Energy seared through his veins like flame to a gasoline trail, attention snapping immediately to the pathway up the hill.
Damn... Couldn't see anything yet.
He'd built it to be a bonafide death trap. Half his supplies were buried there, lying in wait for exactly this, but it was not a foolproof plan.
He needed to be closer, work out who it was and make them as utterly fuckin' dead as they possibly could be, because there was no way he was letting anyone last long enough to be a threat. He'd blow them to smithereens before they took three steps. He'd burn them alive if it came to it. He'd laugh in absolute glee as explosions shook the ground because if there was one thing Junkrat excelled at it was chaos, unbridled and unrelenting, and oh was he spoiling for a fight.
He'd show them exactly what happened to folk that thought he was easy pickings, he'd show them what happened if they dared to invade his territory. If he gave in to that fury then finally panic couldn't touch him. Kill or be killed. The simplest equation in the outback. When it all boiled down to something so simple it was effortless.
"Rat- Junkrat, wait!" Lucio called, managing to shake him from his train of thought.
He paused, glancing back at the DJ.
"Hana, Mercy and the others are all on their way, just hang back for a minute, yeah?"
Junkrat forced himself to keep still, to find some slither of coherence through the fire raging inside. Lucio was right, he supposed. Hog wasn't here but they were. Made sense to stay out of sight for now, his traps would buy them time, what mattered was holding the high ground.
He wanted to destroy something. To end this fight quickly and prove that challenging him was the absolute worst decision any enemy could make. If he could do that then things would be okay again... he'd be safe... but just because he had a target, somewhere to finally direct all of that adrenaline, didn't mean it was the best decision.
He hated waiting. He'd never been level headed. But traps were made so that you could wait, so that you could stay out of harm's way, he knew that. He'd never been a fool, no matter what people thought.
"Yeah, gotcha," he bit out, teeth clenched as if to hold in the pressure bubbling within him - his most terrifying version of a smile. "Tell 'em to hurry though."
As Lucio relayed his message the air above them shimmered and a domed shield began to spread out across the hilltop from a series of relay points. Symmetra's work, enough to protect them from any aerial attacks.
"Come on, we'll meet them at the door," Lucio urged, making sure Junkrat was listening before he glided off.
Junkrat clunked behind, eyes still fixed on the pathway. He measured the angle silently, shooting off a lone frag where it bounced out of view. Just to see it would hit, he thought, a quick test. He listened and caught the chime and dull whump as it exploded seconds later, but no screams. Perhaps there weren't many. Perhaps his traps had put a stop to any approach they intended to take.
Him and Lucio were just closing in on the shack when the door burst open and Hana emerged. She didn't wave, just went straight for her mech.
Mercy, Symmetra and Hector were just behind.
"I don't understand," Mercy was saying, a look of deep concern on her face. "Given their knack for tracking our movements we anticipated they might make an appearance but we expected a small force at best... nothing like this... and with no key operatives either? Are you sure you could not identify any?"
"Neither me nor miss Song were able to see more than standard agents," Symmetra confirmed, "I do not know whose orders they are following."
"Ya got a good squizz at 'em then?" Junkrat asked, attention switching over to her. "On a scale of one to ten, how royally fucked are we?"
Symmetra frowned. "I estimated perhaps fifty Talon agents before our cameras were destroyed. There may be more, but numbers are certainly not in our favor."
"Well however many of them there are, they're not taking my hard work," Hector spat. He had his silver gun in his hand, gleaming dangerously in the glow of Lucio's aura. Whether he used it frequently or not, he'd certainly kept it polished.
"We have a good defensive position," Symmetra said. "So long as we do not allow them take it from us then the battle is not lost."
"Of course not," Mercy reassured them. "I'll send a request through to Jack for backup, we can hold them here for now. Hana, are you able to give Satya cover while she sets up a barrier for us to work behind?"
"Easy!" Hana said, piloting the mech forward.
Symmetra looked uncomfortable in the wake of the clomping machine, but she followed, hand already extended and ready to weave her creation into being. "I will let you know once it is prepared."
Junkrat heard another explosion.
"Bugger me," he muttered, eyes going wide. That was his seventh trap, he recognized the sound. They'd already bypassed a good third of his work, and he wished he knew how because he'd been pretty damn sneaky by all accounts.
"That one of yours?" Lucio asked.
Junkrat nodded. "Might'a killed a few of 'em but doubt they'd all be packed too tight. They're on their way up, no doubts," he said, grip tightening on his frag launcher. "Gotta give 'em some pressure, show 'em they ain't takin' ground for free. In the perfect spot right now, what's a bottleneck's for, right?"
He had to stop them in their tracks. Show them that there was something to fear, to rain destruction upon them, to burn everything because it was all he knew how to do.
"Wait," Lucio insisted again, catching his arm before he could take more than a step.
Junkrat flinched, it took a great deal of concentration not to level his weapon at the smaller man. If it had been Hector he probably just would have shot him. But it didn't matter what his instinctive reaction to someone grabbing him unexpectedly was, Lucio was trying to help, somehow he still understood that.
Lucio offered a small, encouraging smile. "Just... wait till the barrier's ready, yeah?"
Junkrat's eyes darted from their group to Hana and back again. "Well it bleedin' better be quick."
Jittering on the spot he allowed Lucio to hold him back, seconds ticking by all too slowly. At last he caught the blue ripple of Symmetra's shield forming up ahead, and a moment later her voice sounded over the coms.
"Barrier in place, it will provide cover for now but we are already under fire. There is... something else I do not recognize approaching."
"Thank you Satya, we'll join you immediately," Mercy said smoothly, gesturing to the rest of them to move. Junkrat didn't need further prompting.
No sooner had Mercy spoken than he was lurching across the grass as fast as his leg would allow, pulse thudding in his ears. He skidded to a stop besides Symmetra's crouched form, swearing under his breath. "Hooley dooley, the fuck is that?"
"I told you, I do not recognize it," Symmetra snapped back, clearly unsettled.
Advancing up the pathway was the ugliest machine Junkrat had seen. It's body was thick, made of heavy oblong segments with short stubby legs to carry it, almost like an insect. Two poles held a barrier curving over its front where its sensors were built and along its back, and an assortment of spindly arms whisked across the ground with rapid, spider-like movements.
A line of black clad figures followed patiently behind it. Talon agents, Junkrat had seen enough of them to recognize the get up. They were already firing, their bullets pummeling Symmetra's freshly cast shield, but he found his attention focused almost entirely on the machine.
"It has no offensive capabilities that I have seen so far," she said.
Junkrat just laughed bitterly. "It's huntin' for me traps is what. Knew those twats weren't smart enough to find 'em so easily."
But how the fuck had they known? How had they known that they would need a thing like that? It wasn't like he went on every mission, wasn't like he'd bumped into the thing before... why was now different?
"Is it some kinda... Omnic piece of trash?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"It is no Omnic I recognize."
"They're not all the same," Hana said quietly. "The one MEKA formed to fight was unique. It kept changing every time."
Lucio looked doubtful. "Might just be a drone of some kind."
"Well it's goin' back to the scrap heap, whatever it is," Junkrat declared. "Just gotta deal with that bloody shield."
Symmetra's gaze was intent, centered on the machine. She nodded. "I can penetrate shields but I am uncertain if I can take it down quickly enough, its armor appears heavy."
"Shields are no problem for me either," Hector said as he caught up, Mercy at his heels. "We can focus it together."
Junkrat was thinking though. How did it work? Was it some kind of... freakish, sentient metal detector? It hadn't spotted all his traps, what were the ones it'd missed, what was different about them?
He scrabbled through his bag, searching for the right detonator. When he found it he passed it immediately to Lucio.
His expression was stunned. "What-"
"Ya press that button when I tell ya, right? Reckon it'll miss that one, just gotta wait till it's over the top of it."
"But don't you want to-"
"Nah mate. Gotta teach these drongos a lesson. Think they're safe behind a shield, bet they ain't even heard of bankin' a shot." He knew he was grinning then, all sharp teeth and wicked energy. "Lets see how safe they feel in a minute, eh?"
Junkrat angled his frag launcher and let loose. Each explosive ricocheted off steep walls of the pathway, falling past the shield into the ranks of Talon below. Death rained from above. Immediately, panic hit.
It was riveting, really, the way such a calm advance fell into disarray. Several died quickly, but others were not so fortunate – torn asunder and left stranded in the line of fire. Junkrat found he was laughing, as much from exhilaration as mania.
He'd long ago lost count of the people he'd killed for threatening his own life, the novelty had worn thin, but somehow it still seemed like an absurd kind of karma to Junkrat. They wanted a piece of him? He gave it to them, the piece he held closest to his heart. Quickly they realized their mistake, but by then it was already too late, Junkrat was too busy reveling in the glorious destructive force he kept as his constant companion. It was their fault, their choice, he'd kill anyone he had to in order to stay alive, that's just what Junkers did. Surrender was never an option. No need to waste remorse, to shed tears for what had to be done, fury and giddy desperation were all he really had to feel. Talon would earn no quarter from him.
By the time they managed to cobble together a proper response he'd already downed a dozen. The riot shields they pulled out went some way to deflecting his frags but they were clearly not built for it and the sheer unpredictable nature of his projectiles made the process a nightmare. They pushed forward but it wasn't with the steady confidence of before but a grim determination, ignoring those who fell.
Unable to hit Junkrat they settled for unloading into the shield he stood behind creating a continual patter of bullets. Junkrat pulled a face at them. He used his other hand to lob a grenade, watching the way they staggered back.
His real focus was on the machine though.
"Now Lucio," Junkrat yelled, eyes bright with anticipation.
"Oh, right." Fumbling for a second, Lucio pressed the detonator.
The blast rocked the hill as he laughed, magnificent in gold and red and oh so perfectly loud. Smoke clogged the air, acrid but familiar, like the scent of gasoline or the sting of chemicals he was ever fond of mixing. Despite the pounding of his heart he almost felt at home.
Then the wind stirred, whisking the smoke aside.
"Shit," he cursed, baring his teeth in frustration.
While the explosion had easily cut through the closest Talon agents, the machine was still moving, still crawling forward as it casual dismantled his carefully laid traps. He could see cracks spiderwebbing its body but it didn't slow and nor did it lower its shield.
"Why ain't it dead? Thought you was weakenin' it?" he demanded, glancing at Symmetra and Hector, both of whom glared back.
"I believe I told you its armor is heavy," Symmetra replied, though her voice was somewhat unsteady, her hands shaking.
"Well finish it off."
"Calm yourself kid, we're working on it," Hector muttered, still shooting.
It wasn't quick enough though. Junkrat could tell. That bloody bot was letting them carve their way up that bottleneck. Sure, he'd hit a sizable chunk of them but it was nothing compared to what him and the rest of the team could do without a shield in the way, without his traps being so easily uncovered. They needed it gone. They needed those advantages to make up for how hopelessly outnumbered they were. Maybe he could use his RIP-tire... but judging by how the machine had survived his last explosion he didn't want to risk wasting it just yet.
He tore through his bag, grabbing anything he thought might arc over the shield properly, something with a big enough radius to still hit the back end of the machine.
Finding a collection of suitable bombs he leaned back, tossing them one by one. Why wouldn't it die? Why wouldn't it just die?
"My barrier is weakening," Symmetra warned.
"I'm blocking what I can," Hana told her, defense matrix spreading forward intermittently to absorb returning fire. "We got this, just hold on."
Under the endless assault the machine was faltering now, slowing as it pushed the last few feet up the hill. Just a little more, Junkrat thought, still shooting his launcher while he fished through his supplies. Once it was gone the job would be easier.
"I-I cannot maintain it," Symmetra said, voice urgent.
A white line streaked across the battlefield, and with a final shot from Hector's gun the machine slumped.
"'bout time mate," Junkrat cried, turning his attention to the Talon agents behind it. Far too late for his liking though, his traps were already ruined and the Talon agents were pushing hard, attempting to climb over the fallen body of the machine and spill out onto the hill. The first few were struck down by Symmetra's turrets, but those behind blasted them down.
At the same time her barrier shattered.
"Fall back to the house," Mercy called. "Hana, cover us."
"What? Ya daft?" Junkrat demanded, rearing his head in outrage. "Can't let 'em up here! We do that, they got the upper hand again. Hold 'em here their numbers don't mean shit."
"That was an order Jamison. We'll reengage once Satya has recovered, we can't fight out in the open."
"Rat, come on," Lucio urged, switching auras.
"Nah, ya back down now we're screwed," he insisted, slapping another magazine into his launcher.
He wasn't stupid. If Talon took control of the battlefield, they'd have an assured victory. They couldn't just give up ground. They needed to fight for it tooth, nail and claw.
"Jamison," Mercy barked, voice stern as she backed up with Hector and Symmetra at her side.
"I said I ain't goin'," he snapped back, focussing instead on the enemy.
Sometimes you didn't have a choice. Sometimes you had to take a fight you didn't want because it was better than the one you'd get if you didn't. He'd tear them all to bits, make them want to run back down that hill and never come back, he'd kill them for so much as thinking they had the upper hand here. If he ran away they'd know what an easy target they were facing. They'd take the hill, they'd hunt them down... That couldn't happen. Kill or be killed. That's all this was. Right here, right now, they needed to put Talon in their place.
"Dude," Lucio said, "I'm not leaving you behind."
"Well then we're stayin'."
"...You're not giving me much choice."
"Both of you need to back the hell up," Hana said, defense matrix flickering in front of her. "I can't keep this up for long."
"No can do," Junkrat responded brightly as he tore a grenade from his harness, lobbing it at the closest Talon agents. "Got some folk here just askin' for a barbeque. Ya with us or what?"
He heard her groan over the screams as his grenade exploded in a sudden burst of searing heat. "Just get to cover as soon as you can?"
Junkrat wasn't listening though. All that mattered was Talon, and how they needed to die. With Lucio's aura flooding him with energy he didn't even know he had, he finally had the chance to unleash all he contained – anger, desperation, glee, and enough firepower to level a palace. That was what survival was all about. That's what two decades in the cut-throat land of the outback had taught him. This was where he excelled.
Bullets whisked past too close to even think about, Junkrat simply shot back. Hard for them to aim while under barrage. He could even see the glowing green of Lucio's projectiles mixed amongst his own, hardly designed with the same lethal intentions but they served well enough to push Talon back.
Each moment seemed to bleed into the next, he had no idea how long passed between each shuddering breath. He had no idea how many died. It was an endless loop of slaughter. All he knew was that it wasn't over, and until it was, he couldn't back down.
He pulled another grenade from his harness, tossing it to where Talon was still trying to spread out onto the hilltop. Then one of them threw it back.
For a moment Junkrat was shocked. The possibility had never really occurred to him, not in any tangible sense. Yet here he was, standing beside one of his own grenades as the timer ticked down, only just remembering to stagger back.
The blast roared through his ears, knocking him flat onto his back. And his RIP-tire was not pleasant to land on. As he tried to blink the bright spots from his vision something slammed into his side, and he turned his head to see Lucio, curled across him as if his small body could somehow protect him.
Shit. That was right. He was lying prone right in front of a line of armed Talon agents who had to be very pissed at him by now, the easiest shot in the world.
And there was no Roadhog. No one to pull him out of this now that he'd gone and fucked it up, no one... Lucio was just going to get himself killed and all of it was pointless, entirely his fault... And he guessed he should have seen it coming but it didn't stop the sudden terror sparking in his heart. All of that fear came rushing back. Why had he come here? Why had he ever thought this was a good idea? There was no Roadhog, and finally his borrowed time was at an end.
He shoved Lucio off, struggling to sit, to snatch up a bomb, anything in his last moments.
Talon fired.
The bullets ricocheted off the massive bulk of Hana's mech as she boosted forward. Her defense matrix was spent with no opportunity to recharge but it didn't stop her.
Junkrat stared. The paint was ruined, the metal dented and streaked with leaking fluids, smoke trailing from the back. How much of a beating she'd been taking over the last few minutes he had no idea but she'd clearly been receiving the brunt of Talon's attacks. Still she stood between them, shielding them from harm. He heard her curse in Korean.
"I thought I told you idiots to get to cover."
He found himself giggle, an instinctive reaction despite his own panic. "Yeah... ain't the best at followin' orders I guess."
Something heavy thunked the side of her mech and it lurched, struggling to regain its balance. Hana cursed again.
"Get back alright?" she said, piloting the mech around. She hit the boosters, flying right at the cluster of Talon agents before ejecting. The mech continued to sail forward as she tumbled back, glowing green with energy as it shuddered, curling in on itself. The implications finally seemed to dawn on the Talon agents. They scrabbled to flee, but too late.
Hana's mech exploded in a gigantic surge of light, vaporizing all in its vicinity. The volume was immense. The shockwave surged out, sending a rush of dead air sweeping across the trembling earth and thundering past Junkrat's ears as the entire world seemed to drown in blinding iridescence. The ground cracked, the sides of the path collapsed. Then it fell still and all that remained was the scorched earth and a deathly shroud of silence.
Junkrat stood up, stunned, captivated by the carnage. "Bloody beautiful," he murmured. He'd have to remember to ask her how that worked once they got back to headquarters. Had to be something to do with how the thing was powered. If he could find a way to replicate-
"Rat, snap out of it," Lucio called from just ahead. He hadn't even realized the DJ had moved.
Junkrat blinked, shaking himself. Somehow thanks to Hana they were both still alive and now was not the time to get distracted. He needed to keep his eyes on the pathway, be ready for anyone trying to return. The end of it had collapsed but they could climb over with some trouble... they couldn't all be dead, it wasn't over with. He had to stay alert.
But he could see Hana on the ground, Lucio crouched at her side, and her face was twisted in a grimace of pain.
Tearing his eyes from the ruins of the pathway he limped over.
"I can heal up scrapes and I can dull the pain, but I think it might be broken," Lucio was saying, hands gently testing her ankle. Must have landed awkwardly when she ejected. "It's- no, don't try standing up I just told you-"
"I can't just sit here," she insisted.
"We've gotta get you to Mercy, okay? Rat, can you help?"
They needed to keep watch, couldn't afford to give Talon the opportunity to regroup... That's what he should be doing, that was the smart thing... but Hana was hurt and Lucio was looking up at him anxiously and somehow that seemed vastly more important.
Junkrat scowled, then after a brief hesitation he thrust his frag launcher at Lucio. "Hang onto that."
Bewildered, Lucio took it, and with his hands free Junkrat stooped to pick Hana up.
"Hey, thought it was my job to carry people," she said as he slipped an arm under her knees and another around her back, staggering to his feet. He could tell she was teasing despite the pain.
"Nah, just means it's someone else's turn," he said lightly. Her weight was hardly a problem, he was used to lugging heavier things than Hana around, but his awkward gait probably made it a strange experience for her. "That was a bloody good explosion back there... reckon I probably owe ya one, only fair. Can ya call down another one of them mechs?"
"Yeah, but it'll take hours for MEKA to fly one close enough to drop. I'm not gonna be able to bail you two out next time."
"Sorry," Lucio said quietly.
She reached out to poke him in the arm. "Hey, don't worry about it, it bought us a few minutes at least and I'd rather lose a mech than you guys okay?"
He smile softly. "Yeah..."
"I mean it. Would help if you both listened to orders though."
"I was listenin'," Junkrat said.
"Yep, and ignoring everything, stunts like that are why people tilt." With this, Hana sighed and closed her eyes. "Just... try not to get yourself killed. I know you probably think you're right but teams have a shot caller for a reason."
"I'll keep it in mind," he muttered.
They were closing in on the shack when Mercy and the others appeared, the wings of her valkyrie suit lighting up as she glided the rest of the distance. Her blue eyes were wide with concern. "Are you alright? We heard the blast..."
"I'm fine," Hana said, "just hurt my leg."
Lucio was having none of it. He shook his head vehemently, voice rising an octave. "Hey, you're not alright, don't play the hero. Could you take a look at her Angela? I... I think her ankle might be broken but I'm not sure, I'm not a real doctor or anything..."
"Of course," Mercy said kindly, "I'll do what I can. You can put her down now Jamison."
Obligingly Junkrat bent to set Hana on the ground, careful not to knock her leg. Mercy knelt beside her, fingers ghosting over the injury with practiced efficiency.
Hana clenched her teeth but made no sound.
"What about Talon?" Hector asked. "You get the lot of them?"
"Nah, don't reckon so anyways," Junkrat said after a moment, scratching at the back of his neck. "Made 'em think twice though. It'll take the lot what survived a bit to get back over... might wanna keep an eye out, dunno what they're up to."
"Noted. Miss Vaswani, ready for another of those barriers?"
Symmetra still seemed shaken, but steadier than she had previously been. Her expression was perfectly composed. "A little while longer. It is... not as effortless as it appears."
Junkrat let his attention wander across the hill, back to the wreckage Hana's mech had left. Maybe this was an opportunity to set a few traps up... no, stupid idea, he'd be caught out in the open. He needed to do something though, couldn't just stand around wasting time. His peg leg began to tap.
"Um... Rat?"
He looked across to where Lucio still held his frag launcher. "Right, ta."
He accepted it back, a sudden thought occurring to him. Junkrat rummaged through his bag. He swore.
"Verdammt," Mercy said suddenly, echoing his own sentiment. She looked apologetic. "Lucio's quite right, this will need to be set and given proper time to heal, it's not something I can fix here. I can numb the pain but you'll need to stay off of it for the moment."
"Great," Hana said without enthusiasm.
"I'm not a miracle worker I'm afraid, next time you'll just have to be a little more careful."
She huffed, the classic picture of a petulant teenager. "Got it."
"Everything will be okay," Mercy reassured her. She lay a hand on her shoulder and offered her usual smile, perfectly bright and perfectly mechanical in equal parts. "Take it easy and once we get back to headquarters I'll have you on your feet again in a week, you have my promise. Now... can I leave you in Lucio's care for a moment? I'd quite like a private word with Jamison."
Hana laughed, a weak grin falling into place. She looked over at Junkrat where he still hovered. "Oh, have at him," she encouraged.
Junkrat watched warily as Mercy stood up. He couldn't read her, not now, not while he still had so much washing around in his head... but he could make a guess.
"If you would?" she asked politely, gesturing a short distance away from the group.
He grit his teeth. "Sure."
Following her, he waited until she turned to face him, drawing a deep breath.
"Alright," he began before she had a chance to speak, "I know ya probably pissed an' I get why, but I ain't apologizing. You was gonna let 'em up that hill, lose us the best advantage we had, just cos you didn't want a proper fight... an' I don't like gettin' shot at if I can avoid it either but ya can't just let folk take, you get me?"
"Could you keep your voice down please?"
"We had to stop 'em there... had to kill 'em, or we'd be surrounded, we'd be fucked. Had to stop 'em and we did. Maybe just for a while but better than what you wanted. So... I ain't sorry. I'm sorry Hana busted her leg but I'm not sorry for doin' what I did, yeah?"
"That's not what this is about."
Junkrat paused. "Eh?"
Her voice was hushed, posture curled forward slightly as if it could contain the conversation between them. "Your decision was questionable, but we have other problems. Do you... remember what I asked you, in the bunker? About destroying it..."
Junkrat thought for a second, recalling the same perfect smile she had worn back then, and the uneasy feeling that had run up his spine. "Yeah..."
"I need you to do that now."
"What? That ain't a priority. I'm runnin' low on supplies okay, we're gonna need what I got left to deal with them Talon pricks when they come back-"
"Listen," she cut in coolly, "Jamison, even with all that you and the other have done we are still outnumbered. Hana has lost her mech, and neither me nor Satya or Lucio are frontline soldiers. There is no rescue. Jack has dispatched a team but it will be hours before they arrive. Whatever happens, Talon must not get the information stored here. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
He bit his lip, eyes darting as if finding some way to deny it all, but there was nothing. The stark reality of the situation was plain as day. "Bleedin' hell..."
"Indeed."
He shook himself. "But nah, all the more reason not to waste these, right?" he said, gesturing to his bag. "We gotta kill 'em good an' proper, then they ain't stealin' nothin', best shot we have. Can't just give up-"
"This is not giving up," Mercy promised. "It might be our best chance. If we destroy what Talon are here for then they have no need to attack, they've already sustained heavy losses. Hector won't like it but I can make excuses for your absence and keep him occupied if you act quickly... go now."
He stared for a moment, still hardly believing it. He supposed he could see her reasoning but still... "You sure-"
"Yes. This needs to happen and I trust you to get it done. Call me on the private channel if anything happens, just hurry." She sent him a final pleading look before she turned away, walking back toward the group.
Junkrat studied her retreating figure. She had a good point, made it sound all reasonable... but it ran in direct opposition of his instincts. The enemy was up here... he needed to be ready to destroy them, not whatever Hector was hoarding... He itched to shoot, to attack simply because that was what he did when backed into a corner - responded with all the ferocity he had. Not to let them get away with it...
But Mercy thought this was their best chance, for all of them, and it was something only he could do... he had to believe, somehow, that she was right... that he wasn't making the dumbest mistake of his life. The longer he waited the worse the odds became.
He risked a cursory glance over to where Lucio, Hana, and Symmetra were still gathered.
With a string of curses he turned back to the shack. Didn't really have a choice did he?
It was warm inside, the lights still on, just as it had been left. Junkrat moved through it with purpose, finding the open hatch to the bunker below.
He took a deep breath, silencing the anxiety that threatened to surface now that it came to entering the tomb-like chamber, clunking his way down the steps and refusing to look back.
He thought for a moment that he caught a shimmer between the gleaming lights of the data bank as he descended. Then he shook his head and it was gone. Needed to focus.
Junkrat set his mind to the task, re-running a few calculations as he decided how to rig the place. Charges would have to be spread out, a chain reaction. He had enough for the job but it wouldn't leave him with much. He was already down to his last clip for his frag launcher, and while he could spare the RIP-tire, he'd be left with a few concussion mines and a grenade or two at best, a pitiful arsenal. Better be worth it.
He moved to the back of the bunker, crouching as he set his bag down and pulled each carefully chosen explosive from it in turn. They were placed with tenderness, wires strung between them like a poor man's decorations. This, at least, was his element.
Junkrat was onto his third pile when a sound caught his attention. He wasn't quite sure what it was. A whisper of air, a faint clink, something that shot straight to his instincts and caused him to spin in a flurry to face whatever it was. He froze, taking in the silver and purple SMG leveled at his head.
The woman holding it was smiling, a sly, almost taunting smile.
"Hola, Rat," she said, drawling the words out. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Shit. Junkrat licked his lips, eying the weapon. He didn't recognize the woman, she didn't look like any of the black clad Talon agents above though, that was for sure. "The hell are you?"
She quirked one eyebrow up. Maybe she was pleased. Maybe she was displeased. It was damn hard to tell when she looked so entirely self-satisfied as her finger teased the trigger of her gun, taking in Junkrat's nervous gaze. "You don't remember me? Awww, qué triste. I know who you are. I never forget a face."
((You didn't think I'd include an information bank without introducing Sombra did you?
In any case, I feel... dubious about this chapter, but let's just keep moving forward. I'm already halfway through the next one so hopefully it won't take too long.
And a quick shoutout to Varmint for doing some proofreading.))
