⁕ Ultimatum

The footage ended with Mike's abduction by Sniper. There was a single camera hidden in the living room when Sniper executed Mike's parents. By pure luck that day, Mike's real babysitter needed to take an absence leave and called her identical twin sister to cover for her shift for a few hours. That was the small crack that ended up collapsing Sniper's years of cover-up effort. 

After realizing what had happened, the babysitter retrieved the footage and lived in anonymity for 19 whole years, waiting for the right time to reveal this crucial piece of evidence. That day in Rome, when Mike failed to cover his face properly, he was immediately identified by his old babysitter. Knowing he could come back, she risked her life spreading the word about her connection to Mike inside her village. 

Mike slowly pressed the power button and shut the screen. The whole laboratory was in total silence as all three of them didn't know what to say. This came as a shock to Mike, who finally realized how much of a fool he was for trusting Sniper. The emperor tortured him and put him through training sessions so brutal that there were times when he didn't spend a single day in a year without broken bones. 

Darkness reigned over his life, he was nothing but a puppet and a tool for the emperor who never even considered him family. With all these revelations, Mike had to accept that his delusion was what blinded him for this whole time. This is an empire based on lies just like its emperor. For his entire life, Mike has been fighting for the tyrant who exterminated everyone he ever loved. 

[Mike] - "Paris, 19 years ago... was that also him? "

Said Mike with a void stare.

[Kadyn] - "That is true. I can confirm that. "

[Mike] - "More than a million dead... I can't believe how naive I was when I trusted his lies. A rogue cyberknight he said, he was the hero who stopped him he said... my destiny was to be a hero he said! "

Yelled Mike in anguish as he began to smash his fists against the desk. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike... please... "

Mike suddenly turned around and pointed his finger at Kadyn's forehead. 

[Mike] - "You knew, you knew about all this this whole bloody time! You never told me, why didn't you tell me? You left me in servitude of that brute while being fully aware of what he did to me. "

Screamed Mike in an aggressive tone.

[Ethan] - "Enough, Mike! I was the one who told her to keep it a secret. "

[Mike] - "No, no, not even you, Ethan! "

Yelled Mike in disbelief. 

[Ethan] - "I think it's damn time for me to tell you about me. "

[Mike] - "I trusted you people, I trusted you, Ethan! And you, Lemon, you've finally shown your true colours. I have been surrounded by lies and traitors this whole time... All my life and everything in it is nothing but a delusion. You remorseless snakes... "

Mike's words were like knives and they stabbed through Kadyn's heart with violence and pain. 

[Kadyn] - "That's not true... I... I truly love you, Mike. "

Said Kadyn in a broken voice as tears streamed down her cheeks. 

[Mike] - "Another lie to keep me under... to keep me subdued like a drunken monkey. All these emotions from you; Nothing but just a display of virtual fireworks. "

Yelled Mike with apathy as he stared at Kadyn. 

[Kadyn] - "That's because I never thought I would end up this far with you... When we became a thing, I was afraid to tell you the truth. It was never my intention to... "

[Mike] - "I'm done with your lies. I always wondered why you tried hiding your bloodstained hands from me. They were gestures of guilt, not fear. I'm not your man anymore, disappear from my view forever if you feel any remorse for what you have done. "

Said Mike with his eyes glued to the floor.

Mike's hatred-filled words burned through Kadyn's soul as she stared at him with an expression of sorrow. In a swift movement, Kadyn took off Mike's coat and dropped it on a chair. 

[Kadyn] - "I understand... It's my fault for not telling you. However... "

Said Kadyn as she struggled to contain her tears. 

[Kadyn] - "...My emotions... they were real. I truly, truly love you, Mike. I'm not a spy or an artificial construct when I'm with you. All my wishes, all my dreams, they included you because you were everything that mattered to me. With you, I'm not just a killer, not just a serial number, I'm Kadyn... your Kadyn... So please, Mike... "

Said Kadyn as her tears began to stain the floor. 

However, Mike refused to look in Kadyn's direction. Upon reaching her breaking point, Kadyn ran out of the laboratory with her hands around her face. She ran and ran until she found a quiet spot where she curled up in a ball before finally letting her sorrow flow free. 

Inside the laboratory, Ethan shot Mike a death stare before grabbing a chair for him.

[Ethan] - "Sit down and listen to me. "

[Mike] - "I don't want to hear anything from you. "

Said Mike as he tried to calm himself down with a large swig from a bottle of whisky.

[Ethan] - "Knowing you, if I told you the truth a few years earlier, you would've done something stupid. I wanted you to be more mature and steady before I told you the truth. Besides, what is there to do? Huh? "

Yelled Ethan with authority. 

[Mike] - "I'm going to kill Sniper. "

Said Mike before he took another swig.

[Ethan] - "Don't be a dumb son of a gun, Mike. I used to know a boy just like you, who tried to overthrow Sniper in the name of justice. Ya know what happened to him? Something worse than death happened, a life worse than servitude or prison time. "

[Mike] - "Bullshit, Ethan! Absolute bullshit. "

Whispered Mike as he threw the empty glass over Ethan's head. 

[Ethan] - "I'll show you bullshit! "

Said Ethan with an unflinching stare in Mike's direction

Ethan abruptly slammed the piece of armour from the boogeyman on the table. 

[Ethan] - "A husk of a human without a will or humanity. Imprisoned inside his own mind, and in eternal servitude to Sniper. This is the fate which befell Michele. Listen to me, boy, Sniper's powers are comparable to that of a God. You might as well live in ignorance instead of chasing such a dark fate! "

[Mike] - "I'm not a slave, Ethan. When Kadyn told me to think for myself, I initially couldn't understand what it meant but now faced with "this", I finally understood what is like to think for myself. I want to be who I still am, a knight in pursuit of justice and honour. I cannot allow Sniper's officers to continue abusing the innocent, I cannot allow Sniper's crimes to go unpunished, and I cannot allow myself to be a tool of the wicked. It's either Sniper and his empire of crooks or me. "

Said Mike as he promptly pulled the cap off another bottle of whisky. 

[Ethan] - "You can't win, Mike. All I can tell you is that you can't win now! You need patience and preparation. Heck, if we were to attempt this one day, I would be totally on board with it. Please, whatever you do, you need to think it through. Don't be a hothead. "

Said Ethan as he placed his hand on Mike's shoulder. 

[Mike] - "How can I trust you after all this? "

[Ethan] - "If I was against you, why would I help you uncover Sniper's plot? Just like you, I know everything dirty about Sniper. I hate him as much as you do but I, just like you, am no match for him. However, you need to know that I have always been on your side, Mike. "

Mike thought about Ethan's words for a second before concluding that there was some logic in them. After all, if Ethan was truly on Sniper's side, he would ratted Mike out from the start of his investigation.

[Mike] - "I'll believe you... for now. "

Said Mike as he gripped the whisky bottle while trying to fight the burning sensation of the alcohol in his mouth. 

[Ethan] - "I'll leave you be then. Just think about it. If you need anything, I'll be at my desk. "

Said Ethan as he slowly moved behind his desk.

[Mike] - "Fuck, this feels like a bad bloody dream. "

Said Mike in a drunken voice as he slammed the whisky bottle onto the desk. 

As Mike prepared to leave, he suddenly noticed his coat on the chair. With a mind freed from the flame of anger, he reminisced for a moment his time with Kadyn. The way she smiled, the way she spoke and the way she acted... was it truly artificial? 

As Mike held his coat, a feeling of loneliness swept over his heart. All these years, no matter how alone or how depressed he was, she was there to comfort him. How could he say that a smile which brought a ray inside the darkest spots of his heart was nothing but an act? Is this simple little lie, without harmful intention, really worth giving her up? 

Mike looked at the time and saw that he had only 5 minutes left before he had to meet Sniper in his throne room. Now with a clear mind, Mike realized how foolish he was for wanting to confront Sniper like this. If Sniper could induce a primal fear inside him just by allowing his ability to remain in a passive state, one could only imagine what is he capable of in combat. To achieve victory, even with Mike's power level, a lot of preparation would be required. 

As Mike prepared himself to depart, he suddenly heard Kadyn's laughter. This memory glued Mike's feet to the ground as he looked at the time again. 4 minutes left. With renewed determination, Mike rushed through the hallway toward his room. Upon barging into the bedroom, Mike noticed how Kadyn's belongings were already gone. 

[Mike] - "Kadyn? Lemon? "

Yelled Mike in a panic. 

After storming through all the possible locations and finding no sign of her, Mike's mind was in full panic mode. After leaning against a wall, Mike calmed his nerves knowing that panicking won't help his situation. With steady steps, Mike blended himself into the crowd inside the hallway. 3 minutes left.

[Mike] - "Why did I say all that shit? Fuck! What the hell is wrong with me? "

Somehow, Kadyn was able to hear everything that Mike just said as she stopped in her tracks.

[Kadyn] - "I don't deserve the kind of love you offered me, Mike. Just let me go. "

Mike turned around and searched for the source of Kadyn's voice but to no avail. 2 minutes left. 

[Mike] - "I will not let you go! I'm sorry for what I said. Just stay where you are! "

Said Mike as he began to run. 

Kadyn didn't respond as she began to walk as well. 

[Mike] - "All we have been through, all the moments we spent together. All the dreams we shared, all the things we wanted to experience. I'm not about to throw it all away! "

One minute left. Kadyn stopped in her tracks upon hearing everything Mike said. Mike, on the other hand, became hesitant in his pursuit. He has to depart now or he'll miss his meeting with Sniper. Mike knew if he disrespected Sniper by being late, his entire revenge plan might just become a fiction. However, he also knew, at that moment, that Kadyn would also disappear forever if he decided to abandon his pursuit. 

[Mike] - "You are all that matter to me! "

Said Mike as he turned off the time option in his visual display.

[Mike] - "What else matters more than you? A single lie does not define you just as how a few insults do not define me. I'll repay you for everything I said a million times over. "

Said Mike as he pushed past some people inside a crowd. 

[Kadyn] - "But you said... "

[Mike] - "I said you are my beautiful wife and I will always be by your side. That is exactly what I said. You told me to think for myself and I know now. I might be a knight but no matter how many masks I put on, I'll always be your Mike. "

Said Mike with confidence. 

Kadyn didn't have time to react before Mike jumped out of the crowd and hugged her tightly against him. Kadyn smiled joyfully as she allowed her heart to melt in Mike's embrace. 

[Kadyn] - "Don't ever leave me again! "

[Mike] - "I'll always be with you. "

In a swift motion, Mike covered Kadyn's back with his dark coat. 

[Mike] - "It suits you better. "

Kadyn let out a warm smile as she tilted her head to the side. As they walked together back to Mike's room, the crystal on Kadyn's chest finally began to dim after glowing brightly for so long. 

Later as Sniper impatiently tapped his finger against his armrest, Mike finally arrived inside the throne room and kneeled at the bottom of the stairs. With an unimpressed glare, Sniper stayed silent to keep Mike in his kneeling position.

[Sniper] - "You are late, Grand Knight. I find this unjustified tardiness quite disrespectful. "

[Mike] - "I had to manage some urgent matter, my lord. Please forgive me for my lack of judgment. "

[Sniper] - "You see, Grand Knight, I'm starting to doubt your loyalty toward me. You seem to take me for some fool with no knowledge of your activities. "

Sniper got up from his throne and began to walk toward Mike. 

[Sniper] - "You don't seem to understand how your duty should come before your personal life. When I invoke you, I expect you to arrive on time instead of indulging in your petty little melodramatic romance. "

As Mike tried to refute Sniper's accusations, he suddenly noticed how he could not speak. A dripping sound soon began to echo across the room as Mike reached for his mouth. However, to his shock, his finger only managed to touch his exposed upper teeth. With a sadistic grin on his face, Sniper suddenly released his ability which was constricting Mike's nerves. 

An intense wave of pain immediately hit Mike's mind as he coughed a massive mouthful of blood out of his exposed throat. Somehow, before he could even notice it, Sniper destroyed his entire lower jaw. Another sudden cough caused Mike to expel another puddle of blood. 

[Sniper] - "This is your last warning, Grand Knight. Next time, I will aim for the head. "

Said Sniper in a cold voice before he began to ascend to his throne. 

Mike tried desperately to stop the bleeding but he could do little without a mirror to repair the damage. Before he could stop it, he vomited another splatter of blood which coated the golden staircase in a dark crimson shade. As he tried to leave, Sniper suddenly pressed Mike's head into the puddle of blood using his ability. 

[Sniper] - "I don't remember giving you permission to stand up or leave. "

Said Sniper with an amused grin on his face.

The gut-wrenching smell of the blood soon caused Mike to gag and expel another mouthful of crimson. At this point, Mike has lost so much blood that he begins to wonder if he'll be able to survive any longer. Due to a lack of experience, Mike couldn't properly close his arteries with his ability since he could end up causing more harm to himself than good. 

[Sniper] - "Before you lose your mind, let me brief you on your next assignment. To prove that you are truly loyal to me, I want you to bring me that lab rat of yours. I want to see you execute her in front of me. You will arrive no later than midnight or you will be deemed an enemy of the empire. By then, not even God can save you. "

Using his ability, Sniper lifted Mike's head to face him. 

[Sniper] - "Don't test me, Grand Knight. I will not show mercy just because you are related to me. "

Said Sniper with a cruel expression on his face. 

However, just as Sniper prepared to let Mike go, he noticed a defiant look shine through the veil of red on Mike's face. Unlike Sniper's other victims, Mike's eyes were fixed on his oppressor's face without an ounce of fear. To Mike, the oppressive sensation of Sniper's power no longer induced fear. If not for his current condition, Mike was ready to jump up and deconstruct Sniper's face with a single punch. 

[Sniper] - "You are dismissed! "

Said Sniper with a hint of frustration in his voice. 

However, Mike's defiant stare has already buried its roots inside Sniper's mind. In a fit of anger, Sniper used his ability to smash Mike's head against the ground and caused him to lose consciousness. 

No one was able to resist bowing to Sniper after being defeated by his power. However, Mike's will to resist him became so strong that even the palm of fate struggled to subjugate him. Under Sniper's spiteful watch, Mike's body was removed from the room by two guards. 

To be continued...