Mike G. Mundy

30th of March 2072, 3 years after the start of the war.

The cloud formations reflected off Mike's dark visor as he looked into the horizon. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed the past to play inside his head. All the destruction, deaths, and fire has already burned the peace inside his mind to ashes. Mike pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and used his finger to set the tip ablaze.

Suddenly, a jet flew over his head and knocked the cigarette off his hand. Unfazed, Mike moved away from the hangar port before a full squadron rushed in to land their damaged aircraft.

Maybe Mike needed a respite from this war. Cyberknight or not, everyone has a limit. Mike walked past the fire crew rushing in to put out the burning aircraft before stopping in front of another port to the open sky. Just as he was about to try to relax his mind once again, a hand suddenly padded him on the shoulder.

[Karson] - "Oi, lost in your thoughts again, bruv? "

Said Karson with a taunting voice.

[Mike] - "Aren't you supposed to be down there helping the troops? "

[Karson] - "Job's done, bruv, there ain't any crap left to clean down there. Unfortunately though, I can't find their commander-in-chief. I think that bloody bloke escaped. "

[Mike] - "Sigh... let me guess, you want me to help you find him. "

[Karson] - "Come on, help a fellow bruv out, would ye? "

Mike sighed and turned to look at Karson with a disappointed face.

[Mike] - "It's been 3 years and you still can't graduate to the position of a regular Cyberknight. I have been helping you all this time and you still can't accomplish a mission by yourself without my help. "

Said Mike in a frustrated voice.

[Karson] - "Hey, look, bruv, I'm a bit of a slow learner. Can't blame me for this. "

[Mike] - "Karson, you are my friend and I will always help you when I can. But one of these days, you will have to take responsibility. Maybe even one day, you will have to mentor and lead a team of Cyberknights when you get a promotion. You have to learn to use what you have to solve your problems and not always rely on others. "

[Karson] - "Look at yah, speaking like a geezer while being only wha', 20 years old? "

Mike shook his head before stepping on the edge of the hangar where a 25 000 metre drop awaited him.

[Mike] - "Wanna do this or you are gonna let the enemy escape? "

[Karson] - "Now that's the Mike I know. Hold on, let me get in my jet. "

[Mike] - "We don't got the whole bloody day, let's do it the fast way. "

Said Mike before suddenly pulling Karson down the ship with him.

The two fell for a while before passing through the clouds where a whole battlefield was concealed behind. Karson screamed all the way during his fall in panic while Mike observed his surroundings. They soon landed amidst Beijing's central square where the majestic city was reduced to nothing but a ruin due to the ongoing battles.

[Karson] - "Oh shit, oh fuck, am I dead? "

Whispered Karson in fright while crawled up in a ball.

[Mike] - "Now, who's the one trembling like a geezer? "

Said Mike as he crouched over Karson.

[Karson] - "Screw you, bruv, this shit ain't fun at all. "

[Mike] - "Search the Northern sector, I'll check the South. "

Mike walked toward the crossroad while Karson slowly crawled up behind him. As he made his way down the street, he immediately noticed a small group of Chinese soldiers moving across the ruins. Mike discreetly followed them before one of them suddenly noticed his presence.

[soldier] - "Who goes there? Raise your hands so I can see them! "

Screamed the soldier while pointing his gun in Mike's direction.

[Mike] - "Where is your command post? "

Said Mike while the guns inside the soldiers' hands turned into metal dust.

Mike slowly walked to the unarmed men and stared at them with a cold and emotionless expression.

[Mike] - "Your commander, where is he? "

The men quickly recognized Mike as a Cyberknight and knowing from first-hand experience what they are capable of, one of the soldiers quickly complied with Mike's demands.

[Soldier] - "Brother, our command post across the streets over was raised to the ground by one of you Cyberknight earlier despite how we called for a surrender. We don't know where the commander went. Probably buried in the rubble or somewhere. "

Said the soldier in a defeated tone.

Mike looked at the decrepit state in which the soldiers were in with an apathetic look in his eyes. One of the soldiers' hands were trembling uncontrollably while the other murmured a prayer with his hands around his mouth.

[Mike] - "Go home. There is no point in fighting anymore. "

Said Mike as he abruptly walked away.

After a short stroll across the war-torn road, Mike made it to a giant collapsed building that appeared to have Chinese military insignias all around its walls. After approaching the building, Mike immediately realized the extent of the damage as multiple buildings were levelled as a byproduct of Karson's attack.

Acting fast, Mike quickly rushed in to remove the rubbles and sure enough, civilians ranging from children to the elderly were found either severely injured, dead or stuck between collapsed structures. The more debris Mike removed, the more Mike's anger started to boil over his head. Using his ability, Mike lifted everything with caution while people and body parts floated alongside multi-tonne pieces of concrete.

After calling in the Red Cross, Mike walked around the streets and rounded up all the military personnel still alive from the civilian population. Amongst them, Mike spotted the general supported by one of his men due to a missing leg. After signalling to the general and his aid to follow him, Mike started to march through the street littered with victims from buildings.

The more he looked at the scene around him which was festering cries and broken bodies, the more Mike's mind became unstable. Mike could feel the claws of insanity gripping around his head. The disgusting face of war has been staring at him nonstop for 3 whole years and he has had enough. Suddenly, Mike saw Karson rushing toward him.

[Karson] - "I can't believe you found him; I've been looking for that rat everywhere. Ye know, once I complete this mission, I will be promoted for sure. Quick, hand him over, I can't wait! "

[Mike] - "Karson, did you do this? Were those buildings the work of your attack? "

Said Mike with an unusually calm voice.

[Karson] - "Well, let's say earlier I allowed myself to accidentally punch a little harder than usual but- "

Something inside Mike's mind snapped. Before Karson could finish, Mike savagely punched him in the face with such force that Karson landed on the ground with multiple broken teeth, a broken nose and a broken jaw. Luckily for Karson, Mike didn't activate his crystals.

[Mike] - "You think this war is a motherfucking game? You act like a child given ultimate power with your ability, you treat real people as if they were cattle and you leech off me as if my patience is infinite. You are not a Cyberknight, Karson, with this behaviour of yours, you might as well be the British Government that you helped to take down. "

Screamed Mike in a frenzy of rage.

On the other hand, Karson stared at Mike with anger and discontent in his eyes.

[Mike] - "I can't count how many people were killed today by your action, Karson. And all you got is a non-lethal punch from me. I really wish I was someone else today, someone without mercy. I wish I wasn't your friend, so I would kill you here and now without any remorse! "

Said Mike in a cold voice before walking past Karson without looking back.

Later that day, after completing the maintenance of Mike's forearm, doctor Ethan looked behind the curtain to see Mike still staring blankly at the same wall for the past 3 hours.

[Ethan] - "Ahem! "

[Mike] - "Put my arm back and don't say a single word, doctor Ethan. I want to go to sleep early today. "

Said Mike in a monotone voice.

[Ethan] - "Come then, let's get this forearm reattached. "

While working on the screws, doctor Ethan analyzed Mike's stoic expression. At the end of the process, Ethan abruptly stopped working.

[Ethan] - "You are mentally tired, kid, you need to go request a break from your uncle. This war isn't doing you any good. "

Annoyed by Ethan's words, Mike suddenly got up to leave.

[Ethan] - "Don't even try to leave, kid, I purposely left your power ring open, so one wrong move could cause a fusion meltdown. "

Mike reluctantly sat back down and placed his arm back on the operating table.

[Ethan] - "You need a break and a long one. No matter how much power you wield, you are still human at the core. Don't be stubborn and listen for once. "

Mike didn't budge and chose to keep his silence.

[Ethan] - "Even if you can't get a break, you should at least go see her. I know it's been a while and trust me, it will feel better for you. I got the coordinates to her location. "

Said Ethan as he finished the work on Mike's arm.

Surprisingly, Mike stayed instead of leaving right away. With a long and deep breath of air, Mike let out his first sign of life in 3 entire hours.

[Mike] - "If I can't get a break, I'm going to overthrow my uncle. "

Said Mike with a joking smile on his face.

[Ethan] - "Heh, heh... you are lucky no one heard what you just said. "

[Mike] - "Heh. "

Mike stood up and walked toward the exit.

[Mike] - "Sorry for the attitude, doctor. "

Said Mike before exiting the laboratory.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, earlier while they were talking, Karson overhead their conversation through the unlocked door of the laboratory. After seeing Mike disappear through the ceiling, Karson slowly moved out of cover and started to walk with a devious smile on his face.

[Karson] - "You were right, Mike. When no one can help me, I gotta help myself. I wonder how much would Sniper appreciate his nephew being with a demi-human. "

To be continued...