"Hana, please, just leave me alone." I growled, sounding pretty rude even for myself. She grit her teeth and crossed her arms, raising her chin defiantly.
"You've been pushing yourself way too hard, and everyone wants you to stop." She said. They did? I mean, ok, they had asked me to but I didn't know it was that bad. "And if they won't force you, then I will."
"Good luck with that." I answered sarcastically, turning back to Fareeha. The Egyptian seemed unsure of what to do right here. I couldn't blame her. An angry Dva was a scary Dva. "Come on Pharah, I still got time."
"Alessandro Rivero!" Hana yelled, making me freeze. She rarely used my full name, and if she had she must be really pissed. I sighed and, after ignoring her for a few minutes, watched her storm out of the training room. Something told me this wasn't over, she'd be back.
"Perhaps you should go talk to her." Fareeha suggested. I shook my head and raised my fists, indicating I was ready to fight. She sighed and did the same, slowly walking towards me.
After I had gotten shot by that French lady, the one with blue skin that Lena called "Widowmaker" (or "that bloody spider") the others had finished the mission without any difficulty. The Omnium had been destroyed, the three factories damaged to such an extent that they couldn't even be repaired. And me? I hadn't helped at all after my fight. I was too injured.
He's not exactly a great soldier or fighter. Lena's voice rang in my head. I clenched my teeth and ignored the thought, blocking Fareeha's first punch and ducking under the second. She kicked upwards and I jumped out of the way.
We're only sending him in because we have no choice. Lena's voice rang again. I tightened my fists and swung at the soldier who blocked my first punch, then my second, then my third. I growled and performed a roundhouse kick. She easily blocked it and kicked me in the stomach, knocking me to the ground.
Once we had returned from Russia and, under Angela's care, I had healed in a matter of days. I began my training immediately. Next time would be much different; I'd make sure of that. Nobody in the base would doubt my skills or my strength anymore. I had promised myself that. We had been back for only a month and I had already finished my physical training. I was more muscular (not super ripped or buff, mind you, but definitely a bit broader and noticeably more solid), had more stamina and was much faster than I was before. The base's training room, along with me training two months nonstop all day and half the night, were the reason I managed this. The two weeks after that, up until now, I had spent solely my time on training martial arts with Fareeha and my swordplay with Genji. I had gotten better, but not nearly good enough to win. The others had all tried to stop me, convince me to take some more rest, but what was the point in that? It was only a waste of time, and they only wanted me to rest because they didn't think I was capable.
Right?
I sighed and stood up, facing Fareeha again. We waited a few seconds and I did my best to push all these thoughts out of my head. I needed to focus. I needed to improve. I took a deep breath and ran towards Fareeha, jumping into the air with a defiant yell.
/
"I wish she wouldn't encourage him," I muttered quietly, crossing my arms and staring down at the two figures sparing in the training room.
"You know what they say if ya can't beat 'em, join em," McCree said, pulling a chair close to the window and observing with great interest. "Gotta admits Angela, he's gotten better ever since he started pushing himself like this."
McCree and I were watching from the observatory, a small room above the actually ground with a large window from where we could observe training exercises. Alessandro and Fareeha were a blur of movement, dodging and blocking each other's attacks impressively. No one could deny it, he had gotten better quite fast with his new training regimen, but it still had me worried.
"Something happened in Russia. And I don't mean the appearance of Widowmaker." I said. "One thing is to return defeated and be mad a few days, this is an entirely different matter."
"Well, darling, step into his shoes," McCree said, standing up and walking next to me by the window. "First time he failed, he lost his sisters, second time he failed, he nearly died. Wouldn't surprise me that he try his damnedest to improve."
"It's not that, I'm sure," I repeated stubbornly. "I know it's not that. Something else happened in Russia, something he isn't telling us." I flinched as Fareeha hit him in the jaw with a strong punch, making him stumble backward, then roundhouse kicked him in the face. He always came to me at night for his bruises and achiness, knowing I could easily heal them, but it didn't make me feel better when I saw him get injured.
"We'll figure it out soon enough. But I'm worried about something else. Genji's definitely up to something." McCree murmured, pulling out a cigar and sticking it in his mouth.
"He returned a few days after the others and still hasn't told us what he was up to," I replied. "Obviously, he has something in mind, but what?"
"He's also the only one actually encouraging Alessandro to keep up this training." The cowboy reminded me as he pulled out a lighter and lit his cigar.
It was true, while the rest of tried to get him to rest, Genji seemed fixated on training him. He was the one who, after Alessandro had asked, convinced Fareeha to train him as well. But what was the ninja's plan?
I sighed, feeling utterly confused by it all. How I yearned for the simplicity of the old days when all I had to think about was the wounds on my comrades after they had saved a few lives. Things were so much different now. We had to worry about being seen, about Talon, about recruiting, about so many more things than before. And before we were busier!
"Winston wants to send out more people for a mission. Apparently, Athena found more people to recruit." McCree informed me. "And this time, I think it's more of a walk in the park."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked quietly. He seemed to have a reason.
"You're still a sharp one, doc." He chuckled. "Well, Hana's been complaining of being cooped up in 'ere and Alessandro is just working to death. So let's send 'em together on a little trip, I'm sure they'll enjoy themselves."
"Our missions are never easy, they are serious business," I said quickly. "I'd rather he stay out of danger, for the time being, last time didn't go so well."
"Trust me, this one is good for them," McCree assured me. "I've brought it up with the rest and they think it's a good idea. No one knows Hana is with us, and Alessandro has barely been seen. Getting Lucio should be easy."
"Lucio?" I asked, turning to face him. I knew Lucio had led a rebellion in Brazil against some corrupt corporations, freeing the poor from what was basically slavery, but he had been and still is a musician. And a very famous one at that. "I know Hana would love that, she has shown me her Lucio merchandise after all, but Alessandro? Are you judging this all on him being young?"
"Course not. But Lucio ain't gonna be a hard cat to bag, and they can take some time there to enjoy themselves." McCree murmured. Now he seemed a bit odd. I narrowed my eyes and took a step closer to him.
"Hana put you up to this, didn't she?" I asked. He sighed and gave a short nod.
"For whatever reason, she thinks she can help him. But he won't give her a second of his time. He needs to get away, she wants to see Lucio, it seemed like the perfect idea." I smiled and nodded at the window. "Faree- However the hell you pronounce her name just knocked him down. Again."
"We will talk about this in a group, without letting Alessandro know. I don't think anyone wants him to go out again, he's obviously not ready for the challenges our line of work has." I snapped. He raised his hands in surrender and began walking out of the room. But before he left he looked back at me.
"Angela, the kids not ready for what we'll have to do. The only way he'll ever be ready is if we let him out. Something's coming, I don't know what or when, but we'll all need to be ready. That includes him." He mashed the cigar against his robotic arm, throwing it in the garbage before walking out of the room. I turned back to the window, watching Fareeha put Alessandro in a headlock and speak, probably giving advice, as Alessandro glared at her.
"I'd hope none of us ever have to be ready for something that bad," I whispered to myself. "I'd be happy with it all resolved in peace."
/
"Hana, where are you taking me?" I asked.
"No answers until we get there," Hana said, her grip on my wrist only getting stronger as she dragged me through the bases halls. We passed Lena, who raised an eyebrow, and I just mouthed "help". She giggled and pretended not to see us. I had already tried several times to get back to training but Hana wasn't having it. She had found me at my room after my sparring with Fareeha and insisted and taking me somewhere. She was wearing her combat suit, the pink skin tight one, and her makeup was on so I was assuming something was going on. But she kept refusing to tell me. Why would she be mad? I mean, we weren't that close. We just talked and played Starcraft a lot. So why would she be so mad at me? I sighed as she dragged me along, trying to wave at Torbjorn and McCree for help. They both just smiled, McCree giving me a wave, as Hana took me away. I guess, to be fair, I wasn't fighting her too much. Even if I wanted to stick to my new training schedule, I had to admit I was pushing myself too hard and needed rest. I guess now that I was tired I could notice that. But only one-hour rests…can't go too easy on myself. My back ached with each step and my leg hurt, bruised from my fight with Fareeha, which is why she insisted on stopping as soon as she noticed my pained state.
She had given quite a few bruises today.
"Can we at least grab some food? I'm starving..." I murmured in surrender. She turned to me with a smile and handed me an open bag of- "Oh my freaking god, you've got to be kidding." I said, laughing afterward. I grabbed the bag of "Dvitos", a bag of chips with her name. "You have your own brand of chips? Jesus Christ Hana."
"They're great. I'm addicted to my own food." She said, her smile growing as we walked. I stopped struggling and walked along, gently removing my hand so I could eat. "By the way, why do you call me Hana?"
"Uh..." I felt my face turn pink. "Well, I just got used to using everyone's real names here, and i kinda felt that, uh, we were a bit...um..." I looked around, as if the word would just suddenly come or as if someone would explode and save me from this. Screw the "not so close to Hana" bit that I was thinking before. I used her real name because I, in fact, did see her as a good friend and now that I was calm I could admit it to myself.
"You use it because you felt we were...?" She turned, walking backward, and put her hands behind her head. I felt my blush grow and snorted as she grinned.
"I felt you were a big enough bother to merit the use of a real name," I told her, sounding jokingly mean. She rolled her eyes and spun around again, walking correctly.
"I also see you as a good friend, you know." She said, opening a door and walking up some stairs. I followed, closing the door behind me, and depositing the now empty bag of chips in a garbage bin. Neither of us said anything else as we continued climbing, all the way to the roof. Even in silence, she only had to glance at me to see my smile. It did make me happy to know that's how she saw us. I never had that many friend in my regular life, being rather busy, and although everyone here was now my friend Hana was the one I felt most comfortable with. She was the girl my age, she was the one who understood me a bit better, and we even had something in common. I had turned into a soldier because my home was attacked, and so had she. A normal gamer, called upon by her country to fight the strongest enemy we have ever seen, so strong they can't even defeat him they can only fight him until he retreats.
All these thoughts left my mind as we walked onto the roof together.
"Woah." Was all I could say.
/
I had to hold back a laugh as he admired the view. He didn't look silly or anything, but I still found his reaction funny. The roof was overlooking a rocking beach with sea green water, a cluster of mountains far in the distance. The water seemed to glow in the sunlight. I walked towards the edge of the roof and whistled, getting his attention. He turned to me startled, then smiled embarrassedly and made his way to me. He got change after the practice fight and was now wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a blue hoodie. His fashion taste needed some work, but I still thought he looked pretty good. His time here had made him look stronger and more...controlled. He wasn't just some random guy on the street, he had a purpose and it showed. Nobody would be overlooking him anymore.
"Hana, you're staring." He said, smirking smugly as he walked next to me. I shrugged, not even blushing. He might be easy to read, but I had spent a few years in as a diva now, I knew how to hide what I felt.
I sat down, my legs dangling over the edge. His smile disappeared and he seemed...worried? I patted the spot next to me and after a few moments, he sat next to me, staying a bit more behind. I leaned backward, hands propping me up as if I were sunbathing, and just stared out there. We stayed like that a few minutes until he coughed and began speaking.
"How'd you even find this? I mean, I don't see much reason for you to be looking for rooftop access." He pulled his feet away from the ledge and took a deep breath, apparently trying to enjoy this. Why was he nervous?
"I needed some air, and they don't let me go out, so this place appeared to me," I replied, leaning forward and stretching my arms out as a breeze passed. Before I could say anything I felt him grab my sides, pulling me a bit back.
"Please, don't do that." He murmured. I turned to see him looking much more nervous than I thought. And it definitely wasn't because of me, or else he wouldn't be holding my waist. I had seen this before, on a friend. It was the height.
"You're afraid of heights?" I asked, leaning onto him before he could complain. He blushed (which was pretty cute) but just wrapped his arms around me and held me closer.
"Nervous, not afraid. Or else I wouldn't have jumped out of that damn jet in Russia." He said, making me laugh. "It isn't funny! I jumped and they didn't even tell me how to land. Like ten seconds before I reached they ground they were like; yeah by the way you better use that armor or you're going to die. And this might hurt a lot."
"Did it hurt?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Actually, it hurt less than the bullets." He admitted. "The armor left in a flash, but it absorbed the worst of the impact."
If anything he seemed more relaxed now, with the entire situation. His eyes were surveying the view once again and I could see his lip curling in a smile. I'd hate to ruin this, but I had brought him here for a reason.
"Listen, Alessandro," I began, looking away from him. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Yeah?"
"You're not going to like it," I warned. He snorted and waited for my answer. "Ok, I think you need to stop what you're doing. All the training, it's just hurting you. We're all worried." Just as I thought, his expression immediately soured and he sighed. Last time I brought this up we ended up yelling at each other, so I was very surprised when he smiled and spoke in a regular voice.
"I can't. I need to get stronger, at least as strong as you guys." He said.
"You'll get there, with time." I insisted, looking back at him and sitting up, so we were staring right at each other. "But killing yourself through training won't help anyone."
"I'm careful, I won't overdue it." He answered quietly. "Once I get stronger, I'll tone it down. I promise."
"You're already stronger!" I argued, laughing despite myself. "How long have you been training like this? You're faster, stronger, and way more skilled than you were in Russia!"
"True, I won't deny that." He admitted. "But not strong enough. I still can't beat Fareeha in a spar, I still can't beat Genji in a sword fight, even with Angela's classes I suck! We tried a simulated surgery three times. What happened to my patient? Died, all three times. I'm not strong, smart or skilled enough, if I met Widowmaker again I'd die.
"And this training won't do much help," I told him. "I know how you feel Alessandro, I really do."
"Oh really? How so?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. I could feel his heart beating a bit faster, angrier. I was tempted to answer in the same tone, but instead, I kept calm and resisted the urge to argue with him.
"I was like that, once," I admitted. "I was younger than you. Korea had just gotten attacked by the big Omnic monster, and it had almost won. So the government decided they needed pilots, and they turned to the gamers of the country. I was the best the best, so, of course, I was recruited. I was fifteen."
"Damn must've been hard." He murmured, holding me just a bit tighter. "You shouldn't have been recruited."
"Meh, I didn't mind. It was just another challenge. It's still just another challenge. But it's the only one I can't beat, year after year me and the squad go into battle, year after year we lose."
"I thought it was a stalemate. It doesn't destroy the city, you don't destroy it." He commented.
"To most of the world, that's exactly what it is. But to me and the other MEKA pilots, it's a loss. When you fight a boss, lose some teammates, and then have it escape you, that isn't winning or tying. It's losing." My voice had turned bitter, and my fists were now clenched at my sides, but I continued. "The first time we lost, I did the same thing as you. I trained and trained and trained. So hard, and for so long, and the next time we fought? I nearly died. I was still too angry, and even tired, so even after an entire year he almost killed me. A partner of mine had to get me out."
"So, you're telling me I'll fail despite what I do?" He asked, and this time, he sounded sincerely confused. Ok, it wasn't the most inspiring thing I've said, I'll admit that.
"I'm telling you that pushing yourself so hard will just make your odds worse." I corrected.
"Yeah, but you're treating it like a game." He said cautiously, obviously trying not to upset me. "Because that's how serious you take these games, I get that. It's not the same." I was ready to snap at him. For him to even mention me taking it as lightly as a game was infuriating. Yes, I went in thinking and acting like a gamer, but I didn't give it that little importance! But before I could yell at him, he continued. "Widowmaker killed my mom."
"What?!" I asked surprised, turning to face him better. He chuckled lightly.
"The day my home was attacked, well, I was with my sisters and mother. I remember it clearly. We were running across the street, heading towards a friend. He had a gun, he was trying to cover us." I could see his eyes welling with tears already. "O-out of nowhere a drop-ship or something just appeared and the back door opened. Soldiers poured out and I saw her. We stared at each other and I immediately blocked her view of my sisters. She smirked, she fucking smirked, and shot my mother like it was some sort of sick game!" He was yelling now, one hand clenched in a tight, trembling fists. "I didn't even think of her, my sisters were my priority. I know my mom would've approved. But Widowmaker just shot her and smiled at me. She enjoyed what happened."
"Alessandro, I-"
"That's why I need to get stronger." He said, turning towards me. He wiped his eyes and stood up. "She killed my mom, she helped the invasion which got my sisters killed, and she nearly killed me. But I won't let her get away, not next time. Next time I'll be ready."
"No, you won't," I said, standing up and facing him. He opened his mouth to protest and but I put a finger to it and spoke quickly. "Sixteen years old, first time facing the Omnic monster. I lost some of the only people I cared about, and that cared about me in this world, so don't you say I don't understand."
"You...what?" He asked, his face suddenly more serious. I turned, walking a few steps away.
"I had turned pretty popular in South Korea pretty fast, especially when I won the world championship," I admitted. "And, although I like this kind of life, it had its downsides. Being famous means being lonely." I chuckled quietly. "So when I was offered to join the MEKA squad, it was a new start. I actually made friends, people like me, and enjoyed myself with other people. I wasn't stuck to a console all day, I was heading out with people I used to be rivaled with."
"What happened?" He asked softly.
"The Omnic happened. It was the first year pilots had ever faced this thing. We had studied and trained for this but knew it would have some tricks up its sleeves. Still, we thought we'd be the ones to beat it. Using our teamwork and skill." I laughed bitterly. "We were so wrong. I lost my entire squad. The only people besides my parents who I had really cared for, and who really cared for me." I turned on him, suddenly feeling angry. "That's why I started training so hard, that's why I take my battles with that thing as such a challenge, and that's why I can relate to you. So please, please, take it easy already."
"Hana I..." He sighed and hugged me tightly. I yelped, quite surprised, but after a few moments hugged back. "I'll go a little bit easier on myself. For you. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry that happened to you."
"Thanks." I smiled at him, hugging him tighter.
"Now, how about we go play some Starcraft?"
So, funny story. I /forgot/ I had made this chapter, and had to post it.
I remembered it existed, because I already wrote the following chapter, but when I was checking the fic out today I noticed this one wasn't there. /I wrote it and forgot to post/ I'M SORRY.
Well, now you'll have two chapters in a row. One today and one tomorrow, so enjoy!
Don't forget to fav, follow and most importantly REVIEW because your opinion is /always/ valued.
