Chapter Text
Laid on her back, looking up at the dull grey tone of the ceiling above her bed, Hana felt crushed under the weight of responsibility that was about to come with this next step that she took in her life. Hana pondered the success of the recent battle that had just taken place, it was her first time encountering Null Sector, and though she wasn’t fighting miles above the sea, they had almost lost. If it weren’t for the agents of Overwatch that had shown up to save their skin, that is.
It was hard to believe that Overwatch, an organisation deemed illegal years ago, were back. It brought hope to the world, but many struggled to forgive the crimes that Blackwatch had committed and other past failures. So, it was no surprise that their return was backed by no support from the government, even after their success in Paris. It may have initially been her idea to join forces with Overwatch, a proposal that Captain Myung wasn’t too fond of at first, but after being told that she alone would be sent overseas to fight, Hana started to have second thoughts.
Of course, she had plenty of faith in her squad after fighting alongside them for a couple of years, but Hana couldn’t help but worry that something would happen while she was away. The possibility that she might not be able to return in time to assist them did not sit easy in her mind. Not to mention, she was hours away from being thrown into a new environment, with people she had never met before, miles away from her home and friends without any indication of when she may return. Furthermore, it would become her duty to protect the world and not just the coastline city of Busan. So, yes, Hana could feel each responsibility pushing down on her body even before those responsibilities were placed in her hands.
Deciding that these thoughts were no good for her, Hana opted to take her mind off of things in the short time that she had before leaving for Gibraltar- one of Overwatch’s watchpoints, and their current main base of operations. She decided to dedicate her time to some research, specifically about the agents she will be working alongside for the foreseeable future.
Sat at her desk, she opened the file on her computer that Captain Myung had shared with her a few hours prior. Hana skimmed over the files of those present during the battle earlier because she had already become somewhat acquainted with them, and decided to focus on any unfamiliar names that crossed her screen. However, she did take interest in names such Lena Oxton, a name that she had come across numerous times before after reading about her so much in the news, especially after the slip stream incident, and how it made her the hero she is today. There was a little comfort in knowing that there would be a fellow pilot there. Similarly, the name Angela Ziegler caught her attention, a doctor whose medical technology and research changed science forever, but most people were fascinated by the mystery of just how old she was. The doctor was one of the original members of Overwatch, yet she looked like she hadn’t aged a day.
There were a couple other names that Hana recognised, but the majority were people she had never heard of before. It was unsurprising considering that many of the original agents had passed, retired or gone into hiding. She tried to make herself as familiar with all the names as possible, and it was then, when she had almost reached the bottom of the file, that someone knocked on her door.
“It’s open,” she called, and but a second later her good friend Yuna, known as D.mon on the battlefield, entered.
Her face, which usually bore a similar smug grin much like Hana’s, was now laced with concern. “Shutting yourself in your room?” she asked.
Hana shrugged her shoulders and directed her attention back to her screen. “Nothing much for me to do here now, is there?”
There was a slight frown on Yuna’s face after she said this, but she tried to lift up spirits after noticing what Hana was looking at on her computer. She approached and glossed her eyes over the file, “Getting the dope on all the agents, huh?”
“Yeah, there’s some I don’t recognise, so I wanted to see what I could find out about them.”
Reading from the screen, Yuna spoke, “Brigitte Lindholm… Daughter of Torbjörn Lindholm?”
“Torbjörn?” Hana echoed.
“Yeah, he was, like, one of the original members of Overwatch. An infamous engineer, especially when it came to weapons. He’s retired now, though, but his daughter was at the Paris attack. Apparently, she’s some kind of engineering prodigy.”
Hana scoffed and scrolled further down the file. “Surely not better than me.”
At this, Yuna shook her head and gave her a disapproving stare. “Careful with that attitude of yours,” she reprimanded. “You could make some enemies, and I won’t be there to keep you in check.”
Even though Hana rolled her eyes at this, she knew her friend was right, it was important that she stayed on her best behaviour for a good while, for her soon to be comrades may not be so welcoming of her D.va persona.
“What time are you leaving?”
Hana switched off her computer and began gathering all the wires, because of course she was going to bring it with her. She looked at the clock on the wall, “Ship should be here at six AM, so in a little under eight hours.”
“We’ll try and get up to wave you off, but if not…” She opened her arms wide, a sad smile on her face. Hana slipped into the embrace, undeniable tears aching to fall from both of their eyes. “Be careful.”
Hana pulled back, and despite the flood of anxiety rushing through her body, she put on her best smile and said, “No promises.”
It came as no surprise to Hana when she couldn’t sleep that night, when she was awake she couldn’t settle her mind, and in the brief moments when she was graced with sleep, it was plagued with nightmares. Eventually, she gave up on all attempts to gather rest and began making the final preparations for her departure. Her suitcase trailed behind her as she made it into the common room, looking solemnly upon the barracks where her friends resided. She wished she had the chance to say goodbye to Dae-Hyun in person, but a simple text was all she could give him with him being away visiting family.
Hana was shaking a little, but she blamed it on the cold air that greeted her when she stepped outside to gaze across the runway. The wait felt like an eternity, but it was more akin to the passage of an hour when a foreign ship landed about two-hundred metres away. She watched as her mech was loaded into the cargo hold before glancing up at the observatory where she spotted Captain Myung peering down at her. Hana waved goodbye, and in turn was given a curt nod. Aside from whoever was piloting the ship, there was only one other person on board there to keep her company. However, if Hana were being completely honesty, she wouldn’t have minded being by herself for a little while longer.
It was Cole Cassidy, a former outlaw in the Midwest before taking up arms in Overwatch. He was one of the Handful of agents she had become acquainted with the other day. He greeted her warmly and saw to it that she was secure in her seat. Shortly after the ship departed, he initiated conversation.
“Nervous, kid?” he asked.
Fearing that he could see right through her, Hana folded her arms over her chest and scoffed. “I’ve fought Gwishin ten times the size of you, what have I to be afraid of?”
Cassidy chuckled at this. “You got that spark, I like it. You remind me of myself when I was younger.”
“Uhh, I’m way cooler than you.” He also found this amusing, and a conversation picked up between them. However, it eventually dwindled down, and he began to nod off. Hana, too, tried to catch some sleep, but unfortunately wasn’t as successful.
Hours later, and they finally landed in territory unknown to Hana. Much like the MEKA base in Busan, Watchpoint: Gibraltar was located right by the coast. An intricate facility concealed within and around a cliff face by the furthest reach of southern Spain.
Cassidy showed her out of the ship, and to greet them was none other than the renowned scientist, Winston. However, much to his own dismay, he wasn’t especially known for his scientific advancements, but rather for the fact that he was a monkey in charge of an organisation of Heroes. Though Hana had read and seen plenty about him, it was still quite the sight to behold in person.
“It is such an honour to meet you, Miss Song.” He outstretched a… hand? Paw? Hana wasn’t so sure, but she took it anyway and shook it gracefully.
“Just Hana is fine,” She replied with a smile, swallowing all of her anxiety.
“Noted,” said he. “Please, follow me. We’ll need to set up your credentials with Athena before you can get settled in, I’ll have someone take your luggage and other possessions to your room.”
“What about Tokki?” she asked, apprehensively.
Winston appeared confused for a short moment before connecting the dots. “Ah, your mech. Yes, we’ll have someone escort it safely to the docking bay.”
With that, Hana began the incredibly tedious process of documenting all of her details into the Overwatch database. Her date of birth, expertise, experience, modes of contact and so on. The questions were simple, but the sheer amount of them quickly became annoying. Hana tried her best not to let it show. However, that became a challenge when even more annoyingly, Athena registered her information as already being in the system after Captain Myung had sent them in the day prior. Sheepishly, Winston apologised and walked her along the corridors until they arrived at the barracks.
He pointed to the door on the left and explained, “These are the women’s quarters, and the men’s are just a little further down. We actually don’t have adequate space for another bed in there so…” he directed her attention to a door across from the women’s barracks, he opened it and continued, “You’re lucky enough to have your own room.”
Hana stepped inside a little, her possessions and luggage placed neatly on the floor for her to organise how she saw fit. At this, she was relieved; she already struggled to sleep as it was, but sleeping in a room full of strangers? That thought made her shudder a little, but thankfully it would not be a reality for her.
“I’ll leave you to get settled and send someone to give you a tour of this facility in a short while.”
Hana thanked him before he left, and the second he closed the door, her shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh. Her lack of sleep made her a little drowsy, but she supposed it could be worse. Everyone she had encountered had been nice so far, so Hana was certain that it was only a matter of time before she settled in. And, speaking of settling in, she supposed the first step would be to store what she had taken with her from Busan. Before that, though, she took a moment to look around the small room that was clearly a repurposed utility room, the pipes that ran through it told her as much. She had a desk with a wardrobe next to it, and opposite that a single bed. On the wall adjacent was a window that looked over across the ocean. ‘At least I get a nice view,’ she thought.
As good as an idea that was though, it did not last long. This was because she set her sights on first unboxing her monitor and computer, relieved to find them in one piece. She set the monitor upon the desk in her room and the computer underneath it before plugging everything in. In the short amount of time that it took to boot up, Hana sat herself on the office chair provided for her, equipped her headset and went through the familiar process of checking her audio, camera, and other similar settings.
It was her initial idea to stream, to share the news of her new affiliation with her fans and play some video games while she was at it. However, after setting everything up, she hesitated on the ‘go live’ button, and eventually lost the courage. Hana quickly realised that such a thing was probably not the best thing to do given her current state of mind and fatigue that plagued her. In the end, she opted to do a pre-recorded message instead.
After checking and fixing her hair, Hana mustered up her best smile and conjured the shrill voice of D.va once she hit record.
“Hiya!” she beamed, “Thought I’d come on here and clear a few things before the media has a field day. I’m sure you’re all familiar with Overwatch and how, despite the PETRAs Act, they have returned. Well, I’m now officially working with them. That’s right! D.va is now a hero of Overwatch, not that I wasn’t a hero before.” Her tone shifts to a slightly more serious one as she continues, “It was on the battlefield the other day that I realised if we want to win this war, not just against the Gwishin, but all forces trying to divide humanity, then we have to do it as a team. I can’t promise a schedule for streaks right now, but I will do my best to keep you all updated! D.va out!”
She watched the video over after she had finished recording it, and before she could have second thoughts, uploaded it and shut off her phone and computer. Hana sat back on her chair and another uneasy sigh left her lips. It seemed that a pre-recorded message was the right call, for keeping up the cocky persona that was D.va took a lot out of her, and she did not have that kind of energy.
Moments later, a knock sounded at her door. Hana got up out of her chair and opened it to reveal a short woman with spiky brown hair and freckles dusting her face. She was clad in a white vest and grey leggings. Hana would not have known who this woman was if it weren’t for the glowing chronal accelerator strapped to her chest.
“Afternoon!” She greeted her energetically. “It is such a pleasure to meet you, D.va! The names Lena.”
“Right back at you! Just Hana is fine, by the way,” Hana had a feeling she’d be saying that a lot while she got settled in.
“I’ve been instructed to give you a lil tour of this place so you know ya way around. Ya free right now?”
Hana simply nodded her head, and Lena began to conduct her around the facility. She first let her glimpse into the women’s barracks where Hana saw rows of beds perpendicular to the walls painted white and orange. Each bed had its own set of drawers and desk next to it, and several lockers dotted the room. At that present moment it was dimly lit with a few bedside lamps which illuminated the many posters and photographs on the walls that belonged to the room’s occupants. In there, she was greeted by Aleksandra Zaryanova, another agent present at Busan the other day, and the environmental scientist Mei-Ling Zhou.
A little further down the corridor, after passing by the men’s sleeping quarters, they came across the shower block. Lena advised her to bring her own clothes, toiletries, and towels when she needed to use it, and to wait at least a minute before jumping in the water, a mistake Lena had made one too many times before.
An elevator trip upwards brought them to the cafeteria. For that room, Lena’s advice was to try and make it to breakfast early, for some of the agents could eat about as much as they weighed, meaning latecomers would be left with scraps and would probably have to get their breakfast from the vending machines. Hana didn’t say it, but most of her meals already consisted of canned, carbonated drinks and chips. On that same floor there were office and computer rooms, an observatory, and the break room.
Lena then brought the two of them two floors down and first showed her along the medical wing which was a long corridor of hospital rooms with an office on each end. It was lit up quite harshly compared to the other areas, flooded with blue and white tones. This time around, Lena’s words of wisdom were to try not end up in there so much, for Angela’s scolding became painful after a while, and she had enough on her plate as it was. To prove Lena’s point, they passed by her office where she could be seen working hard with a mug of coffee in one had, and a pen in the other which she scanned over documents with. The doctor noticed their presence and waved at them angelically. Alongside the medical wing on the ground floor, the training room and gym could also be found, but Hana couldn’t picture herself going there often.
The last place that Lena took her to is what she anticipated most. “And here is the workshop, the home of our chief mechanic,” she announced as she pulled open the large steal doors.
The room was decently big, with several workstations, a forge, tools both basic and advanced dotted along the walls. Heaps of scrap metal could also bee seen next to pumps which Hana could only guess the use of them. There were several cabinets too, and silver shelves to match. Seeing it all made Hana the most excited she had been since arriving, for the thought that she could still work on Tokki brought joy to her.
The last notable thing in the workshop was a figure tucked away in one of the corners, sketching out a blueprint while listening to some music. The figure was that of a woman’s, and a tall one at that. As Hana glanced over at her, the fellow pilot leaned in and said, “Briggy wouldn’t hurt a fly, but could easily snap you in half if you got on her bad side.” Hana’s shock was visible at this, but Lena offered some assurance, “No need to worry, though. That lass don’t got a bad bone in her body.”
Lena then all but skipped over to the engineer, tapping her on the shoulder in a way that startled the other woman. She turned in an exasperated manner and sighed. “Lena! Don’t scare me like that.”
Like most of the agents Hana had briefly conversed with in the past forty-five minutes or so, this woman also had an accent from where she hailed from. However, Hana noted that hers was much softer than others she had heard. Not soft in the sense that it wasn’t very prominent, but soft as in… Well, the pilot didn’t quite know how to describe it, but something about her voice was soft.
“’Pologies!” chuckled Lena, “But come say hi to our newest member!”
Hana looked up at the woman, and in turn she looked down at Hana. Her face held no sharp features, her eyes were hazel, and her cheeks were dusted with freckles which were much more pronounced than Lena’s. She had long, auburn hair tied back in a ponytail which sat high on her head, with a few strands let loose to frame her face. Her glossy, pink lips were parted slightly, but soon they curved up into a smile.
“It is such an honour to meet you! My name is Brigitte Lindholm.”
Hana wanted to slap herself for not making the connection sooner. From what Hana remembered from the file she had read over, Brigitte was close to her in age and was knowledgeable when it came to engineering. ‘Perfect,’ she thought, ‘Making friends with her should be the easiest.’
“I’m Hana song,” she responded in kind. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Miss Lindholm.”
Brigitte’s smile doubled at this, and it quickly became infectious. However, Hana’s earlier mental statement was quickly disproven when the Swede proclaimed, “Your mech is a masterpiece, by the way! I helped offload it into the docking bay in case you were wondering where it was.”
Her heart sank at this, and the suppressed anxiety came back quickly. “You didn’t touch it, did you?” with the unpleasant emotions in her chest, her tone of voice was harsher than Hana intended it to be. In fact, she didn’t mean to be harsh at all, but her words carried a sting.
The smile on Brigitte’s face had faltered massively, and she stammered as she spoke, “N-no, I-“
Hana’s change in disposition was a result of fear, fear of the possibility that the one thing linking her back to her friends and home had been damaged in some way, shape, or form. Of course, she couldn’t quite bring herself to explain this to the other woman, but what came out of her mouth was even worse.
“Good, because that is MEKA property, and only qualified, high level engineering personnel can work on it.”
Oh, Hana could see the hurt on Brigitte’s face, feel it almost. Lena clearly found the whole ordeal incredibly awkward, and before Hana could strain out an apology, the Brit ushered her along, claiming that there was more for her to see. “Right…” the Swede’s tone was incredibly deflated. “Well, see you around Lena, Miss Song.”
Shortly after that horrendous interaction, she and Lena parted ways, and, with some difficulties navigating, Hana returned to her room. She flopped on her bed and let out a long groan, frustrated with herself. Why was it so hard to muster up the façade of D.va when she needed it, but it slipped out so easily when she least wanted it to?
Deep down, Hana knew the reason, or she could at least make a pretty good guess. A defence mechanism, she supposed. It was no wonder it was happening so frequently in a place so far from home filled with total strangers. Adjusting seemed to be posing a lot more of a challenge than she initially thought. She cut herself some slack, however, reminding herself that it was her first day after all.
Time ticked by- time which Hana spent finally unpacking the rest of her belongings, clothes, shoes, toiletries and the like. Until all that was left, was the photo she had brought with her of her and her squad mates. Looking at it brought a genuine smile to her face, for the image depicted a fond memory of the first tournament that they had won together when she was seventeen. She pinned the photo on the door and looked upon it fondly.
Hana was the startled suddenly, for a ringing noise erupted from her computer. She snapped her head over to the alarm on her desk, and found the time was twelve AM- the time she had arranged to call her friends back in Busan.
She quickly pulled on her headset, sat in her chair, and answered the call. Hana was quickly greeted with the sight of her squad present day, their heys' and hellos' overlapping.
The revered pilot Seung-hwa Shi, or Overlord on the battlefield, was the first to speak coherently. “How was your first day?”
Hana winced a bit at the question, but answered honestly, “Nothing too special, it’s pretty nice here, and everyone is friendly enough but…” she made a great effort no to look at Yuna when finishing her sentence, “I may have accidently insulted someone.”
King, or Kyung-soo as his friends knew him, responded a little too eagerly to this. “Oh my god, who?”
Hana hung her head. “The Lindholm one.”
Again, Seung spoke up, “Lindholm? As in-“
“Yeah, yeah, Torbjörn's daughter, engineering prodigy blah blah blah.”
“No, no I swear I’ve heard that name elsewhere.”
While he searched for why on earth that name rang a bell for him, Jae-eun Kwon, Casino, asked, “What did you say to her?”
Hana sunk further in her chair and idly spun from side to side. “Told her that someone like her shouldn’t be touching my Tokki… that she was qualified enough basically.” They all went silent, and it made Hana feel worse. “Look, I didn’t mean it, okay?! But… it clearly upset her, and I don’t know what to do.”
“That pride of yours is going to be the death of you,” Yuna sighed, shaking her head.
“Ah, here it is,” Said Seung before sharing his screen. “Lindholm Forgery and Mechanic’s. AKA the guys that make and export the metal plating for our mechs.”
In that moment, Hana was certain the universe had it out for her. “You’re kidding me, right? I insulted the woman whose family business makes valuable materials for our mechs?”
“They’re based in Sweden, so, probably,” Came Kyung’s dry remark, to which Hana let out another groan.
Being the voice of reason for once, Jae offered, “Listen, just next time you see her, apologise. We don’t want complications with our suppliers because of your ego.”
Hana doubted what she said would jeopardize MEKA and trusted that Lena was telling the truth when she said that Brigitte did not have a bad bone in her body, but she knew an apology was in order if she wanted to make amends. So, changing the subject, she asked, “Heard from Dae?”
They all shook their heads, disclosing that he was still with family, and would be for at least another month or so. Naturally, Hana was disheartened by this. She could call him if she really wanted to, but feared taking away valuable time with his family.
Nevertheless, her conversation with her squad continued for a good while until they were called for their first drill of the day- Hana had forgotten the drastic difference in time zones, realising only then that it was eight AM for them. She let them get away, and she herself was left with her own thoughts.
Laying on her bed, Hana scolded herself for letting her celebrity persona slip through when she had been doing so well throughout the day. She could only hope that tomorrow would be better.