Deadlocked

Ch. 17: Recall Completed

Reinhardt's hands clasped together excitedly as he spun around toward the small group of people who'd joined him at the doors out to the hangar bay, his eyes lighting up at the thought of Overwatch fully having been recalled as soon as Jesse McCree walked through those very doors. While the others had mixed enthusiasm, from even-keeled apprehension from Winston to down-right confusion from Jamison, Reinhardt took to the forefront of excitability as his warm voice roared over the scattered conversations surrounding him.

"Just think, everyone!" he spoke up loudly with a massive grin on his face, "With McCree's return, we'll be throwing the 'tentative' list of recallees out the window! And to think, since this group's dissolution and return, we've actually grown with far-greater recruits than we could have ever hoped to attain!"

He turned to Jamison's direction, earning a particularly wonderous smile from the Junker. Reinhardt started in his direction even, leaving Jamison to offer a humble hand to be shaken, clearing his throat as he struggled to remain cool and collected under this Crusader's gaze, though as Reinhardt approached him, he failed to stop, forcing Jamison's eyes wide with confusion, leading to a sad recoil as Reinhardt ultimately reached out in Aleksandra Zaryanova's direction.

"Just look at this beast!" he admired loudly, Zarya blushing at the unexpected recognition, "You'd have carried our whole unit out of Eichenwald if you'd been there, no doubt!"

She lowered her head with a shy grin, "Eh, er, my thanks, sir."

Reinhardt continued to marvel at her gigantic build until Ana made her way through the crowded hallway to pull him away with a grumble, "Hands off the merchandise, dear."

"Come now, my adenium, I haven't seen biceps like those since my days with the Gryphons!" he pleaded, though Ana and Zarya both were quite relived to see him subdued.

Jamison eyed her in critiquing, nodding to himself as he muttered aloud, "Too true, though. Oi, Roadie! If ya got yer gut in yer arms, look what you'd accomplish, mate!"

His teasing grin was met with a vicious glance from Roadhog, who merely shook his head before returning to himself, leaving Jamison to pine at Mei's sudden words, "I've got the a/c gun ready for action! If Jesse's stricken with heatstroke from being out in the desert for so long, this puppy'll bring him to life faster than a... What are those long-eared things called?"

"Jackalope," Jack answered mutedly.

"Faster than a jakalope!" Mei finished, toying with the gun in her hand, shaking it suddenly with a nervous chuckle, "Ehh... Well, there's something... Nothing a little percussive maintenance can't fix! Jamie, if you would?"

Jamison grabbed the a/c gun and gave it a swift smack, sending the internal "frostbustion" engine to whirr to life, sending a gleam of excitement into Mei's eyes, "Beautiful!"

She whipped around to finish her final modifications, spinning absentmindedly around as she fixed the weapon, suddenly sending it skyward in triumph, "Ta daa-!"

Freezing in place, she couldn't help but stare at the gigantic woman who now stood in front of her, Zarya watching her with innocent confusion, as though the two of them had no idea what to make of the other. Mei lowered her arm in recoil, though as she stared up at the giant, pink-haired lady, she couldn't have but offer her gun to her, like a child offering lunch money to a bully.

"Uhh, you sure you don't need a cooling blast..?" Mei wondered, quietly.

Zarya's eyes narrowed in confusion, though Mei explained, nervously, "I-I mean, with all that muscle... You sure your internal engine's not about to, uh...bust?"

Confused still, Zarya's head fell to the side as Jamison nervously reached back to pull Mei from her presence, offering a friendly enough smile up toward the massive woman before closing in on Mei, whispering, "I don't think she works any different than any of us, sheila..."