Chapter 1: An Assassin's Wishes
"Do you need me to explain your circumstances again?" the entity in front of me said, but I just shook my head in reply. A rare moment of...happiness flooded into my system.
I had made my wish in a dying stupor - probably the product of how much blood I lost. But it had come true, no, it had exceeded what I wanted and I was being given a new life. Not just a second of warmth, like I wished. "You're going to reincarnate me because of my grief and regrets. Because of the negative karma that was forced upon me when I'd just been born," I spoke with an emotionless tone, not being able to break through the external barrier my face put on my emotions, despite the delight I was feeling inside.
"That is correct--" I interrupted the entity with a question. A single question. But a very important one.
"What do you get out of this?"
"I..." the entity paused before rubbing it's white, feature-less face with it's white, almost mannequin-like hand, "I will gain all the good, positive karma you sow in your new life," it said, sighing as it's androgynous voice shook ever so slightly, "Your pure wish to experience warmth...your pure wish to pick a different path than before and to use your talents for something else - something good -...it lets me know that you're going to do good things in your new life," it leaned forward, hands put together and fingers locked, "If I had even the smallest of doubts that you'd be like your old self, I wouldn't have brought you here for this chance."
Nodding, I looked at where it's eyes would be if it actually had eyes, "That seems like a...fair trade. I can live with that as long as you don't meddle in my life. If you can swear upon that, I'll try my best to sow some good karma for you," I smiled, or at the very least, tried to smile, but I could tell that it probably looked stiff and wonky. Even with my handsome features.
It didn't have a mouth, but I could swear that it smiled as it spoke in reply to what I said, "That's more than acceptable, Takashi. You have my word that I will not meddle with your life once you leave this room and reincarnate. Does that satisfy you?" it asked, and I just furrowed my brow as I tried to see if it was telling the truth.
I had dealt with a lot of people in my life. I'd killed a lot of those people, but before that, I'd usually had a chat with them. If you knew your target, you had less of a chance at failing when you killed them.
That's what I was taught at least.
I could see a lie a mile off. But with this godly entity, I couldn't read it at all, so I couldn't tell it's sincerity when it swore an oath to me. But in the end, I just gave a nod. What else could I do? If it had plans for me, I would just have to ruin it's plans if I could. If not, as long as it didn't stop me from living a life I can enjoy, then I don't see a point in stopping it's plans.
"Then the next part of the deal?" I asked, my voice showing the barest hints of being excited, even with my broken physical responses when it comes to showing emotion.
Again, I felt like the entity was smiling as it replied, "Yes, yes - the wishes. It's good to know that even an assassin like yourself can get excited over such a thing," it...teased(?) me before carrying on with a mirthful voice, "You get 3 wishes. I'd recommend spending one on a power of sorts, another on where you're born in the world I send you too, and the last...well, you can either ask for more power or something more auxiliary related," it held up three of it's chalk-white fingers before leaning back and crossing it's arms, "What will you pick, Takashi?"
Hearing that question, I closed my eyes and began to think in-depth about what I wanted.
I needed versatility. Potential. An ability that relied on my own body, not on something unreliable.
"Nanomachines," I said, opening my eyes and looking at the entity, "I want it so that my new body produces bio-nanites that flow within my blood and are completely under my control. If the nanomachines are destroyed somehow, my body should be capable of producing more, no matter what. They should be able to change my body to my specifications and follow my orders without hesitation," I tapped my fingers across the table before carrying on, "If you need an example of what I want, look to 'Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance' and Senator Armstrong*. Those are the powers I want."
(A/N - Nanomachines, son!)
"Doable, doable...But the Nanomachines won't be able to change your body without the necessary materials, okay? I'm not sure you want to break the law of conservation of mass - it can have some nasty side-effects," it asked and I just nodded, knowing that this was coming anyway - in fact, I'd have been surprised if it wasn't brought up. "Second wish?" it asked after tapping the air for a few seconds.
"To be reincarnated into a world that can fulfill my wish before I came here, and to be born in a household that is rich enough to support any kind of training I wish to perform," I said, hoping the entity would count that as one wish instead of two.
From the chuckle it gave off, I knew that it saw my 'deception' but it just willfully ignored it before tapping mid-air for a few more seconds - what was it doing? Something godly, I suppose.
"And my third wish...I want to be able to feel again. Full emotions, not the subdued and suppressed husks I feel now. I want to be able to express myself...to express what I feel," I said, my emotionless voice giving way for one of pleading, "I want to feel emotionally normal and not like some kind of born and bred assassin who can't feel anything," I said, my voice giving out a tremor as I spoke this wish.
This wish wasn't a waste. My first wish would allow me to become powerful no matter where I was sent. My second wish would give me the capital and resources to train myself however I see fit. So...I can use my last wish for something selfish, right?
I looked to the entity and all I saw was pity and sympathy. But as soon as it saw that I saw, the emotions disappeared from it's aura and it nodded, "That's fine. I can do that. It won't be perfect, but you'll find that you experience much more emotion than normal."
"Thank you," I said, my voice going back to the dull monotone I was used to, even if the gratefulness I felt was insurmountable in my heart right now. But realizing there was a time and place for everything, I moved on and asked another question, "So, would you care to divulge the world you're sending me to?"
Smiling without smiling, again, the entity stood up before looking down at me, "Oh, I nearly forgot," it laughed before flicking it's finger and opening some kind of rift next to me, "Through there you will find your new world...the world of Overwatch. A world with so much good needing to be done would be best for you if you're going to sow good karma for me, right? And as the third son of the Shimada Clan...how could you not have the resources to support yourself?"
I looked back to the entity, those words making me remember some lighter, happier times from my life, but before I could ask or even get a proper look at the entity, I felt the rift suck me into it like the maw of gigantic beast breathing me in like oxygen.
. . .
"Congratulations, Mistress Shimada...you've given birth to another boy," I heard some muffled sound enter my ears before it instantly cleared up, a warmth flickering around my ears before it came.
...That should be the Nanomachines tuning my hearing.
"Another boy...?" a tired, shaky voice came from next to me as I felt myself getting passed to this person who spoke, and they carried on, "I was really hoping for a little girl...but seeing how beautiful this little guy is...how could I be disappointed~?" despite sounding supremely tired, the love radiating from this woman's voice was incredible. It warmed me to my very core to even think that this was directed at me. I felt a pair of lips kiss the top of my head and I opened my eyes, forcing my nanites to augment my eyesight temporarily and speed up their development. I felt my energy getting drained but before it was fully drained, my eyes focused and I looked up at the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
It wasn't even her appearance that made her beautiful. It was the love she had in her tired smile. It was the way her black eyes sparkled with a fierce protective instinct, like a lioness looking at her cub.
She had black hair which was slick and wet with perspiration, and stuck to her forehead, yet she seemed unbothered by that and just kept looking down at me.
"Akahiko Shimada...that's your name. You have those ruby red eyes and you're a prince of the Shimada Clan...so it fits, no...?" she asked to no one in particular while she absentmindedly looked at me before leaning back into the bed she propped up on. She closed her eyes, smiling, and before long soft snoring noises could be heard coming from her.
The midwives around us wanted to take me from her but her grip appeared to be damn near superhuman or something because no one could get me from her. Not without hurting either one of us that is.
And from what I can gather about my circumstances, they really don't wanna do that.
But...Akahiko? I guess it's a nice name. I guess that's what I'm called from now on, huh? And here I was thinking that I'd be called Takashi like in my last life.
I heard some pitter-patters of foots coming from the hallway before the door slid completely open with a slam, "Mom!" a green-haired kid came into the room, followed by a boy with long, straight black-hair like my mother. The latter clipped the green-haired boy round the back of the head before admonishing him.
"Genji! Be quiet and let mother rest!" his voice was harsh sounding, yet it also had a gentleness to it that showed that he loved what looked like his younger brother.
If that's Genji, than he's Hanzo...My two older brothers, huh?
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