Operation story: 6-5

Operation

Story

Previous 6-4	Next 6-6
Characters
Amiya Ch'en Swire Lin Yühsia Crownslayer Faust FrostNova Mephisto Talulah Phantom Crossbowman ??? Guard L.G.D. Officer Rhodes Island Operator Herd Reunion Member
Backgrounds
1 2 3

Before operation

Summary Under the withering assault of Mephisto's Herd, Amiya makes the decision to set them free. Elsewhere, Ch'en catches up with a mysterious figure clad in a black raincoat and recognizes who it is. After a confrontation, the other party temporarily makes a compromise.
<Background 1>
Amiya	They've lost all humanity...
Rhodes Island Operator	Amiya...
Amiya	Yeah. I'm fine. Can we still reach Blaze, Doctor, and GreyThroat?
Rhodes Island Operator	No problem.
Amiya	Good. Keep in touch with them. Help them find their way.
Herd	...... (Thirsty howling).
Amiya	I can't feel... anything from you anymore. That faint outline of a thread of hatred, it all came from Mephisto... I have to cleanse it... the poison of Mephisto's hate. I promise. I will.
<Background 2>
[Ch'en contacts other L.G.D. officers.]
Ch'en	I've finished mopping up the Reunion stragglers and reached the waypoint. But we've found the situation in the slums is not what we expected. The L. G. D. unit guarding the area found no traces of Reunion. I'm going to have to investigate myself. There's been a reduction in the Infected mutants? Is that your doing? No? Stay frosty... You never know what danger might be hiding in the shadows. Don't let your guard down. These Infected are a lot more to handle than your run-of-the-mill Reunion. Once I finish my work here, I'll send a team to assist you. Keep the channel open. Over and out.
[Ch'en ends the call.]
Ch'en	Who's there?!
L. G. D. Officer	It's me! Reporting in!
Ch'en	Not you...
L. G. D. Officer	Huh...?
Ch'en	Nothing. Report in.
L. G. D. Officer	Yes, Sir! As ordered, we swept the area!
Ch'en	What did you find?
L. G. D. Officer	Nothing! Not a single Reunion footprint to be found!
Ch'en	I told you to be on the lookout for anything unusual!
L. G. D. Officer	Oh... Oops. We really don't know this area at all. I mean, according to procedure, we don't come in here until there's a problem so serious we have to tear down a block or something.
Ch'en	I know... The slums don't exist to you, as long as they're quiet.
L. G. D. Officer	......
Ch'en	When we cut off Reunion, there was a deafening sound coming from this place, and half the residents here vanished. Look at the toys scattered around our feet... Look at this and tell me there's nothing out of the ordinary. Was there anything in the plan about evacuating all the residents of the slums?
L. G. D. Officer	...There are a few things out of the ordinary. Most of the buildings in the district have been abandoned or otherwise ruined. The streets that are still here are completely empty. Presumably a result of crossfire between Reunion and the locals. And there have been a few fires. We have extinguished them. They seem to have been caused by household functions such as heating and cooking. All buildings show signs of forced entry, but there is no trace of any resistance from the residents. As for Reunion, there's really no sign of them at all. Just... some cleaning residue.
Ch'en	Do you care nothing for the civilians here?
L. G. D. Officer	...Sorry, Sir!
Ch'en	What are you apologizing for?
L. G. D. Officer	I don't know, Sir!
Ch'en	Whatever... Why should you care about anyone in a place like this? Hurry up and send out some teams to lock down the area! No one gets in or out. No vehicles either. Reunion or otherwise! As for you... You come with me. We're going north.
L. G. D. Officer	Yes, Sir!
Ch'en	(Shh. Don't make a sound!) (This way. Quickly.)
L. G. D. Officer	......
<Background fades out and in>
???	Very perceptive.
Ch'en	What are you doing?!
L. G. D. Officer	Preparing to fire!
???	You should not follow. Control your subordinates, Ch'en.
Ch'en	...... Go find Swire.
L. G. D. Officer	But, Sir...
Ch'en	Go! ...... Who sent you?
???	I do not answer to you.
Ch'en	You think you can run? Try and I'll arrest you on the spot. You're an unidentified armed element of unknown origin. How do you think the L. G. D. is going to treat you? We might just shoot you dead.
???	Training a new L. G. D. unit would be a waste of Lungmen's time, treasure, and talent. And eradicating the entire L. G. D. would be a crushing blow to the heart of the Lungmen community. You should not take the risk.
Ch'en	Hah! Is that threat supposed to scare me? Or should I be thanking you for your concern over Lungmen's future?
???	Ch'en, the L. G. D. is the face of Lungmen, as well as a pillar of her community, and an exemplary show of her strength. And the L. G. D. should stay in its lane. Don't let it stick its nose where it doesn't belong.
Ch'en	Your threats are really not impressing me. Hurry up and answer the question: where did all the locals go?
???	——
Ch'en	You're one tap of this "alert all units" button away from making an enemy out of the entire L. G. D. Or I guess you could take a split second to knock away my sword, slice off my arm, and snatch away this transceiver. Where did all the slum dwellers go?
???	We will withdraw from this place. Ch'en, you and I both withdraw. For now, let us not interfere with one another.
Ch'en	And where is it you think you're going?
???	These new-type Infected Reunion is controlling may well interfere with our carefully laid plans. We will swiftly remove them for the L. G. D., please do your part to exterminate Reunion's main force. If the L. G. D. seeks to actualize its strategic goals, it should focus on its own duties. You must do that which you must do.
Ch'en	Wait! You think you can just leave? Come and go as you please?!
???	Superintendent Ch'en, let me give you a suggestion. Do not seek to investigate what has happened here. I look to Lord Wei, and will banter with you no longer.
Ch'en	——!
???	By the way, cutting off your arm is quite simple. When you stand resolute, you are a hundred times stronger than now.
Swire	Hey——!
Ch'en	Stay back, Swire!
???	......
Ch'en	Get back here!
???	I will see myself out.
[The man in black raincoat runs off.]
Ch'en	Damn it!
Swire	What was that all about? Who was that?
Ch'en	Lungmen's special forces are on the move. And I don't know if the people of this district are piled in a mass grave somewhere.
Swire	Huh? What are you talking about...?
Ch'en	Don't play dumb. You know. Or at least you've heard.
Swire	Know what...? Wait, do you know?
Ch'en	I don't know. But your grandfather definitely knows.
Swire	Huh? Seriously, what are we even talking about? Diu ah! Just come out with it already! My grandpa's totally bedridden. I can't get two words out of him!
Ch'en	Being sick in bed means he can't run Lungmen anymore? You know better than I what kind of man your grandfather is!
Swire	No way! ...But...
Ch'en	Who are you thinking?
Swire	"Lin Gray."
Ch'en	Hmph. Now I'm the one who gets to say "no way!" Lin runs the slums as his personal fief. There's no way he'd let something like this happen.
Swire	Make a few phone calls and ask around. Maybe you'll find out. Are you calling? Or should I?

After operation

Summary Crownslayer is suddenly attacked. Swire tries to interrogate Lin Yuxia about the "Black Raincoat" troops, but the other party hangs up on her. Mephisto is taken away by Faust's crossbowmen. Events are spiralling out of control everywhere.
<Background 3>
Meanwhile, on the other side of the slums...
Crownslayer	Calm down! Say it again slowly.
Reunion Member	B- but... all of them... they're all dead! What's happening? What happened? I can't see! I can't see anything! Gah!
Crownslayer	Say again!
......
Crownslayer	...... Report!
...phew.
Crownslayer	Who's there?! ...that smell. Don't panic! Everyone's still here! Listen up!
Reunion Member	Aaah! It's red! I saw it! I saw the red!
Crownslayer	Calm him down!
... (Inhuman laughing).
Reunion Member	I... I want to go home... I want to go back to Ursus... There's ghosts here! And monsters! I saw the shadows... of two women! Aaaaaagh! I want to go home! We shouldn't have come, Crownslayer!
Crownslayer	Do you copy? Answer me! The layout of these slums is confusing, but don't let the enemy confuse you. We are perfectly safe! (How is our position still exposed with all the fog?)
<Background black>
Talulah	There remains the traitor's position. I am aware. She is in Lungmen. Kill her. Make a name for yourself that your enemies should fear.
Crownslayer	......!
FrostNova	After you've killed your rival, then what? Don't forget your true enemy.
[Someone wearing red attire approaches Crownslayer...]
Crownslayer	——Who?!
<Background 2>
Swire	Bring her to me!
Guard	Sorry, Swire, bring you who?
Swire	Bring her to me!!!
Guard	Erm? (Who is she talking about?)
L. G. D. Officer	(I don't know, maybe...)
Swire	That pink-haired sewer scum! Dial 100800-00200-rct211-93001! That's her number!
Guard	(How did she memorize a number that long?)
L. G. D. Officer	(That number is familiar... Is it that one lady...?)
Swire	What are you two whispering about?!
<Background fades out and in>
???	Hello.
Swire	What are you up to, you filthy rat?! What have you done?!
???	And why do you suspect me?
Swire	I'm glad it wasn't you. Phew. You had me worried there...
???	......
Swire	...... Suspect you of what?
???	If you're talking about the special forces, that was me.
Swire	...... Lin Yühsia, I think I misheard something. I misheard you, didn't I?
Lin Yühsia	The L. G. D. has its business, and we have ours. Wei Yenwu has you to keep order in Lungmen, and we are here to remove that which Lungmen does not need.
Swire	You know what this team did in the slums?
Lin Yühsia	They helped you deal with Reunion quite efficiently.
Swire	That buffer zone was your father's blood, sweat, and tears! It's all thanks to him and his work in the slums that Lungmen is what it is today!
Lin Yühsia	Do you know their objective?
Swire	You've made it very clear. The slums are full of places for Reunion to hide, not to mention their invasion route. You'd level them! Isn't that right? We're working with Rhodes Island now. Reunion is no match for us! You don't have to do this!
Lin Yühsia	Jumping to conclusions before I even have a chance to explain... While Reunion is certainly no match for us, they're still not a problem for civilian forces to solve. We must use the true power of our city to eradicate this threat. This is how I face the invaders.
Swire	Why can't you put your faith in Rhodes Island and our own L. G. D.?
Lin Yühsia	Why should we trust Rhodes Island? And why dirty the hands of the L. G. D.?
Swire	What do you mean dirty...? Don't tell me you had no other choice. That's your father's land. It takes so much more to build than to destroy! Breaking a pane of glass takes one person one second... Do you know how long it takes to make one? How many people are involved?
Lin Yühsia	Swire.
Swire	Hm?
Lin Yühsia	Do you know what it is the people fear? Do you know what it is that scares the chambers of commerce?
Swire	What's wrong with you? Aren't we facing off against Reunion?
Lin Yühsia	You really don't understand at all.
Swire	Fine. Filthy rat... I don't understand. Might I humble myself and request that you grace me with an explanation?
Lin Yühsia	The Infected... are growing in number. The people fear the Infected, and they don't care if they're Reunion or not. In short, don't go looking in the sewers.
Swire	Huh? Hello? Are you there?! Stinking, shit-eating rat!! You dare hang up on me! Sei puk gaai syu ah! How dare you hang up on me?!!
<Background black>
Lin Yühsia	...... Ch'en chased off the Black Cloaks? What to do about that... They'll move past her, and accelerate the pace. Hm, that will do. Dad, if you were me, if the younger you were me, this is what you'd do too, isn't it? ...What am I doing...?
<Background 1>
Mephisto	What do you mean? That's impossible.
Phantom Crossbowman	Your herd is shrinking. The initial attack was ferocious and terrifying, but... We're not really sure why, but our scouts report their numbers aren't growing. Unfortunately, the group that suffered the most from this tactic was the Reunion squad that sustained the initial attack.
Mephisto	Who? Who did this? The L. G. D.? The L. G. D. could never suppress my herd!
Phantom Crossbowman	But our people...
Mephisto	I took the L. G. D.'s tactics and equipment into consideration. Facing my herd should have delayed them at least two days. So who is it that's done this?!
Faust	People in black raincoats.
Phantom Crossbowman	Captain!
Mephisto	Faust!
Faust	Crossbowmen, reform the squad! Mine and a few other teams have scooped up a lot of Mephisto's people.
Phantom Crossbowman	...Why?
Faust	Together, we can hold back the L. G. D.
Mephisto	Faust, Faust... are you hurt? (Why did you leave back there?)
Faust	...Because I had to.
Mephisto	And I'm glad to see how many of our people you've brought back with you. You'll put them to good use against the L. G. D. I'm sure? They won't attack us, but I can't control them. I've been wracking my brain over it. There aren't many left though. We will need more of our people to protect us. We must defeat those L. G. D.s if we're going to escape. Hm...
Faust	Mephisto, don't use those Arts again.
Mephisto	But didn't you say we have to survive, Faust? Isn't that what's most important?
Faust	...Then why did you...? ...... Why did you say you would die for that monster, back at the L. G. D. Headquarters? Crossbowmen.
Phantom Crossbowman	Ready.
Faust	Take him.