Tracer

'That's the gist of the mission. I can think of nobody better to take this one on. The question is: are you mentally able? I know…uh…King's Row was a rough situation for you.'

Lena was staring out the enormous, mirrored window overlooking Watchpoint Gibraltar. There were quite a few Overwatch agents going about their work, but not nearly the amount that had existed before the U.N. disbanded the organization. It was hard to see, but everything had a beginning, and Overwatch's revival was still in its infancy. The problem was: would they be ready in time? Talon was a force to reckon with; that much had become abundantly clear, and they currently held the advantage so far as raw power and capabilities went.

'I should be fine, Luv.' Lena puffed out her chest, turning from the scene before her and seeing Winston's massive form adjusting itself within his chair. He fixed his glasses, tapping a few icons upon his holographic screen to project it in front of both veterans.

'Then let's go over the details. Your point of contact will be in Numbani city at Club Se7en where the world-famous D.J., Lucio Correia dos Santos is performing as part of his world tour for Synaesthesia Auditiva.'

'Synaesth…what?'

'Synaesthesia.'

'Sinthesis.'

'Er…something like that.'

'Huh. Fancy name, innit?'

'I would agree with that.'

'So, you're sendin' me on a mini-vacation? How sweet! But I'm okay, really.'

'I know. Jokes aside, I've already been in contact with this man, and he's interested in joining our cause.'

'I guess someone who's willing to go up against a corporation like Vishkar has similar beliefs to Overwatch? Is that what piqued your interest?'

'More than less. His values are sound – pardon the pun – and he carries with him something that should prove beneficial to Overwatch as a whole. We need someone like him to help unify our group like never before.'

'That's true…' Lena analyzed the data presented before her. She knew of Lucio; everyone who read or listened to the news did. He was famous for his pushback against Vishkar's attempt to nearly imprison an entire city with rules and regulations unasked for in exchange for use of its hard-light technology. His athletic prowess and focus on freedom and justice for the weak made him something of an unprecedented celebrity. Lena herself looked up to him, in a way, and having him in the ranks of Overwatch wasn't exactly a terrible idea.

'He is interested in joining our cause, but he's also committed to performing in Numbani first, considering it is one of the few cities that promotes and protects the right of human and omnic interrelations. After the loss of Mondatta, he's even more adamant.'

'Right. Of course.' It stung to hear the slight reminder, but what could Lena say? It was the truth. Mondatta was gone. Emily was gone. Wait. Emily? No. She couldn't keep thinking about her.

'However, he wants to speak with someone from Overwatch before anything is settled. That's where you come in. Your personality can charm almost anyone willing to listen. You two will undoubtedly mesh quite well, I think. He's already sent me a ticket to his concert. He wants whoever I send to be present for the whole thing. He believes it will answer any questions we have as well. I think it's worth the risk, and I wouldn't ask this of anyone less capable.'

Lena giggled self-consciously.

'You sure, Winston? I mean…'

'What?' Winston huffed, scowling a little.

'Nothing! Nothing at all!'

'That's better. We don't have as much time as I would like, but Angela and Fareeha should be here very soon. Unfortunately, you'll be on your way by the time they arrive.'

'Angela? S-she's definitely coming back, then?'

'Heheh.' Winston grinned, his sharp canine teeth intimidating. Somehow, Lena almost forgot he was an enormous gorilla. 'It's all about sending the right people, and I'm getting pretty good at that. Genji and Zenyatta are already on route as well, and Hanzo will require some work, but we'll leave it up to his little brother to figure that out. It's starting to come together, and hopefully it will before Talon has all its pieces in place. Stopping Doomfist's gauntlet from being taken was a win, but I doubt the attempt will finish there. Talon can't make any big moves for some time yet, but they're still formidable as they currently stand.'

'Oh, I know that, big guy. I'll be careful.'

Winston paused, breathing out deeply and beginning to type away at his computer, the keyboard custom-made by himself personally to accommodate for his giant fingers.

'I sent the rest of the details to your mail. I also…gave you some information I could gather about Widowmaker. It's still unconfirmed, but…well…maybe take a look on your way so you have a better idea of your opponent. I don't think Talon will send someone like her to intercept us in this case, but you can never be too careful.'

Lena swallowed, thinking about how she would deal with the blue-skinned woman differently should they encounter one another again. She would certainly be a little more cautious, but beyond that, she had never felt so utterly outmatched.

'Thanks, big guy. Appreciate it.'

'Your private flight leaves in about three hours. Have something to eat, relax, and I wish you all the luck.'

Lena saluted, puffing out her chest proudly.

'Aye, aye!'

Lena had almost an hour and a half to kill, and although she was usually one to galivant with her fellow soldiers and agents, she simply lacked the usual pep the young woman was known for. Leaving Emily the way she did still stung, losing to Widowmaker was general Overwatch knowledge now, and allowing Mondatta to be assassinated simply dug into her soul more than she was willing to admit. Being sent on another mission was questionable to the time traveler, but she wouldn't let Winston down again, and this particular task didn't seem overly dangerous.

Presumably, Talon would try something, for Lucio's concert and his influence might not be worth overlooking, but Lena couldn't see it as a high-priority mission. The only challenge would be convincing Lucio that Overwatch had a cause worth investing his time and energy in. Besides, it sounded like Lena was being told to go party while on a mission; she couldn't complain about that, right?

Lena tapped at her phone and opened up the file about Widowmaker Winston had sent her.

'Know your enemy and all that…' She muttered, sitting on her bed with only a small, white tank-top and yellow short shorts to cover her. The soft pale blue hue of her chronal accelerator hummed nearby, but otherwise, her space was quiet, for a change. The data loaded hastily, and Lena squinted through the finer points of the file, not one to usually worry about such things.

Based on some newfound data sent from a "reliable source", Widowmaker's real name was Amelie Lacroix. She was married to Gerard Lacroix, a former Overwatch agent who was at the forefront of taking down Talon before it became the monster it was today. After Gerard's death, Amelie went missing, and was eventually seen working for Talon, her entire physical appearance altered due to presumed biological tampering. There is speculation regarding her attachment to Gerard's death and sudden switch to being a Talon agent.

'Bloody hell…' Lena gasped, re-reading the synopsis. Some pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, however, if any of this was true. The face Widowmaker made when Lena had pinned and questioned her so adamantly. It was such a curious, bizarre reaction. It was so conflicted and almost…pathetic in a terrifying way. If Widowmaker's mind had been manipulated to such an extent, of course she would be mentally unstable. Had Lena managed to hit some sort of nerve? Is that why she was allowed to live? Is that why Widowmaker's ice-cold demeanor thawed ever so slightly under the Overwatch agent's pure sincerity?

'Well, damn it.' Lena flopped back, lifting her phone over her face and zooming in on the assassin's blurred picture. 'Now I can't just take you out willy-nilly…'

It was the truth. Lena didn't like killing at all, to be honest, if it could absolutely be avoided. Angela had quite readily implanted the concept of mercy upon anyone she could, and the doctor was very convincing. Lena would only cripple those that absolutely couldn't be allowed to continue being a threat. Widowmaker fell into such a category with ease, but now the line was being blurred.

'I mean…it's not her fault, am I wrong?' Lena went on, voicing her thoughts in order to organize them better. 'She's a victim in all this, potentially. That face…definitely makes me think so, anyway.'

The overwhelming urge to help those that couldn't help themselves filled Tracer, and perhaps a strange sense of defeat made the girl want to rise above the embarrassment to assist Amelie in some way. Maybe she didn't want to fight her again because of fear, so the higher ground appeared more appealing. It was hard to say. Widowmaker was a lethal threat, at the end of the day, and Lena couldn't take that fact lightly no matter what her instincts told her. Helping the enemy in any way was lunacy at best, so Lena decided to shelve these strange, intangible emotions in order to prep for that which was right in front of her: a mission that would benefit Overwatch's morale and dedication to a cause.

Lena stretched her arms out on either side of herself and stared at her ceiling.

Widowmaker. Emily. Why did they circulate through her mind so? Widowmaker was evil now; that much was true beyond debate. Emily was…not a part of Lena's life anymore. Best stop allowing images to form so easily.

Lena turned and opened up the music app on her phone. She clicked into something lively and energetic, feeling the rhythm flow through her. She started tapping the bed alongside the sounds, and eventually stood up, doing a little jig with a grin forming over her lips. She tousled her short brown hair in a mixture of frustration and commitment, forcing her mind to dismiss the complicated stuff and focus on what she could do now.

Lena shuffled along the floor, shaking her hips and spinning about with an impressive amount of dexterity and balance. She was going on a mission that basically required her to move with the beat. Getting warmed up just made sense. If she couldn't even get into the music he was playing, how was Lena supposed to interact with Lucio correctly? Thinking about Emily and Widowmaker could wait. For now, a trip to Numbani would take priority.

Suddenly, however, the door to Lena's room was knocked on almost politely, and the time traveler felt a rush of shock pass through her. A guest was unexpected, but she dimmed the music and went to her peephole, seeing someone that instantly gave her anxiety, but not enough to stop her from hastily opening the barricade to the one and only Tekhartha Zenyatta.

'Peace be with you.' The omnic rose a mechanical hand, his voice calming yet powerful.

'Zenyatta…'

'Indeed.'

'Wow. It's an honour to meet a member of the Shambali. Mondatta was an inspiration to me.'

'To us all.' Zenyatta's head tipped forward subtly. 'I miss him greatly.'

'Um…Come in!'

'I thank you.' The omnic nodded, levitating within impressively. Although Zenyatta was seen as something of an outcast within the Shambali hierarchy, from what Tracer knew, his name still reigned closely with Mondatta's in the realm of enlightened omnic lore and power.

'I don't have much to offer, but I'm happy to see you decided to join our cause.'

'My brethren would be further displeased, yet I will not sit idle while my kind are used, once again, to wreak havoc upon humanity.'

Lena beamed with pride, encouraged by the growing number of pivotal members to Overwatch's cause.

'I'm about to head out for a mission, but I have a bit of time if you need me to show you around or anything. Do you have a room already? Is Genji here?'

'Worry not about me, Lena Oxton. I am hear to speak about you.'

'Me?' Lena blinked.

'Quite. Winston elaborated upon his concerns regarding your mental health, and I see now that he is not misguided. The burden of despair you carry will only serve to weigh you down further no matter what – admittedly – "catchy" tunes you attempt to drown your mind in.'

Lena's cheeks flushed. She completely forgot about her music. The background noise was hastily turned off.

'Unfortunate. I did not mind such sound.'

'Oh…Um…' Lena went to her phone again, but Zenyatta shook his head.

'Time is as valuable as ever, so allow me to make one thing particularly clear: Mondatta's sad ending was not your fault. Certainly, his passing was a grand victory for our opposing force, but you were not tasked with his protection. If anything at all, you gave my brother hope, if only for a moment, and that was enough. Had you not been there, hope would have been snuffed entirely. Overwatch is hope in this dark hour, and I wish to do everything within my power to live on for Mondatta and all he represented. Will you do the same?'

'Of course…' Lena affirmed, but Zenyatta's head twisted to the side slightly.

'Truly?'

Lena nodded, gripping her hands into fists and glancing to her chronal accelerator.

'We're hope. And if that's true, do you think there's hope in even the darkest corners of the world?'

'Yes. Without a doubt.'

It was a personal goal, but with that clear confirmation before her, Lena decided she would at least try if given the chance. Why did she care? It was hard to say, but something about that woman's circumstances didn't rub her the right way, and the time traveler couldn't leave someone's cry for help to the wayside; even if that cry came in the form of a twisted laugh and mocking gaze.

'You are travelling to Numbani, correct? It is a wonderful place, and I wish you all the best, but there is notable anxiety swirling about the city that I can sense quite vividly when viewing broadcasts from that very same plain of existence.'

'What do you mean? Is it because of who's all locked up there?'

'If I could only know. Nonetheless, Winston is taking my concerns into consideration and is formulating a plan as we speak. For now, your departure is inevitable, and it would appear my words have had a positive effect, which is pleasing.'

Lena grinned.

'Yeah. I was trying to slap myself out of it, but having someone that was so close to Mondatta tell me to move on is loads of help too. Thanks, Zenyatta. Really.'

'A pleasure. I hope we may speak again once you return, safe and sound, Lena Oxton.'

'We'll have a drink! Oh…uh…maybe not. Maybe a chat? By the sunset? Listening to hymns or something? …Levitating?'

Zenyatta chuckled, and Lena giggled a bit as well. He was a robot, but they could interact like this so seamlessly. They could make one another laugh. They could help each other through heartache. How could anyone believe that there wasn't something special about the omnics? It was lunacy. It made Lena want to fight harder than ever before. Looking at Zenyatta stare right into her soul, Lena knew she was on the right side of this fight. There was no doubt about it.

'Any and all of that sounds wonderful. However,' The monk's tone rose a little. 'The music you had on before wouldn't be so terrible as well.'