Pilar groaned at how tightly her arm had been wrapped, finding it difficult to move freely as she liked. There was a reason behind it, however; after waking up to her hand covered in blood and her right arm more pained than it had been since Roadhog tore it off, she had little choice in the matter. Roadhog had already warned her once, and the moment he had seen her all bloody, he'd lifted her instantly, quickly and easily, before she had been able to protest. Chastising her, he worked quickly, pouring a flask of alcohol over the bloody mess to kill any infection that might have been festering away.
Of course, it had been several days since she'd scratched herself open in her sleep, and she hardly felt irritation since they'd wrapped it. Still, it was annoying, and made it difficult to train her body to grow accustomed to her missing limb, but she had managed, regardless.
There was another omnic scrapyard between Salamanca and Mérida; while it would take them out of the way to get to Gibraltar, Pilar was more than happy to delay her journey to oblige Junkrat when he asked her. For what, he had not divulged, but the affectionate nuzzling had won her over almost instantly. Besides, she was not entirely certain what Gibraltar would have in store for the trio; if her mother caught wind that Pilar was nearby, there was a good chance that she might not be able to escape as easily as she would have liked.
Perched on a hillside, overlooking the scrapyard, Pilar absentmindedly scratched her shoulder, above the bandaging, scrutinizing the scene below; guards patrolled the perimeter, both human and omnic, and it was then that she truly realized how much she missed Trueno. They were a team, two parts that worked flawlessly as a whole, together. But now she was alone, disabled, and worried that whatever they were about to face would test her in ways that might cause harm to both she and the Junkers.
A sigh escaped her lips, hand resting on her hip. Night had fallen, giving them sufficient cover, provided they didn't burst in, bike roaring and guns blazing, but if she knew the Junkers, that idea wouldn't go over well.
So lost in her thoughts she was, that when a pair of mismatched arms draped heavily over her shoulders, she jumped, feeling the top of her head smack roughly against Junkrat's chin. He grunted in pain, having bitten his tongue as his jaw jarred, and Pilar hissed, rubbing the top of her head tenderly, the pain immediately numbing any anxiety she felt.
"Shit," she growled, eyes shutting tightly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting–"
Turning on her heel, her eyes fluttered open again, seeing stars, though just in time to see him spit out a glob of blood onto the ground beside him. Rubbing his jaw, assessing the damage, a wide grin spread across his lips, kneading the left side of his face with the ball of his hand.
"Ya gotta hard head, ya know that, roight?" he chuckled, watching the horrified expression on her face. "An' here I thought Roadie had a hard head, eh? But ya take the cake, Caterpillar."
Pilar, already on edge, ran her fingers through her hair distractedly, glancing back at the scrapyard, worry flickering in her eyes. Junkrat, spitting out another glob of blood, wiped his mouth on his upper arm, smearing crimson along his skin, and limped toward her, a line of blood dribbling, unnoticed, down his chin. From what he could tell, she wasn't looking too well, but then again, he could never tell with this sort of thing. Still, her body language was enough to tell him she was uncomfortable, especially as her hand steadily reached for her wrapped shoulder.
He caught her wrist quickly in his hand, face scrunching when she turned her surprised gaze on him, and Pilar tugged on her arm, out of habit rather than escape.
"Hey–"
"Roadie said t' keep an eye on ya, Caterpillar, an' ya know I'm more than happy t' do it," he said, unable to keep himself from grinning wildly. "We need ya in top shape, ya know; them lugs ain't gonna be easy t' get past."
"I know," she huffed, and try as she might to be stubborn, she had to turn away when her lips curved into a smile, a nervous one, but a smile nonetheless. "There're both human and omnic guards down there. If I had my banderillas to stun them, it might be a bit easier, but–"
Suddenly cut off as a metallic hand covered her mouth, Pilar was taken aback when she realized Junkrat had kept her from speaking more, watching as he vibrated excitedly, his glee almost too much to contain. Pilar wrenched his hand out of the way, but before she was able to say a word, he was dragging her with him, holding onto her hand tightly, bounding back to where Roadhog stood, readying his weapon.
"Roight!" he exclaimed happily, digging among his possessions hidden within his sidecar, nose wrinkling as he threw shit here and there over his shoulders, forcing Pilar to duck out of the way as an empty frag whizzed right past her head. Straightening up, she gave Roadhog a quizzical glance, and he only shrugged, filling his back with ammunition, but otherwise silent. It was a few minutes before Junkrat once again exclaimed in delight, sitting on his knees as he pulled forth from the car what he was looking for, taking a moment to tweak a few things before turning to face her.
Scooting toward her like an excited puppy, Junkrat held before them a weapon of sorts, offering it to Pilar, whose expression was utterly confused as she raised her brow. Lips pursed, she steadily reached for the gun-like mechanism, taking it gingerly in her hand. There was an obvious handle and trigger, but the barrel was absurdly bigger than that of a normal gun, and she cast her gaze to Junkrat, who knelt at her feet, watching her with bright, golden eyes.
"I'm sorry if I don't seem more excited," she began, frowning slightly when she saw Junkrat's delighted expression fall a bit. "I can see it's a weapon, but what is it?" She lifted it, aiming it before her, getting a feel for how it balanced in her hand, one eye closing as she stared down the barrel. "Is this what you were building all week?"
"Nah, nothin' loike that, Caterpillar," he replied enthusiastically, scrambling to his feet to hover over her. Clearly, whatever she was doing, she was doing it wrong; his hands fixed on hers, positioning her fingers to better grip the weapon, but also giving her an easier way to pull the trigger when ready to fire. Even as he drew his hand away, his chin rested heavily on the top of her head again, arms draped over her shoulders as she raised it before her again, twisting her wrist to view it from all angles.
"Just modified one of me old frag launchers t' spit out yer lil' shocky bits. Managed t' get 'em out of yer arm an' give 'em a charge. So ya still have that, but with this, that Talon bitch can't get her nasty lil' paws all over it."
Not a moment later, his long, lanky arms were reaching around her for the weapon again, making sure the modifications were up to par with his design. Drawing a screwdriver from a pouch on his hip, his tongue poked out as he tightened the barrel better onto the gun, all while still draped over Pilar.
She watched him work, as best as she could, considering his position, a stupid grin spreading wide across her face. He was so enthusiastic about his work, and looking rather pleased with himself, he straightened up, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other holding out the gun that still rested in Pilar's hand.
"Ya know," he continued, shoving the screwdriver back in his pack before hunching again, pressing his cheek against hers as they inspected the weapon. "Ya really shouldn't use the technical shit so much. Gets ya into more trouble than it's worth, y'know?" His mech hand fell from the gun, which Pilar held onto tightly, waving it before them, curling his fingers, and Pilar could hear the gears working within, buzzing a whirling about. "Built it meself," he added, glancing at her as his lips curved in a smug grin. "Hasn't failed me yet."
After a moment of silence, his nose nuzzled affectionately against her cheek, taking her by surprise, yet she laughed nonetheless, nose wrinkling happily. He was steadily growing more comfortable with his affection–not that he hadn't been before, this was just a different type–and the more time passed, the more he would drape himself over her, even to the point of falling asleep. Of course, nowadays all three of them slept in a heap rather than apart, but that did not mean Junkrat was not any less affectionate than before.
Pulling away slightly, she snuck a kiss on the tip of his nose, this time causing Junkrat to start. As affectionate as he might have been, he was still not used to receiving it. Roadhog's particular brand was usually a rough smack upside the head, and a life on the run was hardly a place where affection was freely given.
Thoroughly annoyed by the pair, Roadhog tromped toward Pilar and Junkrat, separating them roughly. Yelping in surprise, Pilar wiggled in his grip as he had her by the scruff of her shirt, and he dropped her, smacking Junkrat at the back of his head as he did so.
"Get moving," he growled, massive arms folding across his chest, gazing at them from behind the glinting lenses of his mask. "Can't get distracted."
He spoke in a clear dismissal, turning his back on Pilar and Junkrat as the latter rubbed the back of his head, grumbling under his breath. Pilar cast her gaze to the scrapyard below before raising her weapon, inspecting it once again as the others prepared themselves, strapping weapons to their persons, fitting every possible pouch with ammunition and explosives, ready to destroy the guards below. Of course, that did not necessarily mean that they would be taking the loud approach if Pilar had anything to say about it; scanning the perimeter, she found a guard shack not far from where the first group patrolled. Maybe there were controls for the omnic guards within…they didn't seem the type that Pilar had encountered in Numbani, more or less robots with a specific set of programming made to guard the area, much like Trueno before they had visited Numbani, themselves. Maybe this would be simpler than she thought.
Not a second later, she was pulled from her thoughts as she felt a harness being wrapped around her waist, startling her, until she realized Junkrat had fitted it so that the weapon would sit snug into the holster on her hip. After all, being down a limb for the time being did have its problems, but with the modifications in place, there wouldn't be as much of a problem for her to defend herself now.
Quickly, quietly, the trio took the fastest route from their overlook, careful to keep out of sight as best they could. It wasn't an issue for Pilar; being short as she was did have its advantages here and there, and the ability to duck behind bushes that littered the hillside without getting caught was one of them. However, she couldn't say the same of her allies. Big and clumsy on giant feet and mismatched legs, their grunts as they tried to balance on the semi-steep hillside carried throughout the night, and Pilar-who was keeping a close watch on the guards-noticed flashing lights in their direction as several omnics (which appeared to be Bastion units) cast their sensors in their direction. The nearest bush was big, though not quite big enough, but with a hiss, Pilar slid to the ground silently, grabbing onto Junkrat's arm to do the same. Roadhog did not need telling; the moment he saw Pilar drop to the ground, he too, crashed beside her, jarring the young woman as the ground around them seemed to quake under his weight. In a pile of tangled limbs and annoyed hisses, the Junkers, semi-successfully, hid behind the bush as Pilar poked her head around the side of it, eyes narrowing as they fixed on the nearest group of guard units. Holding her breath, she hoped that they had not seen them, and after a few moments, the robots continued their patrol, heads facing forward again as they marched away from their hiding spot.
"That was close," Pilar murmured, steadily rising to her feet, lips pouted in a concerned frown as she continued to glance at the omnics' backs. "We have to be careful, or shit will hit the fan."
Grunting in agreement, Roadhog, too, rose, brushing dirt and leaves from his pants, rolling his shoulders as he came to his full height. Pilar grasped Junkrat by the hand, heaving as she tried to pull him to his feet, and after a moment he bounded upward, tousling his hair, a few yellow strands falling to his shoulders. Once he found his footing, an arm draped around both Pilar and Roadhog-proving to be rather awkward, as one towered over the other-a smug, almost stupidly happy grin twisting his sharp features.
"Careful's me middle name, didn't ya know, Caterpillar?" he grinned, jostling them both. Roadhog hadn't moved an inch, but try as she might to keep a firm footing, Pilar was still shaken, gripping his arm tightly to prevent her fall.
"Whatever you say," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she found her footing again. However, before she could speak again, Roadhog had shoved both she and Junkrat along toward the control room, or at least, what Pilar believed to be such. There wasn't a lot of time to bridge the gap to the outpost, and with the omnics having sped up their pace, on alert after nearly spotting the Junkers on the hill, Pilar was beginning to wonder if it was better if they just charged in per usual, rather than sneak around. At least this way, they'd have the element of surprise, and her weapon was specialized in shorting out mechanical threats. She just hoped she would not have to use them.
All seemed to go according to plan-what plan they had-as Pilar rushed the objective, and she could faintly see a glowing, red switch through the windows as her legs pushed her forward. From behind her, she could hear the heavy breathing of Roadhog through his mask, and the chaotic giggles falling from Junkrat's lips as he prepared his frag launcher for attack. While she wasn't sure that he would need it, it was far better to be safe than sorry, and pushing the last few legs, crashing into the glass door that barred the trio from their goal, it would be soon that Pilar would realize that her idea had been far from the best.
"Got it," she muttered, hand fiddling with the handle as it seemed to give at her touch. However, the closer she felt she got to unlocking the mechanism-it would be easier if she had her mech arm-the further she got, and suddenly, the entire system shut down with a thundering clamor, and the air rung with the sound of a deafening tumult as the entire area lit up, spotlights, previously unseen, fixing on the woman and her two companions. The alarm rang for what felt like miles around, and the control room lit up in a bright, red blaze, alerting the guards, both human and omnic, to the ruffian's arrival.
"Fuck!" Pilar hissed, whirling about, her hand wrenching her makeshift weapon from the holster on her hip. There was no need to wait and see what Junkrat and Roadhog were doing; the destructive duo had already unleashed their weapons, firing off into the night as an influx of glowing beams fixed on the point, growing in size as the Bastion units quickly approached. Small explosions erupted all around them as frag after frag was launched into the fray, and Pilar, hearing screams from the human guards, turned her back on the oncoming assault, fixing to unlock the door once again.
Junkrat's maniacal laughter shot through the air, filling her ears as she tried to concentrate on her task. It was amazing that she could even hear him over the din of the alarms, not to mention the firing of omnic guns and the explosions from his own weapon. She could even hear Roadhog's bloodthirsty chortle in the chaos of the moment. Still, Pilar had to draw herself away from her failed attempt to unlock the building as omnics seemed to sneak up on her from either side, unbeknownst to the Junkers, who were too taken with their own chaotic battle to know that she was steadily surrounded. A snarl tore from her lips as she whipped around, weapon aimed and finger twitching on the trigger as the Bastion only sped its pace to meet her head-on.
"Hijo de puta."
Pulling the trigger, a deafening blast emanated from the barrel of her gun, and she could feel the hair on her arm rise as an electrical jolt seemed to pervade the air, banderilla blasting from the end. Crackling filled her ears, and bright, white lightning bounced about the banderilla in a jagged fashion, as though summoned from the heavens, and as it whizzed through the hair, the sharp, needle-like tip pierced the omnic's chest plate, embedding deeply into its armor. Not moments later, the entire bot lit up, as though struck by lightning, and its joints seized, forcing it to convulse in place. It shook, overloaded with power, and the longer she watched, the more the omnic seemed to overload, and it was soon thereafter that she realized it would likely explode from the raw power that permeated its circuits.
She was in close proximity, and it was far too late to bolt to safety-as though there was a safe spot around, and with a hissed, Spanish curse, she backed up as quickly as she could, features twisted in an enraged grimace. It whined, its head suddenly spinning on its shoulders, it's weapon firing bullet after bullet haphazardly into the air. While she was certain that one would hit, it wasn't until she heard chains rattling through the air, a giant hook wrapping around her waist and tugging her back, that she realized that Roadhog, at least, had seen what was happening. With a whoosh, she felt herself being shot backward toward her cohorts, dark hair whipping about her face, obscuring her vision as she was brought out of the omnic's reach. With a heavy thud, she landed against his large bellying, feeling a hand catch her by the shoulder. Brown eyes flashed upward just in time to see a grenade hit the omnic, and not moments later, she was sandwiched between two, giant men, one of which covered her ears in a rush. Not a moment too soon, either, as the bomb erupted, sending the omnic flying in a dozen, broken pieces.
Though protected to a point, she could still feel the rushing of air whoosh past the trio after the explosion, and debris clattered to the ground around them, narrowly avoiding Pilar's feet, which stuck out at odd angles in their rush to shield each other. It was a few seconds before Junkrat stepped aside, yet still positioned in front of Pilar, as though a dragon guarding his most prized possession. Roadhog, too, had backed away, turning to defend their back, and Pilar-though she rubbed her newly-bruised abdomen, still holding on to her weapon-she prepared for the next wave of attackers.
"Is there ever a normal day with you two?" she shouted, aiming her weapon at the next omnic, wondering where on earth the human guards had gone. The three of them stood back to back to back, forming a triangular position as they covered their blind spots with each one-another, and Pilar could feel her heart racing with the exhilaration of the fight, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Who would have thought that just months ago, she'd been as clean-cut as they came, only to find a life on the wild side? Certainly not her.
She could hear Junkrat cackling beside her as he crouched low, semi-aiming his weapon while launching frags at the omnics, once again. "Sorry, luv, but ya ain't gonna have a normal day, so long as yer with us...so, forever, yeah?" His elbow nudged her side, and though she rolled her eyes, a pleased grin flashed across her lips, mischief coloring her expression.
Watching the omnic approach, she thought quickly, and rather than aiming at its chest, like with the previous, she aimed at the ground between it and another, the pair just close enough that the electrifying jolts would hit them both. Her finger hesitated on the trigger, knowing well that there was only one banderilla left after she shot the next, but at this point, the others would have enough ammunition to fight off the rest, so long as she could get to the control panel on time. With a roar, she triggered the weapon, sending another banderilla flying through the air, her hair, once again, standing up as the electrical waves prickled at her skin. It hit the ground, just as she liked, and with a blinding flash, bolts of lightning emanated from the point, jaggedly twisting through the air, hitting both guard omnics with precision.
Not a second after she saw the the flashes hit her target, she jumped back, turning on her heel with a feline grace, propelling herself back toward the control room, lifting the gun above her head as she neared. The Junkers paused, only for a moment, to watch her go before continuing their destructive tirade on the omnic menace.
Skidding to a halt, her eyes flashed over her shoulder, making sure Junkrat and Roadhog had the upper hand, Pilar brought the hard, metal handle down on the glass of the window with all her strength. There was a loud crack, followed by the shattering of the window in a thousand pieces, and pleased with her work, she strapped the weapon back to her hip, stepping back to get a running start. Maybe it would have been easier to simply unlock the door, but Pilar hadn't really given it a second thought; she pushed off the ground, hand outstretched to grasp onto the sill as she flung herself into the room, hissing angrily as she felt a sharp, jarring pain in her palm, having put her full weight on the hand that had helped her inward.
It hadn't distracted her, however. From behind, she could hear Junkrat yelling at her, angry, frustrated, and running out of frags, as far as she could tell. The omnics were not relenting, and there was only so much a fist could do against a robot built to defend.
"Shut these fuckers down!" he roared, throwing another bomb between two that steadily crept up on him, using a shoulder to cover one ear, his hand plugging the other before detonating his grenade. Pilar, the moment she'd heard his voice, ducked behind the door, awaiting the explosion of the mine, and the quake of the earth to follow, before jumping to her feet, blood having begun to pool in the palm of her hand. It stung like hell, and caused her to wince whenever she moved her fingers. Still, as she clenched her hand, blood running over her fist and dripping onto the floor, she strode forward, her eyes fixing on the large, flashing switch, beside which had a label signifying the power switch for the omnics.
With a mighty roar, she brought her fist down upon the button, smashing it, causing the alarms over head to shut off immediately, and as she looked onto the 'battlefield,' omnic after omnic immediately shut down, some keeling over, others halting in place, but all of them, undoubtedly, decommissioned. A pleased sigh escaped Pilar's lips as she leaned against the nearest wall, wiping her head with the back of her hand, not realizing that blood smeared across her brow in the process. It was only a second later that Roadhog had kicked in the door-something she should have thought of before-and Junkrat came bounding in, squeezing past Roadhog before the hulking man could wedge himself into the tiny control room.
"Ya did it!" Junkrat exclaimed, and suddenly Pilar felt herself being lifted into the air, catching her off guard completely. "Ya shut the bastards down!"
Though she wriggled in his grip, the childlike happiness with which he twirled her had her stifling a giggle, and he playfully patted the side of his face, accidentally smearing a crimson streak across his sooty skin. He didn't seem to notice, or care, for that matter, and not seconds later, he pressed the tip of his long nose against hers, wiggling excitedly before setting her down.
Roadhog, from behind them, made a sort of disgusted grunt, shaking his head as he forced his way inside. It didn't take long for him to notice Pilar's injury, and his large, meaty hand wrapping around her thin wrist, he raised it above her head to get a better look at it.
"Jamison, the whiskey."
His voice was a low grunt, and Junkrat nodded quickly, searching his person for the right canteen. Wrenching it from his hip, he uncorked it with his teeth, before tossing it to Roadhog, who motioned for him to find some sort of wrapping in his shoulder packs.
"Hold still," Roadhog ordered, pouring the whiskey over her palm, and Pilar growled in pain as the alcohol permeated the wound, killing what bacteria it could to prevent infection. Last thing she needed was to lose both her arm and her hand, without any means to fix either.
It stung like hell, but she bit her lip, and soon enough, Roadhog was wiping up the bloody mess of her hand before Junkrat pushed his way in to wrap her palm tightly. It didn't take long, and when he finished, he glanced at her, looking rather pleased with his handiwork, and Pilar stretched her hand, moving it about to test its mobility. It wasn't bad; there was a bit of straining, but it was to be expected with a bit of wrapping. Still, it worked, and hopefully keep her from getting a nasty infection.
Behind her was a door that led into the scrapyard, unlocked and relatively easy to get through. It was a few moments before they realized it however, making sure there weren't anymore guards about, and after Roadhog nodded, pushing his way past Pilar and Junkrat, he forced the door open, waving for the pair to follow him.
"Right," he growled, casting them a glance from over his shoulder. "Get your shit and get out."