Saving Light

Chapter One: Breakfast In Zurich

~ o ~

I'm standing at the edge

But something always brings me back

All the voices in my head

Reminding of what I have

~ o ~

Shambali Monastery, Nepal- 12 AM

"When will you be returning Genji?" asked Zenyatta.

The ninja looked towards the ground and shook his head.

"I am not sure Master...this is something I believe I need to do and I cannot say how long it will take me," he replied.

The monk approached his student before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You have given it much thought then?" he asked.
"Yes Master, I do not think I will be able to move forward without knowing for certain...forgive me if I have chosen an inopportune time to do this," replied Genji.

Zenyatta shook his head and Genji knew that if his master had a true face, he would be smiling proudly.

"You have come a long way since we first met my student and you should know that I am very proud of you," he said.

Genji lowered his head, now beginning to feel doubt creep into his mind.

"You are not the person I met several years ago, now you have the most powerful force of all to guide you...love,"

The ninja smiled behind his mask before bowing respectfully.

"I have you to thank for that master," he replied.
"Take as much time as you need and always remember Genji...follow your heart," said Zenyatta.

With a final nod, Genji turned to the open doors of the monastery. After several more seconds of thought, the ninja took his leave in the helicopter that had arrived for him.

"Thank you Master...for this chance to tell her everything,"

Three Days Later- Zurich, Switzerland

"It's getting late Dr. Ziegler, shouldn't you be heading home right now?"

Mercy shook her head with a tired, yet satisfied smile.

"I still have some work to finish up, you can go home if you'd like Dr. Friede," she replied.

The older doctor nodded slowly before looking down at the mountain of paperwork on her desk.

"Is this all from your trip to Hanamura?" he asked.
"Yes; the Black Talon is developing some sort of weapon that I need to learn more about, so I went ahead and gathered as much intel as I could," she explained.

Friede placed a hand on his chin.

"It's strange; some kind of drug that causes any imbiber to go completely berserk with the mention of a keyword?" he asked.
"I aim to find out everything about this," she replied.

The elder doctor yawned audibly before looking down at his watch to see that it was 1 AM.

"Alright, I will return early in the morning and see what I can uncover, have a good night Dr. Ziegler," he said.
"Good night," she replied.

The doctor took his leave, closing the door behind him. Mercy let out an exhausted breath, feeling her body begin to slow down from the last four late nights in a row.

"...Perhaps it really is time I took a break,"

"Incoming call Dr. Ziegler," said Athena.

Mercy picked up her PDA, only to see that the call was from an unknown source. After ensuring that she wasn't being watched or listened to, she answered it.

"Angela Ziegler speaking," she said.
"Hello Angela,"

She gasped audibly upon realizing whose voice it was.

"G...Genji?" she said.
"Am I interrupting your work?" he replied.

She shook her head vigorously, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"Not at all...you still remember my radio frequency?" she asked.
"How could I forget when we were a part of the same team for months together,"

She smiled to herself.

"...How are you Genji?" she asked.
"I should be asking you that Angela; you travel so often that it amazes me that you haven't collapsed of exhaustion," he replied.
"It is a part of the job; I'm used to it," she said.
"...Do you have some free time this week?"

Her eyes widened upon hearing his question.

"...Why do you ask?"
"Because I want to spend some time with you,"

Mercy then noticed a faint green glow on the glass table in front of her. Upon closer examination, she could see that Genji was peering through the skylight above her. She smiled brightly, thankful that he couldn't see how red her face was upon realizing he traveled so far just to see her.

"Do you have something in mind?"
"I was hoping you could show me around Zurich, perhaps breakfast at the cafe across from your lab?"

She nodded.

"I'd love to...but Genji, what about your-"
"I have already taken precautions, I will not attract attention to us,"

Hearing how determined, yet gentle his words were, she turned around to see the green light but much to her surprise, there was none where his head was supposed to be. She could however, see his silhouette.

"Tomorrow, 8 AM sharp," I said.
"I'll be there...and Angela,"

She didn't take her eyes off of him.

"...It's good to see you again after all this time...I missed your smile,"

Her face turned even redder as the ninja disappeared into the night.

The Following Morning

"Relax...it is only breakfast with an old friend,"

I checked my clothes to ensure that everything was in order, especially my gloves which were the only thing that hid my cybernetic arms from view. I decided to wear a navy blue, long-sleeved sweater with black cotton gloves and a dark green scarf. It was easy to hide my feet because the long black winter pants along with the large boots I wore completely hid the limbs from view. I could only hope that I looked human enough to not draw attention. I looked around the snow-filled town and for some reason...it actually felt peaceful. It was a major change from the monastery, that was so isolated with almost no human presence at all. It really felt different...something that would strangely take some getting used to.

"Genji?"

I must've zoned out completely and upon realizing whose voice it was, I turned around almost instantly. Before me, stood the very woman who has been in my thoughts for the past few months. She however, didn't look like the same person I knew before.

For all the time I've known her, Angela Ziegler was in uniform. Whether it was wearing a lab coat while working at the medical facility or donning her signature Valkyrie suit in the heat of battle, every time I've seen the doctor, she was working. This...was the very first time I've seen her dressed in something else.

"And...she looks beautiful..."

She was wearing a thick, dark brown winter coat with a dark red scarf. From what I could tell, she was wearing a sweater underneath it along with similarly thick brown pants with a pair of fur boots. She looked very happy to see me, with that same heart-warming smile she always had. It took me a moment to gather my senses but I finally gathered the air in my lungs to reply.

"Good morning Angela," I said.

I didn't get to respond before she embraced me in a deep hug. I knew my face was probably as red as a tomato but after having spent so much time pondering everything I feel towards her, I didn't hesitate to return the gesture. A few moments passed until she released me.

"I take it that you aren't used to this?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Civilization is...different considering that I've spent most of my time with master Zenyatta," I replied.
"Do you feel comfortable?" she continued.

I smiled at her before holding one of her hands.

"I do now," I replied.

She blushed profusely for a moment before looking towards the door.

"I take it that you haven't had breakfast in public in a long time?" she asked.
"Very long time...do you have any recommendations?" I replied.

She smiled before holding my hand and pulling me towards the door.

"A lot of them," she replied with a wink.

~ o ~

Two Hours Later

I couldn't remember a time when I had so much fun simply sitting down in a cafe and talking to someone. Perhaps it was because I haven't seen Genji in years, perhaps it was because I really needed this break or maybe...the feelings I've been pondering were a lot more than I thought they were. Regardless, I decided to take Genji to the Chinese Garden, a very popular tourist attraction and a place of historical importance. Though it was snowing right now and the pond was likely frozen, I still believed he could find something to enjoy there.

We left the cafe after I introduced him to two long time favorites of mine: Rösti and Bircherműesli. From what I could tell, he was used to eating almost strictly Japanese food, despite being a high ranking member of the Shimada family in his younger days so sweet things weren't very common. I was glad that I chose those two; he thoroughly enjoyed them, especially the sweet Bircherműesli that the cafe we ate at was famous for. During the two hours we spent there, he told me all about life in the monastery and many of the lessons Zenyatta had taught him. I was genuinely interested in knowing; I was fascinated with the way the Shambali lived their lives and considering that he was able to turn Genji from a selfish playboy into the honorable soul now sitting next to me, it really must work wonders. After the Chinese Garden, perhaps I could take him to Üetliberg when it gets a bit darker; it's a beautiful place in the evening because we would be able to see the whole city from there and it was a simple train ride from the main station up. The hotel is a very nice one as well, so we could perhaps spend a night there before I go back home to clean up.

I felt very embarrassed to show him my home now, so after going to the hotel he checked in at, as well as getting a bag of my own for the night, we set out for the Garden.

"I didn't know Swiss food was so delicious...I regret not coming here sooner," he said.

I laughed softly.

"What did you usually do for fun while at the monastery?" I asked.
"I usually spent a lot of my time in meditation or training to ensure my skills remain sharp," he replied.

I rolled my eyes as I took a right turn.

"What did you do back when you lived in Hanamura?" I continued.
"I spent a lot of time in casinos as well as in dojos...so not that much has changed apart from my lack of desire to gamble," he replied.

I nodded slowly, now admiring him more because he let go of a destructive habit.

"Well, you might find the Garden enjoyable...it's beautiful this time of year despite the pond being mostly frozen," I explained.
"Just being there with you is enough for me to enjoy it,"

He once again caught me off guard with his sweet words and I couldn't help but blush at them.

"...I wanted to ask you something Angela," he began.
"What is it?" I replied.

He was quiet for a moment until he looked up at me, his dark eyes locking onto me.

"Do you think that those with cybernetics can live in harmony with those without?" he asked.

I stopped at the red light before putting my hand to my chin.

"Humanity is always afraid of what it cannot understand...but I do believe a day will come where no one has to hide anymore," I replied.
"It is a day I hope comes soon; it's strange having to wear long sleeved clothing over limbs that cannot truly get cold," he said.

I smiled before placing my hand on his.

"You can feel everything just fine can't you?" I asked.

He offered me a smile of his own.

"This warmth...is not something I will forget," he replied.

His grip on my hand tightened slightly, prompting me to blush again. In the corner of my eye, I could see that he was too. It took us a few more minutes, but we finally arrived at the Garden.

"Shall we go inside?" I asked.
"After you," he replied.

We got out of the car as I led him into the Garden. His eyes lit up upon noticing all of the beautiful paintings on the ceiling of the building, as well as the numerous still life and landscape paintings.

"...Beautiful," he said in awe.
"It's been around since 1993 and it's a very popular place for tourists...I get in here whenever I want to because of my work," I said.

His eyes hovered over a particular painting, which depicted a dragon laying on the top of a mountain. In the distance, was a lone woman standing on a mountain as well and based on the dragon's facial expression, it seemed like...it was longing. Soon, I began to see just how well it related to us and I immediately turned my attention to something else in order to hide the unconscious smile that had ghosted my face.

"This one looks recent...whoever did this certainly has talent," he said.
"Sometimes, prominent works from the art school here in Zurich are selected to be put on display, these will likely be taken down before winter is over to make room for new ones," I explained.

His hand ghosted over the dragon as he turned back to me.

"...This reminds me of my brother," he said.

I could feel the hollowness in his voice as I quickly approached him and held his hand.

"You already forgave Hanzo...and if he still rejects you then that is not your fault Genji...he will come around one day," I assured.

He was quiet for a moment until he nodded slowly.

"It is another reason why I await the day mechanicals and humans can live together without looking at each other in disdain," he said.

I squeezed his hand, feeling concern wash over my face as I then hugged the entire arm, resting my cheek on his shoulder.

"If you ever want to talk about him...I'm right here for you," I whispered.

He responded by squeezing my hand and laying his cheek on top of my head.

"I know...thank you Angela,"

Definitions:

Rösti: A Swiss potato dish that is served similarly in the style of a fritter. Normally served in tandem with another breakfast entree. It is a relatively salty dish, but extremely popular in Switzerland, as well as around the world.

Bircherműesli: A medley of breakfast items that make up a balanced meal. It is very similar to that of cereal, but is not eaten with milk and instead with cream or evaporated milk. It is a light breakfast that is meant to give a lot of energy due to the primary ingredient being oats or nuts. A very popular breakfast dish in Switzerland.

Üetliberg: A part of the Swiss plateau. It is a small mountain that overlooks the entire city of Zurich as well as the Lake Of Zurich. There is also a hotel on the mountain known as the Uto Kulm. It is a popular tourist location as the view of Zurich is beautiful.