2042_POST-WW3 - GIRLS' FRONTLINE FANFICTION.

INTERMISSION_04: UNTANGLED_.

Specter-8 / SPT-8 [SPECTER HARRISON] – "UNTANGLED_."

Days had passed since the chaos at the Sangvis Ferri facility, and the dust had barely settled. The mission had been deemed a success, at least on paper. Lycoris had been extracted, and UMP40 was now under Global Task Force Organizatio (GTF) custody. But the aftermath of the Butterfly Incident left more questions than answers. It wasn't just the lingering tension—Specter-8 could feel the pull of something far more dangerous beneath the surface.

The GTF, always pragmatic, had made a calculated decision. With Griffin & Kryuger (G&K) maintaining no further contact after the incident, the higher-ups had decided to keep Lycoris and UMP40 as assets. For now, they were considered valuable resources, carefully guarded under the watchful eyes of Task Force BRAVO ALFA ONE, the GTF's specialized unit responsible for safeguarding critical personnel.

Specter-8, now back at the compound, moved through the corridors with his signature cold precision. His mind, however, was anything but calm. William von Oberstein's shadow loomed large over everything, and the deeper Specter-8 dug, the more tangled the web became. Lycoris, for all his brilliance, had been a pawn in William's twisted game. Now it was up to Specter-8 to untangle the mess and figure out what exactly had gone wrong.

Lycoris was being kept in a secure room within the compound—a sterile, sparse space that felt more like a containment cell than a living quarters. Specter-8 entered without knocking, his heavy boots echoing off the metal floors. Lycoris was seated at the lone table, his once-pristine lab coat now rumpled, a far cry from the confident scientist Specter had first met.

Lycoris looked up as the door slid shut behind Specter-8. His eyes were tired but sharp, filled with the weight of someone who had seen too much.

"You have questions," Lycoris said, his voice flat, but there was a glimmer of expectation in his tone. He knew this conversation was inevitable.

Specter-8 moved closer, standing rigidly by the edge of the table, his arms crossed over his chest. His icy blue eyes bore into Lycoris, unreadable. "William. You're going to tell me everything. Why Sangvis went rogue. Why you're here. What his real plan is."

Lycoris sighed, leaning back in his chair. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair before meeting Specter's gaze. "William... he's always been a master of manipulation. This—everything with Sangvis Ferri—it was never my doing. Yes, I developed the technology, the AI, the neural systems, but the moment William got involved, things spiraled out of my control. Sangvis going rogue? That wasn't me. It was him."

Specter-8 remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"He orchestrated everything, from the creation of Elisa to the chaos that followed. Sangvis Ferri was supposed to be just another stepping stone for him—a way to advance his own twisted goals. He made sure I looked like the architect of the rebellion. After all, it's easier to blame the scientist behind the tech than the man pulling the strings."

Specter-8's jaw tightened. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to align, but there was still so much left in shadow. "What's his endgame? What does he want?"

Lycoris shook his head. "It's always been about Lunasia—his obsession with bringing her back. He wants to recreate her, to rebuild her consciousness, and he's willing to burn the world down to make it happen. Elisa was never meant to be her, but William doesn't care. He believes that by controlling Sangvis, he can control the relics, the neural clouds—everything."

Specter-8's mind raced. He had suspected William's involvement for years, but hearing it confirmed sent a chill down his spine. William was playing a game far more dangerous than anyone had realized, and Lycoris had been one of his pawns. But there was still more Specter needed to understand.

"And the Parapluie virus?" Specter-8 asked. "How does that fit into all of this?"

Lycoris grimaced. "The virus was part of a failsafe. A way for William to maintain control over the Dolls, over anyone connected to the neural cloud network. It corrupts them, scrambles their systems, makes them unpredictable—dangerous. UMP40, UMP45—they were just unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire."

The mention of UMP40 caught Specter's attention. She had survived, though barely, and now lay recovering in the GTF's field hospital. There was still one more conversation he needed to have.

Leaving Lycoris to his thoughts, Specter-8 made his way across the compound, heading toward the Task Force BRAVO ALFA ONE Safehouse, where the medical unit was stationed. The facility was heavily guarded, with armed GTF operators patrolling the perimeter. Specter moved with quiet purpose, slipping past the guards with ease.

UMP40 had been placed in one of the recovery rooms, her neural cloud undergoing extensive repairs after the Parapluie virus had been removed. She lay in the sterile bed, her once sharp eyes closed in a rare moment of vulnerability. Specter stood at the foot of the bed for a long moment, observing her. She had fought to protect UMP45, had tried to escape William's control, but she was still an enigma.

Her eyes fluttered open, and for a brief second, confusion crossed her face before she focused on Specter-8. There was no fear, no surprise—only resignation.

"You're here to interrogate me, aren't you?" she asked, her voice steady despite the weariness that clung to her.

Specter-8 didn't respond immediately. He pulled up a chair and sat at her bedside, his cold, calculating eyes studying her for a moment longer before speaking. "I need answers. You and UMP45 were in the Core Control Unit with Lycoris. Why? What were you trying to do?"

UMP40's lips tightened into a thin line. "We weren't trying to stop him. We were trying to stop William. UMP45 and I knew something was wrong from the moment we arrived at the facility. William had implanted backdoors in our neural clouds, gave us secret orders, but we couldn't just follow blindly. 45... she knew what was coming. She's always known. That's why I tried to help her escape."

"And Lycoris?" Specter-8 pressed. "Why was he so important?"

"He's the key. Without him, William's plan can't succeed. The neural cloud technology, the connections to the relics—it all hinges on Lycoris' work. But William tricked him, used him as a pawn to create something far more dangerous than he ever imagined."

Specter-8 leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "You were prepared to die in that factory. Why?"

UMP40 closed her eyes for a brief moment, her voice soft when she spoke again. "Because it was the only way to protect UMP45. William set us up, gave us no choice but to follow his plan. I wasn't going to let him use 45 the way he used me. So I made sure she survived. That was my only goal."

Specter-8 remained silent, processing her words. William's manipulation ran deeper than anyone had realized, and the pieces were slowly coming together. But there was still so much left unanswered, so many moving parts in a game that was spiraling out of control.

"You're not out of this yet," Specter-8 finally said, standing to leave. "William's plans aren't over, and neither are you."

As he turned to go, UMP40's voice stopped him. "And what about you, Specter? What's your plan? You're as much a part of this as any of us. William's game reaches all of us. You know that, don't you?"

Specter-8 paused for a moment, his back to her, before speaking. "I'm not a part of William's plan. I'm going to end it."

And with that, he left the room, the weight of the mission pressing down on him like never before. The web was untangling, but the more Specter-8 uncovered, the darker the truth became. William von Oberstein was still out there, still pulling the strings. But Specter-8 wasn't going to let himself be a puppet any longer. He would find William, and when he did, the game would end—for good.