Michalis stood towering over Xavier, the blank stare of his emotionless visor casting a judgment over the man's shocked face. As a gesture of his unwillingness to enact violence, Michalis took his finger off the trigger of his carbine and lowered its muzzle toward the ground.
[Michalis] - "It's a battle you cannot win, so make the right decision. Sooner or later, my allies will put an end to this madness. Right now, I need you and all those people to trust me and my actions, despite your desperation. "
Said Michalis, his voice echoing through the crowd like thunder.
Behind Michalis, Christos noticed a few wounded men and women from the fighting screaming in pain as blood leaked out of their wounds. As he moved toward them, the crowd didn't dare to stand in his way and moved around to curiously watch what was about to happen next. Kneeling down, Christos moved the servo-arms on his back forward and grabbed a man's bleeding leg.
[Man] - "Aaaarh! "
Screamed the man as he recoiled in fear.
[Christos] - "Please bear it for a moment. I will cauterize this wound so the bleeding will stop. I'm not here to hurt you, just let me help. "
Assured Christos as he took off his helmet.
Upon seeing the human face behind the armour, the man seemed to feel a little more at ease as he reluctantly allowed Christos to help him.
Meanwhile, Xavier trembled in fear as he slowly backed away from Michalis. Being one of the survivors of the Allied Forces' failed campaign in Europe, Xavier witnessed the Imperial Marines' inhuman powers firsthand and was left with severe scars from his encounter. As Xavier tried to back away even more, Michalis suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. Yet, instead of feeling his bones being crushed by the Marine's strength, Xavier only felt a gentle force that held him from collapsing to the ground.
[Michalis] - "I can see that you and most of the civilians here aren't men who were lost to the corruption of that monster in the tower. The fact that you can reason with me here and show fear confirms to me that you still believe in hope and salvation. So please, stop this carnage and allow us to help. "
Said Michalis as he gently let go of Xavier's shoulder.
Yet, even with his freedom, Xavier didn't flee. It was not because he didn't fear the warrior in a death suit, but because a part of him still believed in hope.
[Xavier] - "How can I trust you? How could there be anyone capable of challenging a– a Goddess of Hatred, allied with gods who can– who can kill thousands with their bare hands? I would've believed you if politicians were in that tower, but this... Is possibly even beyond the likes of you. "
Said Xavier, his face filled with the grimace of dread.
[Michalis] - "For every evil God, there is a good one. Submit not to the intimidation of malicious beings, but hold your heads high in faith of the benevolent ones. This is how we will win, this is why you will live to see the next sunrise. "
Said Michalis before raising his head and pointing toward the sky.
[Michalis] - "From where I came from, I once served under a Goddess. Her name is Athena, the Goddess of War and Humanity. Hold her name in your prayers, and she will guide us through these darkest hours. Have faith, friend. Stand for others who couldn't. Stand, knowing none of you have been abandoned! "
Said Michalis outloud as he looked around at the crowd.
The fact that Michalis took his time to reason and discuss with him, even though he could've carved a bloody path through, made Xavier understand something. Even to the eyes of an inhuman warrior like the Imperial Marines, he and his army still mattered as people. Even if he didn't believe Michalis' faith or words, Xavier no longer possessed the appetite to fight under the threat of an evil Goddess. He'd rather resist as a human than die as a rabid animal.
One of Xavier's subordinates approached him and whispered in his ear.
[man] - "Sir, what should we do? "
Looking around, Xavier noticed how many in the horde of civilians dropped their weapons and began to chant silent prayers. As he looked up at the Imperial Marine, Xavier no longer felt fear, but inspiration.
[man] - "Sir? Should we... "
[Xavier] - "We are not cattle! "
Said Xavier abruptly.
Xavier turned toward his subordinate and pushed many of his men aside to let Michalis move through.
[Xavier] - "We are men! We do not submit to the cruelty of such monsters! We are all civilized men, capable of thoughts and reason! Enough of this bloodshed, enough of this horror! We are not savages, we are people! We are people, and we choose not to play your game anymore, KD-554! "
Yelled Xavier as he accusedly pointed his finger at the Central Tower.
As Michalis walked past Xavier, he placed a hand on his shoulder.
[Michalis] - "Stand tall, soldier. The Goddess protects, and we shall endure. "
With a wave, Michalis signalled for Dane and Christos to follow him toward the building.
At the same time, inside, having not yet received the ceasefire from Xavier, the armed civilians kept pushing toward the bedroom. Despite Ivanovich's best efforts, he was already wounded with several gunshots. As he fired and killed another attacker, Ivanovich finally couldn't hold on anymore, and he collapsed onto the carpet.
[Ella] - "Mister! "
Yelled Ella as she rushed to Ivanovich and tried to drag him away.
[Ivanovich] - "It's too late, child. Just let me be. "
With a grunt, Ivanovich pulled free from Ella's grasp and fell against the floor.
[Ella] - "Mister... Please know that– that me and brother are forever in your debt. "
Cried Ella as she allowed Ivanovich's head to rest on her thighs.
[Ivanovich] - "Haha... No, kid, just... just pass on the word. I've lived my life as a faithless man, sinning in crimes and malice. I'm a crook that doesn't need to be remembered– "
Ivanovich coughed violently before resuming his speech.
[Ivanovich] - "However, I need you to continue with the only good thing I have done. Complete my book, give people hope. Let no one ever fall into despair because they couldn't see hope. Can I trust you with that, kid? "
Said Ivanovich in a weak voice.
[Ella] - "You can trust me, sir. "
Sobbed Ella, while nodding.
Despite barely knowing Ivanovich, Ella couldn't help but shed a tear at the sacrifice of the man who saved both her and her brother.
[Ivanovich] - "It's up to you now, kid. "
Said Ivanovich before he closed his eyes for the last time.
Before Ella could even mourn for Ivanovich, another set of boots approached the room. Without hesitation, Ella grabbed the pistol given to her by Nilsson and aimed it at the door. Yet, as the figures moved closer, Ella suddenly noticed the familiar sound of Marine boots on wooden floor. As the massive stature of Michalis appeared at the door, Ella breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her gun. As fear and stress finally caught up to Ella, she began to cry uncontrollably.
[Michalis] - "How's the situation? "
Said Michalis as he squeezed through the door.
[Ella] - "I'm fine! Just– Please save my brother! "
Yelled Ella as she pointed toward her dying brother.
[Michalis] - "Christos! Quickly, get in here! "
Screamed Michalis as Christos quickly rushed to the bedroom.
While Ulric was being carried gently out of the room by Christos, Ella began to weep against Michalis's armour.
[Michalis] - "Don't worry, Christos will do his best to save him. Have faith! "
Said Michalis in a comforting tone.
[Ella] - "It's all because of me! I was the one who didn't step up when he was fighting alone. "
Cried Ella as she slapped her palm against Michalis' chestplate.
Suddenly, the weapon suitcase on Michalis's back began to rock back and forth as if something was trapped in it. Alarmed, Michalis quickly dismounted the suitcase from his back and put it down on the ground. With a cautious look, Michalis prepared to grab whatever came out of the suitcase with one hand while opening it with the other. As the cover popped open, Demetri, the young boy he interacted with earlier in the communication tower, leaped out of the suitcase, gasping for air.
With sweat dripping down his face and a body baked red by the heat, Demetri slowly crawled out of the suitcase and stretched his limbs in pain.
[Michalis] - "How did you... Demetri? "
Said Michalis in shock.
[Demetri] - "I'm sorry, sir... But... I really don't want to be alone. "
Said Demetri apologetically while looking to the side.
With a sigh, Michalis stared at the suitcase and then at Demetri. Then, instead of anger, Michalis suddenly began to laugh. It was more of a pleasant surprise than an inconvenience as Michalis saw a lot of potential in the boy.
[Demetri] - "Eh... Sir? You're not mad at me? "
Said Demetri, confused.
[Michalis] - "Mad? No, young one. Honestly, if you're able to hide in there despite the dangers and manage to arrive here unnoticed by me, you deserve to stay. "
Said Michalis as he took off his helmet.
[Demetri] - "Really, sir? "
Said Demetri with excitement in his eyes.
[Michalis] - "With this level of commitment, I suppose you have chosen your future path. The 9th fleet welcomes you. Once you come of age, you shall be forged into an Imperial Marine. "
Said Michalis before patting Demetri on the head.
[Demetri] - "I won't disappoint you, sir! "
[Michalis] - "Make me proud by making it into the 1st division like me. Don't end up like that bum out there, stuck in the 6th division while being a nerd. "
Said Michalis as he pointed outside the room.
[Christos] - "I heard that, you bastard! "
Cursed Christos without delay.
Both Demetri and Michalis shared a laugh while dodging a cup thrown their way by Christos. With the sight before her eyes, even Ella began to feel hopeful as her grief was slowly replaced by a slight smile. Time after time, when hope was nowhere to be found, it appeared to her without fail at the last moment. Perhaps this was the divine response Ivanovich was talking about.
[Ella] - "Angels of the skies, Goddess of the Spartans, Dark Angel of Retribution, heed my call. Protect us, guide us to salvation. Let hope live despite this darkness. "
Whispered Ella as she closed her hands together in prayer.
Meanwhile, inside KD-554's cinema room, Astroboy's face was ice cold with fury and disgust as he watched the peaceful resolution happen between the Marines and the civilians. Most infuriatingly, the way Xavier declared his defiance toward KD-554 struck a nerve deep inside Astroboy's psyche. It stung him especially hard, considering it meant a normal human no longer feared him.
While KD-554 scoffed at the disrespect, knowing it amounted to nothing, Astroboy abruptly stood up and stormed out of the room. As soon as Astroboy moved out of KD-554's sight, he clenched his fists in anger. He wanted to show these pesky civilians, these worms unworthy of his gaze, their rightful place. Yet, the moment he wanted to act on his frustration, Astroboy was reminded of KD-554's mockery of him, how she disrespected him because he was unable to control his impulses.
Astroboy took a breath, trying to calm himself down. However, with how his pride was already wounded by KD-554's abuses so far, the bitterness within his heart soon began to boil. Soon, Astroboy's lips, eyelids and eyebrows were visibly twitching with barely contained anger. He remembered how respected he was back in the days, with even Grand Cardinal Knights bowing to him out of respect. Regular humans? He wouldn't even see them roam around him. He was a king who didn't share a floor with cockroaches.
Astroboy remembered his childhood, when he used to dream about going to space and flying as high as the anime hero, Astroboy, from which he got his namesake. His family praised him, his friends hailed him, and his tutors learned from him. He was a genius as a normal kid, and then, he was a prodigy as a cyberknight. He was the first Grand Cardinal Knight ever, the first to shake hands with the Emperor for his excellence. It was a glorious life Astroboy conquered through hard work and perseverance, not through favour or nepotism. He can raise his chin all he wants because he worked for his position.
Yet, the part of his story he didn't want to acknowledge was the main reason for his downfall. Standing so high, Astroboy was confident, thinking he was already perfect and could never be dethroned. But he was not arrogant, as he continued to try to improve his ability and strive to be stronger. However, despite how hard he trained, how much of a prodigy he was compared to his peers, he was defeated by a teenage boy.
Mike, a quiet, unknown boy, challenged Astroboy when he was humiliating some servants who didn't bring him the right flavour of tea. How dare the dumb fucking kid dare to step up to him, thought Astroboy. Yet, that boy was not just some ordinary person. The moment Mike opened his mouth, it was not some rookie ability, but a single phrase that petrified Astroboy in his boots.
"Existential Judgement... "
Even with his years of experience and endless training, Astroboy didn't manage to develop an ability that could be categorized as an 'Existential Judgement'-type ability. Then, there he was, kneeling in a pool of blood while his peers mocked him. It didn't cross his mind back then that the other were not mocking him because of his humiliation, but because they despised his elitist behaviour. But to Astroboy, the idea that he was mocked because soly of his humiliation was the only narrative he could accept. After all, to him, strength was all that mattered.
Then, it went downhill from that point onward. Astroboy became obsessed with that humiliation to the point that it ruined his integrity. Even when faced with everyday situations that had no relation to his defeat, Astroboy would instinctively imagine that it did. He was no longer confident, no longer sure and extremely insecure about every facet of his life. When newer, younger, and more powerful cyberknights came to be, it led him to be defeated a second time by the prodigy Knight Athena.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Astroboy had fallen so far from grace that Sniper had to assign him to KD-554 as her assistant in her plans to seed chaos in the North American continent. He wanted to object, but felt too ashamed to speak for himself. From there, his hatred festered. Astroboy's insecurity grew the longer he served. He wanted to return to the Empire and regain the respect he was owed, yet he feared that Athena or Mike would humiliate him again. In fact, Astroboy wished that someone in the Empire would just recognize him for his excellence if he did a good job here under KD-554.
However, when the Empire fell, that dream also shattered. He was now trapped here, with a crazed wench that he could not defy. At least he used to be equal to her, but now, even that was robbed from him. What exactly is he at this point? A cyberknight? No, that would at least mean some respect from those under him. A servant? No, at least servants still have their dignity. A slave? Perhaps... Who else gets mocked and defied by lowly civilians with no power? A slave, of course.
[Astroboy] - "A slave? Me? "
Whispered Astroboy with rage in his words.
Suddenly, his surroundings began to morph and warp. Men who came near Astroboy abruptly felt an immense pressure that crushed their lungs and bones.
[Astroboy] - "I'm the best of the best, a Grand Cardinal Knight! I was before the order was! A slave? A FUCKING ACCURSED SLAVE? ME? "
Uttered Astroboy with gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes.
Astroboy stepped forward as the walls began to crack, while the unfortunate victims of his fury began to be crushed into puddles. Mike had humiliated him once, then it continued without an end in sight until he was now reduced to nearly the prestige of a slave. Even a worthless sack of meat with a conscience now dared to defy him in his face.
With fire in his eyes, Astroboy no longer cared if KD-554 ordered him not to interfere with her game. Unlike with Ludovic, these people weren't even at least piloting a Titan. They were sacks of rotting flesh he could annihilate in the billions if he so desired. With a jump, Astroboy leaped out of the window, sending hypersonic shards of glass that decapitated skyscrapers upon impact. Across the sky, his passage left a sonic boom so powerful that it shattered all windows wherever he passed by.
[KD-554] - "Astroboy! What the hell do you think you are doing? "
Yelled KD-554 through Astroboy's earpiece.
Without hesitation, Astroboy crushed the earpiece between his fingers before continuing forward toward his destination. As he landed, the impact instantly kicked up a dust storm similar to a nuclear strike, instantly wiping a whole city sector off the map. Using his ability, he deliberately limited the destructive power of his impact, so he could show them fear personally. Arriving at the street filled with the civilian militia, Astroboy mercilessly swiped his arm and conjured a gust of wind that decapitated hundreds.
As blood pooled on the street, Astroboy kept a slow pace as he moved toward the rest that survived his initial strike. Many bravely tried to fire their guns at him, yet Astroboy's ability, wrapped around his body, automatically sent every bullet back to their owner with enough force to eviscerate their entire body on contact.
As a wounded man tried to crawl away from Astroboy, the cyberknight cruelly stepped toward him with a deliberately slow speed. By the time Astroboy reached him, he stepped on the poor man's leg, shattering it in a way that sent his severed foot flying out of sight. While the man screamed in horror and pain, Astroboy didn't even bother to look down at him.
[Astroboy] - "Die! "
Uttered Astroboy casually.
In an instant, the man's body exploded into a splash of red. Then, as the blood drops landed on Astroboy, they were sent around him with insane kinetic energy. To Xavier's horror, the men standing beside him were turned into Swiss cheese as the blood drops obliterated his body at a speed that took him at least a few seconds to realize.
[Astroboy] - "So you were the worm that dared to think you could defy us Gods? "
Said Astroboy while keeping his chin raised high.
At first, Astroboy didn't even feel the need to look at Xavier as he assumed the man would be trembling in fear like a twig. Yet, even as Astroboy grabbed Xavier by the neck, the answer he received was nothing like what he expected.
[Xavier] - "Hell awaits false Gods like you and your accursed master. "
This single comment made Astroboy finally stare at Xavier before he aggressively slammed Xavier into the ground.
[Astroboy] - "She's not my master! She's my fucking slave! She is as powerful as she is today because of me! Without me, she is nothing! "
Yelled Astroboy in anger.
[KD-554] - "Bold words from you, Astroboy. It really goes to show how right I was about you being nothing but an insecure little bitch. "
Said KD-554 as her face appeared on a large screen facing the street.
With a yell of rage, Astroboy threw Xavier into the screen, killing the poor man while destroying the screen. With a swipe of his hand, Astroboy brutally sent out another gust of wind that annihilated the rest of the people present on the street. Now, as the silence of death overtook the air, Astroboy eyed the apartment building with contempt.
[Astroboy] - "Fuck your game! Fuck you and your accursed bullshit! "
With an enraged scream, Astroboy smashed the wall open, revealing the hideout below. As Michalis raised his carbine and tried to fire, Astroboy abruptly appeared before him and drove his fist through the Marine's abdomen, leaving a large hole as he pulled away. Yet, as resilient as Michalis was, he still tried to attack Astroboy, who responded by sending him into the wall with a swing.
Seeing the situation, Ella quickly grabbed Demetri and pulled him away to safety. As Astroboy reached Christos, the Marine tried to strike at the cyberknight with his surgical tools, only to fall to the ground as he had been severed in half across the waist. Now standing over Ulric's body, undergoing an operation, Astroboy prepared to deliver a fatal blow, only to be stopped by KD-554's voice again.
[KD-554] - "You stop whatever the fuck you're doing this instant, or the world gets to know your shameful little secrets. "
Said KD-554 through the television in the living room.
The mere mention of these words stopped Astroboy in his tracks as he slowly turned his bloodlusted gaze toward the screen.
[KD-554] - "That's right, you winny little butthurt bitch. Want to have some formula to satiate your hunger? Do you need me to call mommy for you? "
Mocked KD-554 in a degrading tone.
[Astroboy] - "Go to hell! "
Yelled Astroboy in a spiteful expression.
[KD-554] - "It's not just people here, I mean. The world will know about how much of a bitch you are, Astroboy. Not to mention, you're a rogue cyberknight. Once the New National Empire knows you're here, they'll string you up in a cage and parade you around like a slave. Imagine you, naked and brutalized, crying while curled up in a ball inside a dirty, rusty cage. How humiliating would it be? "
Mocked KD-554 while making a pitiful face.
[Astroboy] - "AAAARGH! "
Screamed Astroboy before he leaped to the television and smashed into pieces.
Like a beast out of control, Astroboy then punched the wall with enough power that the aftershock of his attack collapsed the rest of the building in that direction.
[Astroboy] - "Heh... It's your lucky day, you fucking worms. But you won't escape judgement! Just know that your sorry little operation failed with your leader probably dead. "
Said Astroboy in a hateful voice.
Around the corner, Ella raised her pistol and fired at Astroboy, but he abruptly flew away so quickly that the bullet only struck the wall. It was probably for the best, as if the shot had landed, who knew what kind of consequence awaited Ella.
Yet, the devastation left by Astroboy soon hit Ella. Outside, the sheer amount of corpses caused a gradual blood waterfall to begin pouring into the exposed room. Meanwhile, the Marines' broken armour pieces lay across the room alongside their mangled bodies. Faced with the horror, Ella quickly covered Demetri's eyes and urged him back into the bedroom.
[Ella] - "No matter what, stay in here! Don't come outside! "
Though shocked and afraid, the boy nodded obediently before retreating into the bedroom. Meanwhile, Ella closed her eyes and chanted a small prayer under her breath to fortify her mind against the horror that threatened to break her mind. Yet, as she opened her eyes, she still couldn't help but scream when hit with the whiplash of the macabre scene before her.
[Christos] - "Hey, girl, come here! Help me up! "
Said Christos with difficulty.
[Ella] - "HUH? How... How are you still alive? "
In a panic, Ella rushed up to Christos, whose physiology had stopped him from bleeding to death. Yet, it was clear from the first look that Christos would not survive for long with half of his body missing.
[Christos] - "Hey, just help me up. Grab a chair for me. "
Ella quickly rushed to the kitchen, where he dusted off one of the chairs before running back to meet Christos. With great difficulty, Christos climbed onto the chair and slammed his wounded stub of an abdomen onto the seat. Without even adjusting himself, he immediately went back to finishing his operation on Ulric's chest.
[Ella] - "Jesus... How can you still function? "
Said Ella as she watched the gruesome scene in terror.
[Christos] - "That's not the main concern right now. Listen closely, because you need to remember everything I'm about to tell you. "
Said Christos as he held his body up while his servo-arms worked on Ulric.
As Christos looked through his bag, he cursed under his breath when he realized that Astroboy's strike against him had destroyed most of his antibiotics, except for two vials.
[Christos] - "Here, take these. If Michalis is still alive– "
Before Christos finished his sentence, they both heard Michalis groan as he slowly pulled himself out of the wall.
[Christos] - "Well, here, you need to administer these to him. Our Marine physiology allows us to survive grievous injuries, but not infections. He has a better chance at living than I do, so I want him to have these. "
Ella trembled visibly at the sight of a severed man handing her medicine vials, yet she still bravely accepted after some hesitation.
[Christos] - "And now, listen to me while I finish up your brother's surgery. Because I'm going to be dead within the next few hours. I will teach you a bit about medicine, and people will be counting on you, so listen well. "
Said Christos firmly as he struggled to keep his breath.
Though scared and unsure, Ella nonetheless swallowed her doubts and kneeled beside Christos to receive a quick lesson and his last instructions.
To be continued...