bakerstreet | ( picture prompt meme )

[76 has a lot of feelings about being back at Gibraltar with a newly-formed Overwatch, mostly involving the fact that he knows he really shouldn't be here. Doesn't want to be here, but is anyway, because how can they go back to being Overwatch if they don't know why the first try went up in literal flames? Someone has to stop them from making the same mistakes. Might as well be him.

At the end of the day, however, he thinks all it really says is how much of an abject failure he is at the whole mysterious vigilante thing. He has a lot of steam to blow off.

Most of them don't know--the recall agents who have figured it out aren't addressing it openly, affording him a modicum of privacy. It doesn't stop the ones who are out of the loop from being insanely curious, so when they're on downtime he saves using public areas for ridiculous hours of the night or morning, when he's fairly confident no one will bother him.

He's in one of the training rooms, blowing off some of that aforementioned steam on a hanging punching bag. The mask is on, of course, but he's shed most of his gear in favor of the shirt underneath it. His movements are efficient and practiced, and he's so focused on the task at hand that anyone else who might be up could have a good chance at sneaking up on him, for once.]

[ Put Hana Song down for the "insanely curious" list of agents.

She's never bothered with secret identities. She's been in the limelight since she was fifteen, sixteen, and it was really no secret to the world when the Korean military drafted her and other top gaming professionals from her country into service. D.Va and Hana Song have always been one in the same.

Which is why this Soldier: 76 character is so, so intriguing to her. Many of the other agents, both old and new, aren't quite as secretive about their secret identities. Lúcio is Lúcio, for one. But 76 brings up so many questions that are always at the back of Hana's mind when they're in the same room. What's with the visor? Is it purely to hide his identity or is his face really screwed up or something? Why 76? Are there 75 other Soldiers or something???

And why is he so cranky all the time?

Questions that, apparently, do not stop Hana from quietly sneaking up on the man while he's training. Being part of MEKA has her on a training regiment, too; nothing nearly as intense as most other soldiers and certainly not compared to the 76th Soldier or whatever in front of her, but-- she's passing through after completing her own cardio exercise, herself, and she stops a few paces behind 76 and the punching bag to watch. Just for a couple of seconds. She wonders if he's going to notice her standing there but when it appears he won't, she pulls her headphones down from her ears, letting it hang around her neck as it continues to blare music, and says out of the blue: ]

Jeez, what did that punching bag ever do to you?

[It’s not that he’s writing off a lot of the new, younger members—it’s just that he sees far too much of his old idealism in them, and that part of his life is gone. All it reminds him of is how thoroughly he failed the first time, and how they’ll fail too, if they don’t learn to temper it. That’s why he’s here, he tells himself. Give them all a nice big dose of reality.

Mostly it’s just given him a reputation of incorrigible grumpiness. He notices after some time that he’s being watched, but he can tell who it is in his periphery, so he doesn’t address her until he’s good and finished with the punching bag, which is fine, because it seems like she’s engaged in her own training regimen.]

It’s called a workout.

[For an aging super soldier with a lot of pent-up anger, apparently.]

You’re up late.

[Or early, depending on how you look at it. 76 has read dossiers on most of these people (Winston would do well to scrub out his old strike commander back doors on the computer systems), so he knows what Hana is capable of, even beyond what he’s seen of her in her mech. Of course she’d want to keep herself in excellent shape—the question is what she’s after in this hour of the night.]

[ He earns a narrowing of Hana's eyes at his response, and her gaze shifts up, eyeing the hook on which the punching bag is mounted. Because she's pretty sure that thing is gonna give if this is his regular "workout."

Her response to his comment, though, is simple enough that she simply shrugs. ]

I'm usually up late.

[ Whether it's because of playing video games, or because of training, or because she just doesn't sleep well nowadays. ]

You're up late, too. I thought people your age went to sleep earlier.

I’m up early.

[That’s the difference. He’s been an early riser all his life (farm stuff, then army stuff), but he knows that this is too early even for that. Angela has spoken to him about it on numerous occasions over the course of his long and storied career, and he’s sure she’s identified the specific problems somewhere along the line—insomnia, anxiety, post-traumatic stress—but being an awful sleeper is something about himself that he’s long-since come to terms with, diagnoses or not. She’s offered him solutions, but 76 doesn’t think anything will get him to stop dreaming of Omnics, of Switzerland, of Reaper, so he pushes it all aside, buries it down, and shows up in the training gym at three in the morning to beat the crap out of a punching bag, instead.

Coping.]

How else am I supposed to get some peace and quiet?

[Peace and quiet that has now been INTERRUPTED, thanks Hana.]

[ you're welcome, 76.

Hana can't help but scoff at the response in disbelief. "Up early" is legit enough, but-- ]

This is peace and quiet? [ says Hana Song, whose idea of "peace and quiet" involves blasting electronic music while playing video games. Go figure. ] That punching bag is gonna fall off.

[ She doesn't really mean to give him a hard time, kind of. It's just that he always seems like he's in a bad mood and Hana's both curious and a little worried. Mostly curious. And there's never a good time to actually have a conversation with the man when he's not busy barking orders at the others like her, who are newer to Overwatch. ]

Have you tried golf? Or fishing?

Compared to any other hour of the day? [Mostly hours of the day when everyone is awake.] Sure.

[76 leans against the bag, running a hand up the chain that attaches it to the wall, making sure it’s sturdy. He knows his own strength, of course, and isn’t exactly worried. Maybe it’s a little endearing that she is.

But he’s entertained the conversation so far, even if this is supposed to be his peace and quiet. The mention of golf and fishing manages to get a laugh out of him, a rough, throaty sort of sound.]

Have you?

[ He's got a point. With some of the people they've got around in Overwatch it's a wonder anyone at all ever gets any sleep, and that's coming from the nineteen year old who could probably function on an hour of sleep and lots of energy drinks. So she concedes on that point, eyeing the punching bag as he leans on it, still wondering if it's going to give. She'd keep on staring if not for the sound that 76 gives-- it sounds a lot like a laugh.

Holy cow, he can laugh. Thank god.

Hana's brows rise, eyes widening in amusement, and she can't help the smile that spreads on her lips. She got 76 to laugh. Achievement unlocked. ]

Me? No way! [ what does she look like, someone over the age of forty?? ] Mini-golf, sure. That's fun. But real golf is so boring!

[He goes from laughing to looking a little bewildered, apparently oblivious to the fact that he laughed in the first place has elicited this reaction from her. It was just a laugh—you know, that thing normal people do when they think something is funny.]

You want to give this a try?

[76 will step away from the punching bag at that, gesturing towards it, an indication that she’s free to have at it. She might just have to deal with him breathing down her neck. No problem, right?]

[ They have a cyborg ninja who summons a magic dragon with his blade, a woman who blinks in and out of time and space in a literal blink of an eye, a medic who shoots at people to heal their injuries, and a nineteen year old professional gamer-turned-soldier-turned-mech pilot, among others.

No one in Overwatch is a normal person.

At his question, though-- Hana quirks a brow, and folds her arms. This feels like a trap, and she is well aware that if she agrees, 76 is 100% going to be breathing down her neck.

Well, what else is new? Besides, Hana isn't one to back down from a challenge, even if it isn't really posed as such. ]

Heh, you're on. I'm guessing you're gonna be judging me hardcore, right?

[ Still, she moves, taking her headphones off from her neck, setting that and her phone down on a nearby chair, and sheds her jacket before wandering over to a shelf with gear in it to find boxing gloves, since the ones 76 is using probably wouldn't fit her too well. ]

Y'know, we didn't get a lot of of hand-to-hand at MEKA. Most of it was "just get in the mech, Song."

I could always give you some pointers.

[It's not judging! It's instruction! Mentorship! He used to do this all the time with new recruits. If she didn't get a lot of hand-to-hand, then 76 is more than willing to fill in that blank. It's an incredibly important skill, after all.

Still, he's decent enough not to force it on her. He'll back away from the punching bag and offer her the choice, though it seems like she's already gearing up.]

If you want.

[ She is, indeed, gearing up, and once her gloves are on securely she bumps her fists together as she makes her way back to the punching bag. ]

Alright, game on. I'll show them I can fight, too.

[ Who "they" are, exactly, she doesn't say. But D.Va's certainly gotten some flak from people both in and out of Overwatch or MEKA that have chastised her for her age, or her inexperience, or her lack of real training. She'll show them. She's not just a child with a toy on the battlefield. She's a soldier now-- even if they didn't give her much of a choice in becoming one. ]

[He lets her get situated and geared up, trying his very best not to hover (he’s only marginally successful). The good news is that once she steps up to the punching bag, he has to give her some space, if only so he doesn’t fall victim to an errant elbow or some other unfortunate misplaced limb.

76 will step to the side, folding his arms to watch. He’ll let her get a few hits in before butting in to correct her form.

You know. Pointers.]

All yours.

[ Hana starts off by planting herself down firmly at the punching bag, feet apart, and raising her arms and fists such that her knuckles face inward of each other. She tries to remember not to keep her form so rigid, but when it comes to the actual act of boxing--

Does she just. Punch the thing? Guess so.

And so she gives it a jab, a very light jab, and she can already tell from the way the impact felt on her own arm that she's probably doing it wrong. Her gaze flicks over to 76 for a split second, already expecting "pointers" even as she tries to swing with her other arm, this time, much to the same effect as the first hit. ]

[Surprisingly, 76 doesn’t interject right away, taking a moment to let her get a few hits in—get comfortable with the punching bag while he observes her movements.

It doesn’t last long, however, and he’s unfolding his arms sooner rather than later.

Widen your stance.

[He straightens a little and closes the distance, moving around her and nudging her feet outward slightly, forcing her to center herself.]

Too east to knock off balance if all your weight is on one foot.

[ With each fist thrown at the bag, Hana looks at Jack. Waiting when he'll speak up--

When it happens, she smiles expectantly rather than be annoyed at the feedback. Even for how stubborn she acts at times, Hana can take pointers. Being drafted into the military taught her that. So she doesn't object when he adjusts her stance, and she looks down as he moves her feet so she can make a note for herself about how that feels. She--doesn't know that she can notice a difference just yet, but she trusts his opinion. ]

So, keep your weight balanced. Got it. Hi-yah!

[ --and then she tries for a couple more jabs, then, trying her best to keep the new stance and trying to adjust herself whenever she feels like she might be starting to shift her weight to one foot too much. ]

Just like that.

[Practice will make the stance easier to find, and she'll find that the more she does it, the less thought she'll need to give it. Muscle memory, something he's had burned into him after so many years. Settling into a defensive position is almost like breathing for him. They're two entirely different generations of soldier, but some things don't exactly change.

He backs off, lets her give the adjustments a try while circling around her, making fewer and fewer corrections as she goes. After a few moments, he seems to have a better idea.]

You want to get in the ring?

[ That's funny, 76 sounds an awful lot like he's asking her if she wants a match with him in the ring.

... Wait. ]

Are you serious? What, with you?

[ Her tone is half skeptical, half plainly surprised, and she's practically paused in her stance mid-swing when she says it.

She's probably going to get her ass kicked in the ring. But when has Hana Song ever backed down from a challenge? ]

Okay. You're on.

I'll take it easy on you.

[There's a grin in his voice when he says that, even if she can't see it. Though he does have to take it easy on her as far as his augmented strength is concerned, he doesn't have to hold back when it comes to strategy.

76 steps into the sparring ring, rolling his shoulders in preparation.]

Whenever you're ready.

[ Now normally, Hana would take offense to anyone going easy on her, but-- slowly, but surely, she's starting to learn to pick and choose her battles. Being on the front lines makes sure of that. And arguing with a stacked soldier wearing a mask and an edgy visor whom she'd just watched beat the ever-loving tar out of a punching bag is decidedly not going to be a battle she'll fight.

Not in the ring, at least. Verbally is a different thing entirely if their banter during missions is anything to go by.

Hana pauses just long enough to momentarily remove her gloves so she can tighten the ponytail on her head, and she pulls a hairclip out of a pocket in her shorts to pin her bangs back. ]

Okay. It's time to get serious.

[ The gloves are back on by the time she steps back into the ring, quiet determination in her eyes, and she takes a deep breath or five, making sure to stay balanced on her feet just as 76 had taught her as she starts closing in, trying to get a read on him, equal parts defensive and looking for an opportunity to strike. He's bigger and stronger than she is, but maybe she's quicker and maybe she can use her size to her advantage somehow. ]

[He might not be outwardly showing it, but 76 is excited by the prospect of Hana getting serious. It's not that he doubts her ability, of course--seeing her in action has answered that question, but there's always something valuable in learning how one fights with their fists. Super soldier or not, he isn't about to underestimate her.

So he settles into a defensive stance, counter-circling, every muscle primed and ready to respond to her opening move.

Which he'll let her have, of course. Ladies first.]

[ For all the fun and games and the attitude she projects when she's out on the battlefield, and especially so when she's streaming-- Hana understands what she's doing. She understands that she's fighting in a war and she's not just a teenager who's really good at playing video games anymore. Now she's a teenager who's really good at playing video games and has the responsibility of protecting her country and upholding this image of being a hero as well.

Which is why when she says it's time to get serious, she usually means it. And why she's watching his every move, watches how he responds to what she does, and when she thinks she's got an opening, she takes the liberty of taking the first strike, arm bolting out for an attempt at a quick jab at him. ]

[76 is made of harder stuff than, well. Most everyone. He's not worried about taking some blows, and might in fact want to see just how hard she can hit. He's a good punching bag, all things considered, built to withstand much worse than a throw-down with a teenager.

Still, he doesn't want to give her the shot, not yet. He sidesteps easily, letting her fist whiff past him then taking another step out of the way to circle around her and avoid any follow-up strikes.

It's a statement, more than anything--that she's going to have to think a little more on her feet if she wants to hit him.]

[ His evasion is met with a furrow of Hana's brow and an annoyed huff-- not that she'd expected to connect on the first shot. She knows this won't be an easy fight to win, but damn it she's going to try.

She's quick on her feet when he circles around her as he dodges, carefully shifting herself to make sure he doesn't get an opening on her. Which puts her facing him again; and there's a spark that ignites a look in her eyes that says she's getting fired up. She tries for another jab-- much like the first. She's sure he'll dodge it again. But she wants to know how exactly he goes this time so she can try and anticipate and look for an opening on the next go. ]

( picture prompt meme )

CRAWLS OUT OF THE ABYSS

WELCOME BACK FROM THE ABYSS

i like to think i am more punctual with tags than i am with writing starters

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sorry for the delay!

no problem!

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