*Egypt*

After riding for almost two hours, they came across the first of the many checkpoints of the day, a line of civilians already waiting for inspection to pass.

"Looks like we may have to take the long way round" McCree said, already studying the fences that stretched into the horizon.

"There's no need for that, they are usually pretty quick"

"In case you didn't notice, we are armed, and I am not going to give mine up"

"Do not worry, bodyguards are a common occupation here" Ana said, proceeding to queue up with the others.

Gunfire suddenly rang in the air, causing McCree to look around.

"Like I said, bodyguards are a common hire" she said, pointing to a small range that the guards seemed to have set up on the side.

As the queue become shorter, McCree became more nervous.

"It's not too late to turn around Captain"

"Just be quiet and let me do the talking" she said as two guards approached them, asking something in Arabic.

Unable to answer, McCree simply ignored the guard as Ana spoke with hers.

Feeling something poking at his sides, he looked down and saw a little boy holding a stick, staring at him.

"Well, hey there lil partner" he greeted, grateful that there is a distraction.

Holding up a camera, the boy motion to take a picture with him.

"Ahh, no can do" he said as he shook his head. Seeing the boy looked downcast, he pulled out his revolver.

"Check this out" he winked.

He then proceeded to twirl the revolver in his hand, expertly snapping it from side to side. It didn't take long before the boy smiled and clapped at his performance.

Mimicking shooting noises, he entertained him until his father came and carried him away, apologizing for his son.

"Time to show off your skills cowboy!" she called out, scratching her nose.

"Well lil man, stay in school and eat your beans" he said as he got off his camel and tipped his hat at him.

He followed the guard to the range where other shooters are already firing or putting away their weapons.

Looking down the range he saw it is a human size target about 20 yards away, complete with a score screen in front of him.

"What's this, a kiddie range?" he chuckled as he took aim.

Within a few seconds he emptied his cylinder and holstered his revolver with a spin as the screen flash a score of four hits out of six.

He could hear the guards muttering before they lead him out of the room, passing him a piece of paper that he guesses is a permit or a pass.

He looked around and saw that the boy has already gone ahead of them.

After a quick inspection of their cargo, they were permitted to pass without further hassle.

"What's with the shooting show just now?"

"They just wanted to see if you qualify as a bodyguard and how dangerous you are"

"If that's the case why did you tell me to only hit four of my shots?" he asked, causing her to laugh.

"I'm glad you saw four, I was worried you only saw me holding up three!"

"That only happened once, ever since then I can't stop counting the number of fingers people scratch with"

Tossing him a flask of water she answered his question.

"The checkpoints are working with the bandits in the area. They calculate how dangerous you are by percentage of hits per magazine, and the highest ones will be under close observation"

"English Captain… English…" he said as he drinks.

"Well, take your Peacemaker for example. If you hit less than three of your shots, we will be targets, four will mean that you are not worth the risk. If you scored five or six of your shots, they will immediately inform Maximilien"

"Sounds like he is playing his cards close to his chest, how many more checkpoints are there to get to his place?"

"Just one more"

"Thought he would be harder to get to"

"He wants to be seen to be more inviting toward guests"

Putting the flask away, he adjusted his hat to shield himself from the sun.

"Make sure you keep yourself hydrated" Ana warned.

"Yeah yeah…" he replied.

He rode through the deserts of Texas and Australia before, he knows to never disrespect the sun nor sand.

Joining another group of civilians with their own herd of camels, they kept their conversation light and general, though he was a bit annoyed that Ana is sharing their water with them when there is no need to.

"We should go easy with the sharing there, ya think?"

"They are going somewhere far from here, we are not" she said.

He sighed and said no more.

"No wonder she was second in command" he thought.

Sounds of gunfire rang through the air, scattering the group to various directions, leaving Ana and McCree, both looking around calmly.

"Bandits, they are attacking a caravan somewhere up front"

"Well, shall we go help them out?"

Ana shook her head sadly.

"If we attack the bandits, Maximilien will know, we move on"

"We taking a detour then?" he asked, looking at the sand dunes next to them.

"No, they will let us pass, they know better than to cause trouble with us"

It was not long before they saw the group of bandits around a caravan.

They noticed them and immediately sent a grunt to stop them.

"Permit! Show permit!" he shouted.

Passing them their documents, they could see he was merely pretending to read the papers before tossing it back to them.

"No need pay, go!"

Trying to ignore the scared looks of the people, they look straight ahead.

Until he heard a soft voice mimicking a gun.

He stopped his camel and looked. Sure enough, one of the victims is the boy that he was entertaining just moments ago, hiding behind his father.

"Cowboy?" Ana called, looking back.

"Move!" one of the bandits shouted, cocking his gun threateningly.

With a heavy heart he rode on. The moment they are out of earshot, he made up his mind.

"How good you think our chances are?" he called out.

"Don't even think about it" was the reply.

"Justice ain't gonna dispense itself"

"What do you think we are… Never mind…" she sighed, seeing the determined look in his eyes.

Ransacking through their baggage, the bandits took whatever they deem valuable before turning back to their victims.

Pulling out a list, they began picking out specific people from the group, tearing them away from their families, easily putting down anyone who tries to resist.

"Well, this don't look like any tollbooth I've ever seen" a voice shouted out.

McCree walked into full view of everyone, lighting his cigar.

Looking at one another, the leader nodded and they took up their positions.

"How many?"

"Nine, but only two of them have some experience" Ana said, observing them through her scope.

"Think you can even the odds?" McCree said, his eyes never leaving their targets.

Though she did not reply, he could feel her eyes rolling.

"Alright… Let's dance"

A sleep dart slice through the air and embedded itself into the leader's head, knocking him out instantly.

Seeing they are up against a sniper, three of them dropped their weapons immediately and ran away while the rest opened fire.

McCree managed to hit one in the leg before diving behind the bandit's car.

Unable to reload or fan the hammer, McCree was forced to pick his shots carefully.

"One's moving up from the left"

By reflex, he tried to throw his flashbang, only to find out that he does not have an arm to throw it with, allowing his attacker to fire wildly towards his direction.

Cursing, McCree was able to twist his body to kill the bandit but was shot in the process.

"Hmm, didn't think I'll ever seen you shot by bandits" Ana said, aiming a dart at him.

"Thanks for the encouragement doc" he said sarcastically, standing back up as the medicine work its magic.

"Two flanking on your right"

Keeping himself behind cover, he killed the first bandit but missed his second shot. He was saved by a dart from Ana, which healed him the moment he is shot again, keeping his aim steady for the killshot.

"Cutting it close ain't ya?" he said, clamping his revolver under his armpit to reload.

"I was keeping an eye out for the civilians" she said calmly.

Peeking from the corner, he saw the bandits nearest to the group is writhing in pain, trying to pull out the darts from their bodies.

"So how many more are there? Last count was two"

"There is no more"

"Excuse me?"

Looking out again he saw that the other two are lying on the floor.

"You look like you needed help McCree" a familiar voice said behind him.

"Genji you son of a-"

"Language!" Genji scolded, pointing to some of the children still huddled nearby.

"Where have you been?"

"I've been waiting for you to arrive, didn't think I had to wait this long"

"Well, if you have left me a note, I'd be sure to have slot that into my schedule"

"What happened to you? Can you even fight?" Genji said, pointing to his missing arm.

"What happened to you? Can you even fight?" McCree repeated mockingly.

"Children, behave" Ana said as she walked out of her hiding spot.

"Captain, it is good to see you again" Genji said, bowing his head slightly.

"It is good to see you too Genji, you are looking well"

"I'm alright here to Cap" McCree said, stretching.

"What are you doing here? Besides waiting for us?" Ana inquired.

"I know what is Maximilien's intentions here in Egypt and how to stop him"

Before he can continue, they heard a boy making shooting sounds nearby. Looking down they saw that some of the children are already playing with one another, mimicking their newfound heroes.

"It always amazes me how 'normal' this is for them" Ana said sadly.

"Then let us make sure they don't have to experience this again" Genji said, remembering how long and hard Angela fought to save lives here.

"So what's ol' Max doing here?"

"Do you know the hospitals and schools that he had set up?"

They both nodded.

"He has been using them to gather information to sell to the black market"

"Say that again?" McCree asked.

"He is selling the healthiest organs and children to sell to the black market, the bandits here" Genji continued, indicating one of the bodies "Are helping him harvest and abducting them"

"I suspected as much" Ana said, anger written all over her face.

"Are you sure?"

"My family has long been in this business, I am sure" was Genji's reply.

Nodding, she got back on her camel.

"Let's go, Maximilien will pay for his crimes tonight"

"We need to be careful, Reyes is still out there" Genji warned.

"I wouldn't worry about him, he is now auditioning to be the next Sleeping Beauty"

"You captured him?"

Without answering, Ana begun making her way towards the mansion.

"I do not think she heard you"

"Well, common then, we don't wanna miss the party"

*Venice: Gelato Store*

The place is bustling with tourists and locals as the old store have seen a revival in its operations and product.

It has seen so much success that it has begun donating huge amounts of its profits to charity, attracting many young applicants to flock to sign up to be part of its operations.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" Ogundimu asked, looking up from the resume.

The applicant looked at the large man nervously as she cleared her throat.

"I think that your company is doing a lot of great charity work and I would like to be a part of it" she squeaked.

"Very interesting" he said, taking off his glasses.

"But you must know that a gelato company like ours is facing many challenges and may need to relocate you to various areas rapidly? Which would mean that you will need to be able to look through different figures on the fly"

"I will do my best sir" she said.

Smiling, he stood up and held out his hand.

"If that is the case, you are hired, I will see you next week?"

She jumped to her feet and shook his hand gratefully.

"May I ask you something Mr Ogundimu?"

"Yes, you may"

"Why do you sacrifice so much for so many charities? What is your main goal?"

"My goals? It is to ensure that humanity will become better. To give them the environment to improve to heights they never imagined"

Satisfied with the answer (even though she does not completely understand how a gelato company can do that), she walked out happily.

Looking at the clock, he saw that it is almost the estimated time for their arrival.

"Marco, please let the others know I will resume the interview tomorrow, give them a free gelato on the way out" he said, pressing a button on his desk.

Going over to the counter, he poured out three gelatos and place them on the table before sitting down and wait for his guests.

The first to come in was Moira.

"Sir, we have a problem" she said, completely out of breath and a fresh scar across her face.

"The representative is an assassin! We have to inform Sanjay to look for the source and-"

He cut her off by offering her the cup of gelato on the table.

"Well done, you survived"

"What?"

"Eat, you deserve it"

Impatiently scooping a spoonful into her mouth, she was about to talk when he held up his hand.

"Please just wait for the others"

Sure enough, Sigma and SS28 came in soon after, both of them bloodied.

"Well done… Well done…" he clapped when they came in, offering them the gelatos.

"I suppose that before they died, they said their next target was me?" Ogundimu asked them, to which they nodded.

"It is good you all survived, it proves that all of you have evolved to become stronger, unlike poor Sanjay who was sadly assassinated earlier this month"

They looked at each other, shocked that one of the High Council Members have been assassinated.

"I have long suspected that the United Nations will send assassins for us. Now they finally showed their hands"

"They know who we are?" Moira asked, shocked at this revelation.

"They have their suspicions but I suppose they finally decided to act"

"What do we do about it?" Sigma asked.

"We strike back by killing a key person in the UN and replacing her with 28" he said, looking at her.

"Me? Why do you need me?" 28 asked, still intimidated by Ogundimu.

"Can she maintain her form for long period of time?" he asked Moira, who nodded.

"Good, I will give you your target and you will replace her, keep in contact with us and you will soon control the UN"

"Y-yes sir"

"If I may, how did you know about the assassins and why didn't you tell us?" Sigma wondered.

"I had Reaper hunting them down but he has been reassigned to Egypt to protect Maximilien" he lied.

"And how goes the war? I've heard it is escalating but contained"

"Do not worry, our friends in Russia have begun new projects that will annihilate all resistance before them" Ogundimu declared, pacing around the room.

"Well haven't we heard that before" 28 muttered sarcastically.

Hearing this, he places his hand on her shoulder, making her jump.

"Yes, haven't we all heard that before…" he repeated.

Moira and Sigma watched in fear as he mockingly massages her.

28 is shaking now, terrified that he now has her in his grasp. She has not forgotten his monstrous strength.

"Doctor?" she called out with a trembling voice.

Moira merely shook her head and quickly look at Ogundimu, who now looks at her.

"Looks like your little project has taken a liking for you… I wonder… Do you feel the same?"

Every eye is on Moira now, whose mouth open and close rapidly as she tried to form words.

"She is just a… She is… I mean…"

"It does not matter, as long as she remains loyal… You will be loyal, wouldn't you?" he asked, squeezing her shoulders.

SS28 nodded, pain etched across her face, though no one can be sure if it is from his grip or Moira's response.

"Good" he said, letting her go.

"Now go back to your projects and get your injuries checked out, you will have your new assignments in a few days"

"If I may, we are scientists, not agents, shouldn't you use other more qualified soldiers to deal with these?" Sigma asked.

Ogundimu merely smiled as he opens the door.

"Who is more qualified than all of you?"

*Gibraltar: Watchpoint War Room*

The world is at war once again, this time against two major enemies.

One is the Null Sector, the other is misinformation.

Social media is calling it the Third Omnic Crisis, the majority who believes this is normally the uninformed.

But it is this group that is causing the most damage to the war effort around the world.

Calls and protests for re-elections and reforms, attacks on the media for war mongering and propaganda, their voices scream loudest amongst the sea of statistics and research, confusing the main population.

Many companies have stopped supplying to the army and recruitment has fallen to a staggering 40% across the world, those who volunteered face harassment or even persecution.

All to avoid the "Third War", while in fact they are still trying to win the Second.

Because of this the Null Sector has gained valuable ground, setting up new strongholds that will take years to fully eradicate.

"Dammit!" Morrison shouted, punching the control panels as the United Nation's Army is routed in Kenya. Now the Null Sector have access to almost unlimited solar energy.

"Torbjorn, proceed with caution, the UN Army has retreated, you're on your own" he said.

"Ya gotta be kidding me!" was Torbjorn's angry reply before he cut the call.

Reinhardt and Brigitte are not having much luck in Europe despite calling up their connections they've built over the years, as the Null Sector stretched them far too thinly to be effective.

Very soon the Null Sector will not have to depend fully on Maximilien's support, which will be catastrophic.

"Try to connect to Genji and McCree again, I need their reports!" he barked, making some jump.

Now Winston and Angela are working around the clock to put Lena back into the field, her Chronal Accelerator too damaged to function for more than a few minutes at a time.

Of all his soldiers, why did he had to disable his most active one? Without Lena on the field, different parts of the world have begun to feel her absence.

All because of that Corporal who went AWOL.

"Does not matter, he will be hunted down soon enough" he growled.

"Sir! The Null Sector has begun advancing towards Gibraltar!"

"Show me"

True enough, a sizeable Null Sector army is moving quickly towards their general direction.

"Do you think they know where we are?" Colonel Smith asked nervously.

"No, but they will if we do not do anything"

"What are we going to do?"

"Gather the men, tell them to get ready for a fight" Morrison said as he walked to the door, putting on his and rifle be placed on the table earlier.

"Where are you going sir?" Smith asked, looking up from his notebook.

"I am going give the Null Sector a proper welcome"