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Somewhere between Utah and Arizona, the morning sun hit an old wooden house. Away from the main building, a well and an outhouse were towards the two poles. These were the only human signs in miles.
A red poncho was on the top of the home's half-open door. Further in, in the area that served both as a kitchen and a living room, a modern bow and some arrows were on the only table. The half-open cupboards were empty, a few of them housing spiders. A burned candle had melted, it's white wax spilled around the candlestick and then on an old coal furnace. Two sturdy doors led to the other small rooms of the house.
Hanzo slipped out of the double bed he was sharing with Jesse McCree. The gunslinger stretched in his sleep. His upper body escaped the sheets and was now occupying the whole bed. Hanzo smiled and put on his trousers. He wore the lightest shirt he had, wishing he had brought his more traditional clothing with him. Western clothing always felt a tiny bit rougher on his skin. He avoided the planks he knew were creaky and got out of the house. After a quick visit to the outhouse, he pulled water from the well, took a sip and started cleaning his face. When he finished, Hanzo took in the scenery.
The house was near the foot of a lone butte. The land around them was a vast, flat sea of red dirt, with the occasional butte towering towards the sky. Big plants were a rarity, with most of the ground being dirt, rocks and small, hard bushes.
Hanzo could see some bighorns moving far in the distance. He took note of the direction they were going. Their supplies were running out, today or tomorrow, he would have to hunt. He let a sigh leave his lips. Sombra was supposed to be back today with supplies. And, as she yelled while leaving, an old friend of Jesse's. Hanzo was quite curious about that. Jesse didn't talk much of his days before Blackwatch and his friends from after that... Well, Tracer was alive, Hanzo knew, but she was trying to live a normal life now. The others were either dead, missing or still with Overwatch.
Hanzo's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a flying transport. It uncloaked over the house. It's old Overwatch colours covered by a big purple graffiti depicting a skull. Dead bushes, dust, and small rocks flew away as the machine landed near the house. Hanzo avoided a bush that flew towards his face and walked towards Sombra's transport, curious to meet Jesse's old friend.
The doors opened and two women stormed out, making a straight line to the house. Sombra was dressed in her usual purple suit, although she had plain brown boots on her feet. Her, now simply brown, hair was bouncing up and down as she was trying to keep up. The woman she was trying to calm down was a head taller than her. White hair bearly reached her shoulders and she was wearing a black cowboy hat. Her thin leather coat's tail flew behind her. A black and gold carbine was on her right hand, a sawed-off shotgun strapped in the back of her belt. The woman's style was screaming gunslinger almost as much as Jesse's.
"Ashe, come on, he's not that bad. Give him a break." Sombra's voice finally reached Hanzo, although she hasn't noticed him yet.
"Not that bad?" Ashe scoffed at the thought. Her eyes landed on Hanzo for a bit, ignored him and turned to Sombra. "He taught me how to shoot. He founded the Deadlock Rebels with me. He rode with us. He stole and killed with us." She stopped and turned to look at Sombra. "And then he sold us out." She removed the safety from the carbine. "He ain't gonna have the chance to-"
"Hanzo!" Sombra finally saw him and jumped at the opportunity. "Ashe, this is Hanzo Shimada, a friend." She walked between them. "Hanzo, this is Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe, Jesse's old friend."
"McCree is no friend of mine." Ashe protested and eyed Hanzo, eyebrows lowering slightly.
Hanzo wished he had his bow with him. This old friend didn't look so friendly after all. He smiled at Sombra and walked towards Ashe, letting his manners cover his distress.
"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Caledonia." He extended his right arm for a handshake. She didn't react. Instead, she kept observing him for a bit. He was about to retract his hand when she gave him a cold half-smile and extended her left hand. Her right kept grasping the gun.
"Call me Ashe."
Hanzo switched from right to left and they shook hands. Her grip was tight and she held on his hand a bit.
"Say, Hanzo, what are you to dear ol' McCree again?"
Before Hanzo could answer, the man himself appeared at the door, revolver aimed at Ashe.
"Howdy, Ashe. Hanzo's my partner."
McCree was still shirtless, his hair a mess and his gunbelt were on his left shoulder. He at least had the sense to wear pants, but without the belt on them, the clothing was sliding down a bit. Hanzo did his best to ignore that and turned his attention back to Ashe. She had began to raise her carbine the moment she saw Jesse.
Before she could bring the barrel to point at McCree, her rifle was yanked from her hand towards the transport. A gunshot echoed in the valley and McCree's revolver flew from his hand and landed on the dirt in front of him. Hanzo stopped his charge at Ashe and looked for the shooter.
Back at the transport, a woman that he only knew from news feeds was holding a smoking sniper rifle. Her skin had a light blue hue. She was wearing a sleeveless leather jacket and pants, like Ashe's. A long rope was coming from her left armband, it's end attached to Ashe's carbine.
"Amélie!" Ashe turned and yelled in exasperation.
Sombra grabbed Hanzo from the hand and pulled him in between the two gunslingers.
"Don't let Jesse shoot," she whispered before moving with her hands open in front of Ashe. Hanzo did the same. Jesse leaned on the door and raised an eyebrow. Hanzo shrugged in response. He trusted Sombra, she wouldn't bring Ashe here if she thought the gunslingers wouldn't make up.
"Amélie, what the hell honey?!" Ashe was yelling from behind him. Widowmaker must have answered, but Hanzo failed to hear what was the response.
"It's not the same! You were forced! He did it willingly!"
"Give him a chance! People change! He probably regrets it now!" Widowmaker's words reached him this time.
"The hell he doesn't! Look at him!" McCree was managing to stand in the most smug and unapologetic way possible, Hanzo gave that to Ashe.
"Just talk to him. Sombra's next hideout is four days away, I'd like to get out the transport for a few days." Widowmaker's voice was close now. "Please?"
Hanzo heart Ashe mumble something between her teeth before she turned to McCree.
"McCree! You! Me! In the house now! You have a lot of explainin' to do!"
"I'm coming too." Widowmaker's voice was quiet, but it gave no option to refuse her. "Else you'll strangle each other."
"Widowmaker? You found Widowmaker?" Hanzo was impressed. The assassin was notorious for her escapes.
"Well, I'm the one who hid her when Jack went after her." Sombra pulled her legs up and crossed them. "So it was pretty easy. And try calling her Amélie. Widowmaker is a bit grim."
She was sitting in a crate in the transport. Eleven more crates were scattered around the machine, all containing supplies. On the open transport door, a huge Omnic with a tiny bowler hat on his head was looking at the house. According to Sombra, this was Bob, an Omnic bodyguard for Ashe.
"Oh." Hanzo leaned on the wall, bow and arrows on his back. He was listening to Sombra, but his eyes were focused on the house.
"They're fine, Hanzo. Amélie can keep the peace in there." Sombra's voice sounded annoyed. He turned to her. She was acting unbothered, but her eyes were also checking the house every two seconds. He sighed and changed the subject.
"You have any news? Not even Jesse's old radio can get signal here."
"It shouldn't. I worked way too hard to cancel signals and satellite feeds in this area for an antique to bypass all of it." She raised her head higher. "News...News... Well, during the month I was gone... About twenty or so attempts to break free of Jack's grip were crushed in a few countries. In response, Overwatch is working on establishing constant video surveillance of everyone. They are working on a prototype drone no bigger than an ant. No worries for us, I've already have hacked the experimental code. Getting into the final version will be easy." She opened a small holo screen on her palm. "As for the big names... Pharah is in charge of subduing any major fight or rebellion. Mercy is always with her, mostly doing the whole angel-morale-boost-thing. Reinhardt was forced to retire last week, he is now staying with the Lindholm family. Speaking of the Lindholms, Brigitte is registered as missing in Overwatch files buuut..." Sombra gave him a smirk. "She is on the run with D.VA."
"The pink girl from the Korean MEKA squad?" Hanzo was confused. "Isn't Korea on complete lockdown?"
"They are. D.VA stole a MEKA, again, and got out. She reached Brigitte seconds before they took remote control of the machine. And then! The young lovebirds flew into the sunset!" Sombra put her hand on her heart. "Oh, young love. So sweet and reckless."
Hanzo kept his serious face through her theatrics. Seeing that he didn't react, Sombra punched him lightly on the arm.
"You're no fun. Anyway, I'll see if I can find them a safe place on our next trip."
"That's good." He struggled to find words for his next question. "What about... Have you..." Sombra's expression softened.
"No. Nothing new. Last time they were seen was somewhere at the feet of Makalu in Nepal."
Hanzo wasn't surprised. Nepal was Zenyatta's country, and the Omnic could hide there forever if he needed to. And of course, Genji was with him. Hanzo himself wasn't sure why he needed to know where his brother was.
Before he got the chance to think more, the house's door opened and Jesse got out, followed by Amélie and then Ashe. Sombra perked up. Ashe reached Amélie's side and McCree picked up his pace. Amélie turned to Ashe for a bit, then gave the thumbs up to Sombra.