"It's funny how we always think there's gonna be more time... That we will always have another talk, another laugh... another kiss... Those memories of you and me are the ones that remind me how precious our time together was. This is everything that I have from you now, memories of a different time. We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out, taking everything with it... taking you away from me." - Dr. Angela Ziegler.

(Overwatch - The Hunt)

(Act 1 - Hope)

She was used with that sound... Gunshots, violence's symphony, played over and over in the dead of night. Will violence always be the solution? She asked that question so many times... It never got older, and that night was no different.

Well, fortunately, that wasn't entirely true.

"So, that's it?" A little boy asks, frustrated by the end of the story.

"What? It's a beautiful ending!" Angela persists, keeping her elegant tone.

There she was, among the kids that, thankfully, she was able to save from the horrors of war. The hospital became their hideout, and it would stay that way until the sunrise. And there she remains, like a guardian angel, doing everything she could to create a fictional scenario without any of those terrible noises outside, hoping that all the kids could have a good time regardless of what was happening.

The darkness was absolute, but none of them were scared. They stopped to hear her angelic voice and her stories as an ex-Overwatch agent, awakening their imagination and filling their hearts with excitement to hear more about her as Mercy and her old colleagues.

As Angela notices that their eyes were entirely focused at her, she brings a beautiful grin to her lips, delighted to be achieving her goal to keep them distracted. There was no such thing for her to see so much cute innocent faces surrounding her, just waiting to know more about the Overwatch team. Just like in the old days.

"Is it true that they call you an angel, Dr. Ziegler?" One of the girls asks politely.

"My dear, you can call me Angela." She grins in response. "And yes, but I'm not an angel."

"Of course you are! You are always so kind with everyone, helping anyone that needs you! That's what an angel does, right?!"

"Aww... so cute...! But I'm just doing my job, doing what it needs to be done. It's my duty."

"The whole Overwatch is like you?" A boy interferes.

"Like me...?"

"Yeah, heroes! The ones that take down the villains!"

"Oh! Well... I'm not exactly a hero. I'm just a medic. They are the ones who save the world and take down the bad guys. I'm just a support."

"That's not true! You are awesome just like them!"

"That's right!" The girl adds, captivating Angela with her kindness within in every word. "Without you, Overwatch would be nothing. Everyone needs a medic, after all."

"Well, that part is true." She lets out a quick giggle. "I'm just not used to receiving part of the credit, but that's okay. In the end, keeping my team safe is all that matters to me, even if they keep screaming: I need healing! I need healing! All the time."

The hilarious situation flashed through the kids minds, unleashing immediately countless laughs around her, overcoming, for a brief second, the terror outside.

It was no surprise that she had to deal with plenty of questions about old Overwatch agents.

After all, who could forget such heroes?

Reinhardt, Torbjörn, Tracer, Winston, and many others.

What a pleasure it was to meet them all.

Talking about her ex-colleagues brought so much memories from the past, and she made sure to share.

None of the young kids chose to take easy on her. There were always another question, another curiosity, another story to be told. So much memories... All those years working in Overwatch's Swiss Headquarters, all those days on her own lab among such an amazing group, fighting to make the world a better place.

Oh, how she missed those days.

Everything was so... perfect.

But what Angela learned since the beginning is that nothing lasts forever.

Sadly, it was just a matter of time before everything collapsed into ruins. Years of dedication, sacrifices, and efforts suddenly became nothing but ashes when Overwatch finally met it's end.

Maybe, it was for the best.

But she could not allow those unfortunate events to consume her, she didn't want the kids to hear the darkest parts of the story.

However, destiny always finds a way to make her remember what she was fighting to forget. A memory, a name that brought the pain, the sadness, and the scars from the past, always crushing her heart.

"What about that cyborg?" The boy asks. "Man... he is so cool!"

"Genji..." She whispers his name, staring at his letter hidden among the rest of her medical equipment just beside her, like always.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes... I do."

It was hard for her to pronounce his name without feeling a shiver in her skin followed by the immediate explicit sadness within her voice.

Genji Shimada, considered by many the best among the Blackwatch team. The man that she took care of since the moment she found him in the brink of death.

The man that she once fell in love with. The same that, years later, broke her heart into pieces.

A wound that would never heal, no matter how hard she tried.

"Angela!" One of the boys, who was quiet during most of the stories, decides to finally break the silence. "Can you please tell us more about him?"

"Genji?" She asks, not exactly comfortable with the question, but she does her best to maintain her posture. "Well... it's a long story... Actually... I saved him."

"I said it! You are a hero!" The girl happily interrupts.

Angela takes advantage of the pause to take a deep breath, keeping her ease to proceed and face the ghosts of her past one more time

"...I took care of him." She continues. "As the time passed, he became one of us. A new member to our family, like Winston used to say."

"How did he become the cool cyborg ninja he is today?"

That question brought the saddest chapter of their story together, one that she considered to be the source of her nightmares.

Genji's cyberization process, when Angela, alongside a small group of scientists, turned Genji into a living weapon against the Shimada Clan.

Ziegler never forgot that day. It kept punishing her, over and over again. She could still hear him screaming and writhing in pain on that bed, barely handling the intense surgery that gave him a whole new body, enhancing his strengths, reflexes, and all his natural skills learned from the years of training within the Shimada Clan. Some said that he was no longer human, only a machine driven by one only objective: destroy his own clan.

It was there when Angela's life began to collapse.

"Kids, I don't want to talk about this." A fragile whisper escapes her.

How painful it was to face all those memories...

It hurt, so much.

"So, ah..." Confused by Angela's sudden change of tone, the young girl decided to change the subject. "You two were... close?" But the curiosity spoke louder in the end.

"Is it true?" The boy persists. "You two were a couple?"

"What? No!" Angela immediately replies, blushing in embarrassment.

The kids laughed at her reaction, so loud that all the violence outside was no longer a thing. Angela was about to end that, but she just couldn't ignore how they were having fun with the whole situation. She didn't want to ruin the moment, so she decided to finally tell them the story of Genji Shimada, trying to focus only on the months before he joined Blackwatch, the months that she met the man that taught her the meaning of love.

"Genji and I..."

"What is this?" Distracted, she could not notice that one of the boys grabbed the letter from her equipment.

"Hey! Wait!" Angela tries to take it away from his hand, but the kids were passing it on to each other, just until reaching the young girl's hands.

"Let's see what this is about..."

"Dear Dr. Ziegler,

It has been a while since our last meeting, but I had to find a way to contact you. There are some things that I need you to know.

I didn't have the chance to apologize for what happened that day in Gibraltar, about what I did to you. I don't know what happened to me. All the time, in every second, I regret what happened that day. I wish I could change that, erase it from our past, but I can't.

I don't blame you for what I've become. I don't blame you for anything. You are the reason why I'm still breathing, you are the reason why I'm still able to keep going. You were, you are, and will forever be, my savior, my guardian angel.

I know it's crazy, but I miss those days where I was barely walking, with you always by my side, never giving up, always making me forget my pain, forget my suffering, forget my conflicts. It was all you, Angela.

You helped me, you saved me.

You made me whole.

That night when you came to check how I was. I'll never forget what you said to me. I'll never forget any of the moments we had together.

The truth is that I wish I could see you again, I wish I could look at your eyes one last time to say how much I love you, of how much you changed my life and how happy I was by your side. All those days with you, even when I was stuck on that bed recovering from my wounds, were the best for me, because of you, Angela.

I love you, Dr. Ziegler.

I just hope that, someday, I'll see you again.

- Genji Shimada."

"You two are a beautiful couple."

"What?" Angela argues immediately. "We are not a couple, we are just..." There is a pause as the words present in that letter were still fresh on her mind.

She read it so many times since the day she received it... and still, it was always like the first time. The same deep impact when she reaches the quote: I love you, Dr. Ziegler.

Somehow, even after everything that happened between them, she didn't feel any grudge against him. She didn't want to.

It was an odd feeling that she could not describe precisely, but it made her feel something every time she thought about those words.

Emptiness... a painful feeling of loneliness, that something was missing from her life.

Those moments he mentioned...

Their kisses, their hugs, their laughs, their nights together.

It felt so magical to experience such emotions with him on moments that she kept alive within her memories, the only thing that she still had from him besides the letter. Memories of a different time.

"That night when you came to check how I was. I'll never forget what you said to me."

"That night..."

(Many years ago...)

"Alright, this should do." Angela says while covering Lena's shoulder with a bandage. "Just try to stay with the team next time, alright?"

"Oh, come on." Lena replies, tired of hearing the same advice countless times. "You too? First Jack, then Winston, now you too?"

"Doctor's orders." She smiles at her, but keeps a serious tone about the subject. "Don't risk your life like that again, Lena."

"Everything was under control! You know that." She argues, getting up from the bed.

"I didn't finish it!"

"Don't worry, love! I'm fine! It's just a small scratch, nothing to worry about. But thank you for your time."

"But..."

"And look at you... You are tired, Dr. Ziegler. When was the last time you had a good night of sleep?"

The exact answer was not an easy thing for Angela to remember. Three or four was her best guess.

The only sure she had was that Lena was right, and it was not difficult to know why.

Angela could barely fully open her eyes due to the lack of sleep, reaching a point that she couldn't even think anything straight anymore. She was used to some nights without sleeping, but that was way beyond her limit, and she knew that.

"I'm fine, Lena. I just... had too much work on the last couple of weeks, that's all." As she concludes, she remembers her next task, the last of the day. "Well, I gotta go."

"Is that what I think it is?" Knowing who was waiting for Angela, Lena couldn't hide a short laugh.

"What?"

"Are you going to see him?" She crosses her arms, waiting for the answer, holding her giggles.

"Why are you..."

"You know, since you brought him here, you have been acting a little strange. What's the matter? Can't say a simple hi anymore?"

"Lena, that's none of your business."

"Woah, looks like someone is in a bad mood today."

Shocked by her own words, Angela closes her eyes in shame.

"Sorry..." She says without the morale to stare at Lena after that.

"Don't worry about it." Lena didn't feel nothing from that harsh response, it only made more clear that Angela was clearly in the need of some deserved rest. "Maybe you could speak with him. Everyone needs a short chat once in a while. Remember when I was just a cadet? It was thanks to you and Winston that I quickly felt like part of the family. You could do the same with him, since he's always so isolated. Besides, he seems to like you... and you definitely has some... feelings for him too."

"I'm his doctor, Lena. Nothing more."

"Looks like you are way more than that, love! And you are terrible in hiding it! You spent almost six months taking care of him... Come on, Dr. Ziegler! Maybe meeting someone special is not a bad idea."

"I..." She was ready to resist, but her strength to fight Lena's words were gone. "Alright... Be careful out there, Lena."

"I know! And Angela! Just... don't wait too long, okay? I heard Genji will be on a mission soon. Commander Reyes said he's ready."

"Blackwatch..." She grumbles. "The Shimada Clan..."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Lena... It's nothing."

It was evident that there was much more to that, and Lena definitely noticed Angela's shift of tones regarding the Blackwatch team.

"That's all for now. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, Lena."

"Sure, Dr. Ziegler. Just remember what I told you, okay? See you around!"

Another patient discharged.

One more to go.

After so much effort to hide the tiredness slowly taking over her body, Angela finally on the hallway leading to Genji's private room.

"Just a few seconds." She whispers as she faces the door, opening it right after.

In her first step, she immediately sees him lying in his bed with a white blanket covering his body.

The room was dark, like he was sleeping for a while. Such a fact made her turn around, determined to let him rest.

But then...

"Doctor Ziegler?" He asks after hearing her footsteps.

"You are awake..." She enters his room again, closing the door behind her.

"It's so nice to see you again." He smiles at her while trying to get up, only to be brutally punished by his wounds.

"Wait! Take it easy." She holds his arm in a fast, yet delicate touch, slowing leaning his body back to the bed.

Their eyes met with Angela's approach, leaving both her and Genji blushing.

"So, ah..." She tries to recover her focus.

"How are you?" They both ask at the same time.

It was enough to make them to share a quick laugh, easing the uncomfortable atmosphere that was once between them.

"Ladies first."

"Oh, what a gentleman." She jokes back. "I'm fine, Genji. Thanks for asking."

"Are you sure? You don't seem well."

"I'm just a little..." A sudden yawn for a brief second. "...tired."

"You should rest a little, Dr. Ziegler. You look..." He was ready to say the word "terrible", but he refused to use it. It didn't suit her. It never would.

"I look..." She repeats, waiting for the conclusion.

"Oh, ah... You... You look..." He stares at her eyes, shocked by such beauty, losing control of his thoughts. "You look... beautiful- I mean, good! You look..." He gives up, shutting his mouth.

Amused, yet uncomfortable, Angela forces a shy laugh.

"What about you, Genji?" She decides to go back to her work, checking his forehead examining his body temperature. "Anything to report?"

"No, not at all." He replies, feeling her cold hand pressing against his forehead. "Thanks to you, Dr. Ziegler."

"You can call me Angela, Genji."

"Oh, right!"

"You seem well, but be aware for any signs of..." She yawns again.

"I got it." He holds her hand. "You should rest, Angela. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"No, I can... I can keep... up..."

Suddenly, Angela starts falling. But, in a quick movement, Genji holds her, saving her from falling on the floor.

"Angela?!"

"I'm okay..." She tries to remain still, but falls on Genji's warm hug. Refusing it at first, but slowly, accepting it, and finally, enjoying it.

She feels his arms wrapped around her back while she rests her head on his shoulder.

Angela would not bothered to stay like that for a minute or two. The heat of his chest brought so much comfort to her soul, just like his company.

"Want me to call someone?"

"No... just give me a few seconds..." She replies as she closes her eyes.

Just like Angela, Genji decides to embrace that moment with her, hearing her breathing and her arms slowly embracing him too.

"Angela..." He takes some seconds to create the courage he needed to reply such a gesture. But it finally came, it just made everything so more enjoyable for both him and her. His finger caressing her golden hair, carefully and gently.

Angela, feeling his kind touch all the way to her neck, gets more relaxed than never, not wanting that moment to end soon. None of them wanted.

"Thank you, Genji..." She whispers, letting him know how grateful she was for all those minutes with him.

"It's the least I can do." He answers softly. "You saved me, remember? They say you are just a doctor, but you are much more than that, Angela. You're a miracle worker." He gazes at her eyes, holding her hand at his cheek. "You are always so kind, so gentle... You are an angel."

"Genji..." With her heart skipping a beat, she stares him back.

With no words to describe her feelings for him, Angela goes for his lips, kissing it slowly as she holds his neck, bringing him closer, hearing his heart go crazy, just like hers.

At first, Genji struggled to find himself in that moment, lost as Angela gently drives his heart insane. He grabs her waist, holding her closely as she never pulls away, allowing him to guide her body towards his, hearing each other's fight to breathe.

"Thank you, Genji." She whispers.

"For what?"

"For this moment of peace and quiet."

"Just friends, right?" The girl asks while all the kids laughed at her, again. "But... what happened? He wrote about something bad that happened between you and him. What was that?"

"Can we skip this part?" She suggests, refusing to remember it, trying to keep in her mind only those wonderful years she had with him.

A pointless effort.

"But what would you say to him? You know, if he was right here... what would you say to him?"

"I don't know..." Dominated by her emotions, she saw his face, right in the middle of the kids, also waiting for her response. Right at that moment, Angela forgot about the world around her, focusing only on her illusion of him staring right into her eyes.

It was like no one was there. Only him, and him alone.

"But, if he was here, I would say... I'm sorry for what I did to you. This is why I didn't answer the Recall, because it was always a torture to look of what I turned you into to. If weren't for me, you would never have joined Blackwatch, and then, you would never..." She tried to keep an eye contact, but she couldn't, not with the guilty punishing her like a knife cutting through her heart.

So much happened after that night... So much sadness and suffering that he brought to both of them...

How painful it was the choices he made.

How sad it was the choices he didn't make.

Could she forgive him? She asked herself that question countless times, but she never had her answer.

What she didn't know, however, was that she was about to find out...

"Wait. Did you say... recall?!" The boy interferes. "So this means Overwatch will be coming back?! Awesome!"

"But without you?" The girl asked staring right at Angela's eyes. "You said you didn't answer the recall. Why?!"

"It's... complicated... Overwatch was shut down for a reason. Maybe it's best it stay that way."

"No, it's not!" The girl angrily disagrees. "You can't ignore what is happening! Look outside! People need Overwatch! The world needs heroes! We need you, Mercy! Please!"

"Kids, I..."

"And Overwatch needs you!"