2076:
Reaper sat in the suite, a glass of pure tequila in his hand. The dim light of the side table barely lit the large room, to his left lay out a folder of images, address, and coordinates marked on the back of each one.
One was an image of a woman with dark hair down her back, laughing over a glass of lemonade with friends at a restaurant. The next showed a young boy at a soccer game. A third showed them both, plus a familiar man, at a county fair dancing while surrounded by faces of people who were also familiar to Reaper. Other images spilled out across the king-sized mattress, but the one that Reaper gripped in his hand was of the woman kneeling in bright green spring grass, while a dog with shining metal legs lapped at her face.
He eyed the way her fingers laced into the fluffy black and golden coat of the dog. Her fingers had always been so gentle.
He rubbed the glass to his temple.
Akande had personally handed him the file months ago. It took him so long to follow through, and he had only begun risking shadowing them.
It seemed that Akande "Doomfist" Ogundimu enjoyed the emotional torture of Reaper's handling of the new information. True, Reaper had been the one to ask for it, but how Akande had learned about it made him want to kill, but as they weren't his men to kill just yet, he had to grin and bear it.
He had no upcoming hits to keep on, and so this week would be another ghost on the family.
There was a knock on his door.
"Mr. Reaper, sir? Your jet is prepared."
"Finally," Reaper said to the empty room.
He gathered up the images, and put the folder under his arm, then slammed his tequila back before marching out.
At the airport, Akande greeted him with a giant smile, "Reaper, my favorite friend," his hands landed heavily on Reaper's shoulders, Reaper stared passed the man from within the mask, "Are you going to actually bring our little friend home, or you just going to be a romantic little opera ghost?"
He smirked at Reaper and tilted his head down to look over his glasses, "Sooner or later my friend, you will bring her to me, yes? Maybe even save yourself the cucking and raise your own son, eh?" His laugh echoed.
Reaper grunted and shrugged off the hands from his shoulders. He listened to the heavy clapping from Akande as he mockingly celebrated Reaper's leave.
Reaper stood within the office of a large, empty suburban home, watching the neighbors mill about.
On the street below, a woman in a silver minivan rounded into the driveway of the similar home across the street. Jeans, plain shirt and a smile on her warm brown face as she slid open the back door and the dog from the pictures hopped out.
For a moment Reaper held his breath as the dog turned his way and seemed to stare as if to look for him. Ignore me, he begged, Ignore me and keep going.
There was a second, and the moment passed, and the dog turned, following quickly behind the woman into the home. He watched from there for some time, catching glimpses of the pair from time to time if they passed a window.
Night fell, lights slowly turned on throughout the house, he measured the length of her shower, of her meal, and smiled as she closed curtains tightly for the night. He could watch her like this forever, it was what he had gotten used to.
The back door opened, shining a light into the large backyard. The woman played with the dog's fur and cuddled into its neck before ushering the dog into the out, and even at his distance, he could softly hear the confirmation bark signaling the start of the dog's protective watch over the home.
"Sombra," he whispered into his wrist.
"She's pretty cute," came the sassy woman's voice.
"Sombra," he whispered again.
"So's the dog, I want one."
"Sombra," he hissed.
"Can a girl rest? The husband is working overtime on the security breach at work and, far as I can tell from all the paperwork on those things, you should still be part of the welcome party list."
"Good."
"Now leave me alone, I have shows to watch."
An agitated sigh came from Reaper, but he took in a deep breath. He teleported down onto the street below.
The gate of the yard fence was tall and strong, but Reaper could easily teleport onto and thus over it.
He didn't have to.
Reaper rested his hand onto the fence gate. On the other side, he could hear soft padding. An innocent whine.
"Hey boy," he whispered through the fake wood.
Silence. No movement.
Reaper eyed his surroundings. Was there ever a worse place than suburbia? He teleported onto the fence and leaped down.
The dog shook its head, it stepped back and forth. It ran in a quick circle, whined, started panting, whined, laid onto the floor and continued to look him over in obvious pup confusion.
Reaper had never seen it act so natural.
"Hey boy," he whispered squatting down with a hand extended.
There was a mixture of a bark and hurt whine as the dog darted over. As quick as lightning he was wrestling himself into Reaper's arms. The metal of the dog's forelegs hit his chest, and Reaper chuckled as he let himself fall back.
"Yea, you been a good boy for mama? You been good, huh?" Reaper could feel his lips crack a bit as they curled into a smile.
In his arms, he cradled the large dog as it lapped at his mask. He longed to be able to actually feel that disgusting greeting.
He hadn't expected this rush of warmth just from the dog alone, but as that good boy nuzzled desperately into him, he felt his face heat up beneath the mask.
"Naaaa-tai-oooo," the woman's voice called long and sweetly from inside the house.
The dog instantly rolled out of Reaper's lap, fun and games suddenly over as he trotted over to the back door. He gave a soft chirp, one Reaper recognized, it was meant to calm down the dog's owner whenever the dog sensed tension or anxiety.
"Are you okay, baby," she asked breathy kneeling from behind the door as she inched it open, "You okay?"
More soft lilting sounds.
"You being funny out here, doing me a frighten, boy," she sighed weakly into the fur.
Reaper realized he had been mesmerized for a bit and gathered himself up. His heart pounded, he wasn't one to get scared, but this wasn't fear. He stood up within the dark back corner of the yard.
He saw her flick her head to the side as she noticed his movement.
"Nataio!" She shouted, falling back onto the kitchen floor, "Nac'an!"
The dog grew rigid, eyes bright, he darted into the direction of his owner's line of sight. Into the large looming shadow and then ran a circle around Reaper, it flicked its head around. Nataio was trying to look for a threat, but in its confusion could not find one.
"Naca'n!" she shouted once more, and the dog flashed about the yard, before stopping at her feet and laying down.
Chirps.
"No, Nataio!" Reaper's fingers twitched as he listened to her fearful frustration.
He watched her claw at her dog desperately, "What did you do to my dog?!"
Reaper put his claws into the air as if to show they were empty.
She crawled backward and commanded the dog in.
He watched through frosted glass as she stood and darted out of the room, the dog following strictly at her feet. The metallic sound of its paws on tile muffling as it reached carpeting.
Reaper placed his hand onto the twin doors, it was a beautiful home, he regretted damaging it.
He pulled his arm back and smashed his fist into the glass twice. He stepped carefully through the small oval of the window in the door as to not hit his head.
Reaper stood silent, listening. Through the kitchen, through a hallway and through the living room he walked slowly, he stood at the base of the stairs before he heard a harsh muffled sound of a slamming door below him.
He made his way back to the hallway and stood at the basement door.
Sure enough, he could hear the deep raspy breathing of a panicking victim. He took tight hold of the knob, locked. He knocked.
"Guada," he called through the door but was not responded to, "Guada, I don't want to break this door. Don't make me."
He heard the loading of a gun and darted up against the wall by the door as a spray of wood blasted past him. A second shot blasted into the wall. He recognized that gun. He smirked.
He stepped back into the door frame, peering through the hole and down the steps.
And there she was, at the bottom of the steps, within the finished basement, gun pointed up towards Reaper's hiding spot. The dog slinked up behind her, and let out an odd whine-growl mixture.
"Guada… It's me, Gabriel," he said firmly watching her desperately for reaction.
"I'm a housewife, not a fucking idiot," her deep brown eyes glinted in the light falling on her, the golden flicks within them shimmering despite the gun casting a large shadow on parts of her face.
She had small tired bags under her wide lids and her curves were more pronounced than the last time he had seen her standing in front of him. His breath caught in his throat.
"Jack called not too long ago, maybe a couple weeks, told me I should expect you... I assume it's no coincidence that you're here after the recall."
Reaper relaxed his body and flexed his jaw that he had clenched in the moment of seeing her, "I never did like that he talked to you."
"You're not the jealous type."
"Maybe not before," He said as his claw reached through the hole in the door and searched for the lock.
She wasn't shooting, a good sign.
His intention was to walk down to her, but she flexed her arm and re-aimed at him.
"You don't get to play mind games with me. If you're gonna try and kill me, you're gonna have to be straightforward about it."
"You can't kill me, Guada."
"I can do what I have to. Any trace of emotions you could have played with died when you killed my colleagues."
"You really think that was me."
Her brow furrowed, "Fuck off."
"You're right," more steps towards her, Nataio barked in the direction of the gun, as he was trained to do. Reaper wondered if he even wanted to be barking or if he only did it out of duty, "I can't even lie to you. It was obviously me. So shoot me."
She lifted her aim higher, "Any man in armor asking me to shoot him, probably needs a bullet to the brain instead."
"Probably." Another step.
Another.
And another.
She kept her gun trained on Reaper as he reached the landing. He toward over the tiny latina, but she stood unmoveable.
"Turn off whatever's hurting my dog, you asshole."
"I'm not doing anything to Nataio," he tried to speak with reassurance but the rasp of his voice through the mask only ever gave him a threatening edge.
"Guard," Guada spoke surely.
Nataio, who had been standing strictly beside his owner, barked deeply and loudly. Echoing slightly against the walls of the oversized basement his growl surrounded them.
"Thank you," she mocked at the dog, grateful that he had finally returned to listening.
"You know I could never hurt, Nataio. He'll be fine."
"He should have attacked you out in the backyard," she spoke with annoyance.
"He still recognizes me."
"Doesn't mean he won't hurt you," she growled flexing her fingers and taking a deep breath.
"He can try," was all Reaper could say in reply as he braced himself.
"Get em," the woman whispered, and with near invisibility, in the blink of an eye, the dog had crossed to him.
Reaper turned into the black mist and moved out from beneath the giant dog's metal paws. Shots rang out. He encircled the woman until he was behind her.
"Drop the gun." He said as calmly as he could, holding on to her wrists with a firm gentleness, holding the gu up towards the ceiling, nearly lifting her off the ground.
"If you're going to kill me then just do it, you fucking coward," there was a broken sound to her voice.
Nataio lept into the air and sank his fangs into Reapers arm, only to meet heavy metal armor. The pressure, however, was still enough to force Reaper to let go of the woman.
Her bare foot slammed into his chest making him take a step back.
He wanted to instinctually slam the dog into the wall to his left, ram into her like a linebacker. He held back.
She spun, kicking once again, another spin and her foot landed against the side of his head. All the while the cyborg-dog pulled him downward.
He buckled his knees in. An attempt to keep his balance, another kick and he fell backward, reaching a hand back to keep from falling, but Nataio threw the weight of all his natural and metal body onto Reaper's chest.
Reaper's claws reached for the dog's neck, the dog attempted to savagely attack his hand, forcing Reaper into accepting a truce. His hands at either side of his head.
Guada ran up to the pair and padded him down. She grabbed at his shotguns.
"Really? You couldn't even be creative for me." she huffed shoving the heavy weapons away from them all.
"Fun fact, there's a material replicator inside the jacket. Uses a type of hard light, you're gonna have to keep pulling those out."
Guada pulled away the pieces from his belt, small smoke bombs, and daggers.
There was a terrible, teeth grinding sound, clicking and scratching by the side of his head where Nataio bit at his hand.
"Roll over and take off the Jacket."
"You're gonna have to lend me a hand," he scuffed in annoyance.
She tugged at his left sleeve, he pulled his arm in and out.
She commanded the dog once more, and Reaper was once more pinned down at his chest point. Guada worked to get the jacket out from under him.
"Your plan to kill me really seems to suck," she mocked kicking all of his things to the far corner of the room.
"Kill? You? Never you," He whispered, lolling his head to look at her idly.
She glared down into him, wisps of silky straight hair sticking to her face had begun to curl.
"You don't train much anymore, do you?"
"Fuck you," she whipped at her face.
He looked above him into the glowing eyes of Nataio, his face still in a grimace, the growls still filling the tense room.
"Did you call the police?"
Guada's mouth made a sound as her tongue unstuck from the roof of her mouth, she pulled at her phone and started to cry.
"Connection issues?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
She hit the phone to her forehead and her face melted into a large frown, "Why are you doing this?"
"It's a long story kiddo," he lifted a hand to pet Nataio who instantly snapped at the attempt.
"Yea, well… I've got time."
"I'm supposed to bring you back with me."
"Back where?"
"And if I can't convince you, then someone else will do it."
"Who?"
"You need to come with me, Guada."
"I have a family," she walked over to a giant glass case, unlocked it and took out a second, smaller gun. He recognized it from her working days, "I have a family, you might not understand that, but I can't just let you kill me."
"I can't kill you, but someone else might. Which is why you have to come with me."
"Then I'll deal with them too."
"Let me talk to you… actually, talk to you."
"Is that what you did for Freeman? For Easton? Was that your plan for Morrison? A nice chat?"
"Those were different."
"They were your friends, Gabriel."
His name rolling from her tongue made him bite his lip, "They were targets."
"And what am I?"
He stared at the ceiling, as she moved towards him with the gun in hand, "Also a target."
Reaper eyed down the barrel of the gun, "Do it then. If you can do it, shoot me, then you're clearly stronger than me because it's more than I've ever been able to make myself do."
There was a pause, gun trained on the man in the mask, the large dark eyes of it staring in her direction. She wished she could read his expression, but all she could see was a confusing blank stare of a ghost's face.
"Nataio, down," she finally gave in.
She watched the dog relax and pad over the carpeting to her side.
He sat up and flexed his arms and hands, his clothes rustling in the sudden silence of the basement, before resting his arms on his knees.
"I'm sorry," he said.
She sank down slowly into a squat, a hand over her mouth, eyes staring hard into the floor between them. One hand scratching at the dog's ear as she worked through her agitation.
"I hate you so much," she sighed into her fingers with a shaking voice.
He shook his head as he began to stand.
Nataio moved between them and shoved his head into Guada's arms, moving her hand away from her face as he lapped at her.
The dog threw it's paws onto her shoulders nuzzling at her neck.
"You're a bad a liar," he whispered.
"Why are you here?!" She demanded, "What the fuck do you want."
"I want my wife."
She pulled away from him, and stood, backing up with the gun pointed at him.
Reaper was done wasting time, he misted around her and grabbed her shaking arm, Nataio bit at him once more.
"Call him, Guada!"
Her breath shook, as her free hand fought against him "Down."
The dog came to heel. He released her unarmed arm. She turned around attempting to force him to let her go.
The frustration built on her face as she clawed at his claws, "Let go of me," She growled and grunted before letting the gun go in defeat.
The metal thudded as it hit the carpeted floor. He released her hand, and she pulled it to her tightly.
"Please! Just… please, don't play games," her voice was shaking, "and just kill me. Okay?" She fell to her knees.
He stepped towards her, "Guada…" He put his claw on her head, "Nataio."
The dog's metal claws lightly padded over the thick carpeting. Reaper stared down into the dogs face and put out a claw. After a moment of curious sniffing the dog barked loudly and muzzled into his palm.
Guada, stared at the dog, a sad broken look on her face. Reaper came down into a kneeling position before her.
"I'm sorry if I hurt your wrist, I understand that you were scared."
Guada stared at him with blank red eyes, "Why did you wait so long."
He moved the claw from the top of her head and down the side of her face. "That's a long story, kiddo."
She pushed his hand away as she pulled the dog out of his other hand and into a hug, "I've got time."