Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

Losing yourself in agony and your obsession with the past. Once that mask has been peeled away... Once everything that makes you smile disappears... Once what defines you as yourself vanishes, all that's left is the soulless monster hidden deep within the psyche of every sentient creature. You can show compassion, you can choose to be a pacifist, and you can dedicate your existence to the concept of virtue, however, every single person has a breaking point. 

KD-554 stood in front of a window atop a skyscraper overlooking the city she had created. As she swirled the wine glass in her hand, a sinister smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips. It was not the smile of a proud mayor admiring the result of her labour; it was instead the putrid satisfaction of witnessing a world rotting under her administration. Since she couldn't consume any food or liquor, she instead drank some wine and savoured its aroma until it faded away before spitting it out into a trash can. 

Meanwhile, in a decrepit apartment down below, Kadyn stared out of her window with despair in her eyes. Despite the neon-lit city flashing at her face, the light of hope has long been extinguished within her heart. As she stared, both sisters unknowingly exchanged a look from kilometres away. Kadyn, as if by instincts, showed a look of resentment while KD-554, by her instincts, showed a smug smile of mockery. Neither knew the other was so close, yet the wounds of their past ran deep enough for them to feel each other on a subconscious level. 

Slowly, Kadyn placed the holographic recording left to her by Audrey and Mike's coat on her bed. With a defeated, apologetic expression, Kadyn kneeled before the items while reaching her hands out as if she were asking for a divine power to hand her her punishment. 

[Kadyn] - "I never was good enough. My obsession over you, Mike, has claimed the lives of so many innocent people. If not for me, Jagger would've never been created. I'm sorry, Audrey, Athena and Mike. None of you deserved your fate while I fully deserved mine. "

Whispered Kadyn in a trembling voice. 

Slowly, Kadyn grabbed the holographic recording device and slipped it into the coat's pocket. Then, with a heavy heart, she placed the coat on a hanger before placing it into a closet. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike... I understand now... Why I needed you so much. I needed you because you became a part of me. Before you, I was a remorseless murderer without morals or restraint. I was not like most of my sisters who were all true women with a human heart. You are the reason why I became a different person. Yet, I couldn't hold on to you. I not only lost my battle but also destroyed the lives of many others. "

Said Kadyn as she slid the closet door shut. 

At that moment, Mike, who was still sitting at the campfire, noticed the last sparks of the fire beginning to die out. Despite this, Mike remained calm and collected as he looked up at the opening above the campfire. 

[Mike] - "Then take your time figuring this out. The Kadyn I know is not a girl dependent on me to be herself. I know you will come to realize this eventually. Just as you remembered me and kept me alive beyond my passing, I will remember you and remind you of who you are once you are ready to hear me. "

Said Mike in a peaceful tone. 

With his final words, the fire before Mike disappeared, leaving him in an endless expanse of darkness and emptiness. 

[Mike] - "Everyone has their breaking point but that is a different concept from the point of no return. "

As Kadyn felt the hunger in her belly, she opened a small envelope which only contained her last 50 dollar bill; It won't last her even two meals. Suddenly, loud banging came from her door as a man screamed at the top of his lungs for her to open. 

[Landlord] - "Open the fucking door, you bitch! I want to see some rent money right away or I'll fuck you up! "

Yelled the landlord with a crowbar in his hands.

Kadyn crumpled the envelope in her hands in frustration before turning her head at the door. 

[Kadyn] - "Give me until tomorrow. I'll pay you double. "

[landlord] - "I ain't the fucking bank, you bitch! It's now or I'll fucking bust your ass! "

[Kadyn] - "Triple then! I fucking pay you triple! "

The landlord considered for a moment before taking a puff from his vape. 

[Landlord] - "The money better be on my desk by tomorrow night. If you try to flee or pay less than what we agreed on, I have some connection in the city who will leave you as nothing more than a stain on the floor. "

Said the landlord before stumbling away.

Kadyn had nowhere to run by this point. Either become a part of this city or be hunted by Jagger and his henchmen. Despite both being bad options, one choice was clearly superior to the other considering Kadyn's nature. Without Mike's presence to give her a reason to be human, the price for survival in Trump City is paid by blood. Either bleed or make others bleed for you. By the city's design, when you step foot into this place, you are no longer a person. Individuality is a luxury only salvageable by your willingness to embrace violence. 

Later that night, as the city bustled with activities, Kadyn walked through the streets with her eyes glowing in a deep shade of crimson. After interacting with a few of the crooks in the streets, she got an idea of which men were running most of the large gangs in the city. As she purchased information from a few men with drinks, one of them pointed his finger at the large skyscraper with a diamond-shaped roof a few streets over. 

[crook] - "That's Martin & Sons, the biggest mafia in the city. Martin and his five sons run an empire of drugs and pharmaceutical products and are, as you described, people who need hired guns like yourself. "

Kadyn nodded silently in understanding before turning to walk away. As Kadyn left, one of the men decided to reach out and grope her ass before his hand was sharply intercepted by a blade through it. 

[crook 2] - "AAAAAHHH! "

Without hesitation, Kadyn slashed his palm apart to the shock of the bystanders and other crooks. As the crook hurriedly fumbled for his gun, Kadyn pulled the very gun out of her coat and aimed it at the man. 

[Kadyn] - "Looking for this? "

Said Kadyn before shooting the man in the leg. 

As the rest of the crooks reached for their weapons, they realized to their shock that they had all been disarmed before they knew it. 

[Kadyn] - "Don't test the one looking for Death's address. "

Said Kadyn as she stared at the men with a cold killer expression in her bright red eyes. 

The gang of crooks immediately backed off in fear and fled the area while leaving behind their injured comrade. As the tension around the place began to rise, Kadyn abruptly disappeared into thin air as she entered acceleration. 

Atop the Martin & Sons building, Martin indulged in a lavish party full of liquor, drugs and women. Just as he was getting busy with a woman, the phone on his desk suddenly rang.

[Martin] - "What? This better be something worth disturbing me for! "

Yelled Martin, annoyed by the interruption. 

[man] - "Sir, I think there has been an intruder. And... And... I don't think anyone has seen him but all the guards are... Dead. "

Said the man in a shaken voice.

[Martin] - "Dead? The fuck do you mean dead? How bad is the situation? "

Yelled Martin in disbelief.

[man] - "Well, I think I'm the last man alive on level 2. "

[Martin] - "Huh? What about the other levels then? "

[man] - "I... I don't get it either, but it seems only level 2 has been attacked. "

Suddenly, the room was shaken up by the sight of a blade punching through a wall. Then, without a warning, Kadyn busted through the office gate covered in blood and began to walk toward Martin. The women and guests immediately distanced themselves from Kadyn while screaming in fear. As Kadyn approached him, Martin quickly began backing away until his chair was pressing against the window. 

[Martin] - "Oi, oi, easy there lady! Kingsway sent you, right? Look, there is no need to- "

Kadyn abruptly jumped onto Martin's desk and caused him to shut up mid-sentence. 

[Kadyn] - "Let's cut to the chase. I want a job as a mercenary for your company. "

Said Kadyn with an empty stare.

[Martin] - "And? "

Said Martin while trembling in fear. 

[Kadyn] - "I also want monopoly over ALL of the jobs you can offer for an assassin or a military force. And I want a fair pay for a fair day's work. "

[Martin] - "Of course, of course! I figured that's what you are made for if I'm not wrong... "

[Kadyn] - "And I'm the only mercenary you will use here. I have already dispatched all the previous occupiers of my position at level 2, so no competition! "

Said Kadyn as she got off Martin's desk. 

[Martin] - "Yeah ok, but is that all you are after? Couldn't you have come to me normally and asked for an interview? "

[Kadyn] - "I needed to get my point across. I'm a killer without remorse looking for some thrill. I know men like you have a lot of enemies, so I want you to understand I'm the only weapon you'll ever need. "

Martin was both baffled and terrified by the strange situation before him. However, he was simply glad that Kadyn wasn't here to kill him. 

[Martin] - "Jackson, come here, show our guest her assignment. Let's get her started right away since she's so eager to work. "

Said Martin hurriedly to his assistant.

After swallowing his saliva, Jackson stepped before Kadyn and led her out of the room while keeping a good distance between himself and her. As soon as Kadyn was out of the room, Martin took a bottle of whisky and gulped down half of the bottle in one go. 

[Martin] - "Holy fuck! What the hell just happened? "

Said Martin before giving himself two slaps to confirm that it wasn't a dream. 

[Marcel] - "I've seen crazy stuff in my life but this is something else, Pa. "

[Martin] - "Heh... hahaha! This is fucking unreal. A single fucking woman with her jolly-looking face murdered my 500 men crew of special forces marines and gunmen. All because she wanted to work for me... A fever dream, a mother fucking fever dream! "

[Marcel] - "No, Dad, that woman is a KD-series assassin. A single one of them is the equivalent of a thousand soldiers. I don't doubt her capabilities, but I don't understand why she would want to suddenly work for us out of the blue. "

[Martin] - "Who cares? If she wants to kill people, let her fucking go wild. If she wants to, may she fucking remove the word "opposition" from my dictionary. "

Said Martin before downing the rest of the whisky bottle. 

*Kingsway cooperation, major drug and medicine distributor organisation

A single truck arrived before the Kingsway skyscraper with Kadyn in the passenger seat and Jackson driving the vehicle. As soon as the truck came to a stop, Kadyn headed into the rear compartment where it was filled with weapons. At the corner of the cargo hold, a young woman with tattoos all over her body operated a computer terminal. 

[Poppy] - "Do you need a layout of their building? "

[Kadyn] - "Do Martin want a demolition or simple cleansing? "

Said Kadyn as she began to inspect the weapon selection. 

[Poppy] - "Eh... something between the two I suppose? "

Said Poppy, disturbed by Kadyn's aura. 

As Poppy turned around, she was shocked by the sight of a blue screen on her terminal. Confused, she tapped the screen and pressed a few keys in an attempt to repair the computer to no avail. 

[Kadyn] - "Don't bother with it. If I'm not back within two hours, consider me dead. "

Said Kadyn as her eyes switched back to red from purple. 

Without hesitation, Kadyn kicked open the truck's cargo door before jumping out armed to the teeth with a single assault rifle and a backpack full of explosives. As guards began to approach her with their pistols drawn, Kadyn's battle director system began to feed her combat instructions. 

-Instruction: Eight enemies, move set: attack mod 3 - weapon - AR-25, 5.66mm rifle. 

Without flinching, Kadyn abruptly shot 8 bullets in different directions while in acceleration mode. To a normal perspective, it appeared as if the 8 guards at the main gate were simultaneously gunned down by a squad of sharpshooters. Before long, a loud explosion blasted through the windows of the first floor. 

[Jackson] - "Is she going to clean up every floor like this? This damn building got over 240 floors not even counting the basement. "

Said Jackson as he peeked at the scene through his window.

[Poppy] - "I don't get it either... Even if we packed our truck full of explosives and ammo, she couldn't have had enough to destroy the whole thing or kill everyone. "

[Jackson] - "And two hours is clearly not enough to get the job done. "

Despite Kadyn's violent rampage at the Kingsway's headquarters, she wasn't the only one committing crime that night. Bank robbery, homicide, human trafficking and other criminal activities were on full swing as well at the same time in the city. The architect of the city signed her name onto every facet of the society and every building in the goal of maximizing suffering and perpetuating human perversion. However, this is only one of the many bastions of Hell legally created and protected by the law in North America. 

On her balcony, KD-554 savoured the taste of her wine. After rincing the flavour out of each gulp she took, she would spit it out down toward her city. The crimson liquid periodically doused the street below and the few unfortunate souls walking on it, but none of them even dared to look up or appear frustrated. Instead, they were more worried about how to pay off their debts and survive until the next day. Anger was not a luxury they could not afford in their miserable state. 

Meanwhile, Jackson and Poppy waited patiently for the next explosion to occur at the second floor, but not even the flash of a gunshot was visible for a solid 15 minutes. 

[Jackson] - "What is she doing? "

[Poppy] - "Do you think maybe they got her? "

Meanwhile, under the building, Kadyn placed explosive charges everywhere around the foundation while using her wrist blade to easily cut apart many of the pillars holding the place. Occasionally, she would encounter armed resistance from the building's guards, but they ended up being nothing but target practice for her. 

By the one hour mark, both Jackson and Poppy were beginning to get worried. Just as they contemplated leaving Kadyn behind and fleeing, she suddenly appeared out of the main gate without any of her weapons. As she climbed onboard, Poppy immediately backed away in fear before collapsing into her seat. 

[Kadyn] - "Let's discuss price. How much is for this job? "

Said Kadyn in a cold voice.

[Poppy] - "What did you do? You can't be done with everyone in there. "

[Kadyn] - "Payment, now! "

Yelled Kadyn at Jackson. 

Hesitantly, Jackson pulled a suitcase out of a secret compartment of the truck. Upon showing its content of 300 pure gold coins to Kadyn, Jackson immediately closed the suitcase. 

[Jackson] - "There are three hundred .99999 pure gold coins in this suitcase. This would be only one suitcase of the ten intended to be your total payment for removing Kingsway out of the competition. "

Kadyn suddenly took the suitcase out of Jackson's hand. 

[Kadyn] - "Drive! "

[Jackson] - "Huh? But the job is not done! "

[Kadyn] - "Do not question my methods. The deed is already done. "

Said Kadyn as she sat on the passenger seat with her suitcase. 

Left with no choice but to comply, Jackson reluctantly drove the truck away from the building. As they rolled a few streets over, Kadyn's eyes turned purple briefly before a muffled explosion was heard from the Kingsway headquarters. However, as Jackson looked through his side mirror, he realized to his horror the massive dust storm which swallowed the streets behind his truck. 

With her strategic planning, Kadyn had rigged the building to collapse. With the support pillars either blown up or cut down, the skyscraper collapsed under its weight with a catastrophic loss of life to all personnel within the structure. Within a single hour, Kadyn had killed the CEO and boss of Kingsway alongside their command structure.

Though the gold coins shined brightly before Kadyn, her eyes were empty of emotion. There was no thought in her mind. She was but a broken corpse fueled by the savage beast within her. She was not Kadyn at that moment, she was once again KD-555. 

During this time, on the balcony, KD-554 grew bored of her wine. As she ordered for her servants to bring her a different bottle, she carelessly threw the previous bottle over the edge. 

In the truck, as fatigue struck KD-555, her eyes briefly turned back to their natural green. As Kadyn saw the rows of gold coins before her in the suitcase, she closed her eyes and allowed a tear to roll down her cheek. She was tired and defeated but this world will not let her sleep. Alone and with no place to run or hide, this is a type of torture only the one experiencing it could understand. 

At the balcony, KD-554 watched as a different stream of crimson flowed into her cup. Unknown to her, the bottle she had dropped earlier killed an unfortunate man in the street below. Regrettably, despite the massive crowd of people moving through the area, not a single one stopped for him or called for help. If he received treatment right away, he might have survived, but he was ultimately finished off by the fruit of his killer's machination.

As the fire and smoke from the Kingsway building's collapse was finally visible from KD-554's balcony, a smile appeared on her face. KD-554 was laughing and raising her cup at the sight of destruction. Unlike Kadyn, she would never get tired. She will never shed a tear just as the crimson in her eyes will never cease to shine. 

To be continued...