John was shaken from his trance by the ring of the communicator, he and Tracer both moved into the cockpit to investigate. The call was sourced as coming from Gibraltar, Winston, John thought as he tapped to console to accept his transmission. "Winston, what's up?"
"Just wanted to check in to make sure that you got Genji and Zenyatta from Japan. I also wanted to let you know that Reinhardt and Torbjörn contacted me, they're on their way here now." Winston's voice sounded much quieter coming from a speaker than it was in person.
"Yeah we've got them, we just passed over India if the map is correct." John responded.
"It should be, but this isn't all I called you about. I've gotten some intel on Soldier 76, apparently, he's left Mexico and gone to Egypt, I think we could use him in Overwatch." Winston mentally prepared himself for Tracer's opposition.
"But luv, his methods are brutal! Do we really want someone who beats criminals to death as a part of the new Overwatch?" Tracer's concerns were not unfounded, 76 had a storied past of brutally dealing with any criminals he found in between scavenging abandoned Overwatch sites. "He seems too much like what caused it all to fall apart in the first place!"
"I know, he's far from a saint, but I think we're going to need someone willing to do whatever it takes when we eventually take on Talon. Regardless of his methods, he has some sort of past with Overwatch or else he wouldn't be so interested in our old facilities. It couldn't hurt to bring him in."
"So you want us to go and talk with this psychopath and hope that he'll just tag along peacefully to Gibraltar?" John questioned, unsure of Winston's proposal.
"Not quite, I want you to go and get him." John was stunned by this revelation, "He's a soldier just like you are, and if he really was part of Overwatch in the past it's likely that you can relate to him the best." John sighed as he shot a concerned look towards Tracer, she nodded in response.
"Alright, it's not like I have much of a choice anyway." John dryly chuckled as he made his way to the back of the cabin. Genji and Zenyatta were still deep in their meditation, undisturbed by the conversation up front. The communication device in his ear rang, John pressed his finger into it to listen.
"We're going to drop you off in Giza, apparently, that's where 76 was last seen." Tracer's voice chimed through the earpiece. "Get ready, this is your stop!" The shuttle slowed as the bay door opened, John walked down the ramp before looking back. "Good luck out there luv! You'll do great! We'll see you back at Gibraltar!" Tracer gave him a thumbs-up from the cockpit as he leapt down to the rooftop they'd stopped by, mimicking Tracer's two-fingered salute as the shuttle flew away. John panned the horizon from his viewpoint, Giza certainly was a mess of a city, no rhyme or reason to the convoluted river of streets that laid before him.
"Well, I guess I better find a bounty board, I'm sure someone wants him dead here." John muttered as he dropped from roof to roof until he landed on solid ground. Glancing to his right he found a glowing bounty board, surrounded by several men, one of them had a face that was covered in blood. John walked over to the bounty board and examined it, nothing about 76 but a lot about a man named Hakim. The bloodied man spoke to John.
"Are you looking for a bounty? I've got a fresh one for you. Find the bastard that did this to me, a white-haired man wearing a jacket with 76 written on the back. Last I heard he was heading to get Hakim, I'm sure he'll reward you handsomely if you help him out. His compound is just to the east of here." The man pointed, signaling the direction John should go.
"Yeah, I'm sure he will, thanks for the tip." John waved as he departed. Well then, I guess I'll find him there. He broke into a jog, not wanting to waste any time, 76 was known to work fast. As John neared the edge of the city he found a home with a large wall around it, the sounds of gunshots rang inside, this is probably the place. John grunted as he hoisted himself over the wall, stopping at the top to survey the courtyard inside. The gunshots had stopped, at the center of the courtyard the figure from London dissipated into a cloud of smoke before appearing in a window nearby, struggling with an unknown assailant. 76 laid where the figure once stood, slowly pushing himself off the ground. A few quieter shots rang out before smoke flowed from the window, the masked figure had apparently retreated. An older woman wearing a hood dropped down from the window, making her way towards 76. The spoke for a few seconds while he removed his mask, he looks familiar. John strained his ears to hear what they were saying, only able to make out a few words. Jack? There's no way he's that Jack, is there? John dropped down from the wall and made his way towards the pair.
"Behind you!" shouted 76 as John neared, the older woman turned around and pointed a rifle at him. John froze, quickly raised his hands into the air.
"Don't shoot, I'm not with whoever that was!" 76's face was full of skepticism, and the woman's face was obscured by her rifle. John heard a guttural growl from 76 as he scanned over him, his eyes stopping at the writing on his left sleeve.
"Are you kidding me?" 76's rough voice broke the silence, "Are you a fan of Overwatch or some crap?"
"Uh, not exactly, I'm sort of reforming Overwatch with the help of a few old members, it's a long story." John stammered, 76's steel blue eyes staring deep into his soul. The woman lowered her rifle, turning her head towards 76.
"Jack, let's hear him out." He responded with another guttural growl as he lifted himself into a standing position. John sighed with relief as she lowered her rifle, still holding it in case he was a threat, lowering his arms as she did so.
"Fine." 76 muttered as he slung his pulse rifle across his back.
"I'll cut straight to business, we're reforming Overwatch, the world needs heroes to help protect it. We're on the cusp of a second Omnic Crisis, to put it bluntly, the world's pretty fucked." John heard a rough chuckle from 76, apparently, he appreciated the concise explanation. "We'd like you, both of you, to join up with us at our headquarters, as members of Overwatch." John examined the pair before him to gauge their reaction, a small smile crept across the woman's lips, though 76 had slipped his mask back on.
"What's the point in bringing back Overwatch? The world was very clear in how little we meant to them, nothing like some UN sanctions to show their appreciation. This shit won't work a second time, the world doesn't need heroes, it needs people doing whatever it takes to clean up the garbage." 76's cold response shook John, not expecting the soldier to be so adamantly against joining.
"You're going to look at the world and all its problems and think that you can solve them alone? If there's a second Crisis do you truly believe you could stop it alone? The world needs us, they need people to look up to, they need our protection before they tear each other apart! I heard her call you Jack, but the Jack that I knew would never have abandoned the world because they didn't accept what he was doing. The Jack I knew would do whatever he could because it was the right thing to do, it didn't matter if the world told him it wasn't."
76 shifted upon the mention of his name by a stranger, "Jack Morrison and his ideals died with Overwatch in Switzerland, go mourn to his tombstone if you want him back."
"I don't believe that, I don't believe the Strike-Commander that I knew is completely gone. You know there's still good in this world, and you of all people should know that you have to be willing to fight for it." John spat back, his frustrations lacing every word he spoke. The two stared at one another, 76's unblinking visor a cold contrast to the stern face of John. The woman he was with stepped between the two, whispering to 76. After a few moments, 76 let out a deep sigh, and the woman turned around.
"He can be a little hotheaded, but we'll join you, at least temporally." Her calm voice was the opposite of 76's guttural speech.
"Thank you, Miss?" John questioned as he extended his hand for her to shake.
"Amari," she responded, "Ana Amari." She grasped John's hand and shook it firmly. Captain Amari? So, both her and Commander Morrison are alive… Does that mean that Reyes could be too? 76 walked by, ignoring John's extended hand, he glanced back at him as he passed.
"Keep this little revelation a secret kid, no one else needs to know that Morrison isn't as dead as they though." John retracted his hand, nodding his confirmation to the man before him. 76 grunted in approval, "Come on, I've got a shuttle we can take back to your little base." The three made their way outside the limits of Giza, a small personal shuttle sat hidden by nearby shrubbery. They stepped inside as 76 made his way to the cockpit, typing in the coordinates for Gibraltar. I guess he still remembers where it is. John glanced around the cabin, it was a much more militaristic vessel than the one he rode in on, with seats lining the walls, much like the shuttles he used when he was a grunt. John sighed as he sat down across from Ana, she chuckled as he glanced at her.
"Not just anyone can get Jack all riled up like that, well done!" Her chuckle was interrupted by a shout from the cockpit. "Sorry, 76." Her laughter grew as John cracked a small smile. The shuttle pushed off from the sandy dunes of Egypt, heading west to Gibraltar.