A briny scent saturated the air near the docks. The salt clung to Lucio's skin in a way that made him feel stiff and brittle, though that wasn't much compared to the hours of fun cleaning out the joints of his prosthetics was no doubt going to be. He didn't dare mention it, though. Not when the bow-and-arrow wielding archer of the team had been maintaining the exact same frustrated scowl since they'd arrived, though that could have been attributed to the odd contortion he'd bent his body into so he could scan the docks for any activity from the rafters of their shelter, and Hana kept throwing glances at the MEKA they'd concealed as best they could manage under a tarp with ill-concealed dismay.
Still, when all was said and done, Lucio liked the sea. Couldn't get enough of it, really. Maybe it was a matter of being attracted to populated places where people could relax, spend time with friends, and even throw an impromptu concert without drawing too much undue attention. Unfortunately, today wasn't shaping up to be fit for a party.
Apparently there had been an anonymous tip claiming there would be a weapon's trade of some sort. Whatever it was, 76 decided it was worth nigh on the entire team showing up to stake out the location.
Lucio shifted, wincing at the quiet whir the motion elicited. He still didn't quite understand why he had been recruited for what was essentially a stealth mission. Maybe it was because his speed and dexterity could come in handy later, but for now, he felt sorely underused and vastly out-of-place.
A slight pressure at the nape of his neck let him know he'd attracted someone's attention, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Hana staring back from where she sat cross-legged on the ground in her MEKA drivesuit, her expression thoughtful.
He'd seen her merchandise in stores in Rio. The sodas and snacks sold for prices so low kids could purchase them with whatever earnings they made and still have some left to spare. She wasn't exactly as he'd imagined an idol like her would be, not with that wary way she kept glancing at the others, especially the archer, but the kindness in her smile when she waved was undoubtedly genuine.
She shook her head, a rueful quirk to her lips. "So, this is our first time meeting in person, huh? How do you like the real me?"
"The real you?" Lucio chuckled. "Are you saying I haven't been chatting online with the real this entire time?" He bumped her gently, coaxing out a smile. His eyes briefly widened at the sight of it, thinking back to the advertisements and billboards he'd seen with a similar expression and how none of them could really compare to the real thing. Settling more comfortably into his crouch with a little bounce and a nudge, he added, "You can't fool me, Hana Song. I've got the music in me," before sealing the deal with a cheesy wink.
She snorted, cupping her mouth with a palm. "That doesn't make sense."
"You don't make sense," Lucio shot back with a grin.
From where they were sitting, he could still make out a cast of golden hue on the wooden beams from the silent archer concealed among them, the cowboy standing beside the window checking the perimeter on his com through Athena's network, and Soldier 76, a weathered vigilante-type that had made something of a name for himself recently after terrorizing the Los Muertos gang in Mexico.
Shuffling about an inch closer and dropping his pitch an octave or two, he added, "And since I'm kind of new here and you're the only one so far who doesn't scare me a little, it looks like you're going to be stuck with me."
Hana arched a neatly shaped brow. "You've already met Mei, haven't you?"
Yes, in fact, he had met her. And he'd seen some of what she could do on the training grounds, as well. Those poor, poor bots.
"Are you really going to make me repeat myself?" He shivered.
Reaching for the holster at her waist, she withdrew a blaster, laying it down in her lap with the ease of an oft repeated action. From a compartment in her drivesuit disguised as an extra port over her thigh, a square-shaped piece of pink cloth was retrieved, and she set about polishing the blemishless metal to a mirror-shine, the corners of her mouth pulled downwards and a crease between her brows. "Several organized training sessions," she muttered, low enough that Lucio tilted his head to hear her better. "A couple half-hearted spars. It's not enough to create a working, functional team." It must have been an adjustment, going from working with a mechanic she'd known her entire life, along with friends and rivals she'd known for much of her streaming career, to virtual strangers. Lucio could sympathize. The gaze she had focused on her weapon narrowed. "I barely know what most of these guys are capable of." And I certainly don't trust them, she didn't have to say.
Lucio settled into a more comfortable sitting position, setting off another round of whirring from the mechanics in his legs as they adjusted to the movement. He could feel several pairs of eyes on him, most likely due to the noise. He didn't look over his shoulder to see who was looking. It didn't matter, really. All that mattered was what he could change. Almost conversationally, he said aloud, "I believe they have our backs." He wasn't looking at Hana when he said it - he was looking up at the ceiling - but he could feel her surprise. "And once the belief is there, the rest tends to come naturally." Every friend, every ally they had now, wasn't, once upon a time. "Overwatch may not be strictly legal anymore, but if these folks are joining up, something tells me their hearts are in the right place." That feeling of eyes on him didn't abate, although it didn't feel quite as heavy now. A glance towards the window showed the cowboy regarding him consideringly, before tipping his hat with a grateful nod.
Though not entirely sure what to make of it, Lucio fired off a two-fingered salute.
Hana's own expression was inscrutable, though some of the frigidity had left her eyes. It returned when Lucio called cheerily up to the archer,"Everything okay up there, bud?" Resulting in the man himself dropping soundlessly from the beams to land on the metal claws adorning his feet. It was difficult to tell if his legs were full-prosthetics from the knee down, but judging by the thinness of their build, even if the organic tissue wasn't completely removed, whatever was left was likely less than functional.
Again, Lucio could sympathize.
The archer carried himself like a mercenary, quiet except for when given orders or asked directly for his thoughts. He never engaged in small talk or join in for communal meals, often vanishing for days at a time. The tattoo on his arm spoke volumes as to why.
Her grip tightening on her blaster, Hana glared at the blue dragons spiraling around his bicep, all former friendliness absent, then at the archer, but if he noticed or cared it was impossible to tell.
McCree's com crackled, followed by Athena's clear tones, "My sensors indicate movement on the East side." Hana jumped to her feet, reaching down a second later to help Lucio to his.
Meanwhile, McCree enthused into the com, sounding the happiest he'd ever been, "Sweetheart, you are a dreamboat in the middle of paradise."
There was a buzz of static that could have been construed as a laugh. "I am not programmed to be susceptible to flattery, Agent McCree."
McCree grinned, "Yeah, but we both know that don't stop you," before strapping the com back on his belt, his countenance once more leaning towards grim. "Alright, gang, we're splitting up into three teams. Athena's spotted Talon on the East side, and Hanzo's seen movement on the West. We'll circle around, take out anyone we meet, and reconvene at the warehouse where the transaction's taking place. Any questions?"
Brow furrowed, Hanzo opened his mouth, snapped it shut, then hastily shook his head.
And was it Lucio's imagination or did Eastwood look... disappointed?
In the end, Hana was assigned to accompany Soldier 76, McCree was paired with Genji, as soon as the cyborg clambered down from the roof, which left none other than the reticent archer for Lucio.
The eclectic group hustled outside the shack, standing on the dock while everyone engaged in last-minute weapons checks, just to be on the safe side. A metallic din drew their attention to the roof, which was now empty as Genji was already padding over.
McCree greeted him warmly, then turned to address the group, "Ya'll better mourn something fierce if this goes south. Genji, here, promised me a line dance at my funeral."
Soldier 76 shook his head, sighing audibly, while Genji pulled up short, his visor taking in the others present with an almost sheepish air. "To be fair," he started somewhat defensively, "I thought he was joking when I agreed to that." Hana's lips twitched.
They ran over the plan one more time, wished each other luck - "See you on the other side, Song." - "Beat you to the finish line." - and Hana took the lead, heading down the boardwalk in her customized MEKA with Soldier 76 jogging at a healthy pace close behind, his pulse rifle held tightly against his chest. With the clank and hiss and whir of Hana's hydraulics, it was pretty clear that stealth was no longer a concern.
Lucio was just about to join Hanzo when he caught sight of Genji heading over to him. He clapped the archer gently on the shoulder, though from the sight of it, one wouldn't be remiss in thinking he'd somehow electrocuted him, not with the way the archer seemed to tense from head to toe.
"Don't die out there, Hanzo," Lucio heard the cyborg say in stilted mechanical tones, and he took a step back, feeling suddenly as though he were intruding.
"Don't tell me what to do," the archer snapped, shrugging him off. The cyborg seemed to hesitate, the tension present in his bearing nearly palpable, before McCree called for him and he sprinted to join him after sparing one last glance for the archer. The instant he was out of sight, Lucio saw the archer turn to stare at the place where he had been.
For a time, the pair traveled in silence, with Hanzo occasionally climbing atop stacks of crates to scout ahead with one of his sonic arrows. Lucio held his sonic amplifier loosely. From his experience, the goal had always been to avoid capture, so the idea of seeking out a fight was taking a little getting used to. As the minutes ticked by, however, his curiosity got the best of him. "So," he called up to the archer, raising his voice over the rhythmic lapping of the waves, "what's your beef with Green?"
Hanzo stared down at him as though he didn't understand the question. Finally, gruffly, "He's my brother."
"Oh, for real?" There was a gap in the dock where the wood had rotted through. Lucio stretched to maneuver his way over it. "Man, me and my brothers and sisters used to fight all the time when we were kids."
"You have siblings?" The question came from a new location. Lucio his neck to see the archer had somehow leapt several stacks ahead, and was now perched atop one with a height of about fifteen feet.
Keeping his tone conversational, Lucio skated to catch up. "Everyone's family in the favela."
After leaping from the highest crate and landing with his knees bent to absorb the shock, Hanzo regarded him thoughtfully. They walked together, each aware that every step brought them closer to a confrontation. "I, too, grew up surrounded by family," the archer spoke up unexpectedly. He paused, a slight frown oddly serving to lessen his intimidation factor a fraction. "We were not very close."
There was something in the way he said it, almost as an afterthought, that made Lucio blurt, "What happened?" At the archer's surprise, he immediately backpedaled, his palms raised in a placating gesture. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry. Just curious, you know?"
A low hum vibrated in the archer's throat. He stared ahead. "What sometimes happens to those who try to kill a man not ready to die."
Lucio chanced a glance at him. "Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate." And earned an amused snort at the deliberate understatement. Seemed the archer had a sense of humor, after all. Good to know. "Do you like music?"
Silence stretched for a time, followed by, "I've uploaded a few songs to my devices. Mostly to pass the time." It didn't seem like an admission he was accustomed to making, not with the way his jaw briefly tightened.
Lucio felt a spark of hope flare within his chest. "Really? Nice! I have some great recommendations if you're interested." The archer nodded slowly, clearly thrown off-balance. Grinning a little sheepishly, Lucio hastily amended, "After the mission, of course." And some of the tension left the archer's frame. "Tell you what, though. Now, this is just my opinion here, but with a sick beat playing in your soul and a catchy chorus, anyone can become hero. I really believe that."
A deep, gravelly voice boomed from just out of sight, "Shall we test that theory?"
There was a blur, an impact that compacted Lucio's chest like a log slammed against his torso, and his skates left the ground as his body went sailing backwards. Hanzo screamed for him.
It was the most emotion Lucio had ever heard the archer. Unfortunately, it was hard to appreciate with the drum solo playing out on the inside of his skull. He'd landed badly, slamming against the side of a stack of crates that subsequently toppled on him. Frustrated, he shoved them off, blinking hard to clear his vision of the black spots crowding it.
There didn't seem to be anything broken, though the bruise blooming under his shirt was doubtless going to be a thing of beauty in an hour or two. Groaning, he climbed to his feet, the sonic amplifier charged. Tasting copper in his mouth, he fixed his sights on none other than Akande Ogundimu, the Terror of Numbani, "So, it's like that, huh?" His lips split into a defiant grin. "Let's break it down."
A horrid cracking drew his attention to his skates, and he nearly stumbled, noticing when he did that Hanzo attempted to run to his aid, stopping short only when the grip Akande had on his arm tightened. The front wheel on his right skate was shattered. Gritting his teeth, Lucio raised the amplifier at the Talon mercenary, hating the smug expression he wore with a heat that burned like lava in his veins. There was no way he could make the shot with Hanzo in the way and they both knew it.
"Lucio," Hanzo said quietly, "inform the others. Tell them we need back-up."
"Do that," Akande informed them pleasantly, "and Overwatch will celebrate its renewal with a funeral." And in the same breath, "It is good to see you again, Hanzo."
Glancing at the fingers wrapped around his wrist, Hanzo nodded warily. "Akande."
"I must admit, I did not expect to see you amongst so many familiar faces. Where have you been all this time?" Lucio heard himself inhale sharply, his own mind whirling with what this development could mean. How did Hanzo know Akande Ogundimu? It seemed like they had been on friendly terms in the past, or at least Akande seemed to think so, but did that extend to the present, and if that were the case, what did it mean for Overwatch?
A flash of… something passed over the archer's face when he looked back at him, gone too quickly to decipher. When he turned back to Akande, his voice was airy in a way Lucio had never heard it, almost casual. "You wouldn't happen to be actively trying to cast doubt on my allegiances, would you?"
"Trying?" Akande chuckled. "You know well I'm succeeding. They will never trust you, Hanzo. You will never be accepted. Not so long as you choose to stay with Overwatch."
"If that is to be the price for redemption," Hanzo sneered, bracing, "then I shall gladly pay it!" There was a sound like a branch breaking, along with a wet, sucking pop, and Hanzo wrenched his arm free, diving to the side in time to avoid the blast of sonic energy Lucio fired directly into Doomfist's abdomen.
It drove him back several feet. Nothing that would keep him out of commision for long.
Clutching his bow in his good hand, Hanzo shouted over his shoulder, "I can't hold him back for long. You have to get out of here while you can!" Unable to stomach the thought of leaving him behind, Lucio froze, and Hanzo snarled, his lips curling back from his teeth to reveal long, pointed canines. A luminous azure consumed the whites of his eyes. Transfixed by the sight, it was all Lucio could do to keep his wits about him as the dragons spiraling his arm began to pulse, their scales rising from his flesh, swelling and contracting.
"Go!"
Startled into action, he forced his broken skate to carry his weight, and sprinted, finding paths and edges where he could save time by skidding on his remaining wheels. Behind him, a terrifying roar shook the docks, knocking over crates and making the ground tremble.
He wondered if the others had found Talon agents, too, or if the activity on the perimeter was meant to split them up. Had the tip been a trap from the beginning?
Ahead, he heard voices raised with alarm, and stumbled on the cowboy, or rather, very nearly crashed into him. While McCree fumbled to catch him, Lucio managed to gasp, "It's Doomfist. Hanzo's in trouble."
And just like that, the cyborg was there, too. And just like that, he was gone, sprinting ahead, dodging obstacles so quickly it left streaks of electric green light in his wake.
Shuriken gleamed between his knuckles.
His skin coated with sweat from exertion, Lucio did his best to keep up with the pair. Though he knew they had to leave him behind if they wanted to get to Hanzo in time to make a difference, it stung unexpectedly. He buried the thought. Feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to help anyone, so he focused on keeping his balance.
There was an explosive crash, followed by a lull in the sounds of battle that caused nothing but dread, only to pick up again with a high-pitched shout of, "Nerf this!" and rapid-fire cannon blasts. It was music to Lucio's ears, and he gave a weak cheer, then blasted one of his specialty songs, giving himself and anyone within hearing range a surge of energy and speed. It couldn't do much to heal a concussion, but at least he felt a little stronger.
By the time he got there, Akande had retreated, chased off by the combine efforts of and Soldier 76, and Hanzo was crumbled on the ground, enveloped in a bio-field. There were streaks of blood on his face, splotches of discoloration around his neck and arms.
Utterly spent now that the last of his adrenaline had burned off, Lucio settled beside Genji, staring down at the archer who somehow looked tensed and troubled even while unconscious, his features pinched with pain. Hana joined them after a moment, leaving Soldier 76 to call Winston for the evac and McCree to guard the perimeter. She took on the blood matting Lucio's hair with a sharp inhale. Instead of mentioning it, though, she scooted closer, "That song you played… Was it from your new album?"
Appreciating the distraction, Lucio nodded. "Actually, I made it specifically for Overwatch. Did you like it?"
"I was just thinking… your music is a lot like you." And with a thoughtful gaze centered on the archer's prone form, she said, "It brings out the best in people." An aircraft appeared in the distance, and they watched it together, each of them keenly aware of how the sickly wheezes spilling from the archer's lungs were already beginning to ease.
A/N: Just 10 more to go, guys XD
Thanks so much for sticking around and for all your favorites and follows.
See you next time!