Full Metal Panic: Overwatch

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

All characters of the Full Metal Panic! series are under the copyright of Shouji Gatou/Koichi Chigira/Yasuhiro Takemoto, GONZO Studios, Kyoto Animation Studios and Kadokowa Shoten. All other characters are under the copyright of their respective owners. Ronald Chua is only under me though. If I had control of the series, Tessa would've rescued Sousuke in a better way and he would've fought the Khankan Arm Slaves without getting Kaname to faint after tossing her from the Arbalest's hand. That scene was a doozy, though I'd wished Sousuke didn't do it anyway in the first place.

Summary:

Sousuke and the others have managed to escape from Gauron barely with their lives. Now away from help with the possibility of being cornered by North Korean forces, can the MITHRIL operatives live long enough to get Kaname back to Japanese soil? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 4: Heat

Hill, near abandoned communal farms, somewhere in North Korea

"Damn! We've got company!" Kurz had yelled, who had drawn out his Browning BDA 9 pistol at the ready.

Moments after birds flew overhead where Sousuke and the others had been hiding, several North Korean Airborne and Sniper Brigade soldiers opened fire on their location with AK-74 and Type 88 assault rifles.

"North Korean Airborne and Sniper Brigades." Shinji had told his MITHRIL comrades, prone on the grass while firing his Type 88 rifle. "Must have followed the smoke here."

"In that case," Kurz fired his BDA 9, after being prone, gunning down two of the approaching Sniper Brigade soldiers. "We'll be in big trouble when our ammo runs out."

"Noticed that." Crouching near Kurz, Ronald tossed in a Type 86 grenade at several Airborne Brigade commandos. "Incoming!" The grenade exploded, killing some of them with others severely wounded by the grenade's shrapnel.

"I just hope help arrives." Sousuke aimed the Type 68B rifle, conducting suppressive fire to cover Shinji and Ronald, who were reloading their respective rifles.

"Take this!" Ronald tossed Kurz a Type 86 grenade. "I got three grenades left. We better make good use of it."

"Don't mind if I do." Kurz removed the grenade's safety pin and watched as he hurled the live weapon towards a group of approaching Sniper Brigade soldiers.


Bridge, Tuatha De Danaan-1, somewhere in the Yellow Sea

"Captain!" Kalinin had handed Tessa a printout from the communication officer's workstation before standing next to her left with hands behind him. "Our spy satellites had managed to obtain this image."

It says A67FA alive. Thank goodness they're still alive. Tessa read the flaming words that Sousuke had done back on the abandoned communal farm. "Now that we've got confirmation on their condition, are they already set to go?"

"You mean the two machines in the hangar?" Kalinin asked. Tessa nodded at the Soviet MITHRIL officer.

"Yes. It's imperative that we launch the two Arm Slaves at once."

"Understood." Kalinin proceeded to leave the bridge to the hangar. "I'll give out the orders to the maintenance crew, captain."

"Please, do."

"It seems that like the ARX-7 Arbalest and the M9D Falke will have to do in order to rectify the situation into our advantage."

"Yes." Tessa nodded. "I agree with you there."


Hill, near abandoned communal farms, somewhere in North Korea

"Not much longer now." Ronald fired several short bursts from his AKS-74 at some Airborne Brigade soldiers with Sousuke backing him up with his Type 68B. "I've only got 2-3 clips left."

"Me too." added Shinji, crawling to move next to Ronald's position, using the hill's slope as cover while he fired his Type 88 at the incoming North Korean commandos, forcing them not to come up the hill.

"I guess we won't be able to make it out together, Kaname." Sousuke had told the Japanese high school student in the midst of reloading his Type 68B. "Two magazines to go."

"I think we'll do the ending scene like that Butch Cassidy movie." Kurz grunted a bit, ejecting the spent magazine from his BDA 9 and reloaded a fresh 14-round magazine.

"We'll make it a cool scene." But she ducked further down on a nearby trench to hide from 5.45 x 39 mm M74 bullets flying overhead.

"I guess we'll only see each other in the next life." Kurz grunted and fired several 9mm shots on a Sniper Brigade soldier running towards their position.

"I understand." Kaname felt like crying, hugging her legs near her face while lying down on the grass as Sousuke and the others were busy fighting off the hordes of Airborne and Sniper Brigade commandos, the elite of the elite in the North Korean army. She understood that her saviors won't be able to hold them off much longer since their numbers were weak against the North Korean special forces soldiers with the fact that they can be resupplied or reinforced at any time. "I understand, Sousuke."

The 2-4 class president felt that her life was about to end. "I don't ever regret meeting you." She had a faint smile on her face. "I didn't regret it, Sousuke Sagara."

"What the heck?" Shinji stared at the night sky, moments after he fired full automatic on his Type 88 on an Airborne Brigade sniper perched a nearby tree. "Are those..." The sniper fell off the tree branch after getting shot in the chest with a full burst of 5.45 Soviet bullets.

"Missiles?" Sousuke watched the sky as well while he fired full automatic on his Type 68B on the surviving Airborne and Sniper Brigade soldiers. Ronald too eyed the missiles that were airborne as they began to fall apart, piece by piece, to reveal two Arm Slaves that were hidden inside.

"Arm Slaves inside the missiles?" Shinji whispered, his back on the ground while tossing another Type 86 grenade behind him.

Has to be done by SLBMs... Ronald had lost his grip on his AKS-74 rifle aside after three lucky stray 5.45 Soviet bullets with one hitting near the ejection port with two bullets hitting the forearm. The masked MITHRIL SRT operative felt the sting due to the Orihalcon material on his sneaking suit, which deflected the bullet that struck near his gloved hands by allowing the bullet's kinetic force to spread over its surroundings after it struck an area of the sneaking suit. It then makes the bullet useless as the spent force makes the bullet head useless.

"Tangina!" Ronald felt a bit of a sting, ducking down on the trench. "AKS-74's useless now..."

"Are those M9s?" Kurz asked Ronald, poking his left hand out from the trench to fire his BDA 9.

"No they're not." Sousuke dashed out of the trench, who had loaded his Type 68B a few minutes ago before he fired the North Korean-made rifle at the opposing force.

"Sousuke!" Kurz shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Cover me!" Ronald patted Shinji's left shoulder before giving him the last two Type 86 grenades and grabbing his discarded AKS-74. "And be sure to use the remaining grenades well, got it?"

"Understood." Shinji nodded, who removed the Type 86's safety pin and tossed it near some Sniper Brigade soldiers, watching Ronald use the broken AKS-74 as a bat when he struck a Sniper Brigade soldier on the face with the rifle's stock before he struck another with a back swing before Ronald swinged it forward to hit his face. "Take this." Shinji tossed the last Type 86 to Kurz. "Sure hope you can use it."

"Don't mind if I do." The German SRT operator took the grenade from Shinji. "I've played a bit of baseball during my elementary days."


Outskirt of abandoned communal farms, somewhere in North Korea

"All right. Ikuzo!" Ronald snatched a Type 98-F rifle from the fingers of a dead Sniper Brigade soldier and slinged it on his back before dashing towards the kneeling black-colored Arm Slave with pointy ears, a bald metallic head, a mouth region that was different from the M9s that MITHRIL had been issued with and a large monomolecular cutter strapped on its waist. With Sousuke, Type 68B slinged on his back, climbing onto a kneeling white-colored Arm Slave with an anti-tank dagger attached on its head, Ronald fired some bursts from the newly acquired Type 98-F before he began a mad dash to climb up the black-colored Arm Slave.

"Damn..." gritted Ronald, seeing some 5.45 Soviet bullets whiz past over his head fired by the surviving Airborne and Sniper Brigade soldiers. "Better climb up inside her and fast."

Moments later, the masked SRT operative was now successful in entering the black Arm Slave.


Cockpit, Unknown Arm Slave

"Let's do this!" Ronald unslinged his Type 98-F and placed it on his lap before he moved his arms on the cockpit's ring-shaped and operated its control sticks.

"Voiceprint identification in process. Name and ID number rank please." The Arm Slave's AI had its monotone voice speak up after Ronald had depressed the left stick's trigger.

"Staff Sergeant Ronald Takeda Chua. B-3130!"

"Identification complete. Confirmed as Staff Sergeant Chua." The Arm Slave AI said, having been able to correctly identify Ronald's voice. "Awaiting instructions."

"The usual, Anna." Ronald replied, having removed his balaclava since he was inside the Arm Slave. "And fire the .50 cal CIWS while you're at it. We've got Airborne and Sniper Brigade soldiers surrounding us."

"Understood, Sergeant."

"Remember to call me Ronald. No need to be formal." He could only hear the AM-11 CIWS chain guns mounted on his Arm Slave mow down the remaining commandos down to shreds, only hearing Korean words as they were being shot to death by 12.7 x 99 mm NATO rounds. The overhead hatch was closed while Ronald was booting the AS's OS to check for messages.

"Of course. I have an incoming message for you."

"Let's hear it." On his command, the voice of a very familiar person was hear on the Arm Slave's interior speakers.

"It's good to hear from you, Ronald." Ronald had clearly identified the voice of Tessa in the Arm Slave's recorder. "Sergeant Sagara is currently using the Arbalest, as you may recall from your previous stint with Research."

"Who wouldn't?" murmured Ronald. Bani and I worked on the Arbalest before I got transferred to do an M9D Falke that can hold a Lamba Driver in Germany.

"I've ordered a communications blackout as the TDD-1 is approaching the west side of North Korea. We'll try to launch a rescue attempt by 0430 hours as I speak."

"Why couldn't she authorize the rescue attempt right now?" sighed Ronald, listening to the taped message.

"Please ensure the safety of the Arbalest at all costs. As you may remember, it's the only prototype that you two have worked on prior to your M9D Falke unit that I've heard you worked on with a Lamba Driver."

"Yes, ma'am." said Ronald mockingly, pretending to salute as if Tessa was in front of him. However, he then heard the following message which shock him greatly.

"But after you and Uruz 13 make it to TDD-1, you and I are going to have a short talk. I think you know what that is. Ansuz out."

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse." Ronald slapped his left temple after the recording ended. "Tessa's probably gonna have a rant at me about that time back in officer candidate training."

"I have make a connection to the Arbalest, Ronald. Sergeant Sagara is now on the line."

"Thanks, Anna. I'll take care of the rest." Thanking the AI, Ronald proceeded to communicate with Sousuke. "Sergeant Sagara, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. I've just received confirmation that 5 enemy AS units are approaching the area."

"Savages?"

"Yes."

Smirking, Ronald manipulated his controls to take out his monomolecular cutter out from his Arm Slave's cutter sheath. "Crimson Edge Monomolecular Cutter deployed." Anna's monotone AI voice had reminded the Whispered SRT operator that the Crimson Edge was ready for action. Most likely from the 425th Mechanized Corps.

"What say you and me give those North Korean Savages a little hell?"


Forests, somewhere in North Korea

"Two enemy AS units sighted!" One of the leading Savages was in a V-style formation, armed with a BK-540 rifle, had eyed his fire-control system as he fired the Arm Slave-sized rifle on two incoming shadows in short, controlled bursts. "Damn! I missed!"

"Sh-t!" The leading Savage didn't have time to react when the Arbalest leapt over his unit and stabbed its head section with its Geotron Electronics GRAW-2 Monomolecular Cutter before it collapsed and exploded.

"They took out Chung-san's unit!" yelled the Savage team commander. "Don't just stand there! Acquire the targets and fire!"

"They're too fast! FCS can't lock onto them in time! GWWAAAHHH!!" Another Savage was destroyed, courtesy of Ronald's M9D that appeared near him when it deactivated its ECS system and used its Crimson Edge cutter to perform a left diagonal slash that sliced the Soviet-made Arm Slave into two. Ronald leaped again away from the Savage, moments before its two pieces were blown up in an explosion, using the black smoke as a means to cover its ECS activation.

"All units! Keep watch!" The commander yelled again at the remaining Savage units. "What the hell is happening out there?"

A loud scream was soon heard over the commander's radio. "Chungwi! Help me!" Seconds later, a pumping and booming sound made similar to a pump-action shotgun was heard on his radio in unison with an explosion followed by another. The commander began to panic, breathing heavily and sweating a lot, while eyeing the instruments on his Savage cockpit with his Arm Slave pilot helmet and night vision goggles.

I'm cornered now and alone against two enemy AS units! And where are they coming from? The lone Savage unit began to scan the area, merely armed with a Grusin AT-16 Spawn Anti-tank/AS missile stick in hand.

"Show yourselves!" The Savage team commander snarled at the darkness surrounding him. Four of his subordinates had just been wiped out by two unknown Arm Slaves that moved at very fast speed with weapons not known to be seen with second generation Arm Slaves.

Gripping the AT-16 Spawn tightly, the last Savage didn't expect to see the Arbalest and the Falke dash towards the last Arm Slave all of a sudden, taking him by surprise.

"Ready, Sousuke?" Ronald had his Crimson Edge at the ready.

"Anytime here." Sousuke had his Oto Melara Boxer 57 mm smoothbore shotgun.

"Let's do it!" Ronald then led the surprise attack by making several jumps towards the Savage until it stood near its right side.

"Why you!" The Savage tried to use the AT-16 Spawn as a mêlée weapon, but the Falke moved a bit back and swinged its Crimson Edge, with the cutter's saw-like blade doing the job before it completely sliced the Arm Slave's right arm. Sousuke followed up Ronald's initial attack by aiming the Boxer's barrel right at the Savage's chest, firing a single 57 mm shell that wrecked the entire unit.

"Anyoooo!!" The lone Savage pilot screamed as his unit was destroyed from Sousuke's Boxer shotgun. Within minutes, the Savage strike force from the KPA's 425th Mechanized Corp. was no more.

It was all silent around them; only the AT-16 Spawn was still on the ground near the Falke. Ronald manipulated his Arm Slave to pick up the anti-armor weapon, sensing a possible need for it.

"Guess this means we're done here. I don't see any-" commented Sousuke, scanning the area with help from AL when it warned Sousuke of another incoming AS.

"Warning! Lone AS incoming from south. Distance 090!"


Lobby, Special Operations Command Korea HQ, Camp Kim, Yongsan Garrison, Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea

"So I take it that this operation of ours is a total successs?" Lee asked, seated in a couch with Liquid as various personnel in American military uniform were going about with their business.

"Think so." The British FOXHOUND CO replied. "But something's not right."

"Hm?" The South Korean RAINBOW team leader was taken aback by Liquid's statement.

"I've gotten word from SOCK that they've picked up some signs of renewed AS fighting in North Korea." Liquid began, scratching his blonde hair.

"You sure?" Lee raised a questioning left eyebrow.

"Analyst seems to think so, based on satellite data."

Lee then snapped his left index and thumb fingers. "Reminds me though, you did spot some people dressed as UN peacekeepers, right?"

Liquid nodded, "That I did, which I found to be strange. The only UN peacekeepers in Asia that I know of are those currently in East Timor. Haven't heard of anyone in the peninsula since the end of the Korean War." He then asked his RAINBOW counterpart one particularly interesting question.

"Does the name MITHRIL mean anything to you?"


Forests, somewhere in North Korea

"Let's see if this thing works." Ronald took the AT-16 from the ground and fired it at the incoming Codarl. The Codarl had seemingly reacted to it by moving swiftly to its right, with the AT-16's warhead passing through the Arm Slave's long hair.

"Take this!" Sousuke simply fired some more 57 mm rounds at the Codarl after the AT-16 warhead had missed.

"Sousuke! Look out!"

The Codarl began to fight back by firing 50 mm grenades from the Mauser MGK 35 mm rifle against the two Arm Slaves. Sousuke had been able to fight back by firing his Boxer shotgun. Ronald could do nothing except to dodge the Codarl's grenades by running left, right and jump back.


Hill, near abandoned communal farms, somewhere in North Korea

"What the hell?" Shinji had gripped his Type 88, watching the scene unfold before his eyes. "Those guys are incredible."

"Yeah." Kurz had been armed with a Type 98 assault rifle, handed to him by Shinji after taking it from the dead fingers of a Sniper Brigade soldier. "They seem to be fighting so even."

"You're right about that."

"Not only that," Kurz gritted his teeth. "but that silver AS has some gimmick up its sleeve when it bounced that shot I fired from my smoothbore gun. Just like the greatest magicians do. Like Houdini for instance. It's gotta be magic."

"You're wrong."

The sudden voice from Kaname only made the two SRT operator's heads turn towards her direction. She was staring at the battle with her hands clasped together and her eyes staring at the three Arm Slaves facing off against each other.

She reminds me of that horror movie that I saw in cable last week. Shinji cringed at the thought when he first saw her. Guess I wouldn't look at her in the same way again.

"The silver AS is using some sort of new technology. He has it, but so do the other two ASes fighting it. It's part of their integrated defenses." Kaname's monotone-like voice in explaining to the two SRT operators only got them more baffled.

"What's with her?" Kurz asked, feeling sweat rolling down his left temple.

"I don't know." Shinji shrugged his shoulders. "But whatever that is, I'm getting the creeps."

"He'll lose, but I'm not so sure on the other one."

Kurz and Shinji saw that Sousuke fired another 57 mm shot from his Boxer shotgun. "Sousuke will lose if he keeps up like that." Sousuke then had the Arbalest toss a broken tree trunk at the Codarl. However, the Codarl reacted by aiming the MGK's underbarrel grenade launcher at it and fired another 50mm grenade. The impact of the grenade and the tree trunk in the resulting explosion damaged a part of the Arbalest's head and some minor damage to the Codarl's right arm, forcing it to drop its weapon.

Dammit. Sousuke had gritted his teeth, seeing what had happened.

"Sousuke!" Ronald had shouted, believing that Sousuke was taken out before the smoke cleared to see that the Arbalest is still intact. Tessa's gonna rip my head off if she finds out the ARX-7's busted.

"I'm alright!" Sousuke took out his earlier frustration at the Codarl by firing his Boxer at it. But as the shot reached near the Codarl, a bluish circle enveloped the entire Arm Slave with its right hand slightly reaching out to it. Its right hand then slightly pushed it, sending the fired 57 mm recoiling back to Sousuke's Arbalest. Ronald ran up to Sousuke in time for the Falke's Lambda Driver to activate before Sousuke's, sending the two Arm Slaves hurtling back some distance away from the Codarl.


Cockpit, M9DL Falke

"Ano 'ba yan?" Ronald had grunted, feeling the impact of his Falke unit's Lambda Driver activate.

"Lambda Driver reinitializing in 50 seconds." Anna had informed Ronald of the Falke's Lamda Driver.

"Can't it go faster?" Ronald grunted, getting his unit up.

"I'm afraid not."

"Damn!" As Ronald tried to get his Falke upright, he could stare at the left monitor screen to see Sousuke's Arbalest seated upright as well. "Just what I need, a seemingly uncooperative AI as a desperate situation like this."

"I have heard that remark. You are implying to hurt my feelings."

"Shut it, Anna!" Ronald sighed and exhaled. Just what I also need, a seemingly AI feeling human.


Cockpit, ARX-7 Arbalest

"Lamba Driver initialization complete."

"What's the Lamba Driver, AL?" Sousuke raised an order to the Arbalest's AI.

"Negative." AL replied to Sousuke's commands. "Unable to comply."

"I'm ordering you, AL! What's the Lamba Driver?" The scarred SRT operator was feeling a bit irritated by AL's reply.

"Negative. Unable to comply."

Damned AI wouldn't answer me! What's with it, of all times like this? Hill, near abandoned communal farms, somewhere in North Korea

"Whoa..." Shinji was at awe to see the Arbalest had its fins deployed at the rear for the Lamba Driver operation, but without seeing the Falke on whether it had fins to deploy.

"What's with that?" Kurz felt a bit irritated. "My M9 got wasted by that attack!"

"I seem to understand." Kaname continued on with her monotone-like voice. Shinji and Kurz saw that she was holding her head with her two hands while gritting her teeth.

"Hey, Kaname." Shinji was a bit alarmed. "Are you..."

"Are you okay?" Kurz asked on Shinji's behalf. "You don't seem fine to us."

"I'm not feeling too good." Kaname began to sweat, still holding her head. In her vision, she can see still various numbers, letter and scientific symbols in front of her. "The black AS can use it, but Sousuke doesn't know how to. He only used it an a protective impulse."

"Slow down, Kaname!" Shinji began to talk to his real-life classmate. "You're not yourself."

"Yeah." Kurz voiced his agreement. "Pull yourself together."

"A clue?" Kaname had blankly stared at the Arbalest, her eyes giving no signs of emotion. "I'll give him the clue."

"What clue?" Shinji was now getting confused by her friend under a sort of trance.

"I've always been saved." Kaname had stated to the point. "This time, I'll be doing the saving for him."

"Uh..." Shinji scratched his chin, still under his balaclava.

"Don't ask me." Kurz also scratched his chin. "I'm as confused as you are."

"Artificial Contrast Interference..." The sky-blue haired student began to recite something, but only screamed in pain instead. "AAAHH!"

"Kaname!" Shinji and Kurz shouted in unison.

"I'm not going..." Kaname was now preparing to hit her head towards the nearest tree trunk. "to do it!"

"Yamero!" Shinji had been able to grab Kaname from behind, getting her in an armlock by restraining her after he grabbed her neck and waist.

"Wha..." Kaname had seen Shinji restraining her.

"What are you trying to do?" Shinji shouted at her. "Doing that won't get you nowhere!"

"I see." Kaname sighed. With Shinji releasing his grip, Kaname reached out her left hand to Kurz. "Lend me your radio. I need to speak to the black AS."

"Wha?" Kurz was not getting more and more confused. First, she talks some gibberish with confidential stuff. Now she tries to bump her head into a tree trunk with that masked guy saving her. Man, this isn't my day. Shinji nodded at him, which convinced Kurz to hand his radio extender to Kaname, wondering what she'll do.


Cockpit, M9DL Falke

"Ronald, I'm receiving an incoming message from an external source."

Ronald was alarmed. Usually, he'd received some radio communications in an Arm Slave from either friendly/hostile Arm Slaves or from nearby military units with some sort of high-tech or sophisticated comm trailer or radio. But he was a bit surprised to see when Anna revealed to him the source of the radio message.

"From a nearby radio extender. Unless that person got her hands on a MITHRIL-issued radio extender." Ronald whispered. "All right Anna! Bring her up! I'll speak with the person."

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Kaname Chidori!" Ronald was a bit furious on who the radio message was coming from. "What's the meaning of this? Civilians are not suppose to use MITHRIL-issued equipment!"

"Please!" Kaname had implored to Ronald. "You've got to help me reach Sousuke! I can help him!"

"Help with what?"

"He's having problems with using his AS's Lambda Driver." Ronald was a bit ticked off again. Having a civilian have knowledge of Black Technology stuff is not allowed! How did she. Yeah, her Whispered powers have awakened. I've sensed it in her. Better put up a front for now. Can't reveal myself after I resonated my voice on her mind.

"Now look here!" Ronald was now pretending to be way too furious for what Kaname had said a while ago. "Using MITHRIL equipment may be one thing, but uttering anything related to Black Technology will get you into trouble, Ms. Chidori!"

"I don't have time to explain! I just need to get to Sousuke and speak with him. I can help him!"

"And what help is this?"

"On how he can utilize his AS's Lambda Driver to defeat the silver-colored AS."

Ronald sighed before he whispered, "She's right. Now that her Whispered powers are awakened, it's too late to reverse the situation. The Admiral had better start working with Intelligence to put a lid on this before her old man in the United Nations back in New York flips his head over this incident."

"All right." replied the Chinese-Filipino Whispered SRT operator. "I'll immediately get patched up into Sousuke's unit. I'll see what I can do."


Bridge, Tuatha De Danaan-1, somewhere in the Yellow Sea

"How are we doing for time?" Tessa had asked Kalinin, still standing beside her left.

"We've got 15 minutes to the deadline." Kalinin answered. "At any rate, Sgt. Maj. Mao has been ordered to standby with her M9 unit."

"I see." Tessa nodded. I just hope that the rest of the gamble for rescuing Mr. Sagara and the others will work.

"We should be near the North Korean coastline to the west anytime soon, Captain." Kalinin had said, trying to give the American Whispered officer some hope.

"Do you think Sgt. Sagara can make it?"

Kalinin had closed his eyes before he exhaled and opened them. Facing his captain, the Soviet officer replied, "I've known him for some time since we last met in Afghanistan." The ponytailed man stared at the monitor screen in front of him, detailing the condition of the TDD-1 submarine. "He's one fighter out there. I don't think the enemy can take him out so easily."

Tessa reclined back in her commander's chair. "It seems like you think he can make it out there."

"You just need to have faith in your subordinates, captain. I believe he can do it."

Tessa nodded again, "I do too. I... I just don't want anyone to die out there right now." Unknown to Kalinin, Tessa had bit her lower lip while handling her braid.

Please get back here as soon as you can, Ronald. Because... I'm overjoyed to see you back after you left. If you could only feel my heart jumping after I last heard from you.

Chapter 4 END

PS - I hope this update rocked. As usual, review after reading and let me know if it's done well or not. I'm not sure if I did a better job with Kaname going into her Whispered trance. Hopefully, I did so. Also, got chapter title from the movie by Michael Mann. Honestly, I was trying to get this done after my essays were done, but I somehow found the time to do it between essay typing breaks, so yeah. Not the best thing you'd usually do, but I'll stop here for now after I upload, whenever that is. I should be able to resume fairly soon, so this is a sort of thanks to those who are reading. Don't forget to review after you read about how the chapter is. Keeps me going. Right now, my Middle East history essay is almost done before I submit it to a prof for drafting and proofreading suggestions and doing the draft for my essay on Political Thought. Not exactly the best subject to take for Pol. Sci., unless you plan to major it and I plan to do so in the next few years.

As for North Korean ranks again, Chungwi in the KPA means First Lieutenant. That was quite simple.

Anyo in Korean means No. Again, simple as that, eh? Well if anyone versed in Korean thinks it's wrong or needs to check on something. Let me know. Besides, I may need some help on some Korean for the next chapter.

Well, guess I'll have to move on and do the next chapter really soon after the essays are done. I have something planned up for the next chapter. Promise that it'll really be cool, hopefully much better than the anime.