The Villain Wrangler | Overwatch

Chapter 7

Gabe stared at Jack, wishing the other man would remove his mask. He hadn't moved since Gabe had taken his own mask off, and Gabe was starting to get uncomfortable under his former lover's gaze.

Finally, Jack seemed to come back to himself. He removed his visor, placing it carefully next to the half-assembled pulse rifle. Without taking his eyes from Gabe, he circled the coffee table. Gabe slowly rose, eyes devouring the first glimpse of Jack's face since the explosion. There were more scars than he remembered, relics of the explosion, but his eyes were the same intense blue. His face was leaner, too. Gabe flashed a grin. He had gained his own scars from the explosion, and worse, but the nanites could smooth them out when he concentrated.

"Jackie, I-" the fist to his jaw was swift and merciless. He staggered a step back, reaching up to feel his face. "Jesus fucking Christ, Jack!"

"Six years. You bastard, I mourned you six damn years! And you act like it was nothing!" Jack hissed, blue eyes bright with barely restrained fury.

"And I didn't? Christ, Jack, I only figured out you were you a week ago, after that shit with Angelica's ex! I was trying to figure out how to fucking tell you!" Gabe felt the nanites repair the broken jaw and tried not to flinch. He could still pass for human if he focused, but healing was never pretty.

"You-" Jack cut himself off at the sound of the door opening behind him, and he turned, keeping Gabe in his line of sight.

"So, I get that you two don't like each other, but can you go fight somewhere else? It's late and I have to be up in a few- holy shit," she broke off, eyes widening as she pointed at Jack, "you're Strike Commander Morrison."

Still pointing at Jack, she turned to Gabe. "Rea-" her eyes widened further. "Blackwatch Commander Reyes," she breathed, arm falling limply to her side. "You're Commander Reyes. I kissed Commander Reyes."

She sat abruptly, still staring at Gabe's exposed face. Jack whipped his head around to glare at Gabe.

"You kissed him? She kissed you?" he demanded.

"And it was wonderful," Gabe purred, while Angelica muttered, "It was a peck on the cheek," dazedly.

"I had your posters on my wall growing up," she murmured, still stunned. "I had the biggest crushes on both of you."

Both men raised an eyebrow at that, then jumped as she clapped her hands.

"Okay. Both commanders are alive and in my living room. What the hell happened with Overwatch and why are both of you using aliases?" she asked, standing up.

They shared a look and both began speaking simultaneously. She cut them off by raising a hand.

"Wait. Strike Commander, you start." She folded herself onto the couch, looking up at him.

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Call me Jack, for starters." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "There was corruption in Blackwatch." Gabe opened his mouth to protest, but quieted when Angelica shot him a look. "There were agents working off reservation, making calls they shouldn't have, turning on their own. I was trying to stop them when the Zurich base blew." He shrugged, "It was easier to take them out if they thought I was dead. I've been going through old records, trying to figure out how deep the corruption went. It's bigger than I thought."

Gabe snorted derisively at that. "Talon had worked its way through most of Blackwatch and Overwatch before either of us noticed, Jack. And the UN, too. And they answer to an even bigger group. I've got records, plans. I've done what I could to mitigate the damage, but they've got thousands of agents, and if I step out of line, I won't be able to do anything."