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whatisthatmelody | Talon AU
Harold Winston is a geneticist.
His work was never meant to be used to hurt people nor would he have ever thought he'd be working for people actively trying to cause chaos in the world. Working probably wasn't the right word, forcefully blackmailed into helping Talon was more like it. It was exactly what it was. They didn't have anything against him when it came to his work or things he'd done in his life, no, they used the only family he still had left against him, because Talon had no morals.
As far as anyone knew Dr. Harold Winston was dead, which after surviving the Horizon Lunar Colony incident was a slap in the face. To his peers, to his mother and father, to all the work he'd done in his life. Now he was used to try and keep Gabriel Reyes in some semblance of one piece, his body a nightmare of genes and molecules fighting to stay together. Moira was always doing tests and injecting him with new things, but at the same time expecting him to have some input at the same time. She didn't think working with him would help at all, it would, but it wasn't like he saw her as a colleague, but he had to do his best to work with her like he did.
For years now if it wasn't working on Reaper it was helping Moira with her own work and continuing keep up on their resident sniper. A poor brainwashed ballet dancer they'd tortured into becoming a heartless murderer. Among other things. Harold can't look at himself in the mirror anymore, not that he likes what he sees anyway. A shadow of himself, hair much grayer than years ago before his disappearance and assumed death by mysterious means. He looks tired, sad, his crows feet much more defined and dark bags under his eyes from having many restless nights. Plenty contemplating ending his own life, but he couldn't. Whether he was a coward or he feared Talon truly would go and murder his parents, who deserved to live the rest of their lives in peace...
All of it snaps so strongly into focus when Moira is explaining a new asset to him, leading him to the room they have them in. Apparently they have great promise, but are extremely volitile and dangerous, so of course they're going to have him, their fairly expendable scientist, expendable as he's not loyal to Talon, try to fix things. She hands him a thick folder of information on their asset, Subject Sigma, before guiding him into the room and gleefully in that deep silky voice of hers chuckling.
"Do play nice gentlemen." And she'll leave him then, alone with this man who's in some sort of straight jacket and has a mask covering the bottom half of his face. The room is mostly bare beyond a seat for Harold to sit in, it's more like a prison cell in here then anything else. It's inhumane that they haven't given this man a bed, that he's strapped up like some mad animal, but flipping the folder open as he comes to take a seat he realizes exactly why things are as they are. It's also when he realizes he has a ghost in front of him on the cold floor of the room.
"Siebren?" Spoken soft, unbelieving, but it's there in the folder, a picture of Dr. Siebren de Kuiper, a folio on him and a full report on what happened years ago on Horizon Lunar Colony when his work went disastrously wrong. There's more of course, countless reports on his quarantine in the government facility Talon had broken him out of, but right now he doesn't care about that. He doesn't consider anything beyond that the man he'd thought long dead and never got to say goodbye to so long ago was right in front of him, his gray eyes the only thing of his he could see as he knelt down in front of him.
"Is that really you?" There's a lump in his throat, his chest feels tight. What in the world is he supposed to do?
His work was never meant to be used to hurt people nor would he have ever thought he'd be working for people actively trying to cause chaos in the world. Working probably wasn't the right word, forcefully blackmailed into helping Talon was more like it. It was exactly what it was. They didn't have anything against him when it came to his work or things he'd done in his life, no, they used the only family he still had left against him, because Talon had no morals.
As far as anyone knew Dr. Harold Winston was dead, which after surviving the Horizon Lunar Colony incident was a slap in the face. To his peers, to his mother and father, to all the work he'd done in his life. Now he was used to try and keep Gabriel Reyes in some semblance of one piece, his body a nightmare of genes and molecules fighting to stay together. Moira was always doing tests and injecting him with new things, but at the same time expecting him to have some input at the same time. She didn't think working with him would help at all, it would, but it wasn't like he saw her as a colleague, but he had to do his best to work with her like he did.
For years now if it wasn't working on Reaper it was helping Moira with her own work and continuing keep up on their resident sniper. A poor brainwashed ballet dancer they'd tortured into becoming a heartless murderer. Among other things. Harold can't look at himself in the mirror anymore, not that he likes what he sees anyway. A shadow of himself, hair much grayer than years ago before his disappearance and assumed death by mysterious means. He looks tired, sad, his crows feet much more defined and dark bags under his eyes from having many restless nights. Plenty contemplating ending his own life, but he couldn't. Whether he was a coward or he feared Talon truly would go and murder his parents, who deserved to live the rest of their lives in peace...
All of it snaps so strongly into focus when Moira is explaining a new asset to him, leading him to the room they have them in. Apparently they have great promise, but are extremely volitile and dangerous, so of course they're going to have him, their fairly expendable scientist, expendable as he's not loyal to Talon, try to fix things. She hands him a thick folder of information on their asset, Subject Sigma, before guiding him into the room and gleefully in that deep silky voice of hers chuckling.
"Do play nice gentlemen." And she'll leave him then, alone with this man who's in some sort of straight jacket and has a mask covering the bottom half of his face. The room is mostly bare beyond a seat for Harold to sit in, it's more like a prison cell in here then anything else. It's inhumane that they haven't given this man a bed, that he's strapped up like some mad animal, but flipping the folder open as he comes to take a seat he realizes exactly why things are as they are. It's also when he realizes he has a ghost in front of him on the cold floor of the room.
"Siebren?" Spoken soft, unbelieving, but it's there in the folder, a picture of Dr. Siebren de Kuiper, a folio on him and a full report on what happened years ago on Horizon Lunar Colony when his work went disastrously wrong. There's more of course, countless reports on his quarantine in the government facility Talon had broken him out of, but right now he doesn't care about that. He doesn't consider anything beyond that the man he'd thought long dead and never got to say goodbye to so long ago was right in front of him, his gray eyes the only thing of his he could see as he knelt down in front of him.
"Is that really you?" There's a lump in his throat, his chest feels tight. What in the world is he supposed to do?
no subject
"Hopefully we can enjoy the sights at some point. Soon." Soon. Soon was so very unspecific, but it's all he could offer Siebren.
"Though I think you floating through the city might be a little much for everyone." His smile is a little brighter, teasing. Undoubtedly if and when this happened if Siebren still had issues properly using his legs they could always go out with him in a wheelchair.
no subject
He would. He would like to spend time with Harold doing....something that didn't relate to his care...so it would feel real again, what they have between them. He shrugged at Harold's assessment.
"Yes, well...I do believe it would...startle a few people. You are right of course."
Yes...that was it.
There was that wonderful, good natured tease Harold had.
Siebren sighed before pressing a soft, chaste kiss onto Harold's forehead.
"Thank You. I...I think it helps me...knowing where I am. It is the first time in years I...actually understand where I am."
no subject
Perhaps a movie and Italian could be managed in Siebren's room. He could download something on his pad and bring food, it wouldn't be the most romantic, but it'd be more than Siebren's had in years.
"Sometimes I'm right." Harold says, eyes closing for a second as Siebren kisses him again.
"... what else can I help with, Sieb? You understand I can't tell you everything yet, right? But I'll answer what I can." He means he can't really disclose much when it comes to Siebren's accident and what fully went down in the ten years after, not yet. In his heart he means he can't tell him about Talon and what they wanted him for.
That they didn't help Siebren out of the kindness of their hearts. He's an asset to them. They both are.
no subject
"It has been so long...what happened to 28? Your favorite?"
It was something he had been genuinely interested in. After all, Harold's specialty was genetics...not physical therapy...or at least it had been. Twelve years was a long time. Perhaps he had taken on a second career.
no subject
With a heavy sigh and a look that says "here we go" without even having to speak it, he starts.
"Well... Specimen 28 now goes by the name Winston and he's been very busy since you last saw him." Yes, that's right. Winston. A name he chose for himself by the way. Harold then plants both feet on the floor, clasping his hands together, leaning forward a bit.
"He's here on Earth now actually. A brilliant scientist and had been part of Overwatch, before it was abolished." Though last he knew Winston had been talking about trying to get everyone back together, even if it was against the law. He hated what was going on in the world, so much suffering. Harold hates that since he lost contact with him because of Talon he's been working for one of Overwatch's biggest enemies.
Harold also knew Winston and co had already been clashing with Talon here and there. Maybe Overwatch was back? Grabbing the tablet he'd brought in with him he'll bring up an older video of Winston speaking on some old news segment. He offers the tablet up to Siebren to see.
"He's gotten quite big since you last saw him."
no subject
He nodded and smiled at the information.
He was completely unaware of the rest of the story.
Siebren gently took the tablet to watch. He practically beamed at what he saw.
"Harold...speech? He became capable of speech? And...and all that work you did on him and with him...it was successful."
There were happy tears in his eyes.
"You must be so proud of him! I'm...I'm so happy for you."
And it was completely true. He was. At least one of their lives' work had been productive...had actually made a positive difference in the world.
"And Overwatch, too? And the name? You must really feel like a proud father, as you should."
Wait a moment...
His eyebrows arched.
"Wait...if you said Overwatch was disbanded...what is he up to now?"
Disbanded? It seemed like such a thing was impossible...it seemed he had missed more than he had thought.
no subject
He has no doubt Winston would be happy to see him again soon. To see them both.
"Immensely. I never dreamed he'd grow to become what he is now. He was always ahead of the others, always full of wonder and promise... he's outshined anything I could have imagined." It's touching how emotional Siebren is about this, but then he's always been fond of little Winston too.
"I wish I knew what he was up to currently, but there have been rumors of Overwatch getting back together. Whatever happens I hope they're all careful. It's still illegal for Overwatch to operate, but the world needs them, no matter what any officials say." Sure they'd made mistakes, but Overwatch has done so much good.
Harold takes the tablet back, bringing up old articles about Overwatch being shut down and the legality behind it. A mess.
"The world needs heroes. Especially now."
no subject
It was what Harold deserved.
Siebren peered over at the pad and began scanning through articles. He really had missed a lot. The world indeed had gone one without Siebren de Kuiper. It wasn’t like he had had a choice. He had been gone for so long...but now he and Harold were together again and Harold was catching him up...still looking out for him.
“Thank you, Harold...for sharing all this.”
He sighed.
“I’m lucky to have you. To still have you...after all that has happened...after all this time...and you are still so you, Harold Winston.”
Siebren had no idea he was only being told half the truth...that they were both being used against their will...all the while Siebren had no idea who had liberated him...who had reunited him with Harold.
no subject
First with Siebren's experiment disaster, then the apes staging an uprising and killing all of his colleagues. The fact he was even alive now was a miracle in itself. Perhaps it was all some twisted fate so he would meet Siebren again. Harold isn't sure if he should be thankful or not, things aren't rainbows and sunshine after all. Everything is a goddamn mess.
"I guess I'm glad I'm so consistent." But even as he smiles up at Siebren, he hates that he keeps thanking him, because he's not being truthful. Not fully. He wants to tell him everything, wants to some how get them out of this mess, but he knows it's not possible. If he explained everything to Siebren now it would break him, he wouldn't be ready. Not even in terms of his powers, just. Mentally, physically. Who knows what Talon would do to them.
Harold can hazard a guess what would happen to himself if he stepped out of line when it came to their newest asset. So for his own self preservation and Siebren's, he needs to keep him partially in the dark. For now.
"I'm happy we can work together again, Dr. de Kuiper."