" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

i | care

yuanfen.
act three, chapter one.
"care"

_

THE VOICES OF HIS teammates echoed emptily through his head, but Genji's mind was elsewhere. He was unable to think straight, countless thoughts pushing past one another and causing his head to spin overwhelmingly. He knew his teammates were discussing something of major importance (he had heard her name slip from their lips numerous times) but he couldn't bring himself to focus on the conversation. It baffled him that there was even a debate. The Nogitsune- no, Dahlia- had grown up around many of these agents; they were, quite literally, the only family she had left. Whether or not they wanted to admit it, and whether or not Dahlia remembered, Overwatch was her home.

    Winston and Dr. Ziegler seemed eager enough to take her in. Lena, too, was pleased to hear that her old friend was alive after all these years. Sojourn- who was acting Commander of the strike team after Winston had stepped down from the leadership position (he claimed that he was not the leader type, although Genji had to disagree, for he never found any problem in following the ape)- was a different story. Having been based in Peru during the entirety of Overwatch's reign, Sojourn never once had the chance to grow close to Sam Blackrock's daughter, thus she was rather reluctant to accept the "Assassin" into their home. Although this annoyed Genji, he had to admit that he found reason in the Captain's hesitance. Dahlia, as the Nogitsune, had killed several former Overwatch agents, and she had even tried to kill Genji. Even if he trusted her, he knew that it would take some time for the others to come around.

    "I am just not quite sure that this is a good idea," Sojourn's voice spoke above the others, grabbing Genji's attention. For the first time since he had joined his teammates in the room, he focused on the conversation. Sojourn wasn't there with them, already stationed at the new base with the others, so her face was currently being projected from a portable holovid that had been set on the table in front of them. The projection flickered a bit, perhaps due to the great length between the two feeds, though it then became stable, and Genji was able to see the distrustful frown that was etched onto the Captain's face.

    "It has been nearly a decade," Sojourn continued. "When Dahlia left us, she was barely more than a kid."

    Out of his peripheral vision, Genji saw Lena's lips purse and her eyebrows pulled together unhappily. "Cap, she was over twenty-"

    "That is still a kid in my eyes," Sojourn interrupted with a pointed look in Lena's direction. No one else dared to argue. "She said she'd been there for eight years?" The Captain glanced towards Genji for confirmation, who only nodded. "Then she has had eight years to form her own beliefs, and although they may have been influenced by the Reaper, I'm afraid she believes in a much different mission than we do. I'm not sure I am willing to take that chance."

    "We have reason to believe that she has been brainwashed," Angela offered slowly, seeming as though she was worried Sojourn would scold her for arguing as she did Lena. Genji was thankful that his teammates were willing to fight on the Nogitsune's- Dahlia's- behalf. It seemed to him as though they wanted her to stay as much as he did.

    "Exactly," Sojourn said with a shake of her head. "Brainwashed victims are difficult to break, you know this, Dr. Ziegler."

    Before Dr. Zeigler was able to respond, Genji spoke up, surprising both himself and the others. "The effects of the brainwash are already wearing off," he pointed out. "She did not want to be there, she wanted to escape."

    "I believe that if we remind her of the person she used to be before Talon took her, she will be cured," Dr. Ziegler finished. She shared a glance with Genji, who nodded gratefully in her direction.