This story is the continuation of Behind closed doors so if you haven't read that one I suggest to start there. This novel is more storydriven than BCD and also involves more focus on the other characters in the Overwatch family.
The story picks up...
Night had fallen over Hanamura when two odd-looking figures made their way down the main street.
When people noticed them they started backing away or gave them dirty looks. Some women gasped and some men slowly moved their hands to their weapons.
"I have a feeling we might not exactly be welcome here," Jack said and glanced over at Gabriel.
Gabriel was resting his shotguns on his shoulders and Jack was holding his rifle in front of himself.
"I think you might be right," Gabriel calmly agreed.
The atmosphere turned more and more hostile so Gabriel nudged Jack's arm and nodded towards a side road. Once they were off the main road Jack looked at Gabriel.
"I don't think that mask of yours is helping either," he said and nodded at the white skull covering Gabriel's face. "Why do you insist on wearing it?"
"I don't want to scare the children," Gabriel said.
Jack started laughing.
Gabriel removed his mask and looked Jack in the eye.
"Or what do you think would scare them the most?" he calmly said.
Jack stopped laughing.
Gabriel's face was emitting thick black steam and his skin was dissolving and scarred. Where his left cheek was supposed to be there was nothing instead, revealing his teeth.
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Jack's eyes turned from amusement to pity.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I keep forgetting that this happens."
He took off his glove and put a hand on Gabriel's other cheek who leaned in to it.
"Does it hurt?" Jack softly asked.
Gabriel nodded and closed his eyes.
"Every single damn second of my cursed and wretched existence," he sighed. "My body is in the constant state between finally decaying and regenerating my cells faster than they give out. The amount of pain depends on which side is currently winning. I have gotten used to it but sometimes it just is a bit too much."
He drearily looked down at the mask and then slowly put it back on.
"I rather people fear the mask than my face."
Jack felt his stomach turning. He didn't want to make fun of what Gabriel was going through so he decided to change the subject.
"So how do you want to do this?" he said. "Any idea of where we should start looking? It seems like a fairly big town."
Gabriel looked around the area they were standing in.
"Yes, it does," he said. "We start with lowering our weapons, see if people calm down and then try finding that Shimada place. I assume they went back to Genji's and Hanzo's home and that either they are here to kill Hanzo..."
