Dance of Ice and Fire
The air whistled delicately through the light rustle that was King's Row, night had just fallen and the gauzy lights danced delicately onto the cobblestone streets. The delicious smell of cooking wafted from the windows of local diners, such as Bell (Fish & Chips) and aroused the air among the small bustle of people walking amid the streets. The tension in the air thick enough to cut, and the pseudo peacefulness was wrought with the claws of the past; riots in protest of the Omnic Crisis dwelled within the shadows unforgotten it's people. The erected idol of Mondatta stood it's ground firmly, reminding all the true form of peace and virtue. Sure, Omics weren't people, but some fought so hard just for that equality; proof that they could walk hand in hand with their human counterparts.
Mei-Ling Zhou stood before the gold plated memoir, adjusting her glasses, taking in it's entirety and pondering, she adjusted her sweater, a lighter piece than her usual heavy jacket, which she had packed away in her hotel room. Wearing something not as big and warm almost felt odd to her. Mei scooped a hair from her field of vision, since her cryostasis the world had changed, and not for the better.
Ecosystems still failing, the world withering, she almost felt like her work was for naught. She exhaled a sigh as her brows furrowed in defeat and took one last glance at the tribute to Mondatta; well at least there were others who have just as strong a desire to change and preserve the world. She smiled up, in tribute to his honor and began to bound toward Moriarty's Fine Books Bookshop, she figured she might as well read up, Since Overwatch's disband she found herself traveling in attempt to continue her work alone. As Mei's stride increased, she could hear the faint buzzing of her drone. The little guy was looking around, almost anxious. The light touch of Mei's hand found his small chrome head as she pat almost reassuringly, "Hey now, everything will be okay." She cooed, Albeit before she could finish she could feel the air stir above her
- KABOOM!-
A shock wave rocked the Earth, as a startled gasp escaped the brunette's lips before she fell face first onto the Cobble, muttering a curse in her native tongue she poised on her knees, soothing the now frightened little drone, whilst giving her surrounding a quick glance over. Everything had seemed to be in the same nature, what was that noise? An explosion? The Climatologist used one hand on her knee to return her to her feet as her head rolled, looking. An ominous billowing cloud of charcoal flooded into the newly navy sky, her hand found her mouth covering the agape gesture. A bomb? Was another riot breaking out? She couldn't just stand by, she forced herself into action, withdrawing her Endothermic Blaster and charging it for the fight. The war drums that were her heartbeats echoed into her temples. She had no idea what to expect, but she had almost hoped, prayed that it was Overwatch.
After what felt like an eternity she came to a sliding stop in front of a huge hole. Debris tumbled and thudded suddenly from the cavity as dust from the remains was thick like fog. "Oh my goodness. " she exasperated, the words nearly audible. Someone, or something had blown a hole this big into the side of a building? From within the depths and crumbling former wall she could almost hear, laughter? Alarms? What could be going on here? With a push of her glasses Mei took a step, and heard a gargantuan step taken in response, then another, another, another.
The hair on the back of her neck stood as she was met by a much more sizable figure. The hole almost looked as if it were blown out just for him. She reacted with a back step and jerked the knob on her blaster, sloshing and whistles escaped the gun as it loaded and she pointed it. "W-who are you and what are you doing here?!" she barked, spurious, hopeful that he didn't sense the false pretense of her intimidation. The hulking figure stepped once more, his features adhered to his anatomy entirely, he was gaunt from his head to his belly and was branded with a pig tattoo, and a hog-like gas mask hugging his face. He gripped onto a weapon in his left hand, the hook was rusted and huge and the rattle of the chain it was attached to rattled heavily in Mei's mind as she nearly panicked at the sight of such a grotesque weapon. Like that, Mei jerked her gun to meet his face, and she opened her mouth to attempt more falsities.
"Oi! Hog lookie ere'! Oi found the goodies! There's a bloody beaut of a crown with your name on it!" A maddening cackle howled from behind the large mute beast, the creaking and thudding of metal almost in a limping step began to approach from behind him, the beast of a man's face never the notably much smaller woman.
The smell of Soot and...burning hair? Filled Mei's nose and it wrinkled at the acrid stench. A hunched figure came into view, a man with arms filled with bags of unmentionables waltzed up behind the still silent hog man. The new man was thin, yet lean with hair singed almost aflame. His golden canine glinted in the moonlight as he smiled, his only attire being nearly destroyed shorts with wicked smiling patches, bandages, explosives adorning his chest along with an obscure tire packed onto his back. The man had a missing arm and leg, both replaced with prosthetics made of junk, the leg appearing pegged.
"Oooooohhhh." he piped his accent was thick, he was from Australia Mei noted, her guard still up and her feet unmoved. He dug his hand into one of the large brown sacks and unveiled a large shimmering crown bejeweled with gems and looked as if it were from an ancient time. With a thonk the hunched man jumped and slapped the crown on the silent, still staring man with the gas mask and landed with a hand on his hip, looking way too proud at his accomplishments. "Aw, Roadie you look dashin'!" The belly of the huge man rippled as he grunted looking to his companion, motioning to Mei as if the smaller man had never seen her. "Oi Roadie, since when do we give note to these blokes?" he spat, also motioning to Mei now, " They're as useful as tits on a bull!"
The big man, 'Roadie' grunted once more, in disappointment? At his partner, and as the exchange was taking place Mei's teeth grit, "I'm not a mere pedestrian!" She blurted shakingly, she was nervous at the sight of these post apocalyptic junk men but she wouldn't let that assuage her from her duty to make the world a better place. "Whatever you have stolen you better return right now!" Firm demands from a girl in a sweater with a cute snowflake hair accessory and fuzzy boots. Laughter roared from the australian.
" Hahahah! Oh girlie!" he wiped a tear with a gloved finger, "You'd be messin' with the wrong Junkers if ya thought we wouldn't have come prepared!" Junkers. She knew about them, and the attack on the Australian's omnic fusion core, so they were survivors of the explosion. That explained their deranged appearances and behavior. Before Mei could finish her thought she saw a grin paint onto the man's face and he reached behind him and withdrew a small device, a detonator. "No bloke 'round ere' has ever stopped the elusive Junkrat and Roadhog!" with a wham his finger came into contact with the button and a secondary explosion erupted and as soon as she saw the flames Mei shot her gun down and pulled the trigger in attempt to refreeze and save herself with cryostasis.