The crowd gathered around a massive stage set up to honour their saviour from the events involving Conquest's attack. Though many are survivors, bloodied and shamed by the previous failed Liberation of Europe, they were glad to at least still be alive, unlike their unfortunate comrades. Through the nearly a few hundred thousand strong crowd, many cheered passionately for Arthur, now considered the hero of the Allied Forces.
Yet, not everyone shared this enthusiasm, especially the few who were aware of what truly occurred that day. Among the crowd, Senju was joined by McCree, who had to squeeze through several shoulders to reach him.
[Senju] - "Look at these people, it's honestly disgusting to me how they are cheering like this. "
Said Senju as he crossed his arms with disdain.
[McCree] - "How so? "
Said McCree as he adjusted his hat.
[Senju] - "We've just lost a battle, lost nearly two entire task forces, and nearly a million men. Yet, look at these fools, cheering... Cheering for what? It seriously makes me wanna puke with the level of shameless behaviour I'm seeing. Instead of mourning the dead or rethinking our approach, these dogs in charge decided to put on a stupid show. "
Said Senju, his frustration mirrored by many soldiers surrounding him.
However, the sheer amount of fiery cheers drowned out the contempt of the scattered few in their midst. After all, the men from the surviving task forces only made up 10% of the crowd. Most of those in the audience were men who had yet to see true battle or the horror of the war ahead.
[McCree] - "And the kill wasn't even his. That son of a bitch, Arthur, was on his knees begging for the enemy to spare his life. I saw it with my own two damn eyes. "
Said McCree before shining his teeth in disgust.
[Senju] - "Huh? Then who stopped that monster? "
Exclaimed Senju as he turned to face McCree.
[McCree] - "Ya know who that is. Kadyn, of course! That girl is just beyond this world. "
Said McCree casually as he crossed his arms.
[Senju] - "You mean to say... "
[McCree] - "Yep! What'cha expect? It's stolen valour, but unfortunately, I didn't capture it on camera, and the bastards in charge wanted to promote their hero, not the right hero. "
For a moment, these words shook the doubt Senju had toward Kadyn in his heart, but he quickly snapped out of it.
[Senju] - "Oltevin is stable. His wounds seem severe, but he'll recover quickly. By the way, where's Audrey? I haven't seen her since we landed at base yesterday. "
[McCree] - "Searching for Kadyn, of course. Arthur, that vile son of a bitch, attacked Kadyn soon after she had slain the enemy combatant. Not only that, but the resemblance Arthur has to the Grand Knight... It's quite eerie. I think it's too much for Kadyn– It's a lot for anyone, actually. "
Said McCree with a look of compassion on his face.
The crowd suddenly interrupted the two's conversation with a massive cheer as Arthur presented himself on stage, followed by Admiral Jack and Doctor Dunkel. In front, a four-star general of the Allied Forces stepped toward the microphone and began his speech.
"To the people of our venerated armies, the brave men and women fighting for the freedom of this Earth, I present to you the hero of our movement, the real-life Superman of our alliance, the man who defeated an unnatural evil in our darkest hours and saved the lives of those returning from their hard-fought battle in Europe– The greeeeeat Arthur! "
Said the general as Arthur stepped forward, his chin raised in arrogance.
As the ceremony officially began with the general shaking Arthur's hand, and beginning to hand out rewards and medals to the trio on stage, Senju, McCree and several dozen veterans turned around and exited the clown show. While Dunkel burst with tears of joy on stage at the sight of such admiration for her work, those leaving below spat at the ground as a bitter taste filled their mouth.
[Veteran] - "This whole alliance is a joke, and we're the freaks being laughed at! "
Whispered the veteran, full of spite.
The veteran was just a new recruit deployed to storm the beaches of Ireland during the early stage of the battle. When a massive Xenomorph-Hunter-class titan showed up and wiped his squad off the face of this earth in mere seconds, he only managed to live by submerging himself in the gore left by his squad's mutilated bodies. His military classes never prepared him to face such alien horrors, yet he was thrown in and had to watch his best friends vanish in inhuman ways. Now, instead of mentioning their sacrifice, the High Command decided to celebrate a fraudulent hero instead.
Meanwhile, in a dark, empty command room, the only light was that of a lit-up screen and the purple glow of Kadyn's irises. After extracting the information on Dane's location and whereabouts, she promptly left the facility like a ghost without anyone noticing. As she strolled around a hangar and secretly climbed into a jet fighter, Audrey, who was still searching for her, accidentally caught a glimpse of Kadyn. As Kadyn's plane blasted off the runway, Audrey quickly dashed forward and threw a magnetic homing beacon on her jet.
Though Audrey wanted to follow Kadyn, she would have a harder time getting an aircraft off the ground. While Kadyn could hack the control tower and create a fake permission for her action, Audrey would have to find another way to get clearance for a vehicle and to fly.
In the sky, Kadyn set the course for her jet and put on the autopilot. As she took her hands off the control handles, she could see them shaking uncontrollably with emotion. Mike, the man who swept her off the dirty underworld, agreed to be her lover and made so many promises to her, was not only killed while fighting for her, but he was also unceremoniously desecrated after death and made into a parody of himself, a meat puppet for a regime that stood against his beliefs.
The more Kadyn thought, the angrier she got, as tears flowed down her cheeks while her lips trembled. Suddenly, a burst of sorrow gripped her as she whimpered and curled up like an abused little girl. At that moment, she was not the assassin, the apex predator, but just a girl, wounded in a way that robbed her of humanity. As all the laughter, all those moments she envisoned a lovely future with Mike came flooding in, she abruptly screamed as loudly as she could, her voice echoing inside the cockpit with nowhere to go. Even as her fox ears rang and shook with pain, Kadyn could not stop yelling.
[Kadyn] - "He'll pay... He'll pay for this... "
Whispered Kadyn as she gripped her palms into fists.
After landing at a secluded Allied base, Kadyn exited the jet and vanished before the ground crew could see her. After hacking through the security padlocks guarding the doors, she stepped into the base, eyes glowing red all the while. Gone are the logic and tenderness; all that is left is pain, sorrow and bloodlust. If this world denies her the happiness she wanted, then she'll burn those responsible for her suffering.
The agony in her body no longer bothered her as her mind was filled with peace and certainty. There was almost a soothing calm that washed over her emotions as she felt herself approaching her destination. As Kadyn staggered toward Dane's location, she noticed how the hallways looked noticeably like the ones back at her old imperial base. The longer she walked, the more she walked into the past to a moment she remembered well.
[KD-551] - "Well, that mission turned quite bloody. "
Said KD-551 as he watched Kadyn enter their barrack.
It was a gloomy day as she had just come back from an assassination mission, again covered in blood. It was a dark time, when nothing made sense yet to Kadyn and her sisters, other than the life purpose they were created for. Kadyn, especially, had trouble controlling her impulses as a born killer, often going into overkill when she loses control of a situation.
[Kadyn] - "I had to slash a little more than usual. "
Said Kadyn with livid eyes.
[KD-551] - "So, what's the body count? "
Said KD-551 in a casual voice as she cleaned her bed railing with a cloth.
[Kadyn] - "Primary target eliminated, 4 guards terminated and 5 counts of coincidental casualties. "
Said Kadyn in a monotone voice.
KD-551, being the big sister, immediately noticed the unsettled gaze of guilt in Kadyn's eyes.
[KD-551] - "Why kill the people uninvolved with the target? I get it with the guards, but five civilians are pretty unnecessary. "
Said KD-551 as she glanced at Kadyn without any sign of judgment.
Though KD-551 was pretty disturbed herself by Kadyn's brutality, she knew she wasn't the one at fault. They were children without a childhood, born with a weapon for a body and forced to be the savage animals normal humans refused to become. This is everything Kadyn had, this life, these missions, these orders that forced a teenage girl to abandon everything just to coat herself in blood, and she hated it.
[Kadyn] - "They started to scream at me... They shot at me and... and... I just cut down anyone who tried to harm me... "
Said Kadyn while trembling, scared and confused.
Suddenly, KD-551 pulled Kadyn close toward her, hugging her little sister while patting her hair like a protector.
[KD-551] - "Shhh... It's okay. What's done is done; don't let it torment you. "
Whispered KD-551 gently.
In her arms, the supposed butcher and killer turned into a confused and scared girl, weeping in a cruel world she didn't understand. It's an unfair life, KD-551 knew it, but there's nothing she can do to change this reality. She and Kadyn were on the same ship, the same slaves born to be cleavers for their dark masters.
[KD-551] - "Here, sit down on my bed. "
Said KD-551 as she helped Kadyn onto her bed.
[Kadyn] - "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for being like this... I don't know what to do... "
Sobbed Kadyn, while rubbing the dried blood on her hands.
Kneeling down, KD-551 placed herself at eye level with Kadyn before cupping her cheek in her hand.
[KD-551] - "Hey, remember when we talked about those books about the knight and the princess? And you just wouldn't stop talking about your dream knight and how he's going to come liberate you and ride you into the sunset? "
Said KD-551 while smiling at Kadyn.
Kadyn slowly stopped crying, soothed by the pleasant memories of her and her big sister talking about their dream knights who'd come rescue them. Kadyn described her knight as tall, in dark armour and surprisingly kind and loving despite his menacing looks. KD-551, meanwhile, described her knight as a common peasant who took up arms and came across a fellow peasant girl just like her.
[KD-551] - "You've already met your knight, and he even acknowledged you. However, do you truly want him to meet you like this again? With you soaked in blood and crying? "
Said KD-551 as she wiped the tear off Kadyn's eyes.
[Kadyn] - "No... But how could I be better? This is all I know... "
Said Kadyn, her eyes shifting downward in shame.
[KD-551] - "That's not true! The fact that you can think about other things than violence, the fact that you can picture a day where you can be free, means there's more to you than just this. Take your name, for example, Kadyn. There's a difference between Kadyn and KD-555. Kadyn is the girl who wishes for more, for a future where she lives a life without bloodshed, while KD-555 is the unhinged killer. "
Said KD-551 as she pointed at Kadyn's heart.
[Kadyn] - "But... I killed those people, it was me who did it, not someone else! "
Retorted Kadyn, her eyes wandering around avoidantly.
[KD-551] - "Then stop choosing KD-555 and choose Kadyn. Change starts with you taking charge of the consequences! Ever since you met the Grand Knight, you abandoned your codename and adopted this new name as yours. Live up to it, show us the girl named Kadyn! "
Said KD-551 as she pressed Kadyn's cheeks and forced her to stare at her.
It was the moment Kadyn was forced to confront herself. Kadyn was a new, unfamiliar identity. It was scary for her to walk a path with a destination unknown to her. At that moment, she didn't know what it meant to be Kadyn over KD-555. All she knew was that Kadyn dreamt of the future, of something more than the blades.
So that night, Kadyn washed the blood off her body and dressed herself in a new set of clothes. As she prepared to go to bed, perhaps waking up tomorrow to accept another bloody mission, her feet halted. She didn't want to be KD-555 anymore; She wanted to be Kadyn. There's a world outside for her to reach and a future for her to grasp as she looked out of the window at the moon.
So she turned around and walked away from her bed, her feet taking her beyond the doors of the barracks, toward a new horizon she didn't know anything about. For a moment, Kadyn turned around and looked at her sisters, shedding a tear of gratitude toward those who had been there for her despite everything. Then, as she stepped out of the barrack, a warning immediately began to ring.
"KD-555, you have stepped outside of your permitted boundary! Return to the barracks immediately or be targeted for termination! "
However, instead of heading back inside as instructed, Kadyn ran, the air flowing around her as she enjoyed her freedom. She ran without knowing where she should go, she ran without caring if she'd ever make it to a destination, she ran because this is where Kadyn's heart belongs, not in a cage but in the great beyond.
With each step she took, the world shifted around her. Whether it be in heavy winter clothes through the snowy mountains or barefoot through the beaches, Kadyn ran with a big smile on her face until she collided with her knight in his dark armour. This is who Kadyn is, a dreamer, a girl who'd deny her fate to chase that uncertain horizon.
For a brief moment, in the present, Kadyn halted in her footsteps. In front of her, she saw the road that led to Dane's office merging with the path leading to the bed she had abandoned that night. Though it was probably her own suppressed conscience trying to warn her, Kadyn didn't see it that way.
Mike was where her path truly began. With him, Kadyn walked every single day with a certainty about her future. She didn't need to turn back because she's the happiest moving forward. Yet, somehow, that path led her right back to where it all began. Even as she imagined the happiest moments she had with Mike, she couldn't help but only taste bitterness in her mouth.
Looking back in the opposite direction, Kadyn only felt exhaustion as she was too tired to run again. Besides, what is there to run for? The dream, the future, died with Mike's corpse on the ground.
[Kadyn] - "Mike... "
Whispered Kadyn as if she was seeing him standing right before her.
Kadyn touched her face and realized that she was covered in blood just like that day. However, instead of being covered in the blood of the innocent, she's tainted by her own blood. For a moment, the Kadyn that KD-551 was talking about came back. Was she truly going to do it, to stab herself in the heart and undo all that has been accomplished?
She almost considered giving up on her mission when the memories of Arthur flashed inside her head. After all the sacrifices made by Mike, this is how the world thanked him. All his virtuous deeds and heroic actions fell on deaf ears as he wasn't even given a dignified death. This disrespect to the man who meant so much to her could not be simply forgiven like this. Those who are responsible must pay.
[Kadyn] - "You are a knight, you have morals and a heart unlike me. I'm just a girl, and I don't have the guts to stomach what they did to you. You taught me so much, but why does it matter now that you're gone? "
Said Kadyn, before she knocked at Dane's office.
As soon as Dane opened his door, Kadyn extended her wrist blade and took a swing at him. Luckily for Dane, due to Kadyn's unstable aim, he was only slightly slashed on the face before collapsing onto the floor.
[Dane] - "Oh God! Oh God! What in tarnation are ya doing? "
Screamed Dane in shock as he quickly began to crawl backward.
Kadyn stared at Dane with a pair of livid eyes akin to those of a cold-blooded killer.
[Kadyn] - "To get justice for Mike! To make you assholes pay for what you did to him. He never wronged you, he never hurt you, he was just a good-hearted man, yet you bastards turned him into your slave and took away his humanity. "
Screamed Kadyn in a vengeful voice.
[Dane] - "I swear, I wasn't the one who turned him like that! It was Dunkel, my previous associate. She sabotaged the operation and had me removed from the project– "
Before Dane could finish, Kadyn took one step forward and showed her teeth in anger.
[Kadyn] - "Bloody liar! You were the one who suggested this. If it wasn't for your stupid idea, Mike would have been resting at peace while being remembered for his heroism. "
Yelled Kadyn while her eyes burned with fury.
[Dane] - "Things were out of my control! I wanted to do the right thing! "
Pleaded Dane as his back collided with the wall.
[Kadyn] - "I used to have a dream, a dream so simple it was basically mundane for the rest of your bastards. I wanted to have a family with Mike! For eight bloody years, I stood by his side and watched as he changed from a tool to a man. In the end, when he could've chosen his own humanity, he still chose duty and paid for it with his life. He freed this world from the grasp of a tyrant, and no one mourned him beside me. "
Yelled Kadyn with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Kadyn abruptly dropped down to her knees before lowering her head.
[Kadyn] - "It's so fucking unfair! "
Said Kadyn as she glanced at the family photo of Dane and his family on the desk.
[Kadyn] - "His reward for all this sacrifice is a defiled body, an unremembered legacy, and an errant widow who's slowly going insane. He didn't even get the chance to leave a next of kin, while you parasites, you filth of humanity, reproduce like maggots, rotting everything you touch wherever you go! "
Yelled Kadyn, her voice poisonous with hatred.
Despite Dane's fear, at that moment, the emotions within Kadyn's voice were simply too human for him to feel like he was facing a cold killer machine. These words, alongside these emotions and mannerisms, are things impossible for a machine to replicate. Gradually, Dane felt compassion for Kadyn's pain as he began to understand how messed up it must've been for Kadyn in all this.
[Dane] - "I admit my mistake. You're right, it was my fault for attempting to play God. I was naive, too naive even. Even the Son of God, Jesus, was betrayed by the likes of Judas. Meanwhile, I somehow didn't expect betrayal from the most obvious source. I paid for my naivety with how my life is now. Look around you, do you still see the fancy technology you saw the first time you met me? Do you still feel like I was rewarded for my deed? "
Said Dane with a defeated expression.
Kadyn glanced at Dane's office and realized that the room was small and dimly lit, looking more like a prison cell than an actual office. A quick look at Dane's desk revealed a broken chair held together by a few loose bolts. Gone were the fancy gun turrets, gone were the powerful shield that protected him; now only an undignified and slow end awaited the condemned man. Even this facility reflected his status as a castaway prisoner, secluded and left to decay slowly without funds.
[Dane] - "No, hein? Not the glorious palace of technology you saw me in before. "
Said Dane while rubbing his dirty hands against his bloodied face.
[Dane] - "In this humbled state, I understood finally how my father felt. He had no choice, he's a prisoner... The world was unfair to him, and I judged him harshly, like the fool I was. Alas, I learned to forgive him. "
Said Dane as he pointed to the only picture he had of his father on his desk.
Although Kadyn felt empathy toward Dane's situation, the scar left by Arthur still proved to be too much for her to bear. With an enraged expression, Kadyn grabbed Dane by the neck and aimed her blade at his face. In response, Dane relaxed his body and refused to resist.
[Dane] - "I understand your pain. It's only natural for you to come after me, and I accept this as my punishment. My wife and my children don't need a man such as myself in their home. I hope my death can serve to ease the injustice being done to you and your husband. Do what you must. "
Said Dane calmly before closing his eyes.
A gentle memory slowly filled Kadyn's vision of her and Mike casually walking around in the hull of a vessel.
[Kadyn] - "You know, I find it ironic how I'm working as your assistant even though I'm much more qualified for a different task. "
Said Kadyn as she looked up at Mike.
[Mike] - "I've read about your past in the records, I know what you mean. "
[Kadyn] - "So aren't you afraid of me? Like, what if I decide one day to revert back to my old ways with you? "
Said Kadyn playfully.
[Mike] - "You won't. "
Said Mike bluntly.
[Kadyn] - "Heh! How are you so sure? "
[Mike] - "Because that's not who you are. It's a stupid thought, honestly. For a girl who dares to force the Grand Knight to love and care for her, there's only one person on this earth. Her name is Kadyn, and she's not going anywhere. "
Said Mike while watching Kadyn cling to him like glue.
[Kadyn] - "That's right! I'm here to stay forever! "
Exclaimed Kadyn victoriously.
As Kadyn prepared to strike at Dane, her hands began to tremble with hesitation while her killer red eyes slowly began to dissolve into her usual shade of green.
[Kadyn] - "Kadyn– Is she truly who I am? "
Whispered Kadyn as her killer stare crumbled under the weight of her emotions.
In a flash, Kadyn remembered how Mike tapped his finger against her heart before he passed away. Although no words were uttered, that gesture told her everything that he needed to say. The gesture, though simple, rippled through time and space to touch her in the heart even at this very moment.
"This place is what counts. The Kadyn that is here with me, at this very moment, is the true Kadyn. "
Echoed Mike's voice around Kadyn.
Small, periodic sobs began to emerge from Kadyn's stern expression before the killer mask was finally shattered by the cries of a broken girl.
[Kadyn] - "I, Kadyn, am not a killer. "
Said Kadyn in a lively voice as her eyes glowed with a beautiful emerald shine.
Kadyn pulled her hands away from Dane and retracted her wrist blade. In her mind, she was brought back to that day when she and Mike spent the rest of that night watching movies. Though that moment was just so mundane and unmemorable for most, it made Kadyn smile in joy. Kadyn held her chest before she fell against the ground and passed out from exhaustion.
Dane, meanwhile, slowly moved out of the way. Despite how scared or shocked he should've been following this encounter, he understood the pain that led Kadyn to this. Most importantly, he understood the humanity required for Kadyn to ultimately utter her final words and decide against killing him. A machine could never be so complex; only us humans. Like a caring father, Dane lifted Kadyn up in his arms and carried her away to a medical bay.
To be continued...