G43 tried very carefully to maintain her balance as she trudged through the snow with Papasha, which she had only recently learned was actually named PPSh-41. After a snowstorm rolled through overnight, the two of them were traveling out into the freshly covered forest to check the rabbit traps that the advance team had set up. While not important to the mission, it did allow them an opportunity to resupply without using resources. With foraging, they've been able to cut off supply drops at a whim and survive for even longer behind enemy lines. For a small team operating long term, the strategy is ingenious. In an isolated region still populated by humans, the traps would be indistinguishable from survival hunting any human would do. However, that didn't make the concept absolutely horrifying to G43.

Animals have a strange relationship with dolls, as if they understand that they're not real creatures, but still enjoy their presence. Many small animals felt quite safe around them, recognizing that despite their human appearance they're clearly not human at all. The idea of killing, skinning and eating an animal stands as such an outlandish concept to G43 and the others. After taking into consideration that animals were hit just as hard as humanity by the outbreaks of Collapse Fluid across the planet, it almost seemed unfair for dolls to be relying on them as a food source. Unfortunately, while humanity seems to struggle to rebuild, the animal kingdom has very quickly sprung back despite the dangers. G43 liked to believe that perhaps one day nature will reclaim humanity as well, leaving dolls to inherit the world and live in peace and harmony with the world. Until that day comes, however, she'll have to settle for eating rabbits with a trio of dolls whose breath reeks of vodka at all times.

Marching through the snow was made extremely difficult by the sheer amount that had accumulated overnight. It was practically halfway up her thighs, and she could feel it getting into her boots and melting. Her new winter socks were going to get soaked, no doubt. On the other hand, Papasha seemed to be moving through the snow with no problem, forcing herself to stop periodically to wait for G43 to catch up. While she didn't seem bothered at all with G43, it was quite apparent she also wasn't expecting this to be as much of an issue for her. Typically Mosin hunted with her, a rifle providing excellent versatility if they ever came across any larger game to hunt when compared to a submachine gun. The Commandant had suggested that this time G43 should accompany her to allow the team to develop some form of synergy. Instead, she only felt bad for holding back the more experienced doll.

Finally arriving at the first hunting trap, Papasha was already digging through the snow for any rabbits caught in the sling before the snowfall. G43 decided it would be best to level her rifle and scan around the surrounding forest for any Sangvis Ferri patrols. While unlikely to happen in this area, being the reason it was chosen for hunting, they weren't going to take any chances. With the fresh snowfall, G43 would be able to see anything approaching them from a distance, giving ample time to retreat or hide. While G43 was looking around, Papasha gave a sigh once she finally cleared around the sling. "Damn, it seems like someone stole our rabbit." She said with a huff.

"Did an animal take it?" G43 asked, lowering her rifle to look at the trap with her.

"Looks like a human might have cut it off." She pointed with her gloved hands at the trap. "You can see how the trap wasn't torn apart by a scavenger animal."

The crunching sound of something falling into the snow from a nearby tree started both of them, prompting them to raise their weapons in the direction of the noise. Looking up, a doll dressed in a black and white dress with similar black hair sat on a large tree branch above them. She merely chuckled to herself as they stared at her in awe. It was impossible to see her mouth move under the face mask she wore, making it difficult to judge her facial expression. "Oh dear, were you looking for that poor little critter?" She asked, no tone in her voice. "I'll have you know that you're trespassing on property belonging to Sangvis Ferri Manufacturing."

"Wh-where did you come from?" Papasha stammered. Scarecrow had appeared from out of nowhere like a ghost.

"You dolls seem to be so blissfully ignorant to assume I would remain unaware of Griffin operating on my doorstep." Scarecrow idly kicked her legs as she sat on the tree branch. "And it's not like you ever did a good job of concealing yourselves either. Perhaps Griffin should rely on dolls who stay silent and sober."

"Big mistake, bitch." G43 fired her rifle, but found herself unable to get a clear enough shot and hit the tree branch instead. She was unsure if Scarecrow had interfered with her aim or if the cold was having an adverse effect on her vision. It was entirely possible that the sun reflecting off the snow and into her eyes was also making it hard to see. A thousand excuses, but she still missed.

"I was waiting for your little Brigade to show up," Scarecrow carried on, "especially after you interfered with my plans already. You lot have been a thorn in my side for some time. I can't wait to see what plans your doll commander has for me, but you're hunting in my territory now."

Laying in wait underneath the snow, SF dolls threw off their natural winter camouflage and held their weapons up at Papasha and G43. It seemed that Scarecrow had them wait overnight, allowing the snow to conceal them. Sangvis Ferri dolls were better equipped for unique weather conditions like this, allowing them to patiently wait for the signal to step into battle. Scarecrow gave a small laugh as she saw the fear in their faces. "It was quite humorous pretending to be ignorant of your presence here, even with your sloppy attempts at stealth while drunkenly whooping over dead animals."

G43 gave Papasha a look colder than the frigid air and frozen snow around them. Papasha looked almost embarrassed, her face looking on the verge of tears. She knew they had dropped the ball, and now they were about to reap the punishment of their failure. For a tense moment, the two dolls stared down the barrels of the SF weapons, ready to meet their fate. "You better hope the first volley kills me." G43 growled at Scarecrow.

"Kill you?" Scarecrow pushed herself off the branch, slowly floating down to ground level. Her feet stopped above the snow, her body giving off a barely perceptible buzzing noise as she hovered in place. "I have no intent on killing you yet."

In a barely perceptible flurry, Scarecrow lurched forward and flew straight at G43. She smacked the rifle aside and grabbed the doll by the neck, lifting her out of the snow and into the air. "G43!" Papasha exclaimed, trying to aim her weapon.

Scarecrow, holding G43 in one hand, grabbed the barrel of the submachine gun with her free hand and ripped it out of Papasha's hands. The sheer force almost yanked her arms out of their sockets, causing her to stumble forward before Scarecrow batted the side of her head with the wooden stock. "You trash dolls are alive because I have willed it to be so," Scarecrow looked down on Papasha as G43 struggled in her grip, "and you will pass along a message to the doll commander for me so long as you wish to keep it that way."

Papasha, nursing the wound to her head, simply looked on in fear. G43, still kicking, tried punching Scarecrow, swearing at the superior combat ready doll. "Let me go, you wrinkled bag of bolts." She cursed as she swung.

Scarecrow rolled her eyes and clubbed G43 over the head with the submachine gun before dropping it back down for Papasha. Her vision stuttered with the blow, causing her to twitch uncontrollably at the shock of the attack. "Tell your doll commander to meet me personally by the end of the day tomorrow, or I will find her myself."

With that, she tossed G43 into a tree with enough force to cause any snow in its branches to fall to the ground. Scarecrow simply bowed and left with her dolls, hovering over the snow as they marched through with little difficulty. She had allowed them to live, but G43 would almost prefer if she had killed them. Now, both would have to live with the shame of leaving the encounter alive. While she wanted to fight, Papasha simply cowered in the snow, holding her hands over the spot where she was struck as she whimpered. The idea that they were so easily overpowered by a single doll was almost too much for her. Not only had their cover been blown, but it never existed in the first place. She knew Scarecrow wanted to lead them into a trap, but she also knew she had no choice but to follow the Commandants orders. With a sigh, G43 pulled Papasha up to her feet to begin the long trek back to their exposed headquarters.


MG34 and MG42 smashed the windows of the house, letting in the winter chill as they took up firing positions on the ground floor. Boxes of ammunition were set up at their feet, ready to replace belts at a moments notice during a fire fight. G43 made her way to the floor above them to ready a sniper position, also serving as a look out for any advancing attacks. As much as she wanted to be joining in the defense of the building, Kar98k was instead standing in the kitchen arguing with Nagant. "I don't care what you think you were getting away with, your cover was blown months ago!" She pounded her fist on the counter, shaking the plates and bowls resting on it. "For all we know this recon information is false to throw off our attack!"

"It was your botched operation that got her attention!" The much shorter doll with an even shorter temper snapped back. "Maybe if you didn't piss her off she wouldn't have been alerted to our operation!"

"Oh bitte." StG44 stepped into the conversation. "She knew about you long before she knew about us, and you're probably the reason she knew to sniff us out in the first place!"

"Nyet, you're just paranoid," Nagant defended, "your little doll that can barely walk straight sober hasn't been out here with us. She doesn't know what it's like for true veterans like us."

"And yet Scarecrow was waiting for them at one of the animal traps that you three set up!" StG44 shot back at her. "Maybe you 'veterans' have a lot to learn."

Mosin stepped forward, fist clenched. "Are you trying to suggest we messed up and did a bad job?"

"I'm certainly not saying you did a good one." StG44 said plainly.

"Enough!" Kar98k snapped, preventing the argument from getting physical. This fighting was going nowhere and it was only going to end with them turning their guns on each other. "The circumstances of why this happened does not matter right now, what we need to do is to plan out our next step."

"Let's just mount up and hit her hard and fast." Nagant suggested. Her dolls nodded while StG44 rolled her eyes.

"We don't have nearly enough of a force to take that factory on directly without the element of surprise." Kar98k was originally planning on a secret surgical strike, not a full frontal assault against an entrenched enemy. None of them brought any dummies to soak up damage, and even if they did they wouldn't last long with the SF units listed under the recon reports. What they needed was something more subtle, maybe even a weakness Scarecrow might have overlooked. "This old mansion looks like it was owned by a higher up at the factory, there must be something around here we could use."

"Aha!" Nagant exclaimed. "There must be blueprints or an old map!"

Kar98k nodded. It was a long shot, but it was better than throwing themselves into the doll grinder. "We search the house, find any relevant information, then we plan things out from there."

What had really concerned her, was Scarecrow's request. Whatever purpose the Ringkeader had in mind in meeting her was no doubt going to be an issue. More importantly, she had proven her willingness to make the meeting happen one way or another. Holding out against an entire SF factory was a suicide mission, and they were equipped for an entrenched battle. Unfortunately, it seemed she had no choice but to go straight into the lion's den.


Scarecrow watched as the sun set over the trees, the reds and oranges of its light reflecting off of the snow to paint the drifts a disgustingly pretty pink. She looked over her mechanical Prowler units as they plowed away the snow in the empty parking lot, rolling over the icy pavement to make room for her guests to arrive. She didn't expect them to come until tomorrow, but it never hurt to be prepared. A group of her Ripper dolls arrived with a table and a few chairs, preparing for when the doll commander inevitably shows up. Hoping her method of delivering her message didn't come across as too rude, she was more than prepared to make up for it with a courteous gesture of kindness before delivering her ultimatum to the doll. At the very least, Scarecrow was hoping to exchange a few words with the Griffin doll before they ultimately fought. Maybe she could even make the doll see things from her perspective.