It was raining. Fat drops of water fell about SASS, and despite her prone position underneath a significant amount of foliage, plenty of water reached the doll's otherwise dry hiding place. SASS praised the presence of mind of whatever IOP designer gave her a hood with the jacket, since it helped to keep her head dry. It certainly wouldn't pay to be distracted while sniping.

Even without the water impeding her vision, SASS knew that her job would be much more difficult than usual. It was the dead of night, and the only natural light SASS had to see by was the moon and stars. Thankfully, she had been granted a night-vision scope for the mission, something she was immeasurably relieved by. SASS was not entirely sure she had the skill to shoot straight without one.

"Comms check," Grizzly said over Zener.

"Here," said SASS.

"I copy," M590 grunted.

"I gotcha," Ingram said.

"Present!" said RFB.

"How much longer are we gonna be waiting around?" Ingram bemoaned. "It's been hours already – and this storm's gonna pick up any time."

"Until we get the go-ahead."

"I could be doing so much more," RFB added to the complaints.

"Zip it. SASS, Ingram, RFB, why don't you leave your dummies on a sentry setting and come to the clearing with M590 and me."

SASS peered down her scope. Nothing. Confident in the safety of the situation, she carefully backed out of the bush she was under and straightened up, making her way through the forest towards the tiny lamp Grizzly had set up.

"Why are we here?" Ingram said irritably. "I should be watching for Sangvis to kill."

"You can take a break," Grizzly replied, exasperated. "Look, I just wanted to give you guys something. A present, if you will." The doll reached for a backpack leaning against an ammo box, unzipping the pouch and reaching inside.

"Oh boy."

Grizzly grinned at the four before bringing her hand out with a flourish. In it was a clear plastic wrapper around a small loaf of sponge cake.

"Twinkies!" M590 said rather loudly, snatching it out of Grizzly's grasp and tearing it open. "Mm-mm, civilian food gives me the munchies."

"Twinkies?" RFB furrowed her brow.

"It's an old American sweet. Here, Ingram." Grizzly tossed another of the wrapped foods to Ingram, who scrutinized it carefully before ripping the wrapper off.

"Jesus! How can you eat something this sweet?" said the doll, nearly choking on the sweet.

"It's so good," said M590, already done with hers. RFB nibbled at it for a few seconds before taking a larger bite, humming in enjoyment.

"SASS?" asked Grizzly. SASS took a minute to savor her first bite, trying her best not to swallow the soft cake too quickly. It really is super sweet.

"I like it," she said, shrugging. Grizzly and M590 clearly seemed to appreciate the snack much more than the others, as both were already eating seconds or thirds.

"You can have the rest," Ingram said, tossing her half-eaten Twinkie at Grizzly and walking back into the forest. RFB crumpled the wrapper and threw it into Grizzly's lap as well before following suit.

"I guess they just can't appreciate fine cuisine," Grizzly said, smiling at SASS. If you say so.

"It's been a while since I've had one of these." M590 sat back and sighed in contentment. "If only this night battle would go down as easy."

For a brief moment, all that could be heard was the patter of rain on leaves and equipment as the three dolls remembered their mission. SASS traced a finger along the rim of her scope.

"SASS," said Grizzly.

"Yes?"

The doll looked up at SuperSASS, any jollity gone from her face. "Can I trust you to do well on this mission?"

"O-of course!" said SASS, creasing her face in worry. What does she think I am?

"All right. Last time was kind of rough. I'll need you even more on this than I did last time, thanks to our circumstances, so trust me when I say that there's no room for side events like last time."

"Sure… But I can't decide what to do if Sangvis rushes me."

"Of course. But why did they rush you at all?"

SASS could see where the conversation was going. "If you mean to blame NTW-20's training for that–"

"I'm not," said Grizzly, folding her hands together. "But you need to make your own decisions sometimes, and not follow whatever suggestions your mentor makes."

"I was following your orders when the skirmishers rushed me."

Grizzly sighed. "If you say so. The point is, you have to make the right choices this time, and if you think you can, I trust you."

"Aye aye," SASS said. "I'll do my best."

"Great. Now get back to your post."

Traces of the Twinkie's sweetness remained in SASS's mouth as she made her way back to her sniping spot. It was a pronounced difference from the less flavorful food served in the cafeteria, much sweeter than everything else. SASS felt the same. Nearly everyone she knew was far more bitter than she, something she was reminded of every time Grizzly or M590 recounted one of their old stories. Even NTW-20, for all her kind words and enigmatic smiles, hid something behind her manner that SASS knew soured even the best doll's attitude.

At least their partners on the mission were nice enough. Since the deployment was occurring at night, Kerr had grouped them with Carnation Team, an echelon much more experienced with night operations. Mosin-Nagant and M1895 were especially friendly, though SASS noticed that T-5000 and Type 92 seemed more reluctant to talk. For her part K5 had been quite businesslike. "She wants this thing done quickly," Grizzly had confided in the other four after the two had talked. "K5's as impatient as the rest of us."

For one, SASS was content to wait. Grizzly's words and the convoy ambush had left her a tad shaken in confidence, and she hoped that she could prove herself more worthy in this battle than she had the last. You did well, she told herself. NTW-20 had said the same thing when SASS had told her about the battle.

"Movement from the outpost," T-5000 reported. SASS looked through the scope to see a squad of Vespids moving out into the rain, pacing around the outpost's entrance.

"Don't shoot," Grizzly reminded them.

"The Commander's given clearance to proceed with the next step of the mission," K5 said. "Is everyone in position?"

Every doll acknowledged their readiness over the radio. "Let's kick some Sangvis butt," Ingram growled. M1895 giggled.

"You sure are eager!"

Of course she is, SASS thought tiredly. She was around Ingram enough that M1985's innocent remark was more annoying than relatable.

"Right," said K5. "Snipers, open fire."

"I've got the left," said Mosin-Nagant.

"Center," SASS claimed.

"Right," grunted T-5000. In the rain, SASS's suppressed rifle was even less audible than usual. After a few follow-up shots, the Sangvis were all flat on the ground.

"Mosin, Type 92, stay behind and cover our backs. Everyone else, move up."

SASS saw her four squadmates emerge from the forest to her left as K5, M1895, and T-5000 moved up on her right. Since Carnation Team had no effective CQC dolls of its own, Grizzly Team would be handling the bulk of the room clearing. SASS stood back up and started down the hill after the others. Despite the slippery grass, she managed to keep her balance and made it down in no time.

"M590, take point," Grizzly ordered as SASS stepped onto the concrete outside the door.

"I'd rather RFB lead the breach," K5 objected.

"They're in my echelon. M590, let's go."

M590 moved fast, kicking down the door and entering, shotgun barrel swinging about. "Entryway clear!"

"Leave dummies outside, they'll only hinder us in close quarters," said K5.

They were raiding an old military installation that had been occupied by Sangvis. Type 81 had informed them that Kerr believed the installation was where Sangvis's surprise aircraft had originated, and tasked the two echelons with clearing the base and capturing any information present. SASS kept her eyes off of the faded Cyrillic lettering on the walls as the team moved through the interior.

It reminded her of Griffin's own base, if it were unmanaged and decrepit. Sangvis had done the bare minimum required to keep it running, so debris had been roughly shoved to the sides of the hallway, only leaving clearance for entry into the rooms.

"Grizzly, you, M590, and M1895 can split off. I'll take RFB and T-5000, and SASS can search with Ingram. If you need backup, just call out over Zener."

Splendid. Grizzly seemed irked, but merely twitched her eyebrows before M590 pulled her away, Nagant following behind. Ingram put her hands on her hips as she appraised SASS. "You're probably gonna be pretty useless here, so just stay behind me."

"I've actually been training in CQB," SASS said. "I'll cover for you while you clear."

"Well, I can't say I'm displeased." Ingram smirked in some expression of superiority that SASS found herself cringing at. "Just watch the pro. You may have a big knife, but it doesn't make you as good as me."

They moved off. Ingram wasted no time in pushing through the first door and bursting into the room as SASS moved into the doorway, raising her rifle.

"Naturally," Ingram groaned, lowering her gun. "A recharge station. I wanted to fight something…"

SASS looked around the room. All four walls had been covered with small recharging pods, each containing a Ripper-model Sangvis android. Every one of the purple-haired dolls hung loose in the pod, a thick cord plugged into the back of their head.

Gunshots echoed from outside the room. "And of course they're the ones who get the fight." Ingram stared at the Sangvis dolls a moment longer before raising her gun.

"Wait, wait! Isn't it kind of wrong to shoot them like this?" SASS cautioned.

"No. Just easy prey. If Sangvis found us in recharge stations like this, they'd put plasma rounds through our heads before we ever woke up." Ingram squeezed the trigger, and a stream of bullets entered the Ripper. "Better get going, we need to move to the next room."

What would NTW think of this? SASS thought, turning around and raising her rifle. She would say the same thing as Ingram. The doll felt bad shooting the defenseless androids, but knew that Ingram was right in what she said, however bloodthirsty the doll may be.

Ingram made quick work of the SF in the next room, laying each out flat with a precise burst. "Grizzly, we've cleared another room, but it goes deeper."

"Keep going," Grizzly said over Zener. "K5 and I are nearly done out here, so we'll follow you when we're ready."

"Copy." Ingram released her empty magazine and took out a new one, sliding it into the gun. "SASS, you have a flashlight?"

"Yes."

"Shine it through that door."

SASS took the flashlight off her belt and turned it on, bringing it up to her shoulder and shining it over Ingram's head through the doorway. Sangvis had apparently failed to restore light to the second room.

"Pilot's ready room, going by the label near the door," Ingram said. "Definitely an old airfield."

SASS raised her flashlight and looked around. The room was in considerable disarray. Unlike the rest of the base, it was virtually untouched, only a single path of bootprints going through the room to the door on the other side. SASS figured that if the military abandoned an airbase in such a hurry, it must've been during the last world war.

"Ingram, SASS. K5's team is working on reaching the breaker panel to restore additional functionalities. What've you found?"

"A ready room," SASS said. "There's another door…"

With her free hand she pointed to the handle while looking at Ingram. The SMG doll tested the knob.

"It's open."

"Probably a hangar," Grizzly said, just as Ingram mouthed the same words. "Kerr said we need to determine if Sangvis is trying to appropriate more old military equipment, so head in and do just that. The storm sounds louder, so make it quick."

"Wilco. SASS out."

"There better be a boatload of Sangvis in here," Ingram said as she pushed all the way through the door, disappearing into the pitch blackness beyond. "I've been itching for a fight for hours, and none of those brainlets in the last room did it for me…"

Even in the darkness, SASS could feel the immensity of the hangar. The temperature dropped several degrees, and despite her jacket the doll shivered. Even the smallest shuffle on the concrete floor echoed about the chamber. The only other sound was the constant rattle of rain on the sheet metal roof of the hangar. "Ingram," she said over Zener. "Please stay close."

"What, scared?" Ingram laughed aloud, her already unsettling laugh made ever more eerie in the otherwise silent hangar. "Look, you and I are good. We can handle whatever Sangvis throws at us – and what's dying anyhow? Just a little setback."

"Ingram–"

"Hell, I like dying! It's a thrill… and it only happens whenever I'm in the thick of it. I know when I'm about to get shot to death, and it means that I'm having the most fun I can!"

"Found the breaker panel," K5 burst in. M590's voice followed right after.

"SASS, Ingram, cover your ey–"

The hangar lights flared to life, blinding SASS in a flash of light moments before she pressed her hands to her face. Ingram groaned. "Goddamn K5, can't she be patient?"

Weren't you impatient to get the mission started? SASS wondered, opening her fingers a little to peek through. The light had revealed a jet in front of her, painted with dark woodland camouflage and a light grey underbelly. SASS squinted at the red star painted on the tail end, but found it hard to focus as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Grizzly…"

"Sorry about the light, M590 tried to warn you."

"It's fine," SASS said. "Er, we found something. I think it's a jet."

Ingram had peered at the vehicle by now as well. "It is, Grizzly. Anybody here know models for Russian shit?"

"I'll identify it when I get there," said Grizzly. "In the meantime, explore the rest of the hangar. We'll be down there in a sec."

"Got it…" SASS said, still a little disoriented. "Ingram… do you think it's functional?"

"Well, it looks to be in pretty good condition. Especially for something left alone for, what, ten, twenty years? And it's Soviet. Stuff's built to last."

SASS's thoughts strayed back to the old Soviet base Griffin was operating out of. Kerr would like it here. She slowly lowered her hands from her eyes and approached the jet, Ingram close behind. The storm rumbled on outside.

"I can't see any sign of Sangvis modification," SASS said aloud. "But they've been here for a while, so why haven't they touched it?"

"Maybe…" Ingram walked around the fighter and looked down the length of the hangar. "Those look like aftermarket mods to me."

SASS went around the nose of the fighter, ducking under the autocannon to look. A row of the fighters stretched out before her, yet these were much different. They were all in various stages of retrofit, and the one farthest away had been entirely covered with purple-black plating and the cockpit sealed shut. The one closest to SASS and Ingram had its maintenance panels open and internals half-replaced.

"How the…"

"Storm's getting more intense," Mosin reported. "We won't be getting back to the Griffin outpost if you guys spend any more time in there."

"We'll need fifty pounds of explosives to blow these planes up at least," Ingram said. "Not to mention how much to bury all the Sangvis in this place. A day for demo ops, no less."

"Kerr will want it intact," SASS predicted. "She'd have a field day with all this tech and old Soviet military equipment."

Ingram sighed. "Whatever. We won't be on demolitions any-"

The lights clunked off, plunging the entire hangar into darkness. SASS immediately thumbed the flashlight on before swinging it around to find Ingram, who raised her hand to block the light.

"Shine that away, will you?"

"Just get over here," SASS said, anxiety rising. "Grizzly…"

"We're in the hangar now," said Grizzly over Zener. "What happened to the power?"

"I… I don't know." SASS heard something scrape against concrete. "Ingram!"

"I didn't do anything."

Something thudded before a shrill creak of bending sheet metal reverberated around the hangar. Footsteps shuffled on the floor, approaching SASS and Ingram, who both tightened their grips and raised their guns.

"Now may be your chance for CQC," Ingram said. SASS hoped it wouldn't come to that, but she suspected it would. The doll could sense the movement getting closer, coming from her right. Slow, deliberate footsteps. I won't die again. Just as the pacing got as close as she could bear, SASS swung the rifle around and aimed down sights. Something struck the barrel and flung her aim off right before a swift kick to her stomach shoved her to the ground. "SASS!"

"Wait, wait, don't shoot!" Grizzly said. "It's me!"

"You scared the hell out of me," said Ingram. "Thought you were SF."

"I… yeah, I thought the same," said Grizzly, voice faltering. Several other sets of footsteps sounded on the floor as SASS got to her feet. "Sorry, SASS."

"She's just a bit high-strung," M590 finished for her. "We all are. K5, thoughts on those lights? Maybe a secondary power switch?"

"Likely," came the doll's peppy voice. "Or sabotage. The hangar isn't fully clear yet… you know, I had a feeling this was going to happen.."

"Wow!" said RFB. "This is just like in one of those Resident Evil games–"

"You aren't helping." Grizzly reasserted herself. "Everyone, flashlights or night vision on. Let's just progress towards the other end and try to find something to restore the power."

SASS only had to shine her flashlight around to see who else was here. In addition to all of Grizzly's team, K5 and T-5000 had joined them, M1895 likely watching their backs. They silently split into two groups flanking the row of fighters, stepping forward into the gloom. SASS swallowed. Why must IOP program anxiety? The rain picked up in volume momentarily, and just then she heard the squeal of shifting metal yet again. There was a row of windows at the very top of the expansive hangar doors, and as the rainclouds briefly parted, the moon's light shone through in a thin beam of light. SASS's eyes flitted back and forth at a ridiculous speed as she focused on every shifting shadow in the entire hangar, twitching her flashlight around to follow. Yet nothing showed itself. Maybe the wind was bending the hangar door.

The clouds returned, and the hangar became dark again. "Nearly there," said Grizzly. "K5–"

"I'm on it," said the doll, all too loudly for SASS's liking. NTW-20 had never advised her on night missions like this, so she was in the dark on what to do. K5 seemed to pick up her pace, marching towards the hangar wall. SASS could only see her flashlight bobbing around crazily.

"M590," Grizzly spoke over their echelon Zener, separate from K5. "Watch our back. Ingram, RFB, either side of her, five meters. SASS… with me."

SASS made her way over to Grizzly, anxiety growing from the team leader's orders. Zener had a habit of perfectly representing the transmitter's emotions, and she had felt a wave of nervosity from Grizzly.

"T-5000, shine your light here," K5 ordered. SASS saw the flashlight fall on an electrical box. K5 pulled the door open, revealing a mess of cables. "Damn Soviet jury rigging…"

"Watch it. Probably a lot of amps going through that, and I'm not too eager to test IOP electric dampening," Grizzly cautioned.

"I trust the cards." K5 flexed her fingers before reaching into the box, shifting around wires as fast as she could. SASS watched her for a second before Grizzly tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around.

"Clear?" asked her leader.

"Nothing," said Ingram. "Goddamnit, Sangvis! Come out!"

"My sector's clear!" reported RFB.

"Grizzly, I'm getting a Griffin IFF ping," M590 said. "It's not Nagant revolver's. This is… wrong."

SASS felt her core start to work overtime, boosting her alertness. Silently, a bolt of lightning struck outside, and the hangar was thrown into bright light, the parked jets throwing eerie shadows on the wall. "Grizzly!"

"I see it, I see it!" said the doll, just as the thunderclap arrived. "K5, I'd like some light…"

"Working on it," said K5. "Just be patient."

Ignoring the hypocritical jibe, Grizzly raised her gun. "Guys–"

"Still nothing," said RFB. SASS heard metal creak.

"Oh! I saw this in the card reading today," K5 muttered.

"Just stay calm," M590 said. "I'm clear."

Grizzly took a breath. "Ingram."

"I don't see anything," said the doll. "But I feel it."

"Stop talking like that!" Grizzly spat. "Just give it to me straight!"

"Trust her." M590 was still calm. "Ingram, what it is it?"

"It's not leaving. It's watching. And there's an IFF tag, I see it too."

"K5!" shouted Grizzly. SASS felt her breath catch in her throat. She had seen something on the fighter's wing when the lightning struck, a shadow that shouldn't have been there. But their flashlights showed nothing. A fast mover, perhaps, or a fault in her optics. But Grizzly had seen it too, and Ingram sensed something, and M590 saw the friendly IFF tag.

"The cards are right!" shouted K5, and something clunked into place. It remained dark, save for a brief flash of moonlight, quickly smothered again by the stormclouds. "What?! No!"

"Ingram–"

"It's coming!"

There was a final, ear-splitting creak before something slammed against the concrete and Ingram opened fire, orange fire sputtering from her gun. Everyone twisted and shined their flashlights where the doll was, trying to find her assailant. Ingram herself was dancing back, hardly able to stop moving, let alone reload.

"Shit, where is it?!" Grizzly said. Ingram threw her empty gun at her attacker, only for it to clatter to the ground fruitlessly.

"Ingram!" shouted M590. "Bring it over to us so we can see it!"

The emergency hangar lights were beginning to glow orange as they started up, old metal halide lamps with long warm up times. Still, SASS strained to see.

"I can't," said Ingram, not a trace of fear in her voice. "She's a quick one…"

SASS glimpsed a glimmer of metal as Ingram drew her knife. A black shadow of a figure was striking at her with precise punches and kicks, and only now did SASS understand just how close her friend was to being hit. Ingram laughed.

"Just try to land a blow!"

SASS heard the scratch of metal on metal as Ingram was lifted into the air. A long, black spike had grown out of her attacker's arm, impaling Ingram through her stomach and sticking out the back in a long, sharp point. Ingram grinned a wicked smile, reversing her grip on the knife and plunging it down.

A black hand rose to meet Ingram's, and the grin fell from the doll's face and was replaced with a mix of agony and frustration as her hand was torn off. "No," intoned the black doll, and with a wrench of its arm it pulled the spike free of Ingram, whose lifeless body collapsed to the floor.

"Tiss!" shouted T-5000 from behind the wall covering the electrical panel. "It's Tiss!"

Definitely not Tiss, thought SASS, raising her rifle. The lamps had gotten bright enough to see the enemy. It was like nothing SASS had ever seen before, all the way down to its glossy black exterior. But she knew that it had to be Sangvis. Why else would it be here?

"Identify yourself!" M590 yelled, shotgun at the ready.

"Are you kidding?!" said Grizzly. "We need to pump it full of lead and get the hell out of here!"

"OTs-12. Tiss. Yew," said the black doll. Grizzly's hand shook. "Team leader. AR-type T-doll, in service for–"

T-5000 dashed past SASS, lowering her rifle as she gazed up at the black doll, looking back at Grizzly. "It's Tiss's voice! It's her…"

"Step away from it," M590 said, her voice becoming urgent. "T-5000."

The black doll – the Sangvis, SASS knew – looked at the other for a split second longer before it struck, gripping T-5000 around her neck and lifting her off the ground.

"Tiss!" T-5000 choked.

"Oh," breathed Grizzly as T-5000's hands went to the Sangvis's forearm, searching for any release. "Just shoot!"

M590 was the first to fire, buck spewing forth from the gun's barrel to spall and ricochet off the Sangvis doll's armor plating . RFB and Grizzly pelted it with fire, and SASS raised her gun and pulled the trigger as fast as she could manage. Dropping T-5000, the Sangvis started stepping back, though it appeared only minimally affected by the gunfire. The red-haired sniper gasped for breath as she tried to crawl away from the Sangvis.

"Armor!" RFB shouted. "Grizzly-chan, we're not prepared for this!"

K5 rushed into the fight, handgun raised. The hangar lights had significantly brightened the hangar, and, like an insect running from light, the Sangvis seemed eager to get away from the Griffin dolls. Insomuch that a doll with a mask for a face can seem eager, SASS thought. She reached for her magazine of AP ammunition and slid it into the magwell, releasing the bolt.

"Come on, hurry," K5 said, helping T-5000 up as she massaged her bruised throat. With one fluid motion, the Sangvis drew a large handgun from its hip, raising it and firing twice. Both of the dolls collapsed to the floor, coolant pumping from the neat holes in their heads.

Grizzly cursed violently, and SASS swore she saw an expression of shock flicker over M590's face before both dolls refocused their attacks. SASS took aim, finding the Sangvis's chest in her crosshairs, and squeezed the trigger. The black doll staggered as the AP round smacked into its torso, but stayed on its feet. SASS fired two more times, striking the Sangvis in its shoulder and stomach.

"That's my girl," said Grizzly, starting to grin. The Sangvis adjusted its aim and its mask looked straight to SASS before it fired, but this time the projectile was much slower, rolling to a halt right in the middle of the four dolls. "Grenade!"

They turned and ran. SASS bolted for the wall that covered the electrical console, sliding behind it and shielding her ears. She could only hope the sheet metal would work as protection from any shrapnel.

The grenade blew. The sheet metal shuddered under the impact of innumerable shards of metal, but SASS was lucky enough to feel no pain. Slowly, she raised her gun and peeked out around the corner, ready to fire if she saw the Sangvis again.

Grizzly groaned as she picked herself up off the ground, coolant dripping off of the back of her shirt. RFB had managed to take cover behind the nearest fighter, and came out relatively unscathed. M590 released her body shield from its formation and stood up.

"Grizzly!" SASS said, running over to inspect her team leader's back, which had several pieces of metal sticking out from the black leather.

"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine," grunted M590. Grizzly brushed off SASS's worried hands and walked over to M590.

"Where is it?"

"Gone." M590 pointed towards a broken window on the hangar door. "I saw it scale the door while we were distracted. Too far away by now, and impossible to track in the storm."

Grizzly turned her attention to the corpses of K5 and T-5000, which now sat in a puddle of coolant. "It killed them," she said. "That was quick and accurate, too. Large-caliber pistol."

"Advanced weapon. Armored, agile, combat adept," M590 continued. The two looked at each other.

"Ringleader."

"So soon?" RFB asked.

Grizzly chewed her lip as she holstered her handgun, saying nothing. OTs-12. SV-98. We could have been MIA too. Despite the now blazing light, SASS felt quite unsafe in the hangar.

"Mosin-Nagant, Type 92!" Grizzly said over comms. "Do you two copy?"

The storm produced some interference in the return transmission. "What the … in there? K5's dummies … down. Sangvis?"

"Yes. How's the storm? We need to get the hell out of here." Grizzly sounded especially on edge.

"It's clearing… ten, twenty minutes for the helicopter."

"It's gone," said M590, attempting to assuage Grizzly's fears. "We drove it off. SASS drove it off." She looked at SuperSASS and nodded. "Let's just… move on."

"This doesn't make sense." Grizzly pointed to T-5000. "She thought it was Tiss. It spoke with her… with her voice. And Ingram thought the same thing too, and you."

SASS walked past the two, towards Ingram's body. The doll's vibrant green eyes had faded to grey, but her muscles had locked in a death grip on her knife's handle. SASS wrenched it free. It was a heavy, black blade, carefully honed and perfectly balanced. Ingram knew a great deal more about it than SASS did about hers, she realized. "We can handle whatever Sangvis throws at us." SASS took the sheath for the knife and shoved both into her belt. Ingram would thank her for it later. "... it means I'm having the most fun I can!"

Ingram's face was bent into an expression of fury and disappointment. She had been an excellent fighter, SASS realized. She herself would have been cut to pieces by the Sangvis, yet Ingram kept herself alive for far longer than many others would've. For all her boasting and fearlessness, however, she was still belly-up on the stained concrete floor of the hangar.

The other three had gathered around the Sangvis-modified jet, peering at its internals. SASS joined them, looking over RFB's head at the circuitry.

"These are Su-25s," Grizzly said knowledgeably. "Frogfoots, if NATO was still around. Sangvis is making them a bit more formidable than they were originally, though. Plasma munitions, artillery-grade explosives."

"Where are they making this stuff, though?" M590 asked. "These are modified Soviet bombs and missiles."

"Abandoned weapons depot." Grizzly shrugged, pulling aside the maintenance panel further. "Let's just… deactivate these…" She yanked on a set of wires, pulling them clean out of the jet and nearly falling over. "...until the techs get here."

"Classy," M590 said, crossing her arms and smirking. Grizzly tossed the wires in her face.

"Buzz off. SASS, RFB, get going! We're shutting this down!"