Yukki wasted no time looking for heavy firepower upon reaching the stash, while Yuno looked on for a little bit before deciding to join him in picking out what they thought were weapons and ammunition good enough to give them an edge over Killa. With his modified 6B13 assault armor, black Maska 1Sch helmet, and RPK-16 light machine gun, the bastard was sure to be a formidable opponent - one who the young woman thought would be more difficult to take down than the foes she had previously encountered.
It took a while before Yukki narrowed his choices down to five guns: the FAL he took and used last night, which was actually a DS Arms SA-58 OSW modified to resemble an original FAL apart from the railed dust cover, an AK-103 he took from a dead USEC operator a few days before that fateful mall trip, the grenadier M4A1 he also took and used last night, a highly-modified SKS carbine he found a few days after he first inserted into the Norvinsk Region, and the tricked-out M1A Prapor handed over to him last night - though the warrant officer explicitly told him to only use it against hostile PMCs. Among the weapons he selected, the grenadier M4A1 was the only one not chambered in 7.62mm.
Yuno on the other hand, just pulled out the P90 and the Five-Seven her man took last night from a dead Scav.
"What's wrong, Yukki?"
"Really, Yuno? You're gonna waste rare and expensive 5.7x28mm ammo on someone wearing armor which can withstand that caliber, even with armor-piercing rounds?"
"Well, the guns you pulled out look a bit on the heavy side for me - I want something lighter, something I can easily handle. Like my Kalashnikov carbine, or the M4A1 I looted last night."
The operator then grabbed a modified AK-105, which he found after eliminating a group of rogue BEAR operators the day after that goddamn mall trip.
"It's the 74u's younger yet longer brother, and it also uses 5.45x39mm. Lemme see what's in the mag... Oh, you're in luck, Yuno. Not only is this mag a sixty-rounder, this fucker's also got some real good shit loaded in it."
"What do you mean, Yukki?"
He then showed her the sixty-round magazine and pointed at the visible round, which had a colored ring above the neck and black paint at the tip.
"See that shit? That, my love, indicates that this one is a special armor-piercing round, designated by the Russians as 7N39 - something I personally know will give armored targets a run for their money. You might want to be very careful with shooting this shit though - this is rare as fuck, so rare neither Prapor nor the Mechanic have it in stock... yet. Anyway, I think you deserve an upgrade from that little piece of shit, so take this. And these. They're all loaded with the same round as the sixty-rounder, but like I said, be careful with them, they're very hard to replace right now."
Yukki then handed the AK-105 to Yuno along with four additional thirty-round mags loaded with 5.45x39mm 7N39 rounds for it.
"So, how does it feel compared to the 74u?"
"It's somewhat heavier, especially due to the bigger magazine, but it's nothing I can't handle. And like I said, as long as I'm with you, all of this will be easy."
"Well, that's good to hear. And I also think that you deserve a sidearm upgrade. Looks like it's time to trade in your Grach... for a Glock."
He then picked out a Glock 17 with a tan slide, which had a Trijcon RMR sight mounted on it, along with four seventeen-round magazines for the pistol. He checked the magazines and the pistol to see if they were loaded with the right ammunition for the job.
"This uses the same 9x19mm Parabellum ammunition as the Grach and the MP5, among other guns we have here. Though both the Grach and the Glock work pretty well, I kinda favor the Glock a bit over the Grach, since the former has more customization options compared to the latter. And besides, it looks cooler, don't you agree, Yuno?"
"Yeah, Yukki, it does look cool, and it really is nice of you to give it to me, but don't you think I should stick with the Grach a bit longer before giving me something else?"
"Well, you've got a point there. Still though, I think it would be a good idea to switch up our loadouts every once in a while - there's a lot of guns in here, and it would be a waste if we never got to use them out in the field at least once. Anyway, that Glock is loaded with 9x19mm 7N31 - a powerful round developed by the Russian military to take on armored targets. It's also rare, but not as rare as 7N39 ammunition. Conserve it regardless."
"Oh, okay. Where'd you find this, darling?"
"I bartered it for two magnet sets worth around RUB 22300 each from the Mechanic. I got lucky with the ammo, as he normally barters or outright sells guns bundled with otherwise typical full metal jacket ammunition. He was nice enough to give me some extra mags loaded with 7N31 as a bonus."
"Good for you then. What sidearm are you going to bring in if you're going to give this one to me?"
Yukki then took another Glock 17 and some more magazines for it from the stash. The one he took had a hexagon pattern design on the slide complete with custom iron sights, a Surefire X400 weapon light mounted in front of the trigger guard, and a Lone Wolf threaded barrel with a Carver Custom 4-port muzzle brake.
"I got this Glock from the same dead USEC goon I got the AK-103 from. The currently loaded mag is also filled with 7N31, but the extra ones are loaded with typical full metal jacket rounds. Feels great for the two of us to have matching sidearms, don't you think?"
"Maybe, but I think I could use some time on the range for me to get used to this."
"I got you covered on that one."
"Are you two done flirting?"
The couple turned to see Yuri coming towards them, presumably to begin picking out his gear for later.
"What do you mean, flirting? We're trying to choose what we would bring in later! Anyway, what did Anton say?"
"He wasn't exactly against our game plan, but he told me that according to his intercepts, we might possibly run into some USEC goons around the mall."
"USEC? What are they gonna do there, go shopping?"
"That too, but it looks like they were going in to secure a flash drive containing very important files one of them lost somewhere in Goshan. I think we should check that shit out too. For all we know, it might be our surest ticket out of this fucking place."
While the two operators were discussing the new developments regarding their trip to the mall later, the young woman began removing the loaded ammo from the AK-105's sixty-round magazine and its extra thirty-rounders.
"Hey, Yuno, what are you doing with those?"
"I'm going to practice with the gun, my love, and I don't want to waste the rare armor-piercing ammo on the range targets. You told me to save them for later, right?"
Yukki grabbed the AK-103, took four extra mags filled with 7.62x39mm PS/57-N-231, and grabbed some boxes full of 5.45x39mm 7N6M which had the letters "PS" written on top of it.
"If that's the case, then use this ammo, Yuno. It's replaceable, unlike the 7N39."
"Are you sure, Yukki?"
"Yeah, since we can actually buy this shit from Prapor. Do you also want to try this one out? I'm gonna tell you right now, it's heavier than even a full-size AK-74M, and the recoil is more noticeable thanks to its 7.62x39mm ammunition."
"Sure. Let's hit the range, we still have some time, right?"
"Of course. I'll just get my gear ready so we can start moving right after we practice at the range. And before you go, don't forget to put those on first."
He then pointed to the helmet, earplugs, headset, range glasses and armored chest rig on the table.
"Got it. I'll be waiting for you, okay?"
The operator nodded before he turned back to the stash to start picking out the other stuff he and his girlfriend will need, deciding that he was going to bring the AK-103 in. As soon as she was done putting on the gear her man pointed out to her, the young woman then grabbed the empty magazines for the carbine slung on her back and the boxes of 5.45x39mm ammo her man took from the stash before heading to the range.
"Are you really telling me to bring the Dragunov into the mall, Yuri?"
"Yeah. The boss also told me that there had been reports of snipers lurking around the outside of the mall, preying on people entering or leaving Interchange. His informant also told me that some of those might be spotted on the roof of the mall. Also, it would be a good opportunity to show off your skills to your woman. And don't give me that self-deprecating bullshit, I know you're one of the best snipers I've ever worked with."
"If you say so, I guess. I might only bring in an extra twenty-round magazine or two ten-rounders - I gotta prioritize ammo for the -103, and I gotta stay as light as possible."
It took Yukki a while before he was done taking everything he and Yuno needed from the stash, which were mainly extra ammo to refill their rifle and pistol magazines with, some grenades and assorted medical supplies. He then wasted no time packing his stuff into his armored rig and backpack, before heading to the range with his girlfriend's stuff inside another backpack in his left hand, and the folding stock Dragunov slung behind his back. He was already wearing a tan Crye Precision AirFrame helmet and a PELTOR ComTac 2 tactical headset in place of his trademark beanie by then.
"Hey, Yukki, what's that on your back?"
"This, Yuno, is the Dragunov sniper rifle, chambered in 7.62x54mm rimmed. This one is the SVDS variant, designed to be used by paratroopers and special operations units - see the pistol grip and the folding stock? The original variant only had a skeletonized thumbhole stock equipped with a detachable cheek rest, where the latter is removed when using iron sights. Older ones were made of wood, same as the handguard, while newer models are made of a black polymer material. And before you say anything about it, the Dragunov is not a Kalashnikov-pattern rifle - sure, they may look and appear to work the same on the outside, but they have very different internal mechanisms."
The operator went on to expand further on how the rifle worked and was used by the Soviet and later Russian militaries, making sure to pay attention to its signature PSO-1M2 scope. After that, he moved on to the assault rifles he and the young woman carried.
"The AK-103 is basically the 7.62x39mm AKM configured as its modernized 5.45x39mm younger brother. Like the -74M, it uses plastic components instead of metal or wooden ones wherever possible, particularly the stock, pistol grip and the handguards. It comes out of the factory with a steel-reinforced black plastic magazine, but it can also use the same magazines as its older counterparts. Like I said earlier, this is a full-sized rifle, so it's bound to be heavier, even without the attachments on it."
"Got it. And the pistols we have..."
"Ah yes. The Glock. Favored by many civilian shooters, law enforcement and military units all across the globe. Take one in your hands and you'll understand why. The ones we have are Glock 17s, around third to fourth generation. The fifth generation 17s haven't gotten here yet, and our contacts don't have the other Glock variants in stock right now. Anyway, enough talking for now, let's shoot some guns. But first, I'll have to replace the ammo - gotta save them for actual combat."
He then replaced all the armor-piercing 9mm Luger and 7.62x39mm rounds with their more readily available counterparts as the young woman familiarized herself with the operation of the weapons they had, particularly the Glock. She then began filling up the 5.45 magazines with ammo from the boxes she brought in. It took them a while to fill all the needed magazines. Once they were done, the operator then gave her the AK-105, and had her feel the weapon for a bit before she was ready to fire.
"Alright, looks like we're all set, Yuno. Are you ready?"
"You bet I am, Yukki."
As soon as he gave the green light, she began engaging the targets like she did earlier, but as soon as the carbine ran out of ammo, she decided to switch to her sidearm instead and engaged the targets with it, only reloading as soon as both weapons were out of ammunition.
"Okay, it was a bit slow, but I think that was some good showing there. Do it again."
The young woman replied by engaging the targets once again with the carbine and the pistol. In her efforts to go faster, she nearly fumbled her transition from carbine to pistol, but thankfully she managed to recover in time.
"Take it easy, Yuno. You almost fucked up there."
"Sorry, Yukki..."
"It's okay, it's okay, you gained some seconds, but you gotta be careful not to fuck up in actual combat. You're getting there, now try again."
As the young woman began engaging the targets for the third time, the operator decided to pick up the AK-103 and get some time with the weapon himself. He waited until she was finished before he started to engage the targets.
"Okay, baby, you did great - you gained a few more seconds, and you didn't fuck up this time. Now stand aside, I'm gonna get some rounds downrange with this bad motherfucker."
Just like what his girlfriend did earlier, the operator switched to his sidearm once his rifle ran dry, and he only reloaded once both weapons were out of ammunition. As soon as he was done, he looked at the targets to see how he fared. It didn't take long for him to end up staring into the nothingness, which the young woman noticed as she was asking if she could try the full-sized rifle out.
"Yukki, are you alright?"
She began shaking him in an effort to get him out of his stupor. It took around a minute before the operator came back to his senses, which prompted the young woman to ask him again.
"Hey, Yukki, are you okay?"
"Oh hey, Yuno. I think I'm okay now, I just spaced out again. Sorry if I made you worry there, that shit's been happening for a long while now, even before I first got here."
"Well, that's a relief. Anyway, can I try that one out too?"
"Sure thing."
He then handed over the AK-103 and its magazines over to her, taking the AK-105 and its magazines afterwards. As he looked at her fumble around with the weapon while she was getting a feel for it, he was internally asking himself if letting her fight alongside him in the Russian Wild West was a good idea, and if she was starting to get tired of having to kill people to be with him. Soon enough, he began drifting off into his mind and stared into the distance again before being snapped back into reality by the sound of gunfire. He immediately went back to seeing how much time it took her to do what she was supposed to do.
"Alright, not bad - it could be faster, but I understand that it's heavier than anything you've handled so far. Good job nonetheless. Do it again."
As Yuno began engaging the targets again, the door to the range opened, and Yukki turned to see Anton enter the range. He noticed that his comrade was also geared up and ready to go, having chosen to once again wield the same weapon their target would most likely be carrying.
"You're coming with us, boss man? Who's gonna monitor communications if you're gonna be in the shit with us?"
"Don't worry about it, Yukiteru, I got it covered. And I can't let you guys face that fucking bitch in the mall all by yourselves. I actually tried to get Yuri to stay here and act as mission control like he did last night as per the Therapist's orders, but he insisted on going in. And honestly, we're gonna need everyone in here to be out there as soon as possible if we're to take that fucker Killa out before somebody else does. How's Yuno doing, by the way?"
"She's doing great so far, but until we can somehow expand the firing range, I can only hope she perform very well when it comes to fire and maneuver. But she did perform well enough last night, considering how relatively green she is to this shit."
The veteran operator chuckled at his comrade's remark regarding his girlfriend, which reminded him of what he saw when he used the bathroom last night.
"What's funny? I meant to say that she did a good job keeping up with us at the shoreline last night, considering how new she was to our shit. Don't tell me you thought it was about us fucking in the bathroom after we got back."
"Sorry, I just couldn't get the sight of you two making those fucking pathetic faces out of my head. Anyway, I actually agree with you - like I said last night, she did quite well at the shoreline, she just needs plenty of polish."
Anton then looked around and whispered to Yukki in the former's native Russian.
"And a shrink, too. You told me many times before that she had gone through and done a lot of shit before she disappeared, right? All of that and all the shit she's seen here so far must have taken - and is probably still taking - a serious toll on her head."
"I know, I know."
"What are you guys talking about? Did I do well, Yukki?"
The two operators turned to the pinkette, with her man giving a thumbs up as a sign of approval. Despite his approving smile, she could see in his face that he was hiding something from her, which prompted her to ask them again.
"Well I'm glad you think I did well, my love, but what were you guys talking about? Is it about me? I wanna know."
Anton then gave Yuno a piece of his mind, while Yukki tried to mitigate any damage it might have caused her.
"I'll be very honest with you - you need to see a fucking therapist. Sure, you can use some checks from the good doctor, but I meant to say that you need to see a psychologist and/or a psychiatrist. And your man definitely agrees with me."
"Now before you go psycho on us, I'm gonna tell you this, Yuno: I definitely need to see a therapist - not that one - myself, seeing as I've gone through much more shit ever since we were torn apart by fate. Something tells me that if we're going to live out the rest of our lives as a functioning couple, we're going to need some serious help. And don't worry about being strapped into a straight jacket and thrown into a cell, the help you need - no, the help WE need won't be like that. I'll be with you every step of the way, as like I said, I need help too. Do you get what I'm trying to say, baby?"
"Of course I do, Yukki."
Anton quickly put an end to the whole thing to avoid a major escalation.
"Good, now let's save all that fucking shrink talk for later - we still have plenty of business to attend to before we can get the fuck out of this shithole."
The couple finished up their range session soon afterward, with Yukki going on to put the ammunition he took out earlier back in, while Yuno went to the fridge to get some drinks. She then decided to bring some more, thinking that they might need to take a drink out there. She also made sure to bring in some snacks and at least one sizable can of meat per person to make sure that none of them went hungry in the field, making sure to mark the ones meant for her beloved with a heart symbol drawn onto the labels with a marker she found on top of the fridge. Anton and Yuri then began talking about last-minute adjustments to the game plan while securing the bunker's most sensitive equipment and files.
"So we should be expecting Scavs and raiders to be lurking in the mall too? Sounds like we'll be in for one hell of a fight later."
"And then there's the tourists we might encounter. Have you brought enough ammo? Grenades?"
"I hope so, but I made sure to bring extra boxes in my rucksack just to be sure."
"Good. Are you really sure you can handle this shit? That wound of yours has yet to fully heal, seeing as it was just patched up last night."
"I'll be fine. You know all too well that I've taken worse hits than this shit before."
Yukki then came out of the range with all the guns and gear he and Yuno needed, having finished repacking ammo into their magazines. It took him a while longer than expected since he also disassembled, cleaned and reassembled the weapons once they had cooled down enough to touch without risking burns. As he closed the door, he was singing another happy-sounding tune with very depressing lyrics, which was written by a friend of his.
I'm dying inside
And all I see are demons
I try to hide
All my deepest feelings
After putting his gear back on and slinging the Dragunov sniper rifle on his back, he sat down at the dinner table, where his beloved was waiting for him with a glass of cold green tea.
"Just before I drink this, I want to ask: Did you put anything else in it?"
"I found a few packs of multivitamins in the fridge, and I thought it would be a good idea to mix a tablet with your drink, my love, but if it's not okay with you, then I guess I'll just throw that one ou-"
He downed the glass of fortified green tea in one quick gulp, to his girlfriend's surprise. He then went over to her and gave her a pat on the head before putting the food and drinks she took into his backpack, making sure to take the ones she marked as being meant for him. Afterwards, he took the other two glasses and went over to the intelligence station where his comrades were still making last-minute adjustments to the plan. Unlike his drink, the glasses only had green tea in them.
"Thanks, all this talking is making me thirsty."
"No problem. Anyway, are you guys saying that we might also tangle with Scavs and those fucking raiders later?"
"That's right, Yukiteru - my last radio intercepts suggest that at least one group of raiders was on the trail of the USEC goons I mentioned earlier. And as for the Scavs, the intercepts also say that they're gonna go in and try to steal shit from under Killa's nose again."
"Where'd Ragman and his boys go off to this time? And what are Fence's boys doing about outsiders going into their turf?"
"He had a deal to finish, and he needed all his boys to escort him. He said it was gonna be at the resort, and that some ex-TerraGroup guy wanted to buy some gear from him for his guys. As for Fence and his boys, they're escorting a delivery to one of his customers in Customs, near the factory. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a few guys stay behind to keep an eye on the outsiders, particularly those fucking raiders."
"I see. Is everything secure?"
"Yes, we made sure of it."
"Alright, looks like it's time to move out, we can't afford to let those bastards beat us to Killa. Don't forget to take the stuff on the dinner table, Yuno picked them out for you guys."
"Oh, really? How nice of her."
As the operators began making very-last-minute gear and communications checks, the young woman had just finished packing her own stuff up and was just finishing her own glass of green tea when her boyfriend came up to her. Without a word, he hugged her very tightly and patted her head for a few seconds before breaking off. He had already finished checking his gear. He then pulled out a GoPro helmet camera from his rig, put it inside a transparent case made from bulletproof material, and attached it to the slot at the front of his helmet, where he would normally mount his night vision goggles, and turned it on. Before that, he took off his helmet and headset for a bit, put on a skull mask which covered everything except for the eyes and then put his headset and helmet back on in that particular order.
Anton then went towards the door and asked the three the million-ruble question.
"Is everybody done packing? I'm gonna open the bunker door now."
"We're all done. Let's go."
As soon as Anton opened the bunker door, Yuri stepped outside, having made sure that all unnecessary systems were shut down and all critical files and items were secured. The lovebirds soon followed, with Yukki coming out of the bunker after Yuno. After that, Anton closed the bunker door and motioned for the crew to get moving and follow him through the tunnels. The only sound that came out of the group's mouths were their breaths and huffs as they jogged their way through the tunnel system, with Yuno noticeably lagging behind a bit. It was clear that she wasn't used to moving as fast as she could while carrying a sizable load for long periods of time.
Was she struggling like this when we were on our way back from the shoreline yesterday? Hell, was she struggling like this when I found her in Customs before that?
Yukki then offered to carry her rucksack for her.
"Thank you, Yukki, how thoughtful of you. Don't worry about me, I'll power through this. I managed to carry all that loot last night, remember?"
"That was last night. Right now, you don't look like you can, Yuno. So gimme the backpack - I've carried heavier shit in the past."
"Yukki, I told you I can-"
"Give me the backpack. Now."
The young woman immediately took her backpack off and gave it to the operator, who then wore it in front of his rig, making him look like a pregnant woman in tactical gear. He didn't mind the discomfort and the extra weight, as he could see that his beloved was feeling much better without the extra weight on her shoulders. However, he also thought that she has to get used to carrying heavy loads everyday at least until they leave the region.
And then there's the fact that he still had plenty of questions to ask her, including her perspective on how the game played out in her original world, how similar it was to his world, and the biggest one of all: how she could stomach killing a relatively more innocent version of herself and deny her the chance to be with him. He just shook his head to get rid of those thoughts and went back to focusing on the mission ahead, which was to take down Killa.
"So, where are we going again, Yukki?"
"Ah, yes, the interchange. It's a key, strategic transport hub which connects the port and harbor with the industrial outskirts of Tarkov. Located in the center of the interchange is the huge ULTRA shopping mall - which is where we are currently going. In the early days of the crisis, it was used as the main base of operation for the evacuation of civilians from the region. It was hastily abandoned after a while, which was when all sorts of characters went in to loot what was left behind."
"Oh, I see. What's inside the mall?"
Yukki then grabbed a floor plan of the mall and its immediate outskirts from his cargo pocket and showed it to Yuno. The tunnel lights were bright enough, so the two could see the paper without difficulty.
"The mall has three main areas of interest, Yuno: the IDEA furniture store on the right side here, the OLI hardware store on the left side here, and the Goshan grocery store in the middle back there. There are also smaller stores and stalls inside which used to sell - and now just hold - wares ranging from clothing to electronics, food, exercise equipment and even weapons. Outside the mall is a park with a go-kart track, some large parking spaces, small wooded areas, and roads filled with hastily abandoned checkpoints, vehicles and supply stashes just like the one we found on the shoreline last night. Wait, are you listening to me and looking at the floor plan in my hand, or are you just staring at my handsome face again?"
"Am I not allowed to do both, Yukki?"
"Well, you are, but it would be better if you focus on the mission ahead. Remember, we're going inside to put Killa down for good, not to look for our wedding or honeymoon clothes. Expect multiple hostiles inside though - we have credible intelligence that confirms the presence of Scavs and raiders inside, and then there's the group of USEC goons you heard about earlier."
The pink-haired young woman responded by giving the operator a peck to his skull mask-covered lips. She then started humming a happy-sounding tune as the crew continued making their way through the tunnels towards their destination. Soon enough, the operator found himself humming along to the tune emanating from his beloved. It didn't take long for the quartet to find the exit which led to what Yuri's map called the South-East entry. As soon as they all got out of the tunnels and into the mall grounds, Anton motioned for everyone to go low, get in position and prepare themselves.
"Alright, everyone, it's game time. Stay low, stay quiet, stay alert and watch your spacing - I don't want my team to be quickly taken out by a single fucking grenade."
Yukki then switched out the AK-103 for the Dragunov and started scanning the horizon, looking for threats in the distance. After a while, he found nothing, so he switched back to his assault rifle and notified Anton.
"All clear so far, boss. Let's go."
The team made their way slowly until they got past the abandoned EMERCOM checkpoint. Suddenly, Yuno felt that they were all being watched from somewhere. She then started scanning the part of the mall rooftop visible to the team.
"Yukki, can you pull your sniper rifle back out? I think there might be someone watching us from there."
The operator then motioned for everyone to stop and find cover as he switched back to his Dragunov, took cover and scanned the rooftop for hostiles.
"What is it, Yukiteru? Did Yuno spot a possible enemy sniper?"
"Looks like it."
It didn't take long before someone shot at them at least four times from the direction of the mall. The team could only hear the crack of the bullets breaking the sound barrier as the shooter was using a suppressed weapon.
"Shit! Everyone get down!"
A bullet grazed Yukki's helmet as he scrambled to find the shooter. Anton replied with a burst of 5.45x39 from his RPK-16, while Yuri tried to help his comrade find the shooter and call the location out to him. The burst was answered by at least three more shots, which landed uncomfortably close to where Anton was. It was followed by a suppressed burst from the same direction, suggesting that there were at least two shooters. That one was followed by another suppressed burst, which this time came way too close to hitting Yuno, with one round even grazing her right elbow.
"Yuno, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Yukki, it's just a scratch, nothing to worry about."
Yuri then found the shooter, or rather shooters, and called them out to his Dragunov-wielding comrade.
"Where are they?"
"On the scaffolding, and they're making their way down, Yukiteru! Hurry, hit them now!"
Yukki felt everything slow down around him. He took a deep breath, took aim at the shooters - three apparent raiders armed with suppressed AR-15 pattern rifles, with the apparent enemy sniper carrying a rifle he hasn't seen before - and aimed for the first one's head. Once he pulled the trigger and sent a 7.62x54r round towards the goon's noggin, he then aimed at the next guy and sent another round his way. After that, he then took aim at the last guy and fired another round at his head. Soon afterward, all three attackers fell dead, with their final thoughts and prayers splattered all over the wall.
"Three raiders down."
"Confirmed, three raiders down. Good shooting as always."
"Wow, Yukki, that was cool!"
He then turned his head towards Yuno and winked at her, as if he was showing off his skills to her. This didn't escape Anton's notice, which prompted the latter to remind his comrade of what they're here to do.
"You can only show off to her once we put that striped bitch down for good, Yukiteru. Focus on the mission first. Let's go."
"Alright, alright."
As Anton motioned for the team to get moving again, Yukki switched back to his AK-103, deciding to not reload his Dragunov as he would probably not need it inside. Meanwhile, Yuno had just finished treating her graze wound, and was putting her medical supplies back into the designated slot in her rig when her man came over to her, wanting to take a look at her injury.
"Lemme see that shit."
"I told you, Yukki, this is just a scratch. Nothing for you to worry about. You should remember that I've taken worse hits for you."
"Well, honestly, it doesn't look like much from here, and I'm very glad that you're fine. Just be more careful, okay? I can't afford to have you dying on me again."
"I definitely will, my love, as long as you don't die on me too."
"Okay, let's go. We still have a striped motherfucker to kill."
The team continued further towards the mall, reaching what turned out to be the back of the OLI hardware store. As they made their way in, Yuno still hasn't shaken off the feeling that they were all being watched, but she ignored it as she didn't want to make Yukki worry about something that probably wasn't there.
Except there actually was something, or rather someone there, and there were two of them. And the BEAR operators were familiar faces to them, as she would find out later.
"Martin, what was that about?"
"Looks like the raiders managed to escape our notice and get up here, Sean, and their scent attracted some Bears. And I think I might have seen our old friend Jack among the latter."
"Jack? You mean Jack Amano?"
"The one and only. And not only does it look like he has brought our old friends Tony Rush and Big Yuri along, it also seems that he might have found his Rose again."
"You've got to be shitting me. Are you sure it was Jack, Tony and Yuri? And what's this about finding his Rose again?"
"I'll explain everything else later, and I'm not really sure if those two other Bear guys are indeed Tony and Yuri, but yes, Jack's here. Is there any other Japanese Bear that we know? Now stay low and stay quiet - the Bears might sniff us out next."
The two USEC operators' radios suddenly received a message from their comrades inside the mall.
"Eagle Eye, this is Spearhead, what was with those shots earlier, over?"
"Spearhead, this is Eagle Eye, be advised, we have four Bears entering the premises, I say again, we have four Bears entering the premises, over."
"Ah, fuck. How'd the Bears end up coming here, over?"
"Apparently, they managed to sniff out the raiders, and just took out a sniper team of theirs that slipped past us. Doesn't look like they're here for us, over."
"Copy. We'll keep an eye out for them anyway. Keep watch and keep us posted. Be careful out there. Spearhead out."
"Roger that. Eagle Eye out."
Once the conversation ended, the two Westerners crawled as fast and low as they could towards their new position on the rooftop. Meanwhile, Yuno and the three BEAR operators she accompanied were slowly moving through the OLI hardware store, making sure to see if they could find anything they need on the floor or the shelves as they did so.
"I don't like the feel of this place, Yukki. I just don't."
"Me too, Yuno. But don't worry about it, I got you."
"Keep it down, you two. Someone will hear you."
After a while, the team came upon the body of what appeared to be a Scav, which looked and smelled like he had died more than a few days ago. Anton motioned for his companions to stay low and cover him as he searched the body for booby traps and loot, in that order.
"So, what did he have on him? Any mines? IEDs? Toxic substances of any form?"
"Thankfully, he had none of those on him. Unfortunately, he also didn't have anything on him that we can use. Not even in his pockets. And he already fucking stinks. Now get back in position and let's go."
As the team reached the cash registers, Yukki spotted movement in front of the Dom store. He motioned for everyone to stop and get down when he saw that there were at least six armed individuals moving past the store, probably heading further into the mall. He saw that they had USEC patches on their shoulders and rigs, which led him to the conclusion that this was the USEC group that Anton told them about earlier.
"What is it this time, Yukiteru?"
"I see at least six USEC goons moving in front of Dom, and they look like they're packing some serious heat. Looks like we found the guys to told us about earlier, boss man. Do we engage?"
"No, not until they engage us. Same goes for Scavs and raiders. As for Killa, open up on the fucking bitch once you have a confirmed visual on him."
"Got it."
One of the USEC operators then turned his eyes towards where Yukki was, forcing the latter to get back down.
"Guys, I think I saw a bogey or two around the cash registers at OLI, and they don't look like raiders to me. Do I engage now?"
"That's a negative, Barry. Engage only when engaged. Now let's go, we still have a flash drive to find."
"Roger that, Boss."
The USEC operator then went back to checking his team's rear for other threats, ignoring the BEAR team for now.
"What was it, Yukki?"
"A USEC goon spotted me, Yuno, but fortunately he just continued on. Oh, it looks like they're gone. Are we cleared to go now, Anton?"
The operator then peeked over the cash register to see things for himself. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he motioned for the team to get back up and start searching the. After they got outside the hardware store, the team began moving from cover to cover while making sure that they didn't make too much noise. Suddenly, they heard what turned out to be Scavs spotting and opening fire on the group of USEC operators they saw earlier. As the team began hurrying towards the Adik store, it was their turn to be fired upon from the front, which was followed up by at least one hand grenade being thrown their way.
"Grenade! Take cover!"
Right after the first grenade exploded, the team soon heard shots coming from Adik. Two more grenades landed near their position, with one landing right beside Yuri. He didn't hesitate to immediately attempt to return it to the sender, who then replied with a long burst of automatic fire, prompting Yuri to miss the part the shooter was firing out of. The other grenade turned out to be a smoke grenade, which partially obscured the team's line of sight. It didn't take long for the attacker to reveal himself to the team, with sweeping bursts of automatic fire from his RPK-16 in addition to the smoke making it hard for them to get a clear shot on him. Even through the smoke, Yukki could clearly see the white stripes on the bastard's helmet, jacket and pants, and he recognized the white lettering on and the black chest rig over the tan 6B13 vest the attacker wore.
This is it. Showtime. You're going down, bitch.
"Yukki, is that Killa?"
"Yes, Yuno, now open up on the fucker!"
The couple had just begun to open fire in Killa's direction when the latter turned his machine gun on their position and let loose, with two 5.45x39mm rounds grazing the case Yukki's GoPro was in. Yuno then leaned over to the left side of the sandbag wall she and her man were hiding in and managed to fire off four rounds before being forced back to cover by fire from Killa's machine gun. One round grazed her helmet, while another flew through her hair before embedding itself into the floor. Yukki then got back up and opened fire on Killa, hitting the criminal's left shoulder, but he was also forced back into cover by machine gun fire, the hit apparently not affecting his target's aim.
"Fall back, everyone! I'm covering!"
As soon as the last syllable came out of his lips, Anton opened up on Killa with his own RPK-16, forcing the latter run back into Adik to take cover before he returned fire. Once his three companions were in a more defensible position nearby, it was their turn to send bursts towards Killa's last known position, while making sure not to hit Anton as he made his way to where Yuri was taking cover. Upon reaching Yuri's position, the team suddenly began taking fire from the rear.
"Raiders! Get down!"
While his girlfriend and his comrades were going prone, Yukki decided to immediately counterattack the raiders and advanced towards them, sending burst after burst of 7.62x39mm rounds flying towards the new arrivals. He could feel the bullets fly all around him as he pushed towards the cash registers.
"Yukiteru! What the fuck are you doing?"
"Yeah, Yukki, what are you trying to pull? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Come on, help me out with these fuckers!"
Suddenly, they were once again forced to the ground by machine gun fire, this time from the Dom store. As it turned out, Killa took the opportunity to reposition himself, wanting to get close enough to the BEAR team to kill them all in one sweep. Then the raiders made their presence known, which prompted Killa to welcome them the only way he knew how - with long bursts of machine gun fire. Yukki and Yuno immediately opened fire upon spotting the feared murderer, forcing him to take cover and hide his movement with yet another smoke grenade. It didn't take long before it all turned into a messy clusterfuck, with gunfire, smoke and hostiles basically everywhere, and no one sure where to move next, as the destination might be occupied by hostiles. In the chaos, Anton decided that he and Yuri will be engaging the Raiders and Scavs, and if they had to, the USECs, while the lovebirds were tasked with bringing Killa down.
"Are you sure you guys will be alright?"
"They'll be fine, Yukki, now let's get that bastard before he gets us!"
"She said it herself, now go and get the fucker before he gets away! We still have enough ammo to keep them off your asses!"
"Yeah, and make him eat his dick and balls while you're at it!"
"If you say so. On me, Yuno, we're gonna get this fucker!"
As if it was on cue, Killa was back inside Dom, pouring fire upon everyone he could see, which ended with Anton taking a hit to his back, and at least one raider getting fatally injured. Fortunately for Anton, the round failed to penetrate his armored rig, but it was still painful enough to throw off his aim. Yuno returned the favor with an automatic burst from her AK-105, while Yukki was firing his AK-103 on the move, making it difficult for him to actually land a hit on the bastard. But he did manage to hit Killa's right shoulder and right thigh. However, that didn't stop the couple's target from throwing another pair of grenades at their direction, which turned out to be a smoke grenade and a flashbang. The combination managed to disorient the couple long enough for Killa to quickly patch himself up before continuing to unleash a storm of lead towards the couple and their comrades. After a while, he let his machine gun hang from his shoulder, switched to his customized Tokarev pistol, and ran like hell back into Adik, opening fire on the couple as he did to deter them from coming after him. Once inside, he switched out the now-empty drum magazine for a sixty-rounder loaded with a mix of 7N39 armor-piercing rounds and 7BT4 tracers and went back to shooting at anyone he saw, limiting himself to firing in short bursts to conserve his ammunition. He then threw another flashbang followed by a hand grenade at his pursuers before running out of the store and heading towards Mantis. On the way there he spotted a group of well-armed and well-equipped new arrivals, which he assumed to be more raiders. He welcomed them by sending a few more bursts of machine gun fire their way before heading for cover inside the store, where he then reloaded his Tokarev and waited for someone to follow him inside.
Meanwhile, the two-man USEC sniper team had just pulled back from an exchange of fire with another group of raiders - this one large enough to be split into three four-man fireteams, compared to the first group of eight including the sniper team Yukki put down - entering the mall from the front entrance. As the sniper switched to his .45ACP Vector sub-machine gun with its attached Eotech 553 holographic sight, Zenit 2P Klesch flashlight/laser combination device and SilencerCo Omega suppressor and slung his SR-25 behind his back, his spotter was on the radio, warning the rest of their team that more hostiles had entered the building. Just before the new arrivals made themselves known, they heard the sound of their team being engaged by hostiles below and were about to inquire about their status.
"Spearhead, this is Eagle Eye, be advised, another group of raiders has entered the mall from the main entrance, I say again, another group of raiders has entered the mall from the main entrance! What's your status, over?"
"Eagle Eye, this is Spearhead, we're still holding up fine, but there's quite a lot of them Scavs in here! We're at the southern side of Goshan and we're currently trying to force through the Scavs, over!"
"Good to hear, Spearhead! We're about to leave the rooftop and get inside, so hold on tight, over!"
"Copy that, Eagle Eye, we'll save some for you if you hurry up! Spearhead out!"
Once the call ended, the operator checked his main weapon - a SIG MCX chambered in .300 AAC Blackout with a looted Valday 1P87 holographic sight mounted on top, an AN/PEQ-15 laser suite on the 9 o'clock rail, a Surefire flashlight on the 3 o'clock rail, and a SIG SRD suppressor attached to the barrel - and his sidearm - a SIG P320 with the same flashlight/laser combination device his homie has under the barrel - to ensure that they both had full magazines and a round in the chamber. After checking his weapons, he immediately packed his spotter gear up, grabbed his backpack and followed his buddy down the metal scaffolding, in an attempt to reach their comrades as fast as they could. Once they got to the ground floor, they went inside OLI, where upon entering the store proper, they were met by an unbelievable scene: the raiders were too busy engaging someone, possibly from Yukki's group, that they failed to notice the two USEC operators moving in to their rear.
The erstwhile sniper team took advantage of this blunder and announced their arrival by throwing two flashbangs at the raiders, catching them by surprise. Back at the cash registers, Anton was reloading his RPK, the drum magazine having run dry a while after Yukki and Yuno went after Killa on their own. Yuri was providing cover fire with his AK-74M, cursing whomever deity was listening for getting them into this situation.
"Boss, did he just call you a son of a fu-"
"There is no need for you to inform me, Murmur. I am fully aware of the insult he directed towards me, and frankly, I am very much used to it. Let it be, he needs something to cope with the situation he is currently going through."
Just as Anton was done reloading, it was Yuri's turn to reload, as his current magazine had also run dry. He quickly grabbed the fresh magazine nearest to his right hand from his rig, used it to hit the magazine release lever and knock the empty magazine away, rocked and locked the new one in, and racked the charging handle before letting it go and chamber a new round in. And as he got out of cover to open fire on the raiders again, he saw two flashbangs go off around the raiders, and saw two new armed individuals go in and tear the raiders a new one.
"Bro, are you seeing this?"
"I'm not blind, Yuri!"
The two went back to opening fire on the remaining raiders, who tried to put up a fight despite being pressured from the front and the rear. It didn't take long for the last hostiles to go down, which left the two BEAR operators no one else to point their guns at but the two new arrivals. The two bogies then motioned for them to lower their weapons as they approached the cash registers. As the two men came closer, the duo saw the USEC patches on their sleeves, rigs and headgear, which made them lower their weapons, seeing as they were not after them. Just as Yuri was about to initiate talks with the two, the USEC guy with the sniper rifle on his back spoke up. His voice sounded familiar to the two BEAR operators, and so did the one belonging to the other USEC operator behind the sniper guy.
"Cease fire! Lower your weapons! We're not here to engage you!"
The last time the four operators met in person, they were at Tripoli International Airport, hanging out for a while with Yukki and some of his fellow Self-Defense Force troops some time before they all went back to their respective countries, wondering when they would all be goofing around like schoolboys again, after all that's happened during their time as UN peacekeepers tasked with ensuring that post-Gaddafi Libya wouldn't descend into chaos and violence once more. Now they were here in an abandoned shopping mall in the Russian Wild West, on opposite sides of the fluid frontline - if there was even one.
"Martin? Sean?"
Sure, these men may have kept in touch through e-mails, social media and online multiplayer games, but they lost contact a few months before the first major incidents involving TerraGroup and USEC happened in the Norvinsk Region, and all of them kept their post-service employment in the private sector off their social media records.
"Yuri? Tony Rush?"
As they started to recognize each other's voices, the tension disappeared, the weapons' slings doing their work as the men let their weapons fall out of their hands to greet their old friends with a big, warm embrace, current allegiances be damned. For the time being, they didn't care about their respective overall goals and current objectives, or the fact that their respective groups were engaging hostiles in the mall, the sounds of their battles echoing around them. All the men cared about in that moment was that they had found each other again after so long. As they caught up with each other, they noted the sobering fact that they would be reunited in the circumstances they were currently in. After a while, the discussion went back to business, the gunfire in the background not letting up at all.
"So, where's your boy Jack at? You're supposed to be rolling with him, am I right?"
"He and his girlfriend broke off to go after Killa. They're probably searching the area around the central escalators for him as we speak. Why'd you ask?"
"We spotted another bunch of raiders entering the mall from the front entrance, and I think they might hit the two of them if they get caught."
"So these guys weren't the only ones coming after your guys?"
"Well, it looks like it."
"Anyway, how'd you boys react when you first saw Jack's girlfriend in person?"
Suddenly, they started hearing gunfire much closer to them than the firefight at Goshan. If the two USECs were right, it meant that Yukki and Yuno were in danger of being squished between another group of raiders and Killa, if he was still engaging the couple. As the two BEAR operators reached for their radios to try and contact their comrade and his girlfriend, the other USEC operator screamed for them to get down, before opening fire. It turns out that a raider fireteam had split off to see what happened to the earlier group that had gone inside OLI and engaged the BEAR team, and that these raiders had found them instead.
"Let's talk about this shit later, because right now we have to break through these fucks and get to Yukiteru and Yuno as soon as possible!"
"Got it. Not the first time we took on these loons with at least one Bear shooting at them alongside us."
"It is the first time for us, though. Let's go!"
As the old friends-turned-erstwhile adversaries began to engage their common foes as a unit to get to their comrades, the couple was on Killa's trail, and had just exited the Brutal store when they first spotted the new arrivals coming from the main entrance.
"Yukki! We got more raiders coming!"
"Let's get these fuckers, Yuno!"
As soon as the first raider opened fire, the operator wasted no time and returned fire, hitting at least one of the new arrivals. His girlfriend then immediately threw one of her own grenades, forcing the hostiles to scatter and take cover lest they get caught in the blast and eat shrapnel. Once the grenade exploded, Yukki moved forward, with Yuno covering his advance, making sure to not hit her one true love in the ass. As soon as he was in cover, he reloaded his AK-103 and then leaned out to open fire, which was the pinkette's cue to get moving. Then, as Yuno was settling besides Yukki, Killa went out of Mantis and opened fire at everyone he saw, narrowly missing her helmet by inches, while at least one round grazed Yukki's right shoulder before embedding itself into the floor in front of the barrier where the couple was taking cover from the raiders' gunfire. The young woman turned around and retaliated by opening up on Killa, forcing the latter to retreat back into cover, seeing that the raiders were also opening fire on him. The operator paid no mind to the fact that his original target had just barely missed his back and head, and went back to engaging the raiders, finally landing a fatal double tap to one raider's head, his Ops-Core FAST MT helmet proving no match for the two 7.62x39mm 7N23 armor-piercing rounds Yukki's Kalashnikov sent towards the poor fucker's dome. He also hit another raider in the right leg and left elbow, which came out of the man's left arm. Three more rounds from Yukki's rifle penetrated the raider's 5.11 Tactec armored rig and came out of his back, literally breaking his heart and severing his spinal cord. By the time his body fell to the floor, he was already dead, and Yuno was firing on the raiders again.
And then a group of Scavs, who presumably broke off from the larger group engaging the USECs in Goshan, decided to join the fight, turning the encounter into a deadly four-way encounter. Killa popped out of Mantis to open up on the interloping scavengers before turning his machine gun on the couple and the raiders.
"Seriously? These Scavs decided to pick on us too? Great! Just what I fucking needed!"
"Don't be sarcastic, Yukki! We might not have enough ammo for all of them, and we're outnumbered!"
"We've fought against worse odds, Yuno! Now shoot the fuckers down!"
"Snowman, this is Foxhound, do you copy? Snowman, this is Foxhound, do you read me, over?!"
As Yukki went for his radio to reply to Anton, a pair of Scavs managed to get past Killa and the raiders to get to him and Yuno, who were both preoccupied with engaging the raiders after sending some shots towards the devious scavengers. The first one blasted the operator from behind with his stolen Remington shotgun, hoping that his target's armored rig didn't have a plate at the back. As the second one was about to open fire on the hostile beside his homie's target, he saw that the enemy had pink hair, which made him hesitate to pull the trigger on his SKS carbine.
That was a big mistake on his part.
"AH FUCK! I'M HIT! BEHIND US!"
"YUUUUUKKKKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Although not a single piece of buckshot got through his rig's rear armor, Yukki still felt as if someone kicked him in the back. Despite the pain, he still managed to aim his rifle and open up on the backstabbing (or is it backshooting?) bastards, but he only managed to kill the shooter's partner and hit the shooter's left shoulder. The shooter then ran for his life and tried to make his way back to his homies, but Yuno made sure that he wouldn't get away with trying to kill her man. She opened fire on the Scav's legs, which made him drop to the floor and crawl away in pain and suffering. Afterwards, she ran and lunged on the fucker, who managed to get on his back and shoulder his shotgun in an attempt to kill her, but she took it from his hands and struck him in the face and arms with the buttstock, her angry screams in Japanese barely audible amidst all the gunfire, screaming and cussing in Russian going around.
"YOU TRIED TO KILL MY POOR YUKKI! YOU BASTARD! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"
As Yuno finished the poor Scav off by making him eat his own buckshot, Yukki ran towards her to try and pull her back to cover, even though he was still reeling from the pain the hit to his back gave him. All this while the raiders, Scavs and Killa were still going at it. And as soon as the operator reached his lover, they came under fire from Killa once again, but then someone nearby opened up on Killa's position, forcing the latter to retreat to cover once again.
Yukki turned towards the new source of gunfire, only to see Anton and Yuri come out of the Brutal store, followed by two masked USEC operators who felt familiar to him. One of them shouted at him, the voice familiar to his ears.
"Get up and get inside! Now!"
Yukki got up and pulled Yuno to her feet, her angry eyes still fixed on the asshole who tried to murder her beloved from behind. The couple made a mad dash for the entrance to Brutal under heavy enemy fire, while Anton, Yuri and the two USEC operators accompanying them continued to provide covering fire. As soon as everyone was in position inside the store, Yukki suddenly remembered that he and Yuno left their backpacks behind when they broke off to pursue Killa.
"Guys, do you have our bags? We left them somewhere inside Dom with my Dragunov before we went after Killa."
"Here, take 'em. Don't make us carry your shit again. Anyway, how are you two holding up? What went down over there?"
"Well, where do I start? Yuno and I barely avoided getting torn to shreds by enemy fire despite being caught in between those fucking raiders, Scavs, and Killa, I took two shells' worth of buckshot to my back, and Yuno lost her shit again as she killed the fucker who shot me. Also, leave our stuff there, I'll take them again later once we're done with Killa. Do the raiders have good loot?"
"They're good enough to take a look at, but it's up to you if you want to take their shit. Also, did she ever lose her shit whenever somebody tried to harm you when you two were young, Yukiteru? Was she always this protective of you?"
"Yeah. Haven't I already told you why she's like this?"
"Oh, I forgot. It has something to do with all the shit she went through at the hands of her adoptive folks, and all the shit that happened to your hometown, right?"
"Right on the money. Also, aren't those two USEC boys... Sean and Martin?"
"What? You forgot about us just because you got your dead Rose back, little Jack?"
"Motherfucker, come here! It's been a while since we've seen your sorry-ass face!"
"Back at you, asshole!"
"What's going on? Who are they calling Jack and Rose? Are they talking about us, Yukki?
Yukki then went over to the two USEC operators in the store with them and embraced them as Yuno looked on, surprised to see her man hugging it out with two men who were ostensibly his enemies, seeing as they were both USEC operators. Outside Brutal, the three-way fight between the raiders, Scavs and Killa was still on, with the first two groups having begun to run low on ammunition, while Killa still had three full sixty-round magazines for his machine gun in his rig, plus two full Tokarev magazines in his pockets. The Scavs were reinforced by their buddies who were engaging the other USEC operators in Goshan, but they too were also running low on ammunition, and have already taken quite a few casualties. Before long, the Scavs and raiders began closing in on each other, with the former thinking that their numerical superiority and the latter thinking that their superior firepower would be enough to take the other group down.
A few long bursts from Killa, who kept popping in an out of Mantis, put both groups in their places. He then sent a burst towards Yuno and the gathered PMCs in Brutal, narrowly missing the group by inches. A ricochet hit Martin in the back, but it wasn't powerful enough to pierce his rear armor. Another ricochet hit Yukki's helmet with enough force to knock him down without penetrating, which made Yuno angry again, prompting her to respond with a burst of her own towards Killa, forcing him to take cover. The Scavs and remaining raiders then took the opportunity to move to Brutal and take out the interlopers, taking potshots at each other in the meantime.
As the combined BEAR-USEC group checked their gear, changed magazines and licked their wounds, Anton glanced at the dead Scav on the floor outside Brutal, before taking a look at an angry Yuno providing cover fire for the rest of the group all by herself, angrily screaming at every hostile she saw, declaring that she would punish them all for trying to kill her poor Yukki. Yuri had given her extra magazines for her AK-105 beforehand, which he looted from the body of one of the raiders who died in OLI earlier.
"A little help over here, guys! I can't hold them back all by myself forever!"
"I'm on it, baby! Let's go!"
Yukki then decided to go and help Yuno out, gunning down a few more Scavs, and putting two 7.62x39mm rounds into another raider's right lung, piercing his GOST class 3 armored rig. He then finished him off with two more rounds to the raider's unprotected head, with one blowing up his left eye and exiting out the back, and another entering his mouth and coming out of his neck, severing the spinal cord and knocking a few teeth into the dead man's throat along the way. He then saw Killa send another burst towards his direction, prompting him to retaliate with a burst of his own, hitting the striped criminal in the leg. As Killa ran back inside to patch up once more, Yukki dropped his rifle and ran after the bastard.
"Guys, cover me! I'm going inside Mantis!"
Anton and Sean engaged the remaining raiders, while Yuri and Martin opened up on the remaining Scavs, with Yuno dumping a magazine towards the scavengers' direction before letting her carbine hang loose as she ran after her beloved, wanting to help him put Killa down. Unbeknownst to the group, another raider team had just entered the mall through the back of Goshan, and immediately got into a three-way firefight with the other USEC operators and the Scav rear guard.
"Just how many of these fuckers are there, Patrick?"
"I don't know, Johnny, but it looks like they've heard that we were rolling some fools up! Let's go!"
As one of the USEC operators fell to the floor screaming that he had taken a hit to his right thigh, Yukki was inside Mantis with his Glock in his hand, having left his rifle behind in Brutal. The makeshift medical station inside had changed a bit since he last came here, which was a few days before he and his boys first encountered Killa. It didn't take long for the latter to make his presence known by opening fire at the group outside the store. Yukki opened fire at him with his pistol, knowing full well that even its 7N31 ammo may not be powerful enough to penetrate Killa's armor. The striped criminal then turned his machine gun on the BEAR operator and opened fire, forcing him to get down and hide. Once he saw Killa again, he opened fire again with his pistol, hitting the bastard's helmet. While they only managed to dent the helmet and face shield, Killa was feeling the pain starting to get to him, and his ears were ringing from all the close-quarter firing. Even so, he still managed to send a burst of fire towards Yukki, who barely avoided getting shot from up close, before his current sixty-round magazine ran dry. He put his machine gun down, despite having two more full magazines, and went after his attacker, who was busy reloading his pistol.
"Fuck!"
Yukki had just finished reloading his pistol when he felt a powerful kick hit his back. He barely managed to avoid getting his neck broken by Killa's foot immediately afterward. He grabbed and holstered his pistol before getting back up and hitting Killa's left leg with his right foot, throwing the striped bastard off-balance. He then took the opportunity to lift the face shield up, to find Killa's face - and head - covered by a black balaclava with three white stripes on it. As he sent a fist flying towards Killa's masked face, his target had regained his composure and kicked him square in his armored chest just as his fist made contact with Killa's partially-healed nose.
"Yukki!"
Just as his back made contact with the ground, Yukki saw Yuno charge straight into Killa, tackling the bastard to the ground. As he checked himself and his gear for damage, Yuno pulled a knife from her pockets and tried to stab Killa in the face with it, but he quickly recovered and hit her face with his left fist, his right hand holding back her knife-wielding hands. The punch was powerful enough to get Yuno off Killa, and her loud grunt of pain forced Yukki up on his feet. He then went to take Killa's helmet off and managed to hit him in the back of the head twice with it, but it seemingly did nothing to his target, who promptly retaliated by hitting him with a right-left combo to his cheeks. He responded by simultaneously stomping on Killa's right foot with his left and hitting him with a hard right jab to the face, which actually managed to knock Killa down to the ground. But the latter only stayed down for a few seconds before he lunged at Yukki and pinned him to the floor, with his knees striking the operator's legs and thighs. He then got up to try and stomp Yukki's face in again, but was met by a slash to his right arm from a visibly pissed Yuno, who then proceeded to try and stab him in areas not covered by his armor. An interception and a painful arm twist from Killa forced the young woman to drop the knife to the floor, who retaliated by slapping him hard with her free hand.
"THAT'S FOR TRYING TO KILL MY POOR YUKKI, YOU BASTARD!"
Not one to take this perceived insult lying down, Killa retaliated by punching Yuno in the face. She responded by spitting in his face and punching it hard enough to break his nose and knock some teeth in, forcing the latter to kick her in the armored torso hard enough to send her flying towards her man, who braced for the impact.
"Yukki, are you alright?"
"Now that you're here, yeah, I'm fine. Let's take this bastard down!"
Killa pulled his balaclava down to spit his bloody teeth out at the two before they got up. As soon as the unholy mixture of blood, spit and teeth hit the two, he then grabbed a pair of auto-injectors, one labeled "SJ1" with the TerraGroup logo next to it and another labeled "L1", and injected both into his bloodstream through the wrist. He had injected similar combat stimulants every time before he got into a fight, including Yukki's first encounter with him, and the fight earlier - the effects had begun to wear off when Yukki charged into Mantis. Just as the couple had gotten back onto their feet and were about to hit him from both his flanks, he dodged by ducking down, which made them suddenly stop in their tracks, confused for a few moments. Killa took advantage of this opening by quickly getting up and kicking the two back down with a boot to each of their backs. He then took a scalpel from a nearby medical toolbox and threw it at Yuno, only for Yukki to block it with his right arm. The latter painfully pulled it out and charged Killa with it, only for the striped criminal to put him back on the floor with a punch to the face.
"YUKKI!"
Yuno picked her knife back up and angrily charged at Killa with it, but she too was knocked down to the floor by a hard left to her cheek. Yukki came to his senses, scalpel still in hand. He then crawled as fast as he could towards Killa, who was picking his machine gun back up to open fire on the operator's comrades once again. Just as Killa began to open fire, Yukki slashed the bastard's leg with the scalpel, throwing his aim off. Yukki then got back up and tried to stab Killa's hand with the scalpel, but the latter easily swatted it away before hitting him in the face with the buttstock of the machine gun. Killa got a scratch to his left eye for his trouble, prompting him to beat Yukki into submission with his fists. The operator, weakened by the former athlete's multiple hits on his body, defiantly tried to bite some flesh off his attacker's fingers after exhausting all other options, to be rewarded by a fist to the face for his efforts.
"I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH HURTING MY POOR YUKKI SO EASILY, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"
Killa turned to see Yuno lunging at him. Despite her best efforts to make sure her blade embedded itself into his skull, she only managed to stab him in the shoulder, which only served to piss the bastard off. Yuno then tried to slash and stab Killa, angrily screaming about how he will face divine punishment for hurting her one true love. Unfortunately, this only made him even more angrier. He then caught her knife with his right hand, the blade piercing through his palm, before knocking her to the ground again with his left foot. As soon as he had pulled the knife out and thrown it away, he then began beating Yuno up. She tried her best to get back up and return the favor, but even she proved to be no match for the drugged-up bastard who tried to kill her Yukki. As the latter was starting to lose consciousness from the beating he'd taken from Killa, he could only hear the pained screams and cries for help coming from his beloved, with the sounds of the still-ongoing firefight almost drowning them out.
"Yukki, help me!"
Yuno, I'm sorry... I tried... But I... fucked... up...
Damn, this took way too long to make. Sorry if it took that long, I had some real-life shit going on that I had to attend to first. Also, I've been having multiple conflicting plans for how this chapter was gonna go down, but they all fall apart once I get to the docs page. I'm sorry for that too. I really hope you enjoyed my very, very late New Year's fireworks show. Don't forget to favorite, follow and leave a review once you're done reading. I'll see you all again in the next one, which I hope wouldn't take as long as this one did. Needle Gunner out.