" NIGHTHAWK " genji shimada.

- fourteen.

KAILANI FELT RIGHT AT home as soon as she stepped foot within the walls of the German Overwatch base the following day. It was obvious that the base hadn't been used in years, for the grass in the courtyard nearly reached her knees and the doors that covered the entrance to the hangars were beginning to rust. In order to remain inconspicuous, the returning agents left the base untouched. Therefore, any nosy passersby wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

    Kailani was surprised to feel nervous as she and Genji approached the building. Her chest felt tight and her heart beat loudly in her ears, though it wasn't for the obvious reason: the fear of being caught. It was rather due to the fact that, although she once considered the agents her family, she was worried that their prolonged absence had brought harm to the once harmonious team.

    Beside her, Genji seemed just as nervous, but she knew that it was for reasons different from her own. Before the news of the Petras Act reached the pair, the cyborg had expressed his reluctance to ever rejoin Overwatch. Once the organization was deemed illegal, he seemed almost relieved. He told Kailani that he would follow her anywhere, but she feared that he simply would not be happy back amongst the people who nearly turned him into a merciless killer.

    Kailani was pulled from her thoughts as she felt an arm snake around her waist, and she was pulled into a familiar metallic side. "You are worrying about me," Genji murmured into her ear. "I can tell by your expression. I am fine, Lani. This will just take some getting used to."

    "They'll welcome us back," Kailani assured him. "Both of us."

    "The last they knew, I was the shell of a man who saw nothing but vengeance. I fear they will still believe that to be true."

    Kailani placed her hand on top of his, running her fingers up the metallic armor that covered his arm comfortingly. "Then show them that you're not."

    Genji nodded, releasing his hold on her. The pair made their way around the looming building. They had been instructed to enter through the back of the building to avoid risk of anyone overseeing their presence on the supposedly abandoned base. As they turned the corner, they came face to face with an unfamiliar figure. She was tall, dressed in a pair of old jeans and an orange t-shirt, with a tool belt strapped around her waist. She seemed to be waiting for them, for when they neared her, she perked up with a smile.

    "There you guys are! I was beginning to think you weren't gonna come!" She spread out her arms, almost as if she was expecting a hug. Her eyebrows pulled together, and the grin fell from her face upon noticing the hesitant looks on both Kailani and Genji's expressions. "You don't recognize me, do you?"

    "Sorry," Kailani said with a small smile. The girl seemed familiar, though she couldn't quite figure it out. She had a slight accent, one that she was unable to pinpoint the origin of, and her bright brown eyes brought back blurry memories.

    "It's Brigitte, Torbjorn's daughter," the girl said, and suddenly it clicked. Kailani's eyes widened as she looked her up and down. The last time she saw Brigitte, she was a small child running around the workshop knocking over tools and getting scolded by her father. Now, she was taller than Kailani, even taller than Genji, and muscles rippled beneath her tan skin.

    "Wow," Kailani breathed out with a grin. "You've grown!"

    "Nine years will do that," Brigitte responded. She then gestured for the pair to follow her, stepping inside the building. "Come on, the others can't wait to see you."

    She disappeared inside, leaving Kailani and Genji hesitating outside for a moment. Kailani turned towards the cyborg beside her, eyes wide. "I feel old," she whispered to him, causing his shoulders to shake with a quiet chuckle.