Hana's dreams that night could be considered partly a nightmare.
She found herself standing back by the beach from three days ago. The old Omnic manufacturing company JUNSIN had shut down following the Omnic Crisis. Now one of JUNSIN's largest factories, stationed in Busan, Korea, lay abandoned by the ocean, slowly but surely falling apart. Wind howled through the rusted structure, scattering the soft sand of the beach, and creating ominous groaning sounds. As Hana made her way through the creepy old place, she recounted the series of seriously sketchy events that had happened leading up to her being at an abandoned factory.
She had been streaming a game of StarCraft, as usual. The tech-savvy girl had her IP address wired through multiple proxy servers which ran addresses from places as far as Antarctica, making her location near impossible to find.
Or so she thought.
When the message HANA, I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE started to appear repeatedly on her Twitch chat, Hana knew something was off. No one was supposed to know the girl's name, and far less know where she lived.
Despite knowing the risks of talking to strange stalkers over the net, curiosity won out. She had messaged the stranger. WHO ARE YOU?
Via PM, the stranger claimed that they were representing Overwatch- a ridiculous claim. The Petras Act had banned any Overwatch-related activities in a very public, very nasty series of press conferences…Hana still remembered the entire ordeal being played live on her computer. Overwatch's return was impossible.
But in the end, Hana's curiosity won out- what sort of harm could befall her for reading the email they sent her, anyways? Practically nothing. And so, with a deepening sense of befuddlement, Hana clicked on the email. The email read as follows:
Miss Hana Song-
Following the reformation of Overwatch, we, the combat-oriented portion of the aforementioned organization, have found that the absence of many of our previous agents presents a risk to the continued success of our operations. Therefore, we would like to consider adding you to our ranks.
If you so choose to accept this invitation, please meet us at the former head factory of Omnic-manufacturing conglomerate JUNSIN about two miles to your northwest at 3:00 PM tomorrow. Failing to appear at this meeting will result in termination of your invitation.
Thank you,
Overwatch
If this was a troll, then it was a seriously good one.
In the end, decision hadn't been difficult to make. At the young age of fifteen, Hana was experiencing a sort of existential crisis. Her life was being squandered on meaningless video games, an absentee father, and a mother who cared more for a bottle than her own daughter. Whether this message was sent by actual Overwatch agents, a crazy stalker who wanted to abduct her, or someone who wasn't going to show up at all, as far as Hana was concerned, it didn't matter- if it provided some brief respite from her miserably monotonous life, then it was welcome.
And so there she was, wandering the ruins of the Omnic factory, having walked two miles just to get there. Over the years, as global warming had taken its toll on South Korea's coastline, the water level had risen enough so that a thin carpet of ocean water covered the ground, rusting the skeletal remains of the factory. The sun shined through the collapsed frame, forming dancing spots of light in Hana's hair.
For as long as Hana could remember, people had warned her to stay away from the factory. Tales of dormant Omnics rising from their burial in the sand had been commonplace. Now, she couldn't quite understand why they had thought the place was so scary. Hana breathed in the scent of salt, dark hair scattering in the ocean breeze, which created small ripples in the crystal clear, ankle-deep water. She made her way slowly towards the center of the ruins, her bare feet sinking into the wet sand with each step.
It's probably pretty dangerous to be here, though, she thought, gazing up at the metal arching above her head. The ruins gave off the air of something that could collapse at any moment. Unconcerned, she pulled her hood lower over her head before sitting down on what she soon realized was the giant head of an ancient Omnic, long dismantled in the war. So what if she died?
No one's here. Surprisingly, Hana was not at all angry. The two-mile walk to the place had been relaxing, and the factory was eerie, sure, but also soothing and atmospheric. Whether or not the unknown messengers would appear, or not-
"I told you she'd come," said a voice reminiscent of an old woman's with nearly smug satisfaction.
Hana got up immediately, the water sloshing at her feet. Approaching from between the pillars of metal were two very peculiar people.
One was an old lady. She was draped in a coat made of thick fabric rimmed with blue. From underneath her hood, a single golden eye stared, hawklike, while her other eye was covered with a black eyepatch. A braid of gray hair ran down her back, further enforcing her seniority. Slightly hunched over, she sloshed towards Hana with an expectant smile on her face.
The other figure was even more peculiar- what appeared to be an Omnic covered, from head to toe, in white plated armor, followed closely behind the old lady. Green light glowed from the cracks in the plating, and a visor covered the Omnic's face. With increasing alarm, Hana realized that both were armed- the old lady carried what appeared to be rifle, complete with a scope, while the Omnic carried… a katana?
"Genji was convinced you weren't going to come," said the old lady. Hana couldn't move as the lady stopped just a few feet from her, studying her face. Up close, Hana thought she could see a scar running beneath the lady's eyepatch. "The youth nowadays aren't as gutsy as they used to be, you see." This she said with a hint of amusement. Hana opened her mouth. Not a word came out.
Her feet glued in place, Hana watched as the Omnic stopped next to Ana, staring back at Hana with similar apprehension. "She is very young," he noted, his metallic voice tinged with a Japanese accent. The sound seemed to resonate through the area. "Perhaps she is not ready yet. We can wait-"
"Waiting, waiting, waiting," the old lady cut in impatiently, waving a gloved hand. "Is that all you can think to do?" She turned towards Hana. "My name is Ana Amari, and the cyborg there is Genji Shimada." She raised her hand, obviously expecting Hana to shake it.
Ana Amari… A memory buried away deep inside of Hana's head resurfaced, half-gone from years of neglect. The beaming face of an Egyptian beauty with an Eye of Horus tattoo stamped under her eye…an agent that had fallen to the hands of Talon during a botched recovery mission, if Hana recalled correctly. The old lady standing in front of her was a far cry from the Ana Amari in Hana's memory… but the way she stood, the smile, the strict way in which she spoke… it was all unsettlingly familiar.
As for the Omnic- hadn't Ana called him a cyborg?
Instead of asking any of the other million questions populating her mind, Hana blurted out, "He's not an Omnic?"
Ana started to say something- a harsh rebuke?- but Genji interrupted with a chuckle, which eventually evolved into a full-blown, hearty laugh. His strange, processed laughter was so infectious that Hana could feel the corners of her lips turn up slightly, despite the strangeness of the situation.
"I was-and still am- all too human," said the man(?) warmly. Hana felt her face turn pink, as she realized her question was basically an insult, but the cyborg continued airily- "Do not feel too badly, as your reaction is quite a common one."
"He's been cybernetically enhanced," added Amari helpfully. Upon Genji's lighthearted reaction, a wary smile had grown on Amari's face. "So he doesn't quite look like what he used to…"
"Indeed. In my opinion, I have become handsomer by far," said Genji stoically.
Hana's smile twitched. She felt like laughing, but still wasn't sure how to respond to the strange situation. Inside her head, a strange kind of explosion was taking place. A silent revelation of gigantic proportions.
These were in fact actual members of Overwatch.
Overwatch. Really. Hana swallowed, hard, then straightened up, suddenly all too aware of her messy hair and lack of shoes. Thankfully, she'd been forced to learn English in order to reach an international audience over stream, so communication couldn't be thatbig of a deal. Hana brought forth her best English and let fly a sentence: "Why are you here?"
"We're in need of agents," replied Amari simply. The sniper leaned back against a rusted beam, pulling a trigger on her rifle to bring up the scope. She pulled the trigger over and over again, as if it were a kind of habitual tick. Hana watched, transfixed by the motion. "You understand that our reformed Overwatch is not public? We can hardly go around recruiting publicly if we're not supposed to exist." Amari let out a short bark of a laugh. "You can say that our situation is… desperate."
"Winston- our chief informant, as of the moment- thought that your reaction time is superb. Inhuman, in fact," said Genji, who was pacing back and forth restlessly. Steam exhaled from the ventilation ports on his shoulders. He sounded like he had practiced this speech many times before. "This, in conjunction with your quick thinking, are qualities of a good Overwatch agent. You could do much for our cause." He paused to look directly at Hana, who jumped at the unexpected eye contact. "He is quite a big fan of you." Despite the cyborg's glowing green visor, which obscured his face, she could tell that he was smiling. If he even could.
Things were beginning to make some semblance of sense. However, one problem stuck out to Hana like a sore thumb. Why had no one addressed it yet?
"I can't fight," muttered Hana. She twisted the corner of her hoodie in her hands nervously. "I've never shot a gun before, or been in combat."
"You have," interrupted Amari. "Every time you play a game, in fact."
"Skills for a MOBA don't translate directly to an FPS like that!" burst out Hana. The gravity of the statement seemed to be lost on Genji and Amari- no doubt they did not understand the terminology she had used. Taking a deep breath, Hana continued, slower- "I mean, the sort of games I play aren't anything like being in an actual battle. If you give me a gun and put me out on the field, I'd sooner shoot myself than an actual target." She hated her voice for peaking even higher than usual.
Amari shook her head. "We don't expect you to march around on the field with only a gun, dear- only fools like Jack do things like that," she said, her voice warm with what Hana could've sworn was motherly concern. "You're going to march around on the field with a tank and two guns. It'll be much safer, I promise."
Were they insane? "Where the hell are you going to get a tank? You said it yourself- you practically don't even exist," said Hana indignantly, throwing manners and respect out the window. Genji answered this one.
"Worry not. The Korean military has developed something called a MEKA in response to intel reports that say that a massive Om-" He hastily cleared his throat, a noise like a car backfiring, when Ana shot him a nasty look.
"Go on," prompted Hana, curious.
"The MEKA aids in combat against many things. Especially Omnics," said Ana with the air of one saving a conversation. "However, Omnics in particular can hack a MEKA on autopilot, meaning that someone must manually control it for it to be any good." She eyed Hana, eyebrows creased. "You have the best reaction time in the world. There's no one more fit for such a machine."
Hana flushed. How many years had it been since Hana had received a compliment? The drunken ramblings of her mother occasionally included remarks upon Hana's appearance (often employing the words 'fat,' 'ugly', and 'messy'), and that woman was the only person in the world that Hana personally knew. Sure, she may have millions of fans as DVA, but none of them truly knew… almost anything about Hana, now that she really considered it. The old lady's straightforward remark on Hana's abilities left the approval-starved teen practically shivering with glee.
"I guess…" Hana faltered under the combined strength of Amari and Genji's stares. "I guess I can give it a go?"
Amari broke out into a smile. Genji nodded approvingly. Feeling flattered beyond belief, Hana gave a cautious smile back.
"That simplifies things a great deal. Amari-san can head back to Gibraltar, while I stay here a bit longer." Genji turned towards Hana, and uttered the next words so damned casually that she almost missed their significance: "All we need is the approval of your guardians. You're not yet a legal adult, yes?"
Approval of your… guardians?
"I- well-" What do I do? They can't meet Mother! "I know for sure… for sure that they're all right with it," said Hana hastily, forcing a neutral expression onto her face. "With, me, uh, joining Overwatch, I mean." Her words rang suspicious in even her own ears. "So there's no reason to…"
"I'd like to take your word for it, but I can't," said Ana matter-of-factly. "Besides, we need to get information from them that we can't receive from you." The sniper hefted her rifle to her shoulder. "Mothers know best," she said, almost in sing-song.
Not my mother, you crazy old bat, Hana thought with panic. "They're busy most of the time. And I'd hate to pose an inconvenience to…" She trailed off as Genji and Amari exchanged concerned looks. "I'm right here, you know!"
"Genji will be meeting you at your address in four days' time," said Amari shortly. Hana didn't dare question the old lady, whose voice had gone steely. "If all goes well, I'll be seeing you again." Amari offered her hand again, which Hana reluctantly took. After the firm handshake, Amari backed off, disappearing into the ruins. Genji shot Hana a long, sidelong glance before going after Amari.
And as suddenly as they had come, they were gone.
Hana stared after them for what seemed like a while. Overwatch was back, and… they had to meet her fucking parents? She stomped around in a noisy circle angrily, splashing water all over her rolled-up jeans.
There is no one more fit for such a machine, indeed. You'll get a tank and two guns, indeed. Why were they treating her like a fucking kid?
Because you are one, said a quiet voice at the back of Hana's head. This isn't something that you're ready for. Wars a serious business. You could die.
But Hana wasn't afraid of dying- not really, not now. She wasn't attached to living enough to really dread death. What she did dread was the looks of pity on the agents' shitty faces when they realized that her shitty fucking parents were fucking garbage. Hana hated pity with a passion.
"Fuck off," she said out loud, and to no one in particular. Then she remembered that she had never asked how they had figured out her home address.
