Everyone gathered together as Kaitou Kid ordered them onto the landing ship. He would fly them back to the space station.
The soldiers cheered. They'd had enough of this planet with double gravity and the constant anxiety. Those suffering from acclimation sickness didn't have the energy to cheer, but the joy in their eyes said it all.
"I want to stay behind."
"Me too!"
Just as everyone was celebrating, An Rong and Sony suddenly spoke up. They were scientists—people who didn't fear death. Research meant more to them than their own lives.
"Dr. An, and you, foreigner—cut it out," Zhang Dong barked. "You're coming back with me. That's an order."
But Sony, the foreign scientist, wasn't having it. "Sorry, Captain, I'm employed by the U.S. government. I don't take orders from you."
Dr. An added, "If I don't get any results, I'm not leaving," acting as spoiled as a rich heiress.
Zhang Dong was furious. "Fine! You two can stay. But if you run into a monster, you're on your own!"
Sony just smiled. "Soldier, I think as long as we stay behind, Kaitou Kid will too. He'll protect us. So you don't need to worry."
"Damn." Even Kid was stunned by how sly Sony was. Clearly the scientist had banked on Kid's unwillingness to leave anyone in danger.
Zhang Dong turned to Kid, waiting for him to speak.
"Here's what I'll do. I'll take the others back first, then I'll return and stay to help them explore," Kid said. He was curious about what else might be hidden on this planet.
Zhang Dong was still fuming, but seeing how stubborn the scientists were, he knew there was no middle ground. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Dong shouted, "Liu Qi, Dongyang, Haozi—step forward!"
"Here!" The three young soldiers stepped out in unison.
"You three will stay behind with me to guard them. The rest, head back."
His decision stirred unrest among the troops, but Zhang Dong still held their discipline. "Follow your orders. Return to base."
"Yes, sir!"
Seeing a few others staying, the injured squad leaders from the U.S. and Russian sides exchanged a look. Each left behind a soldier of their own to remain under Zhang Dong's command.
That left five soldiers, one squad leader, and two scientists. Kaitou Kid would return to base first and then come back.
All their extra magazines and grenades were left behind. Kid would be gone about two hours, and during that time Zhang Dong's group would have to protect themselves.
Of course, Kid's Microcosmos wouldn't be leaving with his body. If Zhang Dong's group ran into danger, Kid could return immediately.
Zhang Dong said nothing, just cleaned his weapon in the light. The three young soldiers looked at their captain in silence. It was the American soldier, Oss, who broke the ice by chatting up the Russian soldier, Vadali. Before long, they were smoking together.
Sony and An Rong began sorting out their equipment. Since they were staying, they had a lot of work ahead.
The mood was quiet.
Liu Qi had a big nose and had served in the army for seven years. He'd taken part in many large-scale exercises and even earned a First-Class Merit. He was from the northeast and had a bold, hearty personality. "Without Kid around, I'm not totally at ease."
Haozi nodded. He was the youngest, had served five years, and joined after college. "Kid's a superhero after all, and his strength's on par with Superman. It's reassuring just knowing he's around. Even if he doesn't do anything, his presence alone is a safety net."
"If you ask me, Kaitou Kid's actually not a bad guy. Otherwise, why would he bother reattaching that American soldier's arm? I think he just doesn't want us to rely on him too much. Isn't one of the Justice League's rules to make people fear them? Being a superhero isn't easy," Liu Qi said.
The baby-faced soldier, Dongyang, added, "Yeah, that's probably it. Otherwise, Kid wouldn't be looking out for us like this. He's just keeping his distance, so we don't go running to him every time something goes wrong."
Gotta admit, there were some sharp minds among them. They'd already figured out Kid's thinking. Or maybe it wasn't even necessary to guess—these guys were elite troops, full of pride. The best of the best. They weren't whiny kids. When things got tough, they'd push through on their own, not cry out for help.
"That American guy's lucky though. Went on a mission and still brought smokes," Haozi muttered. He was a slick one and liked to puff a bit, but hadn't brought any cigarettes for this mission. Seeing the American and Russian guys smoking together now triggered his craving. So he walked over, grinning. "Hey fellas, got another smoke?"
Zhang Dong didn't stop him. Even though he knew those two foreign soldiers were likely left behind to keep an eye on their every move on this planet, the fact that they stayed behind meant they had guts. And anyone with guts deserved respect. They were all in this together now. Building trust mattered, and Haozi was the kind who could smooth things over with a joke.
An Rong and Sony had double duty. One was handling biology, the other physics. They needed to study the ecosystem on the planet and also run tests in this strange environment, where the magnetic field, gravity, and rotation speed were all wildly different from Earth. They had to collect data however they could.
"Einstein Planet, nickname Guohe. 70 hours since landing. First contact with native lifeform. Evaluation: extremely dangerous. Encounter escalated to combat. One soldier had his arm severed..." Sony's voice played back from his recorder as he listened to his previous logs. He checked his watch, then carefully jotted every detail into his notebook.
Sony was meticulous. He majored in physics, minored in archaeology. His dream, aside from proving advanced physical theories, was to write his own adventure novel. Now, he finally had material. He made sure to record the troop's departure and who stayed behind.
Meanwhile, An Rong was glued to her computer, calculating what adjustments Earth's heavy machinery would need to function on Guohe.
Everyone found something to do, as if they'd already forgotten about the monster. But the truth was they were all packed into a single building, bright lights shining outside, weapons within arm's reach. Clearly, no one had forgotten the danger.
Zhang Dong felt a heavy weight in his chest. Bullets didn't do much to that creature. It had bled a lot, but it wasn't dead. That meant he had no idea how to take it down. Good thing they still had grenades. The 24-hour night felt endless. Zhang Dong didn't dare sleep. No one else did either. Eyes wide open, waiting.
Thankfully, no monster showed up during the time Kid was away. Maybe the gunfire had scared it off. Or maybe it was too injured to return. Either way, those two hours passed without incident.
Kaitou Kid came back—and he brought supplies. A six-wheeled off-road vehicle with a flexible suspension system. Now they wouldn't have to walk everywhere.