Chapter 70: The Mask of Truth
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Location: Temporary Base - Underground
In a semi-dark room, Franco sits in front of a huge map on the wall. Around him, the scars of the last battle are still evident on his face and clothes. His eyes scan the area carefully, but his heart is elsewhere... farther away.
Marco (enters carrying a slightly burned pizza box):
"Pizza my way. Half of it's cooked... and the other half called me 'kill me.'"
Franco (without looking at him):
"You're the only one cooking food that's a crime against humanity."
Marco (sits down and takes a bite):
"Ah, the taste? As I expected... a disaster with the flavor of war."
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Colombo enters with a data disc in his hand.
Colombo:
"Remember Phantom? The cold-blooded little genius? He left us a gift."
Irina (rushing in):
"We found a data leak from his lab. It contains an audio recording... that might change everything."
Gabriel (in a low voice, barely able to walk):
"Play it... I want to hear my son... just once."
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The recording begins, and a phantom voice emerges... calm, yet filled with sorrow.
> "My name was Leon. I dreamed of flying, of becoming a scientist... but I was turned into a file in a project called Neron. My father loved me, but didn't know how to love. I just wanted him to see me as a child, not as a test."
Savio (in a low voice):
"This robot... was crying silently."
Franco:
"And now it's more human than many we know."
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Irina displays a blurry image: a deserted island, with passages and tunnels visible beneath it.
Irina:
"This is where they store all the files of the Neron Project. If we can access them, we'll know who's behind all this... and who's really driving Zacrota."
Rocco (looking at the picture):
"It looks like a wasp's nest... and I'm allergic to stings."
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Location: The Frozen Sea - Old Submarine
The entire team is in the sub. The atmosphere inside is stifling, the sound of the engines singing an old song about fear. Everyone is silent, even Marco.
Marco (whispering):
"If we die, I want my laptop burned first. No one sees my files."
Franco (looking at him):
"Your files?"
Marco (strangely serious):
"Trust me... the world isn't ready to see them."
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The Submarine Reaches the Bottom of the Sea - Nero's Secret Island
The team exits through a waterway into a narrow, dark tunnel. Each step is accompanied by a metallic creak and strange, unexplained sounds.
Luca Ferri (whispers):
"It's like the place breathes..."
Colombo (examining the walls):
"These walls contain vital tissue... metallic... almost something alive."
Marco:
"A place made by madness itself. Or perhaps a sick genius."
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Deep inside, they reached a massive gate. On the door: the Zacrota crest, but upside down.
Franco (cautiously):
"This isn't just the command center... this is the tomb."
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The gate opened with a loud crack, smoke filling the room. And out of the darkness... a man appeared.
A man in a white suit, a metal mask concealing his face. His voice was deep but soft.
Man:
"Welcome to the truth. I'm Zane."
Irina (taking two steps back):
"This is... the inventor of Project Nero. The Shadow Commander."
Zane (smiling behind the mask):
"I'm the only one who gave the world what it deserved. Calculated chaos. Human purification."
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The lights flicker, and behind him appears an army of clones… robots with human eyes. Each one a copy of a child… of an orphan… of a victim.
Franco (angrily):
"You don't purify… you kill in the name of reason."
Zane:
"And you're pure? Every one of you is a killer wearing a hero's mask."
Marco:
"I don't wear a mask… just a pretty face."
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A fight breaks out. Columbo detonates the electrical grid, Savio engages one of the robots, and Marco fires guns while singing the nursery rhyme "Twinkle Twinkle."
Zane (advancing toward Franco):
"You won't escape this time, Batou's son. You've been part of the plan all along."
Franco (shocked):
"What do you mean?"
Zane (removes the mask… revealing a familiar face):
"I'm… your uncle."