The City of Above

49:37

And here they are, in the City of Above. The mission didn't start yet at the hour we are witnessing now, since all of them were still getting on their positions. As a Guardian, RY4N was obligated to remain behind to supervise the area, and with him was the Leader of the whole group, CHE5TER. There were a few others too that were only present to protect those from the inside of the building, but on a larger distance from both of them.

Technically speaking though, CHE5TER was an Investigator at that time too since he has decided to switch His role from Guardian, role that He chose to have when He entered the first time the Southeast Base, to the Investigator role some time before, but the Leader has to stay behind in order to lead the mission properly. A reason why He is not a part of the mission like He is in the present, especially in those times when they used to have many Investigators in the base. And so, to make sure that the mission is ready to start, He begins talking in His airpods to all the other members.

[CHE5TER]-Everyone ready?

[/CA7HAN]-Affirmative!

[/J4CE]-Ready!

[CHE5TER]-Alright. Strikers, get into the building and get the soldiers' attention in order for the Investigators to go to the higher levels and search for what we need. Everyone else, take your positions. At my signal!

[/D4NI3L]-We need connection to the cameras, Hackers! Tell us when you guys are ready!

[/KYR4]-It's being established! Have some patience, god dammit!

[/LUK3]-Ohohoh, bring it on!

[CHE5TER]-Oh, gods... RY4N, make sure to not fire a bullet by mistake, alright?

[RY4N]-I've trained with my rifle, CHE5TER. I know how to handle it.

[CHE5TER]-I'm just saying... We don't want to alarm them now and I know what you are capable of causing.

[RY4N]-Hey, who do you take me of!?

[CHE5TER]-Oh, forget it... Just be careful to not fire now.

[RY4N]-Yeah, yeah... I swear, this lack of trust...

Once He is done talking, the Great Leader stands in front, looking at the huge building from far away that took His father's life away. It is now when He reestablishes His legacy, in a mission of Life and Death, even not aware. Many of the soldiers that had worked before Him knew about the incident with the previous Great Leader here, but now it is time to take His death as rebirth... To finally find out about the General's plan and bring peace onto these lands.

[CHE5TER]-...Now!

And so, the mission has begun at His signal. The Strikers got into the building and started the chaos, while the Investigators got inside without any trace, searching for the unknown documents that the ruler assumes they are present on the higher levels of the base. It was like a small battle from an endless war, but where everyone only tries to survive and not cause too many deaths.

The Great Leader in the meantime was supervising everyone's position and case, while the Guardians were protecting the area. Inside the building, the Ynash'saveghtah Gas was already spreading at some parts of the area, making some of the involved people's immunity affected and it was then when Death started dancing on their graves.

Many soldiers of the M were killed or have been injured, but the C soldiers didn't seem to be in a better position either. Though they are more skilled than the whole M military in general, some of them already got injured and had to be rescued. And it was then when the true chaos started, as Investigators have started being caught and chased down to be killed. One of them sure had a problem like that, his name being CA7HAN, one of the former Investigators of the Southeast Base. Since the role of an Investigator is to work and fight alone if obligated by fate, while the Strikers are put to work in groups to avoid losing people because of the constant battles needed with the role, it explains why they need help in drastic situations since nobody is there for them during the whole chaos. A Striker by the name of S1V3RT was obligated to go and save the Investigator in danger as a consequence, which led later on to more terrors to come.

[/S1V3RT]-Master CH#;&@>... We need backu&@^%/...

[CHE5TER]-I can't hear you, S1V3RT!

[/S1V3RT]-...CA7HAN and #^@&&!*... injured! ^@&*$@ ...HELP! ^@&*?&^#!

[CHE5TER]-S1V3RT? S1V3RT, can you hear me?

No response. He waits a few seconds and tries again.

[CHE5TER]-S1V3RT! Answer me!

Still nothing. But after some more tries, a small "beep" sound appears in the headphones which annoys the ruler even more.

[CHE5TER]-...Dammit! I lost connection to him! M4SASH1, can you reestablish the connection!?

[/M4SASH1]-I'm trying!

[/ER1C]-Master! There are way too many soldiers! We cannot keep this up forever!

[CHE5TER]-What's the situation there!?

[/ER1C]-We've managed to kill some soldiers in order to defend ourselves, but there are way too many to keep fighting! They already injured some of us! We have to leave if we don't want to lose people!

[CHE5TER]-Do you know anything about S1V3RT's situation?

[/ER1C]-One second!

He waits a bit for the soldier to respond, then he talks again.

[/ER1C]-...Master, I've asked around and someone said that he found CA7HAN injured, who was suppose to be saved by S1V3RT, and tries to take him out right now! But we don't know where S1V3RT is! CA7HAN said that he lost him on the way out as he remained to fight and protect him to not worsen his injuries!

[CHE5TER]-Can someone go back and find him?

[/ER1C]-I don't think we are able t--

[/H1K4RI]- --Master! I found something!

Then, the ruler and the Striker were interrupted by a different member. H1K4RI was another former Investigator of the base who had also lived the moment of the previous mission in this building. Now, she seems as she has managed to achieve the first goal of the current mission and tries to inform the ruler.

[CHE5TER]-What? What did you find?

[/H1K4RI]-There is a guarded room somewhere at Floor 81, but I can't get in to see what's inside. What do I do? Do I wait orders to find a way into the room?

Even so, CHE5TER seems a bit overwhelmed by the situation this time. He finally found something that might help to end the whole war, but He also has a soldier missing and gets more people injured in the meantime. So, wishing to not have any deaths in this mission, He whispers to Himself in disappointment...

[CHE5TER]-...Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!

...and then finally takes action.

[CHE5TER]-I want everyone to retreat now! Stop the searching! Take the wounded and get out! Did you all hear me!? RETREAT, NOW!

[/H1K4RI]-But Master! The room is right h--

[CHE5TER]- --I SAID RETREAT, GOD DAMMIT!

He then looks in a rush to RY4N first, saying a final word and getting on the edge of the building, as if He prepares for a new plan. So, He talks one last time...

[CHE5TER]-Make sure to fire at the walls when I say so, did you hear me!?

[RY4N]-What do you mean? ...H-HEY! WAIT! CHE5TER, NO!

...before jumping from their location, making His way towards the building in which the mission was going on, unseen by anybody and without participating in the chaos around Him.

[RY4N]-DAMMIT CHE5TER! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME?

And so they got separated, as RY4N was left behind waiting orders and see how the mission will turn out to be.

50:12

"...To be honest now, you were always doing this type of things in missions before as well. I had to expect that from the very beginning. But the missions weren't as hard as this one was either.

Still, I trusted your skills in the end. After all, it was no use telling you anything as you never listen. The thing that worried me though was that you weren't really responding when I was trying to contact you. I had to wait for a while until someone returned to the building and found S1V3RT badly injured."

[/IZA4K]-Master RY4N, I think we have a small problem!

[RY4N]-What is it, IZA4K?

[/IZA4K]-Well, I have bad news and good news...

[RY4N]-What are the good news?

[/IZA4K]-The good news are that we managed to get S1V3RT in a safe area since Master CHE5TER found him and brought him back to us. Mr. IS4MU is with him right now and treats his wounds.

[RY4N]-...And the bad news?

[/IZA4K]-Well... some of the people that got injured lost their lives before any Healer could get here and help them out. So unfortunately, no matter how much we've struggled to avoid Death, we still suffered some losses of Strikers and mostly Investigators. That... and...

[RY4N]-...And?

[/IZA4K]-And we... kind of... lost trace of Master CHE5TER after He brought S1V3RT outside the building...

[RY4N]-What do you mean you lost trace of him?

[/IZA4K]-I'm afraid that Master didn't get outside the building when He got him out. Mr. N0RI was the one who got in touch with Him, but he said that Master only managed to get S1V3RT out and didn't have enough time to get Himself outside as well.

[RY4N]-Did anybody at least try to get an idea where he is now?

[/IZA4K]-Even if we tried, He doesn't seem to answer through His device at all, and the hole from which N0RI got S1V3RT out is already covered up by Him.

[RY4N]-Dammit...

RY4N then starts looking with his rifle around the building, trying to see what's happening inside but in vain, as all the windows are now covered because of the activated alarm going on. Then, he calls His name again and again.

[RY4N]-CHE5TER, can you hear me? CHE5TER! CHE5TER, it's me! RY4N! Can you hear me, Brother?

All in vain once more. No response. In the end, he gives up and has the same idea as the ruler. But for some reason, he couldn't execute it as when he tries to leave, he finally gets an answer from a voice.

[/CHE5TER]-...RY4N! RY4N, can you hear me!?

[RY4N]-Oh, thank M1NERV4... Yes, I can hear you.

[/CHE5TER]-Listen to me! Take the sound bullets and fire towards Floor 10, 35 and 50! Now!!

[RY4N]-Why? What's happening?

[/CHE5TER]-JUST DO AS I SAY! NOW!!

And so, he obeys to His orders, as he takes the bullets from the equipment he has with him and starts aiming, screaming in the whole call a single sentence.

[RY4N]-Everyone, cover your ears!

And as he takes his target on his sight, he then starts firing the three bullets. The bullets are heavy, powerful, not just some sound bullets. They are enough to damage the walls that the Great Leader commanded, but not enough to destroy them completely.

The sound they emit is maybe the most painful experience you could ever live as well, as painful as if you would've wished you simply died the next moment you hear it. Sometimes it leads to temporary deafness, other times even to a permanent one. It is maybe the reason why their equipment is so complicated and advanced. They are ready to face any type of problems, even one like this. It doesn't take long before the sound disappears though, but the effect on the body still remains for a while to those affected by it, especially on the soldiers of the M.

"...It was a complete mess that mission. We weren't expecting all those events. We knew it was risky, but not as much as killing so many people from the team. Around 15 or 17 lost their lives that day from those 120 people we had present because of the chaos and severe wounds. About 26 people were badly injured but managed to survive, and around 30 or 40 were wounded as well, but not as badly as the others.

I remember that someone from the team even got paralysed on both of his legs and had to retire because of this reason alone, even if he was pretty young. Another one lost an arm and an eye. Another one has been shot five times in different areas of the body and somehow managed to survive. And the list went on and on of recorded injuries... It was maybe the deadliest building we've ever seen. It is why we later on named it "The Suicide Building".

It's true, we never had missions here before. Well, by which I mean that CHE5TER and I never had one. Some of the old members were already present at the last one here, but even back then, the only one involved to enter the building was our father, who was caught and killed right after. No regular mission of ours was comparing to this one.

I remember that I had to wait after the last orders from my own brother to do something. Though I'd tried contacting him over and over again, he didn't respond anymore. I was looking through my gun most of the times around the area to see if anything happens. At some point I know I was getting bored, but also beginning to get worried as well.

It was then, after a while of waiting, when an explosion appeared somewhere at Floor 72. I looked a bit through my rifle to see what's happening, yet all I could see was fire and smoke at first glance. But besides that, it was something else as well. I didn't understand what it was the first time I looked, but the more I was zooming closer to that thing, the more I realised... it was you, CHE5TER."