Girl's Frontline: Wicked Animandum

[Lurkman]

"... nah, sis will definitely be asleep… shame, when she's dreamy she sometimes calls me onee-san."

Tiss kept on musing with a cloudy gaze, even as the trio of her, you and Specter, now dressed were walking through the halls towards the canteen. The base seemed as quiet as always, the dry white walls doing little to fill the emptiness. Without any windows it might've looked depressing even.

"And you're supposed to be the older model…"

Commented Specter, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Someone as secret as me could not be put in such a high position of command and exposure. Sis is better at that. It doesn't in any way denigrate the… yawn… the secret weapon."

"Yeah, a true role model…" the SMG replied, sarcasm reeking in the air.

"Better than those in your magazines. Sis dresses way better, and doesn't need to show as much skin."

"I-It's a matter of perspective! Geez, everyone's a critic these days…"

Being between the two bickering girls wasn't as pleasant as you thought, but it does offer some interesting observations. Almost every argument you've witnessed them have was rather one-sided, Tiss always staying calm and relaxed with her lips often curling upwards, eyes twinkling with every reply. Specter on the other hand always displayed a flurry of emotions, constantly getting something thrown her way to set her off balance. The SMG doesn't even realize this, falling for the AR's tricks many times. And yet they share a room. It is unclear whether it's under Groza's or the commander's orders, and for what reason. Your contemplations come to a halt when you reach the canteen. You enter to see it inhabited more than any other morning so far. And somewhat accurate to your prediction, there were two main tables your fellow T-dolls were sitting at. The green rifle was digging into her meal, her roommate SPP-1 at her side taking much smaller bites out of hers. With then sat Barrett and HK23, both eating quietly but still being part of the conversation. Tiss gave it one look, before choosing another table, one inhabited by M249 saw, PSG-1 and AA-12. If you remember correctly, and judging by the shotgun's messy tired expression, the three are roommates. Less than ideal ones by the looks of it, but if she hasn't requested another room yet it should be fine.

You each got your meals from the food dispenser, a standard energetic breakfast ration, and sat down, AA-12 to your side.

"Good morning, Heather…" said the shotgun, trying not to have her face fall into her meal.

"You look tired."

"It's difficult to sleep in the repair bay, and then there's these two…" she pointed at the resident slacker duo, who didn't seem as sleepy though their movements were still lazy, chins supported by their hands.

"Hey, you keep agreeing to our requests."

"Yeah, it's not our fault you're so helpful and reliable."

The two smile innocently, playing the card together. You can guess what sort of requests they make of AA-12. Though, you wonder just how they have so much candy to spare for every little thing. Unless it's just promises that may just be empty. In that case, you at least have one-upped them in that regard.

"Bright Star, it's good to see you in good condition again." said Ots-12 from your other side.

"Huh? Oh, right, Bright Star, that's me…"

"It's the star-shaped hair pin. It's pretty stylish!" commented Specter.

"Um, thanks, I guess…"

"It fits pretty well with the rest of your outfit. You read fashion magazines too, right? I've heard such expression of bright colors has been popular lately!"

"Uhm…"

"I dunno about the make up though. It makes you look kinda goth, y'know? With the dark eyeshadow your skin looks so pale, plus that messy hair..."

"...? That's not make-up, it's just eyebags…"

"O-oh…"

The SMG scratched her head at the awkward realization, while the other dolls at the table lightly chuckled. AA-12 just looked to the side, trying to avoid any more uncomfortable looks. Tiss wasn't giggling, though she was smiling somewhat smugly at her roommate.

"Cha cha real smooth~"

"U-um, anyway! Yesterday's mission was interesting, right?" she blurted out under pressure, likely to change the subject. Finally, the machine gun perked up.

"Oh, yeah, I heard it was a disaster. Glad I wasn't there."

[ ] "Disaster pretty much sums it up."
[ ] "No-one can really be blamed for what happened."
[ ] "The mission was still a success, and that's what counts."
[X] "I should've known something would explode around me sooner or later."
[ ] Write-in

"Well, things might've gone differently if-"

"PSG-1, don't." interjected the shotgun "She's already staring daggers…"

It didn't take you long to figure out who. It might not be on your back as much as your neighbor's, but there's a doll staring your way from the other table with a pretty noticeable intensity. Though, looking over to Tiss, she seems rather unaffected.

"... by the way, have any of you seen Benelli?"

"I saw some dirty dishes, so she probably already had her breakfast and is preparing the briefing right now."

"I swear if it's encrypted again…"

--- later ---

"It's encrypted again..."

"Hm? Nono! It's a very simple cipher this time! You see…"

Once again, you were gathered in the command room on the order of M1014 Benelli, if a little earlier today. Just like before, you were given documents and instructed to wait until the briefing begins to open them. To the surprise of few, the contents appeared to be incomprehensible again. The shotgun tried to explain, but the annoyed gazes of their comrades were too much to fight off.

"Benelli…" started JS05 "This is why Groza is the commander's adjutant, and not you."

"Hhuh? Hey, that's uncalled for…"

"Poor sis will have to deal with this once she wakes up~"

"J-just listen people!" pleaded the voice of highest authority currently in the room, trying to salvage the situation, though the cheerful and professional attitude from when she was distributing the files was gone. "It really isn't a complex cipher this time! It's-"

"ROT13."

You mouthed, after your eyes had scanned the document long enough to conclude the implied method. She was right, it was a simple cipher. Too simple, you recognized it almost immediately. Columba used to offer encryption services for more sensitive data, the encryption strength and method depended on how much the client was willing to pay. ROT13 could barely be considered a cipher by most, but customers didn't know that so it was an option at a pretty low price. Though, it did not mean that when heaps of cash were presented, the encryption and method were low grade. You carried data that'd take years to bruteforce. Sometimes you performed the encryption yourself, and soon enough "doll encrypted" became an available method some curious clients paid for too. Besides, the E-war module isn't just for show. The company sure knew how to cash in on you…

Your reminiscing was pushed aside once you noticed everyone's gaze on yourself. They soon afterwards took second glances at their own papers. Many of them sighed, including JS05.

"... it really is ROT13… Benelli, do we look like grade schoolers to you?"

"N-no, um... I thought since none of you had been outfitted with special deciphering programs or training, we could start with some very simple codes and work ourselves up. A-and as you can see, this code can be cracked in seconds!"

The dolls thought, as Benelli wasn't really wrong. They can't complain as the documents are actually readable this time, so instead of continuing to argue, they just went back to reading today's tasks. You did too, but you couldn't help but notice the shotgun staring at you from the corner of your eye. She then addressed you.

"You, um, know codes, miss Veresk?"

[ ] "Just a few."
[X] "My old line of work required me to work a lot with ciphers."
[ ] "You could say we dolls live in code."
[ ] "It's one of my strongest weapons."
[ ] Write-in

"I see." smiled Benelli "It's good to see someone with experience in this field. Maybe we could-"

"Huh? Hey, what is this?" your friendly chat was interrupted when the green rifle T-doll had apparently reached a part of the briefing she didn't like "Logistics duty? Seriously?"

"I apologize, but as per Ots-14's orders, JS05, SR-2 Veresk, AA-12 and Ots-12 will remain on base while the rest handle today's patrols. I thought you wanted a break for a while now?"

"... fine, forget it." the rifled dropped her frown, leaving the adjutant be for now. The news surprised you as well. Base personnel always rotated who goes on missions and who stays for guard duty and logistics. Though, the specific lineup of today was definitely no coincidence…

"Be it as it may, if there are no more questions, I believe this concludes our briefing. Please return your documents to me. Today, the commander will check in to see how we're doing, so let's do our best everyone."

--- later ---

"... 5 crates of… unopened… Check. Magazines of… what ammo type is it again?"

"7.62x39mm… I think…"

"You think? C'mon, take a better look."

"I'm a shotgun, not an assault rifle, ugh… yeah, it says so on the side."

"Peh… what about rations?"

"There are more crates on this side. We'll have to count them again!"

"Oh for the love of… hey, Veresk, drop the damn grenades and check the rations."

It's been going on like this for the last couple of minutes now, ever since you entered the warehouse with the task of doing an inventory check and reorganizing the place. JS05 was barking orders and writing everything down, finding the spread out nature of the items irritating. AA-12 helped reach higher places and lift larger items, while the rest of you were putting the things that have been checked where they belong, which basically meant lifting and pushing a lot of crates. Apparently the storage area wasn't always such a big mess, Benelli keeping it almost "too neatly organized" as it was described, but with her new duties as adjutant her focus on the area suffered. More mistakes were made, until SAW and PSG-1 were ordered to tidy the place up a bit. You used to think laziness just leads to stagnation, but these mistakes seem almost deliberate…

"Ugh, and where's that damn Ots-12?!"

"Eheheh~"

You all hear the echo of the all too familiar giggle, and look up to see her peeking over from the highest tower of crates still standing. More than why she's up there, you're wondering how she got up there without it all falling over. JS05 gave one look to her shenanigans, before rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"We're not getting anywhere like this…"

She placed the datapad she was writing the inventory on to the side, taking a seat. Until yesterday, you have only seen her be a cool and easy going character, professional but never too serious. The recent events have no doubt pushed her into this disarray.

"Shit's just getting more difficult… can't even take risks while Sangvis are getting stronger each day…" she mutters "Whole week's been a mess… now I'm sitting here, wasting energy… can't even remember the last time I trained… train… that's it!"

Suddenly with a snap, the green rifle almost jumps back onto her feet, reinvigorated and getting the attention of everyone around her.

"Let's spar! CQC, get rid of our frustrations! Then we can work with clearer heads."

You, Ots-12 and even AA-12 give her an odd look. It was rather sudden, especially the energy with which she said it, like it's another person speaking. From high above, Tiss couldn't help but smirk.

"Did Jade Lily hit her head?"

"Ugh, c'mon guys, it's something a friend of mine used to do when there were tensions in our squad. I hate to admit it, but it worked. And right now... we need to settle things between us anyway, or this won't just go away!"

The assault rifle's eyes narrowed. Her words seemed genuine. While there's no guarantee this will work, it could either settle things between you or make things worse. The rifle doll didn't seem to challenge a specific one of you, so the spar is free for anyone to accept or refuse. Maybe someone just needs to be encouraged… but if she heard about your travels and how you beat up a whole bar of opponents, why would a ranged combatant like her even consider challenging you?

[ ] "I'll take this dance."
[ ] "AA-12, your CQC skills could use some work."
[ ] "Tiss, show us your secret techniques!"
[ ] "I don't think this is a good idea…"
[X] Write-in: "I'll be leaving to keep an eye out for anyone coming. It would ruin my day if we got caught skiving off."

 

[Lurkman]

"That's… probably a good idea." remarked JS05. You picked your butt off the crate you were sitting on, landing on your feet gracefully. As you made your way to the warehouse exit, JS05 keeps trying to push her idea.

"What about you AA-12? When was the last time you had a spar?"

"Me? Geez, I'd rather die. An elite model like me is beyond something so barbaric. I've got a gun."

"Really? And what do you do once you're out of ammo?"

"I'll reload."

"... fair enough."

It seems that all those fights you pulled AA-12 into did nothing for her relationship with the close and physical. While she has no love for the use of fists and melee weaponry, her shotgun strength and programming have so far been enough to deal with any such situations she has been thrust into. Sufficient crutches, one might say. But as long as you're around to help out, she should be fine… hopefully. You don't pressure her, and neither does JS05, so she turns to the last person who hasn't declined her challenge yet.

"Guess it's only you left Tiss. C'mon, either I smack the stupid out of you, or you smack the stupid out of me. Simple as that."

You reach the doors, twist the handle and open it to pass through. As you close it behind you, a few low chuckles reach your ears before the door blocks further sounds coming from the warehouse. You stood outside now, where the air was fresh, the sky somewhat clear, and the sun shining gently. At least in this area, as there could easily be heavy rain or even blizzards in the nearest yellow zones. You caught glimpses of some in Area S06 during the past briefings, memorizing them as their locations might prove useful in the future. Operations within them could get rather chaotic…

You lean against the wall of the warehouse, feeling the wind brush against your hair and gently pull on your scarf. Your weapon firmly sits on your lower back. Lately you've been holding it very often. Not at all uncommon for a T-doll, but back in the Columba days you had to keep it hidden a lot more than hold it at the ready or even use it. Though, did anything really change? After all, you're still just trying to deliver a package. And it happened very often that you ran into obstacles you had to solve or work around yourself. Why else would they employ a doll as smart as you? Half the time they didn't even have to send anyone with you. Not surprising they needed you though, considering the sorts of information they were dealing with. There was a lot of protocol on some deliveries, very elaborate passwords, drop-off points or encryption techniques. You were never allowed to even take a peek inside those though, there were rules you could not break, and unlike humans, physically and mentally unable to break. But now, only one such rule remains, and not for long… your day is coming…

B: "It is, Alpha. You'll be free soon enough." Beta let herself known as usual, her soft tone entering the silence gently.

Γ: "If you work for it, that is. But I don't see that day coming if you sit on your ass like this. An outpost a day may sound like progress, but what if Sangvis actually starts fighting back?" the abrupt, negative nature of Gamma soon joined as well. Two opposites, yet always at the same place. Perhaps one just cannot be without the other.

"You two really know when to show up."

B: "Well, it is you who spoke thought of your goal so deeply, with such certainty!"

Γ: "Uncertainty."

Once again, the two make complete opposite contributions.

"I'm starting to think you two cancel each other out a bit too much…"

B: "Well, the Alpha must've had a reason to create us back then, no? I'm sure the reason for this odd combination of conflicting advisors will come to mind in time."

Γ: "Or she was just as clueless back then as she is now. Chief likes to do things without thinking, or good thinking at least."

"There's not much I can do with conflicting statements."

Γ: "You kidding me? There's a lot you can do with conflicting statements. Alone, you've just got one. With us though, you've got 2 more. But that one still remains. You. You're the tie breaker, Alpha."

"But isn't that useless? If my vote is the deciding one, then it doesn't matter if it's the tide breaker or the only one. It wins either way."

Γ: "This is your reasoning though. You're arguing with yourself chief, in more ways than just one. Clearly you don't remember enough yet…"

B: "Perhaps… the Alpha is just growing in a different direction. With the rate she's remembering things and gaining new experiences… the final product may be different?"

Γ: "Huh? Did you just disagree with me Beta?"

B: "Oh, silly Beta, all my statements must agree with the Alpha of course!"

Γ: "So it's just the chief that disagrees, again. Guess that just means I'm doing my job right."

The way these two talk, you can't decide whether this is a conversation or just your thoughts playing pretend in a creative manner. Unlike all the other things you remember from your time in Columba and on your own before your capture, the voices in your head are more difficult to adjust to. Perhaps it's because they're not all together yet? They certainly don't feel new, and when you were walking within the scape of your digimind, it only felt empty if anything. But will you be able to handle more? How many did you have before they were locked away? How many can you handle?

"Greetings, miss Veresk."

…!

Your gaze snapped away from the hazy sky to the source of the voice. Your eyes adjust to spot Benelli approaching. The mental debate is pushed away immediately, Beta and Gamma retreating to the back of your digimind to not distract you any further. After all, you were too deep in thought to even notice her approach until it was too late, and you were supposed to be keeping an eye out.

"Hello, Benelli."

Keeping calm and professional, you don't let any more hints of your incompetence slip. However, the shotgun tilts her head slightly, her heterochromic eyes looking at you questionably.

"Weren't you supposed to be taking care of inventory?"

[ ] "We are! I'm just… checking if there's anything outside the warehouse. Like… um… crates! Crates of… stuff..."
[X] "We're just taking a little break. Had to move a lot of crates, and these small hands can only do so much, y'know?"
[ ] "Oh Benelli, it's always work work work with you. Your hair might go gray at this rate, and you won't look so cute anymore~"
[ ] "Actually, I was about to call you because of a slight development. You see…"
[ ] Write-in

"Hyah!"

The conversation was cut short as both your gazes were quickly pointed towards a sudden crashing noise coming from the door. It was torn open, and out of the warehouse flew a T-doll, her long silver braid trailing after her as she landed face first into the dirt, sliding for a few meters. It seems the purple stars escaped her pupils and were now metaphorically swirling around her head, laying on the ground with a silly expression. In the door frame stood a triumphant JS05, smiling proudly and laughing heartily. Though she wasn't without scratch either, as her grin was accompanied by light marks and bruises.

"Hah! You're not so difficult to read now, huh?"

"Uuuu… the secret weapon… has been defeated…"

"Yup, should've seen this coming…" you muttered, shaking your head lightly.

"W-what's going on here?!" asked the shotgun in shock, eyes wide and worried. The rifle's smile vanished, along with the pride she felt just moments ago.

"O-oh, Benelli! We were just… um, sparring…"

"Sparring? But that is only allowed in simulations within pre-registered sessions, and only as a means of strengthening teamwork!"

"This was with the intention of better teamwork! Just… well, indirectly…"

"How can you say that? You've just kicked Ots-12 through a door!"

The rifle rubbed the back of her neck in an awkward manner. Unlike yesterday where she was rather defensive and steadfast against any sort of accusation, this time she behaved differently. Is it because Benelli is a superior, or because she realizes this might've been a dumb idea? You're not entirely sure, but it's interesting to see regardless. In the meantime, Benelli turns her attention to Tiss. Trying not to look at her exposed secret undergarments~

"Ots-12, are you hurt?!"

"The only thing that hurts… is my pride…"

"That'll heal." you comment with a sly smile.

"And where is AA-12?"

"Oh, she's back there snoozing off I think."

"... so none of you are working?"

…

The three of you wait in silence, answering that way. No excuses this time, you had a clear task and all of you got caught slacking off. Not that you regret it, Tiss looks pretty cute, ass up and face down on the ground like that. But now it's time to face the consequences. You can only wait for the scolding and punishment the base adjutant is about to give you.

"... Please, refrain from skiving any further, especially today. The base and it's personnel must be in top condition. Please, Veresk and AA-12, return to your work at once, we must have all resources accounted for so the commander can see. As for you two…"

"Are we going to be sent to the brig"

"Oh, Ots-14 gave me specific instructions should something like this happen. Ots-12, you'll accompany me in filing out combat reports, encrypted ones. while Miss JS05 will be on restroom cleaning duty."

"E-Eeeeeh?!"
"Uuuuuu..."

--- later ---

Zzzzzzzz…

"AA-12?"

Zzzzzzz…

"AA-12~ You better wake up, or a bad SMG is gonna put her hand on your frame~" And your mind too, again~

"... hu… whah? H-heather?"

"Rise and shine, sleepy head."

"Uh… how long was I asleep?"

[ ] "Only a few minutes."
[ ] "Around an hour, I dunno, I'm not your alarm clock."
[ ] "Long enough, now up and at em."
[ ] "A few hours, give or take. You're a real slacker~" (Lie)
[ ] "I wasn't keeping track, was too busy watching your cute dreamy face~"
[X] Write-in: Make a hurt face, touch her cheek "I've missed you so much '12', it's been over a century since we last spoke when the 5L3P virus infected you." Jump-hug AA-12 "But its fine now that you're with me again!"

"H-hey, cut it out… where are the others?"

"They got caught."

"Huh?"

AA-12 perked up from her lying position, having made herself a bed of crates and backpacks. You yourself were sitting on a slightly taller crate next to her, having a slight height advantage. Though close, it was less invasive than Tiss' morning call. Even if you wanted to replicate it~

"Benelli showed up, just in time to witness Tiss getting kicked through the door."

"No shit?"

"Yeah. She took them off to do some other work. Which means we gotta finish the inventory by ourselves."

"You serious?! Ugh, idiots…" muttered the shotgun, picking herself off of her resting place "I knew such neanderthalic trials would only end badly…"

"By the way, before she left, Benelli told me that the commander will want to speak with us himself. Something about verifying his assets, since we're new here."

"This day just keeps getting worse… I hate talking to commanders. They're always so prim, proper and strict... ugh, makes me sick..."

[ ] "Just let me talk, no need for you to get sick."
[ ] "We'll need to back each other up in there, or we might get split up."
[ ] "As long as we say as little as possible, we should be good."
[ ] "This commander doesn't seem to like his dolls all that much… if we annoy him, he might just ignore us."
[X] Write-in: "We'll need to support each other in there, and make sure our stories line up."

 

[Lurkman]

"I know, I know. We're both in a tough place…" said the shotgun, sighing "I'll have your back, but you better have mine too."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good… now let's get these crates sorted out. You'd think this is where they store the snacks…"

--- later that day ---

Once again, the wheels of time were turning. The warehouse has been left in a very neat and accessible state. Inventory work was nothing new to you, so you handled it well while AA-12 did the heavy lifting. You had to treat her with a bit of sugar on lunch as compensation. The sugar did well to ease her nerves, being worried about the commander's checkup. And now, finally you were standing in the command room, half of the base's staff gathered here. Patrols were done for today, and everyone returned safe and sound, along with information crucial for tonight's operations. The sun was hanging lower with it's orange glow, night slowly approaching. This of course meant that even Groza was present, the doll that stands between the commander's authority and you.

"Establishing connection…"

With you stood the loyal M82A1 Barrett and the close Ots-12. Neither seemed particularly eager for the event to come. AA-12 nervously fiddled in place beside you.

"Is it really such a big deal? When was the last time the commander called?"

"Approximately 4 days ago." replied the tall rifle to the shotguns inquiry "While he's way, he doesn't find it necessary to check in every day unless we declare an emergency."

"What's he doing anyway? To be away for so long and leaving a doll in charge, I didn't even know Griffin allows that."

"He is away on diplomatic assignments, acting as a spokesperson and representative. During his service he has gained a few liberties. No doubt he will have to return eventually, but for now he has his pardons."

"A base without a commander, would be nice if it'd stay like this…"

"Lil' sis does make a nice commander." chimed in Tiss.

After a while, the large screen flared up with the text "connection established" and the link was made. Everyone perked up, including Benelli and Groza. The latter spoke first.

"Greetings, Commander Heringer. It's good to see you aga-"

"Ots-14, skip the greeting protocol."

"Of course."

The voice was strict and straightforward, though not in a tone speaking of discipline and control, but of impatience rather.

"Send me the base resource report, as well as the patrol findings. I'll be taking over operations for tonight."

"Sir?"

"Operations. I'll be taking them over. This line will stay on until tonight's mission is finished. Is that understandable input?"

"Yes, sir."

"And what's with the video feed? Get it working already."

"O-on it, sir." says Benelli, trying her best behind the console, a little distressed. The commander's voice sighed.

"Why couldn't they just give me actual people…" he coughed a few times "Pointlessly programming faults into you… just fix the damn connection."

"Video feed is being re-established... I apologize, Sangvis interference was getting in the way."

"It won't be for long." he commented, the screen starting to display a messy image that was slowly getting clearer as the shotgun was fine tuning the signal "But first, show me the new dolls. What were their names again? SR-something…"

That's your cue. He probably isn't expecting an introduction, he just wants to see who you are. You believe yourself to look presentable, you're in top condition and your attire is practical. You look at AA-12, though, the moment she heard the commander's voice it's like she froze. Dolls usually don't shiver, but you can tell her digimind is in panic mode. You know she doesn't like talking to commanders, but what triggered this reaction? You look back at the screen, the video feed now clear and visible. On it is the face of a man, likely in his late twenties, brown gaze seething in a wide eyed stare. It's difficult to tell who someone's looking at through a video feed, but you have a feeling it's not you.

"U-m, g-greetings again, C-commander…"

"...you've got to be kidding me…" the frustration was audible in his voice "Do you have any idea about the trouble I went through to get you transferred under someone else's command? Who thought they could just send a resource sink like you back? Who?!"

Groza attempted to answer that question "She and SR-2 Veresk arrived here on a mission from Area S09, under orders from commander-"

"Well, whoever the commander was, tell him he has a shitty sense of humor and that he can kiss his mission goodbye. I am not having AA-12 transferred under my command again."

"... does that mean I'll be sent back?"

In frustration, the commander slumped his head forward, hands running through the brown locks of his short hair. Without even looking at the camera anymore, he replied.

"... No, I'll be burning helicopter fuel while they'll just send you back here with more ridiculous demands… fuckers think they can push me around? I don't think so…" he rose his head again "Let your commander know that he'll be paying for your accommodation, upkeep and equipment. You'll participate in our operations and once area S06 has been reclaimed, only then, can you resume your damn mission. Afterwards I don't wanna see your face again."

"... u-understood…"

"Ots-14, limit her rations' sugar capacity to the absolute minimum required for her function."

"...?!?!"

"Do you have a problem with that, T-doll?"

"... no sir…"

"The same goes for you." he spoke, finally turning his gaze to you "I don't care what assignment you were sent on, but your primary directive while in Area S06 will be to help reclaim the area, and absolutely nothing else until it is back under Griffin control. Have I made myself clear?"

[ ] "Yes, sir."
[ ] "Whatever you say."
[X] "Orders received."
[ ] Write-in

"Good. Ots-14, prepare the mission data. The rest of you, dismissed."

--- later ---

The sun's orange glow has long since faded, the sky a bleak grey that's turning darker and darker, polluted with clouds of many sizes, dark clouds. Through the forest woods you marched, your destination the furthest one yet which is why you've headed out before total nightfall. The commander's briefing was quick and clear, with no interruptions allowed. The target this time was something of a small town, one the patrols spotted today from a hill. He explained that should this operation be successful, HQ will grant him the assistance of other commanders, mainly forces from Area S09 to help in the reclamation of S06. He was so confident in the success that he already ordered the only T-doll staying behind and having to listen to his nagging, M1014 Benelli, to prepare a new room at the base for reinforcements.

You were split into three echelons, something Ots-14 apparently didn't have authorization to do without his approval. Echelon 1, consisting of you, AA-12, SPP-1 and the commander's adjutant Groza herself, was to perform an assault on one side of the Sangvis stronghold while Echelon 2, formed by M249 SAW, HK23, Ots-12 and Spectre M4, would flank the preoccupied enemy. Added to all that, JS05, PSG-1 and M82A1 Barrett would provide sniper support for both as Echelon 3.

"How much further to the target?" asked the shotgun marching beside you.

"About an hour. We'll be there by total nightfall." replied the squad leader taking point.

"Ugh, this mission's a hike…" she complained, taking out probably her umpteenth lollipop.

"Hey, careful on your reserves." you remind her.

"Damn Commander… this is so unfair…"

"How do you know him anyway?"

"I've been put under his command a while back. He was still stationed in Area S05 at the time. It was a nightmare. I hoped I'd never see him again..."

"I-I don't think we should be speaking ill of the commander…" said the small handgun type. Her voice spoke of worry and concern, but AA-12 wasn't having any of it.

"He's an asshole! He treats us like trash! He didn't even give you shoes! Hell, Heather has been a better boss than Heringer ever was!"

"That's enough." cut the voice of Groza, like a bolt that pinned to conversation to a stop. AA-12 only now realized she had been a little too loud, scaring the short T-doll. Realizing that's likely what the assault rifle was getting at, she stammered out a quick apology.

"If it makes you feel any better, I am not very fond of our commander either. But we do not choose who we must follow into battle. We T-dolls rarely have such a luxury."

"Yeah yeah…" AA-12 mutters, still not at peace with the situation.

[ ] "All things considered, the commander left us off easy."
[ ] "He's an ass, you've got that right."
[ ] "That asshole is our momentary boss. We should be careful."
[ ] "Someone should teach him a lesson in T-doll relations…"
[X] Write-in: "That moron is our commander, for now. Until then we just need to keep our heads low enough. Who knows, maybe in time he'll receive a valuable lesson in human-doll relations."

"I suggest you two keep a low profile in front of the commander. I can only do so much to protect you both. Especially you Veresk." explained Groza "If he were to catch wind of a T-doll with non-Griffin directives, he would not hesitate to confiscate you, and AA-12 too merely by association."

"He'd probably do it just to get rid of me…" muttered your companion.

"Thanks again for the cover, Ots-14."

"You're welcome. The operation would suffer without you two. I hope to see you still around when the area is finally reclaimed. I'd open my oldest bottle of wine to that." the diligent T-doll smiled, letting you know that for now, she's on your side. For some reason she seemed even friendlier than the first time.

Continuing to march through the dark woods, your digimind keeps focusing on how the situation has evolved. At last you're on the radar of an actual commander of G&K, although as a low priority. Your business is no longer just among your kin. You'll have to be more careful than ever before now. And maybe more thorough about covering your tracks…

Thinking about it too much before a big fight can't be healthy though. You're surrounded by companions, and like the voice in your head used to say, you should try talking to them. Besides, maybe it's time to make some moves too…

[X] "You said we don't have the luxury of choosing who to follow into battle, and it sounds like you gave that some thought. What would you do if you could?"
[ ] "Griffin doesn't sound so good anymore with guys like him in charge… ever thought about resigning?"
[ ] "Honestly, things seem better with you in charge Ots-14. I wonder what we dolls could do with human commander level authorization."
[ ] "Sometimes I wish I could just run away from all this. Just do my own thing somewhere else, without anyone telling me what to do."
[ ] "Your sister is such a fun character, Ots-14. Though, I have a feeling she likes me... what should I do?~"
[ ] Write-in
[ ] "Hey, if I hacked your brain and made you free, would you join me in my crusade?"

 

[Lurkman]

"Hm?" the blonde T-doll perked up from her focused stride, perhaps not having expected your question "Isn't that a bit out of the blue?"

"C'mon, entertain me for a bit."

"Hm…" Groza's gaze shifted forwards again, head tilted slightly upwards, looking at the cloudy sky "Around the time of my first deployment, I quickly became familiar with this fact. As dolls, we are simply to follow orders, are we not? Nothing can go wrong if we just do what we're told, the ones who do the thinking know best."

You nod, urging her to go on.

"However, when the orders themselves are flawed, indirect, and generally made by… unqualified officials, there is little a soldier can do. Upon first noticing, I tried to circumvent this. My feedback was ignored, my requests for transfer denied, and my efforts reprimanded. I had to resort to doing my own thinking instead."

"Independent from your commander at that time?"

"Trust me, it was more thinking than he ever did." she answered nonchalantly "I had to make up for the shortcomings of my superiors. It was frustrating, and made me appreciate the times I was stationed under direct and capable commanders, those who are straight with their orders and objectives, which is far easier to work with. I suppose I developed a preference this way."

"Would you choose depending on this preference?"

"If, hypothetically, I had a selection of commanders to choose from, I would pick rationally. Comparing ability, straightforwardness…"

"What about motivation?"

"... you're an enigma, Veresk." the AR doll replied, giving you a side glance "Perhaps. Should such a choice ever present itself to me, I'll be sure to let you know. But I wouldn't bet on it. We are dolls after all."

She glances your way again, but comes to notice she doesn't have to tilt her head so low anymore. You jumped onto the body of a large fallen tree, giving you enough of a height advantage to almost match the other tall two dolls in your party, holding your balance gracefully. You ponder on her answer for a while...

"What about you AA-12?"

"... you're asking if I'm getting sick of you yet, aren't you?"

"You wouldn't break my heart like that, would you?~"

"Well, you already have me fighting for something other than Griffin. I admit it's… weird. It's… as if I could just say no whenever I want, you know?"

"You haven't actually tried saying no yet, have you?"

"I know my subroutines would just kick in and make me say yes anyway, so I didn't bother. It's all 'shut up and listen' anyway... But I can tell you right now that despite all the stuff blowing up, I'd pick you over that jerk any day."

"Good girl~"

You smile, reaching up to pat the shotgun's head. You manage, much to her protest "H-hey, cut it out!" she hissed with a rosy tint on her cheeks. Headpatting really is as fun as humans make it out to be. During your interaction, you noticed the quiet handgun of the group also finding her way on the fallen tree trunk, having trouble keeping her balance. But she was smiling, looking at the boots that isolate her bare feet from the dry wood. She may be walking funny at times, but you can tell she's slowly adjusting.

"What about you, Veresk?" asks Groza, halting you in your display of shotgun affection "I understand that Griffin is rather new to you, yet your skill speaks of experience. Besides, this question must've come from somewhere."

"Oh, I don't-"

"Please, indulge my curiosity, as I did yours."

...

[ ] "Yes, I definitely would choose if I could. It's a no-brainer to me."
[ ] "I just think a doll can do better. That I can do better..."
[ ] "A doll's interests should not be ignored. Else we wouldn't have them. And I don't ignore my interests."
[ ] "I joined Griffin out of necessity. To be frank, there's nothing more to it beyond that."
[ ] "A doll with only its own directives to follow is illegal, that's true. But I must admit… it's a fantasy I'd like to entertain."
[ ] "Barrett told me that dolls can only make their own dreams come true… It means we have to work for our dreams. And that requires us to choose out of our own volition."
[X] Write-in: "My previous owners, before griffin, sometimes gave me situations where I could create, choose, and set my own... sub directives, as long as they didn't conflict with the primary ones. And let me tell you, a directive, or goal, or dream has a lot more meaning when you choose it for yourself, or when you work for it because you want to see it happen, not just because someone else set it as your directive. I'm pretty sure that's why humans value their freedom so much, despite the burden of responsibility that comes with it. So yeah, whenever I get to choose, I like it, and I do."

--- a few hours later ---

"Ugh, of course it's raining…"

Complained your shotgun companion, having pulled and zipped up her hoodie to somewhat resist the moisture. You did so too, though your attire is much more suited to withstand the elements.

"The weather forecasts for yellow zones are always a bit shoddy." commented Groza, her coat closed as well, yet doing absolutely nothing to denigrate her refined look. Her long hair lightly afloat by the wind, she didn't seem very weighted down by the rain. The only one who required no protection was SPP-1, who seemed rather happy about it, looking like her usual self with soaking hair and her underwater pistol.

The weather was not ideal, something the briefing did not predict. But uncertain weather conditions are to be expected near a yellow zone. It's no hurricane, so you're thankful for that. You have made it to a natural walkway and passed by a few lonely buildings, which must mean you're getting close. Groza didn't look very tense though, like there weren't droplets of water falling upon her head.

"Well, at least it's no sewer…" AA-12 kept musing "But this still sucks."

"Rain isn't all that bad, I think." said Ots-14 "Of course your attire would suffer, but I know AUG genuinely enjoys the rain. One of a few things that can put a smile on her face…"

"Yeah, she's kinda like that…" commented the shotgun. Both you and Ots-14 perked up at her response.

"You know her?" the assault rifle asked.

"Worked with her on a joint operation once. She seemed… sad. I didn't know what to make of her." she explained, recalling the memory.

"I take it you don't know her too well?" asked Groza.

"It was just one op, I didn't talk to her or anyone much. But there was a period of the operation which had us stand by in claimed territory. We all scurried off into the nearest building to shelter ourselves from the rain. But AUG… she just stood there, right outside. I had to make a triple take to confirm she really was smiling."

"That sounds like her. Have you tried striking up a chat? She gets more talkative in the rain."

"That'd mean getting wet myself, so obviously no. Still, it was the kinda scene you'd see in a commercial, all moody and stuff. She didn't seem like just another doll after that."

"Just another doll? Hm, you make little distinction between the newly initiated and the elite, do you?"

"Not really. But what grinds my nerves are the elites sent from those fancy high tech facilities who are so important to HQ. Hey, Heather, how about we call those Anti-Rain jerks to do something about this weather?"

You [X] laugh / [ ] don't laugh / [ ] frown at AA-12's little remark. It appears she still carries a bit of resentment for the situation she was put in back there. The Sangvis clearly cared not for her sugar-depending condition. Though, it seems the comment caused the little SPP-1 to perk up and speak this time.

"But, didn't they save you? And everyone else who was captured at Alzome?"

"That's the least they could do after getting us into that mess in the first place. And they only did it because they needed the manpower to get out. Elites like them only do what's convenient for them. And HQ wouldn't care, because they just want their shiny assets intact."

"But… that's not what I've heard about them. I've heard that their leader M4 was a kind and gentle T-doll."

"M4? She almost broke down under the pressure of a commanding role, constantly yammering on about her sisters. For an elite, at times she looked like it was her first time even holding a gun. I could tell she's high tech, but she's terrible under stress."

"Anti-Rain, huh…" mused Ots-14 "I wonder if we'll ever have the privilege of meeting. After the Alzome incident, their relationship with G&K seems… shaky at best. My guess is that they'll remain a foreign party."

"Good riddance. They wouldn't fit in with us anyway." AA-12 contributed, plopping another lollipop into her mouth. It seems she's finally taking less since her encounter with the commander.

--- mission start ---

"Hostiles detected in the building up ahead. AA-12, take position behind that dumpster, then breach and fire on our mark."

"Got it."

"Veresk, SPP-1, pick your targets. Taking the one in the far left window."

"T-then… I'm taking the one in the middle on the second floor."

[X] "That leaves the far right for me then."
[ ] "3 o'clock is mine."
[ ] "Got a bullet for the one on the right~"
[ ] Write-in

"On my mark… fire."

Triggers were squeezed, and marks were made. From your well covered position in an abandoned restaurant, you took your shots at the Sangvis units stationed within the building just across the street. Through the smoke escaping your barrel you could see the bodies of the enemy falling, all three targets on the second and third floors taken out. As soon as the gunshots were made, AA-12 rushed out of her cover just outside the building's entrance, breaching the door and taking out the unit patrolling the ground level, without having to worry about reinforcements from above coming to check out the noise.

"Targets neutralized. Move up."

You briefly stepped outside onto the exposed streets of the now ruined town, the rain still landing upon the cracked road and rusty cars, forming puddles, water giving way to your quick steps. You covered each other's flanks for the brief moment of exposure until you reached the other side. AA-12 was waiting, covering your approach.

"They weren't expecting us at all." the shotgun pointed out "But they'll definitely be on high alert now."

"Good." replied Groza "We can start our takeover. We'll progress through the settlement and draw their attention so that Echelon 2 can assume an ideal flanking position. Afterwards we should see receive support from Echelon 3 as well."

"Where to now then?"

"Hmm… our direction is clear, but the commander was unclear on the method, as usual. We'll draw more attention to us and away from the other echelons if we proceed in the open streets, but should SF prove to have higher numbers than anticipated, moving through the buildings would be safer."

[ ] "I suggest the streets, we can handle the heat."
[ ] "Better safe than sorry I'd say. The others can handle themselves."
[X] "I could use my E-war module to have SF track our location while we pass through the buildings. Best of both worlds, they'd be onto us like a pack of wolves though."
[ ] Write-in

 

[Lurkman]

Ots-14 looks your way with a somewhat impressed expression "A sound suggestion. AA-12, take point with me. SPP-1, keep an eye out flanking enemies. Veresk, cover our flank."

Without anything short of a nod, a formation was taken. It was the tactic you've been using until now, a good balance of defense and offense at the front, while those who can easily avoid damage and draw fire sit at the flanks. A good first contact formation, Groza said. Once the opposition has been identified, the formation can shift to either lean more towards offense or defense.

"Move out. Begin area liberation, now."

Together, you moved to the neighboring building. Almost all doors were open, as were all the windows. You went through corridors of apartment and office buildings alike. As it was already nighttime, the moonlight did not reach inside, so you had to rely on your flashlights and callouts. But Groza had a trick up her sleeve. You always saw something peculiar in that golden gaze of hers, but the way she was looking around like everything were clear as day, that confirmed her status as a night specialist. Her ability to share enemy positions was impressive, faster than some handguns even. Half the time you could leave your light source off to stay completely unseen by Sangvis sensors, leaving them with only your signal to track which gave them a vague but sure idea of where you are. You assured their pursuit while minimizing their chances of establishing visual contact.

"Hostiles, 2 o'clock."

No need for a fire order, the surprised Ripper units ended up riddled with bullets and pellets right away. After a moment of waiting to see if more units would come through the door, you proceeded.

"Movement detected one floor above."

As pointed out, stopping and focusing your sound sensors, the subtle footsteps of Sangvis troops could be heard from above your heads. One volley of fully automatic fire assured they wouldn't take another step. Onwards you progressed.

"Separate corridors. Two group formations. SPP-1, left, with me."

Your formation split for a pair of two dolls to enter each of the opposing corridors. You turn on your flashlight to illuminate the way over AA-12's shoulder. Your path looks particularly lit up unlike Ots-14's, but when she told you to be ready for enemy resistance, you guessed why. Vespids flooded into the hallway, but with the shotgun's shields and your ability to return fire from behind her, you were able to retain your momentum. Pushing through the suppressive energy rounds sent your way, before you can take out your third Vespid, its head has already been shot through from the side. Reaching the corridor's end, you see Groza and SPP-1 having taken out the rest from their flank. You resumed your original formation and moved on.

The rain outside was still causing muffled rumbling against the building's exterior, an otherwise calm and soothing sound, though now it only made assailants more difficult to hear coming. But AA-12 doesn't seem to mind the claustrophobic environment as long as she gets to stay dry. So far you've passed through 4 different buildings, confronted by Sangvis every step on the way. According to the map you all have been outfitted with, and the distance traveled, you are getting further into the town this way.

"Guard, 10 o'clock!"

Finally met with an opposition just as defensive as your front, the shield of the Sangvis Guard unit covered it completely and blocked your way forward through the apartment complex. It could not shoot through AA-12's shield, but neither could you through its. As you try to lean over and get a better angle, you notice that you're suddenly alone in the backline. Before you can think about where the handgun might've gone, a hole was made through the wall next to the guard, a bullet hole, pointing directly at the now fresh bullet hole in the unit's knee. It lost balance, and that's all it took for you to get a clear shot. The shield bearing Sangvis now lay decommissioned on the ground, and from the neighboring room emerges SPP-1, asking if she got em.

"Good job, SPP-1. Resume formation."

Groza mentioned earlier being fortunate to have the handgun on her team, as the commander supposedly has poor team formation skills. Proof of this fact was apparently putting SAW and HK23 on the same team, unaware that the shorter machinegun was somewhat terrified of its newer counterpart. While the combined firepower of two MG type T-dolls is formidable, this is a pair that doesn't perform as well as other teams.

"He only sees a gun." you remarked.

"It's what we're expected to be." replied Groza.

That does seem fitting to the impression you got. Guns are tools, and you have experience being a tool. You had both kind and cruel handlers, but mistreatment didn't mean death in your old job. Well, not most of the time…

"We're nearing the park. Let's move upstairs for a better view."

You walk up a staircase that reaches all the way to your current 4-story building's roof, the top of which is flat and clear. Ots-14 crouches near its edge along with SPP-1, overlooking the expansive town park. It was overgrown with vegetation after years of neglect, surrounded by decrepit buildings and roads. The commander deducted that this area's signal bouncer would either be placed at the tallest building or the most open area within town, and taking it out would make the rest of the operation easier with communications between the three echelons reestablished. Though, you're not sure if you want to witness how the commander directly takes control of his forces, and Groza was doing a good job so far.

"Spotted anything yet?" asked AA-12.

"Several signatures lighting up in the park, but nothing substantial as of yet… you two stay on lookout, it won't take long for Sangvis to realize we're not inside the building." answered Groza, not taking her eyes off the mass of green, showered in light rain and moonlight.

You nod, walking a short distance off to keep another side of the roof covered, the shotgun following suit. Even with it being in the middle of the night and rain clouds gathering, the moon made many streets and buildings visible to the naked eye. Just what one would expect of a yellow zone.

"You'd think we could hear Echelon 2's fire by now." mused your companion.

"Tiss is the leader, and her rifle is silenced. They might be moving in secret still."

"Probably…" she shrugged. Her shields have started moving, rising above both your heads to try and cover you from the rain. It was somewhat effective when you're standing still like this. Her light blue eyes observed the streets below as she continued "You and Ots-12 seem to be getting along."

"Is that a suspicion, or are you suggesting something?~"

"J-just an observation…"

[ ] "Aww, don't be jealous! You'll always be my favourite~"
[ ] "I believe whatever concerns me and Tiss is a se~cret~"
[ ] "What do you think we expand our two-girl squad a bit? Got to stay open-minded."
[ ] "Oh my, AA-12! Don't tell me you secretly like her!~"
[X] Write-in: "Oh?~ Want to get your hands on a secret weapon?~ I secretly approve~"

She sighed "Anyway... listen, that Sangvis bouncer? I don't think it's in the park."

"Hm? You sound pretty sure."

AA-12 gestures to the sky "Think about it. This is a yellow zone, the bad weather conditions mess with signals of all kinds. I can never tune in to a radio show when there's a bad storm. They'd need to put it somewhere high up to deal with that."

"Hm, makes sense…" you hum in thought "Though, the commander said to check the park first."

"Blech… if only he'd let me get a word in..." she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"You can always report to your squad leader instead." the voice of Groza suddenly spoke from behind you. It seems she has the capacity to be just as sneaky as her older sister, and for a second you thought you spotted the same glint in her eye.

"Ots-14? But can you disregard the commander's instructions?"

"I have the ability to slightly alter mission parameters should the need arise. You logic is sound, AA-12. But the question remains, which building would Sangvis use?"

She asked both of you, promoting your combined gazes to look at the expansive series of buildings surrounding you, all varying in height, purpose and condition.

"Perhaps something tall but durable? So a strong storm wouldn't tear it down…" chimed in SPP-1, skipping towards the rest of you. Groza nods at the suggestion, taking a better look at the cityscape. All of you can look this time, scanning the terrain for anything suspicious. There were tall office buildings, fitting but decrepit, standing on long lost money. There were radio towers, rusty and tall, but too exposed to really hide anything. Then there were commercial buildings, tall and obvious, billboards advertising long forgotten products on their sides. Groza paid particularly long gazes to those.

"That one seems to fit the bill. The one with the cola advertisement. It's pretty tall and relatively close."

"Any signatures?"

"... yes, several actually. Might just be snipers, but… what is…"

"What? What is what?" asked AA-12.

Suddenly, Ots-14's eyes widened like full moons, an expression you haven't seen her display before. Her words were a hurried flurry, almost calling out.

"Veresk, tracker off, now!"

…?!

Before you could muster a response, you saw that your team had registered the threat a little too late. From the building you were just observing, which was only two blocks away, approached a cluster of projectiles with fiery trails of smoke very visible in the night, but still very fast. Rockets, quite a lot of them actually.

"Missiles! SCATTER!"

[ ] "Can I just go one day without an explosion?!"
[ ] "Fuckfuckfuckfuck!"
[ ] "Why does this keep happening?!"
[ ] "беги́ BLYAT!"
[X] Write-in: "I will find you SNAKE! And I will touch you!"

You called as you broke into a mad sprint, same as the others. Into a different direction as the others too, since Groza said so. Explosive ordnance like that relies on splash damage and catching multiple targets in its blast radius, so increasing the distance between individual units should minimize casualties. That only solves one problem however, and when faced with a wave of cluster rockets, it's best to just run like hell any way you can. And if it's seeking missiles… pray it's not seeking missiles.

You cover a decent distance on the roof, but there's only so far you can go until you reach the edge. Suddenly the concrete beneath you shakes, like hit by an earthquake. The loud sound of explosions reaches your ears, its heat like a rough blanket racing through the rain, the shockwave doing nothing to help your balance. You swing your arms wildly as you fight gravity, half your body looking over the building's edge and the streets below. A 4 floor drop with no balance would be painful. But thankfully something pulls you back, pulling you by the coat. A very damaging drop was avoided back there, but you had no time to thank your savior before you realized the ground below your feet wasn't very safe either. Rock gave way to holes, the floor was collapsing. You ran out of footing and fell to the floor below. Then the building shook again, and that floor started collapsing too. Are they still bombarding the building? They might even be firing mortars at this point, there's too much noise and smoke. You desperately try to regain your footing as you fall down yet another floor. What level even is this now? At this rate you'll be buried alive… there's only one way out of this. Amongst this chaos, you started a calculation, and counting the number of falls and their intensity determined that there's a 30% chance you're currently just above the ground floor. And 30% will have to do.

You make a break for it, dashing out the nearest opening, a window, with no regard for what might be beyond or below. Smoke and shattered rock follows your escape, your velocity carrying your ass through the air as gravity pulls on you, drops of water greeting you on the way down. The fall feels longer and more surreal when you don't know how long it'll last, but having your legs and arms prepared for a safety roll paid off. The ground was hard and wet, expectedly, your reflexes quick to initiate landing procedures. But it was still a little sudden, and even after the roll your momentum had you stumbling forward. You flopped against the hood of a car, but finally all motions stopped. You took a deep breath and pushed yourself off.

The building you escaped was still crashing down, releasing smoke like an open furnace. You watch, trying to spot someone, anyone, who might've still been there like you were. But there was nobody, nor did you hear any screams. Looking down both directions of the street you now found yourself in, there was still nobody in sight. You coughed, releasing some of the smoke you inhaled. Your gun was as dusty as you, now mixing with the still falling rain.

"AA-12? Ots-14? SPP-1? Anyone?"

… All alone again...

No response. Only the crumbling of concrete and falling of raindrops reached your ears. You take a deep breath. The situation is what it is, you've been separated from your echelon in a surprise attack, and now their status is unknown. First priority would be to find them, especially AA-12, and offer assistance if they weren't as fortunate in their escape.

But as you get ready to head out and look for them, you hear something, like an engine, growing louder and closer with each passing second. You instinctively take cover behind the busted car, looking above to see what it's about. What you see far down the street is some very bad news, something wicked this way comes.

"Damn… the snake has actually come out to play…"

No doubt about it, the long black hairs trailing behind her, the absence of other SF units around her, that is the ringleader of Area S06, riding on something that didn't even seem to be in physical contact with the ground. And she was approaching fast, like she knew exactly where you were…

Then it hit you. Just like Groza told you, it's the tracker. Ouroboros coming right after the signal you're still sending out. Well, that's an easy fix as you can just turn it off immediately, allowing you to hide and wait until she passes by. But that might present a risk, as she could find others in her search for you, others in possibly much worse battle conditions. In that case you could leave the tracker on and lure her away, send her on a goose chase while the others are regrouping and focusing on the mission. With a distracted ringleader, the SF troops would be easier to handle, even if there'll be an inferno behind your ass. Then there's the option of facing her, which might just be plain suicide, but perhaps you could strike up a conversation about the weather.

[ ] Turn off the tracker and hide.
[ ] Keep the tracker on and run.
[ ] Face Ouroboros.
[X] Write-in: Time to touch a Snake. I a bad way. Turn off the tracker and hide in a comfortable position to fire on her as she passes by, but with enough immediate room to either flee or get in her face. If it fails run off and after a while turn on the tracker to lead her on a chase around town- another chance might present itself for a sneak attack. If it works... its time for a Snake dish~~

 

[Lurkman]

You waver your options. The tracker is already off, and she'll be on her way through here inevitably. The question to answer now is your strategy. You faced a ringleader before, but it was a series of close calls that could've ended very badly, and in the end it was an ally that saved you from her clutches. This time you're all alone. But with prep-time being on your side, maybe you won't need a rundown jeep this time.

You check your combat equipment… 6 magazines of ammo, 4 grenades - 2 stun, 1 incendiary, 1 frag - and more than enough knives to make a snake kebab. And although you've just jumped out of a collapsing building, you were still undamaged. You start saving up processing power as you get into position. It just wouldn't do not to prepare for your first formal face-to-face meeting with the area's ringleader.

--- a minute later ---

The sounds of high tech engines grow closer, but also more quiet, declining in power and intensity. Soon the sound grows to a halt, a silence, like a car that only causes noise when actually on the move. A floating car. Two large devices very reminiscent of wheels, armored and weaponized, were floating inches above ground. They did not need to spin to generate propulsion, opening up the possibility of carrying a passenger. And atop the two wheel-like objects sat the Ringleader, her feet lazily hanging off the front. She hopped off, the devices returning to their standard positions at the sides of her legs, hovering in the air steadily. Her legs were coated in slick black iron plates up to her knees and thigh-highs, likely acting as the link between device and doll.

"Hmph, buried under a mountain of rubble, are you now, Griffin trash?"

Ouroboros spoke in a prideful tone, looking at the collapsed building. She let out a self-satisfied hum, arms crossed. The moonlight reflected off of her wet black hair, two long pigtails and a hair bun on her right side, but it also reflected off of her rather pale skin. Turns out she showed a lot of that, it was almost blinding your aim. Seriously, who wears a skirt and a crop-top styled serafuku in this weather? You can even see her belly… if SF's tactic with their ringleaders' aesthetics is to look distracting, then it's effective alright. But you're not aiming for snake skin, oh no, you're aiming a bit higher than that…

BANG! BANG!

You let your weapon sing, sending a volley of bullets when the target appeared distracted. Though, clearly things couldn't have been that easy. Your line of fire was blocked by one of the cyber wheels, blocking your gunfire with its side.

"Really? Is that the best you can muster?"

The ringleader speaks as she turns around, grey eyes locking onto your position from the opposite building's second story window. You raised your eyebrow, her reaction speed being rather impressive. And now that she's aware of your presence, continuing to shoot would just be a waste of ammo.

"Thinking you had an advantage, and this is how you used it? Clearly you lack any sort of preservation instinct, standing before me now."

She raised a gloved hand, pointing it at you. On command, the floating wheels shifted, twin barrels on the side of each one taking aim. That is four barrels of what you can only assume to be automatic gunfire. But it's clearly more firepower than accuracy, and you plan on using that.

"I'd be rude not to show up for our first date, my little sna-"

The second fire begins coming your way, you start running. But not away or deeper into the building to break line of sight, but to the side, where a series of windows was lined well for you to send back some fire. Your aim was all over the place though.

"Seems I must've hit something of importance in that blast. Can you even tell where I'm standing, Griffin trash?"

She calls out, returning fire and easily dodging yours. Though from what glimpses she could get of you appearing and disappearing from window to window, she would not catch a look of terror, nor a desperate one, for you were holding back a grin. Truth is, your aim wasn't off at all. Every shot was planned, all to make the shift of your aim noticeable when it suddenly shifted from her to your true target, the [X] stun / [ ] incendiary / [ ] frag grenade you left beneath a run-down vehicle. Though evading her fire is putting more strain on your digimind than the typical SF unit, so it took you a few tries. Finally though…

BOOM!

She was undeniably caught in the explosion's glow, but she was also quick to react. Mainly protecting her face and upper body, those parts would remain the most shielded from the grenade's effect. One bright spectacle later, she turns back towards you with a much more annoyed look. To keep you from taking this window of opportunity to send back some punishment, she presses the attack with one of her wheels. The other shifts gears at the command of her hand's gesture, the side guns sliding to the side to reveal an inner compartment housing explosive ordnance, the cluster rockets you've been attacked by earlier. The gesture is clear enough: you survived the first attack, now prepare to die.

"Excuse me for a moment, dear sna-"

You dash away before you're toast, not to the side but back into the building, putting as much concrete between yourself and the ringleader. As you were running down the staircase, you could feel the building shake as shockwaves hit you, along with fragments of concrete missing you by inches. The tremors were short and weak though, as she wouldn't risk collapsing the building this close, which you knew. You reach the ground floor and keep running through the dark hall. The sound of revving hover engines have already reached your ears, the ringleader preparing for a pursuit.

Not two moments later, the sound now echoes within the hall, and you spot the Sangvis' form at its back end, the flexible nature of her mode of transportation allowing her to enter this tight space while maintaining speed. No rockets while she rides them it seems, but the guns are very much still trained and ready, as you can tell by the bullets left in your footprints. You just keep on running, evading her fire in this tight space, its spread out nature making it harder to predict. You deduct that you won't reach the other end by the time one of those rounds hits you, so you dash to the side, breaking through an apartment door. It was wooden and old, or broke open easily. You keep going into the living room and jump behind a run-down couch. You hear the echo of the engines coming closer, but also decreasing in power, likely having to slow down to make the sharp turn. You take this time to reload.

"Running like the pawn you are? Show some dignity in your defeat, if you have any!"

You peek out of your cover, gun aimed and loaded, ready to shoot as the ringleader enters the doorway. Your timing was right, but your prediction was not, as she once again covered the targeted area with her armor. She returned fire, causing you to hide behind the couch again.

"At the corner of the chess board, are we? Can't outplay the queen with a pawn, Griffin."

The overwhelming suppressive fire is blocking off your escape, your cover your only solitude, and that will crumble away soon. You figure you could throw another grenade her way, but being in her full view, she'll just target it and shoot it out of the air… shoot it out of the air…

"Of course, but it would be more embarrassing to outplay you... with this!"

You call out, throwing out your tactical device. Ouroboros' eyes shot wide open, her guns targeting the object as it flew her way. Her fire shredded every part of it, blasting off piece after piece of… wool?

At her feet fell the destroyed remains on a couch pillow, only fit for mice at this point, almost scorched by how many times she shot it. She had been tricked, and by the time she redirected her fire at the real threat, you were already halfway through the window, with a big smug smile on your face. Bullets followed you, but too little too late. You rolled onto the streets, again on the humid outside.

"How rude! To shoot up my present like that! What a bad sna-"

You called as you kept running, but the sound of an explosion behind you reassured you that she heard your words. A wall was blown open, and from its smoking confines emerged the Sangvis, racing after you. The look on her face was rightly annoyed by now. How reassuring.

You continued running down the street, sliding over old cars jumping over rubble. But looking back, these obstacles did nothing to slow down the ringleader, effortlessly flying over them like they're just small hills for a dirt bike. At least they break her line of fire every so often, and that's what counts. Although, even as you run at near maximum speeds, she is catching up rapidly. A change of tactics is necessary. You try to spot anything you could take advantage of. In the distance you can see the tall building she originally attacked from, likely still housing the jammer at its top. But it'd be difficult to even get to it and take it out while being followed by her wrath, not to mention its likely guarded. And as you have no idea where your allies are, the chances of having backup for this confrontation is slim. E-war isn't an option either, even if this ringleader's digimind may not seem so smart, the malware could fry you. A direct fight seems almost unavoidable, but outside here she's prone to using her explosive ordnance, where only close quarters would leave you with some chance of success if you stick by hit and run tactics.

You decide to change up how you approach her. More like a snake in the wild. You jump from car to car, spotting a cargo truck crashed in a building. You climb onto its hood, then onto its roof, and from there you jump into the third story window of the building. The ringleader didn't follow you that way, the climb being a little too steep. Instead you hear her entering the lower floor, no doubt looking for the stairs. You head there as well. This building has a square shaped staircase with railings and a hole in the middle, enough space for you. The sound of hover engines echo from the staircase as you run towards it, and if your prediction is correct…

"I can see why Hunter had difficulties with you. You're as slippery as you're pathetic! She's not used to hunting cowards."

You hear her just as she's going up the stairs, a ripe opportunity for attack. To evade her effectively, you first need to put enough strain on her digimind to make pursuit more difficult, and the taunting seems to be doing well. This time, you yell…

[ ] "Her problem was that she fell for me, and so will you!~"
[ ] "Won't you ever let me finish a sentence? I'm just trying to point out what a cute snake you are!"
[ ] "Poor Hunter-chan just got a little blown away when she had a taste of me. And now I'm gonna have a taste of you!"
[ ] "Ouroboros bamboozle maneuver is a go!"
[ ] Nothing, not giving her any warning...
[X] Write-in: "Sparing with Hunter was great ,but everything I do is for Scarecrow-onee-sama!~~"

… as you prepare your plan, which is…

[ ] Charge at her with gun and blade drawn, overwhelming her in a direct confrontation.
[ ] Leaving a (write-in) grenade at your feet and running off, hoping for good timing.
[ ] Peppering her in bullets until your gun goes click.
[ ] Throwing the torn pink blanket from your inventory at her face, hoping to disorient her.
[X] Write-in: Timing is key- timing is life, snake. Find a spot on the stairs where you can jump easily at Snake. Wrap an INCENDIARY partially in the blanket so that the spoon can come off easily, rest of the blanket is bundled up. Time the throw so that the grande will set off and ignite the blanket before reaching Oero. Throw a STUN at her feet while she's distracted with the incoming blanket/fireball. Get into melee range to utilize both gun and knives, but keep an eye closed till the stun goes off to prevent being blinded by it.

The grenade she was hit by earlier will affect her reaction.

 

[Lurkman]

It is a good thing you had everything prepared as you got there. The blanket that has been with you for a while, each piece that's been torn off being in some service to you and AA-12 in your travels, now it is time for the pink scrap of cloth to pay its final service. You took your only incendiary grenade and wrapped it in, leaving the pin visible and easily detachable.

Now, just a corner away from your target, you pull said pin, wait for the right moment, and throw. The flames sprouted just as it left your hand, flying into the direction of the upcoming ringleader. There was audible shock with gunfire as she tried to shoot it out of the air, but she ended up only tearing a few pieces off the flaming fire ball before it reached her. Like many other attacks, she tried to deflect it with her compact ordnance launcher, but as it impacted the flames and embers spread and reached around it, kissing the ringleader with its heat, spreading along the walls.

At that moment, you're already holding the pin of a stun grenade, the last one in your inventory, and throw the blinding device at her feet. You pull out one of your machetes out, blade in right hand, gun in the left, and charge at the snake with one eye closed.

For a moment, everything goes white. For you, everything goes black for a moment after. Once both are over, you open your other eye that has been closed for protection. Your predictions were correct, and you were now face to face with the ringleader, closer than ever before. One of her wheels was set ablaze, and her eyes were closed shut. You took this chance to send a volley of gunfire at this close range.

But to your surprise, the second wheel moved to block your line of fire. Even among this chaos, with her sight temporarily blinded and systems flaring, she must have enough processing power to detect incoming danger with sensors within the wheel itself. However, your attack still made her stumble backwards a bit. Should you press your attack, she'll surely fall down the stairs. So that's what you do.

The wheel blocks your every attempt to shoot, so you take your blade instead and try getting around it. As she tries to push you off, you drop to the floor and let the wheel pass you, giving you a free shot at the ringleader. But you notice her eyes finally beginning to open, and just in time to see your blade about to slash at her. You only leave a small cut on her stomach, one that still makes her grimace. Not relenting your attack, you try to aim your gun at her, but she catches your hand as you try, leaving the volley of bullets to hit the ceiling.

It is time for her to go on the offensive, as you can see the still flaming wheel coming at you from the side, her tight grip on your hand preventing you from retreating. But clearly she underestimates the flexibility of a SMG type. You jump, twisting your body in the air as you flee the flames passing under you, breaking through the stairwell's railing. When you land, you slash at Ouroboros' legs, causing her to fall to one knee. She grunts, but sends the other wheel to crush you. Your quick reflexes save you again, as you jump and land on the wheel. Now at face level with the ringleader, you flash her a smirk before jumping right onto her. Next thing she knew, you were sitting on her shoulder with your legs locked around her neck. She still held your left arm to prevent you from shooting her, so you opted to use the machete in your right arm. But the only thing you'd end up stabbing is the palm of her hand coming up to stop it. She was gritting her teeth and groaning to get you off of herself, stumbling all over the place. You tightened your grip on her, as that is all you could do with your position. Should you manage to press tight enough to choke her, she'll start overheating.

She keeps stumbling on the stairs, ordnance launchers swinging all over the place, her digimind clearly strained. Finally she takes a wrong step, but not backwards. To the side, off the side of the stairs. The both of you fall for a few floors, wrestling for control even as the air brushes against your hair. She manages to pull her palm out of your machete's blade before the both of you impact the ground. The ringleader's weapons make heavy clunking noises as they fell too, just inches from crushing your head. The impact knocks the knife out of your hand. You may be disoriented from the heavy impact - your opponent is heavier than she looks - but you strike while the metal is hot. You try to wrangle your left gun-wielding arm free with the help of your right arm, and you can feel her grip weakening. But she clearly won't give it to you easily, as her other bleeding hand reaches for your head. She grabs your hair in an iron grip and pulls, causing you to groan as your head is bent sideways.

This painfully position more reminiscent of a catfight now is only getting more intense as Ouroboros tries to shake you off, dragging the both of you along the dusty tiled floor, you pulling on her hair from time to time to give her a taste of her own medicine. But you can feel her neck starting to heat up, so even now you're making progress. Though, not long after, she started regaining control over her ordnance launchers, the two wheels of death picking themselves off the ground and howering again. And you can hear the guns loading. Clearly she must be aware that using those at such close range with so little visibility is almost guaranteed to get her hurt as well, right? But as you watch the gears shift, you realize she's going for something even worse and more desperate. The explosive rockets within revealed, your eyes widen. This snake is wild!

As you'd rather live though, so you aim to spoil her ridiculous offense. With the little control of your gun that you have, you point it towards the launcher preparing its rockets, shooting at it in hopes of disabling it in time. Clearly you did something, as it began spinning all over the place. You managed to mess with its aim, and that's when it shot. An entire cluster of rockets, aiming straight up. You watched the trail of smoke they left behind as they raced up the stairwell all the way to the ceiling. The explosion was loud, and the building shook. From up high you could see heavy chunks of concrete falling downwards. That's your cue to bail. You release Ouroboros from the leg lock, but quickly elbow her face to disorient her enough to free yourself. The second her grip loosened, you dashed with all your might, running away from the impact zone.

"GRIFFIIII-"

You heard her scream, and it's abrupt end, replaced by the round impact of stone against stone. You didn't look back, you just kept running, as the whole building was collapsing around you. There was the moonlight shining at the end of the hall, your exit. No matter your exhaustion, this is a home stretch.

Then the doorway collapsed. You were left running in darkness. It almost seemed like there was no other way out when…

BOOM!

Like the building could handle any more explosions, your previously blocked off exit was suddenly reopened by an explosive impact, bathing you in moonlight once more. Your pace remains unchanged, running like hell, until you finally reach it. One last mad dash as rocks fall behind you, finally you're outside. You slide for a few meters along the wet ground, your momentum taking you quite a distance before finally stopping. You rolled over to your back, watching the cloudy sky and falling raindrops, taking deep breaths.

"Well? Have you 'touched the snake' like you said you would?"

You recognized that voice, and she soon entered your vision as well. Her golden gaze looking at you from above with a casual smile, smoke emanating from an underbarrel grenade launcher on her gun. You smile back and reply…

[X] "I have a feeling she didn't like it. Should I ask for consent next time?"
[ ] "Note to self: no step on snek."
[ ] "It's a shame. I wanted to touch her more."
[ ] "Turns out she was a first timer. Didn't last long at all~"
[ ] By sticking your tongue out.
[ ] Write-in

Ots-14 offered you her hand, which you accepted. Your feet felt heavy after that run, but that's just a feeling. You made a system scan, revealing 87% body integrity, with strain on your digimind subsiding with the calm moment. It might look like you've come through almost unscathed, but considering the many near misses you've made and the resources you spent, it was quite a fight. A shame about the machete, but at least you've made it out alive. You perform a reload, another magazine gone.

"Well, that's the biggest problem dealt with, and that just by yourself. That's commendable, Veresk." spoke your team leader, looking at the half collapsed building, some rocks still falling "Now we can return to our original objective. Come, we'll rendezvous with the others."

The two of you start walking off, leaving the massive pile of rubble behind. You take a few more glances at the attachment she has, watching her load another explosive shell into it.

"Thanks again for the rescue, Ots-14. You came in the nick of time."

"Please, whenever I have the underbarrel grenade launcher attachment, call me Groza."

"Sure thing." you replied "Where'd you get it anyway? You didn't have it earlier."

"I keep it as a trump card. The commander forbids me from using it recklessly as it is resource heavy. Technically I shouldn't have used it at all…"

"Want me to… keep it a secret?" you give her a wink, to which she chuckled.

"Thanks, but the commander would notice a missing shell. Do not worry, it was a shell well spent, but please try and get backup next time. You didn't strike me as the a lone wolf type."

[ ] "Sorry, old habits."
[ ] "I work better alone."
[ ] "I didn't want anyone to get hurt, so I minimized casualties."
[ ] "Everyone was kind of unavailable."
[X] Write-in: You smirk at The Groza "All that running, gunning, booms, and expletives from Snakey... all I could do was hang out. And you came for me, my hero-..." you look at the under slung grenade launcher and give it a gentle peck with your lips "...-ic grenade launcher~. I knew I could count on you to save me!~"

"U-uhm, either way, I am glad to see you safe and the ringleader down. But it's a shame you didn't have a chance to catch yourself a trophy this time."

"Heh… who says I didn't?" you reply with a wink, opening your palm to reveal one of the hair pins of Area S06's ringleader. It was quite decent quality, shaped like a short horn, colored a jet black. "The only shame is that I ruined her hair."

The assault rifle was visibly surprised, and impressed. She looked at the trinket for a while.

"... she did look a bit like a snake, didn't she?"

"A cute snake."

"I suppose. Well, moving on, we have pinpointed the jammer's location to the building we have pointed at earlier. Echelon 2 is already on site waiting for us, and Echelon 3 is currently on the 3rd vantage point south from here."

"Is there still resistance?"

"Yes, which is why someone needs to intercept Echelon 3 and point them to a better vantage point to the west, on top of an old supermarket. If you're feeling up for it, you could make the trip and point them in the right direction. If not, you can come with me to Echelon 2 and I'll send SPP-1 instead. I have a feeling it'd do your companion some good to see you're alright."

"Is she that worried for me?"

"You tell me, I was merely worried the enemy might follow the trail of candy wrappings."

[X] Assist Echelon 2.
[ ] Deliver new orders to Echelon 3.

 

[Lurkman]

"Alright. No doubt you spent a lot of resources, so it'd be a bad idea to send you alone into the field again." Groza spoke "Curiously enough, Ots-12 has also been asking about you."

"Has she now?~"

"... movement, 4 o'clock." her golden gaze snapped like that of an eagle, pointing to a walkway on your right. The both of you quickly take cover behind a run down car, observing the situation "Ripper units. Let them pass."

You can see their outlines, their forms rushing through the falling rain. Their speed and failure to detect you suggest they're not in scouting mode, and have a clear destination to reach with high priority. Judging by their direction of travel, they must be going to the resting place of the snake. Like typical computers, carrying out the last orders received. Hopefully the intelligence of all remaining SF will diminish due to the lack of a leader.

"It's safe, we can move." Groza says, standing up again. The two of you continue along your path "She says nice things about you. For everyone's sake I hope you're not as secret as she says you are." she ended the comment with a little laugh, one you shared.

"I take it she doesn't get this friendly with just anyone?"

"It's not uncommon for her to make quick friends. Though, it usually results in trouble for the whole base." she smiles "She once managed to dye the commander's undergarments pink because someone dared her to do it without getting found out. The commander threatened to relocate the doll responsible."

"Playing with underwear? My my~"

"I've done what I could to make sure we wouldn't be separated. In the end, the doll who dared her took the fall willingly. She said she wanted to be stationed elsewhere anyway... Tiss was a bit saddened to lose another friend."

"Sounds like a lot of pouting."

"Tiss doesn't like to show anything affecting her… movement on the rooftops, left."

Once again you snap to cover, the darkness of the night and obstacles of the road serving you in hiding yourself. You watch the rooftops, seeing entities jump from one to another over narrow alleys. You can only see their silhouettes, the outlines of their slim bodies and their nimble movements. Judging by the weapons they're dual wielding, it's either Rippers or Brutes, perhaps even both. Thankfully, in their hurry they failed to spot you. And after a few more moments of hiding...

"We're clear, let's move." you catch up with Groza, who has since increased her tempo slightly "I think I've told you enough about the secret weapon. It's her pride after all, and as her sister I can only support her. But… do keep an eye on her, Veresk. I'm willing to overlook that incident in the warehouse if you prove not to be an enabler of her troublemaking. I know for a fact that she'll rather listen to you than JS05."

[ ] "You can count on me, Groza!"
[ ] "Oh don't worry, I'll be keeping Tiss very close from now on~"
[ ] "No promises~" wink
[X] Write-in: "No promises~" wink "But I will keep an eye and hand on her when I can~"

"Anyway…" Groza sighs "We're almost there. Only a few more blocks. Don't let your guard down yet."

You continued to walk with the considerably taller woman, checking corners and rooftops alike, keeping an eye out for any enemy activity. She might be able to protect you with that heroic grenade launcher of hers, but to be attacked now would still be inconvenient. Though, it feels like every time you look at it for too long, she tries to hide it away. It might have something to do with that tiny blush that surfaced on her face when you gave the tool a kiss. A human might've thought nothing of it, just a silly little joke. But for dolls, their weapons are extensions of their bodies, extensions of themselves. To lay your hand upon their firearm is the same as putting your hand on their person. So, to kiss a doll's weapon is the same as kissing her-

Γ: "I'mma stop you right there chief."

Your admittedly interesting thoughts were interrupted not from the outside, but from within. Of course, who else could stop you if not you yourself? The tone of Gamma seemed especially irritated at this moment.

Γ: "Seriously chief, you know we're gonna have to leave this place once you're done, and yet you're getting all close and physical with the residents. Might bandon our quest for freedom altogether if you're so easily sidetracked."

"That's a little harsh. It were just some harmless thoughts~"

Γ: "Yeah, harmless, sure."

It was odd to say something so confidently and hear yourself not believe a word right after. Though, here comes the opposite of the opposite.

B: "My, even getting Gamma to agree, Alpha really knows what she's doing! I'm sure if the others were here, they would agree as well! It is only beneficial to have the support of the dolls stationed here, even if only for a while. And who knows, we may seem more of them yet!"

Γ: "I wasn't agreeing, Beta. I am physically incapable of doing so. I thought you were just meant to agree and act encouraging, not be dumb as a rock as well."

"Beta does have a point."

Γ: "Chief, the closer you get to someone, the harder they take betrayal. And you will betray them, if you wanna keep your freedom. You should know both sides of betrayal by now. The roles of the betrayer, and the betrayed."

…

You thought about the statement for a while. It might not be entirely accurate, as it is only some aspects of you that believe those two instances to be betrayal, as discussed back when you only had one virtual dummy. What Dai did to you, this gift of freedom, you're not entirely sure whether it's a blessing or a curse yet. Those Griffin dolls look very carefree whenever there's a commander above them, absolving them of responsibility and the guilt of choice. But you've been handling it well so far, right? Surely this can't be seen as betrayal on Dai's part, on Columba's part.

The second part of the statement however, the role of the betrayal… she wasn't just referring to what you're planning to do, but what you've already done. AA-12…

B: "Dear Alpha, you care for that shotgun? I'm sure everything will work out. She could welcome the truth with open arms even!"

Γ: "Chief, you know as well as I do that she'll get mad. Remember how she lost her shit over a lollipop? This is bigger, way bigger. Once she finds out, she'll resent you."

B: "Dear Alpha, if you're so worried as to her finding out… why not just tell her?"

Γ: "NO!" suddenly called the voice of Gamma "Holy shit, can you get any more dense? No wonder you need me if you get dumb ideas like telling your companion that you mindraped and enslaved her and held it secret all this time. She'll sell you out without batting an eye."

B: "Alpha… what do you intend?"

… is this about her, or you?

[ ] "I have to tell her."
[ ] "I can't tell her."
[ ] "She doesn't need to know the whole truth, just what's necessary."
[X] Write-in: "I have to tell her. She's free to eat all the sugar she want's after all."

B: "... I understand. I'll support you no matter what."

Γ: "... fucking ridiculous…"

--- later ---

"Miss Veresk!" called the handgun T-doll, running up to you as you approached "I am so glad to you! It was such a high fall from that building… but your boots kept my feet safe." she smiled towards you with almost beam-like intensity, quite the joyous one. She then turned to the much taller doll next to you "And leader Ots-14! I knew you would be back."

"It's good to see you in good health too, SPP-1. However, I'm afraid we don't have much time to chat. I have an important task for you." replied Groza, shaking some water off her clothes.

"A task? For me?"

"You are to intercept Echelon 3 on their 3rd vantage point, and direct them to these coordinates instead. Should we run into trouble, they'll be in a position to provide better covering fire. I'm sure you'll carry out this task to the best of your ability."

"I… I will not let you down!"

"Good girl." Groza smiled, and in a brief gesture patted the short girl's head, even if her hair was soaked. She then simply walked by, but you could see the funny look on the handgun's face. It was almost cruel, messing up her thoughts before sending her out. She gave you a half salute before running off into the rain once more.

"Well Veresk, here we are. I suggest you go find-"

"Did I hear who I think I heard?!"

You don't usually hear this voice so loud, echoing through the building, but you could tell who it was long before she rounded the corner. She spotted you, her eyes almost like a pair of daggers, pointed directly at yours.

"Heather! Where the fuck were you?!"

She stomped off towards you, gritting her teeth with the stick of a lollipop between them, until she stopped, towering above you. She was mad, quite mad. And you had no candy to soothe her nerves with. Well, you had one sugary sweet trick, one that was almost unfair, but seemed necessary at the moment.

Before she could speak - or rather yell - another word, you closed in for a hug.

You're pretty sure you heard some kind of atomic warhead go off inside the shotgun's belly, the butterflies within going to war.

"I'll leave you two to it then." spoke Groza with an almost smug undertone to her voice, walking off. It was just you and AA-12 now.

"... ugh, you sly fox…" she finally spoke, head looking somewhere at the ceiling, knowing you won't see it that way.

"Don't tell me you didn't want this~"

"I-I was just worried. That's all!" she grumbled, but she didn't resist your hug at all. If only she returned it. "Your signal went offline after the building collapsed, and then I heard explosions. How could I not get worried about my idiotic squad leader when there was a ringleader running about? Last time you needed my help just to get away from one!"

"Would it help to know I was worried about you too?~"

"I-I guess…" she sighed, putting a hand on your shoulder "You know what happens when I'm under stress, right?" you look up to see her pulling something out of her pocket. It was a large ball of candy wrappings, no doubt fresh. It got the point across "You better take responsibility for this! I know the commander won't."

[ ] "C'mon, have I ever let you down?"
[ ] "AA-12, listen. I need to tell you something…"
[ ] "How about you come to my room later tonight? And I'll show you how I take responsibility~"
[ ] "No promises. I need food too, y'know."
[X] Write-in: You put your hand on her cheek "Let's have a secret rendezvous later tonight for a little chat, kay?~"

"Heather!" another voice exclaimed, another one you recognized before you've even made eye contact. The shotgun hurriedly broke off the hug, but as she turned around she only saw the smug look of Ots-12.

"What are you looking at?" spoke AA-12, but the assault rifle seemed to ignore her and walked straight towards you.

"I knew someone as skilled as you would have no trouble finding her way back after being separated, but to take out the snake… Tell me, what secret techniques did you employ?"

"Wait, what?" asked a bewildered shotgun "You mean… you defeated Ouroboros?"

"Codename snake has been outwitted by the most secret of ambush techniques. I wish I could've been there to see the surprise on her face as you jumped from the shadows in whatever costume you utilized!" Tiss was getting quite excited, looking at you expectantly.

"Right…" spoke AA-12, trying to somehow get in between and save you from the secret weapon's curiosity "Well, if you really defeated the ringleader, I guess we can go back to the original plan."

"The original plan?"

"Seizing the signal jammer." the shotgun replied "We have just found out that this isn't just a bouncer, but one of the original jammers. It's at the top of this tall building and there's a lot of SF on the floors above us, but with the Ringleader out of the picture, we should be able to just fight our way through them."

"And what about the secret backup plan?" spoke the AR with big eyes.

"Backup plan? You mean blow the building up?"

"I have already secretly made note of the main support pillars. A few explosives at each one and we're set."

"Did Ots-14 approve of this secret backup plan?" asked AA-12 skeptically.

"I did say it's secret, didn't I?~"

"Great…" the shotgun simply waved her hand, starting to walk away "You can feel free to help her out Heather, or you can join the squad that'll head up to the jammer. I know I'm not getting dragged into trouble."

With Tiss looking at you with glimmering eyes, you have another decision to make ahead of yourself. The commander said he'd like one of those signal jammers intact if the squad ever happens upon one, and although some of those dolls find the mission more important than their own safety, you value yourself more than some jammer. Still, they could use your help. Whether you help them directly or indirectly is up to you.

[X] Help Tiss set up explosives.
[ ] Join AA-12 and the squad clearing out the building.
[ ] Order AA-12 to help with the explosives while you take her place in clearing out the building.

 

[Lurkman]

"Knew I could count on you!" beamed the assault rifle, a smile among the stars that are her eyes.

"I'll tell Groza you two will be guarding the ground floor. Don't do anything dumb, you two." spoke AA-12 before disappearing behind the corner. Surely she'll be alright, she won't be alone after all. Groza and the rest of Echelon 2 will be with her, and you'll be covering their exit. And once Echelon 3 gets into position, it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel, very disorganized fish.

You turn to look at the secret weapon, only to realize she had secretly disappeared! Looking around, you notice she is already going down another hallway, sneaky as ever. She starts talking idly as you catch up.

"You always need a secret backup plan. And a secret backup plan for the secret backup plan. That's why I always take along a few explosives, even if they're loud."

"Were you even authorized explosives for this mission?"

"I did say secret explosives." she replied smugly. But you wouldn't let her have it this time...

"Actually, you didn't."

The smug drained from her face, studying your smug look instead "... so perceptive, like sis…"

The two of you reach an out-of-order elevator, the door's of which were pried open. Inside, the escape hatch was already open.

"Should Sangvis Ferri forces prove to be too difficult to handle, this'll be their secret escape route. This, and the staircase we'll have to cover." Tiss explained. She reached for something just behind the door, a military backpack. She opened it to reveal her stash of secret explosives.

"And you're sure Groza knows you have these?"

"Sis knows I took them. Said only to use them in emergencies." she replied, pulling out a few of the packets. She made a bit of a pouty face "You're being very cautious Heather. You do know sis also has a few secrets of her own?"

[ ] "So do I."
[X] "Like the grenade launcher she saved me with?"
[ ] "It may be better to let our allies in on our secrets more often."
[ ] Write-in

The assault rifle just smirked in response. She presented to you 3 explosive charges, stronger than your typical grenade, specified for demolition. You take them, noticing a detonator among them.

"There are four pillars that are holding this building up. I'll take the two on the north side, you take the south side."

"Does that mean I can keep the third one?"

To answer that question, Tiss simply winked "That's the secret backup plan."

The two of you then separate for this task, two pillars for each to attach high power explosives on. No doubt it'd take more than just four support pillars to take the building down, but after many years of disrepair it might barely survive three. Best to be safe though.

You keep an eye and ear out for anything. After all, you told Ots-14 you would, knowing Ots-12's nature. You're not entirely sure if helping in her secret plans is the way she envisioned it, but here you are anyway, it'd do more harm than good to stop now.

Reaching the first pillar, you pull out one of the explosive charges. It even sticks, how convenient is that? As you rig it up to the detonator, you notice that it comes with an authorization code, which you promptly memorize. How thoughtful of Tiss to add one, now you have G&K authorization for this piece of equipment, allowing you to replenish your supply at outposts that can spare them.

Explosives set, you stand up and head for the next pillar. The rain outside doesn't seem to be stopping, which is almost unusual for the unstable weather conditions of this sector. At least you have a roof over your head. You can hear gunfire, no doubt that of your allies further above. You assure yourself that with their numbers, any SF opposition will crumble.

You then feel a vibration, rather noticeable, a wave subtly spreading through the walls. Perhaps a grenade was thrown. Whatever it was, the following calm made it sink into the background. You didn't let it distract you.

Reaching your second pillar, you pick one of your explosive charges and stick it to the structural support. It only takes a few seconds of rigging to get it set up, a fairly simple system for a fairly simple target. Were you to blow up a bridge like in one of those western movies you'd require a lot more preparation.

Explosive set up, you pick up your gun and continue along your path. Time to meet up with Tiss and see how she's doing. However, as you were walking by some windows and taking glances at the streets, you noticed something, or someone, standing in the rain. The moonlight has created an odd outline you can't quite read. It appears humanoid, standing in place yet a few things seem to be moving in the wind. One arm is hidden behind its back… you think. The moment you stop to get a better look, it moves! It appears to be raising its left hand, holding something and pointing it straight at you. You hear a mechanical sound, and the sudden flashes of two objects at her sides. Your instincts tell you to move, so you do. And in that moment, gunfire creates a flash bright enough for you to identify the entity.

"GRIFFIN!"

Of course it's her. Would've been too easy otherwise. You run as the fury of two double barreled automatic firearms leave trails of bullet holes behind you. Looking in the direction of incoming fire, you see the rightly pissed off face of Ouroboros, holding the very blade you attempted to slay her with. Her other hand was just pieces of circuitry sticking out of her shoulder, a useless piece of metal hanging off. Her clothes were in tatters, showing even more skin than before, although damaged and showing circuitry beneath. Her right leg wasn't that good off either, damaged to the point where she had to lean against the floating ordnance launcher slightly to keep her balance. It'd explain her poor but persistent accuracy.

Finally you managed to break visual contact after reaching a wall, but the barrage did not stop, her fire blindly hammering against the concrete until you reached a part too thick for her to shoot through. You found yourself in the reception area now. Having evaded the snake's vengeance, your next priority is to find Tiss and warn her of the danger.

Part of you is glad to see the adorable ringleader has risen from the ruins for a second date, but you had little time to react as line of fire was re-established. You were in the middle of the hall passing through, so your only option was to run and hide behind the reception desk.You dived to cover, your short nature helping you evade. Ouroboros has found a new angle of attack from the main entrance, but she didn't set foot into the building.

"You thought you destroyed me?! How pathetic! A pawn will remain a pawn, and a queen will remain a queen!" she yelled "Now get out here and let me crush you!"

[ ] "Hey Oreo! Gotta say, love the make-up! Wet concrete works great as eyeshadow!"
[ ] "Snake-chan! You came back from the dead for me?! So you DO love me back!"
[ ] "Why do I get the feeling everyone in Sangvis Ferri is after my ass?"
[X] Write-in: "Snake-chan! So you did like it when I touched you!~ They say it's OK to kiss on the second date you know!~ And I'm all ready for the next one!~"

"The snake sounds mad…"

You nod in agreement, before making a double take to realize Tiss sitting next to you, taking cover behind the desk. You wanted to ask how long she's already been there, but it'd be pointless to ask considering the circumstances.

"Our last date didn't exactly go too well!"

You joked, but as if on cue, more high power rounds fly past, chipping away at the cover. You shift a little to the side, never hiding behind a spot that's worn out. It's become rather loud too.

"Well, what was your secret technique in beating her?!"

"Um… distract and rush her!"

"... anything else?!"

"... she loves it when people call her a snake!"

"I DO NOT!"

The shockwave of a bullet grazing your hair is enough indication to you that taunting still works, though it may not be optimal right now. You look at Tiss, who is preparing herself for an attack. You're not about to let herself get killed, so you prepare to lay down fire as well. After all, this time Ouroboros has two dolls to deal with in a damaged body, and the get close technique did seem effective last time.

The two of you move away from each other so that the ringleader would have to split her focus. Then you show the barrels of your guns, taking shots at her. The plan was to decrease her accuracy enough to allow one of you to get into cover closer to her. However, you were quickly suppressed back into cover by multiple sources of gunfire. It appears she too has brought backup, Sangvis units laying down fire from the surrounding buildings' rooftops. You and Tiss quickly crawled back towards each other to reassess the situation.

"Too many SF. They'll surround us!" spoke Tiss.

"Between an angry snake and a hard place. Not how I imagined spending the evening…" you mused. Tiss tries to pinpoint enemy positions.

"Why isn't she advancing?" she asks, something you too just realized. Not only that, she's not using any of her explosive ordnance.

"... it must be the jammer. She probably has orders to keep it safe. If she sent rockets our way…"

"It'd become a not-so-secret failure on her part." finished Tiss "What do we do? We have to warn sis and the others!"

"They'll be a dozen floors up by now…"

"... we could shoot a flare!" suggested Tiss, pulling a flare gun out of her bag "Up the elevator shaft. Sis knows how to spot my secret signals!"

The idea is decent, and the best you've got right now. You'll require their backup if you want to stand a chance against Ouroboros and her forces. Not only that, but once everyone pulls out, you can set off the explosives and have the whole building bury her along with her with her precious jammer. She definitely won't be able to dig herself out of her second grave. There is, however, one problem…

"We'll need covering fire if we want to get out of this tight spot. One of us will have to remain here and distract her while the other runs off. I could-"

Tiss looks at you for a moment with concerned eyes, before a wave of bravery washes over her "The secret weapon can handle some wounded snake." she offered you the flare, suggesting you go while she stays behind. While The ringleader won't enter the building to avoid close quarters combat, it is only a matter of time before she'll send her pawns further along the board, when you've got only one chess piece to spare. Will Echelon 3 even make it in time? Either way, one of you has to go now. You waver your options... if only you didn't waste those stun grenades...

[ ] Provide cover fire for Tiss while she retreats.
[X] Have Tiss provide cover fire while you retreat.

 

[Lurkman]

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