Getting in to the building was one thing crossed off the list, but they still need to find a place to hide from those militants. Since the building's interior is pretty large (as they expected), finding a hiding spot is gonna be pretty difficult, and stressful when you're being chased down by bloodthirsty maniacs.

Matt kept on running and looked everywhere for a perfect spot whilst holding Andy's hand, again. Because the latter was shot to the cheek, he had to stop the bleeding from flowing out, which slowed his pace. So Matt had to guide him through like last time.

When he grabbed the Korean's hand though, he noticed of how soft it feels. So soft until...it emitted a slight blush on his cheeks.

He quickly shook that thought away. There was absolutely no time for that nonsense! Finding a hiding spot is his top priority here and he must do it fast.

"Where are we going?" Andy asked while still holding his bleeding cheek with his free hand.

"Finding a place to hide, what do you think?!" Matt exclaimed. "Besides, you're the one who said we should go to in this place."

"Uh, yeah. I know that..." Andy replied before looking around the gigantic place.

The interior of this structure was mostly in a gray colour. Andy didn't know what this place supposed to be and neither does Matt, but the latter didn't care of it until they find a place to hide.

When the two of them went past a giant vent fan. Matt stopped at his tracks, turning back to the object. He observed it and noticed that there's an area behind. A perfect place to hide.

"We can hide in there. Come on!" Matt said as he led Andy into the area behind the giant fan. Thankfully the fan was turned off so they won't risked of getting sliced of. But then again, it is a big fan so the blades may usually go slower.

After going in, Matt set Andy down as he peeked his head near the fan. Not a moment later, he heard footsteps. Matt turn back to Andy and shushed him to keep quiet, in which he nodded.

Matt turn back to the fan as he listened closely, hearing one of the militants spoke up.

"Those non-infected could be hiding anywhere in this place." Both Matt and Andy tensed when the voice was right near the fan they were hiding in.

"Keep searching. Once you find them, kill them, and do it slow too." Another militiaman said.

"But aren't those two Victorian?" A third militant joined in. "I heard their country isn't as brutal to the infected than the Ursus empire."

Matt mused on that remark. Whatever these Militiamen are, they seem to refer him and Andy as 'Victorian'.

"They may not be brutal, but they still discriminate our fellow peers, which means they all deserve to perish. We'll start with those two. Now quit standing around and find them!" The first guy ordered.

The rest of the militiamen obliged as Matt could hear them walking away from their spot, their footsteps begin to fade out. About a minute later, there was nothing but silence. The militias had left.

"Thank fucking Christ..." Matt muttered. He went back to Andy, still had his hand pressing his wounded cheek from that stray arrow. Matt knelt down to him and asked, "You alright?"

"Thankfully, it's just a scratch. But I'm good." Andy said, putting his hand away from the wound, and like he said it was just a scratch since not a lot of blood came out.

"Good to hear." Matt replied.

He then looked around the interior of the giant fan and noticed how big it is. There's even a ravine ahead of them that probably goes so deep. They better watch their step. That aside, it's a pretty good place for a hiding spot. Given how roomy it is, it could fit about a dozen people.

"Maybe we should take a 5-minute break." Matt suggested, feeling very exhausted.

"10." Andy insisted. "We've been running for like...I don't even know how long we've been running from those guys. But my legs are very sore and needs a good long break."

Matt only nodded before sitting on the cold hard floor of this strange building, straightening his legs and let it rest. He winced as he now felt the pain coming from his sore legs. That adrenaline must've wear off.

Matt took out his phone and checked the time. '20:34' It reads.

If he remembered correctly, the last time he check on his phone, the time was at 19:45. They've been in this place for almost an hour...yet it felt longer than it should be. Guess your sense of time could mess up when you're running away for your life.

As the two rested, Matt was focused on his thoughts again. He just needed to know where in the hell they actually are.

First he thought they were in Russia, because he saw all those signs and shops that has Russian words in it, or looks to be in Russian. Then there were those Reunion militiamen causing chaos in the city that he and Andy had never heard of in their entire lives nor was it shown in any news channel.

But what got him the most is the fact that those Reunion militiamen along with the inhabitants of this city - had bear ears. They're basically half human animal people, something that doesn't even exist in Earth.

If that was the case, then it means one thing.

"Matt. I think we're not in Earth anymore." Andy spoke up, thinking the same thing he was and beat him to it.

Matt turned to him. "What?" He asked.

"I think..." Andy paused for a moment. "I think we are in another world."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Think back of what we saw out there." He said. "We just got chased by an unknown militia group wielding swords and crossbows that we didn't even know they existed. We're hiding inside a large building that we don't know what it is supposed to be. One of the militants even mentioned something about the 'Ursus empire', which sounds like a country we never heard of. Top it all off, the one militiaman that you beat up along with those dead civilians by the streets - all had a real set of bear ears. They're bear people, Matt. They don't exist on earth."

"How...h-how can you be sure of that?" He stammered.

"I'm sorry, what?" Andy replied incredulously. Matt knows what he said was dumb, and he knows that Andy was already right. He just couldn't accept the thought of him being in another world.

"Matt, you already know how I am obsessed with fantasy stuff. I've watch those Isekai animes along with reading a few mangas of that genre during my free time. I learned how those type of stuff functions, and it somehow happened to us." Andy explained. "That red medallion had transported us to another world, in another universe!" He then exclaimed, arms spreading.

"I know they're supposed to be fictional, but here we are in this unknown Russian-like city chased by unknown militiamen and-" Andy stopped when he glance back at Matt and noticed his condition. "...Matt, are you okay?" He asked.

In fact, Matt was not okay.

While Andy was busy elaborating, Matt was visibly shaken from the fact that he was transported to another world. He thought the whole 'transported to another world' is all but fiction, and yet it happened to him in real life. He wasn't even reincarnated when he got transported. He is still Matt - all alive and well.

He can't believe he was in another world. Far away from his planet, his country, his home, and his family...

Matt gripped his head along with his beanie as he starts to breath rapidly.

"Matt, are you okay?" Andy recited, which manage to get Matt's attention.

"This...this has to be a joke..." Matt muttered, still gripping his head.

"Matt?" Andy tried to grab his arm, but he swiped it away.

"T-This has to be a joke!" He exclaimed. "M-Maybe we did land in Russia and those russkies decided to pull a huge prank on us by dressing up at those Reunion guys! A-And those dead civilians we saw might be just paid actors. Then...t-then..."

Matt trailed off as he glanced at Andy who looked at him with concern. Knowing all of those excuses is futile, he stopped and lean back at the wall with an exasperated sigh. He knelt his head down before covering his face with his hands.

Andy scooted over him and noticed his muffled whimper. He could already tell that Matt was feeling very stressed. Andy won't deny that he too felt stressed from all of this, but he wasn't that great on expressing those emotions unlike Matt.

Feeling bad for him, Andy put a hand on his back, calmly caressing it while giving a few soft pats.

After about a minute, Matt had composed himself. He retracted his hands away from his face, but he has a somber expression. "This can't be real..." He said. "This has to be a dream, right?"

"If it was a dream, I would've woken up when I got shot by that arrow." Andy pointed out.

Matt sighed. "So we truly are in another world?" Andy replied with a slow nod.

"Fuck...I promised my mother I would be there for my brother's birthday!" Matt exclaimed, slamming a fist on the concrete floor. He hissed from the pain, rubbing his sore fist. He let out another sigh. "Guess I'm missing another birthday, and I won't even be there anymore..."

"Don't think that way, Matt." Andy assured, putting a hand on his left shoulder.

"Why shouldn't I?" Matt retorted. "It's not like we could even return home, anyway."

"Actually...there is a possibility." Matt perked up from what Andy said.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, these Isekai things usually have the protagonist to be ultimately stuck in the other world. However, there are occasions where the protagonist would manage to get back home. Remember Narnia? That's exactly what happened with the wardrobe."

"Oh yeah...never thought of that." Matt had watched Narnia before, though only the first movie. It was a British classic.

"So if we're lucky, we may be able to find a way back home from whatever this place is." Andy speculated.

"Okay, but how would we even go back home?" Both of them begin to ponder about it. Not a moment later, they've figured it out.

"The medallion!" They said in unison.

"If that medallion could transport us here, then maybe there is a chance it could transport us back home!" Matt theorized. He then points at Andy and says, "Do you have the medallion on you?"

"No, I don't." Andy replied, checking his empty pockets. "I don't think the medallion was even with us when we got transported."

Matt then put a hand under his jaw, thinking. "Well, then maybe one of our friends must've have the medallion." He claimed.

"That could be it. And we are searching for them after all. If one of them has the medallion, we could re-activate it and then we'll all go home in one peace AND you can catch up to your brother's birthday."

Matt nodded in agreement with a smile on his face. He is now full of hope, knowing that there is a chance that he, Andy, and all of his friends could all go home and away from this hellhole of a city. Though there was a small part in his mind that the medallion may not work to bring them back home or if one of their friends even has it.

But Matt quickly shook that negative thought away and focused more on the positive one. He just wants to get out of this city and this world and pretend this had never happened.

"All right, now we know what to do, we should get out of this building and find the rest of our friends." Matt said.

"After our 10 minute-break is done." Andy stated, pointing at his tired legs.

Matt sighed, but nodded anyway. Despite wanting to escape this place as soon as possible, they still needed rest. So he lean back at the wall and rested.

When the 10 minutes have passed, the two brits got up and walked out of the vent. Matt had to take a peek, in case there are any Reunion militants nearby. Thankfully there wasn't, so they got out of their hiding spot with no worries.

Now another problem arise, and that is where in the hell they should go. This structure is pretty large and someone could get easily lost. They don't even know which path is empty or which is currently occupied by the militiamen.

"So where do we go now?" Andy asked.

"Not sure, but hopefully anywhere that leads out. Follow me." Matt said, gesturing at Andy to move up with him. He obliged and followed. He hoped they won't end up lost in this place.

_______________________________

They ended up lost in this place.

Matt let out an irritated sigh as he and Andy kept walking whilst avoiding any of the Reunion militants nearby. Since the entrance was sure to be filled with the militants, they had to find an alternate route, but Matt felt like they've gone in circles.

They went left, then right, then they went up to a set of stairs, then went down to another set of stairs. Each way had led them to various rooms that are either dimly light or full on dark. Sure the dark rooms had no militants in it, but Matt did not want to take the chance. Now the two found themselves in another green hallway.

While Matt was busy still trying to find a way out, Andy took the time to observe the place. He was interested on the layout and size of the structure. What got him the most is when they went pass a weird square-like building that is inside of a dome structure they were in.

The structure was attached with various wires and pipelines. It also has some lights in it that acted like a beacon. Andy thought of checking it out, but Matt stopped him when he saw more of the militants nearby, so they quickly leave the area.

Whatever that building was, it certainly looks advanced. If that's the case, then this city is also advanced. Then another question popped up in his mind. If the entire city is advanced, then why were the militants using swords and crossbows rather than something futuristic?

Andy decides to ask Matt about it. "Hey, Matt." He said.

"Yeah?" Matt replied.

"You ever wonder why those bear militants are using cold weaponry?"

"What got you to wonder?"

"Well, the fact that the city outside looked like an average modern city and that structure we saw back at the dome area looked pretty advanced, I'm wondering why those Reunion militants we saw were mostly using swords and crossbows instead of a gun."

Matt begin to wonder about it aswell. "Maybe the gun law in this city is pretty strict and are heavily protected by the authorities. So, I'm guessing the militants used whatever they have as a weapon that are easy to find and acquire. Like swords." He speculated.

"That may be true. But if that's the case, then how come the authorities haven't dealt with them yet? They have the superior weaponry after all."

"Maybe they're just busy dealing with other militants in some parts of the city. Who knows how many of them there are." Matt claimed.

"Speaking of the militants, since they seem to be bear people...does that mean there are other races aswell?" Andy continued with the questions. "Maybe there could be fox people, or wolf people, or even cat people! And maybe other non-animal races like demons and angels!"

"Andy." Matt interjected, stopping his steps as he turned around to the Korean with an annoyed look. "While I appreciate your curiosity, could you please stop with all those questions?"

"Can't help it, mate." He shrugged as a response. "You know me and my obsession with fantasy and other worlds. I even get to experience it myself right now. Though, I expected something medieval-fantasy like." He muttered at the last part.

"What?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I just really want to learn more about this world." Andy stated.

"Yeah, well we won't once we get that Medallion and get out of here." Matt remarked.

"You're right, but...maybe the medallion could also transport us back again, like a gateway. That way, I could go back here and learn more about this world along with it's races, nations, history, and culture. Heck, if I'm done with it, I could make a game about it!"

Matt blinked and stared at Andy in utter bewilderment of what he said. He then responded with a chuckle. "I forgot how crazy you are with these things."

Andy replied with a proud smile. "That's the Andy you guys know and love."

Matt rolled his eyes as a response. "Now come on, we need to get out of this place."

The two kept walking on the hallway until Matt stopped when he hears more voices ahead. He then saw a glimpse of three Reunion militants coming their way. He and Andy quickly went right to avoid contact, going to another hallway.

Matt then took a peek, seeing more than a squad of those militants walking down the previous hallway.

"Well there goes another path blocked." Andy remarked.

Matt sighed. "I swear they're like rats."

"They might as well be rat people." Andy joked, which earned a little chuckle from Matt. The former then sees a set of stairs and decide to go there. They went up the stairs and saw another closed door.

"This place sure has a lot of doors." Matt muttered before opening the door. When he opened it, he was met with four more figures right in front of him.

"Stay where you are!" One of the figures shouted in a feminine voice while raising her crossbow to them, causing Matt and Andy to cry out in surprise.

Matt immediately thought of running away, but stopped himself when he saw that the handler did not resemble of those Reunion militants. Nevertheless, the two raised their arms and stood still.

While they were doing that, Matt took the time to observe the four figures.

The figure that was pointing their crossbow to them was a short brown-haired girl that has features of a cat, judging by the ears and the tail. Matt could tell she wasn't Reunion because of her attire, which consists of a dark blue jacket covering her long sleeved shirt, a blue scarf around her neck, two white gloves for each of her hands, and a blue skirt for her bottom wear.

Matt then noticed her head band which has the insignia of a paramedic, same goes on her right arm band that has a larger insignia of it. How ironic of how she is supposed to be a medic, yet here she is pointing a lethal weapon at an unarmed man.

Next to the girl was a taller man that is carrying another figure on his back. The man wore a dark blue long sleeved jacket accompanied with a grey shirt underneath it along with some black pants. Though unlike the cat girl, his head was covered with a dark blue beanie while his face is covered with shades and a balaclava, unabling Matt to see his features.

Matt could not tell the figure that the man was carrying, but he could see that they are wearing a dark blue hoodie that goes over their head while wearing a white coat underneath. They also wore a strange helmet, which like the man with the beanie - not allowing Matt to see their face nor their features.

Then he glanced at the final figure of the four, which was a bunny girl. Being a bunny girl, she has long ears accompanied with her brown hair. Her attire consists of a coat with the same colour along with white clothing underneath and a skirt with brown stockings.

Matt was bemused when he notices of how young she looks. She could be about 14 years old.

After a few moments, the bunny girl spoke up to the cat girl. "Hold your fire, Medic. I don't think they are Reunion." The cat girl - Medic (for some reason), slowly put her finger away from the trigger, but still had the crossbow aimed at the two brits.

"Are you sure?" The man with the beanie asked, doubting if the two brits aren't part of the militant organization.

"No, s-she's right!" Matt quickly said, getting their attention. "We're not part of Reunion, we're just two ordinary guys."

That seemed to relax the 'Medic' girl as she lowered her weapon. Matt noticed the bunny girl muttering something that he couldn't tell what.

"What are you two doing in this place?" She asked.

"We wanted to find a place to hide from those Reunion guys." Andy answered as he and Matt lowered their arms. "We figured this building would do, but we ended up lost and we're trying to find a way out not crawling with those white hoods."

"Same as us then." 'Medic' spoke up before noticing Andy's cheek wound. "Your cheek...were you shot?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. But it's nothing to worry about. It's just a scratch." Andy assured, rubbing his wounded cheek.

The bunny girl then asked. "Why are you two Victorians all the way here in Chernobog?"

'Chernobog...so that's the name of this place?' Matt thoughted, noticing of how the name is similar to Chernobyl. And it seems the four also regard them as Victorians, just like the Reunion militants.

Andy spoke up. "Um, actually...we're not Victorians, we are Briti-"

"Yes, we're Victorians!" Matt interjected Andy's answer, getting some confused looks. "And...we're tourists who got caught up in this whole riot thing while we were just trying to stroll around Chernobog."

"I see." The bunny girl responded with a nod while Andy glanced at Matt with a perplexed look. The bunny girl pondered for a moment. "Why don't you come with us? We know the interior of this place well. And given you two are civilians, we could also offer you protection from Reunion and help you escape."

Matt honestly did not expected that response. The fact that she is willing to protect two random guys that she just met speaks something about her character. He smiled at her. "Thanks, we really appreciate it."

She smiled in return. "By the way, care to ask us your names?"

"My name is Matthew Rhys, but I usually be called 'Matt." He then gestured an arm at Andy. "And this is my friend, Andy."

"Andy Jeong. Nice to meet you." Andy replied.

"Okay, Matt and Andy, follow us." The two nodded as they joined in with the four. They stuck behind them while the 'Medic' cat occasionally glance at their six should there any Reunion militants behind.

Matt was honestly glad that he met some friendly faces for once. They were even willing to protect him and Andy from the militants, though mostly the Bunny girl. Speaking of which, since she and the three others had matching attires, then they must've belong to an organization.

Matt was then interrupted by Andy when he patted his shoulder as he whispered. "Why did you said that we're Victorians? We're not even from this world."

"Look, the last thing I want is getting bombarded with questions from these people if we told them the truth. Doubt they would even believe us as well. So it's best if we just pose as 'Victorians' until we can get out of here and find our friends." Matt explained.

"Alright, if you say so" Andy replied.

Matt then decide to know more about these figures as he walk up to the bunny girl, the latter turning to him. "Hey, uh, little girl. Could you care to tell us of who you are along with your team here?"

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Amiya." She said, then gestured to her team. "And those two are Guard and Medic."

"Guard and Medic?" Matt raised an eyebrow from those names.

"Those are our codenames." Guard clarified.

"Yes, we don't really use our real names often. So we adapt on using our code names instead." Medic said.

"Weird, but okay." Matt shrugged.

"And who's the person that Guard is carrying?" Andy asked about the masked figure.

"That's the doctor." Amiya answered, while smiling at the hooded figure. Matt could tell that she may be very close with the masked person. "We got them out of the Sarcophagus just after Reunion entered the place."

Matt then hears the 'Doctor' letting out a few coughs. Guard stopped walking as Amiya quickly went to their side and patted their back, comforting them.

"What happened to them?" Matt asked.

"The Sarcophagus had made the Doctor weak for the moment. They could not even walk well, that's why Guard is carrying them." Amiya said.

Matt notice the frown on her face at the last sentence. Whatever this 'Sarcophagus' thing must've done something bad to them. He then thought about what the Sarcophagus is, but it's best for him and Andy to leave it be.

They all continued walking as Matt focused on another topic.

"So what's this Rhodes Island you're talking about?" Matt asked. He and Andy had heard about Rhodes Island in their world. That being a US state or that one island in Greece, but mostly the latter they know of.

Amiya glanced at the two Brits while raising an eyebrow. "You never heard of us?" Guard and Medic did the same, though the former's eyes were unseen by his shades.

Matt tensed a bit, and so did Andy. The former sputtered. "I- uh...n-no. We never heard of you guys."

To his surprise, Amiya responded casually. "Oh, well in that case. Rhodes Island is a pharmaceutical company that provides care and treatment for the infected. Guard and Medic are one of the many operators we have, and the Doctor is the commander in the field. And I'm one of the leaders."

Matt and Andy looked surprise at the thought of a young girl to be a leader of a medical organization. That takes a lot of responsibility consider that Amiya said that Rhodes Island has many operators.

"Aren't you a little young to be a leader of a large organization though?" Andy inquired.

"Yes, i am." Amiya replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "I get that a lot, but I can still manage."

"If you say so. I couldn't imagine leading at such a young age."

Matt and Andy kept following the group. They informed the two that they're going to the rendezvous point and regroup with an extraction team that were sent to get them out after they rescued the Doctor.

After a few minutes of walking, the group made it to a set of stairs that leads to the balconies below the designated rendezvous point.

Amiya took point and scout ahead. She then immediately told the group to lay low. When they did, they look over to the railing and saw dozens of Reunion militants down below. They were all over the place, covering every inch of the ground.

"There's sure a lot of guys..." Matt muttered.

"Reunion is covering the rendezvous point." Medic said.

"I don't see any signs of fighting." Guard replied.

"With the amount of those bad guys present, I don't think we can regroup there." Andy remarked.

"Andy's right. We should head to the backup point." Amiya insisted. "It's most likely the extraction team would be there."

Matt, Andy, Guard, and Medic all gave her a nod. They slowly move away from the railing and continued on with Medic taking the lead. The cat girl stop by the entrance with her crossbow in hand. Her ears starts to twitch as she signaled the group to stop.

"I hear footsteps. They're coming this way. Turn back!" She said.

Amiya turned back to the stairs, but immediately stopped. "Someone's coming this way, too!"

"Oh that's just great!" Matt cursed.

"Well, what do we have here?"

The group turned back up front and saw four Reunion militants by the doorway. Three with swords and one with a crossbow. They all eyed at the group in interest, one of them keening at Medic.

"You. Drop your weapon!" He shouted, unsheathing his sword towards her neck. Medic froze in place as she starts to sweat while eyeing the sword that was dangerously close to her neck. "Who are you people? And what are you doing here?" The Reunion militant demanded.

Though Medic said nothing, still freezing in place from the sword near her neck. "Speak up!" He shouted, inching the sword closer to her.

Matt thought of intervening, but he knows it is a risky move that would get him and the rest killed. He then sees Amiya kneeling down with her arms raise up in surrender.

"Please, calm down. We are not your enemy." Amiya said.

'What is she doing?' Matt thoughted, confused on why she is negotiating with the enemy. He look back to the militants, waiting for a reply.

The Militiaman let out a scoff. "Lies right off the bat, huh? You'd think we don't recognize those two non-infected?" He gestured towards Matt and Andy, the latter gulped. They must've been part of the pursuers. "If you people are helping them, then you're our enemy. Take them in!" He ordered to his comrades. They nodded and went over to apprehend the group.

The one with the crossbow had his weapon aimed at Matt and Andy. He kept still with his arms raised, not wanting to do the wrong move. Though he doesn't even want to be taken in by the militants that wanted to kill him. The crossbowman gestured the two to get up, in which they have to oblige as they stood up.

"Get up!" One of the militants gripped Medic's arm tight and forced her up, causing her to shriek.

"HEY!" Guard shouted and was going to defend her, but he was met with a hard punch to the face by another militant, knocking him down.

"Guard!" Amiya tried to intervene, but she was stopped when one of the militants pulls a sword infront of her.

"You move a muscle, I'll slice your neck!" He warned.

Just then he was hit at the back followed by a whip sound, launching him into one of the militants, knocking them both down. This cause the third militant and the crossbowmen to turn to the attacker.

Seeing that they're distracted, Matt took action and lunged at the crossbowmen, grabbing a hold of his crossbow. The crossbowmen briefly tried to resist, but Matt manage to hit him to the face with the butt of the crossbow. He then threw the stunned militant into a wall face-first, knocking him out.

"What?! You basta-"

Matt quickly duck down, avoiding the third militant that was launched back by a whip. He, Andy, and the rest turned towards the attacker that saved them.

There were three figures present. Two of them are armed with crossbows while bearing the same attire that Guard has, only that both of them are wearing caps. And the third figure was a long black-haired woman with pointy dog-like ears.

She is armed with a whip, which indicates that she was the one that attacked and knocked out two of the Reunion militants. Her attire consists of a black crop top with sleeves that exposes her underbelly and black pants that goes over to her brown shoes.

Matt and Andy wasn't sure who the woman is, until Amiya spoke out her name.

"Dobermann!" Amiya exclaimed with a smile.

"Sorry I'm late." Dobermann said, retracting her whip. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, we're fine." The bunny girl answered.

"Uh, guys. I think we're about to get some company." Andy said, pointing to the Reunion militants below. Now knowing of their presence, the Reunion militants begin to scatter whilst shouting various orders.

"Over there!"

"Get them!"

"Do not let them escape!"

"Looks like our friends downstairs heard the commotion." Dobermann stated before turning to the group. "Follow me, I found a shortcut out of here." They all nodded as Dobermann lead the way.

Andy joined up with them, but stopped when he turn back to Matt and saw that he was rummaging on the unconscious body of the crossbowman.

"Matt, what are you doing? We gotta go." Andy urged.

"Just a second." Matt said, holding up a finger. He then took out a quiver with a few arrows in it along with the crossbow and grabbing one of the swords. "If we're getting out of this alive, we better arm ourselves." He then hands Andy the sword.

"Seems reasonable." Andy replied. "But uh...can I have the crossbow? I'm more of a ranged weapon person."

"Fine." Matt said with an eyeroll before handing him the crossbow and the quiver while he stuck with the sword.

"Hey!" The two brits hears Medic's voice behind them as they turned to her by the stairs. "Why are you two just standing there? Come on, we have to go!"

"Right behind you." Matt responded, turning to Andy - armed and ready with the crossbow. They both give eachother a nod as they joining up with the group.

_______________________________

Turns out that Dobermann's shortcut had led them to a hiding spot that is similar to Matt and Andy's previous hiding spot. Inside one of the vent fans with a pretty large interior and a ravine by the side.

One of Dobermann's men listened to the footsteps outside of the fan as it had ceased. He turned to the dog woman and give her a nod of confirmation.

Dobermann nodded in return before turning to the group. "It's a good thing you're all here in one piece." She said to Amiya's team.

Amiya replied. " Yes. We even rescued the doctor from the sarcophagus."

"That's good to hear."

"Oh, and we also encountered these two tourists from Victoria." She gestured at Matt and Andy. "They were lost in this place, trying to hide from Reunion. We offered to help them escape."

Dobermann took the time and observed the two brits. Her narrowed expression cause them to feel uneasy, it almost like she was upset at them.

"Uh...nice to meet you?" Matt said, with a nervous wave.

Dobermann only replied with a hum before turning back to Amiya. "Well, at least you took the time to save two innocents."

"It's what I'd do. Now, we just need to make our way up."

"About that... A large number of Reunion fighters have infiltrated the underground passage." Dobermann stated. "They seem to be looking for something. Or rather..." She then turned to the two brits with an unsuspecting glare. "...someone."

Amiya, Guard, and Medic glanced at the brits with confused looks. Both Matt and Andy darted nervously, though knowing what she meant, the former decide to confess. "Yeah, it's kinda our fault those Reunion guys are here. We sorta...led them to this place while we were being chased by them. We're sorry..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck afterwards.

Dobermann sighed. "It's fine. You were doing what you would to survive. But what is certain is they already see us as enemies. I assume they're now guarding all the exits we were planning to use. If there's no other way out of here, then we will have to fight."

She then turned to the Doctor with a smile. "Doctor, I've heard about your superior commanding skills. I'd like you to direct our extraction operation."

"This 'Doctor' is also a commander? Sounds weird." Matt whispered to Andy, quiet enough till the rest of the group didn't hear what he said.

"Well this is a different world after all." Andy whispered back.

The two then saw Amiya pull up a phone-like device, handing it over to the doctor. The screen shows the words PRTS, in which Amiya informed. "Doctor. This is PRTS."

"PRTS?" Andy raised an eyebrow at that.

"Primitive Rhodes Island Terminal Service." Guard answered. "It's an A.I. that assists the Doctor to command our operations."

"Ah..." Andy nodded, noting the stuff in his mind.

The Doctor stared at the PRTS device on Amiya's hands as the latter says, "I'm sorry we're pushing you so hard. But with you in command, I'm sure we'll all make it above ground safely." She glanced at the other four members of the group and at the two Brits.

Matt and Andy could not help but smile from the bunny girl's words. Everything she said just now sounded very assuring and hopeful.

Amiya then gave the device to the Doctor. "Please, Doctor. Help us. I know you can do it."

"Please log in." The device said. Matt stared at it curiously. Sure it's an AI voice, but there's something astonishing of the voice and how human it sounded.

The Doctor stared at the device for a few moments before they started to cough violently again. Amiya looked at them in concern. "Doctor-"

"I don't..." Doctor spoke up, in a weak voice. "I don't...remember. I don't remember...anything."

This got some shocked looks from the Rhodes Islanders, even the brits. The Doctor, the supposed commander for their operations, seems to have lost their memory.

"Who...am I." Doctor said before turning to Dobermann and the rest. "I don't know...who all of you are..." They then turn to Amiya who was as shocked as everyone is with wide eyes.

"I don't know...who you are, either..."

"Hey now, w-what are you talking about?" Dobermann inquired. "We don't have time for dumb jokes!"

"I don't think the Doctor's joking." Andy spoke up.

"What do you mean?"

"I think the Doctor has amnesia."

"What?! No that can't be it."

"He's right." Medic chimed in, reluctantly agreeing with the Korean. "It's very rare, but I've heard reports of patients experiencing memory issues after waking up from a cold sleep."

"How long does it take to recover?" Dobermann asked.

"I don't know. I'm sorry." Medic said.

"It's usually temporary, but...it could also be permanent, which could be the Doctor's case..." Andy answered.

"You're kidding me...What about our Oripathy research? Does the Doctor remember that?"

While Dobermann was questioning all of this, Matt focused on the word 'Oripathy'. Consider that Dobermann said they were researching it, it may possibly be a disease, which might be the cause of these 'infected' roaming about. If that's the case, he and Andy have to be careful of not getting infected by it.

"Amiya, this situation is far outside of what we planned." Dobermann states in a frustrated tone. "We need a new strategy for this operation. No, for all of Rhodes Island. Amiya, are you even listening?!"

Amiya only stared at the mask of the Doctor but without a face of worry. "It's fine." She said. "The Doctor will get us out of this." This got some surprised reactions.

"Fine? What makes you think this is 'fine'?! Our commander does not remember anything!" Dobermann retorted.

"There might still be some memories in there." Amiya assured. "And I'm sure it doesn't mean the other memories won't come back-"

"I get where you're coming from, but you're being too optimistic." Dobermann interjected, putting a hand on her forehead in frustration. "No, we have to work with the manpower we've got."

Amiya turn back to the Doctor. "Doctor, you're very important to us. Don't worry, you will remember everything." She held their hand and looked at them with an optimistic smile. The Doctor stifled for a moment as their legs started to shake. Amiya gestured at Guard to help as the two then slowly sit them down on the floor to rest.

"I think the Doctor needs a break." Amiya proclaimed.

"I'll give you two minutes. After that, we're getting out of here." Dobermann said. She then goes over to Matt and Andy.

"Are you two really tourists from Victoria?" She questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am. We were..." Andy answered but then trailed off for a moment while staring at Matt of how he should respond. Matt just gestured his head to go on with it. "We were just minding our own business until the riots happened, then we got caught in the crossfire because we're non-infected to those Reunion guys."

"Typical Reunion." She muttered then asked. "So what are your names?"

"I'm Andy Jeong and he's Matthew Rhys. He usually likes to be called Matt." Andy answered while pointing at the latter. "What about you miss?"

"Codename: Dobermann. Captain of Op team E1 and a combat instructor for Rhodes Island."

'Guess that explains the whip.' Matt thoughted.

"So, Andy and Matt. Is it just the two of you here in Chernobog?" She asked.

"No. There were eight of us." Matt responded. "When we were trying to avoid the chaos, a few of those Reunion blokes spotted and attacked us. When they call out their comrades, we had to split up."

What Matt said may be a lie, but it was sorta true. Half-truth to be exact. He wasn't even sure if the rest of his friends were in the city with him and Andy, but he hoped they are so they can reunite, activate the medal, and get out.

"I see..." Dobermann said with a frown. "Sorry the two of you were roped into this. No mere civilians should be in this situation, especially if they're tourists like you."

"There's no need to apologize, ma'am. It's not even your fault." Matt assured. "Besides, we can handle this ourselves just fine."

Andy looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "We can?"

"Of course we can. We're friends, aren't we? And friends always stick together."

"Well, you're right on that." Andy replied with a smile. "But we still need to find the rest. They're out in the city somewhere."

"I'm sure you two can find the rest of your friends." Dobermann assured.

"But you will help us, right?" Matt asked.

"I'm sorry, but no." Dobermann answered while shaking her head. "Look, I would've like to help you two, but getting the Doctor out of this city is our top priority. Rhodes Island needs them alive and well."

Both Matt and Andy let out a frown from her statement, which Dobermann acknowledged then says. "Well, the least we could is provide you two with some equipment. It may help you feel safer and give an easier time for you two to deal with Reunion while you find your friends."

"I guess that works. Thanks." Matt replied.

Dobermann nodded before checking the time. It was already past two minutes. "All right, two minutes are up. Everyone pack up and let's go!" Dobermann declared. The group obliged and begin to pack up.

Doctor was carried again by Guard on his back with Amiya keeping an eye on their six. Dobermann was by the front with one of her men leading the group. Matt and Andy readied their respective weapons and stuck in the back as always with another one of Dobermann's men covering their six.

Matt let out a sigh at the thought of Rhodes Island won't be able to help him and Andy to find their friends. Atleast Dobermann said they would give them some equipment to help. Hopefully nothing bad is gonna happen once they leave.

__________________________________

A lone Reunion soldier was standing guard in the middle of a hallway. Suddenly, he was grabbed to the neck by one of Dobermann's men. He kept an arm around the neck while his other hand gripped his head on a headlock.

The Reunion soldier tried to break free from his grasp, but the Rhodes Island operator kept a grip tight on his neck until the militant fell unconscious from the lack of air. The operator put him down to the ground before motioning the others to move up.

The operator opened a door that leads to another dark hallway. He then went right and stopped at the end of the hall, Dobermann tailing beside him. He peeked out with his crossbow in hand, checking for any hostiles in the area, which seems to be the entrance or the exit of the underground passage.

"All clear." He proclaimed, seeing that there isn't any hostiles, allowing the rest to move out of the hallway.

"I thought this place would be a no-go..." Dobermann said, observing the empty area which she thought it would have dozens of the Reunion militants. "Maybe I was overthinking it..."

"Well, it's okay to be wrong, sometimes." Andy replied, catching up to the two as the rest went out aswell. Guard was still carrying the Doctor while Amiya and Matt watched their six.

"Are we getting through to Rhodes Island?" Dobermann asked to one of her men.

"No response. Perhaps the signal's still being jammed." He responded.

"Those Reunion blokes have signal jammers aswell? Great..." Matt remarked bitterly.

"Hopefully we can get into contact with Ace and his team sooner." Dobermann said, mentioning another Rhodes Island operator.

"Should we move up?" The second operator from Dobermann's team asked, looking at the ramp that leads out of the building.

"Yes, but let's be discreet. We have to check the situation above ground first." Dobermann responded before turning to one of her men. "The two of us will head outside." The operator nodded in agreement as Dobermann turned to the rest. "Everyone else, watch our six and wait for our signal."

As the two were about to leave, Andy spoke up. "I'll go with you."

Dobermann and the Operator turned to him, the former having a surprised look. Not just them, though. Hearing what Andy said, Matt quickly shift his head towards the Korean also with a surprised look.

"Andy, the bloody hell did you just say?" Matt asked.

"I'll go with Captain Dobermann and assist her. I can't just be a burden here." He said.

"But it would be too dangerous for civilians like you. It would be best to stick in the back." Dobermann asserted.

"She's right, Andy." Matt concurred. "We don't even have the training than these guys."

"Doesn't mean we'd be useless. We already acquired weapons too, so we could atleast put them to use." Andy countered then said. "Besides, it's like you said 'we can handle this ourselves just fine'."

"I just-" Matt stopped himself before putting a hand between his eyes in frustration. Andy was right, though. He did said the two can take care of themselves back at the hiding spot. Damn him and his big mouth, sometimes.

"Fine, you can go ahead. Just...be careful, alright mate?."

Andy nodded, turning to Dobermann. She was hesitant at first, but since Matt is okay with it, then she would too. It also wouldn't hurt for an extra hand to cover her. She then said to him, "Alright, stay beside me, and keep your weapon in check."

With that, the trio head towards the entrance ramp. Medic and the other operator covered the other side, while Matt and Amiya kept an eye on the way they came through.

Just then, the Doctor spoke up. "B-Back...should...get back..." Matt and Amiya turned to them, raising their eyebrows.

"Back?" Guard queried. "You mean, go back underground?"

At this point, Dobermann, Andy, and the Crossbow operator stopped infront of the ramp. The operator had his crossbow aimed to the entrance while the Korean stayed beside the Dog woman as he was told, also aiming his crossbow.

"Those three..." Doctor said, referring to Andy, Dobermann, and her squadmate. "...they're in danger."

Amiya went wide-eyed and immediately shouted at the trio. "Go back!"

Both Dobermann and Andy turned to her in confusion. Suddenly, the Operator infront of them got shot by three arrows to his shoulders and leg, sending him to the ground.

When Matt realized it was an ambush, he shouted to his friend. "Andy, get outta there!"

Before Andy could act, he suddenly felt a sharp pain hitting him. Looking down, he was in shock to see that an arrow had pierced his chest as he was shot to where his heart was. Coming in to realization, Andy let out a gasp of breath before he fell to the ground.

"ANDY!" Matt screamed in horror as he dropped his sword and rushed towards the Korean.

"Damn it! It's a trap!" Dobermann cursed and took out her whip. She then sees four Reunion militants dropping down to the ground as they approached her. "We're falling back! Cover us!" She used her whip to knock out one of the approaching militants as she uses her other hand to drag her wounded man to safety.

Matt did the same with Andy as he hurriedly dragged him inside. He immediately went to his side and check his wound, his heart went to a stop when he noticed where he was shot. Yet, Andy was still moving, letting out ragged breaths.

"They're coming from below!" Medic shouted when she sees a group of Reunion militants on their six.

"This way, too!" Guard exclaimed as he and Amiya saw more militants from where they came from. Though Matt ignored those call outs as he kept focus on handling Andy's wound. The Korean begin to struggle as he kept wincing in pain with tears forming under his glasses.

"Hold on, Andy!" Matt said as he frantically searches on how to deal with the wound. He tried to grab the arrow and pull it out, but Andy stopped him and shook his head that it would make the situation worse.

Nevertheless, Andy gripped Matt's arm tight as he let out gasps of pain. Matt could definitely tell that he is in major pain and he is doing what he can to help him.

"M...M-Matt..." Andy said through his series of painful ragged breaths.

"It's okay, Andy. Just stay with me!" Matt assured, trying his best to keep him alive. Andy still kept a tight grip on Matt's arm, until the latter could feel it loosened.

Soon, his hand went limp as it let go of his arm and fell to the ground. Matt glance back at Andy as his eyes went as wide as a window's curtain.

Andy's eyes went still and his mouth was left agape, but most of all he had stopped breathing. "Andy? A-Andy..." Matt starts shaking his friend's body, but he didn't even move an inch.

"ANDY!"

While screaming his friend's name, Matt swore he heard Dobermann calling out to him. Moments later, he was pulled to the ground by the said woman before she covered his eyes with her arm.

Dobermann just got into contact with Ace and his team and he was near where they were. Ace informed them that he was going to threw a flashbang, so they had to cover their eyes and ears.

When she saw Matt was still out of the open, she called out to him to get down and cover his eyes, but he didn't listen. So she quickly ran up to him and pulled him down from the back of his shirt and set him down.

"Cover your eyes!" She ordered, which Matt didn't need to since she covered his eyes for him with her arm while she closes hers. The rest of the group did the same, with Amiya lunging at Doctor to the ground.

Then a cylindrical object was thrown into the middle of the room, which then engulfed the entire area in a bright white light followed by an ear piercing ringing sound, blinding and deafening the Reunion militants.

When the ringing has ceased, more footsteps were heard which stopped to where Amiya and Doctor was. The bunny girl slowly look up and she felt relief knowing who the figure was.

It was Ace.

The tall bearded man wore his signature R.I combat uniform with a ballistic vest while he is equipped with a hammer and shield. He has brown hair in a medium length pushed back style while donning shades and headphones covering his ears.

"Ace." Amiya said with a smile, while getting up.

"Hello, Amiya. You okay?" Ace asked, earning a nod from the bunny girl. The latter noticed that all of the Reunion militants were knocked out. Ace and the operators that were with him must've did it after throwing the stun grenade.

"Good to see you here, Ace." Dobermann spoke up, standing back up.

Suddenly she was pushed aside by Matt as he quickly got up and ran towards Andy. He kneeled down beside him and frantically checked for his condition. He leaned to check his breathing, but he wasn't letting out any. He checked his eyes, but they were dull and lifeless.

Panic starts to increase inside of him as Matt then went to check for a pulse. To his horror, there wasn't any beating. He knows that if the pulse of a person stops beating, then that person is gone. Which means...

Andy is dead.

"No...no no, no nonono." Matt said in disbelief as he begin to shake Andy's body, "No...no god no, Andy please..." Tears are starting to let out of his eyes as he held Andy's hand. Andy - one of his best friends that he cared for years - is now dead.

Soon, he broke down crying, placing his head over his friend's chest. His weeping took notice from the Rhodes Islanders around him.

"Damn..." Dobermann muttered, seeing the whole scene with a frown. Despite just meeting the two, she felt sorry seeing Matt in such a state.

Amiya felt the same as her. When she saw what was happening, she covered her mouth in shock. And seeing Matt crying like that fill her with empathy towards him. She couldn't blame him as he did say that Andy was his friend that he cared about. But now he was dead, killed by Reunion.

Ace also watched the scene but with a neutral expression. Yet, he felt bad for the civilian for his loss. But that doesn't matter right now. A more important priority to him needs to be done. Getting the Doctor out of here

"We should leave right now." Ace insisted, turning to Dobermann. "More of the Reunion soldiers are going to arrive."

Dobermann gave him a nod before she walk towards Matt. "Come on, Matt. We have to go." Dobermann said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Matt didn't respond as he kept weeping on Andy's dead body, not wanting to leave him be.

==To be Continued==

And that was the end of chapter 3

As you can see, I will plan on some of the Isekai'd characters to die in this fic. I figure it would create more tension given how dangerous the world of Terra can be, especially during the main story in Chernobog.

Andy was already one of the casualties, and some of the rest are going to share the same fate. The question is...who would it be?  

Leave a comment and let me know of your thoughts for this chapter.

See you next time!