The infamous Deadlock gang is forced to flee after a bank robbery goes horribly wrong. Desperate for money to start a new life for himself and his family, Gabriel Reyes forms a plan.
A plan that makes Jesse McCree rethink everything he's done.
Before you read: First chapters are hard! Lol anyway, one night at like, 5am, after having completed Red Dead Redemption 2, I had a marvelous idea: the Overwatch characters could really fit in this universe. Keep in mind, there will be NO RDR2 characters in this fic- the Overwatch characters are meant to replace them. Also, as I put in the tags, there are many elements and scenes I will use/borrow from RDR2, but I have also tweaked and added a mostly different plot. Mostly because this is, of course, a drama/romance. Hehe.
Hope you all enjoy this wild ride.
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The bank robbery in Blackwater could not have been anymore fucked.
The ground thundered beneath the stampede of horses as they raced through the grey cobblestone streets. The city had since retreated indoors, shutters closed with only a few daring individuals poking their heads out to see the commotion of the infamous Deadlock gang contend with hordes of law enforcement. Dozens of dead bodies littered the streets, ranging from citizens to police, coating the walls and roads with a shimmering red in the setting sun.
This is it, the low raspy voice of his boss reminded him in his head, the last one. Then we are free! Are you ready to be rich, mijo? Gonna make bank and blow this muddy joint.
Gabriel Reyes was always an enthusiastic idealist.
Free to go where? Jesse McCree mused. I'm sure fancy towns like New York full of rich snobs would roll out red carpets for us. Matches the blood on the outfits, yeah? Our wanted posters would make good headshots. Interested in bein' a model, boss?
Somewhere far away, Gabe said, twisting the brim of his hat and ignoring Jesse's snide remark. The cigar in his mouth burned a bright red. You ever heard of Tahiti? Apparently, it's lovely this time of year.
What and where the fuck is Tahiti?
The memory of Gabriel and the gang laughing just a few days ago bubbled to the surface of Jesse's thoughts at an inopportune time, distracting him enough to the point he didn't realize his horse steering off course. They had been so sure. So excited to rob the Blackwater bank. Ready to start a new life and turn away from the harsh realities of gun-slinging and gang life. Gabriel suggested being a fucking farmer at one point. Gabriel Reyes, the infamous Deadlock leader… a mango farmer?
A mango farmer with one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
He came to when Bounty whinnied, stopped, and abruptly reared up with a loud noise and a jerk to his reins. Jesse was thrown forward in the saddle, grunting as the leather bit into his stomach. He scrambled to keep the hat on his head from flying off in a gust of wind.
"Jesse McCree!" Gabriel's angered growl came from behind as he whipped out a short shotgun from his side, covered in blood. His preferred weapon of choice. The perfect image of a mango farmer. "What on earth are you doing, mijo? Trying to get us all killed? Get your hide moving! That's an order!" He kicked his heavy boot to the side, catching a lawman off guard and sending the stranger toppling from his horse. His head cracked off the pavement. Jesse didn't even flinch.
"McCree!" Gabriel growled again, louder and with more ferocity. "Catch up to Ashe! She is head of the escape group and they're making a dash to the northwest exit of this godforsaken shithole!"
His boss pulled his horse to the side and fired that deafening shotgun at oncoming law enforcement. They were quickly becoming surrounded. Jesse focused on the noise of death and shouting around him to help pull his mind to the present. He pushed the pained memory of laughter and hope down his chest. Apparently, the outlaw life was the only life Deadlock knew how to live. Blackwater. Gabe. Money. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
What idiots they were. Who the hell could make off with that much money with no issues? Not when Overwatch and other local authorities were on their tail. Blind and foolish dumbasses.
"Jesse McCree, I swear to God," Gabriel bit out, snarling with rage. "If you don't start fucking moving-"
"I get it!" Jesse broke off the beginning of his boss's angry rant and quick drew Peacekeeper from her leather holster at his hip. He landed precise and clean shots in the foreheads of three lawmen. Dead on impact. Easy as cake. He was born and bred to kill.
Without looking back, knowing Gabe was plenty capable of taking care of himself, Jesse spurred his horse on. Bounty took off at a dead sprint, kicking up dust at breakneck speed as his hooves clopped against the stones. Bullets whizzed past and clipped Jesse's hat and tattered serape. The high speed was both exhilarating and terrifying. Peacekeeper was a welcome weight in his right hand, curbing the rise of panic in his chest. They'd fucked up. They'd really gone and fucked up.
Jesse picked off pursuing lawmen as he flew down the cobblestone. Gabriel and his horse were close behind, shotgun roaring in all the commotion. Despite his nerves and the fact his body was vibrating, every shot Jesse took landed hit its mark. Between the eyes. Clipping the guns out of his pursuers. He took pride in his skills. He had yet to meet another person who rivaled his exceptional aim. He hoped he never would.
Bounty threw his head to the side and whinnied again as they skidded around a corner. The rest of the Deadlock gang became visible up head. The gates leading out of Blackwater had never looked so welcoming before.
Jesse felt his heart flip, seeing the rest of his makeshift family a few leagues ahead, plowing their way into the yellow expanse of West Elizabeth's golden fields. The dead grass of the surrounding county looked so beautiful in the sunset. A welcome retreat from all of the chaos of the city.
Ashe, a woman Jesse decidedly did not like, peered over her shoulder back at him and Gabrie as they approached, white hair flipping in the wind as she spurred her horse. She shot a man who almost clipped McCree. "About time you showed your faces! Don't worry, I'll do all the work for you, boss. I'm sure McCree and you will enjoy your vacation here in Blackwater. It's a lovely town. They seem to like us. I've never seen so many people ready to greet us before."
"Quit your whining and move, before our admirers catch up with us," Gabriel growled.
With a few more precise head-shots and bursting through a few patrols on the outskirts of the city, the thundering of the horses soon became the only noise they heard as the fever of Blackwater faded in the distance behind them. The alarm bells still rang in Jesse's ears long after they were out of hearing distance. The sun was setting in the west, casting an unearthly golden glow over the grass and bloody gang. A bunch of golden fools with absolutely no money and no morale. A band of complete idiots.
They rode until every one of them was tired and sore and filthy with sweat. Gabriel would have pushed them further, as persistent as he was, despite the fact it was the dead of the night by the time they began to slow down. Had it not been for Fareeha's grunt of barely concealed pain and Hana practically falling off her horse in exhaustion, Jesse knew Gabe would have pushed until the horses were dead on their feet.
"Boss," Jesse pulled Bounty to a slow stop. "Maybe we should pause a second here. We need a breather and to talk about what we're gonna do. Horses need water and food. Fareeha's arm looks a lil' worse for the wear. Maybe we could let Moira take a look at it before she risks losing it? Hana and Jamie-"
"How far from Blackwater are we?" Gabriel interrupted, barely casting Jesse a glance as he pulled his own stallion to a stop. Even bloody, battered, and disheveled, Gabriel looked every bit the confident leader he was.
Mild irritation prickled up Jesse's spine. "I dunno. We been runnin' for hours now, haven't we? At least a few miles. We can camp in the trees up the ridge there." He gestured vaguely to the black hilltop framed by stars. Prayed Gabe would say yes. Sleep sounded wonderful.
Ashe pulled her horse up and stuck her nose into their conversation. Of course she did. She always did. "The town of Strawberry ain't far from here. If we go further we could hide there for a bit."
Despite being a newer member of Deadlock, she always tried her hardest to step on McCree's toes and gain Gabriel's favor. Why? He had yet to figure that fun little fact out. Whatever, though. Jesse screwed his face into his best look of contempt and leveled it back at Ashe. Two could play at this game. He was past the point of caring. She wanted to be petty at a time like this? Time to be petty back. "Strawberry ain't never really tickled my fancy, Elizabeth. Oh, also, let's just waltz in to the nearest town after we literally just tried to rob a bank. That will go so well. I'm sure Overwatch isn't waiting for us at every possible corner. Why not stop right now, right here? Oh, I know! Because you don't want to do something suggested by me. That's right."
He felt a twist of amusement at Ashe's genuinely surprised reaction. She also despised the use of her first name and he took great pleasure in it. "Excuse me?"
"Jesse, do not be petty," Gabriel glared at him. "But, you are right. Strawberry is too close to Blackwater for my liking. We need to go further if we want to be safe from the mess we made back there."
Ashe turned her gaze to Gabriel and pursed her red lips in disappointment. McCree was thankful she stayed silent this time. Thank God.
Hana spoke next. "Not that I'm complaining much or wanting to take any sides, but like, can we stop and camp where Jesse said? Let Moira look at Fareeha and let the rest of us sleep for an eternity."
The small Korean gunslinger held an irritated and tired look, thumbing the brim of a hat that was too big for her head. The pistol at her hip seemed dinky and unthreatening in the hands of such a small and skinny girl (especially with the engravings of rabbits on the metal and wood), but Jesse knew better than to push his luck with her attitude. She was fierce and he knew it.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the teen and opened his mouth to speak, likely to insist they kept riding well into the morning hours, but relented when Jesse pushed himself and his horse between them.
Jesse leveled an equally defiant glare back at his boss. "There's no use killin' what's left of us because you're afraid. If these horses die of exhaustion before we do, we'll be dead."
After a few hesitant moments and an intense stare off between the two of them, Gabriel snarled. "Fine. Have it your way. Hitch up. We can set up camp on the ridge. I want two people keeping watch at all times, on opposite sides of camp. Jesse, Hana, since you two were so keen on stopping, you can take first watch. Two hour intervals. Everyone else, get some sleep. We leave at dawn. No exceptions."
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Hours later, after everyone had at most two hours of sleep, they were on the move again. Away from the county and towns they knew. Away for the prospect of a new life. Not as mango farmers, but as criminals with a bounty so high even the richest people in the world couldn't resist. Wanted dead or alive. Jesse felt a little flattered. What a way to be famous. He'd always wanted to be famous.
Their horses trotted along at a relatively normal pace this time, the initial shock and adrenaline of the failed robbery left behind. Gabriel was leading them east. Where to? Ashe dared to suggest Strawberry again (she must have a death wish), but a hard stare from Gabriel quickly shut her up. Moira mentioned the small town of Valentine further along in the neighboring county of New Hanover. She knew the doctor there (seeing as they shared a strange fascination in questionable medical practices). She believed the gang could lay low in the surrounding area. Bonus? It's apparently a prettier county than West Elizabeth. Green with grass and trees that were perched right next to a beautiful blue was an idea that held more merit than Strawberry, and they were all eager to move on. The rest of the gang agreed, tired and unable to argue. They tore down their rickety camp and left little evidence of it. Didn't take them long since they all owned next to nothing, and by the time McCree gathered some of his scrambled thoughts, they had already started to set out.
"Alright, Moira," Gabriel started as they got on the road.
"Yes?" She asked, her voice low and smooth. It always sent an uneasy shiver down Jesse's spine.
"Never been to Valentine. What should we expect?"
Moira laughed. "It's certainly no Blackwater, but the people are far dumber. I doubt they'll recognize us, at least for a few days."
"We'll fit right in," Jesse sneered.
Moira glanced at him. She had a suspicious smile. "I see nearly dying has yet to take the spark out of you. Captivating."
"I've nearly died at least a billion times by now. Gets old after a while." He quipped back with a tip of his hat. He didn't really care if he died or not. The people around him- Fareeha, Hana, Lúcio, Gabriel- they were all far more important.
Gabriel frowned back at them. "Let's not talk about dying right now."
"I have a better idea!" Lúcio beamed from behind them. Jesse turned in his saddle to see the teen unclip a small banjo from his belongings.
"We," Ashe began, exasperation clear on her face, "were uprooted so fast, failed our robbery, chased by law enforcement, shot at, nearly died, and you brought… a banjo."
"Sure did!"
Hana steered her horse so she sat next to Lúcio. "Jokes on you, old lady! He's not the only one." With added flair, she whipped out a small set of tiny handmade drums.
Jamison bounced up in his saddle. "I got a bell!"
Ashe looked unimpressed. "Of course you do."
Lúcio strummed the banjo, testing out a few notes before he started playing a pleasant tune to travel by. He swayed with the rhythm, face bright with a smile. Hana smiled and swayed along with him.
Jesse looked at them fondly. The two of them were the youngest members of Deadlock, and he had taken to thinking of them as little siblings over the years. They were all like adoptive children to Gabriel, brought together by the harshness of life and a need for companionship. He'd grown quite protective of them, and it warmed his heart to see them so light and carefree, even after countless near death experiences.
"Let them have their fun. Not all of us have to be a stick in the mud like you," Jesse eyed Ashe, smirking when she squinted at him.
"A stick in the mud," Ashe repeated in monotone.
"It means you suck," Hana supplied helpfully.
Jesse sputtered, outright laughing. Gabriel even cracked a small smile of his own.
At least things were looking up. Hopefully Valentine would be a lot nicer for them.
.
They were on the road for hours, but the company and tunes made the trip bearable. Jesse was always surprised by the gang's ability to bounce back even in the face of Death itself. Lúcio and Hana continued their tunes and fun banter, cracking jokes and having a blast. Jamison contributed with his cowbell every now and again. Ashe and Mako were silent, and while that behavior was typical of the giant that was Mako Rutledge, Elizabeth Ashe was not normally so reserved. While relieved to not hear her complain, a spark of worry did make its way through Jesse's chest. She was part of his misfit family, after all. She had an abrasive personality, sure, but she didn't deserve to be the butt of every joke. She was just as stressed as the rest of them. He'd have to endeavor to be nicer to her. She did help him out in Blackwater and didn't even scold him for not paying attention.
"There it is!" Hana shouted, startling McCree out of his trance. Lúcio abruptly stopped playing. Jesse followed the point of her finger through the trees and up the hill to the small silhouette of buildings.
"It is… small. Well, we can work with that," Gabriel observed with hesitance. "McCree, Fareeha; ride ahead and scout the town. Don't know how fast news of Blackwater has traveled, but I doubt it was faster than us. Just make sure Overwatch agents aren't patrolling around. Also, make sure there aren't any wanted posters of us."
"Yeah, boss." Jesse said with a hint of a tease. "I'll make sure every wanted poster of you has your good angle and your flawless nose. For that modeling job you're gonna get."
"I have looks you could only dream of, smart-ass. Now shut up and get moving."
Jesse laughed and waved as he spurred Bounty into a faster trot. Fareeha gave a quick salute and spurred her horse to a gallop. Her arm was in a temporary sling, but there was no real lasting damage. She'd probably be all good within a day.
"Finally." Fareeha sighed as the gang disappeared with the distance behind them. She lifted her hand to gently rub at her shoulder. "Remind me to not get shot, more often."
Jesse watched as she grimaced, feeling a small bout of worry. "You alright, there? How bad is it?"
"It's nothing." She deflected his concern, placing her hand back on the reins of her horse. "Moira patched it up nicely. Nothing permanent. I just want to get this all done and over with."
"Give it some time. Then you and I can go back to shootin' up some other low-lives and gettin' filthy rich. It's what we do best, obviously."
He'd known Fareeha since they were very little. The two of them were inseparable- like glue. He honestly didn't know what he would do in life without her. Be miserable, he supposed.
Fareeha batted at him. "Since when have we been rich, Jess? You hiding money in that big ugly hat of yours?"
"My hat is mighty offended, little lady. What'd it ever do to you?"
"Assault me with it's offensive appearance."
"Ho," Jesse placed a hand on the top of his head, "tell me how you really feel, then?"
"Your nose is gargantuan and you desperately need a bath."
"I think we all need a bath," Jesse defended. She wasn't entirely wrong, though. Roughing it in the woods and on back trails after a botched bank robbery wasn't exactly pleasant on the nose.
The two of them bantered some more as they neared the town. The closer they got, the less their disheveled and filthy appearances bothered them. They fit in with the local crowd. The roads of the town, unlike the cobblestone and sophistication of Blackwater, were sludged and caked with mud. The people, in one word, reeked. No, scratch that. The whole town, in one word, reeked. Horse manure, uncleaned roads, filthy people- boy, Deadlock was most definitely going to fit right in.
Fareeha wiped at her nose, cringing. "Okay. Uhm, well, let's spread out to cover more ground. I'll meet you at," she scanned the town before pointed at a wide set building, "the tavern over there. Meet back in half an hour?"
"Got it," Jesse said.
"Try not to die the second I look away. You make a habit of it," She snorted with amusement before spurring her horse and riding off.
"I'll try."
.
In his inspection of the town, Jesse bumped into a man under one of the store awnings. Or, rather, Jesse was quite sure the man bumped into him.
"Apologies," the smaller man murmured with a voice as low and smooth like silk. It held a thunderous rumble with a low command to it. In the peripherals of Jesse's vision, he saw a flash of midnight black leather. To be honest, the person looked a little out of place in the small and dingy town. Too well put. Too clean.
"None taken, it's-" Jesse turned to where the man should have been, but was incredibly confused to find the spot empty.
Unnerved didn't even begin to describe how he felt.