Work Text:
“Jack Morrison.”
The soldier looked up, eyes set on the dark cloaked figure before him. He knew who it was, he knew mostly what had happened to him, and despite all his efforts, he blamed every little thing on himself. He couldn’t have changed what had happened even if he wanted too, but maybe if he tried, maybe if he put in a little more effort to show that he wasn’t the right person for the job, then Gabriel Reyes would still be alive today. There were so many if’s surrounding him, it consumed him, constantly his thoughts were twisted and turned until he very nearly wanted to put a gun to his own head.
“Why did you do this? Why did you hurt everyone who trusted in you? Who believed in you? What about the kid, McCree? He was devastated when he learned what you had done.”
The other just laughed, a sickly demented noise.
“He was just fodder for the plan. He meant nothing to me.”
The cloaked figure walked towards him slowly, tendrils of black smoke slipping from him, flowing behind like he was death himself. When he stopped, he was mere inches from the solider, his eyes covered by the mask he wore. The Solider lifted his hand, placing it on the mask. His pointer finger hinged under the mask as he slowly lifted it off. The mask reveled and war torn face, scars covered nearly every inch of it. He had turned ashen, very much the color of death.
“Gabe.”
He winced when a shotgun was placed on his stomach, his eyes never faltering as he looked at the face of the man he used to be so incredibly in love with.
“You can come back, you can rejoin Overwatch, get a position you deserve.”
The taller man scoffed, his unoccupied hand coming to rip off the tactical visor from the Soldiers face, the talons on his uniform cutting the skin.
“I’m not who I used to be Jack, you’re not who you used to be. Why would I ever want to join up again.? Why would I ever want to see you on my team again? You’re the reason for this, you stole my glory, you used me, you hated me. Everything you said to me, everything we did, it was all a lie wasn’t it? Blackwatch, that was just your way of getting me out of your hair. If you could have had it your way you would have killed me so long ago.”
He winced, the words cutting deep, only part of that statement was true. Talon somehow conditioned him to believe all these other lies, everything that wasn’t true, Talon had caused him to turn against them. And yet, if he had just given Strike Commander to Gabriel, none of this might have happened.
“Gabe they lied to you. I loved you Gabe, you meant the world to me. I never wanted you dead, and I never used you. I admit, I should have given Strike Commander to you, but I couldn’t, they would have had my head and I was afraid. You were always better suited at leading than I was, but I was the pretty corn-fed poster boy that everyone wanted to see. I was their hope on a dark and gloomy day, but you were my hope constantly. You kept me alive more times than I can count. You deserved everything and more, and you got nothing. You got Blackwatch, but you also got McCree. I know you loved that boy, I know you looked at him like he was your own son, even as harsh on him as you were. You had a family in Overwatch and Blackwatch. You were loved by those you fought beside, but you were not loved by the country because you were never given the chance. Gabriel, I’m sorry. I should have been there for you, but I wasn’t. I tried reaching out for you on multiple occasions but by then I think you had pulled too far away. If only I had seen, if only I had noticed.”
The gun dug deeper into his stomach as he talked, he could see the anger on the other mans face, the pain.
“Gabriel talk to me.”
“I’m not who you thought I was, and I’m not who you think I am now. I have my own life to live, my own set of rules to live by. Jack, you might have been the best thing to have happened to me at one point in my life, but you fucked it up, you fucked me up. And you deserve everything to come crumbling down on you again.”
His voiced seethed rage, going deeper as he got more angry.
“I hate you Jack.”
Reaper pulled Jack up, kissing him before he pulled the trigger on his gun. He watched for a moment as he saw Jack fall to the floor before he walked away. He heard the other man murmur his name, but he didn’t hear and signs of struggling. Finally, finally the one person that had haunted him all his life was gone. The person who he betrayed would not have to suffer any longer.