Chapter IV: Just My Luck
You can't be serious, Satya thought to herself, still not believing the turn of events. One moment, she was waking up at a decent hour and gathering her equipment, finishing breakfast to relocate at the assembly. The next moment, she found herself surrounded by the very same people she did not wish to associate herself with. When the commander said she would be added to a group with which her abilities would be a valuable asset, she was expecting something else entirely. Her gaze wavered upon the two Junkers as she made her way over to Soldier 76.
"Are you sure of this?" Satya asked. She had no intention to question his orders, but she still had her concerns. He sensed this.
"Angela, Winston, and I have gone over our analysis and found you to be compatible with most of our defense members. For this mission, you will be assigned to them," he explained. To put it simply, Morrison believed her abilities to be useful for the mission they were to go on and that she was among the few who'd be able to adapt to any trouble made. "Trouble can and will include the behavior of those two punks."
Reluctant as she was to admit, he had a good point. If things ever got hairy with them, she was free to restrict their movements, as Ana had told her before. The only other one who had that capability in their current group was Mei. She only hoped that both their skills combined would be able to restrain the crazed Junkers before they could do any harm to anybody or anything. Satya's second concern lay in their pick for medical assistance, a member who'd she thought was anything but a qualified healer. He had no medical knowledge or practice like the other healers, at least not to her understanding.
Lucio stood to the side and conversed with Tracer, still true to his promise to keep a comfortable distance from Satya. He had his skates equipped and a football in hand with headphones on his ears. Did he think he was going to some kind of game? Satya thought with annoyance. He seemed to take absolutely nothing seriously.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Soldier 76 speaking up to all of them, requesting undivided attention. No one dared to ignore his orders, not even the Junkers. "Your mission is to protect a payload in Eichenwalde. Our client will be carrying goods through checkpoints that are vulnerable to attacks and theft. I trust you'll all handle the escort appropriately. No screwing around and getting each other killed, got that?" As his focus redirected to the Junkers, he received nods. Morrison turned to Mei then. "I'm counting on you and Oxton to lead the team."
"Understood," the climatologist replied with a salute. She was informed of the drop ship arriving in a few moments before the commander dismissed himself. Her attention reverted to the crew she was now in charge of, her expression wavering slightly into disappointment as she eyed Junkrat and Roadhog before her usual optimism kicked in. Mei made her way over to their supplies to assure everything was still in order. After much thought, Satya decided to make use of the free time to help out, thankful that there weren't any awkward airs about the both of them.
Before long, the drop ship had come into view, and the team poured in with their own items. Their packs consisted of basic necessities of water, health packs, and dried, emergency rations. Extra items included personal belongings such as clothing and communication devices. Then, you had things that Satya considered to be unnecessary baggage, such as an unhealthy amount of steel traps, sports equipment, and even Mei's sketchbooks. Provided, the climatologist only carried two, but Symmetra was unsure of the use of such things during a mission. The traps were too dangerous to be designed for simple escort. There was no need for any form of entertainment while performing a duty. At least, that's how she saw it.
Satya herself only carried the utilities needed to sustain herself if she were to run into problems while on the mission. She had not brought any of her own books, nor did she possess a device with which to play any games on. Truth be told, the blueprints she had stored in the data drive in her biotic arm may serve as some kind of distraction, but she had no intention of ever using them. However, as they were up in the air travelling for Eichenwalde, she found that distraction would have been welcome for the long, tiring trip.
Inside the ship, there was a section designed for mission briefing, maps, and control instruments, an enclosure assigned a label specifically prohibiting the entrance of the two Junkers. Satya wondered idly how many times the ship's controls had been tampered by one or the other before the sign was put up. Likewise, the other wing was off limits for the two as it contained fuel reserves and cargo. The only access they had included the central room and the restroom located next to the storage. In the central room, there was a pair of sofas, equipment racks, coffee tables, a hologram of the world map, and a basketball hoop mounted on the wall. Both sofas were decorated by hanging posters and stuffed Pachimari plushies. The former Vishkar blinked with confusion written on her face. Had the side wings not contained instruments suited for an air ship, she would've thought she was in some kind of apartment.
"Come on, Roadie, just let me have one!" cried a distressed Junkrat. Satya's gaze wandered over to where the two Junkers were quarreling over the Pachimari dolls, all of which were monopolized by the larger man as he nearly destroyed the sofa by sitting on it. Mei was trying her best as leader to dissuade their squabble before it went out of hand before they could even start the trip, only to be interrupted by the whining Fawkes. "He started it! He won't let me have one."
"Oh honestly, you're such a child," Mei sighed in exasperation, rubbing her temples. How she was able to tolerate being around the two let alone resort to calling one a child was beyond Satya's comprehension. Meanwhile, Tracer and Lucio were playing with the basketball set that was conveniently implemented into the structure. She had every reason to think they were the culprits of why it existed in the first place. The two made wagers on who'd make the most baskets before the ship landed, neither willing to back down and trading promises to reward the winner with seasonal tickets to a game.
Symmetra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Seems like the Junkers are not the only ones behaving childlike, she thought to herself. She resorted to taking a seat at the other sofa, content with gazing out of the window and watching the scenery pass them by as the air ship took off. Its speed was one to envy, but it wasn't enough to make the trip seem any shorter, not when she was surrounded by this team. To her, time went too slow, and she was actually finding herself bored out of her wits until the ship touched down at their destination. She refused to mingle with anyone other than Mei or even Tracer who were both pre-occupied. If she ever were to be grouped with the same people, she would have to remember to bring something to distract herself with.
Relief washed over her when she felt the jerk of the air ship as it reached the landing station. On the other side of the room, Satya could hear Tracer sigh. "Aw, rubbish! Guess you beat me this time, Lucio. Tell ya what, if I win our race later, we'll be even." How they even managed to develop a second challenge as a means of forming a tie was lost on the former Vishkar. Their wagers seemed to have only been made out of pure sport and weren't taken whole-heartedly.
"Oh, you're on. I bet I'll still beat you though," Lucio smirked in return. He patted at his leg enhancers and skates in emphasis. "Don't forget, I have these."
Tracer laughed, wagging a finger. "No, YOU forget I have a chronal accelerator. I'll leave you in the dust." Satya inwardly groaned, recalling a conversation of similar nature occurring between the hoodlum and her roommate. She honestly didn't want to hear it again, instead tuning them out altogether as the ship's doors opened for docking.
Before she could even leave the ship, the two flashed by to commence their race, completely ignoring the rest of the team. Satya glanced at Mei incredulously. She could understand the Junkers not really having a care for what the others did, but Mei was the sole leader of this mission currently. And yet, the climatologist didn't seem to bat an eye towards the antics of the sport-goers. Rather, the woman was carrying out her usual business and meeting with their client just outside the docking port. For the time being, both Junkrat and Roadhog were behaving themselves, after much scolding from Mei. All four had just gotten the briefing from their client before Tracer and Lucio quite literally slid around a corner and bounded to them.
"Aw come on, you were going easy on me!" Lucio laughed, catching his breath. Provided, using his skates was much less exhausting than running on his own feet, but he was still tired nonetheless. "I know you can go faster than that."
"I could, but I haven't yet set up my accelerator to do more than a few bursts. You just got lucky," Lena jested, punching him in the arm lightly. "Guess we'll settle for a tie then." Both nodded and gave each other fist bumps, apparently deciding on no rewards offered for their competition. Information of their escort was provided to the two momentarily by Mei before they were urged to their lodge.
The mission was expected to take five days tops, with the first day being reserved for rest after the long flight while the client prepared the goods to be transported. The escort itself would take time passing through checkpoints where everything would be verified to be in perfect shape before moving on. If everything went well and according to plan, the escort would only last for a day and a half, but Eichenwalde lacked heavy security. Some complications may rise and cause a day's delay or worse. Satya hoped it would not come to that.
Not too much time passed before the sun reached its peak as they had arrived at the lodge – a humble and rustic cabin. The structure was large enough to hold a dozen people – with four rooms spacious enough to house a max of three or four people – a lounge, and the reception area. Upon registering their IDs into the check-in, they were given keys to two of the rooms. Mei, Tracer, and Symmetra would occupy one in the east wing, while the males would take residence in its counterpart in the west wing.
The setup was not at all to Satya's liking. She had to already cope with the fact she was paired up with the unruliest of Overwatch's members. Being in such close proximity to them with no means of proper security and in an old-fashioned, nearly dilapidated building did little to ease her anxiety. She had every mind to set up sentry turrets within the halls and in her shared quarters if they would be necessary.
"Since today's our rest period, let's discuss what we're doing for lunch and dinner," Mei announced, her mention of food immediately earning the attention of the Junkers, though it was a well-known fact they would ignore her words otherwise. "We've got the lodge's food and we have a few restaurants to choose from, though not enough to count on one hand in this location. Or I could ask to use the kitchen and cook something, though I'd need some assistance. What's everyone's thoughts?"
"I'm not picky," Lucio chimed in automatically. In all honesty, he could go for any meal, though his preference lay in spicy or wholesome foods. Roadhog grunted in agreement to his claim, also not concerned about the type of food so long as it was something that'd satiate his massive appetite.
"I've had traditional German food and it's not my favorite, but I could go for anything else," Lena pitched in. From the dishes she's had both from Eichenwalde and that were concocted by Reinhardt back at the base, she wasn't overly fond of their tastes.
Junkrat took his time pondering his choices before beaming with a spark in his eye. His mechanical arm shot up and waved about to catch her attention. "Oooh ooh! I vote for barbeque! Hey, don't give me that look." He grumbled when he noticed Mei rolling her eyes. Honestly, she didn't know what she expected. His answer was always the same, even though he didn't gripe when teams chose anything else besides smokehouse foods.
Mei redirected her gaze to Satya in wait of her answer. The Vishkar went rigid, unused to these sorts of discussions. She'd never been one to give opinions or suggestions unless they were related to business in the corporation. Even then, some of her words were not too eagerly accepted by some, only by those who worked close to her such as Sanjay. Symmetra had always just went along with the rest of her coworkers' choices in restaurants. Her only form of pickiness came from the atmosphere of the diners and not of the food itself. If they were too rowdy or unclean, she would not even step foot into them. She'd only just become used to the dining hall back at the base, if only because she lived there now. Unexperienced as she was with Eichenwalde's selections, her answer could not be given. With a slight nod of her head, she replied, "I do not have issues with any of our current choices."
The climatologist nodded in return to all of them. "Well, maybe this will be simple enough then, I suppose. We'll eat out at one of the local places for lunch, and I'll cook something for dinner. If I feel up for it, then I suppose we can have a small barbeque," she announced, catching the exasperated sigh that was beginning to escape from her mouth as she noticed the smaller Junker pump his fists in the air. Truth be told, Mei didn't have nearly enough experience with cooking as some of the higher ups, let alone the confidence in cooking barbeque. However, she knew enough to give it a try. She'd just have to make sure to have a backup, and perhaps her freeze gun or Snowball, just in case.
After some more debate, they decided on one of the restaurants more popular with the locals, as suggested by the receptionist upon being questioned. The food was decent, certainly not the best she's had but it was edible. Satya was even content with the arrangement of the restaurant, her attention heavily focused on the perfectly even distribution of décor and tables. There was still enough noise, even at their own table, but not enough to affect her appetite. She vaguely recalled a discussion between Mei and Lucio, the climatologist asking for tips on making puns, and both Junkers having an eating competition, to which she tried her best to appear like she was still present while ignoring both the conversation and match altogether. They left the restaurant with satisfied stomachs, Mei mindful to leave a generous tip on the table, and rendezvous back at the lodge. Boredom was starting to sink in.
Not the types to be fond of being contained in one room, both Junkrat and Roadhog were outside tinkering with their scrap-custom tools. Mei made sure to warn them both that if any of their devices caused destruction, they would be held responsible and need to pay for the damage. After her nagging, she felt comfortable enough to leave them alone and request Tracer to join her. She decided that they would go to the store to pick up the necessary ingredients for dinner, leaving Satya the role of keeping an eye on the others while they were gone. The Vishkar wasn't overly fond of the idea of leaving her alone with this company, but she wasn't one to ignore orders from her superiors. So, she made herself comfortable in the lounge where she could see the Junkers and whether they were up to mischief or not. Satya would have been fine with reading a book in hand if it weren't for the obnoxious rhythmic beats leaking from Lucio's headphones across the room.
The DJ was fidgeting with his own device, or rather the stolen goods of the Vishkar, fingers expertly switching through its controls. All of the knobs on the gun were added along with the speaker, not at all the craftsmanship of her company and its appearance warped almost to the point of no recognition. His gloved thumbs scrolled through the panel, modified to reveal the different levels of sound that comes from it, whether it belonged to bass or electric origin. He dedicated his time to test through all of the gun's knobs and switches to make sure they were working properly and in tune, a wide smile on his face as he seemed to experiment with new beats in his headphones while doing so. When he was satisfied with the settings, Lucio locked the digital panel and shut off his headphones. His focus shifted to her then.
Raising from his seat, he made his way over, making sure to keep a reasonable distance away while at the same time waving his hand to get her attention. Satya reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the book in front of her, already past the point of concentration, and looked at him. "Hey, I'm going to go out and check the sights, in case anyone's wondering where I went," Lucio announced, tone almost as if he was asking permission. Normally, she'd be against the notion of teammates wandering alone while on a mission, but she wasn't one to complain this time around. Satya only gave a nod to show she comprehended, watching as he turned away and left through the lobby door. She gave a sigh of relief as the room became silent. That is, until loud banging sounds reverberated from outside. She closed the book with a bit more roughness than intended, discarding it to the side as she contemplated on what she could do with her time that didn't require concentration. Satya could think of nothing.
Fortunately, luck was on her side as Mei and Tracer returned from the shopping trip, their arms full of bags containing pre-smoked meats and side vegetables suitable for grilling. The climatologist wore an expression of disappointment at having going over their budget slightly, but she was relieved to find good deals on the meats nonetheless. Apparently, she had intended on an alternative if the cost had been too high. Junkrat was oblivious to this concern however as he hovered over the package of smoked meats, drool beginning to form at the corner of his mouth. He was promptly pushed away by Mei before any of the saliva could escape onto the groceries, much to his displeasure.
"You'll have to wait until it's cooked," she scolded him, placing and hand on her hip with a stern expression. The smaller Junker grumbled under his breath before returning to his buddy's side. Mei smirked triumphantly and stored the ingredients in the lodge's cooler, with the prior permission of the lodge keeper of course. Tracer was outside beginning to set up the barbeque pit when she glanced around curiously, short-cropped brunette hair swishing at the motion.
"Hey, where's Lucio at? Is he in his room?" asked the Brit. Satya was assisting her by setting up the grill when she replied that he had gone out to sight-see. Tracer paused briefly and tapped her chin in thought. Eichenwalde itself offered little to see, save for the historical ruins that were being overrun by vegetation. Knowing the Brazilian to not be fond of old-fashioned scenery, she could only imagine he was either practicing football or performing trick moves with his roller skates around the village. She shrugged her shoulders, breaking away from her thoughts to finish preparing the pit.
Little did she know, she was only half correct. The DJ was wall-riding in an empty alleyway nearby, enjoying the breeze that rushed by as he glided on the stone walls. While he had gone out to get some fresh air, he'd had other intentions to get away from the lodge. Primarily, he'd gone to scout through the checkpoints they'd be passing during the escorts, some of the passages being closed off to the public in preparation for the trip. Lucio checked every route that he was allowed to go through, making note of those that could be used as escape or ambush during his passes. Normally, he'd just go with the flow of things, but he was aware of the lack of security and the possibility of trouble arising during the escort of the payload. Although, he'd also chosen to break away from the lodge to give the new recruit some extra space. The Brazilian hadn't done it on the sole basis of his promise, but also because he'd noticed her disgruntled expression of him being in the same room as her. Originally, he'd thought that she wouldn't be bothered, but it occurred to him that she only tolerated his presence if others were around as well. Lucio didn't return until two hours later, apologizing to Mei for his absence as she began preparations to cook.
"Oh no worries. I figured if something happened, you would have contacted us on the communicators anyway," the climatologist replied with a laugh. She'd known his tendencies to go out and get some exercise, so she had no real concerns. Nonetheless, he apologized again for his tardiness. Truly, he hadn't planned on being out for so long.
As everyone did their own thing, Satya had begun to feel a little out of place. Determined to be productive, she grouped with Mei in the kitchens, offering to prepare the vegetables. With appreciation, the Chinese woman asked for her to cube the potatoes and peppers and to shuck the corn. Getting down to work, Symmetra unconsciously peeled and cut the potatoes with focus, unaware of the time that was slipping by as she did so. Once she had finished the potatoes and retrieved the corn, she realized she was left alone in the kitchen as Mei had taken the bundle of smoked meats outside to the pit. Through a nearby window, she could see the climatologist juggling with pouring in the charcoal while swatting away both Junkers' greedy hands that were reaching for the meats. By the time Satya had finished shucking the corn and washing the vegetables, the grill was hot and ready for the food.
It took no time at all for the food to cook, despite some distractions coming in the form of the mischievous Junkrat. Mei caught him on a couple of occasions as he tried to sneak an explosion into the fire as a prank. His antics almost cost the food as it was almost overcooked, only because Mei was too preoccupied with stopping him while trying to cook. He was finally chased away when she threatened to freeze him as a time out. Tracer's quick wit helped during this process, both to catch the burning food and Junkrat in the act. With luck, there were no serious casualties. As expected, most of the barbequed meat went to Roadhog and his unruly companion as both picked away the vegetables immediately. Though, the larger of the two would not touch any pork related meat. Not that Satya had to complain. She preferred to eat the vegetables instead, gathering only a mere portion of the meat on her own plate. Had Mei and Tracer not thought ahead and bought enough for the greedy duo and the rest of the team, there would be some choice words said.
Satya normally wouldn't take a liking to this sort of feast, but once the food landed on her palate, she had a different opinion. The meat was tender and nearly melted in her mouth, chicken and brisket smoked in some fashion, coupled with the sweet, mouth-watering flavors of the corn and the smoky tangs of the seasoned peppers and potatoes. All were seasoned perfectly without having too much or too little of spice, though Mei expressed a bit of discomfort as a kick of spice landed on her own tongue. Some of the flavors even reminded the Indian of the cuisine of her home country. Their group decided to eat out on the patio just outside the lodge's main entrance, enjoying the early summer breeze and rose color tones of the sunset. As she finished her meal, Satya's eyes darted to the stars that were beginning to peek through the veil of night ascending upon them. Rising from her seat, she told Mei that she'd take a shower and retire for the night, to which the climatologist agreed would be a good idea for all of the team to follow. After arguing for a few minutes, the Chinese woman finally urged the Junkers to go to bed early as well, though not without asking their help in cleaning up first.
While they didn't necessarily have to begin the mission early in the morning, Satya found herself to be the first one awake and packed for the trip. She left the room as quietly as she could, opting to give her roommates a few more moments of peaceful sleep before the time they agreed on waking. Her feet carried her into the lounge where she took a seat and sipped on coffee proffered from the lodge's kitchen. It was nothing alike to the fresh coffee she was fond of back when she was part of the Vishkar, causing her to involuntarily scrunch her nose up at its bland flavor. Satya reveled in the peaceful quiet she had to herself, the moment giving her enough time to prepare her gear for the mission. She had just finished programming the settings on her photon gun and sentry orbs, forcing herself to swallow the last of the contents in her mug, when the others joined her after waking. They had gathered their belongings and showered, with the exception of the Junkers who both seemed to have bathed in oil if anything. Making sure everyone was ready, Mei issued the command to head out to the payload's location.
A/N: If you can figure out why I titled this story the way I did, then you're awesome. (Hint: It's not just because of the plot btw). If you leave a review of your guesses, I'll reveal my answer to you ;) Also, in future chapters, I'll try to include more Winston dialogue. He is the new Overwatch commander after all. I still have 76 as commander, but he's not exactly the boss anymore. He's just in charge of recruits and the more vital missions.