Kadyn's fingers gently glided against the veil of darkness surrounding her and Mike. No matter how hard she pushed, punched or stabbed at the invisible barrier, nothing seemed to work against her prison. Defeated, Kadyn walked back to the campfire and sat beside Mike.
[Kadyn] - "I don't understand this place. It's not the afterlife, the purgatory nor is it a physical prison. Could it be someone's ability? "
[Mike] - "If this was someone's ability, then resistance would be futile. This type of ability does exist. They are extremely rare and are only ever recorded on users who have exfoliated their crystals. Sniper is an example of this. His healing power, if uninterrupted, can keep him alive at a comparable speed to the damage inflicted on him. Meaning that under specific circumstances, he can heal at a speed beyond the speed of light. "
[Kadyn] - "Which is theoretically impossible since nothing can move faster than light. Exactly like this place we are in currently; A prison which is impossible, yet real. "
Said Kadyn as she connected Mike's words with their situation.
[Mike] - "Before you ask, my crystals aren't exfoliated. "
Said Mike as he poked the fire with a stick.
[Kadyn] - "Then looks like this will be our grave forever. "
Said Kadyn with a hint of defeat in her voice.
Suddenly, Mike noticed how the campfire seemed to lose a bit of strength as its flame seemed defeated. Memories of the past quickly flooded Mike's mind as he realized that for as long as he was conscious in this state, the flame seemed to dim or light up depending on Kadyn's mood. However, he needed more evidence to confirm his theory.
[Mike] - "Ya know, for the first time ever since my confinement here, I can feel a bit of warmth. "
[Kadyn] - "Me too... I'm glad you are still alive somewhere out there. "
[Mike] - "Physical warmth. In case you haven't noticed, the bloody fire ain't hot. "
Said Mike before plunging his hand into the flame.
At first, Kadyn panicked as she jumped in to pull Mike's arm out of the flame but quickly felt no pain as the fire emitted heat similar to the warmth of a touch.
[Mike] - "I'm a bloody ghost, remember? I can't feel anything, so I'm never warm. However, your mere presence made me feel what is like to be a living human. Your body heat is the only heat I can feel. "
Touched by Mike's words, Kadyn smiled before moving to sit closer beside him.
[Kadyn] - "Use my heat as much as you like. Maybe with enough of it, you can be brought back. "
As Kadyn tried her best to keep balance while pretending to lean against Mike's ghost, the flame before them began burning vigorously not with destructive rage, but with a beautiful orange fury.
[Mike] - "Just as I thought. Who else would keep my soul alive beyond my death but you? "
Said Mike before abruptly standing up.
[Kadyn] - "Huh? Are you saying... "
[Mike] - "This is your ability. How did I not think of this sooner? Take off your top. "
Ordered Mike as he pointed at Kadyn's chest.
[Kadyn] - "Oh? Has all this time spent in abstinence got you hungry? "
Said Kadyn playfully with a blush before unhesitantly pulling apart the clothes on the upper part of her body and revealing her chest in its entirety to Mike.
[Mike] - "How did you manage to do it? "
Instead of the blue crystal which was installed in Kadyn's chest, a pitch-black crystal was in its place, emitting a shadow which glowed like light. Cautiously, Mike approached Kadyn's chest to look closer. At closer inspection, Mike was shocked to see a void stretching across infinity through Kadyn's crystal. It was a darkness representing the absoluteness of nothing while seemingly presenting a glimpse into everything.
[Kadyn] - "Why did it become like this? "
[Mike] - "The exfoliation of one's crystal requires a person to let the crystal glimpse into his or her soul repetitively through intense emotions that are capable of breaking a person's mind. All the people with exfoliated crystals I know, well, they went crazy like Sniper. "
[Kadyn] - "I... I'm not crazy, am I? "
[Mike] - "Well, you are sane from what I can tell. Unless obsession is a type of madness. "
[Kadyn] - "I'm not obsessive, what are you talking about? "
Said Kadyn dismissively.
Mike immediately showed Kadyn a flabbergasted look before pointing at himself.
[Kadyn] - "Well, I mean... I just love you. It's very different from an obsession. I didn't choose to keep you in prison here. "
[Mike] - "Hey, I'm not judging you. I'm quite flattered, to be honest. "
They both shared a look for a moment before they leaned in for a kiss only for Mike to phase through Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "Oh, if you were real at this moment, I would strip down naked and let you take me right here and now. "
Said Kadyn with a feisty look in her eyes.
[Mike] - "I would fucking pin you down against the ground and remind you why I love you so much. "
Said Mike in an aggressive tone.
The couple both took a deep breath to calm down their pent-up passion before Mike walked toward the darkness that surrounded them.
[Mike] - "On a serious note, how about you start testing how this ability of yours works? "
[Kadyn] - "How about we find a way to make things work despite you being a ghost? Remember how some things in here can be interacted with by both you and me? "
Whispered Kadyn with a grin beside Mike's ear.
[Mike] - "Do we really have to go to that extent? "
[Kadyn] - "This will be our little secret. No one has to know or will ever know. "
Said Kadyn with a playful grin.
In real life, despite being in a coma, a smile appeared gradually on Kadyn's face.
During this time, Dane was brought to the massive operation room of the Allied Dome Agency. As soon as he stepped foot into the command center, he was met with the bright screens of hundreds of computers each operated by an agent. While he walked, he noticed how each of the agents was monitoring a specific individual of interest.
[Dunkel] - "Dane, Dane, pay attention here. "
Said Dunkel while snapping her fingers at Dane.
[Dane] - "Ya mongoloid bastard, how many people have you detained or executed so far with yar murderous campaign? "
[Dunkel] - "Sigh... Dane, Dane, you are truly clueless, aren't you? "
As Dane reached the forward command panel with panoramic access to a massive screen measuring at least a hundred metres, he was suddenly surprised by the sight of McCree.
[Dane] - "Well, ain't this a surprise? What are you doin' here, McCree? "
[McCree] - "Witnessing the fruit of our labour. "
Said McCree coldly.
[Dane] - "I'll be damned! What the hell has gotten into ya head? Don't ya see how these inbred bastards are simply eliminating all those who they consider to be their enemies? "
Yelled Dane with anger in his voice.
[McCree] - "Lies be damned, Dane, I've seen what is keeping us from achieving true peace. Don't act like you ain't aware of what ya did. "
Said McCree in a harsh tone.
[Dane] - "I was in captivity against mah will. What the hell do you want to accuse me of now? "
[Dunkel] - "Dane, Dane, look, we aren't a bunch of idiots. You caused this. For the past few weeks, you thought you could get the word out. You thought maybe, someone you can trust will reveal everything we kept under the cover. "
Said Dunkel in a tone of mockery.
Dunhill immediately began acting uneasy as Dunkel spoke without filtering her words. With the false pretence of an important matter to discuss, Dunhill pulled McCree aside. However, by that point, upon seeing how McCree turned around to look at Dunkel, Dunhill knew the seed of doubt was already planted.
[Dunkel] - "Dane, my dear, good old colleague, allow me to present to you; The consequences of your actions. You thought you had access to our intel, you thought you were sneaky with how you passed information to certain individuals, yet we were watching. Jagger kept you alive because we needed you to lead us to the wolves disguised in our herd of sheep. "
Explained Dunkel with a villainous smile.
An expression of shock appeared on Dane's face as he realized what he had done.
[Dunkel] - "All your contact, all the people who were opposed to us, you were responsible for leading straight to them! Dane, you are a fucking idiot of epic proportion! "
[Dane] - "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU ARE GOING TO DOOM US ALL! "
Yelled Dane as he lunged for Dunkel.
However, just before reaching Dunkel, Dunhill stormed in and tackled Dane to the ground. After a moment of hesitation, McCree also joined in and began restraining Dane.
[Dunkel] - "Doom for you, not for us. How do you think we got rid of the crystal users who were loyal to you and the previous Allied Command? We knew the cyberknights were more powerful than them, so we simply sent them to their death. All the Blue Guards still alive by now are loyal only to us and Jagger. "
Said Dunkel as she entered a state of ecstasy while feeling like a master villain.
Dunhill discreetly kicked Dunkel on the leg to warn her to be careful with what she said but she swiftly ignored him by placing herself further away.
[Dunkel] - "Dane, oh Dane, please! I invited you here today to witness the doom of your other friends. Those poor, poor little piglets without crystals who believed in your lies. "
Said Dunkel as she stared at Dane with pupils fully dilated.
With a clap of her hands, the screen behind her came to life with the different camera footage of agents moving in to raid different locations. Soon, the first few live footage showed the abrupt entry of the agents into private domiciles before indiscriminately firing on all that moves.
[Dane] - "Stop! Stop this! Don't kill them! I'll do whatever you want, just stop! "
Pleaded Dane with tears in his eyes.
[Dunkel] - "Let me think... How about no? "
Said Dunkel before bursting out in laughter.
One after another, from civilians to military personnel, each of Dane's informants was executed in a simultaneous coordinated effort. None of them were warned or had any time to escape or defend themselves. With brutal efficiency and animalistic ruthlessness, Dunkel's men sprayed bullets onto the men, women and children almost in perfect synchronization with their other agents on the other side of the country.
As Dunkel turned around, she grinned at Dane's pitiful state. The genius scientist with a burning passion for resisting evil was reduced to a curled-up mess of a man, too shocked to express or move. To add insult to injury, Dunkel used her remote to raise the volume of the live displays, which caused Dane to cry like an infant while pressing his hands against his ears.
Up on an observation balcony, Jagger watched the scene unfold below him. After the final target was splattered onto the wall by gunfire, Dunkel raised her head and stared at Jagger. Upon receiving her master's approval with a nod of his head, Dunkel smirked and snapped her finger. Out of the blue, waiters moved out of the shadow with plates full of champagne glasses ready.
[Dunkel] - "To us and our future empire! "
Said Dunkel as she made a toast to Dunhill and the agents working around her.
[Dunhill] - "A job well done, partner. Drink up. "
Said Dunhill as he handed McCree a cup of champagne.
As everyone gulped down their cup, McCree hesitated before bringing the cup to his lips. However, at the last moment, he decided to not drink and pretended to celebrate with the rest. While everyone drank and cheered, McCree's mind remained occupied by the previous brutal imagery displayed before his eyes.
[Dunkel] - "A big thanks to you too, my dear lovely darling Dane! "
Said Dunkel as she splashed a cup of champagne onto Dane's face.
While Dunkel, Dunhill and many others laughed at Dane's misery, McCree was feeling ill at the sight of the abuse. Despite everything Dane has supposedly done, this type of psychological scarring and abuse was simply too barbaric even for McCree's indoctrinated mind. As McCree looked back at the live broadcasts of the operation, why would the uninvolved like children and pets be also purged?
[Dunkel] - "Agent McCree, do us a favour and take our good friend Dane here to his cell. We have to make sure he doesn't accidentally kill another innocent family by being a snitch. "
Said Dunkel while barely holding her laughter.
[McCree] - "Uhh... Right away, ma'am! "
[Dunhill] - "Give him a break, Dunkel. He needs to be here to celebrate with us. After all, he is our hero of the hour for extracting information from so many of Dane's mailmen. "
Said Dunhill as he padded McCree on the back.
"Traitor! Human scum! "
"Mass murder! Genocidal maniac! "
"Hitler! Devil's incarnate! "
These were amongst the many insults hurled at Dane as he was being walked through the facility toward his cell. People spat at Dane and threw trash at him but the poor man remained defeated, unwilling to fight back or resist. McCree was walking just behind Dane alongside the guards escorting him but not even once did he stand up for his old friend.
"You don't care about the consequences until they come knocking on your doors. However, isn't it too late by then? "
McCree was abruptly snapped out of his trance by the knocks on his stall door.
[Jagger] - "Hey, you alright in there, friend? It's been a while. "
[McCree] - "Oh, right, I'm sorry! I must've fallen asleep. "
After flushing the empty toilet, McCree stepped out of the stall while trying to appear normal to Jagger. However, Jagger immediately saw through the facade and knew something was bothering McCree.
[Jagger] - "Well, my friend, I came to personally thank you for your amazing contribution to this bust on all of the Allied Forces' traitors. "
[McCree] - "It's nothing, partner. I did what I had to do. "
Jagger landed a few friendly pats on McCree's shoulder before guiding him out of the bathroom.
[Jagger] - "I know what bothers you, my friend. However, don't think too much about it. What you've seen, and what you've heard, they are necessary steps toward a brighter tomorrow. Sacrifice must be made or else, how could we ever advance? "
[McCree] - "The agents... they executed everyone. Including the children. "
Jagger stopped McCree and moved to stand before him.
[Jagger] - "So should we stop hunting for the traitors just because they hide behind their family, using them as human shields against us? Should we simply allow suffering and death just because blood will be spilled during our pursuit of justice? "
Said Jagger in a provocative tone.
[McCree] - "I... "
McCree was caught off guard as he didn't expect to be bombarded with such precisely structured dilemmas.
[Jagger] - "You are a hero, a man capable of helping the helpless. Should you stop because you can't save everyone? Should we all throw in the towel because a few of our men are immoral? No! A few rotten apples don't make the entire orchard a graveyard. "
McCree, although still speechless, nodded his head in understanding.
[Jagger] - "Besides, all our enemies are now dealt with. It's time for us to rebuild. No more bloodshed and no more suffering. You, McCree Westwood, ended this war today with a decisive victory for us. Let us move forward to tomorrow, to peace and justice. The crooked will get the punishment they deserve, you have my word for it. "
Said Jagger as he reached his hand toward McCree.
[McCree] - "A few bad actors don't define our cause. I understand now. "
Said McCree before resolutely shaking Jagger's hand.
During this time, inside the transport craft, Audrey, Senju and Oltevin stared at Kadyn and McCree's empty seats with a feeling of regret and sadness in their heart. They all knew, after this day, the seats inside this ship would never be filled to full capacity.
Later that night, all of Jagger's loyalists were gathered at a private party where they celebrated their victory. Midway through the celebration, Jagger called his men for a toast where he positioned himself at the center of the room.
[Jagger] - "Ladies and gentlemen, we have achieved the final victory! Today's raid eliminated almost all of our opposition, leaving our new empire free to rise and prosper under my leadership and your contribution. Allow us to celebrate this victory as I declare the end of the Lynching Game. Long live our Allied Empire! "
"Long live the Allied Empire, long live Emperor Jagger! "
Cheered the room in unison.
To be continued...