Humans and Omnics Alike

Green Glowy Parts

lIt has only been a merely three months since he started continued with Zenyatta from the Shambali monastery when he found himself, once again, in the streets of Hanamura. He finds himself idly walking the streets with his master by his side. It has been so long since he walked the roads of his hometown. He is only grateful that no one would recognize him. Not anymore. Not like this. The man looked at his hands, curled and uncurled his fingers, turning them side to side, just to remind himself how much his body did not feel like his. He looked up to find his master looking at him, his face as gentle as ever. Not that omnics have a wide range of face expressions, of course. Genji promptly apologized for spacing out, but the monk only looked at him with mild concern.

"I am fine, master," he assured.

Zenyatta looked at him for a moment, before moved along, taking paths that were both and unfamiliar to him, winding streets that seem to collide with one another. and finds them stopping before a small inn. It wasn't a very big one, it was more of a family-run business in a run-down building. The pair who owned the place seemed to welcome them sweetly, especially his master. Genji deducts that they must have known each other, before Zenyatta took him as an apprentice. The couple consisted of an omnic and a man, and were very friendly to them. They gave them seats and offered them some tea and snacks and a place to stay the night. In the middle of the conversation, Genji however, noticed a girl peeking at them from the stairs. He stared at the girl and almost expects her to run away in fear or embarrassment, but she does not. She just kept staring at him, before finally waving at him with her right hand, accompanied with an awkward uncomfortable grin that he took as an "am I supposed to do this?" grin. He did not wave back at her but nodded politely.

Their interaction was soon interrupted with a crash from above and the girl ran out of his sight.

"No, nonono!" he could hear her voice ascending with each "no,".

Moments later she reappeared, with a cat in her arms. Only then can he see clearly that her left arm was a bionic arm. She slowly made her way down, the cat trying to struggle away from her arms just for her to nuzzle her face into the cat's fur while calling her little cat stupid and careless, over and over again in an oddly loving, shrill voice. Her parents called her over to introduce her to their new guests and she promptly put the cat down, the little feline running under Genji's chair.

"Oh, uh, sorry 'bout that," she chuckled nervously. "She does seem to like you though... even though I can, um, put her in the cage... if you want,"

"No, no. It is alright," he said, his eyes fixated on her bionic arm before averting his gaze. Well, it's not like she can see where he's looking at... He could feel the cat circle around his leg, which was arguably warm from the heat of the sun outsider after walking for a few hours. The cat, however, ended up jumping and sleeping on his lap, purring.

"Isn't she a sweetheart?" she asked. He looked at her and nodded curtly.

"You can pet her you know, it's alright!" she said, guiding his hand to the cat's head to find it leaning into his touch and nuzzling its face to his mechanical hand. He stroked its fur a few times before the cat finally jumped off him and ran to a different room. The girl followed, and him, after her, leaving Zenyatta with the couple to catch up with each other's adventure.

He followed the girl to find her in once again playing with her cat, giving it belly rubs as it mews helplessly. He unexpectedly let out a small chuckle, kneeling before them. His gaze once again turned to the girl's arm, and perhaps she knew the question that hung from his lips.

"Oh the arm? Yeah, I lost that in a car crash," she said, in a cheerful manner, as if it was no big deal. "I could've died you know? Apparently they also had to replace my heart and lungs as well," she said, a little more seriously. "But it doesn't really matter does it? I'm still me, and more importantly, I'm still alive," she smiled.

"But doesn't it-" He stopped, he's giving her too much information.

"Doesn't it what?" she asked, her head tilting in curiosity.

"Nevermind it,"

"Okay then," there was a small silent before she let out another squeal, hugging her cat. The cat looks somewhat displeased, or perhaps that's just its face. "And you? What about you? What happened to you?"

Genji was caught unguarded.by her remark.

"I know you're not an omnic," she grinned. "It's the voice that gives it away," she whispered. She was right, most omnics had one of the few voicebanks that were manufactured, but not him. His voice was still his own, although his body did not feel like it. She reached for his arm, and he let her take a closer look at it.

"I like the green lights," she said, her hand trailing on the circles of green light on his shoulder, before poking at the buttons on his arms. Genji grew a little irritated.

"But real talk, it's beautiful!" she said, "especially the green lights" she whispered again, followed by a giggle. The man let out a small sigh before stroking her hair gently. "Is it?" he asked, with little joy in his tone.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said, politely. Unsure if he should ask such sensitive question.

"Sure!"

"What do you think are we?" He sees her tilting her head in confusion. "I mean, are we human, or are we omnics?" he asked again.

"Well," she said, in a low voice, "It doesn't really matter does it? They're not all that different after all, right?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, both human and omnics have a heart and a soul, it's just that we have different bodies right? So even if you're somewhere in the middle, like me and you, for example, you're still you, and you're still alive. Why are you suddenly asking this though?"

"It's- I've always felt repulsed by this- this- " He could hear his voice breaking.

"I know how you feel, I too used to feel like that," she interjected, cupping his face between her tiny hands. "But it's okay isn't it? You're still you, This body, this life, it's a gift, whether you're made of metal or flesh or somewhere in between. And besides, my left arm now have super strength" she giggled, jokingly.

"Well, I suppose this new body does have its advantages," he chimed in.

"And I like the green lights on yours! They're really cool" she giggled. "I wished my hands glowed like that, but oh well, at least I still have my left arm." she laughed

Genji smiled beneath his mask. That's right, he thinks.

That's right.

"Ah! I never caught your name!" she said,

"Genji Shimada," he said.

"So, Genji- can I call you that?"

"Of course,"

"Well then, Genji, I hope you enjoy your stay here!" she said, throwing her arms up in the air before giving him great, big hug.

"Thank you,"