Ever since the day that particular Amari was born, she was trusted by her whole family with a duty that followed all of her predecessors, so it was no surprise. The Amari bloodline had heroes in all of it's generations, this one would be no different. Amari was a strong name, one name that would be kept among all others. It wouldn't bother this one Amari future's husband anyway; everyone knew that it had to be this way.
The life of the founding agents of Overwatch was, obviously, a mystery for people in general. It's not because they were very well exposed people, treated as the heroes of a generation that people would know about them in some way. The most were rumors, would them be about the most silly things or about something big, something that would cause even a disband. But as an Amari, Ana was very well aware of what she believed in, and she believed in justice.
Ever since her twenties, the woman who would be later know as one of the greatests snipers of a generation was tightly bounded to the mission of bringing Earth peace. Her country was no different from the rest of the world when the war first erupted. But as an Amari, as she well knew it, all the chaos was just a better excuse to keep fighting – to free the innocent from the claws of corruption.
But what exactly was corruption in that case?
Being in a organization that big was not one of the most great things as many would think – specially when you suppose you are on top of everything.
During her whole life, Ana was certain of her duty, of her objective as a member of the Amari bloodline. She would fight for those who couldn't fight, she would save them. But at what cost? Saving who exactly?
Nobody said it, but the war caused a very uncomfortable feeling in most of the agents. In her entire life, Ana thought she was certain of her duty, yes; but as much proud she was of her family's legacy, the woman started questioning herself whether she was really honoring it. Ana was tired of many years of fight, yes, but mostly she was...
"Ana. Ana, darling?"
Annoyed.
"Yes, what is it?"
"There's a call to you. From sergeant–"
She quickled opened her console and swiped it up to the transmission window. Her husband had a face with a bit of concern over her cold attitude, but that was usual of Ana. Sometimes.
"Got it."
She leaned over the counter of the living room, keeping her hand up in the right ear, with a rather sulky expression lit up on her face.
"Captain Amari at call, what is it?"
"... You know it's me, Ana. Quit the formalities."
She rolled her eyes. "And here I thought Reyes was the one used to run out of protocol."
"He is just a bit more... of action, if I could say."
She stayed silent for about 2 minutes before simple scoffing. The man kept the same stare as hers through the hologram.
"What is it then, Francis?"
He pouted, visibly annoyed.
"Eh, tech detected aaaaa report!" He seemed a little uneasy. "Uh cough, yes, a report. Something about an illegal trade of omnic components, I don't know. Nothing that matters that much."
Ana opened another window for map insight. He had already sent in the area information.
"Then why did you call me for something that doesn't matter that much?"
"They said the target is of no much harm, but it could easily escape. Besides, you are the nearest agent."
She sighed, turning off the holograms but still with the communicator in ear. That was actually a kind of day off, but as Morrison would say, 'You don't pass off duty'.
The woman opened her equipment case, gently picking up her Kinamura. One, two, three... how many lives did she take with that rifle? How many she couldn't count up in the heat of the battle? Was she going to end up adding another notch?
"And I also need to talk with you about something. Will you be free? Ana?"
She let a sigh go off, breathing heavely.
"Ana, darling?"
"What is it?!"
She growled, turning around rapidly, only to see Sam's pretty much scared face.
"... Your forgot the beans on the oven."
About 8 PM, Amari was already in between various tents in the night. The quantity was not a shock for her, as she've already seen what can a war do. She inspected the area ahead.
"I honestly didn't get it yet, Jack. Why do you insisted on bring me on this?"
"Gabe said it could be a potential birth of a global scale deal. You know, something that would bring up the world harm, shit like that."
"That is a very limited assumption."
Jack sighed again through the communicator. Gabriel has been acting strange ever since Morrison assumed the commander post. Neither Jack nor Ana would say they didn't trust their comrade, but both were growing suspicious of what Gabriel was up to. They knew he was a part of Blackwatch – the biggest one, by the way – but Jack felt like he could trust him nonetheless.
"He says it's a growing organization. Trafficking weapons, just when no one is in plain sight, in the middle of a place like this..." He scoffed. "Seems suspicious enough to me."
She leaned against a wall, with her arms crossed. A scoffing from Jack could be heard from the communicator, but Ana could see through why he was acting that way. It was just out of place for high a command agent be in a such 'urgent' duty out of nowhere.
"You're doing this for Gabriel."
"We have a mission to do, you know that. Stop it."
"I know how much you evaluate the team Jack, but we both know that Gabriel is just straight up something apart from that now! How can we be so sure of this info?"
"Just do as you're told, Amari."
She sighed, turning off the comunnicator. Ana picked her rifle and went to set in position in the roof of a building.
As her feet quietly went up in the night, her eyes detected the long gone beauty of the ruined building she was in. Lots of homeless people found the minimum of comfort in that place, involved in the only rags they could find among the wreckage. She stopped for a moment, the distant moon being the only source of light in that navy void.
What was exactly an Amari's duty? How privileged she was? Ana never felt the rush of glory everytime she took a life; instead, the only thing left was a bitter taste in her self, another notch in her Kinamura. The more she 'helped' people, more high budget bullets she spent. She could fire through an innocent in the same way she could fire through a guerrilla. Was it really worth for?
As the woman kept stepping up to reach for the roof, she heard a sultry sobbing in the floor, a faint light coming from behind her.
"You..."
She turned around.
"You are one of the heroes, aren't you?"
The question came from a middle aged woman, who held a faint lantern wrapped under dirty fabric alongside her own body. Ana gently approached her, kneeling right after – but taking a moment to think of what to say.
Ana tenderly smiled. "Yes, I am here to help you."
"Oh my..." The woman sobbed again. "Thank god..."
That was a rather awkward situation. Ana dealed with that kind before. But something seemed off in her insides. She didn't know what to say. Should she offer shelter? Food? What could she do in that moment besides shooting someone?
"My daughter... she has this acessory in her hair and—"
Ana's heart raced.
"There are people here that always leave at night, but I am worried she might not be able to get back..."
Amari stood still, carefully accommodating her rifle on her back.
"Don't worry. I will get her to safety."
Any sight of the sun was long gone already, with the whole ambience engulfed by a tender, but sorrowful tone of blue. A regular person could barely distinguish the still shadows from the moving ones, but an Amari was no regular person.
Ana was in another building, in one of the middle floors. She was set, her weapon perfectly pointed.
"Morrison on the line. Do you have any target in sight?"
"I am still trying to figure it out. Are you sure of that Jack?... I feel... That something might be off."
"Are you in danger? We can—"
"No, it's not that. These surrondings... They look too peaceful now. Not in the way you just thought of, but..."
"Ana, please. It's just another rogue, another deal. Nothing too much. I trust Gabriel. Heck, he might been even way more aware of these things than us."
She sighed, turning the communicator off and then focusing. Even though she could define the shadows as her potential targets, it was still difficult to properly distinguish them. One shot on the middle, she would have it under control.
Her eyes could detect silhouettes properly. Two adults? Probably. What she was worrying about? She had dealed with these situations before. Just scare them off, they will just feel a scratch.
And the, she pulled the trigger.
What the sniper could hear from a little afar, however, was a high pitched scream very unusual even to a killer like her. Her heartbeat stepped up, as she recoiled bluntly. Something went wrong.
By the time she arrived at the location, the place was all blue dead again. She aimed for the middle, just expecting a shot that would do no more harm than a headshot. The case was left there, untouched. The dealer ran off. She had fullfiled her mission. But at what cost?
She called up a ship, reaching for the top of the build once again.
"Did... did you?..."
Ana stopped halfway throught the her destiny when in that same floor again; looking over her shoulder, and then away.
"I couldn't find anything."
"Oh... I... Maybe she just went to arrange food. People here do that..."
The sniper stood still, stone-harded in the night. Her eyes were all open up until the drying breeze obligated them to be closed. She gulped, dry swallowing.
"But, but are you sure of that?", the woman insisted, looking at her. "You could... call these fancy things... can't you?"
Ana stood froze for a moment. Her only reply was silence, ignoring the question and going up the stairs. The woman didn't protest – she just turned her lantern off, vanishing in the shadows.
Until reaching the floor, a small but fancy ship was awaiting. Morrison did evaluate his top agents. She had years of experience, she did deserve it, didn't she?
The sniper entered the ship, satting in it's large, horizontal black seat.
An uneasy sensation ran over all her body. With that misssion fulfilled, Ana probablu had prevented the harm of various people. Gabriel wouldn't do any shit as much of a weirdo he could be. She was doing just her duty, as any Amari would do. But at what cost?
"Good job, Amari."
The whole trip was silent, with the pilot leaving her on the nearest HQ of Overwatch when finished. Everything was deadly silent. The only thing with her now were the faint lights in the walls, and an ornament in her left hand.
Sam arrived right after, with a very worried expression in his face. He held his wife's hand, as he silently looked at her dead eyes. They stood still, like that, for a couple of minutes, only accompanied by loneliness.
"I was worried sick, you left without even saying anything, darling! I know this is a complicated job, but—"
She tenderly looked him in the eyes. But in the back of them, they were still filled with sorrow.
"Sam. I am fine Sam. It's nothing I'm not used to."
She let her hands off him, looking to other direction. Ana couldn't exactly do anything in her current state. Until she felt the ornament in her hand weight.
"That is for me?"
Looking down, Ana could now see the person helding the thing, the big black eyes. A so light voice and thoughts, with a so heavy duty in her blood.
"Yes, habibti. It's yours."
The little girl perked.
"But, mama, I don't like gold... you know I don't like those fancy things!..."
The woman kneeled in front of the girl.
"I know, little one..."
"But mama, why is it red?... Is it dirty?"
"It... it is.", she held over the ornaments in the child's bobbly hands, closing them like a sheel. "I'm sorry."
She smiled, some teeth missing.
"Oh oh! It's a souvenir? Of battle? I love these!"
The woman looked away.
"It's just... a reminder that... that I—" Ana froze, feeling Sam's look over her. "That I love you, habibti."
"Teehee!", the girl chuckled, as she hugged her mother. "I love you, mama! You is my favorite hero!"
"It's you are, little bird.", Sam corrected, chuckling too. Ana stared at him, smiling weakly, and then at Faheera again.
"I'm sure you will be a far greater hero than me."