A lot of inspiration to write this is thanks to this comic by infinite-atmosphere on tumblr: post/149015738376/disjointed-comic-featuring-unfulfilled-past
I apologize if I get any lore wrong. Jesse is supposed to be 20 here, making Hanzo 21 and Genji 18.
This is my first overwatch fic pls be gentle
He didn't exactly know what to expect when their transport chopper landed in Hanamura. Reyes told him little of the isolated Japanese city, and none of the other Blackwatch members joining them on this operation knew much, either. Jesse McCree glanced out the shuttle window, noticing with disappointment it was too dark to see a thing. His first time in Japan, and he wasn't even able to enjoy the local scenery. Hanamura eluded him into mystery once more.
There were a few things he knew of, however. The city belonged to a criminal organization, the Shimada clan. They've controlled Hanamura for centuries, and the clan currently dealt in several forms of illegal trafficking, such as arms and drugs, only to name a few. Gabriel Reyes, Blackwatch commander, had brought him and a small squadron to Hanamura in an attempt to apprehend the Shimada family and stop their trade. A simple mission with a simple goal.
Jesse was hoping the operation would be over quickly. They had only just flown into Japan, but he was already longing to return to the Overwatch base in Switzerland. A dozen hours of travel always made him sore and groggy, and he longed for the comfort of a bed. He spun Peacekeeper around his index finger, shaking his right leg in his impatience. His spurs were clinking against the shuttle floor, creating an irritating noise for the others. They were close to arriving by now, the shuttle driving around Hanamura's borders to avoid detection, and jet lag was catching up to him.
"You'd best stop that noise, Jesse," Reyes barked from his side of the shuttle, and Jesse immediately froze his leg. Another Blackwatch member grunted in agreement with Reyes.
"How much longer do I gotta sit here and twiddle my thumbs?" Jesse grinned at the sour expression he forced out of Reyes. Then again, he didn't think there was a ever a time when Reyes wasn't pissed off to some degree.
Reyes went to answer, but another Blackwatch member sitting beside their driver piped up instead, "Give it another ten... fifteen minutes, McCree. Hang tight."
Jesse groaned, giving a "Yes, sir." He leaned his head back, spinning Peacekeeper once more before shoving her back in the holster at his hip.
"I will remind all of you," Reyes raised his voice high enough for the entirety of their squadron, five men besides himself and Jesse, to hear, "this operation will take several days. Maybe longer. We rest tonight, and tomorrow we begin our first strike. We will not stop until Hanamura is free of the Shimada family."
The other squadron members grunted and nodded for their understanding. Jesse remained silent, looking back out the window. He noticed the full moon was shining in their direction, giving light to the world around them. He could see large and looming trees, shedding their petals over their surroundings. Those must have been the cherry blossoms he had heard so much about. A shame it was too dark to see them clearly.
The shuttle came to a stop at a shabby hotel just three miles from Hanamura's city borders. This was the closest Blackwatch could get to the city while remaining outside the Shimada clan's range of control. Here, they were able to stay hidden during the course of the mission, while also remaining in close range.
The hotel was only for the first night, after which they would be moved into an old warehouse another mile or so away. For now, their weapons and gear were kept tucked away in the shuttle, which would remain in the warehouse for the night. Each Blackwatch member kept one weapon hidden inside their clothes to last the night. Jesse felt anxious without Peacekeeper by his side, and could barely settle with the knife tucked into his boot.
Reyes proceeded to bring everyone into their rooms. The woman attending the main desk had poor English, and only one team member could speak to her. Jesse hardly remembered who he was, or his name, and he cared little, too. All he could remember was that he was half Japanese and half Korean, and was fluent in both languages. Jesse was somewhat envious. He grew up learning Spanish, yet with his years of disuse, much of it had been lost on him. Maybe Reyes could help him get back up to speed.
Without the shuttle driver, who stayed at the warehouse, there were six of them, and the three rooms were split evenly between them. Jesse ended up in a room with Reyes, much to his lack of surprise. Reyes hardly trusted most members of Blackwatch. Jesse was one of his favourites, despite Reyes constantly giving him a hard time. When Gabriel Reyes took a liking to someone, it was extremely difficult to lose his trust.
Jesse followed Reyes to their miniscule room, containing two single beds, a nightstand, a desk, and a bathroom that was just as cramped. It was definitely a Western-style hotel with that Japanese flair of everything is too small. Jesse was a little disappointed in the more familiar set-up. He was hoping to experience more of the local culture. But surely there would have been time for that later. They would be in the country for quite some time, after all. He wondered instead if Reyes would even fit onto one of these tiny beds. With those thighs? Nah.
Reyes grunted as he dropped his duffel bag onto the bed closest to the window, ripping off his shirt and shutting the bathroom door behind him. Jesse paused, feeling anxious at Reyes' obviously disgruntled attitude. He was also internally upset once he heard a shower running that he would have to wait even longer to wash off the grease he picked up from traveling halfway across the world.
Setting his own bag at the foot of the bed Reyes didn't claim, he took out the knife from his boot and hid it underneath the pillow. He set his hat down on the nightstand, and took to change himself into his clothes for sleeping, which was normally just a Johnny Cash t-shirt two sizes too large and his boxers. Since he was in a room with Reyes (and felt nervous just from the thought), he slipped on some shorts he borrowed from Angela. His ass barely fit into them. Stretching languidly, he finally flopped onto the bed and reveled at the sensation of a real, actual bed. It had been too long. Working for a black ops organization did not permit him this luxury often.
He didn't fall asleep immediately thanks to the jet lag, but took to resting his eyes and relaxing instead. He heard the shower come to a stop, waiting for Reyes to inevitably bring himself from the bathroom. Before he did, a sudden string of music played into the room, forcing his eyes open. Jesse glanced to Reyes' duffel bag, seeing a square of light shining through the fabric. He groaned. It was Reyes' personal phone. He wasn't supposed to bring anything like that on missions, and was meant to use his Blackwatch handheld instead.
He waited for the noise to end, but it continued, ringing more and more loudly in his ears. He exasperated in frustration and went to snatch the phone out of the duffel bag. He fidgeted and tapped the screen, trying to drown the noise.
"How do I shut this thing o—oh."
Reyes was receiving a call, from none other than Strike Commander Jack Morrison. Jesse could only stare blankly at the name, blinking once. He knew they were close, but he hardly expected Morrison to actually call Reyes during a mission like this, on his personal phone.
The bathroom door flew open, and Reyes grunted when he noticed Jesse holding his phone, "Give me that, pendejo."
He snatched the device, answering the call. Jesse raised his hands, feigning innocence, in response to the glare Reyes was still giving him. Reyes finally turned away, muttering into the speaker, trying to keep his voice down. But they remained in close proximity, and Jesse wondered why he even bothered.
"Jack, hey, now's not the best time. I can call you later." Reyes spoke gently, the salt in his tone from earlier completely gone. Talking to Jack seemed to have really simmered down his flaming temper from only seconds ago. Jesse was astonished.
"I know you're in Swiss time, but listen, I'm not alone right now," Reyes muttered into the receiver, leaning a hand against the wall. "No, I'm safe. Just got here."
Jesse quickly stopped listening in on their conversation, no longer feeling nosy, and instead decided it was his turn to shower. He gathered his supplies, growing ever the more overjoyed that he would be able to wash away all of this built-up grime. He stopped at the window, however, when he noticed a figure standing just outside. The figure was cloaked in shadows, and he could only make out the dim light that glowed against their feet. Just when Jesse went to pull the curtains to block the view, the figure dashed away.
Probably nothing, Jesse figured, and instead went to the shower. Yet his chest was fluttering.
Jesse was awoken that next morning by Reyes, who shook his shoulder roughly and called his name. He opened his eyes to see Reyes looming over him, eyes dark and face looking displeased. Reyes' default expression.
"Y'might wanna take a step back there, commander," Jesse muttered, rubbing his eyes with his hand, "I don't wanna die of fright my first day in Japan."
"Shut your trap and get up, kid," Reyes pulled himself up to full height, grabbing his duffel bag, "It's time to go. Meet us in the lobby. You have ten." He left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Jesse groaned, and slipped out of his night clothes. He took a glance to the window, where the curtains remained closed from last night. Heart pounding, he crept over and pulled the curtain open a crack. There was no figure outside, and Jesse breathed a sigh of relief. He realized now that it was light out, and was somewhat disappointed in the view he was greeted with. Hanamura was apparently a beautiful city covered in cherry blossoms, but here, on the outskirts, there were walls of buildings and some open, empty spaces, some of which held rice paddies. Nothing interesting, or beautiful. He did notice Hanamura's taller buildings in the distance, however, remembering that they were not close, but not too far. He would experience plenty of Hanamura later on, he reminded himself.
He slipped into his normal attire, spurs clanking as he rushed to prepare himself for the rendezvous. He slid the knife back into his boot, dropped his hat on his head, and fled the room with his bag over his shoulder. He stormed down three flights of stairs and was greeted with Reyes' disgruntled visage.
"You're late," Reyes grumbled, crossing his arms.
Jesse tipped his hat, "What're you expectin' from me?"
Reyes snorted, dropping the subject and turning instead to their Japanese translator so they could leave the hotel. Jesse skidded around the lobby impatiently, waiting for the group to get started on their operation. Having a hot shower and a warm bed was a luxury he did not take for granted. He wanted to get this mission over with so he could move onto the next. Such was the cycle for a Blackwatch agent.
The group of six was picked up by the seventh, the shuttle driver. His name escaped Jesse's, too. Jesse was never any good at remembering the names of people he didn't need to know. The mystery driver took them to the old warehouse that would act as their base of operations for the next few weeks of this mission. He realized upon arrival it had been completely abandoned, and was more like an over-glorified shack. Jesse observed there was plenty of space for the seven of them. Each team member was granted a small room within the building. Jesse discovered it was not much more than a blank room with a single cot and a nightstand, but for Blackwatch, it was a luxury to have a room at all.
They were all given several hours to prepare for the mission that evening. Jesse took it upon himself to grab a bite to eat for everyone. He had to snatch the Japanese-Korean member (he learned then that his name was Soo-won and stuck it to his memory) to translate for him. With food and well rest, this Blackwatch group was definitely prepared for their heist that night.
Reyes went over the plan while sipping some coffee Jesse procured for him, who listened intently. Their intel 'gifted' to them from Overwatch described that another yakuza group based in Osaka, the Azuma-gumi, was making a trip to Hanamura that night for arms, and possibly some drugs. Said intel claimed that there would only be a handful of attendees from both the Shimada and the Azuma clans. Overwatch only wanted the trade to stop and information to be gathered, but Blackwatch had their own plans. They were to stop the trade, confiscate the weapons, and kidnap at least one member of each group for later interrogation. Any others were to be killed.
Jesse was given the task to scout ahead, and to signal the others when the time was right. He nodded swiftly when Reyes gave him this information. This was the first time he had been given a duty as significant as this since he joined Blackwatch three years ago. Reyes had been personally training him for most of this time, and his missions before were relatively minor. This was his first involvement in a real honest-to-god operation that would impact the world. His guts twisted into knots at the thought, but he was determined to succeed. He wanted to keep his good impression with Reyes, after all. Maybe even the Strike Commander, too.
As soon as the sun dropped below the horizon, they set out.
The group arrived at their destination after a silent half-hour trip. The shuttle pulled up behind the meeting point, far enough away that they wouldn't be discovered. Jesse noticed with a groan that it was another abandoned warehouse. How many of these were in Hanamura, anyway? He supposed it was an understandable meeting point between criminal organizations. They were less likely to be noticed in such an obscure place.
Jesse slipped Peacekeeper into his holster, and jumped out from the shuttle along with the rest of the team. Reyes immediately handed everyone a comm device, which Jesse tugged onto his ear. Reyes went over the plan once more, before pulling out his dual shotguns.
"Go on and scout ahead, McCree. Try not to get caught, pendejo," Reyes grunted, stroking his goatee.
"You realize I got my share of Spanish, too, compadre? No utilice esa palabra en mí."
Reyes chuckled, "Vete a la mierda. Get going."
With a huff, Jesse followed his orders. He felt secure now that Peacekeeper had been returned to his side, but he was still feeling uneasy. Like there was an outside presence watching him. Studying his every movement.
He scaled the outer wall of the building using a metal ladder that went directly to the glass roof, where Reyes told him to watch the scene play out from above. He was to use a flashbang as a signal once the moment was right. Unfortunately for Jesse, he was uncertain just when that moment was supposed to be. Reyes didn't give him the best idea, so before reaching the roof, he pressed against his comm device for clarification.
"Reyes, how do I know when's a good time?"
A forced sigh came from the other side, "Do it when they're all together. There should be three Azuma, and three Shimada. Wait until the weapons are brought out, but don't wait too long."
Jesse huffed, "You ain't telling me enough, pardner, but I think I got it."
"You'd better. We're counting on you, kid."
Jesse grunted in response. He didn't have any words for that. That was something that would normally come from the mouth of a friend, or maybe a father, rather than his commander. The words sounded strange from Reyes' tongue. Unfamiliar. Not to mention, this was his first real mission since joining Blackwatch. Jesse wasn't exactly one to be counted on for anything.
He clambered onto the roof after ascending three stories, and huffed, already feeling out of breath. He stepped over to the glass roof, gazing down and spotting the targets. Half of them, that was. There were only three people down there, but Jesse was uncertain which side they belonged to. He was too far away to see them clearly.
"Reyes, I see three of 'em. I dunno which clan, but I think they're from Shimada. They got crates decked up behind them."
His commander's gruff voice was clear from the other end, "Good. They're still waiting for the Azuma. We arrived just in time."
"I'll say," Jesse glanced around everything else he could see from this vantage point. The warehouse had empty chairs and tables, some abandoned boxes, but there was not much else of interest. Nothing but the three men with their black crates. Even with his perfect eyesight, there was little he could gather of the men standing there. They were completely still, and Jesse watched them for several minutes, but none of them moved an inch. "Hold on now," he muttered into the comm.
"What is it?"
"I see the other three, they just got here. I'm turnin' the comm down, gimme a sec."
Jesse crouched down, realizing he was at a bad vantage point. The Shimada were facing his direction, and if they had looked up to the roof, Jesse easily would've been spotted. The Azuma were faced away from him, since they only just entered through the main doors that went out to the street. Jesse kept his position low, keeping his eyes fixed on the six of them as he stepped around the glass roof, away from their line of sight.
He was fortunate that the two clans had yet to exchange their goods, and instead seemed to be talking amongst themselves. There was still time. He stood, and froze instantly. His neck pricked, feeling a presence behind him, and he quickly began to panic. He wasn't alone, but he knew he should've been. There were six yakuza downstairs, and there wasn't supposed to be anyone else. With his lightning speed, he drew Peacekeeper and spun around, and was met with the spear of an arrow, nocked and aimed for his skull. His pistol, in turn, was pointing between the eyes of his assailant.
They were locked in place. If one moved, the other would shoot.
His 'assassin' was a young man, one Jesse was certain he had never seen before. He had long, raven hair, bangs brushed to the sides of his face and the rest tied back. He wore a white kyudo-gi with an orange brace over his left arm. Jesse noticed from the dim light a tattoo on what little skin was visible of said arm, but he couldn't tell what it was supposed to be a tattoo of. He flicked his eyes back up to the other's. They were dark and cold pools, barely illuminated. Jesse shivered. This man was handsome. Actually, he was drop dead gorgeous.
Jesse may have ended up with an arrow in his skull, but he didn't mind so much if it was from this assailant.
He noticed the archer's eyes flicker down to his belt buckle, and he knit his brows, looking confused. Jesse felt heat rise in his cheeks, completely forgetting for a moment that he waltzed around with BAMF just above his crotch. He used this embarrassment to his advantage.
"See somethin' ya like?" he raised an eyebrow, grinning. The other man flashed his eyes back up, nocking the arrow back an inch further. "Now, now, no need to get all riled up." Jesse shoved Peacekeeper closer, and now it was pressed against the archer's forehead.
"Must you speak?" he growled, voice low and treacherous. It sent a chill down the back of Jesse's neck. But he was sure it was more from just hearing his voice than anything. He exhaled slowly.
"Darlin', there's one thing you could do to shut me up." The arrow's tip now pressed against his neck, drawing a trickle of blood. "Okay, okay, m'sorry! Look, how 'bout we settle this like gentlemen?"
"You are trespassing on a private meeting. I will kill you, and that will be the end of it."
"Oohh, why, I never! Here's hopin' I'd buy you dinner first!"
"You are a fool. I will kill you where you stand."
"Careful, darlin'," Jesse cocked Peacekeeper for good measure, "or you'll wind up with a bullet in that pretty face'o'yours."
That caused the other man to pull his arrow away from Jesse's neck, clearly remembering they were in a complete stand off. Jesse didn't want to die, but he didn't want to kill him, either. He risked a glance down through the glass, seeing the men below exchanging the crates. Shit. He needed to give the signal soon, or they would fail their first task. This entire operation was already off to a shitfaced start. He turned back to the archer, keeping his eyes steady on his face.
"What's yer name?"
"I won't tell you that," the man hissed, his face contorted in his frustration.
Damn. And here Jesse was hoping he'd get his number, too.
"What're you doin' here, then? Do you work for any of those yakuza members down there?"
"I won't tell you that, either."
Jesse clicked his tongue. He slipped his free hand into his pouch, handling the flashbang hidden there. He only had one on him, meant to be used as the signal for their operation tonight. But it was clear said operation failed thanks to the intervention of this archer on the roof. Jesse saw there were still six people down in the warehouse, so this young man was not part of the exchange. The intel Reyes received was wrong, and there may have been more extras just as ready to kill them. He needed to warn the others, and they needed to leave before things got messy.
His comm piped up in his ear, Reyes' booming voicing piercing and fierce, "Where are you, idiota?! Where's the signal?"
Jesse couldn't answer with both hands preoccupied, and especially after realizing that the archer had noticed the noise going off in his ear. Jesse needed to make his choice, and soon.
"This was nice, darlin', let's make it a date next time," he grinned with his teeth bared, then tossed the flashbang at his assassin's feet in one quick movement.
Smoke piled around them, and Jesse narrowly avoided the arrow that whizzed past his head. He dashed towards the steel ladder, dodging arrow after arrow, trying to get his comm running again.
"Sniper on the roof! Sniper on the roof! We gotta leave, the mission's been compromised!" he reached the ladder, sliding down swiftly. When he reached the ground, he saw the archer watching him from above, nocking another arrow. Jesse blew a kiss in his direction, before dashing out of sight and making his way to the shuttle.
"What do you mean compromised? Where you at, kid?"
"I'm on my way, and listen, Reyes, our intel was wrong. They had an extra person. Tried to shoot me from behind. There could be more hidin' around, I dunno. We can't risk it."
He heard Reyes tsk quietly, before muttering an agreement. When Jesse reached the shuttle, he checked back to find that no one had followed him, and slipped inside. The archer had vanished from the roof, and Jesse wondered briefly where he had wandered off to. He could only pray they weren't being followed.
They escaped the scene and took a different, longer route back out to their base of operations. Jesse kept an eye on behind them through the rear window, and was relieved to find that nothing came after them. No archer, no yakuza, nothing. They were in the clear, this time.
The entire ride, Jesse couldn't keep his mind off that archer. It was evident now that Jesse had become obsessed, even if he was nearly killed. He forced back the memory of the blank pools of his eyes, that inky hair tied back into a ponytail. That man's visage was still fresh in his mind, the sharp point of his nose and the fierce furrow of his full eyebrows. Then he thought of his lips, pressed together tightly and only making him look even more pissed off. He imagined those lips being pulled apart and wrapping around something else.
"Boy, Jesse McCree, you've got it bad," he whispered to himself that night, tucked in his cot, just before closing his eyes and wandering into sleep.
I apologize for any inaccurate Spanish. I don't speak Spanish. At all. I'm in college atm so I'm super busy but I'll try to update when I can;;