Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction ❯ Black Knights, Steel Hearts ❯ Chapter 37

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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Bubble Gum Crisis is copyrighted by Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. I am
just borrowing the characters for a little while, and promise not to
bend, fold, or staple them - unless I can come up with a good reason to
do so. I can be contacted at the Email address above. C&C will be
accepted, out and out flames will result in a Boomer or two being sent
after you, once they get around to inventing them.

Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe.....
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Part 3 - Endgame
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Chapter 37

Gulf and Bradley Biomechanical Research Institute
District 5
Sunday, December 23, 2035
4:55am

Skeeter glanced at his watch. "Gawaine Six to all units," he said quietly into his transmitter, "Move out on my command. Rattler Four, we need a foot in the door. South side, near the parking lot."

//Understood,// replied the gunship's pilot. //One doorknocker coming up in thirty seconds.//

From the alleyway, the giant stared across the street at the large, multistory building that rose up into the night sky. The Gulf and Bradley Biomechanical Research Institute was an ugly mass of steel, concrete, and glass that reminded Skeeter of a overweight pyramid. It occupied a three block section of the city among the slowly decaying apartment buildings and office towers of the district, like a diamond on a pile of rags. A five meter tall white wall separated the Research Institute from the surrounding decay, with watchtowers in each corner of the rectangular boundary. Almost like a fairy-tale castle.

That image is about to change, the Gang leader thought. He stepped back into the alley and adjusted the modified heavy machine gun slung across his back. He l ooked at his other members of the strike team waiting with him in the alleyway. Twenty-five of his people were going in with the Black Knight team, while the two armored cars, their crews, and a squad of snipers would stay outside and guard their backs. He looked over at Doc. "They still snoozing?"

The weaponsmith looked up from a hand-held monitor. "What passes for defense patrols inside those walls has no conception that we're about to accost them," he said softly. "Their astonishment should be complete. Also, Rodent has communicated that his clansmen have severed the communications lines conveying out of the institute."

"What about the jamming?"

Doc gave him a look of suffering. "In position and arranged to commence on your utterance."

"Are your people in place?"

"Any vehicles that try to abscond from the complex will be eradicated."

"Hey, Boss," said Hosokoawa, who was standing next to Doc. "What happens if the ADP show up? We've got enough on our plates without having to dance with them too."

"If our luck holds we're be free and clear before those bums show up. If they or the N-police show up, we pull the plug and get the hell out. Disengage and run, clear?"

The troops nodded. Doc smiled. "Mr. Phillips is presently fabricating preparations to dampen any hasty rejoinder of our actions by the public constabulary."

Hosokoawa scowled as he tried to make sense of what Doc had said. Skeeter smiled slightly at Hosokoawa's expression. "Phillips is setting up some delaying obstacles just in case the Police do show up."

"Oh."

Skeeter held out a fist to Doc. "Well, good luck and good hunting, brother."

The two friends slapped fists just as Rattler Four said, //Making my attack run now -- fifteen seconds. Still no reaction from the target's defenses.//

Doc dashed down the alley, through the assembled strike team, heading towards the armored car at the far end. Skeeter watched him go, then turned and looked at the Research Institute with it's gleaming white walls and glittering glass.

//Birds away!//

"Everyone down!" shouted Skeeter, and the entire team dropped onto the damp concrete, patches of snow, and cold mud. Without being order to, they covered their heads and flattened themselves as much as possible.

The first two missiles came screaming in from about Skeeter's head, sounding like banshees as the passed over the alley and slammed into the perimeter wall, taking a twenty meter stretch of the barrier and the corner watchtower apart in the blink of an eye. As the sound of the explosion tore through the night sky, two more missiles crashed into the wall, ripping another breach in the wall.

//Knock, knock. Rattler Four to Gawaine Six, the door is open. Oh boy, is it ever open!//

Skeeter surged to his feet. As he did so, he saw the Black Knight team dropping into the street and start charging for the first hole. He stepped out into the street and unslung his machine gun. "Squads One, Three, and Five -- take the far breach! Squads Two and Four with me!"

In a matter of seconds, the street was filled with armed warriors surging for the destroyed walls.

**********

G&B Research lab G-46
MegaTokyo, Japan
Sunday December 23, 2035
4:57am

Mclaren felt someone shake him roughly out of a sound sleep. "What the hell is it?" he shouted. "Stop shaking me!"

"We got problems," replied Jiro Kurokawa. "Explosion up at ground level."

Mclaren opened an eye to glare at him. "So?"

"The phones are dead, as are all communication links to the outside. Also, all access ways to the surface have been locked down. We're trapped."

Mclaren sat up. "Are you sure?" Kurokawa nodded.

"Damm it," Mclaren growled. "The first decent night's sleep I've gotten in six months, ruined because of some idiot set off an explosion! Where are the boomer guards? Their link with the fellows upstairs should still work."

"We haven't seen any."

"Then go find one! Where's the most secure place on this floor?"

"Storage room in the northwest corner."

"Start getting everyone organized, just in case it's something more then an accident. Any chance to maybe reviving a boomer quickly to give us a hand?"

Kurokawa shook his head. "It'll take three hours minimum, and that's with cutting all safety measures."

Mclaren ran his hand through his hair. "How many techs do we have down here?"

"Close to a dozen."

"Right. See if we can jury-rig a couple of the spare Boomer weapons, in case we need them to break out of here or to fend off an attack."

A distant explosion occurred for somewhere over their heads.Kurokawa looked up. "That sounded closer then the first one," he said, looking worried.

Mclaren felt his blood crow cold. "I think we are under attack."

"But who?"

"How the hell should I know?" snapped Mclaren. "But if it isn't related to those two damm fool idiot Bradleys, then I'll become a monk."

Another explosion echoed thorough the building above them. Kurokawa heading for the door. "I don't know about you becoming a monk, my friend, but I think you might want to start practicing your praying. We may need it."

**********

ARNPTSE Storage Compound
District 9
Sunday, December 23, 2035
4:57am

"Galahad Six to all teams -- status check."

Chika Kamayawa waited for her squad leaders to check in. As she did so, she stared out over the compound before her through a broken window. She had chosen an abandon factory across the street from the main entrance of the warehousing complex for her observation post. The factory was a gutted eyesore, like so much of the area, but still sound enough for her purposes.

The storage area was near the docks, brightly lit and fairly secured. It was mostly just a large, level place where consignments that were in transit were stored in large, sheet-iron structures until the were loaded onto the next ship going to the shipment's destination. Around the boundary, a pair of thick, chain mail fences, four meters apart and topped with barb wire, prevented all but the most determined attempts. A pair of squat, three story-tall office buildings, dubbed Chalice One and Chalice Two in the plan, occupied the front two corners of the land.

As an wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf and Bradley, ARNPTSE handled mostly G&B cargos. But the intelligence reports indicated that this was probably where the twins stored the Boomers they were stockpiling for their attack on GENOM. Chika's mission was locate all Boomer stockpiles and destroy them. Unlike her leader's attack, hers was suppose to be more finesse then brute strength. But Chika was a great believer in Murphy's Law, and expected trouble.

//Galahad Red -- In place.// That was the attached Black Knight team, positioned in the wasteland to the south of the warehouses. They were making the recon run, their hardsuit's sensor systems superior to anything Doc could come up with.

//Galahad Blue -- ready.// Two squads of her people, carrying C-9 and RDXI plastique explosives charges, stationed with the Knights. Once the Knights had pinpointed a storage location, Blue would move in and plant the charges while the Knights guarded them.

//Galahad Green -- ready.// Three more squads of her people and two of the homegrown armored cars, located in the factory below her. They were functioning as both security and a reserve force, in case things went to slime.

//Galahad Black in position.// Chika couldn't see the gunship in the night sky, but she knew it was there, ready to supply an offensive punch if needed. Until then it would circle and watch out for any areal threat to the operation.

//Nightlight will be ready in one -- wait, Nightlight is green.// That was one of her people stationed outside the nearest electrical relay station to the storage yard. As soon as she gave the word, several blocks of plastique would turn the main relay board into electrical scraps, hopefully shutting down the lights and electrical alarms long enough for her team to do the job.

"Anyone see the guard boomers?' Chika asked, peering through a pair of binoculars.

//Negative, Six,// said the leader of the Black Knight team. //Do we wait?//

Chika thought for a moment. "Negative. We go in one. Green, be ready to move on my say-so."

//We're close, Six.//

//Blue to Six. Two-boomer patrol, at two-thirty, four hundred meters, near the crane.//

The raven-haired women swung her binoculars over to where the report mentioned. She saw the pair almost at once, moving slowly and carefully on all four feet. "I've got them," she said. "They look like standard K-9 types. Can you avoid them, Red?"

//It shouldn't be too hard, Six,// replied the Knight's leader. //I'm more concerned abut the ones I don't see.//

"Red, is there any way you can tap into the storage system for this place to see if we can narrow down the area?"

//Negative Six. The system is limited to the offices in the main buildings, plus these shipments are very likely not in the system anyway. We're going to have to do this the hard way.//

"We've wasted enough time. Nightlight, go."

There were several seconds of delay, then the sound of a distant explosion reached her ears. The light in the compound flickered, then went out, plunging the entire area into darkness.

"Six to Red - go"

//Already on the way.//

Chika picked up night vision goggles lying on the windowsill in front of her and put them on. The view was eerie, a mix of black and green that outlined all objects in the goggle's view with varying success. A flicker of movement in the corner of the goggle made her shift her head slightly to focus on it. The flicker became a figure in a hardsuit, moving carefully along the roof spine of a warehouse. Two more hardsuited figures, on other warehouse roofs, came into view

"Six to Red," she said calmly. "I have you spotted."

//Copy, Six. And sign of Boomers?//

Chika scanned the rest of what she could see of the compound. "Negative, Red." She saw movement near one of the office buildings. "Hold it, I have unknown movement near Chalice Two."

Not waiting for any acknowledgment, she watched the man walked away from the building and peer around with a flashlight providing him with a weak light to see by. Someone, probably one of the human security guards, had come out to take a look around. After several seconds, the guard turned and walked back to the nearest office building, speaking to something in his hand as he did so.

"The guards are wondering what's going on."

//I don't doubt it,// replied the Knight's leader. //Give then another three minutes to try and call someone before they start thinking of a possible attack.//

//Red two to Galahad Six,//cut in a new voice. // I'm picking up a possible concentration of deactivated boomers below me.//

"Where's your location?" asked Chika, staring back out at the figures on the rooftops.

//Building Alpha Four.// One of the trio stuck it's arm into the air and moved it back and forth. //Permission to investigate?//

"Granted. Red team, cover her."

//Understood.// The other two figures leapt to the target's roof and knelt next to the third figure. A brief flash of light from the middle Knight was the only signal that an opening had been cut into the roof of the building. One by one, the hardsuited team slipped inside.

It was silent for ten seconds, then twenty. Chika continued to look at the ware-house for any activity, but nothing happened. It was another minute before something happened.

//Green Six to Galahad Six,// came the voice of Suyuri, Galahad Green's team leader, from the floor below. //We've got multiple bad guys coming out of the Chalices.//

Chika directed her attention back to the office buildings just in time to see another half dozen armed security men come charging out of the main doors of each building, joining another dozen already out in the night. They were armed with rifles and machine guns, not standard issue weapons for the time and place. "What the hell...."

//The Knights might have set off an alarm.//

More security types came running out of the office buildings. There was upwards of thirty now, in a complex that wasn't suppose to have more then six human guards at any time. "Where did these goons come from?" Chika growled.

//I don't know, Six,// replied Suyuri, as the Gulf and Bradley men started to spread out among the warehouses. //Somebody screwed up on the intel for this one.//

Just then, several pops were heard, coming from the warehouses. Those were followed by several small explosions in rapid succession. Several of the guards still in sight slowed, then starting running hard towards the warehouse where the sounds were coming from.

"Damm!" Chika snarled. "Galahad Six to Red Six. Unwelcome company on the way. Can you abort?"

There were several seconds of static, then Red Six snarled, //Negative! We are under attack from several C-class-type Boomers. We cannot withdraw right now!//

It's a fucking trap! Her mind screamed at her. "Are the Boomers extra security?"

//Negative!// Red Six shouted. A burst of static scrambled part of his next transmission. //...be setting some charges of their own!//

Chika frowned. "Say again!"

//The Boomers are setting demo charges of their own! They're planning to blow this place sky-high!//

What the...GENOM! The gang leader's mind raced furiously. She couldn't leave the Black Knight in trouble. Too many problems would occur if she turned tail and ran, the least of which would be Skeeter's anger. Which meant having to commit to an attack. But how, where? The answer came almost as fast as the question.

"Galahad Six to all Galahad teams!" she shouted into her radio as she starting running for the stairs. "Orders as follow: Blue team is to move up and support Red. Use the demo charges if you have to, but Red needs the support ASAP! Green team, We're hitting the front gate and draw off the security goons. Black team, cover Green! All teams, EXECUTE NOW!"

She hit the top of the stairs and started down, taking the steps three at a time. By the time she'd cleared the last step, the two armored cars were already clear of the building and charging for the warehouse complex's outer fence. Chika raced after them, her orders sharp and clear as she directed the improvised attack

The screams and battle cries of over a dozen people were mixing with deep throated roar of engines and the solid 'thud' of a heavy machine gun. At Chika's command, several of the gang members stopped long enough to arm and throw satchel charges at the fence. The roar and exploding light tore through the night air, tearing several large holes in the outer fence, but it didn't slow the charge any. A pair of security men staggered out of the smoke and darkness. They opened fire at the attackers, but were quickly cut down by return fire. A pair of K-9 Boomers suffered the same fate as they tried to follow their programming.

A black shape roared out of the night sky and fired several rockets at a warehouse closest to the office buildings. For a split second after the rockets slammed through the concrete walls and detonated, the walls bulged as if to try and contain the explosion. The effort failed and the entire building exploded in a ball of light and flame. The Rattlesnake swung around and held position over the attacking force, firing missiles and mini-guns at anything moving in the darkness near the office building.

Several more satchel charges eliminated the inner fence as an obstacle and the attackers, led by the armored cars, stormed through and into the compound. The machine guns in the armored cars began to rake the office buildings with streams of lead, shattering windows and wreaking havoc on anything in their path.

"Secure the buildings!" Chika shouted, then in radio, "Red Team, Blue team, Status?"

A muffled thud of an explosion answered her first. //We're up to our asses in Boomer parts,// said the Knight's team leader.

"Can you pull back towards the main gate?"

//We can sure as Hell try. Blue team should meet up with us in about a minute. We'll move then.//

"We're keep the goon squad and pet Boomers busy for as long as
we can. Don't be late."

//Wouldn't think of it, Six. I --"//

A series of explosions ripped through several of the far warehouses, sending large fireballs of smoke and fire into the night air. Chika and most of the assault squad staggered as the ground shook and a fast moving wall of air flew by them, sounding like an express train. "What the fire of Hell is that?" she shouted, her own voice distant and weak.

//Somebody must have set of some charges around the flammable materials bunker!// someone shouted back.

"Who?"

//It must be those damm Boomers!//

"Shit," Chika growled. "Six to Black. Can you see anything?"

//Only that the far end of the place looks like Dante's Inferno.// The pilot's tone was cold and brisk. //At lest five warehouses are on fire and it's spreading rapidly.//

"Any Boomers in site?"

//Negative. Do you want me to make a low pass?//

"No!" Chika shouted. "Between the fires and the Boomers, it's too great a risk. Stay clear and be ready to make strafing runs if I need them."

//Understood Six. Black is standing by.//

//Green Six to Six. Chalice one and two are secured. Do you want us to press on?//

Chika looked at the flames that reached into the night sky. "Negative, Green. Have your people hold here. We're holding the door open only long enough for Red and Blue to dive through."

//Understood Six. We're holding.//

Tearing her attention away from the glowing sky, Chika dashed towards the nearest office building. As she ran, she wondered how the
other parts of the operation were doing....

**********

Above Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:05am

The KnightWing was packed with people and supplies, so much so that Sylia was forced to stand just inside the cockpit. Both Priss and Mackie were staying in the cockpit, Priss in her back-up hardsuit, while Mackie was wearing a flight helmet with the visor up. He glanced back at his sister. "Four minutes," he said softly.

Sylia nodded, then looked back into the cargo area. There was Nene, Linna, Greg Mallory and his team, five of MALCORP's black ops people, and Leon. Everyone was making last-second check of their equipment.

The leader of the Knight Sabers looked at the pod at the far end of the cabin. Cryotechnology wasn't an area she had much familiarity in, but she knew enough about the basics to understand the purpose of the device and why it was coming along with them.

The idea of using Cryotechnology to place humans into suspended animation wasn't a new concept. The theories themselves were sound, but no practical systems were yet in place. MALCORP, a leader in the field, was the closest to the actuality. The pod, designed to transport critically injured people to advance medical facilities over a great distance, was less then eighteen months from going into production. The pod was Janie's one chance to get out of the building alive.

"Are you all right?" asked Greg on their private channel. She looked over at him, but the visor hid his expression.

She motioned with her head to the pod. "I'm worried about that. Are you sure that's the only way?"

"If you have another way, I'm all ears."

"A bit late for that," she said pointedly.

"I'm not too happy about using it either," said Greg. "But my people have sworn up and down that it'll work, and I believe them." His tone changed slightly. "I have to."

Sylia looked at the ugly rifle Red Four was making final adjustments to. "What is that weapon your EW member is carrying?"

"EMP rifle," replied Knight One. "Shoots an armor-piercing shell that scrambles a Boomer's internal circuits. Red Four still has his EW capability, but he's geared up for Boomer hunting tonight."

"An interesting concept," the White Saber conceded. "Any chance of you sharing the design with me after this?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "I think I can see myself clear to do so."

"Two minutes," said Mackie over the loudspeaker. "No sign of the diversionary attack yet."

"How long can we hold?" asked Greg, his voice all business now.

"No more then five minutes," replied Sylia, her voice also efficient. "With the extra passengers and cargo, I want at least ten minutes of fuel in reserve.

"Right." He turned to one of his team. Sylia didn't hear the conversation, as it was on the Knight's private channel. After several seconds, the second Knight nodded in response to something Greg had said. Knight One looked back at Sylia. "Five minutes it is."

Sylia nodded. All they could do is wait.

**********

Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:03am

Cora came running into Carlton's office, her expression a mix of shock and anger. "We're under attack again," she said.

Carlton looked up at her. "Where?"

"The Biomechanical Research Institute. They hit the place about five minutes ago. The reports are sketchy, all land lines are down, and radio communications being jammed."

The chairman of Gulf and Bradley stood up. "Is it GENOM?" he snarled.

Cora's face harden. "MALCORP."

Carlton strode around the desk. "Is the girl ready to move?"

"She is, but Kyso thinks she has only a twenty percent chance of making it to the island alive."

"In that case, Doctor Kyso have a twenty percent chance of reaching the island. Make sure she knows that."

Cora's smile was chilling. "I already told her as much. There's a helicopter waiting for us on the pad."

"Everything else in place?" asked Carlton, picking up a briefcase off the desk with one hand and a large semi-automatic pistol with the other.

"Yes."

"Good." He smiled at his sister. "We're not beaten yet, merely... delayed. Get the girl and I'll meet you at the helicopter."

**********

Outside Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:03am

Dailey watched as the large building that housed Gulf and Bradley's Japan headquarters grew even larger through the windshield. While it wasn't anywhere near the size and imposing presence of GENOM Tower, it was still a structure designed to impress the visitor.

Dailey wasn't impressed. Rather, he was tired, irritated with a headache and a sour stomach, and in no mood for any grand gestures.

"What makes you think the Bradleys will be here?" Ko asked as he turned into the building's driveway.

"Where the hell else are they going to be?" Dailey asked. "They live in the damm -" His sentence was cut short as he saw the group of armed men clustered around the building's front doors. If the rifles and machine guns weren't enough to send the message that somebody was nervous, the way they pointed their weapons at the unmarked police car make that point clear.

Ko saw them too. "How do we play this?"

Before Dailey could answer, a low rumbling started. Several of the guards started looking around. One of the pointed into the night sky, just as a spread of missiles came out of the night and slammed into the Gulf and Bradley headquarters building.

Several explosions rocked the front of the building, turning night into day. Men and rubble went flying and sheets of flame rolled out what use to be the lobby. Ko slammed on the breaks and sent the car into a skid, as chunks of rock and metal bounced off the vehicle with sufficient force to dent and crack the windshield and hood. The car stopped short of the inferno.

Get us out of here!" Dailey shouted, all trace of his mood washed away in a sea of adrenalin. Ko slammed the transmission into reverse, wheels skidding as the car shot away from the wreckage. Not until the car had reached a 'safe' distance from the explosions did he slam on the breaks and stop the car.

Eyes wide, he shouted, "What the hell was that?"

"You're asking me?" countered Dailey.

Something low and loud roared over their heads. Dailey managed to see the lean outline of a helicopter gunship as it came in for another pass. Another one joined it and they both turned and fired another volley of missiles into the maelstrom of fire and destruction. "Drive us back to the corner," he directed the younger man.

Ko did so quickly, though not as fast as he done before. "Do we call for backup?"

Several figures dropped out of the hovering helicopters and started up the stairs. Dailey peered hard at them, cursing under his breath as he saw they were wearing black hardsuits. A couple of the hardsuits were carrying what looked to be multi-barreled chain guns and short-muzzled cannons. "Against a couple of military-grade gunships and heavily armed hardsuits?" Dailey pointed to the helicopter as it opened fire on the lobby with several cannons in support of the hardsuits.

"We have to do something!" Ko shouted back, his face pale and drawn

Dailey exhaled slowly. I am getting too old for this shit! "You're right. Call Lars and get him and his people out here. Tell them to expect trouble and to bring any heavy stuff he can get his hands on."

"Without the chief's permission?"

"Fuck the chief's permission." He wanted a cigarette, but his mouth was too dry. "The city's going to hell and I'm getting sick and tired of it."

Ko nodded and started speaking into the radio. Dailey watched the hardsuits move in against the Gulf and Bradley security force. Finally, he opened the door and got out. Ko leaned over and asked, "Wait a minute! Where are you going?"

Dailey pulled out a stomach rifle from behind his seat. "I'm going to check out the situation."

"Not without me you're not!" He spoke rapidly into the microphone, and shut off the radio and got out.

Dailey gave him a tight smile. "Then grab your rifle and come on. Maybe we can figure out something for Lars to do when he gets here."

Ko looked at the fire wreckage and bodies. "Assuming there's anything left."

Dailey nodded. "Assuming there's anything left."

**********