"Stupid kid," Jesse McCree said for the bazillionth time that summer. Of course, Jamison was in the water, again, flapping his arms and splashing about in the water, again, and McCree was going to have to save the kid, again.
Blowing his whistle, the lifeguard went to work and sprinted towards the rolling waves, diving in with a complete sense of urgency and his focus on getting the Junker to safety.
Strong arms cut through the tides towards the flailing Australian, who by now was growing exhausted from his panicked kicking to keep his head just above the water and Jesse wraps an arm around him to push him up and over his shoulder to keep his head above water. Jamison choked and coughed up water, practically shaking in the lifeguard's arms as they made their way back to shore.
It wasn't saving the Junker that bothered McCree so much; it was his duty so ensure the safety of every single person on the beach and in the unforgiving ocean. No, he loved saving people, but Jamison was playing a game with the cowboy, purposely ignoring his authority that's only purpose was to keep him from drowning himself. Having one leg was not benefiting the Aussie one bit. Jamison could hardly keep his head above water, despite his height, and McCree had warned him more than once to stay in shallow water.
But that Junkrat was a stubborn one.
"That's three times now, boy." McCree scolded, setting him down on the damp sand and inspecting him over with a critical eye. "Ya must have a death wish, going out that far…"
Jamison's chest heaved as he coughed up water, eyes squeezed shut. But, of course, a crazed grin spread across his wet face. "Hooley Dooley! Did ya see that one, mate? I almost got swept away!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose as Jamison let out a high-pitched cackle, McCree settled on one knee and shook his head. This kid was as reckless as they came.
"I'm tired of warnin' you, Fawkes," he pointed with a red metal finger right in the center of his chest, "stay close to shore, or you'll be sorry."
The cowboy hoped the kid would heed his warning this time.
Standing at his post, McCree watched over the water. He hadn't seen Jamison's face around since the last incident hours ago. Feeling his threat made an impact, he allowed himself to relax. Little did he know, the lack of the Aussie's presence only meant trouble, for the Junker had devised a devious scheme to distract the cowboy.
Watching from behind a palm tree, a high-pitched squeal of delight erupted from him as his scheme went into play.
"Hiya, Jesse." A sweet voice rang, Jesse peeking down from above his shades to see Hana standing before him, hands on her hips as she grinned up at him. Beside her stood Angela, who smiled softly at the cowboy.
Sitting up straighter, McCree grinned down at the women and asked, "Well howdy, ladies. What brings ya 'round here?" He inquired, slipping his shades off and standing to properly greet the women by kissing the tops of their hands. Such a gentleman, that Jesse McCree.
"We were just wondering if you could tell us the time?"
McCree's favorite question.
"I reckon it's about high noon," checking the sky, there was no mistake by the confident grin that spread across his tanned face. Many Overwatch operatives made a joke out of the cowboy's phrase, but McCree said it regardless.
Giggles followed shortly after and McCree was almost completely distracted by the women now. Running his hand through bleached locks, he chuckled and flexed his muscles to show off as the three of them began to talk about the ocean and the plans for the rest of the summer.
Junkrat's plan was going accordingly. With the lifeguard distracted, he could get back into the water right under his nose! With that, he darted out to the crashing waves and giggled maniacally. He stomped through the waves, heading farther and farther in the water until it was about waist height. There was no stopping him now that McCree's attention was diverted by the women, all he needed was to get past the waves and – wait a minute, was he drifting farther into the sea?
Something wasn't right! Rather than pushing him back to shore, the water was pulling him in farther and he was finding it difficult to fight against it. This current was strong, and he could feel it grabbing at him to take him to the depths of the ocean. Junkrat suddenly felt a panicked pang in his chest. Maybe McCree had been right, maybe he should have stayed closer to shore. The rip current was relentless, sucking him in, and if the Aussie kept his foot grounded in the sand below, he would have been fine. However, suddenly freaked about drowning, he kicked his feet and was pulled into a crashing wave. The wave rolled him around beneath the water for some time until he could finally flail above shore and let out a cry. But not long after, another wave crashed down on him and filled his lungs as he inhaled sharply out of surprise.
The ocean roared louder than the man's shrill, sputtered cries, and with McCree's focus on Angela and Hana, he had no idea Jamison was fighting for his life trapped beneath the rip current.