Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

An injured Blue Guard rushed through a peaceful neighbourhood with wounds all around his body. After finding refuge behind a parked car, the guardsman took out his communication device and broadcasted his message to the nearest Allied station. 

[Blue Guard] - "Please, to anyone who receives this message, this is Blue Guard agent Khalid. I'm currently the last survivor of my team Delta-92. All my teammates have been killed in action as we moved to capture Bandit-1 and Bandit-2. Please send help! My coordinates are- "

As the man opened his mouth to speak, no word exited his throat. In a panic, he grappled to no avail with the hands of an invisible man who was strangling him. Slowly, the life slipped out of his body until he eventually went unresponsive. 

[Jerry] - "Ah, there you are. "

Said Jerry, a cyberknight dressed in a turquoise shirt with an explorer's hat. 

[Harry] - "Well, he's quite the runner, ain't he? "

Said Harry as he ran up to his brother Jerry. 

[Jerry] - "I told you that dress of yours makes us stand out a bit too much. "

Harry looked at his red soldier tunic and his helmet. 

[Harry] - "I don't see the problem. It's around Halloween, if anything, I ain't standing out at all. "

Said Harry as he looked at the Halloween decorations in the neighbourhood. 

[Jerry] - "His team literally saw through our disguises thanks to you. If not for my ability, he would've escaped! "

Said Jerry as he touched Khalid's neck to see if he was still alive. 

[Harry] - "No matter, bro. We got them either way. "

[Jerry] - "Hurry up and contain him. We don't want any attention on us. "

[Harry] - "Alright, alright. So Master Mike wanted us to kill all the cyberknight wannabe who came after us. Why do you think he planned it this way? "

Said Harry as he created an invisible cube around the dead man. 

[Jerry] - "We don't question Master Mike. All we need to do is follow his orders. "

Said Jerry as he helped Harry lift up the cube. 

Once inside the house where the brothers called refuge, they dropped the corpse on the floor alongside all the others who were killed earlier. Some of them were impaled through the chest by planks of wood sticking out of the wall while others who cut into even slices like a salami. 

[Jerry] - "Let's just sit and wait for the next batch who will come. "

Said Jerry as he waved his hand. 

In an instant, the floor and wall shifted around and swallowed the dead bodies and gore. Not even a second later, the murder scene inside the house disappeared without a trace. 

During this time, by their proximity, the communication base where Kadyn and her team hid received Khalid's transmission. At first, the operators only transferred the message down to the US but one of them suddenly realized that Kadyn's team were Blue Guards. 

[operator] - "Hold on, we can help him. We are so far very close to his location. "

[operator 2] - "If you want to die, then be my guest. I'm not about to fight a cyberknight. "

Said the second operator as he leaned back on his chair. 

[operator] - "No, I meant the people below our base. They are Blue Guardsmen who can fight these cyberknights and maybe save that poor man's life. "

[operator 2] - "Go ask them if you want. It isn't my business either way. "

The operator didn't hesitate as he got out of his chair immediately and headed toward the door. 

[operator 2] - "Bring me a cup of Tim Horton on the way, ey? "

Meanwhile, down below the base, the Russian credit began to roll on the screen of the central television. While CK cheered and clapped, McCree stared at him with an annoyed expression. 

[CK] - "I told you, Russian movies are best, comrade. "

[McCree] - "What the fuck was that? That's just a warm bucket of piss, in my opinion! Ya tried to copy Top Gun Maverick but made it Russian Top Gun on the sky of Ukraine. "

Yelled McCree.

[CK] - "Comrade, please calm down, I know you are mad American pilot lost against superior Russian jets. Factually, data show Russians shot down many American jets, so you cannot call this bullshit. "

[McCree] - "Nah! This can't go any longer! Last time it was that T-80 movie but now, this? They fucking shot down three F-22 in a SU-27! They FUCKING SHOT DOWN THREE F-22 RAPTORS IN A MOTHER FUCKING SU-27! "

Yelled McCree in a fit of rage. 

[Senju] - "Calm down, McCree, it's just a movie. "

[McCree] - "I ain't takin' this shit! These dickwads wrote a God damn fanfic and called it based on real events! "

While McCree bickered against the others, Kadyn turned her gaze toward Audrey. 

[Audrey] - "Sigh... it was an alright movie. I get it's not accurate historically but he sure is mad about it. "

[Kadyn] - "He's quite passionate, haha. "

[operator] - "If you don't mind me, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to show you something if you could come with me. "

The room suddenly fell silent as all attention turned toward the radio operator. Later, after having heard Khalid's last message, the group was in shock. 

[Audrey] - "What do we do? "

[Kadyn] - "I think we should go help him. There is a chance that he is still alive. All on board? "

Said Kadyn without a second thought.

The rest looked at each other before resolutely nodding their heads in agreement. 

[Kadyn] - "Ya got a ship we can borrow? "

[operator] - "Yeah, we got a supply ship you can use down in the hangar. "

The second operator turned around and spoke as the group was heading for the door. 

[operator 2] - "Crise de Tabarnak, Louis, c'est de ta faute si ceux là s'emmerde avec ces cyberknights. J'en prenne zéro responsibilité s'ils crèvent! "

(*translation: God fucking damn it, Louis, it's your fault if they get tangled with these cyberknights. I'm taking zero responsibility if they get killed because of this!)

While in the air, Louis piloted the craft with McCree as his co-pilot. Using Khalid's last known location according to the transmission, the radio operator put the ship on auto-pilot toward their destination.

[Audrey] - "I didn't expect to be back in action so quickly. I just hope I didn't become too rusty after all this time. "

[CK] - "You'll be fine, comrade! With the power of teamwork, we can easily win. "

[Kadyn] - "Say, CK, you said you came from Transnistria, so why are you acting so... Soviet? "

[CK] - "Ha! Comrade, Transnistria is like Russia and the Soviet Union! We even have the hammer and sickle still on our flag. All we are missing is independence from puny little Moldova. "

[Kadyn] - "CK, what's your real name? We have been calling you Comrade Skull for all this time... despite you somehow don't actually use the S in "skull". "

[CK] - "I keep real name a secret because I make many enemies throughout years. I fight in many conflicts before joining Allied Forces. "

Said CK before calling for Kadyn and Audrey to lean in closer. 

[CK] - "I used to work for Wagner PMC. I'm wanted for war crimes in 45 countries and I'm also priority target of the Chinese Triad and Sinaloa Cartel. "

[Audrey] - "What the fuck, CK! "

Said Audrey in shock. 

[CK] - "Comrade, please, I never directly involved myself in any of the war crimes, I was targeted by association to my unit. I'm not morally corrupt man, I swear on my mother's head. I left Wagner after only 2 years of work, then I did some work for other people around the world. My family was poor, and my mother had 8 children. As elder of siblings, I had to get hands dirty to feed and get my brothers and sisters educated. "

[Kadyn] - "Don't worry. I believe you are telling the truth. "

Said Kadyn with an empathetic smile. 

[Audrey] - "No, I'm not shocked at the things you did, I'm shocked at how you got cartels and gangs on your back simultaneously. "

[CK] - "Long story, comrades. I prefer tell adventure, not biography. See how I got these patterned scars? "

Said CK as he showed the ladies the long lines of scars across his entire head. 

[CK] - "I raided stronghold to rescue hostage and was caught. Sinaloa Cartel cut all skin off my head before I got rescued by my comrades. I almost lost my life that day. However, I got paid well. 18 million Yuang for my job, since the US dollar collapsed short before that. "

[Kadyn] - "That sure reminded me of the time I took down 275 heavily armed ex-navy seal mercenaries by myself before I got caught. Luckily for me, Mike came and saved me when I got caught. "

Said Kadyn as she brushed it off as if it were just a trivial affair. 

On the other side, Audrey and CK stared at her with a shocked look. 

[CK] - "The complex I raided only has 40 cartel gunmen. "

[Audrey] - "Quit flexing those numbers, girl. To you, anything short of a cyberknight is just a free kill. "

[Kadyn] - "Ah aw, either way, I'm beyond that life now, just like you, CK. "

Kadyn's understanding words moved CK's heart as he finally mustered the courage to drop his facade. 

[CK] - "Comrades, to answer your question earlier, my real name is Otvetin Surgeyevich Stanislav. " 

Upon hearing Otvetin's real name, Kadyn let out a warm smile before shaking his hand. 

[Kadyn] - "Nice to know you, Otvetin. "

[Senju] - "Hey, tea time is over, guys. We are nearing our location. "

Yelled Senju as he peeked his head out of the hatch leading to the cockpit. 

While the ship shook violently as it prepared to land, everyone hurried to find the nearest object to hang on. Everyone was rocked from left to right except for Kadyn who instead stood up and stretched her arms while remaining perfectly stable despite the turbulence. 

[Audrey] - "How are you doing that? "

Said Audrey while being rocked toward the left.

[Kadyn] - "During my Conagher System accelerations, I can react at a speed of 0.2 ms. So a minor turbulence like this would be light work for me as I can easily adjust to the movement pattern of the ship to stay stable. "

[Otvetin] - "I can understand why comrade Senju call her sensei. She's really on another level in certain areas. "

Meanwhile, Jerry scanned the sky around the house window with binoculars and was quick to notice the cargo ship landing not far from them inside the town. 

[Jerry] - "Hey, Harry, they are here! "

Said Jerry as he waved his hand. 

Upon hearing no response, Jerry turned around to see Harry fast asleep on the couch. With a furious look in his eyes, Jerry threw the binoculars at Harry and hit him on the head.

[Harry] - "OW! Mother fucker! What the fuck, bro! "

Yelled Harry as he stumbled up from the couch. 

[Jerry] - "They are here, you idiot! "

[Harry] - "Ah, fuck! This soon? "

Said Harry as he struggled toward the window. 

[Jerry] - "Head to your position already! "

Yelled Jerry as he pushed Harry down into the basement. 

With one last look at his surroundings, Jerry activated his ability before walking into the living room. As soon as he left the area, the basement somehow was shifted to the front door of the mansion while the living room entrance now faced the garden access. 

Meanwhile, Kadyn and her team moved down the street toward where Khalid last transmitted his message. However, all they found was a parked driveway where a few children were playing street hockey with their friends. While the others investigated the surrounding area, Kadyn's eyes were analyzing every corner of the street for clues. 

Just as everything began to appear normal, Kadyn noticed Jerry peeking at them from the corner of his window. Discreetly, without letting Jerry realize she had seen him, Kadyn alerted the rest of her team through hand signals. Slowly, the group moved closer toward Jerry's hideout until they got close enough to get a good look at Jerry. 

Suddenly, without alerting the rest, Kadyn entered into acceleration mod before dashing into the mansion through the window. Upon seeing Jerry's crystals on his forearms, Kadyn immediately confirmed her suspicion and went in to disarm him. However, while Jerry appeared as a statue in Kadyn's perspective, she could feel that something else was moving at the same speed as her. 

[Kadyn] - "That feeling... "

Said Kadyn as she turned to stare at nothing. 

Suddenly, an invisible hand grabbed her by the neck before slamming her against the ground. As Kadyn stabbed the hand with her blade, she realized in shock that her anti-material blade was creating sparks against it. Whatever was that thing that was attacking her, its durability could allow it to withstand even Kadyn's mythic anti-material blade. Not to mention how its speed can match Kadyn's own even during accelerated perception. 

In a panic, Kadyn kicked the invisible assailant and was lucky enough to dislodge his grip around her neck. Without losing a second, Kadyn rushed back toward the window just as her acceleration ended. 

[Kadyn] - "Be careful! There is an invisible attacker with- "

Before Kadyn could finish her sentence, the invisible man dragged her back into the house. 

[Senju] - "Kadyn-sensei! "

In a dry motion, the invisible man slammed Kadyn against the ground before Jerry approached her. 

[Jerry] - "You are clearly not a crystal user. And... You look quite familiar for some reason. "

[Kadyn] - "No, we have never met before, ya bloody asshole! "

[Jerry] - "Hmm... I'll deal with you later. For now, I'll take care of your friends first. "

Suddenly, the floor below Kadyn split open and revealed the basement below. 

[Jerry] - "Harry, don't kill this yet. Keep her contained first. "

Kadyn abruptly felt Harry's finger run through her hair while she fell into the basement. 

[Harry] - "Trial Access: 64-Space Inventory "

Suddenly, an invisible cube appeared around Kadyn, trapping her in an inescapable prison. 

[Kadyn] - "*Gasp* What is this? "

Said Kadyn as she slashed her blade against her prison. 

However, it was clear to her that her merger strength would not be enough to break through whatever ability she was trapped in. Now her only option was to wait for rescue. 

Meanwhile, Senju and Audrey were the first to manage to barge into the house before heading toward the basement. However, just as McCree and Otvetin were about to cross into the house, the door suddenly shifted to face the living room. 

[McCree] - "Senju, Audrey! Shit! "

Yelled McCree as his teammates disappeared before his eyes. 

[Otvetin] - "Comrade McCree, we got a problem of our own here too. "

McCree raised his head to see Jerry standing some distance away from them. 

[Jerry] - "I wasn't going to show myself but oh well. I already have you two where I want you to be. Echoing Verdict: Holmes' Murder Castle. "

Said Jerry with a salute before being swallowed by the wall behind him. 

Suddenly, the door behind McCree and Otvetin was slammed shut. In a panic, McCree shot the door with his pistol but to his surprise, the bullet harmlessly bounced off the wood. 

[McCree] - "What in tarnation? "

[Otvetin] - "Be careful, comrade, we are inside bear's stomach. "

McCree turned around only to see the ceiling, walls and floor slowly turning into rows of massive spikes coming toward their direction. 

At the same time, in the basement, Audrey and Senju came face-to-face with Harry who stared at them with a confident look on his face. Beside him was Kadyn trapped inside the prison he created. 

[Senju] - "Release her, you damn bastard! "

Yelled Senju as he lifted his blade, ready to charge at his opponent.

[Audrey] - "Wait, Senju! We don't know what he can do yet. "

Said Audrey as she held Senju back with her arm. 

[Harry] - "Heh! A step forward or back doesn't matter now. You are already under my influence. Echoing Verdict: Trial Through Liminal Space! "

Visually, nothing seemed to happen. However, both Senju and Audrey knew that any wrong move at that instant could cost them their lives. Whether it be McCree and Otvetin upstairs or Senju and Audrey downstairs, the challenge before them presented a vector of combat they never experienced beforehand on their own. Neither Kadyn nor Jagger is here to give them guidance, thus forcing them to make decisions based on their own intellect. 

On top of all these challenges, their opponents were seasoned cyberknights who were magnitudes more experienced than they were. Truly, it's a test where you either walk out as a new man or perish as another corpse in the pile. 

To be continued...

*EXTRA

- Profile: McCree Westwood

- Ability: [Southern Hospitality]: "Allows McCree to "complete" an incomplete object. If McCree could picture a specific intact object in his mind, and the same object exists in real life in an incomplete state, the ability will fill in the missing space of that object with air molecules or anything within reach. As a bonus, any filling possesses extreme durability no matter its composition. However, initial visual contact with the target is required for McCree to apply his ability. Once applied, McCree could still maintain the effects without visual contact. "

-ABILITY STATS:

Power - None

Speed of the ability - A

Speed granted - E

Range - C

Durability of the ability - A

Durability granted - B

Precision - A

Potential - A