aperture_high | mom and dad to the rescue

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? ]

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[Ana’s not any more over her head than she usually gets, but Jack arriving on the scene is a welcome relief. He’s much more efficient at dispatching enemies when they’re overwhelmed, and he clears a path to her and falls right in step, taking out the guards she’d previously been a firefight with before they even know what’s happening. Together, the two of them don’t need to think.

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.]

[ Given the state that he's in right now, Winston isn't even aware of Jack and Ana's return. No, he's focused only on venting out the rage that's bubbled over in him, his vision tinged with red as he pounds the Talon guards against the walls of the cramped hallway, pummeling them into oblivion.

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. ]

[This isn't anything the two of them haven't seen before, but the sheer ferocity of the way Winston clears the hall has them both pausing, making sure it's really over before they even dare to approach. Winston meets them halfway, of course acting like nothing's happened, and it's clear that Jack, at least, is at a loss.

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.]

[ Both of them are concerned, Winston can sense that much, but Ana does a better job of shoving that side to come approach him again. With his mind once again clear after the rage, the details of the situation are hitting him all over again. Like the fact that she's alive. Two out of three of Overwatch's commanders, presumed dead, are standing before him. This time he won't let them get away without some sort of explanation. ]

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?

If you’re certain.

[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.]

[ The silent conversation between Morrison and Amari is something that Winston notices, but files away almost instantly. It's nothing he hadn't seen before, although usually not this up-close. Sometimes he'd catch them chatting in a hallway, or at the other side of the lab as they discussed Overwatch's latest project. It was the way that two people who had known each other for most of their lives would interact.

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. ]

[They’ve wasted enough time as it is—they need to clear this facility before they’ve overstayed their welcome more than they already have. Jack imagines that Winston has an awful lot of questions (there’s no way he doesn’t know who Jack’s accomplice is by now), but he’ll have to save the answers for when they’re a safe distance from the facility. He imagines there’s going to be some recovery to do.

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.]

[ Recovery is definitely going to be necessary. While Winston's running on adrenaline now, particularly after his rage, his body still isn't in good shape after Talon put him through the wringer. The only thing that might prevent him from asking all those questions is if he ends up passing out as soon as they make it to safety.

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? ]

Yeah. Keep moving.

[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.]

[ They must both be wondering if Winston now presents some sort of danger to them, if Talon has left something inside of him that's going to rear its head later. He appreciates that they haven't questioned him about it so far, but he knows that will probably be coming. Better not to take it personally. They'd treat anyone that was recovered from a Talon facility the same way, after Amélie.

The dune buggy may not make for a comfortable fit, but it definitely could have been much worse. Trying to fit a gorilla into a regular car simply isn't going to happen, so Winston will take what he can get.

It takes some effort, but after pulling aside the tarp and stashing it away, he squeezes himself into the back, leaving the two seats up front for his rescuers.

Once they're all safely inside and on the move, Winston starts with his first question. He knows he should wait, but what else are they going to do in this silence? ]

What else were you after, back there?

[ They weren't just looking for him, he's guessing. ]

[Jack had argued that bringing Winston back to their main base is a mistake—that the risk of compromise is far too great, and they have plenty of other auxiliary safe houses that they could use for this purpose, ones that wouldn’t bring Talon right to their doorstep. Ana’s argument had been that the Necropolis is the most well-equipped, especially considering they didn’t exactly know what shape Winston would be in when they retrieved him. Jack sort of wishes he could turn his paranoia off—that he could have that kind of faith.

Ana helps Winston into the dune buggy while Jack takes the driver’s seat, wasting no time putting the vehicle in gear and crawling away from the base. They’re going to take something of a circuitous route, especially given that tracks will be easy to follow or spot from the air, and leave the buggy some distance away from the safe house. It means more walking when Winston isn't in quite the shape for it, but they have no other choice. Both Jack and Ana would rather lose a vehicle than the security of the Necropolis.

But that will be something to worry about in a moment. For now, they drive, and Ana takes to settling Winston in, checking him over for injury now that the adrenaline is ebbing. She still doesn't remove her mask, even though Winston must know who she is by now.]

We were there for you.

[She glances at Jack, knowing full well what he talked about with Winston during his short stay at Gibraltar.]

Is that so surprising?

[ As things stand, not much has been explained, so Winston has no idea where they're headed. All he really knows is that it will be safe. Even now, after learning that both Jack Morrison and Ana Amari had actually survived and had purposefully kept that information from the rest of them, he still trusts them. They'll get him to a place Talon won't be able to follow.

The jostling of the dune buggy over the sand dunes is somewhat comforting in a way that he can't explain, or maybe it has more to do with him being exhausted enough to pass out all over again. The only reason that he doesn't is because Ana approaches him to take stock of his injuries.

They came for him. He blinks a few times, slow and sluggish, as he works to process that. Despite everything that Morrison had told him back at Gilbraltar, he'd still decided to come to his rescue when push came to shove. It seems he can't divorce himself from Overwatch as much as he might have planned. ]

Thank you. [ He raises his voice a little. ] Both of you.

[ As for his wounds, he's littered with gashes, though most of them have at least stopped actively bleeding, his body making a bold effort to heal itself. That being said, he'll need stitches on a number of the cuts, and he can't do much about any red stains he might leave in the buggy. ]

I think I may just need to... rest my eyes a little...

[ His head droops and his body begins to slump toward Ana. ]

Rest.

[Ana won't ask any more of him for now. If he needs to close his eyes and sleep, he should do so, and she won't be intrusive. Jack is occupied driving the buggy back to their home base, so he's afforded some time. Her touch is gentle, ghosting over the wounds and taking mental stock of which ones will need attention. It's sort of difficult to see under the fur, but she'll manage, reaching for a nearby first aid kit and starting the process of cleaning them out. She tries to be as gentle as possible, as Winston sounds like he should just rest for a moment.

She'll allow him to drift off. When he wakes again, they'll be out of the dune buggy and into the safe house. From the looks of things, Jack and Ana are more than settled in. There are worktables, shelves of equipment, and a small kitchenette.

What they don't have is much furniture, and Winston will find himself on a bedroll, gas lamps casting warm orange glow in contrast to the cool stone walls.

Ana is nowhere to be found. Instead, Jack sits at a few computer consoles, clearly pouring over something.]

[ It's been a long while since Winston was able to wake up peacefully. Often times the Talon scientists would shock him out of sedation with a cattle prod, if they'd needed him awake for whatever they were measuring. Coming to with a cool breeze ruffling his fur and the warm glow of lamps around him is a welcome change to that examination table they'd kept him on for most of the time spent in captivity.

He blinks a few times as his vision clears. The sedative seems to have completely worn off now. That's good for his mental coherency, and less good when it comes to feeling the full sting of his wounds. He groans and rolls over to get a better look at the room he's in, if it could be called that.

There's stone walls with patterns painted on them, and something about the place feels very old. At the same time, he sees Jack and Ana's equipment and work stations, all of it just as modern as he would expect. It's a striking contrast, and for a moment he finds himself missing his work space at Gibraltar.

With some effort, he pushes himself up until he's sitting, grunting at the protests of his battered body. It doesn't take him long to spot Jack where he's set up in the corner, the hologram feeds' lighting casting a glow over his scarred face. ]

Where are we?

[Jack is busy consolidating the information they were able to take from today's mission--Ana had assured Winston that they were there for him, and while that was certainly true, he wasn't about to storm a Talon complex without grabbing everything he possibly could on the way out.

Or in this case, the way in. Most of the work Jack did was before they found Winston's location, and now he's combing through the data, trying to separate what he already knows from anything that might further their mission. Give them new leads. Ana has gone out for the moment, but she'll be back. In the meantime she's instructed Jack to keep an eye on Winston, and to administer more thorough first aid once he's awake.

Which seems to be now, if the stirring behind him is any indication. Jack clicks through the data for a few more protracted moments before he shifts in his seat.]

Somewhere safe.

[Winston isn't going to get an answer about their exact location, a precaution to keep them hidden from Overwatch as much as Talon. He and Ana could agree on that.]

How are you feeling?

[ It's not as if Winston had really expected that Jack would tell him where exactly they were. When he leaves this place, he might be able to get a clear enough idea of the surrounding geography to narrow it down through satellite imaging, but he isn't sure he'll do that, even if he technically could. They didn't have to come for him; the least he can do is respect their privacy.

This certainly is a strange place to have holed up, though.

At the question, Winston shakes his head dismissively. ] Better. I'll be fine. [ The pain may be worse now, but he'll take that if he can think clearly.

He pushes himself up to stand, holding back another pained groan as he slowly makes his way over to Jack and the holo-feeds. ]

I need to get in touch with Lena. She'll have been looking for me.

[ And worried sick, probably. The last thing Winston wants is for his best friend to land herself in more trouble on his account. ]

Sit down. I told Ana I'd take a look at some of those cuts.

[He stands to try and stop Winston from approaching, dismissing all the holofeeds as he does so. Jack grabs the first aid kit from a nearby table, then gestures at Winston to sit back down. He'll wait patiently for it to happen, but Winston's concerns in the meantime doesn't surprise him.]

Already in contact.

[Once Winston was secured, Jack wanted to get word out to Overwatch as soon as possible, if only to prevent them from storming the Talon complex themselves. Hopefully knowing that Winston is safe will keep them on Gibraltar, and they can take next steps once he's fully recovered.]

We'll arrange a rendezvous in a few days.

[ It shouldn't surprise Winston that Jack and Ana are already two steps ahead of him, and his shoulders sag with relief, knowing that Lena will have called off her search for him and is therefore safe.

Since there's nothing to look at on the holographic screens anymore, Winston has no real option but to do as Jack says, and so he settles back into a seated position, glancing at the first aid kit. ]

Just focus on the problem areas. The rest they can patch up back at Gilbraltar.

[ His guess is that Ana and Jack only have so many supplies, and he's riddled with wounds. He doesn't want to clean them out. ]

And thank you. [ He bows his head and sighs. ] Can't believe I got myself captured like that...

[ Yes, he's embarrassed. ]

Don’t be ridiculous.

[What he doesn’t say is that he’s still worried Talon might have done something to Winston, something neither of them can detect, and like hell is he going to return him to Gibraltar after some thorough observation, even if he’s not sure what he’s looking for. Insisting that he treat Winston’s wounds is more a ploy than anything.

Besides, medical supplies are less hard to steal than some of the things they’ve made off with. He and Ana will figure it out. They always do.

Jack won’t be deterred, setting himself up next to Winston and popping open the kit, starting with some sterile solution. He isn’t here to I told you so Winston about the mission, but he can’t help reiterate some of what he said at Gibraltar as he starts to dab at what looks like the deepest cut.]

You’re a priority target, big guy.

[Not just because he’s a gorilla capable of causing untold damage—right now, he’s the de facto leader of Overwatch, which makes him prime for capture.]

[ For all that Jack Morrison had watched over them during their time in Overwatch, Winston can't say he'd ever seen him patch up someone's wounds like this. It seems to him that Ana would be better suited to the job, but apparently she's out taking care of something. He doesn't expect much in the way of gentleness, not that he needs that. When the disinfectant touches on the wound, he straightens and tenses, but makes little noise.

His pain tolerance definitely outstrips that of a human. He won't make Jack's life hard.

A priority target. Winston sighs at that, bobbing his head in a quiet agreement. He's definitely painted a target on his back by taking on Jack's role as head of Overwatch, even if Overwatch is still only a handful of people, hardly matching up to what it had once been. The name alone is enough to turn heads, though, and that had been the whole purpose of it. ]

I can look into raising our security. Stealth technology isn't something I have much experience with, but—

[ He cuts off when the stinging gets worse, taking a moment to draw in a breath. Not that he really needs to finish his thought. Morrison should know that Winston can master any project he takes on. ]

[Something Jack rarely talked about in Overwatch—and certainly doesn’t talk about now—is that back in the Crisis days, he’d been the de-facto medic of their little team. He and Ana both had the training, but she’d often needed to be posted somewhere, keeping watch, leaving most of the patching-up to Jack. His hands are worn and calloused now, but his touch is surprisingly gentle, and he pulls away briefly as soon as he feels any wincing or tensing of muscles. Jack tries to ease the disinfectant on, knowing that Winston’s tolerance is high but not wanting to cause him undue pain.]

Gonna have to suture this one.

[A challenge, given Winston’s thick fur, but Jack can already tell that it’ll heal better and cleaner if he puts a few stitches in it. He gives Winston a break so he can start to prep the suture kit, and it’s only after he’s made the assessment that he goes back to talking business.]

Talon got in once. I don’t know if they’re dumb enough to try it again, but it can’t hurt. You have contacts?

[ Given that Winston's wounds had often been mended by Angela's nanites, it's been some time since he's had to actually get stitched up the old fashioned way. Not that he's going to complain. Jack seems to know what he's doing, and it shouldn't be any surprise that a man of his experience has stitched a few wounds in his day.

The cut in question is definitely too deep and wide to be left alone, and so Winston won't argue the point. He instead shifts his body so that the injured area (on his flank, creeping toward his back) is more directly facing Jack. To make it easier for both of them. ]

Contacts? [ He echoes the word and then laughs, something self-deprecating. ] Overwatch now isn't the way it was when you were in charge. All I have are the people who still believe in it. [ Who's going to want to work with a gorilla, no matter how smart that gorilla might be? It had been controversial for Jack to recruit him in the first place. Winston definitely has no clout in any political arenas or any people who owe him favors, now that everything has fallen into ruin.

Even with all those disadvantages, though, he still believes in rebuilding. And he's not the only one. Jack can dislike it all he wants, but those are the facts. ]

[Jack sighs but doesn’t outwardly comment on what Winston says. The exasperation in the expulsion of air likely says enough—it’s what they talked about at Gibraltar. How does he expect to sustain this? Resources? Security? Having people that believe in you is one thing, but there are logistics to consider.

He tries to shake those thoughts away—all that’s going to do is make him want to go back and give them a hand, think about all the little minutiae that they don’t have experience with or might not even realize needs thinking about. Instead, he tries to provide a practical solution.]

You call up Fareeha? She’s with Helix. Might be able to hook you up with someone if you ask nicely.

[Ana would kill him for suggesting this, but it’s the first thing that comes to his mind. Hell, Fareeha might not want to get tangled up in what’s ostensibly illegal operations, much less give them a line to Helix’s resources, but he has a feeling that if it’s Overwatch, she’ll jump at the chance.

Even if she refuses, Jack himself isn’t powerless.]

And I told you I could wire you some funds.

Hmm...

[ Fareeha. Of course Winston has thought of her, and not simply because she could be a good resource. She had wandered in and out of Overwatch HQ enough for them to get to know each other, but she hasn't made any attempt to reach out to him since the Recall. Maybe it's up to Winston to be more proactive, but he's also aware of how Ana felt about dragging her daughter into Overwatch activities.

In other words, he'd feel guilty. Even more so now that he knows that Ana is alive. It's something to think about, but he'll save that for later.

When Jack once again makes an offer to help in his own way, Winston frowns to himself and shakes his head. ]

I couldn't take that from you. [ Especially when he doesn't know where the money is coming from. ] If anything, I owe you after this.

[ He's figuring this out as he goes, and Jack's questions are enough to nudge Winston in the right direction, but it doesn't seem right to take hand outs from him after he's already given so much, and when he doesn't really approve. ]

[Jack immediately frowns--he isn't surprised about the dismissal of Fareeha, probably because they both know it's a bad idea, but to refuse money just speaks to pride. He can say that, because Jack is a prideful creature himself. Hell, the entire reason he's where he is now is because he never allowed the cracks to show. Had to appear nothing less than unshakeable, because there were so many people counting on him.

He sees that, now, in Winston's refusal to accept help. Jack knows better. He won't let the new Overwatch repeat his mistakes.]

You can't just--

[There's a little anger in his voice, and Jack seems to realize that, taking a moment to tamp it down, scrubbing at his jaw with a hand and covering his mouth to disguise the expulsion of air. There are I told you sos to be had, but Jack has never been one for those--no good way to learn from it. He'd rather offer what advice he can, even if he knows he doesn't have the energy for this. That he shouldn't get involved.

That he's getting involved in spite of himself, and he finds himself wishing he could just escape Overwatch's orbit, that it wasn't such an integral part of him, something that kept pulling him back after he's given his entire adult life to it.

But Winston needs guidance, that much is clear, and Jack doesn't want to leave him in a position where something like this kidnapping might happen again.]

You don't owe me anything. I'm trying to help you stay afloat, because all this is about to get bigger than what you're prepared to deal with.

[Jack doesn't really want to pull this card, but if Winston wants to dwell on the rescue, then, well. Maybe he'll lean into it.]

You're not in a position to say no to me.

Edited 2017-11-04 19:20 (UTC)

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