Irradiated

The Scourge

The following chapter is written in Akinuide (Akin for short!) Adeyemi's point of view.
-Waffles

•Hollywood, California. 1978
"You gonna give me a hand?" Amélie questioned from behind a flipped car. I ran towards her, and rolled past a rocket. The rocket flew past and demolished a small bakery behind me.
Amélie took her sniper rifle and aimed it at the target: Thinn. Thinn laughed maniacally as he dodged Amélie's first bullet, then blasted another rocket towards the two. The rocket hit the car, and it exploded.
The green symbols on my Gauntlet began to glow, and I wrapped myself around Amélie to prevent her from harm.
The latest member of Overwatch, Private Jack Morrison, combat rolled next to me. "You take left, I'll take right?"
I nodded my head and turned away. I sprinted up a small staircase in a hotel, and from a balcony, jumped off towards Thinn-fist in the air.
I flew down with a BOOM! And Thinn flew backwards. He reloaded his rocket launcher and blasted at me. The rocket was too close to dodge, and I took the hit in the chest.
The explosion itself nearly knocked me out, but I felt reassured as Private Jack rammed the butt of his gun into Thinn's head from behind.
"You alright?! Akin! Akin!" Jack yelled at me as he shook my body. "I'm fine... just need to get this gosh darn Gauntlet fixed. The power's been completely shutting down randomly lately, and I can't seem to find a solution."
Amélie ran to my side and kneeled down next to me. Her French accent always made me feel better in some type of way. Jack helped me back onto my feet, and the two carried me to the jet, leaving Thinn tied to a lamppost.
"Ya know what Akin?" Jack said.
"What?"
"How the heck do you take a freaking ROCKET to the chest and NOT die?!?!?!"
"Haha. I don't honestly know."
"Alrighty then. When we get back, I need to pack my bags and leave for a bit."
"Where to?"
"Me and my friend Gabe are going on vacation."
I knew he was lying. I saw the pamphlet he and Gabriel had been checking out the other day. They were going to some sort of program in the jungle, but for the chemistry of the squad, I decided not to tell. Plus, most everyone was out on there own mission right now, not worrying about a maniacal rocket-launching terrorist.
"Lucky for you. I wish I could have a vacation every now and then." I said.
Jack laughed. "You know Angelica wouldn't let you go on vacation without her. After all, you guys are dating now, aren't you?"
"Well..." I said. "I proposed to her about 2 weeks ago."
Amélie and Jack came to a halt. "What?!" They said in unity.
"Yep."
"Wow." Amélie said. "That was fast. What'd she say?"
"Yes."
Both Jack and Amélie hugged me, and I grinned. "Oh stop it." I laughed.
We continued to walk, Jack's arm around me to help my limp.
"So... is there a ring?" He asked. "Yes. Wanna see it?" I replied.
"Heck ya dude!"
I slowly removed the Gauntlet in which my green and gold ring was hidden underneath. "Pretty cool, huh?" I bragged.
Jack looked at me. "Oh yea."
"I want our wedding to be somewhere romantic, yet memorable. Somewhere fun, but calm." I admitted. "Gibraltar?" Jack requested. "Sorry Morrison, I have this thing where I don't want talking monkeys at my wedding." We laughed together. We always found a way to make fun of Winston. Amélie turned around and showed off her ring, which she had received 3 years ago. "My marriage, was at Illios, the most picturesque place in the world!"
I was about to slip my Gauntlet back on when a bullet flew right by my head. I turned around to see a dark clothed man behind us, with a gun in his hand. "Woah..." I said.
"Give me the Gauntlet..." the man shook nervously.
"Hey... can we think about this maybe?" I requested, taking a step closer.
"Don't come near me... throw me the Gauntlet now or you die." He said. I took another step closer. "I'd die anytime protecting this Gauntlet from falling into the wrong hands." I admitted.
"Fine then. Give me the Gauntlet or I shoot her." He aimed the gun at Amélie.
I backed up. "Okay... okay..." I looked back at Amélie. Don't give it to him! She mouthed.
I began to slowly slide the Gauntlet back onto my arm. "Don't you do it!" The man yelled at me.
I slightly slid it down. "I'm sorry... look, here." I took it off and walked over to the man. I held it as far away from me as I could. The man grabbed it, examined it, then looked up. When he looked up, I had already started charging at him. I jumped onto him, tackling him to the ground. We broke out into a small fist fight over the Gauntlet.
Then I felt a cold metallic point push against my side. Bang. The man pulled the trigger, and my body, fell over.
The man reached for the Gauntlet, but a small array of blue helix rockets from Jack's gun flew at his hand. The man ran off with half a hand and one used bullet.
I could barely open my eyes. "God... no. Please no." Amélie pleaded. "Not like this. Please. Not now, not with everything that's been going on... please, not now!" She wept as she huddled over me.
Morrison's face reddened and he sprinted after the man. A few shots, and the man crumpled to the ground. As he ran back, my eyes began to shut. "Tell Angelica to bring white tulips to my grave at least once a week. It's a tradition my family insists on me carrying on." My vision began to darken, and the last thing I felt, was a tear striking my cheek.