Chapter 5: Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions
Bryant tapped away at his tablet, trying to keep himself occupied as the dolls prepared for combat operations. He had tried to get in contact with the Griffon team, but attempting to communicate in Sangvis Ferri territory was tricky. Any misstep could spread Paraplue. And that was a risk not worth taking. So, Bryant played it safe. Kept comms local, tried to keep himself busy as he watched the SF troops realign themselves. Bryant double and triple checked their patterns: they were arranging themselves differently. They were spreading out, covering all possible attack routes evenly. Almost as if they had read his mind. Something was very, very wrong.
Bryant sighed and shook his head. His eyes were playing tricks on him again. He stared at the screen and thought for a moment. "If we went through the sewers...we could probably sneak up right by the police station." He mumbled to himself. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, it gave USP time to sneak up behind him.
"Commander, we are ready." She said innocently. Bryant jumped, completely unaware.
"Ah...yes. Sorry, change of plans." The dolls looked at him curiously. Bryant shrugged and put on a pained smile. "Not gonna lie, it's a shitty plan."
Bryant, Springfield, and FAMAS walked down the sewer, counting streets. USP was on Bryant's back; her shoes were too short for her to be traipsing around in sewage. FAMAS and Springfield complained about the smell and the uncomfortable feelings. But, at least they had boots. FAMAS stopped and pointed up at the manhole cover above them. Bryant nodded silently and maneuvered around to put USP on the ladder. She nodded and climbed to the top as quietly as she could. Bryant waited at the bottom until USP tapped the ladder. Bryant went up next, followed by the others. The street was quiet, and they were hidden well. Bryant quickly pulled out his tablet and looked around.
"I count…three squads inside. This is going to be a tough battle." The dolls nodded and Bryant get next to the door. "Alright, here's the tentative plan: FAMAS, breach and clear; USP, targeting information; Springfield, you take shots when you can." The dolls got into position. "On my mark..." The dolls' combat routines activated. Several targets were already marked, and the others inside the building were slowly coming into view. Bryant nodded slightly and gave the order. "Breach!"
Bryant opened the door, and FAMAS moved into action. She fired a grenade into the room, shredding most of the first squad apart. The scrap and synthetics covered the entry way. "USP, you take point. Line formation: keep it tight in there ladies." USP moved in first, and began spotting targets. Several enemy dolls began to pour in.
"Left side, FAMAS!"
"On it!" The doll turned and began to open fire. Lots of little ones; the Dinergates. Assault Rifles made short work of them. But there were a lot. USP looked up.
"Springfield! Snipers in the back, I'll focus on the armor." USP drew the attention of the SF Heavy infantry, ones carrying shields and high-powered, short ranged handguns. While they were distracted, Springfield took shots at the Jeager sniper units behind them. Bryant ran in shortly after, helping USP with the Heavy Infantry.
"Alright, switch to Chevron formation: USP and I will take point. Push to the center." USP and Bryant fell back slightly, pulling the enemies forward. Springfield stepped out to the side, and the group formed a small triangle. This push gave the small team the time they needed to push back the enemy. FAMAS fired another grenade, destroying the sF scout units. Springfield finished off the snipers while Bryant fought off the Heavy Infantry. After a short firefight, all was quiet again.
Bryant sat down at a computer and punched in a Griffon Access code. The computer opened up and gave him access to the critical systems. Bryant began to type away at the computer. "Alright, go into defense mode. Keep an eye on the entrances...this should only take..." he trailed off as he continued to type. Status information appeared on screen. He mumbled to himself as he searched for commands, entered information, and sighed when he hit and SF firewall.
FAMAS took a deep breath. "Ah, the commander is good at this. I've never seen a human work this fast." USP and Springfield agreed.
"Well, I spend seven years of my life learning SF codes and patterns. Then another three using it against them."
"Oh? Were you a soldier?" Bryant shook his head. He stopped mid-word and looked out the nearby window.
"Yeah, something like that. I just saw movement. Remove targeting restrictions." Several humanoid forms were outlined in the dolls' line of sight.
"I count...ten? Twelve." Bryant cursed and worked faster. "Commander, these are human. What if they are injured?"
"They are likely AA Troopers. All armed unknowns are to be treated as hostile." Bryant said as he finished. "SF signal will be down in twenty seconds. We'll meet up with the Griffon Team -" Before he finished, several small grenades flew into the building. They landed a good distance from Bryant, likely in an effort to avoid breaking any critical electronics. A flash of light exploded from the objects, and all nearby electronics began smoking and sparking. "Good ol EMPs." Bryant muttered as he picked up his things. "Fall back!"
The dolls backed up into another section of the station. The Anti-Android soldier rushed in to try and flank them, but got attacked by SF dolls. Hell broke loose, and soon Bryant fell back on his old survival instincts: shoot anything purple. A safe strategy when facing SF dolls. As the two factions fought, stragglers would run by where Bryant and his dolls were hiding. An SF light infantry, a Ripper model, spotted them and hesitated. It took a step towards Bryant and Bryant opened fire. Springfield and FAMAS began firing, pushing the enemy back. Once again, after several close calls, the station became silent. "Alright, let's get out of here."
USP and FAMAS confirmed. They began to collect their things and switched back to civilian mode. All but Springfield, who wasn't with the rest of them. Bryant took a quick glance at his tablet, assessing damages. USP was badly wounded, barely operating above 30%. FAMAS had lost a single dummy and was at 55%. Springfield wasn't showing up. "FAMAS, USP; meet up the Griffon team and get a repair team." Bryant stood and entered the station. "I'll get Springfield."
The carnage inside the station was bad. Between the dolls' and the dead AA troops, there was hardly an inch of the grey tile not covered in the red-brown mix of blood and mechanical fluids. Bryant closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He muttered to himself and calmed his nerves. He started sorting through the bodies, including pulling small 'trophies' from the SF dolls. Finally, he arrived at a wounded Springfield. She whined quietly as she clutched her stomach. Bryant leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder. His face softened and he tired to speak quietly. "Hey are you alright?" She smiled weakly and shook her head.
"I don't…" She grunted in pain, "it hurts." Bryant nodded and moved her hand. She resisted, but Bryant still spotted several bleeding wounds dotting her body.
"Springfield, let me see."
"N-no, you…you can't."
"Yes, I can." Bryant fought her for a bit before she finally lost the strength to hold him back. Bryant moved her arms to her sides and held his breath. Bryant counted twenty-seven separate bullet wounds from her neck down to her waist and everywhere in between. Some of them were fresh, but many were old.
"Damn… right through the core. I think you punctured your generator." Springfield shivered. "I…I'm sorry, Springfield. But why didn't you tell me?" She reached up to him. Bryant took her hand and gently pulled her closer.
"I didn't…want to…worry anyone." A small tear ran down her face. "Please…" She tried to stand, and fell backwards into his arms, knocking him over. "Ah…"
"I'm sorry; probably should have expected this." Springfield shook her head again.
"Don't…worry. You saved my family, and that's all that counts." She smiled, even though the pain was evident on her face. "Just…" her eyes dimmed, and her hand went limp. Her body gave out a small mechanical whine as her systems powered down for the last time. Bryant held her lifeless hand for a few more moments, before draping his jacket over her. He propped her up against a nearby wall, and gave her a small salute. With that, Bryant turned and walked out of the station.