Leave The Monster Alone

"We took care of location 1 you gave us. A hoard slowed us down but the light took care of them. Any idea what it was and how to reproduce it?" No Mark had no idea and somehow he did not want to even know. 

This was a time his mind and rationality were at war with each other. One part of him did want to know but his mind argued that it might compromise the mission. How it could happen, Mark had no idea about, but it could so his brain protested the very idea. 

However, in the end, that did not matter because they simply ran out of time in that place. The shock of the explosion had torn something crucial in the building which made it shake. 

"Let's hurry up and get out. I don't think this place is going to last for much longer. Have the others escaped yet?" Mark's mind said that those world leaders needed to live if they wanted things to get better. 

Currently, the life of a leader is more valuable than any of its individual subordinates since they could help in the thriving of a group to bring out their max potential. 

But of course, this was not what Mark rationalised in the end. Every life was just as important in the cycle of nature and everyone deserved to live. However, those circumstances applied to humans and not to artificial life forms like most people here were. 

"What should we do with the bombs? They're too dangerous to leave here, even if there is only a shell left but we can't take them with us either. Destroying them would also not work since we do not have the means to do so" I simpler terms, they were stuck at this point with no way to make it any better.

Mark needed time to think and rationalise it all which was looking hard to come by. 

"I'll take them for now. My system storage should keep them safe. We need to either find Zeno or Liam to make a decision on what to do next. Both are not replying to my messages but I can find their vitals" The best option would be to find Liam since he was the chief operator. 

He and Mark could come to a sensible solution and also allow most other alive people to leave this place. 

"Should we separate again? I need to find Fidi before he does something stupid" She did not mention what that stupid was because there was a lot in reality. What she did mean was that the other would likely complicate the matters. It was not like Vodi could feel him either, the mess making it difficult for her senses to focus on him.

"We should not risk it right now. There are people who saw us leave together. It would raise too many questions if we are seen separately" the female did not protest back but it could be seen that she was spectacle about the issue.

But Mark was not one to hear about useless opinions from others when his brain was more than capable of making rational decisions for him. So it was decided, they would find a leader first and then go from there.

The walk through the base was as fast as it could be with the whole place shaking. Mark was the only one having some trouble traversing the terrain though and he was also dragging everyone down. He needed to do something to make it better.

A small shove from his side made him aware that he was not alone and he could, maybe, approach this situation in a better way than he had been doing.

"Good girl. Are you sure?" Kuro gave him a loud purr and Mark nodded at her. The next second he was on her back and hurrying across the lands. This time it was Vodi and Alan that needed to keep up with his speed.

He was going so fast that he missed the other blob of black that made his way across his path. The collision was inevitable but Mark positioned himself just right to land on his feet. 

The other two groaned, both too familiar for him to forget.

"Mark, finally. Your scent is all over the place and it was difficult to find you in this mess" it was with an almost relief-filled feeling that Mark realised he had been found by their missing member. Fidi had found them while they had been on their way and the other did not look any worse than Mark had first left him.

"Situation update?" Mark was curious about what had happened with Shiro and En. he already knew something bad had happened but he lacked the data to make any accurate guesses. As for Fidi? The other turned his head away in shame, his eyes betraying how much he seemed to be affected by this conversation.

"Let's talk about it later? We're currently in a bind and I'm afraid I am not well-equipped to have this conversation right now" the classic code word for 'I don't want to talk about it' which would not do.

Mark felt his remaining hopes dashed and his brain chided him for still holding onto the futile hope in the first place. In his heart's defence, he had not known how much he could trust his feeling and the changes of En making it out were pretty decent.

"Fine, we will talk about it later though I was hoping you would outright say En is dead and not give me futile hope" Fidi flinched but he did not ask how Mark knew this news. The other was more than aware that Mark had his own means to know things.

"If you already know then can we avoid that talk? I'm not sure I'm comfortable enough to talk about this with you yet" Neither was Mark but he wanted to know as well. Besides, he had his own share of things he needed to tell the other.

"Your sister, she too -" but the other stopped him from finishing. He did not want to hear, he did not need to hear the other's words to know what they would be about. He would much rather keep himself in dark than hear those words again.

"You know what? I think we're done for now. Oh hey, Vodi, Alan and Kuro as well. How are you enjoying life?" Mark wanted to tell the other that ignoring the truth would not change it for him but the other was content to ignore it.

Mark supposed he might as well drop the whole conversation for now since his inside twisted as well when he talked about it it. He felt vulnerable when he himself brought up the topic so his mind was happy to drop it.

"Anyway, I found the leaders and they are alright. I only saw them from afar but I know they were making arrangements to go back. None of them wants this news to reach their own base do everything was rather hushed" of course it would reach but it would be agreed as a stupid move anyway.

Most of the other bases were very one-dimensional with only a few standouts who were either a higher-up, a soldier or a deserter who joined the resistance later on. They should expect people to flood this base in the next few days. 

"What about Liam? Was he there as well?" It did not occur to Mark that the other might not even know who Liam was. But of course the other did, just as anyone who spends even a little time in this game did.

Despite not being a social person, the base leader was too huge a presence to hide without extreme measures.

"If you are asking if he left then he had not yet. However, he did look anxious as well for some reason so be on the outlook" anxious? Liam? That combination did not bode well for anyone. Especially when the other took to planning three steps ahead at all times.

Ans much to his surprise, he did get a ping. So it was an important piece of news, after all, a single line that greeted Mark when he opened his system message box.

_____________________

We cannot find Rika and the second subject anywhere.

_____________________

Oh god, Rika was missing. She had not seemed as reckless to him then why was she doing this? Did she not know the danger this base was in? Their biggest enemies were humans themselves and ones they all had trusted till last night.

"Change of plans. We need to find Rika first" Alan looked worried all of a sudden, his wide eyes betraying his shock. Mark felt the shock himself but it did not really register inside his mind.

His body shook though and he had no idea why that happened at all. What was wrong with him to be feeling this way all of a sudden?  Was he actually sick?