Chapter Text
Beginning from the moment he was born, Hanzo has always been a busy child. Growing up as the Shimada heir, he had always felt the weight of his family pushing down on him. Looking back now, Hanzo can’t remember a point in his life where he’d had a real break. And as he gets older, his job gradually gets harder; especially with all the trouble his brother seems to cause. Genji had always been a carefree child, spoiled and beloved by all; although, no one loved him the way Hanzo did. Despite how busy he was, or how much trouble he could get into when his work was left unfinished (because little brother had wanted to play), Hanzo would always find a way to give him a little time out of his day to make his little brother smile.
Which is how fifteen-year-old Hanzo finds himself halting his target practice when his twelve-year-old brother runs over, excitedly holding a bouquet of tiny blue flowers.
“Yo Hanzo! Look what I got today!” Genji thrusted the bouquet into his hands and gave him the chance to look them over. The flowers turned out to be a handful of Forget-Me-Nots. This wasn’t the first time little heartbreaker Genji had brought home flowers from a young crush. With a smile, his brother rushed over and shoved the mouse-eared petals farther into Hanzo’s face. “Hima-chan gave me these after school but I thought you’d like them better! They smell pretty right? Your favorite color is blue after all!” The smile on Genji’s face widened as Hanzo tenderly moved the flowers away from his face and smiled down at them.
“This is… very sweet Genji. Thank you.” Genji laughed and pulled Hanzo down to the ground so he could sit. He then began to braid the flowers into his brother’s long black hair, something the eldest brother often watched girls teach the younger to do. It was a sweet act for him to do this, even though Hanzo would be forced to remove them before any of the elders could see. If his hair were anything other than perfect he’d surely be punished. But at that moment he pushed those thoughts aside and let his brother do as he pleased, they were really pretty flowers after all…
The brothers sat like that for some time, a comfortable silence stretching between them while the youngest worked. It wasn’t until he was nearly finished that Genji broke the silence.
“Hey Hanzo?… I was just wondering um…. you won’t ever forget about me right? Like when you’re in charge and all? You aren’t gonna leave me alone right?” The question shocked Hanzo to say the least. One part of the elder brother was concerned with what had caused him to think of something like this, but it quickly became overshadowed with the need to make his little brother smile again. Not exactly being the best with words, Hanzo shifted around so he could hug him without messing up the hair that his brother spent so long braiding. He hadn’t noticed how close to tears Genji had been until he turned around, but the expression melted into a smile that Hanzo decided fit him better.
“Genji… I don’t think I could ever forget you… you’re the most important person in the world to me… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I lost you… I promise I’ll never forget you.” Hearing those words, Genji smiled brighter and hugged Hanzo back tight. When he found that his brother had finally relaxed, he smiled and nudged Genji on the shoulder playfully. “Besides carrot head, how could I ever forget someone as annoying as you?” Genji looked appalled before he laughed and hit Hanzo on the shoulder. They easily fell into playful banter until they were called inside and promptly punished for being late for dinner, then Hanzo was punished double over the state of his hair. However, even through the lectures they received, they couldn’t get over the happiness they felt nor the fun times they shared together. Surely, nothing could take away the smiles they gave each other.
*---*
Sadly, years have passed and the smiles have long since faded. When their father died, greedy council members took the chance to create a division between the brothers. Young Hanzo was unwillingly corrupted, as the council wished him to be the Shimada-gumi that could be controlled. Genji was forgotten and did as he pleased, but his carefree nature caused the council to view him negatively, and thus Hanzo was forced to turn against the brother that he once loved. It became Hanzo’s giri to turn Genji onto the rightful path, his disobedience dishonored the clan. And if he wouldn’t submit, then the only honorable thing to do would be to silence him once and for all in a battle to the death.
The sound of clashing swords could be heard for hours, neither one having the will to give in. Destruction was wrought all around the castle, the dragons spared nothing. Back and forth the two fought, just as they had been taught to since childhood, but Genji was no match for the Shimada heir in training. After what felt like an eternity, Genji fell. Hanzo watched as the life drained from his abandoned brother’s eyes. At this point he should feel honor, but looking within himself, disappointment was what he found instead.
The eldest Shimada fell to his knees, the adrenaline draining and exhaustion finally catching up to him. The emptiness of his soul weighed heavy on his shoulders. Against his will, tears began to bubble up from his eyes and he had to hold back the distressed wail that formed in the back of his throat. He felt no honor, he knew that he had disgraced himself by killing the one person he could always trust, the one person he should have trusted over everyone. For a moment, Hanzo’s grief silently consumed him. It left him sitting amongst the ruins of his home while his life crumbled around him. He felt everything and nothing. It was like he was just floating in agony, until he was crushed by what he would have to live with.
Suddenly, there was an actual crushing weight that pinned him to the ground. Whilst drowning in his own grief, Hanzo neglected to see the crumbling pillar about to bear down onto him. Normally he would have been able to see it or sense it, but in the state of his grief while he stared at his limp brothers body, he hadn’t even registered his own impending doom. And if he had, one is left to wonder if he would have even saved himself…
*---*
Fast forward to about ten years later, For anyone looking hard enough, you might find that Hanzo now resides peacefully in a small town somewhere in the west part of America, a place where after the war, state borders lost their meaning. It’s the sort of place always somewhat behind the rest of the world, never too worried on being as fast moving as everyone else. A quaint town where everyone knows one another, and of course they all knew the friendly and mysterious young man who stumbled into their home one day. He gave the local hospital quite the fright when he walked in, dirty clothes torn in many ways, sharp edges from a blade and ragged edges from claws. He looked exhausted, and he was covered in dirt and blood, far too much to have been his alone…
But the town people’s gossip has died down now, and and Hanzo was quickly accepted into their ranks. They smile and wave when he goes shopping, the older ladies always ask when he’ll find a wife, the veterinarian adores his two cats Ao and Kome (despite their unfortunate names), and the local children always know that he’s the best audience for their stories (there’s also rumor that one of the teenagers had given him the idea to get an undercut and piercings).
Hanzo was hired at a local pet shop and was the best for the job. Even outside of work the children loved to ask him about animals, they believed Hanzo knew the most about all animals all over the world. The librarian would note how he loves to check out books on animal care of all types, even for those she was pretty sure they didn't sell at the animal shop; such as bearded dragons, and other odd animals such as axolotls, chinchillas, fennec foxes, etc.
After hours Hanzo walks home alone. Of course this simple act doesn’t occur without obstacles. The mothers from the PTA love to stop him so they can tell him the latest gossip, such as how Agatha is pregnant again, or how Joey is applying for another job after being fired for the fifth time. Hanzo wasn’t necessarily the gossiping type but he didn’t want to come off as impolite so he would listen quietly. It was all your average gossip until they said something unexpected.
“Hanzo, hun, someone’s been asking around for you, yaknow? Some guy who’s hidin’ his face. Says ‘e’s an old friend of yers. He find ya yet?” asked the head of most every gossip circle in town, Tracy.
He wasn’t sure who on Earth could be looking for him, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone shady had tried to track him down. For some unknown reason, Hanzo had a tendency to attract mysterious outsiders would always try to attack him… He informed Tracy that, no, he hadn’t met up with this person and that yes, he’ll keep an eye out and inform her of the man’s identity later.
Becoming too antsy to listen to the gossip anymore, he politely excused himself and continued on his way home. He’d been attacked before, crazy people who singled him out like they knew him, but he was always lucky in that he was never hurt. But even Hanzo knew that one's luck could run out...
He was almost home when he sensed it, that feeling that someone was watching him, following him. Seeing his house in the distance, Hanzo started to run, once he was inside he could phone for assistance. He had just stepped foot on his yard when he saw it in his peripheral vision, a dark figure approaching his yard. He knew this was the person following him, he could just FEEL it. He grabbed a nearby shovel and swung it at the fast approaching person. They dodged the blow but it created a distance between them, so Hanzo kept swinging with all his might and stared them down. Baggy clothes shrouded their figure, it was impossible to tell whether they were even human or omnic. The fact that they chose to hide frightened Hanzo more. He threateningly lifted the shovel higher.
“Who are you? Why are you following me? Are you the one asking around about me?” Hanzo knew the rapid fire questions made him sound panicked, but it was of little concern compared to the unease that spread through him as the hooded figure continued to silently observe him. It continued to stay silent, as though it were collecting its thoughts, which only concerned Hanzo more as the seconds ticked past. Eventually it stepped forward and began to remove its hood.
“Do not worry Hanzo, you have no reason to fear me. I have just come to speak with you, though I must say I’m surprised to find you in a place like this… so… in the open. I must admit, it was hard to find you after all this time. I had no idea you would have settled so far from our home...” The figure fully removed its hood and looked upon Hanzo, revealing itself as what appeared to be glowing green omnic. Once again silence overtook them both, this omnic talked as if he knew Hanzo, and yet he still had no idea who they were or what they wanted with him.
“Look omnic, you still have not answered my question. Who. Are. You?” It sighed, then bowed his head almost apologetically.
“You are right. I was hoping that I would not need to outright introduce myself. Brother. ” The figure looked up at him again, as if his last word would cause some realization to blossom on Hanzo’s face, but instead he was just more confused.
“I… do not have a brother, and if I did I’m sure he would not be an omnic. I’m also sure that it would not have taken this hypothetical brother of mine ten years to find me? That just seems absurd…” The omnic looked taken aback, as if they had some carefully crafted scene in their head on how this encounter would play out. Obviously finding Hanzo settled down in some domestic life pretending he doesn't have a brother was not part of his mental movie. Yes he killed his own brother, but pretending he did not exist after he worked so hard to find the archer just seemed cruel.
It cleared its throat and straightened, an obvious attempt to regain their bearings. “Perhaps it is just because you do not recognize me in my new form.” They reached behind their head and and pressed a button that unclasped the piece that covered his eyes away from the rest of what seemed to be some sort of helmet. They pulled it away and looked up, showing brown eyes surrounded with skin riddled by scars. “You see Hanzo, I am no omnic, it is me. I am your brother, Genji .” The look in his eyes was insistent, but nothing was clicking.
“Look, you said your name was Genji right? I don’t have a family. The hospital informed me very early on that if I had one or if they were looking for me, then I would be in the system, ANY system, but to the computers, I don’t exist, so my family doesn't exist, so the story you're fabricating doesn't exist. So please leave before I shout and my neighbors call the police." Hanzo's face was stern, but it was laced with the concern of someone fearing for their own safety.
Genji was… to say the least appalled. Hanzo still did not recognize him, that or he was pretending to not. Was this some kind of joke? It wasn’t very funny. “Ah… that’s uh, real funny Hanzo! I’m gone for ten years and you pretend I don't exist, haha, bit of a cruel joke you know?” And yet he still wasn't responding in the way Genji had anticipated. Then the realization began to creep up on Genji. He and Hanzo had their arguments at times but he was never cruel, he would never pull a joke like this, or any joke at all really. When he had asked around about Hanzo he had sounded happy in his domestic life so he could rule out bitterness being the cause of something like this. Hanzo had been a sentimental person, it’s why Genji had believed he would have stayed close to home, but being this far was odd for him. Everything that Hanzo was doing seemed so odd. The thing that threw him off the most was how… frightened and unsure Hanzo was right now, the look in his eyes shone with the terrified fire of a cornered animal who feared for their life. This was nothing like the brother that Genji had looked up to. Which left him to wonder, what has happened to his big brother? The battle between brothers had taken a toll on Genji.
But what kind of toll had it taken on Hanzo?