Assassinverse-Hope Never Diesby Mkchief34ChaptersPrologue-Heroes Never DieChapter 1-NorthstarChapter 2-ReturnChapter 3, Part 1-TalonChapter 3, Part 2-A Symphony of ShadowChapter 4-Hanamura and DoradoPrologue-Heroes Never DieIt was nighttime in Canterlot, and the city was silent. Two nights ago, Equestria's newest princess had been murdered in her sleep. Her funeral was only two hours ago. The remaining Traditionalists had refused to attend, and those who had participated in the murder were imprisoned. In a northern part of the gardens, lay the glass casket of Twilight Sparkle. Her still form was peaceful, cleaned of blood. Her gown was untouched, and her face was benign of life. Then, something strange began to happen. Golden light began to form in front of the casket, and it kneeled to read the inscription plaque on the coffin. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria Our hope lies with you. She strived for an Equestria for all. Nineteen years of your life was spent with us. May we never forget your friendship. The golden mist vanished, revealing a bipedal figure that could only be described as an angel of mercy. At the wave of her hand, the casket lid opened, and the figure touched Twilight's unbeating heart. Then, there was a whisper. "Heroes...never...die…" the angel said. Twilight was illuminated in a sheath of golden energy, and as it faded, the angel smiled. Then, Twilight's chest began to rise and fall. Acting quickly, the angel tapped a device on her wrist and a blue ring appeared. Scooping up the now-revived princess, the angel walked into the portal, vanishing from sight. ============= Twilight's eyes flicked to a persistent beeping sound coming from her right. Her body felt numb, and she couldn't move, she could only hear. "Athena, how is our guest?" said a deep, rough voice. "She is recovering, Winston. No neural trauma detected. Vital signs indicate subject was successful. Further rest and recovery is needed for full motor function." said an artificial-sounding female voice. "Thank you, Athena." said a second voice. This one was pure and tinged with happiness. "I see she is waking up." Twilight forced her eyes open to reveal herself in a room similar to a high-tech medical laboratory. She was lying on a pallet, her dress gone and replaced with IV stickers and some kind of device on her chest. She groaned and turned to her side to see she was hooked up to an heartbeat monitor, and was receiving IV fluids. "Good, she made it. Winston, please leave us for the moment." Twilight looked to her left to see a being clad in white and orange armor with yellow glowing wings. A golden halo rested above her head, and her white hair was tied back in a tail. She kneeled next to Twilight, and took her hoof in her limb. "I am surprised at your resilience, miss." she said. "It took a lot to bring you back." "Where...am I?" Twilight spoke, her voice hoarse. "Overwatch Operations Base Epsilon, in Crete, on planet Earth." the being spoke. "My name is Dr. Angela Ziegler, but most here call me Mercy." "Twilight Sparkle." she said. "Princess of…" "I know who you are." Mercy said. "Apart from reading the plaque on your casket, I was the one who brought you back from the dead." "What?" Twilight murmured. "The daggers....the Orichalum…" "Whatever killed you did leave trace amounts of a poisonous element in your system, but it degraded over time to the point where resurrecting you was not a problem." Mercy said, showing her an image of a chemical formula. "There were large amounts of it in your body, but like I said, it was flushed clean when I revived you." "How...did you?" Twilight groaned. "My resurrection ability works by sending a massive surge of neural activity to the brain, restarting all bodily systems in a matter of seconds. You were lucky. A few hours more, I wouldn't have been able to bring you back." "Why?" Twilight asked. "Why me?" "Because you were hope for your world." Mercy said. "When we discovered your dimension, we were watching in order to learn more about it. I saw the funeral, and I heard the speeches given in your name. I knew you did not deserve to die as you did. You are more than a Princess, Miss Twilight. You were a hero. And heroes never die." "I'm not a hero…" Twilight said. "They hated me. They murdered me in my sleep…" "I know." Mercy said. "But do you not remember that there were those you loved you? Those who cared for you? You were a hero to them, and that's what counts, miss. However, I cannot send you home again." "I need to…" Twilight said weakly. "You cannot." Mercy said. "You are weak, and in no condition to fight. Furthermore, I have seen the faces of those who you left behind. They are already burdened. To come back so soon after death is a burden they cannot bear. I must ask you to remain here while you recover from the resurrection process. I will return shortly, with much-needed nourishment for your body and mind. I would advise getting some rest." Twilight nodded, thanked Mercy in a weak tone, and dozed off. ============= Twilight woke up to Mercy sitting down next to her, with a tray of veggies and some bread. "Eat. It will restore your energy." she said. Twilight ate, and soon, felt needed relief flush through her. "Mercy...you said we're on Earth. Does that mean you're...human?" she asked. "Yes." Mercy said. "I am human." Twilight nodded. "We've always thought humans were myth." "To us, alicorns and the beings of your world were the same." Mercy said. "I want to know what led to your death, Twilight." Twilight sighed and told Mercy of her planned reforms for Equestria and how the Traditionalists opposed them and her royal status, and her eventual death at their hands. By the end, Mercy was troubled and angry. "I see." she said, taking Twilight's hood. "You have been through so much, Princess. I am sorry." "Thank you." Twilight replied. "But...what about you? What is this place?" "This is an operations base for Overwatch. Epsilon Crete, to be exact." she said. "Overwatch?" Twilight said. "Yes, a force dedicated to protecting peace and the world." Mercy said. "We are made of heroes from all nations and all walks of life. Soldiers, pilots, musicians, machines...We all represent hope for the future." "Why?" Twilight asked. "I shall tell you." Mercy said. "Many years ago, the Omnica Corporation developed the Omniums and their machines capable of bolstering manufacturing and economic equality. When Omnica was shut down, the Omniums were disabled and left in the dark, only to rise in rebellion against their human creators. The Omniums sent legion upon legion of weaponized omnics, from Bastions to Titans, against humanity. We do not know why this happened, only that it happened. Nations were destroyed, cities burned, thus was the Omnic Crisis. The Crisis ravaged the world, and we were powerless against them. Then, there was hope. Overwatch was formed to end the crisis and restore peace, which we succeeded in doing. The war was over, and a generation has passed. But...Overwatch did not last. We were brought down from within, and forgotten. But new threats have arisen, and we are needed more than ever. We were once scattered, but now we are united. I need to ask you something, Twilight." "What?" Twilight asked. "Will you join us?" Mercy asked. "Judging from what we heard, you are more than capable of handling yourself in a fight. Furthermore, many of our agents are scattered. Currently here, we have seven, including myself. This world needs heroes, Princess. We believe you can be one, regardless of your own perception." Twilight thought to herself. "I want to go home, but Mercy's right. I can't. It's too soon." "Alright. I'll join you." Twilight said. "But promise me something. Whenever I feel the time is right, I will go home." "Accepted." Mercy said, pulling her up. "Let's go see Winston, shall we?" "Winston?" Twilight asked as they walked down the hall towards the command center. "Our new commander of Overwatch." Mercy replied "Our former commander is here too, but he has long given up that role." "I see." Twilight said. Upon entering the Command Center, Twilight's eyes raised. A gorilla wearing some kind of white armor was eating a banana smothered in peanut butter, while watching a news broadcast of some sort. "...the worldwide vigilante streak attributed to the person known only to the world as Northstar has presumably been brought to Italy, where a Null Sector cell was found dismantled underneath the Colosseum. The trademark two stars, the vigilante's logo were found on a body of an Omnic soldier. All Null Sector forces were destroyed before Italian forces could arrive on the site. The Italian president has expressed his thanks to the vigilante, but warns Italians to be careful. In other news, the Second Omnic Crisis has turned for the worse. Katya Volskaya reportedly survived an assassination attempt by unknown forces. The survivors report that a man clad in black and a skull-like mask armed with ,multiple shotguns breached the facility and destroyed Volskaya's prototype mecha…" The gorilla turned off the display and sighed. "Did she agree?" the gorilla asked. "She did, Winston. I thought you should be the one to explain." Mercy said. "You're Winston?" Twilight asked, surprised. "I thought…" "That I'd be human?" Winston replied. "Well, it's a long story. I have an IQ of well over 400, far surpassing that of a human. Anyway, Twilight, I wanted to welcome you to Overwatch, seeing as you've joined us." Twilight nodded. "However, I need to ask you something. Is there any way you can change your appearance using your magic? The Omnic Crisis made us...rather nervous." "I see. It's no problem." Twilight said, using a shape-shifting spell to morph into her human body. "Is this better?" "Much better." Winston said. "You'll need to start training immediately, along with other subjects. There's something I need to attend to. Torbjorn apparently found a working Bastion unit with partial memory damage near Eichenwalde, and he's bringing it here. I need to get ready for its arrival." "Bastion?" Twilight asked. "Bastion units were the bulk of the Omnic forces during the crisis." Winston said, pulling up an image Torbjorn had sent him. "They were all supposedly destroyed after the Crisis." "I see." Twilight said. "What do you plan to do with it?" "I plan to see if I can restore it." Winston said. "It would allow us a possible insight into the old Omnic network. In the meantime, Mercy, take Twilight and have Soldier give her a shakedown. She'll need to start training immediately. I'll radio the other agents and see who I can get." Mercy and Twilight nodded and walked out, and soon arrived at a training ground, where a man wearing a blue jacket emblazoned with "76" was shooting at targets with lethal effectiveness. "John." Mercy said. The man turned around, his face obscured by a black mask with a glowing red visor. "Mercy." Soldier-76 replied. "Our newest agent?" "Yes. Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said, offering her hand, which Soldier shook. "Morrison. John Morrison, former leader of Overwatch." Soldier said. "I'll be your combat instructor for now. First, we need a designation for you. Just to make sure your identity remains secret for now." "Right." Twilight said. "I'm not sure I can come up with one, though." "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Mercy said. "For now, I'll leave you with John so you can learn how to fight and defend yourself. I'll see if I can make you a weapon you can use." Twilight thanked Mercy, and she departed. John set his Heavy Pulse Rifle down and assumed a combat stance. ==================== Three hours had passed, and Twilight was panting on the training room floor, sweating heavily. Soldier had put her through her paces multiple times, from running laps to learning strikes from martial arts. As he looked down at her, he shrugged. "That's enough for now." Soldier said. "Get some rest. I'll show you to the barracks." Twilight nodded and stood up wearily. As they walked, Twilight inquired about why Soldier was the former leader of Overwatch. "Well, after the Crisis, Overwatch was dismantled from within and from the outside. We were charged with crimes from human rights abuse to weapons dealing, and the people called for my head. Almost got it, too. Our headquarters in Geneva was destroyed, and myself and another were presumed dead with it." "Who was this "another"?"" Twilight asked. "His name was Gabriel Reyes." Soldier said. "He was a good friend of mine, as he led the Blackwatch section. He eventually turned against me and we fought as our HQ exploded. I know he's alive. I've seen him. But…he's not the man he used to be. Reyes...became the Talon agent known as Reaper. He's a heartless, remorseless killer now, far from what he used to be. Worse, he's still out there." Twilight murmured an "I'm sorry" as she entered the barracks to her new bunk. "Breakfast is at 0800 Hours in the common room, down the hall to the left." Soldier said. "Get some rest." Twilight nodded, and collapsed on the bed. She was soon sound asleep. ============ Back in Equestria, Princess Celestia stood in disbelief before the empty casket. She examined the lock and found it had not been forced, nor was there any footprints in the freshly planted grass. She sighed, and summoned an illusionary copy of Twilight in the casket. She closed the lid and departed, her eyes filled with tears. "Twilight…" she thought. "If you're out there, alive, please....come back. We need you." Author's Note New assassinverse story, why not? Do you like it? Chapter 1-NorthstarTwo Weeks later Sicily, near the coast. Twilight Sparkle, now known as Overwatch Agent Magister, checked her gear as Tracer flew her towards a abandoned Omnic reactor aboard the Orca. "Listen up, Magister!" Tracer said over the comms. "This here Northstar fellow is our priority, along with whatever's so special about that reactor. Find out what's going on, and shut it down. I'll be on station if needed, luv." "Roger that." Twilight said, checking her main weapon, the Manastrike Staff. Mercy had developed it as the opposite of the Caduceus staff. Where the Caduceus healed, the Manastrike hurt. It featured an extendable shaft and a large two-pronged energy-discharging tip. Her other equipment were Manabolt grenades and a Reflector shield. Twilight's attire was a gray trench coat with purple designs, and a set of Overwatch body armor. "Here's the drop zone!" Tracer cried. Twilight nodded and jumped out, levitating herself to the ground. Tracer gave her a cheery "Good luck!" and flew to a safe distance. Twilight prepped her staff and entered the main gate to the reactor. ========= As she walked along the dark paths, she saw a computer terminal brightly lit. Bypassing the Omnic Network's security, she viewed the production logs. "Someone's been trying to restart this reactor." she murmured. "And furthermore, the schematics for each Omnic unit have been altered. What's going on here…" "Freeze." a voice spoke. Twilight took her hands of the terminal and saw in her peripheral vision the barrel of a gun pointed at her head. "Northstar, I presume?" she said. "What's it to you?" Northstar replied. "I want to know what you're doing here." "I was sent to investigate this reactor." Twilight said. "You?" "Same reason." Northstar replied, lowering his Polaris rifle. Twilight turned to see a man of twenty-two, wearing dark clothing styled for urban warfare. A scarf emblazoned with the logo of the United States marines was around his neck. Northstar sighed and looked at Twilight. "You Overwatch?" he asked. "Yes." Twilight said. "How'd you figure?" "I was considered for it before they were shut down." Northstar said. "If you're here to recruit me again, I'll pass." "That's still up for debate." Twilight said. "Would you know who's in this Omnium?" "I've been tracking three unknown carrier planes to this location." Northstar said as the two of them walked down the hall with their weapons ready. "They deposited three squads of armed individuals, clad in black and red. Armed with assault weaponry." "Talon infantry." Twilight growled. "Figures." "It does." Northstar replied. "This Omnium's been silent since the crisis ended. Whatever's here that Talon wants…" "We had better get there first." Twilight said, as she and Northstar picked up the pace. Soon, they arrived at a large area, the central deployment bay. The bodies of long-deactivated Bastion units law strewn about possibly the largest Omnic Twilight had ever seen. It was similar to the Walkers D.Va had fought during her time in MEKA, but this one was more heavily armed and featured what was unmistakably a portable gauss cannon on it's belly. Armor was present everywhere, and apart from six omnic eyes, one large eye graced the walker's head. "What is that thing?" Northstar asked. "It's an Omnic Arachnid walker. These were used in South Korea during the crisis. This one looks like it's been modified. Souped-up chassis, portable gauss cannon...seems this reactor's been busy." Twilight said. "We have to destroy it. This could wipe out Sicily." "Or the whole Mediterranean sea area." Northstar said. Then, footsteps came from behind them, and they turned on a dime to see three Talon Infantry squads aiming their weapons at them. Twilight primed her staff, and Northstar readied his rifle. Then, there was the sound of deep, hoarse laughter. Twilight and Northstar saw a ghostly black form appear in front of them on a balcony, which turned into a black-clad man with a skull mask. "Reaper." Twilight growled. "If it isn't Overwatch's newest...recruit." Reaper cackled. "I'll be sure to send your body back to the monkey that leads you." "His name is Winston." Twilight replied. "And he's far from being a mere monkey." "Heh." Reaper scoffed. "Take them out!" The Talon soldiers opened fire, causing Twilight and Northstar to dive into cover. One stray bullet smacked into the Omnic Walker's faceplate, and a dull groan echoed through the area. "Cease fire!" Reaper yelled. Twilight and everyone else present froze at the Omnic's eyes lighting up blue, then turning a deep crimson red. The walker extended two arms mounted with missile pods at the Talon soldiers. Then, the Omnium PA spoke. "WARNING. OMNIC TRAMPLER UNIT ONLINE. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY." "FALL BACK!" Reaper cried as the Trampler opened fire, killing several Talon infantry units. Twilight and Northstar took cover behind a shipping container as the Omnic walker tore through the Talon soldiers. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?" Northstar growled. "I don't think we need to." Twilight said. "Reaper seems to have this handled...for now, at least." They looked out to see Reaper blasting the Omnic's face in with his Hellfire Shotguns, using his Death Blossom. The Omnic collapsed and groaned, and Reaper growled. "Now's our chance!" Twilight said. "Let's take him out!" "No, don't." Northstar said. "He's still got infantry support with him. We're outgunned. I think we can distract him long enough to get out with our lives." "How?" Twilight replied. "Those grenades?" Northstar said, motioning to her Manabolt charges. "Yeah." Twilight said. "What about them?" "I have a good arm. If I can get one into that Omnic's core, it should cause an explosion that'll bury those Talon soldiers deep." "And possibly us with it." Twilight pointed out. "There's an emergency access hatch directly above us." Northstar said. "We get to that, it's a straight shot to the surface." "If you say so." Twilight said. As Northstar threw the grenade, Reaper ordered his troops to search the area. As Twilight leaped into the hatch, she hit the detonator on her wristpad. The Talon troops heard the crackling of the discharging mana energy too late. The reactor exploded, and as the blast sent the Talon troops flying, Northstar jumped and caught Twilight's arm. She pulled him into the vent and hit the cover switch. As they crawled to safety, Reaper reappeared on the balcony. "Damn." Reaper swore. "Mother Eagle, this is Reaper. Objective failed. They got away, and the walker was destroyed." "It is of no concern." Maximilien said. "Pull back. We got what we needed from this test." "Roger that." Reaper said as he discarded his spent shotguns. "I'm heading to the LZ. Reaper out." ========== As Northstar kicked the access hatch open and helped Twilight out, the Orca landed near them. Tracer walked up and greeted Twilight. "What'd you get, luv?" She asked. "Talon troops were attempting to restart a heavily modified Arachnid walker." Twilight reported. "During our battle, Reaper destroyed it, with help from us." "Good work, Magister." Winston said over the comms. "What about Northstar?" "I'll talk with him." Twilight said. She walked over to Northstar, who shrugged. "You want to reconsider?" She asked. Northstar sighed. "It's worth a shot. I'll join." "Welcome then, luv." Tracer said. "Let's get moving." As they boarded the Orca, it took off for the Crete Operations Base. ========== In Equestria, Celestia looked as the Traditionalists stormed the castle. The nobles had announced a coup, and their troops had captured the Elements and Luna. Celestia sighed and activated her magic, attempting to send a message to Twilight through her connection as her former student. As she finished, she was surrounded and forced to her knees, and dragged off. Author's Note Next chapter-Overwatch and Twilight come to Equestria. Chapter 2-ReturnOverwatch Operations Base, Crete Command Center Tracer, Northstar, and Twilight walked into the command center, where Winston was waiting for them. "Seems you caused quite a stir." Winston said, gesturing to the Atlas news report. "...We are now receiving reports that unknown troops clashed with rumored Vigilante Northstar and another unknown person inside an abandoned Omnium in Sicily. Among the ruins, parts were recovered of a modified Arachnid walker, not seen since the First Omnic Crisis in Asia. Reports state the unknown attackers were clad in black and red, and carried assault weaponry. Some reports have stated an Orca aircraft commonly attributed to the former Overwatch organization was sighted leaving the area, but the UN affirmed their statement that Overwatch's charter was revoked…" Winston shut off the feed and looked at Northstar. "Welcome to Overwatch." He said. "Feel free to explore, and have a look around, you two." "Thanks." Twilight said as they left. Winston then saw a comms feed from Torbjorn, who was currently en-route to Crete. "Winston?" He said. "Torbjorn." Winston replied. "Were you successful?" "I was. The Bastion unit did spook a few citizens of Sweden, but I think this one's different." "Different how?" Winston asked. "He has an adverse reaction to sounds similar to gunfire. He nearly opened fire on me when I was mending some machinery." "Like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Winston mused. "But in an Omnic. What else?" "The Bastion seems real fond of a bird that's nesting on his shoulder, so that's a potential liability, but it should be fixable." Torbjorn reported. "Bird's real cute, too." "Understood. What's your ETA?" Winston asked. "A few hours. Say, I heard you recruited two new agents." Torbjorn said. "Good to hear some nice news." "Wish I could say the same." Winston said. "Crete out." "Torbjorn out." Winston ended the call and looked at a banana rack on his desk. "Winston?" Athena asked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" "I think I'm thinking what you're thinking." Winston said. =========== Twilight walked into her barracks dorm and sighed. It was once bare, but now several bookshelves stuffed with tomes and loose paper peppered the area. She sat down and focused her magic, attempting to muster a communication spell with Celestia. Then, a white screen appeared before her. Twilight's jaw dropped at the images. Celestia and Luna being captured… Her friends imprisoned… Her monument desecrated... And a new flag flying over Canterlot Palace. The vision faded, and Twilight's sadness slowly boiled into anger. An anger unlike anything she had known before. "Magister?" Athena said. "Your heart rate is accelerating.' "Get Winston on the line, Athena." Twilight growled. "Now." "Understood." "Magister?" Winston asked through the room comms panel. "What's wrong?" "I need to return home." Twilight said. "My friends are in danger." Winston nodded. "You won't be going alone. I've managed to locate several more former Overwatch agents and convince them to return. They'll be supporting you." "Who?" Twilight asked. "Reinhardt Wilhelm, Farah Amahri, Hana Song, and Genji Shimada." Winston said. "Also, Soldier 76 and Tracer will be going with you. Athena, myself and Northstar will be here to receive a few more agents. Good luck. The portal is ready when you are." Twilight nodded and grabbed her staff. ================== A few days later, Reinhard, Phara, D.Va, Genji, Soldier-76, Tracer, and Mercy stood before the portal to Equestria, with Twilight at the front. Twilight activated the portal, and the eight of them entered, and they were gone. ================== Twilight and the Agents reappeared in Equestria, inside the Castle gardens. Twilight saw her casket and monument had been torn down, and she seethed in anger. "Phara, provide cover and see if you can locate the targets." Twilight said. "Roger that." Phara replied as she took to the skies. "The rest of you, with me." Twilight said. As they snuck through the city, Phara radioed. "There's something happening at the palace steps. I think it's some kind of execution." "Roger that. On our way." Twilight said. As they hurried, Twilight saw the unthinkable. The Traditionalists had her friends, Celestia, and Luna in irons, and Twilight saw a cloaked pony wielding an Orichalum axe. "Take up positions around the ring." Twilight said. "Keep it quiet. Phara, with me." "Alright. Coming to you now." As the agents hid, Twilight and Phara snuck behind the columns and disabled the rearguard. Then, Twilight growled. "On my mark, we all strike. Phara, if you will?" Phara gave a nod and took to the roof of the palace, while Twilight snuck to the entrance. Twilight smiled as she hid. "Now." Phara leaped into the air and activated her missiles, drawing all attention to her. "JUSTICE RAINS FROM ABOVE!" She cried, unleashing her payload of missiles. As they impacted and exploded, Reinhardt smashed out of his hiding spot and used Earthshatter, sending the guards flying. Soldier activated his Visor and provided cover fire, pinning down more hostiles. Genji and Tracer leaped from target to target, too fast to hit. Mercy kept a steady stream of healing going to D.Va, whose MEKA was tearing through the guards. Then, as the last of the Traditionalist troops were routed, Twilight walked into the light, still disguised as a human. "Who...are you?" Blueblood stammered. Twilight nodded to the humans, who began to speak in turn, one by one. "We...are Hope." Mercy said. "We...are Courage." Phara added. "We...are HONOR!" Reinhardt bellowed. "We...are Justice." Soldier growled. "We...are Determination!" Tracer echoed. "We...are Harmony." Genji said. "We...are Persistence!" D.Va said, giving her V sign. "We...are Overwatch!" Twilight bellowed, shedding her disguise and flaring her wings. The crowd gasped and whispered, and every Traditionalist paled in fright and terror. Twilight walked to a stammering Amadeus, and slapped him to the ground. "'I've waited a long time for this." Twilight said. "You once compared me to Queen Chrysalis. You were sort of right. The only deceitful, lying, conniving, murdering locust here...is you!" She screamed. "No…" Amadeus whispered. "You're dead! DEAD!" "I was brought back." Twilight stated. "And you should know something, all of you. I was more than a Princess of Equestria. I was a hero. And heroes never die, for even the darkest of shadows only dim the light, and can never extinguish it. I know what you're feeling. You're scared and desperate. You want to die." Twilight looked Amadeus in the eye. "But I'm not going to kill you. I'm not a monster, like you and all the Traditionalists. By the time we're done with you...I'll let you imagine the next part." Twilight said. "Guards?" A lone guard stepped forward. "Yes, Princess?" He said. "What are your orders?" "Get them out of here, and into the darkest cell you have." She said. "Also, see what you can do about those chains, will you?" "Of course." The Guard said. "Get to it!" "Yessir!" They chorused. Twilight walked over to Celestia, and before her friends could react, she buried her face in Celestia's chest and wept. Celestia wrapped her legs around Twilight and tears fell like the rain. Author's Note Update! Sorry that this took so long. Next time-Twilight and the Overwatch agents deal with the Traditionalists, but during the trial...things hit the fan. Chapter 3, Part 1-TalonThrone Room, Canterlot Palace One hour, twenty-two minutes post Overwatch Assault Celestia, Luna, and the Elements watched as Twilight rigged up what she had called a "Cross-Com Receiver" on the ground, and they could occasionally hear her growl in frustration or utter a swear. "Got it." she said after some final exasperated groans. "Open up the connection." "Roger that." Tracer said. "We're through!" Then, a screen appeared in front of the ponies, and what surprised them most was the gorilla looking back at them through a pair of glasses, and wearing high-tech white armor. "Is this some kind of joke?" Rainbow asked. "I assure you, it is not." Winston replied. "I'm Winston, leader of Overwatch. Though I am a gorilla, I have an IQ of well over 400." "How is that possible?" Luna asked. "I was genetically and mentally tutored to be smarter than any human." Winston said. "Though, that's not important. What is important is why we're here. Twilight, or as we know her, Magister, joined us when we brought her to our world." "The orichalum…" Luna murmured. "It was a small factor." Mercy said. "Resurrection through neural surge is affected by poison, but not enough to cause death once resurrected." Twilight nodded, and looked to Celestia. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, when you needed me most." Celestia wrapped her wings around her and hugged her tight. "You came for us. That's more than enough." Twilight smiled, and looked back to the agents who gave her looks of apprehensiveness. "Though...even though I'm sorry to say it, I can't stay long." "Why?" Rarity asked. "Surely…" "Their world is teetering on the brink of worldwide civil war, after just barely recovering from the Omnic Crisis." Twilight said. "They need my help. I'll return when I can, but for now...I'm staying with Overwatch. Their world needs heroes." Celestia nodded understandingly. "Do be safe, Twilight." she said. "And I wish to thank you, Mercy, for bringing her back." "You are welcome." Mercy said. "But we have more pressing concerns." "Indeed." Luna said. "The Traditionalists have been arrested. Many in Canterlot are clamoring for their trial to begin as soon as possible." "Let's oblige them." Twilight said. "Winston, we'll hold out here until the trial is over." "Understood." Winston replied. "I'll see you on the far side." "Roger that." Twilight ended the connection, and sighed. "Girls, I'm sorry I have to go so soon." "It's okay, Twi." Applejack said. "We're glad you're back. That's all you need to know." "And speaking of…" she added. "How's Cadance and Shining?" "They're on their way." Celestia replied. "They didn't believe me at first, though." "I certainly wouldn't." Twilight replied. "Let's get that courtroom ready." ======= Epsilon Crete, Overwatch Base Winston tapped at the computer screen and looked over his shoulder at Torbjorn, who was applying an Overwatch logo patch to the Bastion unit he recovered, while Ganymede the bird sat on a perch. "And we're done." Torbjorn growled. "You keep that feathered thing of yours in check, you hear me?" "Beep-boop." Bastion replied, Ganymede flying over to his finger which was held like a perch. "Darn bird." Torbjorn growled. "Follows him everywhere. Gotten his...leavings on my machinery too many times." "Well, that's to be expected from a bird." Winston said, amused. "Where's miss Mei and Hanzo?" "Hanzo is getting used to his new accommodations." Athena said. "Mei is currently in the laboratory, charging Snowball, her drone." "Good to know." Winston said, pulling up news feeds from across the globe. "There's news of the Bastion in Sweden, more King's Row incidents, and...hmm…" "What?" Torbjorn said. "It says here that a Helix Security lab in Belgium was broken into, along with a Vishkar lab in Bangladesh." Winston said. "Nothing was stolen except...teleportation and quantum dimensional research materials. Currently suspects include the Sombra Collective and Talon." "WInston?" Torbjorn asked. "Are you saying…" "Yes. If what I think is correct, then Talon has the capabilities to reach Equestria." Winston said. "Problem is, we don't know if they already have. I'll alert our agents there." "I'll keep looking around here, then." Torbjorn replied. "Hey, you dumb bird! Get away from those bananas!" Ganymede chirped and flew around the room, while Winston laughed and Bastion made chirping noises like a robot's version of bright chuckles. ==== Twilight stood on her balcony, as the night sky was filled with an aurora borealis, in celebration of her return. Twilight had no time to celebrate, however. Winston had told her that Talon had the capability to reach Equestria, and there was the possibility of an attack. "Damn It!" she swore, slamming her fist down. "As if we had enough problems already!" She sighed, rubbed her sore hoof, and walked over to the area where Reinhardt was repairing his armor. "You alright, Magister?" the German Crusader asked. "I've got bad news." she said. "Talon has the ability to get here now." Reinhardt stopped welding and looked at her. "How?" "They broke into two labs, belonging to Helix and Vishkar." Twilight said. "If they come here, we're doomed." "There is always hope." Reinhardt replied. "Did I tell you of the time I freed an entire town from the control of a gang?" "Really?" Twilight asked. "Yes." Reinhardt said, setting down his blowtorch. "They called themselves the Dragons. They beat me once, but I didn't have my armor. The next time I took them on, I triumphed. And I gave that town hope." "That sounds fun." Twilight said. Reinhardt laughed in response. As they shared stories, high above Canterlot, a figure watched from a spire. Pale blue skin glowed in the faint light as the figure aimed a Sniper's Rifle at Twilight. Widowmaker placed the crosshairs directly on the alicorn's head, until a voice spoke through her ear comm. "Widowmaker, pull back." Reaper said. "Maximillien has a new plan." "Roger that." Widowmaker said, grappling into a concealed Talon helicopter. As she set her rifle down, Sombra looked back at her. "You know the part of the plan you're responsible for?" Widowmaker asked. Sombra nodded, and went back to typing on her portable laptop. "You worry too much, amiga." Sombra said, manipulating the data stream in her fingers. "We'll be fine. As long as we retrieve the target, we'll be fine." "Watch your tone." Widowmaker snapped. "I still have my suspicions about you and the Volskaya operation." "I told you she escaped." Sombra said, shrugging. "Trust me, I won't fail this time." "You had better not." Widowmaker replied, taking the Pilot's seat and driving the Helicopter to a hidden cave, where Talon had set up a mobile operations base inside Canterlot Mountain. As it landed and a 3D mesh shielded it from view, Reaper and Doomfist walked over. "Are we set?" Reaper asked. "We are good to go." Sombra said. Widowmaker merely nodded. Reaper growled and left. Doomfist followed him, his muscles clearly visible in the darkened cave. From the sidelines, three platoons of Talon soldiers were checking their weapons for the oncoming assault. ==== The next day. 11:00 AM Canterlot Center of Justice As the three Princesses and Twilight took their seats at the podium, with the Overwatch agents standing nearby, the Traditionalists responsible for coup and Twilight's murder were brought forward. Celestia banged the gavel three times before she spoke. "Before we begin, I have a few words to say." she said. "Prince Blueblood, I once treated you as my own son. Now, here we stand...You are no nephew of mine. I have no nephew anymore." Prince Blueblood flinched, but did not look away. Celestia then cleared her throat. "Let us begin. You stand accused of murder, conspiracy, treason, assault, crimes against Equestria and the Diarchy, and countless other charges, too many to list. How do you plead?" "Not guilty." was the reply from each Traditionalist. Twilight kept calm, though her hooves clenched up in anger. "Prosecution, begin your challenge." As the Prosecutors called witnesses, Twilight kept an eye on her Sonar Map of the area, which was in her lap. She then raised her eyebrows at several unknown contacts at several locations in Canterlot, mostly the Dungeons and the Courtroom. Twilight quickly tapped into the cross-com. "Agents, we've got multiple contacts. Unknown ID. Get ready, but make it look like you're not getting ready." "Roger that." everyone replied. Then, during the cross-examination of Prince Blueblood, there was a loud noise, a thud, and several particles of plaster fell into the room. "What was that?" Cadance asked. Twilight secretly drew her Manastrike Staff, and then, it happened again, fiercer and more powerful. Then, there was one more that sent cracks in the roof. Then, Twilight heard a yell. In fact, everyone heard a yell. "METEOR PUNCH!" The roof shattered as Doomfist smashed into the center of the Courtroom, enshrouded by dust. As the ponies stood in shock, Doomfist spoke. "Every battle makes us stronger. That is the meaning of humanity. Those who fall....will be forgotten. Those who rise up…" The dust parted, revealing Doomfist's muscled form. "THEIR NAMES WILL BE REMEMBERED!" he roared. At that, two Talon Platoons fast-roped into the room and opened fire. "Overwatch, ENGAGE!" Twilight cried as Reinhardt smashed forward to do battle with Doomfist as Reaper and Widowmaker entered the room, Reaper firing his shotguns. Soldier 76 immediately focused his fire on Reaper, and Tracer, yelling "For Mondatta!" unloaded her Pulse Pistols at Widowmaker. As D.Va, Phara, Genji, and Mercy fought the Talon soldiers alongside Twilight, Sombra, gone unnoticed through the battle, slowly made her way with the last Talon platoon towards the Dungeons, towards Amadeus Blueblood. Author's Note Update! Chapter 3, Part 2-A Symphony of ShadowAs Sombra and her accompanying Talon squad entered the Maximum Security level, a few easy hacks and an EMP gave the Talon team access to the cell holding Amadeus Blueblood and a few other of his associates. Sombra opened the door, shocking the five ponies inside. "Which one of you is Amadeus?" She asked. Amadeus stood up and nodded. Sombra nodded and the Talon troops rushed him to a waiting helicopter. Sombra took one last look at the other prisoners before a burst of bullets from her PDW ended their lives. She holstered her weapon, smiled and boarded the helicopter, which took off for their mountain base. "All troops, this is Sombra." she spoke into her ear-comm. "Target secure. We're done here." "Roger that." Reaper replied. "Meet at our rally point for extraction. Objective complete." "Confirmed." Widowmaker added. "As you wish." Doomfist growled. ==== The Overwatch agents stood in shock as Reaper, Widowmaker, and Doomfist escaped under the cover of Reaper's Death Blossom. Jumping into a waiting dropship, D.Va and Soldier unloaded their final bursts of ammo in an attempt to stop them. The Dropship, though it took a few hits, flew off with the other helicopters towards their unknown destination. "This is Magister." Twilight growled. "Report, everyone." As the Agents checked in with their status, Twilight set out for the dungeons. ==== As she arrived, she was shocked to see a platoon of guards hauling four body bags out of the cell where Amadeus was kept. "Who are they?" Twilight asked. "The bodies of several prominent Traditionalists, Princess." one said. "There was supposed to be five, but one is missing." "Which one?" Twilight asked. The Guard shuffled nervously, knowing that what he had to say was certainly what the Princess didn't want to hear. "Which one?" she asked again. "Amadeus Blueblood." The Guard said. "His body was not found." Twilight's eyes flared, and she fell to the ground, her Manastrike Staff falling beside her. "Amadeus...gone?" she thought, completely dumbstruck. She gathered her nerves and thanked the Guard before heading back to the Courtroom. ==== Twilight entered the courtroom and collapsed, causing Tracer and Soldier to rush over. "What's wrong?" Tracer asked. "Amadeus...he's gone." Twilight stammered. "Talon…" The thoughts of every Overwatch agent present clicked together. "That's what Talon came here for." Reinhardt growled. "They wanted Amadeus." "Why, though?" Mercy asked. "It's not like Talon to kidnap someone from another world just because they can." "Amadeus had significant political and financial connections." Twilight said. "Talon could use someone with friends like that. We need to find him. Overwatch, we're heading back to Earth. Celestia, can you clean this up here?" Celestia didn't have the time to reply as Twilight and the other Agents vanished through a teleporter. ==== Arriving back at the Crete base, Twilight hurried off to find Winston, while the others waited apprehensively. After a few minutes, Twilight came back with an angered Winston. "Agents, here's the plan. Our objective is to return Amadeus Blueblood to justice, now known as Maestro. We can't do this as a group, it'll draw too much attention." "So that's why we're forming teams of two or three to search the globe." Twilight said, drawing up a map. "I've already assigned each agent to a partner. Take these." Twilight handed out tablets to each agent. "These will allow us to cross-communicate leads and evidence to the other search teams." Twilight continued. "I will remain here with the Bastion unit, Mercy, Winston, Torbjorn, and Northstar as security for this base." Bastion gave a chirp. "Also, we need all the help we can get. If you find someone worth recruiting, don't hesitate." Twilight said. "However, you cannot give any hints that Overwatch was officially recalled, or any details to our mission. Furthermore, do your best to stay out of trouble. That's all. Pair up and get moving." "Roger that." the agents chorused, taking their tablets and proceeding to form their teams. Reinhardt, Brigitte, and Genji were to search the Northern United States and most of central Europe. Tracer and Soldier-76 would check on King's Row, Eichenwalde, and Dorado. D.Va and Pharah were tasked with Numbani and Cairo. Hanzo and Mei were heading to Hanamura along with Cape Town, South Africa, due to Talon activity recently reported there. Twilight made sure each Agent was at peak condition before sending them out on their respective journeys via Orca aircraft. ==== Volskaya Industries, Russia Zarya stood near the side of Lynx-Seventeen as he underwent repairs from the warehouse explosion. The Russian weightlifter's mind was crisscrossed with worry and doubt. "Volskaya received tech from...the Omnics? Russia's enemy?" she thought miserably. "She was supposed to be the defender of Russia…" Zarya gave an unconscious Lynx one last look before heading to her rest area. She was about to log onto her laptop before she noticed something near it. A USB drive, emblazoned with the Overwatch logo. A note was near it. Watch and listen. You need to hear what needs to be said on this drive. A friend. Zarya plugged the drive in, and inside was a video file marked A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD. Zarya hit PLAY, and sat back. ==== Zarya watched in shock as the words from the message registered in her mind, the images still fresh and new. She could still hear the call in her ears. The world decided they were better off without us… They even called us criminals! They tore our family apart... ...BUT LOOK AROUND! Someone has to do something! We have to do something! We can make a difference again! The world needs us now, more than ever! Are you with me? Zarya slowly shut the laptop and sighed, looking at the Overwatch USB drive, and a feeling of hope started to rise within her. "I am with you." she whispered. "Aleksandra Zaryanova is with you." Dorado As the streets of Dorado lay silent, one man leaned on a street corner, smoking a cigar. The Peacekeeper revolver lay silent in its holster, and the only illumination was from the burning end of McCree's cigar. McCree was bored, truth be told. After stopping a train robbery, he had headed south to Dorado for some rest. Problem was, rest wasn't easy to find. This section of Dorado was controlled thoroughly by the Los Muertos, and McCree had dodged them three times already. McCree stomped out his cigar and frowned. There was a dull click, and McCree smiled. "Whatever you got, I want it." the hoodlum said. "I doubt you do." McCree replied calmly. "You've got better things to do then rob people, youngster." "Do I?" "If I was being honest…" McCree said, secretly priming a Flashbang. "Yes." McCree rolled and threw the grenade, blinding the thug, followed by two shots from the Peacekeeper straight into his leg. As the hoodlum fell to the ground, groaning, McCree scoffed. "Next time, don't cross paths with someone who's got the clear upper hand." he scoffed. "And I'd get someone to look at that leg." McCree walked off as the thug limped away. Eventually sitting down in a vacant inn, he ordered a drink and looked at the TV. "...Though the UN continues to deny the legitimacy of the film, the mysterious objects seen and filmed leaving the island of Crete were confirmed to be Overwatch Orca aircraft, heading for the United States, Europe, Japan, and Africa. The UN has cited the Petras act multiple times, and affirms its statement the Overwatch Charter was revoked...In other news, The Gadsden Corporation in South Africa has come under public pressure to suspend watershed development in Cape Town…" McCree sighed and looked back at the USB he had received a while ago. Like Zarya's, it was emblazoned with the Overwatch logo. "So Winston, what's your next move?" McCree sighed, taking a ship of whiskey. "You've already recalled us, so what now?" McCree finished his drink, paid for a room, and headed upstairs. Author's Note Update! Chapter 4-Hanamura and DoradoHanamura Shimada Tower Kirou Yukichi wasn't too pleased at the moment. His two students had yet to show up for their combat lesson. Bypassing the lock on their room, he wasn't surprised to find his two students, Yuuki and Sakura Shimada, deep in their usual antics. Yuuki, the younger sister, was on her laptop browsing new music, mostly from Lucio and other artists. However… Sakura, the elder, was staring at a photo of the Shimada estate's shrine. Displayed in vibrant color was a figure wielding a bow and quiver, offering incense. Sakura had never met the man, but she knew who he was. Hanzo Shimada. Dragon of the South Wind...and her elder brother. Sakura and Yuki then noticed who was in the room with them. They bowed, and Kirou bid them to rise. "You're late." Kirou said. "Our apologies, Sensei." Sakura said. "We lost track of time." "Very well." Kirou said. "Let's head to the Dojo. We must make up for it." "You sure this is where we're going?" Mei asked for the fifth time. Hanzo nodded with a sigh. "The Shimada clan has numerous contacts in the criminal underworld. If Amadeus is anywhere, he'll be here. Ready yourself, miss Mei. The Shimada do not take kindly to uninvited guests." Mei and Snowball gulped, but she loaded her Endothermic Blaster with a nod. Two Shimada thugs were monitoring the gate, when they saw Hanzo come forward with a woman in a blue fur coat. "Is that…" one asked. "No way…" the other said. "Let us in." Hanzo said, the authority clear. The Guards gulped, and opened the gate to the Shimada tower. Hanzo made note of the radios on their belts before they entered, and were out of sight. "Security, this is Gate." One guard said as they left. "What's wrong?" "He's here. With an unknown partner." the lead guard said. "Send Security Details to the lobby." "Understood." ==== Hanzo and Mei entered the lobby, which was styled like a Shinto Shrine in terms of decoration. "Prepare yourself." Hanzo said, nocking an arrow. "We are not alone." Mei readied her Blaster, nodding with determination. Then, three platoons of Shimada thugs, armed with assault gear marched in and aimed their weapons. "You were a fool to come back, Hanzo." a voice said over the intercom. "You betrayed us, and you stride into our home like a common thief?" "Then I am a fool to believe that there is still hope for the world." Hanzo retorted. "And maybe so be it for my brother." "Enough!" The voice replied. "Kill them!" "Mei." Hanzo whispered. "Use Snowball to freeze their weapons. I will take them out." "Right." Mei replied. "Snowball?" The Drone chirped and loaded a full salvo of cryogenic liquid. "Now!" Hanzo cried, as they leaped behind a desk. Snowball then spewed the salvo of sub-zero liquid, which turned into ice upon contact with the air. The thugs were frozen in place, and a few arrows from Hanzo dispatched them. "Let's go!" Hanzo said. The two of them leaped over and headed for the stairwell. ==== Sakura and Yuki were sparring when the alarms began to blare. "What's happening?" Kirou asked. "It's him." the Intercom voice replied. "And he's got company." "Right." he said. "Sakura, Yuki!" "Yes, Sensei?" they asked. "Head to floor 7." he said. "Intruders are in the building. Dispatch them." The two sisters ran out, with Sakura grabbing a pair of Kunai. === Hanzo and Mei exited the stairs on the top floor, the conference room dead ahead. Then, they stopped. Two girls, both around sixteen, stood in their path. One wielded a Staff, the other Kunai. Hanzo nocked an arrow, and chanted. "Ryuu ga waga teki wo KURAU!" he chanted, summoning the Dragon of the South Wind. What came next shocked him. "SEIFU HASSEI!" One of the girls cried, summoning a Yellow Dragon that spun around her, deflecting Hanzo's attack. "KOCHI HASSEI!" the other yelled. This time, a Red Dragon smashed into the floor, churning up an ethereal barrier. "Impossible." Hanzo murmured. "Only a Shimada can control the Dragons. Who are they?" Mei barely had time to cry out "Heads up!" as the girl with the Kunai rushed him. Hanzo deflected the blades with his bow, while Mei shot Ice Spears at the other, whose staff smashed them as she got closer. Hanzo could tell these girls were well-trained. Once close in, they worked as a seamless team, their movements precise and swift. Hanzo recognized that they were trained by the Shimada, or born into the Clan. Then, he looked one of the girls in the eye. The girl froze, and Hanzo took his chance and knocked her into the ground. The other was about to charge him when there was a cry. "WAIT!" Hanzo stopped, and looked at the girl below him. Her black hair was striking, but the most prominent feature were her eyes. Brown. The exact shade of brown as Hanzo and Genji's eyes. "Who are you?" Hanzo asked. The girl stopped fighting, and let her Kunai drop to the floor. "You're Hanzo." she whispered. "It is you." "How do you know my name?" Hanzo asked. "I have never met you." "I know of you...brother." she whispered, before she hugged him tightly. Hanzo flinched, and looked down at her. Her facial build was the same as his. And the eyes gave a testimony that didn't lie. "How?" he asked. "What is your name?" "I'm Sakura." she said. "And this is Yuuki." "How can you control the Dragons?" Hanzo asked. "Only a Shimada can possibly..." "We were born to to Sojiro Shimada via surrogate." she said. "We are half-siblings, Hanzo." "That clears things up." Hanzo said. "Come with me." Sakura and Yuki watched as Hanzo got down on one knee. "The world is changing. A new threat is rising, one that would plunge us into the depths of hell to no end. I and others stand against them, but we are few. Come with us, sisters. Let me show you how to make the world anew." he spoke. Sakura and Yuki nodded, slowly but surely. "Let us leave this place, then." Hanzo said. The four of them rushed for the exit, as a security camera watched them. ==== Kirou watched in shock as his students left with the enemy. "Those ungrateful wretches!" a Shimada leader cried. "We must find them!" "No. Do not dare." The assembled Shimada leaders saw Sojiro Shimada come forward, out of the darkness. "They are still my children." he sighed. "And I do not wish them harm." "They betrayed the clan you have worked so hard to lead!" one protested. "And they will come back." Sojiro said. "On what side...has yet to be determined." ==== Hanzo, Mei, Sakura, and Yuki boarded their Orca and headed back to Crete with their mission report. Sakura watched as Yuki and Mei spoke to the other like dear friends, and Sakura sighed. "I hope I will meet you soon, Genji." she sighed. ==== Talon HQ Unknown Location Amadeus Blueblood was brought into a conference room, escorted by Reaper and Widowmaker. As he sat down, the chair at the head of the table turned. Maximillien saw the pony sit down and eye him curiously. "You are Amadeus Blueblood, yes?" he asked. "Indeed. You are?" Blueblood replied. "I am Maximillien, leader of Talon." the Omnic replied. "I authorized your rescue because you have many connections we need." "Such as?" the unicorn asked. "Political, Financial, Military to name a few." was the reply. "If you join us, we shall help you achieve your goals, as well as you helping to achieve ours." Blueblood smiled. "I accept." he said. "Welcome." the Omnic replied. "Reaper, take him to miss Moira. Show him what she can do." "Yessir." Reaper replied. "This way." The two of them entered a lab, where Moira O'Deorain was waiting for them. Amadeus flinched at seeing her laboratory, full of gene-modifying technology. "Ah, my newest patient." she said. "Let's see what I can do with you." Amadeus sat down into the operation chair, and Moira applied anesthetic. Soon, his vision went dark, and Moira began the authorized "improvements" to Amadeus. ==== Amadeus woke up with a smile. Moira looked over at him, from where she was monitoring his diagnostics. "The genetic enhancements worked perfectly, and bound seamlessly to your nervous system." Moira said, as Amadeus inspected himself. His chest now was embedded with a large canister and machinery, and the pony himself felt stronger, more powerful. "What sort of enhancements?" he asked. "I brought myself up to speed on your capabilities while you were unconscious." she said. "I have managed to...triple...your available magic supply, nearing that of an alicorn of your world. Furthermore, your cells have been altered with a healing protein that can bind wounds over time, no matter how large or severe they are. And one more thing...your kind is fascinating, Mr. Amadeus. If you were to bring me a second test subject...I would be most appreciative." "You can count on it." he smiled. "And I believe I know just who will suffice. Would an Alicorn be to your liking?" "Oh, certainly." Moira said. "I will have so much to learn! But I digress. Maximilien requests your presence." Amadeus rejoined Reaper and they headed for the meeting room. Amadeus sat down, and Maximilien nodded. "Did your enhancements go to plan?" he asked. "Swimmingly." Amadeus said smugly. "What is on the agenda?" "For now, we wait." Maximillien said. "Acquaint yourself with our services. You will find they are superior to your homeworld. But first, a toast." Maximillien poured a glass of whiskey for Amadeus, and took an empty one for himself. As they toasted, Amadeus smiled with a wicked grin. === Crete Operations Base Control Room Twilight looked over from her readouts to see Bastion playing his his pet bird, his robotic giggles giving a sense of childhood to the Omnic. "Hey." Twilight saw Northstar come in, thought his attire had changed. He now wore a blue Overwatch trench coat, with body armor. His Polaris Rifle now bore the Overwatch logo. The last change was a high-tech eyepiece over his right eye. "You look good." Twilight said. "Thanks." Northstar said, sitting down. "It'll take some getting used to, but it'll do for now." "Good to hear." Twilight said. "I've gotten reports from Hanzo and Mei. Apparently they've gotten us two new recruits." "That's good to hear." Northstar said. "If anything, we'll take out Talon and find Maestro in no time." "I wish." Twilight sighed. Northstar laughed and sat down. Eventually, the two of them decided to head for the mess hall to scavenge something to eat. Dorado, Mexico Around 3 PM. "Tracer, we don't have time for this." Soldier-76 said with a frustrated tone. "We can't get food in the middle of a mission." "Come on, Commander!" Tracer groaned. "There's a Bakery near here! We'll be in and out!" Soldier groaned, and deciding that it wouldn't hurt too much to oblige, followed Tracer to the suburbs of Dorado, before Soldier stopped suddenly. "Panadería Las Nieblas." he murmured, seeing the sign. "I wonder…" He knocked on the door, and a small girl opened it. "Welcome…" she started, before she saw Soldier-76 standing next to Tracer. "Hey, kid. You still open?" Soldier asked. The girl gave a happy nod and showed them in. as she hurried behind the counter, Tracer looked at Soldier with a curious eye. "Why'd she act like that?" Tracer asked. "Because I saved her life." Soldier said. "I was after the Los Muertos when she got mixed up in the op. Though I lost the weapons I was after, I saved a life. She...asked me if I was one of those heroes." "What'd you say?" Tracer asked. "Not anymore." he replied. "I still think you are." said a quiet voice. The girl came out, bearing a loaded tray of food and drink. Soldier gave a nod, and as she set it down, the girl smiled before heading upstairs. Soldier then took off his visor with a slow breath, revealing his worn, battle-scarred face. He and Tracer ate for a while, before Soldier stood up, fetched a pen and paper, and wrote a note. Then, he replaced his visor. "We should go." Soldier said. "We can't stay here." "I know, Soldier." Tracer replied. "We should at least say goodbye." At that moment, the girl reappeared. Soldier looked at her, and beckoned. "What's your name, kid?" he asked. "Alejandra." she replied. "Alright then." he said. "Alejandra, you take this." Soldier handed the girl a small communicator. "You see anything strange, call me." he replied. "I have to get going. But before I forget...I'm Morrison. Jack Morrison. Former leader of Overwatch. That's Tracer." The girl nodded, and Tracer gave her a pat on the head. "I have to go now." Jack said. "You keep in touch, okay?" "Right!" The girl waved goodbye as they left, and then she saw the note. Thanks for the kind words, kid. Never give up hope. I'm seeing a bright future ahead of you, and the world. Jack Morrison. "Alejandra?" her mother asked from upstairs. "Who was it?" Alejandra smiled as she replied with a tear in here eye. "Heroes, mama." ==== It wasn't long before Soldier and Tracer found themselves to be lost. "That's the church we just passed." Tracer groaned. "Where are we?" "Mind if I help?" Both of them turned to see a familiar figure approach, smoking a cigar. "McCree." Soldier said, shaking his hand. "Good to see you. You got the recall, I presume?" "You "presume" correctly." McCree replied. "Let's go. I happen to know the location of a Los Muertos stronghold." Soldier and Tracer, joined by McCree, headed out, making sure their weapons were loaded. Author's Note Update! Next time-Genji, Reinhardt, and Brigette run into trouble in Colorado, and Pharah reunites with her mother, Ana.
Prologue-Heroes Never DieIt was nighttime in Canterlot, and the city was silent. Two nights ago, Equestria's newest princess had been murdered in her sleep. Her funeral was only two hours ago. The remaining Traditionalists had refused to attend, and those who had participated in the murder were imprisoned. In a northern part of the gardens, lay the glass casket of Twilight Sparkle. Her still form was peaceful, cleaned of blood. Her gown was untouched, and her face was benign of life. Then, something strange began to happen. Golden light began to form in front of the casket, and it kneeled to read the inscription plaque on the coffin. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria Our hope lies with you. She strived for an Equestria for all. Nineteen years of your life was spent with us. May we never forget your friendship. The golden mist vanished, revealing a bipedal figure that could only be described as an angel of mercy. At the wave of her hand, the casket lid opened, and the figure touched Twilight's unbeating heart. Then, there was a whisper. "Heroes...never...die…" the angel said. Twilight was illuminated in a sheath of golden energy, and as it faded, the angel smiled. Then, Twilight's chest began to rise and fall. Acting quickly, the angel tapped a device on her wrist and a blue ring appeared. Scooping up the now-revived princess, the angel walked into the portal, vanishing from sight. ============= Twilight's eyes flicked to a persistent beeping sound coming from her right. Her body felt numb, and she couldn't move, she could only hear. "Athena, how is our guest?" said a deep, rough voice. "She is recovering, Winston. No neural trauma detected. Vital signs indicate subject was successful. Further rest and recovery is needed for full motor function." said an artificial-sounding female voice. "Thank you, Athena." said a second voice. This one was pure and tinged with happiness. "I see she is waking up." Twilight forced her eyes open to reveal herself in a room similar to a high-tech medical laboratory. She was lying on a pallet, her dress gone and replaced with IV stickers and some kind of device on her chest. She groaned and turned to her side to see she was hooked up to an heartbeat monitor, and was receiving IV fluids. "Good, she made it. Winston, please leave us for the moment." Twilight looked to her left to see a being clad in white and orange armor with yellow glowing wings. A golden halo rested above her head, and her white hair was tied back in a tail. She kneeled next to Twilight, and took her hoof in her limb. "I am surprised at your resilience, miss." she said. "It took a lot to bring you back." "Where...am I?" Twilight spoke, her voice hoarse. "Overwatch Operations Base Epsilon, in Crete, on planet Earth." the being spoke. "My name is Dr. Angela Ziegler, but most here call me Mercy." "Twilight Sparkle." she said. "Princess of…" "I know who you are." Mercy said. "Apart from reading the plaque on your casket, I was the one who brought you back from the dead." "What?" Twilight murmured. "The daggers....the Orichalum…" "Whatever killed you did leave trace amounts of a poisonous element in your system, but it degraded over time to the point where resurrecting you was not a problem." Mercy said, showing her an image of a chemical formula. "There were large amounts of it in your body, but like I said, it was flushed clean when I revived you." "How...did you?" Twilight groaned. "My resurrection ability works by sending a massive surge of neural activity to the brain, restarting all bodily systems in a matter of seconds. You were lucky. A few hours more, I wouldn't have been able to bring you back." "Why?" Twilight asked. "Why me?" "Because you were hope for your world." Mercy said. "When we discovered your dimension, we were watching in order to learn more about it. I saw the funeral, and I heard the speeches given in your name. I knew you did not deserve to die as you did. You are more than a Princess, Miss Twilight. You were a hero. And heroes never die." "I'm not a hero…" Twilight said. "They hated me. They murdered me in my sleep…" "I know." Mercy said. "But do you not remember that there were those you loved you? Those who cared for you? You were a hero to them, and that's what counts, miss. However, I cannot send you home again." "I need to…" Twilight said weakly. "You cannot." Mercy said. "You are weak, and in no condition to fight. Furthermore, I have seen the faces of those who you left behind. They are already burdened. To come back so soon after death is a burden they cannot bear. I must ask you to remain here while you recover from the resurrection process. I will return shortly, with much-needed nourishment for your body and mind. I would advise getting some rest." Twilight nodded, thanked Mercy in a weak tone, and dozed off. ============= Twilight woke up to Mercy sitting down next to her, with a tray of veggies and some bread. "Eat. It will restore your energy." she said. Twilight ate, and soon, felt needed relief flush through her. "Mercy...you said we're on Earth. Does that mean you're...human?" she asked. "Yes." Mercy said. "I am human." Twilight nodded. "We've always thought humans were myth." "To us, alicorns and the beings of your world were the same." Mercy said. "I want to know what led to your death, Twilight." Twilight sighed and told Mercy of her planned reforms for Equestria and how the Traditionalists opposed them and her royal status, and her eventual death at their hands. By the end, Mercy was troubled and angry. "I see." she said, taking Twilight's hood. "You have been through so much, Princess. I am sorry." "Thank you." Twilight replied. "But...what about you? What is this place?" "This is an operations base for Overwatch. Epsilon Crete, to be exact." she said. "Overwatch?" Twilight said. "Yes, a force dedicated to protecting peace and the world." Mercy said. "We are made of heroes from all nations and all walks of life. Soldiers, pilots, musicians, machines...We all represent hope for the future." "Why?" Twilight asked. "I shall tell you." Mercy said. "Many years ago, the Omnica Corporation developed the Omniums and their machines capable of bolstering manufacturing and economic equality. When Omnica was shut down, the Omniums were disabled and left in the dark, only to rise in rebellion against their human creators. The Omniums sent legion upon legion of weaponized omnics, from Bastions to Titans, against humanity. We do not know why this happened, only that it happened. Nations were destroyed, cities burned, thus was the Omnic Crisis. The Crisis ravaged the world, and we were powerless against them. Then, there was hope. Overwatch was formed to end the crisis and restore peace, which we succeeded in doing. The war was over, and a generation has passed. But...Overwatch did not last. We were brought down from within, and forgotten. But new threats have arisen, and we are needed more than ever. We were once scattered, but now we are united. I need to ask you something, Twilight." "What?" Twilight asked. "Will you join us?" Mercy asked. "Judging from what we heard, you are more than capable of handling yourself in a fight. Furthermore, many of our agents are scattered. Currently here, we have seven, including myself. This world needs heroes, Princess. We believe you can be one, regardless of your own perception." Twilight thought to herself. "I want to go home, but Mercy's right. I can't. It's too soon." "Alright. I'll join you." Twilight said. "But promise me something. Whenever I feel the time is right, I will go home." "Accepted." Mercy said, pulling her up. "Let's go see Winston, shall we?" "Winston?" Twilight asked as they walked down the hall towards the command center. "Our new commander of Overwatch." Mercy replied "Our former commander is here too, but he has long given up that role." "I see." Twilight said. Upon entering the Command Center, Twilight's eyes raised. A gorilla wearing some kind of white armor was eating a banana smothered in peanut butter, while watching a news broadcast of some sort. "...the worldwide vigilante streak attributed to the person known only to the world as Northstar has presumably been brought to Italy, where a Null Sector cell was found dismantled underneath the Colosseum. The trademark two stars, the vigilante's logo were found on a body of an Omnic soldier. All Null Sector forces were destroyed before Italian forces could arrive on the site. The Italian president has expressed his thanks to the vigilante, but warns Italians to be careful. In other news, the Second Omnic Crisis has turned for the worse. Katya Volskaya reportedly survived an assassination attempt by unknown forces. The survivors report that a man clad in black and a skull-like mask armed with ,multiple shotguns breached the facility and destroyed Volskaya's prototype mecha…" The gorilla turned off the display and sighed. "Did she agree?" the gorilla asked. "She did, Winston. I thought you should be the one to explain." Mercy said. "You're Winston?" Twilight asked, surprised. "I thought…" "That I'd be human?" Winston replied. "Well, it's a long story. I have an IQ of well over 400, far surpassing that of a human. Anyway, Twilight, I wanted to welcome you to Overwatch, seeing as you've joined us." Twilight nodded. "However, I need to ask you something. Is there any way you can change your appearance using your magic? The Omnic Crisis made us...rather nervous." "I see. It's no problem." Twilight said, using a shape-shifting spell to morph into her human body. "Is this better?" "Much better." Winston said. "You'll need to start training immediately, along with other subjects. There's something I need to attend to. Torbjorn apparently found a working Bastion unit with partial memory damage near Eichenwalde, and he's bringing it here. I need to get ready for its arrival." "Bastion?" Twilight asked. "Bastion units were the bulk of the Omnic forces during the crisis." Winston said, pulling up an image Torbjorn had sent him. "They were all supposedly destroyed after the Crisis." "I see." Twilight said. "What do you plan to do with it?" "I plan to see if I can restore it." Winston said. "It would allow us a possible insight into the old Omnic network. In the meantime, Mercy, take Twilight and have Soldier give her a shakedown. She'll need to start training immediately. I'll radio the other agents and see who I can get." Mercy and Twilight nodded and walked out, and soon arrived at a training ground, where a man wearing a blue jacket emblazoned with "76" was shooting at targets with lethal effectiveness. "John." Mercy said. The man turned around, his face obscured by a black mask with a glowing red visor. "Mercy." Soldier-76 replied. "Our newest agent?" "Yes. Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said, offering her hand, which Soldier shook. "Morrison. John Morrison, former leader of Overwatch." Soldier said. "I'll be your combat instructor for now. First, we need a designation for you. Just to make sure your identity remains secret for now." "Right." Twilight said. "I'm not sure I can come up with one, though." "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Mercy said. "For now, I'll leave you with John so you can learn how to fight and defend yourself. I'll see if I can make you a weapon you can use." Twilight thanked Mercy, and she departed. John set his Heavy Pulse Rifle down and assumed a combat stance. ==================== Three hours had passed, and Twilight was panting on the training room floor, sweating heavily. Soldier had put her through her paces multiple times, from running laps to learning strikes from martial arts. As he looked down at her, he shrugged. "That's enough for now." Soldier said. "Get some rest. I'll show you to the barracks." Twilight nodded and stood up wearily. As they walked, Twilight inquired about why Soldier was the former leader of Overwatch. "Well, after the Crisis, Overwatch was dismantled from within and from the outside. We were charged with crimes from human rights abuse to weapons dealing, and the people called for my head. Almost got it, too. Our headquarters in Geneva was destroyed, and myself and another were presumed dead with it." "Who was this "another"?"" Twilight asked. "His name was Gabriel Reyes." Soldier said. "He was a good friend of mine, as he led the Blackwatch section. He eventually turned against me and we fought as our HQ exploded. I know he's alive. I've seen him. But…he's not the man he used to be. Reyes...became the Talon agent known as Reaper. He's a heartless, remorseless killer now, far from what he used to be. Worse, he's still out there." Twilight murmured an "I'm sorry" as she entered the barracks to her new bunk. "Breakfast is at 0800 Hours in the common room, down the hall to the left." Soldier said. "Get some rest." Twilight nodded, and collapsed on the bed. She was soon sound asleep. ============ Back in Equestria, Princess Celestia stood in disbelief before the empty casket. She examined the lock and found it had not been forced, nor was there any footprints in the freshly planted grass. She sighed, and summoned an illusionary copy of Twilight in the casket. She closed the lid and departed, her eyes filled with tears. "Twilight…" she thought. "If you're out there, alive, please....come back. We need you." Author's Note New assassinverse story, why not? Do you like it?
Chapter 1-NorthstarTwo Weeks later Sicily, near the coast. Twilight Sparkle, now known as Overwatch Agent Magister, checked her gear as Tracer flew her towards a abandoned Omnic reactor aboard the Orca. "Listen up, Magister!" Tracer said over the comms. "This here Northstar fellow is our priority, along with whatever's so special about that reactor. Find out what's going on, and shut it down. I'll be on station if needed, luv." "Roger that." Twilight said, checking her main weapon, the Manastrike Staff. Mercy had developed it as the opposite of the Caduceus staff. Where the Caduceus healed, the Manastrike hurt. It featured an extendable shaft and a large two-pronged energy-discharging tip. Her other equipment were Manabolt grenades and a Reflector shield. Twilight's attire was a gray trench coat with purple designs, and a set of Overwatch body armor. "Here's the drop zone!" Tracer cried. Twilight nodded and jumped out, levitating herself to the ground. Tracer gave her a cheery "Good luck!" and flew to a safe distance. Twilight prepped her staff and entered the main gate to the reactor. ========= As she walked along the dark paths, she saw a computer terminal brightly lit. Bypassing the Omnic Network's security, she viewed the production logs. "Someone's been trying to restart this reactor." she murmured. "And furthermore, the schematics for each Omnic unit have been altered. What's going on here…" "Freeze." a voice spoke. Twilight took her hands of the terminal and saw in her peripheral vision the barrel of a gun pointed at her head. "Northstar, I presume?" she said. "What's it to you?" Northstar replied. "I want to know what you're doing here." "I was sent to investigate this reactor." Twilight said. "You?" "Same reason." Northstar replied, lowering his Polaris rifle. Twilight turned to see a man of twenty-two, wearing dark clothing styled for urban warfare. A scarf emblazoned with the logo of the United States marines was around his neck. Northstar sighed and looked at Twilight. "You Overwatch?" he asked. "Yes." Twilight said. "How'd you figure?" "I was considered for it before they were shut down." Northstar said. "If you're here to recruit me again, I'll pass." "That's still up for debate." Twilight said. "Would you know who's in this Omnium?" "I've been tracking three unknown carrier planes to this location." Northstar said as the two of them walked down the hall with their weapons ready. "They deposited three squads of armed individuals, clad in black and red. Armed with assault weaponry." "Talon infantry." Twilight growled. "Figures." "It does." Northstar replied. "This Omnium's been silent since the crisis ended. Whatever's here that Talon wants…" "We had better get there first." Twilight said, as she and Northstar picked up the pace. Soon, they arrived at a large area, the central deployment bay. The bodies of long-deactivated Bastion units law strewn about possibly the largest Omnic Twilight had ever seen. It was similar to the Walkers D.Va had fought during her time in MEKA, but this one was more heavily armed and featured what was unmistakably a portable gauss cannon on it's belly. Armor was present everywhere, and apart from six omnic eyes, one large eye graced the walker's head. "What is that thing?" Northstar asked. "It's an Omnic Arachnid walker. These were used in South Korea during the crisis. This one looks like it's been modified. Souped-up chassis, portable gauss cannon...seems this reactor's been busy." Twilight said. "We have to destroy it. This could wipe out Sicily." "Or the whole Mediterranean sea area." Northstar said. Then, footsteps came from behind them, and they turned on a dime to see three Talon Infantry squads aiming their weapons at them. Twilight primed her staff, and Northstar readied his rifle. Then, there was the sound of deep, hoarse laughter. Twilight and Northstar saw a ghostly black form appear in front of them on a balcony, which turned into a black-clad man with a skull mask. "Reaper." Twilight growled. "If it isn't Overwatch's newest...recruit." Reaper cackled. "I'll be sure to send your body back to the monkey that leads you." "His name is Winston." Twilight replied. "And he's far from being a mere monkey." "Heh." Reaper scoffed. "Take them out!" The Talon soldiers opened fire, causing Twilight and Northstar to dive into cover. One stray bullet smacked into the Omnic Walker's faceplate, and a dull groan echoed through the area. "Cease fire!" Reaper yelled. Twilight and everyone else present froze at the Omnic's eyes lighting up blue, then turning a deep crimson red. The walker extended two arms mounted with missile pods at the Talon soldiers. Then, the Omnium PA spoke. "WARNING. OMNIC TRAMPLER UNIT ONLINE. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY." "FALL BACK!" Reaper cried as the Trampler opened fire, killing several Talon infantry units. Twilight and Northstar took cover behind a shipping container as the Omnic walker tore through the Talon soldiers. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?" Northstar growled. "I don't think we need to." Twilight said. "Reaper seems to have this handled...for now, at least." They looked out to see Reaper blasting the Omnic's face in with his Hellfire Shotguns, using his Death Blossom. The Omnic collapsed and groaned, and Reaper growled. "Now's our chance!" Twilight said. "Let's take him out!" "No, don't." Northstar said. "He's still got infantry support with him. We're outgunned. I think we can distract him long enough to get out with our lives." "How?" Twilight replied. "Those grenades?" Northstar said, motioning to her Manabolt charges. "Yeah." Twilight said. "What about them?" "I have a good arm. If I can get one into that Omnic's core, it should cause an explosion that'll bury those Talon soldiers deep." "And possibly us with it." Twilight pointed out. "There's an emergency access hatch directly above us." Northstar said. "We get to that, it's a straight shot to the surface." "If you say so." Twilight said. As Northstar threw the grenade, Reaper ordered his troops to search the area. As Twilight leaped into the hatch, she hit the detonator on her wristpad. The Talon troops heard the crackling of the discharging mana energy too late. The reactor exploded, and as the blast sent the Talon troops flying, Northstar jumped and caught Twilight's arm. She pulled him into the vent and hit the cover switch. As they crawled to safety, Reaper reappeared on the balcony. "Damn." Reaper swore. "Mother Eagle, this is Reaper. Objective failed. They got away, and the walker was destroyed." "It is of no concern." Maximilien said. "Pull back. We got what we needed from this test." "Roger that." Reaper said as he discarded his spent shotguns. "I'm heading to the LZ. Reaper out." ========== As Northstar kicked the access hatch open and helped Twilight out, the Orca landed near them. Tracer walked up and greeted Twilight. "What'd you get, luv?" She asked. "Talon troops were attempting to restart a heavily modified Arachnid walker." Twilight reported. "During our battle, Reaper destroyed it, with help from us." "Good work, Magister." Winston said over the comms. "What about Northstar?" "I'll talk with him." Twilight said. She walked over to Northstar, who shrugged. "You want to reconsider?" She asked. Northstar sighed. "It's worth a shot. I'll join." "Welcome then, luv." Tracer said. "Let's get moving." As they boarded the Orca, it took off for the Crete Operations Base. ========== In Equestria, Celestia looked as the Traditionalists stormed the castle. The nobles had announced a coup, and their troops had captured the Elements and Luna. Celestia sighed and activated her magic, attempting to send a message to Twilight through her connection as her former student. As she finished, she was surrounded and forced to her knees, and dragged off. Author's Note Next chapter-Overwatch and Twilight come to Equestria.
Chapter 2-ReturnOverwatch Operations Base, Crete Command Center Tracer, Northstar, and Twilight walked into the command center, where Winston was waiting for them. "Seems you caused quite a stir." Winston said, gesturing to the Atlas news report. "...We are now receiving reports that unknown troops clashed with rumored Vigilante Northstar and another unknown person inside an abandoned Omnium in Sicily. Among the ruins, parts were recovered of a modified Arachnid walker, not seen since the First Omnic Crisis in Asia. Reports state the unknown attackers were clad in black and red, and carried assault weaponry. Some reports have stated an Orca aircraft commonly attributed to the former Overwatch organization was sighted leaving the area, but the UN affirmed their statement that Overwatch's charter was revoked…" Winston shut off the feed and looked at Northstar. "Welcome to Overwatch." He said. "Feel free to explore, and have a look around, you two." "Thanks." Twilight said as they left. Winston then saw a comms feed from Torbjorn, who was currently en-route to Crete. "Winston?" He said. "Torbjorn." Winston replied. "Were you successful?" "I was. The Bastion unit did spook a few citizens of Sweden, but I think this one's different." "Different how?" Winston asked. "He has an adverse reaction to sounds similar to gunfire. He nearly opened fire on me when I was mending some machinery." "Like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Winston mused. "But in an Omnic. What else?" "The Bastion seems real fond of a bird that's nesting on his shoulder, so that's a potential liability, but it should be fixable." Torbjorn reported. "Bird's real cute, too." "Understood. What's your ETA?" Winston asked. "A few hours. Say, I heard you recruited two new agents." Torbjorn said. "Good to hear some nice news." "Wish I could say the same." Winston said. "Crete out." "Torbjorn out." Winston ended the call and looked at a banana rack on his desk. "Winston?" Athena asked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" "I think I'm thinking what you're thinking." Winston said. =========== Twilight walked into her barracks dorm and sighed. It was once bare, but now several bookshelves stuffed with tomes and loose paper peppered the area. She sat down and focused her magic, attempting to muster a communication spell with Celestia. Then, a white screen appeared before her. Twilight's jaw dropped at the images. Celestia and Luna being captured… Her friends imprisoned… Her monument desecrated... And a new flag flying over Canterlot Palace. The vision faded, and Twilight's sadness slowly boiled into anger. An anger unlike anything she had known before. "Magister?" Athena said. "Your heart rate is accelerating.' "Get Winston on the line, Athena." Twilight growled. "Now." "Understood." "Magister?" Winston asked through the room comms panel. "What's wrong?" "I need to return home." Twilight said. "My friends are in danger." Winston nodded. "You won't be going alone. I've managed to locate several more former Overwatch agents and convince them to return. They'll be supporting you." "Who?" Twilight asked. "Reinhardt Wilhelm, Farah Amahri, Hana Song, and Genji Shimada." Winston said. "Also, Soldier 76 and Tracer will be going with you. Athena, myself and Northstar will be here to receive a few more agents. Good luck. The portal is ready when you are." Twilight nodded and grabbed her staff. ================== A few days later, Reinhard, Phara, D.Va, Genji, Soldier-76, Tracer, and Mercy stood before the portal to Equestria, with Twilight at the front. Twilight activated the portal, and the eight of them entered, and they were gone. ================== Twilight and the Agents reappeared in Equestria, inside the Castle gardens. Twilight saw her casket and monument had been torn down, and she seethed in anger. "Phara, provide cover and see if you can locate the targets." Twilight said. "Roger that." Phara replied as she took to the skies. "The rest of you, with me." Twilight said. As they snuck through the city, Phara radioed. "There's something happening at the palace steps. I think it's some kind of execution." "Roger that. On our way." Twilight said. As they hurried, Twilight saw the unthinkable. The Traditionalists had her friends, Celestia, and Luna in irons, and Twilight saw a cloaked pony wielding an Orichalum axe. "Take up positions around the ring." Twilight said. "Keep it quiet. Phara, with me." "Alright. Coming to you now." As the agents hid, Twilight and Phara snuck behind the columns and disabled the rearguard. Then, Twilight growled. "On my mark, we all strike. Phara, if you will?" Phara gave a nod and took to the roof of the palace, while Twilight snuck to the entrance. Twilight smiled as she hid. "Now." Phara leaped into the air and activated her missiles, drawing all attention to her. "JUSTICE RAINS FROM ABOVE!" She cried, unleashing her payload of missiles. As they impacted and exploded, Reinhardt smashed out of his hiding spot and used Earthshatter, sending the guards flying. Soldier activated his Visor and provided cover fire, pinning down more hostiles. Genji and Tracer leaped from target to target, too fast to hit. Mercy kept a steady stream of healing going to D.Va, whose MEKA was tearing through the guards. Then, as the last of the Traditionalist troops were routed, Twilight walked into the light, still disguised as a human. "Who...are you?" Blueblood stammered. Twilight nodded to the humans, who began to speak in turn, one by one. "We...are Hope." Mercy said. "We...are Courage." Phara added. "We...are HONOR!" Reinhardt bellowed. "We...are Justice." Soldier growled. "We...are Determination!" Tracer echoed. "We...are Harmony." Genji said. "We...are Persistence!" D.Va said, giving her V sign. "We...are Overwatch!" Twilight bellowed, shedding her disguise and flaring her wings. The crowd gasped and whispered, and every Traditionalist paled in fright and terror. Twilight walked to a stammering Amadeus, and slapped him to the ground. "'I've waited a long time for this." Twilight said. "You once compared me to Queen Chrysalis. You were sort of right. The only deceitful, lying, conniving, murdering locust here...is you!" She screamed. "No…" Amadeus whispered. "You're dead! DEAD!" "I was brought back." Twilight stated. "And you should know something, all of you. I was more than a Princess of Equestria. I was a hero. And heroes never die, for even the darkest of shadows only dim the light, and can never extinguish it. I know what you're feeling. You're scared and desperate. You want to die." Twilight looked Amadeus in the eye. "But I'm not going to kill you. I'm not a monster, like you and all the Traditionalists. By the time we're done with you...I'll let you imagine the next part." Twilight said. "Guards?" A lone guard stepped forward. "Yes, Princess?" He said. "What are your orders?" "Get them out of here, and into the darkest cell you have." She said. "Also, see what you can do about those chains, will you?" "Of course." The Guard said. "Get to it!" "Yessir!" They chorused. Twilight walked over to Celestia, and before her friends could react, she buried her face in Celestia's chest and wept. Celestia wrapped her legs around Twilight and tears fell like the rain. Author's Note Update! Sorry that this took so long. Next time-Twilight and the Overwatch agents deal with the Traditionalists, but during the trial...things hit the fan.
Chapter 3, Part 1-TalonThrone Room, Canterlot Palace One hour, twenty-two minutes post Overwatch Assault Celestia, Luna, and the Elements watched as Twilight rigged up what she had called a "Cross-Com Receiver" on the ground, and they could occasionally hear her growl in frustration or utter a swear. "Got it." she said after some final exasperated groans. "Open up the connection." "Roger that." Tracer said. "We're through!" Then, a screen appeared in front of the ponies, and what surprised them most was the gorilla looking back at them through a pair of glasses, and wearing high-tech white armor. "Is this some kind of joke?" Rainbow asked. "I assure you, it is not." Winston replied. "I'm Winston, leader of Overwatch. Though I am a gorilla, I have an IQ of well over 400." "How is that possible?" Luna asked. "I was genetically and mentally tutored to be smarter than any human." Winston said. "Though, that's not important. What is important is why we're here. Twilight, or as we know her, Magister, joined us when we brought her to our world." "The orichalum…" Luna murmured. "It was a small factor." Mercy said. "Resurrection through neural surge is affected by poison, but not enough to cause death once resurrected." Twilight nodded, and looked to Celestia. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, when you needed me most." Celestia wrapped her wings around her and hugged her tight. "You came for us. That's more than enough." Twilight smiled, and looked back to the agents who gave her looks of apprehensiveness. "Though...even though I'm sorry to say it, I can't stay long." "Why?" Rarity asked. "Surely…" "Their world is teetering on the brink of worldwide civil war, after just barely recovering from the Omnic Crisis." Twilight said. "They need my help. I'll return when I can, but for now...I'm staying with Overwatch. Their world needs heroes." Celestia nodded understandingly. "Do be safe, Twilight." she said. "And I wish to thank you, Mercy, for bringing her back." "You are welcome." Mercy said. "But we have more pressing concerns." "Indeed." Luna said. "The Traditionalists have been arrested. Many in Canterlot are clamoring for their trial to begin as soon as possible." "Let's oblige them." Twilight said. "Winston, we'll hold out here until the trial is over." "Understood." Winston replied. "I'll see you on the far side." "Roger that." Twilight ended the connection, and sighed. "Girls, I'm sorry I have to go so soon." "It's okay, Twi." Applejack said. "We're glad you're back. That's all you need to know." "And speaking of…" she added. "How's Cadance and Shining?" "They're on their way." Celestia replied. "They didn't believe me at first, though." "I certainly wouldn't." Twilight replied. "Let's get that courtroom ready." ======= Epsilon Crete, Overwatch Base Winston tapped at the computer screen and looked over his shoulder at Torbjorn, who was applying an Overwatch logo patch to the Bastion unit he recovered, while Ganymede the bird sat on a perch. "And we're done." Torbjorn growled. "You keep that feathered thing of yours in check, you hear me?" "Beep-boop." Bastion replied, Ganymede flying over to his finger which was held like a perch. "Darn bird." Torbjorn growled. "Follows him everywhere. Gotten his...leavings on my machinery too many times." "Well, that's to be expected from a bird." Winston said, amused. "Where's miss Mei and Hanzo?" "Hanzo is getting used to his new accommodations." Athena said. "Mei is currently in the laboratory, charging Snowball, her drone." "Good to know." Winston said, pulling up news feeds from across the globe. "There's news of the Bastion in Sweden, more King's Row incidents, and...hmm…" "What?" Torbjorn said. "It says here that a Helix Security lab in Belgium was broken into, along with a Vishkar lab in Bangladesh." Winston said. "Nothing was stolen except...teleportation and quantum dimensional research materials. Currently suspects include the Sombra Collective and Talon." "WInston?" Torbjorn asked. "Are you saying…" "Yes. If what I think is correct, then Talon has the capabilities to reach Equestria." Winston said. "Problem is, we don't know if they already have. I'll alert our agents there." "I'll keep looking around here, then." Torbjorn replied. "Hey, you dumb bird! Get away from those bananas!" Ganymede chirped and flew around the room, while Winston laughed and Bastion made chirping noises like a robot's version of bright chuckles. ==== Twilight stood on her balcony, as the night sky was filled with an aurora borealis, in celebration of her return. Twilight had no time to celebrate, however. Winston had told her that Talon had the capability to reach Equestria, and there was the possibility of an attack. "Damn It!" she swore, slamming her fist down. "As if we had enough problems already!" She sighed, rubbed her sore hoof, and walked over to the area where Reinhardt was repairing his armor. "You alright, Magister?" the German Crusader asked. "I've got bad news." she said. "Talon has the ability to get here now." Reinhardt stopped welding and looked at her. "How?" "They broke into two labs, belonging to Helix and Vishkar." Twilight said. "If they come here, we're doomed." "There is always hope." Reinhardt replied. "Did I tell you of the time I freed an entire town from the control of a gang?" "Really?" Twilight asked. "Yes." Reinhardt said, setting down his blowtorch. "They called themselves the Dragons. They beat me once, but I didn't have my armor. The next time I took them on, I triumphed. And I gave that town hope." "That sounds fun." Twilight said. Reinhardt laughed in response. As they shared stories, high above Canterlot, a figure watched from a spire. Pale blue skin glowed in the faint light as the figure aimed a Sniper's Rifle at Twilight. Widowmaker placed the crosshairs directly on the alicorn's head, until a voice spoke through her ear comm. "Widowmaker, pull back." Reaper said. "Maximillien has a new plan." "Roger that." Widowmaker said, grappling into a concealed Talon helicopter. As she set her rifle down, Sombra looked back at her. "You know the part of the plan you're responsible for?" Widowmaker asked. Sombra nodded, and went back to typing on her portable laptop. "You worry too much, amiga." Sombra said, manipulating the data stream in her fingers. "We'll be fine. As long as we retrieve the target, we'll be fine." "Watch your tone." Widowmaker snapped. "I still have my suspicions about you and the Volskaya operation." "I told you she escaped." Sombra said, shrugging. "Trust me, I won't fail this time." "You had better not." Widowmaker replied, taking the Pilot's seat and driving the Helicopter to a hidden cave, where Talon had set up a mobile operations base inside Canterlot Mountain. As it landed and a 3D mesh shielded it from view, Reaper and Doomfist walked over. "Are we set?" Reaper asked. "We are good to go." Sombra said. Widowmaker merely nodded. Reaper growled and left. Doomfist followed him, his muscles clearly visible in the darkened cave. From the sidelines, three platoons of Talon soldiers were checking their weapons for the oncoming assault. ==== The next day. 11:00 AM Canterlot Center of Justice As the three Princesses and Twilight took their seats at the podium, with the Overwatch agents standing nearby, the Traditionalists responsible for coup and Twilight's murder were brought forward. Celestia banged the gavel three times before she spoke. "Before we begin, I have a few words to say." she said. "Prince Blueblood, I once treated you as my own son. Now, here we stand...You are no nephew of mine. I have no nephew anymore." Prince Blueblood flinched, but did not look away. Celestia then cleared her throat. "Let us begin. You stand accused of murder, conspiracy, treason, assault, crimes against Equestria and the Diarchy, and countless other charges, too many to list. How do you plead?" "Not guilty." was the reply from each Traditionalist. Twilight kept calm, though her hooves clenched up in anger. "Prosecution, begin your challenge." As the Prosecutors called witnesses, Twilight kept an eye on her Sonar Map of the area, which was in her lap. She then raised her eyebrows at several unknown contacts at several locations in Canterlot, mostly the Dungeons and the Courtroom. Twilight quickly tapped into the cross-com. "Agents, we've got multiple contacts. Unknown ID. Get ready, but make it look like you're not getting ready." "Roger that." everyone replied. Then, during the cross-examination of Prince Blueblood, there was a loud noise, a thud, and several particles of plaster fell into the room. "What was that?" Cadance asked. Twilight secretly drew her Manastrike Staff, and then, it happened again, fiercer and more powerful. Then, there was one more that sent cracks in the roof. Then, Twilight heard a yell. In fact, everyone heard a yell. "METEOR PUNCH!" The roof shattered as Doomfist smashed into the center of the Courtroom, enshrouded by dust. As the ponies stood in shock, Doomfist spoke. "Every battle makes us stronger. That is the meaning of humanity. Those who fall....will be forgotten. Those who rise up…" The dust parted, revealing Doomfist's muscled form. "THEIR NAMES WILL BE REMEMBERED!" he roared. At that, two Talon Platoons fast-roped into the room and opened fire. "Overwatch, ENGAGE!" Twilight cried as Reinhardt smashed forward to do battle with Doomfist as Reaper and Widowmaker entered the room, Reaper firing his shotguns. Soldier 76 immediately focused his fire on Reaper, and Tracer, yelling "For Mondatta!" unloaded her Pulse Pistols at Widowmaker. As D.Va, Phara, Genji, and Mercy fought the Talon soldiers alongside Twilight, Sombra, gone unnoticed through the battle, slowly made her way with the last Talon platoon towards the Dungeons, towards Amadeus Blueblood. Author's Note Update!
Chapter 3, Part 2-A Symphony of ShadowAs Sombra and her accompanying Talon squad entered the Maximum Security level, a few easy hacks and an EMP gave the Talon team access to the cell holding Amadeus Blueblood and a few other of his associates. Sombra opened the door, shocking the five ponies inside. "Which one of you is Amadeus?" She asked. Amadeus stood up and nodded. Sombra nodded and the Talon troops rushed him to a waiting helicopter. Sombra took one last look at the other prisoners before a burst of bullets from her PDW ended their lives. She holstered her weapon, smiled and boarded the helicopter, which took off for their mountain base. "All troops, this is Sombra." she spoke into her ear-comm. "Target secure. We're done here." "Roger that." Reaper replied. "Meet at our rally point for extraction. Objective complete." "Confirmed." Widowmaker added. "As you wish." Doomfist growled. ==== The Overwatch agents stood in shock as Reaper, Widowmaker, and Doomfist escaped under the cover of Reaper's Death Blossom. Jumping into a waiting dropship, D.Va and Soldier unloaded their final bursts of ammo in an attempt to stop them. The Dropship, though it took a few hits, flew off with the other helicopters towards their unknown destination. "This is Magister." Twilight growled. "Report, everyone." As the Agents checked in with their status, Twilight set out for the dungeons. ==== As she arrived, she was shocked to see a platoon of guards hauling four body bags out of the cell where Amadeus was kept. "Who are they?" Twilight asked. "The bodies of several prominent Traditionalists, Princess." one said. "There was supposed to be five, but one is missing." "Which one?" Twilight asked. The Guard shuffled nervously, knowing that what he had to say was certainly what the Princess didn't want to hear. "Which one?" she asked again. "Amadeus Blueblood." The Guard said. "His body was not found." Twilight's eyes flared, and she fell to the ground, her Manastrike Staff falling beside her. "Amadeus...gone?" she thought, completely dumbstruck. She gathered her nerves and thanked the Guard before heading back to the Courtroom. ==== Twilight entered the courtroom and collapsed, causing Tracer and Soldier to rush over. "What's wrong?" Tracer asked. "Amadeus...he's gone." Twilight stammered. "Talon…" The thoughts of every Overwatch agent present clicked together. "That's what Talon came here for." Reinhardt growled. "They wanted Amadeus." "Why, though?" Mercy asked. "It's not like Talon to kidnap someone from another world just because they can." "Amadeus had significant political and financial connections." Twilight said. "Talon could use someone with friends like that. We need to find him. Overwatch, we're heading back to Earth. Celestia, can you clean this up here?" Celestia didn't have the time to reply as Twilight and the other Agents vanished through a teleporter. ==== Arriving back at the Crete base, Twilight hurried off to find Winston, while the others waited apprehensively. After a few minutes, Twilight came back with an angered Winston. "Agents, here's the plan. Our objective is to return Amadeus Blueblood to justice, now known as Maestro. We can't do this as a group, it'll draw too much attention." "So that's why we're forming teams of two or three to search the globe." Twilight said, drawing up a map. "I've already assigned each agent to a partner. Take these." Twilight handed out tablets to each agent. "These will allow us to cross-communicate leads and evidence to the other search teams." Twilight continued. "I will remain here with the Bastion unit, Mercy, Winston, Torbjorn, and Northstar as security for this base." Bastion gave a chirp. "Also, we need all the help we can get. If you find someone worth recruiting, don't hesitate." Twilight said. "However, you cannot give any hints that Overwatch was officially recalled, or any details to our mission. Furthermore, do your best to stay out of trouble. That's all. Pair up and get moving." "Roger that." the agents chorused, taking their tablets and proceeding to form their teams. Reinhardt, Brigitte, and Genji were to search the Northern United States and most of central Europe. Tracer and Soldier-76 would check on King's Row, Eichenwalde, and Dorado. D.Va and Pharah were tasked with Numbani and Cairo. Hanzo and Mei were heading to Hanamura along with Cape Town, South Africa, due to Talon activity recently reported there. Twilight made sure each Agent was at peak condition before sending them out on their respective journeys via Orca aircraft. ==== Volskaya Industries, Russia Zarya stood near the side of Lynx-Seventeen as he underwent repairs from the warehouse explosion. The Russian weightlifter's mind was crisscrossed with worry and doubt. "Volskaya received tech from...the Omnics? Russia's enemy?" she thought miserably. "She was supposed to be the defender of Russia…" Zarya gave an unconscious Lynx one last look before heading to her rest area. She was about to log onto her laptop before she noticed something near it. A USB drive, emblazoned with the Overwatch logo. A note was near it. Watch and listen. You need to hear what needs to be said on this drive. A friend. Zarya plugged the drive in, and inside was a video file marked A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD. Zarya hit PLAY, and sat back. ==== Zarya watched in shock as the words from the message registered in her mind, the images still fresh and new. She could still hear the call in her ears. The world decided they were better off without us… They even called us criminals! They tore our family apart... ...BUT LOOK AROUND! Someone has to do something! We have to do something! We can make a difference again! The world needs us now, more than ever! Are you with me? Zarya slowly shut the laptop and sighed, looking at the Overwatch USB drive, and a feeling of hope started to rise within her. "I am with you." she whispered. "Aleksandra Zaryanova is with you." Dorado As the streets of Dorado lay silent, one man leaned on a street corner, smoking a cigar. The Peacekeeper revolver lay silent in its holster, and the only illumination was from the burning end of McCree's cigar. McCree was bored, truth be told. After stopping a train robbery, he had headed south to Dorado for some rest. Problem was, rest wasn't easy to find. This section of Dorado was controlled thoroughly by the Los Muertos, and McCree had dodged them three times already. McCree stomped out his cigar and frowned. There was a dull click, and McCree smiled. "Whatever you got, I want it." the hoodlum said. "I doubt you do." McCree replied calmly. "You've got better things to do then rob people, youngster." "Do I?" "If I was being honest…" McCree said, secretly priming a Flashbang. "Yes." McCree rolled and threw the grenade, blinding the thug, followed by two shots from the Peacekeeper straight into his leg. As the hoodlum fell to the ground, groaning, McCree scoffed. "Next time, don't cross paths with someone who's got the clear upper hand." he scoffed. "And I'd get someone to look at that leg." McCree walked off as the thug limped away. Eventually sitting down in a vacant inn, he ordered a drink and looked at the TV. "...Though the UN continues to deny the legitimacy of the film, the mysterious objects seen and filmed leaving the island of Crete were confirmed to be Overwatch Orca aircraft, heading for the United States, Europe, Japan, and Africa. The UN has cited the Petras act multiple times, and affirms its statement the Overwatch Charter was revoked...In other news, The Gadsden Corporation in South Africa has come under public pressure to suspend watershed development in Cape Town…" McCree sighed and looked back at the USB he had received a while ago. Like Zarya's, it was emblazoned with the Overwatch logo. "So Winston, what's your next move?" McCree sighed, taking a ship of whiskey. "You've already recalled us, so what now?" McCree finished his drink, paid for a room, and headed upstairs. Author's Note Update!
Chapter 4-Hanamura and DoradoHanamura Shimada Tower Kirou Yukichi wasn't too pleased at the moment. His two students had yet to show up for their combat lesson. Bypassing the lock on their room, he wasn't surprised to find his two students, Yuuki and Sakura Shimada, deep in their usual antics. Yuuki, the younger sister, was on her laptop browsing new music, mostly from Lucio and other artists. However… Sakura, the elder, was staring at a photo of the Shimada estate's shrine. Displayed in vibrant color was a figure wielding a bow and quiver, offering incense. Sakura had never met the man, but she knew who he was. Hanzo Shimada. Dragon of the South Wind...and her elder brother. Sakura and Yuki then noticed who was in the room with them. They bowed, and Kirou bid them to rise. "You're late." Kirou said. "Our apologies, Sensei." Sakura said. "We lost track of time." "Very well." Kirou said. "Let's head to the Dojo. We must make up for it." "You sure this is where we're going?" Mei asked for the fifth time. Hanzo nodded with a sigh. "The Shimada clan has numerous contacts in the criminal underworld. If Amadeus is anywhere, he'll be here. Ready yourself, miss Mei. The Shimada do not take kindly to uninvited guests." Mei and Snowball gulped, but she loaded her Endothermic Blaster with a nod. Two Shimada thugs were monitoring the gate, when they saw Hanzo come forward with a woman in a blue fur coat. "Is that…" one asked. "No way…" the other said. "Let us in." Hanzo said, the authority clear. The Guards gulped, and opened the gate to the Shimada tower. Hanzo made note of the radios on their belts before they entered, and were out of sight. "Security, this is Gate." One guard said as they left. "What's wrong?" "He's here. With an unknown partner." the lead guard said. "Send Security Details to the lobby." "Understood." ==== Hanzo and Mei entered the lobby, which was styled like a Shinto Shrine in terms of decoration. "Prepare yourself." Hanzo said, nocking an arrow. "We are not alone." Mei readied her Blaster, nodding with determination. Then, three platoons of Shimada thugs, armed with assault gear marched in and aimed their weapons. "You were a fool to come back, Hanzo." a voice said over the intercom. "You betrayed us, and you stride into our home like a common thief?" "Then I am a fool to believe that there is still hope for the world." Hanzo retorted. "And maybe so be it for my brother." "Enough!" The voice replied. "Kill them!" "Mei." Hanzo whispered. "Use Snowball to freeze their weapons. I will take them out." "Right." Mei replied. "Snowball?" The Drone chirped and loaded a full salvo of cryogenic liquid. "Now!" Hanzo cried, as they leaped behind a desk. Snowball then spewed the salvo of sub-zero liquid, which turned into ice upon contact with the air. The thugs were frozen in place, and a few arrows from Hanzo dispatched them. "Let's go!" Hanzo said. The two of them leaped over and headed for the stairwell. ==== Sakura and Yuki were sparring when the alarms began to blare. "What's happening?" Kirou asked. "It's him." the Intercom voice replied. "And he's got company." "Right." he said. "Sakura, Yuki!" "Yes, Sensei?" they asked. "Head to floor 7." he said. "Intruders are in the building. Dispatch them." The two sisters ran out, with Sakura grabbing a pair of Kunai. === Hanzo and Mei exited the stairs on the top floor, the conference room dead ahead. Then, they stopped. Two girls, both around sixteen, stood in their path. One wielded a Staff, the other Kunai. Hanzo nocked an arrow, and chanted. "Ryuu ga waga teki wo KURAU!" he chanted, summoning the Dragon of the South Wind. What came next shocked him. "SEIFU HASSEI!" One of the girls cried, summoning a Yellow Dragon that spun around her, deflecting Hanzo's attack. "KOCHI HASSEI!" the other yelled. This time, a Red Dragon smashed into the floor, churning up an ethereal barrier. "Impossible." Hanzo murmured. "Only a Shimada can control the Dragons. Who are they?" Mei barely had time to cry out "Heads up!" as the girl with the Kunai rushed him. Hanzo deflected the blades with his bow, while Mei shot Ice Spears at the other, whose staff smashed them as she got closer. Hanzo could tell these girls were well-trained. Once close in, they worked as a seamless team, their movements precise and swift. Hanzo recognized that they were trained by the Shimada, or born into the Clan. Then, he looked one of the girls in the eye. The girl froze, and Hanzo took his chance and knocked her into the ground. The other was about to charge him when there was a cry. "WAIT!" Hanzo stopped, and looked at the girl below him. Her black hair was striking, but the most prominent feature were her eyes. Brown. The exact shade of brown as Hanzo and Genji's eyes. "Who are you?" Hanzo asked. The girl stopped fighting, and let her Kunai drop to the floor. "You're Hanzo." she whispered. "It is you." "How do you know my name?" Hanzo asked. "I have never met you." "I know of you...brother." she whispered, before she hugged him tightly. Hanzo flinched, and looked down at her. Her facial build was the same as his. And the eyes gave a testimony that didn't lie. "How?" he asked. "What is your name?" "I'm Sakura." she said. "And this is Yuuki." "How can you control the Dragons?" Hanzo asked. "Only a Shimada can possibly..." "We were born to to Sojiro Shimada via surrogate." she said. "We are half-siblings, Hanzo." "That clears things up." Hanzo said. "Come with me." Sakura and Yuki watched as Hanzo got down on one knee. "The world is changing. A new threat is rising, one that would plunge us into the depths of hell to no end. I and others stand against them, but we are few. Come with us, sisters. Let me show you how to make the world anew." he spoke. Sakura and Yuki nodded, slowly but surely. "Let us leave this place, then." Hanzo said. The four of them rushed for the exit, as a security camera watched them. ==== Kirou watched in shock as his students left with the enemy. "Those ungrateful wretches!" a Shimada leader cried. "We must find them!" "No. Do not dare." The assembled Shimada leaders saw Sojiro Shimada come forward, out of the darkness. "They are still my children." he sighed. "And I do not wish them harm." "They betrayed the clan you have worked so hard to lead!" one protested. "And they will come back." Sojiro said. "On what side...has yet to be determined." ==== Hanzo, Mei, Sakura, and Yuki boarded their Orca and headed back to Crete with their mission report. Sakura watched as Yuki and Mei spoke to the other like dear friends, and Sakura sighed. "I hope I will meet you soon, Genji." she sighed. ==== Talon HQ Unknown Location Amadeus Blueblood was brought into a conference room, escorted by Reaper and Widowmaker. As he sat down, the chair at the head of the table turned. Maximillien saw the pony sit down and eye him curiously. "You are Amadeus Blueblood, yes?" he asked. "Indeed. You are?" Blueblood replied. "I am Maximillien, leader of Talon." the Omnic replied. "I authorized your rescue because you have many connections we need." "Such as?" the unicorn asked. "Political, Financial, Military to name a few." was the reply. "If you join us, we shall help you achieve your goals, as well as you helping to achieve ours." Blueblood smiled. "I accept." he said. "Welcome." the Omnic replied. "Reaper, take him to miss Moira. Show him what she can do." "Yessir." Reaper replied. "This way." The two of them entered a lab, where Moira O'Deorain was waiting for them. Amadeus flinched at seeing her laboratory, full of gene-modifying technology. "Ah, my newest patient." she said. "Let's see what I can do with you." Amadeus sat down into the operation chair, and Moira applied anesthetic. Soon, his vision went dark, and Moira began the authorized "improvements" to Amadeus. ==== Amadeus woke up with a smile. Moira looked over at him, from where she was monitoring his diagnostics. "The genetic enhancements worked perfectly, and bound seamlessly to your nervous system." Moira said, as Amadeus inspected himself. His chest now was embedded with a large canister and machinery, and the pony himself felt stronger, more powerful. "What sort of enhancements?" he asked. "I brought myself up to speed on your capabilities while you were unconscious." she said. "I have managed to...triple...your available magic supply, nearing that of an alicorn of your world. Furthermore, your cells have been altered with a healing protein that can bind wounds over time, no matter how large or severe they are. And one more thing...your kind is fascinating, Mr. Amadeus. If you were to bring me a second test subject...I would be most appreciative." "You can count on it." he smiled. "And I believe I know just who will suffice. Would an Alicorn be to your liking?" "Oh, certainly." Moira said. "I will have so much to learn! But I digress. Maximilien requests your presence." Amadeus rejoined Reaper and they headed for the meeting room. Amadeus sat down, and Maximilien nodded. "Did your enhancements go to plan?" he asked. "Swimmingly." Amadeus said smugly. "What is on the agenda?" "For now, we wait." Maximillien said. "Acquaint yourself with our services. You will find they are superior to your homeworld. But first, a toast." Maximillien poured a glass of whiskey for Amadeus, and took an empty one for himself. As they toasted, Amadeus smiled with a wicked grin. === Crete Operations Base Control Room Twilight looked over from her readouts to see Bastion playing his his pet bird, his robotic giggles giving a sense of childhood to the Omnic. "Hey." Twilight saw Northstar come in, thought his attire had changed. He now wore a blue Overwatch trench coat, with body armor. His Polaris Rifle now bore the Overwatch logo. The last change was a high-tech eyepiece over his right eye. "You look good." Twilight said. "Thanks." Northstar said, sitting down. "It'll take some getting used to, but it'll do for now." "Good to hear." Twilight said. "I've gotten reports from Hanzo and Mei. Apparently they've gotten us two new recruits." "That's good to hear." Northstar said. "If anything, we'll take out Talon and find Maestro in no time." "I wish." Twilight sighed. Northstar laughed and sat down. Eventually, the two of them decided to head for the mess hall to scavenge something to eat. Dorado, Mexico Around 3 PM. "Tracer, we don't have time for this." Soldier-76 said with a frustrated tone. "We can't get food in the middle of a mission." "Come on, Commander!" Tracer groaned. "There's a Bakery near here! We'll be in and out!" Soldier groaned, and deciding that it wouldn't hurt too much to oblige, followed Tracer to the suburbs of Dorado, before Soldier stopped suddenly. "Panadería Las Nieblas." he murmured, seeing the sign. "I wonder…" He knocked on the door, and a small girl opened it. "Welcome…" she started, before she saw Soldier-76 standing next to Tracer. "Hey, kid. You still open?" Soldier asked. The girl gave a happy nod and showed them in. as she hurried behind the counter, Tracer looked at Soldier with a curious eye. "Why'd she act like that?" Tracer asked. "Because I saved her life." Soldier said. "I was after the Los Muertos when she got mixed up in the op. Though I lost the weapons I was after, I saved a life. She...asked me if I was one of those heroes." "What'd you say?" Tracer asked. "Not anymore." he replied. "I still think you are." said a quiet voice. The girl came out, bearing a loaded tray of food and drink. Soldier gave a nod, and as she set it down, the girl smiled before heading upstairs. Soldier then took off his visor with a slow breath, revealing his worn, battle-scarred face. He and Tracer ate for a while, before Soldier stood up, fetched a pen and paper, and wrote a note. Then, he replaced his visor. "We should go." Soldier said. "We can't stay here." "I know, Soldier." Tracer replied. "We should at least say goodbye." At that moment, the girl reappeared. Soldier looked at her, and beckoned. "What's your name, kid?" he asked. "Alejandra." she replied. "Alright then." he said. "Alejandra, you take this." Soldier handed the girl a small communicator. "You see anything strange, call me." he replied. "I have to get going. But before I forget...I'm Morrison. Jack Morrison. Former leader of Overwatch. That's Tracer." The girl nodded, and Tracer gave her a pat on the head. "I have to go now." Jack said. "You keep in touch, okay?" "Right!" The girl waved goodbye as they left, and then she saw the note. Thanks for the kind words, kid. Never give up hope. I'm seeing a bright future ahead of you, and the world. Jack Morrison. "Alejandra?" her mother asked from upstairs. "Who was it?" Alejandra smiled as she replied with a tear in here eye. "Heroes, mama." ==== It wasn't long before Soldier and Tracer found themselves to be lost. "That's the church we just passed." Tracer groaned. "Where are we?" "Mind if I help?" Both of them turned to see a familiar figure approach, smoking a cigar. "McCree." Soldier said, shaking his hand. "Good to see you. You got the recall, I presume?" "You "presume" correctly." McCree replied. "Let's go. I happen to know the location of a Los Muertos stronghold." Soldier and Tracer, joined by McCree, headed out, making sure their weapons were loaded. Author's Note Update! Next time-Genji, Reinhardt, and Brigette run into trouble in Colorado, and Pharah reunites with her mother, Ana.
