Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

The sterile smell of the hospital room caused Audrey to rub her nose out of discomfort. As much as she wanted to stay close to her friends as they were making their recovery, she knew she had to leave when Athena gave a few gentle knocks on the observation window. 

[Athena] - "How are they doing? "

Said Athena as she watched Audrey exit the room. 

[Audrey] - "Stable. Might soon recover if we are lucky. "

[Athena] - "I assure you they are in safe hands. These doctors and nurses are part of my personal medical unit. If I can trust them with my life, then your friends can trust them too. "

Said Athena and she and Audrey began walking away. 

[Audrey] - "It's not like we had a different option other than trusting you. "

[Athena] - "Haha... Unlike my peers, I uphold the code of the cyberknights to the letter. If I gave you my word, then I'll upkeep it until you break your part of the contract. "

[Audrey] - "And what is my part of the contract? "

Said Audrey as she stared at Athena with doubt. 

[Athena] - "Saving your friends' lives is my payback for the damage I did. However, in the aftermath of Kadyn's rescue, you'll need my help to protect you against Allied prosecution. For that, I demand your full cooperation in finding and rescuing Kadyn from Jagger's captivity. "

[Audrey] - "Why are you so fixated on rescuing her? You said you barely knew her. "

Athena smiled awkwardly as she began responding to Audrey's question.

[Athena] - "For my whole life, I had an undying admiration for my master, Mike. You know he took me as his apprentice when he was only 17 years old? Yet, that man, he sounded like a man who had lived through a century with his level of knowledge. "

Athena stopped for a few seconds and she and Audrey boarded a transport barge.

[Athena] - "Anyways, so, to say it embarrassingly, I fell in love. However, I couldn't capture his heart... I knew he had a secret someone he was seeing but I never managed to learn who that mysterious person was. That is... until I saw her, a beautiful but flawed maiden. The type of woman I never expected in a thousand years to win over someone like Mike. "

[Audrey] - "I wouldn't say she was flawed. I would've fought to the death for a woman like her. "

Interjected Audrey amidst Athena's story. 

[Athena] - "You should know about the KD-series assassin attack on some of your Allied bases a few months ago, right? "

[Audrey] - "Yeah I was there. Kadyn fought with everything she got and even saved my life. I couldn't forget even if I tried. Why? "

[Athena] - "Kadyn was just like her sisters. A brutal and merciless murderer who can kill thousands without blinking... "

Audrey quickly jumped in to defend Kadyn, outraged by Athena's words. 

[Audrey] - "No, Kadyn is not like them! She was different, she- "

[Athena] - "Let me finish before you jump to conclusion, damn it! "

Yelled Athena in frustration.

[Athena] - "What I was saying is, that Mike turned someone like Kadyn into a gentle and passionate person. She acted and cared just like Mike, she was more loyal than any human I had ever seen. She was the sacred fruit of my master's humanity, a piece of my master shared with the empty shell of a creature. To defend her is to defend my dead master's legacy. She knew him better than I ever did. I want people to hear her story, I want Mike to be remembered as the man he was and not be slandered by Jagger, I want to hear the last words of my master as he died. "

Said Athena before she discreetly looked away to hide her tears. 

Audrey thought for a second before she turned toward Athena.

[Audrey] - "For me, Kadyn was a good friend. I will fight for her any day if she's in trouble. However, now that you mentioned it, I also owe Mike one for avenging Paris after what Sniper and his cyberknight did many years ago. "

The two quickly disembarked the transport barge as it stopped before their ship. After getting seated in the cockpit, Athena took a long breath before she pushed on the throttle. 

[Audrey] - "Nervous? "

[Athena] - "I'm not good at hiding it, huh? Yeah, I am. I know how strong was my master, so I'm a little bit scared if we were to come across Jagger. "

[Audrey] - "I'm also somewhat of a cyberknight by this point, no? I survived your attacks after all. "

Said Audrey confidently. 

[Athena] - "Yeah but a very weak one. "

[Audrey] - "Oh, come on! You have to give me some credit. Like you are one of the strongest cyberknights out there and I survived against you for a good while. "

[Athena] - "I was using a tame version of my ability. Also, I was holding back. You would've been charred quite a while ago if I had gone full ham on you. "

[Audrey] - "Sure you were... But say, would we have a chance if let's say me, you and maybe Kadyn teamed up against Jagger? Surely us girl power will win against him if we strategize. "

Said Audrey with enthusiasm. 

[Athena] - "Nah, we'd lose! "

[Audrey] - "What the fuck is that attitude! I think we have a good chance! "

Yelled Audrey, shocked by Athena's dismissive attitude. 

[Athena] - "Sniper flipped over Paris on a Thursday, Mike defeated that mofo and you think we have a chance against Jagger who has all of Mike's powers? "

Said Athena with a flabbergasted look on her face. 

[Audrey] - "Well... "

A silence ensued as Audrey struggled to find a proper response. 

[Athena] - "Audrey, are you ready to die fighting for someone who is just a friend to you? I'm fighting for her for deeper reasons that make up the root of my fundamental person, but what about you? "

Said Athena suddenly out of the blue. 

Audrey, initially caught off guard by Athena's question, quickly composed herself. 

[Audrey] - "She's not just a friend. She was also a mentor, she was linked to the man to who I owe a token of gratitude, and she's a guardian angel to us all in our darkest hours. Let us fight for someone who had fought for us before. "

Said Audrey resolutely as she reached her hand toward Athena.

Athena immediately flipped on the autopilot and turned around to shake Audrey's hand. 

[Athena] - "I'm genuinely impressed! You don't seem scared at all. "

[Audrey] - "Well, if you have a bathroom on the ship, I think it's best I use it before we land. "

Said Audrey with an embarrassed smile. 

As the ship flew close to the ground to avoid radars, Athena looked for the best spot to land without being detected by the Allied base. After finding a patch of dense wood, Athena activated her ability and slammed down to create a flat spot for her to land. Just as Athena prepared to exit the ship, Audrey abruptly approached her and handed her a hologram recording. 

[Audrey] - "Take this. In case something happens to me, I left a message for each of my friends including McCree. Hopefully, he still has some humanity left in him to cooperate. "

With a firm nod, Athena took the device and put it in her pocket for safekeeping. As the two walked through the dense wood and peeked out of the bush to observe the Allied base where McCree was usually stationed, Athena turned to Audrey while trying to remember their previous conversation.

[Athena] - "So if I recall well, we agreed on a quiet extraction. You go in there and locate McCree, then I wait for the perfect opportunity to use my ability to pull you and him out of the compound. "

[Audrey] - "Well, you said we can't be too loud or we'll alert Jagger to our plan. This earpiece uses a two-way radio using a secret channel which is available only between us. "

Said Audrey as she handed Athena an earpiece the size of a bee. 

[Athena] - "Won't they question you about how you survived against me or where are the rest of your friends? "

Said Athena as she put on the earpiece. 

[Audrey] - "Hmm... Oh! Use your ability and drop me in there over the fence. "

Said Audrey as she rushed out of the bushes. 

[Athena] - "Sounds good but you'll have to brace for it. Guilt Extension: Thunderstorm Above Mount Olympus! "

[Audrey] - "Huh? I thought it was "Obvious Avalanche". "

Before Audrey could finish, she was tossed up in the air before being thrown around like a toy by giant arms emerging from the sky. The sheer speed and wind were strong enough to cause Audrey to show her gums before a hand finally deposited her near a secluded area. 

[Audrey] - "You bitch! Give me a warning before you do that! "

Yelled Audrey into her earpiece.

[Athena] - "My accuracy goes down with distance, so be grateful you are still in one piece. "

Audrey grumbled under her breath before focusing her mind on the mission. After sneaking past as many soldiers and guards as possible, she made it to the deeper levels of the base. Since the soldiers guarding the many underground checkpoints didn't know she was sent on a mission, they simply allowed her to pass through without question. 

As Audrey walked, she tried her best to not draw any attention by walking as if she had someplace to be urgently. However, she was not aware of how tight security was as her identification was quickly passed through Jagger's Dome Agency. In a matter of minutes, Jagger was alerted about Audrey's intrusion. Since he was expecting an attempt to capture McCree for information about Kadyn's whereabouts ever since Athena betrayed him, he positioned himself inside the base without outside knowledge. 

As Audrey walked, she suddenly noticed McCree parting ways with Chief Dunhill after a loud conversation. As McCree approached her, she immediately turned around a corner to avoid being seen. Fortunately, McCree remained oblivious to her presence as he headed back into his office. 

[Audrey] - "Ok I think I got him located. "

Whispered Audrey over the earpiece. 

While Audrey focused on determining the precise location of McCree's office within the facility, Jagger approached her ominously. At that moment, Audrey, preoccupied with her current task, failed to notice the danger before her due to Jagger's complete facial makeover. 

[Jagger] - "Guilt Extension: Blade of Pandemonium! "

With a lightning-fast reaction, Audrey reacted but it was already too little too late. 

[Audrey] - "Trial Access: Blue Shine Over The Gu- "

Before she could finish her phrase, both of her crystals exploded like balloons in an ear-deafening pop. Her powers were simply too weak to resist Jagger's attack at this range. She didn't even feel any pain but she knew she had received a fatal amount of damage. Bloody gashes quickly appeared uniformly on her body as her blood pressure caused many of her wounds to split open in patterns of red. 

In a swift and brutal fashion, Jagger pulled open a janitor's closet and shoved Audrey's body in. Jagger watched for a few seconds as a massive puddle of blood formed under Audrey's unmoving dismantled body before slamming the door shut with a satisfied face. 

[Jagger] - "Sigh... Rats think they can act however they like until they learn the true capability of humans. How pitiful. "

Said Jagger as he walked away as if nothing happened.

Unbeknownst to Jagger, Audrey survived thanks to a tiny piece of crystal which was still connected to her arm. However, Audrey was fighting a losing battle as her weakened ability was only strong enough to hold on to her vital areas while most of her body was turned into tiny meat cubes by Jagger's attack.

"I'm sorry... Kadyn... Athena... everyone... I wasn't strong enough to be there for you all. "

Thought Audrey as she watched the crimson pool slowly expand around her. 

As she tried to move, she realized that all her limbs were already in tiny cubes. As she tried to see, she only had a partial vision as her split eyeballs left her with two massive red gaps in her vision. 

"I wonder, is Mom still making Action de Grace meals thinking I'll be there for it? Aw... how fucked of me to leave her waiting... forever. How I will miss the laughter and cheers of these people... "

Thought Audrey as red tears slowly rolled down her eyes. 

As she began feeling herself losing grip of her ability, she suddenly remembered Athena's question earlier about whether she was ready to die fighting.

[Athena] - "Audrey? Are you ok? It's been a while, did something happen? "

"Heh... weird, I thought I put my earpiece on the left, not the right. "

Thought Audrey.

This was due to how her left eardrum was destroyed by Jagger's attack and the sound simply travelled through her throat to her intact right eardrum. 

[Audrey] - "Maybe the odds were against us after all, Athena. "

Whispered Audrey while every word she spoke felt like razor blades passing through her throat and lungs. 

[Athena] - "What happened? Are you ok? You sound weird! "

[Audrey] - "I failed. Just go, I can't exactly pinpoint where McCree is. "

Whispered Audrey before coughing up some blood. 

[Athena] - "Damn it! Hold it in there, I'm coming for you! "

Yelled Athena as she jumped out of the bush.

[Audrey] - "Don't bother, I'm done for either way. "

[Athena] - "I'm not letting you fucking die in there like this, just hold on a little longer! "

Yelled Athena as she hurried toward the gate of the base.

[Audrey] - "Don't come, you stupid bitch! *cough* Jagger is in here! "

Yelled Audrey in a broken voice while more blood left her mouth

Athena immediately held her steps as she heard Jagger's name being uttered by Audrey.

[Audrey] - "Just find another way to do this. "

[Athena] - "What other way is there? Just... I'm coming! "

Audrey desperately tried to voice her disapproval but she was only able to violently cough as more blood left her mouth. By this point, her skin was as white as a sheet of paper. With the last of her strength, she looked around and noticed the janitor's desk which had a screen which displayed the layout of the current level which displayed where cleaning was required. With this, Audrey quickly followed the screen downward but her vision stopped short just at the top part of the map due to the gap in her eyes. 

[Audrey] - "Stop! Fucking stay! I have the coordinates! *cough* "

Said Audrey as Athena quickly stopped and grabbed a digital pad to take notes. 

As Audrey tried to raise her head using her neck, she found that she lacked the strength to keep her head up for long. No matter how much she tried, she could only keep her neck a single centimetre above ground for a microsecond before she fell back down. 

"I'm ready to fight! Just let me fight this one last time! Let me do something for you, my friends! I'm done being sorry for my weakness, let me own up to my true worth! "

Thought Athena as her defeated eyes gained the fury of defiance once again.

By allowing her lower body and even one of her lungs to fall apart, she diverted enough of her remaining power to hold her head in the air. Centimetre by centimetre, Audrey pushed her head up with each effort cutting more time off her limited lifespan. Finally, after a long struggle, Audrey raised her head high enough for her vision to capture the layout of this level. 

[Audrey] - "54 floors downward, east side wall, approximately the 7th room from your left. "

Whispered Audrey with the last of her strength before falling down on the ground. 

As her head smashed against the ground, she felt that the end was near as her vision blackened. She had done her part, it was now Athena's turn to continue the job. 

"Kadyn... I will dream of the adventures we would've had if we were both free and alive. You saved me when I was broken, now I've done the same. Go on, live your best life, my friend. I'm glad I met you. "

Thought Audrey with a smile as the glow from her crystal finally extinguished.

With that, Audrey breathed her last breath as her body finally fell apart. A few seconds later, she was unceremoniously picked off the ground by a few of Jagger's agents and put in a black bag while another agent scrubbed her blood off the floor with a mop. 

[Athena] - "Audrey! Audrey, answer me! "

Yelled Athena over the earpiece to no response. 

Athena was devasted and shocked as she heard the distinct sound of flesh being shoved into a bag. With tears in her eyes, Athena smashed the ground with her fist before regaining her composure. She knew she couldn't let Audrey's sacrifice go in vain as she moved fast following Audrey's reported coordinates. 

[Athena] - "Guilt Extension: Thunderstorm Above Mount Olympus! "

Yelled Athena with fury in her voice. 

In a swift motion, Athena threw a tracking disk into the air before a massive hand grabbed the device and dug deep underground. With professional precision, Athena observed her ability's location underground before sweeping in to apprehend her target. With one dry pull, the massive arm emerged from the hole with McCree in its grasp. 

As the whole base panicked and sounded the alarm over the shockwave, Athena made a discreet getaway with McCree gripped tightly in her ability. With an angry wave of her hand, McCree was thrown into her ship and smashed against the hull before losing consciousness. Before anyone could discover her, she took off and flew away undetected. 

Despite barely knowing Audrey for a few days, Athena held immense respect for her as she gave up her life just to save a good friend. As Athena glanced at the empty co-pilot seat beside her, she abruptly raised her hand and saluted Audrey for her actions. 

[Athena] - "With my authority, I grant you the rank of cyberknight, Audrey! You have proven yourself in your selfless actions and used your power to uphold virtue and justice! I salute you, brave knight! "

Said Athena while holding back tears. 

Meanwhile, within Kadyn's ability, Kadyn and Mike took a hike through a road through the woods. Since all worlds within Kadyn's ability are devoid of life, she immediately noticed movement in her peripheral vision. As she turned around, she saw Audrey waving goodbye to her for a split instant before disappearing. 

[Mike] - "What's wrong? "

[Kadyn] - "Oh... eh, nothing. I just think I saw someone. Probably my imagination. "

As the two resumed their hike, Kadyn turned slightly around and waved instinctively, unsure of what was truly going on. As soon as Kadyn returned to her hike, Audrey appeared once again on the road. She smiled joyfully as she saw Kadyn walking happily beside Mike before turning around and walking in the opposite direction where she gradually disappeared into thin air. 

To be continued...