"Jaeger? Isn't that german?" was her first question.

"Yes," Jaeger chuckled, the deep lines in his face creasing in a smile, "My mother was German, so my friends call me that, they think they're very clever. Feel free to do the same."

"Are we friends now?" 16 raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We can be. Though I would ask that you not take the supplies here."

16 furrowed her brow, "I told you, I need them."

"They do not belong to you. I intend to collect most of what's here for safekeeping until I learn of Dimitri's fate."

16 pursed her lips, "I doubt he's alive."

Jaeger nodded, "I fear you are right, but even still."

16 wasn't in much of a position to contest him, he outgunned her significantly with his shotgun, and even though it was no longer pointed her way she doubted she could get her Mosin out and on target before Jaeger could reply.

Were she undamaged, she could have rushed him, but as she was now the odds of her even reaching him were slim.

"I'm more than willing to offer some supplies to you, and if you'll help me take these things to my camp I'll compensate you as well."

"Why?"

"It is my duty as a hunter to protect those in these woods who come in peace. I'm simply doing my job."

16 briefly considered her options, and whether she really believed that statement. It made no sense to her, why a human would bother to make any kind of offer like that to her. She knew what she looked like, even if these people had no concept of a doll, surely a white haired, yellow eyed stranger would elicit some kind of suspicion in anyone who met her. Yet, this 'Jaeger' was treating her with compassion?

Still, it wasn't as if she really had a choice.

"Fine, though I really need something to eat first."

It wasn't ideal, but it may be her best bet to secure some supplies. Being on this man's good side may have other benefits too, as if he is a hunter as he claims he may know the lay of the land better than anyone else.

"Of course, can't work on an empty stomach," Jaeger smiled and fished a pack of crackers out of one of his breast pockets, tossing them to her, "I was hoping you would agree. My old body's not suited to lugging too much around."

"Mhmmm," 16 hummed as she ripped the crackers open and wolfed them down. It wasn't much, but best estimates were that the crackers would give her about another hour of life, more if she was conservative.

Power concerns now pushed back a little bit, 16 resumed packing.

Sure enough, she wound up doing most of the work. Jaeger was content to sit back and watch, only helping with a few things like tearing down the tent or carrying some loose items she couldn't fit in the backpack.

Once it was all collected, 16 threw on the backpack, and looked at Jaeger expectantly.

"Let's go," he said, slowly rising to his feet.

Jaeger guided her on with practiced ease, lending credence to his claimed job description. He seemed to know every trail, bypass, nook and cranny. He even took some time to point out interesting sights along the way.

She could still see the city from where they were, but likewise there were distant mountains and other buildings she could see. Thanks to Jaeger, 16 began to get an idea of the lay of the land, building a mental map of the area, piecing together where things were relative to each other.

Up ahead there was a small, craggy mountain, which they began to ascend via a narrow trail. Despite the weight on her back, 16 was able to easily outpace Jaeger on the ascent, and at various points had to wait for him to catch up to her.

"Ha, the energy of the youth!" he chuckled as he slowly clambered his way up the path towards her.

"Mhmm," she hummed, grinning slightly, "Shouldn't you be in better shape if you're a hunter?"

"Hahaha! Most of my job is sitting in one place, you see. Either at a station or in a blind waiting for a shot."

"Hehe, I see," she chuckled half-heartedly, turning to lead them along once again.

"By the way, if you don't mind me asking, how did you lose your eye?" Jaeger asked as they crested the mountain and began to descend.

"Workplace accident," she grunted, absentmindedly fidgeting with her eyepatch as she spoke.

Technically true, though 'accident' was a stretch.

"Oh, what do you do?"

Jaeger didn't sound overly interested, coming off less interrogative and more as merely curious. Something which loosened her tongue a little.

"I'm a contractor," she answered him, "Or well, I was at the time."

Also technically true.

"Not anymore?"

"Not for a while."

"Why not?"

She shrugged, "Sister needed me, so I had to give it up for her."

"Sounds difficult. Did you enjoy the work?"

16 considered for a moment before replying, "I did, I think. My last contract was the best too, I really liked my boss, and the work never got too tedious."

"Well at least you ended on a high note then!"

"Haha, yeah you could say that."

They reached the bottom of the mountain, and crossed over a dirt road before slipping back into the trees once more. There were lakes all around them now, and several roads which intersected just ahead of them.

16 kept her head on a swivel, always on the lookout for movement in and trying to minimize the sightlines on her as they passed through the trees and over the roads.

"Do you see the pond up ahead?" Jaeger asked her after crossing the last of the roads.

16 spotted what he meant, a midsize blue-green pond nestled in and amongst the trees. It appeared shallow, and was below a small hill that overlooked it.

"Yes," she nodded.

"We'll circle the right side, after that we'll come up to those hills ahead and pass between them."

"Okay."

As 16 began leading them as Jaeger had instructed, she glanced down at the pond they were circling. She could see herself, reflected in the rippling water, but almost didn't recognize herself.

Her hair was dusty to the point that she could've been mistaken for a brunette, and her ill-fitting clothes were likewise filthy.

However, what really stuck out to her was her eye, or more specifically, its color. It wasn't the same sickly yellow it had been when she'd arrived in Tarkov, but something closer to the green it had been long ago.

"Are you okay?" Jaeger asked her.

16 realized she had stopped in her tracks, and quickly regained her focus, "Oh, yeah sorry."

She resumed their hike, but the image in the water didn't leave her. She absentmindedly felt around her good eye with her hand,

They passed by the hills Jaeger had mentioned, and beyond them 16 could see almost nothing but forest for as far as the eye could see.

Here, Jaeger took the lead as they began making their way forward.

"Follow me exactly," he said to her in a no-nonsense tone.

16 did as she was told, noting the very specific trail he followed across an otherwise featureless patch of forest. She recognized the behavior very well, and suspected straying from the path would not end well for her.

Eventually they came upon a small camp, hidden in the middle of a rather dense part of the woods. There were about six or seven tents, and a couple of guards dressed similarly to Jaeger hidden up in the trees.

Besides them there were also some civilians, though not many. They were for the most part dressed like campers, and as they got closer 16 noted that most of the camping equipment was brightly colored civilian gear that had been camouflaged with foliage and branches.

"Your camp?" 16 asked, "Who are all these people?"

Jaeger nodded, "Yes, a few of my coworkers also wound up being left behind. We've collected a few others who needed the protection."

"Has there been much fighting out here?"

Jaeger let out a tired sigh, "Not much from the militaries, private or otherwise, but we've had problems with bandits. I've found many campsites empty and ransacked as of late."

"I see."

16 set her load down in a pile of packs as indicated by Jaeger, noting at least a dozen similar backpacks, though not all appeared to be full like hers was. Additionally there were a few bins filled with various items, mostly survival gear and food, but also some weapons and ammunition.

"Here, for your troubles, "Jaeger said, offering her a small shopping bag filled with canned food and two water bottles.

"Thank you," she said, nodding.

"I can offer a small ration on top of this, it's not much but all I can afford to give away, but if you need more you'll have to earn it."

"How?"

"There's various things," he nodded to a pair of women across the camp that were busy patching a torn tent, "gear repair, cooking, maintenance, and simply exchanging useful things you don't need will do. I may also have some chores here and there I need help with."

"I see," 16 frowned, " there are other things I need, I have another I'm caring for you see."

Jaeger nodded, "I understand, what do you need?"

"A generator would be huge, more food and water of course, and blankets would also be great. I don't have much to trade, we lost just about everything."

"Blankets are easy, I can give you one no problem, but a generator…"

Jaeger furrowed his brow in thought, and then withdrew a small map from another pocket.

"Difficult to come by I assume."

"Well, yes and no. I know where several are, We need some ourselves you see, but getting them may prove difficult."

He pointed to the map, where a small cluster of buildings was marked on the far side of the mountain. They hadn't actually been too far from the location earlier.

"What's there?"

"Part of the logging company's facilities, they have plenty of generators and other things there, but it's been occupied. An unsavory bunch who want to turn it into a base."

"Have you tried talking to them?"

Jaeger nodded, "Yes, though I was unsuccessful. They threatened to shoot me if I ever showed my face again. There are too many for us to fight. Though they haven't had any luck getting to us either," he chuckled, "not from lack of trying."

16 briefly thought back to the path Jaeger had them follow on their way to this camp, figuring that was what he meant.

"Are they well equipped?" she asked.

"Not particularly, but there are many. Even mere bandits can be a great threat if there are enough of them."

"Okay, do you know where the generators are?"

Jaeger frowned, "I believe this building," he pointed to one of the larger ones indicated on the map, near the southwest corner, "the loggers kept the majority of their tools there, I believe the generators would also be kept there."

"I see…" she frowned, "well, I should get going, but thank you. If I find anything to trade I come back."

"Okay," Jaeger nodded, "but you and whomever you're caring for are welcome to stay here if you like."

"Thanks, but no thanks," she shrugged, "We have our own camp, I think I feel safer there."

"Hmm? Where, if you don't mind me asking?"

"A ways away, I'm not sure where it is relative to here just yet. I should be able to find my way back though."

"Okay, well if you say so I won't stop you. But take a backpack at least," Jaeger offered, nodding to the pile," you'll need something to carry this all after all."

"Any?" 16 asked, kneeling down to inspect the pile.

"Any of the empty ones, though I recommend something that won't stick out too much."

16 nodded, then began digging through the pile. There was a fair variety, from army styles to brightly colored camping packs, and in the back of her mind she was wondering where they had all come from, and why Jaeger was so willing to part with them.

Regardless, she would take him up on the offer. 16 selected a brown Berkut pack, one of a couple in the pile, but the one which seemed to be in the best condition.

She collected her newfound items, snagged a blanket from a large pile in one of the tents, and was escorted out of the camp by Jaeger. The old man led her through whatever defenses he'd set up around it, and waved her goodbye once they were past it.

16 went a ways off before turning back briefly. She switched on her thermals, staring out over the path they'd just crossed.

There were two signatures on scope, one on the ground walking away which she assumed to be Jaeger, and another perched well up in a tree that overlooked the path.

"Good to know," she said aloud, "not too trusting either are you?"

That lookout would make sure no one could get it without permission, even if they knew the safe path. Not perfect, but probably good enough for most who would come sniffing. It posed enough of a challenge that most wouldn't be able to make it undetected.

"Long range, suppressor with subsonic ammo maybe…" she mused, glancing around to check sightlines, "eh, probably doable. Guess I'll keep that in the backpocket."

That wasn't a priority, nor was it feasible given that she was once again back down to her one shitty mosin. What was a priority however, was getting her hands on a generator, and she was beginning to form a plan to do just that.

M16 made a brief stop off back at the bunker, backtracking along the same route Jaeger had led her on earlier, then going from the now disassembled camp in the direction she'd come from. Thankfully, there was no sign of any activity in the area. The forest seemed thicker around it than in some other areas, which also gave her hope that there would be no visitors here.

She quickly offloaded most of the supplies she'd gotten, checked on M4 to ensure nothing had gotten worse with her sister's condition and took the time to wrap her up in the blanket, then grabbed what she'd come here for: the PEQ. She detached the little device from the broken rifle, experimentally flicking it on and off to ensure it still had some power, and then tucked it into her pocket.

That done, she had a quick meal from the canned food, drank some water, and then set back out.

She trekked back the way she'd come, though instead of heading to the campsite or along the mountains, she went further into the woods, eventually coming upon a small hill lined with rocks. She clambered up the rocks, and settled into a good overlook position from which she was able to finally see her target in the distance.

The sawmill was set in a depression, on the shore of a sizable lake and in the shadow of the mountain she and Jaeger had crossed earlier.

There were several buildings, mostly large warehouses, but there were also some small cabins, outhouses, and what were probably portable offices, as well as dozens of camping tents pitched all around.

Dozens of armed men roamed the place, most armed with hunting rifles or shotguns, though some had more serious weaponry. Her eye wasn't in a good enough condition to make out details from the distance she was at, but there had to be at least two dozen men in the mill.

In the center of the mill, the bandits had set up cages, and sickeningly there were people inside them. There were four of these prisoners in total, and while details were difficult she was confident that all but one were campers due to their brightly colored clothing. The last was a bit more confusing, as they appeared to be wearing some kind of camouflage, whether they were a soldier, one of Jaeger's hunters, or merely another camper with different tastes in attire, she didn't know.

Why they were here, and what the bandits who held them planned to do with them, she couldn't be sure of either. Unfortunately for those prisoners though, this wasn't her problem.

"Sorry," she muttered, then let out a sigh as she moved on to scan the rest of the mill.

There was one bit of good news, namely that the target building where Jaeger thinks the stuff she needs is being held is right at the edge of the mill, with forest just past it. From where she was, it didn't appear to be a building the locals were frequenting too much either.

It was a squat warehouse with a peaked roof and a wide open entrance facing into the sawmill. From where she was 16 could see some heavy equipment inside, but couldn't tell if the generators were in there, so she'd just have to trust Jaeger.

At this point, the sun was beginning to set, so 16 hopped down from her perch and began to rotate around the mill through woods, careful to give it a wide berth while keeping an ear out for movement.

Eventually she made it to the far side of the mill, finding another perch from which to observe the mill while she waited for the sun to completely set. From there she could see the far side of the warehouse.

It was just on the far side of a small berm, which was the effective dividing line between the forest and mill, and she was pleasantly surprised to find a small entrance on the rear of the building.

She also observed most of the men in the mill beginning to disappear into cabins or pitched tents around the mill, with lights going on inside them as the light from the sun faded. A few remained however, taking up guard posts at various points around the mill.

Sixteen began to creep closer, sticking to the trees and remaining low and slow as she began her approach.

The dark of night had fully set in by the time she was within a dozen meters of her objective. It was a cool, moonless night with very little in the way of ambient light, but in her night vision, she could still see well enough. Lights throughout the camp flicked off as the men within finally went to sleep.

From where she was, she could make a break for the warehouse and likely make it, however, she knew that she was not alone on this side of the mill.

She switched on her thermals, the scopes shifting her vision from pale greens to off whites.

"Okay, I see you," 16 muttered as she found a pair of signatures hanging out behind the warehouse.

There were two little fuzzy black smudges in her vision, sitting side by side on a little hill not far from where she was.

16 switched off her thermals and crept closer, mindful of every branch, twig and bush that appeared in her path. The woods were not quite as dense here as in other areas, but the night was quiet, so even a small noise may give her away.

"So, what's the word from the boss about those hunters?" one of the men asked as she crept within earshot. His voice was raspy and low, like he smoked a lot of cigarettes and it was beginning to affect his health.

"Eh, apparently they set up traps around their camp. Boss wants to try and find a way through," the second man answered, notably younger.

"Traps, what kind?"

The second man shrugged, "How should I know, that's all he said. Boss was really pissed about it."

"When isn't he?"

"Haha, true."

16 carefully listened in on their conversation. The pair were set up atop a small hill that overlooked most of the approaches to this side of the mill, her destination included. While she could probably get inside without being spotted, so long as she was quiet, getting back out with a generator in tow might be a different story.

She waited for a long time, nearly an hour, waiting for an opportunity to handle them. She couldn't just approach, they would certainly regard that as suspicious, and she couldn't shoot them as not only would that alert the whole camp, but she also couldn't guarantee a hit under current conditions.

Then, the opportunity she needed presented itself. One of the men got up from his overlook point, and marched down the hill while his buddy lit up a cigarette. He made for the tree line, not far from 16's position, and went a few steps into the forest before beginning to unzip his pants.

16 swept up from behind, wrapping a hand around the man's mouth, and jamming her knife into the base of his skull.

She then lowered his now limp body gently to the ground, and retrieved his shotgun. There was no reaction from the other bandit, who was still smoking the smoldering cigarette.

16 waited about a minute, then began walking towards him up the hill, trying her best to mimic the posture and gait of the man she'd just killed as she approached.

"How was your piss?" The man asked as she got to within a couple feet of him.

Through the darkness, she could see him clearly. His face was awash with green light emanating from his cigarette, amplified by her night vision. He was looking her way, but his face was calm and his hand wasn't on his weapon.

16 made no reply, and instead waited until she was right on top of him before ending him in much the same way as the first bandit.

"Sorry buddy, bad luck," she muttered, wiping her blade clean with her sleeve, and tucking her knife back into her boot.

The bandit on the hill had been armed with an mp-153 shotgun, long barreled with extended magazines loaded with buckshot. She also briefly checked his pockets, though only found some more shells for the shotguns and a carton of cigarettes, plus a lighter.

Then she took a bit of time to hide the body. She didn't move it far, just a little ways into the forest to rest beside his comrade, but it was hopefully enough that anyone coming by wouldn't find them right away.

Next 16 took a prone position on the hill and switched on her thermals, wincing as they briefly shorted before switching on.

The world was once again cast in a ghostly off white. From here she could see a few more black smudges, two on the far hill and a one wandering around the center of the sawmill. None were moving aggressively, the one in the center appearing to mill about without much purpose.

"Okay, should be fine," she mused, switching the scope back off.

She clambered down the hill, and slipped through the brush and up to the rear of her target warehouse.

Now she retrieved the PEQ from her pocket, pointed it towards the ground, and switched on its IR searchlight.

The pale green light shone out on the ground, illuminating the grass and dirt by her feet.

Satisfied it was working, 16 then crept up to the open doorway she'd seen earlier, and peeked inside.

Nothing, just inky black shadows not even night vision could penetrate. 16 brought the PEQ up and illuminated the room, flashing it from side to side, scanning each corner thoroughly.

The warehouse was packed with equipment, from saws to lathes to dozens of shelves bearing every tool one could imagine a sawmill might need. Most of it appeared to have not been used for some time, with cobwebs glinting in IR light.

Cautiously, 16 wove her way through the maze of equipment, brushing aside the cobwebs that caught on her until she found what she was looking for.

There were two portable generators set side by side in the far corner of the warehouse, near the larger open entrance on the opposite side from where she entered. Beside them was a stack of metal fuel cans, five in total.

She realized that the generators would be too large to get through the tightly packed maze of machinery she'd just come through. She'd have to take them out the front entrance if she wanted them.

"Tch."

There was nothing for it, 16 unslung her backpack and began trying to quietly fit as many fuel cans as she could into it, which wound up being two, and only with the top unzipped. Next she quickly assessed the two generators, and made a snap decision on which to take first.

Of course she wanted both, but she would settle for one, and she wanted to be sure it would be in working order. However she found little to no external difference between the two, so just went with the one closest to the main door.

She tied up its power cords, made sure the wheels were in working order, switched off her PEQ, and then began to roll the heavy machine out of the main door and back into the cool night.

There was no response as she crept out, but still she switched her thermals on to be sure. She winced in pain as a more intense short sparked behind her eye, with a notable delay before the off white world returned.

The man walking in the middle was nowhere to be seen, however the other two were still in the same place up on the hill. Though the night was dark, they could still potentially spot her from their positions. Hopefully they were looking the other way.

She switched her thermals off as heat began building behind her eye, and kept going. She got the generator around the building, and dragged the thing through the maze of logs and debris and up the small berm that lay between her and the relative safety of the woods.

"Come onnnn…" she grunted as she dragged into the treeline, her body protesting the exertion.

Then she made it, the generator's rear wheels clearing the little berm, and it suddenly became all too eager to move. 16 toppled over as her body was suddenly exerting way more force than was needed, and she and the generator crashed into the brushline.

When the dust settled, 16 dared not move, instead listening intently while her body remained awkwardly strung out on a bush.

Nothing. She breathed a small sigh of relief, and got up to dust herself off.

She dragged the generator a ways into the woods, finding a good spot to hide it before unloading her fuel cans, and then working to camouflage the loot with some fallen branches and leaves.

Then she began working her way back to the mill, slipping in through the rear entrance of the warehouse, and once again loading up on fuel before dragging the second generator out. She got this one up over the berm with relative ease, managing not to fall this time, and moved it back over towards where the first was.

It was then that she had a decision to make. She had what she'd come for, these generators were vital to her, but there were a lot of other things in that warehouse. Things she could use.

"Oh come on," she muttered as she turned and began stalking her way back to the warehouse, "this isn't smart…"

Once back inside, she got to pillaging.

There were dozens of crates and of course the final fuel can, which she stuffed into her bag first thing.

However, the shelves were the real treasure trove, filled with boxes of different sized screws, bolts, and nuts, as well as the accompanying wrenches and screwdrivers for them all. Equally valuable was a pack of duct tape, a hand saw, and a soldering kit still in its box on the floor.

She took it all, everything she could fit into her backpack and pockets, but as she was stuffing her loot into her packs she heard something.

Footsteps outside, soft as they were muffled by the grass, but it sounded like there were at least two people passing by the building.

16 crept back across the warehouse, and stuck her head out the back door to find two shadowy figures walking towards the lookout hill where she'd killed the men earlier.

They got to the top before she could do anything and began looking around.

"Mika, Dam, where are you?" one hissed into the night, probably not wanting to wake the rest of the camp.

Then one of them began fiddling with something in their pocket, which was shortly after revealed to be a handheld radio.

"Dam, where are you?" he asked into the radio.

16's heart sank as she heard the man's voice twice, once from him, and once from a crackling radio somewhere a little ways into the woods.

The first man she'd killed must've had it. She'd not thoroughly searched him to save time, figuring that since his buddy had not had anything too fancy on him, surely he wouldn't either.

"Dam?" The man holding the radio called into the woods, lighting up a flashlight to illuminate the woods.

Out of time. They'd find the bodies in no time and then she'd be in for a hell of a fight.

So she shot one. The shotgun roared, spitting fire and lead into the man's chest that sent him she turned on the second, pulling the trigger.

Nothing.

All her experiences, every battle, every war, every desperate, crazy fights she had no right surviving. At that moment, she was as terrified as she had ever been. A quick, horrified glance revealed the spent shell casing from her first shot wedged halfway in the bolt, the metal biting into the plastic and copper, not able to fully close.

The man she was aiming at realized her problem the same moment she did, and began to line up a shot on her with his rifle. It was point blank range, he couldn't miss.

"FUCK!"

16 hurled the shotgun at the man, the long weapon tumbling end over end before smacking him dead center in the forehead. He flailed over, his rifle firing a shot off up into the air.

The mill exploded with light and noise, flashlights and cabin lights lit up the night as the men of the mill emerged from their tents.

She ran like hell.

16 dodged and ducked between the trees as bullets whizzed past her head. Wood splinters crisscrossed the air as trees were struck all around. The comforting safety of the night stabbed by blindingly bright flashlights shining through the trees. The light was so piercing that at points 16 had to switch her night vision off just to see.

She quickly navigated back to where she'd stashed her generators and fuel, sliding into the little den of bushes before she realized her mistake.

"Oh you idiot," she muttered, "you led them right here."

16 rapidly scanned, her eye darting back and forth through the dark and blinding white lights. Then, she slipped off her backpack, hiding it with the rest of her ill gotten gains, and then pulled out her mosin.

"Come on, you can do this," she pleaded with herself, all but praying that her body could last just a little bit longer.

Then, she sprang out of the bushes and let loose a shot in the general direction of the flashlights.

Surprisingly, the return fire briefly waned in reply to the shot, giving 16 just enough time to begin full on sprinting through the trees before bullets began spraying her way.

She took a blind shot towards her pursuers every few seconds, not knowing nor caring if any hit, and only pausing to slip more rounds into the little weapon before continuing. She was running around the sawmill, circling it and drawing all the bandits in the opposite direction to where she'd stashed her loot.

She was outpacing them for the moment as well, though that meant she needed to be careful not to lose them completely.

"Come out you bastard! We'll kill you!" she heard shouted from behind her.

16 came to a halt, taking some time to click in five more rounds into the mosin as she stared off in the distance towards the flashlights searching for her.

There were at least eight lights, and she'd been able to count fifteen distinct shooters. However she wasn't sure if that was all.

She tried switching on her thermals.

"GAH!" she yelped as her head exploded in pain, her hand instinctively covering her good eye as if that would lessen the piercing pain inside it.

Thermals failed, her ocular systems threw out dozens of warnings and errors she had no time to parse through.

The footsteps and shouts grew closer, she could hear them coming quickly now.

Despite every instinct demanding otherwise, she forced her hand off her eye. To her confusion, it was already in night vision mode despite her not consciously activating that system yet, however she didn't have the time to worry just yet.

A shadow appeared through the trees a little ways away. Without a thought she raised her Mosin and fired.

The figure flailed back and began squirming on the ground as she scored an off center hit. 16 awkwardly worked the bolt, her body still not used to the motions, before taking off once more into the night as more men began approaching.

She led them further and further away, and began opening the distance, letting her natural advantage in endurance work in her favor. Eventually, her pursuers were little more than distant, angry shouts. She allowed herself a small satisfied grin before she began creeping back through the forest.

She made it back to her stash with little trouble, though even as she slipped into the hiding space she kept an ear out for any sign of her pursuers.

Deciding to secure her own needs first, 16 re-equipped her backpack and grabbed one of the generators, which she began hauling out of cover, careful not to make too much noise in the process. She'd come back for the rest of this later, assuming it wasn't found by the bandits or some other party, but this generator had to be secured if she and M4 were to survive.

So, on getting the generator out of the bush, and after quickly checking her surroundings once more, she began to trundle off into the night with it in tow.

When M16 arrived back at the bunker, she dropped everything and rushed inside, looking by IR light from her PEQ to check in on her sister.

To her relief, M4 was still there. She hadn't moved, wasn't responsive at all, but 16 could still feel a faint vibration coming from within her sister's body. The blanket from Jaeger was still wrapped around her body, and it seemed to be helping a bit as M4 felt warmer to the touch than she had earlier.

"Thank god…" she muttered.

The temptation to collapse on the spot was strong, her body felt heavy and sluggish, but she had to resist it for now.

Dutifully, 16 got up and marched back up the stairs to retrieve her goods.

It took a lot of effort, but eventually 16 got the bulky generator in through the bunker entrance and down the winding staircase. She set the thing just inside the bunker, right near the door, and then her body gave out.

She leaned up against the generator, staring into the pitch darkness of the bunker. She lay there for a long, long time. She wasn't sure if she actually passed out at some point or not, but her mind entered a lucid state, fading in and out of consciousness.

"Gah, no come on."

She jerked awake, and quickly got back to work on the generator. By PEQ light, she poured the fuel into the inlet, flipped the switches needed to start it, and was rewarded by the generator rumbling to life. In her night vision, the little LEDs that lit up shone like bright stars in the dark of the bunker.

"Alright!" she grinned, affectionately smacking the machine a couple times.

Next order of business was cable management. T-doll's had specialized cables for charging and data transfer, and unfortunately for her these were not of a standard design that she might find in Tarkov. Of course neither she nor M4 had their own cables anymore either.

T-dolls were designed for a pretty generous range of voltages and currents. The generator's raw output, though not the ideal numbers, was within acceptable ranges. All she had to do was make an adaptor for the cord to fit.

She'd done it before, and needing to do this had been one of the reasons she'd gone back into that warehouse the third time. However, it was going to be more than a little haphazard.

16 first cut the plug off one end of the generator's power cord, and stripped back the insulation a ways. Then she carefully disassembled the plug she'd just taken off and began bending the prongs into shape, snapping one in half to make up the needed number until they would all just about fit into the doll power port, using her own socket on the back of her neck for reference.

Then she wrapped the wires from the cord around the prongs, and soldered each into place, before doing her best to insulate and secure the whole mess with duct tape. After that was done, she set the adapter end on the ground and plugged the other end into the generator, and then watched it for a few moments.

The adapter failed to explode or burst into flames, which she took as a good sign.

Next she grabbed the adapter, and after a moment's hesitation, slid it into her own power socket. She winced slightly as it shocked her, but once it was secured her system registered a steady, if slow, intake of power. No errors or warnings flashed.

M16 let out a relieved breath, and plucked the cord back out.

Next, she gently lifted her sister's limp head and slid the cord underneath, feeling around for the port on the back of M4's neck. On finding it, and plugging it in, she set M4's head back down and stepped back a pace.

She waited expectantly for a couple of minutes, but M4 didn't respond.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," 16 sighed, slumping down against the bunker wall beside M4 and letting her head hang.

Just because M4 didn't respond didn't mean she wasn't receiving charge, but it did mean there were likely to be deeper issues at play in her neural cloud. Though, considering the state her body was in, that wasn't a surprise.

Fixing that may prove impossible though, she had none of the resources, and only academic knowledge on how to approach it. Last time this happened she'd…

16 pursed her lips, best not think about those times.

She found herself rubbing the ring on her finger, staring at the little sliver of metal that was wrapped around her hand. She slipped it off, and held it up into the light of her PEQ.

M16 stared into the center of the little object, watching how the metal glinted as she moved in the light. She still remembered the day she'd gotten it, how happy she'd been, and surprised.

She looked over to the still slumbering M4. It had been just before that day too, when it all started to go to hell. Two days of happiness, before they got the call, before they deployed, before…

16 clenched her fist over the ring, squeezing it tightly as she willed the thoughts away.

"Not now," she muttered, "C'mon, M4 needs you."

Notes:

Friggin finally, sorry for the wait!

Hope yall have been enjoying the newish Tarkov wipe, assuming you play, its been an interesting time so far. This chapter was SUPPOSED to be out ahead of wipe, but, well, you know how things go sometimes.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!