Jesse's eyes peeked out from behind his eyelids, catching the slant of glowing sunlight from between the wooden boards that barred his bedroom window, turning his head to escape the burning rays. He grumbled to himself at the feeling of being awoken, which hadn't been a satisfying feeling for him in many, many years now. He never truly felt rested, no matter how many hours were spent asleep, always waking up with heavy eyes, exhausted muscles, never managing a deep enough sleep to gain any sort of use from such a state. Still, with the sun out, and with Joshua sure to make good on his ultimatum from yesterday to return, Jesse grunted with each aching muscle as he pushed himself up, leaning low over his knees as he sat on the edge of the bed.
His eyes stared down at the brown floor beneath him, his scraggly hair falling in an incomplete circle around his face as his toes curled inward, Jesse almost trying to figure out how much of him was still working after all this time, as though he couldn't be sure anymore. He pulled his hand toward his face, cracking his knuckles, appraising their use as well before dropping it back down, shaking his head with pained anguish at the prospect of yet another day. another beating at the hands of Joshua.
Jesse's eyes suddenly farted toward the door as he pulled himself up, staring curiously out as far as he could through the threshold, the door having been torn from its hinges long ago, his face turning confused. He recalled that Lena Oxton was somewhere around, and he knew well enough, he had slept far longer than Lena ever allowed anybody, her night of raucous rampaging through bunks to alert every sleeping soul of her ability to form her chronal beams into ethereal blue puppies chasing after her was still the stuff of legend around Overwatch offices.
He cautiously took to his feet, making his way through the small home, only to find that Lena was nowhere to be found, nary a trace of her ever having been there to begin with. On the one hand, he was relieved to have her gone, if only because it meant she was no longer in the way, though on the other, he was suspicious that she had actually left at all. As he scanned the somewhat-organized living room, she had exerted so much effort to improve his living situation, and given her usual stubbornness, he couldn't be sure that she had left entirely. Perhaps she'd merely run off to her shop for something, or headed into town; as far as Jesse was concerned, none of it could turn out well, though that was simply a side-effect if being acquainted to Lena Oxton.
He sauntered into his kitchen and slowly began to brew some coffee, reaching over for yesterday's mug of the stuff as his coffee maker churned along, bringing the mug to his face and taking a sip of the bitterly cold liquid, not fazed in the least by now. His eyes eventually fell onto an envelope that was sitting across him atop the opposing countertop, a curious curling of his face showing itself as he chugged the last of the mug's contents to ready it for a fresher brew, slowly walking toward the slip of white paper with aching muscles along his legs making the trip more painful than he'd have liked, hoping the contents of the envelope would offer something of relief- perhaps a goodbye note from Lena, or directions on how to shut the power off on that girl for however long Jesse would have preferred.
He slid the folded slip from within the envelope, his brow rising in quiet surprise as he read the single sentence there:
Like a good soldier, I've always got my eyes on you.
-Tracer
P.S. He's been fed.
Jesse's lips twisted in dissatisfaction as his mind wandered to the event with which Lena had referred to. It took him back to his days in Overwatch, rather painful memories to begin with, but it also invoking a particular moment between Jesse and Lena that had once been a fond one for him. For all her rhetoric about how she'd once looked up to him, the feeling was quite mutual, even if Jesse hadn't ever dared to admit that fact. Having lost a younger brother, he though, before joining, he had developed a sort of paternalism when it came to the naïve, reckless Lena who, ultimately, would become full of stories of her own about Jesse teaching her the ropes when it came to so much. Lena had been brought on by Angela in the heat of the King's Row incident, and by the time it was over, it soon enough became forgotten that she'd not had the routine training in place for new recruits, a responsibility Jesse couldn't help but take on, albeit not explicitly.
"Always got your eye on me," Jesse muttered to himself, shaking his head, "It'd be the first time, rookie."
He had just dropped the sheets of paper back onto the counter when an immediately sudden cast of shadow fell upon him, Jesse quickly peering up to notice the window curtain having come unfurled from its fabric tie that kept it drawn above the window. He approached the window to return the curtain to the rod above, his eyes squinting through the morning sunlight before he turned back away, reaching out for the fresh pot of coffee.
"What a day, Leslie," he murmured to himself as he poured into his mug, "What a day."
He walked back into the living room, taking a seat in the corner of the ramshackle couch so he could bring a leg up the length of the furniture, propping his arm up atop its edge as his head fell backward, Jesse feeling his tendrilled hair pulling along his scalp as it fell to the ground, hanging there, clinging on to him. His mind began to wander, which he never enjoyed, as it would inevitably cross over into some other realm that he hated to reimagine. He did his best as he closed his eyes, focusing intently on the darkness found there, his mind swirling into a misty haze of nothingness, just the way he liked it. It had become like home to him, he thought suddenly, a cozy little space where he was free from-
crash
His eyes opened at the sound from the kitchen, like the sound of a glass hitting the floor and shattering there, his head turning up to examine the walkway into the next room curiously, picking himself up and pattering lazily back into the kitchen, sure enough finding a shattered glass on the floor by the window. He sighed at the sight, figuring it had just teetered off from the counter, walking over to pick up the pile of crystal glass before his eyes jumped to the window above the sink, catching the sight of Joshua and a henchman coursing across the dunes in a sports car, sending Jesse's mind afire as he spun back toward the interior of the house, trying to seek out any evidence of Lena's visit, quickly stuffing her letter into the garbage disposal and finding nothing else.
He rushed to double check the secret door into Michael's room, stopping as he noticed his recall cube sitting on the counter, unsure of how to treat it. Lena had fixed up his living room, but if it had been Jesse doing the cleaning, would have have placed the cube anywhere prominent? or just tossed it in a corner somewhere? He groaned, finally deciding to simply throw the cube into a cabinet before taking a step toward the back hallway when a sudden CRASH broke the air, Jesse's front door flying through the living room far enough for him to watch it hit the ground, a dark shadow sauntering into his home as Jesse sighed, silently hoping Lena had fixed up the back room after feeding the man.
"Big brother?" Joshua asked with a cacklingly questioning voice, leaning forward to catch Jesse standing in the kitchen, "I told ya we'd be back, right?"
He nodded, "Yes. Don't know what you're hoping to find though."
Joshua shrugged, "Well you seem to have a renewed interest in those fools over in Europe, and I can't have you running off, can I?"
He waved Jesse to come into he living room, which he obliged as Joshua continued, "How're you doin'?! You look the same as always, quite frankly; you need to get ore sleep. I worry about you, ya know. When you were in Overwatch I had no idea of my dear brother was being shot at or tortured or whatever over there! You're much safer under my guidance, I'd say."
Jesse hid a wince behind his straight face, unsure if his brother was simply making an attempt at manipulation or if he was legitimately as twisted as his words suggested. He eyed the two cronies as they walked into the house, prepared to embark on another search.
"You know the process by now, I hope," Joshua shrugged, pulling out a pair of leather gloves, catching Jesse's attention as he pulled them onto his hands, "Don't worry, we won't knock you out cold like we did yesterday- that was a flook. Now, where were we; the chick runnin' around in your old clothes, right? She didn't come 'round here, huh?"
"No," Jesse replied, cooly.
Joshua shrugged for emphasis, "Then why would she be here?"
"Beats me. Considering your gangland fantasies, they might be looking to take you out," Jesse offered, knowing what would come of his mouthing off.
As expected, Joshua smirked, in a split second winding up an arm and punching Jesse in the face, sending the cowboy hobbling backward as he reached up to grab his cheek. Joshua shook his head with dismay, fixing his glove with an austere air.
"Please don't get smart with me, Jesse," he groaned, "I only want answers."
"And what makes you think I've got 'em?"
Joshua frowned, "Sally always said you were the one to come to, didn't she? Father died, that poor woman had little else to turn to, putting you in charge of me; she always said to look to my big brother for guidance. So? Guide me."
Standing back up straight, Jesse eyed his brother with a fervent glare, "She also said to not follow in our father's footsteps."
"What was I supposed to do? You brought me into this life, you shit, then you abandoned me. I'm here because you left me with nothing but the dirt in my shoes."
Jesse stared at him, "I may have disobeyed our mother, but I atoned."
"The fuck you did," Joshua challenged, throwing a finger in Jesse's face, "I may have taken your family from you, but that's only a fraction of what you've left to atone. You took my life away from me; you're nowhere near done until I've taken every single breath of life from you. Not until you've lived the misery I've lived."
Jesse watched him carefully, about to retaliate when a sickly sound crossed his ear. He couldn't quite drove himself to take his eyes off his brother as he heard pairs of footsteps behind him, Jesse's face dropping as his brother's twisted into a devilish sort of grin. One of the cronies had Michael by the hair, dragging him through the house while the wasted man desperately tried to claw along the floor on all fours to keep up, lest his hair tear from his scalp.
"Oh Jessie," Joshua sighed with a light voice accompanying his smile, "I wish you'd just told me what you were up to. You know how deceptive this makes you look? Where was he?"
The henchman stopped at Joshua's side, throwing Michael at his master's feet, leaving the man crumpled up on the floor in a painful writhe as he clutched his head, "Ther' was a slat in'th wall back in th' ha'way. Pulled it down 'n boom! Strapp'd to a chai' 'n all, like a crimin'l."
"Hmm. Criminal?" Joshua asked, turning toward his brother, "Is this Overwatch stuff?"
Jesse eyed him viciously, a coiling anger welling up within him at the thought of losing this man; losing the last vestige of any sort of loyalty or acquaintance to the life he'd once known. Still, he refused to retort, simply watching his brother as he tended his body for whatever might come from this sudden development.
"I promised our mother that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you," Jesse spoke, "But if you don't leave that man be, I may have to break it."
Joshua's brow clenched tight as he approached his brother, reaching up and pushing Jesse's shoulders as he spoke up nearly in a shout, "What are you up to?! That bitch in town; what the fuck are you all up to?!"
His brother only replied with a stiffened glance, infuriating Joshua all the more. He quickly laid a massive blow to Jesse's face, sending the elder brother keeling over in pain, allowing Joshua to grab two handfuls of his hair, pulling his brother's head close to send a shattering smash of his knee into the cowboy's face, Jesse weakly falling to the ground. Joshua followed, dropping to his knees and grasping Jesse's shoulders, lifting him up and pushing his head into the floor below.
"WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?!" he demanded, "You left me here with NOTHING and I scraped and bit and fuckin' killed my way to the top; and I'll fuckin' murder you right here in your home before I let you take even more from me!"
Jesse's eyes began to glaze over from the impact, though he remained with a lighted stare back up at his brother, shaking his head as he replied, "I have nothing to do with Over-"
"Bullshit!" Joshua cried, turning over his shoulder, "Bring that fuck over here; I want him dead too!"
His crony obliged, grabbing another handful of Michael's hair, the man wailing in pain as he was thrown toward the two brothers. Joshua had straightened himself on his knees, reaching around to a revolver at his back and bringing it to Jessie's face, pushing the barrel into his cheek, forcing Jesse's head to the side as he watched Michael curled up in defense, the henchman sending nasty kicks into him to get him to stay still.
"S-Stop!" Michael cried out.
Joshua leaned down closer to Jesse, his teeth seething with savage intent, "One last time, brother. What is Overwatch up to here? Are they trying to clear up the Deadlock Gang again? Trying to force me out?"
Michael's eyes grew wide at Joshua's words, his face whipping toward the two brothers as Jesse's eyes tensed from turning so high up toward his brother, his speech slurred from the gun against his face, "I'm…not…"
"Wrong answer," Joshua concluded, reaching into his pocket for some bullets, keeping the barrel against Jesse's face as he pushed the chamber out the gun's side, shoving it full of bullets as he grinned evilly, "Y'know, your wife's last words were begging me not to do what I'm about to do. Quite frankly, I should have done it sooner. Fuck, I wish you'd been here instead of off with those bastards in Overwatch."
He shook his head, a cold sweat breaking across his face from the desert heat, his eyes deepening as his devilish smirk widened, "I had her on the ground too. Tellin' her the myriad of ways I was gonna tear 'n shred your body apart; she started cryin', begging me, louder and louder, not to hurt you."
"Ooohoho," Joshua chuckled in a sick delight, sticking his knee into Jesse's back as his older brother began to squirm, fighting back as his rage boiled over, "There's that fight 'n ya that made you a legend around these parts. C'mon Jesse; give me some more! Free yourself! Ha ha! Just like I had to!"
Jesse's struggling increased, though his muscles fought against him as they aches alongside the painful ball of pressure that dug square into his back. His breathing increased, the pressure at his cheek turning them into growls as he yanked at his arms, trying to reach back to grab any part of his brother he could get it.
"Leslie fought and fought, too," Joshua goaded with a sort of cackle, "She only stopped once enough of her clothes had worked their way beyond decency. She offered her own self, she begged me to take her and screw her if only to save the lowlife of a man she called a husband, crying and wailing the entire time it happened, torn up in more ways than one, I have no doub-!"
Jesse's heart stopped as a glimmer of gold suddenly flew out just in front of his face through two floorboards, flying into the air above him. His eyes grew into saucers as he tracked the object shimmering in the sun, Joshua recoiling in surprise, losing concentration on his brother as Jesse tore his arm free, reaching through the air to retrieve the small token, Joshua's face twisting in furious anger as he tried to grab the object himself. However, in one fluid motion, Jesse grabbed the badge, still throwing his hand across his back and punching Joshua in the face, bringing himself up as his younger brother fell away, holding his cheek as he stared at the badge in Jesse's hand.
Joshua's eyes jumped back and forth from Jesse, Michael, and his henchmen, hot breath escaping his nose rapidly as he tried to ascertain the situation, though Jesse merely began to stand up, leaving his brother's hand trembling with his revolver clutched right.
Jesse tossed the badge into Joshua's lap, eyeing the two witnesses himself before returning to his brother with a vicious look on his face, "Looks like a duel, motherfucker."
His brother cringed at the words, quickly working his way back up to his own feet as he snarled, turning his crony, "The fuck do I do now?! I can still kill him, right?!"
"Not 'less you wan' a posse on ya," his henchman shrugged.
Now Jesse grinned, "You're still just a child; you know noth-"
"Shut up!" Joshua cried out, still nursing his cheek as he stumbled toward the door, "Get that fuck over there! We're getting' our of here!"
Jesse took a step forward, "You don't lay a finger on him."
The crony nodded, "I know duelin' laws, cowboy. He won' die s'long as I'm 'round."
"We TOOK 'im!" Joshua shouted, "Fair 'n square!"
"He's rig't; basic tak'rs laws."
Jesse cringed at the thought of losing this man, though he dropped his head, knowing he hadn't much choice. He would lose the battle here against two men, but later, against only his brother and a gun, he knew…
Joshua stumbled out the door, still clutching his face as he hobbled toward the car, the crony leaving Jesse with a final set of words as he grabbed Michael's arm to drag him outside, "See ya in town, cowboy. High noon."
Jesse watched in halfhearted defeat as his legs slowly began to give way, sending him back against the wall as he slid down to the ground, watching his last attachment to Overwatch being taken from him before his eyes. However distant and painful those memories seemed, that man was still his mission, and having had his family ripped from him, it was all he had. His head sunk as he took in his situation, shutting his eyes as he felt an assortment of tears welling up.
His brother had taken his family, and now he had to kill his brother. To obey Overwatch, he'd have to disobey his mother. and after all that he'd endured in returning home, in steeling himself, he now felt ready to relinquish the only home he'd ever known. to exorcise his demons once and for all.
And as for the Overwatch operative not a foot away from him, Lena Oxton, laying beneath the house in the dirt-ridden crawlspace, having given Jesse this final chance to escape, now wore a face of determination as she carefully tinkered with her Mei-order chronal accelerator.
In town, at high noon. Time to bring the cavalry.
A/N:
Jpbake: Yeah, honestly, in-game Ana, even I wouldn't write her as she appears in my stories. Whether Blizzard knows it or not, one of Overwatch's core themes is the 'changing of the guard', that is, the old settling down and making way for the new. This is exemplified in Ana being older and slower, while Widowmaker is young and spry, ultimately defeating the 'old guard'.
While I've been focusing on the younger generation of Overwatch, I've always planned on drawing from that theme from the game, and while Ana doesn't necessarily come across as stubborn to the extent that I've written her, I needed somebody to sort of 'personify' that kind of unwillingness to pass the torch- given that she has a daughter vying for her place, so to speak, it seemed more appropriate than the 'teddy bear' known as Reinhardt, plus it gave plenty of nice scenes with Ana being apathetic toward her daughter's lover :p
