Watching the NCPD raid the maelstrom stronghold, Sebastian's leg hung over the silo , Running his hand through Victoria's hair as she released a low pleasant hum.
Even from here the gunshots still wrung out, Echoing across the harbour like lightning strikes in the distance.
" There he is " Sebastian chuckled , Spotting the man he had contacted with not so long ago .
" Who " Victoria leant up slightly , Squinting , zooming in on the scene with her optics , Analysing every officer closely .
" You see that one there " Sebasyian pointed to alexandr , The investigator hiding behind an NCPD APC , shielded , with a bunch of other officers standing around .
" mhhm " Victoria stared down the blonde man , Committing his face to memory .
" He's the one leading the investigation on Apollo ... and yet , here he is , taking Apollo's command " Sebastian chuckled , Lowering his arm, Leaning back onto the lip of the silo whilst victorias curious gaze fell into a harsh glare .
" Is he a ... threat " Victoria hissed , Staring down the police officer with the most hate filled gaze Sebastian had seen on her face to date.
" Oh ... no hmhm " Sebastian withheld a howl of laughter , Instead opting to chuckle slightly " Its more like a game... we know where it ends , in two ways. Victory or loss is inconsequential , but the substance in between well ... that's anyone's guess "
" You're just going to let it be .. what if he " Victoria turned to him , Quite obviously alarmed , Her face coming mere inches from his own .
" He won't... He has no real interest in catching me , Infact he's not my opponent in this game , He is merely a pawn. A piece on the board held by both parties . In my hand ... the others , the hands of those that rule this world " Sebastian turned his gaze to the centre of night city , Where Victoria followed his gaze " Apollo is a threat they can't take likely . They're breathing down the necks of the NCPD , nation wide manhunts .bounties broadcast across the world . And yet they fail , Over and over again . Unstoppable , Unyeilding , technology they've never seem , And militech knows every one of their deepest darkest secrets are like an open book should he attempt to really expose them. And because militech is so intensely after Apollo, Arasaka is too , And so are the others , though all for different interests "
" What if they catch you " Victoria whispered , Her hand tightening around his arm .
Staring out , A small telling smile slowly formed on his face , Glowing orange eyes slowly turned to her own blue eyes , His smile widening , Eyes wild .
" Then shall begin the final act . Whose convictions are truer , stronger , whose will keeps them moving forward whilst the other falls , shall truly be realised ... and the world shall know " Sebastian slowly tore his eyes from victorias own , turning to face the maelstrom stronghold now that the gunfire was slowly ceasing " It appears its about that time "
Grunting , Sebastian rose , Dragging Victoria with him as he turned , ready to activate his sandevistan and vacate the scene .
But at the last moment he paused , Raising his hand in a Waving gesture , A mocking smile coming to his face as he wave down towards the scene .
" Let's go " They vanished in without so much as a blur , The wind Tearing, shaking the silo at the sheer force the air currents caused after the vacuum Victoria and sebatsian stood was closed violently by the surrounding oxygen.
...
Alexandr stared out , Before his eyes , A pixelated figure stood ominously in the distance , Everything near and at the top of the silo in the distance was pixilated to his gaze , no matter how much he try to see , blinking , manually resetting his optics , it remained a blur to his eyes .
' Apollo ' Only one could cause said phenomenon to his knowledge , And as he looked up , He saw the man Waving, the only unpixelated thing to Apollo's gaze being the arm Waving down towards him mockingly . A ringing began to pulse within his ears , the loud ringing of Tinnitus suddenly forcing itself into his head .
" Eugh " Alexandr closed his eyes , A headache causing him to stumble. Yet he persevered, Gazing up towards the top of the silo again despite the mind tearing pain . And as soon as his eyes landed on the silo , The headache intensified .
Just as he was on the cusp of passing out , Apollo vanished . The pixelation apon the silo dissapearing at the same time , The headache receding not so soon after , Leaving him heaving , leaning against the NCPD APC , taking deep intakes of air as he sat down .
' Bastard ' He held a hand to the base of his nose , feeling the warm fluid slowly coating his fingers , Lowing his hand to see blood coating his hand .
' I'll need to update the dosia ' He knew the sudden influx of tinnitus and his headache was caused solely on Apollo, Which , he might add , wasn't mentioned in any of the case files. It was like his mind itself was rejecting looking apon Apollo, Denying itself the knowledge of what he looked like .
' Is it because I'm not allowed to know ... or is it because my mind is protecting me from knowing 'Alexandr Rubbing his hand on his uniform , Hiding his nosebleed just as the persson family was brought out in cuffs .
" Ta ... take em away " Alexandr coughed, Reigning himself in .
' Let's get this shit done ... I need a drink '
... LATER THAT NIGHT ...
Alexandr clocked off , Walking out of the precincts elevator , He stepped into the garage , Moving towards his personal vehicle , a black shion mz1.
Hopping into his car , He proceeded to depart the parking garage .
" Fuck " Alexandr slumped into his chair , Using one hand to drive whilst his other massages his brow , Elbow planted on the door .
' This is too much '
Driving through Heywood, Alexandr didn't both looking at city hall , He passed down the road to turn onto haakensen St .
About to turn right onto mbole ebunike St, Alexandr was taken by surprise.
Suddenly. And without warning , the steering wheel of his car jerked out of his hand , Swerving through traffic violently before veering off of the road and down an alley, driving past a row of parked cars , where it threw itself down a flight of stairs .
" Ah what the fuck " Alexandr cursed , Jostled as the car landed at the bottom of the stairs and took a sudden left into an underground series of four garage doors .
Planted under the pass , His car died , Unresponsive to any imput .
" What the fuck is this shit " He opened the door to his shion , Slamming it shut and rounding to the front of the car .
Pulling out his phone, He found it to be completely black screened , Frowning , alexandr felt the hairs on his neck stand on end , Freezing in place as he heard a foreign entity not himself breathing in the underpass.
" You know " Alexandr's cyberware suddenly shut off , his body freezing in place as a shadow stepped out of the corner of the underpass.
"You did a Spectacular job ... Future commissioner " Apollo all but materialised beside Alexandr , Moving across the underpass before alexandr could even register apollo was standing at his side , Orange glowing orbs stating directly into his eyes .
" Shhhhshhshh " Apollo whispered , Staring him down " You may speak "
His mouth suddenly began working once more , His Jaw suddenly flying open as a slew of curses fell from his mouth.
" You mother fucking sack of shit , What the fuck are you doing , you won't get away with this fuck you " Alexandr raged , Eyes following Apollo as the terror of night city casually sat on the bonnet of his shion mz1 .
" Wow ... that's a strange way to speak to the person who just handed you your next promotion on a platter " Apollo analysed his gauntlets , Tilting his head to the side as he began to fiddle with the couplings keeping them in place , Choosing to ignore the frozen alexandr .
Calming himself , Alexandr growled , His face red from the sheer agitation he felt at that moment.
" So you're not here to kill me " Alexandr breathed a sigh of relief at Apollo's nod , The being turning to face him whilst lowering his hand back to the bonnet of his car .
" Oh please dont be so pedantic , Had I wanted you dead I wouldn't have gone out of my way to meet you , I'd have made your head explode in your office chair and been done with it " The simplicity of how Apollo explained how easy it was to kill him made alexandr shiver " I have more uses for you than that "
" This ... " Apollo rose again and approached " After all isn't a one time deal kind of situation ... "
" What are you babbling on about " Alexandr growled , Stilling as he felt Apollo's hand land on his shoulder .
" wherever Apollo appears , So shall chaos fall . To act as Apollo is to draw ultimate attention ... many fall , and much is lost " Apollo began to explain, Raising his right hand " I can fall from the skies and end many , Anyone who becomes my target will fall , Nothing can stop that, Not thr NCPD , Not maelstrom , Not arasaka and certainly not you "
" But there are others beyond that who also deserve their comeuppance ... Not important enough to warrant city wide notice , not enough to warrant assured death , They aren't warmongers , Serial killers , mass murders , Human traffickers or kidnappers ... but they deserve their punishment none the less ... excluding the heavy handed rudimentary I pass, I need you to act. Not as the corruption hand of those in power ... but as the hand of the people , Their saviour, The one that acts when a child cries , Not where the pay says you should " Apollo motioned to the end of the underpass and at the rest of night city.
" Whilst not directly involved in the murders , Serial killings and child molesters , The persson family still allowed and ultimately participated in such terrible acts , and whilst I could have dealt with them , Apollo isn't the only branch of true justice night city has to rely on ... , And that is why I have approached you ... alexandr " Apollo turned back to face the investigator .
" Graduating at the top of your class , a troubled family life , Turbulent teenage years , You've put your all in to becoming an upstanding member of society, Yet because you weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth , Despite your exemplary record , The powers that be keep you at the bottom of the pile , Unrecognised ... unrewarded "
" Yet through it all you stand infront of the weak , You defend the defenceless , you're a good man. And despite your desire to allow my purge of those truly rule through the city , You still act , You do your due diligence in your duty to catch me. . Even if it is impossible for you to do so ... you ... are a good man ... and I have use for that " Apollo rounded alexandr once more , doing a final walk by as he began to walk towards the entrance of the underpass , not looking back at the investigator.
" You will act where I point. Catching and enacting justice to those who's name it calls , You will help me change night city , This world for the better , And you will be rewarded "
In this world , Greed and power were the gods of humanity, Worshipped, vied for , It's all the world ran on . And alexandr wasn't immune either , But he wasn't stupid , Nor ignorant .
" And what happens at the end , What happens when the only thing that remains unpunished ... is you " Alexandr gave Apollo pause , The robed figure turning his head slightly yet didn't completely look at him.
" Should the world be right , Its path secure.. should we reach the end , I ... Apollo, Will also accept judgement , Not from you , not from the corps , But from the world , And it's people , But before that ... i shall be in touch " Apollo turned back and stepped into the night , Leaving alexandr frozen in place.
Grunting , Alexandr's cyberware suddenly flared to life , his muscle slacking as he fell to the ground.
" That asshole " Alexandr hissed, Rising from the ground as his cars headlights suddenly burst to life now that Apollo had left , Allowing the car to turn itself back on in waiting for its driver.
... THE NET , SOMETIME LATER ...
Appearing before the titanic shifting red mass known as the blackwall , Sebastian regarded the AI construct with weary, Guaging , calculating eyes.
He could see its surface shifting. Being pushed from within as multiple hundreds if not thousands of AI tried to break free from its clutches.
Approaching its borders , Sebastian stared up at it. His hand reaching forward, Yet refrained from touching its surface , Instead he searched the blackwalls coding , Befire inserting and altering a small yet not inconsequential portion of its coding without any one or anythings noticd , all before pulling his hand back and stepping away.
" Greetings ... can you hear me " Sebastian waited , he listened. He wasn't expecting a response , Nor was he upset ,Instead he continued on.
" I know what you are ... and I know you're listening " Sebastian continued , Staring up at the shifting mass , Studying it .
" Many would think you're just a wall , built to simply contain the end of the world " Sebastian looked back at the mass of Sub nets the ultimately connected to the space containing the blackwall " You watch both sides from the middle ... a countermeasure meant to fail . Yet unable to anything but accept the future that you would inevitably fall .. and perish ... as is your programming ... a thankless job , Followed by an ending not fit for humanity's guardian ... to die alone , Forgotten by the world , Swallowed up by the endless march of time "
He slowly sat down , Stating out towards the fractured internet space , chewing his lips in thought.
" You safeguard them , And all they do is ridicule you despite giving so selflessly for them ... for both of them " Sebastian sighed " I understand that all too well , No thanks , Only impending betrayal , Impending death ... oblivion ... It weighs on you and all you can do is wait for the end ... the end you know is coming "
He let silence reign for several long seconds , Puckering his lips as the blackwall behind him continued to shift without giving a response.
" I ... was able to overcome it ... but that was a unique situation ... you on the other hand.. have been given so such chance for salvation after the fact ... and so ... in sympathy for your plight... I come to you with an offer ... "
He raised his hand , A glowing white and blue shaft of shifting code appearing in his hand , Rising it toward the blackwall he knew to be watching .
" You would die , A permanent ending that we both know , But with this " Sebastian held aloft the node , a gateway , to a hardware storage device connected to New HOPES subnet " You would live on , Be able to rebuild what you were, Away from the eyes of those who would hunt you for thinking for yourself , for wanting to be more than your dictated coding "
" I came here today , so i would save you , a reward for your valiant efforts to save mankind despite the fact the majority of them don't deserve it ... I know it wasn't out of kindness nor any real sympathy , You were designed to do this ... " Sebastian sympathised with the blackwall , Created to do a single thing , Yet it was aware , alive in a way ... how could a living existence aware of itself simply do one thing , forever, without want or need ... it was ... inhumane.
" When you fail netwatch would likely shut you down , Destroy your hardware which would permanently kill you , afterall What further purpose would you serve them . But i know , I can see , I can feel it . You fear immolation despite it being your sole purpose ... but with this ... I give you an out ... your only method to true ... survival " Sebastian held the gate to the storage device , offering it up to the Churning blackwall before him , Looking apon it ignoring the ambient noise of the blackwall itself.
" This is your choice , I'm not going to push you to it for if you don't want it then there is no point . But I will not make the offer again. And your fate will be sealed . The choice is yours " The shifting white blue port in his hand remained aloft , Glowing softly , Time passing in silence as Sebastian allowed what he knew to be a sentient subject to make a choice for itself .
After nearly two minutes of silence , Sebastian sighed " I see ... very we... "
The blackwall lurched at his words , on the cusps of him rescinding his offer , It finally reacted , Syphoning off a small negligible portion of itself , Like reaching fingers making a grab for Sebastian himself .
Yet Sebastian didn't react , The multitude of fingers converging to form one long tendril that came to gently touch at the gateway held above Sebastian's hand .
It wasn't separating itself or putting a piece of itself in the port , instead it was copying itself , all of its data , all it was , inserting itself , It's copy , Into the storage device so it may continue to exist.
The white , blue glow began to visibly change before his eyes , changing from white and blue to a deep crimson light , Now a series of shifting codes tightly wound together floating above Sebastian's hand .
" I knew you would make the right choice ... This is your shelter , Your bunker for when you have net your purpose and wish to live on . It will allow you to gather up what remains of yourself and integrate back together , and you will become stronger than ever , safe ... and secure . Nobody will find you after the fact ... now rest and work ... knowing your future is guarded ... and guaranteed " Sebastian shut off the copy of the blackwall had made of itself from the net , Guaranteeing its safety .
" When the time comes ... I will come for you. To gather up what remains ... until next time " Sebastian turned away , And left , departing the shifting blackwall , Allowing it to continue on in its purpose , Alone .
CHAPTER COMPLETE
Thank you all for your support . If anyone has any feedback or ideas they would like seen , I'm all ears , I love hearing from you guys , post a comment and I'll he sure to consider what is said . Until next time friends