Tracer

Numbani. The new age city that represented precisely what Tracer fought for. The moment she stepped off her private cruiser, she was greeted by numerous workers, accepting her presence with hesitation, but accepting it nonetheless. Although no official word had been sent out to arrest the infamous Tracer, Lena knew it was only a matter of time before Overwatch agents would have to move much more discreetly when on missions.

Still, Lena couldn't help but smile at the sheer mixture of humans and omnics alike going about their day the second she was out and about in the sprawling metropolis that was Numbani. It was a city of the future, and it's what Mondatta was fighting for. It's what Tracer would continue fighting for until she could fight no more.

Lena pulled her luggage behind her and breathed in the clean air, the hustle and bustle of the city glorious, and the posters advertising Lucio's incredible upcoming concert proudly on display. The man was a living incarnation of the territory's values. His concert was going to be anything but subtle, in the grand scheme of things, and the more Lena took in her current surroundings, the more she could only assume this mission might turn into something much grander than anyone could expect.

Nonetheless, Lena could draw joy from her circumstances, and she was quick to flash her charming smile and offer a helping hand to any who needed it. Her loose, mid-drift bearing white t-shirt allowed for a faint glow from her chronal accelerator to leak through just a little, but otherwise, she looked just like any other citizen of the fair city, for the most part. She was recognized by the more observant, but Numbani was excessively busy, and navigating the city meant bumping shoulders here and there; especially with the amount of individuals traveling to the space for Lucio's concert alone.

'Oi, big guy, you got me in somethin' of a party alright…' Tracer muttered to herself, extracting her phone and initiating the G.P.S. service to assist with finding her hotel. She could've hailed a cab, she supposed, but she didn't mind the walk, and simply valued this moment of peace. This glimpse of what life could be was encouraging. Humans. Omnics. They could all be one within the Iris. Mondatta wasn't wrong. Talon was the enemy. That woman was the enemy.

Widowmaker. Amelie.

No. She was a victim, too. If Lena could just talk to her properly, then maybe…

'Oof!' Lena felt a severe impact, her whole body pushed practically over.

'Ah! Sorry 'bout that, missy! Crowded here, yeah?' A man apologized before being on his way.

'That's putting it lightly.' Lena sighed, straightening up her clothes and noticing her phone was gone. She could only roll her eyes because, from what she could see, the man who had "bumped" into her was sprinting. He was fast, too. A fit chap who was using the crowd and amplified business of the streets to his advantage. It was a good plan, really, except for one tiny variable he failed to anticipate…

'Strapped for cash, are we?' Lena was midair as she said this, perfectly sliding between a small opening in the crowd. She had her phone back in her hand a second later, winking at the dumbfounded thief, before recalling, the whole exchange lasting less than three seconds.

'Now, where were we?' She giggled, the people around her who had managed to not blink during the event suddenly realizing who she was.

'Tracer! It's Tracer!'

'Oh, my gosh! Are you here for the concert as well?'

'Did you just teleport? That's amazing!'

The comments went on and on, and Lena's chest filled with pride, even if she heard one or two belittling words about "criminal activity" and "Blackwatch" threatening to sting her confidence.

'Just visiting, just visiting! Heheh! Cheers, luvs! 'Preciate the support!' And she did, truly, but she also couldn't risk making a bigger scene than had already developed. As much as she wanted to mingle with the people of Numbani, now that Lena was an active member of Overwatch again, there were risks involved with her actions. The museum stunt was borderline criminal, and it would only get worse.

Lena managed to peel herself away from the crowd, and slipped into a small coffee shop with a lion as part of its emblem. The name of the little joint was Kofi Aromo, and the Overwatch agent was in love with the warm-green aesthetics right away. It was crowded, as expected, but Lena lucked out when a couple decided to leave immediately upon her entrance. She swiped the seating via placing her suitcase in one of the stylish, oval chairs, and went to the counter, overjoyed to find an omnic and human working side by side as naturally as could be.

'G'day there, Luv. How goes the battle?' Lena gave the girl behind the counter a wink. She was a pretty little thing, with a blonde pixie cut, light blue eyes, and slight freckles around her nose. Her nametag read "Jessica", which was almost painfully boring, but somehow fitting.

'Busy, but I'm surviving.'

'I bet. Good for business, innit?'

'Oh, for sure, but not great for my stress.'

'I stepped in at just the right time, huh? No line or nothin'?'

'We move pretty fast. Al here works quick.' Jessica grinned, finally meeting Lena's eyes. If Lena wasn't still sore about her departure from Emily, she might have flirted a little more aggressively, but she diverted her gaze, and nodded to Al instead.

'Looks like you know what you're doin' there, Al!'

'But of course!' Al's semi-mechanized voice responded gleefully.

'So, what can Al and I get for you?'

Lena placed her order after taking a moment to work through the menu and then bid the lovely duo adieu, a creamy, steaming cup of extravagant coffee in one hand and a glazing donut in the other. She wanted to take a picture of Al and Jessica working away, but wasn't sure how stealthily she could pull such a thing off without the high risk of seeming creepy. Instead, Lena committed to recalling this image anytime she lost confidence in her fight, and just the thought gave her heart a skip.

'Thanks, Winston…' Lena smiled, sliding into her seat and understanding exactly what her old friend had done for her by assigning this mission. The incredible gorilla was one of the most powerful individuals Lena knew, but he also housed an equally strong heart. The young Brit was honoured to be counted among one of his companions, and she wouldn't allow her emotions to weigh her down again until the fight was over. They didn't have time for her to lose face. She practically represented Overwatch in some ways.

Lena checked her phone's messages, not finding anything awaiting her but Emily's last text before they had officially "broken up". She was tempted to delete the three-word sentence, but couldn't bring herself to do it just yet. It was too soon.

Instead, Lena enjoyed her coffee and donut in relative peace. The ambiance of Kofi Aromo was perfect, and the simple act of sitting and listening to all the snapshots of others' lives was calming. Lena wasn't one to stay still for long, but she was starting to get its value now that she was taking a moment. Before she knew it, nearly a half an hour went by. Jessica and Al were still working away, their brief conversations with customers charming anyone who would allow it, and the sun was just beginning to move into the horizon's direction, a slight tinge of red splashing over the streets.

'Whelp, time to get a move on.' Lena poked at her cup, and just as she was about to get on her way, a girl sat in the seat across from her, sighing as she did so with an incredibly tiny mug steaming in her fingers. She didn't say anything initially, and Lena could only take the individual in during the period of silence between the two young women. She was very likely Hispanic, and she wore almost heavily violet makeup that only accentuated her natural, wild beauty just right. Her hair was stylized unconventionally, giving her something of a "punk" look, but even with the purple dye in her locks, she pulled it off well and with confidence. The small mole under her left eye was like a cherry on a cake, and Lena had to admit to herself that, other than Amelie (and, perhaps with heavy bias, Emily), few females were so undeniably attractive.

'Hey…' The girl practically hummed in boredom, so much so that Lena nearly felt that she was the one imposing, not her new "friend".

'Hey there, Luv. Somethin' I can help you with?'

The girl's eyebrow went up, and she grinned in a devilish manner, but also somehow seductively as well.

'Oh, I'm thinking there's lots you can help me with, but for now, I'm just saying "hey".'

Lena wished she could accept the words easily, yet, in her line of work, it wasn't the smartest move to trust anyone at the drop of a hat. This girl was interesting, but the way she just planted herself before Lena was a little suspicious.

'So, you here for the big bad concert tonight? Hear it's gonna be a good time. Got my glow sticks and everything ready to go.'

It was hard to know whether or not to take this person seriously. She delivered everything so dryly and distantly, with ever a small curl twitching at the corner of her lips.

'I was thinkin' about it.'

'Yeah? Could be fun if we met up there, too, if you know what I mean?' The girl winked, and Lena couldn't help feeling flattered amongst her caution.

'Do you always flirt with random blokes you meet on the street?' Lena laughed.

'Only the cute ones; and you're one of the cutest. Specially with that little machine under there. I'm a techy, you know? So, you really snatched my eye with that piece of hardware. Maybe I can get a peek after the party? Sound like a plan, Tracer?'

Lena blinked. It wasn't a massive red flag, but this wasn't a friendly banter anymore either. She had to be careful. Lena didn't exactly hide her sexuality, but it wasn't something that she broadcasted as well. Either this girl knew about Lena's preferences relationally already, or she had gotten wildly lucky with her assertiveness.

'Huh. I usually go by Lena in public, but yeah, I guess you got me.' Lena shrugged, trying to hide her internal thoughts as best as she could. 'Not quite fair that you know my name and I don't known yours though, innit?'

'True.' The girl tapped her cheek, staring into Tracer's eyes carefully now. 'You can call me Oli. Fair?'

'That your real name, Luv?'

'Close enough.'

'Oli, eh? Cute.'

'If you say so.'

'And what can I do for Oli?'

Oli giggled, standing back up again and cocking her head to the side.

'Nothing right now. Just wanted to say "hi". I'll see you at the concert. Save me a dance, "Luv".'

'Wait!' Lena almost stood, and Oli glanced behind herself. 'This concert is a good thing. This city is a good thing. You get it, right?'

'Oh, for sure.' Oli sighed, and she waved Lena off, disappearing out of the café and into the crowd.

At her hotel room, Lena finished sending Winston all the information she could regarding her encounter with Oli. There were zero matches in Talon's archives, but those were limited to begin with, and Lena was told to approach her task with even more care than before. Her friend agreed that this "Oli" individual was eccentric at the very least, which made it overly complex to comprehend precisely what her purpose had been with Tracer.

Was she simply flirting? Lena wasn't exactly ready for a relationship until Overwatch's mission was complete, but the idea of a little fling wasn't terrible either. Obviously guilt filled her gut at the mere thought, but a distraction from these emotions anytime she thought of Emily wasn't the worst thing that could happen.

'Oi. Gotta keep it together. Important mission here.' Lena popped on some fun, uplifting music, and began shuffling through her bag, tossing aside various articles of clothing to decide on what to wear exactly to this enormous concert that she had been invited to in the name of Overwatch and its relation with Lucio himself.

Lena decided on some fun, red short shorts, an impressive pair of branded runners, and a yellow shirt that hung loosely over her stomach and off of her right shoulder. The colour did a better job of hiding her chronal accelerator, and when the young woman tossed about her hair with some dry wax, she was satisfied after a final touch of eyeliner makeup was applied to accentuate her wide eyes. One final evaluation in the mirror pleased Lena enough to not think about her appearance further, and she checked the time, seeing that there were about two more hours before she had to start lining up to get in even as a marked V.I.P.

'What to do? What to do?' Lena rested her hands on her hips and swayed back and forth, glancing about her (admittedly) beautiful hotel room. The queen-sized bed was impressive on its own, but the enormous, paper-thin television only made the space feel like it belonged to some sort of C.E.O. Not exactly Tracer's style, but she could appreciate the statement being made.

'Guess bopping around the city isn't the worst idea, huh?' Lena hummed aloud, and patted her phone in her short pocket. She thought about bringing her Pulse Pistols, but as soon as she considered it, a montage of potential complications burst through her brain, and she knew better. If necessary, she could always snatch a security guard's weapon to subdue any supernatural threat. Otherwise, she knew Lucio to be a man of peace first and foremost, not favouring the violence that major corporations were quick to use in order to get what they wanted. She wouldn't promote such tactics in any way unless absolutely necessary.

Lena took the elevator down from the 20th floor of the hotel all the way to the ground floor, hopping out with an animated "hup" and greeting the various bellmen and workers on her way outside. Her cheery personality made even the sternest individual at least wave, and within moments, she was back on the streets of Numbani, the crowd only growing since she had arrived. The sun was nearly completely set, and the sight was beautiful, with a blanket of red laying across the silvers and greens of the still somewhat newly created city.

Lena stretched her neck back, looking high into the sky at the buildings and the holographic advertisements that played every which way. Lights were blinking on almost as she passed, and omnics alongside humans traversed the space as though it was the most natural thing. It was something Lena wanted to show Emily, and she almost snapped a picture to send, but resisted, knowing it was a mean thing to do. They were done. It was over. They had both agreed. So, why did it still hurt so much?

'Oh, now I know you're stalking me.' Oli's accented voice blurred into Lena's ear, and it was as if she had appeared out of thin air, suddenly rubbing shoulders with the Overwatch agent.

'Oho! Pot calling the kettle black here, wouldn't you say?' Lena laughed, but knew she was truthfully happy to see a (semi) familiar face amongst the strangers all around her.

'Meh. Apples and oranges.'

'What does that even mean?'

'Whatever you want it to, girly.'

Lena breathed out, pulling Oli to the side of the street where they could stand without being bumped into or pushed past every half a second.

'What do you want? Are you an enemy?'

'Heh. Nice. So, you're not only some gun happy Brit. Just broke up with your little lady friend, too. Good to see you're still thinking straight.'

Lena swallowed, her eyes darting from side to side. Oli was no longer "possibly" a threat. If she had that kind of information, then she was most likely –

'Talon's personal hacker. Codename: Sombra. Nice to meet you, Tracer. Still want a taste?' Sombra licked her lips, and Lena's fists clenched. An agent of Talon so openly identifying themselves? Was this girl totally out of her mind? 'You can handcuff me if you want. I'm kinda into that, you know?'

'Are you crazy? If you know so much about me you know I'm your enemy. I…I could arrest you right now!'

'Could you? But what have I done? And under what license? You gonna be taken seriously all of a sudden? You're the one closer to breaking the law in that case; not me.' Sombra tapped Tracer's bottom lip, and she swat the girl's hand away anxiously, her brain and heart running a mile a minute.

'Then what's your game, huh?'

'Look. I work for Talon, sure, and maybe I've stolen something here and there, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get by in this world sometimes, you know? I'm not the real bad guy here. I just take a job every so often to put a roof over my head. Overwatch wants to pay me better? I work for them. But I got myself a pretty shady past, so my resume might not make the cut.'

'Did you even try?'

'Aw. You're sweet. But where I come from, I didn't really have a choice.'

'There's always a better option!'

'That's where you're wrong, Ms. Stupidly Optimistic.' Sombra's smile finally faded, and her jaw tightened in a sincerely angry way. 'When you have nothing and nobody to help you, you're forced to claw your way out of a pit or die with the rest of them. The Omnic War left the world in shambles, some places more than others, so don't pretend you know what everyone went through while you were playing hero safe and sound.'

Lena opened her mouth to respond, but she realized she couldn't; not against that undeniable truth. Sombra grinned again, swaying her head from side to side.

'Right now, I'm off the clock. I'm just a normal, everyday girl like you. Thought I'd enjoy myself some fun. Heard this Lucio guy is pretty good. I happen to like dancing, so, here I am. Heard through the grapevine you were coming. Also heard you like girls and just broke up with yours because, I'm assuming, being in Overwatch makes some things a little risky. I like to have fun with whoever piques my interest. Ding. You're the lucky winner tonight. You game?'

'You can't be serious.' Lena practically whined, hating that she was actually tempted.

'Oh, I am, "Luv". And between you and me, Talon doesn't know you're here. Like I said: I do my own thing unless they pay me. Other than that, I'm a freelancer through and through. They hate it, but those were my terms. Sure, they could probably take me out, but whatever, I'll risk it for a taste of what being "alive" means. Kinda like our good friend, Widowmaker, you feel me?'

'Widowmaker…?'

'Heheh. Did I strike another nerve? You lost to her. Big time. One of Overwatch's best couldn't stop the assassination of one of the most important robots that practically represented your cause. Ouch. Big boo-boo.'

Lena grit her teeth, but she had come to terms with that failure even if it still stung.

'You have a funny way of flirting there, Luv…'

'Well, I was just thinking that it's the perfect time to enjoy a concert, right? You gotta make friends with Lucio, and I gotta get rid of some of this energy. Win-win, am I wrong? Plus, if we're hanging out, you can make sure I'm not being a naughty girl. Or, at least, naughty on your terms only. Heheh! Now that sounds like a swell idea!'

'You're insane. You're actually completely daft.'

'Oh, I like it when you say things like that with your little accent. So cute. Anyway, what do you think?'

Lena shook her head, but Sombra's last point made sense. Either let this hacker run rampant during such an important event or keep tabs on her and maybe even have a little fun somehow if what any of what she said was true. Lena believed some of her words, but she wasn't convinced she could trust this little spitfire quite so easily yet. Either way, Sombra had played her hand well, and Lena Oxton didn't see any other option than to proceed as carefully as possible with this woman in tow. It was her duty to ensure Sombra didn't cause any mischief, and she had no doubt the hacker planned for her to have that exact line of thinking.

'You don't fool me. Obviously, there's a chance this is part of some bigger plan, but you know what? I'm gonna risk it.' Lena threw her arm over Sombra's shoulders, bringing the girl in close and believing she caught a quick snapshot of honest disbelief in Sombra's face before she regained her composure hastily. 'The only question I have is this: think you can you keep up, Luv?'