Hey guys, PoeticPillock here! Sorry I've been silent this past couple of months, school has been hell and there was no way I could've anticipated it being like this, but I at least got this chapter out. I'm probably going to be silent a bit longer until the semester is done, and hopefully, we can get back to a much more regular schedule.
However, I would like to take this moment to address some messages and Guest Reviews I've received in the past. Specifically, questions/suggestions that are also attempts to convince me to insert certain plot-related devices (characters, factions, events, etc.) into my story. This is my response:
Please don't.
I already have a pretty good idea of the story's plot, events, and development going forward, and not much is really going to change where it's going to be driven to (a lot of it I already have written down on paper). While I appreciate people being interested enough in my story to leave such suggestions and ideas in my inbox, it does become a bit annoying when it keeps happening and is spamming my inbox and "Guest Reviews Awaiting Moderation" page – like the East Coast Fallout suggestions I used to get. I'm not saying the ideas people sent me weren't good, it's just I had no interest or reason to implement them into my story for a variety of reasons. Sorry if this sounds crass, but I just needed to make this clear.
Anyways, I hope you still enjoy!
Ilios, Greece
2076
The porcelain-white square for this town hanging over the sea was bustling. A market of stalls set up around the square, the vendors trying to sell their goods to anyone passing within a few feet of them. Cheap trinkets or souvenirs with exorbitantly high markup prices, from little plastic busts of Greek historical figures to little seashells that weren't from the sea a stone's throw away. Granted, they weren't targeting fellow locals, just the myriad of tourists visiting their oceanside home. Humans and Omnics walking around and almost seeming lost, either enamored by the stunning sea vista off the cliff or the clean blue-and-white limestone architecture that was this town's gimmick. The tourists helping themselves to whatever amenities this town and its people were more than happy to offer.
Nonetheless, they seemed to be enjoying themselves and the view wasn't half-bad, but how would Nathan know? He couldn't just sightsee from where he was, stuck in the lighthouse, even as he peered through his Karabiner's scope.
"Lighthouse still clear," he said, firmly hugging the stock.
Nathan had been up there for the better part of the day, setting up shop not long before the vendors did. Being tasked to provide a watchful eye on the crowd and wait. Boring but peaceful, with the noise of the crowd and the square below him.
Too bad his "spotter" was too preoccupied with holo-games on her phone, just a couple of feet behind him and sitting against her pink tank. Nathan got used to it by that time.
Her thumbs rapidly tapped against the screen as Hana stared at pixelated figures, the game glowing and flashing off her face in the dim light of the lighthouse. After a few more seconds and hi-scores broken, the level ended and congratulated her for her accomplishments.
"I'm bored…" she groaned, throwing her head back.
"Uh huh," Nathan acknowledged, again.
Hana frowned at him, only being met with the back of his shirt.
"What? You're not?" she questioned.
"We've only been here for a few hours," he responded.
"Exactly!"
He just glanced over his shoulder.
"Kid, if you can't silently stay still for just a couple of hours, you've got a problem," Nathan admitted, eyes back on the square. "You've barely looked up from your phone since we got here."
"Oh, come on, you're not even a little bit bored?" Hana questioned further. "Sitting on that box all day?"
"I've worked with military snipers, before. This is kinda what they do. Just sit in place for a long ass time and wait for whatever they're waiting for to pop up. I'm sure your 'grandma' can attest to this. And besides, ain't you military?"
"Yeah, but I'm a mech pilot, I'm supposed to be knee deep in the action at a mission's notice! Not sit around and do nothing while I'm still wearing my suit. And you worked with military snipers? Who?"
"…A friend of mine."
Hana waited for a bit more elaboration with who that friend was but only got more silence from him. She went back to playing another level of the game on her phone.
Unfortunately, that wouldn't keep her entertained long as she felt that lump growing in the back of her throat, again. The feeling where she was stuck in a place for too long. Something that felt all too familiar from her time being stationed at Busan. Almost wanting to close out of the game entirely and find something else to keep her occupied. Hearing seabirds outside the window of where they were, she saw the clear blue-sky. Almost feeling some of the cool air blow in and ease the stuffiness.
"Sucks that I can't go outside," she lamented, hearing the market below. "The only time I visit Ilios and I'm stuck in a lighthouse."
"Greece is practically in the same climate as Gibraltar," Nathan responded. "Weather's not that different."
"I know, but there's the local culture, the food, the people! Don't you want to experience stuff like that?"
"Nope."
Hana frowned at that response, seeing she was not really getting anywhere with him on that topic. Not really making much progress in the past hour with him. She thought about continuing the conversation or even moving to an entirely different subject, but they still had a mission, so maybe she'll try something later. Keeping it in the back of her mind as she exited out of her game and decided to web surf for now.
More time had passed, Nathan keeping an eye on the town square and Hana keeping her eyes on her phone. After watching tourist after tourist make their way through the white square – mothers scolding their children, couples walking with clasped hands, or poor fools getting swindled into buying a keychain – he fidgeted a little and reaffirmed his grip on his rifle. After another couple of minutes of sitting still, Nathan narrowed his eyes underneath his mask and felt a jitter in his leg.
He sat up abruptly and took his helmet off, resting it on a box.
"Hey, kid. You're bored, right?" Brin called out, pivoting in his seat, keeping the rifle pointed out the window. "Come here."
Hana looked up from her phone for once and looked at him. "What?"
"Got something else for you to do."
She perked an eyebrow, looking at the rifle and him. Taking one more glance at her phone, she turned it off as she got up and stepped over to Nathan. The large man got off the box and gestured for her to take it. She did, still unsure what Nathan wanted her to do.
"Still remember how to hold it?" he asked, handing the rifle to her.
"Yeah," she said, feeling the stock dig into her shoulder as she wrapped her hands around the stock. "Forgot how heavy this thing is."
"Good, let's get you reacquainted. Keep your finger off the trigger and don't mess with anything on the rifle, for now. Just get used to handling that thing. Remember what our target looks?"
"Uh, yeah!"
"Good, cause you'll be providing the watch from now on."
"What? Why me?!"
"What? You can't do it?"
Hana peered to the left and glared at the large man, before pouting and looking down at the rifle. Feeling the old wood brush against her hands. The rifle looked much larger when up against her smaller frame, but the kid still made due. Thankfully having something to rest it upon.
"Alright, see the scope?"
"It's literally right in front of my face, dude."
"Good, you can't miss it, then. Look through the scope and try to get a clear sight-picture. Don't be afraid to move around."
With those instructions, the Mech Pilot leaned forward and brought her eye right up to the scope. Half of her face wrinkling as she shut one eye. Thinking back to First-Person Shooters, again.
"If you wanted to give yourself a black eye, you're on the right path," Nathan bluntly commented, watching as he stood over her. "Don't bring your face right up against the scope, kid. Give it some space for recoil. Also, keep both eyes open."
"Why?"
"It's unneeded. It'll just mess with your vision and distract you. You'll get used to it."
"Oookay…" Song said, looking back to the rifle and resting her painted cheek on the stock.
Her eye was farther away from the telescopic sight, but now able to see through the scope. The image was clear despite being such an old sight, and she did feel more comfortable not having to scrunch up one-half of her face. Taking some time for her vision to adjust.
"Huh, I can see clearly now," she admitted, drifting the scope over the square. Now keeping a lookout for their target.
"Good, good," Nathan said, stepping back as she got more comfortable with the rifle. "Might as well learn something you're at it."
As she occupied herself with her new role, the Waster stepped back from the window and leaned against the wall, right next to her mech. With his hands now free, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his pack of smokes. Wasting no time popping one into his mouth and igniting it with his lighter. Even with her headphones on, Hana could hear the click and flick of his lighter, and eventually the smell of burning two-hundred-year-old tobacco.
"Eww!" the young woman audibly expressed, her face scrunching up. "You know those are bad for you!"
Hana sat up from the rifle and fanned the air in front of her nose. She turned around to glare daggers at him but saw him standing still against the wall, like a stone. Almost as still when he was manning the sniper. Few times where she's seen him like this. Barely moving a centimeter, that cigarette as stiff as a board even when he puffed smoke, his eyes closed as if to savor every cloud, his beefy arms steady and crossed over his large chest, and the lowlight from the windows casting shadows off the muscles under his shirt without a duster to-
Song blinked and caught herself, shaking her head for a second and going back to the old rifle. To try and keep herself occupied. Shrinking into the scope.
Nathan felt his nerves calm with the surge of nicotine in his system, able to get his bearings better. Not be entirely bored out of his mind.
"Zzzzoooorrrbbbaaa!"
That sudden yell from the crowd made him blink and he looked to the window. Stepping over to see what that noise was about.
It was a man with a guitar, posted by the planter that was between the two staircases. He was accompanied by two other men, holding stringed instruments of their own that weren't guitars, but they were all acoustic.
They were currently playing a melody that was a simple, rhythmic strumming of their instruments, with one them playing some quick, snappy motifs in between the guitarist's strums. It was catchy, but that wasn't what caught the Waster's attention.
"Bravo!"
It was then that he also noticed that much of the crowd around the square began to clap in unison with the music, slowly and calmly at first. With all their attention directed to the center of the square, he saw a man was dancing there with plenty of space around him, his arms stretched out and making his legs do these slow kicks and taps. However, the music began to increase in tempo, the crowd's claps and the man's steps mirroring that. People from the crowd, both local and tourist, slowly began to join him and mimic his steps. The tourists trying their best.
"…What…?"
He heard shuffling next to him and saw Hana pull her phone up and point the back of it to the square. A video feed of the square itself appearing on the screen. Her face lighting up the entire time.
"The hell are you doing?"
"Taking a video!"
"…On that?"
"Yeah! Oh man, I wish I was down there, though!"
Nathan narrowed his eyes, then snapped his head back to the dancers to see that there was more of them, and they began to dance a bit more frantically with the music. The strings becoming twangier, higher-pitched, and more energetic. He watched as the dancers suddenly crouched low to the ground and clap their hands together, yelling "Zorba", before up to their feet.
"…Huh… Audax," the Wastelander uttered. "But can you mind the rifle?"
"Ugh, fine!" Hana relented, but suddenly jutting the phone up to him. "Can you at least record this? And keep it horizontal, will you?"
He stared at the device for a second before grabbing it. His eyes scrutinizing the tiny display. Silently surprised by how clear and smooth everything looked. On the right side of the screen, he saw tick marks that weren't too dissimilar from marks on a telescopic sight. Out of curiosity, he brought a finger over and tapped on it, the display suddenly magnified. The Wastelander was surprised at first but noted how even at this magnification things still looked clear. Impressed, he began panning the small device's camera all over the square and testing the "zoom" option he discovered.
He didn't say anything else as more moving things entered his line of sight. However, the show incidentally cleared up a lot of space on the ground, so he had an easier time shifting his sight picture from corner to corner. The middle of the square not nearly as much of a priority now unless their target liked dancing. His trigger-finger tapping along the phone's pink case.
Finally, by the time the mob had formed circles and began spinning around the square, Nathan spotted who they were looking for with the help of the mobile phone. It was a man with a suit as white as the limestone and sunglasses as glossy as the plastic trinkets. He was on the outer edges of the performance, watching the whole thing unfold. Nathan couldn't see anything below his chest, but the phone's camera made it clear it was who they were looking.
"Target spotted. Northeast corner of the square. Edge of the crowd," he alerted, tapping Hana's shoulder to keep her focused. "What now?"
"Wait," Ana Amari's voice spoke into his ear, yet she was nowhere to be seen. "We can't risk alerting the entire town."
"I don't know. The crowd seems pretty distracted, right now. Anything else we can pull off?"
"Leave it to us," a third voice said, belonging to Genji. Also nowhere to be seen.
Nathan raised an eyebrow at the response but opted to stay silent and keep the phone on target. Puffing more smoke from the corner of his mouth. However, he could hear Song's slight gasp after Genji spoke. Making sure not to chuckle from that.
Nathan could see the man still watching the performance in the square. Watching how he bobbed his head to the music and even had a little smile as he watched the spectacle. The dancing circle spinning even faster, people with their arms locked over each other's shoulders and kicking the air in front of them. The strings happily strumming away faster than the Mediterranean breeze.
"Be a shame to interrupt this party," the New Californian admitted, tapping his trigger finger to the beat. "Music ain't half-bad."
"I thought you hated music?" Hana blurted out, looking up at him.
"When the hell did I say that?"
"You never seem to like any music that's playing around you. Lena said so."
"Yeah, the electronic shit I can't stand."
"Then what can you stand?"
Nathan's eyes drifted from the phone for a second.
"Anything with real instruments. Real people. Easy and pleasant to my ears. Classics. At least, from my world."
Hana looked at 40-year-old Waster, now learning what his tastes in music were. Immediately, her mind raced to what that could've meant, and a few ideas popped into her head. Wondering if Lúcio could help her given he's a musician.
She would have to put off her plan, for now, as they noticed some movement to the side. A hooded figure with his head to the ground speedily walked over to the square, making his way to the man in the suit. Then, from the opposite direction of his path, another hooded figure appeared from a doorway and made his way towards the outer reaches of the crowd, also towards the man in white. A quiver with a blue strap hanging from his back.
Nathan growled lowly as he sighted the baggy black sweater of the second figure but kept his temper cool enough to keep the frame steady.
It wasn't long until the first figure finally reached the man and only bumped into him before being on the rest of his way. The target lost his smile and tried to catch a glimpse of the hooded figure, before also being bumped into by the second, also being on his merry way. He yelled at them, unable to be heard over the street performance and the crowd. After standing there for a few moments, however, the man's expression changes and look down to pat his pockets. Nathan seeing him look up with eyes as white as the ground. Without another word, the target ran from the crowd and towards to where the second hooded figure went. Following him to a few alleyways, away from the crowd and music. A few seconds later, the concert in the square ended with a raucous strumming, and the dancing stopping and throwing their arms into the air.
"Zorba!"
Loud cheering and clapping from all over the square followed. Even from people watching from balconies and open windows. However, as everyone scattered from the dance floor or thanked the band, the rest of the team waited for a response.
"Sparrow, what's your status?" Morrison then called out over comms, probably not too far from Ana.
Static filled the air for a couple of seconds, but they eventually went live with Genji's voice. Accompanied by the sound of someone getting the shit beaten out of them.
"Target… Acquired!" Genji confirmed in between sounds of a fist hitting a gut. Presumably his fist. "We will meet you at the rendezvous. He should have the info we need."
"Good job, dear," Ana congratulated. "Everyone else, move out."
Nathan was already way ahead of her as he handed back the phone and got his rifle. Taking one last, hearty drag from his cigarette as he stepped over to Hana's mech. The pink machine now on its feet with its pilot in the cockpit, instruments inside and around her flashing to life.
"Finally!" the MEKA pilot exclaimed, getting her "war" face on.
"Hmph, the brother proved himself useful. Good," Brin noted, tossing the burnt-up cigarette and stamping it.
With his helmet now firmly fitted over his head, the tall Wastelander clambered over the pink mech and sat on top. Grabbing ahold of whatever he could on the large machine.
Then, with a sudden jolt, the pink mech went off flying from the other side of the lighthouse and over the cliffside. Beginning to make its way to the other side of the Greek island. Thankfully, the sound of the square market enough to mask the noise of the agents flying off.
Atop the island, there lay ancient ruins of limestone and marble that have been seated for thousands of years. Temples dedicated to gods from a by-gone era built by a by-gone generation. A civilization more by-gone than most. Despite their age, there was still great value to be had in these crumbling remnants of an old world. Mainly historical value, seeing if these ancient artifacts would shed any light on the past. An intellectual pursuit practically mandatory in this part of the world, even for tourists. Unfortunately, the current visitors hardly seemed interested in the histories as they moved around the ruins with boxes of stolen goods.
"Move it! We gotta be out of here before anyone comes looking for these two!" a Talon officer barked as he stood in the middle of the site, two hostages bound and gagged a couple of feet behind him. Curators for the internationally protected heritage site.
The officer looked at them before grumbling and looking back to his holopad.
Around him, Talon agents in jumpsuits boxed up and moved crates of priceless Greek artifacts, getting them ready for transport. Most likely to whoever was the highest bidder. Things were running smoothly, and it was mainly just time they were running against, but moving a bunch of old, dusty vases and busts was a dull operation. Mainly having his head buried in his holopad as he checked off boxes on a list. He had a few more grievances regarding this mission, mainly an associate of theirs not being present.
"It's been two fucking hours, where the hell is that lazy bastard?" he questioned, grumbling as he looked at the time on his holopad. "I swear, it's always the rich, stuck-up bastards who are never on time. This is a waste."
"Yes, sir," a foot soldier responded, guarding the two hostages.
"I even gave the dumb bastard a notice in advance and his worthless ass still couldn't bother showing up."
"Yes, sir."
"I mean, isn't this what Ogundimu didn't want? I thought we were done with this."
"Yes, sir."
"But he doesn't have daddy's money anymore, so now we're peddling old centerpieces to keep our operations up. Unless they 'neglected' to tell me something else. Ain't that some shit?"
Turning around, the officer nearly dropped his holopad as he found himself alone in the square. The soldier nowhere to be found and only the two hostages, still tied up but equally as wide-eyed as him.
"What the… Oh, shit! Everyone, we've got company!" the officer called out, pulling out his sidearm and immediately pointing it at the hostages.
However, instead of getting a flurry of responses from his men, he only received radio-silence as he heard faint screaming and yelling from across the ruins. Hearing his men get taken out, but no gunshots echoing across the mountainside.
"What the fuck…?!" he gasped as the muzzle of his pistol trembled towards his hostages. His only form of leverage in this situation. "Is there anyone fucking there?!"
Unfortunately, he got his answer an invisible hand grabbed his wrist and forcefully twisted the barrel of his pistol and planted it right on the bottom of his chin. He froze in shock as he felt both of his arms locked in position by someone much stronger, seeing the air shimmer right in front of him.
"Don't piss me off," the Courier's voice growled into his ear, the cloaking shield fizzled away.
However, after he said that, a group of Talon soldiers came running up to the square and stopped right at the edge to see their CO being held up. Quickly, they lined and took aim with their rifles, but something whistled through the air with enough strength and precision to shatter and knock their weapons out of their hands. An arrow embedding itself into the wall adjacent to them. Not giving them a second to recuperate, the pink mech flew into all of them and knocked them to the ground. DVa landing on the ground next to them with a thud and heavy guns in their faces.
Then, the officer had the gun taken out from under his chin and was pushed to the ground. With his hands still bound and his own gun pointed at his temple. An armored knee digging into his back. Barely able to move with the large man keeping him in line.
Meanwhile, Nathan watched and listened as Talon agents left and right were being taken out by his teammates. Not really having to do anything as he knelt and watched the mission unfold. He could've helped speed the process up, but he felt fine where he was. At least the kid was holding her own.
There was more screaming from the ruins near them, and they looked up to watch one of the silver-domed goons be thrown across the air and crashing a few feet from them. Dazed, he tried to get up but collapsed to the ground as someone landed atop of him, thoroughly incapacitating him. He quickly rolled off and readied his bow, as if expecting him to retaliate. After a few moments, he relieved pressure from his bow and breathed.
"Hmph, not bad," Soldier: 76 commented, hopping down from the catwalk and walking over to the man he hurled. "But I wasn't done with him."
"I'm sorry, I just wish to be thorough," the Shimada Archer responded, examining his arrow. "I wouldn't wish to disappoint anyone."
Hanzo glanced at Nathan but saw he was too busy roughing up their new hostage.
"Not bad for your first excursion with us," his brother walked up to him, placing a metallic hand on his shoulder. "I knew you would help do some good."
"I hoped. At least retribution had reached this lot," Hanzo stated, looking down at the pinned officer.
The officer's face looked up to meet his gaze, squinting under the Greek sun, but they lit up with recognition.
"Hey, I know you!" the officer exclaimed. "You're Hanzo Shimada! Of the Shimada Clan, out in Japan!"
Hanzo's face flashed with surprise for a moment, before being replaced with a hostile scowl towards the man. More than displeased to hear that connection being made. Genji looking to his brother at that moment.
"Listen – if you get me out of here, my associates could get you into contact with your old clan and they could- Aaaagghh!"
The rest of the officer's proposal, thankfully, was cut short as Nathan's hand grabbed the back of his head and pushed his nose into the marble floor. Blood staining the limestone.
"Brin!" Ana yelled, seeing him use unnecessary force.
"What? He's literally trying to recruit the new-guy! Am I supposed to let that happen?" Nathan argued back, turning and still clutching the back of his head to look at his bloody nose. "Serves you right for trying to pull that shit in front of us."
The Talon officer had a pained expression on his face but still felt enough to cast a raging glare at Brin. Blood pouring over his teeth.
"Fuck you!" he spat out.
The Courier reaffirmed his grip on the back of his head and raised it to promptly slam him into the ground, again, but the Archer stepped forward.
"I believe he's had enough," he said, holding up an open palm. "He still has much punishment to look forward to, with the local authorities, I mean."
Nathan's mask looked up at Hanzo, staring for a moment while he clutched the back of his victim's head in his hand. Not a moment sooner, he lets the officer plop to the ground to writhe in pain.
"Whatever you say, boss. Let's just get out of here," Nathan relented, getting up to his full height and walking by them.
Then, over the next few minutes, the team gathered up all the Talon goons and tied them up in the middle of the ancient ruins. The commanding officer of the operation bound at his hands and feet, with a gag over his bloody mouth. Nathan and Jack tying up the knots before walking away from them and towards the edge of the cliff, where their ship hovered close-by.
There, the rest of the agents gathered around as they watched the two hostages fervently thank them, the two now shaking hands with Ana. None the wiser about the masked sniper, however.
"Thank you! Thank you, so much!" one curator exclaimed.
"You're very welcome," Ana responded. "Just make sure the local law enforcement takes care of this group."
"Oh, about that! They destroyed our phones when they captured us. So, you wouldn't happen to have anything that could help us call the police, no?"
"Hmm, we might. Hana, do you have an extra phone they can borrow? I'll make sure to burn it when we-"
"No need," Nathan suddenly spoke out, toting a Talon assault rifle pulling back on the charging handle. Pointing it up in the air and towards the open sea. "Ears up!"
The team barely had time to react and the curators jumped as Nathan unloaded a magazine into the air with fully-automatic fire. Drowning out noise in the closest vicinity with a shower of brass casings flooding out the rifle for every shot. The weapon's somewhat low rate of fire made it last a second or two longer than he had anticipated until he felt it rock against his shoulder one last time, becoming dry. The sound of the cliff edge quickly came back to them, with the birds still screeching and flapping in surprise. The barrel and the breach smoking, smelling like sulfur.
Nathan turned back to see much of the team glaring at him, and the curators looking at him in shock. However, a few moments later, the whine of a police siren could be heard traveling over the tiny island. Only getting louder as time passed.
"That was easy," Nathan commented, ejecting the magazine and clearing the chamber before discarding the weapon.
He walked to the dropship and went inside without another word, even as everyone else stared at him. Hanzo looked at his brother as if expecting an explanation, but Genji only shrugged as he got on the ship as well. Eventually, everyone else piled in, the curators watching as the large ship took off and disappeared into the ocean horizon.
The ride back to Gibraltar was short and almost sweet, feeling like a quick jump across a lake. Nathan couldn't have been happier to be back and closer to his bed, already on his feet and at the ramp door as they landed. Opening to reveal the same landing area with the same constructions of steel and concrete fused into the same mountain rock. Almost about to be halfway gone until he noticed a group of people walk up to the platform. Immediately spotting the base's doctor in the middle.
"Afternoon, Dr. Ziegler!" Nathan greeted before realizing she was wearing her Valkyrie suit but had her head completely enshrouded in a plastic cowl. As if she was about to venture into a toxic waste site. The staff around her wore similar uniforms, barely able to make out Aida's face next to Dr. Ziegler.
"Mom?"
Nathan looked over his shoulder to see Hana almost about to climb down and looking equally as surprised as him.
"Hana, please stay on the ship!" Dr. Ziegler commanded, yet sounding worried. "Don't get close to Nathan."
"What? Why?!"
"Please do as I say, Hana!"
The younger woman was taken aback by the sudden shift in tone, clutching a hand to her chest. It wasn't long until Jack and Ana appeared right behind her.
"Dr. Ziegler, what's wrong?" Nathan interjected, looking at the people in plastic suits. Starting to feel tense.
"Nathan… It recently came to my attention that you ventured into the Australian Omnium on your last mission," Dr. Ziegler explained but only leaving him more confused.
"Yeah, that was the plan. I thought you knew!"
"No, it's that you went directly inside the heavily irradiated ruins of the Omnium. That is what is worrying me, Nathan."
It was at that moment did Nathan's eyes lit up in realization, before groaning and rubbing the side of his face. His worries that it was something greater than that were subsided, and the Wastelander was almost amused that it was only just something as silly as radiation.
"Dr. Ziegler, you don't have to worry, then," Brin calmly reassured. "I flushed out all the radiation in my system after the mission. Before coming back, in fact."
"Really? How?"
"That anti-rad medicine I have. The ones I've been meaning to show you. If you don't believe me just take a look at my Pip-Boy."
Pressing a button and twisting a knob, he waved his left arm to the side, displaying the bulky case of the gauntlet for them to see. Glancing at her assistant for a moment, Angela walked forward and got within arm's length of Nathan. His arm's length, to be exact. Looking up at him first, she turned her gaze to the wrist-mounted computer. Putting one hand on it and pivoting to see the screen for herself, little resistance from the wearer. Being greeted by the amber glow of the strange display of the screen. Eventually, she spotted the piece of data she was looking for and indeed saw a big fat zero to indicate his radiation levels. Finding herself more astounded considering what happened to the Outback.
The Doctor looked up at Nathan's features and he seemed fine, relatively speaking. No fevers, no sweating, and still possessing a full head of hair. He looked like he could do with a few hours of rest, though.
"So, it seems," Dr. Ziegler admitted, taking a step back and facing him. "But…"
"I still probably have radioactive particulates on my clothes or I'm just having a delayed reaction to the rads… You still want to be thorough, don't you, Doctor?" Nathan asked, sounding deflated yet not entirely dismayed. As if he was already expecting this to happen, regardless of anything he had to say.
"Yes. And I must make sure the others weren't exposed to any lethal amounts you may have been emitting. I'm sorry."
"Eh, it's fine. Better you than anyone else. So, what are we waiting for? Let's at least get this done with-"
"Not so fast," Angela stopped, holding up one hand in front of him. Then, she reached for her belt and produced a metallic disk that was slightly bigger than her palm. Holding it out to him. "Can you hold this please, Nathan? For me?"
Without a word, the Waster grabbed the disk and just held it, wondering what the point was. Then, without warning, the sides of the disk popped out and shot into the air before hovering above his head. From its underside, it emitted a transparent shield with a bluish-tint that enveloped the tall man from head to toe. Nathan went wide-eyed, almost stumbling on his boots and spinning around to see he was surrounded by a wall of energy. After a few more moments, he stopped and looked around to still see Dr. Ziegler and her assistants standing before him through the shield. Trying to breathe easy, he reached out to touch the shield but could only watch as the wall of energy stopped him.
"Well… This is different," Nathan could only admit, looking up at the little drone keeping him trapped. "Did Vaswani make this?"
"She did, actually," Angela answered, walking up to him. "I'm sorry for this, Nathan. I just need to make sure no one else gets contaminated if you are still infected with a dose of radiation."
"You don't need to keep apologizing, I already got the gist of it," he adamantly reassured, but heaving a sigh as he looked up. "Lead the way."
The Doctor and her patient made their way to the medical wing. The "bubble" shifting around Nathan with every step, the drone following very closely. When they were on the other side of the yard, the rest of the returning agents clambered down but still looked. The Shimada brothers exchanged glances but no words and Morrison and Song still looked on with mild interest. Then, they heard soft laughter as Ana walked past them and into the base, the hood providing ample cover for her smirk.
"I'll make this up to you," Dr. Ziegler said, looking back at Nathan. "I promise."
"I told you, doctor, you don't have to keep worryin'," Nathan responded. "You haven't disappointed me yet, have you?"
"God-fucking-dammit…" Nathan growled as he sat on a bench along the wall, currently confined to a square room with nothing but a patient's gown. He sat parallel from the glass viewing-pane where he could see Dr. Ziegler and Aida on the other side, talking with each other as they looked at a holopad with data on it. Occasionally making glances to the patient inside, the former returning a reassuring smile to him. At least letting him think that things were fine, but it wasn't the square confinement or the lack of clothing that bothered the Waster. It was his "cell-mates" that didn't make the situation any better, as he felt a bony elbow poke him in the arm.
"Hey, psst!" Junkrat whispered to him with that consistently stupid grin. "What're you in for, mate?"
The twitchy Australian then burst into a fit of laughter, hugging his gut as if he told the best joke in the world. If Nathan had an iota of his amusement, he'd probably be able to tolerate being stuck with the Junkers in the small room.
"Ahhhh, that never gets old," Jamison mused, tugging at his own patient gown. "But it's usually in uniforms less revealing than this."
"Yeah… What are you guys even doing here?" Nathan questioned as he looked at the two for an explanation.
"Getting a check-up, what else? They probably think tubby here has come down with something from all those canisters he-"
"No, that's not what I meant. Why are you still here?"
"Oh, that! It's simple, mate: We've been officially contracted!"
There was a time where that happy declaration from the ash-covered bombardier would've surprised, maybe outright angered Nathan, where he would've subsequently gone on a tirade against whatever upper-hierarchy was left in this organization. Maybe he would've acted like that a month ago or more recently, but now Nathan just looked at the Fawkes with a bored expression and grunted in response. Barely surprised and less so interested.
"And I couldn't be happier!" Junkrat went on, almost able to keep his patient gown on. "Finally, I'm a part of a semi-legitimate organization that sees the value in my expertise. I knew lowering my standards would work! And I knew charming Madame Amari would come in handy when the head monkey-"
"Ape," Roadhog corrected.
"…When the head ape expressed his 'concerns'. Pah, he's got nothing to be concerned about with two top blokes added to his ranks. Every good team needs an explosive expert, and I'm glad she recognized that! Well, I might have some competition with the Eagle-Amari, but I ain't gonna let that Sheila take all the fun."
Jamison "Junkrat" Fawkes stretched out and rested his hands behind his head, without a care in the world. Happy that things seem to be going up for him, for once. His partner wasn't nearly as expressive about getting wrapped up with the New Overwatch, but he didn't say much anyway. Just patiently waiting in his patient gown. However, Junkrat cast his eyes forward and gained a devilish smirk before slowing leaning over to Nathan again, who was silently musing to himself the entire time.
"Speaking of Sheilas…" he began, then whispering to Nathan. "What do you think of the blondie, mate? She's smokin', aye?"
Nathan was broken out of his train of thought and looked to the glass, more than aware of who he was talking about. Seeing her still attentively look at her holopad and make occasional glances to her patients.
"Yeah, she's out of your league, though," Nathan stated, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"Eh, nothing a little 'wasteland charm' can't fix," the Junker boasted.
"Hmph, good luck," the New Californian said.
"I'm telling you, Angela, I can't detect any other anomalies from Nathan," Aida told her mentor, flipping through the results on her holopad. "I've conducted multiple scans and had Athena double-check all of them. Still nothing. Just a clean bill of health."
"I see…" Angela acknowledged, but barely. "This is just a complete surprise for me. From what Fawkes recounted to the others, Nathan was practically in the heart of the Omnium ruins. He was exposed to radiation levels that could severely debilitate men half his age, or even worse. Yet, as you said, nothing!"
"I know. He said he had some type of anti-radiation medicine, right? Could it really be that effective?"
"None that I know of. I think I'll talk to him after we're done here. Go ahead and initiate the purging. Let's not keep them locked up inside longer than they need to."
"Yes, Angela."
Aida was about to head over to the console, but she paused and turned back to her mentor. Remembering something.
"I… Did, however, find some interesting details from him. Not regarding radiation or even his health," the assistant explained, clearly perturbed.
"Really?"
"Yes, but I'm not really sure what it is. It could've been technical noise from the instruments."
"I see… I'll look at it later, Aida. Let's just get them out of there, now."
Without a second thought, her young assistant went to the decontamination room's console and began operating it. A few clicks and beeps later, vents all over the room's ceiling began to spray a fine mist into the room and all over the occupants. Jamison cringed away from the mist, trying to hide into his partner who sat there and watched mist collect over his mask. Nathan looked around, equally as disinterested in the shower. Probably used to such procedures from back home.
Angela sheepishly gave him a thumbs-up through the glass, to which he returned the gesture before being enveloped in the mist.
