A/N: This chapter has been majorly changed, so if you've been with the story for quite some time I'd suggest giving this chapter a re-read. The new comic kind of flipped some things around and I decided it'd be best if I were to adapt this to fit canon. Jack is much less of an asshole than he was originally depicted, and really I think it had turned out a lot better because of it.

Ch. 1

The Day Overwatch Fell

Jack Morrison

The fingertips of Jack's right hand gently danced over Gabriel's cheek. The Strike Commander cupped the other man's chin, pressing his palm into it. His thumb brushed one of Gabriel's raised scars. His stubble prickled the younger man's palm. Jack ran his thumb down Gabriel's caramel jaw, locking his print into the curve of his chin. He pressed, squeezing the lower part of his face. In reaction, Gabriel opened his mouth, tilting his head back slightly. A slight gasp escaped him. Jack could feel bone boring against bone, causing a slight ache due to the pressure exchanging from one man to the other.

Jack had Gabriel pressed against the wall. His right hand was holding his torso so that he would stay in place. It was situated on his chest with fingers dug into the grey shirt he was wearing. Gabriel had also been wearing a hoodie; however, that had already been stripped away during the precursor commotion that led to this moment. Gabriel was tensed at Jack's nearness. His hands were squeezed into fists, the muscles in his arms straining, making the veins in them visible against his dark skin. His neck looked the same and he tried to pull it away from Jack's grasp.

The two men were close. It was a closeness that would be uncomfortable for anyone other than lovers, or enemies. Jack's hip bone was pressing into Gabriel's. It was more grating bone against bone brunt pain that sent shock waves up the Strike Commander's body. His right leg was pinning down Gabriel's so that he couldn't escape the grasp. Gabriel's left hand was clutching Jack's shoulder; the nails of his pointer finger and thumb were digging into exposed skin on Jack's neck and collar.

"Jack," he muttered. It came across as almost a beg. There was so much emotion loaded into just the one name. Jack didn't notice though. He was too hyped up on adrenaline, and his heart was pounding too loudly in his ears to really hear the crack in his voice. Perhaps, that had been the problem from the beginning.

Gabriel tried to shift, but it just caused Jack to press against him harder, holding him into place. He forced more painfully into him, trying to restrain the movement. Jack wanted to look into his eyes and to understand him, or at least that had been his intentions when he'd started. He had gotten sidetracked, however. He squeezed his chin harder, his fingers rubbing across skin that was all too familiar. That whole situation was too familiar: the position, the growls rumbling from Gabriel's chest, and the feeling of his body against Jack's. It had just never been that way before. Each time had been good, but this… this was bad.

"Jack," Gabriel said again. This time what seeped from his throat was a growl and it was laced with rage. It was a rage that became all too common. His intentions were clear. They would never be close in a good way again. Jack wasn't sure if he cared, at least not in that moment. Later the idea would sadden him when he would let the thought slip into his brain. Though, he didn't let that happen often.

Gabriel swung his fist, aiming the punch for his Strike Commander's face. Jack caught his arm and pressed it down between the two of them so that Gabriel's mobility was locked. Jack hooked his right leg under Gabriel's. He pushed it to the right, making him unstable. The pinned man growled, struggling against the younger man's grasp. Jack's hold on Gabriel's face tightened.

"That's enough, Reyes," Jack said. A bitter laugh ripped from Gabriel's chest.

"What? You can't even call me by my first name now?" he asked his friend in an angered tone.

"Stop the bomb, Reyes," Morrison replied. Reyes struggled once more, pushing his weight against his Strike Commander. He was in a bad position, however, and Morrison had leverage on him. He glared up into Morrison's bright blue eyes, his dark brown ones knitted in frustration.

"Fucking make me, boy scout," Reyes hissed, rage seething with every word. That had been the anger Jack had seen at Gabriel's worst and it was the anger that would make the entirety of his future. Reyes ripped his arm from Jack's grasp and wound up for another attempted punch. Morrison, in return, forced Gabriel's head back, slamming it hard into the window that Jack had been holding him against. There was a loud thunk and what may have been a crack. The hit had been a hard one, and it was enough to knock Reyes out cold.

Morrison released his former friend, taking a step back as he fell unconscious to the ground. He looked at him with frustration. Reyes was too hot headed. He had been when they were younger and more recently he'd started to fall back into the same anger that had plagued him in youth. Morrison hated seeing him like this. He was so much better...

Reyes had taken everything out of proportion. He'd let a few bad calls and growing tensions within the group influence his mind. Morrison wasn't sure if he had just become lost in his ways – if everything had just become too much for him. Reyes wasn't one to crack under pressure, but after everything that had happened to him it made sense. Still, Morrison would never have expected this kind of reaction. He couldn't imagine how he had finally been driven to the edge. What could have given him that final push? Why would he want to destroy everything and everyone he'd ever cared about?

Morrison turned away from his unconscious former friend and moved to the computer console on his desk. He hit a few buttons, typing as quickly and as accurately as he could. He couldn't risk making a single mistake in this time sensitive situation.

"Authorization ID Required," the computerized voice informed hm.

"Authorization Strike Commander Jack Morrison, ID code 7698856B, Emergency Base Evacuation."

There was a pause of processing then the voice said, "Code accepted. Emergency Base Evacuation beginning."

Sirens began blaring outside Morrison's office, echoing down the metallic halls of the Overwatch HQ. Red lights flashed bright against the night sky outside.

"Everyone hurry," Jack murmured to himself. He could only pray that they'd all escape before the blast, and get out unharmed. Morrison turned from his computer, Reyes caught his eye. He was slumped on the ground, a small pool of blood building under his head. It seems Morrison had cracked his head open.

Reyes had come barging into Morrison's office. He was all hyped up and anxious. He was going on about something, trying to capture Jack's attention. It had been elsewhere, however, tending to something trivial. Morrison didn't listen until Reyes had slammed his hand hard down on his desk, capturing him finally. That was when the argument started. It was a heated bought of shouting and anger that lead to a physical fight.

Reyes had literally lost his mind. Gabriel Reyes had planted a bomb in the Overwatch HQ and intended on blowing them all up.

Morrison was unsure at the time as to why Gabriel had decided on telling him about it instead of just doing it. Morrison had been unable to reach his friend for some time. Gabe had been absorbed into the shadows that were Blackwatch, and something different had emerged - someone that wasn't his Gabe.

He had to get out of the building before the bomb went off – he had to save himself. Morrison took off towards the door. His office was on the top floor, and it would take him time just to get down to the bottom. It would take him longer to get out of blast radius.

"Damn it," he growled aloud to himself. "Why, Gabriel?" Jack paused. Gabriel. He turned to look at the unconscious man slumped on the floor, blood leaking down the side of his head. Before then he'd been running on autopilot – trying to assure his own safety. He forgot he should care about Gabriel.

Was he really just going to leave Gabriel there? Would he really condemn someone who he cared so much for to death?

But it had been Reyes' decision in the first place. He was the one who planted the bomb – the one who wanted to kill Morrison. If he died it would be his own damn fault!

But Jack would never have turned his back on Gabriel before. They had been a duo against the world once. Despite what Reyes was becoming… Jack was a hero: the Strike Commander of Overwatch. He was the avatar of all that was good and just. Jack Morrison would never intentionally leave someone behind – especially not someone who was once his best friend... his… If not for his own personal connection to Reyes then he needed to be brought to justice. He should pay for what he had done, but not in the ultimate way.

Jack skidded to a halt. He spun around, looking back into his office.

"Damn it," he grumbled once again. He rushed back into where he'd come from, pausing in front of the unconscious body of Gabriel Reyes. He looked almost peaceful like that. The scowl that was ever present on his dark brown brow was resting. He even looked happy. Jack hadn't seen him like that in nearly a year.

Part of him wanted to leave him like that. His mind was at ease. Was it so bad to let him die like that? Actually happy.

The answer was yes, and Jack knew it.

Morrison knelt down, grabbing Reyes's limp arm. He pulled his torso forward and slipped his left arm under the unconscious man. He hoisted him up with a grunt and tossed him over his shoulder. Morrison huffed, struggling momentarily with the weight as he rose from his position. Reyes was 200 plus pounds of muscle and in his non-reactive state he was straight dead weight. Morrison shifted him so he had a good grip before rushing carefully from the office.

He had even less time now. He'd wasted so much because of his compassion. They'd be lucky if either of them got out alive, at this point. He had to try, though. He wasn't one to give up.

Morrison held onto to Reyes tight as he tapped the button to open the sliding door that led out to the 5th floor lobby. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened. He tapped the button again.

"Error," a robot voice spoke. "Key terminal locked."

"You have got to be kidding me," Morrison grumbled. He shifted Reyes slightly, typing in his ID code to unlock the door. He hadn't locked it initially, and Reyes had come in without bar earlier. He wasn't sure why it was malfunctioning now especially since an evacuation alert should have automatically unlocked all the doors in the building.

"Error. Pass code not authorized. Access denied."

A tinge of panic rose up in Morrison's chest. He shifted Reyes again, squeezing his ankle. In a rush, he tried the code again.

"Error. Pass code not authorized. Access denied."

"Damn it!" he growled. Morrison turned from the door, looking off in thought. This was no accident. Nothing was accidental with Reyes.

Vaguely, he remembered glancing up from his computer when Reyes had walked in the door earlier. He had sighed to himself, knowing that an argument would ensue from the Blackwatch Commander's presence. Reyes had paused, turning to hit the remote so that the door shut behind him since Morrison liked to keep it open.

Reyes had bitched at him multiple times for it in the past. "That's how you get assassinated," he would growl. Jack had never cared. He would just brush it off. Gabe was too protective and much too paranoid in Jack's mind. Still, Gabriel wasn't wrong.

Morrison had looked away. He knew Reyes's particularities even at a time where they didn't get along. He hadn't realized it in the moment, but in hindsight Reyes had lingered at the key pad too long. Of course it had been him who had sabotaged it.

Remembering this, Morrison typed in the Blackwatch Commander's ID code.

"Error. Pass code not authorized. Access denied."

"Damn it!" Morrison yelled once more. He was getting desperate.

There was no way Reyes had disabled all the access codes on his own. He wasn't exactly a hacker and he didn't have the clearance to do it through Overwatch channels officially especially not without the Strike Commander being alerted to the tampering. Someone else had to have disabled the pin pad. Someone who was helping Reyes… Someone who wanted Overwatch to fall…

Reyes had to have a way out. He had to have an escape route set up if there was no possible way to open the door. He was a smart man, and he would have planned ahead. He knew the place as well as Morrison. He had planned on confronting Morrison. He had planned on letting it slip, letting him know that the end was inevitable. He wanted to watch Morrison suffer one last time before everything was plunged into chaos. So he had to have planned to remove himself from a locked office.

Unless, he hadn't…

Morrison moved back into the center of the room. He looked around, possibilities rushing through him mind. Nothing, there was nothing; except… the obvious.

The window?

Morrison looked at the windows. They were a wall of slightly curved floor to ceiling windows that opened up to the courtyard below. Gabriel had always said Jack had the best view in the HQ.

"Nice and sunny," he had said, "a vision deserving of a golden boy."

"It is nice," Jack had responded, his eyes locked on the musing Gabriel. He had looked at the new Strike Commander and smirked.

"Shut up," was his teasing reply.

Morrison shook the memory. He glanced over at the unconscious man on his shoulder.

What had happened to him?

Morrison looked back at the windows. That was the only option. Had Reyes been planning on busting them out? No, not possible. They were heavy bullet proof glass, designed to protect anyone with a gun from firing on the group's leader. Even those heavy shotguns of his wouldn't dent it. No, he would have needed a specifically designed explosive to blast those out.

Morrison quickly cleared the contents from his desk, raking them in the floor. He laid Reyes down on the table almost gently. He looked him over.

The whole gesture brought back more memories that Jack didn't care to dwell on. Still, he couldn't help but remember how he cringed at his perfectly organized desk being swept into a heap on the floor. He was always a lot neater than Gabe.

"I'll put it all back," he had said begrudgingly when Jack frowned at him, "I promise."

Damn it. This was not the time. It was running out as is.

Morrison began searching Reyes frantically. He stuck his hand in each of his pockets, feeling around in their deep depths for something that he had smuggled in. There was a ton of pockets in those cargo pants of his, but they were all empty.

"Why are you doing this to me, Reyes?" he murmured under his breath. Morrison stuck his hand in the last pocket running his fingers down the silhouette of Reyes' thigh. Finally he felt a hard piece of cool metal deep in the final pocket. He pulled it out quickly and examined the object.

He recognized it. It was a type of controlled explosive designed specifically for infiltrating through heavy steel. He had used a similar type of bomb himself once or twice, and knew it'd work well on the bulletproof glass.

Morrison secured the charge onto the glass furthest from where Reyes was laying. He pressed a few buttons on the side, arming it. He hurried back to the desk, ducking behind it. The following explosion was a small, controlled one, but powerful. It shattered the bulletproof glass like it was nothing.

Reyes always had a strategy.

Morrison peeked over the desk as glass rained to the floor like a flurry of snow. He rose slowly and glanced at Reyes.

"Thanks for the getaway," he mumbled to the unconscious man.

Morrison moved to the broken window, looking over the edge. He could see people scrambling below, reacting to the blaring evacuation sirens.

In his mind he tried to remember who all was at the HQ. Lena and Winston were stationed at Gibraltar. McCree and Genji had gone AWOL months ago, abandoning the group… and the Blackwatch Commander. Angela and Torbjörn were the only two still at the base. He prayed they got away. Angela would stop to help as many people as she could. He hoped she could turn away long enough to get herself to safety.

At least Reyes hadn't disabled the evacuation procedures or locked all the doors in the HQ. But why hadn't he? He knew about the emergency broadcast, so why hadn't he sabotaged it so that it gave Morrison the same error as the door had? Why hadn't he committed to killing all those people? All those innocent people… Whatever had drove him to the breaking point it hadn't been any of their faults. There was still a good person in Gabriel even in his momentary lapse of madness.

Morrison glanced back at the still unresponsive Reyes. He laid flat on his desk with his legs dangling off the side. Blood still dripped from his head where Morrison had busted it open.

He looked back out the window. Morrison's office was on the top floor, and it would have been a long straight drop. However, there was an overhang two stories below. It would be a hard fall, but Morrison knew he'd be fine. He was tough. From there, there was a diagonal pillar that he could inch down till he got close enough to drop. There was a problem with that escape route though.

Morrison glanced back at his friend, still out cold. His heart ached despite everything. He clenched his jaw.

There was absolutely no way he'd be able to get Reyes down there without hurting him or himself. He would need all his grace in order to break his own fall, and with a large man on his back it wouldn't be possible. With all his upgrades there was just no way.

Fuck. Damn it Gabriel.

But if he had just kept his head level then this wouldn't have happened! If he had just tried to talk to Jack then maybe things could have been resolved.

Things had been falling apart for so long though. Morrison couldn't stop it.

Morrison knew he was going to have to leave Reyes behind.

In the past Jack would never have imagined leaving Gabriel behind. They would have died for each other – or died together. That'd always been the plan. Together to the end. Overwatch had found a way to kill that love, however. It, the pressure, the people, the duty… it was all too much. In the end, both men had lost so much saving the rest of the damned world.

Instead, he glanced away, looking wistfully at the sky that he'd seen every day for decades. Gabriel and Jack had looked out at it together back when things hadn't been so bad. He couldn't remember the last time that had been, but he knew it had been too long.

"I'm sorry, Reyes," he whispered, glancing one last time at his once closest friend.

For a moment, Jack considered sitting down, holding Gabriel tight and waiting for he end to come together. Just as they'd always planned.

He then turned away and propelled himself out the broken window. He hit the ground hard, pain shooting up his legs from the impact. He tucked into a roll to help break the fall. He pulled himself from the ground and moved towards the pillar, limping slightly due to the pain in his legs. The sounds of the sirens mixed with screams of panic filled the air.

'Shut up and run,' Morrison thought to himself, his hand pressing against the wall to keep him steady. He limped quickly to the ledge, hoping that he still had enough time to get out of the blast radius.

"Leaving so soon, Jack?" that voice called from behind him. Morrison froze, spinning and looking up to the window he had leaped from.

There stood Reyes. His hand was pressing against the edge like he was trying to hold himself upright. Blood trickled down the side of his neck, bleeding into his grey shirt. His brown eyes looked tired – like he was exhausted with everything. His cocky smirk told a different story, however.

"Reyes," Morrison said, his voice trailing off. He was always one tough bastard, and he had the worst timing.

"You were just going to leave me, huh?" he called to the Strike Commander.

"You're the one who planted the bomb! I had no other options!" Anger flashed on Reyes' face.

"You had plenty of options!" he screamed. "For years you had options. You could have made any choice, but it was never the right one! You ignored too much – let them use you."

"We can talk about this, Gabriel!" A deep and ominous chuckle carried down from the Blackwatch Commander.

"The time for talking is over, Jack, and you missed your opportunity," his tone was bitter.

"That's not true! You can still stop the bomb! You can still be a hero!" Another chuckle, this time more rueful.

"I wish that were true, boy scout. To be honest, though, the whole hero thing was never meant for me."

The sound of a helicopter caught Morrison's attention. He turned away from Reyes and looked up to see a black helicopter hovering in the distance. It wasn't one that he recognized, so he assumed it wasn't friendly. The dark outline almost blended with the night sky, and it would be invisible if the moon hadn't glinted off the cockpits glass. It just hovered, as if observing the HQ. The sounds of its propellers were muted among all the other commotion, but still defined enough. Morrison wondered how long they had been watching. He wondered who they were. Whoever it was… they were the ones working with Reyes, that much was obvious.

Morrison turned back to Reyes. "Why?!" he cried up to him.

"You know why, Jack." There was a tinge of pain in his voice, but it wouldn't have been obvious to someone who didn't know Gabriel as well as Jack did.

Morrison shook his head. He moved away from his escape and walked back towards the drop off points, staring up at his friend. He held out his hand to him.

"Come on, Reyes, jump down. We can still make it out of here! If you won't shut off the bomb, at least save yourself. We're wasting time arguing. Listen to me," Jack was almost begging. His heart beat hard in his chest.

"If only you had listened to me," Gabriel took a step away from the ledge. "It's too late."

"No it's not! Come on!" Jack strained his arm, trying to beckon the stubborn man. A somber smile spread over his mouth.

"Times up, Jack." Gabriel's brown eyes drilled into Jack's blue ones. It was a lock that was filled with so many different emotions: love, hate, pain, joy, rage, desperation. Gabriel crossed his arms, relaxing his body as he accepted his fate.

"Gabe!" Jack screamed out to him. There was just so much pain between the both of them. Gabriel's face fell at the gesture, and that's when everything went to hell.

The bomb went off.

For Jack everything went in slow motion. That's how it is with adrenaline. He just took everything in. There was a bright, blinding light that flashed. The intensity stung Jack's eyes, making them burn immensely. He moved to shield his face, but at the same time wanted to keep his gaze on Gabriel. He didn't want to lose him in the moment. He heard the bursting noise – the loud boom followed by the sound of metal being shredded by the force of the explosion. Gabriel reacted, his head turning to the right. The fire erupted out towards them, and Jack saw it envelop the man who had once been his everything. He spun around in an attempt to flee, but the fire caught him too, and everything went black.

The Overwatch HQ was completely destroyed in the explosion. Strike Commander Jack Morrison and Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes were both announced dead. Part of the world mourned the man who stood for all that was just. Part of it was glad that Overwatch's time was done for it had been the final straw. There was no point in its existence when it couldn't even keep itself from falling apart. The Petras Act was enacted, making all Overwatch activity illegal. The members that had remained spread to the winds, trying to find their place among the real world. The explosion was investigated, but ultimately they could only come up with a very accurate theory: it was simply an explosive argument between Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes. It was a theory that none of the people close to them would dispute. They were gone, however. Overwatch was gone, so did it really even matter?

Three Weeks Later

He stood silhouetted against the shade of a distant tree, watching the people who gathered to mourn the life of Jack Morrison. He saw Morrison's friends and teammates mourning the lost man. Before that there had been a vigil of many people that Morrison's life had touched. People he had known and didn't know; a crowd of crying strangers. They had dissolved into a large funeral of a more personal manner. There had been a gun salute, trumpets, and the flying of flags; the honor of a soldier who had carried the world on his shoulders.

They hadn't found the body, but the wreckage had been cleared and the search called off. Jack Morrison had not been counted among the survivors or among the dead, but he was gone. It had been accepted.

Slowly, the funeral party broke up and the members disbanded. Two people moved towards where he was standing. He slipped back behind the large tree, hiding himself from the approaching couple. He could hear the two of them move in, and one of them leaned against the tree.

"How are you feeling, Jesse?" a Swiss female voice asked with concern.

"Absolutely terrible, thanks for asking," a southern accent drawled in response. He recognized the voices of Angela Ziegler and Jesse McCree.

Angela had rushed to help the wounded from the explosion - that much he knew. However, Jesse McCree had been M.I.A. for some time before the collapse, having resigned his Blackwatch position due to the internal conflict within the group. Had he returned to pay his respects?

"I'm really sorry about Commander Reyes… I know you two were close," Angela said sympathetically.

"Yeah…" there was a moment of silence. "I shouldn't have left."

"Why?"

"I feel like if I'd stuck around maybe I could have talked him out of being so fucking stupid." There was distaste in the cowboys tone. "But no, I just took off. He and Jack were havin' issues and I left him with no support."

"He understood."

"Did he? I mean… you don't think my total abandonment might have influenced this a bit?"

"No. He had lost all control of it and there was no telling what would happen. You know he valued you. He knew something bad was coming."

"Yeah…" there was more silence. "I just feel kinda responsible, ya know?"

"You shouldn't, Jesse."

"Can't help it, Angie." There was a thunk – the sound of McCree's head slamming against the tree trunk. "I just can't believe Reyes is dead…"

"I know… I'm going to miss him and Jack."

"I bet you're glad to be away from Overwatch, though," Jesse twanged, his tone shifting.

"It had gotten bad, Jesse."

"I know," his tone was matter-o-fact.

"Of course… It's better this way." McCree sighed, pushing himself off from his resting position. Smoke drifted from the other side of the tree and he stifled a cough.

"Yeah," the cowboy said, "I just wish it hadn't had to end with all this… death." There was silence and the ruffling of cloth, a light stomp noise and a bit of sizzling. McCree had but out his cigar. "C'mon. Let's go." Angela didn't answer. She led Jesse from the tree where he was still hiding.

He peaked around, watching the duo retreat. Angela looked strange in black. She was so angelic that only white could compliment her right. Black contrasted greatly with her light hair and bright complexion. Jesse just looked tired. His suit was wrinkled and untucked, hanging lazily. He wasn't even wearing his trademark hat. McCree and Angela grew smaller, and finally he decided to come out of his hiding place.

He walked over to the empty grave where a plaque had been placed. He stared down at the name, "Jack Morrison," and sighed. He wondered about Gabriel Reyes and where he would be buried. He had been branded, "at fault," but he was still a veteran and a long term member of the organization. Of course it wouldn't have been in a big paraded vigil like Morrison's, but it had to be somewhere… somewhere unknown. Tears welled up in his eyes, thinking of the man he was and the man he had lost. Slowly, Jack Morrison turned away from his own grave and walked into the distance.

AN: This story is going to be one that focuses primarily on the relationships and emotions of the Overwatch characters though it will feature action and lore exploration. As this is being written I will be running off the established canon, though, as with any fan fiction canon will be enacted in and of itself. I will try to adapt to lore that will play out, but if it contradicts what I've put into place as my stories canon, I will disregard it. As long as it fits it will be adapted into it. I'm going to be dealing with some pretty major events in this story, as you can see from the finished chapter, and creating some of my own. Let me know if you see any canon discrepancies or character personality issues, so that it can be fixed, please. This will be a multi character and multi time period story (jumping between characters and times periods between chapters). Each time period may hold its own separate story, so I hope it doesn't get too hard to follow because of that. I will be looking into both 1st omnic crisis timeline, golden Overwatch timeline, and post-recall timeline (probably where most of the story will take place). I will be dealing with multiple ships, as well, considering this is a fan fic focusing on romance. So far as I've established in my head I'm definitely going to be doing Hanzo x McCree and Reaper x Soldier 76. I'm considering a Genji and Mercy storyline as well and perhaps others, so if you'd like to see me adapt something specific please let me know and I will take it into consideration. JAny and all reviews help! Thanks for reading!

Also I'm starting this with a T rating, but it may get bumped to an M rating if I decide to make the sexual content… explicit. Other than that alls we gotta worry about is cursing!