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The fall sun cast down on the small town in France, bringing the air to a point that begged for sweaters and warm drinks. Sombra had decided to make a point of doing so, searching out a quiet bistro. It had a set of tables in front of the building, a canopy of vines covering them, letting light dapple in. A steaming cup sat on a saucer in front of her, a small notebook on the table beside it.
Her trip to the countryside had been useful. It was a wonderfully relaxing place, full of opportunities and new friends to be had. A place that had been easy to settle down in, and would be just as easy to leave. Europe had always had a fond place in her heart because of that. Besides, who wouldn’t love the irony of working right below the UN’s nose. The food and wine had also been a huge plus, not to mention the excitement of high class items up from grab.
The real point of her visit here today had yet to show his face…or rather, his mask. It had taken quite a bit of work to arrange this meeting, and if everything went according to her plan, it would be well worth it. Genji Shimada, horribly disfigured by his own brother’s hand at the will of his family. After having been taken in by Overwatch, transformed and used by them, he had found his escape with their fall. A fun challenge it had been to contact him, an elusive man set on wandering the world in an effort to find a place he felt welcome.
While Sombra could sympathise with his pain, she also knew that he would never find a place where he would be fully welcome. A cyborg ninja is not something many could easily let go of, could not question, could not whisper about. How badly she imagined he wanted to be just a man once more, which is why she did this. Whispers around the world had lead her to a company that was developing a synthetic skin, planned to be promoted to Omnics, looking to try and escape discrimination. The hacker could care less if the bots were abused, but she found opportunity in Genji.
He should have known that she would be trouble the moment he saw the careful part of her hair, the too perfect flips of the ends. He should have known seeing the way her nails gracefully pressed into her own skin as she sipped from the cup. And overall, he should have known by the way her eyes caught sight of his meager disguise and bore into him. Genji could feel that if she so wanted, this woman could tear him down without a second glance. It terrified it…it excited him. Few could actually offer him a challenge, yet he knew she would be an even match.
“So great of you to finally join me. Why don’t you take a seat.” Sombra said across the span of the patio. Genji couldn’t argue, and smoothly slid into the seat across from her. “Sorry I didn’t get you anything, figured you wouldn’t care.” The sweetbreads he had smelled in the air had piqued his nose, but she was right in knowing that his synthetic stomach would not care for sweet coffees and warm breads.
“Let me cut to the chase. We both know you aren’t happy like this, covering your face. You used to be a playboy, top of your game, men and women crawling for you. I offer you a way to have that back. All I need for you is to…remember me. Keep this little favor in your head…if you accept of course.” Sombra pressed the notebook across the table, a little holo-number pad glowing above a small lock on the front of it. “The choice I offer you is just a birthday away…If you don’t accept, I suggest you leave it quickly….if I did my math right, the bomb inside should take out….oh, at least this cafe and the sweet little daycare next door…Ta-ta.”
A sickeningly sweet grin, full of sharp and wolfish teeth, was flashed at Genji before she faded from view, leaving a half empty mug on the table. Staring at the shape of her lips, left on the ceramic by her deep violet lipstick, he entered his birthday into the keypad, knowing Sombra would not leave his memory soon.