Persuasion
Friday evening
Jesse tossed the butt of his cigar in the metal can he had next to the log he sat on. "Dammit!" He cursed, standing and closing his jacket. It was cold, and he planned on taking Illari and Han up into the mountains to hunt since he had a cabin, but life had other plans. He walked the short path that led him back into the house and kicked the snow off his boots.
"Dad," Illari went up to him full of excitement, donned in her llama pajamas. "Otōsan says he's going to let me shoot arrows when we go into the mountains tomorrow!"
"Far safer than revolvers," Han handed him a hot chocolate as he sat in his recliner.
"You forget," she plopped back down onto the couch. "I have a solar rifle. Isn't that just as dangerous?"
"It is harder to accidentally injure yourself with your rifle," Hanzo said, flipping through movies on the TV. "I have inspected that thing a million times."
"A gun is a gun, darlin'," Jesse sipped his hot chocolate, this was made by Illari for sure! "Also, might wanna put a pin in our huntin' plans."
"What? Why?" Hanzo asked. "Do not tell me…"
"Yep, Athena needs us to be in Salt Lake City by nine AM tomorrow," Jesse said, prepping himself from the slew of complaints sure to come.
"Dad, no! You can't leave!" Illari jumped up, waving her arms. "We have plans!"
"I know, but it ain't up to me, sweetie pie," Jesse sighed.
"What for? And I am required to attend?" Hanzo shared her frustrations, very much looking forward to showing her the ways of the bow and arrow. She was already an ace shot like Jesse, they just needed to work on her archery skills.
"Unfortunately, everyone has to be there," Jesse shook his head.
"So that means…" she slumped down on the couch. "Tiokuna can't come either?"
"They were the first ones I thought of. Looks like you'll have the place to yourself for the weekend, kid," Jesse gave a sad smile.
"Surely they do not need us both," Hanzo grumbled. "I wish to spend my weekend with my family as planned!"
"An' I don't? C'mon, Han," Jesse pinched his brow. "You think I wanna go to Gibraltar?"
"Gibraltar?" Illari heard that name a few times. She was aware it was one of the main Overwatch bases and they only went when something serious was up.
"She was nice enough to give us 'til the morning," Jesse said into his mug. "She wanted us there tonight."
"I shed a tear at her generosity," Hanzo said sarcastically.
"What does that mean for me?" She asked sadly. She didn't fall into the category of your average teenager. Sure, there were moments when her dads were too much and overbearing, but they were all she had, and she wouldn't change that for the world. She loved them as if they were her own flesh and blood, and she knew for a fact they felt the same. She loved spending time with them and the knowledge she gained from them both. They were complete opposites, so she got the best of both worlds.
Because of what happened when she was young, she never liked to be alone, and they always ensured she was accounted for. Unfortunately, she got older and was mature enough to be on her own and there were times when they both had to leave for work. Fortunately, her godparents Baptiste and Niran welcomed her to their home with open arms whenever they could, and she always had a good time with them. They were so smart, she learned so much and even helped them at their local clinic. But this time, they couldn't come to her, and from the sounds of it, she couldn't go to them, either.
"Well, darlin'," Jesse glanced at Han, hoping he would deliver the bad news.
Hanzo rolled his eyes at Jesse. "You are old enough and mature enough to stay home alone."
"Yeah, but I don't want to be by myself. Who knows how long you guys will be gone?" She pouted. She didn't have any friends or anyone she could invite over. It was only times like these that she wished she wasn't such a loner.
"I will see to it that you will not be alone for long," Hanzo was worried she would venture into the city and get herself into trouble out of sheer boredom, but perhaps this could be the time she'd prove herself. "I trust you will keep yourself occupied for the time being."
"Yeah, why don'tcha mess with your pylon? That always keeps you busy."
"I don't really like to tinker with it without tiokuna. They're so wise, and I'm afraid I'll mess it up or something," she admitted.
"You can't mess up somethin' that's your own creation, hun," Jesse was so proud of his daughter for coming up with something so brilliant. Even with the help of the medics, it was her own idea and it harnessed her power. They only helped her bring it to fruition.
"It's more delicate than you think," she pulled out a miniature metal card and activated a hologram of the schematics. "Right now, we're working on range and surface adhesion."
"Surface adhesion? That is new," Hanzo inquired.
"Yeah, I want to be able to toss it and have it stick to any surface," she always got so excited when she talked about her work. She'd like to think Niran rubbed off on her when it came to being passionate about helping people, but she was smart enough to know it came from the blood she would never be able to wash from her hands. She would do anything to atone for what she'd done.
"My daughter," Hanzo beamed like a proud father. "Brimming with such intelligence."
"She's too smart for her own good," Jesse nodded.
"You must remember to use your power only for good, Illari," Hanzo knew the strength behind her abilities and wouldn't wish her wrath on his worst enemy.
"That is the plan."
That night, she lie in bed unable to fall asleep. She was so depressed, and she felt it had only been getting worse the older she got. She didn't want to be alone! If she had her way, they'd never leave! When she was a child, she spent all of her time with her dads. She had so many good memories, they did so many things and they took her all over the world, but now that she was older… they left without her more often, and they worked more. And because of the one time she mentioned her disinterest in Overwatch, they never took her with them. She could have stayed at a hotel or somewhere nearby while they worked! Why did they have to leave her on the other side of the world by herself?
The last time they left, they put her on a plane to Haiti to be with her godparents. What was she supposed to do this time? She heard Dad and Otōsan fussing quietly through the wall and rolled over. If they didn't want to go that badly, why didn't they just quit? Or at the very least, tell them no? They weren't poor, so why couldn't they just retire and stay home with her? They had a lot of shared hobbies, so it wasn't like they'd be bored!
"This is so frustrating!" She pulled her blanket over her head, thinking about the last time she was left alone. She spent most of her time at the library in town, going over books about medicine when she was approached by an intriguing individual. "Oh, yeah!" She tossed the blanket to the side and rolled out of bed, digging around the drawer of her desk for the card she was given. "Aha!" She held the glossy, embossed card in her hand. All black with red letters, it read
"Doctor Moira O'Deorain, Head Scientist, Talon"
When she approached her, she seemed to know about the incident and was interested in whatever she happened to be researching. She felt genuine, as if she really wanted to understand her and achieve her goal of making the world a better place. The woman was surprisingly easy to open up to.
"Rosa Medicinae, an interesting read."
Illari looked up from her book, facing a tall and slim redhead. Her eyes were different colors, but that could mean anything nowadays. "Written by John of Gaddesden. Are you familiar with his work?"
"A medieval English physician," the woman prowled around the table, zeroing in on her target. "Said to be one of the most celebrated medical authorities of his time."
Illari chuckled. "Impressive. Not many people know who he is."
"What's more impressive is that someone so young can interpret what lies in that book," the woman said, stopping next to the girl. "Thinking of taking up medicine?"
"It is a thought," Illari welcomed the conversation. Her dads were on a job, and tiokuna weren't available to hang out with her this time. So, instead of hanging around the house, she went to the library to see what they had to keep her occupied. "I've been spending my time with some medics and I have taken an interest in what they do."
"Helping others," the woman pondered. "Is that not the very meaning of one's existence?" She wanted to say things that would appeal to the girl in the hopes of finding a new… recruit.
"If it's not for others, it is for me," Illari answered solemnly, flipping gently through the pages.
"May I sit?" The woman asked, gesturing to the wooden chair next to her. "If it's not a bother?"
"It's a free country," Illari didn't mind the company.
The woman sat in the chair just as elegantly as she presented herself. "Moira O'Deorain," she held out a gloved hand.
"Illari Shimada," she shook her hand, awed by how dainty and fragile it felt.
Shimada? So, instead of one name that carried a burden, they decided to change her last name to another burden-filled name? Interesting tactic. "Would it alarm you if I told you I already know who you are?" Moira crossed her legs and faced her. She didn't appear to be put off by being approached by a stranger. Perhaps this one would be easier to convince than the others.
Illari put her book down and stared at her quizzically. How did this woman know who she was? More importantly, should she be alarmed? Her dads assured her that the government worked hard to cover up the incident and nobody but Overwatch or Blackwatch or whatever knew the truth behind what happened. "Not many people know my story, nor do they know me."
"What if I said I'd like to know you?"
"The only thing there is to know is that I have a duty to fulfill." Ugh. She sounded like her dad! "And that is to give back to those less fortunate."
"And is this because of the incident?"
Illari just looked at her. Why was she so interested in her story? She guessed nothing bad would happen from talking about it, and her dads always encouraged her to not keep things bottled up. Plus, she seemed genuinely interested. "If I could take it back, I would."
"Of course, we have all done things we wish we could change," Moira said, noticing the golden ring around the irises of her eyes. The power of the sun, right within her grasp. If only she'd gotten to the site sooner, she could have been in her care instead. "Which is precisely why we must put forth the effort to atone for our sins."
"But… I didn't do it on purpose…!" Illari teared up, reliving the awful memory.
"I know," Moira laid a hand atop hers. She didn't know the exact story of how it happened, but she was sure she didn't do it on purpose, especially given the disoriented state she was in all those years ago.
"I don't…" she couldn't think about it any longer! "I can't."
"Dearest, I only want to help you," Moira said, pulling a card out of her pocket.
"Help me? Why?" Illari took the card and scanned it. "Talon?" She didn't think she'd heard of them before. Were they an underground organization?
"Only the best of the best come to work for Talon, and I believe you would be a good addition to our little group."
It sounded good, but… "Why me?"
"Do not fret, it is a good thing, dear," Moira coaxed her gently. "I see your brilliance and your passion to help others, what better way than to join the world's greatest scientists? We can help you achieve your goal and more."
"More…" Illari enjoyed building her pylon with her tiokuna, but to get professional assistance sounded amazing! She thought of all the ways she could enhance it, and even thought about bringing in her solar rifle to see what they could do to beef it up.
"Tell me," Moira saw her thinking deeply and wanted to pick her mind. "Is there anything you're currently working on?"
"There is…" Illari wondered how her dads would feel about this. Surely, they'd be excited for this recruitment! Well, maybe Dad would, but Otōsan was another story. He was so protective of her, he'd have tons of questions. He may very well want to meet this woman first knowing him!
"Don't give me an answer now," Moira understood if she couldn't come to a decision immediately. "Something like this requires thought."
"There's no number on this card," Illari flipped it over, but it was blank.
"Believe me, dear," Moira said, standing and pushing the chair in. "When you make the decision, I will know."
It was the middle of the night, and she'd arrived not too long ago, happy that she'd gotten a little shut-eye on the trip. She wasn't used to the time difference; it was almost ten in the morning back home! She was only there just to check things out, no hasty decisions yet!
She was being walked through the corridors by none other than the very one she met at the library, passing large steel doors that held scientific experiments… or so she was told. However, her curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked through a door window and saw a man hooked up to a bunch of equipment. He looked sickly, but also… she could feel his power softly emanating through the door. "What is this?"
Moira saw her intrigue and wondered if she would consider being the next patient on that table. "That," she approached the door, standing next to her. "Is one of my finest experiments. He is here for his routine evaluation. Interested?"
"What's wrong with him? Is he sick?" Illari pressed closer, looking around the room as best she could through the glass.
"His cells are in a constant state of rapid regeneration," Moira explained. "Though one might describe it as inhumane, I'd like to think of it as an opportunity."
"An opportunity for what?"
"That explanation will come in due time," Moira continued her short tour, showing her what she could have at her fingertips. She took her through her wing of the building, explaining each room and the positives of all the advanced technology they had.
"How come I've never heard of you guys?" Illari was completely enthralled. She thought Tio's research lab was amazing, but this took the cake! She was coming to a decision pretty quickly. "It looks like you do good work. Why keep a lab like this a secret?"
Such an innocent way of thinking. It was truly refreshing. "We prefer to keep a low profile. The missions we carry out are… sensitive."
"What kind of missions?" Illari asked as they approached a large, super secure bunker-type room.
Moira just smiled, directing her attention to the armored door. "This," she put in a code, and a loud clank followed by a hiss and steam came from beneath the door as it slowly opened. "Is—dare I say—the world's most brilliant astrophysicist, Doctor De Kuiper."
"Ah! Hallo daar!" The man put down his clipboard and approached Doctor O'Deorain and the young girl she had with her. "I am Doctor Siebren De Kuiper! And you are?" He extended a hand.
"Illari," she shook his hand, completely floored by his power. It was much more intense than the other guy's! So much so that he didn't even need to walk! "Illari Shimada."
"Wonderful to meet you!" He welcomed her joyously. "You must be the new recruit. You have done well, Doctor. She's brimming with power!"
"Believe me, Doctor, I know," Moira put a loose arm around her shoulder, proud of her work. She'd been watching this one for a long time, and now her patience was paying off. "She will do very well."
"Then I suppose that means you don't need me on your upcoming mission," he deduced, floating back to his table. "All is well then, I must continue working on the prototype."
"I suppose we do not," Moira looked at a starry-eyed Illari. "If she is up for it."
"Prototype?" Illari took a cautious step inside, checking out his lab. The equipment was completely different than what she'd seen previously, leading her to believe this was his personal space. There was a bed and another room off to the side, and a tiny kitchen space.
"I am working on a device that will contain a black hole," he said, showing her his notes. "I have a few experiments to initiate, but I still need time."
"Whoa…" Illari looked over the notes, half understanding and half not understanding at all what she was reading. How interesting!
Moira was pleased. She knew once the girl met the Doctor, she'd cave in an instant. "I believe we must let the Doctor continue his work, dear. We have much to discuss before I introduce you to the other members."
"Y-Yes, sorry," she scurried out of the room, full of excitement. She was beginning to understand what she meant by this being an opportunity.
"Until next time, Doctor," Moira said, stepping back into the hall and activating the lock.
"What pure energy… from the sun! Why, I must, I must…!" Doctor De Kuiper muttered as the door hissed shut.
"Why do you keep him locked up like that? He doesn't seem dangerous," Illari saw his genuineness from a mile away. There was no way this could be a bad place!
"While he may be sincere, harmless he is not," Moira said, deadpan. "By a long shot. His energy is wildly unstable, and we are helping him gain full control of his powers."
"The power of gravity, right?"
"Yes, he's quite… interesting, isn't he?"
"Interesting isn't even the word!" Illari wanted to talk to him more! She wanted to look more into his research and expand her horizons!
"You will have all the time you want to interact with him, but first, I wish to know more about you," Moira knew most of her backstory, but she wanted to know the more personal details she'd be willing to share.
"What do you want to know?" By now, Illari was completely comfortable and was seriously thinking about telling her dads. They'd be supportive, right?
"Anything you would like to share. We can walk and talk." Moira figured bringing her back here first would be better than taking her to the main base since it was the middle of the night. She'd have her get a little more comfortable and then take her in the morning. She didn't want to accelerate her plan so quickly, but she was sure someone was bound to come looking for her soon, and the boss would surely like to see her power before that happened.
"Well, you somehow already know my origin story," she said with a little laugh, figuring she must have worked for Overwatch in the past or something. "After that, there's not really much to tell. I was adopted by my dads, and they instantly treated me as their own. In school I was a loner, I guess I've kind of always been. In middle school, I made a few bad decisions and hung around the wrong people and got into all sorts of trouble, so they decided to homeschool me."
"So, you've been homeschooled since…?" Moira wanted to know more about these parents of hers. How wide would she open up?
"Since the middle of my eighth-grade school year," when she thought back on it, she wouldn't change a thing. She guessed all she wanted was to spend more time with her dads. "Eventually they started to work more and hired a tutor, but that helped; I'm on track to graduate early."
"How would you describe your relationship with your fathers?" Moira shivered with the knowledge of already knowing exactly who her parents were. It had been a long time since plans came together so perfectly like this.
"It's wonderful. We're very close, and I love them so much," Illari checked her phone, seeing a bunch of missed calls from Otōsan. Crap! "Speaking of… mind if I send a quick text?"
"Not at all," Moira needed to tread carefully. The last thing she needed was for them to find out what Talon was up to. If they were as close as she said they were, what would stop her from telling them where she was?
Illari sent a text lying and saying her phone was having issues, hoping it would be enough to get them to stop worrying for a while. "Sorry about that, my dad's just wondering what I'm up to," she slipped her phone back into her pocket.
"About this recruitment…" Moira began. How could she keep her from telling her fathers without raising suspicion?
"I don't plan on telling them immediately," Illari knew if it was a secret organization, she had to be careful who she told. She was sure they would be okay to tell, but she didn't want to alarm them for no reason just in case for some reason she decided not to join. "I just want to make sure this is a sure thing first."
"Why don't we go on a little… tester mission first? Just to see what it would be like. If all goes as planned, then you can tell anyone whatever your heart desires," Moira encouraged gently. "Just imagine, all the power and knowledge you could ever want, not to mention the money."
"It sounds nice and all, but what would I have to do on this mission?" Illari asked as her phone rang. Ah, she knew there would be a large chance he'd call her after that text, although she was hoping not! "Sorry… can I?
"Be my guest," Moira wasn't fond of the phone call she just received. She knew of her parents' affiliation with the detested Overwatch organization, and it was Talon's very goal to wipe one of their largest bases off the map. This young girl was the key to making that happen, but she couldn't give up any info about her whereabouts, or they'd become suspicious. "Just remember, tester mission first, then you can tell them."
Illari nodded, a little curious as to why she didn't want her to tell her parents before the mission. She was most likely going to participate, but what if she needed the mental support? For now, she'd just answer the call and get them off her back. Maybe by their next check-in, she'd be more comfortable telling them.
"Dad?" She answered, trying to sound as normal as she could. She was supposed to be at home in the States, hanging out around the house when instead she was in Rome! What were they doing up, anyway? It was two in the morning in this part of the world!
"Sorry to bug ya, hun, but your dad was worried and just wanted to hear yer voice."
She must have been on speaker. "You were worried about me?" She giggled, knowing exactly who the worried one was.
"Now, you know it wasn't me, darlin'. It was yer alter ego."
"Alter ego? What is the meaning of that?"
"Relax, Dad," she kicked a leg bashfully, a secret fan of the way she and Otōsan were so alike. "It's a good thing."
"Well, we just wanted to check on ya, hun."
"Where are you? You do not sound like you are at home."
Oh, no! Otōsan always saw right through her! She needed to come up with a reply quickly! "I think you're just being paranoico." Sometimes she and Dad would poke fun at his expense. He was funny!
"Paranoid? Hmph. How amusing."
"I'll talk some sense into him, hun. You know he's always been a little loco!"
"He makes life entertaining," she said earnestly. Contrary to popular belief, Otōsan could be quite funny. She and Dad weren't so sure he saw it that way, though.
"My job is to keep you safe, not entertained."
See? "I am plenty safe. Don't worry about me. I know how you guys can get." If they knew she'd snuck out to go take part in a secret mission, they'd raise hell and leave no stone unturned to find her, then probably lock her in her room for a month or something!
"It is my duty to worry about you, ko."
She hated when he was like this! Couldn't he just be the nice guy for once? "'Ko'? Not even going to call me by my name?"
"I am calling you what you are, a child. You are to always answer our calls no matter what time it is."
"But what if I'm sleeping?"
"Then you will wake up."
"Han, c'mon, give 'er a break. She said there was something wrong with her phone. As you can hear, she's fine an' well."
"Yeah, Otōsan," she snickered, looking at a particularly impatient Moira. "But I gotta go. Kuyaykim," she said, hanging up and turning her phone off before slipping it back into her pocket.
"What kind of work do they do? Your fathers?" Moira asked, leading her into her study and closing the door behind them.
Was it okay to tell her about Overwatch? They never mentioned anything about it being a secret. She sat in the chaise lounge closest to her as Moira tinkered with some fancy-looking liquids. "I don't know or understand the specifics, but I know they work for a team called Overwatch. They take jobs from time to time and I hate it!" She slumped into her seat.
"You hate it?" She wanted to appear to her as human as she could; she didn't want to seem uninterested and brush her off. She was so close, she could nearly taste the upcoming victory.
"They leave for weeklong missions, and I hate being alone! They're all I have, so why wouldn't I want to spend all my time with them?"
"I'm guessing that is why you decided to venture out today," Moira already knew the girl would come back out of curiosity. She only didn't expect it to happen so soon!
"Yeah… they left almost two days ago," she complained. "This sucks! We had plans to go shooting in the mountains this weekend!"
"Shooting?" She was well aware of how skilled both her fathers were and hoped they could carry out this plan before they caught wind of what was happening. If they found her and revealed the truth, there was a chance she'd turn on Talon, which nobody wanted. Chills went through her body at the memory of that town, decimated by her hand, and without even trying! With her having aged and gaining control of those powers, only the heavens knew just how much devastation she could cause now if she wanted to.
"Yeah, both of my dads are amazing shooters! One uses a bow and arrow, and the other uses a revolver."
"And which one would you have been shooting?" Moira asked, gauging her skills.
"I'm already an ace shot," Illari boasted. "Otōsan wanted me to practice more with my archery. It's so tough!"
"Well, you seem to be well-rounded," Moira faced her with a smile. "It seems they've raised you to be an upstanding citizen."
"Yeah, and that's why I want to be a good person and give back," Illari sighed. "Plus the influence from my tiokuna."
"Who?"
"My uncles—well, they're my godparents, but I call them my uncles. They work for Overwatch, too! They're medics."
Interesting. That, she didn't know. Even more of a reason not to give away her whereabouts until the mission was complete. "How much time do you spend with your uncles?" Moira asked, turning back around to hide her displeasure. Who exactly were these two medics?
"When my dads leave for work, I usually go to Haiti, or sometimes they'll come to me," she beamed. "They've been helping me build my pylon, and we're working on a few enhancements.
Haiti? How interesting. If one of her uncles were who she thought he was, that could pose an issue. "I wish I would have approached you sooner," she admitted with a sigh. If only she hadn't hidden in the shadows that day and found the girl before they did, how different would things be? "Your greatness needs to be in the hands of a reputable organization. You surely will do great things."
"Well, I'm here now," Illari said, making her decision. "And I'll join you."
"Excellent."
Unfortunately, what Illari didn't know, was that this entire thing was fabricated just to lure her into Talon. Because of her closeness to Overwatch, they had to take a different approach to securing her. The members of Talon were no fools. They were well aware of the fact that they had a mole, so they fed said mole fake information, knowing they'd take it back to Overwatch and make everyone gather in Gibraltar. With that, they'd stay there and be on high alert indefinitely while Moira went to seek out the sun child. But with a decent stroke of luck, she approached them herself nearly immediately!
The only issue was that the girl had more connections to Overwatch than just her parents, who Moira was sure were already growing suspicious. They needed to carry out their mission in the next few days, but she was unsure how long it would take to brainwash her. With what happened during her childhood, there was no way she would be willing to blow up a building in her right mind, and she had very strong willpower.
But with time, she was sure everything would come together.
"That's right," Bap hummed as he was pushed against the wall of his room at the base. "The thought of getting caught in the act gets you all worked up."
"I can't help it!" Niran ripped his shirt open, disregarding the buttons that flew across the room. "It's just so exciting, isn't it?" He let his lips sweep along ebony skin, trailing from his neck down to his lovely pecs, then down well-defined abs until he got to the waist of his jeans.
"It does add a little danger," Bap breathed out, watching his lotus undo his jeans and free his steadily growing girth. "Oh, yeah," he moaned, lacing his fingers through his hair and guiding him gently. "Just like that."
Niran skillfully took him all, reaching around and teasing his rim with a few fingers as he bobbed up and down. Bap liked it dirty, and he was going to give it to him good! "I was thinking," he said after letting him out of his mouth with a pop and swirling his tongue around the tip. "We should…" He grabbed it with his free hand, giving it a few pumps before swiftly taking him to the throat.
Bap let his head fall against the wall with a groan, holding his face and lightly thrusting his hips. "Bua… I'll give you whatever you want as long as you keep doing what you're doing," he muttered, jolting with a grunt when a finger found its way inside. "Mmm, jis tankou sa, lotus."
Niran sucked him slowly, moving up his length until he reached the tip again and started kissing his shaft, going all the way down and taking his balls into his mouth with a hum. He probed with his finger, getting the reactions out of him that he wanted. "We should…" he began again, licking the space beneath and jerking him at a moderate pace. "Adopt a child of our own…"
Bap looked down in surprise, that was the last thing he expected to hear! Nevertheless, it caught him off guard enough to send him over the edge. He shuddered, gripping silky white hair as he took him back into his mouth and drank him up. "Bondye, Bua…" he panted, resting his head against the wall again. That was amazing, as usual, but not only that, he was open to his suggestion. It was something he'd thought about a lot, but he was nervous about bringing it up.
Niran, on the other hand, wasn't expecting him to burst so quickly! As soon as he realized what was happening, he hummed with content, excitedly slurping him up and using his hand to help squeeze every last drop out of him. He tasted so good, he could never get enough.
Bap looked down, mesmerized by the beauty and perfection that just gave him the best head of his life. He watched him lick his lips and smooth caramel hands up his chest and gave a sultry grin. "As badly as I want to talk about that, I want to return the favor first," he said, pulling him up and kissing him deeply before pushing him down onto the bed.
"You're actually into the idea?" Niran asked as his ebony knight pulled the loose fabric of his shirt open and peppered his neck and chest with kisses.
"I've thought about it a few times," Bap mumbled, making his way down as his door buzzed.
Niran gasped and snapped his shirt shut as they both glanced at the door. Bap drooped his head, sharing in a small laugh as he rolled off the bed and fixed his clothes. Who wanted what this late at night? "Hold that thought," he grinned at his lotus, walking over to the door and activating the screen. "Hanzo? Jesse?"
"Oh, no," Niran got up and stood behind Bap, looking over his shoulder at the screen to see a distressed Hanzo. "Let them in!"
Bap unlocked the door and let them inside, shutting the door behind them.
"Sorry to bug ya so late at night," Jesse said, feeling horrible for interrupting them. It was obvious they were up to something given the state of their clothes. "But we need your help."
"What's going on? Is she okay?" Niran asked, watching Hanzo pace back and forth. He knew he would only be this worked up if their daughter was involved.
"Apparently, she has decided to join forces with Talon!" Hanzo grit his teeth, angrier beyond belief.
Bap shared a look with Niran and sighed heavily, sitting on the edge of his bed. That wasn't good at all! Any other organization would have been better than that wretched place! "And you're sure she's there?"
"Winston dropped this off to us right before Liv called me to confirm," Jesse said, passing Baptiste the USB.
"She went by choice!" Hanzo ranted. "By choice! How absurd is that?!"
"I can understand why she went," Bap said guardedly, plugging the USB into his computer and going through the files. It was heartbreaking to see those photos of her looking so excited and happy to be there. No doubt about it they were trying to appeal to her sensitive side to convince her they were the good guys. "Given her background. If she went on her own, chances are they're telling her anything that sounds good."
Niran smoothed a hand across his back, remembering he used to work for Talon in his younger days. He looked over his shoulder at the photos and knew the stars in her eyes were genuine. It was the same look she had when she was working on her pylon or when she was helping people at their clinic or when he was showing her his biolight. "I'm sure they're showing her all the science equipment she could take in. She looks so excited," he shook his head sadly.
"Yeah, excited for their lies," Bap scoffed.
"Great heavens, she may not even need to be brainwashed!" Hanzo threw his hands up in frustration.
"Baptiste, you've been through this," Jesse said, rubbing Han's shoulders to try to calm him down. "What can we expect from this? Will they put up a fight if we go get her back?"
"Not if they're planning on using her to plot against Overwatch," Bap put two and two together and understood this gathering in Gibraltar was orchestrated, but Talon didn't know that they were two steps ahead. "Luckily for us, they aren't aware that Olivia works more for us than she does for them. They probably don't know she told us they have her, so we have the upper hand."
"Yeah, and they probably wouldn't want to risk her getting angry and blowing up the place, so they might cooperate when we go get her." Niran thought aloud. "Bap and I will help you get her back."
"I am sorry to bother you guys with this," Hanzo hated this! He hated the fact that his daughter decided her home life was so bad that she had to seek acceptance from a place like that, and he hated the fact that he had to involve others in his personal affairs!
"Surely, you weren't planning to go and get her by yourself!" Niran frowned. "She's our family, too!"
"Yeah, she's just as much our responsibility as yours," Bap knew Hanzo felt like he and Jesse had to do this on their own, but they should know they had their full support. They wouldn't be able to call themselves godparents if they didn't help!
"You should know by now that we love her like our own," Niran said wholeheartedly. "Something like this would never be a bother."
Hanzo sighed, feeling more relief than he wanted to admit. They truly had some reliable friends. "I am grateful."
"See, honeybun," Jesse said, holding his face. "We'll all be together again soon with the help of our dear friends."
"I just… I do not like how happy she looks to be there," Hanzo confessed, hanging his head. "I want her to be happy, just as she is in those photos, but she cannot be happy there. Because I wish to do anything in my power to keep her away from Talon, does that make me a bad father? Would she grow to resent me for it? I do not think I could handle that."
"Darlin', no," Jesse wrapped his arms around him. "She would never resent you, 'specially not after she realizes they're only usin' 'er. An' it don't make you a bad father at all, only a concerned one. You just want what's best for her, we all do."
"I do not want her to shut me out after this," Hanzo knew she could put up walls sometimes, and he hoped bringing her home didn't affect their relationship.
"She won't. She'll be happy we saved her from doin' somethin' she'll regret again," Jesse said reassuringly. "How's about we go on a little family vacation when we get home? Let her tell us where she wants to go an' make it happen."
"In lieu of punishment?" Hanzo supposed that could work. He wanted to confine her to her room, but she wouldn't respond well to that. He shouldn't punish her for seeking acceptance, especially if she didn't know the truth behind who exactly was accepting her. He shouldn't respond with anger, he should respond with love and advice and guidance. They should have told her about Talon, but they thought they were keeping her safe by pretending they didn't exist. "I… I like that. She will be excited."
"And she'll feel more secure an' comfortable 'bout comin' to us when she's feelin' lonely," Jesse would sit down and have a talk with her after all this and let her know their door was always open. He never wanted her to feel alone.
"Thank you, Jesse," Hanzo returned his embrace, his face growing warm when he kissed his forehead.
It wasn't long before the four of them found themselves on their way to a Talon base in Rome, not far from their headquarters. Baptiste was able to identify the building with the pictures Olivia sent and was somewhat relieved she wasn't at the main headquarters. She was probably recruited by Doctor O'Deorain, who could read people like books and was surely offering her all the research equipment she could get her hands on. The plan was hopefully simple, sneak in, find Illari, expose Talon's true nature, and get her out of there. Once she knew what they were up to, she'd probably leave on her own.
And she wasn't someone they wanted to make an enemy out of.
Bap sat in his seat in front of the window, his lotus curled up next to him. He could never blame her for dipping her toes in the water; he too fell victim to Talon's schemes, only he didn't have loved ones to save him before he fell in too deep. He refused to let her go down the path he did. "Still want one of our own?" He asked, putting an arm around him.
"Of course!" Niran beamed up at him, rubbing his chest. "It all adds to the experience! As long as I have you, I'll be ready for whatever life has to throw at us."
Bap agreed. "I knew you would say something like that."
While Hanzo was grateful to Athena for providing them with transportation to the base, he was antsy in his seat, unable to relax. He was outside of his comfort zone and trekking into territory he dared not get close to. He missed his daughter. He just wanted to hug her and tell her everything was going to be alright and that he loved her so much and was incredibly sorry for keeping her in the dark about Talon. Unfortunately, Jesse was much better at conveying those emotions than he was, so he hoped he'd have a talk with her. "Jesse… our little girl…"
"I know, Han," Jesse took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "She ain't so little anymore."
"Making these grown-up decisions," Hanzo chuckled. "I remember a time when she could not choose between chocolate or strawberry ice cream. Now, look at her." He looked over at Jesse, who was smiling warmly. "When did she grow to be so mature?"
"We're some damn good parents, darlin'," Jesse grinned. "An' she'll always be our little girl. No matter what."