" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

iii | confusion

yuanfen.
act three, chapter three.
"confusion"

_

DAHLIA. MY NAME IS Dahlia.

The words echoed continuously through her mind when she awoke again. The information was much more bearable now, and she even mumbled the name softly to herself as her eyes fluttered open. She pictured the photograph that the strange lady had shown her, the image of the little girl merging with the memory of the reflection in the mirror that stared back at her. The name, although unfamiliar, seemed to fit. She repeated the name out loud again, this time saying: "I am Dahlia."

"Ah, you are awake!"

Dahlia jumped, startled, at the sudden accented voice that joined her to her right. She turned to see the same woman from earlier standing near the edge of her bed. She held a glass of water in her hands, and she set it down gently on the bedside table with a warm smile.

"It's just me. I didn't mean to startle you. I brought you some water," she said and gestured towards the glass of liquid. Condensation was forming on the outside of the glass, and Dahlia's throat suddenly felt parched as she longed to feel the liquid slide down her throat. "You must be thirsty, hm?"

Dahlia nodded, though she didn't pick up the beverage. She eyed the glass warily. The woman, sensing her hesitance, picked up the glass and took a small sip. "It's okay. It's safe," she assured her with another one of her kind smiles. She handed the glass towards Dahlia once more. "Do you want some?"

Dahlia nodded, finally reaching for the glass. She immediately took a sip of the water, sighing as she felt the coldness of the liquid slip down her throat. She took another sip before setting the glass down on the bedside table. Then, she spoke. "Who are you?"

The woman seemed taken aback, then realization washed over her soft features. Dahlia wondered if she had forgotten that, to the confused girl laying in the bed, she was nothing more than a stranger. "My name is Dr. Angela Ziegler. I am-"

"Combat medic for Overwatch," Dahlia finished with a nod, recognizing the name. She had seen photographs of the famous doctor before, though she looked much different in a lab coat and glasses rather than her Valkyrie Suit. Then, before she was able to stop herself, she mumbled: "All must die."

If Dr. Ziegler had heard the quiet words, she paid no attention to them. "Do you remember me?" She asked, her voice almost hopeful.

Dahlia shook her head, feeling oddly guilty. "No. The Reaper has mentioned you several times. He takes particular interest in you."

The doctor muttered something along the lines of "why doesn't that surprise me" beneath her breath, though she then cleared her throat and raised her voice. "He wants to kill us all, doesn't he?"

"Yes," Dahlia responded without hesitation. It was as if someone was answering for her. The words that left her mouth didn't seem like her own. "All must die."

"Genji told me that you let him live," Dr. Ziegler pointed out with a glance in Dahlia's direction. The girl perked up at the mention of the ninja, and the doctor raised an eyebrow at this. "If all must die, why spare him?"

"I..." Dahlia looked down. Her face contorted into an expression of severe contemplation. Her mind was fuzzy, and she was unable to come up with a reason why she had spared the ninja's life. "I don't know."

Dr. Ziegler, now seated in a stool beside the bed, leaned forward. Her eyes were narrowed slightly, her glasses resting on the bridge of her nose as she looked at Dahlia over the top of them. "You don't believe that all must die, do you, Dahlia?"

Dahlia squeezed her eyes shut. In the back of her mind, she could just barely hear a chorus of voices calling out to her, saying: "All must die." Her head was beginning to spin as memories struggled to push their way forward while whatever spell the Reaper had put on her was forcing them back again. It was a constant game of tug of war, and she felt as though she was about to be driven insane because of it. "I... don't know," she responded honestly.

Despite her uncertain answer, Dr. Ziegler seemed pleased. She hummed, leaning back in her seat once again with a small nod. She surprised Dahlia by reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder, though she immediately pulled away as she felt the girl flinch away from her touch. "I'm sorry," she mumbled softly. She then stood to her feet, a frown now replacing the kind smile. "Get some rest. We will travel in the morning."

"Where are we going?" Dahlia questioned, though the doctor was already heading out of the room, leaving her alone once again.

'

'

'

"Sir?"

He barely heard the sound of Viper's voice, despite the fact that it echoed through the empty corridors. His clawed hands tapped at the shotguns that were holstered to his side. The sound of his labored breathing was almost deafening in his ears. His body screamed in pain as it struggled to remain anchored to this form; at any moment now, he half expected himself to explode into a cloud of black smoke as his physical body evaporated from existence.

The sound of heels tapping against the stone flooring drew his attention towards a tall, lanky figure that was approaching him from the shadows. She stepped into the light, fiery red hair styled neatly atop her head and her eyes- one blue, one amber- seemed to glow in the low lighting.

"She got away?"

The Reaper growled a response, his rage threatening to consume his entire being. After so much time, he was sure that he had gained complete control over his condition, and yet, after just one little mishap, he felt himself beginning to spiral into insanity all over again.

I should have known, he thought to himself with yet another rage-filled growl. After Falcon, I should have known that she was not to be trusted. She's nothing more than a conniving little fox.

"Who took her?" Moira questioned, though it sounded as if she already knew the answer. "Overwatch." She spat the name with such venom that even he was taken aback.

"Shimada," the Reaper confirmed with a short nod.

Moira laughed, a bitter sound that had no humor behind it. "He always was the white knight," she said mockingly. "It's no wonder he fit into that crowd so well."

The Reaper didn't respond. He was livid, and he was having a hard time controlling his rage. His fists were clenched so tightly that he was beginning to feel the metal claw-like tips that covered his gloves piercing the skin of his palms. He felt little pain, and only tightened his grip even more. How those cursed Overwatch agents managed to break through the Process, he had no idea, but they had taken one of his Assassins, and he was nowhere close to ending them all.

"Sir," Viper spoke again, sounding almost nervous. The Reaper had nearly forgotten that his second-in-command was beside him. "Let me go after her. I will get her back."

The Reaper laughed. The chilling sound echoed loudly throughout the empty hallway, causing both Viper and Moira to shoot him expectant glances. It was a true laugh, one of maniacal intent, and they couldn't help but wonder what he found humorous about their current situation.

"You will, Viper," the Reaper then assured the lanky man in the serpentine mask. He reached out to place a hand on his second-in-command's shoulder, squeezing it tightly. He saw him flinch slightly as the claws dug into his skin, but Viper knew better than to react. "Oh, you will. But not yet. We must do it in a way to ensure that she will suffer, as well as those pathetic excuses for heroes. We'll kill each and every one of them and force her to watch. And when we get her back, she'll wish that she had never been born."