Work Text:
Jesse’s collar was too tight. The blouse’s top button was pressing into his neck, making breathing quite the uncomfortable action. In fact, the whole penguin suit was making Jesse uncomfortable. If he didn’t need to blend in with the ritzy crowd, he would be wrapped in his serape, most likely with some accompanying sweatpants. But unfortunately, there was no place for casual dress on this mission.
“Front pavilion clear,” the voice of Ana Amari reported into Jesse’s earpiece. “No sniper posts located, and no unexpected vehicles seen.”
“Keep an eye out, Ana, they always manage to find a good place to hide.” Lena whispered over the comm. “Coat check hall is clear, too. I’m going to the third floor balcony next. Jesse, where’re you watching?”
“Ballroom entrance, second floor.” Jesse reported as he looked over his shoulder. Pairs of elegantly-dressed couples were entering the main room as he observed them, talking and laughing airily. Jesse had never really enjoyed fancy parties like these. But the three Overwatch agents weren’t here to enjoy themselves - they were here to shut down Talon intervention, and put off their rise for another night.
Tonight was the official celebration for the German Chancellor’s victory - a historic election that was being celebrated all across Europe. Such a symbol of hope being in the limelight was the perfect chance for Talon to make a move, and this was their best shot. And even though Overwatch was still getting back on its feet after the recall, the international organization could waste no time in stopping the spread of Talon’s chaos and disorder.
By now, the night’s main events had ended: the Chancellor had given his speech to rousing applause, and all of the political conferences had been taken care of. Currently, the guests were eating while Overwatch scoured the three-story house for their enemy. Everyone was distracted by the celebration to notice anything out-of-the-ordinary, giving Talon good cover to strike.
“They’re definitely on the outskirts of the crowd,” Lena noted over her channel. “Watch for anyone suspicious, Jesse - you know, standing alone, not dancing with anyone…”
“I’ve been doing this stuff for years, Lena. I reckon I can tell what being suspicious looks like.” A woman dropped her high heels off at Jesse’s feet as he spoke, running off without another look. He was practically invisible in this position - just another guest waiting for his date to arrive, as most would assume.
“I’m going around to the back entrance next,” Ana said. “Lena, regroup with me in half an hour. That clear?”
“All clear with me, cap.” Lena confirmed, and Jesse hear a scraping noise over the comm as she said it.
“Be careful on the balcony, Lena. We can’t be seen running all over the place.” Ana warned.
“I’ll be alright, Ana,” Lena grumbled. ’Think I prefer crowds to this, honestly. Jesse, wanna trade places?”
“In your dreams, Oxton. You know how heights get me.” Jesse said, and Lena sighed as a crash came from her end.
“…everything’s fine, don’t ask. You think they’d notice if one gargoyle’s broken?” Jesse smirked as his comm went silent. He was glad he wasn’t on a solo mission - without two of Overwatch’s best on his side, he knew the night would go down a completely different way than they wanted it to.
It was no secret that Talon was Overwatch’s biggest threat. It was the reason for the recall, a call to arms to fight their most threatening enemy yet. But even after months of being back in business, Jesse still had no idea who, exactly, Talon was. The most he’d heard of so far was their former leader breaking out of prison, presumably to meet the rest of the organization face-to-face. Before then, he had no idea if Talon actually had field agents, or if it was just the faceless enemy that everyone treated it as.
Jesse watched the guests breeze by. If Talon had sent a field agent here, they were likely hiding in wait, far away from the partygoers. He bet that if Overwatch knew of their presence, Talon knew of theirs, and they were expecting a clash to happen. The question was who they would run into first - and, of course, who would come out on top.
“Balcony’s empty. I’m checking the drawing room next,” Lena reported in. “Weird that we haven’t seen anything strange yet. Any updates on your ends?”
“Business as usual.” Jesse said, and heard Ana sigh.
“You two are so impatient. We haven’t looked everywhere yet, remember that. There’s a fine chance that they haven’t gotten here yet - we can’t count that out.”
“Are we sure they’re even gonna show up, Ana?” Jesse asked to another groan.
“Yes, we are. I wouldn’t doubt the tip if I were you. Winston might not-” Ana stopped halfway through her snark, and static filled her side of the com. The sudden absence of sound cut through Jesse like a knife.
“Horus, status report. Can you still hear me?” he asked in a second of panic.
“What’s going on?” Lena asked in the same concerned tone.
“West side,” Ana’s voice returned in a dead whisper. “Second floor. There’s a shadow in the window.”
Jesse’s pulse rushed. So they’d decided to show up after all.
“Where’s that closest to?” Lena asked worriedly.
“Your area, Jesse. Don’t abandon position, but keep an eye out. They’re coming your way no matter what.” Ana said, and Jesse nodded. Now that he knew there was a dangerous assassin inside the building with him, his heart was threatening to race. He only had a vague idea of the damage Talon could inflict, and while it was part of his job, he wasn’t keen to be right in their path.
Jesse stood observing for a minute longer, his mind wandering to the assassin that was lurking in the hallways near him right at that second. Despite Ana’s instructions, he left his position, and followed the crowd into the main ballroom, where the sound of a string orchestra playing loudened as he entered the real celebration.
The ballroom was the most magnificent room in the house, or at least Jesse hoped it was; if there was anything bigger, it would need its own postal code. Most of the light was coming from the centre chandelier - anything further out than the main dance floor was in pitch darkness. Tables were set up along the edge of the room, where some were already dancing with partners. He wondered if it was too early in the night for that.
Jesse made his way through the guests quietly. Just like he did on most of his solo missions, he had no plan, and was waiting for an idea to come to him. Ana had said the assassin was coming his way no matter what - he would have to be prepared to engage at any time. He felt the holster in his suit pocket, running his fingers over the barrel ever-so-subtly. He was prepared for a fight - there was never a time when he wasn’t.
The party was barely interesting without anyone to be there with. When ten minutes had passed by without any news from his mission partners, Jesse began to think about that plan he was supposed to have. If the assassin ran right into him - a scary thought, but preferred over running into the crowd - Jesse could apprehend them without drawing any attention to himself. It would be easy to take them out somewhere private, away from any wandering eyes or bystanders. Perhaps in an empty hallway, or even on the rooftop…
A woman bumped into his shoulder, interrupting his train of thought. “Entschuldigung!” she shouted as she hurried past, her brightly coloured suit drawing Jesse’s eyes and mind back to the present. He stared at her hot pink suit as she scurried away from the dance floor, leading another woman to the outskirts of the floor, where darkness began to envelop them. Jesse lost sight of them, but as he stared at the dimly lit wall, he saw something else out of the corner of his eye.
It was then when he first got a glimpse of the man. He stood by the giant glass window alone, in a dark suit with his hair tied by a thin ribbon. There was no glass in his hand, nor was there anyone else even close nearby. Even from this distance, Jesse could tell his face was expressionless - he stared at the night sky outside as if it was mesmerizing, yet did not appear interested by the sight in the slightest.
Everything Lena had told Jesse to look for in a potential suspicion had been suddenly forgotten. He tried not to stare, but just as he looked away, a plan came to surface in his mind. The idea of being undercover was to blend in with the crowd - have a few drinks, socialize, maybe even talk to a future witness. He would surely get noticed if he kept walking around by himself - and here was the perfect way to get out of the light.
Somehow, nothing about the man was setting off alarms in Jesse’s head. What was drawing him to walk away from the dance floor and towards the window was a mixture of perfect coincidence and pure curiosity. He could do no wrong by just chatting for a few minutes. He considered the best way to start a conversation as he approached the window, the man’s face coming into full view.
“You lost your date?”
His voice startled the man, who gasped and turned his head to see who had interrupted his silent thinking. As Jesse looked at him, he could see brown eyes, a sharp jaw, and what looked like a nose piercing on the man’s face. At the same time, Jesse could see that the top button of his blouse was undone. Underneath it was a patch of ink right on his collarbone, more than likely just a smudge of a larger tattoo. He tugged his eyes away from that spot and looked back at the man’s settling expression.
“Unfortunately, I am here alone.” he responded, shaking his head once. His hair moved, and Jesse swore he saw the glint of an earpiece behind his ear - but as his head became still again, it was obvious he’d just seen his earring. “My presence is simply for business.”
“What kind of business? If you don’t mind, of course.”
The man didn’t answer. He folded his hands behind his back, and turned his gaze back to the window. “Something private.”
“Course. Swinging parties like these always have their share of shady guests.” Jesse stuck out his hand, knowing full well the irony of his statement. “Joel Reyes. I’m American press.”
The man looked at his hand skeptically. Jesse didn’t think he was going to shake it, but he slowly unclasped his own, and shook with a firm grip.
“Hanzo,” he said. “What do you mean by that?”
“Times are pretty dangerous, nowadays.” It was the only topic of conversation he could think of. The possibility of an assassin bursting in at any moment was still in the back of his head. Though he tried to sound nonchalant about his concern in smalltalk. “You never know who’s in the crowd. I mean, after what happened in London and Numbani…”
“You refer to public enemies?”
Jesse nodded. “Hey, I’m sure the new guy’s not an idiot. Still pretty strange that I haven’t seen too many guards around.”
“Perhaps they do not need it. Maybe they have someone else watching over them tonight.” Hanzo said, and Jesse could’ve sworn he smirked as he did. Maybe he shouldn’t be so nonchalant with him, after all.
“Well, would you have any idea?”
Hanzo raised a brow. “Would I know about the Chancellor’s security measures?” He asked it almost incredulously. “Your conversation topics are not exactly conventional, Mr. Reyes.”
Jesse smirked at his fake name. “Well, excuse me. Was there anything you wanted to say? Or should I leave you alone?”
Once again, Hanzo stayed silent. Jesse took it as his cue to turn away and go back to keeping both eyes open for the assassin, but Hanzo stopped him.
“I assume you are here on your own, as well.” he said, not bothering to make eye contact as he did.
“Don’t have much time to bring dates on business trips,” Jesse responded. “Been here for a few days already and haven’t exactly gotten the chance to meet anyone.”
“Is it difficult being on your own?”
“Not really.” Jesse didn’t know what Hanzo meant by the question. “I mean, besides getting lost on the way in-”
“That was not what I meant.” Hanzo interrupted. Jesse caught his tongue before he could continue. “You are here in the country alone, are you not?”
Jesse hesitated to answer. Hanzo’s tone of voice had changed. What was just composed and slightly cold was now biting, possibly even malicious. “Yeah, you’re right, I am.”
“What did you say you worked for again?” He continued to press for Jesse’s answers, still not making direct eye contact.
“American press.”
“What journal?” Hanzo questioned, and Jesse froze up. The team had a pre-planned answer in case the question ever came up - he had been the one who’d suggested it, even - but it had slipped right out of his mind just as Hanzo asked him for it.
“The…the High Times,” he managed to say. “We’re not the biggest, but we do the latest in international politics.”
“Strange,” Hanzo began, finally turning away from the window to fully face him. “I was unaware foreign reporters received invitations.”
A chill went down Jesse’s spine. Now that he could see Hanzo’s entire face, he noticed his wandering eyes, and swore he was being analyzed. Hanzo’s gaze travelled everywhere on his person, as if he was scanning closely for threats, not spending more than one second in one place.
“Ah, well, it’s a damn important election,” Jesse tried to answer with, his pulse rushing. “You’d be surprised the amount of people who got invited, it’s like they were giving invitations away.”
“Do you have no other reason to be here?” Hanzo asked, barely even considering Jesse’s answer. “What was what you said just before - that these events always have their fair share of shady guests?”
“Just said that to scare you.” In no way did Jesse want to press this subject further. Whatever first impressions he’d had of Hanzo were quickly fading. His whole mood and presence had changed, so quickly and subtly that Jesse hadn’t noticed until it was too late.
Hanzo raised an eyebrow. “Terrifying. Yet I have the feeling you were far from joking.”
Jesse scoffed. “Lighten up, won’t you?” When he was stranded either in conversation or on missions, he always turned to his backup plan - in this case, it was ending this discussion before it could go any further. “I’m sorry if I offended you. If you want me to leave-”
“If I wanted you to leave, I would have let you know,” Hanzo said. He paused as his mouth opened to add another thought, closing and reopening too quickly to be planned. “Out of curiosity, why did you approach me?”
Now it was Jesse’s turn to pause. “I just wanna know about you.”
“And why is that?”
Jesse all but shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t lying - he wanted to know who Hanzo was. Something about him was different from the rest of the guests and figures. He had stood out all alone, and although most of his common sense was telling him to leave him alone, there was a small part of his brain that was only more intrigued by Hanzo’s personality. He had approached him out of interest in the first place, and while that feeling had died down considerably, it hadn’t all gone away just yet.
“Guess I’m just curious.”
Hanzo narrowed his eyes, and bit his lip. “Curiosity can lead you to dangerous places, Mr. Reyes.”
The only thing Jesse could do was chuckle. “Maybe I wouldn’t mind getting lead somewhere dangerous after all.”
Hanzo’s gaze wandered to Jesse’s suit’s pocket, where his holster was hidden. Jesse swallowed hard. “Perhaps you will get what you wish,” His eyes left the pocket, and returned to gaze outside the window. “Enjoy yourself.”
“You too.” Jesse said with a nod, happy to no longer be interrogated. He turned away from Hanzo before he could properly think about what had been said. He walked further into the centre of the ballroom, where the light was bright and most everything was certain, faster than he certainly needed to escape someone so stationary.
When he was far away enough from the window, Jesse began to think properly again. His brilliant idea to socialize had done nothing but introduce him to someone completely out-of-the-ordinary. Everything had been going well until he had had mentioned he was on his own, and it was then when Hanzo began to question him. Why he wanted to know so badly about someone he’d just met, Jesse had no idea.
He looked back to the corner where Hanzo was. It was too dark to see anything near the walls. Hanzo’s silhouette had disappeared, almost as if he had never been there. A chill ran down Jesse’s spine. He didn’t know who he had just talked to; for what it was worth, he might have been a ghost.
Turning on his comm, Jesse made his way to the other side of the ballroom. “Horus, Tracer, updates?”
“Clear in my area, Deadeye. Ana’s tracking some targets she saw in the basement.” Lena responded to him almost immediately.
“Any news on the shadow?”
“Nothing. I’m looking out for them. How’s the party looking?”
“Good,” Jesse noted, leaving out the detail of his more-than-strange conversation with Hanzo. “I’m gonna stay and make sure nothing happens to anyone.”
“Keep your eyes peeled for anything. If that shadow was a lead, there’s a good chance they went into the crowd,” Lena explained. “Remember what we agreed someone suspicious looks like - tell us if you find anything. All clear?”
“Clear with me, Oxton. Don’t fall off the roof.”
He heard Lena snort on her end. “I checked the roof - no setup, no suspect. Honestly, Jesse, I don’t know where they could be. There’s been enough opportunities to kill the Chancellor by now. Your guess on when they’re going to try is as good as mine.”
“Ana was right, you can be pretty impatient,” Jesse chuckled. “But we’re not leaving until the party’s over. We’ll keep looking.”
“Okay. Just…”
“Just what?”
“Stay safe, Jesse. I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this mission,” Lena said quietly, in a whisper that she most likely didn’t want Ana to hear. “I hope this night ends soon so we can all leave in one piece. Hopefully that tip was wrong, after all.”
As the comm went silent once more, Jesse looked at the double doors that lead back into the main hallway. There was someone lurking out there, waiting for the perfect chance to strike their target. If Overwatch didn’t find and stop them soon, they might get that chance. He couldn’t have any more distractions; they could not let Talon have that chance.
For the remainder of the hour, Jesse explored the gala. As much as he disliked fancy events, he could tolerate them with some alcohol in his system, and the staff were more than happy to provide champagne. He kept up his charade of the American reporter with the guests that started up conversation with him, and eventually had heard enough that he was sure a real newspaper would pay handsomely to get.
All while he wandered the gigantic ballroom, Jesse’s mind kept returning to Hanzo. Upon further consideration, everything he’d said had given off a shady vibe, leaving Jesse wondering what Hanzo’s motive really was. Any other attempt to find someone of interest was a failure - he checked everywhere for lurkers, all to no avail. He could only hope Lena and Ana were having better luck - they’d turned their comms off, and it had been radio silence for the last half hour.
The string orchestra up on stage never seemed to tire, and neither did the guests. Every song was more worth dancing to than the last, as couples whisked each other up from their seats to waltz to the music. Jesse steered clear of the dance floor - while he considered himself a decent dancer, there was no time to make a fool of himself dancing alone.
Time went by. People came in and out, music played. It felt like he’d been there for forever. After at least an hour had passed, Jesse knew he should regroup with Ana and Lena to figure out a plan; if they hadn’t caught this guy yet, either they weren’t here at all, or they weren’t looking in the right places.
He stood from the table he’d been sitting at, leaving his unfinished glass and looking for the exit. But as he did, something caught his eye in the nearby distance. Standing all alone by the dance floor was Hanzo, watching the dancers twirl by with focused eyes. He had the same suit on, his hair still tied back, but looked completely different in the bright lights. If Jesse hadn’t kept staring, he would’ve thought it was a completely different person.
A million thoughts and emotions came to the surface upon finding him again. When he’d disappeared into the shadows, Jesse had assumed that was the last he’d ever see of him - and likely for good reason. But the part of his mind that still thought Hanzo wasn’t as bad as he made him out to be was coming up with a new plan. They hadn’t exactly gotten off on the right foot - maybe he could introduce himself again? Just to satisfy that curiosity, obviously.
Forgetting all about regrouping, he walked back towards the dance floor. “You haven’t gone home yet?” he asked Hanzo, who jumped at being interrupted once again. “These things usually die down after a few hours. Whatever your business is, it can’t make you stay for that long.”
“Yet, you yourself are still here.” Hanzo said. His voice was different - the remark wasn’t in a suspicious and judgemental tone, instead in a mild, matter-of-fact style. In fact, his whole person seemed different - his shoulders were hunched over instead of stick straight, and even his eyes had dimmed down to a hazel colour.
“What can I say, I like the free drinks,” he said with a chuckle. Hanzo didn’t budge - but not in the stony way he had before. Now, he only stared blankly, the poor attempt at banter skimming the top of his head.
“Look, I’m sorry about before,” Jesse lowered his voice, hoping for a better conversation on the second try. “I must’ve sounded pretty wild with all that talk about danger. I hope I didn’t scare you off.”
Hanzo shook his head. “It is quite alright. I hope I did not scare you away, either, with what I said.”
“You weren’t any trouble, don’t worry.” Jesse said. He felt both relieved and confused at Hanzo’s apology. He would’ve never expected it of him an hour ago. “Smalltalk isn’t that interesting; you say some weird stuff when you’ve got nothing better to say.”
“Yes, I suppose,” Hanzo said. “At least first impressions are out of the way.”
“So, I can assume we’re past smalltalk now?” Jesse asked, and chuckled when Hanzo looked confused. “I’m just joking with you.” He only half-meant it; he did want to be past first impressions with Hanzo. Whoever he was, he was too interesting to let get away without one more word.
“I suppose we are.” Hanzo said anyways. “If you intend to stay any longer, then we will likely run into each other after this.”
“Ah, I was just on my way out. Why are you really staying, though?”
Hanzo thought about his answer for a few seconds. “The light show, if you must know. They have a display at the end of the night. I would not hope to miss it.”
Jesse snorted. The thought that this mysterious guest had a passion for fireworks was just a little bit cute. The tone of their second conversation of the night was completely different from the first - perhaps Jesse had been too quick to judge Hanzo, and had only assumed he had meant to be hostile.
They talked for a little while longer on the edge of the dance floor, mostly about their stays in the country and what they thought of the party. Hanzo’s answers ranged from pleasantly surprising to strange and unfulfilling. There were a lot of questions Jesse had that he knew Hanzo wouldn’t answer - even though he was most definitely more relaxed, he was still reserved, and was not the kind of person to say more than he needed to to a stranger.
The conversation was casual, and Jesse was glad to have made amends with Hanzo by some definition. But despite his chilled nature, Hanzo looked distant. His eyes navigated the room with a kind of urgency, as if he were searching for an escape. Jesse could tell he was thinking hard about something, and there wasn’t much he could do to find out what it was.
Eventually, both men fell into silence, neither making an excuse to leave or walking away without explanation. Jesse leaned against the wall with Hanzo, watching the dancers spin and step around on the floor. The orchestra was playing a waltz, slow and smooth. Jesse couldn’t remember the last time he’d danced with someone to a song like it. It made him want to sway along, forget all about Overwatch and Talon for a few minutes while he had a little bit of fun.
Jesse heard the quiet sound of someone’s foot tapping on the carpeted floor. Hanzo’s left foot was moving, tapping on every first beat and resting for the other two. His rhythm matched the dancers’s, stepping to the same time in sync. He was staring at the ceiling, his expression despondent, as if he was pretending to not be focused on the melody playing.
Jesse didn’t know what overcame him in that moment. The look on Hanzo’s face made him forget all about the mission for the first time tonight. They were both thinking the same thing, but only one of them would be foolish enough to say it.
He stretched his hand out. “Dance with me.”
Hanzo’s tapping stopped. He tore his eyes away from the ceiling, and looked down at the gesture as if it was foreign. “What?”
“Come on. Dance. Just for fun, not as anything serious. ” Jesse said. He was acting like a fool; asking the man who had intimidated and mystified him hours ago to dance, and truly hoping he would accept. It had been proven in the last few minutes that Hanzo was more than he had seen at first, and he was too unique to let go by without just one dance.
“I…why would I…” Hanzo began to stutter, and Jesse drew his hand back an inch. Hanzo looked as if he’d been stung.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to.” he said, staring down at his shoes, but was met by a stunned silence. Jesse looked back up, and saw Hanzo staring at the place where his hand had been.
Without saying another word, Hanzo reached out his own hand. It hung in the air like a question waiting for an answer. He stared down at it expectantly, with pensive yet frightened eyes. It was what he wanted, and it was what Jesse wanted, too - all he had to do was take it.
Smirking, Jesse reached out his hand to take Hanzo’s. Their fingertips brushed, not interlacing but taking a feeble grip on each other. This wasn’t anything serious, Jesse reminded himself. Just to dance again, forget about the tension and fear surrounding him and be with someone else for a few minutes. It didn’t mean anything at all.
He tugged on Hanzo’s hand, and he stepped off the wall towards the dance floor, watching the corners of Hanzo’s mouth turn upwards. “We can dance until those fireworks, if you don’t mind waiting with someone you barely know.” Jesse said, taking a step back onto the hard floor as the orchestra started their last song of the night.
Hanzo’s smile fell like a house of cards. Immediately, his grip loosened, and before Jesse could do anything, his hand fell back to his side.
“No. I…I cannot.” he said, taking a step back from Jesse. “It is more complicated than you think.”
Jesse let his own hand fall as Hanzo’s expression began to harden, taking two more steps away from what they had just wanted. “I…I don’t understand you. What do you mean?”
“Some things are not meant to happen. You cannot just ask me to dance and expect I will leave everything else to,” Hanzo said in a gruff voice. “Now is not the time to be foolish.”
“Hanzo, what-”
Hanzo held up his hand to stop Jesse. “Thank you for the company, Mr. Reyes. I will not see you again tonight. I…” His mouth formed the next word, but closed before he could say it. “I have something I must take care of.”
And before Jesse could stutter out anything else, Hanzo walked away from him and the dance floor. He watched him make his way towards the double doors, disappearing amongst the thinning crowd heading towards the balcony.
“Enjoy the fireworks, at least.” Jesse said to himself, walking away from the floor to return to the shadows.
He turned back on his comm as he cursed himself for doing what he had just done. He was supposed to be keeping both eyes open for the assassin - that couldn’t possibly be done while dancing. It was a ridiculous idea to dance with Hanzo. They were strangers, only acquainted by coincidence and sheer curiosity. Hanzo’s words had been right - his curiosity had lead him somewhere he had no business being.
“Horus, Tracer, sorry for the long silence,” he said over comm. “Anything I should know about?”
“Been the same old on my end. Any update on the targets, Ana?” Lena asked.
“No one suspicious - just security guards, after all.” Ana responded.
Lena groaned on her end. “Well, I’m stuck in the garden right now. I don’t think we’re going to find anyone on the party outskirts. Jesse, you’re still in the ballroom, right?”
“Sure am. Haven’t spotted anything, either.”
“Are you sure you’re looking everywhere?” Lena asked. “These Talon agents, they always find a good place to hide - you might have skipped over them.”
“What do you mean?”
A strangely prolonged silence came from Lena’s end. Jesse could hear every crackle on the comm as she remained quiet. “Lena?”
“Jesse, have we even considered that Talon is going undercover, too?”
Jesse didn’t say anything. He let the static silent continue as the possibility began to nest inside his head - and the more he thought about it, the more possible it became.
“Think about it - they must know we’re here. And if they know we’re undercover, then…”
The ballroom went silent as Lena trailed off. Everything around him started spinning. The dancers flipped upside-down, the music played backwards, even the dim lighting became as bright as lightning. And from out of the blurred present, Jesse came to a realization about the past: specifically, the past hour.
Overwatch had been tipped off about a Talon agent interfering tonight. Winston had sent three agents to stop it, sending them in undercover so as to not bring any attention to themselves. Judging from the nature of the tip, they had been assuming the agent would be easy to find - they hadn’t been clean in their planning, after all - but with every millisecond Jesse thought for, it was becoming clearer that their assumption had been wrong.
Overwatch and Talon were looking in a mirror at each other. For each step one took, the other took a similar one, changed just enough to throw their opponent out of comfort. They would have known if their enemies sent in undercover agents, and that it would be assumed the other side wouldn’t. The only option would be to send in a mirror agent of their own. And if Overwatch hadn’t wanted their presence to be obvious, then Talon didn’t want to be found out, either.
Where was the best place for someone to hide if they knew someone was looking for them?
Someone who didn’t want to be found would try to blend in. Socialize with the crowd, look just like everyone else so as to not draw attention to themselves. Have a conversation or two, listen to the speeches, maybe even dance with someone…
Jesse looked to the front doors. He looked out to the balcony, set up for fireworks and the Chancellor’s final speech of the night. The band was still playing as people twirled and spun, completely unaware of who had been in here just a few minutes ago.
Hanzo had never told Jesse what kind of business he was here for. When he’d asked, he’d said it wasn’t his to know. That kind of shiftiness only came from someone who didn’t want to be questioned, someone who wasn’t here to make new friends.
Jesse’s ears filled with static as he realized who’s hand he had tugged towards the dance floor. Hanzo had left in a hurry after it had all fallen apart. He’d been avoiding direct eye contact while they were talking, staring at the ceiling as if it was something of interest. And even when he’d first approached him, hadn’t Jesse gotten the feeling he was being analyzed? All his blood rushed to his head as he realized what he had been overlooking, or rather, who…
The assassin had been right in front of him this whole time.
Without another thought, Jesse ran for the door. He nearly collided into guests as he ran, his mind racing. He’d been standing inches away from his target, asking if they were past smalltalk and offering to dance. While Ana and Lena had been searching left right and centre for him, he’d been holding his hand and calling him interesting. If he didn’t have to move so quickly, he would’ve been kicking himself numb.
“The fireworks. He’s up on the roof, he’s going to shoot during the fireworks.” he called into the comm, and heard Ana curse.
“You found them?” Lena asked.
“You could say that.” Jesse said. The stairs to the roof were over on the south side. He had to get there before the Chancellor could step out onto the line of fire on the balcony. “Get Ana, get onto the roof fast as you can. We won’t have much time to stop him.”
“I’m over on the north, you need to stall him.” Lena said, and Jesse could hear her recall as she spoke. “We’ve been looking for hours, Jesse; How did you find him?”
“I almost danced with him.” Jesse said, and turned his comm off before anyone could say anything in response.
The rooftop was four flights up. As he climbed the stairs, everything he’d said to Hanzo replayed like a film reel. ‘I just wanna know about you.’, ‘Maybe I wouldn’t mind getting lead somewhere dangerous.’, ‘I hope I didn’t scare you off.’, and ‘If you don’t mind waiting with someone you barely know.’. Either Hanzo had been incredibly smart, or Jesse had been incredibly idiotic to not know he was the assassin. He should’ve known from the moment he saw him standing alone.
But whatever excuse he had for not realizing was irrelevant. The last event of the night was a firework show - he remembered Hanzo wanting to stay for the fireworks - where the Chancellor would be in perfect position for a sniper to strike. It was too late to apprehend the assassin safely - Talon wouldn’t give up easily. There would be a fight, and someone would end up hurt in the end.
As Jesse reached the top of the stairs, he took the gun out of his pocket. How strange it was going to be to meet Hanzo again, this time as true enemies rather than strangers. He had had no idea who Hanzo was for the whole night, and now he was going to meet him as someone entirely new. He braced himself as he pushed open the rooftop door, and let the cold night wind whip across his face.
The party had gathered on the largest outdoor balcony. The Chancellor was giving his final speech, as a crew set up the fireworks down on the grounds below. The night was dark, and the stars were brighter than ever this far away from the city. Jesse breathed in the cool, evening air, and took another deep breath as he saw the assassin, readying an archer’s bow on the edge of the rooftop.
“Fancy seeing you three times in one night,” Jesse said, and Hanzo turned around to face him. “I usually have bad luck going undercover.”
The Hanzo that stood across the roof wasn’t even comparable to the one he’d talked to downstairs. The mouth he’d smiled with was covered by a metallic mask; the hands Jesse had held were gloved; and his sharp jacket had been traded for a Talon sniper’s clothes. The patch of ink Jesse had seen on his collarbone wasn’t even a smudge of the dragon that coiled down his left arm, teeth bared and tail spiked. Jesse shivered as he thought about how many had seen that as their last sight before death took them.
He pulled an arrow from the quiver, and readied it before Jesse could say anything. “Get down from here.”
Jesse’s fingers moved to the safety lock. “I’m not leaving. I know who you are-”
“As do I.” Hanzo didn’t so much as shudder. His gloved fingertips rested on the bow’s string, ready to let go at a moment’s notice. “You Overwatch all think you’re so clever. What kind of agent does not even look for their suspect right in front of them?”
“Don’t act like you’re much smarter,” Jesse said. His hand was right above the trigger - with his reflexes, he could shoot and be done in an instant. But he didn’t want to end this quickly - killing Hanzo was not the outcome he wanted. “You let me walk past you twice without so much as threatening me. And don’t play dumb and pretend you didn’t know who I was.”
“My job was not to capture the enemy,” Hanzo said. His voice was the same biting tone Jesse had heard earlier - he was still kicking himself for not seeing through his disguise sooner. “My only assignment is to kill the Chancellor without being caught. The sooner it is completed, the better.”
“Well, you might have to wait for that shot a little longer.” Jesse said, but Hanzo didn’t show any fear. If anything, he pulled the string back even further.
“Following me was unwise,” he said. “You are already dead.”
“And still, here I am.” Jesse said. Hanzo’s eyes widened in fear, and his hand on the bow trembled.
Not even a second later, Hanzo let go of the string, and an arrow went flying above Jesse’s ducked head. He dropped to the ground as Hanzo took another arrow out, and sent another whizzing past his ear. He cursed as both shots missed, as Jesse ended up crouched with his hand on his gun, knowing he should shoot but still unable to.
The rooftop was four stories above the ground, and combined with the lashing wind and Jesse’s dislike of heights, the fight was starting to look in favour of his enemy. He turned around to see another arrow pointed right at his head, but not drawn back yet. Hanzo stared down, his grip loosening once more. He should have shot - they both should have done something by now, but neither wanted to hurt the other just yet.
Jesse turned his head to see what was going on down below them. The Chancellor was speaking to the crowd , gesturing to the sky as he gushed on about hope and the future before them. If Hanzo were in the right state of mind, it would have been the perfect chance to end his life.
“Do not mock me. Especially not when the odds are so highly stacked against you. I will shoot when I want to, and you will not be alive to stop me.” Hanzo scowled, moving to draw another arrow from his quiver, but catching himself before he could.
Jesse hesitated to answer his threat. Something about the way Hanzo he had said it wasn’t right - his tone was too demanding to be serious, as if he didn’t mean what he’d said. If Jesse didn’t want to kill him, then the feeling must be somewhat mutual. He could only hope for that to be true - without the will to shoot, he was more or less defenceless.
“You had a million chances downstairs,” Jesse mumbled, getting back onto his feet. “Why did you talk instead?”
“I let my guard down, that was my mistake,” Hanzo said, and Jesse could hear the struggle to stay intimidating in his voice. “It would never had happened if you hadn’t approached me.”
“You could’ve taken me out then and there. Something’s telling me you didn’t mind the company.” He knew the truth in Hanzo’s acknowledgement - he had made the same mistake. They’d both slipped up and let someone break through their disguises. They’d made a slit wide enough for a stranger to slip through, and unknowingly let their enemy pass right between their eyes.
Hanzo’s hands shook again, but he did not respond with an attack. Something about his state was very unstable - if this kept up for much longer, neither of the men would complete their missions on time. “I…it is behind us. What happened downstairs does not matter now.”
“It does, though.” Jesse pressed on, not knowing if he would survive if Hanzo snapped, but that pest of curiosity kept him at it. “Nothing you did was for your mission. You were beyond smalltalk. You stuck out your hand.”
Hanzo cursed, and his grip on the bow tightened again. “You say all these things so accusingly. As if you didn’t make the same mistakes? As if anything you said was for your own purpose?”
“It wasn’t.” Jesse said, and as the Chancellor’s voice rose from the balcony, two pieces of truth snapped together in his mind. He hadn’t stuck around Hanzo for the mission. There were so many opportunities to leave the ballroom, to look around somewhere else, find a new target and leave the mysterious stranger alone.
But he hadn’t. All those promises that it was for any other purpose than attraction were lies. He had been drawn towards Hanzo in both the shadows and the light, asking him to dance and staying longer than he was supposed to. And it hadn’t been curiosity tugging him back towards him all along - it was something much different than he had expected.
“Take the shot,” Jesse goaded Hanzo in a voice he could barely hear. “If you made mistakes, take the shot. Kill me, kill him - do whatever you have to do. Just finish it.”
But Hanzo made no movement. He stood still, taken aback by everything that was happening, and putting the same pieces together. He was cracking, failing with every second that passed. In a few moments, his window of opportunity would be gone, and it would just be the Overwatch agent and the Talon sniper alone on the outskirts of the party.
He breathed in deep. “We are wasting our breath. There is no time to bargain. I have to do what I came to do.”
“It’s not that easy. I won’t let you.” Jesse said, and took the most uncertain step forward he’d ever taken.
“Wait-”
Without thinking, Jesse grabbed onto the handle of the bow just as Hanzo yanked it back, and in a second they were inches away from each other. Hanzo’s sharp exhale of breath lashed across Jesse’s cheeks like the wind, and he could almost hear his heart pounding like a hammer.
The sound of a gunshot came from below. Both men’s heads turned as the first firework of the night exploded over their heads, bright blue sparks raining down from the night sky. Jesse immediately craned his head to see the balcony, where the Chancellor was walking through a cheering crowd, ducking his head beneath the sea of colours.
Jesse stared up at Hanzo, and Hanzo stared back. His eyes were wide with disbelief, shock and horror. He had failed. All of his opportunities to complete the mission had passed by, and he’d missed his last shot because of Jesse. Because he couldn’t kill Jesse.
The stunned silence between both men lasted too long. They were too close for this to end easily. Knowing what he knew, Jesse couldn’t let go of the bow and go back downstairs without another word. Something was going to happen - something, through all his planning for the night, he never thought would happen.
“I’m not dead.” Jesse whispered, pretending it was just for himself to hear. “Why am I not dead?”
“I don’t know.” Hanzo said, his words almost unintelligible as more fireworks went off above them. “Some things are not meant to happen.”
A burst of orange light appeared in the night. Many more hues were around it, blocking out the stars and the view of the city, but Jesse wasn’t looking at them. He was staring at Hanzo, who was his enemy, now someone he could not define by one word alone.
“You failed.”
“Promise me we will never see each other again.” Hanzo said, attempting to keep his voice level as more cracks spread through it.
“I can’t make that promise. Not unless one of us is dead.” Jesse said.
“Then pretend that you never met me,” Hanzo said. “It is safer for you. If you followed me past tonight, you would only be lead into more danger.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t mind following you there.” Jesse said, and Hanzo stared back without a response. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest, and with a mind filled with static from both the noise and the tension, he leaned forward.
The Chancellor was inside, safe and sound in his home. The party guests were watching the fireworks, amazed and oblivious in the celebration. Far above them, two former enemies were lip-locked underneath the same sky, shells of colour exploding like supernovas. The party was over - no blood had been spilt, and no change had been made in Overwatch and Talon’s game for power. The only thing that mattered in that minute was the certainty over what had happened between Jesse and Hanzo that night, and the compromised future that existed in front of them.