Hey everyone, Happy (early) Halloween! Getting ready for spoopday I hope.
Regardless, I got a new chapter for you guys. What, you didn't think this thing was dead did you? Well I can't blame you because I suck at updating quickly but hey, its here now. Hope you like it, and if ya don't please tell me why yeah? I like to write entertaining stuff and I want it to be good stuff.
Have a good one regardless, and see you guys next time.
Chapter 2: Urban Pacification
Kivotos, District of Utnapishtim Downtown
Smoke. Overturned cars. Bulletproof windows shattered from overwhelming fire. Gunfire and explosions echoing in the distance at unpredictable intervals.
All sights and sounds that Yuuka had long since grown accustomed to, and all hardly changed since her initial trip to the GSC's headquarters. Of course, she hadn't expected any change to have taken place during her visit anyway, but it was still a frustrating sight to see the city in such chaos.
It had been even more frustrating when that oh-so-high-and-mighty Acting President had refused to even address the academies about it. A single press conference to tell them the President had disappeared and that they were working to find her, and then nothing. Total silence.
But now, apparently, the GSC had a solution: a weird silver robot with a human face that the President had apparently appointed as Sensei, to lead some strange club that stood outside of the jurisdiction of everyone else in Kivotos. Apparently.
And apparently, the best strategy that Acting President Rin - that smug, irritating harpy - had was to assign her and three other academy representatives to bodyguard this Sensei on his way to the strange club's headquarters.
Just remembering the smirk on the Acting President's face when she told them that make Yuuka clench her hands into fists. She only stopped when the plastic armrest on the door nearly shattered.
Aside from that, the situation did not sit right with her. While Yuuka generally thought well of the GSC President for her diplomatic prowess, she had not been without her imperfections, and right now she was certainly thinking more about the latter than the former.
Even if this Sensei - Murphy his name was - was indeed capable of helping the city, he was still an outsider, a police officer from a city that she had never heard of. He knew nothing about Kivotos, about its inhabitants, their academies, their laws and their cultures.
Even in the best case scenarios, Yuuka predicted that there would be a good many difficulties, the effects of them multiplied by the high political power of this strange club - SCHALE, which could potentially translate into serious problems for Millennium.
Still, if this Murphy truly was the best that the President could find, and even if he was unfamiliar with the city and all that it was...then Yuuka supposed that he would have to do. She didn't like it, but it was better than letting the fires burn.
And so they went, the city passing along outside the car as they drove to the SCHALE HQ. 5 minutes and 19 seconds had passed (thankfully uneventfully) since they departed the GSC HQ - 2 minutes and 33 seconds of which was stuck in a small traffic jam on the bridge over the Shuruppak River - and barring any unforeseen complications, Yuuka calculated that they would arrive in 29 minutes and 25 seconds.
Uneventful as it had been however, that would change eventually as they went deeper into the city. And as they did, a nervousness in Yuuka's gut grew, one that compelled her to cast a worried glance to right.
Murphy-Sensei was focused entirely on the road ahead, navigating the city and the chaos in its streets well enough. At first, she had attempted to assist him by providing directions from her phones GPS, but after he requested to look at the map himself he had not needed her help since - he had apparently scanned the screen and stored the map data in his own databanks. Interesting, but hardly relevant.
What was relevant, was his stated intentions back at the GSC, that he would take point in combat. And based on what information she had gathered from him, sparse as it was, she calculated that, against the delinquents that roamed the city, he had a 10.2% chance of reaching the SCHALE Building without sustaining serious damage.
And yet, he was more worried about their safety than his own.
He was more worried about them getting hurt when he was the one without a halo!
Even the toughest robots in Kivotos weren't completely immune to gunfire, and said toughest ones were not the human-sized ones. And yet he insisted, even after Chinatsu had given him irrefutable proof that they would be fine, that he take point.
And this was to say nothing of the fact that he only had a pistol - a rather large pistol, but still just a pistol.
They'd allowed it at the time because they'd been arguing more that they come along rather than stopping him, but as they drove ever deeper into the chaotic streets of the city, the greater the risks became, and the more Yuuka's doubts grew.
The distant echo of an explosion tipped them over the edge.
"Sensei, stop the car."
Her voice was firm, demanding. It had caught the others off guard judging by the looks she saw in the mirrors, but as she locked her eyes with the white-haired Trinity girl - Suzumi she remembered - it was like she knew immediately.
Murphy-Sensei had to turned to look at her during that exchange, made evident by the whirring of his neck, with his voice following, somewhat confused but dutiful.
"Is there a problem, Ms. Yuuka? Are you having a medical emergency?"
Briefly, Yuuka sputtered in surprise at his questioning, but she recovered her composure quickly enough.
"Wha - no, I'm fine! Just - listen to me, Sensei, we need to talk. Now."
Even if his helmet showed no eyes - and Yuuka had her doubts on if he even had any - she glared hard into where she thought they would be. Murphy-Sensei met that glare side on for a tense few seconds before he turned away.
The blinking of the turn signal came soon after as he pulled the car close to the curb. For a brief moment, he scanned the streets around them, the soft whirring of servos filling the car as his head turned left and right.
"We should not stay long. This area will likely not remain calm."
After a few more seconds of scanning, Murphy turned towards Yuuka, noting the stern expression on her face.
"Now, what is it you need, Ms. Yuuka?"
Briefly Yuuka paused to collect her thoughts and take a breath.
"Murphy-Sensei, with all respect due, I must contest your demand to take the lead on this journey."
The other girls, upon hearing where Yuuka was going, looked between themselves and Murphy-Sensei, understanding and agreement rising in them as she continued before he could interject.
"I know this subject was contested well before we departed, but I feel that it is prudent to bring it up again now, as we're well on our way into the chaos. I must confess that I have little trust in the GSC after all that they have done - or rather, have explicitly not done - over these past two weeks, and I am not averse to admitting this lack of trust extends to you, if less so."
As Yuuka continued on, Murphy listened silently, his visor focused intently on her.
"That said, even if I do not fully trust you, I also do not wish to see you hurt, much less...killed."
Her voice had fallen on the last word, her eyes doing the same. The shake in it made her worry far more clear than any others she had spoken, which she quickly tried to move on from.
But as the desperation in her voice showed, she didn't quite manage to.
"And if you really are here to help quell the chaos, then you shouldn't risk yourself. Kivotos needs you intact."
No one spoke for a few moments, the other students surprised by the tinge of desperation in Yuuka's voice. Truthfully, even she was surprised by what she was saying.
Before she could add anything further however, Suzumi interjected.
"Didn't you say that you didn't want to play bodyguard, Yuuka-san?"
A tinge of red rose on Yuuka's face as she rounded on the Vigilante, who was sat behind her, with Hasumi on the other side and with Chinatsu between them.
"H-Hey, just because I don't like this doesn't mean that I can't be concerned! Besides, I'm not wrong! If he can help, he can't get hurt!"
Just as quick as she commented, Suzumi nodded in agreement with the Seminar accountant. She wasn't the only one of course, as Chinatsu, who had spent the entire drive awkwardly silent between the two Trinity girls, spoke up firmly, catching Murphy's attention.
"I have to agree with Yuuka-san, Sensei. I know robots can be pretty tough, but you still don't have a halo. And I will not be able to help you if you do get hurt either - I'm a medic, not a roboticist. Neither is Yuuka-san, yes?"
Yuuka gave a nod in response, and Chinatsu turned back to Murphy-Sensei.
"See? I'm sorry Sensei, but she's right. It's just too dangerous."
Even as Murphy-Sensei's visor peered back at her, his false face unreadable, Chinatsu didn't back down. Her job was to look out for the well-being of her team, whether that was the Prefect Team or this motley crew the Acting President cobbled together.
Especially when the team member she was looking out for was the one supposed to activate the Sanctum Tower.
The neutral gaze of Murphy-Sensei stayed locked on her for a tense few seconds, the black strip of his visor fixed almost upon her soul. Beneath it, Murphy considered their statements briefly, noting the honest worry in them. They also were not wrong in stating that he was a high value individual, and that he was the lynchpin of the Acting President's plan - and seemingly the actual President's, thus his safety was a high priority.
However, in spite of this, he was not quite convinced still. Even if Ms. Chinatsu's prior claim that no students had died - or were at risk of dying - in the unrest was true, and her demonstration certainly lended weight to it, it did not change his mind.
He would not risk the wellbeing of them, or any other citizen of this strange city even if there was no risk of death to them.
His directives and his duty demanded it.
"I understand your concern, Ms. Chinatsu. However, a roboticist will not be necessary here. I was built to handle situations like this. This is neither my first patrol, nor my first riot."
The concern on Yuuka's face fixed to morph into frustration at Murphy-Sensei's dismissal. Before it could complete said morphing however, Hasumi cut it off.
"None of us are doubting in your capabilities, Murphy-Sensei. I trust that you are capable in your duties, and further I understand that you are acting on them to protect us. It is commendable, yet it is unnecessary - we, like you, are capable of protecting ourselves, and are greatly experienced in this matter."
The other girls nodded at Hasumi's last remark, especially Suzumi. Yuuka's nod was somewhat more reluctant - she was Seminar's treasurer, not a C operative - but she at least felt confident in her aim and in her calculator's shield, both of which had already carried her through her fair share of fights.
For his part, Murphy couldn't help but once more be disturbed by this city. That children could describe themselves as 'experienced' with regards to combat disgusted him. Children should be in school, learning and growing alongside their peers, and guided by their parents, not shooting each other in the streets.
Still, Hasumi continued.
"I say this not to downplay your abilities, Sensei. The President would not have chosen you were you incapable, but as Yuuka-san has said, you are needed intact. I have sworn myself to your service for this mission, and will follow you wherever you lead. I only ask that you do not lead yourself into trouble."
Her final plea cast the eyes of the girls back to Murphy-Sensei as they awaited his answer.
"Leading myself into trouble is what I do."
It wasn't the one they were hoping for. Yuuka in particular was getting frustrated, badly. It was almost like he wanted to wind up as scrap metal! What was he thinking? Before she could say anything else, Hasumi calmly followed up.
"As it is ours. Again, I do not doubt in your abilities, Murphy-Sensei. I am simply acting upon my own duties as your guardian to see you through this city. So please, Sensei, I implore to at least try to be careful. Yes?"
The look of worry in her eyes, subdued as it was, was strong, as was the conviction in her voice. Murphy could respect that at least, that dedication to duty. It was that dedication, combined with the fact that it was clear that they were not going to let their concerns go, that made Murphy give in...slightly.
"I can make no promises. However, I will...try."
A look of hesitant relief crossed the faces of some of the girls, while Hasumi nodded, grateful that at least he wouldn't needlessly risk himself.
"That is all we ask for, Murphy-Sensei. Thank you."
Murphy himself could only turn away, eyes focused out the windshield ahead.
"Then we should continue on."
And with that, he shifted the car back into drive and took his foot off the brake. The car lurched forward and left, taking to the road again. Not another word was spoken for some time as they went, save for the occasional remark on the state of the city, which only grew worse as they went on. It got to the point that several of the roads were blocked by wrecked vehicles or debris, necessitating multiple detours that cost them time.
A collapsed storefront, a pile-up halfway down the road, a Kaiser APC crashed into a burned-out produce truck, the city had become a maze of rubble and wreckage. Still, at least they could console themselves with the fact that they weren't on foot.
And then that came to an end.
After turning left onto a sidestreet to avoid a pile-up blockage, Murphy found himself looking straight at another blockage halfway down the road in the form of an overturned public bus crashed into a building, a burned out car at its rear, and a scrap metal gate bridging the two vehicles.
The gate in particular got Murphy's attention immediately. That meant this wasn't just a wreck, but that someone was there. The graffiti painted on the bus made it clear as well that whoever it was, they were not law-abiding people.
BLACK SASH GANG
STAY AWAY SCREWHEADS
The implication was clear: this roadblock wasn't just a roadblock but a gang base. Suzumi remarked on that fact with a hint of concern.
"A sukeban stronghold, not good. Looks like we'll need to find another route."
A sensible suggestion, but unfortunately a non-viable one. There were no alleys or sidestreets on the road they were on, and the only other detour route they could take was about two minutes behind them. Given that their destination was only about four kilometers away, and that there was no guarantee that an alternate route would get them any closer, or be any safer, Murphy decided that turning back wasn't worth it.
"Negative. Turning back now would cost too much time. We will need to proceed on foot from here."
Behind him and to his left, the girls looked very concerned about that. Yuuka agreed with his assessment regarding the time cost, but the danger of disembarking here with the danger ahead was risky. Suzumi voiced that concern.
"Are you sure about that, Sensei? This doesn't look like a good place to do that."
It wasn't, she was right about that. But they had been on a time crunch since they left, and turning back to find another way would cost too much with no guarantee it would be any safer.
As much as he didn't want to, they would have to compromise. He could only hope that they really were as durable as they claimed, because now they would have to walk through a warzone.
"Yes. Do you all have radios?"
Taken aback briefly, the girls looked amongst each other briefly and then checked their pockets and bags, nodding to each other as they did, with Chinatsu speaking for them.
"Yes, Sensei, we do."
That was good, Murphy thought. It would make it easier to coordinate.
"Good. Turn them on and tune them to channel 4."
They quickly abided the order, each girl slipping in their earpieces, with Suzumi putting another question out as she did hers.
"So...what's the plan, Sensei?"
As they fiddled with their radios, Murphy kept his eyes ahead, eyeing the gang site and the area around it. His cybernetic eyes and the sensors enhancing them took in and processed every detail. It told him much, but unfortunately little of it was good.
The buildings, especially those near to the bus, were all either boarded up, damaged heavily to the point of impassability, or othewise blocked, and even if they were not their interior layouts may not guarantee forward progress. Combined with the lack of alleys or sidestreets, Murphy internally sighed at obviousness of the situation.
There was no good way forward. Only a bad way.
"The situation leaves only one available: straight through."
The plan didn't exactly sit well. Varying levels of worry showed on their faces, from Yuuka's 'this is the worst outcome that I predicted' face to Suzumi's more tense 'get ready for battle' face.
Meanwhile Chinatsu was checking her medical supplies.
Hasumi, on the other hand, took the news with determination, befitting her station. Her voice unyielding, she made that determination known.
"If that is our way forward, then we will walk it unflinchingly. Leave it to us, Murphy-Sensei. We will see it done."
Said determination stood out among the nervous girls, though it did seem to spread around, if only slightly. Suzumi now looked more ready than worried, and even Yuuka found herself gripping Logic and Reason ever so slightly harder.
Up front, Murphy couldn't help but feel a pang of respect for Ms. Hasumi. Even though she was simply a student, her willingness to face the criminal element steadfastly was commendable. Still, there was no sense putting it off further.
It was time to move.
"Good. Check your gear and follow me. We need to move quickly."
And with that, his right hand moved out, grabbing the door latch and pulling. Before he could open the door however, a hand firmly gripped his left arm. Turning around, he saw Yuuka looking up at him with a similar firmness in her expression, and shock in those of the others looking at her.
Much the same, her voice was unyielding.
"Again, Sensei. Be. Careful."
As she looked up at the stubborn robot-man, she felt the worry from earlier flaring up. She had wanted to speak up against the plan, to plea for his caution, to state her calculations about the danger he was putting himself in, but she knew now that in this situation, it was pointless. He was right, there was no other way.
The only thing they could do now was keep him from getting himself killed. And remind him not to. All of Kivotos was on the line.
Thankfully, it seemed he got the message.
"Like I said, I will try."
It was no lie either. In high-stress scenarios, safety was not a guarantee, yet every officer did their best to ensure their own and those of their fellow officers and members of the public. Even if his own threat calculations predicted minimal threats ahead, caution was still advised.
For their sake, if nothing else.
DIRECTIVE 2
PROTECT THE INNOCENT_
And with that, she gave him a small nod, and he turned away. And so did she, especially once she caught sight of Suzumi gaping at her in the side view mirror, which she turned away from as well.
She didn't get to see the brief smirk that popped up on Chinatsu's face.
With a pnuematic thud, Murphy's metal foot hit the curb, and he rose up with his hand on the door. Scanning the street briefly, he detected no movement, and stepped out fully, closing the door behind him just as the girls opened theirs.
The walk to the bus was a tense one, punctuated by Murphy-Sensei's pnuematic footfalls, and the echoing of gunfire and explosions through the street. They moved as quickly as they could, as quietly as they could - with no cover between the car and bus, if they got caught out now they were as good as done for.
Of course, what they were going to do once they got past that roadblock was another matter entirely, and it was one that only further reduced Yuuka's hopes of making it through this utter mire. Despite all the chaos unfolding all around them in the city, Murphy-Sensei still insisted on offering the delinquents a chance to surrender and disperse peaceably.
Police procedure had its place in keeping order, but order was way out the window here!
Still, it was a plan, she supposed, which was better than just flailing about aimlessly. And after less than a minute they finally reached the roadblock ready to execute it, and whatever doubts they may have had about there being delinquents on the other side disappeared with the sound of racuous laughter, banging metal, and shattering glass.
Yuuka wrinkled her nose in disgust as the smell of alcohol and nicotine smoke hit her nostrils.
"I see...about ten, maybe eleven delinquents on the other side, might be more.", whispered Suzumi, peaking through a small crack between the scrap metal frame and the bus. Briefly, she noted that all of them had black sashes tied around their waists, foreheads, and even their guns.
Right, 'Black Sash Gang'.
"They're armed pretty heavily - assault rifles, shotguns, one light machine gun. They don't know we're here."
Her description of the thugs weapons didn't inspire any confidence in the group, with Yuuka internally cursing the name of Nanagami Rin for the eleventh time today, while Hasumi and Chinatsu steeled themselves for a fight.
Murphy wasn't surprised by her descriptions - the crowd in the GSC lobby had similar armaments, and the gangs of Old Detroit weren't wanting for military-grade weaponry either - though he did feel a bit of concern once more for his charges. However, just as soon as it came, it was replaced with cold focus. They could hopefully handle themselves.
No way back now. No waiting around.
"Then it is time to introduce ourselves. Are you all ready?"
His quiet questioning was met with nods of various levels of determination, from stalwart to hesitant. Suzumi, however, had a proposal to meet his question with, fishing in her pack for one of her M84s.
"Do you want me to throw a flashbang over, Sensei? I have plenty to help out with."
Briefly Murphy eyed the grenade, noting that she had not mentioned her possession of it, nor had he noticed it earlier. Still, he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the shock of a flashbang could go a long way in convincing them to surrender.
"Yes, that would be useful. Deploy it on my signal, and we breach after detonation."
Suzumi nodded at his proposal, having thought much the same. Slowly, she backed away from the gate slightly, giving herself a better angle to lob the flashbang over while the other girls got into position.
Chinatsu held her pistol low, one hand on the gun and the other on her medbags strap in anticipation. In front of her, Hasumi kept her breathing steady as she readied her rifle for battle, brushing a stray strand of hair from her eyes. At the front, Yukka looked as though she wanted to be anywhere else, her stance unsure and her face tense. Once more, she found herself asking why she, the Seminar Treasurer, had to be out here doing door breaches.
Overall, the air was tense as they waited, Suzumi almost holding her breath as she waited for Murphy-Sensei's signal, finger clutched tight around the flashbang's pull pin.
Then the world went silent, save for one word.
"Go."
Then the sounds of the world returned with a clink of metal, and the pin hit the pavement. With a light throw, Suzumi threw the bang over the scrap wall, the spoon falling off as it flew. As it disappeared from sight, the laughter and joking on the other side turned to surprise and shock and shouts of 'grenade'.
Then the bang went off, and everything got even louder.
The sound of crashing metal followed the detonation as RoboCop breached the gate, trampling the scrap metal door underfoot as he stepped past the bus it was once crudely screwed into, the girls funneling in behind him and flank him on both sides. A thin cloud of dust hung in the air, kicked up by the door's fall, partially obscuring the sights beyond.
To Murphy's eyes however, it was as clear a sight as day.
It seemed that these delinquents were fond of vehicles, or at least disassembling them. Several stripped wrecks were visible up close and in the distance, with doors, hoods, and stacks of tires piled around the place in odd places. Some of the stripped chassis' were up on jacks, underneath some of which sat furniture, including a couch and TV set under a stripped SUV and several sets of bunk beds underneath several others opposite it, separated from the world only by worn business curtains no doubt looted from the ruined storefronts.
Of course, some of the cars themselves had been set aside as junk just as well, like the crushed wreck that sat on their left, hardly a few feet away. Strangely, it hadn't been stripped like the others, likely to keep it for use as cover.
Of course, the ones who would have used that cover were too busy trying to recover from the stun of the flashbang, and the shock of having a tall chrome robot-thing kicking down their door.
After the Nuke Cult case, and specifically upon review of his response and actions regarding its pre-teen member and leader following Cain's arrest, Hob Mills, RoboCop's directives and targeting parameters were updated. Previously, children and teenagers were unable to be targeted, classified as innocents and thus protected under Prime Directive 2.
Unfortunately, not all children were innocent, as Hob made all too clear when he shot Murphy in the head and attempted to garrote Lewis during their raid on the arcade he worked out of.
Now, his targeting system would allow him to target and engage underage suspects in certain situations - preteen suspects required probable cause to engage, such as them using lethal force against members of the public or other officers, while teenagers could be engaged outright similar to adults.
It was an understandable change. Yet that didn't mean Murphy liked it.
The idea of harming children, even to defend himself or others, was not one he liked. Even the supposed durability provided by their haloes didn't make the prospect of firing on them any more appealing.
But with the order of this strange city and the wellbeing of its citizens on the line, there was no room for hesitation. They had to push through. The panels on his right leg split open with a clank and a hiss, and the Auto-9 left its holster.
As he brought the gun up to high ready, the familiar green cross reticle of his targeting system flitted across his vision, marking every delinquent in sight, most of whom had recovered mostly from the stun and were now staring him and the others down in shock, their guns leveled shakily at him particularly.
Fourteen targets in total, closest at 5.6 meters away at 295 degrees his front left, farthest at 12.1 meters away 005 degrees his front right. Each of said targets wore varied expressions of shock, some confused and some angry, all wondering just what the heck that weird robot was, and why he had a posse of students from all over with him, all of which his translation software identified.
For a brief second otherwise, a tense standoff took place, guns leveled with each side waiting for the other to make a move. As they waited, Hasumi cast a sidelong look to her left, looking expectantly at Murphy-Sensei, waiting for his demands.
As though he could hear her, he spoke, voice firm and demanding.
"This is an unlawful gathering. Drop your weapons and disperse immediately, or you will be evicted."
At his demand, the delinquents ceased their murmuring and yelling, surprised as the Global words of Murphy-Sensei hit their ears. It hardly took them a second to start laughing, starting with a girl at the back and slowly spreading through the group, their guns lowering as they did.
Except for one girl, an ex-Gehenna sukeban judging by the dirty red armband and the Sturmgewehr 44 she carried.
"What's...what did he say, what's so funny?"
For a brief moment, Chinatsu felt a pang of second-hand shame at that girl. Sure, Global was a pretty weird language to learn, but the Blu-Rays Gehenna had had plenty of material to help with. Still, that shame melted away as the unease only ramped up as the ex-Millennium sukeban next to her with a SPAS-12 filled her in.
"H-he - HA, he thinks he's a cop! He wants us to drop our guns and run off!"
A look of realization washed over the Gehenna delinquent...
"Oh...PFFFFFFFHAHAHA, fat chance you silver freak!"
...before she keeled over in laughter with the rest of them. The unease only increased among the academy reps, their eyes still locked foward even as some of them started to slowly inch their way over to the tipped car on the left in anticipation of a firefight.
"Yeah, go screw a socket wrench, silver-tip!"
And with that, it all happened at once. In a second, every gun the delinquents had came up and trained on Murphy-Sensei, and every bullet they had was sent flying at him and the others.
In the chaos, Yuuka was nicked in the arm as she ducked behind the car, not even getting a chance to get a shot off. Suzumi got grazed by her ear as she tried to return fire and stumbled sideways from the shock, and Hasumi abandoned her stance and shot leftwards with the aid of her wings, tackling the still exposed Chinatsu into cover behind the car.
All the while, the bullets kept raining down, sending chunks of asphalt and metal into the air. Yet still Murphy didn't budge, even as round after round sparked off of his armor.
So this was it. The moment he had dreaded. Still, this was on them in the end. They had their chance to stand aside, to surrender peaceably. And they had chosen to ignore it.
Well, if he was a 'Sensei' here, then the first lesson began now.
Just as the world erupted into gunfire, for Chinatsu it also began to spin round and round, ending with a grunt, a thud on the pavement, and a weight atop her that left as soon as it came. Recovering her glasses, she looked up to see the focused, deadly look of Hasumi as she knelt low and folded her wings away.
It was also then that she realized that she was now behind the tipped car, when by her last recollecting, she was right behing Murphy-Sensei, barely peaking out to his left.
It didn't take her long to piece together what had happened, and in a shaky, somewhat hesistant voice, she offered her thanks to the tall Trinity girl.
"T-thank you, Hasumi-san."
Said Trinity girl for her part cast her a brief look and a quick nod. Normally, she was not fond of dealing with the rabblerousing of Gehenna students, but the Prefect Team girl seemed much more civilized than the rest of them, certainly more competent.
That much Hasumi could respect, and at the moment it would very much be needed. Especially when Yuuka's groans reached their ears over the gunfire hitting the car.
As quickly as she could, Chinatsu rushed over to Yuuka's side, keeping a tight grip on her medbag as she did.
"Are you alright, Yuuka-san?"
Flinching as another bullet hit the car, knocking the side mirror off the door on the top, Yuuka replied, still gripping her right arm.
"Argh, I'm - I'm fine. Gah, that stings! Are they using JHP rounds?! Those cheaters!"
Retrieving a tube of pain reliever from her bag with a small sigh, Chinatsu pried Yuuka's hand from her arm and rolled up her sleeve. A small red bruise from the rifle round had begun to form at the impact site, one that the cream would help heal. As Chinatsu went about helping Yuuka however, Hasumi cast a small remark to the Millennium girl, her eyes still focused ahead, looking for an opening in the fire.
"JHP rounds aren't illegal, Yuuka-san."
Through a small groan of pain as Chinatsu applied the cream to her arm, Yuuka replied...
"Gah, I know that! But that doesn't make them any less painful - wait, hold on, where's - where's Murphy-Sensei?!"
...only to come to the horrifying realization that Murphy-Sensei wasn't with them behind the car! Her cry of alarm got everyone's attention, surprised eyes looking everywhere for their strange, stubborn robot Sensei, before Hasumi silenced them.
"He's still out there."
And he was. Her wide eyes looked upon his silvered form, standing exactly as he was when he had entered this place. Dozens of bullets sailed his way, smacking into his armor and throwing sparks every which way. Peaking over the black-winged girl, Yuuka cursed at the sight of Murphy-Sensei standing right in the line of fire.
That stubborn IDIOT! He's going to get himself killed!
Her internal prediction, to her dismay, seemed to come true, as rather than seek cover, Murphy-Sensei began to move forward. At that, she scrambled to Hasumi's side, slinging Reason to her side and reaching for her calculator, readying herself to run out and deploy it.
Hasumi's firm hand stopped her before she could however, and just as Chinatsu and Suzumi popped up behind her she noticed something else: Murphy-Sensei wasn't slowing down.
In fact, he wasn't even flinching. Even against the deluge of fire pouring onto him, he never lost his stride, even as dozens of sparks shot off of his armor, even his helmet! Dust rose into the air as bullets and shrapnel ripped into the pavement, lines of them being cast in front of Murphy-Sensei as he walked.
It was then that Yuuka realized. Shrapnel. The bullets were shattering against his armor. If her jaw could have dropped anymore it would have.
And then, with his left hand outstretched behind him, he raised his pistol up and fired.
The three-round burst that followed joined the cacophony of fire, yet it also silenced part of it, as the sukeban he had shot - a girl with an Uzi - keeled over as the bullets hit her stomach. Two more bursts finished her off, knocking her to the ground.
With one down, he turned left and fired again - and briefly they all marveled at the muzzle flash - knocking down the SPAS-12 delinquent with a few bursts. Then another girl, then another, and another.
The delinquents were starting to panic at this point, their smug smiles giving way to looks of almost sheer terror as they kept dumping mag after mag at Murphy-Sensei, who still looked completely unfazed by it all.
"He's - he's not going down!"
"Just keep shooting, just keep shooting!"
"Drop already, you tin freak!"
Unfortunately for them, Murphy-sensei refused to drop, even as he continued to drop them in turn. One by one, their guns went silent, their clattering ending with a burst from Murphy-Sensei's strange pistol. And eventually, only one remained, presumably the gang's leader judging by her more grizzed appearance and the M60 she was busy trying to reload, a panicked expression on her face as she slammed the top cover closed and made to raise the gun against Murphy-Sensei.
Only for Murphy-Sensei to reach out, grab the barrel of the gun, and bend it ninety degrees straight down without missing a beat.
It seemed like the entire world had stopped in that moment, the girls staring wide-eyed at the sight before them, and the sukeban looking wide-eyed at the bent barrel of her now-useless gun. Slowly however, she turned her wide eyes up to Murphy-Sensei's dark visor, fear practically spilling out of them.
And it only took two words from Murphy-Sensei to tip the glass.
"Your move."
The metallic crash of the gun hitting the ground was drowned out by the scream the sukeban let out, one that slowly faded as she away ran down the street.
Soon enough, her screams disappeared into the distance, the chaos of the firefight giving way finally to silence. The only sound audible to Murphy was the wind, and the whirring of his own neck servos as he turned and scanned each downed delinquent one by one.
Ms. Chinatsu's stunt back at GSC HQ certainly proved that these students were durable, but it also proved that they could still be hurt. Not knowing those limits, nor knowing if they could still suffer internal injuries by gunfire, he had limited himself to center-mass shots and had not used explosive modifiers in the Auto-9.
Thankfully, none of the delinquents were seriously injured - all were unconscious, but his scanners detected no internal or external injuries, serious or otherwise. It only added to the sheer oddness of this place that such a thing was possible, on top of Chinatsu's initial prooftest. It certainly merited investigation at some time in the future.
For now however, the fact was that these children would be fine. Bruised, but fine. He did not sigh or vocalize it, but Murphy felt relief at that.
With a twirl, he returned the Auto-9 to its holster and turned around. Time to check on the others.
The silence that fell over the streets was an uneasy one. In the aftermath of Murphy-Sensei's...counterattack, none of the girls could muster up the strength to say anything, and just barely enough to move. Hasumi had been first to find enough of that strength, leaving the cover of the car after the last sukeban had fled in the face of her gun being trashed, the others following slowly behind her.
And getting a full view of the scene only made it harder to say anything.
Almost every step they took was punctuated by the tinkling of spent shell casings, hundreds of which littered the pavement. The occasional unconscious groan from the downed delinquents was the only 'speech' uttered during all of it.
What they had just seen, none of them had expected to see at all. Yuuka particularly had not seen this coming - her own calculations told her that the results of Murphy-Sensei's course of action should have ended in him being turned into a smoking pile of scrap, every single one.
And yet there he stood, seemingly just fine after walking right into the fire of over a dozen guns at a pace best described as 'leisurely', dropping every single sukeban in his way.
Hasumi in particular was at a loss for words. She had not lied when she said she trusted in his abilities, but she had not thought that they would be this...extreme. She had seen scenes like this - mostly at the hands of Tsurugi - but where the JTF President was a whirlwind of chaos and violence, his movements had been precise, slow, calculated. Extremely so.
And perhaps most importantly, even Tsurugi knew when to seek cover or evade fire.
Murphy-Sensei hadn't even made an effort to. He had just walked right into the bullets, as unflinching as a rock upon the tides, not taking even a step towards safety.
That detail made Yuuka seethe in anger. Her nails dug into her hands as she clenched them in anger, several choice words coming to her mind. He had ignored their concerns, ignored her insistences to even try to keep himself safe, and had in fact done literally the opposite of that!
And yet the words died with a gasp as Murphy-Sensei turned around to face her and the others.
He was completely undamaged. There were no punctures, no dents, not even any scratches, anywhere on his armor. Nothing the delinquents threw at him, none of the hundreds of rounds they fired off, looked like it did anything to him. The sight stopped Chinatsu in her tracks, the Prefect medic having rushed ahead to try and help him even knowing she couldn't.
That shouldn't have been possible. It couldn't be possible! It went against all the ballistic studies and calculations she knew and made! No robot could be that tough! And yet...yet...
"Are you all alright?"
That question drew blank looks from everyone. He was asking them if they were alright? After walking into all of that?
But for Yuuka, it was the final straw that broke the dam. Her fists clenched and her face reddened to the point of unhealthiness, such that it flagged Murphy's sensors.
The dam finally shunted, and out came the rage.
"Are we alright?! ARE WE ALRIGHT?! You utter IMBECILE, we TOLD you we would be, just like YOU said you wouldn't throw yourself into danger! And yet you...YOU..."
The intensity of her glare was such that, were her eyes weapons, Murphy-Sensei would have had his head melted to slag. Her hand shook as she pointed at him, her anger hitting a bottleneck, one brought about by the sight of his dentless armor. She still didn't get it, how he managed to walk away from the exchange completely unharmed, an exchange he promised he wouldn't have even gotten into in the first place!
Still, it only made her look ever more like a steam pipe about to burst, which didn't exactly gave Chinatsu and Suzumi a reason to stop backing slowly away from the almost-iridescent lit stick of Seminar dynamite.
At least until Hasumi set a firm hand on her shoulder, which didn't even get Yuuka's attention. That said, her anger had begun to dissipate, as that question once more settled in her mind.
How? In the face of all of that, all those guns and bullets, how did he get through that?
Who is Murphy-Sensei?
What is he?
"...how...how are you alright?"
The two words simply slipped out from between her stunned lips, her eyes slowly turning back up to behold his chromed helm, a helm that likewise was turned down to meet her.
"I apologize for my recklessness, Ms. Yuuka. But as I said before, I was built to handle this."
This time, no one bothered to contest that claim. The proof was right before them. A brief flash of foolishness went around the group as they considered his earlier claims. Was this why the President chose him? Because he was durable enough to endure this city? None of them knew, but as Yuuka pondered that question, another thought popped up in the back of her mind.
If Murphy-Sensei was truly that tough, and he was built that way for a reason...then what was his home city like?
"Regardless, we must keep moving. No doubt they will not be the only ones. Stay vigilant, and cover each other."
Yuuka barely even registered what Murphy-Sensei was saying. Still deep in her confusion, her mind running back over her calculations and predictions looking for where she made her error, she had almost tuned him out.
But where sound failed to bring her back to reality, a distant sight did.
A flicker of movement in the distance caught the Treasurer's eye, and when said eye focused on what it saw, it went wide in shock with a gasp: The sukeban leader from earlier, with another in tow, emerging from behind another wrecked car in the distance. She was pointing angrily in their direction, their heads snapping between each other and Murphy-Sensei, clearly talking.
And in that other girl's arms was an PzF-3 anti-tank launcher. And she was bringing it up to target Murphy-Sensei.
Perhaps her previous calculations had been incorrect. She didn't account for his armor composition or some other variable. But even if he could shrug off bullets like they were nothing, an armor-piercing missile?
That was something else. Something that probably would kill him.
Then the sukeban let out a taunting scream that echoed down the street.
"Have some of this, chromedome!"
And then the delinquent pulled the trigger.
The world slowed down around Yuuka as the rocket left the launcher, speeding towards Murphy-Sensei. In that moment, the mathematical mind of the Head Treasurer of Seminar went silent. Not a calculation, not an estimate, not a thought went through her head.
Yet in spite of that, her body moved faster than she had ever moved before. And with a cry from her lips, the silence in her mind was shattered.
"NO!"
Before she knew it, she was now in the direct path of the missile, the self-accelerating explosive now hardly 10 meters away. Her right hand grasped her calculator in a death grip, calculations pre-loaded on the device ready to answer, and with enough pressure that the screen could have shattered, her thumb hit the equal sign.
And the world rang around her as it turned a wonderful shade of hexagonally-pulsing blue.
The rocket detonated 4.2 meters from his position. However, he had not been the one to cause it.
He had tracked the missile's flight path, a trajectory that should have led it to impact the upper left of his torso. He had raised his pistol to neutralize it and engage its source, but before he could pull the trigger, Ms. Yuuka had jumped in the path of the missile. Stunned by her actions, he had frozen then, and now frozen he stayed.
Because just before the missile could hit her, a ball of blue light, shimmering in hexagonal patterns, surrounded her, detonating the rocket and creating a massive cloud of smoke.
Immediately, his scanners locked onto the calculator in Ms. Yuuka's hand, the device being marked by them as the source of the strange energy shield due to the high energy output it was producing.
Needless to say, the sight of the strange technology had surprised him. The fact that it could stop an anti-tank missile was impressive however, extremely so. And though Ms. Yuuka's actions were reckless, he respected them nonetheless.
Before anything else could happen however, the world became loud again.
"Suzumi-san, go! Cover them!", came the voice of Hasumi...
"Yes, Hasumi-san!"
...and there went the form of Suzumi, running past Ms. Yuuka to take cover behind a stripped sedan, firing her rifle down the street towards the two assailants. Snapping out of his brief stuppor, Murphy stepped out from behind Yuuka's shield, his targeting system picking out the hostiles immediately.
Ms. Suzumi had proved a capable shot however, and had staggered the launcher-wielding delinquent with several accurate bursts - including several shots to the targets head, which seemed to have minimal wounding effect but did stagger her.
A burst from the Auto-9 knocked the wind from her chest, and a final headshot from Suzumi put her to the ground.
The other delinquent however, the one who had run off, had begun a mad dash for the cover of an overturned armored bank truck, firing a small SMG wildly in their direction. Before RoboCop could get a shot on her however, she disappeared from view behind the side-up truck.
Though she was visible via thermograph, as his next burst showed, his rounds could not penetrate the truck's armor. However, before he could plan a flank, Hasumi's voice came once more, a deep focus in it.
"By the name of the Sacred Trinity, by the will and the grace of God..."
And when she pulled the trigger...
"I judge thee!"
It was as though the rifle had exploded. The muzzle flash and concussion kicked up every dust mote and pebble over ten feet to the right, left, and front of the gun, and was powerful enough that it slightly rattled Murphy's internal systems.
The bullet sailed down range in a swirling vortex of red, punching straight through the truck's armored engine cover and engine block in a shower of sparks, shaking the vehicle in the process and emerging from the other side to strike the delinquent right in the side of the head.
She pirouetted around briefly, before collapsing into a heap in the open, once more completely unwounded.
The deed done, the black-dressed girl lowered her rifle and racked the bolt, the spent casing falling to the ground. It was an ordinary casing, standard composition and dimensions for .303 British, with power residue consistent for a standard 180 grain full metal jacket loading.
So then how did that bullet cause such a massive muzzle blast? And additionally, how did it then penetrate an armored vehicle which should have been able to resist it?
To that, he had not a single clue. It seemed this city was indeed stranger than it already appeared, doubly so after the durability of its inhabitants was once again demonstrated to him. Two delinquent girls, both shot in the head with rifle caliber rounds, both merely knocked out.
Just another oddity on top of far too many to answer quickly, and yet more proof of how badly he had misjudged his situation.
"Sensei, are you alright?"
Turning his head towards Hasumi's voice, Murphy found her looking up at him with a neutral if somewhat concerned look. Suzumi kept her eyes focused on the road for a brief moment before turning around to check on him too, while Chinatsu was checking over Yuuka judging by the conversation going on behind him.
"Yes, Ms. Hasumi, I am."
Giving her his answer, she seemed satisfied with it, giving a small nod in response. However, she then glances off to the side, a gesture coinciding with two sets of footsteps approaching.
Turning around to see Yuuka and Chinatsu approacing, Murphy quickly took note of the fact that Ms. Yuuka was indeed unharmed as well, her shield having served her well. It was a strange technology, one that he had not expected, and one that only raised ever more questions about this odd city.
Still, even without the how and the why of it, Murphy knew well that such a thing could, and likely would, be very useful.
However, just as he noted her physical state, he also noted her facial expressions, frustration once more covering them.
"So do you believe us now, Sensei?"
Indeed he did. Just as with her shield, even if he didn't know the details, the fact was that this place was not as he had assumed it to be, even after seeing earlier proof. Seeing Chinatsu shoot herself had certainly been a shock and a revelation, but he had been doubtful about the more fanciful claims of the group.
Now he believed them fully. He didn't want to, but he did.
"Yes, Ms. Yuuka. I do. Thank you for your...save."
Where before she had been frustrated, now she looked vindicated, as though the next words out of her mouth would be 'I told you so'. Unfortunately for her, Murphy beat her to the punch.
"It seems that I have misjudged your capabilities."
Even saying that almost caused Murphy pain due to how much of an understatement it obviously was, given all the things he had just witnessed. He was still reeling somewhat from the sight of that shield, and the further proof regarding not only the durability of this city's inhabitants, but their other abilities.
"The sentiment is mutual, Murphy-Sensei."
Hasumi's statement reflected the group wholly, nods going all around. The fact that he managed to walk through all those bullets, unflinchingly and unharmed in the end, was still shocking to them. If he had underestimated them...well, they had underestimated him, too. Big time. Suzumi vocalized that understatement well with one of her own.
"Yeah, really..."
Unfortunately, she didn't get to say anything else, as several unfamiliar voices made themselves quietly known.
"...mething's going on, come on!"
Everyone's heads snapped in the direction of the voices, guns leveling just as quickly.
"Hey boss, you goo-OLY SHIT!"
Soon enough, the voice had a source, as another delinquent girl peeked down the street. And she wasn't alone, as several others soon came into view, all of them itching for a fight. The sound of guns being racked echoed through the streets as one of the girls shouted the order.
"Look's like we got some troublemakers here, girls! Get 'em!"
Just before the fire poured in, Murphy and the others took cover. As the bullets poured in, scattering sparks, dust, and metal chunks every which and way, Murphy knew that they were going to need to act quickly and forcefully.
And they had every capability to do so.
"It seems that now is the time to put them to use."
At this, the girls looked between each other briefly, determined nods going around. Even Yuuka gave one of her own, eyes quickly going back to Sensei. She looked up at him expectantly, knowing what his remark meant.
It meant that he - finally - seemed to trust them.
Just the same, while Yuuka now knew just as well that he was a truly stubborn robot, stupidly, perhaps even suicidely so, he was not weak. He gladly stood in the line of fire, and he did so to protect them. He didn't need to, but he did so anyway.
It was foolish...but she could respect the sentiment. So, he wasn't that bad, she supposed. Hasumi's words summed up her thoughts simply enough.
"We'll follow your lead, Sensei."
Looking back to her briefly, he noted that rather than doubt, he saw determination on the faces of the others as they looked at him. They were looking to him for guidance, to lead them.
They trusted that he could. And just as he now trusted that they could get through it, he would not betray their trust that he could lead them through it.
And so with a nod, he turned away, broke from cover, raised the Auto-9, and pulled the trigger.
A Minute Later...
"Oh jeez oh jeez, OH CRAP - AGH!"
The final burst neutralized another delinquent, her Sterling SMG clattering to the ground as he continued to push forward, the girls following behind him, returning fire as he did. Bullets whizzed through the air, slowly fading out as those from Murphy and the academy girls found their marks.
One girl with a light machine gun made a fighting retreat, taking cover behind a concrete barricade and laying down a wall of fire, even as rounds chipped pieces from the barricade and pinged off her makeshift armor. Even Murphy-Sensei's rounds struggled against her.
"Ms. Hasumi?"
"At your command, Sensei!"
Hasumi's armor-piercing shot did not. The armor shattered with the barricade in a blast of red.
And yet more continued to come.
Sparks and shrapnel danced off Murphy's chrome armor as more delinquents entered their sightline. Quickly, it became a crowd, one that risked slowing them down if they were not dealt with swiftly.
Rather than seek cover, he continued to advance, returning fire as every sukeban focused their guns on him. Meanwhile, he kept an eye on his surroundings, namely the garbage truck stuck on the curb to his left.
An idea quickly struck.
"Ms. Suzumi, flank left. Wait for my signal."
"Yes, Sensei!"
Quickly, she made herself scarce, dodging a few shots that came her way, but she was soon forgotten about as Murphy and the others continued forward. Naturally, as he walked ahead of Yuuka, Hasumi, and Chinatsu, he took the brunt of the fire.
It gave the others a chance to fire back with less risk.
Still, as one dropped another replaced her, and eventually the delinquents started to close with then, seeking cover behind wreckage and debris. With all their eyes on him however, they paid little mind to Suzumi. Which bit them rather badly when he gave her the order.
"Now, Ms. Suzumi."
Once he finished his transmission, Suzumi came back clear and fast.
"On it, Sensei. 'Bang out, cover your eyes!"
With that, a flashbang flew out from his left, coming from behind a parked bus and landing at the feet of the delinquents. At the same time, Murphy out-stretched his left arm, and just as Suzumi's flashbang detonated, so did his.
They didn't see it coming. The delinquents at the front of the pack were blinded by Murphy's flashbang, the ones at the rear Suzumi's. The entire group was disoriented, blinded and deafened by the blasts.
It made them easy pickings.
With that, the dozen-strong group of sukeban dropped to the pavement, guns going silent as they settled to the pavement. The ones at the rear, seeing their comrades drop like flies, turned and ran.
"You have flashbangs too, Sensei?", remarked a surprised but impressed Suzumi. The others mirrored her look of surprise, Yuuka especially.
Murphy's reply came quick.
"I am full of surprises, Ms. Suzumi."
And just as quick, he continued on with the others in tow.
Ahead of them, the street opened up on a Y-intersection on which a small commercial promenade sat. All of the businesses had long since been looted, with one having a car crashed through its front window.
Yet more destruction brought about by the unrest.
Still, that was not their focus. What was, was to be found down the main street to the right, less than two kilometers away. The SCHALE Clubroom. The map data Yuuka had shared told him that this was the last road they needed to go down.
It was a long stretch, but it was the last one. They were almost through.
More gunfire ahead. A tipped-over goods truck blocked part of the street, and as they went to the right of it, six delinquents jumped out and rushed them, firing wildly all the while.
They were too close for Murphy to level his gun at quickly, and too many in number to neutralize quickly. So instead, he stuck his left arm forward...
...and a flash of electricity arced through air and flesh, sending the six hostiles into convulsions before they collapsed.
Of course, they weren't the only ones who were shocked. Behind him, the group paused, wide-eyed at the display. They were quick to move on as Murphy-Sensei grew smaller ahead of them, but still their eyes lingered on the still twitching forms of the sukeban behind them.
Where before they had been surprised, now they were getting curious. And just as before, Yuuka was especially so, the Millennium girl stopping dead in her tracks at the sight as her mind started to race.
Totally bulletproof armor, an interal gun holster, an arm-mounted flashbang and now an arm-mounted stun gun? Just what other surprises did he have? What other technologies did he possess?
She only stopped contemplating this thought when Hasumi set her hand on her shoulder. Startled briefly, face red with embarrasment, she rushed to catch up.
A short walk later, passing another truck, a long line of crashed cars filled the streets, another bus blocking part of the road ahead. Said bus was covered in crude metal armor over its body and windows, save for one which was covered by a curtain, with something sticking out of it.
A flash of movement behind a slit in one of the windows caught Murphy's eye as he walked, and the shape behind the curtain moved. He barely had enough time to open his mouth.
"Get cover!"
By the time the last syllable left his mouth, the heavy machine gun had already opened up on them, tearing apart the curtain and staggering Murphy enough to prevent him from getting a clear shot off. As the round shook his armor, he stepped behind an SUV, bullets punching through the windows and the bodywork, filling the air with shrapnel.
As he surveyed the situation however, he saw that Suzumi was down.
Laying on the pavement just behind a car across from him, she was clutching her forehead in her hand, her face contorted in pain. The angle she was at suggested she had tried to evade, but was struck as she tried to move to cover. Unfortunately, the ambush had scattered the girls, with Yuuka and Chinatsu several cars behind her and Hasumi behind them. None of them could get a shot off, especially when the gun started sweeping over their cover.
Having taken stock of the situation, Murphy called over the radio again.
"Suzumi is down. Yuuka, on my mark activate your shield and advance to her position, Red sedan two cars ahead of you. Chinatsu, go with her and render aid. I will cover your approach."
"A-are you sure, Sensei?!"
The hesitance in Yuuka's tone was clear even over the .50 BMG barrage. Just the same, it was unacceptable. This was not a situation for hesitation.
"Yes, Ms. Yuuka. Trust me, I can handle this."
Her reply was delayed slightly, and from his position he could see her looking at him through the cars window, ducking down as a shot shattered the glass. When she peaked back up, he offered her a nod in reassurance, which she met with a stronger gaze and nod of her own.
"...alright, Sensei. On your mark."
Before he turned back ahead, he saw her turn around towards where Chinatsu had taken cover, the two sharing a nod in anticipation. Knowing that they were ready, Murphy slipped a PCB into the bottom of the Auto-9 and stepped out into the open, the gunfire pouring on him like heavy rain.
No better time than now.
"Go."
"Moving!"
He dared not turn around as they ran, instead pressing forward against the lead tide. His body shook with every impact, but still he kept advanding, returning fire as he did. His targeting system was unable to keep a stable lock on the gunner due to the intense vibrations, however he didn't need it.
Soon enough, Auto-9 PCB V5.2 did its job, and the pellet rounds made contact with the gunner.
The gun briefly swayed on its mount as the gunner was stunned by the shot. And two bursts later, the gunner was out cold. The streets fell silent once again.
"Is everyone alright?"
As he scanned the bus and its surroundings for any more hostiles, Chinatsu called back on the radio.
"We're fine, Sensei. Suzumi's good, too. Slightly bruised and dazed, but she'll be fine."
Headshot with a .50 BMG round and only a bruise to show for it. Yet another demonstration of the sheer strangeness of this place. Still, it was reassuring if nothing else that she was alright.
"Good. Is she fit to move?"
This time, Suzumi herself spoke up, her voice slightly slurred at first.
"Agh...y-yeah, I'm fine, Sensei. It's just a headache, I'll be right behind you."
Looking back briefly, he saw Chinatsu seal up her medical bag and help Suzumi to her feet. While she stumbled at first, she found her footing quickly and made her way up the road with the others. A quick scan confirmed no concussion.
"Very well. Let us keep moving."
And so they did. Just a little more to go, and still more stood in their way.
Eventually, it all blurred together. Firefight after firefight found them, and time and again they emerged victorious through force and finesse. Murphy-Sensei strode ahead, drawing the fire of their enemies and returning his own, while they followed and flanked, letting his presence shield their own.
With that strategy on their side, they speadheaded deeper into the city, faster than Yuuka could have predicted. Indeed, even discounting his earlier stunt they had already exceeded her previous predictive models by over 200%!
It was an unprecedented miscalculation. Never had the Seminar Treasurer's calculations been this inaccurate before - not that they were ever inaccurate, but this was completely anomalous!
And that anomaly was Murphy-Sensei.
He walked through gunfire like it wasn't even there, he gave tactically sound orders, and he was so foolishly yet admirably stubborn.
And yet, when those variables combined, it had an exponential effect on the combat effectiveness of the group. Even she felt as if she was performing better than she usually did - firefights were never her forte, and yet her combat performance thus far had been far better than usual.
This must have been why the GSC President chose him, the thought ran through her mind. It was one echoed by the others as they continued their push through the city, following the commands of the chromed Sensei, and seeing the results of their actions.
However, as the SCHALE Building finally came into view, the one voice that Yuuka had hoped she wouldn't hear again for a good long while came over their comms.
"Murphy-Sensei, is that you? Are you there?"
The voice of Acting President Rin came as quite the surprise to the group, but before anyone could comment Murphy's voice followed hers.
"I read you, Acting President. We are almost to the SCHALE Tower, maintaining good speed."
The building was indeed just ahead of them now, less than a kilometer out. From a distance it seemed like the building had weathered the riots almost perfectly, but an explosion ringing out from down the street made it clear that that would not last long.
"Good, very good. However, before you get there I need to warn you of something. I learned of the information before you left and it slipped my mind in the chaos."
Yuuka couldn't help but roll her eyes at that, but it went unnoticed by everyone else. As Murphy scanned the street for hostiles, he replied.
"What is this warning, Acting President?"
"It concerns the sukeban leading the attack on the Clubroom. Her name is Kosaka Wakamo, a former student of Hyakkiyako Alliance Academy, expelled for repeated destruction of school property and heavy collateral damage. Before the riots, she was a Class A prisoner held in custody at the Federal Corrections Bureau, but escaped during the unrest."
Behind Murphy-Sensei, the girls just about stopped in their tracks. The Fox of Calamity was leading the attack on their destination? They looked and murmured between each other, varying looks of concern on each of them as they realized that this situation just got much, much worse.
"Do you have a description of the suspect?"
Rin's reply was quick enough, but she did hesitate briefly as she tried to summon the memory of the girl's appearance.
"Only a partial one, I'm afraid. My memory is hazy. Brown hair, black flower pattern kimono, and she usually wears a traditional Hyakkiyako kitsune mask, though I believe she has been seen with others as well. Regardless of what face she wears, she is extremely dangerous, Sensei. If you encounter her, use extreme caution."
Brown hair, kimono, fox mask, likely intricate if it is traditional dress. Murphy filed the details away, his scanning system interpreting the data in preparation for suspect identification.
"If she is one for trouble, then she will get it. Thank you for the warning, Acting President. Murphy out."
The confidence in Murphy-Sensei's tone was almost shocking to the others. They knew that he wouldn't know of her, being an outsider and all, and they had also learned well by now that he was stubborn.
But it was still shocking to hear him referring to someone as dangerous as the Fox of Calamity with such a casual tone.
It was that concern that Suzumi commented on.
"Are you sure about this, Sensei? The Acting President is right, the Fox of Calamity is dangerous. She was registered as a Class A prisoner at the Federal Corrections Bureau for a reason."
Murphy's response was just as nonchalant as before, even as he kept scanning the area for hostiles.
"All the more reason to get her back off the streets."
Though she was still worried, Suzumi couldn't refute that point, nor could Hasumi, who followed up on Suzumi's questioning.
"That will be easier said than done, Sensei. But should we do battle with the Fox, we will stand by your side."
Briefly, he broke his vigilance and turned to face the raven-winged girl. She appeared calm, focused if still slightly concerned. The others were more so, but there was an undercurrent of hope in their expressions.
Still, if he was to help with that hope, it would be best to know more about the suspect. The Acting President's warning was helpful, but without further intel it might not be sufficient. The strange abilities of the city's inhabitants had proven a boon thus far, but in the hands of the criminal element could be very dangerous to himself and the public.
Did this 'Fox of Calamity' possess such abilities, and if so what damage could they do?
"Good. All the better to apprehend a fugitive. However, if she is as dangerous as you claim, I would like to know how so. What is her modus operandi, and does she possess any abilities like yours?"
As Murphy turned back to keep moving forward, the girls went silent for a brief moment, broken by Suzumi's unsure voice.
"Ummm...I think she does something like what Hasumi-san can do? I think...Hasumi-san, can you confirm that?"
Hasumi herself gave a small 'hmm' in affirmation.
"Yes, Suzumi-san. I have only done battle with the Fox of Calamity once, however I can confirm that she does possess a...power akin to mine. However, it does not function like mine. I do not know the specifics, but where I can penetrate through armor and obstacles, hers is more...explosive."
Another explosion echoed down the street after she answered. Briefly, Murphy thought to himself that he hoped that wasn't the suspect's ability in action.
"She fires explosive rounds?"
Hasumi replied immediately, with a bit of hesitance in her voice.
"Of a sort. She used it once on me during our battle. From my recollection, it is not an immediate explosion. Rather, the initial impact was harder than usual, but then every other round that impacted me seemed to build up some sort of...charge I suppose. It built up over a few seconds, until it exploded. I don't know anything else about it I'm afraid - I blacked out after the detonation."
Ignoring the sympathetic 'oh' from Suzumi, Murphy quickly processed the description of the suspect's abilities. Threat analysis from initial intel was moderate - firing a charged shot that could create a delayed explosion would no doubt be dangerous to fight. Risk of shrapnel shockwave causing damage to others in the blast radius and shattering coordination.
Counters to the threat: maintain spacing to minimize collateral damage. If charged, get clear of others and continue to engage or seek cover if blast causes damage to systems. If damaged, assess severity, repair systems, determine total risk, continue engagement. If others are charged, get clear of blast radius, moved wounded to cover, prepare to order medical assistance as soon as possible.
RECOVERY CHARGES AT MAXIMUM
THREAT CALCULATION: MODERATE - HIGH_
"Noted. Can you provide any other details about the suspect?"
"Only that she relishes chaos. Wherever she goes, destruction and mayhem follows, often in a fiery and explosive manner. I'd expect much the same here."
With a final nod from Murphy, the conversation was over. They'd get to see this Fox's handiwork soon enough - they were hardly a few hundred meters away now.
Another explosion shook the street, a cloud of dust and smoke rising into the air from somewhere ahead of them. The view was obstructed by a jacknifed truck, which blocked almost the whole street. The rest was blocked by the traffic that had tried to get around it and failed.
Its cab had impacted into a convenience store on the left side of the street, punching straight through the wall and sending shattered glass and concrete everywhere inside.
They crunched to powder under Murphy's feet.
The other girls tried to move a silently as possible through the wrecked store, peaking over the shelves to see outside. And outside, just beyond a wide roundabout, it stood. The SCHALE Building.
It had certainly weathered the storm better than many others in the city, but it still had its scars. Its windows were cracked, its walls were scorched and potmarked, and yet still it was unpenetrated, despite the best efforts of the dozen or so delinquents shooting at it. Indeed, by comparison to even the blue tile sidewalk circling the roundabout's island, it was practically flawless.
Especially when more of those tiles cracked beneath treads under recoil.
Painted in a tan-green camoflauge pattern, a tank stood on the roundabout, its cannon kicking up a cloud of smoke as it sent a round into the third floor of the SCHALE Building. The sight gave Murphy pause.
Said tank was also apparently familiar to his charges, as Suzumi's shocked whisper made clear.
"A Crusader tank?! Where'd they get that?"
While Chinatsu wiped her glasses clean of dust, Yuuka looked the tank over, noting the upgrades and the logo on the turret.
"Looks like they stole it from Kaiser. It has their markings."
Indeed it did. The name was crossed out and the emblem painted over with graffiti, but the white KAISER PMC text was still legible, even more so when it caught the light as it fired again.
"Stealing a tank meant for the PMC. Quite a brazen theft, but expected of the Fox."
The mention of the Fox of Calamity sent eyes scrambling, Suzumi's especially as she squinted through the dust kicked up by yet another tank shot.
"Speaking of her, does anyone have eyes on her?"
Despite their combined eyes, no one could spot any sign of Kosaka Wakamo. The dust and smoke did make it difficult to see, but even still there was no sign of anyone who looked even remotely like her. Just delinquents.
"Not me. Maybe she got bored and left?"
Chinatsu's suggestion was met with a shake of the head from Hasumi.
"I doubt it. The Fox is not one to give up easily, especially if presented with a challenge. Sensei, any ideas?"
Her question went unanswered for a brief moment as Murphy continued to survey the sight, and as he did he noticed several details.
The first being that the tanks round had not penetrated the building. Instead, the round had simply shattered against the buildings wall, leaving a scorch mark in its place. The tank gave a further demonstration of the point, getting no closer to penetrating the wall than its previous attempts.
The building must have been heavily reinforced to be able to shatter tank munitions like that. How so, he didn't know. Howver, the building wasn't the only thing upgraded. The tank itself, though it possessed the same silhouette as a WWII-era British Crusader, it appeared to have been modernized.
Additional armor plates had been added along its sideskirts, its roadwheels had been upgraded as had its communications equipment, and more concerningly its gun seemed like it was been upgraded.
He could not see it from this angle, but he didn't need to. Its rate of fire was enough.
According to his database, the six-pounder gun, when operated by a competent crew, could fire at a rate of about 15 rounds per minute - one round every four seconds. This tank fired almost every second.
Even with their strength, he had a feeling that the students of this place couldn't achieve that normally. Instead it was likely upgraded with an autoloader. It would be in line with the other visible upgrades.
Still, manual or autoloading, a fire rate that high would be a major threat should that gun turn on them. Thankfully, the tank and the delinquents around it were too busy with the building to notice them. The element of surprise was on their side so far. If they played that right, then the tank would fold easily.
They just needed to hit the right spot.
"Ms. Hasumi?"
Turning away from the scene before her, Hasumi looked up at Murphy-Sensei expectantly, waiting for his command.
"Yes, Sensei?"
It came without hesitation.
"On my signal, target the tank's engine bay. Once it is disabled, move to a new position and suppress the delinquents. I will deal with the tank."
Hasumi, though she felt a pang of concern flow through her, nodded and readied her rifle to fire. The others however, were not so willing, Suzumi being the first to whisper.
"Are you sure about that, Sensei? Bullets are one thing, but tank shells? If that thing gets a shot on you..."
It was a reasonable concern. Upgraded as his armor was over the years, a direct hit from a 57mm AP round would no doubt penetrate it. But that would only happen if the gun got a clear shot.
He didn't intend to let it.
"I am sure, Ms. Suzumi."
The glass crunched under his feet as he started ahead, wide eyes watching him go. As he did, Yuuka almost broke cover, reaching out to stop him.
"Wait, Sensei - !"
Before she could, she was likewise stopped by Hasumi, who gave her a firm look to match the grip on her arm.
"Trust, Yuuka-san. He had led us well thus far. Now we must have faith that he can do so again."
Yuuka looked up at the winged girl with eyes once more filled with worry. Hasumi couldn't begrudge the Treasurer for her doubts. Her mind was one of logic, not faith.
Yet still, Murphy-Sensei had proven himself thus far through his actions. He had stood against the fire the entire way here, and had not faltered yet. If there was any time to trust in him, it was now.
Thankfully, Yuuka did seem to calm somewhat, her body losing its tenseness as she turned her worried eyes to the slowly shrinking form of Murphy-Sensei as he seemed to fade into the smoke.
Thankfully, that smoke combined with the distance between them also seemed to keep him concealed from the delinquents around the area. A good thing since there were many of them. Still, even in the open he could see none that matched Kosaka Wakamo's description.
A quandry for later. Instead, his focus once more turned to the tank, its gun kicking up more dust with every shot yet getting seemingly little closer to penetrating the walls of the building.
No reason to keep letting it try.
"Now, Ms. Hasumi."
"As you command, Sensei."
The crack of Ms. Hasumi's rifle was almost inaudible over the shockwave that the bullet made as it sailed past him in a dusty red blur, hitting its target true in another burst of sparks. The bullet sailed straight through the tanks engine bay, sending shrapnel flying everywhere within the compartment and out of it before punching through the right side of the tank, taking a chunk of track with it.
The impact clearly surprised the crew as the tank tried to drive away, but it hardly made it a few feet before the engine sputtered and died, bursting into flames as the punctured fuel tanks ignited and burst.
And as the fire roared to life, so too did the gunfire as the surprised and screaming sukeban started shooting. Their bullets were not his priority however, it was the turret spinning its way towards him. He was just past the tanks rear, approaching its right side, while the turret was just passing its 9'o clock, slowing as it lined up on the ruined shop.
As the gun fired, Murphy briefly prayed that they had vacated as he told them. The recognizable report of Hasumi's rifle and Yuuka's SMGs told him that they did. Still, they were the ones looking down the cannon.
Time to get it off of them.
Pausing briefly to neutralize a minigun-wielding delinquent, Murphy quickly holstered his Auto-9 and set his hands on the tank. The sheer weight of his titanium armored body clanked against that of the tank as he climbed onto the hull, a noise which got the attention of its crew, as evidenced by the muffled shouts of confusion and alarm he could barely hear from inside.
That and the turret swinging back towards him.
By the time he was able to stand, the turret had already passed the tanks 1'o clock and was bearing down on him fast. He had just enough time to grab the barrel of the gun as it swept him off the hull and swung him in the air.
"Sensei! Are you ok?!"
The panicked voice of Yuuka came over the radio just as Murphy was dragged over the burning engine bay, the laughter of delinquents and the worried looks of the girls passing him by as the turret kept spinning.
"I am in the middle of something, Ms. Yuuka. One moment."
With all the strength his pneumatic muscles could provide, Murphy managed to pull himself up enough that only his feet dragged against the front plate. It was a struggle to keep that grip however, as in seemingly another bid to get him off, the gun fired, sending a shell smashing into another shop.
Still he persisted, even as the gun continued to spew its hatred, his high-grip gloves barely holding on. Soon enough, opportunity presented itself, as when the turret passed over the front slope again, Murphy boosted himself onto the turret roof, steadying himself as he knelt over the rear hatch.
It barely took any effort to pull it open, the turret stopping as he did, pointing over the burning engine bay. Looking down into the tank, he saw the frightened eyes of the gunner looking back at him. There was a FAL rifle sitting next to her, but she looked too shocked to even think to go for it.
"Please step out of the vehicle."
She made no attempt to resist the command. Instead, she practically scrambled past him as though he were a demon sent to claim her soul, falling onto the pavement before sprinting away at breakneck speeds.
The creaking of hinges got his attention. The drivers hatch swung open and a PPSH popped out of it, the driver leveling her sights on him. Despite the surprise, Murphy was faster on the draw. Two bursts later and she collapsed back into the drivers compartment in a heap.
Tank neutralized. Now to mop up the rest.
He landed on the ground with a crash, the tile sidewalk cracking under his weight. Standing up, he took quick stock of the situation. About a dozen delinquents identified and locked, spread across the roundabout in the open and behind various pieces of cover including abandoned vehicles and concrete barricades.
The academy representatives likewise had sought cover in front of a music store just down from the minimart they had started at. Yuuka was in the middle of reloading behind a mailbox while Suzumi suppressed the hostiles from inside the store, Chinatsu popping up to fire once before ducking back down. Hasumi meanwhile had taken up overwatch on the second floor, targeting two delinquents pinned behind a red van.
As the dust cleared from his landing, he became their new target, and in the process only made themselves a bigger one.
The Auto-9 barked its power, as did the weapons of the others. The delinquents were caught in a pincer movement, and they were easy targets. One went down, then another, and another, and in hardly half a minute the streets were silent once again.
Pistol still out, Murphy continued to scan the area, checking the downed criminals for a match for Kosaka Wakamo's description. None fit it however, and with no sign of movement anywhere else in their surroundings, he holstered his weapon with a twirl, turning back to regroup with the others.
Thankfully, they looked more or less fine. Yuuka was in the middle of being looked over by Chinatsu, and Suzumi appeared out of breath, but that was it. Above them, Hasumi lept from the window, landing with grace and outstretched wings on the pavement before standing up to meet him.
"Is everyone alright?"
His question was met with nods, though there was still a bit of concern on their faces as they regarded him.
"Yes, Sensei, we're fine. And, uh...you?"
A nod from him was answer enough for her. Hasumi meanwhile offered a sincere smile.
"That was quite impressive, Murphy-Sensei."
That much the others could agree on. Though they had been worried when they saw Murphy-Sensei being swung around on the tanks cannon, him climbing up that cannon even as it fired over and over again and then taking out the crew - or at least one of them - was a sight to behold.
"It is not my first time dealing with heavily-armored machines. Regardless, my efforts were only possible because of your assistance, Ms. Hasumi. Well done."
Hasumi smiled again in response, bowing as she did.
"I am honored to assist you."
Once more he nodded to her, and slowly she rose. Behind her, Chinatsu finished patching up Yuuka's arm, helping her stand up before casting her eyes over to their objective. She looked up and down at the scorched white tower, making note of the black granite block sign out front, and the strange halo crosshair emblem carved into it.
"So this is the SCHALE Clubroom. So I guess we go inside?"
That would be the simple solution. But if they could just go in, then the delinquents wouldn't have bothered shooting at the building with a tank. Another look at the building revealed that the first floor of the building had taken similar damage to the rest of it, including several impacts from tank shells.
Even the doors looked intact, despite all the bullet holes.
"Negative. The doors appeared to be locked still, and given the lack of success these delinquents had in breaching the building, even with armor support, we will likely need assistance. Standby."
With a thought, he keyed his radio and spoke, hoping that the Acting President was still listening in on their frequency.
"Acting President Rin, do you copy?"
Unfortunately, he got no immediate response. It took several repeated calls before a rushing Rin got on the air.
"Yes, yes, Murphy-Sensei, I read you. What is it?"
Relieved, Murphy relayed the news.
"The main entrance to the SCHALE Clubroom is secure, and there appears to be no sign of a breach. We will need assistance to access the building."
Her reply was punctuated with the sounds of rustling paper and footsteps.
"Understood, Murphy-Sensei. I can help you with that. Hold your position, I am coming to meet you there. Have you encountered Kosaka Wakamo?"
"Negative. We neutralized a stolen tank and a large group of sukeban, but we have had no contact with her."
As the sound of a door closing came over the radio, so too did Rin's voice again, a somewhat confused or pensive edge to it.
"I see. Stay alert regardless in the event that she may appear, and keep the entrance guarded. I will be there soon."
A simple enough task in words, but in action may prove more difficult should another attack come. However, they've done well thus far, holding this location would be easy by comparison for sure. The main challenge he could foresee would be keeping it clear for use as a landing zone, given her initial intention to fly to this building via helicopter.
If that was how she was arriving, then they may need to clear some of the debris away to make space.
"Understood, Acting President. We will keep the road clear for your arri - "
It was then that another voice echoed in, one both soft, yet imposing.
"Ara ara, it seems the GSC has finally sent its little pups out to hunt. Such an adorable sight."
Surprised, the girls jumped up and started scanning the area, guns up and ready. Hasumi particularly got quite tense at the sound of it. She knew that voice, that inflection and tone. She'd only heard it once, but it was unmistakable.
It was her.
But where was she? There was nothing on the street or in the building or...
As the realization came to them all, they snapped their heads up, looking to the top of the music store. There, stood on the edge of its roof, kimono dancing in the wind and a dangerous light behind that all too infamous fox mask, was Kosaka Wakamo.
The Fox of Calamity.
Hasumi's hands clenched at the sight of her, Impalement's stock creaking under the force. In a blur she brought the rifle to bear at the fugitive, but before she could fire the Fox leapt away. She fell to earth with a giggle on her lips, swinging off of a streetlight to land just behind Murphy-Sensei, who had been tracking her as she moved.
Now Murphy-Sensei was caught in the middle, interposed between the others and the Fox, the latter of whom seemed quite...taken by him, judging by the wagging of her tail and the twitching of her ears.
"And what a fascinating pup you are. Such strength, such power! Oh the chaos you could cause, what a wonderful sight it would be!"
Hasumi didn't take her sights off the Fox, yet her eyebrow raised all the same. A quick glance to her sides showed that the others were likewise just as confused. Strange or not, Murphy-Sensei was in danger. They all were.
And yet Murphy-Sensei seemed completely unfazed as he drew his weapon from his leg and leveled it at Wakamo.
"Kosaka Wakamo, you are under arrest. Place your weapon on the ground and your hands on top of your head.
The sounds of rushing footsteps behind him signalled the approach of Hasumi, followed by Suzumi and the others. Each of them kept their guns trained on the fugitive, but aside from the two Trinity girls, the others were far more nervous and hung back somewhat.
Seeing his backup approach and hearing his demand, the Fox let out a small laugh and a sigh.
"Fufufu, oh, but it is such a shame that you had to say that. Ah well, I suppose I have to put the pups down."
The threat of violence in her final words brought swift fire from the group, with Hasumi firing the first shot. The Fox would not dare harm her comrades this day, not Suzumi-san, not Chinatsu-san, not Murphy-Sensei!
Yet after her round and the fire that followed, the Fox did not yield. Murphy's targeting systems tracked her movement, the green crosshair dancing across his vision as she danced around the bullets in a display of agility unlike anything that Murphy had seen before. In a split second she dashed out of sight, before reappearing as she leapt atop the still-burning Crusader, the fire seeming to rise as she stood tall with her rifle atop her shoulders.
And just as the world seemed to go dark save for the flames, so too did her eyes seem to burn, all the while the Acting President's frantic voice crackled over their radios.
"Murphy-Sensei? Murphy-Sensei What's going on, are you ok?! Please respond!"
Unfortunately for the Acting President, this was no time for distractions, and in that moment she was one.
"Hold the air, Acting President. It seems there is going to be trouble."
And with that, the world once more descended into gunfire...
