"What do you think Captain Amari is talking to her about?"
Angela shook her head. "I rarely understand Ana's motivations."
Amélie crossed her arms, a troubled expression on her face. While she knew Captain Amari was more than capable of taking care of herself, that was also what concerned her. She could easily put Lena down if she felt she needed to, and without Amélie there to defend the brunette… well, the sniper tried not to think about that.
"Angela… you've read her file… we're not wasting our time here, are we? What Talon has done to Lena… we can reverse it, right?" Amélie asked.
Angela let out a sigh. "I honestly don't know; Moira spent months erasing her memories and reconditioning her. The only memories and experiences she has now are of pain and killing. Even if we could instill in her the basics of morality, I don't know if we could ever truly bring Lena Oxton back."
That was what Amélie had been afraid of. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring back memories that just didn't exist anymore. Everything she and Lena had shared, everything the brunette had experience that made her the person Amélie had had feelings for… gone, and for what?
"If I ever see Moira O'Deorain, I am going to put a bullet right between her eyes," Amélie said darkly.
The conviction in her voice scared Angela and sent a chill down her spine; she knew the sniper had every intention of following through with her threat should her path ever cross the geneticist's again.
"Has Ana finished with the assass—" Jack paused upon seeing the death glare on Amélie's face. "With Lena?"
"Not yet," Angela replied, not having the energy to deal with another fight between the sniper and the commander.
"Ah good, you're all here."
The three looked up at Ana's voice as she entered, Lena beside her.
"Are you going to tell us what that was all about?" Jack asked.
"If I wanted you to know, I wouldn't have asked you all to leave," Ana replied. "However, Lena and I did have a nice chat, and I believe we've settled the matter you were arguing about." There was a pause before Ana nudged the brunette. "Go on, tell them."
Lena looked at the captain before she looked at the others, trying to find the right words. "I… understand that I'm still dangerous… I'm trying not to be. When you're gone… I'll behave for Amélie… and you can lock me up at night."
That was surprising; Lena was agreeing to be willfully incarcerated, and based on the expressions of the assembled agents, no one had been expecting that.
"You're really okay with this?" Angela asked, still not entirely sure that Lena understood just what she was saying.
Lena nodded.
"Well, it sounds like the matter is settled then," Ana said. "Perhaps next time you'll all consider actually talking to Lena when the matter concerns her; you might be surprised." The captain turned and started from the room, and Amélie quickly went after her, catching her in the hallway.
"Captain, wait," Amélie said, moving in front of her mentor. "Back there with Lena… did she really agree to this?"
"As opposed to what? Me strong-arming her into saying that?"
Amélie didn't want to accuse the captain of doing anything of the sort, but this whole situation just seemed too… easy. "It's just… I know that Lena hates being confined. I mean, it was a fight just to get her into the shower."
"I see. So you find it difficult to believe that she would agree to be locked up all night."
Amélie nodded. "I just… I don't know if she really understands what's going on."
Ana let out a sigh before she said, "That is the problem we all have been suffering from, myself included. We all have fallen under the impression that Lena is still that mindless Talon assassin, but the truth is that she understands more than we give her credit for. I admit, I wanted to stay angry with her; perhaps it would have been easier if she were some hired assassin because then we could treat her like such, but she is not. I decided to try a new tactic, which was sitting Lena down and having a normal conversation, and as you witnessed yourself, it worked."
"Now we just need everyone to understand that and maybe Lena will have a chance."
"You would think with all the time I've spent with both you and Captain Amari, I'd be better at making tea." Amélie brought the teapot over to the table, sitting across from Lena. "I think I've only succeeded in making hot leaf juice, though I suppose that's really what all tea is."
"… I feel like I should be offended."
Amélie laughed, pouring a cup for the brunette before she stood and returned to the coffeemaker.
"Oh, did you already make coffee because that would be fantastic."
Lena immediately froze up at Emily's entrance before fixing her gaze resolutely on the liquid in her cup. If she didn't look at the redhead, maybe Emily would just ignore her.
"Oui; help yourself," Amélie said, having poured her own cup and returning to the table.
"Everyone left pretty early this morning, huh?" Emily asked as she moved to the coffeemaker. "Is this a usual thing around here?"
"Leaving the base this empty? Non. Early morning wake-ups are nothing new, though," the sniper replied.
Emily let out some noise of acknowledgement before she joined the two at the table, sitting between them. "Morning, Lena."
Lena nodded in response, her gaze still on her tea. Those awful feelings of guilt were rising up again, and the brunette wondered if she would always feel this way around Emily.
"So why didn't you two go on the mission?" Emily asked.
Amélie paused a moment as she considered the best way to answer that question without giving away the truth. "Lena has not yet been cleared for active duty, and as her mentor, I need to stay with her."
Lena looked up at the sniper, her brow furrowed. Amélie had called her an agent, and herself Lena's mentor… how long were they going to continue lying to Emily? Did everyone expect that the redhead would never know the truth about who Lena really was?
Emily nodded, apparently satisfied with that answer. "So, what do you want to do while we have the base to ourselves?"
"Well we need to continue our training—"
"Come on, you can do that anytime. Your bosses are away; build a pillow fort, slide around in your socks, blast your music." Emily nudged Lena with her elbow. "Back me up here Lena."
"Y-yeah…" Lena said.
Emily's brow furrowed slightly as she looked between the two. "Haven't you two ever been home alone?"
"Well, it's been a long time since I lived with my parents, but sometimes when Gerard was out, I'd play my ballet music and make macarons," Amélie said, standing up to take her cup to the sink.
"That's… really French, but okay, that's the spirit," Emily said. "What about you Lena? There must have been something you enjoyed doing when you were home alone."
"Um…" The only memories she had of being alone were associated with Talon, and she gripped her teacup uncertainly.
Emily shook her head. "Okay, you two have spent too much time being serious. Looks like I came just in time."
"Okay, whoever slides the furthest down the hallway wins."
"I didn't realize it was a competition," Amélie said, her tone amused.
"Oh, it is, and I will destroy you, so prepare yourself for the sting of defeat," Emily said as she removed her shoes. "I'll even let you go first so I can wave to you as I slide by."
"Careful Roux, your hubris is showing."
"Calling me names in French will not distract me, bean ard. Now stop stalling and start sliding."
Amélie took a few steps back, looking at the hallway in front of her. She couldn't recall the last time she had done something this juvenile, and honestly, she felt a little ridiculous doing this right now, even with no one watching. She glanced back at Lena, who was watching with a curious expression on her face.
Lena may not regain any of her old memories, so it's time to start making new ones that don't involve Talon.
Amélie ran forward before she began to slide, almost losing her balance once or twice. She slid for a few seconds before coming to a stop, and she let out a short laugh, looking back at the redhead.
"Pitiful," Emily said before she took a few steps back. "Lena, I am about to put your mentor to shame." The redhead ran forward before beginning to slide, going a bit quicker than Amélie had. She slid past the French woman, giving her a sarcastic wave as she went. Eventually she stopped near Dr. Ziegler's office, and she turned back to look at the sniper.
"Yes, I see you have gone further, but Lena has yet to go," Amélie said before she looked back at the brunette. "All right Lena, your turn."
Lena paused a moment before she removed her shoes, taking a few steps back. She wasn't entirely sure why they were doing this, but it did look like fun…
Maybe that's what being normal is; just doing things because they're fun.
Lena ran forward before suddenly blinking, which sent her sliding down the hallway much quicker than she anticipated. Her speed didn't give her much control, which ended with her colliding with Emily, bringing them both the floor. The brunette could feel her face immediately growing hot, but Emily was… laughing?
"Sorry… are you okay?" Lena asked.
"I'm fine," Emily managed as her laughter died down. "I didn't realize you wanted to beat me so badly." The redhead sat up, rubbing her elbow where she'd hit it. "What was that thing you did at the beginning? You disappeared for a second."
"O-oh…" Lena wasn't quite sure how to explain what blinking was, mainly because she didn't understand it herself. She knew she could do it, and she knew how to do it, but she had no idea how to explain that a device had been surgically implanted in her chest to allow her to do so. "Um… it's just something… I can do…"
Emily paused a moment before she said, "Well, I demand a re-slide, and you're not allowed to use it this time." The redhead got to her feet, offering Lena her hand.
Lena looked at her hand before she took it, and Emily helped her to her feet. The brunette looked down at their joined hands; the guilty feeling was still present, of course, but there was something else. She wasn't quite sure what it was, or how to describe it, and she quickly let go of Emily's hand.
"Come on Amélie, re-slide; I can wave at you as I go by again," Emily said as she made her way back down the hallway.
"You know, it would be a shame if you were to trip on your way by. A real pity."
Dinner had been finished and night had fallen, which meant that Lena knew what was coming next. She was silent as she followed Amélie to the incarceration room, and upon seeing the plexiglass paned cell, she could feel her heart rate starting to pick up.
Amélie opened the door, looking back at Lena and noticing the expression on her face. She let out a sigh before she said, "You don't have to do this. I can come up with some explanation—"
"No… I agreed to this… don't want you to get in trouble." The brunette took a deep breath before she walked into the cell, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.
"I brought you a pillow and a blanket," Amélie said, holding said items out to the brunette. As if that somehow made this all better; as if this made up for the fact that Lena had to spend all night in a cell. "No reason you can't be comfortable."
Lena took the two items, muttering a thank you, though Amélie could see that something was still troubling her.
"I know this isn't ideal—"
"It's not this…"
Amélie's brow furrowed slightly before she said, "What is it?"
Lena let out a few uncertain noises before she said, "We… we just keep lying to her…"
Ah, so it was about Emily then. Amélie let out another sigh before she said, "You understand why we are doing so, oui?"
Lena half-shrugged, biting at a loose cuticle on her finger.
Amélie reached over and placed her hand over Lena's, gently pushing it away from her mouth. "Lena? You understand why, don't you?"
"She deserves to know the truth… about what I did…"
The French woman worried her bottom lip for a moment or two; she supposed she could understand Lena's want to be honest, but if Emily knew the truth…
"I know you want to be honest with her, but she can't know yet, at least not while we're here alone with her. She's still grieving, and she needs to feel safe."
"But she isn't safe… not while I'm here…"
"Lena—"
"I'm afraid… afraid I'll lose control and finish what Arsenic told me to do…"
Amélie didn't know who this Arsenic was that Lena was referring to, but she could understand the fear. "I understand; there are times I have that same fear. I still don't know what Talon did to me… and I fear that I could do something to hurt my team. But you and I are fighters, Lena, and we fight to stay in control."
Lena didn't respond, but she nodded.
Amélie leaned in and pressed a kiss to Lena's forehead before she turned her attention to the door, closing it and beginning to lock it.
"Amélie…"
The sniper looked up at the brunette, seeing the pleading in her eyes.
"Please don't forget me… in the morning…"
"I promise I won't; I'll be back as soon as I wake up."
Lena didn't sleep much that night. She spent most of the night pacing around the cell, fighting off the feeling of restlessness that was building in her limbs. Occasionally, she would blink around the cell, clinging to the walls before dropping back to the floor.
When Amélie finally appeared to let her out, Lena couldn't recall a time she'd been happier to see anyone. She blinked out of the cell as soon as the door opened, letting out a long sigh.
"I take it you didn't sleep much," Amélie said, turning towards the brunette.
Lena shook her head, following Amélie out of the room.
"Well, let's get some breakfast in you; I'm sure you're hungry—" The sniper paused upon emerging into the main room, her gaze falling on an omnic who appeared to be waiting near the main staircase. He didn't look familiar, and Amélie found herself wishing she had her rifle. "Wait here," she said to Lena in a low voice before she began to approach. "Can I help you?"
"Is this the Overwatch Headquarters?" the omnic replied.
"It is; who are you, who sent you here?"
"Forgive me, I have not properly introduced myself. I am Zenyatta; my student Genji Shimada told me he was stationed here."
Amélie relaxed at that before she said, "Ah yes, Genji has mentioned you before. Unfortunately he isn't here at the moment, and he probably won't be back for a few days."
From where she was watching the exchange, Lena's eyes widened in realization. This was the omnic who had been with her target that night in King's Row, the one she had tackled out the window. Why was he here? Had he managed to track her down? Did he come to get revenge for his brother's death?
If he has, he deserves it.
Amélie had told her to stay put, but Lena felt as though she owed Zenyatta something; if she couldn't manage an apology then he at least deserved a chance to confront her. The brunette slowly made her way forward, freezing when she saw Zenyatta turn his head towards her.
"Greetings," Zenyatta said, moving his hand in a small, quick circle.
Amélie turned to see Lena approaching, and she wondered if she should interfere before the truth got out. Lena was already overwhelmed with Emily's presence; the sniper wasn't sure how she would react to facing Mondatta's brother. "This is Lena Oxton."
Zenyatta nodded. "Peace be upon you."
Lena had reached the omnic now, though she couldn't find any words that seemed appropriate. What was there to say? How could she ask for his forgiveness when she had been the one to take his brother's life right in front of him?
"I sense a great sadness in you… a terrible, familiar pain… our paths have crossed before, haven't they?"
Lena instead fell to her hands and knees in front of him, an odd feeling prickling at the corners of her eyes.
Crying… I'm crying...
There was a pause before Lena felt a hand come to rest gently on the top of her head. The brunette felt tears running down her face, and she began to sob openly at the kindness of the gesture, one she knew she didn't deserve.
It should have been me that day… I should have died instead of Mondatta…