The fire had burned low, reduced now to glowing embers that cast flickering shadows across their faces. The atmosphere had grown quieter, heavier - like even the forest was holding its breath for what came next.

Kai broke the silence first, leaning forward with both elbows on his knees. "We split up again."

A few raised eyebrows met him, but he continued, voice steady. "Seraphina and the AMC. Two problems, two directions. Instead of dealing with one, then the other, we can handle them both at the same time."

No one argued. It made sense. They all knew time wasn't on their side.

"I'll go after the AMC," Kai added. "I'm the key to that one. Whatever connection I have with them, whatever memories I've lost - they're in that direction."

"And Seraphina?" Amina asked, brow raised.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "I need her alive. I want her captured. But if you can't get her without casualties, then… make sure she can't mess with anyone else's head again."

Sven immediately shot up and pointed to himself. "I'm on the Seraphina squad."

Nadya rolled her eyes. "Of course you are."

"I'm very good with women," Sven said with mock pride, puffing his chest out. "Especially famous ones."

"No, you're very annoying to women," Nadya corrected.

"I'm from London," Isaac interjected before they began bickering. "I know the backstreets, the underground lines, everything. I'll go too - I can help with travel, logistics… and keep Sven from doing something stupid."

"That might be the hardest part of the mission," someone mumbled.

Nadya crossed her arms, considering. "I'll go with Kai."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"I want to see how deep this AMC rabbit hole goes. Besides, we should split the crazy Russian energy between the two groups."

She shot Sven a smug look, who winked back in response.

Amina stood next. "I'm going where Nadya goes."

That wasn't a surprise.

Lenny hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "Then I'm going too. I'm here because of Kai after all, and also… y'know…" His voice trailed as he glanced at Amina, clearly trying not to make it obvious.

It was very obvious.

That left just one.

They all turned to Takeshi.

The blindfolded swordsman didn't speak. He simply nodded once and walked over to stand beside Isaac and Sven.

Kai gave a soft chuckle. "Didn't think he'd care either way."

"Probably doesn't," Nadya said. "But he'll be there to keep those two alive and out of trouble."

"We're not that bad," Sven protested.

Everyone ignored him.

"Alright," Isaac said, standing straighter, getting into planning mode. "We have two teams. Do we have names?"

"Team Sexy Kidnappers," Sven said without missing a beat.

"No," everyone said in unison.

"How about something practical?" Isaac offered. "Alpha team and Beta team."

"Simple," Amina nodded. "Alpha for Kai's group, Beta for the other."

Kai didn't say anything at first, just looked at each of them - ragtag, chaotic, mismatched in every way… and yet they'd stood beside him every time it counted.

'It's a broken world,' he thought, 'but somehow, I've got good people around me.'

"We'll keep in contact," Isaac said, tapping his phone. "Not that we ever use these."

"They're more like paperweights we need to charge," Nadya muttered.

"We'll check in at the end of each day," Kai said. "No answer means something's gone wrong."

Everyone nodded.

"Now the real question…" Sven looked around. "How the hell are we getting out of here?"

He didn't mean the forest; he meant the country.

They all had the same question on their minds, but they could figure it out when it came to it. For now, they should leave, and they'll just go with the flow.

The group exchanged final nods and shared glances that held a thousand unspoken things.

They didn't know what lay ahead.

But they'd face it together.

Or die trying...

-

They wouldn't inform the Mutant Outlaws of what they were about to get into.

Not this time.

Shadow and the others would no doubt scold them for their recklessness later, probably with a full lecture and a threat or two about protocols and chain of command. But none of that mattered right now.

They weren't doing this for the Outlaws.

They were doing it for Kai.

And technically, Kai and Lenny weren't even official members of the group. They didn't have the same obligations and didn't owe the Outlaws anything. But that also meant there'd be no backup, no support network, no extraction if things went sideways.

Not that they were expecting any.

The Outlaws were stretched thin across the globe, barely keeping their heads above water. Constant surveillance. Government hunts. Internal fractures. Scattered bases. It was a miracle they were still functioning at all.

So no, no help was coming.

But they'd make it work themselves.

As they always had.

Because this ragtag crew, as chaotic and dysfunctional as they were, had never relied on others to save them. When the world collapsed, they adapted. When monsters came, they fought. When plans failed, they improvised. And when one of them needed help, the rest showed up - no questions asked.

That was enough.

That had always been enough.

Still, before they set off for London or broke into top-secret military facilities, there was one last stop they needed to make.

"Elara first," Kai said, his voice low but firm.

"Right," Nadya nodded, stretching out her arms. "We'll need to let her know we're leaving. And she might have something useful to help… like, I dunno, a death ray or a teleporting goat."

"She's been constantly holed up in that lab of hers," Sven muttered. "I'll be surprised if she even remembers we're still here."

"She'll remember," Kai said, a glint in his red eyes.

The group stood up as one, stretching out sore muscles and grabbing what little belongings they had with them. The sun had already risen, golden light bleeding across the valley like the calm before a storm.

And together, they headed toward Elara's lab, ready to begin the first steps of their crazy, reckless plan...

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