Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2 Overwatch - Volume 3: Crystalline Universe: Bloodline's Curse Chapter 79 Mazzatello
Waves after waves of tanks rushed into battle, followed by countless soldiers and aircraft. Over 34 000 tanks faced off against each other in the battle of Warsaw alongside 20 000 aircraft and 4 million soldiers. It marked the Talon empire’s largest offensive to break the stalemate in Europe against the Allies, who managed to hold the European line for about a year. Talon’s army group center’s forces of the Liberaforza was the main thrust of the fight with its flanks covered by the XX.
As fighting continued, the XX was also called in to assist the offensive in front. It’s currently Christmas, a time where people should’ve stayed together with their loved ones, where there should be no bloodshed, where there should be peace above all, a time of humanity and warmth but shots kept being fired and screams kept the tired soldiers sleepless.
On top of all, the XX executed more prisoners than they normally would because the POW camps were way too overwhelmed by the numbers of prisoners. The city of Warsaw was completely reduced to rubble with no structure standing. Every step taken is a step across the endless sea of bodies and shelled ground. No tears could be shed because the fire would already have burned the man’s eyes twice.
On the battlefield, a soldier of Liberaforza desperately deserted his battalion into an isolated wreck to save himself. He put his hands around his head and for a moment, he heard silence and not the sound of explosions and gunfires. He opened his eyes to see an Allied soldier beside him, who has also deserted from his battalion. The two men only had the time to breathe and look at each other before another set of footsteps approached the shattered building.
The Liberaforza soldier knew what was coming and took out his pistol. The Allied soldier looked at him but as soon as he understood his intention, he nodded his head in approval.
[XX soldier] – “Traitor! ”
The two deserters were already dead before he could execute them. Two men of different factions shared their death with one pistol instead of dying in the flames of the war.
In the war room, Mazzatello stared at the battle map without a word while the XX generals discussed their strategies. Although no one could see it, he felt guilt and an endless amount of pain for all that was happening on the front. It was after his promotion to commander in chief of the XX that he realized that he has no real power over the association. All the power was still in the hands of the Judge, its previous commander. And yet, he’s held responsible for all the atrocities the XX commits on the front. But once more, he convinced himself that all was for the better of the association, for the better of humanity as a whole.
Later that day, he assisted a military parade before the second wave of the offensive on Warsaw. While on the balcony with Sniper, he watched as the proud soldiers down there marched without knowing what was waiting for them. He turned to see Sniper, whose face is hidden behind his helmet. He never knew what expression that secret face bears when he sees all those deaths, he only knew what words indistinctive from lies may come out of that mouth. He convinced himself once again that Sniper is a rational man without a corrupt mind.
Soon, he was joined by the Judge, Divine Maiden and mister Segreto. Divine Maiden approached Sniper and put her chin on his shoulder while wrapping her arms around him. The Judge sat one seat afar while Segreto sat beside him.
[Segreto] – “I share your concern. Those poor young men… all about to die… but it’s for the greater good. ”
[Mazzatello] – “For the greater good, the one phrase that justifies every action. That’s why I stand with Sniper and the association. ”
[Segreto] – “But… everything comes with a cost. I suffered some loss too but I let the past die and now, I’m a whole new person serving with Sniper, the first man to ever sacrifice everything for the sake of this world. ”
Something in Segreto’s words awakened a memory in Mazzatello, a memory that stayed dormant for so long in the dept of his dead heart.
[Mazzatello] – “Cost of life… nothing should cost someone’s life. That’s why we fight… so lives could be preserved. ”
[Segreto] – “But nothing could bring back what’s been lost. ”
Mazzatello could see Segreto’s face unlike with Sniper but what unsettled him was its lack expression, the stiffness of a machine, the inhumane face without emotion.
[Segreto] – “Love… such a useless emotion. It only drives people to insanity and blinds those who could’ve become something greater than themselves. ”
Upon hearing the Segreto’s sentence, Mazzatello’s dormant memory was further called to wake.
[Mazzatello] – “Love could be beautiful, it’s not useless… It only drives people to become stronger. Who can live without it? Everyone has tasted it. ”
[Segreto] – “Then I must correct myself. Love is a one time drug that can drive you to become stronger but afterward, it’s useless. ”
[Mazzatello] – “Unless you never taste it, you won’t know why it’s not useless. ”
[Segreto] – “To tell me that it’s not useless, have you ever had a taste of it then? ”
Mazzatello’s breathing became heavier, so much that Segreto could hear him breathe, hear that there is a lifeform behind that shadow.
[Segreto] – “That girl, Divine Maiden, wanted to show lord Sniper her affection but he never seemed to care about it at all. I say, lord Sniper is a man that shares my thoughts. ”
[Mazzatello] – “No… I never felt love. ”
[Segreto] – “Then don’t make judgement out of it. Like me, I have no emotion to share, I enjoy this perfection known as efficiency. It’s unbound by emotion and it can get any job done. I once heard you also don’t feel emotions, right? That’s why you wear that hood and that hat. ”
[Mazzatello] – “No, I don’t, what’s the use of it? ”
[Segreto] – “If you do not, then don’t hide your face. by covering your face, it’s more to hide the fact that you can feel. ”
Segreto’s words were more chilling than Sniper’s presence as it pierced through his mind and even through his coldness. It feels almost as if the man can see through him, see his thoughts. Although Segreto’s face showed no expression, a few things could still be seen through it: Anguish and the will for revenge.
[Segreto] – “Both you and I know about Mike and how Sniper took away his girl in an act of vengeance but we both know if he decides to exact revenge too, it could be aimed… at us all. ”
[Mazzatello] – “He won’t succeed because the world is against him. ”
[Segreto] – “Revenge is unlimited. A man with nothing to lose exacts the most brutal and unstoppable vendetta. ”
Later that day, as the night settled in, Mazzatello returned to his home alone. When the door opened, he’s just a shadow standing in the rooms’ obscurity, indifferent from inexistence. He hesitated to open the lights, deciding instead to spend the night in total darkness. His only source of light is a barely illuminating moon up in the skies, to which he extended his arm in an attempt to reach something nonexistent.
The clouds soon covered the moon, which forced him to open a small lamp by the kitchen table. There were a few pictures on the table, some of them facing the table and others facing him.
[Mazzatello] – “I’m sorry. ”
His voice echoed through the vast kitchen room while no one else was there to answer him.
[Mazzatello] – “Maybe I wasn’t doing enough… Segreto may have been right… I need to rid myself of my human side to accomplish greatness. ”
His grey eyes stared across the table, across the memories and the picture covered by dust.
[Mazzatello] – “Lapidazione, IDD, Toro, Sepoltura… all of you perished for our greater good. I don’t understand how Mike could be such a vile creature… feasting on those honest people. ”
Somewhere else, at Segreto’s personal residence, after calling all his servant to leave, Segreto removed his disguise. Upon revealing his true face, Mike stared at himself in the mirror without a word for a minute before moving toward the kitchen.
Somehow, Mike thought a delicious heartwarming supper was waiting for him but he soon realized as he entered the kitchen that everything place is empty. In a fit of rage, he slammed his fist down the table before rushing away toward the main hall. Once in the living room, a hologram of Rick appeared on one of the sofas.
[Rick] – “So… How’s your day, my boy? ”
[Mike] (in frustration) – “Everything went fine until this… ”
Mike breathed heavily to relieve his frustration while Rick remained confused about Mike’s problem.
[Rick] – “what’s “this”? ”
[Mike] – “Memories… I’m still delusional! I still think Kadyn would be in waiting for me with a warm meal… SHIT… ”
[Rick] – “One step at a time, mate. You can’t manage it’ all in one go. ”
[Mike] – “Rid me of it! I know she’s gone… I know she’s no longer part of me! If I want success, I need to forget. I need my memory erased! I’m tired of being a slave to this… PAIN! ”
[Rick] – “Calm down, Mike! It’s temporary… you’ll soon be free from it. ”
[Mike] – “How long? I can’t feel any emotion like you said but I need to be fully at it! Memory limits my potential! ”
[Rick] – “Grab yourself a bloody strong drink… this will relieve the symptoms. ”
[Mike] – “I guess so… it’s late anyways… I’ll just drink myself to sleep. ”
Without hesitation, Mike rushed out of the living room and disappearing into the huge mansion. Meanwhile, Rick sat silently for a moment before tears slowly dripped onto his old scarred hands.
[Rick] – “Foolish child… I took enough away from you. Without your memories, what are you? ”
On the clouds, Kady stood in the most exquisite white dress that stretched so far as it blent with the clouds. The stars shined like never before, forming the most beautiful sky one could never see in his lifetime. The moon stood like a giant in front of her while she walked across crystal clear water that reflected everything like a mirror. A masked gentleman waited for her by a bridge toward the cosmos. He tended to her his hand. At first, she hesitated but after he made an ensuring charming smile she gladly accepted his invitation.
They walked and danced across the galaxy and dashed through clouds of stars as if they were sparkling dust. From constellations to constellations, galaxies to galaxies, every second is filled with wonder and joy. She smiled at the man but the man never smiled back, she tried to talk to the man but he remained silent. In the end, as they rested on a cloud of stars to observe the universe, Kady approached the man and asked him if she could see his face. The man agreed with a nod but as he took his mask off, Kady suddenly fell into a black hole.
As she fell further into the darkness, she was soon surrounded by whispers from the unknown.
– “LIES”
– “LIES”
– “LIES”
Until suddenly she hit the button and woke up from her bed. Still in shock, Kady took a few seconds to figure out that she’s in her residence, in the safety of her husband, Krafton, who hugged her tightly in his embrace. As she breathed a sigh of relief, another strange thing happened.
Just as if the dream came to reality, Kady saw a young man smiling in front of her. He looked like someone she once knew but there is no such memory in her head. The face then disappeared in the blink of an eye without a trace.
Believing that she’s still dreaming, Kady slowly closed her eyes and soon fell asleep once more.
To be continued… Next Chapter: [Haunted by mistakes]
