Madness and Meihem in the Outback

Chapter Nine

Moonlight cast down upon the world, the first time Mei had seen the night in quite some time. She didn't know how much time had passed in Archibald's trailer, but she appreciated the subtle drop in temperature regardless. She didn't see Junkrat again after he'd run off, and after that, she'd pretty much just sat in the couch for a few hours until she noticed the notches in the garage door had stopping shining in light. Eventually, Roadhog brought her a pillow and a light blanket, not speaking, though seemed to have a friendly enough air about him.

So here was where Mei was, staring up into the orange rock above her, calculating in her head about how much force might be needed to knock a single bit of rock out of place and down onto her face. She had slept enough on the trailer, and still not sleepy, probably due to her mind working a mile a minute.

In the middle of her thoughts, her head slowly fell to the side, looking down the corridor where the door stood that led to Daisy and the rest of the base. He eyes adjusted enough to the darkness, she saw a lazily-moving Junkrat make his way into one of the rooms, disappearing out a view.

She grew curious, though restrained herself, returning her view to the rock above. Just about to return to calculating density or force, she heard a sudden POP, followed by a muffled "YEOWI-" by Junkrat. She quickly looked back down the corridor, seeing him waving the pain away from his hand as he crossed the hallway into Daisy's room. Her curiosity still growing, Mei threw the blanket off with her legs, hopping to her feet.

She leaned into the doorway, slowly, peering across the room to watch Junkrat slowly pouring a cup of water in Daisy's pot, lightly cooing as he did so, "Yeah, there ya go, sweetheart. Fresh and free of impurities! Just for you!"

He placed the cup down, staring off into space before snapping his fingers as if remembering something, slowly walking off toward another door. Mei slowly crept into the rom, tip-toeing her way in further, curiously. The door hed gone into wound further into the mountain, and she thought, surely, he'd be gone long enough.

She came to the desk, grasping at its edge with her hands, leaning over toward Daisy, which wasn't actually a daisy at all; it more resembled an orchid of some sort, its white petals flaring out elegantly around a purple tongued petal reaching out of its center.

"Maybe..." she whispered aloud, carefully.

If she could only get one of its petals, just maybe, it could survive until she made it back to her box. She could hide it, wait out until Fareeha found her. Or she could just take it and run, escape this place- surely Overwatch had fifteen hundred eyes on this place with two operatives having been captured.

She reached out, slowly, just an inch or two away from Daisy's elegant flowers, her hand nearly trembling as her finger reached out, making contact.

"'ey!" Junkrat spoke, suddenly, having appeared from the door he'd gone through.

Mei had heard his footsteps, so he simply watched her staring at Daisy, hands held behind her back. This particular room had a crack leading through the shallow rock, leading a trail of silvery moonlight, giving Junkrat a clear view of her. He must have put his flower in here for that reason, she thought.

"O-Oh!" Mei began, feigning surprise, "I couldn't sleep, so I just..."

"Ahhh," Junkrat mused, walking toward another desk and dropping off the box he'd brought back with him, "So you sought comfort in the sight of Daisy, eh? I can't blame ya; I sit in here a lot myself."

He began sorting out different bits of scrap onto the desk as he went on, "When I'm not out with Roadhog, or fetchin' somethin' we need, I like doing my work in here, especially when the moon is out. I dunno, it's just cozy in here."