Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2 Overwatch - Volume 3: Crystalline Universe: Bloodline's Curse Chapter 34 The Bigger Plot

Dane stood in front of Kadyn with a worried face.

[Dane] (in a worried voice) – “What’s the matter? Where did the spy go, did you found him? ”

Kadyn slowly advanced toward Dane and retracted her wrist blades.

[Kadyn] – “No, I only came to check if you are alright. ”

[Dane] (in a relieved voice) – “I’m fine, thank you for asking. ”

All of sudden, the communication device on Dane’s workshop rang with a loud ring. Dane leaped forward and rapidly grabbed the device in his hand.

[Dane] – “Dane here, Allo? ”

[Mike, in the micro] – “We found traces of the spy inside the medical cruiser. ”

[Dane] – “That’s good to hear but be careful, he’s a skilled assassin. ”

[Mike] – “Copy that and Kadyn? Is she fine? I think she’s with you right now. ”

[Dane] – “Everything’s fine, Kadyn is beside me. Just focus on your mission! ”

[Mike] – “Okay then, Mike out! ”

[Dane] – “Dane out! ”

The engineer smoothly put the communication device on the table beside him and sat down in a chair out of exhaustion.

[Kadyn] – “Are you alright, mister Dane? ”

[Dane] – “I’m fine, I think you should join the others, they need your help. ”

[Kadyn] – “Isn’t your life more important, mister? ”

[Dane] (confused) – “Huh? What do you mean by that? ”

[Kadyn] – “I mean… the spy caused me some troubles back when I was still serving Talon. ”

[Dane] – “Really? ”

[Kadyn] – “If he was a good spy… don’t you think he would make some smarter choices? ”

[Dane] – “What’s the point telling me all this? ”

[Kadyn] – “This! ”

[Dane] (confused) – “This? What’s this? ”

In a flash, Kadyn sliced Dane’s skull in half. The corpse quickly fell to the ground while covering Kadyn in red. The dead man was soon revealed to be the spy, who disguised himself as Dane. Kadyn looked down at the corpse in a vengeful satisfaction while she wiped some of the gut off her face.

[Kadyn] (in anger) – “I hope you learned to never mess with me and my husband, you disgusting low-life! ”

Kadyn suddenly saw another puddle of blood coming out of a metal closet behind the dead agent. She hastily rushed toward the cabinet and opened the doors only to see the real Dane inside. After immediately wrapping some of the wounded man’s wounds in bandages, she ran toward the exit in search of help. But suddenly, a fast-moving object was felt behind her back. The young girl turned her head in search of an answer but to no avail.

Kadyn stood motionless. Even though her body doesn’t move, her eyes tracked every single movement of the air around her. The bloodstain left on her blade dripped on the floor every second she stood there. All of sudden, with a swift and precise stab behind her back, her knife sank deep inside the spy’s invisible body. The agent appeared out of invisibility. The man was barely able to stand with his heart pierced by Kadyn’s weapon. Soon after a short struggle, the spy fell to the ground and died in peace without pain.

[Kadyn] (in her mind) – (“How is this possible? Could there be more than one spy here? “)

This time, without losing her focus, she exited her communication device in an attempt to alert Mike and the others. But before she could even say a word, a shadow appeared behind her with a gun. With a sudden turn to her back, the girl launched her wrist knife forward toward the man’s head. The spy hastily fired a shot before the blade could reach his head. The shard planted itself inside the agent’s forehead, killing him instantly. The shot hit Kadyn on the shoulder, where her regeneration device and arm joint are located. The loss of her arm was a bigger disadvantage than she anticipated as shortly after, the spy appeared again but this time far enough away from her to avoid getting killed on the spot.

[Spy] – “You sure gave me a cold sweat… I gotta say… it was the first time I had to use my dead ringer 3 times in a row. ”

[Kadyn] (in a calm manner) – “That thing… the dead ringer… is the reason why you can come back to life every time you die, right? ”

[Spy] – “That’s correct! Every time I die, my suit goes back in time to find “a me” from the past and update the new host’s knowledge about the current situation then, it brings the new me back to the present where he will keep on fighting while my enemies are tricked into thinking I was dead. ”

[Kadyn] – “Do I even care about how your shit works? But now that you explained it, I know now how to better deal with you. ”

[Spy] – “I’m telling you the secret of my dead ringer because I’m certain that you won’t live to tell a single word about it. ”

[Kadyn, while looking menacingly at the agent] – “I only lost an arm and here you are, c.o.c.ky as a bloody wanker and dumb as a bloody duck. ”

[Spy] – “Like husband like wife, you sound like a copied voice of Mike. ”

[Kadyn] – “It will not take me more than a fraction of a second before your head becomes a sliced melon. ”

[Spy] (with a mocking tone) – “What can a lowly demi-human like you do? I mean you started as a slave and you should have stayed one. ”

The spy pulled his pistol out of his pocket and shot Kadyn on the leg. To his surprise, Kadyn jumped on him despite her injury and sliced his throat. The agent quickly reappeared behind her back using the dead ringer and pulled his knife out. Being a martial art master himself, the spy engaged Kadyn in a fearsome clash of fists and knife blows.

While the spy went for Kadyn’s throat with his blade, Kadyn rapidly blocked the attack with her own. The heat on Spy’s blade edge immediately melted Kadyn’s wrist knife upon contact. In retaliation, Kadyn knee-kicked the agent on his abdomen. The spy, in a quick movement of the hand, sliced deep inside Kadyn’s leg with his knife. The girl fell to the floor and gasped in pain without letting her guard down. The spy advanced toward her and with his foot, pinned her hand to the floor. Without anymore defensive measure, Kadyn can only look while the spy plonged his blade inside her abdomen.

[Spy] – “I’m gonna enjoy killing you slowly so you could feel the pain I felt! ”

[Kadyn] (in her mind) – (“This bastard! Argh! This cannot be the end of me! “)

[Spy] – “An abomination like your kind shouldn’t even be alive, you filthy low-life! You lived as a slave, now die like one! ”

The agent moved his blade further inside her abdomen. Blood and the smell of burned skin littered the place while Kadyn struggled helplessly to free herself.

[Kadyn] (in her mind) – (“This pain… I cannot die like this… Gio, he’s waiting for me. We have a future, we didn’t even start our little family yet, I cannot die at least not to this guy! “)

The fiery pain gradually sank deeper while a quarter of her abdomen was already sliced open.

The blade will soon reach her ovary, which is the only organ she couldn’t replace inside her entire body. The sweats of fear dripped from the girl’s forehead while she desperately struggled for her survival.

[Kadyn, while sobbing with tears] (in fear and pain) – “Gio! Help me! ”

[Spy] – “He won’t hear you, he’s too far away, you dumb abomination! ”

[Kadyn, in tears] (in a panic) – “Gio! Please! ”

[Spy] (in a mocking voice) – “Stop struggling, you little bitch! ”

By applying more force on his knife, the spy tried to cut the girl’s body in half but suddenly, his arm broke into multiple pieces. The blood from his wound instantly froze while small air crystals floated in the air. Soon, the floor froze and formed a thin layer of ice on its surface.

The current room temperature: -220c.

The spy felt to the floor in a panic, freeing Kadyn from his restrains.

[Spy] (confused) – “What kind of shit is this? Why is it so cold in here? ”

Kadyn slowly stood up with the injuries on her legs healed. The crystal on her neck glowed with a blinding blue light while she stood in front of the spy.

[Spy] (in fear and anger) – “Is that?… No! Impossible! You demi-human cannot manipulate crystals, it’s impossible! You cannot have abilities! ”

[Kadyn] – “I must thank you in helping me discover my ability. At that desperate moment, I tried everything to escape but in the end, my resolve helped me to find my way! ”

[Spy] (in a whisper) – “Such humiliation… A demi-human! ”

The agent searched around him and in his despair, found Dane’s pistol on the floor.

[Spy] (in relieve) – “Justice is still on my side, God helps us the human… not the abominations! ”

The spy fired a bullet at Kadyn’s head but instead of a hit, the shot ricocheted to the right.

[Spy] (puzzled)- “Wha… what the heck?! ”

[Kadyn, while advancing toward the agent] (with a calm voice) – “God helps every being expect the demons. And you, you have officially crossed your limit, you snake! ”

[Spy] – “But… The bullet! How? ”

[Kadyn] – “I will name my ability “Fictional Celsius” because it’s hidden and deadly. The shot you just fired at me ricocheted after it made contact with a floating solid air crystal. ”

[Spy] (in fear) – “Stay away from me! ”

[Kadyn] – “I know you are trying to make me kill you but I won’t. Now that I know the secret of your “Dead Ringer”, I know exactly what to do with you! ”

[Spy] (screaming) – “Stay back! ”

Without a word, Kadyn stabbed the spy’s every joint with her wrist knife. The agent, now incapacitated, remained on the ground.

[Kadyn, while pointing her index at the spy] – “Now you won’t be going anywhere! ”

The laboratory door suddenly busted open and Mike entered in a rush, just in time to catch Kadyn in his arms before she falls to the floor.

[Mike] (worried) – “Are you alright? Jesus Christ, you are bloody hurt! ”

[Kadyn, with a smile] – “Gio… I’m so happy to see you… I thought I would never see you again. ”

[Mike] – “Silly girl, don’t say that… It’s me, I’m sorry… I wasn’t here to protect you. ”

[Kadyn] – “It’s fine, my love… it’s over… I got him and I unlocked my ability. ”

[Mike] – “Don’t put yourself in danger like this ever again! I cannot lose you, you are just like my soul, my life depends on you! ”

[Kadyn] – “Gio, I… ”

Suddenly, a sinister laugh came out of the spy’s mouth.

[Spy] – “Hahahahahahahahahahaha… Such humiliation… got myself beaten by an abomination… ”

[Mike] – “Kadyn, how is he still alive? ”

[Kadyn] – “Don’t kill him, he can come back from the dead if he’s killed. ”

[Spy] – “You dumbasses… lord Sniper is back… you will pay for it, Mike… Hahahaha… You will pay for everything you’ve done so far! ”

The sentence dropped like a lighting bolt on the pair, who looked at each other in the eyes in fear and confusion.

[Mike] – “What do you mean by “He is back”? ”

[Spy] – “He’s back! He’s strong as ever, you fool! Hiding won’t save you this time! ”

Mike held Kadyn with both of his arms and walked out of the laboratory while the guards entered to arrest the spy. The couple tried to avoid making eye contact with each other while Mike marched toward the medical bay.

[Kadyn] (in a soft voice) – “Gio… What do we do? ”

[Mike] – “I… I don’t know, Kadyn… I don’t know… ”

While Mike walked, two mysterious figures lurking in the shadows observed the pair.

To be continued…