Butterfly Love

Big replied to him.

"I understand your enthusiasm, but first we need to work out a plan."

"Right, we'll split up like this.

Big, you will stay here and help us remotely with circuit modification procedures.

Kyle, you, on the other hand, will go down the street and lead the Machine Men downtown to the Big Government headquarters, as soon as I deactivate the barrier, you will have to march.

You Sophie, you will come with me.

All agreed?"

They all nodded in approval, then Sophie retorted.

"There still remains a fairly important problem though, how do we get into the center?"

Big replied: "I've got a solution, come with me, but take this back first."

Big threw the knife to Kei, who stowed it in his left pocket.

Outside the building, immediately to the right, was the entrance to an old garage.

Once opened, hidden under a tarp was a 'vintage-looking automobile.

"Meet my beautiful 1967 Chevy Impala!

Well, it's not exactly from that year, but I had it built using the same materials and technologies of the time, although unfortunately it's an electric version.

This beauty has an impressive 326 horsepower, I assure you that you will have a lot of fun!"

Sophie said.

"But it's not like we're having fun here, right Kei?"

"This car is, how to say… WONDERFUL!

I don't know what horsepower is, but this is definitely a luxury car, look how big it is! And look at the nice seats!"

"Wait a minute, do you know how to drive?"

"Huh? Drive? Absolutely not, I've never driven."

"Then how are you going to use it if you've never driven! And more importantly, how can it help us overcome the barrier?"

"Calm down Sophie, it's a car with an automatic transmission, it's not hard to use" said Big.

"Plus it's a Citizen's car, so it can go in and out of the center at will, it's the only way I know of to deceive the barrier, so whether he can drive or not, we have no other alternative.

I entrust her to you Kei, treat her, i reccomend you".

He then handed over the keys of the vehicle to the boy.

"I surely will!"

After that the two got into the car, and after explaining the basic operation of the controls, Big greeted them.

"Be sure to contact me as soon as you are at the top of the tower, in the meantime I will connect Kyle to Kei's heart so that they can communicate remotely.

Now come on, go!"

The car sped out of the garage, leaving a trail of thick smoke.

"Don't go so fast!"

"We have to hurry, C.C. may already be on our trail."

The car sped through the deserted suburban road, breaking the silence of the street.

Kei and Sophie had a plan, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

Machine men do not experience anxiety, so when this strange emotion presented itself, the two had no idea how to handle it.

They no longer spoke, but looked around in a silence filled with thought.

What if the plan hadn't worked?

What if someone had discovered them? What would have become of them?

Religion was an extinct concept, but they both prayed at that moment.

They prayed to succeed.

They prayed to find freedom.

They prayed not to be killed.

Then they crossed the barrier.

It wasn't like the time Kei walked through, at first they didn't even notice.

It was clear as soon as they saw the huge gray skyscrapers transformed into pretty white cottages under a magnificent blue sky that replaced the depressing clouds of the block.

Sophie was quite fascinated by them, but the feeling of freedom she felt at that moment vanished as soon as she saw the imposing LaTes tower rising in the center of the huge metropolis, which reminded her why they were there.

It seemed that no one had paid any attention to them; after all, it was impossible for a Machine Men to enter, let alone drive in.

They walked down the long avenue that led under the great tower, looking at the people, free and happy, inside the car that had now become nothing more than a sheet metal cage, enclosing two free spirits bound with chains that had been imposed on them.

But they were there to change this fate, to make freedom prevail over submission, love over hate, courage over fear.

Once they reached the top and changed the reception system, it was game over, just a short time away.

They had almost reached the small square in front of the entrance.

Sophie took Kei's hand, who turned to look at her, then said to him.

"PUNCH IT!"

The engine unleashed all its power under the boy's foot, which had made the accelerator bottom out.

The car drove in at full speed, smashing through the building's glass window, causing those present to flee.

An alarm sounded.

Project Freedom had just begun.

They abandoned the corpse of the vehicle and headed for the staircase.

According to the documents, the first twenty floors had no elevator and they had to walk up.

It wasnt going to be a clean mission; on the contrary, a lot of blood would be spilled.

No matter how accustomed Kei was to violence, nothing could have protected his conscience from the splashes of innocent blood that were about to hit him.

It was easy to get through the first twenty floors, hand in hand the two boys ran past floor after floor, killing guard after guard, people not involved with Big Government, but put there to give service to the community in the absence of other personal interests.

Lost souls who would gradually, in a hell of murder, leave this world, at the hands of the notorious killer of suburban criminals, and the newborn girl killer, partner of the aforementioned.

Arriving at the 20th, a long corridor full of offices separated them from the elevator to the top.

Anyone who was in their way at that moment came to a bad end.

As they passed, nothing remained but lifeless corpses and blood, which replaced the color of the walls, covering the carpet and obscuring the glass in the office doors, as if trying to censor the massacre that had just occurred.

In the glass elevator, the floors shown on the keypad seemed to be endless.

A multitude of floors, with numbers of at least 3 digits.

They managed to find the button for the last floor, because on it was drawn a kind of round observatory with a thin, long antenna extending even higher.

Once the button was pressed, the elevator began to rise at full speed, leaving the two assassins with a view of the entire metropolis.

The marvelous pupil, the joy of humanity, that was the center, surrounded by a rotten, dark glen, covered by a thick layer of clouds that prevented them from seeing the sky beyond the walls, which still obscured the outside world with their immensity.

Kei wondered if that was hell, while Sophie wondered if there might be a heaven out there.

They needed to ask themselves these questions to escape the thoughts that plagued them, the blood on their hands was drying and clutching their skin as if to remind them that they were now forever stained.

For a common good yes, but forever stained.

The elevator went dark past the 150th floor.

It was surely a government trick to keep the employees there from finding out the truth about the outside.

They were left completely in the dark except for two small lights.

Kei saw the small green lights of Sophie's eyes, and wondered if they could be his light in the dark, a little paradise in a hellish world.

He approached those eyes, as he did the first time, looking closely at them, but saw no circuits.

He saw two marvelous stones, set in the girl's gaze, a petrifying gaze, it was as if he were facing medusa.

And petrified, he didn't move when his vision was completely covered by the marvelous emeralds before him.

He didn't move when he felt his dirty hand, being locked in a vise by another equally dirty hand.

And he didn't move when his torn lips, were caressed by the touch of a pair of soft, clean lips.

This touch created the butterfly effect, sparking love between the two

Then the elevator slowed to a complete stop.

The doors opened letting light into the elevator.

They had reached the top of the tower.

Butterfly Love.