Soldier: 76 (
mylawn) wrote in
aperture_high2019-01-13 07:14 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
@anaboost
[After blowing the lid off Hakim's operation and reaching and uneasy understanding of their next steps, they leave the Necropolis behind. In the few weeks he's spent reuniting with Ana, Jack comes to realize that they need a better plan--he can make things up on the fly, sure, but now it isn't just him, so preferably their next course of action does not involve continuing to walk up to the front doors of Talon complexes and standing in front of security cameras, as much as he'd like to continue to do so.
He's been on his own for six long years, so traveling with someone else has proven to be an adjustment. It helps that it's Ana, who falls in step so easily with him that it's almost supernatural (as if no time has passed at all, to say nothing of circumstance). Still, acclimating himself to the presence of another person (even the closest of friends) is difficult. He's not the man he used to be, though he feels Ana bringing that out in him, digging things up that he tried so desperately to bury--perhaps more than he'd like.
There is something to be said for having someone at his back, however. It makes his mission easier, even if he knows, on some level, that he'll inevitably walk them both down a path that doesn't lead anywhere good. There's small solace in the fact that Ana knows what she's getting into, but it's offset by the guilt he feels that she's chosen to do this for him anyway. He defers to her for now, which is the closest he gets to an actual apology for all of this.
Because when he gets down to it, there are a lot of things unsaid between the two of them--things he thinks they could stand to talk about, but he is nothing if not very, very good at compartmentalization. He tells himself that he can bring up the tougher subjects once they have more concrete leads (his source is generally reliable, but sometimes she's a little mercurial, vanishing for weeks at a time only to resurface with the next tidbit of information). While he waits, it's easy not to bring them up at all, focusing on more immediate tasks like gathering supplies and planning their next move, fighting down the twist of something in his chest that he didn't think was still there.
He'll get around to it. But then again, he told himself he'd get around to talking things out with Reyes, too.
For now, he's hauling equipment into their new (temporary) safe house, feeling the twinge in his back where his wound still stubbornly refuses to fully close, even weeks later. He hasn't brought it up since he weathered the worst of whatever biological agent those shotgun shells were laced with, assuming that he'll heal eventually--just much, much slower than usual. Jack has resolved not to let it show. They have enough to worry about.]
They put in new facial recognition at the train station.
[An idle comment as he wanders into the main living area, such as it is. It's not a problem yet, but Jack was counting on moving on in the next few days. With their combined talents, he's sure they'd be able to stow away on a hypertrain out of the city undetected, but he'd rather not chance those kinds of cameras if he can help it.]
I was thinking I'd steal us a car.
[Is he joking? Maybe.]
He's been on his own for six long years, so traveling with someone else has proven to be an adjustment. It helps that it's Ana, who falls in step so easily with him that it's almost supernatural (as if no time has passed at all, to say nothing of circumstance). Still, acclimating himself to the presence of another person (even the closest of friends) is difficult. He's not the man he used to be, though he feels Ana bringing that out in him, digging things up that he tried so desperately to bury--perhaps more than he'd like.
There is something to be said for having someone at his back, however. It makes his mission easier, even if he knows, on some level, that he'll inevitably walk them both down a path that doesn't lead anywhere good. There's small solace in the fact that Ana knows what she's getting into, but it's offset by the guilt he feels that she's chosen to do this for him anyway. He defers to her for now, which is the closest he gets to an actual apology for all of this.
Because when he gets down to it, there are a lot of things unsaid between the two of them--things he thinks they could stand to talk about, but he is nothing if not very, very good at compartmentalization. He tells himself that he can bring up the tougher subjects once they have more concrete leads (his source is generally reliable, but sometimes she's a little mercurial, vanishing for weeks at a time only to resurface with the next tidbit of information). While he waits, it's easy not to bring them up at all, focusing on more immediate tasks like gathering supplies and planning their next move, fighting down the twist of something in his chest that he didn't think was still there.
He'll get around to it. But then again, he told himself he'd get around to talking things out with Reyes, too.
For now, he's hauling equipment into their new (temporary) safe house, feeling the twinge in his back where his wound still stubbornly refuses to fully close, even weeks later. He hasn't brought it up since he weathered the worst of whatever biological agent those shotgun shells were laced with, assuming that he'll heal eventually--just much, much slower than usual. Jack has resolved not to let it show. They have enough to worry about.]
They put in new facial recognition at the train station.
[An idle comment as he wanders into the main living area, such as it is. It's not a problem yet, but Jack was counting on moving on in the next few days. With their combined talents, he's sure they'd be able to stow away on a hypertrain out of the city undetected, but he'd rather not chance those kinds of cameras if he can help it.]
I was thinking I'd steal us a car.
[Is he joking? Maybe.]
no subject
Jack has changed.
It's working around those changes that's the hard part. It's not just their age, not just time, but also what they've been through. Her amnesia, her near-death experience - it's complicated and she's not sure she can adequately explain or express it beyond those few details she's already given him. So there are companionable silences at times. Long stretches where she doesn't feel the need to fill the void in with conversation. It helps that she's used to that; sniping has always required patience and a penchant for silence.
So they travel, moving from place to place. They find a rhythm, even if that rhythm is uneasy at times or stutters. They'll figure it out. They don't really have any other choice, after all. They have a new safe-house, some place to set up camp and stay for a while until they get their bearings. She's helping him move a few things and she's keeping an eye on him. She suspects that those wounds haven't fully healed - she can see it in the way he moves, the way he favors himself just slightly.
She doesn't bring it up. Not just yet. ]
Facial recognition. I wonder if it still works on me. With the eyepatch.
[ She's joking. Just a little. A smile graces her features as she sets down the box she's carrying. This place is out of the way, in disrepair. It will work - no one will come looking and if they have to run, there's nothing here they won't mind losing. She follows him into the living area with a little shrug. ]
Most people need their cars. Find someone who doesn't.
[ Maybe she's joking, too. ]
no subject
[The two of them had, at one point, the most famous faces in the world, after all. Jack would be remiss if he thought they wouldn't get picked up by cameras even with all the years and trauma on both of them. He thinks he could handle a lot, given the things he's running around doing, but being exposed to the world as still alive is not really something he wants to deal with.
He and Ana don't agree on everything nowadays, but he imagines they can agree on that. If that means he's stealing a car, well. Jack doesn't really have any qualms. He's got slightly fewer compunctions about taking a vehicle form someone who might use it, but he thinks he
If they weren't joking, of course.]
Any news?
[A vehicle is not necessarily a priority. Jack falls into old habits easily, asking for what's essentially a debrief whenever they spend time apart.]
no subject
[ As much as she thinks Winston has the right idea, she's not ready to step out into the open. Not with so much scrutiny. She thinks she prefers working in the shadows. At least for the time being. She settles onto one of the dusty chairs and sighs, tugging her hood down and letting her hair spill out over her shoulders. ]
No sign of a tail. No one recognized me. So far, so good. You?
no subject
[Jack has made no secret of what he thinks of Winston's recalled Overwatch. All they've done is paint a target on their backs, and he doesn't trust that they won't make the same mistakes he did. Jack wasn't a politician, to start, but he had twenty years to learn how to effectively play the game in a way that Winston, mostly involved with Overwatch's science and research departments, most certainly does not. He has no idea what he's getting into, to the point where Jack can't even begin to hope they won't walk into the same traps he did.
So if they're having trouble getting things off the ground, so much the better. He doesn't think he has to say anything to Ana about that--there are more pressing things to talk about. He's got the day's newspapers as part of the bundle of supplies he's brought back, and he'll most certainly be pouring over them later.]
Nothing that I can tell. [At least insofar as being recognized by lawn enforcement or unsavory types is concerned.] Got word of a shipment moving through here in the next few days. Military surplus. Won't hurt to keep our ears to the ground.
no subject
[ Which doesn't even get into Blackwatch. Or everything else that Overwatch did. They'd done good, true, but in the end it had all started falling apart. Repeating the mistakes of the past seems like something each generation does. That doesn't mean she has to like it - or support it.
She'll just keep an eye on them for now. ]
What kind of military surplus? Weapons?
[ Her ears prick up at that; doing some old-fashioned ground-work seems like it might be worthwhile. Especially now that they're settling in again. ]
no subject
Always easier to talk business, anyway. It's almost a relief that he has something to report.]
Some weapons, some medical supplies.
[So, an excellent target for less-than-savory types looking to resell, or get their hands on advanced tech.]
We won't be the only people interested.
no subject
[ There's a wry sense of amusement in her tone and she punctuates it by standing and crossing into the little kitchenette they have. It isn't much more than a hotplate and a few other miscellaneous odds and ends, but it works. It's enough to make tea with at least - which is what she's doing. She feels like they could both use something warm and fortifying. ]
We don't have the resources to block other people from our intelligence.
no subject
[Trouble seems to follow them, after all, and Jack is increasingly less lucky nowadays. Of course they wouldn't be able to check on something like this without the threat of less-than-savory individuals beating them to the punch. It's true that they don't have the resources to do what Ana is saying, and for a fleeting moment he thinks if it's worth asking his informant for advice.
But he doesn't want to tell her more than he needs to, given the situation. He turns his attention to the tea instead, pulling mugs down from the cabinet.]
But I think it's worth checking out.
no subject
[ She starts with the water. It will take a while to boil, but until that happens she can putter around the kitchen. The tea isn't much, but it's something they can share. She has a little pot and two mugs and that's all they really need. ]
We'll just have to be careful. We can't really afford to get dragged into something - or to have to run again, so soon.
no subject
Maybe he's just scared of losing her again. That this time, it will be unequivocally his fault.]
No, nothing like that.
[He does his best to sound reassuring, an unspoken promise that he's not going to jeopardize their current situation. Stability is difficult to find, for people like them.]
Make it quick. In and out.
no subject
Smash and grab?
[ She sounds vaguely amused, lips curling into a smile. ]
Or something quieter?
no subject
[Jack knows that's not what she said, exactly, but given the chance to playfully needle her a little, he's going to take it. Keeps his mood up, at least, and for all of Ana's talk of laying low, he's not about to let that mention slide.
Smash and grab is more his style--reckless, headstrong. He's tried to temper himself since they've started working together, but he knows himself almost as well as Ana does. His impatience sometimes gets the better of him.]
I'm starting to be a bad influence.
woof, been a busy week. Sorry about that.
Sometimes it works.
[ She pauses and eyes him, as if waiting for another word. ]
Sometimes.
no worries!
[They’re joking, of course—if they’re going to do this, they’ll have to spend some time gathering intel and formulating a real plan. If, in the end, a smash and grab is deemed the best course of action, they’ll at least have discussed it beforehand. He’ll follow up with more information when he has it. For now, the kettle whistles.
It’s a nice distraction, all things considered, though he knows full well he could be walking into another minefield with what he says next.]
You trust me to make you some?
[He’s only developed a taste for tea because Ana always makes it, but he likes to think he’d be able to prepare her mug the way she likes it. A challenge, maybe, but one he’s potentially interested in.]
no subject
[ Her eyebrow arches, but she doesn't comment much beyond that. They will find out, soon enough. It's just going to take legwork and a lot of poking around before they do figure out how they're going to approach the problem. There are more immediate issues to deal with for now.
Like tea. ]
I'll see what you can do, Jack. What's that saying about old dogs and new tricks?
[ They're both old. She's just teasing. ]
no subject
[He knows she's teasing, but he feels compelled to answer her in all seriousness anyway, a hesitation in his voice like he's answering a trick question. For all he knows, it might be, but she's not stopping him from taking charge of the tea.
Jack eyes her a little as he pulls down the loose leaves of tea off the shelf and carefully spoons (hopefully) equal portions into the little metal infusers. One for each mug--then he carefully pours in the hot water.]
I pay attention.
[Even if it often seems he does not.]
no subject
Well, most things, anyway. ]
You do. It's one of your positive traits.
no subject
Careful.
[For the moment, there's nothing to do but let it the tea steep, though he'll most certainly be keeping an eye on the exact time. It's something he never really thought of until he met her. Then again, he'd had no reason to learn the precise needs and times and water temperatures of various teas. It occurs to him that, at this point, he's known Ana for longer than he hasn't, which means there's no excuse for him to screw up the tea.]
It'll go to my head.
no subject
[ Ana arches one brow, but she doesn't bother hiding the teasing, amused tone that runs through her voice. She shakes her head, cupping her chin in her hand. There's something nostalgic about this. Trading little teases and just enjoying being around one another. They were always friends, but this feels comfortable and familiar, but also different.
Things never really will be the same. ]
I'll keep that in mind in the future. I won't compliment you nearly as much.
no subject
[Though Jack's ego has been thoroughly put in check the last few years. He falls a little silent after that, seemingly counting down the steeping time in his head. When he finally moves again to pull the tea bags out, it's almost disruptive, breaking a quiet, contemplative moment. He imagines Ana might be thinking about how much has changed as well--Jack thinks about it all the time.
He sets one mug in front of her and then adds sugar to his own tea.]
I'll get some maps. We can start planning.
no subject
[ Who she means by "us" is probably clear; something she doesn't have to put entirely into words. And after that she lapses into silence as well, waiting until Jack pulls the teabags from the mug and sets it in front of her. She picks the mug up, cradles it in her hands and lets the warmth soak into her hands. ]
Let's. No time like the present.
[ She blows on the tea to cool it and takes a slow sip. ]
It isn't bad, Jack.
no subject
[With the tea finished, he heaves a sigh and leaves the room momentarily, gathering up the information he's pulled together over the past few days about the transport, the cargo, the loading stations. If they're going to try and intercept this, they'll need to be prepared, even if they decide the best thing to do is a smash-and grab.
Surely she'll be as pleased with his forethought as she is with his tea, even if the ultimate assessment of both is "not bad".
He walks back into the room with some files and data pads. He's got some security footage that will be useful to them, but before he gets into that, he watches her take a sip.]
You didn't spit it out, so I consider this a win.
no subject
[ She smiles at him over the rim of her mug. ]
You're improving, Jack. What's that saying about old dogs and new tricks?
[ Which could apply to both of them honestly. That said, she leans forward over the table to look at the data he's brought over. She's searching for something - she's not sure what - trying to find a vulnerability or a window. It reminds her very much of old times. She's not sure how she feels about that, of course. ]
So. Let's get to work.
no subject
We should have about three days.
[For the shipment to pass through and for Talon to make their move. Jack flips on the datapad, which projects grainy security footage. A man moves in and out of the frame at, if the timestamp is any indication, a somewhat unreasonable hour.]
I've got it on good account this individual's casing out the place for Talon.
no subject
[ Another sip of her tea and she leans forward to examine the footage with a keen eye. ]
There's got to be a reason. They're not usually into just any smash and grab.
no subject
[Maybe they're desperate, or maybe they're one step ahead of them. 76 isn't so concerned with the reason this shipment has attracted their attention--all the more reason for him and Ana to try and stop them.]
It's possible they know something we don't.
[Or it's a trap. That's a constant concern, when it comes to the two of them.]
no subject
[ her tone is dry, but she's right. There's jsut the two of them and their assorted contacts; they don't have the funding and massive multi-government funding they used to.
Which is probably a good thing, in the end, but she misses having that suport network at her back sometimes. ]
We'll just have to find out from them.
if you want to do some action I can jump to the mission that i am definitely making up as i go
He's not sure if his contact will have anything for this one, and he doesn't think they should chance it, but they're a little better off in the intel department than Ana might think they are. It's difficult, not to be able to elucidate that.]
Smash and grab?
[He sounds hopeful.]
let's do it
I think so.
[ She arches a brow. ]
We'll probably have to get out of town afterwards, though. So we'd better start packing...
no subject
We were gonna have to ditch this place sooner or later.
[Though it is, of course, hard to look around the room and say that, seeing all the homey touches that they've brought. It makes him feel guilty all over again that he's dragged her into this, and despite her assurances that she knew what she was getting into, he can't help but feel like he's denying her the quiet life she deserves.]
I can start packing. Don't worry about it.
no subject
[ There's not really any judgement or chagrin in her tone, though. Just some regret. This is the life they've chosen, though. Movement and hiding and staying one step ahead of... everyone, really. ]
There isn't much to pack. We'll manage.
sorry for the wait!
If he even knows what he's looking for, when all is said and done. Even small missions like these--intercepting a shipment to keep it out of Talon's hand is just a stop-gap measure. What does it really accomplish, in the end?
But Jack is desperate for leads, so he grabs onto whatever he can. They spend the next few days taking stock of their equipment, hiding what they can come back for later, and otherwise strategically placing the things they're going to take with them once the operation is complete.
For now, however, they've just got their gear and weapons, trading the shabby apartment for a rooftop vantage point of the rail yards. Jack is taking watch, but there's a reason Ana is the sniper--he doesn't have the same degree of patience, especially when it comes to waiting for Talon to show up so he can start bashing heads.]
I don't know how you do this.
[Sit. And wait. Watch for movement that might not ever come.]
no worries!
And maybe she can save Jack from himself, before the end. Before this all comes crashing down around their ears and it all falls apart.
Their vantage point is perfect and she's curled into it, settled, tested the wind. Now they wait. Although, as it turns out, Jack isn't as patient. ]
Practice. And the ability to talk to yourself.
no subject
[Or, at least, he got pretty good at talking to himself in the years he spent alone. Even before Overwatch's fall, long nights alone in his office were not out of the ordinary. This however, is a different kind of quiet, and he finds himself antsy, knowing that action is coming but uncertain of when.
Or, perhaps, he's just anxious that this will be another dead end.]
Not so much sitting and waiting.
no subject
[ Ana points this out with no small degree of amusement. ]
Hours of boredom, punctuated by moments of terror and excitement. And we do it because we don't want other people to have to. Because we feel called to it.
[ Or at least that's what they tell themselves, anyway. ]
no subject
[It isn’t, really, though he’d argue that it involves a lot less sitting completely motionless. Maybe that’s the difference—not that he wants to pick this fight with her. As she elaborates, she hits the mark, and he nods, his shoulders rising a little to concede defeat. Either way, they can both agree that this is not how they expected retirement to go.
Not that Jack ever really expected to retire. He’d get too bored, as evidenced by this conversation.
As if on cue, however, his visor picks up movement beneath them, and his posture is instantly tense. He activates the environment scanner, trying to get a lock on the activity. Someone’s arrived here, and Jack is willing to bet it’s their target.]
You see that?
no subject
[ Ana's about to respond, but then their attention is drawn by the flicker of movement and her focus goes back to her scope. She's silent, laser focused on what's going on below them. She scans the area, lips pursed. There's a small group of men and women trailing in.
Looks like this is what they were waiting for. ]
I see it. They don't know we're here yet.
[ She glances at him. ]
How do you want to handle them?
no subject
Part of him is grateful for that. They’ve always been better together, even if he’s taking some time to get used to it again.]
Let’s try and get a little closer.
[The visor is good for heat signatures and movement, but not so much the finer details of a target.]
no subject
[ There's a bit of a smile in her comment. She's used to him wanting to get up close and personal, even if she considers herself more of a markswoman. She's best at range. ]
Or I can stay here and cover you.
[ She rolls a shoulder in a shrug. ]
It's what I'm best at.
no subject
[Jack's visor is scanning the bodies below them, enough to confirm that it's just the two. Likely scouting ahead before the real operative arrives. If he's able to compromise them, they might be able to tap into the communications.]
Let me take care of these two. Then we can move in together.
no subject
[ She makes a non-committal sound, still scanning their targets and the area through her scope. So far, they don't seem to realize that the two of them are even here. ]
I'll follow your lead.
[ She nods finally and hefts her rifle. ]
On your six.
no subject
He’s glad, too, to know that Ana is right behind him, the two of them falling into step so naturally he doesn’t even have to look back to make sure he’s there.
Jack makes his way closer, sticking to shadow and hugging the sides of the building, landing softly as he swings down from the last rung of the fire escape and starts to make his approach. The guards seem none the wiser, and he lets out a slow exhale—so far, so good.]
no subject
It's just like old times. So much so that it's almost startling to her how easy it is to fall back into it. Old habits die hard, apparently.
She creeps along behind him and then pauses as they ease up to that last corner. She glances at him, the facemask of her helmet expressionless. She makes a little gesture, one that's relatively easy to interpret. ]
I'll take the one on the right.
no subject
She signals, and he nods to indicate that he understands, moving in accordance with her instructions.
What happens next is almost too fast to see—he waits for the two of them to get in position, and then Jack springs into action, grabbing the left thug from behind and dragging him off into the shadows.]
no subject
no subject
Looks like we should be able to get inside.
[If they move fast, they can probably slip into the building before another patrol makes its way around. Jack comes to a stop, scanning the surrounding area.]
Cameras there, and there.
[He points them out, voice low.]
no subject
I think there might be a blind spot we can exploit-
[ She points, tracing a perspective route. ]
What do you think?
no subject
[He watches the camera move back and forth, observing a pattern. She’s right—if they time it properly, they’ll have a few moments to move through the blind spot before it shifts again. He lets it go through a few more cycles, just to be certain.]
You want me to go first?
no subject
I'll cover you for the first part of the run. Then you cover me.
[ She glances at him, the smooth surface of her face-mask expressionless. ]
Go.