Dotted with stars, the night sky had you lost in its forlorn beauty. There was a deafening silence, and you felt nothing as a sense of utter desolation crept inside you.

He's never coming back.

How could I possibly think this way?

It's been months.

I have his cure—I can't lose hope.

"Can't sleep?" Your roommate's voice shot through the darkness, shattering your silent reverie in an instant.

You sat up slowly, seeing Jack standing in the doorway with his muscled arms crossed over his broad chest.

Looking at him, the delicate control you had over your emotions shattered. The grief you'd fought to suppress for so long finally erupted, and he was at your side in seconds.

That night, Jack held you in your arms. And for the first time in weeks, you could sleep.

--

"My, my, my... what have we here?" Oasis University's very own minister of genetics had somehow stumbled upon digital files of you. "Conniving little bitch that Sombra."

Information concerning you, that Gabriel Reyes had fought so hard to keep hidden.

"But... she had certainly outdone herself, keeping [Y/N] in her secrecy—hidden even from us," She expressed loudly, in the presence of your fiancé himself.

The one who came to be known as Reaper was hardly moved at the mention of you. At least, he showed his indifference convincingly.

"Your fiancée has returned from the dead, and you've neglected to mention this to us?" A large, imposing man chimed in—his dark eyes focusing on the holographic image of you.

Reaper said nothing. He felt nothing as his crimson eyes roamed over your holographic image.

"It seems she's moved on," The scientist amongst them remarked, noting the unfamiliar blond male constantly in your company. "Can we safely assume you've broken all ties with her?"

"Yes," His voice induced chills. "She means nothing to me anymore."

"Very well, then," Dr. O'Deorain sneered, his cold-heartedness delightful in her ears. "I want you to bring her to my lab at the university. I want to study her, how she had survived her cryostasis and still be functional."

"No," Akande Ogundimu chimed in, finding you quite intriguing the more he observed your visual representation. "Bring her here. I think we have found our next sleeper agent. With her, we'll put an end to Overwatch for good."

--

The move into the newly-renovated Gibraltar base was easier than you'd expected. Thanks to Mei, Tracer and Winston.

It had taken the entire day to unpack your things, but when it was all finished, the sense of accomplishment was hard to ignore.

So you rewarded yourself with a nice, hot bath—soaking your stiff muscles in the scented water did wonders for your mind and body.

An odd, electric sound broke through your moment of serenity and forced you upright in your tub. "Who the hell are you?" You demanded of the female intruder as she materialized before you.

"Hey, chica. Relax." She appeared troubled. "I'm not your enemy—I'm a friend. I've risked much to be here, my personal safety included. So you could listen before you decide to trust me or not."

Your skeptical nature made it difficult for you to trust anyone, let alone strangers. But you bit your tongue because she genuinely looked scared for her life.

"Who are you?" You demanded again.

She sighed, her shoulders hunched as she balled her hands into tight fists at her sides. "Name's Sombra. I thought I was helping Gabriel Reyes, but he's changed. They did something to him."

"Who's 'they'?" You got out of the tub, grabbed a towel, and wrapped yourself in the fabric before leaning against the nearby counter to listen to the strange woman.

"I'm sure you've heard of Talon. I'm-- I was a part of it. Before my employer found out about what I was doing."

"And what exactly did you do to lose their trust?"

"I took it upon myself to look out for you. For Soldier:76."

Your eyes narrowed in disbelief.

She caught on and sighed. "I know I haven't done much to earn your trust, but here's the gist of it: Gabriel asked me to keep your existence a secret, I've made damn sure no one in Talon's caught on to where you were."

"Oh yeah?" You looked her dead in the eye. "Then how did Jack sustain combat wounds last week?"

"Did you guys stay safe since then or didn't you?"

To your realization, she was right. Since the night he'd taken the serum, Jack hadn't had to fend off any Talon mercenaries. At least not to your knowledge.

"That was my doing," She huffed. "You're welcome."

Making a conscious effort to ease your stance, you pressed your lips into a firm line and let her continue.

"Anyway—your fiancé had asked me to tell you and Jack Morrison this: as an organization, Talon thinks Jack Morrison is truly dead. You know, now that he's young again."

"So Gabe knows about the cure...?"

"That's not important right now," She put a stop to your racing mind. "I know Dr. O'Deorain did something to Reyes. He ratted me out to my bosses and he nearly killed me for deciding to help you." She paused, her expression changing into one of caution.

"And this time, I'll succeed."

Following the familiar voice was gunfire.

You'd ducked in reaction to the din. The woman had disappeared but the shotgun shells had nearly hit you. The smell of gunpowder filled your nose and when you looked up, you saw him approach you in quick, measured steps.

"Gabe," You gasped breathlessly and stood, observing his concealed face. At first you felt relief, but the emotion was instantly replaced when you noticed the crimson irises glaring coldly from beneath his mask.

He hesitated, standing a mere step away from you, his weapon kept ready at his side.

As you reached up to unmask him, your love recoiled. And within a flash, he struck you high in your abdomen to render you unconscious.

But like the lovestruck fool you were, you couldn't resist the happiness of seeing him again, even as your world faded to black—even if he'd just hurt you.

There was solace in knowing he was unharmed.

--

A/N: I think this story may turn out to be longer than I originally expected. Sorry for the long wait, my friends. As always, thank you for voting and giving me feedback! I read every single comment and take your thoughtfulness to heart.

P.S. sorry for typos!