Ballad of Fallen Angels (Space Opera!AU) Hanzo/Jesse
Jesse had to admit he’d been surprised when the message came over his comm channel. He was a bounty hunter, after all. In his line of work he’d caught reprobates from every corner or the galaxy and made sure they got the justice they deserved. Hired muscle was something new. Then again, so was being offered a job. Normally he found his own work whenever the credits started to run low.
Glancing around the cockpit of his ship, Jesse sighed. He wasn’t in desperate need right now, but this job seemed to be promising a massive amount of credits, and he had been putting off a few upgrades that were on the pricier side. Besides, what was the harm in hearing the guy out? Jesse looked at the name again. He knew it. Sort of. He knew the last name. Shimada. They were an underworld family, one that had some sort of hold on not just one quadrant, but several. As far as crime families went, they weren’t bad… so long as you didn’t cross them. Jesse figured he could go, see what the job was about, and probably refuse (without too much trouble) if it didn’t catch his interest.
Which is how the bounty hunter found himself docking into one of the nicest private space ports he’d ever had access to. According to the message, he was running about 15 minutes late. Which was typical. He’d never been on time a day in his life… and it had even saved his ass once or twice.
Stepping out of the Deadeye, his eyes widened a little at the sight of two other vessels already docked nearby. The Bastet and the Reaper. Damn. This Shimada guy didn’t fuck around. His eyes narrowed slightly at the Reaper, wondering if Gabe had any clue he’d been invited, too. Probably not, or he wouldn’t have come. But that was something he’d worry about later… if he had to. For now, Jesse was far more focused on how empty the place seemed. Someone had to be here - they’d accepted his clearance, after all. But the massive hangar was so quiet he could hear his own breathing. Just as he wondered if he needed to start talking to the air, a door swooshed open nearby.
There was the sharp clack of heels and a woman rounded the bow of his ship. Her eyes narrowed as they settled on him. “You’re late, Mr. McCree. Follow me. Quickly.”
Jesse had an excuse on the tip of his tongue, but bit it off at the glare she was giving. Something told him he could’ve said his mother had died, and this lady wouldn’t’ve cared one lick. So instead, the bounty hunter stayed silent and did as he was told. As they walked, he did his best to take everything in. It was one of the things Gabe had taught him before they parted ways - take in everything because you never know when something you see might come in handy. The place was an odd juxtaposition of ancient and high-tech, and Jesse decided he kind of liked it. Whoever had worked to merge the two looks had taste. Jesse didn’t - but he could recognize when others did.
The rest of the place seemed as quiet as the hangar. It was a little unsettling; then again, the message he’d received had urged discretion regarding his summons. Maybe that’s what this was. Himself and the others - they were meant to be a secret. Eventually he was escorted into a room that held the same old-world/high-tech ambiance. The walls looked to be made of paper, but he suspected the appearance was deceptive. Paper would be a security nightmare, after all. Inside the room was a conference table, and all the people sitting around it turned to look as he was escorted in. Five faces, to be exact. Anna and her husband Reinhardt - Jesse’d worked a few jobs with them in the past. They were damn fine hunters, and he secretly liked Ana’s ‘badass mom’ attitude and Rein’s terrible puns. But he’d also stolen a few bounties out from under their noses, too. That’s just how the game was played.
He nodded to both of them as he took a seat, but refused to meet the gaze that was trying to bore into him. Gabriel Reyes. The man who’d taught him everything. If you asked Gabe, you’d get a lot of growling about how he was nothing but a ‘damn ingrate,’ but he hadn’t walked away from their partnership for no good reason. Gabe had… taken things too far during a hunt, something that never sat right with Jesse, but he’d stayed (mostly) quiet at the time. Later, when a stakeout gone wrong took most of his left arm, he used the injury as an excuse to leave, and he was pretty sure Gabe had never forgiven him for it.
Still ignoring his former mentor, Jesse settled his sights on the two men at the head of the table - one seated and the other standing slightly behind. Neither of them looked happy with him. He was used to that. Both men were handsome (even when glaring with such intensity) but Jesse had to fight the urge to give the seated man a teasing wolf whistle. This had to be Hanzo Shimada... and to say he was handsome would’ve been an extreme understatement. The man had sharp cheekbones, curious pointed ears, and a well-groomed appearance. Jesse wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting… but this wasn’t it. Hanzo couldn’t be that much older than him. Well... maybe he could. Some aliens had different life spans, after all. He’d done his best to read up on his host before arriving, but information had been slim - no doubt on purpose. Even his usual contacts hadn’t been able to offer much more than basics - heir to the Shimada empire, one younger brother (probably the guy standing behind him?), and a dead mother. There were some rumors about some interesting cybernetic-style tech… but no one seemed to know exactly what it was or what it could do.
Inclining his head to his host, Jesse gave his most charming smile. He wasn’t sure it would have any effect, but it was always worth a shot. “Got hung up. ‘Preciate y’all waitin’ for me.” Off to the side he heard Gabriel snort, but he still refused to look at the other hunter. This wasn’t about them; it was about the man who’d summoned them all here. So Jesse focused his attention on the one who mattered (and tried to mentally prepare himself for the confrontation he knew was likely to come later.)