Reaper on the Run
Alongside a snow capped mountain, a Talon ship made its way into the landing station. When it landed, the door opened and three individuals stepped out.
Widowmaker and Sombra were talking about the mission except for Reaper, who just stared ahead.
"That mission was fun," said Sombra as she checked her nails.
"Yes, it was fun," added Widowmaker. She noticed Reaper was staring ahead. "You alright, Reaper?"
Reaper looked at her startled. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm going to the mess hall."
He walked away, leaving Widowmaker and Sombra alone in the hallway. Later that night, he lay awake in his bed, not wanting to sleep. Memories of his past and his friends in Overwatch swam through his head. He remembered his best friend Jack Morrison. He rolled over to the left and stared out the window into the mountains, feeling the cold wind on his face. He sat up and narrowed his eyes: he had to get out of here.
Standing up, he walked across the room and dug out a black hoodie, a pair of sneakers, and jeans from the closet, changing into them. He found his large backpack in the back, something he could casually carry around with him.
"Yeah," he said as he put the picture of himself and his friends in his hoodie pocket.
He then put his armor, hooded cloak, mask, ammunition, and mask into the backpack. He also added medication, bandages, coat , money, food, clothing, water, flashlight, matches, lighter, blanket, pocket knife, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, books, umbrella, and a map.
With one last glance around the room, Reaper made sure he wasn't forgetting anything. He didn't leave a note for Talon, instead he opened the door and after one final look back he left.
As he moved quickly through the streets Reaper heard the bells of a clocktower somewhere in the distance.
One, two, three, four...she mentally counted the chimes until they reached twelve. It was midnight.
Continuing down the street, he kept an eye out for Talon and Overwatch. Talon would realize he was gone and track him down. As for Overwatch, they would also look for him. They would use a map to find him.
He soon reached the city limits and saw the highway. Reaper frowned, he couldn't just walk out in the open where he could be seen by travelers but he knew he had to.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, not knowing who he was apologizing to.
He made his way out of the city, not looking back.
Reaper walked through the night. He wanted nothing more than to sleep. Even if that meant, sleeping in the woods, but he wanted to put as much distance between him and Talon as possible. They would realize he was gone and look for him, and suspect that he left, but he wanted to go as far as he body would allow him before resting.
Around what he assumed to be ten in the morning, based on the sun, he found himself looking at a sign for a rest stop, he needed some breakfast. Inside the building was as cool as the March air outside but to Reaper's limbs, it felt as if he stepped into the spring air. The place was crowded with people getting coffee and lunch. Children played by the McDonald's, two people from India were having a conversation, and a man was at the coffee station getting some coffee.
Reaper decided to head for the bathroom where he inspected his appearance in a mirror. His long black hair was a mess. After washing his face, he noticed a man brushing his hair in front of the mirror. Once he brushed his own hair, he went and got his breakfast which was a donut and a coffee.
After breakfast he got a small box of cereal to save for lunch then set out again. The air outside was cold and the snow on the puddles on the ground seeped through Reaper's shoes, soaking his feet.
"My feet are soaked," he muttered but kept walking, not knowing where he was going.
The rest of the day came and went. Reaper stopped at another rest stop for dinner and then set up camp in the woods for the night. He looked up at the stars and spotted constellations. A part of him wanted to go back, get up and start running back to the city. Maybe he'd find Angela, he always knew where to find her. Hunt her down and explain that he forgives her and loves her.
Reaper tried to sleep but there were cars on the road and nocturnal animals. He woke up before the sun rose and decided to start walking after getting some sleep.
He walked throughout most of the day and knew that it was noon when he didn't see a rest stop and began walking along the side of a exit ramp. The ramp let out onto the busy street of a town. It wasn't crowded, there were apartment buildings and shops and shops with apartments above them which, as Reaper walked, faded out into houses and where there were woods and grassy fields.
"I should've stayed near the shops," Reaper muttered to himself, wanting something to eat and realizing he should've went the other way upon walking off the highway.
He was about to turn around and go back when he got an idea: he could take the bus. Spotting a bus station up ahead, he went in and bought a bus ticket. He sat in the waiting room, reading a book.
"Platform 6 boarding," the loudspeaker called. Reaper got up and climbed into the bus as it drove away.
Reaper put his backpack next to him and chose a seat about midway down the bus. A young woman sat beside him. She looked smart. Wire glasses with green eyes behind them. Light blonde hair. She pulled out a book and pencil and began to read. She reminded him of Jodi Foster from Silence of the Lambs (he and Sombra watched it one night). There were lots of signs to camping areas and Reaper kept catching glimpses of water in the distance. It made him think of the missions he, Widowmaker, and Sombra were on where they were near water. He laid his head back against the headrest and fell asleep.
The girl looked at him with a amused look. "What are you doing?" she asked.
He woke up. "Sleeping," he replied and stretched his arms.
She chuckled. "I'm Louise Parks," the girl said and they shook hands. "I'm a freshman at Washington State University."
Reaper looked out the window. The countryside had more trees and clouds were floating in the sky. Louise had fallen asleep next to him. The bus soon pulled into a large and busy bus station.
Louise got off the bus and Reaper followed. He walked into the bus station to buy a ticket to Indianapolis when he noticed two cops at the counter, showing the clerk a photo. Were they looking for him?
Reaper headed for the men's room to think. He wanted food and to buy a ticket but he didn't want to be recognized. He decided to go to the coffee shop, he could see the ticket window from there and grab some dinner. He got French fries and a hamburger with a glass of water and chose a table that had a view of the ticket window. He also saw Louise sitting at a table, sipping a coffee and reading a book. He ate his hamburger and French fries, stood up, and walked towards her table.
"Oh!" she said, looking up.
"I need your help."
She looked at him.
"I'm on the run and I want to escape to Canada," he told her.
"I'll buy the ticket to Indianapolis for you," Louise said. She went up to the counter and came back with the ticket.
"Thanks," said Reaper as he stood up from the table. "By the way, my name's Gabe."
He climbed aboard the bus and sat in the back. He was alone as he crossed the Mississippi. The river glittered in the sun as it set. He pulled out a sweater to use as a pillow and fell asleep.
The next day, he got off the bus and looked at the map. The map said he should go to the highway. Then he was standing on the side of Highway 24, hitching a ride to Toledo. He was surprised when a white Lincoln stopped next to him.
"Where ya headed?" asked the driver, a middle aged man.
"Toledo."
"I'm headed for Columbus, I can take you to New Haven."
"Thanks." Reaper buckled his seatbelt as the Lincoln drove out onto the road.
"Yes sir, I'm headed down to Columbus. I'm a commercial traveler."
Reaper settled back into the plush red seat as the driver was talking. White puffy clouds floated in the sky. The car stopped at a fork in the road and Reaper was alone.
He thought about Talon. They would discover he was missing and track him down. Overwatch would also be looking for him. He had to get to Toledo.
Another car approached. It took the left fork and he stuck his thumb out. The Bel Air came into view and stopped next to him.
He pulled open the door.
"Hop in, son," invited the driver, a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair. He didn't look like a pervert. Reaper didn't know any perverts. He hopped in.
"Where you headed?" the man asked.
"Toledo," Reaper replied.
"Name's Reverend Herman Peterson."
He held out a apple and Reaper took it. The Bel Air stopped and Reaper climbed out and thanked Herman as the car drove away. He was far from Toledo and Detroit. He didn't want to be picked up by cops. He stood up to hitchhike and a brown Dodge van pulled up.
"Hop in, dude," invited the guy in the passenger seat. He climbed into the van and sat in a back seat. There were four guys in the car, twenty years old. The music was coming from the radio. It was Metallica! All four guys had long hair and the driver wore a jean jacket. The air smelled of cigarette smoke.
"Hey, dude, want a beer?" asked a guy wearing purple pants.
"Sure, thanks," said Reaper.
"Where ya headed?" asked the driver. "My name's Mike."
"Gabe." Reaper shook his hand. "I'm headed for Detroit."
He took a sip of the beer and it tasted good. He took another sip.
"Gabe? Gabe?" Mike was saying.
"Sorry. I got tired."
"We're heading north, to Ann Arbor."
Ann Arbor. That was at the other side of Toledo.
"Why are you going to Detroit?" asked the driver.
"Some people are after me and I'm on the run."
"Guys," said the black haired guy. "We're on VACATION!"
The other three did air guitars and sang along with the radio. Reaper grinned and took another sip of beer.
The guys yelled "Road trip!", high fived, and did air guitars. An hour later, Reaper began to feel sick. He tasted the puke in his mouth.
"Hey, dude!" Jeff yelled. "Gabe's gonna hurl! Pull over!"
The van pulled over to the side of the road and Mike flung the door open. Reaper jumped out and Jeff threw his backpack out after him. The van drove away as Reaper puked.
When he was done throwing up, he made his way to a picnic table. He was at a rest stop at the entrance to a park. He pulled out the apple and ate it. He almost cried. What was he doing here? What was Gabriel Reyes, agent of Talon, doing in a rest stop in Ohio on a Sunday afternoon, going to the Canadian border.? He heard a call pull into the parking lot and three little girls ran to the outhouses and the parents climbed out.
The parents and the little girls walked back to the car when they saw him.
"Are you ok?" the mom asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Reaper replied.
"I'm Katie, this is my husband Peter. The girls are Eva, Elizabeth, and Anna." Reaper smiled at the girls; red head, brown hair with braids, frizzy auburn.
"We'll take you across the border," said Peter.
Sitting in the back seat with Eva, Elizabeth, and Anna, Reaper was eating some trail mix. He fell asleep, using a sweater as a pillow. The car drove over the border into Canada.
"Gabe," came Katie's voice and he opened his eyes.
"Yeah?" He stretched his arms.
"We're crossing the border."
The border officer let them through the gate and they crossed the border into Canada.
"You can stay with us for the night," Katie said. "We live outside Windsor."
"No thanks," said Reaper. "I have to go."
The family said goodbye and left. Reaper climbed aboard a bus and left.
The scenery on the way to Ottawa was amazing. Flat, open fields and just highway lined with buildings. The bus stopped at two places, Niagra and Wolfe Island. It was night by the time they pulled in sight of Ottawa. The bus climbed down from a elevated highway and pulled into the bus terminal. Reaper was waiting for a traffic light to change green when he noticed two kids who looked to be 16 to 17 years old sitting on a bench. The boy had matted, long black hair and a small beard. The girl had long black hair on one side and a red brush cut from the other. She was wearing a skirt, tank top, and black boots. He walked away and returned to the bus station where he got a ticket.
"We'll be in Kingston tomorrow," the driver announced.
Tomorrow! I'll be in Kingston tomorrow! Reaper thought. He decided to walk. He walked in the direction of Kingston. Soon, he was out of the town and into farmland. The sun was setting. Time to think about dinner and a bed. But there was farm after farm, he couldn't steal carrots and strawberries. Maybe a barn would give him shelter. A barn loomed up on the left, green with white trim. By keeping low among the grass and circling around, he made it to the barn without being seen from the house. Inside the barn, it smelled of hay and cows. There were some cows in the barn.
There was no one in the barn, but Reaper went up into the hayloft where he would be more out of sight, so he would be gone before the farmer came to milk the cows. He looked down and saw the cows eating some hay. He needed to find some food.
He jumped down and found a place in the bushes at the back of the house next to a chicken house. He needed to get some food.
A gunshot sounded through the air and a sting hit the back of his hand. Another gunshot, no sting. He dashed, crouching low behind the barn on the side away from the house, then stood up and teleported into the woods.
Teleporting through roots and long grass, Reaper jumped down a small hill. He heard the farmer saying "coyote." He stopped when he was far enough away and sat down on a rock. His red eyes looked at the wound on his hand and he wrapped it in a cloth. He took out his blanket, laid on the ground using his backpack as a pillow, and fell asleep.
The night became a overcast dawn. Reaper climbed up the small hill and walked away from the house and barn. He walked alongside the road, feeling the wind on his face when he found a small diner. He pushed the door open and nearly cried when he smelled the bacon and eggs cooking. He sat in a booth and pulled a menu from the napkin dispenser. Bacon, eggs, hash browns, toast, juice, coffee: awesome!
The waitress looked at him funny when she took his order, and when he looked at himself in the bathroom, he saw his face. He had some dried blood spots on his t-shirt, dirt smears on his face, and there were leaves in his hair. He washed his face, combed his hair, and changed his shirt and when he returned to the table, the best meal he had arrived. The scrambled eggs were tasty and the bacon made his taste buds cry. One bite of his toast and he was in the middle of a wheat field. A sip of his juice, orange, and he was in a golden Florida grove. The hash browns were awesome. He finished eating and left the diner, his stomach full.
A building with towers came into view from the right, it looked like a castle. Reaper saw high fences with wire and he realized it was a jail. He felt sadness and tears filled his eyes. He put down his backpack, sat next to it, and began to cry.
The jail disappeared behind him as he walked on. He finally arrived in Kingston. The next find he had to do was a find a motel. The Lord Nelson Motel was on 1664 Highway #15. He got a hamburger from McDonald's and sat down at a picnic table.
He checked the map. The Lord Nelson Motel was across the street from Tim Horton's and McDonald's. He stood up and walked towards the motel.
"Reaper."
Reaper froze. Who knows me? He turned around and saw Jack, Lena, Winston, Genji, Reinhardt, Angela, and Torbjorn standing in front of a Overwatch airship. He pulled out his guns and aimed them. "Why did you follow me?" he asked.
"To protect you," replied Winston. "We followed you to Canada."
Angela placed a hand on his chest, her blond ponytail flowing behind her. "Gabriel," she said. "We miss you."
Reaper felt tears filling his eyes and flowing down his face. He missed his friends, he missed Jack, he missed Angela. He wiped his eyes and turned back to them. "I missed you guys too, I'm coming back to Overwatch."
Everyone cheered and gave him a group hug. They climbed aboard the airship and flew back to their headquarters. Angela noticed the gunshot wound on Reaper's hand. "Gabriel, you're hurt. I'll find a bandage."
"Where's the bathroom?"
"Down the hall on the right."
I ran away from Talon. I went to Canada and my old friends found me. I missed them, I missed Jack, I missed Angela. I'm back with Overwatch.
Angela knocked on the door as Reaper put down his pen.
"Knock knock," she said, giggling.
He smiled. "Who's there?"
"Angel."
"Angel who?"
"Angela."
"Ha ha! I missed you too, Angela."