Chapter Text
Hanzo stopped his climb up the mountain trail and turned to frown and sigh at his companion, raising a single feathered eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re winded.”
McCree waved him off, but he was definitely breathing faster, “Don’t you start with me, the air is thinner up here. Of course I’m winded. I see that damn, judgin’ eyebrow a’ yers.”
Hanzo’s mouth flickered with a smile, ducking to hide the expression in the thick folds of the scarf around his neck to help protect from the Himalayan chill, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, cowboy.”
“Sure ya don’t,” McCree finally caught up, pushing a limp lock of hair out of his face, his normally springy hair plastered against his head by the cold sweat brought about by thick layers in cold air. He whistled, catching sight of the terrace at the top of the path, “Man this place looks incredible. Never loses the awe no matter how many times I see it.”
Hanzo nodded, “It’s true,” he said, looking at the statuary and frowned, “What happened here?” Some of the huge stone Omnics looked recently repaired, and some still had huge chunks of stone missing, as though smashed by some incredible force.
McCree frowned, spotting the damage as well. “Well I don’t rightly know. Have to ask Genji when we get there. Hopefully they’re all okay.”
“My brother would’ve contacted me if trouble was really so dire,” Hanzo said, but wasn’t as confident about that as he would’ve liked. Genji had withdrawn quite a bit after the incident.
“No use wonderin’ while we’re standin’ outside,” McCree shrugged, “Let’s get in, I’m freezin’ my trigger finger off.”
“Anything to make it less itchy,” Hanzo rolled his eyes.
“Yer so kind,” McCree snarked back, but his mouth had a laughing, wry twist to it.
Hanzo smiled, “Thank you for coming with me, Jesse. I do not believe I said it before. It is always more bearable with company than coming here alone.”
McCree scratched the back of his neck, “Shoot, it ain’t nothin’. I get it, memories might drown ya.”
“I am always glad to make the trip here. Being on good terms with Genji again is a priceless gift, but it can be… hard. Seeing him—seeing them—the way they are now.”
“Course. Don’ I know it. Was hard seein’ Zen in those weeks ‘fore Genji took ‘im an’ left. S’hard seein’ em every time I come back here. Can’t imagine it’ll be any easier this time, but damn am I lookin’ forward to it. I missed ‘em somethin’ fierce. Even if I can’t get Zen to quit callin’ me Mr. McCree now.”
Hanzo nodded, chuckling, not very fond of being Mr. Shimada either, “You had to work so hard to break him of it the first time, now you have to do it all over again.” He sighed, “He is always the same in some ways, and so different in others. I always think I am prepared to deal with Zenyatta but every time… it is harder than I think it will be.”
“Hard don’ mean it ain’t worth doin’,” The American shrugged, “Lets get it over with. No use standing here and it’s still fuckin’ cold.”
They approached the entrance, McCree gawking at the temple exterior as he always did, Hanzo’s eyes on the goal of the door. They were halfway down the terrace when a figure appeared in the entryway and Hanzo stopped short, eyes going wide, his breath freezing like ice in his lungs. “Jesse,” He breathed, “Look there.”
“Hmm?” McCree’s attention turned and Hanzo felt him still at his side. “Am I seein’ things?”
“If you are it is a shared delusion,” the archer murmured.
A living memory stepped from within the temple.
Zenyatta strode towards them, dressed in the white Shambali kasaya, nine gold orbs orbiting slowly around his torso, hands folded in front of them. He came down the steps slowly until he stood before them, and Hanzo could not for the life of him move an inch.
“Zenyatta?” He began hesitantly, because the orbs.
The Omnic bowed to them, “It is good to see you again, Hanzo, Jesse. Genji is still with a class of students, but he will be able to join us when the class has concluded.”
A grin had slowly split McCree’s face and Hanzo could not stop staring because it had been three years since they’d been anything but Mr. Shimada and Mr. McCree. Without warning the cowboy pitched forward and hugged the slim Omnic tightly.
Zenyatta made a startled sound but rested his hands lightly around Jesse’s back, letting the large American man hug it out. “Goddamn you stupid metal asshole,” He said, voice a telltale touch rough, “If you don’t actually remember me don’t tell me, just lie to me. Jesus Christ.”
Zenyatta chuckled softly, “I remember some things better than others. I remember enough that I nearly didn’t recognize you without your hat.”
McCree laughed and pulled back, swiping the back of a gloved hand over one of his eyes, “It kept blowin’ off. Hanzo made me put it in the bag.”
“Better you don’t wear it in this wind than I have to listen to you moan about losing it,” Hanzo said and stepped forward to bow more politely to Zenyatta, “But he is right. It is good to see you, always, but better to see you like this.”
Zenyatta bowed back, “Thank you, Hanzo. It is good to be seen.”
“What happened?” McCree blurted, impulsive as always, “What changed?”
Zenyatta turned and beckoned, “I would be glad to tell you, but I am sure your tolerance for the Himalayan cold is nearly finished. Come in, please. You can warm up and have some tea while I explain.”
--
Hanzo blew across his Darjeeling tea slowly, recognizing it by scent as Genji’s favorite, sitting next to McCree who tried for a sip and swore as it burned it tongue. Zenyatta chuckled and let gold energy coalesce in his hand before tossing it to the American lightly, his orbs flashing in response. “So yer really back then?” The cowboy asked, hesitant of the answer.
“As much as one can be ‘back’ in their own life,” Zenyatta said gently.
“Restored then,” Hanzo amended for him.
“In some ways,” Zenyatta agreed, “But there is much I still do not recall,” he said sadly, “Much I may always be missing.”
“You got us back,” McCree said, reaching up to try and touch the orb, fingers passing through as though no more than a ray of sunlight, “Did you get Overwatch back?”
“Most of it, I think,” Zenyatta said hesitantly, “I remember the two of you, and most of the operatives I dealt with commonly, but I do not recall some things, some glaring omissions in my life. I do not remember the first mission I did on behalf of Overwatch, nor do I remember most of them in the moment. I remember the aftermath of many, tending wounds and assuaging worries.”
“How did it happen?” Hanzo couldn’t contain the question a moment longer, “Genji tried so hard for so long to help you, how did this finally happen?”
“He and others were in great danger, and I managed to achieve Transcendence, in no small part thanks to his teaching,” he said softly, “And it was as though I was living in a dark room that was suddenly illuminated. Many memories came to light, so to speak, but there are many yet…” He sighed softly, “I do not remember meeting you,” he admitted, “I do not remember taking the picture of you and Genji a few years ago that he keeps in his room.” His head bowed and he said softly, voice heavy, “I do not remember my own teacher, my own brother, I do not remember Mondatta.”
He reached up and touched a hand to his crown as though his head ached and Hanzo and McCree exchanged a glance, “It is alright,” The archer assuaged, “As long as you know that you were missed and that we care, it is more than we could ever ask for.”
Zenyatta nodded, “One day, perhaps I will be able to put everything into its place, but please have patience with me.”
Hanzo smiled and risked a sip of the hot tea, “In this at least, I think we are all agreed. You are worth waiting for.”
--
Genji came in some time later to find them telling Zenyatta of a particular mission he didn’t recall, one gone hilariously wrong, which had been against Talon Forces in Western Russia and gone south quickly, only ending when Ana had lost her patience with the entire team and ran over to jab a Nano-stimulant directly into McCree’s neck and pushed him off a roof telling him to ‘quit being a baby’ and to ‘get in there.’
McCree had wiped out the enemy forces in a deadly show of precision and force and then immediately passed out in the middle of the smoldering battlefield.
McCree was groaning through Hanzo’s retelling and Zenyatta’s soft laughter when Genji stepped in, took one look at his brother’s smug, laughing face, and said, “Ah, but what Hanzo has not told either of you was that he carried McCree off the battlefield himself and held him the entire ride during Evac.”
Hanzo sputtered and flushed red and McCree blinked and whipped around to look at Hanzo wide-eyed and grinning, “That true?”
“Why did I miss you?” Hanzo hissed at his brother.
Genji laughed at him, but the sound was so free and easy for the first time in so long that Hanzo didn’t even really begrudge him.
--
Hanzo stood on an overlook next to Genji, the two of them leaning on the stone wall and looking out at the terrace. McCree and Zenyatta had gone out to shovel some of the snow clear in a poorly-disguised attempt to give the two brothers a moment together.
“Will you return to Overwatch?” Hanzo asked him.
“That is something I need to talk to Zenyatta about, something I have been putting off,” Genji replied. “The thought of it frightens me, walking back into that world seems to be asking for more tragedy. But even when he couldn’t remember, Zenyatta wanted to leave the Monastery and go out to help the world.”
Hanzo snorted, “Of course he did.”
“Right?” Genji huffed and crossed his arms, shaking his head.
“Leaving the Monastery doesn’t mean you have to return to Overwatch,” Hanzo pointed out. “Though I know we would be glad to have you both.”
“I do not miss the risk and the danger,” Genji began, “But I do miss the people. The closeness of the team.”
Hanzo smiled, watching as Zenyatta waved to a group of children who’d wandered up from the village, bringing a few things for the monks that came in with the latest supply wagon. McCree hollered something at them and they all swarmed at him suddenly. “Even if you do not rejoin as an operative, you should consider coming back for Jack’s retirement party next year.”
Genji snorted, “Jack’s retiring? I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Whether or not he’ll stay retired remains to be seen, but he’ll be officially stepping down as Strike Commander and Winston will be taking his position. It would probably mean a lot for them to see the two of you, one way or another.”
“And Morrsion would probably appreciate someone making more of a spectacle than him at his own retirement party,” Genji guessed.
Hanzo snorted and then grinned watching as things on the terrace below devolved into a snowball fight and McCree was ganged up on. “He probably would.”
Genji sighed, “Zenyatta will likely want to see everyone as well. I have a feeling we’ll be back in Overwatch’s pockets soon enough.”
“Will you be alright with that?” Hanzo asked softly.
“No,” Genji admitted quietly. “I just got him back, the thought of losing him for good—“ He cut off, head bowing, “I’m not that strong, Hanzo.”
Hanzo reached over, hesitated, and then squeezed his shoulder, “No use upsetting yourself over something that is only a possibility.”
Genji laughed softly, “It sounds like something Zenyatta would say.”
Hanzo smiled faintly, “It does. But do you know what?” He nudged Genji’s shoulder with his own, “It was something I heard from you.”