Winston had worked with Jack Morrison for years, he was a man he highly respected. He knew him as a man who always cared for the members of his team.
Tracer and D. Va looked to Solider 76 as a father figure, he cared for them and despite his rough exterior, could be a kind and caring man.
Junkrat would never admit to it, but he liked him. He was a decent guy who was willing to give people a second chance, regardless of what they did, so long as they wanted –and tried- to change.
Mercy would describe Morrison as a man she could confide almost anything in, she had known him for years.
Ana and Jack had been soldiers together before the Omnic crisis, and through it, and after. The two were quite close. (And no, I'm not saying that Morrison is Pharah's dad, I genuinely would believe that he could be, or Reaper could, or even Reindhardt.)
But NO ONE knew the Jack Morrison in front of them, violently beating a teenager, demanding answers. Repetitively punching Mad Dawg over and over, bloodying his fist and jacket, Mad Dawg had lost multiple teeth, and laughed.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Solider 76 demanded. "THE BODIES IN DORARDO! YOU AND SOMBRA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Spitting blood and a tooth out, Mad Dawg scowled and spat: "It's personal." Then head butted him and swung a fist. Punching Jack in the side of the head, Mad Dawg charged him and tackled him to the floor now violently punching him in retaliation yelling in anger. Jack grabbed him and threw him away.
"You don't know what your messing with Jack-O!" He shouted. "I've had the shittiest day ever, and you're not helping!" Winston and Reindhardt ran forward and pulled the two apart who were struggling.
"We found the security footage from Dorado. You and a Talon agent slaughtered a building full of men! You stole encrypted files from us and traded them for secrecy! What possible reason could you have for those actions?!" Solider 76 demanded.
Wait, what? Mad Dawg thought. What files? I didn't steal any files… Unless… Agh, not now.
"I've got a past man, and I'm stopping this from hurting anyone else." Mad Dawg seethed.
"Where's the line then!?" Solider 76 retorted. "How many people have to die before you're satisfied? Huh? How many?!"
"Anyone who gets in between me and Virus. He's the only one who has to die."
"Mad Dawg please!" Mei said, coming in between them. "This isn't you! We can help you!"
"Help me? Help. Me?" Mad Dawg said. "Sure, you guys have a GREAT track record for helping people! Oh man, Overwatch is so freaking amazing!"
"What're you talking about?" Mei whispered.
"Ecopoint Antarctica. When those pods malfunctioned, nothing would've been lost if you went down with them. You think running around with a glorified soft serve machine strapped to your back helps anyone! Oh, sure, I'll make sure I call you when my air conditioning unit breaks! Or should I call the Ikea gnome? No wait, I shouldn't do that. He might turn it into a weapon which starts another war!"
After finishing that, the agents gasped and Mei began to cry. Mad Dawg turned to the others, shaking with fury. He couldn't tell them about what happened. That WAS personal. He knew there was no going back to them now, or ever.
"C'mon! Let's be real here!" He exclaimed. "Every damn time we go out there, it's get on a floating tray, wait five minutes, travel for ten more minutes, done. What the hell do we even do that helps people!?" Mad Dawg shouted, but no one responded. "Oh, that's right! Jack SHIT!" Turning to Morrison he added: "Literally and figuratively in your case! You think I don't know how Reaper was you're fault? Because of the dumb choices you made?" Spinning around he shouted: "Look around us people! The only way we stop the bad guys is if someone has the balls to pull the damn trigger! Hey Lena! Remember King's Row?! That representative you saved!? Oh wait, you didn't! Maybe if you just KILLED WIDOWMAKER none of this would've happened!"
Tracer stood shocked. Both by Mad Dawg's verbal assault on everyone around her, and because of his complete lack of empathy.
"Well screw this! I'm done!" Mad Dawg stated, slashing his hand through the air. "You wanna be heroes? Fine! But count me out! I've got actual problems I'm trying to solve, and until Virus is dead, they ain't gonna BE solved!"
The whole room was so quiet, you could hear the dust particles falling.
"Go." Was all Morrison eventually said. "Go on, kill Virus. See if that does anything. But don't come back."
Mad Dawg took out his I.D. card and threw it at Jack. It landed in front of him, Mad Dawg picked up another teleporter before turning back to Jack.
"Y'know, Reaper was right." He said. "I SHOULD have joined Talon." After saying that, he pushed a button and disappeared as Junkrat moved to try and stop him. But he was already gone. Leaving behind a room of destroyed relationships and lies, ones which he could never repair. While Tracer hugged Mei, trying to comfort her, Reindhardt and Torbjörn were inspecting the door Mad Dawg and Sombra came out from. Seeing the set up inside the room, their jaws dropped and their eyes widened. Meanwhile, Virus was watching, thrilled with how well this was going. On the one hand, he COULD play the recordings and destroy EVERYTHING Mad Dawg cared for, but he decided not to. Knowing that Overwatch could possibly track him, so instead, he pressed a button marked 'Show Stopper' and the whole top floor burst into flames. The two agents smelled the smoke and ran to get the others out. Once everyone was outside, they watched the building burn, eventually crumble in on itself.
"You're just going to let him kill Virus?" Winston asked, still in shock over what had happened.
"No. He won't." Solider 76 coldly replied. "Mad Dawg just left the team. Simple as that."
"What was in there?" Tracer asked still looking at the smoldering wreckage.
"A lab." Reindhardt replied, making Mercy pale somewhat. "There's something more going on… Something we don't understand." He finished looking to Solider 76, who refused to look back at him. "Maybe there's something left…"
Miles and miles away…
Re-appearing in his mineshaft base, Mad Dawg sighed, feeling defeated. He went to the fridge for a beer, or something. Walking back into the main room he then saw McCree with his gun pointed at Sombra, somehow, he completely missed that.
"Kid…" McCree stated slowly, like a child disciplining his child. "What is SHE doing here?"
"What're you doing here?" Mad Dawg growled.
"I needed to talk to you." McCree stated. "I had a relative idea where this place was, so when I finally found it, I was waiting for you. And then all of a sudden, SHE appeared."
"Cree, put the gun down. She's here with me." Mad Dawg ordered. McCree gave him a confused look, but Sombra smirked in response.
"You should do what he says Billy the kid." She smiled.
McCree slowly lowered the gun, giving Mad Dawg a confused and mistrusting look. "Kid. The Junkers are coming. They're PISSED." McCree stated. "I don't know how they got the location, but after you disappeared for two days, I thought they had found you. After Symmetra found a video of you in Dorado I knew you were at least alive. So, I came here, thinking you might return. But now, we're in danger."
There was a crackling and a loud SHWAA! And Junkrat and Roadhog were standing in the middle of the room.
"Oof! Never. AGAIN!" Junkrat stated, seeming dizzy because of something while Roadhog looked around surprised at where they were.
"What the hell do you two want?" Mad Dawg spat.
"And how did you two get here?" McCree asked.
"We found one of his teleportin' tv remotes." Junkrat said, holding up one of Mad Dawg's devices. "That felt weird." Seeing Sombra in the room Junkrat looked to Mad Dawg, then back to Sombra, then back to Mad Dawg. "Is there something we should…"
"Just go with it." McCree muttered. "He's in a bad mood."
"You don't know the half of it." Roadhog replied. "It just got BAD."
"We're here to help." Junkrat said.
"…what?" Mad Dawg said, confused.
"We got a message from someone who we trust. Some of our old Junker pals are coming for a visit." Roadhog said in his deep tone. "And despite what you said in King's Row, we're friends first. I don't know what happens after, but for now. You need help."
Accented voices could be heard shouting above them, someone was shouting orders.
"Crap." Mad Dawg growled, realizing he couldn't argue here. "Everyone, lock and load." He looked up and sighed. "I'm glad I installed those machines in here…"
Sombra turned invisible and ran to a corner, machine pistol ready for a fight. Junkrat reloaded his grenade launcher and Roadhog loaded his scrap gun as they moved to the side to try and hide. As Mad Dawg went to grab a device with a lot of buttons on it, McCree grabbed his shoulder.
"When we're done. We're having a LONG talk." He growled. Mad Dawg realized he hadn't been there for the outburst, but at this point, survival was key.
Mad Dawg stood in the center of the room, watching as the elevator came down the shaft. The Junker queen walked out, followed by a few enforcers. Looking around, when she saw Mad Dawg, she developed a wide grin.
"So." She said. "You must be the elusive Mad Dawg. I gotta 'mit. You're a smaller tyke than me an' the boys were expectin'."
"Yeah, and you're the Junker Queen?" Mad Dawg asked, ready to open fire. But on the other hand. He wanted to insult someone damn it!
"The one the only." The Queen smirked.
"So that's why you look a Daft Punk style BDSM braindead prostitute, over compensating asshole casserole member of the Insane Clown Posse."
Sombra was desperately trying not to laugh, while McCree from his hiding spot just listened in amazement, and was going to have to remember 'Asshole Casserole' for later…
"Wow." The Junker Queen simply replied. "You've got a real dirty mouth on you."
"Not nearly as dirty as your pants! HAYOOOOO!" Mad Dawg cut her off and shouted loudly into the sky.
"I wouldn't be talking brat." She retorted. "You wanna play badass? Lose fifty pounds then try again."
"I can lose weight, but you'll always look, act and sound like a rejected member of the Firefly Clan."
People like that film! I like that film! Rob Zombie is awesome!
I ain't dissin' a good movie man, I'm in the middle of an insult fest.
"You got some balls kid." The Queen laughed. "I like that, I'mma give you one chance, lay down your guns and come with us. No one else has to be hurt."
"That idea is about as good as a knitted condom." Mad Dawg retorted.
"I'm sorry, do you WANT to die?!" The Queen said, now genuinely confused as to what was driving this teen to act so stupidly.
"I'm already dead. Dead inside." Mad Dawg replied in a gravelly voice, crossing his arms across his chest in an 'X', and was suddenly wearing Reaper's mask. Meanwhile, a certain Talon enforcer was looking for his mask, confused as to where it went.
"Oh yeah? Well 'ow's about we find that little girl you were running around with in Dorado? Make 'er scream?"
"Go ahead." Mad Dawg shrugged. He could feel Sombra's anger from across the room. "She's just some kid, I got no connection to her."
The Queen was taken aback by that, from what she was told, Mad Dawg was an Overwatch Agent. Shouldn't Overwatch agents protect the innocent? Then it hit her, he was bluffing. Growing tired of all the banter, she swung her scythe off her back and pointed it at him.
"Alright tyke." She frowned. "Last chance. Come with us." The guards behind her aimed their weapons. "Or die."
"Mmmm… Nah." Mad Dawg replied, then pressing a button, two security cameras turned towards them, then the Junkers looked confused when they saw something attached to them. What they didn't know was that there were can of gasoline attached to the camera. And the devices activated, and fire began spraying, setting fire to the Junkers. The Queen ran out of the way and shouted. "KILL THIS PRICK!"
"Hey McCree? You bring headphones?" Mad Dawg called.
"What?" McCree called back, firing at another guard as more Junkers appeared from other entrances.
"We need some headphones! This is gonna be loud!" Mad Dawg yelled. Grabbing an assault rifle he jumped over the railing and yelled: "LET'S DO THIS!"
Setting off another trap, a small explosion blew another Junker across the room to where Roadhog punched him square in the face, shattering his jaw and knocking him out cold. Mad Dawg ran by and opened fire at a Junker coming in through a hole they made in a wall. Hitting him in the side he yelled and fell back. Sombra came back to view and attacked the Junker Queen directly. Dodging her scythe, Sombra did what she could to not get sliced in half. She managed to hit her in the gut and the Queen retaliated with a strong backhand across the face making her stumble back.
"Aggh! MD!" Junkrat called.
"What?" Mad Dawg yelled.
"Can I use my launcher?!"
Tossing Junkrat the control device he yelled; "Press the buttons, the devices'll do the rest!"
"Aaawwweeeesssooommmeeeee…." Junkrat grinned. Laughing like a mad man, he began rapid pressing buttons. Mounted rifles, flamethrowers, tesla cannons and the lot began firing off in all directions.
"C'mon!" Mad Dawg yelled.
McCree, Sombra, Junkrat and Roadhog finished fighting whoever they were fighting and ran off after Mad Dawg. Running down the mine path, they fired and ducked at returning fire until things got blurry for a second. Followed up by Mad Dawg smashed through a door, stopping for a moment, they saw that they were in the train yard.
"Wait. What?" Sombra said confused looking around at the new location.
"Teleporter."
"Shit." Mad Dawg cursed. "I have to blow this place up!"
"What? Kid this is your home!" McCree exclaimed while Sombra looked around. The place seemed decrepit, run down. It depressed her, it reminded her of where she used to live.
"Hold them off, I'll set the bombs." Mad Dawg replied, not acknowledging McCree.
"Mad Dawg. NO." McCree grabbed him, stopping him. "We NEED the others."
"You didn't hear. I quit." Mad Dawg replied coldly. Before pulling away and grabbing materials.
"Wait. What?" McCree said, turning to the two Junkers.
"Something went wrong. He got really pissed off. Solider 76 pushed him too far." Roadhog stated. "He bullied him into a corner, and Mad Dawg finally fought back."
"I don't know what the 'ell Jack was trying to do, but he's wrong mate." Junkrat grumbled, picking up his launcher. "You can run and hide if you want, but I'm stayin."
McCree thought it over before shaking his head. Jack may be his superior, but Mad dawg was his friend. Well, so was Jack, but right now. Mad Dawg needed help.
"You guys get back, I'mma gon' blow somethin' up." Junkrat ordered. Roadhog nodded and dragged McCree and Sombra outside
"Where are they?!" He heard the Queen yell.
"Alright, let's do this." Junkrat said to himself, pulling a RIP-Tire off his back. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" The tire rolled down the tunnel and detonated, causing a cave in. He heard the Junkers yell annoyed and in pain as some were trapped under rocks., then began pulling the stones away. Suddenly, another small explosion went off and the Queen burst through the door.
"ENOUGH!" She screamed. "Where the hell are you?!" Seeing Junkrat, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You." She snarled.
"Hey." Junkrat said casually.
"You have some real nerve Jamison." She scowled. "Why the hell are you wastin' time with a freak like that?"
"Because, he's got some awesome toys!" Junkrat exclaimed. Pressing another button, a row of tiles on the floor sparked to life with a violent surge of electricity. Running out laughing, the Queen yelled in anger as more Junkers managed to make their way through the tunnel.
"Kill them all!" She demanded.
Running outside, Mad Dawg hit a switch and the Inferno metallically creaked to life and it spewed burning-hot fire down at them, making them scream in pain as the fire burned their flesh down to the bone. Some smashed through a window and saw McCree running across a pathway, they fired at the cowboy who rolled away from the fire, a stray bullet grazing his hat. Which he took off, saw the singe, and growled, firing back and hitting a Junker square between the eyes. Meanwhile, several Junkers had surrounded Roadhog, guns aimed, but then noticed he wasn't frightened. That in turn, made THEM frightened. Roadhog's chain and hook swung by, slamming all of them into the nearby wall, then fired his scrap gun at them. Sombra hacked into 'The Hinder Grinder' which caused the carousel to begin spinning, with their chainsaw sticking out.
What is with this kid and chainsaws? Sombra thought. Then without a second thought, fired her machine piston behind her, hitting a man in the leg. Idiot. Grabbing his phone, she saw Mad Dawg waving to her. Jumping over the railing she ran by McCree shouting "Time to go John Wayne!"
McCree threw a flashbang at two Junkers and slugged them both as he ran through them, making his way towards the exit. Firing his gun in the air, he hoped the others would get the message.
Junkrat and the Queen were still going at it, The Queen was pissed at the whole scenario. First some kid breaks into her home, kills a man they were being payed to protect, most of her men were arrested, and now was having to deal with the one person she probably HATED more than anyone. And SOMEHOW, even with one decent leg, was able to dodge her attacks and was attacking her. He used one of his steel traps and slapped her with hit before upper cutting her with his metal arm and dropping several bombs. Jumping on one he laughed as he was blasted through the roof, laughing all the way. Landing a good distance away, he ran the best he could to where McCree, Sombra and Roadhog were. Mad Dawg suddenly appeared from behind them.
"Sorry Ray." He mumbled.
Pressing a button, a series of bombs simultaneously exploded, the entire train yard went up in flames. Taking any Junker still in the base down with it. Mad Dawg watched silently as the home he had known for so long went up in flames. The machines he built, the rains he painted and did his best to repair, gone. The memories, the drawings he made for his friends long ago, the couch on which he and Marcus always fought over who got the good pillow, the meals he made, the first true sense of belonging. Gone.
And Virus is gonna burn in hell for it. He internally seethed.
"Kid?" McCree said, reaching out, causing Mad Dawg to bat his hand away. He turned to Sombra and nodded.
"All right." He said. "I'm sorry."
Suddenly taking a knife he drove it into his chest, causing the others to scream in terror as Mad Dawg cut across his chest.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Roadhog shouted.
"Kee..pin…g a prom…ise…" He groaned.
Sombra gasped, covering her mouth in shock, McCree wanted to throw up and Junkrat's jaw just hung open.
He pried his chest open and screamed in pain as he stuck his hand into his chest. He grabbed something and ripped it out, he handed Sombra a small device with a flashing life and wires attached.
"There." He said. "It's gone."
"Dawg?" Junkrat asked. "What was…"
"Blackmail." Mad Dawg groaned as his chest closed. "I was in the wrong."
Suddenly, the phone Sombra stole began to ring. He took it out and tossed it to McCree.
"You answer it!"
"What?! Why me?!" McCree asked surprised, tossing it to Mad Dawg. "You answer it!"
"Hell no! They're looking for me!" Mad Dawg retorted. "Junkrat, you answer it, Sombra you trace it!"
"Right!" Junkrat said, taking the phone and hitting 'Answer'. Then realizing this might be a bad idea for him. "Wait."
"Is it done?" A voice came from the other end.
"Yeah. Yeah it's done." Junkrat replied, trying to deepen his voice, panic in his eyes as he looked around while Sombra hacked the phone and began tracing the signal.
"Good. Where's the queen?" The voice asked.
"She's an' the others are looting the place." Junkrat lied, pretty sure the Queen was dead. To be honest, he hoped she was.
"Good." Was all the voice said. "Bring him and the others to the drop-off."
Beep.
"Did you get it?" Mad Dawg asked.
"Yeah." Sombra nodded.
"Alright." Mad Dawg nodded, taking the digital map she was holding. "This is where we go our separate ways."
"What?!" Was collectively shouted.
"Kid, we just survived an onslaught of Junkers. You think Overwatch won't be far behind?" McCree stated logically. "If you run, it'll end badly."
"Yeah, it will." Mad Dawg nodded. "A group of adults chasing after a teenager, how do you think people will take that?"
"Dude…" Junkrat said disgusted. "That's wrong."
"Do you think I care at this point?" Mad Dawg grumbled. "My time as a hero is done. What you guys say or do next doesn't matter to me." Mad Dawg turned and walked away, reaching the top of the hill he turned around one last time, nodded, then disappeared.
"See ya later." Sombra said before cloaking and leaving in the opposite direction before turning around and going to meet with Mad Dawg.
"So now what?" Junkrat asked aloud.
"We go home. And tell Morrison to shove that Plasma rife up his ass." Roadhog growled. Clearly angered by something.
"Or we could just bail." Junkrat stated. "I'm pretty sure we killed the queen, so I think we could go wherever, do whatever."
McCree just stared off in the direction Mad Dawg had left in. He, now more than ever, was unsure of what to do now. He walked back to a guardrail and leaned against it, looking out over the wreckage that was at one point Mad Dawg's home. They had destroyed it, taken everything from him. He felt terrible, he looked at the phone he and Mad Dawg used to communicate in Dragon City, and saw he had an unanswered voice mail. Knowing he was about to be hit with a major guilt punch, he hit play.
"Hey… Jesse?" Mad Dawg's tired voice came from the other end. "Hakim… he's dead. Heh. Uh...Listen, it wasn't my fault." After a pause, he continued. "Okay, so it totally was, but that's beside the point. I'm calling you… Because I'm leaving. If this goes the way I think it might… I need to leave, disappear, vanish. Start a new chapter. So, if it does go that way, two things. One, the Train Yard? I want you, Lució, Torb, Reinder and the two Junkers to have it. Turn it into a Bro Base or a Man Cave or whatever. I lived there with my friends, and I want my friends to have it when I'm gone. And as for the mineshaft? I dunno, let the other agents have it. And as for the second thing? Well, I don't know how to put this, but uh, could you let Lució hear this as well? Okay… Phew, here goes. Thanks. You two, are the, well, the closest things to brother's I've had, possibly ever. I've mentioned my friends before, and I kinda screwed up with them as well, I never got to apologize to them, never got a chance to make things right." Mad Dawg let out a loud exhale before continuing. "But you two? You're like family, and, um… Since I may never return after this… I hope someday we can meet up again and get some drinks. Anyhow… This, I, I gotta go. I need to find out what 'Beta-576 is. So, see ya."
Beep.
"Crap." McCree sighed, rubbing his face and feeling rather depressed, like he had just failed someone important.
Meanwhile, Mad Dawg had found a truck used by the Junkers and was driving away from the smoldering wreckage. He looked next to him and said: "I know your there."
Sombra appeared behind him in the backseat with a bag of cookies, munching on one.
"Hey." She said causally.
"Oh, you're back there." He commented.
"Yup. So now what?" Sombra asked.
"I need some scrap." Mad Dawg stated, watching signs go by. "I need to make a stop, then, Virus dies."
"Alright." Sombra nodded. Eating another cookie, she heard a voice in her head.
"Change in plans. Do not kill him."
"Let's rock." Mad Dawg smirked. Flipping on the radio, he slammed on the gas petal and tore off down the road. The eve of his confrontation with Virus drawing ever closer. And one way or another, Mad Dawg was going to be changed forever.
A.N. And closer we come! With every step Mad Dawg takes, someone seems to get hurt. So, what happens next? For Mad Dawg? For McCree? For Sombra? For Jack? For Junkrat and Roadhog? Well… Answers will come, but good things come to those who wait.