Lightning can strike the same place twice, much less a multi-ton flying machine in the middle of a bizarre thunderstorm. It won't come as a surprise to anyone when a Harrier, which has been a part of the mass migration back to the Belkan naval group, gets hit by one freaky bolt of electricity. Normally, Belkan aircraft are specifically hardened against EMP effects. That said, a standard lightning bolt won't be enhanced by whatever has been juicing the thunderstorm over Auschwitz. The one that struck the unfortunate Phantom did not stop at scrambling its equipment but also exploded its left wing as if it had been hit by an impressive kinetic force.

"Arrgh! Fuck! Mayday! Mayday! This is Red 9! Going in hard!" Screamed the pilot of the Phantom.

"Shit! Ejection is not working! None of ours is working!" The pilot reported over the sounds of alarm blaring. "We're going down! I repeat. We're going down!" And then static is all everyone can hear from that emergency transmission.

There's absolute silence for exactly one second on the Belkan battle net before a plethora of activity arises. Unbelievably, one of their premier fighter jets has gone down, and the status of the pilots is unknown. Even if they have plans for this exact situation eventually, it still comes as a shock when it does come.

"Settle down, people! We're prepared for this!" Yuki sternly ordered. "We have plans for this exact situation so make good use of them! I need a CASEVAC flight in the air, now! Drones are to search for the crash site immediately! Double time, everyone, that dome is still expanding and the weather ain't getting any better!"

And while Belka is scrambling assets, behind the cover of the dome, the crystal core is also making its move. The core has been hard at work reconnecting to its remaining tails unnoticed by the Belkans by recycling a portion of its Hydra body. Now that the connecting process is finished, the core can control the tails to do its bidding. With a command, the four tails rise up from the ground, the mouth-like appendages opening up wide. Then, giant pikes start appearing out of the opened mouth before pikes are stabbed deep into the ground alongside a good portion of the tails. After that, the crystal core glows a consistent bright pink as pinkish veins start to travel from the silicone body around the core and down to the end of the tails. It's at this moment that the mana density inside the dome starts to drop steadily. The mana condensed by the core inside the dome is now being pumped underground. The reason for this will be revealed soon enough.

Back to the Belkans, UAV operators have quickly identified the crash site, smack-dab in the middle of Auschwitz's outskirt. Per Yuki's command, CASEVAC is already in the air and comprises of Ospreys and gunships, with Phoenix Squadron being retasked to provide support. From the FOB Alpha to the crash site takes only three minutes of maximum throttle for the Ospreys, and soon enough, they're right above it.

"Red 9, this is Outlaw 2-5, come in, over!" Said the pilot of one of the Osprey, trying to make contact with the crashed airmen down there. What the pilot gets in return is not a radio transmission, rather, it's the muzzle flashes of a gun being fired from the cockpit of the downed Phantom.

"Command," Outlaw 2-5 spoke up. "I have a visual on the crash site. I see small arms fire coming from the cockpit. Initiating search and rescue. Over"

"Copy 2-5, be advised, the dome is dangerously closed to the crash site. We also picked up an increase in enemy ground activity. Do you understand?"

"Roger that. We know what we're getting into."

"Alright 2-5, it's your call. Retrieve the pilots if you can. Out."

The line to command then goes silent as Outlaw 2-5 switches to local comms, trying to hail Red 9 pilots once more. "Red 9 do you copy? What's your status, over."

After a few seconds, they receive a transmission from Red 9 with heavy background noise. That said, they can still hear her say this. "I'm here!... Keating is KIA! Hostiles moving in fast! I sure could use some help here!" Her voice was interrupted by periods of coughing and gunshots.

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Red 9 is heavily compromised. The WSO is dead and the pilot is injured judging from her voice. The crash site is littered with ruined buildings and craters with three main avenues of approach. Ever so slowly, more and more demons, the surface kind, start trickling toward the crash site. They must have been leftovers or recent conversions, whatever the case is, they need to go down before they can extract the pilot out safely. As such, Outlaw 2-5 starts dolling out tasks with haste.

"This is Outlaw 2-5 to Outlaw 2-6. Get your passengers down there ASAP! We got an LZ of our own within walking distance to the Northwest. Gunships are to provide aerial cover while our troops perform their work. Over." Outlaw 2-5 said as he took his Osprey down to a clearing. This happens while the door gunners and the accompanying 501st infantry engage demons that dare to get close.

"Outlaw 2-6 copy all. The boys gonna rappel down there and extract the survivor to you. Expect a hot extract." 2-6 said as their own Osprey came down right above the crashed Phantom, gun blazing. Just a bit of a distance away from the site, the Guns-a-go-go gunships perform strafing runs against hostile ground targets the best they can.

Outlaw 2-6 uses the leeway to have their combat infantry fast-rappeling down all around the Phantom. "Go! Go! Go!" While this is happening, a couple of snipers stay aboard 2-6, aiding the door gunners and the gimbal turret in providing fire support to the squad below.

With feet on the ground, the infantry squad spreads out to secure the perimeter, taking shots at demons and zombies that come straight out of burned buildings and alleyways. "Fire at will!"

"Kurt! Thames! Get the lady out from the Phantom!" The squad Sergeant ordered two soldiers. These two then get to work removing the pilot of Red 9 from the wreckage. There, the pilot speaks her words in a pained voice. "Argh! I can't quite feel my leg!"

"Keating... H-He was about to turn! I had to kill him! I had to...!" Her voice broke at the end, still holding to her MP9 for dear life. The soldiers are quick to remove her weapon for safety reasons and together, they carry the pilot out. Her legs are clearly bent the wrong way.

"This is Overlord! Outlaws and Phoenix elements you have less than two minutes to get out! The dome is getting dangerously close and we have no idea what it may do to you!"

"We got 90 seconds, airbornes! Get the pilot to Outlaw 2-5! NO ONE gets left behind!" The airborne Sergeant hyped his men up as they made their way to the now landed 2-5 Osprey. That said, the Sergeant didn't forget to toss a few incendiary grenades onto the Phantom.

"Get to the Osprey! We'll hold down the corners! Go!"

"This is Outlaw 2-5! Now would be a good time to get the Hell outta here!" Over!"

"We see you! We're on our way! Coming in hot!" The Sergeant said as he, and the squad, fought and retreated till they got to the Osprey with a lowered ramp. "Go! Go! Get on the VTOL!"

Under the cover of a hail of gunshots, the squad comes aboard the Osprey with the pilot in tow. They let her rest on a bench while a medic took a look at her.

"Outlaws, this is Overlord. Get the Hell out of there, now!" By this point, the dome has loomed over them, casting a shadow over the Outlaw elements.

As Outlaw 2-5 starts taking off, the pilot announces. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We're in for some chop! Hang on! Max, gimme full power!"

Outlaw 2-5 is climbing to a safe ceiling to switch before they can switch to plane mode when the airbornes in the rear warn. "We're not gonna make it! They're already here!"

The dome is right on top of them. They can clearly see countless Archangels flying around as if to devour Outlaw 2-5 whole. To stave off the inevitable, the airborne infantry unleash their firepower through the rear, the ramp still hasn't been raised. The damage they have done is like a water droplet falling in the middle of a desert. All of a sudden, a portion of the dome surges forward, rushing at Outlaw 2-5. While it counts as the first aggressive act committed by the dome, it also seals the fate of the Osprey as it's still not up to speed.

But Outlaw 2-5 is not alone. They never have been.

At this moment, with all other Outlaw and Phoenix elements egressing, Outlaw 2-6 has decided to stick around as 2-5 has been their flight buddy. Their arrival is signaled with a hail of 30mm and 14.5mm rounds cutting off the front end of the Archangel rush. But it's not enough as the number of enemies is seemingly endless. In a desperate attempt to protect 2-5, 2-6's Osprey swoops directly in front of the swarm, their guns spewing hot leads. "Get out of there 2-5!"

"Thanks for the save, pal!" 2-5 Osprey switches to plane mode. Kicking the paddle to the metal, they fly at maximum speed away from the hot zone. "2-6, we're in the clear! Now leave!"

"That won't be happening, 2-5." The pilot of 2-6 said morosely. Having taken 2-5's place, 2-6 can't exactly reverse out fast enough to escape the swarm. "Do us a favor Outlaws. Don't try to rescue us."

With their 30mm turrets running dry on ammo, 2-6 loses the majority of their firepower in that moment, making it so that the Archangels rush at them nearly unimpeded. "Everyone hang on!"

And then, darkness consumes them as multiple Archangels rush at and over them. Their wings are clipped, their engines are destroyed, and the fuselage is torn open. Unable to lift their weight, the Osprey falls down, hard, to the ground. No visual contact can be established with the downed Osprey.

"Shit! Outlaw 2-6, do you copy?! Outlaw 2-6, come in! Goddamn it, 2-6!" 2-5 shouted over the radio to no avail.

Aboard 2-6 were four crew members and two 501st Pathfinders. In exchange for rescuing one pilot, they now lost contact with the six of them. In a way, it has been an important but unfair trade. Everyone seems to think that 2-6 is gone for good, having been swallowed into the dome, but then.

" *COUGH* *COUGH* T-This is Outlaw 2-6 to anyone still on this net... W-We made it, somehow... And I think you guys may need to see this."