⁕ The Truths And The Lies (part 3)

Sniper gently put down his helmet by the side of his throne. Below his feet, the boogeyman kneeled at the bottom of the steps to the throne. The mood was eerily oppressive as Sniper's anger was translated into reality by his crystals. As Sniper finally turned his attention toward Scaphism, the Cyberknight recoiled slightly in fear. With an elegant step, Sniper descended the first step of the staircase. Immediately, Scaphism began to tremble in pain.

The emotionless, cruel and brutal boogeyman was nothing but a powerless mouse in front of Sniper. With every step, the agony increased for Scaphism, who eventually collapsed to the ground and began to roll. By the time Sniper reached the final few steps, the pain became so great that Scaphism started to tear apart his own body in search of relief. By the time Sniper stood in front of him, Scaphism's mutilated body was already beyond the possibility of movement. The Cyberknight finally cracked as he let out a blood-curdling scream that tore off his vocal cords. There are almost no human parts left in Scaphism as this wasn't the first time he was punished by Sniper. 

Similar to Karson, Scaphism saw Sniper as his rightful master but while Karson's will was defeated by a perception of infinity, Scaphism's will was defeated by unimaginable pain. To Scaphism, a mere feel of Sniper's power translated to the most intense pain only describable by the feeling of being torn apart by every particle in the universe while the anguish of every being flooded his mind. This pain defeated his will to resist forever and beyond. 

[Sniper] - "You have failed me once again. I thought after spending 6 years in solitary confinement, you would've become significantly smarter. How wrong was I! To think I once held you in such high regard... "

Scaphism could only breathe while his broken body wiggled helplessly on the ground. 

[Sniper] - "I hate to admit it but Mike is quite hard to tame. He might have found a few clues about the assassination attempt but he will never be able to find definitive proof of my involvement... Until you ruined it. "

Said Sniper in a cold tone. 

After trampling over Scaphism's torso, Sniper began to ascend his throne. 

[Sniper] - "His obsession with that "bitch" of his is obscuring his judgement. He refused to see the greater vision of my empire and instead focused on the insignificant things. In other words, I judge him to be too soft to properly serve the empire's ambitions. Only through unity could the human race move past its own wars and forward itself toward the conquest of the great beyond. And unity could only be achieved through the true definition of utilitarianism. Personal bias and empathy like those displayed by Mike could only put sticks in the wheel of progress. Rogue minds, selfishness and deviant ambitions; All poisons to the ideas of peace and prosperity. To gain greater freedom, you must sacrifice a part of your own freedom. "

Said Sniper as he sat back on his throne. 

[Sniper] - "You might be wondering why I'm telling you all this, Scaphism. I want you to understand me. To understand my philosophy, my vision and my actions. The day you become the man Mike couldn't become is the day when you will be freed from your shackles. "

Sniper snapped his finger and suddenly, Scaphism breathed a sigh of relief as the pain vanished from his systems. 

[Sniper] - "When you will be back in your prison, sleep not in darkness but in my words. Prove to me that you are indeed worthy of the power you hold. "

After Scaphism's body phased through the floor, Sniper pressed his head against his hand in frustration. Thunderous sounds propagated through the room as he slammed his fist against the armrest. 

[Judge] - "I'm here, my lord. What are your orders? "

Said Judge as he kneeled before Sniper. 

[Sniper] - "Order Mike here to see me at first light tomorrow. The time for stagnation is over and his loyalty will be put to the test. "

[Judge] - "As you wish, my lord. "

Meanwhile, Mike entered the interrogation room and saw a battered and broken McCree with both his hands chained to the table. The prisoner didn't look up as Mike took a seat opposite from him. 

[Mike] - "Had supper yet? "

[McCree] - "I sure know you had. "

Said McCree with a smug expression. 

[Mike] - "Sigh... here. "

Said Mike as he pushed a tray toward McCree. 

McCree raised his hand to show Mike his restraints. In response, Mike waved his finger and the cuff dissolved around his arms. Like an inmate on death row, McCree tore through the food without a care in the world while Mike waited patiently. 

[McCree] - "So, partner, is this the good cop, bad cop treatment? "

Said McCree as he kept showing food up his mouth.

[Mike] - "I can vary between both depending on how cooperative you are. "

[McCree] - "Okay, before ya start breakin' my knees, I simply wanna know how you sons of gun managed to identify me. I have been a spy for the Allied Forces for 10 darn years and I thought I was well hidden. How? "

Said McCree as he cracked open a pack of fruit cake. 

[Mike] - "Your report on the Italian nuclear incident. Who are your co-conspirators? What are you trying to hide from the higher-ups? What link do you have with Michele's rebellion? "

[McCree] - "Hide? I ain't trying to hide anything. I only followed what that cyberknight guy told me to do. Like, don't tell me I was caught on accident because of that fishy report. "

[Mike] - "Huh? "

Mike was quite shocked to receive this kind of response as everything he had suspected so far had been put into question. Mike thought for a second before abruptly exiting the room. 

[Mike] - "Kadyn, let me have a word with you. "

Kadyn followed Mike into a secluded corner of the office. 

[Mike] - "How exactly did you catch him? "

[Kadyn] - "Well, knife to the throat and examination of identity paper. "

[Mike] - "You didn't find anything else? Like nothing incriminating? "

[Kadyn] - "By the time I figured he was an Allied spy, I thought it was enough. "

[Mike] - "Hmm... then this plot might involve the Allied Forces. "

Said Mike as he turned around to think. 

[Kadyn] - "I don't think that's reasonable, Mike. His identification shows he is a sleeper agent and he apparently hasn't been activated yet. "

[Mike] - "Huh? So you mean we caught him on accident? "

[Kadyn] - "Well... kinda? "

Mike quickly stormed back inside the interrogation room.

[Mike] - "Who is that cyberknight? "

[McCree] - "Don't know. He told me nothing about himself. "

Said McCree before he slurped on some juice. 

[Mike] - "Be specific, tell me about his appearance. "

[McCree] - "Well, I'd say he had a weird mask, a cybernetic body, a strange symbol with a skull, chains and wings. I'd say that bastard's quite terrifyin' with that strange never-fading smile on his face. "

[Mike] - "Lie to me and I'll make sure you regret it. "

Said Mike as the cuffs magically reattached themselves around McCree's wrists. 

[McCree] - "I swear on my old man's head. Now, since I have been a cooperative detainee, can you maybe show some gratitude? "

[Mike] - "Death penalty in the empire is impossible to appeal. I'll try to offer you more comfortable living conditions and better food while you wait for your execution. "

Said Mike as he got up from his chair. 

[McCree] - "I call bullshit on that. "

Said McCree as he threw a piece of broccoli at Mike. 

As soon as the broccoli bounced off Mike's back, McCree's head was suddenly slammed against the table by an invisible force. Just as Mike prepared to leave, McCree raised his bloodied head from the table. 

[McCree] - "Armed with such power and yet, you can't afford to spare a regular man's life. That's why it's bullshit! You can end the empire with a slam of your fist and sparing me is too hard for you? "

Yelled McCree while mocking Mike.

[Mike] - "You have 24 hours, enjoy your last moments. "

Instead of keeping his silence, McCree laughed defiantly at Mike. Even when Mike was outside of the room, McCree kept laughing at the one-way window. 

[Kadyn] - "Have you seen what that man has on his back? "

Said Kadyn as she and Mike walked in the hallway. 

[Mike] - "Not really. "

[Kadyn] - "A bloody Conagher system MK.5! That thing can accelerate your movement and time perception but could also burn your nerves! That man must have lost his mind. I mean, if I were a human, I would never put my life at an unnecessary risk like that! That's such an illogical thing to do. "

Mike smirked as Kadyn showed her more nerdy side. 

[Kadyn] - "And... and he also laughed when he was faced with death! Why? Why did he do that? Human minds are so illogical. "

[Mike] - "We tend to be quite illogical most of the time but isn't that what makes us different? Imagine how dull would we be if we were all the same. "

Later that night, while Kadyn was taking a shower, Mike contacted Ethan through a holographic display. 

[Mike] - "Hey, Ethan, any news since our visit? "

[Ethan] - "Howdy, son. Nothing, unfortunately. How's the interrogation on your side? "

[Mike] - "The convict described a cyberknight with a weird mask, a creepy smile, a cybernetic enhanced body and a symbol composed of a skull, chains and wings. Does that ring any bell? "

[Ethan] - "No clue, unfortunately. Also, this piece you brought me cannot be identified. "

Mike approached the holographic screen in disbelief. 

[Mike] - "Impossible! All cyberknights' armours are custom-made with an identification code for every piece of their equipment. A piece this large would surely be easily retraceable to its owner. "

[Ethan] - "There is simply no cyberknight in the registry with your description, I'm afraid. "

Mike pinched his forehead in frustration.

[Mike] - "We'll discuss this again tomorrow, Ethan. I'm going to bed. "

Later that night, Mike sat down on his bed and reminisced about his encounter with that mysterious cyberknight. A cyberknight with no identification, who has access to the imperial data centre while being able to intervene in IEEB affairs. A person above imperial laws...

Mike's thought was interrupted by Kadyn who sat beside Mike with a joyful expression on her face. She playfully pressed her cheek against Mike's and moved her body toward him.

[Kadyn] - "Forget about that. Let's just relax a little, darling. "

[Mike] - "Skull with chains and wings, does that spark you any memory? "

Kadyn grabbed a bottle of wine and started to pour the liquid into her glass. 

[Kadyn] - "Sounds like an evil angel of some sort. "

Mike tried his best to piece together everything while Kadyn carelessly drank from her glass. A cyberknight above the law with an angelic symbol. The only person above the law in the empire is Sniper but... The Divine Servants. 

[Mike] - "Bloody brilliant! Kadyn, you are a genius! "

Mike's sudden outburst caused Kadyn to spill wine all over her nightgown. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike! What are you- "

Yelled Kadyn in a frustrated voice. 

[Mike] - "Kadyn, I got it. The Divine Servants! I only heard about them but I know for a fact they served only Sniper. Most importantly, as Sniper's personal cyberknights, they are above imperial laws and are completely anonymous. "

Said Mike excitedly as he stared at Kadyn.

[Kadyn] - "Why would they want to hide the truth from you? "

Mike's expression turned grim all of a sudden.

[Mike] - "I don't know but Sniper has something to do with it. "

Kadyn exchanged a moment of silence with Mike as they both began to realize the gravity of the situation. As they both stared awkwardly at each other, Kadyn slowly raised her glass and drank the remainder of the wine. 

[Kadyn] - "Well, Sniper or not, just don't kill the mood, alright? "

Said Kadyn as she went completely nude in front of Mike. 

After messing around for a while, Kadyn found herself under Mike with their faces in very close proximity. Mike stared at Kadyn's glowing green eyes with an amazed expression while Kadyn smirked.

[Kadyn] - "Every time I thought I could take you, you are the one who ends up taking me. "

[Mike] - "You are quite crazy sometimes, you know. We might be in serious danger but your first response is to fuck like an animal in heat. "

Kadyn smiled playfully.

[Kadyn] - "Sniper or not, I know I'm safe around you. "

Said Kadyn as she raised her hip and pushed herself toward Mike.

[Mike] - "Come on, Kadyn, I'm serious. "

Said Mike while trying to resist the stimulation down there. 

[Kadyn] - "Mmm... Well, I think risky situations are quite exhilarating. "

Mike knew there could be no serious talk before she was satisfied. All of a sudden, Mike pushed Kadyn back against the bed with a predator-like stare in his eyes. 

[Mike] - "You really shouldn't push me like this, you bad little lemon. "

After a long ordeal, Mike grabbed the wine bottle and gulped down every last drop of it. Meanwhile, Kadyn pressed herself against Mike's back and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. 

[Kadyn] - "I think we need a new bedsheet... "

Said Kadyn, exhausted.

[Mike] - "15-1, you lost again. "

[Kadyn] - "I'll beat you someday, you just wait. "

Said Kadyn dismissively. 

Kadyn grabbed her wine-soaked nightgown and dropped it on Mike's legs. 

[Kadyn] - "Can you put this in the washing machine? I don't think I can move my legs. "

Said Kadyn in an exhausted voice. 

Mike took the nightgown but the wine stain on it reminded him of something. As Mike kept staring at the dress, Kadyn wrapped her hands around him and pressed her chin against his shoulder. 

[Kadyn] - "What's wrong? "

[Mike] - "That night... "

In his mind, Mike replayed the event of that night in Italy. As the hydrogen explosion occurred, other guests inside the restaurant began to burn before being vaporized by the heat. Mike reminisced how Kadyn was unaffected by the blast or the heat because she was protected by his ability. All that because of a few droplets of wine. However, what if those few droplets never escaped from Kadyn's glass? An image of Kadyn disintegrating before him flashed inside Mike's mind. 

[Mike] - "Mother of God... "

Said Mike with a shocked expression on his face. 

The realization was instant. Since Mike cannot be taken out by the nukes, it would only leave Kadyn as the only target of that attack. Mike abruptly got up and rushed to the closet where he retrieved the small disk from his coat pocket. Without losing a second, Mike immediately began to dress up. 

[Kadyn] - "What's wrong? "

[Mike] - "It all makes sense now. Get dressed! We need to go see Ethan right away! "

With every passing second, the broken pieces gradually formed a complete image of the truth. However, unbeknownst to Mike, the truth is beyond what he imagined.

To be continued...

*EXTRA

Conagher system:

"A cybernetic enhancement in the form of a spine that can be used to replace a human spine. The most important part of the implant is the brain module which replaces the cerebellum, part of the brain stem and part of the frontal cortex. Once installed, the Dell operating system will enhance human reactions, time perception and movement speed. "

Limitations:

"The Conagher system is only used by a limited number of individuals due to the danger it poses to the user. The early version of the system, the Conagher MK.1, MK.2 and MK.3 are known to shorten the lives of those who use the system due to heavy immune response while the speed enhancement isn't powerful enough to justify the risks. The MK.4, the only safe option for human usage resolved the immune response problem but is still too slow for certain situations. Finally, the MK.5 managed to grant the user 2 seconds of super acceleration but is known for accidental frying of the user's nerves and destroying the user's muscle fibres. "

Other trivia about the system:

"The MK.7M used by Kadyn is the most advanced system of the Conagher series with a maximum of 10 seconds of hyper-acceleration but Kadyn would usually limit her acceleration time to 3 seconds. Due to Kadyn's biology with a partially cybernetic brain and nerve composition, the MK.7M, which will usually kill a human, will only cause limited muscle damage to Kadyn. "