After careful but quick consideration, you make your choice, probably the most important one this day, this week, even this month. Words weren't necessary, you merely followed the one you thought to be truthful, right, or simply better than the alternative. M16 smiled as you approached, but you could feel the glare of the Sangvis drilling into you. Maybe more than disappointed she was insulted, even more than when you mocked her. Perhaps she wouldn't be against taking you by force, but currently she's powerless, irritating her all the more. She stood her ground however, Sangvis aren't overcome by their emotions, they believe themselves to be better than that. So she let's you join her enemy, as agitating as it was.
"Such a shame… by joining them you'll be labeled as a liability, and an enemy. We'll be forced to hunt you down for a long as you associate with such dead weight."
"Right now you won't be hunting shit. Better luck next time! Let's go Veresk."
She gave you a nod, it's time to leave. You two entered the garage, leaving Scarecrow to her devices, alone.
"Better leave quick while she's preoccupied." M16 says. Through the garage you enter the police station proper, but she leads you to the right side of the building, away from the entrance the ringleader used. It was quite big, you're currently being led through some sort of office area, once used by the humans that lived here. It wasn't as empty as most structures occupied by Sangvis Ferri, but the stains of time still left their mark here. Where workers once were overflown with paperwork and filling out reports while stuffing themselves with coffee now only lay dusty desks, wet walls and empty mugs. Not all that drawn to the decaying interior, you look at your second time savior, mainly her weapon. It was the one she was etched with, the one who's name she carries, the M16A1 assault rifle. While your arms still bound.
"We found where they kept our gear."
She said, noticing your gaze. Her perception despite being one-eyed has not faded at all.
"We're heading there now, the others are waiting. After that, we'll regroup with M4 and her echelon."
It was a bit of a walk, up a staircase and through a couple more rooms, until you two came across an open window. M16 checked through it, making sure the air is clear before giving you a nod and jumping straight out. Normally you wouldn't jump blindly through second story windows, but she was your only way out of here and expecting you to follow. So you did, landing on a wobbly surface. The roof of an old car, if creaky, helped you stick the landing. M16 gives you a thumbs up, saying "Good, your motion sensors working." and quickly leads you into the neighboring building. You should be a relatively safe distance away from Scarecrow by now, and you already feel more at ease without her watching your every move.
"You've done well, staying alive for as long as you did in that hellfire, completely unarmed. Though, I never saw a Sangvis show that much interest in someone… guess that means you're pretty special, huh?"
Her curiosity was understandable, and whether or not you wanted to satisfy it, before you had a chance to talk you were ambushed by another familiar voice. Would've made you jump had today not left you so numb.
"Miss Veresk!"
If you remember right, it was one of the dolls you were with before. The first one to cheer in support of M4's plan, the small SMG known as MP5. You knew it's her by the weapon she held. She ran out of an upcoming room to greet you and M16 with a quick salute.
"You're alive! I knew miss M16 would rescue you!"
"Eh, I wouldn't take all the credit. I just showed up to point her into the right direction. She's the one who held her own against a ringleader."
M16 friendly punched your shoulder, letting you shine before the little one some more. How oddly supportive.
"Woah… we're so glad to have you. The others will be so glad to see you're ok!"
Despite her pale cheeks being bruised with dirt and gunpowder, she flashed a smile full of confidence and reliability, almost beaming up to you. M4 did describe her as capable, if small. So if she made it this far, she must be.
"MP5, where's Garand? We need to get Veresk's restrains off."
"Oh, miss M1 is-"
"Right here."
And another griffin T-doll showed up. Long blonde hair and a rather calm gaze, her uniform was one of simple militaristic class, if a little torn from the rough day. Her rifle slung to the side, she approached you unsheathing a combat knife.
"I don't believe we've met properly yet. M1 Garand, rifle T-doll of Griffin. It'll be a pleasure to serve alongside you. Now, let's get these restrains off…"
She took your hands as gently as one would a valuable piece of equipment, and a couple quick pulls were all that was needed to sever the cords limiting your movement. Finally, your hands are free, and you can't help but take this moment to stretch out, shaking your fingers, pinching yourself just for good measure, running your hand through your [X] Liliac hair, which is about [ X] Shoulder length. Though, whatever style it was in did not survive your capture, leaving it rather messy. But it's no immediate concern.
"Garand, how's the situation outside?"
Giving you some space to bring life back into your upper limbs, she looked back to your momentary squad leader. All the while she was checking over her knife, even though it looked fine.
"Not ideal. It was rather clear until recently, when the Sangvis defense line started falling back more towards our location. It's like we're being circled in. Is it possible we've been spotted?"
Hearing the suggestion, you give an all too knowing look to M16, who once again just looks to the side, scratching her head with an awkward smile.
"Yeah, about that… Scarecrow is onto us. But don't worry, this actually works out in our favor. More troops above approaching our position means less troops below."
"Below?" asked the small SMG, a little worried about the previous statement of being found out, but curious. M16 flashed a more genuine, reassuring smile.
"Not even Sangvis knows this town like the AR team. Though, I hope you're not squeamish about sewers."
"Eeek!" squealed MP5, shuddering. The taller rifle T-doll did not seem too pleased either.
"This is… not how I imagined spending today…"
"We'll live. Speaking of which, have the weapons been gathered?"
The small SMG set her worries aside as she started reporting the status on the subject matter.
"Ah, yes! Miss FN-49 has them all bagged, along with the ammo too. They're ready for transport to the others in miss M4's group."
"Good. Where is she?"
"H-here!"
Into your view stumbled another rifle T-doll, one with long brown hair, a colorful dress, topped off by a small hat, all equally damaged as with all the others. Although there was no immediate danger, she had that kind of expression that spelled constant concern. Maybe not as much fear of the battlefield and death, but simply one who let's the littlest of things plague them with worry. Her wobbly step however could be explained by the large bag of weaponry she's carrying, along with a massive black metal case bearing G&K's symbol. A T-doll shouldn't have much trouble carrying all that baggage, so she must be conserving energy, meaning she's either resourceful, or low on energy already.
"49. Give our friend her welcome back present." M16 ordered. She nodded and reached into the bag as she approached you.
"R-right!"
Once she stood before you, she was trying her best to avoid your gaze as she recovered an item that belonged to you, and only you. The SR-2 Veresk sub-machine gun. Your namesake, your third limb. Thanks to the revolutionary etching tool, there is nothing you cannot achieve with this firearm as long as it is within the realm of possibility, and nobody else but you can wield it with such staggering efficiency as you. Your hand reaches for the grip, the feeling oh so familiar, and 49 releases it so you can feel it's whole weight again, every single milligram. Memories come flooding back…
Development of a new sub-machine gun chambered for the 9×21mm Gyurza cartridge (also used by the SR-1 "Vektor" pistol) was launched in the mid-1990s on the request of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). A weapon was presented in 1999, developed by TsNIITochMash in Klimovsk, which received the designation of SR-2 (Russian: Специальная Разработка 2, translit. Spetsial′naya Razrabotka 2, English: Special Development 2) and nicknamed "Veresk" ("Heather").
The "Veresk" and its round were created as a compact weapon capable of engaging enemies wearing Russian class-II body armor (able to stop ordinary pistol bullets, such as 9×19mm Parabellum and 7.62×25mm Tokarev), and soft-skinned vehicles, at distances up to 200 meters.
"I-I-It's… good to meet you."
You nod to her, as she offered you a couple magazines of ammo, which you promptly stashed, smiling subconsciously as you're finally whole again. To reinforce this feeling with your weapon back and check it for any mishandling Sangvis might've done, you [ ] Give it a little twirl / [X] Aim down the sights. It felt as familiar as ever.
"And I'll be taking what's mine."
Said M16, as she took the heavy looking metal case off of 49's shoulder, who was only grateful for the loss of weight. Slipping it onto her own shoulder, she did not seem weighted down by it one bit as she nodded to everyone.
"Alright, now that we're all resupplied, it's time to head out. Anyone got anything left to say?"
Do you have anything to say?
[ ] "Don't think this means I'm Griffin now. I just wanna get out of here. Understand?"
[ ] "Nope. Let's just make these buckets of bolts feel sorry!"
[ ] "If we all get through this, drinks are on me."
[ ] "So, this is us? Two SMGs, two Rifles and an Assault Rifle. You do know how to coordinate us, right M16?"
[X] Nothing. Your silence is a sign of professionalism.
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