Overwatch: Jinxed

Chapter 17: Fallen Star

"Who are you?"

Her voice was musical. High and sloping, but rough around the edges. Cracking with every second word. Her tone was panicked, and she scrambled backwards at the people in front of her. 

"Easy, love," Tracer said calmly. "I'm Tracer. This is Jinx. But you can call me Lena, and you can call her Isabell."

The girl's eyes startled Isabell. They were golden brown on the outside of the iris, but they were constantly changing - spinning and turning in on themselves. They bloomed into sunflowers, and then folded back into suns, and then twisted into splashes of golden water. However, Tracer didn't seemed bothered by it at all.

"We rescued you," she explained. "Someone was taking you away, and we stopped them."

"No-- the scientists, please--" the girl panicked. "They were the only ones who could fix me--"

"That must have been who was originally taking the plane," Isabell realized, and then turned to the girl. "Someone... hurt the scientists. Took over the plane. We saved your ass."

"I have to get back," she said wildly. "Please. I'll kill you. I will. The wall, someone broke it, and when--"

"When you're whole again," Isabell cut her off. If she saw that Isabell knew... "The power will be too much and you'll destroy everything."

Tracer and the girl both stared at her, before the girl whispered, "How did you know?"

"You told me," Isabell answered. "And we are here to help you, alright? We won't  let anyone hurt you and we won't let you hurt anyone else."

"You promise?" the girl whispered.

"Promise," Tracer said before Isabell could stop her. The other side of the girl's voice echoed in her head - Never break a promise.

If they couldn't keep it...

She might welcome Talon with open arms.

"What's  your name, love?"

"Tayanna," the girl answered, no longer pressing herself against the wall in fear. "My name is Tayanna. Did you meet me?" she added, looking at Isabell. When Isabell looked completely bewildered, she clarified. "Did you communicate with the inverse-me? Annayat."

"I-- think so?" Isabell blinked.

Tayanna nodded. "That's how you knew. Is he here?"

"'He'?" Tracer echoed.

"The one with the mask. I can't see my memories from the Inverse-times, but his face... it is burned into me. He was the one who broke the wall."

Isabell studied her carefully. Her accent was like nothing she'd ever heard - it had the formality of a European but the robust edge of a Russian or American, but the softness of an Asian. But her skin, so white. Pure alabaster. Isabell couldn't think of the word, but Tracer beat her to the punch.

"No, we got rid of him for now. Are you an albino?"

The bluntness of her words almost made Isabell laugh. Tracer, ever the inquisitive young adult. But Tayanna didn't seem to mind.

"I think so. I don't know. All of my long-term memories... they're gone. I think that Annayat may retain them, or maybe I lost them altogether. But I can't remember anything beyond three months ago. Or three months plus however long I was in the Combinatrium."

She was sitting forwards now, eagerly engaging in conversation. Whatever values she upheld, she valued a promise very highly, quite obviously. Her hair shimmered unnaturally and seemed to even have a mind of its own, to some degree.