Tracer

Widow had finally settled since nearly taking a chunk out of Lena's hand. Although Lena had decidedly stuffed the assassin's mouth with a small rag from the first aid kit, Widowmaker barely stirred. This wouldn't have been terribly unsettling if the woman was sleeping…but she wasn't. She was evidently quite awake, shifting in place with a touch of discomfort.

'Sorry again, Luv, but we're almost there now.' Lena held fast to her steering, her hand throbbing with blood soaking through the bandage she had hastily applied. However, the Overwatch agent was in fairly high spirits, for she thought she had ventured on a mission of impossibility, only to arrive back to base with minor injuries and one of Talon's best in tow. Ideally, Angela could help bring the true Amelie back, and then they had quite the capable shot potentially in their ranks. True, it was a somewhat selfish, self-induced mission, and sometimes Lena herself wondered why she had gone to such lengths, but it felt good to follow through with a new mission since Overwatch had been brought back. She felt as though she had failed a little more frequently than desired lately.

It was quite dark out by the time Lena saw Overwatch Gibraltar coming into view. She radioed the watch towers and soon saw lights blinking to help ease her tiny aircraft into the loading bay. The night crew guided her into place, although it was hardly necessary, and Lena patched a call through to Winston first.

"Please hold." Athena's voice requested while the Overwatch's maintenance crew did a circle check of Lena's vehicle as a precautionary.

'You got it, Beautiful.' Lena unbuckled herself and moved to where Widow lay, her "captive" staring at her with tired, dazed eyes; nothing like the killer gaze she had had prior to what seemed like some form of seizure that knocked her nearly senseless.

'Oi. Not looking so hot, little miss. I'm gonna get Angela to take a look at you .P., okay?' Lena felt Widow's forehead with the back of her non-injured hand, sensing a rise in the woman's temperature. 'Can't catch a break, huh? No worries. I'm sure Ange has something in her cabinet of surprises to help.'

Widow blinked, and then shook her head slowly, appearing far more vulnerable than ever before. She was perpetually in a state of fierce superiority and power, even when having a mental breakdown, but this was a first for Lena's observation, and she had to shake the sudden switch it flipped in her already suppressed desires toward this physically attractive assassin. It was something of a rebound interest, Lena knew, for she had displayed as much even with Sombra, and thus, in respect to Emily, Lena stayed focussed.

'Don't worry, Luv; we're the good guys. We won't do anything to hurt you. Promise.'

Widowmaker hardly looked convinced, but Winston's voice over the speakers of the aircraft interrupted further conversation.

"Lena? You're back?"

'Yep! Heheh! Can't get rid of me that easily, you know?'

"Thank goodness! Oh! That's really a relief! If something happened to you…"

'You'd have Jack on your case forever and ever!'

"Er…quite right."

'I also have someone else here with me. One guess who it is.'

"You didn't…!"

'Heheh! Yep, yep! Her head is in rough shape though, so I was wondering if Ange is around.'

"Angela? Well, um, yes. I believe she arrived back a little while ago according to the records. She was out for a drink with Fareeha Amari."

'Whoa. Whoa. Whoa! What?' Lena recoiled, but knew it was something to inquire about later, for Widow was more or less a ticking time bomb and needed to be dealt with first and foremost. 'A-anyway, I'll call her up myself, then. We'll have ourselves a real chat after I get Widowmaker situated. Sound peachy?'

"Yes. That would be good. But…uh…maybe in the morning?"

'Oh. Heh. Right. Guess it's kinda late. You got it, big guy. Lena out.'

"Take care. Welcome back, Lena."

'Good to be back.'

The speakers clicked off, and Lena pressed the side doors open, waving to the receiving bay's crew members. When they noticed Widowmaker cuffed and gagged, Lena had to giggle at their utterly dumbfounded reactions. Both men were wide-eyed, looking to one another for some sort of response.

'I play rough.' Lena teased, knowing it would drive the poor boys wild with imagination. It was the least she could do for the red-eye shift workers. 'Leave her be for now, friends. Just gotta connect with Angela first.'

'Right…' The older agent responded, continuing to follow through with the inspection of Lena's aircraft to ensure it hadn't been tracked or damaged during the trip.

'Athena? Can you dial Angela for me? Use her private connection so she knows it's important.'

"Affirmative. Connecting. Ringing."

Lena waited, hearing the rhythmic buzzing for a little longer than she was anticipating.

'Almost there, Luv.' Lena gave Widow a wink, the woman simply staring back at her tiredly, and rightly so. From what Lena could tell, the poor sniper had been dealing with some nasty experimentation as of late, and this must've been a rare moment of relief thanks to a particularly mischievous hacker.

Finally, a click.

"Hello?"

Lena recoiled slightly. Why did Angela sound so irritated? Was it just her imagination? Unlikely. Angela had a way of always presenting a rather sophisticated and patient demeanor. So, what had Lena accidently done to bother her friend? She decided to simply act normal enough in response. She didn't have time to apologize profusely.

'Heya, Luv. Sorry to bother you, and I know you gotta rest and everything, but I got a doozy for you!'

"What is it?" Ah. There. She was suppressing the annoyance more convincingly now.

'Yeah, um, I have Widowmaker with me, and I sorta kinda need your help.'

The pause was expected, because Lena was certain nobody expected her to actually successfully complete this mission of all things. It was almost comedic, and Lena could imagine Angela's gaping mouth.

"…Pardon?" She finally responded.

'Heheh! Right? I'm gonna have our night crew here help me bring her over to your super exclusive lab. Is that okay?'

"I-I suppose. Yes. I'll be right there."

'Sorry again, Ange. I owe you big time.'

"You certainly do, Lena. I'll speak with you further soon."

'Roger!' Lena heard the intercom disconnect, and she leaned over Widow, the overwhelming sympathy for the woman that had forced Lena's hand hurting her heart again. 'I'm gonna have to keep you cuffed and whatnot, 'kay? Sorry, Luv. Don't know when you might have another attack, right?'

To Lena's surprise, Widow nodded slowly, still locking eyes with her when she could.

'Quit staring, pretty lady; might give a broken-hearted girl the wrong idea.'


Lena had Widow brought to Angela's lab via a stretcher, and she was sure to thank the Overwatch agents who helped her do so with her usual charm and social appeal. What surprised Lena, however, was the fact Fareeha was in the lab as well. Angela was quite adamant about not allowing too many individuals in her personal space of work unless absolutely necessary. Lena herself expected to be dismissed quickly enough, yet Fareeha Amari remained, sitting like a statue near Angela's desk.

Curiouser and curiouser. They had been out together as well, from what Winston said. What developed between the two women while Lena wasn't looking? Was it really just a new friendship?

'Heya, Fareeha! First time meeting face-to-face, huh? I've read loads about you. Doin' some wicked things already! Sorry our introduction couldn't be under better circumstances.'

The woman nodded sheepishly, but then stood up, her tall physical appearance somewhat intimidating. She seemed to be holding herself together well enough, but Lena could certainly understand if she was struggling with the current patient's presence.

'It's an honour, Tracer. You are but another hero I've been blessed to meet much sooner than I ever would have dreamed.'

'Just Lena is fine, Luv.'

'…Okay.'

'We'll chat later, kay? Promise.'

'Yes. That would be nice.'

Lena gave the lovely woman a wink, and then turned to Angela, who was already doing her preliminary check-up on Widow, having opened up her shirt, pulling at the strings that tied the rather sexy piece together. Lena turned her gaze away in embarrassment, finding the quick image she had managed to consume overly stimulating despite only being a moderate amount of Widow's cleavage.

'I'll need to sedate her to truly get to work, I believe.' Angela concluded readily. 'My understanding is that her mental state is in constant flux, correct? She has the potential to lash out at a moment's notice?'

'Pretty much; yeah.' Lena had to admit. Seeing the way Widow's yellow eyes fluctuated about the room in rising panic bothered her, but it was for her own good. It had to be this way. She was still far too dangerous to not bind properly.

'Then I am not leaving.' Fareeha made very clear.

'One of us should rest, Fareeha. You may be needed on a mission tomorrow. Talon could very well attack in an attempt to reclaim their best assassin. Do not overburden yourself for my sake.'

'I'll be fine. She will not be given the chance to hurt anyone else I care about.'

'…Fareeha.' Angela's voice softened, but she eyed the younger girl somewhat desperately.

So, Fareeha knew. Lena supposed it was part of Ana's official file, and it wouldn't take her daughter long to do the basic research upon arriving. Still, she was handling herself very well. That was a soldier for you, Lena assumed. Additionally, Fareeha's last comment paired with Angela's barely restrained discomfort suggested something interesting. Was it actually possible that…?

'I will need privacy to work adequately on this particularly difficult subject. Indeed, I wonder when the next opportunity to rest will be.' Angela went on, and Lena was hardly surprised. She herself would rather remain, but she knew Angela and her methods well enough to also be aware that Widow's best chance at seeing some form of recovery would be found when Angela could be completely and utterly focussed on the task at hand.

'You're in good hands, Luv.' Lena knelt beside Widow, and she decided to look at Fareeha, pleading with her eyes. 'Thanks for understanding, you know? It's not her fault. Not at all. You're doing the right thing by joining Overwatch. Talon is the enemy. She's just a victim.'

Fareeha's strong jaw tightened, but she nodded regardless.

'I know. I do. But it doesn't make this an easy encounter.'

Lena smiled in understanding, glancing to Angela, who was already getting some tools together and preparing her other machinery, the sudden simultaneous humming of all the devices bringing the impressive lab alive.

'She's a keeper, Ange.' Lena couldn't help but tease, and although Angela bit at her lip slightly, she played a convincing poker face.

'Indeed.' Is all she would give, and it wasn't enough to convince Lena to make any solidified claims.

'Alrighty. I'm gonna head out, Luv. I'll be around though, got it? Won't be getting rid of me that easy. Heheh!'

'My thanks.' Angela muttered, narrowing her focus.

'Are you sure, Angela?' Fareeha clarified one final time.

'I am. I will take the proper precautions, and I will also have my emergency call function prepped just in case. This is not the first time I have handled a patient that could just as easily take my life. I'm a big girl, Fareeha. You know this.'

'I am aware.' Fareeha hesitated, perhaps still new to how absorbed Angela could become when it came to her work. 'Just…please be careful.'

'I will.' Angela finally met the other woman's eyes, smiling in a gentle yet mysterious way in Lena's opinion. She had never seen the doctor make such an expression. The plot thickened.

'Whelp. Off I go…!' But just as Lena was about to depart, an iron grip managed to grab at her wrist, Widow's flexibility amidst bondage impressive all on its own. Lena looked down and saw the desperation in her "captive's" visage anew. This was a rare spectacle, indeed, and when she wasn't so out of her usual mind, Widowmaker would likely be incredibly embarrassed by her tentative and vulnerable behaviour, although Lena found it utterly adorable in contrast to her usual persona.

'Ange works best on her own, Luv. I'll be back as soon as she's done and you're awake. Trust me; she's probably the only one in the world who has a shot at helping you.' Lena swallowed, her throat tight suddenly. 'Don't look at me like that, kay? You're breaking my heart a little bit.'

'My thanks.' Angela cut in abruptly, injecting Widowmaker's neck with the necessary drug to almost immediately knock the Talon agent out. 'You distracted her admirably.'

'That…wasn't what I was going for.' Lena watched Widow's eyes flutter, her long lashes hypnotizing, and her pouty lips overly sensual. It was evidently dangerous to look at this woman for too long. She had been through far too much. Widow was due for some happiness. She deserved that much, at least, if it was possible. Once her grip lessened to nothing, Lena stepped away, making it to the door of the lab finally, Fareeha close by.

'Thanks, Ange. Really.'

'Of course.' Angela muttered, observing Widow's arm and removing more clothing to allow for a proper intravenous therapy.

Once Lena had Fareeha outside the lab, she hastily addressed the woman proper, clapping her hands together in a prayer-like fashion.

'I'm sorry! Really!'

'Hm?' The taller girl cocked her head slightly.

'It wasn't her. Like, really her. Talon's messed with her head something awful, and she's been totally brainwashed. They experimented on her and basically created a weapon with Amelie Lacroix as the base. Crazy messed up stuff!'

'I understand all of this already. I've done my fair share of research. It's part of the reason I wanted to join Overwatch so desperately. As you said: Talon is my enemy, not the result of their twisted morals.'

Lena breathed out in a sigh of relief. That was that. Thank goodness. Fareeha hid her anger well, for anyone would still have an inkling to exact some form of revenge against the person responsible for their mother's death no matter what the circumstances. Ana had a way of hiding her emotions as well, although far more easily, it seemed. Still, Fareeha was something else in her own right.

'You aren't leavin' this doorway, are you?' Lena decided to change the subject.

'I'm not.'

'Ange'll be fine. Besides, Winston's sure to already have some grunts on the way to make sure nothing insane goes down. You still gonna stay?'

Fareeha thought about this, shaking her head in defeat after a moment.

'When I know Angela is protected properly, I will rest, as she suggested. Anything less and she will likely be frustrated with me.'

'You know it.' Lena giggled. 'She seems super soft and angelic, but Ange gets what Ange wants when it comes to this stuff. Best just listen to her most of the time.'

'You're right.'

'Course I am. Which brings me to my next question.' Lena shuffled in, lifting her hand to her mouth and covering the side of it to suggest secrecy. 'What's the deal with you and the famous Dr. Zeigler? Did someone come in and manage to sweep Ms. Mission Impossible off her feet? I've seen so many guys try and fail it could make a gal dizzy. You two, on the other hand, seem super close. Like really close.'

Fareeha thought about her answer carefully again. She was a cautious soul, which was good, but annoying for Lena who was curious as anything.

'I am fortunate enough to call her a very good friend. I've idolized all of you for so long, and these past weeks have been like a dream. Even speaking to you like this…is unbelievable.'

'Aw, shucks. Now you're just flattering me. But that's all? Really?'

'Yes. That is all. What else could you mean?'

'Um, like, "love" obviously?' Lena went for the jugular, but Fareeha only twitched slightly, her military training enabling her to become as stoic as necessary. 'The rest of the crew might not be able to pick up on the signs I was grabbing, but you're talking to someone who's been playing for the other team ever since I could, and I get how this kinda thing goes most of the time. What was going on in there? Major sexual tension.' Lena paused, thinking about it further and somewhat regretting putting Fareeha on the spot after everything that had just happened. 'Or I was totally projecting. That's possible, too.'

'Maybe.' Fareeha gave the one-word answer, and Lena decided to leave it at that. She wouldn't force anything; not now especially.

'Sorry. My bad. Not the best first impression, I know. Can't keep the mouth shut sometimes.'

'Not at all.' Fareeha smiled, and it was quite a pretty sight. 'You're exactly the kind of person I hoped you would be. You risked your life for someone who tried to kill you, seeing how she was suffering. I still have so much to learn about being a hero. You're an example, to be sure.'

'Hahah! Well, that kinda flattery will get you everywhere with me, Luv.' Lena waved Fareeha off prior to stretching, reaching for the sky as she did so. 'Anyway, I'm totally exhausted, so I'm gonna hit the hay. Lemme guess: you're still staying right here until relief arrives?'

'Yes.' Fareeha grinned.

'Figured. So it goes, I guess. If something is goin' on, I can already tell that Angela is one lucky lady.'

'I will always be the more fortunate one.' The other girl batted away the compliment.

'Oi. You two are funny. Anyway, goodnight!'

'Goodnight, Lena. It was an honour.'

'Go on! Go on! Heheh!'

Lena just about made her exit, but then a funny thought passed through her mind, and she turned her head halfway with a sparkling smile.

'Oh! And if you ever need advice about anything – and I mean anything – make sure you swing by. I got loads of experience with, you know, this Overwatch gig, fighting Talon, dealing with omnics, making love to other girls…'

'Er…I'll be sure to take you up on that offer, if need be.'

'Righto, bucko. G,night again!'

Lena was satisfied with that. She may have made a questionable initial impression, but she was honestly elated about the idea of Angela finally having an actual romantic interest in someone. Again, Lena could have been projecting her own muddled mind, but it was a fair enough distraction…until she was alone with her thoughts at last, navigating the dimly lit corridors of the residential sector of Overwatch Gibraltar. When Lena finally made it to her room, she stripped down naked, tossing on a tiny pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt, and then flopped face first on her bed.

That was quite the mission. What started off as a task to recruit Lucio (a loose end Winston had hinted at tying up somewhat recently in one of his many messages to his good friend) quickly warped into a suicide outing to abduct one of Talon's absolute deadliest members. Lena had faith in her abilities, but even she couldn't shake doubts from intercepting her optimism when entering enemy territory so readily.

However, all it took was a thought of Widow's pained expression near the end of it all to convince Lena she had made the right decision without a hint of doubt. Not only that, but…

Lena turned onto her back, lifting her phone into the air and tapping at the various apps, opening them all without a purpose, unable to dismiss the thoughts passing through her spiraling mind. Emily hadn't written her. That was over. It really was. Lena missed her. She missed her so much. She wanted to call the girl. She wanted to laugh with her. She wanted to look into her smart eyes and lean in for a kiss. She wanted more. She wanted to touch and be touched in return. She wanted to hear her girlfriend's restrained groans as her body warmed within Lena's petting. She wanted to take off her clothes, revealing the lightly freckled skin beneath.

'Ugh…' Lena verbally huffed. 'Stop thinking about her. It's not fair to either of us.'

But seeing Angela and Fareeha sparked Lena's imagination. There was such an obvious connection of some kind; something Lena and Emily had had. It was painful to see, because it's what Lena had given up willingly so she could use her unique abilities in a positive way and help the world.

'I need a distraction, that's all.'

And the time traveler's mind presented Widowmaker, the mere image of the other woman making Lena's groin ache in desire.

'Not good. Not good. Not good…' Lena murmured, pulling a pillow to her face. 'Totally not happening!'

But she was riled up, missing the consistency of being loved by Emily, and wishing for some form of sexual release after such a trying few days. Was Widowmaker serious about allowing Lena to "show" her how two women could be together? No. Of course not. But the mere suggestion hadn't left Lena alone, and although she had done everything in her power to not think about the overly attractive Widowmaker in such a way, the scenes were passing her mind by, and Lena literally pushed another pillow between her legs, preventing her twitching hand from performing anything at all on her own person.

'Jesus…I'm downright randy tonight. That bloody lady is a menace.'

Normally, going for a run was an option when Lena needed to clear her mind, but it was so late, and she really was exhausted. If she held out long enough, surely she would fall asleep given enough time. However, her day had been utterly consumed by Widowmaker, and now that she finally had a sane minute to digest it all, her current situation didn't even feel real.

Lena flipped back onto her stomach, opening the assassin's file, reading over the details anew. She nearly had the information memorized, and yet it was still difficult to digest completely. At least Widowmaker was in good hands. Hell, if she could become an agent of Overwatch, that would be even more of a boon. Angela was a miracle worker, after all.

Then Lena could call her Amelie, and she could actually show her the ropes. That wouldn't be too terrible. In fact, maybe that's precisely what Lena needed at this point. She had to admit, when Widowmaker wasn't trying to kill her, there was this undeniable draw to the woman. Was it because they were so evenly matched facing off against one another? Lena had learned that one could learn quite a bit about another when locked in combat. Omnics were a different matter entirely, but humans fighting for their lives bore their souls in the midst of it all, and Lena had participated in not one, but two deathmatches with Widowmaker. The first had begun this strange fixation, the second solidified a notion in Lena's heart she didn't even fully understand yet, only knowing she had to help Widow for the injustices she had endured in her life at the hands of Talon.

'Professional ballet dancer, huh?' Lena smiled to herself. 'Her job was to be full of emotion, and Talon did that to her?' Lena stared at the profile shot of Widowmaker, shaking her head and thankful her eyelids were beginning to be heavy enough to override the excitement her body felt the need to tease her with once it was time to relax at last.

'Who are you really, Amelie Lacroix? Guess that's a question I can have for a spell now…'