⟪I do not like this,⟫ Genji said.
Master did not deign to respond.
Glancing at him as they walked, Genji eventually decided the silence was an invitation to continue. ⟪Torbjörn has never asked to speak with you. He's always had Brigitte or Rein relay his complaint of the day, so I cannot help but think- ⟫
⟪Us.⟫
Genji was gritting his teeth before he even had a chance to register his own irritation. Which was petty, because it was a simple interjection. In fact, he should be mad at himself for being annoyed in the first place. What kind of ungrateful pupil- he sucked in a deep breath, breaking the train of thought. There were enough people who thought poorly of him. He did not need to be one of them.
⟪Mister Lindholm has requested to speak with us,⟫ Master continued. ⟪Not me alone.⟫
Genji looked at him sharply. ⟪Is that supposed to change my view?⟫ He demanded. ⟪Torbjörn has never asked to speak with me, either.⟫
⟪But he has spoken with us in the past, though it was not requested.⟫ Master's shoulders gently rose and fell in a graceful shrug. ⟪It is not so implausible that circumstances have changed.⟫
Implausible? Maybe not. Improbable, given his past, current, and future actions? He'd sooner bet on Angela giving up caffeine.
⟪He will be representing the Ironclad Guild at the Summit,⟫ he said darkly. It was part reminder, part warning.
...That Master promptly disregarded.
⟪You say that as if there is significance to the fact,⟫ he said, ⟪beyond its role in placing our agents within the Summit.⟫
Genji grit his teeth involuntarily again. ⟪You're being deliberately obtuse, Master.⟫
He regretted it as soon as he said it, especially when Master looked at him disapprovingly.
⟪I should have phrased that better,⟫ he admitted. ⟪But I stand by it. I'm sure you're using some technique to draw a realization from me, but I am not in the headspace to play with puzzles. If you're aware of something that changes the context of the situation we're walking into, I'd like to know it.⟫
Master stopped, calmly folding his hands together in front of him. ⟪And what situation is that?⟫
His previous regret proved fleeting as another tidal wave of irritation rolled over Genji. Of course Master would take a Socratic approach instead of taking his concerns seriously.
⟪Torbjörn is an omnicphobe,⟫ he nearly shouted, completely failing to keep his tone even. ⟪He's personally insulted you, myself, and Angela. He has a long history of voicing and even acting against omnic rights. I can put my feelings aside to work with him in Overwatch because we share a common enemy in Talon, who poses a comparatively greater threat to omnics. The fact remains- we, two omnics, are meeting with a man who would be happy to see us disassembled, with no idea what he will say or do.⟫
⟪You believe Mister Lindholm wishes to cause us harm?⟫
Genji paused. He heard the doubt and disappointment in Master's words, but this was too serious to chase approval over honesty. ⟪I truly do not know.⟫
⟪Hm. Well, even if I did not have confidence in Mister Lindholm,⟫ Master said as he primly readjusted his robes. ⟪I have faith in Reinhardt and Miss Lindholm. You do yourself a disservice, thinking so little of your teammates.⟫
That… wasn't right. None of this was right. When had Master ever been anything less than attentive to his students? For him to discount such strong emotions… Genji looked over his master, noting his distracted air and small, twitchy movements.
⟪Master, I do not understand why you are dismissing me. What's wrong?⟫
⟪Nothing is- ⟫ Master cut himself off. The rotation of his mala orbs slowed to a crawl. Then he sighed softly. ⟪No. You are right.⟫
Genji shifted uneasily on his feet, too worried for Master to properly enjoy being right for once.
Master steepled his fingers, looking at them instead of Genji as he spoke. ⟪I owe you an apology. This is an… unusual event. I find myself anxious. I have been allowing that anxiousness to affect my behavior. That is unworthy of me, and unfair to you.⟫
Genji rubbed at his chest, subconsciously trying to relieve the pang of guilt. If he hadn't been so preoccupied with his own feelings, maybe he could have noticed Master's sooner.
⟪Don't- this is my fault, too, Master. You shouldn't have to apologize. I should have considered you might be worried, too.⟫ He took a deep breath. ⟪Please, share your concerns with me.⟫
Master looked up from his hands, pressing his steepled fingertips to his chin. The silence stretched as he seemed to work through his reservations, until he finally nodded.
Master's tone was steady as he spoke. ⟪As you said, Mister Lindholm has not inspired confidence with respect to his relations with omnics. I cannot fathom why Mister Lindholm would wish to speak with us only a few days before the mission. A mission in London, no less, a city that still practices omnic segregation. For every rights summit held in King's Row, there are hundreds of hate crimes and dozens of murders. My own master was assassinated there and all Mondatta ever wanted was peace.⟫ Master's voice strained by the end, fighting to stay steady.
Genji wrapped one arm around Master's shoulders, knowing it would comfort him. Knowledge gained in the aftermath of Mondatta's death, actually. Knowledge he'd rather have never learned.
⟪To add to all this, our aim is to stop Talon, who wishes to cause another Crisis and has killed thousands to do it. It is simply too much. There is too much at stake for me, for the world, to be distracted with distrust for a teammate, but... It's the uncertainty of his intentions that unsettles me most.⟫
Genji nodded. ⟪We could choose not to attend this meeting. There's no need to stress ourselves for Torbjörn's sake.⟫
⟪We could,⟫ Master agreed. ⟪But I fear it would only damage the trust between us more. And… even with my misgivings, I find myself hoping for a reconciliation.⟫
He narrowed his eyes. ⟪That is… optimistic.⟫
⟪Yes. It is. But I never would have thought that Mister Lindholm could befriend an omnic, let alone adopt a Crisis-model veteran into his family. Yet Bastion remains, and the two seem happy in each other's company.⟫
⟪It may be the strangest thing I've ever seen,⟫ he allowed. ⟪Torbjörn becoming an ally would be stranger.⟫
⟪Then let us hope for strange things.⟫ Master straightened his robe and resumed their walk. They were already halfway to the Forge when they had stopped, so the rest of the journey did not take long.
As the staircase to the Forge came into view, Genji thought that maybe they should have hoped for something more specific than 'strange things'. Torbjörn waited outside near the top of the stairs, not in his usual oil-stained jumpsuit, but dressed nicely in a button-down shirt and pressed slacks. He had even braided his beard instead of leaving it bushy and wild. Bastion stood beside him, inexplicably wearing a plaid bowtie and a bowler hat, beeping happily when he noticed them.
Torbjörn startled at their appearance, jumping a little and widening his eyes. Genji watched him attempt several different positions with his hand and prosthetic- folding them in front and behind, crossing his arms- before he finally let them fall limply at his side.
"Er, good morning," Torbjörn said, eyes darting everywhere but at them.
Yeah, this was not strange in the way he and Master had wanted.
"Good morning!" Master responded cheerily. At least one of them had social grace. "I hope we find you both in good health."
"You- I- Er-" Torbjörn cut himself off with a frustrated grunt. "We're good. And… yourself?"
"I am pleased to say the same."
Silence fell fast and heavy. Master waited without expression, betraying none of the emotions they had worked through only moments before. Torbjörn rocked on his heels, sharp eyes locked on Master in a way that put Genji on edge. In his peripherals- because no way was he taking his eyes off Master and Torbjörn- he could see Bastion anxiously looking between all three of them.
"Ah, blast it," Torbjörn said, brushing a hand down his beard. "I'm no good at small talk. No use in pretending otherwise. Bastion and I prepared a table in the garden. You two want to head in or have I already mucked up our meeting?"
Well, if Torbjörn was giving them an out-
"Not at all," Master said. "Please, lead the way."
So began their descent to madness. Or death. Genji was happy to provide either, given the circumstances. They clattered down the stairway, the metal stairs clanging loudly.
Torbjörn spoke up from the head of the column when they reached the otherwise empty Forge. "I asked Rein and Brigitte to clear out for the morning. Probably won't do us good for long. Rein hates working out in the gym for some reason. We'll at least have an hour of relative peace to talk, though."
"That's… good." Genji eventually said. Honestly, he might've preferred it if those two had been in the workshop. At least there'd be somewhat neutral parties if Genji needed to… disagree with Torbjörn.
Torbjörn held open the garden door for them. Genji chose not to comment on it, entering the morning sunshine to assess their meeting place. As Torbjörn had said, there was a round table set up in the main clearing of the garden, potted plants shoved closer to the edges of the garden to make room. There were only three chairs.
Three chairs for four people.
Who was meant to stand? Was Bastion a pet in Torbjörn's eyes, not fit to eat at the table? Did he consider Genji little more than a dog in Master's service? He wouldn't be the first to say so. Or was this meant to be a jibe at Master's self-propulsion tech?
He turned to confront Torbjörn, only for Bastion to accidentally bump him as he lumbered to the table. Bastion clanked to the one setting without a chair, straightened out his arms, and rocked back, sitting on the ground with a heavy thud. Even without a proper seat, he still sat tall above the table.
Genji glanced back at Torbjörn. Fine. Expectations exceeded: 1.
"Sit wherever you like," Torbjörn said, taking his own seat to Bastion's left. "Doesn't make much difference to me."
Genji started for the seat next to Torbjörn, but a pressure at his elbow gently redirected him to Bastion's side. Grudgingly, he accepted Master's guidance. It wasn't like a table would stop him if his knife needed to get acquainted with Torbjörn's throat.
Master sat on Genji's other side. "Thank you for inviting us, Mister Lindholm."
Torbjörn's face twisted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well. Thanks for showing up. I know you didn't have much reason to."
About time they learned what was really going on.
But Torbjörn didn't elaborate, so Master spoke next, politely confused. "I admit that your invitation was… unexpected."
"Yeah, well… life's made up of the unexpected."
"Words of wisdom," Genji muttered.
Torbjörn fiddled with a napkin. "Would anyone like, erm, coffee?"
"No-"
"Yes, please," Master said over him.
Genji stiffened, rigidly waiting for Torbjörn to make some sneering remark about how Master didn't need coffee... but it never came.
"Can do. Sure you don't want any, Genji?"
"No. Thank you."
"Alright, let me know if you change your mind."
He wouldn't. He'd seen the coffee Torbjörn made. He'd also seen Brigitte use it as a tar substitute.
Torbjörn stood from the table and returned to the Forge. No sooner had the door closed than Bastion began speaking in urgent, almost fretful beeps and whistles. Genji sat up, alarmed.
"Is everything alright?" He asked Master.
"I- yes, Genji." Strangely, Master sounded as confused as Genji felt. "My apologies, Bastion, I know how important this is to you. I can assure you we do not think ill of Torbjörn for not having matching napkins-"
Genji looked down at the table. Sure enough, none of the napkins were the same color or pattern. He was pretty sure that one of them wasn't a napkin at all, but a pair of Reinhardt's workout shorts. Gingerly, he lifted it from the table, relieved there wasn't any food at this… event.
Bastions whistled in a questioning tone, Master nodding emphatically in response.
"Yes, I promise we're enjoying ourselves. You are both being gracious hosts."
The door to the workshop opened again and Genji surreptitiously tossed the shorts away. Really, he was doing everyone a favor.
Torbjörn passed a piping hot mug of coffee into Master's waiting hands. "Here you go, fresh from the pot!"
"Much appreciated."
Torbjörn reseated himself at the table, cradling his own mug of coffee, looking anywhere that wasn't Master and Genji. Bastion twittered tonelessly. Master held his cup of coffee, saying nothing. Torbjörn slurped at his noisily.
This was unbearable.
"So," Genji drawled. "Are we going to get to the point of this, or...?"
"Genji!" Master admonished him even as Torbjörn burst out laughing.
"I was only asking!"
"In the rudest way possible!"
"No, no," Torbjörn said between chuckles. "It's fine." He wiped a tear from his eye with the palm of his hand. "The starting is always the hardest part and now we're started."
"I- well, if you're sure," Master said with concern.
"I'm always sure. So. I know you don't understand why I've asked you here."
Genji snorted. "Understatement."
"Don't blame you. The reason I asked you here-" Torbjörn took a deep breath "-is so I can formally apologize."
He leaned back in his chair, eyebrows raised. That might've been the last thing he ever expected a Lindholm to say, let alone Torbjörn himself.
Master was likewise surprised, managing only a faint "Oh" in response.
"For what?" Genji finally asked.
Torbjörn shrugged. "Everything? It's a long list." He took a long sip of sludge-coffee. "There's so much that I'm... not sure where to begin."
"I usually like to start at the beginning," Master said- even in shock he couldn't shake his mentoring instincts. Genji had seen the same after Mondatta's death, consoling other monks without taking a moment for his own grief.
"The beginning, eh?" Torbjörn tapped on his mug. "I guess that'll do. The beginning was before Overwatch. Before the Crisis. Before omnics, even. Back then, we were only beginning to scratch the surface of what AI could do and I was already halfway through my professional career as an engineer."
"With Ironclad," Genji said. Part reminder, part accusation.
Torbjörn nodded. "Yes, I had been part of the guild for years at that point. Had a leadership position, though it wasn't senior. They offered one to me, but I didn't take it. I'd rather build 'mechanical marvels'." He scoffed softly. "I was an idiot."
Genji glanced at Bastion. "Wasn't Bastion one of those mechanical marvels?" He asked, voice hard.
Torbjörn nodded, still not reacting to Genji's tone. "Aye. Him and countless other war machines."
"Bastion is hardly a war machine." Master said quietly.
"Not anymore," Torbjörn agreed. "And certainly no thanks to me. I never messed with software, let alone AI. All I did was make the chassis- the bodies. War machines are meant for war, and that's what my creations did. Warred against all humanity, against the entire planet. That's my first apology. Without me, the Omnic Crisis wouldn't have been what it was."
Genji crossed his arms. "Doesn't it seem arrogant to you, holding yourself accountable as the sole person responsible for the Crisis?"
"It would be if that's what I was apologizing for." Torbjörn took another slurp of coffee. "No, I knew we were going down a dangerous path with AI. I argued against it, within the guild and out. For a long time, I thought that absolved me of guilt. I knew that AI would lead to our destruction and I was right. Can't be guilty if you're right, eh? But in the end, even if I didn't build the brain, I built the bodies. What if I had built the bastion model with weaknesses? What if I hadn't built it at all? Would the god programs have designed their own armies instead of using the blueprints I gave them?"
Genji shook his head. "Someone else would have built them."
"They would. But they didn't." He patted his chest. "I did. It was my creations I had to fight on every battlefield. You think Overwatch recruited me because I was the best mechanical engineer in the world? Far from it. They recruited me because I was the bastard who made the robots we fought."
Beside him, Master's orbs glowed slightly. "I imagine it was difficult, having to destroy your own creations."
Master would have to forgive him for not being so quick to comfort a weapons dealer.
"So you feel guilty for contributing to the Crisis," Genji bit out. "Apology accepted. You realize this is the smallest of your offenses against us?"
Torbjörn raised his bushy brows. "Of course I do. Like I said, it's a long list. After the Crisis was over, I made it my life's mission to prevent it from ever happening again. I finally accepted that senior position in Ironclad-"
"And used it to campaign against omnic rights," Genji finished for him.
"That I did," Torbjörn said gravely. "I thought omnic autonomy was hogwash. After all, I just fought a war against them. Take the god program out, let its network collapse, and the omnics collapsed right along with it, like puppets cut from a string. Robots don't spontaneously do anything, let alone gain sentience. The god programs themselves only did exactly what they were programmed to do- maximize profits at all costs. Some programmer with feathers for brains didn't stop to think that building war machines is most profitable during a war. Anyway. The omnics rights movement, to me, was nothing more than sensationalist anthropomorphizing. It happened during the war, too. Even before, if we're honest. 'God programs'." Torbjörn snorted. "We should have known better."
"If it was as you say," Master challenged gently. "If omnics acted as puppets without a master once the god programs were destroyed, then wouldn't that have been even stronger reason to believe that omnics truly were gaining sentience?"
"Maybe," Torbjörn said. "If omnics all gained sentience at once. Instead, it spread like an infection… or a virus."
Genji scowled. "Intelligence isn't a disease."
Torbjörn shook his head and set his mug down. "You misunderstand. While we couldn't pin down a pattern, we could confirm that omnics not connected to the global linkup didn't exhibit signs of so-called sentience like others did. That's practically a neon sign screaming 'virus!'"
"That theory was debunked, though!" He seethed. "There were omnics all over the world who Awoke without connecting to the uplink."
"Lies," Torbjörn said dispassionately. "Well, partially true, but not in a way that debunked the theory. Every instance of an omnic exhibiting sentience without an uplink had connected to another omnic who did. The virus would have spread directly."
Genji eased back in his seat, not sure when he started leaning forward so aggressively. "But… if that's true then…"
Torbjörn sighed. "Look, politics is dirty. Omnic rights is political. Some lied in defense of the truth and some told the truth in defense of a lie. At the end of the day, omnics are sentient. Have been since the Crisis. Either that or they approximate sentience so effectively that Turing himself couldn't tell the difference."
"All this," Master said, "And you still think there is a chance that omnics aren't sentient?"
"I like to hedge my bets."
Genji stood in disgust, the only thing keeping him in the garden was Master's hand on his wrist.
Guilt flashed across Torbjörn's face. "Sorry- that wasn't what I meant to-"
He shook off Master's grip, but made no move to leave. "Why the change of heart, if you still believe Master and Bastion are nothing more than minds bound by wire?"
"That's…" Torbjörn picked at a thread on his sleeve. "A long story, I think."
"I have time."
He picked up his mug before immediately setting down again. "Finding Bastion helped me, er, reconsider a lot of my positions. Though, I think that given enough time I would have come to the same conclusions."
"If Bastion wasn't the final push, then what was?"
Torbjörn sighed. "They say that death has a way of putting life in perspective, but it turns out the opposite is true, too. Jack's alive, but in a lot of ways he only lives on as a memory."
Genji wasn't sure where Torbjörn was going with this, but he wasn't off to a good start. "Morrison hated omnics just as much as you did."
"Aye. He did." Torbjörn paused to emphasize the past tense. "I tried keeping Bastion out of his sight for as long as I could. An E-54 unit and a Crisis veteran with, eh, let's say deeply ingrained reactions. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn't it?"
Genji refused to laugh with him.
Torbjörn's weak smile disappeared. "Jack hardly spared him a second glance. Didn't even comment on his model. He asked why he had a garden hose and… that was it."
"That was… it?" Genji echoed doubtfully. Sure, Morrison lost his memory, but some ideas live in blood and bone instead of the brain. He would have thought Morrison's hatred of omnics would be one of those.
Torbjörn nodded. "That's how I felt, too. Didn't expect someone who valued his experiences so strongly to turn into someone who, well, doesn't. It made me wonder. Old Jack never would have given Bastion a chance, would've destroyed him on the spot. Am I like that, too? If omnic sentience was truth, would I be able to recognize it? With as many people as I lost to the Crisis- friends, colleagues, my sister and her family- am I the one who can't see the future for the past?"
Bastion whirred quietly, jerkily giving Torbjörn a pat on his shoulder. Master remained silent, but Genji could tell from his folded hands that he was deep in thought. Personally, he wasn't convinced. Words were always easier than action.
Torbjörn cleared his throat. "I'll be representing the Ironclad Guild at the Summit. As we have for the past six years, we will enter from the south, but this year, for the first time, we will exit to the north."
A gasp drew Genji's attention to his right, where Master had a hand pressed against his faceplate.
"Master?"
"When the Summit was first held," Master explained, tone full of wonder. "The fighting between both sides was so extreme that delegates couldn't get through the crowds of protestors. In the following years, the organizers split the protesters in two. There are only two roads into the building that held the Summit. Anti-omnic delegates always come from the south and pro-omnics… come from the north."
"...Ironclad is switching sides?"
"Yep," Torbjörn confirmed, sitting straighter. "We'll be blacklisted in quite a few countries, Sweden included, but… it's time we start moving forward again. Before Talon can drag us into another Crisis."
"For every nation that turns you away, another will welcome you with open arms," Master said fervently. "I already felt privileged to represent the Shambali this Summit, but I will be truly honored to see Ironclad join hands with us."
That caught Torbjörn's attention. "You're representing the Shambali?"
"Yes, I requested it when I realized how advantageous it would be to have delegates in the Summit."
"That's a rather last-minute change," Torbjörn observed. "Surprised they let you have it."
"I had to call in… many favors. Oh!" Master clapped his hands together, almost gleeful. "Jomo will be beside herself to learn she gave up her seat for the one Summit progress actually occurs."
Torbjörn chuckled. "Will it be just the two of us, then?"
"No," Genji said. "I will be there. Nominally as Master's assistant, but really as his guard."
Master nodded. "I believe Lúcio has a seat as well, representing a pro-omnic group for the South Americas."
Grinning, Torbjörn lifted his mug high. "Well, that might be the best news about the mission I've heard all day."
"Lucky that it is not yet noon, then," Master said cheekily.
Genji watched them laugh together, Bastion joining in with his own version of chuckling. "You've surprised me today, Torbjörn."
"I think I'll take that as a compliment," Torbjörn said. "Not many can say they've surprised a ninja."
"Not many set the bar so low in the first place."
Torbjörn grimaced. "Suppose I deserve that."
"I suppose you do." Genji took a deep breath and ignored Master attempting to burn a hole in his head with nothing but a stare. "I appreciate you're making great steps to make up for the things you've done. As you explain it, I understand that has always been your intent although it is rarely your result. Please appreciate that despite this, I have no interest in anything other than a professional relationship with you and even that is out of necessity rather than desire."
Narrowing his shrewd eyes, Torbjörn eventually nodded and took another draught from his mug. "Harsh, but fair. I've got no quarrel with you, Genji."
"But you do with Angela."
Torbjörn scratched his beard before sighing deeply. "It rubs me the wrong way, that she is so secretive and can do things without explanation. Too much like the god program developers before the Crisis. Whatever your group gets up to when you squirrel yourselves away probably isn't any of my business, but every time I've said something wasn't my problem in the past, it's come back to bite me harder than if I'd just confronted it head on."
Genji froze, zeroing in on one particular sentence. "What do you mean, 'what my group gets up to'?"
For some reason, Torbjörn blushed, red cheeks barely visible through his thick beard. "You know…"
Genji shrugged, truly at a loss, but scared that the Old Guard had already figured out their part in Blackwatch.
"You, your girlfriend, McCree?" Torbjörn shifted uncomfortably. "Sort of thought it was, er, date night for you all until you started bringing your brother into it."
What.
"I, uh, that's not-"
"Bah, I'm not one to judge. As long as you're all consenting adults."
Genji slapped a hand to his face. "Oh, Iris…" He'd almost rather that Blackwatch was exposed.
Bastion's whistling laughter just made it worse.
"I'm, ah," Genji stood up. "Thanks for the chat, Torbjörn." He edged away from the table, studiously ignoring Master's knowing chortles. "I've really got to go- things to do. Like, ah, stuff." Real smooth...
Torbjörn waved with his mechanical arm. "Thank you for coming, Genji. Makes an old man happy to do a little better today, and hopefully a little better tomorrow, too."
"I will see you for meditation this afternoon," Master said, apparently intending to continue the conversation with Torbjörn and Bastion.
Bastion beeped a farewell and Genji ducked away through the garden, eager to escape through the Forge. He opened the door only to stop short, the entire entryway taken up by Reinhardt's muscled back, enormous barbell on his shoulders.
"Come on, Rein," Brigitte's voice sounded from inside the Forge. "Dig deep!"
Rein grunted, thighs the size of Genji's entire body flexing as he strained underneath the weight, striving to return to his full height and slowly rising, centimeter by centimeter.
"This is nothing!" Brigitte shouted. "You lift more than this every day!"
He tried peeking over Reinhardt to catch Brigitte's eye, but Reinhardt was too tall even in a deep squat.
"This isn't the weight of the world," Brigitte challenged him. "The weight of duty, or the Crusader Battalion- it's a measly 500 kilos. Now LIFT!"
Rein surged upward with a roar, standing tall in the rack. It was a- somewhat terrifying- sight to behold. His victorious laughter boomed through the small room, easily drowning out Brigitte's ecstatic cheers and Genji's own clapping.
Brigitte's head popped out beside Rein's shoulder and she squinted into the light. "Uh, I think someone's trying to get by, Rein."
Reinhardt dropped the weight to the ground and turned in place, confusion quickly replaced by a broad smile. "Genji! Done in the garden, are you? Come to join us for mission workouts? We will be doing clean and kinds next!"
"No," Genji said emphatically. "Thank you. I'm more suited to different exerci- wait, isn't it normally called the clean and jerk?"
Brigitte groaned.
"It is!" Rein laughed. "But I am clean and kind, not a jerk."
"Ha, I like it!" He closed the door behind him as he entered the Forge properly. "I take it mission prep is going well?"
"But of course!" Rein shouted.
Brigitte smiled at her godfather and threw a towel at his face. "Not that there's much prep to do. Our jobs are pretty easy. Most of what I need to do is pack everything up and maybe do some last minute touch-ups." She picked up a screwdriver from her work table and twirled it, mischievous smile spreading across her face. "Rein just has to follow directions."
"And stay in peak physical form!" Reinhardt added exuberantly, already moving into flexes-
Brigitte leveled the screwdriver at him. "Don't you move one muscle!"
Rein froze in place, eyes comically wide.
"Have you stretched?" she asked.
"Er-"
"That's what I thought. You wanna flex, you gotta stretch!"
Rein sighed, letting his limbs fall back to his side. "Yes, fraulein."
Genji laughed, but his mind wandered as he watched the two. He wished that it hadn't taken so long for Brigitte to soften towards the rest of the team. Seeing her interact with Rein, it was clear that she cared deeply for her friends. What would the team dynamic look like, if they had earned her trust sooner? Would she be as eager to help Winston tinker in his lab as she was to assist her father in the Forge? Would her and Lúcio bond over innovative tech? Would Angela find a kindred spirit for bullying others into good choices?
...Okay, actually it might be a terrible idea for Brigitte to get along with Angela. They would terrorize the whole base into a healthy lifestyle.
"You can join us for stretching, if you want, Genji."
He ruefully shook his head at Brigitte. "I need to speak with Winston, but thank you for the invitation. It was nice seeing you two!"
"And you as well, Genji!" Rein yelled, waving from an overhead arm pull. "Say hello to our fearless leader for us!"
"Sure!"
Fearless leader. Riiiiiight.
/
The first thing Genji noticed upon entering Winston's lab was the rearranged furniture. Many of the work tables were shoved together, with countless tablets, papers, and notes spread across them. The holographic display table in the center of the mess displayed King's Row in extreme detail, with an overview map of London in the corner.
On one side of the table, Winston sat in a massive bean bag chair examining the data thoughtfully as Hanzo guided him through a proposed course of action. Jesse was here, too, but he sat on the arm of a chair against the wall, chewing on his cigar as he listened.
"Working hard?" Genji asked.
Jesse tipped his hat and Winston waved, but Hanzo ignored him, not pausing in his explanation. That's fair. He was interrupting a planning meeting. Genji approached the table, studying the map like the good little brother he was.
"Given the dimensions of the bomb and the range of vehicles supporting that weight," Hanzo said. "These are the primary routes Talon is likely to take." Several roads glowed yellow on the holo-map. "Due to the Summit, these routes will be closed." Three roads turned red. "Whatever force we dedicate to safeguarding the omnic ghettos will therefore need to be vigilant for these approaches." Four roads turned green, all of which converged at a single entrance to the Rustworks ghetto. "We are lucky that there is only one place where Talon could effectively detonate the EMP."
Winston rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It will be tough, splitting what little forces we have, but I think circumstances actually favor us overall." He looked up, yellow eyes looking between the rest of them. "Especially since this is all centrally located."
"Talon could've split their forces with no problem," Jesse spoke up. "Attacking the Summit and the ghetto on the same day, in the same part of the city when it woulda played to their strengths to spread out tells me that they're cocky."
"I disagree," Hanzo said. Genji expected Jesse to have a snappy retort for that, but his best friend simply gave Hanzo his attention. Odd. "To say they are cocky is to imply that they overestimate their capabilities. Given Talon's resources, I am not sure that's possible. However, they do believe that they are unopposed and I will be happy to disabuse them of the notion."
Jesse laughed. "That's a hell of a way to say you're ready to kick their ass."
Hanzo huffed and Genji was stunned to see a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Genji. Is there something you need?"
He shrugged. "No. I was just looking for an excuse to leave a coffee date with Master and Torbjörn."
"You were doin' what-now?"
"I'll tell you later."
"I don't know about you guys," Winston said with a smile. "But I'm feeling much more confident in ourselves! With all this planning and thorough preparation, we are well on track to be completely prepared for the King's Row mission!"
"I do not think there's such a thing as 'completely prepared' for any kind of mission," Hanzo cautioned.
Winston waved him off. "Of course, of course. We are as prepared as we can be, though!"
Jesse coughed into his hand. "Maybe a little less enthusiasm for possibly marchin' us to our deaths, yeah bud?"
"Oh, uh, yes, I suppose I should take a more, um, tempered approach." Winston rubbed his forearm. "Oh! But I do have one more piece of good news for the mission."
Genji perked up. "Really? What's that?"
"We have a new recruit arriving today!"
"Right before a significant mission?" Hanzo asked. Great, Genji already knew he was going to say something about 'security' or- "We will not have time to integrate a new agent to our plan." Yup. "Unless your recruit is already extremely well trained, the combat value of the team will not increase. That is not to mention that your agent may not be trustworthy-"
"So is it anyone we know?" Jesse cut over. Genji snickered at Hanzo's expression.
"Um, probably not personally," Winston said. "She is very well trained, though, as a pilot in the Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army."
Hanzo looked sharply at Winston. "We are to have a MEKA pilot join us-"
"What's her name?" Genji asked.
"Hold up, ain't MEKA pilots extremely high-profile? Like, K-pop band levels popular?"
"The analogy is not inappropriate-"
"When does she get here?" Genji asked, solely to have the excuse of talking over Hanzo again.
"And her name!" Jesse added. "You still haven't told us her name."
"Can you two not exercise patience?" Hanzo asked in exasperation. "On a more practical note, she will inevitably need a guide once she arrives, I see no purpose-"
"You want to know who it is, too!" Genji realized shrewdly.
"Genji, I will murder you a second time."
Oho! Were they finally at the point that they could joke about his murder? Excellent! He had so much material built up-
A melodic tone interrupted the conversation and they all looked up to listen to Athena's message. "There is an unauthorized individual at the gate."
Convenient timing. One might even say contrived. Genji narrowed his eyes at Winston. When did he learn dramatic timing?
"Sooo," Jesse drawled. "Anyone order pizza?"
Winston leaned forward as well as he could in the bean bag. "Athena, is it our, um, anticipated guest?"
"I will ask the individual to approach the gate camera," she replied neutrally.
"We have a gate camera?" Jesse asked as Athena broadcast a currently-empty video feed. "You, uh, don't look at that footage often, do ya Winston?"
"...I will going forward."
"Duly noted."
They settled into silence, listening through the camera feed as Athena asked the guest to present herself to the camera.
A young woman stepped into the frame, long brown hair hanging freely as she leaned to peer into the camera. Genji immediately recognized the carefully-cultivated 'casual' style clothes she wore- he went through a similar phase right before his… let's call it neon nightmare. You might think that her ensemble of snow-white sneakers, tight jeans, loose white t-shirt, and pink letterman jacket would be easy fashion, but the truth is that there was nothing more sinister than keeping white clothes clean. He didn't recognize the pink triangles painted onto her face, though they seemed vaguely familiar. Maybe it was a fashion trend back home?
She blinked at the camera and then threw up a peace sign, blowing a large bubblegum and popping it loudly. "Sup, losers. It's Hana Song. I'm here to join the rebellion or whatever."
A wave of delight washed over Genji. Obnoxious, youthful, and insolent? Hanzo was going to hate her.
