Amiya and her friends remained silent to DiAngelo's words. The senator smirked seeing their expression.

"Yes, my friends." He said. "I know exactly who you are, believe it or not..."

"How did you find out?!" Ch'en suddenly exclaimed. "You can't possibly have any info on us...!"

Ignoring the lung's shouting, DiAngelo calmly took out his phone and then showed the screen to them. After loading for a bit, the game initialized with a noisy Arknights~!

"As you see, it wasn't hard to find info about you... not when, ironically enough, your faces are all over the Internet." He explained. "Oh, by the way, this game has caught my attention, not gonna lie! Its mechanics are very interesting indeed."

Everyone stared at the screen with a poker face.

"I see..." Spoke Amiya. "So, you know about...?"

"Yes, dear Amiya." Replied DiAngelo. "I know about the Catastrophes and the illness known as Oripathy that plagues your world. It's truly a shame."

"That doesn't change anything, DiAngelo." Said Kal'tsit to his face. "Terra's inhabitants won't allow the US to invade and destroy their homes, not without a fight."

He simply nodded.

"Dr Kal'tsit, you're wrong. Don't you see it? We are the solution to all of Terra's problems!" He looked at Amiya. "Amiya, the young CEO of Rhodes Island. You have a good heart, and your whish to fight for what's right is a noble one indeed... but with my help, that dream can become true. Imagine it, we could spread freedom all across Terra, depose the tyrants ruling your world's nations, and end the discrimination against the Infected. Wouldn't that be good?"

After making a short pause, DiAngelo then turned to Ch'en.

"Ch'en Hui-Chien, chief of the LGD. I know that, despite having to arrest Infected on a regular basis, you actually want to do what's right and help them. Maybe that's why you despise your uncle Wei so much... Now, let me tell you that has an easy solution. I send the Army, we depose him, establish a democracy in Lungmen and derogue all the laws made against the Infected, simple."

"Like if it was so easy..." muttered the lung while grinning her teeth.

"You'll see..." DiAngelo gazed over the group, until his eyes fixed on a certain white-haired draco. "And now to Talulah Artorious, Leader of Reunion. I initially didn't see you with good eyes, but then I read the story behind and... well, it's a tragedy that even puts Shakespeare to shame. You suffered a lot under Kashchey, that for sure; no wonder with such inhumane guy... like, come on, he says more pro-Russian/Ursus bullshit than fucking President Gergeiev!" He took a breath. "Anyways, it's a fact that your life has been full of misfortune and death, and even though you fought so hard for justice, the world remains the same... I could change that. Together we could end the oppression, Talulah. we could burn this rotten world of yours and build a new, one where the Infect shall be treated fairly, one without Kashcheys of any kind... This is what Alina, Yelena and the rest deserved. Tell me, will you help me or not?"

Talulah, who up until now had remained silent, raised her gaze and threw at him a defiant look.

"Mr. DiAngelo, I'm sorry but the answer is "no". You tell that you have good intentions, that you'll help the people of Terra... Kashchey used to say the same, that his actions were improving the world; it's the exact same discourse. You're no different from Kashchey, you pretend to be the good guy, but in your very core you're nothing more than a power-hungry tyrant who uses other's aspirations to his own gain."

The senator was left silent, her words had wounded his pride a lot. A dark expression appeared on his face.

"A power-hungry tyrant you say..." The coldness in his tone hit them like a knife. 2But what about you? In Chernobog and Lungmen you massacred a lot of people, Talulah, no one will ever forget what you did. Take a look. Those who you call now "comrades", once you return, will trial and throw you into a cell to rot for the rest of your life... even your dear sister won't forget your sins. There's no use in denying it, Talulah. You are utterly alone."

The draco didn't let DiAngelo's words affect her, instead she responded with courage.

"You're mistaken DiAngelo. First, it's true that I have to atone for my sins, probably being held prisoner for many years, but I will face my punishment head-on." She looked at her companions. "I don't expect you to fully forgive me, but I hope you'll eventually get to understand my actions." She turned back to the senator. "And second..."

"... She's not alone."

Everyone, including DiAngelo, raised their gazes... and their eyes widened. Will had irrupted into the scene, and sliding down a chain hanging from the ceiling he landed on the platform DiAngelo and his goons were in. The boy pointed at them with his M4 and said.

"Hello there, mother*cker."

/ /

The senator nervously looked at his subordinates.

"WTF are you waiting for?! KILL HIM!"

Will fired a burst, and then jumped off the platform, evading the shots directed at him. At the same time a chain of explosions rocked the sites, and many of the soldiers surrounding Amiya and her friends were wiped off the ground. Immediately after W's squad irrupted into the fight in their earnest, raining tons of lead upon the US infantrymen.

"Hi there~" Said W in a merry tone as she walked towards the group, holding her new M4 SOPMOD-II 2What did we miss?"

"Well, you got just in time!" Exclaimed Franka with a grin. "We were only getting started!"

"Guys!" Called Matt. "Guess what, we brought, actual weapons! Pick this!"

"What exactly is this?" Asked Hoshiguma as she caught a very bulky weapon, it was so have that the oni had let go the shield.

"That, dear, is called a minigun." Said Matt "You'll love it..."

"Yeah, now please end the chit-chat and help us over here!" Yelled Liskarm as she along with the others held off the Americans.

"Heh, today I'm kicking some ass." Said Matt to himself as he loaded his rifle.

X-X

The battle was fierce, with both sides exchanging shots left and right. The US Army was throwing everything they had, but Amiya and her companions held their ground.

"AGGGHH!" Like a machine of death, Lappland ran around delivering slashes of her blade or bursts of her Victor, the soldiers could only watch helplessly as the crazed lupo killed their companions.

The others weren't idle either. Fireballs and dark beams sunk relentlessly in their lines, as they tried to advance, yet the stubborn Rhodes Island operators kept firing at them with their firearms...

RATATATATAAA! – Hoshiguma's minigun rained hell upon those who dared face it, all while Matt and Will took down any remnants with their M4s.

"The tables have turned, you little pricks!" Exclaimed Franka as she fired with her HK416. "Now eat this!"

Everything was going just fine, but then...

"Look, DiAngelo is escaping!"

Behind the American lines, DiAngelo and some of his men were making their way towards the exit. They needed to stop him.

"With me, don't let him escape!" Will left cover and made a dash towards the exit, closely followed by Tal, Ch'en and the rest.

Anything that stood in their path was wiped out, the only thing in their minds right now was to chase down DiAngelo. The senator, sensing the impending danger, signaled his escorts and left them behind. These guys then turned around and took firing positions.

"We'll buy the Senator some time! Fire!" They released a sudden barrage at Rhodes Island, forcing them to seek cover.

"Tch, how annoying." Cursed Nearl. "They're making us lose time..."

"Yeah, but they're well entrenched." Noted Will. "Taking them out of there will be hard..."

"I'll do it then." Without any prior warning, Skadi went into the open with nothing more than her weapon and the M4. Upon seeing her, the soldiers opened fire... but when the smoke cleared, the Abyssal Hunter was no longer to be seen.

"Where the f*ck... OH SHIT SHE'S BEHIND US...!" Their screams died out as she riddled them. After that she let out a sigh.

"Ok, we have free way. Let's hope we aren't late..."

/ /

DiAngelo couldn't go any further, his legs were tired and he really needed to catch his breath... yet he forced himself a little bit more and continued to run. "I'm not dying today. Only a bit more... look the exit!". The exit of the hangar was just meters ahead of him, he was about to make it... but before he could realize, a shadow landed in front of him.

"No, no..." The white-haired lupo raised her head, and he was met with an expression of pure madness, all covered in blood.

"Were you going anywhere, senator?" Said the lupo in a disturbing tone.

The senator took a step back, but when he turned around he saw that the rest were already there. He was surrounded.

"Hehehe..." He nervously laughed. "Guys, we can still negotiate this..."

Kal'tsit cut him in mid-phrase.

"No, DiAngelo. There's nothing to talk here. You lost, you've got nowhere to run."

"Dr. Kal'tsit..." He slowly spoke. "You're making a mistake. What do you win by killing me? You'll only bring the wrath of America upon yourselves."

"Maybe." Replied the lynx. "But with your death, this world will be saved from destruction. I'm sorry, but your destiny is sealed."

"I see..." Without anybody seeing, DiAngelo slowly moved his hand towards his belt. "If I'm dying today, then... AT LEAST I'LL TAKE ONE OF YOU DOWN WITH ME!"

He suddenly took out a pistol, and before anyone could react he pointed at Matt. The boy watched in horror as death was about to take him. DiAngelo put his finger on the trigger, and...

BANG! – Matt thought he was dead; but to his surprise he didn't feel the bullet piercing his body. He slowly reopened his eyes, and there he saw what had taken place. DiAngelo was standing in front of him, he had a bullet hole in his chest, with lots of blood pouring from it.

"Ahhah..." The senator tripped and fell to the floor. Behind him Jessica was standing, with her gun still smoking.

"I don't want to see you hurt my friends." She sentenced.

They stared at her for quite a bit, but soon they looked down and fixed thir gazes onto DiAngelo's lifeless eyes. He was dead.

The tyrant was no more.