Overwatch Origins: Jack and Gabe (Reaper X Soldier 76)

Prologue

This is the story of two of the best men I've ever known. 

And one of the greatest love stories that the world has never seen.

Jack. Tall. Blonde. Charming. A firm handshake but soft blue eyes. He would make your knees weak to look at him. Everyone wanted to know Jack better.

But it wasn't just the good looks. Although that certainly helped. 

It was his spirit. His heart. Everyone who spoke to Jack came away feeling better. He inspired courage and strength at a time where there wasn't a whole lot of that going around. People would walk away from a conversation with Jack with their chests puffed out and a skip in their step. 

They walked away thinking that we might just win this thing. We could stand a chance. 

They were wrong, of course. Even Jack, even with all of his strength, his blue eyes, and his determination...even he couldn't stop the bloodshed. 

Even he would fall. 

And Gabe. Gorgeous Gabe. 

Gabriel came from LA. To this day I don't know what Gabe's hair looks like, it was always under a cap. I suspect Jack's the only one who's seen him without it. Gabe was tall too, but tanned and had dark features. His face was framed by a thick, black goatee. 

Gabe was always less approachable than Jack. Jack was more inclined to slack off. He'd gone through life with blonde hair and country born charm: an all-American farm boy you could take home to meet your mamma. His carefree demeanour meant he always attracted a crowd.

But Gabe was a soldier first. And he worked harder than anyone else in his unit. Because of that people were intimidated by him. His skill and natural, brutal talent with a gun. 

But if you could make Gabe smile you were in for a treat. The man would soften to a boy, and the steely face would crack open with a glistening grin. 

These two boys saved a lot of lives. Including each others. And maybe in another reality they survived, and lived on. Hell, maybe we all did. Maybe in another reality there are no Omnics to begin with. 

Because I wish there weren't. I wish we'd never created them. They've taken everything. And we're a world at war now, and we've lost men like Jack and Gabe because of it. 

We need more heroes like Jack and Gabe. There are darker days ahead. 

In the darkest of nights, when I read over these old journals and think about the choices we made, I still imagine them, watching over us. 

The world deserves to hear their story. The real story. Everyone knows the official story. The saving kids from evil robots. The covert operations. The betrayal. The disaster. But there's another side, and I think it's time we tell the truth.

This is the real story of the two greatest soldiers the world has ever known.