A cool breeze blew over the Swiss Alps as Gabriel Reyes made his way up the rocky mountain trail followed by a pack of Talon operatives and the old Deadlock gang. Despite having lost their leader, the other gangsters seemed content to push around the scientist hostage that they kept on a short leash. Dr. Heinrich Kohler gasped tiredly and fell to his knees before two of the former Deadlocks hauled him to his feet and continued to drag him along. As they walked, Reaper strode forward effortlessly and turned a curious eye toward the exhausted scientist. "We're almost there. Have you had enough yet Doctor? Are you going to give me the access codes now?"

The older man panted and slumped his head, "Please… I'll do anything you want. Just let me go."

"Only after you open the necessary locks to the nanobots," Reaper said, "The UN storage facility should be just over that ridge. Once we're in, you will give me access to the project."

"Why are you doing this?" Kohler pleaded, "Leave the nanobots. Do you want the Omnics to win?"

Reaper shook his head, "Of course not. But if humanity is going to survive and become stronger, it has to know strife and difficulty."

"Well now, I don't remember you preachin' those lines before," McCree said as he walked up a nearby path to join the terrorists. Walking alongside him was Javier Santiago and a restrained Angela Ziegler. She had been gagged and gave some angry muffled shouts as McCree kept a firm grip on her arm to keep her from escaping.

Reaper and all his operatives whirled around and aimed their weapons at the newcomers before McCree raised his free hand, "Whoah, hold your horses now Undertaker. I ain't here for a fight."

Reaper glanced to Santiago who stepped forward nervously and rejoined his fellow gang members, "It's true. McCree freed me and came looking for you."

"What's your angle Jesse?"

The gunslinger shrugged nonchalantly, "I done some thinkin' Reyes. Figured you were right when you told me to make a choice. Overwatch hadn't been too keen on takin' me back, ain't that right Angela? Somethin' bout trust issues?"

"You brought some help?" Reaper asked curiously.

"A prisoner for Talon," McCree corrected him, "More like a show of good will here. I give you back Santiago and hand over Mercy. You give me a shot at joining a winning team again."

"If I agree, how do I know this isn't some trick?" Reaper asked.

"You don't," McCree answered, "And I could say the same to you. Come on Reyes. We were both in Blackwatch. Hell, you were the one who mentored me. Right now, the only thing we can trust is the fact we can't trust each other. Isn't that right?"

Reaper snorted in amusement and tucked his weapon away before signalling for the others to stand down, "You help me get into that depot and we can talk later about your future in Talon."

McCree smiled and stepped forward keeping Angela as his hostage, "All right then. What are we waitin' for? Let's saddle up."

Back in Watchpoint Gibraltar, Lena and Winston were searching all over for their missing comrades. Winston wore a scowl as he checked the security camera footage for clues. When he came across the footage of the containment cells and the lounge, he couldn't believe his eyes. "What has McCree done? I knew it! He has turned on us!"

"Hold on now big guy. That can't be right," Lena said trying to calm him and make sense of the video, "I'm sure Jesse has a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this."

"He won't have much a chance to once I tear him limb from limb," Winston growled, "When I find him I'll..."

"You can find him," Lena interrupted as she worked the keyboard of the computers and pulled up a map, "Look here. Jesse's got an active tracking beacon on him and it says he's in Switzerland."

"That's not too far from the last run in with Reaper," Winston frowned, "But why would he..."

"Maybe Jesse wants us to find him," Lena said hopefully, "Maybe there's a plan going on and he's counting on us to follow it."

"You actually trust him on this?" Winston frowned in reluctance.

"He's our friend. We have to," Lena said while donning her goggles, "Come on. Let's go!"

Meanwhile, the secret UN depot was in calamity as Reaper and his allies attacked the place and overwhelmed the security there. They carved a swath of terror and destruction until they reached the heart of the complex and ascended a few floors. There they came upon a large central room which looked to be the size of a standard warehouse with large crates and barrels of supplies containing some of the most highly sensitive military and scientific equipment in the region.

The light of a large central skylight filtered down from above as the raiders crossed the floors to where a large container sat on a platform. Inside it were the deadly nanobots that Talon wanted to get a hold of and Reaper pried open the front of the metal storage unit. With that out of the way, a more secure container resembling a storage safe sat with a digital keypad.

"Dr. Kohler..." Reaper prompted him, "Do not make me wait."

The fearful scientist scurried over and began to key in the correct sequence of numbers to unlock the security measures. As the safe opened, several meal tubes slid open in layers allowing the raiders to get closer and closer to their final goal.

Angela watched in dread as the last security tube retracted exposing the container of deadly nanobots. As Dr. Kohler stepped away from the platform and cowered in fear, Reaper stepped forward with a malicious chuckle, "Yes! Finally!"

As they stood back and watched, Angela felt McCree's grip on her arm let up. To her surprise, he removed her gag and she suddenly felt him slip something into her hands. She looked to see a small retractable scalpel knife in her fingers and recognized it as one from her supply cabinet.

Was this supposed to be used to cut the cords binding her wrists? She looked up to McCree and saw him give her a small wink from the side. She didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't going to waste this opportunity either.

McCree quietly palmed his pistol from under his poncho and whispered to her, "I've always protected you in battle and never let harm come to you when we were younger, haven't I? You trusted me then?"

She blinked quietly and nodded as she began to subtly cut her bonds.

"I'm sorry Angela. I'll explain everything later, but I need you to trust me again. Trust me now. Can you do that?"

She swallowed and nodded before McCree stepped forward and brandished his weapon.

Reaper picked up the large canister of nanobots and held it up triumphantly but then jerked his hand back as the sound of gunshot split the air. A bright bolt from McCree's pistol struck the container and caused it to explode into a cloud of shrapnel. Reaper roared in fury and went incorporeal for a moment before swirling around and retaking his humanoid form. His eyes burned as he stood facing the gunslinger with the smoking pistol.

"You traitor! What do you think you're doing?" Reyes snarled in barely suppressed rage.

"Playing your own game against you Reaper," McCree laughed while keeping his weapon at the ready, "If everyone's going to treat me like I'm still Blackwatch, then I might as well act like it."

Reaper paused a moment and put it all together in his head with a nod, "I see. You faked your defection from Overwatch to find me again. You wanted to get close enough to strike at me yourself."

"Bingo," McCree smirked, "But you were never the primary target. If the UN can't have those nanobots, then I aimed to make sure you couldn't either."

Angela stared in shock while Reaper began to laugh toward the gunslinger, "I trained you well. That's why you were always my favorite student. It's too bad I'll have to kill you now."

"Hold up now pardner," McCree said as he put the stub of a cigar to his mouth and lit it with his free hand, "You really think I'd come here alone?"

As he lit up and took a drag, he revealed a tracking beacon he had worn under his poncho so that Tracer and Winston could track him down. "I reckon my teammates will be here any minute."

True to his word, the two other Overwatch agents teleported in outside and made their way into the complex. They didn't quite know what to expect but they were armed to the teeth. The gunslinger regarded Reaper calmly, "Your choice Reyes. Give up now or I'll give you a face full of lead."

Reaper growled and began to dematerialize. He turned to Santiago and the other Diablos, "Take care of McCree!"

Reaper immediately flew out of the room while the former Deadlocks began to circle around McCree like a pack of hungry wolves. Santiago put a hand on the pistol at his hip as if daring McCree to take on all his old gang members, "Now is not the time for heroics amigo. Now is the time that we finish things for good."

McCree took a quick glance toward Angela nearby and flicked away his cigar stub, "No. I'll tell you what time it is. It's high noon! Draw!"

Before any of the other Diablos could aim and snap off a shot, Jesse McCree fired a rapid volley of shots which instantly killed Santiago and the two men standing beside him. As the other gangsters opened fire, McCree rolled clear and reloaded his weapon in a seamless motion. As he regained his footing and twirled the pistol into a ready position, he tossed a flash bang grenade which stunned a few of the gunmen before McCree spun on his heel taking out several more foes with his gun.

While McCree dodged and engaged the remaining Diablos in a fierce firefight, Angela cut herself free and scooped up the uzi of a fallen gangster before grabbing the shaken Dr. Kohler with her other arm. She quickly pulled him away to safety in a far corner of the room where they took cover behind some large supply crates.

Amid another spray of automatic weapons fire, McCree dove for cover behind some metal storage containers. As the enemy bullets and laser fire chewed up the edges of the container, McCree glanced over and caught sight of a metal drum nearby. He flexed his bionic arm and grasped the drum before hurling it at his attackers. The Diablo gunmen stopped shooting and tumbled clear as McCree bounded over his own metal crate and took aim in midair at his exposed targets. With practiced deadeye aim, he fanned the hammer again and gunned down the last of the attackers.

He popped open the barrel and dropped the expended shell casings before calmly reloading one more time. He could hear a loud commotion coming from down the hall as Reaper retreated back into the room from the onslaught of Tracer and Winston. McCree turned face Reaper as the villain brandished both his shotguns and blew out a nearby door panel which shut the thick hatch leading into the room. It wouldn't keep Winston and Tracer out forever, but it would slow them down. As soon as Reaper turned his head, he heard the familiar clicking sound a revolver hammer being drawn back.

"End of the line Reyes. You're trapped like the rat you are," McCree said while holding his gun steady.

Reaper laughed in amusement, "After what happened last time, do you really think you can stop me all by yourself?"

"He's not alone," came another voice as Angela stepped out of cover and primed the uzi in her hands, "He's still got a real team behind him."

"Angela…" McCree exclaimed in awe as she walked forward to confront their mutual enemy.

Reaper only laughed harder, "Oh this is rich Angela. You really want to die with McCree? I'll give you your wish!"

He jetted around and fired his guns but Angela rolled clear and returned with short sprays of fire from her own weapon. Although she didn't have her Valkyrie suit to give her some extra mobility and flight, Angela still used her natural grace and athleticism to steer clear of harm. While Reaper swirled around her, McCree rushed forward and laid down a few covering shots to try and split his enemy's attention.

The two Overwatch teammates joined up and stood back to back protecting each other from Reaper's assault while the bulkhead doors to the chamber thundered and rattled under the other's attempts to break through.

As Angela sprayed the last of her clip at Reaper to pin him down, McCree fired a lucky shot which struck the villain in the forearm and caused him to drop one of his weapons. Reaper growled in pain and withdrew his wounded arm while loading his remaining gun. McCree took that moment to line up a perfect headshot while Reaper was vulnerable and pulled the trigger… except nothing happened. There was a hollow click and the gunslinger realized too late that his ammunition had been expended. In that moment, Reaper took back the initiative and began to spin around in a dark shadowy cloud firing his weapon in a sort of all out death blossom attack.

McCree dropped his gun and fell back to cover the unprotected Angela who was in range of the assault. As the storm of enemy fire came roaring at them, McCree tackled Angela to the ground and used his back to shield her. A few shots clipped McCree in the back and he felt hot shooting pain flare up before he hit the floor with Angela in his arms.

They skidded to a halt and McCree's hat fluttered to the ground as Reaper ended his attack and stepped forward to finish off his prey. He crushed the hat underfoot and loomed over the two younger Overwatch agents who had served with him once before. He cocked the shotgun in his hand and prepared to aim it directly at the wounded McCree and the frightened Angela on the ground. "You were once like a son to me McCree. You could have joined me."

"Yeah… well, people change Reyes," McCree grunted weakly, "I guess I got tired of wanderin' round the dark and realized I'm better off with an angel in the light."

"Then I'll make sure you see plenty of angels," Reaper growled as he leveled his gun for a finishing shot.

Reyes never managed to pull the trigger as a new combatant blasted through a side hatch into the main room. Everyone turned to see the intruder who wore a red, white, and blue jacket with a sinister visor over his face. The well built man with short white hair didn't say anything but raised a large pulse rifle and fired a concentrated bolt of plasma. The shot seared the air and hit Reaper dead on throwing the villain back hard along the floor. "I've finally found you Reaper!"

The black cloaked villain raised himself up off the ground and grunted in pain as his injuries began to pile up. He turned his head as the other bulkhead doors burst open and the other Overwatch agents rushed in. Seeing he was badly outnumbered, reaper decided to cut his losses and make an escape. He dematerialized into his shadowy black smoke and jetted away by smashing through one of the facility's skylights.

The mysterious mercenary soldier growled and fired a few more shots at the retreating Reaper before lowering his rifle and turning to face the Overwatch agents gathering nearby.

Tracer glanced over in concern as she saw McCree lying on the ground with Angela at his side. She had torn some strips of his red poncho to try and use them as rags to staunch the bleeding from his injuries. He grunted and tried to smile tiredly, "Angela… are you okay?"

She breathed heavily trying to stay calm as she worked to asses his wounds, "I'm fine. Just be quiet now Jesse. I'm going to make sure you make it back okay too."

Tracer turned to face the mysterious soldier with Winston and they tensed for a fight. The big gorilla growled, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The soldier regarded both of them coolly and raised a hand to put them at ease. He silently strode forward past them and came to kneel down by McCree. He planted a small canister on the ground which began to emit a gentle glow of energy. To Angela's surprise, she saw McCree's wounds begin to lessen and stabilize to a manageable state.

"He should be stable enough for a safe evac," the old soldier said in a low gravelly voice.

"I… thank you," Angela nodded in awe as her other teammates gathered around. "Who are you? Why are you helping us?"

The soldier rose slowly to his feet and looked up to the shattered skylight above, "It seemed like the right thing to do. As for my name… that's not important right now, but you can call me a friend."

Angela looked to her other teammates, "Jesse stopped Reyes from getting the nanobots here. He set all this up to try and trap Reaper."

Winston regarded his downed comrade and then their new ally before giving a wary nod, "Let's head back to Gibraltar and sort all of this out there. Come on."

The next morning, Jesse McCree awoke to the gentle feeling of a razor on his cheek. He cracked his eyes opened and groaned to see Angela Zielgler sitting at his bedside, wiping away at the last of the shaving cream from his face. She stopped to look at him and smiled gently, "Well… good morning. I didn't think you'd be out this long."

"It's been a rough week," he said while orienting himself. He was back in the infirmary of Watchpoint Gibraltar and lying propped up on a hospital bed. His whole body was sore and he could feel his entire back and sides were all wrapped up with dressings.

"When Reyes went loco with his guns, I thought I was a goner back there."

Angela shook her head and patted his cheek softly, "You should know by now Jesse. Heroes never die… at least not while I'm around."

She stopped and retracted her hand slightly, "In fact, if it wasn't for you yesterday, I might not be around. I… thank you for helping to save me Jesse."

He took her hand and sat smiling while giving a small nod, "And thank you for trusting me too Doc."

Angela squeezed his hand back before standing up and walking over to her workstation. She took off her labcoat and tied her hair back up, "You know… while you were passed out, you had really made me upset Jesse. You took some incredible risks back there and you almost lost your life. Do you know how worried that made me?"

McCree glanced away shamefaced, "I'm sorry Angela. I didn't mean to…."

"That's not all," she interrupted him while walking back over and sitting down beside him, "Do you know what made me the most upset? The fact that I ever doubted your loyalty to Overwatch… and to me."

"Angela…"

She silenced him, "I understand now why you did the things that you did. I understand why you went back to your Blackwatch mentality when the rest of us were treating you like you were still one of them. Maybe that's our fault. Maybe we should have realized that you changed too, for the better."

"And from now on I want to keep being better," McCree nodded, "Blackwatch is gone and so are the Deadlocks. You, Tracer, and Winston… you guys are my future. Overwatch is where I belong."

Angela beamed happily and idly touched his shirt collar, "I believe you."

"I'm glad. After all, you were the one who first welcomed me to the team with open arms."

The doctor rested her forehead to his, "Then let me welcome you back home."

McCree leaned in and pressed his lips to Angela's in a long tender kiss. While they didn't have to say anything more, the intensity of that quiet intimate moment spoke volumes to things they had been thinking and feeling over the course of many years of serving together.

When they finally parted for air, they exchanged a quiet smile while holding each other before McCree spoke, "I was just thinking, isn't there some kind of code of ethics that says you shouldn't get involved like this with your patients?"

"Hmm… you're right," she said, "I guess I'll have to wait until you get better and you're not my patient anymore. Or maybe I can have Winston take care of you instead?"

"You wouldn't…" McCree balked, "Umm… couldn't I just find some other way to repay you in the mean time?"

Angela laughed and gave him one more quick kiss before rising again, "Now Jesse, you know I don't do this work for any kind of special reward… but if you're offering, I won't turn it down either. Just get well soon. I'll check in on you in a couple hours."

As she left the infirmary, Jesse McCree smiled and laid his head back on the pillow. He was still in pain and feeling exhausted after the ordeal of the last several days, but it had been worth it. It felt good to do right again, especially alongside his old friends and comrades. What was that phrase Angela was always fond of saying? Helping others was its own reward? At that moment, Jesse McCree was certain that it couldn't have been more true.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the base, Winston and Lena joined their mysterious new guest in one of the lounges. The old soldier stood by the window, looking outside quietly while standing straight. When the doors opened and the two Overwatch agents entered, the soldier turned toward them slowly. "How is the cowboy doing?"

"He's resting. Dr. Ziegler said he was going to be fine," Winston said while lumbering over. "I was against the idea of letting you come here with us, but we sort of owe you a debt of gratitude too. Thank you for your help in the last battle."

The soldier gave a gruff laugh and nodded quietly. "I figured I might as well help since no one else was going to."

Lena approached curiously and eyed the newcomer, "About that. What's your deal with Reaper anyway? Do you have some kind of fight against Talon like we do?"

The old soldier thought it over and shrugged, "I have some unfinished business with them. As for the man you call Reaper, I've been hunting him for some time now. His real name is Gabriel Reyes, and my issues with him are personal."

The two Overwatch agents froze and looked to each other in shock before Winston frowned, "Wait… how do you know Gabriel too? You aren't…"

"A member of Overwatch?" the soldier asked gruffly as he produced one of the organization's transmitting beacons, "I used to be."

Lena's eyes went wide with surprise and wonder as she stepped closer, "Who are you?"

The soldier regarded her silently for a long drawn out moment before he removed his menacing visor. Lena and Winston could only gasp in shock as they recognized the scarred wizened face of the man underneath it all. "Lena. Winston."

"No… this can't be. You're supposed to be dead," the gorilla gasped.

Jack Morrison, the former field commander of Overwatch looked over his two former charges with a hard pair of eyes, "I'm not dead yet. As far the rest of the world is concerned, I still am and it's probably better that I stayed that way."

He turned around and looked out the windows toward the skies, "I'm glad to see that some of you returned to answer the call. Thank you."

Lena chewed her lip before hesitantly speaking up again, "So… what do we do now, sir?"

Jack glanced back to look at her with a grim expression, "We do what we've always done. The world is becoming a dangerous place again and the battle goes on. Reaper and the Talon organization might be aiming to start this new war, but I can tell you this much. Overwatch is going to damn well finish it."

A/N:
Hey everyone! I hoped you liked this different take on the beginning of Overwatch's recall. I also thought I'd show some support for the McCree/Mercy ship too. For anyone interested, I will be planning to do another story involving some of the other younger characters getting recruited too. Hope to see you there and thanks again for reading!