In their escape from the rising water levels in the trainyard, Shirley and Clarence had to run into each other.

They know each other from a couple of encounters, including the attack on GGO by Lievre last fall and Crimson Squad's excursion into the White Frontier map a month and a half ago. So they're partially part of the squadron but not exactly full members. Despite that, they share one thing: beat Jaymes, Kureha, Pitohui, Llenn, Fuka, and M.

To beat the captain and the lieutenant of Crimson Squad is an accomplishment. Shirley and Clarence know the combined might of Kureha and Jaymes is nothing to take lightly. They surprised and eliminated the entire team of T-S in the last SJ to win it all. Alone, they're a force to be reckoned with: both ranked in the top ten of the previous BoB, and they did not cooperate once. They did not earn the respect of the squadron just because they formed it, after all.

Llenn and the other three have Squad Jam notoriety alone, yet Clarence and Shirley have a bone to pick. Shirley's beef is with Pitohui and Llenn; Pitohui somehow survived a headshot inflicted by Shirley in the last SJ, and Llenn eliminated Shirley. Clarence had a short moment with Llenn and her SJ2 team. She was the lone survivor of Jaymes' attack in the dome and even kissed Llenn to toy with her. However, both women had missed the last scan, so they had no idea where LPFM was. With the island sinking, they decided to forget about combat and get more interior to the island.

But neither expected to run into each other in this place of all places. Clarence wasn't expecting to see a sniper rushing in at such close range. Shirley wasn't expecting anyone to run in the direction of the previous gunfire. So as Clarence parkoured over a downed engine and Shirley cleared a tanker car, the two women encountered each other, stunned by the other's presence twenty yards apart.

"Hya!"

"Ah!"

Not even greeting the other, they begin a fight. Clarence's draw speed is far from slow, but Shirley had pulled off two snapshots prior and made Clarence the third victim. Another exploding bullet is fired, hitting Clarence's AR-57. It explodes, reduced to what could be considered scrap. She'd have to repair it after the game, but for now, it is unusable.

The women halt about ten apart, and Shirley quickly expels the used bullet by pulling the bolt, then pushes it back to reload the rifle. Clarence, however, doesn't dwindle in place while Shirley reloads. She whips out her Five-Seven pistol and fires four shots at the poncho wearer.

Shirley fires back as the first bullet grazes her left shoulder, resulting in her shot doing the same to Clarence. It explodes behind her after making contact with the nearby train engine. Meanwhile, Clarence's second shot hit Shirley's hood, lifting it off her head to reveal Shirley's green hair, a camo cap worn backward, and black lines drawn on her face made with cosmetics. The last two shots barely hit Shirley's side and arm.

Now thirty feet apart, the women face each other. Clarence grins like a heroic protagonist as she keeps her pistol trained on Shirley. "Heyo, Shirley! It's been a while! How you doing, girl?"

"Oh, is that you, Clarence?"

"Yes, I do," replies Clarence in English.

"Uh, I think you mean Yes, I am. Do you...actually know English?"

"Sorry. And now... you know the creed of that squadron. Then prepare to eat lead. Or in English...die!" Clarence opens fire, but Shirley sidesteps in time to her left. Shirley forces Clarence to follow her will, shooting towards the right, which is said to be hard to do with the dominant hand. While dodging bullet lines, Shirlely loads her next shot quickly and aims.

Her muzzle lines up perfectly with Clarence. Anticipating another snapshot, Shirley fires once more. But at the same time, one of Clarence's bullets hits the body of the R93, throwing its aim off course at the last possible second. The round hits Clarence and explodes on her right leg. Of course, with one leg, Clarence begins to fall over. "Gya-ha-ha!" As she falls, she continues to shoot at Shirley, nailing her opponent all over, including the barrel of the R93.

Both women are downed twenty feet apart.

Clarence emptied the chamber of the Five-Seven as she fell, indicated by the retraction of the slide. Her health lingers at forty percent.

With twenty percent of her health left, Shirley had taken most of the damage to her legs. Three bullet holes light up red on each lower limb, and they feel somewhat numb. However, she props herself up on her knee with her gun. Pissed, she growls at Clarence, "You've really done it now..."

Clarence remains smiling, but her voice conveys she's far from happy. "That's my line! You just blasted my leg right off, you jerk! But I've got the advantage! I need to replace my magazine. But you shouldn't fire that gun at all. You know why, I assume?"

"...Son of a...bitch." The damage to the R93's barrel leaves a deep gash. If Shirley fires a bullet, it will stop within the barrel. The pressure from the combusting gunpowder will have nowhere to escape, building up in the barrel before erupting inside. That's bad under normal circumstances; now, put an exploding bullet in this situation. Shirley's gun could be destroyed beyond repair in a gun shop. Worse, she could eliminate herself from the game. She could switch to standard bullets and test the barrel without those consequences, just a damaged R93 that can be fixed.

But Clarence, who knows Shirley, wasn't going to allow that. "You're not going anywhere. We partied with the others in the White Frontier not too long ago and had several fights. I even watched the SJ2 film to see your team. I know you love your rifles. So I know I have all the time in the world to change my magazine and shoot you. Easy peasy." As if to prove it, Clarence moves her left hand calmly towards the pouch of spare Five-Seven magazines.

"Hey Clarence," Shirley calls out. "Do you know how a hunter performs a finish on an animal that's been immobilized?"

Clarence inclines her head as her hand grabs a magazine. "Did you say 'fish'? Like...sashimi?"

"Finish. As in, to finish off."

"I don't know, how do you? Tell a funny joke and make them die laughing?"

"Wrong!" Shirley releases the R93 Tactical 2, stands up with a pained look, and runs toward Clarence. Shocked, Clarence quickly removes the empty magazine and slams the fresh magazine into the Five-Seven. She pulls the slide to load the first bullet. All done in one fluid motion, showing her expertise with the weapon.

But she couldn't find Shirley on the ground when she aimed. "Huh?"

"Shaaa!" Clarence did not find Shirley on the ground but in the air. Unable to react, she takes a diving knee to her stomach. Shirley then reaches for Clarence's right arm, holding it down to prevent her from shooting the Five-Seven. "You do this!" Shirley reaches with her free hand underneath her poncho and draws a large knife called a ken-nata. Shirley never used it in GGO. She and the others of the KKHC all have one, more so out of hunting habit than as a melee weapon. It is helpful for many things, from chopping wood for kindling to cutting branches to a lethal, merciful stab to the heart of an animal.

It was a good luck charm for Shirley, but now, it gives her victory over Clarence.

"Gyaargh!" Clarence shouts as the ken-nata is plunged eight inches deep into an open spot of her armor on the left flank.

"Oh! Sorry, I missed the heart," Shirley says, "I'll put you at ease right now." The hunter's face becomes gentle as she leans in, giving respect to her prey.

"I could go for a kiss before that," Clarence jokes, grimacing against the virtual pain sensation. Her hit points gradually fall from green to yellow as only her flank is struck. Had it been her heart, she would have been eliminated by now. "How about it, Shirley? Give the audience a glimpse of the paradise that is Crimson Squad's mostly-women membership. Give them a glimpse of the captain's harem."

"No thanks!" Shirley shouts, removing the knife from Clarence's side and diving it straight into her heart.

"Gaaaahh... Screw youuuu!" Her health depletes faster, but Clarence doesn't plan to go out this way. She prefers to go out with a bang. She watches as her health slips into the red zone, eroding her time. But it is enough to move her left hand to her back, then to her mouth.

"Huh?" What Shirley saw was a small, oblongated dull grey object. Obviously, it can be only one thing, a hand grenade.

Clarence holds her grin as she pops the grenade's lever, then pulls the safety pin out with her teeth. "This is for you, Shirley. You know the creed." As Clarence dies, her strength fades. The grenade, however, remains in the grip of her left hand as it drops lifelessly on the ground.

Sighing, Shirley eyes the DEAD indicator. "You're right, Clarence. I know the creed." That's the last words Shirley manages before a white light consumes her avatar.

Llenn

"Ah, here's two more... Shirley and Clarence?" Llenn spots the two corpses submerged in water. She's not particularly excited to see the more distant members of Crimson Squad in this condition.

Unlike Pitohui, who glances down at the pair with a grin. "Really? Ooooh, mutual takedown. May you rest in peace."

"Hey, Captain, we're watching what transpired later, right?" Fuka adds with a smirk. "I have to know who won."

Jaymes chuckles. "I put 1,000 credits on Shirley."

LPFM had commandeered a brown military truck with a roof over the bed, and sides plated with armor. SHINC used this exact truck in SJ1 to move around the map. M drives very slowly through the submerged switchyard. The truck is small, but the six are thankful that the truck's half-sunk wheels are large enough to hold the engine and exhaust high above the waterline.

M and Jaymes occupy the driver and passenger seats. M drives as fast as the sea moves inward, keeping a consistent distance. Jaymes keeps M steady and acts as his guard should they be attacked from the front. The women keep their guns poking out of the walled bed, ready to defend the truck if needed.

"You think Shirley and Clarence killed everyone else and then fought each other?"

"I bet so!" Pitohui replies jovially. "Gosh, they were pretty impressive. I like them! I like them alot!"

Llenn knew it was better to remark about how it isn't a good thing to be liked by Pitohui, but she traded a glance with Kureha. Well, she'll have to thank the women later, but for now, their corpses will be left behind.

M's plan to escape the water was anything but that. Instead, they waited in the black freight car until the ocean was almost upon them, then they followed along. Why M decided this? For one, few of their surrounding enemies would challenge the ocean if they cared about their survival. Two, they had this truck that M found while Llenn played decoy much earlier.

Once the ocean had reached them, Jaymes cut through the black freight car to allow them to escape. In the distance, they heard gunfire from their enemies' positions. M offered a new plan - do nothing and wait. For minutes, they listened from the truck to the sounds of a gun battle, including the addition of a sniper.

"Geez, it sounds like people are dying out there..."

"Well, uh, yeah, Fuka."

"Why can't people learn to stop fighting? If we could all just speak from the heart over a beer or two, the world could see eye to eye and find peace."

"Pito, I just want to ask you, because I can't tell for sure, but you are joking, right?"

After a grenade blast, things were silent. Jaymes told M to move forward, and that's where they are now. A sea of dead bodies, including Clarence and Shirley. Llenn sighs, feeling somewhat dejected. "And in the end, we didn't need to do anything,"

"Don't worry about it! Just be thankful we got it easier! The battle's heading into the middle section now," Fukaziroh replies with optimism.

"I guess you're right." They didn't have to use up ammo and had a relatively easy way out of the switchyard. The battle Llenn looks forward to, a rematch with SHINC, is still possible as they were present on the fourth scan. So were Memento Mori (who probably sought revenge against Pitohui) and the Machine Gun Lovers. The number of teams is still in the double digits, but very soon, the special rule of SJ3 will come into effect once that narrows down between six and eight.

"What do you think? Are we under eight teams by now?"

Llenn was honestly hoping M, Jaymes, or Kureha would answer, but no. Fuka did and didn't have an ounce of concern in her voice. "Maybe, but maybe not yet. Maybe baguette. With vinaigrette. What it all comes down to is: We're fighters. Whatever happens, we fight to the death, la-da-dee, la-da-doo."

"What was that at the end?"

"I dunno, like the sound of warriors wandering across the wasteland. With the wind and stuff. You know?"

"I don't know—and that's all I know."