[ Archeologist camp, Walder / September 20, 0078 07:15 ]

They stepped out holding hands. Tea admitted it was the simplest solution, but not before calling her "baka" and telling her not to get any ideas.

The camp crawled with quadruped metallic drones. Type IVs, the only ones that Scaglietti didn't build. Even his genius couldn't rival the Belkans in terms of pragmatic evil.

The Gadgets came in waves from the north-east and immediately got busy. The sound of ripping canvass filled the air as their razor-sharp sickle blades sliced the tents.

They looked for something, cutting everything else in their path. Had there been people sleeping in those tents, they would have killed them, just like Sub-Commander Vita.

"Let's move," Tea's telepathic voice sounded cold but her hand tensed.

The Gadgets didn't notice them, too busy demolishing the camp. They were glad to have left Dr. Kerax's tent, as two drones zoomed in on it almost immediately.

A few steps further, Tea nearly bumped into another Gadget crossing the space between two lines of tents. Subaru thought she heard her exhale sharply but it was hard to tell through the sounds of the Gadget's carnage.

Guided by the map, they snuck out through a narrow path that connected the camp to an ancient Belkan highway to the ruins.

The highway ran through a darkened ravine between two hills, so the sounds from the camp grew immediately weaker.

"I miss my bike," Tea stared at the still-even pavement.

Subaru thought for a moment.

"We could do like at our B-rank exam."

"And you're sure you've learned to brake since then?"

"Try me," Subaru grinned. It was embarrassing but she felt more alive now than ever in the last few years. She had never enjoyed danger so close, but maybe that was what she needed…

Tea didn't leave her time to contemplate. She wasn't heavy at all and her warmth felt nice through the Jacket. How long ago has it been since they last did something like this?