Inside the house, Karson finally began to shed tears upon learning the truth about his mother. With the truth revealed, Karson was finally exposed to the ugly reality that had passed under his eyes his whole life. As Nancy reached inside her pack, she noticed that she only had one last cigarette left. She lit up the last stick, feeling the aroma with all her being as if this was the last cigarette given to a death row convict before their execution.
[Nancy] - "Do what's necessary in life to win, Karson. Play the good guy or honest bloke, and the world will step on you. Whatever ya do, you need to make sure you step on life before it crushes you. Use those who are foolish enough to help you as tools to climb higher, leavin' the weak behind and don't let them drag you down. Hesitate, and you won't even have the time to regret before you get a knife to your back. "
Said Nancy as she stared at Karson with her bloodshot, but hopeful eyes.
[Karson] - "I will, Ma! I will not disappoint you! "
Said Karson while shedding tears.
Upon hearing Karson's cries, Nancy's eyes showed a glimpse of empathy as she tapped her palm against Karson's shoulder.
[Nancy] - "Do not end up like me or your father! Be the predator in this dark forest; never allow yourself to become the prey! "
Said Nancy as she watched her cigarette reach its end.
As the last of the ashes fell below the table, a loud bang shot through the room. Acting quickly, Nancy dragged Karson out of his chair and pushed him into another room.
[Nancy] - "Hide! "
As soon as Nancy turned around, a line of gang members began to shower her with bullets. Even as Nancy collapsed to the ground, the goons approached to continue the carnage. With his eyes wide in shock, Karson watched as the bullets mutilated his mother's body beyond recognition until a bloodied mess was all that was left on the ground.
Karson stood like a frozen film as the gang members began to scout the house for other occupants. Suddenly, George charged into Karson and slammed him into an empty closet.
[George] - "Don't make a bloody sound if you want to live! "
Said George before closing the closet doors.
[Elise] - "Did you find Karson? "
Said Elise as she walked into the room.
[George] - "Nope, just checked the closet, he ain't there. "
Said George while acting nonchalant.
[Elise] - "Damn it, we gotta go! It's approaching 3 minutes at this point. "
As the gang retreated out of the house, several civilians came out on their front porch to see what was causing all the commotion, while others watched from the safety of their windows.
[Elise] - "Fuck! These bloody wanker! Teach them how curiosity kills the cat. "
Without mercy, the gang spread around and loaded a different type of ammunition into their guns. With total indiscrimination, the gang of gunmen began to open fire on anyone they had in sight. Then, as all visible targets either fled or were mowed down by bullets, the gang members began to shower the houses with rounds.
[Elise] - "Fire the incendiary rounds once you are done, and let's get out of here. "
Each gang member quickly nodded before switching to incendiary charges on their rifles' underbarrels. In quick succession, they blasted napalm grenades into the surrounding houses before retreating into their van. After the last one of them got inside the van, Elise pressed a button which changed the van's colour and license plate before driving off.
Meanwhile, as per Kadyn's wishes, Mike took her to a fancy restaurant where the couple planned to end the night. However, just as both had placed their orders, their romantic evening was abruptly interrupted by the siren of fire trucks and the screams of fleeing civilians. Looking out of the window, Mike could clearly see the mountain of black smoke rising from a residential area not far away.
[Kadyn] - "What's going on? "
[Mike] - "Stay here, let me go see what's going on. "
Said Mike as he quickly rushed out of the restaurant.
After running into a dark alley, away from public gaze, Mike put on his mask and changed out of his attire into something unrecognizable. Then, quietly, he flew across the sky and noticed the raging inferno that overtook a whole housing sector of the city. Acting quickly, Mike landed in the middle of the raging fire and activated his crystals.
[Mike] - "Guilt Extension: Sanctuary's blessing! "
As soon as Mike reached forward with his hand, every house was dismantled into individual pieces before floating into the air. By separating everything, he prevented the fire from spreading while keeping the people out of the flame's reach. The crystals on his forearms glowed brightly as he flew between each of the houses while looking for survivors. Luckily for Karson, Mike was able to locate his unconscious body inside a broken closet.
However, when looking for other civilians, Mike's hopes were crushed after finding that every single civilian nearby was either burnt to a crisp or shot dead with a bullet. With a heavy heart, Mike placed the bodies in a line on the streets to allow easy identification and burial. Then, with Karson in his arms, Mike quickly flew up, identified a hospital and dashed toward the building in haste.
After bursting through the emergency department's doors, Mike rushed to the counter and was met by a receptionist who appeared apathetic to Karson's situation.
[Mike] - "This man needs emergency care! "
[Receptionist] - "Mhm. Does he have insurance? "
Said the receptionist in a relaxed tone.
[Mike] - "What the fuck is wrong with you, you bloody prick! Treat him, then we'll talk about insurance! "
[Receptionist] - "Watch the attitude, mister, I can easily decline to serve you. "
Said the receptionist while crossing her arms.
The situation was unbelievable to Mike, who quickly lost his cool. A gentle glow emanated from his crystals before the protective glass at the reception morphed into a row of sharp spikes all pointed at the receptionist. The unnatural sight caused the emotionless receptionist to suddenly switch to an expression of fright.
[Mike] - "Treat him, NOW! "
Commanded Mike with authority.
In a panic, the receptionist reached her trembling hand toward the phone and called for a stretcher and a medical team. While waiting for the stretcher, Mike took a look at Karson's identity by finding his work card in his wallet. However, as Mike's crystal brushed past Karson's body, it began to emit a glow without his direct command.
[Mike] - "Karson... There seems to be potential with you, comrade. "
Whispered Mike as he slipped Karson's wallet back into his pocket.
As Karson was being treated inside the ICU, Mike started a call with Kadyn through his earpiece. As he did so, he saw two surgeons enter a random patient's room with a transparent box of ice on a tray.
[Mike] - "Could you grab our meals to go? I had to help a poor guy stuck in the fire. "
[Kadyn] - "Yeah, sure! I'll ask them for a box. "
Said Kadyn, while raising her hand to call a waiter.
[Mike] - "Tell me when you're done, I'll come pick you up. "
[Kadyn] - "Yeah, just give me a moment, I have to also get the check as well. I'll call you back. "
Said Kadyn as she quickly pushed Mike's food into a to-go box.
Meanwhile, the surgeons who entered the unnamed patient's room exited with a kidney inside the ice box. Upon witnessing this, Mike immediately stood up and confronted the surgeons.
[Mike] - "Why did you two remove the patient's kidney? "
[Surgeon 1] - "Who the fuck are you, mate? "
[Surgeon 2] - "Fuck off, bruv, this ain't none of yer business. "
With a single swipe of his hand, both surgeons immediately sank into the floor with only their heads above the surface.
[Mike] - "Fucking hell, why did you two blood bastards steal that patient's kidney? "
Yelled Mike as the two men panicked in fear.
[Surgeon 1] - "She didn't have insurance, and her bank account didn't have enough to pay her medical bills. "
[Surgeon 2] - "Yeah! The policy is the salvage of the patient's belongings to pay off the debt owed to the hospital. We're just following orders, please! "
Cried the surgeon in a panic.
[Mike] - "Fucking return her the kidney or I'll bury you two useless spawns permanently! "
Said Mike in a murderous rage.
The two surgeons nodded their heads before being sent back into the patient room by Mike. With a frustrated look on his face, Mike turned around only to see another pair of these kinds of surgeons enter Karson's room.
[Mike] - "Oh, mother of Christ! "
As soon as the surgeons prepared to remove Karson's kidney, they were suddenly thrown against the wall by an invisible force before a rain of spikes pinned their clothes against the wall.
[Mike] - "Touch that man's kidney and you two are dead men! "
Said Mike as he kicked the tray with the ice box away.
[Surgeons] - "We won't, we won't! We swear on our mothers we won't! "
Cried the two surgeons in fear.
[Mike] - "Is the patient's condition stable? "
[Surgeon 3] - "Totally stable! He'll be good for discharge tomorrow! "
Said the surgeon while nodding his head as he talked.
[Surgeon 4] - "Yeah, he's barely harmed. "
With a glance at Karson's relatively stable state, Mike didn't waste his time torturing the two men further. After releasing them, Mike walked out of the room while the two men ran in the opposite direction in panic. However, with how evil the hospital seemed, Mike was still not convinced of Karson's safety.
[Mike] - "Jerry, I need to call in a favour from you. Since you're with the 2nd fleet, you shouldn't be too far from where I am... Yeah, let me send you the coordinates. "
Said Mike while holding his earpiece.
As soon as the call ended, Mike received Kadyn's call to signal she was done. Without hesitation, Mike stepped through the window down the hall and dropped down into the city. After barely 15 seconds on the clock, Mike emerged back into the hallway with Kadyn in his arms as they phased through the wall as they had previously. Sitting down, the couple enjoyed a moment of peace in the hallway's silence while Mike grabbed a few bites of his dinner in the takeout box.
[Mike] - "This bloody slop is horrible compared to what we have back in the fleet. Why do you even want to eat out when this is the shit they serve? "
Said Mike as he frustratedly threw his fork back in the box in disgust.
[Kadyn] - "It's not really the food. It's the experience and quality time we spend together that matters. "
Said Kadyn with an innocent smile.
On the wall, Kadyn noticed one of the posters about pregnancy and childbirth. Afar, she could hear the cries of a newborn infant in one of the patient rooms. Instinctively, Kadyn leaned toward Mike and wrapped her arm around his.
[Kadyn] - "Do you think we will have our own children someday? It just feels like such a joy if I could hold a miniature version of us two in my arms. "
Said Kadyn with a jolly smile on her face.
[Mike] - "We are servants of the Empire foremost, lovers after. "
Said Mike while glancing at Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "Our children could serve the Empire as well. Think about it, Mike, how cute would it be to have our little squad of little soldiers, all cutely saluting you and me? "
Said Kadyn as she imitated a childish salute.
Mike smiled discreetly, amused by Kadyn's suggestion.
[Mike] - "No, any child, no matter the circumstance, deserves a proper childhood and life. Unlike us two, who were already warriors by design, I wish to give others the choice to choose their path in life. "
[Kadyn] - "Then how about it? We enter the first year of the crusade with a cute little one. You can keep being you, and I can be the lovely wife and mother by your side. "
Said Kadyn as soon as Mike finished his sentence.
[Mike] - "You are forgetting duty once again. If you're on maternity leave, who's going to be my assistant during the war? "
[Kadyn] - "And here you go again... "
Whispered Kadyn with a roll of her eyes in annoyance.
Mike glanced at Kadyn and understood her frustration immediately.
[Mike] - "After the war, maybe... "
Whispered Mike, hoping Kadyn didn't hear him.
Mike's words blasted through Kadyn's heart like Cupid's arrow. In an instant, Kadyn leaned in and kissed Mike in an explosion of emotions.
[Kadyn] - "Is that a promise? "
Said Kadyn, her eyes glowing with a dreamy green shine.
[Mike] - "A promise from the Grand Knight himself, one of the most powerful people on earth. If I can't hold this promise, who in this world can even promise anything to each other? "
Said Mike confidently.
Suddenly, the wall beside Mike opened like an elevator before Jerry, one of the cyberknights who used to train under him, stepped out into the hall.
[Jerry] - "Greetings, Lord Grand Knight. "
Said Jerry as he dropped to his knees before Mike.
[Mike] - "Rise, Jerry! "
Said Mike with a movement of his hand.
[Jerry] - "What do you wish of me, master? I'm ready to serve. "
[Mike] - "It's trivial and simple, but I need you to watch over that young man in there. Once he wakes up, take him back to your fleet and see if he's a fit for the Cyberknight Order. "
Said Mike while pointing at Karson.
Jerry turned around, looked at Karson and failed to notice anything noteworthy.
[Jerry] - "He doesn't seem anything special. "
[Mike] - "He seems to have a sensitivity for crystals. Earlier, he interacted with mine as it brushed against him. "
Said Mike as he stood up.
[Jerry] - "Interesting... I'll see to it as you ordered. "
Said Jerry as he rubbed his chin in contemplation.
[Mike] - "I'm assured with you on the task. "
Said Mike as he saluted Jerry.
Jerry quickly responded with a salute before taking a seat on the same bench Mike sat on to watch over Karson. Soon, Mike and Kadyn arrived at the reception desk, where he paid off Karson's medical bill without a word. Just as Mike was about to leave, he was asked to tip at least 50% of the total cost, which was 429,600 pounds.
[Mike] - "50%... For trying to steal the man's kidney and the garbage service? "
Muttered Mike as his anger began to boil over.
In a fit of anger, Mike smashed through the heavy glass and grabbed the receptionist by the collar. To his surprise, the people in the waiting room began to encourage Mike to beat up the receptionist instead of helping him. But then, even more ridiculously, heavily armed security guards suddenly arrived in the room to protect the receptionist. At this point, Mike was beyond done with the absurdity of the situation.
[Mike] - "Are you fucking kidding me! Is this a fucking cartel? "
Yelled Mike, in total disbelief and anger.
With a single swing of his arm, all the guards were stripped to their underwear as their weapons and clothes disintegrated into a fine powder on the floor.
[Receptionist] - "Calm down, mate! No tips! No tips! Could you just let me go? "
Begged the receptionist while frantically pressing the panic button below his desk.
With an apathetic expression on his face, Mike threw the receptionist into the crowd of angry patients before they started savaging him like a pack of vengeful wolves. As Mike headed toward the exit, Kadyn caught up to him and grabbed his arm.
[Mike] - "Can't wait for this whole system to be dismantled! What the actual fuck is even this dystopian bullshit? "
Said Mike while looking at the sky for the 2nd fleet's ships.
[Kadyn] - "You know what? It's one of the times when I think bombing a hospital is an accepted act of war. "
Said Kadyn in an amused tone.
Mike couldn't help but laugh a bit upon hearing Kadyn's remarks. However, with the night fully settled in, the couple's allotted time has run out as well.
[Mike] - "Sigh... But this is not our responsibility. We've got our own battles to fight. Michele will take care of this. "
Said Mike before looking up at the moon.
Meanwhile, people in the French capital cheered as the imperial fleet flew over Paris. The previously corrupt and hated government was ousted from office, while all of its party officials were arrested as war criminals by imperial soldiers. However, unlike with Admiral Athena's 9th fleet, on the ground, instead of providing aid and trying to heal the broken cities, the soldiers of the 2nd fleet were more keen on eliminating the remaining French military resistance.
Each fleet has its way of fighting this war. As for the morality of their methods, it was of little concern to Apogee and his inner circle of Imperial elites. The only thing that mattered was how the result of said crusade should match Apogee's vision for humanity and the new world. Military operations were all left in the hands of Michele, the Angel of War, Lord Regent of all Imperial forces on Earth. All the while, Mike formally carried the rank of Lord Regent of all Imperial forces in outer space.
Thus continued the Cleansing Crusade, sanctioned by a self-proclaimed God and Emperor of Humanity, with the promise of reforming a broken world under his rule.
To be continued...