Chapter 1
Souls: easy to find if you have a ready supply of weak humans and a history of blood-stained tendencies. However, when you're alone in the night, it's a tinge harder. Gabriel Reyes felt his brain was splashing in his skull and hunger pains hitting his entire body as he passed into the Arlington Cemetery. He felt a longing to stalk his way to the seven juicy, orange lives guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns. Just a little snack, something to hold off the sadistic rage curdling in his very being.
But the cemetery was big, the ripe souls were too far out of his way, and Reyes could feel himself running short on time. He shook his head and turned his attention to where the grave of Jack Morrison would be. He had hired a mercenary to gather as much information as possible on the remaining Overwatch agents. The drop off was under a bench near the tombstone.
What is this? A slightly dulled soul was moving through the graveyard. Its path didn't sway, whoever was here clearly had a defined purpose.
It didn't matter to Reyes why it was here, he was so hungry and this unsuspecting intruder was not too far off. He started to move faster while contemplating how to off this one. Maybe he could snap its neck... eh, kind of overdone. It might be extremely satisfying to crack its head over a pearly tombstone, preferably Morrison's. He had always been an entitled asshole. Then again, a slug to the head is usually very effective.
Reyes decided to wing it as the soul's owner came into view. Whoever it was stood in front of Morrison's grave. Reyes felt a familiar wave of jealously spike his heart. He had died too, why did Morrison always get everything? Reyes didn't even get a grave, let alone a plot at Arlington. The figure's shoulders moved with each breath, the man appeared winded, crying, or both.
"Damn it," Soldier 76 spoke. 76 squatted down and set his pulse rifle on the ground. He stretched his hand to get blood flowing to his white fingers again. Interesting. The original plan seemed too easy and quick now.
"What a nice night." Reyes shifted to his wraith form and swirled over to 76.
"Small talk? Am I really lookin' that old?" The soldier was back on his feet and following the reaper's movements.
"Yes," Reyes said.
"What do you want?"
"Why is a wanted man visiting Jack Morrison? Oh, is he your hero?" Reyes had a gift for sarcasm. He chuckled darkly at his own quip.
"Morrison isn't here."
"Ah, a conspiracy theorist and a patriot."
Neither of the men held their guns. Both assessed the situation. Soldier 76 couldn't reach for his rifle anymore without Reaper drawing first. 76 was slipping the older he got and hadn't grabbed it. Reyes wanted to kill Soldier 76, if not for 76's soul, then for his gag-worthy, American demeanor. Something was off about the soldier though, and Reyes was interested.
"Why are you here then? Couldn't just be for little 'ol me," Soldier 76 said.
"Not you, the guest of honor." Reyes nodded to the silent grave. "You know, I think you have the same big ego as the good commander."
Soldier 76 tensed up at the comparison. He noticed Reaper's guard was falling. Looks like more than one person here has a big ego. If 76 kept playing along... It was clear Reaper liked to talk about himself.
"So what do you have against overwatch?"
"People like you. You know the arrogant ones that get everything for doing nothing?"
"Sounds like you have a personal experience experience with this."
"Too personal." Reaper absentmindedly started to dematerialize. It wasn't what Soldier 76 was exactly planning, but it was good enough. He hastily grabbed his pulse rifle and trained it on Reaper.
"Really? You think that is going to work?"
76 clicked safety off. "I had a friend who said that to me once."
Reaper was done playing with his food, he swooped behind the soldier as he fired. Reyes wrapped his arms around the soldier's neck. "You know, let me tell you something, it's because of people like you that Jack got too full of himself. You just have a thing for strong appearances over skill? Don't you?"
The soldier struggled for air and attempted to push Reyes off of him. No, no.
"He was my best friend and your type is at just as much fault as me!"
Gabe? Soldier 76 didn't have the energy to struggle anymore. This was it. Reyes felt 76 go limp and heard a pop. The vigilante's soul was ripe to consume.
"So what does the douchebag look like?" Reyes smiled as he tore the mask off its connectors, bending the metal. Reyes stared blankly for a second before realization tore a hole in his mind. "No? No. Jack?"
A rock hit the bottom of Reyes stomach, and his throat tightened. Jack Morrison survived? No. Reyes was there when the bomb went off. Right before he lost consciousness in a puddle of his own blood, Reyes had seen a heavy pile of debris collapse on Jack. The moron had been trying to help others out before fire engulfed the wreckage.
"No no no. You can't be alive. I- I'm going to find help. I didn't know, I didn't know. I-"
Reyes's rage dissipated quickly and he fought off the urge to simply take Jack's soul. It looked so enticing… No. He shook his head trying to clear the compulsion to eat and ran over to the bench where the Overwatch information was set for drop off. He ran back to where his old friend was lying while sifting through the data.
If anyone could help, it would be Angela Ziegler. Sure, she was the last person he wanted to see ever again, but who else could he trust to bring Jack Morrison back from the dead? That's if she would even listen to Reyes, after all, they hadn't parted on the best terms.