Epilogue

'The Red Flag' Bar & Grill, Kiev Green Zone, a few days later...

A light breeze blew in from behind the Commander and RO635 as they stepped into the small storefront. It was a brisk, but still unusually warm autumn day in the city. Muted sunlight shined onto the streets from behind the thin cirrostratus clouds above, a soft wind kicked up scattered leaves, sending them swirling across the relatively empty sidewalks. It was a calm, peaceful Saturday afternoon, something that the Commander had grown to deeply appreciate with all that had happened.

As an apology for the "glitch", both the Commander and RO had been granted a weekend of leave, something that the Commander hadn't seen since he had signed on with the company. The two of them had spent the morning sleeping in late, and now it was time for a late lunch after arriving in the city.

RO wore a more casual outfit for their outing, sporting a yellow fleece over a low-cut tank-top along with a pair of tight-fitting jeans, the former concealing a Glock 20 in a shoulder-rig. She still carried along her bag, however, housing her Noveske along with her Griffin ID badge in case of any trouble. With Law Enforcement more understaffed and overburdened than ever, personal bodyguards and private security details were a common enough sight to not raise any eyebrows. The Commander himself wore a simple hoodie and cargo-pants, not a particularly stylish look, but it did well to conceal the FNX-45T he had holstered inside of his waistband.

The restaurant was relatively quiet, it being well after lunch rush. A few clusters of patrons dotted the interior, but for the most part, they had their choice in seating. RO and the Commander made their way to a table in a quiet corner with a view of the door and took their seats, RO taking the seat facing the door while the Commander sat perpendicular to it, his back facing the wall.

After a long week, it was finally time to relax. Despite all of the pain and suffering that it had started off with, the Commander still came out on top. Had Kryuger and Helian found out that Kalina had tampered with the system herself, her punishment would have undoubtedly been severe, and not wanting to have to replace his otherwise reliable and diligent logistics officer, the Commander and Kalina made themselves a "gentlemen's agreement" in which Kalina would be punished on the Commander's terms. One of these terms involved getting a "freebie" from Kalina's little side operation. The Commander smiled slightly as his eyes fell upon the ring on his girlfriend's finger, glimmering softly in the light as she perused the menu.

It was their first outing as an actual couple, and likely the only time for a long while that they would be able to openly act like one as opposed to having to tiptoe around and keep their relationship low-profile. The Commander had no interest in hearing a lecture about fraternization from Helian, or Persica, who was now residing in his outpost, reverse engineering a goliath to chase after him after getting wind of what he was up to with her "daughter". No matter, they'd enjoy the moment while it lasted, they'd go for a walk around the city after this, and then stop by the theater and see a movie that RO was interested in.

RO gazed up from the menu. "You're not going to see what you want?"

RO's voice snapped the Commander out of his thoughts. "...Right, I spaced out for a second there."

"...It really feels strange, doesn't it? Us out and about like this...having lunch together, no mission we need to go on..."

"Nobody getting their heads stuck in the vents, no animal hordes escaping the rescue station, no 416 getting into M16's liquor cabinet."

RO chuckled softly. "This'll take some getting used to...just being...'normal'...for once."

It really did feel almost too good to be true, a quiet afternoon away from the base, no paperwork that needed to be done, no reports he needed to write, no operations he needed to run, and no bored dolls running about causing mayhem. There was also her...Maybe it was the atmosphere and the fact that he didn't feel like he had a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head for the first time in months, but RO looked especially pretty today. The way her raven-black hair splayed on her slightly exposed shoulder, the warm smile on her flawless face, her vibrant and colorful eyes that seemed to smile along with her lips...He wasn't going to let anything ruin this day for them. He was going to put everything related to work in a box and enjoy the time that they had together, even if it was little more than the eye of a hurricane. Today, they were going to be a normal couple having a fun day together.

Sensing a presence, the Commander's eyes turned to find a waiter approaching their table.

Almost normal...

"Hello my friends, how are you doing today? My name is Alexei, I will be taking care of you two today. Could I start you off with something to drink?"

The Commander and RO exchanged uncomfortable glances.

Casting aside the elephant in the room, RO broke the silence. "I'll have an iced coffee with cream and sugar."

"I'll...uh...have a cola." The Commander said, sizing up the waiter with his eyes. "Um...I'm sure you get this question a lot, but...Is there something I should...know about this place?" He asked the waiter, who was standing before him in a full-suit of EOD blast armor.

The green mass of padded-armor plates towered over them, gazing upon them through a tinted reinforced visor. "Following a string of, er...'incidents', our owner has seen fit to take some 'precautionary measures'. The suit is one of them, but you will also notice that all of the tables have been bullet-proofed to a standard of, eh...what did he say...'Level Four'...I think that is supposed to stop big bullets, yes? Should those fail, the bar has also been bullet-proofed, supposedly that can take up to 20-milimeter bullets...Ah, but I have not seen it tested. If you ask me, I believe the owner is just paranoid, I believe it was just a couple of incidents and now his insurance is getting a little rattled."

The Commander nodded slowly as the waiter spoke. "Right...What kind of 'incidents'?"

"I think it started when some political bigwig visited here, then some cultist guys rolled up and shot the place up. Then, apparently some PMCs belonging to some Genshin chick or whoever that were guarding the politician snatched up the cashier after it got blown to pieces - the restaurant that is, not the cashier...though...he never did say what ended up happening to the boy..." Alexei recalled.

"And this has happened more than once?" RO asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, the same-ish thing happened two or three times after that as well, some PMCs stop in here for a bite, then some cultists roll up, blast the front of the restaurant open and turn the place into the O.K. Corral...Anyways, that's why we're all suited up like walking brick-shithouses and all our furniture has been built like the side of a tank, but this was all a while ago now. I think the owner is just paranoid by this point, nothing of the sorts has happened since I started working here."

"...And, how long have you been working here?" The Commander asked.

"Two weeks...Well, it will be on Monday, at least...Anyways, let me go ahead and get you your drinks."

As the waiter waddled off, the Commander turned to RO. "Genshin...Wait, Gentiane?! What the hell has she been up to?"

"I didn't even know she was still around, I haven't heard anything about her since the joint operation."

"Well, I guess it would explain why she's been scarce around these parts if she's gone and pissed off the locals..."

"I suppose...those Cultists, do you think they were talking about Paradeus?"

The Commander shrugged. "Could be, but in today's world, you couldn't throw a stick without hitting an armed doomsday cult with a vendetta against a politician, so there's no way confirm it."

The Commander tried to give the table a quick shake, and found that it was heavy, that waiter wasn't kidding, he was surprised that the legs could even hold this thing up.

Hoping to change the subject, RO's attention returned to the menu. "So, have you decided what you want, yet?"

"Not quite, but you can order whatever you want, RO. Everything's on Kalina, today."

"Hmm, I might just take advantage." RO's tone had a vengeful air about it.

"You're even more sore about it than I am at this point, and I almost got blown up...What exactly was that photo?"

"You will never know..." RO sternly replied.


Griffin & Kryuger Sector 09 Command Post, 10 days earlier...

RO knocked firmly on the door to the Commander's quarters. "Commander? Are you in there?...Commander, your new coat is here...Commander?"

No response.

"Huh...Where could he be? Don't tell me he's pulling another all-nighter..." RO sighed as she looked around indecisively. It would be a fairly long walk from here to the Operations Room, and SOP-II was being especially hyperactive today, enough so that she didn't want to be leaving her unattended for too long.

She had the keycard to his room, what the heck, she'd just go in and hang it up, he's not going to mind.

The reader gave an affirmative chime as RO swiped her card through it, and the door unlocked with a click. She opened the door to find the lights off and not a soul in sight, as she suspected. After shutting the door behind her, she made her way to the wardrobe and swung it open. Leaning down to clear the way so she could hang up the new coat, she felt something land on her head. She jerked back to find her reflection staring at her from the mirror on the inside of the door, the Commander's red beret sat on her head, she must have had knocked it down by mistake.

As she laid her hand on it to take it off, she found herself straightening it instead while gazing at her reflection...

After a period of silence, her eyes turned to the red coat she was holding in her hands...She wondered...

She'd just see how it would look on her...it's not like he was going to know...

RO slowly and hesitantly dropped her yellow jacket to the floor, and slipped into the coat...

It was big on her, she let the collar hang behind her shoulders like she did her regular jacket. Her brown sleeveless sweater looked a little tacky with it...It would go a lot better with something black...

No, what the hell am I doing...

RO shifted around indecisively.

Argh! Hell with it! Just satisfy my curiosity and get out of here before someone walks in on this!

After pulling her sweater off over her head, RO quickly slipped the coat back on, the G&K beret sitting on her head and the red coat draping down her shoulders, her jet black bra complimenting the vibrant red of the coat. RO once again gazed at the reflection, completely oblivious to a certain OGAS that had looped her feed of the spot that she was standing in...


Kiev Green Zone Warehouse District, Present Day...

"Brothers! The time has come to prove our allegiance!"

The leader of the mass of cultists stood on a pedestal in front of the gathering on the ground floor of the warehouse, a large screen towered above him. On this large screen, a picture of a woman was displayed, a red beret was worn over her long black hair (Save for a single silver bang by her crimson right eye, which especially stood out compared to her amber left eye) that was styled into twintails, a vibrant red overcoat sagged past her slender shoulders, doing little to hide her voluptuous figure, underneath it was little more than a lacey black bra which gave the photo the appearance of some kind of pinup.

"Thanks to the valiant efforts of our intelligence team, you all know our target!" The leader continued to shout as he motioned up to the screen. "This woman is the Commander responsible for interfering with our master's plans! She must be eliminated! We will bring her head back to our great leader, and we shall ascend to paradise, just as he has promised us!"

Rallying the crowd, the leader raised his fist in the air.

"Death to Griffin!"

The crowd raised their fists in solidarity and began to chant.

"Death to Griffin!"

"Death to Griffin!"

"Death to Griffin!"

"Death to Griffin!"

The cultists continued to chant as they filed to a fleet of suspiciously unsuspicious white vans, The bay doors shuttered open, and one by one, the vehicles drove out to their destination...


"Ugh...I'm worried that I'm going to be so lost during this one. I haven't had a chance to see any of the phase 10 movies yet." RO said with a dejected sigh.

"Not as lost as I'm going to be...I don't think I've seen any of these since the third Death16th movie...Jesus, that was almost 10 years ago now."

"Maybe we should hold off on seeing it..."

"The only other thing that's showing is 50 Fast 50 Furious with Boston Dynamics Vin Diesel, I'm good with seeing A-Rainers. The others are probably streaming now, maybe once we get back to the hotel we can catch up on them."

RO's cheeks darkened, knowing full well the Commander's intent. "Uh-huh...There's a lot of material to cover, we'll be at it for a while."

"Alright, I'm game."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ground quaking softly beneath them, the glassware and utensils rattled as the blast-suit clad waiter approached their table with their burgers, as well as the large plate of fries they were going to split.

"And here you two go, as you can see, nobody has come to blow us up yet." The waiter quipped.

"I don't mean to pry into his business, but...those cultists he mentioned, did he ever say what they looked like?" RO asked.

"Not really, all he told me is that they just rolled up in some kind of van, got out, and just started shooting up the place...a van like...Kind of like that van parked across the street over there." The Waiter gestured to an unmarked van sitting across the street as its front and rear doors swung open, giving way to the group of gun-toting white armor-clad men filing out of it.

The Commander nodded as he sipped on his cola. "Oh, okay, I gotcha...Hey, wait a minute..."

Not only did the Commander notice, but just about everybody else in the restaurant did too.

Customers audibly groaned and rolled their eyes, some of them angrily murmured amongst each other.

"This again? Didn't this place just reopen?"

"Another one? Come on, even Roanapur wasn't this bad!"

Everybody casually set their food and drinks onto the floor and tilted their tables towards the entrance. Patrons at the bar climbed behind it, grabbing their drinks as they sat down behind the counter. There wasn't a single trace of panic, unease, or urgency in anybody...Except for what the Commander presumed to be the owner.

"Oh no...No...No!...NO! NOOO! NOT THIS, NOT AGAIN!" The man screamed from behind the bar.

He quickly bent behind the counter, the sounds of rifling could be heard before he quickly resurfaced holding a large machine gun that the Commander instantly recognized as an M240B. The lengthy belt of .308 rattled as it dangled from the side of the gun while the owner trained it on the cultists massing outside the restaurant.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!" The owner screamed, before a roaring thunder shook the entire building. The glass storefront shattered, shards of glass raining to the floor in unison with an endless downpour of shell-casings from the GPMG.

Before the cultists could so much as raise their weapons, the storefront gave way to a raging torrent of high-velocity gunfire. Blood-curdling screams filled the air as most of the force was cut to ribbons on the spot, chunks of flesh and splatters of blood painted the streets and the vehicle behind them as the remainder of the squad desperately scrambled behind their vehicle.

"NOT THIS TIME, YOU FUCKERS! FROM HERE ON, ANY IDIOT WHO WANTS TO SHOW UP AND START SHOOTING UP THIS PLACE HAD BETTER BE DAMNED WELL PREPARED TO GO TO WAR!"

Shots ripped through the van's frame like tissue paper, the glass on the windows shattered violently, the tires popped open before hissing softly as the vehicle drooped downwards. The screaming continued as the cultists behind the van were thoroughly perforated.

The owner began steadily marching out through the broken storefront windows, towards the mass of churned flesh and pooled blood where a handful of assailants were helplessly writhing on the ground.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN BLOW UP MY BUILDING?!" The owner screamed out before firing a volley of shots at one of the incapacitated cultists, finishing him on the spot.

"SHOOT UP MY RESTAURANT?!" He shouted again, firing another burst into a pile of bodies.

"NOBODY WILL EVEN FUCKING INSURE ME ANY MORE BECAUSE OF YOU LITTLE SHITHEADS! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THAT?! HUH?!"

The sound of whimpering from the other side of the van's engine-block caught the owner's attention. A pair of guns clattered to the floor as the two remaining survivors lost their nerve and tried to take off running down the street.

"OH, WHAT YOU LITTLE PISSANTS?! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST RUN AWAY AFTER PUTTING BULLETS IN THIS RESTAURANT?! YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING! YOU HEAR ME?!" The owner raved as he turned the machine gun on the fleeing cultists.

Another barrage of bullets violently ripped through their torsos as they dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks. The owner trudged intently towards the limp bodies, a loud rumble echoed through the streets as he unleashed another burst into their heads.

The owner leaned his head back and exhaled cathartically before the sound of an engine caught his attention - another van barreled towards him at high speed.

"Oh, you want more, huh? Don't worry, I brought enough for seconds!" The owner yelled as he trained the M240B on the approaching van.

Another thunderous barrage sounded. The van's grill sparked and clanged as bullets tore straight through it, the engine churned and chugged as it was ripped apart by the barrage, bullet-holes cracked through the windshield as the driver was ripped apart, his entire torso turned inside out into an unrecognizable mass of red sludge. Tires popped and hissed as the van careened wildly into a telephone pole with a resonating crunch, the horn blaring incessantly as what remained of the driver leaned against it. The forces inside the van desperately scrambled for the door, but the side of the van was immediately perforated by a hailstorm of bullets. Extremities exploded into chunks of red mist, blood and entrails flooded the floor as the force of bodies slamming to the floor caused the van to bounce on its suspension.

As the owner marched towards the van, he could hear the agonized moans and wails of the surviving crew. "Still hungry, huh?! Don't worry, I got some dessert too!"

The owner fished through his pouch before pulling out an M67 Frag, tore out the pin, and lobbed it through the shattered windshield. A brief scream sounded from inside before the cargo bay of the van exploded outwards like a meat-piñata.

More engines sounded from the distance, the owner turned to face the fleet of approaching vehicles. After loading a fresh belt into the GPMG, the owner confidently rolled his head to the side and cracked his neck in anticipation.


Meanwhile, back inside the restaurant, the Commander and his girlfriend sat behind their overturned table, weapons in hand as RO cautiously observed the scene transpiring outside.

"Think we should get out there and help him?" RO finally broke the silence.

More raving and cursing sounded outside, followed by another lengthy rumble, which was then followed by the sounds of tires squealing and metal crashing.

"Nah...He's got it under control, I think we should let him get it out of his system." The Commander answered before grabbing a fry off of the plate.

"Wha-Are you eating?" RO asked in bewilderment.

"I'm not letting these fuckers ruin my lunch that easily." The Commander affirmed.

RO sighed in disbelief she slightly shook her head. "You know what - pass me one of those, would you? And hand me my burger."

"You know, I can understand the regulars not freaking out, but I'm surprised about how chill you two are about this." Alexei commented as he sat behind a nearby table.

"By this point, I get more anxious when someone isn't shooting at me." The Commander shrugged.

"You, my friends, must lead some very interesting lives."

"That's definitely a way of putting it..."

"Say, do you happen to have an emergency exit?" RO interjected.

Alexei hesitated. "Well...we do, but...uh..."

Suddenly, the emergency exit in the kitchen was rammed open by more cultists, only for the door's opening to sheer a tripwire connected to a M18A1 Claymore. A deafening blast sounded as the small unit was eviscerated by the ensuing swarm of shrapnel.

RO shook her head. "That's at least seven workplace safety violations right there...Probably some health-code ones too."

The Commander trained his gun on the exit, waiting for any stragglers to show their heads. "Well, at least that took care of the trap, what do you say we make like a tree and-"

Suddenly, the entire door-frame of the emergency exit was violently smashed open as a Doppelsoldner, piloted by what was presumed to be the leader of the cell, crashed through the opening.

The Commander's eyes widened. "Uh...Hey, RO, maybe instead of a table, we should have a seat at the bar."

"I was just thinking the same thing!"

RO pulled the Commander to his feet, and the two made a mad dash for the bar as the mech's guns began to spool up, diving behind it just as a barrage of bullets tore through the restaurant.

Alexei frantically waddled behind them, hindered by the bulky suit. "Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!"

Bullets bounced off of the blast-suit as Alexei reached the countertop, trying to vault over it but only managing to flop onto the top of the bar. His arms and legs thrashed and flailed like an overturned tortoise as he tried to shift his weight forward. Finally, RO reached over and pulled him down, the ground quaked as he thudded to the floor.

"Thank you..." He deadpanned as he lay on his face, not even attempting to pull himself up.

After the barrage stopped, RO peaked over and fired a burst of return-fire, only for each shot to impotently bounce off of the mech's armor. RO groaned in frustration as she cursed being imprinted with a submachine gun in the age of combat androids, mechs, and full-body armor.

A fit of laughter erupted from the mech's speaker. "You're trying to take me on with that caliber?! Harsh language would be more effective than that pea-shooter, little girl!"

With those words, an idea suddenly dawned on the Commander.

RO could practically see the light-bulb going off over his head and sighed in disapproval. "Don't even say it..."

Another burst of gunfire flew over the counter, smashing the bottles of liquor on the shelf and raining shards of glass and splashes of alcohol on them.

The Commander shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Your adoring public is awaiting your debut, get out there and hit that high note."

RO sighed as she massaged her nose-bridge. "...Damn it."

RO reluctantly grabbed her megaphone, and slid the volume slider to its highest setting.

At the next break in the gunfire, RO stood, aimed the megaphone at the towering mech, and began to sing. "AAAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDD IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIII-"

"Wha-Holy shit, what is that sound?!" The mech's pilot cried out as he tore his hands away from the controls and covered his ears. "THE FUCK?! AARRRGGGHHH TURN THAT SHIT DOWN! AAAAAAAAAHHHHH GOD IT'S LOUD! LOOOUUUUDDD! PLEASE STOP!"

"WIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU-"

"OOOOOOOHHHHH GOD! MY EAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRSSSSSS! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The pilot screeched as he kicked and thrashed about the cockpit. Covering his ears did absolutely nothing at this point, the horrid demonic sound pierced his eardrums and into the very depths of his soul.

Suddenly, RO's voice broke and she stopped singing, coughing as she tried to clear her throat.

"Hey, RO, remember back at Paldiski when those Vympel guys were bringing that captured KCCO squad by, and MDR and her squad started dancing around them?"

"Oh my god..." RO sighed out as she recalled. "Don't you dare..."

"I'll take you to the nicest restaurant in town for dinner tomorrow. I'll take you out shopping and you can pick out whatever you want."

RO paused and internally debated.

Meanwhile, inside the mech, the pilot breathed erratically as he tried to regain his bearings. "Oh god...what the hell was that?! God that was horrible! Oh man my head, it burns! I need a Tylenol or something..."

"...Arrrrrggghhhh!" RO finally cried out and turned her megaphone back onto the Doppelsoldner. "CA-LI-FOR-NIA GIRLS, WE'RE UNFORGETTABLE! DAISY-DUKES, BIKINIS ON TOP! SUN-KISSED SKIN, SO HOT IT'LL MELT YOUR POP-SICLE-"

The pilot's irises narrowed down to small dots as his pupils widened. His face contorted into pure shock, desperation, and fear as the noise returned, more horrible than ever. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The bone-chilling scream could be heard even through RO's ear-piercing singing. "CA-LI-FOR-NIA GIRLS WE'RE UNDENIALBLE! FINE, FRESH, FIERCE, WE GOT IT ON LOCK-"

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!" The pilot desperately slammed his fist against the eject button, but the mech refused to respond.

Instead, the mech had, completely autonomously, curled up into the fetal position on the floor, clasping its hands over its auditory sensors. "Ow. Ow. Owie. Ow." The mech droned out in a robotic voice as it shook its head in pain.

The pilot desperately ripped at the control sticks and frantically mashed buttons. "STOOOOOPPPPP! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP!"

The pilot let out another blood-curdling scream as he slammed his fist against the cockpit glass, desperately trying to break it open. His fist bloodied and bruised as spats of blood and dead skin stuck against the glass. He kicked with all of his weight to the same effect.

After a few minutes, the pilot stopped struggling and let out a resigned sob. "I can't take it...I can't...take it...my father was right - I wasn't ready to pilot the Doppelsoldner...I only did it because if I didn't, Ray would have to do it..." The pilot sobbed.

The pilot reached under the seat and pulled out the shockwave shotgun he had stashed under it. Tears streaming from his eyes, he closed them as he turned the shotgun upwards, and rested his chin on top of the muzzle...

A blinding light flashed for a split-second inside of the cockpit before a mess of blood and gray-matter painted the inside of the canopy, followed instantly by the sound of a muffled blast.

"Jesus!" The Commander cried out. "What the hell was that about? You were singing Whitney Houston and Katy Perry, not Nirvana!"

"God, Commander..." RO shook her head.

After helping Alexei to his feet, RO and the Commander cautiously emerged from behind the bar.

"I think that was it..." The Commander finally said after a long silence.

"I guess there's never a dull moment, is there?" RO asked as she gazed upon the aftermath.

"Well, I don't think they'll try that one again, at the very least...We should probably get out of here."

The Commander then turned to Alexei. "I think you should find somewhere else to work."

"You don't need to tell me twice, I'm going to find a surplus store and sell off this suit, that'll keep me on my feet while I look for a new job."

With that, Alexei waddled out of the storefront, slowly and awkwardly trudging down the road before disappearing around the corner.

After a couple of minutes, the owner strode back inside, breathing deeply and cathartically as he stepped behind the counter and placed the M240B back in its place.

After looking around briefly, he turned to the Commander. "Where did that waiter go?"

"Oh, him?...He took off when the shooting started, probably long gone by now."

"Damn, what does it take to get some reliable help around here?" The owner spat before suddenly the phone began to ring. "Bao speaking...Afternoon Chief...Yep, another attack by those cultist freaks...Nah, it's all under control, you can continue with your golfing...Uh-huh...I'll stop by the station later and fill out the report..."

The owner sighed as he slammed the phone back on the hook. "Damned cultists...Why my damned restaurant out of all of them?!" He cursed before his eyes fell on the Commander and RO.

"Uh...Hey, don't look at me, I just came here for a burger." The Commander deflected.

"Listen, what's your name?" The owner asked.

"Look, it's not important." The Commander replied.

"Well, Mister 'Nat M. Portant', if I find out you had anything to do with this, I'm gonna track you down and weld your asshole shut! Now unless you're gonna help me clean this mess up, scram!"

The Commander gave a quick nod and gave RO's arm a light tug. "Come on, let's make ourselves scarce."

The Commander and RO briskly walked off to put as much distance between themselves and the aftermath of the carnage as they could.

"So...what do we do now?" RO finally asked after they had gotten a distance away.

The Commander checked his watch, they still had time before the movie was set to start.

"...Fuck it, let's go see the movie, RO. I'm not letting those bastards ruin my weekend."

"This really is our life now, isn't it?...It really feels crazy."

The Commander gave a silent nod. "This whole world is crazy, sometimes you just have to be crazy along with it..."