[video]

[tinkerhell]

[Good morning, Moira. You are greeted with a strange video feed this morning. It opens with an untouched cup of steaming coffee and a plate that seems to have been emptied of food, save for one piece of alien fruit. A set of silver claws very carefully and painstakingly carving a face into said strange piece of alien-looking fruit in the mess hall, pulled from the plate once its completed its masterpiece. It doesn't look like much of anything, unless perhaps you've seen a certain visor around these parts. Then you might vaguely recognize the shape. Its not drawn very well.

The video feed holds on the masterpiece for a few seconds before said silver-fist comes slamming down on top of it and sends fruit juice and bits flying everywhere.

That's all, it seems, feed holding on the remains of the work of art, before a deep undead rasp speaks up off camera.]

Is breakfast still the most important meal of the day? Been a while since I had to think about it.

Comments

[flashbanging]

[ Air rushes by Jesse's face as 76's punch goes wide. He sucks in a relieved breath, and then coughs it out a second later; Reaper's sharp knee digs painfully into his gut, pushing rough and merciless against his body armor. The claw gets his shoulder, but it's just a glancing swipe. A sharp, brief sting. Jesse winces, nevertheless, but he refuses to let go. His grip tightens, in fact, just as though he were dealing with an ornery animal. His metal fingers are crushing, and they squeeze Reaper's throat in a vice. ]

God damn it, enough!

[ He wheezes, letting 76 go and using the free hand to unclasp a flash grenade from his belt. He wants to draw Peacekeeper and just shoot these two old fools in the head, but that'd be a tremendous mess. Physically and figuratively. ]

This ain't the time and it sure as hell ain't the place.

[mylawn]

[76 comes back to himself sooner than Reaper does, at any rate. It takes a moment for the situation to click, but once he has a better idea of it, he springs into action in a different capacity. Though he has to give the kid credit for trying to get between them, he and Reyes are augmented super soldiers, and generally fighting just one of them is a mistake, to say nothing of both.

Despite himself, his priority becomes keeping Reaper away from Jesse, and he curses himself for having to do it the whole time. Once he's released, 76 circles, trying to get at Reaper from another angle (because McCree already has the choke-hold taken care of).

The sensible thing would be to try and pin his arms, but all at once 76 sees an opportunity to overpower him two-on-one. He'll swing a punch for his gut, instead. Much more satisfying.</small.]

[tinkerhell]

[The choke hold only seems effective in keeping him distracted. If Reaper sees the flashbang, he's totally ignoring it in favor of trying to scratch at whatever piece of Jesse he can reach in order to get himself free. Eventually, he finds a grip around his arms and grounds his feet with the intention of throwing the other man off with all of his augmented strength--

But then 76 comes to his rescue and clocks him in the stomach, causing him to suck in a rattling and haunting breath of pain. It labors him enough to make him manageable, but it doesn't stop the torrent of snarling that comes from the now-writhing black mass trapped under Jesse's metal arm.

Eventually, when his lucidity kicks in, Reaper offers one last thrash before he starts to fade into black smoke again with the intent of getting free.]

[flashbanging]

[ Reaper is literally slipping through McCree's fingers. Jesse had braced himself for impact after Reaper got a grip on him, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that he likely wouldn't withstand whatever was coming, but then 76 had darted in with the sucker punch. Reaper's subsequent growling and struggling had resulted in fresh, stinging claw marks against Jesse's throat--and new tears in his shirt, besides--but it was much less worse than it could have been.

McCree can't stop Reaper going wraith, so he does what seems prudent and lets go. He's got the flash grenade clutched tight in his good hand, his palm and the canister now both slick with sweat. He's inclined to throw it down, but at this range, he'd daze both Reaper and 76. A good plan, he'd originally thought, until 76 decided to be useful. Now he's not sure what to do.

He touches his neck with his metal hand, and his fingers come away wet with blood. Shit. ]

I swear to God, Gabe. I'll put a bullet in your head, right here and now!

[ Empty threats seem like a good idea. ]

[mylawn]

[76, increasingly more coherent, starts to recognize McCree's expression. It's the one he imagines was on his own face the last time Reaper literally dissolved out of his grasp, and he knows how unimaginably frustrating it is to experience. They can't even be satisfied with the fact that they chased Reaper off because it doesn't feel like a victory.

He keeps his visor locked on the cloud of smoke, putting his hand against McCree's chest to prevent him from taking another step forward, pulling his gun, or both.]

Don't waste your ammo.

[Because that's what will happen. They need a better plan than this. Now that Jesse's inserted himself into this mess, it's more prudent for all parties to make a retreat.]

[tinkerhell]

[Reaper slips away in a slow quick-moving mist until it reaches high in the rafters, where he re-materializes with a low and annoyed growl. Metal scrapes as his claws become solid first, finding purchase to keep him still until the rest of his weight comes into form.

Why did so many people insist on trying to call upon a dead man?

It annoys him more than it should, that Jesse is so clearly clinging to his old teacher. Whether it was being done on purpose to anger him (and it would have angered Gabriel just the same, to know that McCree couldn't let go of someone who could have died any day of the week at any hour) or it was a compulsion didn't matter.

He stays where he is and says nothing to his threat, leaning sideways to try and get a better view of their weapons. If he could get a hold of one of them, it'd be game over -- he's certain.]

[flashbanging]

[ 76 is right, of course. Firing bullets in here isn't wise for a number of reasons. First of all, it probably wouldn't even work. Secondly, he's stopping this fight so as to prevent collateral damage, not cause it.

His sighs, glancing down at 76's hand on his chest. He feels a flash of something familiar, but the moment is too tense for him to chase the thought. So he lets it go. Tries to focus.

He stares up into the rafters, eyes narrow. ]

Like some kinda horrible owl, you are. How 'bout you just stay on up there and let the rest of us alone?

[ He glances back at 76, frustrated. Well, at least the two geezers are broken up. ]

[mylawn]

[Withdrawing from the situation is difficult--76 hasn't exactly given up on doing damage to Reaper, but he knows when the fight is over (for now, at least). He doesn't want to be the first one to leave, but he'll tell himself that Reaper's use of his intangible form was a concession. He knows he's beat, not that 76 has much choice but to leave it at this.

Still, he's not going to put a cheap shot past him, so he nudges McCree, indicating that they should leave together in the event that Reaper decides he isn't finished.]

Come on.

[76 will keep his eyes locked onto Reaper for as long as he can before turning on his heel and stalking out the door, hoping McCree has enough sense to follow. Leaving with someone else is not what he wants to be doing, but it's better than giving Reaper the opening to attack once the odds are even again. Once they're out of the mess hall, however, it seems he has no more words, quickly picking up his pace with the clear intent to leave him behind. He's not interested in answering the questions he knows McCree has.]