The siege continued; we’d surrounded Talon’s headquarters and were prepared to put them behind bars… or 6 feet under if they still insisted on fighting.

They insisted on fighting.

We’d gotten Sombra earlier with some help from a mystery man with a bow (Had to use actual rope to stop her from escaping since her cybernetics couldn’t be removed without severe harm)… Bow man seemed a bit depressed… I’ll see if I can talk with him later.

Despite my earlier morbid claim I still tried my best to only knock out the low level goons swarming us, A former member of theirs turned vigilante I’d shared a drink with had made it clear to me what kind of a troubled life had led them to this.

I couldn’t fault them for trying to find a way out… but when this was over I’d show them a better way.

*BOOM*

On instinct I raised my shield before me as a massive portion of the building blew outwards and a large silhouette flew past me- “WINSTON!”.

I saw Mercy flying overhead to check on him, I meanwhile positioned myself in front of where he was in case whatever or whoever threw him there wanted to follow after him.

I could see a golden glint coming towards me as Doomfist… and Reaper emerged from the ruins… this is gonna be tough.

“Reyes, you were a good man! my friend! Why have you joined terrorists and villians!?” I hoped to touch my former friend's heart- to make him see the horror of what he’d done.

I saw him slightly flinch before spitting back “Overwatch was, IS stuck working through a broken system! The truly evil can get out of any problem with their money or influence! I’d rather be a villain than a hero working for those pretend bastions of peace!”

I countered “And the innocents harmed to achieve your goal? What about them? What about the children who will never see their parents again because of the destruction you’ve caused!?”.

“This world is broken and needs to be fixed! If the price of salvation is having my hands dipped in innocent blood then that is a price I am willing to pay!” He seethed back at me.

I had hoped there was some part of him I could redeem, some way I could bring him back on the right path… It seems I was wrong, anyone who would justify the death of an innocent was pure evil… my friend was gone, now he was only an enemy and an obstacle.

My eyes went hard as I glared at him “You have become the evil you see in the world reaper”.

“And you have become old and senile” He said as he grabbed 2 new shotguns from seemingly nowhere.

This wouldn’t be easy, Sigma, Moira and a whole bunch of goons were keeping the rest of the team busy. Reaper they might be able to handle… but Doomfist was the real issue, he was a savant in battle and I could easily see him killing quite a few people before being apprehended again.

“HAAA” I sent a firestrike between them forcing them to split up- reaper to my right and doomfist to my left. I charged at reaper, I needed him out of the fight so I could focus on the bigger threat.

Swinging my hammer horizontally I felt a shot ping off my armor before he turned into smoke to avoid the blow. 

I quickly brought my shield at an angle to redirect Doomfist to one side as he attacked from behind me, meanwhile Reaper was restructuring himself a good distance away from me.

Turn my back on Doomfist and get a broken spine or turn my back on Reaper and end up looking like swiss cheese?

I choose neither! “HAMMER DOWN!” I knocked down Doomfist before charging Reaper.

He’d only just reformed as I slammed into him!

I spoke briefly as we collided- “Even after everything we would have accepted you”.

I looked him in the eye- “I’ll tell Cassidy you died regretting what you’d done”.

We went a short distance before crashing into a pile of rubble- A pile which was obliterated as Reaper was shot straight through it.

He should be down for the count, I couldn’t check as Doomfist had recovered and thrown a car at me! Blocking a ton of metal being thrown at me was no easy task, my feet dug into the concrete as 2 shallow trenches were dug out while I slid backward, my shield held for a second before shattering and I had to switch to taking the impact upon my arms.

The car gradually stopped but my shield projector wouldn’t work anytime soon and the hardest part of this was still ahead of me.

We eyed each other across the battlefield, I couldn’t feel it but I no doubt had several fractures both from the car and the impact with Reaper, he was marginally better but I knew getting knocked down earlier would have hurt.

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Inside my suit I bought an arm toward my chest, a small syringe in a leather holster being felt around my neck- a parting gift from the most beautiful woman in the world.

I grabbed it and quickly jabbed it into my chest, I could feel myself strengthening as a blue glow manifested all over my body “RAHHHH”.

I ran toward Doomfist as he also charged toward me, meeting in the middle saw an exchange of blows between us, his being stronger but me able to keep up due to my skill with a hammer.

Large parts of my armor cracked and broke under the blows I couldn’t redirect, our battle taking us all over the place as one of us would get thrown back while the other followed.

My armor was dented, cracked and split all over, Doomfist no doubt had a few broken ribs, toes and was bruised enough to look more purple than black.

Despite his injuries he smiled, I got wary. Looking around I saw Mercy and- oh no!

Doomfist leaped toward her as I sped between them getting ready to block the lethal blow… only for it to be a feint as he sent his other fist directly through a hole in my armor and impacting my lungs!

I felt the air leave me as I stilled briefly, Doomfist smirked before looking me in the eyes while saying “Compassion has made you weak old man”.

I smiled at him with blood dripping down my lips and said back “and arrogance has made you predictable” He said nothing back as he shot the blasters on his knuckles into my chest.

The rocket on my back propelled us forward as I grabbed his arm to stop him from pulling away. My other hand swung the hammer which forced him to use the hand with the gauntlet to stop it unless he wanted to be turned into paste.

I leaned forward into his face while going above the limit of what my equipment should safely do, “YOU ARE A COWARD AND A VILLIAN! YOU HAVE NO HONOR! YOU HAVE NO DIGNITY! BUT I SHALL GRANT YOU A WARRIOR'S DEATH REGARDLESS!”.

Cracks started spreading on both my hammer and his gauntlet, the shots in my chest were extremely fatal but the nano boost kept me going that little bit further, we slammed into wall after wall, rubble after rubble, cracks and booms all that could be heard from us… the shots into my chest had stopped but I’d yet to notice.

Crashing through a final wall we came into the main battleground of everyone else just as they were clearing up the stragglers, Doomfist was launched away from me for several tens of meters before impacting the ground.

Hammer and Gauntlet alike had shattered, Doomfist was dead, his entire torso caved inward.

I felt so tired… but there were battles to fight! I couldn’t fall yet! I dimly noticed Brigitte running toward me… I could see tears streaming down her face yet was unable to hear anything she said as my vision was already going dark.

Brigitte POV

I just finished handcuffing a random goon when a wall near us exploded outward- Godfather?

It took a second for the dust to clear, I could already see what remained of doomfist behind me, that piece of work got what he deserved though I hope Reinhardts ok.

I walked toward his silhouette as he stayed eerily silent… as the dust cleared I saw why, his armor dented and broken everywhere, his hammer now without a head and his helmet broken enough to see his unscarred eye, if that wasn’t bad enough I could see a massive hole near his heart with blood flowing from it.

I stood in shock for a moment before running forward to help him with tears in my eyes, patching up his wounds over the years, I'd become very good at seeing how bad an injury really was… I could tell how bad it was but was hoping to be wrong.

I reached his side “REINHARDT, CAN YOU HEAR ME!?” I took off his helmet to check his pulse while noting how his eye had lost focus. One of my hands was attempting to stop the bleeding.

Taking his pulse made me start sobbing uncontrollably… nothing, he was already gone.

As the dust stilled all the other heroes could see what had occurred, the mountain of a man had died the glorious death he had always promised… while still standing tall.

5 years later

Even in death he refused to bend or kneel, the way he stood then would later be immortalized in marble form- an inspiration for every new and aspiring hero. The man, the myth, the legend…

Reinhardt… A Hero and the symbol of peace!

A grand funeral was held a bit back with thousands in attendance… then another with only those to whom he was closest. All the youngsters who had become heroes in their own right, he’d always been there to give advice or help when needed, he’d always been more than happy to be the shoulder to cry on or grandfather who (if not fully understanding) was always willing to try. He wasn’t there to lean on when the tears fell this time.

A documentary on his life was made, showing the struggles he went through while glossing over the mistakes he’d made along the way. Parents who were saved by him named their children in his honor! The now old soldier who’s brother had died due to his past arrogance visited his grave… to forgive him. Many visited his final resting place… a lovely field… next to Ana. Brigitte had shown up at least once a month with flowers, Mercy even offered to bring him back but was refused and told it’s how he would’ve wanted to go… so instead she visited too, and the stoic doctor cried for the man who had died to save her… to save them all. Jack Morrison had visited once, the uptight soldier who was more machine than man had sat and had a whiskey… while pouring out a shot for his friend. 

15 years later

Brigitte had well and truly taken up his mantle, there were few fights left- only the occasional Talon remnants. She had a son now… and named him Thomas Reinhardt Lindholm. Even so many years later his grave was still being visited- a numberless amount of children who had grown up and come to pay respects to their savior. He fought in nearly every major battle, every major conflict. And not once had he left anyone behind, not once had he shied away from making things more difficult to save innocents. 

Even up until his old age where he should have been long retired… he kept fighting. Every scar was another life saved, every broken bone a child free from war… every cut or bruise a price he was willing to pay. And he was able to see as everyone he had saved came to thank him day after day.

An unexpected visitor was an old enemy… Widowmaker. She was accompanied by Winston as they came up to the graves. No words were said, but tears were still shed by both… finally free from conditioning she wanted to visit those she had hurt… to apologize… but it was a shame she wasn’t alive to see it.

73 years later

The crowds of people had stopped visiting a decade or so ago. But Brigitte still came, year after year. Her son had grown up to be a splendid engineer, her husband had passed in his sleep a year ago and Brigitte herself had finally destroyed all Talon remnants 30 years ago. I know this because she told me. Every time she’d visit she’d update me on how her family was going, the latest news and gossip. She’d sit and talk about her life.

“Hahaha… I know how you felt back then you know? The aches and pains that old age brings… you old liar, you told me you didn’t feel a thing!” She had a mock serious expression on her face… before the expression fell- “I miss you old man. Hahahaha! look at me calling you old.” She paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath- “I can feel the end creeping up on me… I’ve already missed my chance for a glorious battle… maybe you were the last this world will have? Either way, this is the last time I’ll be able to visit you, I can feel that I don’t have long left… I just wanted to say goodbye…” Her lip wobbled as if she was on the verge of tears- “I’m so happy I got to learn from you! Thank you.” She then got up and left… and I never saw her again.

“.......................Why… Why are you showing me this?” I turned and looked at the strange being made of stars in the shape of a man next to me.

“........To give you closure.” A robotic voice responded.

“Closure? So that I may pass in peace?” Was this a test after death? To remove all worldly attachments?

“No… so that you may start anew… in a world desperately in need of you… In need of a hero… should you be willing of course.” The robotic voice denied my previous question and instead gave another route.

In need of a hero? I’d already fought my fair share, I’d gone above and beyond for decades past what would have been expected. Every moment trying to make up for the lives I’d ended when I was younger and arrogant. Yet it asked me to fight still? To leave the peace of death and venture once more into battle? I thought back to the children who had visited my grave, the old soldiers who had one after another visited me and forgiven my sins… of the generals parting words to me- “Reinhardt… Live… with honor.”

I looked back up at whatever this thing was- “So… where exactly needs help?”

The entity's face broke into a smile- “A place full of villains. but first… someone wants to meet you.”

I was confused and it showed on my face, someone wanted to meet me?

It didn’t respond but- “I must say Reinhardt, you’re looking quite well.” That voice! It couldn’t be!