Mercy, Jiro and Polyta walk along a tangle of catwalks and hanging ventilation shafts.

—Jiro—
...
So, are we ever going to get the story on what happened to your arms?
How long have you been doing this for?
Where have you been living all this time? If your home is gone.

  Major Mercy
There's an old advance base set up out here, in the enemy territory.
Aveans never found it. They're not even looking for it anymore.

—Jiro—
...
Sounds handy
Hah. Idiots.

—Polyta—
You said you were the last...
Was... was there anyone else... stationed with you?

  Major Mercy
Of course there was.
You know what happened?
We failed. All of us failed, on every level. Our forces were decimated, our bastions fallen.
The way the others saw it, there were only two options left for us.
Capture. Or death.

—Jiro—
...
Tough choice
They left you on your own.
They could have fought back. They could have made them pay.
I probably would have been just as weak as them...

  Major Mercy
I... there was one other, under my command.
But he... he didn't know.

—Polyta—
...Ah.
You... never told him?

  Major Mercy
Enough.
We're almost at the surface. It's going to be crawling with Aveans up there.
We need to...

Mercy twitches!

  Major Mercy
...!!

She whips around and fires a shot, splattering bright red blood all over the catwalk.












  Major Mercy
Wh. Was that a child



Nix reappears standing on the bloodstain.

DON'T DO THAT

  Major Mercy
GNUH!!

Mercy shoots her again.



Nix immediately respawns again, even angrier than before.

I SAID STOP!!!

  Major Mercy
What the hell!?

That HURTS!!!
I am CLEARLY not a threat and you still shot me!?

What is WRONG with you why would you do that!!?

  Major Mercy
...Huh.
Let me guess.
You're some... guilt-driven hallucination.

NO!!!!!!

I am REAL you DAMN FOOL!
I'm here to collect THOSE TWO!

Nix points behind mercy at Jiro and Polyta. Polyta is about to crawl into a vent with Sunny's head poking out of it. Jiro stands shortly behind her. All three of them have faces like various woodland animals caught in headlights.

Sunny
* NIX
* YOU WERE MEANT TO DISTRACT HER

I didn't agree to that.

Sunny
* WE FUCKING DISCUSSED THIS!!!!

—Polyta—
Aha. Mercy! This is our friend... our ally we were telling you about?
The one who is, I must emphasise, on our side?
Remember her?

—Jiro—
...
Yes, we are all friends here!
Nobody needs to get strangled today!

Mercy points her gun at Sunny. Polyta and Jiro stand in the way, waving their arms!

  Major Mercy
Move.

—Jiro—
NO NO NO

—Polyta—
WAIT WAIT WAIT

Sunny
* Hhhey maybe let's talkkkk

—Polyta—
Mercy, please, trust us when we say that this woman is critical to our plans to get home.
We cannot complete our objectives without her.

  Major Mercy
I doubt that.

—Jiro—
...
Don't do it, don't, don't
Isn't it enough that she's our friend!? Don't you trust us?
You kill her, and we cut you down right back. Is that what you want?
Come on, please.

  Major Mercy
...
I could take you on. Easily.

Mercy lowers her weapon.

  Major Mercy
But fine. Make your mistakes.

Sunny
* Ahh haa thank you ma'am...

Polyta and Jiro talk to Sunny.

—Polyta—
Sunny! By the Goddess...
Sorry about that. We're both very glad to see you okay.

Sunny
* "Okay"! Yeah! Hhaah hah, hah, haaa hha!
* It's. I know a really good therapist, so! I bet I'll be fine in the long term, ahahaa...

—Polyta—
Your prior plan to get us home, is that still viable?

Sunny
* Fuckin'... I don't know!
* Shit's got a bit hairy back up there, they've stepped up patrols...
* I don't think I can get you two through the portal anymore, so, uh.
* Maybe we fuck on out and lay low awhile? And I sneak you out through the fucking, I don't know, the sewers? In a barrel!?
* I'm a little fuckin' schemed-out here!

—Jiro—
...
Security's high? I wonder whose fault that is
It's okay. We can come up with something new, together.
I'm glad to have you back, Sunny
For once Polyta wasn't wrong about that

This is pointless.

I have an escape plan already.

—Polyta—
You do?

Sunny
* Y-- the fuck didn't you mention that earlier!?

It wasn't relevant.


HWWWWKKK

Nix spits up the Bottled Homecoming from deep in her gullet. It hits the catwalk floor with a splat.

PLAH!!

—Polyta—
Is that...?

Sunny
* Tell me that's not something we drink