Quick Reasons Not To Trust Moira in Retribution
1) The wording in her Hero Profile is just vague enough to imply she is a Talon agent at the time of the Retribution mission.
“The shadowy Talon organization had already been supporting her for years, aiding her experiments in exchange for utilizing the results for their own purposes.”
2) Moira’s interactions with Reyes during the Retribution point to her egging him on, pressuring him, or attempting to “get under his skin”. The most notable one involves Moira saying she wishes she could go to rhe masquerade (of Venetian Carnival). Reyes says he is surprised because she doesn’t seem like the kind of person to enjoy that.
Moira replies, “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
3) The major bosses utilize technology or “enhancements” that are originally from Overwatch agents.
The Heavy Assault Tank: uses Rocket Charge. Originally from the Crusaders. Canonically used by Reinhardt in animated shorts and comics.
The Assassin: uses what appears to be Blink and/or Recall. The chronal accelerator technology was specifically made for Tracer by Winston. If this is true about the Assassin, it also severely limited the time range of Retribution. Canonically appears in multiple shorts and comics (by Tracer).
The Sniper: uses a form of Shadowstep and/or Wraith. Canonically appears in multiple shorts and comics by Reaper.
The last one is the most interesting because it is unique to Reyes and his biotic “enhancements” that he accrued during SEP.
There is one other person who has access to Reyes’ biodata - and the technical knowledge and ability to manipulate and recreate that in other ways (Biotic Grasp, Fade) - to make new technologies, enhancements, and abilities out of that.
4) Related to Point 3, Moira has canonically stolen technology from Mercy. We are also told by Geoff Goodman during Moira’s Blizzcon panel that she took Wraith from “Reaper” and “improved” it. Moira has no qualms about taking other people’s research, property, or abilities and then redesigning or reworking them for her own purposes.
5) Moira is the only person who appears HAPPY during the intro video. The later statements she makes where she tells Reyes that he did the right thing by killing Antonio are shady as all hell.
Both of these appeared to be “coincidentally” tied to the sudden rise of Vialli and Maximilien, and Akande overthrowing Akinjide in the wake of Antonio’s death. This becomes significantly less “coincidental” if you consider that Moira may be a Talon agent, or be getting financial support from one (or all) of them.
6) During Reyes’ debriefing with Morrison, Amari, and Lacroix, there are images of two Talon operatives - a Trooper and a Heavy Assault tank.
The third image is of Moira.
Remember, Blackwatch continues to operate while suspended. Whatever occurs between Gabe, Jack, Ana, and Gérard during Gabe’s Retribution debriefing isn’t enough to make him leave, nor enough to make McCree leave in the immediate aftermath. Both Gabriel Reyes and Jesse McCree go on to help the Overwatch Strike Team by recovering intel on Null Sector during Null Sector’s Uprising. Genji stays on the team as well, and eventually helps arrest Akande Ogundimu, who is now the third Doomfist.
However, we do not know what happens to Moira after Retribution.
Speculation/Guess: in my opinion, the entire Retribution mission - and Gabriel’s motivations - make considerably more sense if you look at it like this:
The mission WAS intended to grab Antonio, run, and interrogate him later. It does not seem like Gabriel was lying here. In fact, MCCREE originally wanted to kill Antonio, but is told by Gabriel that they’re not going to do that.
However, Antonio reveals: 1) that he was anticipating this move by Blackwatch, 2) that he expected his “friends” to help him walk free from Blackwatch a week later, and 3) that he expected to hurt Blackwatch/Overwatch again.
This is the moment when Gabriel realizes -
He’s been betrayed by one of the three Blackwatch agents in the room with him.
(Note who else is “in frame” but out of focus during this moment).
This is not a sudden turn-about in motivations by Gabriel Reyes -
But instead, the clear and distinct realization that he has walked right into Antonio’s (and Talon’s) grasp.
And letting Antonio live is the LEAST of his worries.
The far bigger threat is the person IMMEDIATELY behind him.
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