Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Last Sunrise

by Kamui Gaia 07

Time passes quickly and Heero has learned to control his powers. A new war is beginning, and Gaia and Cosmos return. Will Duo, Gaia, and Cosmos succeed, or will Heero pay the price for his Magami power? Sequel to Ayashi no Yuugi

6. Chapter 5: Mission LU176

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Warning: May contain strong language.

Chapter 5: Mission LU176

Name: Kayla Mitsuki
Age: 20
Colony: L3 X29810
Description: green eyes, red-black hair
Origin: Japan
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: March 10, 182 AC

Basic Report:
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Sakura in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Codename Sakura Snow; Newly Appointed Pilot 07 of GTK; Attending to CSA Mission EX98

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Name: Alexa Morse
Age: 20
Colony: L4 X78450
Description: Amber eyes, Violet-black hair
Origin: Northern Europe
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: June 17, 182 AC

Basic Report:
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Tenshi in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Codename Tenshi Tenou; Newly Appointed Pilot 08 of GTK; Attending to CSA Mission EX98

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Name: Shinn Asuka
Age: 21
Colony: L2 X97260
Description: Violet eyes, chestnut hair (usually in a braid)
Origin: America
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: December 12, 182 AC

Basic Report:
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Duo in 187 AC
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Maxewell; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Shinigami; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 02 in 192
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 02; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Duo Maxwell and Shinigami begins in 195 AC
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

Current Status: Active (Emergency Only); Attending to CSA Mission DL23

XoXoXoXoX

March 11, 200 AC; 4:00 AM

Mengzi, China; Hilton Hotel, Twelfth Floor, Presidential Suite 11

"So you're saying Lady Une never showed up?"

"Precisely."

"We'll let the Triad know, and then come up with the proper plan of action. Don't worry Shinn, we'll find her, and if the Nautilus have her, well, let's just say that they'll be neck deep in shit."

"You have such a lovely way of putting things," Shinn said dryly.

"Lady Une's one of our superiors who's missing," Kayla snarled. "We won't rest until the assholes that took her pay."

"Good luck, girls," Shinn said quietly. "We're relying on you to get Lady Une back. She's the only one who has all the information we need about this problem."

"Don't worry, Shinn," Alexa replied. "We'll bring her back, and if she's dead, you can bring her back."

"Nice to see someone's confident in my abilities," Shinn replied.

"In the meantime, guard Relena!" Kayla snapped.

"Yeah, I'll see to it."

"Good. Alexa out."

"Kayla out."

"Shinn out."

"Calling in the cavalry?"

Shinn yelped in surprised and spun around to stare into amused blue eyes. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Quatre!"

"Sorry!" Quatre smiled unrepentantly, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Shinn snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Now, what was that I heard about you bringing back someone who's dead? Don't tell me your next assignment is to bring back a corpse as well as guarding Relena."

"You're very hilarious, Winner," was the dry reply. "I'm laughing so hard, I think I'm going to die. Ha, ha, ha."

"Does it have anything too do with your gift?"

Shinn nodded. "I can bring the dead back to life, provided that I get to them within twenty-four hours of their death."

"Wow," Quatre looked thoughtful, "That's scary." The blonde grinned at Shinn and said lightly, "I can already picture it, decaying zombies following you around like cute little ducklings. Quack, Argh, Quack, Argh."

Shinn shuddered and said, "That's just creepy, Quatre. Zombies and cute little ducklings shouldn't be in the same vicinity, much less the same sentence."

Quatre looked quizzically at Shinn and said, "I didn't know that Shinigami could get creeped out."

"Well, this Shinigami is currently mortal, and has every right to react like a mortal and be scared by things that scare mortals. Besides, I work in the Send-The-Souls-Off-For-Judgment Department, not the Turn-The-Dead-Into-Undead-Slaves Department."

"There are Different Departments for Death?"

"Dude, there are Departments for everything!" Shinn cried, waving a hand, "You won't believe the Bureaucracy and Red-Tape in the Divine Realms! It makes the governments here in the Mortal Realms look like children pretending to be their parents!"

"But do you get swamped with paperwork?"

"Quatre," Shinn said seriously, "I haven't been able to see the surface of my desk in the Divine Realms since the beginning of Creation. Last I saw, my Inbox contained seven hundred files that needed my attention." He groaned and slumped against Quatre who yelped in shock and instinctively wrapped his arms around his friend, keeping the immortal upright.

"Shinn?" Quatre said worriedly, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"My Inbox…" Shinn said miserably, "It's been nearly two hundred years since I've left the Divine Realms… I don't even want to think about what the condition my Inbox is in right now."

"Well, look on the bright side;" Quatre said lightly, "at least you have all Eternity to deal with it."

Shinn groaned and pushed himself away from the Arabian and mimed bapping the Sandrock Pilot over the head.

"Don't remind me! Once Creation Ends, I'll have even more work, what with releasing souls, destroying worlds, and writing reports, going over reports, delegating responsibilities, attending Immortal Meetings, sorting out squabbles in the Underworld, Ruling the Underworld… I'll have more work than I can handle!"

"Wait a minute," Quatre said suddenly, "'Ruling the Underworld'? You have to rule?"

"Well, that's what I've been saying for the past three years," Shinn said dismissively.

"Shinn!" Quatre snapped, "If you're going to rule, you can get someone to help you!"

"Which means more work!" Shinn argued. "I've already told you, I already have more than enough work as it is, once Creation ends, I'll get even more work dumped onto my plate, the last thing I'll need is even more paperwork to sort through!"

"Shinn," Quatre said, "You told me once during the Eve Wars that you're a Death, since there's more than enough work to go around. Now you're telling me that you'll be the Death. So, here's what you do, you go to the meetings, you choose people to delegate other people and deal with the paperwork, then, those people hand in reports, and then, voila! You have less paperwork! Now, you can write your reports, and you'll be able to see the surface of your desk once in a while."

Shinn looked sheepish. "I never thought of that."

Quatre snorted. "Obviously. Really, Shinn, what would you do without me as your friend?" he frowned when he noticed the sly look creeping over the American's face, and pale as what he said sank in. "No! I will not play secretary for you after Death!"

Shinn blinked and said, "I wasn't going to ask you to play secretary for me after Death. In fact, chances are, the only time you'll see me after this mission, is when you die-"

Quatre opened his mouth and Shinn grinned. "I ran that by the Creator after you found out, Quatre, and He agreed. I'll be your guide after death, for you and the other Gundam Pilots, no one else."

Quatre blinked. "Wow."

Shinn nodded and continued, "Like I was saying, the only time you'll be seeing me after this mission will be when you die, when you're being sorted and judged, and when Creation ends. And like I was saying before that, I wasn't going to ask you to play secretary for me; that's what the zombies are actually there for, you know; I was going to ask if you'd like to see what the Divine Realms are like. Not the Underworld though, once a mortal goes through, they don't come out unless it's for rebirth. The other parts of the Divine Realms, however, are open for sneak peeks for whatever lucky mortal is lucky enough to have made a very good friend out of an immortal. Of course, I'd have even more paperwork to deal with, and they'll have to be filed right away, but I'm sure I can arrange for an accident to put my body into a coma so I can take care of the work…" he trailed off and looked at Quatre. "I'll give you some time to think on it, Quatre, and I'll ask you again in a month. Of course, there's a chance that we won't be alive in a month, and then all of you can have a glimpse of the Divine Realms, but not like if you get a tour from an immortal who's expected to rush off elsewhere in a moment, but a glimpse nonetheless…"

"Shinn!" Quatre laughed, "You're starting to sound like your mask."

Shinn blinked and laughed. "You're right! I do don't I?"

Heero, Trowa, and Wufei arrived in the doorway of the room in time to hear the laughter, and Trowa's lips lifted slightly.

"It's been a long time since we heard him laugh, really laugh," he said.

"Aa," Heero responded. "I hate to admit it, but I missed it."

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March 12, 200 AC; 3:78 AM

Somewhere in the Carpathian Mountians

Horrified green eyes took in the heavily fortified base as well as the open ground between them and the nearest building and turned to look pleadingly at the shadowed figure crouched patiently beside her. "Please tell me that we aren't going to break into that."

"Hnn."

"08?"

"Hnn?"

"Please, oh please, tell me we aren't going to attempt to break into that."

"We aren't going to attempt it."

"Oh, Gods, thank you!"

"We will break into it."

"Damn."

"Hnn."

"Someone up there seriously hates me."

"Hnn."

"08?"

"Hnn?"

"How long will we be out here?"

Amber eyes narrowed in irritation. "As long as it takes."

"We could be out here forever!"

A slow smirk spread across the figure's pale face as two guards entered the doorway she had been watching. "Now."

"What?"

The figure growled as she grabbed her partner by the scruff of the neck. "Move it 07!" she snarled.

07 nodded in assent.

The two figures shot out of the shadows and nimbly ran along the tree limb. When it began to bow under their weight they coiled their legs and launched themselves over the highly charged and deadly sharp razor wire of the fence. Curling up protectively they struck the ground with their shoulders. Relaxing into the motion they allowed their momentum carry them along. Quickly, they vaulted to their toes as they catapulted themselves into a head long dash. There wasn't much time left.

Neither of them aimed for the main building, instead, they raced toward the guard post, dodging the beams of light that periodically swept over the grounds. Quickly, they plastered themselves against the rough side of the wall, and they waited. Through the flimsy walls could heard voices from inside the small building. Laughter. Someone had told a joke.

08's amber eyes glinted in the night. The joke was on whoever was inside, because they would soon be dead. Then the door on the side of the building opened. The men who walked out were not the same ones she had seen before. This was the new guard replacing the first. As the soldiers walked blissfully away from the building, 08 and 07 inched closer to the door. It was slowly swinging shut behind the men's departure. The two pilots made no sound as they slipped through the doorway.

Inside the building the first guards were relaxing with a cup of coffee clutched between their hands. They were busy talking and laughing at some joke. Silently, the two girls materialized behind both men. Neither man had time to warn their companion of the threat behind them, before the girls snapped their necks with one fluid motion. The cups of coffee fell from two pairs of limp hands, the hot liquid splashing against the hardwood flooring.

With brisk efficiency they began rifling through the dead man's clothes. In one of the pants pockets 08's hand encountered something. Pulling the object free of the coarse fabric, she smiled with grim satisfaction. The key card she held was their ticket into the base. Carefully placing her prize on the console behind her, she began to task of stripping the dead soldier. She was in luck. This one was only slightly taller then herself. The uniform would be a reasonable fit.

She glanced over at 07 who nodded. Her own guard was also only slightly larger than her, and his uniform would also be a reasonable fit.

08 turned to the console behind her and her fingers flew over the keys. Within a few seconds she had located the cell that contained the head of Preventors. Card key in hand, the two left the guard post, moving openly and with purpose. As long as they wore the Nautilus uniform and looked like they belonged there, it was unlikely that anything, or anyone, would bother them.

Getting into the main building wasn't a problem. Even better, the only person who saw them was a janitor. The two ignored the man made their way to the elevator. The doors were already open and he stepped inside. Pressing the button for the 2nd sub-basement, the lowest level they could get to without needing special clearance that the stolen key cards didn't have, they waited for the doors close. As soon as they did, 07 pushed open the emergency hatch in the ceiling and climbed on top of the car. Closing the hatch behind 08, the two waited for the car to come to a stop.

Curling determined fingers about the cables holding the car they climbed upwards. When they came level with one of the small service panels, 07 swung herself over that way. There was very little for her to hold onto, but somehow she managed as he worked the little mechanical hand drill, removing the screws that held the sheet of siding in place. Free of the screws she pushed the thing out, grabbing the edge before it could hit the floor beyond.

They found themselves in a deserted service corridor. 08 led the way, with 07 behind her.

If possible, they remained in the service corridors, avoiding any and all confrontations. Letting themselves into the ventilation system the two women made their way down to the 4th sub-basement. That was where they would find the Lady.

When they came to the floor in question, they paused, listening carefully for the sound of anyone in the hallway. They heard a welcome sound, the sound of nothing. Sneaking out of the ventilation shaft, they lowered themselves one by one to the floor of the hallway. It was almost too good to be true. There was no one in sight.

On silent feet they raced through the hall. They had to find cell #66489.

66438...66453...66471...

There!

Oddly enough, there were no guards. That was both good and bad. Good that neither would have to deal with one or more enemies. Bad that there was no one there with an access card for them to use.

Turning to face the cell door they noted that the locking mechanism to the side held a numbered touch pad. They would need a code...which neither had. 07 and 08 exchanged amused looks and 07 pulled out a small handheld computer, which she hooked up to the pad, and typed in a series of commands. In moments, the cell door opened.

"This is so easy it's almost obscene, 08," 07 said as she entered the cell cautiously.

A meter into the room, the overhead light clicked on. Lady Une looked up at the two women dressed in the Nautilus uniforms. 07 smiled.

"Target acquired 08."

"Good, let's go."

"Roger that," 07 stepped forward, and slipped her arm around the Lady's waist. "Can you stand?"

Lady Une nodded and made to leave the cot. Her knees buckled, but 07 didn't allow the Lady to fall. Together, they quickly left the room, and down the hall.

Suddenly, 08 frowned and made a sweeping gesture with her hand, and 07 pulled Lady Une against the wall. 08 vanished around the corner, and distantly, they heard a strangled cry and the sound of bones snapping, followed by the dull thud of bodies hitting the floor.

"Hurry!" was the hoarse command.

07 checked Lady Une again, and the two hurried out to join 08. Not to long after, klaxons began to wail, and red lights flashed throughout the base. 07 spat out a litany of curses under her breath as the three broke into a run. 08 pulled open a door and motioned the two inside. Once Lady Une and 07 were inside, she darted in after them and pulled the door closed. And not a moment too soon, for once they heard the click of the door shutting, they heard footsteps run past.

"08?" 07 said tentatively as her partner cracked the door open and cautiously looked out.

"Hnn?"

"This is a storage closet."

"Hnn," was the only reply.

Lady Une put a hand to her head. 'Thank you Pilot Obvious,' she thought wryly. These were the replacements for Tsukino and Tsukishirou? 08, she could understand, the girl was almost like 01 in demeanor, and was, as far as she could see, the perfect replacement. 07, however, was very much like 02, or at least, what 02 had once been. Briefly, Lady Une wondered if the idiotic act 07 had going was just that, an act.

A moment later, "How are we going to get out?"

"Urusei!" was the quiet reply, as 08 closed the door. Her intense amber gaze swept through the cramped space and without another word, 08 worked her way over to it and quickly removed the grate. Holding out a hand to the others, she hissed, "Come on!"

Lady Une took the proffered hand and let 08 push her up into the ventilation shaft. She heard 07 and 08 enter the shaft behind her. There was a quiet scraping noise and Lady Une knew that 08 had replaced the grate.

"Go on," 08 said quietly.

Lady Une obeyed and crawled forward. After an indefinite amount of time 08's voice came to her. "Turn here." It was the first of many such instructions and she carefully followed all of them.

After a while, 08 stopped them and said quietly, "Rest. We'll be here for a while."

Lady Une pillowed her head on her arms and closed her eyes. The last thing she heard were the sounds of many feet running along the halls under her and the hushed argument between 08 and 07.

The next thing Une knew, 08 was shaking her awake. The stoic pilot handed the Lady a ration bar and whispered, "Eat quickly. We'll continue once 07 gets back."

"Where is 07?" Une asked as she unwrapped the bar.

08's eyes narrowed and she whispered, "The idiot's out risking her neck because she has this irrational thought that one ration bar won't be enough to keep you until we get out."

"Idiot indeed," Une murmured as she ate the bar.

"Hnn." Was all the response she got.

07 appeared moments later with a small satchel slung over a shoulder. 08 shook her head and sighed as she sat back and accepted the bottle of water that was offered to her. The three quickly finished their impromptu meal, and watched anxiously as 08 leaned against the walls of the ventilation shaft, her eyes closed meditatively as she contemplated their next course of action. Moments later, her amber eyes opened and she said, "Down that way, turn left at the first split."

And the trio started off again. Like earlier, 08 continued to give directions and Une and 07 followed them carefully. Finally they came to another grate. It wasn't dark in the room beyond. It was, in fact, brightly lit. It looks like a computer lab, Lady Une thought absently. At some point, 08 had worked her way up beside her. The stoic female pilot was carefully surveying the area. But it was deserted. With a satisfied grunt she motioned for Lady Une to get back. She made short work of the barrier and slipped into the room beyond. Lady Une remained in the shaft as 08 prowled the area. But nothing was amiss. At the girl's signal, she lowered himself down. Her legs refused to support her and she ended up in a crumpled heap. 07 dropped down, and helped Lady Une to her feet. The other girl looked away, focusing on the computer terminal before her.

As 07 picked Lady Une up off the carpeting she watched as her stoic partner sat herself before the terminal. Nimble fingers danced across the keys. "Whatchya doing," she asked, coming behind the girl, Lady Une in tow.

"Making life miserable for the Nautilus," was the cryptic response. But before either 07 or Lady Une could ask what she meant, the fingers stopped and 08 stood up. "Time to go." With that she pulled Lady Une and 07 over to the only door out of the room.

They stepped out into an empty corridor and 08 set a brisk pace. Though they didn't know where they were going, Lady Une kept her mouth shut. If she's anything like 01, I'll find out soon enough, she reasoned.

When the lights went out Lady Une's heart leapt into her throat. But when the emergency lighting kicked in, she saw the satisfied almost-smile the stoic girl wore. She seemed to have expected this to happen. Was that what she meant? Did she somehow arrange for this to happen? After all the years of fighting and commanding 01, who 08 was so like in demeanor, it wouldn't have surprised her.

Une felt the 07's slender fingers close about his wrist, and found herself being pulled forward. Without a word she followed, letting the girls lead her where they would.

Behind her, she heard shouts and the sound of an explosion. This time she couldn't see 08's face but she was sure of what she would find there; grim determination mixed with dogged satisfaction.

And it seemed that explosions and electrical fires were a common occurrence in the compound. The self-destructing equipment was providing more then enough distraction. No one was paying attention to them as they slipped through the shadows. Before long they had managed to come to the place that was obviously 08's intended destination.

It was a hanger filled with MS. Lady Une glanced at her rescuers confusedly, wondering why they weren't moving.

07 put a finger to her lips then gestured vaguely to the area before them. Between them and the mobile suits was a squad of armed soldiers. They seemed to be waiting...for them?

08 led them over to the cover of some packing crates. "Here," she pressed a hand gun into Lady Une's limp hands. "Just wait for my signal."

Signal? But before Une could even form the question in her mind the stoic girl was already moving. Peering over the top of the crate she was hiding behind she watched as the Japanese pilot calmly walked towards the soldiers. At first none of them seemed to be concerned though a couple of them did keep an eye on her approach.

Une held her breath.

One of the soldiers must have seen something wrong, because a rifle was suddenly being leveled at 08. The girl didn't seem fazed by this turn of events. She simply dropped and rolled on her shoulder. When she came nimbly up on her toes, she had a pistol in each hand and was firing with abandon. And she was fast... 08, like Heero, was constantly moving, never staying in one place for more then a fraction of a heart beat.

Une watched, amazed, as the soldiers began to fall before the one-girl army they faced. A morbid fascination swept over her. This was the first time she had seen the other fight, but it did serve to confirm what she had already suspected. 08, like Heero, was most alive when she was fighting. There was a glint, a hunger in her eyes that was had not been there while she had been working to get her out.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" 07 breathed. "It's said that she may be Admiral Tsukino's avatar, since she is so much like her, from the way she asts, to the way she moves."

As Une listened to 07 and watched 08 fight, movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking up at the balcony she saw a man standing there, taking aim with the rifle he held.

Lady Une reacted instinctively. Taking the gun 08 had pressed into her hand, she sighted on the OZ soldier and let fly. A perfect head shot. The man fell without a sound. But the racket of her firing the shot caused 08 to glance their way...and open herself to the five men that she still faced.

07 took over instantly. Two guns appeared in her hands, and she began to pull the trigger. But as soon her shots took down one of the soldiers, the other four dove for cover.

08's gaze passed over them fleetingly as she focused once more on those between her and the mobile suits. She launched into action once more, totally in her element. But nothing was perfect. One of the guns was shot from her hands and the other one decided that it would be the ideal time to jam. Throwing the useless thing away, 08 dove for the nearest man, grabbing for the rifle he held.

07 and Lady Une continued to fire on the other three soldiers, doing their best to keep them pinned. One fell, then a second...

08 had prevailed in her struggle with the soldier who now lay in a boneless heap on the floor. Turning her new won rifle on the remaining man she fired. And with that one shot it was over. There was no one left to fight. 08 shouldered the rifle.

07 sighed and holstered the gun before helping Lady Une to her feet, and soon, they were carefully making their way from out behind the packing crates.

"Let's go."

Lady Une nodded her agreement. She didn't have to be told twice. Swarming up into the open cockpit, 07 was the first to arrive. But instead of sliding into the waiting seat, she wedged herself up behind the chair. It couldn't have been a comfortable position. The cockpits were cramped under the best of circumstances. Une didn't say anything, though. At the moment it was important that they got out of there as fast as possible.

Clambering into the pilot seat, she closed the cockpit and began the power up sequence. Not a moment too soon either. The doors to the hanger were opening as reinforcements poured in. But their little rifles could do very little to the Leos' armored hide.

The two Leos began to lift off. Turning the guns on the main doors Une lifted the beam rifle and fired, clearing their escape route. Then they were away!

The monitor over head blinked on the reveal 08.

"/Une, enter the coordinates D45, H23, Sector Y7 Delta./"

Lady Une asked no questions and entered the coordinates.

Inside the other Leo, 08 began typing in commands. She flipped a switch, and another monitor came to life.

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March 13, 200 AC; 3:07 AM

Mengzi, China; Hilton Hotel, Twelfth Floor, Presidential Suite 11

Duo paced the living room of the suite anxiously as his companions watched him worriedly. He had already told them that the two new members of GTK were going to stage a retrieval of Lady Une, wherever she was being held. None of them could blame him for being worried, they were all aware of how the last few replacement Pilots for 07 and 08, had failed to survive beyond their first mission, despite the fact that they were promising young Agents. Suddenly, the vid-link blipped, and the American was in front of the screen immediately.

Alexa's triumphant face appeared on the monitor. "/We've got her, 02/" Alexa said. "/We've got Lady Une, and we'll drop her off at the Hilton in Mengzi before moving on and destroying the Nautilus' Leos./"

Duo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "We'll be expecting you then."

"/Right. 08, out./"

"02, out."

The screen went blank.

Duo collapsed.