Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2 Overwatch - Volume 3: Crystalline Universe: Bloodline's Curse Chapter 44 Azur Ameri

*10 years ago

The flashy lights of the cameras blinded young Ari Ameri who sat by her father’s side while her mother saluted the fans all around her. Her mother is a Korean pop star that made herself a name of fame all around the South-Korean country. Her father, on the other hand, is a mysterious American blond man that rarely spent time with her and her sister, Elie Ameri. Her friends loved to call her AA instead of her full name.

Most of her childhood was spent under the care of her elder sister since no one was home to take care of her. The two sisters formed a strong and unshakeable friendship.

But life isn’t always in your favour. No matter how hard we try, no matter how much we hope, sometimes, once fate has decided our suffering, our only option is to accept it.

The only times when their parents are at home, AA’s father brought a doctor that checked her physical condition as well as her sister’s and then took his leave without a word. AA’s mother cared for her two daughters for a few years before she became addicted to drugs due to her job as a pop star.

When AA was 12, her sister who was 18 was taken away from her by the same doctor that examined both of them for the past 4 years. AA didn’t know that this will be the last time she sees her.

Soon, her mother died of a drug overdose and she was left on her own with her mostly absent and heartless father. AA will spend hours crying every day on her sister’s empty bed inside her dark house where she was the only one there for 2 weeks before her father visits for a day or two.

One day, the doctor in the white dress came to check on her once again. At the table, the man sat and took some notes while she honestly answered all of his questions.

[Doctor] – “You had a perfect performance in physical education, what happened to your grades now? ”

The man of medicine showed AA a note from her teacher that says: “Ari refused to participate in the class… ”

[AA] (emotionlessly) – “I hate it… I hate the life I live right now… ”

The doctor wrote down the observations and asked another question.

[Doctor] – “Would you be interested in another lifestyle than the one you have right now? ”

Promptly, AA stood up from her chair and stared at the man with her wide crystal blue eyes.

[AA] – “Can I know who you are? Why are you here to ask me questions? ”

[Doctor] – “That does not concern you! I want an answer to my question. ”

[AA] (furiously) – “Change me, take me away! I don’t care about anything anymore, I will give you my life if that’s what you want… ”

AA slowly sat on her chair and nervously rubbed her face with her hands.

[AA, in tears] (sobbing) – “I want to die… I don’t want to be living in this hell anymore… ”

The doctor ignored her complaint and proceeded to write another set of sentences in his notebook. The doctor and AA remained in dead silence for 10 minutes before the man decided to open his mouth once again.

[Doctor] – “If you were to die to serve a great cause, will you serve with all that you have? ”

[AA] – “I will as long as I move away from this place! ”

[Doctor] – “There is no going back once you made your decision, will you still hold on to your words? ”

[AA] – “I will do it, take me away! ”

The man stared at AA directly into her eyes with his cold look and saw the resolve burning on her facial expression. With his pen, he noted on a piece of doc.u.ment: “CC-8235 code name: [Azur]. ”

[Doctor] – “Pack your stuff and follow me, I allow you 5 minutes to do so. ”

*Later

Azur joined Talon and Sniper’s crystal user division of the executioner corps after the doctor applied her for the position. Every harsh day she served in the association, she would be bullied and rejected by the other recruits. But every she time she fell on the ground, she would get up motivated by her mother’s last words before her death:

“Find your sister, don’t let your father do anything to her. ”

Azur knew on the first day that she entered the association and that she was serving inside an illegal military group. The only other reason besides thinking that Talon was lead by Sniper, a revolutionary man with an exceptional ideology for world peace and that she was fighting for the people, is to try and gain the influence of the many mafia bosses to find her long lost sister.

After all the years under pressure and pain, she was assigned to team Zero with Karson, Mergiann and Darlynn. Even though the team members all rejected her, she tried her best to become better and more to people’s liking.

The day she met Mike was the first time in 7 years she felt confident and full of hope.

Mike charmed her, how she never tasted such kindness from a man, how she realized for the first time the lie she has been told during all her life and how someone would show compassion for someone like her.

*Back at the present day in the story

Azur and Mike made their way inside an abandoned warehouse where light and other electronics are still working. The place is partially renovated with some fresh paint and a huge blank space in the middle of the room. Mike slowly walked toward the center and raised a few pieces of rock from the floor afar using his ability.

[Mike] – “Let’s test your basic abilities. Hit these rocks with your crystals, please! ”

Azur hesitated before gradually advancing toward Mike. She rapidly activated her ability and sent the sapphires flying toward her targets. Out of the 12 stones, Azur only hit 9 of them precisely in the center. The girl turned her look toward Mike, who, in return, shucked his head.

[Mike] (in disappointment) – “Gosh, you are bloody terrible… ”

[Azur] – “I don’t need you to tell me facts, thank you! ”

Mike suddenly realized something while observing Azur’s attack against the pieces of concrete. The young man quickly ran toward the rubbles and examined the craters with care.

[Mike, while touching the craters with his hand] – “Send me one of your sapphires. ”

Azur immediately complied and fired one of her crystals toward Mike. The young man grabbed the gem and compared the stone with the crater.

[Mike] – “Is attacking people with your ability the only thing you can do? ”

[Azur] (in a sigh) – “I guess so… ”

[Mike] – “Just as when I thought you have a bad ability, you showed me your true potential. ”

[Azur] (in confusion) – “Huh? ”

Mike grasped the sapphire piece and compared the gem’s size with the crater’s diameter.

[Mike] – “It’s funny how you didn’t know how powerful you truly are. ”

[Azur] (confused) – “What do you mean? ”

[Mike] – “Your crystals can manipulate the molecule around them while they are active, thus giving you the ability to move objects or cause extra damage when you attack. With this in mind, you only need to train your speed, precision and ability potential. ”

[Azur] (unconfident) – “I will try… ”

Mike stared at Azur in her hopeless eyes and grasped her by her shoulders.

[Mike] (with a gentle voice) – “Tell me, what are you fighting for? ”

[Azur, after meeting up with Mike’s look] – “I… I fight for the people… I want to put an end to this war. ”

[Mike, with a smile] – “You reminded me of a younger Kadyn, she always likes to lie about her true feeling before we got married. There is no one else here to know your secrets, so tell me, I will make any of your wish come true if you believe yourself. ”

[Azur] (in embarrassment) – “Kadyn… that’s your reason to stand but me… it’s my sister… Elie Ameri. She disappeared 8 years ago when she was taken away from our family. ”

[Mike] (in compassion) – “Hey, train well, if you succeed in this training, I will help you find your sister in return. ”

[Azur] (in excitement) – “You will? ”

[Mike] – “I have a lot of connections with secret associations and government agencies. ”

[Azur] (in a grateful voice) – “Thank you! ”

[Mike] – “You have to aide me too, I’ll need your help later to help me find Kadyn. ”

[Azur] – “If you can bring my sister back to me, I’ll do anything for you. ”

Mike pulled a small blue card out of his pocket and placed it inside Azur’s palm.

[Mike] – “There are factories around this place, you can buy whatever you want to help you train. I’ll give you two weeks while I will be away. ”

[Azur] (surprised) – “You are not helping me train? ”

[Mike] (in a sigh) – “Kadyn can be in danger, I need to keep on searching for her, I’m sorry. ”

[Azur] (confidently) – “It’s fine, I made my part of the promise, I won’t disappoint you. ”

[Mike, with a grin] – “Then I’ll be waiting for your news, I believe in you. ”

With that said, Mike marched toward the exit while waving a final goodbye to Azur, who waved in return her hand in the air. When the warehouse door closed behind the young man, Azur promptly sat on the ground. She took a huge breath and dropped herself on the ground.

[Azur] – “Two weeks… Heh… ”

The girl rolled to the side and looked at the shining crystal on her forearm.

[Azur] – “Kadyn must be a very lucky girl… being married to such a kind man. ”

The girl called out one of her sapphires on her belt and sent the gem toward the ceiling where she tried to grab a ball stuck between two support rods. Her ability allowed her crystal to hold on to the ball without much difficulty but also caused the dust to fall all over her face and light blue hair.

The girl instantly sat up and wiped the debris off her face.

[Azur] (full of resolve) – “I can do this, two weeks, I can do this, I just have to believe in myself. ”

*Elsewhere

Inside a long and luxurious corridor, Divine Maiden stood in front of a door and waited. All of a sudden, a man exited from the room door while carefully tying his tie with both hands.

[DM] – “Is the job done, Lapidazione? ”

[Lapidazione] (with a precious attitude) – “Yes, I appreciate your cooperation, may I now take my leave? ”

[DM] – “If you haven’t left any trace, you may leave. ”

[Lapidazione] – “I never leave a trace when I’m up to these dirty deeds. ”

[DM] – “Then go! ”

[Lapidazione] – “You’re the boss. ”

As the man walked away from the scene, Divine Maiden hastily penetrated inside the room. After opening the lamps, she sat beside Kadyn who laid in her sleep on a huge royal bed. Divine Maiden gently shook the sleeping beauty by the shoulder.

[DM] (in a kind voice) – “Wakey, wakey, sister. ”

The young girl opened her eyes and stared at her sister with a warm smile.

[Kadyn, with a smile] – “Do you really have to wake me up at this hour every day? ”

[DM] – “I just brought a guest today, that’s all. ”

[Kadyn] – “Who is that? ”

Krafton, a brown-haired and handsome young man, respectfully entered the chamber with a charming sharp dress and a charismatic look on his face. When the young man saw Kadyn in her bed staring at him in surprise, he immediately lost his cold.

[Krafton] (in a panic) – “You were for real? You really brought her here? What if Mike finds us? ”

[Kadyn] (confused) – “Who’s Mike?… ”

[DM, promptly interupting] – “Hey! ”

Kadyn turned her head toward Divine Maiden who suddenly approached her. With her Chronos accelerator, Divine Maiden rewound Kadyn’s timeline and set her back before she heard the word “Mike”.

[Kadyn, with a welcoming smile] – “Hey, it’s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Kady. ”

[DM] – “Excuse us for a minute, sister. ”

Divine Maiden stood up, dragged Krafton out of the room and closed the door behind them.

The angry girl pressed Krafton against the wall and stared him straight in the eyes.

[DM] (furiously) – “You dumbass, I wiped her memory out! ”

[Krafton] (nervously) – “Right… I didn’t know… I… I… ”

[DM] – “Her name is no longer Kadyn, it’s Kady now, so learn to not mistake yourself or you will be sorry! ”

[Krafton] (nervously) – “I got it, release me already! ”

Divine Maiden release the young man from her grasp and proceeded to reenter the room with Krafton.

*Meanwhile

Mike brusquely woke from his slumber on his desk and accidentally dragged down a picture of him and Kadyn on the floor. The young man hastily bent down and picked up the glass-sealed picture. He held in his left hand the left half of the picture where Kadyn smiled on his back while on his right hand, he held in his palm the part of the photo where he should be, broken into a hundred pieces.

In a sudden rush of emotion, Mike smashed his forehead against the desk. Without making a sound, he dropped the broken glasses on the floor while he held Kadyn’s picture closer to his heart.

To be continued…

*EXTRA

Profile: Mergiann

Real Name: Mergiann Meyer

Abilities: [Dreamer’s world] “The ability allows Mergiann to create at a slow rate an invisible air bubble that will grow over time. The bubble can serve as a shield for her and her allies.

Her second ability: [Expansion] allows her to triple or quadruple the size of an explosion by suddenly expanding the explosion’s mass. ”

Rle: Secondary character

Affiliation: Talon, Team Zero, Executioner (previously), Mike’s undercover agent (currently).

Backstory: Will be explored later

References: Megumin(Konosuba)

ABILITY STATS:

Power – E

Speed – D

Sub. Speed – D

Range – C

Durability – D

Sub. Durability – B

Precision – A

Potential – A