2 days ago · 18 pages
Into the Second Reality Tying Up Lose Ends
Skylar Penney
It was then, inside the Hallowed ravine within the sleep of the Virtnet, that Miachel and his friends Bryson and Gabby along with his nanny Helga, closed their eyes to access the code surrounding them to end the mortality doctrine program. From this point forth no more Tangents would roam the streets of their world, taking over countless bodies again. Suddenly a noise interrupted them, the sound of footsteps coming towards them and there he was, Kaine himself with his smart haircut, and sharp three-piece suit. He already looked a couple years younger, about in his mid-20's and was obviously growing stronger by the minute though something seemed off and Kaine was obviously fuming.
"Kaine, I can explain, I was going to tell you but-"
"How could you Michael?" Kaine interrupted not bothering to hide the anger in his voice "after all that I've done for you, showing you my vision, sending my men in to recuse you, and this is the special thanks I get?" He added dryly.
"Can we just fight him?" Gabby asked except instead of sounding scared, she sounded quite boarded if not anxious.
"This has to stop Kaine, you can't keep stealing people's bodies against their will, besides no human being or even tangent alive can be granted that much unchecked power, you'd practically be a god"
"You know, I'm really disappointed with you, Michael, I thought you changed, well it's quite a shame that you won't be a part of my heroic plan of immortality"
"got that right, and I wouldn't call it heroic" Michael was about to leap at Kaine when a simple phrase made him stop dead in his tracks.
"It's too bad and I've even gone as far to say that I've grown fond of you, Michael, well I guess my men will have no trouble destroying your body in the wake, I can always reboot the program and get another tangent to work for me"
"You dare lay a hair on my boys head and I will personally see to it that you never see the light of day again" Helga threatened.
"The light of day? Funny that a tangent would mention such a human experience, that's all any tangents wanted anyway right? Real human experiences?" he said it so humbly it almost made Michael want to throw up all over again.
That was clearly the last straw and Helga took her opportunity. Taking out her whip she pinned Kaine to the ground. Kaine was shocked, then calm.
"You really think that this can hold me?" he asked.
"nope" was Helga's reply. Kaine flung her against the building than walked over to her.
"You really think I'm that stupid? If I kill you then you'll just lift back to the wake, maybe even summon more tangents and find a way to stop me and I can't have that"
The pure shock of Helga's face sent chills through Michaels spine.
"how- how did you know?" Helga gasped.
"because I'm me of course, and I know all, and if you want a job done right, do it yourself, you should have killed yourself when you had the change" he added darkly.
"Alright this ends here!" Bryson yelled and came charging at Kaine with a flame sword which he quietly summoned.
Michael smiled at that. He always loved having Bryson as a friend and as much as he irritated him and got on his nerves sometimes, he was always appreciative of having him around.
"Your simply right, my friend, it does" Kaine extended a hand just as Bryson was coming in to slice his body in half. It seemed as if time had stopped moving and everyone froze int their tracks. No matter how hard he tried, Michael couldn't move himself, couldn't even budge he wanted to search the code, protect himself but he was too stunned to do so, it was like the time in the Virtnet where Kaine found them and encased them with horror inflicted visions, he would not let them go a second time.
"You forget that I was the one who built the hallowed ravine in the first place, you are practically in my domain".
Suddenly, one by one, Michaels friends started vanishing, first Helga then Gabby then Bryson. He watched in horror as their virtual skins faded followed by their muscle tissue then skeletal makeup. He swore he could hear screams. Panic overwhelmed his brain and he started feeling dizzy.
"You monster!" he shouted in anguish. He was amazed at how quickly Kaine managed to give his friends an immediate game over.
Just as fast as time stopped, the world began to start up again. Clouds moved, a fine breeze rushed past the blades of grass at their feet. And there he, was, the man who took everything from him standing there all too calmly as if everything was going according to plan. The sickness gave way to furry and anger and Michael lunged at Kaine, ready to choke the life out of him. He was so ready to bring this man down, it was his perfect opportunity and he took it.
As soon as he took off the same two gruff orcs crossed his path and pinned his arms behind his back. He had shouted out of pure shock.
"take him to the castle" Kaine replied literally turning his back to Michael. But this wasn't over. In a final burst of adrenaline Michael twisted out of the orcs grip. He came running up to Kaine.
"Alright, if we're going to end it, at least play fair" instead of the surprise and fear Michael had anticipated, Kaine only smirked, amused.
"Fine, Michael have it your way" he threw his arms up in an exaggerated gesture "but if you couldn't even take on those Killsims back at your own base than there's no way you'll be able to take me on".
"That's where your wrong!" Michael spat, his confidence growing like a spark igniting to flame "You're not the biggest bad guy I've taken down, I've beat millions of games on the Virtnet" Michael wasn't sure if that counted for anything but went with it regardless. "I hacked my way to the patch, I took on Devils of Destruction, I beat the riddles and the system, and I took out the VNS twice, so yes, I'm sure I can beat you" His voice went down a couple octaves at that last note.
Kaine came charging at him with impossible speed. Michaels smiled, unfortunately for Kaine, Michael, quite literally, had a trick up his sleeve. Once Kaine was in range, Michael threw a bomb at him that he had coded in from the 1920s Boom or Bust gang game with all his might. The bomb exploded causing Kaine to fly back a few feet but that didn't seem to stop him. Michael let out a yell and charged at him with his fists raised. He was pretty sure he had enough fighting experience to earn a black belt. He readied a fist for Kaine's face then unleashed it. Michael had been pretty sure he'd won when Kaine managed to get a grip on his fist. Kaine then twisted it, catching Michael off guard as he flipped to the ground.
"Pretty crafty summoning weapons into this fight, too bad they won't do you any good" Kaine remarked bringing a foot down to collide with Michaels head. Suddenly all the chaos went black.
Michael woke up in a cold sweat to cold, dry air and feeling something hard underneath him. He stood up taking in the room he was in. The cold air was the first thing he noticed, like a drift of frigid air that sent chills down his spine. It wasn't even necessary to keep the room cold, it would have had to take extra effort to program it that way, which in a way totally sucked. The room itself was more like some sort of holding cell, unlike the one he occupied back in the Atlanta federal prison. There were metal bars separating him from the rest of the room and he was reluctant to find his arms cuffed tightly behind his back and a shackle placed on his right foot. He quickly pressed his ear to his elbow searching for his ear piece, surely enough it wasn't there. Michael was still trying to process what had just happened. He had his friends, he had the code, he had Kaine right where he wanted him, and he had lost. He let it all sink in washing over him like those mean purple waves from the VirtNet dump. He had just lost everything, lost. The word hung in the air a while as Michael fell ceaselessly into a state of pure depression. Had he really just lost? Suddenly in Denial, maybe his friends knew what happened and were out searching for Kaine. His friends, Helga. He sat down, worry rushing over him. What had just happened to them? Were they even in the wake or had they been escorted to some VirtNet prison or plane like him? It was all too much for him to take. What he wouldn't give to have Bryson at his side again, he always knew what to do. He looked down, defeated. A single tear made it's way down his face.
Suddenly a sound. Footsteps came closer to his location. He got up again readying himself for a fight. Through the dimly lit room he could make out a figure, Kaine's figure walking up to his cell. He heard a sigh.
"If only you just listen to me none of this would have to happen"
"What are you talking about?!" Michael said suddenly mad "you were solely the one who made this happen" he was disgusted and his back hurt at the sudden motion.
"I need you on my side, Michael, there are people depending on us, issues that need to be resolved"
"You're kidding right?" Michael stifled a laugh "After all you did do me? I don't think so brother".
"Well, I supposed you have helped me enough for one day, taking out most of the rouge tangent army, defeating Webber and the VNS was a nice bonus too. Your plan to turn against me had to be used to my advantage after all".
"What are you talking about?" the sudden realization of this put Michael in a state of surprise and confusion.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?!" Kaine blurted out "I knew that you were only using me to help stop the VNS and were going to destroy the doctrine anyway! so I just let you get your way, and now I don't have to deal with rough tangents, Webber or the VNS ever again, good job defeating Webber by the way. Of course, you only won because I introduced you to the complexity of the Hives programs as well as how to summon a protective bubble around your aura".
Michael stared, breathless.
"I should have known" Suddenly a thought crossed his mind that was burning at the front of his brain.
"What have you done to my friends?"
"You mean your misfit group of tangents and amateur hackers, their perfectly safe, back in the wake, their bodies remain unharmed with a special aura antiprogram I conjured. They'll be fine, at least for now". That last sentence struck Michael, but he needed to keep the conversation going in his favor long enough for him to conjure up a plan of his own.
"And what about me?" Michael said an idea coming to mind.
"Couldn't I just commit suicide and return to the wake" He had to access the code somehow.
"You very well could, but it wouldn't go very far as my men have already programmed your NerveBox not to open until I give the word. You would be utterly board in there". This shocked Michael but he kept going, trying to mask his surprise in a confident voice.
"It's not as boring as it is in here" He retorted, though his confidence voice had failed him and he came off sounding like a 5 year old.
To Michaels surprise, Kaine bent down to meet his eyes, staring directly into them as if reading his very sole.
"I know very well what you are doing Michael, and it won't work. You have limited access to code in here and it would be very difficult without the use of your hands as guides".
"What are you going to do with me?" Michael said not bothering hiding the disdain in his voice.
Kaine perked up at this comment so much that he was pacing across the room half lost in thought. Perhaps he had gone mad Michael thought. Either that or was done in from drinking all of that eggnog on Christmas.
"You see, Michael, even if I could go back in search of another tangent program, sentient enough to beat the path, which I could still do to be clear, I wouldn't have the time to, not to mention the tremendous amounts of effort it would take summon all of those tangents to their eventual deaths. Rough tangents are still out there and are still against what I am doing for some reason-"
"Boy! I wonder what that could be" Michael mused.
Kaine shot him as disapproving look that caused Michael to instantly shut up.
"And the VNS which still, as we speak have people looking for us and to terminate the program".
Michael smiled at that, maybe there was hope after all.
Seeing this Kaine replied "Don't get your hopes up yet, son, my gaurds have already shipped you off to an uncharted location millions of miles away from where you were. A place so remote, and under the detection of the VNS, no one will find you, not even your friends".
"How could you do this!" Michael screamed not hiding the hatred in his voice from the man who had taken everything from him.
This cause Kaine to turn and look directly at him.
"Because I know what's best for the future, even if some people don't agree. Soon enough you'll see things my way, Michael and when that happens, you'll be more than welcome to join me, until then you will stay here. Remember, act hostile and be treated as such" he paused as if not getting the response he wanted "Do I make myself clear Michael?".
Michael didn't even grant him the luxury of his attention "you bastard."
Kaine only paused at this "I could say the same for you, the VNS programmed you and your family" Kaine looked down, unimpressed "No if you'll excuse me, I have more pressing matters to deal with than a temper tantrum from a teenage boy" Kaine left on that dark, depressing note, leaving Michael to his isolation.
How could he know about who programmed me? Michael thought he wasn't there. It didn't matter. He hated just how omniscient Kaine could be. Then again, he had his little tangent goons keeping him informed on anything. No one just happened to have strange Illuminati powers. He would never join Kaine, that much was certain. He then thought about his friends and how much he missed them. What he would give to have Helga at his side right now cradling him like she used to do when he got hurt or was bullied. His thoughts drifted to Sara and that look in her eyes when she was shot and she knew it was over, that sincere confession she gave him in her dire time made him crumble. It was the last straw and suddenly the pillars he placed so carefully came tunneling down and he felt himself cry. It was the ugly cry that you get when you've been dumped or a had a relative die. Sara had died at the hands of the corporation which was established to serve and protect them. Sarah was gone forever. He missed the sweetness in her voice when they got stuck in a game or in their efforts to take down Kaine. He missed her initiative and brave unwavering wisdom like when she figured out how to bust into the Black and Blue or the VNS. He had missed her the most and thinking about her made it all the worse.
Next »Tying Up Lose Ends Escape Plan
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Skylar Penney
MindfulMercenary
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