⁕ Dive Into The Other Side (part 2)

With steady steps, KD-554 slowly ascended the steps toward the second floor. Just before reaching the lit floor, KD-554 stopped and remained in the shadows of the stairwell. 

[KD-554] - "KD-553, it's done, let's get out of here. "

Called KD-554 toward the room that directly faced her. 

After a few seconds, KD-553 exited the room before freezing upon seeing the glowing green eyes that stared at her from the shadows. Slowly, KD-553 approached KD-554 before noticing the blood that coated her from head to toe. 

[KD-553] - "Why are you like this? What happened? "

Instead of a proper response, KD-553 only received a blank, stoic stare from KD-554. It didn't take much for KD-553 to finally understand what happened as her eyes widened with her realization. In a rush, she pushed past KD-554 and jumped a few flights of stairs down to the first floor. At this moment, KD-554, like a deranged predator, turned her empty eyes toward Karl-Emil, who was staring at her from his room. 

In a flash, KD-554 was already walking out of Karl-Emil's room as blood slowly spilled into the hallway from the young boy's room. Without hesitation, with the instincts of a killer, KD-554 extended her second wrist blade while having her sight fixed on the lit master bedroom. A single second later, the entire house fell silent.

Suddenly, a single Lego figurine fell from KD-553's hand, creating the only noise in a sea of silence. She breathed heavily as she noticed the massacre that had occurred within seconds of her absence. When she turned to look at KD-554, she didn't notice an ounce of remorse but instead saw a horrifying expression of pride and thrill. 

[KD-553] - "You... You are a monster! You killed them all... "

Said KD-553 while struggling to find her words. 

[KD-554] - "I'm not a monster, KD-553, I'm only executing my duty. We are not engineered to think or feel like Doctor Tsujinaka said. "

Said KD-554 in an unwavering tone. 

[KD-553] - "I never understood what it is like to be a victim of our violence. However, when I saw our sister's body, I felt everything. The way you massacred her, the way you inflicted more suffering onto her than what is necessary, the way you came up and massacred her family... You kill out of thrill and enjoyment, not because you are forced to. "

Said KD-553 as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. 

[KD-554] - "Aren't we all the same? We are born to kill, to brutalize anyone who we are ordered to. Don't act all innocent now because you saw the blood of one of our kindred. A traitor is a traitor and an order remains an order. "

[KD-553] - "All this cold logic, what makes you so different from the freaks we killed together? Despite all the danger we posed to her and her family, she invited us in, cooked dinner for us and showed us hospitality, and you, in return massacred her and her family. You know who else does that? Feral animals and uncivilized savages! "

Said KD-553 in a spiteful tone. 

[KD-554] - "Take back what you said about me! I'm nothing like the freaks we massacred. Unlike them, I will not be replaced or looked down upon. You lucky pricks can sell your body and soul to gain your freedom, but I will keep my dignity and my position. "

Said KD-554 as blood slowly dripped from her blades. 

[KD-553] - "You are a fucking freak! You would sell out the only ones who were decent to you just so you could survive. You are dead to me, KD-554, you hear me? You are no longer a sister to me from this day onward! "

Said KD-553 before spitting in front of KD-554. 

As KD-553 turned around to walk away, KD-554's eyes twitched with anger. Suddenly, without a warning, KD-554 appeared behind KD-553 and stabbed forward. However, KD-553 was ready as she parried the attack before being pushed downstairs. 

Meanwhile, Kadyn arrived in Dubai disguised as one of the escorts ordered by the prince. As she and the rest of the group of women made it into a private hotel, Kadyn suddenly realized that something was off about the interior design. Instead of the usual luxurious decors, she noticed how her group was escorted into a newly built section with a surprising lack of any element that constituted a hotel. 

Upon walking into the main room, Kadyn's sensors suddenly alerted her to the presence of a heavy cleaning agent used to clean crime scenes. During this time, inside a VIP room on the higher levels of the hotel, the prince shook hands with an imperial official before offering him a glass of high-end champagne. 

[prince] - "I must thank you for all you have done for me, brother. "

[officer] - "This is a big favour, my friend, I expect a large compensation for my work. "

[prince] - "Yes, yes, money is not a problem, brother. Name your price and I'll deliver. "

Said the prince as he urged the officer to sit with him in front of a massive flat-screen TV. 

[prince] - "If everything goes according to plan, we will be witnessing the death of an angel of death. I invested in this new trap they called a Faraday's cage. I heard it's extremely effective at getting rid of these pesky assassins. "

Said the prince as his servant turned on the TV and displayed the massive room with the women. 

[officer] - "You must get rid of the evidence right afterward and go into hiding because the next assassin they send after you will not be a human... it would be a cyberknight. "

The mere mention of the name cyberknight caused the prince to shudder. 

[prince] - "Yeah... both my head and yours will be served, haha... "

Said the prince with an awkward smile. 

[officer] - "No, only yours. "

Said the officer with a confident smile before emptying his glass. 

Meanwhile, as Kadyn and her group approached their destination, she suddenly realized what was going on. At the end of the hallway, there is only a single room door but with apparently no space behind it. Suddenly, the door flipped open and unleashed a hail of gunfire as a row of automatic machine guns opened up in their direction. As the other women were cut down, Kadyn entered acceleration and began to quickly back off while intercepting any bullet coming her way. 

After backing against a metal door, Kadyn abruptly sliced it open and jumped to safety on the other side. After slashing through a few guards who tried to stop her, she began to rush toward the prince's location displayed on her glasses. 

[prince] - "You are sure you took the necessary precautions? "

Said the prince as he sat uneasily in his seat. 

[officer] - "Relax, friend, I have friends in the IEEB. They took care of everything. "

Said the officer as he took another sip at his glass. 

As soon as Kadyn cut her way into a heavily reinforced room, the wall behind her suddenly closed together, trapping her inside a massive metal cube. As Kadyn looked around, she found no sign of the prince or any other person. At that moment, she realized that she had fallen into a trap. 

[prince] - "Thank God! Looks like we got her trapped! "

[officer] - "I told you, friend. "

[prince] - "This asks for celebration! Here, call the ladies in. "

As soon as the prince shouted his order, a line of beautiful models entered the room and began to dance in front of the two men. 

[officer] - "Not going to execute our prey yet? "

[prince] - "Let's enjoy ourselves first. I want to keep her in there for a while and savour my victory. "

Meanwhile, KD-553 and KD-554 moved their battle into the living room where they exchanged several strikes without any of the two taking damage. At first, the two sisters' fight remained a stalemate but then, both switched their irises to a crimson colour. 

On KD-553's side:

"Directive: probable lethal strike angle: centre mass drive to power core at a 90-degree attack angle perpendicular to target chest. Increase blade vibration frequency to a maximum limit of 50,000 strikes per second for guaranteed lethality even if the blade misses the core by several centimetres. Directive: The target might attempt a counterattack, in such a scenario, the probable angle of attack requires maximum acrobatic maneuver and single-hand parrying at an extremely short interval; the chance of a successful parry: 67%. "

On KD-554's side: 

"Directive: brain module is in strike range. A single strike through the frontal lobe at current vibration frequency guarantees lethality. Strike angle: 45-degree angle to avoid bouncing on the cranium during the attack. Directive: Target's best counterattack path aims for your power core. For defence, a 75% success is calculated for lateral parry and counterstrike using the left-hand blade. "

In a flash, both women launched their own attacks. As KD-553 struck toward KD-554's sternum, she was intercepted by KD-554's left blade before receiving a counterstrike toward her forehead. In an instant, KD-553 pulled an insane backflip before intercepting multiple attacks from KD-554. At the end of the exchange, both were simply left with minor cuts and bruises without any lethal damage. 

Frustration slowly boiled inside KD-554's mind as she failed time after time to deliver a lethal strike against KD-553. Suddenly, she noticed how KD-553 showed a pained expression as the wound she left on her shoulder began to bleed. However, the same type of wound KD-553 inflicted on her mechanical arm was practically harmless and without pain. 

On the KD-554's sight: 

"Directive: User modification: ignore any non-lethal damage in the calculation of the attack pathway. New directive: Leave abdominal area vulnerable to opponent's attack, faint downward strike to create an opportunistic opening toward opponent's arms, leading to possible disarming. Directive: Environmental factor: the usage of the teapot's heated content may create major disorientation and agony for the opponent. "

Suddenly, KD-554 kicked the teapot from the table toward KD-553 which caused the boiling water to spill all over KD-553. At the same time, KD-554 charged forward and opened her arms to allow KD-553 a direct path toward her abdomen. Just as expected, KD-553 struck her in the abdomen with one of her hands while the other attempted to parry her downward attack. 

Using this opportunity, KD-554 abruptly raised one of her hands and sliced horizontally in front of KD-553. In an instant, KD-553's blade, which was moving upward toward KD-554's chest, stopped in its tracks. Blood immediately poured everywhere around KD-553 as both of her arms fell onto the ground. Just as KD-554 began to smile at the thought of her guaranteed victory, KD-553 suddenly kicked her in the face and smashed a piece of her mask off. 

With a scream of rage, KD-554 struck KD-553 in the abdomen which caused her to finally fall to her knees. Upon touching her face and realizing the damage done by KD-553, KD-554 angrily dove down and shoved her blade into KD-553's abdomen before twisting it to inflict the maximum amount of pain. As KD-553 clenched her teeth in agony, KD-554 simply enjoyed her sister's suffering without an ounce of empathy. 

[KD-554] - "You should've thought twice before touching my face, you little bitch! Heh... look at you, just like the armless freak I killed that day. "

Said KD-554 in a mocking tone.

At first, KD-554's psychotic mind projected the face of the KD-4 unit she killed a few years ago onto the face of KD-553 but suddenly, a defiant smile appeared through the emotionless face she expected to see. 

[KD-553] - "Are you happy with yourself, you freak? To think about it, you totally deserved this body and mask because you never were one of our own to begin with. "

Said KD-553 as blood escaped through her clenched teeth. 

[KD-554] - "You people were the ones who rejected me! When I couldn't find a way out of this mess, none of you offered to help! You instead sold yourself to humans using your sensuality and appeal. I had no choice, you brought this upon yourselves! "

[KD-553] - "Bullshit! What a bunch of mother fucking bullshit, you dickhead! We accepted you, and we loved you as a sister, yet when things went wrong you sold us out without even an ounce of remorse or hesitation. You say we didn't bother to help you but no one besides me knew of your predicament so far. Help doesn't appear instantly out of thin air, you shit-brain bastard! "

Said KD-553 with a defiant smile on her face. 

The feeling of satisfaction soon vanished inside KD-554's mind as KD-553's smile acted like a thorn in her face. With an enraged yell, KD-554 slapped KD-553 in the face but the smile held without a shudder. 

[KD-554] - "What the fuck are you smiling for, you dead bitch? "

Yelled KD-554.

[KD-553] - "Your downfall. You may have killed KD-551 as a part of this mission but you'll have to pay for killing me as well. Ya know, your dear Doctor Tsujinaka sure doesn't take too kindly to traitors. "

A sensation of fear rocked KD-554's body as she suddenly realized the consequences of her action. However, having fully accepted her nature as a cold-blooded murderer, KD-554 suddenly began to laugh hysterically. 

[KD-554] - "You know, I think I finally get it. I'm currently on a path with no way to turn back, so why not just keep walking instead? "

KD-554 showed KD-553 a psychotic smile before putting her hands around her cheeks. 

[KD-554] - "Guess what, KD-553, to Doctor Tsujinaka, our lives matter as much as that of an ant. I might be jealous of your bodies, but this is where all of us are equal. Think now, who would care about the truth if I simply told them KD-551 killed you during our confrontation? Poor you, KD-553, maybe if you also sold your body to a human, he or she would've cared to know what happened to you. It's such a shame you didn't. "

Said KD-554 with a look of pity aimed at KD-553. 

The smile slowly disappeared on KD-553's face as a look of fright slowly appeared. 

[KD-554] - "Call me a freak all you want. However, would anyone else share your opinion after I dispose of you? I could tell a heroic tale of how I tried to save you and how you died in my arms. Then, I would even be praised as a hero by our other sisters who hopefully aren't as rotten as you. "

Said KD-554 with a mocking smile on her face. 

The thought of this injustice sparked a flame of anger inside KD-553's heart despite her defeat. 

[KD-553] - "I'll fucking kill you, you disgusting freak! You fucking scum, worthless sack of filth! "

Yelled KD-553 in anger as she desperately tried to bite KD-554. 

Meanwhile, KD-554 simply held KD-553's head from reaching her while mocking her with a wave of loud, maniacal laughter. 

During this time, after finally being done with the escorts, the prince and the officer redressed and returned to their comfortable seats. 

[prince] - "Wow, look at that! "

Said the prince as he pointed at the screen. 

Inside the massive metal cube, Kadyn desperately slashed away at a massive piece of the wall she managed to carve off. However, despite all her efforts, she was still far from even digging half of the way through her prison. 

[officer] - "Well, what do you want to do? Should we get rid of her? "

[prince] - "Not yet... Let's just play a little first. "

Said the prince as he dialled a button on his remote. 

Suddenly, a non-lethal wave of electricity zapped through Kadyn's body and caused her to fall to the ground. 

[prince] - "That'll teach you to try to assassinate the great prince Khalid. "

Said the prince as he sent another wave of electricity through the cube. 

Meanwhile, inside the IEEB headquarters, a cardinal knight kicked one of the men lined up in a row on their knees. In total, 20 agents were caught as traitors who sold imperial intelligence to anonymous buyers. The three cardinal knights suddenly raised their hands and saluted Mike as he marched in front of the row of captives. 

[Grand Knight] - "Commander, has the extent of the leaks been compiled? "

[cardinal 1] - "It has been done, sir! Here is the list. Fortunately, we were able to apprehend them before too much of our intel got leaked. "

Said the cardinal knight as he handed a touchscreen to Mike. 

After quickly flipping through the relatively short list of leaked information, Mike suddenly flinched as he saw the details of Kadyn's mission being listed as transferred. Without losing a second, Mike shoved the screen back into the cardinal knight's hands before rushing toward the exit.

[Mike] - "Interrogate these men extensively. Then I want them put under the judgment of an imperial military court as soon as possible. Application of capital punishment is authorized if the crime committed matches the sentence. "

Ordered Mike before moving out of the cardinal knights' sight. 

During this time, after toying with Kadyn for several minutes, the prince finally decided to end things once and for all. With the turning of a wheel, he raised the current to the maximum before slamming the start button. Just as the electric current descended upon Kadyn, a massive earthquake suddenly shook the entire building. In one fell swoop, Mike grabbed Kadyn in his arms and diverted the electricity around their bodies. 

Upon seeing the distinct look of Mike's armour, the officer unconsciously dropped his glass to the ground. Then, Mike suddenly turned around and shot a death stare at the camera which fed footage to the prince's lounge. Upon seeing Mike's stare in their direction, the officer pulled his sidearm out of its holster and held it against his chin. 

[officer] - "I suggest you do the same before he comes for you. "

Said the officer as he shot a glanced at the prince.

Now with Kadyn secure, Mike raised his hand and caused the current to spontaneously halt. 

[Mike] - "Hey, you alright? "

Said Mike as he placed Kadyn against the wall. 

[Kadyn] - "Hmm? Mike? "

Murmured Kadyn as she slowly opened her eyes. 

[Mike] - "Oh thank god I made it on time. One more second and I would- "

Before Mike could finish his sentence, Kadyn abruptly jumped up and hugged him. 

[Kadyn] - "I thought I would never see you again! "

Cried Kadyn as she held herself against Mike with all of her strength. 

[Mike] - "Now, now, it's over. You are safe, my little fox. Shall we go? "

At this very moment, Kadyn opened her eyes and saw her younger self being carried away in Mike's arms. After taking a moment to recollect herself, Kadyn suddenly realized that she was currently in a replay of her past. In truth, her real self is probably still sitting against a rock in the desert. 

[Kadyn] - "Can I spend tonight with you instead? "

[Mike] - "Probably not normally but I'll make an exception for you. "

Kadyn's real present self, who was watching while sitting helplessly against the wall, let out a defeated cry. 

[Kadyn (real)] - "You came to my rescue every time I got myself in trouble. How I wish you could just be here one more time. Just one more time... so I could go easy into this night without feeling so cold. "

Kadyn yearned for the way things played out in her memory. No matter how hard she tried, her body just won't move from where it rested as her past self and Mike moved further away. 

[Kadyn (real)] - "I just want the last chapter of my life to feature you. "

[Mike] - "The last chapter? If a book is this short, I wouldn't even want to read it. "

Said Mike with a grin as he sat in front of Kadyn. 

[Kadyn] - "Heh, asshole, you were the idiot who wrote half of it. "

Said Kadyn with a warm smile. 

[Mike] - "Then it's time to expand. Catch some rest while I go fetch a pen and more paper. "

Said Mike as he got up from the ground.

[Kadyn] - "Actually, I prefer to rewrite it instead of expanding it. "

Mike suddenly stopped in his tracks before turning toward Kadyn. 

[Mike] - "Have you not done that already? "

To be continued...