Genji awoke uncomfortably, his body stiff and mind foggy. He instantly felt sharp metal bands circling his whole body as he attempted to escape his awkward position, realizing he could not feel or move his prosthetic limbs. He was gagged and his visor had been removed, his eyes darted around the dark room nervously, looking for any signs of his teammates or his brother, although it was almost impossible to see anything without his night vision. The only light source in the room that he could see from his position was the dim red glow of a camera watching him from the corner.
He vaguely remembered the ambush from before, and he shivered. The sight of his drugged teammates was unbearable, seeing them all lying there helpless to anything Talon subjected them to. He wondered if they were okay, or if they were already lying dead on the floor. The cyborg tried not to think about what Talon was currently doing to them, and instead busied himself with trying to figure out a way out.
He found out he was secured to a sturdy chair by several metal bands, things that he wouldn't be able to break out of without his prosthetics. He still wasn't sure how Talon had managed to deactivate them so quickly without much hassle, but he decided not to question it anymore; If Talon could pull off a stunt like this, he guessed they were capable of many other things as well.
It looked like there was a way to detach the bands from the back of the chair, but he wouldn't be able to reach, and his limbs weren't working anyway. It was looking pointless to even try, considering he wouldn't be able to escape if he actually managed to get out of the metal bands.
He decided it would be best if he just waited it out. Maybe Talon wouldn't torture him for information, although it seemed unlikely. Genji could feel himself shaking in his chair as he was forced to sit still, blaming it on the cold room and not that he was scared. He stayed patient for what seemed like hours, drifting in and out of consciousness as he waited for something to happen. He soon became worried that maybe Talon was planning to let them all slowly starve to death, although it would be a waste of information.
The youngest Shimada soon found his assumption incorrect as the door opened up slowly, allowing a young man to step inside. He looked no older than he was, wearing a grey T-shirt with a black overcoat on top, blue jeans gracing his thighs. His chocolate brown hair was rather long with straight bangs side swept across his forehead. Genji didn't understand why he looked so casual, or even young for that matter. What was Talon planning?
The boy locked the door behind him and switched on the lights, allowing the cyborg to see that this person didn't look at all happy to be here. His face was contorted into a saddened grimace as he looked at Genji with his unusually bright green eyes, almost as if he was sorry for him. The Shimada still didn't understand what it was that was going on, but he didn't like it. This man looked far too innocent to be working with such a harsh criminal group.
Genji could only whimper as the boy approached him, his gag preventing him from speaking. He soon also realized that this agent was holding a vanilla folder with what looked to be medical records, and he flipped through them absentmindedly, occasionally cringing at what he read. At last, the boy cast an awkward glance toward him, closing the file.
"Well, I suppose I should introduce myself first." The boy started, Genji able to hear a slight Italian accent though he hardly noticed it. "My name is Marco Bianchi, but many at Talon call me Blackpool as my so-called 'codename'. I'm here to see if you are eligible to become a sleeper agent, and if so, I will be the one to prepare you for it. Otherwise, I will unfortunately have to send in a higher-up to execute you."
Genji shivered. He didn't know which was worse. Becoming a sleeper would most likely mean he would be forced to kill loved ones, but he would still be alive. He vaguely remembered Gerard Lacroix, whose wife was kidnapped and forced to become a sleeper, murdering poor Gerard in his sleep. She then returned to Talon to be fully brainwashed, becoming the famous blue-skinned assassin, Widowmaker, the feared sharpshooter.
Marco continued forward until he was face to face with the shivering cyborg, looking over him with sharp eyes. He walked around him several times, occasionally taking notes on his clipboard. The youngest Shimada could only watch as Marco drew his blood and tested his pulse, putting down marks on his clipboard. At last, he came up to confront Genji again, his face not revealing anything but sadness.
"It seems you are in good health and in a fit shape. You should be alright to become a sleeper, but your cybernetics worry me. The procedures might not work correctly." Marco carefully removed the cyborg's gag. "Could you tell me if your cyborg body is water resistant and can be fully submerged in usually harmful chemicals?"
Genji opened his mouth, but the words did not form. He stuttered a bit before speaking. "I-I believe that it is safe to submerge. B-but I must ask; Why do you look unhappy? You do work for Talon, do you not?"
Marco looked surprised as he said that, soon becoming a sceptical glance. "That is not usually the response I get after asking that. But if you must know, I strongly dislike my job here."
Genji knew it sounded stupid asking the person who would soon turn him into a mindless slave why he hated his job, but he couldn't help it. "W-why?"
"Are you honestly going to ask me that? Isn't it obvious? My job is to brainwash and kill innocent families and actual heroes that are only trying to help the environment and protect those in need. It is a cruel, pointless thing I've been doing for the last six years of my life, and I have nothing to account for it. And yet, I still can't find the guts to leave." Marco said sounding exasperated.
Genji soon realized that he had been put into a similar situation himself only a few years ago, feeling bad for this poor boy.
"I'm the son of one of Talon's most prized generals, so everyone else expects me to live up to his name, and I tried. I was taught how to create sleeper agents when I was younger, and eventually they put me in charge of the whole operation. Many looked up to me as a hero to Talon, but I soon realized that this was all wrong. I'm still not sure why I didn't comprehend what I was doing before, but I've gotten all the way here already and I know that if I leave now, they will track me down and kill me. I've gotten myself stuck in an endless cycle of killing and tearing families apart all because I was consumed by my new fame and power over others."
Genji could only sit in silence as Marco broke apart, hearing curses thrown at the general and many others the cyborg knew worked for Talon. It took several minutes for him to compose himself again, but when he did, he covered for himself well. A sly smirk covered his face when he came back to Genji.
"I'm tired of Talon's shit, and I'm counting on you, Mr. Shimada, to help bail me out."