3 years earlier, the beginning of the C-doll enlisting for Grifon and Kryuger.

"Alright everyone, your dorms are on the left, and you can choose your dorm mates. " Springfield looked over to Kar98k, and they high fived in their new partnership.

"This gonna be great! Cousins in the same dorm makes things a lot easier. Although, I don't know how Lee enfield and Mosin Nagant will manage." Springfield mentioned, gesturing toward the pair who were now looking through the crowd hastily for a good partner to dorm up with. Kar98k nodded with a slight laugh.

"I guess so indeed. I'm just glad we were not picked partners, if I had been picked with-"

"Alright girls!" The tall announcer woman said to the crowd of newly recruited T-dolls, as she motioned for them to sit down in the rows of seats. "We will now pick combat opponents as a side objective for all of your training! This will allow you all to be able to have the goal of getting better than your partner, and will inspire friendships on the battlefield! For this, your ranking does not matter, so try your hardest to surpass your partner!" She excitedly waved on her podium with a list of names in her hand. "Alright! First set of partners, Lee enfield-"

Please be someone good, please! Springfield thought to herself, Kar98k hoping the same.

"And springfield!"

"Oh, thats not so bad. I heard she really is a feisty person though, and is determined to be the best. Good luck with her." Kar98k nodded.

It shouldn't be that bad I think. Springfield thought to herself.

"Next partner! Karabiner 98 Kurz with-"

Not Mosin not Mosin, not Mosin! I fucking hate her! Karbiner furiously thought, her fists clenched.

"With Mosin-Nagant!" the woman announced, lighting the fury of Kar98k.

"FUCK!" She said, quickly clapped her mouth with her hand, averting the stares of those around her.

Springfield quietly giggled.

"I guess you're going to enjoy these next three years huh?"

"No!" Kar98k retorted with a prominent pout. Mosin on the other side looked at her, a glare coldy directed toward her, Kar98k returning it. The announcer proceed to go over some more names, some prominent, some not. A Wa2000 here, a sv-98 there, A SVD here. After about half an hour of listing, the announcer tucked the list back into her pocket.

"Well that concludes that! With that over, Welcome to Rifleman School! I hope you enjoy your stay! As you all might know, at the end of this school's education, not only will you be ready to fight for humanity, you will challenge your chosen partner in a duel!"

That duel was now happening, three years later.

Over those next three years, the Dolls would go through tough training to convert from measly Civilian class Dolls, to the highest performing rifleman in the world. This academy would test them like nothing before. Due to their innate qualities as a T-doll, they would outmatch any human sniper within a year. However, they now had rivalries. Soon after the months passed, everyone knew the ultimate showdown between the top most performing students would be at hand at the finale of their education: Lee enfield, Versus Springfield. These two trained the hardest, and refused to bow down to each other in a contest of superiority unmatched. Lee enfield simply wished to be the best and uphold her rifles fame.

But springfield.

For her, it was far more personal.

She had to uphold an entire generational legacy.

3 years before enlistment at Brownings Cafe

"So, this is the girl I requested for help? She looks, really human." The tall gruff man said, scratching his dark brown hair, while talking to the GOP representative.

"Well of course sir! She is coded as Br350, a baker class Civilian Doll. Please say hi, Br350."

The girl next to the man bowed in respect and greeting.

"Good to meet you Mr. Browning, I hope I can be of service." Mr. browning stepped back slightly, taken aback a little at the awkward moment.

"Eh, thanks. Well come on in! I have a lot of work for you, don't worry. Thank you for delivering her! I assume everything is paid already?" Browning said to the businessman in front of him, who had taken delivery of the C-doll. He nodded.

"Of course. I hope you enjoy it! Have a good day!" he said as he left through the door. The door of the bakery closed, with a slight cling of the doors bells. Browning turned to to Br350, looking up and down her with an examining look.

"Well. First of fucking all, you name is not going to be Br350. That's absurd!" He clapped a fist into his palm. He thought for a moment, then lit up. "Springfield! I'll name you after my hometown, I guess."

"Of course-" he quickly slapped her.

"Also stop with the obedient attitude! Be yourself! That attitude is not human." She looked up at him with her brown eyes.

"However master-"

"And none of that master shit either! Your not a maid, your a coworker here! A friend." he breathed out with slight disgust.

"You have to have a personality somewhere in that AI matrix, or whatever they call it right? Come on, ask me to do something. Anything!" She looked at him for a long couple seconds, then shook her head.

"I, don't know what you mean. I came programmed like this, nothing more nothing less-" a fast coming sweet delectable went into her blabbering mouth, a blueberry muffin from one of the display plates on the bakery shelves.

"How does it taste?" he asked. She chewed on it, thinking for a moment.

"I-it. tastes. Good. sweet." He smiled brightly, patting her on the back.

"See? You can be your own person! Your not an it. Your a she." she looked up at him, the gratitude shining in his eyes.

"Well, we don't have much time before I officially open the bakery. Come! Your first day of work begins!" he said, as he handed her a baking gown with a gallant smile. He walked over to the window, flipping a sign to indicate the building was now open to customers. "Oh and by the way. You can call me John by my first name. I'm not super big on formalities." Soon after, a flood of customers appeared, and the day began. Springfield ran around , answering various orders, taking notes and tips from John on what and what not to do. She baked, she clerked, and handed out treats to happy customers.

About two hours into service.

"No no no. your baking it standard!" John carefully smacked Springfield on the head. "Although we are baking things quickly and efficiently, each dessert piece must be made with love, and care! This bakery isn't some cheap place! Each piece here has garitude, feeling in each taste! You need to care to bake this stuff." he pointed toward the dough she was making for a round of cannoli shells. "Your making it so fast it's not unique." He took the dough, carefully neading it, every inch of the material expressed. "Although we are working fast" He placed the dough in a fast baker-"you also need to take the right amount of time with each delectable, so each tastes the same, good! I know it's hard for you Springfield, but you will learn." he paused for a moment. "You have to learn." Springfield confidently nodded, pumping her fists.

"Understood John!" She set back out to the next set of desserts, now taking more time with each piece, carefully looking it over each chip and decoration.

"Holy crap! John, you have really out done it this time!" A soldier said to John who laughed heartily.

"Im very glad you enjoyed it! Is it better than my usual stuff?"

"Fuck yeah! Oh, and guess what! I'm gonna retire soon!"

"Nice! Are you gonna get one of those C-dolls like I did?"
"Oh probably. Look, this is what she looks like! She's gonna be helping out my wife with clothing in her store, We are pretty excited!"

He pulled out his phone to show a store page, with the words IOP on top of the website. He scrolled down to a picture of a white haired girl with a fluffy looking jacket.

"Cute aint she? My wifes pretty excited, having a helper around the store is super useful!"

John noted his interest. "Maybe I'll visit sometime. Springfield could use someone to talk to, and I guess I could get a look at your merch."

The man laughed. "Certainly! Well, I gotta go. We are going on our last mission through the arctic, so it's gonna be interesting. See you soon my friend." the men firmly shook hands, as the other left outside the door, the clinging of the doors decorative bells ringing. Springfield popped her head out of the bakery room to see who John was talking too.

"Oh, Springfield! That was just my good friend James. He is getting a Cl470 model Doll soon-"

"Oh! I know her! We both came out of the same factory and were shipped overseas to here together. We were quite good friends." She slumped down a moment.

"Can, I see her?" she asked him. He smiled.

"Of course! I'll need to go clothing shopping anyway soon." They resumed work after planning their next day, and what seemed like instant time travel, the work day was over with the sun down the horizon long before they knew it. The bakery had emptied, the final customer saying goodbye as the door closed behind him. John flipped the status sign to Closed, and leaned on one of the display cases.

"Good work today Springfield! You outperformed my expectations by a great margin!" She blushed a little, her cheeks turning a slight red.

"Thank you! I promise not to let you down!" She confidently said, John laughed. "I know you will! Here, I'll show you to your room." Springfield tilted her head in confusion as she cleaned up some of the treats, and tidied the shelves and table sets. She headed off to see john, who slowly limped up the stairs due to a metallic lower calf. He opened the door to see an almost attic type of floor, but much bigger than the usual attic. There was a side room going away from the front of the building, which had Springfield's name on it, John pointed toward it.

"That is for you! I've already prepped all of the sheets and what not, so feel free to go to bed and recharge when you need to. I'll be hitting the bed, so see you in the morning. And good job for a first day." he left toward the other room, and closed the door.

An hour later.

"Oh jeez, it must be the humidity. I hope this annoying weather ends soon." John slowly got up from his bed, rubbing his eyes. He walked out his room, and then to Springfields room, only to see it's bed empty, the sheets partially moved aside. Thinking of something, he walked down to the bakery room, only to see a segment of brown hair lying over the side of a floured countertop, springfields face softly lying to the side of the dough, the ovens behind her on a timer for the next day, beeping away into the quiet, Springfield quietly sleeping. John grinned quietly, and carefully picked her up and moved her up the stairs. He laid her down on her bed, sweeping the flour off her hands and moved her hair to her side, carefully moving the bed sheets over her.
"Maybe this place will be yours soon. And so will my personal treasure, once the time comes for you to wield it." he quietly whispered, as he slowly walked out the room and closed the door.