Chapter Text
With nothing but a backpack slung over his shoulder, Genji boarded the train. It was fairly empty, and he easily found a seat that he could lounge in without bothering others. Stretching and spreading his legs out, he stared out the window, waiting for the train to begin it's journey so he could watch the scenery speed by.
As the train left the station, Genji realized that he had no idea where it was going. He had gotten on the first he could so he could get out of Switzerland as soon as possible, not even thinking about its destination.
"Excuse me," Genji turned to an omnic who sat nearby, "do you know where this train is headed?"
"Nepal," the omnic replied with a nod.
Nepal. That was far, very far from Switzerland.
"Not to be invasive," the other spoke again, "but why would you board a train without knowing its destination?"
Genji really didn't want to answer that. Instead, he entranced himself with orbs floating around the omnic for a few moments before being interrupted.
"Perhaps I should not have asked?"
Genji quickly shook his head and looked up to the omnic's 'face'. "No, no, I simply forgot where it was going...I'm a little tired, y'see." He quickly made up a lie, not really wanting to disclose any information to this stranger.
"For making such a long trip, you do not carry much," the other commented, motioning to the small backpack that now sat in Genji's lap.
"Well..." Genji paused, having to once again quickly make something up. "It's a short trip, to see a friend."
The reality of the situation was that he took as little as possible purposefully. He wanted to forget about Blackwatch, forget about Overwatch as a whole. He wanted to forget the thing he'd become, and leaving everything behind to start fresh was the best way to do that.
"I see," he acknowledged, before adding "This will be quite the long ride, so I assume you should know my name, yes? I am Zenyatta,"
"Genji," he replied, shrugging.
The omnic, Zenyatta, seemed to want to say something more, however kept silent - Genji's cue to look back out the window. His doing so made him fail to notice that the one he'd been speaking with had moved closer. After seconds of silence, the other spoke again.
"Genji," Zenyatta began, his voice in a whisper, "why do you lie?"
"Lie? Why would I do that?" He laughs nervously in response, not wanting this stranger knowing the truth.
Sighing, Zenyatta put a hand on Genji's shoulder. "You are not very good at hiding behind a façade. I am afraid that I can see right through you."
"Am I obligated to tell you the truth? I have never met you before now," his tone turned dark and he shifted his focus back out the window. Genji had no intention of sharing anything with someone he knew nothing of.
"Of course not," Zenyatta answered with a shake of his head, "however, I sense that you are in desperate need of guidance. Perhaps I can point you in the right direction." He released his grip from the cyborg's shoulder.
Genji decided at this point that he had no reason to continue to converse with the other. Who did this guy think he was, anyway, telling him he needed guidance? The battle he faced was his own; not anyone else's; he'd handle it as so.
"There is darkness growing within you. You do not have to be alone, my friend."
Genji began to wish he had some sort of enhancement that would turn off his hearing.
"I see that you wish to not respond, so I will not pry. However, please consider what I have said," Zenyatta concluded before shifting away.
Genji let out an audible sigh of relief; finally, he could get some peace on this trip. Even so, when he watched the landscape whirr by, he couldn't help but think about what had been said. A darkness growing within him, huh? It sounded stupid; and whatever it was, surely he could deal with it himself; yet he found himself considering the fact that maybe he couldn't do it on his own.
No; that was crazy. Of course he could do this on his own; the omnic didn't know what he was talking about. Why had he even bothered listening at all?
Shaking his head, Genji shifted his focus back to the blurry view out the window. He'd just forget about it, just like he was going to forget about everything else. Once he made it to Nepal, he'd have a clean slate; he'd be able to leave everything behind and start over again.
As hours passed by, it was peaceful, yet there was still one thing tugging at his mind.
The fact that he was still...this thing.
He was still in an 'enhanced' body of wires; a body that he could hardly still call his own. It was one thing he couldn't leave behind.
Reaching into the scarcely packed backpack, he pulled out a small photo. There was no reason for him to bring it. If anything, he wished he had left it behind.
It pictured his younger self alongside his brother.
His brother, who had almost killed him.
His brother, who was at fault for turning him into this.
In the picture, they seemed happy; they seemed just like the family they were meant to be. But they would never be that way again. He would never be the same as the person he was in the photo. Not he way he was now.
His grip around the sides of the frame tightened. Perhaps he should break the frame, and rip the photo to shreds. Before he got the chance, however, Zenyatta put a hand on Genji's wrist.
"You are shaking," he explained calmly, "is everything alright?"
Genji glared at Zenyatta in response for a few moments before handing him the photo. "Could you do me a favor," he began, practically forcing it into the other's hands, "and get rid of this?"
Before the omnic had any time to respond, Genji had already looked back out the window with crossed arms as the mountains of Nepal came into view. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zenyatta look at the photo for a few moments before carefully tucking it into his own bag.
Snow began to appear, thickening as the train approached its destination. For a moment, it reminded him of something, but he quickly shoved the memory away before it could materialize. Forget about your past. Soon the snow had fogged up the glass, obscuring the view to the outside.
Sighing, Genji turned away from the window, as there was nothing to see. It was alright; it seemed that they were getting close to the stop anyway.
Zenyatta spoke up again. "Forgive me for having been bothersome, however, do you truly have anywhere to go?" The question was obviously directed at Genji, and to it, he did not respond. He didn't have anywhere to go, but he assumed he'd be able to manage on his own, without the help of some random omnic on a train.
"I hope I am not out of line to guess that your silence answers my question." Once again, Genji gave no response. "If you would like, I know of a place you can stay," Zenyatta continued, despite the lack of a reply.
Genji looked away. No, his brain kept telling him, you don't need his help. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Even so, there was something strange about Zenyatta, and before he had time to think, he found himself giving an answer.
"Fine."