" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

v | 2068

WITH SAM BLACKROCK'S LACK of presence on the Overwatch base over the years, Dahlia had naturally become close to Ana Amari. The Captain became almost like a mother figure to her, raising both her and Fareeha while she wasn't busy with her second-in-command duties. This provided a younger Dahlia with the security of a parental figure in her life while her father was elsewhere, and while she never would have admitted it at the time, Ana felt more like a parent to her than Sam.

    When Fareeha left to join the Egyptian Army, Ana was distraught. The Captain never showed it, for she often said that showing emotion was showing weakness, Dahlia knew just how upset she was. The pair grew even closer- Dahlia, missing a father, and Ana, missing a daughter.

Captain Amari was always the one to bring Dahlia news. Whether it be a short visit from her father or an errand needed to be run for Commander Morrison, Ana was always the one to tell her. Dahlia believed that it was Ana's way of checking up on her throughout her busy days of Captains' duties.

There usually wasn't a day where Dahlia wasn't woken up by Ana coming to her door with the news and assignments for the day. It had become such a routine that she didn't even bother setting an alarm anymore. So when Dahlia woke up to the sound of pounding on her door, she expected the clock on her bedside table to read 6AM. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find it still dark. Moonlight shone through a crack in her curtains, causing shadows to dance along the walls, and the clock read only 2AM.

"What the hell?" Dahlia muttered to herself. The pounding hadn't stopped, resonating through her dormitory obnoxiously. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, cursing under her breath as she struggled to wake herself up. She slid out of the comfort of her bed, the breeze coming from the air conditioner causing goosebumps to raise on the bare skin of her legs. She slipped on a pair of slippers, for the cool wooden flooring wasn't helping with the chill.

She threw open the door to her bedroom, growing annoyed with each passing second that the pounding continued. Sure, the knocks sounded urgent, though in her sleepy state, she was tempted to slow her pace in order to make her visitor wait even longer.

"I'm pretty sure you've just woken up the entire base with that knocking," Dahlia grumbled as she reached the door. She swung it open, eyes widening in shock upon seeing who was waiting on the other side. It was Ana Amari, still dressed in her own pajamas, and judging by the redness of her eyes and the puffiness of her skin, she had been crying. "Ana? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Lia..." Ana stepped inside the room, her voice cracking as she spoke. It was unsettling seeing the Captain in this state, and Dahlia immediately offered for her to sit down. She took a seat on the couch beside Ana, watching worriedly as she wiped unshed tears from her eyes.

"Your father returned late in the evening," the Captain finally said. Her head hung, and she spoke so quietly that Dahlia had to strain to hear what she was saying. "He was acting... strange. He retired to his bed as soon as he returned."

Dahlia was confused. She wasn't sure why Ana was acting so distraught over her father's return and his weird behavior. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence. "Can I see him?"

"Lia," Ana mumbled with a small shake of her head. "He's dead."

Her words made Dahlia's blood run cold. She was speechless, her throat dry as tears welled in her eyes. "What?"

"He was murdered, dear, undoubtedly by Talon."
Talon. The terrorist organization that has been tormenting not only Overwatch, but the entire world for years. It was the biggest threat on Overwatch's radar, and they managed to kill an agent while he was in his own bed.

Dahlia stood to her feet, stumbling a bit as the world swayed around her. She ignored Ana's strained protests as she took off out of the door of her dormitory. She sprinted down the hallway, the soft soles of her slippers muffling the sound of her stomping feet. She exited the dormitories, taking off towards the HQ Building as signs of movement caught her attention.

Several people were crowded in the lobby of the building, including Commander Morrison, Gabriel Reyes, and Dr. Angela Ziegler. The young doctor, having been recruited by Overwatch just a few years prior, was leaning over something. Dahlia pushed her way to the front of the crowd despite the soft protests of Morrison as he noticed her presence.

    She caught only a glimpse of what sat at the front of the crowd before she felt herself being tugged backwards. It was covered by a white cloth, but it was undoubtedly the body of her father. Scarlet blood stained the portion of the sheet that covered his head. The sight caused her knees to buckle and a sob to wrack her shoulders. She hadn't realized that Ana had caught up to her until she was being pulled into the familiar warmth of her chest. Dahlia's whole world came crashing down, and she could do nothing but cry as they wheeled the body of her father away.