As the dust settled on the battlefield, the sounds of gunfire and explosions faded, replaced by the steady hum of victory as North Heathson agents began rounding up their enemies. But amidst the relief of their hard-won triumph, a darker cloud hung over Denise's heart. She ran through the debris-strewn landscape, her heart pounding in her chest, desperately searching for one person.
"Uno!" she cried out, her eyes scanning the ground.
And then, she saw him.
Uno lay sprawled on the ground, motionless, his suit battered and covered in dirt, but miraculously still in one piece. Denise’s breath hitched, and she sprinted over, only to be stopped by a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Hold on, Denise," Agent 298 - Olympic, Isabelle Harney, stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Isabelle's medical team—Agent 115 - Musical (Acel Scotts), Agent 465 - Ghost (Matthew Porter), Agent 767 - Hawk (Tristan Norris), and several others—were already surrounding Uno, carefully assessing his condition. “You need to stand back so we can transport him. Once we have him on the stretcher, you can accompany us to Lance's plane.”
Denise’s eyes darted between Uno and Isabelle, her chest tightening with worry. “Is... is he okay?” Her voice cracked.
Isabelle softened, her medical professionalism never wavering, but she knew how much this meant to Denise. “We don’t know the full extent yet, but we’re getting him stabilized. Just trust us, okay?”
Denise reluctantly nodded, her hands trembling as she watched them lift Uno’s limp body onto the stretcher. Her eyes lingered on his suit—it was a symbol of his resilience, not a single tear or hole in the fabric despite the fierce battle. But then, her gaze drifted lower to his wrists and ankles, and her stomach dropped. His wrists were twisted at unnatural angles, and his ankles seemed similarly dislocated.
She stepped closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “His... his wrists, ankles... are they dislocated?”
Isabelle glanced at Uno’s injuries and nodded grimly. “Yes, but that’s secondary right now. We need to check for any internal damage and get him treated immediately. He’s tough, Denise. You know that.”
Denise bit her lip, her heart aching as they loaded Uno onto the aircraft. She had no choice but to trust them, but the sight of him so helpless tore her apart.
As she followed closely behind the medical team, Lance, Angelo, Matt, Maury, Lorenzo, and a few others rushed up to meet them. Lance’s usually calm face was etched with concern, his blue eyes narrowing as he took in Uno’s condition.
“What the hell happened to him?” Lance asked, his voice tense as he fell in step beside Denise.
“He took most of the hit while trying to protect us,” Denise replied softly, not taking her eyes off Uno’s limp form. “He didn’t care about himself. He just… fought until he couldn’t anymore.”
Angelo ran a hand through his hair, his usual cocky demeanor gone. “That’s Uno for you. Always throwing himself into the fire.”
Sherwin, codename Agent 014 - Takumi, shook his head, his voice strained. “I knew he was crazy, but this? He really pushed it too far this time.”
Meric, known as Agent 020 - Finch, stayed quiet, his arms crossed, eyes flickering between the group and Uno, his lips pressed into a tight line. "Reckless... but that's always been his style."
“Still,” Matt murmured, “this is bad. Really bad.”
Denise’s hands clenched into fists as she swallowed her fear. “He’s going to be okay,” she said, more to herself than to them. “He has to be.”
