Chapter I: Operation Turquoise

November 16th 2024, two years after the conflict had started, Syria.

"O-oh, it's a killing machine,
It's got everything,
Like a driving power, big fat tires and everything...
...All right, hold tight
I'm a highway star."

Roofless Humvee was riding along the streets of some Syrian town with four girls wearing all different clothes, mainly light cotton arabian-like. The driver had short orange hair and her chartreuse eyes were behind the glasses with yellow lenses; it seemed she hadn't been on the road but in the music. In the right of her another ginger with ponytail at the side of her head were holding a boombox with rock music howls and roars coming out of it. Her sapphire eyes were moving rapidly as she shook her head in unison with the driver as a guitarist continued his unbelievable solo.

"Can you two just shut up?" One of girls from backseat said. Her beige cardigan was perfectly fitting her scarlet hair with dull amethyst eyes, which were watching over the collapsed building in the window, as their car was riding along the battlefield in the past. Blood on the road, gun shells, ammunition boxes on the edge of the road. Definitely someone had a battle here; nowadays it wasn't so unusual, because the whole world had been drew into the bloodshed of modern war.

"Don't be mad, sergeant." The driver hummed smirking due to receiving some reaction from her friend. Her name was Hoshizora Rin and mainly she was the driver on their missions because of her fast reflexes and agility. "Guys, how far we are from the point?"

"We don't know, GPS system is dead. Someone jammed it down, even satellite connection is dead." The bluenette, who kept her silence until then finally spoke. "I hate being on open land, you know."

"I know Umi, but what else we can do? Though we have Humvee doesn't mean anything, but it's good to be protected at times." The ginger in the passenger's seat pushed the button on boombox causing the song to switch to another one. This boombox was their only joy in this hole with killing atmosphere.

"Captain, where'd you get that boombox, nya?" The driver said, completely turning from the road and staring at an electronic device with music playing.

"Remember an attack at electronic store. Where marines were caught by some islamite guys." Ginger smiled and thumbed up to Rin. "I took it with me after the shooting. Anyway there is no radio player in this Humvee."

"There is no way captain Honoka could be a thief." Umi giggled, her common coldness wasn't so noticeable as usually; because of the Syrian weather, it was around 35 degrees there.

"Shut up, lieutenant." Three of them fell in laughter, but scarlet haired girl still was leaning on the window, without a muscle moving on her face. She was locked up from everyone else, this girl Nishikino is pure riddle which had to be puzzled out; though no one never knew what was on her mind in this or that time.

Streets were full of silence, but this calm atmosphere was broken every time Humvee moved along it with rock music. There was no civilians or even bandits of islamite gangs, what didn't worry no one in the jeep. This town was poor, though islamite rebels saw here some potential for their armed groups. This region had no American or British soldiers, although they controlled the main cities with their army bases near. It was a common thing to notice some kind of modernized F-22 or Mirages in the air carrying the deadliest rockets or bombs supposed to kill the radicals with firearms. Thank God they didn't see any Russian troops across this part of the country. These guys could without a hesitation bomb you if – as they thought – you were dangerous. No one wanted Russian Su-34 across their heads with bombs falling on you from the skies.

"I guess we'll be there in less than a five minutes." Umi stated after checking her watches. "Honoka, you better turn this thing off."

The ginger nodded, pushing the red button on boombox and causing it to turn off. She then turned around to face her crew, gesturing them with thumb up. "Aight, listen up, team."

"We're listening."

"Malik, our informer from Jahaad-El-Nus, it's a radical gang of the rebels, had reported about some meeting of the highest ranks of its gang and director of military company called 'Radiance'. We had no info about who is these bosses, but our command ordered to find this out. We also need to stop their plan and you know the rest."

"Where is our gear?" Suddenly Maki asked the captain with indifferent look on her face. Still looking over the streets, redhead didn't even look at Honoka. What is wrong with her today.

"Malik will show us the place with gear, don't worry, Maki."

Maki Nishikino was lonely. She always spent a lot of time in Facebook, but she didn't have any friends except these three girls. Her heart was similar to the ice cube, its coldness burnt Maki and anyone, who tried to touch it. Maki was an introvert, and she was okay with this style of living, but everyone around her, especially positive and energetic Rin just couldn't understand the way of her thinking. Even with that, Rin was her bestie.

After the couple of minutes on the road with full silence, Honoka finally raised her arm, causing Rin to stop the car and looked at her with twitching eyebrows. "W-what happened, Honoka?"

"We're here, get your asses out of the car." Honoka giggled opening the door and getting out of it just like her squad mates did following her. Rin was the last, who got out of the Humvee because of some problems with turning the engine off.

The smell of gunpowder, blood and dust mixed in the air, striking girls' heads, as they got closer to the building they had chosen for a meeting with their operative. Bright graffiti in Arabian on the wall told them about who was the ruler in this sector of the town. A man with big black beard and turban wrapped around his head was standing next to the wall with AK-74M with wooden parts and a cigarette in his mouth. As ghosts came closer, he dropped his cigarette and sighed.

"Americans...arabian speech…you...arabian speech…annoying." Man said. Honoka raised her eyebrow, trying to understand what he was talking about between his speeches in arabian. It was hard because of his large arabian accent too. As he put his AK-74M with stripe on his shoulder, Honoka crossed her arms, looking at him.

"Yeah, yeah, Malik, we're glad to see you too. Speak English, please, we don't get a shit."

Malik laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, girls, I nearly forgot the language here. Colonel Parker had sent me details, and I can help you with finding an information you need." Scratching his back, he squeezed the grip on his assault rifle. "I have photos of my boss and ugh...…of this company. There all in my apartments, it's here, come on."

As Malik gestured at the entrance, girls looked at each other. Very strange, but they had no other idea, so they followed him, entering the building. Big cloud of dust met them inside, as Honoka began to cough. They have must clear this place one time in a year. They used the ladder to get upstairs to Malik's apartments and started climbing to the highest floor of this building.

Squeak of the door was loud enough to wake up everyone in apartments. Malik spent some time trying to open it and finally he cracked the door, with the sound of dying whale. "This is the best place all over the town..."

Maki rubbed her forehead, asking her team. "Why the fuck he can't speak normal."

Soldiers passed by the door and entered the apartments, leaving Malik to guard the door. "There are some photos somewhere here, so you just need to look out where it is."

Pushing his AK next to the wall, he gestured at the table and his room, falling to the sofa and taking a bottle with an old water from the floor. He opened it and swallowed it all, throwing the bottle in direction of the trash bin, what was lying on the floor with all trash sprayed across it. An empty bottle fell somewhere close, but Maki looked at it with disgusting, trying to mind her own business. In this moment, she found the photos of the leaders of islamite rebel gang in this region. Amir Murad, 54 years old terrorist field commander of Jahaad-El-Nus and his son Arslan Murad the local businessman and director of one of Syrian oil company. So they say it runs in the family, huh? Maki thought humming as she tried to memorize the images in her hear, attracting an attention to her person from her squad mates.

"What is it, Maki?" Umi asked her, as she pulled Maki by the sleeve of her cardigan. Scarlet haired girl made a brief nod and played with her locks twirling it around her slender fingers. Maki tapped at the images of Syrian terrorists with brief info about them, wrote on the backside of the images. "Oh, you found it, good job, Maki."

Maki slightly blushed because Umi placed her hand at Maki's head, slightly ruffling her scarlet hair. "UMI STOP THIS!"

Girls laughed, when Maki tried to fix her hair and hide her blush. Maki was acting so cute, when she was in blush. Her pure shyness was showing to everyone else in the moments like this. Maybe she was just a tsundere.

"We got them, Honoka. These guys are leaders of rebel gang in this region. I guess if we are able to eliminate them, then we are able to stop the rebellion once and for all. Our soldiers would appreciate it, right?" Umi thought for a moment, practically sticking with Maki on her way towards the place, where she could relax a little. "Maki, just stop running from me!"

Honoka sat on the sofa just near Malik, playing with her fingers in ballistic gloves. It was the part of her gear she always took with her, because without it you could harm your hands in many situations, not even in action. Honoka was thinking about what they should do. Their command ordered to stop the meeting of radicals with mercenaries, but they hadn't said a word about what to do with all of them. Honoka decided to show initiative and clear the region from the trash. She clenched her fists and Malik fell in laughter catching a glare from Honoka.

"What?" She asked him irritated by his laughter. Malik finished, rubbing his eyes as if he was trying to clear them.

"You americans are so funny, when you're thinking about something. It seems you in the different world, don't you see? I bet you know it." His words were… truly in some way. Maki for an example, she was always thinking, but Honoka couldn't say it was funny. This guy was asshole for sure.

Honoka stood up, ordering everyone to catch up. Even Maki, whose blood already retreated from her face was there, following Honoka's moves with her eyes. Girls were waiting for the orders, and Honoka tried to make sure it would be safe enough. Once she done, she crossed her arms, clearing her throat she started.

"Today will be the day of the hunting. We will eliminate everyone, who were associated with radicals in this region. Our main targets are the bosses of the local gang, names are Amir and Arslan Murad. They pretty smart guys and had a lot of soldiers to cover their asses. Though we don't know who is going to have business with them we need to eliminate this person too. Leave no witnesses, keep your suits turned on, and follow my orders."

"Where is our equipment?" Maki asked with her arms crossed.

Sudden whistle caused girls to attract their attention at it. Everyone looked at Malik, who was moving a bookcase. As he moved it far enough, girls saw a hidden room, which contained a couple of metal containers with skull tags on it. "Oh, yeah, babe." Honoka said, dragging the container out of the room to the rest of her team. The containers had fingerprint reader, so only the leader could open its locks; Honoka unlocked first container with clothes and armor, switching to the second one with weapons and gear. Opening it, she whistled looking at the amount of firepower they had. Her eyes fell on the metal robot with four propellers, which copied its look from Osprey. It seemed that Rin had another toy to play with. A moment after, girls started to changing their outfits.

Maki, who pulled off her cardigan, was standing in only bra, blushing as she looked at her half-naked comrades. She suppressed all the thoughts and put on her clothes, checking the stealth system. Five minutes later all the preparation was done and ghosts squad was ready to take off. She stood side by side; their patches was a bright American flag and original ghost skull, which showed their affiliation to an elite squad of U.S. army.

"Your suits are okay? Check it all of you." Four girls began to turn it on and off, becoming invisible and appearing in the air. "It seems like everything is okay. Let's check the weapons."

The team came to the weapon container, picking up their guns. Maki had Mk 11 marksman rifle, as her sniping skills were the highest across the whole army. Honoka used a modified M16A3 with tactical grip, holo sight, Rin had her HK416 without any modifications, and Umi held her standard ACR Masada rifle, as she was quiet conservative about everything. Girls checked their ammunition, double checked their spare magazines and took their standard issue pistols M1911 Maki worried about its efficiency. Beretta was her cup of tea, but she had no time to groan about this, since they was kind of late with the mission. Once everyone was ready, Honoka pulled out a map out of her pocket of jacket under the vest with a gear. The ginger put it on the table and called for her subordinates for them to come near.

"We're here and..." Honoka pointed at red dot on the map with her index finger. "… We must reach this point. It is assumed point of meeting. Maki, since you are the only one sniper in our team, you will take your position on the roof of eight-storied house just here. You got it?"

"Sure. Just mark the targets and it would be mine job to do." She was thinking positive, but arrogant as always. It was Maki's tsundere style.

Honoka hummed sliding across the map with her finger and planning a route for her team. "Umi, Rin, we're going together, but… We have not that much of time, so we need to cross this central road. Are you okay with this?"

"Rin would like this funny trip, nya!" The ginger meowed, catching a glare from Umi, who was irritated by her speaking again.

"Hoshizora-a-a!" Umi groaned as she drawled her last name, causing Rin to ask Yes, ma'am?.

Honoka giggled, as her team was making some fun again. The ginger hid the map in her pocket, following Malik with her eyes, while her subordinates were busy. The muslim typed someone a message with his mobile phone, causing Honoka to sneak behind his back and fixed the eyes over his messages.

Malik F: Americans are here.
Arslan M: Good. Very good.
Arslan M: Make sure they go in the right place.
Malik F: OK.

Honoka's eyes went wide as she read the correspondence of Malik with Arslan M, who was Arslan Murad, one of ghosts' targets in this region. Honoka pulled out her M1911 and cocked it; Malik turned around right now, receiving a gun barrel placed at his forehead and facing an unpleasant face of captain Honoka. Malik gulped, as Honoka moved around him – still keeping a gun on his forehead – and grabbed a phone, reading it again and throwing the device to Umi, who caught it and put her face into its screen. The azurette narrowed, as she read it and gave a phone to Maki. Redhead hummed, placing her hand at pistol grip in the holster on her back. Malik let out a nervous snicker, but when Honoka pushed her M1911 further jamming his skin with its coldness, Malik started to panic whining and begging to let him just be.

"P-please, no! I don't want to die, he told me if I won't take you into a trap he will slaughter me, please!" Malik closed his face, causing Honoka to let out a sigh of disrespect. He was a traitor and he knew girls, there was just one thing the captain could do to protect herself and her team. "I-I can tell you where they are, I can..."

"Sorry Malik… We don't negotiate with double agents."

"No no no NO!"

Honoka pulled the trigger and blood splashed onto her clothes and face, causing her to close her right eye just not to irritate her eyes with foreign liquid and clean it with her sleeve. Honoka then turned to her team, who were standing with apathetic look over their face, only Maki stood with small grin on her face. Scarlet haired girl then giggled.

"I didn't like that guy, anyway. What an asshole." Nishikino spat out on the floor, walking towards the door, so they can exit this damn place. Before she opened the door, Maki turned away gazing at Honoka. "What should we do, captain?"

The ginger bent over Malik, who was lying on the sofa with the bullet hole in the center of his forehead with opened eyes, so Honoka thought he still was alive, looking at her. Honoka closed his eyes and shivered. Of course, she had been killing for years, but this one was different. Though he was a liar and traitor, so Honoka didn't need to worry about it much. The captain walked over Maki and asked for Malik's phone. She typed a message pretending it was Malik and ghosts hadn't waited long; there was everything in the next message. Malik's boss showed his hands, telling the coordinates where Malik should go. Honoka whistled and they left the building, making their way over the next point, thinking about new plan how they could kill two birds with one stone.

They had entered a rebel area enrolling inside of the fence with barbed wire all over it, as Rin jammed it with wire-cutter. Honoka stopped the team, showing them the fist. She then just smirked, cocking her M16A3.

"It is time to have some hunt guys."


"Sergeant, this is Honoka. What's up?"

Maki was climbing up the fire ladder onto some six or seven storied building, it was really hard for her to speak alongside with climbing. Scarlet haired girl stopped at the ladder, enabling her communicator. "Yeah, I'm… pant… almost there."

"Good, we will need your support soon, there are six guys on the road."

Honoka stated, counting very carefully since she had some problem with math and numbers especially. Maki heard some background talking with nya in the end, so she guessed who it was. Girls on the second line were whispering for a couple of moments, so Maki continued to climb up, finally reaching the roof and practically falling on the floor of it, panting heavily because of the lack of her strength. Damn, Maki needed a gym a lot. She could take a couple of exercises with Rin to improve her stamina and her orange haired friend would be overjoyed if Maki would really practice together.

"Hey, Maki-chan, you hadn't fell, didn't you?" Rin asked her over the communicator, receiving a silence. Maki then finally stood up, letting out a sigh of long-expected relief.

"No, I didn't, Rin. I reached the roof and I see you, girls. Mark the enemy."

Maki took off her sniper rifle from the back with strap, placing it at the borders of the roof on its bipod. Scarlet haired girl opened the sniper sight on it, calibrating it to the right distance, as her team was marking the enemy on the road with ghosts' special system integrated into their devices and hi-tech eyeglasses with visual interface support. Maki found all six targets, marking the three of them, when Honoka, Rin and Umi took a single target for killing. Sharpshooter wasn't sure, if she could kill three guys one by one without raising a noise, but it was worth a shot.

"Shit, we have the incoming targets. Couple of SUVs, black color. It is not just the radicals. Rin, turn on your fucking camo!"

Maki was scouting an area with her scope with two black SUV riding along the road near the team of U.S. elite soldiers. Radicals also came out to the road, standing just in the direction of incoming SUV with their assault rifles and machine guns cocked and ready to fire. SUVs slowed down, stopping right before the troops of islamite gang, which leader with red beret and AKM jogged to the driver's window of the first SUV. They were chatting for a seconds as Maki was losing her patience, she was fingering the trigger on her rifle with slightly pulling it and letting it be; luckily, her Mk. 11 had tough one trigger, which needed to pull harder than on the usual weapons of marskman types. Maki had a cross on the rebel's leader head, when he suddenly aimed his AKM at the driver shouting something and causing his subordinates to aim at SUVs. Radicals were on the verge of shooting this couple of SUVs, but their leader had no time to order it to them falling on the ground with splashes of scarlet liquid coming out of his head. The mess had started.

"Maki, what the fuck?!" Honoka shouted, as their guns started to howl killing some radicals and keeping the others in fear for their lives. Ghosts started to retreat, as they had been suppressed by machine gun fire coming out of the SUV's direction. Maki fired a couple of shots, wounding a couple of them, as her communicator was buzzed by Honoka's voice again. "SERGEANT, ANSWER ME."

Maki punched the concrete border with her fist, letting out some steam as she was totally driven mad by this situation. "I didn't shoot him, it was someone else!"

"assault rifle fire…it. Then find who...explode and metal clank...d this. FUCK!"

Honoka, Umi and Rin were falling back, as some mysterious guys with misc clothes and gear were attacking them from the different angles. Ghosts killed a couple of them and ran inside the building closing the door behind them, as it was exploded with 40mm grenade launcher. The explosion had hit Umi with shock wave causing her to fall and be caught by Rin, who quickly pulled her to the cover with Honoka covering two of them. They gotta be mercenaries Maki thought, picking her rifle and putting together its bipod. The marksman checked the ammunition inside of the mag of it, kicking off the door to the ladder and entering the building itself. It could be a sniper, who started this mess and Maki had to find it before this sniper could do more corpses.

Stiff sound coming out of the door, as she was walking downstairs attracted Maki's attention and she came closer, having her marksman rifle aimed at the door. The marksman rested her head on the door, holding her breath, as another single stiff sound came out with ring of something falling on the floor. Maki didn't doubt, a sniper was just behind the door, firing at someone. A sniper was dangerous for Maki and her team, so she had nothing more than just kill it. Taking a deep breath, the marksman tried to relax, as she aimed her silenced rifle in the supposed direction of sniper and kicked the door, rushing inside of the room.

Her ruby orbs were scanning the road through the sniper scope of her SVD and her twin tails were shaking as Nico rapidly changed the targets at her cross, counting them. She counted a six people on the road, turning her communicator on.

"Six people on the road, all of them armed. It's the guard of our targets, I guess." Petite girl switched to her earpods, leaning closer to the sniper scope. Nico discovered their leader wearing a red beret on top of his head. His arabian appearance was hardly noticeable, it wasn't like he was some radical. More of syrian national army, but Nico wasn't sure. She didn't have to be sure, she just needed to kill him, as her friend and commander ordered.

"Nico, we're incoming. Make sure you cover us, if something go wrong. It always goes wrong." Voice on the second line told to Nico, and ruby eyed girl practically nodded into nowhere, answering her.

"Roger, Eli!" Eli Ayase, half-russian mercenary from PMC 'Radiance' was Nico's leader. She had blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, her blue eyes were hurting with each glance of her. Though, her friend and subordinate

Nozomi Toujou had different personality.

"Nico-cchi, we are coming, remember to keep an eye on us!" Nozomi giggled, causing some shivers to roll down Nico's back. Or she will cuddle me to death, gulp. Nico finished her idea, returning to her duty. The sniper watched two SUVs coming into her point of view and stopping just before the bunch of radicals. Their leader with beret came to the driver, speaking with him about something. Though, Nico couldn't hear what they was talking about, she understood everything perfectly due to an image in her scope; his face reaction was something that everybody needed to see. Sadly, he aimed his AKM at the driver, what caused his life to end with single shot of Nico's SVD.

"He is dead, it's your time, girls."

Nico had been shooting accurately, trying to make every shot counted. She killed a couple of bandits, before they retreated to some buildings, where Nico couldn't reach them. Then tiny girl found out her comrades were fighting with someone else on the right flank.

"Eli, what the fuck is going on out there?"

"swish and rifles fire Someone attacked us, we're trying to assault them in the building. We need you just HERE!"

"Damn, Eli, hold on! I'm going there!"

Nico turned her communicator off and put away her earpods, standing up from the chair she was sitting on. Raven haired girl already put her SVD on the turned around to the door, taking a handle of it, when Maki kicked it, causing her to fall on her back, hitting a head. The redhead stormed into the room, having an aim at Nico and checking the whole room. Tiny girl tried to reach her Glock in the holster, when the marksman kicked her in the face with her army boots, causing Nico's nose to bleed. Ruby eyed girl groaned falling on her back again, as Maki placed a foot on her stomach and moved her rifle so her face could be barely seen because of the barrel with silencer on it.

"You've chosen the wrong building. Don't even try to make something, I am pretty fast." Girl with scarlet hair said.

"Alright, alright, cough. Just let me breath, please." Nico coughed a multiple times, when Maki took away her leg, taking out Nico's Glock of its holster and throwing it over the window, so it could fall on the ground, crushing itself. Her bleeding nose ached, as Nico followed her enemy's movements very carefully, not to enrage her. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Shut the fuck up." Scarlet haired girl ordered, as she walked past the window, watching an area of the battlefield between radicals, mercenaries and ghosts.

It seemed like Maki wasn't paying attention at all, so petite girl pulled out the bayonet out of her boot, dashing off to Maki, who was ready to defend herself. The marksman only moved her stock in the right, causing it to hit Nico right in the middle of her forehead and causing Nico to drop the knife and fell unconsciousness with dull sound of falling puddle with rice. Her forehead and nose were bleeding badly. Maki looked at Nico, as she was peacefully lying on the floor with blood trickling over her face. The expression of fear frozen on Nico's face, making her looked like a real child. Maki didn't know why, but her hearth bounced, as she drew a rifle to finish her off. She couldn't pull the trigger, this little girl sniper didn't make something wrong, so why Maki needed to punish her at all. Maki felt guilty, so she pushed away SVD sniper rifle of Nico and tried to contact her team.

"Honoka, are you listening?"

"Pant, pant… We need to evacuate. These guys… pant." Honoka was sounding like she was running a marathon for an hour, so Honoka felt like and her friends Rin and Umi felt like. They had an enemy on their back, so firing off some smoke grenades, ghosts had got a possibility to quickly get the hell out of there, killing some a couple of stubborn mercenaries at their way.

Luckily, no one had been wounded during this mission (which could be marked as failed one) and their initial enemies retreated with casualties among their troops and backup covering teams. Though, the mercenary team tried to eliminate them, ghosts totally forgot about them, as they entered the building, where Maki and Nico had taken their positions. Honoka's team followed her at the ladder for the sixth floor, as they were running without a stop, panting heavily. Maki was thinking how to tell them about this girl, but her scarlet head couldn't came up with right idea, so her friends would understand her. She snapped her fingers with hope for a success.

"Captain, I have a..."

Three figures appeared before the door, trying to recover their stamina exhausted by prolonged running. The ginger dropped her helmet on the floor, uncovering her face with mask and gulping for much more priceless air. Drops of the sweat fell on the floor from her nose and tips of her ginger hair. Honoka's blue eyes enjoyed the calm, as Rin and Umi were also gulping for the air. The evening's breeze at the sixth floor of the building without a glass in window frames had enveloped them as Maki was standing there without a word coming out of her mouth, until Honoka threw a dart towards lying girl with broken nose with blood splitting out of it. The ginger raised her eyebrow, crossing the arms waiting idly for a reply from the marksman. Maki stuttered.

"...problem." Girl finally said with deep sigh and lowering her head. The ginger bowed down to Nico, checking her pulse and wiping the blood of her face. Spread liquid had striking resemblance to tomato paste, as Maki felt guilty enough to look at the girl one more time. Inclining her head, Honoka sighed as well; situation uncertainty settled above their heads waiting for the right moment to fall at them. Honoka cocked her rifle expecting Maki to say something else.

"Honoka..." Umi received the harsh hush from her leader, so she shut her mouth, awaiting her decision what to do.

"Who is that girl? She started the mess?. If so, then she screwed up our whole mission. This is true, Maki?"

Scarlet hair shook from left to right, as Maki tried to trick her captain. "No, she didn't. This girl is just… just a girl, I guess."

The marksman twirled her hair and tried to hide her eyes from Honoka's gaze. The ginger hummed, bending closer to Maki, who was clearly panicking right now. "I need the truth, Maki."

"Okay, okay! Geez, she is a sniper, but… I think she could be useful."

"What do you mean, Maki-chan..." Rin joined in.

"If these guys nearly got you, then they're some bad asses. We can… I don't know, okay! We can take an info or something..."

Honoka giggled. "I get it, I get it."

"W-what?" Maki blushed much, as the blood rushed to her face receiving a sly smirk from Honoka. God only knew, what they both were thinking about. The ginger, released her rifle, causing it to hang loosely on the plastic strap of it. Honoka turned on the communicator, which had been attached to her helmet of the commonness of losing it everywhere. The rings, and… Finally the HQ answered them.

"Ghostlead, this is HQ, do you copy?" Male sharp voice met them on the second line. Their current ops leader was Colonel Parker, the veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. The best of the best got the honors to be in ghosts squad or be affiliated with them at all.

"HQ, this is ghostlead. The mission is failed, we've faced some problems, but my team is okay. We need the evacuation from our current location, over."

"Copy that, ghost lead. Once you hit the ground, report me all the troubles, which occurred during the mission. We're waiting you, girls. Parker out."

Honoka turned her communicator off, smirking at Maki due to the next phrase the ginger said. "You will carry her, tough fighter."

Maki dropped some whatever in response, lifting Nico from the ground. She wasn't so heavy, Maki even liked the feeling of someone in her arms; The marksman even slowed her pace to enjoy it for a little longer, though this small girl tried to kill her. Receiving the furious gaze from both Umi and Honoka, Maki nodded speeding up on the way to the roof, when they waited for a couple of moments, until the black UH1H picked them all up, soaring up and leaving the region covered with fights, murders, radicals and mercenaries.

Speaking about the mercenaries, Eli Ayase and Nozomi Toujou were hiding near the building where ghosts were in, following the helicopter with their eyes. They couldn't reach Nico over the radio, so they hurried to her supposed position, where she had been ordered to be, covering the main team of 'Radiance' mercenaries. Eli double checked the window of Nico's floor, finding out that there was no one but a dust and silence. Half russian waited until helicopter rose up in the air, aiming at it with her PKP Pecheneg machine gun, which were quickly lowered by her purple haired friend. Nozomi's green eyes made Eli sigh in a pain, as they could lost her friend.

"Nozomi, these guys… They could kill her."

"I know, Eli-cchi, but they didn't kill her. These guys took her with them, and I think she would be okay."

"I know, -ar… We know she would make it, but still. Who the fuck are they at all. We don't know a shit about them. It scares me." Eli sobbed as helicopter quickly distanced ghosts team from this region. Mercenaries stood there for a minute longer, until Nozomi cuddled the blonde and whispered something to her ear. Finally returning to the remain people of their team, they counted the losses and contacted their own HQ thinking about the failed operation as well as ghosts though about it.


Few hours later, US army base in Syria.

"Colonel Parker, sir? May we come in?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

The team came in his office all in mess of paperwork, docs and every other thing that every office contained inside of it. Honoka was leading Nico with plastic handcuffs over her wrists, practically tearing them apart and causing the petite girl to moan and sob. Greeting the colonel, captain Honoka settled the captive down on the chair, rubbing Nico's shoulder from dust and receiving an amazed glare.

"Report me about the situation, and who the hell is this? Why you'd brought the little girl with you?" The colonel placed the coffee cup on the table, shaking off the pack of papers straight into the trash bin. His short hair with sparse grizzle and mustache accented on his mature; speaking about the team, the colonel Parker fitted the grandpa role for the girls, not less than this.

"As I said, mercenaries started the fight with these guys mercenaries. We should have stayed out of the sight, but when the bullets starts ringing, it is really difficult to control yourself. It seemed they discovered us, so we started to fight as well, receiving the retreat. This girl started the mess with sniper rifle. What are we going to do with her? Jail up for the end of her life, somewhere in Guantanamo?"

Colonel rubbed his forehead, as his eyes met the ruby orbs of the captive girl, who decided not to speak. The man then stood up, playing with the bayonet he pulled out of the holster. Parker swung it a couple of times, and Nico closed the eyes, shaking due to fear, but though Nico thought it was the end, the man took her wrists, cutting off the handcuffs and loosing the blood vessels of the petite girl. Everyone dropped their jams down, receiving the next order from colonel.

"We have an order from the highest command." Parker said. "CIA found out an info about the group of terrorists in Korea, possibly they're russians. Korea would have the worldwide meeting of an army gear developers, and we need to not to let them ruin it. Also, the terrorists have a biological weapon. I guess it could be a bomb, but I don't know exactly what it will be. I hope you remember what happened with the last ghosts squad."

"Yea, sir. They couldn't stopped the nuclear bomb, right?"

"Yes." He stated with smug grin over his face. "That's why you need some spare hands."

"Excuse me?" Honoka raised her eyebrow, widening the eyes, as she understood what he meant. "Oh, no, no, no and NO! This girl is our enemy, you just can't let her be in our team."

"Huh, really? I am your ops commander, captain. So, practically I can." Colonel returned to his table, finishing off his coffee. "Otherwise this girl will go to the jail and I guess, neither she, neither Maki, who was gazing at her since you came, doesn't want her to go in jail. Am I right? Then it's settled. Ghosts, you will fly to Korea a few days later, so try to relax and everything else."

Maki blushed from his words, hiding her red face. Umi joined the argument. "You can't do this, colonel, it is completely against the rules of our team." The azurette stated, frowning. Ghosts didn't want some stranger to be side by side with them, so it was being understood.

"I said I can, lieutenant. If you have nothing to say, then I prefer you to go to have some break and pack your stuff."

"Colonel sir, you are mean! Rin don't like that~"

"Stop this, corporal, I said my mind. Anything else?"

The captive let out a cough, trying to attract everyone's attention, what was successful. "You didn't even ask me about everything. I guess you guys some kind of slavers, cus I really feel like a slave."

Honoka dashed off the office with Umi trying to catch up with her. Rin let out her usual nya, receiving the gesture of leaving the office from the colonel. The ginger sighed, but left the office, going in the opposite direction from Honoka and Umi. Only Maki and Nico was standing in the office, not looking at each other. Parker was grinning at them, and when the two girls noticed it, they shouted in unison "WHAT?!"

"Sergeant, show her the rooms." Colonel ordered, as he bent to the open case of his table, pulling out the whiskey bottle and a cup for it. Parker easily opened the bottle, filling the cup with it. Sadly he had no cola bottle over here and ice cubes. You had to be a dumb one to drink warm whiskey, but for some reason colonel Parker didn't care about the right technique of drinking it. He always guessed that alcohol was just a thing to wash your problems away, and with a girl Nico Yazawa, the command could beat his ass up, if someone noticed it, but just one look from Nishikino at this petite girl was enough to let them do whatever they wanted. "Be gentle with her."

He giggled as embarrassed Maki took Nico by her hand and stormed off the office just to breathe a fresh air. Raven haired girl followed her without a hesitation, dealing with pain that Maki occurred to her by tightening a grip over her slender arm. Nico felt dreaming, because the whole adventure seemed an unreal one. At times, Nico cast a glance at the redhead in front of her and her brilliant pink nails, which were shining with the light of base lamps; Nico was green with envy, her nails were casual as much as they could be. Nico didn't have time or money to take a liberty of keeping her beauty at the level. Though, the petite girl always watched over her body when she was young. It was funny, but she nearly became a pop idol, but in the last moment her dreams were broken as well as her life in the good days. Nico tried to forget it, but she ended every time with the memories about her dad.

For this moment, Maki and Nico reached the doors of ghosts' chamber, which looked like a garage over the buildings across the base. Sliding the plastic card through the reader, Maki opened the door wide and invited Nico to go first with "After you."

Nico flashed the smile to dull violet eyes, as she bent down in slight bow. Maki rolled her eyes in a response and came inside first, leaving Nico behind.

"Hey, what about wait for me?!"

Nico stepped into the section met by the four fixed gazes attached to her. It wasn't uncomfortable in fact they were the possible enemies not so long ago. Nico had to present herself to them, but it was easier said than done. As far as Nico could see, each girl was busy with her own business. Honoka cleared her .45 1911, Umi was reading 'The Art of War' book, Rin was listening to some music, and Nico thought it could be some idol group in her ear pods – a lot of posters with name of the groups were embellished the wall behind her bed – and finally Maki was just twirling her hair simply fixed the eyes above the skinny girl. Welcome to ghosts team, newcomer.

A couple of hours passed by in unstoppable conversations between the girls, as they tried to find out more about who was that girl with ruby orbs. They were attacking her with the questions, but finally one by one, they fell asleep; everyone, but not Maki. Scarlet haired girl was lying on her bed, pillow on her stomach and red smartphone in her hands with FB page opened there. She was chatting with some pen friends, basically, who didn't even saw a single Maki's photo. That was the only way to be social active, but remain her cover as operative of the most secret military team in the world. Sometimes you needed to pay the price; and Maki paid it.

Though she was exhausted, Nico didn't fell asleep. The tiny girl was gazing at Maki, waiting until she closed her eyes, but it seemed like Maki wasn't even thinking about it. The redhead frowned, as she felt a glance over her, meeting Nico's eyes and interlocking with them. Nico still couldn't understand why Maki hadn't killed her, when she had an opportunity; recalling these events, when Nico got hit at her nose, she was able to hear the clutches of their conversation with the rest of the team. She tried to save me, didn't she?

Coughing, Nico decided how to start. "Look, ah… I don't know your name, but…"

"Nishikino. Maki Nishikino." She interrupted her, turning to her phone and typing as fast as she could, at times missing the right letters and backspacing them driving mad because of it, she was irritated somewhat. Her behavior wasn't frightening the skinny girl, but on the contrary it was attracting Nico more to deal with the secret contained inside of Maki Nishikino, in fact, the loneliest operative across the special teams across the world. Even her role in team showed that Maki loved to make the job alone, neither together with her squad. As Maki missed around a dozen of the letters, she furiously gazed at Nico. "Anything else?!"

"Do you even sleep? I mean, there are big circles under your eyes."

"What?! Where?!" Maki began to fustily search for her mirror to check her eyes, as Nico fell into the laughter. The marksman was paying a lot of attention for her appearance, and it was quiet funny as Nico asked for what. Maki just hissed at her and returned to the phone with her eyes rolled up and down.

It seemed the talking part is over for now, so Nico fixed her pillow and placed her head on it. Nico was tired as hell for today, so she easily drove off to dreams with just only phrase left her mouth.

"I want to know you better."

There was no answer for that, but Maki surely heard it with her finger stopped right above the phone. The scarlet haired girl looked at peacefully dreaming Nico and flashed a tiny smile. Maki locked her phone and put it away as her heart began to beat faster. It was completely the new feeling for the marksman and she tried to put it away as fast as she could, falling asleep as easily as Nico did. Maki murmured something, but it was nothing compared to the feelings inside of her hearth. Sadly, she didn't know how to tell them, because there was no one, who can teach her that. Maki had to learn it by herself, if she wanted to have a new friend.


The team was ready in the morning as much as it was possible. The girls were scouting the area across the runway strip, as they were standing with their gear awaiting for their C-17 Boeing airplane for the land to North Korea. Nico was standing slightly far away from everyone else, what was quiet right for the situation, as she was some strange newcomer. Raven haired girl didn't want to bother anyone with her questions about the team or the mission she signed up for, so everything she did was a stupid staring for the planes taking off from the runway strip and making their way into the crystal blue sky of Syria. The pair of sapphire eyes were watching her carefully with some childish interest. Honoka had no idea about Nico. Nico had no idea about Honoka as well, so they had nothing to discuss about. Even with all of it, Honoka knew that Nico wouldn't open her mind that easily. Their new mission was going to show the best of Nico's skills, both communicative and battle. Only if Nico wouldn't run away from them, shooting the backs of careless soldiers.

Big Boeing C-17 was exactly what they need for the flight from Syria to Korea. It would be a long flight, so everyone was hope to spend this time in the sleep for this sleepless night full of stressful situations. "This plane is large, nya. Rin wonders how many money had been spent to buy it." The cat like girl were following the airport workers with her chartreuse eyes, as they were filling the cargo pod. Their job today was to give the plane a look of civilian cargo one and they made it well. At least ghosts were thinking so.

"Don't relax now, Rin. Our mission has just started. Nishikino, your 'trouble' is now your personal trouble." Honoka shot a glare towards twin tailed girl, who were watching idly somewhere towards rising sun. Nico raised her hand, as she was trying to reach out for the sun with the help of her finger, when the ginger whistled for her crew, rolling her index finger across the temple. "Oh, it is going to be really fun, doesn't it?"

Nico had a good hear, so in the moment when she heard that her overseer would be no one else than Maki she flashed a smile, letting out a giggle, what no one heard for her own sake. Though she was worry about their informant from CIA, an agent Hanayo Koizumi. As far as Nico could remember their operations in the United States, it were destroys of the objects, building and etc, as well as eliminating some kind of VIPs. The petite girl frowned, as she imagined an agent, who were tracing their tail for over a year. After their operations, there were a lot of shit to clean, and eventually CIA had a grudge against the PMC 'Radiance', as well as the other US special services. Now the mercenary was among the special soldiers. The world was totally fucked up.

Their plane had been filled up with cargo, as trunks with fuel tanks were driving away from the runway strip of the base. Honoka ordered to have the gear closer and moved to the plane. Ghosts followed an order, walking away to another deadliest mission, which could tell about them more, especially about their recruit Yazawa Nico, who already sneaked to Maki to be much closer to her. No one knew what exactly the girls were thinking about, but when they were walking closer to each other that could only mean one thing. In the special occasions, they would have a person, who could be pleasing to the eye, making them shine every day of their new life.