Demoted || Genyatta

Chapter 16: Someone That Hates to See Me Go

Today, the people in the mess hall seemed louder than usual, but Genji wasn't sure if he was imagining it. Perhaps it was just because his table was quieter than usual. McCree was sitting in front of him, not speaking as he ate his food. It seemed both of them weren't in the greatest of moods today. Genji found himself missing Zen's presence here.

Genji hadn't spent the night with Zen as usual; he hadn't seen him since leaving him alone in the training room yesterday. Today, he'd went off to get breakfast with McCree instead, now that the two were back on friendly terms, and Zen wasn't here yet, which probably meant he was still having his briefing with Reyes. Genji didn't like to think about that.

McCree was clearly still struggling with his new arm, poking uselessly at his food while struggling to properly hold his fork, but Genji didn't know how he could help him, so he stayed quiet and sadly watched him struggle. He could relate to the feeling of not knowing your own body, and nothing he could do would make him feel better.

"Will it ever feel normal..?" McCree asked suddenly. He didn't clarify, but Genji didn't need him to.

"No," he said curtly. McCree looked up at him sadly, but Genji wasn't done talking yet. "It will always feel different.. but different isn't always bad. I can't say that I feel happy with my new body, but it does feel less strange. It feels more.. like me. If that helps."

Genji looked down at his food, forcing some of it in his mouth despite having no appetite at all anymore. McCree didn't say anything in response, but the next time Genji looked up, he seemed slightly less tense using his mechanical arm. Genji decided to take that as a personal win.

Busy spotting familiar faces in the mess hall, Genji hadn't even noticed Zen float up to them until he was right next to their table. Genji startled a little and hid behind his bowl of rice. He must've finished his briefing.

"Greetings. May I join?" the omnic asked kindly.

McCree let out a friendly laugh, "'course!"

Genji's food was gradually looking less appetizing as time passed. He numbly shoved it around his plate, his thoughts on the briefing. What would Zen's first mission be? Usually, it was something relatively safe; a side mission that avoided confrontation. A civilian rescue mission, perhaps? Zenyatta was a healer, after all, so taking care of scared civilians seemed right up his alley. Or it could be that Reyes just wanted him to work as trainee healer at a temporary camp – tend to member's wounds while others fought the hard battle on the battlefield?

Genji thought back to his first mission, in which he simply had to shadow a higher ranked member of Blackwatch and learn from them. It had been scary, Genji remembered, especially because he'd never been so far from Angela's lab before. He'd gotten used to Angela always being there to check on his still unstable body, but out there on the battlefield, he couldn't just run to her for help if anything went wrong. He'd been terrified of his body just collapsing and failing him. It hadn't, obviously, and aside from Genji's constant anxiety, the mission had passed quite uneventfully.

With a sudden kick to his shin, Genji startled back to reality to see Zen had still not taken a seat. Judging from McCree's encouraging look, the omnic was still waiting for Genji to allow him at the table.

Genji gave a quick nod, and Zen calmly sat down next to McCree. As per usual, Genji's face was flushed red, and he pretended to be busy scanning the mess hall.

"Looking for someone?" Zenyatta asked as a way of conversation. Genji was a bit startled.

"Ah, n-no," he stuttered. Instead of peering through the mess hall, Genji settled on hiding behind his cup of coffee.