Watchpoint Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Europe

"And I'm just saying that shit wouldn't work. Trying to cram that much processing into something that small and you don't expect it to blow up? Come on man." Adrian exasperated as he took a glance down at the two cards in his hands before turning back to the two cards laying in the center of the makeshift table laying haphazardly in a corner of the workshop.

Lucio waved his hand dismissively, "I've already got that figured out."

"So you've tested it?"

"Eh I'll get around to it." The DJ knocked the table with his fist as she turned his focus back to the game, "I'll check."

"Wh- Brigette back me up on this, come on." Adrian turned his attention to the third member of the game while also knocking on the table.

She raised up her free hand, "Don't drag me into this, I was promised a break from work. That being said, you're both cowards." She tossed a handful of chips into the pile, causing Adrian to groan. "Can't keep up Kasporov?" She shot him a smirk as Lucio gleefully chipped in as well.

The final member of their little game spoke up, "I'm out." Gunnery Sergeant Vickers grumbled, "God damn kids."

Adrian sat their silently. Chewing the inside of his cheek as he contemplated his next move, sparing a thought towards his shrinking pile of currency, figured to hell with it and pushed it all-in. "Everything I got."

"Ho-oh big man over here." Lucio quipped as he threw in more of his chips followed by Brigette as Vickers sat watching the game with a curious glint in his eyes.

"So how much of that do I get if you win?" Vickers joked.

"You get the joy of not losing everything."

"Hey now, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in this game."

"So then if I lose, how much of your money do I get to take?" Adrian quipped back which promptly shut up the veteran. "All right Lucio, let's see the final cards."

As Lucio flipped out the final two cards it only served to reinforce the fact that Adrian was awful at cards. He groaned as Brigette chuckled sweeping the pot inwards as she claimed victory with Lucio happily ambivalent and Vickers wheezing like a dying animal as he doubled over laughing.

"Ho-ho-" Vickers struggled to get out any words as he continued to laugh like his life depended on it, "Holy shit. You – you thought you'd win with THAT!" Just as he'd started to calm down, he broke into another fit o wheezing laughter, slamming the table with his open palm.

"I swear I'll fucking get you back two-fold." Adrian muttered.

Despite his threat even the others couldn't help but join in on the ribbing, "I feel bad, like taking candy from a baby." The usually sweet Brigette said without hesitation.

Adrian pushed himself away from the table, his chair screeching against the metal floor as he planned to do anything else. Standing up he turned only to walk right into a brick wall, or at least something that felt like it.

"What the – Oh Reinhardt, didn't see you there…somehow."

The German simply chuckled, "It's no problem my friend, though I could use your help with some heavy lifting, there's a lot to be done but I am only one man." Adrian gulped at that, he'd helped Reinhardt in the past, the man's idea of heavy lifting was carrying solid steel parts halfway across the base, not something he was looking forward too. Briefly turning to look behind, he saw that the others had practically all bolted as soon as Reinhardt had mentioned that. Everyone loved the big German, but when he asked for help your body would be needing some help of its own later. Everyone saves one veteran whose clothing had gotten stuck on their makeshift metal table, Adrian ruthlessly grinned as he turned back to Reinhardt while reaching out to Vickers, securing the man's shoulder in a vice grip.

"Gee you know I'd really love to but I'm still healing you know." Not a total lie, it'd been a little over a week since he'd bene back and while he felt he was ready to get back into the fray, he wasn't afraid to use the technically of his injuries as an excuse to get out of work he didn't want to do. "But don't worry, Vickers here was just complaining to me about not having anything to do on base. He'd be more than happy to help, isn't that right?"

Vickers stared wide eyed at Adrian before looking at the hulking behemoth of a man standing in front of them, "Course, I'm uh just itching to help."

Reinhardt let loose a hearty laugh, "Wunderbar! Come we have much work to do!" The German slapped a heavy hand down on Vickers's shoulder, causing the man to wince as he was led away. Adrian gave an exaggerated frown and waved sadly to Vickers before snickering to himself as the two of them turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

Standing there alone the grin quickly faded as he lit up a cigarette, looking around the mostly empty room he wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't an uncommon problem here, hell it seemed anytime he was stuck on base for an extended period he got restless. Walking out into the blistering sun, he absentmindedly started to wander the base to either kill time or hopefully find something that caught his attention. He enjoyed a good break every now and then, but back home it was months upon months of constant fighting to be broken up with a few days of leave before it was back to the frontlines. Here though…it was rare to go back-to-back on missions, which was probably healthier all things considered but left him feeling aimless. Worse though, was being on medical leave meaning he couldn't or rather shouldn't spar or exert himself other than basic exercises to keep his muscles with atrophying.

Whether it was his own universe or this one, Adrian had gotten accustomed to zipping from place to place, planet to planet, continent to continent. Staying in once place felt wrong. It reminded him of a story the gunny used to tell, of when the war had first started to break out on the outer colonies and the fighting was starting to pick up. There wasn't a planned system of fighting and shore leave yet so it wasn't unusual to be lost as just another soldier in the masses and spend a few years just constantly fighting. Anyway, the gunny had complained to his CO day after day, bitching about not getting his break especially considering the absolutely ass whooping humanity was getting. Eventually his CO relents, passes the message on up the chain and the entire squad got a week of shore leave on some sinner's paradise. Gunny is there for all of a day before he realizes while sitting at some run-down bar sipping a jazzed-up martini that having a break from the fighting, "Wasn't as satisfying as I'd imagined."

Adrian continued to saunter around the hallways, his mind drifting into thought while his body walked on autopilot. When it came to the things he wanted to do, that he actually chose to do and not fall into his lap, he could probably name a dozen things with the caveat those were all in the field. As soon as he stepped back onto base, his mind went blank, there's a difference in thinking what sounds good and then actually acting on those thoughts when you have the chance.

Well changing his though process, is there anything he needed to do? Did his guns need cleaning? Pffft not as if he'd already field stripped and wiped them every day since he'd been on leave, not that he needed to clean them that much considering those things were built like god damn tanks. What about his armor, did it need work? Scratched and dented to all hell but those weren't dangerous, besides they told stories of what he'd survived. He'd thought about getting the decals restored, toyed with the idea but figured it'd just be a hassle.

Other than that…he didn't have anything else really. He kept his shit sorted though not that he had much in the first place. Having run through his options… he had nothing he wanted to do, nothing he had to do, which left him with jack shit.

"Nothing left…great." He sarcastically mumbled in the hallways as he came to a stop, people maneuvering around him like a rock in a stream until one didn't.

"Hey, watch where you're going…Adrian?"

Looking down he saw the smaller brunette Hana staring back at him with her arms crossed in front her, "Hard to see you down there pip-squeak, might've stepped on you."

"Oh ha-ha very funny."

"Quite the get-up, going somewhere?" Adrian commented though she wasn't dressing any different than normal, its more so her outfits we're always energetic compared to what he was used to seeing.

She gave an absentminded shrug, "Just out, nothing special. Why did you want to come?"

Before Adrian could respond Athena commented though the speakers, "Adrian has been wandering the halls alone for quite some time, I'm sure he would appreciate something to do." A few snickers could be heard from the people walking by as it sounded like a mother scolding her reclusive child.

"Uh well-"

She rolled her eyes, "Just come on! I'm just going shopping for a few things; you can even pick something up for yourself and if you help me carry my stuff, I'll treat you to one of the best places to eat I know around here."

He didn't care much for being someone else's mule or buying some for himself, but the idea of a free meal? Now that's something he'd never turn down. "All right sure, lead the way."

… … …

… … …

… … …

Or rather that's what he'd normally say but had he known how meticulous the kid was in picking what wanted, well he might've changed his mind. Still, he was in it now and he'd be damned if this whole trip was in vain, and that being said it wasn't awful. There was a lot of stuff he probably never would've seen in this world had he not came with Hana, there's only so much pop-culture you can get from the older demographics and Overwatch wasn't exactly bustling with young blood. He was teetering on the edge of being young enough to mold to the new culture though he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be 'young enough' for.

For example as it stood right now, he was in some high-end electronics store as Song looked for, 'Some new tech to update my setup'. Looking around the differences between his world and theories became ever more evident, it's small things mainly such as how portable technology evolved, the increasingly ever common use of hard-light, and the divergence of things we all take for granted like internet or search engines. For instance back home, while he could technically get access to news in any other colony within the UEG sphere, the practically of it wasn't so simple. Here however being located on a singular planet, well it was odd knowing that at the touch of his fingertips he could have information on every other nation on the planet, in known existence. Meanwhile while he didn't lack that same ability, the ease of access was far more complex so it wasn't usual to never hear of something happening hallway across the galaxy even if it was some massive event.

Something poking his back turned his attention to behind him, he saw Hana holding only a singular bag in her hand which she then promptly handed off to Adrian who grudgingly took it.

"All this time for one thing?" He questioned as he held up the bag in front of him.

"I'm very picky with what I use."

He snorted, "No shit." Adrian followed behind as she walked out of the store, giving a brief wave to the owner standing behind the counter before they entered back into the bustling street. "So where too now?"

"Hmmm… clothes shopping and then I think I'll call it a day." She peered up at him with a mischievous grin, "You're not nervous about going into a women's clothing store, are you? Too manly to be seen in it?"

He shot her an incredulous glance, "I'm not sexually insecure nor am I five, I think I'll live."

"Fair enough, if you the police get called you're on your own though."

"What don't you think they'll buy my story that I was bullied by a nineteen-year-old girl into doing her shopping?" Adrian's open palm ruffled the top her head to which she ducked under his arm as she fixed her hair with a smile.

"They might, you are old and fragile after all. A baby could probably take you on."

"A baby? Now that's insulting, if only there was a baby to test that out on…Ah I think I found one." Adrian turned his whole body to face Hana, "Excuse me little girl."

She flicked his forehead sending him stumbling back a step, "I walked into that I guess but still doesn't make that any less satisfying. Ah we're here, try not be like…old and gross."

Adrian scoffed at that, "All said though, I'll wait out here and have a smoke. Don't still they'll take too kindly to me driving out other customers."

"Bleh, suit yourself." She stuck out her tongue as she walked into the store with Adrian moving to a nearby bench and lighting up a cigarette.

Leaning back he took in the warm weather and the light breeze coming in from the sea, blowing out a puff of smoke and idly watching as it got caught in the wind. Twirling and dancing in the air as it faded to nothingness.

"What the hell am I doing here." Adrian chuckled to himself as the absurdly calm situation came to realization, how unusual this was, not just his immediate surroundings but enjoying the weather and smell of the sea. Was he getting soft or just old? "Not even that old."

"Heh tell me about it." An old voice spoke up, drawing Adrian's attention to an older gentleman in front of him, "Mind if I take a seat?"

"Not at all."

"Didn't mean to seem unsavory, just needed to catch my breath and heard ya' talking to yourself and well… I could relate." The old man explained as he gingerly sat down, sighing in relief as he seemed to sink into the bench.

"Well no offense, but I think there's a bit of an age gap between us." Adrian offered the man his cigarette who politely declined.

"Heh you'd be right there, but I used to be young you know, we're not born this old."

"Fair enough. Just feels…its weird for me to be taking in the sun, enjoying the breeze, and shooting the shit with some random passerby. Used to being on the frontlines, being away from it seems like I'm wasting time."

"Well how often do you get a break like this?"

"Not often but this break's longer than usual, don't think I'll ever get a break as long as this."

"Use it while you can then, take it from an old man, once the times past you'll be wishing you had it all over again. Though what's most important is who you spend it with, even the most mundane is entertaining with a friend."

"Fair enough I suppose, still easier said than done. The longer time goes on the easier it is to enjoy the banality of day-to-day life, but when I think back to what I should be doing – well that hits harder with every passing day."

"Are lives at stake without you there."

"Probably."

"Oh…well…"

"Tough shit?"

The old man cackled with laughter, "Tough shit."

At that moment, the door to the store opened up with Hana walking out with a handful of new bags, Adrian rolled his eyes as he stood up, throwing the remains of his cigarette in a nearby cigarette bin. He took a few of the largest bags into his own arms as he turned back to the other man sitting on the bench.

"Nice talkin' with you old man." To which the geezer simply smiled and nodded as Adrian followed after Hana.

She turned to look at him, "Who was that?"

"No idea, nice enough guy though." Adrian hand-waved away before focusing on the real point of interest, "Enough about that though, what about this meal you owe me?"

Hana rolled in her eyes good naturedly, "Always about food. There's a ramen shop not far off though I may have bene exaggerating when I called it the best but wanted to cover all my bases. It's not bad, quite good actually, but considering its Asian food in Spain it's doing the best it can."

"Seems like a weird caveat."

She shrugged, "It's comforting in a way, reminds me of a home in a lot of ways. I come here a lot when I feel homesick or just need something cozy ya' know?"

"I guess." He understood the sentiment but well it was hard to feel homesick over a place that didn't exist anymore, but that was all semantics.

The walk there was quiet though not long, like she said it wasn't far off and Gibraltar wasn't all that big in the first place. The restaurant itself was a smallish place nestled in-between brick buildings of white stone, a stylish sign hung above the door with the words, Gaku Ramen, emblazoned upon it.

Walking into the place, Adrian felt like it was straight out of a science fiction story because the inside felt far larger than the outside had let on. A sizeable place lined with tables and booths with a massive cooking setup in the center of the restaurant. Following the Korean girl to a nearby booth, he sat opposite of her unloading her newfound possessions onto the empty spot next to him.

"So what do you think?"

"It's nice, bigger than I thought it'd be."

'Right?! Blew my mind the first time I came in."

A waitress walked up handing them both menus, "Ah Hana welcome back! Glad to see you as always." Adrian sat there wondering how often she came to eat here if she'd was considered a regular among the staff, "And who's this joining us?" The waitress asked as she turned her attention to Adrian.

"That's my brother Adrian." Hana responded without skipping a beat.

The waitress looked at Song for a bit then turned to look at Adrian before looking back to Hana and then back to him.

"I take after our mother." Adrian said with a straight face.

"Uh…anyway what can I get you?"

Adrian held up his hands, letting his companion order as he looked around the restaurant, despite it's rather open interior it was simply decorated with a focus on creating a warm and cozy atmosphere than over-styling itself. After a while the waitress left, leaving Hana and Adrian sitting in silence in their empty booth waiting on the meal.

"Sooooooooo…." Hana drawled out.

Adrian simply raised his eyebrow.

"Just trying to start a conversation so we're not sitting in awkward silence."

"Alright, why don't you tell me about your gaming life."

She perked up at that, "Good! I have a competition in a couple weeks so I gotta train for that, been slacking off lately because of Overwatch."

"Slacking off… with saving the world?"

"Yep. Hey don't make a face! If I spent all my time to Overwatch that'd be so boring, everyone on base has some other hobby they spend time on."

"Still weird to me but whatever gets you by I guess."

The waitress returned carrying two large bowls filled with broth, long noodles, various diced vegetables, and thinly sliced pieces of beef. Not wasting any time, Adrian dug in slurping to the disgust of the waitress and the amusement of Hana. When he looked over after inhaling a sloid portion of his meal, the waitress had left and he let out a deep burp after bumping his chest twice with his fist.

"Whew, 'scuse me. Good shit though."

"Figured you'd like it, though normally you use chopsticks to eat." She showed him two sticks as she snapped them apart and deftly used them to eat.

He stared on before snapping his own pair, clumsily he tried to pick up the food but the noodles always seemed to slip from the utensils leaving nothing for him to chew on. Frustrated he tried again, determined not to be shown up by some fancy wood but alas it seemed it wasn't meant to be.

"They're not for everyone, just use a fork or else your food will get cold."

He huffed to himself as she tossed the chopsticks aside, grabbing the fork instead and returning to his food in front of him.

"Anyway, tell me more about your coemption, what's that gonna be like?"

"So it's going to be broken into twenty brackets of people from around the world…."

Adrian nodded as she continued, content to sit down eating a warm meal and listening to his friend talk about her interests in life. It was different than what he was used to, but nice all the same.

A/N: Not much to say, but for those that were fans, that Daft Punk news huh? Oof, hurts that we won't even get a Tron 2 soundtrack. Anyway Thanks for the continued support and hope you all continue to leave your thoughts and reviews.

Readfic: Maybe though I'd hesitantly say unlikely, plenty can change in the coming chapters and you make a valid point about Wizard being a good counter to Widowmaker so that's always a possibility.

Sm0keypanda: Agreed, best wingman hands down.

Odst fan: Thanks for the support, I've always found stories revolving around ODST or regular UNSC marine's a bit more interesting because of their vulnerability, especially considering that Overwatch in most respects is technologically behind the Halo universe. Though there could definitely be an interesting conflict in a Spartan facing a Talon counterpart, I likely won't explore it given how deep the story already is and the characters I've established but for those will the want to write it, it could be a hell of a story.