"Now that I look at you, you are that man who advocated on releasing Morgana from that ruffian, no?"

"Uh… You kinda saw me spitting out, huh? Yeah, I'm not really fond of violence in the first place. What he did was wrong from the start."

"Then why were you with Reunion then?"

"Well, it's a very long story. It pretty much boils down to the fact that Reunion isn't the same as before."

"Same as before? What do you mean?"

"I'm not really comfortable with telling it about it right now. Sorry."

"Not really helping your case, are you? Fine then. You're gonna tell us all you know about those white coated fuckwits on the now, then. You're gonna tell us what the hell they're planning with Chernobog, got it?"

"…Alright. Just don't expect much from someone who's practically a grunt."

- The Ursus Student Self-Government Group interrogating an ex-Reunion Airborne Soldier.

EXTRA 2

A NEW BEGINNING

"Who the hell are you?"

"Uhhh… just a normal soda seller?"

"Right. Go to hell."

"No, no no no! Stop! STOP! I can explain!"

Why did he think that asking those kids directly was a good idea?

Oh yeah. Because the fucking CATASTROPHE is about to start! And what better way to capitalize on the moment to be able to know them better than to seek shelter with them? In his enthusiasm, he foolishly forgot the fact that the kids practically saw him with Reunion, which makes him, in their eyes, a hostile. He would have been axed literally by the punkish girl before him if he hadn't shouted his defense at the very moment, and the blade barely met his skull.

If that wasn't enough, rocks had already begun to fall from the sky right above them. If he remembered the location properly, they were on the western entry point to southern Chernobog's central plaza, and the sky is slowly gaining shades of red. He's gonna have to convince her to allow him shelter fast, because there is no way he is going to risk getting peppered by rocks in those alleys. He let out a deep breath to calm himself, only to realize that the blade of the girl's axe was still aimed at his head, one handed even. He really needed to reminds himself that as an Ursus, he's strong, and this girl is no exception. Before he had a chance to speak, a voice came from the building the students used as shelter. A noble's home. At least he still has the decency to knock.

"Sonya, who's outside?"

"Some Reunion asshole who thinks he can be roomies with us." The jetpack soldier rolled his eyes at the girl's answer. Sonya, was it?

"OK, I know Reunion is generally a bunch of assholes, but in no way I am an asshole like a majority of those lot!"

"So? Doesn't mean that we'll just let you in. What makes you so sure that you won't drag us back to that prison of an academy like your buddies with the others?" Sonya questioned the soldier. If the wincing eyes under his hood is of any indication, she was sure that he was frowning. Granted, he had a face mask on, one that covered his mouth and nose. Right when he was about open his mouth, he was interrupted.

And it was by the cat, no less.

"Is this the guy? He doesn't look that tough." The cat spoke out, making him sigh at the fact.

"Yup. And he thinks he has the balls to even consider taking shelter with us. I'm about to prove him-"

"Take him in."

It was at this moment that both Sonya and the soldier widened their eyes.

"Morgana? The hell are you saying? You're gonna let this guy in with us, a member of those white coat bitches? Don't you remember the torture they put us through?!"

"I know! And I know better that a good leader knows to not judge a lone person based on background. And as far as I see him, he hasn't even tried to be hostile! Just let him in. If he's proven himself to be hostile, you can go ahead and kill him."

Both sides had differing thoughts on Morgana's final judgement. Sonya felt pissed to be lectured on leadership values by a cat of all people, not to mention being rebuked for doing something that she feels is right. But when put into thought, what he says makes sense, and that is when she decided to suck it up, letting out a snooze all the while. The soldier in the meantime took in air in relief, grateful for the cat's sensibility. Sweat returned once he realized that he's still not out of the woods yet. He'll have to be on his best behavior. The girl titled General Zima stared at him in indignation before speaking.

"You heard the cat. I'll be keeping my eye on you."

"Thanks. You have no idea how much I owe you for this."

"I don't need to be owed anything by you."

Bless the stars and gods above, because the intensity of the Catastrophe is picking up fast. With a huff, Sonya walked back inside, followed by Morgana and the soldier. The moment the others saw him though, the whole atmosphere went on high alert, and that in turn made his shoulders slump. Again, he's really regretting sticking to Reunion this long. Everyone is staring at him as he slowly shifted next to large safe door before they returned to doing what they're doing. This whole room is a mess, proof that his former comrades ransacked this place as well. The room beyond the opening where the door once stood is empty and has begun to pick up dust. From his peripheral vision, he can see a student who remained calm amidst the impending disaster while hugging her legs. Probably a noble. The axewielder student sat in a corner right in front of him, with the cat nearby as she drank water from her bottle. Another student was busy calming her nerves by reading her book, judging by her expression. The last student was stretching her muscles on the floor face down, ludicrous as it sounds in a situation like this.

And as it turns out, there's another student next to him, looking through her backpack as if checking for stuff. Once she was done, she let out a satisfied sigh, turning to face him curiously. Honestly it made him feel awkward, not knowing what to do or even say. He didn't really want to talk to a girl who probably has some beef with him, AKA every student in this house, so he looked away to the window, lowered his hood, took off his jetpack, and watched as rocks began to hurtle down at greater intensity and size as screams soon wailed from the outside. Unfortunately for the soldier, the yellow haired girl called out to him.

"Hello! What's your name, mister?" The way she addressed him so cheerily made him even more uncomfortable.

"Uh… hi. The name is Kevin, by the way. You don't have to worry about me hurting you or anything of the sort."

"Why? Aren't you one of those bad guys that tried to send us back to that school?" The girl asked curiously with a slight frown, as if he wasn't uncomfortable enough.

"Let's just say that I'm no longer part of the bad guys you're talking about. I'm tired of doing all that nonsense at this point." Kevin can hear the Sonya girl scoff and mutter the word "bullshit" from her lips, and frankly he can't blame her.

"Really?"

"Really, really. Kevin here's done with the fighting and wants to turn a new leaf, if I even have a leaf in the first place…"

Much to his chagrin, the girl next to him laughed for whatever reason. Maybe it's because of how lazily he swore, or rather how he looked or spoke. The girl proceeded to speak again.

"You're funny, Mr. Kevin! My name is Lada, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you too, I guess. Let's hope we can all survive this craziness, alright?"

"Hmhm!"

With the awkward introductions out of the way resulting in a happier student, Kevin turned to face the outside once more through the broken windows. That is when he noticed something big falling from the sky, and he rose up from where he was to get a closer look, much to Lada's surprise and gaining the attention of the others. What he gazed upon drained all the color on his face with his eyes widening in terror. Why wouldn't he, when amidst all the Originium Shards littering the streets like a minefield, a massive rock is about to touch down on Chernobog in a manner of moments? The same terror filled eyes graced the views of the students and cat named Morgana. As much as the students distrust him, it was still concerning to see how he looked so horrified.

And what he said pretty much confirms the fear, now spreading amongst the students while baffling the cat.

"Guys, there's a meteor about to hit the city. You might wanna brace yourselves."

- Take Your Time -

A meteor quake.

A goddamn meteor quake.

If that is not absolute proof on how dangerous living on Terra is, Morgana would have sworn off raw seafood for a year.

The tremor he felt as the meteor impacted the ground was nothing to scoff at. He was no stranger to earthquakes due to his time on Earth, but the experience alone still rattled him quite a bit every time. The students however didn't fare any better as the building they took shelter in shook and trembled. Sonya was gritting her teeth as hard as he could to stifle her anxiety, Anna clutched her book tightly as she hugged her legs, Rosalind took to gripping the floor under her, Natalya began to mutter and ramble to calm herself down, and Lada had a face full of fear as she closed her tearful eyes and hugged Kevin's arm, the defected soldier's face looking just as dire as he was. The feline held his ground however, bent on seeing this through as the earthquake shook the city to its core.

It may have been minutes, but to everyone who felt it, it's as if hours had passed as the quakes began to recede, and they soon calmed themselves down.

"Is…Is everyone alright?" Sonya carefully questioned.

"Y-yes, Sonya. I don't think I'll be able to forget about this anytime soon." Anna murmured.

"…I think I'm gonna have nightmares." Rosalind dryly replied.

"So that was a Catastrophe. I can't even begin to describe what I feel about that." Natalya was left speechless.

"Is…is it over, everyone?" Lada wearily inquired.

"It's all good, kid. The tremors are at full stop. We're fine now." Kevin assuaged the scout's fears.

"I'm a bit shook, but I'm alright. But still, insane doesn't even begin to cover what the hell just happened." Morgana voiced his thoughts, shaking his head.

"No shit. I… I think we gotta lay low for a while until we're sure that the damn Catastrophe's calming down. No objections right?"

Everyone present nodded their heads at Sonya's suggestion. Well, all except Morgana, who just stared at her monotonously. The brown haired Ursus lifted an eyebrow as she stared back at the feline, feeling greatly uncomfortable.

"…What?"

"I want to head out and scout. Sound good?"

A request like that right after a Catastrophe happening in front of their faces is bound to cause worry, and this is no exception. Sonya's eyes widened, as well as the others who listened in on their conversation.

"Morgana, what the hell are you saying?"

"I'm saying that while I don't mind recuperating our strength after that disaster, we need to know if the areas around us are doing fine. We might be safe now, but it would be an even bigger disaster if our shortest route got cut off, not to mention the amount of shards littered about. Anna, you taught me earlier that Catastrophes are the main vectors of Originium spread, right?" Morgana turned to face Anna, who looked at him worriedly.

"Y-yes. That is true. But what matters more is you, Morgana. Even if getting Oripathy is not so easy in reality, you still have that risk if you go outside. Are you sure you still want to scout outside?"

"Anna's right! Besides, we have Mr. Traitor over there with whatever he got on his back. Wouldn't it be better to send him out?" Rosalind rose up from her position, pointing to Kevin as she spoke.

"It's called a jetpack! And I know I'm practically a traitor to Reunion, but I'd rather betray a bunch of psychos than a bunch of imprisoned kids! Besides, I don't want to be dragged back to their fold if they found me out! I'll just end up being suspicious and get shot!" The Ursus soldier argued intensely, which made Sonya roll her eyes at how easily he admitted his status.

"He's right. Besides, you've seen and heard how capable I am alone. My Arts, how I ended up on Peterheim, and a lot of other things. I can take care of myself out there, and you don't have to worry about me being Infected and all that. All of that, I promise upon our bonds, and my pride, and I never break those promises."

And once again, Morgana manages to make a point that can easily convince someone. Sonya narrowed her eyes as she stared at the cat. She knows what he is capable of, he can kick someone's ass all the way to the lands of Sargon if he ever wanted to, and so far he's never broken any of his promises that are major, or any promise for that matter. Still, his safety weighed in her conscience, and there's no way she's gonna let him die out there should something unexpected happen. It would just pile on her mind with great guilt, and would hurt her friends even more. Still, with Morgana scouting the premises, he could guarantee everyone's safety when they head out once more, Kevin included which she didn't want to admit much like everyone else.

In the end, Sonya can only sigh as she petted the cat as she gave her answer.

"…Fine, I'm not gonna forgive you if we find your corpse on the streets, you understand?"

"Crystal, General. Anyone have a bottle of water stashed?"

"I have one, Morgana."

Natalya spoke up as Morgana runs towards her, pulling out a bottle full of cold water from her backpack. Opening the cap, and with the cat's mouth open, she slowly poured water in, only stopping once he raised his paw before twisting it back closed.

"Is that bottle yours, Natalya?"

"No. That would be your very own bottle, Morgana. It was Sonya's idea that we put in an extra bottle in one of our backpacks just for you, even if she is too shy to admit it." Natalya chuckled after she answered. Sonya's huff pretty much proved it, and he snorted.

"Yep. Anyway, thanks. I'll be heading out now, everyone! Stay safe!"

"Likewise, Morgana. Do take care."

"Show those Reunion jerks who they're messing with if they show up!"

"Uhh… Rosalind, isn't he supposed to be sneaky sneaky?"

"Well, duh! But still!"

Kevin only sighed as the students began to banter while the cat leapt out of the window, sighing at the reality of the situation. He can't believe that he managed to see a Catastrophe in person and lived to tell the tale. And now he's roped himself into a group of "inmate" students with their pet cat who somehow has very powerful Arts. He supposed it was better than being with Reunion, constantly steeping themselves in chaos without searching for their peace in these trying times in this gray world, what the hell is he gonna do once he escaped with these kids? The people who escaped Chernobog is certainly gonna head for Lungmen over on the west, but these kids are heading south. He's gonna hope that his legs can take him far on the deserts.

"You know what? While we wait for that cat to come back, what do you say we find out what Mr. Kevin over there has to say about himself?" Sonya spoke up, and everyone's eyes were boring into him directly.

… Why can't he just be left in peace?

- Take Your Time -

Morgana exercised the full extent of his senses as traversed the Originium littered streets, letting out a deep breath as he took stock of his surroundings. Large chunks of rock were embedded on the buildings as shards pierced the asphalt, with the streets cracked and ruptured by the quakes and impacts. The feline had to be extra careful as he walked, making sure he doesn't step on raw Originium so he doesn't get infected with Oripathy. With how he was created, he wasn't sure if he can even contract Oripathy, but he wasn't taking any chances.

As part of his scout duty that he personally imposed on himself, Morgana began traversing the southern road that led to the exit. With the clouds blackened and sunlight barely piercing the shroud, he had to rely on the fires strewn about the sidewalk as lighting. Luckily enough, cats have night vision, so he didn't have to rely on it that much. Still, the emptiness of the streets made it awfully eerie and it made him uncomfortable. He scanned his surroundings, to find that are still corpses lying about whether it be civilians or Reunion members pierced by Originium, making it a sickening sight.

"Still, why do I feel something… hot nearby? I can literally smell it."

Morgana had that thought circling around his head for a while now. It's not just the feeling of hotness he's sensing, it's the air itself that was burning up in his opinion. Add that to the fires nearby, and it really inhibited his capability of breathing properly, prompting him to hasten his respiration while breathing from the mouth. Nevertheless, he pressed onward as he came across an intersection going rightward. When he took a look…

"…Why is there a large crowd of white coats over there?"

Sure enough, there's a crowd of Reunion forces on the middle of the eastern road, large enough to almost fill the width of the street. He didn't know why they were there, but it would spell great trouble if they mobilized towards westward, coinciding with their route to the exit. If what Anna said is correct back at the shelter before Kevin showed up, then that road would lead to the main road leading from the main plaza. Seeing it worth to investigate, the agile cat sped himself up, running towards the crowd before stopping abruptly before them. Large was an understatement, for the crowd before him was huge in numbers, numbering at least 200. There were at least 50 soldiers when they first had that skirmish with Reunion, with a few encounters with 10-20 soldiers, some of which are led by magicians or armored shielders, but they tore through them easily with Zorro on the field. This many soldiers would mean that something huge is beyond here, and he's bent on knowing what.

Skirting towards a small alleyway, the cat slowly treaded among the narrow path before facing the wall. He steeled himself as he decided to put his master Philemon's gift to him to use. In the event that both his cat and vehicle forms won't make any dice when he's alone, he bestowed upon him a gift.

The power to transform into a human.

"Alright. Here goes!"

With a puff of smoke, gone was the feline form that he is so accustomed to. In its place, a youth bearing cat ears and a tail emerged from the dust, sporting a simple navy blue T-shirt with the iconic Phantom Thieves logo adorning it (even though the Terrans would never know), a pair of gray baggy pants, and simple blue sneakers. The human inspected himself, moving his joints and feeling his muscles, checking out his attire, and ruffling his hair. It was a mop of bluish black hair.

"I'm… I'm really a human now. Finally! My lifelong dream!"

Truth be told, Morgana has struggled to keep his excitement reined in when he heard what Philemon gifted him with, which gave his master quite the amusement. He would have happily transformed right then and there since Earth humans with animal and mythical features have become the norm for Terran humans if he hadn't been spotted by Anna, but considering his adventures so far with the Ursus Student Self-Government Group, it was worth it.

After tuning himself into his new form and inspecting his surroundings, noticing that there are Reunion forces at the end of the alley, he began to spider climb his way upward, planting his foot on both sides of the wall. He had to be grateful that his shoes had a lot of grip, making his scale upward easier. Whether it was easy or not however, it took a great toll on his energy, and the burning air didn't help either. Regardless, he continued his painstaking climb, and once he reached the top, he gripped the edge, and leapt to the side, climbing up to the roof before falling down and heaving a deep sigh. Damn this air for being so hot! He can't even breathe properly in this burning breeze. Wasting no time, he returned back to cat form in another poof of smoke, stretching himself out before walking to the edge, trying to get a view of why there's a large Reunion force on the road.

What he saw however utterly crushed his earlier observation, and torn to shreds.

'…This…This many?!'

To say that Reunion had huge numbers would be an understatement.

No, Morgana was looking upon armies and armies of Reunion. And if the students' accounts were anything to go off of, everyone in Reunion is an Infected, which made him question if the fact that the Infected are a minority is a huge lie. White coats littered the main road, the alleys, hell even the roofs are loaded on the northern side. Leaping over the next roof, he looked down below to find a different group of people, mainly dressed in dark attire. Before them was a black barrier that was catching on fire. But what was more concerning, is that there are two people clearly showing great signs of pain. the girl with rabbit ears seemingly maintaining the barrier from the looks of the sigil on her back, and the hooded figure crowded by 3 people. The girl herself seemed to be under great strain, wailing painfully as she struggled to maintain the barrier before her against the flames. The other person was holding his head in agony as he crumpled onto the floor, screaming in pain with motions that seemed awfully familiar. Before long, the three people that surrounded him came back with a medic, beginning his diagnosis once he stopped his convulsions.

"How is Doctor Ren?!" came the shrill question of the woman in black, her dog ears and tail swaying in anxiety. His name made his eyes go wide as he watched more closely.

"I'm sorry, Instructor Dobermann! But I can't find out what's wrong with him other than his chronic headache! He's undergoing severe mental stress!" The medic stated her findings, fidgeting wildly as the so-called Dobermann began pacing around.

"Dammit! Why is it happening now of all times?!"

"Even if he is suffering, we can't forsake him, Dobermann. I cannot imagine the amount of pain he is enduring, but… we can't forsake Amiya as well!" The other woman, wearing a black dress that seemed to have suffered some burns, voiced her worries as she planted her mace on the ground.

"…Wait. Is it just me, or is he emitting something?"

The off-hand of the male shieldbearer made Morgana cast his sight upon the Doctor. He's not sure if the people surrounding him knows of his aura, but it was one he knew well, the aura of the Pillager of Twilight, burning, seething, eager to be unleashed. And if the aura of such a figure belonged to him…

"He's about to awaken. Come on, Ren…"

Morgana anxiously waited for the person he sought so far to finally awaken to his Persona once more. If the hooded man that writhed on the ground is truly Ren, then that means the people that were with him must be Rhodes Island, and in turn, their soon-to-be allies. As if on cue, a scream of agony erupted from the bunny girl and the hooded man as the barrier was fully consumed by fire, leaving behind an infernal sea. From afar, he can see a horned woman with burnt silver hair, wielding a blade of fire as she darted towards the bunny girl with the intent to kill. At the same time, the hooded man charged against the inferno, ignoring the amount of burns he endured as his hood perished under the flames in manic fury, delivering a solid punch to the woman's face and sending her flying. The Rhodes Island people were utterly shocked by what he just did, and Morgana had to admit, he felt the same as well. He's seen his fair share of awakening preludes, but to move this much and strike so hard was quite surprising. Now he's almost certain that it was really Ren judging by the black frizzy hair he has. The final piece of evidence lies in his awakening.

"Holy shit, Doctor!"

"Hey! Is he burning?! His whole hood got burned off!"

"Oh no, Reunion's leader! She's gunning for the Doctor!"

"Doctor Ren! Get out of there!"

"Doctor! Come back!"

A concerto of pleads and cries decorated the side of Rhodes Island as their Doctor limped about in his position, looking like a madman as he held his mask, trying to tear it off with all his might. The horned woman, looking clearly pissed and lightly injured, dashed towards him, with his death as her prime objective.

She was seconds too late however. And at that moment, the whole area shook.

- Take Your Time -

Morgana tried. He tried so damn hard.

Yet, for all his worthless struggle, he can't hide the sheer smugness radiating from his face right now.

A scream of might, an eruption of flame, and a shockwave of power, all culminating into the awakening of one's inner self. The awakening of one's own Persona. And the ethereal figure before him is all too familiar. The flamboyant attire, the tuxedo hat, the mask-like face, the chains enveloping his figure, and his black feathery wings. It was Arsene, the Gentleman Thief, the original Persona of the Wild Card Trickster, Ren Amamiya.

'He is still just as extravagant as I saw him last. Even I'm filled with amusement with their reaction over the Joker's awakening. Even if his body is different, his soul remains the same, even if it's fractured slightly. And it still shines just as bright as before.'

Morgana can only nod over Zorro's opinion on Ren. Philemon did tell him before that he struck a deal with the Joker to reincarnate in the land of Terra, with a few complications due to how hasty he reclaimed his soul and how he admittedly reincarnated him early without consent. Regardless, it is clear that with his Wild Card status, and his connection to the World, the power he's bears now is off the charts. His aura is pretty much exuding off every follicle on his body, and it is reeking greatly of darkness.

With all things considered, it was time for Morgana to leave. He has seen all that he needed to see on the west side, at least in his opinion. He has found Rhodes Island, and judging by their situation, they're also escaping from Chernobog with the same destination as the USSG, with their escape routes cut off and blocked, on top of being severely overwhelmed. With Ren now fully awakened with his Persona though, their breakthrough should be much easier. Still, the presence of that horned woman is something he'll have to note and ask about once they've joined up with Rhodes Island. He can sense the amount of power she had just by looking at her, and the fiery aura she had is no mistake. She is the reason the very air has heated up immensely, as if her own body is made of fire. Add the fact that she is the leader of the so-called Reunion Movement, and Morgana knew they're in very deep shit. As much as he wanted to help them, he can't risk exposing himself to Rhodes Island this early when Ren is in the midst.

Before he can move though, he felt someone staring directly, and before him was Arsene, seemingly smirking at his presence before fading away in all his confidence. That was enough to convince him to stay a bit further as he watched the next lines of conversation unfold. With his face now fully shown, albeit full of blood, there can be no doubt.

It was Ren Amamiya, all young and full of vigor once more.

"Doctor Ren, turns out your title has more than meets the eye, does it? You really are a Demon Lord, huh?"

"Ace, I told you to drop the title, remember? I'm better off being called Doctor. Feels far less outlandish."

Still just as humble as ever, Morgana thought. He didn't know why this Ace guy questioned title he supposedly took, but he had a clue as to why he took that title, if his ultimate Persona is of any indication. Well, at this point, he's overstayed his welcome. He knows that Ren is capable enough to lead Rhodes Island out of his mess, even if he would take actions that would be needlessly over the top or borderline sacrificial. He would know, he was under his leadership before, and he wouldn't question how he leads now. Plus, it would be folly to underestimate a Wild Card attuned to the World, even if he has just recently reawakened his powers.

Running towards the other edge where he climbed upward, he poofed back into human form, slowly spider-climbing downward to the ground which was more excruciating than going up. With great pains, he succeeded as he returned to cat form, taking care not to make a sound as he fled the premises. It took a solid minute before he returned to the intersection, and he took in heavy breaths over how much stress he got from the scouting duty. Good things Personas augment a wielder's overall stats!

"Hah…hah… I'm sure Ren will be able to handle the Reunion forces on the west side. I just… just hope that he doesn't go overboard with what he does. More importantly…"

He can hear the sounds of chaos on the northern end of the road. The skies are still dark, and people are already coming out of the woodworks, and for what? To scrounge for whatever remains on the streets? Fat chance.

He's done work on the western end now he has to go southward.

"Girls, whatever is happening over there, I hope you're alright."

- Take Your Time -

"Here you go."

"Thanks! Oh, it's cold!"

"Yeah, I got these frosty fingers to keep drinks cold. Can't believe it actually came handy."

"Hehe, thanks, Mr. Kevin!"

"Don't mention it. I don't think your friend over there just as happy as you though."

Kevin and Lada turned to face Sonya, who was looking outwards through the windows, and the two proceeded to frown. Chaos had begun to brew once more under the dark skies, with rioters beginning to surface and cause havoc, killing each other for whatever supplies they had. It reminded her too much of her days in St. Peterheim, and it made her sick, especially after hearing what Kevin had just told them all regarding their imprisonment.

Truth be told, Kevin was actually quite cooperative when it came to answering their questions. His grunt status is of no doubt, seeing he is just an Airborne Soldier, a small step-up from regular soldiers. He also supplied them with how many numbers Reunion has now, and the students paled from the sheer amount.

"Don't fuck with me. You're telling me that those Reunion jackasses can blast through the Chernobogian Guardsmen like its nothing?!"

You're gonna need an absolute monster on your ranks if you want to stamp Reunion off the map flat, what with them having their own monsters and ranks swelling up with every town they go through. And by monster, I mean more than that cat of yours."

"No…no way. So… we just faced a smidge of Reunion's whole pack?!"

"When you think about how Ursus treats the Infected, I cannot blame them for joining Reunion. They needed an outlet to expel their rage. With how those white-coated men rampaged through the streets, it was the perfect solution."

"I have to agree as well. History has shown that Ursus holds the record for the worst treatment of the Infected. When put into retrospect, the civility that this city has upheld is nothing more than a black mark stained with the blood of tormented innocents."

"Dammit… Then, why the hell did they throw us into St. Peterheim in the first place?! Answer me!"

"… I'll just put out a disclaimer first. You're not going to like what you'll hear. I guarantee."

What Sonya heard made her spat out as she glared at Natalya, who had a dejected frown as they heard the truth. The information alone was acquired when Kevin overheard a conversation from the higher ranked soldiers, a Caster Leader and a Heavy Defender Leader. The Chernobogian nobles that Reunion captured were merely half of what the numbers are supposed to be, either disbelieving the news of their coming or too slow on their legs to escape, and were paired with the adult commonfolk to be used as hostages against the Empire. As he broke the news, the conversation he overheard rang in his mind.

"And then he said, and I quote, "You ruffians think you have power on your side, but think again. Our fellow nobles have known of your coming, you have merely caught a portion of the nobility, who I loathe to be sluggish or too flawed on their heads. Soon the full might of Ursus will come for you, and you will grovel like the uncultured flies you are!". What a bitch!"

"What did you do?"

"I just handed him over to Crownslayer's goons. You know how they give zero fucks on whether they live or not."

"Yikes."

As for their imprisonment?

"Speaking of nobles, Gyrus, what are we gonna do about those rich kids? I doubt holding child hostages would do any better when all the wealth falls onto their parents."

"Yeah… about that, you're not gonna like it, Markam. They're gonna be dumped onto St. Peterheim with all those commoner kids."

"St. Peterheim? Isn't that the academy where… Oh hell no."

"Yup. Those kids are screwed, especially since they did nothing wrong."

"Welp. Thank the gods I didn't fall in with Mephisto's merry band of madmen! I don't want to imagine the torture those kids went into!

And just as expected, Sonya was furious at that moment, and would have punched Natalya right there if Rosalind hadn't restrained her. The USSG leader glared heatedly at the noble and defected soldier, now knowing that their imprisonment was mostly to blame on the nobles and Reunion's whims, as well as the fact that the goddamn nobles pulled a fast one on the common folk. It took Anna, Lada, a full bottle of water, and 2 minutes 30 seconds tops for her to calm down, yet she still felt bitter with the whole realization dumped on her. She let out a sigh as she continued to stare at the ensuing carnage before her, and everyone realized that it may take a while before Natalya and Sonya can talk to each normally again.

"Yeah… I feel bad for Sonya. She really doesn't like the nobles. Most of us don't." Lada smiled sadly under the dim atmosphere.

"I'm sorry for breaking the news like that, Lada. I probably should have just stayed quiet."

"It's fine, Mr. Kevin. I don't really think you can word it any better. Mama always told me to never lie. I'm sure everything will be back to normal! I'm sure of it!"

"Heh, never thought I'd be comforted by a kid of all people. You've got a bright head on your shoulders, Lada. World needs more people like you, you know?" Kevin sighed as he patted Lada's head with his gloved hand.

"Hehe, Rosalind said the same thing too."

How wonderful to see a friendly bond blossom with no interruption. Regardless, after the barely initiated one-sided beatdown minutes ago, the others decided to investigate the rooms and upper floor while they waited for Morgana. All they found however were ransacked rooms that looked as if it were struck by hurricanes. So much debris has been scattered about, and in the end, nothing of value was earned other than the large siege equipment that Natalya somehow decided to pick up with a rather flimsy reason of intimidation. Lada herself decided to pick up the vault door that was next to Kevin on whim, with the defected soldier's encouragement that would make a decent shield.

"Hey, our self-proclaimed scout is back."

Sonya's half-assed announcement grabbed the attention of the girls nonetheless. Weaving through the chaos, Morgana hastily ran back towards the building that the Self-Government Group. Sonya casually stepped back with a small smile on her face. Perhaps Morgana has some good news that can lift her mood up after that fiasco. The feline leapt through the broken window, the rioters ignorant of his presence in favor for vaunted survival.

"Ah! Morgana, you're back!"

"Yep. And boy, I have a lot to tell!"

"Let's hear it then."

With silence granted to the scout, Morgana began his report on his findings so far as he extrapolated on every single detail, barring Ren and his awakening. The main forces of Reunion on the eastern side, the presence of Rhodes Island, and newly found, an outpost that can be circumvented through a nearby tight alley. Sonya would be right. Everyone's moods pretty much brightened up, along with a few questions thrown in.

"You found Rhodes Island?! Where?!" Rosalind was the first to ask, being real excited.

"On the eastern side, on the plaza's central route. The way I see it, they're heading to the southern exit like we do."

"Wait, you told us that Reunion's main forces are also there, Morgana. Are you sure that they will be alright?" Natalya expressed his concerns.

"I'm confident they can fight this out. You can bet my ears on that!" Morgana answered with a confident smile.

"Um, there are so many bad guys though. Mr. Kevin told us that they can take over the town even after the Catastrophe!"

"Lada, please don't throw me under the bus like that." Kevin began to sweat under Lada's exclamation as Morgana narrowed his eyes.

"…Well, looks like we all have our own reports to tell. Sonya, you mind we continue our reports as we move?"

"You bet. If those Rhodes Island guys are heading southward like we do, and what Morgana told us so far is right, then they've got to have transports that can get us out of here! Everyone! Pack your belongings! We're halfway through our escape from this damn city! Let's move!"

With renewed vigor, everyone including Kevin began to prepare themselves once more as they headed out. Morgana was right in his decision to scout ahead. Everyone was in high spirits knowing that their escape is actually possible, as well as Morgana's claims of Rhodes Island's existence. They made double time as they left their shelter, hellbent on escape to the absolute extent.

- Take Your Time -

Anxiety piled on Kevin's mind as he looked at the rightward road. Like Morgana said, it was loaded with Reunion members, yet…

"Hey, those are the white coats Morgana told us about, right?"

"Yes. It looks like they're in battle though, and they're slowly losing ground."

True to Morgana's report, there's a large crowd of Reunion forces on the eastern road at the intersection, but now the crowd is rumbling about and colors of black began to paint the hectic road, along with the sounds of bloodshed and Arts thrown about like gunshots. Cut-off screams erupted from Reunion's end as they endured the assault, and similar sounds erupted at the end of the road. It was unnerving to say the least.

"Must be Rhodes Island. Looks like they've already begun their attack." Morgana surmised the view before him.

"I don't know if this is because of fatigue, but it looks to me that my ex-comrades are kinda rattled. I wonder why?" Kevin's comment made Morgana shift around. Oh, if only they knew.

"One thing's certain, there's no way in hell we're going that way. We keep going forward."

"Sonya's right! Let's go, everybody!"

With Lada's encouragement, everyone stopped watching the skirmish before them and pressed onward towards the southern exit. With the ardent road ahead of them, Morgana decided to run the info he received from Kevin through the Ursus Student Self-Government Group. Kevin's rank is irrelevant, and Reunion's numbers is something he needs no reminder. He also doesn't want to bring up the circumstances of their imprisonment under Lada's suggestion. The last thing however, got his attention.

"Anna, run this through me again. You told me that the nobles knew that Reunion was coming, correct?"

"Yes, and I'll admit that it was difficult to rein in my annoyance and frustration knowing that the upper class didn't relay it to the commoners. I should have known better though. Ursus nobles are known better to save their own skin than others."

"Typical high and mighty nonsense, I guess."

Anna's resignation aside, the fact that the nobles alone knew that Reunion was coming to Chernobog is awfully suspicious. It was no secret that Reunion doesn't discriminate when unleashing their wrath upon the public. They'll tear down both commoner and noble when given the chance, and Reunion themselves are very vicious in their assault if the fires all over town when he first came is of any indication. But there's too little information to go further into the thought. He's read up on Ursus history on day two with the U.S.S.G, and he can easily draw up parallels between the northern country with Earth's 19th Century Russia, both nations built upon conquest and war. With that said, it would be obvious to assume that both nations had great armies, no?

Which is why he turned to look at Kevin. The Reunion defector that became the newest inclusion of their pack who, who would have thought, was also an Ursus.

"Kevin, can I ask you something?" Morgana spoke up, making Kevin blink a bit as he looked down towards him.

"Uh… Morgana, was it? What's up?"

"How big do you think Ursus' army is?"

"...If you ask me, Ursus armies are massive, and I'm here putting it lightly. One of our leaders is ex-Ursus army on General rank, and most of my comrades look up to him for his passion and care for others." Kevin supplied his answer with a bit of nostalgia and a raised eyebrow.

"I see. And how would they fare against Reunion?"

"Reunion would be destroyed outright, no contest, at least from what Patriot told me. Especially with how disorganized their chain of command are. We may seem orderly, but everyone knows every leader has their own agenda, and I'm too much in the dark to know. Why are you asking all this though?"

Morgana looked at the girls as Kevin asked him the question. The girls seemed to be busy with chattering or checking their supplies. Still, he spoke in a lower hushed tone, just to be safe.

"Don't you think it's weird? You told me that the Ursus army can wipe out Reunion in no time flat, leaders included. But then Reunion came anyway and decimated the city with barely any interference from the looks of it. There's also the fact that the nobles knew that Reunion was coming, and the army isn't even coming to save this town. Why would they leave this city to its doom when they can realistically save it?"

Kevin's eyes widened as he listened to Morgana's theoretical question. Realizing the implications of the matter, Kevin proceeded to use the same hushed tone Morgana used.

"…OK, I'll admit. The whole conquest did meet some resistance from the local guards, but even I felt that it was too easy. They all got overwhelmed by our sheer numbers, and barely any reinforcements showed up. All that though? You just blew my mind. I'm not much of a thinker, but do you think there's more to this invasion, Morgana?"

"I'm certain of this. If my theory is correct, we're looking into a deep rooted conspiracy between Ursus and Reunion, and this whole city just got handed over to Reunion on a silver platter by Ursus itself."

"… Holy shit. You think we should break the news to the kids, Morgana?" Kevin glanced at the students, wrapping his head over the informative bombshell that exploded on his face.

"Not when we're this close to escaping Chernobog. Plus, I don't think the girls would take this information well, especially since we have a noble with us and half the girls here hate the nobles. This is just a theory as well, so I need to look for more information. Can you keep this whole matter a secret, Kevin?"

"Man's honor, Morgana. I won't blabber my mouth to anyone."

Morgana nodded appreciatively at Kevin's agreement to an oath of secrecy. The facts that have been laid out on the table for him, but there remains one missing piece of the puzzle before the feline can call his theory as a huge hit, or a needless miss. And the piece would be the status of Ursus' nobility. He's sure that not all nobles were in on the plan to escape, based on Kevin's account that some nobles didn't believe that Reunion would come, but that is still a blur in the big picture. If he's going to learn more about the nobles, he's going to have to ask Natalya, the sole noble of their group who now carries a big piece of siege equipment on her hands.

"There's the outpost Morgana told us about!" Lada exclaimed.

"Alright. Morgana, Take point from here. We'll follow your lead."

Sonya's command received an affirmative from the confident Morgana. He wasn't a navigator for no reason!

- Take Your Time -

Morgana's reports spoke of an alley a few ways away from the Reunion outpost barring the route to the exit. Under the feline's guidance, the U.S.S.G and Kevin treaded the narrow pathways as they weaved through the buildings, taking care not to make as much sound as possible. They did have some difficulty with Natalya's equipment due to its size, so the Reunion soldier opted to help her carry the intimidating piece, and the rest can be considered a relative breeze.

As they exited the alleyways, the students took a moment to get their bearings and figure out where they are. It looked like a plaza where people would hang out in, and it looked relatively better when compared to the ruined landscape they've encountered so far. Even the fountain in the center still worked. There were even less Originium shards scattered about when compared to the inner city, but they took care not to step on any of them regardless.

"OK, we gotta take a breather. Where the hell did we end up?" Sonya sighed as she sat on the fountain's edge, with the rest doing the same.

"If memory serves me right, we're in Winterwind Plaza. We're very close to the exit."

"Really?! We're finally going to be safe! Yay!"

"Soon I'll finally be able to sleep in a proper bed! I'm pooped!" Rosalind let out an exaggerated gasp.

"It will be nice to return to civilization once more, on that I will agree. What about you, Mr. Kevin?"

"Oh. I'll probably go join up with Rhodes Island, much like you guys. What would I do in this ruined town anyway?" Kevin had a wistful look on his eyes.

"True. At this point, all we can do now is stick together and see this through to the end. No stopping now that we've come so far."

"Yeah. How's everyone's supplies holding up?" Sonya questioned the other members of her group.

"I'm still full here."

"Same here! Pretty sure we overprepped for our escape!"

"It's fine! Ursus Scouts always taught me to always be prepared! Overpreparing means you're being very good!"

"Hahaha, in that case, I believe we are all very good Scouts. I am still in abundance."

Sonya can only smile lightly at their answers. Honestly they could last a few days with the amount of supplies they have, but Lada was right. Being too prepared never hurt anyone in this situation, especially when it comes to survival in a city struck by a Catastrophe. Speaking of Catastrophe, the clouds seem to be showing signs of clearing up from afar, but the deeper ends of the city would look to be in the dark for a longer while. Looking towards the north, she can't help but wonder about Rhodes Island, the organization that Morgana keeps flaunting about when he came back. How powerful would they be for Morgana, who's already so damn strong on his own, to be so confident in them?

Either way, she's gonna hope that she's right about Rhodes Island having transports that can carry them out. I mean, what kind of big organization wouldn't have transports? Morgana did say that the RI group he encountered was a large one, and now they're busy escaping Reunion while being hounded by their head honchos.

'They better not kick the bucket. If they did, we're screwed big time.'

"OK, Let's get moving. We're on our home stretch here, and I'll be damned if some asshole decided to stand in our way at the last second! Let's go!"

Everyone eagerly nodded as they got up, their energies restored as they grabbed their packs and weapons before continuing their journey to the southern exit. Sonya took the lead once more as they headed into the wider alley on the eastern side of the plaza, racewalking their way through to avoid wasting any more time. If memory serves, the Winterwind Plaza would connect to the main road towards the southern exit, and then their route should be in the clear. The so-called General Zima can hear conversations among the pack. Anna and Natalya seem to be relieved that they'll finally leave this hellhole behind. Rosalind and Lada are eager to know what they will find beyond Chernobog. Morgana and Kevin seem to have remained quiet, and as she glanced at the defector, his eyes showed his own brand of relief, with a laidback look within. She can't see Morgana behind the bodies of her friends, but she's sure that he's still as casual as ever in his watchman status, even if he's free from it.

But, it seems the universe deemed that now would be the right time to answer Sonya's earlier musings, even if she'll never know. The U.S.S.G (Kevin included) emerged from the alleyways, surveying their surroundings to find that the coast is clear, free from Reunion or any crazy rioters. Before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, the ground beneath them shook once more, and a loud sound can be heard from the north.

"Aaaaah! What was that?!" Lada cried out as she covered her ears.

"I don't know! That was a real loud one, that's for sure! Ground's even shaking up!" Rosalind exclaimed hurriedly.

"Everyone! Look!"

Anna pointed towards what seemed to be the source of the sound. As the ground began to calm down, large billows of smoke came from the northwest in shades of black and an unnatural red. Judging by the distance, the only place that came to mind that has suffered that explosion was…

"Hey! Isn't that the road leading from the plaza? Morgana, that was where Rhodes Island's crew was, right?!" Sonya hastily questioned Morgana as sweat dripped from her cheek.

"Yep. No question on that." Morgana answered calmly, in which she narrowed her eyes at before slackening.

"T-hat is quite a dastardly explosion. I doubt anyone caught in the blast radius would survive, especially of that magnitude." Natalya commented in a slightly rattled manner.

"Then let's hope it's those Reunion assholes that got hit by that blast. Considering that explosion, something tells me the situation is only gonna get worse the longer we just sit around doing nothing."

"Yup! I mean, we just rested up! I don't think we can afford to rest again until we reach the exit. We reach the goal and we're home free!"

"I agree with you, hundred percent! Let's roll!"

Sonya was quite irked with Kevin giving the command, but at that point, they're so close that she wasn't going to question it, so they began to move once more. Unbekownst to everyone, Morgana was smiling the entire time as they walked, unaware that he was the only one who knew the source of the explosion.

'Typical Ren. Show off. Of course you'd pull a Showtime, but that strong? Good grief.'

The feline can only shake his head at the thought of Ren smiling as he walked away from the explosion that he caused like those badasses in action. The amusing thought was stopped abruptly when they finally reached their destination. A military base that has been repurposed as a transport hub for those who wish to depart from or enter Chernobog. Beyond the transport hub lie the docking mechanisms should the Chernobogians wish to link with another city, other than that, there are transport aircrafts should the mechanism be out of commission, but there are barely any transports in sight.

Well, save for the transport helicopters parked in the middle of the hub near the hangar area. The students can see a group of people in different slews of attire. Before them was their chance of salvation, and there is no way in hell they're going to fuck this up.

Which is why they decided to huddle up and discuss their next course of action.

"Hey, those are the Rhodes Island guys, right?" Sonya began the discussion.

"From the looks of it, yes. Judging by the numbers, they must be the reserves."

"Reserves? What do you mean, Morgana?" Lada curiously asked.

"Backup teams, Lada. They must have been charged with guarding the transports."

"Should we just walk up to them and ask if they're Rhodes Island people?" Rosalind came with her own suggestion."

"No. Doing that will only cause suspicion towards us, why don't we omit the fact that we know of them?"

"I don't mean to undermine your suggestion, Anna. But what are we to do with the good Kevin here?" All eyes turned to Kevin as Natalya uttered that inquiry.

"Kid's right over here. I don't know if it's clear enough, but Reunion has become Rhodes Island's enemy number one after the whole skirmishes they endured. They see me, and there's a high chance I'd be dead."

Kevin's words made Sonya put on a thinking cap, and after a while, he turned to face Morgana. The feline smiled towards him, and both them turned to face Kevin, both of them staring at the Airborne Soldier in a menacing manner.

"What?"

Minutes would pass as Sonya and Morgana roped the other members of the U.S.S.G into convincing Kevin to take on a very "special" role in convincing Rhodes Island to take them all in. Obviously enough, the Airborne Soldier put up heated rebuttals against such a role that he deemed would get his head blown off. But after a bunch of promises laden with what he was sure were lies, as well as great encouragement from Anna and Natalya, Kevin let out a heavy tired sigh as he finally agreed. Which is why now he's over at the front approaching the group with the girls and cat, taking on the very "special" role…

"Hey… who's there?"

"Let's go check it out!"

…of being their spokesperson.

"This… is going to suck."

"You'll be fine! You didn't die to Sonya's axe before, so this should be a breeze!"

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one who had friends that killed their friends!"

"Shut up! They're coming!"

The people who ran towards them both had weapons, and that made Kevin sweat harder than before. A spear-wielding Kuranta girl who wore a blue casual dress with a Rhodes Island coat on top with her ID on her neck like a long necklace, and a blade-wielding feline girl wearing a short dark dress. The moment they realize who they're dealing with, both girls had different degrees of alert in their eyes, and Kevin was moments away from uttering silent prayers.

"Hey, what's a Reunion goon like you doing all the way here? What are you planning to do with those civilians?"

"Fang, I… don't think he means any harm. He looks so tired."

The feline girl's words made Kevin mentally scream to the heavens in gratitude as he cried out.

"Finally! Someone who finally gets it! Kid, you have no idea how much you made my day with that comment!"

"Eh? Uh…you're welcome?"

The Feline girl was taken aback by Kevin's outburst, while the lancer Fang looked at him as if he was insane. The girls held various degrees of worry while some just outright facepalmed. Morgana was sure he heard Sonya say "Cyka blyat" at that moment.

"OK… That doesn't really answer why you're here, but at least we now know you had a quite a day. Again, why are you here?" Fang asked once more, ignoring Kevin who steadied his breath.

"Let's just say, I'm a defect, and I took shelter with these kids when the Catastrophe was about to hit. I got to know them better a bit as we took shelter, and it turns out these kids with me planned to escape Chernobog. Our goals are the same, so we decided to join up and come to here after hearing of you guys. Of course, our meeting didn't come without its downs…"

"I can see that."

Fang rolled her eyes as Kevin glanced at Sonya who held a bloodied axe. Now that she thought about it, the group before her was a very outlandish bunch. A Reunion soldier with a jetpack that claimed to have defected, a brown haired rowdy Ursus who had an axe, a monocle-wearing Ursus who looked very anxious, a yellow haired Ursus holding a frying pan and a vault door, a white haired Ursus carrying an awfully conspicuous piece of siege equipment, and a dark haired Ursus who looked like the only normal girl of the bunch. What's even more suspicious is that everyone was stained with blood, and that set the lancer on edge.

"Fang?"

"Melantha? What's up?"

"They have a cat with them."

The Feline girl, now known as Melantha had scurried to the sight of the group, and from there she can see Morgana sitting primly as he stared at her. The Guard Operator knelt down as she began to pet his head, much to his delight as he began to purr.

"So adorable…"

"Ah, have you taken a liking to Morgana? He's part of us as well. A real smart cat, and these girls can vouch for him." Kevin succinctly introduced Morgana to the Operators.

"Yup! And he's a self-sufficient one too! Never forgets to exercise and eat properly!" Rosalind came quickly with the vouches, filling the cat with pride.

"I see. You people seem like a good bunch, all things considered. With that said, let me ask you something, Mr. Defector."

Fang's eyes were filled with scrutiny, giving Kevin an idea of what question she's gonna throw out.

"How the hell did you know that we are going to be here? What makes you so sure that you're not just serving as a decoy for those bloodthirsty guys?"

Kevin can only sigh as he gave his own answer.

"Look, you won't like what you're about to hear, but info circulates fast in Reunion. With how big their numbers are, it's easy for them to gather info, especially when they're everywhere. I just decided to use that info for my, and their own benefit. It goes around so fast it's ridiculous."

"Not really painting this situation in the best of lights, are you? You do know what you're implying, right?" The lancer narrowed her eyes at the Airborne Soldier, adding to the intensity of the situation. The fact that Reunion possibly knows the position of the main rescue team can place them in grave danger if they knew where their extraction point was. The run-in they had with the group of Sarkaz mercenaries earlier didn't help with the case at all.

"I'm not even going to bother lying when the lives of children and one cat are on the line. One of my ex-comrades literally stepped on the cat and attempted to kill him in front of the girls. Not to mention how they've been parading around like madmen right in the middle of a Catastrophe. If that isn't a surefire sign that it's time I bail from that crazy movement, then I don't know what is."

There was a surefire glint on Kevin's eyes that spoke of his seriousness in high degree. At first glance, he looked like a laidback person. One who minded his own business and just wanted to get things over with fast. Hearing him now gave Fang a look on his more serious side, being more forward in no mood for any form of bullshit. The Kuranta Vanguard slackened her grip on her spear as she sighed.

"OK, I'm willing to trust you for now. But, you better be coming with only these 5 girls-"

"And cat." Kevin quickly added.

"…and cat. You can probably tell, but we're not in the best of conditions. Any word of Reunion ambushing us here on the spot, and you'll be instantly put in the hot seat. Understand?"

"Got it." Kevin nodded to Fang's warning, much to her approval.

"Great. Let's go back to the others, Mel. This lot is coming with us."

"Oh. Can I take the cat with me?"

"Gotta ask the Ursus girls for that."

Melantha looked at the Ursus Student Self-Government Group. All of them gave a mix of nods, smiles, and shrugs while Morgana just nodded. The captain of Reserve Ops Team E4 nodded appreciatively as she hugged the cat.

"Thank you…"

- Take Your Time -

"Well, ready to say we're finally home free?"

"Don't be so sure, Sonya. It hasn't been set in stone yet."

"Don't be such a blowout, Anna. I'd be damned if you jinx us."

"Just don't argue too loud. The others are sleeping."

It had almost been an hour since they have officially encountered Rhodes Island. They had hoped that they'd be instantly admitted into their cause, but of course it wasn't so easy. Zima should have known better when Morgana told them they were backup teams. It obviously means that their leader is not within their numbers, and that they have to wait for him/her if they're gonna make it official. Hence, they were told to recuperate in one of the transport helicopters, a lengthy model that had two rotor blades above with the door installed on one side. Morgana didn't know what is the closest Earth model the heli is similar to, but compared to the amount of relief and joy that washed over the student group as they finally reached destination made it irrelevant. Lada and Natalya practically cried in joy while Rosalind was jumping around giddily. Anna herself shed a tear, while Sonya let out a sigh. Almost everyone was eager to know what Rhodes Island is gonna be like, but they curbed their curiosities in favor of patience.

But then boredom and fatigue assaulted the girls like a tidal wave due to the mental stress they endured. Natalya, Rosalind, and Lada has fallen asleep side-by-side after 20 minutes along with the pilot, while Anna just continued to read as always. Sonya just opted to borrow a book from Anna, but stopped after the next 25 minutemark and ending up being the most bored out of everyone inside.

"Dammit, I know it feels great to be free at long last, but now I feel bored out of my ass. Now that I think about it, what the hell happened to that Kevin guy anyway?"

"Those Rhodes Island people held him back for interrogations, apparently."

"Guess it can't be helped when you pretty much presented yourself as a former enemy based on circumstance. But for him to be held back this long?"

With Kevin's status as a presumable ex-Reunion, it was no question that he was held back from recuperating with the girls. In contrast, he has to stay with the backup teams until the main team comes back for questioning. With his demeanor, however. Everyone was certain that he would be extremely uncomfortable and would sweat down a waterfall. Sonya can only let out a grunt as she turned to Morgana.

"Hey, Morgana. How long do you think your temporary membership will last with us?"

"What do you mean?" Morgana tilted his head.

"Temporary membership, remember? Back when we first met? You said that you prefer being a temporary member of our student group. How long do you think that will last?"

Morgana can only chuckle at that question, causing Sonya to be confused.

"At this point? Forget temporary membership. I prefer if we keep it permanent."

"…I'm sorry what?" Sonya and Anna's eyes widened at Morgana's statement, in which he continued.

"Sonya, I've been through a lot of things with you guys ever since I got watchman duty. From you stopping by whenever I'm on watch, learning with Anna, bedtime stories with Lada, Rosalind's brags, and Natalya's tea times, I'm sure our bonds stretch out more from just a leader and his recruit. I mean, we went hunting together, travelled around town and even survived a Catastrophe together for crying out loud! Wouldn't it make sense when it's better to say we are all best friends now? Even if our paths split, you can never forget our bonds through the memories we share. So, forget all the temporary membership nonsense and just throw me into the student group for life, alright?"

For such a sappy speech, Morgana has once again raised a lot of points that can be proven so easily. Sonya wouldn't admit this outright, but she was touched by how Morgana would willingly be a member of the U.S.S.G despite all the bullshit they all went through. He could have just chosen to end his membership here and there, but he decided to stick with her pack even after she was certain their partnership will end right then and there. She was positively grateful for his words, and judging by Anna's expression, she felt the same.

"By the way, when we return to civilization, don't expect to stick around with you guys frequently anymore. I may be a member, but I'm still a cat! I like being independent!"

And all forms of sentimentality got kicked out of the door at that sentence. Classic Morgana, and Sonya can only laugh.

"Fine, fine, Morgana. Guess you're now officially a member. Do us a favor and scope out the backup teams for us, will you? We wait any longer and I'm gonna yell out of my lungs."

"Whatever you say, General."

With his newest order given as an official permanent member, Morgana leapt out of the heli, smiling as he started hearing small talk between the leader and the bookworm. Honestly, it would be dumb if he were to cut ties with the Self-Government Group after getting this far, hence why he decided to reaffirm his membership with Sonya and her friends. He's also hoping that through Rhodes Island, the girls will have their psychological issues alleviated somewhat, and he'll do all he can to help.

Right now though, he's busy scoping out the reserve teams, but most of them were not in sight, with only two Snipers in sight. One was a rabbit girl named Kroos and an angel named Adnachiel, and both of them were keeping Kevin in custody. He found another group which was far more interesting though.

"So please, let me sign up with you guys along with the students. We don't have anyone else to turn to should you refuse."

"Hmm… What do you think, Amiya, Doctor?"

"I think we should trust his words, Instructor. I know Dr. Kal'tsit will not be pleased since we brought in people unrelated to our mission, but I'm sure she'll understand!"

"Especially since we have the lives of children on the line. I know he's claiming to have defected from Reunion, but it's pretty telling of his stance if he decides to bring the students to us instead of Reunion. I say we take them all in."

It was the main team back at the plaza, Ren's team. It brought him joy to know that he and his team survived, and looked as if they were in some deep shit. Why wouldn't they, when they had a run-in with Reunion's main force? The woman in black that he had seen earlier entered a state of deep thought before nodding.

"Very well. Just remember. You two will take responsibility should Dr. Kal'tsit demand why we brought in 6 extra people in our mission." That warning was received with nods from both Amiya, the rabbit girl, and Ren.

"By the way, I should tell you guys that the girls brought a cat with them. You're not gonna kick him out of the ship, are you? He's become a very special friend for the girls."

"We won't! Don't worry about it, Mr. Kevin."

"Alright, you can talk more after we get you properly situated, Kroos, take him away."

"Haaaaai~"

The sleepy looking Sniper nodded drowsily as she grabbed Kevin by the arm, leading him towards the transport heli designated for the Reserve Ops. Ren in the meantime decided to ask a question.

"Can I see the girls?"

"Yes, Doctor. The girls are over at the recon team's transport." Adnachiel replied clearly, with Amiya exhibiting a sad smile along with a sigh from his lips.

"Right. Amiya, you go on ahead to Ace and the others. You too, Adnachiel. I'll catch up later."

"Okay, Doctor."

"Alright."

Both Operators nodded as they returned to their respective transports. Ren in the meantime decided to head to the student group's transport heli before returning to VIP heli, reserved for team E3, Amiya, Dobermann, and himself. Morgana decided to make himself known once there's no one else nearby, and inched closer towards him as he also returned to Sonya and the others. With the distance in footing, however. Ren soon caught up, and picked him up with his hands.

"A cat, huh? Are you their cat that Kevin told me about? They must have been so bored waiting for me and the guys to wrap up and get you guys out of here."

"You tell me. It's almost a full hour. Really took your time out there, huh?"

If Ren hadn't had the experience of having a talking cat, he would have been surprised. But his eyes widened for a different reason as he stared at the cat before him. The cat was different, or rather, insanely familiar.

"M… Morgana? Is that you?"

"Live in the flesh, Ren ol' buddy. Look, as much as we both sorely want to catch up and wonder why am I here, we can do so after we get out of here, alright? You should go greet the girls. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you, but act as if we haven't met before."

"…Right. Still, it's good to see you again, Morgana. After such a long time, even."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Ren."

Even though they haven't met in forever, Morgana is still the same as ever. He didn't know how he ended up with the students Kevin showed up with, they'll have all the time in the world once they return to the Ark. Together, they walked at a relaxed pace as they went to the recon team's heli. Once they got close, Morgana leapt inside, and Ren peeked in to find girls inside. 3 of them were sleeping, one of them was reading, and one of them had Morgana on her lap as she lazily stared at him.

"You're one of those Rhodes Island guys, right? You sure took your sweet time."

"Yeah, we got held up by a bunch of undesirables, so you gotta cut us some slack. Name's Ren, by the way. What's yours?"

"Sonya, and don't you forget that. Why are you here?"

"Just planning to pay you guys a visit, and looks to me you guys went through hell and back. I won't ask you about that though."

"Good, because none of us are really in mood for some shitty flashbacks here." Sonya wearily spoke, while Ren only smiled.

"Got a bit of sailor's tongue, huh? I like that bite. Just don't spit it too much."

Sonya can only nod lazily as she stared at the man before him. Frizzy hair, handsome face, looks to be nearing the young adult stage, and a calm, casual demeanor. Beyond that though, the General can only wince at how his clothes looked. So many bloodstains, burn marks, and a tired complexion. A man with this kind of look would mean he has gone through an even bigger hell than she did, yet he still took time to pay them a brief visit before leaving? She can only look at him with sympathy and pity.

"You done here?" Her words betrayed what she felt towards him though.

"Yeah. Wake up that pilot, by the way. We're about to leave. Also, take good care of Morgana. A good talking cat like him comes every once in a while. So long."

Sonya and Anna had a look of surprise as they both stared at Morgana. The feline himself looked at Ren in a faux pissed look for throwing him under the bus. Ren can only chuckle as he departed from the heli, arms crossed behind his back as he closed the door.

"Well… that was unexpected." Anna was the first to speak, adjusting her monocle.

"OK, I get that he knows your name considering your collar. But how the hell did he know you can talk? The hell happened, Morgana?" Sonya stared at the cat as if she's trying to pierce him.

"Let's be honest. The cat's gonna come out of the bag sooner or later! What's the problem in telling one single person? Everyone in Rhodes will know soon anyway!" Morgana evasively replied, much to Sonya's chagrin.

"Goddammit, Morgana. You know what? Forget this, let's wake this fatass up."

The unfortunate issue is that the pilot is a heavy sleeper, and it eventually took a swift smack on the head to knock him out of his stupor, and he shot up in a panic. A minute would pass before the comms lit up, issuing commands for liftoff. In his haste, the pilot revved up the motors and ignited the engine. The rotor blades soon whirred up in speed, eventually raising its altitude along with the other helis, and soon embarked from the Southern Chernobog Exit. Sonya looked outside the window, the ground getting smaller as they rose up onto the sky, reminiscent of memories she was so fond of, and memories she sorely wanted to forget. Anna eventually went to sleep as well, leaving Sonya and Morgana the only ones awake.

"We're finally out of this hellhole." Sonya spoke wistfully.

"Yeah. I doubt anyone would want to remain here after the Catastrophe."

"No shit. It'd be hell to stay with all those rocks around. You'd end up being hunted by the army for being Infected."

"Uh-huh. Makes you wonder about it. They say it's a beacon of civility, when they show blatant inequality. It's a shame isn't it?" Morgana spoke in lamentation.

"You know I don't do well with that shit, Morgana. But yeah, I can agree."

Sonya nodded as she turned towards the window. Below them now are the vast expanses of the desert, reaching far as the sun began to rise high onto the skies of noon. She hasn't thought far on what she'll do from now on, but she knows that no matter what, she'll be by her friends' sides through thick and thin, no matter what.

Meanwhile, in another heli…

"It can't be…"

"Scout…no…"

"Shit! Logos ain't gonna take this well. Damn you, Scout!"

"It is a shame that we have lost a good ally in this dark day. We must make sure to pay our respects to our fallen when we return."

"Agreed. Only way to honor their sacrifice is to keep moving forward. We're not gonna let their deaths be in vain."

It had been tough to break the news of the deaths of the recon team to the other, and Ren knows that everyone fell into a melancholic mood, especially Ace who looked especially downtrodden. He may not know him well, but he knows that he had a special place in the hearts of everyone present except him. Perhaps he was a good person in life too, he thought.

"To another matter, what will we do about the Chernobogian students? I do not doubt that they have suffered traumatic experiences judging by their description." Nearl spoke in regard to Sonya's group.

"They will go through the interviews, much like any applicant. I don't doubt that most of them will end up in Logistics, but after listening to Fang's report, some of them may end up being combat Operators as well." Dobermann answered in a concise manner.

"What about Mr. Kevin, Instructor?" It was Amiya's turn to ask.

"We will have to test his combat capabilities extensively after the interviews. With him being ex-Reunion, there is no doubt that he has some experience. We'll need to see first before we delegate him to the proper Operator Class, if he passes."

"I see. Well, we may have hit a few bumps, had some losses that are lamentable, but, is it safe to say that the Operation is a success?"

Amiya turned to face Ren with a smile.

"Yes, Doctor. Ultimately, even though we had a share of surprises, we managed to get you out of Chernobog safe and sound!"

"And we managed to rescue 5 students, a cat, and an ex-Reunion on top of it. It's worthy of a 4-star ranking, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hmhm!"

Everyone had a chuckle at how Ren perceived the overall end to the mission. The Doctor himself looked outward at the horizon from the window, the first bright sky he's seen in Terra, and he can't help but smile as well.

'A 4 star ranking indeed. You have managed to surpass my expectations, Joker. Never have I been impressed before.' Shadow's words resounded in his mind.

'Nice to know that I have made you proud.' Ren spoke back sarcastically.

'Do not let this momentary satisfaction lead you to complacency. Soon we will have more battles to lead, and more victories to be had. Do not disappoint me. For now, enjoy your moment of peace, for it is but a rare delicacy in this banquet of chaos.'

Ren can only sigh at Shadow's cold advice as he retreated back to his Sea of Souls. Shadow is right, his retrieval is but the first step in his quest of reformation, and he has gained new allies in the form of Morgana and the Ursus students. If he's going to succeed, he'll need all the help he can get. For now, he languished in his seat as he stared outside, enjoying the view before facing the trials that are to come.

- Take Your Time –

"I believe I have gathered every single footage I can possibly get, Philemon."

"Excellent work. I ask that you omit the ones that involve the ones known as the Doctor. Can you do that?"

"Sure, sure. Still, can't believe you dragged me out of the woodworks to be born again in some crazy world loaded with animal people, turn me into one, and then drag me out AGAIN out of my cozy info broker life in Siracusa all the way to the place I wanted to get away from the most. What's wrong, Mr. "Kaleidus"? I thought you've sworn yourself into the watcher life. Look at you. You're no better than a human here!"

"I understand your concerns, Rumormonger. But this is the first time I have to personally play a hand into the matter. Time is of the essence, as I do not know when he'll awaken once more. Repairing the link between the Sea of Souls and Terra will take great time, and I will need all the help I can get."

"So bad that you, the big man himself, had to step in? Fine. I'd be damned if that tentacled freak shows up and tries to blow this world to shit like last time. So let me guess, you're gonna make me drop this to the Yenwu for this so-called negotiations?"

"No, I will have someone else deliver the footage. Thank you for all your hard work."

"Finally. And what are you gonna do?"

"…I think it's time I paid a visit to the Knights of the Ark myself."

ACT 1

SHOW TIME

END

Nighttime review reading!

Rambukala: Yes. Cats, dogs, and every domestic animal exist, just look at the intro loading screens. Let's hope for easy Rosmontis when the time comes.

R-EWF: You're pretty much my most ardent supporter in making this, and for that, thanks, it means a lot. Let's hope I can reach those points in time.

Sulphur99: Yes. Gacha is indeed hell.

Wordbound: The Axiom willed this coincidence. And yep. Kevin only wants peace.

bahrithariq: I appreciate your concern, and nice.

For those who got Surtr and/or Maria, congratulations.

Anyway, I knew I made the right call when splitting the CoU chapters. I highly doubt you people would be able or want to read 26K worth of text in one chapter (Though I may be underestimating). And finally Evil Time comes to an end! Initiate the fireworks! Make it rain with LMD! Thanks for sticking with me this far!

I'll have to say that I'm doing a very risky move with the foreshadowing. I've seen very few Persona fan fictions where Philemon shows up, but I'm probably the first person to ever drag the Progenitor of Personas into the open field like this. And with circumstances such as this, I just hope I don't botch his delivery up, every time he shows up. He's the big man himself for crying out loud!

With that said, after this, it's Chapter 2 next! With 3 days to go for before arriving in Lungmen, how will Ren spend his time on the Ark with Morgana and everyone else? What does Philemon have in mind for the people of Rhodes Island? The derby is still high, and the Gloompincer Cages will be open soon, so ready those tickets!

And remember. Take your time.