So sorry this fanfic isn't as timely as it should've been but I had gotten some stomach problems. To make it up, I hope you guys appreciate it being extra long! Thank you, as always, for supporting me!

Demons Never Sleep

Chapter One: Death Do Us Part

"Hanzo, you should really cut your hair."

Hanzo woke up to his younger brother's voice. The motion of the train had lulled the older Shimada to sleep. His brother, Genji Shimada, in turn looked ridiculous with his dyed green spikey hair. He grunted with annoyance. The two looked odd together. It was clear Hanzo still allowed his hair to grow and it was tied in a very traditional style. He still wore western clothing but Hanzo simply refused to cut his hair. His bangs feathered his face and nearly hid his eyes but he preferred it that way.

"And you need to stop looking like a cartoon character." Hanzo said, deadpan. The younger brother had smiled and laughed a little bit. It seemed the comment tickled him somehow and Hanzo could never understand why.

"You're the only one who ever says that to me since Father passed away."

It grew silent aside from the noises the train itself, and the other passengers made. It had only been a couple of years since the death of their father. He had been mysteriously ill for some time that doctors couldn't figure it out how or even why it happened. On one hand, their father always had an illness and seemed to be angry towards it. He never shared what happened in his past as the two grew up but he had a lot of anger in his heart.

Their mother would claim that the demon blood had consumed him. She said the two had met as children and she had seen a lot of the same things he had. The two brothers understood but it was still hard to truly comprehend what had happened. Despite living it for themselves, the Shimada brothers had disregarded it. They knew it was an illness their father had carried since he was young. They didn't understand why their mother wouldn't just admit that.

Because of their father's sudden death, the Shimada clan had to change their business strategy. Their father had refused to take either brother as an apprentice for the position as head – so instead, they became a courier service because of the travels and connections that still remained in touch. Genji and Hanzo would usually deliver different packages on their own but their mother begged them to do this one together.

The two had to help deliver an important package in the southwest of America. He had to bring along Genji to help translate between the distributors. However, the two brothers didn't know what they were supposed to deliver. The package was too big to be delivered by normal means. They had to personally deliver it themselves. Reasons known only to their mother, the brothers took this as a chance to get closer to one another.

Days and nights, Genji would often flirt with attractive men and women while Hanzo would watch him with disapproval. Always the more serious one, Hanzo disapproved of his brother's hobbies; but he never complained. Whenever Genji was away with a date, Hanzo would use this time to gather his thoughts for the future and gather the sights around him.

He remembered when they were younger and even when they had to suffer through their demon forms, he never got a chance to get a real look around the American southwest. Orange mountains littered the blue clear sky. The sun was brighter and closer as it always had been. The atmosphere reminded him of an oil painting he had seen once as a traveler. While the sun was harsh, the cool blue sky was endless but it was the orange mountains that kept him grounded on earth. It reminded him of that young man's eyes…

The 20-year-old Hanzo dreamed about that boy since he shed his demon skin. He had once told Genji about the young man and he claimed he didn't remember him. Apparently, Hanzo had been surrounded by a huge crowd that day he gave him a popsicle. Genji would joke about the day he shed his skin.

"Father was so angry! He didn't expect you to lose your skin so soon!" Genji laughed at the memory. "People were so angry, anija! They all demanded their money back. I think it was around then Father started the whole 'no refund' policy."

Were there people around us? How is it I don't remember? Hanzo had thought to himself on more than one occasion. Still, the young man's eyes haunted him. It haunted his dreams, his imagination, his… everything. It changed him. Something within him stirred.

"You're in love with a ghost, Hanzo," Genji reasoned. "Maybe you'll meet someone new. Forget about him."

These thoughts and memories would lull him back to sleep as the silence between the two Shimada brothers widened. Genji seemed distracted by something but if it didn't interrupt his sleep again and Genji remained focused, Hanzo was okay with it.

No matter how many times Genji told him to forget them, or even Hanzo himself, those eyes were always the first thing to pop up in his imagination. That dream, though, was different.

Instead of a figment of his past, it seemed to be a fragment of his future.

The young man was much older – his brown hair was the same length but he looked so much older. A beard covered his lips and chin. A red scarf-like garment was wrapped around his neck. A metal arm replaced the flesh. A giant revolver whose name he can clearly see – Peacekeeper. Instead of a peaceful, maybe loving, gaze, the expression on his face was angry.

And anger filled his own heart. No, actually, it wasn't anger. It was vengeance. He raised his arm – his arm was covered with the symbol of dragons that supposedly protected the family from any more curses – an additive that was tacked on the Shimada mythos to justify the tattoos. However, instead of his skin, it was the familiar skin of a demon. His fingernails were curled and long as it used to be. His breathing was heavy and he felt the usual fangs protruding. He couldn't speak.

An arrow was aimed at the man before him.

"Hanzo!" Someone yelled. Was it the man? Was it his own voice? Was it Genji? Was it his father's?

Once again, Hanzo opened his eyes and it seemed to be night on the outside. A full moon along a blanket of stars which protected the young man's heart. He could feel his heart beating and he was ready to fight if he had to.

Genji looked at him with a worried expression on his face. He could see his brother's worried eyes through the darkness. He didn't see the young man he had grown into but, instead, he saw the little boy who was afraid of losing himself once the cursed blood affected him. Immediately, Hanzo grew worried.

"Genji? What's wrong?" Hanzo felt a bit woozy from being suddenly awake.

"The train stopped." He whispered.

Hanzo didn't understand at first but soon realized it himself when he didn't hear the usual sound of the train moving. It seemed unnaturally quiet. No one made a sound. It was dark. The only light that was provided was the full moon glowing through the windows. The stars tried to give them guidance but it was the moon who provided the only warmth within the unmoving vehicle. And yet, when Hanzo's eyes looked amongst the passengers they seemed uncomfortably quiet. They seemed unnaturally quiet. Were they asleep? He idly wondered as he followed his brother.

He didn't recognize the area but he assumed they were seated by the cargo car.

Once they were inside, things had grown much darker. Genji switched on a flashlight he apparently had in his possession. Hanzo searched his own person and got out a small knife that he'd keep in case certain dealings went sour. Often, people would try to kill the messenger.

The two remained silent as they could as they made their way around the cargo that also traveled with them. Boxes were on top of each other with stickers from all over the world. They had to be more sensitive to their areas. Soon, they heard footsteps of unnamed people pass through them. They tried to remain undetected but Genji, always the curious one, tried his best to be stealthy. He was better at it than Hanzo was so Hanzo stayed behind.

The older Shimada was left in the darkness and with his knife. He tried to picture in his mind who'd be on the train and why. Could it be because they had something valuable or someone else's cargo on the train? There had been a string of train robberies lately – the reason why they had to travel together.

Before Hanzo got too comfortable, he heard something he never should've at his age: a demon's growl. A slam against cargo then more slams. Bodies clearly hit the ground and Hanzo had to immediately get to wherever Genji was.

It was tough to get through the boxed cargos in the darkness but once he saw the moon's light, he knew he was safe. However, once he stepped out, he gasped. He dropped his knife because of the shock.

The cargo unwrapped revealed a family heirloom. There were twin dragons made from bronze interlocked with each other. Instead of a glorious gleam, there was a copious amount of blood on it. He couldn't take it in and fell to his knees.

Who would desecrate our heirloom like this?! He couldn't speak – he was super shocked. Littered around him were nameless grunts from a gang he didn't recognize. Immediately, he was brought back from the shock.

"Genji!" He yelled out. "Where are you, Genji!" He grabbed his knife – or something he assumed was his knife – and tried his best to make it to where Genji might've been.

Before he could make it though, he heard a gunshot. Again, he stopped in his tracks. His heartbeat quickened as he tried to find the source of the blast. His hair got in the way and he moved it as best as he could. He could feel himself sweat from the intensity of everything around him.

"Genji?" he whispered. He feared anything louder might bring him to an unwanted truth.

Another demon growl echoed. "Genji!" Hanzo repeated himself in the darkness. He tried his best to make his way but he nearly slipped on more blood. He feared the worst.

Another gunshot echoed in the car but as Hanzo got closer, there was a flash of red he barely recognized.

Things had gone silent in the car. Hanzo worry grew to fear for the worst with every silent step he attempted to do. He wasn't very good at being stealthy but it was still doable.

"Anija," panted a familiar voice. Hanzo turned around, and sure enough, Genji lied on the ground as he clutched to his chest. He tried to bring his knees up to his chest but it was clear he had a couple of gunshot wounds to his chest. "Help me…"

The older Shimada bent down immediately, knocking the flashlight near him around on the floor, and tried to see if he could help his younger brother. When he turned him, Hanzo almost yelled in horror; he couldn't believe who this being was below him!

Instead of Genji's bright young face, his skin was white as it could be. Red horns stuck out of his head through his green spikey hair and by his jawline. Teeth protruded and curled. His eyes were yellow.

This was no longer Genji.

"A-anija… please… k-kill me…I-I… I'm a monster…"

He begged. The blood he held so close was still red but the horror upon this young man was apparent. Hanzo's mouth was agape as he tried to drink in what he could see. He looked at the blood, unsure if it was fake or real. Genji coughed. He hated his face.

"Do-don't look at me! I'm a monster!"

Soon, the sound of metal as footsteps continued to echo in the bloodied car.

Hanzo swallowed and grabbed the knife. It didn't matter if his brother looked this way. He could find a way to heal him. He would fix him. Shimada's demon blood would only last if his brother was shamed, right?

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" An unfamiliar deep voice now joined the brothers.

"Get out!" Hanzo said as he held the knife threateningly. Now that he was older, he understood English but for Hanzo, it was hard to parse it.

The strange man held up his hands. Now that Hanzo had a better look… there was a familiar glint in the man's eyes. It angered him. He couldn't deal with the man when his brother laid in his arms, dying. The man seemed to be about Hanzo's age but his hair was a mess. He had a patch of hair in between his chin and mouth. He wore denim jeans. On his plaid shirt, though, he had his precious brother's blood all over him.

"Look, he tried to kill me. I'm just tryin' to defend myself here! It looks like he took care of my gang though. Boss ain't gonna like that."

"Get out, I said!" He tried to cut his leg but the stranger stepped away. His English was very heavily accented but it was the only thing he knew. The stranger grew cold.

"Hey. I'm tryin' to help ya but if you don't want it, fine. I ain't gonna do shit for ya. Good luck dealin' with that."

He turned around and stepped back into the darkness with ease. Hanzo immediately turned back to Genji who seemed to turn back to his human, his more fragile, self.

"Genji… did that man do this to you?"

Genji's eyes stared up at him coldly as he didn't get a response. Hanzo looked closer.

Nothing. A void of darkness in his brother's eyes.