A few more rounds from her bolt action rifle tear through my cover, causing me to roll to my side. I watched as the red streaks slammed into what remained of the car, further tearing apart the split metal.
As if taunting me, she stood completely in the open, tossing a bayonet in the air before fixing it to her rifle. I get to my feet before training my rifle onto her.
"I'm not in the mood for dancing, Fox." I spat out.
"Fox?" She exaggerates the question, hand over her chest. "Please, call me Wakamo, my dear Sensei."
I reply with a burst from my RPK before letting it hang from my sling as I bring out my Saiga-12, charging in for CQB. This proved to be a seemingly fatal mistake as she gleefully accepted the challenge, dodging the initial barrage and charging ahead herself, rifle in hand as if it were a spear.
She stabs in my direction as I deflect the strike with the barrel of my shotgun before putting a few shells in her direction. As expected, she dodges the barrage, countering with a swing of her rifle. Too late to dodge, I hold my arm up to block the blow. It was as if a pseudo-giant had just swung at me, as the force of the impact caused my exoskeleton to work overtime, the servo motors and artificial muscles groaning, with me following suit.
Wrapping my arm around the rifle and tucking it in under my armpit, I pulled her close, simultaneously slamming the barrel of my Saiga into her abdomen. This causes a groan from her before I emptied the rest of the magazine into her, with it followed by her crying out in pain. She releases her rifle and staggers back as she holds a hand to her abdomen. A part of me cursed the bullet resistance given by the haloes, but I shake the thought, no need to kill if I can help it.
I drop her rifle as I pull a fresh magazine and use it to unlock the empty one before seating it and charging the handle. I let out another groan of my own as the adrenaline eases up, the pain finally setting in my left arm.
Her eyes don't leave mine as we stare each other down. Seems she still has some fight in her.
"How about we call it here, Fox? You're in no condition to continue this fight, nor do I want to continue." I cut her a deal, hoping she accepts.
"In no condition?" The Fox replies as she slowly approached, dropping her hand away from her abdomen. In that instance she dashed forward, with the next thing I saw was her fist nearing my chest. Dodging at the last moment, her attack tore a layer of kevlar from my vest, revealing the armor plate below.
"God dammit!" I yell, putting more shells down range.
She had taken the chance to reacquire her rifle before once more using it to try and bludgeon me to death. Barely able to block or dodge her assault, she swung down with her rifle towards my head, which I narrowly blocked with the receiver of my Saiga. I grimace under my helmet, that blow more than likely damaged a few components of the shotgun.
Once more we were locked in a standstill, our faces much closer as we struggled.
Taking a gamble, my left hand reached over to my pouch containing my grenades. With one hand, I pull the pin on one and rip away the pouch before slamming it into the Fox, the velcro attaching to her clothing.
I push her back and empty the magazine in her direction, which she deftly dodges. Instead of re-engaging, I pull back and hit the deck. Much to the Fox's confusion, she looked to where I slammed the pouch into her. Curiosity taking over, she opens it, finding a bouquet of grenades. Her ears flattened as she looked up to me, a pin held up from one hand, the other holding up the middle finger.
BOOM!
A resounding explosion ensued, followed by the sound of collapsing concrete as I watched her slam into a wall. With a groan I get to my feet, stowing my damaged Saiga and pulling up my RPK. Training my rifle to where she crashed into the wall, I approached before I heard a crunch beneath my foot. It was her mask, or at least what was left of it.
Slowly advancing onto the now subdued Fox, her back was against the wall as a trickle of blood flowed down her forehead and over her surprisingly untouched, and quite pretty at that, face. It was obvious she was in a daze as her blinking was slow and her eyes unfocused. Taking this chance, I toss her rifle to the side and keep my barrel in her direction.
But for whatever reason, I somehow couldn't find the energy to remain angry at the girl, even after the fight prior, and all the years of experience in the Zone that should be telling me otherwise. Following this mental dilemma, I simply shrug, content with keeping my RPK trained on the Fox. A few moments passed before she finally came to.
"...Eh?" She sounds, staring down the barrel of my rifle.
"Finally awake there, girlie?" I shake my arm in pain before letting out a stifled groan. "As much as I would like to keep fighting," Sarcasm lining my voice, "I have more pressing things to attend to. Plus, I'd hate to leave further marks on that pretty face of yours."
Following that statement, the Fox's face flushed red as she stared at Artyom, very much to his confusion.
'Pretty, he called me pretty!' She internally screamed.
Still positively confused that this was the same Fox that nearly killed him, he watched as the now no-longer-dangerous-criminal held their hands to their cheeks and squealed in glee.
"What the fuck-" Artyom spat out before being called over.
"-sei! Sensei!" Yuuka yells over, bandages plastered over her head, a similar case with Iori as she followed behind.
Serina and Ichika came up next, the former carrying her first-aid kit, the latter stuck in a call, even amidst all this.
Distracted in the following moment, I turned my back, which the Fox took full advantage of, voicing her complaint of 'having her alone time with a certain someone' being taken away before swiftly getting to her feet and grabbing her rifle in a single motion. As she leapt on top of a car, she gave me a final glance in my direction before using her momentum to jump from building to building before fading into the distance.
"Sensei! Are you okay!?" Yuuka frantically asks, her eyes locked onto my now mangled vest, strands of kevlar pouring out from where the Fox narrowly landed a hit. Serina follows up with her first-aid kit, wordlessly searching through it for more bandages.
I sigh as I pull up the medical terminal on my left wrist, followed by a stifled groan, I fully expected some part of my arm to be broken. Switching it to detect biometrics, I grimace as it reports numerous hairline fractures in my left arm, as well as intense and deep bruising. Switching to my suit's status, another sigh escapes me as it reports structural damage in the artificial muscles and servo motors in the same arm. That is going to be a major pain in the ass to fix. I lament my lack of tools with a face palm before moving onto my injuries. They were still usable at the moment, but anything I normally would do with them would likely damage them further.
I swap it back to biometrics before selecting a stimpak and applying, a pinprick in my upper arm follows before immediate relief washes over me. This doesn't go unnoticed as I catch Serina in the corner of my eye, her eyes unnervingly locked onto me.
"...What did you just do?" Serina asks, bandages in one hand, a comically large syringe in the other with some sort of colorless medication in it. Somehow, her face is slightly darkened, despite it being sunny out.
I flex my arm and ball my hand into a fist tightly, before addressing her concerns. "Just a little magic from back home. Works great for all sorts of wounds."
"How did you…?" She asks, concern and a degree of wonder creeping up on her face.
I lift my arm up to reveal the terminal before letting Serina take over, her eyes plastered to the wrist mounted device while observing the various instruments that measured all my biometrics. She scratches her head in confusion as the numerous reported fractures and intense bruising seemed to heal in real time. Wordlessly, she looked up to me, the same degree of confusion on her face. I shrug as I pull my arm away before nodding my head towards the rest of the girls.
"Don't worry about me, I'm more concerned about how they're doing."
Before heading over to tend to rest, Serina gives me a final look, which I reply to with a flex of my arm before shoo'ing her away.
I reach for my PDA, taking it out of its pouch before switching tabs over to the taskboard. Still tasked with clearing and securing the clubhouse, I radio Rin.
"Acting President?"
"Now you answer, I've been hailing you for the past fifteen or so minutes. Give me a sitrep."
"Fair enough, we've just had an encounter with the Fox of Calamity."
"What-!"
I cut her off, "Calm down, we've also successfully repelled her, though the team's a bit roughed up."
"...You were able to fight and win against the Fox of Calamity?" Her voice hinted a degree of disbelief.
"You heard right, she almost ki-, ahem, almost got me good, kevlar's ruined and left arm's seen better days, but we're still combat ready." I pause for a moment. "Also, what's the word on the K.S.P.D.?"
"..."
"Acting President?"
"Ah, yes, the K.S.P.D. were successful in repelling the initial gang response and are currently setting up base in front of the clubhouse, I'm sure you're also acquainted with the Chief of Public Security." She replies after an uncharacteristic pause.
"That I am." I pause. "I also assume there's a catch."
"...Quite so, in a stroke of luck on part of the gang members, the Crusader tank repelled the K.S.P.D assault at the last moment. So far any further attempts have resulted in failure."
"Do we have anything heavy to take the tank on? Any anti-armor? Anti-tank? Another tank?" I question. At this moment, I severely missed my RPG-7. Can't bring everything with you I suppose.
"Unfortunately, any heavy armaments to sufficiently counter the Crusader are currently locked up in logistical errors and mishaps. That includes the current uprisings and gang violence."
I sigh, a fact that doesn't escape Rin.
"I understand the frustration, but with the aid of the K.S.P.D, I trust you will provide promising results."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Good luck, Sensei."
Putting away the PDA, I turn to my team, who have just finished patching themselves up.
"You sure you're alright-ssu?" Ichika asks, pocketing her phone and putting her rifle over her shoulder.
I pound my vest. "Never better." I turn my head towards Yuuka and Iori. "How about you two? The Fox did kind of sweep the floor with the both of you." A smirk that could definitely be heard appearing on my face.
"I-it won't happen again!" Yuuka stammers out, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"She merely caught us by surprise, that's all." Iori answers with her arms crossed, her tail unfortunately betraying her stoicism with its incessant wagging.
"Uh huh, anyways, the clubhouse is just a ways away, the Acting President told me that the K.S.P.D has a base set up in front of it."
"And why haven't they taken control over the clubhouse?" Yuuka asks with confusion, understandably.
"Remember that Crusader tank on the loose?"
A collective groan filled the air.
"Yup, currently that's what's keeping the K.S.P.D at bay, as well as the remaining gang members that were already there. So the plan is to link up with them and figure out our next moves."
"How're we gonna take on a tank?" Yuuka complains as Ichika nods in agreement.
I put a hand to my chin before glancing over at Ichika. "Say, didn't you tell us that the Crusader was one of yours?"
She freezes in place before loosening up, her eyes opening slightly. "Yes, somehow those miscreants broke their way into our motorpool-ssu. We were able to apprehend most, but not before a group was able to somehow engage and operate a tank-ssu. Why-ssu?"
"Got anything that might give us an edge?"
"I dunno, and I doubt there's time to ask our mechanics back at headquarters-ssu…"
"Welp, worth a shot." I raise my voice. "Alright ladies, first order of business is to link up with K.S.P.D and we'll go from there."
A wave of nods pass as we pick up our pace in the direction of the clubhouse.
It was no understatement that the K.S.P.D detachment was pushed back. More so, it looks like they're beyond demoralized, with many of the girls just sitting around and twiddling their thumbs. Standing behind a stack of sandbags, eyes glued to the opposition was a familiar face.
"Long time no see, Chief." I exclaim as I approach.
"Huh?- Ah, Artyom-Sensei," Her eyes panned over her cadets, "I… had hoped we would have secured the clubhouse by the time you arrived, " She jabs a thumb in the direction of the Crusader tank, "but that tank had other things in mind…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes moved from my visor down to my vest.
"What happened?"
"Long story short, me and my team repelled the Fox." I gesture towards my team, Serina notices and shoots us a wave.
"...You encountered and fought back the Fox?" Kanna exclaims, which gains the attention of the cadets.
I look over to the cadets before giving them a wave. "Yes, suffice it to say she did not go down without a fight. Anyways, let's get down to business."
Her eyes narrow a bit before relenting. "Agreed." She walks further into their encampment as I follow behind. "So far, we've conducted three assaults to break through and disable the Crusader, so far, we've been able to immobilize it, as we've managed to destroy one of its tracks. But…" She points to her downtrodden cadets, "you can see how further attempts worked out."
"What kind of firepower are we facing?" I ask, unhooking and searching through my pack for anything usable."
"Its main gun is its selling point, apart from that, the manned fifty-cal on top is shredding anything that gets past the main gun. Supporting it, they've got around twelve or so girls, a few with grenade launchers, and I'm pretty sure they also fielded a minigun."
"...Job's never easy." I mutter as I shake a container of gunpowder.
"Sensei?" Kanna questions as she peeks over my shoulder and into my pack.
"No thermite, no explosives, short on ammo…" I listed off just a few of my problems.
My eyes lock onto a small rectangular golden piece of plastic sitting in a mesh pouch.
"The hell's this?" I whisper as I inspect the curious plastic card.
Some sort of credit card? Only ever seen these on rookie Stalkers, after all, I doubt there's many card readers available in the Zone, much less anyone that accepts card. Cold hard cash is the only way to go.
I place the card back where I found it before looking up towards Kanna.
"You wouldn't happen to have any spare anti-tank munitions, would you?"
"...No."
"Then we're going to have to improvise." I say as I look around the encampment for anything useful.
"Anything in mind?" Kanna asks, her eyes narrowing a bit as she watches me.
"Yes…" My voice trails off as I spot the white haired girl from when I arrived. Walking over, I catch her reprimanding her black haired companion, laying on a cot, donut in hand.
"We have to do something Fubuki!" The white haired girl exclaims, pacing back and forth.
"Like what? That tank's got us pinned Kirino, so unless you got some sort of plan..." She replies, taking another bite out of her donut, crumbs falling onto her cot.
Kirino merely hums, racking her brain for whatever they could do. I watch the smoke grenades dangle to and fro from her waist. Maybe we aren't shit out of luck just yet.
"Long time no see, girls. Still fretting over that tank?"
"Ah! Uh, Ar-tee-um, er, Artyom! What are you doing here?" Kirino replies, hopping up to me.
"Heya Artyom, still hanging around?" Fubuki lazily asks.
"Yeah, looks like I'll be around for the foreseeable future. Also, that's Artyom-Sensei to you."
"You're the new 'Sensei' all the girls we're talking about!?" Kirino questions excitedly.
"By the power invested in the GSC. Also, I'm here to help you guys take back the clubhouse."
Kirino slightly deflates at the statement.
"...What happened there?" Fubuki asks, pointing at my mangled vest with her donut.
Kirino gets closer and pokes at the frayed kevlar. "Did you get attacked by a bear or something?"
"Something like that… Anywho, can I take a look at those smoke grenades of yours?" I ask as I point to the grenades.
"These?" She takes one and places it into my hand. "What for?"
"We might be able to take out that tank with a few of these."
She pauses for a few seconds before she beams. "Really!?"
"Yep, we might have to get a little reckless though."
"Se-n-se-i?"
A shiver is sent down my spine before I swing around, meeting a seemingly disappointed Yuuka, her arms crossed and her eyes shut, an unnerving grin plastered on her face, the corners of her mouth twitching ever so slightly.
"Uh, how may I help you…?"
"You were planning to do something extremely stupid, weren't you?"
"...No." I look over to my compatriots, Kirino attempting to whistle while acting uninterested, and Fubuki facing the other direction, still lying on the cot.
"Y'know, you can rely on us too, Sensei. I don't know what you might think about us, but we're a lot more resilient than we let on!" Yuuka happily exclaims, hand on her chest.
"Like back with the Fox?" I chuckle out.
Yuuka stammers, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks before stomping down her foot. "That… was an exception! That was the Fox of Calamity after all!"
"Yeah, yeah, anyways," I tossed the smoke grenade in her direction, catching her by surprise. "I've an idea with this."
"Which I'm sure is extremely reckless?" She eyes the non-lethal device.
"We have to improvise with what we have. And what we don't have is the proper equipment."
"But-"
"No buts, also, bring the rest of the girls over, I might have a plan in the works. And I did promise I'd let all of you in on it."
Yuuka pauses for a bit before nodding and handing the smoke grenade back to me and heading towards the other girls, casually talking with the cadets. I turn over to Kirino and Fubuki, who've now recovered and are acting normal. Well, as normal, as normal goes in the given circumstances.
"So, what's your plan?" Iori plainly asks, her tail swaying back and forth at a rhythmic pace.
I look over the four girls before waving over Kirino, who looks around before pointing to herself in surprise. As she sheepishly walked over, all four pairs of eyes locked onto her, which proved to be quite daunting for the new addition.
Clearing my throat, I pat Kirino's shoulder. "This lady here will be the cornerstone of this plan."
The four girls recoil slightly in confusion as Kirino's eyes go wide before turning and looking up to me, to which I give a thumbs up.
"So, here's the plan," I get down on a knee and place down various objects as the girls circle around. I take out an empty magazine and hold it out. "This, is the tank." I set down the magazine in the middle. Spilling a dozen or so rounds of 5.45 on the ground, I stand them up behind the 'tank'. "These are the leftover gang members." I take out a single shotgun shell and place it next to the 'tank'. "This is the minigun that the Chief reported to be fielded, questions so far?" I look up and meet the eyes of all the girls.
Kirino raises her hand, which I reply to with a point of a finger. "Why am I the cornerstone of the plan?" Her question gained the nods of all of her compatriots, Fubuki included as she listened along in the background.
"Your smoke grenades might help us turn the tide, granted they're positioned properly." I answer, emphasizing the importance of the smokes.
She simply gulps at the statement.
Looking back down at the battle plan, I place two crumpled pieces of paper above the 'tank' and 'minigun' emplacement. "My proposal is that two smokes will be positioned on top of the tank and minigun emplacement, effectively blinding them. We then have the K.S.P.D provide suppressing fire on the backline as we advance onto the tank and disable it."
"I have several issues with this plan." Yuuka chimes in.
"I as well." Iori follows up next.
"Ditto-ssu." Ichika next.
Serina merely nods.
"Yeah…" Kirino's voice trails off.
"I dunno about that one, Sensei." Fubuki pops in.
"That's why I'm discussing this with you all. I need your input on how we might get closer to the tank without getting shredded, unless one of you has a force field or something."
As soon as my sentence ended, Serina, Iori and Ichika all turned their heads towards Yuuka, who couldn't look any more proud. Or smug.
"So, you're telling me that you just so happen to have a force field in your back pocket?" I ask, partly because I'd actually believe that, especially after all I've seen in this strange land.
"A barrier if you want to get into technicalities, but yes, I just so happen to have one of those in my back pocket."
"...How does it work?"
With a smile, Yuuka takes out a small device, not too dissimilar to my PDA, and with a series of inputs, a faint blue glow appeared in a small radius around the girl. I tap against the barrier, producing a faint ripple around the impact.
I place my hand on it before looking at its creator. "And this'll stop a tank round?"
"I surmise that my barrier will be able to withstand two or three shots. But there's a lengthy recharge phase in between uses."
"That'll do. Looks like you've just signed up to be our shield." I say as an evil grin formed under my helmet.
"Eh?"
"That solves the problem of us getting closer to the tank, with smokes to obscure our advance, and Yuuka's shield to provide cover for our advance, we might be able to pull this off." I place a hand on my chin.
"Hey! Sensei! I didn't agree to being relegated to a mere shield-!"
I place a hand on the Seminar representative's shoulder, causing her to yelp before looking up to me. "Tell you what, you do this for us and I'll owe you anything." This gains the attention of everyone in the immediate area, to which I ignore the gazes. "A free IOU for whatever you want, as long as it's within my abilities. Deal?" I offer up the deal as I put my hand out.
Much to my confusion, Yuuka's face is flushed red, steam practically coming off of her. I look over to both my sides to see that the cadets have practically surrounded us. Glancing over to the rest of my team, I see that their faces too have a faint blush. Did I just propose something that I might regret?
"...Did I say something wrong?"
Yuuka awakens from her delusions as she vigorously shakes her head and takes my hand, shaking it with the same energy. "N-not at all, Sensei! I hope you keep up your end of the deal."
"Sounds like we got a done deal. I'll see what I can do about the Chief and her cadets suppressing the enemy."
"So you want us to cover your advance?" Kanna asks before taking a sip out of her coffee mug.
"Yes, would that be possible?"
"Definitely possible, but how do you plan on advancing towards the tank without getting shredded by the tank and the minigun?"
I laid out the plan to her, which gained me various degrees of incredulousness from her as I explained the extremely reckless plan on how we expected to get close.
"I've heard rumors of the Seminar's 'Calculator' and her shield, but is it really up to snuff?" The Chief questions, a hand on her chin.
"I assure you that it is most definitely up to snuff." Yuuka interjects.
"I'll hold you up to that, wouldn't want to get blasted to kingdom come when it comes to." I say as I look over to Yuuka.
"Wait, you're coming with us?" The 'Calculator' questions.
"Uh, yeah? Thought that was obvious."
"No no no no no, we are absolutely not bringing you with us."
"And leave me out of the fun?"
"This is not about having fun, Sensei, this time, it's a tank. The Fox of Calamity is one thing, but a Crusader is something waaay different."
"What, don't trust me and your shield?"
"It's not that Sensei, it's just, that… you could d-." She cuts herself off.
"You could get even more hurt, more than just what happened with the Fox…"
She cut herself off, but I knew full well what she was going to say. I sigh, looks like death, dying and getting hurt was really outside the norm here.
I relented, something very uncharacteristic of me. "Alright, but, I'm intervening if I see that the situation is getting out of control, okay?"
She beams right up. "Of course!"
Sat next to Kanna, I watch as the cadets fall in line, shotguns in hand. I had hoped that they would have some sort of ranged option, but I suppose they'll work. My eyes land on my team as they prepare to charge the tank, with Kirino veritably panicking.
On my mark, Kirino would toss her smokes onto the tank and minigun emplacement, following their deployment, the cadets would then lay down fire to suppress the rest of the gang members before my team would step in and render the tank disabled. Then we would push up and reclaim the clubhouse.
In theory, of course.
"MARK!" I yell out.
Following that, Kirino fumbled with her grenades before finally tossing them. Very much to her surprise, they hit their mark, the smoke pouring out and obscuring the tank and minigun emplacement. Soon after, Kanna gave the order to engage, the cadets opening fire upon the backline. Glancing over to my team, Yuuka had already activated her barrier, with the rest of the girls sticking close as they ran.
"I can't believe his plan is actually working!" Yuuka exclaims, huffing as she sprints. The barrier absorbing any incoming fire, indicated by the numerous ripples appearing across the shield.
"Less talking, more running!" Iori states as she raises her rifle and domes a gang member peeking over with a grenade launcher, knocking them out.
Luckily, they didn't require the barrier to block and tank rounds as they approached the hull of the Crusader. Sticking close to the tank, Ichika climbed up and over the tank and forced the hatch open, much to the dismay of the crew. Her eyes were uncharacteristically open as she unloaded her rifle into the opening, knocking out the crew. She looked over and gave the other girls a thumbs up before hopping down.
Binoculars in hand, Kanna observed the battlefield, occasionally handing it over to me as we overlooked the battle, surrounded by a cacophony of shotgun blasts. We faced little returning fire as both the cadets and Iori did a good job at pinning and taking out the gang members. As the smoke cleared up, my team had already finished decommissioning the tank, which Kanna took notice of quickly, ordering her troops to push forward.
I sat back and watched as they easily mopped up the rest before putting them in cuffs. Plan worked out flawlessly, much to my confusion. Worked a little too well, but a win's a win. With the outside perimeter secured, Kanna was busy barking orders as the cadets ran around setting up barriers and hauling unconscious gang members and tossing them into armored personnel carriers. I give a thumbs up towards Kanna, who returned the sentiment.
With that out of the way, I made my way towards the girls, an unfamiliar feeling welled up within me as I approached. It felt nice, seeing others I could rely upon.
"Ah, Sensei! What do you think? We're more than meets the eye, right?" Yuuka happily exclaims with her chest held high. The rest nodded along, smiles equally as bright.
I ruffled the Seminar representative's hair. "You guys did admirably."
"Of course." Iori states in her typical cool and calm demeanor, though betrayed by her tail once more.
"Mmm hmm, you performed well." I praise as I repeat the sentiment.
"Where's Serina and Ichika?"
"Serina is tending to the injured, and Ichika is trying to strongarm some information out of a few of the gang members about the black market deals. Justice Task Force business and what-not." Yuuka replies with a shrug.
"Right, I'll radio in and report our victory to the Acting President, why don't you all take a break?"
The girls nod and leave as I pull my PDA from its pouch, a ping rings out as soon as I traverse tabs over to my taskboard. A new task, eh? "Locate and reactivate the 'Shittim Chest'." Now this one was a bit more convoluted. What the hell was a Shittim Chest anyways?
I sigh, maybe Rin will have some answers for me. Speaking of which…
"Acting President?"
"Sensei. I assume you bring good tidings?" The Acting President answers.
"You could say that, we've reclaimed the clubhouse, what's next on the list?"
"Now that the clubhouse is under our control, I'll be overseeing matters there personally. I'll be in the air shortly, until then, you've earned some rest, Sensei, thank you for all your hard work."
"Pleasures all mine, oh, and don't forget to thank the girls, they were quite pivotal in their roles."
"I'll be sure they're properly rewarded."
"See you then, Acting President."
"Please, call me Rin."
"Right, see you then, Rin."
"Likewise."
Cutting comms, I walk over to the encampment and pull up a chair, slumping into it. Uncharacteristically, I was beyond exhausted. Granted, I'd usually have some sort of stimulant in my body, but I decided against the use, I was surrounded by schoolgirls, don't want to impart any nasty habits.
God, I really was changing. My eyes drift over to the various girls happily chatting and laughing amongst each other as a smile forms under my helmet.
Maybe this change of pace wasn't all too bad.
"So this is where I'll be working?" I ask, eyeing the floating, rectangular object in the middle of the room. At this point, nothing else can surprise me, but I'm sure that'll change.
"Indeed." She walks over to a desk and picks up a thin tablet, one not too dissimilar to hers, and hands it to me.
"This is?" I ask, inspecting the curious device.
"The 'Shittim Chest'. It was left behind by the GSC President and was used to activate and control the Sanctum Tower. Unfortunately, that power was solely reserved for the President and any powers alike, so control was entire out of our hands… until your arrival."
Before I could press further, Rin had waved me away before walking towards the door.
"I'll leave you to it then, Sensei. Let me know if you require assistance." The door slid close following her departure.
I stared down at the fragile piece of tech in my hands. This thing was the key to reactivating the Sanctum Tower? I tapped the screen, and much to my dismay, a password prompt appeared.
Well shit, just got here and already a major roadblock.
I started inputting random sequences of letters and numbers, to no avail. With one final attempt, I am defeated even after using the masterkey of most PDA's I've swiped from Bandits, 123456789.
I place a hand on my chin as I contemplate. That is, before my hands automatically inputted a new password.
We thirst for the Seven Wailings.
We bear the Koan of Jericho.
Much to my confusion, the tablet unlocked.
Before long, I blinked and found myself in a newfound land, very much to my dismay. I look around my surroundings, finding myself about ankle deep in water, with no gear.
Somehow I found myself in a new location, totally unequipped and effectively naked, though I had a tan sweater and gray cargo pants, similar to what I wore when I first ventured the Zone.
Just up ahead was what looked like to be a destroyed classroom, with desks and chairs strewn about and waves breaking upon the shattered concrete. As I climbed up the broken remains, my eyes locked onto a little girl, sleeping atop a desk.
Approaching her, I catch mumbles in between the snores.
"Zzzzzz… Mmm… Strawberry milk…"
Odd thing.
I pinched a piece of her blue uniform before tugging on it gently, hoping to wake her up, and ask a few questions.
"Hehehe… that tickles…"
Deep sleeper, eh?
Trying a new approach, I put a hand on her shoulder and shook her. Nothing. With a shrug, I kicked her desk, which did the job quite nicely.
"AAAAAHHHH-EEEHH!?" The blue haired girl cried out as she fell backwards, her chair falling with her.
With a thud she fell over, a halo finally projecting over her head. Curiously, her halo transformed and changed colors.
"Huh!? Wuh!?" The little lady sounded out as she frantically searched her surroundings for her assailant.
"Have a nice dream?"
Her cheeks puffed out as she stared at me. "Moooooooooou! Why'd you scare me like that!?"
I shrug as she pouted at me.
It took her a few seconds before her anger turned into curiosity. "W-wait a minute… who are you?"
"Artyom, apparently the new Sensei around these parts."
"Uwwwaaaaah! So you're the new Sensei I was waiting for!"
I chuckle before crouching down, getting eye level with the little lady.
"So, who might you be?"
"Oh! I'm Arona! The system manager of the Shittim Chest!"
"System manager?"
"The main operating system, or more commonly referred to as an artificial intelligence! Pretty cool, right!?"
I nod. So, I was working with A.I's now?
"So… how'd you get inside here anyways?" Arona asks, picking up the fallen chair and straightening out her desk.
"I was in the middle of accessing the Shittim Chest before getting… sucked in, I guess."
"So, you're here to gain permissions like the President!"
"...Sure, let's say that."
"Then that means something's happening outside, right?" Arona asks, her face suddenly downcast.
"Yes, apparently the GSC President somehow disappeared, this messed up a whole bunch of things in the city, and now I'm here to fix it."
Her face suddenly beams. "Then there's no time to waste! I'll need your biometrics if I want to grant permissions."
"How do we go about doing that?"
"Liiiiiiike this!" She exclaims, holding out her index finger. "Just place your finger on mine!"
Playing along, I place my own on hers. A few moments pass before she moves away and gives me a smile.
"Allllll done, you now have full control, Artyom-Sensei."
"That's it?"
"Yuuup! You now have full access to the Sanctum Tower and GSC facilities!"
I get up from my knee before looking around, Arona curiously watching me.
"So… how do I get out of here?" I ask, scratching my chin.
"...I, uh… don't know."
"Might be a bit of a problem if I can't leave."
"Hmmmmmmmmmm…" The little A.I sounded as she hopped around.
I've heard of artificial intelligences before from whatever those Ecologists were getting up to, but I doubt it was anything this advanced, nor human. It was as if a whole human was digitized and shoved into a small tablet. Hopefully that wasn't the case.
"Ah hah! I got it!" Arona exclaims, holding her index finger up.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Try falling asleep!"
"...What?"
"Fall asleep!" The A.I merely repeats.
"And this'll work?"
She simply shrugs.
I share the sentiment before laying on my back and closing my eyes. Oddly, this was quite comfortable. A few moments passed before I opened them back up, and wouldn't you know, I'm met with a familiar ceiling of the clubhouse, the Shittim Chest laying on my abdomen.
"Things are making less and less sense these days." I mutter as I get to my feet.
"Sen~sei."
A sense of dread was sent down my spine as I stumbled to get up. I curse myself for leaving my guns outside before drawing my combat knife. My eyes lock onto a most familiar figure in the corner of the room.
"Fox?" I call out, not much else I could really do.
"Not Fox, my dear Sensei, Wakamo." She replies, her voice sultry as always.
Seeing that she isn't here to fight, much to my relief, I holster my knife. "What brings you here at this time?"
"I've come to see you~."
"I'm flattered."
She hums before getting closer, her hands behind her back. Less than a meter away, she leans forward while looking up to me.
"This must be fate…"
"Come again?"
She reaches her hands forward towards mine.
"You're the one for me-"
Her ears suddenly stand on edge before quickly turning her body to face the door.
"Tsk. More people getting in my way." She gets ready to attack before I stop her.
"Woah there missy, don't need to hurt anyone if we can help it." I say as I place a hand atop her rifle, pushing it down.
"But-."
I cut her off. "Look, I'll make this up to you later. Unfortunately, I have some work that needs to be done, so we can talk at a different time."
Her ears perk right up, her tail swaying something fierce. "R-really!?"
I sigh, am I really doing this? I suppose I'm not new to conspiring with criminals…
"Y-yes, now, do you have a route out of here without being seen?"
"But of course, Sensei." She lets out a chilling giggle. "I'll see you soon~!"
I watch as she swiftly leaves through another door, it narrowly closing as Rin enters the room.
"...Hmm? Something the matter, Sensei?"
"N-nothing." I hold up the tablet. "Got permissions for this though."
A genuine smile crosses her face, like a large weight was just lifted off of her shoulders. She must've been working unimaginably hard for this day to come.
"I assume I have to transfer control?" I ask, tapping the various prompts on the Shittim Chest.
"That would be most appreciated, yes."
Traversing the various security and "are you sure" prompts, I accede control over the GSC, which was prompted to Rin by a notification from her own tablet.
Setting aside her tablet, she takes a deep bow forward. "I must truly, thank you for your assistance, Sensei."
"Hey now, no need for all this." I say as I place a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not too comfortable with formalities, so a simple thanks will do nicely."
She raises herself up and replies with a smile.
"Also, if we're going to continue to be working together, I'm sure you'd want to see my face, right?" I point a finger towards my helmet.
"I-if you truly want to, though, can't say I'm not curious to see the face of our Sensei."
I shrug and place both hands on the sides of my exohelm before unlatching the seals.
PSSSH
With a twist, I pull off the helmet before settling it between my side and arm.
"So, not what you were guessing, huh?" I say with a small smile.
A degree of visible shock plastered her face as she took in all my facial features, followed by a faint blush.
"Might I ask where that scar came from?"
I trace the scar across my left cheek. "Made a mistake back home in my earlier years, grenade shrapnel cut me up good, luckily that's all that got me."
Once more I am reminded of my relative fragility in Kivotos, I'm practically the only person not bulletproof. Funny coming from the guy with the exoskeleton.
I clear my throat as I replace my helmet and lock it in place.
"So, what's next on our agenda?"
"Ahem, excuse me for staring, Sensei," She pulls up her tablet before a scowl crosses her face. "Next, we sit back as the K.S.P.D defuses and cleans up the explosives planted all over the clubhouse." She looks back at me as if that sentence was normal. For them, at least.
"...So you're telling me that we just waltzed into a building filled with explosives?"
"Enough to topple the building three times over, yes."
I sigh. "Care to give me a tour of the place?"
"Of course, Sensei. I'll show you your quarters first."
We proceed to tour the building, first passing by a simple room with a twin-sized bed, a desk outfitted with a desktop and peripherals, and a small couch accompanied by a coffee table. Otherwise, nothing remarkable. We passed various miscellaneous rooms, such as offices, supply rooms, a kitchenette, but what stood out in particular was back in the basement, past the office with that weird floating stone tablet.
The Crafting Chamber, Rin dubbed it. As the name implied, it hosted numerous benches for various crafts. Machining, metallurgy, 3D printers, even a reloading bench to my surprise. But as we continued, Rin presented the main attraction, the actual Crafting Chamber, that only accepts a material she calls 'keystones'.
"Any questions, Sensei?" Rin asks, tapping away at her tablet.
"Nothing so far."
"If that is all, then I'll leave you to acclimate and rest. You've had a long day. And quite the reception." She gives me a wry smile.
"Quite so. You'll be on your way, then?"
"Indeed, please don't hesitate should you have any comments or concerns. Until then, I'll see you tomorrow, Sensei."
"Likewise, see you around, Rin."
As soon as she left, my PDA rang out. Seems I completed the task. Waiting a few moments for another task to appear, it looks like that won't be the case. I shrug as I put it to the side.
Unceremoniously, I started making myself at home. As nice as the actual sleeping quarters are, I always found myself working, eating and sleeping in my workshop, so this'll do nicely. Sifting through the various cabinets and lockers of the Crafting Chamber, I assemble myself a serviceable workbench, outfitted with various tools that'd make Xenotech jealous.
I pull up my wrist mounted terminal and check the status on my exoskeleton. Still damaged, of course, I get to work unlatching the exoskeleton frame, separating the artificial muscles and servo motors from the Radsuit itself, the weight of the armor shifting onto me.
I'm grimly reminded that unless I figure out a way to source the correct batteries for the skeleton, I might be left to lug around the armor itself. The armor has saved me countless times, but I'm no longer in the Zone. I poke at the frayed kevlar. Might need something else in the meantime.
Luckily, I always keep another set. Removing the heavy plate carrier vest, I slip into a much lighter and flexible, albeit much less protected "Nomad" Stalker suit. Hand-made from the Zone, it was made solely for the purpose of exploration. It'll stop a round or two, at least.
Strapping the velcro across to lock the vest in place, I pull down the hood and don my "GP-10z" gas mask. I admit, it's a bit much, and I doubt there's many airborne and radiological threats in Kivotos, but I somehow always feel naked without something to cover my face. Good thing I made a few modifications for me to breathe much easier behind it. Grabbing my PDA, I place it into a breast pouch before grabbing a few spare batteries.
Giving myself another lookover, I nod before moving the exoskeleton frame, Radsuit and damaged Saiga-12 to a more workable area, alongside the newly made workbench. I largely doubt they keep spare kevlar and mil-spec textiles in stock, so until I can find a source, I'm stuck with the "Nomad".
I continue sorting out the Chamber's tools and workbenches to my liking till a stifled yawn sounds out.
"Sensei? Are you still up?" Arona asks as she rubs her eyes.
Confused, I lift up the tablet to see the little A.I confined behind its screen.
"Ah! What happened to your helmet? And your suit?"
I watch with a raised brow as Arona hops around the screen. "The exoskeleton's a bit roughed up at the moment, till I can get it fixed, I'm stuck with this."
"I think I like the look of the, uh, exoskeleton was it?"
I nod.
"Yeah, I like the exoskeleton better, it looks a lot cooler. Not saying this one isn't."
I roll my eyes before my stomach grumbles.
"Hmm, hey Arona."
"Yes?"
"Know any places nearby where I can get some food?"
"Sooooooo booooooring." Says the lone staff member as she aimlessly scrolls through her applist.
Sora was the lone staff member at the twenty-four hour convenience store, "ANGEL 24". Rarely anyone came to this branch, as it was mostly out of the way of most foot traffic.
She sighed, one of many as the days persisted much longer from her perspective. Occasionally she would open "Momotalk" to see what people were up to and what was the latest fad. That latest fad being all about this new adult laying down punishment on the unruly gang members, or those who were simply in their way. Selecting one of the many recorded instances of this new adult in action, it showed them hanging from a GSC helicopter and dropping grenades while being shot at. Another video showed them interrogating a few girls, their massive frame and armor intimidating and quite frankly, terrifying, before shooting them unconscious.
A shudder is sent down the cashier.
"Luckily they'd never come here." Sora happily says aloud as she continues scrolling.
That is, before the welcoming chime of the sliding doors plays throughout the store.
"Welcome to-" Her company standard welcoming cut short by the entering of her new customer.
"W-welcome to A-ANGEL Twenty F-four…" The meek cashier barely manages to stammer out as she watches an extremely suspicious and scary looking adult approach the shelves.
'It can't be, can it?' She wonders as she trembles in her sky blue apron.
"Hey Arona." I whisper.
"Hmm?" Arona sounds.
"Is it me? Or is the cashier over there scared witless?" I covertly point towards the terrified worker.
"Uhhhh, it sure looks like it, why?" She asks, tilting her head.
I shrug before sighing. Perusing the store, it's quite well stocked and clean for a convenience store. Snacks, soda, juice, MREs, empty magazines, ammunition of various calibers, fragmentation grenades…
I grimace. Are these considered convenience items? I shake my head before picking up a box of 5.45x39 FMJ before looking at its listed price.
Fuck.
I lacked the corresponding currency of whatever "Y650" meant.
"Hey Arona." I call my A.I friend again.
"Mmm hmm?"
"Know where we can make a quick buck?"
"...No."
I sigh before setting the box of ammo back. Continuing my exploration, there was a whole lot more than what this convenience store would initially let on. Apart from all the expected goods, they also stocked small arms; handguns, submachine guns, a smaller selection of assault rifles and carbines, and the occasional light machine gun. All with their corresponding caliber.
Further in the store housed the explosives. Fragmentation grenades, dynamite with various wick lengths, C4, semtex, tannerite. Heh, who needs to smuggle in overpriced equipment when you got 'ANGEL 24'?
I head towards the exit before shooting another glance at the cashier, renewing their fear in, what I could assume, me.
I look around the store for anyone else before meeting eyes with the girl.
"Something the matter?" I ask, hopefully in a light enough tone.
"N-nope! N-nothings the matter. No s-sir!" She's just about ready to jump out of her skin.
I sigh before leaning on the counter, causing her to flinch. "There's definitely something the matter, you're just about ready to keel over with how much you're shaking."
"U-uh... well."
I wait for her to continue.
"A-are you the new 'Sensei'?"
I nod. "That I am."
"O-oh, uh... how do I say this?"
I gesture for her to elaborate.
"There's been... rumors, about you." She looks up to me, finally meeting my eyes.
Rumors, huh? Doubt they're anything good.
"Rumors? Such as?"
"That you're going around b-beating up bad students... and anyone t-that gets in your way."
"Well, you said it yourself, I only go around and punish the bad students." I say in a light tone.
She catches on. "W-what about that part about anyone in your way?"
"Don't need to get into fights if I can help it. I'm a 'Sensei', remember?"
"R-right."
A bout of silence looms before I cut in.
"Also, how'd word get around so fast? I only got involved only a few hours ago."
"It's all over 'Momotalk', you're kind of a celebrity of sorts." She pulls out her phone before turning it over to me.
Taking the small device, I scroll through the various videos before I notice a trend. They're all about me.
"Halo-less Adult Punishing Bad Students!? (Gone Wrong!?)" One of the ridiculous videos were titled.
"New Kivotos Situation Is Crazy." Well, not wrong.
"Alleged New 'Sensei' Going Around "Beating" Students!: Is It Wrong That I'm Attracted?" This last one caught me severely off guard.
I turn the phone back over to the cashier. "You guys are weird." My face slightly displaying disgust.
"Yeah, people on Momotalk can be kinda weird, but not all the time."
"Anyways, I'm not like any of that." I shudder.
She lets a small giggle. "Yeah, I can kinda tell."
"Mmm hmm, anywho, just wanted to check out the area, you let me know if anyone's giving you any trouble, I'll "punish" them for you." I give her a wink and extend my fist.
"Thanks, Sensei." Her fist meets mine.
We exchange goodbyes as I leave the store. "Welp, didn't get what I wanted, but at least we cleared up rumors with one person."
"Mmm hmm, but what about food?"
My stomach replies in my stead.
"I should have something in my pack."
Back at homebase, I remove my gasmask and set it aside before sifting through my pack for sustenance. American MRE's, smoked sausage, tushonka, purified water, energy drinks. I opt for the MRE and water before seating myself. Opening the MRE, I pull out the water-activated heater and put the main course inside, followed by water. A few seconds pass as it begins heating up. Setting it to the side, I help myself to the sides, a chocolate bar, crackers and a cheese spread. Shoving the trash into the main bag, I pull the main course out of the heater and tear it open. Grabbing a spoon, I dig into the beef stew before grabbing the Shittim Chest.
"Hmm, need something, Sensei?" Arona asks, putting down a pink drink box of some sort, a bendy straw sticking out of it. Do A.I's need to eat and drink?
"Nothing, just wondering what you were up to." I reply in between a spoonful of food.
"Well... I just gone ahead and made you an itinerary for tomorrow."
"Right... I'm a teacher now."
I grimace. "I certainly hope they don't need me to teach math or something, I am woefully behind in that department."
"I wouldn't worry about that, Sensei, most learning is done with blu-rays."
"...Doesn't seem efficient. I thought that's how you lose out on learning?" I say, poking the beef stew.
"Really? If you miss something, you can always replay the moment till you get it."
"Back home, all teaching was done with a teacher, no screens, no blu-rays."
"Well, one of the districts in Shanhaijing has a teacher, but I don't think anywhere else has any."
"Anywho, what's on that itinerary?" I ask as I open my water flask.
"So far, Rin has some documents that she wants you to look over and sign. Then, you can also take a look at the list of those who want to work with you!"
Taking a swig of water, I swallow. "People want to work with me?"
"Mmm hmm! You'd be surprised! Basically, as soon as permissions were turned over to the Acting President, positions for SCHALE's assistant opened up."
I crumple up the empty food packet and shove it into the MRE bag to trash later. "I see, better get some rest then." I pick up my PDA and look at the clock. 11:46 PM.
"Good night, Sensei!"
I nod before setting the Shittim Chest onto the workbench before grabbing my sleeping bag from my pack.
Splaying the sleeping bag out, I remove my ballistic vest and set it to the side before getting stuck in. Forgetting to turn off the lights, I move to get up before they dim automatically. Huh, neat.
Laying my head down, I put my hands under as I stare at the ceiling. I realize that this'll be where I'll reside for the foreseeable future.
A yawn escapes me as my eyelids grow heavy. When was the last time I felt this comfortable. Or safe?