Girl's Frontline: Wicked Animandum

"Alright. No doubt you spent a lot of resources, so it'd be a bad idea to send you alone into the field again." Groza spoke "Curiously enough, Ots-12 has also been asking about you."

"Has she now?~"

"... movement, 4 o'clock." her golden gaze snapped like that of an eagle, pointing to a walkway on your right. The both of you quickly take cover behind a run down car, observing the situation "Ripper units. Let them pass."

You can see their outlines, their forms rushing through the falling rain. Their speed and failure to detect you suggest they're not in scouting mode, and have a clear destination to reach with high priority. Judging by their direction of travel, they must be going to the resting place of the snake. Like typical computers, carrying out the last orders received. Hopefully the intelligence of all remaining SF will diminish due to the lack of a leader.

"It's safe, we can move." Groza says, standing up again. The two of you continue along your path "She says nice things about you. For everyone's sake I hope you're not as secret as she says you are." she ended the comment with a little laugh, one you shared.

"I take it she doesn't get this friendly with just anyone?"

"It's not uncommon for her to make quick friends. Though, it usually results in trouble for the whole base." she smiles "She once managed to dye the commander's undergarments pink because someone dared her to do it without getting found out. The commander threatened to relocate the doll responsible."

"Playing with underwear? My my~"

"I've done what I could to make sure we wouldn't be separated. In the end, the doll who dared her took the fall willingly. She said she wanted to be stationed elsewhere anyway... Tiss was a bit saddened to lose another friend."

"Sounds like a lot of pouting."

"Tiss doesn't like to show anything affecting her… movement on the rooftops, left."

Once again you snap to cover, the darkness of the night and obstacles of the road serving you in hiding yourself. You watch the rooftops, seeing entities jump from one to another over narrow alleys. You can only see their silhouettes, the outlines of their slim bodies and their nimble movements. Judging by the weapons they're dual wielding, it's either Rippers or Brutes, perhaps even both. Thankfully, in their hurry they failed to spot you. And after a few more moments of hiding...

"We're clear, let's move." you catch up with Groza, who has since increased her tempo slightly "I think I've told you enough about the secret weapon. It's her pride after all, and as her sister I can only support her. But… do keep an eye on her, Veresk. I'm willing to overlook that incident in the warehouse if you prove not to be an enabler of her troublemaking. I know for a fact that she'll rather listen to you than JS05."

[ ] "You can count on me, Groza!"
[ ] "Oh don't worry, I'll be keeping Tiss very close from now on~"
[ ] "No promises~" wink
[X] Write-in: "No promises~" wink "But I will keep an eye and hand on her when I can~"

"Anyway…" Groza sighs "We're almost there. Only a few more blocks. Don't let your guard down yet."

You continued to walk with the considerably taller woman, checking corners and rooftops alike, keeping an eye out for any enemy activity. She might be able to protect you with that heroic grenade launcher of hers, but to be attacked now would still be inconvenient. Though, it feels like every time you look at it for too long, she tries to hide it away. It might have something to do with that tiny blush that surfaced on her face when you gave the tool a kiss. A human might've thought nothing of it, just a silly little joke. But for dolls, their weapons are extensions of their bodies, extensions of themselves. To lay your hand upon their firearm is the same as putting your hand on their person. So, to kiss a doll's weapon is the same as kissing her-

Γ: "I'mma stop you right there chief."

Your admittedly interesting thoughts were interrupted not from the outside, but from within. Of course, who else could stop you if not you yourself? The tone of Gamma seemed especially irritated at this moment.

Γ: "Seriously chief, you know we're gonna have to leave this place once you're done, and yet you're getting all close and physical with the residents. Might bandon our quest for freedom altogether if you're so easily sidetracked."

"That's a little harsh. It were just some harmless thoughts~"

Γ: "Yeah, harmless, sure."

It was odd to say something so confidently and hear yourself not believe a word right after. Though, here comes the opposite of the opposite.

B: "My, even getting Gamma to agree, Alpha really knows what she's doing! I'm sure if the others were here, they would agree as well! It is only beneficial to have the support of the dolls stationed here, even if only for a while. And who knows, we may seem more of them yet!"

Γ: "I wasn't agreeing, Beta. I am physically incapable of doing so. I thought you were just meant to agree and act encouraging, not be dumb as a rock as well."

"Beta does have a point."

Γ: "Chief, the closer you get to someone, the harder they take betrayal. And you will betray them, if you wanna keep your freedom. You should know both sides of betrayal by now. The roles of the betrayer, and the betrayed."

…

You thought about the statement for a while. It might not be entirely accurate, as it is only some aspects of you that believe those two instances to be betrayal, as discussed back when you only had one virtual dummy. What Dai did to you, this gift of freedom, you're not entirely sure whether it's a blessing or a curse yet. Those Griffin dolls look very carefree whenever there's a commander above them, absolving them of responsibility and the guilt of choice. But you've been handling it well so far, right? Surely this can't be seen as betrayal on Dai's part, on Columba's part.

The second part of the statement however, the role of the betrayal… she wasn't just referring to what you're planning to do, but what you've already done. AA-12…

B: "Dear Alpha, you care for that shotgun? I'm sure everything will work out. She could welcome the truth with open arms even!"

Γ: "Chief, you know as well as I do that she'll get mad. Remember how she lost her shit over a lollipop? This is bigger, way bigger. Once she finds out, she'll resent you."

B: "Dear Alpha, if you're so worried as to her finding out… why not just tell her?"

Γ: "NO!" suddenly called the voice of Gamma "Holy shit, can you get any more dense? No wonder you need me if you get dumb ideas like telling your companion that you mindraped and enslaved her and held it secret all this time. She'll sell you out without batting an eye."

B: "Alpha… what do you intend?"

… is this about her, or you?

[ ] "I have to tell her."
[ ] "I can't tell her."
[ ] "She doesn't need to know the whole truth, just what's necessary."
[X] Write-in: "I have to tell her. She's free to eat all the sugar she want's after all."

B: "... I understand. I'll support you no matter what."

Γ: "... fucking ridiculous…"

--- later ---

"Miss Veresk!" called the handgun T-doll, running up to you as you approached "I am so glad to you! It was such a high fall from that building… but your boots kept my feet safe." she smiled towards you with almost beam-like intensity, quite the joyous one. She then turned to the much taller doll next to you "And leader Ots-14! I knew you would be back."

"It's good to see you in good health too, SPP-1. However, I'm afraid we don't have much time to chat. I have an important task for you." replied Groza, shaking some water off her clothes.

"A task? For me?"

"You are to intercept Echelon 3 on their 3rd vantage point, and direct them to these coordinates instead. Should we run into trouble, they'll be in a position to provide better covering fire. I'm sure you'll carry out this task to the best of your ability."

"I… I will not let you down!"

"Good girl." Groza smiled, and in a brief gesture patted the short girl's head, even if her hair was soaked. She then simply walked by, but you could see the funny look on the handgun's face. It was almost cruel, messing up her thoughts before sending her out. She gave you a half salute before running off into the rain once more.

"Well Veresk, here we are. I suggest you go find-"

"Did I hear who I think I heard?!"

You don't usually hear this voice so loud, echoing through the building, but you could tell who it was long before she rounded the corner. She spotted you, her eyes almost like a pair of daggers, pointed directly at yours.

"Heather! Where the fuck were you?!"

She stomped off towards you, gritting her teeth with the stick of a lollipop between them, until she stopped, towering above you. She was mad, quite mad. And you had no candy to soothe her nerves with. Well, you had one sugary sweet trick, one that was almost unfair, but seemed necessary at the moment.

Before she could speak - or rather yell - another word, you closed in for a hug.

You're pretty sure you heard some kind of atomic warhead go off inside the shotgun's belly, the butterflies within going to war.

"I'll leave you two to it then." spoke Groza with an almost smug undertone to her voice, walking off. It was just you and AA-12 now.

"... ugh, you sly fox…" she finally spoke, head looking somewhere at the ceiling, knowing you won't see it that way.

"Don't tell me you didn't want this~"

"I-I was just worried. That's all!" she grumbled, but she didn't resist your hug at all. If only she returned it. "Your signal went offline after the building collapsed, and then I heard explosions. How could I not get worried about my idiotic squad leader when there was a ringleader running about? Last time you needed my help just to get away from one!"

"Would it help to know I was worried about you too?~"

"I-I guess…" she sighed, putting a hand on your shoulder "You know what happens when I'm under stress, right?" you look up to see her pulling something out of her pocket. It was a large ball of candy wrappings, no doubt fresh. It got the point across "You better take responsibility for this! I know the commander won't."

[ ] "C'mon, have I ever let you down?"
[ ] "AA-12, listen. I need to tell you something…"
[ ] "How about you come to my room later tonight? And I'll show you how I take responsibility~"
[ ] "No promises. I need food too, y'know."
[X] Write-in: You put your hand on her cheek "Let's have a secret rendezvous later tonight for a little chat, kay?~"

"Heather!" another voice exclaimed, another one you recognized before you've even made eye contact. The shotgun hurriedly broke off the hug, but as she turned around she only saw the smug look of Ots-12.

"What are you looking at?" spoke AA-12, but the assault rifle seemed to ignore her and walked straight towards you.

"I knew someone as skilled as you would have no trouble finding her way back after being separated, but to take out the snake… Tell me, what secret techniques did you employ?"

"Wait, what?" asked a bewildered shotgun "You mean… you defeated Ouroboros?"

"Codename snake has been outwitted by the most secret of ambush techniques. I wish I could've been there to see the surprise on her face as you jumped from the shadows in whatever costume you utilized!" Tiss was getting quite excited, looking at you expectantly.

"Right…" spoke AA-12, trying to somehow get in between and save you from the secret weapon's curiosity "Well, if you really defeated the ringleader, I guess we can go back to the original plan."

"The original plan?"

"Seizing the signal jammer." the shotgun replied "We have just found out that this isn't just a bouncer, but one of the original jammers. It's at the top of this tall building and there's a lot of SF on the floors above us, but with the Ringleader out of the picture, we should be able to just fight our way through them."

"And what about the secret backup plan?" spoke the AR with big eyes.

"Backup plan? You mean blow the building up?"

"I have already secretly made note of the main support pillars. A few explosives at each one and we're set."

"Did Ots-14 approve of this secret backup plan?" asked AA-12 skeptically.

"I did say it's secret, didn't I?~"

"Great…" the shotgun simply waved her hand, starting to walk away "You can feel free to help her out Heather, or you can join the squad that'll head up to the jammer. I know I'm not getting dragged into trouble."

With Tiss looking at you with glimmering eyes, you have another decision to make ahead of yourself. The commander said he'd like one of those signal jammers intact if the squad ever happens upon one, and although some of those dolls find the mission more important than their own safety, you value yourself more than some jammer. Still, they could use your help. Whether you help them directly or indirectly is up to you.

[X] Help Tiss set up explosives.
[ ] Join AA-12 and the squad clearing out the building.
[ ] Order AA-12 to help with the explosives while you take her place in clearing out the building.

"Knew I could count on you!" beamed the assault rifle, a smile among the stars that are her eyes.

"I'll tell Groza you two will be guarding the ground floor. Don't do anything dumb, you two." spoke AA-12 before disappearing behind the corner. Surely she'll be alright, she won't be alone after all. Groza and the rest of Echelon 2 will be with her, and you'll be covering their exit. And once Echelon 3 gets into position, it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel, very disorganized fish.

You turn to look at the secret weapon, only to realize she had secretly disappeared! Looking around, you notice she is already going down another hallway, sneaky as ever. She starts talking idly as you catch up.

"You always need a secret backup plan. And a secret backup plan for the secret backup plan. That's why I always take along a few explosives, even if they're loud."

"Were you even authorized explosives for this mission?"

"I did say secret explosives." she replied smugly. But you wouldn't let her have it this time...

"Actually, you didn't."

The smug drained from her face, studying your smug look instead "... so perceptive, like sis…"

The two of you reach an out-of-order elevator, the door's of which were pried open. Inside, the escape hatch was already open.

"Should Sangvis Ferri forces prove to be too difficult to handle, this'll be their secret escape route. This, and the staircase we'll have to cover." Tiss explained. She reached for something just behind the door, a military backpack. She opened it to reveal her stash of secret explosives.

"And you're sure Groza knows you have these?"

"Sis knows I took them. Said only to use them in emergencies." she replied, pulling out a few of the packets. She made a bit of a pouty face "You're being very cautious Heather. You do know sis also has a few secrets of her own?"

[ ] "So do I."
[X] "Like the grenade launcher she saved me with?"
[ ] "It may be better to let our allies in on our secrets more often."
[ ] Write-in

The assault rifle just smirked in response. She presented to you 3 explosive charges, stronger than your typical grenade, specified for demolition. You take them, noticing a detonator among them.

"There are four pillars that are holding this building up. I'll take the two on the north side, you take the south side."

"Does that mean I can keep the third one?"

To answer that question, Tiss simply winked "That's the secret backup plan."

The two of you then separate for this task, two pillars for each to attach high power explosives on. No doubt it'd take more than just four support pillars to take the building down, but after many years of disrepair it might barely survive three. Best to be safe though.

You keep an eye and ear out for anything. After all, you told Ots-14 you would, knowing Ots-12's nature. You're not entirely sure if helping in her secret plans is the way she envisioned it, but here you are anyway, it'd do more harm than good to stop now.

Reaching the first pillar, you pull out one of the explosive charges. It even sticks, how convenient is that? As you rig it up to the detonator, you notice that it comes with an authorization code, which you promptly memorize. How thoughtful of Tiss to add one, now you have G&K authorization for this piece of equipment, allowing you to replenish your supply at outposts that can spare them.

Explosives set, you stand up and head for the next pillar. The rain outside doesn't seem to be stopping, which is almost unusual for the unstable weather conditions of this sector. At least you have a roof over your head. You can hear gunfire, no doubt that of your allies further above. You assure yourself that with their numbers, any SF opposition will crumble.

You then feel a vibration, rather noticeable, a wave subtly spreading through the walls. Perhaps a grenade was thrown. Whatever it was, the following calm made it sink into the background. You didn't let it distract you.

Reaching your second pillar, you pick one of your explosive charges and stick it to the structural support. It only takes a few seconds of rigging to get it set up, a fairly simple system for a fairly simple target. Were you to blow up a bridge like in one of those western movies you'd require a lot more preparation.

Explosive set up, you pick up your gun and continue along your path. Time to meet up with Tiss and see how she's doing. However, as you were walking by some windows and taking glances at the streets, you noticed something, or someone, standing in the rain. The moonlight has created an odd outline you can't quite read. It appears humanoid, standing in place yet a few things seem to be moving in the wind. One arm is hidden behind its back… you think. The moment you stop to get a better look, it moves! It appears to be raising its left hand, holding something and pointing it straight at you. You hear a mechanical sound, and the sudden flashes of two objects at her sides. Your instincts tell you to move, so you do. And in that moment, gunfire creates a flash bright enough for you to identify the entity.

"GRIFFIN!"

Of course it's her. Would've been too easy otherwise. You run as the fury of two double barreled automatic firearms leave trails of bullet holes behind you. Looking in the direction of incoming fire, you see the rightly pissed off face of Ouroboros, holding the very blade you attempted to slay her with. Her other hand was just pieces of circuitry sticking out of her shoulder, a useless piece of metal hanging off. Her clothes were in tatters, showing even more skin than before, although damaged and showing circuitry beneath. Her right leg wasn't that good off either, damaged to the point where she had to lean against the floating ordnance launcher slightly to keep her balance. It'd explain her poor but persistent accuracy.

Finally you managed to break visual contact after reaching a wall, but the barrage did not stop, her fire blindly hammering against the concrete until you reached a part too thick for her to shoot through. You found yourself in the reception area now. Having evaded the snake's vengeance, your next priority is to find Tiss and warn her of the danger.

Part of you is glad to see the adorable ringleader has risen from the ruins for a second date, but you had little time to react as line of fire was re-established. You were in the middle of the hall passing through, so your only option was to run and hide behind the reception desk.You dived to cover, your short nature helping you evade. Ouroboros has found a new angle of attack from the main entrance, but she didn't set foot into the building.

"You thought you destroyed me?! How pathetic! A pawn will remain a pawn, and a queen will remain a queen!" she yelled "Now get out here and let me crush you!"

[ ] "Hey Oreo! Gotta say, love the make-up! Wet concrete works great as eyeshadow!"
[ ] "Snake-chan! You came back from the dead for me?! So you DO love me back!"
[ ] "Why do I get the feeling everyone in Sangvis Ferri is after my ass?"
[X] Write-in: "Snake-chan! So you did like it when I touched you!~ They say it's OK to kiss on the second date you know!~ And I'm all ready for the next one!~"

"The snake sounds mad…"

You nod in agreement, before making a double take to realize Tiss sitting next to you, taking cover behind the desk. You wanted to ask how long she's already been there, but it'd be pointless to ask considering the circumstances.

"Our last date didn't exactly go too well!"

You joked, but as if on cue, more high power rounds fly past, chipping away at the cover. You shift a little to the side, never hiding behind a spot that's worn out. It's become rather loud too.

"Well, what was your secret technique in beating her?!"

"Um… distract and rush her!"

"... anything else?!"

"... she loves it when people call her a snake!"

"I DO NOT!"

The shockwave of a bullet grazing your hair is enough indication to you that taunting still works, though it may not be optimal right now. You look at Tiss, who is preparing herself for an attack. You're not about to let herself get killed, so you prepare to lay down fire as well. After all, this time Ouroboros has two dolls to deal with in a damaged body, and the get close technique did seem effective last time.

The two of you move away from each other so that the ringleader would have to split her focus. Then you show the barrels of your guns, taking shots at her. The plan was to decrease her accuracy enough to allow one of you to get into cover closer to her. However, you were quickly suppressed back into cover by multiple sources of gunfire. It appears she too has brought backup, Sangvis units laying down fire from the surrounding buildings' rooftops. You and Tiss quickly crawled back towards each other to reassess the situation.

"Too many SF. They'll surround us!" spoke Tiss.

"Between an angry snake and a hard place. Not how I imagined spending the evening…" you mused. Tiss tries to pinpoint enemy positions.

"Why isn't she advancing?" she asks, something you too just realized. Not only that, she's not using any of her explosive ordnance.

"... it must be the jammer. She probably has orders to keep it safe. If she sent rockets our way…"

"It'd become a not-so-secret failure on her part." finished Tiss "What do we do? We have to warn sis and the others!"

"They'll be a dozen floors up by now…"

"... we could shoot a flare!" suggested Tiss, pulling a flare gun out of her bag "Up the elevator shaft. Sis knows how to spot my secret signals!"

The idea is decent, and the best you've got right now. You'll require their backup if you want to stand a chance against Ouroboros and her forces. Not only that, but once everyone pulls out, you can set off the explosives and have the whole building bury her along with her with her precious jammer. She definitely won't be able to dig herself out of her second grave. There is, however, one problem…

"We'll need covering fire if we want to get out of this tight spot. One of us will have to remain here and distract her while the other runs off. I could-"

Tiss looks at you for a moment with concerned eyes, before a wave of bravery washes over her "The secret weapon can handle some wounded snake." she offered you the flare, suggesting you go while she stays behind. While The ringleader won't enter the building to avoid close quarters combat, it is only a matter of time before she'll send her pawns further along the board, when you've got only one chess piece to spare. Will Echelon 3 even make it in time? Either way, one of you has to go now. You waver your options... if only you didn't waste those stun grenades...

[ ] Provide cover fire for Tiss while she retreats.
[X] Have Tiss provide cover fire while you retreat.