun the memories of her mother, the sounds of sobbing and the day before, too no prevail. With a sigh she turned back to the headquarters and started to walk back. She hoped to make a log about today. A very short one.
There was someone waiting for her when Angela got back to her room. Guilard had waited outside patiently as Angela was out though Guilard did not understand why. Guilard felt the uncomfortable feeling of being a puppet on strings, dancing a dance for people she couldn't see. Angela saw her.
"Oh"
Guilard was dressed in a dark blue sundress that exemplified her warm skin, her hair held up in gold scarf. But Angela could see the red around the eyes that betrayed her tears, and she looked at Angela in a way that made Angela feel uncomfortable. Guilard looked shy for a moment and then moved close to Angela.
"Im sorry to disturb you, but I had no idea where else to turn. You are her friend right? Do you know if she will be back"
Angela knew. If Lena could pull herself back long enough to put on the harness, she could regain full physicality. If. "Maybe. Months, years, I have no idea". Guilard looked down.
"Thats what everyone else said too." Guilard wiped her eyes. Angela sighed. She was desperate for something to distract her from the feeling of failure and inadequacy that was plaguing her, and Guilard was there.
I can't get too close too you, but if I could learn something about you. Angela's eyes took on a differant shade.
"Lets talk about it in one of the restaurants" Risky, very risky. "Ethiopian sound good?"Guilard gave a surprised look to Angela.
Guilard considered the proposal. "Non, but if it's all the same with you, could we talk privately?" Angela gritted her teeth and went to open the door, she knew it was dangerous to be left alone with her, but also desperately wanted something to distract and focus upon, some sort of forward momentum. Guilard walked in before Angela and Angela closed the door behind her.
"How are you feeling Guilard?". Angela was watching carefully. She had learned a lot from watching her in the brief snippets of conversation they had shared over the last month. Guilard didn't seem aware of Widowmaker, and Widowmaker was not currently in control of the women, only lying dormant for a moment until she could use her. Guilard sighed and sat down on the bed.
"Not so good. And you?" There was a brief pause. "Angela, please talk to me"
Angela thought for a moment, and then busied herself readying a drink for herself and Guilard. "I've been better, Lena was sort of the only person here who talked to me like a friend instead of a colleague"
"Ah. I see" Angela brought some water for the both of them and apologised for having nothing else, and then sat next to her.
"Was she brave?"
"Yes, very"
Guilard went quiet again, Angela decided to change the subject so as to distract the two of them.
"What sort of books do you write again?"
"Why?"
Angela shrugged. "I think we need to forget about things for a little while"
Guilard considered that for a moment "Romance mostly"
"Oh" Guilard could hear the disappointment on Angela's voice.
"What do you read?"
"Sci fi and fantasy"
"Oh. Not a fan of the romance genre?"
"I feel as though a lot of it is needless drama" Guilard's eyes flashed at that.
"Okay, how about this. The next book I write is a 200 page long circle jerk in Middle Earth?"
Angela rose her eyebrows "Hard to pull off, but I imagine it'll all come full circle in the end"
"Oh Mon Ange, non"
Guilard laughed at a joke Angela had made, the last couple of hours having passed quickly while they talked about their own work. Angela had explained the book she was reading when they had met and was happily surprised to learn that Guilard had started off writing slice of life fan fiction. Guilard was now relaxed and calm, looking at Angela in a new way from listening to her passion and drive when it came to her experiments and dreams, she noticed the lack of mention to her parents. She could almost imagine her as a protagonist to one of her own novels. Angela meanwhile was enjoying herself, finally having a brief respite of the biting feeling of failure on her back. Angela was explaining the differance between a caduceus and the Rod of Asclepius when Guilard sprang a question.
"Angela, what was your husband like?" She knew that Angela was a widow, but beside Guilards own bed was a picture of her husband and her on their wedding day. Whenever Lena was around she would place the picture in her wardrobe so as to avoid awkwardness but she had always placed it back once she had left. Guilard saw nothing to indicate Angela's late husband apart for a ring kept on the left side of the bed. Angela was watching her.
Angela was surprised by the question and leaned back as she considered it. She shrugged. "Gentle, I suppose". Guilard was surprised by the lack of emotion in her voice.
"How did you meet?"
Angela smiled. She had the feeling that Widowmaker would not ask questions like that, and therefore felt safe. "We met when I was a student in Zurich. We started going out when I just came out of something else, something pretty horrible and; well, he was there for me." She thought a little bit longer. "Its actually quite common for the people back in Switzerland to marry expats, a lot of expats hope to stay in Switzerland. The opposite sort of happened to me. I picked up a stray expat, but instead of making a home in Switzerland like he had planned to do he came with me too Manchester" She smiled at those memories. "Zurich is nice... But Manchester had better ties to backers that I wanted, and, well. A of sort of feeling of unpredictability... Not a lot of people emigrate these days. I was always weird though"
Guilard seemed to be perking up "I don't think you're weird. I think you might be mad though"
"You should see my TED talks." Angela laughed and then went silent. "Its funny though, you know how some people live their lives for others, believing in that bullshit "one" and living for eachother, trying to build a life together" she thought for a moment. "Truth is if he had wished to stay in Switzerland I would have left him without a second thought." Her eyes flashed. "I lived for my work, I breathed it in every day, someone else would never be the centre of my life, I'm not going to put someone else before what I could do with my own hands." She sighed. "I married because it was convenient, because I needed a extra pair of hands." As she said it, she wondered on the truth of her words. She certainly didn't feel that while she was married, but looking back now she wondered. She looked out the window of the burning red skyline of Numbani, and Guilard was very glad she did not see what Angela saw. "What about your husband?".
Guilard froze up at the mention of her husband and leaned forward, cuping the tea in her hands. "Gerard was... cocky, aggressive and strong. But he wasn't cruel, or a bully" Guilard took a look at Angela. "A bit like you actually, but I guess a little more open..." She was sitting closer to Angela at this point, and Angela could smell the perfume on her and the sweet scent of her hair. Guilard shuddered and moved closer.
"Open". Bad choice of words, considering what happened to him. Angela thought
Guilard continued "Then one night..." she fell silent and placed her head in the crook of Angela's shoulder. Angela moved a hand to her shoulder and held her for a moment.
Now. "I'm so sorry to hear what she did too your husband"
"Merci"
Angela turned away from Guilard to hide the smirk spreading across her face, You let it slip. "Wish I had something stronger, I feel like a bad host"
"What, wine?"
"Something like that"
"You want me drunk?"
"... I'm sorry, what?"
Guilard laughed at Angela's spreading blush and played with a lock of hair Angela's hair. She shifted so as to face Angela "What are you smiling about?"
"Oh, was I smiling?"
"Yes you were" Guilard was staring at Angela, she then brought her face close to Angela's and spoke, in a low and hoarse whisper.
"Do you know what I missed most after I was widowed?" Angela shook her head, her heart pounding and felt Guilard grip her hand "The feeling of someone sleeping next too me" Guilard guided Angela's hand up to a breast and drew her face closer to Angela and smirked. "Another pair of hands?" with that Guilard leaned in and kissed Angela's on the lips, Which Angela returned with a hand on her cheek. Guilard brought her lips down to Angela's neck and for a brief moment Angela let herself be nuzzled, slowly removing the scarf from Guilards head to let her hair tumble out with a flush of pleasure as Guilards hand slid down a thigh, Not like anyone will know.
You'll know.
That's the idea.
But so will she.
Then in a moment's clarity, Angela eyes snapped open too the blue on Guilard's neck.
"Wait!" Angela stood up abruptly, startling Guilard. She felt a sudden wave of nausea and turned to look away from Guilard. "I'm sorry, but... It's wrong" need a excuse she'll accept "Lena disappeared literally a night ago!"
Guilard was staring at her, staring with a look of disbelief and anger on her face. Then she gave a harsh bark of laughter, followed by a full peal with her low, hoarse voice. "It took me six months too kiss someone after Gerard, and she's gone now. But you were willing to fuck the grieving girlfriend of your best friend after two! Ah, some marry for love, others marry because it was convenient, and "another pair of hands". Angela turned back too Guilard and watched as blue slowly spread from her neck across her face, replacing the warm brown with a sick, corrupted blue the colour of drowned corpses. Widowmaker sat on Angela's bed and clapped. "Bravo! Didn't think you had the will! Loyalty doesn't mean much too you does it?"
"You were influencing her" It was not a question.
Guilard batted her long eyelashes at Angela. "Who, me?" She grinned at Angela, "Well, no shit!" Guilard regarded Angela with new found respect in her eyes. "Wellll, I have to say, I wasn't the only one. She didn't take much persuading if I'm honest"
"The fact you were influencing her at all-"
"Oh please, you think we have complete control over ourselves every single day? Sometimes you just need to stop thinking and do as your heart tells you"
She recline backwards and slid her eyes over Angela, smiled again, softer this time. "Actually... Don't you think that would be interesting?"
"What?"
She beckoned. "Sleeping in this room, with you, with Guilards body". In a smooth movement she untied the knot at her neck holding up the sundress and let her breasts spill out. Angela blanched but forced herself to keep a eye on Widowmaker. "Come here" A grin had broken out across Widowmakers face and she beckoned, "slither under the sheets and let's see if we can't start some new rumours about you"
"You're sick!" Angela was trembling from anger and had balled her hands into fists at what Guilard proposed. Guilard looked at her fists and laughed.
"Go on then, be rough! Have fun explaining to Guilard where she got the bruises!"
Angela considered what she said, and then slowly unbunched her fists, Burning under Widowmakers smirk. "What do you want?"
"I think I made that perfectly clear, oh, you tease. People repress so much of themselves. I think they should be more... Open, like dear Gerard. And well, I repress nothing"
"Clearly"
"Ooohh, so dark and brooding!" Widowmaker looked at Angela; all anger and hatred, and sighed. "I'll get no where with you. Fine, I'm here to let you know Moira has made another offer"
"What?"
"Yes. This time a exchange." She had stood up and walked towards the door. Angela moved between her and the handle. Widowmaker grinned and pressed Angela too the door almost gently. Angela took a step forward, glaring down at Widowmaker and forcing her to move backwards. Widowmaker laughed and pressed closer.
"And what would the exchange be for?" asked Angela " And you must be insane if you think I'm going to let you walk out like that"
"I think it's a improvement. Ah, fine. Swiss are no fun. The exchange is simple, you for the two boys we picked up a couple days ago"
Angela's heart skipped a beat. "They're still alive!?"
"Yes, but that will change if you don't comply" Widowmaker was not smiling now. She stepped back"You upset Moira, that upset a lot of people. You will come with us. None of your bullshit this time. The rooftops, or they die". Widowmaker picked up the scarf Guilard had wrapped around her hair, and then moved her hair out of the way and waited for Angela to tie the dress. "Now, or I go out like this and change back to poor little Amelie" Angela grimaced and started tying and Widowmaker backed into her. As suddenly as it had appeared, the blue was lost from her skin, leaving no trace of its shading. Guilard moaned and placed a hand on her head. She took in Angela tying her dress and felt worry dance across her stomach. "Angela, what happened. I, I, think I blacked out" She turned to Angela and stared helplessly with large, green eyes.
Angela stayed silent. "Talk to me about jt" She waited for the reply. For a moment Guilard said nothing, just sagged and held onto Angela for stability.
"Non, not right now" she managed in a weak voice. "I need to clear my head"
"Yes, I think you do"
"Angela?"
"What?"
"Did something happen?"
Angela could hear the worry in her voice and sighed. "Nearly".
"Oh"
"I'm sorry"
For a moment Guilard's brow creased, she felt as though she was missing something important, something vitally important to what had been said before.
"Angela" She turned to give a withering look "who's "she"?",
