Our Souls Connected
Our Souls Connected
Reaper watched Soldier: 76 bounce along the ground. He was bleeding heavily, his torso practically shredded by the omnic’s gun. He wouldn’t survive that wound. Even if he dropped a biotic field right now, it would never stitch him back together in time. His medic was too far away dealing with her own troubles. He would be lucky if she even realized he was in trouble.
Reaper’s shotguns made short work of the omnic. It never stood a chance against the sheer power of his Hellfire and fury. 76 was coughing and spluttering on the ground, trying to drag himself away from the carnage. All it did was make him bleed faster. Reaper narrowed his eyes behind his mask as he drifted over to the old vigilante.
“Make it fast,” 76 snarled as Reaper knelt down beside him. “I don’t deserve this.”
“No one does,” Reaper replied as he rolled 76 onto his back. “Your wounds are deep. You know this isn’t a fight you’re walking away from.”
76 snarled again, but he leaned his head back against the ground with a soft whine. “Fuck.”
Reaper ran his hand over 76’s mask before gently removing it. Jack’s eyes darted to his mask, but he didn’t fight him as Reaper set it to the side. Blood dribbled out of Jack’s mouth, fueled by his coughing as his airways were filled with froth and blood. Reaper wiped it away with his thumb.
“Jack Morrison,” he murmured. “Strike Commander of Overwatch. You have fallen so far.”
Jack’s blue eyes closed as he grimaced, baring his teeth at Reaper. “You come to taunt me, mercenary?” he growled.
“No,” Reaper replied as he settled down beside him. “I came to mourn your passing. You’re right, you don’t deserve this, Jack. You never did.”
“How sweet of you to notice,” Jack sneered before he turned his head to the side.
Pink froth was mixed with his blood and he was breathing raggedly. He didn’t have much time. Neither of them did. Reaper had to hurry.
“Jack,” Reaper murmured as he let his mask disappear. “You weren’t the only one to survive the explosion at Zurich.”
He gently tipped Jack’s face back towards him. Jack’s face melted into disbelief before tears sprang to his eyes. A bloody glove reached up and cupped Gabriel’s mutilated face, stroking gently over what remained of his cheek, feeling the teeth that were exposed through the rent flesh. A stuttered sob left Jack’s lips as he tried to roll over, reaching for Gabriel’s face.
“Gabriel,” he whispered. “Gabriel!”
“Ssh,” Gabriel soothed as he helped Jack up onto his lap. “Ssh. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have waited this long. I’m so sorry.”
“You survived,” Jack whispered. “You survived! I didn’t…I thought.”
“Ssh,” Gabriel urged as he cupped Jack’s face. “There’s no time. You’re dying, old man. There’s so much I have to explain.”
“About Zurich?” Jack frowned.
“About what I’m about to do to you,” Gabriel growled as he pressed a fierce kiss to Jack’s trembling, blood-covered lips. “I can’t save your body from decay, but I can save your soul. Trust me, Jack. Trust me one more time and I swear, I will never leave you again.”
“Gabe,” Jack’s face contorted in pain. “I always trusted you.”
Gabriel clutched him to his chest and screeched in agony. Jack flinched, but he was clearly distracted by the struggle he was going through just to breathe. Gabriel had to move fast; put his agony to the side and save Jack before death sank its hooks into him.
Gabriel rolled Jack over as gently as he could before holding his hand over Jack’s chest. It was easy to tear the remains of his shirt off. It was not so easy to ignore the soft, white wisps of hair that covered Jack’s chest. His fingers moved through them in spite of the urgency of the situation, talons indenting the soft white flesh. A weak smile played across Jack’s face as his eyes fluttered closed.
“Haven’t had a reason to shave,” he murmured. “Never thought….”
“Ssh,” Gabriel growled as he forced himself to focus. “Ssh.”
He dug his fingers into the flesh and concentrated. He pushed past the physical components of Jack’s body, breaking through bone and muscle with his will. Something soft and blue pulsed beneath his palm, freed from its flesh prison. He head Jack gasp softly as he pulled his hand away and guided the strands of his soul into a ball.
Black and blue rolled over one another as Jack’s soul trembled above his body. Jack’s hand rose slowly to cup his soul, his blue eyes wide in awe. With his final breath, Jack let out a soft laugh before his head fell back against Gabriel’s arm and his eyes glassed over. Gabriel cupped the soul in his hand, comforting it as it trembled with fear. Souls weren’t supposed to be pulled from a living body; they were supposed to be released only with death.
“Come, cariño,” Gabriel whispered. “My soul awaits you.”
He brought his hand slowly towards his chest, urging Jack’s soul forward. The soul trembled for a moment, scared and unsure as the black tendrils of Gabriel’s body unwound. His own blue soul pulsed slowly, beckoning Jack’s forward.
He gasped as Jack’s soul shot forward and collided eagerly with his. He had been expecting resistance; souls weren’t supposed to merge like this, after all, not while they were still alive. His body convulsed, bowing forward to protect his souls as his chest snapped closed. Tears raced down his face as Jack’s being flooded him, powering him in a way he had never felt before. The pain of his decay and regeneration was still there, but it was almost blanketed by Jack’s presence. Blanketed by his love? Well, let him be stupidly romantic for a moment.
“This is amazing,” Jack whispered in his head. “Is…how is this possible?”
“Does it matter?” Gabriel asked as he carefully arranged Jack’s corpse into a more respectful position, folding the hands over his stomach and replacing the visor. “We won’t be parted ever again.”
“Good,” Jack whimpered as his love filled Gabriel’s heart. “I never want to leave you again.”
“Ssh,” Gabriel soothed as he pressed a hand over his chest. “You won’t.”
He collapsed into smoke and left Jack’s body behind. It was a vessel, had always just been a vessel, to the beautiful soul that now lived against his own. They would be something different now, something greater and worse than they had been separated. It would take some time to get used to as Reaper’s body was no longer just Gabriel’s, but they would adjust. They always did.
