Year 2056, Omnic Crisis
Switzerland, Overwatch headquarters
The agents of Overwatch were in a meeting. They sat silently around a round white table, everyone staring at the holovid floating in the middle. It showed disturbing images of what was once London; now, there was just destruction and death, death brought by the omnics of null-sector.
"We can`t stop it", stated Commander Morrison flatly. "We have tried everything, but it wasn`t enough."
Gabriel Reyes, sitting a little farther away from the table as the others, barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Come on Jack, don`t be so dramatic. You know exactly what the problem is, and how to fix it."
"We don`t have enough agents, I am aware. But there is no chance to gather any new ones. The people are too afraid to fight." Everyone nodded. They had tried very hard, but these times, no one really wanted to be a hero.
"What do you propose, Gabriel?", asked Captain Amari with slight bitterness in her voice.
"Glad you`re asking." Reyes got up from his chair to grab the control panel for the holovid, and the images disappeared. "I thought, maybe we should forget our… pride for a moment, and start thinking practical."
He pressed a button, and the screen showed the files of nine men. "What you see, are the members of an organization called `Team Fortress`. A bunch of madmen, who are mostly known for fighting in the Gravel Wars, in the 1970s. According to the records, they have dealt with robots before, and were quite successful." He wanted to add something, but was interrupted by a high female voice, coming from Cadet Lena Oxton.
"Uhm, excuse me, but why should some random warriors from almost a hundred years ago, who are dead by now, be of interest for us?"
"Now, Cadet, as you might have noticed, these documents I am showing you are from last year. They are arrest files for the very same mercs I have been talking about, indicating that they are in fact not dead."
Triumphantly, he eyed his collegues, who looked at him skeptically, until Ana spoke up. "I don`t know, this sounds a little far-fetched, doesn`t it? How would they have managed to survive that long?"
Torbjörn coughed slightly, and they turned their attention to him. "If I`m informed correctly, the Gravel Wars took place in an American desert that had a large deposit of Australium, which is said to extend the lifespan of a human being. Ah, what I would give to have just a few grams of it!"
"As valuable as it might be", said Dr. Ziegler, "in my medical opinion a metal that can enhance the lifespan of living organism is simply not possible. Actually, I doubt there were any substances back then that able to have such an effect. Gabriel, you might want to think this through again."
Reyes growled. "Can`t remember asking for your opinion, Doc."
Morrison slammed his fist on the table, making everybody jump in their seats. "Enough! Even if we were to believe that these men exist and are still alive, we should not forget that they are mercenaries. We can`t possibly hire them, what would the people think of us, the people that see us as their protectors?"
"What do they think now?", Gabriel snapped back. "We failed, Jack, accept that! We need help, or everything we believe in will be destroyed!"
The Commander remained silent for about a minute, and then asked: "What do you all think? Should we give it a try?"
The first one to stand up was Tracer, to everyones surprise. "A few hours ago", she said with a shaky voice, "I saw my hometown getting completely destroyed by null-sector, and it will continue like this! If I have a chance to stop it, I will take it! Count me in!"
The other agents nodded, agreeing with the young woman. "Alright then, Gabriel. They are imprisoned, you said?"
He squirmed a little. "Well, they were. I called there already, and apparently, they fled one week after being arrested. I propose you search for them at their old base."
Captain Amari nodded. "Oxton, Lindholm, Ziegler and Reinhardt, would you do this please? Just go there – carefully! – and ask them to fight for us."
"And if they don`t want to?", asked Dr. Ziegler, clearly disliking the idea of having to deal with mercenaries. "Offer them whatever they want. Just make them come here."