Coming Home | Soldier76 x Reader
Pairing: Soldier76 x Reader (They/Them) Rating: M for blood / violence Word Count: 2663 Summary: After the recall it is time to find your way back home. After some effort you just manage to drag yourself back to your commander with your last ounce of strength. Warnings: // BloodĀ
"And what exactly are we doing here?" "Recruiting a new agent. Kind of." McCree shook his head and threw his cigar to the floor, stepping on it with his boot to put out the embers. He looked at Soldier:76 out of the corner of his eye, but didn't dare talk back. Together with Genji, he stood behind the commander, both silently staring at the huge factory building in front of them. It was a run-down area and for miles there was nothing but crime and violence. And this was the place where the new agent was supposed to stay? "They can't have a clean slate if they've been living in this shithole...," growled McCree grumbling sullenly, and Genji also tilted his head thoughtfully. Soldier:76 however, tensed his shoulders and went off, stepped through the entrance to the hall, and the two agents followed him with extreme caution. "You should still know them well," said the commander quietly and the three of them ventured further into the interior of the factory hall. Machines and discontinued models of an old Meka series filled the hall down to the last inch; it was more of a storage room than a factory. From the distance, a metal clang approached, but it was still several hundred meters before they reached the source of the sound.
"What do you mean?" McCree asked and he climbed over a pile of rusty metal bars. "This agent saved your ass back in Marseilles. Good agent, we need them." replied Sodlier:76 and immediately McCree growled angrily. He grabbed his superior's shoulder and stopped him from going any further into the darkness. "Are you insane?!" the cowboy hissed emphatically, and Genji didn't seem too thrilled that you of all people should find your way back to the Overwatch base after the recall. "Morrison, they only caused us trouble! Constantly disobeying orders - I thought you were such a fan of obedience?!". "I'm well aware of that!" 76 snarled at McCree, and with a jerk he evaded his firm grip. "But in case you haven't noticed, I am no longer Strike Commander Morrison. And right now we need agents with a decent moral compass!" "Moral compass," Jesse repeated disparagingly, and he reached for a cigar, too upset not to smoke. "Damn it, Jack! That person is trouble!" "You can wait for us at the pickup point," growled 76, and he looked at Genji, who didn't bother to act the way McCree did. The cyborg didn't like you back then, but that was before he met Zenyatta - he was an angry man back then, now he was almost curious to meet you and talk to you. Maybe you had defeated your demons and had become a different person, too? "Who knows, maybe they're even in contact with Talon by now," the cowboy tried again and he looked at Soldier:76 with a fiery look. "Jack, think this over carefully." "To the pickup point, agent." the commander replied coolly. McCree cursed softly, yet he obeyed the order and turned around, snapped the latch on his holster and stomped off, out of the hall and back into daylight.
The factory building ended in a small extension - it was a room full of pinboards and large screens, a metal table in the middle, loaded to the top with papers and files, maps and notebooks. In the midst of the chaos of information, you stood with your back to the door and listening to the footsteps of your visitors. "Jack, oh my - what a surprise, really." You sounded bored and did not even look up from your screen. "You're late. Thought you'd come to me much earlier." "Very funny.", he rumbled and let his gaze wander over the screens and pin boards on the walls. "What's all this?" "A project." you replied evasively and finally turned to him, greeting Genji with a nod. "So you're still looking for Talon agents." Soldier:76 asked further and he came a little closer, looking at the largest screen littered with lists and geographic data. "Pretty daring, all by yourself. You're really asking for them to find you." "I know why you're here." you changed the subject and put a stack of files on your crowded desk and sighed deeply. "And you can leave again. I have no more patience for Overwatch business." "If you continue to look for Talon so conspicuously, they will find you - and you know that." Soldier76 continued. "But if you come back to Overwat-" "No!", you hissed and gave him an angry look. "Jack, I want nothing more to do with you! I thought I made that clear in our last conversation!" For a moment he was silent, wanted to say something to you, but you didn't want to hear it. Your last meeting hadn't gone too well, it had been a mixture of broken hearts and the end of Overwatch. Back when he was Jack Morrison. Back when everything ended in a huge explosion in Switzerland. There was no need for you to relive those terrible memories. "Go away." you growled and turned away. "Now." "We didn't come all the way over here just to-", 76 started, but you cut him off with an impatient growl. Did he really think he could just walk in here and pack you in like a piece of luggage? He hadn't lost his arrogance! Even though he called himself Soldier:76 instead of Jack Morrison, he was still the demanding and proud man of his day. Genji watched your interaction in silence, but he decided to intervene before the situation escalated. "I think that we can help each other," he tried to appeal to your logic, but you just waved away impatiently. Since when was the cyborg such a peaceful contemporary? At your last encounter it almost degenerated into a fisticuffs and suddenly he tried to act as a middleman? "Get lost, both of you!" you repeated emphatically and opened one of the notebooks. A clear hint that this conversation was over and whether Soldier:76 wanted to or not - he had to disappear without you. He seemed to realize that at that moment, too, and he turned to Genji, nodded invitingly, and after a brief sideways glance at you, the two of them disappeared again into the shadows of the hall.
Who would have thought that a bullet wound hurts that much? Shot shattered the skin, dug deep into the flesh and even if you didn't know for sure - it felt like the splinters were stuck in your bones. The burning sun in Gibraltar didn't make it any better and the stony cliffs didn't provide any shade to protect you. With your last ounce of strength you had made your way to the old Overwatch base, but you couldn't drag yourself much further. Your tired eyes saw a blonde woman and you didn't have to look twice to recognize her. It was Angela Ziegler, the talented doctor Overwatchs. Even then she had been a true miracle worker, saving patients that other doctors would have given up on - Genji for example. How lucky that you met her of all people! "Hey, Angela-!", you tried to draw attention to yourself as you stomped out from behind one of the communication towers, one hand on the metal paneling of the tower and the other on your bleeding shoulder. Your escape through what felt like half of Spain hadn't gone too smoothly and in the end the dogged Reaper had caught you not far from the watchpoint and a load of his shotgun had grazed you. A powerful slap in the face and the loud crackling suggested that the warm blood on your lips was caused by a broken nose. That bastard really wanted to make it personal by kicking you in the face. Seemed as you had angered the Reaper, huh? Blue eyes turned to you in wonder and Mercy's face collapsed completely when she recognized your silhouette. She seemed to be enjoying the sun a little bit herself, for once she didn't bury herself in her research and the infirmary. When she saw you, however, she immediately ran, came towards you and carefully grabbed you by the shoulders. "Mein Gott, what are you doing here, I- Oh no, your shoulder, let me see..." "Jack," you brought out between the bloody lips. "Get me Jack. Now." "Dear, you really must come to my ward, I have to..." Mercy tried to talk to you, but you silenced her forcefully. "A-Angela, I have to talk to Jack," you groaned and sank to your knees, followed by the blond doctor who caught you. "It's Talon, he was right, I-" "Lena, go get Jack-I mean, go get Soldier:76!" Mercy instructed the shocked tracer who watched the carnage and looked somewhat startled. Up until a few seconds ago, the normally vivacious agent had been feeding a few seagulls on the cliff, but once she noticed Mercy rushing up to you, she was on the spot, watching you with big, worried eyes. On Mercy's orders she nodded and with a blue veil she disappeared into the base, looking for the Commander. "Let me see." Mercy pushed down the collar of your top and briefly examined the wound on your shoulder. "A deep wound, looks like a shotgun..." "Reaper," you responded, briefly. "These inferno shotguns are unpleasant at close range, hah." "You're lucky that it didn't hit you full on." she replied, slipping the blouse off her shoulders to press the cloth onto the wound to stop the bleeding at least a little. "Your nose looks broken, but I'll have to examine it more closely." "It's okay, really-" you tried to get rid of her, but you didn't stand a chance against the stubborn doctor. She squeezed the wound on your shoulder and grabbed your upper arm with her free hand to pull you up from the floor. A painful moaning escaped you as you stood on your own two legs and Mercy worriedly watched out for Tracer and Soldier:76 but there was still no sign of them. "Okay, you're going to need a pressure bandage...," Mercy murmured, more to herself than you, looking toward the base entrance. "There's a first-aid kit in the conference room, I'm going to get it. It'll only take a few minutes. You stay here and I mean right here, you got that?" You nodded silently and she took your hand and pressed it against her blouse on your shoulder. "Press it gently. It's best to sit down again and don't move. I'd like to take you to the infirmary, but it's better if the first-aid kit comes to you first." The blond doctor explained and her blue eyes looked at you worriedly. "Don't run away, okay?" "Very funny," you gasped and Mercy hurried away, hurrying into the base to at least get a pressure bandage on your injury. Your shoulder was burning and the dazzling pain seemed to spread further and further into your body - alone it was much harder to bear. Your eyes looked around searching for agents, but there was no one to see but you. Was Soldier:76 really so stupid and had the security so lax? On shaky legs you dared to take a step forward, but you regretted it instantly. Your knees were soft like rubber and your legs almost gave way, but you were able to hold yourself upright with the last of your strength. Tracer was fast like the wind, what took her so long? The rumbling of heavy military boots on metal made you sigh with relief and you saw a figure coming towards you - it was Soldier:76. Finally. "Jack-!" you tried to call out to him, but your voice was fragile and you produced nothing more than a hoarse groan. Fuck, your shoulder hurt so much! Bravely you took another step forward, but your broken ribs made every movement a torture and Mercy's blouse was soaked with your blood. Your knees softened under all the pain and adrenaline and you almost fell over in front, but at the very last moment you felt him grab your waist and catch you. Your body leaned against his chest and you leaned your forehead against the cool texture of his leather jacket, relieved to see him. "What happened?" 76 asked immediately and he helped you sit down, took the cloth from your shoulder and examined your wound, pulled his brows together in concern. "Talon." you choked out and tried to take deep breaths, but your muscles began to shake uncontrollably. How could it be so warm and so cold at the same time in Gibraltar? Your skin shivered under painful goose bumps and your shaky hands clung helplessly to his leather jacket. "Jack, I- It hurts." you moaned and tried to wipe the blood from your face with the back of your hand, but your bleeding nose was burning like hell and quickly you let it go. "I know." he replied, and his hand stroked your hair, running down your cheek and up to your chin to lift it. "You took quite a beating there." He sat down on the floor beside you, grabbed your upper body with great care and pulled you towards him so that you could lean against his chest. Every breath was worse than the previous one and your broken ribs felt like your chest was being crushed with force. "I hate it when you're right.", you muttered and buried your face in the crook of his neck, smelling the blood and the leather of his jacket. An amused snort briefly shook your position, and if he could laugh at your remark, you were probably not in mortal danger - even if it felt that way. "Sucks, now I have to work for Overwatch again." "It wasn't that bad back then," he replied and you felt him gently pushing a strand of hair out of your face. "You were the one who robbed me of the last nerve." "Hah, true." you sighed and looked up at him. Since when was it so hard to keep your eyes open? "Jack, he wasn't looking for me. He wanted you." "That was to be feared after all that happened." he replied in a harsh voice. For a brief moment, he looked old and exhausted, as if the chase between him and Gabriel Reyes would exhaust his last strength - but as quickly as that moment had come, it disappeared again. "I was hoping that nobody except me would get hurt though." "Your security system sucks, by the way." "Mmh, we'll really have to increase them if someone like you can just walk in here." he agreed with you and behind you the sound of heels on the floor was heard. Mercy hurriedly ran towards you, a first-aid kit under your arm and a little pale in the face. Of course, she was a rock in the surf, collected and calm as usual, but seeing you again after all these years had been a surprise for the blonde doctor. She fell on her knees next to you and immediately started to work on your wound, applying a handful of compresses to stop the bleeding. "Take them to the ward," she told Soldier:76 and he nodded, stood up and with the greatest of care put one hand under your back and the other under the back of your knees. You were picked up from the ground by the commander as if you were as light as a rag doll and Mercy continued to scurry around you, checking your pulse and asking you for more injuries. Except for your shoulder, broken ribs and a probably broken nose, you didn't seem to be injured any further. "Jack..." At your faint murmur, he pressed you a little closer to his chest, but said nothing. Even if you didn't want to rejoin Overwatch, having Morrison at your side was reassuring.
