Cyberknight: One Path

⁕ Sea of Broken Shards (part 2)

[Popeye] - "Heard you almost finished planting the next batch of seed today, great job, son. "

[McCree] - "No, Dad! This is serious! We can't continue like this! "

Said McCree firmly.

[Popeye] - "If you ain't got anything smart to say, just be silent and eat. We are a bunch of farmers, not army men. Not to mention, we've got ourselves a fugitive hiding here. "

Said Popeye coldly as he glanced at McCree.

[McCree] - "So we are gonna work as their slaves until we eventually give up and die? "

[Popeye] - "Are ya gonna keep yappin' like old Dutch or are ya gonna face reality? Me and ya mother, we lived a long and happy life. We don't mind gettin' obliterated by a 2000-pound bomb like the Johnson brothers, but you, you haven't earned that death yet, son. If the lord himself wishes to save us, then let it be. Until then, we work and we survive. "

Said Popeye bitterly.

Popeye's words stabbed the void of despair into McCree's soul. Never before has he felt so helpless. Most importantly, McCree felt overwhelming guilt as he was aware that he had directly allowed Jagger's victory and ascension onto the throne.

At night, after the meal, while Margot cleaned the table and washed the dishes, Popeye fumbled through his bills with a calculator on the kitchen table. McCree, for his part, ruminated about his grim reality in front of the television. Despite the loud noises from the screen, McCree found comfort in the distraction, as it helped him think more clearly.

As Popeye cursed loudly in the kitchen, McCree slowly pressed his face between his palms before breathing heavily. For a moment, he thought about resisting the governmental extorsions, but upon raising his eyes, the first thing he saw outside of his window was the ruins of the house where the Johnson brothers used to live. If resistance only leads to you being turned into ashes, then what use is there for it?

Suddenly, on the television, a news report of the events in Trump City was announced out loud. Initially, McCree didn't bother paying any attention to it, but the glimpse of Kadyn's face on the screen immediately caught his attention. Ignoring what the announcer had to say, McCree stuck his eyes to the screen and saw Kadyn fighting her way through Trump City by cutting through men and machines alike.

[Announcer] - "...The dangerous criminal responsible for the destruction and deaths is still at large. From the administrator of Trump City, we've received news that the monster has successfully evaded the city's defences and left its walls. "

[McCree] - "So even you didn't give up yet. You're still fightin' while I'm here, wastin' away in mah problems. "

Said McCree with a look of guilt in his eyes.

However, inside his mind, something has changed. Instead of being reminded of the grim fate of those who resisted, McCree was reminded of the courage of those who resist. He can either wait and die of starvation, or he can choose to take action to crawl out of his despair. He turned around and stared at his parents, who were both leaning against the table with defeat in their eyes. These two are frail and tired, but McCree knew he could still fight.

Later that night, McCree opened the floorboard in his room and extracted his two pistols out of the hidden compartiment. There was a feeling of nostalgia as he looked at his weapons, but also a feeling of guilt for what he had done while armed with them. As his past called upon him, he felt a sense of duty to own up to his mistakes.

[McCree] - "I can fight and shoot, so why am I here plowing the field? "

Whispered McCree as his grip tightened around his guns.