[Ivanovich] - "You'll be escorting a shipment of my product to one of our regular clients. I'm sure the enemy cyberknight will show up, so that'll be your cue to act, dear angel! "
Said Ivanovich before stepping out of McCree's room.
Outside the window, the men loaded trucks full of narcotics and other illegal goods. As McCree slammed a small shard of a bullet into his gun chamber, a piece of Audrey's final message played inside his mind. With the first cylinder filled, the first shard of his past flashed before his eyes. Back then, he had just been extracted by Athena after Audrey's sacrifice. As he was brought back and imprisoned aboard the Merciful Wrath, flagship of the 9th fleet, the Falling Spartans, his captors didn't subject him to torture or abuse.
However, as Athena presented herself before McCree, he felt all the disdain and resistance vanish inside his heart. Instead, McCree felt shame and pity for himself as Athena radiated with an aura of purity and nobility. For all this time, McCree knew his actions were dirty and dishonourable, yet he kept convincing himself that he was doing the right thing. Now, faced with the sight of a paragon of justice, he finally came to understand the stains of his ways.
He didn't know Athena personally, yet he felt compelled to cooperate. Then, without a word, Athena presented McCree with the last recording of Audrey, at least the part that was destined to be heard by him. There was compassion in Athena's gesture, yet there was fire in her eyes. As McCree took the device from Athena's hand, he felt the disappointed stare of a motherly figure mixed with the hopeful warmth of forgiveness. As McCree played the part of the recording destined for him, he was immediately met with Audrey's face, shown from the holographic projector.
"If you're seeing this, then I presume I have perished. Sigh... McCree, old friend, I do not blame you for what you did. We all were condemned souls doing what we thought was right in a world indifferent to our suffering. As comrades in arms, we have fought together back in training school, on the field, amidst the enemy forces, and here now, side-by-side. "
Audrey paused and breathed hard to prevent her eyes from growing teary.
"I don't know where your heart lies or who your honour aligns with. However, I want to remind you of one thing: It was you who introduced us to Kadyn and told us to thrust her back then. You once stood for someone most of us had doubts about. In the end, she was the one who inspired us to stand when we thought we couldn't. You even gave her leadership of our squad when the time came, meaning there is a level of wisdom inside your heart that all of us don't!
Today, you acted on your misguided ways, but we do not blame you. Because, guess what, I refuse to doubt you just as you refused to doubt Kadyn. I never once believed you were a bad person. So please, my friend, trust me now as I tell you Kadyn is in mortal danger. Trust my judgement as I entrust the fate of our friend into the hands of Athena. Tell her everything you can, cooperate as much as you can, so that our friend doesn't suffer the same fate as me! "
Audrey let a few drops of tears loose from her eyes before wiping them away. There was a type of sadness inside her voice that McCree failed to understand properly until she finally uttered the last of her words.
"I hope we can fight together again, the entire squad, together. I truly miss this second home I have given, even though briefly. Just promise me, my friend, that you will live through all this without suffering the same fate as me. I want to meet you when you are an old man, when you have lived the life I couldn't experience. Goodbye, old friend. "
As the recording ended, McCree couldn't help but cry in shame. All of his actions were finally made clear for what they are: Manipulated steps which served Jagger's twisted goals. He betrayed the people whom he considered brothers and sisters for his own selfish pursuit, and they paid for his crime. As he raised his head, McCree saw Athena still standing above him, no longer judging him with anger, but welcoming him with compassion. She saw his regret and where his true loyalty lies.
[Athena] - "I was once in your shoes as well, comrade. I, too, betrayed my ways by allowing Jagger to use me. However, not all is lost. Don't linger in our failure and let those who resisted die in vain! Join me and let us repent for what we have done! "
Said Athena as she extended her hand toward McCree.
In an instant, McCree's shackles were dissolved as he fell before Athena's feet. Despite his sorrow, McCree pulled himself off the floor and took Athena's extended hand. As he tried to stand up, he felt light and weightless, and he easily got on his feet as if being carried by the wings of an angel.
There she was, Athena, standing before McCree, her cyberknight symbols shining with the light of hope. That right there is what a true cyberknight is. A warrior whose heart lies with the vindication of justice and not the oppression of the weak. Though McCree towered above Athena in height, he still felt humbled by her presence as her power stood like the cosmos atop him.
[Athena] - "You will tell me everything you know, comrade! Time is no longer our ally. "
Said Athena with a firm look in her eyes.
Back to the present, McCree emptied his barrel at a target practice dummy before opening up his gun chamber to reload. Suddenly, a priest of Ivanovich tapped on his shoulder and signalled to him that it was time to go. Ignoring the man, as he pushed a bullet into the number two cylinder, another flash of memory materialized before his eyes.
It was the moment right after McCree had confronted Jerry after their unplanned meeting, as they played their part in Athena's plan. Considering the confrontation the two had during the Lynching Games, McCree was both unerved and upset by the presence of such a vile person.
[McCree] - "I just don't understand... if you cyberknight are who you claim to be, paragons of virtue and justice, then why the hell is every single one of you a psychopath or murderer for some damn reason? Why can't they be more like you or Mike? "
Said McCree as he followed Athena down the hallway.
[Athena] - "Jerry isn't one of them. He was just misguided, like the two of us, by Jagger. "
[McCree] - "Woah! Hold ya damn horses there! I refuse to be compared to that son of a bitch! Do you know what he did? He fought me, and when he lost, he threw two families and their homes at me to save his skin! "
Yelled McCree as he grabbed Athena's shoulder in rage.
[Athena] - "The cyberknights are both blessed and cursed by their power. With the great authority of the Grand Knight gone, many descended into depravity and used their power to claim godhood amongst normal people. But I want you to understand one thing: Jerry was never one of them! "
Said Athena calmly as she turned around to face McCree.
McCree, baffled by Athena's leniency toward Jerry and his actions, fought back with rage in his reply.
[McCree] - "Never one of them? This is a damn insane clown show! "
Yelled McCree as he threw his hands up in anger.
Before McCree could continue his angry rant, Athena swiftly smacked him in the face.
[Athena] - "Jerry might have done some pretty immoral things in the heat of the moment, and I will not woucher for his innocence. However, was it any better than the innocent men you have prosecuted? Were the two families killed any worse than the thousands of kids you made fatherless or orphaned with your campaign of terror and execution as an agent of Jagger? "
Said Athena firmly as he pulled McCree close to her by his collar.
[Athena] - "We have to accept the fact that none of us are entirely saints, while pursuing the duty assigned to us by our destiny. A person, to me, is not measured by his past but by his future. I could've killed you after you had given me the information I needed, yet I kept you around. Why? Because I see you have the rare heart of a good person needed to counterbalance this overwhelmingly evil world. "
Said Athena before throwing McCree against the wall with surprising force.
After biting on the lollipop in her mouth in regret, Athena leaned against the wall while McCree took a few breaths in shock.
[McCree] - "God damn it, you are one dangerous lady considering your size. "
Though McCree thought of fighting back, he knew he was no match for Athena, as he knew the best course of action was to hold back his grudge for now. However, things took an unexpected turn as Athena showed a solemn look before she took off her officer's cap and pulled the candy out of her mouth.
[Athena] - "I'm sorry for my behaviour. Please forgive me. "
McCree was left speechless as he felt every ounce of sincerity in her voice.
[McCree] - "Oh... well... I guess I wasn't the most rational either. "
Said McCree, embarrassed and confused.
[Athena] - "I feel shame for what the cyberknights have become as well. Mike... he was always so forgiving. I never understood why until I was on my own after the Revolutionary Crusade. People with pure hearts are rare in this selfish world. If you acted so unforgivingly toward every single person who had committed a sin, would there still be anyone left in this world? "
Athena closed her eyes and placed her hand against her armour, which shone with the rows of cyberknight symbols clearly not native to her chestplate.
[Athena] - "I realized that most people are selfish. In a hundred men, maybe a few possess the heart to do the right thing. Yet, in these hundred, none is without guilt. By letting you or Jerry live, I'm not choosing to absolve you of your sins, but to let you follow the path you were always meant to follow. Those cyberknights symbols all over my chest, each represents one heretic I had killed. Each of them is a person whom you had described as evil at the depths of their heart. "
At that moment, there was a feeling of admiration but also fear as McCree realized just how many cyberknights Athena had killed.
[Athena] - "They betrayed their ways and used their power for the wrong purpose. Many of them were my friends, soldiers, or allies, yet I value the heart above all else. I wear their insignia because I wish to restore the honour they had tainted. To let the reason for their ascension into knighthood shine once again in the service of justice. All I say is, you should not just be an executioner, but be a human with flaws and a heart. "
As the heart-to-heart moment fell silent with Athena's last phrase echoing inside McCree's mind, she suddenly stood up and began to walk away. McCree felt admiration for Athena's nobility. For the first time in his life, McCree had witnessed what a true cyberknight is like: A flawed saint who refused the crown of divinity and only accepted the call of duty.
[McCree] - "If you kill those whom you deem irredeemable, then what do you see in him that deems him worthy of assisting us in this mission? "
Said McCree, referring to Jerry.
[Athena] - "Because he is willing to admit his guilt and set on a different path. I count on his action, not his past. Besides, if Jerry did lie to us, his fate is already sealed in death. "
Said Athena without turning around.
[Athena] - "Come on, we still got a mission to accomplish. "
Though McCree had spent so little time around Athena, he had learned more lessons than he could've ever expected. Despite Athena being younger than him, he felt as if he was just a student listening to the wisdom of an old teacher. Every single one of her words and actions was not there to humble him, but to enlighten him to a new perspective.
After Kadyn's self-exile, McCree blamed himself for his failure. From the first night, he wanted to leave the farm and go find her to tell her it was not her fault. Yet, he couldn't because he felt a duty toward his parents and the farm, which was their only source of income. Yet, reality had proven to him that he wasn't a farmer, but a fighter. Only through the path of battle could he hope to save his parents and Kadyn.
With all these thoughts in mind, McCree spun his gun's chamber and landed on the 3rd cylinder. As he looked up, the convoy he was a part of was already rolling past the edge of the city, carrying narcotics and goods. The morning sun shone slightly above the side of the vehicle where he sat. All was quiet until they reached the field of depots where the transaction was to take place. As McCree surveilled his surroundings, he noticed the lack of armed guards for the convoy, probably as a result of overconfidence in his presence.
Jumping out of his vehicle, McCree could feel his hand trembling nervously as it hovered above his holster. Yet, with a steady breath, he gripped his gun handle and stabilized his shaking fingers. As the men entered the depot, Ivanovich's spokesman shook hands with the client in question. However, even at first glance, McCree felt that something was wrong.
[Client] - "Ah, look who decided to finally come out of hiding to continue the deals we used to have. "
Said the client in a friendly tone.
[Spokesman] - "We had faced a bit of difficulty with our rivals, but I believe we should be able to resume operations soon. "
Said the man with a nervous chuckle.
[Client] - "That's some good news. See, without you guys, our supply has been running quite dry for the past few weeks. "
[Spokesman] - "Well, I hope the pause in supply didn't affect your side too much. "
[Client] - "Haha... how about I see the product first before we continue the talk? "
[Spokesman] - "Well, what's the rush? We were having a great conversation just now. "
Said the man as he grew suspicious.
[Client] - "I'm a businessman and I don't waste my time if the product is not up to standard. "
Said the client with an aggressive voice.
With a wave of his hand, Ivanovich's men backed one of the trucks into the building before yanking its back doors open. Before McCree and the rest of the delegation, a mountain of packed-up cocaine and other narcotics collapsed out of the truck.
[Spokesman] - "So? Satisfied? "
[Client] - "Very much! However, about the price of the deal, I'd suggest a few modifications. "
Said the client before lighting a cigarette.
[Spokesman] - "The prices are non-negotiable. "
[Client] - "How about free? "
Said the client as he suddenly pulled a gun on the spokesman.
As the spokesman recoiled in shock, the client smiled confidently even as a row of guns suddenly had their sights on his body.
[Client] - "Your lack of initiative in this city has forced us to seek a more competitive supplier such as Seratov. I thank you for this free shipment of goods. "
Said the client before coldly pulling the trigger on the spokesman, killing him instantly.
Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the darkness before the shine of the cyberknight symbols all over her armour under the light.
[Danica] - "Guilt Extension: Forgeworld's Hunger! "
Screamed the cyberknight at the exact moment every man fired upon the client.
However, recognizing her voice, McCree felt a moment of hesitation as fear shot through his spine. Yet, that hesitation was what ultimately saved his life. Having all pulled the trigger, the men around McCree suddenly screamed in agony as their flesh began to boil under an intense heat. Seeing this, McCree quickly refrained from shooting by dropping his pistol on the ground.
It was one thing seeing this horror show on camera, but to see it with your own eyes and to hear it with your own ears is a totally different experience. As a few seconds passed, the men around McCree collapsed onto the ground, seemingly afflicted by second to third-degree burns all over their bodies. However, another crucial detail was revealed with McCree's proximity to the scene. Earlier, the bullets somehow exited the barrels of the guns wielded by the men before suddenly coming to a stop mid-air and falling to the ground.
It was a hint, but it did not tell him the full story of what his opponent is capable of. However, he was trapped either way. He certainly doesn't want to test what will happen if he picks up his gun and fires. Yet, he is deep in enemy territory without a way to defend himself. This is where he will have to make a stand.
To be continued...