No doubt this choice had weight. A lot of weight. The sort that was pushing your thumb to press that button, but also the sort to keep it away from it. Why is it exactly you picked your next course of action? For the sake of your allies? For your sake? Or was it perhaps your own mission directive, subconsciously keeping you from putting yourself into any more harm than you already have? Maybe it was all of those things. You either need a damn good reason or a bunch of decent ones to do what you're about to do.
"Veresk?! Veresk, can you hear me?!"
Nope. You're not doing it. You are not pressing the button. And hopefully she won't know you heard her and had every opportunity to do so. It's not that you don't trust Groza, the person. You just don't trust the commander, and don't put the value of the mission over yourself or your allies. So what if the jammer stays up? Better to live and try another day. The assault rifle keeps calling a few more times, before finally giving up.
"Damn it! Alright, withdraw everyone! Withdraw!"
It is the last thing you hear her shout. Her voice is now directed elsewhere, not reaching your ears. How bad has the situation gotten that they have to withdraw now? Have they suffered losses, or does Sangvis have reinforcements? Either way, this is good. Maybe… you don't know for sure, but you can work with this. You turn back to Ouroboros, who is still threatening to fill you up with high caliber lead.
"Don't worry Snakey, I won't do a thing~ I've had my fill of explosions for the day. If…~"
The Ringleader looks at you with an annoyed expression, gritted teeth, staring daggers as hard as she can. But bites her tongue, holding back her curses. Begrudgingly, she mouths with a snarl.
"... if?"
"If you let this poor pawn leave the chess board, as well as my comrades."
"You… expect me to withdraw?"
"Of course not. I know how precious this little jammer is to you, so I'm letting you keep it. I just want you to loosen up a little, so that we can withdraw."
"You're… capable of making that choice?"
"Take it as my goodbye present for now~"
"..."
The ringleader stares you in the eyes with silence. It may only be a few seconds, but it feels like longer. Perhaps she was trying to break you under pressure, call your claim a bluff. But you're a professional, and you stare right back. Not that she isn't scary when furious, especially with her hair down like that due to the lost hairpin, but you've got all the leverage right now.
"... we will disarm the explosives as soon as you withdraw. Should you try and set it off at any time, I will send the full force of every available unit after you. Mark my words, Griffin worm, the fury of Sangvis Ferri will crush you and leave nothing worth of a report behind! Then will we come after your allies and leave their mangled bodies to rust in the trash compactor all of you belong in! That is my promise, Griffin!"
"Yeah yeah, love ya too, sna-"
"LEAVE!"
For a moment you thought she was just going to shoot you, the anger in her eyes just a hair's length from disregarding logic for pure rage. Thankfully she appears to be order bound to keep that jammer safe, and clearly she does not seem too happy about it. Were she to shoot you right now, there's still a chance you'll be quick enough to push the button, and the risk is too high for Ouroboros to take. But you'd rather not test that theory further.
You stand up, careful about putting weight onto your right leg as it is still impaled by a machete. You decide to pull it out later, as doing it hastily could result in greater damage and a large loss of coolant. Thankfully, the motor functions haven't been crippled too much, and you're able to adjust enough to minimize your chances of falling on your face again. You pick up your gun, sighting no real damage on it, keeping it ready should the ringleader try to cross you. But interestingly enough she did no such thing yet. The two of you slowly distanced yourselves, never breaking eye contact and observing each other's movements. She tried to call over the other wheel, but it seems you've destroyed it for good. She only has her shaky two legs and single wheel to carry her out of this building, not that your footing was perfectly solid either.
You were each at opposite ends of the corridor now. One more step to the side and you're out of her sight. An interesting note to end tonight's date on. As a goodbye gesture, you…
[ ] Wink and make a peace sign.
[ ] Flip her the bird.
[ ] Make horns and stick your tongue out.
[X] Write-in: Wink and make a peace sign "Lets meet again in better circumstances Ouroboros."
--- later ---
Apply pressure. Focus to decrease swaying. Steady grip. Correct angle of pull. And…
With one careful movement, the sharp object has been pulled out of your leg. Sangvis Ferri sure knows how to make weaponry, the blade's edge having cut quite deep despite your metallic internals. Thankfully you're able to restrict coolant flow to certain areas, allowing you to cover the wound and prevent loss of liquid.
Tying a makeshift bandage as you sit on a tree stump, you can see quite a bit from the small hill you're on. With rain finally having stopped, and the moon casting its light, the dim city is quite visible for your dark adjusted eyes. You can even make out the shape of the tallest buildings, the one that you escaped from in particular. It's been a while since you evacuated, and you look at the detonator in your hand. The range should be sufficient, but no doubt Sangvis units have already disarmed the explosives.
This spot was designated as a regroup point after the mission's success. It wasn't successful, of course, but in the conditions of mission failure it is still designated as a regroup point for any surviving T-dolls. You've seen a flare shot into the sky as you were retreating, so hopefully everyone got the message. Still, you were hoping you wouldn't be the first here. You hate to admit it, but you're worried…
Suddenly, you hear some rustling in the nearby bushes. You swiftly snatch up your firearm, ready for anything. Perhaps you were followed, or Sangvis picked up on the trail of coolant you left behind. Surely Ouroboros would jump on the opportunity after she found and disarmed the explosives, even if now preoccupied with reinforcing their position and repairing her frame. But there's a lot of fumbling around in that bush, and squeaky noises like that of wet shoes, not very typical for a Sangvis unit. Could it be…
You turn on your underbarrel flashlight attachment and find out.
"A-aah!" she called, arm covering her sight. Her frame was illuminated in the light, her pale pink hair, clear skin and squinted orange eyes. Yes, it's Spectre M4, almost opening fire on you.
"Haa…. Veresk? Oh my god!"
"Good to see you too."
She lowered her SMG as she recognized you "That was so rude, shining that flashlight into my face! I could've shot you..." you shrug, pointing your light away from her. The grump left her face, clearly more happy to see you than annoyed at getting jumped like that. She called over her shoulder "Hey guys, it's Veresk!"
"Veresk?!"
Unlike usual, you heard two voices say your name at once, similar intensity and very much recognizable. You can already hear the loud footsteps coming towards you, pushing away the bushes and branches like a bulldozer. Here we go again…
"Heather! God damn it, what kinda stupid move was that?!" yelled the shotgun, barreling towards you. Still sitting, you watch her being followed by none other than Tiss, almost running towards you.
"Lilac prowler! Out… outstanding strategy! But you should've let the secret weapon handle that… we were so-"
"Angry! Fucking throwing yourself in like that, I thought I'd get a heart attack!" AA-12 kept yelling, clearly having been worried out of her mind. You can't help but smile at the two showing their concern for you.
"Yeah, I know AA-12. Sorry... for using you as a springboard…"
"That's not it, you stupid SMG! Ugh!" she may make it all look like frustration, but you know it's all just pent up stress she needs to vent somehow. This isn't the first time you were separated under such circumstances today, but you don't mind. It's sweet in a way.
Meanwhile, Tiss has sat down next to you and disregarded the concepts of personal space yet again, looking you over "You're not too damaged, are you? Shrapnel? Burns? Dislocations? The secret weapon is no stranger to repairs, leave it to me!"
"She can go blow up for all I care!" spoke the shotgun, turning around and crossing her arms, huffing. Yup, she's mad. It's understandable. That's the way she is. This is the way Ots-12 is. And this is the way you are. To reaffirm that, you say…
[ ] "I'm sorry, I really am. I'll make it up to you, and I'll avoid doing stuff like that again if I can help it."
[X] "Pout all you want. I'll give you lots of hugs and kisses as apology later. And sugar too~"
[ ] "I did what I had to. Sorry you had to go through that, but I did it for the sake of everyone."
[ ] Write-in
"That was indeed reckless, Veresk."
And there's the voice you feared the most to hear right now. Unlike the others, she walked over more calmly. Behind her was the rest of Echelon 2, the two MG types that laid down fire from above before. But rather than walking side by side, one was carrying the other. The fox-like weapon that was oftentimes too lazy to carry her own firearm was carrying the weight of another MG T-doll right on her back, HK23 holding onto her with closed eyes. Her legs that dangled from the front were bent in more ways than they should, likely the reason for this piggyback ride given by SAW of all people.
Groza's golden gaze lingered on you. Clearly her first concern was to confirm your safety. Now that she did, she went on to ask…
"Have you not heard my order? I was sure you were still somewhere on that street. I heard your gunfire..."
No way around this one without lying, it seems...
[ ] "Yeah, I was intercepted by Ouroboros, or what was left of her. The detonator ended up destroyed by her."
[ ] "I've lost the detonator in the gunfight. I couldn't find it again, so I couldn't set it off."
[ ] "What order? I haven't heard anything. All I could do at the time was stay alive…"
[ ] Write-in: "By that time Snake-chan was trying to eat me up, and I wasn't exactly able to do much beyond defending myself." Point a finger at your sliced leg. "We kinda went to the hilt on that one."
"Hm… that's unfortunate." Groza's brows furrowed "The plan was for you to set off your half of the explosives early, with everyone evacuating from the side where Tiss set her explosives. It would've given us a chance to withdraw and complete the objective at the same time."
"Sounds like a risky move…" you commented "And wouldn't Sangvis go fully on the offensive afterwards, with nothing to protect anymore?"
"With the jammer down, communications would be restored, giving us a substantial boost in combat efficiency. Were Ouroboros to be caught in the wreckage too, the enemy would've been at a major disadvantage. But it's no use talking about now." The assault rifle turns her gaze toward the city, not a single window alight, no signs of the tense battle fought being visible. Her disappointment is understandable, this would've been a major step towards the reclamation of Area S06. The resource toll alone… you might be set back weeks, even months perhaps...
"... so what now?"
"Well, now that we've confirmed everyone's gotten out safely…" she turned back towards you, and then gave a look to her assault rifle sister "Tiss, would you?"
The secret weapon at your side gave a smile. She rummaged through her pocket, pulling out her own detonator. What is she going to do with that? The explosives must be long disarmed, there's no way it would still-
Click
A moment of silence, then you hear a low, distant rumble. You look in its direction, seeing a few windows in the jammer's building light up, something you could see even from here. And not too long after, the building started shaking. It didn't take long for you to realize that it was collapsing! This outcome doesn't make sense, and yet you're watching it crumble to the ground, the jammer on its top having no chance of surviving.
"W-what? But how…?" AA-12 seems just as surprised, having known about Tiss' bomb plot the same as you.
"Did you think Tiss was the only one who brought explosives?" spoke Groza "I know my sister's antics for secrecy. Of course we needed the explosives should the jammer prove irretrievable. The only secret was that we brought more explosives than what was required, and I took some as well."
"But didn't Sangvis disarm all the explosives?"
"They did. The ones at the bottom floor, where the supports lie. And that's why there was no reason for them to check further, as it would typically be pointless to put explosives on any other floor. Not to mention, the further up you go, the more power you would need to make it collapse. We did not have enough explosives with us for that. But thankfully, our enemy had already weakened a higher floor for us. It was luck that I was already on that floor, we were her target after all."
"You mean... when Ouroboros shot those missiles?"
"That's right!" spoke Tiss, beaming with delight "Her missed attack weakened the floor enough for sis' explosives to finish it off, once she was done swiftly placing them!"
"But how did you make it in time? Setting up the explosives and getting out with Sangvis on your back?"
Groza elaborated "Thankfully, we had sniper support from Echelon 3 who had finally arrived on site. They pushed back the enemy enough for us to retreat, and shot me a zip line to get off the building. As for how Sangvis hasn't found the explosives in time…"
"It is the mark of a secret weapon!" cheered Tiss, to which Groza could only chuckle.
"Hah, I suppose. Still, this plan had a low probability of success, even lower than the one before. Really, it's a miracle this even worked. Had Sangvis pushed any harder, we'd be done for."
Pushed harder, huh? Perhaps you haven't made such a bad choice, if Ouroboros really did ease up on the attack as per your deal. Still, it was a gamble, and things could've ended up a lot worse. But all things considered…
"Geez, is gambling all you guys know how to do?" complained the bewildered voice of AA-12 "Like, hello? You could've gotten yourselves killed! All three of you!"
"We had our orders AA-12, and we carried them out. We are lucky to have made it out." replied Ots-14. Interesting, a doll speaking of luck "With the success of this operation, the commander should gain access to more resources for the reclamation of Area S06. We will be relying less on chance from now on."
"Peh, whatever." clearly still annoyed, AA-12 walked off to the side. Even with a victory she's still upset. A few more sorries and sugary treats on the way back to base might soften her up. Maybe a visit to her dorm too, have another listen to that radio show she's always on about. Perhaps invite Tiss too...
"By the way, Veresk, do you know what became of Ouroboros?"
You were taken out of your thoughts by your squad commander's question. Of course, the enemy ringleader that's been left on death's door. It's almost hard to believe she got away alive, even if she was such a tough opponent. You've spent a lot of resources fighting her, leaving marks that felt like an entire echelon on her. And still she got away… unless she got crushed in that building. Sure would be a sad end to the snake.
"She got away, just barely… guess she couldn't handle my overflowing love~"
"Hah, she certainly fancies you." joked the assault rifle. She looked back at the collapsed building "She was a formidable opponent, huh? Well, you might not like what I'm about to say… but we have reasons to believe this was just a dummy."
"... what?" questioned AA-12, clearly not having stopped listening to the conversation "You mean that fire spewing demon of a doll… was just a dummy the real ringleader was controlling from god-knows-where?!"
"Yes. Her internals very much looked like those of a dummy variant. But ringleader dummies are still very strong. We are lucky she only had one here."
Well… fuck. You're definitely going to need help if you ever see her again. But by the sound of things, you will. Not just one echelon, but several. The battlefields will only grow larger with this victory. Maybe this won't take so long after all…
"Ah, the commander's calling…"
"Will he be pleased with the results?"
"... doubtful, but it's nothing to worry about."
Groza shrugged, then turned around and walked a small distance away to pick up the commander's call. Meanwhile, Saw approaches with the other MG HK23 still on her shoulders, setting her down near you with a huff.
"Uugh, why do I have to carry the second heaviest girl on the base…"
Half of you wanted to correct that statement, as AA-12 is clearly a heavier model than this short little MG, but deciding not to be rude you just ask "What happened to her?"
"Fell down the elevator shaft. Freaking cable broke." Saw replied, taking a seat as well "She hit her head on the way down and broke her legs. But I think the impact messed up her digimind somehow. She woke up on my back a few times, but every time I told her it's me she just passed out again. Weird, huh?"
You nod, it does sound odd. You remember this T-doll as being very needy for the presence of others, scared of being alone. It must be a pretty serious glitch for the presence of someone to crash her whole digimind.
"Sir, but… understood. Yes, sir, we'll be heading out momentarily. Yes, they'll be ordered to stay… Ots-14 out."
With a sigh, Groza ended the call and returned. From the look on her face you can tell it didn't go too well. Everyone looks up at her to listen for new orders.
"We'll regroup with Echelon 3 and head back to base. Prepare some resources to give to M82A1 and SPP-1, the commander has ordered them to stay and oversee the situation in the city."
"What? Seriously? They'll have to stay here for the whole cold night?" questioned Spectre, trying to dry out her hair. Cold and wet night, to be more accurate. It only stopped raining now and might start again any time, as it is typical for yellow zones.
"Since we couldn't take over the city, the commander wants to know whether Sangvis will remain or withdraw with the current state of the jammer. It seems he hasn't given up on trying to salvage it."
"Geez… he's a real slave driver." commented AA-12, to which you silently agreed.
What could they do though? It is not the place of a doll to question orders. You're all subordinates, that's just what they're built to do. Though, you suppose human soldiers aren't too different in that regard.
Everyone stands up again to prepare to leave for base Chordeiles, a trip that should feel safer now that communications are restored. Coordination between echelons is already in effect, Groza discussing with Echelon 3 the direction of travel and where the two dolls will set up camp for the night. The rest are doing inventory and integrity checks, looking over what resources remained. Everyone's low on ammo, you're down to a magazine and a half, and one grenade left to your name. But you've got a flare gun now, you gained your machete back, and there's one more thing… you still have the detonator. Nobody noticed it's still in your possession. Yet. If they did, it might raise some uncomfortable questions… you could just get rid of it now, throw it into a bush while nobody's looking, so far in the forest it's doubtful anyone would find it... Although it'd be a bit of a waste, without it the explosive charge in your possession will be very limited in its use. And nobody will look for the detonator as it will already be discarded from the base's inventory list. It'd be a little more difficult to get your hands on a new one, especially with the commander on-base. So you can either throw it away now, or keep it for now, maybe throw it away later or not at all. Perhaps it's greedy, perhaps it's nothing to worry about… still, you've got to do something with it.
[X] Keep the detonator.
[ ] Throw away the detonator.
[ ] Plant the detonator into (write-in)'s bag.
