Morrison was right; the watch point was very dusty. But there were men and woman working tirelessly to restore it to its former glory. It hardly seemed run down, just…neglected. Such was the power of the Petras Act. It is good that we had put an end to that, at least for the time.

"Winston, look who showed up!" Morrison called out.

From the rafters of the massive gate, a large gorilla swung down. It was strange seeing a fabled super-intelligent ape, but Winston's reputation had long ago prepared me to meet him.

"I saw," Winston said, dropping to the ground. "I was surprised that you were cleared of your ordeal, Mei."

"That is what everyone says. I just need to find something to keep me busy," she said. Just who was this woman? "And I wanted to see if all my old friends were still here."

"Oh, we are all here, little one!"

"Reinhardt!"

I fought the urge to drop my bags and salute again. Morrison said that we were not on parade duty. Still, I found it hard to resist it.

Reinhardt Wilhelm was truly massive, even out of his armor. He towered over all of us. It was a long time since I felt this small.

But with his massive smile, it was hard to feel intimidated by him. He had such a big, warm smile, just like Mei's. Morrison might have been a living legend, but Reinhardt was the very picture of a big hero.

"Do not think I would pass the opportunity to join Overwatch again!" He roared, kneeling down to practically scoop her up.

"I'm surprised you're still running around!"

"He never stopped running around," Fareeha said.

"Ja, very true! I am not built for retirement." He set Mei down and turned to look at me. "Have we got a new recruit?"

"Sir, Alkesandra Zaryanova," I said, standing tall. "You can call me Zarya."

"Oh, you're the Ruskie they sent us," he laughed. "Many thanks for de-fanging the Petras Act. Maybe now we can get back to work and do some good in this world!"

"I would be honored to fight alongside you." I looked at his pure silver hair. I couldn't help but smile. "Or in front of you, if you can't keep up, old man."

Reinhardt and Angela broke into loud laughter.

"Ha! I am more than able to keep up," Reinhardt laughed.

"Please, Reinhardt, you had to take retirement," Fareeha said, but she was smiling too. "You might need a walker to stay in form."

"Ach! You wound me so, little Fareeha," he gaped. "Zarya is more than welcome to our ranks. The more, the merrier! This will be just like old times!"

"Hopefully without a Blackwatch to shut us down," Winston said.

"Regardless, we must be on our best behavior."

The metallic voice made my hair stand on end. Floating in the air, not walking but floating, was a fucking tin can.

The smell is more than I can stand. The burned, charred smell, ripe with rot and shit, it hits my nose with every breath. I feel the tears, but I don't know that I'm crying. A large metal husk, the corpse of a damn tank Omnic, is in front of me.

It had crushed two houses in its death spasm. Blood stained the underside; a hand was sticking out from under it.

"Look at what the machines have done to us, Alkesandra," father said. "Stop crying! See what they did! If they see you crying, they'll come back for us. Turn your fear into hate. Hate them, and destroy them, so they may never do this to us again."

"What is a fucking tin can doing here?!"

Why is everyone staring at me? There's a goddamn Omnic here! They are Overwatch, they should be destroying these abominations!

"Zarya, calm yourself," Morrison growled. Suddenly he was all business. But he was staring at me, not at that floating can. "Zenyatta is part of our team."

"Bullshit he is," I spat.

"You need to watch your attitude!" He yelled. The people around us stop and stare. I glared back. "I know you have battled Omnics in the past, but you will check that shit at the door. Zenyatta is a valuable member of our team; has been for years."

"Omnics aren't our friends," I said. "They're the enemy, and they will turn on us."

"Zarya, please, he's a friend." It was Angela, gently placing a hand on my arm.

"Do you know what burning flesh smells like?" I demanded. That made her grow deathly serious. "I learned that smell before I could properly read. Do you know how people dance as they burn alive? Does anyone? Be glad you don't."

"I said, watch your attitude," Morrison said. He spoke with quiet fury, but I had faced quiet fury before. "You suffered. We get that. But Zenyatta is part of the team, and if you want to be part of Overwatch, you will work with him. If you don't like that, your plane is still getting gassed up. Get back on it, and go back to Russia; we don't need you."

I nearly took him up on the offer. But I bit my tongue; orders were orders, and Overwatch had to be brought back to the Crisis.

Mei caught my attention. Her eyes were wide, and she was taking an unconscious step back from me. She was scared. Did I…was she scared of me? I wasn't the enemy, that tin can was.

I saw my reflection in her glasses. I was some big Ruskie who was yelling at them. Of course I was scaring her; she was so tiny. Suddenly I was ashamed. I didn't mean to scare her; I never wanted to scare her.

"Understood," I made myself say. It was easier to think of making Mei better than to admit to working with a machine.

"Will you work with us? With Zenyatta?"

Damn this old man, he wanted me to say it.

"Da, I can work with him."

"You're not just agreeing with me, are you?" He snarled. I actually smiled at that. "Saying what you want me to hear?"

"Please. I am used to doing things I don't want to do," I said. "I am Russian."

"This better not be a problem going forward."

"Despite your hate, I do look forward to working with you," the tin can said.

"Piss on that, Ominc," I spat.

"You're out of line, soldier," Morrison yelled. "Stow that shit and—"

"Jack, please." How could Morrison, the founder of Overwatch, stand to let that…that thing put its hand on his shoulder? "She is not wrong."

"…What?" Morrison said.

"…What?" I said.

"Zen, she spat at you and called you a can," Morrison said.

"And she was at the forefront of both Omnic Crises," it said. "Her pain is understandable. She is not wrong to be wary."

"She's not wrong," Fareeha said, full of disbelief. I had to admit, I was not understanding the damn can either. "So you let her call you names and slurs?"

"Not being wrong does not make her right," it said. Great, it speaks in riddles, too. "Zarya, I know words cannot correct anything. As Jack is fond of saying, 'talk is cheap.' But if there is one thing that you must know of me, know that I am sorry for the pain and suffering my brothers have caused you."

"So good to know you care." I knew when I was being mocked.

"Drop it, that's an order," Morrison snapped.

"Yes sir."

I grabbed my bags and my cannon. Working with a can. This job took a very quick turn for the worst.

"Come, I'll show you where your room will be," Ana said.

"I'll find it myself," I said. "I need to get the taste of metal out of my mouth."