" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

i | the hunt

yuanfen.
act five, chapter one.
"the hunt"

_

THE SOULLESS BLACK EYES of the vixen mask watched Dahlia from where it sat on Sojourn's desk. No matter which way she moved, it seemed as though they were always looking at her. She was unable to tear her own gaze away, fearing that if she did so, the mask would suddenly turn into an Assassin and attack her. She shivered, her chest tight, and closed her eyes. She remembered Dr. Ziegler telling her that in an attempt to separate Dahlia from her Vixen persona, she had left the mask back at their original location. Now, it was back in her possession, and she knew exactly who brought it to her.

    Not only did the Reaper now know of her and the other Overwatch agents' locations, but he also managed to slip into her dorm unnoticed by anyone else on base. She knew that the ghastly man had the ability to deteriorate his own cells to become nothing more than a cloud of smoke, but she had no idea how he got past some of the best agents in the world. It terrified her. She no longer felt safe within the walls of the base. The Reaper could have been anywhere.

    "Miss Blackrock," the sound of Sojourn's voice pulled her back to reality. At first, Dahlia hadn't realized that the Captain was talking to her. She still wasn't quite used to hearing her last name. "Are you okay?"

    The question echoed through Dahlia's mind emptily. She was unsure of how to answer it. Quite honestly, she was far from okay. She was absolutely terrified. She knew that the Reaper and his Assassins could strike at any moment, and she had no idea who on this base would truly be willing to defend her. She was sure that the majority of agents would let the Reaper take her without a fight. At least then I'd be out of their hair, she thought to herself with a scowl. Not even Sojourn trusted her, so why should she expect anyone to protect her from the Reaper and his army?

    Another shiver traveled down her spine as she recalled the countless meetings she attended while with Talon. The Reaper's chilling voice echoed through her mind, mixing with the chorus of voices that had made their appearance when she first saw the fox mask. He always spoke of the ill intentions of Overwatch, spitting their names as though they were the scum of the earth. He wanted nothing more than to hunt down each and every agent for a reason that was never quite clear.

    Then, suddenly, it clicked.

    "The bear trap," she mumbled beneath her breath, remembering the pained cries of Leo as she freed him from the trap in the forest. She tore her gaze away from the mask, looking up at Sojourn. "He put it there. The Reaper."

    The Captain's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. It annoyed Dahlia that she was so unwilling to trust her when she was only trying to help. "How are you sure?"

    "He always spoke about hunting down every last Overwatch agent like an animal," Dahlia said to her. "He preached it like it was gospel. He made it all about a hunt." She paused and gestured down towards the fox mask. "Every Assassin that he has trained wears a mask of some predatory animal. Do you know why?"

    Sojourn shook her head. "Enlighten me."

    "Because we were predators; they are predators. And they hunt down Overwatch like prey," Dahlia explained. She reached down and picked up the mask, running her fingers along the intricate designs that were carved into the surface. "It was a warning."

    Sojourn's lips parted to speak, though before she had the chance to, the doors to her office suddenly swung open. Dahlia glanced over her shoulder to see Lena blinking into the room. The chronal accelerator she wore on her chest was glowing brightly, and her shoulders heaved as if she had run across the entirety of the base. A moment later, Genji stepped into the room behind her; he had been waiting outside of the office, refusing to leave Dahlia's side after experiencing her breakdown in her dorm.

    "I'm sorry for interrupting, Captain," Lena said, eyes wide with panic.

    "What is it, Oxton?"

    Lena took a moment to compose herself. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let out a deep breath. "They've killed another, ma'am."

    Dahlia's heart plummeted to her feet at Lena's words. The mask she held in her hands suddenly felt hot to the touch, as though she was holding pure fire, and she shakily set it back down on the desk. "He's beginning again... He won't stop until we're all dead," she whispered.

    Sojourn was silent for a moment. She stared at Dahlia, who refused to look up from the mask once again. Finally, the Captain looked away and turned her attention to Lena. "Who was it?"

    "Maria Estrada, former pilot based out of Gibraltar," Lena responded. "She's with the Air Force now. They alerted Communications an hour or so ago."

Sojourn nodded, a faraway look in her light eyes. "Thank you, Lena." Lena nodded, saluting the Captain half-heartedly before dismissing herself. Once she was gone, Sojourn turned her attention to Dahlia. "He must be stopped. You know more about him than anyone, Blackrock."

"That's the thing, though- I don't," Dahlia admitted with a frown. She wanted more than anything to be helpful. She didn't want anyone else to die, and she felt completely useless with the lack of knowledge she had on someone for whom she had worked for nearly a decade. "No one but his closest associates know anything about him."

"Who are his closest associates?" Sojourn pressed. "I'm assuming you don't know anything about them, either."

Her words seemed almost passive aggressive, which annoyed Dahlia. She knew who his closest associates were, but that didn't help them. They would have never even talked to her while she was Vixen, and now that she was with Overwatch, she knew that she would surely be killed on sight.

Falcon was one of his closest associates, she thought to herself with a frown. If anyone would have told her anything, it would've been him. But Falcon was dead, and she was no medium.

"Never mind," Sojourn then said, pulling Dahlia from her thoughts. "We'll just have to do our best to learn about him, hm? Anyways-" She gestured towards Genji, who was still hanging back near the door. "Escort Miss Blackrock back to her room, Genji, and don't leave her side. There's a reason the Reaper left her the mask. He's planning something, and until we can ensure everyone's safety- and that includes hers- she should not be left alone."

Genji nodded, saying nothing. He motioned for Dahlia to follow him, who hesitated with a subtle roll of her eyes. Though she knew she had no choice, and the thought of traveling around the base with the possibility of the Reaper looming in every shadow waiting to strike made her desperate to accept any kind of defense. Even if it came in the form of an overly cocky ninja who seemed to have the life goal of annoying her to death.

Dahlia followed Genji out of Sojourn's office and down the hallway. Once alone and out of the Captain's cybernetically enhanced earshot, she grumbled under her breath: "Why do I always get stuck with you?"

Genji didn't respond at first. She saw him glance towards her out of the corner of her eye, then noticed his shoulders shake up and down as he chuckled quietly. "Looks like I am your babysitter after all, Kitsune."

Dahlia groaned. "Kill me."

"Careful with your words. The Reaper may grant your wish," Genji warned somewhat humorously. Dahlia turned to look at him and frowned, unamused. "It was a joke."

"Yeah, a bad one," she responded dryly.

"Sorry."