⁕ Human or machine

The front doors closed behind Kadyn before she was left in complete silence. The massive mansion was void of life while a look outside of the windows only revealed an endless field of emptiness. Kadyn slowly walked into the living room before setting Mike's coat on one of the sofas. After taking a seat from across, Kadyn glanced at the coat and imagined Mike in its stead. 

[Kadyn] - "What now? "

The top of the coat gradually collapsed onto the cushion. 

[Kadyn] - "Don't give me that shit, Mike. How do you expect me to relax? "

After staring at the coat for a while, Kadyn finally realized how ridiculous this whole situation was. She was literally talking to a coat.

[Kadyn] - "Forget about it! What the fuck am I even doing? "

Said Kadyn in a frustrated voice before heading upstairs. 

Inside the showers, after a few silent moans, Kadyn slowly slipped to the floor with cherry-red cheeks. After rinsing her two stained fingers under the water, she abruptly slapped herself in the face. 

[Kadyn] - "What is wrong with me? Why am I even doing this? "

With a lost look in her eyes, Kadyn gently glided her finger against the shower glass and drew two stick figures using the condensation. A slight smile appeared on her face as she added two extra smaller stick figures beside the bigger two. However, reality abruptly rammed through her fantasy like a freight train and caused Kadyn to slash at the glass. 

[Kadyn] - "This is not a life for me. "

Almost subconsciously, Kadyn brought her blade toward her neck but forced herself to stop just before it made contact with her skin. 

[Kadyn] - "But you would have died for nothing. "

Kadyn quickly gave herself a slap in the face to wake herself up. After exiting the bathroom, Kadyn was once again met with silence from the massive mansion. For some unknown reason, the quietness began to seed fear into her heart. With rapid steps, Kadyn rushed downstairs, grabbed Mike's coat and dashed back inside her bedroom. With teary eyes, Kadyn threw herself into bed and crawled under Mike's coat. That night, she didn't manage to get any sleep as she wept against her pillow. 

On the second day, Kadyn was jolted awake by the sudden sound from her doorbell. With sleepy eyes, Kadyn rushed downstairs covered only by Mike's coat. Upon cracking the door open with one of her blades at the ready, she saw McCree standing with a few government agents. 

[Kadyn] - "What are you planning? "

[McCree] - "I got a hold of Dane. We are ready to go. "

Kadyn shot a curious look at the black car parked in front of her house before slipping into a pair of slippers. 

[Kadyn] - "Let's get this over with. "

Said Kadyn as she slammed the doors close behind her. 

[McCree] - "Aren't you going to get dressed? "

[Kadyn] - "Do I look like I care? "

Luckily, Mike's long coat covered all the parts of her that necessitated clothing. With a stoic look in her eyes, she squeezed herself into the car and slammed the door shut before one of the agents could close it. It was a long drive through the dense traffic and empty country roads. As the car rocked from side to side, Kadyn slowly fell asleep in the backseat. 

[Mike] - "Why the long face? There is so much out there waiting for you to do and discover. "

Said Mike as he stood on a hill with the sun shining on him. 

Kadyn looked up the hill to see Mike at the top while she stood at the bottom. 

[Kadyn] - "What is the point? You aren't here with me and I'm alone in a world where I don't belong. "

Said Kadyn with a tone of sadness in her voice.

[Mike] - "That's not an excuse. "

Kadyn snapped to attention.

[Mike] - "Your reality is determined by the path you choose. If you can only believe yourself to be an intruder and machine, then you can only be these things. Like me, if I convinced myself that I could never win against Sniper, then I would've never been able to defeat him. "

Said Mike with a grin that shined as bright as the sun. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike... "

[Mike] - "Like how you believed in me, I believe in you, the Lemon whose flavour isn't determined by the tree she came from. "

Said Mike as he pointed at Kadyn's heart before punching his own chest. 

[Kadyn] - "But how? How do I believe in myself? How can I convince myself of things I'm not? How could the illogical be trusted? "

Said Kadyn as she reached toward Mike. 

[Mike] - "Start with self-respect, my little Lemon. This isn't you! Besides, confidence and beliefs are not something I can give you, it's something you have to acquire yourself. When you don't believe enough in yourself, just know that I will always believe in you. "

Said Mike with a salute and his signature grin. 

Before Kadyn could reach him, he suddenly vanished into thin air. Suddenly, Kadyn was woken up by the driver who signalled to her that they had arrived at their destination. Although the conversation with Mike was just a dream, Kadyn felt as if he was really there with her. Upon exiting the car, she was escorted into an underground facility by two armed soldiers. 

After traversing through a massive underground facility filled with experimental vehicles and technologies, she arrived inside an observation post situated above the storage facility. As soon as she stepped foot inside the room, the soldiers promptly left her alone where she stood. With a curious expression, Kadyn surveyed the observation room and its numerous control surfaces and screens. 

[Dane] - "Howdy, missy! Pardon me for the long wait. "

Dane marched out of a side door while brushing some dust off his brown beard. 

[Dane] - "So I heard you needed to see me. What seems to be the problem? "

[Kadyn] - "I'm here to talk about your father, Doctor Ethan. "

Dane appeared shocked to hear about his father but he quickly dismissed his surprise. 

[Dane] - "Let's talk in my office. "

Once inside the office, Kadyn gently pushed Ethan's holographic recording toward Dane on his desk. With a skeptical look, Dane picked up the small device and inspected its design. 

[Kadyn] - "Your father, doctor Ethan, wanted you to have this. "

[Dane] - "This is his design alright. "

Said Dane as he carelessly threw the device into the trash bin. 

[Kadyn] - "Hey! What's that for? "

Yelled Kadyn as she stood up and angrily slammed her palms against the desk.

[Dane] - "The old buster didn't even bother to visit my mother when she died. God damn son of a bitch has been absent my whole life since I was a boy. "

Said Dane with a spiteful look in his voice. 

[Kadyn] - "Yet, he helped us. He might not be the best father but the last person he thought about when he died was you. He regretted leaving his family behind to chase after his own ambition. "

[Dane] - "Regret won't pay for his absence! "

Yelled Dane as he angrily slammed his fist against his desk. 

[Kadyn] - "Mister Ethan had no choice! If he dared to even think about leaving the empire, he would be executed. Either he stays until his death or he leaves in a body bag and the latter recently became his fate. He chose to side with freedom all in the hopes of reuniting with his family! "

Upon being fed with all this information, Dane quickly began to turn his curiosity toward Kadyn. 

[Dane] - "How the hell do ya know my father? Who are ya? "

Said Dane as he observed Kadyn.

[Kadyn] - "KD-555, Keter-Decimation model 5-5-unit 5. Doctor Ethan was one of my creators. "

[Dane] - "So you are a king-slayer unit. That's what we refer to your kind in the Allied Forces. "

[Kadyn] - "I came to deliver you his final message. All the different tech stored inside the ship I travelled with are also Ethan's gifts to you. Do as you please with these things after I'm gone. "

Said Kadyn in a defeated tone.

[Dane] - "I see... Look, I beg your pardon for my outburst. If there is anything you need, I'm ready to help. Considering how Ethan was your creator, I guess it makes us family. You're technically a sister to me. "

Although Dane tried to sound empathetic with his attitude, Kadyn however, did not feel any sense of belonging. Ethan might have been her creator but he only ever did maintenance on her body. There never was a lot of emotional connection between the two. With a disappointed look on her face, Kadyn stood up and began to leave. 

[Kadyn] - "I appreciate your kindness, mister Dane, but we aren't the same. You are his flesh and blood while I'm a machine designed by him to serve a purpose. Mister Ethan was a doctor to me and not a parent. "

Said Kadyn in a monotone voice. 

[Dane] - "You sure don't seem like a machine to me. I've had an encounter with your kind before and they sure are nothing like ya. "

Kadyn glanced over her shoulder at Dane who showed her a scar that stretched over both of his eyelids. 

[Dane] - "One of your sisters tried to kill me in the past. Let me tell ya, there ain't a single ounce of humanity in that bitch! The way she stared into my soul just before her power core failed... Ain't nothing short of a devilish beast. When we finally brought her down, she had slain over 300 heavily armed soldiers. I believe her designation is KD-552. Gives me the heebie-geebies just thinkin' about her. "

Kadyn stared at Dane with a perplexed look considering how he had just mercilessly slandered one of her sisters. 

[Dane] - "Of course, I'm not talking about you. Somehow, I didn't feel as if I was talking to a machine when I spoke to ya. So I'm just wonderin', if not my father, then who managed to turn you human? Because if you are truly a king-slayer unit, then somebody must have had to have the balls to tame you. "

Kadyn frowned her brows before she stepped in front of Dane's desk. 

[Kadyn] - "I don't see how this concerns you, mister Dane. It's not because I look human that I have forgotten how to kill. "

Said Kadyn as one of her irises turned red. 

[Dane] - "Now hold on there, partner, I think you misunderstood me. I simply find it particular how you are so human... considering your nature. "

Said Dane while recoiling in his seat. 

There was a clear change of tone from Dane ever since Kadyn mentioned that she was a machine. Despite how Dane kept referring to her human nature, it was clear that he didn't see her as a human. 

[Kadyn] - "Ever since I mentioned how I was a KD unit, you changed your tone and spoke to me as if I was different. Yeah, my sisters were murderers but I'm different. I want to be human but no one will ever accept me. Doctor Ethan and Mike were the only people who ever saw me as a person and not a machine. "

Yelled Kadyn in frustration and sorrow.

[Dane] - "Pardon me for my vocabulary then. I just wanted to understand you better. "

Said Dane in an apologetic tone. 

[Kadyn] - "I'm not your science experiment, Dane! You are not looking to understand me as a person but as a machine. "

[Dane] - "I'm sorry. "

Said Dane as he looked down in shame.

Kadyn pulled Mike's coat tighter around herself.

[Kadyn] - "I guess it's because Mike changed me. He is the only man who could love a killer like me who is often knees-deep in corpses. He made me forget who I was. He believed in me when no other would. Is this the answer you were looking for? "

[Dane] - "Who is he to you? "

[Kadyn] - "A lover, a hero and a beacon of hope. "

[Dane] - "You mean Mike, the empire's Grand Knight and the man who killed Sniper? "

Said Dane in disbelief. 

Kadyn nodded silently while trying to hide her tears. 

[Dane] - "Ahem! In this case, would you like to see him again? "

Kadyn's eyes suddenly widened before she excitedly raised her head. 

[Kadyn] - "What do you mean? "

[Dane] - "We were experimenting with some new technologies here with the goal of bringin' back the dead. Basically, we reconstruct the deceased's body with nanobots and stem cells. Although we don't know yet the risks of the procedure, we believe that the reward justifies the risks. If Mike was resurrected, he would be a great asset to the Allied Forces. "

[Kadyn] - "Do it then! I don't care about the risks! I'll do anything to bring him back! "

[Dane] - "Well it's already started. His body was in a surprisingly fresh state when we brought him in. If you are willing to wait a few days, you'll be able to witness the result firsthand. "

Kadyn finally saw light at the end of this miserable existence. As Dane went on about the technicalities of the procedure, Kadyn was dreaming about all the things she would do with him. 

[Kadyn] - "I knew you would never abandon me. "

Whispered Kadyn as she gently snuggled in Mike's coat. 

Little did Kadyn know, that by betraying the path opened by Mike's sacrifice, she once more allowed her future to fall into the palm of fate. Having been defeated once by Mike's impossible victory, fate will not allow Kadyn to escape this time. 

To be continued...