Work Text:
Jack knew it was stupid to go back to their old bases. He did. But the need to find anything useful, some clues, something he might have missed was stronger than his instinct screaming at him to get out while he could. Especially since it had been awhile since he had stopped moving.
When he had entered the old Watchpoint, Jack knew exactly where he needed to go. He raided the old archives with little luck - neither paper nor digital since most had been destroyed after the incidents in Zurich - and went on to raid his old office.
Looking back, he really wasn't sure what he was expecting to find besides dust and faded memories. The office had obviously already been searched, but Jack still stepped inside, looking around and feeling quite unsettled. It was strange to be back in here. Last time he had sat at that desk, he had no scars marring his face and he could see clearly without his visor. Most importantly, Gabriel had been--
Jack shook his head in an attempt to get rid of those memories. Memories of a better time as well as times which he felt nothing but regret for all those years later. All of that didn't matter now though.
Stepping behind his old desk, Jack wondered if someone had found his hiding place inside of the middle drawer. He knew that he hadn't left much behind, but still he pulled the drawer open and carefully pressed the button for the opening mechanism. A soft click could be heard and the secret compartment opened.
As expected, there wasn't much inside. An old letter from Ana, which contained a picture of herself and little Fareeha, and – Jack's breath caught - a picture of himself and Gabriel. Jack picked it up with a shaking hand. It was a taken before his promotion and both he and Gabriel wore casual clothes. Jack remembered that they had been on leave, far away from everything and that Gabriel had snapped that picture of them, smiling like idiots and looking so terribly in love that it made Jack's heart hurt. He missed Gabriel so much.
A sound behind him made Jack jump. He had been so caught up in his head that he hadn't heard someone approaching. He cursed himself and grabbed his pulse rifle, but it was too late. A black figure crashed into him and shoved him back against the desk, knocking his rifle out of his hands. Gloved, sharp fingers wrapped itself around his neck and an owl shaped mask came into view.
Reaper.
“Out alone without your friends, Soldier?”, Reaper snarled. “How heedless.”
The voice was like a feral growl, but something inside Jack stirred. He didn't have time to figure it out though, with his windpipe being squeezed shut. He pulled his legs up sharply, ramming his knees into Reaper's gut. Reaper stumbled back, but already lashed out at him again and Jack thanked his quick reflexes that he was able to duck under those sharp claws which would have otherwise damaged his visor. Jack raised his arms, ready to block another attack, but there was nothing. Reaper seemed to be frozen in place, staring at something on the desk. Then he turned sharply towards Jack, the dark eyes of his mask boring into him, while smoke poured out of his body.
“How did you get this?”, he asked and something in the way he said it made Jack's blood boil.
“It's mine”, he said through clenched teeth.
“Bullshit!”, Reaper roared.
Jack expected Reaper to pull out his shotguns and he was ready to dive behind the desk, but what Jack didn't expect, was Reaper jumping at him and throwing them both to the ground, his claws sinking into his leather jacket. Jack kicked and punched, but Reaper didn't block him. He grabbed one of Jacks hands and pinned it to the ground, while his other hand grabbed Jack's masked as if to tear it directly from his face.
“Who do you think you are?!”, Reaper asked, his claws crunching down on Jack's visor until it cracked. “Waltzing in here like you belong.”
Jack reacted fast. He punched Reaper in the face, once, twice, until the mask began to crack. Reaper roared, trying to keep his mask together with his hands, backing away, but Jack had grabbed him by the front of his coat and struck out for another punch. His fist connected with Reaper's face before he could phase out. The mask broke away and--
“Gabe.”
Jack stared at him. The familiar face, still half covered by one hand, was different than Jack remembered it. More scars and his skin looked slightly different, but it was unmistakably Gabriel. Jack had been sure that Gabriel was dead, had seen the dead body, but here he was. Standing right in front of him looking back at him, eyes widened like he couldn't believe what he saw.
“Jack?”
Jack stood up with cautious movements. Gabriel looked like he was ready to bolt and Jack couldn't have that.
“You're alive”, he said. “I thought you were dead.”
Gabriel let his hand sink slowly.
“I'm not the person I was”, Gabriel said and took a step back. “More dead than alive.”
A pained sound escaped Jack and he reached out to Gabriel who he moved further away.
“Don't”, he said harshly and Jack stopped in his tracks. Instead, he reached up to remove his own mask, revealing his own face to Gabriel. He kept his eyes closed, though. It didn't make much difference to him anyway and he wanted to spare Gabriel the look of what he knew were pale, unfocused eyes staring into nothing. He heard Gabriel breathe, nearer then before - when did he get closer? - and a hand ghosting over his scars.
The next moment, Gabriel's hand was gone. Jack heard the faint rush he knew was Reaper ghosting and he knew that he was alone.
Jack put his visor back into place and had to realize that he was right. Gabriel was gone and had left nothing behind, besides the holes in Jack's leather jacket and the crack in his visor.
The picture on the desk was gone.