The first thing that clued Fareeha into the invasion was Reaper's very noticeable absence. He had not come to try and "persuade" her for what must have been sixteen hours at least. It was odd, as he had always had a fairly consistent schedule when coming to her cell. However, the second hint was Widowmaker's also noticeable absence. Was this another one of their methods? To isolate her? If it were, it would be insufficient. Fareeha's greatest pride, at the moment, was in the fact that she was holding out. They were not able to break her.

But this was odd. Something felt off about the whole thing. The entire time Pharah had been here, Reaper had used nothing more than a knife. Based off of what she had learned of Talon, surely there would have been something more trying than basic pain. Pain could break many, without a doubt, yet they would've undoubtedly concluded after so many days that their methods would not work as they wished.

Why then? Why employ faulty methods? Fareeha knew they hoped to convert her to join Talon, but an organisation such as them would surely function with far more efficiency. The entire time, she could not shake the incessant nagging that something was off: that Fareeha was missing some critical detail in Talon's overall plans. Why? Why were they intentionally failing in their brainwashing attempts?

Pharah resisted the urge to lick her dry lips, as her throat burned with thirst. While Widowmaker had brought her water, it was the bare minimum needed to keep her alive. Hardly enough to leave her quenched. She instead opted to close her eyes and listen to the steady buzz of the light above her.

Then she heard something. At least, she thought she did. It was hard to tell if she only imagined it- a figment of her imagination.

Then she heard it again. It was small and distant- a pin dropping could be more clearly heard. But it was unmistakable. She heard a gunshot. Refusing to let her hopes get up, she closed her eyes and listened again, and the sounds changed.

Now, she heard the whine of an alarm. The nearest siren was nowhere near her room, but it buzzed and in rapid succession. If her hunch was correct, Overwatch was here to rescue her.

Pharah refused to look at herself. She could feel the various long, smooth cuts across her body. Some of them were dull, having long since scabbed up. Some Were sharp and harsh- the fresher ones Reaper inflicted. Then there were the cuts he had dragged that knife over repeatedly, never allowing it to scab. Those were the cuts that felt like red-hot wires were forced into her flesh.

Admittedly she looked like "a sight for sore eyes," if that was how the English expression went. That was no matter. She could endure pain. The humiliation of being in such a sorry state would likely hurt more. But Overwatch was here. She was being saved. Everything would be alright.

…

Tracer watched Genji warily as they sneaked through the marketplace. There were not very many people at such an indecent hour, and many of the signs were off even in the typically busy area. The team selected to free Pharah included Genji, Tracer, Commander Morrison, and Captain Amari. Jesse, Winston, and Dr Ziegler opted to stay behind on this ship to keep the group small.

Of the group, the only member not lit up like a Christmas tree was the captain, though they all knew how to remain hidden from sight despite their bright accessories. Genji had green lights covering his cyborg body, Commander Morrison still had his mask, and Tracer had a big, shiny trinket-slash-target on her chest and back. Many of the agents back in Overwatch's hay day questioned how she and Genji managed to sneak up on anyone. It was an art.

Nonetheless, Tracer knew Genji well enough to know he was extremely bothered by something. The group was able to walk on the side of the road thanks to the slow hours, so she made sure she stood by him. His movements were stiff and snappy, simultaneously in a rush and taking his time. She watched him with a worried expression, which, if he did notice, he didn't show for several minutes.

They walked in relative silence, a few feet ahead of Captain Amari and Commander Morrison, who haven't spoken a word aside from the occasional orders.

"You did not seem surprised to see them," Genji admitted eventually, his voice hushed. "Nobody else expected them to be alive, except for you."

Tracer chuckled, surprising him. "I have my reasons. What about you? Did you know they were alive?" No need to bring up her dreams here. They were unimportant.

Genji laughed weakly, the sound tinny and robotic through his visor. "You think Commander Morrison would know how to roll over and die? Captain Amari came as a mild surprise, though I had my doubts about her 'death' as well," he admitted.

Tracer had the feeling the two soldiers behind them were listening in, based off how their steps suddenly seemed too quiet, as though they wanted their presence forgotten. Genji turned to her, perplexed. "Truly, though. How was it you knew about their survival?"

Tracer thought for a moment. This was Genji she was talking to- one of her closest friends- One of her only friends after the crash. He would visit her often, and share his troubles and worries with her. She would always listen, thrilled to have someone who would treat her like a human. In that regard, they had been very similar. Genji had lost most of his human body, and Lena was little more than a science experiment. It created an instant sense of "not being alone." They both knew this. Lena sighed. She gestured to her harness.

"You know when I fade, and I go to that horrible void?"

Genji nodded calmly. "Yes. I believe you instructed me to not tell anyone that you were conscious when in such a state."

"Mm-hmm," Tracer hummed in affirmation. "That's not the full story, though. The secret has been spreading like wildfire, so I may as well tell you. I sometimes dream, when I go there."

Genji didn't show a reaction. "What kind of dreams?"

"Like memories or events. I go to different times and become different people, only being conscious some of the time, but having no control over my movements."

"May I have an example?"

Tracer gulped. Should she tell him? It would be only fair to tell him. "Like when your brother tried to kill you."

Genji stumbled for an instant, catching his balance shortly after. Tracer flinched, expecting him to say something. He didn't. He remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I wasn't conscious in that dream, so I felt, heard, saw, and even thought as you did. The way your brother used his sword to summon a blue dragon and attack you with it… that about sums up most of my dreams."

Genji hummed pensively, fiddling with his visor. "And the general opinion afterwards is people feeling as though their privacy was violated? I can see why you would not share this information."

Tracer laughed weakly. "It never really was my business. I just didn't have a choice."

"True," Genji agreed after a moment. He looked her over, his gaze fixed on her temporary harness. "Have you dreamt recently?"

Tracer paused, surprised at how quickly he dropped the topic of his past with his brother.

"Yeah," Tracer admitted, looking away. This condition seems intent on making me relive the Slipstream crash, the time when Winston found me, stuff like that." She waved her hand as if to say "Don't worry about it."

"I see. Do you wish to talk about it?"

"Now's really not the time," Tracer defended, gesturing to the ominous building that was growing nearer. "I'm more worried about you. How are you doing, knowing the Shimada clan has been active?"

"I had believed them to be gone without the leadership of my brother. It appears I was wrong. Talon seems to be a totally acceptable leader to them."

"We'll just have to take 'em down again, then!" Tracer assured, assessing the building. It definitely screamed "lab," only having a few windows with no signs or advertisements for their business, though it did not look particularly sinister.

Genji chuckled softly. "They're really falling into those old television tropes, what with the secret base in a lab."

"Not exactly subtle," Tracer agreed with a giggle. Nonetheless, when they closed in on the building, they both immediately quieted and backed up to be in line with the two commanders, who seemed more amused at their talking than anything else. However, the moment that building came into view, everyone grew completely serious.

"Genji, do you think you can shut off the alarm system when we enter?" Commander Morrison requested curtly, his mask giving no indication of whether he was looking at the building or Genji.

"I am very familiar with their ways of security, and stopping it should not be difficult."

The building's main doors were locked, to nobody's surprise. Genji wasted no time locating a nearby window, and forcing it open with brute strength. Tracer prepared herself for the blare of an alarm that never came. She blinked at Genji, who chuckled.

"The Shimada clan has not changed their security software in the slightest, I see. Without waiting for them, he grabbed onto the top of the window and vaulted through it, landing silently on the other side. The captain and commander did the same, Lena following suit. There was still a distinct lack of alarms, which was good.

"I recall learning of this facility, back when I was still a member of the clan. They have a hidden emblem that unlocks the elevator near here," Genji elaborated as he strode through the strangely ordinary reception centre. There were few windows still, but there was a pale green sofa across from a television, with flashy magazines sloppily covering the table. The receptionist desk was exactly what one would expect, pale and uninteresting to everyone except Genji.

Genji crept behind the desk, his steps nearly silent as he fumbled with a few of the books and papers behind the counter as everyone watched in fascination.

"Here." Genji gestured to something hidden under the monitor that he had lifted up. It was a button, about the size of a fist, engraved into the wood of the desk. It had the logo on it that the Shimada clan was known for; something Tracer remembered from her dreams. The two dragons spiralled around each other as Genji inspected the logo, finally pressing down on a small protruding part of one of the dragons. The entire logo began to glow green and blue as Genji sat the monitor back down. "Come," he declared without fanfare. The captain and commander followed without hesitation; their rifles were both loaded and ready to fire at a moment's notice. Tracer opted to leave her pistols in her gauntlets. She could pull them out in less than a second anyway.

Genji seemed far more sombre as he led the group to an elevator. It was relatively unsuspecting aside from the glowing green button at the bottom. "That doesn't seem very subtle," Captain Amari commented as Genji pressed the button, causing the doors to shut as the elevator began its descent, which took far longer than it should.

"The button will not illuminate unless the switch is triggered, and it only works at night. Regardless, be on your guard. There are no cameras in the elevator, but things will be much more dangerous the moment they open. Maintain stealth."

"Any chance you know where the hell we are going?" Commander Morrison asked offhandedly, almost nonchalant as he gripped his pulse rifle firmly.

"I do not know the layout of the facility. However, it would be best for us to not travel in a group of four. Splitting into groups of two would be wiser, given our two objectives."

The commander nodded. "You and Ana will search for Fareeha, then. Tracer and I will find the Raptora suit and the chronal accelerator."

Ana nodded, her eyes trained on the door as the quiet hum of the elevator shaft echoed through the small room. In hindsight, if anyone found them, they would have absolutely no way to get out if they shut off the elevator. Oh, well. The best solution would be to not get caught!

The doors opened with an echoing ding. And immediately their cover was blown as two guards, dressed in mostly black, stared at them, slightly confused. Their expressions changed from confusion to surprise in a matter of seconds as one of them fumbled with a radio com, struggling to turn it on as it clumsily tumbled through his fingers.

A second later, both these men were on the floor, yet very much so alive. Tracer whipped her head to Ana, who was holding a smaller gun that looked to shoot darts. A tranquillizer gun. Handy!

"Well, that'll make things easier!" Tracer declared, barely above a whisper. Just like that, they were in enemy territory. The underground area was surprisingly vast, with the main room that the elevator had opened up to being decorated with darker shades of grey and purple, with cold concrete flooring making each footstep echo in the uninviting structure. Many of the walls were carved out rocks, reminiscent of Watchpoint: Gibraltar. The room itself boasted no more than a few tables and HoloVids, most of which were displaying the Talon or Shimada logos. Several men were lazily sitting with friends, drinking, eating, with some even sleeping.

Thinking quickly, Commander Morrison and Genji promptly hid the two soldiers behind a metal cargo crate, as they took shelter themselves.

With no more than a nod, the two groups split up, with Tracer following the commander. He was fast, for someone who didn't specialise in that particular area, she would give him that. He deftly wove his way through mounds of crates, support beams, and other large objects, knowing exactly how to hide the conspicuous glow of his visor that seemed to allow him proper sight. Thankfully, this wasn't Tracer's first time at the rodeo, either. She sprinted after him, careful to keep her footsteps quiet, which her shoes were especially good at doing. Nobody noticed her as she hunkered down behind a crate, waiting for her opportunity to sprint to the next hiding spot: one that could hide her, and the glow of her harness.

The trouble arose when they both ducked into hallways. They were mostly straight and narrow, with little cover if someone were to walk down the winding walkways. Wordlessly, the duo silenced their steps, running to the next turn they would take, looking for signs that might lead them where they need to go. As they reached a corner, the commander ducked his head around to make sure nobody was nearby while his superior hearing alerted him of any nearby people going down the paths. Tracer diligently stayed at the other end of the hall, carefully listening for footsteps of someone else so they could not get the jump on her. This process continued for a solid fifteen minutes, with Commander Morrison occasionally knocking someone unconscious with the side of his rifle. Tracer, luckily, did not need to do this at any point, though she was more than prepared to do so should the need arise.

The rhythm was hypnotic. Reach a corner, run to meet the commander, watch for agents, hide their unconscious bodies, run to catch up with Commander, rinse, repeat. Any anxiety she had before the mission began was forgotten as she ran, every foreign footstep sending spikes of adrenaline through her veins. It wasn't until the commander stopped mid-hallway that Tracer snapped to attention and sprinted to meet him, her shoes squeaking softly against the floor in her haste.

The doorway was labelled "laboratory." Tracer took one look at the plain door to realise getting in would be tricky. It would require a key card, which would set off alarms if they broke. Tracer watched Morrison intently stare through his visor at the lock, all the possible outcomes seeming to cross through his mind in a matter of seconds.

He turned to her, his red visor hiding his emotions as he spoke to her in an all-business voice. "Kid, you ready for this? We need to get in, find your harness and the Raptora suit, and get out. Think you'd be able to wear the suit?"

Tracer blinked, not sure she heard correctly. "Wear a Raptora suit? I mean, I doubt I'd be able to use any of its primary functions, my harness might damage it, and it'd be nowhere close to my size."

He hardly missed a beat. "So that's a yes?"

Tracer grinned. "Of course!"

"Good. We're going in now, then. Back away." Tracer did as he said, hurrying to the other side of the corridor as he pointed his gun at the door. There was an echoing "bang" as some sort of rockets shot from the rifle, destroying the door in a matter of seconds. It wasn't a second later that alarms began to whine, melting the previously tense-yet-somber feeling into all-out adrenaline as Tracer burst through the door faster than the commander ever could've as she immediately searched the room. Morrison diligently watched the doorway while she looked.

The room was a mess. It had a giant purple robot with yellow triangle eyes that seemed deactivated and dismantled, a pale grey wall with a pastel purple tile, a bright magenta chair with all kinds of tools hanging from robotic arms. A long, winding desk sat to the left of the room, with maroon stools matching the other long chair. The monitor had several windows open, with a dull pink glow to it. A lime green HoloVid was on the wall with other random notes, and binders and wires littered the rest of the desk. There was even an emergency ladder, despite having no practical use, stored in a labelled, bright red box. It felt like something out of a videogame.

The Raptora suit was visible almost instantly, having been dumped haphazardly on the floor. It was a pristine, deep blue with hints of yellow. It had no obvious damage aside from old battle damage. Tracer ignored it for the moment, rushing over to something much more important. Sitting on an extra desk to the right was her chronal accelerator. There were very few parts around it, as though it had been given the seat of honour. She rushed over to it, inspecting it carefully.

All sorts of red flags were raised at what she saw. Not only was her harness intact, but it was also in perfect condition. That shouldn't be possible. Her harness was barely functional when it was stolen. Now, it looked like it had just been polished! Why? Who fixed it? Something felt off about it all, but that would be a problem for a later day, Tracer decided firmly.

She tested it out, flipping it over as she located the hidden power switch as it hummed to life. The little gauge told her it was fully charged as well. There was a little nagging voice in her head telling her this was wrong. Her harness should not be charged. It should not be fixed. Something was off about it all.

She didn't have time to care as footsteps drowned out her thoughts like thunder would hide a whisper. Without thinking, she took off the substitute harness, pulled out her pistols, and pulled the trigger as the clip unloaded into it, utterly destroying the device Winston had toiled for hours over. He would understand. They couldn't risk leaving it intact. Tracer left her harness on the table, running over to the Raptora suit. She quickly struggled into the gear as best she could, though every part was a few inches to pig and made it awkward to wear. The metal brushed and scraped awkwardly against her as she put the helmet on, which activated the suit.

With the suit now active, Tracer bolted over to her harness, quickly loosening the straps and throwing it over the suit. It hung down haphazardly and was clearly not a fit, but it would do for now.

The commander regarded her with a nod as she tossed her gauntlets to him, which he caught easily, loosening and slipping them onto his arms for the time-being. He made sure to hand her a pistol, though. They were having a lovely weapon mix-and-match day today!

An onslaught of soldiers greeted them as they began to run down the hallways. At least a dozen of them. Good. Tracer needed a way to vent. She grabbed her pistol, letting it whir to life as she activated the rocket jump. (even if that was a complete accident) The ceiling met her head in no time flat as the ground dropped away beneath her. Picking it up quickly, the hover activated as she flew overhead several of the hordes of Talon members, dispatching them all deftly with her pistol while the commander finished off a few behind her. The hover continued as they ran out the hall and began to head for the elevator, though she was less than steady as she was eased to the ground. She wasn't used to being able to move places without the use of her legs, unless it was a jet, of course. Though being moved without her will was no foreign concept. She wobbled unsteadily until her feet were gently placed on the concrete. She booked it, careful to not accidentally activate her harness. A laugh bubbled to her throat as uncanny mirth filled her. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Either way, she couldn't help but have fun as she grew accustomed to wearing the bulky suit, periodically rocketing to the ceiling only to float back down. What else was there to do but laugh when being forced to kill dozens of soldiers? Soldiers with families, most likely. Tracer shook her head. No need to focus on that. Time to concentrate on the group ahead of her! This time, she angled her body down, performing a dive just before activating the booster. She laughed heartily as she barreled into the unsuspecting ground, toppling to the ground on a massive pile of Talon members, most of which were either stuck or unconscious.

Commander Morrison caught up to her quickly. "You know, sometimes I wonder why I ever let you have a gun." He mocked disbelief as they continued to run. Tracer hoped it was going this well for Genji and the captain.

…

Captain Amari sneaked down the twisting corridors, trusting that Genji was following her. He was skilled at what he did, after all. Ana trusted her intuition. And the signs above. There was one in particular labelled "prison cells" in which Ana would wager they could find Fareeha. She developed tunnel vision on her one goal: rescue her daughter. Gabriel was going to pay for what he did to Fareeha, whatever that might be.

Instincts were the only thing fueling her as she automatically sleep-darted any human she came across, while Genji would drop down and incapacitate any Omnic before disappearing again. Ana wasn't sure how long it had been when alarms began to ring. Alarms Ana and Genji doubted they tripped.

Ana muttered under her breath, half hoping Genji heard her. "Of course you would set the alarms off, Jack… Genji, remind me to kill him when we get out of here with my daughter." If he heard her, he made no sign of such. Nobody seemed to be coming for them, so she could only hope that Jack and Agent Oxton were alright. Although, Jack wouldn't know to die if he was hit by a train. Agent Oxton did always have a certain determination about her as well. They would be fine.

The hallway of prison cells was not what Ana expected, though she's not sure what that was. Perhaps a cold, damp environment with grey walls and filthy floors. However, the entire place was astonishingly sterile, with white crowding her vision. The only place not the same shade of white was the ceiling, which sported dozens of horizontal beams and vents for Genji to run across without detection.

Which one of these held Fareeha? Ana couldn't tell. Behind any of these doors could be her daughter. Her daughter chained and bloodied and bruised.

Ana shook her head. She would dwell on this after she could assess Fareeha's injuries. That would come after she found Fareeha.

The first sign of trouble came when heavy footsteps clattered against the floor. Soldiers. A few of them. Nothing they couldn't handle. Ana rounded a corner, and a cluster of thirty soldiers met her, each with varying degrees of bewilderment on their face.

She could take this group easily.

The entire group of soldiers boasted handguns. Varying models of pistols. Nowhere near the quality of Jesse's Peacekeeper. Ana began the fight, pulling a small canister from her belt and throwing it at the horde. It exploded with a huge bang! The soldiers taking the brunt of her biotic grenade cried out in agony, a few already falling to the ground. In their panic, Ana ran to confront them. Her rifle screeched its battle cries as she shot each one, with precision accuracy despite not using the scope. Ana grunted as a bullet grazed her arm, drawing blood as she whirled to face her attacker. He blanched as her gun collided with his face, distorting his nose horribly. He stumbled backwards moaning in agony as he fell against the wall, clutching his face.

Ana twirled around, jamming the not-so-friendly end of her gun into another soldier, who slumped before she could even pull the trigger, already admitting defeat.

Ana put him out of his misery.

She didn't notice Genji was here until one of the soldiers attacking her fell over unexpectedly, a shuriken poking out from his neck. Ana threw down another one of her biotic grenades as it splashed against another bumbling horde of incompetent lackeys. Meanwhile, Genji was quite distracted with a moderate sized group, when he uttered the age-old phrase. "I need healing!"

Ana rolled her eyes, backhanding a soldier who attempted to sneak up on her, knocking him out cold.

With a small push of a button, her scope activated as she homed in on the cyborg. His body was metallic. She would need to hit him in a soft spot: one that led to his bloodstream. Her rifle gave a satisfying crack as she pulled the trigger, the small healing dart injecting its golden contents through the fold of Genji's elbow joints and into his bloodstream. Any injuries he might have sustained mended themselves as he continued to jump and spin and kick his way through the horde.

Then it was over. The majority of the soldiers were on the cusp of death, a few already there. Only a few were not at risk of dying, and the one Ana had broken the nose of was the only one conscious, but he looked like he'd rather not be. He wore a mask covering his eyes, but Ana didn't doubt there was fear behind it. She grabbed his black shirt, picking him up with astonishing ease.

"Where is Fareeha?" It was a simple question. She didn't need him trembling like a newborn at it. Her voice was cold and calm.

His voice rasped, full of fear. "I-I-I don't know!"

Ana didn't buy it. With a severe sounding crash, she threw the man against the wall, still maintaining her tight grip, knocking the wind out of him. "You'd better figure out fast. Fareeha Amari. She has a tattoo under her eye, similar to mine."

He paused before responding. "I-I-I d-don't- "

"Lies!" Ana screeched, throwing him against the wall again. He let out a loud "Oomph" as she did so. Ana glared at him, moving her face in so that they were only a few inches away. "Now where. Is. My daughter?"

He trembled violently in her grasp. "C-cell thirteen…" he finally admitted, dropping his head.

"Thank you, dearie," Ana expressed sweetly, firing a sleep dart into his neck. He was out in seconds. Ana dropped him to the floor unceremoniously and ran down the corridor as the numbers of the cells steadily increased. From somewhere above her, she heard Genji.

"Remind me to not do anything to make Fareeha, and by extension you, angry," He admitted, fear and awe lining his voice.

Ana paid him no heed. Cell eight. Cell nine. Cell Ten. Cell eleven. Cell Twelve. And skidded to a halt as she reached the cell labelled "Cell 13." Its metal door was locked, with a HoloVid panel shining next to it, sporting the Shimada logo. No issue. Ana stepped aside, gesturing for Genji to deal with the door, given he had experience with this kind of tech.

Genji jumped down and typed various things into the panel while Ana watched in nervous anticipation. Her daughter was behind that door if that guard hadn't lied to her. How would she react? Hostility, most likely. That was okay. Ana would be happy to just see her daughter again.

The door opened.

Ana gasped. It was a gasp of horror, elation, rage, and sorrow, as Fareeha's eyes met Ana's. She was bound to a metal platform, barely able to lift her head. The stench of dried blood overpowered Ana, making her dizzy. And yet, Fareeha seemed at peace.

Fareeha smiled, almost casually. "Hello, Mother. It has been a long time."

"Yes. Yes, it has been, my darling Fareeha. We have much to catch up on."

"Indeed. However, that might need to wait. Perhaps over some tea."

Ana smiled. "Nothing would make me happier, Daughter. But first, how about we attack an underground villain organisation together?"

"And here I thought it couldn't get any better than tea."

Hey guys! Recently I moved to Archive of Our Own, where I have also been posting my story. My account also has info for my Discord channel as well, if you wish to talk to me! Look up my story on Archive of Our Own if you want to find information about that.