Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2 Overwatch - Volume 3: Crystalline Universe: Bloodline's Curse Chapter 84 Operation Incision
Mike’s hologram projection stood surrounded by Azur and the team of Passion knights. The location is concealed underground from any exterior sources to maximize discretion. After summarizing the next attack plan codenamed “Operation Incision” to the team, Mike suddenly asked about what kind of reward would every one of them desire for their servitude to his cause.
[Mike] – “As I was saying, you all did a good job. You risked it all, you guys put your lives on the frontline, thus I must show my thanks to all you. ”
Before anyone said anything, Mergiann opened her mouth.
[Mergiann] – “Definitively not money. ”
[Mike] – “Not an issue. If it’s a service you require, I can make quick work of that too. ”
[Mergiann] – “It’s much to ask but a goal I’m sure you’ll reach. I want you to end this war. The only reason I supported you, it’s because I believe you can bring an end to this endless squirmish. ”
Mergiann closed her eyes and thought about all the times she tried to help people with money. From giving all her income to charity, the homeless and to the victims of war, to sending checks to her long-gone family, Mergiann learned that herself alone isn’t gonna change the world. The important is that the people who had the power to change to the world for the better are willing to do it.
[Mergiann] – “Money isn’t gonna help anyone. I will even pledge my life to you, mister Mike, in hopes that you could bring an end to the horrors of this war. ”
[Karson] – “Me too, I’m on Mergiann’s side. I have the same wish as her! ”
Said Karson in a hurry before Mike could ask him.
[Darlynn] – “I also have the same wish as Mergiann but… I need something extra. I need you to expose the dark sides of the war to the world so that those responsible could be brought to justice. ”
[Mike] – “We’ll see about that later. For now, we will not speak out loud since our positions are still very vulnerable. ”
[Azur] – “I too, wish an end this war. But the only thing I require more is that I need to know my sister’s fate. ”
[Mike] – “It’s more complicated than you think. Your sister… has been kinda erased from history by Talon. I’ll have to dig deeper and that requires time and your patience. ”
[Azur] – “Even if I die, all I need is to know that she’s safe. That’s my mother’s last wish. ”
[Mike] – “Very well! Operation Incision is in effect, so I require extra caution from you all. Good luck! ”
[Mergiann] – “Roger that, chief! ”
With a salute, Mike ended the conversation while the team prepared for their departure into the wildness of the world once more.
The Australian outback glowed in an orangish colour as the sun slowly faded from the sky. The wind gently blew on Mike’s golden hair as he stared without a simple bit of expression on the horizon afar. Rick slowly removed his hat and pulled a cigar out of it.
[Rick] – “You know, Mike, your task gonna become more and more challenging as there will always be someone stronger than you in this world. ”
[Mike] – “That’s how it is. I live to face challenges, I don’t live for anything else. ”
Rick inserted the cigar between his lips and searched for his lighter. For a moment, it seemed that he lost his lighter but after a short struggle, Mike, with a snap of his finger, caused the tip of the cigar to start burning.
[Rick] – “Thank you, mate. ”
As the night closed in, the two men enjoyed their last view at the beautiful landscape in front of them before lighting up a campfire.
[Rick] – “Yeh know, I was the bloody best sniper to walk the land of Australia before everything happened. ”
[Mike] – “I heard stories about you. Expect I’m not a professional like you despite being named Mundy. I wish I could be like you, fearless and smart. ”
[Rick] – “Except you already are. You don’t need to know it to be it. ”
[Mike] – “Maybe I can’t feel emotion but I still fear failure. I don’t want to disappoint you and be a shameful man. ”
[Rick] – “Except not anyone can stand up after failing that many times. You believed that you still have your heart and faith to repair the mistakes you made. ”
[Mike] – “Then what am I to you now? ”
[Rick] – “You are who I once was; a professional. ”
Rick pulled a violin case that contained his sniper rifle inside and handed the weapon to Mike.
[Rick] – “What’s a Mundy without his trusty familial symbol, the sniper rifle. ”
[Mike] – “But that’s yours. It’s the weapon that made who you are. ”
[Rick] – “Because I see the man who I’m no longer is, in you. You are the only one that lived to carry on the legacy of this gunman that started everything. ”
Mike carefully grabbed the weapon and carried it on his back. Rick pointed his finger toward Mike and whispered: Boom, to which Mike responded: Headshot.
[Rick] – “Don’t let Sniper be the one to rewrite history. Let a bullet mark his whole existence. ”
[Mike] – “I won’t miss again until the last enemy is dead. ”
Scaphism drank another cup of whisky with his face between the b.r.e.a.s.ts of two women. Drunk and dizzy, the young man laughed for no reason with cheeks red as a cherry. Suddenly, Scuoiamento rushed inside the room with a note in her hands.
[Scaphism] (in a drunken voice) – “Go, away, you bitch, can’t you see I’m busy? ”
[Scuoiamento] – “You dumbass only know how to waste your life in gluttony! Take a look at this! ”
[Scaphism] – “The f.u.c.k is this? Another invitation to a party? ”
[Scuoiamento] – “It’s about the traitors who killed Toro. He wasn’t killed by Mike but by members of the executioner corps. ”
[Scaphism] – “Wha- what? Killed by traitors? ”
With some sense back in his head, Scaphism ordered the ladies out of the room before using a glass of water to wake himself up.
[Scaphism] – “Let me see. ”
Scuoiamento handed the piece of note to Scaphism, whose face is filled with more shock the further he red. After the short lecture, Scaphism turned to Scuoiamento and grabbed her by the shoulders.
[Scaphism] – “Are we the first to receive this letter? ”
[Scuoiamento] – “Yes, no one else knows this yet. I got it from the director of the intelligence service of the XX. ”
[Scaphism] – “Force him to keep this a secret from the association until I’ve dealt with it personally. ”
[Scuoiamento] – “Don’t tell me you are gonna disobey Sniper’s directive like Toro! ”
[Scaphism] – “Like Sniper would give a f.u.c.k about us. When Toro was dying, no one gave a f.u.c.k about him, not even Mazzatello. ”
[Scuoiamento] – “We should discuss this with Mazzatello then. ”
[Scaphism] – “F.u.c.k him! I’ll take this into my own hands. I’ll get the job done once and for all. I’ll avenge our fallen brothers. ”
[Scuoiamento] – “I should go with you then. ”
[Scaphism] – “No, your ability must be kept a secret. You need to keep researching it until you can unlock its full potential. I’ll go make this quick, you stay and convince Mazzatello of my absence. ”
[Scuoiamento] – “Then I won’t hold you back but… be safe. We can’t lose you too. ”
[Scaphism] – “I will return with my hands deep in the blood of those traitors. ”
Scaphism’s eyes were filled with hate and thirst for blood. Every executioner’s name in the Divine Servant squad came from the way they execute their victims and scaphism is the most savage of them all. His name derives from a method of execution that is considered the most brutal in human history which consisted of leaving someone to rot in their own feces while being feasted on by insects.
In restaurant Degroot, France, the passion knights except for Azur, gathered to celebrate Mergiann’s 17th birthday. Since Mike gave them a special pass, they were even able to have the most expensive meals and drink for free along with a hotel chamber big as a mansion.
Mike walked up to Dane who was still working to repair the extended damages that his armour sustained during his fight against CR-455.
[Mike] – “How long could this be done? ”
[Dane] – “Look, buddy, the damage to the internal circuit and the power core… this could take around another 2 hours. ”
Dane slowly extracted a piece of bloodstained metal from the chest plate armour.
[Dane] – “I estimate that right now is the best time to put your plan into action. ”
[Mike] – “Judging from how long you would take, I would say we wait a bit more. ”
[Dane] – “This armour reminds me of who you used to be… the brave young man who fought for all of us, for that girl, and for peace. ”
[Mike] – “Times have changed, I needed to move on. ”
[Dane] – “Move on… for what? ”
Mike remained silent for a moment as he packed his affairs and put on his officer coat before heading toward the exit.
[Mike] – “Move on because there is no room in this world for pity. ”
Meanwhile, Mergiann blew on the candles of her birthday cake as Karson and Darlynn wished her a happy birthday.
[Karson] – “Which wish did you make? ”
[Mergiann] – “It’s a secret but you’ll know it when the war is over. ”
Darlynn, who had a better understanding of Mergiann’s idea, quietly smiled without the two of them noticing. Mergiann took a bottle of whisky from the serving tray and approached the drink to her mouth.
[Karson] – “Hey, hey, aren’t you a bit too young for that? ”
[Mergiann] – “I’m sure a 17 years old girl wouldn’t be throwing grenades and fighting bad guys, so what’s too young for drinking alcohol? ”
[Karson] – “Bollocks! You’ll be having a mouth full of it when you get to taste it. ”
Ignoring Karson’s warning, Mergiann drank a small portion of the content before suddenly dropping the bottle and banging her head against the table.
[Karson] – “Hahaha! Look at you, now you know to not take something that’s not of your size. ”
[Mergiann] – “Gack! Oh my… Scheisse! I feel like bombs are exploding in my mouth. ”
[Karson] – “Hahaha! Your face… it’s just hilarious! ”
Karson kept banging his fist against the table out of laughter while Mergiann banged her head out of mouth and throat pain. The waiter suddenly appeared beside them with a plate full of strong drinks.
[Liverpool] – “Let me introduce myself, Liverpool Degroot, Mike’s appointed manager of this place. Since you are his guests, the tradition here is that you have to drink at least 1 cup of the devil’s mix. ”
Karson’s smile suddenly turned into fear while Mergiann stared at him across the table with an evil smirk. After being served a cup of the drink, Karson collapsed to the ground in pain with his hands around his throat. During that time, Mergiann laughed at him while Darlynn prepared herself to experience the hellish experience of the c.o.c.ktail.
As usual with the Degroot family, Liverpool managed to get himself drunk before his host and fell asleep at the center of the table. After some time, Mergiann also fell asleep due to the drinks.
Seeing Mergiann asleep, Karson decided to carry her to their hotel chamber. On the way there, Mergiann managed to slightly wake up from her sleep.
[Mergiann] (in a drunk and weak voice) – “Wha- what happened? ”
[Karson] – “Shh! It’s alright, sleep. ”
Mergiann, still in a state of confusion, failed to understand what situation led her to be this tired and dizzy.
[Mergiann] – “Did another battle happen? Did another explosion knock me down? ”
[Karson] – “It was a quite different kind of explosion this time. ”
[Mergiann] – “Hum… I never told you this but I always liked you. ”
Karson blushed but did not reply. After the elevator door opened, Karson stepped inside carrying Mergiann.
[Mergiann] – “You always carried me on your back after all those times I was hurt, even times where I’m just simply tired. No one has ever been so nice to me. ”
[Karson] – “This is what must be done between friends, right? ”
Karson carefully exited the elevator with Mergiann on his back and started searching for their chamber.
[Mergiann] – “Earlier, I wished that we could stay like this forever. That we don’t have to leave each other, that those moments of happiness could persist. ”
[Karson] – “Mhm! I wish too… ”
Karson’s face was filled with a hidden sadness caused by a secret deep in his heart. He might not have to tell anyone yet but one day, he will have to because he’ll have no choice.
[Karson] – “I wish we could keep what unwanted secrets all the way the grave. ”
Karson glanced at Mergiann and realized that she was already asleep once more.
[Karson] – “If only it can become true. ”
[Mergiann] (in a whisper while asleep) – “Dream on! ”
To be continued… Next Chapter: [Scaphism]
