The rooftop was chaos.

Wind whipped across the concrete as the evacuation helicopter hovered overhead, its searchlights cutting through the smoke rising from the district below. Soldiers were shouting, civilians were scrambling, and you were running as fast as your legs would carry you.

“Keep moving!” someone yelled. “This is the last lift!”

You could see Doyle at the edge of the roof, helping people into the chopper one after another. His movements were precise—calm despite the madness—but his eyes kept flicking back toward the stairwell you were supposed to come from.

He was looking for you.

You pushed forward, breath burning in your chest, waving your arm as you broke through the crowd.

“Doyle!”

He spotted you instantly—his posture changed, relief flashing across his face.

But just as you reached the helicopter’s landing zone, the pilot shouted, “We’re overloaded! We need to pull up!”

The chopper began to rise—slowly but definitely leaving.

“No, no, no—wait!” you cried, diving forward, but the wind forced you back.

You watched the helicopter lift off, watched Doyle vanish into the open doorway, watched hope fly upward without you.

Your heart dropped.

You stepped back from the platform edge, swallowing panic. You were alone on the roof now—sirens wailing below, infected screams echoing far too close.

Then—

A heavy thud hit the roof.

You spun around.

Sergeant Doyle had jumped.

He hit the surface on one knee, rolled to absorb the impact, and pushed himself back to his feet with a wince—but he was already looking at you.

“Y/N,” he said, breathless but focused, “why didn’t you get on?”

Your eyes widened. “Why did you jump off?!”

“Because you weren’t on it.” Doyle grabbed your arm—not roughly, but with the full intention of never letting go. “And I’m not flying out of here without you.”

He guided you quickly across the rooftop as the helicopter circled back, now repositioning for a lower hover.

The pilot’s voice crackled through Doyle’s radio, annoyed and panicked: “Sergeant! What were you thinking? We could’ve lost you!”