Alejandra had never been to an airport before, so she wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe perching on the roof, spying through the windows to follow Overwatch's chief medical officer. She could see the good doctor enter the terminal, with nothing but a small carry-on slung over her shoulder.
"Charlie-Bravo, this is Sparrow. The bird is in the nest. I repeat, the bird is in the nest." she said into her comlink.
"What? Are you in trouble?" Jack Morrison's grizzled voice asked.
"No! Ugh, Dr. Ziegler just got in." Alejandra replied, her lip curling in frustration.
"Understood. Everyone else, places. Make this go smoothly."
A resounding "Copy that" came from four separate voices: Lena, Genji, Reinhardt, and McCree. Nervous chills washed all over Alejandra. She looked back on her life and compared it to this very moment. Nothing could have prepared her for this.
"You really think Talon's got their sights on Ange, don't ya boss?" Jesse asked, sitting comfortably at the gate bench. He was waiting for Angela to arrive, grimacing as airport security pointed to a no smoking sign.
"I'm not taking chances. They found us once already. I have no doubt they're gonna find us again."
"But why Angela, specifically?" Genji asked, clad in a long coat and hood pulled over his face-plate, blending in with the crowd, keeping within arm's reach of Angela.
"Just a feeling. Besides, a little caution never hurt."
Reinhardt kept watch outside, eyeing their target until she had left his view, "The doctor may be frail but she's as strong as a Crusader- Oh!" He added before feeling a small tug on his crusader's head tilted down, spotting a young blonde girl, no more than 6. Tears filled her eyes as she stifled her sobs.
"Aww, kleines mädchen, what is the matter?" He said, kneeling down, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Through little stutters the young girl said, "M-meine mutti. I-I can't find her..."
A comforting smile beamed from Reinhardt's face, "Ah, do not worry. We will find her, together." The towering man took her hand in his with a gentle grip but the little blonde reached up with her small hands. Reinhardt got the silent message and lifted her from the ground, propping her up in his arm.
"What is your name?" he asked as he carried her into the airport.
"Helga..." the girl replied, a hint of timidity in her voice.
"How's everything up there, Ally?" Jack asked, his eyes darting to the roof. He was sporting the leather 76 jacket he had back in Mexico, thought it would be less conspicuous than the old Strike Commander coat. The voice of Alejandra came through, but with a twinge of static trailing behind.
"Quiet, right now. But I did feel a rush of air go by a minute ago. It's gone now."
A rush of wind? "You didn't see anything?"
"No, I didn't- wait. What was–" The static from before took over the comms.
"Alejandra? Alejandra?!" Jack broke from his cover, making a beeline for the emergency stairs, skipping three steps with every leap till he crashed through the door. The metal crunched and crumpled as it was ripped from its hinges. Jack had to squint for a moment, the white roof damn near blinding him as he stepped outside.
Alejandra spun around as soon as she heard the door swing open, her eyes shifting from terrified to relieved, "There was nothing but static!" She said as she ran towards the commander, "Is someone here?" Jack's silence and narrowed brows were all the response she needed.
Gray clouds hung overhead, their shadows slow dancing across the metal ceiling. Jack's eyes darted from side to side as he placed an arm around Alejandra, guiding her behind him, "Stay back," he said. Alejandra's heart was running marathons. She hadn't seen Jack this tense, not even when she almost got eaten by that shark. She rested her hand over the grip of her holstered hand cannon, just in case she needed it, just in case he needed her. That was when a dark black mist arched over their heads, crashing down in front of them. From within the cloud emerged a matching leather cloak, silver claws, and a pale mask.
Comms went dead a while ago, but that didn't change the plan. Jesse boarded the plane right after Angela, making sure his disguise wasn't too obvious. Though, keeping the same hat might have been a bad move. The crowd slowly shuffled inside as first class boarded, then priority, then Jesse and everybody else in coach. He looked out the round concave window as the plane lurched and turned towards the runway. He hoped everyone was fine. Comms being down is not a good thing. Then again, they've gone through far worse.
Turning back in his seat and tilting his hat down over his eyes, he slumped as much as he could and folded his arms across his chest. Jesse didn't need to look out the window to watch them take off, as he felt the weight of gravity press down on him like an invisible sheet with their ascension. He was moments from dozing off before he felt something push the brim of his hat up and off his nose. Ready to complain, Jesse wore a hard face and opened his eyes, only to be face to face with a set of crystalline blue eyes.
"Can't get away from my patients for a moment, can I?" Angela said, a small smirk curling the end of her lips.
Jesse sighed and sat up straight, "What can I say? You're like a guardian angel."
"Though it seems they've sent you as my guardian this time."
"The commander just wanted some pest control for you, 'is all."
That warranted a slight chuckle from the doctor as she sat back in her chair, brushing some of her bangs from her eyes, "Well tell him I said danke."
"Would if I could, but we have a tiny emergency. Our comms are filled with static," Jesse said, looking back out the window. He couldn't help but wonder if he had just made things worse by worrying her with that news.
That raised the hairs on the back of Angela's neck, "Well, let's just hope they're okay–"
Her words were cut short but McCree's hand tugging on her coat sleeve, pulling her towards the window. Her gaze followed his as they both peered through the glass. Angela brought her hand up to her mouth, stifling a gasp. Black smoke rose through a hole ripping open the top of Stuttgart airport.
Bits of the roof began to crumble below Alejandra's feet, an explosion rupturing from below them, smoke billowing through the massive crater between them and Reaper. She clung to Jack's coat to keep her steady, only to be swept into his arms as he vaulted across the collapsing rooftop. Civilians screamed and cried from below, in a massive panic scrambling away from the blast. Once Jack got his footing, he set Alejandra down and spun on his heel.
"Gabriel!" he shouted as the hooded mercenary emerged from the smoke as if birthed by it.
Reyes drew his signature shotgun from his cloak, the barrel staring at Jack like a black hole. His clawed finger wrapped around the trigger as Gabriel prepared to squeeze.
"Papa, stop!"
Alejandra stepped in front of Jack, her arms outspread as if to block the shot. Her heart ran marathons in her chest as she stood there but she was still as stone, her eyes focused on the masked man in front of her.
"Alejandra, get back!" Jack said, grabbing her shoulder. She refused.
Reaper hesitated, his finger flinching off the trigger. Jack took the opportunity to level his own rifle at Gabe.
"Papa, please," she said. "It's me. Alejandra."
"Shut. Up." Reaper squeezed the grip of his gun tighter, lost thoughts and forgotten memories trying to crawl their way up to the forefront of his mind. He could hear laughter of a child, the voice of a woman, distant and echoing in there, present in his head. Who were they? Where did they come from?
"No. You need to listen to me!" Alejandra continued, "We can help you. Dr. Ziegler, she's working on something. She can bring you back-"
"I said, shut up!"
Jack was quicker on the trigger. Blue pulse fire screamed through the air and struck Gabriel before he could his shot off. Gripping his chest, Reaper shot back as he stumbled, his body turning to smoke. The dark cloud snaked away off the roof.
Alejandra gave chase, following the trail, but was pulled back by Jack's arms.
"Let me go!" She yelled, squirming and kicking in an attempt to escape his grasp.
"He's gone, Ally! We've got to get out of here!" Jack said, making her look at the roof as it continues to collapse.
Calming down, Alejandra huffed and nodded, accepting there was nothing more they could do. Jack helped her onto his back so he could climb down. Can't walk down half-burnt stairs.
Everyone chided Reinhardt for keeping his barrier generator on him, that it would blow their cover, but he knew it would come in handy. He held it above at least five heads, protecting them from the falling debris the explosion was dropping. That would be a nice story to add to his collection.
"Go! I've got this. Get out of here!" He ordered the civilians. They responded with haste, except for Helga, who never let go of his leg.
Reinhardt started to lower his arm, angling the shield so that the bricks and metal slid harmlessly onto the floor. He could hear the blips of Tracer's chronal accelerator growing near, followed by her voice.
"Reinhardt! You alright?" she said, zipping to his side in a flash of blue.
"Ja. Just get everyone out of here."
"What about you?"
"I'm right behind you. Now go!"
Three blips and Lena was out of sight, helping people evacuate the building. Reinhardt lifted Helga from his leg and held her tight in one arm.
"W-what about mutti?" she stuttered, her big green eyes begging for some kind of reassurance.
"We'll find her, little one. But we must get out of here. We don't want to be squished, right?" Reinhardt replied, patting her head.
Her nod was immediate, not wanting to be squished at all. She knew her mom would be so mad at her if she was squished.
Holding the girl, Reinhardt made a beeline for the exit, debris trying to crush them with every footfall. He held his barrier above them both, bits and pieces of ceiling bouncing off of it like nothing. That did not stop Reinhardt from feeling the blow of each falling brick. The pressure bounced within his arm down to his shoulder. But he could endure it. He had to. Lives depended on it, on him.
"Helga!"
"Mutti!"
Reinhardt skidded to a halt and spun on his heel. A woman was trapped under a tent of rubble, reaching out from the smallest of crevices. The exit was right there, just a few more strides away. But the mother needed help. He could not hold both of them. Scheize!
"Go get her!" Genji called out, landing beside the Crusader, "I've got the girl. Save her."
Reinhardt nodded, letting Genji's mechanical hands take Helga from him. She clung to his sleeve however, looking at him with desperate eyes.
"Please, please bring her back," she said. "Promise!"
With a smile that told her everything would be alright, Reinhardt said, "I promise."
Helga let go of his sleeve, letting Reinhardt sprint towards the pile of rubble. Genji dashed outside with Helga in his arms, the little girl watching as the exit collapsed behind them, dust erupting from the falling ceiling.
The smoke thickened, the dancing fire rising higher, consuming the terminal. Reinhardt wished he had brought his full armor, but no one could have anticipated this chaos. The tent of rubble was just up ahead. He could hear the haggard coughs of the mother inside.
"Stay calm! I'm here to help!" He called out as he reached her.
All he got in response was another slue of coughs and gags. Deactivating the barrier, Reinhardt forced his arm inside the crevice.
"Get back!" he shouted.
The barrier reactivated, bursting the tent of debris in a plume of blue light. The woman screamed as the rubble was blasted away, but she was unharmed.
"Quickly! Come on!" Reinhardt said, reaching out for her.
Taking his hand the old veteran pulled her up and they both ran back towards the exit to find it had collapsed. They both cursed in German then coughed as the smoke invaded their lungs. Reinhardt's head was on a swivel, looking for any possible alternative to escape. Helga's mother was on the brink, falling to her knees with her hand over her mouth and nose, coughing her lungs out.
Reinhardt was out of options and out of time. All exits were blocked. They were trapped in an oven with no way out. He went back towards the exit and began to dig. He was not going to die here, and he was not going to let her die on his watch.
"Get down!" echoed a familiar voice.
Reinhardt spun around and saw a silhouette in the smoke, the barrel of a pulse rifle breaking through. He ducked as soon as a trio of HELIX rockets screamed through the air.
Tracer was darting around the civilians, checking for injuries and making sure everyone was otherwise okay. Emergency vehicles were already on sight; paramedics, EMS, police, any force that was available to calm down the situation. Panicked voices filled the air.
"Is everyone here? Is everyone okay? Damn, where's Reinhardt or Angela when you need them?" she cursed, her head on a swivel, searching for the jolly iron giant. He said she was right behind her. And what about Jack and Alejandra? They were on the roof!
From the rubble of the airport came a roaring explosion, debris taking flight, blue sparks railing behind. Four figures emerged from the smoke: Reinhardt, Jack, Alejandra, and a little girl, cradled in Reinhardt's arms. Lena's chest relaxed as the breath she was holding was set free.
"Helga!" Cried a woman from behind. She ran towards the four with her arms stretched out.
"Mutti!"
Reinhardt set the girl down so that she could be scooped up in her mother's arms. Tracer walked up to the other three, a small smirk sprawling on her lips as she looked up at Jack.
"Cutting it a bit close now, aren't ya?" She asked, brushing off ash and dust from his shoulder.
The old soldier shrugged, "We've had closer calls."
Tracer shook her head as a huff escaped her smile. From behind her she could hear the slow start of an applause, building up into a torrent clapping and hollering. Soon, the entire crowd of citizens were cheering for them, for the heroes that had saved them from the collapsing airport. Jack could hardly believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing. The crowd thanking him for his service, the grateful smiles on their faces. He thought they were lost to him, to all of them. It took him back to when Overwatch was a beacon of hope, of safety, of security. Reality came back to him once police sirens were heard in the distance.
"You have to go." Helga's mother said, holding her daughter tighter than ever before, "If you stay, they will arrest you." The crowd knew this as well and began to block any vision of their heroes before the police arrived. This was an opportunity that Jack would not squander.
"Overwatch! Fall back!" He ordered.
As if on queue, Brigitte brought the van around with a screeching halt, the back popping wide open. They all piled in, with Jack taking one last look at the crowd, all of them giving him either a smile or an approving nod. He nodded back before closing the van doors. Brigitte hit the gas. The gun metal gray van disappeared into the Black Forest just as the police arrived at the scene.
So… it's been a while hasn't it? I know, I know. I'm awful. I haven't touched this fic in so long. Two whole years! But believe me when I say, it's not over. Truth be told, I was about to cancel this project entirely. Overwatch just kind of lost its magic on me. But this goes beyond that. While I don't play the game at all anymore, I am still invested with the story, as well as my own story. Not to mention, I am working on a novel myself at the moment, as well as other projects, so that's a thing. Also, college has been taking so much of my energy. Also other personal stuff but everyone has that. I was inspired to come back to this though, and do my best to finish it. I saw a video about a big fan project that had so much potential and had so much effort put into it, but the creator decided to cancel the project as they believed the scope of it was far too large for one person to manage. I do not want that to happen to me. I will finish this story. I promise. Life might get in the way and postpone it, but I know there are people that have been waiting on this update for a while, and newcomers as well. I dedicate this fic to you all. The next chapter will come out by the end of next week. I'm going to make up for lost time. Until then!