Too Close to the Sun

This is wrong, Fareeha reflected.

She understood why Anton Mengs was being taken into HSI's Ilios facility on some level, but it was a level about six feet under, sealed behind a blast door, and stencilled with a warning that said "to gain entry, please leave your brain outside." When she'd been in the Egyptian Army, leaving one's brain at the door was a requisite for entry. Not that the Army lacked brains per se, but you followed those with brains that had higher ranks. Helix Security International however, was a bit more flexible. It had ranks, it had operatives, it had people smart enough to…

Well, smart enough to do some things, while others had let people like Doomfist escape from their Numbani facility. People who'd let Talon nearly abscond with artifacts from Ilios. She and her team had been sent there, and while they'd dealt with the terrorists in due time, the man they were now escorting into their Ilios facility hadn't been with the group. She'd protested, but she had her orders. And HSI was like the Army in another regard – you followed orders. Even if you didn't like them.

"Get in."

She nudged Mengs into the cell. Few minutes from now, another set of guards would come to strip him of his armour. The two electro-batons he'd been carrying had long since been removed, but the damn armour had some kind of electronic locking mechanism that had been beyond her and her team in the field. She looked at Mengs as he paced around the cell, before coming to look at her through the glass. It wasn't one way, and both could see each other. For a moment, she was glad she was still wearing her Raptora Mk. VI, visor included – she wasn't keen on making eye contact with someone that shouldn't even be in here.

"You HSI huh?"

Well, that was a simple question. She wasn't obliged to stay here, let alone communicate. Still, she nodded.

"Mind telling me what I'm doing in here?"

She made a sideways motion with her head to her team – the door. She wanted them to go through it. In silence, they obliged.

"So, er, is this where you turn the security cameras off too?"

Fareeha paused. Mengs couldn't have been much older than her, she reflected. Short black hair, brown eyes that were no longer obscured by a blue visor that he'd been wearing…She could swear that she'd seen him before.

"Strong and silent type, eh?"

After a moment's hesitation, she took off her helmet. This wasn't a proper interrogation. In fact, she could be reprimanded for talking to him at all. But, there was something about him. Something familiar…

"Anton Mengs," she began. "Is that even your real name?"

"You tell me."

Fine. I'll play your game. Fareeha put a hand to her chin. "I'm guessing not."

"And why's that?"

"Because I don't think you'd willingly give your real name to anyone. Plus, Anton Mengs is the name of a German painter who lived in the eighteenth century."

Something in 'Anton's' eyes flickered. She didn't spend much time looking into people's eyes, but her father had once told her that a person's eyes were the gateway into the soul.

"Interesting ideas you've got there."

Looked like her father was right. She smiled. "I know a bit about German art."

"And how's that?"

"Let's just say I knew a German who had interesting tastes in art. As well as music."

"Funny. I knew someone like that as well." He looked at her face. "Knew someone who was into birds also."

"What?"

"Your udjat. It's the Eye of Horus, isn't it?"

How do you know that?

Perhaps there was a simple explanation. She knew something about German art, he knew something about Egyptian art. It was a big, diverse, connected world, and cultural osmosis wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. But as for whether 'Anton Mengs' was going anywhere…

"So tell me," he said. "Why am I here?"

She cleared her throat. "You were caught interfering with an HSI operation and-"

"Let's cut the bullshit and admit that I just stood you up. HSI's in the spotlight, and the last thing you want is Overwatch cramping your style."

Fareeha laughed. An honest to God laugh. Christ, it had been a long time since she'd done anything like that. "Overwatch. Right."

"What, they haven't told you? I would have thought HSI would be a bit concerned after the recall order that was sent out."

"Recall order?"

"Hmm." Now it was his turn to put a hand to his chin. "Y'know, I could have sworn I've seen you somewhere."

And you too. But she didn't say that. Instead, she said, "what do you know about a recall order?"

"Oh, I think you know," Anton said. "Little reports of Overwatch agents acting as vigilantes all of a sudden? It's all over the news for one thing." He pushed forward against the glass. "Yeah, I got it. I'm not afraid to tell you. Got the recall order, and thought, hey, not my problem. But then we've got some assholes tearing up Greece, and I say, "well, Helio,"

Helio?

"…you fought these twats back in the day, you might as well do so now." He stretched in his cell. "Helio. Guess I got too close to the sun, eh? Guess that's Ra for you. Like I said, I know some stuff about Egyptians."

"You're Helio," Fareeha whispered.

"Um, yeah, I just said that dumbass."

"Helio," she repeated, not minding the insult. "The actual Helio. The Overwatch agent who…who…"

"Holy shit you're Ana's daughter."

The bullet dropped. Or stone. Or…well, something heavy. Fareeha's mind was racing too fast to think of more elaborate metaphors. Helio. She knew Helio. She knew the names of every Overwatch agent that had served in its time of operation, from Jack Morrison to Lena Oxton. She'd dreamed of one day fighting alongside them. Even alongside her mother, despite her misgivings. But then…well, mothers being killed and organizations being shut down did a number on things. The name "Anton Mengs" suddenly made sense, considering that one of Mengs's works of art was of the Greek god Helios. "Helio" was but one letter removed, and Helio, if anything, had always flown close to the sun as an Overwatch agent. Figuratively, whereas for her, no matter how high she soared, she rarely felt like she was truly flying.

And here you are after trying to help, she reflected. Guess you really did fly too close to the sun.

"Fareeha Amari," Helio said. "Man, to see you working here, as some kind of glorified security guard…"

She frowned – she went to say something, but-

"Amari!"

She stood to attention as Major Ozmud walked in. Helio smirked.

"Amari. Ana Amari's daughter brings in an Overwatch agent. Oh the irony is delicious."

"Why are you here?" Ozmud asked, ignoring Helio.

"Checking the prisoner Sir."

"Don't bullshit me Amari."

She levelled her gaze with his. "Bullshit?" she asked. "That's why we're bringing in people who are fighting Talon, not abetting them?"

"I asked you a question Amari."

"So did I."

She could lose her position for this, she told herself. But she also told herself that she didn't care. Overwatch…it was back. Sort of. Maybe. But that small string of hope was enough to give her enough hope that she might be able to do what she'd set out to do all those years ago. To make a difference. To be a hero.

"You're dismissed."

She looked at Helio, giving him a nod. To her relief, he gave one in turn. With that, she walked out.

Maybe Helio had flown too close to the sun. Maybe he'd got caught and had his wings clipped. But he wasn't Icarus. Not yet.

And she could still take the role of Horus.

A/N

Fun fact, Helio actually is a name of a cancelled Overwatch hero. Idea came for this after making an entry for the cancelled heroes on the wiki. His model is reused in the Recall animation though, so drabbled this up.