The news hit hard. No one could wrap their minds around what was happening. First the file got hacked and deleted. Next Cyno calls Wriothesley to say Tighnari is missing. Was this the start of a war? Or the start of the end?

"Cyno what happened? How do you know?" Clorinde asked.

"I met him. He… handed me an envelope. Inside what a photo of Tighnari bound and gagged in the desert." Cyno's voice wavered a bit. "He looked so afraid… fuck I need to go get him!"

"Hold on now. We are coming." Wriothesley said. "You can't go out there alone, that would be part of his trap. Give us some time to get to Sumeru."

"You saw him?" Neuvillette asked.

"Yes… I'll get a sketch done after my partner is saved. By the time I realized it was him he practically vanished." Cyno sighed. "Can you meet me in Caravan Ribat by sunrise?"

"Yes we will. The 5 of us will be there as soon as we possibly can. Do you have any idea where he is?" Wriothesley asked.

"No I don't… but I'll find out. I'm going to gather the troops I have available. Come ready to fight." Cyno said. They hung up and Wriothesley sighed.

"Clorinde, start packing up. We need to be at the helicopter pad within 2 hours if we are gonna make it on time. I gotta make some calls. Navia, can you clean up the kitchen? Neuvillette, can you start packing up for the both of us?" Wriothesley asked. His partners agreed and set out on their tasks.

Wriothesley called Chevreuse. She was shocked at the development but promised to be at the police station within the hour. The next call was to the chief. He was hesitant to just send the single team but understood the wishes of the team. The chief contacted the pilot and told him the helicopter would be ready to leave as soon as they were.

Wriothesley joined Neuvillette upstairs, changing into his work uniform. He was likely going to be uncomfortable in the desert but that was a challenge for later. Once essentials were packed, they met the girls in the living room.

Everything was taken care of within thirty minutes. The four headed to the police station to meet with Chevreuse. Their teammate was waiting at the doors when they arrived. It was dark, close to 8pm at this point. The night shift was out on patrol.

"Chief already unlocked the weapons room for us. Told me to just lock it when we left." Chevreuse said. Wriothesley nodded, entering the building quickly. He was the first to enter the weapon storage room, strapping on his gloves as soon as he entered. Chevreuse grabbed her sniper rifle and Clorinde grabbed her pistol and a sword. Wriothesley handed Neuvillette his service pistol and then Navia one of the extras from the room.

"Wriothesley won't you need this?" Neuvillette asked.

"No… I can't use it with my gauntlets anyway. I'll end up grabbing a spear from Cyno when we arrive anyway. It will be more adept to the mission." Wriothesley explained. "You can also keep a piece of me on you this way too." He threw his husband a wink.

"Let's get to the helicopter pad. We have a long flight ahead of us." Chevreuse suggested.

Wriothesley had everyone get into his undercover vehicle. After a 30 minute drive into the mountains, they arrived at the helicopter pad. The pilot was waiting, ready to fly. Wriothesley helped everyone up into the helicopter before getting in himself. Next stop: Caravan Ribat, Sumeru.

They stepped off the helicopter shortly before sunrise. Cyno was waiting for the group alongside Alhaitham and Kaveh. All three were armed with weapons, ready to enter the desert. Once everyone was off the helicopter, it flew away. They were officially beginning the Sumeru part of their mission, quite suddenly.

"Glad to see all of you." Cyno said.

"Pleasure, wish it was under different circumstances." Chevruse nodded.

"Any leads?" Clorinde asked.

"None. All I know is the desert." Cyno sighed.

"We even looked through the old notes we found a few years back in the House of Dana." Alhaitham sighed.

"There's so many structures in the desert, it could be any of them. There's also countless caves." Kaveh said.

"Well, I guess we'll have to go door to door and figure it out." Wriothesley shrugged.

"I thought the desert was a lawless area?" Navia asked.

"It is… this is going to be dangerous even without the Doctor's presence." Cyno nodded.

"I know where he is." A voice called. Everyone looked back and saw a familiar dark haired woman walking up.

"Dehya? How do you know where Nari is? How did you even know about this mission?" Cyno asked.

"I'll explain everything after, we need to head out now. Nilou passes her love on as well. She's the one who told me you were out here." Dehya turned around, heading towards the entrance to the desert.

"Dehya you need to explain where we are going." Alhaitham said. His tone left no room for argument.

"I know where he is because I'm one of the heads of Cerberus." Dehya didn't turn around. Those words hit Wriothesley hard.

"Wait you mean…" Wriothesley swallowed hard. "You work with my sister?"

"I'm the one who connects her to the city. I will explain everything after. You can even arrest me if you want. The Doctor is scared, this was never part of the plan. We need to get Tighnari to safety before it's too late." Dehya sighed. "Candace is waiting for us in Aaru village with supplies."

"Is she… the other head?" Alhaitham asked.

"Yes. I'll give you the extended version afterward but we found lady Marina in the desert years ago. Ever since, we have made it our mission to free her from the Doctor's evil grasp." Dehya bit her lip. "She is innocent in all this. She's leading you to help her escape because she can't on her own."

"Dehya take us to Aaru. Let's get Tighnari home and we can discuss all this after." Wriothesley said. "Cyno, I know this is your turf but hear me out on this. I need to be the lead on this mission. You are personally involved in this and likely the target. It's our best option for everyone making it out alive."

"You're right." Cyno closed his eyes. "Kaveh is the best desert guide behind Candace. We will get through the desert easily now that we have others on our side."

Dehya led them down the sandy desert path. The wind was quiet for now, allowing the small army to pass safely to Aaru village. It was a quiet village, filled with hospitality and dreams. The people lived simply out here, but happily. The group walked over the bridge and knocked on the first building's door. After three harsh knocks, a tall woman with short blue hair opened the door. She was draped in gold jewelry and accessories. A blue skirt and white top peaked from under her long cloak.

"Welcome to Aaru village, everyone." She smiled. Her eyes were soft, displaying a kindness and warmness within the blue and gold orbs. She already had a long spear and shield attached to her back.

"Are you ready to go?" Dehya asked. "Time is of the essence."

"Of course. All is ready. A sumpter beast is waiting at the village exit. I have food, water, weapons and first aid. I also have cloaks for our Fontainian friends who may not be prepared for a sand storm." She stepped forward to introduce herself to the group. "My name is Candace, I am the guardian of this village. We appreciate your quick appearance." She looked Wriothesley up and down before laughing behind her hand. "Dehya was right… you really could be lady Marina's twin."

"Do you think she's still there?" Wriothesley asked. "With Tighnari?"

"It's hard to say. We only got notification from her via one of our communication birds. Everything went array from the original plan." Candace explained. "All we know is she said to cut all ties to Cerberus and the location of where the last hideout was. He is definitely there."

"Let's get going. We need to set out as soon as possible." Clorinde said. "We need to take the chance that she is still there. We can potentially save her today too."

"How far away is the location?" Chevreuse asked.

"A two hour walk through the desert give or take." Candace said. She escorted the group to the village exit. There was a peculiar animal that none of the special forces had seen before. Navia approached the large brown beast and offered a hand to see if he was friendly. The sumpter beast huffed before bowing slightly. The blonde petted over his face with a gentle hand, earning a happy grunt from the beast.

"Can we bring one of these home with us? They're adorable!" Navia gushed. She hugged the large beast who nuzzled into her.

"I'm afraid they wouldn't do well in Fontaine weather." Candace chuckled.

"Also he wouldn't fit in our house." Clorinde added. "How about a cat? Or a dog?"

"We can discuss house pets when we aren't hunting down criminals in the desert." Wriothesley sighed. "Let's get moving."

Candace led the group alongside Kaveh through the desert. The path was long and unsteady. The wind picked up in the open terrain. They ran into a small group of bandits who were quickly apprehended by Cyno. He had no mercy for anyone at this point, too lost in worry for his partner. Neuvillette observed the vast desert land. There was only an oasis of water every blue moon. The only greenery was an occasional cactus or desert fruit. There were large birds of prey, scorpions and abandoned camps everywhere. They were definitely a long way from their home nation.

The sand storm lightened up when they arrived under a large rock formation. Up ahead was a decrepit, decayed pyramid that looked to be hundreds of years old. That was his hideout? Honestly it was perfect… it looked so worn down that it was hiding in plain sight.

They set up a temporary camp under the rock structure. It provided sanctuary from the hot sun and the sand. The group would leave the sumpter beast here, a safe place for afterward. Kaveh volunteered to stay behind to guard camp.

"Navia you need to stay with Kaveh too." Wriothesley said. She wanted to argue but he went into further detail. "Sweetness you are still recovering. We have no idea what's up ahead of us and I would rather know you're here safe and protecting Kaveh. You can love on the sumpter beast too."

"I don't need protection." Kaveh sighed.

"If a scorpion enters camp, you most certainly aren't gonna kill it." Alhaitham rolled his eyes. "Take care of both of them okay?" He kissed his partner before heading down towards the ancient temple.

"You're right, Wrio." Navia sighed. "I'll make sure camp is okay. Kaveh and I will split the watch. Just… be safe okay?" She squeezed Wriothesley's hand before kissing Clorinde.

"What about me?" Neuvillette asked.

"As much as I'd like you to stay here and safe… I need you outside the temple in case reinforcements arrive." Wriothesley took a deep breath. "I want Cyno, Chevreuse, Clorinde, Alhaitham and myself inside. Dehya, Candace and Neuvillette will be placed outside in case there's reinforcements trying to block us in."

"It may be wise to keep Alhaitham outside and take Dehya inside with us." Cyno added.

"I've never been inside their hideout but I've explored plenty of similar ruins of the King." Dehya nodded.

"We have no idea how many traps are in place. Special forces will take the lead to make sure there's nothing that will kill us." Wriothesley said. "Chev, You and I will be first to scope out. Clorinde right behind us. Cyno you're taking up the rear. Does anyone have any opposition to this?"

No one posed any opposition. The group headed down to the entrance of the crumpled ruins, Alhaitham waiting patiently. Wriothesley explained the plan once again. The dark haired man listened closely to what was going on inside the ancient ruins. There wasn't a sound to be heard besides howling wind. Were they really in the right place?

Neuvillette, Candace and Alhaitham took position outside, ready to be the first line of defense against sudden outside attacks. Chevreuse and Wriothesley were the first ones down the stairs into the pyramid. Clorinde and Dehya were close behind them with Cyno bringing up the rear.

The ruins were dark and collapsing. It was the complete opposite of a high tech facility they expected from the Doctor. Sand made the stairs slick. The stairs crumpled below their feet. There was a quiet howling of wind behind them from the desert. It set a feeling of anxiety upon everyone who entered.

The stairs ended after a few dozen steps. They seemed to be lower down but it plateaued off. The main hallway was long but turned a ways down. It was unclear how large the place actually was.. Chevreuse raised her scope to check for traps. The halls were smooth, nothing in sight. No trip wire, no booby traps. The group traveled down the hall to the first turn. Then a left. Then a right. Then a right. It seemed to be taking them in a large circle it felt like. Finally there was a light at the end of the hall. They made haste to the end of the long labyrinth.

The room was huge, the innards of the pyramid remain. There were tall stacks of barrels along the walls. The bricks were ancient, nearly falling in. There were no additional exits or entrances. In the center of the room was a large cage. Under the cage were lines that spread to each corner of the main room. Something about the cage didn't sit right with Wriothesley. It seemed raised… it seemed to be on display for something he didn't quite know yet. It was also way too large to just hold a human captive. It seemed more meant to hold a sumpter beast or larger.

"Nari!" Cyno yelled. Tighnari was locked in the cage in the center. He was curled into a ball, shaking slightly. There was something different about him they didn't realize until they approached.

When he heard his partner's voice, Tighnari unraveled a bit from the ball he was curled in. His face was filled with relief when he saw them but then panicked. What none of them expected was he would fall victim to the Doctor's DNA manipulation experiments. He had only been gone for about 24 hours… Was that really enough time for this? How could the Doctor have managed this? What technology did he have to be able to do… this?

"Stay back!" Tighnari yelled. He stood up in the cage, still shaky on his feet. A bushy black and green tail swished behind him. He had tall black fox-like ears that stood tall on his head. The Doctor mixed his genetics with some sort of fox.

"Nari what happened?" Cyno said softly. He was at the door of the cage. "What did they do to you?!"

"Cyno you need to stay back." Tighnari growled softly before covering his mouth. They saw a brief glance of fangs.

"Cyno he's right." Clorinde approached, pulling the general back. "Look down."

Under the cage was some sort of mechanism. The Fontaine team wasn't sure what it was exactly, just that it was a trap. Dehya stepped up beside the cage and inspected it.

"Seems to be a weight mechanism from King Deshret's technology." Dehya bit her lip in worry. "We cannot move him or this place is going to blow. All those barrels have explosives in them."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say this was simply a trap, not their lab." Chevreuse sighed. "Captain… Any ideas on what to do?"

"I have a plan, yeah." Wriothesley kneeled down slightly, trying to be level with Tighnari in the cage. "I know you're scared Tighnari but we will get you out. Now… Do you know how much you weigh? Best guess is fine."

"Um… 140 pounds about?" Tighnari said.

"That's about your size, right Clorinde?" Wriothesley asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"Yeah it is… are you thinking of exchanging places?" She asked.

"We're going to have to move slowly. We aren't sure how sensitive this weight is." Wriothesley stood up. "Cyno, will you help him out? I'll be helping Clorinde step inside the cage."

"Are you sure Wriothesley? That's a risky tactic." Cyno frowned at the idea of his friends sacrificing themselves.

"Unless you have any better ideas, this is what needs to be done." Wriothesley sighed. "Okay this is the game plan. We are going to exchange Tighnari in the cage for Clorinde. She and I will stay behind. Chevreuse, I want you to guide the others to safety. Once you're outside, shoot a fire round. I should be able to hear it from inside. As soon as you take that shot, take everyone as far away from the pyramid as possible. Clorinde and I will be rushing out shortly after. With this many explosives, we are going to be followed by a lot of debris."

"You think you can outrun it?" Dehya raised a brow.

"Clorinde can with her restriction lifted. I will be creating ice walls to try and hold back some of the debris. But once you're outside Clorinde, you need to hit the mechanism in the front we saw. Lock down the place. I need you to trust that I'll make it out on time." Wriothesley took a deep breath. "And if I don't, then you know where my letters are." The last sentence made bile rise in his throat. He didn't want to think about it.

"You will make it out fine." Clorinde reassured him.

"All restrictions are lifted. This could get a little chilly." Wriothesley said to his team.

"Time to testify." Clorinde replied.

"Hands where I can see them." Chevreuse nodded.

Wriothesley carefully opened the cage, pressing the door against the side of the cage. Cyno stuck his arm in and offered it to Tighnari to balance himself. Clorinde stepped up to the door. It was wide enough where they could both fit through it sideways.

Slowly. So slowly they exchanged places. One wrong step and this place was going to be rubble. Working too fast would result in the same. A foot for a foot. Weight shifted. A hand for a hand. The two mirrored each other's movements until Clorinde was all the way in the cage and Tighnari was panting on the ground. He seemed in pain, unknown to the others if it was from the genetic modifications or something otherwise.

Cyno scooped Tighnari into his arms and pulled him close. He whispered something inaudible to his partner as he held him close. Tighnari looked exhausted, wrecked from pain and exhaustion. His ears drooped and his tail wrapped around his front. Chevreuse herded everyone towards where they had entered the main chamber.

"We're all counting on you two." Chevreuse called. "Be safe! We'll see you outside… remember your partners are waiting out there!" Clorinde and Wriothesley gave her a thumbs up. The group left the main chamber besides the Dualist and the Duke.

Wriothesley sat on the ground near the cage, but far enough away that the mechanism wouldn't trigger. Clorinde stood in the cage, observing her surroundings. There were a lot of exploding barrels around them. Wriothesley's cryo abilities were strong with his gauntlets but was it really going to make a difference?

"It's funny, you know." Wriothesley chuckled. "Think back to when I first got released from prison… you and your parents picking me up from the front entry gates. I was shaking in my boots at the thought of entering normal society. Now look at us. We've changed so much… I would have never in my wildest imagination have pictured us trapped in the Sumeru pyramid."

"Things did take a turn for all of us… for the better i'd say." Clorinde smiled fondly as she thought back. "It's weird to think back on. The first week of school you barely spoke to anyone. And now you run the most elite team within the Fontaine police forces."

"It's really because you, Navia and Neuvillette believed in me. Gave me the courage and strength to keep going." Wriothesley admitted. "You kept me going through all of my incarceration too."

"I'm so proud of the man you've become Wrio, truly I am." Clorinde said softly. "If any other team leader was in here with me, I would have doubts on if we were going to live or not. But with you here with me… I know this was the best plan and that we will be safe."

"I can't promise we'll be unscaved but we'll definitely be out alive. Honestly I'm a little glad this was just a trap and not an ambush." Wriothesley admitted. "Say Rinde… I know this isn't the best time but we don't have much better to do than talk…"

"Lay it on me." Clorinde said.

"Where's your mind at about Dehya and Candace working with my sister?" Wriothesley asked.

"I want to have trust in them. They're here helping us after all. However, I think they need to answer a lot of questions before they earn the entirety of my trust." Clorinde explained. "Did you notice the sparkle in their eyes when they talked about Rina? I can't confirm without asking them but… it seems they love her. Like I do."

"She does have that charm to her." Wriothesley smiled fondly and remembered his sister. "I just… am struggling to comprehend all of it. How could they keep it a secret? Dehya is supposed to be a friend and yet…"

"I think it's complicated. You know better than anyone the Doctor is a dangerous man. Rina has to play his game and outsmart him at it. That can't be easy. She's been in survival mode her whole life… maybe they are the people she's able to trust in getting her home to us." Clorinde offered.

"Yeah you're right. They had a reason to hide the information. Maybe they'll explain it when we're out of this." Wriothesley agreed. "We're gonna have a hard time locating the Doctor's whereabouts after this."

"Maybe it's a break we needed." Clorinde shrugged. "We can focus on us… our family."

"Yeah, Neuvi and I have that fertility doctor's appointment in a week or two." Wriothesley groaned a bit. "I'm a bit scared of the answer."

"Well, the worst case scenario is we have money and a great lawyer. Adoption is a thing after all." Clorinde smiled.

"We'll get it figured out in time." Wriothesley stood up and stretched. "Right now we need to focus on getting out of this shitty temple."

"You think you can outrun it?" Clorinde raised a brow.

"I don't entirely have a choice now do I?" Wriothesley laughed. "Don't worry… i'll be fine. Let's be honest here, I've gotten out of tougher situations."

A loud shot was fired outside the temple. It rang off the decrepit brick walls, kicking dust up. A few more shots were fired afterward, sounding to be Wriothesley's service pistol. The Duke's shoulders tensed.

"They're fine, Wrio. Everyone is out there. It was probably just a scorpion and Neuvillette got a little too trigger happy." Clorinde waved off the extra shots. "You ready?"

"Let's do this." Wriothesley took a deep breath before pressing the buttons on his gauntlets. Clorinde flipped off the secondary safety on her gun.

Wriothesley stepped up to the first wall of exploding barrels as his gauntlets expanded. He planted both hands on the floor, allowing the cryo chambers to work their magic. There was no water on the ground like last time so it wouldn't be as strong, but it would definitely give them a good enough headstart. The barrels slowly froze over as the gears turned. Wriothesley groaned softly, the toll already hitting his body. The institute had reworked the core not to burn him anymore but now, it seemed to use his energy as well as dig into his skin.

He repeated the process until all of the barrels were covered in a thick coat of ice. The Duke stood back, admiring his work. It was also a way for him to catch his breath.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to outrun this?" Clorinde asked again. She noticed how drained he looked already.

"Got no other choice now do I?" Wriothesley huffed.

"You can leave now and I'll run solo." Clorinde offered.

"Not a chance. I am the captain after all. I will make sure my team is safe before I am." Wriothesley looked at Clorinde in the cage. "Are you ready to go?"

"Let's get out of this place." She nodded. "I'll hit the mechanism to close the door once I see you are close enough to reach. I'm not locking you out."

"I trust you, beautiful." Wriothesley winked at his partner.

Electricity was coursing through Clorinde's body. A sword in one hand and her trusted pistol in the other. Wriothesley moved to their exit, knowing she was going to be that much faster than him. With a deep breath, Clorinde stepped out of the cage, releasing the weight sensitive lever.

The temple rumbled. Dust fell from the walls and ceiling. The sound of ice crackling filled the room. However, the Dualist didn't wait to see how the room would collapse. Using the electro flowing through her, she ran to the exit. After they crossed the threshold, both agents heard a huge explosion. It was now a race against the debris.

Clorinde moved extraordinarily fast with her restrictions lifted. She sliced through any falling debris with her sword in one hand, firing at further falling debris with her gun in the other. Throughout the twists and turns of the pyramid, she took every corner with ease. It seemed like mere seconds she ran before she saw the stairs up to the hot desert sand. Like lightning, she emerged from the collapsing pyramid with a flash. She quickly hit the secondary safety of her pistol, panting heavily. She clutched her chest; that was the most electricity her body had ever taken and her chest felt tight. But she still had a mission to complete… waiting for Wriothesley to come within sight.

Wriothesley felt the electricity fill the air as Clorinde sped past him. He had planted his hands on the ground again, willing the gears in his gloves to turn faster so the ice wall would be done in time. It wasn't fully complete, but it would do the job. With the sound of the boom, he took off towards the entrance. There was no possible way for him to be as fast and agile as his partner, relying sheerly on muscle and stamina. He grabbed the corners of the wall at every sharp turn, flinging himself to get further along. Debris was falling from the ceiling and the walls. Small rocks hit his head and shoulders. He had to focus on the end goal: the stairs.

There were several large chunks of brick that were falling above him. Using his gauntlets, he punched his way through or used them as a shield. Unfortunately, he learned fast they weren't meant to take heavy blows like that. It burned his own skin, tearing into it. The gauntlets were like a second skin to him and he was receiving the same amount of damage they were.

No slowing down. The stairs were nearby. However, Wriothesley was running out of stamina. But giving up isn't an option. The temple behind him was already collapsing. If he stayed any longer, he would be buried in rubble too.

He made it to the stairs. Summoning the last bit of his strength, he ran like his life depended on it. A shot was heard echoing throughout the remaining temple hallway. Clorinde had seen him arrive at the stairs and hit the lever. The door slowly shut in front of him. Mustering the last bit of his strength, he forced his legs to go faster. He forced his leg muscles to work harder, beyond their limit. With a slide into the warm sand, he safely made it out of the temple before the door slid shut. Huge booms were heard all around them as the temple collapsed inside.

Using energy he didn't know he had left, he slammed his gauntlet into the ground, forcing one last ice wall to go up to secure the brick pyramid door. He needed to make sure it was contained. Eventually, the booms settled and the dust began to make their new home among the desert sand. The pyramid had collapsed into itself and was no more than a pile of rubble with a door.

The Duke flopped back into the hot sand panting. He didn't have the energy to move. He knew his arms were torn to shreds from his weapon. But they had made it out. Every person on the mission was alive and well. That's truly all that mattered to him. In the distance, he heard several voices call his name. He was too tired to tell whose voice was who. He just needed to close his eyes for a few minutes.

"Hey now don't pass out on us." Clorinde huffed as she sat down beside him. The pain in her chest had subsided and now she was worried about her partner. She sat in the sand beside him, pulling his head into her lap. "You're making our partners worry too."

"Just…give me 5…" Wriothesley whispered. "Fuck that hurt."

"Do I need to go get the sumpter beast to carry you back to Aaru village?" Clorinde joked.

"Honestly not a bad idea. But I can still walk… probably." Wriothesley sighed.

"What do you mean probably?" Clorinde raised a brow.

"I pushed myself pretty hard in there. My muscles are throbbing. I am definitely going to have to focus on stamina and running when we return home." Wriothesley huffed. He pushed himself up to at least sit up. He was definitely not walking out of the desert fully for a day or two. Getting back to Aaru was going to be a slow challenge as it was.

"You should probably recall your restriction though. It's eating your energy." Clorinde went to press the button on the gauntlet closest to her but he pulled away.

"Yes but I am also torn to shreds under this. The new core is a lot sharper it seems." Wriothesley bit his lip. "Help me back to camp. I will disengage them up there. We brought a first aid kit with us… I can at least field patch myself up."

Clorinde stood up and held a hand out for him, reefing him to his feet. The tall man stumbled a bit but felt a warm, slender arm wrap around his waist. The two limped up the large sand dune to base camp where everyone patiently waited for them to arrive.

Neuvillette and Navia ran to their partners as soon as they reached the peak of the hill. Neuvillette took Wriothesley's other side and helped him a few hundred yards to the safety of camp. When they arrived back, Wriothesley sat down near the smooth stone wall, sighing in relief. Navia brought over the first aid kit.

"This is gonna be a mess." Wriothesley sighed. He could feel the warm wetness of blood inside his boxing gloves. It was going to spill as soon as he pressed the button.

"Please wait a moment, Captain Wriothesley." Candace called. She brought over two towels. "We will need to burn them immediately after." She motioned to the small fire Kaveh and Navia had made while they were gone. "Otherwise we will attract desert predators and I'm sure all of us are ready to rest."

"Good plan." Wriothesley hadn't even realized that possibility. The desert was far different from their home of Fontaine. Candace tucked a towel under each of the areas where his gauntlets hung. With a deep breath, Wriothesley pressed the first button. He was correct; his arms were torn apart, large cuts and gashes littered where his gauntlet previously were. He winced at the hot air hitting his bloodied skin. The towels were a good plan… they soaked up a majority of the blood, only a few drops going in the sand.

Navia gasped at the damage. "I thought the institute reworked your gauntlets to be less damaging!"

"Cuts heal easier than burns sweetness." Wriothesley smiled weakly.

It took the joint effort of Navia and Neuvillette to clean up the blood and bandage the wounds. Some would need stitches back in Aaru but for now, the field dressings would have to do. They repeated the process on the other arm that was just as wounded as the last.

Chevreuse came over and checked on her captain. She reported that Tighnari was alright besides the mutations. She explained the gun shots when they were inside was Neuvillette trying to help take down a swarm of scorpions. Overall, there was no back up of the Doctor. There was nothing to prove it was him besides the one key witness: Tighnari.

After he was patched up, he stood up on shaky legs. Wriothesley went to the otherside of camp to see the others. Tighnari was fast asleep, curling in a ball using Cyno's lap as a pillow. Alhaitham was sitting by the fire with Kaveh resting on his shoulder. Dehya was watching the vast desert, protecting the camp. Candace tossed the bloodied towels in the fire, making sure the scent of blood wouldn't attract unwanted guests.

"Wriothesley…" Cyno said softly, seeing the captain up and about again. "I… I can't thank you enough for this. You guys dropped everything, flew to a different nation and risked everything to save MY partner."

"You woulda done the same for me." Wriothesley smiled. "We have a lot of questions for everyone once we are safe in Aaru."

"Do you feel you will be able to travel in around 30 minutes?" Candace asked the Duke. "You are the one I am most worried about right now."

"I am good to walk whenever. I just… may be slow." Wriothesley smiled at the blue haired women. "I appreciate the concern."

"I know you have a lot to ask me later but…" Candace approached Wriothesley. She picked off a large chunk of debris from his shoulder. "You are so much like her… your mannerisms as well as your looks."

"You don't know how much that means to me." Wriothesley's smile curled up. He was like his sister… that made him feel hopeful she would be home soon. These women knew his long lost sister well. Maybe… he could learn more about the person she had become over the past decade.

The able bodied members began cleaning up camp. Wriothesley sat down next to Cyno and waited, resting for the long trek back to the village. The last thing they did was put out the fire, returning the ashes to the desert.

The walk back was slow. Alhaitham offered to carry Tighnari on his back, being able to handle the weight better than Cyno on the long distance journey. Neuvillette and Clorinde took turns supporting Wriothesley's weight. His legs felt like butter, unable to withstand his entire weight. The group was patient with him however, taking frequent breaks to rest. They arrived back at Aaru village at sunset.

They entered Candace's residence once again. She told Wriothesley to lay on the couch in the living room and sent Alhaitham to deposit Tighnari in a bedroom nearby. Tighnari slept most of the hike back, likely exhausted from the mutations and traumatic events. The village leader set off to find the village doctor.

Wriothesley didn't need to be told twice, laying on the couch the moment it came into sight. His body ached. His muscles felt tight. His arms burned. It honestly pissed him off that his body was failing him again. He worked so hard over the years, building muscle and stamina to be a fighting machine and yet here he was wounded once again. He needed to work harder. He needed to become stronger.

The Fontainians sat at the round table nearby Wriothesley. Alhaitham and Cyno were in the bedroom with Tighnari while Kaveh prepared beverages for them all. Dehya took a seat on the floor next to Wriothesley's head.

"You can ask me stuff while we wait for the doctor." Dehya said. "I know you all have burning questions for me."

"Can you explain how you became a head of Cerberus? I'm assuming it wasn't a job advertisement." Chevreuse asked first.

"I was still living out here in the desert with my tribe. I often worked with Candace even though I wasn't a resident of Aaru village. We worked together to hunt game or gather food or escort caravans safely across the desert. After all, the Eremite tribes out here need food like everyone else." Dehya began. "I was out hunting with Candace when we saw someone walking in the desert in strange clothes. They were not from the desert obviously so we approached with caution. Well caution was thrown to the wind when the person collapsed in the sand. Turned out that person was lady Marina."

"We found a cave nearby and took shelter in it. A sand storm was approaching anyway. We set up camp and let her sleep. When she woke up, Marina was freaking out. She kept asking if we were kidnapping her and going to hurt her. Candace was the one who pushed food into her hands and told her we were there to help her. It took some time for the sand storm to pass but we found out who she was. She explained she was a victim of human trafficking and ended up out here in the hands of the Doctor."

"His name is Dottore by the way." Candace said from the doorway. The village doctor was behind her. Wriothesley encouraged the doctor to go see Tighnari first, needing more information from the two desert women before he got treated.

"Dottore…" Clorinde raised a brow. "Do you know what he looks like? Have you met him?"

"No, we've never met. We've seen him however. As far as he knows, Cerberus does not exist." Candace said. "He has no idea about us. He doesn't know Lady Rina isn't on his side. She's a very good actor. She says it's from her prior life. She has 100% of the Doctor's trust. There is a reason she is second in command."

"Yeah we did have to be good at acting." Wriothesley sighed. A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about his childhood.

"She told us how scared of him she was but there was no escape. This man is beyond a genius. It's going to be hard to outsmart him and capture him." Dehya admitted. "That's why we decided to help Marina. She often hired us as help… protection in the city, caravan guarding, good supplier, you name it she hired us for it. It gave us a way in and a way to communicate with each other."

"Then when she received news from Fontaine about a press release about a high school boy who killed his parents… we began to prepare for her escape." Candace explained. "She has been watching you this whole time. She knew you went to prison. She saw the press release. She saw you get accepted into college. The Doctor's resources are vast and by that time, she had his trust fully. She was able to monitor every movement. I'm unsure of her Fontaine contacts however."

"Then you came to Sumeru." Dehya looked down. "Wriothesley I'm really sorry to say this. But… when we met on Treasure street for the first time… I pick pocketed you. It was per your sister's orders. The entire thing about the bazaar was staged. She WANTED you to see her. But she couldn't interact. The Doctor has eyes everywhere and she knew if he saw you, your life would be his."

"We planted the evidence in the house of Dana. We watched from afar the night you found everything. We had been working on that plan for years prior. It seems to have helped your investigation quite a bit." Candace smiled softly. "We are entering the final phase of capturing Dottore and saving lady Marina. However… no one knows where the Fontaine lab is. She never included the coordinates. Never mentioned it to us."

"I know where it is. We found it during our second operation." Wriothesley looked between the two girls. "How old was she when you found her in the desert?"

"She was 14." Candace confirmed. It was shortly after she was sold.

"Pardon my bluntness." Clorinde interrupted. "But, are you two in love with Rina?"

"In ways you would never comprehend." Dehya said. "It didn't happen instantly. It happened over years of trying to save her. She's intoxicating to be around. She's been through so much in her life and yet all she gives off is light and happiness."

"Then we are all on the same side. Whatever happened in the past is just that." Navia added.

"We will all work together to bring her home." Clorinde nodded.

"There's more that we would love to share but unfortunately… it isn't the right time. It could put lady Marina in harm's way if we did. It could also be… hard to hear." Candace closed her eyes and rested against the back wall.

"What DNA was she mutated with?" Wriothesley asked. "I saw her eyes last time."

"She was one of his first experiments. It was a sort of ancient desert creature, we are unsure." Candace bit her lip. "It's likely Tighnari is a Desert fox mutation now. We dont know of any way to reverse it. Lady Rina has been trying to figure out a way for three years in secret."

"Why only three years if she's been mutated for longer?" Chevreuse asked.

"We… can't say yet." Dehya sighed. "We aren't keeping this information from you on purpose. We want to tell you… but it's too complicated."

"Do you know where his desert lab was?" Neuvillette asked.

"No… we always met his men in the middle of the desert. They didn't want to be found and Marina didn't know the coordinates exactly. It's an anomaly in the desert… sometimes your compass just spins. That's why it's so dangerous out here." Candace shook her head.

"When the time comes and we arrest the Doctor… Do you guys have proof to bring forward to prove any of this or be willing to testify?" Clorinde asked.

"We do. We will hand everything over to Cyno after we receive lady Rina's instruction to." Dehya ran a hand down her face. "We just… don't know when or if that will happen. We are really scared for her safety right now. None of this was in the plan. We have no idea how he even targeted Tighnari."

"We'll talk with him when he's able. It may be a few days." Wriothesley said as he sat up on the couch. "We have no idea what he's been through or how he's been affected. Let's just rest for now. Clorinde and I pushed it pretty hard in that pyramid temple. The anxiety of this mission has hit everyone I feel."

"But let's get you patched up first." Neuvillette moved from his spot at the table to sit beside his husband. "You need stitches on some of those wounds. We should also talk to the institute when we return."

"Yeah, I'll ask them to rework my gauntlets while we figure out a plan to take down the Fontaine lab. It sounds like we are going to need a really detailed plan or we won't make it out alive." Wriothesley grimaced at the idea.

The village doctor appeared from the back bedroom shortly after. He reported Tighnari was physically alright, no wounds or poison or anything of the sort. However, he had no answers for the mutations or how to correct them. He stepped up to the couch and prepared to stitch Wriothesley's arm wounds. Thankfully he had some numbing cream for the dark haired man, otherwise it was about to be a very painful evening. A hundred stitches later, 50 in each arm, the captain was fully patched up.

It was dark outside. There was no possibility of heading home that night. And at this point, everyone from Fontaine had been running on no sleep for over a day. Candace did her best to accommodate everyone, making beds with extra blankets and mats she had available. However, before they were able to rest, Cyno emerged from the back bedroom to let the other officers know that Tighnari was awake and in a good state of mind to answer questions. They couldn't lose the opportunity.

Wriothesley, Chevreuse and Clorinde joined Cyno in the back room with Tighnari. Alhaitham and Kaveh stepped out, opting to go sleep in another bedroom as they were both exhausted as well. Tighnari was sitting up in the bed, ears perked forward. His tail moved quietly under the sheets.

"It's good to see you awake again, Tighnari." Wriothesley smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling okay?"

"As good as expected. I have a feeling these changes will take me a while to get used to." Tighnari answered with a small smile.

"We know youve been through a lot but would it be alright if you answered some questions?" Chevreuse asked from the foot of the bed.

"If you don't know an answer or it makes you uncomfortable just tell us." Clorinde added from behind Wriothesley.

"You guys forget I am mated to a police officer." Tighnari chuckled softly. "Ask away." Cyno blushed heavily at the phrase. Mated… huh…

"Do you remember how you got captured?" Wriothesley asked.

"I was on patrol in the woods… all the way down in Apam forest. There had been a distress signal spotted so I was going to help whoever set it off. Once I got to the camp and found the distress flare, I didn't see a single person. Then suddenly something was pressed to my face and the world began to spin. Only thing I felt when I was going under was a needle in my neck." Tighnari closed his eyes. "When I woke up, I was in the pyramid in a cage. There was a man around me, observing me. I'm pretty sure it was the Doctor. He wrote some things down before leaving. He never said a word to me."

"Could you describe him to a sketch artist?" Clorinde asked.

"I could, yes." His ears flattened a bit. "I was really scared… Everything hurt. Then I noticed I had a freaking tail. I felt my ears hit the top of the cage and I realized I had animal-like features. My hearing is definitely more sensitive now too."

"Did you see anyone else in the pyramid?" Chevreuse asked.

"When the Doctor left, a woman came in sometime later. I'm not sure how long… time was weird in there." Tighnari looked at Wriothesley. "Marina is your sister right?"

"Yes she is." Wriothesley confirmed.

"She's the one who explained the mechanism to me and gave me water. She told me everything would be alright and that as long as I didn't leave the cage it would be safe. She even undid the lock." Tighnari bit his lip. "She wanted to stay… she asked if I knew you. When I said yes her eyes lightened. She left quickly though after someone called out for her."

"Do you know who called for her?" Clorinde asked.

"No but they called her mommy." Tighnari shrugged. "I didn't see anyone. Only heard the sound."

"Wait, are there children involved in this?" Chevreuse asked.

"We've only rescued one little girl from this in Fontaine and she was between 8 and 10." Wriothesleys face wrinkled in confusion. "It's hard to say. We didn't even know the Doctor's name until today. There's a lot of unknown variables it seems."

"Thank you for answering all of our questions, Tighnari." Clorinde offered a small smile. "Why don't you two rest up… we have a long way back to Caravan Ribat tomorrow. The special forces will need to be leaving Sumeru soon to figure out where they went."

"That's a good idea." Cyno said. He stood and helped the dark haired man from the edge of the bed. Wriothesley was still exhausted after all. The special forces returned to the living room to find Neuvillette and Navia cuddled on the couch together fast asleep. Their partners were not used to being up extended periods of time like the officers were.

Clorinde and Wriothesley settled on a pile of blankets near the couch. It was a sort of makeshift bed that Candace had provided. Chevreuse promptly fell asleep in a chair nearby. When they settled, Wriothesley kissed Clorinde's forehead gently.

"I know I miss her too." He whispered.

"It's hard…" Clorinde murmured. "Knowing how many people love her without being able to help her. She's alone… fighting a solo battle and all I want is to fight the battle alongside her."

"We are doing what we can." Wriothesley brushed a strain of purple hair back. "Have you ever told Navia about how you feel about Rina?"

"Yes of course." Clorinde chuckled softly. "I tell my wife everything… especially something as important as the fact I love a person outside the four of us."

"She took it well?"

"Of course she did. She can't wait to meet Marina and fall in love with her too." Clorinde closed her eyes, a small tear bubbling in the corner.

"She'll be home soon. I can feel it in my bones." Wriothesley wiped the tear from her eye before it could fall. He held her close as they finally drifted off into an exhaustion driven sleep.

The hike to Caravan Ribat was long and tiring. Wriothesley's legs still hasn't made a full recovery and he was stiff from sleeping on the floor. Chevreuse had contacted the chief about getting the helicopter back out to meet them. It was time to go back home.

It wouldn't be the last they saw their Sumeru friends. Cyno had pledged to meet them in Fontaine for the final battle with the Doctor. He would also send him the sketch as soon as he could get the meeting arranged. They would receive a sketch from Cyno, Candace, Dehya and Tighnari. Hopefully with this many eye witnesses, they would be able to have a very accurate sketch.

The two Fontainians from outside of the special forces were exhausted from the mission. Navia was still recovering after all and Neuvillette wasn't used to the desert heat or the constant wear and tear on his energy. Boy was he grateful about his career choice.

It wasn't long before they were boarding the helicopter back to their nation. Their mission was settled, a complete success. There was so much to do back in Fontaine before they could even hunt the Doctor again. Dottore… the faceless man now had a name. There were so many questions left.

Why was Rina in the desert the day Candace and Dehya found her? Why couldn't she escape easily? How vast were the Doctors resources and abilities? Was he genetically modified as well? Who was the other voice Tighnari heard? How many more victims were out there?

These questions and more swirled around the duke's mind as they flew back to their precinct. Only time would answer them. But for now… all he could control was his own life. But he was grateful he wasn't alone in it. Wriothesley had his partners… his family… his loved ones… to protect and live life to the fullest with. And with every ounce of his energy, he would enjoy every single second he had with them.