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The antiseptic stings against open flesh, yet she shows no reaction beyond slight tightening around eyes that would be invisible to anyone not specifically watching for it. Pain tolerance beyond standard threshold, response control exceeding normal parameters—evidence of systematic conditioning through applied experience rather than simple endurance or natural capability.

"Six years will do that," she responds with characteristic precision, words carrying neither complaint nor self-pity despite their accuracy. Simple acknowledgment of temporal reality, of experiences accumulated through systematic progression rather than institutional intervention.

My fingers move with careful efficiency across damaged tissue—cleaning wounds, applying antiseptic, assessing injury severity with practiced methodology developed through years of post-combat self-treatment. Her skin feels exactly as memory preserved—smoother than tactical capability would suggest, warmer than institutional existence typically allows, the physical manifestation of what scent had already confirmed beyond rational explanation.

"Why did you come back?" The question emerges without tactical calculation or strategic consideration—the fundamental uncertainty that has formed since first recognizing her presence within the fighting cage. Not accusation or challenge, but a genuine desire to understand motivation beyond immediate tactical objectives or operational necessities.

Her eyes meet mine with unexpected intensity, something passing between us that transcends verbalization or conventional communication. Not simple recognition but a profound connection reestablished despite systematic separation and institutional interference, the bond formed through shared purpose rather than forced proximity.

"For you," she answers simply, the words carrying absolute conviction beneath characteristic precision. "For all of you. For what should have been ours six years ago."

Fuck.

I want to think of it all as an illusion. A dream…because to think after being abandoned by the world, this one little Omega who left this place so innocent and heartbroken has returned with a hardened layer of armor in hopes of finding me.

Finding all of us again…

The declaration lands with seismic force, cracking foundations carefully constructed through years of institutional conditioning and systematic deprivation. Not an elaborate explanation or emotional performance, just a factual statement delivered with characteristic directness that leaves no room for misinterpretation or strategic uncertainty.

She came back for us.

Not tactical advantage or operational necessity, not institutional manipulation or experimental participation.

For us. For me.

The realization sends fresh energy through systems already operating beyond standard parameters—hope representing danger within institutional context yet impossible to suppress completely given current circumstances.

"They'll try to stop you," I warn, the statement carrying neither discouragement nor tactical hesitation despite its accuracy.

Simple acknowledgment of institutional reality, of the opposition that will mobilize with comprehensive resources once her presence registers beyond individual recognition.

Her lips curve into that smile I remember with perfect clarity—not the practiced expression employed for tactical advantage or the cynical version warning of impending action, but genuine amusement emerging despite circumstances or contextual limitations.

"I'm counting on it," she responds, satisfaction evident beneath tactical assessment.

Not arrogance or underestimation, but calculated anticipation of resistance, specifically incorporated into whatever strategy has brought her back to institutional hell after successful escape.

Understanding flows with crystalline clarity—this isn't a desperate reunion or emotional impulse, but a carefully orchestrated operation with specific objectives and methodical implementation.

She hasn't simply returned; she's executing a plan developed through comprehensive analysis and meticulous preparation.

I continue addressing her wounds with practiced efficiency, fingers moving across damaged tissue with careful precision despite the protective instincts roaring through my system. The proximity creates an awkward intimacy neither of us acknowledges directly—this careful tending to injuries represents a connection beyond simple medical necessity, yet is constrained by years of separation and contextual uncertainty.

The gash along her shoulder requires particular attention—deeper than the others, edges showing signs of potential infection despite enhanced immune response clearly operating beyond standard parameters.

My fingers clean the wound with methodical thoroughness, each movement calculated to minimize discomfort while ensuring proper treatment despite limited resources.

"You should have proper medical attention," I mutter, frustration coloring the observation despite attempts at clinical detachment. "Not this improvised field treatment."

Her eyes meet mine with unexpected directness, the silver-green intensity I remember so clearly now sharpened by years of experiences I can only partially imagine.

"This isn't my first battlefield patch-up," she responds with characteristic precision. "Probably won't be my last."

The statement carries neither complaint nor self-pity despite its accuracy — simple acknowledgment of operational reality rather than emotional response to systematic hardship.

This pragmatism, this tactical acceptance of circumstances without descent into bitterness or resignation, represents just one aspect of what drew me to her despite institutional conditioning designed to prevent exactly such a connection.

My gaze lingers on her face longer than tactical necessity requires—cataloging changes wrought through six years of separation with almost desperate thoroughness. The lines around her eyes that weren't present before. The slight scar at the corner of her mouth suggests a previous injury inadequately treated. The hardness beneath tactical assessment speaks to experiences accumulated through systematic progression rather than simple maturation.