Shadows and Dust

Chapter 5


The two Talon agents looked at the smoldering vehicle that the gang had assaulted before they attacked,

The sedan burned and burned, the smell of gasoline permeating through the air as the two stood in silence, not a word was said between them.

Finally, Reaper huffed and absorbed the two essences that were left dwindling inside, sighing deeply as he looked at the flames.
"My soul burns."

Widowmaker scoffed, "Really now?"

Reaper turned to face her, "You wouldn't know." he grunted and started to walk away, only to stop in his tracks, "Perhaps I really live in hell." he chuckled and looked back at the woman, "Perhaps, you are right... Look at this." he extended his hand and made an essence return back in spherical form.

Widowmaker gasped in intrigue as she saw the sphere take on the vague form of a human face.
A child's face.

Reaper reabsorbed the essence before it depleted in the wind, "Human depravity should be payed with greater depravity." he clenched his fist and looked at Widowmaker, "I'm all gun ho now... Show me the souls and I'll show you destruction."

Widowmaker was surprised at first, she didn't take into account that Reaper would want to implement her philosophy so quickly. Plus, the man seemed angry, so it was best to calm him down to permit mass genocide on a military scale.

"I think we should wait until tomorrow." she spoke and tried to calm him down, but then saw that he was completely calmed down, "Are you speaking this out of rage or out of-"

"I do not care." Reaper responded and put up his shotguns, "Let's just rest..." he muttered and started to walk down the crusty ground.

Widowmaker nodded and followed behind, only to stop when Reaper turned to her.

Suddenly, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her in, which caused Widowmaker much shock and confusion- which was amplified when the man took a big whiff around her hair.

"Lilac..." Reaper muttered.

It was all back to Mexico, Gabriel looked at his grandmother's garden. Nothing but small vegetable crops dotted this small patch of personal space, which provided the boy with some intriguing material to observe.
Suddenly, the smell of lilac filled the air, and the old woman appeared.
"Abuela..." Gabriel smiled as his grandmother held a bag of candies.

Reaper came back to reality, noticing that Widowmaker was out of his grasp and standing a few feet away from him.

"Is there something you want to let me know?" Widowmaker asked as she tapped her foot into the ground, "It seems you're dozing off... And that is not good protocol when on a mission."

"None of your business." Reaper shrugged it off and walked back to the gas station.

000

However Reaper could not sleep, he never could.

It was a torture resting his body, as once he came down his shambled body took more energy to rise back up. This lack of sleep was of course replaced by the man's absorption of souls, which gave him more energy than sleep could ever provide.

Though this did not stop him from wondering on what he was missing out. The man remembered his dreams from when he was child and thought that if he ever got the chance to sleep if those pleasant memories would return. However, Reaper was not a gambling man and decided not to take his chances on such task.

In fact, he was quite content just looking at Widowmaker rest.

The purple skinned woman slept peacefully on the gas station floor, which she had to be convinced to sleep on- an action that was only done when Reaper gave his cloak as a blanket due to a compromise.

Hopefully he didn't smell too bad, thought Reaper, as Widowmaker slept on top his large black clothing. Many of the Talon agents always commented he had the stench of dread on him, something which he surprisingly hadn't heard from Widowmaker, the person he's been the most exposed to.

Maybe she liked it? No. Yeah. Probably.
Reaper thought highly of himself, the Gabriel Reyes bravado kicking into his system.
No. Absolutely not. The man shook his head as he tried to shrug this feeling off.

"She's pretty damn hot, though." Reaper bobbed his head as he took off his mask to inspect the woman further, "I mean, Santo Dios, look at those legs." he muttered, then put on his mask. "Why don't I just shut up." the man growled and shook his head, "Damn... she's just a purple woman..." he crossed his arms, "She's an extremely valuable ally and asset, but nothing more." he growled and quieted down, seeing the woman shuffled in discomfort.

"Let me just... Let me..." Reaper reached for the woman's thigh, but then stopped himself, "Christ, get a hold on yourself, you horny teenager." he growled, "But... who's... stopping me?" he smirked and went for his belt.

Suddenly, the man stopped as his mind filled with memories of his grandmother.
"Recuerda, mijo... Las damas deben de ser tratadas como damas." a ghostly vision of the old woman appeared, which stopped Reaper in his tracks.

Indeed, if there was one force in the Universe that could stop this anomaly of a man from commiting what he had in his mind, it would be none other than that man's grandmother.
The moral anchor that bound Gabriel from descending any lower into evil still held on tight onto the stones of his consciousness.

"I didn't want to do that anyways." Reaper spoke as he stood down and turned away.

This was going to be a long night to endure, but with the help of his grandmother, perhaps it was possible. Though that did not stop the man from at least thinking whatever masculine deed he was going to do to Widowmaker had he the motivation.

Oh yes, those luscious lips.
Those large child bearing hips.
Two slender legs.

Petite yet firm chest.

Overall the body of a goddess.

And with that personality that so complimented his, Reaper hated to admit it, but if he had the capability to feel any true romantic feelings, it would most likely be with this woman.

"Santo Dios, Gerard had himself a good one." the man huffed, then thought about Amelie's relationship with her previous spouse. "Damn, maybe she's used goods." he said rather bluntly.

Then again he forgot the most important aspect of this engagement.
His age.

"Christ, I'm old." Reaper muttered, "Almost 30 years older than her, that's creepy." he shuddered, but then remembered a special thing about his new old body, its amazing regeneration. "Perhaps, if I consume more souls I can appear younger than I am." the man theorized, "Then I at least could not feel creeped out. Eh, what the hell." he shrugged his shoulders, "She doesn't know the man behind the mask and thus his age, so it is not a problem." he reassured himself.

However, the Reaper's thoughts returned to his grandmother's words.
Maybe if he heeded them he could feel justified in his thoughts and actions.

0000000

The man and the woman drove their new car down the dusty road, once again completely silent to each other and their environment-
And once again Reaper initiated the conversation.

"Hey, Amelie." the man spoke rather nonchalantly as he turned into a highway, "What... what do you.. you know, like?" he asked.

"Excusez-moi?" Widowmaker asked, quite confused at the phrasing of the question.

"I asked you what you liked- or did I stutter?" Reaper growled in annoyance, but then calmed himself down, "Look, I just want to know what you like."

"What an odd question for you to ask." Widowmaker looked at him, "You of all people... Makes me wonder why you would even ask it."

To get in your damn spandex, wom- Reaper shook his head, "I just want to know how we can effectively work together by knowing our strengths and weaknesses... Likes and dislikes." he made the excuse.

"You should already know my strengths and weaknesses." Widowmaker spoke, "Talon briefed both of us respectively... Now on likes and dislikes... I guess you can say I like completing my missions effectively and with upmost precision... And I dislike those who dare stand in that way."

"Ah... I see." Reaper nodded his head, "That's good."

"Ok, what has gotten into you?" Widowmaker said sternly and crossed her arms, "What's with this attitude, it's so unlike you." she grumbled, quite annoyed at this new personality.

Reaper growled, and then accidentally struck a piece of vehicle on the road, which caused the car to suddenly lose control and quake violently. "God!" he yelled angrily and corrected the vehicle's position.

"Pay attention!" Widowmaker yelled, "This is what happens when you can't drive and ask stupid questions like you just did!" she scolded, "Mon Dame... What an idiot are you." she shook her head.

Reaper was now angered, and he needed to something to vent that anger fast.

And something came to him.

"Sacre Bleu..." Widowmaker growled as she saw more marauders on the road, coming out from what appeared to be a camp.

"I should have guessed!" Reaper yelled as he saw the bodies of the marauders' previous victims posed on the sides of the rode, "Christ! Damn it!" he revved up the car and charged straight towards the 4 vehicles heading for him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Widowmaker said in shock as Reaper kept his eyes forcused dead ahead.
Those red eyes.

They consumed whatever they laid their sights upon with a fiery rage.

"I'm going to... kill..." Reaper growled as he revved up.