To die a hero
Disclaimer: I still don't own Person of Interest and the only thing I would change about the ending is that John would die in Harold's arms.
Author's Note: In honor of an unsung hero.
After the Machine freed him from the vault John headed to the building from where he would upload the Machine. When he got there and started to climb the stairs to the roof he could hear Finch and the Machine talking. "Wait are you sure this is the right place?" he heard Finch say as he stepped onto the roof. "Yes" the Machine replied "This is where you're supposed to be."
"No, none of these dishes are capable of transmitting to a Molniya orbit. This is the wrong building" Finch said. Reese decided that then was the time to reveal himself. "Right building Finch. For you" he said and walked to the edge of the roof so Finch could see him. "John what are you doing?" Finch asked. "Me and the Machine have had a long-standing arrangement, a deal" Reese answered. Finch unlatched the brief case he was holding and saw that it's empty. Reese held up the real brief case. "Told you pay you back all at once. That's the way I like it" Reese said. "No, I told you it's supposed to be me alone" Finch said. "Sorry, Harry, deal's a deal" The Machine said "You know as well as I do that he wasn't gonna let you die."
Reese's fingers move across the keyboard as he uploads the Machine's core. "Should get moving, Harold. It's gonna get a little exciting up here" Reese said. "All right, you've done it now let the upload take care of itself and get out of there John" Finch said. "Behind you, John! Now!" the Machine yelled suddenly. Reese grabs his gun and shoots the Samaritan agents. "two more" The Machine says. Reese shoots both of them. "More on the way" The Machine says.
"Mr. Reese, John this wasn't supposed to be the way" Finch said. "Sure it is" Reese says "This is what I do, remember? When you came to me you gave me a job, a purpose. At first, well, I had been trying to save the world for so long, I...saving one life at a time seemed a bit anticlimactic. But then I realized sometimes one life, if it's the right life it's enough." At that moment more Samaritan agents turn the corner and Reese raises his gun. "Goodbye Harold" he said "No!" Finch said and Reese focus on fighting. He continues to shoot Samaritan agents then turns his head and watches as Finch leaves the roof he was standing on, smiles then focuses on fighting again.
Suddenly he feels a presence behind him and feels a light touch on his shoulder. Reese knows it's the Machine and smiles slightly then stops as he focuses again on shooting the Samaritan's agents. One gets lucky and hits him in his right shoulder. Reese falls to the ground but continues to fire. Another bullet hits him low on the right side of his stomach. He ignores the pain, turns and shoots at the man who shot him and the other two agents. When he can't fire any more the agents converge on him and riddle his body with bullets. John gives into the darkness with the satisfaction that because of his sacrifice Samaritan would soon be gone.