Title: Beyond Conditioning.
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or Gunslinger Girl... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: The Cyborgs of the Social Welfare Agency are sent on a mission into Africa. Against a massive Demon incursion. Buffy/Gunslinger Girl Crossover.
"Looks like a big op." Marco said as he looked around. "But it's weird. None of the support agents are here."
Giuseppe looked around and silently agreed. Apart from the Director, everyone present were Handlers. In fact, they were all the Handlers of the First Generation Cyborgs. Recently the Social Welfare Agency had begun creating Second and even on or two Third Generation Cyborgs. These later generations were not as powerful as the first gens like Henrietta or Triella but they were able to use older candidates, into their late teens rather than the younger first gen girls, and were expected to have longer operation lifespans. Still when the Agency needed something done right the mission went to the First Gens.
"As many of you suspect, there is a big operation in the works." The Director said. "This one is not in Italy however, but due to some international agreements, we were given the information on this mission and have authority to go in. Four Countries have had their shot at this and all failed, so we are sending in the First Generation Cyborgs."
"How many?" One of the handlers asked.
"All of them." The Director replied.
"Seventeen First Gens? That's ridiculous." Hillshire said.
"Nineteen. I said all of the First Gens, that includes Claus and Angelica." The Director clarified.
"Angelica is not ready." Marco said. "There's no way she can operate in a civilian environment."
"That won't be a problem." Juan reassured.
"Who's lead?" Giuseppe asked.
"Triella will be in command." The Director replied.
"Right." Hillshire said. "When do I get full ops command briefing?"
"You don't." The Director replied. "I said Triella is in changer, not the Triella/Hillshire Fratello. No handlers are going on this mission. Survival probability is low for the Cyborgs, it would be zero for a Handler. It's a suicide mission."
"As you will be losing your charge through no fault of your own," Juan began before anyone can say anything, "Should any of you wish to leave the Agency, that can be arranged without any black mark or issue. For the rest of you, we will be beginning the process of locating new candidates. These candidates will be Gen two or Gen three, depending on their compatibility, so most candidates will be in their early to mid teens."
"The first generations are our best assets." Giuseppe argued. "Triella and Henrietta's records alone…. Why are they being used on a suicide mission?"
"Giuseppe…" Juan began before being cut off by the Director.
"It is a fair question." The Director said. "The First Gens were not originally designed to fight the Five Factions. There is a warrior known throughout the world. A girl who fights the things that haunt mankind's nightmares. The Slayer. Our Cyborgs are an attempt to use technology to replicate this warriors' abilities."
"What's this got to do with the mission?" Marco asked.
"This enemy, these Demons, are the mission." The Director explained. "There is an open portal to a Hell Dimension in central Africa. Most of the African Continent is now under their control" The Director explained. "This is the final chance. The Cyborgs will be meeting up with an agent of the organisation that controls The Slayer, a Mr Harris, who will lead them to the Portal with the remnants of his team and whatever military units he can scrounge up. Should this operation fail, the entire continent of Africa will be under military quarantine with a shoot on sight order for anything trying to leave."
"If they know the location, surely a surgical aerial strike…." One Handler began.
"Tried it." Juan said. "Didn't work. Tried carpet bombing. Didn't work. Hell, the Americans even tried a Fuel Air Bomb. The Slayer's people explained it as Magic, but they managed to prevent the Americans from trying to nuke the damn thing. From what I understand it wouldn't have worked anyway and there are indications it may have made some of the enemy more powerful."
"Holly shit." Someone muttered.
Giuseppe stood in the admin building of the military airport watching out the window as The Director, Juan and Hillshire gave the final instructions to the Command Cyborgs. Triella was of course in command, but she had been given the option of selecting her own command staff. Triella had, almost unsurprisingly, selected Claus as her tactical advisor and liaison with other forces. She had then selected Henrietta as her second in command.
By all rights, Giuseppe should be out there farewelling the Cyborgs, but he could not face Henrietta. Not after she had found out he was not coming on the mission. She had cried, screamed and almost completely destroyed the room she had shared with Rico.
Every one of the Cyborgs, except Claus, had reacted in some way to the news their handler was not coming. Ranging from Rico's almost silent confusion and constantly asking Triella why Juan would not be going, to Angelina's sobbing and begging for Marco not to leave her. Triella had the most moderate reaction and simply sent the entire time with Hillshire going over strategies and maps of the target area.
Giuseppe heard Marco's footsteps approach as he watched the six on the tarmac. Marco had been having a hard time with the order that the girls were to go alone. He had been in numerous arguments with Juan and the Director over the whole affair, even demanding that he would go regardless of their wishes.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Giuseppe asked, not looking away from the tarmac.
"I don't know." Marco replied. "I just can't stay with the Agency. What about you?"
"I have nothing else." Giuseppe replied. "And I guess that I have not given up on Henrietta."
Marco simply nodded, turned and walked away.
As the cargo plane landed and taxied down the runway at the formally abandoned military airfield, Triella organised the girls for disembarkation. They were all dressed in military camouflage uniforms with massive backpacks, some seeming almost as large as the girls themselves, and assault rifles in their hands. Each girl also had their own preferred weapons, such as Henrietta's P90 or Rico's Sniper Riffle, which were stored in their backpacks.
The rear ramp lowered while the plane was still in motion and the girls simply stepped off ramp and onto the tarmac, spreading out to avoid a single explosion taking them all out and to more easily cover the area. They kept moving in the spread line towards the command buildings. A light came intermittently from one of the windows, blinking out the mission's recognition code.
"Kira, take four girls and sweep to the west. Silvia, the same to the east. Do not engage unless they attack first. Rest of you with me." Triella ordered.
Triella and Henrietta were the first ones through the door to the building, followed by the other seven Cyborgs in their team. When they reached the room the coded light had come from they found the door open and five occupants, all dressed in worn but comfortable clothes that did not restrict movement. Sitting comfortably in the middle of the room was a man with dark hair, a soulful brown eye and an eyepatch. Flanking him in defensive positions were four women. In their late teens, the women were all armed with various melee weapons and a few pistols.
Triella held up her hand to prevent any of the Cyborgs from firing as she looked over the other occupants of the room.
"Got twelve people hidden on the western perimeter." Kira reported over the radio. "Didn't let on we saw them."
"Same on the east." Silvia confirmed.
"I assume you are Harris?" Triella asked. "My name is Triella, I'm in charge of the Agency Team."
"Yeah, I'm Harris." The man replied. "Council Team."
"Ok, let's stop playing games." Triella said. "Why don't you have your teams in the perimeter stand down and we don't start shooting them to prevent an ambush?"
Harris just smiled and touched the radio earbud in his left ear.
"Molly, Kate, stand down." Harris ordered. "It's confirmed. This is the Agency Team."
"I would prefer if we could move out as soon as possible." Triella said. "The plane could have attracted attention."
Giuseppe entered the Director's Office having been called in. He sat down on the chair in front of the Director's desk.
"Thank you for coming, Giuseppe." The Director said.
"Is there a problem?" Giuseppe asked. "The doctors have not yet cleared Alyssa for duty yet."
"It's about the Africa Mission." The Director said. "We received the report this morning. The mission failed. The entire continent is being sealed off. I'm sorry Giuseppe, but it looks like all of the First Generations are dead."
"Will that be all?" Giuseppe asked.
The Director simply nodded. A part of Giuseppe died with the news that Henrietta was dead. Henrietta was special. He would not be treating Alyssa like he did Henrietta.
TBC…
