You are Vector and you are on a mission. G&K has been compromised and you're thrust into a solo mission on your own to find the truth.
Scraps Sidelined 2: Fire Hazard (A Girl's Frontline Quest)
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Booting Up
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
From the Ashes, the Demon Lord woke with a roar
.....
....
...
Vector opened her eyes as a train passed before the roof she sat on. The night sky was dark and the lights coming from the city polluted the Heavens with its dull glow. A recording played right before her eyes, projected by her Digimind as she stared at the sight of her Commander.
"This is a message for all T-Dolls currently abroad in their respective expeditions. Griffin & Krueger is currently experiencing… Some troubles."
Vector stood up from where she was sitting, her thick olive colored cloak shifting, stained from weeks of travel as her robotic eyes looked through the streets and eyed a moving black car. Her nose registered the stench of rain on asphalt, making her wrinkle her face. Her yellow eyes twinkled as she continued observing before moving.
The recording continued.
"I will make this brief. You're to be sent a time delayed information regarding a certain individual. Should HQ be unresponsive for three weeks then it'd be best to assume the worst has happened. Meaning that we most likely cocked up dealing with the Army again. More details will be presented upon the recovery of your target."
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Vector landed on a lamppost before kicking off it. She used her enhanced synthetic limbs to launch herself into the air before sliding down across another roof. She began following the car in earnest, dashing as fast as she could.
Her cloak billowed behind her as her hair swayed upon pursuing her target. A dirty hat kept her hair from flying out and covering her vision as she jumped and landed on an emergency staircase. Vaulting over the railing and kicked off the side until she reached the ground.
She turned and ran through the alley as fast as she could.
"I expect whatever Dolls we have out there to make contact with said individual. They'll explain the rest to you until the situation resolves itself. I know you girls hate this but… You'll have to trust me. We made it out of that damnable retreat, I'm sure we'll make it out of this mess."
Vector grimaced as she continued running, rushing out of the alleyway just as a black car drove by. She charged forward and used her body as a battering ram, having enough power to smash into the side of the car and flinging it over.
The car hit the ground, rolling and tumbling before coming to a halt.
Vector threw her cloak to the side of her and revealed her submachine gun, cocking it and raising it just as a car door was kicked towards her. This forced her to evade, prompting her core to overclock itself as time slowed down, allowing her to safely dodge.
She watched as a man with cybernetic implants step out, his flesh marked with implants like black spots. He towered over her and he ripped his shirt off to reveal blackened steel. He smiled and revealed his teeth to be of the same black color before charging.
Vector moved to meet him before he swung down to smash her body.
She dodged and fired at the back of his knees, forcing him down. He turned and swung his arm to which the Tactical Doll weaved through and she fired at the man's shoulder. Black blood spilled into the air as he roared in pain.
He tried grabbing Vector with his outstretched palm but she kicked his wrist down, jamming her gun into his mouth and pulling the trigger. Bullets sprayed out of his skull and bloodying her face.
The man fell dead on the ground as Vector looked at the car as another man stepped out. He was dragging another man, bound and gagged.
"Don't come any closer you piece of junk! If you do I'll blow his brains out!" the hostile threatened, pressing his gun to the hostage.
"Temporarily, that person will be your Commander. At least until Griffin resolves its problems. I'm counting on you girls…"
Vector watched the recording end as she gritted her teeth.
Irresponsible…
Booting Up…
[] Negotiate.
[] Overclock Vector's core to slow down time.
[] Just shoot.
Rescue
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Overclock Vector's core to slow down time.
Your name was Vector and you stood in this empty street faced with a hostage situation. The individual taken hostage was a possible lead to the person your Commander wanted you to find. Failure in this scenario was not an option, given it could set you back for weeks of information gathering, at worse compromise the mission left to you by your Commander.
As such, there was no room for error. You will have to do this cleanly.
To accomplish that, you deigned it necessary to activate your 'Bullet Time' accessory for an optimal result. Your firing control system predicted the right angle while you judged the hostile from afar. You calculated the right moment for you to act as you kept your gun raised high. He was equipped with cybernetics which allowed him greater physical capabilities than normal humans.
You had to make sure he didn't get to make use of that.
"Put your gun down!" the hostile screamed, "Put it do-"
Your eyes widened as you overclocked your core, time seemingly slowing down as your calculations exceeded normal thought. You were able to take aim and fired your gun, taking careful shots at the hostile's leg and head. It only lasted for a moment but your core grew hot from the sudden exertion it was put through before the results came in.
Your bullet struck the man's leg, moving his aim away from his hostage as he cried out in pain. The second bullet buried itself through his head and passed through it, causing him to fall down. The body fell like a sack of bricks as the hostage scrambled to the ground and held up his hands. He was a man with dark skin tone and shaved head.
Physical augmentations were prominent on his flesh as he held up his hands in a panic.
"Ey, ey, ey! Hold up! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" he cried out as he covered his head.
You ignored him and simply picked up your cloak, wrapping it around yourself once more to hide your weapons. The man simply looked up and stared at you as you wiped the blood off your face with a piece of your cloak. You then turned to him which caused him to tense up as you held your gun underneath your cloak.
"Can you drive that?" you asked him as you glanced at the car.
"Y-Yeah?" the man breathed as he stared at you, wide eyed.
"Go. Take us out of here. I have questions for you," you ordered him as he got up his feet and moved to the car to which you followed. Stepping in, you shut the door as the man started the engines and drove off.
"Where to?" the man asked.
"Somewhere quiet. Preferably where we're not seen," you told him as the car made a turn along the street and merged with the incoming traffic. You allowed yourself some respite as the man glanced at you from the rearview mirror.
"Who sent you? You one of Coney's people?" the man asked with a suspicious look, "No one told me someone's gonna bust me out. This some sort of deal or something?"
You met his gaze and frowned, "No affiliation. You are Jacques St. Paul, member of the Sewer Smog criminal underground group. You're tangentially related to my mission and that's the only reason why you were rescued."
The man's eyes widened as he gasped, "Jesus Christ... You're a Doll. Fuck this, man. Who wants my ass this time?"
"No one," you replied.
"Aren't you chicks not allowed to harm human personnel in general? The fuck is this shit?" Jacques groaned as he kept driving though his knuckles were turning white from distress.
"I have permission to engage with humans given to me by my Commander. That's as far as I can share. Now keep driving," you ordered as the car made a few more turns before driving down a freeway. The city lights glowed in the distance as the car drove itself nearing the slum area within the city walls.
The City States which filled the region typically operated with zones as their structure. The Green Zone which consisted of what was within the protection of the City walls, where the common man and those with wealth and standing lived protected from the harsh lands outside the walls and from the dangers of ELID infection. It was what made up the general population of the inner cities.
Beyond that were the Yellow Zones, worse than the slums of the inner-city, these were camps made by refugees and wanderers, those who sought access and living space within the City States were left to stay close to its walls for protection. The unfortunate whom resided here were often exploited and used by those of a higher standing within the city, preying on their desperation. It was also where branches of PMCs were located and often recruited new hands, these small organizations often aiding the City States within the walls.
And finally, the Red Zones... Harsh and cruel environments or totaled ruins ravaged by the Infection of the ELID disease. It was seldom lived in by humans and not even machines would be found here. Only the rotting dead and corpses of steel were left here, a highly dangerous area.
Getting in this City State was not easy but measures had to be taken for your mission to continue. You weren't going to let this chance go now that you were here.
Soon enough, the car stopped before a pier, overlooking a walled in bay area where ships were moored. The man at the front seat, Jacques sighed before raising his hands.
"We're here. Now can you tell me what you want?" Jacques asked with a worried tone.
You took out a microchip and handed it to him, "I need to know where this man is being held. He's privy to information I require in order to continue my mission."
"And that is?" Jacques asked but you simply frowned.
"Okay, okay! Geez," Jacques coughed before taking the chip and slotting it in his hand.
More augmentations...
It took him a few moments before his eyes widened, taking out the chip.
"Oh. Him," Jacques coughed as he glanced at you, "A man called Murray. 41 years old and former member of an old Mercenary Company back at the start of the third world war. Yeah, I... I know of him. He's been working as a Fixer of some sort here in the region. Last info I have on him would be that he was caught by some bad folks on the Upper Streets. Folks known for human trafficking and illegal weapons manufacturing."
"Caught?" you asked.
"Yeah. Was working on a case of some rich guy's son. Poor sod got himself in a pickle and was locked up. Not surprising, Fixers like him tend to get the short end of the stick sooner or later. That's just how it is," Jacques said with a shrug, "I have the info on his location. You look like a capable Doll, you planning on busting him out?"
"I am. He's my new Commander," you answered as you loaded your weapon.
.....
....
...
You stood upon another rooftop overlooking a compound. It seemed heavily guarded by augmented guards and a few monitoring drones. Your cloak swayed with the wind as you inspected the area. You double checked the information you were given and confirmed that this was indeed the place.
"It's here," you whispered as you felt the wind on your skin, "It's time to work."
[] Stay quiet. Utilize your cybernetic warfare to sneak through and quietly extract your new Commander.
Your name was Vector and you stood in this empty street faced with a hostage situation. The individual taken hostage was a possible lead to the person your Commander wanted you to find. Failure in this scenario was not an option, given it could set you back for weeks of information gathering, at worse compromise the mission left to you by your Commander.
As such, there was no room for error. You will have to do this cleanly.
To accomplish that, you deigned it necessary to activate your 'Bullet Time' accessory for an optimal result. Your firing control system predicted the right angle while you judged the hostile from afar. You calculated the right moment for you to act as you kept your gun raised high. He was equipped with cybernetics which allowed him greater physical capabilities than normal humans.
You had to make sure he didn't get to make use of that.
"Put your gun down!" the hostile screamed, "Put it do-"
Your eyes widened as you overclocked your core, time seemingly slowing down as your calculations exceeded normal thought. You were able to take aim and fired your gun, taking careful shots at the hostile's leg and head. It only lasted for a moment but your core grew hot from the sudden exertion it was put through before the results came in.
Your bullet struck the man's leg, moving his aim away from his hostage as he cried out in pain. The second bullet buried itself through his head and passed through it, causing him to fall down. The body fell like a sack of bricks as the hostage scrambled to the ground and held up his hands. He was a man with dark skin tone and shaved head.
Physical augmentations were prominent on his flesh as he held up his hands in a panic.
"Ey, ey, ey! Hold up! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" he cried out as he covered his head.
You ignored him and simply picked up your cloak, wrapping it around yourself once more to hide your weapons. The man simply looked up and stared at you as you wiped the blood off your face with a piece of your cloak. You then turned to him which caused him to tense up as you held your gun underneath your cloak.
"Can you drive that?" you asked him as you glanced at the car.
"Y-Yeah?" the man breathed as he stared at you, wide eyed.
"Go. Take us out of here. I have questions for you," you ordered him as he got up his feet and moved to the car to which you followed. Stepping in, you shut the door as the man started the engines and drove off.
"Where to?" the man asked.
"Somewhere quiet. Preferably where we're not seen," you told him as the car made a turn along the street and merged with the incoming traffic. You allowed yourself some respite as the man glanced at you from the rearview mirror.
"Who sent you? You one of Coney's people?" the man asked with a suspicious look, "No one told me someone's gonna bust me out. This some sort of deal or something?"
You met his gaze and frowned, "No affiliation. You are Jacques St. Paul, member of the Sewer Smog criminal underground group. You're tangentially related to my mission and that's the only reason why you were rescued."
The man's eyes widened as he gasped, "Jesus Christ... You're a Doll. Fuck this, man. Who wants my ass this time?"
"No one," you replied.
"Aren't you chicks not allowed to harm human personnel in general? The fuck is this shit?" Jacques groaned as he kept driving though his knuckles were turning white from distress.
"I have permission to engage with humans given to me by my Commander. That's as far as I can share. Now keep driving," you ordered as the car made a few more turns before driving down a freeway. The city lights glowed in the distance as the car drove itself nearing the slum area within the city walls.
The City States which filled the region typically operated with zones as their structure. The Green Zone which consisted of what was within the protection of the City walls, where the common man and those with wealth and standing lived protected from the harsh lands outside the walls and from the dangers of ELID infection. It was what made up the general population of the inner cities.
Beyond that were the Yellow Zones, worse than the slums of the inner-city, these were camps made by refugees and wanderers, those who sought access and living space within the City States were left to stay close to its walls for protection. The unfortunate whom resided here were often exploited and used by those of a higher standing within the city, preying on their desperation. It was also where branches of PMCs were located and often recruited new hands, these small organizations often aiding the City States within the walls.
And finally, the Red Zones... Harsh and cruel environments or totaled ruins ravaged by the Infection of the ELID disease. It was seldom lived in by humans and not even machines would be found here. Only the rotting dead and corpses of steel were left here, a highly dangerous area.
Getting in this City State was not easy but measures had to be taken for your mission to continue. You weren't going to let this chance go now that you were here.
Soon enough, the car stopped before a pier, overlooking a walled in bay area where ships were moored. The man at the front seat, Jacques sighed before raising his hands.
"We're here. Now can you tell me what you want?" Jacques asked with a worried tone.
You took out a microchip and handed it to him, "I need to know where this man is being held. He's privy to information I require in order to continue my mission."
"And that is?" Jacques asked but you simply frowned.
"Okay, okay! Geez," Jacques coughed before taking the chip and slotting it in his hand.
More augmentations...
It took him a few moments before his eyes widened, taking out the chip.
"Oh. Him," Jacques coughed as he glanced at you, "A man called Murray. 41 years old and former member of an old Mercenary Company back at the start of the third world war. Yeah, I... I know of him. He's been working as a Fixer of some sort here in the region. Last info I have on him would be that he was caught by some bad folks on the Upper Streets. Folks known for human trafficking and illegal weapons manufacturing."
"Caught?" you asked.
"Yeah. Was working on a case of some rich guy's son. Poor sod got himself in a pickle and was locked up. Not surprising, Fixers like him tend to get the short end of the stick sooner or later. That's just how it is," Jacques said with a shrug, "I have the info on his location. You look like a capable Doll, you planning on busting him out?"
"I am. He's my new Commander," you answered as you loaded your weapon.
.....
....
...
You stood upon another rooftop overlooking a compound. It seemed heavily guarded by augmented guards and a few monitoring drones. Your cloak swayed with the wind as you inspected the area. You double checked the information you were given and confirmed that this was indeed the place.
"It's here," you whispered as you felt the wind on your skin, "It's time to work."
Rescue
[] Go loud. Fight through the compound and take the new Commander out.
[] Stay quiet. Utilize your cybernetic warfare to sneak through and quietly extract your new Commander.
Commander
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Stay quiet. Utilize your cybernetic warfare to sneak through and quietly extract your new Commander.
You moved, taking off from your spot on the roof to land through a gap in the security and inserted yourself within the compound. You managed to quietly enter its interior before making sure that you weren't seen.
You had been observing for the past hour and had noted down the patterns of the guards and the general shifts their patrol normally went through. You were careful in your entrance as you hid by the corners out of the line of sight of both guards and the cameras. The drones seemed to be distracted enough to not take notice of you.
You scanned the entrances leading within the building and found the two guards standing by the door on high alert. Nothing had spooked them yet but it would be difficult getting in without an alarm. You didn't have much of a choice, while you weren't exactly equipped for electronic warfare, you could still do a couple of things.
You stared up the drones in the air and let out a breath, directing your will upon it as you dived into its core systems and overwriting its basic programming. You smashed through its security and took hold of its functions, making it destabilize itself before it popped and fell down. It crashed on the opposite direction of the guards, prompting them to perk up and investigate.
"One down," you breathed before holding out your hand and exerting your control on the camera to force a malfunction. Upon its deactivation, you rushed in straight for the remaining guard.
He didn't have time to act upon you getting to him and silencing his lips with a punch. You then quietly got behind his back and used his biometrics to open the door behind you, dragging him in. The other guard remained unaware as you dragged the first one through the door and let it close. You then used your strength to twist the man's reinforced neck, letting him fall.
You then raised your gun and scanned the interior of the hallway.
The holding cells should be down below. Executive personnel were stationed several floors above you. The security office was a couple of floors above you as well. Looking down on your victim, you decided to hide him out of sight and loot what credentials he had for future use.
You then continued your way down the building, finding yourself in the lower levels. There were cameras but it was easy enough to cloak yourself from their sights without outright breaking them. Too many malfunctions at once could rouse suspicion.
You kept moving, taking care to scan ahead for guards only to find few patrolling the halls. There was no need to engage since you were able to simply let them pass through on their patrol routes. You passed by several offices until you reached what seemed like a gated door. Something was being kept down beyond this point.
Taking out the access card in your hand, you swiped it and were granted entrance. You passed through and the metal door leading downwards opened up. A passage led you straight down, your hand on your gun as you carefully took your steps forward. Your senses were running high as you reached the bottom floor.
You were greeted by the sight of a wide open space filled with boxes and crates. Labor Machines were on standby in one corner while you walked forward, inspecting the crates as you passed by. Some of the boxes contained weaponry from several global organizations. You guessed that there was enough weapons here to wage war with another city state and still have ammo to spare.
It goes to show how powerful criminal elements were in this city if they were able to get ahold of these weapons.
Your footsteps echoed throughout the warehouse area before you came across what looked like several armored vehicles. Military grade from the looks of it, you couldn't help but be impressed. Nonetheless, you walked over to one of the closed shutters and used the access card. It opened up, revealing more boxes except this time there seemed to be glass tubes.
"Human augments. Preserved for storage," you identified with a frown.
There was another object at the center, a case which seemed to be held aloft by electromagnetic force. It resembled what looked like a black sword strapped unto the case with several locks. You stared at it for a moment before turning away, moving to the next closed door and opening it. The shutters lifted up and light from the room you were in flooded the one beyond you.
You held your gun up and tensed upon seeing someone ahead.
"Who's there?" a low growl came from the man bound upon a wall, a steel collar around his neck as his green eyes stared back at you.
You identified him as the man you were looking for.
"You are... Murray?" you asked as you straightened up and lowered your gun. The man said nothing and simply watched, prompting you to speak further, "I am Tactical Doll codenamed Vector. I'm here to extract you from this place, sir."
"Who sent you?" the man questioned in his rough voice, "Must be some asshole if they're thinking a Doll can help me."
"I was sent by my Commander from G&K. I have information to be delivered to you, it only said that you would be able to explain further," you replied not taking into account his dismissive words.
"G&K? I don't know anyone from Griffin... Not unless," Murray whispered before his eyes widened, "Behind you!"
You reacted upon his orders and got low, evading a deadly strike which would have sliced your head off. Rolling on the ground you raised your weapon... To find a faceless, featureless mechanical Doll wielding an iron spike. Hostile, but not Sangvis or a Military Grade D-
It vanished.
The enemy reappeared above you and swung down its spike, nearly catching you in your dodge. You open fired, landing several hits to its chest before it vanished again. It's fast. It reappeared to your side and thrust, only for you to weave beneath its blow and kick its knee. You then aimed right beside its head and fired.
It staggered back before you fired at its knee, forcing it down as it thrust its weapon to your head. You caught it, kicked its arm and wrenched its weapon out of its hand. You then drove it through the Doll's body, spearing it it like a fish.
Murray watched this all happen before speaking, "I don't know what Griffin wants with me. I'm just a Fixer. Not important enough to be rescued by you people."
"Then you're in luck. I'm no people nor a part of them," you replied as you unlocked his bindings. He fell down on his knees, you noticed that he had augments as well... Military Grade physical augmentations. You continued as you offered your hand to him, "I'm simply a Doll. A tool to be used for War. But you, Commander, are important to our cause."
Murray stared at you with a frown before brushing your hand aside, "Commander, huh? I can see where this is going."
He grabbed the black spike you had driven into the Doll's chest and yanked it out.
"Let me tell you this, I'm not interested," Murray replied as he weighed the spike in his metal hands.
BOOM
The two of you turned to see a massive floating sentry machine smash from the ceiling. It was a hovercraft propelled humanoid robot capable of three dimensional maneuvering, armed with anti-personnel and anti-vehicle weaponry. It was clad in refined steel plating capable of withstanding point blank tank shots and only the most powerful weapons could pierce it.
It had no head but the roar of its engine resembled that of a beastly howl.
It had its shoulder weaponry primed right at you.
Murray growled as he rested the black spike over his shoulder, "Oh hell... Where the fuck is my fucking sword?"
The two of you faced the enemy together.
[] Take the hint, force the enemy to focus on Murray while you retrieved that sword you found before. He seemed capable enough.
[] Protect your new Commander. Face the hostile by yourself and urge Murray to escape. His safety takes priority in this mission.
You moved, taking off from your spot on the roof to land through a gap in the security and inserted yourself within the compound. You managed to quietly enter its interior before making sure that you weren't seen.
You had been observing for the past hour and had noted down the patterns of the guards and the general shifts their patrol normally went through. You were careful in your entrance as you hid by the corners out of the line of sight of both guards and the cameras. The drones seemed to be distracted enough to not take notice of you.
You scanned the entrances leading within the building and found the two guards standing by the door on high alert. Nothing had spooked them yet but it would be difficult getting in without an alarm. You didn't have much of a choice, while you weren't exactly equipped for electronic warfare, you could still do a couple of things.
You stared up the drones in the air and let out a breath, directing your will upon it as you dived into its core systems and overwriting its basic programming. You smashed through its security and took hold of its functions, making it destabilize itself before it popped and fell down. It crashed on the opposite direction of the guards, prompting them to perk up and investigate.
"One down," you breathed before holding out your hand and exerting your control on the camera to force a malfunction. Upon its deactivation, you rushed in straight for the remaining guard.
He didn't have time to act upon you getting to him and silencing his lips with a punch. You then quietly got behind his back and used his biometrics to open the door behind you, dragging him in. The other guard remained unaware as you dragged the first one through the door and let it close. You then used your strength to twist the man's reinforced neck, letting him fall.
You then raised your gun and scanned the interior of the hallway.
The holding cells should be down below. Executive personnel were stationed several floors above you. The security office was a couple of floors above you as well. Looking down on your victim, you decided to hide him out of sight and loot what credentials he had for future use.
You then continued your way down the building, finding yourself in the lower levels. There were cameras but it was easy enough to cloak yourself from their sights without outright breaking them. Too many malfunctions at once could rouse suspicion.
You kept moving, taking care to scan ahead for guards only to find few patrolling the halls. There was no need to engage since you were able to simply let them pass through on their patrol routes. You passed by several offices until you reached what seemed like a gated door. Something was being kept down beyond this point.
Taking out the access card in your hand, you swiped it and were granted entrance. You passed through and the metal door leading downwards opened up. A passage led you straight down, your hand on your gun as you carefully took your steps forward. Your senses were running high as you reached the bottom floor.
You were greeted by the sight of a wide open space filled with boxes and crates. Labor Machines were on standby in one corner while you walked forward, inspecting the crates as you passed by. Some of the boxes contained weaponry from several global organizations. You guessed that there was enough weapons here to wage war with another city state and still have ammo to spare.
It goes to show how powerful criminal elements were in this city if they were able to get ahold of these weapons.
Your footsteps echoed throughout the warehouse area before you came across what looked like several armored vehicles. Military grade from the looks of it, you couldn't help but be impressed. Nonetheless, you walked over to one of the closed shutters and used the access card. It opened up, revealing more boxes except this time there seemed to be glass tubes.
"Human augments. Preserved for storage," you identified with a frown.
There was another object at the center, a case which seemed to be held aloft by electromagnetic force. It resembled what looked like a black sword strapped unto the case with several locks. You stared at it for a moment before turning away, moving to the next closed door and opening it. The shutters lifted up and light from the room you were in flooded the one beyond you.
You held your gun up and tensed upon seeing someone ahead.
"Who's there?" a low growl came from the man bound upon a wall, a steel collar around his neck as his green eyes stared back at you.
You identified him as the man you were looking for.
"You are... Murray?" you asked as you straightened up and lowered your gun. The man said nothing and simply watched, prompting you to speak further, "I am Tactical Doll codenamed Vector. I'm here to extract you from this place, sir."
"Who sent you?" the man questioned in his rough voice, "Must be some asshole if they're thinking a Doll can help me."
"I was sent by my Commander from G&K. I have information to be delivered to you, it only said that you would be able to explain further," you replied not taking into account his dismissive words.
"G&K? I don't know anyone from Griffin... Not unless," Murray whispered before his eyes widened, "Behind you!"
You reacted upon his orders and got low, evading a deadly strike which would have sliced your head off. Rolling on the ground you raised your weapon... To find a faceless, featureless mechanical Doll wielding an iron spike. Hostile, but not Sangvis or a Military Grade D-
It vanished.
The enemy reappeared above you and swung down its spike, nearly catching you in your dodge. You open fired, landing several hits to its chest before it vanished again. It's fast. It reappeared to your side and thrust, only for you to weave beneath its blow and kick its knee. You then aimed right beside its head and fired.
It staggered back before you fired at its knee, forcing it down as it thrust its weapon to your head. You caught it, kicked its arm and wrenched its weapon out of its hand. You then drove it through the Doll's body, spearing it it like a fish.
Murray watched this all happen before speaking, "I don't know what Griffin wants with me. I'm just a Fixer. Not important enough to be rescued by you people."
"Then you're in luck. I'm no people nor a part of them," you replied as you unlocked his bindings. He fell down on his knees, you noticed that he had augments as well... Military Grade physical augmentations. You continued as you offered your hand to him, "I'm simply a Doll. A tool to be used for War. But you, Commander, are important to our cause."
Murray stared at you with a frown before brushing your hand aside, "Commander, huh? I can see where this is going."
He grabbed the black spike you had driven into the Doll's chest and yanked it out.
"Let me tell you this, I'm not interested," Murray replied as he weighed the spike in his metal hands.
BOOM
The two of you turned to see a massive floating sentry machine smash from the ceiling. It was a hovercraft propelled humanoid robot capable of three dimensional maneuvering, armed with anti-personnel and anti-vehicle weaponry. It was clad in refined steel plating capable of withstanding point blank tank shots and only the most powerful weapons could pierce it.
It had no head but the roar of its engine resembled that of a beastly howl.
It had its shoulder weaponry primed right at you.
Murray growled as he rested the black spike over his shoulder, "Oh hell... Where the fuck is my fucking sword?"
The two of you faced the enemy together.
Commander
[] Take on the hostile alongside Murray. It may be impervious to your normal attacks but it was not without its weaknesses.
[] Take the hint, force the enemy to focus on Murray while you retrieved that sword you found before. He seemed capable enough.
[] Protect your new Commander. Face the hostile by yourself and urge Murray to escape. His safety takes priority in this mission.
Escape
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Take the hint, force the enemy to focus on Murray while you retrieved that sword you found before. He seemed capable enough.
You hesitated as you eyed the massive hostile before you, gauging its armaments it must have been a repurposed military Doll. You held your gun before you glanced at the man by your side, his eyes on the same enemy before you. However his eyes turned to you for a moment and you understood what he wanted.
If it's a sword he wanted, you knew where to get one.
Priming your body, you felt power surge through your entire frame. A soft breath left your lips as you dashed for the enemy's left side. Almost instantly, the Hovering Machine aimed one of its arms towards you, lasers fixed upon you as you ran. You grit your teeth as you tried to outrun whatever was coming, only for Murray to sigh.
"HEY! Eyes on me," he shouted as he held the black spike in his grasp, stepping forward and throwing it. A violent blast occurred, the black spike flying through the air and smashing into the Hovering Machine's arm knocking its aim upwards.
Your eyes widened at the sight as the ballistic blasts which erupted from the machine's arm fired at the ceiling. You kept moving, rushing through the warehouse past the vehicles and crates as the machine faced the man who interfered. Murray looked at his metallic arm and grimaced at the sparks which coursed through it.
The Hovering Machine opened up its back and unleashed a cluster of missiles to take to the air, homing in down on the man as he dashed. He moved fast, evading and keeping away from the explosions while you made your way to one of the storage rooms. You saw the black sword encased in the center before hacking through the system which held it in place.
Breaking down the security, the case fell down with a thud. Sliding to a halt, you listened to the crashes and explosions behind you as you grabbed hold of the locks and tore them off. One by one, you ripped them right off before grasping the sheathed blade, an unconventional blade which had its sheathe locked from outside access.
You then took it with you as you ran back outside. You watched as the Hovering Machine unleash blasts of flaming winds at Murray while he used a pieces of metals as shields. Upon coming to a halt, he swung hard and threw the shield into the enemy's head, the piece of metal was shot out of the air.
Running forward, you open fired with one hand. Bullets bounced off the enemy's armor as you held the sword in your other hand.
"HERE!" you yelled.
The Hovering Machine swept a blast of superheated laser through the air, prompting you to slide beneath it and sending the sword across the ground. It went underneath the enemy while you took aim at its propulsion mechanisms and concentrated fire on those sections.
Murray picked up the sword just as you sent the machine down on the ground. It recognized you as a threat and unleashed another volley of missiles through the air.
"Can you keep up, Doll?" Murray asked as the missiles flew towards you.
Taking aim, you shot them all down one by one, causing the air to bloom with orange flames. Embers danced as the machine aimed its arm at you, firing off another blast of heated wind. You dashed to the side to evade, giving you an opening to concentrate your fire on its side, its weaknesses being highlighted by your digimind.
Murray unlocked the sheathe and you detected a concentrated spike of energy within the area.
"Alright, let's rock and roll," Murray declared as he wore a grim expression. The Machine turned to face him but the man had the weapon on his hip, his stance practiced as his eyes widened.
He drew just as the machine was about to fire at him.
SCHWING SCHWING
Light.
Light cut through the air faster than your eyes could follow and in the next moment, the machine's arms were sliced right off. Slash marks carved themselves upon the walls before you saw the machine pause to process what just happened. Murray for his part was not unscathed, his augmented arms smoked as he fell down his knees.
"Shit, I missed," he growled.
"Commander!" you cried out to get his attention.
"Just give me a sec," Murray grunted as he got up his feet, only for the machine's eyes to flash red and a blast of laser fire towards him. He was forced to dodge out of the way before missiles took to the air.
No time to reload.
You switched to your sidearm and picked off every missile in the air.
"Fuck, drugs haven't worn off," Murray growled as he held his head, eyeing the enemy as he sluggishly got to his knees. He then turned to you, "HEY! YOU! THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT?!"
A dumb question...
You rushed forward as you holstered your sidearm and reloaded your primary weapon. The Machine sensed your approach and directed its next laser towards you. You then tore off your cloak, tossing it into the air as the laser pierced it. Kicking off the ground, you jumped high and bit off the pins to your incendiary grenades.
With two canisters in each hand, you send all four of them flying downwards, casting a fiery inferno to blaze around the enemy. The flames danced and began to consume everything, leaving the Machine with little information to track you with. However you got close enough, using the flames as a curtain and as a means of attack.
You got close enough to it that you were able to step on its body and take a frag grenade and jam it between a crevice of its chest and armor. You then kicked off its body and launched yourself through the air. The grenade detonate and blew a piece of the enemy's armor off, revealing its core as Murray got to his feet.
"One more time," he breathed as he held the sword's grip and moved.
SCHWING SCHWING
He slashed once more, light streaking through the air as the Machine was cut and split before being blown apart. It was here the man let out a breath as his foe was cut, sheathing his crackling sword and locking it. He fell forward but you managed to catch him before he fell. His scarred face was contorted to one of pain.
"Commander," you called out to him.
"I haven't accepted it yet. Even if there is a transfer of power..." Murray said as he glanced your way, "But I do need your help. Let's bail. Take the armored truck out of here. Go!"
You nodded as you supported his body and dragged him to the nearest vehicle. You managed to undo the electronic locks and shove the man inside, his arms still smoking and the distinct stench of burning meat filled the air. You shut the door and saw guards begin to appear. They saw you and open fired your way as you tossed out a grenade their way.
You then got in the driver's seat and checked everything that was there. Fuel, start up, you initialized its systems and started the armored vehicle. You then began driving, reversing backwards first before driving through several burning crates. You made your way through the warehouse area and found a path leading upwards.
The emergency doors were being shut but you kicked the gas and shot forward, moving through the road and launching yourself into the compound. Several guards open but the armored plating on your vehicle managed to bounce their projectiles off the surface.
"Where to?" you asked as you glanced at the man behind you groaning.
"Get us through the slums. Out of the Upper Streets. They'll give up once we're another asshole's territory," Murray said as he caught his breath.
You kept your hands on the wheel and kept driving. The vehicle lurched forward and sped up, trailing through the city.
.....
....
...
You stopped the vehicle through an abandoned dumping site. You let out a breath before glancing at the rearview mirror that the man you had saved was unconscious. You grimaced before stepping out of the armored van and surveyed the area. There were no hostiles that had come to pursue you this far. Checking the van itself it didn't seem like a transmitter was attached to it for you to be tracked.
You should be safe... For now.
You perked up once the side door slid open and Murray stepped out, one hand still carrying the sheathed sword in his grasp.
"I should go. Thanks for the save," he said as he glanced your way.
"I still have my mission. My orders were to find you and deliver to you information. With the transfer of command-" you began but the man cut you off.
"It doesn't matter. If you're such a stickler for orders then I'll give you one. Fuck off," Murray said as he shook his head, "Your Commander... That woman. She's got nothing to do with me. I'm not about to do what she wants just because she asks. Especially not when she sends scrap like you to do it instead of finding me herself."
"Had the Commander desired it she would have but as you may have ascertained, she is... compromised. Griffin and its entirety has been compromised for a total of three weeks now," you explained with a grim tone.
"And you don't know?" the man asked.
You blinked before looking to the side, "I... I was not involved with the campaign Griffin had led."
"It was all over the news... Doesn't matter. Well then, what did that woman want to give me?" Murray growled.
You took out another chip you recorded the encrypted file in. There was a passcode which even you were unable to crack so you handed it over to him. The man took the chip and slotted it in his wrist to peruse it.
You staggered back holding your gun before asking, "What was your relationship with the Commander?"
"Partner. We used to run a Mercenary Company back in the day," Murray replied as his eyes stared at empty space, "That was until she shot me in the back and left me for dead."
[] "That's... Unfortunate." (Perhaps if you're going to work with him, some rapport would help)
[] "It seems like you have a history." (Show interest. This you have to hear.)
[] Write in...
You hesitated as you eyed the massive hostile before you, gauging its armaments it must have been a repurposed military Doll. You held your gun before you glanced at the man by your side, his eyes on the same enemy before you. However his eyes turned to you for a moment and you understood what he wanted.
If it's a sword he wanted, you knew where to get one.
Priming your body, you felt power surge through your entire frame. A soft breath left your lips as you dashed for the enemy's left side. Almost instantly, the Hovering Machine aimed one of its arms towards you, lasers fixed upon you as you ran. You grit your teeth as you tried to outrun whatever was coming, only for Murray to sigh.
"HEY! Eyes on me," he shouted as he held the black spike in his grasp, stepping forward and throwing it. A violent blast occurred, the black spike flying through the air and smashing into the Hovering Machine's arm knocking its aim upwards.
Your eyes widened at the sight as the ballistic blasts which erupted from the machine's arm fired at the ceiling. You kept moving, rushing through the warehouse past the vehicles and crates as the machine faced the man who interfered. Murray looked at his metallic arm and grimaced at the sparks which coursed through it.
The Hovering Machine opened up its back and unleashed a cluster of missiles to take to the air, homing in down on the man as he dashed. He moved fast, evading and keeping away from the explosions while you made your way to one of the storage rooms. You saw the black sword encased in the center before hacking through the system which held it in place.
Breaking down the security, the case fell down with a thud. Sliding to a halt, you listened to the crashes and explosions behind you as you grabbed hold of the locks and tore them off. One by one, you ripped them right off before grasping the sheathed blade, an unconventional blade which had its sheathe locked from outside access.
You then took it with you as you ran back outside. You watched as the Hovering Machine unleash blasts of flaming winds at Murray while he used a pieces of metals as shields. Upon coming to a halt, he swung hard and threw the shield into the enemy's head, the piece of metal was shot out of the air.
Running forward, you open fired with one hand. Bullets bounced off the enemy's armor as you held the sword in your other hand.
"HERE!" you yelled.
The Hovering Machine swept a blast of superheated laser through the air, prompting you to slide beneath it and sending the sword across the ground. It went underneath the enemy while you took aim at its propulsion mechanisms and concentrated fire on those sections.
Murray picked up the sword just as you sent the machine down on the ground. It recognized you as a threat and unleashed another volley of missiles through the air.
"Can you keep up, Doll?" Murray asked as the missiles flew towards you.
Taking aim, you shot them all down one by one, causing the air to bloom with orange flames. Embers danced as the machine aimed its arm at you, firing off another blast of heated wind. You dashed to the side to evade, giving you an opening to concentrate your fire on its side, its weaknesses being highlighted by your digimind.
Murray unlocked the sheathe and you detected a concentrated spike of energy within the area.
"Alright, let's rock and roll," Murray declared as he wore a grim expression. The Machine turned to face him but the man had the weapon on his hip, his stance practiced as his eyes widened.
He drew just as the machine was about to fire at him.
SCHWING SCHWING
Light.
Light cut through the air faster than your eyes could follow and in the next moment, the machine's arms were sliced right off. Slash marks carved themselves upon the walls before you saw the machine pause to process what just happened. Murray for his part was not unscathed, his augmented arms smoked as he fell down his knees.
"Shit, I missed," he growled.
"Commander!" you cried out to get his attention.
"Just give me a sec," Murray grunted as he got up his feet, only for the machine's eyes to flash red and a blast of laser fire towards him. He was forced to dodge out of the way before missiles took to the air.
No time to reload.
You switched to your sidearm and picked off every missile in the air.
"Fuck, drugs haven't worn off," Murray growled as he held his head, eyeing the enemy as he sluggishly got to his knees. He then turned to you, "HEY! YOU! THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT?!"
A dumb question...
You rushed forward as you holstered your sidearm and reloaded your primary weapon. The Machine sensed your approach and directed its next laser towards you. You then tore off your cloak, tossing it into the air as the laser pierced it. Kicking off the ground, you jumped high and bit off the pins to your incendiary grenades.
With two canisters in each hand, you send all four of them flying downwards, casting a fiery inferno to blaze around the enemy. The flames danced and began to consume everything, leaving the Machine with little information to track you with. However you got close enough, using the flames as a curtain and as a means of attack.
You got close enough to it that you were able to step on its body and take a frag grenade and jam it between a crevice of its chest and armor. You then kicked off its body and launched yourself through the air. The grenade detonate and blew a piece of the enemy's armor off, revealing its core as Murray got to his feet.
"One more time," he breathed as he held the sword's grip and moved.
SCHWING SCHWING
He slashed once more, light streaking through the air as the Machine was cut and split before being blown apart. It was here the man let out a breath as his foe was cut, sheathing his crackling sword and locking it. He fell forward but you managed to catch him before he fell. His scarred face was contorted to one of pain.
"Commander," you called out to him.
"I haven't accepted it yet. Even if there is a transfer of power..." Murray said as he glanced your way, "But I do need your help. Let's bail. Take the armored truck out of here. Go!"
You nodded as you supported his body and dragged him to the nearest vehicle. You managed to undo the electronic locks and shove the man inside, his arms still smoking and the distinct stench of burning meat filled the air. You shut the door and saw guards begin to appear. They saw you and open fired your way as you tossed out a grenade their way.
You then got in the driver's seat and checked everything that was there. Fuel, start up, you initialized its systems and started the armored vehicle. You then began driving, reversing backwards first before driving through several burning crates. You made your way through the warehouse area and found a path leading upwards.
The emergency doors were being shut but you kicked the gas and shot forward, moving through the road and launching yourself into the compound. Several guards open but the armored plating on your vehicle managed to bounce their projectiles off the surface.
"Where to?" you asked as you glanced at the man behind you groaning.
"Get us through the slums. Out of the Upper Streets. They'll give up once we're another asshole's territory," Murray said as he caught his breath.
You kept your hands on the wheel and kept driving. The vehicle lurched forward and sped up, trailing through the city.
.....
....
...
You stopped the vehicle through an abandoned dumping site. You let out a breath before glancing at the rearview mirror that the man you had saved was unconscious. You grimaced before stepping out of the armored van and surveyed the area. There were no hostiles that had come to pursue you this far. Checking the van itself it didn't seem like a transmitter was attached to it for you to be tracked.
You should be safe... For now.
You perked up once the side door slid open and Murray stepped out, one hand still carrying the sheathed sword in his grasp.
"I should go. Thanks for the save," he said as he glanced your way.
"I still have my mission. My orders were to find you and deliver to you information. With the transfer of command-" you began but the man cut you off.
"It doesn't matter. If you're such a stickler for orders then I'll give you one. Fuck off," Murray said as he shook his head, "Your Commander... That woman. She's got nothing to do with me. I'm not about to do what she wants just because she asks. Especially not when she sends scrap like you to do it instead of finding me herself."
"Had the Commander desired it she would have but as you may have ascertained, she is... compromised. Griffin and its entirety has been compromised for a total of three weeks now," you explained with a grim tone.
"And you don't know?" the man asked.
You blinked before looking to the side, "I... I was not involved with the campaign Griffin had led."
"It was all over the news... Doesn't matter. Well then, what did that woman want to give me?" Murray growled.
You took out another chip you recorded the encrypted file in. There was a passcode which even you were unable to crack so you handed it over to him. The man took the chip and slotted it in his wrist to peruse it.
You staggered back holding your gun before asking, "What was your relationship with the Commander?"
"Partner. We used to run a Mercenary Company back in the day," Murray replied as his eyes stared at empty space, "That was until she shot me in the back and left me for dead."
Escape
[] "You probably deserve it." (You didn't trust this man.)
[] "That's... Unfortunate." (Perhaps if you're going to work with him, some rapport would help)
[] "It seems like you have a history." (Show interest. This you have to hear.)
[] Write in...
Last edited:
Mission
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] "It seems like you have a history." (Show interest. This you have to hear.)
You crossed your arms and frowned, "It seems like you have a history."
The man snorted as he accessed the chip, "We did for a spell. Partnered up together and got into all sorts of trouble. But that was a couple of decades ago and now she's gone and fucked herself while I have to babysit you."
You didn't say anything and simply glared at him.
"Clara was my strategist. She handled administrative work for our little squad while I manned the field for when we were active. We had a ragtag group of Mercs under us and a whole slew of clientele. No shortage given the War at the time and we fought through our own fair share of battles," Murray said as he wore a grim expression, "We got a lucrative offer one time escorting some top secret materials. Turns out they were some portable nukes and she shot me right on my spine."
"She took all the glory then? The Commander did?" you asked.
"Can't say it was glory but she was on hot water on an international stage. If the UN of the time judged her wrong then she'd be facing the firing squad. She got off and vanished from the face of the Earth while I lived," Murray explained as he shook his head.
You then raised an eyebrow and said, "So she saved your life?"
"I don't know. I don't care either. Could have just told me something instead of shooting me in the ass but she's always been an oddball. Word of her joining G&K didn't miss me either," Murray said as he rubbed his forehead, "Managing a bunch of battlefield toys and now she wants me to rope me into it. Some bullshit I tell you."
You shook your head, "I wouldn't know. I'm merely a weapon to be used."
"Weapons are used and discarded. Apparently even at this stage, your Commander hasn't given up on you and chose to use you to get into contact with me. You still have value to her in some way so no, I don't exactly agree with that. Keep thinking that and you're worse than a weapon. You'll be no different from Scraps we find in junkyards," Murray sighed as he leaned back, "And here I thought she'd do fucking better in her civilian PMC gig. The hell did she do now?"
"Did you find anything there?" you questioned him.
Murray released himself from his trance and took out the chip from his wrist, "Yeah. Passcode was our old company's founding day. I found some information regarding some materials that's hidden under her alternate identity. A message told me that it's some manner of secret weapon that could possibly help G&K in its fight."
"Secret weapon? For all the time I've been under her, I've not been privy to such a thing," you realized as you turned to the side.
"Ever heard of Relic Tech?" Murray asked with as he leaned on his sword, "They're supposed to be advanced alien artifacts left behind by an unknown civilization years in the past. Clara... Or... Rather your Commander was in charge in researching and sending her patrols of Tactical Dolls within contested regions to guard possible dig sites."
You weren't aware of this. As far as you knew, that clumsy, ditzy and air-headed Commander of yours simply worked on the backline in terms of Griffin's operations. You underwent several missions to assist nearby G&K assets but never have you heard of this before.
"It's not surprising considering that woman had quite the resume. But enough of that, the materials she wants us to obtain are most likely Relic Technology located in one of these coordinates she left me. She needs these things delivered to G&K in an effort to at least provide what assistance she could to the main forces but it seems like some Government workers got the jump on her," Murray explained as he held up his hand.
"I see. The KCCO wouldn't miss the chance to intercept any form of counterattack from Griffin," you noted before meeting the man's gaze, "And what of you? Where does this put you given your history?"
"Money," Murray said as he took his sword and rested it on his lap, "Your Commander promised me that G&K's sponsors would pay a hefty price for this delivery job. She knows how to reel in a Merc, betrayal aside. Relic Technology isn't exactly wide known in some circles but they're pretty dangerous on their own. Most common of them would be Collapse Fluid."
"Those were used during the Army's Betrayal of G&K. Some Elite Dolls detonated a Dirty Bomb in order to stop the Army's advance and evade capture," you recalled as you rubbed your chin.
"Too right. Now given the state of the world, I suppose I don't have to explain why they're so dangerous, right?" Murray said as he pointed at the walls sealing the outside away.
"ELID Infection," you replied.
"Bingo," Murray said as he sighed, "So, it's going to be dangerous cargo. Well? What do you think? Think you're up to the task?"
"I was assuming you'd turn it down," you answered with a narrowed look.
"I was until money got involved. As long as I'm paid I don't mind playing the clown," Murray said as he got up and rolled his shoulders, "Fixer jobs aren't paying well as they used to."
"If you aim to continue with this then I would assume that you're taking the role of my temporary Commander?" you asked him with a surprised look. You didn't think he'd actually go this far. Money truly did make the world go around.
Murray hesitated before turning your way, "Suppose I am. It's just a delivery mission, no need to overblow it."
"I hope you're right... Commander," you replied as you held out your hand.
The man gave you a look before reaching out and grasping it, giving it a firm shake. This was certainly a start.
.....
....
...
The armored vehicle was abandoned where you last stopped and it was nearly morning when you managed to make it to Murray's safehouse. It was just a simple apartment in the Middle Streets. No one batted an eye at the sight of your armaments but you still walked fast to escape further scrutiny. Murray followed close behind, still battered and beaten as the first time you met.
You eventually climbed a dingy looking building and made your way to an apartment door.
"It doesn't seem like we were followed," you pointed out to Murray.
"Right. Just get the door. I need some booze in me," the man groaned as he held his head.
You moved to unlock the door only for a high pitched voice to come screaming at your attempts.
"Unauthorized entry detected! Trespassers will be obliterated! You're not my Master, state your purpose or be destroyed!"
Murray groaned as he held his head tighter, "Oh god... Evie? Evie it's me, open the door."
"Master! You have come home! It has been exactly 2 days since you last returned to our love nest, Evie has been very lonely without you and I am quite upset! However, there's no greater disappointment in me than seeing you return with another girl! Am I finally being replaced?! Have you finally gotten bored of me after so long?!"
"Oh for fuck's sakes," Murray groaned.
You turned and gave him a disgusted look.
"DON'T BELIEVE WHAT SHE SAYS! I'D NEVER TOUCH THAT HUNK OF METAL!" Murray yelled as he held his hands up.
The door unlocked and a blocky looking military grade Doll appeared wearing an apron. You nearly held up your gun at the sight of what you recognized as a Cyclops variant the KCCO once used.
"Hunk of metal?! You awful man, I cook for you, I clean for you, I do you laundry and you have the audacity to call me names! Oh you're cruel! So cruel Master, how could you?!" the Cyclops Doll whined as it moved rather... femininely.
It... She? She then jerked her finger towards you, "Can she cook, clean and do laundry as good as I do?! After all these years, you'll let a much prettier Doll take over my work?!"
"I-I think there's a misunderstanding," you began.
"Then explain!" the Cyclops Doll yelled as she loomed over you, "State your purpose and intent here, Home Wrecker!"
[] "I am Mr. Murray's temporary Tactical Doll. Until further notice, we will be working together for a brief period." (Keep it cool. Just stay cool, Vector)
[] "It's a misunderstanding. Please ignore me and continue your marital dispute." (Nope. You're not touching this with a ten foot pole. You're an Elite, you know when not to step on a landmine.)
[] Write in...
You crossed your arms and frowned, "It seems like you have a history."
The man snorted as he accessed the chip, "We did for a spell. Partnered up together and got into all sorts of trouble. But that was a couple of decades ago and now she's gone and fucked herself while I have to babysit you."
You didn't say anything and simply glared at him.
"Clara was my strategist. She handled administrative work for our little squad while I manned the field for when we were active. We had a ragtag group of Mercs under us and a whole slew of clientele. No shortage given the War at the time and we fought through our own fair share of battles," Murray said as he wore a grim expression, "We got a lucrative offer one time escorting some top secret materials. Turns out they were some portable nukes and she shot me right on my spine."
"She took all the glory then? The Commander did?" you asked.
"Can't say it was glory but she was on hot water on an international stage. If the UN of the time judged her wrong then she'd be facing the firing squad. She got off and vanished from the face of the Earth while I lived," Murray explained as he shook his head.
You then raised an eyebrow and said, "So she saved your life?"
"I don't know. I don't care either. Could have just told me something instead of shooting me in the ass but she's always been an oddball. Word of her joining G&K didn't miss me either," Murray said as he rubbed his forehead, "Managing a bunch of battlefield toys and now she wants me to rope me into it. Some bullshit I tell you."
You shook your head, "I wouldn't know. I'm merely a weapon to be used."
"Weapons are used and discarded. Apparently even at this stage, your Commander hasn't given up on you and chose to use you to get into contact with me. You still have value to her in some way so no, I don't exactly agree with that. Keep thinking that and you're worse than a weapon. You'll be no different from Scraps we find in junkyards," Murray sighed as he leaned back, "And here I thought she'd do fucking better in her civilian PMC gig. The hell did she do now?"
"Did you find anything there?" you questioned him.
Murray released himself from his trance and took out the chip from his wrist, "Yeah. Passcode was our old company's founding day. I found some information regarding some materials that's hidden under her alternate identity. A message told me that it's some manner of secret weapon that could possibly help G&K in its fight."
"Secret weapon? For all the time I've been under her, I've not been privy to such a thing," you realized as you turned to the side.
"Ever heard of Relic Tech?" Murray asked with as he leaned on his sword, "They're supposed to be advanced alien artifacts left behind by an unknown civilization years in the past. Clara... Or... Rather your Commander was in charge in researching and sending her patrols of Tactical Dolls within contested regions to guard possible dig sites."
You weren't aware of this. As far as you knew, that clumsy, ditzy and air-headed Commander of yours simply worked on the backline in terms of Griffin's operations. You underwent several missions to assist nearby G&K assets but never have you heard of this before.
"It's not surprising considering that woman had quite the resume. But enough of that, the materials she wants us to obtain are most likely Relic Technology located in one of these coordinates she left me. She needs these things delivered to G&K in an effort to at least provide what assistance she could to the main forces but it seems like some Government workers got the jump on her," Murray explained as he held up his hand.
"I see. The KCCO wouldn't miss the chance to intercept any form of counterattack from Griffin," you noted before meeting the man's gaze, "And what of you? Where does this put you given your history?"
"Money," Murray said as he took his sword and rested it on his lap, "Your Commander promised me that G&K's sponsors would pay a hefty price for this delivery job. She knows how to reel in a Merc, betrayal aside. Relic Technology isn't exactly wide known in some circles but they're pretty dangerous on their own. Most common of them would be Collapse Fluid."
"Those were used during the Army's Betrayal of G&K. Some Elite Dolls detonated a Dirty Bomb in order to stop the Army's advance and evade capture," you recalled as you rubbed your chin.
"Too right. Now given the state of the world, I suppose I don't have to explain why they're so dangerous, right?" Murray said as he pointed at the walls sealing the outside away.
"ELID Infection," you replied.
"Bingo," Murray said as he sighed, "So, it's going to be dangerous cargo. Well? What do you think? Think you're up to the task?"
"I was assuming you'd turn it down," you answered with a narrowed look.
"I was until money got involved. As long as I'm paid I don't mind playing the clown," Murray said as he got up and rolled his shoulders, "Fixer jobs aren't paying well as they used to."
"If you aim to continue with this then I would assume that you're taking the role of my temporary Commander?" you asked him with a surprised look. You didn't think he'd actually go this far. Money truly did make the world go around.
Murray hesitated before turning your way, "Suppose I am. It's just a delivery mission, no need to overblow it."
"I hope you're right... Commander," you replied as you held out your hand.
The man gave you a look before reaching out and grasping it, giving it a firm shake. This was certainly a start.
.....
....
...
The armored vehicle was abandoned where you last stopped and it was nearly morning when you managed to make it to Murray's safehouse. It was just a simple apartment in the Middle Streets. No one batted an eye at the sight of your armaments but you still walked fast to escape further scrutiny. Murray followed close behind, still battered and beaten as the first time you met.
You eventually climbed a dingy looking building and made your way to an apartment door.
"It doesn't seem like we were followed," you pointed out to Murray.
"Right. Just get the door. I need some booze in me," the man groaned as he held his head.
You moved to unlock the door only for a high pitched voice to come screaming at your attempts.
"Unauthorized entry detected! Trespassers will be obliterated! You're not my Master, state your purpose or be destroyed!"
Murray groaned as he held his head tighter, "Oh god... Evie? Evie it's me, open the door."
"Master! You have come home! It has been exactly 2 days since you last returned to our love nest, Evie has been very lonely without you and I am quite upset! However, there's no greater disappointment in me than seeing you return with another girl! Am I finally being replaced?! Have you finally gotten bored of me after so long?!"
"Oh for fuck's sakes," Murray groaned.
You turned and gave him a disgusted look.
"DON'T BELIEVE WHAT SHE SAYS! I'D NEVER TOUCH THAT HUNK OF METAL!" Murray yelled as he held his hands up.
The door unlocked and a blocky looking military grade Doll appeared wearing an apron. You nearly held up your gun at the sight of what you recognized as a Cyclops variant the KCCO once used.
"Hunk of metal?! You awful man, I cook for you, I clean for you, I do you laundry and you have the audacity to call me names! Oh you're cruel! So cruel Master, how could you?!" the Cyclops Doll whined as it moved rather... femininely.
It... She? She then jerked her finger towards you, "Can she cook, clean and do laundry as good as I do?! After all these years, you'll let a much prettier Doll take over my work?!"
"I-I think there's a misunderstanding," you began.
"Then explain!" the Cyclops Doll yelled as she loomed over you, "State your purpose and intent here, Home Wrecker!"
Mission
[] "I... What?" (Why is this military grade Doll acting like a scorned housewife?)
[] "I am Mr. Murray's temporary Tactical Doll. Until further notice, we will be working together for a brief period." (Keep it cool. Just stay cool, Vector)
[] "It's a misunderstanding. Please ignore me and continue your marital dispute." (Nope. You're not touching this with a ten foot pole. You're an Elite, you know when not to step on a landmine.)
[] Write in...
Last edited:
Evie
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] "It's a misunderstanding. Please ignore me and continue your marital dispute." (Nope. You're not touching this with a ten foot pole. You're an Elite, you know when not to step on a landmine.)
You've been called a lot of things since beginning your career in G&K but it certainly was the first time you've been called a Home Wrecker by a modified Cyclops as well. You're not certain how you should take it but you were understandably confused.
Nonetheless, you were an Elite Doll. You were at least capable of navigating through such simple social situations. It just wasn't the sort situation you imagined when you first arrived but life threw the darnedest curve balls. Either way, you don't plan on touching this with a ten foot pole.
You chose to disengage, "It's a misunderstanding. Please ignore me and continue your marital dispute."
"Oh, you're such a kind girl," Evie warmly replied before turning to Murray, "But you! I need explanations! I've been worried sick! Look at your prosthetics! They're barely hanging on!"
"Hey, lay off. It's been a rough two days. Just get me something to drink," Murray growled as he held his head upon walking past the Cyclops.
Evie huffed and placed her hands on her hips and said, "See this is why you have no friends, Master!"
"Vector, get in here! Don't stand in the hallway," Murray yelled at you, prompting you to step in with an uncertain look.
Evie crossed her arms and said, "I swear, he's just getting worse and worse."
"Is he always like this?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Only when he doesn't get his drinks. Otherwise he is pretty tolerable if you ignore the smell," Evie explained before walking to Murray as he collapsed on the sofa, "Don't fall asleep, I have to fix your arms!"
Murray was righted properly before he glanced your way, "You should go check the closet. There's some supplies there you could make use of. Ammunition, grenades and some other gear to make up for what you used."
"Time to sleep," Evie said as she jabbed a syringe into the man's neck and knocked him out. The Cyclops then said, "There we go. Now he's down under that should keep things quiet."
"I... I see," you noted with a confused expression.
"Well since you're not exactly the Home Wrecking type it looks like my fears were unfounded! Let me introduce myself, my name is EV-13. I'm a former Medical Type Doll assigned at the Moscow Internal Medicine Hospital," the Cyclops introduced herself with a bright tone.
"I'm Vector. Former Griffin and Kryuger Doll. Independently affiliated for the time being," you introduced yourself with a nod.
"Vivi then! It's such a cuter name!" Evie said with a bright giggle.
"Please don't call me that," you quickly requested.
"Oh you'll come around to it. Master hates it when I called him names too but he eventually gave up trying to stop me! You will like it too," Evie said in this weird menacing sort of way, you're not really sure.
Still, you decided to steer the conversation away while Evie worked on getting some tools and quite possibly a circular saw. She seemed to be in the middle of preparing to do maintenance on Murray's arms while you stood on the side. You first wondered if they would be doing this here before you saw the obvious bloodstains on the ground.
This obviously happened before.
"So you're a Medical Doll? How did this..?" You began only to trail off as this 6-foot tall blocky Military grade Doll faced you.
"Oh it's a funny story! My old body was destroyed in an altercation between two rival gangs! As I laid dying on the cold hard asphalt, my Master here swooped in like a noble samurai from the Far East and beat them all! He was supposed to be paid handsomely by my manufacturers but they decided to screw him over and paid him at the total cost of the destroyed EV Series Dolls for whatever the scrapyard would pay him," Evie explained as she held up her hand, "He decided to keep my core since it was the most intact of my sister oh but he was just so dreamy."
You didn't know if you should feel sorry for Murray or be disturbed but either way it seemed like things worked out somehow.
"And... You got a Cyclops body because your old one was destroyed?" You asked with a frown.
"Oh yes! Master found this body in the junkyard! But while I may have lost my deliciously thick and flawless nurse form, I have gained in 5 tons of limb power and 8 inch thick Armor plating," Evie replied with a proud tone, knocking on her metal chest underneath the apron, "Alas, this form of mine does make it difficult to consummate my love for my Master. I tried to tell him to get me a new body but he always said that we didn't have enough money. Oh well! I'm not mad, certainly not mad at all!"
"That's... Nice," you noted with a strange expression.
"Which is why I have to look after your body too, Vivi. You're a beautiful girl! You should take care of yourself!" Evie said with a concerned tone, "I have some coolant fluid to replace the one in your body and some spare synthetic skin you could use. Are you able to self maintenance? Just give me an hour and I'll finish fixing Master's arms."
"That would be helpful. I guess? Also please don't call me Vivi," you replied as you shook your head.
"Hah! You'll get used to it soon, dear," Evie giggled as she used a laser cutter to start her work on Murray's arms.
You were then left to your own devices as you surveyed the living room. It was clean but not clean at the same time.
Just well kept but it was serviceable to live in at least for humans. Augmented as he was, Murray still had to live in a proper environment. It didn't really matter for Dolls but he was a different case. Evie might be here to clean up but it didn't mean she was built for such menial tasks.
Her main function was to repair humans and quite possibly Dolls so her shoddy work could be excused. It doesn't seem like Murray complained about it much nor got home that often to notice.
Two things stood out to you as you crossed your arms. One was the black sword Murray dropped in the ground and another was a picture frame of him and a woman you recognized.
There were also weapons on what looked like a workbench and finally a path to the supply closet Murray directed you to just past the bathroom. You did need to resupply after days of traveling on the road.
[] Inspect the Picture Frame
[] Go to the Closet and resupply
[] Write in...
You've been called a lot of things since beginning your career in G&K but it certainly was the first time you've been called a Home Wrecker by a modified Cyclops as well. You're not certain how you should take it but you were understandably confused.
Nonetheless, you were an Elite Doll. You were at least capable of navigating through such simple social situations. It just wasn't the sort situation you imagined when you first arrived but life threw the darnedest curve balls. Either way, you don't plan on touching this with a ten foot pole.
You chose to disengage, "It's a misunderstanding. Please ignore me and continue your marital dispute."
"Oh, you're such a kind girl," Evie warmly replied before turning to Murray, "But you! I need explanations! I've been worried sick! Look at your prosthetics! They're barely hanging on!"
"Hey, lay off. It's been a rough two days. Just get me something to drink," Murray growled as he held his head upon walking past the Cyclops.
Evie huffed and placed her hands on her hips and said, "See this is why you have no friends, Master!"
"Vector, get in here! Don't stand in the hallway," Murray yelled at you, prompting you to step in with an uncertain look.
Evie crossed her arms and said, "I swear, he's just getting worse and worse."
"Is he always like this?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Only when he doesn't get his drinks. Otherwise he is pretty tolerable if you ignore the smell," Evie explained before walking to Murray as he collapsed on the sofa, "Don't fall asleep, I have to fix your arms!"
Murray was righted properly before he glanced your way, "You should go check the closet. There's some supplies there you could make use of. Ammunition, grenades and some other gear to make up for what you used."
"Time to sleep," Evie said as she jabbed a syringe into the man's neck and knocked him out. The Cyclops then said, "There we go. Now he's down under that should keep things quiet."
"I... I see," you noted with a confused expression.
"Well since you're not exactly the Home Wrecking type it looks like my fears were unfounded! Let me introduce myself, my name is EV-13. I'm a former Medical Type Doll assigned at the Moscow Internal Medicine Hospital," the Cyclops introduced herself with a bright tone.
"I'm Vector. Former Griffin and Kryuger Doll. Independently affiliated for the time being," you introduced yourself with a nod.
"Vivi then! It's such a cuter name!" Evie said with a bright giggle.
"Please don't call me that," you quickly requested.
"Oh you'll come around to it. Master hates it when I called him names too but he eventually gave up trying to stop me! You will like it too," Evie said in this weird menacing sort of way, you're not really sure.
Still, you decided to steer the conversation away while Evie worked on getting some tools and quite possibly a circular saw. She seemed to be in the middle of preparing to do maintenance on Murray's arms while you stood on the side. You first wondered if they would be doing this here before you saw the obvious bloodstains on the ground.
This obviously happened before.
"So you're a Medical Doll? How did this..?" You began only to trail off as this 6-foot tall blocky Military grade Doll faced you.
"Oh it's a funny story! My old body was destroyed in an altercation between two rival gangs! As I laid dying on the cold hard asphalt, my Master here swooped in like a noble samurai from the Far East and beat them all! He was supposed to be paid handsomely by my manufacturers but they decided to screw him over and paid him at the total cost of the destroyed EV Series Dolls for whatever the scrapyard would pay him," Evie explained as she held up her hand, "He decided to keep my core since it was the most intact of my sister oh but he was just so dreamy."
You didn't know if you should feel sorry for Murray or be disturbed but either way it seemed like things worked out somehow.
"And... You got a Cyclops body because your old one was destroyed?" You asked with a frown.
"Oh yes! Master found this body in the junkyard! But while I may have lost my deliciously thick and flawless nurse form, I have gained in 5 tons of limb power and 8 inch thick Armor plating," Evie replied with a proud tone, knocking on her metal chest underneath the apron, "Alas, this form of mine does make it difficult to consummate my love for my Master. I tried to tell him to get me a new body but he always said that we didn't have enough money. Oh well! I'm not mad, certainly not mad at all!"
"That's... Nice," you noted with a strange expression.
"Which is why I have to look after your body too, Vivi. You're a beautiful girl! You should take care of yourself!" Evie said with a concerned tone, "I have some coolant fluid to replace the one in your body and some spare synthetic skin you could use. Are you able to self maintenance? Just give me an hour and I'll finish fixing Master's arms."
"That would be helpful. I guess? Also please don't call me Vivi," you replied as you shook your head.
"Hah! You'll get used to it soon, dear," Evie giggled as she used a laser cutter to start her work on Murray's arms.
You were then left to your own devices as you surveyed the living room. It was clean but not clean at the same time.
Just well kept but it was serviceable to live in at least for humans. Augmented as he was, Murray still had to live in a proper environment. It didn't really matter for Dolls but he was a different case. Evie might be here to clean up but it didn't mean she was built for such menial tasks.
Her main function was to repair humans and quite possibly Dolls so her shoddy work could be excused. It doesn't seem like Murray complained about it much nor got home that often to notice.
Two things stood out to you as you crossed your arms. One was the black sword Murray dropped in the ground and another was a picture frame of him and a woman you recognized.
There were also weapons on what looked like a workbench and finally a path to the supply closet Murray directed you to just past the bathroom. You did need to resupply after days of traveling on the road.
Evie
[] Inspect the Sword
[] Inspect the Picture Frame
[] Go to the Closet and resupply
[] Write in...
Stray Dogs
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Inspect the Picture Frame.
Looking around the room, you came across a picture frame sitting on top of a simple looking shelf. It was placed just behind some wine bottles and a clean ash tray before you picked it up. You looked at it and noticed Murray almost immediately with his arms crossed and a grumpy look on his face while he posed in front of a building alongside another person.
You recognized that person as your Commander. There was no mistaking it but it seemed that she looked considerably younger at the time this photo was taken. What was stranger was that it was a physical photo rather than a glass holographic which displayed an image. It was an actual photo, leading you to be confused.
"Found that little thing, have you?" Evie said as she looked up from her work on Murray's arms.
"Yes. I recognized the woman," you told her with a nod.
"Oh, her. Master doesn't like talking about her a lot but his lips get loose when you give him booze. Clara I think her name was and I think he thinks about her a lot. He did mention that she tossed him into this sorry state of affairs his life currently is," Evie replied as she glanced your way.
"He said she betrayed him," you noted.
"Oh so he told you. How strange. Why? What's with you and the lady? Are you a thing from his past too?" Evie wondered with a curious tone.
"No. She was my Commander," you answered as you set the down the picture frame, "As a Doll it wasn't my business to pry into my superiors' business but I am left wondering how much of this bond lies between her and this man. It doesn't concern me but it seems that the Commander believes him to be the right choice for such an undertaking."
"Well... Master certainly is brash, rude, a bum, a two timing asshole who brings beautiful girls home when I'm here," Evie hissed at that last particular bit and put a little more pressure than she intended, making Murray yelp in his sleep, "But he's a good man and an even stronger fighter. A decade of experience as a Fixer is no joke."
"Fixer... I apologize but I don't really know the scope of such a profession," you admitted as you shook your head.
"Think PMCs except they're one person. They take on contract jobs for certain people mostly involving retrieving packages or dealing with hostile elements, ultimately 'fixing' a problem," Evie explained as she waved her hand dismissively, "It could involve a lot of fighting or just a boring 9 to 5 sit down babysitting an overbearing rich boy hopped up on drugs."
"I would disagree that PMCs get such jobs," you replied as you crossed your arms, "Though I do admit there were tedious patrolling missions in god knows where."
Your thought ends there as you glanced at the frame once more, staring at the smiling expression your Commander had as she looked at the camera.
"What was Murray's company in the past? Were they anything prominent?" you asked Evie as you placed a hand on your hip.
"According to the available database Murray logs within me for safekeeping they weren't that special. They mostly undertook covert missions during the war, delivering and securing materials for their clients or otherwise engaging enemy units as a frontline group. In fact, until recently, a division of the group existed headed by the Founder of the group," Evie explained as she tapped her metal chin.
"What was their name and what happened to this recent group?" you asked her some more with a frown.
Evie paused for a moment before replying, "They were called the Strays. Until recently, the group was under active contract with an unknown Client within a City State called RedBlock. Unfortunately, an incident pertaining an independent New Soviet commander and a Relic caused the group to be caught into conflict for retaking the city. The Founder was killed in action by an entity only known as the Red Ribbon."
"The Ribbon?" you raised an eyebrow, "What a flashy name."
"Indeed. However this all occurred several months ago and the remnants of the Strays have never been found nor has the Ribbon showed herself once more. There's simply rumors that it was a particularly skilled Tactical Doll alongside her group that downed the Founder of the Strays," Evie explained as she glanced back down at Murray, "Master respected the Founder but ultimately chose not to join him."
"I suppose he has his reasons," you noted with a grim look.
"Whatever the case, while I'm still suspicious of your intentions for him, it does make me worry less knowing he has someone with him on the field. I'm just a simple medical attendant despite my current form, I can't join him on the field where he could be hurt the most," Evie then pointed at you and spoke in a warning tone, "So, I'll leave things to you while he's out there."
"Is this to make sure I bring him back safely?" you wondered.
"Just make sure he doesn't kill himself. He's not all that smart, you see," Evie said as she glanced at his prosthetic arms, "Overclocking his own augmentations to the point the heat cooked his flesh. Have you ever seen a more stupid man!? Eugh! Vector, you two are going out tomorrow, yes? If it's going to be a long mission then he'll probably try and get his things in order for us to travel. Get some rest now."
"It's fine, I can stay up and keep watch-" you began.
"Nurse's orders!" Evie cut you off.
You blinked, "That doesn't even make any sense, nurses don't have that authori-"
"Room to the left is free! Now leave me and my beloved to our solitude!" Evie moaned as she started to be all dramatic.
You decided to take your leave as you were directed to your room. You went to where Evie had marked and opened a door. It was a room seemingly used as a storage unit but with a small space that could be slept on. It's much better than the ruins you remained idle in for the past few days so you didn't mind the cramped space.
Unloading your equipment, you allowed yourself to breathe and sit down.
Finally... Some actual rest.
.....
....
...
The moon shined bright upon your awakening and it was then that Murray got himself some new clothes to wear. He urged you to get up from where you sat idle and that's how you found yourself walking down the street with a new cloak on while Murray led the way. The City was bustling with activity as neon lights spread through the dark glass, reflecting off the ground and cars which passed by.
"I hope Evie didn't say anything weird while I was passed out. She was strangely receptive of you back there compared to this morning," Murray pointed out while giving you a suspicious look.
"She simply overcame the misunderstanding she found herself in," you replied with a nod.
"Well, seems like you're much friendlier than I gave you credit for. Most of the time, Evie would punch people through walls if she really found them rude. Crazy machine, that one," Murray sighed as he rubbed his head, "Glad to have her though."
"Where are we going?" you asked him with a raised eyebrow.
Murray then turned to you, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword, "We're going to need some mode of transportation. The Armored Van last night was good but it's got too many Tech from that place you busted me out of. It's easily traceable so we'll need a mobile base to use as transport for both us and the materials we're fetching."
"It doesn't seem like the only thing you had in mind," you pointed out.
"We need weapons, supplies and most of all info. I do have the coordinates of where our cargo is lying but the problem is that it's in a warzone. I think it's intentional at least but Clara left the damned Relic at a Red Zone, "Murray growled as he shook his head, "I've got enough saved in my bank for the expenses and... Well..."
He gave you a once over.
"You might need some maintenance," Murray said as he waved his hand, "So, got any idea what to go for first?"
"You're letting me choose?" you asked him.
"What? Little Dolly can't think for her own?" Murray smirked as he crossed his arms.
Prick.
[] Get some new Gear and Weaponry.
[] Find information regarding the region you're going to.
[] Get yourself fixed up. You're not exactly in an optimal state.
[] Write in...
Looking around the room, you came across a picture frame sitting on top of a simple looking shelf. It was placed just behind some wine bottles and a clean ash tray before you picked it up. You looked at it and noticed Murray almost immediately with his arms crossed and a grumpy look on his face while he posed in front of a building alongside another person.
You recognized that person as your Commander. There was no mistaking it but it seemed that she looked considerably younger at the time this photo was taken. What was stranger was that it was a physical photo rather than a glass holographic which displayed an image. It was an actual photo, leading you to be confused.
"Found that little thing, have you?" Evie said as she looked up from her work on Murray's arms.
"Yes. I recognized the woman," you told her with a nod.
"Oh, her. Master doesn't like talking about her a lot but his lips get loose when you give him booze. Clara I think her name was and I think he thinks about her a lot. He did mention that she tossed him into this sorry state of affairs his life currently is," Evie replied as she glanced your way.
"He said she betrayed him," you noted.
"Oh so he told you. How strange. Why? What's with you and the lady? Are you a thing from his past too?" Evie wondered with a curious tone.
"No. She was my Commander," you answered as you set the down the picture frame, "As a Doll it wasn't my business to pry into my superiors' business but I am left wondering how much of this bond lies between her and this man. It doesn't concern me but it seems that the Commander believes him to be the right choice for such an undertaking."
"Well... Master certainly is brash, rude, a bum, a two timing asshole who brings beautiful girls home when I'm here," Evie hissed at that last particular bit and put a little more pressure than she intended, making Murray yelp in his sleep, "But he's a good man and an even stronger fighter. A decade of experience as a Fixer is no joke."
"Fixer... I apologize but I don't really know the scope of such a profession," you admitted as you shook your head.
"Think PMCs except they're one person. They take on contract jobs for certain people mostly involving retrieving packages or dealing with hostile elements, ultimately 'fixing' a problem," Evie explained as she waved her hand dismissively, "It could involve a lot of fighting or just a boring 9 to 5 sit down babysitting an overbearing rich boy hopped up on drugs."
"I would disagree that PMCs get such jobs," you replied as you crossed your arms, "Though I do admit there were tedious patrolling missions in god knows where."
Your thought ends there as you glanced at the frame once more, staring at the smiling expression your Commander had as she looked at the camera.
"What was Murray's company in the past? Were they anything prominent?" you asked Evie as you placed a hand on your hip.
"According to the available database Murray logs within me for safekeeping they weren't that special. They mostly undertook covert missions during the war, delivering and securing materials for their clients or otherwise engaging enemy units as a frontline group. In fact, until recently, a division of the group existed headed by the Founder of the group," Evie explained as she tapped her metal chin.
"What was their name and what happened to this recent group?" you asked her some more with a frown.
Evie paused for a moment before replying, "They were called the Strays. Until recently, the group was under active contract with an unknown Client within a City State called RedBlock. Unfortunately, an incident pertaining an independent New Soviet commander and a Relic caused the group to be caught into conflict for retaking the city. The Founder was killed in action by an entity only known as the Red Ribbon."
"The Ribbon?" you raised an eyebrow, "What a flashy name."
"Indeed. However this all occurred several months ago and the remnants of the Strays have never been found nor has the Ribbon showed herself once more. There's simply rumors that it was a particularly skilled Tactical Doll alongside her group that downed the Founder of the Strays," Evie explained as she glanced back down at Murray, "Master respected the Founder but ultimately chose not to join him."
"I suppose he has his reasons," you noted with a grim look.
"Whatever the case, while I'm still suspicious of your intentions for him, it does make me worry less knowing he has someone with him on the field. I'm just a simple medical attendant despite my current form, I can't join him on the field where he could be hurt the most," Evie then pointed at you and spoke in a warning tone, "So, I'll leave things to you while he's out there."
"Is this to make sure I bring him back safely?" you wondered.
"Just make sure he doesn't kill himself. He's not all that smart, you see," Evie said as she glanced at his prosthetic arms, "Overclocking his own augmentations to the point the heat cooked his flesh. Have you ever seen a more stupid man!? Eugh! Vector, you two are going out tomorrow, yes? If it's going to be a long mission then he'll probably try and get his things in order for us to travel. Get some rest now."
"It's fine, I can stay up and keep watch-" you began.
"Nurse's orders!" Evie cut you off.
You blinked, "That doesn't even make any sense, nurses don't have that authori-"
"Room to the left is free! Now leave me and my beloved to our solitude!" Evie moaned as she started to be all dramatic.
You decided to take your leave as you were directed to your room. You went to where Evie had marked and opened a door. It was a room seemingly used as a storage unit but with a small space that could be slept on. It's much better than the ruins you remained idle in for the past few days so you didn't mind the cramped space.
Unloading your equipment, you allowed yourself to breathe and sit down.
Finally... Some actual rest.
.....
....
...
The moon shined bright upon your awakening and it was then that Murray got himself some new clothes to wear. He urged you to get up from where you sat idle and that's how you found yourself walking down the street with a new cloak on while Murray led the way. The City was bustling with activity as neon lights spread through the dark glass, reflecting off the ground and cars which passed by.
"I hope Evie didn't say anything weird while I was passed out. She was strangely receptive of you back there compared to this morning," Murray pointed out while giving you a suspicious look.
"She simply overcame the misunderstanding she found herself in," you replied with a nod.
"Well, seems like you're much friendlier than I gave you credit for. Most of the time, Evie would punch people through walls if she really found them rude. Crazy machine, that one," Murray sighed as he rubbed his head, "Glad to have her though."
"Where are we going?" you asked him with a raised eyebrow.
Murray then turned to you, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword, "We're going to need some mode of transportation. The Armored Van last night was good but it's got too many Tech from that place you busted me out of. It's easily traceable so we'll need a mobile base to use as transport for both us and the materials we're fetching."
"It doesn't seem like the only thing you had in mind," you pointed out.
"We need weapons, supplies and most of all info. I do have the coordinates of where our cargo is lying but the problem is that it's in a warzone. I think it's intentional at least but Clara left the damned Relic at a Red Zone, "Murray growled as he shook his head, "I've got enough saved in my bank for the expenses and... Well..."
He gave you a once over.
"You might need some maintenance," Murray said as he waved his hand, "So, got any idea what to go for first?"
"You're letting me choose?" you asked him.
"What? Little Dolly can't think for her own?" Murray smirked as he crossed his arms.
Prick.
Stray Dogs
[] See to the Transport Vehicle.
[] Get some new Gear and Weaponry.
[] Find information regarding the region you're going to.
[] Get yourself fixed up. You're not exactly in an optimal state.
[] Write in...
Maintenance
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Get yourself fixed up. You're not exactly in an optimal state.
It was decided that you needed some maintenance done on your body. While it was a normal thing to go under within Griffin HQ, it was a little more uncommon outside of it. There weren't exactly facilities catering to Doll repair spread about in the open so Murray ended up dragging you into the Backstreets.
You tagged every possible hostile force that could possibly do you harm as you passed by, your hands never straying away from your weapons. Eventually the two of you stopped by what looked like a pathway down on the side of a building.
Murray stepped in and descended a small flight of stairs until you came upon a neon sign lighting up over a door.
"Well this is the place. I sent Evie here to get fixed once and they did a decent job. Try to be nice," Murray said as he crossed his arms.
"Understood," You answered before the door opened and a dark haired girl peeked out.
"Are you the 7pm appointment? If you are please come in," the girl greeted in a gloomy voice.
"Good evening to you too, Annie," Murray said as he raised his hand.
"Boss hasn't forgiven you for last time Murray. You're only alive because you're a customer now," Annie said as her right eyes changed color.
Augments. Such things must be necessary to survive in the underworld these days. Even a human girl this young had her own at this age.
Not only that but it seemed that the man beside you had a lot more history than he let on with those around him. You can't help but give him a sideways glance from what she just said.
"Ah, Doc is still mad about that. Well, don't worry. I just got myself a good gig and I should be able to pay you guys back," Murray said before he nudged you forward, "Anyway, I need her fixed. Can you guys run some maintenance on her?"
The girl named Annie glanced your way, "A Doll? It's not Evie..."
The girl walked up to you and sniffed you, making you recoil as her gray eyes seemed to judge you.
"IoP. Gunpowder. Must be a Tactical Doll then," Annie sighed as she opened the door wider, "Alright, get in."
You stepped inside along Murray. You were greeted by the site of what looked like a busy work area with several tables with stacked machine parts. Appliances and broken devices were haphazardly stacked on one side and left forgotten.
Some husks of broken Dolls sat in the corner with their eyes clothes as they fell apart. Annie walked up to a bell and rang it to which you perked up at the sound of it. A man in a dirty white coat stepped out, his dirty gray hair standing on end as if it had been singed with his face having a worse 5am shadow than Murray.
"Look at way the cat dragged in. Where's my money, Murray? You still haven't paid me for your last appointment I should take those arms off you," the man growled as he scratched his back.
"I'll pay you back. I swear. I have a ridiculously good job on the line and I need you to take one more tab for me," Murray said as he crossed his arms while Annie swept aside some junk off a table.
"Your tab's over 2 million credits now, asshole. You got any idea how expensive shit's gotten. Had I been a part of any of the gangs here, we'd be ripping your guts part for parts," the Doc said as he breathed a drag of his cigarette.
"And I'll pay you back in full. Estimate says this job will go for 20 million. I'll pay you back double for the trouble. It's sort of important," Murray said with a grim tone, "It's Carla."
The Doc raised an eyebrow while your Commander's name caused you to glance at Murray.
The Doc scratched his chin and sighed, "And this is what I have to work on for today?"
"Yeah. It's her. Vector, this is Doc. He'll be servicing you during your maintenance for today," Murray said as the gray haired man inspected you from afar.
"A Doll. Judging from her model, she's of IoP make. Tactical Doll then? Where'd you find her?" The Doc asked as he walked over to you.
"She saved me and gave me the gig. I need her fixed up so that she can do her job. Can't have her falling apart on me," Murray said as he crossed his arms.
"You seem awfully involved in this if someone was seeking you out. And you said it involved our old friend moving up in the world? No wonder you got hooked so easily," the Doc said as he inspected your face with a squinty look, "Alright, I'll fix her. But this will be the last time, got it? And get me my money."
"No problem. Vector, I'll leave you here for now. I need to get the other things sorted out," Murray said before walking to the door, "I should be done and we can meet up again. See you around."
He stepped out of the shop while Annie stood by your side.
"Prick," the human girl sighed.
"Well then, let's go ahead and begin. Annie, can you please take her gear somewhere safe," the Doc said as he stepped back.
You took off your cloak to reveal your weapons and the obscene amount of grenades you had.
The Doctor and Annie stared at the grenades with eyes.
"Well fuck," Annie wheezed as she stared at the incendiary grenades strapped to your cloak.
.....
....
...
You were lying on the table now, the light from the lamps above you being a little too bright.
"Now, we'll simply lower you to your neural cloud's level 2. Some of the maintenance we have to do might be a little invasive but fret not, it'll only take a moment," the Doc assured you.
"I'll be handling most of the procedure. We've assessed that several artificial muscle, skeletal alloy and mechanical frame of your torso had been damaged. We also plan on applying new synthetic skin on you once we're finished with your inner frame," Annie explained as she looked down on you, her gloomy face filling your vision, "I suggest distracting yourself."
......
....
...
You drifted within your own neural cloud.
This should take a little while considering the maintenance was done manually rather than with a specialized AI like with G&K.
This should be... Quick...
[] Memory: Commander
[] Memory: Comrades
[] Memory: The News
It was decided that you needed some maintenance done on your body. While it was a normal thing to go under within Griffin HQ, it was a little more uncommon outside of it. There weren't exactly facilities catering to Doll repair spread about in the open so Murray ended up dragging you into the Backstreets.
You tagged every possible hostile force that could possibly do you harm as you passed by, your hands never straying away from your weapons. Eventually the two of you stopped by what looked like a pathway down on the side of a building.
Murray stepped in and descended a small flight of stairs until you came upon a neon sign lighting up over a door.
"Well this is the place. I sent Evie here to get fixed once and they did a decent job. Try to be nice," Murray said as he crossed his arms.
"Understood," You answered before the door opened and a dark haired girl peeked out.
"Are you the 7pm appointment? If you are please come in," the girl greeted in a gloomy voice.
"Good evening to you too, Annie," Murray said as he raised his hand.
"Boss hasn't forgiven you for last time Murray. You're only alive because you're a customer now," Annie said as her right eyes changed color.
Augments. Such things must be necessary to survive in the underworld these days. Even a human girl this young had her own at this age.
Not only that but it seemed that the man beside you had a lot more history than he let on with those around him. You can't help but give him a sideways glance from what she just said.
"Ah, Doc is still mad about that. Well, don't worry. I just got myself a good gig and I should be able to pay you guys back," Murray said before he nudged you forward, "Anyway, I need her fixed. Can you guys run some maintenance on her?"
The girl named Annie glanced your way, "A Doll? It's not Evie..."
The girl walked up to you and sniffed you, making you recoil as her gray eyes seemed to judge you.
"IoP. Gunpowder. Must be a Tactical Doll then," Annie sighed as she opened the door wider, "Alright, get in."
You stepped inside along Murray. You were greeted by the site of what looked like a busy work area with several tables with stacked machine parts. Appliances and broken devices were haphazardly stacked on one side and left forgotten.
Some husks of broken Dolls sat in the corner with their eyes clothes as they fell apart. Annie walked up to a bell and rang it to which you perked up at the sound of it. A man in a dirty white coat stepped out, his dirty gray hair standing on end as if it had been singed with his face having a worse 5am shadow than Murray.
"Look at way the cat dragged in. Where's my money, Murray? You still haven't paid me for your last appointment I should take those arms off you," the man growled as he scratched his back.
"I'll pay you back. I swear. I have a ridiculously good job on the line and I need you to take one more tab for me," Murray said as he crossed his arms while Annie swept aside some junk off a table.
"Your tab's over 2 million credits now, asshole. You got any idea how expensive shit's gotten. Had I been a part of any of the gangs here, we'd be ripping your guts part for parts," the Doc said as he breathed a drag of his cigarette.
"And I'll pay you back in full. Estimate says this job will go for 20 million. I'll pay you back double for the trouble. It's sort of important," Murray said with a grim tone, "It's Carla."
The Doc raised an eyebrow while your Commander's name caused you to glance at Murray.
The Doc scratched his chin and sighed, "And this is what I have to work on for today?"
"Yeah. It's her. Vector, this is Doc. He'll be servicing you during your maintenance for today," Murray said as the gray haired man inspected you from afar.
"A Doll. Judging from her model, she's of IoP make. Tactical Doll then? Where'd you find her?" The Doc asked as he walked over to you.
"She saved me and gave me the gig. I need her fixed up so that she can do her job. Can't have her falling apart on me," Murray said as he crossed his arms.
"You seem awfully involved in this if someone was seeking you out. And you said it involved our old friend moving up in the world? No wonder you got hooked so easily," the Doc said as he inspected your face with a squinty look, "Alright, I'll fix her. But this will be the last time, got it? And get me my money."
"No problem. Vector, I'll leave you here for now. I need to get the other things sorted out," Murray said before walking to the door, "I should be done and we can meet up again. See you around."
He stepped out of the shop while Annie stood by your side.
"Prick," the human girl sighed.
"Well then, let's go ahead and begin. Annie, can you please take her gear somewhere safe," the Doc said as he stepped back.
You took off your cloak to reveal your weapons and the obscene amount of grenades you had.
The Doctor and Annie stared at the grenades with eyes.
"Well fuck," Annie wheezed as she stared at the incendiary grenades strapped to your cloak.
.....
....
...
You were lying on the table now, the light from the lamps above you being a little too bright.
"Now, we'll simply lower you to your neural cloud's level 2. Some of the maintenance we have to do might be a little invasive but fret not, it'll only take a moment," the Doc assured you.
"I'll be handling most of the procedure. We've assessed that several artificial muscle, skeletal alloy and mechanical frame of your torso had been damaged. We also plan on applying new synthetic skin on you once we're finished with your inner frame," Annie explained as she looked down on you, her gloomy face filling your vision, "I suggest distracting yourself."
......
....
...
You drifted within your own neural cloud.
This should take a little while considering the maintenance was done manually rather than with a specialized AI like with G&K.
This should be... Quick...
Maintenance
[] Memory: A Cafe for Two
[] Memory: Commander
[] Memory: Comrades
[] Memory: The News
Memory
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Memory: Comrades
You drifted through the sea of data within your consciousness. Your eyes widened as you reached out to one particular memory before grasping it, pulling it close and closing your eyes. That's right, you recalled this particular memory. Perhaps giving another look would provide a good distraction, at least until your maintenance came to an end.
You pressed the memory into your chest and-
.....
....
...
Smoke left Vector's lips as she let out a breath. She looked around and found herself staring into an abandoned snowy village. Nothing more than a remnant of the old civilization before the world was ravaged by war and death. It seemed like Nature had begun the long process of reclaiming this small European Town, blanketing its buildings and drawing in what man once used on the daily.
This place was nothing more than another path in her routine patrol path.
"See something, Vector?" a girl asked, walking up behind her as she lowered her gun. Vector turned to see another T-Doll wielding an assault rifle, clad in silver and black as she stopped before the other Doll.
"ACR, nothing to report," Vector replied as she shook her head.
"I see. Seems like Garand's eyes haven't failed us yet. This really is a ghost town," ACR said as she lowered her weapon with a sigh, "Not too much conflicts with SF around these parts. Here I thought Griffin needed all hands on deck."
"Will you two stop slacking. I can see you two from my scope. Less talking more searching, ladies," the unmistakable voice of Garand echoed through your connection, "Have you two found Suomi?"
"Negative. We'll resume the search," Vector replied as she glanced towards where their Sniper Unit was settled in the distance.
"Guess we have to push onwards. Come on, Vector," ACR said as she raised a thumb up.
The two of them moved to explore the ghost town. Tactical Doll Suomi was sent forth first as a scout to gauge the danger levels of the area and to detect possibility of Infection occurring within the town. Given her status as a newbie on the Echelon, she volunteered for the purpose of gaining more experience. The leader of the group, Garand, reluctantly agreed but only allowed for her to achieve the minimum requirements for scouting the area.
Unfortunately, Suomi never returned within the time allotted for her.
It was then decided that Vector and ACR were to retrieve her while Garand maintained distance to observe the situation. As a long ranged unit, Garand was much useful afar much to the older Doll's chagrin.
"It's been awhile since this group's been formed. Commander tends to shuffle us around a lot but she never fails in keeping our skills compatible with one another," ACR said as she searched alongside her companion, "Goes to shoe that she's not just tossing us around willy nilly."
"Agreed. Her performance since taking her position has been satisfactory. The environment within the base has improved at the very least," Vector answered as they walked through the town, only to see some local wildlife milling about.
ACR took point while Vector followed behind, keeping an eye on the surrounding area. However upon arriving at a certain point, the two of them froze upon realizing that their connection was jammed. Their eyes met and they quickly tightened their formation, keeping each other's gaze on their blindspots as they kept their guns up.
"Garand? Garand can you hear us? No dice," ACR hissed as she looked up ahead.
"ACR, up ahead," Vector hissed upon finding what looked like Suomi's headband on the ground. Trail of coolant liquid was also spotted leading inside one of the building.
But why was there no gunfire?
"Cloaking!" ACR barked as she shoved Vector aside as a camouflaged Sangvis foot soldier cut through the air. Stomping on the ground, ACR lowered her gun to her hip and fired from that position, punching holes through the enemy's torso.
Vector allowed herself to hit the ground and roll, raising her weapon and switching her vision to tag the concealed foes gunning for ACR's back. The two of them opened fire on their surrounding area as more cloaked Sangvis troops revealed themselves. They fired and knocked down several foes, regrouping before one dived from one of the rooftop.
It hit the ground and went for ACR.
Vector was in mid-reload, giving her little time to save her comrade. She moved in, using her body as a shield before gunfire came from within the building. A volley of bullets flew out of the window as Suomi fired with gritted teeth.
"Hold on!" she cried out while sporting several injuries to her body.
"Inside!" ACR ordered as she and Vector ran in the building with Suomi providing covering fire. Vector switched out with ACR as she got in before they shut the door. Vector fired out only to see one of the Sangvis troopers destroyed on the ground, a sloppy but fatal wound on its throat while a trail of coolant liquid leaked from Suomi.
She staggered back and tried reloading, prompting ACR to take her place.
"Sangvis Ambush. I guess that's one thing to report to HQ," ACR laughed as she fired outwards.
"Ow, ow, ow... Sorry," Suomi whimpered as she held her side, a large chunk of her abdomen had been torn open but she remained functional.
"You'll live," Vector said before the wall got blown open and more enemies poured in.
"VECTOR! GO WILD!" ACR ordered but the other Doll was already ahead of her.
A canister of incendiary grenade flew overhead and exploded, engulfing the Sanvgis troops in flames. The heat ruined their sensors, robbing them of their visual capabilities, only for Vector to drive a knife through the head of one of the Sangvis Ambusher. Vector then turned the knife in her hand and drove it under the chin of the next Sangvis Ferri unit.
One of the hostiles raised its gun at her and she used the body in her grasp as a shield before smashing them both together. The two bodies were flung out of the building and into the street.
The rest of the waiting Sangvis Ferri ambushers looked at Vector and the burning street she stood on. They barely had time to react as she threw more incendiary grenades on the ground with a few frags mixed in. Fire ruined their stealth augmentations, leaving them open for attack.
Flames danced and steel burned, embers drifted through the air as the ghost town was engulfed in an infernal heat.
Vector fought, cut up and gunned down her foes, scattering them enough to break their efforts of regrouping.
BANG
BANG
Two shots rang out and obliterated enemy Dolls before they could surround Vector, Garand's precise shots covering for her frenzied comrade as communications came back online, "I swear, you girls always get into trouble! ACR, why did you let Vector go on her own?!"
"She can handle it, right Vector?" ACR laughed from within the building, "I'm patching Suomi up!"
"Leave the clean up to me," Vector replied as she chased down her targets while Garand assisted her.
.....
....
...
ACR supported Suomi as they walked down the street, Garand jogging up to them with her rifle aloft.
"Where's our Fire Bat?" ACR asked with a raised eyebrow.
Garand shook her head and said, "She really does go crazy when she uses those grenades of hers."
Vector stepped out of a building holding one of the Ambushers' head, her clothes darkened with soot and edges of her body singed. Otherwise she looked fine.
"Mission accomplished, are all of you safe?" Vector asked with a concerned tone.
"Yeah. All thanks to you," ACR said with a smile of her own.
"We've got a lot to report," Garand said as Suomi whimpered on the side.
Comrades that would support her in her fights. Vector was only with them for a short time but it was a good memory. The person who made it all possible was her Commander, genius that she was in shuffling Echelons together. It didn't take long for most Dolls in the base to know each other from their missions, fostering familiarity.
It was... Good.
.....
....
...
You opened your eyes and blinked.
A gloomy human girl looked down on you and said, "All done. That was faster than predicted."
You slowly sat up, letting out a breath as you inspected your body. You ran some small diagnostic scans and found the errors which had filled your HUD for the past few days vanish. You then looked down your hand and flexed it to make sure it was responding properly. There was virtually no lag in it responding to your commands.
Glancing to the side, you found Annie staring at a tablet computer.
"Thank you. How long did it take?" you asked her with a curious tone.
"Give or take three hours. Murray stopped by a couple of times to see how you were doing. You're free to leave. Just don't come back with an overused frame again," Annie warned you as she shook her head.
You nodded and gathered up your things. It didn't seem like the Doctor was around. You stepped out of the maintenance shop and shut the door behind you, finding yourself at the streets. You haven't explored a bit since you got here... You had some time, maybe you can look around?
[] Explore for a bit. Take it as a way to find hostiles in the area to take note of.
You drifted through the sea of data within your consciousness. Your eyes widened as you reached out to one particular memory before grasping it, pulling it close and closing your eyes. That's right, you recalled this particular memory. Perhaps giving another look would provide a good distraction, at least until your maintenance came to an end.
You pressed the memory into your chest and-
.....
....
...
Smoke left Vector's lips as she let out a breath. She looked around and found herself staring into an abandoned snowy village. Nothing more than a remnant of the old civilization before the world was ravaged by war and death. It seemed like Nature had begun the long process of reclaiming this small European Town, blanketing its buildings and drawing in what man once used on the daily.
This place was nothing more than another path in her routine patrol path.
"See something, Vector?" a girl asked, walking up behind her as she lowered her gun. Vector turned to see another T-Doll wielding an assault rifle, clad in silver and black as she stopped before the other Doll.
"ACR, nothing to report," Vector replied as she shook her head.
"I see. Seems like Garand's eyes haven't failed us yet. This really is a ghost town," ACR said as she lowered her weapon with a sigh, "Not too much conflicts with SF around these parts. Here I thought Griffin needed all hands on deck."
"Will you two stop slacking. I can see you two from my scope. Less talking more searching, ladies," the unmistakable voice of Garand echoed through your connection, "Have you two found Suomi?"
"Negative. We'll resume the search," Vector replied as she glanced towards where their Sniper Unit was settled in the distance.
"Guess we have to push onwards. Come on, Vector," ACR said as she raised a thumb up.
The two of them moved to explore the ghost town. Tactical Doll Suomi was sent forth first as a scout to gauge the danger levels of the area and to detect possibility of Infection occurring within the town. Given her status as a newbie on the Echelon, she volunteered for the purpose of gaining more experience. The leader of the group, Garand, reluctantly agreed but only allowed for her to achieve the minimum requirements for scouting the area.
Unfortunately, Suomi never returned within the time allotted for her.
It was then decided that Vector and ACR were to retrieve her while Garand maintained distance to observe the situation. As a long ranged unit, Garand was much useful afar much to the older Doll's chagrin.
"It's been awhile since this group's been formed. Commander tends to shuffle us around a lot but she never fails in keeping our skills compatible with one another," ACR said as she searched alongside her companion, "Goes to shoe that she's not just tossing us around willy nilly."
"Agreed. Her performance since taking her position has been satisfactory. The environment within the base has improved at the very least," Vector answered as they walked through the town, only to see some local wildlife milling about.
ACR took point while Vector followed behind, keeping an eye on the surrounding area. However upon arriving at a certain point, the two of them froze upon realizing that their connection was jammed. Their eyes met and they quickly tightened their formation, keeping each other's gaze on their blindspots as they kept their guns up.
"Garand? Garand can you hear us? No dice," ACR hissed as she looked up ahead.
"ACR, up ahead," Vector hissed upon finding what looked like Suomi's headband on the ground. Trail of coolant liquid was also spotted leading inside one of the building.
But why was there no gunfire?
"Cloaking!" ACR barked as she shoved Vector aside as a camouflaged Sangvis foot soldier cut through the air. Stomping on the ground, ACR lowered her gun to her hip and fired from that position, punching holes through the enemy's torso.
Vector allowed herself to hit the ground and roll, raising her weapon and switching her vision to tag the concealed foes gunning for ACR's back. The two of them opened fire on their surrounding area as more cloaked Sangvis troops revealed themselves. They fired and knocked down several foes, regrouping before one dived from one of the rooftop.
It hit the ground and went for ACR.
Vector was in mid-reload, giving her little time to save her comrade. She moved in, using her body as a shield before gunfire came from within the building. A volley of bullets flew out of the window as Suomi fired with gritted teeth.
"Hold on!" she cried out while sporting several injuries to her body.
"Inside!" ACR ordered as she and Vector ran in the building with Suomi providing covering fire. Vector switched out with ACR as she got in before they shut the door. Vector fired out only to see one of the Sangvis troopers destroyed on the ground, a sloppy but fatal wound on its throat while a trail of coolant liquid leaked from Suomi.
She staggered back and tried reloading, prompting ACR to take her place.
"Sangvis Ambush. I guess that's one thing to report to HQ," ACR laughed as she fired outwards.
"Ow, ow, ow... Sorry," Suomi whimpered as she held her side, a large chunk of her abdomen had been torn open but she remained functional.
"You'll live," Vector said before the wall got blown open and more enemies poured in.
"VECTOR! GO WILD!" ACR ordered but the other Doll was already ahead of her.
A canister of incendiary grenade flew overhead and exploded, engulfing the Sanvgis troops in flames. The heat ruined their sensors, robbing them of their visual capabilities, only for Vector to drive a knife through the head of one of the Sangvis Ambusher. Vector then turned the knife in her hand and drove it under the chin of the next Sangvis Ferri unit.
One of the hostiles raised its gun at her and she used the body in her grasp as a shield before smashing them both together. The two bodies were flung out of the building and into the street.
The rest of the waiting Sangvis Ferri ambushers looked at Vector and the burning street she stood on. They barely had time to react as she threw more incendiary grenades on the ground with a few frags mixed in. Fire ruined their stealth augmentations, leaving them open for attack.
Flames danced and steel burned, embers drifted through the air as the ghost town was engulfed in an infernal heat.
Vector fought, cut up and gunned down her foes, scattering them enough to break their efforts of regrouping.
BANG
BANG
Two shots rang out and obliterated enemy Dolls before they could surround Vector, Garand's precise shots covering for her frenzied comrade as communications came back online, "I swear, you girls always get into trouble! ACR, why did you let Vector go on her own?!"
"She can handle it, right Vector?" ACR laughed from within the building, "I'm patching Suomi up!"
"Leave the clean up to me," Vector replied as she chased down her targets while Garand assisted her.
.....
....
...
ACR supported Suomi as they walked down the street, Garand jogging up to them with her rifle aloft.
"Where's our Fire Bat?" ACR asked with a raised eyebrow.
Garand shook her head and said, "She really does go crazy when she uses those grenades of hers."
Vector stepped out of a building holding one of the Ambushers' head, her clothes darkened with soot and edges of her body singed. Otherwise she looked fine.
"Mission accomplished, are all of you safe?" Vector asked with a concerned tone.
"Yeah. All thanks to you," ACR said with a smile of her own.
"We've got a lot to report," Garand said as Suomi whimpered on the side.
Comrades that would support her in her fights. Vector was only with them for a short time but it was a good memory. The person who made it all possible was her Commander, genius that she was in shuffling Echelons together. It didn't take long for most Dolls in the base to know each other from their missions, fostering familiarity.
It was... Good.
.....
....
...
You opened your eyes and blinked.
A gloomy human girl looked down on you and said, "All done. That was faster than predicted."
You slowly sat up, letting out a breath as you inspected your body. You ran some small diagnostic scans and found the errors which had filled your HUD for the past few days vanish. You then looked down your hand and flexed it to make sure it was responding properly. There was virtually no lag in it responding to your commands.
Glancing to the side, you found Annie staring at a tablet computer.
"Thank you. How long did it take?" you asked her with a curious tone.
"Give or take three hours. Murray stopped by a couple of times to see how you were doing. You're free to leave. Just don't come back with an overused frame again," Annie warned you as she shook her head.
You nodded and gathered up your things. It didn't seem like the Doctor was around. You stepped out of the maintenance shop and shut the door behind you, finding yourself at the streets. You haven't explored a bit since you got here... You had some time, maybe you can look around?
Memory
[] Go and find Murray, he should be around the area.
[] Explore for a bit. Take it as a way to find hostiles in the area to take note of.
Street Lights
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
[] Explore for a bit. Take it as a way to find hostiles in the area to take note of.
Seeing as Murray wasn't around yet, you have the rare chance to explore your surroundings. Looking about, you noticed a few people passing by before you decided to walk with them. The moon shined high in the sky but that was all you could see. The light pollution coming from the heart of the city obscured the stars themselves, leaving few but the brightest stars shining.
The streets were well lit you wouldn't have guessed it was night time. Music drifted through the air as the foot traffic of people made their way through the streets. Young men and women sat in front of stores, smoking and bearing different sorts of augments as they spoke to one another. Your concealing cloak was by far not the most outlandish piece of fashion considering what other people wore in this part of town.
Inspecting store after store, you thought back to what Murray told you the two of you were doing tonight. There was the option to get repaired which you already did and you recalled that there were three more options. The option to get weapons, information and a mode of transportation. Murray must be dealing with one of those three things.
He must have done a couple given he had already come back to see you twice during your maintenance.
You eyed the interior of one of the stores and recognized it as some manner of augmentation parlor. There were regulation for these sorts of things but in the seedy downtown area of the City State you were currently in, it seemed like the whole place was run by the more unsavory types. It shouldn't come to a surprise for multiple gang lords controlling how the city was run in the shadows.
Regardless, the scenery behind you was still something to behold. Neon lights and reflective surfaces, a light green glow shined down on the streets as cars drove by. People lived their lives and humans did what they could to survive in the dark corners of this city. Living day to day, striving to survive, for a Doll like you it was an experience totally alien.
You were meant to fight in the wastes, fighting in the frontline against Sangvis Ferri and those that would seek to stir chaos within the Army. You weren't supposed to mingle or blend it at all with the humans behind their walls. As far as you knew, Griffin and Kryuger was the only home you ever knew alongside Dolls that were like you.
Bearing witness to the humans you were supposed to serve and protect, it felt like you were treading on something you shouldn't. However despite these feelings, you had to linger. It was for the sake of your mission after all, even if you were loitering around like this. You then glanced to see massive trucks pass by escorted by what looked like PMC vehicles.
Most likely a shipment of important materials which warranted the presence of such heavily armed escorts.
They most likely tagged you given you felt their programs brush against you in a sweeping scan. You didn't linger and turned around to leave, hoping to find Murray now that you had your fill of the sights. You actually preferred being with fewer humans than you realized.
This city was soon to be left behind.
As soon as you found Murray, the two of you should be making arrangements for your departure. He knew where the materials your Commander left was and you had to deliver it to a Griffin and Kryuger representative... Or at least an outpost which remains standing in the events of the main HQ falling.
It was going to be a lot of work but you only had completing the mission in mind.
You raised your head to see Murray sipping a mug within a diner in a street corner. It was a relatively out of the way area but it was close enough to the maintenance shop. You decided to make your way there when suddenly you saw black cars drive up the street. They were running at rather high speeds before skidding to a halt.
Doors opened from the four cars and out stepped four large men, reaching in the back of their cars and lifting up miniguns. There was an audible click from all four men before they open fired. Murray reacted first and got over the counter as a hail of bullets shredded the entire diner. The utter suddenness of the attack stunning you for a moment before you moved.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTT
The guns roared and killed an obscene amount of diner patrons before you reacted. Moving aside your cloak, you drew your gun and raised it. Firing burst shots at the first man's knee and forcing him down. He turned his gaze to you and earned a bullet through his head. The lead car's driver turned on the engine but you fired into the windshield to tag him as he hit the second car upon backing up.
The assault paused while you dashed forward, running up the first car and kicking off it, taking to the air and firing downwards. You landed hits upon the second burly man's jaw and eye before smashing your foot into his face. He staggered before his gun fired once more, spraying bullets wildly in the air before you kicked it to unload a volley into the third man.
The second car's driver got out and raised his gun at you, prompting you to get down on your knee and shoot him where he stood. The fourth man staggered back and aimed his minigun your way before shooting, forcing you to vault over the cars that drove in and using them as cover, shredding through their frames as if they were tin cans.
Reloading your ammunition, you saw the door open and a man rolled out and raised his gun your way, only to get shot by you. The car to your left was kicked straight into a wall as people screamed. Dozens were dead on the streets with many more in the diner, the sole surviving assailant swung his gun down at you and forced you to roll back.
However before he could fire, Murray leaped off the diner and landed on the car. He drew his sword and slashed through the minigun's barrel, giving you an opening to punched a full clip into the burly man's chest.
"You were nearby?" Murray asked as the man fell.
"I'm repaired. Who are these people?" you questioned as you looked at the number of dead, "They have no regard for collateral damage."
"It's the same assholes who got me. Apparently they want payback," Murray surmised as he grit his teeth, "We can't stay here. I've already gotten what we needed. Our ride's halfway across town though!"
The two of you looked down the street to see a truck similar to the one you spotted before, only that it was a different PMC from the one you noticed before. The sides opened up and a group of armored men stepped out, wielding black blades and rifles as they looked towards you. They wheeled out what looked like a portable cannon within the truck and it lit up.
"GET DOWN!" Murray snapped as a pulse punched through the street as Murray shoved you aside.
BLAM
The street lit up and the black cars you took cover in were flung into the air. The first two cars soared high before smashing down and exploding while the last two violently shifted, nearly hitting you and Murray as you both rolled on the ground.
"Fuck..." Murray gasped as he held his sword.
"They're coming," you replied as you gripped your gun.
The cannon lit up once more.
"Vector! On my mark!" Murray said as he got up.
[] This is stupid. Evie mentioned his self destructive tendencies. Tackle him into the ground and drag him out of here.
[] Write in...
Seeing as Murray wasn't around yet, you have the rare chance to explore your surroundings. Looking about, you noticed a few people passing by before you decided to walk with them. The moon shined high in the sky but that was all you could see. The light pollution coming from the heart of the city obscured the stars themselves, leaving few but the brightest stars shining.
The streets were well lit you wouldn't have guessed it was night time. Music drifted through the air as the foot traffic of people made their way through the streets. Young men and women sat in front of stores, smoking and bearing different sorts of augments as they spoke to one another. Your concealing cloak was by far not the most outlandish piece of fashion considering what other people wore in this part of town.
Inspecting store after store, you thought back to what Murray told you the two of you were doing tonight. There was the option to get repaired which you already did and you recalled that there were three more options. The option to get weapons, information and a mode of transportation. Murray must be dealing with one of those three things.
He must have done a couple given he had already come back to see you twice during your maintenance.
You eyed the interior of one of the stores and recognized it as some manner of augmentation parlor. There were regulation for these sorts of things but in the seedy downtown area of the City State you were currently in, it seemed like the whole place was run by the more unsavory types. It shouldn't come to a surprise for multiple gang lords controlling how the city was run in the shadows.
Regardless, the scenery behind you was still something to behold. Neon lights and reflective surfaces, a light green glow shined down on the streets as cars drove by. People lived their lives and humans did what they could to survive in the dark corners of this city. Living day to day, striving to survive, for a Doll like you it was an experience totally alien.
You were meant to fight in the wastes, fighting in the frontline against Sangvis Ferri and those that would seek to stir chaos within the Army. You weren't supposed to mingle or blend it at all with the humans behind their walls. As far as you knew, Griffin and Kryuger was the only home you ever knew alongside Dolls that were like you.
Bearing witness to the humans you were supposed to serve and protect, it felt like you were treading on something you shouldn't. However despite these feelings, you had to linger. It was for the sake of your mission after all, even if you were loitering around like this. You then glanced to see massive trucks pass by escorted by what looked like PMC vehicles.
Most likely a shipment of important materials which warranted the presence of such heavily armed escorts.
They most likely tagged you given you felt their programs brush against you in a sweeping scan. You didn't linger and turned around to leave, hoping to find Murray now that you had your fill of the sights. You actually preferred being with fewer humans than you realized.
This city was soon to be left behind.
As soon as you found Murray, the two of you should be making arrangements for your departure. He knew where the materials your Commander left was and you had to deliver it to a Griffin and Kryuger representative... Or at least an outpost which remains standing in the events of the main HQ falling.
It was going to be a lot of work but you only had completing the mission in mind.
You raised your head to see Murray sipping a mug within a diner in a street corner. It was a relatively out of the way area but it was close enough to the maintenance shop. You decided to make your way there when suddenly you saw black cars drive up the street. They were running at rather high speeds before skidding to a halt.
Doors opened from the four cars and out stepped four large men, reaching in the back of their cars and lifting up miniguns. There was an audible click from all four men before they open fired. Murray reacted first and got over the counter as a hail of bullets shredded the entire diner. The utter suddenness of the attack stunning you for a moment before you moved.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTT
The guns roared and killed an obscene amount of diner patrons before you reacted. Moving aside your cloak, you drew your gun and raised it. Firing burst shots at the first man's knee and forcing him down. He turned his gaze to you and earned a bullet through his head. The lead car's driver turned on the engine but you fired into the windshield to tag him as he hit the second car upon backing up.
The assault paused while you dashed forward, running up the first car and kicking off it, taking to the air and firing downwards. You landed hits upon the second burly man's jaw and eye before smashing your foot into his face. He staggered before his gun fired once more, spraying bullets wildly in the air before you kicked it to unload a volley into the third man.
The second car's driver got out and raised his gun at you, prompting you to get down on your knee and shoot him where he stood. The fourth man staggered back and aimed his minigun your way before shooting, forcing you to vault over the cars that drove in and using them as cover, shredding through their frames as if they were tin cans.
Reloading your ammunition, you saw the door open and a man rolled out and raised his gun your way, only to get shot by you. The car to your left was kicked straight into a wall as people screamed. Dozens were dead on the streets with many more in the diner, the sole surviving assailant swung his gun down at you and forced you to roll back.
However before he could fire, Murray leaped off the diner and landed on the car. He drew his sword and slashed through the minigun's barrel, giving you an opening to punched a full clip into the burly man's chest.
"You were nearby?" Murray asked as the man fell.
"I'm repaired. Who are these people?" you questioned as you looked at the number of dead, "They have no regard for collateral damage."
"It's the same assholes who got me. Apparently they want payback," Murray surmised as he grit his teeth, "We can't stay here. I've already gotten what we needed. Our ride's halfway across town though!"
The two of you looked down the street to see a truck similar to the one you spotted before, only that it was a different PMC from the one you noticed before. The sides opened up and a group of armored men stepped out, wielding black blades and rifles as they looked towards you. They wheeled out what looked like a portable cannon within the truck and it lit up.
"GET DOWN!" Murray snapped as a pulse punched through the street as Murray shoved you aside.
BLAM
The street lit up and the black cars you took cover in were flung into the air. The first two cars soared high before smashing down and exploding while the last two violently shifted, nearly hitting you and Murray as you both rolled on the ground.
"Fuck..." Murray gasped as he held his sword.
"They're coming," you replied as you gripped your gun.
The cannon lit up once more.
"Vector! On my mark!" Murray said as he got up.
Street Lights
[] He was going to cut the pulse? Use that chance to launch an assault against your ambushers.
[] This is stupid. Evie mentioned his self destructive tendencies. Tackle him into the ground and drag him out of here.
[] Write in...