A War for Three

by caryalaciniosa

Two years after the Butterfly Incident, the struggle between Griffin & Kryuger and Sangvis Ferri continues unabated. To many, the countless IOP androids employed by Griffin are merely a tool. But even T-dolls have true warriors, worthy of the highest praise. The stories told here are but a few of such individuals.

12. SuperSASS Chapter 5

NTW-20 swung the knife up into SuperSASS's throat before she slammed a foot into the doll's gut, sending her flying across the room.

"Reset," she said as SASS felt at the wet hole in her neck. And like that, they were back to the beginning.

"Stop leaving yourself so open after an attack," NTW-20 advised. "Any good strike will mean nothing if your opponent can hit back right after."

SASS adjusted her grip on the okapi. NTW-20 had one too, except hers featured wood furnishing and a darker blade that failed to shine in the light. "Sangvis don't fight back like that, senpai," she said.

"Ringleaders will," replied NTW-20, and they were at it again. The doll launched a hefty blow, again aimed for SASS's throat, but SASS dodged the strike and swung her own blade toward NTW-20's shoulder joint. NTW-20 smacked SASS's arm aside and kicked her in the chest, knocking SASS to the ground and keeping here there with a foot on the chest.

"What?" SASS coughed. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," said NTW-20. "Just do it faster. Reset."

When SASS found herself standing up again, she moved as quick as she could. NTW-20 threw her hands up in a defense posture, so SASS feinted to the stomach before bringing her hand up to sink the blade into NTW-20's neck. The doll twisted and SASS found herself being carried over NTW-20's back and thrown onto the ground.

"Too slow! Reset."

They had been in simulation pods for over an hour, learning more and more hand-to-hand. NTW-20 insisted that SASS learn how to fight with just the blade, and cited numerous situations where it was necessary.

"Executioner. Sangvis Ringleader defeated by M4A1. She had a sword and a pistol, and liked to fight up close. How do you deal with that?"

"I wouldn't have to," SASS said irritably. "I'm a sni-"

"Stop using that excuse," NTW-20 said. "How do you deal with that?"

"I don't know! I'm not M4A1!"

"Clearly," NTW-20 said, unsatisfied. "Well, be glad that you don't have to be."

After the miniature lesson in Sangvis Ringleaders, NTW-20 had come at SASS much harsher, and she had yet to win any of the matches with her senpai. Now, they stood across from each other again. NTW-20's simulation self had tied her hair back in a long ponytail that hung down to the backs of her knees and she had discarded her side cap so it didn't fall off while she fought. Her cheeks were flushed red from exertion, and SASS had found herself staring at them too often, leading to a defeat. Now, she kept her focus on NTW-20's hands, looking to see where they would go next.

They went to the stomach. SASS's hand struck down and deflected NTW-20's blade from the wrist, and she swung her own knife upwards, hoping to drive it into NTW-20's jaw like she had to SASS. The taller doll moved fast, and danced away far enough to avoid being killed. The blade still cut up across her chin and lip, though, and coolant started leaking soon enough.

"Nice," grinned NTW-20. "But not good enough."

SASS took the initiative this time, advancing towards NTW-20 as she looked for an opening. Make one, she thought, and made a cautious swing for her opponent's temple. NTW-20 lifted a hand to block the swing, and SASS used the opening to strike at NTW-20's throat, but the doll caught her by the wrist. SASS pulled her knife hand around and sliced at NTW-20's midriff. The cloth parted to reveal a thin line where the tip had slid in, and coolant dribbled out. SASS's heart lifted at that – her first significant blow in a long while – until NTW-20 slammed a fist into her jaw, flattening her again.

"That's better," said NTW-20, playing with the wound and forcing more coolant out. "I wouldn't be combat capable for much longer. But, as you saw, I could still land a solid blow. So: go for the kill."

"That's the only thing I could do," SASS said.

"Then you messed up earlier. End it in one strike. Reset."

SASS launched a kick at NTW-20's leg. The pink-haired doll reached out to intercept it, and in that moment SASS shoved the knife into her arm, pushing it as far as it would go. The synthetic bone split with a muffled snap. SASS yanked the knife out, NTW-20's flesh tearing as the arm started to fall away. With nothing to intercept her next blow, SASS struck for NTW-20's throat, the knife point sliding through the trachea and esophagus and through the spinal cord. NTW-20's core and processor connection was severed, her eyes went dark, and she crumpled to the floor.

"I did it, senpai," SASS said, feeling quite pleased with herself. Hopefully NTW-20 would be pleased as well. It made SASS very happy to see the doll proud, though it didn't happen as often as she'd like. Maybe that's for the better. "Senpai?"

NTW-20 was dead. Coolant pooled on the floor beneath her neck from the stab wound, and the ragged stump of her arm gushed fluids wildly. Her mouth hung ajar, coolant welling up inside, and her eyes had turned a dull grey with the deactivation of the core. Her hand servos were frozen in their last position, so NTW-20's fingers were still tightly wrapped around the handle of her knife.

SASS got to her knees next to the corpse. "I'm so sorry, senpai… Even though you want me too, it still feels wrong to kill you, if you understand."

NTW-20's corpse made no reply. SASS thought of the Dragoon she had stabbed in the forest during the convoy mission. At least her breasts aren't out, SASS thought, although the concept produced a feeling other than humor in her. She brushed it off as awkwardness.

Her senpai had not magically come to life while she was thinking, so SASS figured she ought to reset the simulation. She took one last look at NTW-20 – the long, pink hair, the black schoolgirl uniform, knee pads and shoes, grey-black tights. They were like SASS's own, now that she thought about it. Long legs, SASS thought. I wonder what size she is? "Reset."

Her digimind was pulled away from the simulation and thrown into a fresh one. NTW-20 set her fists on her hips, a slight smile tweaking the edges of her lips. "Nice one. I mean, really good! Throat strike is nice. Just remember that you could miss the spinal cord if you don't aim right. And the arm! Excellent." NTW-20 broke into a full grin.

SASS kept her gaze on a point to NTW-20's left. "Ah, lucky, I guess. I failed all those other times."

"Well, you'll learn to do that stuff again," NTW-20 said, tossing her knife up in the air in a lazy spin. "And over and over again, until it comes naturally."

"Aren't Ringleaders a bit too well armored to be defeated by a knife?" SASS asked, dubious. NTW-20 shrugged.

"It depends on the model, really. But you won't need to worry about that for a good long while… unless Kerr throws your echelon into combat soon. And even if that happens, there's not going to be a Ringleader around here for a bit of time."

SASS sheathed her knife. "Everyone says there's already a new Ringleader."

"So I've heard." NTW-20 shrugged again. "Idle gossip, mess hall rumors. Kerr would tell us if there was. Now, ready to leave the sim? You did pretty well for today."

NTW-20 gazed off for a moment, and then the exit point appeared in the form of a bright red door. It opened to a void, and NTW-20 stepped through, disappearing instantly. SASS went after, sensing the swoop in her stomach right before her vision went to black. The next moment, she was in the sim pod, watching NTW-20 step out onto the floor.

"Here you go." The pink-haired doll offered her hand to SASS, who took it and pulled herself out of the recliner seat in the pod. "Where're you headed next?"

"Back to the dorm," SASS replied. "We're not on a shift right now, so that's where everyone's been hanging out."

"I'll walk you back."

The two left the sim room and began walking down the corridor. It was early at night, so the hallways were still bustling with dolls moving to and fro their jobs. Kerr had increased search efforts in the wake of Yew Team's disappearance, so the blast doors to the outside were nearly continuously open as teams changed shifts. Elsewhere, dolls were busy maintaining the base, preparing for logistics missions, and performing basic duties. The simulation pod bay was in the doll services area, surrounded by the multitude of rooms devoted to the upkeep of the android soldiers. SASS witnessed PPSh-41 behind the wheel of a forklift, loaded with boxes of replacement parts.

"Lots of organics recently," NTW-20 observed, and the two of them watched a trio of human technicians trooping along the hallway.

"I didn't know we had this many," SASS replied. She had seen very few humans in person during her service in S17. Once she had seen Kerr during her induction with the other new transfers, and on occasion a mechanic or armed Griffin soldier was present in one room or another, but generally humans were few and far between in the base. Perhaps it's just due to the size of the base, SASS thought.

"Kerr has them coming out of the woodwork ever since StG44 recovered that cannibalized corpse in the forest."

"Corpse?" SASS asked, incredulous. "From what?"

"SV-98," NTW-20 said indifferently. The doll waved to someone SASS recognized as M99, a little mouse-like thing barely visible amongst the other, taller dolls. "Say, she was the same rifle class as you, right?"

"Three-star rating by IOP's commercial ranking system, yeah," SASS said, remembering. SV-98 had been better in terms of skill, though, and always a bit more confident than SASS was. But now her death had been confirmed. SASS remembered hearing the news of Yew Team's disappearance. She had never spoken to SV-98, at least not in a personal sense, so she was not rocked by that so much as the disappearance itself, so close to the gatehouse. Something had been powerful enough to take out a skilled Griffin echelon right when they were set to pass Gatehouse Pavlov. "She was pretty good."

"Good shot," said NTW-20. "Can't really beat bolt actions for a dedicated sniper." She looked to SASS and her gun. "...not that it's exclusive like that."

SASS smiled. "It's okay, senpai. I'll do my hardest to make up the difference."

NTW-20's face softened for a little as she looked SASS in the eyes, and SASS felt her smile go from obligatory to genuine. "Good attitude," NTW-20 said finally. SASS blushed and turned away.

By now, they were crossing the main hall. A copious amount of humans were walking about, always in pairs. SASS recognized some of them them as wielding older Soviet weapons, modernized Kalashnikovs. Their camouflage fit right into the aesthetic of the dark stone and iron of the hall.

"Ratnik gear," NTW-20 said. "Must be surplus from the military."

"The camouflage must be useful." SASS had long wondered why Griffin didn't outfit its own dolls with such gear. It would prove infinitely better than the gimmicky outfits several models were produced with.

"Pretty expensive for a PMC, too," said NTW-20, seemingly reading SASS's thoughts. "The military's pretty stingy with their gear, so it might be some sort of special situation."

The men started shouting in Russian, but SASS and NTW-20 passed into the dormitory hallway before SASS could hear any more. It was much quieter here, with most dolls away from their rooms, though several still walked the halls. "What room are you in?" SASS asked.

"Won't tell you that," NTW-20 said. "You wouldn't want to visit."

SASS raised an eyebrow. The habitation wing for dolls stretched on for quite a while, so it could be any one of hundreds of rooms. But NTW-20 seemed unlikely to say anything else, so she kept her mouth closed until they reached Grizzly Echelon's dorm.

"This is it," said NTW-20 as they approached the door. "More hand-to-hand tomorrow?"

"Maybe," SASS said noncommittally. "I don't really feel like stabbing you again…"

"It does take a bit to stomach attacking another IOP doll," NTW-20 replied, and SASS saw her thoughts stray to something different for a split second. She prized the room key from her pocket and fitted it into the door, turning and pushing.

"SASS!" Grizzly shouted, silhouetted like some sort of cryptid by the bright room lights behind her. SASS waved to her and stepped over the threshold, starting to take off her shoes.

"Bit messy in here," NTW-20 commented, poking her head in.

"RFB doesn't really pick up after herself," SASS explained. "It's actually kind of clean today."

Grizzly stepped over to SASS, her face becoming visible. SASS's gaze flew back to NTW-20, who was looking at Grizzly with detached curiosity. "Grizzly."

"NTW-20," said Grizzly. "How're you?"

"Getting along." NTW-20 leaned on the doorjamb and crossed her arms. SASS looked back to Grizzly to see her hands pushed into her pockets. That seems a little fake.

"How's that dog of yours?" Grizzly asked, and it was then SASS knew she should be quiet.

"Funny you should mention it. I'll be handling it in a few minutes."

Grizzly nodded slowly as SASS straightened up. "Superb."

"Just so you know," NTW-20 said, taking her weight off the doorjamb, "Nobody talks shit more than Americans, so take everything you hear with a grain of salt."

Grizzly huffed. "You're not wrong on that count. If you're meeting with her, then you'd better leave now."

"No kidding. SASS." NTW-20 smiled at her. "I'll be seeing you."

In a turn of pink hair, the doll was off down the hallway. Grizzly turned away from the doorway and walked back into the dorm, and SASS followed. The other three were arrayed about the common area. M590 was out of the repair bays, her leg good as new. Now she stretched out on the couch with a beer in one hand, pillow behind her head. Ingram was sprawled out on the floor, staring at the ceiling, and RFB sat on a cushion, controller in hand.

"Hey SASS," M590 waved as she walked in, though the other two failed to acknowledge her arrival. Grizzly went behind the counter, and SASS took a seat in an empty chair. "How's it been?"

"Fine," SASS said, unwilling to discuss her training session with NTW-20. "How was the repair bay?"

"Insufferable as usual," the doll replied. "I tell you, MP448 gets more and more annoying every time I visit. And the repair machine itself is a bitch to deal with, poking and prying. I'm glad they put you to sleep for repair work."

Grizzly took a seat next to M590, relaxing back into the couch. "I saw you naked," she said, turning to smile toothily at the shotgun. "Now we're even."

"You could've asked and I would've shown," she grinned back.

"Then it's just not the same."

"You're naked in the repair bay?" SASS asked, suddenly self-conscious of if anyone had seen her without clothes.

"Yeah. Bit hard to repair you when you're wearing clothes," M590 said. "And don't worry. Most dolls have the decency to be embarrassed, or at least not look. Unless it's Saiga… or maybe one of those other dolls. I mean, who else would do that?"

"HORNY COMMANDERS!" Ingram shouted.

"Horny commanders," Grizzly ceded.

"You know, back when I was in S09, that commander wanted to fuck every T-doll there," Ingram continued, still spreadeagle on the floor. "Except me. Which I understand. I guess I'm just too cool…"

"I doubt that was why they stayed away," M590 said, but Ingram seemed not to hear. "At least Kerr handles this base well. I'm willing to take few restrictions for more discipline, especially compared to those other bases…"

"So, did you guys hear about that stuff with about SV-98?" Grizzly asked. "Finding her corpse?"

"I've heard that it's been cannibalized," SASS said. "Like, someone took parts from it."

"Or something," said M590. Grizzly furrowed her brow.

"No one from Griffin, and surely not Sangvis. They've no Ringleader."

"Not by how they behaved with the convoy," M590 objected. "That was too coordinated for automated response systems. Something with a brain was directing it. Especially with that airstrike. I don't even know where they got that plane. It caught us completely off guard."

"This sector is chock full of old military stuff from the war," Grizzly shrugged. "Wouldn't put it past some Ringleader to get the bright idea to restore some of it. Though piloting it is where it gets confusing. That's no easy task for an android."

"Old piloting programs. I'm just lost as to how they could hide it from our scouts."

"Underground bunkers, jamming tech, stuff like that."

M590 took a sip of her beer, savoring the taste. Grizzly pointed to the bottle. "That IPA?"

"Yeah."

Grizzly stood up and went to the fridge. M590 settled back into the couch a little more and turned to SuperSASS. "Where'd you hear that about cannibalized parts? Everyone I've talked to won't let a word slip, if they even know in the first place."

"Er… someone who knew the doll who found the corpse."

"And who was that?"

"Son of a…" Grizzly muttered from the kitchen before the bottlecap clatter onto the counter. "Why they didn't put a beer opener right in here, I'll never know…"

"Well, we wouldn't want RFB drinking, would we?" said M590. "Lots of underage dolls here."

"We're in Russia. There isn't a drinking age. Besides, then we'd all be underage. How old are you, two years?"

"Two and three months. What'd you use?"

"Countertop edge. The one time that I wish I had a Galil," Grizzly grumbled. "Must be real convenient for her."

"Doesn't that doll in her echelon like tea? TAR-21?"

"Yup. Never liked the stuff." Grizzly lifted her bottle to her lips and sipped. "That's good."

"So… the corpse," M590 said, setting her beer down and putting her hands behind her head. "SASS said she talked to someone who knows the doll who found it."

"MG34?" Grizzly asked, suddenly looking awkward as she swallowed. "Who talks to her anymore?"

"No one," snorted M590. "SASS, who was it?"

SASS blanched as the attention turned to her. "StG44."

Ingram shot up into a sitting position. "I know her!"

"From where?" asked M590.

"From the defensive! I was still fighting when Hunter Squadron showed up, and I saw her moving around before a Sangvis got me. She's really good."

"No kidding," said Grizzly, exchanging a look with Grizzly.

"Really efficient, too… I couldn't imagine that sort of ammo conservation."

You couldn't imagine a lot of things, SASS thought. Still, Ingram had seen Hunter Squadron in action, or at least part of them. And she had survived the battle a lot longer than SASS expected.

"Huh. Well, I've heard some things about StG44, that's for sure," M590 said. "She beat up Garand a couple weeks ago, SVT too. Pretty serious, from what I heard."

"I have heard she's a bit psycho," Grizzly agreed. It was SASS's turn to look at the floor. StG44 had not seemed particularly odd when she was on the hilltop, only very professional.

"You get a bit of everything with dolls like her." M590 turned to Ingram. "She was in S09 with you, right?"

"Yeah, we were both in that AR Team affair together," said Ingram. "Helian never did let me get back at the Sangvis there."

"You're doing it now. Did you talk to Sturmgewehr at all?" M590 persisted.

"A little. She's very straight-laced and all that, not my type. And angry. She was pissed when she woke up in the new body, I was there for it. Then Kerr swooped in like a vulture and took us off the S09 Commander's hands, just like that. I have say, it's funny she ended up as prim and proper as she is..."

"Wack," said RFB, who had paused the game and pulled off her headset. "She seemed pretty uptight when I talked to her, advising me on battle strategy and stuff."

"She's bitter. I've seen it in dolls before," explained M590. "Ingram's right, though. S09's a pretty disorganized place, so it's surprising that StG isn't… well, of that ilk."

"Glad I'm not like that," Ingram sighed. "I just want to kill."

"All you need," said M590. The room then lapsed into silence as Ingram laid back down and RFB resumed her game. Grizzly and M590 sipped on their beers, and SASS had nothing to do except think. NTW-20's and Grizzly's encounter in the doorway was the first thing that came to mind. Did Grizzly blame NTW-20 for the landslide? And what if NTW-20 had really been the cause of the accident? SASS resolved to ask the pink-haired doll about it next time they met. The thought made her uncomfortable, but she supposed it was likely enough. "Any idea on our next mission?"

"Nope," said Grizzly. "We'll probably get it tonight. At least, I hope… don't want to be doing another inane task on base."

"Amen to that." M590 took another sip of her beer. "SASS, want some?"

"I'm fine," said the doll. "I don't drink."

Grizzly inclined her head, smiling. "Surprising, given how long you were with Thompson. It's nice to see someone who makes better choices, so many dolls nowadays are, well, a bit unrestrained." SASS blushed at the words. "M590, do you remember DSR?"

"I don't want to," M590 said derisively. "Just stay the way you are, SASS, and you'll be all right. Well, and stay away from any perverts, doll or otherwise. Weirdos like Ingram are okay. Though hanging out her type is quite the gesture to everyone else."

"Ingram's a gesture all right," laughed Grizzly, raising her middle finger. "Half the base thinks she's a suicidal hack, the rest are waiting for you to be committed Sector 78 so they can get a promotion."

"Watch those obscene gestures," M590 said, shaking her hands in mock disapproval. "Springfield will make you eat soap! And you're a bad influence on SASS."

"She's heard enough already, being around Thompson. I don't think I'll be the one to corrupt her."

"Wait," Ingram said, lifting her head. "Promotion? I have a rank?"

"Not officially," said Grizzly. "It's like… being assigned to a certain squad is a rank. We're a good fireteam, so it's a promotion for some dolls to be assigned to us."

"But, like, CBJ-MS would think it's a demotion because she's already on a really good team, Chrysanthemum. But Spectre M4 would probably be happy to join us," continued M590

"We're good?" SASS asked.

"Well, not terribly so. But better than others. There's a reason we didn't have accompaniment on the convoy mission."

Ingram butted back in and the three of them went back to doll hierarchy. SASS rested her head on her hand and pondered what Grizzly meant. Was she good enough to be "good"? Was that even an approval? Team Thompson had worked independently too, she supposed, but that was in a different sector with a different area of expertise. And Hunter Squadron was a different matter entirely.

SuperSASS dismissed the thought and allowed herself to feel pleased. She thought she deserved it after all the training and work recently.