"I'm glad you didn't go for the harem. This website is full of weird people who always demand harems. Pretty sure 50% of fics on this site has harems. It's ridiculous, stupid, and overused.
As for those who keeps demanding harems, ya'll need to get laid." –Lord Demolitions
Thank you, Mr. Demolitions. I think we're all sick of people wanting Luffy to screw Nami, Vivi, Robin, and Hancock all in the same fanfiction, can you agree?
"Love this story but I always liked scout x dva even though they don't like each other you should have it were the reason she doesn't like him is because she has a huge crush on him." –Papasmurf555
I am actually now thinking of giving D. Va a bigger part later in this fanfiction. It's not gonna be a love…square, if that's you're wondering, but I do have something in mind for her now.
Anyway, I already spent a whole page responding to reviews, so, on with the show.
It was nighttime in Gibraltar. The full moon was shining down upon a lake just outside of a forest. The forest was huge with hundreds of trees, thanks in no small part to the Gibraltar Environment Act, passed in July 2056, promising huge penalties for those who destroy nature without replanting it. A road (built before the Act was passed) stretched through the forest, with bright street lamps illuminating the path. The forest was quiet. The only sounds one could hear were those of crickets chirping, and the pounding of footsteps against the gravel road.
These footsteps belonged to Jeremy "Scout" Scott. He was running alongside the road deep into the night. He had just left Watchpoint and was taking a nighttime jog. After his heart-to-heart with Lena, he decided he needed to take a walk (which quickly became a run) to help him think about his future.
This was tough for Jeremy. He felt that the more time he spent around Lena and Emily, the more he would get jealous of them, since he loved Lena so much. Jeremy never liked living in envy. In the past, he would try to overcome his envy by becoming stronger and better than his competition. But this usually resulted in him doing something stupid and/or hurtful, which would only make him feel worse. Nowadays, in the event of envy, he accepts defeat and the fact that he can't compete with his competitor, and decides to withdraw from life completely, abandoning whatever hopes and ambitions he had. It sucked, but it felt much better than feeling jealous and guilty of something he did.
Jeremy wasn't ashamed to admit it: He was jealous. He was jealous that Emily got to wake up in the mornings to such a beautiful, freckle-flourished face and the sweet sound of "Mornin', love," from none other than Lena herself. He was jealous of all the hugs and kisses they shared together, so passionate and loving that neither would use them with anybody else. He was jealous of all the sweet and loving moments they had, cuddling in their house, on the beach, or wherever they happened to be. They surely traveled a lot together, he thought. Imagine all the good times that they've had, which I wish I could have with her. He knew that Lena and Emily had such a good thing going for them, and he would give up anything, anything, even his running and musical skills just so that he could say that Lena was his girlfriend.
But that wasn't the way it worked. Lena didn't want that. There was another person that she wanted to do all those loving, romantic things with. Ten years ago, Jeremy swore that he would have tried to sabotage such a relationship so that he could get the girl of his dreams. But now, he was older and much more mature, and he decided to just accept the fact that he could never have Lena. To cope with this, and to prevent jealousy from rising, Jeremy started thinking that it was time for him to just leave. He needed to quit the Overwatch, pack his bags, and move back to his home in the United States, where he would surely start his musical career. Yep, he could play music. And no small amount, too. He could be a real rock star if he wanted. Yeah, that was the life. His ability to shred on an electric six-string was something that nobody could take away from him. Yep, he decided. It's time to go. I just need to get out of Lena's life and let her enjoy it the way she wants to.
But she still loves you, another voice in his head said. Didn't you hear what she said? She clearly cares about you enough that she wants you stay here with her. She may not want to live with you, but she clearly wants you to live not far from her. She wants to talk to you. She wants to know how you are feeling. She knows your struggles, and she wants to help you get through them. Imagine if you left. How would that make her feel? She would be devastated, and you know that. She would do everything she could to keep you from leaving.
Jeremy was now having an internal struggle with himself. He wanted to go, but Lena wanted him to stay. He supposed staying could work. Lena though so much of him that she still wanted him to be a part of her life. Maybe he should stay. Maybe I should just do it for her. Besides, she said that she would help me. It's the next best thing to being her boyfriend. Who said that she couldn't have guy friends because of her sexuality?
No one.
Exactly. So-
But does she even want guy friends?
You know the answer to that question.
Jeremy didn't know what to think now. There were too many voices in his head. He could barely even concentrate on where he was running, much less what he was thinking about. He realized that he was lost now. He had absolutely no idea where he was. But maybe that's for the better. He clearly needed some time to think and clear up his head. But the more he tried, the foggier his thoughts seemed to become. It was almost as if going out to take this run wasn't such a great idea after all.
After some time, he decided to just slow down and walk. He figured that somebody had to be living close by. He figured that when he wanted to return to Watchpoint, he could just go to them and ask for directions. Until then, he would just continue walking along this dark and lonely road. Maybe some time later, he'll be able to think more clearly and decide what he should do.
As he was walking, he noticed the street lamps above him. He was astonished. They weren't the dark yellow lights that he was used to seeing on the road back in 1978. These were bright, white lights. They didn't seem to be made of the same material as the 1978 light bulbs.
These were LED lights. Everyone in 2077 was using them. They made everything so much brighter, and, frankly, much more pleasing to see. Yellow just seemed to make everything like ugly.
Jeremy continued walking. He stopped thinking about what he should do now just because he needed a break from it. It was making his head hurt. He decided that he needed to take a rest before giving it any more thought.
After walking a little bit further, he came across an intersection. The road went three ways. Jeremy wasn't sure which road he should take. He didn't know where he was, let alone where he was going. This described his situation perfectly, he thought.
Just then, he heard a car driving up behind him. It didn't sound like a normal car. There was something different about this one. But then he remembered, I'm in the future. Everything's probably so different now, even the vehicles.
He jumped off the road as the car pulled up alongside him. It looked very strange indeed. It looked like it was a combination of an SUV and a pickup truck. It was bright red, with silver hubcaps and, to Jeremy's surprise, no exhaust pipes. The car's headlights and taillights were LEDs as well. It seemed as though the typical light bulbs of the '70s were completely phased out now.
The driver of the car rolled down his window and called out to Jeremy. He was a middle-aged man with a muscular body and was clean-shaven. His face looked gruff, but with a hint of kindness. That kindness showed through when the man asked, "Hey kid. What're you doin' out here so late?"
Jeremy looked up. He got nervous around random dudes in cars, but he figured that if he got into any trouble, he could easily put up a fight. And of course, how could he forget what Lena told him before he left, If you need me for anything, and I mean anything at all…call me.
"I…I was just…out for walk…"
"Really? At 10:35 at night?"
It was 10:35 already? Crap. He was out pretty late. "Y…Yeah. I'm…I'm trying to…"
"Get to the town? Well, most people wouldn't get there on foot. It's pretty dangerous. Especially with all the wildlife that lives in this forest."
Jeremy looked scared. Wildlife? Aw, crap. That means there's probably bears here as well. I didn't even think about that. As he finished his thoughts, Jeremy could swear that he just heard a bear growling in the distance.
"Hey, kid. Don't worry about it. Hop in the pickup. I'll give you a lift."
"Really?" Jeremy asked.
"Sure. I'm heading over there myself, so I won't even charge you any money for it."
Jeremy was intrigued. Maybe he should go to the town. Maybe he could someplace to eat, maybe get a drink, clear his head, and even ask for directions on how to get back to Watchpoint. "Sure," he said.
"All right. Just climb in the back. I'll get you there in no time."
Jeremy climbed into the pickup in the van. It was very dirty and was clearly used for work. There were garden tools lying around, as well as a lawnmower motor. Still, this futuristic car looked very stylish.
As soon as he got in, the car started back up. It turned onto the left road in the intersection. Jeremy was now less worried about this man being up to no good. He was riding in an open compartment where he could easily jump out if anything bad was happening. As the car began picking up speed, Jeremy began feeling the wind blowing in his face. It felt very nice. He always wanted to be able to lean his head out of car windows and feel this sensational feeling, but whether it was the school bus or his mom's car, they wouldn't let him do it. They were too concerned about a car coming too close to them and clipping his head off. Like that would ever happen, he thought. Surely those old folks have learned by now not to drive to close to other people.
The man driving the car did seem very nice. He would frequently roll his window down, tell jokes to Jeremy, and apologize to him for running over the occasional obstacle in the road, causing the car, and Jeremy, to bounce up and down.
After about fifteen minutes, the car finally arrived in the city. It was not at all like what Jeremy was used to seeing. The cities in 1978 were mostly brick, and occasionally wood. These buildings were made out of metal. Some looked like steel, and others had much shiner metals. All the buildings looked very clean and refined, and they all had LED lights. A lot of buildings had antennas on them, and there were very few power lines running from place to place. The cars looked very strange as well. They all looked much smaller and more compact than the '70s cars did. Jeremy wasn't even sure they were running on gasoline.
He hopped down from the bunker of the car and said, "Thanks for the ride!"
"Don't mention it, kid." And with that, the driver sped off, leaving Jeremy in this huge, futuristic, and now mostly empty town. It was mix of industrial buildings, with huge skyscrapers that were uncommon in Jeremy's time, apartments, and some restaurants and stores that looked the most like '70s architecture, and that is really stretching it.
Jeremy walked around town for a little while. Most of the stores had closed down, due to it being so late at night, but some were still open. There was a Five Guys, Burgers and Fries restaurant (which Jeremy had never heard of before), which was still brightly lit, and even pretty busy. There was a Target store that was just about to close its' doors for the night. There was even a university around here as well, just wrapping up with teaching its' late-night classes.
Finally, after wandering around for a while, Jeremy came across a bar. It was called The Green Dragon. Unlike the other buildings, this one looked pretty old. This was definitely an old brick shack that, judging by the look of it, might have even been built a hundred years ago. It looked like it had some updates since then, but its' general feel was that of the 1970's. Feeling that he would be most used to this type of aesthetic, Jeremy walked in.
A lot of people were at the bar tonight. There was a lot of chattering, a lot of yelling, but it felt generally pleasant. Jeremy could smell cigarettes burning from where he was, some of which were even fruit-scented. Jeremy had yet to learn about electronic cigarettes, which came into prominence in the early 2010's. There was even some fresh, hot food there as well. Typical bar food, like burgers and fries, but even some more unorthodox items like salmon, steak, and even pasta were being served there. Jeremy walked past a broken table and chairs, with playing cards all over the floor. A bar fight had happened here just before he came, and he could tell because of one man's bloody nose.
He walked over to an empty barstool, hearing the sounds of billiard balls clacking, heavy metal music playing, and pinball and arcade machines dinging and clanking in the background. A lot of these guys looked very large and unpleasant. Some of them had tattoos, rings in their noses (which Jeremy thought looked disgusting), and even shaved heads. Most of the guys in the bar were talking very roughly and drunkenly. Once again, Jeremy's feelings of inferiority and insecurity were sinking into him. Only this time, unlike when he was with Lena, he felt like trying to do anything to these guys, even start up a civil conversation with them, would result in him losing his head, quite literally. So he just turned away from them and decided not to draw attention to himself. If I just leave these guys alone, they'll leave me alone, he thought.
He was used to being alone by now, so he actually didn't feel bad about nobody paying attention to him. In fact, now he wanted to be alone. He thought that he should just move away. Living with Lena more would just mean living a life of jealousy, which he didn't want. Of course, Lena had kept insisting that such feelings of loneliness and isolation were only temporary and something he would get over sometime, but it's much easier to say that if you haven't been dumped by two lesbian women that you had crushes on. Jeremy loved Lena, but he didn't think she could help him at all.
"Hey kid!" The bartender snapped at him. "Aren't ya too young to be in a place like this?"
"What?! No! I'm 23 years old! I can have a drink here!"
"Lemme see your ID," the bartender demanded. Jeremy did as he was told. The bartender kept squinting at the ID card handed to him, as if trying to detect some sort of forgery. It was a good thing that Jeremy remembered to give him his new Overwatch ID instead of his outdated driver's license.
"So, you're on Overwatch, huh?" The bartender growled.
"Y-Yes," Jeremy said nervously.
"Fuck you guys. All you ever do is disturb the peace around here. For a group of 'heroes' claiming to be defeating 'terrorists,' you guys sure commit a lot of violence and destroy a lot of property. Local patrons to my bar have died in acts of violence committed by you fuckers."
Jeremy was shocked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought that the Overwatch were made up of heroes, and that they were treated as celebrities for their good deeds to the world. And now here was a civilian saying, "I'm waiting for the Gibraltar government to just shut you guys down already. And almost everyone in this damned country is, too. We would be so much better off without you sons of bitches ruining everything good."
Not wanting to start a fight, Jeremy said, "Don't worry. I just joined, but I don't like it. I thought I was signing up for something better than this, but it's brought me nothing pain and misery. I wish I never joined this stupid group. Some 'heroes' we are. What kind of 'heroes' commit such horrible acts of violence and destruction to their own people?"
The bartender's face had softened up at that sentence. "Well, it's good to hear that you have some common sense, unlike your fellow 'heroes.' You should leave as soon as you can. Walk straight out the door to your headquarters, wherever they might be, and never look back. That's my advice. Your life will be so much better without those assholes ruining it. Now, what would you like to drink?" He asked, handing Jeremy his ID back.
Jeremy snapped out of his thoughts. He just realized that he had never actually looked to see what drinks the bar had. "Oh, um-uh…I'll h-have…your…uh…House Ale. A pint of it."
"Excellent choice, kid. One pint of House Ale coming right up."
Jeremy looked down at the table. The words of the bartender were replaying in his head. Walk straight out the door…and never look back. Your life will be so much better without those assholes ruining it. It seemed as though that were the right decision after all. Maybe the bartender was right. Maybe he really should just leave.
But what about Lena? He then thought. What will I tell her? She loves me and wants to help me. Isn't it kind of selfish of me to want to leave Lena, one of the most selfless girls I have ever known, without one of her best friends? And with no way of keeping in contact with her? That's enough to make her break down and cry again. And Jeremy did not like seeing Lena cry. He loved her so much that seeing her cry was torture to him. Now you know how she feels when she sees you in pain. And that's why she wants you with her. She just wants to help you stop this heartbreak and drama that you're feeling.
Jeremy groaned. It felt very annoying to have to listen to same things over and over again. Obviously, the purpose of these voices was to help him make his decision, but God, it was such a difficult decision to make. He had to hear these same voices speaking over and over. This would be such an important decision in his life that he needed to hear these things as often as he could.
"Hey, kid! Here's your ale!" The bartender shouted, sliding it across the table towards Jeremy. He caught it, muttered, "Thanks," paid his seven pounds (the currency in Gibraltar), and started sipping on it. It was a black ale with a very bitter taste, but for some odd reason, Jeremy seemed to like it. He didn't want to drink too much of it, though, for obvious reasons.
After taking Lena's feelings into consideration, he was having second thoughts about leaving. He still wanted to leave the Overwatch, but he didn't want to leave Lena. He wanted to stay with her, so that she could help him with his problems. And Emily sounded like someone he wanted to meet, and Lena said that Emily would help him as well. Maybe if I can get Lena to quit Overwatch as well, I could live not far from her, and we could all see each other every day, so that she can stay in her relationship with Emily, while still being able to keep her close friendship with me. That way, everybody wins.
But he figured he had a better chance of winning the lottery than getting Lena to quit Overwatch. Being a part of that group seems to be a very important part of her life, despite its' not so good reputation.
He then heard the bartender asking another patron what he would like, and the man there said, "You got any of that good sarsaparilla?" The man had a very gruff voice, with a Southern United States drawl to it. Jeremy could tell that this man would be happy to see him if he was up on a stage playing and singing music. He wouldn't care if he told him he was on Overwatch, in fact, that would probably piss him off. Jeremy wanted to make people, and it was clear to him that being on Overwatch was not the way to do it.
Jeremy sighed. It seemed like there was no easy way out of this. He had to leave Overwatch, and therefore, leave Lena and Emily behind as well. As much as it would hurt him, and them, it was a decision that he had to make.
He then called up the bartender and ordered for a plate of chicken strips and French fries. He didn't think his decision through very much anymore. He had his mind pretty much made up at this point. As he was waiting, he heard another fight starting to break out behind him.
"I knew it!" A man playing Poker Dice at a table behind Jeremy snarled. "I knew that you were winning too often!"
"What?" Another man snarled. "What's your fucking problem?"
"You're cheating! You're using fake dice! Look!" He picked up the dice at they rolled he same thing every time.
Seven.
Seven.
Seven.
"Motherfucking Seven again!"
The other guy turned to his partner and said, "What?! Adam?! You gave me loaded dice?!"
"Hey Chad, don't go pinning this on me! You decided to use those dice! You're the one who cheated that guy out of his money!"
"So, you gave him those dice?"
"Hey, motherfucker, don't go saying-" He was then cut off by a sudden punch to the stomach. He then rebounded by punching his opponent in the head, and then he punched Chad the same way. Now Chad was teaming up with his opponent to take down Adam, who was his partner at the time.
Chad tried to punch him back in the head, but instead hit another drinker who was otherwise minding his business. The drinker then got into the fight as well. Before long, everyone in the bar was at each other's throats. There was yelling, punching, bottles and glasses being broken, pool cues being snapped, tables and chairs being smashed, and a pinball machine just got broken in the fight.
Jeremy tried his best to stay out of this. He didn't want to return back to Lena with broken bones and black eyes.
Speaking of Lena, Jeremy just got a text from her, saying, Jeremy? Where are you? You've been gone for quite a long time now. Is everything all right? Please tell me you're not in any danger! P.S., Emily is now here. I want you to get back soon so you can meet her.
Jeremy tried to respond back to the fighting, but not being used to texting, he kept struggling. "I…am…doing..all – Damn it, I typed an F and not a D. Delete, delete, delete, doing, all right…I am in…a…where's the B button on this thing? Oh, there it is…ba…where's the R? bar…stay..ing…out..of…a…fi – No, I can't say that. Then she will freak out. Delete, delete. Having…a…r-round…of…ale – How do people even type with these things? It's too confusing. Wait-waiting…for…some…Oh, you gotta press 2 three times, yeah, that makes SO much sense. Chick…en – Oh, forget it! I can't type with this thing! The keyboard's too small!" He then decided screw it, and put his phone away. He would get back momentarily.
The fight behind him was now getting out of control. There was so much fighting that it seemed inevitable that Jeremy would get involved in it. And there's no way he'd be able to go up against so many huge bikers and drunk guys without his guns. Then he felt something hit him on his forehead. He caught the object with his hands and said, "And…that was a human tooth…"
He then said to the bartender, "Forget about those chicken strips. I'm outta here. Thanks for the ale." And then he sneaked around the chaos and went out the door before the bartender could stop him.
The bartender then reached behind the counter, pulled out a double-barrel shotgun, and shouted, "All right, ya cocksuckers! Break it up right now, or you're all getting it good!" He cocked his shotgun and pointed it at the fighters.
The fighting came to an abrupt halt, and everyone, with broken noses (and possibly broken bones) and bloody faces and hair, went back to drinking and gambling. The bartender put his shotgun away, and said, "I just lost a good potential customer because of you dipshits. And I am not happy about that at all. If this happens again, I won't even shout a warning before I start pumping your guts full of lead!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Finally escaping from the bar, Jeremy ran off. He had no idea where he was going, but he figured that in this town, he could surely find some place that could give him directions back to the Overwatch HQ. But then he remembered what the bartender said, Walk straight out the door of your headquarters, wherever they may be, implying that he didn't know where Watchpoint was. Maybe no one else did. Maybe it was so super-secret that the general public wouldn't know about it.
Jeremy was glad at first, because he thought that he needed to leave at last, but then he remembered Lena's text. Emily is here. I want you to meet her. He figured that he needed to return just long enough to meet and greet Emily. He owed it to Lena. He needed to at least meet her girlfriend before leaving. But how would he get back? And how would he leave then?
After running some more, the answer to his questions presented itself. He came across another old building in town with some cars parked out front. These weren't cars that belonged to anybody. No, these cars were up for sale. Some of them looked pretty old, even for 2077. And indeed, there were description cards on some of them.
2068 Ford Explorer
2055 Toyota Corolla
2064 Dodge Durango
2034 Honda Accord
2016 Lexus LC500
All these cars looked very stylish, sleek, and futuristic with all sorts of shapes and designs that Jeremy would have never thought possible for cars before. All the cars looked so alien to him, except for one. One stood out above all the others, and it was one that Jeremy had seen, and even drove in, before.
1967 Chevrolet Impala ("Supernatural" car). One of the last cars running on gasoline (Upgrade to electric as soon as possible)
So many things in that description stood out to Jeremy. First off, "Supernatural car"? What the hell did that mean? Second, a car from 1967 still exists, and is functional in 2077? It appeared to be in very good shape, and it looked like it would still run, even though it hadn't been used in years, and probably for a reason One of the last cars running on gasoline. So, Jeremy was right. Cars in the 21st Century don't run on gas anymore. They now seem to run on some sort of electric power. And on top of all this, who was selling these cars? The building he was at answered that question as well
VILLAGE ROADSHOW ANTIQUES OF GIBRALTAR. SELLING OLD ITEMS DATING BACK TO 1855.
And right under that was a banner that said, "AUCTION. TONIGHT ONLY IN THE GARAGE."
This gave Jeremy an idea. There was a car here from 1967. If he could get Winston to open up the portal that brought him into this year, then he could travel back to 1978, with this '67 Impala, and nobody would notice. And since it runs on gas, it was the only car he could drive in 1978. Jeremy decided to go inside the auction and bid on the car. Thanks to his mercenary days, and even his current Overwatch days, he was already a millionaire. He could surely afford to pick up this car now.
Jeremy walked into the garage behind the store where the auction was being held at. There were lots of people there, and even more interesting items up for bidding. There were couches and desks, large and small. There were floor lamps, table lamps, and other lighting equipment. There was even a section with guitars, electronic keyboards, pedals, and amps, but Jeremy never liked buying used gear, because he wanted to be sure that it sounded good and was in top quality.
There were bikes, treadmills, dumbbells, and bench presses. There was a corner where Jeremy could see snowmobiles, jet skis, and even a motorboat. In another corner, Jeremy saw a desk with firearms and ammunition. Not far from it were some kitchen tools that Jeremy had never seen before, like an air popcorn popper and a toaster oven. Also present at the auction were TVs, which looked nothing like what Jeremy was used to seeing. "There's no buttons on these TVs. How do they work? Remote controls? Wow. That's impressive. And look at how thin they are. I can't believe that these things exist." Right next to them were computers. They were branded by the year they were made and their operating systems. Hewlett-Packard, 2033, Windows ME-2. Dell desktop, 2000, Windows 2000. Linux, 2043. HP laptop, 2014, Windows 10. There was even an Apple Computer 2 from 1977. Jeremy decided that he needed to get a computer so that he could learn how it worked. If computers were going to become a thing in the future (which he clearly saw they were), he needed to learn how to use them in order to not look like an old man. That, and also learn how to play the video game systems that were being displayed next to the computers, and all of their games as well. Games being auctioned off included Doom 2016 for the PC, Freddy Fish and the Stolen Conch Shell, StarFox for Super Nintendo, Red Dead Redemption, Super Mario Anthology (1985-2075), and a second-hand copy of Half-Life 3, currently the best-selling video game of all time.
There was also a section for games and toys as well, some of which Jeremy recognized, and others that he didn't. There was a bin containing old and new Hot Wheels and Cars toys (which Jeremy thought looked similar to the Matchbox toys that he remembered playing with as a young kid), another bin with Beanie Babies, one with board games (some of which Jeremy knew, like Battleship, Clue, and Chutes and Ladders, and others that he didn't, such as Ticket to Ride and The Settlers of Catan), and a bin containing an unusual mix of toys, including some plastic aliens, a piggy bank (full of coins), Tyrannosaurus Rex action figure, a distinctly recognizable Mr. Potato Head, cowboy and cowgirl dolls, and a spaceman action figure, with plastic wings, a talkbox, and a laser light.
The auction in general seemed to be a very mixed bag of bits and pieces. But Jeremy was used to this. Auctions in general seemed to be just anything. You never know what you'll find at one. That's why whenever going to one, you better keep an open eye and pocket full of cash.
In the very back of the garage, was a stage. And on that stage was the man auctioning off the items up for grabs. He spoke into a microphone for everyone in there to hear, and he was accompanied by slideshows of pictures of each of the items being sold, so that the people there would have a visual description of what was being auctioned. The man spoke very fast. It seemed as though he wasn't putting periods in his sentences and occasionally felt like he was just gibbering the words, even though they were very clear.
"Antique oak desk, built in 1972, used on the set for the TV series M*A*S*H-" ("Hey! I love that show!" thought Jeremy) "-Very good shape, very fine condition, up for grabs right here, right now, in this Village Roadshow Antiques Auction, minimum wager, seven thousand Gibraltar pounds. Seven thousand, do I have seven thousand? Seven thousand pounds- I got an offer for seven thousand. Do I have seven thousand, five hundred? Seven thousand, five hundred, to the man in the blue flannel shirt. Eight thousand, do I hear eight thousand? Eight thousand in this audience? Eight thousand over there? Eight thousand going once, going-Eleven thousand being offered to the lady in the yellow skirt. Eleven thousand-" He continued speaking very fast, as if he wasn't putting spaces in the words he was saying. This caused Jeremy to think, Aw, Jeez. Doesn't he ever stop to take a breath? After continuing to ramble on, the desk was finally sold to an old man for 26,000 pounds.
Up next was an old computer, running on Windows 12, built in 2028. Jeremy decided he would bid on that thing. The computer even came with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. Jeremy put down the initial bid of ten thousand pounds. There was, of course, some competition, but Jeremy was able to win the computer with a tip that his mother taught him: Underbid. That will convince people that the item being auctioned is a piece of junk and will convince them to not buy it. As such, he was able to win the computer for a "simple" twelve thousand pounds.
As Jeremy collected his computer, he was determined to learn how to use it, so that he could play games and design programs like a pro. Maybe it could serve as a backup career in case his musical career didn't work out. Besides, he was going back to 1978, before computers became huge and a very huge industry. He could capitalize on this up-and-coming moneymaker then.
The auction continued on for a while, during which several things went. Jeremy initially bid on a shotgun being sold off, but decided that it wasn't worth his money. He did bid on some Hot Wheels cars and orange track. He was starting to have an interest in collecting toys. Maybe he should start with something simple.
Finally, after an hour, came the '67 Impala. Initially, no one had any interest in it, but after the announcer said that it was the "Supernatural" car, interest began to spike. Jeremy made the first bid (25,000 pounds), hoping that it wouldn't receive many offers, but to his surprise, the offers kept coming in. As it passed 60,000 pounds, Jeremy realized his underbidding strategy wouldn't work. Wow. Whatever "Supernatural car" means, it is really helping this car make money.
After the bidding passed 100,000 pounds, Jeremy wasn't real convinced he could afford it anymore. And the offers didn't stop there. "100,100. Do I have 100,100 pounds? 100,500 over there. 100,500. Do I have 200,000? 200,000 going once-300,000 to the man in the red polo shirt. 300,000 going once, going twice-"
"ONE MILLION POUNDS!" A voice familiar to Jeremy roared directly behind him.
Winston's voice.
Everyone gasped and turned to look at the giant gorilla that had just made such a high offer for such an old car. Even the announcer stopped dead in his speech at the sound of such a bid. He actually looked speechless. He didn't know what to do now. Jeremy, however, was more amazed that Winston found him all the way out there at the auction.
"Um…" The announcer said. "Uh…wow. That's such a high bid. I don't think we've…ever had…anything that…high be…fffore." Noticing the angry stare on Winston's face, the announcer quickly snapped back. "Oh, um. One million pounds. Do I have one million, five hundred?" No response. The auction was dead silent. "One million pounds. Going once. Going twice." He banged his gavel. "SOLD! To the armored gorilla in the back!"
Winston walked up the salesmen at the stage to collect the keys and manuals for the car. He walked back to Jeremy and said, "Hold out your hand."
Nervous, Jeremy did as he was told. Winston dropped the keys into his palm and said, "Congratulations. You just got a new car. It's outside, right?"
"Y-Yeah," Jeremy said, clearly shocked that Winston just shelled out a million pounds on a car for him. "Why did you do this?"
"You've had it pretty rough lately, and you seemed like you were passionate about getting this new car. Now let's grab some bananas and peanut butter and head back to Watchpoint," Winston said, before walking off to the concession stand.
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"I probably should have asked you this sooner, but do you have your driver's license?"
"I did, but it expired a hundred years ago."
Jeremy was driving the Impala back to Watchpoint. There was an onboard GPS that Winston put on so that Jeremy would know where he was going. He was lucky that the car still had a full tank of gas, because gas stations no longer existed, and there was a recommendation to upgrade the car to an electric as soon as possible. Winston said that Symmetra could do that. There was also an onboard CD player (installed in the early 2000's, when CDs were still around), and a hookup for digital devices, for current times. The computer and toys that he also won were in the trunk.
Winston was sitting in the backseat. It was very cramped and uncomfortable there, but the passenger seat was even worse, so Winston decided to accept the conditions, knowing that they would be back at the HQ soon. Still, Winston didn't like having to crane his neck over just because the car roof was too low. "Why couldn't General Motors in 1967 make these roofs bigger?!" he complained.
Jeremy laughed. He was driving a car late at night with a giant gorilla sitting in the back, eating bananas and drinking Swiss chocolate milk. It sounded like the start of a very bad joke. There was no way he could have gotten away with this in 1978. He would have certainly gotten weird looks, and maybe even a court summons.
"So," Winston said after a long period of non-talking. "I assume you wanted this car for something other than its' entertainment value?"
Jeremy was confused. "Um…Entertainment value?"
"You do know that this is the Supernatural car, right?"
"Well, I saw that on the description, but what does that mean? What does 'Supernatural car' even mean?"
"Supernatural was a TV series that ran for 13 seasons in the early 2000's. It was very popular and had a huge fanbase. This is the car that the main characters on that show use. I personally don't watch it, but Mei is a huge fan of that show, so that's how I know so much about it. She always liked going to these auctions in the hopes that she would find the car from that show. This was one night that she decided not to go." Winston stopped and chuckled. "Oh, she's gonna hate herself for blowing the one chance she had to get this car.
But I can tell you didn't buy this car for that reason, so what was it?"
Jeremy didn't want to answer that question to Winston, but knew that he would have to at some point, so he might as well do it now. "No offense, Donkey Kong, but I'm resigning from Overwatch."
Winston looked surprised. "Why?"
"Well, for a few reasons. One is-"
"Because Lena can't be your girlfriend?"
Now Jeremy was surprised. "Yes," Winston said, seeing his shocked look. "She told me everything. She even said that's why you tried to kill yourself the other day. She and I have been friends for a long time. She never keeps secrets from ol' Winston. And in case you feel like she thinks you're weak, she told me earlier how she thinks it's very impressive, and a little sexy, that you were able to take down a mountain bear all by yourself.
She's also told me that you haven't texted her back at all. She was really scared for a long time. Until I told her where you were, she thought the worst. She thought that you had been murdered or had killed yourself when she didn't get any kind of response from you."
"Oh yeah," Jeremy said, interrupting Winston. "That is one thing that's been on my mind lately: How did you find me?!"
"We've been tracking you," Winston said. "We inserted a chip into your clothes that has a tracking device in it."
Jeremy looked down into the inside of his shirt. "So, that's what that little metal thing is."
"Yes. Did you ever stop and think why we let you just leave Watchpoint so easily, right after you tried to commit suicide? We couldn't take any chances. We've been keeping track of your journey, and with my teleporter, I was able to instantly get to where you were. I noticed that you've been at the auction for a long time, so you must have had a reason for that.
Also, did you have anything to drink?" Winston suddenly asked. "Yes, we also know that you stopped at The Green Dragon. Did you have anything to drink there? Because if you did, then maybe I should drive."
Jeremy looked shocked. It's a good thing I didn't stop into that strip club, he thought. "Just a pint of ale. It wasn't much at all," he quickly said, turning back to a skeptical Winston. "I feel like I can drive safely. It was just one pint, I can safely-"
"Eyes on the road! EYES ON THE ROAD!" Winston shouted, as Jeremy slammed on the brake at a red light that he was about to speed through. The sudden stop led to Winston accidentally jerking forward and hitting his head on the headrest in front of him.
"OW! That hurt!"
"Sorry, dude."
After the light turned green and the car moved on through, Winston continued the conversation. "You still haven't answered my question. Is this because of Lena?"
"Well, she's one reason. I just can't stand being around girls that I know I can't have."
"But don't you like her?"
"Of course I do! Despite everything, I still love her very much!"
"So that means you don't like seeing her sad?"
"Hell no! I want her to be happy! I want her to live the life of love and respect that she deserves! I want her to be with the one who makes her happy, the one that she wants to be with! And it's clear that the person she wants to be with is not me, so…" He sniffled a little bit. "I guess-"
"What if she wants both you and Emily? Emily as her girlfriend and you as her second best friend? She loves you too, y'know. And you leaving Overwatch will surely break her heart, especially since she feels it's her responsibility to be an older sister to you and help you with the problems in your life. Why don't you just do it for her? Isn't that good enough to stay?"
"Well, I've thought of that, but it's not just her that makes me wanna leave. When I was at that bar, it became clear to me that the public hates you guys. The bartender said that he's lost loyal customers through your conflicts, and that everyone in the bar wants Overwatch shut down. I don't wanna be in a group that everyone hates."
"Didn't everyone in Teufort 1978 hate the RED and BLU teams as well?"
"Yeah, but that's different! Back then, I had no problem with being hated and lonely. Now I'm done with it! I wanna get out into the world! I wanna play music! I want people to actually like me for a change! I want to make a difference, one that people will like. And people love to hear music.
I don't want to leave Lena without one of her best friends. I don't want to make her cry. I don't want her to be sad. And I don't just want to see her sad, I don't want her to be sad, period. But it looks like I don't have a choice."
"But maybe you do," Winston said after some more silence.
"What?" Jeremy said.
"Lena wanted to wait until you got back to tell you, but she told me that an apartment right by her and Emily's house in London has a vacant spot, and that she wants you to buy it and move into it. That way, she and Emily can watch over you and help you. She knows how you feel, both your sadness and jealousy, and thinks that this will be a compromise between what you want and what she wants.
She'll never choose you over her happy relationship with Emily, but she doesn't want to. She wants to have both her relationship with her, and her very close friendship with you, and she thinks that this way, she can have both. And you'll still get to be with her, even though you can't be lovers. She thinks that this will make a good compromise, so that she, Emily, and you all get what you want."
Jeremy was surprised to hear this. He was amazed that Lena went through all this trouble so that both she and him would have what they wanted. Maybe now it was time to overcome his feelings of envy and do what she wanted. He didn't want to make her sad, but here was a chance to have his chance at a musical career, away from Overwatch, and for her to remain Emily's girlfriend while still maintaining a happy friendship with him.
It was at that moment when they finally arrived back at Watchpoint. "Pull in here," Winston said, pointing to a giant steel door. "It's the entrance to Symmetra's workshop. She'll convert your car to an electric." As Jeremy pulled up to the door, it opened. He drove the car down a long passage before stopping the car at a dead end. This clearly was Symmetra's workshop.
Winston, after some struggling, got out of the car. "Argh! Damn thing! I'm never riding in there again!" He noticed that Jeremy was still in the car.
"I'm just thinking about what you just told me," he said.
"Take all the time you need, boy," Winston said sympathetically. "But just remember that you don't have to choose your happiness over hers. She's come up with a way for both of you to be happy, and I suggest that you strongly consider it," he said. And then he walked inside.
Jeremy sat in the car, pondering his decision. He certainly had a lot to think about.
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Half an hour later, Jeremy walked back inside. He was about to go back up to his room, when he heard a familiar sound. It sounded like a movie that he remembered watching during his childhood. He opened the door to the Watchpoint entertainment room, and saw that a lot of the Overwatch was watching Pinocchio on the TV. He decided to stop and stay for a while. Maybe Lena and Emily were down here, watching it as well.
"Aw, howdy partner!" Engie shouted. "Sit down! We're watching one of your favorites!"
Pinocchio wasn't one of Jeremy's favorites, in fact, these days, it kind of creeped him out. Especially the scene that was playing right now, where the Coachman was taking the boys to Pleasure Island.
Winston was there as well. He was watching the movie for the first time in his life. "Hey, Wins. Are the girls down here?"
"No," he said. "They went to bed a while ago. You've got to wait until morning to speak to them."
"Oh, OK." He thought he might watch the movie for a while anyway, at least until the part where it started getting creepy.
Pharah was done there as well. She spent most the movie shaking her head. She couldn't believe of all the things that made it into a movie that was said to be for kids. There were so many scary and inappropriate moments in this movie that she wouldn't show it to her kids, if she ever had any, especially this scene with Pinocchio and other boys fighting in a bar.
"Tobacco Row! Get your cigars, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco here! Come in and smoke your heads off!"
"Pinocchio," Reinhardt chuckled. "A movie with kidnappings, homicidal puppeteers, and kids smoking and drinking. Rated G for kids and parents of all ages!"
"Aye," Demoman said. "But that place looks like fun. I wanna be there!"
Very much like Pharah, Winston wondered what caused Walt Disney to say OK to what he was seeing on the TV right now.
At that moment, Jeremy decided to call it a night. It wasn't because of the movie, he was just tired. As he left the room, he noticed that Mei was cowering behind the couch. She knew what was to happen to Pinocchio and the other boys in a few minutes as well, and she clearly didn't like it. Jeremy thought about telling her about the car that he picked up at the auction, but decided to wait until morning.
As he headed up to his room, he decided that it would be wise to hear this story about the apartment directly from Lena herself. If he truly did love her, then he would listen to what she had to say. He owed her that. He also had to allow Lena to properly introduce him to her girlfriend. But now was not the time to do it. Now was the time to get some sleep.
Earlier, Jeremy was so sure that he had made his decision and that there would be no changing it, but now, as he was climbing into bed and preparing for a good night's sleep, he was having second thoughts. Maybe living close to the two girls wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. It might even help him overcome his inferiority complex and envy tendency.
But now he was too tired to think any further. He would think more, and speak more, in the morning.
A couple of things I want to speak briefly about. In case the bar scene feels a bit out of place, I put it in there to give the impression that the Overwatch were not well-liked in the general public, and the talk with the bartender was persuasion for Jeremy to quit, much like how the talk with Winston was to persuade him to stay.
I apologize if this fanfic feels a little repetitive at times. I try to cut down on that as much as I can.
Oh, and to that guest reviewer who wants me to acknowledge that Scout took down a bear with only his raw strength and wit, there you go. Happy now?
Also, could someone PLEASE create a SFM picture of Jeremy driving the car with Winston sitting in the backseat? That very image just cracks me up.
Thanks for watching. Next chapter will be up shortly!