Crystalline Universe: Team Fortress 2/ Overwatch

Extended on his bed, Mike stayed in this position for hours. The words from the doctor, the video, the revelation about every detail from his past chocked him from the inside out.

What should I do, asked Mike to himself. Emotions appeared constantly inside his mind. Should he fear, should he cry, should he hide... Nothing will be the same after that night, the world has turned upside down for the young man. Suddenly, knocks on his chamber door woke him from his reflexion.

[Kadyn] - "Mike? Are you in there? "

The young man remained silent and proceeded to cover his mouth and nose with his arms in an attempt to hide his presence.

Moments passed, Kadyn, believing Mike wasn't in his chamber, decided to go look for him elsewhere. Mike waited a few more minutes before carefully exiting his personal quarter while making sure no one's around. Using the elevator, he ascended to floor X-05 toward the top of the mountain. Exiting the elevator, the truth that stood in front of him gave his bones the chill they never felt before. After years of servitude for the association, where assassination and other dangerous business were a routine, he never felt this sensation, the sensation of fear, of finding out what he hoped to be false.

There was truly a gigantic execution arena enough to host at least 25 000 people portraited exactly like the one inside the replay.

After analyzing the whole place from the execution stand to its every seat, Mike didn't manage to find any clue leading to the conclusion that his father was on the death row. Evidence is not something Sniper would leave, a professional hitman like him will never leave any clue to a case. The investigation was a checkmate up until the moment Mike decided to check the one place where it's still possible to dig up some proves to his father's execution. The arena floor is composed of plates of black coloured ceramic metal with a tiny space between each and every one of them. Between the spaces, Mike found ashes from the previous executions. Because using a laser axe to deal out the deed will leave burned pieces of clothing or flesh to fall in the cavities.

Carrying the first evidence, Mike made his way toward the cursed chamber where his mother was said died. The chamber door was nowhere to be found. The place where the room was supposed to be is now a janitor cabin. Sniper is an extremely intelligent man for sure since he hid clues like they never existed. But Mike himself is also a very calculated tactician. Using a surveillance camera captured video from 10 years ago, he managed to get a clear look at the chamber that still existed. February's recording was missing, Mike soon realized that the room disappeared in March. The room's fate was unknown during that erased period. Was it removed or just hidden? Only one way to find out.

Ripping the wall open like a door with his ability, Mike entered into the darkness like it was room and then closed the space behind him. Once inside the obscurity, the crystals on Mike's forearms glowed like a lighthouse in the mists of the night, illuminating the world of the deaths that is the dark. If there are truths hidden inside the darkest places on earth, this would be the first time Mike stepped into the ground of verity. A room littered with dust where time seems to have stopped with all the furniture and objects unmoved stood in front of him. The center of this room is occupied by a small luxurious couch on which, after cleaning up the dust, showed traces of burn marks from a laser sword. Every detail starts to draw themselves together, from the record, his father died the same day his mother died. Laser swords are elegant weapons that only Sniper possessed instead of using execution axes like the executioners.

Mike carefully rushed out of the wall and started running to meet with the doctor. He felt no more anger or sorrow but questions, questions that will give him direction and guidance. He needed to know everything, he needed who he truly is.

While sprinting across the length of the corridors, not realizing his surroundings, a pair of hands suddenly covered him by the eyes. Holding on his steps, he let the hands drag him into a dark corner of a room.

[Kadyn] - "Gioacchino. "

Taking her hands off Mike's face, Kadyn appeared to his side as she smiling with a kind look on her face.

[Kadyn] - "Tonight is the night you turn eighteen, Mike, are you excited? "

Mike kept his composure by not showing off any sign of his hurry and anxiety.

[Mike] - "Yeah! Time moves so quickly right? "

[Kadyn] - "Is something wrong, Gioacchino? "

*Kadyn has the habit of calling Mike's middle name, Gioacchino when the two of them are in private.

[Mike] - "No, nothing's wrong, don't worry about me. "

Kadyn fixed Mike in the eyes with a questioning look.

[Kadyn] - "Gio, I just want to tell you how glad I am to have you by my side. I just couldn't imagine how life without you would have been like... "

Mike reached out both of his mechanical arms and hugged Kadyn in his embrace, he knew this may be the last time he'll meet her if things turned out for the worst. He knew he will not be this same person ever again no matter what happens tonight. Kadyn enjoyed this moment of warmth with her face red like a cherry.

[Mike, while trying to hide his emotion] - "I want to tell you something... Something very important. "

[Kadyn] (in embarrassment) - "What's this important thing you wanna tell me then? "

[Mike] - "Just some suggestions, life can be hard after I officially become an executioner for you. "

[Kadyn] (assured) - "Oh, well... you don't have to be nervous about the future, I will always be there to support you when you need me. "

[Mike] (carefully trying to not spell out the wrong words) - "Kadyn, I have something to tell you. "

[Kadyn] - "Yes? Tell me anything! "

[Mike] - "Kadyn, you know, I have a place to live in Canada, it's a huge mansion. The view there was dazzling, the shining lake reflecting the bright colour of the sun and the glowing stars of the night, the wast green grass field extends through kilometres of land, giving the feeling of the freedom some people never have experienced. The mansion or call it a castle, if you consider its size, is big enough to fit a huge family and a whole squad of servants waiting to serve their master. The place is well hidden, no one should be able to easily find out its location. "

Mike hesitated to spell out the last phrase while Kadyn tried to guess what he would say next.

[Kadyn] (in her head) - ("Is my dream coming true? ")

[Mike] - "You can go live there if I no longer exist amongst the living. "

Kadyn shocked from the bottom of her heart, took two steps back, almost falling to the ground.

[Mike] (hesitantly) - "We have to part ways, I'm sorry... I can't stay with you... "

[Kadyn] (confused and sad) - "Why? Was it me? Do you hate me, Mike? "

[Mike] - "No, Kadyn, I don't hate you... The thing is that... people have roads to walk and our roads just don't cross... We just aren't made to stay together... "

[Kadyn, with tears dropping from her eyes] (in a sad voice) - "But... I did my best... I... I... like you... I wasn't good enough, right? "

[Mike, while touching Kadyn's golden hair] - "No, you are beautiful from the outside to the inside, you are a goddess in disguise and you are someone who deserves a better man than me... It was me, it's me who wasn't good enough to deserve you. "

[Kadyn] - "I don't want anyone else... why did you suddenly want me to go... I want to know why... "

[Mike] - "I don't want you to know why... You don't have to know about it... Goodbye, Kadyn, don't come after me no matter what happens. "

[Kadyn] (in shock and confusion) - "... "

She couldn't speak or breath, almost as she was being strangled by a rag.

Mike left Kadyn inside the darkroom as he made his exit without another word. Kadyn got out of the chamber a moment later after Mike. As Mike ran away, Kadyn looked at the silhouette of the young man. In her heart, his name is Mike Gioacchino Mundy, the man who gave her her freedom, her right as a living being, an identity and a mind; a man she deeply loved and who she ever trust in her life. In her eyes full of questions and worries, there was only a reflexion of a dark and unknown figure slowly disappeared into the length of the metallic corridor, never turning his back, never stopping his course and finally fully disappearing, never to be seen again.

To be continued...