'Thinking'

"Speaking"

"[Intercomms/Radio Transmission]"

*noises*

======

Sector 20 - 60 Kilometers Away From Forsaken Forward Operating Base
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1049 Hours

The mounted turret of the vehicle swivels to the left and fired a long burst towards the Sentries that were shooting at them from the top of the debris of collapsed buildings, sending a hail of .50 BMG tracer bullets, hitting the Corrupted in their center mass, it's sound barely drowning out the furious roar of the JLTV's engines. Meanwhile, those who attempted to block their way were mercilessly rammed by (Y/n) who was still pissed of what the Forsakens did, each crash sending loud metallic bangs inside and causing the vehicle to jerk up and down as the Corrupted got ran over.

Along the way, the vehicle had already took many hits from Sentries and Aerial Monitors, but the armor took the shots with no issues. The Constructs who were in the passenger seats had to hold on to avoid bouncing around because of (Y/n)'s rough driving. They didn't hate it one bit though, all of them having a collective understanding that he's racing against time.

After a few moments, the Corrupted assault have stopped, finally allowing them to proceed without any issues. The machine gun barrel smoked from the continuous firing, which was cooled off As the team approached Liv's current position, (Y/n) checked her location on the map —  still active and moving, but not as fast as before, maybe at walking speed, so he assumed that the Forsakens had arrived in their main base and were bringing her to a prison cell of some sort. They're still very far, but at least they know that Liv is still active.

"Hang in there, Liv..." (Y/n) muttered.

Now taking a more smoother path in the apocalyptic wasteland, (Y/n) pondered on what does the Forsaken actually want. No negotiation terms, no ransom, nothing. Why Liv specifically? What do they want from her? There is only one ending he could see out of this mess — war. A war where he would hope that wouldn't happen, but is certainly ready to be in, and crush all of them if that's what it takes to save Liv.

While he was pondering about his next move, Liv's signal disappeared from the map all of a sudden.

"What the-?! Raven 1 to Raven Actual. What's going on?" (Y/n) immediately contacts Celica.

"[Standby.]" Celica quickly replied. "[I can't establish a connection with Liv, either. Maybe there's an electromagnetic interference. I'll mark her last location in the map. Be careful.]"

"Understood. Out." (Y/n) replied. "I fucking knew it..."

======

Sector 20 - 230 Kilometers Away From Forsaken Forward Operating Base
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1120 Hours

The squad continued on foot after stopping twelve kilometers from the last source of Liv's radar signature to avoid ambushes from both Corrupted and possibly the Forsaken who may have been ordered by Watanabe to keep a lookout to slow them down. Lee found no Corrupted nor heat signatures within the proximity, but because of Liv's absence, they couldn't get a proper look around. As of now, the remaining Gray Ravens hid behind a pile of rubble and metal while Kamui is conducting a recon around the area as per (Y/n)'s orders.

"He's taking his time, that's for sure..." (Y/n) wasn't is his best mood — his Constructs can very much notice that, as they too, aren't.

Lee noticed the look on Lucia's face. Although her expression didn't change from a normal person's perspective, her eyes narrowing a bit and her lips curling down a little did not go unnoticed. "What is it?"

"I just thought about of the time inside the shop, picking the plushies with Liv." Lucia timidly said. "That sheep plushie. It felt like Liv... It has that same warm feeling."

"Sometimes in battle, I feel like it was Liv who was shining the brightest." (Y/n) spoke, catching the attention of the two. "When I first met you three, she was the most shy, but I can sense her determination to not let us down and support us as best as she can."

"If I remember correctly, Liv is the only one awarded with the honor medal of the highest ranks among the Gray Raven Constructs." Lee added. "I trust that, for someone like her, she knows what to do in this situation."

"You sure took your sweet time." (Y/n) said to Kamui who just came back with a hint of frustration. "Report."

"Sir. There are EMP emitters fixed within the proximity. Furthermore, there are also both armed Forsaken personnel and Corrupted roaming around, with neither side engaging the other." Kamui explained.

"I knew there would be EMPs." (Y/n) mumbled. "They left some guard dogs behind, too. How many are there?"

"7 Forsakens. 15 Corrupted."

"So they're using the Corrupted as an alarm..." The Ranger replied. "Smart, but not smart enough."

"Suggesting a stealth approach, Commandant." Lucia said.

"Yeah." (Y/n) agreed. "That's Plan A. If that doesn't work, then we go to Plan B."

Lee's eyes narrowed a little. "What's Plan B?"

The Consturcts, of course, already knew the answer, but they want to hear it directly from him. And with that, he replied, "Blitzkrieg."

======

Sector 20 - 230 Kilometers Away From Forsaken Forward Operating Base
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1130 Hours

"Lucia, Lee, you ready?"

"Yes, Commandant."

Lucia and Lee were tasked by (Y/n) to knock out the Forsakens because they can move more stealthily and have EM camo. He can take them out himself, but not while he's in his armor that's making noises with his heavy steps, given that the ergonomics is designed for direct assault.

As of now, (Y/n) and Kamui were now positioned on top of a more taller debris hill, providing overwatch for them. He watched the Forsakens' position, while Kamui observed the Corrupted's movement.

"Remember, no lethal nor kill shots for the Forsakens. Reserve that for the Corrupted."

"Roger." Lucia and Lee replied simultaneously.

"Three, two, one... execute."

Lucia and Lee activated their EM camo. They silently approached two Forsakens from behind. Once they got within range, their camo deactivated as Lucia went for a karate chop, while Lee did a little more aggressive move my kicking the guy's legs to cause him to topple over. Before the he could shout, Lee slapped him on his left cheek, knocking him unconscious.

"[Ausgezeichnet.]" (Y/n) commended the two.

The two then dragged the bodies and their weapons to a dark area. They reactivated their EM camo and waited for the other two roaming Forsakens nearby to get nearer. The moment they got close, the Consturcts immediately jumped on them, discombobulating them by smashing their hands against the men's heads. Lee followed the attack with a haymaker, while Lucia used a high roundhouse kick.

"That's gotta hurt." Kamui whispered after seeing the action. "Those poor bastards..."

"Those weren't kill shots. They'll be fine." (Y/n) assured the tank-type Construct with a nonchalant tone.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That looked like they just gave that them a traumatic brain injury...."

"She held back. If it were me, I would've killed them for sure."

"What...?"

(Y/n) turned his head to look at Kamui. "I don't know how to fight, Kamui. I only know how to kill."

"...Remind me not to piss you off." Kamui remarked.

Meanwhile, the last Forsaken went down to the ground, his rifle falling right beside him. Lee proceeds to drag the body to where the others have been, while Lucia went to look for something that can be used to tie the unconscious Forsakens to prevent them from escaping.

"[Great work, you two.]" (Y/n) praised them.

"Thank you, Commandant." Lucia responded.

"[Take care of them. We'll deal with the Corrupted.]"

"Understood, Commandant."

(Y/n) and Kamui then went down from their hiding spot and confronted the Corrupted ahead, the blonde Construct leading the way. As the two reached the location of the enemy force, Kamui went ahead and sliced three Corrupted with a single swing. (Y/n) provided fire support, also downing three with expert precision. With each bullet from the Ranger's rifle and with each swing of the Strike Hawk, the Corrupted numbers diminished by mere seconds, until there was nothing left, except for their "dead" bodies.

After their little clean-up session, Lucia and Lee regrouped with them.

"Sitrep." (Y/n) said.

"Forsaken personnel are still unconscious, but we placed them in a safe place where the Corrupted cannot reach them. We put their weapons and com devices a little farther from them as well." Lee reported. "Oh, and, Lucia gathered them together and tied them with a rebar."

"Tightly?"

"Not too tight, not too loose. Just right."

"I couldn't find any rope nor better alternatives, Commandant." Lucia explained.

(Y/n) nodded. "That's better than nothing. Come on, we need to move fast. They're soon gonna suspect why their guys went dark."

======

After walking for a while, the Babylonian squad reached a large building. They went inside and immediately saw an oasis of some sort. There are lumps of land with grass thriving in them, wild mushrooms and other types of vegetation could be seen in other locations. Well, it could be described as an oasis, if not for the fallen pillars and other sort of both metal and concrete scraps lying everywhere.

"What is all this...?" Kamui cooed, looking at his surroundings with confusion and curiosity.

"An organization was probably researching artificial biospheres." (Y/n) theorised.

"If that's the case, then this might've been the predecessor to Babylonia's bio-system." Lee commented.

"Something's wrong about this place... I can feel it. I'm sure you three noticed it, too." (Y/n) added. "Everything just feels odd."

Lucia nodded in agreement. "The biodiversity is too low to for this to be an artificial biosphere. Not to mention the strange design..."

"Because it isn't." Lee declared. "That building at seven o'clock. Given it's weak foundations, it should've already collapsed a long time ago. Three o'clock, another high rise. This one's incongruent in the middle. Eleven o'clock, abnormal buoyancy from the springs."

"Too many uncanny details to count..." (Y/n) softly said.

"Yes. This almost feels like a... M.I.N.D..." Lee concluded.

In that moment, their visual modules, including (Y/n)'s HUD, began glitching severely for a few seconds, setting off crackling and radio static sounds on his auditory systems.

"What the hell?" (Y/n) began tapping the side of his helmet to get it to work again. "Did my visual systems malfunction? What is..."

The moment it stopped, each of them lost sight of their team members. Lee couldn't see Lucia, Kamui and his commander. Lucia can't locate the three of them either, and the same case could be said for (Y/n). They can't hear, see, nor detect each other in their respective motion trackers despite being relatively close to each other.

"Where are..." (Y/n) looked around in an attempt to locate the Constructs. "Lucia? Kamui? Lee?!"

(Y/n) attempted to contact anyone, even Babylonia, only to receive static on his end. He tried twice, thrice, to no avail. He ran forward to search the perimeter, unknowingly passing by Lucia who was in a similar situation as him.

"I can't contact Kamui either..." A concerned Lucia muttered. "But..."

A group of Corrupted roamed around nearby, consisting of mostly of Ground Monitors and a few Protectors, the latter dragging their bodies along the sandy path, leaving a trail alongside the "footsteps" of the Ground Monitors. They didn't notice her yet, however, the Crimson Blade is still contemplating on whether to fight them or not.

After a while, she made her decision. "I'll have to fight. It won't hurt them, will it...?"

She rushed at the Corrupted group, setting her sights at the Protectors. The group spotted her, but the Crimson Blade is already within striking distance. The protectors raised their sharp arms, ready to stab her, but their heads were cut off from their torsos before they could move further.

The Ground Monitors off a few shots of beams, but Lucia was simply too fast for them. Lucia sliced the neck of the first one, then grabbed its head and threw it on the second one, damaging its visual modules. She threw her blade on the last one, hitting it right on the center of its neck, incapacitating the machine. Lucia reappeared and grabbed her blade, then dealt the finishing blow. She went back to the second one and sliced its head in half, eliminating the final threat.

"Lee, can you hear me? Lee, please respond!" Lucia called out after the fight in hopes of the connection being restored, becoming more desperate by the minute.

"I can hear you, not because of the communication, but because my hearing has recovered..." Lee's voice came from behind Lucia, with the former standing a few meters away.

Lucia went over to Lee, but she still can't see him. At least she knows that Lee is there. "What about your sight? Kamui, what do you see around you?"

"He's not here." Lee said. "And no, I still can't see you, but I know you're there."

"What about Commandant?" Lucia added. "Have you seen— I mean heard anything from him, at least?"

Lee shook his head. "I doubt that he saw us as well. Given that he's still wearing his MJOLNIR armor, the chance of his visual and hearing modules getting disrupted is very high."

"So you're saying that Commandant would be unaffected by the interference if he removes his helmet?"

"Probably. But given the dangers here, I'm doubting that he'll remove his helmet anytime soon."

"..."

"Anyway, let's find a way to reunite first." Lee suggested. "If it's just interference with our senses, then we shouldn't be too far apart since it hasn't been long."

"Alright." Lucia agreed. She extended her hand out, and touched something. "Wait, I think I touched something..."

"That's my shoulder." Lee said.

Lucia pulled her hand away. "Sorry."

Suddenly, Lucia felt a presence behind her. She immediately whirled around and swung her blade, only for it to crash against something metallic. The previously empty space where Lucia's blade hit distorted, until (Y/n)'s body appeared right in front of her.

"Good to see you too, Lucia." (Y/n) said with a hint of sarcasm.

"C-Commandant?!" Lucia quickly retracts her blade and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, Commandant! I didn't know it was you."

"It's fine. Raise your head." (Y/n) accepted her apology. He tilted his head slightly to the right, confused on what she just said. "Hold on, you didn't know it was me, but I saw you and Lee talking. I circled around the vicinity because you three disappeared suddenly. I even encountered a few Corrupted along the way."

Lee nodded and stroked his chin, seemingly connecting the dots. "Please continue, Commandant."

"And then again, I saw you two, but what confused me is you two didn't hear me running towards you, and you didn't respond to the radio transmissions I sent." (Y/n) explained. "And the next thing I know, I was blocking Lucia's sword."

Suddenly, Lucia and Lee disappeared again from (Y/n)'s point of view, causing him to become alert again.

"Lucia? Lee?" (Y/n) looked around. "Can you hear me? I can't see you both..."

"Commandant is affected, too. Half of my theory proven." Lee mumbled.

"We're still in front of you, Commandant." Lucia reached out for (Y/n)'s right hand, but his left hand already landed on her right cheek, causing her to blush.

As for (Y/n), who just wanted to make sure if the two were still really there, froze of both shock and nervousness when his hand landed on something soft. Shit. He wouldn't happen to touch something different, did he? Did he just touched Lucia's brea—

"Y-You're touching my face, Commandant..." Lucia stuttered, still quite surprised on the sudden move.

'THANK FUCK!! I thought my hand just landed on the wrong spot!' (Y/n) thought in relief, despite his expression not changing.

"Commandant, can you remove your helmet?" Lee asked.

"Why?"

"I want to see something."

(Y/n) removed his helmet as told.

"Well? Can you see us?" Lee queried.

"No." (Y/n) said.

"I don't get it... Commandant is one-hundred percent human, but the interference is still affecting him." Lee mumbled, but his voice was still loud enough for Lucia and (Y/n) to hear.

"Kamui still hasn't responded, and attempts to contact Babylonia failed as well." Lucia said.

"Okay, now I can see you." (Y/n) cuts in, catching their attention. He then looks at Lee. "Any ideas on what the fuck is happening, Lee?"

"Well, if I'm not wrong..." Lee trailed off. "Lucia, Commandant, come with me."