You nod to Tiss, taking the flare gun. The ringleader has already fought you and perhaps already has some idea of how you operate, but the secret weapon might be much more difficult for her to counter. At least until you get back.
Although it hurts your soul to run off from your second date with the snake, it's just a quick detour to set up the fireworks. Ots-12 uses hand signs to signal to you when to go. 3… 2… 1… Go! Just as you sprint off, she lays down suppressive fire upon the enemy. Bullets fly around you, but none are accurate enough because of the threat of suppression. Even the twin machinegun fire of Ouroboros seemed more off than usual. You finally reach the corner and turn. You were out of harm's way for now.
Next step was to find the elevator shaft. Good thing you memorized a large part of this floor already. You met no resistance along the way, and the old sliding doors were just as open as you've left them. You head inside the cabin and look up through the escape hatch. It looked like a bottomless dark pit, only going up. Two thick cables extended into the darkness, which the T-dolls would use to get down most likely. You're not sure whether those rusty old cables will hold the heavier of your companions, but it's the fastest way down that doesn't involve broken joints… not certainly at least.
You look at the flare gun in your hand. A simple model, loaded with a single flare, but it's not like you'll miss. There's a Griffin insignia on the side, giving the owner authority for this piece of equipment. You wonder if Tiss will let you keep it…
Aiming upwards and pulling the trigger, you shot the bright ball of crimson fire up the elevator shaft, its bright light banishing the darkness. It reached higher and higher, making you wonder if it might even reach the ceiling. It almost looked like a star at its highest, brightest point, surely getting the attention of someone. You stuck around even after it's been extinguished, waiting for some sign that it worked. You wait a while, only silence returning to you. Until…
"Tiss? Does this have anything to do with the gunfire we're hearing?!"
You hear the echoing voice of Groza, reaching from who knows which floor all the way down to you. Quickly you respond, informing her of the situation with the previously thought-to-be dead ringleader and your current predicament. You can be witty later.
"This is unfortunate… change of plans! We're coming down! You and Tiss hold out until then!"
Sure, easier said than done. But help is on its way at least. Without having to wait for them to get down, you turn back to the hallway and head back to Tiss. You can still hear the gunfire, so she must be still holding her own. But for how much longer you cannot say, which is why you hurry after her. Surely your allies won't be far behind for long.
After a while of running you return to the main entrance where Ouroboros had the two of you pinned down. The reception desk was in shambles, ufit to hide anyone's presence any longer. You found Tiss not behind this bullet riddled obstruction, but behind a pillar that didn't offer much maneuverability, but at least it was thick enough to stop fire from cheating its way through to her. There were some tears on her clothes, likely from near misses. She's no SMG or handgun after all, she's only as good at evading as she is at offense. From behind a corner, you whistle at her. She notices you as she reloads, and you see the twinkle in her eye even through the dusty air.
From your current position you cannot do much, too much obstruction between you and the enemy. Best way to support her is to get back into the thick of it. She nods, readying her rifle. You'll both be firing to suppress Sangvis until you find cover. The next moment, fire began being exchanged, and you dashed out with your firearm raised.
More and more units came into view, some laying on the ground with their head compartments shot through, but their numbers did not seem to be getting any smaller. Your weapon sings, trading incoming fire while your legs help you dodge it. Among the horde you also see Ouroboros, her red eyes staring daggers at you. She tries to point her armaments at you, but as she does she appears to be losing balance. A nearby ripper unit disengages from the fire fight to support her body. It appears her leg is more damaged than it seemed. In her stumble you also saw pieces of rebar sticking out of her back. Even so, using her units as support she gestures her hand towards you, her twin rifles sending fire your way. Thankfully, you manage to transition from your dash into a slide, your small profile making it to another stone pillar.
"The snake seems a lot more interested in you!" called Ots-12, hiding behind cover again now that you're safe.
"Hope she didn't give you a hard time, snake-chan can be very demanding of attention!" you jested, reloading your own gun. You smile as you feel a heightened amount of fire against the pillar you're hiding against.
"Actually, she couldn't stop talking about you!" mused the assault rifle "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has developed secret feelings for you!~"
"Are all you Griffin trash obsessed with courtship behavior?!" called the annoyed voice of the ringleader, further hammering against your concrete obstructions "Well, let me tell you, you're terrible at it!"
[ ] "A certain shotgun would disagree~"
[ ] "And yet you're all over me! Just admit it, I rocked your world like no-one else~"
[X] "Ah, typical tsundere behavior. We'll penetrate that shell yet, snake-chan~"
[ ] Write-in
Tiss giggles to herself at the efficiency of your taunting, definitely taking notes. But you had to drop the playfulness a little when Sangvis units started entering the building. It became rather difficult to pick them off with all that fire being sent against just the two of you, and they were only getting closer. But then-
BANG!
The body of a vespid unit was shredded by blasts of pellets, moments before it managed to get to your cover. And when energy rounds were sent the attacker's way, only metallic clinging was heard as they were all deflected and stopped.
"I leave you alone for 5 minutes..."
Spoke the familiar tone of AA-12, reaching your side with her ballistic shields up. She looked annoyed, but you met it with a smug smile of your own as usual.
"What can I say, I felt lonely~"
"Well, hope you're satisfied with just us, cause the others are still a bit behind."
"Hm? Why's that?"
"Uh… the cable I was sliding down on snapped, rusty old thing. The others will have to be careful with the remaining cable."
"Hm… maybe I should start regulating your rations~"
"D-don't even joke about that!" she said, distress in her voice. Clearly she wouldn't want her last reliable source of sugar to start limiting her, how sweet.
"Well then, let's show her our secret strategy!" called Tiss, invigorated now that there are three of you. But from behind, another voice called as it approached.
"We're in the open! How is any of this secret?!" the hurried tone of Specter spoke, sliding up to a pillar near Ots-12. She looked well, except for her wet top that made her look more like a shameless bikini model. But judging by her reading material, she might've been going for that anyway.
"Well, it would've been if you secretly flanked them…" says Tiss, pouting playfully.
"L-l-like I wanna go out into the rain again! You can do that yourself, oh super secret firecracker!"
You smile at their almost carefree banter, even in the face of a ringleader. Your numbers did just multiply after all, but it'll be awhile before the major bulk of reinforcements. And you were still under fire.
"So, what now?" asked AA-12. You might have a more fortified defense now, but you've still got no real way to fight them off aside from suppressing them. Either you or Tiss were of some higher authority right now, so whatever you say goes, as long as it makes sense. But with your current position, SF will keep gaining on you. It is your luck she's not using her rocket launchers.
"Hah, starting to realize it now, Griffin trash?! Even with higher numbers, a corner is a corner, and there's no way off this board!" taunted the ringleader, even as she leans against her units as support. Looking over, you see another unit kneeling at her side, performing field repairs on her. With how exposed it is, you try to take a shot at them, but they immediately suppress you again. At this rate her combat efficiency will only increase, and you won't just be fighting a crippled command unit anymore…
"Be careful not to get backed into your own corner, Sangvis!"
The gazes of both sides turned upwards, to a voice that echoed from several floors up. It might only be visible to the ringleader and her units, but you already knew who it was. Commander Groza and the other dolls of Echelon 2 are looking over the side of the building, their weapons aimed at the mass of SF beneath.
"Light her up!"
You hear the thunk of a large, explosive shell being expelled from its chamber, alongside the combined fire power of two machine guns, followed by an explosion on the streets below. Now that's what an ambush looks like, just what you'd expect of the secret weapon's little sister. With SF in disarray, you add your fire onto theirs, attacking them from two points. If you push now, you may be able to go on the offensive.
That's when you notice that your target, the snake, has evaded and only left the impact point of the grenade in her footsteps. You scan the street to spot her, noticing one lonely unit slowly picking herself off the concrete ground, barely standing on two feet. The floating devices shifted their gears, revealing the inner explosive rocket compartment. She's not aiming at you, but above, likely believing that the building can take damage further up. You try and take a shot, but a row of Vespids immediately steps in-between to protect their ringleader. If you don't do something now, Groza and the others will get blown up.
[ ] Get closer and throw a Frag Grenade
[ ] Ask Ots-12 for another flare and get close to shoot it at Ouroboros
[X] Rush in with AA-12
[ ] Write-in
