Chapter Text
When I woke up this morning, everything seemed to be the same. So I thought. I opened my eyes and was welcomed by bright whiteness. The place I was, was so bright it hurt my eyes and I fastly closed them again. Under my cursing I almost could not hear the voice speaking to me.
"Hello, Fareeha." a female voice said.
I blinked until my eyes got used to the lighting and tried to figure out where I was. All I saw was endless white. Even the furniture - a coffee table, couches and the bed beyond me - were bright white.
"How are you feeling?" the woman said.
I turned my gaze and looked at her. She was smiling kindly. Her blonde hair was updone in a messy bun that still appeared formal and fashionable yet not too strict or business like. Like the rest of this place, she wore a white, no, cream white blouse and a matching skirt that fell loosly around her legs.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am Elisabeth." Elisabeth said.
The way she said her name made me frown a little. Was there some kind of accent?
"Just Elisabeth.", she added.
There, again. Yes, she had an accent. Could be... German.
"Hello, Elisabeth. I am Fareeha Amari.", I introduced myself after I sat up.
"I know. I have been waiting for you."
That surprised me.
"You have been... What place is this?"
Suddenly her features turned a little sad. Why that?
"Please, take a seat."
Elisabeth gestured towards the couch and I did as I was told.
"I know zis will be hard for you... and, uhm, it's also hard for me to explain."
"Is this something like in those crappy movies, where the protagonist wakes up in an all white place and someone tells them they are dead?" I interrupted her.
She looked at me slightly shocked.
"Ah, no. No, you‘re not dead. Well, right zis moment you are, uhm, almost dead." Elisabeth tried to explain.
"Hold on. So I am about to die or what?"
"Well, at least you are very much unconscious after you hit your head. Zis happened after your free fall from ze park deck zat you experienced after a culprit you were hunting pushed you off ze edge while brawling wiz him."
I opened my mouth to say something but nothing left my lips.
"But zis is not ze reason you are here." Elisabeth continued.
"Then why am I?"
Elisabeth‘s hands fidgeted with each other. Just now I noticed, that she was not much older than me, if not to say the same age probably. Something was off with this situation.
She took a deep breath, before she continued.
"Fareeha, you are here because I have a request to ask you. Your accident was just ze key to get you here."
I squinted my eyes at her.
"I still don‘t get it. You say I'm not dead but this place looks like the cliché heaven in movies. So where is here?" I asked her.
"Zis" Elisabeth made a motion as if to embrace the whole place, "Is part of heaven, yes. As well as it is part of hell too. Zis is ze transition place where all dead beings and... well, let‘s say magical beings from all dimensions can gatzer and communicate wiz living beings. Last under certain conditions."
She looked at me cautiously and waited for me to process this information.
"So this is the place we come to before we enter eternity, right?" I asked.
Although I tried to keep calm, my voice trembled a little. Elisabeth nodded.
"Okay. And you wanted to talk to me about a certain matter?"
She nodded again.
"As far as I know, we have never met before, so how come you chose me to talk to and what makes you think I would help you with your case?"
Elisabeth gave me an understanding, motherly smile and sighed in relieve.
"I chose you because you are a good person and ze only one who can help me. Obviously your mother hasn't told you about your ancestors, hasn't she?"
My eyes grew wide in surprise. What has my mother to do with this? And my ancestors? What is she talking about?
"She did." I countered. "My family is well known for military services in the Egyptian army or in other security firms of similar kind."
"I see..." Elisabeth thought out loud. "Still, Ana hasn't told you everything."
I felt anger rise within me. For Christ's sake, what was she thinking? How did she know my mother? And more importantly: Who is she? My hands clenched into fists.
„I really don't know what you are talking about or what so ever but if you won't explain what is happening here right away, I won't promise anything!“ I told her, my anger clearly rumbling in my voice.
Elisabeth gulped and anxiety flickered in her eyes. She needed a moment to resemble herself, before she carried on.
„I zink I should start wiz ze more… easy parts of zis. Yes, we don't know each ozer and we actually should never do, because I have already died years ago. 29 years ago to be exact.“
Elisabeth paused for a moment.
Great. I was really talking with the dead. Well, whatever was going on here, I gave it a try. Maybe it was just a shock reaction or a dream. I remembered comrades who had fantastic stories to tell after they got knocked out.
„As I told you, zis is a transition room. It is a place between time, space and maybe even universes. Zerefore I know you from ozer timelines too and what your life is like zere. Zis is why I know you are a good, trustful person and ze only one capable for my request.“
She looked at me. No smile but all serious. Whatever her request was, I felt she meant what she said and this caught my attention.
„And I guess, my capability has something to do with… my pedigree?“ I asked.
Strange. The more time I spent with her, the more she seemed to remind me of someone but I could not name them.
„Yes.“ Elisabeth answered. „I know I shouldn't be ze one telling you zis but it is important for you to know it. Fareeha, you are more zan an ordinary human being. You are, just like Ana and all your acestors a guardian angel.“
My mouth fell open and then I burst into chuckles.
„Well, the press did call us that once I guess.“
But Elisabeth looked at me as if I insulted her. I cleared my throat to calm down and apologized.
„Believe it or not, you are literally a guardian angel but you haven't unlocked your full potential yet. Haven't you wondered why you rarely have troubles wiz exhaustion or severe wounds? How you manage to complete tasks zat only a few people are able to master?“
She looked at me with a questioning look. I had to admit, I never thought about it. I always thought I was lucky or just had some kind of talent. But come to think of it, my wounds did heal incredibly fast and also becoming wounded was quite a difficult task. I remembered that I had once even punched a hole in a sturdy concrete wall with my bare fist. The wall had more than just a scratch but my hand was nearly unharmed, except for the constant throbbing for the next day. I guess I had been too shocked to really have realized it and told myself that it had been an old wall and my anger combined with the perfect angle. Still, form that day on I had been more careful with my strenghth.
„So you mean…“ I stopped and looked at her as I began to understand. „My mother survived that assault because she also is a guardian angel?“
Elisabeth nodded.
„Yes. Sadly zere are just a few timelines in which she didn't experience zis but sometimes I guess she just likes to wear an eye patch and look like a pirate.“
She could not manage to suppress a slight giggle.
„I'm sorry. Well, I guess Ana can explain zis better zan me, as she knows her job. All I know is zat each timeline or universe has zeir own guardian angels who are responsible for zem. What exactly I don't know but if evil zings happen, your kind is zere to prevent worse.“
For some reason this reminded me of comics like The Green Lantern, Justice League or even Star Trek. Was I some kind of super hero now? Well, for some kids I definetly was.
„And you think something evil is happening?“
Elisabeth’s gaze turned fearful and she clutched her hands. I sensed a slight trembling in her shoulders.
„I have a… a bad feeling.“ she nearly whispered. „My daughter. She has changed, no, not her. But certain events zat should have happened, did not or did happen diferently.“
Her daughter? I tilted my head slightly. Out of routine, I reached for my notebook as every police officer would do.
„Your daughter, you say? How old is she?“ I asked.
„I guess she must be… 36 or 37 by now.“
„When was the last time you saw her?“
A soft sob reached my ear and I remembered that my informant was already dead. I put down my notebook and patted one of her knees to comfort her.
„I… I'm sorry. A habit of mine. Uhm, well… so, I shall keep an eye on your daughter?“
Her gray eyes were filled with tears as she looked at me. It always hurts to see a mother like this, a mother who had lost her child. Although this time it was the other way around maybe but it did not change much.
„Yes. Please take good care of her. Ze path she is wandering, is not good for her. Somezing… or maybe… someone is keeping her away from ze life she is supposed to live. A-actually…“
She fell silent all of the sudden and shook her head.
„Maybe I am not supposed to say zis.“
„To say what?“
I looked at her intendly. She wanted to tell me something. Something important. My heart beat became faster, knowing she held something I should know.
She smiled at me, half sad, half happy.
„You two should have already met and zis is why I am worried.“
I frowned.
„Your daughter and me?“
„Yes. You and her. Zis has happened in every timeline but not here. Ze stories and events may be different but ze bonds are all ze same. If not, something is wrong.“ Elisabeth said.
„Where do I find her?“
Elisabeth made a thoughtful expression.
„I can't say it for sure but maybe your accident might lead you to her.“ she said slowly.
Well, after what she had told me what had happened to me, I was not so sure of that. If I remembered correctly, I had been chasing robbers across a shopping mall which ended in a public parking lot close to the Thamse. So either I was taking a swim right now or I was somewhat moving closer to the ground.
Anyway, there were still some things I had to get to know.
„And what does she look like? What is her name?“
But Elisabeth just gave me an angelic smile and reached over the coffee table to gently stroke my cheeks.
„You will know exactly ze moment you see her.“
Suddenly, it was hard for me to breathe. I gasped as if a had taken a blow to the gut.
„W-wait! How will I…“
My vision blurried and became black. I felt as if I was falling. Falling into an endless hole.
I am Fareeha Amari. 32 years old, police captain of the London police, member of the special force team known as Raptora, callsign Pharah. I was born in Cairo and came to London after the head of the British Global Security Team and the MI6 asked for help to set up a new international special force to fight terrorism called Overwatch. Until now, I have lived like every other human being with this kind of job. But I am not an average human being. I am a guardian angel.