The front doors closed behind Kadyn before she was left in complete silence. The massive mansion was void of life, while a look outside of the windows only revealed an endless field of emptiness. Kadyn slowly walked into the living room before setting Mike's coat on one of the sofas. After taking a seat from across, Kadyn glanced at the coat and imagined Mike in its stead.
[Kadyn] - "What now? "
The top of the coat gradually collapsed onto the cushion.
[Kadyn] - "Don't give me that shit, Mike. How do you expect me to relax? "
After staring at the coat for a while, Kadyn finally realized how ridiculous this whole situation was. She was literally talking to a coat.
[Kadyn] - "Forget about it! What the fuck am I even doing? "
Said Kadyn in a frustrated voice before heading upstairs.
Inside the showers, after a few silent moans, Kadyn slowly slipped to the floor with cherry-red cheeks. After rinsing her two stained fingers under the water, she abruptly slapped herself in the face.
[Kadyn] - "What is wrong with me? Why am I even doing this? "
With a lost look in her eyes, Kadyn gently glided her finger against the shower glass and drew two stick figures using the condensation. A slight smile appeared on her face as she added two extra, smaller stick figures beside the bigger two. However, reality abruptly rammed through her fantasy like a freight train and caused Kadyn to slash at the glass.
[Kadyn] - "This is not a life for me. "
Almost subconsciously, Kadyn brought her blade toward her neck but forced herself to stop just before it made contact with her skin.
[Kadyn] - "But you would have died for nothing. "
Kadyn quickly gave herself a slap in the face to wake herself up. After exiting the bathroom, Kadyn was once again met with silence from the massive mansion. For some unknown reason, the quietness began to seed fear into her heart. With rapid steps, Kadyn rushed downstairs, grabbed Mike's coat and dashed back inside her bedroom. With teary eyes, Kadyn threw herself into bed and crawled under Mike's coat. That night, she didn't manage to get any sleep as she wept against her pillow.
On the second day, Kadyn was jolted awake by the sudden sound from her doorbell. With sleepy eyes, Kadyn rushed downstairs, covered only by Mike's coat. Upon cracking the door open with one of her blades at the ready, she saw McCree standing with a few government agents.
[Kadyn] - "What are you planning? "
[McCree] - "I got a hold of Dane. We are ready to go. "
Kadyn shot a curious look at the black car parked in front of her house before slipping into a pair of slippers.
[Kadyn] - "Let's get this over with. "
Said Kadyn as she slammed the doors close behind her.
[McCree] - "Aren't you going to get dressed? "
[Kadyn] - "Do I look like I care? "
Luckily, Mike's long coat covered all the parts of her that necessitated clothing. With a stoic look in her eyes, she squeezed herself into the car and slammed the door shut before one of the agents could close it. It was a long drive through the dense traffic and empty country roads. As the car rocked from side to side, Kadyn slowly fell asleep in the backseat.
[Mike] - "I know this is abrupt... But what can we do? We are just a couple caught in a battle we can't win. "
Said Mike as he stood on a hill with the sun shining on him.
Kadyn looked up the hill to see Mike at the top while she stood at the bottom.
[Kadyn] - "It could've been won if you had just let it go. Now, what do you want me to do, huh? I'm like a stray cat without you. "
Said Kadyn with a tone of sadness in her voice.
[Mike] - "That's not an excuse to stop moving forward. "
Kadyn turned her head slightly away.
[Mike] - "Your reality is determined by the path you choose. If you can only believe yourself to be an intruder and a machine, then you can only be these things. Like me, if I had convinced myself that I could never win against Sniper, then I would've never been able to defeat him. "
Said Mike with a grin that shone as bright as the sun.
[Kadyn] - "What is there to believe in? What the hell even am I? There used to be a purpose, a goal, a dream, and an identity for me when you were there! Without you, I'm a machine, a fucking killer like I used to be. "
Said Kadyn as tears edged in both her eyes.
[Mike] - "Like how you believed in me, I believe in you, the Lemon whose flavour isn't determined by the tree she came from. "
Said Mike as he pointed at Kadyn's heart before punching his own chest.
[Kadyn] - "But how? How do I believe in myself? How can I convince myself of things I'm not? How could the illogical be trusted? "
Said Kadyn as she reached toward Mike.
[Mike] - "Start with self-respect, my little Lemon. This isn't you! Besides, confidence and beliefs are not something I can give you; it's something you have to acquire yourself. When you don't believe enough in yourself, just know that I will always believe in you. "
Said Mike with a salute and his signature grin.
Before Kadyn could reach him, he suddenly vanished into thin air. Suddenly, Kadyn was woken up by the driver who signalled to her that they had arrived at their destination. Although the conversation with Mike was just a dream, Kadyn felt as if he was really there with her. Upon exiting the car, she was escorted into an underground facility by two armed soldiers.
After traversing through a massive underground facility filled with experimental vehicles and technologies, she arrived at an observation post situated above the storage facility. As soon as she set foot inside the room, the soldiers promptly left her alone where she stood. With a curious expression, Kadyn surveyed the observation room and its numerous control surfaces and screens.
[Dane] - "Howdy, missy! Pardon me for the long wait. "
Dane marched out of a side door while brushing some dust off his brown beard.
[Dane] - "So I heard you needed to see me. What seems to be the problem? "
Said Dane as he pressed a button which activated the two gun turrets around Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "I'm here to talk about your father, Doctor Ethan. "
Dane appeared shocked to hear about his father, but he quickly dismissed his surprise.
[Dane] - "Let's talk in my office. "
Once inside the office, Kadyn gently pushed Ethan's holographic recording toward Dane on his desk. Yet, there was doubt and fear in Dane's eyes as he hurriedly took the device before activating an energy shield between him and Kadyn. With a skeptical look, Dane picked up the small device and inspected its design.
[Kadyn] - "Your father, doctor Ethan, wanted you to have this. "
[Dane] - "This is his design, alright. "
Said Dane as he carelessly threw the device into the trash bin.
[Kadyn] - "Hey! What's that for? "
Yelled Kadyn as she stood up and angrily slammed her palms against the desk.
[Dane] - "The old buster didn't even bother to visit my mother when she died. God damn son of a bitch has been absent my whole life since I was a boy. "
Said Dane with a spiteful look in his voice.
[Kadyn] - "Yet, he helped us. He might not be the best father, but the last person he thought about when he died was you. He regretted leaving his family behind to chase after his own ambition. "
[Dane] - "Regret won't pay for his absence! "
Yelled Dane as he angrily slammed his fist against his desk.
[Kadyn] - "Mister Ethan had no choice! If he dared to even think about leaving the empire, he would be executed. Either he stays until his death, or he leaves in a body bag, and the latter recently became his fate. I will not allow you to insult that man in such a way! "
Upon being fed with all this information, Dane quickly began to turn his curiosity toward Kadyn.
[Dane] - "How the hell do ya know my father? Who are ya? "
Said Dane as he observed Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "I'm Kadyn, your father worked on my creation, alongside my sisters. "
[Dane] - "So you are a king-slayer unit– That's what we refer to as your kind in the Allied Forces. So I suppose you'd understand my caution here... "
Said Dane as he gestured at the shield between him and her.
[Dane] - "I've heard stories about your kind, the engineered killers capable of killing thousands without remorse. No offence, but I ain't takin' any chance here. "
Said Dane lightheartedly.
Upon seeing Dane's caution and attitude toward her, Kadyn frowned her eyebrows in frustration.
[Kadyn] - "So that's how you see me, as this bloody monster who kills without remorse. I came to deliver a message left for you by your father. I carried the body of the man who killed your faction's mortal enemy. I had thousands of opportunities to kill you ever since I met you earlier, yet this is how you see me? "
Hissed Kadyn in a shocked voice as she leaned in closer.
With a look of visible panic on his face, Dane began to recoil in his seat away from Kadyn.
[Dane] - "The KD-series assassins are infamous for the right reasons. I hope you understand that our past encounters with your type didn't leave a lot of pretty memories. "
Said Dane firmly without a crack in his stance.
[Kadyn] - "These monsters you speak of are not my sisters! My sisters died at the hands of these monsters! What do you know about me to assume I'm like them? "
Screamed Kadyn angrily as she tapped her hands on the desk.
[Dane] - "What difference is there? Y'all are the same, the same blonde hair, the same height, the same face. What makes ya so different? Ya got all these savage weapons, and even your attitude is that of a savage beast. "
Said Dane mockingly as he eyed Kadyn with disgust.
[Kadyn] - "You bloody pricks are all the same... In all this world, only Mike ever understood me. You just look at me and assume what I am. A monster, a beast, an abomination... That's all the vocabulary you can spare to describe me. "
Said Kadyn as her heart ached with sorrow.
With gritted teeth, Kadyn wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve.
[Kadyn] - "Screw you! Screw all of you! "
Screamed Kadyn as she began to weep into her hands.
Like a wounded puppy, Kadyn pulled her legs toward her body and used Mike's coat to wrap herself in her seat.
[Kadyn] - "I just want a family with my husband... I wanted nothing more. Now, I have nothing, I'm just existing for the sake of existing. "
Whimpered Kadyn in a ball.
Though Dane was initially firm in his stance, the sight of a girl crying with such heartbreaking sorrow moved him. He might be hostile toward people like Kadyn, but he is still a man capable of empathy after all. If Kadyn were truly nothing more than a ruthless killer, then what justifies her sadness and action? There were simply emotions too human to ignore in her voice.
[Dane] - "Sigh... Are you... alright? "
Said Dane hesitantly.
Paying no mind to his question, Kadyn kept crying in her seat. Though Dane knew she might still be dangerous, he couldn't help but only see a broken girl weeping in her seat. By the end, Dane's humanity prevailed as he lowered the shield and pushed a box of tissues toward Kadyn.
[Dane] - "Look, I'm sorry if I came off a bit harsh. I want to believe that you might be different than what I see you as, so here, please take some tissues. "
Said Dane in a compassionate voice.
Slowly, Kadyn reached out and grabbed a few tissues to clean her face. Yet, the sobbing continued under the cover of her coat.
[Dane] - "To be clear, you came here to bring me my father's will. But look, as an apology, I will help you in the ways I can. "
[Kadyn] - "Just look after him. Make sure people know what he did and that he didn't die for nothing. "
Muttered Kadyn with her face still pressed against her knees.
[Dane] - "What exactly is your relationship with the Grand Knight? Was he your... "
Said Dane, not daring to finish his sentence out of disbelief.
[Kadyn] - "Yes, he is my husband. "
Interjected Kadyn.
Dane fell back onto his seat in shock and disbelief as he inspected Kadyn to see if she was lying or not.
[Dane] - "Well, I ain't surprised. It's quite natural for someone of his rank to have concubines. I mean, you ain't bad yourself. "
[Kadyn] - "It's a monogamy, you bloody bastard! "
Said Kadyn as she threw a death stare in Dane's direction.
[Dane] - "Oh, in that case, I assure ya he's in good hands. Look, from what I understand, I seriously owe ya an apology. See, I wasn't aware you were the widow of this great hero. "
Said Dane awkwardly.
[Kadyn] - "Cut the bullshit. Give him all the honour he deserves, and I will stay far away from you. If you are so scared of me, then make sure I don't have a reason to return here. "
Said Kadyn as she stared at Dane with spite in her eyes.
[Dane] - "Actually, we were thinkin' about usin' a machine on him to bring him back to life. It's an experimental biomass printer I designed to possibly revive fresh corpses by repairin' the damage they sustained through the 3D printing of their own cells. "
Kadyn suddenly extended out of her ball and stared at Dane with shock in her eyes.
[Kadyn] - "You can what? "
[Dane] - "Try to revive him, yeah. To our shock, when we analyzed his body, we discovered that his corpse was still quite fresh, as if he had just died a minute ago. This machine is in its trial period, and we decided that it might be wise to attempt it on ya husband, if that's fine with ya. "
Kadyn instantly leaped out of her seat in excitement, her pupil growing as she leaned toward Dane with bated breath.
[Kadyn] - "Yes, do that! If you can revive him... If you can revive him, I'll be forever grateful to you people. Please do that, please do it before it's too late! "
Screamed Kadyn frantically at Dane.
[Dane] - "We'll be attemptin' the operation this afternoon. Rest assured, we'll let ya know the result immediately after. "
Kadyn abruptly grabbed Dane's hand and shook it excitedly while bowing her head in appreciation.
[Kadyn] - "Thank you, thank you! You have no idea how thankful I am! You saved my life, you saved my future! I'm forever indebted to you! "
Shocked by Kadyn's sudden shift in attitude, Dane quickly pulled his hand back and took a few steps back. Meanwhile, his other hand hovered above the shield's activation button.
[Kadyn] - "If you can truly bring him back to life, Mister Dane, I shall name one of our future children after you. "
Said Kadyn as she clasped her hands in excitement.
Upon seeing the genuine joy and excitement in Kadyn's eyes, Dane couldn't help but finally let his guard down. As he noticed the cute smile on Kadyn's face, he couldn't help but feel his heart melt. Even Dane couldn't deny the facts; seeing Kadyn happy is like seeing a ray capable of defeating any darkness. Maybe his doubts about her were unfounded after all.
To be continued...