"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hope?" Winston cautioned with worry over the feed of the communicator. "If Talon did abduct your brother to use him for Project: Disciple, won't they go after you as well?" 

Sitting anxiously in my seat, the plane was about to land in Cairo, Egypt. I filled in Winston and Lucio about what my father had revealed to me about Talon and their plans with Project: Disciple. They originally tried to use Joseph and my mother as test subjects to perfect their super soldier serum and turn them into Talon's own personal assassins. Now it had made its return, despite Strike Commander Morrison's efforts to neutralize it from the face of the Earth, and Talon had their eyes set on myself and my brother, David. One was already down, and thus there was one more to go. 

Unless I could get him back first. 

"There's a high chance that could very much happen, but it's a risk I'm willing to take," I spoke with confidence, an almost scowl like look on my face. "I need to find out all that I can about Project: Disciple. Captain Amari may know something that my father didn't," 

"The Overwatch Archives have been scrambled and locked under heavy security clearance ever since the Petras Act installation," Winston sighed, adjusting his glasses. "But I might be able to work around it and do some digging on my end," 

"While he's doing that, I'm gonna get Eastwood to help me get clearance for the old Blackwatch Database and see if Commander Reyes found out anything about it too," Lucio quickly chimed in as he squeezed his way into the feed. Eastwood, I snorted. That was a little nickname Lucio had made for McCree because he reminded him so much of that fictional cowboy from those classic western films. "How's the plane ride?"

Lucio had over heard the news about Project Disciple, and realizing that it would take a while for me to find and book the first flight over to Cairo from Vancouver wasn't going to be a walk in the park, he made me an offer that I had an insanely amount of trouble refusing to be honest. Turns out Hana Song, or famously known as D.va, the international gaming and MEKA pilot super star was wrapping up a tour in North America and Lucio gave her a call and asked if I could hitch a ride!

I wanted to refuse and tell Lucio he didn't have to go through all that trouble, but I guess this girl had to be the world's fastest texter because she got back to Lucio almost instantly and said she'd do it. My father drove me to the airport and we got clearance to wait at one of the private landing zones and 1 hour later, Hana arrived in a bright pink private jet with her famous bunny logo on the back tail wing of the plane. 

The young Korean greeted me at the door as one of her guards secured my bag and I waved goodbye to my father before boarding the plane. The interior inside the plane was white leather chairs,  4 in total, each with their own table and entertainment system and had the mobility to turn and face each other if need be, a fluffy pink carpet flooring, some windows on the sides of the aircraft, and what immediately caught my attention was the candy mini bar. 

I was served complimentary D.va themed Doritos and Nano Cola sold exclusively in South Korea as a snack and a fabulous breakfast burrito and hash-browns were prepared for brunch. The flight attendant gathered my tray when Winston made the call. 

"This is absolutely insane! Lucio, you two didn't have to do this," I shook my head in disbelief. "Like, at all!"

"Don't be silly!" a thick Korean accent seeped through my ears as Hana emerged from the restroom. The girl wore a baseball cap over her long brown hair that brushed passed her shoulders, her signature MEKA jump suit with a dark grey MEKA squad jacket over top her torso. "I owed Lu a favour, it was the least I could do," 

"That you, Hana? Thanks again! You're the best!" Lucio complimented. 

"Anytime, Lucio, how's my favourite international DJ?" She smirked, slouching in the chair across from me as she turned it around with her foot in order to face me. 

Lucio chuckled on the other line, smirking on screen. "I play a lot of music, but you're still my favourite song!" 

As the pair laughed, I couldn't help myself and felt a strange pulse rapture in my chest. The two of them seemed to be good friends, cracking jokes and almost. . . flirting? Perhaps they were more than friends? 

My thoughts quickly recalled the events back in Numbani. Like the time at the restaurant, and my hotel room. 

"I don't deserve you," I spoke quickly.

His eyes widened with surprise, appearing taken back at what I said. Heck, even I was. I just spit right out of my mouth! That's not what I even wanted to say in the first place. My mouth just took on a mind of it's own.

"What?" He gaped, appearing confused.

I shook my head, "No, what I mean is," I tried to move my hand away from his, feeling embarrassed and ashamed for what I said, but his hand held a firm grip on mine as he refused to let go. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon unless I started talking sense.

"Talk to me, Ivery," he pleaded. 

*****

"You said it yourself; Get to know me more, and find out how you really feel," Lucio suggested. His hand reached over, grasping my free hand along my lap, his fingers intertwining with mine. "And in return, I'd like to get to know you more, too," 

*****

Does he really though? I thought to myself I glanced up at Hana, seeing her smile. It was adorable. She was really cute. Pretty too. Does he just want to be friends? Has he moved on from what happened? 

"You okay, Hope?" Hana's voice rang towards me as my face perked up to meet her gaze. "You're not getting motion sick or anything, are you?"

I zoned out of my train of thought, shaking my head. "Nah, I'm fine. I don't get motion sick that easy, I fly all the time,"

"Good," She smirked. "But if you ever need a vomit bag, I got a whole set,"

A petty laugh escaped my lips as I rubbed the back of my neck with my free hand. "Thanks,"

"I've alerted the team in Cairo that you're on the approach," Winston chimed in, his deep baritone voice taking over the conversation. "A member of Fareeha's team will pick you up from the airport and take you to their Patrol station where Fareeha, Agent McCree, and the Shimada Brothers will be waiting for you," 

Wait, Genji is there too? That's the first I've heard of it. I thought it was just Jesse and Hanzo going on this mission? 

"Got it," I nodded my head in confirmation. 

"Stay safe out there, Hope," The scientist smiled at me, as if trying to reassure himself this whole plan was a good idea in the first place. 

"I will, Winston, promise," I smiled back at him, crossing my fingers as I flashed the promise symbol his way. 

"If you ever get caught in a jam, don't hesitate to give me a call," Lucio smirked in offering manner. 

"I will, catch you guys later," I waved them goodbye before ending the call. The holographic feed vanished as I leaned back in my chair with a sigh. I glanced over at Hana again, my lips forming a small smile. "Thanks again for doing this, Hana," 

"It's no problem! A friend of Lucio is a friend of mine, I'd do anything for him," she grinned back, reaching over as she opened a can of Nano Cola, taking a sip before speaking again. "Especially for the newly reformed Overwatch," 

"Are you pro-Overwatch?" I asked curiously. 

"Oh, totally!" She beamed. "My father told me stories about them when I was a kid. They were my inspiration in joining the MEKA Squad back home," 

"Ever thought about joining up with Overwatch? You know, after we become legal again," I asked, crossing my legs in my seat. 

"I have talked about it with Lu, but I still have some responsibilities back in my home country with the squad and fighting the Gwishin Omnics," The Korean sighed, setting the drink down in her lap.

The Gwishin Omnics were a group of Omnics that emerged from the East China Sea or the Sea of Japan. They've been launching attacks against the Asian continents every few months for the last couple of years now, and thanks to the MEKA Squad, there have been little to no casualties. Whenever I caught D.va's streams, sometimes it would be fights against the Gwishin. The last one I remember seeing was the MEKA squad fighting this ginormous Omnic titan that had to be as tall as the Sydney Opera house. Perhaps even bigger than that! 

"How are you holding up?" I asked with concern, noticing that she was fiddling with her soda can. 

"Hmm?" her face perked up a little bit as her brown eyes met my own and her smile returned. "Oh, I'm doing alright. It's nothing that I can't handle," 

I nodded my head as I reverted my gaze from her and took a look at the view out the window. I could just see the Egyptian coastline. 

"I play a lot of music, but you're still my favourite song!"  

Another sigh breezed by me as I sank deeper into my seat. 

"You okay, Hope?" 

I turned to face Hana again and it appeared she was giving me some sort of look. It didn't appear judgey or threatening or anything like that. But it did catch my attention. "What?"

"You look like you have something on your mind," she probed. 

I shook my head, trying to brush it off. "It's nothing," 

"You sure?" She rose a brow in my direction. 

"I'm sure," I nodded my head, putting on smile. 

"Come on, you can tell me," I spoke reassuringly as she adjusted her posture. "I won't judge,"

I took a few moments to contemplate the offer before I pulled my body back from the widow and sat up in my own chair. "Promise you won't laugh?"

Hana nodded her head, anxiously waiting for me to go on. 

I cleared my throat, my gaze shifting between her and her drink before I took a deep breath and looked at her with a bit of uncertainty. "So. . . you and Lucio, huh?"

"Eh?" Her head tilted to the side as she processed the question until her eyes widened when it finally clicked in her brain. "Oh! You think we're--!"

My head sank down to my shoulders as I shrugged at the girl.

"Nah, me and Lu aren't like that," she shook her head with a giggle. "I mean we're close, but not that close," 

"So you're not dating?" I asked again for confirmation as she took another sip of her drink. "But, that little back and forth you guys did a few minutes ago. . ."

"That? That's just a thing we do. Besides, I already have a boyfriend," Hana reached over for her phone, unlocking the device as she brought up a picture and showed it to me. The boy looked to be Hana's age, with piercing green eyes and a shaggy bull cup chair cute. He wore the same jacket that she was wear as the pair posed together, each brandishing a peace sign. "Cute, right?" 

"Very cute," I smiled at the picture. 

"If anything, I'm more like Lucio's wing-man," Hana chuckled at the comment as she put her phone away, "Or wing-woman I should say," 

Wing-man? Now that peaked my interest. "Wing-man?"

"Yeah! Ever since he started working with Overwatch, he's been constantly asking me for advice on how to talk to you and stuff!" She boasted with a proud smirk on her face. "I haven't seen him gush about anyone in so long! About time he got himself a crush," 

I swore I could feel my heart stop in my chest, a faint blush on my cheeks. "He talks about me?" 

"All. The. Time," Hana's smirk never left her face. 

"Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked her, leaning forward as my arms leaned against my crossed legs. 

"Because he really cares about you, and from what he's told me, you care a lot about him too," She answered knowingly. 

My eyes widened as my heart regained its rhythmic momentum. 

"I heard about what happened in Numbani, and I think it's really sweet that you care about his feelings and well-being. Give it some time to get to know him more, and when you feel ready, express to Lucio about how you truly feel about him," Hana smiled as she winked at me. 

A small smile formed on my lips as I nodded at her. "I will, thanks," 

"No problem," she shot a finger gun in my direction. "Here, toss me your phone,"

Raising a brow at the girl, I pulled it out from my pocket and tossed the device over to her. She unlocked it and with lightning quick thumbs, she rapidly tapped on the screen in a matter of seconds before extending it back to me. 

"Here's my number if you ever need advice, or just want to girl talk," 

My hands trembled slightly as I took the phone back. D.va, my favourite streamer of all time, gave me her phone number?!

"Um, s-sure--!" I was at a lost for words I could barely speak as I suddenly bowed my head in respect. "Thank you very much!"

The girl giggled madly as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "You are just adorable! I can see why Lu likes you, Hope," 

The blush returned to my cheeks as I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing over to the side. 

Within moments, the jet touched down on Egyptian soil at Cairo International Airport. Meeting us at outside near jet next to a navy blue jeep was an Egyptian man with sleek black hair, tanned skin and brown eyes who wore a black t-shirt with grey cargo pants with a thigh holster around his left thigh and black combat boots. 

Hana escorted me down the attachable flight of stairs from the jet door, suitcase in tow as we met up with the man. 

"Agent Ivery?" he greeted. 

"Yes, you must be from Helix?" I extended a hand towards him and he humbled accepted the gesture as we shook hands. 

"My name is Tariq, I am co-captain of Captain Fareeha Amari's team," he introduced himself, nodding his head. "I've been sent to retrieve you and escort you to our headquarters," 

"Guess that's my que to bounce," Hana smiled warmly as she waved farewell, turning her back towards me, "I'll see you around, Hope!"

"Later, Hana," I waved back at her, smiling sweetly. "Thanks again!"

I watched as as she boarded the jet before turning my attention back to Tariq. He seemed stern, serious, straight to the point sort of fellow. 

"I'm ready when you are,"

"Quite, let's get going then," he was quick to take my bag for me, loading it into the back seat before the both of us settled in and he got the vehicle moving as we departed from the runway and entered the busy streets of the city. 

For a bit of the journey, the city was vibrant and lively with tall buildings and structures, it reminded me a lot of Numbani. However, once we got on the freeway and traveled a bit of ways out of the downtown area, the scenery changed dramatically. Tariq pulled over into an almost village like district, where the buildings and houses appeared as if they were from Ancient Egypt itself! Vendors filled the side streets as I spotted children running about with bright smiles on their faces. 

We passed by a plaza with a giant archway that served as the entrance and on its side, were two giant statues of the Egyptian god, Anubis. I had heard tales of the Anubis GOD program that resided here in Egypt and at one point it took control of some Omnics here and tried to seize the city. Thanks to Helix Security, the threat was neutralized and Anubis returned to its slumber once more. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen again. 

"We have arrived," Tariq announced. 

Staring forward, I looked in awe as I grabbed on to the top of the front window shield to pull myself up to my feet to get a better look. The camp comprised of this giant mobilized tank. It as tall as the plaza archway with a set of 6 big wheels, three on either side. It appeared the paint job on the vehicle was a peach or perhaps a beige like colour, however has since been drenched in dirt and sand over the years that it's become a more dirty gold kind of shade. The side door was open, placed along the sand with a campfire set up on the side with some chairs. A hover boat was docked near by a cliff that overlooked the desert. 

Upon closer approach, I could see Jesse, Hanzo, and Genji waiting outside, along with Fareeha who I had recognized from her last video call. She had mid-long black hair with two locks braided at the front, and wore a grey track suit with a black sports bra underneath and matching sneakers. Genji was the first to notice our arrival as he sat up from sitting along the door. His sudden movement alerted the rest of the group as they turned their gazes towards the jeep as Jesse waved over at me. 

"Look who showed up!" He hollered, a wide grin on his face. 

"Mind if I crash the party?" I smirked back him as Tariq pulled over and we clambered out of the vehicle. "I take it Winston told you guys why I came," 

Hanzo nodded his head, arms crossed over his chest. "It was quite troubling to hear the news. Talon never seems to be too short of surprises, that much is for certain," 

"But going so far as to using an innocent family and turn them into ruthless soldiers; It's cruel," Jesse snarled, gritting his teeth as a patch of his cigar dropped from his mouth. 

"Madness," Genji quickly added whilst shaking his helm. He stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I know understand why you pleaded to come with us on this mission. But are you 100% sure it is safe for you to be here?"

"Maybe now, but it's a risk I'm willing to take in order to find out more about the Project and have any hope in rescuing my brother," I spoke firmly, my gaze never turning away from Genji's visor. 

"It means that much to you?" Hanzo questioned.

I turned towards him as Genji stepped to the side so I could get a better look. "Aye, sensei," 

Hanzo stared at me for a moment as if trying to predict all the possible outcomes that this mission could go wrong, until his face softened before turning towards Jesse and he nodded his head. 

"You've got our support, darlin'," Jesse smiled, removing the cigar from his teeth as he fiddled it around with his metallic fingers before pointing it over at me. "Any family of yours is family of ours," 

"Thank you, Jesse," I smiled, scanning the group. "Thank you all," 

"We've never been properly introduce," Fareeha stepped forward as she pulled her hands out of her pockets, revealing them dressed in leather biker gloves as she extended her right hand towards me. "Fareeha Amari," 

"Hope Ivery," I smiled back at her, shaking her hand. "Good to finally meet you in person. We'll find your mom, I promise,"

"Thank you for your support," she spoke sincerely before glancing over at her teammate. "Tariq, take her stuff to the other spare room,"

The man nodded as he took my suitcase and headed on inside the tank, pushing behind the net blanket. At the same time, another member of the Helix team seemed to run out in a frantic pace, shoving the net aside. "Captain!!"

"Mahmud, what is it?" Fareeha acknowledged the man. He was an older man with bushy brown hair with a thick beard and tanned skin and wore a combat medic uniform. 

"HQ sent an intel alert! The Shrike has been spotted near the plaza, and reports also indicated that the Reaper has been seen as well," he reported, taking deep breathes after appearing to have sprinted throughout the inside of the large vehicle. 

"Now is our chance," Genji spoke up, hands clutched into fists. 

Hanzo, Jesse, and I nodded in agreement as we all turned our gazes towards Fareeha. "Alright then, suit up, and let's get out there! On the double!"