Angsty Dragons

"Genji!" The omnic's voice echoed as the world darkened.

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Monotonous beeping awoke him. Slowly, numbness creeped through his limbs, whatever Hanzo spared of them. Flexing a robotic finger, Genji found the strength to open his eyes. A heart monitor irritated his ears, bright light seared his inexperienced sight. He groaned in discomfort.

His cybernetic armor lacked presence in the white room he resided. As he glanced around to assess where he inhabited, Genji frowned once he noticed another figure leaning against he doorframe, watching over him.

"That was foolish of you, brother. Sloppy, irresponsible," Hanzo's voice cut the air like a sword would do flesh.

Genji encountered trouble understanding what he meant. He closed his eyes once more, trying to remember. Talon members attempted to attack a watch point, Genji recited the problem in his head. Instantly, Overwatch members stepped in to stop the assault. Genji, in the front lines, received an injury on his left shoulder by gunfire. But that was not what sent him to the hospital bay.

"Don't you remember any of your training from Hanamura? When we were young boys? What father taught us?" Hanzo's bitterness disrupted Genji's thoughts.

Talon breached the makeshift defenses. Turrets fell to shreds and scrap. The attack had been sudden, there was little time to prepare. Genji recalled a harmony chucked his way by Zenyatta accompanied by words of encouragement. He shuddered at the tenderness in his shoulder, where his collection of scars claimed an addition. 

"You let yourself run away. You allowed your mind to betray you," his older brother hissed, and Genji breathed deeply.

Ready to get back into battle, Genji thanked his master, who was then struck down by enemy gunfire. The blue lights upon Zenyatta's forehead died from the sudden impact, and Genji assumed the worst. His memory failed him after that point.

"Hanzo..." Genji whispered. "What happened to Zenyatta?"

Hanzo cast a look of indifference. "The omnic is fine,"

"And me?"

Hanzo looked at the heart monitor. "You let your emotions get the best of you,"

Genji's fingers dug into the sheets of the hospital bed. He recalled their father's words when they trained as young boys,"Spirit dragons thrive off of your heart and mind. Your emotions will overpower them. To tame the dragons, you must tame yourself first." With those words, Genji remembered Hanzo's harsh training regime towards Genji when their father happened to be unavailable to mentor them.

"Again," Hanzo would say as Genji struggled to climb to his feet, sword tossed across the room as he endured defeat after defeat by his older brother. "You will never amount to anything,"

When Genji snapped, fury engulfed him, fluorescent green winding around his blade and arms, forming scales of lightning and fangs and claws of daggers as a piercing roar resounded in Genji's chest, drumming in his ears and heart. Even after the rage passed, after he had slashed the walls and chopped the training equipment to pieces, nearly injuring Hanzo in the process, Genji found his inability to sedate the spirit dragon. Upset and flustered by the experience, Genji found himself held by Hanzo, a down to earth embrace that lasted until Genji no longer wept and apologized for his mistakes. Hanzo promised to never tell their father of the incident.

"I... Lost control, again?" Genji asked for clarification, and Hanzo nodded.

"You killed every Talon member present. No one could calm you, you refused our help. You injured teammates. You passed out once you were certain all enemies were dead," Hanzo explained sourly.

Genji shivered. "Was it that bad?"

Hanzo adjusted his lean on the doorframe. "You did not kill any allies,"

The door opened, and Mercy stepped inside, relief visible in her expression as her eyes laid on Genji. "I thought I heard someone talking," 

Genji made the effort to sit up in the bed. Hanzo gazed at him, glanced at Mercy, then left the room. 

"Thank you, Dr. Ziegler, for nursing me once again," Genji bowed his head in gratitude as Mercy checked his vitals.

"It's my pleasure," she assured, eyes drifting to his scarred face,"... Genji, what happened out there?"

Expecting the subject to change, Genji sighed and stared at his robotic hands. "The Shimada bloodline descended from dragons. That is why my brother and I can summon them, but if we allow our emotions to get a hold of us, we are unable to control the dragons."

Delicate fingers unraveled the bandaged wound on Genji's shoulder. "What caused your feelings to call upon your dragon?" Mercy questioned.

Genji's body betrayed him, blush rushing to his cheeks in waves of heat. "I-is Zenyatta alright?"

Mercy glanced at him, bandages rolled up in her hands. "Oh, so that's what this is about,"

"He was injured badly during battle, Dr. Ziegler—"

"Genji, he is fine. I patched him up; he's as good as new. I may be a surgeon for humans, but omnics are not all that different," Mercy promised him, placing a hand on his arm. "Zenyatta's okay."

Genji stared at her, then exhaled. "I owe much to him, Dr. Ziegler."

As fingers traced over the scabs and scars on Genji's shoulder, Mercy uttered,"He was worried about you, too. He wouldn't stop talking about you when I was repairing him."

Genji laughed. "Did he?"

"Oh, yes," Mercy grinned, then straightened up,"Your brother, too."

"Hanzo?"

"He offered to watch over you last night. He kept mumbling about how much of an idiot you are,"

Genji shrugged. "That's my brother,"

A soft knock caused both Genji and Mercy to turn their heads. Zenyatta entered and quickly floated to the side of the bed, cupping Genji's face.

"My student, whatever caused such rage within you? Has your search for inner peace gone awry?" Zenyatta inquired, and Genji interpreted it as the omnic questioning if he was okay.

"Master, I am alright."

"But... Your wrath on the field was... Unnatural,"

Genji winced as Zenyatta's hands ghosted over scars. "My emotions controlled the dragons. I was distressed,"

"Must we engage in more meditation to help?"

Genji smiled at his mentor's efforts of aiding him. "No, master, it won't happen again. This is a very rare occurrence."

The omnic wasn't convinced. "Your breakdowns must be resurfacing,"

Genji shook his head and held Zenyatta's hands firmly. "No, master."

When Genji awoke in his new body, he found that the world and people around him differed gravely from his past, yet his near-death experience never changed. Memories often haunted him of the trauma, the bloody worn out battle Hanzo and he exhausted themselves in over leadership of the Shimada clan. The flashbacks sent Genji's mind reeling, causing nightmares, panic attacks, and constant doubt that he would never fit in again. Until he met Zenyatta, Genji struggled to cope with his anguish and its company.

Since their encounter, Genji relied on the omnic for support, and in return, he gave his loyalty as a student of the monk's teachings. Zenyatta's key point held that in order for human and omnic to live as one, a personal relationship must be established through one another. The intimacy between them served as a key example of the claim.

Another knock on the door caused Genji to snap out of his thoughts. McCree removed his hat and stepped into the room with a large bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Thought I might bring you a little 'get well soon' present, darling," the gunslinger grinned, holding the flowers out to Genji, who took them gingerly.

"Thank you," Genji murmured, staring at the collage of pink and yellow before him. They were exceptionally fresh and almost in full bloom. When Genji looked up, he saw Hanzo standing in the doorway, eyes fixed on McCree. They must have met up in the hall.

"Oh, Jesse, you're always such a gentleman," Mercy commented, shaking her head. 

McCree laughed. "Well, I gotta cheer the kid up, don't I? He's been in bed for days. If he's gonna crack on the field I might as well give him something—"

"Days?" Genji cut the cowboy off, startled.

Mercy eyed his concerned expression. "Only three, Genji. It's nothing too serious, and you're awake now."

"Three days?! I've been out for three days?" Genji discarded the flowers on a nearby nightstand.

Hanzo seized the opportunity to lecture. "When we summon our spirit dragons, they drain our energy,"

"Is that why you're always napping?" McCree questioned, and Mercy glared at him to hint that now was not the time for insults.

"Usually, we call the dragons for a few moments to enhance our stamina and strength. But, Genji had his dragon out for several minutes," Hanzo continued.

"Because of that, he exhausted himself," Zenyatta concluded from the explanation. Hanzo nodded.

The cyborg gripped the sheets. "What happened during those several minutes? What did I do?"

"I already told you, you killed all the Talon members in the assault and injured some teammates," Hanzo filled him in once again.

Turning his head to Mercy, Genji offered a sincere, pained look. She took a deep breath. "Well, let's see. You did kill the Talon. For those you injured, it was..." the medic thought for a moment, staring at the ceiling in thought,"Winston suffered first, just a cut to his arm. Then, Morrison and Reyes intervened, but you countered them as well..."

Mercy went on with a list of team members. Genji weathered each name and type of injury. Nothing too serious, but enough to scar. The cyborg stilled at the fact that he failed to recall the events. 

"I'm sorry for the damage I have caused..." Genji uttered, bowing his head in shame. Zenyatta stroked his hand to comfort him. White knuckles bit the covers of the bed as Genji struggled to not flush from embarrassment despite the abundance of eyes on him.

The former leader of the Shimada clan sighed and crossed his arms. "It's happened before, when we were boys. He's stubborn; it's hard for him to control his emotions,"

"I am not stubborn," Genji snapped at him.

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "You're making a fool of yourself, Genji. Try not to embarrass our family name again in the future. Not that you have already tarnished and spat on it,"

Inhaling sharply, Genji grit his teeth. The omnic at his side gripped his hand tightly to stop his advance, but the gesture proved no use. "I never wanted to rule the clan, Hanzo,"

"But I did. And you ruined it!" Hanzo spat. McCree positioned himself to block Hanzo, though it had little effect. The fight went on.

"You destroyed your own future!" Genji's eyes flickered with rage,"You murdered me, and you abandoned the clan like you left me to die!"

"I gave you a chance, Genji, but you proved to be unfit for leadership. Father was never proud of you," The eldest snarled.

When McCree's hand landed on Hanzo's shoulder and scolded him for insulting Genji, the cyborg's brown eyes ignited into flames of green. Barely aware of the hand stroking his arm, beckoning him to calm down, Genji's spirit dragon arose, screeching, fierce eyes gazing at the occupants of the room. Shimmering scales encompassed Genji's arm, causing Zenyatta to back away. Green light flooded the white walls as Genji spoke.

"How dare you speak of our father, you could not even succeed him." His words were harsh and cut like a wielded sword. 

"Hanzo, get out," Mercy demanded, tilting her head at McCree and the door.

"You were not worthy to succeed him." Hanzo uttered, and McCree pulled him out the room by the arm.

Genji's eyes failed to lose the green as they stayed glued to where Hanzo once stood. Zenyatta held his hands. "Genji, look at me,"

The cyborg faltered, refusing to comply.

"Genji."

He pried his eyes away from the tainted area and fixed his eyes on the omnic. Baring its teeth, the dragon perched on his shoulder and glared at Zenyatta.

"You have worked so hard to acquire the peace your soul seeked. Do not destroy all your earnings, my student." His mentor said.

The dragon hissed, and Genji turned away. "... He's the fool. He... He killed me... He did this to me," 

"Genji, that is the past. You must forgive your brother for his faults,"

Genji bit his lip, his shoulders rising. "H-how could he do that to me? His own brother? Why does he hate me?"

Zenyatta paused and raised his head. What he once thought to be rage turned out to be distress. Sadness. Tears bubbled from Genji's eyes and streamed as his body quivered from the violent sobs. The dragon faded, and green dissipated from the room. Mercy frowned and turned away, knowing she may cry as well if she continued to watch.

"What did I do wrong?" Genji questioned through hiccups. Zenyatta reached out slowly and hugged his upset student. Another sob rose from his pupil's tight throat.

An aged head peered through the doorway. "I heard yelling..." Jack said, and Mercy walked over to him and pulled him out of the room for a quick explanation, allowing Zenyatta and Genji privacy. 

"Genji, you did nothing wrong," Zenyatta whispered to him, attempting to soothe him. The omnic felt as if he went back in time to where Genji struggled to understand his existence as both human and robot. Often, Genji wept here and questioned the plethora of doubts that festered within his unique body. It took months for their bond to disrupt the uncertainties plaguing Genji, and even now the trust between master and student kept Genji whole. 

Genji hid his face in his hands. "Hanzo is right... I... I could never have ruled the clan. Father assumed I would mature and see," his body quaked with another sob,"but the elders saw potential danger in me."

Zenyatta levitated onto the bed and gently pulled Genji's wrists away from his face. "The Shimada clan is disbanded now, Genji. You do not need to worry about the succession."

They sat in silence. Genji slowly calmed down as Zenyatta wiped his tears and stroked his face. Sniffling, Genji peered up at his mentor and held the hand soothing him. 

"Master—" 

Zenyatta shushed him with a quick gesture of his free hand. "Genji, do not allow Hanzo to diminish your new found inner peace. I know your relationship with him is still fragile, but you can not let him hurt you anymore,"

Genji nodded slowly. "I understand, master."

Orbs twinkling, Zenyatta pressed his forehead against Genji's in an affectionate gesture. "I will not let your brother harm you again,"

Smiling, Genji nodded again. "What happened to peace and tranquility?"

"There is only so much that preaching can do," Zenyatta admitted.

The cyborg's laugh turned into a yawn. Zenyatta watched his student blink a few times to focus. 

The omnic floated off the bed. "Rest now, my student. You have once again drained yourself,"

"I won't be out for three days again, I promise," Genji replied, laying back on a pillow.

"Don't oversleep," Zenyatta warned light-heartedly, and squeezed his hand once more before leaving the room.

As Genji settled back into bed, he overheard the dwindling conversations outside. Mercy and Jack discussed Genji's state and if he could go back into battle soon. Zenyatta chimed in to tell Mercy that Genji needed rest. Useless murmur clouded Genji's ears, but one talk stood out. Although further down the hall and muffled, he could make out some words due to his heightened senses thanks to Dr. Ziegler.

"... You didn't mean it. I get it. But you still gotta apologize to him," 

"He would never believe me. And with our bond so minuscule, how could he forgive me?"

"Well, he did it once. He'd probably give you another chance if you gave him a heartfelt apology."

"What apologies are acceptable?"

"Usually going up to their face and saying it from the heart works."

Genji then heard approaching footsteps, and he pretended to be asleep. The door cracked open, and Genji breathed deeply, putting up the illusion of deep sleep.

A breathy laugh. "He's out. Must've tired himself out again. Don't worry, sugar, we'll try again later,"

"Yes..." Hanzo replied, and Genji opened his eyes once the door closed. He found himself not so tired anymore, and he felt a stir of hope in his chest.