Author's Note:
As I said in the description, this is my first real fic. I'd really appreciate feedback on this as I'd like to make this as good a story as possible. Enjoy!
Inside the Overwatch Museum, a battle was taking place. Unfortunately for our heroes, they were outmatched. No matter how battle-tested a duo may be, two highly trained mercenaries will always win out over a chronically ill Brit and an out-of-shape ape. However, the cocky pilot and genius gorilla had a not-quite-impartial observer, hiding in the shadows of the nearby towers. One who had cast a lot in favor of the fighters formerly known as Overwatch members, one who had the ability to make a difference. Two universes exist from this point onward; one that you are likely familiar with and another in which the observer decided to intervene. This is the story of the second.
It would be fair to say that the fates had dealt Lena Oxton a cruel hand. Everything she'd ever truly cared for or applied herself to had been killed right before her eyes. The past week had been a microcosm of that truth, including the loveliness of seeing Amelie Lacroix, formerly one of Tracer's closest friends, attempt to kill her (on multiple occasions, now), and actually kill the Omnic leader Tekhartha Mondatta. Then she'd gotten the call from Winston, signifying Overwatch had the green light, before it was explained to her that the organization really didn't have the signal to go, but for the occasional, incredibly secret mission. Not to mention that for now, Overwatch had fewer members than literally any other point in its existence. Still, all this wasn't really much and the London native had kept her hopes up. But now the terrorist group Talon was in prime position to take DoomFist's gauntlet and there was absolutely nothing that she, the first human with time control, could do about it because, in her own words, "This bloody Chronal Accelerator always breaks down at the worst times."
Winston collapsed on the floor across the room. How did he get here? He was a world renowned scientist once, but those days were long ago. There was the facade of the calm, confident leader that the gorilla put up, but since the fall of Overwatch, the fall of all he'd ever believed in, Winston wasn't the same. When the mysterious mercenary Reaper beat him in combat for the second time in a week, he wasn't surprised. He'd barely kept himself in good enough shape to make the routine jumps to and fro in his Gibraltar facility. And now he couldn't even see because his glasses had fallen off during the fall. Terrific.
A set of piercing amethyst eyes literally glowed from the darkness provided by the shade of the surrounding buildings. These eyes were obstructed for a moment and a slight shaking could be noticed by a careful observer, a quiet sigh. He'd really hoped he wouldn't have to intervene, he thought. He could still choose not to, but a Talon victory here could throw the entire timeline out of whack. No, it was easiest that he intervene here. After all, he'd have to show himself to the six in that building eventually, here was as good a spot as any. The dark man popped his back, stretched for a moment, and the glowing eyes disappeared.
"Come on, Winston, get up," Tracer pleaded to the behemoth that was the collapsed gorilla. If Winston heard, it wouldn't have mattered, as blackness enveloped her.
I must be dead, Lena thought. This is what it's like when you're dead? Just blackness? Depressing, she mused. A pair of shockingly purple eyes snapped open in front of her, and they shined so brightly in comparison to the darkness her eyes had just gotten used to that she was momentarily blinded. Tracer was disoriented, as she'd never before experienced so complete a nothingness.
"Hello, Tracer," a voice intoned from seemingly every direction. "Soon you will awaken. When you do, your Chronal Accelerator will be fully functional and Widowmaker, whom you know as Amelie Lacroix, will be making her way to DoomFist's gauntlet. Slow her down for a moment and James will do the rest. Fear not, the timeline will not tolerate a casualty today." And like that, the glowing eyes, the voice, the darkness, they were all gone. For an instant, Tracer wondered if she'd imagined the whole thing. Those thoughts were pushed to the side as she noticed that her accelerator was functional. Whether it happened or not, she had a job to do. A quick scan of the room revealed the boy she'd spoken briefly to sneaking toward the Overwatch artifact that had the power to level cities. The issue was that Lacroix was doing the same.
Lena streaked from cover, firing both pistols. This distracted both Widowmaker and Reaper, allowing the boy, James, to streak to the pedestal and causing Reaper to misstep, crushing Winston's beloved glasses. This did not go unnoticed by the witty Brit, who said, "Now would be the time to apologize," just as Winston lost it. On her other side, Lacroix lay on the ground a good six yards from her previous position. Frankly, it was amazing she'd survived the blow, which had toppled skyscrapers on several occasions. The Talon partners made a hasty escape before the situation got more out of hand. The boy, who said his name was James, ever more evidence that her trance had been real, handed the Gauntlet back to Lena. She snatched it from his hands and threw it back into its display case before smiling to the boy, saying, "The world could always use more heroes." She disappeared into the crowds that had stormed the room after the gunfire had ended. Lena could have sworn that one man in that crowd knew her. He met her eyes, and the gaze felt familiar. Then he smirked and nodded his head.