Henry decided to take up on Charles' offer for the helicopter ride, so here they were flying in peace. Neither said much during the ride due to the tense events, they didn't know what they would say. Henry actually appreciated it. Not that he didn't want to talk to Charles, of course. It's just nice to be able to spend time with someone who understood you just want to be with your thoughts for a while...
And speaking of his thoughts, Ellie was on his mind, unsurprisingly.
For a while, he wasn't sure how to feel about her. Especially after she came after him with Dmitri's help. He wanted to hate her, it made sense, didn't it? She took control of the Toppat Clan away from him, so he should hate her, right? But he couldn't. There wasn't enough time for the situation to stick so he could hate her. Thinking about what could've happened to her after she "killed" him made him sick to his stomach. It outweighed any potential for hatred, if it even existed in the first place.
What would he do about this situation is the big question right now.
...
"Henry!"
Henry's attention was drawn by the sound of Charles calling his name. "I just received word from the general to go back. He says they got something." And so they went on.
When the two got back to the base, Henry and Charles came face to face with Galeforce. "Alright boys, here's what I got for ya. Our guys were able to find out from a nearby vault that a confrontation took place not far from them. It was between someone in a tank, vehicles confirmed to be the Wall's and finally, a mysterious vehicle belonging to some group calling themselves the CCC. We don't know who they are yet, but we found the tank abandoned so please follow me." As they walked, Henry couldn't help but feel like he knows the CCC from somewhere...
Once he saw the tank, Henry immediately confirmed that it was the same one he and Ellie were in.
"So we pretty much got it now. Ellie planned to rob that vault right after getting rid of you but Dmitri got to her and probably put her back in the Wall."
That must've been awful, Henry thought. He felt like it was his fault somehow. Maybe if he got her from the beginning, everything would've been fine. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Charles. "Henry, don't beat yourself up about it. You made a mistake, but now we have a chance to help you fix everything." Henry smiled in gratitude and nodded.
Galeforce stroked his beard. "Hmm, well, if we're gonna do this, we have to make some preparations first. You two will be in the lead, seeing as how you boys made a great team many times before."
"You can count on us, General."
...
Calming down from her breakdown took a while, but Ellie finally managed it. She hadn't cried like that in a long time, and to think she did it in a prison complex.
Pathetic, isn't it?
"I don't have the right to cry, do I?" She wondered to herself. After all, it was her reckless decision that landed her back her. Out of the frying pan into the fire.
I can almost feel him looking down at me, laughing at this outcome. He must be so happy with the way things turned out, and...I don't blame him.
Well, if she's going to stay here for the rest of her life, she's not going to spend it wallowing in self-pity.
This was not her. Just stay strong, and you'll be fine.
Stay strong, and you'll be fine.
Stay strong, and you'll be fine.
Stay strong, and you'll be fine.
"Yeah...I just gotta do that..."
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the complex, Dmitri was sighing heavily as he sat in his office like he did everyday. Only today, he had plans. If there's gonna be a new second-in-command of this place, then Dmitri would make an announcement and have a moment of silence for his fallen friend Grigori.
Time to make the announcement.
"Attention, I have a very important announcement to make. Today, we have lost a valuable member here, Grigori Olyat, and in his memory, I am going to hold a meeting to have a moment of silence for him later today. Then tomorrow, I will announce the new second-in-command whom I will choose personally. That is all, and thank you for listening. Be sure to gather later in an hour."
After getting the word out, the warden left his office and decided on taking his daily walk to get his mind off things in the meantime. "I'm going to miss you, old friend..."
One hour later...
It was almost time for the gathering, so Dmitri got ready. He just now finished writing the speech he was going to recite. It wasn't too long, and got the point across. After looking over it one more time, he nodded, satisfied. "This should be good..."
"Attention, the gathering is starting very soon. Please get ready and make your way over. Thank you."
"It's time."
The Wall workers gathered as instructed and waited for their boss to arrive to the scene. The announcement was bone chilling and somber, though some would be lying if they said they weren't eager to get a chance to become the second-in-command, while others were more than content to hold their current position.
Finally, Dmitri made his appearance and got up on the podium, ready to address his workers.
"Good evening, gentlemen. You all know why I summoned you here today, and I thank you for coming. Today, we're here to pay respects to our fallen comrade, Grigori Ol-"
But the warden didn't get to finish the name, for attacks were suddenly heard nearby.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Dmitri yelled out demandingly.
Inside the complex, Ellie heard the commotion outside and looked out her window. "What the hell is going on here?!"
She would soon get her answer as she spotted familiar green vehicles.
The government.