Hello Tracer! What a horrible future you have!
“You ready for this Tracer,” Mercy asks, eyes scanning her for any abnormalities. Everything comes back green. Tracer is in peak health, there is nothing to hold back the test flight.
“Relax, Dr. Ziegler. I’ll be fine!” Lena pats Mercy on the shoulder. Gently she squeezes once, Mercy’s muscles taunt under her fingers. Geez! Why is everyone so worried? Since Winston’s discovery of using force fields to navigate the timeline, scientists have been itching to control the possibility of teleporting through time. Imagine how many lives could be saved if the Omnics were defeated before they attack the innocent? Such a feat has to be mastered if possible! I can do this! I will master this jet. Imagine how many we can save!
“ ’Course I’m ready, love! I was born for this.” Tracer attempts to get Mercy to relax. Quickly flashing her a cheeky wink and grin Lena hops off the exam table. Tracer strides out the door, flashing her a farewell salute. I am the best choice to pilot the Slipstream. Not only is she Overwatch’s best pilot, she has no fear. It would take nerves of steel to attempt this with any chance of success. No one else bids her farewell, the halls are empty. Good! Nothing like awkward farewells to stall the test flight. Doesn’t take long to slide into her jumpsuit. Winston made it extra special; it has all kinds of sensors to monitor her condition. Winston is a big softy, always watching her back. Not that she needs it!
Jack and Winston are waiting for her at the jet. Jack looks equal parts relaxed, confident, and attentive. Winston looks like he hasn’t gotten enough sleep, per usual before she tests one of his fancy new tech. No words are exchanged, they know her too well. Lena hates farewells before a test flight. It always seems to her like they’re terrified she won’t make it back when they taste time saying goodbye.
As the jet comes alive under fingers, a thrill runs down Lena’s spine. She lives for moments like this! Smooth as silk the Slipstream takes off. Like all jets Overwatch maintains, it flys like a beast. Handling all the turns, dives, and crazy moves like a charm. Brown eyes focus on the blue display in front of her. Suddenly it flickers. It shouldn’t do that! A familiar face appears on the display, giving her a smile full of sorrow. Panic grips her heart that sight; suddenly she can’t breath. Voices start yelling in her ear. Winston is screaming at her. Yet none of his words register. All she can see is the face in the display. Static crackles cutting off her comm. An explosion shatters the Slipstream, her entire world goes blue. Lena wants to scream. Fingers grasp for something, but nothing is there! Nothing but whirling blue chaos. Her vision starts to fade. She can’t breath! This is it, her end. Maybe farewells aren’t such a dumb tradition after all...
Again that damned face appears at the corner of her vision! An impossible strong hand grabs her arm. Suddenly Lena Oxton finds herself yanked out of the blue, and into hell. Body thumping hard onto the ground, Lena tucks body into a roll. Her unexpected tumble ends she hits a wall. Or rather, what was a wall. Now it is just a sad pile of rumble. Lena Oxton, the fearless Tracer, takes a long hard look around her.
Nothing but destruction as far as she can see. Only skeletons of buildings stand, there is nothing green. Brown eyes look upwards desperate for a sign of something she recognizes, like the sapphire blue sky. Nothing but a low hanging brown, hazy clouds. Even worse is the deafening silence. Not a single sound of life from either human, animal, or Omnic!
“Sad, isn’t it?” An all too familiar voice chimes in from her left. Lena looks over, afraid of what she’d see. Just five feet to her left is what appears to be her, but instead of the Overwatch Flight Uniform, she is wearing the Field Agent Uniform.
“W-what…” Lena stammers, still attempting to process what is happening.
“Sorry ‘bout that! I mistimed our jump into the timestream. We weren’t anchored to that particular timeline until later. I meant to yank past me here sooner. There is a lot you have to learn. Here, I need to show you something.” Tracer holds a hand, that same cheeky smile on her face. Lena looks at herself, then back at the dead world.
“Let’s do this.” Lena says back, as she is yanked to her feet.
Again her world goes blue, before coming into focus. Her hands cover her mouth. Below her feet is London. Or rather, what remains of London. Most of the iconic buildings are gone, except good Ol’ Ben. Ash rains down from the skies, again her beloved blue skies are gone. Not a single spot of green is within view. Dead shells of Omnics litter the streets, as well what looks like a few human bones.
“What happened!” Lena gasps, knees buckling. Tracer catches her, gently lowering her to the ground of the rumble.
“I know this will be a shock, but...Overwatch will go bad. It starts with Gabriel Reyes becoming the leader of Overwatch. He is an excellent leader! But he sends Jack on a mission. The mission goes bad, he gets ambushed by Talon. They kill Jack! This breaks a part of Gabriel; he loses his humanity at losing Jack. This leads him to authorising nuclear attacks. The missiles get hijacked, and explode over civilian cities. Which causes widespread panic, more nukes are launched. Nuclear winter descends and kills everyone. But! We can change this. There are just things you have to do in the past. Oh wait...I need to you back to the present timeline. Need to show the crew we’re not dead, just...on a small detour.” Tracer flips her forehead with her index finger.
Lena Oxton once more finds herself flung into the blue. Her mind is whirling at what she’s learned. Again she finds herself back home. Where the sky is blue, and things are alive. Yet, she isn’t! In front of her is the original Overwatch team. All of them stare at her in open. Gabriel looks like a fish, his mouth actual dropping! Jack reaches for her, instinctively she reaches for his comforting grip. Her fingers slip through his, causing a jumble of static. Once more she is flung into the blue hell. Lena finds herself at the Overwatch Headquarters in Switzerland. Or what remains of them. Body leaning against a wall is future Tracer, that cheeky grin in place.
“Have a nice trip! Don’t bother answering that, I already know the answer.” Tracer says with grin, flashing her a wink. Parts of her want to smack her future self, but that would be counter productive. What she needs now is answers.
“Explain.” Lena demands, arms crossing her chest.
“I can do one better! I can show you. Take good notes, ‘cause I’m going to show you what we have to do to save humanity. Just remember, what happens is hell, but the alternative is worse. When you get anchored to that timeline, don’t forget...no matter what you do, it’s for the best.”