Arknights: Resolution [On Pause]

Chapter 18: Tracked

{Reunion members' POV}

"Damn...She's really been working." I said, walking through the handmade tunnels that have been dug under the Reunion Warehouse. Faust trailed behind me marveling at the work.

"She even put up boards for support. Although it was very hastily done."

"Well...Ako's supplies were very limited. I wonder how the hell she even managed to dig this."

"I wonder if her girlfriend helped her."

"Naw...she had to have done it herself considering Yumi was always on slave duty, if not sleeping."

We continued down the tunnel. Faust focused his flashlight down the narrow path ahead of us.

"You hear that?" I asked. hearing the sound of water.

"Hmm...if I...recall....the warehouse had a waste disposal system...It cuts across here. Perhaps that was where she intended on escaping. and plus, all sewers dump out into the Serapha river."

"Well, perhaps Ako wasn't a complete idiot after all....Whao Shit!" I suddenly lost balance and started to fall forward.

"Mephisto! look out!" Faust grabs the back of my harness and yanks me back, saving me from falling into the disgusting murky and trash filled flow of water down below. However, I was unable to save my weapon, which fell and disappeared below the water's surface.

Both of us looked both ways, peering into the dark abyss.

"She jumped." Faust finally concludes.

"Bruh....there is a catwalk right here." I said, pointing to the metal walkway I just now noticed. both of us walked onto it. Faust waved his flashlight around the darkness.

'Well...Big Bob is truely terrifying...and having him chase you with a running chainsaw would most certainly scare someone to the point where they can't think clearly. She probably didn't notice the catwalk and jumped. Consider this also...Big Bob said he slashed her leg out. So walking would certainly be much more slower than being swept away by this powerful current down below."

Ah... yes, that makes a bit more sense.

"Buuut....wouldn't she drown with one useless leg...aaand a 15 pound armor vest?"

Faust thought about it as we continued.

"Ako is a very powerful swimmer. I saw her handle herself just fine when we wrecked our ship out in the ocean. She saved me from drowning once and she swam for 20 miles to the nearest shore...with me on her back." 

"You couldn't swim?"

"I was suffering from hypothermia, I could barely move."

"Oh...And she..."

"Yep....very impressive indeed, so I very much doubt that she would drown here."

"I see..."

we continued a bit longer until the catwalk finally ended at a opening of the Sewer tunnel. It dumped everything 20 feet down below into the Serapha river. The countryside around it was filled with trees and dirt roads. numerous animals traveled in packs. 

"She could have went anywhere." I said.

Faust carefully examined the Country, scratching his chin.

"Well...'' he finally says after a few minutes as if he found a possible theory...then he shook his head. "Well, damn...Yeah. She could have. But she had to have gone downstream a bit if she went with swimming. Then she could have swam to shore from either that side...or that side...But the left side has alligators and a bunch of alligator Ancients. If she would have gone that way, her blood would attract them and she would more than likely would have been eaten by one...assuming she was already aware of that....She would have swam off and pulled herself onto the  right side of the river...Because not only does it lead off to a road, but you see those cornfields up ahead? She could have wandered off and hid somewhere in there...And I believe that is where she is.

I looked over the terrain...Considering Faust's theory...the logic seemed to support his idea. If Ako continued to wade in the river....

"What if she continued to swim? isn't there another waterfall?"

Faust shook his head.

"She would not survive. that waterfall has a 90 foot drop. If the impact doesn't kill her from landing wrong, the rough rocky bottom of that other body of water would shred her to pieces." he said.

Well....that seems to complete the theory. Faust's theory seemed to be the most likely scenario that took place. i played it all out in my head.

"Well....Should we tell the others?" I asked.

"Well....It would be recommended if we plan to catch her. You talk to Shale though. she is too crazy for me."

"And I am not?"

"here's the thing, you behave yourself around me. Shale doesn't She acts hella insane regardless where and who she is with."

"Aw...give the girl a break, Faust. her Oropathy is getting worse. She doesn't have very much time left."

'Nor would I want to be there when she kicks the bucket. You talk to her."

"Well...fine. lets go back...smells like someone died up in this bitch."

"Yes...the smell is rather unpleasant."

The two of us headed back to the warehouse to give our report.