Chapter 1:
GSC Helicopter
Liam Benson, Benson's Buccaneers, Schale
Kivotos Air Space - Unknown Star System, Unknown Affiliation
20 May 3059
Liam looked upon the cityscape from the VTOL he was on as it manoeuvred around skyscrapers, his bald head doing little to keep him warm from the flowing air. Having a better look at the city, it was a contradiction of sorts.
From appearances, it could be called a pre-spaceflight city, given the design of some of the vehicles and lack of any of the things he was familiar with. Yet, he was sure he saw some sort of holographic displays on the buildings and what had to be augmented humans walking around freely. Animals wearing clothes and walking upright just couldn't exist.
There also appeared to be a few firefights happening on the ground, with old-style police uniforms clashing with fools in more plain dresses.
"Liam-sensei," Rin interjected, breaking Liam's concentration, "the autopilot is about to land. It won't let us get any closer than six hundred metres!"
"Understandable," Liam turned towards her and nodded, "I've seen Karnovs with better protection than this craft! Small arms fire alone would rip it to pieces!"
Rin nodded and handed him an earpiece. "I know you insist on being on the ground, but I am not helpful there! I'll contact you and land at the club building once it's safe!"
The earpiece seemed more petite than most communication devices he was familiar with. Considering his primary profession, the plastic look and feel made him somewhat uncomfortable with how durable it could be. "Affirmative!" Liam put the device around his right ear. It felt rather comfy despite its plastic look.
The VTOL slowed down and descended, hovering slightly above the apparent drop-off site.
"Good luck, Liam-sensei!" Rin exclaimed. Wanting to waste no further time, Liam nodded to her and disembarked with the four other students.
Wanting to waste no time, Liam nodded at Rin before disembarking with the other four students, as they called themselves, Yuuka, Suzumi, Chinatsu, and Hasumi. They all held pre-spaceflight firearms. Suzumi had a select fire rifle that quite heavily resembled the old Federated Long Rifle. Yuuka had two old submachine guns. Why she had two of them, Liam just attributed that to trying to look cool. Chinatsu's pistol was an old German Mauser pistol, a fair enough weapon for a medic to carry. Then there was Hasumi's bolt action rifle, which he swore was similar to a Lee Enfield rifle. It seemed odd to use those weapons. They were outdated, even considering LosTech.
Looking over his surroundings, Liam frowned. As the Schale club building - as they called it - possessed a unique profile, he would have been unable to find out where he was meant to go with only Japanese signs.
"No hostiles sighted," Liam circled his left index finger in the air, "form up on me."
The four students looked at each other and shrugged.
"Liam-sensei?" Yuuka was the first to speak up, looking at Liam like a deer caught in headlights.
"Just wanted to confirm a few things." Liam tried to placate them as he continued to scan the area. "The flight here was a little loud, and I wanted to ensure we were all on the same page."
"Ah, I understand." Hasumi smiled and nodded, walking over to Liam. "It's true that I had some trouble hearing everything."
The others followed Hasumi, forming a circle around Liam.
"Our target is the Schale club building over there." Liam pointed to the sleek yet oddly shaped building northwest of their location. "If our intel is correct, they have around thirty individuals patrolling the area around and by the building, along with a very outdated tank."
"I wouldn't call a crusader outdated, Liam-sensei." Hasumi politely interrupted as she went into thought. "It forms the bulk of Trinity's tanks and performs quite well."
"It is outdated because it has old steel armour, a light rifle, and two machine guns for armament." Liam glanced over to Hasumi, not wanting to beat around the bush. "A Vedette or Scorpion tank would be a far better investment than a millennium-old tank and would have much better protection for the crew."
The students looked confused at his words. "Vedette, Scorpion?" Yuuka repeated as she verbalised the group's confusion.
"Standard combat vehicles militias use. Don't think too hard about it." Liam didn't want to waste any more time than needed explaining stuff. They had a task before them, after all. "Is it safe to assume that the rest of the occupants are armed similarly to yourselves despite the tank?"
Suzumi nodded. "The street thugs rarely get anything extraordinary," she began tossing her stun grenade in her hand with a slight smile on her face, "they usually just wear a plain dress and a paper mask to cover their mouths. Occasionally, they have a motorcycle helmet or two on them, but that's not typical for this area."
So they were exposed then. Liam knew a simple burst of 7.62 or a shot from his pistol should put them down. Still better to conserve ammo. Two hundred and fifty rounds for his M42B may be considerable, but he didn't know when he could rearm.
"Noted." Liam looked at each of the students before continuing. "Keep close, one-metre intervals at most. Stay alert for movement, and don't hesitate to call if you see anything. I will take point. Yuuka and Suzumi the flanks. Hasumi the rear. Keep close to Chinatsu."
All four of them recoiled at the directness of his orders, Yuuka being the first to break the moment of silence. "Wait, shouldn't I take the lead? Considering that-"
"No," Liam shook his head, "while I appreciate the help, I was alright with doing this alone, and this isn't my first time engaging in a combat scenario. Besides, let's just say I have a knack for seeing things."
The last part wasn't a boast made in vain. Liam had spent nearly a decade learning how to read the hectic flow of a battlefield on a hundred-and-twenty-degree monitor that allotted a complete three-sixty view around his mech. The amount of information that he'd had to process was quite substantial, to say the least. As a MechWarrior trained since he could walk, it should be him if anyone is to dance with death.
Yuuka stared at Liam for a moment before she nodded hesitantly. "If you insist, Liam-sensei." Her voice's tone betrayed her doubt, but it mattered little.
"Move out and follow my lead." Liam turned towards the path going to the Shale building as the four followed silently behind him.
The streets themselves were abandoned, likely due to the uprising going on. Some cars were turned over or on fire, showing signs of rioting or revolt. Most strange was the lack of any human bodies or blood. Sure, the humanoid machines lay on the ground alongside clothed animals, however, the animals still seemed to be breathing, if unconscious. Were these machines walking these animals for their owners? Or did the owners flee the scene and leave their pets behind? Either way, whoever was taking care of those animals should feel ashamed. Liam never had a pet growing up, and these people treated them like this? How insulting.
The scene carried on like this as the group reached a turn in the road; before reaching the intersection, Liam stopped, holding a fist in the air. He knew he had heard something, smashing perhaps. Next to him was a large piece - about the size of his palm - of a side-view mirror one of the cars had. He didn't want to risk looking around the corner, lest he face a hostile. Taking a safer option, he grabbed the mirror off the ground and carefully approached the corner of a building. Once there, he poked the mirror around the corner and began scanning the area with the small glass plane.
"Twelve hostiles. Bunched in groups of four." Liam whispered to the four students. "Appeared to be armed with select fire rifles and mounted machine guns. Centre group clumped around a machine, side groups breaking the windows of a building with blunt instruments." These students must be some sort of proto-elementals to be holding such heavy weaponry.
"You got all that from just the mirror!?' Yuuka's voice was hushed but still shocked.
"I told you, have a knack for these things." This was hardly an issue compared to the screens he'd have to look at. "Suzumi, you have a stun grenade you can spare?" The pet owners may not care for them, but that doesn't mean Liam should blow up animals recklessly.
"Of course," Liam didn't even have to look; he could tell that Suzumi had a bit of pride in her, "I always carry enough for patrols."
Grabbing the stun grenade she handed him, Liam hummed in thought. "I don't have the most experience throwing grenades. Suzumi, you throw at the cluster of four on the right, and I will toss mine toward the closer ones on the left. Once they go off, we should all rush around the corner and overwhelm the centre group with fire before they can react." It was a simple plan, but anything too complex leads to issues. He and his father found simple is best, especially during their experience fighting clanners.
The four students nodded. It was all Liam needed to see.
"On my signal, Suzumi and I will toss the grenades. Make your shots count." Liam set his rifle against the wall and held up three fingers with his free hand.
Three, two, one.
Not wasting a nanosecond, Liam and Suzumi tossed their primed stun grenades and rushed back behind the corner. Liam had just enough time to shoulder his rifle before the grenades went off. Speeding around the corner, he and the four students trained their sights on the four thugs by the machine. Their expressions held shock as Liam aimed at their centre mass. Each pull of the trigger unleashed lead. Their only protection was a ballistic helmet on one of them, which would not stop a round to the heart. Once, twice, thrice, his shots landed true, but he wouldn't stop until he saw his target fall on the ground. In total, it took him fifteen bullets before his target fell over. Oddly resilient for someone with only cloth for armour, he had wished to save more ammo for later. Switching off his target, he did a quick scan of the area. No movement.
"Hostiles neutralised!" Liam called out and relaxed. Perhaps those stun grenades were more effective than one would think.
The four students relaxed and looked around. Shock evident on their faces, as if they expected it to take longer than a few seconds. "That was impressive…" Chinatsu glanced around the area before focusing on Liam, "the head prefect will find this curious…" the last part, she mumbled to herself; despite her hushed voice, Liam still heard her. Whoever this head prefect was, Liam should be on alert for her.
"Well, despite the fact he isn't wearing pants." Yuuka's face held a smug expression as she noted that.
"I fail to see how that is important in this circumstance." Liam frowned as he turned around and relaxed slightly. "It's not like it's cold or snowing."
"As an adult, you should-" Gunfire erupted, a hail of bullets slamming into Yuuka's left side.
"Damn it!" Liam cursed in his native tongue.
The left side was where he threw his grenade. He was careless and now got someone else killed. Switching the fire option to fully automatic, Liam pivoted toward the source of the fire. The bitch was in the middle of reloading. Last mistake she'd make. Liam pulled the trigger of his rifle and held it down. The panicked look the bitch was making did little to make him show mercy. Even when she went down, and his magazine was empty, Liam held the trigger down and pointed it at the eliminated hostile. Perhaps he should reload. He had rounds to spare.
"Ow…" The voice of Yuuka interrupted that train of thought. Perhaps he got lucky. Maybe she wasn't dead and just wounded. "Those were JHP rounds, those cheaters!"
Liam dropped his rifle and ran towards Yuuka. Jacketed hollow-point rounds were horrible things to have inside of you, so he first had to determine where the bullets entered. Her voice suggested that it wasn't critical, but maybe that was their pain tolerance kicking in. He had to be sure. Standing beside Yuuka, he looked for entry points near her vital organs. If one of those were punctured, she'd be dead.
There was nothing. Even though Yuuka's clothes were punctured, her skin was intact.
Perhaps the wound was in the arm or legs? Patting those areas down, Liam frowned. Still nothing. Did she even get hit? He was certain-
"What are you doing!?" Yuuka screamed as her strong hand slapped Liam across the face. "You pervert!"
What in the name of Kerensky was wrong with her? "Pervert!?" The gall of her! "You were shot, were you not!?"
"How does that relate to you feeling me up!?" Looking at Yuuka's face, Liam thought he was looking at a tomato momentarily.
"I was looking for entry points!" Liam couldn't believe he had to explain that concept. "I've seen enough carnage to know what even a single bullet does to one's internals and how critical it is that aid be administered as soon as possible."
"Internal damage…" Yuuka trailed off as she seemed to think about it, her face becoming paler. Looking at her more, Liam could tell she had little more than a bit of dust and minor holes in her clothes but no traces of blood.
"Sensei," Chinatsu interrupted softly, "I thought I was clear earlier. A single bullet isn't an issue for us students."
"Your pain tolerance, right?" Liam failed to see how that was relevant. "Those halos of yours prevent you from feeling as much pain from a bullet, correct?"
"That's not what they do." Chinatsu shook her head. "They don't merely numb the pain; they prevent and regenerate damage and grant strength beyond one would think possible."
"I guessed the latter due to those hostiles holding the mounted machine guns, which makes them like Elementals without the muscle." Liam looked back at Yuuka, analysing her skin to ensure he didn't miss anything. "So, assuming you were hit in the chest, where the heart would be, I'd find a cut at most?"
"If even that." Chinatsu looked at her medical bag for a moment. "Sometimes I need to provide some treatment, but…"
Assuming what he had been told was true, then perhaps Liam was too cautious with these girls. That would be a callous thought. People shouldn't be viewed as tools. Liam should be chastised for daring to entertain such a viewpoint. His mind returned to him patting down Yuuka. if she wasn't in danger of death, then his patting her down was… "My apologies, Yuuka," Liam turned towards her in realisation, "I didn't mean to disrespect your dignity."
"So you only were doing that because…"
"I didn't want someone to die due to my mistakes." The pain of her slap was significant, but the emotional damage to his brain would have been worse. "For what it's worth, I am glad my worry was overzealous. Better to deal with a slap across the face than someone else dying." Liam walked back to his rifle and picked it back up. Ejecting the empty magazine and loading a fresh one, he pulled back the charging handle. "We should get moving. We don't have all day, and the Schale building is still at risk."
Everyone besides Yuuka nodded. The student still looked at Liam for a few extra moments. "Right…" Yuuka said, still somewhat dazed, "Thank you, Sensei, for caring."
"It's what anyone should do." Liam turned to lead the group back down the street.
The four reached the street before the Schale building with no incident. Liam, being safe, took a nearby mirror off the ground again and used it to peer around the last corner. "Nineteen hostiles on foot and one tank. Hostile by the door, not dressed like the others."
Hasumi leaned over to Liam. "How is she different?"
Liam squinted his eyes. "Like you, she has animal augments on her. A fox tail and ears. Appears to be wearing a white mask, some sort of furisode, or whatever those dresses are called. It's cut too short, though. She has a bolt-action rifle. I can't tell what type."
"Animal augments?" Hasumi's voice seemed more tense than usual. "What do you mean by that."
What an odd question she had. "Well, humans aren't born with things like your wings or Chinatsu's ears. I know surgery and augments allow one to reshape their body how they please." Despite how much Liam would disagree with changing one's body to such a degree for a fetish, he wouldn't judge. He's done worse things himself.
"My wings aren't fake." Hasumi was quick to rebuke.
"I'm sorry?" Perhaps Liam misunderstood the Japanese. Such a ridiculous statement couldn't be true.
As if to emphasise her point, her wings began to move. "My wings are real. I have always had them."
No, he didn't mishear; she did say her wings were real. "My apologies then." Liam was stunned, to say the least. At least Sumire wasn't here. She always hated anything related to birds. "Forgive me if I seemed rude. Never seen anyone with real wings or animal features before."
"You haven't?"
"No." Liam looked back at the mirror he used to look around the corner. "Appears that fox girl went into the building, though."
As the mention of the fox girl came up again, Chinatsu seemed to recoil. "You said she was wearing a white mask, right?"
"I did. Why?" Liam remembered that and her clothing that stood out compared to the rest of the thugs.
"Then it is true," Chinatsu seemed on edge, "if what you said is accurate, then that is Wakamo, the Fox of Calamity."
"I take it she's bad news?" That didn't seem to be a title taken lightly. In the Inner Sphere was once an infamous man called The Fox. Hanse Davion. Liam doubted she got her nickname for being clever, though.
"She is one of the seven prisoners." Chinatsu hushedly tried to explain. "Reports say she has escaped the Corrections Bureau countless times after being suspended from the Allied Hyakkiyako Academy, and even SRT has trouble dealing with her. Anywhere she shows up, she leaves nothing but rubble."
Liam had no idea who this SRT or Corrections Bureau was, but that at least told him he had to hurry. "If she's going in there, she must be looking to destroy the building. We shouldn't waste any more time." The tank made a frontal assault non-viable. He was bold, not stupid. "You said you were more durable, yes? That you could take bullets and be okay? Does that extend to fighting a tank?"
"Yes, provided we are careful, we should be alright." Chinatsu looked at Liam as concern flooded her face. "You, however…"
"Would be turned into ham if I enter its firing arc." Liam saw other roads leading to the entrance. Those could work. "You four act as a distraction. I will go around and approach from a different street." Liam handed Chinatsu his M42B and patted her shoulder. "You can use this more than me. It's set to semi-automatic, so you have fifty trigger pulls before you need to reload. Take my spare mags for it as well." The spare magazines for it would just be extra weight to him anyway.
Yuuka recoiled at Liam. "But that's what you've been using this whole time! Don't tell me you'll pick up a rock and throw it!"
"Not at all." Liam unholstered his sunbeam laser pistol and turned it on. "Suzumi, hand me a stun grenade."
"Why?"
"Let's say it's a present for the tank crew and leave it at that," Liam smirked as Suzumi looked at him, confused. "It may not look like it, but this little thing packs all the punch I need to get through the top armour."
"If you say so…" Suzumi hesitantly handed Liam one of her stun grenades.
"Thank you." Liam took a deep breath before he left. "Start your distraction as soon as I turn the other corner of this building. Try not to hurt yourself once you engage. I'll neutralise the crew as fast as I can. I'd rather not see you all get hurt."
"But you're the one taking the most risk." Yuuka seemed to be the most torn over that fact out of everyone.
"No guts, no galaxy," Liam said as he began to walk off, "stay safe."
Liam began to sprint off. The four students began engaging when he rounded the other corner of the building complex they hid behind. He had to hurry. Not just to get in the building but to ensure those four weren't hurt. He felt a tinge of guilt over his current situation. He would have jumped feet-first into hell without hesitation if he had been in any of his mechs. The mixture of him crushing glass under the heel of his boot and the roar of gunfire flooded his ears. He was alone and had a job to do. It was strangely calming. The danger was the same, yet the only variable was the recipient. He had seen too many others die.
His toll was overdue.
Near a black van with the words 'KSPD' and 'Valkyrie' was a girl wearing a police-like uniform with her white hair styled as long pigtails. Her purple megaphone seemed fine, her uniform lacking any sign of damage. Yet, she appeared to be crying while holding her handgun. Smoke grenades lay on the ground, her own if Liam had to guess. Liam had an idea.
"Sorry, miss," Rushing up to her, Liam leaned down and picked up one of the grenades, not stopping momentarily, "need to use this. GSC business."
Stunned by his voice, her tears stopped. "Wait, that's Valkyrie property! Stop!"
Liam couldn't comply. There was a tank to deal with.
One final corner, and there it was. The tank held its ground as its guns aimed and then fired at where the four were making their distraction. Liam had climbed worse. Sprinting, Liam jumped onto the rear of the tank and clambered up to the turret mount. Thankfully, the gunfire masked his rather loud movements. He didn't know how long he'd have, so he had to be quick about it. Taking out his pistol, Liam aimed it at the roof of the tank. A beam of light flashed as it dug into the steel, effortlessly melting away the thin protection. He used the pistol's first shot of four to cut open a small hole. It was big enough to fit in the smoke grenade. "What was that!" The commander of the tank shouted. Liam knew he had to act fast. Pulling the pin of the smoke grenade, he shoved it down the hole.
It was easier to smoke out the crew than to destroy the tank.
The crew inside stopped firing and began to cough. "Out! Out!" the commander screamed as she opened her hatch. She was a thug like the rest, yet lacked even a firearm. Climbing out of the tank with her crewmate, the two looked back at the tank and Liam. "What the hell!?" their reactions were slow as Liam threw a stun grenade at them and jumped off the tank.
Once the stun grenade went off, Liam rushed back around the tank, pistol in hand, and fired again, making sure to incapacitate the crew. Two shots left.
The distraction firefight was still ongoing; it seemed much fairer than when he started, with only six thugs left, and they were surrounded; this was just clean up. Using the last two shots of his power pack, Liam quickly helped dispatch the others without issue. "Area secure!"
As the dust settled and the four students he left in charge of the distraction were now visible again, most stood in shock. Chinatsu rushed over to the ones he shot urgently, even dropping his rifle on the ground, as panic filled and fell from her face. "They're fine, thank goodness. Only first-degree burns. Halos took most of the damage."
Yuuka, however, bolted up to Liam. "Is that a laser!" Yuuka's eyes seemed like a child in a candy store as she looked at his sidearm. "You had this the entire time and only used it now!?"
"Yes, compared to the M42B I carry, its ammunition is more limited." Liam loaded in a fresh power pack as his pistol came to life again. "I figured using it to disable the tank crew was as good as any reason."
"Speaking of," Hasumi looked at the smoke from a tank, "that isn't about to explode, is it?"
"If a smoke grenade were to cause that, I would be surprised." Liam smiled as he saw the four were unharmed. "Have to thank that girl, the smoke grenade really-"
"Stay right there!" The girl from early shouted as she rushed over to Liam, panting as she seemed out of breath.
Suzumi tilted her head. "You're with the Public Safety Bureau, right?"
The arrival smiled. "That's right, Nakatsukasa Kirino and this pervert," Kirino gestured to Liam, "stole Valkyrie School property."
"I told you, GSC business." Liam sighed as he pinched his forehead. "Not like I can give it back to you anyway. I used it to disable that tank."
"Tank?" Kirino looked over to the war machine and then back to Liam. "How did you use a smoke grenade to disable a tank?!"
"Smoke out the crew." It seemed simple for Liam to understand. "Now, as much as I find this conversation interesting, there is the matter of the Fox of Calamity." Liam looked at the building as he signed. "I'll call it in. Secure the door."
"Right." everyone but Kirino confirmed, the latter confused as she stood there stunned.
Turning on his headset, Liam steeled himself. "Skyeye, this is crimson actual. The perimeter is secure, but we have a problem."
"Skyeye?" Rin sounded confused on the other end. "And what do you mean by a problem?"
"Force of habit, sorry." Liam considered his following words with care. "Appears that someone got in. The others called her the Fox of Calamity. She is inside the Schale building right now."
Rin was silent for a few moments. "Are you positive it was her?"
"White mask, fox ears and tail, wearing some black and red dress and using a bolt action rifle. If that fits the description, then it is her."
"Sensei, listen to me." Rin sounded frantic on the other line. "There is something in there that must not be destroyed. It's in the basement. I will land atop the building while you secure the basement."
"How important is the thing in question?"
"If it's destroyed, then Kivotos is doomed."
Well, that answered his question. "Affirmative, I will secure the basement. I will send someone to meet you up top and try to secure the other floors if this fox is on them. Wouldn't want you getting hurt."
"Thank you, Sensei," Rin breathed a sigh of relief, " I will see you soon."
"Crimson actual, signing off." Liam turned off his radio, picked up his rifle from the ground, and approached others who stood at the door. Handing it back to Chinatsu, Liam sighed as he looked at the towering structure. "We're going in."
"But Liam-sensei," Yuuka seemed the most alert, "If the Fox of Calamity is in there, it isn't safe for you!"
A trivial issue. "True, yet if we do nothing, coming here is pointless." Rin was coming to the building regardless, so action had to be taken. "I was informed that something in the basement needs to be secured. I will go there. Suzumi, Rin is landing on top of the building. I want you to scale the building and clear a path for her safety. The rest of you, keep this door secure. If this fox tries to escape, you are our best chance to contain her."
"No!" Yuuka shouted again. "You want to go in there while the rest of us are separated from you? All the while, Wakamo could just bump into you!? I am not letting that happen!"
"I appreciate the concern but-"
"But nothing! You have a death wish!?" Yuuka's words stung a bit. Really, the concern for him seemed somewhat misplaced. He should have been dead long ago. "I'm going with you."
Liam blinked. "Are you sure? I am more than capable of defending myself."
"I don't doubt you, Sensei. It's just…" Yuuka seemed to trail off.
Perhaps she was concerned about an ambush? Seemed logical for Liam. A single bullet would be it for him and thus put their entire city in danger. "Alright." Liam nodded, easier than trying to convince her otherwise. "I trust you to keep an eye on me." Yuuka smiled and nodded as Liam looked at the others. "Any other objections?" If they had any, they didn't speak up. "Then let's go." Liam hoped at least the internal directions of the building would be in English. Otherwise, he would embarrass himself.
"Do you even know where you're going?" Yuuka chimed in after the third wrong turn.
"Honestly, no." Liam cursed his turn of bad luck. All the signs were written in kanji. "Is it too much to ask for signs in English? I'd take German or Latin as well."
"English? German? Latin? What are those?" The fact Yuuka didn't even know what those languages were concerned Liam immensely.
Sighing, Liam pointed at the badge hanging off her black blazer. "That is English. The word Millennium. We wouldn't be going through this if more things were written in my first language."
"You're joking." Yuuka seemed to doubt him. Was it that hard to comprehend?
Desperate times called for desperate measures. "If I was pulling y'all's legs, I'd be more bloody creative than that." If speaking in English didn't drive the point home, nothing would.
"What was that?" Yuuka seemed to be on the cusp of understanding Liam's issue.
"English," Liam said, switching back to her language, "since we are short on time, could you tell me which sign says basement? I would appreciate it."
Yuuka stared at Liam in shock before pointing to a sign that read 地下室. "That way is the basement. You really can't read that?"
"No, my apologies." Liam began following the odd signs. Hopefully, his error didn't cost them. "We can discuss it more later."
Yuuka nodded as they sprinted down the hallway and rushed down the stairs. Their trip down was silent save for their footsteps. Yet the oddest thing to Liam was the doors to where they were going.
They were opened beforehand. Someone was ahead of them.
Liam didn't want to alarm Yuuka. That'd be more trouble than it was worth. Mainly as a misstep earlier had caused her to trip and lag behind him considerably. So Liam kept that info to himself and readied his pistol. Door after door, the pair went through until Liam could hear it. In the distance was a female voice he wasn't familiar with humming. That had to be Wakamo. Suzumi was going up the building, and there was no way Rin beat him there. One final opened door was all that stood between them. Liam readied his pistol and entered the room without a second to waste.
He was in luck.
There stood Wakamo, who appeared to be lost in her own world as she was shuffling through a bag. Explosives perhaps? Her rifle was not near her, a good three metres away from her, leaning on a desk. Aiming his pistol at his unassuming foe, he had to at least let her realise her error and allow her to surrender. "Guten Tag!" Liam yelled as Yuuka rushed to catch up with him.
Wakamo whipped around, allowing Liam to see her fox mask. It was an ornate design that a Drac would love. She at first seemed ready to try and jump towards her rifle, yet stopped to stare at Liam instead, frozen in place. Her body shook as she looked at him. "I wouldn't go for that, miss," Liam said politely. No need for pointless violence, "I'd respectively ask of you-"
Liam didn't get a chance to finish that sentence. Wakamo plummeted to the floor.
Finally catching up in full panic mode, Yuuka burst into the room. She was out of breath as she entered the room, her gaze barreling in on Liam. "Seriously!?" Yuuka's face was livid. "I told you I'm coming with you, and as soon as you can, you go off without me! Wakamo would-"
"Faint right in front of me." Liam said, pointing to the unconscious 'Fox of Calamity.' "With all the build-up behind her, for her just to fall over after looking at me is a bit of a letdown…"
Yuuka looked over to where Liam was pointing as confusion flooded her face. "What?"
"I know it is confusing for me as well," Liam said as he approached the body, still ready if needed, "is she known to do this?"
"No," Yuuka said as she slowly walked forward, "I'm honestly at a loss."
That was odd. Kneeling over Wakamo, Liam carefully grasped the mask to try and get an idea of what had happened. With little effort, her mask came loose. Her face was fair, like the other students he had seen, and her breath was steady. He could only notice that her face was flush red, and her nose was bleeding as the only things that were out of the norm. Some pressure for a time should clog up the bleeding. "Yuuka, help me sit her upright."
"You want to help her?"
"Yes," Liam confidently stated, "she didn't attack me, so as far as I am concerned, she deserves the dignity any human deserves."
Yuuka stared at him for a few seconds until she sighed. "Fine, if that's what you want to do."
After leaning Wakamo against a soft surface, Liam calmly held one of his bandages over her nose and squeezed just enough. He would need to do this for at least ten minutes for treatment to work. Though perhaps these students' accelerated healing would make that shorter. So, with nothing better to do, Liam held the bandage there. Once the ten minutes had passed, Liam removed the dressing from her nose, and a satisfied smirk rested on his face. "That should handle that. Hopefully, there isn't any other internal issue."
"Did you need to do that?" Yuuka questioned as she still seemed on edge. "She is known to be quite violent."
"Considering my profession, I can't judge someone for the use of violence. Using it frivolously may be wrong, but one can always do better." His father always made that point clear, that one's past doesn't have to define who they are now. "Besides, I want to ask her a few questions when she wakes up."
"I don't understand. Shouldn't she be handed off to the Corrections Bureau?"
"A possible fate for her." Liam knew that the law had to be fulfilled in some way. "But she did effectively surrender, so as a mercenary, I should give her the same honours I'd expect onto me."
Yuuka didn't reply. Liam thought that perhaps his words confused her or that she was met with a foreign concept. Whichever it was, Liam at least wanted to know more of this so-called 'Fox of Calamity'.
A few more minutes passed until new steps were heard in the distance, two people's quickened steps. Suzumi and Rin, no doubt. Turning into the room first was Rin, who was breathing unsteadily. "Liam! Good, you made it here safely. Wakamo must-"
The sight of the unconscious girl in the room interrupted whatever she said.
She looked between Liam, Yuuka, and Wakamo for a solid minute. A pattern that repeated three times. "But, how!?" Rin said in shock as Suzumi was just as stunned. "There wasn't even a single explosion or gunfire!"
"I just walked in, and she fainted." Liam testified honestly. "The only thing I tried to do was ask her to surrender."
Rin looked somewhat horrified at Liam. "You're serious?"
"Indeed I am."
Rin seemed to mumble something, her voice too quiet for Liam to pick up. Rin composed herself as she walked into the room. "It would seem that you weren't merely boasting before. Come with me. Suzumi can watch Wakamo until the Corrections Bureau arrives."
"Can you hold on calling them for a moment? I'd prefer to question her before then."
"But she is a dangerous criminal." Rin's protests weren't unfounded to Liam. "She should be contained before she can escape."
"Perhaps, but she just fainted, and if what Yuuka told me is true, this isn't normal for her. I would at least like to know why." Worst case scenario, Liam was at least confident he could handle Wakamo before proper security arrived. "If we separate her from her weapon, she should be far easier to handle."
Rin gave an annoyed sigh. "If anyone else was saying that right now, I would dismiss it. Considering the circumstances, I trust you, Liam-sensei."
That was good enough for Liam. "Thank you."
Rin nodded as she looked over a set of tables in the room. She walked up to the tables and shuffled around a stack of objects until she pulled out a rectangular device that almost seemed like a noteputer. "Good, there isn't a scratch on it." Rin gave a small, genuine smile as she handed it off to Liam.
"A noteputer?" Liam held the odd object up to his face as he scrutinised it.
"Smart tablet," Rin replied, "the president left it for you. She called it the Shittim Chest."
An odd name for a device, to be sure. "What do you know about it?"
"Very little. Despite looking like a normal tablet, its origins are a mystery. The OS, manufacturer, system structure, even the components are unknown." Did Rin give him some sort of LosTech electronic? "All I know is, the President said she you would be able to take control of the Sanctum Tower with it." If Liam had to guess, that meant that control of the tower was the key to solving their little issue.
"Any idea how to turn it on?" Perhaps it was too much to hope for, but Liam would at least like a simple answer.
"No…" Rin breathed deeply as if that was not something she wanted to hear. "No one knows how. Maybe you might be able to find out a way." Her words seemed almost pleading as she turned her back. "I'll leave you to it as I cannot offer much help."
With that, Rin took her leave and walked away. Liam stared at the device for a minute. Rin could have at least told him how a smart tablet worked. Perhaps though, he wasn't out of luck. "Yuuka, can I ask you a few questions?"
Yuuka tilted her head as she got closer to Liam. "Yes, I am unsure how much help I can be."
"First, what is a smart tablet?"
Yuuka did not seem amused. "You have a laser weapon and don't know what a smart tablet is?"
Liam pulled out his noteputer with his free hand. "I assume it's like my noteputer here, but it doesn't look like it can fold out. Would it be fair to assess that it is meant to hold various data, be it books, holovids, or games, that you can interact with using an unseen interface? I don't see where a keyboard could be."
"Yes, though most models today have a touch screen for everything." Yuuka walked up to Liam as he put away his noteputer. Standing right next to Liam, she began looking at the Shittim Chest. "I don't see anything that would look like a power button, though…"
Ah, so such devices had a button activation. Perhaps something would happen if he held the button at the bottom of the screen. "Let's see if this works then." Without any other idea, Liam pressed the large button.
The screen turned a light blue.
Yuuka and Liam recoiled at the light as English words popped on the screen. 'Connecting to the Shittim Chest.' The machine read. 'Please enter the system password.'
Liam stared at the screen, awaiting at least a keyboard to show up somewhere. Perhaps the password was meant to be given vocally like what his 'Mech's DI computer needed? If so, what in the name of Kerensky could it be? Liam thought as Yuuka was captivated by the screen. If this device was handled by the GSC president, then perhaps something associated with her was the password. For some reason, his dream before walking up inside Rin's office was repeated in his mind. The doors with that strange phrase that repeated over and over. If the wounded girl was the GSC president, perhaps those words were the password.
It was worth a shot.
"We thirst for the seven wailings. We bear the koan of Jericho."
…
'Password accepted. User identified as Liam. Confirmed.'
What the hell?
'Welcome to the Shittim Chest, Liam-sensei.'
That was easier than expected.
'Converting to operating system ARONA for biological and generation of verification certificate.'
"Oh, son of a bitch." Liam yelled as he felt his consciousness ripped from him.
The process was painless. In fact, besides what seemed like a tug, Liam didn't feel anything abnormal. He could still feel his hands, his eyes still functioned, and he could hear just as well. He appeared to be in a blue-tinted classroom with a section of wall blasted away. A variety of old wooden desks scattered the room, one of which a girl with hair that looked similar to the girl in his dream was sleeping in. Overall, it was a peaceful place and felt oddly serene.
"What is this place?" he heard Yuuka to his left.
Did the machine also rip her consciousness as well? Perhaps that is partially the reason why Rin stepped away. "I don't know myself." Liam did little to hide the concern in his voice. "I am just as lost as you are." Hopefully, she'd forgive him later if they ever got out of whatever this mess was.
AN: Howdy folks, sorry this took too long to post, I had this chapter done much sooner, but I wanted to edit it to ensure I was doing my best. After some time with those whom I trust, I finally got this version here. The site's UI is still a pain, but hopefully, things look at least decent on your end. If not, I apologize to yinz. Have a good day.