CHAPTER 10
THE PAST - OVERWATCH HQ
The jet was preparing to take off. Genji grabbed hold of the side, and launched himself into the plane. He took the last seat available: a place next to the obnoxious cowboy. Genji rolled his eyes under his mask.
McCree lit a cigar; it was going to be a long flight. After his first puff, the female agent beside him gave him a discontented look.
"What is it, hot lips, never seen a man relax?" McCree smirked with the cigar hanging from his mouth. She winced in disgust.
"I'd like it if you stopped smoking in this confined space, asshole. What're you trying to give us all cancer?" She quipped as she grabbed his flaming cigar, and put it out on the floor of the jet. McCree narrowed his eyebrows as he readied another cigar from his box, but Genji slapped his hand when McCree reached for the lighter.
"Don't embarrass yourself further, American." The ninja instructed condescendingly. Jesse squinted at Genji as if he was staring him down, but the Shimada turned the other way in his seat. This was indeed going to be a long flight.
THE PAST - HANAMURA
It had been quite sometime since Genji had set foot on his home turf. The fertile soil of Japan couldn't be felt with his cold metal toes like it had been when he still had his legs, but he could still smell the sakura trees and the incense. It was like no other place in the world to him. Sadly, unlike many times he had visited Hanamura, this was an assassination mission.
"You move when I say you can move, got it?" Reyes whispered to the ninja. Genji nodded in affirmation. "Jesse, you take the left flank. Shimada, you're with me." The Blackwatch team snuck silently through the calm night. The flowers and incense Genji had once associated with home had been replaced by the anger of what his brother had done to him.
When I get my hands on him, I'm going to rip him limb from limb, I'm going to shatter his- His thoughts were swiftly interrupted when an arrow flew straight through the head of the agent in front of him. Genji's eyes grew wide.
"We're under fire! We're under fir-" Another agent shouted before another arrow pierced his skull.
"Get down!" Reyes quietly exclaimed, still trying to keep his voice hushed. "Genji! Where is this fucker coming from?" Gabe asked, turning to the cyborg desperately. At first, he had no idea how to answer Reyes' question, though as the silence of the serene evening struck him, he knew exactly where the fire was coming from.
His robotic senses worked best when there was nothing else happening around them, and a from 20 meters away he could hear the distinct sound of a racing heartbeat. A heartbeat that was getting closer. 10 meters. 5 meters.
"Reyes! To your right!" Gabe fired his weapon into the bush beside him. The heartbeat moved. "Behind you!" Genji warned again, drawing his blade from his sheath. Gabriel turned around, but he was no match for this quick and terrible guardian of Hanamura. An arrow whistled through the air towards Reyes, and would surely meet its mark.
Genji shoved his commander onto the ground, and with one swift slice, split the projectile in half. He was impressed with himself. Not even Hanzo could ever utilize that kind of speed and agility. Before he could congratulate himself too much, however, the heartbeat was directly on top of him.
"Leave here, intruders!" A familiar voice warned. Genji recognized the sound of his voice, it triggered a hatred in him. Reyes got up from being pushed over, and he pointed his gun at the darting shadow that threatened them.
"We're not going anywhere!" Gabriel shouted. Two more arrows were let fly into the direction of the Blackwatch swiped his katana, and stopped both of them within milliseconds. The archer growled, and he leapt from the darkness, unsheathing a small blade from his belt.
The man fought with a cowl around his face, so Genji couldn't see who it was beneath the cloth. Reyes was at a total loss for usefulness. Every bullet he shot at the enemy ninja was dodged without much sweat broken by the mysterious man. Genji was able to keep up with his opponent flawlessly thanks to his enhancements. The assailant was fast, but he was much faster.
Genji struck the ninja's face cloth just enough to reveal the man's face. As the damaged clothing fell off his body, Genji gasped. It was Hanzo. He had waited for the precise moment to kill him for what felt like forever. Revenge was within his grasp… So why couldn't he take what he wanted?
Hanzo took advantage of the hesitation, and slashed his exposed arm. Genji cried out in pain; it was a deep wound. Hanzo took out his bow as Genji lay on the ground moaning.
"I will enjoy defeating such a skilled opponent." Hanzo taunted, pulling the string back slowly. Genji trembled, as he knew his fate was near. He could not best just brother, not even with his enhancements; he was truly useless.
"Stop right there, fucker!" Reyes shouted, firing on every which way towards the Shimada ninja. Hanzo, unlike before when he simply dodged a bullet or two, was forced to move out of the way before he was riddled with lead. "Get on your feet, Genji, we're getting out of here!"
Reyes grabbed Genji, and started running with him. With every step of his carrier he felt pain throbbing in his exposed arm. He was going to be sick. He ran with him to the getaway plane. Gabe threw him into the jet, and slammed on the door.
"Get a move on! We're being followed!" Reyes shouted.
"What about Jesse?" The pilot asked, frightened and confused. Reyes face palmed. He lifted his radio to his mouth.
"McCree! Get your ass onto this jet, we need to go! NOW!" Gabe screamed into the mic.
"Copy that, I'll be back in a jiffy." McCree replied. Suddenly, a crash alerted the Blackwatch Commander. Shattered glass covered the front seats of the aerial vehicle, and blood was splattered on the opposite window. The pilot had been struck with an arrow to the head, and he was killed immediately. "Shit." Gabe muttered under his breath.
Genji moaned in pain. Reyes turned to him, seeing what he could do to help. He removed a syringe filled with golden liquid, Zeigler's formula, from the medical pack on the wall, and stuck it in his exposed arm. Genji's wound slowly disappeared, and he was silent. Sleeping soundly. Now that the ninja was stabilized, he could focus on defending from Hanzo Shimada.
Another arrow pierced the jet, this time hitting the side. It didn't break through the metal shell of the plane, but it made a sizable dent. These weren't normal arrows, they must've been some sort of enhanced super-arrows. Singular shots rang out into the air, interrupting the constant barrage. It was unmistakably the sounds of revolver.
THE PAST - OUTSIDE THE JET
"Hold it there, bucko, you shouldn't be doing that." McCree scolded with a giant shit-eating grin. Hanzo scowled, hopping to the side to fire another arrow. McCree was quick, but he couldn't keep this duel up for very long. His spurs jingled as he rolled and evaded each shot from the lightning-fast ninja.
"Invaders are not welcome in Hanamura!" Hanzo shouted with authority. McCree laughed.
"Good thing you've got so many men to back you up there, friend." Jesse chuckled as he spat his insult. Hanzo smiled eerily. McCree wasn't comfortable with his lack of retort.
"Kimasu!" Hanzo raised his hand, and a dozen ninjas leapt from the bushes behind him.
"Shit, shouldn't have said anything…" McCree cursed under his breath, a cold sweat breaking on the back of his neck.
"Shūto!" Hanzo commanded. The ninjas readied their shurikens, and McCree knew he had to act fast. He took notice of the moon, which was big a bright in the night sky.
I suppose it's close enough to high noon… McCree thought as he pulled his revolver. He closed his left eye, and, as speedy as a shooting star, emptied his entire clip into the heads of six ninjas in a blur of pure marksmanship.
Hanzo was stunned. The other six ninjas faltered. They'd never seen a man so blindingly quick.
"Get in the plane you dumbass!" Reyes shouted from behind, who opened the door slightly for McCree to enter.
"Sorry fellas, gotta go!" McCree announced, bowing out of the fight and into the jet. The ninjas pelted their shurikens at the door, but it was too late. The invaders had successfully escaped Hanamura.