"Doctor, what are you doing here?!"
The moment Scout saw Jay in the underground passage, he blurted out the question that had been eating at him.
"Well, that's a long story…"
Jay wasn't exactly sure how to explain it.
Whenever he activated Spartan Wrath, he became a walking war god. The problem was… the more he used it, the more addicting it became. The thrill of punching enemies into the sky and kicking Sarkaz mercs into oblivion was hard to resist.
"Let's not get into the details. You're Scout, right? You're really alive. All that trouble was worth it!"
Jay grinned at the fully intact Scout standing before him.
As someone who had played Arknights, Jay remembered all too well how Scout died in the Chernobog operation just to protect the Doctor. That death had haunted him for ages. After all, Scout was one of Rhodes Island's elite, on par with operators like Blaze and Ace.
Now, seeing him alive and well in front of him, Jay couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Hehehe! It's Scout! A living, breathing Scout! Hahahaha!"
"Th-thank you, Doctor… Your concern is… overwhelming."
Scout didn't quite understand Jay's strange behavior, but something about his words stirred a warmth in his heart.
Maybe the Doctor heard about our recon team losing contact with Amiya and came all this way just to find us…
Tactically speaking, that would've been reckless and absurd.
But in terms of outcome… it was absolutely the right move.
Thanks to Jay's chaotic arrival, Scout and his squad had been granted a miracle escape route. That kind of favor couldn't be repaid lightly.
If need be, he would gladly lay down his life in return.
There was no time for further reunion chatter. Scout's squad once again moved to the frontlines to scout the path ahead, while Amiya, Robin, and the others stayed behind to escort the Doctor safely out of the city.
Thanks to the efforts of Scout's elite recon unit, their retreat was progressing smoothly.
Among the other Rhodes Island operators, morale was high.
Sure, the Doctor had acted... a bit erratically just now, but in the end, not only did he repel the Reunion and Sarkaz mercenaries, he also reunited with Scout's squad. While many operators had suffered injuries, none had been killed. It was nothing short of a miracle.
"Could it be… the Doctor is only pretending to be mad? Maybe he's still the cunning and calculating 'Evil Spirit of Babel' we used to know?"
"Maybe. We might've misunderstood him all this time."
"Right. We owe our safe escape to the Doctor's power."
"I didn't expect the Doctor to be so good at fighting. I've seriously underestimated him."
"Honestly, being protected by the Doctor… it's kind of exciting…"
But while the others were optimistic, Amiya had grown increasingly uneasy.
As they passed through a collapsed building and entered a wide open plaza, Amiya suddenly dropped to her knees, her expression tight with tension.
"Amiya! What's wrong? Are you hurt?!"
Jay rushed to support her, concerned.
"Doctor… I… I don't know…"
Amiya clutched her chest, cold sweat trickling down her face.
"My heart's racing. I feel so anxious… like something terrible is coming this way."
"A huge danger? Are you serious?"
"Please explain clearly, Amiya."
Dobermann and Nearl immediately turned toward them, alarmed by Amiya's tone.
If it had been anyone else, Jay might've brushed it off. But Amiya wasn't just anyone. She could sense emotions, even premonitions. This wasn't something he could afford to ignore.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a massive vortex of fire erupted from the street ahead.
The wave of heat shattered buildings and shook the earth beneath their feet like an earthquake.
"That's... that's the direction Scout went! Our escape route has been cut off!"
Dobermann's face darkened.
Right then, the communicator crackled.
"Doctor! Bad news! We were ambushed by Talulah, the leader of Reunion! A few team members are lightly injured, but everyone's still alive! We're blocked by fire, rubble, and scattered enemies. We won't be able to reach you for a while. Don't worry about us. Focus on your own safety. Talulah is heading your way! Get out of there, now!"
An explosion rang out through the comms, followed by the chaotic shouts of Reunion soldiers… then silence.
"Doctor, we need to leave this place immediately!"
"Scout's right. We need to find another route."
Everyone still trusted Scout's team. A few scattered Reunion forces wouldn't be a problem for them.
But just as Jay turned to lead them away...
"It's too late to run."
A cold female voice echoed behind them.
BOOM!
An inferno exploded upward from the ground, engulfing the plaza. The blazing energy shattered nearby towers and engulfed the streets in chaos.
"Our way out... it's all blocked!"
The collapsed buildings had completely sealed off the exit routes.
The skies above Chernobog were thick with storm clouds, shrouding the city in darkness. But now, the plaza was bathed in a fiery glow. The light from the roaring flames painted the ruins like a scene straight out of hell.
Standing atop the debris was a pale-haired girl clad in a dark, gothic, noble-style outfit, flanked by several Reunion soldiers.
She looked down at the Rhodes Island team with eyes as cold and merciless as ice, as if she were already staring at a pile of corpses.
Her beauty was striking, but the aura that surrounded her was overwhelming. It wasn't just power it was terror.
"I am Talulah, leader of Reunion."
She stepped forward, her presence suffocating.
"Rhodes Island... you'll remain here."
Her voice was calm, but absolute.
"Forever."