Hello beautiful people! I know, it's been a while, but first semester of college has been pretty fucking hectic, I'm not going to lie. I messed up so now I gotta make amends. But, good news is it's winter break! You know what that means! …. No… no you don't. But I DO. It means you'll be getting chapters more frequently hahah! So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please, leave a comment, critique, anything. It only makes the chapters come out quicker. Thank you all for reading! Here is your chapter
XXXX
"You vant us to go vhere?!" Reinhardt exclaimed, feeling his blood pressure begin to rise far beyond what he considered to be healthy.
He and Brigitte stood in the middle of the room Hanzo had provided for him, lit by only a small table lamp, sitting contently on a table in the corner. The light from the lamp cast low, brown shadows up against the wooden walls.
They hadn't turned in for the night yet, since Brigitte insisted she had to talk to the old veteran, claiming she had something important to discuss with him. She undersold its importance.
"Reinhardt, I know you have strong feelings towards that place, but, as far as I can tell, it is our best, and only option," Brigitte said, keeping her tone firm against the Crusader soldier.
The old man gave a heavy sigh, and scrubbed his hand across his face. He'd hate to admit it, but Brigitte wasn't wrong. They were out of options, and the only place worth going was… there.
"Why do you always have to be right?" he asked, plopping himself on his bed, rubbing his good eye in his palm.
Brigitte could see the pain he was feeling, and she shared it with him. It had been a while since they ever talked about that place, and she had hoped it would never be brought back up again. But, here they were, talking about it, because of her.
But, what other choice did they have? In Brigitte's eyes, it was the best place to go.
"Rein, I know why you're so upset. We both lost friends there; family. But, you know, as well as I, that we have nowhere else to go,"
Reinhardt looked up from his palm, and stared right back into Brigitte's eyes. The hairs on the back of Brigitte's neck shot up. She hated it when he looked at her like that.
"And how do you know that there aren't any authorities over there? What if the United Nations has their grubby little paws all over it? They'll be looking for us now, Brigitte. After that little fiasco in Gibraltar, we're targets on both fronts,"
"I've gone there, many times, scavenging for parts and supplies, what ever I could find. Not once did I ever see anything indicating anyone else lives there. It's a ghost town, Reinhardt," that last sentence trailed off, as the two recollected who and what they had lost in said ghost town.
The Crusader drew in a long breath, held it for a second, and released it in a slow, melancholy sigh. Every Crusader he trained with, laughed with, drank with, reveled with, sparred with, fought with, and fell with, all gone, over the span of a year.
Reinhardt often told himself that, if only he had been there, during that fight, maybe, just maybe he could have done something, anything, to save at least one of them. But could he have? Could he have saved anyone from that slaughter? Could he have influenced that battle, just enough, to turn its tide, and save his comrades? Could he have made any kind of difference? Even if he could, he would never be able to tell. Ever since the end of that single battle, Reinhardt was the last Crusader.
He sighed again, scratched the nape of his neck, and took in another breath, giving in.
"Alright, fine. It's not like we have any other options," he said, almost in defeat, despite the fact that Brigitte's idea would actually benefit them all, "Let's go tell the commander,"
Brigitte's cheeks flushed red, recalling the encounter she just had with Jack and Lena. She honestly couldn't believe she had walked in on that.
"Actually," she began, "the commander is… busy at the moment,"
Reinhardt raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Vhat on Earth vith?" he asked, slightly frustrated.
"Not so much 'what'," Brigitte said, "but 'who',"
Reinhardt's eyebrows shot up after a full second, realizing what Brigitte was referring to, or rather, who she was referring to. Then he gave into a soft chuckle, and shook his head.
'Of course, they were back at it again,' Reinhardt thought to himself.
"Jack, you old dog," he said, aloud, feeling glad that his comrades were finding some intimacy during this trying time. They both deserved it, after everything that happened.
"Well then," Reinhardt said, "If that is the case, we should retire for the night. I'm sure the commander will be more… available in the morning,"
Brigitte nodded, silently agreeing. She made her way to the sliding door, opened it, but stopped before exiting the room. She turned to face her friend, who just smiled at her as she left. His smile. It was always something that could lift anyone's spirits, no matter the tragedy.
Even with his missing eye, Reinhardt's smile was never something anyone would ever want to look away from. You couldn't help but know that this man would be there for you, whenever you needed him. In his smile, you could tell that he felt your pain, knew what you were going through, and that he was willing to go out of his way just to help you. It comforted Brigitte, knowing that he was just as much a friend, as he was a warrior.
"Guten nacht, Reinhardt," Brigitte said.
"Guten nacht, Brigitte," Reinhardt replied.
She smiled back and left the room, closing it gingerly behind her, and headed towards her own room.
XXXX
For the first time, after the destruction of the Swiss HQ, Jack Morrison woke up from his sleep, without a migraine. The habit of training his body to start functioning at 7:00 in the morning started to kick in, forcing him to rise up, out of his sleep. Slowly he sat up, dragging his hand across his face, forcing his eyes awake.
He yawned, and scratched his head with both hands, and blinked painfully, feeling the light assault his retinas like a rocket barrage. The light of the rising sun came into his room in long, illuminating beams, piercing through the window blinds. While their bed was not placed on an intercept course for the beams of light, opening your eyes still meant they'd feel the sting of UV rays.
Jack looked to his right side, spying a still fast asleep Lena Oxton, contently curled up beside him. Her hair was nothing short of wild mess, as if a porcupine got caught in a blender, and was placed firmly on her scalp. And, to top it all off, she was snoring.
It wasn't one of those cute snores either, where a girl would take in a small breath of air, and let it out like someone poked a hole in a balloon. No, this snore was more like a rhinoceros gargling marbles while trying to take in air. Jack could never understand how such an obnoxious noise could come out of such a small woman.
But, you know what they say: big things, small packages. He didn't complain, however. It just added character. Besides, he hardly ever noticed it because his snores were probably just as loud.
He didn't remember her actually ever snoring, over twenty years ago, when he was a young man. She always seemed more peaceful in her sleep, a huge contrast to when she was up and active. Those were much better times, he had to admit. Everything seemed so much simpler, even during the Omnic Crisis. There was always a clear line, defining who was enemy, who was ally, between objective A and objective B. But, as he got older, wiser, he realized that line was a lot blurrier than before; and no, it's not because his eyesight was getting poor.
The chain reaction of the dawning of the second Omnic Crisis, Reyes' betrayal, and the disbanding of Overwatch was not just a coincidence. They were all connected; Jack knew it, and he knew there was even more than that going on. Something big was coming, he could feel it, and they had to be ready when it hit them, before it was too late.
A silent double knock came from the across the room, followed by the sliding door opening, slightly. Brigitte poked her head through, raising her eyebrows in a 'you ready?' gesture.
Jack nodded, and Brigitte returned the nod, slipping away and closing the door as she left. The commander ran his fingers through his gray hair, feeling his receding hairline. He missed the days of having a full head of hair, but wasn't about to complain. The super soldier serum in him kept him alive this long, and as long as he was alive, he'd fight.
Morrison left the bed and quickly slapped on his pants, which were lying defenseless on the wooden floor. He'd get fully dressed later. He just didn't want to keep Reinhardt and Brigitte waiting. What on Earth could they possibly have to tell him? Whatever it was, Jack was certain it was important.
As he left the room, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, causing him to prop himself up against the wall. Coffee. He needed Coffee. After closing the door, Jack pulled his comlink from his pocket, and set it to Genji's frequency.
"Genji," he said, gruffly.
"Good morning, Commander!" exclaimed the cybernetic Japanese voice, on the other end of the comm.
"You wouldn't happen to have any coffee here, would you?" Jack asked, rubbing his eyes, liberating them from the small dry flecks that gathered in the caruncles.
"Of course we do, Commander! If we didn't, I doubt Hanzo would be able to even function for half the day,"
Well, that was a relief. Glad to know someone here sympathized with Jack's morning caffeine deficiency.
"I can bring it to you, if you'd like," Genji said, chivalrously.
Now that was something Jack hadn't expected. He was perfectly fine going to get it himself, but, if Genji was offering, how could he refuse?
"Oh, um- sure. That'd be great. Thanks, Genji. You remember how I like it, right?"
"Dark. No sugar, or cream," Genji replied.
"You got it,"
"I will be swift as the wind,"
"Alright, soldier. See you soon,"
With that, Jack cut the feed and made his way to Reinhardt's quarters, where he knew Brigitte was waiting for him.
He entered the room and found them both; Reinhardt on the bed, sitting up with his legs crossed, and Brigitte leaning against the wardrobe, apparently identical to the one in Jack's room.
"Alright, what's this all about?" he asked them.
Brigitte explained her plan to Morrison, telling him every detail, every benefit, and every reason why they should go to Eichenwalde. She reassured him that there was no risk in using the old town as a HQ.
The castle would prove as a reliable strong hold, and the decommissioned omnic bodies could be rewired as defense turrets. Jack was still uncertain about the whole plan. The town wasn't that far away from the borders of Stuttgart, and, if anyone was alerted of their presence, the UN would be all over them in a millisecond. But, it wasn't like they had any other options.
Besides, he was certain Winston could project a cloaking barrier, or something, over the town. He was convinced this was their best option.
"Alright, it's our best bet. Good work, Brige. Alert everyone else. We leave as soon as everyone is ready,"
Both Reinhardt and Brigitte nodded and left the room, leaving Jack to himself. He was making his way back to his room, when Winston's voice echoed in his comlink.
"Commander? Are you awake?" the scientist asked, a cautions tone in his voice.
"Affirmative. What's up?"
"Um, Alejandra would like you to come and see what we've found. We're in the ship."
It seemed like everyone had something to tell him, today. Though, he wasn't complaining, he still didn't feel like stepping outside until he had his coffee.
"Okay, tell her I'll be right there. I need my coffee first," he said.
"Roger that,"
The feed cut, and Jack entered the room, to find Lena still lying in bed. She seemed so peaceful and calm, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath she took. She wasn't snoring, however, which meant she was probably awake.
"Come back to bed, love," she muttered, trying to fall back to sleep.
Jack smiled, sat on the edge of the bed beside her, and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Come on, soldier. Time to wake up," he ordered, gently, standing up from the bed.
Lena grunted and rubbed her eyes, sitting up in the bed.
"Why?" she asked, almost pouting.
"Are you questioning my orders?" Jack replied, picking up Lena's undershirt from the floor.
"Maybe," she said, "Am I gonna get court-martialed?" she finished her sentence with a drowsy smirk.
Jack replied by lobbing Lena's shirt right at her face, causing her to let out a satisfying yelp. She pulled the shirt off her face and slid herself into it, rubbing her eyes, trying to push the sleep out of her.
"As soon as everyone is ready, we're moving out," Jack said as he got dressed, securing his armor on his coat.
"What?" Lena asked, "We just got here. Where are we going?"
"Eichenwalde!" Exclaimed Genji, casually propped up against the window.
Lena and Jack hadn't even noticed the cyborg enter. They stared at him in bewilderment, not sure what to say.
"Genji?" Jack started, "How did you get in here?"
Genji slowly turned his head towards his commander, honestly ashamed of him.
"Commander, I am a ninja. Do I really need to answer that question?"
Jack shrugged with a 'true enough,' gesture.
"Okay, but how did you know we were heading to Eichenwalde?"
"After we finished talking, you left your commchannel on my frequency. I didn't notice until you and Reinhardt's partner were conversing. I pretty much heard everything,"
Jack couldn't help but fee stupid. He left his comm on Genji's frequency? He could have sworn he turned that off. Besides being oblivious to it, Jack just saw it as carelessness; carelessness that could get them all killed. And that's when realized something else.
"Genji, where's my coffee?"
"Ah, yes. Here you go, Commander," Genji said, handing Jack a steaming mug of caffeine.
The commander graciously took the mug, and sipped. Immediately, endorphins began to fire off in his head, and he could feel his body really waking up, like his muscles were stretching for the first time, all morning.
"Oh, I also brought you some tea, Lena," Genji stated, delivering the pilot a different cup, the steam condensating on on his faceplate.
"Oh! Thanks, love!" Lena replied, sipping her tea in bed.
Jack finished getting dressed, and was about to head out the door, when another migraine hit him. This one was worse that the one at Gibraltar; a lot worse.
If there was a way to feel two semi trucks sandwiching you cerebral cortex, over and over again, Jack just found it. His brain felt like it could pop at any moment. He propped himself against the door frame, and held his head in his hand, trying to force the migraine out.
Why was this happening? What the hell was happening to him?
"Jack, are you alright?" Even though Lena was barely ten feet away, her voice was a distant echo, contorting itself in Jack's brain.
He grabbed the bottle of Aspirin, that Angela gave him, from his coat pocket, and popped two of the pills into his mouth. The drugs took their effect instantly, and Jack could feel the semi trucks slowly release their grip on his brain. He shook his head free of the last of the migraine, cleared his throat, and let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Yeah, feeling spry, Ley," he lied, "I'm going to check on Alejandra and Winston. They need me for something. Wanna come?"
"Um, I'll catch up later, love. I need to get dressed first," Lena said, securing the blanket over her lower torso. She was still naked from the waist down.
Jack nodded and left he room, leaving Genji and Lena to themselves. The two just stood there in silence, not really knowing what to say. Lena let out some air through the corner of her mouth. Genji kept is hand at his side and tapped his thigh with this index finger, producing a soft pinging noise.
Lena didn't want to say anything, because she thought Genji would've left the room by now, but there he was, standing in the middle of the room, awkwardly.
"Um, Genji. I think you should- go now."
"Oh! Yes, of course. My apologies," Genji stuttered.
A swirl of smoke engulfed the ninja, and when it cleared, Genji was nowhere to be seen. Lena blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what she just witnessed, but decided not to question it. He was a ninja, after all. However…
"… I swear, if you're still in here, I am going to beat the crap outta you!"
XXXX
Sipping his coffee, Jack made his way to the dropship, thinking about his second migraine. Why was this happening to him? Was he getting too old? Did it have something to do with the serum the military pumped into him, years ago? He'd ask Angela for an examination. Maybe she could figure something out.
He didn't want to worry Lena about it, though. That was why he lied, so that it would be one less thing for her to get worked up about. He didn't need anyone to be distracted with anything they couldn't take care of.
Jack walked up the ramp, and was met by a wide eyed, over excited, Alejandra, who sprung up to him, tugging on his coat and speaking so fast, it almost seemed she had more coffee than him (he hoped she wasn't drinking any at all).
"Jack! Jack! We were right! We were right all this time! I know it was a long shot, but we were right!"
"Woah, woah. Ali, slow down. Right about what?"
"Come! We'll show you!"
Alejandra took Jack by the hand and dragged him towards the holotable, where Winston was waiting, patiently chewing on a banana.
"Good morning, Commander," he said, after finishing his breakfast.
"Morning, Winston. What's this all about?"
At once, Winston hit a button on the holotable, displaying the footage he and Alejandra found last night.
Jack watched both recordings, both of which were damning evidence that Alejandra's theory was not far off. Jack had no idea Reyes had a secret family, hidden in Dorado of all places, but there they were, one big happy family; at least, until the second video.
Jack couldn't help but flinch when he saw Reyes' son get shot, mercilessly, without even a second thought from the Deadlock scum. He had no idea they would go after Reyes. He didn't even know Reyes was taken! How was it covered up? Who covered it up?
Jack got his answer by the end of the video: Talon. He knew it, Talon was behind it all. As soon as Widowmaker stepped through the hole in the wall, Jack knew who to blame for tearing Overwatch apart. He was convinced now that those terrorists manipulated Gabriel, after their supposed rescue from the Deadlock Gang. But, there were still some holes in this whole thing; holes that couldn't be ignored.
"That's Reyes and your mother, alright," Jack started, "but, she's not pregnant with you, in these videos,"
Alejandra had to take a second to process that statement. She heard the words come out of Jack's mouth, saw the man speak right in front of her, but she could not even process the words which were spoken.
"Que? What are you talking about?" Alejandra asked, almost demanded, "You heard Gabriel! You heard him say my name!"
"Ali, look at the date," Jack replied, calmly, not wanting to aggravate her.
Alejandra brought her eyes to the video, and she saw what Jack was talking about. In the left hand corner, accompanying the recording timer, was the date which the video was recorded.
"June sixteenth… 2058..." Alejandra said, solemnly.
"If the baby your mother is carrying in the video was you," Jack started, "you would be over twenty years old,"
Winston walked up towards the holoscreen, adjusted his glasses, and pondered at the new found information. He was already formulating theories in his mind, though he would hold them back until absolutely certain of them.
"B-but, that's my mama, right there! You can't just ignore that," Alejandra said, pointing at the paused video, an image of Gabriel and Alexandria smiling, together, happy.
That was a face Jack hadn't seen on Reyes in a long time. Seeing that grin on his former friend almost made Jack miss him- almost.
But, it still didn't make any sense. The unborn child in the videos couldn't be the Alejandra standing next to Jack Morrison. She would be at least twenty two years old.
"Well, can't we just do a, like a DNA test, or something?" Alejandra suggested, almost desperate to prove her theory, by this point.
"Unfortunately, we don't have the equipment for that kind of procedure," Winston said, knuckle walking his way to Alejandra, "But fret not, Alejandra. You are still probably Gabriel's daughter,"
Jack and Alejandra turned to face the scientist, who adjusted glasses, reflecting light off of them to block out his eyes.
"I have a theory," he began, "Between the kidnapping of your family, the murder of her first born, and the subsequent rescue by Talon, your mother was, no doubt, under a lot of stress; so much stress, that she underwent premature labor,"
The other two listened intently, particularly Alejandra, who was wiling to hear anything by this point.
She couldn't tell why she was so eager to prove she was Reyes' daughter. It wouldn't change anything, would it? He was still the enemy, still psychotic, still lost, right? Winston continued.
"Because of this, the child named Alejandra most likely died, leaving the Reyes family childless. However, this all happened in 2058, and Gabriel hadn't betrayed until 2070. This means one of two things: either the Reyes' conceived another child in between that gap of time, or they adopted. Either way, they named the child after the last child they had lost. And now, here you are,"
Alejandra blinked once, then twice, processing everything that was just said. While everything Winston told her made sense, she couldn't help but start seeing a few holes in the theory.
"But, would Talon just let my mother and father have a child while in their custody?" she asked.
Winston frowned at the floor and stroked his chin, beginning to ponder again. But by that point, it didn't matter. Alejandra's patience had worn thin.
"Ugh!" she yelled, frustrated beyond belief, "Every time we find another clue, we just run into another road block! Madre de Dios!"
She'd had enough. She needed to cool her jets somewhere else.
Alejandra stormed out of the ship; shoulders pulled up and fists at her side, as if she was storming away from the bakery, years ago.
The two veterans watched as their youngest member marched off, past the Shimada bell, and out of view, presumably sitting on the ledge on the opposite side.
They looked at each other, as if expecting one of them to go after her. Winston silently gestured with a tilt of his head, and a roll of his eyes, for Jack to go to her. Jack replied with the same gesture, not moving from his spot at the door frame.
The head tilt gestures continued for ten seconds before Jack finally gave in, and left the ship. Winston triumphantly smirked, watching the Commander take responsibility for the child he brought with him.
Jack was in front of the Shimada bell, his foot falls causing the boards beneath him to creak with every step. He saw Alejandra on the other end of the gazebo, sitting on the steps, looking out at the vast city ahead, the shape of Mt. Fuji obscured by the haze of the horizon.
Jack was about to approach her, until he saw another figure already beside Alejandra.
Lena was staring at the city too, apparently speaking with Alejandra. Jack stood his ground, behind the bell, and listened, letting the two of them do their thing, without interruption.
"I mean, you wouldn't just throw away the chance to save somebody… would you?" Alejandra asked, side glancing Tracer.
Keeping her eyes focused on the mountain, Lena shook her head.
"No, I wouldn't. Not in a million years," she turned her head to face Alejandra, "But, you gotta know something, about the things we do in war, the one thing we don't want to admit to ourselves, no matter how hard we try,"
Alejandra titled her head, waiting to hear what it was Lena was referring to.
The pilot looked right into Alejandra's eyes, wanting to make sure that the girl would never forget what she was about to say.
"… You can't save everyone, love,"
Alejandra blinked, cast her eyes down for a moment, then looked back towards the mountain, as if it was a symbol, a testament to that statement.
She didn't want to believe those words. She wanted to prove that she could save everyone, to prove that she could save Gabriel, and bring him back. Even if he wasn't her father, he was the last link to her family, the one she lost to the scum of this world. Then, that's when she thought about her mother.
No one saved her, not even Jack Morrison could save her. If someone like Jack couldn't save Alexandria, then how the hell was she supposed to save Gabriel?
If she couldn't take back the last link to her family, Alejandra was prepared to burn down everyone responsible, until there was nothing left of them. She wasn't going to die, like her mother. She wasn't going to be manipulated like her father. She was going to get what she deserved: cold, unadulterated vengeance.
"You know what I think?" Lena said.
The voice of Lena Oxton snapped Alejandra out of her inner monologue, bringing her attention back to the conversation. Lena continued
"I think you need to back away from all this. Come back to it with a fresh head, y'know?"
Alejandra heard those words, let them soak in, and understood them. Tracer was right; she wasn't ready to tackle this, not now anyway. She needed time away from it; she was already becoming obsessed with it.
Alejandra took a deep breath, let it out, and felt her mind clear itself, felt her muscles relax themselves, and felt her spirit calm itself. She smiled, and looked at the hero beside her, and nodded.
"Gracias, Ms. Oxton," she said.
Lena smiled back, and said, "De nada"
Alejandra appreciated Lena's attempt to speak her tongue, but couldn't help but giggle on the inside. It wasn't that Lena said anything wrong, it was just her British accent did not go well with the Spanish language.
Lena saw Jack out of the corner of her eye. She silently mouthed 'you're welcome' at him, to which Jack mouthed 'thank you' back. He then gestured her to get a move on, so that they could leave for Eichenwalde as soon as they could. Lena nodded and patted Alejandra's back.
"C'mon. We gotta get goin'. We've got a new 'ome and we gotta spruce it up a bit," she said.
Alejandra just nodded and followed, ready to clear her mind. Wherever they were going, she just hoped it would help them win this war. She wasn't going to lose hope, however, of saving Gabriel. She didn't ever care if he was her father or not. He knew her mother, and that was enough to convince her that she needed to get him back, no matter the cost.
XXXX
They were all almost ready, and began boarding the dropship, the thrusters humming, ready to take off at a moment's notice.
The only people not aboard were Genji, Hanzo, and Angela. The doctor was just getting ready because she was exhausted from, well, pretty much everything that had happened the past few days. The two brothers were conversing in the main courtyard, where the ship awaited for take off.
"Are you sure you wish to go now?" Hanzo asked his brother, "There is much work to be done here,"
"I still have a duty to Overwatch, brother. But, rest assured," Genji placed his hand on Hanzo's shoulder, "I will return to rebuild our family's honor, with you. Besides, with me gone, you can get a head start,"
Hanzo let out a scoff.
"More like you're leaving all the work to me," He replied, looking his brother right in the faceplate.
"Perhaps," Genji said, with a sarcastic chuckle, "but I have my own task to complete. And when I am done, I will return.
Hanzo did not want his brother to leave. It wasn't that he feared for Genji's saftey; the only other warrior to best his brother was Hanzo himself, anyway. He just wanted to rebuild his family legacy with the brother he thought he had lost. But, this wasn't the same boy he knew, years ago.
He was a man, a man with his own path to follow, and that path would lead him back home, some day.
Hanzo extended his arm out to Genji, who smiled under his faceplate, grabbed his brother's arm, and shook it firmly.
Genji almost didn't want to let go of Hanzo's arm, as if it was the last time he would ever grasp it. He was overjoyed to know his brother had forgiven himself, for everything. They could finally start anew. But that would have to wait. While he would love nothing more than to be with Hanzo, and renew their family name, he knew where his place was, and it was with the people behind him, waiting for him, so their mission could begin.
They released each other and nodded, preparing to part once again, except with much less violence this time. Genji turned on his heel and walked up the ramp to the ship, taking his place amongst his allies.
Hanzo watched as his brother stood with them, like another family; a family that would never bring harm to him, a family he belonged with. Perhaps this was for the best. Perhaps Genji was always meant to be with these people. He would join them, to fight along side Genji, to rekindle the flames of the past, to just be with the last member of his family, but it was not meant to be, not yet anyway.
Hanzo knew where his loyalties lied; here, in Hanamura. It was here where he would repair his family's legacy.
A tap on his shoulder snapped Hanzo back to the present. He turned and saw Angela, smiling kindly up at him. Her blue eyes were brought out by the morning light, almost blinding Hanzo. He admitted to himself that he could get lost in those eyes.
"Guten morgen, Hanzo," she said, her hands clasped behind her back
Hanzo smiled slightly and bowed.
"And a good morning to you as well, Angela san," he replied.
She couldn't tell why, but Angela found it chivalrous of Hnazo to bow to her. She knew it was a sign of respect, in his culture, but she couldn't help but think he did it just for her.
Hanzo stood upright again, and gave Angela a slight nod.
"I must admit," he started, "I am not thrilled by your parting,"
Angela smiled at that.
"Neither am I," she said, "But, duty calls. You of all people should know that,"
Hanzo only replied with a soft smirk, not knowing how to reply to that. He couldn't tell if it was dry humor, or if Angela was being genuine with that statement. Either way, it made Hanzo uncomfortable. Duty. Just another word for blind obedience. It was duty that led him to murder his brother in the first place.
Angela scratched the side of her head, unsure of what to say or do. She was feeling a little conflicted about her next move, not sure if it would make their current bubble of awkwardness even worse.
After five full seconds of silence, Angela finally womanned the hell up and handed Hanzo something. He took it in his gloved hand, and inspected it.
"My card," Angela said, quickly, "In case you… need a doctor,"
Hanzo knew what this card really meant, but didn't lead on. He smiled and nodded, accepting the card.
"I will keep it close," he said, tucking the card in his breast pocket.
Angela felt a wave of relief wash over her, as Hanzo tucked the card away. She finally released the breath she was holding.
"Well, I'm off," she said, walking past the archer. They really did need to get going, after all.
She was half way up the ramp, when she stopped, and turned to face Hanzo, his brown eyes illuminated by the rising sun. Angela admitted, she could get lost in those eyes.
"Take care of yourself, Hanzo,":
Hanzo smiled and nodded one last time, looking up at the good doctor.
"You as well, Angela,"
Angela took one last moment to look at Hanzo. She had a feeling she wasn't going to see him for a long time.
She boarded the drop ship, allowing Winston to close the ramp door, and begin their ascent. Genji was sitting on one of the couches, near the other end of the compartment, arms spread out along the couch's backrest.
"Well," he said, "that wasn't awkward at all,"
Angela didn't even bother to look at him, as she took a seat beside the ninja.
"I put you together, and I can just as easily take you apart," she replied, coldly.
Genji didn't speak for the remainder of the flight.
XXXX
Outside, Hanzo watched as the dropship ascended. The thrusters kicked up the dust and rocks of the rock garden courtyard, some of them scattering all along the floor boards. Hanzo watched as the ship drifted away, out of sight, and almost out of mind. Genji was gone, once again. His brother was gone, once again. Hanzo was alone, once again. He couldn't help but feel it was bound to come to this, once again. Him, against all odds, against the world.
Though he knew he wouldn't be lone for very long; just long enough. Hanzo turned to face his home, his real home, the home he left years ago, kept coming back once every year, for that one day. Now, he had taken it all back, and he wasn't about to let it go.
He took in a breath, held it for a whole second, and let it go.
"Well then, let's get started,"
XXXX
Hey… sorry guys I know I know. A WHOLE MONTH since the last update. But, you know how it is. Finals, holidays. Things get in the way :P
BUT, we're on break now, for a month. So, This is the promise I will try to keep. Chapters, every three days. If that means they're short, then okay, BUT I really want to try and get a chapter in every three days for the next month. If it takes four, then it's gonna take four, but I swear, this is what I want to do for the next month.
Okay, time to address the elephant in the room…. Francine… Happy birthday.
But seriously, I'm sure you've all read or at least heard about the new comic Blizzard released. Yes, Tracer has a girlfriend. SO, since I do not like to lore break, I guess I'm going to have to give a spoiler to the story: Jack and Lena WILL break up, so that she can get with Emily. It's not going to happen in this story, but in this story's sequel. So, please, I don't want any comments telling me "Oh hey, Jossshiiiii. You do know that Lena is gay right?" yes, I know, but ONCE AGAIN, blizzard surprises us with lore. So, I gotta accommodate for it and alter the story as it goes along.
I hope you all like this chapter. Yes, I know, kinda short, but I just needed to update you guys. This was gonna be a slightly longer one, but I got tired of not giving you guys something. SO here it is.
Also, the other reason why I was so late with this was because… well… have you LISTENED TO HAMILTON!? I mean… I wasn't spending hours upon hours listening to the soundtrack. Nope, no sir ee… See you guys in three days!
