Arknights: When Hunters Meet (A Tacet x Projekt Red novel)

Chapter 20 - A Meeting of Wolves - Projekt Red Route

---One day later at an undisclosed location on Rhodes Island---

''Smack!'' A loud thud was heard. Lappland fell bloodied on the floor, but she was not done with. Not by a long shot. She was grasped and thrown against the metal wall. An audible gasp of pain was heard exiting her pale mouth. She barely had force to resist anymore. Her strength was systematically picked apart by Rhodes Island's top assassin. A sudden hit in her gut and Lappland rolled like a rag doll in the middle of the room. She coughed but jumped to her feet. She threw fist after fist, but they were all evaded. A sweep came under her, yet she saw it coming and evaded. But as she landed she couldn't stop another punch to her gut. She jumped back, scared. She evaded two more strikes, yet the third nipped her hip. She jumped further back, wracked with pain. She felt she would die soon. She envisioned this battle happening many times, yet it came without notice and her strength proved lacking against the enemy that set her instincts ablaze with fear and ferocity at the same time!

''Thud!''

She parried her leg, but it crushed her down to her knees! Another booted foot came, and it smacked her right in the face. Sending her flying and rolling a few meters. She was spent. She knew it. Texas wouldn't be here to save her out of this situation nor anyone. She would die on Rhodes Island. She coughed more blood and the pain felt crippling. She tried to think. To think of what to say to save her miserable life! She couldn't believe herself that she was looking for pleas and excuses in a moment like this! ''Smack!'' A bone crunching sound was heard as a boot connected into her ribs. She splattered more blood as she fell on the floor. She was picked up by her jacket's collar and her head was raised. Then a continuous ''Smack! Smack! Smack!'' Could be heard as her face was fisted repeatedly.

-Aaaah!!

Lappland howled in a mad and desperate voice filled with fear. A cry of death.

-''You shouldn't have done that.'' Spoke Red.
-''He didn't kill me!'' Lappland said while gasping for air.
-''I will.'' The Red figure punctuated as she punched her opponent again.
-He won, aah, I... I yielded, he... he spared me.

The fisting continued.

-Haaah!!

Lappland tried to gasp for air. She was a broken, beaten victim at this point.

-He... refused me!

The Red figure instilled herself to stop her killing intent for the moment.

-I offered... he, he wouldn't want me. He wants... you... it's, cough, clear. Hahaha cough.
-Why are you laughing?
-''He saved my life once... he saved, cough, Texas's life too... Provence as well, cough, you can, uh.'' She struggled to breathe and form words.
-You can pull out his records and, uh, see for yourself. He saved all our lives, cough, at one point or another... yet, cough,... he always had eyes only for you... cough, he always wanted you. The one who brought him to death.

-Haaa.

Lappland's breathing became weaker. She was unhanded and let to fall down on the floor.

-''Will you... let me... die like this, Red?'' She spoke to the floor, unable to turn, unable to move.
-He saved me... then spared me... when he finds out... that I passed... you think... it will please him?
-He... wanted... all of us... to live... even me... even me...and, I don't have... much time...with my... oripathy, cough.

The Red figure pulled out a phone and was about to call a certain mentor. The only question she had to herself was which password to give to her? The password for the Expunge&Cleanup protocol or to order the Immediate Trauma Emergency Team. She looked at the bloodied lupo on the floor and then the grey lupo thought of Tacet.

-''Report.'' A cold voice sounded on the phone.
-Trauma team on my current position ASAP.
-Confirmed.

The call ended.