" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

iii | the ninja

yuanfen.
act two, chapter three.
"the ninja"

—

GENJI SHIMADA NEVER HAD the undying urge to help save the world like the other agents of Overwatch once had. Sure, he didn't want to see the world go to hell while terrorist organizations such as Talon took countless innocent lives, but he was never eager to join in on the fight. Born into a Yakuza family, he learned when he was quite young that the world would always have crime, it would always have evil; while awful and tragic, it provided the world with a sense of balance that it would not otherwise have. Because of this, although he never wanted to participate in the criminal activities that his family was known for, Genji never once wanted to help prevent it, either.

    But despite this, he found himself stalking across the rooftops in the middle of the city as he scouted out the remnants of an old omnium. Overwatch was illegal, and yet he found himself risking his freedom, and possibly his life, by being in the presence of his former teammates with the intention of protecting the world from Null Sector and Talon.

    The omnium that he had been sent to investigate was supposedly showing signs of life recently, and many believed that it was yet another Null Sector hub. He stayed low to the ground as he moved towards the old building, careful not to draw attention to himself. The lights on his suit were off, allowing his figure to be cast completely into darkness. The building was seemingly lifeless; it looked as though it had been abandoned for years, but something still felt... off. Genji subconsciously reached up to grip the handle of his katana as he continued to scout out the building. The area around him was almost too quiet, and he felt as though he was being watched.

    "Genji!" Lena Oxton's voice suddenly called out through the communication device installed into his helmet. "Status report! You're not sightseeing again, are you?"

    Genji rolled his eyes at her words, recalling the time he got distracted by the view of the sunrise over the Pacific ocean for a moment and almost compromised an entire stealth mission. "That was one time," he retorted quietly. He knew Lena meant no harm with her banter, so he was never truly bothered by it. "The building seems abandoned, but I am going to stick around for a while longer. Something is not right."

    "Copy that. Keep in touch."

    The comms unit went quiet, and suddenly he was left alone with his thoughts once more. Genji went to move around the back of the building, though he froze as he heard the sound of rubble shuffling over the earth behind him. He whipped around, eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. But it was silent, and still, and he wondered if it had just been an animal moving around in the brush. Then, he heard it again. This time, it was closer, and he wasted no time before reaching up to grip his katana once more.

    "Show yourself," he called out to the unknown being hidden in the darkness. Genji was well-aware of the former Overwatch agents that were beginning to drop dead from a single bullet wound in the back of their skull. In addition to the looming threat of the United Nations, the assassinations only added to the fear instilled in his teammates every time they went out on a mission to help the world. Someone was out there hunting them, and Genji knew that it was only a matter of time before they moved on to the members of his team, and himself.

    A moment later, he noticed a figure stepping out of the shadows. Genji prepared himself to fight, pulling his sword out of its sheath slightly, though he hesitated upon noticing the calm demeanor of the stranger. Perhaps they were not a foe? The being was small-framed, with a dark red hoodie pulled over their head. They wore a wooden mask resembling a fox over their face, and the dark eyes painted onto the surface seemed to burn right through Genji's own visor.

    "Who are you?" He questioned curiously.

    "Not important," a feminine voice responded from behind the mask. The voice was oddly familiar, yet Genji had no idea where he had heard it before. She reached into the pocket of her hoodie, pulling out a gun and pointing it towards him. Genji immediately unsheathed his sword, ready to defend himself.

    "All must die." As soon as the words left her lips, a gunshot rang through the air. The bullet seemed to fly through the air in slow motion, yet it still felt as though it reached Genji almost quicker than he could react. He held his sword out in front of him, deflecting the bullet only moments before it pierced the metal armor on his chest. It ricocheted off the blade, shooting back towards the girl in the fox mask. She dodged it just in time; she rolled across the roof as the bullet embedded itself into the brick wall behind her.

    Genji took her moment of distraction as his chance to escape. He leaped off the edge of the building, landing soundlessly on the street below and sprinting away. He heard her cry echo through the city as she called after him: "You cannot hide, ninja!" And he didn't look back.

    "Genji!" Lena Oxton's voice cried over the comms unit; there was panic behind her words, and Genji found himself feeling relieved to hear from someone familiar. "Any updates?"

    "The omnium is abandoned," Genji responded, deciding against telling his teammate about his run-in with the assassin. It would only cause Lena to worry, and perhaps it would only deepen the fear that had overcome his team.

    Their fear of being hunted were confirmed that night, although unbeknownst to anyone but Genji himself. He had no idea how long the girl in the fox mask had been following him, nor did he know if she was working alone or with an entire team of assassins. Not knowing frustrated him. Genji found himself looking over his shoulder as he made his way back towards his teammates, fearing that every noise was just another threat lurking in the darkness.

'

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    Vixen was terrified to return to base. Her heart pounded against her chest as she stared down at the gun that she still clutched tightly in her sweaty hand. She had never failed a mission. She had never revealed herself to someone and had them get away. The ninja was simply too quick, too smart, and she hated herself for letting her guard down after so many clean jobs.

    As usual, the Reaper was waiting for her upon her eventual return to base. Someone seemed off, and she wondered if he already knew of her failure before she even had the chance to tell him. He had his arms crossed tightly over his chest, and he tapped his foot impatiently as she came to a stop in front of him. "Status report."

    Vixen's throat felt tight. She looked down to her feet, ashamed. "Target got away, sir."

    The Reaper didn't seem surprised. He hummed a response. Then, with a subtle shake of his head, he turned around. "Come with me, Vixen."

    Vixen knew better than to disobey. She hurried after him, heartbeat pounding deafeningly in her ears. Her gut was twisting nervously, her head spinning and her mouth dry. She knew where she was being taken. She heard stories of it from other faction members. It was a horrible palace and the sole reason why she made sure to never fail her missions.

    The Reaper brought her to a large, dimly-lit room. Several scientists crowded around an old rickety chair sitting in the middle of the room; each one was dressed in red and black armor that glowed in the darkness. The Reaper shoved Vixen towards them, and immediately she was tied to the chair using leather restraints. He then left her without another word, closing the door behind him and casting the room into a sickening silence.

    Vixen squeezed her eyes shut and fearful tears streamed down her cheeks. One scientist slipped her mask off her face, discarding it onto a nearby table and revealing her face to them. Then, she felt something else replace the mask, and a moment later she was cast into darkness; a blindfold now covered her eyes, and another rag soon covered her mouth. She whimpered softly as an uncomfortable feeling of pressure shot through her temples. A device was being attached to her skull, heavy and cold, and she suddenly grew nauseous as she realized what was inevitably coming next.

    Pain. So much pain. Electricity shot through her skull, causing her teeth to rattle and her limbs to convulse in shock. She wanted to scream in agony, but whatever noises she managed to make were muffled by the rag inside her mouth. It was the worst pain she ever experienced, and she could do nothing but sit there and take it.

    After only a few minutes of anguish, she felt her body growing weak. Then, darkness followed.