Heya, Companions. CK here. I finally decided to do a story about Grosbeak, so I want to give a quick explanation of the story before you dive in.
Grosbeak was mentioned in my last story, Junker's Sanctuary, which is what this story is a prequel to. She's never mentioned by her codename as often as I wanted her to be, but she is mentioned. While writing, I was a little rushed on details and didn't take time to really fix much up. Unlike Junker's Sanctuary, Grosbeak MIGHT be a little longer.
So, thank you to everybody who liked Junker's Sanctuary and I hope you enjoy Grosbeak.
Katherine ran around a ruined building, crouching down as she held a sack close. She couldn't afford to lose anything. She stayed where she was, waiting for the voices to die down. Usually, she'd go ahead and shoot down anybody that tried to chase her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it to people like them.
"Lost her scent.. Damn these sand storms..! Always ruinin' the hunt," a voice said, snarling right after. "Let's just head back before we're caught. I think we entered Taipan Territory." Katherine held her breath, listening for the snarls. Once the sound had died, the woman sighed, standing up. Junkers were never easy to escape from, sometimes. She narrowly escaped from Joey's pack this morning, but once word had gotten out that she was on her way to the ruins, Dingo's pack was hot on her trail.
Overwatch had been trying to keep updates on how things were in the Outback and, from what Katherine had gathered for the past 5 months, it was hell. The mission was simple. Stay in the country for about 4 weeks, with one week off to go home, and repeat the process. It tired Katherine out, but she did it for Overwatch.
For her family.
Katherine sat down, sighing as she shook her head. It was hard enough dealing with Junkers, but she'd have to spend the majority of her life away from her daughter. All because she was the only one to volunteer for the mission. The mission was intended for higher ups, but nobody would take the task, so she took the chance to stand up and prove it wouldn't be that bad of a mission. It was MUCH harder than she thought it was.
A distant scream caught the woman's attention suddenly. Katherine raised a hand, pressing a button the side of her visor as it lit to life right before her eyes. She turned, scanning the area before seeing a figure in the distance. "Shit," she muttered. "Not him again…" The woman turned on her heel, running from the ruined building as she made her way to a maze-like structure. There was only one person in the Outback she truly feared, despite being able to outrun him. She's seen men run, but they always get caught by the large hook that monster wields.
Katherine hopped over a rope tied to a wooden beam, narrowly missing the bones hanging from it. The woman continued to run, turning right on the path as she huffed. If she twists and turns through the maze, she'll lose him. Katherine crouched down, rolling past what looked like a person sleeping in the shadows, holding her breath as she looked over her shoulder. They were still asleep, their arms and legs wrapped tightly around a dead corpse.
Katherine blinked, staring at the body. It was hard to see who it might've been, most of the face being missing and all. The woman stepped a little closer, squinting behind the visor as she stared. Something about the corpse was bothering her. Katherine placed a hand over her mask, eyes wide at the sight. The corpse was of a woman, her body covered in blood and bite marks. Most of her blonde hair was either pulled off or coated in blood. The sleeping figure holding her was holding a broken bottle of poison, making a kind of hissing sound as it snored before tightening their grip on the corpse.
"Taipan Territory," Katherine thought. "I'd rather die in the hands of that monster than here." The woman turned, intending on leaving until a sob caught her attention. She turned, running after the sound as fast as she could. If somebody was still alive, she might have just enough time to save them. The sobbing grew a little louder as she turned a corner, coming to a room that was closed off with boards aside from a very small space at the bottom.
Katherine laid on her stomach, looking through the space. There was a kid in the room, curled up in a corner as he sobbed. "H-Hey, kid..!" The kid looked up, eyes wide as he tried to back up, screaming. "No! Leave me alone! You've already done enough to my mum! Go away!" Katherine frowned, trying to crawl through the hole. The boy continued to scream, grabbing a rock next to him. "I said get away!" he shouted as he tossed the rock. Katherine raised a hand, catching it before standing up. "Shhhh. Kid, I'm not here to hurt you."
"What d' you want from me, then..?! If ya want t' kill me, get on with it!" Katherine shook her head, crouching down with a hand out. "I'm here to help you. What's your name, kid?" The kid blinked, shaking his head as he tried to look away. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, hissing when it gets stuck in the tangled mess. "That woman I saw… Was she your mother…?" Katherine asked, sitting down to talk to him. He sniffed, rubbing his face with a grunt.
"Taipan was too fast… He grabbed me and threw me into a wall. They grabbed my mum and… They ripped her clothes and-and… I don't know what they did, but I ran. I've been here for 2 days… I'm so hungry, but I can't leave. They'll catch me." Katherine frowned, nodding as she grabbed a small packet from her bag, holding it out. "Here. You can have it. I'm not really hungry today." The kid looked at the packet, snatching it from her grasp. He unwrapped it, staring at the contents. "What is it?"
"It's a sandwich. I usually carry one in case." The kid sniffed it, wrinkling his nose at it before biting into it. His eyes lit up suddenly, earning a smile from Katherine as he practically tore the sandwich apart within 3 seconds. With a sigh, the kid looked at the woman with a small smile. "Thank you. I-I didn't think there was anybody that cared about kids like me anymore," he said as Katherine removed the boards from the doorway. "Well, you're a little kid. You've got a lot to live for, you know? Now, what's your name?"
"Jamison. Jamison Fawkes."
"Well, Jamison. We're going to get out. Now, if you get scared, let me know," she says as she walked to Jamison, hooking her arms under his pits to lift him. Jamison wrapped both arms around Katherine's neck as she held him close, looking at her mask. The woman walked out of the room, checking around corners for any Junkers. Katherine continued forth, passing the hall where the mother's corpse was. She felt the boy shake, smiling a little as she spoke in a quiet voice.
"It's ok. We're almost out. Hmm.. How old are you?"
"I'm four, about to turn five in six months."
"I see. What do you like to do for fun? Maybe, when we get out, we can do something. Like play a favorite game of yours?"
"I like to make bombs and toss 'em at some of the ruins. It's fun to watch them explode into billlions of lil' pieces." Katherine chuckled, nodding. "Alright. We can blow some stuff up when we get out." Jamison nodded, holding on tightly as they passed a room with more corpses. Katherine took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she stepped into a room with a hole in the low roof. She could probably climb out and run from there. "Jamison, listen to me. I'm going to put you down for a moment and climb up there. When I'm out, I'm going to reach down and pull you out."
"Alright." Katherine nodded, placing the boy down as she crouched down. She held her breath as she leaped up, grabbing the edge with all her strength. Part of the roof collapsed, causing her to let go before grabbing again and pulling herself up. "Alright. Stay there while I find some rope, Jamison. Got it?"
"Got it." Katherine stood carefully, scanning the room with her eyes. There were a few bones lying about, some broken in half, while the walls were covered with dried blood. Most of it was used to make symbols or writing she couldn't read. The woman felt her stomach churn, uneasy from most of the writing. A lot of them were in languages she couldn't read, which meant most of these victims were from outside the country. Just like her.
Katherine took a deep breath, holding back a sob. These people didn't deserve this. She wasn't sure what caused the Junkers to do this, but if it had to do with that omnium explosion, then she shouldn't stay very long. The woman shook her head, lowering her head. As she closed her eyes, she heard a grunt from behind, causing her to look up. The light that was pouring through the large hole in the wall was blocked by something big.
No…
SOMEONE big.
Katherine turned, gasping as a man stepped through the hole. He wore a gas mask that was designed to look like a pig face and had a large hook in his hand. He was still fairly young and looked like any normal person, but just his presence alone was enough to send Katherine into a fit of fear. The woman screamed, stepping back as he swung the hook in his hand. Katherine looked down, seeing Jamison look up at her. She still had to get him out.
The man tossed the hook, barely missing the woman and the boy as it snagged onto a support beam through the hole. The hook snagged onto it, giving Katherine an idea as she looked down. "Jamison, start climbing!" Jamison blinked, hoisting himself up the chain and pulling himself up. Katherine quickly grabbed his hand, pulling him up as she held him close. The man got the hook free, pulling it back up as he slowly turned to look at her.
Jamison clung to Katherine's shoulder, feeling her shake as she tried to step away. "P-Please.. I don't want trouble now. I don't have time for this. I just want to get this boy to safety. Simple as that." The man grunted, taking a step forth. "You can't outrun me anymore." His voice was very unsettling. Katherine kept a protective arm around Jamison, glaring at the man behind the mask. She has to stay strong. She can't let him get to her.
"Listen, if you let me go and get this boy somewhere much safer than here, I will let you catch me. I won't run, I won't scream. I'll stand still while you kill me. Deal-" Katherine jumped, looking at Jamison as he screamed. "What is it?!" she said, seeing him point. The woman turned, eyes wide as a skinny man in tattered clothes leaped forth from a pile of bones, mouth open wide. Katherine barely dodged as she moved to the side, watching him land with a slight thud. The skinny man turned, eyes wide and wild.
Katherine noticed a bottle attached his belt, nearly empty as he moved. He gave a sickening grin, sticking his tongue out as something dripped from the corners of his mouth. Jamison clinged to Katherine, shaking as she grabbed something from her own belt. "Taipan… You sick bastard.." Taipan hissed at her, seeming to back away as the man with the hook took a chance. He flung the hook, grabbing the boy with it and pulling him away, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck.
"AHHH!" Katherine blinked slowly, looking at the man calmly. On the inside, she was starting to panic. She had to help the kid. "Put the boy down, Roadhog. I don't want to hurt you today. I-I may be afraid of you, but I am willing to let you live." Roadhog grunted, shaking his head. "Even if you let me live, you won't last long yourself." The woman turned her attention to Taipan, gripping the item in her hand. "Both of you are idiots. Do you know who you are dealing with?"
Taipan hissed again, crouching down as Roadhog gripped the hook. "A bird of prey." The woman held her hand out, revealing the object to be a small gun. Taipan cackled, preventing himself from swallowing the poison as Katherine smirked. "And guess what? Birds of prey kill little snakes like you." The woman pulled the trigger three times, sending out three bullets. The bullets each broke into seven pieces, creating a bright glow that seemed to form what looked like the shape of three different birds.
Roadhog grunted as he avoided the first 'bird', a hawk, as he lost his grip on Jamison. The boy fell, getting up as fast as he could and ran to Katherine. The second and third 'birds', a falcon and grosbeak, flew straight into Taipan, the falcon slicing through his stomach and the grosbeak cutting through his neck. Jamison crouched behind the woman as the Junker's corpse fell, his head rolling across the room. Roadhog stepped back, staring at Katherine as she held the boy's hand.
"Now, are you going to let us go?" The man stared, grunting as he swung the hook. Katherine looked down as the hook grabbed her by the waist, gasping as it pulls her forth with a sudden jolt. Thank Gab and Reinhardt for designing a suit that was both functional and fashionable for fights. Roadhog grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up from the ground as he glared at her through the mask. The woman gasped for air, grabbing at his hand to make him let go. "I'll let you live, but if you die in the hands of some other killer, don't come crying to me." Roadhog dropped Katherine, turning away until she placed a hand on his arm. "Thank you, Roadhog… Here."
The man turned, looking down at the woman as she held up an amulet. To him, it just looked like a circle with a three-way spiral attached inside. He grunted, taking it and stuffing it away in his pocket. "Leave before Taipan's pack finds you." Katherine nodded, standing as she picked Jamison up. "Come on, Jamison. Let's go."