dust was in her eyes, but when was it not? the girl rubbed at them, to no avail. she didn’t dare complain about them outwardly, what if he was still following her? it wasn’t something she wanted to test. he did that to her parents, what was stopping him from hurting her too? it didn’t matter, because at this moment she was more likely to die of hunger and thirst then at the hands of some villain.
she got up from her spot in a small cave, checking the color of the sky, it was the dark navy blue, which meant people were going to have a hard time seeing. perfect. and thus, the child began to venture out, arms holding herself as her tattered dress slightly flowed in the gentle wind. efi had no idea where she was even walking, but anywhere was better then her empty cave.
and perhaps it was sheer luck to see it in the the distance, smoke and then bright flames of a fire. it looked like some people were sitting around it but it was too far away for her to make out the number. she continued to the fire, walking quietly and ducking behind rocks if she thought she was being watched.
‘what exactly do you think you’re going to do when you get there? no one likes to give handouts.’ it echoed in her mind, but her stomach protested logic. it was a miracle that she survived this long without anyone to care for her–she was only six.
the flame was closer, and she noticed the amount of people present. it terrified her to see that many people in a group, usually it was only two or four. efi stood behind a rock, sticking her face slightly out to watch them and see if they had any food. her eyes then caught on what looked like a can that sat off to the side. it wasn’t opened. she stood for a moment. she…probably shouldn’t steal, it was wrong. they found the food, it was theirs. but…she was so hungry.
so she did it, when she noticed all of them were distracted or simply weren’t looking, she made a dash for the beans, snatching it up and shaky dirty hands.
The Outback was a cruel place to grow up in. Everyone knew this. Yet it was a miracle how some people could survive in such a desolate wasteland. Once a thriving community now reduced to mere ashes and survival instinct. Junkers they were called. Without the rules of modern society what were they to do but anarachy? It was kill or be killed. Hunt or be hunted. Nobody likes helping others without a price after all.
At first it was only him and his mother. The two of them against the world. And then it was him and Roadhog, muscle he hired due to a very special treasure he managed to recover from an old omnium. To junkers what he had was rare, irreplaceable. Craved. Yet to the outside world, god knows what he could have that would cause junkers to actively search him.
That was at first. It was merely him and Roadhog for a while. Then came Ichor and Brimstone. Then Catalyst. Then Bricksnap. All of them formed a very unlikely group. Roadhog protested to the presence of these new members yet Junkrat could see the potential in having more hands around. They hunted, scavenged and built all in record time. Yet that’s all they were to each other. An extra set of hands. They made sure he stayed alive and he made sure they stayed alive. Nothing more than that in matters of attachment.
It was after a long day that the junker group decided to settle down. Ichor started a fire while Catalyst and Roadhog went on to find and bring back food. It was a successful sort of day, they managed to get a few miles closer towards the border that separates Junkertown and the rest of Australia. The part that’s not irradiated. With fresh air and blue skies as opposed to the sickly green and yellow one that lights up the dead trees and burnt grass.
Junkrat was about to grab a hold of the can of beans he had sitting next to him when he noticed there was a lack of there. Feeling around, the skinny male turned around to see his food gone, and instead, in the hands of a child running away. The Outback was cruel, even for children. But that was his damn food.
❝ Roadie, we got ourselves a thief. ❞
The bigger male stood up from his spot around the fire, judging by the distance she was still in range. And with a quick flick, he threw his hook at her, aiming to loop around her waist and pull her in.
Catalyst never talked much in the group to start with and Brimstone, well. She didn’t talk at all. However Ichor and Bricksnap were very lively so of course they would get the four of them involved with Junkrat and Roadhog. However despite such a bumpy start they all seemed to work well together. Each had their own jobs. Brimstone being the most knowledgeable in basic first aid, Catalyst as an extra set of muscle, Bricksnap with her mechanics knowledge and Ichor with her quick movements and fast trigger, they were vital parts to the group that they unintentionally joined.
Food was hard to come by in the Outback though. Most times they’d have to raid other camps or steal from smaller groups. Not like they cared. It was how society was. The most cutthroat society to grace planet Earth. At the end of the day they usually manage to have enough food for one searching but on special occasions or on a good day they manage to get enough food for maybe two servings. But usually Roadhog’s the one to keep the food in case of a rainy day. But rainy days here in the Outback are anything but pleasant. Scorching acid and burning skin. How lovely.
Glancing over to Junkrat, Catalyst noticed a small flash of color go by. A very small flash. Judging by the girl’s height she may be either five or six years old. Such a young thing having to fight on her own already? It rang alarms in Catalyst’s head. She wasn’t necessarily to empathetic or sympathetic type but having grown up to watch her sister die at a young age defending her, she could only imagine what hell this little girl has gone through.
When Roadhog pulled in the child, Ichor was first to speak up.
❝ Alright kid, hand it over. You think you could pull a fast one on us junkers? Think again. We’ve dealt with kids like you before, you’re nothing new and special. You’re gonna have to try harder than that to get food in this society. ❞
Catalyst however didn’t feel right with the situation. With furrowed eyes she stood up and interjected into the conversation. This all felt too wrong. Starving a child? She looked thin as bones yet they cared more about a can of beans then potentially leaving a child to starve and rot.
❝ Hold on now guys. This kid is obviously starving and is just in a need of some food. Are we really going to go and starve a child just because she tried to steal from us? Don’t tell me you haven’t stolen food when you were younger. Now I’m not one to give out free food to every poor soul but this is a child we’re dealing with. ❞
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