Bent Fate (An Arknights Fanfiction)

Chapter 70

(A/N: IIRC, this is the part where things are about to be even more confusing and hard to follow for some, so perhaps I might switch to uploading twice a week to hopefully match the pace of multiple events that are about to simultaneously take place here.)










(Y/N) wakes up lying on one of the steel benches at the middle of the waiting room.

At first, he stares at the fluorescent lights above, useless during the night as they are during the day.

His head turns like his face is pulled by the gravity. Looking around, he finds none of his operators around.

"Huh...?"

He frowns, hurriedly rising up and getting off the bench.

The Doctor instinctively looks up at the digital wall clock, only to see it completely darkened.

Next, he rolls up his sleeve, to see his wristwatch showing the time: "9:17 AM"

"What the hell..." he whispers, then running out of the waiting area and out into the entrance.

The streets are clear, same as when they arrived last night, completely empty of hostile threats, or that's only what the naked eye can see.

"They wouldn't...." he suddenly pauses, trying to clear his mind. "... No, no.. they wouldn't abandon me. Why am I even having such an idea with zero percent probability?"

"'I used to abandon my comrades too...'"

Ch'en's voice replayed in his mind, making him take a deep breath.

He looks back, inside the hospital's lobby where the sun couldn't reach.

"Where could they be?..."

— "Doctor?" a voice suddenly comes from inside the building just as he turned his head away.

— "Doctor?!" the voice sounded panicky this time, and was followed by the echoes of someone's shoes as they ran down the hallway.

(Y/N) gets back inside, just as Franka appeared out of the hallway from the waiting area.

She gaped at him as they met, letting out a loud exhale.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. "I only took a trip to the comfort rooms and then you're gone."

"Oh..." he scratches the back of his head. "... well I... thought you're all gone somewhere else."

She blinks twice in less than half a second, keeping silent for a moment. "Where did that thought of abandonment come from?"

"I— uhh..."

Franka bends forward, mocking him. "You, of all people, getting abandoned?"

"Sorry..."

She sighs, straightening her back. "Everyone's just gone to some places... doing stuff."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, right now, Ch'en and Liskarm's above us, Meteorite is there too."

"And the others...?"

"Others..." she puts a finger on her chin, humming as she pondered. "Hm... some went to get today's rations."

(Y/N) frowns. "You mean..."

"Yeah. Look, we can just put all the blame on Reunion after this, and it'll look as though we haven't done anything more unlawful. Us robbing supermarkets, just isn't true."

"You're very bold, Franka."

"Really?..." she tilts her head. Then confirming it with a smile. "I've always been~"