PoVs/Protagonists/Couples:
Hanzo (character belongs to Blizzard) x Ýri (OC)
Genji (character belongs to Blizzard) x Shizuka (OC)

WARNING: This story will be a very long one, full of dialogs, drama and violence as well as grammar mistakes because none of the authors is a native English speaker. And it is for mature audiences only!

Chapter 19: Stranger Bonds (Hanzo x Ýri)

He must have fallen asleep right in her room. The soft light of the morning sun made it through the window, where the large black raven was sitting on the frame. The cunning bird watched him suspiciously … and the window stood wide open. Hanzo jumped to his feet.

»Calm down, mercenary, I am right here.« She was laying on her bed, fully dressed already, her nose buried in some book. »By the way, you do not have to sit on the ground all night long.«

He did not answer to that.

»Just take a seat. I don't mind.«

He did so and the girl continued to ignore him, so Hanzo watched her silently. I never met a girl being that riveted by a book before. It indeed was a real book with leather binding. How old-fashioned …

The rising sun soon reached her softly curled hair and gave it a golden gleam. Minutes passed and the light made it to her eyes. Hanzo took a deep breath. It was a stunning emerald green reminding him of northern lights. How unusual…

»Could you please stop staring at me? It's quite distracting«, she suddenly muttered.

Hanzo was confused. She did not even look up from her book, so how was she able to notice him watching her? »Just asked myself what you might be reading. A cheap romance story perhaps?«

»It is poetry«, she replied.

»So it is romance«, he insisted.

»›Brothers will struggle and slaughter each other‹«, she recited. »Does that sound like some stupid love story?«

A sharp flash of a memory pierced his mind and filled his heart with unbearable pain and regret again. Genji …

»What the hell are you reading there?!«

She looked up at his raised voice. »It is called ›Völuspá‹. An ancient northern poem written some when in 900 AC«, she explained. »It is some kind of prophecy from a seer concerning the world's end and a new beginning.«

»What is it with the part about the brothers?«, he wanted to know.

»›Brothers will struggle and slaughter each other, and sisters' sons spoil kinship's bonds. It's hard on earth: great whoredom; axe-age, blade-age, shields are split; wind-age, wolf-age, before the world crumbles: no one shall spare another.‹«, she continued reciting.

A slight shiver overcame him. »Sounds terrifying.«

»Maybe a little. But it has a good ending. Do you want to hear it all from the beginning?«

He was nodding in agreement and she started to read the 66 rhymes aloud, stopping now and then to explain him a few backgrounds. Time started to fly by again and he realized, he had grown hungry.

»I will go and get a shower and find myself something to eat. Do I have to tell your father or can I trust you to stay right here?«

»If you ask me nicely, maybe«, she replied only to return to her poems again.

Hanzo gave no further comment and prepared to leave the room, just to bump into someone. »Sígurd … my apologies … «

The tall Viking glared down on him murderously. »Did you spend the whole night in here?!«

Hanzo knew immediately he was in trouble. »It is not like that! I just-«

Before he was able to finish his explanation, Sígurd had already seized his collar and smashed his back against the wall making him groan.

»What by Odin's beard have you done with my daughter?!«

Sígurd's grip was way too tight. Hanzo was not able to squeeze out one single word.

»Dad!« Ýri had appeared behind her father. »Let him go! Hanzo did nothing-«

»I am not talking to you!«, Sígurd silenced her protest, before he turned back to Hanzo. »Guess I was wrong taking you into my service, even though you had proofed useful during the past weeks.«

Hanzo tensed, ready to fight.

»If you really want to get rid of him, then let's just leave this stupid place and get home!« Ýri tried to ease the situation. »I understand that you are refusing to return, but shouldn't you finally face your past mistakes?«

Sígurd froze in place for a second, letting go of Hanzo, before starting to rant at his daughter. »How dare you?!«

Things happened incredibly fast from this point. First he realized Sígurd's raised hand aiming for his daughter. Hanzo immediately stepped between them, taking the blow for her and pushing the Viking back, but it was too late. Ýri had already been releasing her spirit energy in an attempt of self-defense.

»Ýri!« Fearing for his daughter's life made Sígurd forget about his former fury.

Sensing her panic, Hanzo crouched down next to her. »Remember: Breathe deeply and concentrate on your center.« Her despairing eyes searched his and she grabbed his hand. He took it looking back at her calmly. »It will be alright. Concentrate.«

He felt a soft trickle in his left arm, when one of his dragons left his body to join her for support. In fact, she was able to pull back her energy and control her breathing. Finally Ýri sat up again.

»Are you alright?«, Hanzo asked.

She was pale, but nodded.

Sígurd let out a relieved sigh. »Ýri, how many times did I tell you not to do that?«

Hanzo felt some wrath towards Sígurd, which he could not explain. Letting go of her hand, he stood up to face the much taller Viking. »You keep doing the wrong thing every time.«

Sígurd looked back at him, confused. »What do you mean?«

»She is simply acting on instinct. Whenever she feels in danger, she is releasing her energy without any control.«

The Viking shrugged helplessly. »She was born that way. No-one had nor has an idea how to handle it. So we were just keeping her from public.«

»Nonsense«, Hanzo snorted. »If she keeps suppressing it, it may harm her permanently.«

»So we simply have to keep her from any danger«, Sígurd muttered, before looking at him again. »Thank you«, he added.

»What for?«, Hanzo asked.

»For protecting her. Even from me.« Sígurd indeed seemed to regret his previous actions.

He started to feel very awkward and out of place. »I will leave you to sort things out.« Hanzo turned on his heels. »Stay away from any window, Ýri.«

The recent events happening this morning had a deeper effect on him than expected. Hanzo could not get Genji out of his mind … as well as his parents … After the shower; he put on a pair of pants, before he sat down rubbing his wet hair with a towel.

When he heard the silent swing of his apartment door being opened, he reached for his Stormbow and groaned at the pain in his still aching shoulder.

»It's just me«, Ýri said with an apologetic look. »Sorry, I did not want to burst in like that, but you did not answer my knocks.«

»It's okay … « He laid down his bow and continued drying his hair.

»I am sorry for what happened. I explained everything to my father and things seem fine now.«

He gave an understanding hum.

»My father wasn't always like that. It has been ten years now since my mother passed, but he is still acting as if it was yesterday.«

»As I said: It is fine. Even if I do not understand«, he replied, starting to examine the wound Widowmaker gave him.

»I am sure you do. Surely your parents had loved each other deeply.«

Now Hanzo looked up in disbelief. »Love? How naive are you. A Shimada does not concern himself with such impractical illusions.«

»Impractical illusions?!« His words seemed to have shocked the young Viking woman.

»As the leader of the Shimada empire marrying a Hikari is a necessity«, he explained.

»How can marriage be a necessity?«

»Only the Shimada gens combined with the ones of a Hikari results in new dragons. With that done, my parents never really exchanged words again.«

She looked at him horrified, before her expression changed to pity. »So you are actually a bred weapon.«

»Yes«, he agreed. »A bred weapon, which failed its purpose.« Hanzo had turned his back on her, but he was still able to feel her gaze. »Stop pitying me.«

»Shall I see to your shoulder?«, she asked instead.

He indeed struggled with the bandages, so he nodded and let her approach. Her hands were warm and gentle. Even pleasant. That strange feeling overcame him again and his inner dragons purred in approval like the time before. He slightly shied away from her touch. What is the meaning of this?

»Where did all these scars on your back come from?«, she asked all of the sudden.

»Some during fights. Some as punishment from my father, when I failed in training«, he answered factually.

»What?!« She seemed terrified.

»I am the weapon he forged. And with every failure, he broke the weapon to forge it anew.«

»Horrible … «, she whispered, while finishing with the bandages.

Hanzo only shrugged. »Guess I have grown used to it.«

»No child should endure such a thing«, she insisted.

»My mother tried to protect us. Indeed father was softer with my brother … but I was supposed to be his heir. I had to match certain expectations.«

She took a step back. »Would you teach me?«

»Teach you what?«, he asked putting on a new shirt.

»Teach me how to fight«, she repeated.

Hanzo shook his head. »To what use?«

»To defend myself? Maybe even to control this thing in me?« She almost sounded pleading.

»From what I saw, your energy seems indeed similar to my dragons, but … no.« He went on to his small apartment-kitchen starting to brew himself some Sencha.

Ýri kept following him. »Why not?!«

»It would simply be a waste of time.« He found himself a large tea cup. »You will never be able to handle it. You are far too weak, otherwise your father would have been making some efforts already … «

»You know what?!« She glared at him, hands on her hips. »Just go and fuck yourself!« She made for the door and slammed it after her.

»My, my, my … what a temper … «, he muttered to himself grinding some tea leafs. But maybe I should teach her some lessons. I won't be around to look after her forever …

These thoughts remained in his head even during today's time-off. He roamed a less popular part of the town, subconsciously searching for a suitable training ground far from other people's eyes and presences. Indeed he found an empty storehouse, which seemed fitting. Still, he was unable to explain his own action. Where was the point in helping the young Viking?

Maybe honor and redemption are not just gained from death alone … Maybe it is also gained from helping and protecting the innocent.

Usually people face him with fear, hate or disgust, but neither Ýri nor Sígurd showed the slightest sight of those three emotions towards him. He kept brooding over this confusing fact until he stopped in front of a bakery and caught himself buying one single doughnut. I must have lost my mind …

When he got back to the White House, he entered her apartment without knocking. »Greetings, bookworm.«

She shrieked up and the raven on her shoulder took up with a surprised caw. »Hanzo! Goddammit, now you frightened Huginn!«

He watched the bird, which settled on the top of a bookshelf. »He looks rather miffed to me.«

»What do you want anyways?«, Ýri snarled at him.

»You give me lots of trouble, you know that?« That put her off and she remained silent for a second. »And I do not even know, if it is worth the efforts or if I will ever gain something from this«, he continued.

»Is the end of your speech in sight already?« She still seemed upset.

Hanzo glared back at the obviously ungrateful Viking woman. »I have been thinking things through and I agree to teach you.«

Now her angered expression turned into a surprised one. »O-okay.«

»But I have a few conditions«, Hanzo went on.

»I am all ears.« It was the first time he saw Ýri laying a book aside while talking to him.

»First: During training sessions you will do exactly what I am telling you to.« He saw her commenting on that with a dramatic eye roll. »And second: You will stop trying to escape during my watch. I have had it with chasing after you, especially during the nights.«

»Agreed«, she said with a mischievous smirk appearing on her lips. »So next time I am planning to run off, I am telling you beforehand.«

»Good … «, was his frank reply. I am going to regret this …

»So can we now proceed with my conditions?« She threw him a challenging glare.

»I knew it«, Hanzo groaned.

»You will quit your ever resting bitch face during our lessons«, she stated with a totally serious face.

»My- WHAT?!« Hanzo glared back at her and Ýri suddenly started to giggle. »I see. You are mocking me on purpose«, he realized.

It was getting on his nerves, but he couldn't be mad at her. Despite his brother, no-one ever gave him so much attention as to ›mock‹ him.

He threw the little bag with the doughnut at her. »Take it as a sign of our ›alliance‹.«

She looked rather confused. »You bought this for me? Why?«

Hanzo only shrugged. »They are your favorites, aren't they?«

»You remembered that?«, she looked back at him, somehow awkwardly. »But you won't invite me for diner now or present me with some flowers?«

Now it was his turn to be puzzled. »Of course not. Why would I do such a thing?«

»No? Good. Otherwise I won't stop laughing at you.«

»Oh, I will find a way to make you shut up, little Viking, believe me.« He turned back to the door.

»Hanzo, wait.«

He looked back just to find Ýri holding out a half of the doughnut to him. »What am I supposed to do with that thing?«

She tilted her head to the left. »Eat it? It is called sharing and is regarded as a kind and friendly gesture.«

»Oh … « Hanzo was taking a bite.

»So? How is it?«, Ýri wanted to know.

»Awful!«, he scowled.

And she laughed again. A happy and honest laugh, which he found somehow beautiful. He closed the door behind him, getting to his usual guarding spot next to it. He stared down at his half of the doughnut. A very strange girl indeed …