The Newcomer - Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Overwatch or Team Fortress 2, nor do I own any of the characters that appear in this story or are mentioned.

She woke with a start.

Tracer immediately felt the cool touch of wooden planks against her cheek. Her eyes darted to the solid material that she was currently sprawled out on.

Slowly, she got to her feet. She felt sore all over. She realized she must have come out of the time machine several feet above the wooden surface before falling face first onto it and being knocked out cold.

She collected her thoughts. She remembered that Winston - her best friend gorilla, who also happened to be an expert scientist - had asked her if she was willing to try out his new time machine, and finding the idea exciting, she gladly volunteered. Winston had told her that there was no way to know where she would be transported, but he had given her a device that would open up a return portal for her immediately if she pressed the button on the front of it. Miraculously, according to Winston, no matter how long she had stayed in the past, only a single minute would pass during the present. She thought it was crazy, impossible; but she had faith in the astonishing brain of her furry friend.

Tracer looked around her, examining her surroundings. The wooden platform was in fact a bridge that connected two flat areas of rock which basked in a light brown-good light as the sun shone harshly upon their surfaces. Tracer realized that the bridge's roof had kept her cool amidst the unrelenting rays. Peering over the edge of the bridge, she observed that it was suspended over a large moat.

She scratched her head and walked towards one of the rock flats. As she groggily stumbled forward, she noticed that there was a large, red structure built onto the rock, with a large fence line that defined the boundaries of the land. Following the fence line - farther to the left, around the far edges of the moat, and to the other slab of flat rock - she realized there was a blue colored fortress opposite the red one, the two looming buildings identical in almost every way save for the scorch marks and bullet holes that she could see on their wooden walls. Was this the scene of a battle?

Both cautious and curious, she drew one of her laser weapons from its holster and held it at her side. She didn't want to appear threatening, but she wouldn't leave herself defenseless, either.

She approached the right doorway of the structure, ready to defend herself if necessary but unable to hide the small smile on her face as she felt excitement spread throughout her. Maybe I'll get to meet soldiers from the past!

Engineer, along with Soldier and Heavy, peered at the slender woman who was approaching the front of the fort with some kind of handgun. Engineer had spotted her on the perimeter cameras a minute earlier in the camera room, which was adjacent to the rec room, and had called over his comrades from their cutthroat ping pong match.

Soldier said, "Who is she, grease monkey?"

Engineer replied with uncertainty. "Ah'm not sure, Soldier," he said with the unmistakeable accent of a homegrown Texan. "But she doesn't look t' be a BLU."

Heavy chimed in. "True, but she could be BLU Spy. He always tries new tricks."

Engineer conceded that point. "Good point, Heavy. But those disguise kits them Spies use only can make 'em look like us mercs. Ah borrowed Spy's once and had a good look at it. Ah don't think so."

Engineer took a moment to admire her figure. She was a slender woman, with long, muscular legs, curvaceous thighs, and a strong posture. Her body was encased in what looked like a sleek yellow skinsuit, complete with small sections of armor plating whiter than the clouds in the sky. Her eyes were obscured behind a pair of mostly opaque orange goggles, and her chocolate brown hair was styled up above her head in a striking spiked pattern. What struck Engineer as the most peculiar was the glowing blue energy that seemed encased in the center of the front of her suit.

Engineer leaned back in his chair as she continued her walk to the entrance of the base, hips swaying slightly. What a strange girl.

Soldier's comment broke him out of his analysis. "What should we do, Engie?"

Engineer scratched his chin in thought. While she looked imposing for a woman of her size - and apparent young age - the innocent smile she wore on her lips and the glint of excitement in her eyes told him she was probably nothing more than a friendly excitement-driven adventurer, albeit with a good tale to tell based on her choice of hairstyle, clothing and weaponry. It was at that moment he made a decision.

"Ah'm going to go topside 'n' see her m'self. She doesn't seem too harmful, and Ah'm still gonna be in the range of the respawn machine even if she kills me."

Soldier didn't have any objections, lowering his helmet and skulking off back into the rec room. Heavy was about to walk out, until he turned and said, "You are sure you want to go by yourself?"

"Yes," he replied. "My instinct tells me she's harmless, and if she ain't, then Ah've got m'self this old girl." He patted the shotgun that lie on the table near the cameras controls. "Ah don't want to bring out the whole team, as that might intimidate her. Stay here with the others 'till I return."

Heavy nodded, strolling into the rec room, and Engineer grabbed his pistol and shotgun and headed to the front of the base, where the peculiar girl awaited him.