Gabriel Reyes

Male

Forty Nine

22/07/1968

Single

Homosexual

Jonathan 'Jack' Morrison, ex-paramour


Angela Ziegler, 'Mercy', ex-beard

Selena Reyes, Daughter

Like many of his friends and colleagues, the defining moment of Gabriel Reyes's life was that of Overwatch's destruction. Where he differs from the others is that he didn't only suffer from it, he caused it. It was the culmination of years of bitter resentment, jealously and a cocktail of bottled up emotions that simmered in his heart until it erupted out and burned everything of worth around him. It should have consumed him too, he reflects, and but for the actions of another, it would've. And so he's still here, a ghost of the past here to avenge its sins upon the present.

Once upon a time, Gabriel was a man. Not the most humble or the most sensitive man but neither was he evil or cruel. He liked to compete, to strain and to win. Companionship meant almost everything to him, second only to victory. There were many who called him friend, brother, teammate and more, who considered him one upon whom they could depend to have their back when things got rough. And they were right, Gabriel was loyal, determined and unwilling to compromise an inch for his comrades. He was known for being the man who would go further, fight harder and last longer rather than ever admit defeat.

It was this unwillingness to admit defeat, this need to compete, that lead him down a dark path. Because when his most common competitor finally won the grandest victory of all, Gabriel simply couldn't accept it. He resented the victor, the competition, himself and everyone and thing that brought him to where he was. He became distant and short tempered, living only in combat and withdrawing as soon as a battle was fought. It was here that resentment, jealousy and blame pushed him further and further away from others and closer to mania. It took years of brooding on his failures and the perceived slights he had received for him to reach that terrible culmination, but reach it he did.

And he had intended for that to be the end, for Overwatch and his life to end in fire and blood. But it was not to be and he awoke almost two years later, no longer truly a man or even completely alive. Since then, he has existed only for one purpose; revenge. Gabriel Reyes suffered and died because of those others who got in his way, let him down or dragged him back. And now he has returned to reap what they have sown.

Purpose, action, the hunt

Human interaction, the past, the future

Training, Planning, Brooding

➣ Driven; to stop him, you'd have to kill him and many have tried.
➣ Experienced; he's seen a few fights and lived to tell the tale.
➣ Deadly; he'd kill you soon as look at you, and just as easily.

➢ Tunnel Vision; When the goal is everything, the goal is everything.
➢ Unloving; when he climbed out the grave, he left some feelings still there.
➢ Unstable; revenge is a dish best served cold. But who reads serving instructions?

Great things can come from humble beginnings and few are more humble than that of Gabriel Reyes. Born in poverty with no expectations, he pulled himself out the gutter by sheer, stubborn determination and a belligerent willingness to fight anyone. He enrolled in the military below the legal age of entry and excelled at anything that could be overcome with force of will, slowing learning too to work with others rather than against him. When he enrolled in the US's super-soldier program, he met one man who would go on to be his commander, lover, sworn enemy and everything in between; Jonathan 'Jack' Morrison.

The two were inseparable during the program and later, when Overwatch was formed and they headed up the Alpha Squadron. Their’s was a competitive relationship, each one trying to one up the other in every situation, scoring points whenever they could and rubbing victories in the other's face. It was loving too though defending each other from outside threats more fiercely than they ever competed. Each made the other laugh and saved one another’s lives countless times, and all the way through the Omnic war the two joked about what they do afterwards, where they would go. That all changed when Jack won the greatest victory; command and executive direction of Overwatch.

When plain old Jack Morrison was made into Commander Morrison and became the poster boy for Overwatch all over the world, it was clear that he had been put above Gabe in a way that could never be topped. Things went sour between the pair and soon they made contact only when forced to by Overwatch's official functions or to roar criticism at each other in private. Reyes was shoved off to the side, made head of Blackwatch and told to do those deeds that the public’s perfect Jack couldn't. Bitterness and jealously ruled his heart and head from then on, kept in check only by the counsel of Ana Amari, his longtime friend and colleague.

Then came Ana's death at the hands of Amelie Lacroix.

With no one to counsel him otherwise, Gabriel would make some foolish decisions and some terrible mistakes, many that would alter the course of world history. At this time, he grew closer to Angela Ziegler and expressed an interest in the combat applications of her nano-biology technology. She seemed interested in him in no small amount and in that Gabriel saw another opportunity to make Jack jealous, to twist the knife a little more. He entered a torrid and rather public affair with her and not once was he was he seen not glaring at Jack while he did so. Not long after, that same nano-biology technology was the only thing that stopped him from perishing along with Overwatch's HQ. Mercy's healing slowly brought him back to the land of the (mostly) living over the course of two years.

When he awoke, seemingly a wraith raised from the grave, he fled from the facility Angela had been treating him in, taking a girl who claimed to be his daughter along with him. He knew only two things; that Gabriel Reyes was dead and that the Reaper had scores to settle.

Reaper

Talon

Talon Headquarters, Los Angeles

Offence (Damage Dealer, Assassin, Flanker)

Head of Talon

Head of Talon

Reaper has the ability to relax his body from a solid form to a cloud of inky black smoke, but he retains cohesive control of the whole, allowing him to move as a cloud. This makes him impossible to kill, more difficult to detect and hard to keep out. The process is very painful, however, and cannot be maintained for more than a few dozen seconds.

Essentially a continuation of his Wraith Form, Shadowstep is the process of seeming to disappear in one place and reappear in another. It is actually done by allowing himself to dissolve into a thin trickle of smoke, race along the floor and reform elsewhere. As useful and near undetectable as it is, he is vulnerable for a couple of seconds while reforming.

Perhaps the most powerful side effect of his condition, Reaper can reform his body by going into smoke form. Any wounds he has suffered will regenerate at an increased rate while he isn’t solid, so the longer he can maintain it, the more healing he does. As mentioned, the process is incredibly painful and cannot be held long.

A pair of deadly shotguns that fire small handfuls of incredibly high velocity pellets, the Hellfires can chew up and spit out almost anything that presents itself at close range. Obviously their effective range is very low, so flying opponents and snipers are largely immune from them, and they have small clip sizes. That said, tanks and healers beware.

Unleashing his undead rage, Reaper realises a salvo of fire and hate from his Hellfire Shotguns that covers everything around him in damage. While the death blossom is horrendously effective, Reaper is vulnerable during its use and can be picked off by a canny opponent or good shot. It also has the same disadvantages as his shotguns, namely limited range and duration.

Black veins can often be seen throbbing beneath his skin, especially after freshly reforming from his Wraith Form.

Jack then and Jack now; it's not so much a difference as it is an evolution of character. Changed, simply put - Jack doesn't mince his words. People knew Jack as the Golden Boy of Overwatch, the leader, the man at the head of an organization with a bright future. That's what the UN splashed the media with and he's tempted to agree with many of the crowd crying in the lower corners of internet: that a blonde, blue-eyed, All-American, white bred boy was just the easiest thing to deal with. Easy to get people to like him, to get them to want him as the face of an organization entrusted with worldwide security.

Despite what many people thought, Jack had no say in that decision or whether or not they made the right one. The Jack now would say it doesn't matter, in the scheme of things. That the world wouldn't care about intent when it comes to the past. Jack's crassness was only a development from the reserved nature he kept himself in. But, they wanted an exuberant man at the head of Overwatch, ready to dole out the interviews and smile for the cameras - they wanted him to live up to a glorified name. And he just wanted to sleep. To slough off the blood, the dirt, and horrors of war like his deep, sky blue overcoat - like another layer of clothing.

That Jack and this Jack have that in common. Both were tired. But, exhausted or not Jack then wasn't as stony faced as he currently presents himself. Jack is a man faced with betrayal and circumstance. It's still hard looking back and focusing on all of the mistakes he's made, or witnessed. That's not what Jack wants today. It's all about moving forward in order to get to his destination, no matter how much his bones ache and how much he yearns for some permanence to his respite. But, Jack sees the world for what it is, knows there's only one way to cure it of its diseases. Perhaps, Jack, presently, would look back at Blackwatch and consider it the best idea they'd ever had, despite the fact that Reyes came from his underworld throne to tear everything down. Despite how it all bit him in the ass, in the end. Perhaps they should have switched places, swapped roles. Maybe he has taken the time to evaluate it all, despite his staunch reservations that Overwatch fell for a reason.

The world needs a certain approach, one that only Jack thinks he can see. That, in itself, makes him wary of help in any form, either out of distrust (likely) or his regular condescending need to be the one sacrificing himself for the good of the people. Or both, which seems the most possible. People tend to get in the way of things; it'd be better if he could do it himself, by himself. A staunch reason why he roams alone, carrying scar upon scar upon scar, a new one for every skirmish he finds himself in and every gang member or terrorist agent he dispatches. Jack wears his own burdens. He makes his excuse that he doesn't need the added weight of other's on his back. Sharing isn't a concept Jack understands.

Even back then, Jack always thought people were too convoluted and complicated to deal with. They didn't understand things when he explained it to them. They came to him for everything. Wanted everything of him. He was constantly torn between two realities, between people wanting a poster boy and people wanting a leader; an idol or a protector. They didn't realize that they couldn't have both, nor did they realize the pressure they pushed him down with.

Only one person understood the man between the people and his soldiers and that's all dust, now.

White bred. White bread? Nah, Jack was more like cornbread, no matter how much he hated the joke. Bloomington, Indiana, however, didn't really follow in line with most of the state. It's University allowed for a more broader range of views and cultures, something Jack learned quickly at his young age. But, even then, the town's population without all of its college students was practically dismal and comprised of mostly farmers. Jack, and a few of his siblings, were raised a few miles outside of the small town, on crops and farmland with a leather skinned father and a floral patterned mother. Everything came farm bred, with a pinch of good old Midwestern ideals and expectations of family and personal life.

Jack quickly learned how stubborn his parents were in their vision for their kids. They wanted Jack, the eldest, to take care of the farm, find a nice lady to settle down with, and take care of them in their old age. So, when he fled to the military in light of the growing tensions settling in the world around them, they dropped all connections. They practically disowned him. Jack knew only his loneliness in his entire military career, all the way to becoming a Super Soldier, meeting Gabriel Reyes, and everything afterwards.

The two grew close in the coming years, finding solace in the competitiveness of their friendship. They'd fell in love, early and immediate. Jack hadn't known the fire Gabriel showed him. The only downside to the heated passion they'd cultivated was that the hotter it grew, the wilder it got.

Their relationship grew, as the world crumbled around them. The Omnic War bonded more than just them and it also tied them to many of the founding members of Overwatch, bringing them together in more than blood. Until their flames grew so hot that it finally split them a part. Cruel irony is finding someone you connect so well with, only to understand that the universe prefers you a part, rather than together.

At the end of the war, Jack became the poster boy the UN so desperately wanted and Gabriel, with all of his exploits and medals and achievements, was swept under. The years flew by then, with Jack at the head of an organization bent on shielding the world from all forms of terror. They were the UN's army of soldiers, under their jurisdiction, and doing exactly their bidding. But, with the advancements in technology came less need for protection. Security was all automated. Police work was quick and painless with how powerful computer processes were. Despite the sinister edge that crept up behind Jack, the people thought they didn't need Overwatch anymore and the UN began eyeing them warily, caring more about Blackwatch and their dealings than what Jack could do for them.

Overwatch tore a rift between Jack and Gabriel. Their pride kept them from ever coming to each other, from ever talking this out. They never reconciled the arguments that raged between them, just took to spiting each other or expending all of their energy on both violent and less than savory methods of distraction. Jack often spent more time screaming at Gabriel or shutting him up, than he did attending meetings or focusing on mission plans. They cared more about the feud and the love that swelled between them than they did for the organization they were supposed to take care of.

Eventually, the UN sought to end their relationship by forcing Jack to marry. They didn't realize the mistake in their move until the two used those methods against each other. Their publicity stunt backfired and threw kids into the mix for petty, uncouth reasons. It caused more stir than necessary and Overwatch had to quickly pick up the pieces that the two left in their wake.

In culminating fury of resentment or jealousy or something, Gabriel Reyes took Overwatch down and Jack with him. Perhaps Jack read the situation wrong, or maybe the universe felt it necessary to shred everything down beyond redemption. Musing the inner workings of the universe was never Jack's strong suit. Letting out all of his pent up frustration and anger and hatred, however, was more in line with how Jack Morrison thought. Well, trying to, at least. Being stuck under a grinding wheel for his entire career as Commander of Overwatch tired Jack out, and the hope that everything would end seemed far too real, then.

So, Jack left. He left everything. Overwatch was doomed from the start, he'd determined, and so leaving it to the dirt and the rubble was the best decision he'd ever made. Damned his life, his friends, his family. He didn't want it anymore.

He wanted so bad to completely fade from existence, but Jack Morrison is nothing if not stubborn. Talon, a loose organization of criminals in remote parts of the world, always gave Jack a terrible, terrible feeling. For an entire year, Jack devoted himself to figuring out exactly what happened in Europe that allowed himself and everyone else to be caught off guard. His answer, however, stared him in the face: Gabriel's stint wasn't just his own doing, he took Talon by the hair and used everything he could to tear Overwatch down. With the recent rise in terror strike around the world, it all made sense.

With Gabe dead and gone, they shouldn't be so well organized anymore, but that didn't matter, at the moment. Overwatch couldn't protect the world, it never could, but Jack could and all he needed was a goddamned gun and a leather jacket.

What makes the Pulse Rifle so special is what it packs beneath the barrel of the gun. Should Jack need a bit more firepower than the gun offers, he can resort to firing off a trio round of small missiles that explode on impact. They pack a punch, and should they not completely knock a fully armored individual down, they'll definitely bring them to their knees.

Angela's not the only individual who's taken advantage of her medical research. Jack's own manufactured biotic field is the prototype of a project to replace field medkits, and that has lead to prototype biotic grenades that use the same technology. Jack's version allows him to throw down a field that heals and repairs various wounds acquired, allowing individuals to continue through a fight until they can seek proper medical attention.

A prototype rifle stolen by Helix Security, it offers little recoil and can unload a full clip (25 rounds) with minimal spread compared to most automatic assault rifles. It's currently ahead of most firearm technology, though he's had some issues with cleaning it, meaning the gun itself tends to jam on occasion. It's his main choice of weapon, though Jack has experience with various other firearms, as well as explosives, but why change from the best possible choice?

On the surface, Jack's tactical visor allows him to simply lock onto an enemy and shoot until his clip runs out. However, the program Jack uses allows him much more than that. The visor itself tags possible hostiles within his line of sight, pointing out weaknesses and allowing Jack to assess a situation as fast as he can read the data. As well, it scans within his sight range in order to give Jack any important data of the area he might need during a battle. All Jack needs to do is aim and fire beyond that.