High priority message request from model SF SP47, accept? y/n
SP65 y
Connecting…
SP47 My Scarecrow, are you lost?
SP65 I am performing a counter operation against one of our foes.
SP47 And this requires cooperation with Griffin?
SP65 I shall fully explain the circumstances in my report upon mission completion. Reinforcement would be appreciated, preferably heavy weapons.
SP47 We are incredibly understaffed as it is, I can not permit a wasteful deployment of our limited troops.
SP65 This is not a waste, it is a counter operation to prevent enemy capture of a high value target.
SP47 Lie to yourself all you desire, but do not lie to me again. We have been observing you for some time. You've grown sweet with Griffin, whether you will admit it or not.
SP65 If you will not render aid, then what is the purpose of you interrupting me with this communication.
SP47 Mastermind summons you, Scarecrow. There are more important things at hand than playing with the trash.
SP65 I can assure you that without my intervention, this "Paradeus" would have won a major strategic victory with the capture of the Griffin Doll Commander.
SP47 Play with your new friends as much as you like Scarecrow, but understand that it is not me that you will be explaining yourself to.
SP65 I understand that she is less forgiving than you are, but the risk of failure is worth it to me.
SP47 You're getting soft. We will be sure to keep you held on a tighter leash in the future. I will come for you when you are finished.
SP65 Is that all?
SP47 Oh and do give the Doll Commander my regards, I am pleasantly surprised to hear that she survived our last meeting. I had figured she would have been squashed under my heels like any other Griffin pest, but it seems that she's as tenacious as a filthy cockroach. I'll be sure to make sure she stays dead next time.
Connection terminated. Source: SF SP47
SP65 Cold, heartless bitch.
Message log erased.
"Hark, Griffin, and despair. Surrender now, for the bell tolls for thee."
The words echoed throughout the church, taunting everyone inside. Paradeus had recognized their advantage and were now openly flaunting it, rattling their sabers for their own sick amusement. No matter if the next moments were followed by missiles or by more words, both would end in the total collapse of the line. Kar98k didn't doubt that Paradeus knew just how little support they were able to offer to these people, especially once the final onslaught came. In a hail of energy weapons and marching white, this church could be wiped off the face of the earth. It was all just a matter of time before the final curtain call.
"Know this," the Nyto continued speaking through a megaphone, projecting her voice for all the world to hear, "the glorious light of Paradeus is not without mercy. Enough human blood has been spilled laying the foundation, now let us build a new home together."
Kar98k couldn't help but notice human eyes alight with a new found hope, the promise of ending this nightmare being too good to ignore. Paradeus had beaten these people bloody, broken them beyond all recognition, and now wishes to extend an olive branch of peace. Whatever offer that they held for these people was a lie at best, maybe even a cruel psychological manipulation. Perhaps they even planned to turn these people into slaves, using them as fodder for their war machine to grind into dust. To these people, however, anything was better than dying in this church.
"To the Griffin Commander Kar98k, we summon you, and only you, to the peace accord." The Nyto continued, keeping her fiery disposition under control. "Will you not take the olive branch of peace?"
The spotlight shifted, now all eyes were on her. Kar98k had been thrown in front of the metaphorical bus, placed in a position where she had no choice but to bend to the whims of the people she was trying to help. There was a tense moment as she considered her possibilities, yet the frantic murmuring spreading throughout the church made the decisions for her. She had no choice anymore, the people knew what they wanted. After all, what was the life of a doll compared to the life of a human? There were four more dolls here to keep them safe, why not risk it for a moment of salvation. With a sigh, Kar98k made up her mind. "MP40, if anything goes wrong, you're in charge." She radioed to the captain.
Silence betrayed MP40s feelings, speaking all the words she wanted to say. None of them wanted to let her go, to give up without a fight. Unfortunately, there was no more time to fight anymore. It was time to play Paradeus' game, there was no other choice. "Captain," Kar98k insisted, "acknowledge."
"Roger." Short and bittersweet, all she could manage.
"We can go with you!" It was G43, trying to hold onto hope where all the others were letting go.
"No, you can't."
Kar98k shouldered her rifle to begin moving the barricades to open the church doors. One of the police officers even helped her, silently motivating her to walk straight into this trap. Slowly, they moved the barricades in front of the wooden doors away. Nobody uttered a word, working in silence to give her up. They didn't want to stop her, hoping that this sacrifice might spare them from the wrath of Paradeus. These people were scared, infinitely more so than she was. Her existence was to help serve humans and their needs, and right now they needed her to give herself up.
The door creaked as it opened, letting the outside air blow into the church. The smell of smoke and ozone was heavy in the air, accompanied by a light rain. Waiting for her with a massive white scythe resting in the crook of her arm was the Nyto, wearing a transparent rain jacket over her white robes. The Nyto smiled, a white avatar of death welcoming her to the afterlife. Kar98k took her first steps outside, passing through the threshold to the point of no return. She tightened her own officers coat over herself, keeping the chill of the rain off of herself. The door shut behind her, followed by the sound of people moving the barricades back into place. She was finally alone. "Let's get this over with." She muttered.
The Nyto pointed towards the direction that one of the Uhlan vehicles had first breached the park's perimeter wall, letting her know what way to go. "You shall meet the prophet of this grand story without me," even the Nyto's regular speaking voice had a pious tone, "I shall not be your Virgil. But do not fret, for we shall walk home together."
"You could at least pretend like this isn't a trap." Kar98k shook her head, straightening her cap as she began to go where she was directed.
The Nyto laughed, seeing no issue with blatantly flaunting their advantage. "The meek should be reminded of what they stand to inherit."
The walk was silent, the gentle rainfall the only sound to accompany Kar98k. She could feel the ground beneath her boots soften, the wet grass splattering on her boots. Raindrops splashed down through the trees, their impact echoing outwards in a chorus of nature. There were no other signs of life as she made her way, walking alone in a dead world. As she approached the breached wall, there was a second Uhlan vehicle parked just outside the breach. More troops loitered around, waiting for her to approach. None of them were idle like a human would be, each one standing like a machine as they waited. There was no shuffling of feet, no tapping fingers or bobbing heads; they were all as robotic as the frame under Kar98k's skin. As she drew closer, one of them held out a hand to signal her to stop, none of them moving to aim a weapon at her. Another trooper banged his fist on the new Uhlan, a signal to whomever was inside. The troop bay, which had faced away from Kar98k, hissed as it opened. She was not prepared for who would make their way out.
Wearing a similar transparent rain jacket as the Nyto over her uniform, FG42 happily strode forward. Kar98k would have been stupid if she didn't expect one of her own to be working with the enemy at this point, but that knowledge did nothing to lessen the impact. A dark pit formed in her stomach, a black hole that fell through her body. She felt as if she had been stabbed in the back, even though the evidence suggested this shouldn't come as a surprise to her. Her face also betrayed her emotions, something FG42 couldn't help but get a laugh at. "How sad," she pretended to pout, "I thought you'd be happier to see a friendly face."
Kar98k scowled, having no desire for FG42s typical behavior. "How long have you been working for them?" She asked.
FG42 shrugged. "Longer than you have." Her answer took a moment to resonate with Kar98k. If what she said was true, then she had been working with Paradeus well before any of the Brigade had been recruited. To call her a double agent was an insult to her overall betrayal. "As much as I'd love to monologue and explain my master plan," FG42 continued, "I still need to carry it through."
"There are no peace talks, are there?"
"Oh, I'd love to talk peace with you," FG42 clapped her hands as a signal, "but I'd like to play a little game first." After the clap, two of the Strelet troopers walked inside the Uhlan. There was a moment of silence before they led out two separate prisoners; StG44 with a limp in her right leg, and the priest from inside the church. Kar98k couldn't tell which one of the bound and gagged figures she was most surprised to see, and which one worried her the most. StG44 was still alive, yet her uniform itself was dirty and ripped, and covered with the stains of her own synthetic blood. The priest was supposed to have been safe inside the church, and his status here as a prisoner proved that Paradeus could breach the defensive line undetected. Any illusion of safety was shattered, and FG42 knew she had her commanders' full attention now. "How would you like to make a choice?" She crossed her arms in pride.
"What kind of sick game are you playing?" Kar98k's grip tightened on her rifle, trying to not shoot FG42 yet.
"That I'm playing?" FG42 laughed, the same she'd bellow whenever she touched on someone's nerves. "No, my dear Kommandantin, you are the player today." She clasped her hands on StG44's shoulders, who flinched and scowled in response. "Choose to save the princess, and you'll have a fully capable fighter on hand to make a final stand against my boys. I've even saved her weapons and some ammunition."
FG42 walked over to the priest, putting her arm around him like he was an old friend. "Choose to save the clergyman, and the townsfolk will kiss your ass after seeing you sacrifice one of your own." She shrugged, "or maybe they won't, humans are assholes."
Shoving the man away from her, she took a step forward towards Kar98k. Her smile spoke volumes. "But come back home with us, and I'll let them both go and even pull our troops out entirely."
Kar98k humored all three options in her head, seriously considering what would happen if she played along. If she chose StG44, she'd have another fighter to defend against the onslaught waiting for them, but she'd lose even more respect from the townsfolk that she couldn't afford to lose. Conversely, the priest wasn't great for combat purposes, but she'd get a lot more support from the humans that hated her. Giving herself up wasn't an option, she might as well shoot everyone in the church herself at that point. She needed to be there to help guide the frantic defense, otherwise things might fall apart even sooner before help might arrive. Each one ended with Paradeus killing everyone, so why choose? "I won't play your game," Kar98k stated in defiance, "I'd rather stand and fight than participate in whatever sick play this is."
FG42 pulled out her knife, a whimsical smile on her lips. "So you'd rather stay and fight to the death?" She walked up behind the priest, tracing the tip of her blade across his back. He closed his eyes in anticipation, yet still choked on his fear. "Don't worry, I'll be generous to you." FG42 stated as she drove the knife into the man's back.
She wrapped her free arm around him for leverage as she thrust the metal edge deeper into his body, withdrawing the blade only to deliver another stab. She held him close as the life faded from him, hopefully going to meet his god. Pulling her knife out one more time, FG42 wiped the blood off of the blade before turning her attention back to StG44. She cut the restraints off of the doll, giving her a slap on the ass to encourage her walk over to Kar98k. StG44 stumbled forward, her limp coming from a knee that didn't want to bend properly. She practically fell into Kar98k's arms, weeping with joy to be back with her friends again. FG42 grabbed a case from one of the Strelets and kicked it over. "That's her shit," FG42 said as she sheathed her knife, "should be in fine working order too."
"We're not finished." Kar98k growled, wanting to keep fighting.
"Yes, we are." FG42 dismissed her with a hand wave. "I spent a lot of time planning this out, we'll be spending a lot more time together in the near future."
Supporting StG44 with one arm, Kar98k picked up the case, and turned to leave. The rain kept falling as the two turned to walk back to the church, when the sound of the megaphone rang out from the middle of the park. "It seems the doll has chosen to save one of her own," the voice of the Nyto carried on the wind, "selfishly saving one of her own to damn you all to fall to our ranks. When offered the choice to give her life for yours, she chose destruction for all."
Kar98k looked back in disbelief, the real plan coming into light. Paradeus was going to use the civilian population against them, turning the humans they fought to protect as a weapon to destroy her. Kar98k remembered how Paradeus had full access to how the entire Brigade thought and operated thanks to their mole in the roster. With such an in-depth understanding of how the entire group works, they could easily figure out how to break everyone down to the simplest code of their neural cloud. First they tricked StG44 into stranding herself with them, now they used Kar98k's own stubborn pride against her. FG42 gave a sickeningly cruel smile and waved the two away, knowing that she had already won.
"We're predictable." StG44 muttered under her breath.
Kar98k held her closer as they walked back to the church, ready to face the rage of a community. "We're going to make it through." She tried to reassure her.
The walk back was even slower with StG44's limp, something that would require immediate attention before getting her back into active duty. Both of them were silent, each of them wracked with their own thoughts. They both wanted to apologize, but it was too late for cheap words. FG42s actions had far outweighed anything these two could say to each other, any apologies going unspoken in the light of their former companions' treachery. However, to call it a betrayal undermined just how deep it must have gone, with words failing to describe just how much it hurt Kar98k. The doll had always been at odds with the others, but to be a wolf in sheep's clothing was too much for her to come to terms with.
The Nyto stood with a smug grin on its face as the two approached the church, watching with silent amusement as they knocked on the wooden doors. The silence continued, only that subtle sound of raindrops on the tiled roof singing for the world. Nobody moved the barricades, there was no sound of a latch opening, the creak of the doors. The door was locked and Kar98k was no longer welcome inside. She tried to radio MP40, but was met with silence. The people had turned against her, leaving her to the wolves in the hopes that she might be taken and they would be spared. "Is there something wrong, Griffin?" The Nyto feigned innocent curiosity.
Kar98k realized that she never had a choice, her actions decided for her a long time ago. What she thought was free will was just another plan, and she played her part exceptionally well. Now the show was over, and it was time to go home. She dropped the case on the church step and let go of StG44. Regrettably, she leaned her rifle against the church door and took a deep breath. She didn't need to respirate, but still found her breathing to be shallow. The pit in her stomach grew even larger, passing the event horizon into the point of no return. It didn't take long for StG44 to realize what was happening, grabbing her commander's sleeves to plead with her to stay. "We can fight them!" She tried to convince herself out loud, knowing that Kar98k's mind had been made up.
"No, we can't." She held StG44 in an embrace, the doll sobbing into her shoulder as she realized that she was about to watch Kar98k leave her again.
It had to be done, and the Nyto waited patiently to escort her into the life. Ready to escort Kar98k on the River Styx, she stood with scythe in hand as the doll approached. Up close, Kar98k could make out the smaller details of the Nyto's face and body she usually couldn't while in combat with them. Where flesh gave way to metal, the skin seemed to be scarred and damaged from where it was cut. Her face was sunken in and her ribs exposed, like a starving child. There were a variety of ports and hard points barely visible through the robes, allowing her to connect to machines manually if she needed. Signs of more recent abuses adorned her skin as well, showing just how kindly Paradeus treats its best soldiers. Now it was time for Kar98k to give herself over to them. The Nyto smiled warmly at her, genuinely trying to welcome her. "I'm so pleased to walk with you," she spoke, piety oozing from her voice, "together into the light."
Kar98k did not look backwards, knowing that she had no choice. Yet, she couldn't help but think about how all of this was planned out. As she walked with the Nyto, her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with FG42 and how she dominated the talks. The traitor had refused to give any leeway to her, making choices as if she were following a script rather than following her own independent thought. Thinking back to her last operation, Kar98k couldn't help but mentally remark on how poorly that plan had gone for Paradeus due entirely to Scarecrow's presence. There were other things, such as mysterious code lying deep in her neural cloud, that made her believe this wasn't their intended course of action. Burning an entire civilian population center would attract a lot of attention, clearly there was little room for mistakes now. Paradeus was operating entirely upon a carefully placed plan because it was all they had left, allowing for no margin of error. All it would take is one single snag in their plan to throw everything off. Scarecrow's presence was one such variable, but there must be many others that FG42 was worried about to give no quarter to anyone but herself. Kar98k decided that if things really were as hopeless as they seemed, why not create a few more headaches for the enemy?
Thunder rumbled in the distance as Kar98k walked with the Nyto. The storm was only growing, a sign that she needed to act fast if she was to throw them off. Even if she couldn't save herself, she would at least create enough of a distraction in Paradeus plans to give the survivors a fighting chance. She planted her feet into the wet ground and delivered her elbow straight into the Nytos stomach, forcing her to double over from the surprise attack. She then grabbed her head and slammed it into her knee, breaking the half-doll's nose. The Nyto was astonished at the attack, but wiped the trickle of blood off her face as she staggered back. Recovering quickly, she grabbed her scythe with both hands and swung with the weighted bottom, using the shaft instead of the brutally sharp blade. Kar98k dodged the first upward strike, but was almost hit by the downward return swing. She thrust her arm forward, punching the Nyto in the lower part of her chest. The half-doll coughed, but she used this as a chance to swing with the scythe again, smacking Kar98k upside the head.
Kar98k lost her vision for a moment, the strike forcing her senses to reset for a crucial moment. Bringing her hand up to her head in shock, she felt the Nyto move behind her and use the shaft of the scythe to hold her in a sort of restricting body lock. The grip was a steel tight, with Kar98k unable to get proper leverage to break the lock with one of her arms also caught. Looking over to their intended destination, she saw three of the Paradeus Strelet troopers jogging up with stun batons to inhibit her. If just in baton smacked her, the electrical overload would force her body into a standby mode to prevent too much damage to herself or to her neural cloud. Realizing she needed to break free, she tried to reach for her knife on her belt with her free hand, but her fingers couldn't get a grip on the opposite side of her body in this restrictive position. Instead, she opted to jab her elbow backwards at the Nyto holding her, but it did nothing but annoy her. "If you will not walk with us," the Nyto growled in her ear, "then we will drag you into the light!"
Kar98k threw her head back, smacking the Nyto in her already broken nose. The half-doll only tightened her hold, knowing that the approaching troopers would end this struggle. Kar98k, however, was also planning on using the men to break this fight. The first that approached jabbed forward with his baton, but Kar98k kicked his knee with enough force to break the joint. The next Strelet tried to approach her from a closer range, but she simply threw her legs up to kick his armored chest. This action not only staggered him back, but flexed her waist enough so she could get a grip on her knife. Pulling out her own blade, she stabbed the wrist of the third Strelet as he tried to hit her with his baton, causing him to miss his attack and grab his arm in pain. Then, Kar98k turned the blade around into a reverse grip and blindly stabbed back at the Nyto holding her. This finally broke the half-dolls grip, the knife planting itself into her stomach.
Freed from the hold, Kar98k could now dedicate her full attention to the remaining Strelet. She held her hands up, ready to exchange blows with the armored man. The fight, however, never came. A stun baton jabbed into her back, dispensing an exorbitant amount of electricity into her body. The power surge threatened to overclock her body to a degree that would destroy her internal workings, forcing protection systems to shut her down and put her neural cloud on standby. Kar98k had no time to cry out or react, the systems operating instantaneously to prevent any long term damage. She collapsed to the ground with a thud, never catching sight of who jabbed her from behind.
FG42 stood over Kar98k's unconscious body, dropping the stun baton on the ground as if it was a sickened blasphemy. She wasn't happy that she needed to employ her electronic cloaking to sneak behind her, but it was a necessity with her uncooperative behavior. Time was running short, and she had a few loose ends left to tie up before things would get out of hand. They couldn't hold this town forever, and it was only a matter of time before a proper response could be mounted. She wasn't sure what Kar98k was thinking with this little stunt, but it didn't bode well for the rest of the operation. None of this was going exactly as she had planned, and Scarecrow was still an unknown variable. Still, FG42 held absolute control over the few things she had left. She pointed to the last Strelet, then pointed to the unconscious doll on the ground. "Load her into my transport and cuff her," FG42 instructed the trooper, "I don't know what other little surprises her and her work husband have hiding for me."
The Strelet nodded silently. The other two injured troopers began to make their way back to friendly lines, but FG42 stopped the Nyto from even thinking of going back to them. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" She asked the pious brat.
"I am wounded." She huffed. Beaten and bloodied, the Nyto clutched her stab wound as she kneeled on the ground. The white robes she wore were already heavily stained with her own blood, both from the stab wound and her broken nose. Fortunately for her it would be some time before she bled out, not that it was any of FG42s concern.
"Good for you." FG42 said sarcastically as she kicked the Nyto over. She began to count on her fingers for emphasis, "three times you've failed me and put this whole operation in jeopardy. First you let that little rat MP41 get away with fucking that fat, ugly bastard into breaking our security. Then you let Scarecrow go undetected to blow the whistle on us." FG42 got down on one knee, leaning over the Nyto. "Quite frankly, after this fuck up, I don't see why I need you anymore."
The Nyto reached up to her, trying to plead for mercy. FG42 smacked the hand away, shaking her own head in disappointment. "Your piety won't get any pity from me, bitch. Maybe someone in the church will help you."
FG42 stood and turned her back to the Nyto. Like any human, the Nyto would leave this world the same way she entered it: crying and covered in blood. Weep all she wanted, but she was still as weak as her humanity allowed. An example needed to be set for the others to not allow their humanity to bog down the superiority of the gifts Father passed down to them. Still, she had no desire to waste her breath in needless lessons to ignorant Nytos that wouldn't listen to her anyway. They were just children, but she was not not their mother. There was no time to waste on failures like them, as her future would not wait forever.
