"AI!"
As she continuous ascended the stair I muttered her name.
"...."
She didn't answer but I knew she was paying attention so I spoke," Please gamble you life for me."
My plan like Isis said had been based of assumptions. It could either work or fail nothing more or less. So unless the final results were archived I had no other option but to ask her to risk her life for me.
It was cruel asking someone to readily gave up their life for you. I didn't wish that on anybody but this was the only way to come out of this with the possibility of survival.
"You should have said so from the beginning."
Leaping a few steps, she smiled and soon sighed in relief which I couldn't quite understand why.
"With you and even before you arrived, Isis, Seth and I were already use to risking our lives. We aren't afraid of death."
She paused for a bit observed my reaction before continuing.
"I won't try to justify their actions but they just like me are willing to die as long as a Cpytic is killed. It's just we weren't pleased with how you came about things."
"What do you mean?"
Before she could respond we arrived at the last floor where she slowly dropped me off.
"Can you walk?"
"Barely!"
I could tell she was trying to avoid answering by changing the topic so I also decided not to persuade the matter until she was ready to answer.
"Just hold off the minions for a while."
Giving her those instructions she stationed herself at the ends of the stairs her first clenched to their limit and with a stance that showed no opening as if for a second she had become an unbreakable fortress guarding everything behind her.
Believing I could entrust my back to her, I leaned against the wall and began to slow push my body foward.
As I moved I felt a sense of discomfort behind me, probably from the zombies now crawling up the stairs and trying to breach the floor but....
"Non shall pass!"
With a warning from AI, the first zombie to each a two steps from her had their head blow of and thrown, it's body collapsing on the climbing horde.
Showing not much emotion at the dozens of zombies charging at her, she kept her fist clenched and performed her duties.
Seeing she now had everything under control, I continued moving forward like a crippled using my right leg and the walls as support to move about.
Each step I took I heard the monstrous growls of the zombies fighting AI, I could tell she was doing her job well but how long enough would she last.
"Just trust her." Whispering to myself I pulled my jacket back, I took out Jet which now had a final bullets ready to fire.
Holding the trigger and further leaning against the wall, I began ranning my hand through my utility taking out the last smoke grenade, making sure my final grenade was also here and also taking notices of my dagger which was strapped in placed.
My opponent was an abnormal B-class cryptic. One whom relied greatly on it's minions and also seem to have a form of body manipulation and energy based blast courtesy of it's core.
It's hive mind nature also meant killing one and leaving the rest could lead to the replication of it's personality by another part stored within another body.
In modern terms it has unlimited backups. Deletion will lead to eventual restoration so that begged the question how could one destroy a backup plan?
--------------------
"We finally meet face to face!"
Pulling my weight across the walls and soon grasping the door leading to the classroom, I spoke, my gaze focused on the figure leaning against the window.
It was a teenager probably a year or two younger than me. She has anburn colured hair and pair of lively green eyes briming with curious intention.
Wearing a light school uniform consisting of a plain cream top, with a cotton pink sweater along a moderate blue skirts. She waved at me,welcoming my presence with a curious smile but behind that smile laid only deadly intent.
"I see you!"
Grabbing the side of her head with her right hand, her smile soon morphed into taunts as she attempted to squish her head but her palms to small to do so left her disappointed as she soon pouted and placed her hands behind her, slightly bending down with a smile.
"Death isn't it frightening." She whispered her gaze growing distant.
"The people you're killed must have thought that." I responded dragging my twisted left hand into the classroom with a light groan.
"Ofcourse they did... especially my first victim."
"..."
"Humans are such funny creatures and that girl was no exception. She was a ranther pitiful and bullied child and she came across me...so weak and tiny. Enticing her with a treat of power, she loaned me her body but what a foolish mistake that was."
Slowly ranning her right thumb across her neck like a blade edge slicing her neck,she licked her lips and continued," I killed her and to add salt to her injury I didn't do all what I promise me. As a matter of fact when I began my plague I made sure to never infect her bullies."
"Why?"
"It seems."
Grabbing her neck, her lips curled into a crescent smile as she added,"... because I love the resistance."
".... Resistance." I furrowed.
"Frankly speaking I wasn't one that enjoyed human meat. I killed to create a legion but never to eat them."
"So you're a psychopath." I commented.
"Oh my....mister Commander, haven't you be taught by the association to not use you human standards to describe us Cyptics."
"If you aren't a psycho what else are you then?"
My tone lacked urgency but my mind not so much. Even as I faced the true boss of this boss of this whole mess I knew I had to maintain my composure. My whole plan depended on that... no not just my plan, the lives of my comrades also.