As the large armoured truck parked inside a secure warehouse, McCree and the rest of his group quickly dismounted. In the back, the four Imperial Marines leaped out, their weight leaving behind small cracks in the concrete ground as they landed. Before long, Ivanovich appeared with his robed cultists to welcome McCree's return with open arms.
[Ivanovich] - "McCree, my gracious angel, we are happy to see that you have returned. "
Said Ivanovich as he kneeled before McCree.
[Senju] - "What the hell is this guy's deal? "
Whispered Senju beside McCree's ear.
[McCree] - "Just play along. He's the guy who helped us, and his cult apparently worships cyberknights and crystal users. "
Whispered McCree toward Senju.
[Ivanovich] - "I see you brought guests, great angel. Allow us to show you our hospitality. "
Said Ivanovich with a respectful bow.
With these words, Ivanovich's men got up and invited the warriors toward another facility. Soon, the group was presented with a feast consisting of Southern-American cuisine. Famished, the four Marines removed their helmets and accepted the offering without a word. Meanwhile, McCree, Senju and Oltevin opted for some fine wines and charcuterie.
[Ivanovich] - "Ever since you helped my group rise to power, our influence around the city has been unstoppable. Soon after you killed cyberknight Danica, my men hunted down Seratov and had him executed, leaving me as the sole criminal enterprise. "
Said Ivanovich while giving a few friendly pats on McCree's back.
[McCree] - "My pleasure, good friend. However, I'm not sure we can stay for long. "
[Ivanovich] - "What's the rush, gracious angel? "
Said Ivanovich before drinking from his cup.
[Oltevin] - "We are here to save an old friend who seems to be stuck in Trump City. "
As soon as Oltevin's words hit Ivanovich, his face went pale. Slowly, Ivanovich settled his cup down on the table before looking around uncomfortably.
[Ivanovich] - "Trump City... is no longer. It was wiped off the map– By some apocalyptic events that even science couldn't explain. In its stead, not even a piece of concrete remained as if it were simply vaporized off the face of this earth. "
Said Ivanovich, his expression grim with fear and shock.
[McCree] - "Say what now? What in tarnation do you mean the city's gone? "
Said McCree as a chill shot through his spine.
[Ivanovich] - "It was simply gone, what else can I say? I thought you'd have the answer for that, great angel. It's clearly something only the cyberknights could do. "
Said Ivanovich as he looked toward McCree and his group for answers.
McCree abruptly turned toward his friends, who all shared the same horrified expression as him.
[McCree] - "No! We can't be too late, can we? "
Both Senju and Oltevin looked away, unable to properly answer McCree as they both feared the worst for Kadyn.
[McCree] - "Did... did we take too much time? "
Yelled McCree in a panic.
Even the four Marines across the table briefly paused in their feeding frenzy to stare back at McCree. Yet, as the room remained silent, with no one daring to even propose a theory, Oltevin took a deep breath and stood up from his chair.
[Oltevin] - "I've known Comrade Kadyn for all this time, and I know she couldn't go down so easily. It's not over; she must still be out there! "
Screamed Oltevin with confidence.
Suddenly, invigorated by Oltevin's faith, Voss also stood up while tossing away the half-eaten rib bone in his hand.
[Voss] - "He is right, the Arch-Mother does not go down so easily! She is not lost, unless I've seen proof of it. "
Said Voss, his voice brimming with hope and authority.
[Michalis] - "May the Goddess protect her soul wherever she is. Athena protects, and she endures! "
Said Michalis as he banged his fist against his chest.
[Nilsson] - "The Kraken does not forget its saviour. For she is the Grand Knight's beloved, thus she is a pearl of the Kraken. I shall not quit until we can find her. "
Said Nilsson as he stood up defiantly.
After seeing the amount of determination on the men's faces, McCree also felt compelled to sweep aside his doubts and turned toward Ivanovich.
[McCree] - "Can you arrange another transport for us? We gon' try to see if there's any hint of her going to any nearby cities. "
[Ivanovich] - "Consider it done, great angel. "
Meanwhile, under the city, the normal shift of sewage workers strolled around the underground tunnels. As an electrician tried to check the status of one of the electrical rooms, he suddenly found the door to be stuck. After trying to yank the door open with brute force, the worker quickly called his co-workers over to help him.
[Electrician] - "What the hell is going on? Are the hinges rusted again? "
Said the electrician as he stuck a screwdriver between the crack.
[worker 1] - "Ain't surprisin'. It ain't like it's made of premium material or somethin'. "
Said the worker as he ignited a pocket blowtorch.
[worker 2] - "Ugh... Step back, ya damn morons. Let me handle this thing. "
Said the second worker in a frustrated voice.
Armed with mechanical claws instead of arms, the second worker sank his massive pincers into the door before easily pulling it out of its frame. Yet, as the dust settled, the men were met not with the sight of an electrical room but with the barrels of several guns pointed at them. Before any of the men could say a word, Ulric gestured for the men to remain silent with a finger pressed before his lips.
[Dane] - "So much for this damned pacifist route. "
Whispered Dane to his sentry girl.
The sentry girl looked back at him, shrugged her shoulders, before going back to pointing her turret arm at the workers.
[Ulric] - "Slowly now! Get in here, and don't let me catch you three making any sudden movements. "
Whispered Ulric while keeping his massive carbine raised.
[patrol soldier] - "You three! What the hell is going on over there? "
Yelled one of the armed patrols.
As the two-man patrol squad inched closer toward the group, they were suddenly halted by a river of sewage that separated the two sides. However, the patrol officer's cybernetically enhanced wolf was easily able to leap over the great distance to the other side.
[patrol 2] - "Command, we have a situation at sector 21-B. Please stand by for further information. "
Said the second man to his arm-attached intercom.
With the wolf slowly approaching, Ulric barely had the time to react before the second worker decided to charge him, deciding that his captor would fire either way when they get spotted by the animal. Despite his massive metal arms, Ulric's round easily punched through the thick steel and scored a devastating hit on the worker's chest. However, the momentum of his charge still carried him forward, leading to Ulric being pinned beneath his massive body.
All hell broke loose as the electrician and the first worker fled the scene, while the wolf immediately leaped out of the corner. Due to its reinforced skin, the creature leaped forward and shrugged off the incoming bullets as it headed straight for Ella. Before she could do anything, the creature bit forward and pulled back with strings of blood and torn flesh as Ella's hand disappeared into its mouth.
While Dane's sentry girl tried to pin it down under a hail of gunfire, the creature leaped forward and effortlessly pinned the android to the ground. With one strike of its claw, it tore three massive gaps into Dane's head, which was luckily saved by his helmet. Yet, before the beast could do more damage, Ulric crawled out of his confines and fired at the wolf with his carbine. In one bright flash, the 12.5mm Chimera round shredded through its armour like butter before continuing its trajectory into the concrete.
With one swift punch, the sentry girl pushed the dead creature off her body and got up to help her master.
[Dane] - "No, I'm fine. Go help the other two! "
Yelled Dane as he quickly went for the medkit on the table.
As the sentry girl arrived before Ella, she was met with the horrid sight of a large puddle of blood, which leaked from the stump of her severed hand. With a turnikit and bandages in his hand, Dane rushed to Ella and quickly stopped the bleeding. Yet, the situation was still dire as Ella appeared pale and weak due to blood loss. Meanwhile, Ulric slowly stumbled against the wall, a sharp pain radiating through his chest as several of his ribs were shattered.
With Ulric leaning against his shoulder and Ari being carried by his sentry girl, Dane attempted to make an escape, only to be immediately blasted by the patrol soldiers. With cold sweat dangling by his face from the near miss, Dane and his group quickly pulled back into cover.
[patrol soldier 2] - "I repeat, we have a hostile group of terrorists, which had just killed one scout wolf and one sewer worker. I repeat, reinforcement requested in sector 21-B! "
Yelled the second patrol soldier as his duo fired at Dane's only exit.
[Dane] - "Shit! Shit! We shouldn't have listened to her! "
Whispered Dane in frustration as he armed himself with a pistol.
Looking at his surroundings, Dane assessed the situation. While his sentry girl reloaded her weapon with spare ammo, Ella was barely conscious by the wall beside Ulric.
[Dane] - "Damn it! Can ya fight, son? "
Ulric gritted his teeth in pain but bravely put on a determined look on his face.
[Ulric] - "We all have our moment where duty calls, just as the Dark Angel said it herself. Tell me what I have to do, Uncle Dane. "
Said Ulric as he stood up with his carbine ready.
[Dane] - "Very well, you're brave, son. Very brave! When we start running, my sentry girl will carry Ari in the front and try to open a path for us. On the other hand, I'll carry our supply and help your sister, but you'll have to do rear-guard duty. Can ya do that? "
[Ulric] - "You got it, sir! "
Said Ulric as he saluted Dane.
Suddenly, the sentry girl leaped out of cover and began blasting back at the two patrol soldiers. Though the sentry girl took a few shots with minimal damage, her return fire proved to be lethal for the lightly armoured men. With the immediate threat out of the way, the sentry girl quickly went back and carried Ari on her back. Just as Dane had planned, the group headed out of their cover into the barely lit tunnels in a single file line.
On the surface, during this time, the news of Dane's escape quickly made it up to Romanovsky, who recognized the faces in the camera footage as KD-554's desired targets. Without losing another moment, Romanovsky climbed up the central tower and rushed into KD-554's office with the information.
[Romanovsky] - "My Goddess, you were right! They were indeed hiding inside this city! "
Said Romanovsky as he kneeled down and presented his digital pad to KD-554.
With a flick of his finger, Astroboy sent a wave of kinetic energy into the air, which bounced off the pad and sent it flying into KD-554's waiting hand. Upon viewing the footage, KD-554 smiled wickedly before leaning in toward her desk-mounted intercom and pressing a button.
[KD-554] - "Seal the city off for good, will you, my dear Dan? "
Said KD-554 before turning her gaze toward Astroboy.
Understanding her assignment, Astroboy quickly stepped forward and shattered the glass window before dropping into the void. Then, a massive burst of wind shot through the street as Astroboy flew away. At the edge of the city, Dan barely had the time to react before Astroboy grabbed him by the coat and carried him away. With a fraction of a second, Astroboy landed before one of the city's four main gates.
[Astroboy] - "Do as you are told, Dan. "
Looking at the busy traffic on the road, Dane turned back at Astroboy with a puzzled look.
[Dan] - "There are so many cars? How am I supposed to seal this place off– "
Before Dan could finish his sentence, Astroboy leaped in and activated his ability.
[Astroboy] - "Damnation's Reach: Entropy of Human Perfection! "
Said Astroboy before an invisible force disintegrated all the cars blocking the entrance, causing all traffic to abruptly cease out of shock.
[Astroboy] - "Now work! "
Yelled Astroboy in frustration.
Dan hesitated for a moment, seeing the carnage before his eyes. However, reluctantly, Dan complied with the demand and activated his ability.
[Dan] - "Trial Access: Temporality of a Lost Age. "
Said Dan as the invisible cubes of his ability began to appear one by one.
During this time, McCree and his group rode inside another truck as they attempted to exit the city. However, the seemingly smooth traffic soon ground to a halt for some unknown reason. After a long wait, McCree suddenly noticed a trail of black smoke rising in the distance, near the exit gate. Seeing how panicked and confused shouts and screams soon swarmed the truck, McCree leaped out of the vehicle and advanced toward the gate to see what was going on.
However, when McCree got there, all he saw was the sight a carnage with burning car wrecks everywhere. At the gate, he could see the border policemen tapping their hands against an invisible barrier of some sort. Curious, McCree drew his pistol and shot at the entrance, only for the bullet to bounce off an invisible surface. Sensing that something was terribly wrong, McCree quickly rushed back toward his truck, where Senju stood on the truck roof to observe the situation.
[Senju] - "Did you get a clearer view than me of what's going on? "
[McCree] - "It's just chaos. It seems as if an explosion had occurred, but somethin' ain't right. There's a barrier of some sort blocking the entrance. "
Said McCree while trying to catch his breath.
[Senju] - "Some barriers? That's quite strange... Let me try something. "
Said Senju before pulling his sword out of its scabbard.
[Senju] - "Guilt Extension: Wrath of the 47 Ronins! "
Screamed Senju before wildly swinging his sword at the supposed barrier.
Yet, instead of yielding any result, both Senju and McCree abruptly heard a crack from his arm. Looking up, both men were shocked to see that a crack had formed on Senju's crystal. Their confusion soon turned to horror as this could only mean one thing– that whatever ability is trapping them inside the city is so powerful that even Senju's already lethal ability is but a joke against its durability.
Under the ground, Dane and his group luckily fought all the way to the edge of the city, where they saw the sunset's gold light at the end of the tunnel. A relief washed over the group as they ran toward salvation, even while still being chased by a few patrol soldiers. Behind them, with each shot, Ulric dealt with the immense pain of the gun recoil that pounded against his wounded bones. Yet, the young man endured, knowing that salvation is close.
However, as the sentry girl tried to jump out of the tunnel, she abruptly crashed against an invisible wall before falling to the ground. Behind, Dane barely had the time to shout for Ulric to halt as he came to a stop.
[Ulric] - "What's going on? Why are we stopping? "
Yelled Ulric as he took down another soldier.
[Dane] - "What in tarnation is this? "
Whispered Dane as he placed his hand against the invisible barrier.
The group was so close to escaping, yet salvation was denied to them right before their eyes. With this section of the tunnel, since it led to the outside, the group was essentially trapped with no cover. They had basically walked into a dead-end with no cover and no means of escape. They were truly trapped this time, while a huge horde of reinforcements rushed toward their position.
Above ground, meanwhile, since the truck was trapped in traffic with no place to go, McCree had to find a way to both conceal the Marines while finding another way for them to get out of the city. Looking around, McCree tried to think of an idea until his gaze abruptly stopped on a manhole cover. Soon, one after another, the Marines dropped into the sewage tunnels, followed by McCree's team.
[McCree] - "God damn, this smell's about to put me six feet under. "
Said McCree as he covered his nose.
[Christos] - "Should've invested in a gas mask instead of cosplaying as a cowboy. "
Said Christos as he took a deep breath, filtered by his helmet, to spite McCree.
[McCree] - "Go fuck yourself, man! Let's get moving already. "
[Nilsson] - "Wait! I hear something in the distance. There seem to be gunfights. "
Said Nilsson as he moved around a corner.
However, as Nilsson moved, the massive horns on his helmet smashed into a service light and cracked the bulb.
[Nilsson] - "Apologies. "
Said Nilsson as he retracted the horns on his helmet.
[Christos] - "You know the 9th fleet has a nickname for you guys, right? We called you guys the Easter bunny legion, ahaha! "
Said Christos jokingly.
[Nilsson] - "Falling Spartans, more like crash and burn, just like how you two got into this mess. "
Said Nilsson in an annoyed voice.
Suddenly, a loud set of footsteps approached the Marines before a group of patrol reinforcement turned around a corner.
[patrol captain] - "Hey! What the hell are you people doing here? This is a zone restricted to civilian access! Drop your weapons now! "
Yelled a patrol captain as he pointed his gun at the towering Marines.
[Michalis] - "Heh! Get a load of that guy! "
Mocked Michalis as he pointed at the captain with his thumb.
Angered by Michalis' mockery, the patrol captain fired his rifle at Michalis, only for the bullet to bounce off his armour without even scratching the paint. As Michalis turned around, the captain nearly jumped as the red lens of the Marines burned into his soul.
[Patrol Captain] - "Last... Warning! I'm warning you! "
Said the captain as his voice gradually began to shake in fear.
Raising his carbine, Michalis fired a single shot that pierced through all eight soldiers in that line.
[McCree] - "Whatever it is, it doesn't concern us. Let's get moving, and ignore that shit! "
Said McCree as he inched toward the opposite direction of the distant gunfight.
[Voss] - "No, I'm intrigued. That's the sound of a Chimera carbine fire. Whoever these men are fighting must be someone of interest to us. "
Said Voss as he turned toward and walked toward the noise.
[Nilsson] - "Good call! Lead the way, Captain. "
Said Nilsson as he followed behind Voss.
[McCree] - "Grrr... God damn it! "
Said McCree as most of the group followed Voss instead.
Not far away, Dane loaded the last belt of ammunition into his sentry girl's arm. Meanwhile, Ulric was also down to his last magazine of Chimera rounds.
[Dane] - "Sigh... Well, son, this is it. You fought well. "
Said Dane as he threw away his empty pistol.
[Ulric] - "Ugh... I'm sure the Dark Angel is going to come save us. "
[Dane] - "It's unlikely that she knows we are in trouble. "
Around the corner, as fresh reinforcement arrived with boxes of grenades, the explosives were quickly passed toward the lead soldier. As the soldier prepared to pull the pin and toss the grenade, he was abruptly struck down by a bright plasma bolt. As the soldiers turned toward the adjacent tunnel where the shot came from, they were suddenly met with the sight of glowing lens in the dark.
As the light shone upon the Marines' sleek armour, the soldiers quickly began firing upon them. Ignoring the hail of harmless rounds that sound like raindrops against his armour, Voss systematically cleared the soldiers' ranks with one shot per kill, no more, no less. If Voss fired, then the round would land upon the fatal spot of an enemy. Within a single minute, the sewers fell silent as only dead bodies littered the crowded tunnels.
As Voss peeked around the corner, he was surprised to see the group of misfits that had seemingly held their ground for so long against such opposition.
[Voss] - "We are not here to harm you. Put that gun down, boy! "
Said Voss, his voice sending shivers through Ulric's spine.
Though Ulric did not fire, he still kept his weapon aimed at the Marine with a tense expression on his face. As the rest of the group peeked at the survivors, McCree suddenly recognized Dane's face in the crowd.
[McCree] - "Dane? What the hell are ya doing here? "
Yelled McCree, surprised by the sight of an old friend.
[Dane] - "McCree? Senju and Oltevin as well? How did you people find us here? "
Said Dane, a feeling of both relief and confusion washing over him.
Despite their old feuds, Dane couldn't help but feel emotional seeing McCree after enduring such hell. Like a reunited family, McCree's team and Dane shared a four-man hug.
[Dane] - "Ya folks, how did you know to find us here, seriously? "
[Senju] - "We were originally here to rescue Kadyn, but we ended up accidentally crossing paths with you, old friend. "
Said Senju while peeking at the people behind Dane.
[Oltevin] - "We are glad you were still alive, old comrade. It's nice to know that some of the team survived after everything. "
Said Oltevin while shaking Dane's hand with both hands.
[Dane] - "By the way, you mentioned Kadyn. Have you people come across her? "
[McCree] - "We ain't sure where she is yet. "
[Dane] - "She went up to the surface to get supplies for us. Shit, we gotta move or else she will be the one not being able to find us instead. "
Said Dane as he turned around and grabbed his bag of tools and supplies.
[McCree] - "Wait, you mean she has been staying with you guys? "
[Dane] - "Yeah, of course she was. She's the reason why we managed to escape from Trump City. "
Said Dane as he helped Ella to her feet.
McCree looked at his team with hope in his eyes, while the same hopeful stare was mirrored in their eyes.
[McCree] - "We were not too late. She's right in this city with us. "
Said McCree in a relieved tone.
Christos and Michalis both pressed their palms together and closed their eyes.
[Christos] - "The Goddess protects, and we are thankful for her blessings! "
Whispered Christos under his breath.
[Voss] - "The Arch-Mother lives! "
Whispered Voss before breathing a sigh of relief.
However, at the same time, on the surface, the city quickly fell into a state of panic as the invisible wall had seemingly trapped everyone inside with no means of escape. Yet as order gradually broke down with the crowd soon about to overwhelm the police barricades, all the screens in the city abruptly switched to show KD-554's face in a live broadcast. From the massive billboard to the individual cellphones, every single device was forced to cease all actions to show KD-554's face.
For a brief moment, the crowd's panic gave way to confusion and intrigue as they stared at the unknown woman's image.
[KD-554] - "Greetings, my beloved dolls. You might not know me, but you will quickly enough. I'm KD-554, the architect of this city and many more like this one. You might wonder why you are trapped inside my city by an invisible force. Well, let me explain. "
Said KD-554 before leaning closer toward the camera with a smile.
With the proximity of her face to the camera, KD-554 made sure that it felt as if she was talking directly to each individual watching her.
[KD-554] - "Humanity is inherently savage. You might try to deny it or fight it, but in the end, with enough push, each and every one of you will eventually show your monstrous side. However, some people are simply unconvinced. So, for the greater good of all, I suppose I need to show said individuals that my philosophy is the only truth there is. For that, I need your help. "
Said KD-554 before the screen suddenly switched to show a picture of Kadyn's face.
[KD-554] - "Your task is simple. Find this woman and kill her. Once this task is complete, the city will be freed once more. The barrier will be lifted, and you all can resume your lives as if nothing had happened. However, to make sure that all of you, the entirety of the 2 million people in this city, participate in this fun little game, I shall introduce a rule. "
Even before KD-554 began explaining the rules, some people in the city were already looking around to see if Kadyn was in their midst.
[KD-554] - "For each day she is still alive, 10,000 of you will randomly be... killed. So, for the greater good of all, let the monsters in you run free, hunt this witch down and save the ones you love. "
Said KD-554 as the smile on her face grew wider with joy.
With these words, the city suddenly fell into an uproar of panic and anger as the previously contained chaos erupted into pure anarchy. In their fear and fury, many began to commit acts of vandalism, while others flew into a wild panic and attempted to find ways to escape.
[KD-554] - "You can see yourself already. Your nature, the tendency for violence and acts of savagery, when the delusion of civility is broken. She might not agree with my philosophy, but you people will prove my point far better than I could ever. Cogitas, ergo non es; You think, but you are not! Enjoy the hunt, Kadyn. "
Said KD-554 before her face disappeared from the screens.
Kadyn, who had listened to KD-554's speech while hidden amongst the crowd, quickly pulled her hood further to cover her face. Yet, as she navigated through the uncontrolled madness of a panicking population, many soon swarmed her out of suspicion. As more and more people tried to grab her or expose her face, Kadyn had to use her spinal accelerator to get out of the situation. After finally slipping under the manhole cover she had emerged from, Kadyn thought she was safe, only to find the sewers also crowded with people trying to find an escape.
Meanwhile, atop the central tower, in her office, KD-554 smiled like a joyful child as she watched the city below her fall into anarchy.
[KD-554] - "See this? This is the undeniable proof of my philosophy. All that was needed to be done is a little push for a totally civilized society to break down into its natural savagery. "
Said KD-554 with pride on her face.
[Astroboy] - "What exactly is the end goal here, Mistress? You have already proven that human nature is that of savagery, so what use is it to prove it again here? "
[KD-554] - "It's to prove that Kadyn is a delusional cunt. This shitstained whore thinks her humanity is her truth. She thinks she FUCKING won against me in Trump City by denying my philosophy. Yet here– here... she'll be forced to either kill innocent people and prove my point... or die like the rotting dogshit she is by their hands and prove that savagery is the dominant truth of nature and survival. "
Said KD-554 with madness in her eyes in an unhinged tone.
[Astroboy] - "All this effort... For this? Wouldn't it be easier to just capture her and destroy her instead of going through all this? "
[KD-554] - "You lack vision, Astroboy. This is not about dominance; this is about vindication. If I defeat her at her level, at her own game, this proves that I am the final truth. That Cogitas, ergo non es is the undeniable truth that no living being can deny, no matter how defiant they are. "
Said KD-554 as she huffed with excitement while her pupils dilated.
[KD-554] - "This city is like the burning bucket placed on rats in ancient torture methods. As I set the fire, the rats will attempt to escape by eating through flesh. In this case, both Kadyn and the population are rats; we just have to see which side can eat through the other. "
Said KD-554 before taking a sip of her wine glass.
With a nod, Astroboy also raised his glass and drank from it.
[Astroboy] - "When should I execute the random 10,000 people then? "
Said Astroboy in a cold voice.
To be continued...