McCree strolled through the busy streets of Light City, trying his best to hide his face from the cameras. Turning from one of the streets, he fell straight into the middle of a massive intersection with giant holographic billboards everywhere. This was the core essence of Light City: A city which doesn't know night or day with its astronomical amount of shines in every corner. After pushing past the crowds of civilians all dressed in cyberpunk attire, McCree reached an unnoticeable door which led to an underground bar.
Ignoring the people gathered on the dance floor, McCree marched straight to a private showroom guarded by two bodyguards. As McCree approached, the men immediately stepped up to stop him.
[Guard 1] - "Back off, buddy! This room is occupied! "
Said the guard as he aggressively pushed McCree on the chest.
[McCree] - "I'm askin' for a meeting with Ivanovich. Tell the bossman I have information useful to his interests. "
Said McCree as his left hand pressed against his gun below his poncho.
[Guard 2] - "Don't bullshit me, mother fucker! What does a random cowboy like you have to offer to justify Ivanovich wasting his time on you? "
[McCree] - "We keepin' this short and simple, partner. I used to work for the Allied Forces, and I've got critical details about Ivanovich's son. If ya ain't convinced, this here is my proof! "
Said McCree as he showed the crystals on his right arm to the guards.
The second guard quickly showed a silent look of acknowledgement as he noticed McCree's augment. Meanwhile, the first guard looked confusedly at McCree's arm.
[Guard 1] - "What's that supposed to prove? "
[Guard 2] - "We'll let you know Ivanovich's response. Have a seat and a drink for the moment being. "
Said the guard as he pulled his partner to the side.
[Guard 1] - "What? I don't get it! "
Whispered the guard to his friend.
[Guard 2] - "Cyberknights. Since the empire's collapse, these wizards have been popping up everywhere looking for work. These crystals they got have some crazy, unnatural power. "
[Guard 1] - "What the fuck? So what? You'd bother Ivanovich for this prick? We don't even know who he is or if we can trust him! "
Said the guard, outraged.
[Guard 2] - "We need this man! You wonder why we are slowly getting fucked up by Seratov's gang... Well, guess what, they got a cyberknight warrior of their own. If we can convince this guy to join us, the boss will be beyond happy. We can finally level the playing field. "
Said the guard firmly with an enthusiastic look on his face.
As McCree took a seat at the bartender's stand, he silently pulled a tablet out of his poncho and took a look at the information he had written down on Inanovich. This place was truly an unknown boundary for him to cross into. Never has he set foot in this bar, and he could already feel the eyes staring at him from every corner of the establishment. His bargain was, by this point, held by hopes and prayers. He could only rely on the information he could remember about Ivanovich while still working under Jagger. Initially, Ivanovich was to be dealt with as a part of the Lynching Games, but he was spared due to his role in Light City's stability. After all, Jagger needs the major cities in his Empire not to fall into chaos right after his ascension.
Suddenly, McCree felt a shiver down his spine as he suddenly noticed an increase in the number of people around him. Though they all appeared to be just civilians, McCree could almost taste their eagerness to drop their innocent facades the moment he made a mistake. He was in hostile territory, but to back away now would only guarantee his death.
[Woman] - "Hey, Big Mouth, get me a whisky. "
The bartender immediately obeyed the woman in neon yellow clothing and poured her a glass. In return, she slammed down a twenty-dollar bill on the table. As McCree shifted his look away from the woman, he could almost catch the entire bar stopping to stare at him from his periphery. All of a sudden, McCree was tapped on the shoulder by the bartender, who made him jump as he noticed that he was missing his lower face.
[Bartender] - "Drink, cowboy? "
Said the bartender in a mechanical voice through a speaker attached to his chest.
[McCree] - "The same as her. A whisky, partner. "
Said McCree while trying to maintain his cool.
As the glass of liquor was put before him, McCree tossed a twenty to the bartender.
[Bartender] - "Eighty! "
Said the bartender as he slammed his fist on the bill.
[McCree] - "I ain't a fool, partner! She paid twenty, so why should I... "
Suddenly, in unison, the whole bar came to a halt before everyone drew their guns on McCree. Meanwhile, before him, the space below the bartender's mouth opened before a massive grenade launcher aimed at his face.
[McCree] - "Ugh, you ugly son of a bitch! "
Said McCree as he recoiled.
[Ivanovich] - "People! People, lower your damn guns! "
Said Ivanovich as he pushed through the crowd with his bodyguards.
Surprised, McCree watched as Ivanovich extended his hand warmly toward him like an old friend. There was a look of relief on his face as the old Belarusian man shook his hand.
[Ivanovich] - "Sorry for the hostility, angel. We were not very receptive to strangers, so please do not take offence at the actions of these fools. "
[McCree] - "I wasn't expecting you to come meet me yourself, partner. "
Said McCree, confused.
[Ivanovich] - "I heard you have business to discuss with me, so let us talk in a more private place. Come, I'll offer you something better to drink than overpriced whisky. "
As McCree was about to leave, the bartender apologetically returned the money he had put on the table. However, emboldened by his newfound importance, McCree slapped the money back at the bartender.
[McCree] - "Go buy yourself a proper mouth, ya dirty animal. "
Later, inside Ivanovich's office, McCree was served a glass of fine whisky by the boss. However, by now, the way the boss was treating him was starting to unnerve McCree. Looking around himself, McCree was also puzzled by the number of religious symbols and statues inside the office.
[McCree] - "About your son... Ya seem quite eager. "
Said McCree as he tried to withdraw his tablet.
[Ivanovich] - "My son? I don't care, and I won't even try to save him. "
Said Ivanovich calmly while lighting up a few incense sticks in a pot.
Ivanovich's words shocked McCree as he accidentally dropped his tablet on the ground.
[McCree] - "Wha'cha mean by that? "
[Ivanovich] - "My son is not important. I do not occupy myself with his well-being. "
Said Ivanovich with his hands in a prayer.
After taking a drink from his glass, Ivanovich cleared his throat and took a look at McCree.
[Ivanovich] - "What's your name, angel? What brings you to me? "
[McCree] - "McCree Westwood, previously afflicted with Allied Forces, now on the run. I need to make a deal with you and exchange some crucial information for some cash. I need that money for my parents and for a way to get out of the Allied Empire. "
Said McCree with a military salute.
[Ivanovich] - "I like how blunt you are, angel. Straight to the point, exactly the type of attitude for someone who knows what they're doing. "
Said Ivanovich as he leaned toward his desk while still deep in a prayer.
[McCree] - "I'm on a tight schedule, partner. I would need something that pays well and is quick, and without after baggage. "
[Ivanovich] - "I need your help to deal with that menace that is Seratov. I will give you any amount of money and connections if you can do that for me. You know, I used to control half of this city... "
[McCree] - "I've read about it, you were the baron of this city back then. "
Interjected McCree.
Ivanovich, now engrossed in his prayers, ignored McCree's comment as he continued to speak with closed eyes.
[Ivanovich] - "...That is, until Seratov, my right-hand man, allied himself with a rogue cyberknight. Do you know this, friend? I used to be able to stroll the city without hiding underground. But Seratov and his witch... They fucking took all that away from me. "
Said Ivanovich with clenched fists.
[McCree] - "You want me to kill the cyberknight who's with Seratov? "
[Ivanovich] - "What else would drive a man like me crazy? I always thought Sniper was a fraud until I met one of his angels. It broke me. "
Said Ivanovich with dread as he held a crucifix in his hands.
Ivanovich took a deep breath before whispering a short prayer under his breath.
[Ivanovich] - "I used to be an atheist until I realized what divine wrath is. That witch, she killed my men in the hundred without even firing a single shot. Please, if you are an angel like her, then deliver your wrath upon my enemy. The fact that you showed up at my doorstep specifically is a sign from God that my prayers have been answered. "
[McCree] - "Oh! That's why you were calling me an angel earlier. "
[Ivanovich] - "Yes! My men and everything you need from me are at your disposal. Please, my lord, guide your angel to strike down my foes! "
Said Ivanovich while lowering his head in prayer.
McCree, shocked by the absurdity of the scene before him, shook his head in disbelief. Somehow, he entered this place as prey and ended up being worshipped like a God.
[McCree] - "I haven't even agreed to- "
Murmured McCree before stopping himself.
After a moment of consideration, McCree realized that accepting this deal was probably the best deal he could get in the criminal underworld. Otherwise, without proper connections or a reputation, he was basically like fresh meat amongst the crime world. Never would a high-stakes job be given to him for a fast payday if he were to serve someone else. For now, Ivanovich was offering everything he ever needed without the whole baggage of becoming entangled in the criminal world.
[McCree] - "Son of a gun... I hope I'm not speeding to my grave here. "
Whispered McCree as he watched Ivanovich finish his prayer.
[Ivanovich] - "Angel, will you accept my pledge? Will you use your powers to smite my enemies as they stood? "
[McCree] - "Darn it, stop callin' me angel. Just call me by mah name, McCree. "
Said McCree, frustrated with the nickname.
[Ivanovich] - "I shall obey, McCree! Now, what will you do? I'm ready to assist you. "
[McCree] - "Ah... shit... Well, let's get this done with quickly. I need some information on who that Seratov is and what his cyberknight is capable of. "
Said McCree, not knowing how to properly respond.
[Ivanovich] - "Of course, my men will provide you with all you need. "
Said Ivanovich, humbly.
Though McCree was uncomfortable with how Ivanovich was acting with him, he did find a sense of pride in his new position as an angel. Testing how far he could go, McCree casually stood up, grabbed a bottle of whisky from Ivanovich's liquor cabin and drank directly from the bottle.
[McCree] - "Will this be a problem, partner. "
Though initially shocked by McCree's behaviour, Ivanovich quickly reacted submissively.
[Ivanovich] - "Serve yourself, McCree! Drink to your heart's content. "
Said Ivanovich as he lowered his head.
[McCree] - "Well, this is going to be quite the fun. "
Said McCree with a smirk.
Back in Trump City, inside the white, sterile room of a hospital, Beth slowly woke up to the blinding light of the room shining on her face. As she tried to move her head, she noticed that her neck was still cast inside a protective mould made to protect her spine. After a moment, she suddenly recovered her memory of what had occurred before now with KD-554 and Kadyn.
[Beth] - "Oh shit... am I dead? "
After a moment spent looking around, Beth breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she was indeed alive. However, as she tried to move, the pain of her neck injury quickly forced her to lie back down. As she reached out trying to find the call button for a nurse, she was shocked that there was simply no such kind of button. Despite her yells, no one seemed to be able to hear her from outside the room.
[Beth] - "What kind of shit hospital is this? "
Said Beth, frustrated.
As time passed, Beth could only entertain herself with thought, as the room was not only sterile but also isolating. There was no television or anything else than pure silence. However, thanks to the silence, Beth was finally able to reunite with her more human side as it forced her to confront herself as the only form of interaction. Slowly but surely, Beth remembered that night and the speech made by Kadyn. Despite her savagery and rage that night, Kadyn's words still managed to reach the depths of her soul.
Looking back, Beth was indeed a manipulator, a woman who used her own beauty to influence the minds of those more powerful than herself. Yes, she was granted the title of Senior Knight without any actual combat prowess. Yes, she was selfishly backstabbing those who trusted her. However, she was never proud of herself.
As Beth stared at her reflection in the window, she remembered the reason why she accepted to become a cyberknight in the first place.
It was a snowy winter day. Beth and her younger brother, Dan, were just two of the hundreds of orphans inside a decrepit shelter. None of them were given a proper room or bed, instead, all 560 of them were crammed inside a single large room filled with rusty bunk beds. In the winter, there was a total of 4 small mobile heaters for all 560 of them, while the caretakers and other staff members hid inside their warm office in the other building. Due to government corruption, their neglected shelter became nothing but a forgettable sob story in the grand scheme of things.
Despite having nowhere to go, Beth decided that enough was enough. That night, while everyone was asleep, she packed up her torn winter clothes and escaped the shelter.
[Beth] - "I'll come back for you. "
Whispered Beth as she stared at Dan for maybe the last time.
Being young and naive, her frail body was simply no match for the dangers of the northern winter. Soon, she could feel her body warm up before her consciousness slowly faded away. Luckily for her, she was saved by an old couple who just so happened to drive by her.
Just like that, she was taken and cared for by the old couple for a few days. Due to their advanced age, they couldn't afford to raise her, so Beth was transferred to an Imperial recruiting officer disguised as a member of an adoption agency. Just like that, her new life began once she was discovered to be crystal sensitive. However, she never forgot about her little brother and promised that she would reunite with him someday.
At her ceremony into knighthood, her master stood before her with a sword on her shoulder.
[Master] - "By the Emperor's will, you are today granted the rank of a knight of the military. You will be known from this moment onward as a martial knight of the cyberknight order. You bear the symbol of the cyberknight today because you swore to be a dark angel of justice against a world tainted by rot. You will be loyal only to your Emperor and your Empire alone. You will never serve yourself again upon taking this oath, as you give your life to the service of the people. Do you accept your title, Beth? "
[Beth] - "I do, my master! "
With her words loud and clear, the master finished her ceremony by tapping his sword over both of her shoulders and her head. As soon as she was made a knight, technicians surrounded her with their machines. One stamp after another, the shiny golden symbol of the cyberknight was cast upon different areas of her armour.
During the war, Beth served with the 14th fleet, the Seven Anchors, with her ability mostly used to help the fleet immobilize bombardment targets. These were her glory years. However, for each moment of humanity she displayed, there was an act of savagery somewhere else.
As Beth dropped into the battlefield and helped civilians evacuate the artillery positions, people passed by her with gratitude as they faithfully touched the cyberknight diamond on her shoulder. As Beth seduced one of the Imperial officers with her body, her armour remained on the floor like a pile of trash while she cast the shadow of her naked body over it. As the same man she seduced was getting accused of treason on the bridge, she was silent and cold, knowing she was the one who orchestrated his downfall. As the trigger was pulled against the man's head, his blood splashed over Beth's cyberknight diamond, betraying its noble shine with the dirty taint of crimson.
Every moment, every act was what defined her as a person. Not the total monster portrayed by KD-554, but not as the noble knight she swore to be either. As Beth kept looking at herself in the window, she didn't see a monster or a saint. It was just her, Beth, a flawed girl who had lost her way in the fires of a collapsing Empire.
Suddenly, the door to her room burst open as KD-554 stepped in holding a bouquet of white lilies. Without a word, but with a silent, sinister smile, KD-554 put the flowers on Beth's bedstand.
[KD-554] - "So! How are we doing? Do you think you are ready to get back to work soon? "
[Beth] - "I... I don't think I want to continue this way anymore. If you could transfer me somewhere else for another line of work, that would be great. "
Said Beth without raising her eyes.
[KD-554] - "Why? I thought you loved the thrill of working for me. I thought you had the drive and passion to manipulate your way through my men and crown yourself as a fake queen like you did back in the Empire. "
Said KD-554 while leaning closer toward Beth.
There was a sign of visible fear inside Beth's eyes as she tried her best not to look at KD-554. However, her hesitation and nervousness betrayed her true intentions.
[KD-554] - "How about I ask you again, Beth, my wounded little bitch. Will you be back to work soon after your recovery? You can speak and think, and that's plenty enough function for you to resume your work, in my opinion. "
Said KD-554 in a cold voice.
Beth was afraid. To think is to be. Having now just rediscovered her humanity, she was again affected by the desire for self-preservation and free will.
[Beth] - "I just need a few more days to heal from my injuries. "
Said Beth, barely containing her dread.
Back in the Empire, there was something to be gained when she did what she did. There was power to be obtained and a comfortable life to look forward to. However, here, nothing could be gained from indulging in KD-554's game. You are but a show for her twisted amusement while you lose yourself until there is nothing left.
As she stared at Beth, KD-554 could already smell the lack of savage ambition from Beth. Just like the scent of a specific animal, KD-554 was beyond familiar with the expression of a true savage and the false mask of someone who pretends.
[KD-554] - "Hmm... I understand. I wish you a safe recovery, then. "
Said KD-554 calmly as she moved away from Beth.
With a swipe of her arms, KD-554 closed the curtains on the room's only window. Then, silently, she walked out of the room without a word. Now alone again, Beth breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as she fully recovers, she will attempt to escape from KD-554 and flee this hellhole with her little brother.
Suddenly, the phone on her nightstand began to ring with Dan's ID on the screen. As she picked up and answered, the siblings exchanged a few words of greeting. Though Beth could no longer see herself in the window due to the curtains, she was still thinking back on her time in the Empire with her brother.
[Dan] - "Sis, you gotta stop whoring yourself like this. Put some respect on your name. "
Said Dan as he walked beside Beth, both in their cyberknight armour.
[Beth] - "I'm not whoring myself. I'm simply asserting my influence amongst the elites. "
Said Beth dismissively.
[Dan] - "It's still wrong to me. This should not be the way you achieve power. "
Said Dane with clear frustration in his voice.
[Beth] - "Not everyone is born with the right power to climb to the top through strength. Sometimes, weaker people like us need an alternative to achieve our rise. Maybe I sold my dignity, maybe I was not always a good person, but it's truly the end goal that makes it worth it. "
As Beth recalled this conversation, she remembered the goal she was talking about. It was a few years after her service in the Empire. As the children shivered in the shelter, Beth came back, this time, clad in her brand-new cyberknight armour and rank.
[Athena] - "So this was the orphan shelter you were talking about. "
Said Athena as she stepped beside Beth.
A few of Athena's Spartan marines burst through the doors before arresting the people running the place. Then, field medics and humanitarian service workers quickly began to help the freezing orphans inside the shelter and load them up into their gunships.
[Athena] - "Ya know, it's rare people of your rank reach out to me for humanitarian aid. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the only one who cares about civilians in this war. "
[Beth] - "Would you have listened to me if I were of a lower rank? "
Said Beth bitterly.
Athena stood speechless, not knowing how to respond to Beth. As the last of the orphans walked out of the shelter, Beth quickly recognized the older one of the kids as her brother. With malnourished Dan was, Beth was by that point much taller than he was. With a hand, she reached out to him, who looked up at her with hope in his eyes.
[Beth] - "I'm back, just as I had promised. "
In the present, as Beth spoke with her brother over the phone, a tear left her eye, almost as if her sixth sense knew something was wrong. Suddenly, a flurry of gunfire erupted from the window as KD-554 fired a GAU-8/A Avenger gatling gun at Beth's room from her hover gunship. The red tracer rounds annihilated any objects that stood in their way like butter, while the volume of fire made them look like a straight laser. In her fury, KD-554 kept going until the bullets began to burst through the other side of the hospital, and her ammo ran empty.
[KD-554] - "*Huff* You dare put on a facade in my face, you ARROGANT, filthy, pig-faced cunt! You think... You think I'm stupid enough not to see through your little act? You are just the same meat for the slaughter, like my sister! Be glad you died quickly! "
Yelled KD-554 at the massive hole she tore through the building.
On Dan's side, the phone was abruptly cut off as the noise of the gunfire burst his eardrum. As the dust settled, nothing about Beth's existence remained, with everything vaporized to powder and ashes. However, Beth's broken cyberknight pendant remained recognizable despite being buried below the debris.
To be continued...