Lena was warming up slowly, and painfully. Being ignored by Angela hurt. The last hour or so had consisted of her shivering as Lucio brought her soup and tea so as to warm her up. A half-read history book lay beside her and she wanted nothing more than to talk to someone.

"Lena" Zarya smiled gently as she opened the door. "I need to speak to you"

"Go ahead" she replied. She was extremely happy for the company, she had been bored stiff for ages. No energy, a slow mind, and forced to rest and collect her thoughts. Had she been capable of action she would be doing everything she could to prevent what happened from reoccurring. But movement came with shakes, and while she could think straight, she had never felt so slow and sluggish.

Buried beneath several blankets and with an electric heater on full, she had brought books to read while on the mission, but they were based on history or were historical, and she had enough of the past for one day. The heat was stifling, yet Lena was still a pale white. Zarya stood beside her.

"How are you feeling? Your temp better?"

"Please close the door"

"Sorry" Zarya moved back to the entrance, "I thought Angela would be in here with you"

"Yeah. Likewise"

Zarya sighed and closed the door. "Yeah. It is pretty… chilly of her"

"Get out"

"No need to be so cold"

"Close the door behind you"

"Okay, Okay" she sat down before Lena and extended her hand out to feel Lena's. "I know Angela can be difficult, but she isn't doing it out of malice" she hissed as she felt how cold Lena's hand was. "She is recovering much better than you. But she is definitely distracted. She's been shouting at herself in her room for the last ten minutes"

"Well shit, I could do that for her"

"Ah. Still angry that she-

"Was a dumb-fuck for putting me in the Valkyrie suit? Why yes, when did you notice?"

"A sense of humour is a good sign of recovery"

"I'm not laughing" Lena replied. She dug down deeper into the blankets.

"Look. How are you feeling following the brainwashing?" Zarya asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. Could we please talk about something else, anything else?"

"You. We'll talk about you" Zarya replied adamantly. "I was worried about what you saw, how you're feeling from it"

"Fine" Lena replied. "Just fine"

Zarya nodded and leaned back. She found that when silence settled, others would try and fill it. Her patience was rewarded once Lena began talking.

"I saw… things that no one else but me should know about" Zarya nodded again. "What about you?"

"The same, essentially. That story I told you about? Everyone I saw around me had a gun pointed at my head. I just needed to attack and protect myself"

"That's horrible. I'm so sorry"

Zarya grimaced. "It's over"

Lena remained quiet for a few seconds, and then finally explained herself.

"I've never fought something like this before" she began. "Usually I can handle this sort of thing. Bunch of pissed people with guns, totally different story. Big, dumb enemy. Provided I'm sober is not a problem"

"Okay, so what is the problem?"

Lena sighed

"I've failed precisely 4 times in my career," she said. "3 of them were in the last few months" she was aware how whiny she sounded, but couldn't help it. The failures had been building up and out of action, she could only look back on them. "Normally I can take it. Once spent a week in a hospital after fighting the Junkers"

"I've heard. How many were there with you?"

"About 100" she gave a grin. "Once there were 65 special forces soldiers. All tasked with bringing me to Porton Down for experimentation. About half were put in the hospital. If I hadn't hesitated against Widowmaker" she trailed off. "Yeah. Wish I didn't mention that"

Zarya remained quiet.

"No one's ever attacked me inside my head before" Lena replied. "And the worst thing is that people I care about got caught in the crossfire trying to save me. It's not just me I got to care about here. It's everyone else too. And then there's Numbani. People wouldn't have died if I hadn't had my leg wrecked"

"Not like you to dwell on the past"

"Zarya, that is exactly like me" Lena replied dryly. "And if I could do something to change this, to get better then I am now then. And instead I'm wrapped like a fucking burrito with a headache!"

Zarya was about to speak as the door opened again, and Angela stepped in.

"Oh," Angela muttered, as she saw Zarya in the room. "Am I intruding?" In her hands she held a small bag.

"I was just leaving" Zarya replied and gave a meaningful look to Lena. Lena realised that whatever she wanted to talk about was apparently too sensitive to be talked about in front of Angela. However, as she considered this, Zarya grabbed Angela's arm on the way out and spoke quickly beneath her breath. Angela paled, and Zarya disappeared down the hall, closing the door behind her. A silence fell on the two as she left.

"I'm sorry" Angela started. She felt as though that was a good place to start.

"I know"

"But I would do it again"

"I know" Lena replied balefully. "What's that you're carrying?"

"Your medicine" Angela emptied the bag and presented it to Lena. In her hands was a small blood bag filled with golden glowing liquid.

"Your irradiated piss?" Lena smiled gently.

"Hah hah, fuck you, let's get started" Angela shook her head as she began to set up a transfusion for Lena.

"What will that do? It can heal me up, but it won't raise my temp"

"Not unless it's warmed" Angela pressed the bag into Lena's outstretched hand, and Lena raised a eyebrow to its heat. "It'll heal you, and speed up the warming. It's why I'm better healed then you are, the cold doesn't do as much damage with Idun in my blood, and so my body is more suited to be reheated."

"I get it. Where did you get it from?"

"My blood," Angela told her. "Can't allow myself to run out on missions, I always bring spare packs"

Lena looked at the Idun critically. "will I, uh. Sparrow-

"No. That was pure, undiluted. Like 100% ethanol to the finest wine."

"Like you would know?" Lena, however, considered that then shrugged. "Fine. go ahead"

Angela took the blood tube syringe and pressed it into one of Lena's more prominent veins, and nodded with satisfaction as the small flow of Idun began. After a second, Lena breathed out luxuriously and slumped blissfully into the sheets.

"That's really nice" Lena murmured. She held out her hand for Angela to grab. "Cmon, we should talk"

"Yeah, we should. But getting you back on your feet is my first priority" Angela replied, keeping a close look on the tubes and bag. "I am a doctor, you know"

"Honorary"

"So keep in mind I'm not bound to the Hippocratic oath"

Lena snickered. "Okay then, what else can you do now?"

"Simple, if you let me get under there with you" Angela replied, she took off her jumper and began to pull off the rest of her clothes.

"Oh," Lena said in surprise. "I'm surprised you're taking the initiative"

"Body heat, one of the best ways to reheat someone. Besides, as you said. We need to talk"

Lena raised her eyebrows but opened a blanket so as to allow Angela under. Once Angela was close, she moved to straddle her, and held tight as she felt how warm she was. Snuggling in, she rested her head on one of Angela's broad shoulders and gave a slight sigh of pleasure as she felt Angela wrap her arms around her.

"This is nice"

"Hm," Angela replied. It was far from pleasant for her, the numerous blankets and warmth in the room was stifling, and Lena was cold, her skin clammy.

"I'm sorry" Angela began.

"You said that before. Next time, take the risk with me instead of risking us both, you daftie"

"Not that. I should have come to talk to you earlier. I was learning what I need to do from Zen"

"And?"

"It's scary," She admitted "But if it works it'll be everything we needed"

"... Okay"

"But what about you? What did you feel? How are you feeling now?"

"Honestly" Lena shuddered, and Angela tightened her grip. "Violated. I've had weird shit done to me. Hell, I've done weird shit. I'm currently heat cuddling with a syringe in my arm being fed the magic food of the gods. I've seen past ancestors get rat arsed and dance on the table. I once brought in two halves of the same mafia leader three weeks between the other and still managed to get him thrown in prison on a life sentence"

"That was a weird month in the Hague"

"I know, right? I've talked to Frederick the Great. Nice guy provided you're not Polish. But through all that. All that weird shit, no one has been allowed to attack me up here" She tapped her head gently on the side of Angela's shoulder. "Ow"

"I see"

"It's horrible. Give me a fair fight any time"

"If you're fighting, then it's not fair"

"Heh" Lena nestled in closer.

Angela grimaced. "Lena. You need to know something. We have a plan, but if it fails then it's possible that I will be turned over to Blackwatch"

"I won't let that happen"

"You're right. If it does happen, I've told everyone this, apart for Zen and Reinhardt"

"Well, then-

"All you have to do is touch my hand to my wrist" Angela told her. "that's all that has to be done"

Gritting her teeth, Lena bit back at what she wanted to say. "Okay. I'm not going to ask how that will help, but I'm assuming it will kill you"

"I… yeah. But last resort?"

"Do you ever get bored of thinking things in this way"

"Listen, Lena" Angela had put ice into her voice. "If I'm right on who and what he is, then it will be worse then the Matterhorn. I will be slave to Blackwatch, only a hundred times worse. They will make me think I want to be a member of Blackwatch. They will make me work for them heart and soul with no free will of my own and using me against you and the rest of the team. And tell me, if I put my mind to it, if I wanted it, do you think I wouldn't be capable of killing everyone one of you?"

Lena felt ice down her back.

"Don't ever talk like that again"

"I meant it"

"Let me tell you now, you would not be able to kill me"

"And the rest?"

"Yeah you probably could"

"Which brings us back to the wrist"

"That was an off the cuff remark"

"Lena…"

"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood"

"Listen to me, mein Schnüggerl" Angela took Lena's head and forced her to look at her. "I don't want to tell you this. I hate talking like this but Lena" she tried her best for a smile. "I'm terrified. He's got into my head to and at times I'm wondering what I'm experiencing is real. I'm seeing shit that shouldn't be there, Isn't really there and if I don't manage to beat it then it'll be fucking mayhem"

"Well you put it so colourfully"

"Seriously Lena. I need to know you can prevent that happening"

Lena was silent, and then gently kissed Angela. "I can promise you I'll try my best. But that's all I can promise"

"I'll… have to accept that" Angela kissed her back. "Thank you"

Lena nestled again onto Angela's shoulder and smiled as she felt Angela gently nuzzle and kissing her neck.

"Christ, you couldn't have done that earlier?"

"Oh, I wasn't trying anything. Just, a promise for what's to come"

"Hmm"