Bent Fate (An Arknights Fanfiction)

Chapter 72

Meteorite kneeled next to (Y/N) behind the counter, while Gavial continuously wraps Jessica's leg with bandages.

Liskarm and Matterhorn crawled up until they got back on their feet, with the latter giving the smaller vouivre a hand.

The other snipers that have formed up behind tables steadily watched the smoke while it slowly dissipates.

"You two, come over here." Gavial ordered the defenders.

The two complies without any word, trying their best not to be limp while moving towards the rear.

After securing the bandages on her leg, Gavial taps Jessica's shoulder. "You'll be fine, don't push yourself if it hurts."

Jessica nods silently, and catches her breath.

For a nerve-wracking minute, there is nothing but the distant noises of the bigger battlefield and the wind blowing outside.

Glass shards are everywhere, pieces of shrapnel, broken chairs and all other things, all sorts of it.

Just as Exusiai and others began to release their fingers from the trigger, a figure comes fast towards them from within the smoke.

Greythroat makes a quick adjustment with her posture much to her surprise.

Before they can open fire, however, the dark silhouette emerges from the smoke.

It was Ch'en, with her hand held up as if surrendering.

The snipers' widened eyes relaxed after seeing her, while the lung sprints into their building, sliding behind the counter.

"Doctor, are we still on Plan A?" she hurriedly asks, before noticing their wounded feline sniper.

Jessica has her eyes closed while concentrating on breathing in and out, calming herself.

"Ch'en..." (Y/N) called.

The lung looks at him with parted lips.

"... I don't remember us having a Plan B." he said.

Even Ch'en got exhausted more than she would have thought after literally running just across the roundabout. But her exhaustion is not entirely physical, but more than that.

"We've done more than what is needed here." she tells him. "We should retreat, have them chase us, that's no problem."

"We forgot to take into account those mortars once again..." (Y/N) remarked.

"That is why...." Ch'en insists.

He knows what she would have said after that, and Ch'en just ran out of words to say for a second.

(Y/N) ponders over it for a minute, eventually giving her a new order. "Wait for the next shells to drop."

The lung knew just what he meant, and so asked, "Where do we go, then? Swing around?"

"I think we could still complete our objective. Just have to get out of here for now."

(Y/N) finishes talking right on time.

Bombardment restarts, forcing them to duck behind covers as much as they can.

The snipers crawled away from their tables as shrapnel of all shapes and sizes burrowed themselves into the wooden surfaces and the counter, furthering the damage.

"Get this!!" Liskarm shouts amidst the loud booms, throwing her shield towards the snipers as she herself is safe behind the counter. Matterhorn follows suit.

Greythroat and Firewatch reached the shields and drags them in, adding to the defenses of their tables.

Another ten seconds of rumbling and explosions. The cloud of dust outside that was supposed to clear up now regained its opacity.