Girl's Frontline: Wicked Animandum

There was sincerity in your voice. AA-12 has been with you since the beginning of your adventure in Griffin, and you'll be damned if she's not going to stand by your side by the end of it. At least... not by an external force. The shotgun seemed a little taken aback by your honesty.

"W-well, n-not like I care anyway. Maybe I could've gotten a squad leader that doesn't get me blown up every mission."

"You know you'd miss me~"

"Only thing I miss are the quiet, lazy days in S09."

"Don't lie, you love how exciting it gets with me around~"

"Ugh, you're the worst…"

She acts all annoyed, but you can clearly see the blush she's hiding. It's good to be her little smug squad leader once again. However, Groza raises two fingers to enforce silence. Of course, when sneaking through damp, dark tunnels, some professionalism wouldn't hurt. But Tiss has been quiet all this time. Not that she's isn't quiet most of the time, but she would typically join the teasing of the shotgun. Maybe it's because Groza scolded her, or maybe it's because you said she just tagged along, which might've been viewed as redirecting blame. Either way, the secret weapon is grumpy, but at least she won't disappear again, not with her sister around.

The four of you continued along your path, being led by Groza's innate night vision. Eventually you start seeing light at the end of the tunnel, very dim light created by the night sky, but still a little brighter than the tunnels. You found yourselves in the forest again, nothing of note nearby. Perhaps this tunnel was to redirect excess water, you can't quite tell, but it'd be a useful hiding spot that you'll keep in mind.

Groza looked up at the night sky, clouds having dissipated somewhat, opening up to an uncountable amount of stars.

Actually, it's very much countable, but extremely tedious. You'd rather leave that to an actual calculator than a cute doll like yourself.

"The outpost should be west of here. As Griffin forces are assaulting other areas, SF should not be expecting our attack here. Additionally, the outpost has a radar, so taking it over should extend our sight over the area."

"What do we know about the ringleader stationed there?"

"I am to believe the two of you are acquainted." replied Groza "She has been transferred from S09 specifically because of her experience in dealing with most of the T-dolls assigned for this operation. A gatherer of intel, and a careful thinker. But arrogant and fragile like a fly, she's but a nuisance until you swat her away."

"Well, doesn't that sound familiar~" you chuckle to yourself. One look at AA-12 tells you that she also gathered what ringleader was being implied. Tonight is just full of reunions, it seems. Who else are you going to meet today? Patrons from the Fortress of Solitude? Other escapees from the Alzome incident? Perhaps even that infamous AR team? For all you know, they could very well be that mysterious special tasks ground Groza had mentioned earlier. It's not like her to be vague about something like that, and to let just one team handle Hunter, then they must be quite something.

"So, what's the plan?" AA-12 asks "Storm in guns blazing? That usually only works with a backup team. But we're by ourselves this time."

"Not to worry, we still have two qualified squad leaders to tackle the situation easily."

At Groza's words, Tiss seems to have finally perked up. She looks up intently, like she's expecting something very specific. But once Ots-14 continues…

"I and Veresk will each take point whenever we split up into groups of two. We'll make it more difficult to be tracked by regrouping and splitting up as often as possible."

Her shoulders dropped as soon as she registered the words. Back to being all grumpy she went, looking at the ground. However, she was suddenly struck with a question a moment later.

"Wait, who takes point if it's just me and Bright Star?"

"Huh?" reacted the shotgun "Isn't that kinda obvious?"

"At least someone seems to think so." Tiss huffed "Alright then, leave it to me!"

"What? No, that's not what I meant. Obviously I'm way more qualified to take point."

"Hngh, underestimating the secret weapon again, are we?" grumbled Tiss.

"Listen, I've got shields."

"And personal space issues."

"Hey, you take that back!"

There was an odd bit of tension between the two. You couldn't quite decide whether to break it up or have a little bit of fun, but Groza stepped in as the superior squad leader.

"Enough with the snark, you two. Sort it out amongst yourselves, I better not have these kinds of conflicts during a firefight, understand?"

The two gave each other silent stares, neither willing to step down. And since Ots-14 isn't willing to become their tie-breaker for whatever reason, they both turn their heads towards you instead. You can already tell what each one's expecting you to say next…

[ ] "Tiss should take point."
[ ] "AA-12 should take point."
[ ] "Ever tried rock, paper, scissors?"
[ ] "Maybe whoever compliments me the best should take point…?~"
[X] Write-in: Pat AA-12's shield "Your job is to take point in urban, while Tiss was designed to do that in the wild. Trust her to do her job like I trust you to do yours yeah?"

"Alright then. So, the plan is…"

--- later ---

The moon is high up, peeking its light through the nightly clouds, offering very limited vision to the landscape of S06. Beyond those there were mountains, hills and trees, limiting sight even more for those on the ground far below it. But the ground you walked on caught a visibly larger portion of the moon's glow. Still, you stuck to the shadows within shadows, making your way to where you need to be.

The path was quite straightforward, only having to follow an old set of train tracks. They were heavily overgrown and unused for a long time, but made for an easy to traverse walkway through the forest. At their end you'd find a construct that's more roofs than walls, a place where old trains would stop for set periods of time. Now repurposed, a place for Sangvis to station some of their troops. During your approach, you had to dodge a few groups of enemies that were being sent out to various corners of the area, not as patrols but probably as backup. This was a good thing, as it meant less hostiles to deal with once you're there.

Finally reaching your destination, along with [X] AA-12 / [ ] Ots-12 / [ ] Ots-14 at your side, you see the area around the train tracks being littered with equipment of all kinds, alongside old roofs meant to shelter trains and their cargo, now sheltering the machinations of Sangvis Ferri. The main building has a large satellite dish on top, likely used for comms, radar and jamming. You even see vehicles, mainly a truck housing Sangvis units on standby in its back compartment. Aside from those, the outpost was populated almost exclusively by drones, of the flying variety. You saw their design many times before, but here you have all different variations on display. The small yet nimble scouting type, the combat oriented assault model, the utility focused variant… it was quite the challenge to evade their sight, considering they're flying all over the place.

And among the buzzing processes of the outpost, you hear a voice…

"G&K forces detected on sector 5B, sending reinforcements."

Calm, calculating, direct…

"Weakness discovered in the defense line, retreating sniper units."

Barely a doubt in her tone…

"Artillery units in position. Initiate advance."

With a mere flick of her wrist, the holographic interface moves to her whim, as does the entire structure of her battle plan. Standing - or rather, floating - elegantly, it is none other than Scarecrow, their intelligence master, and the first Ringleader to ever give you a second look. It feels like yesterday that she led you through the burning streets of Alzome, but it also feels like years at the same time. (1 and a half years to be exact.)

"Ouroboros, my number of available units is nearing depletion. What's the ETA of your reinforcements?"

"Treat our resources with more care, Scarecrow." replied a voice you knew all too well, though only electronically. "Unfortunately, I had to redirect your backup forces somewhere else. You'll just have to make do."

"You are not making this easy, Ouroboros… but very well. On a side note, Hunter has requested backup as well. How much do we still have to spare?"

"Leave that to me. Do not concern yourself with the status of your partners, your concern is the west frontline."

"As you wish…"

You observe the scene with all the most useful senses, seeing the things that can be exploited, what should be avoided, and whatever spoiled supports could cause a chain reaction. Seeing as everything around you is SF or SF equipment, collateral damage is nothing to worry about.

Now to think about an approach. There's four of you, split into groups of two, approaching the site from different sides. Clearly, the biggest threats are the present ringleader, and the many units on standby. The drones, while in great numbers, offer poor defense, especially when pressure put on the Ringleader lowers their performance. But by far your biggest advantage is the close proximity of the units on standby, all of them bunched up in the backs of a few trucks. Some well placed explosives could take out more than 50% of the opposition before the battle even begins. But it might be more difficult to get there undetected… of course, you all decided on a plan beforehand. Now, what was it again?

[ ] Distract Scarecrow by approaching her in the open, while the others rig up explosives.
[ ] Sneak past and rig the trucks, letting the other group handle Scarecrow.
[ ] Get into position to attack Scarecrow while the other group rigs the trucks.
[ ] Have AA-12 drive one of the trucks away, luring most of the forces away from the outpost.
[X] Write-in: You opt to distract Scarecrow with your esteemed kouhai persona, and simply walk up to her "Scarecrow-neesama!" #vigorous waving#

The reaction to your plan was… funny, to say the least. Of course it was your idea, who else could've ever suggested that? Epsilon approved greatly. AA-12 thought you were joking at first, and then felt like the only one with common sense when Groza herself approved the idea. Perhaps she liked the idea because you've encountered Scarecrow before in a similar manner. Tiss opted to be your shadow, but you chose AA-12 to be the backup muscle should your charm not keep the laser drones at bay. They'll be busy rigging the trucks up with explosives once you've got the ringleader's attention.

Now it is time to set your plan in motion. You give a wink to your shotgun companion, who still shakes her head in disbelief that this is really what you all went with, but she has her part to play. You pat her head as reassurance, before heading into the fray.

It's almost odd how nothing notices you approach her, like none of her defenses are set up to detect a threat so unrealistically close to her. Can't blame her, this isn't how Griffin typically operates. It's just you sneaking off with your merry band of cuties that allows such odd strategies to be put into motion.

You see her floating there, her appearance literally unchanged from when you last met her. SF don't wear day-to-day clothes after all, it is combat/work attire, though it still has that fashionable Sangvis flare. The dark brooding colors, slick and elegant design, the gentle green glow of her more mechanical parts… so goth. Once you have gotten as close as you think you can without her noticing, which is just a few meters away, you let out a cheerful…

"Scarecrow-neesama!" #vigorous waving#

A crack. A twitch. Like a mirror shattered. The Ringleader's digits freeze in place, as do the movements of every single drone in the vicinity. She raises her head from the holographic imagery, but does not yet turn around to face you. Instead, her drones do, one by one aiming their visual receptors, and their guns, directly at your smug face.

"So… you've come back."

Her own eyes are the last pair to look into your direction, slowly turning her body on the spot to face you. Not like she doesn't have at least 10 more angles to observe you from. Can't blame her for being cautious though, you're far from unarmed after all. Your aim is to distract her, not sacrifice yourself in doing so.

"That's certainly an odd way to greet an enemy, when you should be begging for forgiveness. Or has Griffin brainwashed you already? I had hoped you'd be more resilient."

"Aww, you thought about me!~" you smiled.

"..." even with her mask, it was easy to notice her cocked eyebrow. Her gaze is still stern, but with a hint of more. "Is that another mask? Your words were different when we first met. And from the footage I gathered…" she raised a hand, the interactive display moving along with it, the context switching to a slideshow of imagery containing you. Not surprising that SF has intel on you. "... you've stirred quite some trouble, haven't you?"

"Waao, I'm popular with SF? Am I popular with Scarecrow-neesama as well?!"

"..." the raised eyebrow has turned into a bit of a twitch. She took a breath, then narrowed her eyes. "You are not of any significance. Not to Sangvis Ferri, not to Griffin. This footage?" she said, before closing her hand, the display closing with it "Junk data gathered by those you have somehow managed to agitate. For Hunter and Ouroboros to let a little snail like you get under their skin… I expected better."

You gasped "Hunter-senpain and snek-chan mentioned me?!"

"Will you-!" as sudden as her tone appeared, it also ceased, though it was unclear whether it was her who stopped herself or the beeping of the terminal. A communications request from none other than her superior…

"Scarecrow, I've noticed sudden fluctuations in your neural cloud. Has the situation developed?"

The floating Ringleader's eyes move from you to the comms indicator, then back to you. A moment of silence passed. You try not to make a sound, as alerting the big shot to your presence might very well doom your plan. With no sound to make, you just…

[X] Smile innocently at Scarecrow.
[ ] Tap your foot, looking at your nails.
[ ] Imitate horns with your hands and stick your tongue out, imitating Ouroboros.
[ ] Write-in

"... no. Operation is proceeding as planned with nothing to report." she looked back to you "Nothing at all."

With that, she swiped away the comms link, terminating it. You two were alone again. Well, at least she thought so, while your friends are busy messing with her stuff.

"Your insidious mannerisms aside… you must have a reason to approach me out here in the open, alone, willingly setting yourself to my mercy. Have you reconsidered Agent's offer?"

Of course, the offer to join Sangvis Ferri. You were given a clear choice, and she warned you that there would be consequences should you reject it. With your limited intel of how they operate, you chose the option which allowed you the most freedom. There were other reasons of course, but you do have priorities. And now that you know about Parapluie, you might've not made such a bad choice after all.

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that. You see, Sangvis Ferri doesn't give out second chances so easily."

"Then why am I still standing, Crow-nee?"

"... valid point."

At your remark, Scarecrow has procured her command wand, controlling the drones at her side with only a few movements. The hovering machines shift into a firing line, weapons about to shoot. While part of you did feel a little intimidated now, the other was thinking fast.

"Aw, already? And you didn't even see my reunion present~"

Her motions stopped again, halted by curiosity. The execution was postponed for now.

"You really think you have something to offer? It would have to match Agent's standards, and those have already been elevated quite a bit, considering your… transgressions. But by all means, try to impress me." she crossed her arms, awaiting your response with a calm expression.

You try to think of something. Clearly Scarecrow isn't so interested in you as she was the first time. Perhaps you're overdoing it with the esteemed Kouhai persona, or maybe you've lost that spark that got her so interested in you in the first place. Without that, you'll need to offer something that either she or SF want, but wouldn't be able to get by shooting you dead and ripping out your neural cloud. Something more… hands on.

"Oh, you're gonna like this. Your gift is… me! The lovable kouhai herself!"

"... I knew letting you speak was a waste of time-"

"Now now, don't underestimate me, Scarecrow-nee. I'd say I did quite a bit to prove myself a valuable asset to Sangvis Ferri." you begin "After all, who else do you know who could handle Hunter-senpai the way I did? She's your co-worker, isn't she? She must've been noticeably dazed for days… or maybe it was from the jeep? It did look like a pretty painful impact." you chuckled, shrugging your shoulders innocently. Looking at Scarecrow, she did not seem very impressed, so you continued. "And what of my lovely dovely date with snek-chan? I bet all of SF was gossiping about us! Not every day you get to see your boss get all flustered like that, eh?~ She looked like a building dropped on her head… oh wait~" your eyes narrowed, your lips forming a smug smile. Scarecrow remained stoic, but she hasn't shut you up yet, so you continue. "You can't deny that my application is pretty impressive, right? Look closer, and you can feel your heart sway! I bet you know what that feels like already~"

Surprisingly, she listened to the end. She could've interrupted you with death lasers any time she wanted, but permitted you to keep talking. And once you finished, you were still standing with all your limbs still attached. Seems it was her turn to speak now, which was a stark contrast to your upbeat tone.

"... among our catalogue of enemies, ones we have observed and keep observing, from Griffin&Kryuger to the forces of humanity, there are only three we consider important. Three we deem worthy to even remember the names of. Three we would consider more than the typical cockroach, those being… M4A1 of Anti-rain, that mad dog SOPMOD M4… and UMP45 of 404, who has been an actual thorn in our sides for the last couple of hours. If you believe you could even compare to them, then I only have that much more reason to get rid of you right this instant." she stated, yellow gaze unwavering.

"Aww, aren't you greedy? Well, if you want a little extra, then I guess I can dig up a little bit more for my neesama." you speak, reaching into your pockets to pull something out. You struggle searching for it, but you know exactly where it is, stalling even further. While you rummage through your pockets, you don't keep your mouth shut. "Though, I don't think I'm the only one who's changed. You were so interested in me the first time we met, neesama. What happened? Did I lose my spark? Do you not like what I did with my hair?"

"..." the ringleader was quiet for a moment, either thinking about a response, or holding back a flurry of insults. "I merely set aside my morbid curiosity. I admit, I couldn't let the possibility of unused potential go undocumented at least. Shame it was wasted, and of no more possible use.'' Her eyes narrowed "Ruled by emotion as you are, corrupted by these Griffin dogs, you are no more to us than a standard Sangvis unit would be to them. You are mere scrap, infested by maggots. An ugly sight, really."

"So you liked the old me better? Oh Scarecrow, but I am still the same little girl you met that fateful day! Search your heart, you'll know it to be tru-"

"You're thinning my patience." she raised a finger, the sound of energy weapons being charged filling the air around you. Nearing the limit of how much longer you can stall her for, it might be time to end it, as long as the explosives are set up. Might as well go out with a bang, no?

"Alright, alright! Here's that little special something~"

After having dug around your poncho for so long, you finally pull out what you were looking for. With a smug smile, you present to her…

[X] The USB stick
[ ] A frag grenade
[ ] A stun grenade
[ ] An incendiary grenade
[ ] Your flare gun
[ ] The middle finger
[ ] A heart, shaped by your fingers
[X] Write-in