You've had your fun, your ups and downs, a drink shared and a drink spilled, but now playtime was over. Your survival always had priority, job or not. And while they did have info you would like to have; all you care about right now is getting out of here alive. Some smoke clouds ought to do it… and what better to cast smoke than a big ass fire?
The incendiary grenade left your hand in the general direction of your foes, towards the bar. Whatever other bottles of alcohol they had there will only add to the fire that'll start swallowing the structure. Military grade pyrotechnics will make for a great bonfire.
A loud flame and a wave of warmth emerged from the epicenter, and you heard the panicked yelps of the T-dolls. No painful screaming though, so the flames probably haven't touched them directly yet. It'll keep them at bay though, so now you can focus on getting out. You look towards the boarded-up windows, thinking you might be able to break through them with a run up. It's pretty open out there though, so you need to think further than that…
In the middle of your pondering, you notice that the signal you've picked up earlier has covered a lot more distance that calculated, and it's still accelerating. At this rate it'll be here in mere seconds, and as the implications set in, you start hearing the low but approaching rumble, as well as…
music?
CRASH!
You watch as the boarded-up windows and the walls holding them gave in to a strong outside force, a kinetic object crashing its way through. You roll to the side to avoid it, debris flying all around, smoke filling the air. The rumbling was revealed to be that of an engine in high gears, and the object was made clear to be a vehicle, a strong 4-wheeler. You keep listening to the sound of objects being crushed by the impact of its high velocity, until it finally loses enough force to be halted by the building's inner pylons and the bar. The fire was nearly extinguished had it not have time to spread.
As things calmed relatively, you peaked outside your cover to observe the sudden interruption, your eyes trailing from the massive hole it created, to the vehicle itself. It was a military grade jeep, sporting large wheels and a strong frame, and a camouflage pattern. More importantly, it proudly displayed the Griffin and Kryuger logo on its side. You gulped, figuratively, watching the door creak against some debris as its being opened from the inside. Finally, it was kicked open, and the music you heard earlier became much more audible. A rocky tune, though that was the least of your surprises. In fact, what you saw next made everything fall into place. The scene was so familiar already, and the sense of deja'vu was overwhelming. And once you saw those black armor plates, that gun barrel, the drum magazine-
"If the first thing I see is your smug grin, I'm hitting the reverse, Heather!"
You wipe the smirk off your face, suppressing the urge just this once. You rush over, covering her as she steps out of the jeep. Her light blue eyes linger on you only for a moment, as if to confirm your safety, before snapping back forward.
"... who'd you piss off this time?!"
"The middlemen trying to tie up some loose ends after I handed over the package. See for yourself."
She looked to the side and raised her shield just in time to block a burst of fire sent her way. Safe to say, if they're shooting at seemingly Griffin dolls, they sure as hell shouldn't be treated as allies of Griffin either. The newly arrived shotgun raised her gun...
"Some loose end… let's get them then."
"AA-12…-"
"Save it. Let's just deal with this first."
You nodded. Although there were things the two of you needed to say to each other, that could wait. For now, the odds have been evened, and you face the enemy with renewed vigor. Over AA-12's shields, you spot them behind what remained of the bar counter, half crushed by the jeep, half on fire. Bizon had a shield of her own, one named Lupara. Two SMGs and two shotguns pitted against each other. And while the two SMGs in this shootout seemed decently matched, the shotguns were quite like night and day, with one severely outclassed by the other in this environment.
The little double-barrel T-doll gulped...
As the drum magazine fed full-auto shotgun T-doll squeezed the trigger and let loose a merciless barrage of shells upon them.
Fully automatic shell fire. It made short work of their cover, and made sure they wouldn't get a chance to peek. Shredding the wooden and burning obstructions, it left only Lupara's flimsy suitcase shields, and she was having trouble holding it together under the still constant fire.
"This is bad, we need to get out of here."
"And let that brat get away?! Not a chance!"
"The getaway vehicle's here. We need to move. Now!"
"Then go ahead, I'll hold 'em off!"
The two argued under the heavy fire, something you barely picked up on. You couldn't tell if they finally agreed or not, but you weren't idle while AA-12 was suppressing them. You circled around, aiming to get a better angle before she runs out of shells for her current mag. But PP-19 didn't remain idle either, noticing your flanking attempt and suppressing you.
"Go, now!"
It was then that AA-12 had reached the bottom of her magazine, and the opposition took their turn. Lupara let loose shells at AA-12, interrupting her attempt to reload as she used her shields to block. Meanwhile, after Bizon shot a few more times in your direction, she turned around and ran for the back exit. You attempt to intercept, but the little shotgun charges you one more time, aiming to cover her partner's retreat, which you cannot prevent without leaving yourself exposed to her charge. Since you value your recently repaired frame, you brace yourself.
However, just as Lupara was almost at your face, something with even higher velocity knocked her out of her intended path. Your companion stopped her with a charge of her own, which seemed a little uncharacteristic of her, but still greatly appreciated. The little shotgun fought back however, so she had to keep her down using her shields, and size should definitely not be underestimated when it comes to T-dolls.
"Get after her! I'll handle this!" she told you.
At first, you hesitated, not wanting to leave to fight alone. But if there's anything you can trust about AA-12, it's her skill. You nod, sprinting off after Bizon, who has already run off into the back of the diner. There you saw the back exit door, still swinging back and forth. As you run towards it, you hear Bizon's voice, and the revving of an engine…
"Step on it, Mark 5!"
"What about Lupara?!"
"I said go!"
You hear the engine roar as you dash through the exit. There's smoke on the other side, the smell of exhaust. You catch a glimpse of two humanoids, blazing off on what looked to be a motorbike, leaving you in their dust. You try to shoot, hoping for at least one bullet to connect, but they were gone in a flash. With speed like that, it had to have been a sports bike.
[ ] "Damn it!"
[X] "Well, I'm sure this won't bite me in the ass later…"
[ ] "... what have I done…?"
[ ] Write-in
With Bizon, the thing you delivered is now gone as well. You never thought you'd want that thing back, but this contractor of hers… just who are they?
Not like you can do anything about it now. You turn around, seeing a big pylon of smoke emerging from the diner. You head back inside, hoping AA-12 has left you a piece of what now seems to be your only remaining lead…
--- a few minutes later ---
The sign that said "White Dove Diner" was now in flames, as was the rest of the structure. A flaming mess of heat and smoke, turning everything inside to ash. Thankfully, the jeep was taken outside before the fire got to it. On the street in front of it, from which you can still feel the heat, two of you stood, and one knelt. Lupara had her hands tied, or whatever was left of them. Simply put, she looks like she's been through a trash compactor. Shards of glass and wood were embedded in the artificial skin of her face, her white suit was torn and stained, and her right arm in shambles. Her shield arms had no shields, and her fedora is likely being consumed by the fire, exposing her messy black hair.
Still, she was smirking up at the shotgun barrel pointed at her. AA-12 was keeping her in check, while you, of course, were rummaging through her stuff. The suitcases were only armor on the outside. On the inside, they were full of supplies. Ammo, gadgets, snacks, and booze. And a lot of money, probably her pay for this job. She went through a bunch of her supplies during your fight, but there was still plenty left for you. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the black flash drive, or any other data container. It seems you'll have to open up something else - or rather, someone else - for some intel.
"Found anything?"
"No, only some pocky… guess we're gonna have to have a little chat with our friend here."
Your prisoner turned her gaze towards you, her brown eyes defiant. You stood up and approached her.
"Did you call Groza yet?" asked AA-12.
"Yeah, they'll be here soon. Sounded like she knows Lupara."
The little shotgun cursed under her breath after hearing that name, but didn't say anything. Curious, you decide to pry a little.
"Anything you wanna get off your chest before she arrives?"
"Oh, hah hah, very funny." she scoffed. "You ain' gettin' shit from me."
"And here I thought Sangvis were a pain in the ass…" commented your companion.
"The contractor isn't your real boss, are they?" you try to point out. "Who is it? Does Groza know them?"
"Seriously, fuck y'all." scoffed the shotgun again. It seems she really didn't want to talk, even with a gunbarrel pressed against her forehead. She doesn't seem to care that much for her safety.
[ ] "Listen, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."
[X] "Sounds to me like you're in a pretty rough spot… we can get you out, you know."
[ ] "Hey, AA-12, how do you feel about physical violence again?"
[ ] Write-in
