C15 Bella

"Hey! Payson's back, huh? How'd it go? Did you find the gun you were looking for?"

"No... This place is a dump..." Payson shook his head, "I combed through the entire gun shop and all I found was 24 rounds of 10mm pistol ammo and a nuclear fusion battery that might not even work... Where's Ashes?"

Just as he mentioned Ashes, she appeared, having successfully apprehended the female scout and brought her along with her hands bound behind her back.

The scout's name was Bella, a 21-year-old standing around 168 centimeters tall. Clad in her form-fitting combat suit and camouflage, her slender figure was unmistakably outlined, catching even the usually indifferent Payson's eye for an extra moment.

Moorer stepped up and removed Bella's hood to reveal her dark purple hair tied back in a half-ponytail with side-swept bangs. Her nearly perfect conical face and porcelain skin were complemented by her cute phoenix eyes and cherry lips, resembling a piece of exquisite gold jewelry studded with gems. Her striking blue-purple eyes only added to her allure, making her appear even more enchanting and beautiful.

In another time, she would have been considered a beauty without equal. Unfortunately, she was born in the wrong era, chose the wrong side, and encountered the wrong people.

Such a girl would have been a sight to behold when smiling, but at that moment, she regarded them with a resentful expression. A regal aura emanated from her as she scrutinized the group with her piercing gaze.

When her eyes met Payson's, the intensity in her gaze softened slightly, betraying a flicker of unexpected emotion, which she quickly suppressed.

"He's the enemy!" Bella reminded herself, "How could I feel anything for the enemy?"

Her attention then shifted to Meow. This time, she couldn't contain herself. The sharpness and hostility in her eyes dissolved completely at the sight of Meow's adorable appearance.

"Such an adorable creature! It's so pretty from a distance... but even cuter up close! Come here! Let me pet you!" Bella was utterly smitten in front of the kitten, attempting to break free from Ashes' grip in a futile effort to cuddle Meow, only causing Ashes to hold on more firmly.

"Meow?" Meow was taken aback by Bella's reaction and scurried onto Moorer's shoulder, inadvertently redirecting Bella's gaze to Moorer's face.

When she caught sight of Moorer's expression, her emotions were instantly reeled back in.

Moorer, who had shed his previously cheerful demeanor, now exuded seriousness. He was propped against the hood of the six-wheeled pickup, scrutinizing her with an intensity that matched Bella's.

Both spoke at the same moment:

"Who are you?"

Huh? What's happening?

"I'll ask one more time, who are you?"

Ashes wore a puzzled look. Could this really be happening?

Moorer and Bella were stunned; their responses were uncannily alike...

"No... What exactly are you up to?" Meow inquired, "Why tie someone up? Especially such a beautiful lady?"

"What the hell?" Bella exclaimed, startled, "This little darling can talk??"

"Ashes!" Moorer called out, "Did you search her?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I don't need reminding!"

"Okay then... Miss, could you tell us your name? Why are you spying on us?"

"Hmph!" Bella snorted with contempt, "Why should I tell you?"

"I figured you'd say that... For someone as defiant as you, I've got plenty of tricks..."

"It's fine... If I die, I'll just respawn at the base. If I'm humiliated, I can request to have my memory erased. He poses no real threat to me..." Bella thought to herself.

You're seriously underestimating Moorer.

...

Meanwhile, at the Administrative Building in Bear City.

"What the hell? Investigator Bella is missing?" The military executive leapt from his chair upon hearing the news.

"Yes, Executive Officer..." the captain of the reconnaissance team said, head bowed, "We confirmed the news five minutes ago. Comrade Bella and Y6123 lost contact with us at that location, where the signal was cut off.

"This is bad! Really bad!" The military executive paced anxiously in front of his desk. Bella might have been a rank-and-file soldier, but she had recently been commended by the leader. If anything happened to her, the leader would surely have his head!

"Did we get a death signal from Bella?"

"No! If we had, I wouldn't be here informing you. If she were dead, she'd already be in the cloning tank by now. The issue is that she's not dead, and her whereabouts are a mystery!" The captain said with urgency.

"Alert the Kirov Airship and City No. 1 Assault Team! Head to Bella's last known coordinates for support, immediately! Right now!"

"Understood!"

...

Returning to Moorer's location.

Moorer fiddled with the revolving pistol, his gaze fixed on Bella. The lethal aura emanating from him was so intense that everyone was too scared to even breathe heavily.

The mood grew oppressively tense. Even Meow, who was usually close to Moorer, couldn't bear it and leapt away to lie on the roof of a car at a safer distance, shivering uncontrollably.

"...Go ahead, kill me! I won't say a word regardless!" Bella was the first to crack under the heavy atmosphere and spoke out.

"Don't worry... I'm not that barbaric. I'll treat you very gently..." Moorer replied with a cold sneer.

Ashes, too, played along, unabashedly radiating a fierce aura. Bella felt a chill run through her, causing her legs to shake involuntarily.

Only Payson, the handsome guy she had taken a liking to before, was different. Instead, his eyes betrayed a glimmer of sympathy.

"This could be the opening I need," Bella thought to herself.

Just as Bella was about to speak, Meow, who had been lying down, suddenly stood up. To its surprise, it noticed the Kirov Airship in the sky far away had turned around!

Now, the airship was facing Moorer and his group, speeding towards them.

Simultaneously, the rumbling of the Humvee's engine reached the ears of Moorer and his crew.

"Hahahaha!" Bella burst into laughter, "My comrades have come to rescue me! Your doom has arrived, you bunch of lackeys... Uh? Ah..."

It was Ashes. His first instinct was to knock Bella out with a chop of his hand. Moorer then hoisted the unconscious Bella onto his shoulder and placed her in the back seat of the six-wheeled pickup.

"Get in the car! We've got to make a run for it!"

Moorer snapped Payson out of his daze, but only shoved him into the back seat with instructions to keep an eye on Bella. Meow also crawled into the vehicle, squeezing Payson towards the middle.

Payson found himself involuntarily leaning against the unconscious Bella.

Moorer grabbed several gasoline bottles from the trunk and set them in the front passenger seat. Ashes, still at the wheel, executed a sharp turn and floored the accelerator, fleeing the scene at top speed, indifferent to the reactions of the two people and one cat in the back seat.

In the chaos, Payson's hands and body accidentally brushed against areas that were off-limits. Bella, however, was deeply unconscious and completely unaware of what had transpired.

The six-wheeled pickup, being a super heavy-duty off-road vehicle, outperformed the military's Humvees by a significant margin. By the time the DS Humvee caught up, Moorer and his crew had already vanished without a trace.