WARNING! Major graphic violence and cursing as well!
... Srsly, you guys, I went all out on this one. Should I change the rating because of this? Oo
4.
In Hanzo's opinion, the absolute worst way to go was when you didn't see it coming. He had been brought up as a warrior, he valued bravery and he did value honor… even if he didn't have the luxury to practice it every time. When you fought and lost, at least you saw the killing blow coming, and you could tell yourself that "goddamnit, I did everything I could".
But being killed by something sudden, like… like… an international train crashing through the wall of the building you were unfortunate enough to stand next to? That was terrible.
The site of the disaster was in complete chaos. The station's main hall stood only partially, most of it collapsed into a heap of fire, bricks and steel beams. Six giant husks of trains stuck out of them, sprawled out on the streets, three of them ended up in the nearby buildings, completely demolishing them. They were twisted like giant earthworms that dried out on the sun, some parts of them didn't even touch the ground. The morning rush-hour had just begun, it was clear the number of casualties rocketed sky-high, and the number of witnesses was even bigger. An ideal situation for someone to stir up chaos and gain attention. Six trains all suddenly flying across the wall of the station? That could not have been an accident.
Hanzo caught up with Zenyatta and the two of them stopped before the building. Around them fire blazed, people and omnics screamed and scrambled away, while sirens wailed in the proximity. Most of the street was covered in debris, chunks of stone, bricks, glass and steel, but there were also injured and dead people who stood in the way of the flying fragments or the trains themselves. Zenyatta rushed to a man who was still moving, slowly dragging himself across the cobblestone pavement with his arms. His left leg was gone under the knee and his blood gathered in small streams between the stones. He was obviously in shock, muttering to himself incoherently. Hanzo jumped there as well.
- Stay with me, young man! Help is on its way – Zenyatta talked to the guy, trying to keep him in this world.
Hanzo looked at the injury then reached up to his hair and with a hard yank removed one of the grey ribbons from it. He knelt down and tied it around the leg just above the knee, pulling it as tight as it would go, while Zenyatta kept the man in one place. In the meantime he thanked the heavens he hadn't eaten anything lately: he wasn't one hundred percent sure he could have held onto his meal in this situation.
He saw the ambulances and the firetrucks pulling up as close to the crash site as possible. Good, they weren't alone in this.
- Oh by the Iris – Zenyatta whispered, staring at one of the trains.
Hanzo followed his gaze and his blood froze in his veins. Up until this point, he thought that at least the trains had been empty, they were only used as battering rams. Now he realized just how wrong he had been. The nearest wreck was twisted upside down, most of its windows shattered but some still in place, even if they were webbed with cracks. On such cracked window was significantly darker than the rest and at first, Hanzo couldn't figure out why was that.
Then a bloody palm pressed weakly against the glass, smearing it, and he realized there was a blood-drenched body inside, a passenger that was still alive.
Whoever did this, didn't just use empty trains. They targeted the ones that had been arriving here.
Oh God…
Hanzo jumped up and ran up to the window. The human behind the glass was a woman, half of her face covered in blood, most of her long hair gone from the side due to a massive cut that ran across her skull. Their eyes met for a second and the woman mouthed "help".
- This way, Hanzo!
The Japanese looked to his right, catching a glimpse of Zenyatta as the omnic climbed up to the entrance of the trainset that was slightly turned toward the sky. He followed the monk inside and got completely disoriented in the first second. The wagon was upside down so the seats were sticking out of the "ceiling" and everything that wasn't screwed to its place gathered on the "ground", including luggages, plates, all kinds of papers and other litter, and the passengers as well, most of them already dead. Everything was splattered with blood and food. Hanzo and Zenyatta had to climb through the wagon carefully, checking every human and omnic on their way. Some of them had an extreme stroke of luck and were still conscious with non-threatening injuries. After being shaken back to life, they started exiting the vehicle slowly. The not so lucky ones were already gone, most of them bashed their heads in or broke their necks from the impact.
Getting the woman out of there was a hard task. She was trapped between two seats and was already slipping from blood loss. Hanzo pulled her out as carefully as possible while Zenyatta found a piece of cloth from a nearby luggage and bandaged her head with it tightly. Other than that horrible cut, she seemed to escape other mayor injuries, maybe her ankle was twisted. During the rescue, Hanzo made the mistake of looking at the other end of the wagon. He immediately snapped his head in the opposite direction but couldn't unsee the carnage in there. The passengers there were all dead, mostly stabbed across and mutilated by numerous steel beams that pierced through the weak outer layer of the train, probably from the roof of the station. One in particular cut a man in half, his upper body lied among the luggages like a disturbing doll, his entrails dangling out of his torso.
Hanzo and Zenyatta dragged the woman out of the wagon. The ambulance men and doctors were waiting for them, taking the injured over. They jumped down to the pavement, their hands and feet covered in blood.
- This is horrible – Zenyatta choked out. – I've been in this city for days now. The morning rush hour would be around now here… all those people…
Hanzo looked at the collapsed building. There was no telling how many humans and omnics had been inside in the moment of the disaster, and how many of them were still alive. The authorities would eventually get inside, but they had to attend to the injured on the outside first. Most victims would die by then.
- We have to check – Hanzo panted, once again battling with nausea despite his stomach being completely empty. – Maybe we can find survivors and escort them out.
Zenyatta looked at him and nodded, determined.
- Wise words, young man… Overwatch would gain much from your help.
Hanzo almost tackled a fire fighter by one of the vehicles.
- I need a mask against smoke! Quickly! – he grabbed the poor guy by his collar.
- Wha—? – the man choked out before he was freed by his commander from the grasp.
- Please, sir, calm down and leave the area – the commanding officer snapped at Hanzo. – It is not safe—
- We are volunteering to rescue people who are trapped in the station – Zenyatta chimed in, in his best, most reassuring tone. – If you could provide my partner here with a mask, that would be wondrous.
- I am sorry but this is an emergency situation, we cannot accept the help of civilians in this matter – the fire fighter shook his head.
Suddenly a bright yellow orb appeared over his left shoulder, and the man's face became serene and almost hopeful. Hanzo blinked at the weird phenomenon then glanced at Zenyatta who seemed completely calm.
- Please, sir, see reason – the omnic almost cooed. – We are trained to handle situations like these. It is not our first time on the front lines, either. I understand your objections, but think about all the lives you can potentially save if you allow us to go in before you and find the survivors. You won't even have to put your own men in danger.
-… Yes… alright… that can be arranged – the man slowly nodded like he was daydreaming all of a sudden.
- Now… would you kindly give us that mask against the smoke, please? – the omnic asked politely.
The officer called for one of his men to bring one to them. Hanzo put it on then Zenyatta quickly excused themselves and they made a run for the building.
- What was that? – Hanzo looked at his companion, his face covered with a transparent blue mask made of the very same energy-fiber the police strikeforce uses. At the edge of the mask there were two small tubes, one for sucking in and cleaning the outer air and one for letting out the carbon-dioxide.
- Orb of Harmony – the omnic waved. – Strengthens one's inner focus and peace and helps them admit their wishes. That man didn't wish to see his own hurt and also wanted to save as many as possible, so I… encouraged him to realize that.
Hanzo made a mental note to never, ever mess with this guy.
They ran to the station, climbing over the heaps of bricks and other debris. The inside was like a labyrinth that sprung straight out of Hell. Rubble covered everything, half-molten steel beams hang from the ceiling. With a terrible snap, one of them actually broke right before their eyes and crashed into the ground, pulverizing the bricks lying under it. There were mountains of rubble that was on fire, while high-voltage wires dangled from above or snaked across the floor, occasionally spitting sparks. The hall had ten platforms inside, six of them completely trashed and ploughed by the trains that flew out of the building. Three were empty and one held one more train that stayed on the tracks, but was on fire and buried partially by rubble. Despite the large chunks of roof missing, an eerie red-hued darkness enveloped everything due to the massive amount of dark grey smoke filled with embers that oozed from every corner and fire. Hanzo noted uneasily that they couldn't even see most of the ceiling, so they had no idea when they would walk under a dangerously unstable beam.
- Where are the injured? – Zenyatta whispered, not daring to talk louder.
The Japanese looked more closely and had to agree with the omnic: even though they stood on a smaller hill of debris that provided some eyeshot over the chaos, not a single body could be seen, human or omnic. Not even limbs that would stuck out from under the ruins, nothing.
-… It couldn't have been empty when the disaster happened – Hanzo said, his instincts tingling that something was not right here.
They shared a glance then slowly began their descend into the hellish labyrinth, having no other option.
- Even if the injured somehow crawled out without us noticing it… there should be casualties – Zenyatta mumbled, making careful steps. – Why aren't we seeing anyone?
Hanzo didn't have an answer for that but it seemed both of them had the same idea: keep quiet.
A metallic clang filled the air, ringing over the ever present cracking of fire and the creaking of steel. Zenyatta and Hanzo froze, their heads snapping in the direction of the sound. Next to them a wall of beams and trapezoid aluminum covering panels jumbled together rose, and the sudden noise came from somewhere beyond that. Hanzo slowly unhooked his bow from his shoulder. That clang was so… out of place. Zenyatta seemed to think so too as his necklace began to orbit slightly faster, the lines on his orbs lighting up.
They continued their journey, paying far more attention to where they stepped than before. It took them a while to realize it, but soon they heard certain things: occasional muffled thuds that almost melted into the background noise; the barely audible clacking of pebbles as they rolled around, maybe falling off of a heap; cracking of glass, creaking of steel that almost sounded like footsteps.
Hanzo felt his throat dry out as they sneaked deeper. A single shared glance with Zenyatta confirmed his suspicion: they weren't alone here. Soon they stumbled upon an alarming sign. As they walked in the dark haze, they slowly circled around a large hill of bricks. On the other side a giant blood-pool was smeared across the ground and some of the bricks. The body was nowhere to be seen but a trail started out from the stain. It wasn't long but it pointed to one direction. The lines were straight like they were drawn by a ruler, making it clear that the injured did not crawl away but was pulled away, and rather hurriedly too.
Those muffled thud noises were a bit louder now too.
A few more meters of sneaking and then…
- No—! Stay away! – cried out a painful male voice and loud scattering noises erupted from beyond the wall of steel beams they were currently passing.
Hanzo and Zenyatta froze up at the sound. Someone was dragging himself across the floor with panicked urgency, followed by the slow but heavy footsteps of another. Suddenly an injured man appeared from around the corner, maybe 7 meters away from them. He was bleeding heavily from his side and his left arm and his legs barely moved. He flailed like a fish on the ground, desperately trying to get away from something. He hadn't noticed the two infiltrators, his eyes, wide with shock and fear, were fixated on a spot behind him, still hidden behind the wall. He flopped onto his back and screamed frantically:
- Don't kill me!
Then a metallic click filled the air.
Hanzo grabbed Zenyatta's shoulder and flung him behind a collapsed piece of a roof, its aluminum plating littered with holes and cracks. As he dove after the omnic, he heard the characteristic loud boom of a shotgun that still barely muffled the sickeningly wet spluttering sound as the poor human's head was blown to bits on the ground.
It took every ounce of Hanzo's willpower to stop himself from picturing the scene in detail. He sat on the ground with his shocked companion, heart racing madly in his chest. With a loud gulp he forced himself to slowly turn his head to the side and peek through one of the holes of their cover.
Through the opening he saw the legs of the now dead human limply stretching out on the floor, a rapidly growing pool of blood enveloping them. Then a dark boot came down with a heavy smack besides the corpse and Hanzo's heart rocketed into his throat when he recognized the metallic belt strapped around with explosive grenade-shells. The same masked man in dark clothes and two shotguns from the square last night now stood over his latest kill. Zenyatta twitched violently next to him, his systems still in a slight shock at the sudden change of events, but he too was watching the scene.
The skull-masked freak looked down on the corpse, his face just as unreadable as any robot's, then slowly sank onto one knee besides it. He reached out, his lower arm covered by heavy armored glove that ended in claws rather than fingers, and grasped the man's chest soaked with blood. Hanzo shifted so he could see more, but immediately regretted his decision. Not that he could look away…
He couldn't decide what was worse to see: the blown-up, mangled face of the victim… or the way his body shriveled under the touch of the masked man. The hands, that weren't covered by clothes, turned to sickly gray at first, then dried out, the fingers curling like the legs of a dead spider. The skin shrank rapidly, tightening around the skeleton and a few bulkier blood vessels. The clothes, damped with blood, seemingly "deflated" as well, allowing the contours of the ribcage, the pelvis… and even a few organs like the stomach to show up from under it.
The masked man stood up and stepped away from the now mummified husk of the man. He breathed deeply then coughed violently a few times. His body suddenly lost its physical appearance, became a black cloud of smoke that swirled around madly for a few moments, before solidifying again.
- Throw this one to the pile as well – he said, casually dusting his black coat off. His voice was hollow, hoarse and somewhat weak-sounding, yet it held a cruel edge that promised a painful death to anyone defying the orders given.
A soldier marched there, in black uniform and a dark grey-skull patterned gas mask. He grabbed the corpse's leg like it was a mere garbage bag and hauled it out of sight.
- Talon – Zenyatta choked out, his entire nerve and logic system probably shut down from the terror.
The masked man turned to their direction at this.
Hanzo almost jumped and shrieked as an earth-shattering crash sounded up from behind them. The ghost guy merely stood there, then huffed and walked back to where he came from. The Japanese forced himself to look back. A giant steel beam lied on the ground not too far from them, dust and smoke swirling around it. It was molten in many parts and could no longer stay up high on the ceiling. But it might just have saved their lives by creating a distraction.
- He—he k—killed that man… Took his soul away! – Zenyatta stammered, his calm collected self nowhere to be seen now. – I—I…
- Stay here – Hanzo put his hand on the metallic shoulder, trying to sound brave. – I'll scout ahead then come back.
The Japanese crouched down, crawling forward on four, every twitch of movement calculated, every step carefully inspected before being taken. He too was shaken to his core. This… this masked thing was a ghost afterall… A life-sucking demon of sorts. Yet despite his racing heart in his throat, the almost crippling fear that grabbed his every muscle, Hanzo was completely collected. The world around him sharpened, the colors, more vibrant, the sounds, clearer. His training once again kicked in and took over when his common sense simply couldn't function without breaking down.
He remembered all those times he went out to hunt with his family in the nearby forest of Hanamura. That too was part of the training, because sometimes the targets had to be stalked and followed as if they were deer. Swoop like a shadow, silent like the air. If Hanzo failed to bring game back home, he would not get a proper meal.
It was the same thing, he told himself, keeping his focus. The stakes were only a bit higher this time.
With nerve-wrecking slowness, he reached the end of the steel wall and peeked over the corner. Before him spread a larger clearing, roughly circle-shaped. It was artificially cleared out to make room for… for…
Hanzo almost gagged at the sight and thanked the heavens he was wearing a gas mask.
The largest source of the darkest smoke was a bonfire of immense size. It was at least the width of a smaller truck, its flames bright like the sun, filling the entire station with that eerie red glow. And it was feeding off of the victims caught in the building. Human and omnic bodies were stocked high, most of them already lost their flesh and plating and only the skeletons remained. But new ones always came. Talon operatives walked around it, dragging dead and freshly killed people from among the ruins then flung them into the flames, causing those thud sounds. The masked ghost stood before the fire, admiring the hellish sight. Some of the human corpses were tossed to him which he leisurely harvested, placing his clawed palms upon them. The stench of burning flesh must have been all-consuming, if they weren't all wearing masks.
Hanzo retreated as quickly as possible without making any noise.
… These fuckers need to die.
He had no idea what Talon wanted, what they could possibly gain from all this horror, and he no longer cared either. Scumbags like them did not deserve to live, and this time, Hanzo wouldn't kill because it was his job. He would do it to rid the world of them! He absent-mindedly reached up to his quiver to feel the fletching of his arrows, and his thoughts about how he's going to shoot every last one of them came to a screeching halt, along with the blood in his veins.
He only had three arrows on him. According to the shapes of the feathers, a sonic arrow, a scatter arrow and a simple hunting arrow. That's it.
Hanzo bit down on a stream of curses as he crawled back to the hiding place. Zenyatta looked at him nervously, hands twitching occasionally. The scene witnessed completely knocked him out of his balance.
- They are burning the victims – Hanzo said in a low voice as he settled down. – They are clearing out the building and throw the bodies on a bonfire. All of them are armed. There is at least twenty of them, if not more, plus that… thing.
- He—he harvests souls… It's beyond nature—that man is beyond nature, it's— – Zenyatta stuttered, horrified, optics glued to the ground.
- Zenyatta, look at me, damnit! – Hanzo grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently, hissing in an urgent tone. – I know you are scared. Hell, I'm completely terrified, but if we lose our heads here, we will die! We need to come up with a plan to stop these fuckers.
Zenyatta nodded rapidly that he understood. It was clear he was forcing himself to try and focus beyond the terror.
- What can you tell me about these guys? Anything that Genji had said – Hanzo asked, letting go of him.
- Not much… he didn't know much else, either – Zenyatta mused, trying to recall everything. – They… they have very advanced weaponry, they are equipped with cables and shockers to trap people… Very well organized, too. Their leader… his name is Reaper… by the Iris, I thought it was only a name…
- Scumbag sure knows how to make a scene – Hanzo frowned at the steel wall obscuring the bonfire. – But surely he can be killed.
- That's just it… He can't! – it was Zenyatta's turn to grab his shoulders, slipping back into panic with increasing speed. – Genji told me everything Winston had said. He killed this thing, disintegrated it! Yet… a week later Reaper shows up again on the news with a new victim.
Hanzo swallowed hard, fighting his own fear. If he allows himself to panic, then they are both dead. Zenyatta was obviously a wise omnic, clever too, but even he wasn't immune to terror. Someone had to keep it together here.
- There has to be an explanation for this – he growled lowly, then took a deep breath. – Alright… Zenyatta, go outside and tell everyone to leave as fast as they possibly can. Tell them that the terrorist group responsible for this is inside the building and they are armed to the boot. Have them call in a SWAT team or something, use that Orb of yours if you have to!
- What about you? Don't tell me you want to stay in here – the omnic nervously tangled his own fingers together, but it seemed he once again escaped the clutches of total hysteria. Good.
- I'll stay behind for a bit – Hanzo explained. – Spy on them, try to learn as much as I can, then I'll leave too.
- This isn't a good idea.
- Do you have a better one?
- Let's leave together and warn everyone.
- What if they have some kind of heavy weaponry that can kill an entire squad if they don't know about it? I can sneak around them without being detected and gather information. Meanwhile, as not to lose any time, you will go out and help evacuate the area.
Zenyatta clearly wanted to say something to this, but remained silent.
- If we move swiftly, we can win this. Work with me, alright? – Hanzo said, checking his bow.
-… Alright – Zenyatta bowed his head, surrendering to the lack of options.
He began levitating again as not to alert Talon with his steps then drifted away as fast as he could, but still reluctantly. Hanzo crouched down again and sneaked among the ruins, trying to chart the surroundings in the meantime. He discovered a few "tunnels" of sorts, under the ruins at some parts that could be potential escape routes for him, so he made a note of them. He went in the opposite direction than last time, carefully watching out for roaming Talon operatives. Obstacles and corridors, possible hiding spots, he memorized them all then, after finding a good enough spot under a metal "tent" of aluminum panel and steel beams, he began his spying mission.
The soldiers looked completely identical, maybe their heights differed a bit. They all wore the same black uniforms with the same gasmasks, their eyes glowed red for some unexplained reason. They had machine guns, modified with cables and quite sturdy-looking body armor. Their leader, Reaper looked relatively normal, only a few times did random waves of black smoke roll off of his coat. His shotguns were concealed under its wings. Hanzo couldn't spot any other extra weaponry or technology. It was clear that the bonfire was the main gathering spot for the group, so, by logic, it would have also meant it was the main storage ground as well for the equipment. But the soldiers had nothing besides what was already on them. Hanzo had to hope it was truly the case that they didn't have some nasty surprise up their sleeves.
They've got a life-sucking, dual shotgun-wielding actual fucking ghost on their side! What other kind of "nasty surprise" could they possibly need?!
Oh right…
He tried to spot some kind of order or rhythm in their movement. Surely, they were patrolling the area. But no… they appeared to walk around randomly. And they also appeared to return from their rounds with less and less bodies, showing that they were almost done emptying the building, or at least the area around the bonfire. Hanzo pursed his lips, knowing that it could not be a good sign. Reaper slowly circled around the fire, drawing closer to his hiding spot. The Japanese's muscles tensed, ready to jump should the bastard pull out a shotgun, but the Talon commander merely passed before him.
Then he stopped as one of the soldiers walked up to him. Hanzo had to strain his ears, but he could make out the words:
- Sir, we can no longer find any bodies in the area. No sign of any activity either.
-… It's been hours – hissed Reaper. – And yet not a single one of them shows up… Disappointing, truly.
- Sir, your orders?
Hanzo fought the urge to curse loudly as he heard the very last words he wanted hear in this situation:
- Gather up and let's move out. If killing civilians didn't get their attention… the killing of authorities will – Reaper gave the order.
Hanzo realized he had minutes to decide as the Talon operatives, 25 of them began massing in the clearing. They were moving to attack the rescue squads gathered around the station's ruins. He had no idea just how much time exactly had passed since Zenyatta left but he was pretty damn sure the area wasn't evacuated. As he slowly backed out of his hiding place, he tried to calculate how much time it would take him to get out in the open and warn everyone. He could probably move faster than these guys, but he also had to remain quiet and undetected, which immediately flung his advantage of speed out the window. Even if he manages to somehow outpace them, he was sure he wouldn't have enough time to relay the warning to everyone and have them be prepared for the frontal assault. Maybe the strike force hadn't even arrived yet…
No… Hanzo, damnit, don't you fucking dare to say—
I'll have to gain their attention.
GOD, NO! You're gonna get yourself killed for people you literally don't know anything about?!
… No. I'm going to save lives. As many as I can with only three arrows.
You are an idiot.
Yes, I am. Help me out here, will ya? This will be the ultimate test of my archery.
Hanzo began tailing the terrorist group. Talon moved out, walking inside the labyrinth, with the Japanese remaining in their shadow. Reaper was walking at the end of the group, his arms leisurely hanging by his side. He was clearly relaxed, probably due to the meal he just had. Hanzo wanted to spit in his face. For a brief moment he considered making some noise and leading his pursuers back inside the station, but he quickly dismissed it. He had to delay the whole group, and that move would only grant him partial attention.
He checked his arrows again as he sneaked by the group's side, his tired brain desperately trying to come up with a plan that actually worked. Okay, sonic arrow… not much use right now, maybe for later. Hunting arrow… again, later (his tattoo on his left arm tingled at this). That leaves the scatter one. If he shot it in just the right angle, it could take out or injure at least half of the soldiers. His gaze traveled up to the ceiling. It was mostly covered in thick smoke, but every once in a while he could swear he saw the beams stretching out over their heads.
Okay, if we are really going to do this, then you'd better fucking do it in the flashiest way possible. You've gotta go out in style, afterall.
Not necessarily the "flashiest", but definitely the "most effective" way possible. Yeah, I hear you.
Hanzo licked his dry lips then set out. He swooped forward, passing Talon, and began ascending one of the debris hills, staying on the side that was hidden from them. He lied down near the peak, straining his eyes to see through the smog above his head. Nothing. He gritted his teeth in effort, but still couldn't catch a glimpse. Damnit, he couldn't just wing it in this situation, he had to know for sure!
The terrorists almost reached his hill by then. Hanzo glanced at them in worry, then his eyes caught something: the soldiers had to pass through a relatively narrow opening between his hill and another one. One that just happened to have a mostly upright-standing beam stuck out of it, in the perfect angle for his arrow.
Wow, how the fuck did you miss that?!
I… I don't know.
You do realize you won't last for long without your usual assassin-instincts and lessons, right? Do pay more attention to the surroundings, darling!
I didn't have much sleep, alright?! And I also happened to run 5 rounds around King's Row two separate occasions and in under 10 hours! Are you really that surprised that I'm failing?
No, you have always been failing in your whole life. But goddamnit, if you want to at least slow these fuckers down for a second, you'd better get your—Crap, here they come!
Hanzo snapped out of his inner argument just as Talon entered the small "canyon". With a loud battle cry he sprung to his feet and shot at the steel beam. Naturally, every head turn into his direction and between the surprised shouts and the grabbing of their weapons, literally no one saw the rain of arrows sailing straight towards their scruffs. Hanzo caught a glimpse of several heads getting stabbed from behind through the helmets as he dove behind the hill, skidding down on its slope, a few glass pieces shredding his clothes at some parts. As his feet hit the solid ground, his mind finally registered what he saw and dread spread across his limbs.
He hadn't seen Reaper among the soldiers back there.
- Hanzo Shimada…
The Japanese just had enough time to dodge to the side as shotgun-fire sprayed the air there a fraction of a second later. He frantically retreated among the ruins, basically leaping backwards. Reaper somehow got behind him before the scatter arrow could hit and now was in pursuit, his deadly weapons drawn and trained on his head.
Shotguns have small range, Hanzo, you'd better keep your ass out of that range! Or else this will be the shortest heroic display the world has ever not known.
- A pleasure to meet you finally – Reaper hissed.
With his next jump, Hanzo landed on an unstable heap of bricks that, naturally, crumbled under the impact, sending him to the floor with a painful smack. Not even thinking, he rolled to the side, slipping into a narrow passage under one of the debris-hills from the ghost's assault. He heard the shotguns hitting the rubble above him and it urged him to scramble faster through the tunnel.
He emerged into a place that seemed like a twisted forest of iron and steel. Here a pretty large chunk of the roof caved in, but didn't flatten on the ground rather created this strange and terrifying maze of beams, rods, panels and a few shreds of the water insulation layers that softly waved in the heated, constantly moving air. Hanzo gulped as he dug his way deeper into the "forest". He heard the shouting of Talon operatives in the distance and the barked orders of Reaper that were too raspy to make out. He had no idea how big this place was. Suddenly a dark shape appeared before one of the red light sources into this forest. Reaper stood in the entrance, one of his shotguns raised.
- Your family is truly a great asset to our cause, Mr. Shimada – he said in a calm tone. – All those connections, all those tricks, all those hidden resources… A fine organization. And all they ask in return is your head.
Oh, well, that explains certain things…
- Also… have you by chance received the recall message from Overwatch? – the wraith went on, slowly making his way into the maze as well. – I call situations like these the classic "two birds with one stone" setups.
Hanzo knew better than to answer. Inside the "forest" the semi-darkness grew ominously deep, but he could catch glimpses of a wide shadow swooping across the ruins occasionally and positioned himself according to that.
- You do know you cannot escape from me forever, right? Eventually you'll tire out. But I'll just keep going – Reaper went on, ducking under a beam as he waded among the obstacles.
Okay, so these assholes found you thanks to your little brother. Genji's a jerk…
I kinda killed him, if you recall. His spite would be understandable. But even if he hated me, I'm pretty certain he didn't intentionally get me into this.
Whatever. At least deck this son of a bitch in the face before he kills you, alright?
Hanzo slowly grabbed a metal pole that wasn't stuck and tried to get a clear view of his enemy. They slowly waltzed around the steel beams, not really knowing where the other one was, but searching tirelessly. Hanzo's entire body was tensed with fear and adrenaline and he had a hard time keeping control of his slow, calculated movements. A part of him wanted to jump, to run, to pounce this monster from behind and stab his head through with this pole, but he knew that wasn't an option. Between two beams he finally caught a glimpse of Reaper. Hanzo changed his grip on the pole and hurled it like a javelin with all of his might, straight at the monster's head. The ghost turned in his direction and the weapon sailed right through him as he turned into black smoke and sank into the ground.
Fuck this guy.
Hanzo decided to run, stealth be damned at the moment. He tore off, jumping over obstacles, he saw dark mist rise up from the floor where he just stood a second ago, urging him to flee faster. He had to get out of this maze, he realized. Currently his only weapon against Reaper was his mobility and he couldn't utilize that in here. Reaper had the firepower, he had the ability to stay out of his range.
And what about the rest of Talon, dumbass?
I don't know, but I dearly wish I could deal with them right now!
Hanzo dove through a bunch of rods and ended up rolling over his head on solid ground in a big open space. Regaining his footing he leapt as far as possible, just as the entrance to the steel forest behind him blew up. He ended up in one end of the clearing, while Reaper slowly stepped out on the other, coat still emitting black smoke. It caught the Japanese's attention, and an idea began to formulate in his head regarding his sonic arrow.
- Where are the others? – Reaper asked, stopping.
Neither of them made a move to get closer to the other.
- If you mean survivors, then I have to disappoint you. They have been transported away – Hanzo answered, panting hard.
- Who gives a shit about the civilians, idiot?! – Reaper growled. – I meant the rest of the Overwatch. Where are they hiding?
- How should I know? I'm not a member.
- But you've received the recall message. You will join their ranks, correct?
- Didn't have much time to decide yet. You know, with all the running away from you guys recently…
Seriously, what are you doing?!
I have to get him to disintegrate again!
What, why—?! … Oooooh, okay, I see. Damn, if you can actually pull that off, kudos to you, good sir.
Let me concentrate here, okay?
- I thought the Shimada took great pride in their bravery and assassination skills – Reaper laughed, his voice churning up Hanzo's stomach.
- Didn't they tell you I no longer belonged to the clan? – Hanzo asked, his muscles tensed. – I have left 10 years ago. And they actually mixed it up with your bunch? Then I am quite relieved I am no longer part of them.
- And they will be relieved by the news of your death – Reaper hissed before launching forward.
He put his shotguns away and turned into a cloud of black mist as he sailed through the air with hair-rising speed. Hanzo dashed aside, his right hand grabbing the sonic arrow's fletching. He actually managed to dodge the main assault, but Reaper suddenly lashed out with half-formed claws and got his face. More specifically the gasmask on his face. The device went flying, broken and no longer of use, and Hanzo stumbled backwards, almost falling over. He gasped out of instinct, and immediately his lungs were filled with the smoke and the dry air, burning his trachea in the process. He coughed violently, eyes watering from the smog. Despite this (or maybe because of this), his body switched to auto-pilot and he took aim with his bow.
Reaper was reforming, sure of his victory now. Even if the little idiot evades him further, the air in the station would kill him. But just when his body reached the state of being halfway between untouchable cloud and normal physical form, an arrow flew into him and got stuck in his chest. Reaper looked down at the projectile in mild surprise. At first he didn't feel a thing and began to laugh at the pathetic attempt. Then he felt a giant bubble appear inside his form and expand rapidly. The "bubble" quickly turned into a wave that washed over his every cell, scattering them, disturbing them, causing a horrible, long-since-felt pain. And then another wave came. And another…
Hanzo fell to his knees after the shot, desperately trying to stop the racking cough that threatened to plow up his throat in the inside. Unfortunately, each breath he had managed to gulp down only worsened his condition. He covered his nose and mouth with the end of his sleeve and forced himself to somehow regulate his breaths as much as it was possible. Hearing the incredibly satisfying (yet a bit terrifying) screams of pain coming from his opponent helped with that. Hanzo stood up on shaky feet, his breathing becoming more and more controlled as he watched the ghost's struggle with burning eyes. His sonic arrow was emitting soundwave after soundwave, disrupting the cohesion of Reaper's cells or particles or whatever, making him lose control over them. It looked like he was about to fall apart like he was made out of sand, his body waving in a disturbing way (like the abdomen of a termite queen).
Despite the unnerving image and the even worse sounds coming from the ghost, Hanzo right there and then couldn't imagine a more beautiful sight.
Rifle fire filled the air not too far from them, men and omnics shouted orders to each other and sometimes bright yellow lights flashed up among the ruins. Hanzo looked there, not daring to hope. He saw a Talon operative standing on a smaller hill, frantically shooting down at something before getting tackled by a police officer in body armor.
Well, what do you know? The magic mojo monk tin can really came through!
The police strike force had finally arrived and infiltrated the burning inferno in order to locate the terrorists. Those yellow flashes had to be Zenyatta, doing some of his weird magic probably. Hanzo began running towards the commotion as fast as his burning lungs allowed him, leaving behind the still struggling Reaper with his sonic arrow. He rounded a pile of rubble and he saw Zenyatta in the haze, shooting his orbs with an efficiency that hadn't been present during their fight in the cathedral. The omnic was hovering like usual, but when a Talon soldier pounced him, he kicked him in the stomach with both legs, completely incapacitating the attacker. He sometimes shot a purple orb at the enemy or a yellow one at the police, but other than that he stayed behind the main front line.
Hanzo tried to shout to get his attention but his lungs flared up with almost blinding pain at this and he stumbled forward, almost falling on his face in mid-run. Still, Zenyatta noticed him and rushed towards him.
Holy shit, you might just actually survive this—
Lights flashed up on Zenyatta's body in alarm as he pointed behind Hanzo's back and shouted something the Japanese couldn't hear over the ear-shattering bang of a shotgun.
Hanzo smacked into the ground, skidding at least a meter forward. His mind and senses went blank for a few moments, he didn't even really feel the impact. He had no idea what just happened, only that he was apparently lying on his right side, his bow beyond arm's reach. He blinked in surprise as he felt something warm envelop his left side. Then he hissed a bit, feeling the countless bruises in his body and face from the fall.
And then the pain came.
Hanzo had experienced many types of agony during his 38 years. Broken bones, cuts, bruises, black eyes, a few of teeth knocked out, ankles and wrists twisted. There had been one time when he fell in such a horrible way and landed on his back that his body became senseless for a neverending half an hour. He was paralyzed, unable to even talk as his master and family members rushed around him frantically, thinking that they had just lost the eldest son of the family. For a long, long time after that, Hanzo considered that experience to be the absolute worst one.
He reconsidered now, because that temporary paralysis was nothing compared to this. He felt like that giant bonfire he had seen in here had just appeared in his left side and it burned. He heard himself scream bloody murder but his voice quickly faltered as the smoke once again completely invaded his lungs once more and he struggled for air. His own blood poured out of his torn-up torso and as he looked down at the horrible injury… his flesh torn to bits, the slimy surface of some kind of organ sticking out… his heart-rate accelerated and it was only made worse. Hanzo forced himself to tear his gaze away. He thought he saw Zenyatta swooping over him, desperately trying to protect him from Reaper who stood there, with a crushed arrow in one hand and a still smoking shotgun in the other. The ghost gunned down three police officers who noticed him then fully turned his attention to Zenyatta. The omnic shot five of his orbs at once, but Reaper simply turned to mist again, allowing them to pass through without causing any damage. The world started to slip into darkness around Hanzo and everything was consumed by the pain. He couldn't even hear what was going on above his head.
Fuck that, it cannot end like this! Okay, you idiot, do some quick math: the human body has 5.5 liter of blood in it at average. You are looking at a good 2 liters on the ground, and counting, so you basically have minutes to do something before you die. Don't let this fucker get away with this!
Hanzo turned on his belly with agonizing slowness, then reached out to haul himself with his hands, every twitch rewarded with a fresh wave of pain. As he reached forward, he noted dimly that even his shoulder got some shrapnel in it. The terrible stabbing feeling in his muscles there as he pulled himself forward with them verified his suspicions.
Come on! Remember what father had said: as long as you can still move, as long as you have a single arrow left, you can still get the job done! So let's get it fucking done!
The world closed in around Hanzo and his bow that seemed to lay unbelievably far away from him as he struggled to retrieve it. He could clearly see the drawing of the blood-vein network in the human body before his eyes, the two main arteries coiling around the spine in the torso. With the smallest bit of luck, those weren't damaged inside him then. He could last a little longer like that. Holding onto this thought, he kept on crawling forward.
Finally his hands closed around his weapon, just as some kind of warm yellow light washed over him.
Did I just die?
No, it's—
Hanzo saw Zenyatta in the air just before him. The omnic was surrounded by a wide halo of mysterious light, and he appeared to have grown 6 more ghostly yellow arms, the 9 orbs forming a circle behind his back. It was a reminiscence of all those Buddhist deities with numerous arms. Hanzo couldn't decide whether he was just seeing things or not, but his focus soon shifted to Reaper who sprayed the omnic with shotgun fire to no effect.
- How long can you keep up your little magic trick, tin can?! – the ghost hissed menacingly, his voice echoing among the ruins.
Hanzo felt cold creep in his limbs.
Do it! God damnit, do it now!
He wanted to scream from pain as he reached up for his last arrow in his quiver and his side flared up again, but his throat was parched, unable to make sounds anymore. He had no idea how he hadn't suffocated yet from the smoke. He slowly placed the arrow in his bow, lifting it from the ground and taking aim with terribly shaking hands.
For the last time in his cursed life, he called upon the power sleeping inside him. He felt the dragons move as he began the incantation:
- Ryū ga waka—
The absolute agony that flooded him as his powers woke up almost knocked him out, made him falter on his spell.
Take this bastard down with you!
-… teki wo kurau!
The twin dragons erupted from his bow and with a loud roar they assaulted Reaper who stumbled back but couldn't get out of the way.
Hanzo's vision finally failed. He saw the bright blue scales of his dragons… then yellow… then red… then black. Finally every little sensation left him and he sank into the ground…
He couldn't see Reaper getting disintegrated by his strike, nor Zenyatta losing his light and rushing to him, nor the police strike force gathering around him to scoop him up and get him out of there.
Hanzo Shimada was content with allowing death to take him away.