Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2 Overwatch - Volume 3: Crystalline Universe: Bloodline's Curse Chapter 40 The Fantastic Dreamers And The Lone Wolf Part 2

The noisy crowd of people littered the streets and the central square. It’s a huge event, almost as if it’s some kind of national holiday or organized protest. They waited for someone, a man that will save this world from its eventual downfall, a man that will bring peace and prosperity to the people. That man is none other than Sniper.

For the past few days, Sniper managed to gain the support of the people living in the Asian and Australian continent. The promises? A life without having to worry about wars and conflicts, a life where corruption and cast systems don’t exist, a life where all citizens are to be treated equally.

Sniper soon made his way up the stage where hundreds of thousands of people cheered in his presence. Behind him stood in the shadow, the cold and emotionless Mazzatello with his ceremonial executioner dress.

[Sniper] – “Settle down, settle down, my honourable friends. ”

[Sniper] (in a caring voice) – “I know how much this war pains all you! I know that many of you have lost in the fire and crimson of this human catastrophe, members of your family, your friends, your country or even yourself but fear not my friends, I’m here today to bring you the news! ”

[Sniper] – “I, today, stand in front of you to swear that I will back the life you lived, I will put an end to this unreasonable war started because the Americans are too afraid to give the power they held to a rightful government without corruption and greed! You heard me! To put an end to this conflict, we need your help! We need you young men out there to fight for our cause, we need to defeat the devil’s army that is Overwatch, we need to put the lord of hell, Mike G. Mundy, to justice! He caused millions of you to lose your beloved ones, so join us today so there could be a tomorrow! ”

[Sniper] – “You have seen what good I have done to help those in need after the disasters of the war! This is the life you choose to have under my rule, this is a government that cared for the people and not those greedy bastards sitting inside their luxurious buckers while you suffer for everything! Join me today, join me for a government rid of corruption! ”

The crowd clapped their hands in joy and emotion while Sniper continued his speech.

*Back at where we left off from last part of the story (at the metro station in Oslo, Norway)

Karson fiercely threw a punch right at Mike’s face.

[Karson] (furiously) – “Take this, Mike Mundy! ”

With the activation of his crystal, Mike blocked Karson’s punch using his fist. The two men looked into each other’s eyes in murderous intent while their attacks locked in position against each other. Mike stood up and threw a few rapid punches at Karson which the man dodged with ease. Karson immediately fired a punch back at Mike to which the young man bend over and dodged. With a swift kick to the face, Mike pushed Karson on a pillar.

[Karson] (in frustration) – “I’m tired of this foreplay, let’s get down to business! ”

Karson jumped on Mike with a charged punch from his crystal toward his chest. In retaliation, Mike launched a strike back at Karson’s fist with his own. Upon impact, Mike’s counterstrike overpowered Karson’s attack and pushed the man on the ground which broke his arm even under the heavy armour’s protection.

[Karson] (in agony) – “Gack! ”

Karson slowly sat up from the ground and stared at Mike in anger while holding his injured arm with his other hand.

[Karson, in his mind] – (“This guy… he’s stronger than what I expected… This raw strength! “)

Mergiann quickly ran toward Karson and helped the man up from the floor.

[Mergiann] (in a worried voice) – “Are you alright, Karson? ”

[Karson] – “No, I’m fine… he’s more than what I initially thought he would be… ”

The wind blew against the pair while the sound of the rail filled the station; the train arrived at the dock.

[Karson] (in whispers) – “This is our chance, we need to run away from him! ”

Mike slowly made his way toward the pair without any intent to launch an attack at them.

[Karson] – “Steal the heart! ”

With his ability, Karson threw a few punches in the air toward Mike’s direction and jumped inside the train with Mergiann. Mike promptly started running to catch them but suddenly, he was met with a powerful attack from an unknown source that sent him back to the crater he created. The debris and rocks around him floated once again in the air just as if they were fused with energy.

The train doors closed and the vehicle departed from the dock in speed. Rapidly, Mike grabbed on a metal barre situated at the train’s back.

[Karson] (in relieve) – “Fiou! We are finally safe from that monster. ”

[Mergiann] – “I can’t believe he overpowered you! ”

[Karson] – “Yeah, bloody hell, I hope I don’t meet up with him anytime soon. ”

[Mike] – “Sorry but you would have to make an exception for schedule. ”

The pair turned their back to find Mike standing at the back of the wagon.

[Karson] (in surprise) – “For f.u.c.k’s sake! ”

[Mike] – “Do you two think you can just bloody escape like this? ”

[Mergiann] (in a confident voice) – “And do you think you can just catch up to us like this? ”

Mike tried to advance but was met with a giant invisible mass, a giant air bubble that slowly grew up until it destroyed half of the wagon and dragged Mike down with it on the rails.

[Mike] – “Not so f.u.c.k.i.n.g fast, you rats trying to escape from the cat. ”

With a single movement of his hand, Mike stopped the whole train. The sudden stop launched both Karson and Mergiann out of the wagon.

[Karson] (in pain) – “ouch… god damn it! ”

[Mike] – “You two won’t be going anywhere! ”

[Karson] – “That bastard! He’s not going to go down without a fight to the death. ”

[Mergiann] – “Then I hope you have a plan… My ability does not possess any offensive power! ”

[Karson] – “Then let your specialty do the work! ”

Mike got up and marched toward the pair with his bleeding wounds while ignoring any potential danger or trap set by the two.

[Karson] – “living shell! ”

A protective screen appeared in front of Karson, blocking Mike’s advance. But the young man kept on walking straight up onto the shield and with the tip of his fingers, pulled the protective surface apar.

Seeing that Mike tore through his ability without even an effort, Karson started running toward the next metro station not too far away. Mike followed but at a slower pace due to his injuries.

The pair finally made their way to the station where bystanders watched in curiosity as they gradually crawled on the dock from the rails.

[Karson] (in a panic) – “Do it, Mergiann! ”

Just as the young girl pressed on the detonation button on her arm, a huge explosion set off inside the tunnel. The pair expected to kill Mike amid the flame but instead, the young man, propelled by the blast flew and delivered a strike on Karson’s face before landing on the ground.

Dust and smoke covered the place before Mike cleaned the scene with his power.

He did not kill Karson nor Mergiann but instead, he destroyed Karson’s helmet which revealed his face, a young man about the same age as Mike with brown hair. Mike, on his turn too, hastily removed the skin on his face that turned to be a mask that hid his true face.

[Karson] (in panic and fear) – “I’m dead! I’m dead! Aaaargh! ”

Mike dropped on his knees and gave a few claps on Karson’s cheeks.

[Mike] – “No, you ain’t f.u.c.k.i.n.g dead, mate! Look at me and say my name! ”

[Karson] – “Jesus, is that you? I’m I in heaven? ”

[Mike] (frustrated) – “Look at me already! ”

[Karson] (in shock) – “Heh? Mike? What are you doing here? ”

[Mike] – “It took you f.u.c.k.i.n.g long enough to realize that it was me! ”

[Karson] – “That’s impossible! You are not lying, aren’t you? ”

[Mike] – “That’s f.u.c.k.i.n.g me, crikey! ”

[Karson] (in joy) – “No, you gotta be f.u.c.k.i.n.g kidding me, you son of a bulldog! ”

The two brotherly shook their hands.

[Mike] – “Yep, that’s me! I heard your name by that little girl over there… ”

[Mergiann] (angered) – “I’m not a little girl! I’m 16! ”

[Mike] – “Karson, mate, why are you committing pedophilia? ”

[Karson] – “Hey, I didn’t even touch her! ”

[Mike] – “So tell me, why are you guys thirsty for my blood? ”

[Karson] – “Listen, Mike, ever since you betrayed Sniper, your head has been put on a high price. I don’t know why you betrayed Sniper but I’m pretty sure you have your reason. But recently, Sniper came back on power and put an even higher bounty on your head. At first glance, I didn’t believe that it was truly you when I heard that the people want your death that’s why I thought it must be another Mike and not you. I didn’t believe that it was you because Sniper told us so many atrocities that I know you would never commit. ”

[Mike] – “Everythings Sniper said were lies! ”

Mike looked around him and realized that there are more and more policemen and firefighters gathering around them.

[Mike] – “Let’s find a safe place to talk. ”

[Karson] – “Right! ”

*Later that night

Inside a small hotel room, Mergiann laid on the sofa in pyjamas while reading her small handbook about explosives and warfare. Someone was inside the bathroom while she carefully read her book.

Suddenly, Mergiann put the booklet down and stretched herself.

[Mergiann] – “So, Darlynn, why didn’t you show up for the hunt today? ”

A beautiful noble blonde girl in her twenties stepped out of the washroom while tying her hair.

[Darlynn] – “Don’t tell me that we failed to capture Mike because I wasn’t there! ”

[Mergiann] – “Kind of… But what were you doing back then?”

[Darlynn] – “Azur told me to not go after that man because she said that he’s a good person. ”

[Mergiann] (in surprise) – “And… you listened to that loser’s words? ”

[Darlynn] (in regret) – “Yeah… I kinda feel stupid now… ”

[Mergiann] – “Not only that… Karson was a friend of Mike! ”

[Darlynn] (shocked) – “WHAT? ”

The room door suddenly busted open and Karson entered with a note.

[Karson] – “And he’s my best friend! ”

[Mergiann, with a smug] – “He drugged you hard, Karson, didn’t he? ”

[Karson] – “I’m dead serious, right now! ”

[Darlynn] (in shock) – “You traitor! ”

[Karson] – “And I’m going to join him! ”

Mergiann stared at Karson in horror and confusion while her arms trembled.

[Mergiann] (in a worried voice) – “I’m definitively taking you to a doctor! ”

[Karson] – “Stop! Listen before you react, bloody hell! ”

[Mergiann] – “What are your “valid reasons” before I tie you up and send you to a mental hospital? ”

[Karson] – “Mike is my friend and I want to help him! We, in the past, have been through so much together and I value our friendship! And the real reason why he was here is because he was searching for his wife… it’s Sniper who took her away from him. ”

[Darlynn] (infuriated) – “Nonsense! Lord Sniper would never do something so absurd! ”

[Karson] – “Wake up already! Do you think that Sniper would be that great? In this world, we can only trust our friends and family because others will want to use you for their benefit! Listen, today I almost killed my friend because of the lies I been told! ”

[Darlynn] – “I mean no offence but Karson, this is just nut! ”

[Karson] – “Mergiann, back then I didn’t know you but I decided to befriend you anyway because my heart told me so but today, Mike opened my soul to the truth. Sniper lied to us, the only reason he choose us to face off against Mike is because he knows we will lose and die, he wanted to get rid of the association’s trash! ”

[Mergiann] (in embarrassment) – “You dumbass, Karson… Aaaargh! ”

[Karson] – “Please! Listen to me, we only need to help him find his wife and that’s all! ”

Mergiann put her head between her knees for a moment and drowned in a sea of thought for a few minutes. After a long reflexion, the teenager finally decided.

[Mergiann] (in a scream) – “FINE! We only help him find his wife and that’s all! ”

[Darlynn] (surprised) – “What? Mergiann? Why? ”

[Mergiann] (in anger) – “The reward better is worth it! ”

[Karson] – “He’ll give us a total of 10 billion dollars, more than 3 times what Sniper would give us. ”

[Mergiann] – “Then promise me that we only keep one million to ourselves and give the rest to charity! ”

[Karson] – “Wait… wha… ”

[Mergiann] – “I promised to dedicate my life to helping those in need. ”

[Darlynn] – “We just have to find his wife then… ”

[Karson] – “That’s all! ”

Darlynn bit her lip up until a drop of blood dripped from it before she sat down on the sofa.

[Darlynn] (in a moderate voice) – “Since we are friends for so long, Karson, I trust you but I won’t be needing my part of the money, I only want to support you guys. ”

Karson showed a slight smile of gratitude on his face. He quickly sat between the girls and hugged them both with a laugh.

Outside the hotel chamber door, Mike listened to their conversation but after hearing that Karson made the two girls join him, Mike slowly walked away.

[Mike, in his mind] – (“I’m sorry, Karson! I don’t know what kind of roads awaits you but I admire your determination. You decided to help me, you decided to betray Talon just for the sake of our friendship. You have my eternal thanks and my eternal respect. I wish good luck to you all, you fantastic bunch of people with a golden heart. “)

To be continued…