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Junkrat didn’t know how he got here. Or where “here” even was. All he knew was that wherever he was, his bodyguard and partner, Roadhog wasn’t with him. He looked around wild eyed. Painfully aware of how vulnerable he was. He hadn’t felt this vulnerable since he was a nipper. Wait. When did he remember that?
“Roadie?” called Junkrat. “Heh heh. C-come on mate, quit teasin’ me!”
After not hearing or seeing his partner, Junkrat looked around, this time taking in his new surroundings. The Aussie stood alone in an endless void that stretched on for god knows how far in all directions. The air shimmered a blue and white light, almost like light reflecting off water. He couldn’t tell where the horizon ended and the sky began.
“Holy dooley!” Junkrat marvelled, drinking it all in.
“Jamison?”
Junkrat whirled round and froze. Before him stood a woman. Junkrat relaxed upon seeing this. Even though he had no weapons, he could easily overpower her if he needed to.
“Heh heh. Ya nearly scared me half to death-“
”Jamison? Is that really you? All grown up?”
Junkrat felt himself tense.
“Hey how d’you know me name?” He demanded.
The woman stepped back, clearly shocked.
”Don’t you remember me Jamison?” She replied, clearly hurt.
“Love, I have a memory on me like a bloody sieve.” Junkrat said nonchalantly. “I don’t remember what I did last week half the time. Heh heh heh.”
The woman continued to stare at him with that god awful look of heartbreak in her eyes. And if Junkrat was honest, it was freaking him out. That and the fact that now that he thought about it, something about her was familiar. That’s when Junkrat realised, she looked kind of like him. If he were older and female that was. She was dressed like a suit, but her hair was the same pale blonde colour his was. Only her’s was long, tied back in a loose ponytail, and wasn’t singed like his was. She had the same facial features he did. Though her’s were softer. And her eyes. Her eyes were the same amber colour his were. Junkrat didn’t know anyone other than himself who had his eye colour. It wasn’t exactly common.
“Jamison.” the woman finally spoke. “It’s me. Your Mother.”
Junkrat froze. His mother? But… How? His mother was dead! At least he thinks so. In truth, he didn’t know. His early childhood memories were practically nonexistent. He knew he’d had parents before the Ominum had blown up. That he hadn’t always been an orphan. But he’d given up trying to remember them years ago. All he ever knew was life after the Outback went to Hell. A life of struggle and hardship.
A giggle escaped Junkrat.
“Pff! Good one.” He chuckled. “Almost had me convinced there. I don’t really remember me Mum much.” He said. “I mean, I know I had a Mum. But I don’t know what happened to her. Or why she and my Dad left me. But I’m sure they had their reasons.”
The woman stepped forward. A pained smile spreading across her face.
“I’m not kidding Jamison. I am your mother.” She stated. “The day you were born, I remember it so well. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. Your eyes were so blue at the time I thought I’d get lost in them. Your father cried when he saw you, and I joined him when you held my finger with your tiny hand. You were the most perfect thing in the world.”
Junkrat looks on, stunned. The sheer sincerity of the woman, his mother, for once leaves him speechless. She smiles again, a hopeful look in her eyes. A lump forms in Junkrat’s throat. But before he could say anything, his mother’s eyes lower then widen as she notices his prosthetic arm and leg.
“Oh, my poor Jamie! What happened to you?”
“Oh, that?” Said Junkrat. “Let’s just say things can get a bit explosive in my job.”
His mother giggled. Good to know she had a sense of humour.
“You take after your father there.” She said.
“Why d’ya leave me?” Asked Junkrat. Taking both of them by surprise.
His mother broke eye contact, guilt evident in her expression. With a huge sigh, she began telling her story.
”After the Ominum exploded, your father had to go out and scavenge for food because we were running out at home. He’d bring back all sorts. Food, tools, weapons, you name it. Anything he thought was useful, he’d take. When he wasn’t scavenging, he was helping me build defences around the house. He was always paranoid that some desperate bastard would follow him back home.
Well… one day, it happened. Several blokes broke into the house one night. I don’t know how they managed to get past the traps we set. Your Dad tried to fend them off best he could but… there was too many of ‘em.” She was silent for a moment “He did give me some time though. I ran to get you. But when we got downstairs, they’d already finished beating your Dad to a pulp. They blocked both the front and back doors so we couldn’t escape. The only place we could go was the kitchen. I helped you climb out the window and told you to run. Run and never look back. I placed myself between you and them as a last ditch effort to protect you. I didn’t care what happened to me, just so long as you got away. You running away was the last thing I ever saw.
I understand if you’re mad Jamison. Believe me when I say I never wanted to leave you. But death doesn’t let you have that choice.”
Junkrat looked on in stunned silence. Letting this new information sink in. All this time, he had assumed he was just abandoned. Nobody had wanted to stick around him most of his life. He assumed his parents hadn’t either. The lump in his throat starts getting bigger. Don’t cry he told himself. But the tears threaten to come anyway. His mother sees this.
”Oh Jamie. I’ve missed you.”
She stepped forward to embrace her son.
“Mum!”
Junkrat wrapped his arms around his mother, no longer able to hold back the tears.
“I’m so sorry Jamison. I’m so sorry.” His mother said.
“Mum.” Junkrat choked, holding her tighter.
His mother placed a kiss on his soot covered forehead.
“Shhhh. It’s alright my baby.” She whispered into his ear. “You used to like it when I’d sing the kookaburra song to you when you were little. Would you like me to sing it to you now?”
“Yeah. Please.” Junkrat wiped some snot from his nose.
“Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.” She sang. “Merry, merry king of the bush is he. Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra gay your life must be.”
They stay that way for a while, his mother whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Junkrat clung to her like his life depended on it. For the first time in years he felt… safe. In a way only a mother could make him feel. He never wanted this to end.
That’s when the mad bomber feels a force tugging at him. It starts weak then steadily grows stronger. Junkrat clings to his mother, not ready to let go. But doing so soon gets harder and harder.
“I must go now Jamison.” His mother sighs.
Panic starts to well up in Junkrat.
“N-no! I don’t want you to go!” Said Junkrat.
“I’m sorry, I must.” She relaxes her arms around her son and starts drifting from him. Junkrat grips her arms, trying to stay with her.
“Please don’t go Mum.” He pleaded.
All it achieves is a look of pity.
“Take care of yourself Jamie.”
Junkrat loses his grip on her, and they both start drifting away from one another. He reaches out for her, but she’s already out of reach.
“Mum!”
“And know that whatever happens, I’ll always be with you in here.” She places a hand on her heart.
Junkrat continues to reach out as they each drift further away. Anguish consuming him.
“MUM!”
“And never forget!” She says as she starts to grow ever distant “How much I love you!”
“MUM!”
Junkrat’s eyes snapped open. He stares up at the ceiling of the motel room for a second. He realised his face was wet. Particularly around his eyes. Had he been crying in his sleep? That’s embarrassing. He stirred and turned on his side, then jumped when he saw his partner Roadhog sitting up in bed watching him curiously.
“Bloody hell mate! Ya nearly frightened the life out of me.” Junkrat snapped.
The only response that came from the larger man was a grunt.
“How long have you been sitting there?” Junkrat demanded.
“Two hours” Roadhog answered.
“The hell were you watching me for?” Asked Junkrat.
“Bad dream?”
Junkrat tried to think back to what he had seen when he was asleep. He knew that something must be making him all emotional enough to want to cry. And it took a lot to make a Junker cry. But nothing came to him. Everything was a blur.
“Dunno mate. Can’t remember.” He said. “Anyway, I’m gonna grab some more kip.”
Despite wanting so desperately to be held by his partner while he wept, Junkrat turned over and pulled the covers over himself. The sense of grief and loss almost overwhelming. And the frustration of not knowing why he felt this way. Somewhere in the distance reaches of his thoughts, he could hear a song. A song that for some reason felt familiar to him.
A song about a kookaburra sitting in a gum tree.