M4 squinted out across the snow covered field, trying to pierce through the shifting waves of snow blowing across. Way out she could just barely spot a small pair of shapes, one seeming to be driving the other into the snow.

"Range is good," She deadpanned on comms.

"Copy that, let's grab the next set." the voice of RS9 replied shortly after, accompanied by a quick wave from one of the figures.

M4 glanced back over her shoulder, staring down a line of posts sticking out from the snow. They were each set at regular intervals, twenty five meters apart, and leading right back to the distant looming manor.

She began to trudge back along them, boots sinking almost knee deep into the snow. Snow bit at her cheeks and eyes as it was blown into her. She adjusted her scarf, tugging here and there to cover a little more of her features from the biting snow.

"Cold?" Rs asked on comms.

"A bit," M4 admitted.

"I think our Babushka's got some Vodka hidden away if you're interested."

"Isn't that against regulations?"

"I don't plan to report her so long as she shares," Rs chuckled.

" Well, I'm okay."

"Suit yourself."

They began to line up their last row of markers. Rs jogged out further into the snow while M4 lagged further back, each stopping at regular intervals to get the ranges between each of the wooden posts just right.

25 meters at a time, about five minutes per post, five posts. By the time they were at last done her systems were showing yellow line warnings at her extremities, indicating a growing temperature hazard.

"Whew, glad we're done," Rs called again as she trotted back M4's way.

"Yes."

Rs jogged up to her, smiling despite the blizzard, "Hey! I'll race ya!" she shouted over the wind before taking off in a charge across the field.

M4 took a moment to react, before heel turning and dashing after Rs.

"Okay, group huddle everyone!" Rs called the second the pair of them slammed the wooden door shut behind them, having ended their race nearly neck and neck.

The rest of the Third Echelon dolls glanced up at her, curious, before rapidly assembling around her and M4. They formed a circle, eyes and ears all directed towards Rs.

"How are we doing?" Rs began.

"Um, we got all our ammo off the dummies and moved them out of the way," M14 began, "and we're almost done boarding the windows."

Rs nodded, "Good, good. We got the markers placed outside, so I guess we're just about ready to go. Nagant, Cano, anything on scopes?"

Both of the designated dolls glanced at each other, before Nagant cleared her throat to speak, "No major changes, but there are a large amount at the edges of my range."

"All directions?"

Nagant nodded.

"Lovely," Rs murmured, "Okay, target priorities go Jagers, then Vespids, then Rippers, then the rest."

"What about the ringleader?" M14 asks.

"Focus her the second she appears, all guns on the side she attacks, the rest stick to their sides. M4," Rs says, looking her dead in the eye, "you'll be alone down here to start. Anything goes wrong either come up stairs to us or start shouting like crazy. We'll back you up."

"Why is she down stairs?" Cano asked.

"She'll do best in a knife fight, especially if a couple of Rippers slip past us."

M4 clears her throat, "I'll do my best."

Rs smiled, "I know you will."

"How long do we need to hold out?" M14 asked, raising her hand.

"The Commander's got the rest of our forces setup in trucks on the highway north of here, they're probably just waiting for the weather to clear enough to risk an extraction."

"What about the jamming?" 14 then asked, "It'll affect them too."

Rs smiled confidently, "He'll figure something out, have some faith."

Executioner sat perched atop a hill that stood above the rest of the forest, wind whipping her hair as she watched the angry dark storm roll off Westward, lighting flashing in the distance. Behind the main storm a sheet of ever so slightly lighter clouds rolled in, letting through just a tiny bit of the setting sun's light.

"They aren't moving," said a disappointed sounding voice on comms.

Drone footage of the Griffin dolls popped up on the network for the first time in hours, displaying them very much still at the manor, and they'd been busy in the few hours since they'd last checked in on them.

The bottom floor windows were all boarded up, and markers had been placed in lines stretching out in each direction.

"Hah!" She barked a laugh, "I knew you were wrong! M4 is still far too scared of me to risk running!"

"Why are you happy about that? They would've been easy pickings if it'd worked."

"Maybe, but now I get a proper fight."

The plan had been to scare the Griffin dolls into running, where they'd be easily surrounded and picked apart by their forces. It was a fine enough plan, Executioner supposed, but it would be over really quick had it worked. Now though, they'd make her work for it, and she couldn't help but grin at the thought of it.

Hunter sighed over comms, "Fine, I'll update Dreamer, you go revel in the mess I've made. But take M4 alive."

"Oh don't you worry, I'll keep her alive. Maybe in a couple pieces, but alive."

With that, Executioner hopped to her feet and began strolling down the snowy road that wound down the hill. The smell of pine filled the crisp, wind whipped air. She was feeling especially cheerful this evening, humming as she made her way to the manor. The thought of a proper battle for the first time in so long put a bit of pep in her step.

Either side of her, Jägers, Rippers and Vespids formed up from their encircling positions where they'd stupidly spent the last couple hours waiting for Griffin to make a break for it.

On the other hand, the jamming hadn't been totally pointless. Recon footage came in from another drone showing the motorized Griffin force to their north was pulling back, likely to stay in contact with their commander. Even if they set off right now, it would take about twenty minutes to arrive, and She had been assured by Agent herself that Griffin would take hours more to recover from the jamming

Part of her kinda wanted them to come anyway, just throw themselves at her just so she could cut them down, but her better judgment knew better. Letting Griffin enter the battle would only complicate things more, and give M4 a chance to escape in the chaos; the last thing she wanted was to go back to that dogged pursuit.

Executioner eventually came to the cliff which overlooked the manor. From there She could see the small dots of the Griffin dolls scurrying around and running into the manor. They knew she was here, not that it surprised her as the scouts had picked up two high EM signatures typical of Griffin scouts.

There was no doubt that they also knew they were surrounded, as Executioner had her forces maintain their encircling formation while closing in. Her forces waited in cover just past the treeline in all directions. At a word they would charge over and crush the Griffin resistance.

Executioner wondered what they were thinking down there. Could they really believe they stood a chance, or was this just a show of defiance? She supposed she could ask M4 once she had her.

Then again, digging M4 out of that position alive would be a real pain, especially if the doll was willing to die rather than be taken.

"Oh well. That's on her, not me," She announced to no one in particular.

With a wordless command, Executioner beckoned her Jägers to begin the engagement. Around her the cloaked T-dolls rushed up and plopped prone at the cliff's edge.

Dozens of high power railguns cracked and hissed as the sniper dolls began working over the entrenched defenders. Razor thin purple trails streaked through the air and hung for a moment before fizzling away, leaving only the scent of burnt ozone drifting over the battlefield.

Then a round tore through a nearby Jäger with a buzzing snap, ripping off a solid hunk of its head and letting the rest fall limp in the snow. Then another, and another, and more and more of her snipers were hit and killed.

"What the…" She exclaimed as the tac-net tracked her dwindling supply Jägers.

Griffin counter sniping. Her dolls were unable to track the Griffin dolls as they popped out for split seconds to squeeze off a shot. There only seemed to be four shooters, engaging nearly ten times their number in Jagers, but nearly every shot they sent down range hit. At this rate she'd run out of snipers in just a minute or two.

"Okay then, let's try something else."

Executioner grinned wide, baring her teeth like a predatory beast. She hopped down the cliff and landed in a plume of snow. The Vespids and Rippers followed her lead, filtering out from the trees like a swarm of ants. The few remaining Jägers pulled back for the moment, having scored no definite hits, though they did manage to set a rather splendid fire on the roof.

Her dolls trudged forward through the thick fresh snow, the shortranged Rippers charging headlong as well as they could while the more mid-range Vespids set a base of fire to cover them. Executioner strolled forward at a casual pace, not concerned with any fire which may come her way.

The Griffin dolls had stopped shooting for the moment. In the distance the manor loomed over the field, the blaze still establishing itself on the top floor sending streams of orange light casting out across the field. Executioner squinted as she tried to search each of the windows for a silhouette.

The leading edge of her dolls crossed the first of the markers that'd been placed in the snow, and all hell broke loose.

A burst of fire tore into the loose ranks of dolls rushing forward, after which deadly accurate rapid fire began tearing into her dolls.

The Vespids opened up, marching forward while firing continuous streams of plasma at the building, but she knew in this weather and at this range the effectiveness wasn't going to be very good.

Round after round poured out from the Griffin position, smashing into doll after doll with very few strays shots. In less than two minutes, her forces had been decimated.

This wasn't working, G had the range advantage and were proving deadly accurate. Despite the lack of numbers they were holding up the slack. At this rate she'd be out of backup soon.

Just as she began to internally debate a new approach, a round flew towards her. With a lightning quick reaction she swatted the bullet away with her sword, but another followed a moment later, then another and another. At least three of the Griffin dolls began to lay fire into her, their rounds peppering her blade as she used it as a makeshift shield.

With a reverberating clang, a round tore through the metal and sent a shower of sparks and splinters spraying out into the air, mere centimeters from her face.

Several more rounds bounced off, before a second managed to penetrate. One of the dolls must have a pretty hefty weapon to punch through.

She felt an eager fire burn within her. For the first time in so long she was in a fight! No running, no hiding, these dolls were gonna stand and fight.

"Hunter! Take command, I'm going in."

"What? Do it yourself."

"You don't want me to kill M4 right? How can I focus on that if I've gotta micromanage my troops at the same time?"

"...fine."

Red crackling energy flickered all around her body as she brought herself up to full capacity, her senses sharpened, mind focused, and muscles tensed.

With a delighted screech, she launched herself towards the Griffin position, blowing past the struggling Vespid and Rippers. A wake of snow and earth flew up behind her like she was a low flying fighter jet.

Multiple rounds flew at her, but her blade flowed through the air to deflect all but one with ease. The last tore through her blade once again, but failed to strike her. She noticed something in that moment though, all but one of the rounds had come from upstairs.

In a shower of splinters, Executioner tore through the front door in a shower of splinters. She glanced around, and her eyes widened in glee as she found a familiar face within.

" F O U N D Y O U," She growled with a sadistic edge to her voice as she stared down a plainly terrified M4A1.

The ringleader loomed over her, eyes glowing an excited crimson as her voice growled those words. She looked ecstatic to have at last found her.

"Uh oh."

M4 just barely avoided the first blow as the ringleader's sword cleaved the air right in front of her, blade slamming into the wood floor panels at her feet. She leapt back, and brought her weapon to bear.

Plasma sizzled in the air, a pistol pointed straight at her head with a small electric buzz emanating from within.

She got less than a split second to move before the ringleader fired her pistol, the bolt burning into the wall just behind her, having come close enough to singe her ear.

M4 fired, rounds tearing into the air in Executioner's direction as she threw her body behind cover. She didn't see if any hit, but a second later the ringleader grunted and tore her sword out from the floor in a storm of splinters.

" C'mere!" Executioner screeched.

The sword hurtled down through the air towards M4 once more, cleaving into the couch she was hidden behind half a second after she rolled away. M4 fired blindly as she rushed away from the maniac doll, sending bullets tearing down one of the narrow halls as she fled.

There was a great rush of air behind her. She turned back to face it, but saw nothing but her pursuers fist consuming her vision.

And suddenly she was on the ground, slumped against the wall and staring up at the victorious grin of Executioner. M4 squeezed her weapon, but found it missing from her hands. A hazy glance down the hall revealing it laying right at the end.

"HAHAHAA! Is that it!? After all this running around, that's all you have? Well I almost don't blame you for running then!" She cheered.

M4 gritted her teeth.

"M4!" shouted a familiar voice down the hall.

M14, and Rs, both having charged down the staircase now stood staring down the hall her way. They didn't move for a moment, both staring down the monster looming over her, before Rs made eye contact with M4.

Without a word, they both raised their rifles and fired.

Executioner flipped her blade around at impossible speed, the ringleader bracing against it as the rounds sparked against the heavy steel.

Then she took off. Executioner charged back down the hall, M14 sending rounds flying all around her as Rs desperately tried to cycle her bolt.

M4's eyes went wide with shock as the ringleader's sword suddenly flew out forward, catching M14 in the center and driving the doll into the wall at the far end of the living room.

Suddenly Rs then found herself standing right next to the murderous ringleader, who quickly snatched her up in her now unoccupied sword hand, wrapping her chest in a tight grip and hefting Rs up off the ground as she furiously tried to scramble against it.

The whole house shook as Executioner piledrived her down into the ground, cracking the wooden floor beneath her and causing several sickening snaps to come from her.

Executioner let Rs slip out from her grip as she stood back up to full height, an elated smile spread from ear to ear on her face.

M4 felt a spark pulse in her. She scrambled down the hall, tripping over herself as she desperately tried to reach her flung rifle. She reached out, hand centimeters from the strap when an incredible weight slammed into her, pressing her to the ground.

"Haha, A for effort Griffin trash, but you're just outclassed."

M4 gritted her teeth, trying to wriggle her way out from the ringleader's hand pressing her down onto the ground. All around the gunfire still roared, gunpowder and sizzling plasma filling the air.

"You know, I've been looking forward to this. You really did make me work for it, I'll give you that."

M4 snuck a glance back up at the ringleader, glowing crimson eyes boring into her above a terrifying grin. The force pinning her grew just a little more, tightening like a vice around her body and starting to press into her, earning a pained grunt from her.

Then Executioner's arm was ripped forward as if the doll's shoulder had been smashed with a sledgehammer. The hand pinning her flung forward independent of the rest of its body, fractured shards of the joint scattered across the hall.

Behind her, Rs' rifle's barrel smoked, the weapon propped up on its bipod and wielder staring down the length of the weapon with eyes locked firmly on the ringleader. For a moment, no one moved, Executioner and M4 stunned looking back at her, each wondering how the hell she'd survived.

Then Rs flipped up her bolt handle and snapped it back, signaling the chaos to resume.

M4 scrambled to her feet, tearing away from the ringleader who suddenly found herself caught in indecision. Executioner spared a glance to M4, but instead tore off after RS.

Rs, sensing the danger, rolled just out of the way of the ringleader as she dove in towards her.

M4 scooped up her weapon, placed a firm hand on the fore and pistol grip each, and brought it up and inline with Executioner as she recovered from her attempted strike at Rs.

The ringleader had just enough time to glance back before M4 fired.

She drained the mag, taking measured steps towards the ringleader as she fired the weapon.

Her carbine clicked empty, M4's body reacting with perhaps the fastest reload of her life. She dropped the Mag, threw in her last one, and smacked the bolt release in one fluid motion without ever losing her target.

Not that she needed it. Executioner was left a barely squirming mess of twisted steel after over two dozen rounds had torn through her. Still she managed to turn her head enough to glare at M4 as she stood over her.

"Game over, Sangvis Scum," M4 growled.

"Ha, Hahaha," Executioner managed to chuckle weakly, "For us both. You won't be leaving this place."

"Tch, we'll find a way."

"Heh, even if you do manage to hide yourself away among Griffin's forces, we still have our ways."

M4's eyes narrowed, "what are you talking about?"

"You left your three little friends all on their own. I wonder, how long will they last?" The ringleader managed one last sadistic grin.

Her hand shaking, M4 squeezed her trigger once, the bullet punching into the ringleader's temple. The lights in Executioner's eyes died, but the smile didn't.

"Oho, touched a nerve?"

"You shouldn't have brought them up."

"Heheh, enjoy the rest of your evening M4, I'm sure I'll see you again very soon."

M4 lowered her weapon's barrel, lining it up as best she could with the brightest source of EM in the ringleader. With one last squeeze of her trigger, M4 sent a bullet through the ringleader's core.

The doll's entire body went slack, the smile fading into nothing but a faint trace.

"Check the door."

She did. M4 snapped her weapon up, and a moment later sent a round straight through an SF ripper that was just starting to peek inside. A second followed right after, dual SMGs held upright and ready to tear her apart before she dropped this one as well.

"Da-mn," Rs coughed from nearby. M4 glanced over, finding her half propped up against the bisected couch and clutching her chest. Her hazel eyes met hers, then wandered off to M14's body, upper half still pinned to the wall by Executioner's sword.

"Rs?" M4 called, "Can you move?"

"K-Kinda," she coughed again.

"Can you get M14 and go upstairs?"

RS nodded, then pulled herself up to her feet and began limping over towards M14's body while M4 kept her rifle pointed straight at the doorway. With a pained grunt Rs ripped M14 off the wall, slinging the doll's rifle over her shoulder and half dragging her body back towards the Staircase.

A Vespid peeked burst in, rifle already raised. M4 sent a burst its way as plasma leapt out towards them. She walked backwards, firing into the door and finally putting down the SF doll as Rs began scrambling up the stairs best she could.

M4 was right behind her, backing up the stairs while gunning down any Sangvis that dared poke its head inside.

"C-clear!" Rs shouted from the top of the stairs.

Turned and dashed up the stairs, scrambling up to the top flight and landing beside Rs and the bisected M14 laying in a pile there. M4 took a moment to regard her, Rs looking up at her and managing a weak grin.

She nodded. Then a clatter of footfalls began sounding from downstairs. M4 snapped her weapon around, pointing down the stairs and awaiting anything to poke out.

Cano fired and cycled, fired and cycled, shooting at a near perfect rhythm. In her scope, one hazy dark figure fell after the next, her rounds tearing holes into their chests center of mass, right through the SF doll's cores.

Unlike Wa and 14, Cano was equipped with a strong sensor suite on par with a scout doll. It came at the cost of fire core efficiency, which in turn necessitated her namesake weapon. Bolt actions were easier for the firecontrol to manage, less calculations per minute needed and more room for the etching software to work its magic. It usually put her behind the others, had her net less hits and less kills, but not today.

Today, as the only doll on the team who could actually see what she was shooting at beyond two hundred meters, she was well ahead.

Another went down, then another. Beside her Wa plucked away at a slow rate, the doll taking far longer between shots to aim. Beside her their Babushka was whispering in the doll's ear, giving what targeting info should could verbally.

Another shot, that made six.

Cano pulled back the bolt and fished out another clip from her pocket, but a sinking feeling hit her on finding it. It was the only one in that pocket, and she already knew the rest were empty.

"I'm down to one clip!" she shouted, glancing back.

Nagant met her eyes, "then make them count."

Cano nodded, then spared a glance across the hall. There M4 was peering down the stairway, rifle still smoking from the latest of the rippers they'd missed. Beside her Rs was laying still, though Cano could just perceive the slightest rise and fall of her chest.

Her attention returned to her sight as scopes showed another incoming wave. Eighteen marks emerged from the haze, little more than silhouettes charging their way and spitting plasma.

In short order she and Wa chewed through the first four, splitting them evenly.

Then two of what were likely rippers split off from the group, dashing off to the sides in a vain attempt to try and evade her fire. It didn't matter, she had them well before they even came close to getting out of her sights.

That made four rounds, two left.

In the back of the pack one of the dolls halted, lowering slightly as it came out a knee before spitting rapid fire into the window around her.

Cano ducked back down as the wood around her blackened and smoldered, and in some places was burned clean through.

Once the distant Vespid resumed its charge, Cano popped back up and answered it, placing a round straight into its chest and savoring as its signature died.

One round left. Behind her M4's weapon popped repeatedly, its suppressor taking the edge off but the remaining noise still filling the room with its concussion.

Gritting her teeth, she found her last target, a lonesome ripper that was way out on the far edge of what she could see, and probably beyond Wa's field of view. Cano took care lining up this shot, wanting her last one to count.

Then, just as she went to put down the errant Ripper, it exploded in a fury of brilliant light and explosions over which she could just barely make out a revving engine.

Then, like a herd of buffalo charging out from the brush, six G marked JLTV's roared out from the darkness, M2's and grenade launchers streaming a constant barrage into the Sangvis still charging their way across the field.

"The- They're here!" she yelped, feeling tears begin to well up in her eyes.

If anyone responded, she didn't hear it, as the vehicles ground to a halt around the front entrance, and all the occupants dismounted amongst a torrent of gunfire. There were at least four different echelons present in the group, first, second, sixth and even MP5's echelon.

Then her breath caught as she saw the last of the figures dismount. Dressed in crimson red and donning a long scoped rifle, was the familiar face of their commander.

"The commander?" Wa gasped as she huddled up next to her.

"Ah that makes sense, how else could he command through jamming," Nagant mused in reply.

"Wha- but-." Wa tried to protest.

The commander barked an order, and the dolls began fanning out around the building, firing on any SF that tried to step past the treeline. Witha furious barrage, helped by the turreted mounts, they effectively established their perimeter.

At that point, he waved towards Mp5, and alongside them headed into the bottom floor.

"M4! Friendlies coming up!" Cano shouted, whirling around.

M4 glanced back at her with shock in her eyes, then anxiously glancing back downstairs before raising her rifle up above her shoulder.

A moment later, the familiar faces of MP5 and the commander appeared, rising above the railing.

"You girls alright?" he called.

"We have had worse," Nagant replied.

Cano hobbled over to him as he glanced down at Rs.

"She gonna be alright?" he asked under his breath.

Cano needed a minute, looking down at Rs, listening to the painful wheeze as her chest rose and fell.

"I -uh," she began, "I hope so."

The commander nodded, "Well grab a doll or two and load her up carefully, make sure not to bend her too much in any way or apply too much pressure."

Cano nodded, and the commander stepped past her.

Darkness had finally swept over the sky, revealing a million stars shining overhead in a vast display that one only ever saw so far from civilization. Beneath them, the storm still raged off to the east. Lightning flashed and split the sky as thunder rolled over the land, rumbling as the clouds flew westward.

It was fitting, Cano supposed.

"Mmph…" groaned the head laying in her lap.

Rs turned over onto her back, settling down with a wince. Her breathing was slow and labored, with a sickening wheeze to it. The two of them were the sole occupants of their vehicles' rear seats, allowing Rs to lay on her back and stretch out.

"Hey, Rs, are you okay?" She asked.

"Ye-" She tried, only for a coughing fit to overtake her.

Cano held her friend's head steady and didn't let her try and sit up, as the commander had instructed her to do. Rs' head and body were almost painfully hot to the touch, with beads of sweat dotting her brow and soaking through her shirt.

"Stay still, we'll be home in a couple minutes.

Rs fought off the last of her coughing fit and tried to squirm a bit under Cano's grip to get comfortable.

"I take it we won?"

The tactical networks had all reconnected once they'd left the jamming radius, but Cano was still a bit startled to hear Rs' voice on comms.

"We did."

"M4?"

"In the car behind us, she's okay."

"What about M14?"

She was quiet for a moment. Her lips pursed as the image of MP5 carrying the top half of M14's body to the vehicle replayed in her mind.

"She'll be back soon, hopefully…"

"I see…"

Just then, the JLTV hit what was probably a pothole in the highway, sending a sharp jolt through the cabin. Rs stifled a yelp as her body hopped up off the seat for a moment before coming back down.

"Owww…"

"Almost home," Cano reassured her, patting her cheek.

Rs shuddered before a far away look came across her.

"I think I'm getting a bit too old for this."

"Pretty sure being old isn't the problem, more like your poor squishy human body."

"Same thing? Maybe I should just do desk work for the rest of my life."

"Heh, I don't think so, you'd be clawing at the walls within a week. Still maybe a less physically demanding job would do you some good… Pole dancing maybe? You do still have your looks after all~"

"Heh-" Rs managed a short chuckle before another coughing fit began to take hold, though this time she managed to just hold it in long enough for it to subside.

"Sorry, I'll shut up."

"Please don't. I'm already in for a long night"

Cano tilted her head, "Why not?"

Rs grinned, "Not sleeping tonight. Systems ain't gonna let me until my heart's all fixed up"

"Seems counterproductive."

Rs gave a half-hearted shrug, "It's kept me alive. The bypass isn't reliable for extended use, so I need to be awake in case it starts to fail."

"How long?"

"Probably all night, hopefully not much longer."

"Wow, that long huh?"

"Yeah, I got fucked up."

"No kidding. You're kinda an idiot for trying to throw down with an SF Ringleader."

"Guilty as charged."

"Heh, Fair enough."

Their car crested a hill on the highway, giving Cano a moment to spy a cluster of lights and buildings clustered off in the distance. She felt a warm feeling well up inside her at the sight of the twinkling lights.

NOTES:

Oh, I never uploaded this? Well, its live now, and I yet live