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There were plans that came as idiotic. Completely insane. Anyone would hear them and know how much of an obscene risk it was, and find themselves asking who in their right minds would follow such a thing through?
Gabriel and Jack were not these people.
Of course they weren’t. They’d look at something crazy, look at each other, and agree that it might- just might be crazy enough to work.
Soldier Enhancement hadn’t put them in the grave as it had with so many others before and after them. They’d stuck together, arguably pulling each other through the treatments and injections, only to be thrown into a whole new level of hell the moment the Omnic Crisis had shifted gear into a worldwide terror. Morrison was confident he could live through anything despite feeling like his organs had just about had enough of staying put inside his own body, and most believed that Reyes was excelling in combat out of sheer spite. The Omnic Crisis called for survivors and fighters that had been through enough to mean that facing Bastion units that could tear down tanks was just another part of the job.
The base both soldiers were held up in wasn’t anything fantastic. Dimly lit and smelling of musty preservatives, Gabriel hoped to god that the briefing would be over sooner than it had started. He leant back in his chair, a serious frown etched onto his face, as Morrison was hunched over next to him. Something about being this close after what they’d seen already came as a comfort- sure, they’d been without creature comforts for longer than Gabriel would’ve liked to, but they had each other. ‘We’, Jack had incessantly called them, and Gabe found himself surprised that he was so quick to push it aside. They were sat in standard-issue uniform for once, grey camo with shoulder patches labelling them with assigned numbers and ‘SEP’ embroidered under them as if either man needed to be labelled enough.
It didn’t matter how many hours of sleep they were running on, even if it felt like it certainly wasn’t enough. Gabriel glanced across the room, noticing a few bored soldiers before their officer had gotten his act together. He didn’t say anything to Jack, instead giving the blonde a quick nudge that was enough for him to shake his head and throw himself back to reality.
“If we’re on top of everything, this should be a reasonable search and resue,” their officer explained, pacing the floor before the soldiers like a caged tiger in need of enrichment that didn’t include talking. “We’ve gotten reports of transport that was mostly destroyed- what matters is the survivors, and getting them out in one piece, or at least alive and recognisable as people.”
The comment at the end didn’t elicit a laugh from anyone. Gabriel wasn’t here to have his skill doubted.
“What you’ll be doing is locating a crashed aircraft. Civilians are out of harm’s way, but these boys are knee-deep in tin cans. You should know losses have been severe. We’re not about to lose another squadron to Terminator-lite.”
Easy enough for this bastard to put it.
Gabriel rolled his shoulders, tuning out slightly as his associates were briefed on where they’d be sent, who they’d take care of, he raised a brow the moment 24 and 76 were called. Jack sat up a little with dedication being clear in those blue eyes. And Morrison wondered how he’d gotten the nickname boy scout.
“Both of you, eyes and ears over here. You’re our best bet for tackling the OR14 that’s been stalking the area,” the officer explained, hands folded as he went on without a care for much else aside from the mission at hand. “This one’s smart. It’s had enough cover from its buddies, but so long as you keep a good enough distance, you should be safe from the blades.”
“Keep in mind that time isn't gonna be on our side. We're still being given updates on the situation. Lay low for this one, keep your asses in gear, and Alpha squadron might just see the end of this Crisis too.”
Reyes swore he noticed his partner wince at the mention of OR14s coming into the picture, and frankly, he couldn’t blame him. From what they’d been told, it’d take a damn good squad to take one out, and with that level of built-in firepower, the Crusaders stationed in Germany had already been through their share of losses at the hands- or canons, even- of the OR14s.
By the time they were dismissed, both soldiers were all too happy to voice their ‘excitement’ for this dumpster fire. It wasn't a surprise that the hardest job was left for the pair of enhanced weapons, but it didn't mean they had to enjoy it.
It was, as Jack had described it, absolute horseshit.
//
“A goddamn OR14, out of anything they could've thrown at us. And we thought the bastions were nightmares,” Jack said, looking over to Reyes for some emotional support. “Are we supposed to take it off guard?”
“Considering it'll be trying to take on everyone else, it'll be distracted. We can come in and finish it.” Reyes shrugged.
“We might, but shit! What if it takes you down?”
“Then you have to keep yourself alive for us. Simple as that- I wouldn't be too upset if I took the bullet for you.”
Jack raised his brows, unsure if Gabriel had intended to be that genuine.
“What?” Gabriel squinted, as if he could figure this out with sight alone.
“I didn't think the Gabriel Reyes would ever confess to wanting to take a bullet for someone.”
“Why's it a surprise? You were out of your box during SEP. I figured you’d be fine with that after you were in a cold sweat and didn't let go of me because you thought I was dying .”
The surprise on Jack's face had shifted to something of a soft smile. Then he perked up for a moment- an idea.
“Oh, Christ,” Gabriel muttered.
“No, it’s not as bad as you think it is.”
“You know how I feel when it comes to your ideas, Jack.”
The blonde huffed. His ideas were risky, but they did work, goddamnit. People didn't see both of them as the default team leaders for nothing.
“I was gonna ask if we should take a break once the Crisis is over together, is all. How's that bad?”
There was some silence from Gabriel, even as Jack gave him a nudge with his elbow.
“I think you're a fucking great guy, Gabe. And a break’s gonna be something that both of us need,” Morrison continued, looking at Reyes as if his fellow soldier was going to improve his life tenfold if he tried hard enough.
Reyes shook his head, trying to hold back laughing out of surprise.
“I didn't think you'd actually ask me out during a war, Morrison.”
“So?”
“Fuck it, sure. So long as you've got my back against that robot, then we can talk.”
//
The dropship was about as comforting as Gabriel had remembered it being. Which was to say, not at all. If the army had a smell, then this would've been it. He chose to stay seated, checking over both his shotguns as Morrison was still on his feet, unable to sit still with anticipation for the oncoming battle, rather than their earlier heart-to-heart, if it could even be called that.
They were lucky enough not to fly into any patches of turbulence- with what was more or less a crate of anxious soldiers, more stress on top of what they were already going through internally would only come as something that felt like it’d condemn them all.
Reyes was still in thought about it, admittedly. They were going to be staring death in the face and he'd just agreed to go off with Morrison if they lived this battle and whatever else was thrown at them. He glanced over at his partner, then back to the dropship's floor. Jack noticed it, shooting Reyes a confident smile the moment he saw uncertainty on the other’s face.
“You know we'll get out of this one, right?” Jack asked, breaking the silence out of a feeling of obligation at this point.
“Yeah. Yeah, I know, it's just-”
“Earlier?”
“That.”
Jack gave a shrug. Reyes wasn't sure if Jack was as confident as he let on, or he just had that much of a wilful disregard for his own life.
“We'll get out of it just fine, Gabe. Take down the bot, and we're golden.” Reassuring people hadn't ever been his forté, and realising there was only so much he could promise right now felt like a damn hornet sting to the spine.
“Just keep yourself alive,” Jack assured. “Either you can drag me kicking and screaming out of that, or I can haul your ass instead.”
Gabriel sighed, trying to lean back into his seat. Jack wasn't going to let him die, he thought- and like hell he'd see Morrison get shot up before him. Turns out both of them were still too stubborn to die.