act28side

So I came here, thinking the whole trip about how to turn him down in a way that'd let him keep his middle-aged dignity.

But... you know the rest. I was too late. He'd already passed away.

And then you inherited his diner and stayed...

I didn't inherit it, I recaptured it. It'd been ransacked by a gang of thugs. Must've fought off at least fifteen of 'em.

Huh?

That's how life is. Romantic stories ain't always have romantic reasons. More often than not, the journey is just the punchline.

All these years... Have you ever had any regrets?

Regrets?

Like, for eloping, for breaking up, for not being able to see him one last time. Or for staying behind in Davistown... Stuff like that.

Nope.

I feel bad about a lot of things, but I wouldn't say I regret 'em.

I've enjoyed the results of my choices, and accepted the costs. All with complete peace of mind.

...I don't know.

You made such a huge decision without even thinking it through?!

That's not what I mean. I've given a lot of thought to your questions, and I've heard other people's answers too. In a sense, I even agree with them.

But I can't just regurgitate what they said and let them make my choices for me... Because in the end, their answers aren't mine.

I don't know if throwing away my past life is too steep a cost. I don't know if I'll regret this later, nor do I know what'll happen to me in the future.

But despite all that, I have to do this.

I understand.

Nevertheless, I have to reject Jessica Brynley's request to be temporarily discharged from the team.

I see... Then I'll have to resign.

Jessica...

Liskarm... Captain?

Even the slickest, most experienced veterans who don't give two shits about their job wouldn't throw around the word 'resign' as casually as you do.

But I also have to imagine that maybe what I'm seeing here is... a Jessica who's finally cast aside her fears and self-doubt. A Jessica who's truly found herself.

I still object to your decision, vehemently, but if you've made up your mind...

I'm sorry. I really am...

Give it a break already.

...And stay safe out there.

Jessica...

I'm sorry, Laura.

To tell you the truth, I had an inkling this would happen when I couldn't contact you. But if you've already made up your mind, can I get one last hug? Think of it as a parting gift.

Before Jessica can answer, Laura has already taken a few steps forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

With her back to Liskarm and Franka, she also stuffs a tiny slip of paper into Jessica's pocket.

(*whispers*) Wait until we're gone to read it.

(*whispers*) Take care... Stay safe.

Anything else we need to do, Captain?

No.

Then... let's get going.

Woodrow, are you and Leone really going to be safe out there in the woods? After the heist, there will definitely be a bunch of people after you.

You really need to start thinking about your own future, instead of fretting over us geezers.

...I haven't given it much thought. Maybe I'll have plenty of time to figure it out from a jail cell.

Not planning on staying a mercenary?

I just don't want to spend the rest of my life on a battlefield.

Jessica... Whether you decide to keep fighting or to put the battlefield behind you, I just hope you won't blame yourself for not finding an answer.

What did you end up choosing?

After the Revolutionary War, I stumbled around blindly for a long, long time. Until I finally decided to live a boring life, day by day.

Does that really count as an answer?

Why not?

Just 'cause you're the only one who thinks so, doesn't mean it's wrong.

You're still young. Got a long road ahead of you.

Will I... find my answer?

As she looks at the now-abandoned safe house, Jessica feels a soreness coming from her nose.

She sniffles and gives it a rub, then opens up the slip of paper from before.

Following the instructions of a few numbers scribbled on the note, Jessica turns to an inconspicuous corner of the safe house where she finds a partition made from wooden boards.

Five, six, seven...

The back of the eighth board is hollow...

The cavity behind the board is filled to the brim with equipment, all brought here by Jessica herself when she set out from Blacksteel's landship.

Sitting on top is another note in the same style of scribbles.

'I take it you have unfinished business in Davistown. This gear should come in handy.'

'Just forget about everything else and do it. I believe in the choice you made, so believe in yourself, too.'

At the bottom of the note is one last line.

'Goodbye, Jessica. Hopefully, we already parted ways on a high note.'

Sorry, I'm not late, am I? I needed some time to sort through my gear.

It's fine. We still got five minutes.

Where'd you get all this stuff?

A parting gift from a friend.

Then I'll have to give 'em a right-and-proper thank you if we ever meet again.

One last run-down. After we go through the door, Helena and Leone are in charge of clearing any obstacles and grabbing the money. Jessica and I will be on crowd-control, then we catch up afterwards.

Once the deed is done, Helena takes the money with her through the secret passage, while the rest of us draw attention away from her. Any questions?

If only there were more explosives... We oughta give that bank a little surprise.

Settle down. If the info we got from Sylvia is correct, we'll need to save most of them to breach the last door.

The key to our success is speed. We don't have much time. The mercs on duty will be back in half an hour.

Even if we can get the job done in that time, the explosion will definitely attract Blacksteel's attention. However, most of the mercenaries are back on the landship tonight, and it'll take them time to arrive.

If it comes to that, just leave it to me. I'll buy you the time you need.

Time to go.

Who the hell are you—!

Hands off the alarm.

Aaaaaagh—

This is a robbery.

As long as y'all cooperate, nobody's getting hurt or dying tonight.

No way... How is this happening—

Shh... See, you're in the same boat as the other young lady over there. This is your one warning. We won't be so kind next time.

Now then, folks. Just don't panic, and follow our instructions.

Those are the conditions for your survival.

Seeing how there are no objections, why don't y'all mosey on over to the main lobby and squat down with your hands on your heads.

We all know each other here. No funny business.

Now move it!

You'll need to pass through a total of four doors to get to the vault. The first is the door to the reception area, which needs a key, but any employee can get it.

The second is a passcode lock in the reception room. The code changes every day, but there are certain rules.

From what I've gathered, today's code should be...

Perfect. The reception room key works.

Next up is the secret door... Behind the tapestry to the right of the entrance... Over here. Looks like Sylvia was right on the money.

Seven, nine, four, four, six, one... It worked? Well I'll be damned. That girl's got one good head on her shoulders.

What's next...

Inside the vault, there are two more doors. One's a security fence, the other is a vault door weighing dozens of tons.

The security fence can be broken through by force, but because it's connected to the security system, the only safe way through is via passcode.

The code is split into three parts, one for president, one for the manager, and another randomly generated by a cipher.

The cipher is located in a safe inside the reception room, and you'll have to force that one open.

How'd it go? Didn't damage anything inside the safe, did you?