*England: Manchester*
The fans let out a mighty cheer as their team scored the final goal of the match, making it a total of 5-4 for the Home team. Quillion waited outside with a new jacket that he bought and a cap to hide his appearance, yawning as the game lasted for an incredible 4 hours.
Using his sunglasses, he waited for the green glow to come into view as the crowd of red walks out, celebrating and partying in the streets.
"Excuse me, sir?"
He looked around and saw a man that made him immediately ball his fists in his jacket.
The man was dressed as if he came right out of a Hitman movie. Black suit, red tie, white shirt, and bald.
"Cosplay? In England?" he thought to himself.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Are you the Angry Ex that was shown on the holovid?"
"Who wants to know?"
"No one, just wondering"
"Then no, I am not the Angry Ex"
The man looked at Quillion thoughtfully for a few seconds… Before throwing a punch.
"What is your problem?" Quillion shouted, dodging the punch.
The man threw another punch, which Quillion blocked.
Just when Quillion is about to counter, he saw that the man had already adjusted his posture to block it.
"He is dangerous" he thought to himself, stopping his counter.
"Hey! Stop it you two!"
They looked and saw a security guard jogging towards them.
"Thank you for your time" the man said before walking away.
"You alright mate?" the guard asked.
"Yeah I'm fine"
"What was that all about?"
"I have no clue, thanks for your help"
"Don't mention it... Careful out here eh? There is always someone who wants to have a scuffle after a game like that"
"Yeah..."
Putting on his sunglasses again, he spotted the green glow that he has been waiting for.
When he saw they were joining the festivities, he entered a café and bought himself a cup of tea with a sausage roll, taking off his glasses to avoid steaming up the lenses as he waited for them to finish.
"Still being a stalker eh?" he heard a familiar voice spoke behind him.
He spun around and saw it is the woman with the purple eyes.
Today she is dressed in blue but he could tell she wore it in a poor attempt to blend in.
"Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded.
"It is good to see that you've took my warning to heart, seeing how you handled that man just now"
"Are you following us?"
"Now this is interesting..." she said, ignoring him and picking up his glasses.
"Give those back!"
"Don't be selfish, they don't design frames like these anymore" she said as she played with it in her hands.
As he leaned forward and snatch the glasses back, she also leaned forward and whispered into his ear.
"Name's Sombra, I'll be in touch, watch yourself out there"
Before he could reply, she tapped a finger onto his nose.
"Boop" she said before vanishing in thin air.
Quillion quickly put on the glasses and was confused that though it is still in working order, it seemed to have upgraded itself.
Seemingly new features have been added and the most amazing ones is the combination of an overall map of the city and long-range scanners, allowing him to track Lena in real time with an overhead view.
"When...?" he thought as he took them off and study them carefully.
There was no sign of scratches or places where this 'Sombra' could've possibly added something into it within such a short time.
"Maybe it did update itself without me knowing?" he thought, now glad that he does not need to look around for her anymore.
Adjusting his cap, he decided to relocate and ended up leaning against a pillar.
"Hey!" he heard someone shouting at his direction.
"Really...?" he thought, he has already drawn enough attention to himself.
He looked and saw it was the Omnic with the trenchcoat pushing past the crowds towards him.
And he brought two big friends.
Not wanting to cause a scene, Quillion ran.
"Get him!"
He heard them chasing after him and he picked up the pace, trying to lose them but they are surprisingly quick.
"You can't get away from us! Give me my money!"
Using the glasses, he spotted an empty alleyway nearby and jumped in.
"He went in there!" he heard it shout.
Kicking himself off the ground, he parkour himself up a certain distance into the air and just as the three Omnics ran in, he landed behind them.
"Looking for me?"
They skidded to a halt and faced him.
"Alright, no need for a fuss, just give me my money and I will forget about this. If you don't, well..."
It chuckled and snapped its fingers, the two bigger Omnics stepped forward and took up fighting stances.
Quillion smiled, it has been weeks since he last fought.
This could be a good stretch.
*Manchester Piccadilly*
After ensuring that his hands are clean from grease, he walked up the steps, unknowing that someone is waiting for him.
"Where have you been?" Lena asked, breaking protocol about speaking to one another in public, leaning against the wall next to the stairs facing the tracks, looking straight ahead as she spoke.
The station is somewhat empty as many people sat inside the café booth to hide from the winds.
"Around" he said as he sat on the bench, looking the opposite way as if waiting for the train.
Sighing, she looked around once more to ensure that no one is close by.
"Why did you destroy the camera just now?"
"Ahh that... It is a big game, I don't want it broadcasted throughout the country"
"So... It wasn't a jealous rage?"
"Nope, purely security reasons"
She let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks... Just too bad you got caught"
"Yeah..."
A painful silence lingered before she spoke again.
"I just got a call from office, we need to go back to work by this week"
"Oh... Then..."
"I need it by tomorrow"
Quillion felt a slight lurch from within him but he kept it in check.
"No problem"
She looked at him in surprise, eyes which he avoids.
"A-Are you sure? Because I can try to use other ways to get it"
"Like how?" he quizzed with a slight smile, encouraging her to share her ideas.
"I can get it delivered..."
"And risk exposing the address into the public domain? Too risky in the long term"
"It can be dropped off somewhere else"
"Really? Dropping something like those somewhere else like a common package? I thought this is important for you?"
"I can always find someone else to get it"
"You've already found him"
"Can you... Can you not...?" she asked.
Why does he have to be so... Aggravatingly and innocently nice...? Can't he see she is trying to fix this?
"I've been a soldier all my life, I've taken lives more times than I could count... I think... Helping you for something like this is a good change in pace..." he said.
"You're not that bad luv" she said with a hint of pity at how he looks at himself.
"And neither are you, so it's fine" he replied.
"I still feel horrible..."
He laughed softly.
"You deserve it more than anyone else. You do." he added when she tried to voice her rejection.
"You gave the world so much of yourself, you fought and bled for it everyday since I met you. Day after day you kept trying to put pieces of it back together to a point that even your body can't keep up. It is only natural that, eventually, you'd want a little something for yourself"
"Many didn't" she said in a small voice.
"Nobody's perfect, not the 'many', not me, not even you. If this is your weakness then it is my duty as your friend to..."
His voice trailed off at a loss for words, but he could feel that she needed an answer.
"Well, I'll help however I can" he finished simply.
"It is still unfair for you, we should-"
"A promise has been made, I ain't giving the money back" he said firmly, looking into her eyes now to show his sincerity. He realized how much he missed looking at her.
"Thanks Qui-"
"Tim" he quickly corrected.
"Thanks... Tim... You're a great friend and... I'm sorry..." she sniffled.
He smiled. Yes, being a 'great friend' is all he could do for her. And he will do his best.
"You should go back to Emily, she must be wondering where you are. Make sure your Chronal Accelerator is secured too"
Lena nodded and was about to enter the café when she saw him wiping off a tear after looking back.
"What have I done...?" she thought to herself.
She wanted to go back and stop him from carrying out her request, but desperation to get the rings clouded her and she entered the café.
Unbeknownst to both of them, two men stood behind a nearby pillar, listening to every word they are saying.
"He sounds like the 'Sad Ex' now"
"Or more pathetic than sad"
"So what should we do?"
"We should follow until we find where they live"
"Hola amigos"
They looked behind them and immediately pulled out their weapons.
It is the Mexican, the third woman in the picture that they could not find. The one who dares to challenge their beloved Agong. The one who dared to shoot first.
Before they could attack, she vanished.
"Wha-"
In one smooth motion, she knock both of them out from behind them.
"Buenas noches" she said before walking away, leaving them for the authorities to find.
From afar, someone watched patiently as the entire event unfolds.
"How very interesting" she said to herself before pulling out a communicator.
"Widowmaker to Talon base, I have found all targets, standby"
*London*
Quillion watched as Lena and Emily got out of the train while he took another to Westminster Station.
Though it is crowded, he realized how lonely the trip is going to be.
"Well... Soon I'll be gone..." he thought.
He has thought about leaving Overwatch since the trip to Manchester and make a move to Russia to take the fight to the enemy.
"I've achieved nothing for months..."
Since he joined, he was put into the hospital multiple times, tolerated through Basics, then went to America for horrible missions that made no sense, and now he is a bodyguard who is buying the rings for the woman he will never marry.
"I wasted enough time... It is time to leave... But not before I report Mc-"
A sudden pain shot through his head again, but was gone as suddenly as it came.
"Tumor?" he thought before he shook that idea off. He has been somewhat perfected from all diseases so that is impossible.
"I still think this is still a smarmy one" an elderly man said a little too loudly next to him, holding up a holopad to his wife.
Quillion saw that the headlines read "Savior of Egypt" and a clip of a well-dressed Omnic giving what seems to be a speech to a crowd of cheering people.
"So they're taking over as saviors now" Quillion thought bitterly as they arrived at their destination.
*London: King's Row*
"What happened to Big Ben?!" were his first words when he saw it, he had seen multiple pictures of it and now it has totally transformed.
It is evening now and the streets lit up with Christmas lights and a light layer of snow has settled over the area.
When he planned his escape routes, he did not think about using the train lines, therefore he never saw this part of King's Row during his planning with Athena.
Though the clock tower still remains, houses has completely taken over where the Houses of Parliament used to be, littering the streets with random shops and buildings.
Even the streets are shaped in a strange curve and there are platforms that does not make any sense. He would walk a certain distance and saw a blank wall that leads to some bridge with no visible way to get up.
Walking pass Moriarty's Fine Books Bookshop and through an arc, he finally saw a familiar sight.
The statue of Mondatta holding a child's hand towers over everyone and tourists are taking pictures of it.
"Alright... Ring store... Ring store..."
It took him a moment before he found it hidden behind a hotel.
"Welcome! How may I be of assistance?" an old lady greeted, looking up from an eyepiece that she used to mold a diamond to a gold band.
Quillion was impressed with the slight whiteness of the store, giving it a clean feeling compared to the soft and drab environment outside.
"Evening, I am to buy a set of rings?" he said, passing the details over the counter.
"Ahh excellent, is your... Missus with you?" she asked after reading the details on the paper.
"How'd you know I'm not gay?" Quillion asked jokingly, causing the storekeeper to slightly recoil.
"I have forgotten that prosthetics can now change their ring fingers at will... I apologize, old habits you see..."
Now it was Quillion who recoiled. Prosthetics can now change at will for ring sizes? That's a thing?
"No no, sorry, I didn't mean that, I... Never mind, I'm buying for a friend"
"Ahh, your friend must trust you to get this ring, well, you'll need to pay up first, store policy" the storekeeper said.
Her eyes narrowed when Quillion pulled out the wad of cash.
"Usually we adopt a cashless payment, does your friend have an account I can run through?"
"Ahh... Well, my friend just closed the account you see so she passed me all she had for this" he lied quickly.
She looked at it for a moment before saying.
"Your friend really trusts you, doesn't she?"
Quillion let out a heavy sigh before he could stop himself.
"Ahh... I see..." she said knowingly.
"What?"
"I've worked here for a long time and I've seen all sorts of customers come and go, you are no different"
For some reason, Quillion felt a slight shift of the burden from his shoulders. He isn't the only one?
"Which category am I under?"
She looked at him with an experienced eye and replied with a gentle voice as the accepted the money.
"You're the sad one"
He laughed at that. Sad is an understatement.
"What usually happen to the sad ones?" he asked.
"Oh it all depends sweetie... The weak remain sad for a long time, the strong carry on quicker, the stupid ones remain sad forever"
"Let's hope I am not the stupid one then..." he thought.
The loud noise came from the counter when the lady places the cash into the counting machine.
"It has been decades since I last used this" she said once the money is counted.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she suddenly asks.
"What do you mean?"
"The moment I accept this payment, you are bringing more pain to yourself"
"I don't understand what you mean by that"
"I think you do" she said.
He blinked.
"I... I... I don't know..." he admitted.
"Then why don't you get someone else to do it? Why must it be you?"
"I... Can't... I made a promise"
"When did you make a promise like this?"
"Just last night" he said, realizing how stupid that sounded the moment it left his mouth.
"Last night? And you are here today?" she exclaimed.
Though he wish not to continue this conversation, she continued.
"Dearie... You're either one of the dumbest men I've ever met or you never really loved her in the first place"
He look down at his feet now, feeling like a child who is being scolded.
"I mean, if you really did love her, why let her go? Are you hoping she will love you back by acting like this? Or are you so love struck that you do not see that she is just using you? Sounds like she is a horrible person who does not deserve your friendship"
At those words he slap his hand on the table loudly, ending her rant.
"You're right... I am stupid... But she made her choice and I just want her to be happy" he said firmly.
"That's not how love works dearie... You have to fight until the bitter end, you can't just give up. That is why I ask you again, do you want me to accept this payment and hand you over the last chance you'll ever have with her?"
Unable to voice the word, he nodded.
The old woman thought for a moment before asking.
"You seem like a trustworthy bloke, why don't you make me a promise?"
"What promise?"
"Promise me that after you get these rings, you'll find someone who will make you happy"
Quillion snorted at the request.
"I don't think that is possible..."
"There is always someone out there for everyone"
He sighed heavily again, though her words are hopeful, it seems impossible.
"No... I don't think I can make that promise"
"Well I will not accept this payment unless you make that promise"
He looked at her with shock and saw that she now wore a sly smile.
There was no malice nor selfish desire that he could detect from her, only an old soul who happens to care for him.
"Do you always talk to your customers like this?"
"Only the stupid ones" she replied with a warm smile.
*London: Talon Hideout*
As soon as Widowmaker returned, they called for a meeting with Agong, who took up an entire sofa for himself.
"In total all of our targets are staying in London" Moira reported.
"And apparently this man could be a bodyguard" Widowmaker added, throwing a picture of Lena and Quillion talking in the station onto the table.
"You think this guy is the Angry Ex? He looked taller in the video" SS28 added.
"Agong, are you sure your men heard correctly?" Moira asked.
But he did not reply, he just sat there and loudly munching on a shepherd's pie while staring at Widowmaker.
"Doctor asked you a question fattie" SS28 said loudly, purposefully elongating her claws.
He ignored the threat, his entire attention is fixated on the Talon Assassin.
"If you keep on staring, I will gauge your eyes out" she said.
"Oh baby... As long as I am touched by you, I can die a happy man" he said, licking his lips.
"Just answer the question, is he the Angry Ex?" Sigma asked impatiently.
"I will not answer unless she asks in French"
"Excuse me?" Widowmaker asked in disgust.
"I said I will not answer unless you asked me that question in French" he repeated, pointing a meaty finger at her.
"You do realize your life now hangs by a thread?" Moira asked.
"Is that a declaration of war I hear?"
Not wanting to drag this out further, Widowmaker put on her most seductive tone while holding back a retch.
"Monsieur?"
"Yes, my dear?" he ask as he listen with great anticipation.
"Tu es un cochon dégoûtant et j'espère que tu pourriras (You are a disgusting pig and I hope you rot )"
"Oh... Yes..." he gasped out, leaning back his head as if he experienced some sort of mental orgasm.
"My little Tigers are reliable, he is involved with them like some sort of guard dog"
"Very well, so we have to deal with three fighters in order to complete our mission" Moira said.
"I still don't understand why don't we just kill them all" SS28 complained.
"You can always ask the boss" Moira snapped back.
"No no! Its... Its alright"
"What we know so far is that this man has just bought rings earlier today, matching that with the transcripts from these 'Tigers', we can conclude that Tracer is getting married to this "Reddie" within the week" Widowmaker concluded.
"Unacceptable! I must see her before the ceremony!" Sigma demanded.
"Why didn't you follow him home when you followed him to the store?" SS28 asked.
"I... Was careless... He suddenly disappeared from my sights when I blinked" Widowmaker admitted.
"Then what's the plan?"
"We need to find out where they could be holding the ceremony by tonight" said the Assassin.
"Will they risk having an open ceremony? It would be smarter to have a private one"
"It will be a private one and most likely will be in a small but reputable restaurant"
"How are you so sure?" SS28 asked.
"Hey! Just let her talk" Agong shot back, apparently annoyed that someone talked back to her.
"And if we could not find when or where they will be holding the ceremony?" Moira asked.
"Then our... Friend... Will have to draw them out tomorrow"
Slapping a meaty hand on his knee, Agong pushed himself up, towering over them with his size.
"This is where I will be" he said, pointing to London Bridge.
"And... Why is that?"
"Because I've always wanted to visit London Bridge before it falls down"
"Enough with your nonsense Agong!" Moira shouted, raising her right hand.
At her outburst, SS28 stood up and brandished her claws, ready to attack, causing Agong to respond by cracking his knuckles. Seeing this Sigma began manipulating the gravity in the room.
"Stop! We need everyone to take them down!" Widowmaker said loudly.
"No we don't!" SS28 replied.
"Yes we do! We need everyone to work together!"
"Tell me why!" SS28 nearly shrieked, clearly frustrated for being ignorant of the plan.
"Though the girl is foolish she is one of Overwatch's top fighters, and we are fighting in her territory, Sombra is still running around freely and we do not know where she is. And this man, we do not know what he is capable of but he is faster than all of us and he has some combat experience, so everyone sit down!"
Agong was the first to respond by sitting back down calmly.
"Oh your words are like honey to my ears my dear..." he said.
"As long as you do your job and separate them"
"If these so called "heroes" are truly heroes, I can guarantee at least one of them will come"
*London: Hyde's Park*
Almost crashing in the wall after slipping on the snow, Quillion stopped just a feet away from the wall.
"Whew, that was close..." he thought.
Running full sprint with his Battle Rage activated has always been a risk.
After a coded buzz and he waited in the alley where Lena blinked down.
"I'm sorry, I went to buy the item but there is a problem" he said quickly but quietly.
"What problem?" she hissed, panic filling her voice.
"All they gave me are shiny rocks on a band" he joked and pulled out a box from his pockets.
She stared for a moment and, with trembling hands, took it from his and opened it.
Two beautifully crafted diamond rings sat side by side on a cushion.
It is more beautiful than she had ever imagined.
"Thank you so much"
She moved to give him a hug but he held her off by placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You should go back up there and pop the question now" he said.
She shook her head and blinked back to her apartment and he heard a door closing before she blinked back down.
"I... Need another favor from you, just the final one"
"Oh?"
"I know this is a lot... If you can... Can you help me take Emily out to shopping tomorrow while I prepare the venue for my proposal?"
"Lena... I know you have planned this for years... But doing this in public is too risky"
"Don't worry! It'll be over before you know it, I've already made reservations"
Quillion looked at her with disbelieving eyes.
"You already made reservations without consulting me?"
"It is a small café a few blocks away, so its fine"
"And you want me to spend the whole day with her...?"
"She's working tomorrow from morning till 5pm at The Royal London Hospital, you just need to distract her for an hour"
"I don't know..."
"I only booked the place for a couple of hours and believe me when I say this... For this part I never needed your help, but since the schedule was pushed like this..."
He looked down at her hopeful face and sighed, one more errand wouldn't hurt...
"Sure, why not"
With trembling lips she blinked forward and hugged him.
"You really are a good friend Quil..." she said.
At that moment he tried his best to hold back, to not hug back, to not embrace the warmth of her appreciation for him.
He was supposed to deliver the rings and that will be the end of his attachments for her, to end it right there so he could move on with his life.
This is the crossroads where he will make the final decision to move on or continue to be trapped in this painful fantasy of love.
Logic battle desire, control fought instinct.
All he needs to do is not hug back, to keep his arms steady and stiff by his side. All he needs to do is hold the line against his heart, then he will be victorious.
"Are things alright between us Quil?" she asked, looking up at him.
He looked down at her and his resolve broke immediately.
The snowy ground and dim lights illuminated her face in ways he never seen before.
This was the first time he saw her beautiful brown eyes so closely without her visor, her hair fell to the side as she looks up, perfect as always, her nose just inches from his face, complementing her features so well she could've been sculptured...
And her lips! He could practically feel her breath... If he just leans in...
"NO!" a voice boomed in his mind.
"Yeah... We're good" he said, wrapping his arms around her, feeling her sigh in relief, unknowing of the battles raging within him, how he hated himself for giving in once more.
It was at this moment, Emily looked down from the window and saw them in the alleyway.