Work Text:
"This is stupid." the archer exclaimed, while looking up towards the blinking neon sign. "LazerArena" was written in bright colors, and the sign gave off a steady electrical hum. He looked over to his companion with a soundless sigh. Ever since the two of them boarded the train, the cowboy was somewhat giddy and excited. It reminded him of a child shortly before their first trip to Blizzard World, bursting with joy and barely able to contain it. That must've been the reason why he agreed to this trip in the first place. Even if he didn't show it, deep down he found the behavior of the grown man beside him adorable.
So when Cassidy came up to him earlier today, asking if he'd come along for a LaserTag Match, he really couldn't decline.
But standing in front of the building now, with a low bass thrumming through the closed doors, and the kitschy neon sign over their heads, he had second thoughts. He was a deadly, silent assassin, a master at his craft. But his tool was a bow. And now he was supposed to take a plastic gun with RGB Lights to shoot pretend-bullets at pretend-enemies. It really felt like Cassidy was mocking him, but the cowboy was dead serious about coming here. So maybe he didn't suggest this for mockery, rather for himself. Why he didn't ask Morrison or Oxton to accompany him then, was beyond Hanzos understanding.
But now they were here, so the best thing to do was get it over with, Hanzo thought to himself. So he mentioned towards the entrance doors, and stepped forward.
"I'll be damned, this place looks just like old times." Cole exclaimed as they stepped through the doors. The thrum of that bass they heard earlier got louder now, and was accompanied by some synth melody, resembling a futuristic soundtrack. The whole place was decorated in some kind of space and sci-fi theme, with stars and planets hanging from the ceiling, and old, cartoony rockets imprinted on the carpet. Cole had told Hanzo about his former adventures here. He'd stopped by a few times with friends, but that was even before Overwatch. So coming back here hit him like a brick with nostalgia. He was happy to be able to share this place with Hanzo. Cole was quite sure the archer had no idea how much this visit meant to him.
The Cowboy excused himself to buy the tickets, so Hanzo was left alone in the entrance hall. He wandered over to one of the big windows, looking over one of the battlegrounds. Black Light illuminated some kind of neon paint on wooden planks. Overall, this hall looked more like a horde of children went unsupervised with paint, instead of real battlegrounds. But most people who came here hadn't seen _real_ battlegrounds, he figured.
As he was watching the teams scramble along various covers and fight until their light-up jackets turned red, Cole walked up to him from behind. "So, we're ready to go in 15. D'you need anything to drink before we head on over?"
Hanzo turned away from the window. "No, I'm fine."
Cole nodded in response. If they were alone right now, the Cowboy would've been a bit more affectionate with his companion, because he clearly saw the others discomfort. But he knew very well Hanzo was never one for public Display of Affection, so he kept his respectful distance. As silence was starting to grow between them, Hanzo took a deep breath and asked: "Cassidy, what do you see in this place? This has nothing to do with battle. Not even with training. Watching them run around is more like a children's playground than anything useful. So why come here?"
Cole adjusted his hat with a slight chuckle. "I figured you'd be confused. Look, I told you I used to come here often, right? When I was younger, I spent time here with friends. Made some darn good memories in that hall." He stepped closer to the window, standing beside Hanzo and looking down. His gaze grew somber. "With Overwatch, Blackwatch and all that political riffraff, I thought it might be a good place to forget about all of that for a moment. Just... go back in time for a bit." 'And make some good new memories with you.' he added in his thoughts.
Hanzo responded with a hum. It was neither approving nor disproving. Mostly acknowledgement. He could understand wanting to relive good memories, even if his own past was mostly filled with regret. But this was not his past to revisit. It was Cassidys. So he could humor him for a bit, he thought.
The two of them stood in silence for a bit longer, watching a young boy sneak along the wooden walls to flank an enemy. After a few minutes, their group number was called up. Both of them left their spot on the window to prepare for the oncoming game.
"If your jacket starts blinking red, you're out for a few seconds. Go back to your home position to reset. If you get hit three times, you're out of the game. Last one standing wins. Any questions?"
Their instructor, a young woman with short hair explained the rules while the two teams geared up. It was Team Blue against Team Yellow. To Hanzos dismay, the teams were picked out randomly. So he ended up on blue, alongside a lanky boy with braces, and two women in their 20s who seemed to be sisters.
Cassidy on the other hand was assigned to Yellow. His teammates consisted of a father with his son, the boy not older than 14, as well as a teenage girl dressed in all black. Other than the father, the two men were clearly the oldest of the players, and Hanzo felt even more out of place. But he buried that feeling for now, as the instructor finished her speech.
The two agents were separated as the teams gathered around their "home base" . In reality, this was just a small room with a button in the center. That button was used for resetting. Through two short hallways, they could access the battlefield. On the opposite wall was a holo display, which kept track of match time and points. Right now, it counted down until the start of the match. One minute to go.
Hanzo examined the pistol on his hands. It was heavier than he thought, sturdy and surprisingly well manufactured. Still, he would trade that trigger for a bowstring anytime. He really didn't see the appeal these guns had to Cassidy.
But for now he had a battle to fight, and this was his weapon. So he would give it his best. As he watched that timer go down, he caught himself getting somewhat excited. Maybe it was just his training kicking in, even though this was just a pretend-fight. But maybe he also looked forward to facing Cassidy head on. He knew his lover was a magician with his gun, but he never stood at the dangerous end of that barrel before.
Thirty seconds to go.
Cole took a deep, steadying breath. His thoughts raced since Hanzo asked him about his reasons for coming here. Did he overstep by asking him to come? Surely, this was nothing the archer would normally do, but what if he just came along out of pity? This was never meant to make Hanzo uncomfortable. So maybe he should start thinking about fitting Apologies already.
Cole was abruptly brought back to reality when he heard the holo display beep. The Match had begun.
Cole gripped his gun tightly, and made his way into the right hand hallway. The father and son had taken to the other side, while the girl followed him cautiously. When he stepped out into the field, he crouched down behind cover, and peeked over the edge. His eyes scanned the field for any movement, any flicker of blue lights. Only when he was sure there was nobody rushing down along the sides, he sneaked further into the hall. To his left, the sound of artificial shots were playing. So the two others had found enemies. A short glance behind told him the girl must've gone to their flank, because she was nowhere to be seen.
With one more deep breath, Cole rushed towards the next cover. That almost got him caught, as one of the sisters on blue stepped out from a wall, and shot wildly in his direction. His only salvation was her bad aim, mostly due to nerves, he figured. He used her inexperience to his advantage, by vaulting over the crouch cover and getting close to her with a combat roll. She didn't expect him to be so fast, and hesitated. That moment of uncertainty was met with a blinking red light on her vest.
"Sorry, darling. Nothing personal." he gave her a smile, and carried on, as she turned back towards their home base.
Hanzo was the last to leave the base. He was used to playing long sightlines and angles, while his team covered the brunt of the Frontline. It seemed like the boy on his team was destined to do that, because he ran forward as soon as the timer ran down. The two sisters were more cautious, but also inexperienced. They were way too loud for a covert operation, whispering to one another. So he decided to go along the right side, away from the girls. Maybe they could at least be a distraction.
Silent and slow, he made his way towards the right hand wall, always on alert for any sounds heading in his direction. Gunfire was getting louder as he moved forward, and soon afterwards the boy on his team walked by with a red vest, his former excitement noticeably damped. Hanzo stilled. There had to be enemies ahead, maybe still out of position. If he was quick, he could go for a surprise attack.
He lept out of his hiding spot into a more open area. On his left, he caught movement. Quickly, he raised his gun and fired - only to be met with two barrels pointed at him. The father and son had stayed together, and he didn't predict that. Silently, he cursed himself for not thinking ahead, while he scrambled towards the nearest wall for shelter. His first shot had hit the child, so he just had to evade the father's rapid gunfire. Hanzo made it almost to the safety of the wooden board, when his left side thrummed with a pulse of vibration. Hit.
The jacket he wore began flashing, and behind him the child cheered his father on. He had been shot.
He failed.
"You're a Shimada! You're not allowed to fail! Every mistake is a disgrace to this family, every distraction your death."
The voice of his father creeped into his mind. As a boy, he always trained to be in his favor. He wanted to be the best, because his brother was already going against everything the Shimada family stood for. So he had to be best. For both of them.
But now, he failed. Just like he failed his brother a few years prior.
That, he could not undo.
But now, he still had two chances, one more than he really needed. Because Hanzo Shimada would not fail twice.
With new found determination, he made his way back to the button. This game just got very real.
Both men threw themselves into the fights, punishing enemy mistakes, and using their own combat experience to their benefit. Cassidy evaded a deadly shot more than once by rolling behind cover and sending a salve of shots back to his opponent in the blink of an eye.
Hanzo got to using high ground, surveying the battlefield from platforms the other players would not dare to go. The longer they played, the better he could control his gun, fully eliminating the girl on Yellow with a long range shot.
He almost got Cassidy too, but the Cowboy quickly learned to look upwards and expect him.
A few minutes passed, which felt like hours to the contestants. As Cassidy was jogging back to the button - the quirky boy got him when his back was turned - he surveyed the holo display.
His own team was down two players, the father and son had been fully eliminated together. The girl was on her last life. And with that button pressed he now was, too.
On Blue, things looked equally as grim. The two sisters were the first ones to be eliminated. Both by his own hand, due to their chatter and laughter being loud enough for everyone to hear.
The name of the boy who eliminated Cole was suddenly getting crossed out. Seems like his remaining teammate got the drop on him.
That left only Hanzo on Blue, with one life left.
They hadn't seen much of each other this whole game, which was mostly due to their experience in combat. Now, Cole had no chance but to hunt him down. It was two against one, but the girl on his team wouldn't be able to get Hanzo alone. He knew his archer was way too smart for that. He turned on his heel, and headed back towards the battlefield. This was getting interesting now.
By now, Cole had mostly memorized the layout of the battlefield, so he moved smoothly through passages and low cover to keep out of sight. As he neared the center of the field, he heard movement. Quick breathing to his right, footsteps followed by a low thump, like something hitting wood. This must've been the the girl, and she seemed to have encountered Hanzo. Carefully, he circled around to the left for a chance to flank his opponent. When he turned a corner to the open space in the center, he quickly ducked back.
Hanzo was perched up on some kind of tower, kneeling behind low cover. He knew exactly where the girl was, and fixated her location with watchful eyes. He knew that her nerves would sooner or later get the better of her and she'd make a mistake. So that's when he'd strike. Coles heart rate quickened, but Hanzo didn't seem to notice him just yet. Although, the archer could be very deceiving, so he didn't take any chances and stayed in his hiding spot.
Hanzo had noticed the movement on his right, but didn't pay much attention. He was almost fully covered from this side, so anyone trying to catch him had to step through a quite large open space to get behind.
So his focus was still on the girl. She cowered behind a low wall, with nothing else beside her. This could only end two ways. If she tried to make a run for another position, he'd catch her in the process.
And if she decided to peek and fight, he still had the advantage of high ground.
And he didn't have to wait long. As soon as that girl got her resolve back, she stood up from her crouching position, eyes sharp,and gun in hand.
And before she even got to fire a single shot, she winced, as her vest showed a bright red color. Simple Geometry.
Hanzo quickly turned over to where he last saw movement. He'd helped in eliminating the father and son, and now the girl was out as well. So that left only Cassidy on Yellow. And Hanzo was ready for him.
The Cowboy listened to the sound of a single shot, followed by silent curses from his - now former - teammate. He couldnt help but feel a bit proud about Hanzos skills. Judging by how he threw himself into the game, he must've enjoyed it at least a little bit. But that meant he was dangerous. Cole looked around for a safe way to get closer to his opponent. He stood no chance in their current standoff, so he had to lure the archer down from his nest. With a sly grin, he formed a plan.
"So, you seem to enjoy this, Shimada!" he called out. There was no response.
"Not so stupid after all, eh?"
Again, nothing. But he knew the other was watching. Risky as it was, he had to move, because talking the other into defeat didn't seem to work.
Cole propped up a foot against the wooden wall behind him, and lunged himself forward into a roll. Just far enough to skid behind another low cover, a bit further away from Hanzo.
"Haven't seen you much this whole time, I figured you'd just meditate in your base instead of trying. Nice to run into you!"
He kept crouching while he circled further around the perimeter, always paying attention to any sound that could give Hanzo away.
"Although, would be nicer if you wouldn't wanna shoot me on sight, darling!"
He figured a bit of teasing wouldn't hurt. Since they were now alone in the arena, there was nobody else who could overhear.
"It was not my plan to shoot you, but you leave me no choice, Cowboy." Hanzos Voice was calm as he spoke. He was way nearer than Cole expected, so Hanzo was moving as well. Damn his ninja training for teaching him how to be so silent. Cole changed his course to bring some distance between them again. If he could get him to talk more, he might find his position.
"You know you could just walk outta here and take the lose, so I do leave you that choice. But you're still stubborn as a mule, aren't you?"
"I will not back down from a fight like a coward!"
'Left side, near the wall.' Cole took a sharp turn, ducking under another elevated platform.
Hanzo moved slowly through the passages, his senses sharpened to the sound of footsteps and the low, humming voice of his opponent. He was on the hunt. And Cassidy was his prey.
Through the course of this match, he went through the motions a lot. From frustration about this unfamiliar get-up and gun, to his first 'death', when his pride was badly hurt. From that point on, he started to take things seriously, mostly because he refused to lose a child's game.
Soon, he had his first target down, and his frustration, and anger mixed with a tinge of entertainment. Even if this was a children's playground, he could still turn this into a battlefield. So he started his hunt.
Perched up in hiding spots, fixating his prey, and hitting them the second they showed fear. And he showed them that fear.
Soon, the players in the arena were moving exactly how he predicted, and how he wanted them to. And even though he'd never admit it - he was enjoying it.
And now, with Cassidy being his usual clumsy self, it was easy to follow his heavy footsteps and southern drawl. Even though the Archer could've had an easy time sneaking up behind and ending it quickly, he just followed. His short comments gave away his position on purpose, to give Cassidy some sense of safety.
"So, are you scared to show yourself, sugarcube? I promise I'll make it quick!"
Hanzo could hear the amusement in the others voice. He was mocking him to try and get him to be careless.
But Hanzo was just one step ahead of him. With cat-like grace, he vaulted on top of a platform, and caught the glimpse of a hat a few meters in front of him. 'Almost.' he thought, and jumped down. He knew exactly where he was going.
"You're quite full of yourself, Cowboy."
The voice was _right_ behind the wall Cole was leaning on. 'Damn, how did he know?' Quickly, he moved forward, just to get some distance again. It was way too late, when he realized that this was a trap. He stopped abruptly, as two solid walls joined together in front of him.
That bastard did this on purpose. He was cornered.
Coles breathing quickened, as he spun around. There was one more hallway, beside the one he came from. If he was lucky, he could make a run for it.
His fingers tightened around the grip of his gun, and he started to run.
Thump!
He had only gotten about three steps in, when a force on his chest suddenly stopped him in his tracks, and knocked him back against the wall.
He had expected a shot, but nothing like this.
Right as he wanted to enter the hallway, Hanzo caught him with his free arm and pushed him back into the corner. His beloved prey was now squirming between the wall and his arm on his chest, the hat slightly crooked from impact.
That view, right before Cassidy realized what happened, sparked a fire in the Archers eyes. Oh how rewarding it was, to catch the Sharpshooter off guard, even more so at his own game.
"Damn, didn't think you'd be that fast.." Cole exclaimed somewhat strained.
Hanzo just watched the slightly taller man with a barely noticable smile. "You don't now all about me, Cole."
"Calling me by first name now, huh? Thought that was left for wh-"
And just like that, Cassidy got the air knocked out of him a second time, as Hanzo pulled him into a wanting kiss.
A shudder went down Coles spine, as their lips impacted and he was enveloped in the scent of the other man. After the first moment of surprise, he leaned into the kiss as well, savoring the taste of his archer.
Out of all things today, this was highly unexpected for Cole. Hanzo had been very uncomfortable when they got here, was somewhat out of his element when entering the battlefield. Somehow, that had changed over the course of the game. In front of him was somebody intimidating. Almost feral. In this moment, Hanzo was so very himself, without the usual constraints of honor and custom he was so used to. And that did _many_ things to Cole.
As quickly as they crashed together, Hanzo pushed him away again. Both of them were short of breath, their lips reddened and slightly parted.
It took a second for Cole to catch up to speed, as he was feeling something rigid push against his abdomen. Hanzo smiled mischievously as Cole looked down to see what was pressing up against him.
At that moment, Hanzo pulled the trigger. Red light illuminated their faces, as Coles Vest changed color.
"Beat at your own game, Cowboy."