" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

viii | first mission

yuanfen.
act four, chapter eight.
"first mission"

_

NOT EVEN THE ROARING of the airship's engine was able to drown out the pounding of Dahlia's heart. She sat alone in a compartment near the back of the ship that served as a portable medbay. Cabinets and counters lined the walls, locked with various latches to prevent things from flying out in case of sudden turbulence. A few medical beds were shoved in the corner of the compartment; pristine white sheets were wrapped tightly around the mattresses. A single exam table sat in the middle of the room. Dahlia stood in front of it, drumming her fingers on the surface as she struggled to calm herself down.

    This was her first time leaving the safety of the base since she had joined Overwatch. Now flying several miles up in the air on her way to a destination she wasn't sure of, she was beyond nervous. Sure, she was happy that Sojourn seemed to trust her enough to send her on her first field mission with a strike team, though that didn't stop her from fearing that the Reaper would get his hands on her as soon as she stepped foot outside of the base. The mission had nothing to do with Talon (the strike team was being sent to investigate an abandoned omnium that was showing signs of life recently) but she wouldn't have been surprised if the Reaper already knew of their location and was somehow watching their every move from the shadows. He had his ways to do things that would otherwise seem impossible.

    Dahlia blew out a breath of air, cheeks puffing out as she did so. She moved towards the counters that lined the walls, pulling out a drawer and beginning to sort the supplies within in an attempt to distract herself. She went over the ways to treat various injuries through her mind, reminding herself of the tips and tricks that Dr. Ziegler had shown her during her initial training. She had begged the doctor to go in her place, but now Dahlia would've been happy if she was just there to walk her through everything.

    Dahlia jumped in fright as the sound of the door sliding open filled the compartment. She looked over her shoulder to see Jesse McCree standing in the doorway, greeting her with a crooked grin. He wore his cowboy hat, strands of his tawny-colored hair sticking out around his ears and down his neck, and he held an unlit cigar in between his fingers. The spurs on his boots jangled as he approached her, and she wondered how he was allowed to wear such obnoxious accessories on a stealth mission.

    "You look nervous, darlin'," he commented as he stopped beside her, his eyebrows pulling together in a look of concern.

    "Nervous would be an understatement," Dahlia admitted with a anxious laugh. She was suddenly thankful for McCree's company; knowing that she wasn't alone on this enormous airship was a little comforting. "What if something happens, and I can't remember how to do anything? What if I just make an injury worse?"

    "Hey, now-" McCree reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. She tensed under his touch, though the warmth of his hand caused her to relax almost immediately. "You ain't gotta worry 'bout a thing. This mission is gonna go smoothly. You're just here in case one of the recruits trip up and hurt themselves. It'll be okay, darlin'."

    Dahlia wanted to believe him, though she had a hard time doing so. The strike team was being sent to investigate an omnium, and although it was supposedly abandoned, there were suspicions for a reason. If the team was ambushed by Null Sector, all it took was one bullet from those nasty bots to pose a problem. McCree noticed her hesitance. He reached out and grabbed her hand in his much larger ones, squeezing it comfortingly. The warmth of his organic hand and the coolness of the prosthetic was an odd sensation, yet comforting in a way.

    Someone suddenly cleared their throat from behind McCree, causing the pair to turn their attention towards the source of the noise. Genji stood in the doorway to the compartment, bits of metallic plating covering the hoodie that he wore. It was rather odd seeing him dressed for battle with two large swords strapped to his body. It made her heartbeat quicken uncontrollably, once again reminded of her very first encounter with the ninja. Genji's shoulders were tense, and his hoodie was pulled over his head.

    "McCree," he greeted the cowboy, the name laced with a slightly passive aggressive tone. This confused Dahlia, though McCree seemed to immediately pick up on the ninja's tone. He dropped Dahlia's hands, reaching up and tipping his hat towards Genji in greeting.

    "Hey there, Genji."

    "We are reaching the destination," Genji said to him, though his gaze remained glued to Dahlia. She shifted her weight back and forth anxiously. "They need you up front."

    "Right away." McCree nodded before turning to look at her once more. He grinned down at her warmly. "I trust you'll take good care of us. Don't you worry, darlin'."

    Giving her shoulder one last comforting squeeze, McCree left. As he passed by Genji, who had now stepped inside of the compartment, the two men shared a look that only left Dahlia all the more confused. Once the cowboy left, Genji slid the door shut, lingering behind.

    "Don't they need you too?" Dahlia asked as she turned back to her supplies. She didn't necessarily mind Genji's company, though he seemed to be a rather important agent, so she couldn't imagine why they would need McCree and not him, as well.

    "No," Genji responded with a shrug. "Nor did they need McCree."

    Dahlia shot him a confused look. He crossed the room towards her, and she cursed to herself as her breath got caught in her throat. Looking away, she hoped that he couldn't hear the way her heartbeat sped up ever so slightly.

    "You seem nervous."

    "Is it that obvious?" Dahlia asked with a frown. She was unable to look away from the glowing strip of green light on his visor, part of her hoping to be able to catch even the slightest glimpse of the man hidden beneath. She jumped as she felt a touch on her hip, looking down to see Genji's fingers gently ushering her to the side. Doing her best to ignore the heat that rose to her cheeks, she stepped away. Her throat was tight and she suddenly felt as though she was unable to breathe. Genji opened the drawer that she was previously standing in front of, pulling out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and handing it to her.

"Here, take this."

"What is it?" Dahlia asked as she took the paper from his hands. Gazing down at it, she read over the handwriting that was messily scribbled onto the paper.

"Think of it as a cheat sheet," Genji said to her. "Angela keeps one in every single airship just in case. Even she sometimes forgets, Kitsune."

    Dahlia smiled up at him, and she didn't miss the way his shoulders tensed slightly as she did so. Somehow, this simple gesture made her feel much better than the comforting words that McCree had said to her. Genji was a man of few words, yet he somehow knew exactly what to do to make her feel better in that moment. "Thanks, Genji."

    The airship rattled around them, and Dahlia suddenly felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her feet. She gasped in alarm, feeling herself lose her balance and nearly flying into the counter. Genji immediately reached out to steady her; his hands grabbed her hips and immediately her legs felt even more like Jell-o. She felt as though she was on a free-fall ride, her stomach in her throat and her body feeling almost weightless. Her eyes were wide as she met Genji's glowing gaze.

    "Are we dying?" She asked, her voice small.

    Genji's shoulders shook as he chuckled, shaking his head. "No, Kitsune. We are only landing."

    "Oh," she said and pursed her lips. One last rattle shook the airship and then everything grew still. The roaring of the engines slowly died down, leaving them in silence. Genji's hands still held her hips, though once he knew that she was steady on her feet, he let go.

    "I must go now." He turned away from her, stepping towards the door, then glanced over his shoulder. "You mustn't worry yourself, Kitsune. Everything will be okay."

    Dahlia swallowed, allowing his words to sink in, and then nodded. Genji's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned away and headed towards the door. Just as he reached it, however, she called out to him: "Genji!"

    He turned back to her once again. "Yes?"

    "Be careful," she said to him, smiling softly. Genji paused, seeming almost taken aback by her words. Then, he nodded.

    "I will," he promised.