One week had passed since the interrogation of Amélie Lacroix. In that time, Overwatch had been more active than it had been since before the Petras Act. Jack and Angela had travelled to New Delhi to contact General Prakash Chitanis and remind him of his debt. Olivia had given them a copy of the incriminating documents just in case the general tried to weasel out of said debt.
Genji, meanwhile, had gone to Brazil on a reconnaissance mission to Site Hotel Zulu. Just yesterday, he had reported seeing Talon soldiers patrolling the perimeter of the 'abandoned' base. He also recounted noticing a breeze through the trees every few minutes, as if cloaked shuttles were regularly departing. It was his job to keep the facility under observation and carefully search the area for any lightly guarded entrances.
Of course, the last week had not been wholly successful. After declaring that he would never trust the word of a Talon assassin, Torbjorn Lindholm handed in his resignation in a not-so-formal manner. That was one less gun you would have aimed at Talon, still you thought it was no major loss, that dwarf had treated you with contempt ever since you'd arrived.
In the meantime, you and Olivia had a mission of your own, taking you all the way to freezing-cold St Petersburg. Olivia had told you little about it, all you knew was that you would hopefully be gaining another ally, that was enough for you.
It was late. You couldn't tell how late, probably close to midnight. You sat in a first-class lounge of a luxury train, staring out the window with a tired look. The journey across Russia had taken seven hours so far, and it was far from over yet.
Unfortunately, Overwatch currently only possessed a single shuttle, which Jack and Angela had taken to New Delhi. Therefore, Olivia had hurriedly crafted a pair of fake IDs, making the two of you out as rich business-owners and getting you on board a top-of-the-range train.
But after seven hours of sitting in the same carriage, the pleasures of luxury were beginning were to run thin. Olivia had said she'd gone to fetch some food and drinks from the bar carriage, but that was almost half an hour ago now.
With a grimace, you adjusted yourself by an inch, your back starting to ache from sitting in the same position for too long. You felt a rush of wind, someone changing carriages, Olivia. She strolled in holding a tray of delectable foods, a content smile on her face.
"You were gone a long time" you commented, quickly standing up to help her with the tray.
There were two plates, each of them filled with salted pork and an array of green vegetables. And, of course, a glass of mezcal on the side.
"Traffic was hell, amor" she replied with a grin.
Together, you set the tray down on the table before sitting on opposite sides. Thanks to your position as rich business-owners, you had managed to hire an entire carriage to yourselves. It consisted of the lounge, where you were currently sat, as well as a large bedchamber and a private bathroom. There were benefits to dating a world-famous hacker with a penchant for making fake IDs.
"Salted pork? I've grown so used to Overwatch's military rations...this is a nice change" you remarked, taking a bite of the succulent meat with a sigh of contentment.
"Sí, well we might be on a mission to save the world and all, but that doesn't mean we can't treat ourselves every once in a while" Olivia answered, taking a sip of the mezcal and instantly pulling the grin she'd do every time she tasted it.
You had noticed it, every time she drank her favourite drink her mouth would curl up involuntarily, and she would look as joyful as a child. You loved that smile.
"So...any idea how much longer we'll be living in luxury?" you questioned.
It was nice, not having to fight for your life for a few hours, but all of this pampering was beginning to make you just slightly restless.
"I was talking to the bartender...he said that there'll be a delay...a blizzard knocked a tree over onto the northern track. We'll probably arrive in St Petersburg at around dawn" Olivia explained, causing you to nod contentedly.
You were about to answer her when something caught your attention from the window, a bright and brilliant light. For a moment you frowned, until you realised what it was.
"Olivia...look out there...those're the Northern Lights..." you said in awe, gesturing out of the window.
She followed your gaze, before gasping in amazement just like you. Neither of you had ever seen the aurora borealis before, and it certainly made for a dramatic view. Against the dark blue sky, a shimmering wave of bright green danced across the horizon, lighting up the night.
"Whoa...increíble..." she commented softly.
The greatest advantage of this whole affair, other than meeting Olivia of course, was the amazing places that it had taken you. Between your time in both Talon and Overwatch, you had journeyed across half the planet, witnessing things that you'd only seen in documentaries before. Every new place you visited seemed more awe-inspiring than the last, making you constantly excited for your next journey.
"While we're here...I had something, I wanted to say. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, as I've told you. But even now, with us preparing for battle and all, I still don't regret saying yes, the day you came to my door. Whatever happens...I love you" you admitted, coughing awkwardly as you spoke.
Making grand speeches about your innermost emotions wasn't exactly your forte, but you gave it your best shot. Olivia smiled widely.
"Mierda...you know how to make a girl blush, Y/N. Well the feeling's mutual...I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else at my side...eres el indicado..." she responded.
You leant over the table, only narrowly managing to avoid knocking over the mezcal, and cupped her cheek. Your lips met, and your eyes closed, listening to Olivia hum in contentment. And when you finally separated, she wore the widest smile you had ever seen.
"You know...our double bed over there has a window in the ceiling above it. There's a view going to waste there..." you suggested, gesturing over towards the bedchamber nearby.
Olivia gave a mischievous grin.
"Bed's going to waste too..." she remarked coyly, suddenly standing up and brushing your cheek as she walked past.
Hm, better than a motel bed any day...
Your eyes slowly blinked open; vision blurred from sleep's grip. With an exhausted yawn, you rubbed your face and sat up, glancing at the sky up above. Still night-time, but only just, dawn would soon arrive. You looked to your left, noticing Olivia curled up, still asleep and wrapped in red satin sheets. With a small smile, you stroked her hair for a second before forcing yourself out of bed. If you had stayed there any longer, you would never have been able to leave.
You strolled over to the private bathroom, flicking the overhead light on, and staring at yourself in the mirror for a second. The scar that you'd been so kindly given by that Talon assassin was no longer red raw like it once was, but it would stay with you for the rest of your life, cutting up your cheek and stopping just an inch shy of your eye. There was also the metal shrapnel still embedded in your wrist, the remnant from the Talon tracking device removed by Baptiste. You had taken quite a few hits in the fight so far, and doubted you would reach the end without taking a few more. No victory without sacrifice.
In no particular hurry, you dressed yourself in a fur-lined jacket, concealing a Kevlar vest underneath. You freshened yourself up, before exiting the bathroom to find Olivia just clambering out of the bed.
"Buenos días...pass me my coat, will you?" she asked, pulling on her trousers with a yawn.
You shook your head with a smile, throwing her the coat and moving to look out of the window.
"I can see St Petersburg from here...arriving at dawn, just like you said" you remarked, staring at the distant spires of the Russian city.
It looked impressive from a distance, with great traditional spires reaching up into the sky. But unfortunately, as per usual, you had little time for sightseeing.
"Told you. When we stop, we'll need to head for Kotlin Island, that's where Volskaya Industries are based. It might be a challenge to break in...but I've done it before" Olivia explained.
You watched as she hurriedly combed her hair in the mirror, giving it its familiar wisp.
"And what exactly are we doing there? You still haven't actually told me..." you questioned curiously.
"Remember when you first got to Talon, I told you that I was under observation because I spared Katya Volskaya when we were supposed to kill her. I...may have also blackmailed her into owing me a debt. I could just contact her online...but Talon would pick up the transmission, safer to meet in person...especially considering what we're going to ask her for" Olivia stated, giving a satisfied nod in the mirror before brushing past you.
"And what's that?" you asked.
Olivia grabbed her machine pistol and concealed it in her jacket, before turning to you with a dramatic look.
"An army."
Breaching the Volskaya Industries compound was child's play for fighters as experienced as you and Olivia. Once you were over the wall, you stuck to the shadows, moving through buildings like ghosts, unnoticed by the patrolling guards. At the first access point Olivia found, she swiftly hacked into the factory's security system, deactivating all cameras, turrets, and alarms.
"Apagando las luces..." she muttered to herself with a smile as she accomplished all of this.
Once she was finished, the two of you moved deeper into the facility, finding yourselves inside an enormous warehouse which was being used to house a Svyatogor mech. There was a service elevator on the far side of the room which would lead right up to Katya Volskaya's office, but that was too open.
Instead, Olivia tossed her translocator beacon as high as she could, watching it land on a catwalk high above. You gripped her tightly around the waist, sharing a nod as she pushed a button on her wrist, and in an instant, you were teleported upwards. You weren't quite on the office floor yet, but there were some stairs nearby that would take you where you needed to go.
For once the operation seemed to be going off without a hitch, that was until all of the lights suddenly went out, leaving the warehouse in total darkness.
"What the hell?" you whispered, continuing to climb up towards Volskaya's office.
"That's not me...someone else is here..." Olivia remarked quietly, drawing her machine pistol, and cocking it back.
Above you, three armed Volskaya guards appeared from nearby and immediately moved to defend the office. All of a sudden, one of them was shot in the jugular by a suppressed round, squirting blood everywhere. The other two shared a panicked look, before they were both simultaneously shot in the head. You hurriedly scanned the area for the shooter, continuing to rush towards the office. If Katya Volskaya died, then any chance of Russian help died with her.
"Look, over there. Talon tactical team...they're here for Volskaya" you pointed out, noticing five armed soldiers on the catwalk above.
They were a black ops team, that was clear from their armour. Intimidating crimson masks covered their faces, and they had red laser sights attached to their rifles. As soon as the Volskaya guards were dead, the Talon soldiers charged across the catwalk, and you could already tell that they would reach the office before you. In a split-second decision, you took your rifle and fired a triplet of helix rockets at the catwalk above, cutting Talon off but also alerting them to your presence.
"It's the fugitives! Exterminate with prejudice!" one of the Talon soldiers shouted in an intimidating tone.
Immediately, a hail of bullets rained down on you, forcing you to take cover behind a metal pillar. They were now only one floor above you, but that height advantage prevented you from getting a clear shot on them, you were being suppressed.
"I can keep 'em busy if you translocate behind them..." you suggested, quickly ducking out of cover to fire a shot before moving back in again.
"Convendido...stay safe" Olivia remarked, giving you a quick peck on the cheek before tossing her translocator beacon up onto the catwalk.
Fortunately, the Talon soldiers seemed too preoccupied with murdering you to notice the beacon land a few feet away from them. In a purple flash, Olivia disappeared from your side, reappearing behind Talon and swiftly firing on them. She killed two in an instant, rolling forwards and hitting the third over the head with her machine pistol, knocking him unconscious.
As she dealt with the soldiers, you took this opportunity to move up the staircase, now on the same level as the remaining two soldiers. One of them managed to get the advantage over Olivia, aiming his shotgun up at her head, but you promptly put a pulse round in his chest, killing him dead. And in a swift movement, Olivia knocked the last one to the ground with a roundhouse kick, aiming her gun down at him. He raised his arms in surrender.
"Sombra? Y/N?" the soldier questioned; his voice disguised by some sort of modifier in the mask.
You frowned in confusion. Olivia knelt down, removing his helmet while you kept your pulse rifle trained on him, and as the helmet was tossed aside, the face of John Yalta was revealed.
"John? You're in a Talon black ops team?" you asked in shock.
The last time you had seen him was in the Antarctic, where you had betrayed Talon.
"Y-you're a traitor...you really are. I didn't believe it when command told us...but you just killed those men, our friends" John replied with a stutter.
"John, do you know what you're doing here? You were sent to murder Katya Volskaya...is that really something the good guys would do?" you questioned, praying that he would see sense.
But his face remained one of anger.
"Volskaya's just another corporate asshole who keeps her soldiers locked away guarding factories instead of patrolling the streets where they're needed. I thought you agreed with me...I thought we were friends. Guess I was just part of your mission" he answered.
You sighed, your heart dropping at the sight of your friend looking at you with such hatred, but he was wrong.
"That isn't true at all...you were our friend, still are...but Talon has to be stopped..." Olivia added, noticing the saddened expression on your face.
She could see how much this interaction hurt. No matter how evil Talon were, they had guys like John, good people who were just misguided. From the second you had fought back in Antarctica, you had dreaded this moment, and it was even worse than you had feared.
"Huh, you can talk 'Sombra'. You couldn't even trust me with your real name...I bet Y/N knows, you two share everything by the looks of it. Go on then, go protect your friend, Volskaya. She's the only friend you two have here" John replied icily, aiming a bitter glare your way.
You avoided his gaze.
"I'm sorry, John. One day you'll understand" you stated, suddenly hitting him over the head with the butt of your rifle, knocking him unconscious.
Olivia placed a hand on your shoulder, a subtle way of asking you if everything was okay. You shook her off, nothing was okay, but now was hardly the time to address it.
With a swift run, you and Olivia made your way around the catwalk, arriving at the entrance to Katya's office. The door had already been locked down with a titanium security shield, but fortunately the console for that was nearby, and Olivia hacked it with ease, quickly granting you access to the office. You walked inside, glancing around suspiciously, at first glance there seemed to be no-one here.
This was definitely the office of Katya Volskaya; a desk sat adorned with pictures of her daughter, and the wall behind that was decorated with an exquisite mural of humans defeating omnics. Suddenly, you heard a noise in the corner and turned sharply.
"Come out...we know you're there" you ordered.
Slowly, Katya Volskaya crept out from behind a cabinet, glancing at Olivia with a mix of fear and annoyance.
"I thought...we already agreed to be friends. Why shoot my men? They were good soldiers, and friends. If you think I'm helping you after that, you've got another thing coming" Volskaya stated, striding across the room and taking a seat at her desk.
"That wasn't us, amiga...that was a Talon tactical team, sent here to kill you" Olivia explained, holstering her machine pistol to prove that she was peaceful.
"Don't presume to trick me, Sombra. You are Talon, I know that" Katya answered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
As Olivia and Katya spoke, you decided to secure the entrance, making sure you wouldn't get anymore nasty Talon surprises.
"Not anymore. We're taking Talon down, and you're gonna help us. See, we know where their base is, but we don't have the numbers for a siege. That's where you come in" Olivia eluded with a small smile.
"Hah...when you blackmailed me into helping you, I thought you meant transferring a few classified files, that sort of thing. You're mad if you think I'm going to war with Talon, I have enough problems already" Katya remarked with a chuckle of disbelief.
You stepped forwards.
"You fight the omnics, don't you? You're supposed to be Russia's great defender?" you questioned in a near-accusing tone.
"That is correct...I have led the defence against the omnics for years...why?" Katya asked in response.
She seemed a little more willing to listen to you, probably because you had never blackmailed her in the past.
"Talon has an army of them. Fifty-five thousand active units, probably more than that now. They're planning to unleash them soon, and we both know that's bad for everyone" you explained, watching Katya frown in confusion.
"That makes no sense...Talon never showed any prior interest in the omnics. Besides, where could they have gotten so many in so short a time?" she questioned aloud, beginning to pace slowly around the room.
You quickly glanced back out onto the catwalk, making sure that John was still out cold.
"They've been involved in illegal weapons trades for months, amiga, quietly building up their force. We don't know their exact plan...but Akande always said that humanity can only evolve through conflict...the strongest above all else. I don't think anyone wants that..." Olivia stated, growing quiet at the notion of a Talon victory.
"How about that? The hacker has a heart after all...you know I sent people looking for you after you attacked. I guess Zarya was unsuccessful...if I help you, what then?" Katya asked, clearly seeking something in recompense for her aid.
Saving the world just wasn't enough for some people.
"You come with us and direct your army to go where we say...and I'll lose the information I dug up on your...secret dealings. You'll be a heroine....and no-one will question you again" Olivia replied.
Katya considered it for a moment, silently frowning as she stared down at a photo of her daughter on the desk.
"Many of my mechs are entrenched holding off the Siberian Omnium, those I cannot spare. But all my facility guards as well as the mechs still in production will go to you. In exchange, you will lose those files...permanently. And I only help you once, understood? One skirmish...one chance" she responded in an almost-sinister tone.
You glanced out of the door again, noticing that one of the unconscious Talon operatives had disappeared.
"We need to leave; this place isn't safe. Is there a back exit anywhere?" you suddenly stated, sealing the main office door.
Katya nodded her head.
"There is an exterior stairwell, leads outside to the facility's goods entrance" she replied in explanation.
You and Olivia shared a nod, kicking the back door open and walking out onto the stairwell. As you exited out into the cold Russian air, you heard the faint sound of engines as an invisible Talon shuttle took off above you, retreating into the clouds.
You stared up thoughtfully for a moment, before snapping back to reality and escorting Volskaya out of here. At the cost of Olivia's information, you had managed to secure a key ally against Talon. Although as Katya said, there would be only one shot at taking them down. You would have to be ready...
Brief Summary – After uncovering the location of the Talon base, you and Olivia travel to Russia to seek the aid of one Katya Volskaya. You face off against a Talon tactical team in the heart of Volskaya Industries, before managing to persuade Katya to provide you with her soldiers and mechs.