The air on the transport would be chilled to dampen her abilities, and the meeting location was supposed to be somewhere in northern Russia, where it was nice and freezing this time of year. Gabriel knew from past experience if they kept the air at a certain temperature, they would have an easier time controlling her. She'd be drowsy, sure, but she'd be cognizant and slow; they didn't want to pass her off unconscious. Anything lower and she'd start falling asleep. It was one of the downsides to her mutation; her lower blood cell count and her genetics made her more sensitive to the cold, and hibernation kicked in quickly if the temperatures were too low. There was a reason she avoided the colder climate missions back in her old Organic Omnic days. It was also one of the reasons she was explicably fond of his high body heat before he'd become the Reaper.

Gabriel sighed, reaching into his drawer to pull out an old photo of the two of them. She'd been so happy back then, or so he'd thought. The smile on her face surely said she was. She had certainly enjoyed his company, enough so that she'd said yes when he proposed, and then she disappeared, granted, that was a few years later. Where had she gone? Why did she believe he abandoned her? Why was she with Overwatch?

"Are you accompanying us, Gabriel?" Moira asked, stepping into his office without knocking, startling the man.

He grunted and hastily shoved the picture back into his desk, glaring at the doctor as she inspected him with those strange eyes of hers. "No. It's bad enough I'm handing her over to Overwatch of all places. I should be returning her to Aderyn, maybe see about getting that memory chip readjusted," he murmured, shaking his head as he folded his hands. "But we need agents Cherico and Sweggler, they're crucial to our next step… And I'd like to cut ties with Organic Omnics as soon as possible. Aderyn's plans are changing and they don't mesh well with our own."

Gabriel swore he could see the edges of her lips curl up in a smirk. "You're going soft, Reyes," she said, apparently amused by the prospect. "We could very easily persuade her to join our side, you are aware of this, correct? It would be simple, especially since we need only draw on the protocols Aderyn put in place."

"We don't have time, Moira," he grumbled, rubbing at his temple a bit. "And even if we did, we are not turning my ex-fiance into a sleeper agent. She may still come to us, now that she knows about the chip. If she turns to Angela or even, god forbid, Morrison, and gets that chip reinstated, who knows where her allegiances will lie. She knows she's welcome back if she changes her mind."

Moira's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. The point is, if Aderyn continues on the route she is right now, we might have a problem, and a possible ally down the road is better than none."

"And just what is my old partner getting up to? Surely it cannot stray too far from our own objectives," she said, somewhat sniffily. It was very clear that Moira adored Aderyn, for what reasons Gabriel couldn't begin to imagine. It wasn't hero worship, that's for sure, and thank god it wasn't. The world didn't need two Aderyns, and Talon wouldn't be able to handle all those genetic mutants. It was a miracle Aderyn handled hers so well. No, that was a lie. Gabriel knew exactly how she did it, and while he commended her for being able to do it on such a large scale, the act of brainwashing so many children into following her blindly made him a little queasy.

"She wants to take over Ireland, claim it as her own. I can't tell if she's gone crazy in her old age or if she's planning something on a wider scale, but if she takes Ireland, that presents us with a problem," Gabriel sighed, standing so he could pace a bit. "She already dislikes playing nice with us, her mutants are causing trouble in the ranks, and if she gets such a high position of power, she's coming straight for us. After all, she views us as competition. Maybe she might go after Arachnid first, if she hears about what they did to her poor Wasp, but I'm hoping we can keep that a secret by whatever means necessary. There is no reason Aderyn should know Morrigan is back."

"Gabriel Reyes, are you planning on using Aderyn's own weapon against her?" Moira sounded surprised and amused.

"I plan on trying," he admitted, nodding grimly. "None of this leaves this room. We can't afford to have her come after us right now."

Moira nodded, grinning a bit. "Of course."

"Hey, chica, I heard you're going home!"

You looked up in surprise, not expecting to find Sombra of all people seeing you off onto the transport. It'd hurt a bit that Gabriel refused to come, but you had a feeling you understood. You'd feel upset too if you'd spent so much time looking for your fiance only to find they were a completely different person who had moved on considerably. At least he wasn't trying to keep you here with him.

You smiled a bit, looking between her and the guards. "Uh, yeah, I-I am," you said, unsure if you were even really allowed to have a conversation with her.

The hacker's eyes narrowed and she waved her hands at the guards around you. "Can we talk in private, please? Girls need some space, you know, and I've got clearance to watch her." She waved a bit as they walked off, giving you a cheeky grin. "I don't know how you can breathe with their heads so far up your ass, amiga."

You chuckled, shrugging. "It shouldn't be for too much longer now. They're trading me off today, I think. From the gossip I heard, I'm apparently worth two high ranking agents, so I guess that's a confidence booster."

"Don't get too big a head over it, Cherico and Sweggler are major asses. You're much better company," she said, laying a hand on your shoulder and walking you towards the transport. "Speaking of good company, I've got a favour to ask you. I know I don't have much leverage with you, so I'm asking you to do this out of sheer goodwill, and I think I've built up enough of that with how much food I've made you over the past two months."

You nodded a bit, skeptical. "You have given me a lot of good food… Just as long as it isn't feeding you information or killing someone, I'd be happy to help."

Her smile lit up a bit, though she looked sad, almost worried. "Gracias, amiga. I've got a friend on the other side, and they left some of their stuff here, important stuff that I know they need. Do you think you could get it to them?" She waved her hand and a small gas mask and a few vials of a thick yellow liquid appeared in a flash of purple light.

You paused, blinking. That mask belonged to Bird, and you suspected that yellow stuff was some kind of medication they took. Wait, Bird was with Overwatch? You frowned, nodding and taking the items from her. "Of course. How long have they been there?"

"Too long. Now, please, get that to them as soon as you can. I don't want to think about what they've been doing without it," she said, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I don't think I want to either. Don't worry, I'll be sure to get it to them. Thank you, Sombra," you said, offering her a small smile. "For looking out for them and the delicious food you made me. If we ever end up working together, remind me to make you a banoffee pie, I've been told mine are delicious."

Sombra's grin widened and all those hints of worry melted away as your guards came back, miffed and obviously ready to get going, O'Deorain on their heels. "Of course! They needed more friends. You take good care of them now." With that and a quick wave, she disappeared in a flash of light, leaving you with your entourage.

"What is that you're carrying?" asked Moira, who looked mostly disinterested.

"Just a gift for a friend. Can we get going? I'm told I've got a nap waiting for me," you said, gently shoving the vials into your pockets so you wouldn't drop them.

Sure enough, you had fallen asleep on the transport, the cold air making you drowsy and sending you into a light hibernation. It was refreshing, though, and it meant that you didn't feel obligated to make awkward small talk with O'Deorain.

The landing was what woke you. It was rough, rougher than you'd expected, and you looked out the window to see what had caused it. Through blurry eyes you could see an endless sea of snowy fields, a snow-covered tree or two breaking up the landscape. The sky was a dark grey, threatening a blizzard sometime within the next few hours. The sight made you shiver involuntarily, already dreading having to go out into that.

Reaching into your pocket, you fingered the little raven skull talisman Gabriel had given you, recounting that last conversation. "For if you ever need to come back," he'd said, pushing the talisman into your hands. "There's a little shop in Annecy, France, The Raven's Head." He'd walked away before you could've asked any questions or refused the trinket, so you were stuck with it. You contemplated tossing it out once you stepped foot in that snowy field, but you had a gut feeling you shouldn't, so you left it where it was.

"You're awake. Good," O'Deorain said, standing and almost immediately performing a quick once-over on you, flashing that damned light in your eyes again. "That was your first hibernation in years, I was worried there might be some drawbacks. How are you feeling?"

"Can you stop waving that damn light in my eyes?" You grunted and waved her away, fighting back a yawn as you blinked furiously. "Still drowsy, but I'm awake. I think I can walk on my own. What's the temperature outside?"

"Nearly negative forty degrees."

"Celsius or fahrenheit?" you asked, frowning.

"Does it matter?" she shot back, giving you a smug little smirk. "I would suggest bundling up as much as you can. We don't want you passing out in the snow."

You scowled a bit at her before you stood, grabbing the coat that she held out to you. It was thick, but most likely not enough to keep your body heat fully in, and you knew it would be a while until you were able to think without having a few cobwebs clouding your thoughts.

The transport door fell open, a blast of frigid air ran through the ship, making you clutch the coat closer to you. Desperate for some kind of heat, you flexed the muscles of your wings, letting them warm you up the little they could. It wasn't going to be enough to get rid of this lingering fog, but it would keep you awake until you were free again.

Two of the soldiers walked you out, each with a hand on your elbows, and stopped you right outside the transport, facing the ship that slowly lowered itself into the snow. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes, that ship, large and inviting, sporting the Overwatch logo on the side. It filled you with a sense of relief; that was your ticket out of here, that was your way home.

You watched as two men were frog marched out of the ship by agents you didn't recognise, followed quickly by a familiar face. It was hard to see his emotions from so far away, but you swore you could see Hanzo relax just at the sight of your silhouette.

He came forward with the agents, his eyes widening as you were pulled closer too. You'd forgotten that it might be a shock to see you like this, your mutations fully grown in, and you suddenly felt a pang of fear. What if this changed his mind? When he had kissed you, you'd been normal old Briallen, now, you were changed with no prospect of or wanting to return to how you were before, and Hanzo hadn't known about your mutations. Or did he? Jesse could have easily talked with him about it, after all, it was an important part of you and if they were talking about taking you in as their third, well, he would have to know, right?

The hands on your elbows disappeared and you were shoved forward lightly, almost sent tumbling into the snow. With a huff, you righted yourself, and hurried over to your partner with as much dignity as you could manage, passing by the Talon soldiers who regarded you curiously.

"Which CO is she banging to be worth the both of us?" one of them whispered, making the other chuckle.

You just rolled your eyes at them, wanting nothing more than to be on the warm ship going home.

You didn't know what you were expecting from Hanzo, but a simple nod and a hand on your back as you were led towards the ship wasn't it. It stung a bit, and the fear you'd felt earlier rooted itself deeper into your chest as you were helped onto the ship by one of the medical staff onboard. The warmth of the ship was a godsend and you relished in it, feeling that heavy fog around your mind start to fade.

"Welcome back, Miss Marsh," Athena's voice called from the speakers, a clear relief to her words, which worried you a bit. Since when could she feel relief? "It is good to see you're alright. I see you've gotten upgrades!"

You couldn't help but chuckle at her child-like enthusiasm and the way she phrased it. "I suppose you could call them that, yes. I missed you too, Athena. How much did I miss while I was gone?" you asked, peeling the coat off and stretching out your wings behind you. They trembled from the stretch before they settled back down.

"Not much," she said, pausing for a second before she spoke again. "Doctor Zeigler is happy to hear you're well and asks you visit her immediately when we arrive."

You smiled wryly, nodding. "Of course. How upset is she?"

"Mildly. She's more worried about your health and any… unsavory changes Doctor O'Deorain might have made. You do feel fine, don't you?"

"That was just what I was about to ask you," Hanzo murmured, stepping back onto the ship, the door closing behind him. He smiled as you turned around to face him and opened his arms in an invitation, which you quickly took.

You buried yourself into his chest, that fear from earlier beginning to fade a bit as you lost yourself in the embrace. His scent washed over you, stronger now thanks to your increased senses, and it brought a wave of comfort and relief with it. The relief was intense, so much weight taken off your shoulders, from so many different angles; he was alive, he'd survived the transfusions, you knew you were a universal donor, but there was always the possibility that his body wouldn't take your blood, but here he was, standing before you on his own two feet, as fine as he could be; he wasn't daunted by the changes you'd gone through, you'd been worried that things might change when you had, and while you knew Jesse insisted that nothing would, it was always going to be a fear of yours, and Hanzo was proving that fear to be irrelevant; and this felt right. Of all your worries, of all your fears, the one that had been niggling you ever since you'd started to regain your memories, was that whatever you'd had, whatever relationships you'd started to form with Jesse and Hanzo, that they would crumble under the weight of your old engagement, that somehow those feelings for Gabriel would trump them. But that turned out to be all untrue, here you were, happily locked in his embrace, heart swelling with so many emotions, so much affection, and none of it had changed.

"Hachi," he breathed, his voice cracking as he held you tighter, his fingers running through your hair as he buried his face into your shoulder. "I was so worried… Jesse said you'd be fine but I-"

"I'm sorry," you whispered, shaking your head, chuckling as your throat tightened, a few tears lining your eyes as you squeezed them shut. "I didn't mean to worry you, I just… I couldn't forgive myself if I lost you, and if it meant going with Gabriel to keep you safe, hell, I'd do it again. For you or Jesse." You clutched at his shirt, shaking your head again. "I was so worried about you, about the transfusion not taking and the backup not getting there in time and-"

He cut you off with a soft hush, pulling back to cup your face between his warm hands, rubbing his thumbs against your cheekbones. He looked down at you for a long moment with this silly little grin, constantly brushing his thumbs along your skin, tracing the scars, as if to really prove to himself that you were here. When he was satisfied,his smile widened and he brushed your hair away from your face, leaning forward to press your foreheads together, closing his eyes. "I'm fine, Hachi, you saved my life. Now, promise me you won't ever do that again. You nearly killed yourself," he said, opening his eyes to look back up at you.

You chuckled, reaching up to lay your hands over his. "As long as you promise not to get stabbed by an errant kid again."

He laughed softly, a real laugh that made you smile. "That I can promise, Hachi," he said, leaning in to press a kiss against your lips.

There was a cough behind you. "Uh, Miss Marsh, we should perform an eval as soon as possible," one of the med staff said gently, looking nervously between you two, a little bag of medical supplies held up to his chest.

Hanzo scowled at him, and you just laughed, cupping his cheek. "It'll only take them a few minutes, Han. Then you can have me for the rest of the trip, okay?"

He grunted, leaning into your touch and reluctantly letting you pull away to begin your evaluation. There were so many conflicted emotions in those brown eyes, and he insisted on holding one of your hands when you sat down.

It was quick, just a quick evaluation of your current status, a little bit of information to alert Angela of the state you were currently in. You answered all of the questions to the best of your ability, explaining in as few words as possible about your mutation status, and allowed them to take a small blood sample to start analysing on the trip back.

When they were done, you turned back to Hanzo, who wrapped an arm around your back, tucked neatly under your wings. He leaned his head onto your shoulder, his fingers playing with your own, and was quiet for a bit.

"You've changed, Hachi," he murmured finally, looking down at you and searching your gaze. "Your eyes are more burdened than they were back in Norfolk. What do you remember?"

You stiffened a bit, surprised by the question, but not surprised he realised it. Hanzo was a lot more perceptive than he appeared to be, a lot more so than Jesse was. "I, um… enough. Morrigan hurt a lot of people, Han. A lot of good people who didn't deserve it. I think… I want to become an agent, to go out and do good things, but she spent so much time hurting people… I want to do the opposite. I want to make up for what she's done. I think I'm going to start taking lessons from Angela, become a field medic. No more blood transfusions, though," you added quickly, feeling Hanzo tense beside you. "I want to help people, but I'm not going to almost kill myself again."

He nodded, lacing your fingers together. "I think that is something you will excel at, Hachi. The saving people, not almost killing yourself. Though, with your current track record," he said, offering you a playful smirk.

You scoffed and gave him a light shove with your shoulder. "One mission and one ambush! I don't have enough missions under my belt for a track record yet!"

He laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. "Maybe not now, Hachi. We'll see."

"Bastard," you grumped, though you couldn't help but smile.

By the time you arrived back at headquarters, it was well past dinner, and you were starving. You were told there were agents gathered in the hangar, waiting for your arrival, and, frankly? That made you nervous. No one outside of Jesse, Angela, and Hanzo really knew about your mutations, so it would be a shock. You could already see Lena going off about O'Deorain doing some awful experimentations on you, Lucio looking on in horror at the changes done, maybe Hana would think they're cool. But, then, you'd have to explain how these changes were always a part of you, your genetic code had just been turned off for a while. You worried about how they would react, about how people would see you now. Your emotions must have shown on your face because Hanzo chuckled, squeezing your hand.

"Don't worry so much, Hachi. You're still you, just with a few cosmetic changes," he assured, giving you a smile.

You took a deep breath as you moved to stand beside him, trying to put those fears to rest. "I… I guess you're right."

"I'm right more often than you think I am," he chuckled, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and kissing your temple quickly before he stepped up to the door as it opened and the rest of the staff disembarked. He hugged the man standing at the bottom, holding him tightly before he pulled away and you got a good look at his face.

Your blood went cold.

Your eyes locked on Jesse's face, all smiles and bright eyes, and, in place of the wave of affection you'd expected, there was anger, hatred, and a despicable urge to leap down there and-

'Kill him.'

A flash of a memory, profiles, folders, headshots of the agents you were tasked with hunting down. Angela, Lena, Ana, Jesse.

'They hurt you. They hurt Mother. They needed to be eliminated.'

"Briallen?" Jesse asked, concerned. You could see the worry in his face, could see the concern. But you couldn't indulge him.

"Stay away," you croaked, taking a step back even as he took one forward. You were afraid of what you might do, afraid of what these urges were telling you to do. "Jesse, please." Your hand clenched into a fit, nails biting into your palm as you fought against yourself. You felt like you were going to be sick.

"Darlin', I-"

"Jesse, don't! Stay back!" you shouted, breathing heavily from the exertion. This wasn't you. Jesse wasn't a threat, he wasn't. Morrigan had no control over you, she didn't-

"Briallen, love, is everything okay?" Lena asked, coming into view.

The urge grew stronger and you jerked forward, your vision switching for just a moment before you blinked it back. "Lena, don't come any closer, please."

Lena and Jesse shared a look, and you saw the thoughts passing between them. Before your friend could blink onto the ship, you lunged forward, smashing your fist against the button for the ship's hatch, forcing yourself to stay there until it was closed.

"Athena, lock this ship, don't let anyone in. Not even the Strike Commander. Consider me hostile," you said, leaning against the wall as you shook. You couldn't believe what was happening. You knew you'd been sent out to eliminate a specific set of agents, but this?

Aderyn had brain washed you, you realised, and somehow, after all those years, after losing those memories, it still affected you. And now you were a danger to your friends and your partners.