I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 711

???Beep! Beep! Beep!

"...Ugh."

"You're awake? You really slept well. Even mutants' heart rates drop when they sleep."

"Chester...?"

"You have no idea how much the moms from Team Dagger worried about you. I've brought some energy supplements, so eat up and start waking up. I removed the IV needle while you were sleeping, and the wound's almost healed."

"...Okay."

Rustling.

The last thing I remembered was being in the transport plane, but when I opened my eyes, I was in a treatment room.

A blanket was over my body, and there was something attached to my chest with medical tape—probably a heart monitor. I wondered what had happened while I was out.

As I struggled to sit up, Chester left the room, and I finally lifted my clothes. No, it wasn’t really lifting them—more like I tossed my shirt aside completely.

The bullet that had grazed my spine and hit somewhere in my abdomen, along with the scar it had left... mysteriously, it was completely gone. But when I pressed my fingers lightly on it, there was still a slight pain.

I removed the heart monitor attached to my chest and tossed aside the clothes I had just been wearing.

"...Ugh, the smell."

I couldn’t believe I’d been walking around in these clothes for a week.

Fortunately, there were several drinks, snacks, new combat gear, and underwear on the table, so while the room was empty, I quickly changed.

My boots were in ruins after a week of use, and the pressure from the mutant's feet must’ve taken a toll on them because they were half-destroyed. Thankfully, there was another pair beside them, looking fine.

The laces were already tied, so I confirmed that and started eating some snacks from the cabinet. In just 10 minutes, I had shoved about 3,000 calories into my stomach.

It felt like my strength was finally returning.

I put on my boots and went outside.

There was a note beside the door that read, “Leave the clothes you were wearing, and we’ll wash and return them to you,” so I just placed my discarded clothes on the bed and left. I was dying to shower. Even after changing, I still felt grimy.

"There's someone waiting for you, youngest. Because of you, we haven't even been able to do the debrief yet."

"...Ugh."

"I'll tell you, since you're probably wondering. It’s been about 17 hours since Team Dagger, including you, returned to Central Park. It hasn’t been that long. A lot’s happened in that time, though."

"Is that so...?"

"Yeah. Let’s head back. The fact that you're awake has already been sent to everyone in Team Dagger."

...17 hours. They must’ve been worried a lot.

What should I say? It wasn’t intentional, but... I feel kind of guilty. Still, they’re all much stronger than me, so I think they’ve managed fine. Probably.

When I stepped outside, I noticed that the sky above New York, which had been cloudy just recently, had cleared up. But before I could look up, I was told about the events that had occurred while I was unconscious.

To summarize it simply:

"...So, while we were roaming around northern Manhattan, Central Park was also attacked?"

"That's right. It happened pretty much around the same time as when we were attacked. A well-coordinated simultaneous strike. It was a bit surprising that they aimed to rescue Dr. Dexter, not attack the TOC at Central Park."

"I guess we couldn’t ask that infiltrator about it, huh?"

Chester nodded.

That made sense. And when I heard the details, it felt like... a fantasy. A cyborg with blades coming out of its arms, running as fast as a mutant, with partial bulletproof capabilities? Did such a thing even exist?

Was this... cyberpunk or something? Considering the fact that you could wear a watch that was bulletproof and track enemies inside buildings, it was already cyberpunk enough.

I heard that Team Dagger was staying at the Alpha-level mutant dorm now.

Unlike others who didn’t often come to this area, I recognized the path I was walking. Asphalt had replaced the concrete roads, and there were sidewalks beside it.

If I kept walking down this path, temporary government buildings were lined up on side streets, and at the end was the Alpha-level mutant building.

‘...I guess I don’t really feel like it's home.’

If I had been there all day, maybe I’d feel differently, but really, the dorm was just a place to sleep. I hadn’t spent enough time there recently to grow attached. A sad fact.

Anyway, since one operation was done—though not completely finished—everyone must’ve been resting in there. I was thinking that, but Chester stopped leisurely, which caught my attention.

I turned my head to see what was going on.

"...Hmm, of course. These workaholics aren’t going to rest. And you brought another mutant with you."

"Another mutant?"

"Zodiac."

"Ah."

That wolf-like person.

Last time, Team Dagger, including myself, had gone down south to Brooklyn to rescue them. That unique appearance was hard to forget, but now I was wondering why that person was with Team Dagger.

But my thoughts were soon interrupted. Apparently, when Central Park was attacked, this person had barely managed to stop the cyborg. I was impressed; they were a more formidable person than I thought.

After hearing this, I understood why Team Dagger was keeping them around. I thought it might be a... plan to create a second me. I suddenly got that feeling.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly a wrong assumption.

This became clear when I learned that Chester and I were heading to the training room next.

And—

"Youngest—!"

"Whoa, watch out!"

Of course, I was in danger.

A body slam. Terrifying. And, naturally, it was Lorentina who did it. She had been waiting outside and came flying at me like a bullet before I even reached the training room.

I almost fell flat on my back, but luckily, my body managed to hold up and prevent it. I could hear my new boots screeching against the floor as they slid.

The hugging time passed, and Lorentina smelled like fragrant shampoo. I guess everyone must’ve showered while I was unconscious. I need to shower too.

While checking the wound where I had been shot, Lorentina was surprised to find no scar and nodded before adding.

"I heard there wouldn’t be any scars, but it’s true. I guess we should be thankful. It wasn’t really necessary for you to come here, but since you’re here, feel free to watch for a bit."

"Yeah. So, uh... Lapland is here, right?"

"Yes, indeed. She’s quite interesting to watch for many reasons. Would you like to take a look?"

"...Is this really going to help me?"

"Heh heh heh."

...What’s with that ambiguous laugh?

Inside, there were various noises. It wasn’t the sound of gunfire, but I could hear Logan shouting about something. Maybe things weren’t going so smoothly?

Chester, having fulfilled his duty by bringing me here, disappeared elsewhere, and I could hear Olivia’s voice mixing in with Logan’s as he spoke.

It smelled faintly of gunpowder inside, indicating they had been doing some shooting practice.

I carefully opened the door, trying not to disturb anyone, and making sure I wouldn’t be greeted with a smack for acting all casual like "Hey, I’m back."

And—

"Damn it, you’re supposed to hit the magazine from the bottom upwards! Don’t take it out!"

"Eh, uh, uuugh...!"

"Yes. That’s it. Don’t touch anything else... Press the bolt release! Why did you take the magazine out again? Don’t touch it!"

"Ugh, ow..."

I found Lapland getting a good scolding, and that made me realize how kind everyone on Team Dagger had been to me.

When I woke up, Central Park was still in chaos.

"...It was completely wrecked. It’s no surprise, considering it took two 40mm rounds."

"Both arms and knees have plasma blades. Plus, bulletproof skin. Given that it’s completely shattered, it’s hard to tell, but up close, it doesn't seem human. If anything, it’s more like an android than a cyborg."

"Only the brain and spinal cord are real. In some ways, it's even crazier than an android."

"Only the brain and spinal cord are real? It seems like they weren’t planning on keeping it in operation for long."

"How much power and energy does it take to slice through walls like that? It’s unbelievable."

The day before the operation’s re-entry, Central Park HQ’s top-secret area.

Something charred, dented, and shattered lay scattered on the floor. It looked as if a humanoid, designed to resemble a human, had been thrown into a fiery crusher. Several people were staring at it.

Precise analysis followed using the Icarus Gear. The original appearance, which could be seen through CCTV footage, was overlaid onto the body, and even the misaligned broken parts were corrected.

Multiple scientists and analysts holographically displayed the cyborg's metadata, and Team Dagger, shaking their heads, added their thoughts.

"Is there a tactical android expert here at Central Park?"

"That concept was only just being formulated. There’s no one in New York who could take this apart… except for Artemis’s insane people."

"What about Dr. Dexter?"

"That guy got hit by two bullets from Lapland and is getting treated for them. It was discovered late, and he’s in a coma due to severe blood loss. No one knows how long it’ll take for him to wake up."

"That’s a pretty troublesome situation."

A humanoid cyborg, designed to look incredibly human, was a danger in itself.

There was no need to explain why. Central Park was breached so easily and simply. The fact that such a machine existed was enough to spread fear and confusion among everyone at HQ.

If you think about it, anyone would be on edge if they knew a deadly weapon in human form was out there, waiting for the right moment to strike.

And that was no different for Team Dagger.

"I should have scanned it while it was still alive. Having data would have made it easier to differentiate."

"True. But at least the pulse scan should have worked. The more its internal structure differs from humans, the more effectively the pulse will pick it up."

"Guess we don’t have to make holes in civilians' heads. That’s a relief."

For now, the simple dichotomy between enemies who had to be killed and civilians who needed protection worked, and the fact that there were no civilians in the operation zone made combat easier.

But considering the opposite situation, it could’ve been a real headache. If an enemy pretended to be a civilian and attacked from behind, it would’ve caused a disaster.

Owens decided to think as positively as possible.

"First, we need to train Lapland as much as possible. Regardless of whether we trust her or not, we need someone who can handle the initial response to anything that happens inside or outside Central Park."

"You're right. By the way, the blade on this cyborg... it’s a kind of vibrational device, isn’t it? It has a separate circuit connected to the blade that transmits both high heat and vibration, making the cutting power insane."

"Hmm. I wish we had something like that. It’d be much easier to cut through walls or doors without needing sticky bombs."

"Sounds good. If we change our call sign to Wolverine and implant adamantium claws, we’d be all set."

"Go get some adamantium, damn it. Then we can do it."

Is this a conversation between people in their 30s?

Owens and Olivia exchanged glances, both bewildered, but the click of a door interrupted their thoughts. Lapland, who had been outside because she couldn’t stomach the sight, walked in with tension in her posture.

A sharp intake of breath. She stared at the shattered machine, a complex expression on her face, before releasing a heavy sigh.

"...This bastard. Died well, died well."

Everyone’s mind briefly wandered to whether she meant the dog, but no one spoke up.

Whether Lapland knew it or not, she took a deep breath again and pursed her lips. She probably wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

However, because of that, she failed to notice the exchange of glances between Team Dagger.

After a while, unable to stand it any longer, Olivia threw out a line.

"What’s so hard to figure out? Just throw her some gear with a few functions locked."

"Hey."

"Dammit, she basically took down the crazy thing that wrecked Central Park almost single-handedly, and you're acting like this is hard... No, there’s no need to elaborate. Like Logan said yesterday, we’ll need her in the future."

"What?"

"Don’t misunderstand. I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday. It’s related to the Eagle Team."

The Eagle Team?

At Olivia's sudden words, everyone turned their heads. Lapland, in particular, looked surprised. But Olivia continued without paying much attention to her reaction.

"I want to put her into special reconnaissance (SR). Right now, she’s running around like the key to everything Team Dagger needs, but in the future, Task Force will need to be split into different teams with separate objectives or newly created ones."

"Hmm."

"A reconnaissance team for other task forces is inevitable. And..."

At that moment, Olivia made direct eye contact with Lapland.

A wolf and an owl. Their physical sizes were completely different, and aside from being top-tier predators in their respective places, they didn’t seem alike at all.

But the two predators, shaped as humans, had led very different lives—one had spent over half their life systematically learning how to kill better.

As a result, the wolf, Lapland, was overwhelmed by Olivia’s sharp gaze, which was like a blade.

Olivia spoke.

"If you betray us, I’ll personally hunt you down, using my position and Icarus gear, and everything I have. Is that clear?"

"...No, that’s not necessary. I don’t think I’m going to betray you."

"Then get her the gear as soon as possible. We were worried about potential betrayal, but that idiot almost got killed because he wasn’t properly equipped."

Scratching her head, she added.

"The reason something like yesterday’s incident happened to Team Dagger was because there was no proper urban reconnaissance team. Right now, we’ve shoved four mutants into Team Dagger, so we’ve managed to push through, but the youngest got hit. It wasn’t perfect."

"..."

"And that guy found the machine that had infiltrated Central Park just by its smell. If we train him properly, he’ll become irreplaceable in reconnaissance and identifying IEDs."

"...Wait, you’re not planning on using me as a military dog, are you?"

"No, don’t worry about it."

It was a timid rebellion from Lapland, but Olivia easily brushed it aside.

Lapland knew. She spoke up first because she knew she wouldn’t betray them.

And most importantly—

"Since the leader of the Eagle Team brought it up, I have no objections. I’ll help if I can."

"Same here."

"...Shouldn’t you at least ask me what I want?"

Team Dagger didn’t care.

Meanwhile, Eugene, playing his usual youngest role, threw in a line with a confused expression, but it wasn’t serious—and neither Lapland nor anyone else took it seriously.

She simply didn’t have the courage to answer.

And Logan, sitting next to her, caught on and added:

"Just yesterday, someone said we might end up using you someday... but this is a completely unexpected situation. I thought we were just encouraging you, but the owl here has already worked out a concrete plan."

"..."

"Well then..."

Thunk.

Logan placed his hand on Lapland’s shoulder.

"Let’s do our best, rookie. We’ve got a long road ahead."

"..."

"From now on, don’t take any more cartridge casings."

"W-what? How did you...!"

Of course, with the advanced technology at Team Dagger’s disposal, there was nothing she could hide.

It didn’t take long for Lapland’s face to turn bright red, but unlike Eugene, she would need far more time to become an operator.

There was still much to do.