Hacker Academy

Finale I

Domain, Unix, and I land on the helipad of Control Tower. My breath comes out raggedly, exhausted from the adrenaline and lack of sleep. With a shaky foot, I step onto the rooftop and lend a hand to Domain and Unix.

"Tag probably has the Pythons locked in the basement as hostages," Domain says as the sound of the chopper dies down. I nod.

"You two go rescue the Pythons. I know where Cyber should be."

We run to the door and kick the latch open. Unix gazes at me with big doe eyes.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

I try to give her a reassuring smile. "I've kicked his ass before. I'll be fine."

With that, Domain and Unix head down to the basement of the Control Tower, whereas I head down just one floor to the Control Panel. There's a thin slit where the metal door has not fully closed, and red light bleeds through this dark passageway. I try to think of the quietest way that I can slip in without alerting Cyber. But my thoughts are interrupted as an ear-splitting announcement echoes throughout the Control Tower.

With one ear covered, I open the metal door. Cyber doesn't notice the sound of the door creaking because he's bending towards the Control Panel. I squint to see his silhouette eclipsed by the darkness of HackCity. Is that a microphone?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, hackers of HackCity, this is Hacker Number 1 speaking."

That's when I realize the ear-splitting sound is actually a speakerphone echoed throughout all of HackCity.

"You may have noticed the slight blackout in the city. Rest assured this is only for a temporary period during this alteration of leadership. Perl Python is the rightful owner of HackCity. I repeat, Perl Python is the rightful owner of HackCity. Any further notice will be reported shortly after."

I gape as I try to process the words of Cyber. He and Tag teamed up to let Perl take over HackCity? Cyber's silhouette blurs as I hear a sharp shrill from across the room, and suddenly there's an intense spasm in my forearm spreading across my whole body.

I let out a groan and sprawl to the floor. The vibration of footsteps patters closer. After all I did to get here, I feel so helpless and disappointed in myself that all it took to stop me was a stun dart. When he's this close, I can clearly see his smirk.

"State of the art, just rolled out to stores this week."

"Oh wow, you saved the best for me." I can't believe I have the audacity to use such a snarky response to him. Now is probably the worst timing. Maybe it's because I wish he's still the same Cyber I knew, the one that would give me an equally amusing response.

"I can't let you intervene now, can I?

"Intervening in what?"

"Clearly not your business."

"Cyber, you know this isn't right."

"I don't need you to tell me what's right or wrong." His words come out curtly. At this, I know I've touched a nerve. My legs have turned completely numb. If Cyber decided to throw me out of the Control Panel window right now, I would be utterly helpless.

With all the strength I can muster, I gasp out, "This isn't you."

"Did you come to save me? How sweet. I'm not the guy you thought I was."

"Everyone has secrets. I'm surprised it took you this long to snap."

"Ada," his soft tone and the way he says my voice takes me off guard. "I thought you knew better than to get involved with me." His shoulders sag and I can hear the sadness laced in his bitter voice.

"I used to have a sister. She was consumed with hacking. Back then, HackCity was just a prototype. But once she realized it was going to become a reality by the Pythons, she tried everything to get here. In the end, she could only get in because she sold herself to Python. In the end, she couldn't bear this world anymore and committed suicide." He grits his teeth. "That's why I devoted myself to being the best hacker just so I could get my revenge on Python."

"A-and the rumours about you and Celestia Python?"

"I spread those rumours myself to make sure her father let down his guard around me. I don't care who overthrows Python, as long as it isn't him in charge of this shitshow. "

"So Tag, Python's ex-wife, makes you help Perl control HackCity."

"You're smarter than you let on."

I feel tears rolling down my face.

"The effects of the stun will be over in a few minutes."

"I'm crying for your sister."

There's a sudden hush of silence that falls over the room. Beeps coming from the Control Panel fills the gaps of all the words we don't know how to say. I close my eyes. I know Cyber had a few secrets, but I just didn't know that everything he did was for his sister. Just like how everything I do is for mom and sister. If anything had happened to either of them when I wasn't there, I would go crazy.

When I was younger, I was naive enough to believe that people operated on the basis of black and white morals. No one ever crossed the line. Everyone was either good or evil. I think back to the nightmare I had of Hacker Number 1. He was the bad guy to me. If I didn't beat him, he would take away my family. I never thought that on the other side of the computer was a boy who was devastated by the loss of his sister.

I feel Cyber's slight touch of warmth to my cheeks, but then all the breath is knocked out of me as I feel a rough hand seize the shirt on my back and yank me up forcefully. I can only stay awake with half-lidded eyes. A cold circular metal piece is pressed to my temple, and a cock pierces my ears with its sound.

"Show's over, Ada."