Chapter 23 - Termination

Executioner increased her speed and rallied her forces. It was do or die. They set upon the Griffon defense like a tidal wave. SAR's team activated their combat protocols and advanced to meet them. They reached the farthest barriar and prepared to fight off the SF mechanical units. Dinergates, Prowlers, and Scout units rushed the team. They were weaker than their infantry, but much more agile. Often, they were the first units in, and they pointed out the weak links.

SAR shot down a few Scouts and called out. "We won't be able to hold them for long," she said to Ursula, "Way too many! We'll hold them back until M4 reaches the second line." USP and Spectre stayed as close to the enemy as they dared: Close enough to engage the Dinergates in melee combat - not that they would - but well away from Executioner.

"M4 has reached Line Two: everyone ready?" USP could barely hear anything over the drum of gunfire and the squeal of breaking machinery. She was thankful for the Zerner link they had set up. It fed them enemy data, battlefield conditions, and new orders. Like, an order to retreat. Spectre got the order first and turned to run. She sprinted past the backline and took up her position near Line Two. USP retreated next, then the backline, and last was SAR.

The enemy infantry had caught up to the mechanized units. SAR ordered the combat-ready dummies out into position. They dug in for the real fight now. Ten minutes passed: ten minutes until help arrived. There was a brief lull in combat. The dolls took the time to resupply.

"Um...thank you." M4 said softly. She looked tired, but not damaged. USP handed her a package of snacks and ammo. M4 graciously took them.

"Alright, link up:" SAR said as she brought out some new information, "we have one more line set up, and then the rally point." Ursula was in the call, getting closer. Her signal was in range now.

"Good. Don't be afraid to fall back if Executioner engages. We can afford to lose a resupply point, but don't give up that last line too quickly."

"T-that might not be possible." USP said. "Executioner is fast and strong...it'd be impossible for us to win." SAR shook her head.

"We have to try, USP." She peaked over a sandbag. "Enemy infantry is getting close. M4, can you fight?" The doll nodded. "Good. Miss USP, miss Spectre: I leave M4 to you." USP and Spectre nodded. Guard duty was something they both could do. The dolls split up and prepared to engage.

Spectre took a sharp breath and ran forward, right to the edge of their defenses. She marked targets for the backline dolls. She specialized in frontline-combat. While she didn't look it, she was fast and had wonderful reaction speed. It helped her hold her own against even a massive enemy force. It was impressive, at least to USP.

One of her dummies exploded. Executioner had arrived. She smiled and took another shot at M4. Spectre moved in front of it. The SMG shrugged off the blow, but she couldn't take much more. "SAR, I don't-"

"M4, fall back to line three! USP, Spectre, hold them back a little bit." USP whined, but ran up to help Spectre. It was the second time she was face to face with a Ringleader. And it wasn't any less horrifying. Executioner was slightly different from Alchemist, however. Her face displayed only hate and bloodlust. No sick joy, only the desire to see blood and hydraulic fluid. That, and her right arm was a mangled mess of parts that resembled a claw. At the end of that claw was a hand that gripped a large sword designed to shred dolls to pieces. Dolls like M4. Dolls like USP and Spectre.

Executioner showed no hurry. She sauntered up to the defending T-Dolls with little concern for her own safety. The bullets that found their mark didn't seem to do much damage, and Executioner's modified arm was like a shield. With each step she put more bullets into Spectre and USP. Their dummies were begining to waver. "M4 has reached the final line! Retreat!" SAR shouted, panic in her voice.

"Oh no you don't!" Executioner took her sword and took a step back. There was a slight flash of light and she swung her sword. A blast of wind flew by Spectre, knocking her back. USP was sent tumbling, and one of her dummies was shredded to bits. One of SAR's partners was heavily damaged and needed to leave the battle.

"STG is hurt!"

"We can't stay here any longer!"

"Wait," Spectre regained her balance, "I still got this! Go regroup." Spectre advanced and started shooting at Executioner again. USP struggled to get feet as FNC and SAR dragged what was left of STG towards the final defensive line. USP turned to join them, then stopped to look at Spectre. None of USP's dummies were responding, so what could she do?

Executioner leapt over the makeshift wall and ran up to Spectre. In melee range, the Ringleader had a distinct and unfair advantage. Spectre did a good job of dodging the blade, but her dummy did not fare as well. the enemy was waiting for her moment. Executioner anticipated her dodge and turned to swing. USP pushed Spectre down and out of the way just before the sword cut then in half. Executioner stumbled. The Griffon dolls hopped up and made some distance.

"STG is stable and the defenses are set. Miss Thompson's team is almost here!" SAR said over the radio. The other dolls were only minutes out. Within sight, but still to far for suppressive fire. Ursula would be bringing more combat teams as well. Hopefully it would be enough. "Get out of there; we'll cover you!"

Spectre turned to USP. "You first, you got little legs." She said with a smirk and opened fire on Executioner. USP did not need to be told twice. She ran as fast as she could to the defensive line. Spectre emptied her magazine and turned to catch up. Executioner cursed and resumed her pursuit.

USP ran as hard as she could, but Executioner was gaining. All the while shouting obscene things. Spectre chuckled as she caught up and reloaded. "I think I liked her better when she was cocky."

"Thompson here! We've set up a kill zone for the small-fry. I'll be coming to help you against the big one. Four O'Clock sharp, ya?" The two turned and saw another Griffon team heading their way. They immediately opened fire on Executioner while the snipers took out the rest of the SF infantry. A small cheer escaped as the battle seemed to turn. But it had just entered it's most dangerous phase.

Executioner roared and increased her speed. She had taken a minor amount of damage, but it didn't even seem to slow her down. She was gaining on the dolls despite their lead and the fire from the other assualt rifles. Ursula's covoy crested over a hill, with dozens of helicopters ready to drop combat teams off. Executioner was out of time. She needed to end this, and end it now.

She tossed her handgun aside and jumped into the center of the group. Ignoring all damage, she charged directly at M4. Thompson activated her Forceshield and stopped the SF advance. "Now: light 'er up!" Thompson raised her gun and smiled. Executioner tried her best to dodge the wall of bullets. But once the main combat echelons arrived, it would be over for her. Executioner roared as her leg gave out under the sheer amount of fire.

Executioner twisted in one last effort. Her sword left her hand at blinding speed, sailing directly at M4. USP was the first to act. She grabbed M4 and pushed her back and took her place. Executioner face twisted into a smile of regret. Her last resort had failed...she had failed. Her damaged leg crumpled, and the rest of the Griffon combat teams reduced her to a mess of scrap.

SAR and Spectre ran over to USP. She was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball. Spectre lifted her up, and she was sobbing. A small gash was on her forehead. But that was the only injury she sustained. "Why did I do that?!" She sobbed and held her head. "I almost died~!"

Spectre cracked up. "Those little legs of yours saved you" she pointed to the wall behind them. USP's hat was impaled into the cement by Executioner's sword. It would have gone through M4's head. "If you were just a hair taller, that would have gone through your skull."

USP sobbed some more. "That's not funny!"

On the other end of the battlefield, there was silence. The remaining SF troops stopped moving. Without a Ringleader, they became passive and harmless. Still, that didn't mean the Griffon Dolls stoped shooting. Targets were easier to hit when they aren't moving. The team surrounded the Ringleader. Executioner was hardly recognizable. She moved what was left of her head slightly to look up at the dolls surrounding her. M4 approached her.

"Heh...so much for that. If this is all SF had..." She said, turning her gun to the Ringleader, "then you had no hope of catching me."

Executioner smiled. Her voice was distorted from the damage. "We have other ways … to get you. Like...the others in the...AR team." M4 squeezed the trigger. The echo of gunfire continued until M4 was out of ammo. She lowered the smoking gun and frowned.

"You shouldn't have mentioned them." The Dolls stood at attention as Ursula arrived. M4 turned slightly. "Finally….a friendly face." She said, the exhaustion dripping from her words. "Commander ...please help us."