"Even Gods can fall... "
[Athena] - "... Was a sentence I never believed in until I saw it with my own two eyes. "
The banners of the Empire burned in the fire of battle as Sniper and Mike had their final confrontation. There was little to no empathy in the eyes of those who observed the two mythical men's brawl. There were only vultures waiting to scavenge whatever was left after the dust settled, and hyenas waiting to kneel before their new master. There was no nobility or loyalty in an Empire rotten from the core.
Despite Mike's deeds, not a single cyberknight stepped forward to help him. Despite Sniper's status, not a single one of his men dared come to his aid. Such was the cruel arena they fought in. Their ideas meant nothing to the empty gaze of those who observed them. As Mike fell, the only one crying was his one and only Kadyn. As Sniper fell, the only reaction was that of twisted smiles from the men who used to call him lord.
"I was not present at the scene. I wish I were there. I regretted my absence ever since that day. To think that everything I fought for was for nothing, to think the people I cared about could disappear like this, to think I did not help my master in his most dire moments. It haunts me to my core until this day. "
Thought Athena as tears rolled down her cheeks.
In the aftermath of their battle, there was no victor, just two broken souls and a crumbling empire. The ashes of an idea, an era, clouding the skies as the soulless devoured the flesh of this empire off its bones. Brothers turned enemies, friends turned traitors, and family turned rivals. Mike was the one holding the tie, which prevented this bloated corpse from bursting. Now, only rot remains in a world that was promised peace and a new golden age.
As Athena received the news of Mike's passing on her carrier's bridge, she fell to her knees before letting out a cry of agony and pain. She knew that not only someone so dear to her had died, but also, all the hopes and dreams she bore as well. It was the death of everything Athena stood for, and at that moment, the weight of her world collapsed onto her all at once.
The days following the death of Sniper, the Empire split into a catastrophic power struggle. Aside from the hundreds of self-proclaimed warlords seeking to carve land and power for themselves, prominent figures such as CR-455 and Judge stepped forward to lead their own version of the Empire. In the West, CR-455 established himself as the new Emperor of his Perpetual Empire. In the East, Judge proclaimed himself regent of the New National Empire, which sought to continue the ways of Sniper, though without their God.
As Athena walked amidst the destroyed capital of the Empire in Rome, her eyes remained emotionless. There was nothing left to feel in this empty world, ravaged by fire. Whoever she sided with didn't matter, as without Mike's power as the ultimate equalizer for all those pretentious enough to declare themselves as Gods, this world would fall into chaos no matter where you stand. So it was, due to her proximity to CR-455, Athena and her 9th fleet swore allegiance to their new emperor.
However, Athena was never for CR-455 to command, as she did what she pleased. After all, CR-455 was childish and not material for becoming an emperor. He was like a spoiled child given ultimate power and the unconditional loyalty of the Horsemen of Fate. He was untouchable, yet he is also unable to touch.
As the world burned, Athena did her best to carry on with Mike's legacy. Though she was under no obligation to act, she took on the task of hunting down cyberknights who abused their power against regular people. From warlords to mercenaries, thousands of cyberknights, now without a master to serve, sought to use their divine power for their selfish goals. To mere mortals, the cyberknights stepped over them like Gods.
In the busy streets of downtown Shenyang, a parade was held for a single man. Where he went, cheers would arise from the watching crowd, yet where he left, the cheers would quickly fall silent to the growl of hatred.
As Caesar, God-Emperor of Northern China, rode through the streets on a cart carried on the back of slaves, the people inside the city of Shenyang were forced to watch and cheer for their ruler. Before the fracture of the Empire, Caesar was nothing more than a regular knight of the order, yet now he stood proudly like a God above the people. Anyone who dared to look at him wrong would receive his wrath, and there was nothing the common people could do about it.
As the massive crowd welcomed his presence, a little girl accidentally dropped her plush onto the street. As oblivious as she was, the girl squeezed through the barrier holding the civilians back like cattle and stepped onto the street to fetch her toy. Unfortunately, she stepped onto the streets at the exact moment the throne of Caesar passed before her. As one of the slaves saw her, he stepped aside to avoid trampling her, which caused the throne to veer off course briefly.
However, this was enough to piss off Caesar as he abruptly jumped off his throne and saw the frightened girl. As Caesar stepped toward the toddler, the girl's parents immediately jumped in to take their daughter in their arms.
[Caesar] - "How dare you disrupt your God? "
Said Caesar with a grimace of anger on his face.
[mother] - "No, my lord, we were not! We promise that we meant you no disrespect. "
Said the mother in Chinese.
[Caesar] - "English, mother fucker! I don't understand a bit of your stupid savage language! "
Cursed Caesar while saliva flew out of his mouth in big droplets.
[father] - "Please, lord, my family don't speak the language. Please, spare us! "
Said the father in Chinese as he shielded his family.
[Caesar] - "Are you insulting me in your uncivilized tongue, creature? "
Yelled Caesar as he produced a whip from his sleeve.
The parents yelled in terror before the tyrant slashed them across the face with his weapon. However, instead of a groan of pain, there was only silence as the crowd held their breath in fear. Suddenly, the girl felt a warm liquid above her head before trails of red leaked down her face. As she didn't dare turn around, she could only feel the warm embrace of her parent slowly leaving her before the distinct sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed inside her mind.
Driven by pure, primal fear, one of the crowd members began applauding for tyrant before the rest of the people followed his example. One might be led to believe they feared Caesar for his power to kill people with a single whip, yet that would be too simple to induce such fear. Behind the dead parents' corpses, a large gap remained in the road, so smooth and deep that one might be led to believe Caesar surgically tore through the crust of the Earth with that strike. It was not the fear of a single man which drove the people to cheer for his barbaric act; it was the terror of witnessing the wrath of a malevolent God.
[Caesar] - "Cheer, people, cheer for your God! "
Said Caesar as he opened his arms to welcome the praise from the crowd.
As the traumatized girl looked, she gradually noticed the man's armour in its finer details. However, just as her eyes were about to catch the shine emanating from his cyberknight rune, a roar of thunder shook the crowd. Strangely, just a moment ago, the sky was clear.
[Caesar] - "You morons, go get me an umbrella. "
Ordered Caesar as he struck one of his servants.
However, as people began to expect rainfall, what descended from the heavens was what no one could expect. In a flash, the sight of Caesar was replaced by the shine of an angel clad in her golden armour. As the girl slowly uncovered her eyes, she noticed the cyberknight runes shining on Athena's armour like beacons of hope. There was a scent of burnt flesh in the air as only pieces of Caesar's charred armour remained on the ground.
As the supposed angel saw what lay behind the poor girl, she immediately walked up to her and took her in her arms. The young girl, feeling a strange sense of safety from her saviour, didn't hesitate as Athena embraced her. As she tried turning around to look at her parents' corpse, Athena instinctively shielded the girl's eyes with her hand.
[Athena] - "It's ok, you don't need to look. "
Said Athena with warmth in her voice.
The crowd was both confused and relieved by Athena's presence, but remained alert as they didn't know if she was here to liberate them or to subject them to her rule.
[Athena] - "People of Shenyang, fear no longer. Your supposed God was nothing but a fraud, a man blinded by his own power. There are no Gods, but humans given great power. Do not worship those who descend from the heavens, nor those who ascend from hell. The only truth is that of evil men, tyrants looking to subjugate through fear. "
Screamed Athena in Chinese for all the people to hear.
Stunned by her divine aesthetic, an old woman in the crowd fell to her knees and began to praise Athena like a God. Immediately, Athena approached the old lady and roughly pulled her up to her feet.
[Athena] - "I present myself here today, not as a benevolent deity, but as a carrier of divine justice. Your destiny is in your hands, not the hands of the pretentious. Remember my words, and do not let your eyes deceive you again the next time you witness another impostor. Evil knows no bounds in this dark era of our history, so remain vigilant in your endeavours. There will always be more evil than good in this world, so do not take today's miracle for granted, as next time, you will need to forge your own legends. "
As Athena concluded her speech, some people felt shame for their support of their previous tyrant, while others thanked Athena profusely for her help. However, Athena didn't reciprocate any of their words, as she aimed to leave as soon as possible to avoid forming religions dedicated to her name. As a last gesture of kindness, Athena bent down and looked the orphan girl in the eyes.
[Athena] - "Tell me, child, do you have any other family members besides your parents? "
[Azur] - "No, grandpa and grandma both went on a permanent vacation. And... And big sis went to war and never came back. I hear she is sent on a very, very long mission for like 50 years or more. "
Said the girl while still a bit shaken up from the trauma.
Athena bit her lip in discomfort as the tragedy before he eyes explained itself.
[Athena] - "Geez... I suppose I will drop you off at the orphan house on my way. "
[Azur] - "No, I want to stay with you, big sis. "
Said the girl with tears hanging in her eyes.
[Athena] - "I can't take you with me. You do understand I can't raise you! "
Said Athena in a firm tone as she stood up.
[Azur] - "No! I want to follow you to the sky, big sis. I want to fight evil, bad guys just like you! I want to be an angel like you! "
Yelled Azur as she pulled on Athena's pants.
Though Athena had no intention of indulging in this child's tantrum any further, her eyes stared sorrily at the dissected corpses of the kid's parent. Suddenly, the cries of the girl stopped as Athena noticed her also staring at the gruesome sight.
[Athena] - "Damn it! "
Cursed Athena, shakingly, as she covered up Azur's eyes.
However, the damage was already done as Azur remained frozen without a word, even as Athena turned to face her. The child was scarred irreversibly by the horrors of what she saw.
[Athena] - "Listen to me, child, you will look me in the eyes when I talk to you! "
Said Athena with a serious, trembling voice.
[Azur] - "I... I understand. "
[Athena] - "If you leave with me today, then you will walk a path you can't back out of. You will wield the same power as the man who killed your parents. If it frightens you, then we'll find you a new family. However, if you accept this, then answer me, how will you use your power? "
There was a moment of hesitation in the child's throat before she answered clearly.
[Azur] - "However you tell me to. I will not do what the big bad man did. "
Said Azur with a forced tone of bravery despite her sadness.
Despite the high emotions, Athena saw the sincerity in the eyes of the poor child. She was ready to fight, but without the affliction of wrath or resentment.
[Athena] - "Sigh... Good answer, child, excellent answer. "
Whispered Athena with relief in her voice.
Later that day, after Athena placed Azur in her new accommodations aboard her carrier, the Merciful Wrath, she finally allowed herself to rest as she collapsed onto her seat on the ship's bridge. However, just as she was preparing to close her eyes, a voice shook up from her chair.
[Patheon] - "Lord Athena, Commander Patheon reporting. "
Athena turned her head and saw Patheon, commander of the first Spartan marine division, standing beside her throne.
[Athena] - "God, I'm seriously considering transferring you to the 19th fleet if you keep sneaking on me like that. "
[Patheon] - "If there was still a 19th fleet, that is. "
Said the commander jokingly.
[Athena] - "Well, you better not tell me that bum we have as an emperor is calling me up again. "
Said Athena, annoyed.
[Patheon] - "Well, my lord, I was gonna talk about that kid you brought aboard again. See, we can always use more recruits, but resources are scarce, and we aren't too equipped to train children for future duty. "
[Athena] - "This one is different. "
Said Athena dismissively.
[Patheon] - "My apologies, lord, but you said that so many times I lost count of it. I mean, no offence, but we were the ones training the kids you brought back every time. Sincerely, lord, we are a military force, not an orphanage or a daycare. We can't keep every orphan you meet in the world. "
Said Patheon while Athena avoided his gaze.
[Athena] - "Listen, soldier, this one is my responsibility. I have avoided the responsibility of a second disciple for too long, and it's time I apply myself. The Grand Knight's legacy won't carry itself. There will come a day I won't be able to fight anymore, and I want there to still be light when I can't shine anymore. "
Yelled Athena at the commander before pressing her face into her hands.
With a compassionate look, the commander, twice Athena's age, patted the marshal on the back like a father. He understood the weight Athena had to carry and how tired she must be, as they had just finished a long war.
[Athena] - "Patheon, promise me. Promise me if I were to die someday that you will take the fleet and use any means necessary to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. The Falling Spartans will serve the Grand Knight's vision, not the ambition of any of these sacks of shit sitting on pretentious thrones. "
[Patheon] - "You have my word, lord Athena. "
As a long silence passed, the commander realized that Athena had fallen asleep. Gently, the commander left and came back with a light blanket, which he used to cover Athena before lowering her seat into a sleeping position.
Thus, the year went by with Athena accumulating more and more kills under her belt, all cyberknights who had too much hubris in their heart. However, during all this time, Athena yearned for Mike's presence, as she felt lost without his guidance. He was the one holding everything together, yet he never properly instructed her on how to do what he did. However, this yearning would prove to be a weakness as Jagger sought to use Athena in his Lynching Game to clean up the disloyal elements of his empire.
When Jagger presented himself before Athena wearing Mike's face, it was clear Athena would almost never doubt him. When he demanded Athena's help, her guilt over his supposed death would blind her to all common sense. When he ordered her to kill whoever he deemed an enemy, she believed it to be a part of a greater plan.
From the Appalachian Disaster to the removal of disloyal Blue Guards, Athena followed Jagger's orders without question, completely oblivious to his manipulation until now. When the news of Jerry's capture and Harry's death reached Athena's ears, it finally woke her up to the inconsistency of the situation.
Why did Mike almost never want to meet Athena personally? Why did he lack the charisma, sarcasm or the light-hearted tone he was known for when she spoke to him? Where was Kadyn, who was supposed to be not far from him at all times? Most importantly, what kind of plan must be kept hidden, even from Athena, who was supposed to be Mike's second most trusted person on this earth, beside Kadyn? Athena is maybe a bit fanatical toward Mike on occasion, but she is no fool.
Inside Jagger's personal quarters, he viciously attacked Kadyn by slapping her across the face. With a face burning red with anger, Jagger then kicked Kadyn in the abdomen, causing her to cough up blood inside her mouth.
[Jagger] - "I sacrificed everything for you, yet you keep disobeying my orders. I told you to stay inside the bunker, yet you had to go out there and defy me as if I'm worthless! "
Yelled Jagger before spitting on Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "I never defied you. I... I simply wanted to help when I heard the radio transmission and... "
Before Kadyn could finish, Jagger kicked her again in the abdomen.
[Jagger] - "You have no idea how long I have tolerated your annoying character. From those endless yapping out of your filthy mouth to those disrespectful gesture you dare throw my way, I'm sick and tired of your bullshit! "
Said Jagger before bending down to grab Kadyn by the throat and lifting her up.
[Jagger] - "You listen to me well, you pleasure doll. I gave you this life, so you will show your appreciation for it. You will be silent in my presence and speak only if I allow you to. You will not touch me unless I tell you to. And most importantly, you will not leave this room without my explicit permission. You are my property, the property of Mike. "
Said Jagger with malice oozing out of his voice.
[Kadyn] - "I understand, Mike! Please, it hurts, stop holding me like this. "
Said Kadyn while tears rolled down her cheeks.
[Jagger] - "I'm the emperor, and you will treat me like your God. We are not equal, so remember this the next time you speak with me. "
Said Jagger before violently throwing Kadyn against the wall.
This was the full ugliness of Jagger without his mask, yet Kadyn was too consumed by guilt and grief to notice. At that moment, Kadyn blamed no one other than herself, thinking she had angered Mike. Yet, in her clouded judgement, she failed to consider that Mike would never do such a thing to her.
Suddenly, Athena jumped up from her bed, her crystals bright and ready.
[Athena] - "Don't fucking touch her, you beast! "
Yelled Athena at the top of her lungs.
However, as the sight of her room registered inside her mind, Athena breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was just a nightmare. However, it was one too many of these kinds of nightmares for a single week. She knew she must dig further and start seeking the truth behind this murky affair.
Meanwhile, inside Jagger's room, Kadyn cried inside the showers, face and body bruised from all the abuse she had received from Jagger.
To be continued...