Dolls of the Red Zone(Girls Frontline)

Chapter 35 - Statistical Unlikelihood

Haz: Kill your receptors, I'll see what I can do about the leak. 

Haz did exactly that, interfacing with Nako to see the extent of the damage, mostly surface level with the exception of the eye being out of action. But Haz wasn't the team's technician, that was Ayako or Kimiko's job, and neither of them were here right now. So Haz just improvised, grabbing a cloth intended to wipe down equipment and tying it around Nako's head to cover her eye. 

The leak itself would seal soon, the cloth was just to make sure it didn't leave Nako's face or get any dirt or otherwise undesirable things in the wound and make repairs that much harder. 

Nako meanwhile was trying to keep focus while disabling a myriad of warnings towards disabling receptors in that area, mostly things warning of a lack of incoming information. Her eye itself didn't work though so practically everything was just ignored. 

Haz: It'll stop, you good to keep going?

Nako: Asking me of all people? Let's get across.

Nako forces herself up to her feet, despite the receptors being disabled, it still hurt, mostly because pain does linger in sensors and the digimind for some time. Nako racked her shotgun and - much like she had with AK-12 a minute or two prior - felt a connection with Haz. The two then moved, much quicker than 12 and Nako had, and with Haz facing the opposite direction and firing at enemies on the side of weaker oncoming fire. 

No injuries for either doll, thankfully, and Haz was now in the building with AK-12, giving a well-fortified position for both parts of the team. But now the larger problem, Nako couldn't link with the other dolls, their travel across would be risky at best, and now with fire coming from both directions there wasn't a great chance of not getting hit. 

But AN-94 luckily was ready for such a situation, although voicing that earlier would have been very useful and likely avoided Nako's injury. AN-94 pulled a grenade - a smoke to be precise - and threw it about halfway between the two groups, giving it time to go off and generate a screen that the group could cross with. 

Unfortunately, the wind was rather strong, and the actual path itself wasn't very concealed, but at least the smoke was moving toward the stronger side of oncoming fire, meaning they only had to contest one side. M4 was the first to act afterward, STAR following right behind her, and M4 started using her particle cannon as a shield. 

Safety violations aside, it did stop the oncoming fire when it was hit, the squad probably wouldn't be doing too swell if it didn't though. STAR and M4 crossed without incident, leaving just Springfield and AN-94, who didn't have the cover to get across. But Haz acted quickly, departing from the building with M4's particle cannon in her hands, shielding herself across and sliding into cover. 

Haz handed the particle cannon off to Springfield since her rifle would be the least effective as they crossed, and they made a column to all use the same cover at the same time. It didn't cover the side with smoke concealing them, but fire certainly hadn't stopped from that direction. But at least it wasn't accurate, which was about as much as they could hope for right now. Haz was in the rear, Springfield had the shield, and AN-94 was between them. 

And they started moving, almost in a sprint, mostly resolved not to bother shooting back if they could help it. About halfway through their crossing, AN-94 felt Haz's body press into her back, and assuming Haz had taken a hit to her leg, reached one hand back and wrapped it around Haz's waist to pull her along. 

Everyone got across, AN-94 dragging Haz in and Springfield being last in since she had M4's particle cannon as cover. But when AN-94 actually turned to help set Haz down gently, what she had assumed was a leg wound was far worse. Proof that one shot is all it takes to change a life, a bullet had sailed through the back of Haz's skull and not come out the front, likely saving AN-94's life in doing so.