I'm so sorry if there's any grammar issues or anything but I hope you guys enjoy!
The dust was swept up into the air by Mako's tires as they rode along the blazing Australian sun. Mako glanced at him and then at his motorcycle's monitor. He read the warning and right when he did, he heard the faithful pop of his left tire. A hoggish groan left Mako's mouth and the sweaty face of Jamison looked around, confused why they had stopped. The bike shifted as Mako leaned down to check the damage. He knew he should have replaced this tire a long time ago, but he never found a good tire shop. Mako motioned for Jamison to get out.
"Oh! The tire popped? That makes sense. You really should have replaced it a long time ago! So irresponsible, Roadhog! And you know it's dangerous to be out here! Y'know those gangs with acid sneak around here!" Jamison's voice shrieked out as he tried his best to push the large vehicle. It wasn't like he wasn't strong enough to help, he just was exhausted from the heat. He was surprised that Mako wasn't hotter than him. The fat on his body had to add to the heat for sure. The other wheels moved as they put pressure on the back.
Mako made a small noise as he eventually got the motorcycle at a good pace. Jamison kept up easily with his long legs. He wiped his head from all the sweat. It was much hotter outside the city, which seemed impossible since even in the city it was hotter than hell. A huge bit of scrap metal came out from under the wheel and right into Jamison's foot. He howled with pain and fell to the ground. Mako, annoyed that he had to stop, scooped Jamison into his arms and then into the sidecar again.
Jamison tried to keep up his energy even though his foot hurt like hell. "Roadhog?…", he asked, "Are we about at your place? Me legs and arms hurt!"
Mako made a noise signifying that they weren't. He pointed to a gas station a ways away in the opposite direction. Jamison sighed and frowned, furrowing his eyebrows at the larger man. Mako pushed them all the way to the gas station with little issue. Of course, he looked at the ground most of the time so he didn't gauge how much time it took, but the sun was about a quarter till two in the sky. A wisdom moved in the distance past the station. Mako noticed how there were a couple of people already at the now-abandoned station. They stared as Mako and Jamison rolled into one of the stalls to fill up on gas
"Hey, big guy! What do you think you and your little friend are doin' here?" Musty One said. It seemed like they all smelled of old dust bunnies that were peed on.
Mako didn't reply.
Musty Two motioned to pull out his gun. Jamison laughed loudly. "Good luck with that, pal! You know who you're dealing with 'ere?" He mocked.
"I know who you are, a couple of nobodies," Musty Three snorted out.
Mako glanced at Jamison waiting for an order, he looked back and smiled. He said, "Oh Hoggy, I think they're just confused is all! We haven't gotta kill these blokes yet."
Mako nodded. Musty One replied, "Kill us?" He swung his knife slightly gesturing to the rest of the musty guys, "Good luck. We've got acid from those damn bots! It'll burn off skin and bone and it spreads quickly!"
Jamison rolled his eyes and got up. He said, "Alrighty! Are we doing this the easy way or the hard way? Don't matter to me!"
All three of the musty guys pulled out their weapons and Jamison said, "Lovely, alright Hog! We're gonna show these guys who's who! Ooo, we haven't fought somebody in a while!"
The strangers tried to make the first move, but Mako swung his hook around Musty One, and ripped him in half. Blood sprayed everywhere as the man's top half separated from his lower half. One of the others shrieked and threw an acid bottle. Mako knocked it out of the way. It shattered on the ground. Some of it hit Musty Three, who started to scream. Musty Two threw two at Jamison.
As the acid rained down, Jamison's eyes dilated. It felt like everything was in slow motion. Jamison tried to move out of the way, but one of the bottles hit his right arm and the other landed on his right leg. Mako hooked Musty Two and left Three to scream on the ground. He picked up Jamison quickly, Jamie howling in pain. He filled up the gas and grabbed a new tire. He jumped onto his bike, placing Jamison gently in the sidecar.
The sun was waving goodbye when they finally made it to the house. Mako ran as fast as a man his size could, carrying Jamie into the mangled house. Mako plopped Jamison onto a makeshift bed in the corner of his dirty living room. Jamison looked rough, his arm and leg were the worst parts. Jamison shifted, turning towards Mako. He tried to move but just sighed. "Ya think I'm gonna be alright, Hoggie?" Jamison said, with an unusual tear in his eye, but a little laugh followed to lighten the question.
Mako sat across the room, emotionless, he had no sign of response. He didn't know what to do or how to feel. Mako has faced death and injury so many times, it has been his life for years. He only knew how to save one person from death and major hurt, and that was himself. This time he wanted to save Jamison, but he didn't know how to. Though Jamison would never guess he cared for him so much, especially with that damned mask blocking his face.
Jamison stared at Mako, hoping for some sign of reply, but he wasn't picking up on anything. His voice cracked, "Hog?" An increasingly afraid expression spread on Jamie's face.
Mako looked at Jamison's state while thinking. The skin on Jamison's arm didn't even look like skin anymore. It was almost like a weird charred steak, just purple instead of black and much more puffy. Mako was sure his leg looked the same, although he was too scared to look, both from the acid for sure. That weird liquid burned the life out of Jamie's arm and leg.
Ideas to remedy this flowed through Mako's mind. Only one seemed like it would work. Mako slowly got up from his chair, making the chair and floor creak from his weight. Jamison looked up at him with hope.
"So what's the plan, Roadhog? Some witch's poison?! Oooo! Maybe some of that mist you use?" Jamie had full trust in his friend. Mako won't hurt him, would he?
Mako grabbed his hook and dragged his feet with a threatening stare. "So? We don't got all day, Hog. What do you think?" Jamison waited for a reply for a moment then continued, swinging his arm in the air as he talked. "Right, right, silly me. I'm the plans guy. Sorry, sorry. So! Here's what we're gonna do! You-"
"No." Mako finally spoke when he was next to the smaller man, who was somehow acting normally through all the pain he was feeling.
Junkrat looked confused and said, "no? I didn't even tell you the plan!" Jamison tried to cross his arms and then flinched and went back to being mostly limp. "What do you mean no? Y'know I am still your boss. So, don't get all mister mister with me!"
Mako inched closer to Jamison and picked up his decaying arm. "W-what'cha doing?" Jamison spat out.
"Dealing with it." Mako lifted his hook.
"What does that mean?!" Jamison tried to squirm away but Mako had a good grip on him.
Mako paused trying to find his words. "It's too bad, Rat. Gotta remove it before it kills you."
"WHAT? I'm sure there's another way to fix it! Y'know one of my aunts had something like this and she fixed it without losing a limb!!! Y'know I think she just slapped some lotion on it, took some vitamins and it was perfectly fine!! She lived a healthy 29 years!" Jamison tried again to get out of Mako's grasp.
"No." Mako lifted his hook and hacked through Jamison's arm like a hot knife through butter. Jamison's scream could be heard for some time. His face melted into fear, anger, and confusion, but his mind was full. Adrenaline pulsed through his body, so the pain hadn't set in yet. Mako sliced through the nerves and muscle like it was ham. There was a loud crack of Mako's hook coming in contact with Jamie's bone. It swang right through, like people were just air to this hook. Blood rushed out of the now-amputated wound where the arm was once attached. The cut was about two inches from his elbow.
Jamison desperately yelled, "WHAT THE HELL MAKO?" Jamison sounded like a hurt dog, Jamison looked like a hurt dog.
Mako just looked at him before reaching for the infected leg. Jamison scratched and pulled at him to no avail. He didn't have the mind to argue with Mako, but he tried anyway, "No! Please! STOP! ROADHOG PLEASE!! STOP!"
Mako didn't halt, his hook swung through Jamison's mid-thigh. Another scream and cracking of bone rang through the house. Jamison was bleeding out all over the bed. Mako set aside the arm and leg as he walked quickly to his bathroom, shaking the whole house. Jamison squirmed and screamed in agony. Mako knew he had to do what he had done, but he couldn't imagine how much it hurt or how betrayed Jamie felt. He returned to Jamie's side and made quick work sewing up his arm and leg, preventing any more blood from leaking out. Mako learned one or two things from his wife. It wasn't the prettiest work, but it would do for now.
Mako stared down at Jamison, who was in a ball and crying. Jamison couldn't do much other than cry. Mako couldn't bear looking at what he did so he got up. Mako's mind was empty. He didn't want to think about what happened. It wasn't like it was the first time Mako dealt with this acid stuff, but it was the first time in a long while, especially with someone he tolerated.
The floorboards creaked over Jamison's sobs as Mako stomped to his kitchen. He pulled out a knife and a cutting board. Mako didn't bother washing his hands of what he just did; he just needed to do something. He threw the cutting board and knife down. Mako swung open his spice cabinet. It was empty besides some bowls of spices that only Mako could identify. He set out the bowls by the stove. Mako leaned almost all the way into the pantry to grab what he needed. He tossed a stockpot on his stove and poured some oil in. Mako then moved to chopped capsicum, onion, and tomato. He threw the onion and capsicum into the pot and sautéd them. Once they were softened, he sprinkled in his spices. He was quite good at this cooking thing because he worked at a restaurant before the crisis. His pachimari timer dinged, he stirred his tomatoes and beans slowly, then reset the timer. Mako kept a good eye on the mixture and stirred it occasionally.
Ding!
He filled two bowls and went back to the living room, his hands shaking. Jamison's sad face killed Mako, he missed his smile. He stared down at Jamison, who was laying like he'd passed out. "Rat?" Jamison's eyes shot open once he heard Mako's voice. He looked terrified. Mako placed the bowl next to Jamie. "I made us some chili."
Jamison shifted away from him. Mako somberly said, "I had to do what I had to do."
YOU ARE READING
Had to do What Needed to be Done
ActionThe story of Junkrat losing his limbs. (This is a one shot btw)