Reunion

Despite my many layers of clothing, the cold still made me shiver uncontrollably. I had been raised in California, where the coldest it gets is around 50 degrees. Here in Canada, the weather was currently a crisp negative 20 degrees. I never realized how much I hate the cold.

Practically running out of the hangar, I try to find warmth inside the building, to find it was somehow colder. Who decided it was a good idea to build a base inside a mountain, of all things? Rushing to find some form of heat, I don't watch where I'm going and run into someone. 

"S.s.sorry I'm c.c.old." I manage to stutter out.

"Shawn?" A familiar voice questions.

Finally paying attention, I look to see it's Dr. Liao alongside Captain Chase. 

"I didn't know you were back. You look... different." Mina continues.

"Yeah, I just came back to this god awful cold. How can people actually live like this?" I ask, still shivering. S3bastian embraces me into a hug, but his cold metal makes it worse. 

Vivian laughs, "You learn to get used to it. Some take longer than others. Plus, it's only going to be twenty degrees colder tonight." 

"Only negative forty degrees?" My eyes grow wide at her, hoping that she's joking.

"Afraid so. Glad you're back by the way. You're just in time for our next operation. Everyone is gathering for the debriefing."

Another debriefing. Yay. This should be the about the fight at Spadina Road, then later Davenport. I basically know what happens here, so I don't need to pay too much attention to the meeting. 

I follow them into the debriefing room we were in before. I take a seat with Mina beside me as Vivian heads to the front. After a while, I notice Torbjorn and Jack come in. When Torbjorn sees me, he begins to head my way before spying Mina and stops, heading somewhere else to sit. Jack merely raises an eyebrow before being content with leaning against the wall. 

When everything settles, Vivian begins.

"Our progress with the heron siege has improved. We are ready to once again attempt to get it set up. After extensive research and scouting, I've come up with the best way to get this done." She explains.

She clicks and a 3D image pops up behind her showing a map of an area. 

"With the omnics on a constant push deeper into Canadian territory, it was difficult evaluating a spot for development. However, this is Spadina Road in Toronto. Due to this area being less exposed, it makes it ideal for us to set up and defend the heron siege here. 

Paired with the bridge it will give us choke points against any omnic attack no matter their numbers. Plus, with us so deep in their back lines, we don't expect any omnic reinforcements besides the initial response." She clicks again, and it goes down the street to a building. 

"Should things not go our way, this is Davenport House. It will provide us with an equally advantageous defense position and the most ideal place to extract."

I looked around the room as she was speaking. The various soldiers looked invested in her plan, I could tell a lot of them were itching for payback against the omnics for the string of losses they've suffered. Vivian, also, read the room and noticed that the morale was high. Fournier stepped up beside her.

"This is, by far, the highest probability at a comeback we have. This is our time. The omnic oppression ends here." He says, rallying all the soldiers who begin to stand, cheering. The briefing ends and everyone begins to file out of the room. Torbjorn walks over, ignoring Mina completely as he addresses me. 

"Glad to have such an innovative mind back on the operation." He says.

"Did you get any progress on the electric shield for your turrets?" I ask. 

"No. Everyone wants my priority to be on the heron siege. But I keep telling them, it's not on my part, it's on the mother of all omnics here." He says.

Whoops. I forgot about their quarrel and only started on that subject to make some small talk. Mina crosses her arms.

"You can say what you want, but your work doesn't check out. Don't worry, I'll personally be going on the mission to ensure its success." She responds to him. Her words make his face grow red.

"And do what? Attack the omnics with your pen? You're not a soldier, so you bring nothing to this fight." He says. 

Vivian who heard this whole encounter steps in for Mina. "I don't see why you guys can't work together. Think about the needs of humanity for this operations' success." She pleads with him.

He crosses his arms, "Teh. I wasn't the one who doomed it in the first place. She can have all the redemption she wants in helping in this mission. From the sidelines. I'm going in her place instead."

Vivian looks at Mina, who just shrugs. Turning back to Torbjorn, she says, "Very well, we leave in 0700 hours." 

"Hmph." Torbjorn dismisses as he walks away. 

Jack waits until Torbjorn leaves the room before nodding at me and leaving himself. Which just leaves me with Vivian and Mina. Turning to Mina, I apologize. "Sorry about that, I forgot that was a thing."

A sad smile appears on her face, "It's fine. Besides, I heard that you have been busy. Curing cancer and all that." 

"It was a lung cancer from smoking. Plus, don't discount yourself, I want to know about what you're working on." Excited, we both leave, catching up with tales on what we've been up to. Vivian smiles, wishing that nothing changes. 

[A/N: Yeah, I just read those patch notes for Season 9. Good luck to you guys, I won't be playing. Calling it now, Reaper won't die and be the best dps that season.]