Broken Strings

Get out of the city with us and you have a better shot at survival.

...Okay. Let's go.

Where are you taking him?

Faust said he doesn't want us to take him back to Chernobog.

...So where can he go?

How long were you with Faust?

Um... At first, I'd say he was with us.

Four or five years ago, Faust couldn't use any tactics and he really couldn't shoot a crossbow. We taught him all that.

He studied hard, trained harder, compared notes with the Yetis, sparred with Patriot's boys, and got stronger and stronger...

Patriot and FrostNova both taught him. He became our leader, even though we never much called him that, it's what he was.

You lucked out.

No matter how Mephisto got, Faust never made us do anything.

Archers, don't save your high-explosive bolts.

Won't those bolts be useful against the L. G. D.?

Faust insisted we honor the dead like this.

'It's not a waste to show respect.'

GreyThroat?

He...

If I recall correctly, he was the crossbowman with Mephisto, and one of Reunion's commanders.

...You knew him?

I don't know. I'm not sure if you'd say we... knew each other.

Yeah.

This is how it is for Rhodes Island... most of the time.

But even if there's only the tiniest bit we can do, we will do it.

We have to.

What are you thinking, Doctor?

Are you thinking about... all the death we've seen?

I can't guess. And I don't want to take it from your mind.

Because... I think one day you'll tell me yourself.

The operators have put in the work.

But death makes a heavy impression, heavier than saving someone. Every time we witness such death, it hits hard.

Just remember that without the efforts of our operators, we'd be seeing a lot more death.

So much more death...

I used to think Rhodes Island fought for the Infected.

But now I see all the dead at our feet, they're all Infected.

Amiya...

Why does Rhodes Island fight?

Now you ask?

Blaze.

...Answer her.

Honestly, I ask myself the same question all the time.

We see people, Infected and uninfected, die every day.

We don't, and we shouldn't fight to stop every death. That would be meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Like now... like in this battle in front of us.

It wasn't one crossbow, one Art, one explosion, or one wound that causes all the death.

What we fight to defeat is the source of all of this... the hatred the uninfected have for the Infected, and vice versa, is the reason they kill each other.

We must tear up the soil that nurtures the hate. Using our pharmaceuticals, and our operations.

Ah——

Did Reunion fire that?

That was an Originium-boosted crossbow bolt.

Pretty lousy fireworks.

Nearl said, back in Chernobog, the scaly kid was pretty strong.

She told me her arms nearly broke. And I'll tell you from experience, I wouldn't be able to break them.

But back there, I knew his bowstring was as good as snapped, and he didn't have much Arts left in his weapon.

What happened to you, you little shit?

I think... maybe... he had no reason to fight anymore.

Hey, Amiya, would it be possible that he used some sort of Arts and survived from the attack?

...I'm sorry.

What are you sorry for? I just pity the kid. Looking at him, I can tell he wasn't a bad guy.

It's too late for any of that now.

No it's not.

The tragedies of the past carry on into the present... And we still have a chance to stop the tragedies of the future.

......

I'll get his crossbow.

Did she have an epiphany?

You don't know what she's been through?

She never shared. We're not close.

Her parents were Oripathy researchers, doing work for the Infected. They died in a clash between the Infected and police.

She just thinks her suffering and ours are the same.

GreyThroat is more sensitive than you give her credit for. She just doesn't express herself.

How am I supposed to know if she doesn't speak up?

......

Was he your friend?

...I don't know.

Who are you?

Should I introduce myself?

No thank you.

It's dangerous to make friends with the Infected.

I don't care if my friends are sick or not.

Oh...?

You have my condolences.

Why did you ask me that?

Because I worried you were making friends with Infected.

Call for you, Amiya.

This is Amiya.

Gavial? Where are you?

Under the slums? There's a passage? How?

...Black raincoats, and...

Yeti Squad? Are they forming up with Reunion in the slums?

...The worst is yet to come.