" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

iii | sealed fate

yuanfen.
act six, chapter three.
"sealed fate"

_

DAHLIA'S HEART POUNDED IN her ears and the world spun around her as she sprinted after the snake. His voice echoed through her head almost painfully, and she struggled to keep her composure. She had no idea what situation her team was currently in. They were currently in the middle of a Talon hotspot; whether it was countless Assassins watching them or just Viper on his own, she knew that they were in danger. And she had to protect them.

Viper continued to hiss as he weaved through the city. The sound echoed off the countless buildings that surrounded them, almost as if he was purposefully leaving behind a trail for her to follow. With each corner she turned, she expected an ambush to be waiting on the other side, but she didn't stop. She kept running and running despite her lungs burning and her legs begging to rest. Then, suddenly, she lost him. Time seemed to slow as the area went silent around her. Not a single sound from the city, not a single hiss resonating through the alley. There was nothing, and her head began to spin as panic sank in.

"I warned you to keep the ones you care about close, Vixen."

Why would he say that? Dahlia thought to herself as she struggled to search for any sign of the snake. It was as if he disappeared, and she was left standing in the middle of a foreign city with no idea how to find her team. She ran a hand down her face, struggling to think straight. What's the point in taunting me? Why wouldn't he go straight to the base instead?

Then, she froze. Realization washed over her and she felt her blood run cold. Of course Viper didn't go to the base. Why would he, when the one person he was after was here with her?

"Genji, where is he?" She frantically spoke into the comms unit, praying that someone would be available to respond. She was met with silence on the other end, and she groaned loudly before trying again: "Someone, please! Where is he stationed?"

A moment later, she was met with the familiar voice of McCree responding through the speaker. "He's helpin' question civilians in the town square. Why, darlin', what's wrong?"

Dahlia didn't respond. She immediately took off in the direction of the town square, an open block that she remembered passing while she was chasing after Viper. Her lungs were burning and her vision spun as panic threatened to overcome her, though she pushed on. When she reached the town square, she felt a moment of relief wash over her upon seeing the ninja unharmed. His back was to her, standing with Lena and a small group of civilians. He seemed unaware of the danger that lurked in the shadows, and this added to her fear, for this only gave Viper a bigger advantage. Though for the first time, Dahlia found herself feeling thankful that she'd been an Assassin for so long. She knew how they behaved, so she knew where the snake would be hiding. She took a moment to force herself to relax, thinking as she once did when she was an Assassin. Their main goal was always to remain unseen until the time to strike; most of their missions took place at night in order to better utilize the cover that the shadows provided them. Almost subconsciously, Dahlia's gaze drifted over to a nearby alleyway. The afternoon sun cast the area into shadows, creating a perfect hiding spot. Dahlia quickly made her way towards the alley, doing her best to remain out of sight of both Viper and her team. As she, too, became engulfed in the shadows, she was able to see clearly down the alley; Viper stood in the open, confident he wouldn't be seen. His hood was pulled over his head, and a gun was clutched tightly in his hand. His finger hovered over the trigger as he aimed the weapon towards Genji.

Dahlia wasted no time before she acted. She dove towards the snake, barrelling into him and tackling him to the ground outside of the alleyway just as the gun fired. She froze, her breath catching in her throat, and watched as the bullet lodged itself into the ground several feet away from Genji and the group of civilians. The ninja twisted around at the sudden noise, noticing Dahlia pinning the snake to the ground.

"Have you gotten stronger, Vixen?" Viper asked with an amused hiss. He wriggled beneath Dahlia's weight, yet she didn't budge. She struggled to yank the gun out of his grip, though it was almost as if the weapon was glued to his lanky fingers.

She resorted to using all her weight to keep him pinned to the ground, eyes narrowing as she glared down at him. "Stay away from him, you snake," she growled, which only caused Viper to let out an obnoxiously loud laugh. She was confused by his sudden behavior, letting her guard down for a split second. But a split second was all Viper needed. In the blink of an eye, he threw her off of him, leaping to his feet and pointing the gun at her.

"Your loyalties have changed, Vixen," he said with a sneer. "I'm afraid you've just sealed your fate."

Dahlia saw his finger twitch on the trigger of the weapon, and she knew what was coming next. She struck just as he fired the weapon, throwing her leg out towards him and kicking him away from her. She cried out as pain shot through her bicep, glancing over to see that the bullet had grazed her arm before hitting the ground next to her. Blood leaked from the wound, but she forced herself to ignore it as she dove for the gun that had been knocked from Viper's hands. She sprang to her feet as she grabbed it, aiming it in the direction that she had kicked him. Though she was met with an empty street, the snake nowhere to be seen. A hiss could be heard over a nearby rooftop, followed by his mocking voice:

"Remember Falcon as you hold these Overwatch scum close."

Dahlia suddenly felt faint, finally taking notice of the pain in her arm. She reached up to touch her bicep, then immediately hissed and pulled her hand away to see scarlet blood staining her palm. The world began to spin around her, and she half-expected herself to collapse onto the ground. Just as she began to lose her balance, she felt herself grow steady once again as a pair of arms wrapped around her frame.

"We must get you back to the ship," Genji said into her ear. She knew he was right beside her, but his voice sounded miles away. She had no idea that a simple graze from a bullet could make her bleed so much.

In her haziness, she reached up to touch his arm, finding his presence calming. "I'm okay, Genji," she assured him.

"Dahlia, you were shot." Concern laced his accented voice, and despite the situation she was currently in, she found herself smiling softly. It felt good to know that someone cared- that he cared.

"I can barely feel it," she assured him, though a groan of pain immediately contradicted her words. She looked up at him, meeting his glowing gaze with a half-hearted cheeky grin. "Are you okay?"

Genji scoffed. She could imagine him rolling his eyes beneath his visor. "I am fine." He paused for a moment, then said: "Thanks to you."

Dahlia snickered as he began to lead her away. She knew that he was taking her back to the ship, and she suddenly wished that it wasn't such a long walk. "Consider it a very odd thank you," she joked. "Now I'm no longer indebted to you."

Genji seemed taken aback by her words, for he stopped for a moment to glance down at her. "You were never indebted to me, Kitsune."

"Oh, good," she said with a smirk. "That's not why I did it anyway."

"Why did you do it?"

To Dahlia, his question was odd. She was unable to fathom why someone would simply sit back and watch anyone get killed, let alone someone they cared for. "I couldn't let them kill you," she said with a shrug. She tried to keep her tone casual, hoping that Genji wouldn't pick up on the shakiness in her voice. No one but her could know just how terrified she had been towards the possibility of losing him. "Not you."

Genji surprised her by stopping once again. Part of her wanted to snap at him, for the pain in her arm was only growing, and the longer it took for them to reach the ship, the longer she'd have to deal with it. She bit her tongue, however, as he leaned down and rested his faceplate against her forehead. His hold around her tightened ever-so-slightly, careful not to cause any more pain to her arm. It was an odd gesture, one that left her frozen in place, though she was unable to ignore the feeling of warmth that spread through her body nonetheless.