Chapter Text
Chapter Seven
January 21, 2026
Almost as if I'd predicted it. Growling, already, from behind the main door. Already knew the others were taking care of it.
"Ieiri, stay calm, they're gonna take us in," Franz said, "in a bit."
Overnight, Berlin was ruined. Or we just never saw it this way. Maybe it was only the facade that the world tried to use that fell all of a sudden.
"Ja." I tried to get that out of my mouth. My thought was that my throat was just having a massive lump in it.
I already knew we were going to make it out.
It was obvious.
My friends are skilled.
But even if you know the outcome, your heart is still there, thrumming with uncertainty.
I just had to get through it.
"Offizier!"
"Arty!" I heard Franz say, walking, smiling.
"Ah, Offizier-General, wie geht's?" (How are you?)
"Ich bin gut Arty, du?" "I'm doing fine, — you?"
"Eh, alles gut." (Everything's fine.)
I saw Franz turn around.
"Ieiri?"
"J-Ja?"
"Are you okay?"
"Just—"
"Ja?"
I bet he saw me shaking already.
"Ieiri, we're going, right about now."
"Ich weiss." (I know.)
"…All right.""