Chapter 2: Skirmish

Aoi’s L115A3 rings out as she fires her first .338 lapua magnum round and seconds later one of the FPMCCG soldiers falls to the ground with a cloud of red where he used to stand the rest panic at the sudden shot. Another shot goes off before they can react, and another man disappears from combat. The next shot fired off hits home on target, now with three men down the rest realise they should head for cover from the sniper. Pushing them further into the minefield and crossfires that the rest of the team have set up. As they panic they come into range of Kakōgan’s Howa type 89 which is being used as a DMR picking off those stuck hurdling our defences and those that avoid the first wave of 5.56 rounds are gunned down by Shian’s H&K 416 rounds. Kiiroi is nowhere to be seen but then a bunch of soldiers fall to the ground and the distinctive sound of .45 rounds is heard as he dispatches those who were trying to blindside us. With the majority of the thirty five dispatched by the group the rest of the FPMCCG start a tentative retreat, so they don’t get caught in Aoi’s line of fire again. Once out of range start running for the safety of their F.O.B and making sure we aren’t following them. Moments after the remaining enemies are out of sight, the sound of helicopters can be heard and then two large thuds as large black boxes full of food land on the ground behind us in the area marked out by the flares. Kiiroi makes some quick checks for traps, and once given the all-clear the rest of the team approach. However more noise is heard that doesn’t indicate more helicopters arriving, but it’s another more disconcerting and unsettling noise than the whirring the duo of helicopters made just minutes ago.

“Aoi! Can you see behind those tall-ass buildings and tell us what the hell that noise is?”

“S-sure thing, Shian.”

“So ya little coward? What’s it look like?”

“W-we don’t happen to h-have any heavy artillery d-do we Kakōgan?”

“No, why Aoi?”

“T-the FPMCCG h-have deployed three t-tank squadrons, and they’re m-moving towards us a-at full s-speed.”

“Thanks for the info Aoi. Team! Let’s get as many of these boxes as we can and get out of the A.O.!”

“Roger!”

Safely making it back to the East portal of the Taiyō tunnel the team link up with some armed civilians from the Hiroto settlement who had been waiting to help carry the supplies back into the settlement. Once back inside the walls of the settlement, the now slightly roughed up Logic crew, helped out with the sorting and storage of the food that had just been the source of that minor skirmish they’d been involved with. After finishing with the food, they went about performing regular checks of the settlements automatic safety systems along with the firearms sometimes carried by civilians. Making sure they’re all in proper working order for any surprises that may come their way before we come back in a week’s time. It may not look like this is doing much to overthrow the government at the moment, however the support of the civilians and ensuring they feel they can survive and are safe with the Logic organisation’s protection is key. This is in conjunction with whittling down the FPMCCG’s numbers and drawing up plans on how the two key strongholds that the FPMCCG holds in the country will be taken back, so that the current government’s position is weakened and the Restorer’s can make a claim for territory. The first major target in the Restorers crosshairs being the Federal Data Reserve or FDR here in Ōtārū. The other is located in the Capital City of Hiketsu, and was home to the building hosting the democratic government and seat of power for the country, the Pentagon Houses of the Crown republic of rosé. Since the outbreak and subsequent takeover by the FPMCCG that building has been turned into a base of operations for the FPMCCG’s operations throughout the whole nation, with smaller regional HQs like the FDR scattered in each of the old provinces of the nation. The first job the squads and teams of the Restorer’s organisation have is to liberate the FDR, and restore the LOGIC computer inside. Ousting the FPMCCG from the Pentagon Houses to restore a government for the people is the final goal in this long mission. Restorer’s operations are coordinated from the Crow’s flight game development office building in downtown Ōtārū, the building has also been turned into a temporary barracks for some squads, that perform mostly local tasks like the Red October. Once finished with the security checks at the Hiroto settlement, Red October’s return route was radioed through to command, with confirmation received the team left the small underground settlement and headed towards the Western portal of the Taiyō tunnel.

“Anyone at the exit Aoi?”

“N-no, like n-normal.”

“Thought after all the noise we just made they would deploy some more patrols around the area, given they deployed some tanks after us.”

“Kakōgan you worry too much the FPMCCG are like flies to us they pose no threat.”

“I wish I was as confident as you are Shian, or maybe your just too dumb to know how deadly they truly are.”

“Hey! I’m not dumb, come here I’ll kill you right now! They are a threat to civilians, but not to us who have been trained to fight them.”

“Kakōgan, Shian that’s enough.”

“Yes, Sir Kiiroi.”

“Enough with the sass Shian. We all know that you get off when it comes to killing.”

“I do not get off by killing! I’ll show right now I don’t!”

“B-but y-you do go a bit c-crazy when k-killing people is involved in the mission brief.”

“Really, Aoi I thought you had my back. Guess you’re not as much of a coward after all, and yes I get a bit, only a bit, crazy when it comes to killing people. Something from the past”

“You gonna share what. Shian?”

“You don’t share Kakōgan, so why should I?”

“She has a point boss.”

“Kiiroi, as much as I like being called boss, it’s kind of off putting. Please just call me Kakōgan, and nothing else.”

“Ok, Kakōgan. Also we’re 10 blocks away from being home.”

“Oh yay! I can get the blood off my clothes before it stains. Wonder what Saya has cooked up as well.”

“Don’t get your hopes up Shian. She’s probably been too busy to make something for her ‘star squad’.”