Post by Soldier 76 on Sept 2, 2016 5:17:06 GMT
He struck the bag with a lot of force, he needed to let his knuckles heal but he couldn't stop, he'd been here constantly day after day, till he finally went back to bed exhausted. He was in a cycle, not sure how to escape it. Still wearing that visor, only McCree knew, and that was enough to cause a terrible pain in the temple. Who are you? Gabriel, you're Gabriel. "Like hell I am..." he muttered, and swallowed slowing his punches till he just leaned back. "Who am I?" He glanced at the mirror, not like he could see his face, but everything in him resisted seeing the pieces that weren't Jack. He'd even styled his hair that way, cowlick and all.
Darker skin was just a decent tan right? He shook his head, you're Gabriel, Gabriel Reyes. He sat down on a bench, sliding the visor off to taking a swig of water, catching sight of the wrong face briefly; who was that? He blinked and the vision was replaced by his familiar delusion. He slipped the visor back on, hearing someone entering the gym. "Jesse," he said as if on instinct. The cowboy gave him a hum of agreement. McCree knew his terrible secret, what secret? He'd never hid anything from him.
"How're you doing Gabe?" he asked with a slow tone, like he was talking to a crazy person. He wasn't crazy Jesse.
"Gabe isn't here, but I'm fine," 76 muttered as he stood up and moved to go back to working out. He was stopped. "What?"
"You should let your knuckles heal, you're gonna break them you keep doin' this," McCree said sternly, pulling the old man away from the bag. "You've been down here for days, hadn't you better take a break? You'll just wear your body out."
"It makes me feel better, I do it when I'm stressed, I've been a bit stressed; if Reaper isn't Gabriel we still have to find him," he said with a grumble. "Stop talking to me like I'm and idiot, or crazy. I'm fine." Jesse gave him a sad look. "Don't pull those puppy dog eyes on me, Cowboy; they might have flown back in Overwatch bu-" He was stopped as McCree pet his head briefly.
"It's alright, Gabe, I know, it's tough, you'll get through it;" he said with a brief smile. "I know you're in there, and you're hurtin..."
76 grumbled a bit. "I'm not Gabriel, why do you keep -"
"Figure since I know and no one else does, I'm gonna have to step up," he replied.
The old soldier snorted. "...I'm not gabriel..." he murmured softly. His old accent breaking throuhg a little bit. "I can't be..." His voice went soft. "I have to get back to work, I should shower." It was quickly swept back up into the dominant persona he'd created.
"Not a bad idea, Commander; don't worry I'm right here," he offered.
"Thanks, Cowboy," the old man mused. "Be right back." He set a hand on the man's cheek and ran his thumb over it thoughtfully. Shame he'd not noticed McCree like this back then. He cleared his throat. "We should have a debriefing session." He stood up and left the Cowboy, to cleanse himself.
Jesse looked down at the ground, this was...hard. He'd been so...happy to have Jack back, only to find out this wasn't the man he'd thought he was. He couldn't blame Gabriel, but he felt rather betrayed. Or maybe just sick as he'd tried to turn their relationship into something else, what if things had gone as far as he'd hoped? Gabriel was so convinced he wasn't himself, how would that have effected him and McCree? Did Gabe really feel that close to the Cowboy or was it just this imaginary Jack he'd created? He was incredibly convincing as the other man, it was frightening. He stood up. Right back to work.
Darker skin was just a decent tan right? He shook his head, you're Gabriel, Gabriel Reyes. He sat down on a bench, sliding the visor off to taking a swig of water, catching sight of the wrong face briefly; who was that? He blinked and the vision was replaced by his familiar delusion. He slipped the visor back on, hearing someone entering the gym. "Jesse," he said as if on instinct. The cowboy gave him a hum of agreement. McCree knew his terrible secret, what secret? He'd never hid anything from him.
"How're you doing Gabe?" he asked with a slow tone, like he was talking to a crazy person. He wasn't crazy Jesse.
"Gabe isn't here, but I'm fine," 76 muttered as he stood up and moved to go back to working out. He was stopped. "What?"
"You should let your knuckles heal, you're gonna break them you keep doin' this," McCree said sternly, pulling the old man away from the bag. "You've been down here for days, hadn't you better take a break? You'll just wear your body out."
"It makes me feel better, I do it when I'm stressed, I've been a bit stressed; if Reaper isn't Gabriel we still have to find him," he said with a grumble. "Stop talking to me like I'm and idiot, or crazy. I'm fine." Jesse gave him a sad look. "Don't pull those puppy dog eyes on me, Cowboy; they might have flown back in Overwatch bu-" He was stopped as McCree pet his head briefly.
"It's alright, Gabe, I know, it's tough, you'll get through it;" he said with a brief smile. "I know you're in there, and you're hurtin..."
76 grumbled a bit. "I'm not Gabriel, why do you keep -"
"Figure since I know and no one else does, I'm gonna have to step up," he replied.
The old soldier snorted. "...I'm not gabriel..." he murmured softly. His old accent breaking throuhg a little bit. "I can't be..." His voice went soft. "I have to get back to work, I should shower." It was quickly swept back up into the dominant persona he'd created.
"Not a bad idea, Commander; don't worry I'm right here," he offered.
"Thanks, Cowboy," the old man mused. "Be right back." He set a hand on the man's cheek and ran his thumb over it thoughtfully. Shame he'd not noticed McCree like this back then. He cleared his throat. "We should have a debriefing session." He stood up and left the Cowboy, to cleanse himself.
Jesse looked down at the ground, this was...hard. He'd been so...happy to have Jack back, only to find out this wasn't the man he'd thought he was. He couldn't blame Gabriel, but he felt rather betrayed. Or maybe just sick as he'd tried to turn their relationship into something else, what if things had gone as far as he'd hoped? Gabriel was so convinced he wasn't himself, how would that have effected him and McCree? Did Gabe really feel that close to the Cowboy or was it just this imaginary Jack he'd created? He was incredibly convincing as the other man, it was frightening. He stood up. Right back to work.
