Jack sighs, and nods, looking more exhausted than anything. He leans back against a railing and folds his arms, clearly turning over the events of the last few days in his mind.
"Well, he did try to kill me."
He hears the warning in Genji's voice and elects to ignore it--instead speaking as neutrally as possible, just presenting the facts.
"And I'm not sure when he started planning it."
Implying, of course, that it's not going to be so easy for Jack to accept this, because Gabriel could have been having mutinous thoughts in the years leading up to the attack on HQ. Jack doesn't sound accusatory--just a little sad. He knows that former Blackwatch agents might have more insight into Gabriel's machinations towards the end than he ever did, or could hope to have, so maybe he's just hoping Genji will tell him what he knows, if anything.
If anything, this will give Jack some insight that despite his calm exterior most days, Genji still has a lot of anger within him. He does not know how to reconcile the man that he knew Gabriel to be with the man who supposedly attacked Jack... and he doesn't know who The Reaper is, either, to break that illusion.
"Then all I can tell you is that his supposed planning must have happened after I was removed from Blackwatch activity," Genji says plainly. "The man I knew had his complaints, but nothing that ever indicated he would try to kill you."
He shrugs a little bit, opening a hand.
"So that is all I can offer you. And he gave no indication Blackwatch was shut down when I spoke to him."
Whenever Gabriel started planning it, he surely kept it close to the chest. For a long time, Jack had figured McCree had run off with intel, or been killed for knowing too much. Upon arriving here, he’s learned that wasn’t the case—McCree had now knowledge of what was coming back then, either.
He knows he missed a great deal of time insofar as Genji is concerned, so he can’t help but be just a little curious at Genji’s defense of Reyes.
“I seem to remember he wasn’t exactly good to you.”
Quite the opposite, in fact, though Gabriel had always favored a harsh approach. And Genji had been angry, then—even angrier than he is now, and for good reason. That said, Gabriel did inspire loyalty, no matter how much of a jerk he could be. Jack is proof of that.
That gets Genji straightening up a bit, giving Jack something of a narrow eyed look.
"Funny, since I do not remember you being involved in any training missions."
Genji crouches down to examine a damaged plate on his leg, continuing to speak.
"Reyes is not the nicest man in the world. McCree can be quite rash, and we are all aware of Moira's issues. But we were a team, and in the end we cared about each other quite a bit."
Yes, even Moira, Genji believes. It was not the family he wanted at the time, but it was the family he needed. And like any orphan, he defends it fiercly.
Now it’s 76’s turn to narrow his eyes—at the mention of Moira, of course, but he doesn’t think that’s going to be an argument worth having, when the two of them are already so at odds. Keeping the conversation on Gabriel is what matters right now, Genji’s complicated feelings for Blackwatch notwithstanding.
“He was my superior officer too, you know. I know what he’s like on missions.”
Probably better than most people, given the sheer length of their shared careers, and that’s what makes it sting so much. It’s nearly impossible to reconcile the Gabriel of eight years ago with the betrayal he feels now, and he’s not going to find any closure here. Jack offers a nod, and turns to go.
“I know you can handle yourself.” And, as he said before, none of the ex-agents need him to look after them anymore, as difficult a habit as it is for him to break. “It didn’t feel right not to say anything.”
Genji looks up after a moment, speaking before Jack is out of earshot.
"Maybe you deserve it for yourself to give him a second chance like this. Either you confirm what you believe to be true, or you discover that maybe what you thought happened was not so true."
Genji stands after a moment.
"If he was both our superior officers, then you know there is no way it was Gabriel who set up that bomb. Even when he hated someone, he was not the type to hurt them. The only person that didn't hold true for was Antonio."
And Genji had a feeling more was going on there - that Gabriel was backed into a cage. Certainly, the injury of Gerard merited it as well.
"He always had your back, Jack. Even to the Blackwatch agents."
Of course Gabriel didn't plant explosives himself--but they had fought, and given his involvement in Talon, he might as well have been the one to detonate it. The whole conspiracy runs deeper than any of them really know, and Jack has barely begun to scratch the surface of it. Talon, Blackwatch, the UN. He supposes he could explain this--could explain himself, but this is the price he pays for wanting to keep them out of this at all costs. They all need to move on.
So he leaves, without so much as another word, because it's pointless to argue. His face as he looks back, however, says everything. Gabriel Reyes? Not the type to hurt people? You don't know him at all.
Though Jack supposes, by the end of it, neither did he.
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no subject
"Well, he did try to kill me."
He hears the warning in Genji's voice and elects to ignore it--instead speaking as neutrally as possible, just presenting the facts.
"And I'm not sure when he started planning it."
Implying, of course, that it's not going to be so easy for Jack to accept this, because Gabriel could have been having mutinous thoughts in the years leading up to the attack on HQ. Jack doesn't sound accusatory--just a little sad. He knows that former Blackwatch agents might have more insight into Gabriel's machinations towards the end than he ever did, or could hope to have, so maybe he's just hoping Genji will tell him what he knows, if anything.
no subject
"Then all I can tell you is that his supposed planning must have happened after I was removed from Blackwatch activity," Genji says plainly. "The man I knew had his complaints, but nothing that ever indicated he would try to kill you."
He shrugs a little bit, opening a hand.
"So that is all I can offer you. And he gave no indication Blackwatch was shut down when I spoke to him."
no subject
Whenever Gabriel started planning it, he surely kept it close to the chest. For a long time, Jack had figured McCree had run off with intel, or been killed for knowing too much. Upon arriving here, he’s learned that wasn’t the case—McCree had now knowledge of what was coming back then, either.
He knows he missed a great deal of time insofar as Genji is concerned, so he can’t help but be just a little curious at Genji’s defense of Reyes.
“I seem to remember he wasn’t exactly good to you.”
Quite the opposite, in fact, though Gabriel had always favored a harsh approach. And Genji had been angry, then—even angrier than he is now, and for good reason. That said, Gabriel did inspire loyalty, no matter how much of a jerk he could be. Jack is proof of that.
no subject
"Funny, since I do not remember you being involved in any training missions."
Genji crouches down to examine a damaged plate on his leg, continuing to speak.
"Reyes is not the nicest man in the world. McCree can be quite rash, and we are all aware of Moira's issues. But we were a team, and in the end we cared about each other quite a bit."
Yes, even Moira, Genji believes. It was not the family he wanted at the time, but it was the family he needed. And like any orphan, he defends it fiercly.
"That included you, according to Reyes."
no subject
“He was my superior officer too, you know. I know what he’s like on missions.”
Probably better than most people, given the sheer length of their shared careers, and that’s what makes it sting so much. It’s nearly impossible to reconcile the Gabriel of eight years ago with the betrayal he feels now, and he’s not going to find any closure here. Jack offers a nod, and turns to go.
“I know you can handle yourself.” And, as he said before, none of the ex-agents need him to look after them anymore, as difficult a habit as it is for him to break. “It didn’t feel right not to say anything.”
no subject
"Maybe you deserve it for yourself to give him a second chance like this. Either you confirm what you believe to be true, or you discover that maybe what you thought happened was not so true."
Genji stands after a moment.
"If he was both our superior officers, then you know there is no way it was Gabriel who set up that bomb. Even when he hated someone, he was not the type to hurt them. The only person that didn't hold true for was Antonio."
And Genji had a feeling more was going on there - that Gabriel was backed into a cage. Certainly, the injury of Gerard merited it as well.
"He always had your back, Jack. Even to the Blackwatch agents."
no subject
So he leaves, without so much as another word, because it's pointless to argue. His face as he looks back, however, says everything. Gabriel Reyes? Not the type to hurt people? You don't know him at all.
Though Jack supposes, by the end of it, neither did he.