#and then he comes back and he's older and more jacked and significantly more jaded

[navree]

there's a lot of reasons why that titans show wanting to do batfam specific arcs, especially death in the family/under the red hood, flopped so hard each time, but one of the biggest is that they basically brought jason back after, like, a fucking month and it basically negates the entire thing

[segadores-y-soldados]

Null Point

Part 3 of “Retribution and Reapercussions” and “Those Who Rise Up”: exploring the consequences of “Retribution” on the characters of Overwatch.  The timeframe for this covers the Null Sector’s uprising and Akande’s arrest by Overwatch agents.  This is an unknown timespan but likely covers approximately several months to maybe a year.

This part will cover Null Sector’s uprising, including how they were likely backed or supported by Akande’s “new” Talon, and how Talon (in the present day) intends to help start another Omnic Uprising in King’s Row.  It also covers Akande’s arrest by Winston, Tracer, and Genji, and explores how he was likely betrayed by Vialli (either to Overwatch directly, via Moira, or through other parties, such as Helix Securities).

A follow-up to “Long Reasons Not to Trust Moira in Retribution”, “A Clash of Kings,” the post about the declassified Blackwatch memorandum on Venice, a post about Overwatch and Blackwatch investigating their own organization, “The Immortal Soldier?”, and other essays.  The ones linked above are the most important at the moment.

Additional essays and posts related to this topic: “Tal Pai, Tal Filho”, a write-up on the new Lúcio story and interactions between Lúcio, Symmetra, and Doomfist; a reply to an ask about if the attack on Antonio was planned or not; “An Eye for An Eye”, hypotheses on the new Soldier: 76-Moira interaction and if Soldier is “in” on Reaper’s plan.

Warning: Like “Retribution and Reapercussions” and “Those Who Rise Up”, this essay will be long.  As always, a “Read more” link/cut will be provided, but tumblr mobile is a buggy app, and you may encounter problems with opening this or other links on the app.

Jack: This is Morrison.  London has been attacked!  King’s Row has fallen.  We’re on the brink of open war. Ana: Hundreds are dead, and thousands injured! Jack: Team, it’s up to you.

In terms of the timeline of the fall of Overwatch, the year has “rounded” to the next.  “Retribution,” Akande’s rise to power, Widowmaker’s creation, and likely Tracer’s Slipstream accident all occurred approximately 8 years before “Recall”, and about 2 years before Overwatch’s official disbandment.

It’s difficult to place when in the year (seasonally) Null Sector launches their attack on King’s Row in London, but we can estimate that it roughly occurs in spring, 7 years before “Recall” and 1 year before the official disbandment of Overwatch:

The weather is mild in both Switzerland and England.  Lena’s Slipstream accident (or sabotage) has occurred fairly recently - we can see in the comic that Winston and Mercy are checking on her to make sure her new chronal accelerator works properly.

We know that, internally, Overwatch and Blackwatch had been enjoying a newfound equilibrium, with Gabriel and his trusted Blackwatch agents investigating corrupt or compromised agents.  Overwatch had continued to work on external missions, such as investigating the Shimada clan.

However, relatively recently, the internal balance in the organization has shifted.

Talon has just recently made a horrific and effective assassination against the prominent Blackwatch agent and lead anti-Talon investigator, Gérard Lacroix.  Internally, Overwatch and Blackwatch believe Talon has kidnapped - and possibly killed - his wife Amélie.  However, “we the audience” know that Amélie has returned to Talon for further conditioning and training, to be recrafted into the sniper Widowmaker.

With Blackwatch losing their “leads” on Talon, and with Overwatch decommissioning the Slipstream teleporting fighter jet due to its rather convenient “accident”, Akande’s revitalized “war-creating” organization is poised to launch a conflict which will engulf the world -

Into a new Crisis.

As the new Doomfist, Ogundimu rose high in Talon and helped to orchestrate a conflict that the organization hoped would someday engulf the world. - Doomfist’s Hero Profile

---

Doomfist on King’s Row (present day):

Omnics will not be kept down forever. The ashes of the Crisis still smolder. This city is a powder keg that could ignite the world. And Talon is the flame.

(A LOT more under the cut!)

Zero-Sum: Null Sector’s uprising

“Retribution” has a number of lines which - when taken together with other pieces of evidence - point to the complexity of the mission (particularly the “masquerade” of emotions going on between Gabriel and Moira, who are trying to outplay and outwit each other).  

“Uprising” has fewer interactions which show the complexity of Null Sector, instead relying on the comic to tell us why the situation in London is complicated: Jack’s hands are tied against sovereign rights, Blackwatch is already suspended, how did Null Sector “[catch Overwatch] off guard,” etc.

If fact, if you don’t pay close attention, Uprising looks extremely straightforward: the Strike Team goes in, takes down the anti-air defenses, brings in Torbjörn’s specialized bomb, and then assaults the Null Sector base before rescuing the hostages.

A much more “heroic” mission than “Retribution.”

But again -

Perspective matters.

Just like how Retribution has narrative shift from Gabriel (comic) to McCree (game), Uprising has a parallel narrative shift, from Jack (comic) to Tracer (game).

Just like how McCree is unaware of certain events that occur in the Retribution comic (e.g. Gabriel meeting with Jack to discuss the possibility of conducting an “off the book” “snatch and grab” mission for Antonio), Tracer is unaware of certain events that are brewing in the background of Uprising: in Overwatch, in Blackwatch, in Talon, and in London itself.  These include the events of “Retribution”, Moira’s betrayal of Blackwatch, Gabriel’s “negotiations” with her (and his masquerade to infiltrate Talon), Akande’s rise to power in Talon, Amélie’s kidnapping and brainwashing, and possibly the “truths” about Tracer’s own Slipstream accident.

In fact, Tracer in Uprising - both the comic and the in-game playable event - fulfills a very classic storytelling type: the Heroine’s Journey.  She is young (approximately 18-19), relatively naive to the more sinister elements of the world around her, brightly optimistic, eager to try out her new abilities, and enthusiastic about doing good in the world.  She is surrounded by older “mentor” and “guide” figures - Reinhardt, Torbjörn, Mercy, Winston, even Jack, Ana, and Gabriel themselves.

While “Retribution” fits the role of a “spy thriller”, with a full-on conspiracy about Moira’s role and her actions that the player is encouraged to uncover, “Uprising” appears to be relatively straightforward as a “rookie’s first mission” tale against a (pretty clearly) immoral or ruthless group, Null Sector.

However, there are a few interactions in “Uprising” that imply it is much more significantly tied to the rest of the events happening around it than it initially appears:

As you play more Uprising, you can come across a very telling interaction between Tracer and Torbjörn:

Tracer: If we don’t stop Null Sector, I don’t know how humans and Omnics could ever live together in peace. Torbjörn: When are we going to learn - you just can’t trust an Omnic. Tracer: Not all Omnics are the same!   Torbjörn: You don’t know what they’re capable of!  Look around you!  This has happened before!  And it’ll happen again!

(source)

At first glance, it appears to be “character-building” - flavor text that demonstrates Tracer as optimistic and hopeful, and Torbjörn as more bitter and jaded.

Except that Torbjörn’s last line is rather...prophetic.

While Uprising-era Torbjörn is obviously biased against Omnics, what his last line actually implies is that the elements which made Null Sector and led to their revolt against the human population of London will coalesce and try again...and again...and again.

Until eventually -

They succeed.

Torbjörn’s line is a follow-up to another set of lines that “we the audience” saw in the “Uprising” comic:

Gabriel: Call them what you want; they have support, especially when you consider how people treat Omnics in the U.K.  Omnics built their cities and did the jobs humans didn’t want to do.  In return: no rights and no citizenship.  What did we expect?  The Magna Carta was written a thousand years ago.

“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

What Gabriel and Torbjörn are both getting at is that the elements and events which led to Null Sector’s uprising are the true issue at the heart of the Omnic revolution.  It is not merely a situation of “terrorists” emerging from the ground to lead a revolt, but, as with everything:

Actions have consequences.

And decisions have repercussions.

While the decision to send in the Overwatch Strike Team into London against sovereign orders was the right choice, it is - and will be - as effective as putting a bandage on a missing limb.

Because the actual elements which helped create and support Null Sector are still present, even after Overwatch is disbanded:

Reaper: Tensions in London are boiling over.  Hasn’t been this bad since after the uprising. Akande: That was a missed opportunity. But who would have thought Overwatch would get involved?

Akande’s line effectively implies that Talon either supported Null Sector by arming them, or possibly created the Omnic group as a sort of shell or staged uprising to spark a war.

This is confirmed by his voicelines on present-day King’s Row, which “occurs” after Mondatta’s death in “Alive”:

Omnics will not be kept down forever. The ashes of the Crisis still smolder. This city is a powder keg that could ignite the world. And Talon is the flame.

Notice that he does not specifically name Null Sector as the “flame” to ignite the world, but Talon.

Even after Overwatch has fallen, both the Omnic discontent in King’s Row and Talon still exist.  Talon has taken steps to set fire to the Omnic discontent by assassinating Mondatta (it is not known if someone on the Talon council gave Widowmaker the order, or if she took the initiative for the mission herself).

However, even at the time of “Uprising”, Talon had taken great, often painful steps to basically prevent or actively hinder Overwatch from getting involved in the Null Sector uprising.  Everything about the uprising points to Talon masking their efforts and involvement while also attempting to stop Overwatch’s actions:

1. Killing Gérard Lacroix.

Assassinating Gérard had a bigger impact than I think many people - both “in-universe” and among the fans - fully realize.  As I wrote in Part 2, “Retribution” actually barely slowed Overwatch down.  While there were internal elements in the organization that may have changed a few things - such as the Blackwatch suspension -  the organization as a whole continued to conduct investigations and missions seemingly without problems.  This includes the on-going investigations against the Shimada clan and likely an investigation against Akande Ogundimu himself:

A lot of this - especially tracking Talon both inside Overwatch and out - was probably due to Gérard’s abilities and his influences.  As a trusted member of Blackwatch, and likely the lead investigator against compromised Overwatch and Blackwatch agents, Gérard was probably very crucial at tracking Talon’s members and their movements.  After all, he is the one who managed to track the seemingly “random” bombing of the Oslo base back to Antonio, a whole continent away.

Removing Gérard changed things, probably significantly and certainly not in a good way for Overwatch and Blackwatch.

Without Gérard, Gabriel likely had to pare down his operations considerably, limiting them only to trusted agents like Jesse McCree and Genji Shimada.  Cutting back the scope of his mission almost certainly impacted Overwatch, which relied on Blackwatch intelligence reports to help handle problems before they “evolved.”  With no one actively tracking or monitoring Talon’s movements past being aware of Akande in Numbani or Oyo, Talon would’ve been able to slip into King’s Row and help build Null Sector’s base of support and weapons’ stockpile.

Which brings me to:

2. “Uprising”-era Talon’s specialty was creating armies and trading weapons.

At the time of “Retribution”, approximately one year before “Uprising”, Talon had already begun experimenting with creating genetically “enhanced” and cybernetically “augmented” soldiers and armies.  While the Talon forces in “Retribution” are all human at their core, what their composition and abilities show is that Talon had adapted to making different paramilitary “classes” capable of working together to destabilize and militarize at the drop of a hat (or the drop of a body).

A point almost never brought up in discussions on Null Sector is:

How did Null Sector get decommissioned Bastions and OR14s?

But during the Omnic Crisis, [the Bastion units] were turned against their human makers, forming the bulk of the omnics' rebel army. Following the resolution of the crisis, nearly all of them were destroyed or disassembled. - Bastion’s Hero Profile

---

Originally put into service before the Omnic Crisis, the OR14 "Idina" line of security robots was built in Nigeria's massive manufacturing omnium. After the war, they were taken out of production, along with many of the other models used during the crisis. Twenty years later, Numbani revived and recommissioned the OR14 program to protect the city from external threats. - Orisa’s Hero Profile

The reveal of the OR14s among Null Sector’s troops should be a pretty solid clue as to who was backing Null Sector:

Orisa, Null Sector skin description: During the King's Row uprising, Null Sector employed redesigned and upgraded OR14 Idina bots to secure the power station.

And who has a long history of fighting Numbani defense bots like the OR14s?

The brand new leader of Talon.

All it takes is capturing a few of the OR14s.

Without Gérard tracking his movements and with Gabriel scaling back Blackwatch operations, Akande is free to start moving some of his “pieces” around in his grand conflict.  Talon agents are able to enter King’s Row and begin bringing in weapons, armaments, and reconditioned Crisis-era bots for Null Sector.

Talon has also learned a pretty significant lesson from the events of Rialto a year before:

3. Anti-air defenses

While the anti-air defenses in-game are mainly just a gameplay mechanic (e.g. capture this point and hack the air defenses), they represent a drastically different approach to tactics and control than Talon showed in Rialto a year earlier.

The whole event of “Retribution” is “mission goes wrong - run like hell to the evacuation point” so that a Blackwatch dropship can rescue the team.  The mission - for both Blackwatch and Talon - is messy, resulting in Blackwatching being revealed to the public, but also resulting in massive losses for Talon.  Antonio’s entire force is basically decimated by four people, and they successfully escape on the dropship.

A year later, Talon and Null Sector aren’t taking any chances.

The anti-air defenses are massive and effectively prevent any forces - Overwatch, the U.K., any allies, etc - from entering London’s air space.  It allows the siege of the city to go on for nearly a full month.  With the anti-air defenses around, not even bombs or EMPs can be dropped, because the defensive turrets shoot them out of the sky before they land.

It is also interesting that the Null Sector uprising occurs after the Slipstream has been removed from Overwatch’s project docket.  Again, while a lot of this is designed around gameplay over story, it very conveniently fits together as the backdrop for Tracer’s first mission.

Akande: That was a missed opportunity. But who would have thought Overwatch would get involved?

Uprising-era Akande and probably several of his Talon allies and followers likely believed that they had an ace in the hole with Null Sector: Blackwatch was suspended, the major Blackwatch agent investigating them was dead, the UK refused Overwatch’s help, and the situation in London was reaching “critical mass”.  They had total control over the city, Null Sector was armed to the (metaphorical) teeth, several valuable hostages had been taken, and with the entire situation stalling out, it was only a matter of time before the conflict boiled over into other Omnic-tense countries or locations, such as Russia or Australia.

Except:

Someone had his own plans.

Remember: with Gérard’s death, Gabriel has likely stepped up his own personal “plan” of bringing retribution on Talon and Null Sector.  Unlike Retribution, he has learned his lesson and will not be hasty or emotional in his movements.  He is much more patient this time, calmer, more methodical.  He recognizes, however, that he has to risk someone, but instead of risking 3-4 people on a reconnaissance mission, he sends in just one: McCree.  Gabriel also acts as one of the commanders leading the Strike Team through Null Sector’s defenses and base.

The truly ingenious part of Gabriel’s involvement in Uprising?

Moira and Akande likely have no idea.

Akande, Masquerade: “That was a missed opportunity.  But would would have thought Overwatch would get involved?”

If Gabriel has actually started infiltrating Talon under the guise of “Reaper,” and/or he has some sort of “compromise” with Moira, it is likely that neither Moira nor Talon realize what his role was during the course of Uprising.

After all, Gabriel doesn’t actually want recognition of his work:

Moira: Antonio was right about one thing - you will take the blame for this. Gabriel: Always have.  I don’t need the statues and medals anyways.

---  

McCree: Is this what we’ve become, Gabriel? Gabriel: Blackwatch has always had one purpose: to do the real work of keeping the world safe.  I thought you had the stomach for it.  Looks like I was wrong.

What’s also very important here is that we get a glimpse into some of the leading relationships and partnerships in Overwatch, one year after “Retribution”.

Things are terse but not angry nor bitter.  The stress stems from the situation in London, not the situation in Overwatch itself:

Important in both “Retribution” and “Uprising” (the comics) is that both Gabriel and Jack innately and instinctively trust each other.

And before it gets brought up:

Yes, the parallels in both art and story between the two comics is 100% intentional:

From Gray Shuko’s Art Station, his alternate cover designs for the “Retribution” comic show that callbacks to the “Uprising” comic were absolutely intentional in how the second comic was designed, drawn, detailed, and written.

I know it is tempting to read Gabriel’s actions in “Uprising” as being unfriendly, unhelpful, or sarcastic:

But what’s important to remember is that this is an exact mirror of how Jack displayed his trust and faith in Gabriel’s decision a year before:

Jack: I’ll leave the final call to you, but ask yourself...in the long run, will this help Overwatch keep the world safe?

As an addition here, we also have to remember the influence of characters such as Ana and Tracer in “Uprising”, and Gérard and McCree in “Retribution”.

Both comics feature at least one character “pressuring” the respective commander into making “the right choice” but for reasons the commander considers unwise or hasty (even if those reasons are morally or ethically correct).  

In “Retribution”, this character is McCree:

McCree: We should be sending a stronger message!

In “Uprising” -

This role is split between two principle characters:

The first is Ana.

Jack: You think we should get involved. Ana: I didn’t say that.  But in the end, it should our choice.  Your choice.

It’s interesting and very insightful that Ana is the “hotheaded” and reckless character in the “Uprising” comic (a personality point we will see come back to severely haunt her later).  While she certainly stands for justice - just as McCree does in “Retribution” - she advocates for intervention for a moralistic reason, not necessarily the...honest one.

The second character who fits this role is Mercy:

Mercy: This is what Overwatch was made for.  Instead of wasting time sitting on the sidelines, we could be saving lives. Jack: I don’t disagree, Doctor, but my hands are tied. Mercy: Well, that’s not good enough Jack, and a lot of people are going to die.

While Ana tries to argue for intervention in favor of justice or righteousness, Mercy argues in favor of ethics and humanitarian efforts.

Jack, however, knows neither Ana’s sense of justice nor Mercy’s sense of ethics  will be “reason enough” for Petras, or the U.K. Prime Minister -

Or even Jack’s own personal sense of duty.

In fact, it isn’t until Lena “Tracer” Oxton arrives that Jack is finally reminded of the real reason Overwatch exists...

And what it stands to protect.

Tracer: It’s because I believe that if I could figure this out, I could be an asset.  I could make this world a better place.  I fought to survive, and I’m willing to fight for the world, too.  I might be out line, sir, but I won’t apologize.

Jack: I remember when the Crisis broke out aross America.  It’s why I enlisted, and why I signed up for the enhancement program.  They were willing to try anything.  Commander Reyes and I... Well, they tried everything.  But politics, mismanagement, egos... At the end of the day, Overwatch was the only way to win that war.  But we had to be given a chance.

Tracer: You still have one, sir.

---

Tracer is the one who gives Jack the reason that actually gets under his skin and into the core of his character:

A willingness to try to make the world better -

And the people he must take that risk for.

Which very strongly parallels:

Again, I believe it is tempting to read Gabriel’s lines and his actions in “Uprising” as sarcastic or as uninterested, but given the context of “Retribution” and the nature of Gabriel and Jack’s partnership, it is not particularly surprising for one to provide the other with information, advice, or insight, and then let the other make his choice as he needs to.

They have faith that the other commander will make the right decision not out of justice or ethics or tactics -

But for personal reasons.

For reasons that affect the core of who they are - both individually, and together.

We also need to remember that Gabriel returns to the Swiss Base situation room a day later, fully prepared and willing to help guide the Overwatch Strike Team through Null Sector’s base - 

By Jack’s side once again.

The “year” spanning Retribution to Uprising is an interesting one - one with a lot of gaps in “our” knowledge, one where we don’t know everything, nor do we know why the different events happen the way they do.  We do not know if Jack is aware of Gabriel’s own plans or his actions, or vice-versa.

However, we do see that other characters put pressure or vocalize arguments that may not cut the commanders to the core, but instead, Gabriel and Jack are able to - and continue to - influence each other in small and deeply emotional ways.

For Gabriel in “Retribution,” it was Jack asking him if his decision would keep the world safe...or for Gabriel, if doing this would help keep Jack safe.

For Jack in “Uprising”, it was Lena reminding Jack of why he had joined Overwatch at all - a decision he had made with his “Commander Reyes” nearly twenty-three years before.

Iron-y: Akande is arrested

We are shown Akande’s arrest by Overwatch in his Origin story.  Once again, like the other Origin stories, his narration is from his own perspective, and tells us about his ideology that conflict makes humanity (and Omnics) stronger.

However, we are also shown facts about his arrest:

It occurs after Akande has “become” Doomfist, thus occuring after he overthrows Akinjide.

It takes place in Numbani.  The three Overwatch members who conduct the arrest are Winston, Tracer, and Genji.  Therefore, the arrest occurs after Uprising (Tracer’s first Strike Team mission) and before Genji formally leaves Overwatch.

However, we can also surmise and guess at a few things.

The Origins video shows what appears to be Akande “counting” Tracer’s Blinks (and her Recall) or at least very quickly discerning a pattern in her movements.

Akande appears to be the first person to ever correctly target Tracer’s chronal accelerator as both her major strength and her major weakness.

However, what Akande quickly discovers is that when Winston is furious -

He becomes exponentially more dangerous.

Akande’s emotions barely show on his face, but we get a split second of him realizing what he’s done.

In the present day, this fight is jokingly referred to as an “embarrassment” by Sombra, to which Akande replies (only partially joking):

Sombra: Isn't it a little embarassing to get beaten up by a monkey? Doomfist: Have you ever been hit by a giant, genetically engineered gorilla? I could arrange it for you...

And Akande appears to have a very personal vendetta against Winston in particular:

Doomfist: I didn't forget about you. Winston: I stopped you once. I can do it again!

We are shown that, in prison, Akande keeps articles on current events, especially ones focusing on Winston's movements.

However, while we can state a few clear facts about Akande’s arrest, there are some intriguing elements that are more...perspective-based.  These come when we compare Akande’s arrest to two things:

Antonio’s monologue in “Retribution”

And the events of the “Masquerade” comic.

Akande’s perspective of his arrest is...very different from the “audience” perspective of it.

You remember the part of Retribution where Antonio says that his “friends” would get him released from prison within a week?

Akande doesn’t need friends for that.

Akande can literally punch his way out of prison.

Nothing is keeping him locked in there.

As the new Doomfist, Ogundimu rose high in Talon and helped to orchestrate a conflict that the organization hoped would someday engulf the world. However, before their plan came to fruition, Ogundimu was defeated and captured by an Overwatch strike team that included Tracer, Winston, and Genji. He was imprisoned in a maximum-security facility for years, where he waited patiently for events he had incited to play out.

Finally, he sensed that the time had come for him to return. He broke out of his prison and recovered Doomfist's gauntlet in a one-sided battle with Numbani's newly unveiled OR15 defense robots.

---

So what exactly made Akande sit in prison and wait for 6-7 years?  After all, Overwatch was likely disbanded within months to a year of his initial imprisonment - wasn’t that what he wanted?

I think the explanation is two-fold:

Externally, even though Overwatch has collapsed and disappeared, the Second Omnic Crisis - which was actually Akande’s true goal - never fully materialized.  The “aftereffects” of Overwatch’s peace - protected and maintained for so long - continued to linger, and it took another slow “build up” of tension, chaos, and struggle to create the tinder required to make that peace burn again:

Internally, however -

Talon likely went through a second major shift in alliances just before the fall of Overwatch.

And this time:

Akande took the fall.

All throughout the “Masquerade” comic, there are hints and implications that Vialli - the man who took over Antonio’s faction of Talon forces - either betrayed or set up Akande to go to prison.

Maximilien is surprised that Akande “looks well.”  When Akande calls him out on it, Maximilien replies with:

Maximilien: Prison is a hard place.  Accidents happen all the time. Akande: I’m very careful. Maximilien: Apparently.

The implication being that an “accident” (or several) were likely set up for Akande throughout his time in prison, but Akande either “avoided” them or managed to stop them.

Immediately after that exchange, Maximilien effectively warns Akande that his return will not be entirely welcome to everyone in Talon:

Maximilien: There are those in our organization who will be quite pleased to have you back, but some have concerns...about whether you will keep the money flowing. Akande: I will deal with them.  They need to be reminded about their parts. Maximilien: I wonder, my friend.  You’re not as popular as you used to be.  Many were happy to see you go away. Akande: Not you, of course. Maximilien: Of course not.  We have history.  And I respect a man with vision. Sombra, on comms: Heads up, boss.  Company headed your way.

Vialli’s men then proceed to attack Akande and Widowmaker in the casino.  When Akande asks, “Who are they?” Maximilien simply repeats:

As I said...many were happy to see you go away.

Akande’s arrest, his time in prison, the fact that his “war” never fully materialized even when Overwatch was gone, and the events of the “Masquerade” comic likely confirmed Akande’s suspicions that someone (or several someones) in Talon had set him up for a battle with Overwatch.

Which parallels this moment

A lot.

Someone - almost certainly Vialli - set up Akande to be arrested by Overwatch.  

We don’t know how Overwatch got this information: whether it came from Vialli to Moira to someone like Gabriel, or if Gabriel himself started tracking Akande’s movements, or if Vialli and a third party - likely Helix Securities - gave up information to Overwatch and/or the United Nations in exchange for future favors.

Often unnoticed in the discussion of the fall of Overwatch is Helix Security International (or Helix Securities): a private military and security company that secures a very lucrative and profitable contract with the United Nations and individual countries after Overwatch is disbanded:

Questions have been raised about the effectiveness and methodology of Helix, which in recent years, has greatly increased its profile as the world's security force. But after a number of high profile incidents, including the breach of a similarly top-secret facility in Egypt, those who have objected to the increased privatization of security following the shuttering of Overwatch will have been dismayed that Helix has requested, and been granted, additional funding by the UN to cope with rising threats.

(Source)

It is not a coincidence that the prison where Akande is confined is either owned or managed by Helix:

NUMBANI —Three months after initial reports of an incident at Helix Security International's classified maximum security installation, a more complete picture of what happened has emerged. Information and details of what happened were scarce as has been any news from the installation, said to be a prison for the world's most dangerous threats. However, after recent events in Numbani, it can now be confirmed that what occurred was an attack by the Talon organization with the express purpose of freeing one man: Akande Ogundimu, better known as Doomfist.

It is also not a coincidence that (in the present day) Helix is currently in charge of the confinement of the Anubis A.I. in Giza, Egypt - a facility that a certain bounty hunter has some intense interest in watching - and is also the employer of Fareeha Amari, Ana Amari’s daughter.

While the story of Overwatch so far has really centered on companies like LumériCo, Volskaya, and Vishkar, it is Helix Securities who is the “big winner” after the fall of Overwatch, gaining control over the majority of Overwatch’s old Watchpoints as well as gaining access to the organization’s technology and military gear.

What “Masquerade” shows is an added complexity to the Helix puzzle: prior to the comic, even though the company was shady as all hell, it was possible to write it off as a slightly incompetent private company up against “threats” much bigger or smarter or more sophsicated than itself (whether that’s Talon or Reaper or “Soldier: 76″ or “The Shrike” or Sombra, take your pick).

However, with the addition that someone (again, almost certainly Vialli) sold out Akande and he conveniently ended up in a Helix-run prison - which he had the physical power to escape from but not necessarily the social or political power - there’s the implication that Helix Securities (or people within it) were cooperating with Vialli for some sort of reward.

Like say:

Advanced Overwatch military weaponry?

Or possibly

Experimentation on Artificial Intelligence Programs?

Whatever the case may be, Helix Securities profited from the fall of Overwatch significantly.

And Akande’s arrest is a suspicious part of that.

Vialli (and maybe a few others) don’t particularly care who wins in the battle between Akande and Overwatch: if Akande wins, three major Overwatch agents are dead.  If Overwatch wins, Akande is sent to prison, where an “accident” can take care of him.  Vialli becomes “king” of the Talon castle, Helix Securities’ reputation goes up, Overwatch still falls, everyone in Talon “wins”.

Except for Akande, of course.

And for a time, Vialli probably thinks he gets the best of both worlds: Overwatch still collapses, and Akande stays in prison.  Sure, those “accidents” aren’t killing him, but at least he’s “stuck” inside, out of Vialli’s way.

When Akande and Vialli finally meet face-to-face several years later, Vialli is confident enough in his position within Talon to make pretty transparent “threats” towards Akande.  What Vialli doesn’t realize is that all his security has been, uh, “disposed of”:

And there is no one who will come to help him.

However, the same can be said for Akande in “Masquerade”:

He has appeared to walk right into “Reaper’s” hands talons.

What Akande apparently doesn’t recognize is that his new “ally” Reaper is very interested in Akande’s own “future downfall.”  Reaper appears to position himself quite well here - he’s “in” with the most powerful leader in Talon, newly returned from prison, he’s got “tabs” on the troublemaker (Sombra, whom Reaper may actually be secretly cooperating with) which buys him some “trustworthiness” to Akande and Moira, he’s got a working relationship with Moira where he may eventually be cured -

And now he has a seat on the Talon council.

If Reaper’s goal is the destruction of Talon, or usurping its powers and armies for himself, he’s now poised in a very nice spot for that -

Which will allow him to hurt Talon the same way Talon hurt Overwatch...

However...

Although Null Sector fails...

Although Talon’s greatest leader is arrested...

Overwatch still falls.

And it is because -

Even if you have the best intentions -

Actions have consequences.

And decisions have repercussions.

For better.

Or for worse.