Tracer

'Are you sure you want to do this?'

'I have to be now, big guy.'

'I'm sorry. That was a foolish question.'

'Heheh. Nope. It was a kind one. Your heart is in the right place, as always.'

'But your uh…your friend is…'

'Not happy, that's for sure. But…I just have to help. I can't pretend something isn't wrong in this world.' Lena looked out the helicopter's window, seeing the land below draw closer. Her uniform felt a little tight, but it was perfect for the job at hand. She wanted the media to know that Overwatch was back, and they weren't going to sit idle as Talon spread its shadow as far as it could manage.

Still, Emily's face kept plaguing her mind, and Lena's heart hurt no matter how bubbly she attempted to be. It was one of the hardest decisions she was ever forced to make, but it was one she would live with now.

'Hey, um, how goes it, Luv?'

'Whoa. What do you mean "how goes it"? What's wrong?'

She could tell immediately. She had just got in the door and removed her shoes but Emily could still tell something was painfully amiss with her girlfriend.

'I'm just askin' how you're feeling. Is that so strange? Heheh…'

'Oh, boy.' Emily was worried. This made Lena anxious, since she hated seeing the girl anything but content and happy with her. She pushed her hands through her gloriously red hair and strode over to the couch, lazing upon it and sighing after a hard day's work. 'Just tell me, Lena. Did you get in another brawl with some omnic haters or something? You know how messy that was last time.'

'No! No, don't be silly. I'm being a good girl.'

'I somehow doubt that.'

Emily extended her arms out, and Lena felt bad embracing them, but she wanted to, fearing not having another opportunity. It got worse when Emily's soft lips brushed her girlfriend's, the two young women exchanging a brief, but intimate kiss.

'Mm. Coffee.' Lena beamed.

'Long day. Couldn't have done it without the sweet nectar of life.'

'Cheers to that.'

'Oh, how would you know?'

'Eheh…Well, that is kinda the thing…'

'Oh? You got a job that will last this time? No more random "trips"?'

'Um…Somewhat?'

'Lena…' Emily glared, and Lena knew there was no going back now. The truth would have to be released. This temporary peace and stability was all too brief and long. Lena took a deep breath in and shuffled off of Emily, conscious of the way the couch creaked as she did so.

'Hear me out, okay? This wasn't an easy thing, but I just don't have a choice.'

'Alright. I'm listening. But I don't like how you're talking right now. It's freaking me out.'

'Good sense, Luv.' Lena winked, pointing comedically, but returning to the severity of the conversation. 'There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out and we'll go from there. I'm…I-I'm…' Lena Oxton grasped reality and physical presence in a different way than most. Chronal disassociation had that effect on some people. Being grounded in the present because of a piece of fragile technology helped, too. Meeting and connecting with Emily was a risk both girls decided to take. Emily wasn't even aware she could be interested; that's how strong their initial meeting's spark was. It hadn't been that long since they started dating, but Lena knew she was happy. Scared, but happy. Now, was she really willing to put all this in jeopardy? The images Winston had sent was all the convincing she needed. Lena Oxton was a wonderful lover, but she was an even better hero, and not just anyone could do both roles.

'I'm…joining Overwatch again.'

Emily's pause was agonizing. She furrowed her brow and shook her head, sighing and sighing some more. Lena could only wait for her response. Anything else would be spastic and possibly even more damaging.

'Join…an organization that has been disbanded and branded criminal? That Overwatch?'

'Eheh. Yep.'

'…Is this a joke?'

'No, Luv. The world is suffering. It never stopped hurting. It's just…Things are getting out of control. You've seen the signs, right? Even here, in King's Row; especially in the old part of the city, there's so much hate and anger. The first Omnic Crisis left more damage than anyone could expect. Not only that, but Talon is starting to move, and someone has to stop them.'

'Oh, and you'll stop everything? Just you?'

'Of course not…'

'Then don't go. They can do it without you.'

'But I'm special. I'm not like most people. I can…travel through time. I can pull stunts off that nobody else can. I can…'

'Disappear forever if the right bullet hits you in the right spot.' Emily's face was starting to turn red, and Lena knew she was getting more upset by the second. 'You're right; you are special. You're special to me! When I started having feelings for you, I thought I was going crazy! I've never…never felt this way about another girl. If you return to Overwatch, then…then I'm not sure this can go on. I don't know if it would be fair…to either of us…'

'I know, Luv…'

'You know, but you still want to go?'

'I don't "want" to. I "need" to. For you. For everyone in this city. For the world. Overwatch changed the tide of the first war, and with another one coming, I can't turn a blind eye.'

Emily bit at her lower lip, sucking it in. Lena loved it when she did that, but the Brit couldn't even enjoy the view. Her chest was in pain, and her pulse was moving faster than she even could.

'How long would you be gone?'

'I don't know.'

'Would I be able to see you?'

'I'm not sure. Maybe?'

'Do you have a choice for how far in the world you'd need to travel?'

'Not really. Depends on the mission.'

She was beginning to break finally, tears filling her eyes.

'Can you promise you'd come back to me…someday?'

'I can try…'

'But you can't promise?'

Lena swallowed.

'It's going to be dangerous.'

'I know…'

'Emily…Em. I'm sorry.'

'I know. I know you can't back away from this. It's part of the reason I fell for you. You're earnest, kind, charming, and…and you care so much for other people. You would do anything to help someone in need. If the world's in need…how can I expect you to choose a single girl over all that?'

'It…doesn't have to be the end, right?'

Emily wiped her eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop. She smiled, yet she was crumbling alongside Lena.

'Oh, Lena. I…God…I think we both know the only answer here…'

'We're preparing to land. You reviewed the mission data?' Winston's gruff but soothing voice asked, forcing Lena to remove Emily's pained expression from the forefront of her brain.

'Yeah. You sure about the intel though? I mean, that's a pretty amazing network you got goin'.'

'Fortunately, we're not the only ones who can't sit idle while the world is corrupted. Two potentially present Talon members, in particular, were outlined in the briefing. You understand their threat levels?'

'Yup! Lethal and lethal-er, right?'

'Um…I suppose that's accurate enough. Code names: Reaper and Widowmaker. There are some fairly disturbing rumours circulating about both of their true identities, but – '

'Winston?'

The enormous ape suddenly perked up, unbuckling his seatbelt and moving to the door, shaking the whole helicopter as he did so.

'Winston!?'

'No time. Follow as soon as you can!'

And Winston thrust open the door, leaping out without a second's hesitation. Lena panicked for a moment, but then began speaking to their pilot through the headset.

'Take me down ASAP, Luv! Something's happening in the museum already!'

"Roger that!"

It was starting. Tracer's first battle since hanging up her gloves and uniform. Her first official mission as an Overwatch agent anew. She thought of Emily one last time, and then prepared to enter the fray. Doomfist's gauntlet was the apparent target. If Talon got their hands on that, too much shifted in their favour; it was that powerful of a weapon. Lena readied her Pulse Pistols, and once the helicopter was within the safe perimeters of a jump for someone of Lena's build and abilities, the young woman said a silent prayer, and burst into action, descending into her maiden battle upon rejoining Overwatch.

As soon as Lena entered the museum, she locked on to a target that matched Widowmaker's description almost perfectly. The dangerous individual was angling her sniper rifle, with an overly extravagant visor seemingly enhancing her presumably capable skills. Lena had but a fraction of a second to take everything in, and while Winston was handling who must have been Reaper, Lena blinked into Widowmaker's range, getting so close she could smell the other woman's almost metallic scent.

'Psst. What you lookin' at?'

Her reaction speed was inhuman. Even with another blink, Lena barely evaded Widowmaker's counterattack, her gun shifting into the fully automatic mode that the mission's briefing had mentioned. Lena dashed midair, both evading and attacking at the same time. All the information provided through Winston's intel was spot on. These Talon members were a cut above, just like the main attack force within Overwatch. Lena could only spray and pray, maneuvering herself behind some cover before Winston took over, their ability to work off one another mid-combat hardly missing a beat.

Winston endured some heat from both adversaries now, roaring bravely all the while as Lena screamed to him, knowing he would react in kind. His enormous hand reached out and Lena blinked into it, allowing herself to be hurled into the middle of the fight, spinning and dashing about, stretching her arms out wide as she attempted to subdue both Reaper and Widowmaker. Accuracy wasn't the primary concern; staying alive and hoping for a lucky shot was. Constant movement. Ever cautious of what these enemies were capable of. Lena's mind was a flurry, not having time to comprehend her circumstances precisely, and being forced to run on autopilot.

Reaper's movements suddenly shifted, and both Lena and Winston could tell, instinctively, something was coming. The cloaked man began chuckling maniacally as a swarm of darkness peeled off of his cape and encircled his entire being. When even Widowmaker took cover, Lena knew it was time to bail, but Reaper's following attack happened so erratically that the time warrior could barely register what was going on.

An outbreak of bullets exploded from Reaper's location, an impossibly fast shower of death blossoming from a singular location. Lena had no other choice but to seek shelter again, her chronal accelerator needing time to recharge before she worked it into the ground some more. She reloaded her pistols and breathed heavily, forcing blips of Emily from her already strained brain. Winston was charging Reaper by the sounds of things, but it was when Lena noted another sound nearby that she finally looked down to see two young boys staring up at her in bewilderment. They were caught in a bad situation and most certainly scared, she would imagine.

How did the Tracer deal with fear every time she fought?

'Um. Don't worry, luvs, the cavalry's here!'

Joy. Humour. Giggling. Running from fear. Taunting fear. Laughing at fear. Only a few more seconds and she would show these boys what Overwatch was all about. The younger of the two was ecstatic by Lena's words, while the older one looked far more aware of the danger they were all currently in, especially with Winston finally collapsing, taking too many bullets to not have one hit one of his vulnerable points in his armour. His glasses skid across the floor as if signifying his fall.

Lena bit down, knowing she was almost ready to rejoin her friend in his struggle. Just a few more seconds. This was a pivotal moment in the fight.

'Come on, big guy, get up.' Lena begged. She couldn't do it on her own. She could barely do it with Winston. These Talon agents were brutally lethal. If Widowmaker had a moment, Lena was sure her sniper rifle could end things frightfully fast.

Fortunately, Reaper made the mistake of approaching Winston and not taking him out with the small opportunity he had. Taunting the gorilla by stepping on Winston's glasses, Reaper barely had time to react as Winston's Primal Rage took over, his whole composition flashing red and a berserker of a warrior crashing through any composure he once held.

Lena's chronal accelerator beeped, and she exhaled sharply, a smile unavoidable.

'Yeah!' She screamed in delight, joining her companion in a last-ditch effort to immobilize Reaper. With Winston at her side, they easily secured the upper hand, although Lena had to be aware of Widow's support fire from her blind spots. Winston finally managed to capture Reaper, and just as he was about to create a crater with Reaper as his tool of choice, the mysterious, black-robed figure seemingly transformed into the shadows that followed him, and Lena knew he was gone for now. She turned back to Widow only to be forced into covering her eyes, a large eruption of power exploding from where the gauntlet had been encased.

Widow's form tumbled through the museum, and Lena seized the chance, Winston following suit. Widow was the cornered one now, and Lena had to admire her tenacity, the mystifyingly gorgeous woman not giving an inch until Lena blinked behind her, kicking the sniper's gun from her hand and using it against the Talon member without mercy. Widow continued to impress, deflecting lethal bullets with her gauntlet prior to firing a grappling hook off and taking a suddenly manifested Reaper with her up and out of the museum. Grenades were dropped, deterring immediate pursuit, but Winston leapt high and out after Talon within only three jumps.

Lena almost pursued immediately, but part of her hesitated, turning to her little comrades-in-arms and grinning proudly after putting the pieces together in her head and seeing Doomfist's gauntlet crackling, damaged in the arms of the older brother. Both boys stared up at Lena in awe, her heart soaring with joy due to their expressions. The big brother sheepishly handed Lena the artifact they all had fought hard to protect.

Lena felt the weight of the weapon, and noted how small the hands were that passed it to her. She sighed inwardly, thinking of Emily and knowing this was the right decision. What if she and Winston hadn't come? What would have happened to these boys? What if Doomfist's gauntlet had fallen into Talon's hands once more? She admired the bravery put on display this day, and she was reminded of her youth in a wave of painful nostalgia.

'You know?' She started, staring at the boys with all her sincerity. 'The world could always use more heroes.'

A wink and a giggle, and Lena was off after placing the weapon back where it belonged, flying through the air to finish a mission she had no doubts about anymore.