Location: Konoritos

19 year earlier

Azurite stood up from his crouching position, before looking to his right to see a young woman pointing an arrow at the animal which was not too far from them, "Okay, Aleena. You're doing fine, so far. Just relax, and shoot it when you'll think it's the right moment."

Aleena let out a deep breath, as she had her attention completely on her target. She closed her eyes, and quickly opened them again, which was followed by another deep breath before she loosened the arrow, which hit the animal in the neck, causing it to collaps on the ground, "I did it!" 

"Great shot, kiddo." Azurite said, rubbing Aleena's head, as she smiled, enjoying it, "If you're going to keep improving you're going to make a great hunter."

"I have the best teacher." Aleena said back to him, as they began making their way towards the animal she just down in the neck, to see it slowly bleeding it, as the blood was pouring through it's wounded neck, "Alright, now the hard part."

Even though it wasn't the first animal she hunted with Azurite, she still was getting used to ending the animals life, once she made that it will not run away from them once they'll get close to it.  She took her machete off her back, and aimed it right at it's neck, before lowering it down, ending it's life.

"Still getting used to it?" Azurite asked her, even though the answer was quite obvious to him.

"Yes. It's not as hard as it used to be, but, you know." Aleena answered.

"I know." Azurite replied, putting his hand on the shoulders, as his mind flew to the hunting trips he went along with Darnel, "It takes everyone to get used to it."

"Who is going to carry it?" Aleena wanted to know, as Azurite got his hand of her shoulder.

"I will. You did enough today." Azurite told her, as he picked the animal up, and wrapped it around his shoulders, with it's belly touching his the back of his head.

"If you say so, uncle Az." Aleena said with shrug of her shoulders, as the two of them began to head back to their city.

"Uncle Az? Aleena. You started calling me like that when you were twelve. Now, you're seventeen, don't you think you're a little too old for using that nickname?" Azurite asked.

"It doesn't matter to me. You'll always be uncle Az to me, no matter how old I'll be." Aleena said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Azurite chuckled, "Oh, I can only imagine how your kids are going to call me if they're mom is going to kept calling me Uncle Az."

"Kids?" Aleena asked, as her eyes shot open at his comment, "I'm only seventeen year old! It'll take me a long time to have them!"

"I'm just saying." Azurite told her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You sound like my mom, right now." Aleena pointed out, a smirk growing on her face.

"I'll take that as the compliment, Little Al." Azurite said back, using the old nickname he came up to her a few years ago.

Aleena chuckled, before she opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly stopped like her legs froze into the ground. Her eyes widened, as an expression of confusion grew on her face.

"Aleena, what's wrong?" Azurite wanted to know, noticing that something was going on with her.

"Look!" Aleena shouted, pointing up at the sky.

Wondering, what she meant by that, Azurite looked up and the view made him drop the animal on the ground, "What?"

They saw a huge warship, flying above the town where they lived. Their confusion quickly changed into shock and fear when they heard scream of Zarans coming from the city, which was followed by the sound of someone shooting a gun.

It was when they came to realization that someone came to invade their planet. Their home...

"Mom, dad..." Aleena said to herself, when she realized that her parents were in a big danger, as the large flying creatures that were known as the Leviathan began to leave the warship, which made only them even more terrified of what was happening.

"We need to hurry. We must find your parents." Azurite said to her, as she nodded her head as fast as they could.

They both began to run towards the city, with Azurite running in the front and Aleena following him closely. They had to be fast. They had to find Rin and Karylon before something terrible happened to them. 

When they reached the point where they could see what was happening on the streets from the forest, they saw that the streets  were in total chaos. Zarans were running away from the Chitauri, some of them ending up killed in the process, as for those avoided being killed by the invaders, some of them eventually got shot down by the Leviathans, chariots or starships, that were flying above the city.

Azurite and Aleena both knew that running through the streets was a death sentence for both of them, so they decided to take the side roads that were leading to their home. As if the road through the main streets was already a nightmare, the side roads weren't any better. They could cries for help of the Zarans, that could be someone they knew. They couldn't let those scream stop from the finding Rin and Karolyn which was their top priority now. They eventually had a pass a lifeless body of a Zaran, which only made them realize that the invaders didn't care if their victim was male or female, or if their victim was old, or young. Every Zaran that tried to fight back, or run away from them was killed, without any second thoughts.

Finally, a spark of relief and happiness went through their bodies when their house came into their view. Rin and Karolyn had to be there... or at least they hoped so.

However, those feelings were short lived when they saw that the entrance to their house was opened.

They quickly made their way to the doors, and walked inside the house.

The first thing they saw was a Chitauri, aiming his spear right at heavily wounded Rin, who was leaning against the wall with blood coming out of his body.

"Dad!" was the first thing that came out of Aleena's mouth, once she saw what was happening to her dad. She drew her machete out, and rushed towards the invader who turned around to her, but had no time to react as Aleena's machete penetrated his stomach. She screamed out in pain, dropping his spear on the floor, as his fells on his knees. She then pulled her weapon out of his stomach, before stabbing him again, this time, causing him to fell on the floor, right next to his spear. 

Aleena then repeated this action, a few times, which eventually lead to the death of this invader, but it didn't stop her form stabbing his body, which continued for a few more seconds, before Azurite stopped her.

"Aleena. Stop, he's dead." He said, trying to stop her from massacring the lifeless body of a Chitauri.

"I'm sorry. I ju..." Aleena said, before noticing that her dad was still alive, "Dad! You're alive!"

"My baby girl..." Rin said, weakly, knowing that he didn't had much time left.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see me that way..." Aleena said, as tears began to stream down her cheeks like waterfall that her dad had to see do something like this.

"It's okay... Don't worry..." Rin assured her, as he turned to Azurite, "I'm happy that you're safe... both of you."

"Dad... Where's mom?" Aleena wanted to know.

Rin closed his eyes, and hung his head down, as he pointed to his right. Aleena and Azurite looked at this direction and saw the lifeless bloodied body of Karolyn.

"Mom..." Aleena said, this view making her cry even more than she already did.

"Karolyn..." Azurite muttered under his breath, as the woman that made him how it is to have a family was dead, and there was nothing he could to stop it.

"Azurite... Aleena..." Rin said, earning their attention as they looked at him, "I don't have much time left..."

"No. That's not true. We can patch you up!" Aleena said, even though she didn't believe in that herself.

"We both know that it's not true, little one..." Rin gave her a comforting smile, "It may be too late for me and Karolyn... but you two can still make it out of here..."

"Why are they doing this?" Aleena asked what was on her and Azurite's mind.

"I asked... him... that... all he said to me was that... it's for the greater good..." Rin answered, gesturing towards the body of the of the Chitauri which was killed by Aleena a moment ago.

"How is that for the greater good?" Azurite asked. 

"I don't know... Azurite c'mere." Rin said, as Azurite leaned down, wanting to hear everything Rin had to say to him, "I'm glad we've met you, you are as much of a family to me as Karolyn and Aleena are..."

Azurite just nodded his head at his words, as Rin looked at Aleena, "And you... my baby girl... Me and your mother have always been proud of you... proud of the person you became..."

"Dad..." Aleena said, still not believing that it was happening.

"Azurite... Do you remember where your ship is..." Rin asked, even though the answer was quite obvious.

"Yes." Azurite nodded his head in response.

"Take her there... Use the upgrade you and your friend Shi'ra installed a year ago... and wait for this massacre to end... I love you Aleena, and I love you too Azurite, even though we're not related by blood... Please take care of my baby girl..." Rin said, what it seemed to be his last words to them.

Aleena nodded her head in understanding, as Rin closed his eyes, for the last time, "I love you too dad... I love you too..."

Azurite, who seemed like he was stopping himself from crying, whispered, "Goodbye, both of you. Thank you for everything. I promise I'll take care of your daughter."

He stood up from the floor, and put his hand on Aleena's shoulder, comfortingly, "Aleena. I know this is hard for you, but we must go. More of them may come here any second."

"I must be strong. It's what mom and dad would want." Aleena said, wiping tears off her cheeks, "I'll mourn them, once we'll be safe, both of us."

Azurite said nothing, just nodded his head to what Aleena said, as she stood up from her knees, and walked over to body of her mother. She carefully took the headscarf, her mother wore for most of the time, off her her head, and put it inside her pocket.

"Let's go, uncle Az." She said, as Azurite nodded his head. The duo made their way to the exit, and shared a look with each other. 

With that, Azurite opened the doors, and they both of them rushed into streets, with Azurite leading and Aleena following closely behind him. They passed dozens of lifeless bodies of their friends and neighbours, but they knew they couldn't mourn their deaths, because they had to get out of this chaos as soon as it was possible. They eventually had to take care of the invaders that tried to attack them, or hide in the corners, when something flew above their heads, but they met a huge complication when a spear flew right next to Azurite's head. The person that threw it must've missed on purpose. He turned around, preparing himself for another fight, but he let his guard down when he noticed what was happening to Aleena at the current moment. She was pinned down to the ground by two Chitauri who probably used the fact that a spear flew right next to his head as an opportunity to take care of both of them.

It awoke something inside of him. He had to save Aleena from them. He promised Rin that he will keep her safe, even if it would cost his life! 

"Don't you touch her!" He roared at both of them as he charged at them, intending to help Aleena, but in that rage. He didn't notice a woman who used this as an opportunity, and punched him in the back of his head, with the back of her spear, causing him to fall on the ground, his face facing the ground.

"Uncle Az!" Aleena called over to him, worried about him, trying to reach her hand to him, but the Chitauri that were pinning her down were too strong.

The woman that knocked him down, grabbed him and pushed him from the ground, and turned around, now his back was on the ground, and Azurite could see her face. Half of her face was painted black, and there were two horns protruded from her head. 

Her name was Proxima Midnight. 

"You're a gem. I thought all gems were female." She commented once she saw Azurite's gem on his forehead, as he was pinned down to the ground by three Chitauri's. He tried to free himself but he couldn't.

"Guess, they made one that's different." Azurite shot back, realizing that he was not going to free himself from their grasp.

"I see. You were different from the rest of them, that's why you're here." Proxima assumed, Azurite glared at her, which made her believe that what she said was true.

"Shut up." Azurite told her, as Proxima brought her spear against his forehead. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for what was going to happen, but much to his suprise, Proxima did nothing.

"I won't shatter you, or kill her. The fate will decide what is going to happen to both of you." She told him after a moment, as she pointed at one of the Chitauri that were pinning Aleena down, "You. Take her. I'll take care of him."

Proxima picked Azurite up and grabbed him by his shoulder and began walking forward herself, followed by a Chitauri who was dragging Aleena by her hand.

A moment later, they heard a male voice say, "The Great Titan thanks for your sacrifice!" 

Ebony Maw walked over the bodies of the dead Zarans while the Chitauri were forming two groups of the Zarans that were still alive, at least for now. One on the left, the other on the right.

"Do not fear for what is to come, for in this cleansing, you shall be remembered!"

Proxima and a Chitauri made their way towards him, both of them still dragging Azurite and Aleena with them.

"In this dark time, the pain will be great..."

They both of them stopped in front of the crowds, and looked at the possible victims of the cleansing.

"...the loss even greater..."

Azurite and Aleena suddenly felt being pushed into the seperate crowds as Aleena brought her hand forward, towards Azurite, and shouted, "Uncle Az!"

Azurite did his best to reach her, but he couldn't. He was pushed into the crowd, immediately failing on his knees.

"But know...that now and forever more...you are all a part of the Children of Thanos!"

Azurite got himself back on his feet, with the help of one of the Zarans. He eyed the other crowd carefully, trying to see Aleena, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

"Aleena!" He called for her, but she never responded.

"Now go in peace, and meet your maker!" Ebony Maw finished his speech.

With that, the Chitauri that were making sure that no one escaped from the crowd where Aleena's was placed raised their weapons up, and a moment later began firing at the crowd, killing everyone.

As for the other crowd, the Chitauri just stood in their place, making sure that no one was going to leave the crowd.

Azurite and the surviving Zarans stood, most of them crying the names of the people that were in the other crowd. Azurite being one of them. They knew that their deaths were inevitable, and waited for the invaders to kill them.

Azurite was almost wishing for it. Some of the Zarans were wishing for it to happen too.

But it never did.

He failed them... He failed to keep Aleena safe... He failed to save the people who saw him as one of their own...

---------

Present

"After that, I stayed on Konoritos for about a week, and helped to bury the bodies of the Zarans who weren't spared by them. The main reason why I left is because, I couldn't live there anymore. Being there, would remind me how the people who accepted me as one of their own, my friends, neighbours were murdered without any remorse, and there was nothing I could do to save them." Azurite finished his story.

Steven and Spinel, both completely speechless by what they just heard, stared at Azurite. Neither of the knew what to say to him.

Noticing their silence, Azurite gave a chuckle, but it was more of a sad one, instead of a happy one, as tears began fell down his cheeks, "You wanted to hear this story. Here you go."

Spinel could feel tears forming in her eyes. She and Azurite were both abandoned, but when he finally found a place to call home, and people who thought of him as a family, it all got taken away from him, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. She jumped up from her seat and rushed to him, before giving him the tightiest hug she ever gave to someone.

Azurite was suprised by her sudden movement, but eventually wrapped one arm around her, accepting her hug.

"Azurite..." Steven began, knowing that he has to pick words very carefully. He didn't knew what would he do if something like that happened to him. He couldn't actually imagine himself in a situation where his whole family, and friends were murdered and there would be nothing he could do to stop this from happening, "I'm sorry that it happened to you. I can't imagine what must've been going through your head after that happened."

"I completely isolated myself from other people after that happened. Shi'ra was the only person I talked with. She always there for me when I needed her. There were other people who I was talking to, but the only reason why I was talking with them was because I was doing a contract for them, like with The Collector. I'm sure that Aleena and her family, or even Darnel and Dragan would pity me when would see how I turned out. A guy who sits for most of the time in his ship, barely talks with the people he actually enjoys talking with, because he actually doesn't has that many of them these days, has to rob, and kill people for units, or sometimes, he doesn't even needs people to pay him to make him to do that. They just have to call him the way he doesn't like, because it reminds him of his days in Homeworld, before his banishment where everyone treated him like the worst scum." Azurite continued explaining, not even caring to hide the worst parts about himself, now. Steven and Spinel could feel the pain in his voice as those words were leaving his mouth.

"What about Quill's crew?" Steven continued to ask him more questions.

"After I met them, and helped them destroy Quill's father, they offered me a place in their crew, but I declined their offer. Believe me, I wanted to accept their offer, but I was afraid." Azurite responded, as Steven made a mental note about what he said about Quill's father. He was going to ask him this question later, because now there was no time for this.

"Afraid of what?" He wanted to know.

"Afraid of losing people. I know this may be selfish of me, but I'm afraid of getting close to other people. After what happened to Rin, Karolyn and Aleena, I'm afraid that it'll happen again. I want to be happy again... I want to have a feeling that I belong somewhere again... but I..." Azurite answered, wiping tears from his cheeks, not wanting them to see him cry.

"...Azurite. You don't have to live in fear anymore..." Steven said after a moment of debating what to say to him.

"What do you mean?" Azurite asked him.

"You don't have to live longer like that, anymore. My offer is still active. You can start opening up to others, and start a new life here, on Earth. You can be happy again." Steven offered him a place in Little Homeworld, again. 

"Why are you offering me a place to live in your community? I just confessed to you that I killed people,  because I wanted earn some extra units, or because they called me the way I didn't like. I just fought with you and your friends, so could kidnap a Pearl and take her to The Collector where she would become another on of his servants." Azurite pointed out all of the bad things he said about himself to these two.

"Many gems in Little Homeworld, did something in their lives that their not proud of, but they decided to leave it all behind and start a new life here, and it's working out for them. I'm not trying to force you, but I'm hoping you're going to give it a chance. Eveything is much different, now. It won't be like on Homeworld. I promise." Steven finished what was saying, him and Spinel giving him a comforting smiles.

Azurite sighed, before nodding his head, "...Fine. I'll give it a chance." 

-----

The next 7-10 chapters will focus on Azurite trying to settle down on Earth, and forming a close bond with Spinel, eventually becoming friends with other gems, I will also introduce Shi'ra to the story, where she'll more than just a person you like bringing up, and after that, we'll head to Infinity War.

FunFact: At first, Azurite wasn't going to feel such hatred towards Thanos, instead he would praise him and be one of his followers, and a feared member of Black Order along with Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive and Cull Obsidian. His only weakness would be his love for his little sisters, Gamora and Nebula, even though he hates to admit that to himself.

FunFact 2: Zarans can live up to 125 years.