In desperation of the situation, many either hid from Astroboy or chose the easy way out. As survivors shivered alone and freezing inside the deepest darkest corners of torn buildings, many others also lay open-eyed, their cold and lifeless gaze staring up at the night sky. Yet, another majority from the city decided to fight for their survival by submitting to KD-554's rules. Some formed armed militias with the sole goal of hunting Kadyn down, but the more madened ones formed cults around KD-554's ideology.
The largest cult in the city, numbering 10,000 men, was named 'The Fellowship of the Red Truth', centred around the idea of human nature and savagery as told by 'Cogitas, Ergo Non Es'. As KD-554 made her announcement tonight, the cultist members gathered around a large pyre and sacrificed 100 captured prisoners in the name of their dark God.
"Blood for the Red Truth, death to the delusionals! "
Chanted the army of cultists as they burned innocent men and women atop the large fire.
The human psyche can only take so much before it breaks. For these people, the supernatural power of the city's butcher, combined with KD-554's omnipresence, made them believe that salvation can only be found by dedicating oneself to KD-554's philosophy. So did these afraid, but defiant humans fall into debauchery by allowing their inner animals to control their impulses. Once madness rolls, little can be done to halt the train of inhumanity.
As the roasted bodies of their victims cooked, those more fanatical who had completely lost their minds began to devour human flesh with savage mouths. This is the desecration of civility, the goal of KD-554's existence. On the faces of these people, who once held jobs, had families and purpose in life, the same hateful, savage expression as KD-554's appeared.
Through the backstreets of the Central Tower, Kadyn and her squad tried to move discreetly. However, it didn't take long for a few eyes hiding in the shadows to notice their presence. Before long, the roar of a mad crowd alerted Kadyn and her team. The ground shook with tremors as hundreds of cultists trampled atop each other to reach Kadyn through the narrow streets.
"Blood for the Red Truth, death to the delusionals! "
Chanted the crowd as it advanced.
Suddenly, a single man appeared, still wearing a business suit. Now that money and society no longer mattered, he was just another mad cultist like the rest, with a torch in hand and a large kitchen knife in the other. Then, another, followed by another, a torrent of cultists suddenly rushed around the street corner, straight for Kadyn, with murderous intent in their madened, bloodshot eyes. Armed with crude weapons, alongside banners and torches, the mob screamed for blood in a near-animalistic voice.
Even Kadyn's blood ran cold as she witnessed the crowd of inhumane monsters with the only goal of having her head on a pike come for her. Yet, she hesitated in drawing her blade as she noticed the clothes on each of the cultists, which told their stories before they became monsters. To Kadyn, these people are not to blame, but the one who made them behave like this. She wanted to cut them down as she did to the mad citizens of Trump City during her attempt to confront KD-554, but she couldn't.
"I can't give in and give KD-554 the victory she wanted. These people can still be saved... "
Thought Kadyn as she watched the tide get closer with dread in her eyes.
Suddenly, Voss and Nilsson stepped in front of her with their weapons at the ready.
[Voss] - "Move in the tower first, Arch-Mother. We'll join you once we're done here. "
[Kadyn] - "Voss... What are you going to do to these people? "
Said Kadyn with a concerned look on her face.
[Nilsson] - "You may have your own convictions, but they do not apply to us. "
Said Nilsson as he glanced at Kadyn.
[Voss] - "Indeed. If you wish to do no harm, then let us bear that sin for you. Let us do the ugly work and face hell if that means putting an end to this madness. Now, go! "
Said Voss in a monotone voice.
Kadyn hesitated as the two warriors turned to face the crowd, but Oltevin quickly urged her to move with a hand on her shoulder.
[Oltevin] - "Quickly, we still have a mission. "
Kadyn was reluctant to move, but her body decided for her before her mind. With a push from Oltevin, Kadyn leaped onto the vent grill and created an opening using her blade. After crawling in, Oltevin quickly followed as well. Meanwhile, in the narrow street, Voss loaded his carbine while Nilsson drew his battleaxe.
[Voss] - "I suppose you weren't familiar with the Antinoids. "
Said Voss, the cape on the back of his armour flowing in the air.
[Nilsson] - "No clue what they are. "
Said Nilsson as he gripped his axe tightly.
[Voss] - "You'll know soon enough what it feels like to fight them. "
As the first cultist reached Voss, he was abruptly swatted into a mist with a single swing of the Marine's arm. Then, upon opening fire, cultists began to drop like flies as Voss executed them in the dozen. Then, while Voss reloaded, Nilsson took care of the crowd by slashing and decapitating them by the dozen. The cultists, in their madness, tried to swarm the two Marines. However, every time one of them latched onto Voss or Nilsson, they were swatted away like an insect.
It didn't matter what weapon the cultists used against the Marines; nothing mattered in the slightest against the two posthuman warriors' gear. Meanwhile, without a care in the world, the two advanced toward the tide of enemies instead of retreating, gaining more and more momentum despite the increasing number of cultists. Switching to 12.5mm carbine fire, Voss now vaporized multiple enemies per shot. A grenade abruptly exploded in front of Nilsson, but a pair of glowing eyes soon appeared in the dark. As one of the berserkers charged, a fist shot through the smoke and punched clean through the man's chest.
There was a sense of calm in the Marines' eyes as they provided their enemy the slaughter they sought. Despite the cultists' best attempt to overwhelm the two soldiers, they remained defiant like an unbreachable wall as bodies stacked before them. Soon, both Voss and Nilsson ran out of bullets and switched to melee weapons. Yet, this didn't reduce their effectiveness in the slightest.
Soon, the cultists' momentum faltered as those with a minimum sense of reason retreated, while the spearhead of their forces lay as minced meat on all sides of the street. As one of the cultists tried to rush past Voss, the marine simply swung his eblow and shattered the man's spine. As the Marines stared at the other cultists, who now hesitated to rush their position, their presence struck a fear in the hearts of the attackers.
There was something in the cold gaze of the Marines that even terrified the savage minds of animals. The two warriors were death made form, stepping way above the rule of nature, above the food chain and beyond the comprehension of primitive minds. They were knights sanctioned to kill by the Gods, and they will take great pride in accomplishing their destined duty.
Gradually, the cultists moved away, running and screaming like wounded and terrified prey as the two hunters stood covered in gore and blood. With a shake of his arm, Voss rid the sizzling blood on his arm-mounted claws while Nilsson turned off the rattling teeth on his axe. All around them, more than one thousand cultists lay dead, their bodies pulverized beyond recognition.
[Voss] - "Your thoughts on the Antinoids? "
Said Voss as he glanced at Nilsson.
[Nilsson] - "Ugly... "
Muttered Nilsson with disdain.
With an unapologetic smirk, Voss cleared the gore on his medals. As the two Marines turned around and began heading toward the Central Tower to join Kadyn, the blood on their armour began to slip off, leaving them soon free from the evidence of their action.
At the same time, inside the transmission tower, Michalis advanced toward one of the main doors and breached it with a single kick. Upon entering the building, Michalis raised his gun, expecting resistance, but was met with a jaw-dropping sight. Instead of armed guards, the place was crowded with refugees and civilians, all hiding from KD-554's nightly purges. They figured KD-554 would not risk destroying the transmission tower to kill them all, so they reasoned that this was the safest place to be.
So far, Michalis has only seen savagery and brutality in the city, but this was truly a gesture of humanity to behold. In an act of desperation and sacrifice, nearly all the refugees were women, children and the elderly. Most of the men had decided to face death in the wasteland outside while leaving their spot to their loved ones and other vulnerable people in one of the only known sanctuaries in the city.
Moving toward a group of orphans who didn't seem to have adults to watch over them, Michalis lowered himself to his knees and examined their condition. At first, the children were scared of the towering giant in battlegear in front of them, but they soon realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. Michalis, seeing how the kids were starving, pulled his ration from his belt and handed it to them.
[Michalis] - "Eat this, one bite per person. It's a compressed ration, so it should fill you up easily. "
Said Michalis in a caring voice.
While Michalis helped the children, many other starving families gathered around the Spartan Marine with caution and curiosity. During this time, Dane and Christos also arrived at the main console room. While Dane located and rushed toward the main console to begin his work, Christos noticed the crowd around Michalis.
[Christos] - "Civilians... Why are there so many civilians here? "
Said Christos as he stepped toward Michalis.
[Michalis] - "KD-554 needs the communication tower intact, so this is the safest place to be. How about you use your medical expertise to help them a little instead of standing there? "
Said Michalis as he pulled out his canteen.
As Michalis noticed one of the children struggled to swallow the dry ration, he quickly poured a cup of water from his canteen.
[Michalis] - "There, child, this will make it easier. "
Said Michalis as he gave the boy some water.
On the other hand, upon hearing Christos's conversation with Michalis, many parents flocked to Christos with their kids, all bearing different types of sickness and injuries. However, due to each parent's desperation, fights soon broke out as they pushed each other to reach Christos.
[mother] - "Please look at my boy, he has a severe fever! "
Cried one mother as she grabbed Christos's arm.
[grandfather] - "Good sir, please, my granddaughter has a broken arm from the escape. It has been causing her unbearable pain! "
Pleaded an old man as he pushed through the crowd to appear before Christos.
Many others began to voice their concern and needs, all desperately trying to grab the medic's attention.
[Christos] - "Enough! I only have the time and resources to treat a few of you, so I have to select carefully. "
Said Christos as he pushed himself a path through the crowd.
At a quick glance, Christos immediately noticed a boy with a massive infected wound on his leg. Likely also an orphan, he was shoved to the back of the crowd since he didn't have a guardian to fight for him. Christos quickly moved toward the boy and kneeled before him.
[Christos] - "Boy, show me your leg. "
Said Christos bluntly.
The boy recoiled in fear at the sight of the giant, shadowed by a flock of servo-arms petruding from his back.
[Christos] - "Please, little man, we are running out of time. Be brave, and show me your leg. "
Said Christos in a hurry, but the boy kept backing away.
With a frustrated sigh, Christos got up and walked away to tend to a different patient. However, on the other side, Michalis observed the situation with a sympathetic gaze. While Christos injected a sick girl with an antibiotic, Michalis gently stepped toward the scared boy.
[Michalis] - "What is your name, young one? "
Said Michalis as he kneeled a distance away from the boy.
The boy shuddered, clearly afraid to answer the giant. However, as Michalis opened his palm and presented the boy with one of the macarons he kept from Voss's batch, something inside the boy's expression changed. In contrast with the serious colours of the Marine, the brightly coloured treat stood like a comforting beacon of light. Hesistantly, being drawn to the smell by his hunger, the boy reached toward the macaron and grabbed it from Michalis's hand.
[Michalis] - "My name is Michalis, a Spartan Marine from the 9th fleet of the Empire. "
[boy] - "What's a Spartan Marine? "
Said the boy shyly.
[Michalis] - "A Spartan Marine is a warrior who descends from the skies to fight evil and help others in times of need. We follow the command of our Goddess, Athena, who watches over all of us and protects us with her powers. "
Said Michalis as he gestured with his hand the motion of falling.
[boy] - "Since you come from the sky, then do you know if my mom and dad are doing ok? "
Michalis paused, his heart wounded by the innocent yet sad words of the boy.
[Michalis] - "I'm sure they are fine. Our Goddess Athena protects everyone from above, and that includes your mommy and daddy. "
[boy] - "Can you tell Miss Athena to tell my mom and dad not worry about me? I'm sure they are worried, but I'm fine. "
Said the boy while biting on the macaron.
[Michalis] - "Of course! I'll let her know that... "
Michalis paused, unsure of what the boy's name was.
[boy] - "My name is Demetri. "
[Michalis] - "I'll let them know that Demetri is a strong boy, who's still surviving. "
In the meantime, Christos gently sewed together a deep cut on the arms of one of the young girls. Both the mother and the girl's siblings watched as Christos expertly patched the wound using his servo arms.
[Christos] - "You are a brave one. Others cried at the sight of a needle, yet you braced through this without even looking away. "
[girl] - "Thank you, mister Leonidas. "
[Christos] - "The name's Christos, at your service. "
Said Christos as he finished his work and got up.
[mother] - "Sorry, mister, we recently watched the movie '300', so she thought you looked like that Spartan warrior. "
[Christos] - "It's a great movie. I'm honoured you think of me as the great Leonidas, haha. "
As Christos turned around, he abruptly met at eye level with Michalis, who was holding Demetri by the arm.
[Michalis] - "Take a look at his wound first. I think the infection is pretty severe. "
Looking down, Christos expected the boy to still be scared of him, but he bravely showed him his wound instead.
On the other side, Dane tried to upload a virus into the server's mainframe, but to no avail. Whatever KD-554 had set up as security for the system was simply too much for Dane's virus to break through. In frustration, Dane banged his fists against the table before beginning to claw at his helmet.
[Dane] - "Nothing fucking works! This is impossible to breach, damn it! "
Yelled Dane in anger.
Left with no choice, Dane quickly rushed into the main room with the refugees and located the two Marines. While Christos kept working on people's injuries, Michalis, with the help of Demetri, passed around pieces of rations and water. With a bandaged leg, the young Demetri moved around, distributing ration pieces to other orphan children. After making the round, he returned to Michalis with a big grin.
[Demetri] - "Sir, I have distributed all the rations to the other children as you had ordered. "
Said Demetri as he tried to salute Michalis.
[Michalis] - "Good work, soldier! "
Said Michalis as he enthusiastically saluted the little man.
[Demetri] - "Say, sir, since you said you were going to leave soon, can I come with you? "
Amused by the boy's brave spirit, Michalis kneeled down to meet him at eye level.
[Michalis] - "I would like to, but where I'm going is dangerous. You need to stay here and wait until this mess is over. "
[Demetri] - "But how could it be dangerous? How can anyone even hope to hurt you? "
[Michalis] - "It's not me, it's my ability to protect those around me. I'm a soldier; my purpose is to fight. A warzone is no place for a boy like you. It's not like you have a suit of armour around your skin like me. "
Said Michalis as he poked at the boy's flesh.
[Demetri] - "But I have no place to go. My mom and dad are gone, so what do I do after? "
Said the boy with a worried look.
[Michalis] - "Of course you have someplace to go. Follow your heart, and maybe you can even join me in the sky and become one of the sky warriors. Just by looking at you, I already know you can find your way. "
Said Michalis as he tapped on the boy's chest.
In a hurry, Dane finally pushed through the crowd to reach Michalis.
[Dane] - "Michalis! We need to blow this damn place up! "
Michalis abruptly rose to his feet and stood above Dane with a grim expression.
[Michalis] - "What seems to be the issue? "
[Dane] - "The security system is too tight. There's no way to hack it. We gotta brute force this darn thing. "
Said Dane while shaking his head.
[Michalis] - "We are not using that nuclear bomb! "
Said Michalis firmly as he crossed his arms defiantly at Dane.
[Dane] - "Damn it, we've got a mission here! Ain't the damn time to get sentimental! Ya were the ones who suggested the whole backup plan. "
Yelled Dane in a frustrated voice.
Without a word, Michalis suddenly lowered the suitcase, which contained the detonation device, and opened it. Before Dane could stop him, Michalis abruptly pulled the canister out of its casing and shot it three times, destroying its circuit and system.
[Michalis] - "Show me the damn server room and command module, I've got another way. "
Dane froze for a second, caught between the shock of Michalis's action and the abrupt proposal of a new solution.
[Dane] - "Ugh... What the... Yeah! Fine, come with me. "
Studdered Dane in confusion before coming to his senses.
Grabbing the empty suitcase and attaching it to his back, Michalis followed Dane to the server room and command module.
[Michalis] - "Are these the servers and everything? "
Said Michalis as he pointed at the towering pillars of servers and machinery in the room.
[Dane] - "That's right. Ain't gonna be easy destroying it without something– "
Before Dane could finish his sentence, Michalis began blasting with his carbine. Within a few shots, the first pillar of servers collapsed as Michalis kept pulling the trigger and changing magazines. Pillar after pillar, as sparks and flame flew all around the room, Michalis brought unbound destruction to every single piece of machinery.
As the room burned with fire and sparks, while the collapsing towers of servers shook the ground with their fall, Dane moved outside to observe the destruction from a safe distance. With a smirk on her robotic face, even Dane's Sentry girl joined in the carnage by firing her hand-mounted turret at the command module. Even with fire raging everywhere, Michalis was unbothered as he moved deeper into the room to cause destruction.
Afar, Dane watched in horror as Michalis disappeared under the weight of a falling tower of servers. Yet, just as he was about to call Christos for help, he was assured by the sound of carbine fire that continued in the inferno. Soon, the breathtaking sight of a glowing server room was reduced to the largest pyre of burning equipment that Dane had ever seen in his life. At this point, even the Sentry girl had to get out of the room as the heat reached an insane point.
Yet, Michalis was not done as an explosion abruptly shook the room, followed by another. Soon, the moonlight shone into the room as Michalis blew a huge hole into the wall, allowing the inferno to spread outward instead of inward. Then, as a large column of smoke filled the room and the air, Dane began to worry once more for Michalis. For a while, there was no response from him, but he soon smashed through the debris with his fist and crawled out of the burning pile.
As if unbothered by the environment, Michalis simply walked toward Dane and exited the room unscathed. As the door refused to close and respond to its command pad, Michalis abruptly turned around and pulled the door shut using his hands. Then, to make sure it doesn't open again, Michalis crushed the edge of the door into the wall, causing the two surfaces to merge as if they were fused together with a hydraulic press.
[Michalis] - "We are done here. "
Said Michalis before walking away, leaving Dane stunned.
After reaching Christos in the main hall, Michalis tapped on his shoulder before walking away.
[Michalis] - "Our mission is complete. It's time to head back. "
Whispered Michalis.
Christos looked up at Michalis before turning to stare at the countless wounded who still required his help.
[Christos] - "But I'm not done! There are still a dozen who require my help. "
[Michalis] - "We can't overstay our welcome. Our presence and our action easily draw massive attention our way. Not to mention the burning server room. "
Said Michalis as he began to step away.
[Christos] - "I thought we were all about helping people. Many of them will die if left untreated. "
Said Christos as he stopped Michalis by grabbing his shoulder.
[Michalis] - "This is the harsh reality of us, the Falling Spartans. We help when we can, but only if one of the two conditions is met. There is the mission, and there is our duty. Right now, we don't have enough resources to help all of them, nor will we succeed in our mission if we stay. "
Christos looked at the display on his visor and realized how low his medical supplies were. At best, he can treat a few more light infections and sew up a few wounds, but that will be the apex of his capability. That's not to mention the remaining antibiotics he carried are for Imperial Marines, whose physiology is far beyond that of a normal human. A single wrong use can easily be lethal to an adult, not to mention children.
[Christos] - "Isn't our mission already accomplished? "
In Christos's heart, despite his limited supplies, he was determined to help until the end. After helping so many regain their vitality and hope, Christos now understood the importance of the fleet's duty.
[Michalis] - "Our mission is to help free this city, not just by blowing up a communication tower, but by being there if Kadyn assigns us another task. "
Said Michalis firmly.
Christos lowered his gaze. He knew Michalis was right, but his heart also called to him to do just a little more. At that instant, it felt to him as if Athena herself was telling him to just stay a little longer and do a little more.
[Christos] - "Just a few more minutes. Let me help them a little more.
At that moment, despite Michalis's hesitation, he saw the light of the true Spartan Marine spirit inside Christos's eyes and tone. With a sigh, Michalis rubbed his lips together before finally relenting to Christos's demand.
[Michalis] - "The Goddess provides and protects. Help them to the best of your capability, but with haste. "
[Christos] - "The Goddess protects! "
Said Christos with a salute.
While Christos rushed back to perform the next surgery on a bleeding child, Michalis looked around the place, hoping to catch a glimpse of Demetri. However, after failing to spot him, Michalis could only wish that he would be fine.
[Michalis] - "Don't worry, I'll come back to find you, one day. "
Whispered Michalis as he took off his helmet.
To be continued...