chapter 13 Pandora
(Is this real) I look upon this woman who has a different face, different sound, as I feel her face I can see the woman I lost "H-- is that you" the women touches my face, she moves my lips as well as my nose, I don't know if she is trying to figure out if it's actually me or if she is just trying to find the humor out of that, she covers with her smile with her left as she touches me with her right "have you gotten shorter," she says, I then pulled her close as I plant my lips on hers. It's her I can feel everything she has been through up to now, I can also feel her tears drop down her smile. Releasing from are embrace I still holds in my arms (let's not do that again) I try to act serious, but I am so happy, I feel like the luckiest man alive. "I don't know how do I look" she asks (you can't see) "no when they gave me a mirror I couldn't see anything, it was awful, I can't even see you, all I can feel is your wide back, and the smell of blood" she says. I felt the eyes that were on us disappear, I sat her down, and did a technique that I learned for when a flashbang goes of your sight will be returned immediately (how's that " I can see colours that about it" oh yeah… it's been some months since you… you know what my Phoenix "Phoenix ? You mean the bird that rises from the dead" yeah that Phoenix " well wolf what do we do now" it all honesty I just want to sit here for a while) we sit for hours and just hold each other, I tell her what I've been doing for the past couple of months and how seeing her past changed me, she then goes off topic from her death. I guess she wants to put the past behind her, because she thought it was me that died. In my mind I played the scene that we would meet again a thousand times, but I never expected it to be in a lab. (Hey can you see now "only a little, I can see the blue in your eyes ?" Alright here's a mirror "oh my god i was wrong" what do you mean "I felt my jawline and my cheeks and I hoped I was pretty, but I'm beautiful holy shit") I then laugh obnoxiously. As I revel in the humor, (so how's it feel to you "like in a new body" that's obvious, no I meant does it feel natural "I don't know how to explain it, but I feel stronger somehow. You know what I mean") I look at her with a blank face, then for her to smile back at me, to then also Pat my cheek with her hand, I let out a huge sigh after that. Knowing that all I've done all the bloodshed the destruction I caused, was something I caused because I was angry. It made me wonder what would happen if I was lost any further, would I kill civilian, would I kill my best friend.
What felt like minutes turned out to be hours, (we should go home "maybe" maybe, or we could stay here forever "no, let's go home"). I then ran to my gym locker to find her some clothes as fast as I can. To my surprise when I come back, I ran into Athena "stop" she yells, I end up blowing her off, but as I'm making my way to Cidny,I am stopped by armed mercenaries then Athena says"I said stop (why) I'm trying to talk to you (what is there to talk about) we need to talk about what you've been up to (no we don't) yes we do, you need to explain how you handled the opposition (later) no, brother of mine (ask Michael) your AI (yes he has footage from my helmet) where is your helmet ? (Let me get it for you) ". After that confrontation, I am staggered at this point, I can understand where she is coming from, she is just trying to do her job, I think she is trying to find a way to stab me in the back. I rush to Cidny, because my helmet was with her "what is it" she asks (Athena !) "Who the fuck is Athena…. Oh" as I get closer to Athena I then beat one Athena's goons over the head with my helmet then throw it at the skull of another "what the hell H" Athena shouts that at me as I walked closer to her (I don't know if you can see through that dumb corporate looking glass, but I don't work for you "no listen…" no you listen you corporate bitch, I'm the one who makes the 'bad' people, I'm the one who fights on the ground, I'm the one who has to look at the enemy in the eye as I take their life, I am the evil that you corporate facist have created to fight the dark! I am…) "H stop… your scaring her" Cidny get through, and I stop my rant. I look Athena and she is utterly terrified, she is shivering. I then look at Cidny (you ready to go home) Cidny answer by holding my hand, and we make are walk home.
Our arrival back my old house was everything has been rebuilt, it's as if nothing ever happened, reaching for the doorknob we are then greeted with Michael talking to us [hey… guys(Michael why is the door locked) ummm about that so I was (Michael? ) Alright Saya and her boyfriend are having a good time I don't want to ruin it for them] (Michael what do you mean Saya has a boyfriend) giggling the door handle made no difference, my scanner for my lock won't even work Cidny then speaks up to say "Michael please open the door" [oh uh…For you miss anything] Michael then unlocks the door "Saya you in here" Cidny says that as we enter my house. Entering I hear a loud shouting "Cidny !!!!! Your awake--- oh I missed you so much… oh hey H did you get your dick wet" Saya says this, as she rushes into Cidny's arms, though the malice in her words don't faze me in the slightest, also she acted way more dramatic than usual she knew that Cidny woke up already. Making my way through the house I see a half nake boy (who are you) he the shutters at my words "I'm Bradley" he says (get out) he stamers as he looks around for his clothes, I make one step towards him then he immediately runs out. After that encounter, I then find myself in my office untouched by the explosion, nothing has really changed except there is a dossier on my desk inside is a photo of me taken by operator hello, being later combined within the text, the overseeing of house rebuild, which was seen through by John, reading more I find out that Christian was being watched by Athena, due to a change in 'objective'. I'm guessing Saya left this for me to discover, also as I read the bounty on my head has risen by 150 thousand, interesting. Cidny walks in to see I still haven't changed (everytime I see you…"stop right there, are you going for a walk ? " No… I'm just reading) after are short conversation, she then check outs her body in a mirror, her vision must've returned "my ass has gotten bigger, also my muscle tone seems to be more define" she says, paying attention to detail it does seem that her glutes have gotten larger, we might have to go shopping also her deltoids have more definition "are you staring at my ass" she asked (sure).
Before we went to sleep Michael gave us the one by one on the rebuild, the short version being this house now has turrets, also the ability to withstand a nuclear explosion, though there was no changes to the interior of the, only to the exterior.laying in bed made me wonder though, was it a grenade or a bomb that I heard, all I remember is that after the explosion there was rubble on top of me, I also know that my room is overhang, I found who, but I didn't ask I instead ripped out their spinal column. Cidny then tightens her hold on me as we lay down in bed (hey can I ask you something) Cidny nods and smiles (do want me to train you) she then looks at me, like I'm an idiot (well listen, you have a new body "I'm not going to kill people H" no you don't have to do that, just something to defend yourself "sure sounds like fun" good we start tomorrow "what" well you have to find a new job, you like flowers, how about a flower shop "that might be nice" when I wake up in the morning, we'll train, when I get back home we'll train "we don't need to be that excessive" it's settled "no we need to set some ground rules" nope it fine) I need to train her to understand her own body more, because she will have something known as phantom pain, I know what it's like, because I can feel it in my right arm. With this new body though I think she can go with me for a walk, most of all she could protect herself from Athena.
A month has passed (Alright come at me with everything you got) Cidny and I started training early everyday, her strength is staggering she can lift me up like a bundle of grapes. When she first struck me, my ribs were bruised for days. She gets faster each and every time, she would ask me during training what next for us, since I've killed the opposition, I believe what's next for me is to become stronger, so I can protect Cidny. Even though I'm just really waiting for my new orders from Overwatch, I know everytime I answer, she would like to hear about us getting married, she wouldn't like my answer anyhow. Cidny got a new job at the flower shop, and I got to know Bradley, who is now dating Saya, he seems to be very nervous, shy, but casually kept together, Cidny makes us go on double dates in certain occasions. I caught back up on my studies, and am now an honor student, also I'm very proud of the progress I've made controlling my anger. Athena has been making me take my walks every couple of days due to the bounty on my collar, she also is now a teacher at my school, she never gives me assignments, but her harassment is worse the Mikkis's. Christian and Overwatch went on vacation, to a place where no one will find them, in my spare time I've been working really close with John and his squad on tactics I've also been having help me build armor for Cidny. Today me and Cidny are going to meet up with Athena, because she asked for both of us to attend a meeting. We are in public restaurant as we sit down we are greeted by Athena "thank you both for coming, sorry but mom didn't want to be here today…(mom?) Oh yes mother owns this little triage of delinquents with special talent, any how she wanted to be here to see Cidny, to see how she looks... basically (why?) Because that one billion dollars you fuck everyday" are conversations are always very aggressive, I try, "I mean this body is really way too much, the ears are hard to get use to" says Cidny. That's sends Athena on a huge rant about the capabilities of the body, how it's the ultimate infiltration tool. I try to focus, but my attention lays on Athena's true intentions for this meeting, Cidny sees that I'm tense, so she holds my hand on the table, it throws Athena off from her rant. "Oh umm… yes we have a new enemy" Athena says. (Isn't everyone our enemy) "this one is different he fight like an animal much like you actually, almost exactly like you (so a copycat) more or less I believe he is being led by a group known as Calyapi… (Pandora l… Hephaestus's daughter that was taken away from him by the Zeus) yes, I don't know much about the group, except that one agent, Jasmine is trying to gather more Intel as we speak" (I'm going to stop you, send everything you gather to Michael please, because we have to go meetup Saya and Bradley) I take Cidny and we make are leave. "Wait we don't have to meet up with Saya!?" Cidny says this to me as we make are way back home (we are being followed "by who" I think by that group that Athena was just talking about "that's quick" (I know) as we get on my motorcycle Cidny then sees a crying child, then runs to him, we can't do this right now I then ran after her "this child can't find his mother" she says (alright what does your mother look like) "she went down that alley" the boy says I then walked to the alley with Cidny and the boy. We finally went deep enough down to where people can't see us. I grab by the (alright how many "Jason" he is taking it) I tighten my grip on the boys neck though I drop the boy because Cidny called me by my full name "why did you do that ? She asks "tell me why? you would kill just little kid ? Because…" ( yes I would, I will do anything to protect you, I will give up my body, my mind and my soul just to protect you, I've already given up my arm and my sanity) " oh how touching, their having a moment" the voice sounds young. I look at the direction of where the voice is coming from "oh I'm sorry let me introduce ourselves, we are Calyapi, young boys and girls ready to fight for a better society" as he is making his speech I spot six other men and two women I then rush to the boy speaking and break his jaw, then I take out my firearm and shoot him twice in the chest "no" shouts Cidny before she is attacked by three of them, from a distance she is handling herself, I still fire at my weapon off at them before killing two other, I know that my gun has attracted attention "the problem is, you are few, we are many" says one of the attackers, I am then rushed by one of them, he's strong, he disarms me before I could grip his neck. I then toss his skull against a wall, then I run towards Cidny's direction breaking the necks of her attackers "Jason stop" I keep hitting one I already killed, then see the younger boy, grabbing him with both hands, I then wrap my fingers across his neck "Jason stop he is just a kid( no he made his choice) Jason Huntley Adams stop now" I then loosen my grip, doing so the young boy stabbed me in the hand before he runs away. (Look Cidny this is what I have to do, these kids made their choice, like how I made mine a long time ago) I don't know what I'm saying ( I started at the same age as that little boy "H please") Cidny then runs her hands across the blood on my face, we then make are leave through the rooftop, by climbing one of the fire escapes.