Junkenstein’s most prized possession isn’t a creation…
A/N: Greetings lovelies! I wrote this SEVERAL years ago and for whatever reason just felt like finally "publishing" it. I hope that this will be an interesting read, despite my pathetic grasp on proper grammar and punctuation. It does have more chapters so if it's well received, I can post what I have of this self indulgent story. Also I should mention that this is most definitely my interpretation of Junkrat from highschool (I had a massive crush on him) so please be kind.
Tw: mentioned blood from injury, anxiety, mentioned thunder
Chapter 0: An unusual source of aide…
Angry grey clouds loomed above, blanketing the sky in warning of the imminent. Having been running for what felt like hours, your lungs burned as though they had inhaled layers of nicotine coated smoke. Breath heavy, and chest heaving in an attempt to regain stability, your eyes trail around the surrounding woods,darkness inhibiting most of it. As the first tear drops of rain fell cold against your cheek, a bellowing clap of thunder ripped through the sky. A terrified scream elicited from your chapped lips, in response to the angry cries of the heavens and your eyes search more frantically for cover. With the brief flash of light from above, an old tree revealed its gaping hole calling for you to take refuge inside, away from the storm.
Steps all too eager, the searing pain of large thorns taking purchase in the soft flesh of your right calf pulls another wail from your body and you lug your now seemingly two ton weight, into the safety of the hole in the rugged tree. Pulling your legs in toward your chest, the warm blood of your fresh wound trickling down your icy skin. Tears fell down your cheeks due not only to the new found pain in your leg, but also over the fear of storms you had accrued as a child and sadly the claws of that fear never loosened their grip, even now in your adult years… *Stomp, ka-thunk! Stomp, Ka-thunk!* the sound of presumably footsteps, coupled with clanking metal pried you from your thoughts and you swore you could hear a faint voice in the distance likely belonging to the person trampling around in the dark, steps disrupting the water laden soil. Nothing they said was comprehensible but seeing as you didn’t know the identity of said person, you opted to pretend you weren’t in your hiding spot, in hopes you would remain unfound.
Hurried thoughts becoming blurred as the temperature of your form seemed to spike in spite of the frigid rain still pounding down against the softened soil in rage. Your attempts to see anything in the surrounding area futile as the bleary film of a fever muddied your senses. A blue glow barely registering coupled with the sound of the footsteps from mere moments ago becoming more and more prominent. Praying to God that you wouldn’t die, as you tried to huddle into a tighter form. The remains of your energy, distracted you from the fact that the footsteps had stopped. Vision impaired by your arms serving to cover your face, and pillow your heavy head, meant that the blue glow now impressively bright above you, was unnoticed. Heavy breathing from above you and the screeching of metal protesting against the weight of whatever it supported as said figure bent, squatting down to observe your weakened body. “Hoggy, oi think we gots a live one…poor possum looks worn out” a strangely distorted voice commented in regards to you. The companion of the voice merely grunting, and offered no other response. “ Take our finds, and ‘ead back to tha’ lab. Oim gonna try ta git possum ‘ere to tha ‘ouse, reckon that gash in ‘er leg gonna git infected if oi don’ ” The voice gently ordered, once again receiving another grunt but not seeming to take any mind to the wordlessness of said companion.
Footsteps with exceptional weight, fading away into the rainfall. Metal screeched again as its owner leaned forward, the sound of cloth being removed, lead to a large heap of fabric covering your icy form, and two hands made contact with your body the only barrier between you being what you would later realize, was a cotton lab coat. It probably started out white, but had become more so a cream with age, and consistent use. Your body now snuggly swaddled in the large coat against a warm chest that housed a heart beating at the pace of a skittish hare. The blue glow from tubes of chemicals, strapped on either side of him prominent from both sides, and supplementing more heat to defrost your body. He had covered your head with the collar of the lab coat leaving himself exposed to the elements. Had your mind not been incapacitated, you would’ve fought this person, but something deep down whispered that you were in safe hands, and allowed you to decompress in the arms of your hobbling Samaritan.
The fog in your head kept you from realizing how long he had been walking, but when your mind faded into temporary consciousness, you noticed that your head was being cradled carefully between the neck and shoulder of your new found helper. Gentle vibrations from his throat as he hummed something incomprehensible, the tune lulling you straight back into the darkness of sleep. When you awoke, you were on a bed, your previous clothes removed, replaced by a simple pale lavender hospital gown. Taking in your new surroundings, your eyes flitted around the room in fear of the unknown territory you found yourself in. Sitting up quickly, you feel a wet cloth fall from your forehead, into your lap lamely and the coolness of the air touching your once covered forehead, sending a chill down your spine. The crackle of a warm fire in the stone framed fireplace distracted you from the rain pelting against the window as howling wind suggested the storm would continue for some time to come.
The rest of the room was lackluster in appearance, clearly not having been used for quite some time. Despite that, there was evidence of someone’s rushed attempts to make it habitable. “...Hello?” you croaked, throat parched from the fever which had thankfully broken while you had been asleep. There was no direct answer, but you strained to hear the faint echoes of the voice you vaguely recalled hearing earlier in the evening, when you were first discovered. Daring to move your legs from under the covers, your now active nerves scorn your movement, as a reminder of your wounded leg. Hissing in pain you relent in trying to move your right leg, and use your arms and left leg to awkwardly shuffle in the bed so you faced the door. You pulled the lab coat that had served as a blanket covering you, around your frame before inspecting your wounded leg finding it had been bandaged and some sort of salve had been applied to presumably, prevent infection. The bandaging had been dressed with practiced hands and neatly clasped so as not to disrupt the now tarnished flesh.
Who could’ve possibly done this? And where were your proper clothes? You pondered, thoughts consuming you to the point of noticing all too late, that there was a monstrous figure looming in the doorway. When you noticed said figure, you released a bloodcurdling scream, spooking the lumbering monster into taking a few startled steps backward, breathing in deep huffs almost like…a pig? But pigs don’t stand on two feet, nor are they green! And they certainly don’t stand over 7 feet tall! Where on earth had you been taken to?! In your terror you attempted to run despite having nowhere to hide, limping quickly to a corner of the cold cobble floor and covered you head with your hands and the lab coat, shaking like a leaf in the winter wind. “Didn’ oi say ta knock first ya drongo?” an unseen figure scolded the creature. “Ya scared the poor possum ‘alf ta death!” the voice continued, gradually nearing your cowering form as the familiar creak of metal and haphazard steps became louder. “s’alright luv, no need ta be frightened” the voice cooed from a few feet in front of you, careful not to invade your space, lest he worsen your discomfort. Hot tears streaming down your cheeks stung your eyes, as you assumed your worst fate in this unknown space, but the man in front of you merely eased himself to the floor. The sound of what you proposed to be a metal cane (perhaps?) struck the cold floor as he settled there. Lifting your head ever so slightly from beneath the coat, you stole a peek through guarded hands at the owner of the voice now sitting across from you.
Striking white hair stood wild in every direction against honey skin littered in freckles and a few distinct “beauty marks”, beneath the soot and grease smudged across the face of a man. He sported goggles hanging around his thin neck, and the vials of various chemicals were still strapped to his lithe form. Clad in a pair of stained eggplant purple pants and a simple black shirt, he did his best to be as unassuming in posture as possible, even though anyone would be hard-pressed to find him “unassuming” considering his semi manic expression, yet he still radiated a strange sense of genuine harmlessness in his crooked smile, and the creases around his eyes where his sharp cheekbones raised. A bizarrely childlike giggle erupted from the man as he fidgeted about, curiosity obvious in his saturated golden eyes. “Sorry ‘bout tha’ possum, he’s not very good at manners quite yet. Oim still workin’ ou’ tha kinks in ‘is personality'.
The white haired man giggled, his grin revealing a set of sharp teeth like that of a wild animal. Glancing away from his intense gaze, you looked down only to realize, he had a prosthetic leg and arm which had been the sources of all the metal grinding you had heard before. Noting your continued silence, he decided to try and engage you with a question he sincerely wanted an answer to: “ ’Ow’s yer leg ‘oldin’ up darl’? I did basic first aid, but oi imagen ye still ‘ave a lot ah pain”. His countenance contorting with concern and the unease obvious in the lilt of his voice. He looked at you with worried and expectant eyes, hoping to pull some sort of reply out of you to ease his distress. Mulling over whether or not to grace him with a response only fueled his fidgeting more, his prosthetic laden knee now bouncing in anticipation. Your eyes returned to observing the floor beneath you as you let out a reply, just barely audible. “It still hurts…but not as much…t-thank you for bandaging it…” you whispered, but he heard you nonetheless and he beamed with pride at being able to have some semblance of a conversation started with you. “Was nuthin’ oim jus’ glad yer fever broke an’ yer okay” he replied, as his already large grin seemed to get wider.
He reminded you of a child revealing a piece of prized art they made to their parents, worthy of hanging on the fridge. You were tempted to let out a giggle of your own due to how infectious his was, but bit your tongue. After all, he was still a stranger, even if he did save your life… *CRASH!!!!!* a cacophony of thunder and lightning reminding you of the storm outside, encouraging your huddled form into a tighter ball, much like before and a whimper escaped your lips. “You alright there darl’?” the man’s manic grin replaced once again with his previous expression of worry. “Scary” the monster in the doorway grumbled, spooking you. You hadn’t remembered that he was in his spot he had been in when he had alarmed you earlier. “ Ah~ I didn’ even think a tha’" The man mused slowly, rising to a standing position, though hunched over in a way that seemed more uncomfortable than anything for the average person. Slowly he hobbled up to your curled up form, carefully pulling his lab coat tighter around you much like he had earlier in the night, before speaking again.
“Oim sorry darl’ oi wasn’ thinkin’. Shoulda’ realized you was afraid o’ the storm…oim gonna pick ye up so we can go to tha lab for som’ tea, ye can’ even ‘ear tha storm in there.” He said softly as he eased his arms around you once more. Cognizant of your injury, as well as the possibility of you trying to fight him, he moved slowly due to the fact that he was still technically a stranger. You nodded slightly despite yourself, allowing him to coddle you like a small child. He was gentle but his hold was so secure, that you didn’t worry about him dropping you as he rose back up hobbling out of your room, his monster in tow. As he walked down the hall toward the aforementioned lab, the sounds of the storm faded like a distant memory, just as he had promised mere moments ago.
