Drip. Drip. Drip.

The steady sound of spilled coolant was the first you heard as you came out of your slumber. It took your eyes several seconds to adjust to the poorly-lit environment, and you realized that you were at an Overwatch facility.

Alive. Safe. Warm.

"[Y/N]! You're finally awake!" A cheerful voice greeted you from the room's entrance. Its owner, a short woman with glasses, approached you with a wary smile on her face. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes, Mei! Of course I remember you." You smiled at her, glad that she was safe, too.

You remembered the days, the hours, the minutes, the seconds leading up to your cryostasis. You remembered the wintry storm that threatened the survival of your scientist group in Watchpoint Antarctica. You remembered the determination and the desperation to survive in that critical moment.

"I'm glad you're okay," Mei stood next to you and offered a hand.

Without hesitation, you took her hand and stepped out of the cryo-pod, noticing that the coolant container was pried open. It must've been how you were weaned out of your frozen state.

"Thank you, Mei. It didn't feel like I was asleep long. I am freezing a bit, though!" You rubbed your hands together, willing the remnants of the cold to leave your body after being frozen for so long. "What's the date today?"

"Ummm..." Mei hesitated. "I think we better get some hot chocolate and talk about this at a more relaxing place."

Mei was trying to make sure you wouldn't freak out, but her words did not achieve the effect she wanted. Because your eyes widened, the apprehension you gave off was almost tangible.

"Please, Mei, just tell me. I need to know..."

She sighed before reluctantly speaking, "It's been about eleven years, [Y/N]. I'm sorry we couldn't retrieve your cryo-pod sooner."

"Eleven years?" You repeated. Your mouth went dry.

"The storm was so bad, it lasted so much longer than a few months. Some of the pods malfunctioned, the team perished because of it. I thought yours did, too..."

"What do you mean, Mei?"

"I peeked into Opara's pod and..." She trailed off, seeming to relive that horrible time in her mind. "The system declared everyone dead. So I thought you were also gone, like everyone else." She took a deep breath to hold herself emotionally steady. "Long story short, I made it out by myself. It wasn't until Winston's AI picked up some indication of life that we re-investigated the place and found you."

"'We?' So Overwatch..." You urged her to continue, your hands curling into fists at your sides as you tried to stave off your anxiety.

"Is gone." She replied dejectedly, her eyes downcast.

"What do you mean "gone"? But Winston-- Overwatch can't be gone." Even to you, your voice sounded frantic. "What about everyone else? Gabriel... and- and Jack?"

"There was an explosion at the Swiss Headquarters five years ago." She explained softly. "Overwatch was disbanded shortly after."

You stayed quiet for a while, listening without interrupting despite your astonishment. You didn't want to believe her. Overwatch was such an integral part of the world's security. How could it just be... gone?

Mei went quiet, too. Her eyes sympathetic as she watched your face. "I'm sorry."

"What about ...Gabriel?"

She was hoping you wouldn't ask, but she knew there was little chance you'd forget. In fact, as she helped facilitate your awakening, she was hopeful that you'd suffer from lasting amnesia--one of the side effects to cryostasis. It would have been less painful for you if you were oblivious to the truth.

"I'm sorry, [Y/N]." Mei fidgeted, feeling terrible about breaking such horrible news to you. Especially when you were engaged to be married to Gabriel. "He didn't survive the explosion. And neither did Jack."

The sadness welled in your heart briefly. But, surprisingly, you shed no tears.

You just felt... numb. Your expression blank as you walked out of the room. Perhaps the realization hasn't sank in, yet.

Mei followed closely behind you.

"[Y/N]," She called. "I think we should get Dr. Ziegler to examine you."

"Mercy is alive and well?" You turned to face her.

Mei's eyes lit up slightly. "Yes. Winston, Mercy, Tracer, McCree..." She trailed off, the expression of her face morphing from somber to angry.

After her momentary pause, she continued, "There are still many agents alive. They're spread throughout the world. But despite this, I know that they're doing their best to help the helpless and fight for peace. These are difficult times, [Y/N]. Many innocents are killed every single day. Anarchists, villains, crooks run rampant everywhere. And to top it off, there's an organization called Talon causing a lot of trouble."

You remained silent, listening to Mei as she became quite passionate in her speech.

"The world needs you. So you can't lose hope." She grabbed your hands and squeezed them gently. "Okay?"

Apparently, it was just what your heart needed to hear. Instantly, the wall you erected was broken down. And the sadness overwhelmed you. Tears formed in the corner of your eyes and you choked back a sob.

"It's okay for you to cry," Mei said gently, pulling you into a hug. "Cry as much as you want. I'm here for you. We all are. We'll help you move on."