The Inverted Monolith, an underground fortress that represented Jagger's power as the emperor of the Allied Coalition. Built as the centrepiece of an underground city, the massive monolithic structure hung from the ceiling until its tip touched the ground. Standing at an impressive 880 metres high, it was an engineering marvel impossible to miss as one of the personnel working in the underground city of Washington D.N..
The structure itself served as a projection of authority with it acting as the central Allied Military command post and also as a maximum security detention facility. Kadyn was held within its confine inside one of the many levels which made up its composition.
[Jerry] - "What are we waiting for then? I'm here and I'm ready to help. "
Said Jerry as he broke the silence.
McCree took one look at Jerry before turning to see Athena for her opinion. With a stern and determined look in her eyes, Athena agreed silently by nodding her head. After shutting off the hologram projection of the Inverted Monolith, Athena approached Dane who was working on Jerry's arm.
[Athena] - "Mister Dane, how long before you finish? "
[Dane] - "I'm done with ya system. You should be able to use your ability without delay if ya still remember how. "
Said Dane as he pulled back from Jerry's arm.
[Jerry] - "Don't worry about it, old man, I can't forget it even if I tried. "
Said Jerry dismissively.
[Dane] - "I'm only offering my help because I care for Kadyn's safety. After this, we are parting in our own separate ways with no darn strings attached. "
Said Dane while struggling to keep his eyes on his perceived enemies.
[Athena] - "You have diligently played your part in this rescue attempt, Mister Dane. If you seek asylum within the territories of the Empire, you are free to do so. If not, then I believe this is the utmost you can contribute to the operation. "
Said Athena in a professional tone.
[Dane] - "I don't need your damn pity, cyberknight. I can manage myself just fine. "
Said Dane with disdain in his voice.
Athena nodded her head quietly before saluting Dane.
[Athena] - "One of my men is ready to take you wherever you need to go. Rest assured, you will not bothered beyond this point, you have my word for it. "
Dane simply sighed before leaving Athena and the rest without uttering another word. Meanwhile, Jerry and McCree also stood up and they prepared to leave as well.
[Athena] - "Jerry, before you leave this room, I want to make things clear here. Our main objective is the successful extraction of Kadyn who I had described to you earlier. Do not let your personal grudges cloud your judgment about the goal of our mission. "
Said Athena as he blocked Jerry's access to the door with her arm.
[Jerry] - "Then agree to my terms, Athena. Once this woman Kadyn is securely in our hands, I want to receive no more orders from you. I don't care how powerful is that bastard Jagger, all I care about is justice for Mike and most importantly, my brother, Harry. "
Said Jerry as he stared blankly in front of him.
[Athena] - "You'll die, Jerry. You will die for nothing. "
Jerry didn't raise his head to meet Athena's gaze as he kept his stare fixated on the view in front of him.
[Jerry] - "I agreed to this mission because I wanted to do something right. However, unlike you people who believe in redemption, I don't. I have been warned before about my actions and yet, I never listened. I lost my master's trust and now, I lost my brother. I have blood on my hands so much so I could never wash it clean. They were the result of my conscious and deliberate actions. I was not forced or coerced to commit them. This final action of mine is proof that I'm a moral person at heart but also that I won't run from the consequences. "
Said Jerry in a calm manner.
Athena thought for a second before silently nodding her head and allowing Jerry to pass through the exit. While Jerry walked far in front of them, Athena and McCree followed behind at a similar pace to each other.
[Athena] - "Mister McCree, you will stay on the ship and wait for us two in the mission. "
[McCree] - "Huh? You don't trust me? "
[Athena] - "Trust is not the issue here. Jagger is prepared to throw everything he has at us. I want you to be our plan B in case me and Jerry can't escort Kadyn out of there. Besides, I'm sure you are sane enough to know Jagger is way out of your league as an opponent. "
Said Athena as she diverged toward an equipment stand.
In one swift move, the robotic arms immediately fitted Athena with her cyberknight armour pieces before encasing her head in a helmet.
[McCree] - "Ain't that a treat? Mind giving me a set of that special armour? "
[Athena] - "You are not a cyberknight, so keep dreaming about it. "
Said Athena coldly before boarding her ship.
[McCree] - "What's with all this gatekeeping? It's just a stupid set of armour. "
Said McCree with frustration as he boarded the ship.
[Athena] - "With our power, these armour are more symbolic than just to offer protection. You'll do just fine without one. However, I think a helmet would do you justice by hiding that hideous face of yours. "
Said Athena tauntingly.
[McCree] - "Ain't ya the darn witch who ruined my face in the first place. "
Said McCree as he took a seat in the cockpit.
[Athena] - "Totally deserved. What are you going to do about it? Sue me? This ain't America, cowboy, the only thing you are winning is a beatdown for wasting the court's time. "
Said Athena as he flipped on a few switches.
[McCree] - "I suppose you are Greek, right? It's not like ya got any money to give anyway. One court case in America is the equivalent of your entire country's GDP, so who's laughing now, huh? "
Said McCree in a sarcastic tone.
Athena didn't appreciate McCree's joke as she pulled hard on the throttle and sent the ship flying in an instant. The sheer G force maneuvers following the take-off immediately slammed McCree against his seat for a good minute before he regained his composure.
[Athena] - "Big words for a country made to be a laughing stock for the whole Empire. You have people so obese, the Netherlands sunk a few centimetres down the sea every time one of you took a dip in the ocean. You have a healthcare system so broken, the black market started donating kidneys out of pity. You have an economy so unstable, the last time someone coughed in Wall Street, it crashed the whole market. When China came asking for debt payment, you people paid in Zimbabwe dollars because it was more valuable than the US dollar after the 2032 declaration of bankruptcy. So yeah, if you want to still shit on Greece, maybe start by raising the US dollar above 10 Greek cents. "
McCree simply swallowed as Athena finished her roasting session.
[McCree] - "Yeah, um... I'm Texan, so it's a bit different. I wasn't expecting this kind of hostility from you but... "
Said McCree in an embarrassed voice.
[Athena] - "Still wanna continue? I haven't even touched on the issue of violence and poverty, you sorry son of a gun! "
[McCree] - "That's plenty, alright! I get it, it ain't like the old days anymore. I'm just a bit nostalgic about the past. I still grew up there ya know? "
Said McCree as he raised both hands firmly in the air.
Both parties stayed silent for a good minute to let the tension die down. The clouds passed before the canopy like a bed of cotton while occasionally revealing the deep blue ocean below them.
[Athena] - "Mister McCree, familiarize yourself with the controls of this craft. If anything were to happen to me, do not attempt to fly back to Europe or any Imperial territories. Without me, the men under me will no longer uphold my promises and orders of protection and safe passage for you or any of your allies. "
Said Athena with a grim look on her face.
[McCree] - "My teammates, Senju and Oltevin, what will happen to them? "
Said McCree with a concerned look.
[Athena] - "I put my personal doctor in charge of them. He will make sure they escape if I don't make it back. Meanwhile, Kadyn needs to be moved somewhere else safe. Her face is associated with Mike in the Empire with a massive reward for her capture. "
[McCree] - "Alright, give me the rundown of the controls then. "
[Athena] - "You don't need to know much. I suppose you are familiar with flight, so you only need to know one thing; The autopilot control. "
Said Athena as she pointed at a screen at the center of the controls.
[Athena] - "You simply need to enter a destination and the ship will automatically fly without your manual input. All you need to do is to fight or defend, manage altitude and maneuver if needed. Are you on board with these instructions? "
[McCree] - "More simplified than any system I've flown with, so I'd say it's pretty darn easy. "
[Jerry] - "Why are you planning as if you won't survive? If anyone were to die there, I'm probably the only one. "
Said Jerry suddenly.
Athena turned around to face Jerry.
[Athena] - "I learned it from Master Mike. Always prepare for the worst-case scenario. To win against an enemy, you must be a least one step if not two steps ahead. A plan without a failsafe is a flawed plan. "
[Jerry] - "Heh! Why did I never learn anything like that when I was Mike's apprentice? "
Said Jerry mockingly with a half-concealed bitterness in his voice.
[Athena] - "Because I studied what made him great and powerful instead of learning simply what he wanted to teach. You can only be a knight by training with your sword but you would need to become the sword to be a master. "
[Jerry] - "What a load of shit you are talking there! Would you just shut up and quit praising yourself for a damn minute, you egomaniac! "
Said Jerry bitterly.
[Athena] - "Psh! If you understood this, you wouldn't be such a shameful chapter in Mike's life. Karson must've followed your example to become such a weak link in our trio. "
Said Athena without mercy as she took offence to Jerry's disrespect.
[Jerry] - "Don't compare me to Karson, you stupid witch! That cunt has nothing comparable to me. And don't start thinking you are a little miss-perfect just because you were his favourite. You, me and that cosplayer sitting beside you, all guilty people. Unlike you, I'm not delusional about what I am but you don't get to judge me with your sins trailing behind you like a ship's anchor. "
Said Jerry with his eyes fixated on Athena.
Athena remained silent for a moment as Jerry's words humbled her entitled attitude.
[Jerry] - "That attitude, that sailor's mouth, they are a part of Master Mike's identity. He can talk like that to me or you because he has earned it. You can learn from Master Mike and be his best student, but you are far from being him, so shut up and drive. "
Said Jerry with his finger pointed square toward Athena's forehead.
Although Athena was prepared to fire back at Jerry, she took a moment to reflect on herself before deciding against it. As she turned around, a more calm and humble expression now hung on her face.
[Athena] - "We are landing soon, get ready. "
In Athena's mind, she thought about Mike and all the time they spent together. For all the good memories within her mind, she wanted to replay them one last time.
Meanwhile, within Kadyn's ability, she allowed the gentle waves of the beach to hit her legs as she and Mike sat together to watch the sunset. It was a scenic experience as the orange glow enveloped the world before slowly fading out of the horizon. Suddenly, Mike felt lightheaded as knowledge was abruptly shoved into his mind in a jolt. For reasons he couldn't explain, he then became aware of Athena's intentions.
[Kadyn] - "It feels as if a lifetime has passed. Despite how you were here with me during all this time, I still feel so incomplete. "
[Mike] - "How so? "
Said Mike as he tried to process the information he just received.
[Kadyn] - "I yearn for your touch, Mike. Touch is what confirms to us that we are alive, it is what makes us realize that we are not alone in this world. "
Mike turned to look at Kadyn but she was too deep in thought to notice him. Her eyes shined with the last red-orange glow of the sun as she dreamed about her fantasized life. Slowly, Mike reached out and tried to touch Kadyn with his hand.
[Kadyn] - "That colour pallet, it reminds me of your h- "
Said Kadyn before abruptly halting her sentence upon realizing what Mike was trying to do.
Just as expected, Mike's hand phased right through Kadyn before making contact with the sand. It was a pitiful situation as Mike's hand didn't even dent the sand while another wave simply passed through him like he was just air. Kadyn couldn't hold back her emotions as glistening pearls began falling down her cheeks.
[Mike] - "No, no, come on! Don't be like that. "
Said Mike as he moved closer to comfort Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "God I can't do this anymore. This is more hurtful than in real life. If I were to spend an eternity in a dead world like this, let me at least hold your hands. I can't even touch you for crying out loud. "
Whispered Kadyn as she covered her face in her arms.
Mike tried to comfort Kadyn but she kept crying feverishly with a mix of frustration and anger.
[Kadyn] - "It's not the same, Mike, it's not. I thought I could bear this but it's not the same. It's haunting, it genuinely scares me, Mike. "
Said Kadyn while standing up.
[Mike] - "Then maybe it's time for you to leave. You don't deserve to suffer this. "
Said Mike as he touched Kadyn's crystal.
In an instant, Mike arrived at the campfire followed shortly by Kadyn behind him.
[Kadyn] - "I don't want to leave either. I'm sorry about that, it was me being selfish. "
Said Kadyn as she wiped her tears.
[Mike] - "You have no choice, Lemon. You can spend as long as you like hiding in this world which slowly kills you by suffocating you with illusions and loliness but the real world is where you belong. My will beyond the grave is coming to pull you out of this hell. "
[Kadyn] - "What do you mean? "
[Mike] - "People are coming to rescue you. Once they do, I'm sure you will leave this place, preferably for good. "
Panic began to set in Kadyn's eyes as she rushed toward Mike.
[Kadyn] - "How do you know? "
[Mike] - "I can't explain it but I suppose it has something to do with your ability. "
[Kadyn] - "Well, I won't allow them to pull me out of here! "
Said Kadyn frantically.
[Mike] - "Listen to me, Lemon, this is NOT the life you dreamed about. This place is a hell of your own design made to torture you with your past. You have to escape before it consumes you. "
Said Mike in a serious tone as he approached Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "But it has you! It's not hell if you are here! "
Said Kadyn as she tried to not meet Mike's gaze.
[Mike] - "Where can I go once you get out of here, Lemon? Haven't I always been right beside you this whole time? What difference is there between this ghost here and that ghost in there? "
Said Mike as he pointed at Kadyn's chest.
With a pained cry, Kadyn rushed away from Mike before curling herself into a ball in one of the dark corners of the room. Mike quickly followed her and kneeled down to position himself before Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "Then go! Why are you still here? If you want me to leave so badly, then let me wait in silence. "
Cried Kadyn while pressing her face harder against her arms.
[Mike] - "I will. But before that, I want you to promise me you will be strong out there. No matter where you go, I'll always be beside you. Don't let our shared moments be what drags you down but let them be what drives you forward. I know we'll see each other again someday. The next time we meet, let's hope I can touch these melons of yours. I truly missed feeling them in my hands. Until then, it's time to go home. "
Said Mike before ending his speech in sarcasm.
Although Kadyn didn't raise her head and kept sobbing, Mike smiled as he heard her crack a burst of laughter amidst her crying upon hearing his joke. Gradually, Kadyn stopped crying and raised her head.
[Kadyn] - "I'll let you even- "
Said Kadyn before realizing that Mike was nowhere to be found.
[Kadyn] - "Mike? "
Yelled Kadyn to no response.
At first, Kadyn was preparing to frantically search for Mike but she quickly understood that it is useless to do so. With the barely audible general alarm coming from the hallway outside of her room, Kadyn realized what Mike said was inevitable.
[Kadyn] - "Asshole... Not even an "I love you" before you leave just like the last time. "
Said Kadyn with a bittersweet smile.
To be continued...