Scarlett turned to face them fully, her gaze unwavering.
"They know my face," she stated firmly. "Which ans if I walk in as myself, I’ll be recognized imdiately. So instead, I’ll be going there as soone else."
Kato’s lips twitched into a small smirk.
"Oh oh, true," Ethan said, his eyes lighting up with realization. "Since you can take on soone else’s appearance, it’ll be easy for you to infiltrate that organization."
"That’s true. Why didn’t I think of that?" Ryder mused, raising an eyebrow. "But whose face are you going to take?"
Scarlett didn’t hesitate.
"Maya’s face."
Her response cut Kato short, his mouth opening slightly before snapping shut. Her face was etched with seriousness.
"She’s dead," Scarlett continued. "If I want to make everything perfect, then it’s best to take the face of soone who is confird dead."
Ryder grinned, clearly approving of her choice.
"Great choice," he chid in. "But, honestly, I thought you’d choose a male disguise, you know? That way, you’d look more muscular and imposing. If you go in as a woman, they might underestimate you, just see you as another survivor. Do you think that’s okay?"
"That’s not an option."
Kato’s voice was firm as he folded his arms over his chest. His expression left no room for argunt.
"Her going in as a woman actually works in our favor," he explained. "I can just say she’s my sister, soone I finally found after all this ti. That alone gives an excuse to return to the organization. If they ask why I left without a word, I’ll tell them I was searching for my lost sister. And now that I’ve found her, we’ve co back, both fully dedicated to eradicating all monsters... as well as any humans who stand in our way."
A round of applause suddenly broke the air. Ethan clapped his hands together, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"True!" he exclaid. "Going in as a woman ans no one will see you as a threat. They’ll assu you need protection rather than viewing you as a potential soldier. That works in our favor."
Then, his expression turned serious.
"Are you guys leaving now, though? Like... right now?"
Scarlett nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Ethan. If we want to save Garvin and that Jaden, we need to act fast. Ti is not on our side."
She paused, then turned her gaze toward him and Ryder.
"You two will stay here and continue slaying both monsters and the guards. I know it’ll be harder now that my invisibility spell won’t be shielding you, aning you’ll be exposed to the enemy... but we trust you."
Kato stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Ethan’s shoulder, but the latter imdiately shrugged it off.
"Trust?" Ethan repeated with a smirk, shaking his head. "You might not want to use that word around . I don’t even believe in it anymore."
His voice dropped slightly, an edge of sothing bitter laced within it.
"Hell, I don’t even trust myself. So there’s no point in anyone else trusting either."
He leaned back against the bed, exhaling slowly before his lips curled into a small, almost unreadable smile.
"Anyway, the four of us are about to embark on a very dangerous journey. A journey where we don’t even know the outco. So all I can do is wish us all the best of luck."
His voice was calm, but there was weight behind his words.
Kato said nothing, only grabbing Scarlett’s arm as he led her toward the exit.
Ryder and Ethan remained behind, left alone in the room with nothing but their thoughts and emotions to process.
_________
Outside, the cool morning air greeted Scarlett and Kato as they settled onto a rock chair, facing each other. The distant growls and cries of people in agony echoed in the background, clear to their enhanced senses.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Silence stretched between them like an invisible barrier.
Then, finally, Kato broke it. "Are you ready for this?"
His voice was quiet but steady, piercing through the stillness like a blade.
"Is that even a question?" Scarlett scoffed, raising her gaze to et Kato’s. Her expression was unwavering, sharp with determination. "Since you’re familiar with the organization, that ans you know every in and out of it. Tell everything, every little detail about that place, as well as that motherfucker who calls himself the boss."
Kato let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders rising and falling as a somber expression overtook his face. His eyes darkened, clouding over with mories, as if he were reliving sothing he would rather forget.
"Oh yeah, you should know," he muttered. His voice was low, asured, yet tinged with sothing cold.
He took a mont before continuing.
"The organization is called ’Eclipse.’ It’s a secret society that’s been around since the start of this apocalyptic world, hiding in plain sight while pulling strings from the shadows. Their obsession? Ultimate power. They want absolute control over whatever’s left of this world, and they’re ruthless about it."
Scarlett leaned in slightly, absorbing his every word.
"The building itself is four stories high, a fortress disguised as ruins. There are over a hundred rooms, each serving a different purpose, training halls, armories, laboratories, holding cells... But Garvin? He’ll be in one of those rooms for sure. The punishnt room."
Kato’s voice turned grim, a flicker of sothing unreadable flashing through his eyes.
"Just like Austin’s organization that we took down, Eclipse follows the sa twisted ideology. They recruit people, give them tasks, and train them into killers. But unlike Austin’s group, there isn’t a single woman in their ranks. Any woman you see there is a transgender and infact is a woman. Every single mber is male, either chosen ones or just desperate survivors they turned into obedient soldiers."
Scarlett’s expression darkened at his words, her gaze hardening.
"No won at all, for real?" she asked, her tone laced with curiosity and a hint of disgust. "And the boss?"
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