Get in. Case the site. Get out. Should be easy enough, right? Especially when Natasha spent a good portion of her time there. But no, it wasn't easy at all. Not because the security measures are tighter than usual nor because new and unfamiliar Crusaders are on the prow. It's tough because of all the wrong reasons. So, so wrong reasons. It's fortunate that Kallen couldn't come with her, she would have made everything much harder to stomach.
The mission started when Natasha was dropped off a few kilometers away from one of Auschwitz's resupply stations, one of the few still left standing in fact. There, Natasha made her way on foot and hitchhiked aboard an armored train, loaded with cargo and goods to fund Auschwitz's operation in Sardegna. Moving undetected between droves of guards and Crusaders had been easy. Casing the notable security garrisons, AA installations, motor pools, and even Crusaders' barracks was like a walk in the park. One by one, everything checked out when she collaborated the actual information with the one provided in the mission package that Belka had given her. Natasha went from surprised to shocked then to chilling numbness at the fact that Belka had accessed Sardegna's top-secret files, quite easily too it seemed. She pondered a bit back then on who was the spy that provided Belka with this information.
Regardless, Natasha still had to finish her job. Only this time, she had to wade through unfamiliar territory. Natasha wasn't allowed the privilege of moving above the walls of the Crusaders' complex due to security reasons. The furthest she had been allowed to wander was an orphanage run by Mother Cocolia, and even then it happened under special supervision. Frankly speaking, the Natasha of that time should have grown a spine and been suspicious of everything. It would have surely saved the Natasha of now from the mind-splitting vertigo that appeared when she gazed upon the manmade horrors that lay beyond the ivory walls.
Dwellings of extremely questionable qualities were raised into one singular district with clear signs of overpopulation. Beds stack upon beds with light provided by a singular small light bulb per room. The kitchen area of a dwelling, if you could even call it one, served only thin gruel while water came in small drips and alkaline infested. Yet, that one place would serve hundreds if not thousands of souls per meal, twice a day. From a cursory look, Natasha could see that many didn't even get a meal before the troopers came and herd them off in droves or forced a few to get on the back of the troopers' truck.
Emancipated males and females of all ages were forced to walk into factories in prison garbs. Kids being made to serve the soldiers at their behest. Other, more lively ones were carried off somewhere despite any protest from them, feeble as it might be. After a period of steeling herself and observing the situation, Natasha could identify that the dilapidated district was home to a mixed population of mostly Jews with a few Spanish and other African people in between. At first, Natasha was just sickened that this happened right under the Crusaders' noses. Undoubtedly, Sardegna, or more specifically Auschwitz, was a confirmed site of a war crime in progress. But when Natasha ventured out deeper, she was horrified and almost blew her cover due to what she had seen.
Natasha had stumbled upon a mass grave. The burial place for countless bodies, deformed or maimed beyond recognizable. Natasha nearly threw up when she saw a couple of Sardegnian soldiers toss the headless corpse of a little girl down the pit. This happened all the while they were talking about hitting the red-light district of Auschwitz. The home of many better-looking female prisoners, forced to live the fate of being used day in and day out just to get a meal. She also learned that most of the corpses were experimented upon through her muddled thoughts.
What came next was her stumbling her way back, only this time, she went straight back inside the confines of the ivory walls, away from the burial site and away from living husks of human beings. Crusaders were reborn inside these walls, Natasha could remember the first time she woke up in there, refreshed and powerful. Yet, after seeing everything Auschwitz had kept hidden behind the tall walls, Natasha came to understand the Reich Marshal's warning and many foreboding rumors very clearly. There's a price for power, and said price went against the entire world at large.
Armed with this knowledge, it didn't take long for Natasha to decide to break into the strictly forbidden area for any Crusader, even more so than the scenes beyond the walls. The tall castle above the singular mountain of Auschwitz. Natasha knew that the castle was the home of Lady Lyssa, the mind behind the Crusaders' creation. Yet, it's highly likely that said Lady employed less than morally acceptable means.
Natasha would have thanked her lucky star just for the fact that her job was made easy with no Crusaders on the premises, much like beyond the walls, if it weren't for the sights she saw beneath the belly of the castle. Humans, who were strapped onto operating tables, were vivisected while subjected to mutilating concoctions. Files detailing the research on creating humanoid demons, controllable monsters all things considered. Worse, Natasha stumbled upon a block dedicated to liquid tanks holding the floating forms of Kallen Kaslana, many, many Kallen Kaslana. Natasha would have cursed aloud if not for the fact that she saw one Ottille Apocalypse roaming the block, checking on the tanks with a reverent expression.
Filing this for later reports, Natasha moved away, going deeper and deeper until she reached a set of chambers. One of them seemed to be occupied.
Following behind a group of lab scientists while bracing herself for what she might see, Natasha moved into an observation room. What she laid her eyes upon next had nearly shattered her faith in God. Natasha witnessed the creation process of a Crusader, one that happened from start to finish.
First, a Crusader candidate was sedated and rested atop a pedestal, carved with a magic formation that Natasha couldn't decipher though she did have the mind to record it. Then, starting from the pedestal, the magic formation lighted up before spreading all over the chamber, allowing Natasha to see glass coffins containing bound and gagged people, all very alive and conscious of what was about to happen to them. Natasha paled, already not liking where this was going for there were dozens if not hundreds of such coffins inside the large chamber underground.
When the light reached its zenith, Natasha was forced to shield her eyes, but that didn't save her from hearing the screams. Muffled as they may be, the voice of many, many living people who were under soul-tearing pain almost made Natasha puke. The A-rank Crusader was shocked when the expressions of the scientists told her that it was just another Tuesday for them. Another day, another failed creation of a Crusader.
Failed, huh? Natasha briefly wondered just how many would die to make a successful one. Just from the view of the gory insides of the coffins alone had convinced Natasha that it would be more than any could have ever thought of.
Struggling to head outside, lest Natasha lose herself to a never-before-felt rage, the A-ranker braced for a deeper dive into the belly of the beast. Opting to take the stairs rather than the elevator, it took Natasha some time to calm herself down, albeit with difficulty. Perusing the top-secret documents and copying them only served to further her distaste for the Papacy for blatantly violating the creeds they set out to teach. More than that, Natasha was starting to be disgusted at herself, having learned the full truth of her reborn process.
The more Natasha lingered in the confines of Auschwitz, the more icky and red her vision became. The walls started bleeding in her view while her ears started experiencing auditory hallucinations. But Natasha persisted, either out of spite for Sardegna or for her pride in not leaving any stone unturned. Only one area was marked as unverified on the data package that was handed to her prior to the beginning of the mission. And she attempted to finish everything at once.
Looking back, a part of Natasha regretted it.
She expected to see another atrocity happen to some poor, but otherwise unknown people. One that Natasha could have, though with a bit of a struggle, jotted down as another casualty of war crimes. What she never would have expected, but really should have, was to see kids. Kids that she knew off. Kids that she regularly came to play and visit when she was made a Crusader. Kids in a certain orphanage headed by Mother Cocolia. Kids that, by no right, should have been stabbed with numerous mechanical devices, their form almost stark naked while their blood dripped down onto the cold metal bed frame and floor in droplets.
Natasha would have lost it if not for a little darling she had taken a shine to in the past who actually looked straight in her direction, seemingly able to sense her presence, and shook her head sadly at her despite the pain.
'Seele.' Natasha placed a hand to cover her mouth, preventing it from leaking out any sobbing.
Had they been suffering all this time? Since when? And why? Were the bandages they wore all the time to cover up those stab wounds? How could I not have known!? You were fucking blind Natasha!
Think, Natasha, think! If only you weren't blindly believing the indoctrination! If only you trusted your instinct! There were red flags back then but no! You were drunk on the feeling of power! You loved being a Crusader! So much so that you were willing to ignore the discrepancies that were laid bare before you! What A-rank Crusader that thrives in the dark side of the world in service of her precious Kallen! All Natasha could see was a failure of everything she and Kallen stood for! She ignored the persons who needed help the most right in their supposed backyard!
And that's when Natasha lost it. She couldn't stand the sight of these children acting brave for each other, holding back their screams so others could soldier on. Natasha ran, much to the relief of Seele though the A-ranker didn't know that. The woman just... Ran. With what she had seen so far, Natasha had her faith destroyed, her spirit itself was on the verge of collapsing. Frankly, if it weren't for her bodily instinct, Natasha would not have been able to get out of Auschwitz undetected.
Fast forward to the present and under a starlit sky that seemed so dead now to Natasha. The A-ranker keeps on running with unsteady steps toward her exfil point. She nearly stumbles when she gets to the landed Osprey, guarded by what seems to be special operatives in service of Belka. Surprisingly for her, Kallen is also there, waiting for her worriedly. Natasha barely remembered tossing the recorder of her entire trip to a female operative before tackling Kallen to the ground.
She doesn't notice that she is crying with silent sobbing. She can't hear Kallen's panicking voice. She certainly cannot feel anything despite her hugging Kallen tightly. Natasha is shutting down and from the look of it, she will be gone for days. Natasha's trembling body is only stopped when Kallen hugs her into her bosom, thus princess carrying her onto the back of the Osprey.
With Natasha crying silently in dreadful slumber, her body mostly unmoving like a puppet with its strings suddenly cut, Kallen can only hug her girlfriend in concern as the female operatives board the aircraft one by one. Now with everyone aboard, the Osprey takes off, carrying its passengers from the defiled holy land of Sardegna.
"What in the name of God has happened for her to be like this?" Kallen asked, looking at the soldier in charge sitting across from her.
The soldier, an officer really, that Natasha tossed her device to gaze at the unconscious Crusader with clear pity. "Enough to break her worldview." The woman commented, pulling down her balaclava. "The Marshal already anticipated this reaction. It's why she sent an all-female team to accompany you instead of a mixed team. And here, give this to her when she's awake."
The operative tosses her a flask, carrying an unknown liquid. "Something to soften the blow. She will need it for a while." Kallen doesn't have to check to know it's a flask of alcohol.
"Truth hurts more than lies, sometimes. It's best for you to learn of it in a debrief with the Marshal in attendance." The operative said with finality, cutting down any attempt at fishing for more information from her.
The rest of the flight happens with Kallen worriedly stroking Natasha, trying to get her a peaceful sleep.
Thanks for the chapter, somebody gonna get F-ed soon by the former crusaders and Belka
it's already happening lol
Happy new year!!
TFTC!!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Filing this for later reports, Kallen moved away,
Kallen? or Natasha?
2. Happy New years in 5 hours
3. Jesus f*cing Christ Put a Spoiler Tag in Front warning for disturbing context. I wanna be warned for whats coming. That Hit me Hard
Oops? Tehe~!
Happy New Year!
Happy new year!!!
Happy New Year matey!
