The inside of Talon's base looks totally different than the outside. Which is good, I s'pose, because if it looked the same on the outside it'd be ridiculously out of place. The main room is clean, the wood floor polished and shiny, a couple newish sofas along one wall, and a thick fur rug in the center. I goggle. Haven't seen something so tasteful since our last commission. Immediately I glance around, fingers twitching slightly as I plan potential exits. The door we came through is about the only option. There's another exit opposite me, but I spot a fingerprint scanner by the doorknob, and so I rule it out. I could always blow the roof off the place, but somehow I don't think that'll leave me on good terms with Ms. Boop.

The Boop herself drops her guns on the couch and punches the mic next to the fingerprint scanner. "Stop stalling and get over here," she says. "They won't hurt you." She winks over her shoulder at me. My hand twitches a little faster.

"I told you to do the job quietly," says a gravelly voice from over the mic.

"I tried," Sombra says with a giggle. "But Overwatch ruined that, so I had to adopt twins. Come up here and meet them."

The bloke on the other end makes a frustrated noise and the mic shuts off. Sombra turns around and puts her hands on her hips. "Put those guns down," she tells me - I'm the only one who hasn't. "Reaps is in a bad mood. He'll be looking for an excuse to hurt you."

I hurriedly set down the armful of weapons and then back up till my shoulders touch the wall, inches from my escape route.

"No need to be nervous, Nino," she says with a small smile. "I won't let them hurt you. They're a little rough round the edges, but they're really quite sweet once you get to know them."

Roadie snorts in derision. I can't keep from noticing he's far more at ease than I am, and that only makes me feel worse. I wrap my arms around my waist and tap the floor with my foot, eyes flicking round the room.

The door next to Sombra opens. Through it steps a man in a black coat and an evil-looking mask covering his face. Ah. Reaper. Makes sense, that name. After him comes a beautiful woman with pale purple skin and more cleavage than I've ever seen in my life. I swallow hard and try not to stare.

For a moment, the two strangers watch us and no one says a word. I can feel the purple woman's eyes on me but I don't look her way. Dangerous, ladies like her. Can't tell me feet from me hands when they're around.

Vixen is the first to open her mouth. "Who are these imbeciles?" she asks, silky-cold.

"Rat and Hog," Sombra says, grinning at me. "They helped me return the haul. You should thank them."

"How many times have I told you," Reaper says, "that deviating from the plan is a waste of my priceless time and effort?"

She shrugs. "I think they're cute." She addresses us. "Hog, Rat, this is Reaps and Widow." She glares at Reaper. "And they're usually more friendly. Reaps just has a PMS problem."

I hear Reaper make a choking sound under his mask and I twitch a smile.

"Nice t' meetcha," I say. "Quick question." I point a finger at Sombra. "Why you put up with this little bugga anyway?"

"Because it's easier than getting rid of me," Sombra says. "Now, Reaps, I want you to be honest. New recruits?"

"Absolutely not," he says.

"Oh, come on." I don't know Sombra well, but I can already tell when she's getting manipulative. "I really want to work with Rat. And I'm sure you'll get along with Hog. He's the kind of ruthless killer you've been after."

"Sombra, I said no."

"Fine." She strides toward us and grabs me by the arm. "Come on, Jamie. Let's look for some place where we're welcome."

Widow nudges Reaper with her elbow. Reaper growls, then says, "We can't let you leave."

"Tell you what." Sombra rounds on her heels and flashes an evil grin at her boss. "Let's make a deal. Hog and Rat get to stay with us for just a couple weeks, and I don't leave with all your secrets. Sound fair?"

"One false move," he says, his low voice sending chills up my spine, "and your brains are on the floor."

"Deal!" Sombra takes my hand and pulls me toward the locked door, beckoning for Roadie to follow. "Come. I show you where you sleep."

She leads us into a lift and down two floors before I'm able to form words.

"Reaper ain't exactly a bucket a tootsie rolls," I say.

"That's true," she says. "But like I told you, he can be a real sweetheart if you know what to say." The lift swishes open and she leads us into a dark corridor with a packed dirt floor and a row of wooden doors along the left side.

"Know what to say?" I snort. "Mate, you pretty much blackmailed him."

"Exactly," Sombra says. "He needs me. Which means I'm basically in charge of Talon now. If I was any less useful he'd have killed me." She pokes me on the nose again and I start, my face heating up. "Be useful, Jamie. It gets you places you wouldn't have believed possible."

"Hard to pay attention to you when you keep booping me," I say.

She stifles a giggle. "Sorry, Nino. I can't help it. Your nose is too cute."

Something heavy drops into my stomach and suddenly I want to heave - not out of disgust but out of pure terror. Roadie seems to notice, because he rests a hand on my shoulder, comforting.

Sombra opens the final door along the corridor and gestures inside. "There's only one free bed," she says. "Top bunk is mine and I'm not giving that up for Hog's weight in gold. One of you will have to sleep on the floor."

The room is cramped, and most of the space is occupied by a military-style bunk. Everything else is strewn with Sombra's clothes, shoes, and tangled with a web of cables. Sombra picks her way round the mess like she's memorized it, snatches a laptop off the bottom bunk, and carries it to the opposite side of the room, all the while kicking a path through the debris. "Well? Have a seat," she says, raising an eyebrow at us.

I lope over and sit down on the matress. Having a bed is worlds better than sleeping on rock, that much I know. But hell, it'll be nice to sleep somewhere comfortable again.

"I'll share with Roadie," I decide.

Sombra looks up sharply from her laptop. "Are you two--" she hesitates--"A couple?"

I can feel my face going red. "No," I say, "Not like that. I just meant - it just helps to--"

"He needs company," Roadie says. "PTSD."

"Ohhh." She cocks her head, watching me. "I'm sorry, Jamie."

"S'not your fault." I can't believe Roadie's telling her this stuff. It's supposed to be private. But I just sit and take it for now, because I don't want Sombra to hear my protests either.

She turns back to her laptop and types feverishly for a minute before shutting it with a snap. "You'd better get settled soon," she says. "Reaps shuts off the lights in here early. He thinks he's my dad."

It takes me a long moment to convince myself I'm safe enough to remove my peg leg. For what seems like forever I sit glued to the edge of the bed, my fingers drumming on the mattress. Roadie, already pulling off his shoes, glances at me.

"Ok?" he asks, so low I can barely hear.

I nod stiffly and force my fingers to be still for a moment.

"I got you," he says. He's said it before many times and by now I realize it means so much more than just the words. You're safe. I'll protect you. She can't hurt you, not while I'm around. It's gonna be okay.

With a deep breath I unbuckle the strap for my peg and pull it off. I feel naked without it on now. It's practically a part of me. But with all the will I can muster, I set it down on the floor, and push it under the bunk.Then comes my metal arm. I've tried sleeping with it on, but having pieces of cold metal pinch your face while you're trying to sleep is inconvenient to say the least.

Then I crawl across the bed and wriggle under the covers, backed all the way against the wall. I only need a sliver of room anyway.

Sombra rushes in and out of the room several times during the next few minutes, at some point coming back in leggings and a tank, with her nose cleaned of blood and taped back up. I watch her curiously, trying not to stare too much. I don't know what'll happen if she finds out I'm gawking at her.

The lights shut off as she's out once again, and Roadie and I are thrown into blackness.

"You think this is a good idea, mate?" I whisper as he lays down, dragging the other side of the mattress down with him.

"Do we have a choice?"

"We could blow this place up," I suggest. "Get out and get as far away as we can."

"How?" he asks.

Good point. How are we supposed to get our hands on any explosives with that Reaper guy breathing down our necks?

I start thinking about ways to make a detonater and some mines from what I've seen around here. I'm so lost in thought that I dont even notice when I drift off to sleep.