Howdy, everyone! Time for another chapter of me struggling to write words! Thankfully this one didn't take a month. You have NaNoWriMo to thank for that. Friggen thing is gonna be the death of me. Anyway, a few things I want to address before we get into things:
The story is still far from over. Maybe halfway if I were to guess, in case you were wondering! Lena's story is far from finished!
And I read all my comments. Several times. If I find one I need to reply to, I will always PM the person. However, if you ask me something using a guest account, I have no way to do so. Please use an actual FFN account if you're hoping to have a conversation with me, and I'd be happy to oblige!
And Moira. Heckin. Have to add HER in now, because Orisa and Doomfist didn't complicate things enough. In reality, though, I do plan on adding her in. She actually was announced at the perfect time.
And no, I am not adding Blizzard World. Hilarious map, though.
Anyway, that's all from me. Sorry for the longer A/Ns. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
Lost in Time chapter 26- Social
"Alright everyone, we're about ready to begin," Lúcio announced to the group gathered in the room. An old motion control game was playing on the flat screen TV, with the various cameras to make the game work and for the stream were plugged into other devices; the chords were kept separate and easy to manage. The sofa the players usually sat on and the desk for the pcs had been moved to the back of the room, with a computer displaying all the stream stats and chat, which Orisa would be keeping a close eye on. At the moment, a screen displaying "The stream will start soon!" that had D,va's bunny icon and Lúcio's frog logo on it was all the viewers could see as some of Lúcio's music played in the background.
Efi bounced up and down as she took a quick drink of the labelled water bottle she had grabbed for herself. Lúcio had one as well, though D,va and Genji didn't need one. Genji was sitting on the sofa quietly, and Hana had changed back into the sweatshirt with her bunny logo that she had been wearing when she first removed the toy. She bounced up and down nervously, already beginning to feel the incessant pull of time strengthening, slowly but surely as it attempted to claim her again.
"Thirty seconds left until the stream timer runs out. The chat is very eager," Orisa called out to the room. Lúcio nodded.
"Just give us a five-second countdown and start right away. Get ready people!"
Hana took a deep breath, the motion calming her nerves more than the breath itself. Thirty seconds left until all her fans would see her as a ghost. Lúcio put an explanation for her condition, and what the money was for below the game and facecams, so the chat would hopefully not ask many questions. D,va put on her smile and crossed her arms, facing the camera. Game face on.
Orisa soon began to count. "We begin in five… four… three… two… one… live."
Lúcio jumped up immediately, grinning at the camera. "Hello to all of D,va's awesome viewers! How're you all today? Hope you don't mind me doing the intro this time. Anyway, today we're going to be streaming a collection of motion control games that use the cameras to track your body. We've already synced it to our positions, but let me introduce everyone before we begin!"
Lúcio stepped to the side, pointing to Orisa in the back of the room. The Omnic's eyes changed into upside down V's, giving her the appearance of a keyboard-typed smile as she waved. "Here we have Orisa, who'll be rocking the computer for the time being!"
Orisa's eyes turned to the monitor. "Oh, it seems people find my design to be 'adorable!' Credit goes to Efi for that!" she commented in a cheerful, harmonious voice.
"Speaking of Efi," Lúcio began, changing his voice to sound like an overdramatic announcer. "We got the master builder herself, the mechanic that won't panic, Efiiiiii!" he shouted eagerly as he pointed to the girl, who was laughing at Lúcio's ridiculous introduction.
"Also, we've got a cyborg ninja. 'Nuff said there," he dropped to almost monotone, pointing nonchalantly to Genji, who pointed a finger gun at the camera.
"There is always 'enough said' in the words 'cyborg ninja.' My name is Genji, a pleasure to be here to destroy you all in these games."
"Oh, some people recognise you from the Doomfist news coverage!" Orisa called to him. Genji nodded.
"I have an absolutely unforgettable appearance, after all." He said in mock haughtiness.
"And finally, we've got this person here. You probably don't know her so I won't bother to introduce her," he waved D,va off, turning to the game as she crossed her arms and glared at him in an overdramatic fury, playing it up to be funny. She stepped in front of him, glaring. He rolled his eyes, smirking. "Okay, fiiiiine! This is D,va. Anyway, game time! So, how about it? Wanna play me first?" Lúcio asked D,va. She nodded, radiating intensity.
"Game on," she mouthed, clearly enough for Lúcio to understand.
He grinned. "Game on indeed! I will PROVE, once and for all, that I am the champion jet-skier!"
Five minutes later, D,va threw her fist in the air with a superior grin as Lúcio laughed.
"Come on! That was a cheap trick! I thought we were all above body-blocking with the NPCs! Seriously, how did you hit that guy to cause him to spin out INTO me?"
D,va crossed her arms and stuck her nose up. She turned her head away, not planning on sharing her secrets. Lúcio turned to Efi and Genji, who were sitting on the couch in the back of the room. "Hey, you guys try now!"
Efi cheered. "All right! Let's go, Mr Cyborg Ninja!"
Genji snorted. "I like that. That's my new name. Username too. Mr Cyborg Ninja. Do fanfiction websites let you change your username?" Hana couldn't help but be curious as she remembered the dream she had with Genji during the Doomfist attack, and how Genji, at the time, had loathed even the word 'cyborg,' yet here he was now, making jokes about his form.
Lúcio raised an eyebrow. "Depends. What's your old username though? And what fanfiction are you writing?"
"Both of those answers are unimportant, now come on, time to jet-ski," Genji said in a rush. Efi bounded up to where he was, and the two began their game. Lúcio flopped back onto the couch. D,va remembered half a second too late that it was a bad idea for her to do the same. Lúcio jumped as Hana went to drop onto the couch, only to phase through the soft surface, the upper half of her body being hidden by the furniture. Since light didn't go through the sofa, Hana almost thought she had disappeared with how abruptly light vanished.
D,va lurched out of the sofa, shaking her head as light flooded her vision again. She laughed nervously. "Woah, D,va! Are you okay?" D,va nodded to him off with an embarrassed laugh.
"The chat was quite surprised by that," Orisa remarked. Please, be more careful, Agent Song." Orisa chided.
Hana waved Orisa off, keeping a smile plastered on her face. Lúcio slid over to the computer and peeked at the chat, wrinkling his nose slightly. It was probably full of people downplaying the "ghost" aspect of her condition. It was strange, but she almost preferred it that way. Then her thoughts were rudely interrupted.
"What the Hell? How did you do that? God dammit!" Genji practically screeched, as Efi passed him and made his jet-ski spinout with a well-timed item-use.
"Now, watch your language, Genji," Orisa scolded in a harsh tone.
"I'll swear all I want, and I am NOT getting beaten by a twelve-year-old!"
"Then how come I just passed the finish line?" Efi taunted with a cheer.
"I demand a rematch!"
"Alright! Want to try it on the dancing game?"
"Absolutely!"
Five minutes later, Efi stood panting but merry as Genji stood stunned as the scores appeared. "I… I can run alongside the wall of a building, and I get tired half as fast as a normal human, and I lost in a dancing game? Hacks! I call hacks!" Genji and Efi looked at each other meaningfully for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
"No way! I couldn't hack this if I tried!"
"That's a lie! There's no way you'd not know how to hack!"
"To be fair," Lúcio added from his spot on the couch. "Genji has pretty terrible rhythm."
"I do not!" Genji denied in vehemence.
"You do," Efi agreed.
"Yup," Lúcio said.
"Affirmative," Orisa chimed in from the back. "The chat agrees."
"Yes," D,va signed quickly, wishing she knew some more sarcastic words.
The room could feel Genji's glare through his mask as he slowly turned his head to everyone.
"My dancing is the best dancing, and I'll prove it! D,va! You! Me! Right here! Endless mode!"
Lúcio raised an eyebrow. "Why D,va?"
"Because she can't get tired! Hardest difficulty! Now let's go!"
D,va smirked, nodding at the cyborg. She took her place, and the game began. A song started to play on the TV, and both she and Genji moved along to the rhythm without much trouble. The movement felt wrong and unsettling as she danced with no exertion whatsoever. D,va couldn't help but wonder if that was how Genji felt at all times.
It didn't matter how Genji felt, though. Because Hana won the game. It was pathetically easy. Genji lost the beat and ran out of lives within minutes, whereas Hana still had a perfect score. Genji roared.
"Okay, fine! If I can't beat you in dancing, just wait until a mission! There we'll have a competition for running on walls and ninja-ing over rooftops! Then we'll see who's the best!"
"Woah, D,va's got some moves, though! Any chance I can play against you?" Lúcio asked, stepping up. "Not endless mode, though. We've got way too long left on the stream for me to bring myself halfway to death."
Hana grinned, relishing the feeling of doing something, getting to play and do something she loved. Sitting around and only being able to think had been absolute torture compared to the bliss of playing games with friends. D,va threw her hands up in rhythm with the song, turning to Lúcio as he faced her likewise. The two stepped away from each other, bouncing back in the next second to the beat of the music. Efi clapped along to the beat from the couch, and Genji watched as he leaned against the wall. Despite his outburst, he seemed somewhat relaxed. The twosome continued dancing until the song ended with them both jumping with their arms splayed out. Efi clapped and cheered as Lúcio and D,va eagerly waited for the scores to display. Lúcio had won, passing D,va by only a few points and more precise moves. He grinned in pride as D,va beamed back in congratulations.
"Victory is mine! Efi! You wanna get in on this?" Lúcio asked the child. She squealed and bounced up as D,va backed up, letting the girl play against the DJ. They continued to play against each other, trading games and opponents for two or three hours. The room had no windows so Hana would not be able to tell what time it was. That didn't matter though. She could feel the pull of time get stronger, and she knew she had to enjoy all the time she had.
Inevitably, the time did come when darkness began to creep in on her vision as Efi was defeating Genji in a bowling game. She turned to Lúcio, who was drinking water from his spot on the couch. Hana grimaced as she held up her hand and watched it begin to fade. Lúcio sighed and nodded, clearing his throat as Efi taunted a now-even-more-dejected cyborg ninja. The two turned to Lúcio, then to Hana. Efi's eyes widened in panic, though Genji's expression remained hidden.
"Well, everybody, I think we gotta call it for tonight!" he said cheerily to the camera. "Sorry about the abruptness! We've got to deal with stuff!"
"Uh, yeah, bye everybody! Thank you so much for watching!" Efi called out, bouncing back and forth on her legs in a panic.
"Vote for Genji as ruler of the world," they cyborg closed out humorously.
"And the donations are most appreciated," Orisa added from the computer.
Hana smiled, hiding her hands behind her back as she gave a short bow. "And we're offline," Orisa said a few seconds later.
Efi nodded quickly and ran over to Hana. "Come on! Let's go! We can get back to the chamber!" she called, gesturing out the door. Hana nodded, though only made it to the doorframe before darkness started creeping in on her vision. She turned to the others, who were watching her pitifully. She wrinkled her nose and waved to them with what remained of her arm before returning to the void.
…
Lúcio sighed as he watched Hana vanish before him. He rubbed his eyes and sat back on the couch. His limbs felt weighed down by lead and Lúcio could have easily gone to sleep on the sofa. Before that, though, he plastered on another smile and turned to Orisa. "How did we do on donations?"
"I think you will be quite pleased! We reached the first goal, which should be enough to begin the basic components of the device needed for Agent Song," Orisa said as she gingerly picked up and offered Efi a water bottle.
"Really? Awesome! I'll be sure to order the parts right away!" Efi cheered. "If all goes well, we'll be able to at least stabilise Hana! Though, until we get the battery and distributor, she'll be tethered to the harness… but it's something!" Her voice picked up considerably at the end. She yawned. "I'll get started… right away!"
"Efi, it's nearly three in the morning. It's time for you to get some rest," Orisa chided.
"No! I have to make the harness! The sooner, the better!"
"No offence, but you look like I could cover your eyes with my hands and you would pass out," Lúcio added. Indeed, the girl seemed more than drained after all the exertion.
Efi snorted. "You're one to talk. You've been getting less sleep than Genji," she retorted.
"Hey, I told the doctor I'd sleep after this. So you will too!"
"Fine… fine… So… overall? That went well?" she asked, finally accepting defeat.
"I'd say so," Genji said as he leaned against the wall.
"It was an extreme success. However, I avoided bringing it up, but near the end of the stream, the amount of questions concerning Tracer only increased."
The mood suddenly got more sombre as Efi and Lúcio exchanged worried glances.
"I mean… what should we do about that?" Efi asked. "Won't Talon reveal Slipstream to the public soon? The last anyone saw, they were hurting her on camera. Showing they got her to join them would be a victory celebration. And it'd hurt Overwatch."
"True…" Lúcio said as he set his water bottle down. "But we're in a lose-lose situation. We've got no leads to find out where she is, and definitely not the resources to capture someone who can control her own time."
"Maybe D,va can help with that once we get the accelerator. Theoretically, she should be able to keep up with Slipstream, right?"
"Possibly, though I'm reluctant to ask her to do something like that. Wouldn't that just make it look like we're trying to create a new Tracer? Not to mention, after all Hana's been through, it's not exactly fair to ask her," Lúcio argued, rubbing his temples.
"I dunno… I feel like we need to ask her, though. It's the best shot we have at taking Slipstream down."
"But Slipstream has been using her powers for years. Meanwhile, there's no guarantee Hana will even get powers. I don't see how D,va could beat her in a fight."
Genji interrupted quickly, his words fast but quiet. "Excuse me, I need to leave. Thank you for inviting me to join the stream."
"Wait, what?" Efi blinked, but Genji was gone the next instant. Her face fell. "I shouldn't have said all that, huh?"
Lúcio shook his head. "I think we did step a line. Hard to remember that this is all a sore spot for him. I can barely tell what he really feels. He's a pretty good actor."
"Isn't everyone here?" Efi asked in a hushed voice.
Lúcio closed his eyes. Those were some of the most accurate words he's heard.
…
"Sir, ya wanted to talk to me?" McCree asked from Soldier 76's door. The room inside held almost nothing of interest. It was a standard living quarters with no personal paraphernalia save a photo on one of the dressers. Soldier 76 was inside, dressed up in his red, white, and blue vigilante outfit.
"Only if you're going to keep your head on straight," the commander retorted, stepping past Jesse, heading in the direction of the hangar.
"My head is on perfectly straight, thank you," McCree fought back, following the soldier.
"More like its screwed on so crooked that it's become the new straight."
"So, do ya have a lead on savin' Tracer or not?" McCree cut to chase and dropped the small-talk.
"No, but I do have a lead for tracking down the lead for Sombra. You remember her, right?" Soldier 76 asked rhetorically.
"Fondly," McCree spat, flexing the fingers on his prosthetic arm.
"Well, here then." He handed Jesse a small slip of crumpled notebook paper from his pocket. McCree snatched it up and unfolded it. It was an address for a building in Dorado. "There's a girl you'll find there. A teenager. When she asks you what you want, just mention that 'old habits die hard,' and if you're lucky, she'll help you."
McCree nodded and pocketed the slip of paper. "Thanks. I'll put this to good use."
"I don't care when you search for her, but be smart about it please." Morrison sounded more tired than anything as he said this, taking a turn at a sign labelled "hangar." "Now, is there anything else you need?" he asked as McCree followed him for several more steps.
"I'd like to know somethin'," McCree said, his voice lowered.
"About Oxton, I assume?" Jack stopped and turned to face Jesse. "I know you want to find her, and it'd be bad for all of us if she's revealed to the public, but there's only so much we can do."
"Whaddya mean 'so much we can do?' We know how to track down one of her captors. Why ain't we jumpin' on that chance?" Jesse asked, glaring at the commander.
"Because we can't devote all our resources to hunting her down. If we send another four ships to the girl's house, we'll attract too much attention. Not to mention, we've got other things we need to prioritise. Otherwise, we won't be helping anyone except Oxton. And that's assuming everything pans out." Morrison retorted, crossing his arms.
"Why ain't we sendin' at least a few people?"
"Because I figured you'd be the one to want to handle it, and you'll have more than enough people soon," Soldier 76 said. McCree blinked.
"Pardon? Genji and me ain't nearly enough to take on Talon."
"Perhaps, but if Agent Song is back in proper condition soon enough, you'll have three people that know their way around a computer and a crowd. If anyone can at least track down her location, it'll probably be you lot."
"Then why didn't ya tell us to do that yet?!" McCree snapped, clenching his jaw.
"Because Agent dos Santos and the kid have to prioritise Agent Song first. I'm sure you can understand that. You and Genji can feel free to sneak off and track down Sombra, but I suggest waiting before trying to enlist their help," Soldier reasoned. McCree huffed.
"Why not leave us with someone else to help too, then? Seems to me everyone is bein' mighty calm about all this. Ain't no sense of urgency."
Soldier 76 grunted, rubbing his temple. "You know as well as I do that when you gamble, especially when you have a bad hand, you need to keep your cards close to your chest and not let anyone see past your expression. Panicking and making a huge deal over this would be surrendering control over our actions to Talon. By going to the meeting or to Russia to fight, we're communicating that we still have control over what's going on. It makes it harder for Talon to predict us, and to predict you and Genji and the rest of those kids. You know that a smaller group is easier to hide."
McCree stuttered for a moment as he gathered his thoughts, processing his boss' words. "But nobody here seems even phased."
"That couldn't be further from the truth. You only paid attention to those that didn't react as much at the debriefing. Winston was a wreck and could barely focus. Agent dos Santos and the doctor were stressed. Shimada's not been the emotive type ever since he found that Omnic, but I'm sure you know how he was feeling more than I did."
Soldier 76 turned to Jesse. "Besides, from what I've heard, you've been somewhat nonchalant around Agent Song.
"That's different, and ya know it," McCree shot back. "I dunno how she's handlin' bein' lost in time. There's no tone of voice to listen to or nothin' to tell if she's lyin' when she says she's all good. Least I can do is keep the optimism up."
"And what's to say others here aren't doing the same thing? You should know this line of work comes with the ability to act. This place would be a mess if everyone's emotions went unchecked."
McCree snorted. "Ain't that the truth. This place woulda been razed to the ground had I expressed the full extent of what I felt. I can only imagine what Genji woulda done all them years ago."
Morrison groaned. "That would have been the actual death of me. Shimada never was a fan of mine."
The two reached the entrance to the hangar, where several agents were loading particular items onto several ships, such as extra ammunition onto the planes headed towards Russia or small bags of luggage with extra clothes and HoloVids for those going to the meeting. "Regardless, just don't be stupid. I don't care when, how, or if you track down Sombra, but I know you know how to keep your shady business out of the public eye. So just do that."
McCree rolled his eyes and leaned against the hangar doorway. "The public and I ain't exactly on speakin' terms anyway."
"Trust me, I know how that feels," Morrison agreed. "Also, when was the last time you slept? Just wondering. Ziegler just went to check on Lúcio for that very reason. I wouldn't suggest passing her with those bags under your eyes."
"I could fall asleep right here right now."
"Then go do that. You have time."
McCree sighed. "Yes, sir. Try not to die while you're out there."
"Death and I aren't on speaking terms either yet. I think I'll be fine." Without any more fanfare, Soldier 76 left to board a dropship without the Overwatch logo on it.
McCree looked to a nearby HoloVid displaying the time. Eleven PM. If dos Santos and Hana were doing that stream soon, Genji might have joined in. Deciding he had nothing left urgent to do, McCree went to bed.
…
Sombra groaned in irritation as she shut off her programs and erased any trace of having been in Athena's systems. She didn't know how Morrison had gotten Alejandra's information, but that did nothing but complicate things. Two more people after her did not bode well. Still, it was nothing she couldn't handle with a little time. Sombra began typing some new lines of code into her hacking program. It was likely the cyborg did something to strengthen his security after the incident in Gibraltar, but a few hours of extra typing could easily circumvent that.
Her intercom buzzed to life. Sombra jumped, and the voice of Doomfist made her begrudgingly set her programs aside.
"Sombra. I need to speak with you in the briefing room immediately."
The hacker winced, remembering Reaper's comments on her "friend." She pressed the button on the intercom and sighed.
"Man, I don't even get any small talk? Just orders? So boring. Whatever, Akande. I'm on my way." Thoughts began to spiral through her head. She must not have done an excellent job at hiding her interactions with Katya. She'd need to be more careful with her other targets. Especially her more recent ones. She could get into so much trouble so quickly.
"Quickly, please. There are important matters to discuss," Doomfist prodded.
"Alright, alright. Be there in five," she responded with a sigh.
Shaking her head, Sombra hurried to throw off her casual wear and don her uniform, sliding on her gloves as she walked out the door.
She thought about how she'd need to act as she walked. Sombra acting surprised would be horrible, implying she was trying to keep her interactions with Katya a secret. She'd be best off playing it straight in that regard. Perhaps removing her communicator wasn't the best way to quiet Reaper. She probably should have destroyed the comm, that way he could have assumed she was fighting. It was foolish of her to remove it like she did. What else did Reaper know about? She must have been raising suspicion with all her protesting to converting Tracer. She would need to be extremely careful to make sure she didn't cross Talon in any way.
The door to the room Akande told her he'd meet her opened as she stepped near it, and she strode through, making sure to keep her expression bored.
"Alright, watcha need, Doomfist?" she asked. Doomfist currently didn't have the actual gauntlet equipped. Instead, he was wearing a standard Talon shirt and casual pants as he sat at the end of the table.
"Please, take a seat," he said in a voice that almost mirrored kindness. Sombra quirked an eyebrow and did as he said, kicking her feet up on the table as she leaned back in the uncomfortable metal chair.
"As I have been informed, you are in contact with Katya Volskaya, right? She's a friend of yours, no?"
Sombra barked a laugh. "She's a 'friend' all right. Why?"
"You're fully aware of how we need one of the Svyatogor mechs, I'm sure."
Sombra nodded as she began to understand where the conversation was going. "Yeaaaaah. I mean, those things are easy as can be to hack into, but not exactly to steal. They're massive."
"Which is precisely why we've set our sights on the newer models."
"Ohhh, you mean the one that clobbered Gabe," she chuckled. "Much more reasonable goal. Now we're going after a mech that's only the size of one small building!"
Doomfist folded his hands under his chin. "Which is exactly why we're not going to steal it."
The hacker blinked. "Um… kay."
Doomfist chuckled. "I assume you know what you're going to ask you to do next."
"Probably, but do go on," Sombra waved, rolling her eyes as she fiddled with her nails.
"It would infinitely simplify things if you could call in a few favours to get us one of those mechs. I would be happy to collect all the 'goods' so long as you can strike the deal."
"Fine, fine, whatever you say. I can do that easily enough. I'll let you know about the details as soon as I work them out. When do you want to be able to pick the mech up by?"
Doomfist thought for a moment. "Given you're going on the mission to that lab soon, I'd prefer you arrange it all beforehand so I can pick it all up while you're gone. After that, we'll go to the Underworld."
Sombra yawned. "That'll be a party. We've got a few days until then, right?"
Akande nodded. "Yes, and if you could," he began, making it clear she was receiving orders, "do check in on Moira to make sure she's putting that technology you have to good use. We both know of her habits to go off on her own projects."
"Ugh, don't remind me," the hacker rubbed her temples. "Sometimes it's impossible to ever get what you need from her. Anyway, do you need anything else, or can I go back to what I was doing?"
Doomfist quirked his head. "What are you doing that is so important?" he asked, almost innocently. Sombra made a mental note to punch herself later for arousing suspicion.
"I was just doing a tune-up on my tech, in case we need to pick a fight soon."
Akande stared at her for a long moment, assessing her. Sombra got the feeling he didn't buy it, but perhaps he was trying to find what kind of lie she was spouting. After a while, he nodded.
"Very well then. Thank you for the help."
Sombra waved with her back to him as she left the room with a new list of things to do.
Just great. Sombra needed another monkey wrench thrown into her plan. Who knew Slipstream would make things so complicated?
Sombra shook her head as she returned to her room and threw off her gloves. Her computer was as she left it. The hacker decided to check something as she opened up a Twitch page in her browser. Sure enough, D,va was livestreaming as the agents around the base had been mentioning. The ghost was currently facing off against the Oladele child in some sort of sports simulator game. Underneath the footage was a meter tracking the amount of donations going towards a new chronal accelerator. Supposedly, they were going for milestones that could be used to gradually make a harness. There was no way the number on the screen took into account the fancier parts of the device.
Sombra quickly opened up another tab on her computer and made a new Twitch account under a fake name. After checking one of her bank accounts to make sure the money in it was adequately laundered, she donated a few thousand to the stream. She wasn't even sure why she felt compelled to do so. Her donation appeared on the stream a few seconds later, and the meter shot up a significant amount. Sombra closed out of the window just as Orisa announced her donation. After making sure her browser history was wiped, Sombra went back to working on her code for the cyborg without devoting much thought to what she just did.
…
Widowmaker knocked on the door to Slipstreams room. It was reasonably close to her own quarters, but the lock on it wasn't a retinal scanner like Widowmaker had, on account of Slipstream's eyes.
"Coming!" A cheerful voice echoed from the other side of the door. A few seconds later, there was the distinct sound of the electronic lock releasing as the door slid open, revealing Slipstream. She was still wearing her combat uniform, though it was likely not the same pair of clothes as before, given Widowmaker had been given multiple of her uniforms. "Heyo Widow! How's it going? What do you need?" her voice was pleasant and unbothered as her eyes shone bright enough to illuminate her face.
"You lack stamina. We're going to train," Widowmaker said with her arms limp at her sides, her sniper rifle absent from her back.
Slipstream raised an eyebrow. "I lack stamina? What do you mean? I went strong for quite a while there!"
"You were suffering from exhaustion. I could tell. Now come on. Leave your weapons."
Slipstream blinked in surprise and unlatched her holsters from her belt as she tossed them haphazardly onto her bed. "Alrighty then. You're the boss."
Widowmaker nodded. "Good, now come." She began walking down the corridor; Slipstream hurried to blink past Widowmaker and turn to face her as she walked backwards.
"So what exactly are we doing in this training if I don't get to shoot stuff?"
"Simple exercises, though enough to wear on us."
Slipstream rolled her eyes and smirked. "Gee. I wonder what sort of event could have been damaging to my health to cause me to not be able to run as long." She raised an eyebrow. "Wait… what's up with you? Shouldn't you be in better shape than me?"
The assassin shook her head. "On the contrary, I tire quicker due to my genetic modifications. It's rare for Talon to put me on long missions because of this."
"Hmm. Weird! It felt like you could go on forever when we fought in King's Row… Man, that feels like ages ago!"
"A couple months," Widowmaker confirmed in monotone. "And that mission lasted only a few minutes. My limit is usually three or four hours if I want to be in good health by my return."
The twosome continued walking. Slipstream smiled at one of the grunts they passed. He hurried off as she chuckled. "Really? Weird, I wouldn't have pictured it. What do you do when you run out of stamina, though?" she asked curiously, her pink eyes wide and curious.
"I will alert Talon over the communication devices, and continue doing what I can for as long as I can."
"Ah, shoot 'til you drop, huh? I can relate," she laughed merrily. "Is it like that 'lack of self-preservation' thingamawhatsit you mentioned on the ship?"
Widowmaker nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you can relate to the feeling."
The peppy Brit paused for a moment, contemplative. "You mean that bugging itch to stick to the missions and orders at all costs? I kinda just chalked it up to being excited. Honestly, this whole no-negative-emotion thing feels strange to me, not gonna lie." Slipstream chuckled again and rubbed the back of her head before continuing on. "I gotta ask. What's the whole 'no emotion' thing like for you?"
"Well, I am, in fact, still capable of feeling some emotions, though I'm inclined to believe they're fairly muted. I don't remember much of what proper emotions feel like anymore, given it's been so long. However, I can often choose to ignore and disregard what little I feel in its entirety, and I have a habit of doing so on missions," Widowmaker continued onward, unbothered.
"Really? I thought they wanted you to be completely emotionless," Slipstream admitted.
"They did. But so long as it does not impede my performance on the battlefield or bring my loyalty to Talon into question, they have no problems with leaving me as I am."
"Hmm. I guess that does explain the super sinister laugh of whatever the heck that was back in King's Row. Do orders just kinda take you over, though? Like, you can't really think about much more than that?"
The assassin nodded. "Correct. Though, that is likely a direct result of whatever they decided to code into my mind during the reformation process. Whether that was a result of the torment or actual genetic alteration, I couldn't tell you. I can only recall select details from the incident."
Lena hummed as she spun in a small circle where she was standing before meandering forward again. "Really? How come?"
"My mind likely shut down during the torment, and perhaps I didn't commit most of that to memory as a coping mechanism during the initial 'brainwashing.' It wasn't until after I returned to Talon that they began the process of properly erasing my emotions. By then I'd likely driven most memories from my mind."
"That's so… weird. I can remember most everything from my time in the funhouse room of joy and happiness. I mean, there are a few blurry bits here and there, but most of it's pretty vivid. I wonder if it has to do with some of the dreams I've had before being about the same level of violence…" Lena mused for a moment. Then she blinked and looked to Widowmaker, who watched the hyperactive girl in indifference. "It's so strange. All of this. Part of my mind knows this isn't something you just talk about all nonchalantly during a morning stroll to get some exercise, yet it doesn't really bother me. It's so hard to describe! All of this, I mean."
Widowmaker remained silent for a moment. "I admit I have continued to need to use discretion as to what is and is not socially acceptable during interactions with superiors. There is a certain sense of relief in talking to someone who shares the same lack of concern for topics of conversation."
"Wait, really? You're the only 'emotionless agent' here? I mean, maybe except for me now. Or kinda me. Whatever. I had kinda assumed cases like yours were more commonplace."
"On the contrary, most genetic alterations are voluntary. One of the few exceptions to that being me, who Talon captured just to reach my husband, and that Omnic you fought in the Pit, that tried to double-cross Talon. And you, of course."
"We're the exception, not the rule you mean? That's… actually surprising!" Slipstream giggled, childlike mirth in her voice. "Rules are boring anyway! But man, I don't think I'll ever get over how weird this is for me now! I mean, obviously, I'm perfectly happy where I am right now, but like, literally a month ago, I hated you all. Now I'm having a conversation with you about emotions and stuff, and it's just so weird!"
"If you don't mind me asking, which you don't, I'm certain, why are you 'perfectly happy' here? It seems to me like you could easily return to Overwatch if you wanted to so," Widowmaker asked.
Slipstream wrinkled her brow, deep in thought as she considered the question. "I never really thought about going back to Overwatch. I don't want to go back. If I were to run back to them, they'd try to take out the sympathiser. And I need it. I won't be able to fight without it, and if I can't fight, then I'm as good as useless. Not to mention, I take orders from Reaper."
"So you stay because you're ordered to do so?"
"Pretty much," Lena admitted with a shrug. "Not exactly noble, but I can't exactly care about that." Lena turned to Widowmaker and quirked her head with a raised eyebrow. "So, what about you? If that mission back ho- I mean at King's Row," she corrected hastily. "was anything to go by, then you could probably escape Talon pretty easily."
"I think you of all people should know how that would go, given you have to wear that device on your chest," Widowmaker gestured to the neon pink chronal accelerator strapped to Lena's chest. "In crowded areas, for short periods of time, most people would leave me be. But if I were to try to find someplace to settle, people would take notice of my skin colour and begin to ask questions. Sure, I could try to conceal my skin with short-term techniques similarly to how you might be able to wear a coat, but Talon could also track down my location with relative ease. My only source of funds comes from a bank account Talon keeps a close eye on. Leaving them would be depleting myself of any money. So, I could escape Talon, yes, but I would be fleeing from them for the rest of my life, never able to find a place to truly call home, never having any money and never being able to live in comfort. Therefore, Talon is my home. I do not mind it here, and I am treated well enough; I have no reason to leave and nothing better to go back to."
Lena hummed, slowing down her trot to a regular walk as she fell in line with Widowmaker, thoughtful. "I'm sure Overwatch would try to help you," she said, then blinked, surprising herself with her words.
"Interesting. You still have feelings concerning Overwatch."
Slipstream barked a sudden laugh. "Sure, I guess, but not enough to act on them, if betrayal is what you're worried about!"
"I know," Widowmaker said. Her voice softened. "I fully understand. Regardless, no. Overwatch would not help me. I murdered one of their high-ranking officials. They know I did so. They see me without the rose-tinted glasses with which they see you. You haven't done anything to properly upset them yet. But once you're revealed to the public, and you fulfil orders that Talon issued you, you are a villain to them."
"You think so? I guess that makes sense. Overwatch has taken in the less-than-noble before, but the only one who was a huge fan of the shadier recruits at first was Gabriel. People like Jesse had to warm up to Morrison and Amari. I suppose I'm nearing the point of no return then, right?" She snickered and resumed her faster gait as the twosome approached the training area.
Widowmaker nodded. "Frankly, you are. I find it unlikely Overwatch will do much to get you back on their side once your reputation with the public is tarnished."
"You're probably right," Slipstream admitted after a moment. "When will the big reveal be, anyway? I know I'm going to Numbani in a few days, but that just seems anticlimactic."
Widowmaker thought for a moment. "Probably when we go to King's Row. Fairly ironic, no?"
Slipstream giggled as she blinked ahead into the gym portion of the training area, equipped with basic exercise items such as treadmills and weights; it noticeably lacked in anyone actually training. Lena spun around to face Widowmaker, her shining eyes eager. "No kidding. That's where everything seems to like to come full-circle! I wonder how the public will react! Aw man that'll be a show!" Slipstream laughed. "I can hardly wait!"
…
Slipstream sat on one of the bench-presses while she drank a bottle of water. Widowmaker was standing nearby doing the same. A thin layer of sweat covered both of them, though Widowmaker was breathing considerably harder.
"Man, you look exhausted," Slipstream commented helpfully. Widowmaker rolled her eyes.
"Blame the scientists that lowered my heart rate," she shot back, standing back up as she tossed the water bottle into a trash can. "Not to mention how hot this room is."
Slipstream blinked. "What do you mean? The AC here isn't half bad."
"It isn't to you, but a room feels much warmer to me than it does to you."
"Okay, fair point," Slipstream admitted. She got back up as well and headed back to the treadmill, stretching her prosthetic. She had just turned the machine back on and began running again when someone else entered the room. Widowmaker turned to greet the newcomer.
"Slipstream! There you are! Oh, my favourite spider's here too," Sombra tacked on, making Widowmaker roll her eyes. Slipstream continued running on the treadmill, though turned to face the hacker.
"What do you need?" Widowmaker asked. "I hardly see a reason for you to be in here."
"Reaper sent me. He said Slipstream is due for a tune-up. Or her prosthetic, at least."
Slipstream immediately shut off the treadmill and hopped off as she responded with a curt, "You got it," her voice relatively flat, though still bouncing with more pep than most would respond with. "Thanks for the workout, Widow! I had a good time!" Slipstream beamed at Amélie before blinking off.
With Slipstream gone, Sombra turned to Widowmaker. "Also, do you think we could talk about something later? Whenever you're done here, that is?"
Widowmaker narrowed her eyes. "What about?"
Sombra rolled her eyes. "So suspicious. I just want to get your opinions on some things, that's all."
"I don't see why you'd ask someone incapable of feeling emotion for their opinion," she retorted.
Sombra jumped as Slipstream blinked back in. "Hey, yeah, sorry to ask, but where exactly did Reaper say he wanted to meet me?"
"Oh, in the science wing. Don't ask me why.
"Look, I promise I'm not up to anything right now. I just want to talk," Sombra insisted, her voice tired.
Widowmaker's expression neutralised, perplexed by Sombra's seriousness. "Very well. I'll be in my quarters. Feel free to come by in half an hour."
Sombra nodded appreciatively. "I'll be there, then. Thanks." The hacker left the curious spider alone in the room to wonder what that could have been about. It was rare for her to address Widowmaker so bluntly and plainly. Something must have been on her mind. Why she would seek answers in Widowmaker was beyond her.
…
"Slipstream, I'd like you to meet Moira." Reaper introduced Slipstream to the woman next to him. She was wearing a lab coat with a standard talon uniform underneath. She was a redhead with brushed-back yet still semi-chaotic hair and a silver patch on her eye. She seemed calm as she smiled; like she knew she had everything under control.
"Ah, Agent Slipstream, I've heard much about you. It is a shame we never got to meet back in Overwatch. It would have been wonderful to be able to compare your behaviour from before and after Talon got their hands on someone like you."
Slipstream remained quiet as she sat atop one of the benches in the lab.
"Not very chatty, is she?" Moira asked Reaper. He chuckled darkly.
"She's extremely 'chatty.' I've just taught her how to hold her tongue."
"I see. Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Regardless, I had you brought here so that I may check how your prosthetic is working. He's also asked that I add a new piece of technology to it, but that's nothing you need to worry about."
Slipstream's expression remained neutral as the scientist talked. "Though I do need you to tell me, has there been any aspect of the prosthetic that makes it more difficult for you to function properly?" She held a clipboard and pen, waiting for the girl to speak.
Slipstream blinked, looking to the leg as she kicked it, thinking for a moment. I haven't thought about it too much, but sometimes it feels a bit desynchronised from my real leg. Like it goes faster."
Moira scribbled something down. "I suppose that's not unusual for someone who exerts themselves so often. It's because your real leg can get tired, but the prosthetic doesn't. I can fix that with relative ease. Now, please remain still while I remove the prosthetic." Moira grabbed onto the prosthetic clasp and pressed several switches on it. The prosthetic came loose, revealing wires attached to the clasp that she began to detach quickly and efficiently. Slipstream slowly started losing the feeling of the prosthetic until it was removed entirely. Moira flipped it over in her grasp. Slipstream figured she might have found it unnerving if she was capable of feeling so.
"Thank you. Please wait here. I will be back in a few minutes with the changes and upgrades. Please wait here."
Slipstream nodded and ran her hand across the prosthetic clasp idly. Reaper snickered. "Miss your old leg?"
She shook her head. "Not really, no. I can't 'miss' anything," she responded, matter-of-fact.
"Good. I'm glad to see the sympathiser is working. Is it to your liking?" he asked, as though he didn't already know the answer.
Lena nodded immediately. "Yes, sir. I doubt I would be any use without it," she admitted. "And being able to just take orders and not need to worry about what they are is unbelievably… freeing. I can just enjoy everything this way."
Reaper nodded approvingly. "Perfect. You're going on the Numbani mission in a few days. Shortly after that, it's off to King's Row for another mission."
"Yes, sir. Widowmaker told me that'll probably be when I finally get to enter the public eye. Is that true?"
"Yes. Most of us are going to be focusing on our target in the Underworld. You'll be making as big of a show as you can. The world is going to meet Slipstream from the business end of your pistols." Reaper crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Slipstream beamed.
"Finally, some action! I can't wait! Nobody'll know what hit 'em! Or… everybody will know what hit them? Who knows, you get my point!" she said as she bounced up and down from her spot on the bench.
"Yes, I do. Be ready, Oxton. Preparations for Talon's plan is underway, and you play a vital role."