[The past ten years seem like little more than a spiral of things escaping his control. They're all adults. They'll make their own choices, even if he doesn't approve of them. Even if it's going to undo all of the work to which he devoted his entire life.
He'll have to come to terms with that, somehow, and he gives Venom a somewhat surprised look, like he's not sure why his feelings should factor into it at all. It's never been about him.
[ It's never really going to be about them, when it comes down to it. But that doesn't preclude Venom from a vague sense of misplaced empathy, so he moves to put a hand on Jack's shoulder. The gesture is instinctive, simple and uncomplicated. ]
Get some downtime. This is as good a place to get it as any.
[Jack can’t quite help the derisive snort—at the sentiment, not at the hand on his shoulder. He flinches a little, an automatic response, but after a moment he relaxes, though he can’t quite take his eyes off where Venom is touching him.
They pumped me full of chemicals, remember? I'm ancient, you just can't tell.
[He's fifty-five.
But that's a joke, maybe, because there's the slightest hint of a grin on his face. It lightens the mood enough to remind him that maybe he should be a little more hospitable.]
[ Without the visor, Jack's half-smile seems much more organic. Natural. It's not an expression that Venom's seen before, and he commits it to memory with a vague uptick of his scarred lips to match.
Venom puts Jack at— early 50s? His age. He can't quite tell if the other soldier is lying about the chemicals slowing his age (look at Angela), though, so who knows. ]
Only if you won't throw out your back showing me around.
[ Mr. 'Ancient'.
There are still questions he wants to ask— unfinished business with Jack's metaphorical 'other half of the coin', whether or not the ghost still has a bone to pick with him— but that's just being a busybody. If Jack comes to him to ask for backup about it, then he'll open his mouth about it. ]
[Thank goodness for secret government juice! Jack's grin gets just the slightest bit wider before he turns to go inside, holding the door open for Venom. The place is fairly spartan, but quaint--any semblance of comfort entirely Ana's doing (because Jack would be more than content with a cot and not much else, probably).
Venom hasn't actually asserted that he wants a drink, but he'll direct them both into the kitchen and put a kettle on the stove.
Unsurprisingly (or perhaps surprisingly), this is a tea household.]
[ The gesture is as quaint as the personal touches to the utilitarian space, and Venom looks around to take it all in. While he's observing, he starts putting two and two together again. ]
Kauto, R1. Busier place than this.
[ His elbows settle on the kitchen counter, lower back resting against cabinets. ]
[Hearing Venom address her as his sniper sounds a little odd, because of course it has always been a partnership. It has Jack wondering who Venom has at his back--if anyone at all.
He supposes, now, that he can divulge the truth about Ana. It will probably put a great deal of things in context.]
[ SIC fits better than a subordinate, to be sure. Venom recalls back to what he'd seen at the camp, the two's easy rapport. ]
Makes sense. [ He flicks his gaze towards Jack, patient and evaluative. Almost searching, before that expression smooths over into something verging on mildly fond. ] She's got you whipped.
[It's a joke, sure, but perhaps Jack looks a little surprised by it, and most certainly unsure of how to react. In matters of interpersonal relationships--especially very close ones--he seems to have some trouble actually talking about it.]
It's not--
[Like that, he wants to say, but the truth is that there's no real arguing the sentiment. After a moment, he seems to realize this and relent, the fondness creeping back into his voice as he exhales and scrubs a hand through his hair, almost embarrassed.]
She watches my back.
[Saved his life more times than he can count. Jack doesn't think he'll ever be able to fully describe his relationship with Ana or what she means to him. The easiest way is to just ask if Venom feels something similar.]
[ The reaction speaks for itself. Suffice it to say that the fond exhale would've been enough; Venom turns his head, letting shadows bisect his profile to hide whatever satisfaction creeps up onto his expression.
His answer to the question comes after a beat. ]
Besides Kaz? [ Who Jack is probably aware of by proxy. The immediacy of his answer speaks to the level of faith he places in his XO, but he presses on. ] There's no one I trust more on ground control than him.
On the field— [ a mild noise, under his breath. ] —Used to.
[Jack shrugs--he hadn't been thinking of Kaz when he asked the question, but he won't argue if that's who Venom wants to give as his answer. Instead, however, he elaborates. It occurs to him that he doesn't know much at all about his former roommate, beyond what he can glean from educated guesses. A military background, sure. A special operative. Everything else is up in the air, especially the people he may or may not have worked with.]
Who?
[The used to doesn't go unnoticed, but Jack isn't sure what it means, yet. He supposes he wouldn't be surprised to hear that Venom has lost people, too.]
[ It's a sore subject, the kind that makes Venom look equal measures fond and distant; like he's reliving something that he knows is in the past. Something he doesn't want to forget.
He shifts his feet along the kitchen floor, breathing through his nose. The beginnings of a frown pull at the corner of his mouth, but he keeps himself largely in check. ]
The kind of woman that'd rip your throat out with her teeth. [ A swerve back in the direction of dry humor, no matter how much it digs at him to talk about her. ]
[So Venom had a sniper too--Jack doesn't miss the use of the past tense, though he supposes it could just as easily mean she's never made it to Thisavrou, in which case, it's probably for the best. Something in Venom's face, however, seems to tell Jack it's not the case.
He wonders if he should pry.]
I know the type.
[Jack tries to offer a wry smile, one that understands.]
[ He knows what Jack wants to ask, because it's implicit in Jack's understanding. Here, in this place, the past tense doesn't really mean anything at all; Venom knows that what Jack wants is a confirmation. ]
No. She's MIA.
[ Which is the optimistic way of looking at it, but reality dictates that her status is very likely just 'dead'. He knows her— she would rip a man's throat out with her teeth, yes, but she would just as soon as rip her own throat out with her bare hands before she'd let herself be a liability.
He huffs, almost self-deprecating. ]
Haven't been looking for a replacement, ever since.
[The sympathetic glance Jack offers says it all, because he understands, of course. One can't have the military career he did without some measure of loss, and he feels each one acutely. Even though Ana turned out to be alive, Jack was still left with seven long years of her absence, the hurt of it never really subsiding. Even though Overwatch didn't last long after her disappearance, Jack knows he never would have taken on a more permanent second in command. There was no replacing her.
How do you explain to someone what that's like? To have some vital part of you torn away?]
Sorry to hear that.
[But of course it rings hollow. He can barely describe what Ana means to him in human terms; consoling someone who may have felt a similar loss is beyond him entirely.]
Some people, you just can't find anyone else for the job.
[ Some losses are like pinprick holes in reinforced exteriors; small enough that the shape of the whole doesn't crack or warp, but big enough that they keep bleeding out. It's the sort of steady trickle that becomes normalized with each passing day, the sort of slow drain that leaves people tired but not incapable of functioning.
Venom knows that Jack knows what it feels like. He sees it in the patterns of his companion's face, hears it in the diplomacy of his tone. Consolation is never on the table, but sometimes the acknowledgment of loss is cathartic in itself— just to be able to say that yes, his silent companion was real, and yes, she was there.
So he stops himself before he can sink into something painful. Imagines Quiet hovering on the kitchen counter next to him, grimacing and pointing a well-aimed middle finger in his face. "Don't mope, it's fucking annoying," in not so many words.
Venom breathes a dry half-chuckle. ]
Mm.
She would've given Ana a run for her money.
[ (see— he's fine. he knows what Quiet would've wanted him to say.) ]
[Jack would describe it more like the loss of a limb--Ana was a public figure and had been for years, the two of them inseparable. With Overwatch already on its way out, the wound was ugly and visible to everyone. Media speculation was rampant, Ana's disappearance inextricably linked to the decline of Overwatch, and Jack was never offered the privacy or time he needed to really grieve. He survived, but he didn't really give himself a choice. The rest of the world would have certainly preferred to see him go under, and in a way, they got their wish.
Even now that he has her back, he still feels it, sometimes. The constant ache of a phantom limb where they took her from him.
Thankfully, Venom doesn't give him much of a chance to dwell further. Those are fighting words, and he can't help but leap to the defense of his former SIC, a sort of dangerous grin creeping onto his face at the very prospect of the two of them facing off.]
You're lucky she's not here, then. I'd put her to the test.
[Because, of course, Ana is the Greatest Sniper in the World, bar none.]
[ It's easier, this way: remember Quiet at her best, nose to the wind and her skin shining, parasites dancing over her edges like jagged diamonds. Stomach-down in sand, humming Laura Branigan's "Gloria" under her breath.
Venom breathes a laugh that takes himself by surprise. It's warm in a way he didn't want it to be, strained through his throat in a way that's almost accidental. Like he's just come up from drowning, spitting water and chuckling at how close he's gotten to really kicking it.
He misses her, yeah. ]
She was enhanced. Like you. [ A light shrug, enamored by how quickly Jack rises to the occasion when it has to do with Ana. ] Could shoot through chopper blades while they were moving.
[Without enhancements. She had here eye, but that's gone now and Jack isn't certain she has any interest in replacing it. And sure, he's never seen Ana shoot through moving chopper blades, but he'd bet on her anyway.]
[ The feat is patently impossible without enhancements, in Venom's opinion, but Venom breathes a soft laugh under his breath anyway; it's something about Jack's faith that makes him look and sound 15 years younger. ]
Gonna have to find us a chopper, then.
[ He reaches over, turns the heat down for the kettle. ]
...And you wonder why your people trust you. [ Spoken under his breath, really. Come on, Jack. ]
[Venom might speak that under his breath, but Jack doesn't let it go unnoticed. He knows he doesn't need to contest the claim at all, but there's still a part of him wary of showing even the slightest weakness, even to someone he can ostensibly trust.]
I'm only nice to Ana.
[It's a transparent attempt to downplay it, but what else can he do?}
[Everything he's doing as Soldier: 76 is incredibly unprofessional, for one thing, and of course they're joking, but Jack thinks he's more than earned the right to behave however he likes.]
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[The past ten years seem like little more than a spiral of things escaping his control. They're all adults. They'll make their own choices, even if he doesn't approve of them. Even if it's going to undo all of the work to which he devoted his entire life.
He'll have to come to terms with that, somehow, and he gives Venom a somewhat surprised look, like he's not sure why his feelings should factor into it at all. It's never been about him.
After a moment, he nods.]
Yeah. Yeah, I'll be okay.
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Get some downtime. This is as good a place to get it as any.
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[Jack can’t quite help the derisive snort—at the sentiment, not at the hand on his shoulder. He flinches a little, an automatic response, but after a moment he relaxes, though he can’t quite take his eyes off where Venom is touching him.
The sentiment, at least, is understood.]
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You're not that old.
[ Stay in the 50s-and-kicking club with Venom, Jack... ]
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[He's fifty-five.
But that's a joke, maybe, because there's the slightest hint of a grin on his face. It lightens the mood enough to remind him that maybe he should be a little more hospitable.]
You want to come in?
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Venom puts Jack at— early 50s? His age. He can't quite tell if the other soldier is lying about the chemicals slowing his age (look at Angela), though, so who knows. ]
Only if you won't throw out your back showing me around.
[ Mr. 'Ancient'.
There are still questions he wants to ask— unfinished business with Jack's metaphorical 'other half of the coin', whether or not the ghost still has a bone to pick with him— but that's just being a busybody. If Jack comes to him to ask for backup about it, then he'll open his mouth about it. ]
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[Thank goodness for secret government juice! Jack's grin gets just the slightest bit wider before he turns to go inside, holding the door open for Venom. The place is fairly spartan, but quaint--any semblance of comfort entirely Ana's doing (because Jack would be more than content with a cot and not much else, probably).
Venom hasn't actually asserted that he wants a drink, but he'll direct them both into the kitchen and put a kettle on the stove.
Unsurprisingly (or perhaps surprisingly), this is a tea household.]
Where are you staying?
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Kauto, R1. Busier place than this.
[ His elbows settle on the kitchen counter, lower back resting against cabinets. ]
—You live here with your sniper?
[ Ana, he remembers. Crack shot. ]
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[Hearing Venom address her as his sniper sounds a little odd, because of course it has always been a partnership. It has Jack wondering who Venom has at his back--if anyone at all.
He supposes, now, that he can divulge the truth about Ana. It will probably put a great deal of things in context.]
She was my SIC.
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Makes sense. [ He flicks his gaze towards Jack, patient and evaluative. Almost searching, before that expression smooths over into something verging on mildly fond. ] She's got you whipped.
[ It's a joke. (He knows how SICs can be.) ]
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It's not--
[Like that, he wants to say, but the truth is that there's no real arguing the sentiment. After a moment, he seems to realize this and relent, the fondness creeping back into his voice as he exhales and scrubs a hand through his hair, almost embarrassed.]
She watches my back.
[Saved his life more times than he can count. Jack doesn't think he'll ever be able to fully describe his relationship with Ana or what she means to him. The easiest way is to just ask if Venom feels something similar.]
You got someone like that?
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His answer to the question comes after a beat. ]
Besides Kaz? [ Who Jack is probably aware of by proxy. The immediacy of his answer speaks to the level of faith he places in his XO, but he presses on. ] There's no one I trust more on ground control than him.
On the field— [ a mild noise, under his breath. ] —Used to.
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Who?
[The used to doesn't go unnoticed, but Jack isn't sure what it means, yet. He supposes he wouldn't be surprised to hear that Venom has lost people, too.]
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[ It's a sore subject, the kind that makes Venom look equal measures fond and distant; like he's reliving something that he knows is in the past. Something he doesn't want to forget.
He shifts his feet along the kitchen floor, breathing through his nose. The beginnings of a frown pull at the corner of his mouth, but he keeps himself largely in check. ]
The kind of woman that'd rip your throat out with her teeth. [ A swerve back in the direction of dry humor, no matter how much it digs at him to talk about her. ]
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He wonders if he should pry.]
I know the type.
[Jack tries to offer a wry smile, one that understands.]
She back home?
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No. She's MIA.
[ Which is the optimistic way of looking at it, but reality dictates that her status is very likely just 'dead'. He knows her— she would rip a man's throat out with her teeth, yes, but she would just as soon as rip her own throat out with her bare hands before she'd let herself be a liability.
He huffs, almost self-deprecating. ]
Haven't been looking for a replacement, ever since.
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How do you explain to someone what that's like? To have some vital part of you torn away?]
Sorry to hear that.
[But of course it rings hollow. He can barely describe what Ana means to him in human terms; consoling someone who may have felt a similar loss is beyond him entirely.]
Some people, you just can't find anyone else for the job.
[You can't replace them. It's impossible.]
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Venom knows that Jack knows what it feels like. He sees it in the patterns of his companion's face, hears it in the diplomacy of his tone. Consolation is never on the table, but sometimes the acknowledgment of loss is cathartic in itself— just to be able to say that yes, his silent companion was real, and yes, she was there.
So he stops himself before he can sink into something painful. Imagines Quiet hovering on the kitchen counter next to him, grimacing and pointing a well-aimed middle finger in his face. "Don't mope, it's fucking annoying," in not so many words.
Venom breathes a dry half-chuckle. ]
Mm.
She would've given Ana a run for her money.
[ (see— he's fine. he knows what Quiet would've wanted him to say.) ]
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Even now that he has her back, he still feels it, sometimes. The constant ache of a phantom limb where they took her from him.
Thankfully, Venom doesn't give him much of a chance to dwell further. Those are fighting words, and he can't help but leap to the defense of his former SIC, a sort of dangerous grin creeping onto his face at the very prospect of the two of them facing off.]
You're lucky she's not here, then. I'd put her to the test.
[Because, of course, Ana is the Greatest Sniper in the World, bar none.]
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Venom breathes a laugh that takes himself by surprise. It's warm in a way he didn't want it to be, strained through his throat in a way that's almost accidental. Like he's just come up from drowning, spitting water and chuckling at how close he's gotten to really kicking it.
He misses her, yeah. ]
She was enhanced. Like you. [ A light shrug, enamored by how quickly Jack rises to the occasion when it has to do with Ana. ] Could shoot through chopper blades while they were moving.
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[Without enhancements. She had here eye, but that's gone now and Jack isn't certain she has any interest in replacing it. And sure, he's never seen Ana shoot through moving chopper blades, but he'd bet on her anyway.]
I'd put money on it.
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Gonna have to find us a chopper, then.
[ He reaches over, turns the heat down for the kettle. ]
...And you wonder why your people trust you. [ Spoken under his breath, really. Come on, Jack. ]
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I'm only nice to Ana.
[It's a transparent attempt to downplay it, but what else can he do?}
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Obvious, but harmless. ]
Favoritism. Not exactly professional. [ He's just riding Jack's ass with this one, though— the joke is the standard dry military fare. ]
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[Forcibly, and not really retired.]
I'm allowed to be unprofessional.
[Everything he's doing as Soldier: 76 is incredibly unprofessional, for one thing, and of course they're joking, but Jack thinks he's more than earned the right to behave however he likes.]
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