It's past midnight, and the town is shrouded in darkness. Only a few streets with functioning lamp posts and the occasional Hitsui family patrol break the gloom. A curfew, plain and simple.

They probably think it'll make it easier for their men to spot potential enemies. After all, who but a bad actor would be out on the streets past curfew? But they've just made it easier for us to move. Their patrols are as predictable as they are avoidable.

That's why I'm perched in this abandoned three-story building, peering through a broken window at the sleeping town below. It's not the tallest vantage point, but it'll do. Not that I really need it, as I watch Pod descend silently through a gaping hole in the ceiling.

"RECON MISSION COMPLETE." Pod intones in its flat, metallic voice. "TRANSFERRING RECONNAISSANCE DATA. TRANSFER COMPLETE."

I nod, dismissing the notification. "Good work. Return to overwatch and keep me updated on enemy movements."

"AFFIRMATIVE. RESUMING AERIAL SURVEILLANCE." Pod quickly ascends through the same opening and vanishes into the night sky.

People really need to catch up when it comes to modern warfare. I'm no expert, but having eyes in the sky is crucial for any military operation. Even Atlas only uses this tech sparingly, mostly within their own borders. Maybe their drones have limited range, or it is sheer arrogance innate from them. Lucky for us, the divisions we've been fighting haven't cottoned on to this advantage. If they had, our losses would've been much, but much worse.

I pull up the newly updated 3D map, and the town materializes in crisp detail before my eyes. Over a dozen buildings are lit up in bright yellow–our targets. Weapon caches, supplies, repurposed vehicle depots, the works.

There are more targets than anticipated. The scale of their operation is much larger than we predicted, and it's more than we can realistically handle with our current numbers. But we've carefully picked targets that are likely to be the most important and strategically valuable, according to our spies. They've marked the places where the most valuable or densely packed resources are.

We also know that the Spider Clan is lying in wait on the outskirts of town, using the jungle as cover. Trifa was quick with her new orders and went as an envoy. Thankfully, their leader isn't shortsighted. She eagerly accepted the non-aggression offer. With one condition: it would hold as long as we dealt a crippling blow to the Hitsui family. They've been at war for a couple of years now, and the Spider clan has been winning this war. This victory will be the final nail in the coffin for their enemy.

So our interests align.

Pulling away from my thoughts, I open the secure comm channel.

"Ilia, report."

"Team Alpha and Beta are in position. Delta and Epsilon are close to their respective objectives, ETA one minute."

Expected. The last two aren't as experienced as the first teams. Though the team names are new – we haven't used them before.

"Visuals?"

"Normal routine patrols so far, no sign of increased enemy activity."

So everyone's still in the dark. Good.

"Wait for the signal. And stay safe."

With that last order, I switch to another important player in this operation.

"Trifa."

"Traps are set. Awaiting orders, High Leader."

"Join with Epsilon and provide support to both teams."

"Roger that."

She's the first to cut transmission rather than wait, but I'll let it slide. She's professional and has proven more than competent. With Ilia overseeing Alpha and Beta, and Trifa with Epsilon and Delta, I can be assured this operation will go smoothly.

I shift my focus to the clock, watching the seconds tick by.

When it marks a new hour, I connect with Pod again.

"Pod, give the signal. And keep this channel open. Send me both enemy and our forces updates."

"AFFIRMATIVE. INITIATING VISUAL SIGNAL. MAINTAINING OPEN CHANNEL. COMMENCING REAL-TIME ENEMY AND ALLIED FORCES MOVEMENT ANALYSIS."

I step closer to the window, my eyes drawn to the night starry sky above. Suddenly, a series of bright flashes punctuate the sky over the town before fully stopping. And with that silent signal, our operation springs to life.

Usually after the signal is given, an explosion should go off somewhere far away to draw as much attention as possible but that was a stupid idea to begin with as it would alert everyone, it was better to keep everything under the dark as long as possible BEFORE any sort of distraction takes place, and it would be even better to have an explosion to serve as a very loud distraction so everyone could retreat safely.

"TEAM ALPHA AND BETA COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVE."

I expected nothing less from my friend.

"TEAM DELTA AND EPSILON COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVE. NO SIGN OF ENEMY MOVEMENT."

Three minutes. Four objectives down. Not a whisper of suspicion raised. It's a damn good start. A smirk tugs at my lips, hidden beneath my mask.

Maybe we can hit more places than planned if we keep this momentum. The thought is tempting, but I cannot derail the plan. Overconfidence can lead to mistakes, and a mistake will cost a life.

With them already finished, it's my turn to move and complete my own set of objectives. I move under the open hole in the ceiling and jump upwards, my muscles coiling and releasing in one fluid motion. I reach the roof in a single motion. Then I break into a sprint and jump across buildings, my feet barely making a sound as I land and push off again, until I reach the marked one.

"TEAM ALPHA REACHED THE NEXT OBJECTIVE."

I go straight to the wooden trapdoor. Only to find it locked, but it's just a very simple lock, which I simply yank out with my cybernetic arm, breaking it open with ease before I jump inside. There are no lights, but that poses zero problems with me thanks to my old and new heritage.

"TEAM BETA REACHED THE NEXT OBJECTIVE."

As I land in the room, I'm immediately struck by how packed it is. Metal and wooden crates are stacked high, filling every available space. I activate my in-depth analysis vision, hoping for some interesting details, but it reveals nothing I don't already know or I can see with my own eyes. Deactivating it, I approach one of the crates.

With a swift motion of my right hand, I break the lid off, exposing its contents. And just as expected: weapons are inside the crate. I move to another crate and break it open, revealing boxes packed full of ammunition, and by the size, they are for small arms. This confirmation is all I need to proceed with the next phase.

Placing my hand on top of the sealed crates, I watch them disappear into my pocket space. I'd made sure to empty most of it before this operation, along with the automatically assigned room in my home. This sabotage mission is too good an opportunity to pass up for restocking our supplies.

I systematically work through the room, storing weapons, ammunition, and even dust. Especially the Dust; one can never have too much of it. Each crate vanishes under my touch until a message flashes across my vision.

[Pocket space reached full capacity. Please buy the next Demi-plane upgrade if you wish for more space.]

It's good to know I'm not limited forever. I just need to upgrade my company perks to more storage capacity.

"TEAM ALPHA AND BETA HAVE COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVE." "TEAM EPSILON AND DELTA HAVE REACHED THEIR NEXT OBJECTIVE."

So they've just arrived at their next target. Sending Trifa to help was a good call; otherwise, their progress would have been significantly slower than the main teams.

Taking one last look around, I see there are still more crates, and likely more rooms packed like this one. It's a shame I can't repurpose all these resources, but I must proceed with the next part of the plan.

I take out a bottle of oil and begin spilling it everywhere. No explosives for me. That's for the four teams. After using the entire bottle, I then unsheathe Wilt. With a practiced motion, I slash against a metal crate, sending a lot of sparks flying. One spark touches the oil, and instantly, flames erupt.

The fire will spread slowly until it engulfs the entire building in flames. But with dust stored here, it will eventually cause a chain reaction, obliterating the building.

The unmistakable sound of footsteps snaps me back to attention. I turn to my right, eyes fixed on the door where the creaking sound is coming from. The slow steps suddenly break into a full sprint, causing me to frown.

I glance back at the fire, still burning but not yet consuming the wood. Quickly, I move closer to the door and press my back against the wall, my hearing picking up clearer sounds from the other side.

Whoever's out there is opening and closing doors, checking them systematically.

"WARNING SMALL ENEMY TEAM HAS BEEN DEPLOYED. SOUTH."

Expected. But everything's still going according to plan.

I hold my breath as I hear the doorknob clicking, and twisting before it's pushed open. In one fluid motion, I unsheathe my blade, and a head falls onto the floor. The body crumples instantly; the expression etched on the face showing surprise.

"TEAM ALPHA COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVE."

The man didn't even know what hit him

The acrid smell of burnt wood fills my nostrils. That's my cue to leave before this place becomes my tomb.

I sprint towards my entry point, leaping up and pulling myself through the trapdoor. I close it behind me, leaving no trace of my presence inside besides the fire.

"TEAM EPSILON AND DELTA HAVE COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVES."

"TEAM BETA HAS COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVE."

"WARNING: SECOND ENEMY TEAM DEPLOYED, EAST."

Progress is still smooth. We can hit a couple more targets before they're fully alert. With that in mind, I break into a sprint, leaping across to the next building. My destination: another depot nearby, likely as packed as the last one.

"WARNING: THIRD ENEMY TEAM DEPLOYED, NORTH."

Shit. That's where Trifa set up her traps.

"TRAPS HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED."

A second later, an explosion rips through the night, its echo rolling like thunder across the sky. Almost instantly, sirens blare from multiple directions. Buildings light up, and chaos erupts as voices scream and shout in a frenzied chain reaction. I scowl, feeling my frustration building up.

"WARNING, MASSIVE SURGE OF ENEMY ACTIVITY. TEAMS ARE BEING DEPLOYED FROM EVERY DIRECTION."

Damn it all. Our window of opportunity is closing fast. I'd hoped for more time to hit a couple more buildings.

"ALL TEAMS HAVE REACHED THEIR NEXT OBJECTIVE."

"ENEMY FORCES ARE HEADING NORTH."

That should trigger the rest of our planted traps and send the Hitsui family into full alert. Every second counts now.

I abandon all pretense of stealth, landing hard on the roof of my target building. There's a door here, which I kick down without hesitation before rushing down the stairs.

I kick open every door I find, but the rooms are suspiciously empty. Frustration mounting, I try the floor below. And get the same result. Nothing.

Inevitably I fear that the information was wrong, but I keep pushing forward with the plan.

Heading to the first floor, I find myself in a garage filled with vehicles. They're numerous, but poorly modified attempts at militarization - welded extra armor plates, spikes, and shoddy moving turrets.

Without a second thought, I unsheathe my sword. After a couple of steadying breaths, I move through the garage in a blur, my blade slicing through engines and critical components. And in mere seconds, every vehicle in the garage is rendered useless.

Building cleared.

"ALL TEAMS COMPLETED THEIR OBJECTIVES."

More explosions thunder across the sky. Then that means that our last traps have been triggered and our cover is blown.

"WARNING, MECHANIZED TROOPS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED, WEST." "WARNING, MULTIPLE TEAMS CONVERGING NORTH." "WARNING, MULTIPLE TEAMS HEADING CLEARED OBJECTIVES."

The situation is rapidly becoming untenable. We've struck hard and fast, but now it's time to make our exit before we're overwhelmed.

I tap my comm, issuing the final order. "All teams, full retreat. Rendezvous at nine. Move fast, stay low." I cut the connection immediately, leaving no room for argument. They need to clear the area as quickly as possible.

Pod's warnings come in rapid succession:

"WARNING HOSTILES APPROACHING TEAM BETA." "WARNING HOSTILES APPROACHING TEAM EPSILON."

"WARNING ENEMY FORCES HAS REACHED THE CLEARED OBJECTIVE. DANGER, ENEMY FORCES MIGHT DISCOVER THE BOMBS AND DEFUSE THEM."

"WARNING ENEMY FORCES HAS REACHED THE SECOND CLEARED OBJECTIVE."

I click my tongue in frustration. This is it. We're out of time.

"Pod, detonate all of them," I command him, initiating the final phase of our plan.

"AFFIRMATIVE. SENDING DETONATION SIGNAL ON THREE, TWO, ONE..."

Several powerful explosions crack across the sky, their force shaking the very building I'm in. A small smile tugs at my lips. Despite the close call, our sabotage mission is a success. We've dealt a crippling blow to the Hitsui family's military power.

And I'm sure the Spider clan is watching this.

However, as I move towards the door, a nagging thought crosses my mind. The lack of guards at these buildings is strange. Is it overconfidence because this is the family territory? Or an attempt to hide the depots in plain sight? I could rationalize a couple of answers, but I push the thoughts aside. The deed is done; such details are irrelevant now.

I need to catch up with my teams and return to base.

But just as I reach for the door, it suddenly explodes in a blazing inferno. The force sends me flying across the room, crashing into one of the disabled vehicles. My aura flares, absorbing most of the impact, but the shock still reverberates through my body and it still fucking hurts.

Instinct takes over. I roll to my feet, Wilt already in hand, scanning for the threat. The smoke clears, revealing a silhouette in the destroyed doorway.

As the smoke from the explosion slowly clears, a blur lunges at me with inhuman speed. I barely manage to leap away, my enhanced reflexes saving me from the attack. My attacker, a man clad only in a pair of ragged jeans, has sunk long sharp blades into the disabled vehicle where I just landed.

He snaps his head towards me, and I'm struck by the sight of his face - or rather, the lack of one. A metallic plate with a pair of glowing yellow eyes stares at me, devoid of any human features.

As he frees his blades from the vehicle, I finally realize that this poor bastard isn't wielding long blades.

The blades ARE his hands.

A distorted, glitched roar erupts from the hybrid before it charges at me, with clear intentions to disembowel me. I react instinctively, gripping Wilt with both hands to block the initial assault. The force of the impact reverberates through my arms, making me grunt, as this bastard has a lot more strength than he looks.

It steps back momentarily before launching into a frenzied flurry of attacks, slashing wildly. I grunt with effort as I parry each blow, feeling the ridiculous strength behind each swing. Recognizing the precariousness of my position, I twist Wilt's angle, deflecting its next attack. In that split-second opening, I grab Blush and smash it against the creature's head before combining my weapons and unloading a full shotgun round point-blank into its face.

The blast, which would have instantly killed any normal person, merely causes him to stumble back a few steps. Those glowing eyes, now slowly turning red, focus on me with renewed intensity.

"Cyberpsycho," I mutter, frowning as I shift my stance. My eyes activate all features as they analyze the psychopath further, revealing a horrifying truth. This thing was once human, but that humanity has been forcibly stripped away. Scars crisscross its body, cybernetics crudely grafted onto flesh in a grotesque shoddy patchwork. Poorly stitched incisions ooze pus and a yellowish liquid, filling the air with a pungent, sickening smell that hits my nostrils.

My observation is cut short as the cyberpsycho lets out another glitched shriek and charges, swinging its blade-arms in chaotic circles. As it reaches me, I sidestep with practiced precision, my right hand shooting out to grasp one of its flailing arms. Using its own momentum against it, I hurl the entire body into the wall with all my strength.

The impact is tremendous, partially collapsing the wall and sending up a thick cloud of dust and debris. The garage fills with smoke, momentarily obscuring my vision but also giving me another opening to think further.

A cyberpsycho here far away from the main cities, where cybernetics are accessible. This man was pushed beyond the limits of humanity, driven mad by excessive cybernetic enhancement. Its presence here raises disturbing questions about the Hitsui family's operations and how far they would fall just to recover their losses.

My eyes widen as the realization hits me. These buildings aren't unguarded - they're powder kegs, each housing a sedated cyberpsycho, ready to set loose on their rivals. The Hitsui family has very likely a small army of these abominations, hidden in plain sight with the population none the wiser of the big danger they were in.

I tighten my grip on Wilt and Blush, refocusing on the immediate threat as the cyberpsycho emerges from the partially collapsed wall. Its eyes flash erratically, cycling through yellow, red, and a sickly dark green. The psycho movements become spasmodic, limbs twitching wildly as it lets out a guttural distorted cry.

Sparks fly from his mechanical parts and more foul liquid oozes from the stitches. The cyberpsycho reaches for his head with its blade-hands, as if grasping for something long since removed. The action only worsens his state, triggering high-pitched, distorted shrieks that assault my eardrums. Making me wince as it was so loud that it actually hurt, forcing me to cover my ears to shield them.

Is he suffering? Crying out for help?"

"WARNING: MULTIPLE SIMILAR SIGNATURES COMING FROM THE OBJECTIVES. ANALYSIS SHOWS INVASIVE AUGMENTATION IN ALL OF THEM."

My suspicions confirmed, I realize the grave danger we've walked in and potentially unleashed on this cursed town. But there's no time to dwell on it as the cyberpsycho's eyes flash back to red. He roars, charging at me with renewed, murderous fury.

I duck under its wild slash, separating Wilt and Blush. Deflecting a follow-up swing, I kick it in the stomach to create distance.

"Has everyone retreated?" I demand of Pod.

"ALL TEAMS HAVE SAFELY DISENGAGED."

Relief floods me, but it's short-lived. The cyberpsycho crashes into another vehicle, then fumbles to its feet and lunges at me again. I sidestep, letting it fly past, then counter with a hard punch to its metallic face. The clang resonates through the garage. I quickly reconnect Wilt and Blush, firing point-blank into its chest. But my face twists into a scowl as my point-blank shot only sends him flying into yet another vehicle.

I open a new channel and connect to Ilia and Trifa. "Full retreat! Cyberpsychos on the loose!"

"Adam, wait!" Ilia tries to argue, noticing the worry, but I cut the transmission. There's no time to argue or explain.

"WARNING: ALL AUGMENTED UNITS HAVE ENGAGED HOSTILE TROOPS ACROSS THE TOWN."

Of course, they would attack anything on their path, including the Hitsui family forces. In their desperation, they have unleashed a nightmare upon their own people. And their mistake will cost them dearly and also give us a new opportunity.

The cyberpsycho rises once more, his red eyes locking onto mine. I shift my stance, sheathing Wilt back into Blush, taking deep breaths as I wait for it to make the first move because this ends now.

As the cyberpsycho lunges at me with its blade-arms extended, time seems to slow. I watch him approach with calculated calm, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Just as it gets dangerously close, I pull Blush's trigger, launching Wilt with inhuman speed. In one fluid motion, I slice through the poor bastard body, ending its suffering with a single cut.

Glancing over my shoulder, I watch the sliced body twitch a few times, struggling to keep functioning, but soon goes limp. And it's over.

A wave of melancholy washes over me as I realize the parallels - months ago, I was that thing, a cyberpsycho that needed to be put down. And Atlas was the one who pulled the trigger. Now I'm the one doing the putting down. The irony is not lost on me. It's just... tragic.

I sheathe my sword and connect to Ilia's comm channel. "Ilia, I'm going back. Make sure everyone returns safely to the base."

"I will," she responds, her voice sounded far more relieved than moments ago.

The connects ends.

The adrenaline rush fades, replaced by a grim awareness of the chaos outside. Gunshots and explosions shake the building, a cacophony of destruction. There will be civilian casualties caught in the crossfire. The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I don't like it, but the responsibility falls squarely on the Hitsui family for resorting to such abominations.

I never would have expected, or probably anyone expected, these bastards would start turning people into cyberpsychos on purpose.

"WARNING: MASSIVE SURGE OF ACTIVITY ON THE WEST BY UNKNOWN FORCE." "ANALYSIS COMPLETE: SPIDER CLAN TROOPS ARE MOVING INTO THE CITY, WEST."

So, the Spider clan has seized this opportunity to launch their attack. It's an opportunistic move, but a smart one. With their enemies in chaos and disarray, and currently occupied with cyberpsychos on the loose, it would be foolish NOT to strike now.

Then that is more than enough reason to leave this palace as soon as possible, so I head back to the hole that used to be a door.

"Pod, where are the teams?" I ask as I head towards the gaping hole that was once a door.

"ALL TEAMS HAVE LEFT THE PERIMETER."

"Good to know."

Another explosion rocks the sky from the west, where the Spider clan's assault is taking place. But this is no longer my concern. We've accomplished our goal.

We've knocked a major player off the board entirely.

But how widespread is this practice? Are other families engaging in similar atrocities? What if they are using faunus for these?

No, if they are actually doing the same thing and especially if they are using faunus as test subjects, I will exterminate them. No questions asked.

I will personally slit their throats.

That I swear.

"The Spider Clan has successfully captured the town and completely driven out the forces of the Hitsui family. The remaining forces have fled deeper into the east." Fennec gestures smoothly to the eastern part of the map, his movements deliberate and refined.

Corsac picks up seamlessly where his brother left off. "Our suspicions were proven correct. The Spider clan brought in a substantial number of Hunters, which proved fortunate. These Hunters managed to contain and eliminate the rampaging cyberpsychos."

"Quite interesting," Fennec adds, pointing to a different part of the map. "The Spider clan exploited the momentum and pressed the attack, reducing most—if not all—of the Hitsui family's plantations to ashes. This strike has effectively destroyed their economic power in the kingdom."

"We are witnessing a pivotal moment in history, High Leader. The downfall and eradication of one of Mistral's centuries-old families unfolds before us. This victory would not have been possible without your leadership." Corsac offers a slight bow, which the others in the room mirror.

"The non-aggression pact with the Spider clan is now in full effect. Lil' Miss Malachite is pleased and has requested a secure communication line. Rest assured, we've isolated it to prevent any tracking or compromise." Fennecs announces.

However, one of our officers steps forward, seeking permission to speak, which I grant with a simple nod. "If I may, we must consider that the Spider Clan, despite its ruthlessness, is fundamentally business-oriented. This presents an opportunity to push for trade agreements, which could greatly benefit our people in Menagerie."

That was in Sienna's plans after the port's inauguration. However, I shake my head. "That's the eventual goal, but not at present. We are still lacking in many sectors and our capacity to produce a resource surplus. Without that, we risk becoming entirely dependent on them, a position they will take advantage of."

Self-sufficiency is a bad economic decision as far as I know, but in a world dominated by Grimm, it's a necessity for survival and all kingdoms are self-sufficient.

"For now, our immediate concern is that while we've eliminated one potential enemy, two opposing forces remain in play." I look to Fennec, silently prompting him to continue.

"Indeed," Fennec responds smoothly. "Lil' Miss Malachite has provided some intriguing intelligence about our enemies." On cue, an officer hands him several photographs, which he arranges on the table. "Prometheus' group, motivated purely by financial gain, has arrived with a force of 40 men. Four of these are mere assistants for equipment and miscellaneous tasks."

"More concerning is that Atlas forces have arrived with the explicit intention of slaying the behemoth. Reinforcements are expected by week's end to support this objective." His brother interjects.

And that catches my full attention. "Atlas intends to kill the behemoth?"

"Precisely," Fennec confirms. "The Spider Clan's intelligence network is more extensive than we anticipated, which has worked to our advantage. The general is deploying three specialists from his security firm, along with a classified weapon. While we can't confirm the exact troop numbers, we estimate it's at least a platoon, but no larger than a company."

"It's worth noting that General Ironwood has been notably committed to combating behemoths across Remnant. However, he's only managed to fall two thus far." The other brother comments.

"And those victories came at a considerable price," Fennec adds pointedly.

I mull over this information. "This intel certainly helps us plan our next move." It paints James Ironwood as a man solely focused on protecting people from those monsters.

"What if we simply wait for the two sides to complete their objectives?" An officer suddenly asks,

However, that suggestion causes Fennec's expression to darken slightly. "While that approach might seem cautious, it's fraught with risk. We don't know the behemoth's location. It could surface near our base at any moment, bringing everyone's attention to us. Moreover, if Prometheus discovers our presence, they'd sell us out without hesitation. Atlas would then either strike preemptively or call in specialized conventional warfare units. It's a gamble we can't afford to take."

He makes a good point.

"Still no signs of Grimm activity?" I ask.

None that we're aware of."

I furrow my brow, considering the situation. Our recent attack should have sparked enough negativity to draw a horde from those monsters.

"Are there any sightings, Pod?" I send a message to Pod, who's still up in the sky.

"NEGATIVE."

The response comes back swiftly.

No normal Grimm and no behemoth. For a giant monster, it's proving surprisingly elusive.

I sigh, realizing we'll have to rely on more traditional methods. "We'll need to dispatch additional scouting parties. But for now, our priority is rebuilding this base. I've brought a team specifically for that task."

The team consists of a single villager, but he is more than capable of completing the task fast.

The Albain brothers exchange a glance before Corsac responds, his voice tinged with appreciation, "It will be done, High Leader. Our brothers and sisters will undoubtedly value this gesture greatly."

With a nod, I turn and exit the control room, leaving them to their work. There's still much to be done, and I need to make another round of the base to find and address issues.

Work, work and work. At least there is no paperwork involved this time.

As I close the door behind me, my eyes fall on Ilia. She's perched on a table, gazing out the window. The setting sun casts a warm glow across her features, highlighting the spots on her skin. Sensing my presence, she turns, her eyes lighting up with a mix of relief and joy as she walks up to me.

But a playful mood strikes me, and I decide to indulge in a little game with her. "Excellent work, soldier. Your performance met my highest expectations."

Ilia catches on immediately, a mischievous glint in her eye as she plays along, giving me a slight bow. "I live to serve, oh fearless leader. What's my next mission?" Her tone might be playful, but I can hear the genuine respect in her tone.

I can't help but smirk. "I've got a mission of utmost importance. One only you can handle."

"Anything for the cause, sir," she responds, her voice taking on a more serious note, though her eyes still sparkle with amusement.

Without warning, I pull her into a hug.

"A-Adam?!" she yelps, breaking character. Her body stiffening for a moment.

"Just... let me have this moment, Ilia." I whisper in her ear. "Please?"

She squeaks a funny sound but eventually returns the hug, wrapping her arms around my back. Her touch is familiar, comforting.

"I was so worried," she murmurs, her grip suddenly tightening around me. "I know I shouldn't doubt you, but... you can't blame a girl for caring, right?"

"Hey," I cut her off gently, pulling back slightly to meet her gaze. "I made you a promise, remember? I don't break those. Ever."

Her expression softens, and she settles back into the hug, resting her head against my shoulder. I find myself staring out at the base and the surrounding jungle, our enemies hidden somewhere in the distance.

"You know…" Ilia mumbles against my chest. "Next time you need a hug, you could just ask. No need for the whole 'top-secret mission' setup."

I chuckle softly. "Where's the fun in that?"

Let the others think about what they want. Right now, this moment is all that matters.

This warmth.

It's worth more than any victory we could ever achieve.

First a special thanks to my supporters! You guys are amazing!

AN: And just like that one side is out of the fight. This was action packed chapter, although I did have some problems how to present this as it was many things happening at the same time, but I hope you guys like it anyway. Still had to end it with some Ilia fluff.

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