Girl's Frontline: Wicked Animandum

"David. If we attract attention, it might be hard to stay unnoticed in such a busy area, so it's best to get there before that happens. If we run into trouble there, there should be less eyes looking at us going after Mack afterwards." you explain.

"It's your decision. Being able to stay cool headed when lives are at stake is an admirable trait." said the assault rifle.

"My, Groza, what a charmer~"

"But, hiding stress under a smug exterior… a little less so."

You let out a little laugh. Nothing wrong with some passive smugness, in fact, it's something to be proud of.

"If you two are done praising each other…" began AA-12. Right, there's still the road ahead to traverse.

--- The City of Enmond ---

"What's the game plan once we arrive?"

"The gas station jerk - oh, sorry, I meant clerk - mentioned a place called Luv's Garage. We'll leave the jeep to be repaired there, maybe change license plates, while I take a cab to Dai's location. One of you will come with me."

"We gonna pull out the totally convincing G&K commander play again?"

"Please don't…"

"No need. Just stay in the jeep and try not to get noticed. I'll handle the rest."

That was the plan as you passed the outer walls, entered the city, and made your way towards the aforementioned garage. Being here again after all this time, the streets didn't look all that different. There's still that old grey tone to every building, sidewalks populated with the fortunate and less fortunate, that bleak cloudy sky like it's gonna rain any second but it won't… welcome to Enmond.

Finding the first destination on your agenda wasn't too difficult, the directions you were given were accurate enough. The building had a large neon sign saying "Luvenstadt Garage & Services" but only the letters "Luvs Garage" were actually illuminated, so you assumed that's the source of the nickname. Parking the vehicle nearby, you step out of the vehicle and enter the establishment.

It didn't seem like a particularly busy day for the garage, some vehicles sitting inside but no actual customers. The interior looked like what one would expect, pretty much. Walls lined with tools, cabinets on wheels housing even more tools, power cables spread left and right… all in all, you've seen worse. It was awfully quiet too, and you wondered where you'd find the owner or one of their employees. But your keen T-doll sense picked up on cracking of a wrench, and you followed the noise. You finally found a living soul within this dim building, lying on their back beneath a particularly big truck.

"Excuse me, are you the owner?"

"That depends." she speaks, still not emerging from under the mechanical beast as she tinkered with its metallic insides. "You a customer, inspector, or another hot headed backstreet kid lookin' for a fight?"

"Customer."

"Ah~" finally, the clang of a wrench signifies that she dropped her tool, and finally moved to emerge from the shadows. Her jeans were just as stained as her tank top, but at least her face was better off, with only a few dark spots. Her short orange hair was miraculously clean, though a few strands were slipping out of that tiny ponytail. She stood up and stretched, then immediately took a nearby kerchief to clean some of her stains. "Well then, ya need something fixed? Tuned? Replaced? Or-"

It was then that she actually took a good look at you. A moment of realization struck across her similarly orange eyes, and you're not quite sure what it was that she noticed at first. "Oh…" after the pause, she continued to wipe her hands. "Sorry, I couldn't tell right away from the voice. So, got a vehicle here, or you lookin' for something regarding your own frame?"

"Hm? My frame?" you ask.

God, not again…

"Yeah, as in, you, the doll. Oh, don't look so surprised." she nonchalantly threw the kerchief on a table to her side. "When you're in the biz' as long as I am, you pick up on the telltale signs that differentiate people from dolls. My ol' pa called it a gift, though he said that 'bout pretty much everything."

Once again, your cover is blown. Just how easy is it to tell you're a doll these days? Or have you just run into the worst people to run into? First a jerk that notices the uniform, and now a mechani-

"Wait a minute, you can modify T-dolls?"

"Well, yeah. Got a workstation and everything. The sign above the roof does say Garage & Services, after all."

"Yeah, that part of the sign wasn't glowing, sadly."

"... really? Thought I fixed that…" she scratched the back of her head, but otherwise didn't seem to have an actual problem with you being a doll. But it is still too soon to tell if it's gonna be a problem for you though. "Well, you ain't gonna lose rust standing there. No need to call your owner or anything, they just need to show up later for the paperwork."

"... I'll make sure he'll be here." you reassure her. Well, one of them at least. "I've got a jeep that's a little banged up. Might have to replace the front bumper."

"That bad, huh?" she asked, moving towards a cabinet and arranging some tools. Screwdrivers and other gadgets swung around in pouches hanging from her belt as she walked. "What'd you do, drive it through a wall?"

"My friend did."

Her motions stopped, turning to look at you with slight disbelief in her eyes. "No shit?"

"Well, you know how a girl can act when she spends too much time away from her beloved~" you chuckle, and after a while she chuckles along.

"Hah, no need to tell me twice. Well, I have no pressing orders right now, so I can get right to it if you want."

"That'd be real swell of you. I'll leave two of my associates here along with the jeep, if you don't mind. Refer to them if you have any questions."

"Eeeeh… as long as they can keep the noise down. Guess the waiting couch will finally get some use." she pointed behind her towards… nothing in particular. Probably meant a backroom or something. "Who are you guys anyway? You don't seem like a local model…"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say. Client confidentiality, all that jazz."

"I get it, don't worry about it. A customer's a customer. Hell, I prefer some change around here every once in a while…" she shrugged, not pressing you any further.

"Well then, I'll leave it in your hands, miss…"

"Just call me Luv."

"... Luv?"

"Blame my pa' for naming me when he was well into his eleventh drink." she said nonchalantly, like she had to explain this curiosity to customers every second day of the week.

And here you thought T-dolls got the short end of the stick when it came to names. Humans sure had weird stuff to call the things they love.

You gave a farewell to the orange haired mechanic as you exited the garage and came back to the jeep. You explained the situation to your companions, as well as Luv's keen eye when it comes to their robotic kind. Ouroboros and AA-12 looked skeptical, while Groza seemed intrigued.

"Will she be able to notice I'm a Sangvis model?"

"Not sure, but that shouldn't be a big deal anyway. It's not like SF has remote control over models they've sold before the uprising…"

"..."

"... right?"

"O-obviously!"

You were skeptical of Ouroboros' response, but she is probably just lying because she doesn't know, not because S.F. actually broke the law and has total remote control of all their products… hopefully…

"Anyway. Since we've already made it to this point, it's time for you to take one of us and go save that Kolsurd fellow of yours." voiced Groza. Indeed, it is about high time for that.

The main problem your choice will have to overcome is the avoidance of attention. You will already have to leave a majority of your gear in the jeep if you want to traverse the public space without inciting a panic. And so will the doll you're taking along. That means Groza will have to drag her great weapon case along, which might allow her to keep the most firepower hidden, but not very fast on the draw especially indoors. AA-12 would have to leave her shields behind and hide her gun under her hoodie, not to mention lose some of those big magazines. And lastly, Ouroboros would have to leave her heavy ordnance launchers, which are her main source of offense. But perhaps by using her G&K uniform, she could disguise at least one of them as a package or service drone…

[X] Take Ots-14
[ ] Take AA-12
[ ] Take Ouroboros
[ ] Go alone

--- His New Life ---

"Hello, welcome to Enmond Real Estate Industries. How may I help?"

The receptionist presented a visibly strained smile as she looked down at you, probably thinking you're as young as you look.

"I have an appointment with one of your employees. Is Mister Kolsurd in today?"

"One moment…" she checked the computer on her desk and tapped the screen a few times, outside of your vision. You were tapping your foot all the while… wait, why are you doing that?

"Ah, yes, Mister Kolsurd should currently be in his office. 11th floor, take the left corridor from the lift, then turn right at the end. Second door on the left."

"Thank you." without wasting any more time on politeness, you turn towards the elevators and approach the one heading up. All the people around you fade into the background as you focus on your objective. You press the button to call it… it takes a while… you press it again, and again… there, finally. How slow can these things be?

Finally inside the elevator, along with your companion in tow, you feel the shift in gravity as you're taken up to the desired floor. You take a deep breath… maybe you're rushing things? Can things be rushed when a life is at stake? Maybe not, but it's not like you can wait faster for this elevator to get up… at least you can think about how to approach him when you finally get there. He will definitely remember you, no way he won't. But knowing the contractor, he might already be in their crosshairs. Getting him away from here as soon as possible might be the best course of action, but any sudden movements and bullets might start flying before you even know where from. Maybe letting the enemy think he's just going for a coffee break instead of escaping the premises is the better option to avoid the spilling of blood and new coverage of an incident you'd be involved in.

[ ] Approach him calmly, explain the situation subtly so you may escape without notice.
[ ] Approach him hurriedly, get him out of the danger zone even if it may cause a scene.
[X] Write-in: Act as if you were a delivery service Doll. Calmly approach him and tell him he has a private voice message needing a response to be heard without witnesses as part of the senders request.

"Hey, are you okay?"

You were snapped out of your thoughts by Groza, who's standing with you in the lonely elevator. She's got her weapon case with her, which thankfully doesn't look like a weapon case. Nobody should question it until you've got Dai out of here… hopefully.

"Yeah, I'm fine." you reply. Not time to let your mask slip.

"Well then, I'll keep watch outside of his office while you convince him to leave, as planned."

"Keep me posted on any suspicious personnel. Security might be armed and against us, worse if they were bribed."

"I hope you've got a less violent plan of escape planned than shooting our way out of here."

She looked down at you, but you countered her gaze with a smug smile. "I'll try to keep it quiet, but no promises."

With the ring of a bell, the elevator doors slid open. You and Ots-14 were greeted by a low populated hallway. You remember the direction that the secretary gave you and turn left. You pass office workers and men in suits on your way, seeing nothing out of the ordinary yet. But they seemed to find you to be out of the ordinary, as a few pairs of eyes followed you for a couple of steps. Or rather, they were following Groza. You suppose you can't blame them. You would've hired her for those legs alone anyway.

You took another turn, to the right this time. On the other side of the corridor you saw a security guard, but thankfully you didn't have to go his way. You did take this chance to check their equipment though: a baton, a stun gun, and a service pistol… midtown security alright.

Second door on the left, this is it. You look at the name plague, and it really does say David Kolsurd. You take a deep breath, exchange gazes with Groza, who nods towards you. Time for a reunion you never expected to have…

You twist the door handle and walk inside. Within is a small, but well lit office, standard issue company made. A desk, file cabinets, chairs. And of course, the owner of this tiny workspace himself. Without looking up from his papers, he addresses you.

"Since you just walked in here without knocking, I'm assuming you're one of my clients. In which case I'm gonna have to ask you to wait, I'm in the middle of a crackdown…"

He sounds pretty much the same. His green eyes were too focused on the texts before him to really get a look at you. His dark brown hair was still tied into a ponytail, with loose strands on the sides. Only thing that seemed different was that he had light facial hair. Signs of stress? You closed the door behind you, planning to move in and take a seat like a client, but then you noticed… the huge ass window right behind him. If there's any sniper setting up there, it's gonna be a free shooting gallery set on easy mode. You don't have time to play catch up.

"Special delivery for a 'David Kolsurd', courtesy of Columba company. I'm gonna need you to sign, sir."

Upon hearing your voice, his motions stopped. Slowly, he raised his eyes, and a look of disbelief found itself on his face as he gazed upon you for the first time in two years.

"... Heather?" he asks, his mind dropping everything else at the moment. "I-I can't believe this. What are you-"

He stops himself, seeing your serious expression. You want to smile back at him, but not now. Now you need to communicate the danger to him, like you did many times before when you were working together. For a moment he looks puzzled, but then he seems to catch on.

"... trouble?" he asks in a quiet voice. You nod.

"Don't turn around." you tell him, just as quietly. He almost does, but stays his eyes. As long as this looks like an actual delivery, the sniper won't shoot him in front of a witness. Just gotta let the sniper believe his game isn't up and that the target will return. "The package is just outside. If you'd please, sir."

"... sure, of course." he replies, calm as ever, putting on a mental mask of his own. He stands up from his desk, grabbing his phone and a pen. Without glancing at the window, he walks around the desk and towards you. Nice and easy, once he's past the door he should be out of immediate danger. But just before he reaches the door you've begun to open, he took his coat. Damn it, won't that look too suspicious?

Finally you're walking through the door frame, but then you noticed a bright shine, creeping on the corner of your vision. Looking back, you see a bright flash of light through the window, and you know that you have to act. In a quick movement, you push David stumbling into the hallway and shut the door as fast as you can. What follows is the muffled sound of broken glass, and a hole in the door just above your head. A close miss.

"Are you alright, sir?" you spare no time for a sigh as you offer a hand to the disoriented man of the hour, lying on the ground. "That coat better be worth it." He gives you an odd look, but plays along.

"Yeah… just lost my balance, is all." he takes your hand and stands back up. What few people were around seemed to be fooled by your play, as they didn't pay it much mind. You then turn to Groza, who was standing by the whole time.

"How's our route?"
"A guard just took position at the elevators. Doubt it's a coincidence."

You clicked your tongue. Sure would've been faster that way. You turn back to David, who has noticed your little hush hush with Groza.

"Friend of yours?"
"I'll introduce you two soon enough. Now though, which way to the stairs?"
"Right down this hall. Follow me."

David takes the lead now, taking the two of you down the opposite end of the hall. He's keeping his right hand hidden under his folded coat, while he keeps the index finger of his left hand pressed against the side of his ear, pretending to be calling someone. That way he looks a little less suspicious or approachable leading two well dressed ladies through the halls. Eventually, you reach the fire escape stairs. Simple one-way doors, once you're past them you can only go down. There's a light echo as they close behind you.

"How long has it been… 2 years?" David talks, rather casually even as you're hurrying down the endless looking staircases, mocking you with their numbers. "No calls, no letters, nothing, and suddenly you show up, and now there's a hole in my office door…" he chuckled. "Guess the delivery job didn't go as planned?"

"I'm surprised you caught on so quickly. I was wondering if you'd even recognize me."

"Smug face like that? Sticks with you for a lifetime." He makes you chuckle. "Besides, I somehow figured this day would come. Having broken the code of conduct and all."

"Like giving a doll independence?"

"Knew it would bite me in the ass someday… but hey, it was worth it to see you again." he chuckled again. "Anyway, how have you been? I like what you've done with your hair."

"... we can play catchup later. Our ride is parked out back, we'll get you somewhere safe."

"You've got a ride? Sounds like you've been moving up in the world."

[ ] "Up is a… relative term."
[ ] "Your office floor is the highest I've been in the last two years. No offense."
[ ] "Totally. I've got a bodyguard, an escort, a pet snake, everything a girl could ask for~"
[ ] Write-in

Finally reaching the lower floors, Dai seemed to be a bit out of breath, but the final push door was in sight. David skipped the last few steps, aiming to open it. Perhaps he could even lead you to a back exit for a faster getaway. However, as you approached, the door opened from the other side first.

A guard walks in, security vest and all. Not only that, but the patch on his shoulder suggested that he's in charge of security. The buzz cut and black shades he had on just seemed stereotypical at that point. David stopped dead in his tracks, and the two stared each other down. You stood behind him.

"... Hey Kolsurd."

"... Hey Jerry."

The two shared a five second long silence.

"Checking the halls for smokers again?"

"... guess you could say that." the man named Jerry replied, taking a step forward. David doesn't budge. "Going somewhere? Your shift isn't over yet."

"Ah, yeah… got some special clients today, as you can see." he motioned behind him with his thumb, pointing at you and Groza. "Elevator was out, and they insisted on seeing the venue themselves, so… yeah."

"Uh-huh." it was hard to read any sort of expression from his face… Why's he wearing sunglasses indoors anyway? "Well, unfortunately, you won't be going anywhere. Boss called a staff meeting."

David shrugged, "I wasn't notified."

"I'm notifying you." his voice became stern, more imposing. They exchanged stares again. You noticed the slight movement of Jerry's right hand towards his belt.

"... fine." David slumps his shoulders in defeat, about to turn around. "Oh, by the way, here's the five bucks I owe you."

"What? You don't owe me any-"

ZAAAAAAAAAP!

His voice broke off into a shaky, strained yell as David revealed to be holding a taser under his coat, slamming the thing into the guard's side. During the aftershock, David grabbed his head and smashed it against the stairwell railing. He didn't even get to draw his gun before he hit the ground, limp as a hot potato. David panted for a moment, before putting the taser away.

"I do now." he crouches down and picks up his gun from his holster, but otherwise just leaves him laying there, unconscious. "We better stay cautious. He's not the only corrupt guard in this building."

"You seem quite capable for a former delivery boy." voiced Groza as she placed her case on the ground, opening it to extract her firearm. You also pulled out your own.

"Hah, has Heather been telling stories about me? Nothing embarrassing I hope."

"Only that you like to bicker."

"Eh... guilty as charged." he positioned himself next to the door, pistol at the ready. You are glad to see he hasn't forgotten his firearms training after leaving Columba.

You hear the click of Ots-14's case behind you, and she stands up with her namesake firmly in her hands again. Being a relatively quiet rifle, it would be best to let her take point. You just hope there won't be any use for that grenade launcher attachment, as magnificent it would be, it'd attract too much attention. She takes position on the other side of the door. "I advise you to stand behind us, mister Kolsurd. We'll escort you."

"How considerate of you, miss…?"

"Ots-14, but as of the occasion, you may call me Groza."

"A T-doll? Figures. You're quite… uh… one second though, we better focus on getting out of here." he clears his throat, avoiding her gaze for a moment. Smooth one, Dai…

They're just waiting on you now. You're about to move over, but you bump into the still unconscious security chief lying on the floor. He's still out cold, but noticed him mumble and twitch. How long is he going to be napping here… and how long until he gets into your way again? Maybe you should leave a message for the contractor, one written in blood.

[ ] Kill the guard.
[ ] Leave the guard be.
[ ] Tell David to leave the gun he took.

"Ready when you are, Heather."