Fareeha looked down at the scene that was playing out in real time. “We don’t have time for the two of you to debate this. Someone needs to intervene and we’re the best option. Every minute we spend here is another minute where lives could be lost.”
Winston sighed as he looked down at the table. “I know. But the risk…”
“She knew the risk when she volunteered,” Jack said softly, a hint of sympathy in his voice. “She always did, Winston – and she wanted to go then, too.”
Winston closed his eyes. Jack wasn’t wrong. From the first day he’d met her for the Slipstream project to the Recall, Lena Oxton had always believed in going forward. In fighting for a better world, no matter what the cost.
Which meant that even though there was a terrible, terrible risk that something might go wrong…she would want to go.
“Who else did you plan to send?”
“Myself,” Jack answered, “Fareeha, Vaswani, Zaryanova, and Zenyatta. That leaves you, Ana, Song, Dos Santos, McCree, and the Shimadas in reserve in case this is a feint.”
Winston frowned. “What about Angela?”
“She’s asked to stay out of field operations while she continues to treat…” Fareeha drifted off, obviously not really sure what to call their ‘guest.’
“She’s taking care of Lacroix,” Jack answered for her. “That way if you do have to deploy with the others, she won’t be left here alone.”
Winston frowned. “You still think she’s a mole, Jack? After everything that’s happened?”
Morrison shrugged. “I think Oxton had a point about Talon wanting her back – dead or alive – and that Reaper’s been able to penetrate the defenses here. I wouldn’t put a divide and conquer operation past Reyes.”
Winston gave a pained grunt. “When you put it like that…yes, I see your concerns.” He looked down at the satellite feed again, then reluctantly nodded. “Go.”
As Fareeha and Morrison left, Athena’s voice sounded throughout the Watchpoint:
This is a mission alert. This is a mission alert. Agents Symmetra, Tracer, Zarya, and Zenyatta, please report immediately to the hangar bay. I repeat: Symmetra, Tracer, Zarya, and Zenyatta to the hangar bay for immediate deployment.
Winston barely heard the AI’s announcement. His attention was rooted to the live camera feeds from the streets of Numbani, and the name that Atlas News had splashed across the scenes of destruction and panic.
