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Cold, silent, life itself feeling so distant as though he were floating through time with nothing but an empty black void. The numbing vibrating sensation was all too relaxing to ever desire a departure from this place, wherever it was, but it wouldn't last forever. All was dark, breathing was impossible, he couldn't inhale without choking and he was too far gone to realize he was being moved, he was being saved.
A hand to his chest, gripping the front of his jacket and pulling him up enough to catch his breath, the choking ceasing momentarily, and for a moment the intense vibrating stopped as his eyes began to open again. He can feel something wet trickling into his mouth and he subconsciously swallows it, the dryness in his throat fleeting. He could see nothing, a black vignette clouding his vision; all that could be made out was a dark silhouette of a body standing in front of him, the echoic sound of incoherent voices as he lost consciousness from the struggle to stay alive, and all was dark once again.
Life... death... where was he? Had the gods taken him far away from the evil and the suffering he'd lived through on Earth? The thought seemed unusually pleasant, until he felt his chest expand with a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes. Blinking away what seemed like the edge of death, his vision cleared and the obsidian haze had faded.
His chest hurt, like a concoction of acid and sharp stones had been forced into his lungs, but he dare not make any sound, not yet... until the alarming realization came that his vision was too clear. That familiar red glow was gone, missing. In a panic, he looked left and right, searching for the one thing that had helped him stay alive all these years: his mask.
While trying to move himself, he was held back, looking down to see metal cuffs around his wrists and presumably around his ankles as well. He froze when he heard a sound further off and he struggled to see in the unlit corner of the room, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him or if he was truly seeing movement.
His questions were answered when the person standing there turned their head to look over their shoulder while simultaneously lifting a hand, light reflecting off the person's face or whatever was covering it, and the red visor of the mask in their hand.
"Looking for something?"
The voice felt as ominous as the darkness itself, as though the devil himself had paid him a visit in this strange place. He shook his wrists again, trying to squeeze his hands through the small restraints as the figure turned to face him, taking slow steps towards the metal table.
"You must be feeling pretty exposed; it's unbearable for you, isn't it? You wanted to hide your face from the world, hide your identity. Was it for shame? Who are you hiding from? Who don't you want to see your face?"
As he stepped closer, a mask could be seen where a face should have been, like a strange skull, oddly familiar of a symbol he'd seen before, shadows dancing across it and his body as though he were made of smoke. The man set the mask in his hand down, out of reach.
"I'm not so lucky, compañero. Or perhaps I am. It all depends on how you look at it. Mine cannot be removed."
The figure tilted his head, taking another step forwards before tilting his head down further, just enough to reveal the silver pieces in the forehead of the mask, surrounded with cracks.
"They had it bolted to my head. Never to be removed." he spat out, adjusting his hood to just barely cover the silver bolts. "You're exposed, but I am not. It wouldn't have mattered if I kept it on you. I know who you are either way. You could never hide from me."
Jack couldn't find his voice, and had to remind himself every second to breathe as he stared at the masked man looming over him, unblinking as his brows furrowed together, confused that his voice seemed vaguely familiar. The struggle began once more as he tried to fight against the restraints, put up with the pain of trying to get his hands out of the grasp of the metal, feeling it bruise his skin the more he pulled.
The sound of a machine was heard, startling Jack into another wave of panic as he looked above himself to see a blade of some sort descending from the ceiling, closer and closer to his face. His breathing picked up, nearly hyperventilating as all of his focus was put on this machine moving on its own.
Before it reached his face, ready to cut into his skull, slice through his frontal lobe, he squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, his hearing fading into a loud ringing as he felt something touch his face. When too many seconds had passed without any sense of pain, he opened his eyes again in confusion, his whole face covered; it was the masked figure's hand. The machine had stopped and there was a hand covering - protecting - his face. He could see between two of his fingers, watching to see what might happen next.
"You didn't think I'd kill you that quickly, did you? I need to have my fun first." he said in a mocking, whiny voice. The tone changed as quickly as it had started, however, as the figure looked away and spoke quietly.
"...How and why you're still alive after that day, I'll never know. Why I'm alive... I'll never know either."
He looked back towards Jack, lifting his hand slightly, moving his fingers across the scar that started at his forehead and ended mid-cheek, before chucking quietly and putting pressure on it with a talon, dragging his finger down and cutting it open again, remembering the first time he'd done it, Jack writhing and wincing, making it audibly clear how much it hurt as blood spilled from the re-opened wound and down his nose and cheeks. He blinked to avoid getting any in his eyes, watching in pain as the hooded man looked at his bloody claw before smearing it across Jack's lips. He surprised himself when he whimpered quietly before fingers slid into his mouth and dangerously close to his throat. He could taste the blood, overwhelming and nauseating, feel the cold from the sharp metal talons.
"Careful. Wouldn't want to cut your throat. Or I could- slit your throat from the inside out." The man said, moving his fingers further in, and Jack could feel the points of the claws just touching the back of his throat. He wanted to gag, to choke, but if he moved, they would cut his throat. He fought off the need, not taking his eyes off the other being, testing his own patience, considering just biting to see what would happen.
"Not so stubborn with fingers in your mouth, are you? I should have tried this more often." The unknown figure said before removing his fingers, watching the string of saliva and blood from Jack's lips pull away with his fingers, the stickiness fascinating. With quick movements, he grabbed Jack's jaw, digging his claws in, forcefully turning his head away as he leaned close to his ear.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" he hissed. "But I know exactly who you are.. Morrison."
Jack gasped, his mind racing to figure out who this person was, searching the darkest parts of his mind for forgotten memories and erased events. There was a name that tried to reach his mouth, though it was stuck in the back of his mind, the tiniest wall preventing him from remembering clearly.
The figure rested his hand on Jack's chest, moving it ever so slightly until it was directly over his heart, feeling it race, pounding against his sternum. He stared at his chest, watching as it rises and falls with every shallow breath.
"We were on the same team." He said, and Jack went to turn his head away. "Look at me! We worked together for years. We were best friends.. Who am I?" Jack feels the sting of a hand colliding with his face as the masked man slapped him. "...We were partners. Have you figured it out yet? Perhaps I should tell you about the time I took down Overwatch."
His voice was louder, almost cracking; it sounded as though he might break down any moment, an odd thought considering his appearance, like death itself. Jack stared, lips parted, trying to see any sign of his eyes through the mask. His heart skips a beat, and he knows the other man felt it against his palm, feeling his eyes burn as tears he had held off for over a decade tried to form. This cannot be real. There's no way in Hell...
"...Gabriel?"
There's no movement, not even a breath is taken as he keeps pressure on his chest, waiting. They're staring at each other, silent, the light above glimmering off a tear that had begun to fall from Jack's eye. His heart beats faster, harder, painful in his chest because this man isn't denying anything, and he feels his voice about to crack, feels himself about to have a meltdown under the hand of who was believed to be Gabriel Reyes.
"I thought you were dead. I mourned you. We were always partners. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to fight. Not you." His breath hitched, blue eyes brighter than the sky, eyelashes wet. "And I lost you. In more ways than one. Why did you do it?"
The shadowy figure released the pressure and moved his hand away, turning, starting to walk away from the table, from the man lying upon it. There's a twinge of something in his chest and for a moment, he almost feels human again.
"If it really is you, Gabriel... Don't make me lose you a third time."
From afar, up on a hidden ledge in a darkened area of the room, Amelie had sat watching the entire time, observing every action, hearing every word, waiting patiently. She felt sick from Jack's behaviour and his words, and she considered firing right then and there, though her instinct told her to wait.
Gabriel entered wraith form, tendrils of dark purple and black spiraling out in wisps of smoke as he was back at Jack's side so quickly, Jack couldn't register it in his mind or prepare himself for defense as a hand was reaching out towards his face again. Last second, he thought he might be scratched again, hurt in some way, but instead a hand was placed against his cheek, cautiously thumbing away the tears. He doesn't say a word, doesn't make a sound as he undoes the restraints on Jack's wrists, lifting him to a seated position and holding him.
Gabriel doesn't know what he's doing, he doesn't feel he's in control as he presses Jack's torso tightly against his own, reminiscing everything they'd been through, everything they'd fought for together. He thought of the catastrophe he had caused at the Swiss headquarters with Jack inside and clenched his jaw beneath the mask, feeling Jack's hands on his back at the same time.
Amelie readied her rifle, mistaking this all for an act, for surely Reaper would never give in to something petty and pathetic like this... she aimed, her crosshair in the centre of Jack's chest as Gabriel began to let go, and she smirked at the sublte relieved smile on Jack's face that would be short-lived as she pulled the trigger.
A sharp gasp, Jack staring blankly at Gabriel with wide eyes as his smile immediately faded, the burning in his chest hotter than the flames of Hell and quickly spreading. He couldn't breathe, eyes darting in all directions, feeling himself going into shock. He choked out Gabriel's name once, twice... trying to hold onto him.
Gabriel's holding Jack up with one hand and patting his chest with his other, staring at the bullet wound in his chest, the blood seeping out. He's begun shouting, mind racing, trying to figure out what to do as Jack chokes again, trying to get enough air in his lungs to stay alive. He glances up and over to where Amelie has stationed herself, unable to see her face, screaming "why" at her with venom in his voice. He presses his hand to the wound, trying to stop the profuse bleeding, though it's no use.
"I guess I will lose you.. again." Jack struggles to say, another single tear falling before he stills, his pupils dilating to large black disks, Gabriel's mask reflected in them for only a moment before they dulled and became as black and empty as the void Jack felt himself in earlier. He was gone.
Gabriel swallows hard, clenching his jaw, feeling his lips quiver into a snare as he teleported himself to the platform Amelie stood on, her mouth agape, questioning why he was so angry, not realizing he had even moved before it was too late.
He was pushing her off the balcony, watching her fall painfully onto the floor beneath as he jumped down after her, wrapping his hand around her throat, choking her, talons digging into her lavender skin, blood spilling out and dripping down her neck and over Gabriel's gloved fingers.
He's screaming at her, almost growling, hurting her without killing her because she needs to feel the pain she forced upon Gabriel and Jack, watching her fear for her life in a way she never has before, the confusion evident in her eyes. She has no idea what's going on, she was under the impression she was to kill Jack at the right moment, not let him live. She can almost see a red glow emanating from where his eyes would be, trying to breathe, dropping her gun and pulling on his forearms.
Gabriel's got her pinned against something, an easy target. He lets go of her throat and smacks her, making sure to let his claws get caught on her perfect skin, four lines of blood forming diagonally across her face, one having cut an eye. She's trying to back away, trying to escape, and for reasons currently unknown, he lets her. She understands his rage, understands they're not on the same side anymore, understands that he's now a threat.
"I spared your life more than once. And you couldn't spare his."
"You told me to fir-"
"I told you to wait! And things change, don't they? But you're too deadset on sniping everybody, dragging everybody into your poisonous web, that you couldn't see what had changed. Not even with your-" He grabbed the black widow visor on her head and threw it to the ground, stepping on it. "Stupid little head piece! I should put a couple dozen bullets through your heart. Wait, Ame... you don't have one."
"I didn't-"
"Get out!"
Amelie shakingly picks up her rifle before turning and immediately leaving, looking back over her shoulder at Gabriel before quickly exiting. She will never look back.
Gabriel feels the tension in his shoulders, feels the heat that had risen to his face, a human heat he hadn't felt since before the incident. He tried to slow his breathing as he glanced back at the metal table, Jack's eyes still open, the life from his body gone. He moved over in wraith form, touching his chest gently before trying to pull the bullet out with the tips of his claws. He can't reach it, and he keeps seeing Jack's now dull blue eyes in his peripheral vision and it's fucking with his mind. He feels himself hyperventilating, the sinking sensation in his chest so overwhelming he can't breathe, a stabbing pain getting stronger in his chest.
Gabriel moves his bloody hands to Jack's face, lifting his head, the drying red liquid staining his face and his white hair. He's whispering his name over and over, hoping for some kind of light to fill his eyes again, his favourite part about Jack, but it never comes.
He hasn't lost all hope, however, despite the lifeless body before him. He remembers the first time he re-opened his eyes with a mask covering his face, an angelic smiling face there to greet him.
"'Lord, have Mercy.'" He mimicks. "She's the only one."
Gabriel steps away from Jack and over to a computer, finds Angela's contact info and gets ahold of her. He explained everything that had happened, begged her to come and do something, begged her to help. It had taken quite a bit of convincing but eventually she agreed, ready for more experiments.
Three hours had passed since Jack had been shot and killed, and here he was, lying still, skin cold, hooked up to machines as Gabriel watched from afar, arms crossed tightly against his chest. He worried this would all be for naught. Angela stood over Jack, sewing his chest shut after cutting into it. She turned a dial on the machine, flipped a switch, and examined his eyes, examined the piece of metal fixated to the lower half of his face, hovering her hand over the tiny metal grate in the front, feeling a faint bit of breath coming through it.
She had replaced Jack's damaged heart with a mechanical one, only bits of his human heart remaining encased inside of it, wires branching out and connecting to his muscles, to his nerves. One had been attached to the nerves behind his eyes, with a custom set of permanent lenses over his irises, enhancing his vision and giving him a visor without the man-made one. She chuckled to herself over the conversation she had with Gabriel an hour prior, being asked repeatedly if she could keep his eyes bright baby blue. She had delivered as expected, and she had performed a miracle.
Angela looked over her shoulder and beckoned Gabriel over, a soft smile on her face as she held his hand, observing the glowing piece of metal fixed to his palm. She had designed a sort of life support between the two men, a not-so-subtle attempt at mending their broken relationship, and it was time to test it out. She nodded and took a step back, her hands clasped innocently behind her back as she watched with confidence.
Gabriel took a deep breath before resting his hand on Jack's chest, over his heart as he had done earlier. There was a faint sound of a machine whirring and some sort of chime, and he could see a blue glow coming through his sutures. The sensor between Jack's new heart and the device imbedded into Gabriel's palm had been activated. And it was working.
Cold, silent, life itself feeling so distant as though he were floating through time with nothing but an empty black void. The numbing vibrating sensation was all too relaxing to ever desire a departure from this place, wherever it was, but it wouldn't last forever.
Jack's blue eyes glowed as brightly as the light from his chest, hints of red specks around the edges. He could see a translucent circle in his vision, familiar with his tactical visor and he blinked once, then twice, moving his eyes, seeing the circle move with them. His visor was in his eyes.
Jack felt a strange beat in his chest, more consistent and normal than it had been in a long time, and he looked over to see two familiar faces. Or, one familiar face and one familiar mask. His memory was coming back to him as he remembered who they were, the blonde woman smiling sweetly, the masked man tilting his head to the side.
Looking down, Jack saw Gabriel's hand on his chest again, and the blue light beneath it. He watched as Gabriel lifted his hand and saw the device in his palm. He remembered earlier's events, remembered being shot, remembered faintly hearing yelling before everything had gone black again. He wondered if he were dreaming, or in some sort of afterlife, for the vibrating sensation his chest was present, even with his eyes now open. He was about to try speaking before the doctor did instead.
"If you ever find him in need of immediate healing, on the brink of death, press your hand to his chest. And he'll be just fine. Remember, his chest will glow blue once the sensors are activated. That's how you know it's working. The further away from him you are, the more faint that glow becomes until it disappears completely. You needn't worry, gevatter tod. As long as you're with him. You two will live on."
Angela looked back down at Jack, smiling once again before unhooking him from the machine and walking away, waving over her shoulder.
"No need to thank me. It's my job to perform miracles."
Gabriel watched Angela leave before turning his attention back to the resurrected man on the metal table, staring into his eyes, the colour slightly altered. This was the man he tried to kill, this was the man he targetted for the most futile of reasons... this was his partner. This was his camarada, who once was and would be again.
"Welcome back, Commander."