(Girls frontline) I will always be at your side Commander! Monthlyish updates.

Grief

"Let's move Sopmod."

"I'm coming!"

"Shhh! A bit quieter please, and stay alert."

The 4 enter, taking a guard by surprise from behind and a tranquilizer does the trick.

"Commander we are approaching on you location hold on!"

"Careful M4 be watch-"

"Commander? Don't worry we,re coming."

1 more guard subdued, as M4 rushes ahead of the group, pistol whipping a hostile with her carbines butt that peeked out at the wrong time, before coming upon the commander downing another hostile who had come upon him, She rushed up to him, to find why he had become silent, before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Commander..."

There on the floor were the broken apart bits of echelon 7 and 8, the only one resembling anything was AS-VAL leaving only her head and her chest still together, as the commander picked her up soothing her.

"It's o-okay VAL you will hurt no more"

"T-Thank you commander."

And with that the last battery reserve, the stricken doll died, and that moment, mercy died along with that moment, as the commander unholstered his pistol and aimed it squarely at the now awake and frightened guard.

"P-Please comrade have m-merc- *Psht*

"Commander are you all right?" M4 asked her hand on his shoulder, as the commander slowly moved her hand off.

"All units initiate Anti-human protocols, live rounds are allowed, shoot to kill."

M4 watched as the commander left, putting a round in his 3 earlier knockouts, as she moved on moving through the rest of the corridors, eliminating 3 more before they knew it, occasionally hearing gunfire from other areas, before quickly ending, all 3 echelons meeting up at evac zone, team 2 carrying the memory and backups of echelon 7 and 8.

"Good work everyone, thank you... thank you."

"Commander are you sure your all right?"

"O-Of course come on let's go"

A 10 minute flight later and they are back at the base, stepping off Blackjack 2 the commander makes a announcement.

"echelons 1, 2, and 3 proceed to repair bay, prepare to wipe neural clouds of this event, I don't want this experience affecting you girls, once your done check your equipment before putting it away, lights out by 11:30PM."

*11:05PM*

*Knock Knock*

"come in M4 is something wrong?"

"No sir, I'm fine, everyone else is back at their dorms... its just back in that corridor... I'm sorry they were lost sir."

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault M4 I should have had a drone or a scouting party check the location first, its-its just that they were laughing and joking with me just a few hours ago, and now their gone... I promised I wouldn't let any harm come to them, but here I'am and it's gonna take at least a week for the requisitions to arrive, I don't know what to say to them..."

The commander places the filled out paperwork and the replacement forms on the usual tray, before heading to his bed and taking a seat there, M4 sitting right next to him trying to comfort the grieving commander.

"Commander its alright they will understand, that it was a mistake, and hopefully forgive."

"But what if they don't? What if it happens again? What will I do if it happens to you? You are what I live for, then what will happen? Tell me M4... would you forgive me? It would break my heart to see anyone else go through something like that again."

M4 slowly lets the commanders head rest in her lap before finally replying.

"Of course sir I love you, knowing how you feel, I would stay by your side as long as I move, now you need to rest, the base still needs you, I still need you."

"Thank you my beloved."

And with that the commander and M4 drift to sleep, her warmth, driving away what still haunts the commander.

There a two parter complete, if anyone has anything to say: a suggestion, comment, or feedback its welcome, enjoy folks.