Hanamura: Chapter 2

Save for the low hum of decorative florescent street lamps, the night was silent as the three men slipped out of the castle and into the alleyways of Hanamura. McCree put his hands on his hips and surveyed his surroundings. This was just a dirty back alley, full of exhaust vents and dumpsters and very little else. It was likely this was an empty lot, reserved by someone with a lot of money to put down on real estate. McCree pulled a cigar out of the holder in his pocket and flicked open a compartment on his arm to fish out a lighter.

"Alright boys, this is where we part ways."

"Wait-" Genji began to object, but McCree held up a hand to stop him.

"That was the deal. I'm still a little cross with your family for killin' one of my crew and tryin' to kill me."

"We had nothing to do with that." Hanzo snarled. His posture changed suddenly, relaxing and becoming surprisingly professional. "We could have something to do with keeping you safe, however."

"Hm?" McCree paused. His lighter wasn't cooperating. His unlit cigar bobbed as he spoke. "I don't need protection, fellas."

"The Shimada family will scour the streets for you. Nearly every building is owned by or under protection by this family. Where will you go? How will you know whether or not you are safe there?"

"Boys, I'm high-tailin' it out of Hanamura first thing in the morning."

"You think they will let you just walk away? Once they find us missing, you will be their highest priority. No one will leave without facing a security check until we are found."

"So you want t' stick with me in the shadows until the heat dies down, is that it?"

"Precisely. We will help you avoid unecessary danger, you will provide an amount of protection and experience being..." He struggled to find the correct word. "A criminal."

"Criminal?" McCree mused, finally getting his cigar to light. He took a deep drag and blew the smoke out through his nose. It burned but it looked cool, so he did it sometimes just for the hell of it. "You fellas didn't think this through, did you."

Genji motioned for Hanzo to step aside with him, exchanging a nod of understanding with McCree. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but it got heated several times before they returned to earshot.

"You are a Shadowrunner. That much is obvious." Genji began. "Which means you are better connected to illegitimate resources and more familiar with being an unknown than we are. If we wish to hide, it would seem that under the wing of a Shadowrunner would be most ideal."

"Fair enough. But why should I stick my neck out for you two? We made an even trade, I don't owe you anything from this point on."

"What if we had work for you?" Genji's eyes sparkled dangerously. "We wish to see our family's empire destroyed. The planning and executing of such a task would require-"

"A hell of a lot of cash, a lot of spilled blood, and for me to drag people into this that don't need that kinda heat on 'em."

"We would not be the only ones seeking to destroy the Shimadas. We could offer our service to any number of high profile and well playing companies. I can think of a few right now - Ares, Renraku, even Mitsuhama."

"And we have knowledge that would give us the upper hand." Hanzo cut in. He was clearly irritated by his brother's taking charge and itching for a chance to speak. "We are asking to run the shadows with you in a crusade."

"Three people ain't gonna take down a corporation as big as the Shimadas."

"You have contacts, do you not?"

"Like I said, they don't need that kinda heat."

"Very well. Let me put it to you this way, then." Hanzo stepped forward menacingly. He was shorter than McCree, but radiated power in every way. His tattoo shimmered and rippled with energy. A shaman. McCree thought. Dragon shaman, by the looks of the ink.

"You will help us establish a career as shadowrunners. We will wage our war with or without you once we are established. If you are lucky, we will forget your face. More likely, we will hunt you down after the fact for being a stubborn fool."

"Well when you put it so nicely." He tried on a smile, failed, sighed. "You really wanna get your feet wet that bad, fine. Guess I ain't got nothin' better to do anyway."

Hanzo and Geni exchanged surprised glances. It had been easier than they'd expected to get him to change his mind. McCree chuckled, tapping the ash off the end of his cigar. He spun on his heel and started to wander forth into the night. It felt odd to suddenly be running the show. Speaking of - he stopped short, causing Hanzo to nearly crash into him - he had to check in with Diesel.

"Yo, Diesel."

"McCree? Finally. I was starting to think you were down, too. You get out?"

"Yep. What's the damage?"

"Storm rallied and made it out, we're taking her to a clinic nearby right now."

"Oh shit." McCree started walking again, faster this time. He had to see Storm and apologize for leaving her behind. He was certain she had bit it. "I'm on my way."

"Where?" Hanzo hissed, catching up. Genji motioned for him to be quiet, received a harsh glare for it, rolled his eyes.

"To get paid and apologize." McCree mumbled. "Where's the nearest clinic?"

"The Outpost." Genji chimed in. "It's a chop shop, cyberware clinic, and medical station."

"And not under Shimada's thumb?"

"No - I got my surgeries there. The doctor is quite competent."

At the mention of his brother's surgery, Hanzo stiffened. McCree was beginning to sense a theme with these two. He wasn't ready to say he regretted the - admittedly questionable - decision to run with these men, but he was on his way.

Angela Ziegler was busy reconstructing the ruined trachea of the shadowrunner brought in five minutes prior to Jesse McCree kicking down her door. She didn't need to look up to know it was her old friend and pseudo brother figure - the shadow of his stupid hat was obscuring her work.

"Jesse McCree, if you do not move I will have you locked in a freezer with the rest of the corpses."

"Angie? The hell are you doing in Hanamura?"

Audible shock tinged McCree's words. Angela sighed. She hadn't meant to reveal her presence so soon, but she was already resigned to McCree's meddling in her affairs. If it was up to her he would never know at all. Months of stealthy tailing only for her cover to be blown by a botched run. His botched run.

"I go where I am needed, Jesse, you know that."

"Bullshit. You're followin' me."

"I go where I am needed." She snapped, looking up long enough to fix him with a firm glare. She had to do a double take when she saw his company. Hanzo and Genji Shimada. One of these two she was glad to see - the other was as displeased by her presence as she was by his. A blank expression replaced her surprise and she spoke flatly. "You're looking well, Genji."

"Thank you, doctor." A tentative pause. "I was unaware you two were acquainted."

"McCree, who the fuck are these guys?"

Diesel emerged from a back room, clearly agitated and dog tired. Hanzo and Genji bristled simultaneously in anticipation of a fight. McCree held up a hand for calm, which was promptly ignored.

"These boys helped me get out, they're fixin' to become runners."

"Where exactly did you pick up two elves on your way out?"

McCree shrugged. This was not a satisfactory answer.

"Hana said you had to cut through a prison block - don't tell me you sprung criminals on an already fucked run?"

"Alright. I won't tell you that, but I won't tell you you're wrong."

"You left Storm, but had time to-"

There was a massive clang of metal and a frustrated snarl. Everyone in the room froze, turning their attention to the fuming doctor in the middle of the squabble.

"I. Am. Working! Argue elsewhere, unless you would like to lose your associate today?"

Angela listened in on the argument as it migrated to the front waiting room. Hanzo and Genji Shimada wanted to become shadowrunners, of all things. If they were imprisoned, she suspected this was a revenge mission for them. If Jesse was choosing to take them under his wing, she had no choice but to do the same. Genji was easy enough to get along with anyway - she had many pleasant conversations with him as she worked on his cyberware. His brother, however, she expected trouble from.

Hanzo Shimada had confronted her once already, furious that she had "destroyed" his brother's body. Genji had arrived with a simple and polite request to reduce his essence as much as possible. He claimed it was vital to his survival to do so and that he feared waiting any longer would endanger his life. Angela was no expert in matters of the astral plane, but she was an expert in not allowing people to die on her watch, and so she did what she could. She managed to convince him not to use older wares that were going to damage his body and essence, even suggesting bioware in some cases to help him transition. This wasn't the first time she'd filled a request like this and she remembered just how damaging the wrong equipment could be. Sharing the story of her time in Berlin and a girl named Glory ultimately won Genji over into getting fresher metal.

The runner on her table twitched, probably in response to the slamming of the front door. Sedating physical adepts was always difficult - their bodies were too well-tuned against foreign substances. Angela reached for another syringe of sedatives and nearly groped Jesse in the process. He was staring hard at her face and frowning.

"Do you have something to say, or are you considering becoming a surgeon yourself?"

"Well I just forfeited the payment to a run because I agreed to screw myself over for a couple of strangers, and found out my friend is tailin' me across Japan. So I'd reckon I have a lot to say, Angie."

"Then say it. I can't stop you." She buried herself in her work like she always did when she wanted to escape difficult questions.

"First off, how long have you been doin' this?"

"Since you left Vegas." Her voice was soft with apology. It would have been easier to simply tell him and refuse to leave his side, but she wasn't good with confrontations like that. The last thing Angela Ziegler wanted to do was drive away the people she was trying so hard to protect. She stole a glance at McCree, who was staring at her in disbelief.

"So all across America, through England, to Germany, Spain, India, and China. And now you're here in Japan. For what? Just to keep tabs on me?"

"More or less. You are not a careful man. Somebody needs to be concerned for your health. If you won't be, then I will."

"How do you know the Shimadas? You worked on the cybered up elf?" A clumsy dodge of her sentiment. Expected but not appreciated.

"Yes, I worked on Genji. I can't tell you why because I do not know exactly why he wanted the surgeries. I did what I was asked to do."

"And the other one? The shaman?"

"I've dealt with him before, but never as a customer. He was displeased with my involvment with Genji."

"What all do you know about 'em?"

"That they are the sons of the head of the Shimada clan. That Genji feared for his life if he didn't shred his essence. That Hanzo Shimada is heavily opposed to cyberware. I don't pry, you know that."

"Like hell you don't pry!"

The conversation stopped as Hanzo and Genji re-entered the room, apparently having just finished an argument with the other runners. Hanzo was fuming to an almost comical degree, Genji's face was unreadable as ever. Angela laid down her tools and pinched the bridge of her nose. These distractions were going to cost her a patient if she wasn't careful. Best to wrap this up here and now.

"There's a safe room here." She said suddenly. Jesse blinked slowly at her.

"What exactly do you mean by 'safe room', Angie?"

"Third morgue locker on the bottom. Pull it out all the way, there's a crawlspace and a staircase under a hatch. It was here when I moved in, but it's secure and cleaned up. You can run your little crew out of there. Nobody will look for you here."

"Angie, that's not-"

"Go. See if it's to your liking. I have to work."

McCree knew better than to argue with Angela when she got that edge in her voice. Sure enough, there was a crawlspace and vault-style hatch leading to a staircase under the locker. A handle on the bottom of the drawer allowed it to be pulled back into place on the way down. It was a seamless hidden entrance. Although the basement-like area it opened up into smelled of must and antiseptic, it was spacious and already had an old couch, a round wooden table, and some folding chairs. The lightswitch activated a strip of flourescent lighting along the ceiling that cast a sickly blue glow over the corpse-gray concrete walls. All the way in the back corner, hidden in shadows and covered in cobwebs, was another vault door with a note taped to the handle.

"Sewer Entrance: Extremely Unsanitary, Do Not Open - Dr. Ziegler"

Hanzo wrinkled his nose in disgust. Clearly this place was not to his liking. Genji, however, was observing the room with quiet curiosity. He ran his fingertips over the rough fabric of the couch and laughed. The short, almost sharp, chuckle took McCree by surprise. This wasn't a glamorous set up, but here was this corp-raised stranger laughing like this was the life he always wanted. He supposed he could understand the lure of the shadows to someone who had little challenge in their life, though. The thrill of it all had kept him alive in dark times, no reason it wouldn't lure an over-cybered heart back to the land of the emotional.

"It isn't much right now, but we can arrange for more furniture and equipment." Angela, having stabilized her patient, emerged from the stairwell. She had blood on her sleeves and doctor's coat but it didn't seem to bother her any.

"It's a start, that's for sure." McCree whistled. "You sure about all this?"

"Of course. I followed you this far to keep you safe. I won't let you wander around with a target on your back. Hide here between your runs. Speaking of which-"

"Nuh-uh, you're not goin' to be our fixer, Angie."

"Why not?" She asked, voice thick with indignation. "You know your runs will be safe if they come through me. Besides, nobody would know where to find you. Where else could you get your runs from?"

McCree sighed in resignation. Apparently, today was "give up easy" day. He was tired, sore, and didn't really have a plan anyway. He had been living minute to minute up until he was hired to help with this run. He looked over his shoulder at his new crew, watched Genji examine everything, watched Hanzo sneer at everything. These were the people he would be signing his life over to if he carried through with this plan. But what did he have to return to? Whatever motel he stayed at last? No, the Shimadas would be able to find him there. And anywhere else he chose to go. Even if they raided Angela's shop they wouldn't be able to find their way down here. If they did, they would just bail through the sewers. With Hanzo and Genji in his pocket, he would be able to avoid the majority of consequences for screwing up this run. Even McCree in all his reluctance to pull his friends into this mess had to admit this was the safest option for him.

"Angela Ziegler, you're inheriting my deathwish."

"Forcibly removing it from your hands, more like."

"One condition." McCree reached for a new cigar despite Angela's frown at his smoking habit. "This is my space down here an' I get to smoke in it."

With an exasperated sigh, Angela turned on her heel and left the room.

Hey all! I know this fic is moving a little slow, but I'm a little tied up in personal stuff at the moment. Feedback is welcome and encouraged. If you liked it, let me know! It helps encourage me to keep going. If you disliked it but have advice on how to improve the story, feel free to tell me. I'm looking to improve my skill, not just flatter myself through strangers.