Enhanced

XX

0455 hours.

The three of them stood at stillpoint for a moment, riveting at Vidar's corpse and took in deep breaths. They detached themselves from the world for a second to calm their tired minds. But they weren't finished with their task yet. Miles was taken aback as he looked towards Vaughn, who was seemingly getting up from the fatal gunshot he'd received from the mercenary merely moments ago. Their eyes all fixated on his sudden wake, befuddled by how it hadn't wounded him. Vaughn then stared at the corpse as well, sighing cheerlessly on the fact that he aided in no course other than being hit and falling.

He raised his eyes from the body and ogled to the rest of them, who gave him their puzzled expressions underneath their helmets, "What?" He wondered, Miles looking to Katherine and vice versa, "Oh.. I think it's the sniper armor. Apparently laser bullets can't pierce it as well, so I guess lucky me." He explained, waiting for the Striders to allocate their next move. Potentially back to the armory to retrieve the gear and then returning to the bunker.

"That was seriously irrational of the both of you." Miles remarked again, resting his weight onto one leg as he stowed his gun on his back, "Like what were you thinking when you went to charge at him with absolutely no information." He chastised like a parent, before being humbly calmed by Katherine, who placed a hand on his back and pat him. Exhaling a stressed breath of air, Miles thought of what their consequent actions led them toward. "But you both did good." He admitted, the expressions of the pair changing with his own.

"Except Vaughn." Katherine badgered, giving Vaughn a disappointed sigh as he stayed saddened in admittance of his uselessness. The four of them took the moment to rest while Vendetta figured out what happened to their mercenary. Turning up to face the camera that watched them, Katherine let out another sigh and gave a thumb's up to them.

Staying crouched on her feet after she slit Vidar's throat, Clea had found a photo that made way under her boots. She picked it by its edges, wiping the photo of the dirt that had blemished it. A smile erupted on her face which brought her back up to her feet, showing it to Miles as the other two gathered together with them, "Completely forgot they had these up." She confessed, presenting the group photo of the Sixth and Ninth moments before their simulated game. Miles took the photo from her hands, viewing it all for what it was. Aside them, Vaughn and Katherine smiled as well under their helms, reminiscing the day itself. The good, the bad.

All the other faces in the photo were nothing but blanks to him during the moment. Miles just stared into Lily's contagious smile.. And even in death, it still was. The Strider had found a ways to bring up a smirk even when loss fueled him. Even after avenging her and the friends he would've made's deaths, nothing changed. There was justice but there was no reparation. That was the truth of chaos. It was nothing but another source of pain. Vaughn took the picture from his hands and examined it with the other Strider standing on his side. Miles' tried to restrain himself from doing so but he couldn't repress the emotions he felt. His sniffling was present to Clea's attention, who was aware that this was going to happen.. And still showed him the photo regardless.

Removing her helm and attaching it with her rifle, she did the same to Miles' and held it in her hands. His mourning was let out to her finally. Clea wrapped her arms over his shoulders and pulled him closer, keeping her head against his chest as he hugged her in return, bundling his arms round under hers and holding tight. It was the comfort he needed. The comfort that the both of them needed. The view from the bunker was surreal. They watched as a US soldier in advanced gear and weaponry share a hug with a samurai. How wholesome could their day get?

In the midst of their embrace, Vaughn pointed out a prominent distinction in one of their friends past look, "Wow.." He began, pointing to Aiden in the photo for Katherine, "and I thought Aiden's hair now was bad." He spoke out, the cameras discerning every syllable that was said.