Cyberknight: One Path

⁕ Sea of Broken Shards (part 5)

[Athena] - "I was once in your shoes as well, comrade. I, too, betrayed my ways by allowing Jagger to use me. However, not all is lost. Don't linger in our failure and let those who resisted die in vain! Join me and let us repent for what we have done! "

Said Athena as she extended her hand toward McCree.

In an instant, McCree's shackles were dissolved as he fell before Athena's feet. Despite his sorrow, McCree pulled himself off the floor and took Athena's extended hand. As he tried to stand up, he felt light and weightless, and he easily got on his feet as if being carried by the wings of an angel.

There she was, Athena, standing before McCree, her cyberknight symbols shining with the light of hope. That right there is what a true cyberknight is. A warrior whose heart lies with the vindication of justice and not the oppression of the weak. Though McCree towered above Athena in height, he still felt humbled by her presence as her power stood like the cosmos atop him.

[Athena] - "You will tell me everything you know, comrade! Time is no longer our ally. "

Said Athena with a firm look in her eyes.

Back to the present, McCree emptied his barrel at a target practice dummy before opening up his gun chamber to reload. Suddenly, a priest of Ivanovich tapped on his shoulder and signalled to him that it was time to go. Ignoring the man, as he pushed a bullet into the number two cylinder, another flash of memory materialized before his eyes.

It was the moment right after McCree had confronted Jerry after their unplanned meeting, as they played their part in Athena's plan. Considering the confrontation the two had during the Lynching Games, McCree was both unerved and upset by the presence of such a vile person.

[McCree] - "I just don't understand... if you cyberknight are who you claim to be, paragons of virtue and justice, then why the hell is every single one of you a psychopath or murderer for some damn reason? Why can't they be more like you or Mike? "

Said McCree as he followed Athena down the hallway.

[Athena] - "Jerry isn't one of them. He was just misguided, like the two of us, by Jagger. "

[McCree] - "Woah! Hold ya damn horses there! I refuse to be compared to that son of a bitch! Do you know what he did? He fought me, and when he lost, he threw two families and their homes at me to save his skin! "

Yelled McCree as he grabbed Athena's shoulder in rage.

[Athena] - "The cyberknights are both blessed and cursed by their power. With the great authority of the Grand Knight gone, many descended into depravity and used their power to claim godhood amongst normal people. But I want you to understand one thing: Jerry was never one of them! "

Said Athena calmly as she turned around to face McCree.

McCree, baffled by Athena's leniency toward Jerry and his actions, fought back with rage in his reply.

[McCree] - "Never one of them? This is a damn insane clown show! "

Yelled McCree as he threw his hands up in anger.

Before McCree could continue his angry rant, Athena swiftly smacked him in the face.

[Athena] - "Jerry might have done some pretty immoral things in the heat of the moment, and I will not woucher for his innocence. However, was it any better than the innocent men you have prosecuted? Were the two families killed any worse than the thousands of kids you made fatherless or orphaned with your campaign of terror and execution as an agent of Jagger? "

Said Athena firmly as he pulled McCree close to her by his collar.

[Athena] - "We have to accept the fact that none of us are entirely saints, while pursuing the duty assigned to us by our destiny. A person, to me, is not measured by his past but by his future. I could've killed you after you had given me the information I needed, yet I kept you around. Why? Because I see you have the rare heart of a good person needed to counterbalance this overwhelmingly evil world. "