Author's note: And here we are with Chapter 2! Thanks to everyone reading this for your support, every viewer is noticed! You don't know how much a review does for me, each one makes my day! Without further ado, the second chapter!
A cold cell. Steel bars blocking her vision. The leaders of Overwatch looking down on her bruised body, deciding whether to kill her or not. A rifle buried in her violet hair. The click of a trigger being pushed back—
And a familiar ceiling littered with posters and her signature logo. The girl writhed around, finding her movements restricted by icy sheets, not handcuffs.
Dios mio, it was that dream again. Why do I keep having it? It scares the hell out of me every time…
Not necessarily caring what time of night it was, Sombra rolled out of her bed and grabbed a steaming-hot mug of coffee. According to her, the only proper way to wake up was to burn your taste buds off with a boiling cup of caffeine. Sitting down in front of her massive computer system, the hacker booted up her computer only to find an encrypted message addressed to her.
Sombra
Report to the main base as soon as possible. The council has a mission for you, be ready to accept it. We have sent a private jet for you at the Dorado International Airport, which you will meet at 0600 hours sharp in two days. Do not be late. Further instructions will be sent at your arrival.
Reaper
One day, 6 hours, 24 minutes remaining until flight
A soft groan emanated from Sombra's throat. The timer underneath the simple message was obviously added to counter her uncaring attitude. Switching topics, the hacker glanced at her glowing monitor system, smirking at what remained of LumeriCo's measly defenses. After summoning a few bumbling fools from around the world, she had used them to assist her in hacking into LumeriCo President Guillermo Portero's email. Afterwards, she sent her helper monkeys a simple thank-you and proceeded to publicly humiliate the CEO. After the rioting that ensued, Guillermo resigned from his position… permanently.
But without LumeriCo to destroy, and nothing of importance to hack into, what could she do?
A few minutes of brainstorming later, Sombra emerged from her closet. She was dressed in a violet T-shirt, and wore denim shorts that fell around her knees. Her mane of hair had been tied back in a ponytail, keeping it out of her face. A pair of reflective rhinestone-studded sunglasses topped off the look. She looked very different than the malicious hacker that resided in this very home, unbeknownst by her neighbors.
Her favorite place to visit was only a block or two away from her apartment. As she walked in, a familiar scent of baking pan dulce and sweets filled her lungs as a ringing bell announced her arrival. A content sigh escaped her as a plump woman glimpsed over the counter. She scanned over the bakery, and spoke only when she felt the area was secure.
"Ah, Sombra, is that you? It's been so long, I thought you had forgotten about me! What can I get you today?"
"Lo siento Isabella, I've had too many projects to be working on. Despite this, I always have time for some freshly-baked sweets." A sheepish grin made its way onto her painted lips.
"Well, if that's the case, then I'm just the person to talk to. I take it you'll have your normal?"
"You know me too well. How much will it be today?" The hacker reached for her credit chip, which was wired to someone else's account. It was her way of life, sapping resources from those who were successful. Sombra couldn't remember when she had last spent her own money.
Isabella shook her head, reaching for the glass case filled with pastries and breads of all shape and form. "We go through this every time. You don't need to pay me after all that you've done for me and my daughter. If I remember correctly, you're the one who lured the rebels away when they were rioting, and you've protected Alejandra from thugs on the street so many times..." Her eyes grew a little misty. "I could never ask anything from the shadow that's saved us—"
The credit chip founds its way into the reader anyways.
"It's the least I can do to support you. You've done a lot for me too, you know. I guess it's a mutual relationship between us; we always watch each other's backs. You've been a good friend to me every time I visit, and I'd like to try and return the favor." There wasn't any kind of malice in the hacker's eyes. They reflected nothing but pools of purple sincerity.
The sincerity was returned in the other woman's smile.
"Thank you…I still don't know how I'm supposed to repay you for your kindness other than supply you with conchas and tea…" Isabella's eyes flickered with determination. "But I'll try anyways. Thank you for always being so good to us, Sombra." She handed over the plate of pastries and the cardboard cup of black tea.
The hacker sat down at one of the tables as Isabella scurried off to her kitchen. Crumbs littered Sombra's face as she brought up her personal computer system, checking for anything abnormal.
Let's see, Los Muertos wants me to join in a riot against the Mexican government, Talon has the "mystery mission" for me, Katya Volskaya sent her best soldier out to kill me—wait, what?
The tea was set down with a clap as she enlarged the message sent from one of her friends working at Talon. It was a rather crude holo-poster with her face roughly sketched onto it. Underneath of her horrid drawing, it read:
REWARD
Unknown Talon operative
Wanted for blackmail, espionage, and illegal hacking
Call Aleksandra Zaryanova if you have any tips
REWARD
A frown crossed the hacker's face. Apparently her "friend" wasn't in the mood to play nice. In that case, she wouldn't either. She considered sending a warning email of some kind to let Katya know, but decided against it.
If her precious Zarya thinks she's clever enough to face me, she's in for a rough surprise. It won't be that hard to just carry a backup of some sort in case I get cornered. I'll show Katya her number one soldier is nothing more than a fly caught in my web.
And with that, Sombra decided to pay attention to something that was more deserving of her interest. Absentmindedly reaching for her sweets as she read the latest Atlas News, she frowned as her fingers clasped around nothing but a handful of sugary crumbs. Her mug of tea proved to be just as empty as her plate. A sad sigh escaped her, as she stood gathering her things. For good measure, she left a few pesos on the table as she left her favorite bakery.
After arriving back to her apartment, Sombra donned her favorite hacker-jacket and sat down in front of her enormous console. She cracked her knuckles and opened her files containing the various images and contacts she had created to mess with anyone on her trail. A few months ago, a very large group of people became dedicated to hunting her down and identifying her. Over time, she began to rather enjoy messing around with their frenzied minds, and left virtual puzzle pieces for her "fans" to try and fit together. They had even tried contacting her a few weeks ago—of course, in a rather primitive way—by storing the message inside the source code of an altered image file.
Apparently they thought they had found something important, dubbed the "Skycode". Of course, it was nothing more than a red herring while she prepared the next clue. Sombra enjoyed toying with people, but she never knew something as simple as this could be this fun. So she kept at it, and had prepared another one of her famous encrypted violet skulls for them to decode.
The hacker was in the middle of preparing a fake phone number when her center monitor let out a musical ding to alert Sombra of an incoming message. As she brought it up, an eerily familiar masked face engulfed the screen.
"Hola, Gabe. ¿Qué tal?"
"Sombra. I need to remind you of your flight tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM. Sharp. That means you're through security and ready to fly at 6:00, not getting out of bed at 6:00." The hacker had worked for Talon for years, and still hadn't accustomed to Reaper's voice, which sounded like crunching glass.
"No problem, Gabe. Your timer will work just fine, and I'm smart enough to know I shouldn't miss this flight. The last thing I want is not just you, but the entire council angry at me." She shivered at the thought. "Which flight will it be? I know I can't expect a jet with the Talon insignia on it."
"You'll be jet W23. It will be a 18-hour flight, so be prepared for a long trip. There will be no need to bring any kind of luggage other than anything you absolutely require, such as your machine pistol or translocators. I trust you'll get such items through airport security properly?" The gravelly voice rasped through the speakers, sending chills down Sombra's augmented spine. Her reoccurring nightmare came to mind, but she dispelled the thought in order to retain her composure.
"Of course, Reapy. Who do you think I am? You don't think the world's #1 hacker can get through a little airport security? Dios mio, what do you take me for? I'll get through just fine, at 6:00 AM as promised. Will there be anyone else on the flight with me?" The hacker held her breath, hoping for a solid no. She preferred her flights sent by Talon to be by themselves, being able to enjoy the peace and quiet of solitude.
"Not this time. Don't get too happy, you're going to have a lot of work to do at HQ. You need to rest up to be able to handle your mission. I'll see you there, Sombra. Reaper out."
And as the message faded off into violet pixels, Sombra was left with her mind spinning with theories of what her mission would be. The phone number was temporarily abandoned, replaced by a slowly-moving progress bar to keep her fans busy for a week or so.
The hacker approached her conspiracy web, with everything connected by the mysterious organization. While she played a significant part in the map herself, she had yet to find out what this group was. Running searches of the logo resulted in nothing. Not just scattered sites unrelated to the issue, no. Nothing. She had spent countless nights hacking into large corporations, hoping to find something related to "The Eye", but to no avail.
How can you run the world if you don't exist?
Turning away with a huff, the hacker grabbed a suitcase from her extensive closet and began to pack for the trip. Trying to pack "only essentials" was like taking her whole apartment with her. Her signature jacket, most of her translocators, charging cables and an emergency kit for her augmentations, repair tools for mechanics, her machine pistol, bullets… The list went on and on. It was late into the night when she finally got her suitcase to close and latch. With an exhausted sigh, the hacker set a timer for 5:00 AM, and falling asleep as soon as her arms curled around her special teddy bear.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep—thud.
With a long, dead-to-the-world groan, the almighty Sombra was awake. A few minutes later, the hacker was haphazardly dressed, black coffee in hand, black bags underneath eyes. Everything, including the teddy bear, was packed. Coffee was made. She was still on time. She had the tickets in her hand. The biggest obstacle:
Airport security.
Sombra may be the world's most advanced hacker, but it's not necessarily easy to hack things in front of a ton of people. There were the two X-rays to deal with, and she had to make sure she didn't mess up in front of the guards, or she was never getting on that flight.
But she had to try.
After arriving at the Dorado International Airport via a hacked omnic-driven taxi, Sombra grabbed her single magenta suitcase and anxiously rolled her way over to security. She stopped in front of her first security gate: Identification. This bit would be easy.
A burly, stereotypical-looking guard stared her down as she handed him her ticket. "Name and license?"
She handed him a forged driver's license and looked at him innocently as she could. "Sandra Mariana Palm, here for flight W23 leaving at 6:00."
He looked over her, then scanned her license under the desk he was working at. Eyeing her suspiciously, he handed her tickets and driver's permit back. "Well, have a nice flight, Sandra. Please proceed to the X-rays in line three."
Her smile didn't exactly reach her eyes as she responded with a simple, "Thanks, have a nice day~". The line in front of her was moving alarmingly fast as she tried to go over her plans. Bucketing her shoes with a gulp, she lightly brushed her painted fingernails over the luggage X-ray, discreetly entering a few commands with her cybernetics. A magenta hue washed over the machinery's monitors, vanishing after a few seconds. The guards foolishly shrugged it off, believing it to be a simple error of sorts.
Then there was the last stage: the body scanner. The guards would become unbelievably suspicious if she touched the scanner, so the hacker just decided to roll the dice.
I put my pistol and translocators in my luggage…right? Dios mio, I hope so… If there is a god out there, hear my cry: don't let anything bad happen. Please.
Taking a deep, hopeful breath, Sombra walked through the gate. She relaxed a bit when an alarm didn't go off immediately, until an armed man approached her with an icy stare.
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step aside. Are you carrying anything metal on you?" He began to wave a metal detector over her torso, which began to beep angrily near her belt.
Dios mio, please don't be what I think that is—
He pulled a pair of key cards off her jean loops. The guard sighed for a second, and then returned them to the deathly pale girl.
"Sorry, miss. Make sure to completely empty you belt and pockets next time you fly. Don't forget your luggage, and have a nice flight."
"Lo siento, I'll make sure to double-check next time."
After grabbing her suitcase from the hacked X-ray, she hurried off to Gate W for her flight. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she approached her flight's waiting area just as her watch beeped a perfect 5:55. She handed the attendant her ticket who responded with a simple, "Enjoy your flight!".
Getting on the plane, she sat in one of the plush seats. Considering Sombra was one of Talon's most valuable assets, they had paid for a very nice carrier for her to ride in. Feeling the plane begin to taxi its way to the runway, she began to watch one of the movies she had brought, Some like it Bot. Of course, the movie had existed for a little over a year now, but it was good enough for her to watch again. Time flew by, and within a handful of hours the almighty hacker had become deathly bored. She checked her watch for the umpteenth time, and sighed happily when an automated call from the pilot signaled their decent.
Touching down, she gazed at the massive facility to the side of the plane. It was the size of a small town, with watchtowers and huge buildings littering the bare ground. Soldiers and redesigned MEKAs dotted the landscape, all armed with intimidatingly large weapons. As the bridge connected to the side of the airport, Sombra marched off with her luggage only to be greeted by a familiar black-cloaked ghost.
"I see you've made it on time, Sombra. Congratulations. I'll escort you to your quarters where you'll stay until further notice."
The hacker sighed. "Hola, Gabe. I need somewhere to crash, estoy cansada. I hope there's a coffee machine in my room, I need caffeine like I need air."
As Reaper led her to her living quarters, Sombra took in the huge facility. Each building had a single purpose to it, leaving a lot of hallways for the hacker to memorize if she was to know where she was going. It would be awkward if people saw the infamous "Shade of Los Muertos" wandering aimlessly around HQ. The living ghost snapped her out of her thoughts as the two mercenaries stopped in front of a thick steel door emblazoned with her calling card, the violet skull.
"This is your room. You'll stay in here until breakfast tomorrow morning. After the Volskaya incident, Talon doesn't exactly trust you, so your door will be locked from midnight to 5:00 AM, or at the Council's discretion. And don't think that you can just hack this open and use your camouflage to sneak out, we have ways to detect you all around this base." He started to turn, but hesitated. "Use tonight to unpack and rest up. I've heard of your mission, it's not going to be easy. You'll receive a message from the Council when they're ready to see you. Breakfast is served at 5:15. I'll escort you there, so you don't get lost on the way."
Heh, if I didn't know any better, I'd think he actually cared about me.
As she placed her hand on the scanner, the door opened with the hiss of hydraulics. Inside was a rather comfortable suite. Apparently Talon did listen to her requests for a nice room. The walls were painted a vibrant amethyst, with her insignia plastered over the satisfactory computer system and her personal coffee machine. While she took it all in, the door slid shut behind her, followed by the click of a lock activating.
Well then. I guess Reapy was being serious about a curfew. And apparently they're watching me, so I can't do any late-night sightseeing. A shame. I guess I'll just make use of all this free time and start unpacking…
Sombra walked over to her extensive closet, glancing at the many outfits Talon had given her to wear as she added a few of her own. She lingered a moment as she hung her favorite jacket, brushing against the cyberized fabric. She had designed the coat herself a few years ago, allowing it to camouflage and translocate with her. It was a project of hers that had taken many weeks, and she was proud of it.
The hacker flopped on her bed unceremoniously, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't really help but feel like a caged animal, trapped inside of her quarters. As her watch ticked endlessly, she could do nothing but worry about the mission. If Reaper said it was going to be difficult, then it most definitely was.
I wonder whether this is going to be assassination mission or an infiltration mission. Either way, I can try to make some more friends along the way…I just need to be careful. The Council already has their eye on me, if I mess up now I'll be dead by morning.
Much to Sombra's irritation, sleep was long coming that night.
The first thing she heard the next morning was the click of the door unlocking. Realizing she could get out of her more-than-comfortable prison cell, she took the first chance she got to escape. She rapidly dressed in her hacker attire and fled out the door, afraid it would lock before she had a chance to leave.
Reaper stared at her as she jumped, not expecting him to be waiting outside her door. He gestured towards the hallway to her right. "The mess hall is this way. Keep in mind you're going to be mixed in with the grunts as well, so expect anything from them."
The two walked silently down the corridor until Sombra's stomach decided to start growling awkwardly. Reaper simply chuckled as the other turned a bright shade of red.
So much for trying to seem professional the first day here…
Thankfully, they had arrived at the cafeteria's entrance, saving the hacker from too much embarrassment. The hacker gave a nod of thanks and walked inside, immediately greeted by a torrent of loud, echoing voices. She flinched, then proceeded to walk towards the line. She picked up a tray of various breakfast foods and found a seat in the back of the mess hall, where she could revel in her solitude. However, it was not to be.
A tray propped itself down in the seat across from her with a clatter. She looked up, about to give this idiot a piece of her mind, but broke out in a grin when she recognized the feathery wings resting on the person's back. The girl looked down at her, face lit up with joy.
"Sombra! It's been forever since I've actually seen your face, what brought you to Talon HQ?"
"Ahh, Wynter. I know it's been a long time; I've been way too busy with the crappy missions the higher-ups assign me. Thanks for the warning about Katya Volskaya's little trooper, things have been too dull to really motivate me to go digging for that kind of information."
The winged girl shrugged as she took a bite of her scrambled egg. "No problem; it's the least I can do. I mean, we're friends, right? And that's what friends do for each other. Anything cool been going on in Mexico? I've heard LumeriCo's president has taken a major blow. Let me guess… It was you."
Sombra smirked as she munched off her tray. "You know it, amiga. That man needed to go. He was greedy and corrupt, and mooched off the poor people while he resided in gold-plated mansions," she spat. "I got Los Muertos and some anonymous people off the web, and they helped me take him down. No big deal."
Wynter set down her fork and rolled her eyes. "Only you can call taking down a multi-million dollar company 'no big deal'."
A musical ring emanated from the hacker's suit as a message box formed in front of her, displaying a dark face decorated with white war paint. "Sombra. Your presence is requested in the Council meeting room. Building fourteen, room eight. Come immediately. Doomfist out."
Wynter's jaw dropped. "Wooaaah, you get private audiences with the Council? That's so cool! I hope I get that high up on the ladder someday… For now, I'm just a simple mercenary."
Sombra grabbed the remnants of her tray and stood up. "It's not nearly as much fun as you think, chica. They're nothing but a group of hostile leaders who either call you to yell at your face or to assign you some important mission. Thankfully, they want me for the latter of those options." She deposited her tray in the trash can. "By the way, where's building fourteen?"
The girl sighed. "I guess you really haven't learned the facility yet. Down the hall to the left, out the third door on the right, take the right path. Room eight should be on the left. I know that's pretty confusing… I'd take you myself, but I have a mission in about five minutes. I'll see you later!" She waved energetically as a few mindless grunts stared.
Sombra nodded a goodbye, and took off.
Down the hall on the left, out the third door to the right, take the right path. Left, third right, right. Then I can see what this 'special' mission is all about.
It wasn't long until the hacker was standing in front of an enormous concrete building devoid of any windows. A mild shiver went down her spine as she opened the door, searching for door eight. Of course, the eighth door was the largest and most intimidating of every door she had seen in Talon HQ. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped in.
The first red flag that went up was how dark it was inside. She could barely see where she was walking, which definitely alarmed her.
"Sombra. You are in the presence of the Talon Council. Anything and everything you say will be recorded for further review if necessary. You are here to receive a private mission from us. Do you accept?" The heavy, African voice echoed strongly throughout the open space. A spotlight shined down on the man known as Doomfist, glinting off the steel spikes in his gauntlet. The pale paint striping his nose only added to his powerful composure.
Don't mess up. Think about everything you say before you say it. Don't mess up, don't mess up—
"I accept. Will the details of the mission be revealed now, or sent to me in private?"
"Your mission is to infiltrate Overwatch's Watchpoint:Gibraltar alone. You will gather recordings and physical data from varying members of their strike teams and medical staff, and you will place cameras and bugs in strategic positions for further recordings. You will be alone, with no backup or emergency extraction team whatsoever. This does not mean you can screw around with whoever you want. This mission is to be kept confidential. We are trusting you with something very important, Sombra. Break our trust, and things will not go well for you. Am I clear, agent?"
Sombra gulped. This was a very, very fragile thing to carry. One slip-up and she could be imprisoned or killed, the latter the most likely.
Should I take on this much responsibility at once? This can either go very well or very bad… Dios mio, what do I do?
And that's Chapter two! I'm sorry, I know it's the exposition, it's boring, etc. It's a necessary part for the plot to advance, so bear with me here. I'm also sorry for being late with this chapter; I haven't been feeling my best. And yes, I did make a few references to the infamous Sombra ARG. Anyways, I wanted to say a special thanks to Lianou and zeldaleepalutena for your extensive support, and for everyone who reviews, thank you! Every review makes me giggle like a little kid and helps me to know what my strengths are. Thank you, and see you in the next one! ~WynterAsiuuki