"So, these are your choices for the team?"
"Yes, ma'am. These are the ones I want."
AK-74M stood at attention inside Miss Helian's office. It was relatively spartan, with only two guest chairs, a bookshelf, a plant in the corner, and a bare wooden desk that Helian sat behind. Behind Helian was not a wall, but a large floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the Griffin base. The only hint of decoration was the G&K logo on the carpet below them. AK-74M found the simplicity pleasant.
Since it made little sense to hide her former employment, AK-74M had replaced her former unit's insignia on both her beret and uniform, just to make sure it was complete. She had also donned her combat rig, just in case. Old habits die hard.
Miss Helian was looking over the employee files of the candidates AK-74M selected for the team. There were two T-Dolls and one human pilot. For some reason, Helian seemed to be caught off guard by her choices.
"Well, they are certainly…interesting," she said.
"Do you have an objection, ma'am?" AK-74M responded.
"Not quite. Each of these employees is a good choice." Helian considered her next words. "I would use the word 'concerns'."
"Concerns?" AK-74M raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Helian picked up both of the T-Doll files. "Most Griffin echelons consist of five dolls. Why did you only choose two?"
"They were the only ones on base that I felt could handle the mission, ma'am." AK-74M had been expecting the question and had a response prepared. "CSAR is a dangerous and demanding job. While I respect all of the employees at Griffin, these two seem to be the only ones up to the task. According to the profiles you gave me, one is a special-order combat T-Doll model designed for marksmanship, and the other has extensive experience as a British counter terror specialist. Deploying anyone who is inexperienced or not a combat-designed Doll could endanger the outcome of the mission."
It was a somewhat dangerous argument. AK-74M knew that Griffin employed mostly civilian T-Dolls retrofitted to perform combat operations. Calling them all inadequate could be seen as an insult. However, AK-74M felt that being upfront with Miss Helian was the best course of action, and it was her opinion that civilian model T-Dolls could not handle this mission.
"I see…" Helian put both files down and leaned forward. "But are you sure they would work… well together?"
"Well?" AK-74M was not expecting this question. "Is there a discipline issue I should be aware of with either of these T-Dolls?
"Not anything worthy of getting written up for…" AK-74M waited for Helian to continue, but no more words came.
"Then there is no problem."
A moment passed as they stared at each other, each waiting for the other to break the stalemate. Ultimately, it was Helian who spoke first.
"Alright, I'll trust your judgment on this." Helian put down the two files, and then tapped the human pilot's file.
"I don't recall authorizing you to pick a personal pilot."
"Not explicitly, no. However, as the one you appointed to form this team, I must inform you that the pilot is the most important member of a CSAR unit." AK-74M had also anticipated this question. "Without the pilot, the mission can not work. They are responsible for the safety of the whole team and the people being rescued during transit to and from enemy territory. Flying a mission with a pilot I do not trust could-"
"Endanger the outcome, I understand." Helian finished AK-74M's thought. "I can see why you chose him. I just wanted to make sure this wasn't because of personal reasons."
"Well, to be honest, he also owes me after leaking my service record to you, ma'am."
This drew a smirk from Helian and a chuckle from Lewis, who entered the room with Helian's tea. AK-74M looked between them, confused. She had been completely serious.
"Well, in that case, I'll let it slide," Helian said. "Consider your choices approved. I'll have Lewis send you a message about where to find them. I'm sure you'll want a chance to get to know your team."
"Right away, ma'am. I'll gather and brief them immediately." AK-74M saluted, then turned and left the office. She did not see the looks that Lewis and Helian gave to each other.
Right as she reached the door, Helian called out to her.
"74M, I appreciate the seriousness, but do try to be a bit more personable with your subordinates. Like many of our dolls, they have their…quirks."
"Don't worry ma'am. If they can follow orders, we will get along well." AK-74M left and shut the door.
Once she was confident 74M wouldn't hear her, Lewis leaned over to her boss.
"Who did she choose?"
"WA2000 and SIG MCX."
"On the same team?! Is she trying to cause an incident?"
"I don't believe 74M is what you would call a 'people person'."
"Hitman 2, you are clear to land."
"Copy, Presidia Tower. Coming in now."
Diplomat turned into the final leg of his approach to the runway. With the ease of hundreds of repetitions, he lowered his flaps and landing gear and followed the glide path laid out on his helmet's HUD. With a dull *thump*, the plane touched down on the runway, and Dip smoothly braked to a suitable taxiing speed. Without stopping, he turned onto the taxiway and keyed his radio.
"Tower, Hitman 2. Request directions to parking spot."
"Uh, just take any open one." Dip could hear the unease in the radio operator's voice and sighed.
"Where are the open ones?"
"I don't know, find one yourself. I got volun-told by my platoon commander to do this job half an hour ago. I don't know how any of this shit works. Tower out."
"Yeah, fuck you too, asshole." Diplomat slapped the button to turn the radio off. "Useless grunt." Dip began craning his neck to try and find a space to park his aircraft.
The tarmac was filled with haphazardly parked planes. Without any direction from ground crews or the tower, the motley collection of surviving merc pilots had just left their planes wherever they could find space, creating a maze of aircraft that Dip carefully navigated through.
Eventually, he found enough room for three planes to park next to each other. He pulled into one of the spots, bringing his MG-29 to a complete stop and starting the shutdown protocols.
After a few minutes and an annoying call to the tower to get a ladder, Dip leaned up against the side of his plane, watching as Comic pulled her plane up next to his. He had taken off his flight helmet, revealing an unruly mess of dirty-blond hair. Instead, he had donned his aviators, the signature glasses of pilots worldwide. At least, those that wanted to look cool.
Comic stepped off the ladder leading to her plane and removed her own helmet, letting her white hair fall back down to her shoulders. Spotting Dip across the tarmac, she quickly walked over.
"Did the ATC give you backtalk as well?" Dip smirked as she got close.
"Yep. Shut up after I told him to piss off." Comic leaned up against the MG-29 besides Dip.
"Oh, really?" Dip chuckled. "I can't get too mad at him though. Dude got pushed into a job he wasn't ready for."
"Still doesn't mean he has to be a jerk about it," Comic replied with a huff. Dip took it as a sign to drop the topic.
The two pilots stood in companionable silence, watching as the other merc pilots landed and tried to find a spot among the chaos.
"You think we should block off the third spot so no one takes it before Monarch gets here?"
Dip was caught off guard with the sudden question "Uh, sure, I guess."
"You guess?" Comic raised an eyebrow. "What, do you think he actually got shot down?"
"No, of course not." Dip reached up to scratch his neck as he tried to figure out the words to describe his thoughts. "It's just…look around…you know?"
Dip waved a hand at the surrounding forest and hills. While not suspicious at first glance, the airport was supposed to be in the middle of Presidia, a large metropolis. There wasn't a building for miles around, and it set Diplomat on edge.
"Yeah, I see the problem." Comic said. "That doesn't mean Monarch isn't out there."
"'Mic, airports don't just move. We have no idea what's going on or where we are." Dip responded. "I don't think he and Prez are gone. But I do think wherever they are, they aren't anywhere near us right now."
"Then we'll just have to go and find them." Comic started walking over to the empty spot. "Go find some cones so we can block off this spot."
"Yes, MOM!" Dip yelled at her back. He laughed as Comic flipped him off.
AK-74M's first stop on her team gathering mission was the base's outdoor shooting range. She judged that it was rather fortunate that one of her team members was here. She had been looking for a chance to find the range and get some target practice, and as a bonus she could judge her teammate's skills.
The range was massive, fitting for a PMC that fielded a large variety of firearms. There were many different sections, from short-distance targets for pistols and submachine guns to an open field a kilometer long for rifles. It was at the latter that AK-74M found her sniper.
The doll was on one knee inside one of the firing booths. She wore a black and yellow suit with two rows of buttons down the front. Her hair, a shade of red so dark it almost looked purple, was done up on one side with a small bow, while the rest flowed down to her waist. A red tie and white undershirt completed her outfit. It was unremarkable, which AK-74M found pleasing after seeing just how lax Griffin's clothing policies were.
Her gun, however, was anything but that. The sniper peered down the scope of an unconventional-looking German bullpup rifle. It was a mash-up of classic wood and modern metal, somehow looking both old and new. The sniper had it set up on a bipod braced on a table in the firing booth.
AK-74M paused to watch as the sniper aimed at a set of targets about two-thirds of the way down the range. She watched as the sniper checked the range and steadied her weapon.
Behind the range, a buzzer sounded. The doll took a deep breath and-
*BANG*
A shot rang out across the range and one of the stationary targets fell to the ground. This was quickly followed by three more shots, taking out the rest of the group. The sniper quickly moved on to another group, barely pausing to aim before shooting again.
At first, all the shots were on target. However, once the sniper reached the moving ones she began to have trouble. She sometimes missed the first shot and had to take a second one. She never had to take a third though.
Soon, all the targets were down, and a second buzzer sounded. AK-74M glanced up at the scoreboard above the booth. 15 targets down in 20 seconds, with an accuracy of 90%.
It was an impressive score. AK-74M was pleased that she made the right choice in choosing a marksman. She decided to compliment WA2000's performance, in order to fulfill Miss Helian's order to "be more personable".
"Looking good, WA2000." AK-74M began to walk over towards the booth.
She did not expect the doll to quite literally jump at her compliment. WA2000 whirled around, face a noticeable shade of red.
"W-what did you say?" The sniper stammered as she stared wide-eyed at AK-74M.
"That your shooting is good?" AK-74M raised an eyebrow. "Your ability to perform accurate shots at a fast pace is a great quality for a sniper to have."
"Oh." WA2000 stared for a moment before recovering. "I mean, of course I'm a great sniper. I'm an elite T-Doll special ordered by Griffin." She puffed out her chest. "I doubt you could find a better marksman on this base."
"If you say so." AK-74M sighed. She was used to soldiers boasting about how capable they were. It made sense that Griffin would be no different. She looked up and down the range. "It certainly seems you are the hardest working one, given that you are the only doll out here."
"Oh, yeah…" WA seemingly deflated. "Everyone else is at dinner right now. I didn't join them as I don't have a lot of friends here yet, being new and all."
"Understandable. I can't stand cafeterias myself. Too noisy." The Russian doll held out a hand. "AK-74M."
"Well, it's nice to meet you." WA2000 accepted the handshake, before suddenly going wide-eyed and nearly jumping again. "W-w-wait, you're my new team leader? Oh, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Am I supposed to bow or-"
"A salute will suffice in the future, but I'll let it slide this time." AK-74M let go of WA's hand. The handshake had been 2 seconds over the average already. "I take it Lewis already sent you a briefing."
"Well, she just said I was joining your echelon starting today." WA started fidgeting. "Nothing specific though about any missions yet."
"Okay. We'll do a full briefing once we have the full team together." AK-74M turned around and marched back towards the base. "Come. We have to get our other team members."
"Right. I'll show you the way to the cafeteria." WA2000 ran to catch up.
"No need. I memorized the map." AK-74M responded. "By the way, what did you think I was talking about when I complimented your shooting."
"Huh?" WA's face went red again. "I-I thought you were talking about my outfit."
"Why would I compliment your outfit?"
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"
AK-74M sighed. This 'being personable' thing was exhausting.
AK-74M pushed open the doors to the cafeteria. She was instantly hit with a cacophonous wall of sound. Noises of moving chairs and utensils mixed with a dozen different conversations. This was annoying enough to the Russian doll, but the variety of brightly colored outfits and hairstyles that adorned the many dolls seated around the large space was particularly aggravating.
She sighed. Griffin's lax policies were going to take some getting used to. She began scanning the crowd, looking for one particular uniform.
WA2000 walked up behind AK-74M and glared at her with her hands on her hips. "Hey, you didn't answer my question. What's wrong with my outfit?"
"I didn't say anything was wrong with your outfit." AK-74M brushed aside the question. "It's unremarkable."
"So you are making fun of me." WA crossed her arms and pouted. "I can't believe my team leader is already insulting me on the first day."
"It wasn't an insult. Being unremarkable is a good thing in this workplace." AK-74M finally spotted the doll she was looking for and pointed. "Especially compared to her choice in clothing."
WA glanced over to where AK-74M was pointing. After a moment of blank staring, her eyes widened and her face paled.
The doll that AK-74M had pointed to was lounging in a chair a few tables down the aisle. She had long pink hair and was wearing a London Metropolitan Police jacket. She had one arm over the chair, giving the pair a clear view of an outfit that was designed to show off her curves. Like WA, she had a white button-down shirt and tie, but her shirt was much more tight-fitting and her tie was a blue and white checkered pattern. A short skirt and knee-high stockings completed the outfit. However, the part that annoyed AK-74M the most was the orange-tinted ski goggles she had on her forehead. The Russian had no idea why she thought it was a good choice to have devil horns on her goggles.
"Oh no." WA gulped as she took a step back.
"See what I mean now?" AK-74M dropped her hand. "It's too brightly colored-"
"We need to go." WA grabbed AK-74M's arm and began marching towards the door. "She can't see me. We'll grab our teammate later."
"That is our teammate."
"WHAT?" WA turned around in shock.
"That is our teammate," AK-74M repeated, frowning at the sniper's hysterics.
"Noooooo." WA shook her head. "No. No. Nonono. I'm not working with her."
"And who says you get to make that decision?" AK-74M didn't like to pull rank over something this small, but WA2000 was causing a scene and needed to be controlled.
"But she's INSANE! If you're such a stickler about outfits, you wouldn't last 1 combat op with MCX on the team."
"WA2000-"
At this point, the commotion had drawn the attention of quite a few dolls. Including the one being talked about. Recognizing one of them, the pink-haired doll stood up.
"WAAAAAAA-CHANNNNNNNNN!" She yelled, waving her hand. "Long time no see! C'mon over, I'll deal you into our card game."
WA's face went red. She turned and yelled, "DON'T CALL ME THAT! And why would I join? You'll just take my whole paycheck again!"
"Or you could win your last one back." The doll gave WA a thumbs up. "I bet your luck will be better this time. You can bring your new friend too."
"I-" WA's protest died in her throat as she glanced at AK-74M. The sudden attention caused her to go from "mildly annoyed" to "rather pissed", and the accompanying death glare she directed at the poor sniper caused her to physically wilt.
"Alright," WA squeaked out. She and AK-74M walked over to the table, where a game of poker was being played. Based on the amount of chips on the table, AK-74M could see that there was quite a bit of money involved. It was also apparent that the pink-haired doll was winning.
"47, pull up two chairs." She called as she sat back down. The doll turned to AK-74M and stuck out her hand. "SIG MCX, Griffin's funnest Brit at your service. What's your name, bruv?"
"AK-74M." She accepted the handshake, only to be jerked by the sudden motion of MCX's arm.
"Ah, another Russian AR? You'll fit right in with 47." MCX indicated the two new seats. "Sit down and play."
"Unfortunately, we can't stay," AK-74M replied. The news they wouldn't be playing caused WA to sigh in relief."
"Oh, come on. I'm sure you can join us for one hand."
"No, I want our team to be ready as soon as possible. Including you." AK-74M had had enough of these antics and wanted to leave immediately.
"Including me?" MCX bit her lip, before grinning. "Oh, you're my new team leader then. It's fine, totally understand you wanting to make a good impression on Helian. I'll cash in right now." She turned back towards the table. "Sorry mates, we'll have to cut the game short here." The rest of the dolls at the table groaned. AK-74M guessed they were annoyed at being robbed of the chance to win their money back, but she didn't particularly care.
The cards were gathered up as money was exchanged between the various participants. MCX pocketed both the deck of cards and a large stack of cash. She stood up and stretched, showing off her height advantage over both AK-74M and WA.
"So, who else is on this team, besides my favorite Wa-chan." MCX threw an arm around WA, who promptly went stiff as a board.
"I-I told you not to call me that!"
"I take it you know each other," AK-74M asked. This seemed like excessive physical contact for someone that WA supposedly wanted to avoid.
"Of course, we're friends. We hang out all the time."
"We're not friends! She 'hangs out' by pranking me." WA struggled to break free from MCX's grasp, but she only hugged tighter.
"Aw, c'mon Wa-chan. Those are just little jokes."
"YOU REPLACED MY GUN LUBRICANT WITH VEGETABLE OIL!" WA began actively pushing against MCX, who easily resisted the sniper's attempts to flee. AK-74M realized she had to intervene to prevent this incident from escalating.
"MCX, let her go. You two can catch up later. This hug has already lasted 3 seconds over the average."
The statement caught MCX off-guard. "Wait, you were timing the hug? Why-"
It was at this moment that WA shoved hard in a last ditch effort to get MCX off, triggering a chain reaction that would have disastrous results.
MCX, distracted by AK-74M's comment, wasn't prepared for the push. She let go and stumbled backward into the chair. The British doll fell to the ground in a heap. Noticeably, a playing card fell out of her sleeve.
WA's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh, are you ok-huh?" She noticed the card on the ground and went to pick it up.
"Oh, bloody hell…" MCX sat up. She looked over at WA, then saw her looking at the card. She panicked and rushed to try and grab the card. "WA, GIVE THAT BACK!"
WA ignored her. "Is this…an ace?" Confusion was etched across her face. "But why was it in your sleeve?"
AK-74M froze as she put two and two together. Unfortunately, one of MCX's opponents did as well.
"You BITCH!" A doll stood up and raised a vodka bottle. "I knew you were cheating! Give me back my money!" She smashed her bottle on the table, turning it into a melee weapon.
"Yeah, get her!"
"Teach that bitch a lesson!"
Others at the table stood and cheered as the doll advanced on MCX, who started backing up and raising her hands. Neither WA nor AK-74M moved, but for very different reasons. WA was quaking in fear at the sudden appearance of what was rapidly turning into a violent mob. AK-74M was busy processing the absolute insanity that was the newcomer's outfit.
"C'mon, AK-47, I'm sure we can work something out, just put the bottle-"
"Only after I get back at you for swindling all of us!" With a loud battle cry, AK-47 rushed forward, arm outstretched to stab the British ex-cop. She, however, failed to remember the "ex-cop" part of that description.
In one smooth motion, MCX reached towards her belt and pulled out a gun-shaped object. AK-47 ducked to try and avoid the shot, but it was too late. MCX pulled the trigger.
*BZZZZZZT*
AK-47 dropped to the ground, the victim of thousands of volts of electricity courtesy of MCX's taser.
MCX flashed a grin. "I'm pretty sure you need a license for that weapon, bruv."
Before anyone else could respond, AK-74M grabbed MCX's arm and dragged her out of the cafeteria, WA2000 scuttling close behind.
Diplomat laid flat on his back, staring up at the orange sky. He watched as the clouds lazily drifted across heavens, slowly getting darker as sunset approached. The contrails of incoming aircraft had long since disappeared.
Wherever we are, at least the sky still looks the same.
Dip and Comic had sat out on the tarmac for several hours at this point, watching as fighter jets, transport aircraft, and finally Galaxy's FC-8 AWACS aircraft all landed and taxied to open spots. The chaos that had happened in the initial landings was forcefully corrected after an amusing incident on the taxiway where one brave mercenary pilot tried to cut in front of a C/T-17 and got his wing crushed for the trouble.
However, there had been no sign of Monarch. It was clear that Sicario's Ace wouldn't be returning today. Comic, who had taken up a spot leaning against the nose gear on her F/C-15, wasn't ready to give up though, and Dip wasn't going to push it.
Fortunately, he wouldn't have too.
"'Sup, Hitman," Galaxy called out as he sauntered over to their parking spot. He was wearing a t-shirt, cargo pants, and his own pair of aviators. A pair of headphones hung around his neck and a large grin spread across his face. "Enjoying your break time? Basking in the glory you earned?"
"Shut up, jackass." Comic flipped Galaxy the bird.
"What? You won the war! You do realize you probably can go to any bar in Cascadia and not have to pay for drinks for, like, ever, right? As far they are concerned, you're national heroes!"
"Well, it doesn't really seem like a win," Comic said. "The entire country has been blown to hell, and the ones responsible are getting to sail off scot free." She stood up and stretched. "Not to mention that it ain't really over until our whole flight's together."
A moment of silence passed as Galaxy glanced between the two pilots, grin slowly disappearing. Dip could only manage an impassive stare back. As far as he was concerned, he had already spent enough time thinking about the war. He needed a break: a chance to decompress and assess the state of things. Maybe even a career change, if he was honest. Dust Mother knew he'd seen enough conflict for several lifetimes.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
"Well, unfortunately I can't let you stay out here and wait. Kaiser wants to talk to you. Now." Galaxy's voice lowered on the last word, dropping his usual carefree attitude. Both Hitman members paused at the shift in tone.
"Huh? What does the boss want," Comic asked.
"Not sure. Something about organizing you guys for the patrol missions we're setting up. It's urgent though." Galaxy offered a hand to Dip, who took it and stood up.
"What a minute, didn't you just say the fighting's over? What's with the hurry?"
"I said the war is over, not the fighting." Both Hitman members understood what he meant, and it showed on their faces. Galaxy sighed. "It's easier if I just show you when we reach Kaiser in the command room."
The AWACS operator turned and started walking towards the airport's main terminal. The two pilots behind him shared a look.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," remarked Dip.
"I know, but that doesn't mean you should jinx it." Comic shook her head, then began jogging to catch up. Diplomat followed close behind.
As they walked, the trio passed by several hangers. Peeking inside, Dip saw Cascadian Independence Force soldiers and mercenaries alike rushing around, pulling out tools and parts. A pair of IF infantrymen pulled out of one of the hangers in a tow vehicle and headed for the flight line. Dip watched as they hooked themselves up to one of the fighter aircraft and began towing it towards a different parking spot. He was impressed at how fast Kaiser and the other commanders had organized something approximating a proper ground crew, even if it was probably all still in a state of organized chaos.
It also meant that Kaiser expected action, which according to Galaxy would be soon. The implication that it wasn't the Feds made Dip anxious. Was it some kind of splinter force like Crimson? Raiders from the east? Hell, the way their luck had been it might even be the mercenary cabal coming to collect the bounty on his and Comic's heads.
The worrying about threats real and imaginary continued as they entered Presidia International's main civilian terminal.
The inside of the terminal had noticeably less activity. In the seats where passengers would normally wait for their next flight, pilots and aircrew had sprawled out. A few were carrying light conversations, but most seemed to be sleeping, or at least trying too. The battle for Presidia had taken a heavy toll on the survivors.
Similar sights continued to appear as they made their way through the halls. Passing by the food court, Dip noticed a line had begun to form. Someone had managed to get the fryers working at one of the fast food restaurants. Dip barked out a laugh. At least they still had burgers and fries, the world hadn't ended yet.
"Yo, Comic. Wanna grab a bite after this?"
"Honestly, chicken nuggets sound really good right now. Sure."
Galaxy looked over his shoulder and grinned. "If you really want it, I'll buy you two a Happy Meal."
"Fuck no, if I'm getting chicken nuggets I'm getting the 20 piece."
"Yeah, double Quarter-Pounder for me."
"I don't know, are you sure your planes will meet the takeoff weight limit after all that?" Galaxy's grin spread even wider.
"That's rich from the guy who custom orders 4 patties on his burger!" Dip yelled back. All three of them burst out laughing.
With that, the trio arrived at the command center in one of the airport's conference rooms. Projected onto the wall was a rough sketch on the airport's new surrounding area, with notes scribbled on about potential attack routes and planned defenses. Several IF commanders sat at the table, as well as mercenary leaders. Normally, Dip could easily tell the two apart from the different uniforms (namely the mercenaries' lack of one), but today they all seemed equally dirty and disheveled.
At the head of the table sat Kaiser, the head of Sicario Mercenary Group. He was tall, broad-shoulder, and solidly built. His black t-shirt matched the color of his hair and slightly overgrown beard. Piercing grey eyes swept the room. The very air around him seemed to bend to his authority. It was clear to everyone that he was the man in charge, no one else.
Spotting Hitman team and Galaxy, Kaiser rose.
"Hitman, good to see you," Kaiser announced. Everyone else stopped talking and turned to watch the trio approach, but Kaiser turned to the rest of the room and said, "No need to get distracted, this is a private matter between us. There's plenty of work to do that doesn't involve you eavesdropping."
"Is this about Monarch not being back yet," one of the younger IF officers asked.
"I said, this is PRIVATE." Kaiser glared at the officer, who wilted in his seat. The others quickly dove back into their discussions, although Diplomet could catch some of them sneaking glances at the group.
"Maybe we should take this to a different room?"
"Agreed."
Kaiser, Diplomat, and Comic went into the meeting room across the hall from the impromptu operations center. Galaxy stayed outside to deter any would be interlopers.
Once the door was closed, Kaiser sat down in one of the chairs and sighed. It was a small crack in the facade, but enough to let Dip know that Sicario's leader was under a lot of stress.
"Is everything alright, boss?" Comic picked up on it as well and voiced the obvious question.
"In the short term, yes." Kaiser waved his hand, gesturing to the base at large. "Despite the…discrepancies in the local geography, we have enough IF troops to guard the facility, and enough merc pilots leftover to fend off any large attacks." He leaned forward. "The hard part is getting back in contact with the Cascadian government, and coping with our losses." He paused."We lost a lot of good Sicario members today."
A moment of silence was shared as they remembered the faces and names of the pilots they'd fought alongside for the past year. Kaiser gestured for the two pilots to sit, which they did. He then folded his hands and looked them in the eyes.
"I'm taking Monarch off the flight roster."
"The hell you are!" Comic nearly leaped out of her seat, while Dip clenched his hand into a fist. "He's still alive out there. We just have to find him-"
"We don't know that." Kaiser shot back. Comic stopped mid-sentence, stunned. Kaiser leaned back, thinking over how to best phrase what he wanted to say. Not that there was a way that would make the news hurt any less.
"Look, I know you are very close to him. This hurts. Not just to you two, but to me. To Sicario. To everyone on this base. Monarch is one hell of a pilot and an icon for every merc in the Periphery. We wouldn't be here without him."
"However, we do not have the resources to go looking for him. We need to focus on finding out where we are and who, if anyone, we have to fight. He is probably still out there and he'll be back on the roster as soon as he comes back, but for now I'm putting him down as MIA. That's final."
"And you think we are gonna be okay with this?" Dip countered. "We aren't abandoning our friend."
"You don't have to be okay with this, and we aren't abandoning anybody," Kaiser stated. "This is a change to reflect the current reality. I can't have a designated flight lead who isn't here. I'm just letting you know in advance."
Diplomat and Comic shared a look. A silent debate erupted between them, noticeable only to themselves. Monarch was their friend and flight lead, and they wouldn't let anyone else in his spot. But Kaiser had a point: someone temporarily had to take over.
Comic's shoulders slumped and she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, who's the new flight lead?"
"Well I'm not gonna burden you with a new squadron mate, so I'm bumping Dip up to Hitman 1. Comic, you're Hitman 2."
A moment passed as both pilots processed the information. It took a second for it to sink in.
Dip's eyes widened. He was the flight lead? How the hell was he gonna replace Monarch?
"FUCK!" Comic didn't take it well either. She stood up out of her chair so fast it fell backward onto the floor. She marched over to the door, shoving her way past Galaxy as she stormed off. Both Dip and Kaiser stared at the open doorway.
"Should I be concerned about this?"
"I'll go talk to her." Dip quickly stood up and ran to catch up with her.
AK-74M marched down the walkway leading to one of the base's helicopter hangers, both of her new squadmates struggling to keep up. She had one last stop, and she was determined to make it there without any further incidents. No matter how much MCX kept trying.
"So, did you like that taser shot," the British ex-police Doll asked. She twirled the taser in her hand "I got it calibrated for usage against T-Dolls. Worth the extra cost to keep some of the more crazy wankers here in check."
"Don't care, didn't ask." AK-74M brushed off MCX and picked up her pace.
She was undeterred and continued talking. "Oh come on, 74M, it's cool." MCX stopped and scratched her chin. "Eh, 74M doesn't roll off the tongue. I need to find you a nickname. Like Wa-Chan."
"Don't call me Wa-Chan!" The sniper gripped the carrying strap of her rifle with both hands. "It's demeaning and a terrible nickname. You can just call me 'Wa' you know."
"But Wa-Chan is cute. And the look your face has whenever I say it is priceless."
"What look?" WA continued to dig her hole deeper as her face turned a darker shade of red.
AK-74M abruptly turned around. "Please just stop talking."
"I could, but the alternative is so much fun." MCX laughed at her own joke. "What's your problem anyway? You seemed so pissed over just a few comments."
"You nearly got us stabbed by a woman wearing a bikini top. I have substantial reason to be annoyed."
"Oh, 47 always tries to shank people with vodka bottles. It's kind of her thing."
"Say again?" AK-74M could hardly believe her ears. Surely the discipline at this company wasn't so lax that employees could get away with stabbing each other on a regular basis.
"No, no it's just MCX." WA scoffed and folded her arms. "She just has a natural tendency to wind up other people."
"It's a gift, what can I say?" MCX shrugged. "It's not like you don't have your own quirks, 74M. What's with the bucket?"
AK-74M glanced down to her hand. She was carrying a large metal bucket she had picked up from the kitchen. It was filled with ice water.
"Oh, this? It is required for our last team member."
"Bloody hell, they drink that much at once?" MCX let out a chuckle. WA, skeptical, raised an eyebrow.
"This water is not for drinking. It is a proportional response to past transgressions." Considering the matter closed, AK-74M turned on her heel and continued her march.
MCX and WA both paled. They shared a look of concern at the implications of that statement, then hurried after her.
Reaching the hangar, AK-74M shoved open the door, surprising a nearby technician. A glare sent him scurrying off, allowing AK-74M to examine the large, open space.
The hanger was filled with helicopters lined up in two rows on either side of a central aisle. Flight crew walked between the various helicopters, some carrying tools. Some were performing maintenance checks on the aircraft, while others were just talking to their coworkers.
Somewhat surprisingly, most of the helicopters were variants of the UH-60 Blackhawk, an American transport helicopter. Seeing a Western airframe in service with a Russian company was by no means unique after World War 3, but it still was a bit unsettling for her. However, in the corner of the hanger sat an old Mi-8M Hip, with a snowflake painted onto its tail boom.
AK-74M chuckled and shook her head at the sight. Of course, the old man had found a way to keep his precious baby with him after he left the military. She closed her eyes for a moment, her neural cloud taking her back to a particular night in a temporary airbase in occupied Poland. Unfortunately, that also reminded her of the horror of the mission that happened the day after.
"What is it?" WA came up behind AK-74M, startling her. She whipped her head around, hand instinctively reaching for her sidearm before recognizing her new sniper.
"Oh, just reliving some old memories." AK-74M glanced away, trying to hide the fact she nearly shot her new teammate. Fortunately, WA didn't seem to pick up how much danger she had been in, and MCX was too busy chatting up one of the techs to have noticed. "Come on, our team mate is over here."
The trio walked over to the Hip. A peek on the other side revealed its pilot. He was a man in his 40's, although he could easily be mistaken for a man in his 50's due to the amount of grey in his hair and unshaved beard. He wore a dirty black flight suit and stained brown boots. He was passed out in a folding chair, snoring loudly. An empty bottle of vodka sat by his seat.
"Is that… our team member," WA asked. Her nose curled in disgust.
"Oh boy, a pilot with a drinking problem. Bloody perfect." MCX, for once, agreed with WA. She glanced at AK-74M, expecting some sort of death glare. However, she instead saw a slight smile on the Russian's face.
"Yep, that's him." AK-74M walked over to the man, sniffing to confirm the scent of alcohol. Sure enough, she could smell the vodka in the man's breath.
Satisfied, she hoisted up her bucket of ice water and promptly dumped it on his head.
"BLYYYYYYYAAAAAATTTTTTT!" The man tumbled out of his chair, the cold shocking him out of his sleep. The bottle was sent rolling across the floor. Both WA and MCX leaped back to avoid the splash zone, while AK-74M continued to impassively empty the bucket despite her own shoes getting wet.
After the bucket was empty, the man sat up and stared off into space for a few moments. Then, he looked up at AK-74M. His eyes widened in recognition.
"Klara?"
"That's for leaking my service record and getting drunk on duty again."
"I'm not on duty though?" The man continued to stare in confusion. "Also, no hello? I haven't seen you in three years and this is how you greet me?"
"If I recall correctly, this is one of our standard greetings." AK-74M stared impassively, only for her facade to break in a few moments as the man started laughing. She smiled, "Hello, Nikolai."
The man shot up and thumped AK-74M on the back with his right hand. "Haha, it is indeed. How's our beautiful bright star doing today?" He noticed the rifle on her back. "Oh, you chose your weapon? Figured you would take something boring and functional like a 74M."
"It works, and that's all that matters." AK-74M looked back over to her very confused teammates. "MCX, WA2000, this is Nikolai. He was the pilot for my squad during the war."
"Pleasure to meet you two lovely ladies." He extended a hand for both of them. WA tentatively shook it, while MCX grinned and threw an arm around the pilot, surprising him with a side hug.
"Nice to meet you too, bruv. Never had a designated pilot for an echelon before. I hope you'll treat us well." MCX laughed, expecting the man to be embarrassed.
However, the man just joined her in laughing. "Nice try, 'bruv', but you're gonna have to do better than that. I've been accosted by too many sly women in St Petersburg to get riled up over something so tame."
MCX stopped, then laughed harder. "Oh, the pilot bites back. This is gonna be fun."
After both of them settled down, Nikolai turned to AK-74M. "So, Klara, I assume you aren't just here to catch up on old times? What's this team you have here for?"
"Well, since we are all here, I guess we can brief in here." AK-74M leaned up against the side of the Hip. "Miss Helian has asked me to put together a CSAR team for Griffin to respond to the recent string of transport shootdowns."
"CSAR? What's that," WA asked.
"Combat Search And Rescue," Nikolai explained. "We go out to rescue pilots whose planes go down in combat areas. Klara and I did quite a bit of it during the war."
"So the rumors about Sangvis shooting down aircraft is true," MCX remarked. "Explains why they put you in charge if you have experience with it."
"Indeed, that is why I was chosen," AK-74M confirmed. "Now, it's crucial that both you and WA knows what this entails. CSAR teams usually remain on standby at base for a scramble order before-"
Suddenly, an alarm rang out from the hanger's overhead speakers. The loud wail sent several of the nearby techs scrambling as 74M's echelon stared up blankly.
"Is that a scramble order?" WA began frantically looking between the two war veterans, panic evident on her face.
"Shit, it hasn't even been a full day since I got my first orders." AK-74M sighed and pushed herself off the helo. "Alright, today we learn by doing. Grab your gear, I want you back here in 15 minutes for liftoff."
A/N: Hello readers, it's good to see you again.
For those of you who haven't read my other stories, it has been awhile. I was focused on completing my other project, "404 Saves Christmas". I'm happy to say that the story is fully finished and completed on FFN. Not sure if I'm gonna upload it to AO3, maybe next holiday season. Also, shout out to my friend SoloWing109 who used some of my characters from that for his hilarious crackfic, "Out of Season".
Anyway, its full steam ahead on this crossover. I hope you enjoyed this chapter where we introduced the various members of Sicario and AK-74M's team. Other characters will join later, including a new T-Doll in a couple of chapters. Next chapter is the first combat scene, as well as an important conversation between Comic and Dip.
Anyway, thank you Branded for beta-ing this chapter, and to you readers for spending your valuable time reading this.
See you next chapter.