Winston (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
highapetitude) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
aperture_high2017-04-26 08:12 am
highapetitude) wrote in aperture_high2017-04-26 08:12 am
mom and dad to the rescue
[ Continued from here. ]
[ Jack had been right about at least one thing. Winston's decision to reboot Overwatch and take up that mantle was the same as painting a target on his own head, and it was only a matter of time before someone came to call. Given that Talon had already come after him once, he really should have been prepared for a second attempt. Winston may have been able to scare them off the first time, but he had information and resources that apparently meant something to them, and they wouldn't give in so easily.
They'd at least been smart enough not to come to Gibraltar again. It wasn't a stronghold, exactly, but with more and more members of the new Overwatch spending their time there, it wouldn't have been wise to make another try at breaching their defenses.
No, it was only when Winston finally made that big step and ventured off the island for the first time in years that Talon took its chance and ambushed him. Even with Lena at his side, they'd been overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and Winston still remembers her calling after him as they dragged his tranquilized body away.
They've kept him under sedation ever since he got here, which means that there's no ability to unleash that inner rage and tear the place apart on his way out. Lena will come after him ("You saved me once. Only right I return the favor, isn't it?"), but who knows how long it will take her to penetrate Talon's HQ. Until then, all he can do is endure, even as they poke and prod and sometimes cut into him, aiming to figure out how he works and what makes him so different from the rest of his kind.
He's put through the wringer, and while his body can take the punishment, even it can only handle so much. When he isn't being worked on, he does what he can to rest and conserve his energy. He knows he'll need it when the eventual rescue effort comes through.
It's the sound of gunshots and yelling that yanks Winston out of a deep, sedated rest. His body thrums with pain, but that's become a near constant since his capture, and he can ignore it. He fights against the heavy restraints holding him down as he strains to hear more of what's going on outside of his cell. Could this be what he's been waiting for? ]
[ Jack had been right about at least one thing. Winston's decision to reboot Overwatch and take up that mantle was the same as painting a target on his own head, and it was only a matter of time before someone came to call. Given that Talon had already come after him once, he really should have been prepared for a second attempt. Winston may have been able to scare them off the first time, but he had information and resources that apparently meant something to them, and they wouldn't give in so easily.
They'd at least been smart enough not to come to Gibraltar again. It wasn't a stronghold, exactly, but with more and more members of the new Overwatch spending their time there, it wouldn't have been wise to make another try at breaching their defenses.
No, it was only when Winston finally made that big step and ventured off the island for the first time in years that Talon took its chance and ambushed him. Even with Lena at his side, they'd been overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and Winston still remembers her calling after him as they dragged his tranquilized body away.
They've kept him under sedation ever since he got here, which means that there's no ability to unleash that inner rage and tear the place apart on his way out. Lena will come after him ("You saved me once. Only right I return the favor, isn't it?"), but who knows how long it will take her to penetrate Talon's HQ. Until then, all he can do is endure, even as they poke and prod and sometimes cut into him, aiming to figure out how he works and what makes him so different from the rest of his kind.
He's put through the wringer, and while his body can take the punishment, even it can only handle so much. When he isn't being worked on, he does what he can to rest and conserve his energy. He knows he'll need it when the eventual rescue effort comes through.
It's the sound of gunshots and yelling that yanks Winston out of a deep, sedated rest. His body thrums with pain, but that's become a near constant since his capture, and he can ignore it. He fights against the heavy restraints holding him down as he strains to hear more of what's going on outside of his cell. Could this be what he's been waiting for? ]
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He tries to fight it all down--remind himself that he has a mission to undertake, that he warned Winston something like this would happen. That Lena will muster the remaining members of new Overwatch and stage their own rescue mission. That it isn't his business anymore and that Winston and Lena and the rest signed up for this when they painted targets on their backs. They'll have to learn how to muddle through this on their own.
If you want something done right, however, you have to do it yourself, and that in combination with Ana's gentle prodding spurs him to finally take action. Talon is expecting Overwatch to bust through their front door--they are most certainly not expecting a pair of vigilantes sneaking in the back. It's not hard to figure out where they're keeping Winston. Fighting their way to the cell is the hard part, and eventually the sounds of their break-in reverberate throughout the complex.
But really, Talon goons don't stand a chance in the face of a super soldier and the peerless sniper backing him up. Soon enough, the fight's brought straight to the holding cells, where Jack dispatches the remaining guards with a brutality that bears no resemblance to the man he used to be. If he's concerned about that, he doesn't show it, moving lethally and efficiently to clear the room.
When the last guard falls, he straightens slowly, scanning the room with his visor just to make sure. After a moment, he determines that barring prisoners, they're alone. Jack gestures to one of the fallen guards.]
Check if someone has a key card on them.
[To unlock the cell. Ana starts to look immediately, and neither of them seem to notice that Winston has roused himself to consciousness. First things first.]
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There's a more appropriate word to use here, but Winston has tried not to let himself think it. He'd never thought he'd end up some kind of prisoner of war.
When he hears a voice, he focuses in on it, huffs out a breath when he realizes that it's familiar. For a moment he wonders if he's imagining things, hoping that his old commander has come to his rescue when in reality he knows how unlikely that would be.
On the off chance that he isn't hallucinating, though, Winston continues to shift around as much as the restraints will allow him, finally getting a clear view through the window set into the cell door. He catches a glimpse of a red glow set into a mask and then half-laughs, half-coughs in disbelief.
Either he's dreaming or he's very, very lucky.
Again, he tries to put all three hundred and fifty pounds of his weight into freeing himself, but the tranquilizer they've been dosing them with is nothing to sneeze at. ] Commander... [ Winston's voice comes out somewhat slurred, but he makes sure to speak loudly, to be heard through the door. ] Never thought I'd see you here...
[ Hadn't Morrison said he wanted nothing to do with them? And come to think of it, who'd he been talking to earlier? ]
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Jack freezes for the slightest moment, like he didn't plan on a conscious Winston. He'd be lying if he wasn't thinking of Gérard and Amélie, how he still doesn't know what Talon did to the latter. If they're trying to do something similar with Winston and all he's doing is inviting another sleeper agent into their midst. He knows he should just save himself the heartache.
But seeing Winston in that cell is even worse, he thinks. Ana would certainly never forgive him.]
Don't thank me just yet.
[They still have to get the cell door open and get out of here, and Jack is quick to silence Winston, because the last thing he needs is for Talon to have footage of the gorilla calling him Commander on security camera.]
Here.
[Ana's at his side, handing him a card key nicked off one of the guards. She's wearing her mask too, the juxtaposition of their red and blue visors probably not very comforting, not that Winston has much room to complain. As soon as the door is open, she's the one closing the distance, kneeling down to him while Jack keeps an eye on the entrances and exits.]
Can you stand?
[Jack might be able to do some hauling, but Ana certainly isn't going to be able to move Winston's not insubstantial bulk.]
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He isn't expecting the other figure, even though the signs had been there, and the glowing blue mask is enough to make him suspicious despite his mental haziness. A friend of Jack's, the one he'd mentioned he was going to meet...?
Well, it's not something Winston can think too hard on now. He expects at least some of his questions to be answered once they're out of here. ]
I think so.
[ Despite what he says, Winston's not in good shape. His dark fur makes it difficult to tell, but he's bruised all over and has a few gashes cut deep into his large body. Instead of focusing on that, though, he nods toward a panel on the wall. ]
That's the control for the restraints.
[ He'd made sure to keep track of that much, at least. With the possibility of escape so close, his heart starts to race. Talon reinforcements could be on them at any moment, and he's a whole lot of dead weight. ]
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She might not be able to see his injuries, but she can feel the swelling, the heat radiating off the wounds. The pain in her voice is evident as she hefts one of his arms over her shoulder.]
Oh, Winston. What have they done to you?
[It's a rhetorical question, one that Ana doesn't expect an answer to--not yet, not while they're in the process of escaping. She can't make it to the panel while she's supporting Winston, but Ana and Jack exchange a nod. He leaves his post at the door to work at the panel, but luckily it's nothing he can't handle. There is, however, a moment of hesitation, like he's wondering if he's just inviting another Widowmaker situation.
Ana seems to pick up on it, and chastises him accordingly.]
The panel, Jack.
[There's no time to waste, and he comes around after a moment, ripping the casing off and shorting it out.]
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It's the voice that he hears then, accented and familiar, that's another step in rousing him. Winston turns his head slowly and stares at the impassive mask. There's no mistaking what he'd heard, but whether it was actually real or just something in his drug-addled head he couldn't say.
He'd gone through plenty of experiments back on the Lunar Colony. He's well aware of the strange effects that chemicals can have even on something like him.
It's the way she scolds Jack that makes Winston even more certain that it is Ana after all, and the shock of that doesn't reverberate quite as much as it should due to his current state. When his head is clearer he'll be able to give it more thought, but for now he's mainly grateful that she's here and on his side.
As soon as the panel shorts out, the metal restraints that had been holding down the bulk of Winston's body slide away. Even then, it takes him a moment to actually move, but he eventually manages to roll himself off of the table.
Instead of actually being able to hold himself up, though, his body gives in on itself as soon as his feet hit the floor. Unfortunately, a regular human probably isn't going to be able to do much good in keeping him vertical as he begins to buckle... ]
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If not that, well. She is chastising him for not opening the cage fast enough. That might be a pretty good indicator in itself.
Bridges to cross once they're all out of here safely. With the restraints gone, Jack is quick to join Ana at Winston's side, working his arm under his broad shoulders, grunting a little as he takes on some of the weight.]
I'm gonna need you to take point.
[Ana nods in return, even if it's a reversal of their usual roles--she simply won't be able to support Winston's bulk for any substantial amount of time. Best to let the actual supersoldier do the heavy lifting (quite literally, in this case).]
Come on, big guy.
[Ana disappears out of the room to announce that their exit is clear (for now), and Jack puts his back into it, hefting Winston up and pulling him along.]
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If it isn't real, he'll wake up on the table feeling gutted. If it is real, then it's in his best interest to cooperate.
He watches as the other figure moves ahead of them, still trying to figure out if she's really Ana or if that's only wishful thinking. Speaking is still a struggle, but he registers the rough cadence of Jack's words.
Big guy. Jack hadn't called him that often, usually going with something a little more professional when they worked together, but it had cropped up from time to time, when he was feeling a little more relaxed. It's nice to hear it again.
They begin to move and Winston does his best to help with the effort, to put one foot in front of the other so that Jack doesn't have to literally drag him. He focuses on the glowing red of the visor, an anchor of sorts when his vision is still blurred at the edges. ]
Why are you doing this?
[ He has to know, even though he can already guess he won't get a straight answer. ]
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Suffice to say, now isn't exactly the time for Jack to go on about why he's here and what they're doing and why. If they make it out, he'll address it later--or Ana will, more likely.]
We were in the neighborhood.
[That will have to be a good enough answer for now. Ana's at the end of the corridor, giving them a signal that the hall is clear and they can move on. So far so good, Jack thinks, until the alarm sounds.]
I'll tell you when we're in the clear. We gotta move.
[He's not sure if Winston's capable of it, yet, but that's a thinly-veiled request for him to see if he can't aid in their escape, one way or another.]
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Not that he wants to start tossing accusations around. Jack and Ana have still come to his rescue, whether it was coincidental or not.
Winston's head lifts up at the sound of the alarms, a low growl rumbling in his throat as he realizes that a fight is coming. He doesn't have his jetpack or his Tesla cannon, which means...
Well, for now it's still taking most of his attention and energy just to keep up with Jack, to put one foot in front of the other. ]
I'll see about getting... angry. You might have to hold them off for a while, though.
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[--Ana says from down the hall. Jack nods in understanding, even though she's too busy looking out for guards to see it. The alarm, however, means they're going to have company sooner rather than later, and it's just a matter of seeing how much ground they can cover before they're forced to stop and fight.
Sooner rather than later, probably. They're not exactly moving very quickly, and with Jack doing all of the supporting, they're not going to be able to get the jump on the guards after them, either.
Ana slips down the hall and into the shadows, clearly intending to cut them off at the pass. Jack can barely offer a be careful as he keeps hauling Winston's weight, and soon enough, there's the sound of gunfire. Jack tenses under Winston's arm, then slips out from it.
He looks like he's about to take off after Ana, but after a moment he reconsiders, unholstering his sidearm and pressing it into Winston's hand.]
Wait here.
[He imagines, however, that there will be objections.]
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(The moment one of his saviors gets hurt, well, all bets are off.)
He doesn't feel any better about Ana taking point than Jack does, and as soon as the gunshots start Winston goes tense. The blood has started to flow again, the longer he's been awake, and slowly but surely all the sedatives they'd pumped into his system are wearing off.
When Jack releases him, Winston leans up against the wall. It's frustrating not being able to even walk in a straight line, but when Jack tries to shove a pistol at him, Winston growls and shakes his head, shoving it back with no small amount of strength. ]
I don't need that. [ He's never been one to fire a gun, and not simply because his fingers are too meaty to curl around a trigger. He's always fought as a necessity, rather than because it's something that comes naturally to him. At the end of the day, he's a scientist before he's anything else. ]
If they try to flank us, I'll deal with them. [ Winston manages to sound confident about that even though he still doesn't seem capable of standing on his own. It'll be fine; he'll make it work. He doesn't really have any other choice. ]
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He takes a brief moment to glance back and forth between the source of the noise and Winston, as if trying to decide where he's needed the most. Though his face isn't visible, it's easy to imagine the wince behind the mask.]
I'd feel a lot better if you took it.
[Even if he doesn't use it.]
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The mask might shield Jack's expression, but Winston can sense that he's conflicted. There are two people here who are in danger, people who used to be his responsibility, and he doesn't know where to put his attention. Winston can make that choice for him.
So fine, he'll keep the gun if it really makes Jack feel that better. He takes it back, but reaches out with his free hand and sets it flat against Jack's chest, then gives him a shove. Not too hard, but hard enough to make his feelings known. It's also a quick reminder to Jack of the strength that he has at his disposal. ] Go. I'll be fine.
[ That inner rage always manages to manifest when he needs it most, after all. ]
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So even though he knows it won't do much, Winston taking the gun gives Jack the slightest modicum of relief. He tells himself that he'll be quick--that he'll be back to Winston before anything has the chance to happen, the way that much clearer thanks to Ana taking out the guards up ahead.]
I'll be back. I promise.
[Jack isn't sure what his promises mean anymore, but it's all he really has to offer. He closes his hand over the gun in Winston's as a gesture of reassurance, then stands, vanishing down the corridor.]
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It's strange, but in that moment, Winston believes what Jack says with absolute certainty. There's no reason for him to trust him after everything that happened, after he left them to their own devices for so long when he could have announced himself much sooner. But the fact that he and Ana have come here at all means something, and while Jack's voice might be rougher now than it ever was when he was in command of Overwatch, it's also familiar enough to take Winston back to those times.
Back then, he'd trusted Jack Morrison with his life countless times. He'd had utter faith in him, and it's nice, to feel that again, if only for a brief moment.
After that, the man is gone, footsteps echoing down the hall, and Winston is alone. He has a minute or so that he spends pacing up and down, forcing his limbs back into functioning order, but that's when he hears urgent running from the opposite direction.
Well, it was only a matter of time.
Wherever Jack and Ana end up, a short while after that they'll hear an echoing roar, something rage-filled and monstrous, coming from where they'd left their favorite gorilla.
After everything that had happened, Winston wouldn't let them down. And if there was one way to bring himself up to full speed, it was by letting the simmering anger in him take over. ]
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It’s only the sound of Winston’s roar that snaps them out of it, and Jack shares a glance with Ana that doesn’t need a verbal accompaniment. They both know what that is, and without saying a word, they’re both taking off back in the direction where they left Winston.
Jack is expecting his gun to be forgotten, so he raises his own rifle, rounding the corner back down the corridor, opening fire and picking off the guards that Winston is already laying into.]
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Between his fearsome rage and the help that Jack and Ana provide, soon the guards are cleaned out, either shot and writhing in pain or completely passed out after getting smacked around by a raging gorilla.
Finally Winston sees Jack and Ana at the other end of the hall, and the sight of them is enough to make him calm down. He settles back down onto all fours and clears his throat, locating his glasses to place them back onto his face.
Normally this is where he would apologize, but there isn't time for that. ]
It should take them a while to gather up reinforcements. We should go.
[ He says it as if none of that just happened, crossing the hall to join them. ]
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Ana, however, tries not to be shaken for long, meeting Winston in the middle and slipping under his large arm again, preempting him if he still needs help.]
Can you walk?
[With the adrenaline of the fight surely ebbing, she wants to make sure he can support himself the rest of the way.]
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I should be fine now.
[ The anger racing through him seems to have cleared most of the sedative out of his bloodstream, and so he tilts away from Ana's support, reaching out to give her some sort of comforting pat on the shoulder. It's feather-light; he would never want to accidentally harm his friends.
He looks to Morrison then, just as they'd always relied on him for direction in moments like these. ]
Do we have an escape route plotted out?
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[Ana doesn’t sound entirely convinced, but reinforcements are likely on their way, and nobody has time to argue. They need to move, and they need to move quickly. If Winston is back on his feet, so much the better. Ana offers a wordless glance to Jack that seems to say more than the two of them need to verbalize, and a moment later they’re sharing a nod.
Jack doesn’t ask fro his gun back. He’s got his visor activated, scanning the corridor for any approaching signs of life. When he’s reasonably certain they’re clear (for the next few minutes, at least), he waves the group on.]
This way. There’s a back exit I scoped out.
[And, if they’re very lucky, no one will be in their way.]
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Winston has no idea what that's like, but he shoves any sense of yearning away to focus on their escape.
While he still doesn't need the gun, he doubts that Jack would be too happy if they left it behind, so he scoops it up in one of his hands and then follows after the masked pair of rescuers. He keeps his ears open for any other sounds of pursuit, but hopefully they've made it through the worst of it. ]
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Jack’s gaze doesn’t escape Winston snatching up his pistol, and he holds his hand out for it, knowing full well it’s of more use to him than it is to Winston, and that it might be a better idea to leave both of Winston’s hands free. He leads the group down a long corridor, and then another, the sound of alarms and the footfalls of Talon operatives echoing behind them, but all he can do is ignore them, make sure they stay sufficiently ahead of the game until he’s finally pushing into the back recesses of the compound.
And then, they’re out. Through a back maintenance entrance, as Jack promised.]
Keep moving. We’re not clear of the perimeter yet.
[They won’t be fully safe until they fully leave this facility behind them. Then, maybe, they can talk.]
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He doesn't hesitate to return the gun to Jack, given that he didn't want it in the first place, and after that point it's a matter of putting one foot (and hand) in front of the other. The sirens are good motivation to keep moving no matter how his aching body might protest.
The fresh air is like a balm, and the urge to settle down right then and there is strong. It's Jack's warning that keeps Winston focused, as he nods, taking a look at their surroundings. It's an arid climate, some sort of desert, but beyond that he has no idea where they are. He hadn't been conscious for his transport here.
At least it's night, which means that it will be easier for them to slip away from any pursuers.
He pushes himself forward, moving past the other buildings dotting the complex, and glances at the impossible pair at his side. ]
Did you come here in a vehicle?
[ More importantly, is it one he can fit in? ]
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[Jack isn’t counting on Winston to be able to get by on adrenaline forever, and he’s still not convinced Talon doesn’t have some kind of failsafe programmed in for a scenario just like this. Given what they did with Amélie, he doubts they’d want something they put time and effort in to escape so easily. He and Ana can give him a once-over when they’re back at base, but by then it might already be too late. Simply bringing him back to the Necropolis might compromise them.
But the thought of leaving Winston might be worse, so Jack tries to press on, biting down those thoughts. Ana won’t let them leave without him, he knows that’s for sure.
The dune buggy is hidden away in an outcropping half made of rock, half made of desert bushes, covered in sand-camo tarp. Jack gets right to work exposing it while Ana hops right into vehicle, sliding the cargo door open for Winston.
It won’t be a comfortable fit, but it’s what they have. He’s sure Winston won’t complain.]
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