Arknights:The Madman Doctor Strikes Again!

"Apple pie!"

After blasting away an incoming Reunion thug trying to hurl an explosive, Exusiai couldn't help but shout out in delight.

Texas, seated at the wheel, gave an awkward chuckle at the out-of-place food reference.

"Natto rice bowl!"

Influenced by Exusiai's energy, Jay shouted out his own favorite without thinking.

"Strawberry shortcake!" (Exusiai)"Fried tofu!" (Jay)"Chocolate chip cookies!" (Exusiai)"Levantin! Tin-tin-tin-tin-tin!" (Jay)

"Doctor! What's Levantin? Can you eat that?"

Seated in the back, Exusiai tilted her head in confusion at Jay's sudden shout.

"Of course! It's super delicious! Our enemies love to eat it too!"

At that moment, a burly Reunion fighter charged in, hoisting a massive axe over his head and attempting to flip the vehicle.

Before he could get close, Jay blasted him away with the high-pressure scatter water gun.

"No form, no intent. Go back and train some more!"

"Whoa! Doctor, that was awesome! You're making Rhodes Island sound more and more exciting. I seriously want to join!"

Exusiai cheered loudly from the backseat.

Up front, Texas stayed focused and issued a warning.

"Everyone, watch out! Large Reunion force up ahead!"

As the smoke cleared, a mob of Reunion fighters came into view, flooding the street and nearby windows. Even a rough count showed at least a hundred enemies.

From among them, a masked man stepped forward.

Though not particularly tall, his equipment was far more advanced than the grunts surrounding him. Twin grenade launchers gleamed coldly in his hands, and an aura of death seemed to radiate from his presence.

Jay immediately recognized him.

That man was Skullshatterer, a Reunion officer, and Misha's younger brother, Alex.

As Jay's police car drew closer, Skullshatterer fired a large grenade directly into its path.

Boom!

Dirt flew into the air, a massive crater opening right before the vehicle.

At their current speed, they'd be flipped on impact.

Texas reacted instantly, jerking the wheel to swerve the car to safety beside the pit.

"Tch…"

Seeing the car stop, Skullshatterer turned and fired another grenade behind them.

With a deafening explosion, debris from collapsing buildings sealed the rear street entirely.

"No doubt about it, Skullshatterer's incredible!"

"With him here, there's no way the L.G.D. can escape!"

Cheers erupted from the Reunion troops as they saw Jay's car halted.

...

"Chief Ch'en! The road ahead is completely blocked!"

The pursuing L.G.D. vehicles screeched to a halt as a barrage of enemies swarmed in from the sides.

"Damn it! Everyone, out of the cars! Engage!"

Ch'en shouted and jumped out to lead the charge.

At this point, she still didn't know if Jay had genuinely rushed ahead to protect the L.G.D. or if he'd just gone off the rails entirely to mess with them.

"Either way, let's wipe these thugs out first and then drag that doctor back for answers!"

...

Meanwhile, on Jay's end.

The car had no choice but to stop. Texas quickly spotted a narrow alleyway running along the side.

"Doctor! We can squeeze through that passage! Cover me!"

For most drivers, that alley was a no-go. But Texas was more than confident in her skills.

From her view, the main road was now packed with Reunion goons, including Skullshatterer with his grenade arsenal. She could also make out heavier defenses further back. Clearly, the road ahead was a dead end.

With the rear now sealed off too, their only chance was that narrow side path.

Just then, Jay's phone vibrated with a new message from Scout.

Doctor, our apologies for the delay. We're now in optimal position and ready to snipe the target officer at your command...

Jay also received another alert. ACE and his squad were closing in.

Aside from Franka and Liskarm, the team sent to the slums of Lungmen this time included veteran Rhodes Island operatives like Scout and ACE.

Previously, they were too far away to help, but thanks to Jay's high-speed chase, he'd unknowingly brought the battle right to them.

Now it was decision time: run, or fight?

And right then, the system interface popped up in Jay's mind.

Please choose one of the following options:

[Rational Option 1]: Follow Texas's suggestion, escape through the alley, and lose Skullshatterer.

Reward: +20 Rationality

Warning: Skullshatterer survival rate -50%

[Rational Option 2]: Follow Scout's advice, lead the R.I. squad to battle Skullshatterer and Reunion.

Reward: Gain weapon "100-Round RPG Launcher"

Warning: Skullshatterer survival rate -90%

[Madman Option]: Strip Skullshatterer, disarm him, and then abduct him to Rhodes Island.

Reward: Gain skill: "Secret Technique: Rapid Side Hop" (Agility +10)

Special Reward: Unlock limited Sniper Operator: Skullshatterer

Note 1: Secret Technique: Rapid Side Hop greatly boosts evasion by zigzag jumping.

Note 2: If Skullshatterer dies, it will severely damage Rhodes Island's reputation with other Reunion officers, and make future recruitment of FrostNova, Patriot, etc., nearly impossible.

From the current situation, both rational options seemed like safe moves.

But both would likely result in Skullshatterer's death.

Jay, having played the main story of Arknights, knew what was coming. Once Talulah fell under the influence of the Sarcophagus, she sent Skullshatterer to his death in Lungmen.

If he didn't take him now, there might not be another chance to save him.

Besides, Misha was Skullshatterer's sister. If they ever became a family down the line… he couldn't just let her brother die.

"We already hijacked a police car. What's a little 'overloading' at this point? You guys guard Misha. I'll go fetch one more passenger."

Jay sent a standby order to Scout and ACE, then casually opened the car door and stepped out alone.

"Doctor?! What are you doing?"

Texas poked her head out, shouting toward him.

Jay flashed a grin.

"Going to pick up another passenger for the ride."