Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2 Overwatch - Volume 3: Crystalline Universe: Bloodline's Curse Chapter 82 The Deal

Segreto shook the hands of several mafia associations representatives before stepping out of the secret meeting room. Outside, he quietly lit up the cigar he held in his mouth before inhaling long extended breaths of it. The hallways in front of him were dead silent without even a single soul.

He suddenly raised his eyes as he felt an ominous presence around him. His emotionless cold eyes stared right at a corner where a mysterious figure hid behind.

[Segreto] – “Do I look like a fool to you? I feel very insulted, friend. ”

Realizing that his cover was blown, Mazzatello stepped out of the shadow and stepped toward Segreto.

[Mazzatello] – “I saw the deal, you were planning something with those associations, aren’t you? ”

Segreto didn’t even flinch as Mazzatello advanced menacingly toward him with his crystals glowing.

[Mazzatello] – “Answer me! Who are you? ”

[Segreto] – “I thought silence spoke louder than words but to you, I see that this is not the case. ”

Mazzatello stared right into the Segreto’s stoic eyes and grabbed him by the neck

[Mazzatello] – “I shall execute any buffoon unloyal to his majesty Sniper, even you! ”

[Segreto] – “This is the tip of the iceberg only, friend. I have a bigger deal to make today. ”

[Mazzatello] – “I wonder how will you make the deal while dead? ”

Segreto slowly pulled Mazzatello’s hands away from his neck and threw his cigar in the garbage.

[Segreto] – “And you will help me. You will help me in the association to make the plot happen. ”

[Mazzatello] – “I will never betray our lord Sniper, don’t you even dream it! ”

[Segreto] – “But you care about your men, don’t you? Unlike me, you can feel, you value friendship and human lives. You know the culprit behind it, we both know him too well. ”

[Mazzatello] – “Who? ”

[Segreto] – “Of course, I’m talking about The Judge, the man responsible for the well-hidden “second holocaust”, the unnecessary battle of Warsaw or behind your friends’ death. ”

[Mazzatello] – “How do you know all this? ”

[Segreto] – “I’m being forsaken, I believe in lord Sniper’s words but I have no way to let the association hear my voice. You know very well how much everyone is corrupt around Sniper. The Judge, his actions all contradict Sniper’s principles. ”

[Mazzatello] – “What do you want then? ”

[Segreto] – “I know you antagonize the Judge as much as I do so, for the better of us all, we need to change to the circle of influence around us. The Judge has too much power in Talon and if the tide of the powershift doesn’t maintain a balance, he may even one day, overthrow Sniper. ”

[Mazzatello] – “Liar, you just want to acquire power for yourself! ”

[Segreto] – “Think! Is what I’m saying false? Is the current reality an illusion? What better choice do you have? ”

Mazzatello paused for a moment and thought about everything Segreto just told him.

[Segreto] – “We can end this bloodshed and end the war without covering the earth in blood. ”

The head executioner thought back at when his soldiers left and never came back, he thought when he had to walk beside the graves of the few men he considered his friends.

[Segreto] (in a whisper) – “It’s the Judge who influenced Sniper to send your men to fight Mike. Don’t forget how he only saw you… as his puppet. ”

Mazzatello was quickly paralyzed as the memory of him killing Sepoltura came back to him.

[Segreto] – “My loyalty lies with Sniper, not my own ambitions. Just like you, he gave me salvation, he made me understand life, he made me understand… power. ”

Gently, Segreto tended his hand to Mazzatello, who, after a brief pause, accepted without hesitation. Segreto’s eyes filled with a secret sense of satisfaction as Mazzatello pledged himself to his cause.

*Somewhere in Seoul, South Korea

The street of the city of Seoul, away from conflict for many years, looked clean and lively as it has been before the war. It’s also where Azur is born.

In a small tea shop, Azur sat in front of Paxton while sipping her large cup of pink bubble tea. Paxton, on the other hand, was nervous as ever as he tried to think of something to talk about.

[Azur] – “Have I ever told you how we beat up a few hundred XX soldiers? ”

[Paxton] – “N… No? I don’t think you did though. ”

[Azur] – “My friend Darlynn, she’s so damn… how I can I put it… uncool. She wears armour and stuff and we filming the soldiers doing war crimes. How can she be so boring with her life? ”

[Paxton] (sweating and nervous) – “Yeah, I think I need to go to the bathroom. ”

The young man got up and ran toward the bathrooms and shut the door tight behind him. Inside, he washed his face and stared himself in the mirror.

[Paxton] – “Ok, you’re a man, you can do this, Paxton, you can face her. ”

– “Hahahahahaha! ”

The sound of laughter came from the cabins behind him but before he could understand what they are, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder.

A few minutes later, Paxton exited the toilet and sat with style back onto his chair. He wasn’t nervous or scared, he felt confident and fresh.

[Azur] – “You took quite a long time! Did you wash your hands? ”

[Paxton] – “Oy, oy, the hands cannot be dirty unless for they being tainted in paints. ”

[Azur] – “In paint… why is that? ”

[Paxton] – “Cause I make art. I really love your graffiti, have you ever thought I’m also someone like you? ”

[Azur] – “Then show me something! Impress me! ”

Azur crossed her legs and laid down in her chair, waiting for Paxton to put up a live act in front of her. Paxton smiled before ordering 2 cappuccinos and a cup of cream from the waiter and crossing his arms in patience.

Soon, the waiter arrived with his order and put the whole set onto the table. Paxton, after stretching his hands, took a spoon and the cup of cream before getting down to business.

[Paxton] – “I needed 2 items to make the artistic coffee, one hand in spooning, the other hand over da cream. I don’t need sugar to make it sweet, I only need a mind to make perfection meet. Look at the cloud flying, don’t need no logic to limit the fantasy. Every move, every detail, every piece of talent I’m putting, this cup ain’t the creation of an average simp. ”

Paxton carefully put down the spoon and the cup of cream on the table before turning his regard toward Azur. On the table stood a cup with Azur’s head in 3D made out of cream with floating cream connecting to the second cup with a dragon statue also made out of cream.

Azur’s eyes were wide open as she was greatly impressed by the astonishing work of art.

[Azur] – “And you were rapping while making it? ”

[Paxton] – “Guilty as judged. ”

[Azur] – “Impressive… ”

Using her crystals, she pulled her bubble tea onto her chest and drank it while the cup was supported by her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Paxton showed a grin of satisfaction and carefully pushed one of the cups of cappuccino toward Azur.

[Paxton] – “Now, Azur, I wanna know if I can get… well… a chance to have proper dinner with you someday. ”

Azur giggled and put down her cup of bubble tea on the table before getting up from her chair.

[Azur] – “Keep impressing me and I’ll think about it. ”

[Paxton] – “Then it’s a promise. ”

[Azur] – “We’ll have to see about it. ”

*Back in China

Segreto marched through the main entrance of a luxurious hotel where armed agents stood in all corners. One of the guards approached Segreto and asked him for identification papers. The agent stood and waited for Segreto’s response but the man remained silent and stared blankly into his eyes.

[Guard] – “Do you have special authorization to access this place? ”

[Segreto] – “No. ”

[Guard] – “Then what are you doing here? Leave now! ”

[Segreto] – “Will you still decline me access if I showed you my face? ”

[Guard] – “What do you mean… ”

Segreto pulled his artificial face away, revealing his true face, the face everyone in the association feared. The security guards and agents quickly fell back and pulled their weapons out. The sight of Mike, the international terrorist, caused the whole room to go cold as the men’s faces all turned pale.

[Mike] – “I don’t have time to waste on you but I will only allow one of you alive. When I’ll be back from my negotiations, the last one alive amongst you after a battle to the death will live. ”

Hastily, Mike moved away from the hotel’s intercom system and moved toward the elevator. As soon as the metal door closed behind Mike, the guards looked at each other as their hands trembled while holding their weapons.

At level 22, Mike exited the elevator and as he marched through the hallway, several gunshots could be heard. As Mike moved down the hall toward the VIP rooms, he could hear men screaming out of despair and pain while more gunshots were fired all around him.

Hearing all this horror around him seem to leave no effect on his mind as he stoically searched and opened the door of his desire. Inside, a guard threatened to shoot a man still in his underwear with 2 women in his bed.

[Guard] (while sobbing) – “I don’t wanna die, man, I have a wife, 2 kids, I want to go back home… ”

Seeing Mike standing beside him, the guard rapidly dropped to his knees and kissed Mike’s shoes.

[Guard] – “My loyalty lies with you, master Mike, I only recognize you as my emperor! Please, spare me, spare a desperate man caught in this crossfire. ”

The crying guard looked up to see Mike’s emotionless face which didn’t show an ounce of sympathy or mercy for him. Suddenly, the guard felt a cold feeling behind his back and as he looked once more at Mike, he could almost feel the young man’s cold killer eyes pierce his soul.

The guard rolled on the ground and a few seconds later, his eyes were emptied of life.

[Mike] – “I did not kill him, I don’t have a drop of blood on my hand. It’s human nature, the desperation for one’s survival. Don’t you agree, Leonard Gilberto, my dear cousin? ”

[Leonard] (in a scared voice) – “Hey, Mike, I wasn’t expecting you… what brings you here, hehe… ”

Mike slowly marched around the room before pulling a seat toward him.

[Mike] – “I want to make a deal. ”

[Leonard] – “Name it! I’ll do anything for you, dear cousin. ”

Sweat dripped from his head all the way down to his feet as he desperately tried to remain calm. The Gilberto association is the biggest mafia association inside Talon, taking about 25% of total power. Leonard is the son of Primo Gilberto’s third son, thus making him only a member of the Gilberto mafia house.

[Mike] – “See, brother, I was supposed to claim the throne of the Gilberto family business after my 18th birthday but I ran into a little problem with my “loyalty” to the family. ”

[Leonard] (nervously) – “Haha… how… how… can I help, I’m not the second in the family neither… ”

Mike suddenly approached Leonard so closely that their nose could almost touch. As Mike stared coldly into the man’s eyes, Leonard could almost feel himself peeing his pants.

[Mike] – “Here is the deal, you make yourself the head of the Gilberto family but you must obey my orders. ”

[Leonard] – “How am I supposed to do that… I mean… Donatello Gilberto and his dad is the current head of the house and he’s not someone I can mess with easily. ”

[Mike] (in a whisper) – “Do I look like someone that can’t get things done? I’ll dispose of them and you make yourself the head of the house. ”

Mike slowly pulled himself away from Leonard and moved toward the door where he grabbed the dead guard’s pistol. In a swift movement of the hand, he threw the weapon between Leonard’s legs.

[Mike] – “I can’t have people hearing our conversation. My first order to you, kill the 2 women in bed with you. ”

Leonard trembled as he grabbed the pistol between his legs. The 2 women screamed in horror as he pointed the barrel toward one of them. Leonard closed his eyes and a shot could be heard fired as blood splattered all around the room. Meanwhile, Mike watched without even blinking as droplets of blood splashed all around his face and clothes.

When Leonard aimed his weapon toward the second woman, the girl shook her head in a despairing attempt to plead for his mercy. The pistol flew to Mike’s feet while Leonard kneed in front of Mike’s feet in tears.

[Leonard] – “I can’t do this anymore… not to my beloved Katy We been through so much together, I just can’t. ”

In a surprising turn of event, Mike bend his knees down and stared at Leonard.

[Mike] – “I have power but true power lies in forgiveness. The power to forgive a crime, sins or disobedience is more powerful than killing. Killing means that you are afraid that what you forgave comes back to bite you in the ass and those who wield true power aren’t afraid. I forgive you. ”

[Leonard] (in tears) – “Thank you, my lord. ”

[Mike] – “I expect you to marry that woman and make her shut up about this conversation. ”

[Leonard] – “Will do! Will do! ”

Mike stood up and headed toward the door but before he left, he took time to clean the bloodstain off his clothes and face.

[Mike] – “Don’t call me lord, call me cousin from now on forward. ”

[Leonard] – “As you wish, cousin! ”

Satisfied with his negotiation, Mike forcefully pulled his face to make a fake smile before shutting the room door behind him. After putting Segreto’s face on his, Mike disappeared without a trace after a short march across the hallway filled with deads.

Another nightmare suddenly woke Kady from her sleep. Her eyes were filled with terror and her whole body shaken by fear. the nightmares were becoming more and more frequent in her sleep and she couldn’t find a way to control them.

As Mike watched through his office window, the thunder shattered the sky outside the building. Kady, after leaving her bed, slowly walked toward her chamber window only to see the rain which relentlessly smashed the glass. Kady felt empty. She unknowingly searched for an unknown object that will fill this emptiness in the darkness of the storm.

Mike, on the other hand, reached his hand and touched the glass. Kady, on the other side, suddenly felt a feeling that she doesn’t understand. Mike stared for a bit longer before pulling himself away and fading into the obscurity of his office. A lightning bolt suddenly struck a place near Kady which caused her back off from the window.

Silently, she moved back into bed beside her husband, Krafton, not before shedding a drop of tear.

To be continued… Next Chapter: [Rick’s story]