Smoke rolled across the yard in thick gray waves. The sky was no longer blue — it was ash and fire.
Mirko didn't think.
He just ran.
Through screaming prisoners.
Past guards firing wildly at shadows.
Past a burning truck tipped on its side.
No one cared who he was. No one was checking faces. In chaos, everyone is just another body trying not to die.
"Guys—!" he shouted, but his voice got swallowed by the explosions. "Hey! Hey!"
At the digging site, Izuku froze mid-swing.
"…What?" he muttered.
Through the smoke — a familiar silhouette.
Izuku's eyes widened. "Mirko."
Tenya blinked. "What did you just say?"
"Mirko! He's there!" Izuku pointed, almost dropping his shovel.
Anna turned sharply. "No way—"
Mirko burst through the smoke, coughing, grinning like an idiot.
"Omg," Anna breathed. "What are you doing here?!"
Aiko wasn't even surprised this time — just relieved. "I met him," she said quickly. "Your brother took me to him minutes ago."
Tenya looked between them, confused and overwhelmed. "Wait—so he's been alive this whole time?!"
Mirko finally reached them, pulling them all into a messy, desperate hug.
"You idiots," he laughed breathlessly. "You really thought I'd die that easily?"
Izuku smacked his shoulder. "You disappeared for days!"
"I got eaten by a bear," Mirko replied casually.
"…You what?" Tenya stared.
"It's a long story."
Anna squinted at him. "You look terrible."
"Thank you."
"You smell worse."
"That's also fair."
Despite everything — the fire, the screaming, the gunshots — they were laughing. Actually laughing. The kind that comes from shock and relief and too much fear released at once.
Aiko held onto Mirko's sleeve tightly. "We really thought you were gone," she said softly.
Mirko's smile softened. "I'm not going anywhere."
Another explosion slammed into the far end of the yard. The ground shook violently this time. A guard screamed for retreat. A building roof collapsed in sparks and debris.
Everyone went quiet.
Tenya blinked first. "…Oh."
Anna's face changed instantly. "Oh crap."
Mirko looked around at the chaos — guards distracted, gates half-open, smoke covering everything.
"Guys," he said, voice suddenly serious. "This is our chance."
Another blast echoed, closer this time.
They all turned toward the broken section of the outer fence, barely visible through smoke.
Anna swallowed. "We gotta go. Now."
For a split second, they locked eyes — fear and hope mixing together.
Then Mirko grabbed Aiko's hand.
"Run.
"Hey! Hey!"
"Guys, you can't just run into open fire!"
A voice cut through the chaos.
They all turned.
Kaito was running toward them, slightly out of breath, face covered in dust.
"Follow me!" he shouted.
Another explosion shook the ground. Dirt sprayed into the air. Somewhere behind them, a tower collapsed with a metallic scream.
Mirko hesitated. "Can we trust—"
"Yes," Aiko said quickly. "We can."
Kaito grabbed Anna's arm and pulled. "Move! Stay low!"
They ducked behind a broken supply truck as bullets cracked through the air above them. Smoke burned their lungs. People were screaming everywhere — prisoners, guards, everyone.
On the Other Side of the Base
General Harada stood near the command post, shouting into a radio.
"Hold the east wall! Don't let Black Ridge break through!"
Behind him, soldiers were scrambling to reload weapons. One of the watchtowers was already on fire.
Captain Reeves ran up to him. "Sir! They breached the outer fence on Sector C!"
Harada's jaw tightened. "Push them back. No one leaves this base."
More explosions echoed in the distance. You could hear gunfire from both sides now — sharp, constant, ugly.
Outside the base walls, Black Ridge fighters were advancing through the trees, using the smoke as cover. Their vehicles rolled forward, loud engines roaring.
It wasn't just an attack.
It was war.
Back With Mirko and the Others
Kaito led them through a narrow alley between two storage buildings.
"Stay behind me," he said. "Don't run straight. Zigzag. And if I say drop, you drop."
"Since when are you our commander?" Anna muttered.
"Since I don't want you idiots dead."
Another blast hit close. The shockwave knocked Tenya to his knees.
Mirko pulled him up. "You good?"
"Yeah— yeah," Tenya coughed.
They reached a half-destroyed wall near the back of the base. Smoke covered the area like a curtain.
Kaito looked at Mirko. "This wasn't your plan, was it?"
Mirko shook his head. "No."
"Well," Kaito said, glancing at the burning buildings behind them, "it's the only chance you're getting."
In the distance, Harada's voice echoed through loudspeakers:
"All units return fire! Protect the perimeter!"
The base was falling apart.
Mirko looked at his friends — scared, dirty, exhausted.
Then he looked at the broken fence ahead.
"Okay," he said quietly. "We go together."
And for the first time since the nightmare started, freedom didn't feel impossible.
They ran through the broken fence one by one, ducking low under the twisted wire.
For the first time since they were captured… they were outside.
The forest air hit their lungs, cool and wild. Smoke from the base still rose behind them, turning the sky gray.
Kaito stopped near the trees and turned to them.
"Okay guys," he said, breathing hard. "Good luck from here. I have to go back. My unit is still inside."
Mirko frowned. "You're going back into that?"
Kaito gave a small shrug. "That's my job."
He turned to leave—
"Wait!"
Anna ran after him.
She grabbed him and hugged him tightly.
"Be careful," she said quietly.
Kaito smiled and hugged her back. "You too."
Then he added softly, "And remember… I love you, sis."
Anna nodded, trying not to cry.
Kaito gave her shoulder a small squeeze, then turned and ran back toward the smoke, disappearing into the chaos of the battle.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then Mirko said gently, "Come on. We need to go."
About five minutes later, they were deeper in the woods. Branches scratched their arms as they pushed through bushes.
Suddenly—
"Wait," Mirko whispered.
He threw his arm out in front of them, stopping everyone.
They all froze.
Voices.
Someone was talking just ahead.
Mirko slowly crouched and peeked through the trees.
His face tightened.
"They're soldiers," he whispered.
Tenya leaned closer to look.
"…What the hell are they doing out here?" Tenya muttered quietly.
Izuku squinted.
Then his eyes filled with anger.
"That one," he whispered, pointing carefully. "That guy right there… he's the one who whipped me."
His fists clenched.
"Okay, okay," Mirko whispered quickly. "Izuku, now's not the time. We just need to get away from here."
Anna looked around nervously. "So what do we do?"
Mirko slowly pushed them back a few steps.
"Quiet," he whispered. "Don't let them hear us."
They crouched behind a fallen tree.
Up ahead, the soldiers were talking.
"…Did you hear that?" one of them whispered.
Another one scoffed. "Dude, you're hearing things. We're safe out here."
"Yeah?" a third soldier said bitterly. "Safe? We're cowards. We're supposed to be back at the base fighting for our captain."
"Well," the first soldier replied, shrugging, "you can go back if you want."
None of them moved.
Back behind the tree, Mirko looked at his friends.
The soldiers were standing right between them and deeper forest.
And if they got caught now…
Everything would be over.