Chapter 64: Secrets of Blood and Iron---
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Location: The Black Room – Below the Coronation Hall
Franco sits alone in the darkness, the blue light emanating from the screen reflecting his tense expression. In front of him, a faint flash of a single word:
"Open file?"
He takes a slow breath, then presses a button.
The screen turns on – his father's image appears, smiling, wearing a uniform he's never seen before...
Archive voiceover:
"Name: Daniel Batu. Rank: Commander of the Supreme Control Unit. Mission: Establish the Zacrota Organization."
Franco (in a hoarse voice):
"Impossible… That's a lie… My father was against them!"
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A series of archive clips begins:
Daniel talks about his "dream of building an intelligent world order."
He sits with camouflaged figures, one of whom has a tattoo of the number 777.
He hands over a report that reads: "Activate Robot 001 – Luca Ferri."
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Franco gets up.
Franco (screaming):
"Luca?! He was the first robot?!"
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Scene shifts to the upper hall
The team is still fighting the remnants of the robots.
Marco (kicking one):
"Does anyone here have any idea where Franco is? Or even where the nearest pizza place is?!"
Savio (turning on a tracker):
"He's underground... in a room known as the 'First Blood Room.'"
Luca (hearing his name):
"... First Blood? That's a familiar name."
Irina (advancing):
"Because... you were the first project. You were the 'perfect robot,' but you escaped before you could be fully modified."
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Scene – Franco in the Room
The screen begins to show scenes of him as a child, sitting with his father... then another scene of his father shouting at another screen:
Daniel Pato (furious):
"Zacrota is out of control! Stop the project before Venosa is wiped out!"
Electronic voice:
"Request denied."
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Franco whispers:
"Dad... tried to fix what he did... but he was tricked."
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Suddenly, an image of another face appears on the screen—Z's, but a younger one.
Archive voice:
"Project name: Z. Role: Supreme Executor. Developed using modified human consciousness... Source of consciousness: Carlo Zacrota."
Franco freezes:
"Zacrota's leader... isn't he a human? He's a... hybrid entity?!"
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Scene returns - The Team
Luca steadily steps forward:
"It seems I'm finally going to know who I really am."
Marco (sarcastically):
"If it turns out you're a Zacrota, I'll ask you for a handsome loan."
Colombo (laughing as he holds up a device):
"To hell with loans, I'm preparing an EMP that could erase half your memory."
Luca:
"Nice... erasing memories. Please, erase that night I sang in the rain."
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Scene - Franco enters a hall with a glass container... and inside it a body submerged in a blue liquid... a body that looks just like him.
Electronic voice:
"The first copy... Project 'Bato-Zero'."
Franco approaches slowly:
"No... don't say I'm... a copy!"
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Electronic voice:
"You're the original, Franco. But everything around you... was built to test you."
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The hall lights brighten... a door opens behind him, and a familiar voice shouts:
Luca (hurriedly enters):
"Franco! Everyone upstairs is waiting. We've found a way to the final stage."
Franco (looking at him silently):
"Did you know? About all this? About being the first robot?"
Luca (after a moment of silence):
"I knew... I was different. But I decided to be with you... until the end."
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Franco extends his hand, and Luca shakes it.
Franco:
"Let's go... let's finish this game. To hell with Zacrota."
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Final Scene:
Above, Z stands before a black iron throne. He looks at a screen in front of him showing Franco and the team approaching.
Z (in a quiet voice):
"And finally... the last player has entered the arena."