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The massive roar of propellers cutting through the air filled the entire cabin.
A thin layer of condensation had formed on the cold metal walls, reflecting the dim emergency lighting inside the cabin.
Looking out through the porthole, the dense South American rainforest that had once trapped them in a desperate situation was now rapidly receding, turning into a green carpet of varying shades beneath them.
Krauser leaned motionless against the cold cabin wall. His rugged face, which looked as if it were carved by a knife and axe, was reflected in the glass of the porthole. He stared hollowly at the scenery flashing by below, lost in thought.
His left arm, which Noah had carefully bandaged, was secured to his chest by a black tactical sling. Beneath the bandages, the wound that had cut deep enough to see the bone still sent out secret pulses of stinging pain, reminding him of everything that had happened.
In his mind, he replayed the scenes from not long ago over and over again.
Javier merging with the plants, his massive body moving like a mountain range.
The dark red flames erupting from Manuela's slender arm, incinerating the giant tentacles.
And finally, the sight of Noah's figure bathed in an even more terrifying Hellfire, capable of decomposing and annihilating all things, as he slowly stepped out from the burning remains of the monster.
The worldview he had built his entire life, based on bullets, tactics, and an iron will, was shattered into pieces by this succession of scenes that defied common sense.
Virus... so this is the true power of the virus?
Sitting across from him, Manuela was also silent.
She curled herself up in the wide seat, her hands tightly clutching her knees as she silently watched the place below where she had grown up.
That magnificent manor and that terrifying base had now become an ugly, massive scar on the mountainside, still billowing black smoke.
Her father and mother were buried there, along with her entire twisted and unfortunate childhood.
There were no tears on her face, only a hollow expression mixed with sadness, relief, and bewilderment after surviving a catastrophe.
The only ones in the cabin who were relatively relaxed were Leon and Noah.
These two men, who had just experienced a life-and-death bloody battle, were now chatting casually like two backpackers who had just finished a long trip.
"Honestly, the next time there's a mission in a tropical rainforest like this, I'd rather go to the North Pole and wrestle with penguins," Leon said, unbuckling his tactical vest to sit more comfortably.
"This damn hellhole is humid, sweltering, and full of countless poisonous insects. I could probably pour half a pound of water out of my boots right now."
"Be content," Noah said, putting on a flight jacket and leaning back against the seat, closing his eyes to rest.
"At least you don't have to worry about little things called 'Flesh-eating Ants' making a home in your underwear."
Leon's face twitched, and he subconsciously squeezed his legs together.
Noah's gaze moved from Leon's exaggerated expression to the soul-shaken Krauser sitting opposite them.
He looked at this man who was built like a steel tower; in those sharp eyes, there was now a confusion he had never seen before.
Noah suddenly raised his foot and lightly kicked Krauser's boot with his mud-stained military boot.
"Hey, man."
Krauser's body jolted slightly, as if waking up from a long dream.
He slowly turned his head, and it took several seconds for his unfocused eyes to refocus on Noah's face.
"What are you thinking about? You're so spaced out," Noah said with a hint of lazy teasing in his voice. "Considering how to write this hellish report for your superiors when you get back?"
Krauser shook his head, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only let out a low sigh.
Seeing him like that, Noah suddenly grinned and asked a question that no one expected.
"Have you ever considered finding a beautiful girl, getting married, and having kids?"
"..."
Krauser was completely stunned by the question. For the first time, an expression resembling 'bewilderment' appeared on his tough-guy face.
Leon also stopped complaining and looked over with a face full of curiosity.
This legendary veteran of the US Special Forces seemed to be using his brain, which was filled with tactics and orders, to fully parse the unfamiliar concept of "getting married and having kids."
He thought for a full half-minute before slowly answering in an extremely dry tone, "I've never... considered that question."
"I entered the military at eighteen, and after that, it was endless training, evaluations, and missions." His voice carried a hollowness he hadn't even noticed himself.
"Missions are my everything."
"So?" Noah pressed. "Do you plan to treat missions as your wife and spend your whole life with them?"
He pointed to Krauser's left arm, which was in the sling.
"You were badly hurt this time. Even if you recover, this hand can never return to its Peak state. For a warrior of your level, that's fatal. If you stay in the military, sooner or later you'll be sent on another near-suicide mission and die in some corner where no one knows you."
Noah's words exposed the reality that Krauser had been deliberately avoiding.
"Listen to me, man," Noah continued.
"Just retire. With your seniority and merits, you'll have no problem living comfortably for the rest of your life. Besides, you've probably made enough money from all your hard work over the years."
"Then, like I said, find a beautiful girl and live a normal life."
As he spoke, Noah's gaze drifted, seemingly unintentionally, toward Manuela sitting across from Krauser.
This small gesture naturally didn't escape the eyes of Leon and Krauser.
Subconsciously following Noah's gaze, Krauser looked at the girl curled up in her seat.
Manuela seemed to sense his gaze and slowly raised her head.
When their eyes met, the girl's gaze was one of vulnerability and gratitude, while Krauser's gaze became incredibly complex in an instant.
He looked at her, seeing a girl who had also been tormented by the virus, who also possessed inhuman power, and who had also struggled on the edge of life and death.
An unprecedented and strange thought quietly sprouted in his cold, hard heart.
Perhaps... Leon looked at Krauser's thoughtful expression and winked at Noah, his face full of a mischievous grin as if he were enjoying the show.
The helicopter eventually landed at a highly classified military base on the outskirts of Washington.
Towering searchlights, cold concrete buildings, and people in black suits with serious expressions moving back and forth.
Everything here formed the sharpest contrast with that wildly overgrown rainforest.
After a long and rigid debriefing, Manuela was politely "invited" away by several government officials and medical staff.
She needed to undergo the most comprehensive physical examinations and psychological evaluations. Her future would be decided by a group of people she had never met, in a closed meeting room.
As she was leaving, she stopped and looked back.
Her gaze passed over Leon, over those expressionless officials, and finally landed on the silent man who was as reliable as a mountain.
"Thank you, Mr. Krauser," she said softly, and then bowed deeply.
Krauser watched her being led away, through a heavy metal door, disappearing at the end of the corridor.
His body didn't move, but both Noah and Leon noticed that his head was slightly turned, his eyes following the girl's back.
It wasn't until the metal door shut with a definitive 'click' that he slowly withdrew his gaze.
"Hey." Leon nudged Noah with his elbow and lowered his voice, unable to suppress the grin on his face. "It's a real shame you didn't become a matchmaker."
"The girl is indeed not bad—blonde hair, blue eyes, a hot body, and she even comes with the superpower to set things on fire," Noah also lowered his voice, analyzing with a straight face.
"With our Iron-blooded Major here, it's practically a Song of Ice and Fire. A perfect match."
Although their voices were lowered, they still reached Krauser's ears clearly in the empty, quiet corridor.
Krauser's bronze-colored face visibly flushed for a moment.
He spun around and glared fiercely at the two conspirators.
"Boring!"
He squeezed the words out through his teeth, seemingly a bit embarrassed and angry. He waved his hand dismissively and then, without looking back, strode toward the other end of the corridor.
Watching his slightly flustered back, Leon finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
After Krauser's figure completely disappeared, only Leon and Noah were left in the corridor.
The smile on Leon's face slowly faded. He turned to look at Noah and suddenly asked, "Counting the time, it's been over two years since you and Claire... last saw each other, right?"
There was a hint of sentimentality in his tone.
The smile on Noah's face also softened. He nodded, his voice carrying a longing he hadn't even realized himself.
"Yeah... about that..."
At the BSAA North America Division in New York, Chris and his group were busy as can be.
As a "family member," Claire was also often pulled in to help handle various documents and logistical matters.
Meanwhile, he and Leon were carrying out these "black ops" that couldn't see the light of day all over the world.
Seeing Noah's expression, a sly smile suddenly appeared on Leon's face.
He leaned in and patted Noah's shoulder. "Then... I won't come over to your place for a free meal tonight. I understand."
Noah glanced at him sideways, also showing a similarly sly smile, and patted his shoulder back hard.
"Ha! You're the one who knows me best, kid."
...By the time Noah got home, it was already afternoon.
From the tropical rainforest of South America to the winter of North America, the change in climate left him feeling a bit mentally out of sorts.
Sunlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, casting a bright patch of light on the floor.
He opened the door, took off his jacket which still smelled of engine oil and gunpowder, and tossed it onto the coat rack in the entryway.
The house was very quiet.
Neither Claire nor Sherry was home.
Noah kicked off his military boots and stepped barefoot onto the soft wool carpet.
He walked to the refrigerator, took out a bottle of lemon-flavored soda, twisted off the cap, and took a large gulp.
The ice-cold, sweet liquid slid down his throat, washing away the last trace of irritability left over from the mission.
Dozens of consecutive hours of high tension, fighting, and fleeing had long since pushed his mind and body to their limits.
On the plane and at the base, a string had been pulled tight. Only now, back in this safe and familiar space that was entirely his own, did that string finally relax completely.
An overwhelming sense of fatigue instantly swept over him.
Although he had already cleaned up at the base, he decided to take another hot shower at home.
After showering, he was too lazy even to walk up to the second-floor bedroom and instead threw himself heavily into the wide, soft sofa in the living room.
At the tip of his nose was the faint, lingering fragrance of Claire's shampoo on the sofa.
In his ears was the blurred din of the city coming from outside the window.
He lay on his back, staring at the uniquely styled crystal chandelier on the ceiling, his mind a complete blank.
The extreme mental exhaustion left him without even the strength to move a finger.
He lay there, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier, his breathing becoming long and steady.
At the final moment before sinking into a dream, a satisfied smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth.