Thank you all for keeping up with this story so far! I'm sorry but the next few will be quite shorter due to the fact that I want to provide y'all with more content quicker, but in smaller bites. So no more 35 page chapters for a while haha!
Thank you also for responding to that update 2, to those who did! I truly appreciate it and I literally started writing after you responded. It was just what I needed to get back in the swing.
I also want to say I found it quite coincidental that Blizzard announced the Bastion cinematic right when I was going to reveal that Bastion was appearing in this story, albeit a little off of where he should be. But that will be rectified later on. Until then, here is your chapter! Enjoy!
XXXX
They watched, watched as their home burned, as it crumbled, as it fell into the Mediterranean sea below, splashing and spraying up into the air with every chunk of rock and metal that dropped into the watery abyss.
But they knew that the destruction of Watchpoint: Gibraltar was the least of their worries at the moment. The fallout of this event would lead to other setbacks, no doubt, and Overwatch knew it.
Angela was attending to McCree's injury, removing the bullet that was lodged inside his shin, and wrapping it up in gauze and a cast. He had to stay off his foot for a while.
They were miles out at sea, Athena doing what she could to make their escape damn near untraceable. Before long, they were cruising right in the middle of a vast blanket of blue, the sun shining high overhead.
"I cannot believe it's gone..." Genji said, breaking the silence, "It was so beautiful. I never appreciated it before,"
"Ja," replied Angela, taking a seat next to Jesse, who had tipped his hat over his eyes to get some rest, "I was just getting settled in… I'm deeply sorry, everyone. We should have been more thorough with Mei's body,"
There was no need to acknowledge the mistake again. Everyone silently accepted the apology, and moved on. Reinhardt was the third to speak.
"While it is a tragic loss, the destruction of the base, there are more pressing matters we must address," he said in a cold, grave tone, so unlike his normal jolly self.
Lena, Torbjorn, and Jack, all knew what he was referring to; they saw and heard with their own eyes and ears. The others, however, turned their eyes and ears to the Crusader, eager to hear what he had to say.
"What're you talking about, Rein?" Brigitte asked, taking a step closer to her comrade.
For whatever reason, Reinhardt couldn't bring himself to speak. He looked away, feeling a mixture of anger and confusion wash over him like a tidal wave. Something held him back from speaking up, which was a first, since he has always been the kind of man to speak his mind. This, however, shut him up tighter than a little girl's diary.
Jack decided he'd tell them, tell them all what they had found out today. They all needed to know.
"Gabriel… He's alive," he said, somberly.
The only ones who didn't look at Jack with disturbed faces were Lena, Torbjorn, and Reinhardt. Everyone else didn't believe what they just heard. The only one who didn't show too much concern was Jesse, who just lifted his head up a notch to look out from under the brim of his hat.
"What?" said Angela, "How can that be?"
Her heart thumped in her chest hard, like drums in an orchestra. Gabriel… She hadn't seen him ever since…
"Talon turned him into… Reaper," Jack finished, giving them the other half of the story.
Jesse's cigar slipped from his mouth when Morrison dropped that bomb. As for everyone other than the four that were present during Reyes' reveal, they just gave Jack wide stares of disbelief.
Angela's heart sank like a flooding submarine. Guilt welled up inside her chest, guilt she thought she had pushed down years ago. She thought the memories would be buried, forgotten. But now, after this news of Reyes, she knew the demons of the past were coming back.
The question that filled her mind was, should she tell them what she knew; what she did, what Talon made her do?
"Wait! Jack!" exclaimed a younger voice, the voice of Alejandra, making her way to Morrison.
She ran right up to him and grabbed his coat, looking up at the soldier with wide and hopeful eyes.
"Are you serious? He's alive?! Gabriel is alive!?" she asked, over and over, impatient for the answer.
"Ali, wait," he replied, calmly, trying to settle her down, putting his hands on her small shoulders, "we don't even know if he is your father. It's just a theory,"
"But he's a live?!" she asked one more time, more sternly than before.
Jack sighed, "Yes, he's a live,"
"Oi, hold on, hold on!" said Lena, bumping into the conversation, "Star' from the beginnin', loves. What's this about? First we find out that Gabe is alive, at least… I think he is, and now you're tellin' me he's this sweet little thing's father?!"
Jack couldn't help but rub his temples in frustration, but he could see the confusion in everyone's eyes, with the exception of Genji, of course. He wish he'd explained this to them earlier.
"There's nothing concrete. It's just a theory based on data we've found. Nothing to prove, yet. So please, don't get your hopes up, Ali…" he said, not wanting her to think on this matter at the moment.
But he knew it would be in vain.
Alejandra looked away, frustrated at the remark, folded her arms, and walked from Jack, back into the cargo hold at the other end of the cruiser.
Jack held his forehead in his hand, thinking he could have handled that better. But how could he? Too much had happened today. He'd have to talk with her later, set things straight, try and find more evidence to either prove or disprove their theory. But, one thing at a time.
"As disturbing as this revelation is," Reinhardt began, removing his helmet and taking a seat, "there are other things we need to worry about. For instance; our home is gone. We need a new one,".
"Well, we can't go to any of the other Watchpoints," Lena stated, taking a seat on the holo-map table in the center of the compartment, "Gabe is on their side… He's probably got Talons all over those locations by now. There's nowhere to run…".
Jack added, "Not to mention, the press is going to be all over the Gibraltar explosion. That means the UN will be looking into it. We've got enemies on both fronts if they start suspecting we're involved,"
A dead silence filled the area for a moment, everyone reflecting on the ramifications of their situation. Jack was right. They didn't have just Talon and this new Omnic crisis on their hands. The United Nations would be getting involved as well, only creating more roadblocks on their path to peace.
"I believe I can be of some assistance, in this matter,"
Everyone turned to the Japanese archer, who stood up from his seat at the back of the room. He looked over each of them, watching as their interests were peaked by his comment.
"Brother!" Genji exclaimed, going to Hanzo's side, "You are well?"
"Hai, thanks to the good doctor," he replied, giving a slight smile and a bow towards Angela. He then continued with his previous statement, "I told Genji that his old home would once again welcome him, with open arms. That includes his allies as well,"
Hanzo directed his eyes towards Morrison, as if searching for a sign of recognition or approval. He wanted to make sure he had the commander's respect.
Little did Hanzo know, he already had Jack's respect the moment he saved Angela from the grenade. Morrison gave a nod to the archer, accepting the offer. Hanzo nodded back, giving his own respect.
If Hanzo was willing to lend his home to people he literally met one day ago, and take a grenade for Angela, then this was a man worthy of Jack's trust.
"Well," Winston said, "if that's the plan; Athena, set course for Shimada Castle,"
The vessel accelerated and glided over the Mediterranean, adjusting its course for Hanamura.
XXXX
"What in blazes were you two thinking?!" yelled councilman Harvey Kaur, head of military strategy for Talon.
Reaper and Widowmaker had been retrieved from the wreckage of Watchpoint: Gibraltar, before Spanish authorities had arrived at the scene, and were brought back to Talon headquarters, deep in the heart of Northern Ireland. But while their headquarters was stationed within Ireland, Talon is comprised of operatives and agents and officials from multinational backgrounds and heritages.
The two agents currently being hounded by councilman Kaur were brought directly to the courtroom for questioning. The other council members quietly took their seats along the sides while Kaur badgered at Reyes and Amélie.
"First, you inform us that agents of Overwatch are being recalled, albeit not under the authorization of the United Nations. We told you to look into it, not take an invasion force and lead an assault without our approval of the mission!" he continued.
Reyes just kept his arms folded across his chest, not particularly caring for the lecture. Amélie stood behind him, a hand on her hip, indifferent to the situation. They both knew that none of this man's words would matter in the long run. They worked for someone else, now.
"Furthermore!" Kaur said, "you come here and tell us that our Chairman, my brother, the founder of Talon, has been killed?! Decapitated by some African warmonger, who claims to be the successor to the Doomfist moniker? And that he expects us to fall in behind his rule and help him achieve what we are already trying to do?"
By this point, Reyes was getting thoroughly annoyed with the English councilman. A decent sized headache was forming in the back of his head.
"Are you actually going to expound upon the conversation, or are you just going to continue to regurgitate what I just told you ten minutes ago?" he asked Kaur, frustration seasoning every word.
"Then allow me to elaborate, Reaper," Kaur snapped back, inching closer to the cloaked mercenary, "You will no longer demonstrate insubordination in the face of your superiors and inferiors alike. You will forget about this 'Doomfist' and return to your proper duties as a Talon operative. Or else we will undo everything that Ziegler did to turn you into what you are now. Have I made myself clear?"
Before anyone could blink, Reyes drew his shotgun from his coat and jammed the barrel under Councilman Kaur's chin. At once, every councilman on the sides unholstered their sidearms and took aim at both Reaper and Widowmaker, the latter unmoving during the whole situation.
She knew what Reyes was about to say and it would deter every one of these old goats from pulling their triggers.
"Oh please," Reaper began, "You all really think you can kill me? Sure you'll probably kill her," he gestured to Widow behind him with a turn of his head, " but, if I wanted, every last one of you would be dead before you could even blink,"
They kept their sights trained on the hooded merc but, deep down, they all knew he was right. Reyes continued.
"Now you listen to me, you English dog," Reaper scoffed, closing the distance between him and Kaur, "That African warmonger has the cure to my curse, to turn this-" he held up his free hand, making it form into a sickly black mist and reform back into a limb, "-into flesh and blood again. And I'll be damned if I let this opportunity slide by me, even for an instant,"
Sweat began to drip down Kaur's forehead and chin, feeling the cool of the barrel of the shotgun almost burn him with its presence. But he kept a calm, stone cold face as he stared back at the mask in front of him, unmoving, not showing fear in the face of death. Reyes continued.
"So, this is what's going to happen. We all work for him now and we follow his plan to the letter. If everything goes right, you get to keep your head, unlike the Chairman. Have I made myself clear?"
Kaur swallowed the spit that was gathering in his mouth and took a breath. He didn't realize he had been holding it. The blank black holes of Reaper's mask stared right back at him, and Kaur remembered why they gave him the disguise; not to hide the scars or deformity of his skin but to let people stare into the abyss of what awaited them, to make them know that this thing wasn't an imitator of the Angel of Death; he was the Angel of Death.
"… So this is what happens when a secret weapon turns against its creator. When does he arrive?" Kaur finally said.
The gun was lowered from the councilman's chin and tucked back into Reaper's coat. The other men and women on the sides holstered their weapons as well, all of them in disbelief of what they were hearing, but knew they had no other choice but to comply.
"He hasn't said anything," Reyes stated, backing away from the Councilman, towards Amélie, who had not stirred the entire time, "But, when he does say something, I'll let you know. Enjoy the rest of your day, council members,"
The two walked briskly out of the room, Reyes opening the door for Amélie, and promptly slamming it shut as he left the men and women to talk amongst themselves.
XXXX
Jesse leaned up against the back of his seat, gently chewing on his cigar. He didn't bother lighting it, they were in a sealed area after all, with no fresh air besides the AC. The news about Reyes bothered him and it bothered him a lot.
His old boss, his friend, his mentor, his traitor, still alive? An anger rose up in him, an anger that could only be quelled by one thing: revenge. He clenched his metal appendage, tight enough to almost dent his palm. Of all the people to come back from the dead, why did it have to be him?
"You doin' okay, cowboy?" said a female voice next to him.
McCree turned to see Brigitte taking a seat next to him, giving a warm welcoming smile. He graciously returned the gesture and tipped his hat.
"Heh, thanks to you, I am. Wouldn't be on this boat without ya'," he replied, patting the knee of his injured leg.
"Heh, any time," Brigitte replied, "But I was talking about the news..."
Hearing that kind of put Jesse back into his original mood, but he didn't show it to Brige. He just looked down at the floor ahead of him, folding his hands together.
"He just recruited me, that's it," he replied, trying to sound matter-of-factly.
Brigitte gave him the 'oh really?' look.
"I'm sure there was more than just recruiting," she persisted. She saw the anger in him, she just needed him to let it out.
But Jesse was good at keeping his cool. He always was.
"He did teach me a thing or two back in the day. But, lucky for me, I've still got a few tricks of my own," he replied, chewing on his cigar.
Brigitte was about ready to give up. If he didn't want to talk then it was his decision. She wasn't going to force him to let out feelings, that was just counter productive. But then-
"Honestly, I ain't surprised that he survived," Jesse said, suddenly, "I mean, if Jack lived through it, why wouldn't he?"
Well, at least that was something, Brigitte thought. Reinhardt had told her much about Overwatch during her time as his assistant and, therefor, knew that Reyes recruited Jesse years ago and took him under his wing.
After his sudden betrayal, Brigitte expected that everyone, especially McCree, would have some serious beef with the man, if he were still alive. Turns out, he was, and all she wanted to do if see if Jesse was okay.
"Though, personally," Jesse spoke up again, "I wish he had stayed buried under that ruble. The world doesn't need him anymore than it can throw him and, quite frankly, the world has its hands full already,"
Brigitte saw something in McCree's eyes, something that she was trying to get out of him. The fire, the rage, the anger, all of it collected in his pupils into one feeling: blood lust. The funny thing was, he didn't even look angry. He just stared blankly at his feet, but the look in Jesse's eyes told Brigitte everything. She feared for him. He was a good man and she didn't want this anger to be the end of him.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.
"If you ever need to talk, you know who to come to," she said, looking him in the eyes, watching the fire fade.
McCree smiled at that and gave her a nod, taking the cigar from his mouth, as a demonstration of respect.
"Thank you kindly, darlin'. I'll keep that in mind," he said, and promptly set the cigar back between his teeth.
Brigitte couldn't help but tilt her head, watching as the man chewed on the stick of tobacco.
"You know that's a bad habit?" she gently said, not wanting to sound rude.
Jesse gave a small smirk and side eyed her.
"In times like these, it's not too bad to have a bad habit,"
Brigitte would remember that.
XXXX
After half the day had already gone by, Athena finally spoke up to Winston.
"Now arriving at Shimada Castle, Winston," she reported.
The scientist was busy delving into a fresh jar of peanut butter when he was alerted. After taking one more quick scoop with his fingers, and reveling in the taste of the buttery goodness, he fancied a peak through the cockpit.
What he found, however, was less than satisfactory.
"Commander," he called out, "we may have a problem,"
At once, Jack Morrison marched his way towards Winston.
"What's wrong, Winst?" he asked, standing next to the talking ape.
He gestured the commander to look through the cockpit with him.
"We've got a welcoming committee and they don't look very welcoming,"
Down below in the Shimada courtyard, dozens of guards lined the catwalks and walkways, weapons trained on the cruiser class vessel above them. They appeared to have a ring leader, an elderly looking Japanese man, adorning a long trench coat and white scarf. He held no weapon but, if looks could kill, his could wipe out an entire army.
Jack couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hanzo said they were welcomed here, so what the hell was going on?
"Hanzo! Genji!" he yelled.
The Shimada brothers answered the call and made their way to the commander, who gestured them to look at their predicament. The two scanned the guards below the hovering dropship, Hanzo being incredibly furious.
He had ordered Daisuke to warn him if anything happened. Why hadn't he informed him of this? It was then that the two brothers saw the ring leader of the group and they understood exactly what was going on.
"He's here," Hanzo said to his brother, who nodded silently.
They hadn't seen this man in decades and had hoped they'd never have to see him again. However, the past has a way of coming back, in any shape or form.
"We will handle this," Hanzo said, turning on his heel and walking towards the emergency exit.
Genji was about to follow his brother when a firm grip was placed on his shoulder. The ninja turned his head to see Jack, keeping his hand on him.
"Genji, I'm not letting you two go in there alone," he said, sharply.
He already lost one ally this week, he wasn't about to lose two more. Genji couldn't help but smile underneath his mask. This man was still the Jack Morrison who led him into battle years ago. However, he and Hanzo could deal with this themselves; had to deal with this themselves.
"Commander, this is a family matter. Please understand," he said, gently, trying to sway Jack's decision.
While Jack was still opposed to the idea of letting just the two of them down there, he knew that Genji was a trust worthy man, a man of his word. If he said they could handle it, then Jack believed them.
He dropped his hand from the metal shoulder and gave Genji an approving nod, which Genji returned, respectively, and joined his brother at the emergency exit.
"Oi! Genj," Lena said, walking up to her friend.
She had just woken up from a nap and was furiously scratching the back of her head, eyes half open.
"Wha's goin' on? Where're you two goin'," she asked.
"Just going to clear the LZ, Ley. Don't worry," Genji replied.
Confused as to why the Landing Zone wasn't clear already, Lena blinked over to the cockpit and looked through the windshield.
"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, seeing the Shimada guards down below.
Before opening the emergency exit, Genji called out to Winston.
"Winston!"
The scientist looked up from the monitor and back towards Genji. The cyber ninja was holding a rather familiar looking device.
"I'm going to be borrowing this," Genji said, plainly.
Winston looked down at this hip and noticed his barrier generator was gone. That damn ninja.
"You could have just asked!" growled Winston, frustrated with Genji's bad habit.
The ninja scoffed, "You know that's not my style,"
Hanzo opened the emergency exit and jumped from the Dropship, landing gracefully on the wooden walkway in front of the Shimada Bell Gazebo. Genji followed suit, leaping from the exit and landing next to his brother, deftly.
The two faced the elderly man in the long trench coat and scarf, glaring at him with fire in their eyes, and an equal fire burning in their souls. This was the man responsible for everything that has come between them. This was the man who ordered Hanzo to kill Genji. This man ruined everything.
"… Uncle," Hanzo sneered.
On both sides of their uncle, two guards aimed their sub machine guns at the two brothers, poised to protect their leader. The other guards all around the catwalks and courtyard leveled their weapons at them as well, barrels burning with anticipation.
"If I remember correctly," their uncle began, "and I have a long memory, you-" he looked towards Genji, "are supposed to be dead. And you-" he looked towards Hanzo, "are also supposed to be dead,"
"As you can tell," Genji spoke up, "it is hard to remove blood,"
"So it would seem," the uncle replied, "Your father was a fool to believe either of you could take over this clan,"
The mention of their father that way singed the two brothers like a branding iron.
"We would be, if you hadn't manipulated us and turned us against each other!" spat Hanzo, tightening his grip on his bow, whitening his knuckles.
Their uncle couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He could still see the immaturity in both of them.
"You two were never fit to lead this clan. Your father let you-" he looked at the ninja, "keep to your foolhardy, irresponsible ways! And as much as he tried-" he looked at the archer, "he never hardened your weak little shell. You were always so emotional; flimsy like a soft boiled egg!"
There was no comeback to that, because it was the truth. Genji wouldn't leave his way of life because his father had told him not to, and Hanzo was always emotional, because life without feeling is meaningless. It was their ways that got them here now, together, stronger than the man in front of them, who they had to call blood. If he was anything less, this would all be over in an instant. But no, he was blood, and they couldn't just kill him.
"You should never have returned, Uncle," Genji said, threateningly.
"No, nephew, it is you two who should never have returned. Fire!"
In an instant, bullets and rpg's, rifle fire and small arms fire soared through the air, all of it flying towards the Shimada brothers, a glorious plume of smoke and fire and wood emanating from the impact.
The gunfire lasted for a full minute before uncle held up his hand, prompting them to cease fire. The hail of gunfire stopped, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke and wood chips in its wake. Uncle Shimada and his two guards inched closer to the cloud, expecting to see a stain of blood and bones.
But instead of seeing something, they heard the last war cries they would ever hear in this life.
"Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!"
"Ryujin no ken wo kurae!"
Before they could blink, three dragons of pure light exploded from the dust cloud, two colored a glorious glowing blue, intertwining with each other, soaring towards the uncle. The third was a beautiful shade of emerald green, which deviated from the blue dragons and, instead, circled back in an arc, heading for the guards on the catwalks behind.
The light from the dragons illuminated the courtyard, filling it with spectacular blues and greens throughout the area. The Overwatch agents within the dropship stared in disbelief, as the spirit animals passed through their foes, who screamed in agony and torment and horror.
The two blue dragons hit their targets first, engulfing the uncle and his two guards. The uncle, being a Shimada, was not killed by the initial blow. His men, however, came out worse. A white essence was ripped from their bodies as the dragons flew through them. The animals were literally consuming the souls of their enemies.
The guards on the catwalks tried to escape, but the green dragon was relentless in its pursuit. Jaws wide open, emerald teeth glimmering in the setting sunlight, the dragon devoured its prey, pulling the souls from their bodies, and they fell, lifeless on the wooden boards.
The green dragon spirit then dipped down into the courtyard itself and engulfed the guards cowering behind the rock centerpiece, trying desperately to hide from its gaze, but to no avail. Their life essence was taken from them as well, and they suffered the same fate of their comrades.
The three spirit dragons then flew into the air, gracefully dancing among themselves, intertwining their long serpentine bodies, until they slowly faded from existence, blending in with the red and orange sunset. They would await for the next time they were summoned, as was the pact they had made with the Shimada family of the ancient past.
Uncle Shimada fell to his hands and knees and coughed, blood pooling from his mouth onto the floor boards below him. He may have been able to survive the dragons, but the wounds they inflicted upon him would eventually take their toll, and finish him slowly. Damn those boys. His brother taught them well.
The smoke cleared to reveal the Shimada brothers safe within a glistening sky blue shield barrier, Hanzo with his bow drawn and Genji with his Ōdachi unsheathed. After returning his weapon to its scabbard, Genji deactivated the barrier and the two of them approached their dying uncle, who glared at them from below.
The man wheezed, his lungs and insides burning with a fire unbeknownst to man. Why couldn't he just die already? Why haven't they killed him already?
The two nephews looked down at their kin, almost pitying him in his belittled state. This was the man who once held such authority in their life, a man who they respected when they were young. Now, all they saw was the man who ruined their lives.
"We should hang you for what you've done," Hanzo grumbled, looking down at his maimed uncle.
The man just grimaced and gagged, too weak to stand but too healthy to die. It was almost like a purgatory. He was waiting for one of them to deal the final blow and end the suffering. He knew it would come any second, without warning. Just a quick strike and it would be over. Come on. Do it!
"But, you are still blood," Hanzo finally said.
That surprised the Shimada uncle, forcing him to look up at his nephews. Genji drew his katana from his lower back and handed it to their uncle, the handle facing towards the wounded man.
"You can either die without a shred of dignity to your name and be forgotten in the sea of time," Genji began, "or, you can die with honor,"
Uncle Shimada knew exactly what his younger nephew was telling him. He looked from the face plate to the blade, then repeated it once more, until he reached out and grabbed the weapon. He forced himself to sit up on his knees and straighten his posture, with much difficulty, feeling every joint and muscle scream in agony.
After sitting upright on his knees, their uncle began to laugh to himself, getting in a few coughs between each laugh.
"You two… really are your father's sons," he mumbled under his breath.
Genji drew his Ōdachi from its sheath and stood beside his uncle, waiting.
"… Nephew," he said, looking up at the ninja, "You thought you had destroyed your family legacy..."
Genji knew he was referring to the arms dealing his family was so famous for. He had shut down their business years ago, however. What on earth was his uncle talking about?
"But -cough- you could not have been further from the truth," their uncle continued, "The clan… will never stop trading weapons. We have always worked outside of Hanamura. -cough cough-… We are everywhere,"
Genji couldn't believe what he was hearing. All those months of meticulous planning and executing, all for nothing?! He had systematically taken down his family's arms dealing business just to find out they had even more operations elsewhere? Why hadn't he known? How did this slip by him?
He was too furious to even speak. He just clenched the handle of his Ōdachi tighter, enraged by his inability to be more thorough. That was his mission, he should have seen this years ago!
"But I will tell you… where to start looking," their uncle said, pressing the point of the blade against his abdomen.
The two brothers looked down at their uncle, waiting to hear the information of the locations of the illegal arms.
"… Start over at the place… where beginnings and endings meet," is all he said.
With those final words, their uncle plunged Genji's katana deep into his stomach, feeling the cold unforgiving blade pierce his warm soft flesh. The pain of the katana entering him was nothing compared to the spirit dragons, however, so he endured the pain, feeling the life slowly drain from his body.
Genji drew his Odachi and held it high above his head, watching as his uncle began to lean forward, exposing the back of his neck to the ninja. Staring down at his dying uncle, Genji let out a loud scream, echoing throughout the courtyard, and brought the sword down, swift as the wind.
The headless body collapsed on its side, muscles going limp, katana sticking out from the belly. After letting the blood drip from his Odachi, Genji gracefully slid the weapon back into its sheath, and retrieved his secondary weapon.
Hanzo released his breath. He hadn't realized he was holding it. That's twice he was responsible for the death of a family member, except, this time, this one wouldn't be coming back from the dead.
Their uncle's death seemed truly bitter sweet. This man had played in the gardens with them, taught them how to make weapons, trained them along side their father. But this was for the best. He had become too cruel as time passed, caring only for the success of the clan, forgetting his blood in the river of progress. He was someone that would become nothing more than a forgotten memory in time.
The drop ship behind them lowered to the ground, filling up almost the whole center of the courtyard. One by one the other members of Overwatch filed out, observing the carnage around them. Dozens dead, within seconds.
Lena and Jack were the first to approach the two Shimada brothers, who did not turn to face their allies, keeping their heads bowed, saying a silent prayer for the ones that they sent from this world.
"Well, I'm just glad you two are on our side," Lena commented, having her fill of the spectacle.
After a moment, Genji turned to face Morrison. To the commander, Genji's posture suggested he felt immense guilt.
"I am sorry, commander. I had believed I had completed my mission. It turns out, I had failed…" he said, solemnly.
Jack could see the body language Genji displayed. You could tell immediately when he felt guilty or sad or joyful or anything, really. It was one of the only ways he could express himself, since he kept his faceplate on most of the time, anyway.
Jack put his hand on Genji's shoulder and looked into his eyes through his vizor.
"We all failed, Genji, trust me. We all did," Jack said, passing by the ninja towards Hanzo.
Genji listened to those words, not truly understanding their meaning. He thought hard on them for a moment, but couldn't quite put it together. He'd find out, one day.
Hanzo looked over his home, littered with bodies of former servants and guards. Just in one fell swoop, dozens were dead, such was the power of the Shimada lineage.
Jack Morrison stood beside him, surveying the area with the archer. The evening breeze swept over them like a soft silk sheet, keeping their minds serene. Hanzo did not avert his eyes from his home, but, after a moment, spoke up.
"Welcome… to Shimada Castle,"
XXXX
Hello beautiful people! So sorry this chapter was shorter, but I'm runnin on fumes here from being busy, and I really wanted to get this out to y'all as soon as I can while still providing quality! I hope this chapter is okay! The next few ones will be kind of short slice of life mixed in with crucial plot points! But school literally starts on Wednesday so yeaaah. Until you see an update or something, this story will be put on hold for a while, until I grab some free time out of the anus of time.
I hope this chapter meets expectations and I promise you, the next chapter will be a feelstrip so get your permission slips signed! It's gonna be bumpy!
Don't forget to review and critique! Thank you all! Have a wonderful day! I appreciate every one of you!