Frozen Winter (Read Description)

Chapter 4: Bats & Gore

"Everything better be in order." Serial Designation: K

S, C, and L all stood at attention. Straight up, looking straight forward, arms behind their backs at perfect right angles. L and S exchanged glances. It was strange to see the captain of the squad acting like one of them. C's nervousness showed, digital sweat marks rolling down her visor frequently as L would wipe them off with his cape. C would scoff at the compassion.

"Thanks..I guess.." C mumbled. L smiled softly and began to say you're welcome, but a drop pod landed directly in front of them, and they all tensed up. The drop pod was much more luxurious than the one provided to them, and S let out an audible gasp of awe. The outside was coated in soft platinum, and it looked recently polished. The legs had landed perfectly, keeping the main cargo up right.

Gas leaked from the door as it slowly opened as a stairwell deployed in front of the door. Two yellow eyes and the headband stared from the darkness. K stepped out, and looked at the squadron. K had the standard features of a female disassembly drone, but her arm and leg segments were striped, and she wore a black dress. Her hair was swooped to the side and tied back.

L took note of how instead of the standard lighter gray, K had darker hair, like that of C. A green light flashed by her side. K had a laser submachine gun held in her right hand, her left hand a claw. The submachine gun lacked a stock and had default irons, with a grip on its barrel. The barrel was shown to have a green light on its side, stretching across the whole end of the gun.

"C." K spoke, and C tensed up. K had a mild posh accent, and judging by her sharpened claws, she was ready to kill anyone who messed up. "Commander." C stammered out. L put a hand on C's back to comfort her but S smacked it away. K walked down the stairs slowly and professionally.

Upon reaching the bottom, K walked by them all. She looked C up and down, eyeing her, then to S. S waved slightly, and K scoffed. Then K got to L. K eyed L up and down, but this time instead began inspecting his clothes, brushing things aside and checking all around. C and S looked at each other then back over at K and L.

"Dissassembler, what is your serial designation?" K asked, putting a claw to L's chin. "L, ma'am." L said, maintaining professionalism. "You're not frightened like the rest of your squadron, why is that?" K asked. L looked her in the eyes, and said, "You may have a fancy ship, and equipment, but we still drink from the same oil."

K tilted her head, and squinted at him as C stepped in , "Commander what he meant to say was-" C started but K cut her off, holding her submachine gun to C's head. "Was I talking to you, Captain?" "Well no." C stammered trying to reason with K, but was met with a sword through her stomach.

"Speak when you're spoken to only, you should know that of all people." K said as she looked at C who was now on her knees, holding onto the sword trying to slide off. C nodded as K ripped the blade out, sending oil all over the snow, as C fell onto her back, and S ran to assist her when K turned her back.

K looked back at L. "Explain what you meant by that, rookie." L swallowed hard. He had forgotten he was a rookie. S was a Captain, and C was a Major. K was a Colonel, and he was a rookie, unranked. L started, "We're both disassemblers, with the same purpose," L smirked softly and looked at her, "The difference is skill."

K narrowed her eyes, and swung her sword at L, but L deflected it with his katana and was on guard immediately, wings deployed and covering his sides as his tail's chainsaw came over head and was to the right of his head. K smiled confidently and gave a small round of applause to the recruit. "Good, excellent. But how are you in combat?"

L began to answer, expecting to give a report but was met with a blade swung at him. He deflected the blade with the katana and swung back. K expertly dodged to the side, as both took to the skies, clashing blades, flying backward in a loop, then clashing again repeatedly.