"...That marks the last echelon."
So, I have to work with that fucking brat.
Brilliant.
[Kryuger]: "This exercise will be in urban warfare, use the buildings to your advantage, ammo will be a limited resource, find it around the map... We'll start soon. I will be overseeing the match personally."
[Kryuger]: "Get ready, Echelons 1, 2, 3, and 4. You will be deployed and given three minutes to familiarise yourselves with the terrain."
In an instant, I found myself transported to an entirely different environment. All around me was a desolate wasteland, with decimated buildings, impassable roads, and wrecked vehicles.
A barren wasteland.
The blow of a horn echoed in the distance, and a timer of two hours appeared on my HUD.
Commander Heiden strategized us through the radio.
[Commander Heiden]: "Well... we don't know where the enemy position is, I believe we should send a scout forward."
[Commander Heiden]: "Anyone volunteer?"
An ecstatic C-MS volunteered.
[Commander Heiden]: "Glad you're enthusiastic. If you find them, tell us their location through our comms. Do observe proper protocol."
C-MS nodded and dashed away from us.
Meanwhile while the rest of us began scouring the area for ammunition.
It wasn't long before we C-MS contacted us through the radio, coming back with feedback.
[C-MS]: "SEND REINFORCEMENTS!!! I'VE BEEN SPOTTED."
She said in a loud whisper. The sound of distant gunfire can be heard. Brat couldn't even use proper protocol
[C-MS]: "They're searching for me, I'm currently just north of where you are. You see the giant highway? Continue down it."
"Already?!" I heard one of my squadmates grumble, "Do we really need to save that idiot?"
I don't know what came over me, but I dashed immediately, running as fast as I could, without a second thought.
***
[G36]: "THEY'RE BREAKING THROUGH THE CONTACT LINE! WHERE ARE THE REINFORCEMENTS?"
[G3]: "Hey, just leave me behind."
[G36]: "Absolutely not! I'm not letting you die here!"
[G3]: "Look at me, my chassis is wrecked! You don't have the time to carry me!"
[G3]: "You're low on ammo right? And reinforcements are half an hour away. You need to withdraw with the rest of the echelon before you're overrun! They'll make another me anyways. I'll act as rearguard! You and the rest of the echelon are to withdraw."
[G36]: "Senpai, You know I wont do this."
[G3]: "YOU ARE TO WITHDRAW! THIS IS AN ORDER FROM YOUR ECHELON COMMANDER."
Tears ran down both of the girls eyes
[G36]: "I'm sorry"
G36 leapt off the occupied building.
***
The phrase "never again" filled my head until it was all I could think of "never again". It drowned out any other thoughts.
It felt as if I no longer had control of my body...
A surge of indescribable anger coursed through me as I arrived just in time to witness a T-Doll aiming a gun at C-MS.
[???]: "Found you..."
Silently I raised my gun, loaded with half a magazine of hollow point ammunition
[G36]: "No, I've found you."
The T-doll turned around sharply with inhuman reflexes. But before she could pull the trigger I unleashed a barrage of bullets from my magazine.
Her bullet-ridden chassis fell to the ground.
My gun clicked empty.
I turned towards C-MS.
[G36]: "Hey, Hand me your gun!"
[C-MS]: "What?"
[G36]: "Just give it to me!"
[C-MS]: "Okay?"
She handed me her gun. God it looked stupid.
Wasting no time I quickly moved to the entrance of a nearby building, Listening intently as I picked up people speaking on the other side of the door.
[???]: "Where the hell is MP5!?, she was just supposed to be gone for like a minute!"
[???]: "Don't ask me! I have no clue where she is! Judging from those shots earlier though, she probably just took care of that scout..."
[???]: "I'm going out to check. Just stay here for a bit. She's supposed to be nearby damnit. Not going out and hunting Dolls!"
I immediately stacked up at the entrance of the building, carefully listening to her approaching footsteps in the meantime. As she came close, I kicked open the door, throwing it clean off its hinges in one swift motion and slammed the stock of my G36 into her stomach.
Then I delivered a swift kick to her face.
Just to make sure that she was incapacitated.
I looked to the left of me to see two other T-Dolls, cautiously peering their heads out from a nearby doorway while reaching for their guns.
I dodged a burst of SMG fire by throwing myself into an empty room and barricading the door
As a doll tried to kick open the wedged door without avail, I quietly snuck out from the room by pulling myself out of a window and circled around behind her, raising the C-MS.
She whirled around in surprise as I took aim.
I pulled the trigger.
Gunfire.
Overpressured 9mm rounds pelted into her chassis.
She fell.
Turns out playing video games actually helps.
The other T-Doll, armed with a rifle, began retreating, unleashing a burst of suppressive fire as she moved. But I wasn't about to let her escape so easily. Utilising a concrete barrier as cover, I swiftly peeked out and fired a quick burst of bullets towards her retreating figure, with most of them finding their mark.
[Kryuger]: "Proficiency at two different types of weapons, now that is interesting."
[C-MS]: "Damn..."
I grinned at her.
Before a sniper round slammed into my torso.
My vision turned red.
I grunted in pain as I used my right arm, the one not broken, trying to drag myself into cover.
Having switched to the G36,Shouldering my gun with the only arm I had left and placing the barrel on a windowframe, I switched to my integrated 3x optic and started spraying towards the vague direction of the gunshot in an attempt to suppress the sniper
That's when another t-doll, presumably from another echelon, snuck up from behind.
As my eyes widen in surprise and fear, she slams the stock of her gun into my gut, in the vague direction of where my core was located. Winded and in pain, I kneel heavily onto the ground. She aimed her AR to my head and pulled the trigger.
With the last of my consciousness and my vision fading, I pulled out the C-MS and fired blindly, returning the favour and filling her chassis with bullet holes in the process.
The rest of my echelon arrived, witnessing what I, or rather, G36 had done.
I could've really used some reinforcements earlier.
