Hana Song was a treasure. Of this, Hanzo was certain, though he had yet to hold a conversation with her.
⟪I don't understand, Brother! How can you like her?⟫ Genji complained, leaning back in his chair and balancing it on a single leg. ⟪She's insolent, she's sarcastic, she's mean- you know she challenged me in the new Mortal Kombat? And then made fun of me when I lost?⟫ Genji pitched his voice. ⟪'Are you even trying?'⟫ He slouched even further in his chair. ⟪I can deflect bullets in real life.⟫
Hanzo turned his head towards his tablet, careful to hide his smile from Genji. ⟪She sounds charming.⟫
⟪Charming?!⟫ Genji spluttered. ⟪Even Jesse thinks she's obnoxious!⟫
This time he could not keep his laughter quiet, the idea of McCree being outmatched by a nineteen year old too amusing to ignore. ⟪Perhaps he is sore that she out-shot him in the range.⟫
Genji's chair pitched onto all four legs loudly. ⟪That was a fluke! No one is a better shot than Jesse!⟫
⟪Oh?⟫ Hanzo asked, far too entertained to do the right thing and console his brother. ⟪Not even yourself? Not even me?⟫
Genji squinted his eyes in calculation. ⟪I don't believe I am more accurate than Jesse, but I'd be very interested in a marksmanship match between the two of you.⟫
It would not be as exciting as Genji seemed to expect. Hanzo had no peer on his chosen weapon systems. McCree would likely perform better on a wider range of firearms, but Hanzo was more than comfortable relying on his Stormbow and sniper rifle. He knew Song was similarly specialized, having only trained on one specific model of pulse pistol.
He smirked. ⟪Perhaps we should invite Miss Song as well, if she is so proficient.⟫
Genji threw up his hands. ⟪I can't understand why you'd like her. She's just like I was when I was younger!⟫
That much was true. If her streaming persona at all reflected reality, Song would be charismatic, endearing, and ruthless.
⟪No,⟫ Hanzo said slyly, ⟪she is much cuter than you were.⟫
⟪Brother!⟫
Hanzo raised a hand placatingly. ⟪In truth, I suspect her similarities to your younger self are why I find her so likeable.⟫
⟪But you hated me when we were younger,⟫ Genji whined.
Hanzo frowned, the sadness and grief for their childhood almost overwhelming. ⟪No, Genji. I never hated you.⟫
⟪...Oh.⟫
Hanzo sighed and picked up his tablet, disconnecting it from the mainframe. ⟪My download of the mission files is complete. Let us go to Doctor Zeigler's office.⟫
They left Hanzo's room without further conversation, but the silence did not last long. Of course it wouldn't, with Genji there.
⟪We shouldn't even be bringing Hana on the mission,⟫ Genji said, already moving past the conversational misstep. ⟪She hasn't trained with us and she'll only be a danger to us and herself.⟫
⟪Peace. She could hardly interrupt our plans as Winston's assistant coordinator.⟫ Hanzo paused as they left the building's overhang, putting up his hood to shield himself from the light rain. ⟪Consider that she is our only pilot other than Oxton, who will be a part of our protest force. Should anything happen to Oxton that prevents or delays her from conducting rapid extraction efforts, Song will be in reserves to take her place.⟫
⟪I was listening at the brief,⟫ Genji muttered.
⟪Why ask what has already been discussed, then?⟫
⟪Just hoping I'll change your mind.⟫
⟪Then you should be speaking to Winston. This is his mission, not mine.⟫
Genji snorted. ⟪If you and Jesse hadn't planned everything for him, we'd still be waiting for the order.⟫
Unfortunately true, but ultimately irrelevant. Hanzo held the medbay door open for Genji, his little brother perking up at the sound of Doctor Zeigler's voice.
"-caused by pulse weapons should be treated primarily as burns."
Santos, Zenyatta, and Morrison sat with the doctor around a high table, studying an oversized tablet. The past few days, those four regularly met in the med bay to learn as much battlefield medicine as they could. He had meant to join them for his own benefit, but mission planning proved too time-consuming. He would have to rely on their expertise if he suffered an injury. The thought did not particularly comfort him.
Doctor Zeigler continued her lecture. "Of course, that means cold compresses, if available, but the most pressing thing is to bandage it so that it minimizes risk of infection."
"Hi, guys!" Santos called out, looking relieved at a distraction. "What brings you to the med bay?"
Doctor Zeigler looked up from the tablet, smiling when she realized who they were. "Ah, Genji! And Hanzo, too, I see. You can wait in my office, I just need to finish going over this material and I'll be right in."
Hanzo nodded, but Genji lacked the patience to do anything other than immediately speak with his girlfriend. As usual.
"Is there anything you need to help prepare for the mission?"
Her smile turned rueful. "Of course there is. Additional supplies, more personnel, more time."
"Wouldn't do much for us," Morrison groused. "Casualties are unavoidable."
Santos frowned intensely. "That's not very optimistic."
Hanzo raised his brows. He'd never before seen Santos direct that level of ire at something unrelated to Vishkar. Doctor Zeigler, meanwhile, heaved a sigh and dropped into a chair. Not a new development, then. Clearly, Morrison was better suited to making enemies rather than friends.
Morrison tched derisively. "Talon's a sophisticated, well-funded, international terrorist organization ready to provoke a crowd of tense protesters and anti-protesters. The local enforcement will expect violence. The attendees will expect violence. Talon will ensure violence. It's going to be a bloodbath no matter how effective a force we end up being."
"Why go at all if we're just going to give up before the fight even starts?" Santos asked angrily.
"He's not entirely wrong," Genji said, either oblivious to the conflict or actively encouraging it. Hanzo could never really tell. "The Summit is always a very tense event. Every year, dozens of people are hospitalized. I am almost surprised Talon feels a need to be the catalyst."
Hanzo cleared his throat before the argument could escalate. "I believe what we're trying to convey is that we have limited resources and the best we can do is mitigate casualties. It is extremely unlikely we can prevent them entirely."
Santos slapped his hands on the table. "Then we need to tell the locals what's at stake! They should know what they're risking."
"I do not think it would dissuade them," he cautioned. "Protestors risk their lives if they attend, but they risk the rights and livelihood of millions if they do not. Many will believe the risk justified."
"We could certainly tip the local law enforcement," Doctor Zeigler began diplomatically.
"I guarantee you they're already bought out by Talon," Santos argued.
Morrison barked a laugh. "Looks like the kid and I agree for once. Informing the government will only alert Talon that we're on to them."
"And that is such a bad thing?" Doctor Zeigler asked. "Perhaps they'll reconsider their plan, be more careful and therefore less destructive."
Her naïveté would be endearing if their lives didn't depend on experience.
"Their goal is destruction," Morrison said, Hanzo nodding in agreement.
"Because of Dorado, Talon should already know that we are on their trail," Genji argued. "It seems that informing the government will only put us on an equal playing field."
Santos shook his head. "All they learned in Dorado is that Soldier: 76 had an accomplice. They don't know Overwatch is back and they don't know that we're going to show up at King's Row."
"It doesn't matter!" Doctor Zeigler exclaimed. "Exposing ourselves is worth it if it can potentially save the lives of hundreds! Yes, Talon has likely infiltrated local forces, but the ones who are true to their mission will be able to provide emergency services."
Morrison leaned forward, voice dropping to an even lower growl than usual. "Those are short term gains that can mean long term losses. Will we save more lives taking Talon by surprise or will we save more by fundamentally compromising our ability to act?"
"Valuing Overwatch as an organization over the people who actually made the organization is what got us to this point." Doctor Zeigler's eyes turned steely. "If you could remember, you would know that."
Beside him, Genji sucked in a breath. Santos glanced at him with a questioning look, but Hanzo could only shake his head apologetically. He didn't know anything about Morrison before his amnesia, either. Dr. Zeigler and Morrison continued to stare daggers at each other until the slam of a door broke their focus.
Hanzo turned to find McCree standing at the entrance. McCree's eyes flicked between the group. "Uh, ain't interruptin' anythin', am I?"
"I think we've covered enough material on triage today," Doctor Zeigler said, tone brooking no argument. "We can continue tomorrow."
Santos lifted his hands off the table. "Alright. I'm gonna work on my speakers. Same time tomorrow, Doc?"
"Yes. Same time." She responded flatly.
Morrison didn't say anything, just stood and left. He even ignored McCree's glare as he exited.
Once the door closed behind him, Genji gently touched Doctor Zeigler's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
She did not respond immediately, busying herself with packing up her instructional materials. Genji squeezed her shoulder and she sighed, looking tired as ever.
"He says he remembers Zurich," she said. "If that's true, then I can't understand why he wouldn't want to take every possible action to prevent it from happening again."
Genji released her shoulder to grab her hand instead, holding it firmly. "Whatever happens, no matter what happens, we will get through it together."
"Aw," McCree said, looking genuinely pleased rather than teasing. "How cute."
Secretly, Hanzo agreed. It brought him boundless joy to see his younger brother so happy and in love, to know that he cared and was equally cared for.
...Joy that was somewhat dampened when Genji flipped them off.
Doctor Zeigler laughed. "Well, you and I might, Spätzli, but what about the rest of the team?" Her smile dimmed. "What happens to Jesse and Hanzo when John puts his goals above the team?"
Genji faltered.
"There is more than one way up a mountain," Hanzo said, forcing as much conviction in his words as he could. He had little faith in Overwatch, but if the team were any more dysfunctional it'd collapse on itself. "It is easiest to find the paths suited to our strengths, regardless if there are better choices available. Even if Morrison is not confident in our chances, he has agreed to follow Winston's plan. We are a team first."
"Well that's-" McCree cut himself off at Hanzo's glare. "Uh, completely true. Yup. Team first, mission always."
Doctor Zeigler laughed again, though Hanzo wasn't sure why. "Thank you. It's good to be reminded that we're on the same team, even when we fight. I suppose… Having John back is bringing back old memories. Ones where Overwatch was fracturing around me." She looked down at her books and diagrams before taking a deep breath. "Let me just… take a moment to clean up. You can go ahead."
"Sure thing, Doc."
Hanzo turned away, hearing Genji's whispered "Would you like me to stay?" and Doctor Zeigler's equally soft "No, it's alright." despite his desire to give them privacy.
McCree opened the door for him, tipping his hat as he entered, Genji close behind.
"Thank you, McCree."
McCree waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it- Y'all know Lúcio is havin' me teach him English?"
"Really?" Genji asked, already interested.
"That seems an ill-advised venture," Hanzo said, balancing his tablet on his knees once he sat down. "Having you as an instructor."
McCree flashed him a half-hearted rude gesture.
"What's wrong with the Babrick?" Genji asked.
"Not a damn thing!" McCree shouted, much louder than he needed to be in such a small office. "He wants to talk to the new kid without a translator. I dunno, guess he thinks it's more romantic or something."
"I guess that explains why he was making eyes at her the whole meeting," Genji perched himself on Dr. Zeigler's desk, apparently not content with the fully functioning chair right next to it. "Is that where he disappears to? He has been wooing Hana?"
McCree groaned. "Lord, I hope not. She's been real buddy-buddy with Brigitte and that woman will absolutely not hesitate to deck him."
"Are his advances unwanted?" Hanzo asked warily, a protective feeling swelling to the surface.
"Who knows? All he's managed to do is stutter out a 'hello' with a blush redder than a farm-fresh tomato."
"Stutter?" Genji asked. "Sunshine? Our international DJ?"
McCree gave an unconcerned shrug. "I guess there ain't a lot of time for romantic relationships between startin' revolutions and earnin' platinum awards. Although, he did have a really good line!"
Hanzo raised his brows. "Dare we ask?"
"I figured I'd start with music-related vocab since that's what he's into. I asked him what his favorite song is." McCree grinned. "You know what he said?"
Hanzo shook his head. He doubted he shared many musical interests with Santos.
"A love ballad?" Genji guessed. "Smooth jazz?"
"Nope. He said his favorite song is Hana. As in, Hana Song." McCree leaned forward on his knees gleefully. "Tell me that ain't clever!"
Seeing McCree and Genji burst out in laughter, Hanzo couldn't help but chuckle with them, even if it was not new for him. "That is one of her advertising lines," he informed them.
McCree tilted his head. "Advertisin'?"
"Well, yes," Hanzo said, perplexed that McCree was asking.
McCree looked between him and Genji. "Gonna need you to elaborate. I thought she was part of the South Korean Army?"
"She is," Hanzo said, also glancing at Genji for a hint of why McCree wouldn't know anything about the most popular MEKA pilot in the Asian Pacific.
"I do not know much about Hana, either," his brother confessed. "I did not focus on news of home while I was with the Shambali."
"I see," Hanzo said slowly. It seemed so strange that neither would know, although Genji was never very attentive and McCree was an international outlaw. No matter. "Miss Song is a pilot for the South Korean Army, but before that she was a very popular game streamer. I suppose she still is, as she is known to stream combat operations-"
"She what?" McCree interrupted, looking shocked.
"It's a fairly common practice," Hanzo defended.
McCree's mouth dropped. "In what world?! Filmin' war for entertainment? That's nothin' but fucked up."
Hanzo furrowed his brow, before understanding finally dawned. Streaming true warfare against omnics or humans would be horrifying. "The MEKA team does not engage in traditional warfare. They and most militaries in the Pacific are focused on the Colossus."
McCree blinked. "The what?"
Genji coughed into his fist. "Kaiju-bot."
McCree slapped his knee. "Ohhhhhh! I can't believe I forgot about mecha-godzilla."
"That is hardly accurate-" Hanzo began.
"It sort of is, anija."
"It's a giant-ass robot that stomps all over the biggest coastal Asian cities, eatin' power lines and pushin' over skyscrapers," McCree said, stomping his boots for effect. "How is callin' it a kaiju-bot not accurate?"
"Kaiju are meant to be manifestations of natural disasters and the earth's defense against the hubris of man," Hanzo argued. "The mecha-arcs have always been reductive and counter to the original narrative."
Genji and McCree stared at him.
Discomfort crawled up his spine, but he refused to show it. "What?"
"I thought Genji was bad for being a sentai-traditionalist. But you? A kaiju fanboy?" A grin split across McCree's face and Hanzo was seized with the sudden inspiration to poison his next meal. "I never woulda guessed! Is that why you know all about Hana?" He teased. "Are you her number one fan? Watch all her streams?"
"No," Hanzo automatically disagreed, then paused. "Well, I do subscribe to her streams, but-"
"Ha!" Genji crowed.
"But so does practically all of Japan!" He defended. "Her fame and popularity is unparalleled in South Korea. Businesses close for premiere streams!"
"That so?" McCree asked.
Hanzo glared at Genji, who was still snickering. "As I said, she was already popular before becoming a national hero. Miss Song earned the world championship title in Starcraft for the first time when she was fourteen. I believe her father had been a professional gamer as well and that she learned from him."
"'You believe'," Gejni snorted. "As though you do not have her entire biography memorized."
"There is hardly a child that does not know her story!" Hanzo protested. "It was a scandal when the Army drafted her."
"How's that a scandal?" McCree asked. "Don't they draft everyone at 17 over there?"
He nodded. "Yes, but there is also an option to do civic service or to be exempted entirely. The most popular entertainers are often excepted from the requirement because they are considered vital to morale. Miss Song had applied for that exemption, but the government denied it because she was one of the very, very few qualified to pilot a MEKA."
"Huh," McCree said thoughtfully. "Spose it would be bad PR to send boy bands through boot camp."
"I watched that K-drama," Genji piped up. "Very good."
"Ah, excellent, you're still here," Dr. Zeigler said as she stepped through the office door, walking straight to her coffee machine. "Thank you for waiting."
"What," McCree asked, feigning offense. "You thought we were gonna sneak off without ya?"
"When you and Genji are unsupervised?" Doctor Zeigler asked pointedly. "I wouldn't be surprised."
"How could you say that, Angela?" Genji asked with an unconvincingly betrayed look. "We are not unsupervised, Hanzo is right there!"
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, Doc!" McCree piped up. "Hanzo was keeping us entertained tellin' us stories about our newest member!"
"Stories about Hana?" Dr. Zeigler asked without facing him, measuring out coffee grinds instead. "I did not realize you knew her personally."
"I do not," He said wearily. "She is simply a high-profile figure in the Asian Pacific. Everyone who lives there knows something about her."
"Really?" She pressed a button and the battered coffee machine groaned. She slapped it once and it began to percolate. "Rather young to be a cultural star."
"Pro gamer turned soldier," McCree supplied. "Fights mecha-godzilla!"
Hanzo sighed. "She does not-"
"They put children on the front lines?" Doctor Zeigler interrupted, shocked.
"She was drafted at seventeen," Genji said. "That's standard in Korea."
"That's awful!"
"So's gettin' your city leveled every couple of years." McCree said. "Sides, I joined the military when I was seventeen."
Dr. Zeigler shot him a skeptical look. "No, you didn't. You forget I've seen your medical records. You were eighteen."
"What, you think that was accurate?" McCree asked. "Not like I had a birth certificate on file. I lied."
"Nice!" Genji said, giving McCree a high five.
Children. They were both children.
"No, not nice!" Dr. Zeigler protested.
Rather than accepting his reprimand, McCree only grinned wider. "C'mon, Doc, what d'you want? Korea's constantly gettin' destroyed by an omnic kaiju. Hana wanted to help protect her country. Ain't that admirable? They probably stuck her in a anti-missile defense room and had her fight from a safe distance."
"Actually," Hanzo said, pausing to ensure no one would interrupt him. "Miss Song was drafted against her will to be a MEKA pilot. She was frequently on the front lines and was instrumental in the most recent counteroffensive."
"Oh," McCree leaned back in his chair. "Damn."
"Wait, I have a question!" Genji said while waving his hand like an obnoxious schoolchild. "You say that she is extremely popular, the poster girl for the MEKA force, and critical to their defenses- why did they let her go?"
"Oh no," Dr. Zeigler said, freezing with her coffee halfway to her mouth. "Don't tell me that she's deserted the Army. They must be looking for her- what if they discover she's here? They'll claim we're fugitives harboring fugitives!"
"That's technically true," Genji said, not at all helpfully.
Hanzo ignored him. "There is no cause for concern-"
"Hold on," McCree said, digging in his ear. "Don't think I heard that right- did our resident conspiracy theorist just tell me not to worry? Doc, I think he needs his head checked."
...Genji would not approve of poisoning, but there were always laxatives.
He ignored McCree's jab. "She was injured on the last mission and placed on mandatory recovery. Apparently, she does not take well to idleness-"
"That still doesn't explain how she is here," Genji said.
"Perhaps if you cease interrupting me, I could answer your questions before you had the chance to ask them," He said with no small amount of irritation. "Miss Song didn't ask for permission or leave. She simply left. Of course the Army is anxious about her departure, however she has the upper hand in this situation. They can't afford to alert Korean citizens that Miss Song was injured or that she left the country. She is one stream away from severely discrediting the South Korean government."
"Oh right, they have that..." McCree snapped his fingers. "Sponsored media policy, don't they?"
"Ah," Dr. Zeigler said as she sat behind her desk, coffee mug already half empty. "I remember the exposé that Laoatian journalist did- South Korea's been caught lying about the readiness of their Army often, haven't they? I imagine that admitting their nation's darling is anything less than perfectly healthy would damage their citizen's trust permanently."
Hanzo inclined his head. "Yes. Miss Song is leveraging her influence rather masterfully."
"For how long?" McCree asked.
Hanzo hummed. "It is hard to say. I have not spoken to her, personally."
"I have, during her intake physical," Dr. Zeigler said. "I asked her if she'd like access to any kind of health services to include counseling and she declined. Her injuries are only a few weeks from completely healing, though, so I'm not sure how long she plans to stay. Or why for that matter."
"Well… We all have our secrets," Genji said. "I agree with Hanzo, though. Hana isn't likely to expose us."
"Shit, I almost forgot again- speakin' of secrets and exposure!" McCree sat a little straighter. "Blackwatch."
Ah. Right. They were meant to be reviewing the Dorado mission.
"Yes!" Genji rubbed his hands together. "We have much to cover."
McCree eyed Genji suspiciously. "What're you talkin' about, 'we'? You weren't even in Dorado, what d'you need to cover?"
"Me?" Genji asked in a completely unbelievable attempt at innocence. "Nothing. But I am eager to hear the details of the mission that Hanzo left out."
Hanzo frowned in confusion. What could he have left out? His notes were always meticulous. Nothing related to the mission would escape his notice. The only thing that wasn't important enough to make his report was- his eyes widened. The stakeout for McCree.
"I believe it is more important to focus on details relevant to the upcoming mission," he said hurriedly.
"Uh-huh," McCree said warily, looking between them. "I'll leave whatever weird thing y'all are anglin' to well enough alone. Anyway, we've been busy since Morrison's pasty ass showed up and it honestly slipped my mind until yesterday, but I think Sombra might be involved with Los Muertos or Talon."
Hanzo perked up. "What gives you that impression?" He'd reprimand McCree for waiting so long to bring this up, but they had been busy.
McCree tipped his hat back."Before the engagement, the Los Muertos contacts mentioned something about Sombra causing trouble."
"Causing trouble is good, right?" Genji asked.
Dr. Zeigler crossed her arms. "I think that would depend on who gets the trouble."
Hanzo hummed, remembering the translation issues they had in Dorado. "Are you certain it was Sombra or is it possible they were speaking of 'shadows' in a general sense?"
McCree shrugged. "No idea. It could be either, but I don't believe in coincidences. While I can't say for sure whose side Sombra is on, I'd rather Sombra and Talon not be associated at all- especially if Sombra's got hands in our servers."
"Isn't it still possible that Sombra is legitimately Blackwatch?" Dr. Zeigler asked.
"Well, yeah," McCree drew out, scratching his chin. "But like we said before that doesn't really mean much. Sombra might have been Blackwatch before and still currently be Los Muertos. Or Talon."
"So, really, we haven't learned anything," Genji concluded.
McCree snorted. "Pretty much."
"Is there anything that occurred during the Dorado mission that does impact our knowledge?" Hanzo asked.
They all looked at McCree.
He blinked. "Well, uh, Morrison, obviously. He's alive. That changes everything we know about the Fall."
Hanzo frowned in doubt. "All we know about the Fall is how much we do not know."
"But we know even less now!" McCree burst out. "Morrison couldn't have been at the Zurich HQ and survive the blast!"
Dr. Zeigler shook her head. "There's no way we can say that for certain. There were people who survived relatively close to the blast, thanks to some quirks of building construction."
"Yeah, but Reyes-"
"Was physically crushed beneath the building," Dr. Zeigler said, a strain in her voice. "All that had to happen for Jack to live is for the building to create an alcove on the initial collapse and get out before the secondary collapses."
"It may be that we will never learn what truly happened that night." Hanzo turned on his tablet. "I am more concerned with preventing a repeat performance in the coming days."
"We're just gonna drop it like that?" McCree demanded. "Sunshine and Hana get scrutinized but the guy with swiss-cheese memory is just fine?"
"We can revisit it later if you would like," he said with no real interest, too busy navigating through his files. "But we should at least discuss the plan we presented tonight."
McCree grumbled unhappily, slouching in his chair. "Fine. Genji, Doc, how do you think the brief went?"
"I thought it was good," Genji said. "You both assisted Winston and I don't think there was much confusion amongst the members. The clarifications and background you gave preempted any questions I thought of."
Dr. Zeigler took a large draught of coffee before speaking. "I'm not familiar with the tactical aspect of operation planning or execution, but I agree. Even those of us without experience or with a language barrier, such as Lúcio, had a good understanding of the mission by the end."
"I also think it went well," Hanzo said, pleased with the approval so far. "I was not thrilled with Winston's method of briefing, starting with the mission and having to go back to cover weather and situation, but I do not believe it was a significant detriment."
McCree nodded. "Yeah, the context is important. Ending with the weather like he did means that people have to mentally go back and add in the cold and rain instead of considering it as we went through the plan."
"One thing I am concerned about," Dr Zeigler said, "Is how we came up with Talon's schemes of maneuver? If they went through so much effort to get the EMP bomb, I do not understand why they would direct the bulk of their forces to the protest instead of dedicating them to the delivery and detonation of the EMP."
"Why didn't you bring that up at the meeting?" McCree asked.
Dr. Zeigler fiddled with her mug, flustered. "Well, I assumed that it had to do with Blackwatch's experience with Talon."
McCree's face briefly scrunched in frustration. "I mean, yeah, it does. More importantly, there were probably others who were wonderin' the same thing. There are ways to explain Talon operatin' procedures without outin' Blackwatch. The reason Talon will be focusin' most of their forces at the protest is because it's the main supportin' effort for the EMP." McCree leaned forward, elbows on knees. "Local governance will already be focusin' on the Summit because of the international dignitaries and the protests. The security in the omnic slums will be even more negligible than usual. All Talon has to do is push the protests over the edge- and they will be on the edge- and the situation will snowball, leavin' the approach to the Rustworks wide open."
"It will not take significant effort to detonate the payload," Hanzo added. "Remote operation will likely not be possible because of the Faraday Cage around the Rustworks, so we can assume that personnel without augmentations will have to push the button."
"Ah," Dr. Zeigler said. "I see. So because they can only use unaltered agents, you believe that they will be limited on who they can send? Most Talon operatives have these alterations?"
"Shit, at this point, most people have alterations." McCree held up his mechanical arm as evidence. "The ratio only increases in military communities and I don't think it'd be any different for Talon. And yeah, I know this mostly based on my personal experience fighting Talon and I don't blame you for hesitatin' in askin', but I feel bad that I didn't think to explain it in the brief." He paused before muttering, "Hope no one else was holdin' on to questions."
"So, just between us," Genji began, "what are our realistic chances of success for this mission?"
Hanzo grimaced and beside him, he could see McCree did as well. Perhaps bluntness would be best. "They are… not good."
"Well," McCree hedged, "I'd say it depends on how you define success. Will we be able to prevent civilian casualties, destroy the EMP before it can detonate, and extract ourselves without causing an international incident or experiencing any losses? No. But can we do three of those tasks instead of four?" He paused. "Also no."
"I was hoping for a more optimistic outlook," Dr. Zeigler admitted.
McCree shrugged apologetically. "Personally, my priorities are making sure all of us get out of King's Row alive, then preventing civilian casualties, then destroying the EMP, and at the bottom is preventing international incidents. Fair warnin', I am terrible at avoidin' those, so I'm just writin' it off as a lost cause now."
Dr. Zeigler rubbed at her temples. "But what about the actual plan? Will it work?"
"We would not have presented it if we did not believe we could succeed," Hanzo asserted, wishing he felt half the confidence he projected. "You would notice that almost all of our forces are aligned towards the Summit and preventing civilian casualties with only Morrison screening the Rustworks for the EMP."
"Morrison is unreliable," McCree said. "He doesn't play well with others and he doesn't listen to orders. Puttin' him as a lone wolf with his own mission plays to his strengths and mitigates his weaknesses."
"Ah, is that why you put Winston in the rear?" Genji asked. "To mitigate his weakness as a leader?"
"That is…" Hanzo internally fought over word choice for a moment. "Harshly put, but not untrue. Winston is excellent at monitoring data and relaying information, so having him at the communication node is critical to the mission."
"It just so happens to remove him from the playing field so he can't tactically fuck up our day," McCree added.
"And if he attempts to direct us anyway?" Genji challenged.
McCree slapped Hanzo's shoulder and he decided McCree deserved none of his cooking, not even the poisoned variety.
"Hanzo will be our eyes in the sky," McCree said. "He'll be on the roof to prevent enemy snipers from moving in, but also to override Winston's decisions if necessary. We explained it to Winston that relaying the situation and waiting for orders can cost lives, so he very enthusiastically agreed to the plan."
"You have thought of everything," Genji said approvingly.
"But if Hanzo needs to fight?" Dr. Zeigler asked anxiously. "That means we won't be coordinated."
McCree shrugged again, though it seemed stiffer than usual. More tense? "It's a risk we'll have to assume. Worst case scenario, Winston directs us and we'll just have to put his orders through a common sense filter."
She didn't seem assured by that. "But if it's a large enough concern to intentionally sideline Winston for his own mission-"
"Look, Doc." Was it frustration or fear in McCree's voice? "I'm just gonna say it straight: people are going to die in two days."
Dr. Zeigler deflated. She turned to him and Hanzo found he could not hold her gaze. What McCree said was truth.
"We have done our best to plan for every eventuality," he said, "But McCree is correct. We do not have the personnel, influence, or capability to protect everyone."
"But what about…" Dr. Zeigler trailed off, not bothering to finish her sentence. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she understood, she knew they were right. She simply didn't want to believe it.
McCree took on a softer tone. "I'm not bein' mean or pessimistic, Doc. The reality is that this mission is too big for us to ignore, but too big for us to win. It may come down to our lives or civilian lives. Winston might say it's our duty as Overwatch to make that trade, but the reality is I'd trade all of King's Row for any one of y'all."
He turned to McCree, shocked. Surely he didn't mean to include Hanzo in that statement? But McCree refused to look at him, though he knew McCree could see him staring.
Dr. Zeigler was similarly moved. "Jesse…"
"We're all coming back from this mission," McCree said with intensity. "I don't care what it takes."
"Then let us hope it will not take everything," Genji said quietly.
The silence was not a comfort. There was no solidarity in it, only solemn contemplation. It was more than the protestors at stake. More than the thousands of omnics in the ghettos. It could be the beginning of a second Crisis, and they were the only ones standing in the way. Overwatch.
A team of thirteen against an army, in the defense of millions.
Thirteen.
AUTHOR NOTE
BLUF: No new chapters til August.
Long version: So i'm exhausted and real life is about to ramp up in pretty much all aspects for the coming months, so i'm not gonna post any new chapters until August. I haven't quite gone through my backlog, but looking at the next five chapters- they've all got *serious* cliff hangers, so I figure this is the best place to pause on. And hey, maybe the move/workload won't be as bad as I'm expecting it to be and I can start posting in June or earlier! Def by August though.
I'd like to thank everyone who's been on this journey with me so far and give a hat-tip to all the future-peeps who show up during the hiatus- it's been wild and I'm really excited for us to get to the King's Row fight and the second half of this fic! Stay golden, y'all.
