Cyberknight: One Path

⁕ The Lynching Game (part 5)

Audrey stared at the jammed gun on the floor as the memories of her past flooded back into her mind. After Sniper's attack on Paris which killed millions, the French government did everything in its power to hunt down whoever was responsible. As a commando in training, Audrey was soon forced to begin service well before her training was over. Since crystal users weren't historically common in Europe due to how Horseman War limited the number of people he would grant access to the crystals, almost no one knew how powerful the cyberknights truly were.

As a result, after tracking down some of Sniper's investors and allies, the French government began to send squads to either kill or capture these men for information. While initial success allowed the French to dig deeper into Sniper's plot, retaliation from the cyberknights was swift and brutal. By the time Audrey entered service at the age of 21, most of the French special forces fell to the unnatural abilities of their cyberknight opponents.

As a prominent member of the cyberknights, Jerry became a target of the French Special Operation Executive. As such, Audrey and her squad were sent to take down Jerry as he was spotted inside a hotel in Geneva, Switzerland. However, they never expected to encounter Harry as they moved in to kill him in his sleep.

On that fateful night, as Audrey and her squad smashed through the window into the 12th-floor corridor, they were unfortunate enough to come face to face with Harry as he was exiting his room. Initially, they thought he was a civilian but soon realized what danger they were in.

[Harry] - "Echoing Verdict: Trial Through Liminal Space! "

It was the perfect set of unfortunate circumstances as they were positioned inside a place where Harry's ability was at maximum effectiveness. Shots ran loud, but nothing ever managed to move more than a few millimetres before being decimated by the ability's passive attack.

[Harry] - "You are outmatched, agents. Between you and me, there is a monumental difference in offensive power. "

As a few of Audrey's squadmates moved forward, they were suddenly slashed into human salami before their brains could even perceive the pain. In a desperate move, Audrey's girlfriend, agent Amelie, launched a canister of nerve gas before her arm was abruptly amputated. Although the canister was quickly dispatched, the gas quickly spread through the hallway toward Harry, who acted quickly to contain the chaos.

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

With one touch with the gas molecules, Harry was able to instantly seal the substance into the confines of his ability.

[Amelie] - "Audrey, I'll distract him. I want you to run as fast as possible and get out of here! "

[Audrey] - "What?! No, I won't leave you here! "

Yelled Audrey as she grabbed at her partner.

[Amelie] - "We are dealing with forces we can't comprehend. I love you! Promise me, you'll quit this cursed job and pursue a life with purpose. "

Said Amelie as he turned around and pushed Audrey back.

Amelie didn't know how Harry's ability worked but seeing how Audrey was not sliced made her smile. However, due to her turning around to do this action, half of her body was considered as performing a forward movement. Audrey could only helplessly watch as her partner lost half of her body in an instant. As Amelie fell to her death, the previous smile and hopeful look in her eyes stayed where her body was still intact.

[Harry] - "Hey, you! Get outta here! "

Said Harry as he appeared before Audrey.

However, Audrey didn't pay any mind to Harry as she was still in shock from the brutal scene that unfolded before her. The crimson-red blood that flowed from her dead partner reflected inside her eyes as she began to whimper in terror.