Red Lining (An Arknights Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

School had keeping me busy and I'm kinda lazy to update lol. Anyway, hope you has a great day, don't forget to wash your hand, wear mask whenever y'all go out, stay safe y'all!! And hope you enjoy this chapter! Adios! Meet again soon! 

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Rhodes Island came in the scene in a rush and there they see some Lungmen guards and Madam Ch'en. She sat on a big stone, hopelessly sitting there. Ch'en must've heard the rushed footsteps coming near them and faced at their direction.

"You had it rough too, huh?" She said with less energy, "Madam Ch'en! What happened here?" Amiya asked, panting slightly from the run. "We were ambushed by Reunion. We were caught in a withering assault with no reinforcement. They easily routed our forces." Ch'en replied, a disappointed, unsatisfied, and regretful looks on her face.

Amiya's eyes were wide for a second, after hearing Ch'en's situation earlier, until she noticed something or someone missing, "Where's Misha...?" She asked, looking around her, hoping to see her around, but to no avail, there's no sign of her. "She was taken away by woman dressing in red. I really should have..." Ch'en said, still having her bitter looks plastered on her face.

Amiya stood in silence, waiting for her to finish her sentences, but Ch'en just shook her head, muttering, "Nevermind." Shortly, Amiya decided to ask few things to her. "Madam Ch'en...what's special about Misha?" Ch'en was about to open her mouth to speak, until Amiya continues her sentences, "If you keep hiding things from us, things will keep getting harder and harder for us to work together." She interrupted, already can predicted another lies or avoiding the question from Ch'en.

But still, Ch'en insisted to tell her, "I had no obligation to tell you." Is what she said and by the time, Ashley was ready to engage, she can't keep her cool around Ch'en. But fortunately, Franka and Liskarm stop her from doing so, not wanting another conflict to happened between them, Rhodes Island and Lungmen.

"But Rhodes Island has an objective to understand the objectives and prepare our strategy accordingly. Naturally, we'll continue to follow L.G.D's instructions during our operations...however, when it comes to using the Infected to fight another Infected, we need all information we can get." Amiya said, still persisting Ch'en to tell her more about Misha.

Ch'en listened with her usual cold, stoic looks, as Amiya continued her sentences, "While you, who have that information. You don't have the means of using it effectively to reduces your losses. On the other hand, we have the ability to stop Reunion, but we don't know what they're after, yet."

Ch'en stay silent, with her eyes closed, but still is listening to Amiya's words, "You sounded a bit like that doctor just now." She said, while pointing to Dr. Nicholas by her index finger. Dr. Nicholas raise on of his brows and stare back at her. "Really? Is that so..." Amiya said, a little surprised by her words.

Amiya shook her head, getting back to her serious mode and continues her speech. "This is something that is equally important for both of us." Ch'en thinks for a second, before gave her a slight nod, "I see." She said, "If it's because you need to ask for permission from Chief Wei..." Amiya trailed off. Ch'en sighed deeply and proceed to tell her, "When we investigated Misha, the most prominent bit of information was that her father was one of Chernobog's most influential people-"

Halfway the conversation, which is considered important to both side, Ashley just, somehow, fell asleep. She herself wasn't aware of it before, she even doesn't feel sleepy earlier, when she was still listening to their conversation and without her knowing, without her consciousness, her eyes closed by itself, forcing her to sleep.

And when she's asleep, she had a dream, a dream about a girl, a Cautus girl who has long white dirty hair and eyes that matched her hair color. There, inside the dream, she witnessed her younger self, and it seems the Cautus girl was a friend of her younger self, they seems to get along very well. Even though it was supposed to be a heart-warming scene, somehow, their conditions makes her sad, kid their age was supposed to have a peaceful, happy, and bright time, but it was the opposite. She can clearly see their ragged dirty clothes, their thin body from eating less than they was supposed to received and their visible wounds on their exposed skin.

But the bond they shared, lessen her worried and warm her heart. But that happiness didn't last long, a group of suspicious person came inside the mine, as the kids backed up in fear, knowing who they are. Ashley can see the fear in their eyes and she can also see the group's shadow underneath her, before she can turn around, to look at whoever they are, she was brought back to reality.

"-Ashley!...Wake up!"