Chapter 11: "Zero Two"

[13:43.]

"I'm... Afraid you won't be participating in this mission."

…

M950A looked at Ana in disbelief. Her leg had since been reattached, but the rest of her body remained stained and filthened. They sat in a rather claustrophobic, dim basement— adorned with repair beds and autonomous machinery, along with an unoccupied desk featuring several monitors... All powered by various wires snaking across the stained floor.

M950A's lips curled downward as she bowed her head, never responding to her commander's words. She sat on a metal table, while Ana stood in front of her.

"...I've taken notice of your behavior outside of missions, Calico." Ana's voice cut through the heavy silence.

"You seem stressed, I know that much. That being said, I think it's best that I relieve you of your duties. Temporarily, that is."

M950A shook her head.

Ana leaned in— sharp exhale. "I know what you're thinking." Hand to shoulder. "...You think I'm punishing you, but I'm not. We've got this, alright? Get a hold of yourself."

M950A glanced up at Ana. Blank-face. Now, they were mere centimeters away from each other.

"Commander... Do you still trust me?"

Admittedly, the question was one Ana had to contemplate. Given her subtle irrationalities, along with the failure of her recent assignment, could she? Objectively speaking... Hardly.

She gazed into the doll's piercing eyes.

With each second of hesitation, the hurt on Calico's face grew more apparent.

"...Of course I do. But..." She trailed off.

Calico's stare softened, as well as the rest of her. Without warning, she leaned into Malevich, her eyes closed.

Reflexively, Ana leaned out.

...

Not another word spoken, and not another expression madeー the air around them grew as awkward as it were heavy. She stepped away, and trudged toward the door. Before she left, Ana glanced back, speaking once more.

"I trust you, yes. But, I can't validate your performance." She murmured.

"...You'll get another chance, soon enough. In the meantime, get cleaned up."

Calico winced at the boom of the door. Its echoes faded out, letting the silence seep back in.

She sighed, raising her legs onto the table. She now lay on her back, staring at the incandescent light above. It was now laid bare how Ana truly felt. The nebulous thoughts in her head gradually shifted toward ways to regain her trust, rehearsing and replaying countless idyllic scenarios.

However, her spare time soon gave way to much more invasive thoughts, concerning a certain pale blue doll.

Her glare... Her smile. Her hoarse, angered voice. These thoughts and more flowed through her conscious, freely and quietlyー save for one memory.

"Calico... Why… Do you try to be my friend?"

...The truth of the matter?

"I... Don't know." She uttered aloud these words truthfully.

She turned to her side. Even when they'd first met, even if she was a useless pacifist...

There was always that damned feeling.

...

[Kiev, near a temporary command post.]

[17:38.]

Like most days in the season, darkness fell early, accompanied by new snowfall.

Tonight was the night. Through hours of deliberation between G&K and the National Guard, the objective had finally been confirmedー and they'd see to it now.

During their lectures, Grizzly couldn't help but compare the ordeal to a class in school. Besides that, she was assigned to a temporary team participating in Visoven's rescueー Two of her teammates grabbing her attention. After all was said and done, she decided she might as well confirm her suspicions.

Welrod caught wind, and decided to tag along.

"So... Do you remember the objective?" TAC-50 nudged as she walked the streets with Stechkin. Her voice was barely audible amidst the heavy rumbling of the APCs driving past them.

"...Nope. Not after the first 6 superiors laid it out to us in excruciating detail. Definitely not!" Her positive façade melted away as she rubbed her eyes. "Jeez. If another guy in camo gives us the rundown again, my head just might explode!"

"Heh... Me too..." TAC-50 murmured, staring back at the ground.

The two dolls were now situated just several blocks before the rear of the city council. Judging by the smoke in the distance, they weren't long now. They stood beneath the arched passageway of a building, away from the snow.

[TAC-50] Thunder... Are you on site?

[Thunder] Nearly. Make sure your drone is ready to be our eyes.

[TAC-50] Not a problem. Good luck.

Small sigh echoed, talking to another teammate put TAC-50 at further ease. She found that the longer she walked, the slower she wentー as though something deep inside her urged her not to continue. Ultimately, she suppressed these feelings. Deactivating one's emotional module could suffice, but she could still experience how it felt, ironically. The lack of 'humanity' in it. Logicallyー

"Heyy...! Speed up, will ya?" Stechkin waved to the doll behind her.

TAC-50 jogged up to her, mumbling some sort of apology. Internally, she hoped Stechkin didn't hear her awkward rambling.

"Hey, isn't it pretty quiet out?" TAC-50 whispered.

"Besides the constant gunfire? Yeah, I'll say. Most humans either ran off or evac'd. Don't know, but I think that's why."

"...Yeah..." 50 trailed off, and they continued on for a while longer. "Think I should give my drone a name some time? That'd be cool, right?" She perked back up.

Stechkin raised an eyebrow at her teammate. "Eh? You're kinda talking my ear off, man. I don't know." She shrugged.

"Ah... Iー I'm sorry! I was just trying to take my mind off this mission. And also..."

"HEYYー! Wait up!"

The two dolls yelped in unison, nearly jumping off of the ground. By instinct, they withdrew their firearms, and faced the voice.

"Oh shit! There's four of 'em!" Stechkin cried.

"Wー wait! Don't shoot!" Grizzly held her hands up. Welrod stopped in her tracks, and did the same.

Upon seeing the two, 50 dropped her guard, and gestured for Stechkin to do the same.

"Ma'am! Might you be the same doll I met nearly three weeks ago?" Welrod stepped toward TAC-50, and held out her hand.

50 grasped it, and eyed the blonde doll's figure. Blue leggings, and a hooded cardigan with... Bunny ears. All exactly like last time. Recollection flashed, and she nodded with a smile.

"You know them?" Stechkin lowered her gun, and placed a hand on her hip. TAC-50 nodded again, still preoccupied with humoring Welrod. She exhaled and turned toward the brunette. "Ey you. You're one of those Griffin losers right? Shouldn't you two be somewhere right now?"

"One, I'm NOT a loser. Two, we were assigned to your team during briefing. Don't you remember? Besides, we're going wherever we're needed." Grizzly replied.

[M1918] Grizzly! Why are you idled at that spot? Get going!

[Grizzly] ...You're not my mom. Go order your own team around!

[SVD] Say again?

[Grizzly] Uhhh...

[Stechkin] She's with me.

[SVD] Owー! Is this a child?

[IDW] Whose balls haven't dropped? I'm shootin', here!

As Stechkin's face went blank, Grizzly chuckled at her teammates' behavior with a hint of anxiety. She figured she'd say they had a point, but this doll looked like she was about to blow her top. "I, uhhh... Like your eyes? You okay?"

"...Fantastic." Stechkin muttered through gritted teeth. Before she could dwell on her own voice, she grabbed Grizzly by the collar, and dragged her through the snow, southward. Grizzly kicked and pulled, but couldn't match her surprising strength.

"Hey! Don't justー!" Welrod stammered. She extended a hand out, but to no avail.

"Suck it! We've got some killing to do!"

Welrod sucked her teeth, and jogged in pursuit of the two. However, she stopped when she noticed TAC-50 wasn't following. "Aren't you coming, Ms. 50?" She called out.

She shook her head. "Actually, I'm not supposed to get too close to the action... I'm mainly here for recon."

Welrod echoed an 'oh,' and ran off again. Before she could get very far, she heard TAC-50 call out a 'wait.' "Huh?" She stopped in her tracks.

"I just wanted to say... Thank you. For remembering." TAC-50 said with a sincere smile.

"Oh? No problem!" Welrod exclaimed. Distinct lack of an accent.

As they parted ways, the wind began to blow ever harder, carrying snow and hail with it. Welrod slowed her pace, accepting a transmission.

[IDW] By the way, you gonna be okay over there? You aren't scared, right?

[Welrod] ...I suppose.

[IDW] If it's not too much trouble, I can sub in, y'know?

[Welrod] No... It's too late for that. You worry much too often. I'm fine..! I promise...

[IDW] Hm. Aight, then. Out.

Welrod bit her lip, and sprinted full speed toward the council building.

Suddenly, a loud BOOM shook the very streets she walked, causing her to stumble. "What theー!?"

...She collected herself.

[Welrod] IDW?

[Welrod] BAR..? Galil?

No reply. She continued, nonetheless. The city skyline now burned a subtle red, practically resembling hell itself.

"Please, be alright..."

...

"You all know what to do."

"Shoot to kill. Kill to win."

...

The commander's words echoed in Thunder's mind as the streets rumbled to their core.

"Looks like things are heating up, eh girl?" A voice called out. She opened her eyes, and turned left to her teammate.

MP7 put on her headset, and loaded her SMG, fitted with a laser. She now wore her default black coat, with a beret to match. "I've been waiting for a moment like this. Give it your best, okay?" She encouraged Thunder, which the latter half-nodded to.

The two of them stood in a lot behind the council building in wait. The enemy's attention was elsewhere, so their positions weren't yet exposed.

"Where the hell..." MP7 scanned her surroundings for her missing teammates. "Oh. Speak of the devil!" she exclaimed, looking northward.

Stechkin continued dragging Grizzly toward them, with Welrod not far behind. TAC-50's drone flew overhead. Instantly, Thunder recognized both dolls.

"Those are the Griffin dolls I met... I'm sure." Thunder whispered to MP7.

"Really? That's fate for ya. And here you were saying we'd never meet again!" Her voice echoed throughout the streets. Thunder raised a finger, and shushed her. "My bad," she mumbled.

Grizzly staggered to her feet. MP7 helped her pat the snow off of her person, as well as her hair. "Yeah... Nice to meet you, at least. The name's Grizzly." She told the pink doll. "Tell this cartoon character to be a bit more gentle, for fuck's sake!" She loud-whispered.

"Hmph. I'll do it again." Stechkin folded her arms.

MP7 waved them both off, and headed toward the nearest entrance.

With their rendezvous fulfilled, the group was ready for action.

[A few minutes prior.]

A vicious firefight raged on, taking place right on Khreshchatyk street. The asphalt nearly crumbled as allied tanks rolled toward the battlefield. It seemed that the National Guard was a bit more than fed up with the UACT's resistance. Blue tinting of the night dissipated in favor of a fiery red, emanating from the flames of vehicles littered across the street. In a moment's time, Kiev's historic grounds were transformed into a hellscape.

For a while, it seemed as though they were finally gaining an edge over the UACT. Hidden behind cover, M1918 reloaded her weapon, and checked the status of her teammates. Mk23's mainframe sat beside her, with her jacket in tatters.

IDW and Galil returned fire, with varying success. In general, mostー if not allー of everyone's dummies were culled almost instantly.

M1918 examined her trembling left hand. Missing two fingers and a thumb... Nice.

Without communications, she could hear neither human nor doll over the gunfire.

[Galil] Four down, captain!

[IDW] I can't hit shit with this gun…

[M1918] Great, but keep your head low!

As soon as M1918 exited the channel, a bullet grazed her left cheek, angled downward. Mk23 flinched at the sight of her cheek bleeding red.

"Captain! Aー Are you alright..?" She stuttered in a panic.

M1918 nodded with a chuckle. "You asked me that the first two times I got shot… Don't worry about me." She mumbled, wrapping her hand in gauze. Gradually, her breathing became shallow, but she couldn't show that. As for her other teammates… She hoped they'd be alright, if and when this was all over.

[M1918] NTW-20, focus on enemies inside the council building. They've got a height advantage!

[NTW-20] Roger that.

Meanwhile, SV-98 sat with her back to a barrier, completely paralyzed by the chaotic situation. A nearby tank crawled up the street, and opened fire on the enemy.

She eyed the smoking muzzle of her rifle, then the corpses of her own dummies sprawled onto the pavement.

"How many times..." She murmured with a blank stare.

"98! Get a grip!" SVD shook her teammate by the shoulder. "This won't last forever, so keep going!" SVD shouted. She herself was in an arguably worse condition, having sustained multiple bullet wounds.

SV-98 shook her head, and checked her own rifle. Empty.

She reached for the rifle of a deceased dummy. SVD was right. Even if she couldn't handle it, she had to at leastー

[MDR] Yo! RPG coming in hot! Find cover, now!

"...Huh?" 98 uttered in confusion.

Before she and SVD could react, it was already too late.

MP7 kicked the barricaded door in, to be met with near abyssal darkness. She activated her gun's tactical flashlight.

Rumble.

The ornate marble tile, as well as the off-white walls of the winding halls were splotched black. Most pieces of the accompanying mahogany furniture were splattered in crimson streaks. Haphazard corpses of the innocent lined the area: without watching one's step, they'd surely step into a pool of blood. Anything not stuck to the ground was either missing, or toppled over.

MP7 looked to the left side of the hall, and saw an elevator. She extended a fist out, causing the rest of the party to pause.

[MP7] Alright, this is where we diverge. Stechkin and Grizzly, you'll focus on neutralizing hostiles around the building. Thunder and...?

[Welrod] Welrod Mark Two.

[MP7] Right. Follow me. We're going to retrieve our target. There's an elevator, so this shouldn't take long. 50, are you still there?

[TAC-50] Yeah... I'll give you heads up when necessary.

[MP7] Alright, just checking. Let's move.

Grizzly and Stechkin crept off into the building's main section. MP7 wagged her hand, signaling that the other two follow her to the left.

...Once inside the bright elevator, MP7 pressed button '9,' the penultimate floor.

As they ascended, another BOOM shook the building violently. Welrod covered her mouth, and tried to stifle a whimper. How were the others doing? Were they alright..? She suppressed her intrusive mental images, at least as much as she could.

Suddenly, the elevator came to a haltー accompanied by metal screeching resonating from above.

[Thunder] This is only floor four. What's the hold up?

[MP7] I... Think something's blocking it from going any further. Hー Hey, help me get this door open!

[TAC-50] Wait! There are two humans aiming down the hall! They'll see you!

[MP7] Huh!?

By then, it was already too lateー the door was coming undone. MP7 raised a hand over her head, then swung it down. All three hid behind the door walls of the elevator.

[MP7] Throwing a smoke! Get low!

The grenade exploded. Out seeped a thick, opaque gas. Gunfire erupted, as bullets flew past the smoke and into the elevator. MP7 pushed a hand forward, and the two dolls crawled out. Welrod's dummy shot and killed one target through the smoke, and went back behind cover.

[Welrod] One down..!

All gunfire ceased, allowing them to move further in.

The gunner cried for his life, and dropped his weapon. "Wー Wait! Don'tー"

Bang.

MP7 shot him in the head, causing his blood to spatter onto both her and Welrodー the latter flinching severely. She switched her gun back to safety. "...Sorry. Orders are orders." MP7 frowned. Thunder watched the man exsanguinate silently. Inevitably, more lives squandered.

[MP7] Anyways, they're dead, 50.

She raised her hand vertically, then waved it back and forth. Line formation. Once they reached the end of the hall, MP7 nudged open a bifold door, and stepped onto the red carpeting of a spacious white roomー but not before checking each corner.

This area appeared relatively untouched: rows of seats lined it, facing a podium and a wide desk, as though it were some kind of hearing room... Likely. Though she could hardly see, white balconies were situated above the room.

[MP7] Large room. Go slowly.

She shined her flashlight on each section of balconies.

Nobody. Thumbs up.

[MP7] We need to find somewhere else to ascend. Anyone got any ideas?

[Thunder] No. I've never even stepped foot into this building. Also, you heard that, right?

[Welrod] ...Heard what?

Just then, dozens of footsteps pounded the floor above them, with indistinct shouting and murmuring. An ambush?

Before any of the dolls could react, a dozen flashlights flickered down upon the trio. MP7 raised a fist, discouraging Welrod and Thunder from acting. Before they knew it, they were completely surrounded.

"Do not move!" Several voices shouted. All UACT soldiers wore helmets and masks, with most of them wearing only minor protection. "You're under our arrest, now! Hands where I can see 'em!"

Rumble.

All three complied. "Arrest? The hell d'you fancy yourselves, eh? Your very own StateSec?" MP7 jeered at the soldiers above.

[TAC-50] Seven, I'm seeing a huge influx of hostiles in your position!

[Welrod] We noticed! I'm gonna fucking DIE!

[MP7] Calm down! Stechkin, Grizzly! Your position?

"On your knees!" One of them shouted.

"Shit..." MP7 fell.

[TAC-50] I'm so sorry...

[Grizzly] We're kinda stuck. There's this one bastard giving us a pretty hard time!

Time came to a near standstill as MP7 weighed in on the desperate situation.

If the enemy is here, then whoever's in possession of the hostage might be aware of their presence... Not good. With the other dolls preoccupied, they couldn't bail them out. Could Thunder's cannon..? No. It'd take time to fire, and even then, The entire building may be blown to kingdom come. Not an option. Maybe... She could sacrifice Welrod? She's expendable, right? After all, Griffin dolls were a dime a dozen.

She glanced back at Welrod's frightened face.

...Scratch that. She then made up her mind. This was something only she could do.

[MP7] *sigh* ...Look, I got an idea. Thunder, Welrod, you aren't that deep into the room. On my mark, you'll retreat. I think I can handle this.

[Welrod] Are you sure, Ms. Seven?

[MP7] Yeah. They're only human, after all. I can take advantage of that. After three, the signal'll be the tap of my right foot, so pay close attention! When that happens, I'm probably gonna do some wild shit. Take the opportunity to wait in the hall, alright?

[Welrod] I... I trust you. Please, live on. Otherwise, we'll all...

7's lips formed the faintest smile.

[MP7] No worries. Time to see what my training's gotten me.

[MP7] ...Ready? One. Two. Three...!

Tap.

TO BE CONTINUED