Enjoy the chapter ^^

If anyone suspects anything to happen, feel free to write me, but pls don't write it as a reply xD I don't want anyone else to be spoiled if the guess is correct.

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This was so infuriating. With the dry weather that currently plagued the east coast the dust didn't settle. Multiple times we ran into groups of enemies trying to regain their orientation... We didn't let them go, the entire situation had already evolved too far to even consider making prisoners. Heavy tremors shook the ground as other skyscrapers started collapsing throughout the city, though we could not see them we heard and felt it.

Walking through a small side street we tried to get back to the main fight but to be honest, we had no idea where exactly we were. Barely seeing anything beyond three meters we had to rely on our senses and whatever our equipment could pick up. Rose stopped me before we walked onto one of the main roads.

"Multiple people ahead, they're none of ours... We shouldn't fight, there's at least thirteen and we don't know who they're affiliated with."

I agreed, it would be too risky since we could get hurt, or to be more precise damaged in the process. Slowly sneaking behind Rose I peek around the trashcan we had used as cover. Though I couldn't see them we could clearly make out their voices but none of them sounded familiar.

" did that? Goddamit with this dust flying around we have no way of finding out where is."

Raiders. Looking at Rose she seemed to have come to the same conclusion that this was with a high probability the second team under that Lane had brought with her. Another voice started talking, it sounded like a man in his 30ties.

"What about the military? They're slaughtering everyone, regardless of what camp they're from and we can't get into contact with [John] and the other team. Even if we incapacitate any of the espers around here the military will just finish them off and now that literary destroyed multiple buildings they'll treat us as threats as well."

The first voice calms them down.

"Don't worry about this, we'll meet up with the team leaders and retreat before we get wiped. We'r-"

Getting interrupted a third voice distorted by some kind of device joins them.

", why are you all gathered here? 's buried somewhere and he's trying to get out, shouldn't you go help him?"

Me and Rose looked at each other. We had instantly identified the new person as , which meant that the main battlefield couldn't be too far away. But it also meant that our ability to make it out unharmed if they noticed us was lowered once more.

", that's a question I should ask you, you should be taking care of the two HALO council members. Yo-"

She cut him off before he can say anything further.

"Two of them are dead while got away, she went through the subway and destroyed the entrances so I didn't follow."

"Che! So even more was destroyed, anything else you've noticed? We need to get back to as fast as possible."

We couldn't make out any emotions from under the mask as she answered again.

"You do know she caused all of this don't you? She was the only one to openly refuse offer and threaten and insult everyone around her. If not for her we'd all be going home by now with-"

"Stop , probably had a good reason to do so and we should cut her some slack."

"Cut her some SLACK?!"

Her voice seemed louder than before and I could feel a pressure rising around us as kept ranting.

"She herself is the cause for this entire disaster and you still defend her?"

So even someone from the Raiders wasn't blinded by her weird ideals and saw behind the entire front. But rebuked her.

", just stop. We'll have a talk once this is done. is our leader, we should trust in her."

A trembling voice answered him.

"I don't think so. I've had enough."

then we can feel the pressure around us reaching a new height. The nervous voice of reached us only a few seconds later.

"? What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago. I don't care anymore, you're as bad as the HALO."

"We're no- ARRGH!"

Multiple agonized screams could be heard and we heard multiple bodies drop onto the floor.

"I don't care, be gone."

It didn't take long and the last thing we heard from the second team was their corpses hitting the ground. I nodded towards Rose, now or never and both of use walk out of our cover aiming towards where we expected our enemies to be. Just outside on a road pattered with holes and bodies stood , still masked. Around her the cold remains of over ten espers were sprawled, all of them with blood running out of their eyes. She instantly faced the two of us and we came to a hold. Then she pointed one hand at us.

"You're not better than any of the other fractions here... You simply kill everyone related."

With a gesture she encompasses the entire destruction around her.

"What will you accomplish here? A destroyed City and thousands without homes for the chance of killing a few espers?"

She shakes her head but Rose answers in my stead.

"We evacuated as many as we could but this is war. To bypass this as a small fight would be ridiculous. In war there are casualties, it does not mean we are willingly accepting them, it only means we are following the commands of those undoubtedly smarter than us."

hesitated. Then she spoke with her distorted voice.

"War huh? So this is how you see it. I have one last question, where is ?"

I slowly aim away from her while answering.

"Why do you think we know?"

" went for you and I saw him fight briefly, but I lost track and need to get to him again. If he really caused this destruction... you wouldn't be able to face him."

Her voice trailed off into the distance. Shaking my head I point into the direction of the fallen building he was buried under.

"He created his own tomb, a skyscraper fell down on him. I don't know whether he's alive or not."

"Something like that can't kill him. It seems like not all of you military guys shoot first and ask questions later. I'll stop for you but I will take out anyone attacking me."

I nod slightly. Since we had absolutely no idea what she had used on her comrades we didn't want to fight her just yet. With one last tilt of her head lifted off the ground and floated towards the direction I had given her.

After she had disappeared Rose looked at me with confusion.

"She just wiped out what seemed like the entire second team of the Raiders. Safe and . Though now she's going after the latter."

I shake my head.

"It doesn't matter, we have to meet up with the rest now, from what we could make out the site isn't that far away from here. Let's just go."

With that we sprinted down the road climbing over the tremendous chunks of concrete that had fallen from the sky and crushed everything below it. Soon enough we arrived at the original building where it had all happened. Everything had been grinded to the ground but everything that remained was corpses. I even saw the body of amongst the casualties though I did not feel anything from it. His entire right side had been burnt black and his comrade was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly a flickering call could be heard over the com. It seemed like Karen though it was hard to make out.

"To all .......... is Captain Ithild, ........... at rally point three the commander has ............ reinforcements from base. ............ wait for them until we ....... buildings and beware, due to the dust flying espers have to ........... Do not lift off without clearance, ........ be shot down."

Rose looked at me surprised.

"Rally point three? Any idea where that is?"

I shake my head, I didn't. Before I can open my mouth Rose stops me and pushes me through the window of a destroyed store. Inside she whispers over the com.

"Someone's com-"

As she's about to finish I can hear two people walking out of some ruins. Surprisingly enough I instantly recognized one of the to be Arthus himself, thought I do not understand his language at all.

"Jesus Christus. Was für ein disaster. wann wird der Rest da sein?"

His subordinate quickly answered.

"Paar Minuten höchstends. schafft sie rüber und dann werden wir hier versch-"

The sound of something hard impacting the street interrupted her while small shards flew everywhere.

"ARTHUS!"

It was a female voice that shouted. A female voice I knew only too well. Arthus himself was not fazed at all. He seemed more annoyed before anything else.

"For fucks sake Lane, you're actually bothering me. Both of us don't have time for this right now. Even you cannot be that stupid to believe that you can win this right now. The only one that will gain anything here is the military."

She didn't seem to hear him.

"It does not matter, at least it will end today. Your reign will stop now. let's go."

? I almost laughed, she had brought Karif with her to tackle Arthus. I remembered him when I had clashed with . And before we knew it the traitor appeared out of the shadows besides Lane. Arthus did not waver, instead he seemed sad.

"You're right it will end today. take care of her, we have to go."

With a dismissive gesture he and turned around and quickly jogged through a side street soon disappearing out of sight.

"You think I'd let y-. What are you doing KARIF?!"

Peaking out of our hideout I could make out Karif who seemed to have immobilized Lane with his shadows while everything around them turned black. Then he answered in a calm voice.

"Stopping you of course. To be honest I'm glad I can finally finish this charade. You are really naive Lane. Did you honestly think the wouldn't find you? Did you really think everyone would be absolutely loyal to you? There even were people from HALO amongst you. And you did not even notice once. I'm honestly surprised that didn't finish you off personally but I guess he wanted to do me a favor."

"Traitor."

was her only response spewed with hatred.

"You are just a traitor and you will die!"

The blackness suddenly disappeared as a blue sun erupted inside blasting Karif backward into a wall. Though he quickly got up with a pained expression.

"You shouldn't be able to move. You shouldn-"

"You idiot are too far below me god damn it, how dare you! Because of you Arthus got away."

While she was ranting blue lights surrounded Karif from all sides. With no shadow to hide in he seemed lost.

"I have already found ways to defeat every single one of you and you will taste the pain now, let's see what you choose."

With him immobilized the skyscraper behind him suddenly began to tremble. Cracks and ripples appearing everywhere. Lane was clearly planning to crush him under its weight.

"So what will it be

She asked with clear disgust in her eyes.

"Will you get crushed by a building or will you fall victim to my energy? You're call German scum!"

In his last moments Karif seemed calm. He even smiled without moving.

"I regret nothing Lane, absolutely nothing. I die with the knowledge that you will die too and that my has gotten away safely. I'll be reborn in our Eden, while you will suffer in He-"

Cutting of his words the skyscraper finally fell down on him taking the entire building next to it with him. In the middle of the destruction Lane stood heavily breathing. She was clearly furious. Rose tapped on my shoulder and I could see that her arms where shining in an ominous light. Her intention was clear and I activated my overcharge as well.

Then she steps out of hiding instantly charging at Lane while I throw well aimed shots at her from afar.