Stage 52: Incarceration and Innocence!
"This sucks!" Junkrat complained, lying on the floor of a cell block made of glass and white metal. "Why did they arrest us?"
"I do not know," Widowmaker responded from an adjoining block that was across from Junkrat's. "Now please be quiet."
"You can't tell me what to do," Junkrat said as he got up and glared at Widowmaker. "You're stuck in here just as much as I am."
"I'm aware of that," Widowmaker replied calmly. "But you've been complaining non-stop since we got here, and it's getting irritating."
"Well, I can't help but be loud. That's just how Junkers are, sweetheart, so you can either put up with me or shove it!"
Widowmaker scuffed and started doing stretches while Junkrat started examining the walls. The facility they were incarcerated in was the Overwatch High Detention Center, which was typically where students who behaved extremely badly were taken to. They were in a large white room filled with identical cell blocks placed in orderly rows of two that were raised a couple feet above the ground. Between the cells were turret guns that Torbjörn had set up earlier, and all around the room were hidden security cameras. On a small balcony above the cells, Ana was standing rigidly with her Biotic Rifle in hand.
"Still complaining, Winston," Ana whispered to a hidden earpiece. "Nothing interesting has been said yet."
"Keep watching them," Winston said on the other end. "It's only been two days. Someone's bound to crack sooner or later."
"But when will that be?" another voice interceded. "This jacket is killing me and my drone isn't too happy either."
"Then go ahead and take the rest of the day off, Mei," Ana said. "We'll call you if you're needed."
"Thanks, Ana," Mei responded on the other end.
When Mei's line disconnected, Winston made an audible huff.
###
A week had passed, and neither Junkrat nor Widowmaker had spoken to each other.
"This is getting ridiculous!" Torbjörn said standing inside the foyer of the Detention Center with Winston, Mei, Ana, and Reinhardt. "We can't hold them in there forever!"
"Agreed," Reinhardt nodded equipped in his full-body armor.
"But what if Winston is right?" Mei said glaring at both Torbjörn and Reinhardt. "If we let them go, we could be letting dangerous criminals loose!"
"And Junkrat is already a criminal," Ana added. "Or have you forgotten why we brought him here?"
"No, I haven't forgotten," Torbjörn responded. "I'm just saying that this plan Winston has come up may not be working."
"I say we interrogate them again and beat the answers out of them if they refuse to talk!" Reinhardt said.
"That won't be necessary, Reinhardt," Ana said. "Because I know how to win them over."
One of Torbjörn's thick eyebrows raised. "How?"
"You'll see," replied Ana.
###
"Oi! Widow!" Junkrat said the following day.
Windowmaker looked in his direction but didn't seem to pay any attention to him.
Irritated, Junkrat started tapping on the glass.
"If you're trying to get my attention, don't bother," Widowmaker replied and turned her back on Junkrat.
"I just wanted to ask you a question."
"Well, whatever it is I won't answer."
Junkrat paused, and then he scratched the bottom of his chin. "That information you gave me…where'd you get it?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb. That's why we're in here, isn't it? They suspect one of us is the so-called Hacker I've been hearing so much about!"
Widowmaker's shoulders tensed up, but she continued to ignore Junkrat. Meanwhile, in a room that was perpendicular to the balcony, Winston was monitoring the security cameras that were focused on Junkrat and Widowmaker as Ana stood behind him.
"Your plan seems to be working, at least with Junkrat," Winston remarked.
"It's affecting Widowmaker as well, but in a different way," Ana corrected.
"How?" Winston asked.
"By talking to each one individually, I was able to convince them that if they're willing to prove their innocence they'll have the privilege to leave."
"And so far, Junkrat is attempting to put the blame on Widowmaker," Mei said leaning against the metal sliding door that was across from the security cameras.
"While Widowmaker is choosing not to respond at all," added Winston.
"Which makes her the most suspicious so far," Ana said with her arms folded. "But we'll see what happens, now that I've set things in motion."
As she spoke, an audible thud was heard outside.
"What was that?" Mei wondered.
"We have an intruder!" Winston exclaimed, causing Mei and Ana to look at the security footage.
In the hallway outside the security room stood a lone figure who wore all black carrying two large handguns with a hood obscuring their face.
"It's him!" Ana said and picked up her Biotic Rifle. "The man from the Savior Hospital incident!"
"Let me come with you," Mei said holding up her Endothermic Blaster.
"No, you stay here with Winston!" Ana urged and loaded her rifle with darts. "I will deal with him myself."
But as she expected the sliding door to open, it wouldn't budge.
"Strange," Ana noted. "I don't recall locking this door."
Behind her, the monitor showing all the security footage suddenly turned off and was replaced by a pixelated purple skull with triangles around the eyes.
"This has got to be the Hacker's doing!" Winston said and started furiously typing keys on the keyboard. "They've hacked into our network and have turned off the security cameras as well as locked the door."
"So how do we get out of here?" Mei said nervously.
"With force," Ana said and pressed a button on her earpiece. "Torbjörn! Where are you?"
"I'm in the cell-block area checking on my turrets," Torbjörn said.
"Well, build more! There's an intruder heading your way and he's armed with two small shotguns! Don't let him near the students at any cost!"
"Leave this to an expert," Torbjörn said assuringly. "He won't get past my babies!"
"Let's hope so," Ana then pressed the button on her earpiece a second time. "Reinhardt! Get in here!"
"What's the trouble?" Reinhardt asked.
As Mei shot icicles from her blaster at the door, Ana said, "An intruder's heading toward the cell-block area and we've been locked inside the security room by the Hacker! We need your hammer to get us out of here!"
"Not to worry, my fair lady! I'll be there to rescue you in no time!"
"Good! I'll look forward to seeing you."
To be continued…
