Everything's Comin' Up Explodey

She was still trying her best to get used to this school. But really, it was just so different from her old school that she wasn’t sure that she’d ever really get used to this place. It still seemed strange to her that the school was so self sufficient, even maintaining its own city just outside of the school. But then again, given the fact it was a refuge for people with powers to learn how to control them, such secrecy was probably necessary.

But she was also glad because that meant she could cook her own meals and do whatever shopping she needed to do without going too far. She paused when someone called out to her. The accent definitely threw her off. That was…Australian, wasn’t it? The speaker looked too old to be a student, so he was probably a teacher, but even then, he didn’t look anything like a teacher. 

For a moment she was at a loss for words, and she definitely had no idea what a “cuppa” was, but she assumed it was slang for something. “Um, I’m..not really sure,” she began finally, “I don’t know what a ‘cuppa’ is but, the Little Bird Cafe sells coffee and tea?” Hopefully that’s what he was asking about, and not something else, like soup. Though she was sure the cafe probably had soup…

She just hoped she’d understood correctly.

Junkrat felt relief rush through him. He wouldn't say he was addicted to caffeine (though he probably was by this point) but it definitely made things much much easier.

"You got it right, sheila, a cuppa is what you'd probably call coffee. But they got tea too?" Junkrat asked, lighting up a little. "Even better!" Usually a place with coffee and tea served bubble tea, so Junkrat definitely had something to look forward to.

But as much as he'd love to head on his merry way so he could get caffeine and then continue his experiments, he had no idea how to get there.

Allen sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Tim’s kind of an anomaly as far as golems go, anyway.” Honestly, he wasn’t even sure how Timcanpy worked. It was probably even a mystery to whoever made him in the first place.

“Yes he does tend to fly off. He didn’t used to, when I was younger.” The white haired boy paused and scratched his cheek gently. “I think he’s going through a rebellious phase.” As odd as that sounded, he honestly wouldn’t be surprised if that was what was happening.

Junkrat would be lying if he said he didn't want to know how the mysterious golem worked. He only just met this student though, and asking to take a look at something that seemed so important seemed like it'd probably be rude.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a shine. It seemed to be there one moment and gone the next. Maybe he had imagined it, but he still began to walk briskly that way.

Genji listened attentively to the explanation he was given. He was a bit disappointed not to hear the full story of how he lost his limbs, but that would have to do. Besides, the next thing he said caught his interest. That name. He knew it, didn’t he? 

“..Yes, that must be it. I’ve seen your face..on a wanted poster before.” How such a man had gotten a job at a school out of all places, he didn’t know. Surely they must have noticed something off about him?

 “I agree that Junkrat suits you much better.”

One thing was for sure: Junkrat had clearly lost his mind. And he seemed so..proud of what he had done. A criminal history was not a foreign concept to the Shimada however. He had tried his very best to remain out of his family’s affairs, but he had still gotten forced and sucked into them at some points of his life. He had done things he wasn’t proud of, but each time he helped them, the more he’d go out to live freely. Going to parties, flirting, playing games at the arcade, stopping for ramen at his favorite shop before coming home late..that had been his daily life. The fact that Junkrat could easily mention it was odd.

“I suppose it is my turn. When I was younger, I was part of the Shimada clan. It was a criminal empire of sorts. Many illegal activities and assassins. It was not a dream of mine to take any part in these things. As for my body..my brother and I did not see eye to eye.” He hesitated to go into further detail, and decided that it was possible to infer what had happened from that.

“..I should have died, but my life was saved by an amazing doctor and her team. They’ve turned me into..a cyborg.”

Junkrat laughed at the man's comment on his alias. The name seemed more relevant when he was young and in Junkertown, scavenging through scrap metal and traveling through tunnels he had made to traverse the wasteland more cautiously. Though he was definitely still just as disheveled and fiery (literally) as he was as a kid.

Oddly enough, even though Genji recognized him from wanted posters, no effort was made to apprehend him, kill him, coerce him into revealing the location of his treasure, or steal from him in general. It definitely came as a relief because without his bodyguard or his grenade launcher, there wasn't much Junkrat could do in terms of combat, especially not with someone with a swordsman's ability. And a swordsman's sword.

But he continued to listen to the cyborg and finally got an explanation. "OH, THAT'S RIGHT. Yeah, yeah, I remember now! Think I planned a heist on ya a while back. Well, not YOU, but ya know. You Shimadas seem to have some money to spare, though I guess it's 'cause of all the activity, right?" That's why Genji didn't make any action even though he knew who Junkrat was.

Even before Hanzo heard the cry for him to watch out, he heard the raucous roaring of the strange contraption — which, at a glance, appeared to be nothing more than a spinning tire, with spikes protruding from it, and which must have been motor-powered, for all the noise it made. Though of course he couldn’t comprehend what would happen if the tire successfully intercepted him in that short moment, he could tell that the thing was very clearly dangerous. Ever quick on the draw, Hanzo drew his bow, which he had just been using for some idle target practice not too long ago in the shooting range, nocked the arrow, drew, and fired, all in the blink of an eye. The arrow hit its mark, causing the tire to deflate and swerve from its course as it slowed, swivelling and finally falling flat to the ground as it lost its momentum.

Hanzo stepped clear of it to be safe, closer to the man who had told him to watch out, and finally dared to release the breath he’d been holding. “Crisis averted,” he said, relieved to remain unscathed. “I do have to ask, though… What precisely was that thing?”

Junkrat fidgeted nervously as the man shot the tire and it fell to the ground with an anticlimactic psssh. He was lucky the archer was uncanny with a bow and arrow; a few centimeters could've made the difference between shooting the rubber or shooting the chemical compound within the tire. The latter would've definitely led to a different outcome.

Still, Junkrat had to admit he was pretty impressed with the abilities of the archer. He'd never seen someone with such a straight shot even with a gun, let alone when you need to account for trajectory. Clearly this guy was something special.

"Nice goin' there, mate!" Junkrat commended, giggling with a mixture of nervousness and giddiness. "Pretty good with that bow, right? Shot my Rip-Tire in just the right spot. It's a uh... modified version of it, actually. 'Splosion's not all that big, but it prob'ly still hurts if it goes off on ya." Junkrat unconsciously fiddled with the joints on his prosthetic arm. That one hurt pretty bad. "'S nothing more than an explosive tire. Made it meself."

“My apologies Mr. Fawkes, but I have never met a man less average than you.” It was true, the junker was a brand new type of individual to Genji. As their conversation progressed, he could feel himself becoming skeptical. Well, his family name really didn’t make or break who he was in the end.

“Oh, good! ‘right, so hardly anyone knows me by Jamison, yeah?” Junkrat began, pausing to build suspense. “Well, ‘s ‘cause they know me as... drumroll please... Junkrat! If that rings a bell or two, prob’ly from the wanted posters ‘round, well, the entire world by now.” Junkrat giggled. It wasn’t anything to brag about, not really, but it gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. “Also, feel free to call me that instead of Jamison or Mr. Fawkes. Could never get used to Jamison.”

“Oh. He’s a golem. My….previous employer,” That was a good way to describe the Order now, wasn’t it? Although he was technically on the run and not just fired or something, “used them for communication. Timcanpy is special, though. And I need him to find my way around.” He had picked a direction and started walking as he talked.

"Sounds handy, 'specially since I get lost 'round here meself. Big place. I've heard stories 'bout golems, but none like this one." Well, his bodyguard told him something about making life out of the inanimate and calling them golems. Junkrat just assumed it was a story that was supposed to pass time. 

However he didn’t want to show his face any longer, and was quick to put his mask back on. It didn’t seem like it would be a problem to have it off, as no school administrators were near. “I am Genji.,,,Shimada” He had debated over whether to mention his last name. His family had at one point been a criminal organization at some point. It would be a shame to tarnish his reputation with fellow teachers so quickly and easily. Even so, it was what the kids called him and it was on all of his paperwork as well. “I do not mind your presence…but there is something bothering me.”

“Your face is oddly familiar. Have we crossed paths before?”

Something about the name sounded... like it should’ve rung a bell. Was it... someone he had stolen from? Planned a heist against? Too bad his memory wasn’t the best. If his bodyguard had been here, maybe he would’ve known. Oh well, nothing Junkrat could do now.

“My face?” Junkrat asked. Faces being familiar and names being familiar were totally different, but the most he could do was try and play it off. Somehow. Didn’t help that Junkrat was wanted the world over with a super high bounty on his head. “Dunno what you’re talkin’ about. I’m just ya average guy with a thing for bombs.” The more he couldn’t figure out the cyborg, the more it irked Junkrat. But then he had an absurdly poorly thought-out idea.

He grinned and nodded. “You would do that? I would appreciate it! Thank you!” He straightened and made a small circle with his hands. “He’s about this big with a long tail and little wings. He also has a cross on the front. Oh! My name is Allen Walker, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Junkrat paused, a quizzical look on his face. “A lil flyin’ ball, golden with wings a tail? Don’t reckon anyone else could miss it. Could ask around. Or does it make a noise we could track it by? Oh, right! ‘s got a name. Prob’ly answers to it, right?” The more he thought about it, the more bizarre this thing sounded.

after the detonation of australia’s omnium fusion core, the outback was transformed into a harsh, irradiated wasteland, unlivable to most. but there were some who survived.

junkrat was a member of the lawless, cut-throat organization known as the junkers. like many others, he was affected by the lingering radiation. this touch of madness made him ideal for handling dangerous explosives, a love which he turned into an obsession.

Allen yawned as he wandered around the campus, not paying attention to where he was going and instead just letting Timpcany lead him around. At least until Tim sped off, leaving Allen in the dust.

“What the-?! Wait! Timcanpy!” The exorcist dashed after him, though he soon found himself lost. “Great…” He sighed and started wandering around again, but calling out for Timcanpy.

Although sometimes just a walk around campus sounded like a good idea. After all, he still needed to get familiar with his surroundings so he could navigate the place like he could navigate his tunnels back home. He didn’t really expect to have someone calling out to him while he was walking, and asking such a weird question.

Each day after class, he took his time with his training. Falling behind was not something Genji Shimada planned to do. No matter what. he would be on top of his game. He wouldn’t have it any other way. His movements seemed effortless, but there was thought put into every swing and slash. It was not long before Genji noticed a stranger watching his movements.

“Greetings.” Not knowing exactly who this man was, he greeted him formally.

"Oh, nah, mate, I was just..." Junkrat began, trailing off when the mask was removed, revealing the marred face beneath. Well, he definitely wasn't an omnic, but... "Whoa, what hap--" Junkrat finally realized a few seconds too late that his exclamation of surprise was probably pretty rude, cutting himself off.

"Sorry, sorry! Bit of a drongo, aren't I? Just... haven't seen scars like that 'cept on me arm and leg." Having probably already thoroughly ruined this guy's first impression of him, Junkrat figured he could at least introduce himself.