Chapter Text
- Cole Cassidy, flying in from Busan, requesting to land at Watchpoint Gibraltar.
- Cole…where the hell did you get an airship?
- I stole it from Talon! And let me tell ya, it flies like a fuckin’ dream!
- Is it safe?
- Oh yeah! Echo stripped it down. We’re good.
- You crazy dumbass. You’re cleared to land in Hangar 2.
Hana snorted at the cursing through the comms. There is no way that would EVER fly with the Captain back with the MEKA Squad. Overwatch was starting to look alot more laid back than what she was used to.
Hana and the other new recruits arrived in Gibraltar without much fanfare. A bare bones crew ushered them into the base. One voice came through the comms as Cassidy requested to land, and one singular aviation marshaller waved his light sticks to navigate their aircraft into the hangar. One dispatcher and one ground crew for the whole base was wild. Hana was used to a whole team just for herself. Not to mention the rest of the Meka Squad had their own too.
Once out of the aircraft, Hana took in a breath of fresh air. The salty air, mixed with the distinct smell of jet fuel reminded her of home. Of Busan. A tiny bubble of anxiety had settled in her chest on their flight to the Watchpoint. The thought of fighting away from home. Not fighting FOR her home. Not fighting for her team. The thought of having to get used to new formations and strategies with new teammates…it was daunting. All these thoughts settled in a little pile of anxiety within her as she tried to force them from swirling in her head. The ocean air and jet fuel was such a weird combo, but the familiarity calmed the dull anxiety lying in wait. The calm was short lived, however, as a wailing screech struck her ears painfully. She grimaced as the aviation bay doors creaked heavily as they slid closed above the airship. So much for the calm. Years of disuse and neglect snowed over them as the rust flaked from the large bay doors overhead.
"Well, that can’t be good to breathe in,” Cassidy used his poncho to shield his face. “C’mon, the others should be headed this way too. It'll be a while though," he said as he began to lead the way into the building.
He reached up to his headset and pressed the button to talk, "Thanks for the spot boys." He tipped his hat in thanks to the marshal, who was now hard at work inspecting the airship. The young man paused and dramatically pressed the clipboard over his heart and saluted Cassidy with his right hand rigidly placed over his right eyebrow.
Cassidey chuckled, shook his head and walked through the bay into the heart of the base. The team began to follow suit; Fareeha strode in confidently after the cowboy, as if she had been there hundreds of times over. Baptiste shrugged but followed suit. Hana stood frozen in a daze until she felt a heavy hand squeeze her shoulder gently. Zarya, the tall, buff woman’s enormous hand covered Hana’s entire shoulder. Hana looked up at the woman and received a smile to match the calming touch. She smiled back. She was grateful Zarya did that. The whole ride there, Zarya sat in her seat, arms crossed, full RBF on display. Fast forward to now, and here she was the complete opposite of intimidating. The taller woman’s demeanor seemed to have done a complete 180. She wondered what would cause that change. The calming hand squeezed again, bringing Hana back down to follow the rest of the team. She was grateful for Zarya’s kindness and for her attentiveness at that moment. Still, she couldn’t help but notice that the woman could probably pick her up and throw her across the Strait of Gibraltar and right into Morocco.
"Welcome to Watchpoint Gibraltar, team!" The cowboy called out as he led them into the gigantic comms room. Cassidy walked towards the gigantic, curved holo screen. A map of the world with various points of interest blinked throughout it. "This is the Gibraltar Emergency Operations Center. We call it the EOC for short,” He said enthusiastically.
"What’s the refresh rate on that?" Everyone turned around and looked down at Hana curiously. "What?” She shrugged, “ It looks like it’d be great for video games." She said as she began to peruse the various forms of tech around the room. There was some good stuff there. Some seemed like it was tinkered; a meld of old and new tech. Whoever worked on these knew what they were doing, engineering wise. A lot of it looked very sophisticated.
Cassidy coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head as he eyed the holo screen curiously, "You know what, I don’t know. That might be a good question for Winston, when he gets back." He tipped his head back to watch Hana as she walked around the room. “He knows all about that stuff. Built everything you see here,” He called out as she roamed the room nonchalantly. She stopped and tilted her head curiously, as something caught her eye.
"Who’s this?" She asked as she pointed to a picture on the back wall.
A big gorilla in a suit and tie, a lanky girl with spiky brown hair, a younger girl in a tank top and brown hair pulled back; she was holding a very annoyed white cat. Next to the little girl and cat was an older blonde girl in a white lab coat, and next to her, was what looked like a younger Fareeha.
Fareeha had introduced herself to Hana after her recruitment in Busan. The woman exuded an air of leadership and command. She remembered the womans' aerial prowess on the battlefield and there was no doubt this lady was cool as shit…AND she was buff. Not as buff as Zarya, though. Maybe she could get them to help her with her gains, now that they were a team.
Fareeha took the initiative to walk over to Hana and see the picture. She pointed to the gorilla.
"That’s Winston. Lena or Tracer. The little girl in the middle is Brigitte, Torbjorn Lindholm’s daughter. I wonder what she’s doing now," She wondered out loud. She paused as she moved her finger to point to the next person in the picture. Her eyes roamed the girls’ face fondly, "That’s Angela. Angela Ziegler. Better known as Mercy." She sighed somberly and pointed at herself, "And that’s me."
Hana, looked up at Fareeha, considerately, "There’s a lot of history here," She stated as she looked back at the picture. "Are they all gonna be here?" She asked.
Cowboy boot heels clicked behind them as Cassidy approached them.
"Last I heard, Torb retired home, and Brig left to follow Reinhardt around. If Rein comes, she will too. I think she’s about your age, Hana." He said as he adjusted his hat to see the picture better.
Hana glanced back at the little girl in the picture. It would be nice to have more people her age around.
Cassidy turned on his heel and walked back towards the map. He pointed out a blinking red light in the North Atlantic Ocean. He tipped his head to take off his hat, unsnapped his poncho from his chest, and set them down on the table. He seemed tired but in good spirits. His eyes and smile were warm and hopeful as he addressed them, "They still have a ways. Let’s go ahead and get y’all settled in."
*
Finding a set place for Tokki was a priority for Hana. She settled on the back corner of the EOC; a nice little cozy spot for her to work in quiet.
A good amount of time had passed as she focused deeply on repairing her beloved meka; it had taken a few good hits in the fight before Cassidy and the crew got there. As she sat in the cockpit, analyzing the readings of the repairs, the other crew piped up on the radio.
- Cheers love! The Cavalry's here! Tracer reporting in and requesting permission to dock!
- Welcome back Overwatch. You are cleared to dock in Hangar 1.
- Copy that!
Soon, the rest of the new recruits made their way to the EOC, ready to greet the other crew. Hana immediately jumped out of Tokki's cockpit and rushed to the stairs to the gigantic window. She watched as the airship was quickly docked. Earlier, it took Cassidy forever to land their airship. It seemed like Tracer was a better pilot than Cassidy. Hana logged that fact away for later teasing.
The airship bay popped open with a hiss as the hydraulic shocks decompressed. The first to step out was an armored woman, a ponytail of long brown hair cascaded down silver and yellow metal pauldrons. She was pretty sure that this woman was the little girl in the picture; Brigitte Lindholm, Torbjorn's daughter. The resemblance was spot on and the hairstyle was very similar to the girl in the picture.
Brigitte stretched her arms out above her, flexing and popping her joints. Hana couldn't help but notice how beautiful and muscular she was. Were all the women in Overwatch stacked as hell? Fareeha, Zarya, AND Brigitte? Like, seriously: Brick. House. All of them. The sections of hair framing Brigitte’s face blew in the gentle breeze, giving her a majestic aura. Hana felt a spark of curiosity in her chest as she secretly watched the woman.
Brigitte surveyed the facility with her hands on her hips, when suddenly, a large, jovial, absolute unit of a man picked her up like she was nothing. He picked her up by the waist and swung her left and right like a child; like she didnt weigh a thing. Her face immediately fell into a deadpan expression and she let her arms fall limply to her sides. She didn't seem surprised in the least. She seemed more passively annoyed than anything. The salt and pepper muscle man gently let her down, and happily sauntered out of the airship. Brigitte recollected herself, her face red with embarrassment. She playfully shoved the old man as she began to lead the way toward the entrance. Hana chuckled.
That big boy was definitely Reinhardt, so that validated her assumption; this WAS Brigitte.
Hana smiled as she remembered Reinhardt. She had been on the final leg of her Meka exhibition tour in Europe when she met him. The MEKA Squad had agreed to show off their skills in exhibition shows across the globe. All promotions for South Korean tech companies and for the South Korean Military. During one of these shows in Britain, a scuffle between two opposing gangs broke out in the crowd. Reinhardt happened to be there and did his best to subdue one half while D.va rushed in and dealt with the others. By the end, it turned out to be a great show of MEKA abilities. The gang members were turned into authorities. Reinhardt caught D.va before she left and asked her to please autograph his poster.. He seemed a little shy about asking for it, but D.va happily signed the poster with her best penmanship and made sure to draw the cutest heart on it. Fighting alongside Reinhardt was fun. It was completely different to the coordination she was used to. He was all raw power. Now she would get the chance to work with him again.
That curious spark from before, settled in the pit of her stomach as she watched the rest of the team members follow Brigitte towards the EOC doors. There was something about her that Hana felt drawn to. Honestly, it was unexplainable. This is the first time she’s ever heard or seen of this woman. This will be her first time meeting her. So why did she feel this draw when all she’s seen is her being picked up and swung around like a baby? She cautiously hoped they could be friends.
Hana promptly left the window and walked back down to Tokki. She climbed the metal arms and plopped herself down on top of the mecha. She wanted to get a good view of everyone walking in. And maybe she wanted to look cool too.
As the new team began to file into the hallway, a male voice echoed excitedly, "This is UNREAL! I mean, yo, just think about all the people who stood right here. Commander Morrison, Torbjorn Lindholm, the Great Reinhardt Wilhelm." The veneration in his voice was playful yet sincere. Something about that voice seemed very familiar, but Hana couldn't quite place it.
The voices grew louder as they made their way into the large room.
Brigitte rolled her eyes as she crossed the hallway threshold. "Ugh. Please don't get him started..." She pouted, throwing her head back in annoyance. She shook her head slowly and pinched the bridge of her nose as Reinhardt chortled behind them.
They were so preoccupied with talking, they failed to notice the other team in the back corner. Upon seeing him, Hana immediately recognized the man with the charismatic voice, as international musician and activist, Lucio. She was a big fan of his music and activism. Of course he would be there. It only made sense that he felt the draw to be a part of something bigger to help.
His hands were so animated as he spoke, looking to Brigitte, "I cant believe the UN ever shut Overwatch down. So, where’s everybody else?"
Brigitte gave an apologetic shrug. "Well...we're it," She said, unsure.
"Well not exactly. Good to see yall," Cassidy piped up from the back corner, catching the new team by surprise. He walked up, meeting them in the middle, with Fareeha close behind him, shining brilliantly in her flying suit. She had also been calibrating her equipment before the others arrived.
"Cassidy!" The gorilla, Winston, beamed upon hearing that distinct cowboy twang.
"Pharah?" At the same time, a blonde woman politely made her way past Winston. Her face was in complete shock. She self-consciously gripped a tall staff with both hands and brought it closer to her body. Hana didn't miss the white knuckles holding on to the staff for dear life. The picture before didn't lie, there was definitely history here.
Cassidy's facial expression softened as he acknowledged them, "Yeah. Sorry we're late, but we had some recruiting to do." He tipped his head back, nodding to the team behind him.
Fareeha chuckled behind the cowboy, "Considering the circumstances, we thought you could use a little extra firepower."
Hana huffed and slid off of Tokki and gracefully landed on her feet. "You call this "little"?" She chuckled incredulously. Though her chuckle came out a little more cocky then she meant it to. She sauntered over to the middle of the room, a haughty grin spread across her face. "It's more than enough to help take on Null Sector," She said with confidence. She crossed her arms across her chest and made quick eye contact with Brigitte.
"And smash them into tiny pieces!" Zarya’s shout and a loud crack resonated throughout the room as she punctuated her threat with a fist into her open hand.
Reinhardt reared back and gave a loud hearty laugh of approval, "She gets it!" He agreed vehemently.
The second Brigitte's eyes left Hana's to roll them at Reinhardts loud comment, Hanna took the chance to size her up. This girl was tall. And BUILT. Earlier, from the upstairs view, she seemed much smaller, especially next to Reinhardt. Hana unintentionally gawked as she observed the girl in front of her; big arms, thick thighs, beautiful long hair, and freckles. Wow.
Next to her, Baptiste clicked his tongue in feigned annoyance as he crossed his arms and shot a look behind him toward Zarya, "Sounds like I'm gonna be patching you two up the most," He huffed with a smile, clearly looking forward to the challenge.
Hana slowly came out of her head and back into the conversation as everyone chatted. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lucio's gaze. He raised an eyebrow at her and knowingly looked Brigitte up and down. He turned back to Hana and gave her a wink of approval. Hana's shoulders hiked up to her ears and her face exploded in a fierce red blush. Shit. Got caught.
"I'd say our chances against Null Sector just got a whole lot better," Brigitte said as she crossed her arms and set her weight to one side, making her look confident and cool. She turned to make eye contact with Hana. Brigitte's smile cocked to one side and Hana immediately felt a plunge in the pit of her stomach.
"Oh crap,” Hana thought as she froze internally. “The gay panic is so real right now. Keep it together Song. You have to be the cool one!"
Hana composed herself quickly enough to send a wink and a crooked smile back to Brigitte. The other woman’s body language changed dramatically. A hand came up to tuck the hair on the side of her face behind her ear, shyly. Her gaze shifted to the side, nervously, as a slight blush settled on her cheeks.
“Ok….that was fucking adorable, and now I can’t breathe!” Hana screamed internally but managed to maintain her composure as the others rallied around the center table. An air of confidence and hope surrounded them.
Hana tried to hide the smile spreading on her face as she replayed Brigittes reaction over in her head. She looked down over her crossed arms and kicked at nothing in particular. The voice's planning strategy slowly faded as she zoned out staring at the floor.
She acknowledged that unmistakable draw to Brigitte. An initial attraction that she’d felt towards several other people in her life before. Some were flings, some ended up being more, and others never became anything. Hana knew she was attractive and many people would be lining up to date her, if she put that out there. She was a rockstar adjacent; a famous former pro-gamer/actor that now kicks Omnic ass for her country. Who wouldn’t want a shot at that? She looked up from the floor and fixed her gaze on Brigitte. Now recovered from the blush she was busy pointing out sections on the hollow map, happily participating in the strategy conversation.
“Would it be shitty of me to start something with her, if she’s interested?” Hana thought as she let herself entertain the idea of Brigitte momentarily. She halfway zoned out again following Brigitte’s movements in front of the holo map. Her thoughts raced in her mind, completely distracted, “ Is that something I should be thinking about? Especially if we don’t know how this will end? I really shouldn’t be thinking about this…when we’re essentially going to war. I mean we’ve been at war for a while but…she’s probably not thinking about that kind of stuff. I shouldn’t be thinking about this. I haven't even introduced myself to her yet. I can’t assume that she would want something like that anyway! And I have a job to do. I can’t get distracted .” She quickly made up her mind and turned on her heel toward the door to the bunk rooms. She reached in her pocket and brought out a set of keys, pointing it back towards Tokki.
”I’ll leave you guys to the strategizing. When it comes time to fight, fill me in. I’ll be on the front lines,” She called out, punctuating her confidence in that last statement by activating Tokki’s security system. A shrill beep beep echoed throughout the EOC as a silence settled over the rest of the team.
Winston stepped up and pressed a button on the table. The holo lights powered down with a low hum. He politely addressed the rest of the team, “D.va is right. Let’s get some rest and get together in the morning. We can do introductions and take stock of everyone’s unique abilities. Then we can plan.”
*
Sleeping in her room did not come easy that night. Hana’s room was comfy and she had room for everything she needed; a bed and a spot for her to play video games. It was 2 am and she had given up on getting sleep. She laid in her bed staring at her uniform hanging on the wall by the door. She considered setting up her gaming rig but, with all the rooms so close together, she didn't want to bother anyone else with the noise. Finally, she had had enough of the quiet and decided to go exploring. She decided some shorts and her big sleep shirt were fine to roam around the base. She pressed the unlock button, letting the sliding door release with a muffled hiss. She slipped out of her bunny slippers and reached down to grab her shoes from the hallway. As she slipped her shoes on, she looked around cautiously, hoping she hadn't woken anyone else up.
The next room over, she noticed a pair of shoes just to the side of the door. She smiled as she thought of her neighbor. Upon being dismissed that night, everyone filed into their own cubbies. She noticed Mei setting her shoes aside in the hallway just as she was. Mei wished her a goodnight before the door slid closed.
Truth be told, she was excited to be on a team with THE Dr. Mei-Ling Zhou. This woman had overcome an incredible obstacle and maintained an unshakeable will to learn. She traveled the world and wrote about it so that people could see it through her words. Hana was obsessed with Mei’s journal entries. She hadn't missed one. She was endlessly fascinated by the different places that Mei had been.
As a pro-gamer she traveled to major metropolitan areas around the world, but she had never just visited somewhere remote, or just a regular run of the mill town. She was definitely more privileged to travel around but it didn't last long. After being recruited by the South Korean Military, she was able to go to a few major cities to show off the MEKA capabilities, but that was it. Now, being a full-time military service member assigned to MEKA, there was no room for travel. No deployments. No time off really. By reading Dr. Zhou’s adventures, Hana was able to live vicariously through her. She imagined the beauty of the world through Mei’s stories.
Hana paused as she went to press the close button for her room. Now that she was a part of Overwatch, would she get to see the world like Mei did? Her uniform hanging limply on the wall caught her eye as she stared into the room. The hope crashed and burned as she immediately remembered her main mission: defeat Talon and stop the ominc crisis. She felt the little bubble of anxiety reappear in the pit of her stomach. There was no room for leisure travel in her life. She shook her head of her thoughts and pushed the close button.
Without hurry, Hana roamed the base, quietly poking her head in open rooms. Soon, the thoughts returned, turning up the heat on that settled anxiety within her. She couldn't help but feel a slight bitterness at the thought of no leisure. Had she really spent her whole life playing video games? And then using that experience to fight killer robots? Being in the military gave her no freedom. Instead she fought for everyone else’s.
That thought brought her body to an immediate stop.
She had just gone down a very bitter spiral. She didn't actually feel that way…she loved serving her country. She loved the idea of fighting for her friends and family. She loved having the ability to protect her home.
From a very early age, she was thrust into stardom. It was awesome being famous…at first. She loved the attention and the recognition, but it wore off quickly. She remembered being ushered through buildings to avoid paparazzi. She remembered the expensive meals alone in her enormous presidential suite hotel room. She remembered the fake relationships. All of those were still issues. There’s no way she could go out onto the busy Busan streets and just take a walk. On top of that, people only want to befriend you because you're famous, not because they actually care about you.
Being recruited into the military helped with the loneliness though. There, she really got to know the other members of the MEKA Squad. She was also able to convince Dae-hyun to put his mechanic skills to use by being on the team. Dae-hyun was a big part of keeping Hana sane. She wished he would have been able to come with her this time. Overwatch would have definitely taken him in, especially considering their bare bones crew, but MEKA didn't want to let him go.
Hana sighed as she thought back on Dae-hyun. Her thoughts were all over the place. She didn't question if she was meant to be there. There really wasn't much to think about on that front; the world was under attack, and she was going to help in the fight. Her sense of duty wouldn't let her think otherwise.. She did long for a simpler time though. How different would she be if she was a normal 21 year old? How different would she be without the responsibility of fighting for her country weighing on her shoulders? She couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for past generations that didn't have to deal with this.
Hana roamed the open offices and wandered into equipment rooms as the thoughts swirled in her head. If she didn't stop these thoughts soon, she would for sure have an anxiety attack.
Acknowledging the imminent anxiety attack didn't help, but a sudden sound distracted her. She walked toward a large open room. The unmistakable sounds of weights clanging together rang through the hall. Her anxiousness took a back seat then, as she neared the room. As she grew closer, she realized this room was huge and it was full of fitness equipment. Overwatch didn't skimp on the gains at all, so it seemed.
With a quick survey of the room, Hana quickly found the source of the sounds. The anxiety that laid in wait in her stomach flipped, and exploded into butterflies as she saw Brigitte deadlifting an impressive amount of weight. Brigittes’ muscles flexed and strained under the weight. A light sheen of sweat covered her face, arms, and legs. The bra and short spandex shorts clung to her body leaving little to the imagination. Hana remembered to breathe, and strained to swallow, as she watched the other woman continue her reps.
Brigitte finished and walked to a nearby bench grabbing her water bottle. As she took a big swig, she momentarily made eye contact with Hana. She panicked and aspirated her drink of water and began coughing in an attempt to not choke to death.
Hana was caught off guard by the momentary eye contact and flinched when the other girl began her coughing fit. Hana rushed over to her, worried that she was truly choking.
“Hey…I didn't mean to startle you,” She squeaked as she jogged to the choking girl. “Are you ok, Brig?” She cautiously started patting her back, unsure if it was ok to touch her.
Brigitte kept coughing for a few more seconds until she nodded and gave a thumbs up. Hana stopped patting her back and stuck her hands in her pocket, not knowing what to do next.
“Sorry, it’s late-or um…early?” She said softly. “I should have announced myself.” She leaned her weight back on a foot and swayed from side to side, feeling very self-conscious in that moment.
Brigitte shook her head and cleared her throat again. “No! Um, you’re fine!” She rasped and coughed again. “Really. I’m just always doing something to embarrass myself.” She cleared her throat one last time and motioned to the room.“Coming in to workout because you couldn't sleep?” She asked, composing herself by tucking some stray hair behind her ear.
Hana shifted her gaze to the wall nonchalantly, trying not to make too much eye contact with the taller girl. “Uh. No. I actually had no idea this was here.” She uttered as she looked down at her feet and kicked at the carpet absentmindedly. She cleared her throat and muttered, “But yeah, I couldn't sleep.”
Brigitte cocked her head to one side, curiously. “Feeling a little anxious?” She asked turning to pick up her towel from a bench. She draped it over her shoulder and turned back towards Hana.
Hana looked up at her in shock. “No!” She barked out, waving her hands in front of her frantically. “I mean…maybe a little? Who wouldn't be? We’re going to be throwing ourselves at these omnics…” Her voice fizzled into another murmur as she backtracked. She didn't know why she confessed this to Brigitte, but there was something about her vibe that was…calming.
Brigitte’s look of pure kindness, after Hana’s reaction, turned to vulnerable acceptance. The look was genuine and soothing; like a healing green tea after an all nighter playing video games. But how could she tell? Was Hana making it obvious that she was anxious?
Brigitte breathed out as she said, “I get it.” She took a few steps toward the window. “We’re going into the unknown.” She declared. Her gaze shifted to the stars in the sky, a melancholy expression fell over her face as she spoke again, “Getting uplifted from your everyday life and being far away from your support can feel difficult to get through, especially on your own.”
Hana followed her to the window but didnt feel the same draw to look at the stars. Instead, her gaze was trained on the taller girl’s face; taking in every detail, to the point of distraction from the conversation. Brigitte looked back down at Hana, essentially catching her staring. Hana slid her glance away to stare out of the window, unable to face Brigitte’s sincere smile.
“Here, we’re a team, and we have to look out for each other. If you need anything, please, say something…to me or anyone else. I promise, we're not just here to throw ourselves at danger,” She uttered passionately, her voice growing softer. She placed a hand on Hana’s shoulder. “You're not alone here, Hana,” She said sincerely. Her hand fell after a moment, leaving the ghost of that touch lingering. Hana attempted to shrug it off, not wanting to analyze the warmth she felt from it.
As Brigitte’s words lingered between them, Hana’s eyes widened as she realized Brigitte used her given name. She instantly forgot the lingering warmth on her shoulder. Brigitte knowing her real name and feeling comfortable enough to use it, came as a complete surprise.
“Thanks. I think I needed to hear that. It’s hard asking for help, but I’ll try,” She said looking down while returning her hands to her pockets. After a moment of comfortable silence, Hana decided to tease Brigitte a little. “So, uh, how do you know my name?” She asked in a teasing tone. She eyed her without raising her head, a small crooked smile brightened her face. Her signature flirty look was on full force.
Brigitte straightened her posture, taken aback by the simple question. “Um. Who o-out there doesn't know the great MEKA pilot, D-D.Va?” She stuttered seemingly attempting to buy herself time to think of an answer.
Hana set her weight on one leg and raised an eyebrow at the other girl, “You didn't say D.Va.” She rebutled calmly.
Brigitte’s face quickly turned red. “Um…I-well-…ugh! She yelled out covering her face with her hands. “Why do I have to be so awkward?” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed nervously. She massaged the back of her neck and whispered, “I have a confession to make…”
Hana practically vibrated from the anticipation. What could she possibly confess to her right now?
After a deep sigh, she managed to gather the courage. “I may or may not be one of your biggest fans,” She admitted as she slumped forward in embarrassment.
Hana’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Wait…really?” She exclaimed and paused, looking to the other girl's face for affirmation.
Brigitte gave her a bashful smile and a shrug of her shoulders. “I’m a big fan of E-sports.” She muttered shyly.
Hana pondered her confession. Was this real? How could big buff hero Brigitte be a fan of hers? She tended to attract more skeevy nerdy man-splainer dudes…not hot, juicy, muscle babes. She quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
“There's no way you like Esports,” She said incredulously. “I'm gonna need you to prove that,” She challenged with a smile.
Brigitte straightened up at that and took a second to think to herself. She looked back to Hana and motioned for her to follow, with a smile. “This feels like a challenge," She made her way out of the gym, Hana following closely behind her. A short quiet walk led them to Brigitte’s room, which was relatively close to the gym. She pressed the button to open the sliding doors and motioned into the room, letting Hana enter first.
Hana slipped off her shoes before entering. As she took a step in, the very first thing she saw was a poster of herself, in full D.Va uniform, atop Tokki, drinking a Nano Cola. She remembered that photo shoot vividly; the director had loved it when she winked flirtatiously and sipped the cola. He immediately knew THAT was the shot. She remembered loving the poster color scheme when it came out. The vivid neon green against her signature pale blues and pinks really worked together great.
She continued taking in the small room and saw what looked like a gaming PC on the desk. It looked old and like it had seen better days. Scattered around the desk were several different types of tools and a few open Nano Cola cans. Next to one of the monitors was a box full of pastries and various protein bars. She returned her attention to the poster and inspected it a little closer. Right above her winking face, in an open spot, lay her unmistakable ‘D.Va’ signature, along with the words: ‘We make a great team!’
Wait. She recognized this!
“Oh.” Hana could barely verbalize the surprise. The memory came flooding back again.
Brigitte immediately pushed past her and reached toward a corner of the poster attempting to take it down. “Don’t say ‘oh.’ like that!” She pleaded as she struggled with the tape. “I’ll take it down! I’m sorry! I was trying to be cool and not fangirl because that's cringe and I almost didn't put this up but its my favorite poster and-”
Hana cut the rambling girl off, as fast as she could.
She reached up and grabbed Brigitte’s bicep with both hands. The second Hana’s hands touched Brigitte’s skin, a jolt of fuzzy energy traveled from her fingertips straight into her chest. Brigitte immediately stopped trying to peel the poster off the wall and her eyes shifted to look down at the smaller girl.
Brigitte’s arm was solid and warm…and freckled and Hana was internally wasting away and blooming with energy, all at the same time. She felt her whole face bursting into flames as Brigitte lowered her arm between them and slowly turned to face her.
Hana knew that she needed to let Brigitte’s arm go, but honestly it felt kind of mind numbing (in a GREAT way) to be touching her. She had to think quick or THIS was going to be cringe.
“It’s not cringe. I promise,” She whispered and gently lowered her hand, being careful to minimally graze the other girl's arm, while keeping the other one on her bicep. She immediately felt Brigitte’s skin prickle with goose bumps.
She internally hissed, ‘Why am I doing this? Ugh. This is like, totally not the right time to flirt!’
“That’s just a rare poster. I do remember signing it though. Reinhardt asked me for my autograph after we teamed up in London.” She pondered out loud.
Hana let go of Brigitte’s bicep, careful not to show reluctancy or eagerness and shoved her hands back in her pockets.
It took Brigitte a second to respond. She slowly sat down on her bed before looking back up at Hana. She looked a bit dazed and her cheeks were stained a soft pink.
“It was your first exhibition show in London. I thought it was so cool that Rein got to fight with you,.” She whispered, a nostalgic expression settled over her face.
She looked up at the poster as if she was remembering a fond memory.
“My papa wouldn't let me go to the show, even though we were in the area. He had a pretty tight leash, even though I was of age. Reinhardt knew how badly I wanted to be there, so he said he would go and buy me merch.” She chuckled at the memory. Her hands wrang together in her lap, nervously. “It’s one of my most treasured possessions.”
Hana instantly lit up, “I was just thinking about that today when I saw him get out of the airship…and then he lifted you up like a child!” She chuckled at the fresh memory of Brigitte s limp arms and deadpan face swinging in the air, like a cat that was being held against it’s will.
Brigitte covered her face and groaned loudly into her hands,.”No! I was hoping no one saw that!” She growled, voice muffled, as she shook her head from side to side. “He still treats me like I’m five…”
Hana smiled at the other girl's embarrassment. She looked back and rolled the desk chair toward her and took a seat.
“So your dad is Torbjorn right? Why are you here with Overwatch and not with your family? Is your dad gonna come back and help?” She grabbed the back of the chair and reclined into it, making herself comfortable in Brigittes room.
Brigitte looked up from her hands and pondered the questions for a second.
“Papa said he was staying home. That this wasn't his fight.” She said disappointedly. “I AM here with my family, though. Rein is my godfather, and he needs me more than my family does back home.” She perked up at the mention of Reinhardt. She settled and leaned back on the bed, her elbows holding her weight. “Reinhardt has been through so much with the Crusaders, and then with Overwatch, and I feel that he was cast away, without a single thank you. I’m here for him and for the other heroes that need support. I'm not here for Overwatch.” She declared passionately and stared up at Hana, a sincere, determined look crossing her eyes.
Hana pondered Brigitte’s words. The whole Overwatch story was kind of confusing, to be honest. What really happened behind the scenes to make the UN put a stop to it with the Petras Act? She wondered about all the talented people that were turned away after Overwatches dissolve.
“Do you know what happened? To Overwatch, I mean.” She asked quietly, very aware that they were at an old Overwatch Watchpoint.
“I don’t know,” Brigitte sighed and tilted her head back. “And I don’t really care. All that matters is that it is going to be different this time.” At that moment, Brigitte was concise and confident. She seemed to harbor some resentments toward Overwatch. Hana didn't blame her. She imagined Overwatch took up a lot of her father's life and they cast them away without a second thought. Fast forward to now, and there they were, illicitly bringing it back.
Hana snorted, “Different as in illegal?”
Brigitte let out a hardy laugh; it reminded Hana of Reinhardt's laugh. “Exactly! Honestly, it makes it more fun that way.” She softened her voice, winked and scooted herself to the edge of the bed.
The conversation hit a lull and Hana felt the need to keep it going; not exactly ready to end their conversation. She glanced over to the PC on the desk. It looked like a frankenstein rig, to be honest. Different parts put together to make a monster rig. Hana tilted her chin in it’s direction, “So what do you play?”
Brigitte’s eyes lit up, but they quickly dimmed with insecurity, as she clasped her hands on her legs and shrugged. “Well…I mostly like RPG’s and dating sims…maybe a little bit of Starcraft…” She muttered. She continued to wring her hands. The insecurity radiated from her. “I’m not a huge strategy, or first-person shooter gamer. I just like chill games that I can escape with you know? I want my games to take me somewhere that is not…here.”
Hana internally chuckled as she noticed Brigitte tended to be a bit of an oversharer, especially when she got nervous; it was cute. She found that she liked listening to her. Her slight accent and dynamic variety of her voice was very personable.
Brigitte looked toward her PC and smiled, “I’m not as good as you…aaand my pc has seen better days. I kind of just get used parts and piece it together to upgrade it. My only complaint is that the fans are loud. I need to replace them.” She rambled as Hana was distracted thinking about how cute she was.
Brigitte continued talking about her setup, but Hana found herself looking past the other girl and back at the poster. Her mind tuned the other girl out slightly. It's crazy how they ended up there. After everything that's happened, after every experience in their lives, it all brought them together to this point, to this moment. Overwatch used to be such a light in people's lives, but Hana could understand the resentment Brigitte felt toward it. She hoped that this would be different, for Brigitte’s sake. She hoped that resentment wouldn't get in the way of her positive light.
After a moment of quiet pondering, she noticed Brigitte’s questioning look toward her. In a quick attempt to distract from the fact she zoned out, Hana rolled herself back and stood up, making sure to put the chair in its spot. “Maybe we can scrounge up some parts to upgrade your PC while we’re here. She said and smiled down at Brigitte on the bed, “I’m sorry I interrupted your workout and for keeping you up.” She scratched the back of her head in a rare display of insecurity.
Brigitte stood up quickly. “No! You’re fine! You did not keep me up. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a room to myself. It’s going to take me a few days to adjust. I’ll probably do that while I get used to it. Living in a hover truck for a year has really changed the way I sleep.” She chuckled as she seemed to think back on those memories.
Hana blinked in confusion. “You lived in a hover truck?” She asked hesitantly.
Brigitte scratched the side of her face, absentmindedly. “Yeeahh…” She drawled out. “Reinhardt and I traveled across Europe in it.”
She turned and walked over to a drawer and pulled out a towel and shower caddy full of shower essentials. She turned back to Hana and smiled. “Long story. I’ll tell you about it later."
Hana took the hint, and turned to walk out of the open door; they hadn't closed it since going into the room. Brigitte followed Hana towards the rest of the dorms.
“I’ll follow you out. The big showers are over on that side anyway.” She called out. She took stock of the necessary items and walked alongside the smaller girl.
They walked in comfortable silence, both of them fully aware how early in the morning it was. They reached Hana’s room and she pushed the button for the door to release. Brigitte watched Hana as she slipped her shoes off and set them outside of the room. Hana turned back to say goodnight and immediately saw the awe on Brigittes face. She leaned to one side, trying to get a better look inside Hana’s small room.
“Is that…the D.Va PC rig that they announced 2 months ago?!” She gasped. “That hasn't even been released for pre-order!” She hushed herself to a whisper, attempting to quell her excitement.
Brigitte’s eyes were huge with wonder. She towered over Hana to get a better look. Hana turned to glance at her PC. She didn't remember that it hadn't been released for the public to purchase yet. Truth be told she’s had it for about 6 months now. The collaboration between her, South Korea’s biggest hardware manufacturer, and Nano Cola proved to bear some pretty irresistible nerdy fruits, and Hana was extremely proud of it.
“Yeah. You wanna come check it out after your shower?” She asked nonchalantly. She really longed for some game time. Even if they stayed up a little too late. She totally thought that would be worth it.
If possible, Brigitte’s eyes lit up even more. Her big caramel eyes shone so bright, Hana didnt know someone could get so excited. Brigitte enthusiastically nodded “yes” and jogged toward the showers in a rush.
Hana chuckled to herself as she watched her jog down the hall. ‘She’s so youthful.’ She thought.
While Brigitte showered, Hana quickly got to work tidying up her area. Luggage was laid out on the floor taking up almost all of the standing room. She hadn't gotten done unpacking clothes yet, since she gave priority to her gaming area. She stuffed the overhanging clothes back in the luggage, zipped it up, and stuffed it under the bed. She took a second to smooth out the sheets, as they were wrinkled from her earlier attempt at sleep. She then moved on to the desk and cleared up the empty Nano Cola cans.
After a few minutes of tidying up, Hana stood in the middle of the small room, her hands on her hips, surveying her area. She was happy with what she had done. She even managed to add a few figurines and put up a couple of posters, maybe Brigitte wouldn't notice the new additions since she was so busy ogling the PC. She didn't want the other girl to think she was trying to impress her or anything like that.
As she was thinking about what else she could add, she heard a soft knock on the open door. She turned to see Brigitte, clad in a white wife-beater, red basketball shorts, and mix-matched socks; one gray, one black. Her damp hair flowed over her broad shoulders, and down her chest, accentuating the deep curves of her clavicle. Hana gulped and let out a quiet croak.
“Hey.” Brigitte whispered. She gently laid her sandals, folded towel, and shower caddy outside of the door near Hana’s shoes.
Hana stood there stunned by how stunning Brigitte was. She was so stunned that she didn't notice the other girl awkwardly standing at the threshold, hands on either side of the door frame.
“Is it ok to come in?” She asked shyly, breaking Hana out of her daze.
“Yes! Sorry! I-um…” Hana rasped as she struggled to find an excuse for her hesitance, “You. Startled. Me.” She looked to her fidgeting feet below, embarrassed. “Please come in and sit.” She stiffly motioned toward the plush, ornate gaming chair in front of her desk.
She had to admit, this chair took up most of the floor space in her tiny room, but it was so worth it. The chair was a copy of her cockpit chair in Tokki, same colors but bigger, since there wasn't much room in there. The Meka Squad had gifted it to her for her 20th birthday.
Brigitte cautiously stepped in and pushed the button to shut the door. The sliding hiss of the door detonated that stupid little anxious bubble in Hana’s stomach. There was nothing wrong with being in the room with Brigitte, with the door closed, with her wife beater, and her hair down. Hana inhaled deeply and pulled the chair out for Brigitte. The other girl eyed it cautiously and looked back to Hana.
“Are you sure I can sit here? This is your chair.” She said with a hesitant grimace, as if she was afraid to sit in it. She scooped up her loose hair to one side and nervously ran her hands through it.
Hana smiled and pointed to the chair. “Dude. It’s not a big deal.” She stated as if it wasn't an issue. She forced herself not to think too much about being alone together in her room.
“It is a big deal! It’s THE chair from your streams. Nothing is more iconic than THAT chair.” Brigitte hissed. She looked so intimidated, as if the chair was royalty.
Hana chuckled and reached out for Brigitte’s hand. “Bro. Don’t be ridiculous!” She hissed back and wrapped her hand around the other girls index finger and pulled her in toward the chair.
Hana immediately felt fizzles in her stomach as she held onto Brigitte’s finger, and the more she concentrated on her hand, the more the fizzling grew. She pulled her in front of the chair and pushed it in, forcing her to sit down with a plop. Brigitte instantly tensed, but the longer she sat, the more comfortable she got. “This chair is the epitome of comfort…” She mused, squeezing the plush armrests.
Hana smiled and leaned in to turn on the PC. “The Tokki chair is the epitome of comfort and the D.Va Rig is the epitome of premium gaming. Here.” She bragged and rolled her into the desk and slid the keyboard and mouse down toward the edge.
The game sounds roared through the speakers and Hana rushed to lower the volume. She leaned over Brigitte’s legs as she adjusted the dials down, fully aware at how close she was to the other girl. Standing there over Brigitte, she could smell her soap, a sweet floral scent mingled with a more masculine one. The dichotomy of these scents came together so deliciously, Hana had to stop herself from leaning in.
Brigitte laughed heartily. “You know the sound proofing is exceptional here right?” She stated the question matter of factly, as if the smaller girl was supposed to know that fact.
Hana froze at Brigitte’s words. She could feel her eye twitch slightly.
‘Nope . Not going there.’ She thought.
She shook her head to clear her mind, and leaned away as quickly as she could. Brigitte continued, completely oblivious to Hana’s internal flailing, “I mean, that was entirely too loud, don't get me wrong, but I guarantee that no one heard that. I used to come here as a kid and I would game all night, full volume on the speakers, full raging screams, and no one would hear a thing.” She chuckled at the memory, briefly and continued, “Then Papa would wonder why I was dead inside the next day.”
Hana felt so terrible. There she was, mind in the gutter and Brigitte was thinking back on childhood memories. Brigitte was too pure for this world.
She had to get a hold of herself.
Hana backed up to her bed and sat down. She took a deep breath and motioned to the screens.
“Ok. Show me what you got, Brig.” She teased.
Brigitte blushed and smiled. She adjusted her fingers on the keyboard and placed her hand over the mouse.
After a few rounds in Starcraft, under her alt account, Hana was surprised to see that Brig was actually pretty good. Impressed with the other girl's skill, she brought out her portable gamepad and joined her with her D.va account. She made sure to stay offline so others wouldn't ask to team up. She was enjoying the time playing together. Their play styles complimented each other really well. Hana threw out calls and soon Brigitte felt comfortable enough to throw them out too. Hana felt a rush of excitement as they consistently kept up the kill streak.
They played until the breakfast bells rang out in the hallway. Surprised to hear the bell, unsure of what it meant, Hana perked up from her prone position on her bed and looked around, confused. Brigitte turned to glance at her, not noticing the ringing at first, but as soon as she did, her stomach involuntarily gave a loud growl.
She leaned back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling in disbelief. “We stayed up all night…playing video games.” She whispered incredulously.
Hana set her gamepad to the side and worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She was totally a bad influence last night. Brigitte probably didn't do that very often.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I should have cut us off after the first few wins last night.” She mumbled in guilt. She slid forward toward the edge of the bed, and glanced up at the other girl who was now looking at her incredulously.
“Are you kidding me? That was amazing!! I had a blast! I have never played with anyone before! It helped so much to communicate and not just listen to strangers curse at each other for their own mistakes!” Brigitte gushed and waved her hands animatedly as she practically yelled. “Please! We gotta do that again!” She pleaded, rolled herself closer to Hana, and clasped her hands in front of her face
Hana laughed fully. She was worried that this had been too much for Brigitte, but she guessed that she could have just left if she wanted to. She was happy that the other girl was so enthusiastic about playing again. Her excitement was incredibly endearing. “I would love that.” She said softly.
Brigitte’s face lit up again. Her smile grew and her eyes shone with excitement. Hana studied her face and felt the fizzles bubble up in her chest. Her heart made an involuntary note to always get that reaction from this girl. She felt her a tightness in her throat as she internalized the feeling.
“Thank you for letting me sit in your chair, and play on your PC. It was so much fun.” Brigitte thanked as she looked down at her hands. She glanced back up at Hana with a shy sincere smile that made Hana’s chest tighten.
“T-thanks for playing. Uh. It helped me out alot.” Hana stuttered as she attempted to shake the tightening in her chest. She took a second and realized that she wanted the other girl to know that she really was thankful for their time spent together. “For a second there, I thought the anxiety was going to win. I was aimlessly walking around until I found you, so thanks for helping me forget about it.” The confession made her feel vulnerable and she didn't like it. She played with a string on the hem of her oversized t-shirt, trying not to make eye contact.
Brigitte stood from the chair and knelt down in front of Hana, in an attempt to make eye contac
t. Her long brown locks, now dry and slightly wavy, framed the sides of her face beautifully. Hana felt a blush incoming as Brigitte cautiously set a strong hand on her knee. The second it made contact, it sent that same fizzle feeling from before, go down her spine.
Brigitte gave her a determined smile. “That anxiety is never going to win ok? Not with me here to scare it off. We’re teammates, and now we’re friends. You’re not alone here.” She declared with fiery passion. She stood up and backed up quickly to the door, a slight blush joined the freckles on her cheeks. “I’ll let you have a moment. I’m going to get ready and get some breakfast before Reinhardt eats it all. He could out eat an entire army if I let him.” She rambled awkwardly as she reached the door.
She pushed the button and called out to Hana as she picked up her shoes and caddy, “If you want breakfast, you should hurry because Reinhardt truly is unforgiving at mealtime. Just FYI!” She called out as she ran back toward her room in her socks. Her arms full with shoes and shower essentials.
And with that, Hana was left alone in her room. The slow hum of the PC, and the game’s title music, the only noise surrounding her.
Brigitte had to be one of the kindest people she’d ever met.
She truly felt less alone after last night.
A small smile spread across her face as she looked up at her uniform. Suddenly in better light, she promised herself she was going to try her best at training today. She wanted to be the best she could be to protect her new teammates, and above all else, Brigitte.