Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

The calm wind pushed against the hotel room curtains while the morning sunlight slowly advanced toward the vacant bed. During this time, Kadyn enjoyed a hot steamy shower while her humming gently echoed across the bathroom. Jagger, on the other hand, was slumped lazily on the sofa while scrolling through the Netflix movie selection. 

[Jagger] - "What a fucked world... only slop after slop. Not a single thing worth watching. "

Said Jagger with a frustrated frown. 

Suddenly, his communication began to beep inside his coat. 

[Jagger] - "Hmm? It better be good news or I swear I'm going to kill some of these animals to relieve this boredom. "

Said Jagger as he eyed the people walking around the beach. 

After flying the communication disk to his hand, Jagger made sure that Kadyn was still showering before answering the call. 

[Jagger] - "Dunkel, my favourite Nazi, what's the news? "

Said Jagger with enthusiasm. 

[Dunkel] - "It's ready, my lord. We can get things underway just as you ordered. "

[Jagger] - "Ha! Looks like I'm killing after all. "

Said Jagger with excitement. 

[Dunkel] - "Yes, my lord. We will be awaiting your return before we act. "

[Jagger] - "No, act now. I'll be on the field within 30 minutes. I'm not a very patient man, you see. "

Said Jagger with a malicious grin.

Upon hearing the bathroom door twist, Jagger immediately crushed the device in his hand. Just as Kadyn exited the bathroom while wiping the water off her body, she saw a pile of grey dust inside the ashtray while Jagger was trying to light another cigar. 

[Kadyn] - "Two cigars within 20 minutes? "

Said Kadyn with a shocked look.

[Jagger] - "Why do you care? I smoke as many as I want. "

Said Jagger without paying Kadyn any attention. 

[Kadyn] - "Oh, I just... I mean it's not good for you. "

Said Kadyn hesitantly. 

Silently, Jagger shot her an annoyed stare before lighting his cigar. 

[Kadyn] - "I'll go dry my hair. I'm sorry for being too controlling. "

Said Kadyn as she immediately retreated out of sight. 

[Jagger] - "Get packed! We are leaving in 3 minutes. I got some emergency business to take care of, so move your bloody ass. "

Said Jagger in a harsh tone. 

Later, as McCree, Senju and CK descended from their ship, having just returned from a mission, they were suddenly greeted by Kadyn and Jagger who were awaiting their arrival. 

[Jagger] - "Greetings, gentlemen. I suppose I require no introduction as she had probably spoken of me extensively before. "

All three were shocked to see Mike in the flesh standing in front of them as if he was never dead, to begin with. 

[Kadyn] - "He was brought back thanks to Dane's help. I told you guys Mike's the kind of guy who tends to be recognizable despite no one ever knowing him personally. "

Said Kadyn with a smile while pressing herself against Jagger. 

[McCree] - "Right! Please to meet ya again, partner. I never thought ya would rise back up from the dead. "

Said McCree as he broke out of his stupor and leaned forward to shake Jagger's hand. 

Since Mike's rescue of McCree was a detail almost entirely left out in Kadyn's diary, Jagger had no idea why McCree acted this way toward him. After overcoming his initial confusion, Jagger quickly began to improvise using what he knew about McCree from Kadyn. 

[Jagger] - "You must be McCree. Reputable gunslinger from Texas with a sense of justice and undying bravery. "

Said Jagger with a friendly demeanour. 

While shaking hands with Jagger, McCree felt a surge of power he never felt before. It was a type of aura baptized by trials of strength and endurance which demanded his utmost respect. It was quite different from his previous encounter with Mike where this aura didn't exist but McCree didn't think too deeply about it. 

"These must be the people Kadyn has grown close to during Mike's absence. All crystal users, I see. Well, seems like three gullible idiots who will easily serve under me without much need for convincing. "

Thought Jagger as he also approached CK and Senju. 

[Jagger] - "And you, honourable samurai Senju, armed with an unbreakable determination and drive to turn the fortune of a dying world. "

Said Jagger as he shook Senju's hand. 

[Senju] - "Oh, yes, of course, Mike-san! I have yet to earn the right to accept such praise. "

Said Senju while showing Jagger a 30-degree bow. 

[Jagger] - "Nonsense! I can easily see one's true worth with a simple glimpse at his demeanour. Being humble is a quality necessary for any great man. "

Suddenly, Senju felt himself shrink before Jagger as if his soul had realized what kind of power stood before it. Despite Jagger's friendly smile, Senju felt an inexplicable fear brewing inside his heart. Instinctively, Senju leaned in further until his posture was a total 90-degree bow, signifying the highest level of respect. 

Finally, Jagger eagerly shook CK's massive hand.

[Jagger] - "Finally, Comrade sKull, a courageous fighter born from the harsh cradle of a country struggling against all odds to make its existence recognized. I always have respect for a warrior's heart. "

[CK] - "Kadyn told us many stories about you too, comrade Mike. One warrior to another, I say you are the more distinguished one between us. "

Suddenly, just like with McCree and Senju, CK abruptly felt his soul being pushed into a corner by the imposing nature of Jagger's presence. It was the kind of power he felt when in the presence of Famine. A power that, unlike anything else, felt evil and oppressive. However, CK kept his cool and hid his fear with a friendly laugh.

[Jagger] - "I see you are all very experienced with your line of work. So, gentlemen, after all this time, what are your opinions on the Allied Forces? Personally, I'll say a crumbling light tower of superficial freedom fueled by corruption and held together by false promises and the exploitation of people's common fear for the empire. "

Although first taken aback by Jagger's bold statement, the three men quickly realized that there was barely any counter-argument available against his claim. People like McCree knew what was going on with all the immoral experiments taking place under the hood. Meanwhile, people like CK knew what kind of war crimes were being committed on the battlefield. As for Senju, what Dunkel did to Mike's corpse gave him all the necessary reasons to hate the Allied Forces. 

Despite their knowledge of these dirty secrets, no one ever dared to speak about it. Either people knew there was nothing they could do to stop these acts or people knew the alternative to serving the corrupted Allied Command was dying with the remnants of Sniper's crumbling empire. However, when these forbidden truths came from the mouth of a powerful man such as Jagger, the prison which held these common soldiers' desire for justice was somehow broken. 

[Senju] - "You are right! I'm tired of pretending I like working for these bastards. "

While everyone turned their attention to Senju with shock, a sneaky smirk appeared on Jagger's face. 

[Senju] - "I only do what I do because it involves helping others. People were slaughtered in the thousands because of the assassins' attack a few weeks ago, yet not a single bastard up there came down here to mourn the dead. As for Kadyn, despite all her contributions, was still treated like a monster. The Allied Forces is a soulless alliance run by immoral bastards who saw the opportunity to subjugate the world when Sniper's empire began to fall apart. "

Upon hearing Senju's speech, CK also felt the need to express his honest opinion on the matter. 

[CK] - "On battlefield, the soldiers I fought with before intentionally mutilated enemy combatants who surrendered. They say they need to pay for fighting on wrong side of the war. One time, a line of young men were lined up and all shot in the balls so their "traitorous genes" couldn't be passed on as they say. However, news will bury stories like this and only say enemy is savage animals and we are civilized. "

While CK talked, McCree's lips trembled as he struggled to properly phrase what he had to say. Finally, as CK's voice fell silent, McCree continued the conversation. 

[McCree] - "I used to work for the damn Allied Intelligence department as y'all knew. However, recently, through some of my old friends still workin' in that area, I learned that over one hundred thousand South American refugees were sent to be used as live human Guinea pigs in experiments. To cover the whole darn thing up, they blame the empire for bombin' them refugee settlements and killin' everyone. Thanks to propaganda, media control and how these people are refugees, the whole affair was swept under the rug and never talked about. "

Said McCree with guilt in his heart. 

Jagger smirked while everyone was caught up in their confession and own culpability. 

[Jagger] - "How about a regime change then? All of you are powerless to stop these events because you lack the ability to force a change. However, I am not most men. "

[Kadyn] - "Huh? What do you mean, Mike? "

Said Kadyn as she appeared concerned. 

[Jagger] - "Isn't it obvious? Things need to change. It's simply not in my nature to sit and watch as evil roam this Earth. "

Said Jagger while pretending that he wasn't doing this to serve his own interest. 

[Senju] - "Do what you must, Mike-san! I know from Kadyn-sama that you are a wise man with a virtuous and selfless heart. Whatever you do, I'm sure it will benefit everyone. You have my support! "

Said Senju with determination. 

[McCree] - "Count me in, I know ya got it in ya, partner. There ain't no Sniper to stop ya this time, so show these inbred idiots some manner. "

[CK] - "Me too, comrade Mike. If my friends trust you, then I shall too. "

[Jagger] - "Show me your loyalty then. Kneel before me. "

Kadyn was shocked to hear such words exit from Mike's mouth. However, before she could intervene, her friends all decided that Mike deserved that kind of respect for his sacrifice. 

"Hahaha! Just as I thought, idiots who only know how to follow the herd. No wonder why the Allied leaders are so corrupt. With loyal idiots like this, even Hitler could be sitting up there and no one would question him. "

Thought Jagger as he watched the three fall to their knees. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike! What the hell are you doing? "

[Jagger] - "I'm doing something great no one else dared to do. I think it's only natural I deserve a bit of respect. "

Said Jagger in a smug tone. 

Just as Kadyn was about to say something else, Jagger put Mike's coat on her back and kissed her on the cheek. This move played on Kadyn's psychology and emotions as she had seemingly lost the drive to confront him. 

[Jagger] - "Now, gentlemen, since you know my wife well, I want you three to be her personal guards from now on when I'm absent. Can I count you on this request? "

[Senju] - "I promise, I and my teammates will put our lives on the line to protect Kadyn! You can rest easy and do what you need to do, Mike-san, you have my word. "

McCree and CK both also nodded their head in agreement with Senju. 

[Jagger] - "Good then. I'll be coming back later tonight with favourable news. "

Said Jagger as he walked toward the hangar exit. 

Before flying away, Jagger turned around one last time to check on Kadyn. Instead of admiring her beauty or smile, Jagger's eyes followed the glow of the jewels he bought for Kadyn. To him, she's nothing but an object, a medal displaying his status for the world to see.

"I can't believe this crazy bitch wore Mike's dirty torn coat for all this time. Look at her, despite all the jewels I made her wear, this coat made her look like a fucking witch. How nasty, yet she's smiling like a total fool. Your choices in women are truly dogshit, Mike. "

Thought Jagger as he mocked Kadyn's appearance with a smirk. 

On the other side, thinking that Jagger was smiling at her, Kadyn excitedly waved goodbye to him with a wide smile on her face. 

The Allied Command Centre, a massive multi-city-sized complex housed hundreds of metres under the Appalachian Mountains. It served as both a command centre for all the Allied Forces' military and also as a luxury safe haven filled with lush artificial nature and high-end amenities for the rich and powerful of society to reside in. Since Sniper's empire didn't particularly favour capitalism, almost all the rich and powerful who escaped his wrath came to this place to seek refuge. 

[Jagger] - "Mike is truly a dumbass. After experimenting a little with what I could do, I realized how powerful he really was. His arsenal of techniques could've wiped the Earth clean 10 times in an hour, yet he chose to be Sniper's dog and bang a single mental bitch with honestly, the most annoying personality I have ever seen. "

Said Jagger as he looked down from the top of a mountain. 

Behind him, Dunkel awaited his orders while Dane was held in cuffs by Jack.

[Dunkel] - "Yet you are wise unlike him, my lord. This world rightfully belongs to the strong. Unlike some idiots, *glances at Dane*, I know who is the real master and who I am before him. "

[Jagger] - "Heh! Bringing Dane with us is a wise choice. We can't have a loose mouth amidst our ranks, can't we? "

[Dunkel] - "Also, maybe after witnessing your power, he would be more inclined to cooperate with us. "

[Dane] - "I'll never work with sick bastards like you people! "

Yelled Dane in anger. 

[Jagger] - "Oh, Dane, stop being so naive. Dunkel has already acquired the proper technique and technology to make our own cyberknights. Also, I destroyed everything relating to your brain-rebuilding machine alongside the machine itself, so Mike coming back would be nothing but a wet dream. Truly, we have no use for you anymore. "

Said Jagger in a mocking tone. 

[Dane] - "Then why keep me around? Kill me already, bastard! "

[Jagger] - "Because I know you care about Kadyn and the others. I know you would want to warn them as I slowly manipulate them into becoming my pawns. In fact, I simply want you to watch. I want to see your despair as you desperately try to call them but no matter how hard you scream, no one can hear you. One thing I like the most is to break a rebellious spirit down piece by piece like flaying the skin off one's flesh until nothing but bone is left. "

Said Jagger in a calm voice while displaying a malicious grin. 

Dane's face turned pale as he realized how evil Jagger truly was. Jagger was a puzzle put together the wrong way but somehow all the misplaced pieces ended up forming a twisted picture of the original which made sense. However, what truly was terrifying was not Jagger's malicious nature but the genius retained from Mike's calculated and strategic mind.

[Jagger] - "Captain Jack Sparrow, take our good friend Dane to a better vantage point. He deserves the best seat after all. "

Although Jack wanted to object to what Jagger called him, he knew it would be wiser to shut his mouth instead. After Jack dragged Dane to a higher point on the mountain, Dunkel leaned forward and observed the horizon with her binoculars. 

[Dunkel] - "I like to break people too, my lord. I simply couldn't get enough of the fear and agony they displayed on their faces. It would be my pleasure to assist you in breaking Dane as he has been quite a pain for me since the start. "

Said Dunkel with a psychotic smile on her face. 

[Jagger] - "How shallow of you. I can break anyone but where is the fun if all I hear is the predictable response of humans to the stimulus of pain or fear? People are like coconuts. While you only bite their shells, I seek to extract the juice. To savour the most raw and feral emotions squeezed out of the depths of a person's heart, you must understand his or her essence and what matters to that person. In the end, every emotion-fueled outburst will be magnitude more rich in taste than your simple yell or cry. "

Said Jagger coldly while sporting a blank look in his eyes. 

After finishing his analysis of the area, Jagger stood up and took a fresh breath of air. 

[Jagger] - "You'll know why I chose Dane eventually. Now, let us begin. "

Said Jagger confidently.

[Dunkel] - "My lord, it's close to 735,000 square metres in surface area without counting how deep or many levels there are underground to the entire complex. Also, there are a lot of military bases and defence systems around the place. Also, we don't even know where exactly are the Allied leaders inside this maze. "

Said Dunkel with a concerned look on her face. 

[Jagger] - "People in there are all people with riches and power. I wouldn't want people trying to compete with me in my new empire, wouldn't I? "

[Dunkel] - "Still, my lord. Even choosing the nuclear option would still be a Herculean task. "

[Jagger] - "Mike's mental arsenal is packed full of techniques which are designed to limit collateral damage during battle. However, all I need is to alter them a little so that a guillotine strike for one gets morphed into the entire Reign of Terror for all. "

With one swift jump, Jagger leaped into the sky before landing like a meteor against one of the mountains. Then, with a single swing of his arm, Jagger easily lifted three US states worth of mountainous terrains which exposed the ginormous city complex buried deep below. People living inside the underground city immediately raised their heads toward the ceiling as somehow the real night sky became available to them. 

*In a flashback

[Kadyn] - "Say, Mike, could you help cut this pineapple? "

Said Kadyn as she held a pineapple before Mike.

[Mike] - "Don't you have your own blades? "

[Kadyn] - "Fruits tend to get my blades sticky, which is a pain to clean. Please? "

Said Kadyn with a smile as she handed Mike the fruit. 

[Mike] - "Sigh... Watch your professional dessert chef at work. "

Said Mike with a grin while Kadyn watched intently. 

Before Kadyn's eyes, a barely noticeable line suddenly appeared on the fruit. 

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

Whispered Mike as his crystals abruptly fired up for a quarter second. 

In an instant, the pineapple was dissected into 28 precisely cut pieces. However, the strikes were so quick and thin that Mike had to pull a piece of the fruit out before the rest fell apart. 

[Kadyn] - "Oh! I'm already feeling sorry for whoever will end up being in that pineapple's place someday. "

Said Kadyn as she fearfully pressed her face against Mike's. 

[Mike] - "Only people who deserved it. It's for this reason I have limited this technique's effect to precise targets only. "

[Kadyn] - "Aw, I'm glad no one else but my dear Mike is armed with this technique. Now, say aaaahhh. "

Said Kadyn as she joyfully pushed a slice of pineapple toward Mike's mouth. 

*Back to the present

With a loud crash, Jagger landed amidst a modern park where crowds of shocked people stared at him. Ignoring the distant shout of patrolling policemen, Jagger looked around and crossed eyes with a young couple who were about to feed each other a piece of sliced pineapple. The piece of the fruit hung between the girl's fingers and her boyfriend's lips as they stared at him frozen in shock. 

With a twisted smile, Jagger approached the couple and snatched the small container of sliced pineapples from the young man's hands without resistance. 

[Jagger] - "She did mention sliced pineapples in her diary, so I'm keeping this. Also, I suppose I gotta thank you two for this convenient "manipulation on the go". Now, let's not wait any longer. All these stares are starting to get awkward. "

As the couple shook in fear, the slice of fruit finally lost balance and fell toward the ground. 

[Jagger] - "Echoing Verdict: Blade of Pandemonium! "

Just before reaching the ground, the slice of pineapple suddenly became two slices. 

To be continued...