Chapter Text
"Winston. I’m sending this message to let you know that Fawkes and I are almost to..."
"Junkertown, ma'am!"
"Junkertown. ETA is 10 minutes as of the time of recording." Sojourn kept her gaze on her associate as he pressed the entire front of his body against the thick aircraft glass. He was shaking rather noticeably. Judging from the emerging grin on his lips, she had to guess it was out of excitement. He giggled gleefully to himself, fingers dancing away on the glass as their place neared their landing point. She turned her head away to watch for signs of the town down below them again, “The Talon signal we picked up is only getting stronger the further inland we go. We would have followed it more directly if it wasn’t for the weather here. The dust storms are keeping us away from more open areas. I’m not getting much of a change in its strength now but I’m sure it’s somewhere close to this settlement. Here’s to hoping Fawkes can get us in touch with people who know how to navigate this place better. I’ll update you tomorrow morning on the status of the mission if we’ve made some real progress. Sojourn signing off.”
She hit the stop button on her screen and titled the recording for send-out. She would have liked to report directly to him but the connection to headquarters they got out here nearly flatlined as soon as they crossed over the coastline. As the confirmation message came up, her acquaintance drew her attention back to himself.
“Oh, we’re almost there!” he said in delight, “You know the plan, yeah? I get that you’re supposed to be head-hancho here but we need to do this my way if we’re gonna’ get these folks on our side!”
“So go over the plan one more time with me, Fawkes.” Sojourn replied, pressing the ‘OK’ button on her screen and closing out of the digital window. She rested one hand on her hip and shifted comfortably to one leg, readying herself mentally to take in whatever strange idea was about to be rambled off for her.
“Alright! First, call me Junkrat , not that other thing. Second, we’re gonna’ meet an old associate of mine to help us get to the outskirts of town. He’ll be able to take us and all the goods back to my place just outside the gate. Already got a hiding place set up for everything we bring so don’t worry about that either.” he took a second to turn and point a crooked finger at her, “Third, when we meet with the important folks, I do all the talking! You and my guy can just, uh, stand there and look, er… menacing. Intimidation is a big deal in these parts. These folks don’t like strangers in the slightest, especially not fancy soldier types like yourself. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb with those legs and arms of yours too…”
Sojourn raised a brow in question but didn’t interrupt him yet.
“They’ll listen to me, though, since we’ve got history. When I stroll up to those gates, they’ll recognize me in an instant!” Junkrat said. Pushing himself away from the window with one arm, he gave an overexaggerated gesture to himself with his free hand, “I promise, bringing me will be the key part of getting the right people to help you track down your signal thingy! You won’t regret it!”
“Uh huh. And what if things start going south?” Sojourn asked, humoring his idea.
“Ah, ah!” Junkrat shook his head determinedly, “You just keep letting me handle it. I know exactly what to say so they wouldn’t even dream of just shooting us up and taking our stuff!”
“Is that a common outcome in these parts?” she inquired. Junkrat paused and then shrugged his shoulders.
“Eh, maybe? Ah, don’t you worry about it!” he muttered, waving a hand nonchalantly before turning to look back through the window.
“Great. Looking forward to seeing this plan in action, Faw-” Sojourn caught herself, “I mean, Junkrat.”
“There you go!”
She had to give the guy some credit for at least having confidence in such a vague plan. Sojourn was already developing escape routes for the two in case this went bad. So far she hadn’t seen a single sign of people anywhere besides the occasional ruined town or isolated house sitting in the middle of nowhere. Little pockets of vegetation were dotted here and there. The rest remained the barren landscape she had expected from a result of the neuclear bombing this place recieved during the Omnic Crisis.
“Captain, we’re here.” came a voice in her ear. Sojourn placed a few fingers to the side of her face, activating her implanted communications to reply to their pilot.
“How’s the drop-spot look, Tracer?” she asked.
“All good to go! I think I see the guy Jamison told us about just at the foot of this cliffside. Good thing he’s got a ride for you guys because that looks like a long walk up to town.” Tracer replied, pausing for a moment before adding, “This place is massive! Huge wall around the whole thing too.”
“Understood. I’ll get us ready to off-load.” Sojourn had to pry Junkrat away from the window, much to his dismay, to order him to a seat. He was giddy with excitement, rambling on quietly to himself about the plan again as he fumbled with his seat buckle.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?” Tracer asked, “Jamison’s harmless enough but I got a bad feeling about leaving you two here without some sort of backup. We should have asked Cassidy if he’d join on this mission-”
“We’re stretched thin as it is. Cassidy’s busy tracking down more agent candidates, Winston’s handling Talon observation, and Fareeha and Aleksandra still have to figure out training for when we start getting recruits. Plus you’re the only one who can transport us around overseas until we secure another trained pilot. I understood what it meant taking this mission and I think I’m more than prepared to handle this place on my own.” Sojourn assured her.
“Yeah… I trust you.” Tracer still seemed uneasy about the situation but quickly adopted her original cheery attitude, “Well, I’m hoping the mission goes smoothly for you guys! I’m gearing to land here in a minute so stay buckled in until I give the okay!”
“Of course. Thanks, Tracer.”
Sojourn settled into her own seat, snapping the clasp on her seatbelt together and sitting straight back as the jet lurched for a landing position.
Once safely on the ground, Tracer dropped the loading dock doors down for the other two to start hauling their gear out through. As Junkrat lumbered down the ramp, his arms full of tins and bottles of miscellaneous contents, he suddenly hollered in delight as he stepped onto the dry, yellow dirt.
“Roadhog! How are you, mate?” he said before stooping over to drop his possessions on the ground. Sojourn was careful to step over the bottles that rolled into her path as she hauled her own large cargo crate by. Junkrat began walking quickly over to the other much larger man who waited for them next to a motorcycle. Arms extended, the shorter man went in for what Sojourn assumed was a hug, “Been too long, mate! Ol’ Junkrat is back and ready to stir up some new mayhem with the best partner in crime a guy could ask for-!”
Before he could even think of touching him, the other man put out one gigantic arm and hand, covering Junkrat’s face as he closed in and halted him to a complete stop. The shorter man lowered his arms, grabbing the one large hand with his own smaller hands and yanking it off his head.
“Aw, come on, Roadie! Don’t be like that! Ain’t you missed me?” he complained. The other man did not reply. Sojourn dropped her crate nearby the motorcycle and paused to observe the vehicle while Junkrat whined on to his friend. The bike itself was rusty and dented. It had a wide, well-worn seat and long handlebars that extended outwards. A passenger car was fitted sloppily to the side. If these two had been partners at some point, she guessed this is where Junkrat sat. It was also evident from the stickers and familiar smiling face that was detailed on the metal front. Attached to the back end of the bike was a small wheeled platform, completely bare aside from a pile of dirty rope.
“So is this your ‘guy’, Junkrat?” Sojourn said aloud, getting the attention of the two men. She stepped away from the bike’s rear end and back to the front to stand next to Junkrat. She knew who this other person was already. Hard not to when your signature mask and large stature are caught on CCTV and the images are headlining new stations for a week. He only silently stared down at Sojourn as Junkrat addressed him.
“Oh, yeah! Sojourn, this is Roadhog. Meanest, biggest bastard this side of the wasteland!” Junkrat leaned in a little towards her, dipping his head down and hiding his mouth behind one metal hand, “I’ll be honest, he was just the brawn on most of our heists. I had to do all the planning-”
One sweep of Roadhog’s arm was enough to send Junkrat to the ground onto his side. The dust stirred up, causing the shorter man to choke and cough. Sojourn had stepped back in time to let the swipe pass her before casting a stern glance up towards his masked face.
“And he’s going to help us, right?” she said, watching as he crossed his arms over his wide chest now, letting out an impatient sigh. She wasn’t worried about him trying to go after her. It seemed like Junkrat would the only one in danger around here if he didn’t keep his mouth shut.
“Augh… yep, no worries. He’ll help us.” Junkrat rolled to his back, clutching his side for a second before he sat up and ruffled the dirt out of his blonde hair.
“Uh-huh. Then we should get going. We’re burning daylight.” Sojourn told him before she turned to head back to the ship. She nearly bumped into Tracer on her way up the ramp, who had been zipping around with a couple smaller bags in her arms.
“Oh, hey!” she greeted with a smile, “I got your medical supplies and your food rations! Where’s Jamison?”
“Down with the other guy. I’m almost starting to think you might have been right about bringing more of our own people to help in this mission.” Sojourn said with a hint of humor in her tone, “Oh well.”
Tracer gave her a questioning look.
“The other bloke just as odd? Dangerous?” she inquired. Sojourn shook her head.
“Seems rough but I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone out here is like that. Plus I’m sure he’s fine as soon as Fawkes isn’t around him.”
“Oh, I gotcha’! But you’re not worried, yeah?”
Sojourn gave Tracer a pat on the arm, “Not at all.”
Tracer gave her a half-hearted smile before continuing down the ramp by flashing past the other woman. It took the three of them a while to pull out and load everything from the jet onto the small platform hauler that was chained to Roadhog’s bike. The larger man was more content to sit and watch them work than help. Sojourn didn’t want to encourage any further friction between him and her little group since he was taking them up the winding cliffside road. Once things were packed in and tied down, Sojourn met with Tracer for one last check-in. Roadhog had shoved his keys into the motorcycle’s ignition and began revving the engine to life.
“Alright, love, I’m out. I’ll be back here in this very spot in two days. If you need evac earlier than that, you just send us a message and I’ll get out here quick as I can!” Tracer told her, “And please stay safe out here. I know you’ve got all your cybernetics and training… but you never know what Jamison could get you wrapped up in.”
“Understood. If we get done here faster than planned, I’ll let you know. I’ll be sending daily updates to Winston too.” Sojourn assured her. As a career soldier, Sojourn had seen plenty in her lifetime on the field. Whatever trouble Junkrat might stir up for them she was sure she could figure out a plan for, “I’ll talk to you later, Tracer. Have a safe flight out of here.”
“Will do! See you guys soon!”
Sojourn stepped away as her last physical connection to the outside world ascended up to the air, repositioning to then sail off into the desert horizon. She took a minute to assess her railgun, making sure all the mechanics were in order before holding it to her side and turning to the other two men. Junkrat was reclining in his seat, his shoe’d foot resting up on the small glass windshield, chattering on to Roadhog who sat idly on his bike and gripped the handles tightly. She could see his knuckles whitening on and off in irritation as he waited for her to join them. Sojourn made her way to the cargo hauler on the back of the bike and settled her feet on the edge of the platform, still holding her weapon in one arm while her other hand held onto a rope tying their possessions down. Roadhog kicked the stand of the bike up with one booted foot and the vehicle lurched forward, struggling for a few concerning moments before the engine began roaring loudly. Slowly they began the ride upwards to the town outskirts, Junkrat giggling happily to himself as the wind swept through his unruly hair and Sojourn kept an eye out for any signs of danger along their path.
“Ah!” Junkrat exclaimed, tossing the bags in his arms down on the floorboards of the shack they had just walked into, “Beauty! Looks just how I left it!”
“This is your house?” Sojourn asked, placing one hand on the frame of the doorway and leaning forward to peer inside. A work table overflowing with various chemical bottles, scraps of metal, and small tools. All varieties of knick-knacks adorned the walls. Old signs with bright neon lettering, explosive coverings, a bear trap, old news articles, and a few photos of Junkrat. Some were his jail in-take photos and others were various shots of himself, all in different places but showcasing him displaying bags of money or holding gold bars. One was of Roadhog tending to what appeared to be a very dry-looking garden. She looked to the other side of the shack to see a dilapidated couch missing a cushion and side table with a single unshaded lamp. Opposite of this in the corner was a pile of ruined tires, more traps on the wall, and various tools in a plastic crate. The floor was littered with trash and covered in old dirt. As she stepped up onto the floorboards, her foot kicked an old can across the wood, “Nice place.”
“Thank you! Make yourself right at home, ma’am!” Junkrat gestured around the entire room, “Mi casa es tu casa!”
“Affirmative.” Sojourn replied as she set her own cargo down against the wall next to his work table. It was the cleanest spot she could see so out of the whole space. This corner of the room would be her little makeshift base for the next two days. Turning back around, she saw Junkrat staring at the large case, one hand rubbing his chin.
“What’s the matter?” She asked, looking back at the cargo again, “I can move it somewhere else if you want.”
“Nah, it’s fine there, mate. But it sticks right out! Any Bob, Mary, or Sue walking by is gonna’ take one peek through my window and see that shiny little treasure just asking to be plundered!” He said before going over to his couch and yanking a blanket off the back of it. He dragged it across the floor and tossed it up to let the fabric flutter down over the case. He hummed for a few seconds before going back around the room, collecting a few old cans and a broken plate, and setting everything on top, “There we go! Plus now we got an extra table.”
“Good thing those are more emergency supplies than anything else.” Sojourn said, rubbing the back of her neck. Then she turned to look at the doorway, “What about the other cargo though? There’s not enough space in here to hide it unless you’ve got another room hidden somewhere.”
“Already got you covered, remember? We’re putting the rest in Roadie’s place!” Junkrat replied with a grin, heading back out the door. Sojourn followed along and watched as he started grabbing boxes off the hauler to carry them over to the nearby building. It was much bigger than his humble housing. From what she could guess, it used to be some sort of old farm mill. The front doors looked like those of a barn and the only windows on the place were high up, likely on a second level. Sojourn joined her acquaintance by grabbing a crate herself and following him toward the entrance. She could hear the sound of glass bottles tapping against each other inside the box. Probably more chemicals for his experiments if she had to guess.
As she walked inside, she had to turn a corner to see the full interior of Roadhog’s home. There were a few more work tables than Junkrat had but stocked with similar tools and chemicals. A strange machine was built into the wall under a second-level platform, on top of which she saw one large bed and some shelves. A cabinet next to the machine held yellow canisters while the machine itself displayed a tank full of an unknown dark liquid. She didn’t dare think to ask what it was for.
“Over here, ma’am!” Junkrat called to her, refocusing her attention. He was pointing to an opening underneath some stairs to her right. Roadhog was just emerging from the space, pushing past Junkrat to head back outside to his bike, “It’ll be safe in here. Nobody messes with Roadhog’s house unless they want a real bad bashing!”
“I’m going to trust you on this one, Fawkes.” Sojourn said, going to place the box inside the room. She was amazed to see the large pile of gold, guns, and ammo boxes littered around the hidden room. Amazement turned into amusement when she saw a rather carefully constructed display of various Patchimari plush toys on a shelf, high up and away from the disorganized mess. Treasure could mean all sorts of things to different people. She sat the box down next to a few others before stepping back out into the main room.
Junkrat had just come back with another crate and was handing it off to Roadhog. However, instead of carrying it to the hidden room for storage, the larger man went over to a dented, yellowed fridge and sat the box down next to it. Sojourn gave Junkrat a questioning look. Roadhog must have seen her do so as he spoke aloud, his voice deep and gravelly from behind his mask.
“My share.” he grumbled. Junkrat nodded at this statement.
“I promised the big bloke a few crates for bringing us up the road. Heaps better than walking in the heat with all this!” he said.
“What exactly did we bring with us anyways?” Sojourn asked. She had never bothered to inquire about the cargo at any point during the briefing. Junkrat waved a hand casually at her.
“Oh, no worries, mate. Nothing dangerous but it's worth its weight in gold around here! All part of my genius plan.” he bragged. She was skeptical of this statement. But so far his plan was working out so she didn’t feel the need to press for more information.
She helped Junkrat and Roadhog load the rest of the boxes into the room. The group had arrived fairly early in the morning so the sun was just hitting its peak when they got down to the final box. Sojourn walked out of the hidden compartment to retrieve it but stopped when she noticed the two men moving to specific spots of the room. Roadhog lifted a metal chair up by its back while Junkrat pushed an old tire to the side. Underneath where each object had been were large pressure plates built into the floor. As they decompressed, the door to the room slid closed. Now all anyone would be able to see was just a wall of wood covered in posters and metal road signs, unaware of the space behind it. Junkrat then gestured for Sojourn to follow him outside.