Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Snow-White Hearts. Enjoy the 1500-word chapter. I don't own RvB, Rooster Teeth does.
Church was silent as data spread across his systems. He didn't have to do much considering that there was no real need. Carolina was deadly enough to adapt on her own, he simply kept her in the fight long enough to get the job done.
"So, mind telling me who the new guy is?" Church questioned, crossing his arms as he looked back at Vermont. "I mean, I do have access to the freelancer records, but I still think it's nice to talk to someone. Really get their side." Church added, drumming his hands on his arms.
"Another freelancer." Carolina added, looking through the scope of her rifle at the pirates. "One who I worked with in the past. Why? Most of them are dead. He doesn't have the resources to do anything majorly." Carolina put in, pausing to think if the shot was worth making.
It seemed like it in her mind. The shot would kill the pirate and she could use the confusion of the battle to silently eliminate the remaining pirates. There was enough of them to urge caution, however. Something that Carolina knew meant she had to take it easy.
"I'm going to guess you know what I'm hinting at, sis?" Church questioned, looking at Carolina who sighed, unsure what to tell her partner.
"He's an old freelancer, I've ran ops with him before." Carolina stated to which Church blinked. "Before I got put in charge of some ops? I worked with the others one by one, they wanted to see if we'd form bonds, another one of the director's tests." Carolina added, pausing to shoot once more.
The bullets punched through the pirate's armor, dropping him into the snow as his helmet cracked. She knew for a fact she had to keep moving. If they narrowed her location down? They'd kill her and she knew how deadly the pirates had been to begin with.
"So, he's a soldier from your war buddy times?" Carolina heard Church questioned as she sighed, dropping downwards as she moved towards the other side of the area. "You know I have his file open currently. He was almost as good as you, yeah? Constantly good at direct combat. He'd give you a run for a fight if you two started playing punchout, wouldn't he? Vermont's a damn good soldier, but not much of a conversationalist, isn't he?" Carolina heard Church add to which she sighed.
She wouldn't be able to keep it secret at the moment. Church knew for a fact that there was going to be some tension at the rest of the time. She was going to point out there was too much to discuss, but that was NOT an option with Church. He knew her enough to point out the flaws in that strategy.
"Vermont is a good soldier when it comes down to it." Carolina stated while she shook her head, dropping down into the snow once more. "He's been a good soldier and someone I've been rather close to. You want me to point out that there's been a long time since I've seen him and thought he was dead?" Carolina asked, sweeping her rifle around.
She was given silence for her words. She could only point out that Vermont was almost dead, he was busy trying to heal within his armor. If he was up? Then these pirates would be taken apart several times over. They had to be damn good if they had taken out a freelancer like him.
"Do you want me to run a scan on him? His vitals are going up and down." Carolina heard from Church who nodded towards him once more. "Because he's good, he's really just passed out at the moment. I'm sure your worried about him, his AI is still blabbing like this." Church stated while he cracked his neck and then pointed ahead as more pirates dropped into the snow, their weapons sweeping upwards around the moment.
Carolina hummed to herself and started to think of her next maneuver at the second. She continued to slowly move forward, looking over the shoulder at Vermont a few seconds later.
"What's he saying?" Carolina asked, concerned as she turned to look over at the freelancer saying.
"Something about how he's surprised you survived the last mission." Church responded, pausing a moment as more data started to run over the ai's body. "Huh, weird. He's got a small line into the comm but that's it. I don't suppose you'd like to tell me why I'm busy babysitting your ex over there?" Church joked, his trademark sarcasm bleeding into his voice as he did so.
Carolina was silent, she was well aware of what Church meant. Her past with Vermont was something she didn't expect to pour into this mission, but she knew it couldn't be helped.
"Mu knows my comm signal, I've been around him enough for him to piggyback on it." Carolina responded, dodging a stream of gunfire from another pirate. "Vermont and I have history. It's how he doesn't freak out around me. I thought he was dead after rebels shot down his dropship. Why do you think we always had one ship?" Carolina questioned, raising an eyebrow under her armor as she did so.
"Yeah, well he'll be up soon, wounds are serious, but the guy isn't dead…" Church added to which Carolina nodded.
"That's Vermont for you." Carolina stated, pausing to take a shot, nailing one of the pirates in the gut. "Always pushing through the pain." Carolina added, watching the soldier collapse into the snow, a hole punched cleanly into his armor.
"There's more of them coming, you know." Church responded, looking around the rest of the area. "Over a dozen, you're not winning your fight with those jackasses." Church said as Carolina nodded, activating her active camo.
Church sent a message over to Mu, telling the other ai to kill their signal lest the others find him at the moment. Church guessed Carolina's next move was retreat, he spotted signals hidden in this wreckage, but they'd have to return to their war against Charon at another date.
"Sis, I'm going radio silent, going to see if I can jam up their radios." Church said, pausing to let Carolina nod as he thought about what to do next. "Take your buddy and go. I'll make sure they don't follow you at the moment." Church said, clicking off the line a second later.
He knew they wouldn't kill Carolina. The freelancer was far better than their best soldiers, however? Carolina wasn't a one-woman army forever, they had dozens of bodies they could throw at her and they had no hesitation to really think about sacrificing them.
"Is the exit…?" Carolina questioned only to know her answer as Church flashed a beacon across her screen. "That's a yes, good." Carolina added before quickly hiking back up the hill quickly.
Carolina hoped they would believe it was just one of the soldiers they hadn't killed at the moment. Still? She'd return sooner or later, but now? There was too much allied against her for her to try and do something at the time, their deaths would be avenged.
Vermont sat motionless in the snow; his rifle still grasped in his hands like it had always been. She knew that he would survive, Vermont was too stubborn to die. It was something the duo had in common, but she? Vermont often questioned how best to do the mission; he was a cowboy while she was often focused entirely on making sure the mission was completed.
Carolina slid to a stop next to Vermont. His wounds had sealed enough to where him going into shock or bleeding out wouldn't happen at the time. Carolina knew something in her wanted to know WHY he was here, what the hell had brought Vermont to Chorus.
"Seems I'll be getting that answer later." Carolina muttered as she hauled Vermont to his feet, draping him over her shoulder. "Church? I need my speed boost." Carolina added, grabbing her grappling pistol as well.
This had to end, it would end soon enough. She needed to figure out a way to get a way through this war. Carolina needed to track down the others, making sure they were ready at the second.
"Church?" Carolina questioned as Vermont hung over her shoulders. "Moving to the evac point now." Carolina added, pausing to aim her pistol over her shoulder as she thought about her options at this moment.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter done! I want to point out that next chapter will be longer and such. Next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show both Carolina and Vermont talking and more about Vermont's pasts and such. Next chapter will be 900-3500 words and such. Next chapter will be delayed at the moment or such. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!