As the sun settled below the horizon, the city was once again caught in the chaos of another massacre by its butcher. Like ants beneath a human's boot, people could only hide and run as the inevitable blade of the rapture descended from the sky. There was a loud crash, and then there was silence. In that single strike that flattened a whole street worth of condos, Astroboy had killed over 400 people. Yet, there was no remorse or guilt in his eyes as he acted with impunity.
There was hatred in Kadyn's eyes as she watched the cyberknight slaughter the helpless from afar. However, as the hand of Kadyn's friends tapped on her shoulders, she was reminded once again that her fight was elsewhere, as much as she wanted to confront the brute in the sky. As the group moved forward, both Christos and Michalis paused to touch their fleet's insignia on their armour.
[Michalis] - "May your wrath strike that monster down, Goddess. "
Said Michalis as he stared up at the starry night sky.
Moving through the silent streets with a face hidden under a hood, Kadyn led her team through the ruined buildings toward the Central Tower. Yet, strangely, even as Astroboy saw the suspicious movements between the ruins, he pretended not to notice as he continued with his task. However, even as everything seemed to have been smooth sailing until now, there was still a feeling of unease in Kadyn's heart. Her sixth sense was screaming at her even as her other five senses seemed to be at peace. There is simply a vector Kadyn couldn't see in this whole affair, but what other choice does she have other than to brace forward toward destiny?
As the Central Tower appeared in their eyesight, Kadyn and her comrades knew it was time for them to split up.
[Kadyn] - "This is where we must part ways, my friends. "
Whispered Kadyn, a slight tone of melancholy in her voice.
As Kadyn stared at the people who risked everything to get here just so they could fight by her side, she couldn't help but feel emotional, knowing some of them might never return in one piece. At the beginning, she was but a lost girl with no one, but now, she was surrounded by friends and allies from across the world, all gathered here to fight for a just cause.
Slowly, Kadyn stepped toward Dane's team and stared at the men in the eyes.
[Kadyn] - "Dane, good luck on your side. And Michalis, and Christos... Athena protects, and we shall endure. "
Muttered Kadyn with a nod.
Surprised by Kadyn's words, both Michalis and Christos felt a jolt in their heart as the prayer only they chanted was recited back at them.
[Michalis and Christos] - "May she protect you, while we endure. "
Said Michalis with a salute.
[Dane] - "We'll do our best, partner. "
As the sentry girl held the sewer cap open, Micahlis, Christos, followed by Dane all slowly climbed down into the depths below. Then, Kadyn turned to McCree and Senju.
[Kadyn] - "Old friends, I know we didn't have much time to properly party for our reunion, but I'm glad you came for me. I have so many things to say, but so little time to speak. And now, it is again time to say goodbye. "
Said Kadyn, a sad expression in her eyes.
McCree smiled before stepping forward to comfort Kadyn with a pat on the shoulder.
[McCree] - "We'll talk after this, partner, I promise it. I've got a wild tale to share with ya of how I got here. "
[Senju] - "And just in case, Kadyn-sensei, I wish to say it was an honour to have met you and fought by your side. "
Said Senju as he bowed at Kadyn in respect.
[Kadyn] - "Mhm! "
Said Kadyn as she tried to hold back her tears.
With these final exchanges, Senju and McCree quickly vanished into the night as their shadow blended in with the ruins. Finally, as Kadyn turned around, she faced the three men in her team. In Imperial military tradition, it was expected of a commander to make at least a small speech to their men before a dangerous mission.
[Kadyn] - "Eh... "
Kadyn paused as she failed to find the proper words to say. Earlier, her speeches came naturally, but she was now somehow met with a brain fog. However, Mike's ghost placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned toward her ear.
[Mike] - "Let me handle this, then. "
Speaking through Kadyn, Mike begins to utter a speech akin to the legendary words he conveyed to his men during the Sundering.
[Kadyn] - "Us four are gathered here, not out of misfortune, but out of the call of destiny. We are people who, even at our lowest, stood against the test of our will. This is why we are here: to destroy the monsters who sought to bring humanity to its knees. Our duty as soldiers, men, is to do what is right without fear. Just as we fought at the walls of the palace during the Sundering, we stand defiant until victory! "
Said Kadyn with a stern look of a leader in her eyes.
[Kadyn] - "So, Forger of Worlds, Son of the Kraken, and the Knightly Father of a sanctuary, are you willing to give your life one more time as warriors to defend humanity in its darkest hours? "
Said Kadyn as she adopted the fiery tone of her husband.
As soon as Kadyn finished her sentence, both Nilsson and Voss stood to attention and honoured her with a formal military salute. It was a sentence that touched both Marines in their depths, as Kadyn managed to perfectly utter the words in the same tone as Mike once did. Even Oltevin, who's not very familiar with the Imperial tradition, found himself crudely imitating the same gesture as his two Marine comrades.
[Voss] - "Arch-mother, permission to remove my helmet. "
[Kadyn] - "Eh... Permission granted? "
Said Kadyn, unsure of Voss's intent.
Voss instantly took off his helmet and wiped the tears from his eyes before quickly putting it back on; the sight of Mike through Kadyn was simply too overwhelming for Voss to bear. The scene shocked Kadyn and Oltevin as they had never seen an Imperial Marine cry before. However, Voss didn't linger on his emotions as he immediately regained his cool.
[Voss] - "We move forward. "
Said Voss with a nod.
So is the courage of those willing to confront the odds, even if they are against them. Yet, what are courage, faith and humanity against animosity, ambition and hatred? Even as Kadyn walked, the path she took felt similar to the one that had previously failed her. Looking ahead, the sight of the Central Tower reminded her of her crusade toward the Government Tower back in Trump City. The only difference this time was the fact that she had allies and no mindless mob to oppose her.
However, will this be enough? Will retaking this same path with a different mindset and gear change anything? Even as the resolve shone inside Kadyn's eyes, will the cruel reality finally bulge against her desperation and pleas?
[KD-554] - "No! "
Said KD-554 as the light of a hologram reflected off her face.
[KD-554] - "No, Astroboy, your orders are to stay far away from the Central Tower. I want them to come, I want that disgusting, rotting, FILTH OF A SISTER to come to me. "
Yelled KD-554 to Astroboy's holographic projection.
[Astroboy] - "Your convoluted games will cost you dearly. One mistake and... "
With one loud slam of her hands, KD-554 leaned forward and cut Astroboy off mid-sentence.
[KD-554] - "I DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES! "
Yelled KD-554 with an unhinged look in her eyes.
The abruptness of KD-554's outburst even made Astroboy silent for a moment. With an amused chuckle, KD-554 then assumed a calmer demeanour despite the rage inside that still made her eyelid twitch.
[KD-554] - "I do not make mistakes! There is no mistake with me... "
Said KD-554 before a smile appeared on her cheeks.
As the smile kept stretching further and further, it eventually grew out of proportion as her mouth tore apart her cheeks and exposed the rows of jagged teeth inside her mouth.
[KD-554] - "If I had made a mistake, then she would've been gone already. Yet, here she still is... Ever the delusional cunt she is, thinking she could take me on. KD-555 is a dumb piece of shit... "
[Astroboy] - "I don't give a fuck... I don't have the time to listen to you ramble. "
Interjected Astroboy while rolling his eyes.
Ignoring Astroboy's lack of respect, KD-554 continued by digging her fingers into her face.
[KD-554] - "...She thinks she can challenge the impossible. She has no idea what I have become... "
Said KD-554 as she pulled on her face and tore it apart.
[Astroboy] - "Leave me out of your boring monologues. "
Said Astroboy, annoyed.
Suddenly, massive teeth shot out of KD-554's face in a grotesque display of her polymorphic powers. One moment, her face was discerningly human, and the next, the visage of an eldritch horror took its place. Aside from the thousands of sharp little teeth, a searing red iris burned at the edge of the darkness, radiating hatred so powerful, it painted the world in the crimson of blood, spilled out of revenge.
At that moment, even the likes of Astroboy flinched in fear as he felt something beyond human in her appearance. As much as Astroboy tried to rationalize the sight, his usually calm mind simply refused to settle down. There was simply something unnatural, a presence that was both unsettling and, strangely, calming.
At that moment, Astroboy seemed to catch a glimpse of the future in KD-554's burning red eyes. He saw KD-554's plans and the horrific implications of them, but what truly shocked him was the sight of every single future outcome for the fight to come. Out of the infinite branches of the future, he only saw Kadyn's defeat and KD-554's victory. However, what truly terrified Astroboy was the sight of his own inevitable death... his fate.
For the first time in his life, Astroboy let out a whimper of fear as he lost balance and fell onto the roof of a random building.
[KD-554] - "I'm fated to win! BECAUSE MY TRIUMPH IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME! She will not break the laws of this world any longer... "
Yelled KD-554 with a voice that seemed to echo across time and space.
At the same time, the crystal on Kadyn's chest began to glow as if responding to KD-554's words.
[Astroboy] - "Wha– What was that? What the FUCK is that? "
Screamed Astroboy as shivers ran through his body.
Gradually, the glow from KD-554's irises toned down in brightness while her face slowly reshaped itself.
[KD-554] - "What? I don't... What was that sensation? "
Said KD-554 as she seemed confused about what had just occurred.
After reshaping her face, KD-554 grabbed her head in confusion as she tried to piece together what had happened.
[KD-554] - "Shit... That felt great. I'm not sure what that was, but I fucking love it! "
Exclaimed KD-554 while Astroboy remained paralyzed by fear.
Turning toward the window, KD-554 stared in Kadyn's general direction with a confident smirk. Though Kadyn might not know it, since Light City was also under KD-554's administration beforehand, the same inescapable surveillance system exists all across the city, just like back in Trump City. Meaning, Kadyn and her team were walking into a trap as an exact repeat of the events in Trump City.
Meanwhile, as Kadyn's crystal radiated its dark light as brightly as ever, Voss began to notice a ghostly shape in his vision. Though Voss dismissed it as just his imagination, he couldn't help but see his lord, Mike, walking beside Kadyn as a faint apparition.
On the other side, Michalis and Christos walked without problem through the dirtier parts of the sewer system, while Dane had to fight his urge to puke at the stench.
[Christos] - "Hang in there, my friend. "
Said Christos as he patted Dane's back.
[Dane] - "Damn easy for ya to say with yer masks. "
Said Dane as he shot a side eye toward Christos.
With a movement of his eye, Christos signalled for his helmet to communicate with Michalis, who was scouting ahead.
[Christos] - "Any hostile? "
[Michalis] - "Negative! "
Said Michalis as he scanned the tunnel ahead.
As the rear elements, consisting of Dane and Christos, caught up with Michalis and Sentry Girl, the group quickly began to move through the empty passage.
[Christos] - "Say, what will the Goddess think if we accidentally shot at civilians. "
[Michalis] - "We don't shoot by accident. I will only kill armed combatants as per the oath of the 9th fleet. "
Said Michalis without taking his eyes off the path forward.
[Christos] - "What if they alert the others? Say you don't shoot an unarmed woman, and she alerts the rest. What then? "
[Michalis] - "So be it. If you're so keen to shoot at unarmed civilians, then go join the ranks of the Blitz Marines. The Goddess intended for us to be humanitarians and soldiers of ethics and integrity. "
Said Michalis with an unrelenting expression in his eyes.
[Dane] - "Big words coming from the guy who suggested using a home-made nuke earlier. "
[Michalis] - "I was wrong. Earlier, upon seeing the cyberknight slaughtering the city's helpless population, I was reminded of who I am. I'm a Falling Spartan; the protection of civilians and ensuring the future of this world is as important as any of my missions. "
[Christos] - "But this mission requires us to succeed, no matter the– "
Before Christos could finish his sentence, Michalis abruptly turned around and pointed his finger at Christos's Falling Spartan insignia.
[Michalis] - "I've fought through the Cleansing Crusade, the Luciferian Sundering, and never once, even in the most desperate of times, did any of us sacrifice innocent lives to accomplish a mission! And let me tell you this, Christos, I have not failed a single mission so far because of my integrity. "
Yelled Michalis with anger in his voice.
Even Christos was shocked by Michalis's change of attitude. Instead of the childish soldier he always seemed like, Michalis became a whole different person when put into action.
[Michalis] - "You have experienced none of the situations I have been through since you became a Marine toward the end of the crusade, so for the final time– Do not question me on my methods! Otherwise, take off your insignias and fuck off! "
Yelled Michalis as he tapped the tip of his carbine against Christos's shoulder.
Suddenly, the sound of gunfire echoed through the sewers as a civilian militia ambushed the group. While Christos fumbled with his carbine, Michalis instantly turned around and fired several shots from his weapon. Without a miss, every armed enemy was but a headless corpse on the ground, while those unfit to fight were spared. Upon witnessing how deadly the Marine is, the women and the elderly quickly dropped their makeshift weapons and surrendered.
[Michalis] - "Pay attention, you Bulgarian farmer. "
Said Michalis as he advanced toward the disarmed enemies.
With his carbine attached to his belt, Michalis grabbed the first woman and tied her hands together before attaching her to a metal pipe. Then, as Michalis moved to restrain an old man, he abruptly pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed toward Michalis. However, with lightning-fast reflexes, Michalis caught his hand and squeezed until he dropped his knife.
For a moment, both Dane and Christos thought Michalis was going to snap the old man's bone with his powerful hand, but shockingly, the Marine showed restraint as he gently dealt with the old man without anger. By the end, all the spared militia fighters were tied to pipes and properly restrained without further casualties.
[Michalis] - "Fret not, we'll come back to free you all when our job is done. "
Announced Michalis to the prisoners.
Without another word or further delay, Michalis immediately resumed his steps ahead of the group, leaving both Dane and Christos stunned by his dedication to his fleet's methodology.
[Christos] - "Forgive me, Goddess, as I lacked both zeal and integrity. I shall learn, from now on, to be a better and proper Spartan. "
Said Christos with his hands in prayer toward the sky.
[Michalis] - "Start by getting an education, Bulgarian farmer. "
Taunted Michalis.
Taken by surprise, Christos took a few seconds to process the insult before anger abruptly hit his mind.
[Christos] - "Ah, fuck you, you stupid Turkish bastard! "
Yelled Christos as he and Dane moved to catch up.
Meanwhile, in the sewer tunnels leading West, Senju and McCree moved through knee-deep sewage before finally finding a walkway to stand on.
[McCree] - "Gonna need a damn good shower once we get out of here. "
Said McCree as he climbed onto the cement walkway.
[Senju] - "That should be the least of our concerns as of now. "
Muttered Senju as McCree pulled him onto the walkway.
[McCree] - "Say, partner, what plan do ya got once we get outta here? I don't plan on retiring any time soon, if you're wondering. "
[Senju] - "I did not wonder about you. Just do anything other than going back to Jagger or betraying us again. "
Said Senju in an annoyed tone.
[McCree] - "Ah, come on, ya still bitter about that? I came back to the light side, didn't I? "
Said McCree with a hint of enthusiasm.
[Senju] - "Audrey died because of your fuck ups! Can we bring her back from the dead? "
Said Senju in a bitter voice.
McCree's optimism suddenly faded with these words as he realized his ignorance. He can try to redeem himself, but no matter what he does, what wound he created will always bear scars.
[Senju] - "But this is not the time for this. "
Said Senju as he suddenly put his hand on McCree's shoulder.
[Senju] - "I might not forgive today, but that doesn't mean I hold a grudge against you. Without you, we might never be able to learn of Kadyn's predicament and come to her aid. So yeah, my friend, redemption might not come today, but you're on the right path. Let's do this, for those we lost and for those we wish to protect, okay? "
McCree raised his gaze, his soul energized by Senju's sincere words.
[McCree] - "Ya bet! Let's go get that mother fucker! "
Said McCree, his gaze filled with resolve.
At the same time, as the three groups bravely advanced without fear toward their objectives, Ulric and Ella guarded and took care of Ari at the hideout. With an emotionless look in her eyes, Ella spoon-fed Ari her meal through the tube going down her throat. As Ella exchanged a glance with Ari, she wondered about the original appearance and personality of the husk she was taking care of. After staring for a while, inside Ari's empty gaze, Ella somewhat found a sense of shared pain as she felt just as hollow as her patient.
[Ella] - "Your sister... the Dark Angel of Retribution– Is such an amazing person. No matter the hardship, no matter the circumstance, she always seemed to sport a smile and a level of optimism I could never hope to possess. "
Ella put down the empty bowl of porridge before grabbing a chair to sit in front of Ari. Though Ella figured that Ari was probably beyond any semblance of a conscience, she still decided to talk to her.
[Ella] - "It's so strange, don't you think? Siblings from the same womb, but all so different from each other. Your sister is like my brother, both fighters who will never give up. Meanwhile, we are the lost and the damned, both unable to help even when our hearts scream for us to fight. "
Said Ella in a depressed voice.
Looking down in shame, Ella grabbed Ari's hand as if she were confessing her sins.
[Ella] - "But what excuse do I have? I can fight, unlike you, yet I'm hiding here. Judging by your lineage, you must be a great woman just like your sister. Meanwhile, I'm a nobody, a coward and a scared little girl. "
Whispered Ella in a scornful voice.
Ella squeezed Ari's hand and pretended that it was her dead mother's hand. As tears dripped down Ella's cheeks with the memory of her parents, Ulric turned into the room and saw his sister in her current state.
[Ella] - "I just need someone to tell me I can do it... "
Whispered Ella under her breath.
As Ulric tried to approach Ella, he was met with the disapproving gaze of his sister. Under her broken stare, Ulric's resolve crumbled as he knew that he alone could not bring the inspiration his sister needed to stand back up. Regrettably, Ulric could only nod in acceptance and defeat before leaving his sister the room she needed.
Once out of the room, Ulric could only clench his gun in frustration as he felt that he could've at least said something to comfort his sister. However, he was defeated by the doubt in his heart and chose the coward's way out of that situation.
At the same time, as Kadyn's three teams approached their objectives, KD-554 finally felt that it was time to make her first announcement of the night. With a few taps against the microphone on her desk, KD-554 approached the speaker and opened her mouth.
[KD-554] - "Greetings again, people of Light City! In light of our butcher's subpart performance tonight, we will be arriving short of the goal of 10,000 random kills. So, as a proposal, I will present to you the location of a target of interest. If you manage to kill the target, then I shall show mercy on tonight's goal. Stay tuned for my announcement. "
Said KD-554 before ending her speech with a delighted grin.
To be continued...