Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction ❯ Black Knights, Steel Hearts ❯ Chapter 39
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Trboturtle 
War rages all across the city. . . .(Pt 1)
Anime/Manga: Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mecha / Cyberpunk / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.17.2008 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 538 | Status: Completed
War rages all across the city. . . .(Pt 1)
Anime/Manga: Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mecha / Cyberpunk / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.17.2008 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 538 | Status: Completed
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The Bubble Gum Crisis OVA's (which this story is based on) are copyrighted
by Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. I am just borrowing the characters for a little
while for non-monetary reasons. Serious CandC will be accepted, out-and-out
flames will result in a Boomer or two being sent after you, once they get around
to building them.
Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe . . .
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Chapter 39
Gulf and Bradley Biomechanical Research Institute
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:03am
Skeeter stormed through the shattered glass doors, flanked by the Black Knight team and trailed by the rest of his strike team. Outside, an explosion signaled the destruction of the last watchtower.
The foursome scanned the large, formally glass-enclosed, lobby. The floor was tile, a cold grey in color, that gave the lobby a coldness that was more imagined then real. It was sparsely furnished with several chairs clustered around a pair of low tables, leaving a lot of empty space between them and the banks of elevators at the far end of the entrance hall. A large circular desk sat in the center of the lobby, guarding the space between the waiting area and the elevators. A sterile example of the modern corporation.
But now, it wasn't immaculate. There was glass everywhere, mostly from the windows and doors that hadn't held up under multiple shockwaves. A couple of bodies, dressed in guards uniforms laid near the desk, with no way of telling if they were alive or dead. A decapitated boomer stood between the doors and desk, intermittent sparks mixing with the rancid stench of boomer fluid. Some floor tiles were cracked, chipped, or scarred by fire and shrapnel. A pale of smoke hung in the air.
Skeeter glanced behind him. "Third Squad, check the bodies! Second and Fifth Squads, let's get some defenses set up in case we have visitors! First and Fourth Squads, with me!" He glanced over at the leader of the Black Knight team. "Okay, White. Where do we go now?"
The Knight, a multi-barrel minigun on his arm where the right hand would be, glanced over at the other two members of his team, and pointing to the front desk. "Three, startcracking. Two, cover her. I want locations and any other data about security."
Just then, one set of elevator doors opened and three Boomers charged out, shedding their disguises as they rushed the intruders, firing their built-in weapons. Four steps into their attack, a wall of lead, lasers and steel slammed into them. One went staggering back, fluid and smoke erupting from its shattered body, before it collapsed in a heap. The next boomer lost most of its head to a minigun blast, then both its legs to a grenade blast, all in a split
second.
The third boomer made it halfway to the group of intruders when Skeeter stepped forward, yelled, "COVER!", then triggered the grenade launcher mounted under the barrel of his machine gun. The launcher coughed and a grenade the size of a soda can slammed into the charging Boomer's chest. A sheet of light engulfed the Boomer as the thermite grenade ignited, eating through the Cyberdroid's armor with ease. The Boomer staggered, then crumpled as another storm of projectiles smashed into it.
There were several seconds of silence as the intruders waited for any other reaction. Finally the Black Knight leader said. "The numbers are running, let's move!"
"You heard the man!" Skeeter shouted, breaking open the grenade launcher and placing a fresh shell into the chamber. "You've got your orders, only I now want First to double-check those Boomers to make sure they stay dead! Move!"
The combatants scattered. While a group grabbed the tables and chairs and started dragging then towards the reception desk, several moved towards the downed Boomers, weapons ready to continue what they had started. Another group checked the bodies, then dragged them out of the way. No one said anything, and the only sounds were that of furniture being dragged, the crunching of glass under boots, and the crackling of the thermite as it continued to consume the Boomer and the floor under it.
The Knights and Skeeter walked towards the desk, trailed by one of Skeeter's squads. As they passed the third Boomer, Skeeter looked at the charring remains and said. "Those weren't
C-55s."
"GBS-33's," said the Knight's leader. "G and B's version of the C-55's. Not as heavily armed, armored, strong, or adaptable as GENOM'S models, but they don't go rouge nor can they be used against Gulf and Bradley. They used them solely as internal security and don't sell them outside of the conglomerate."
"How many do you think there are?"
There could be upwards of a hundred on-site, though I doubt there's more then twenty active right now."
By now, one of the Knights had reached the computer. A small compartment popped open in the hardsuit's left arm, and several plugs appeared. Moving with confidence, the Knight attached the plugs to the access port on the computer. "Cracking now," she said. "Shouldn't be more then twenty seconds."
"Lobby secured!" shouted Second Squad's leader.
"The Boomers are dead!" bellowed First Squad's leader.
Skeeter tapped his mike "Gawain Six to Gawain Five, Status?"
//Border is acquired,// replied Doc. //No one got out.//
"Good. Objective TANGO is secured. Send in a car to bolster the rear guard and tell the snipers we're beginning phase two. Make sure their know their targets before they fire."
//Understood. Gawain Five-Two is on her way. ETA, two minutes. Gawain Five out.//
"Copy. Gawain Six out." Skeeter looked at the Black Knight leader. "With all the pandemonium going on tonight, we'll have about a thirty minute window to do the job."
"We're in!" Said White Three excitedly.
White One turned to look at his teammate. "Can you shut down the active boomer patrols?"
"Negative, One, but I can block the access of anyone trying to activate more from storage."
"Do it. How many active boomers are there right now?"
Three scanned several screens before she answered. "There's forty-two listed as active, not including the four we've taken out. Twenty-three of them are on the floors above us. I figure it's going to take them about two minutes to get their electronic asses together and come after us."
"What about the other fifteen?"
"They're scattered through several levels below us."
"How many sublevels?" asked Skeeter.
"The systems lists seven, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's more."
Skeeter looked at the hardsuited leader. "Which way do we go?"
"Down," replied the Knight's leader. "That's where the labs we want are liable to be."
"Right." The giant turned and shouted, "Fourth squad! I want those elevators immobilized now! Then I want those shafts wired for detonation! First Squad, cover them!" He scanned the lobby, nodding to himself as he saw the barriers his people had erected in the short amount of time. "Third Squad! Wire the stairwells for detonation! Second and Fifth squads, prepare to repel attackers!"
The strike team scattered to their tasks. The Knights watched the actions in silence. "Your people are well trained," said White One quietly.
"They had better be," growled Skeeter. "They've had enough practice at it."
White One turned to White Three. "Can you degrade the Boomer's coordination links?"
The EW Knight shook her head. "Not through the system. The best I can do is jam any coordination with units outside the links. It won't affect the boomers any, but it will make it impossible for a relief force to orchestrate an organized attack."
"Do it." the Knight looked at the giant."How many squads do you want to keep up here?"
"Two," Skeeter replied. "Second and Fifth squads. We'll take First, Third and Fourth with us. We have some short range EW equipment Doc cobbled together. It isn't fancy, but it will make the cyberdroids' job harder."
"I suppose you have a way of getting us into those sublevels?"
"Several, actually." the gang leader removed the magazine from his machine gun and replaced it with another. "Depending on what the enemy throws at us and how much damage you want to cause."
"How long will it take to wire the shafts and stairwells?"
"No more then two minutes. My people have had plenty of practice."
"Then we move out in two minutes."
"Good. I still have some aggression to burn off." With that, Skeeter walked away, shouting orders to his people.
White Two watched the giant direct his people. "Remind me to never piss him off," he said over their team's channel.
White One agreed silently.
**********
Outside Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:07am
Daley and Ko were hunched behind a low stone wall near the steps that use to lead to the lobby. The lobby, as well as most of the ground floor of the building, was now a disaster area. Shattered glass, twisted metal, and stone fragments littered the area. Several bodies, intact and otherwise, were interspersed among the wreckage. As far as the two police officers could see, all the bodies were either unarmored security men or boomers that had taken too much punishment. There was still the constant clatter of gunfire, changing in loudness and pitch as weapons were fired, reloaded and fired again. Here and there, a black hardsuit could be seen for a handful of seconds before the smoke and flame covered the image. A haze hung in the air, the smell of death and devastation a sickening crown to the hellstorm around them.
The situation was worse then the two ADP detectives thought. They had dashed as close as they dared to the battleground, but they found themselves still about ten meters from the building's front doors. Going any farther into the building without heavy armor or arms would be suicide for both of them, but neither one was willing to just stay there.
"The next time I get one of the great ideas," growled Daley, "You have standing orders to shoot me."
"That's a tempting thought." Ko looked at his superior. "For the record, I now think we should have stayed with the car."
"You should have thought about that before we decided to do this," replied Daley.
"I know." Ko glanced up over the wall to see if they was anyone out in or around the lobby, then dropped down again. "Can we get into the building though the front door?"
"I wouldn't want to take the chance. Neither side knows or even cares about us right now, and getting shot at by both sides isn't a good idea in my book."
"We could try the parking garage."
"And do what, flash our badges and hope the people on duty fall over themselves to help us?" asked Daley mildly. "Right now, we're screwed. The best we can hope for is to get out of this alive. See if you can raise Lars over the radio and tell him to expect trouble."
Ko keyed the small mike on his radio. "Mu Six, this is Command Five. Can you hear me?" he listened for several seconds, then repeated the message. After the third attempt, he shook his head. "I can't get a hold of them, not with this much interference in the air."
"Right. We can't stay here and we can't just go home, as much as that idea appeals to me. That's means we're going have to get out of the way and fast."
"We're pulling back?"
"Hell, yes, we're pulling back. Somebody's got to warn Lars what him and his people are going to walk into, and we're it."
"How do you want to do this?"
Daley glanced up over the wall, then ducked down again. "I'll cover you while you drop back to the car," he said in a half-whisper. "Once you get there, you can cover me. Fair enough?"
"I don't know," replied Ko. "Maybe you should go first, and I'll cover you."
The Inspector shook his head. "We're here because I wanted us to be here. This is my fault we're in this. It's my job to get us out in one piece. Now, get going before I make it an order, OK?" The younger man didn't look any happier, but he nodded and adjusted his crouch so he could explode into a run with little warning, the stomach rifle clutched in his arms like a life preserver.
"Now!" Daley said, jumping up form behind the wall, the gauss cannon ready to fire. He heard rather the saw Ko start his dash for the car, but his attention was focused on the surrounding warzone.
A flash of movement off to his right snatched his attention. His head snapped around to look in that direction, his brain trying to match what his eyes had told them was there. Instead of being wrong, his eyes confirmed what his memory told him it was. "Oh shit," he breathed, forgetting everything else around him.
The Boomer coming towards him was not a run-of-the-mill rogue Boomer. The average rampaging boomer was not armed with a 125mm anti-tank gun, ground-to-air and ground-to-ground missiles, grenade launcher and a 10mm minigun. No, the BU-12B Anti-Tank Boomer striding towards him was definitely not your average raging boomer.
The war Cyberdroid was close enough for Daley to see it was painted in light tans, yellows and browns - clearly a desert camouflage of some sort. It moved with a slow, easy confidence born out by it's knowledge that it was the meanest SOB on the street by a long shot. Out of the corner of his vision, the ADP Inspector could see other Boomers flanking the Tank Killer. The BU-12 turned its head to survey the destruction around the G and B's lobby. After several seconds, the massive cannon swung toward the fiery entrance.
Daley may have been surprised by the Boomer's appearance, but there was nothing wrong with his reflexes. Before he heard the 'poomf' of the cannon being fired, he'd dropped back behind the stone wall, rifle forgotten in the knowledge of what was coming. He wasn't disappointed.
The resulting explosion tore the heart out of what remained of the lobby. A fireball the size of a small house lit up the night sky with flame and heat. Daley felt the pressure wave from the explosion pass over him, the wall shuddering as it did so. This model of Boomer was designed to kill tanks, and the steel and concrete of the building was neither strong enough, nor designed to, withstand a 125mm APDS round.
As he cringed behind the doubtful safety of the stone wall, Daley know things had just gotten worse.
Someone had just up the ante big time.
Someone who wasn't going to give a damn about anyone who got in their way.
Someone named GENOM.
It was time to move. Still staying low, Daley grabbed the stomach rifle and started duck walking towards the far end of the wall. At the last moment, he remembered his radio and turned it on.
// -are you?// he head Ko shouting. //Damn it Daley, answer me!//
Daley stopped and keyed the mike. "Sorry about that."
//Are you all right?//
"No. Some guests showed up to crash the party."
//I saw. What the hell is going on?//
"Looks like Quincy dealt himself into this game, and he likes playing with a stacked deck that's in his favor. I only saw a couple of boomers. How many do you see?"
//At least five, all combat types.//
"Where are you?"
//In an alley about thirty meters from the car. Only there's a pair of Boomers standing next to it, and I think that all that my rifle will do is just annoy them.//
"Stay put. I'm betting these guys have been programmed to secure the perimeter, then destroy the G&B building."
//You don't have to tell me twice. What about you?//
Daley glanced around. There were several parked cars nearby, light from the fires behind Daley glittering in the windows He scooted forward between two of the cars and glanced out into the street. No one. He keyed the mike again. "I'm going to make a run for it," he said to Ko. "I'll contact you once I'm clear."
//Good luck.//
Daley released the talk button on his radio, glanced out into the street again, then started across the street, trying to combine speed with staying low. His destination was the black mouth of an alleyway directly across from him, separated by four lanes and a median strip lined with trees.
He had just reached the median strip when he heard a whirling sound. Reacting on instinct, he threw himself onto his stomach just as the trees next to him were torn in pieces by a swarm of slugs. Splinters of wood, torn branches, and shredded leaves covered him as Daley tried to will himself into the short grass.
After what seemed like a lifetime, but probably no more then ten seconds, the avalanche of minced trees stopped, as did the whirling sound. Moving slowly, Daley turned his head in the direction the he had heard the sound coming from. Through a small opening in the pile of brush, he saw another combat boomer standing maybe sixty meters away, the two large machine cannons that hung over its shoulders still pointed in his direction, wisps of smoke drifting from the muzzles. In the back of his mind, the boomer model and stats flashed up like an ghoulish reminder of his own mortality. BU-12B air defense model . . . two 35mm rapid-fire cannons, rate of fire for each cannon - 540 rounds a minute. . . . if the SOB fires into this brush, I'm
so screwed. . . .
He froze as the boomer stood there for ten more seconds before it turned and started moving towards the fire-scorched building. Beyond it, Daley saw several other type of combat boomers advancing, ignoring the few steams of slugs fired at them by the defenders. Slowly, he reached for his radio and keyed the mike. "Ko, I'm going to be a while," he said softly, reaching for the stomach rifle.
//Are you hit?//
"No, but I don't want to give those things a target." He began to move carefully through the shattered limbs, trying to avoid the split wood and finger-length splinters that covered the grass. "If you can't get to the car, get to a phone and call headquarters. Tell Lars he has my direct orders to round up every single person he can get his hands on and get out here ASAP. I want everything and anything that's in the armory out here and ready to be used. Have all units currently out in the field to send anyone they can spare. I want a perimeter containment in place before we move in. And I wanted all done yesterday."
//I'm on it.//
"Good. I'll contact you as soon as possible. Daley out."
It took Daley another minute to free himself from the foliage debris. The right sleeve of his coat was bloody from a splinter that has jabbed him in the forearm, and his stomach and chest was sore from moving across the uneven wood fragments. He ignored the sound of battle that were happening behind him -- the dominating crack of the tank-killer's gun, the tornado scream of the anti-aircraft boomers's cannons, and the higher-pitched snaps of lasers mixing with the sounds of explosions, people screaming, and the hungry crackling of the fires.
My god, Daley thought, risking a look back at the battleground behind him. Quincy must REALLY be pissed off at the Bradley twins! Finally free from his wooden prison, he crawled down the slight slope until he was sitting on the edge of the road, out of direct sight of the war behind him. Part of him screamed for a cigarette, but he overrode that idea with a wave of self-survival. His eyes drifted down to the stomach rifle, and he took the opportunity to look over the weapon for any clear signs of damage. After seeing nothing that would indicate the rifle was useless, he looked around.
Across the street, a figure detached itself from the alley's shadows and moved toward Daley. The ADP Inspector pointed his rifle at it just as the figure moved into the illumination of a streetlamp. The person was wearing a hardsuit, burnished black with dark gold highlights. Instead of a right lower arm, a short barreled weapon of some sort was there, its muzzle pointed at Daley. As the figure got closer, Daley could see a small insignia on the hardsuit's right breast, that of a black horse's head on a gold shield.
Five meters from the Inspector, the Black Knight raised the muzzle of his weapon so it pointed above Daley's head. A voice asked, "Are you planing to stay there all night Inspector, or are you going to follow me?"
**********
When Madigan was ordered to attack the headquarters building of Gulf and Bradley, there was no time for an elaborate, complicated plan. Instead, she just split the attacking force up into two groups and had them attack two of the building's entrances at the same time. With the exception of the VanDell girl, the orders were simple -- destroy anything that came across their paths.
Each spearheaded by a single anti-tank model boomer, the attacking GENOM cyberdroids hit the already chaotic situation with all the power of a tidal wave. While the AT boomers would fire 125mm shells into the building, several of the AA boomers used their 35mm machine guns to rake the windows with storms of lead. As a precaution, the area of the building housing the infirmary was left alone. But between the fire and the continual impact of HE shells, the building was taking an intense pounding.
Under this covering fire, several commando versions of the BU-12 dashed towards the building, occasionally firing their own weapons at targets of opportunity. The return fire was scattered and uncoordinated, as confusion and causalities had taken their toll. The last of the G&B boomers still able to defend the flaming remains of the lobby was torn apart by the firepower of a trio of 12Bs. As the boomer went down in a flaming wreck, the last catterings
of the defenders retreated. The GENOM boomers moved in and secured the main entrance.
At the south entrance, the resistance has heavier. Here, the security consisted of desperate G&B security teamed with security boomer running on Zeta protocols. The result was a sharp, intense firefight with neither side willing to give a centimeter. The GBS-33s security boomers were like madden Samurai defending their lord's castle from an invader, throwing themselves into battle with no concept of self-preservation. The human part of the defense
fought almost as stubbornly, using rockets, rifles, or even chunks of concrete in the attempt to keep the battle boomers from reaching the building.
But the GENOM boomer were designed for this type of combat, and step by step, the defenders were shoved back into the building. Shots, both large and small, ripped into the windows and stone, sending shards of both in every direction. New fires sprang to life and began to spread, adding to the maelstrom of anarchy that had descended on the area.
When the last GBS-33 was torn apart by a 125mm shell, the last guardians ran for their lives. Leaving the AT and AA boomers to defend the entrance, the commando boomers moved into the building on a search and destroy mission. Their mission parameters were downloaded into their silicon brains, and the orders already clear in the RAM, with no room for mercy or guilt and no feeling for anyone who got in their way....
**********
Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:12am
Carlton Bradley was not happy.
In fact, he was in a towering rage. "You cowards!" he shouted into the radio. "Stop running and start fighting, or I'll kill you myself!"
Around him, the other members of the group were divided between the shouting match Carlton was having with a security man on the ground floor and looking uneasily at the walls as they rattled from explosions that seemed to be increasing by the minute. The only ones that looked unimpressed by the surrounding battle were the security boomers that occupied each end of the hallway they were in.
In the center of the hallway, the VanDell girl laid on the stretcher, Doctor Kyso worrying over her with the intensity of someone who didn't want to die. Cora leaned against the wall, her expression partway between hate and hunger to kill something. The other members of the small group were scattered between the three boomers. None of them looked happy.
They had reached the fiftieth floor, two floors below the helicopter pads, when the explosions had begun, causing an alarm among the group. Carlton had immediately grabbed his radio and started demanding to know what happened. It had taken him a minute to find someone who was coherent, and even then the news wasn't good.
//We can't fight combat boomers!// the security man on the radio was shouting back, not really caring that he was yelling at his boss. //They're got at least two fucking anti-tank boomers out there, for god's sake! All our security boomers are destroyed, and I think all we've done to them is piss them off! We can't hold them!//
"How many men do you have left?" Carlton demanded.
//Six,// The security man replied, //and two of them are too badly wounded to fight.//
Carlton's hand tightened on the radio until his knuckles were white. "Gather everyone you can find and cover the parking garage!" he snarled. "You are to hold at all cost! Do you understand? We're making our way there and will join you as soon as possible."
//I understand.// The man didn't sound happy, but Carlton didn't give a damn.
"Then do it!" Carlton turned off the radio and looked at his sister. She was cradling her machine gun like it was a child. "We release Mclaren's boomers now," he told her firmly.
"Are you sure we should do that?" Cora asked. "They're also running under Zeta protocols."
"We have no choice. Those spineless yellowbellies wouldn't hold out for long."
"Then why did you tell them to hold the parking garage? We're not going there."
"I know that and you know that," replied Carlton, pocketing the radio and pulling his pistol from his waistband. "But they don't know that and neither does anyone who intercepted the conversation. With a little luck, most of the enemy will head for the garage to try and block our 'escape.' Between that and the shielded boomers, we continue with the escape plan."
"Right." Cora pulled out a bulky hand sized box, flicked open a small panel on the face of the box. "Boomers activated," she said cheerfully.
"Good. We use the escape staircase. There's an access panel two floors below us."
"I know the one."
"I want you to take up the rear with a boomer. If anyone can't make it...." He left the rest unsaid.
Cora nodded. "No one left behind alive to tell where we've gone. You can trust me, Brother."
"Good." He glared at the others. "Get ready to move out! No stragglers or complainers, or I'll shoot you where you stand."
Just then, the lights started flickering, a sure sign the power lines were taking a beating. "Move out now!" Carlton snapped, and started down the hall, his face an ugly mask of hate. He had to escape in order to continue his plans to kill Quincy, and no homicidal bucket of bolts was going to stop him....
**********
The combined Knight Sabers/Black Knight team met no resistance either on the way down the stairs or on the floor below the roof.
Sylia crouched in the middle of the hallway, allowing her suit's sensors to sweep ahead of her for a possible ambush. Behind her, Nene and Red Four extended their own sensor suites beyond her own. Behind them, the rest of the team was strung out along the hallway, both Sabers and Black Knights watching for any other presence.
"Floor's clear," said Red Four.
"I agree," replied Nene.
Just then the building shuddered as something struck it. "You were saying?" asked Leon in a tight voice.
"We've got problems," said Knight One. "Tristram is reporting combat boomers are attacking the building."
The building trembled again. The sound of heavy guns, muffled by the steel and concrete, was now audible. Knight One looked at the Saber's leader. "We're going to have to move faster then we thought."
Sylia nodded. "How do you want to do this?"
"I'll send Red team via the elevator shaft and drop three floor and start working their way up. The rest of us will start here and work our way down."
"I have no problem with that." Sylia switched channels. "Priss, Mackie, what's your situation?"
Mackie answered the question. //We're about two kilometers south of the target building right now, getting ready to swing around. Is there a problem?//
"Possibly," Sylia replied. "We're getting reports of combat boomers are now attacking the target building."
She heard Priss cursing in the background. Mackie said, //Understand. Do you want us to hold our position here?//
"For now. We need you more for retrieval than fire support."
//Understood. We'll stand by. KnightWing out.//
During her short conversation with Mackie, Knight One had directed Red Team in the new plan of attack. The three Black Knights dashed past Sylia and Nene, heading towards the elevators. Greg nodded to Sylia. "We'll wait thirty seconds, then head for the stairs."
"Fine." Sylia turned to the other members of her team. "Red Saber, you're with me. Green Saber, you're at the rear."
"I'll stay with Green Saber," said Knight One. He turned to the MALCORP men. "Keep one hand free for weapons at all times, and expect trouble. If any Boomers appear, leave them to the hardsuits."
Sylia started for the stairs. "Let's go."
**********
The building half a block down the street from the now fire shrouded Gulf and Bradley building was a office building scheduled for demolition sometime in the near future. Because of the poor condition of the building, the only security were a pair of old guard boomers who were too out of date to be anything more then a nuisance to any would be thief. Of course, there was nothing in the building worth stealing, so real security wasn't needed.
It was here that Carlton had stored the shield equipped boomers. A mixed group of BU-12s and BU-55Cs, this group of twelve was Carlton ace card.
And the ace card was now being played.
The activation signal was received, and in the darkness of an internal room, eyes began to glow red as the boomers' CPUs began to process their uploaded orders....
**********
Outside Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:14am
The hardsuited Knight led Daley through several alleyways to a van idling in an alley a block down and an empty lot away from the battle. From here, Daley could see most of the Gulf and Bradley building's southern entrance, as well as the boomers standing near it. He filed away the questions he had when he saw who was waiting for him.
Jeena Malso was leaning against the side of the black van, looking amused as the ADP Inspector walked up to her. Wearing a black jumpsuit that hugged her figure well, she was primed for the possibility of combat with the binoculars, radio headset and gunbelt she was wearing. She said something into the headset, then nodded to the Knight beside Daley.
"Fancy meeting you here," she remarked as the Knight left them.
"What are you doing here?" The ADP Inspector asked her.
"Besides saving your ass?" Jeena shrugged a shoulder. "The boss told me to come here and wait."
"Wait for what?"
Jeena gave him a level look. "He didn't say," she said insincerely.
Daley sighed. "I'm not looking to arrest anyone right now. For one thing, these people outgun me slightly. Second, you're a friend, and I know you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for something important you believed in. And third, anything I could arrest you for would never seen the inside of a court, so why waste my time?"
The tall woman raised an eyebrow. "You've gotten cynical in your old age."
"I've always been cynical, it's just Leon's better at expressing the feelngs." He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the battle. Speaking of which, where is Leon?"
"He's busy right now. The less you know the better."
Daley looked back at Jeena. "He's inside the Gulf and Bradley building, isn't he?"
"Like I said, the less you know the better off you'll be if the shit hits the fan."
"I've got news for it, it's hit and it's a major shit storm." The ADP officer jabbed a thumb in the direction of the gunfire. "But even I didn't think things would move so fast, or become so violent."
The tall woman shrugged. "We got late-breaking information on the girl's whereabouts." She frowned. "Looks like GENOM did too."
"Tell me about. Quincy's not pulling punches here. He's sent combat boomers to clean up this mess."
"We know. We've been forced to pull our own people back."
"Am I a prisoner?"
Jeena gave Daley a look of disbelief. "We're the good guys, remember? We were just doing our civic duty getting you out of a dangerous situation."
"What about my partner?"
"The cute one? We've got someone retrieving him too. He should be here in a couple of minutes."
"In that case, you don't mind if I try and call headquarters, do you?"
Jeena handed Daley a cell phone. "Use mine. It should be able to punch through any interference."
Two more explosions roared through the night sky from the direction of the G and B building. Suddenly, several more explosions blossomed into the sky from a building down the block. Before either observer could react, several figures stormed out of the detonations and started towards the smoke-hazed building.
"What the hell?" Daley yelled.
The GENOM combat boomers reacted as quickly as their programming allowed, which was very fast. Before the first of the new figures had cleared the fireballs completely, they were met by heavy machine gun fire and missiles from the now defending GENOM boomers. As the bullets bore in on their targets, there was sparks as they struck something in front of the boomers. The missiles had almost the same effect, exploding before they hit their targets. None of the new boomers went down in the barrage and were now returning fire, scoring hits on their enemy.
"Goddamn!" Jeena had her binoculars up and watching the exchange of fire. "The shitstorm just went to typhoon strength," she said sharply, dropping the spyglass and turning her radio to transmit.
"Are those shielded boomers?"
"You got it! The Bradley's must have had them nearby!"
With the speed that only a war-programmed boomer has, the GENOM boomers changed tactics. The AT boomer charged into firing position, flanked by a trio of the AA types. Several of the commando designed boomers moved towards the empty lot, firing at the attackers as they went in
an attempt to outflank the new attackers.
A 125mm shell slammed into an attacking Bradley 55C, the explosion slamming through the shield and boomer with conclusive force, turning the boomer into a flaming pile of debris in an instance. Another Bradley boomer's shield gave out under the combined firepower of six 35mm machine guns and literally disintegrated in the plague of lead. But the rest of the new attackers were continuing their charge, heedless of any losses they might take.
Daley dialed a number on Jeena's cell phone, trying to ignoring the war behind him. Jeena watched the fire rolling into the sky. "You better tell your people to bring a lot of friends," she said quietly, "and a hell of a lot of firepower."
**********
The Bubble Gum Crisis OVA's (which this story is based on) are copyrighted
by Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. I am just borrowing the characters for a little
while for non-monetary reasons. Serious CandC will be accepted, out-and-out
flames will result in a Boomer or two being sent after you, once they get around
to building them.
Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe . . .
===================================================================== ================
Chapter 39
Gulf and Bradley Biomechanical Research Institute
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:03am
Skeeter stormed through the shattered glass doors, flanked by the Black Knight team and trailed by the rest of his strike team. Outside, an explosion signaled the destruction of the last watchtower.
The foursome scanned the large, formally glass-enclosed, lobby. The floor was tile, a cold grey in color, that gave the lobby a coldness that was more imagined then real. It was sparsely furnished with several chairs clustered around a pair of low tables, leaving a lot of empty space between them and the banks of elevators at the far end of the entrance hall. A large circular desk sat in the center of the lobby, guarding the space between the waiting area and the elevators. A sterile example of the modern corporation.
But now, it wasn't immaculate. There was glass everywhere, mostly from the windows and doors that hadn't held up under multiple shockwaves. A couple of bodies, dressed in guards uniforms laid near the desk, with no way of telling if they were alive or dead. A decapitated boomer stood between the doors and desk, intermittent sparks mixing with the rancid stench of boomer fluid. Some floor tiles were cracked, chipped, or scarred by fire and shrapnel. A pale of smoke hung in the air.
Skeeter glanced behind him. "Third Squad, check the bodies! Second and Fifth Squads, let's get some defenses set up in case we have visitors! First and Fourth Squads, with me!" He glanced over at the leader of the Black Knight team. "Okay, White. Where do we go now?"
The Knight, a multi-barrel minigun on his arm where the right hand would be, glanced over at the other two members of his team, and pointing to the front desk. "Three, startcracking. Two, cover her. I want locations and any other data about security."
Just then, one set of elevator doors opened and three Boomers charged out, shedding their disguises as they rushed the intruders, firing their built-in weapons. Four steps into their attack, a wall of lead, lasers and steel slammed into them. One went staggering back, fluid and smoke erupting from its shattered body, before it collapsed in a heap. The next boomer lost most of its head to a minigun blast, then both its legs to a grenade blast, all in a split
second.
The third boomer made it halfway to the group of intruders when Skeeter stepped forward, yelled, "COVER!", then triggered the grenade launcher mounted under the barrel of his machine gun. The launcher coughed and a grenade the size of a soda can slammed into the charging Boomer's chest. A sheet of light engulfed the Boomer as the thermite grenade ignited, eating through the Cyberdroid's armor with ease. The Boomer staggered, then crumpled as another storm of projectiles smashed into it.
There were several seconds of silence as the intruders waited for any other reaction. Finally the Black Knight leader said. "The numbers are running, let's move!"
"You heard the man!" Skeeter shouted, breaking open the grenade launcher and placing a fresh shell into the chamber. "You've got your orders, only I now want First to double-check those Boomers to make sure they stay dead! Move!"
The combatants scattered. While a group grabbed the tables and chairs and started dragging then towards the reception desk, several moved towards the downed Boomers, weapons ready to continue what they had started. Another group checked the bodies, then dragged them out of the way. No one said anything, and the only sounds were that of furniture being dragged, the crunching of glass under boots, and the crackling of the thermite as it continued to consume the Boomer and the floor under it.
The Knights and Skeeter walked towards the desk, trailed by one of Skeeter's squads. As they passed the third Boomer, Skeeter looked at the charring remains and said. "Those weren't
C-55s."
"GBS-33's," said the Knight's leader. "G and B's version of the C-55's. Not as heavily armed, armored, strong, or adaptable as GENOM'S models, but they don't go rouge nor can they be used against Gulf and Bradley. They used them solely as internal security and don't sell them outside of the conglomerate."
"How many do you think there are?"
There could be upwards of a hundred on-site, though I doubt there's more then twenty active right now."
By now, one of the Knights had reached the computer. A small compartment popped open in the hardsuit's left arm, and several plugs appeared. Moving with confidence, the Knight attached the plugs to the access port on the computer. "Cracking now," she said. "Shouldn't be more then twenty seconds."
"Lobby secured!" shouted Second Squad's leader.
"The Boomers are dead!" bellowed First Squad's leader.
Skeeter tapped his mike "Gawain Six to Gawain Five, Status?"
//Border is acquired,// replied Doc. //No one got out.//
"Good. Objective TANGO is secured. Send in a car to bolster the rear guard and tell the snipers we're beginning phase two. Make sure their know their targets before they fire."
//Understood. Gawain Five-Two is on her way. ETA, two minutes. Gawain Five out.//
"Copy. Gawain Six out." Skeeter looked at the Black Knight leader. "With all the pandemonium going on tonight, we'll have about a thirty minute window to do the job."
"We're in!" Said White Three excitedly.
White One turned to look at his teammate. "Can you shut down the active boomer patrols?"
"Negative, One, but I can block the access of anyone trying to activate more from storage."
"Do it. How many active boomers are there right now?"
Three scanned several screens before she answered. "There's forty-two listed as active, not including the four we've taken out. Twenty-three of them are on the floors above us. I figure it's going to take them about two minutes to get their electronic asses together and come after us."
"What about the other fifteen?"
"They're scattered through several levels below us."
"How many sublevels?" asked Skeeter.
"The systems lists seven, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's more."
Skeeter looked at the hardsuited leader. "Which way do we go?"
"Down," replied the Knight's leader. "That's where the labs we want are liable to be."
"Right." The giant turned and shouted, "Fourth squad! I want those elevators immobilized now! Then I want those shafts wired for detonation! First Squad, cover them!" He scanned the lobby, nodding to himself as he saw the barriers his people had erected in the short amount of time. "Third Squad! Wire the stairwells for detonation! Second and Fifth squads, prepare to repel attackers!"
The strike team scattered to their tasks. The Knights watched the actions in silence. "Your people are well trained," said White One quietly.
"They had better be," growled Skeeter. "They've had enough practice at it."
White One turned to White Three. "Can you degrade the Boomer's coordination links?"
The EW Knight shook her head. "Not through the system. The best I can do is jam any coordination with units outside the links. It won't affect the boomers any, but it will make it impossible for a relief force to orchestrate an organized attack."
"Do it." the Knight looked at the giant."How many squads do you want to keep up here?"
"Two," Skeeter replied. "Second and Fifth squads. We'll take First, Third and Fourth with us. We have some short range EW equipment Doc cobbled together. It isn't fancy, but it will make the cyberdroids' job harder."
"I suppose you have a way of getting us into those sublevels?"
"Several, actually." the gang leader removed the magazine from his machine gun and replaced it with another. "Depending on what the enemy throws at us and how much damage you want to cause."
"How long will it take to wire the shafts and stairwells?"
"No more then two minutes. My people have had plenty of practice."
"Then we move out in two minutes."
"Good. I still have some aggression to burn off." With that, Skeeter walked away, shouting orders to his people.
White Two watched the giant direct his people. "Remind me to never piss him off," he said over their team's channel.
White One agreed silently.
**********
Outside Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:07am
Daley and Ko were hunched behind a low stone wall near the steps that use to lead to the lobby. The lobby, as well as most of the ground floor of the building, was now a disaster area. Shattered glass, twisted metal, and stone fragments littered the area. Several bodies, intact and otherwise, were interspersed among the wreckage. As far as the two police officers could see, all the bodies were either unarmored security men or boomers that had taken too much punishment. There was still the constant clatter of gunfire, changing in loudness and pitch as weapons were fired, reloaded and fired again. Here and there, a black hardsuit could be seen for a handful of seconds before the smoke and flame covered the image. A haze hung in the air, the smell of death and devastation a sickening crown to the hellstorm around them.
The situation was worse then the two ADP detectives thought. They had dashed as close as they dared to the battleground, but they found themselves still about ten meters from the building's front doors. Going any farther into the building without heavy armor or arms would be suicide for both of them, but neither one was willing to just stay there.
"The next time I get one of the great ideas," growled Daley, "You have standing orders to shoot me."
"That's a tempting thought." Ko looked at his superior. "For the record, I now think we should have stayed with the car."
"You should have thought about that before we decided to do this," replied Daley.
"I know." Ko glanced up over the wall to see if they was anyone out in or around the lobby, then dropped down again. "Can we get into the building though the front door?"
"I wouldn't want to take the chance. Neither side knows or even cares about us right now, and getting shot at by both sides isn't a good idea in my book."
"We could try the parking garage."
"And do what, flash our badges and hope the people on duty fall over themselves to help us?" asked Daley mildly. "Right now, we're screwed. The best we can hope for is to get out of this alive. See if you can raise Lars over the radio and tell him to expect trouble."
Ko keyed the small mike on his radio. "Mu Six, this is Command Five. Can you hear me?" he listened for several seconds, then repeated the message. After the third attempt, he shook his head. "I can't get a hold of them, not with this much interference in the air."
"Right. We can't stay here and we can't just go home, as much as that idea appeals to me. That's means we're going have to get out of the way and fast."
"We're pulling back?"
"Hell, yes, we're pulling back. Somebody's got to warn Lars what him and his people are going to walk into, and we're it."
"How do you want to do this?"
Daley glanced up over the wall, then ducked down again. "I'll cover you while you drop back to the car," he said in a half-whisper. "Once you get there, you can cover me. Fair enough?"
"I don't know," replied Ko. "Maybe you should go first, and I'll cover you."
The Inspector shook his head. "We're here because I wanted us to be here. This is my fault we're in this. It's my job to get us out in one piece. Now, get going before I make it an order, OK?" The younger man didn't look any happier, but he nodded and adjusted his crouch so he could explode into a run with little warning, the stomach rifle clutched in his arms like a life preserver.
"Now!" Daley said, jumping up form behind the wall, the gauss cannon ready to fire. He heard rather the saw Ko start his dash for the car, but his attention was focused on the surrounding warzone.
A flash of movement off to his right snatched his attention. His head snapped around to look in that direction, his brain trying to match what his eyes had told them was there. Instead of being wrong, his eyes confirmed what his memory told him it was. "Oh shit," he breathed, forgetting everything else around him.
The Boomer coming towards him was not a run-of-the-mill rogue Boomer. The average rampaging boomer was not armed with a 125mm anti-tank gun, ground-to-air and ground-to-ground missiles, grenade launcher and a 10mm minigun. No, the BU-12B Anti-Tank Boomer striding towards him was definitely not your average raging boomer.
The war Cyberdroid was close enough for Daley to see it was painted in light tans, yellows and browns - clearly a desert camouflage of some sort. It moved with a slow, easy confidence born out by it's knowledge that it was the meanest SOB on the street by a long shot. Out of the corner of his vision, the ADP Inspector could see other Boomers flanking the Tank Killer. The BU-12 turned its head to survey the destruction around the G and B's lobby. After several seconds, the massive cannon swung toward the fiery entrance.
Daley may have been surprised by the Boomer's appearance, but there was nothing wrong with his reflexes. Before he heard the 'poomf' of the cannon being fired, he'd dropped back behind the stone wall, rifle forgotten in the knowledge of what was coming. He wasn't disappointed.
The resulting explosion tore the heart out of what remained of the lobby. A fireball the size of a small house lit up the night sky with flame and heat. Daley felt the pressure wave from the explosion pass over him, the wall shuddering as it did so. This model of Boomer was designed to kill tanks, and the steel and concrete of the building was neither strong enough, nor designed to, withstand a 125mm APDS round.
As he cringed behind the doubtful safety of the stone wall, Daley know things had just gotten worse.
Someone had just up the ante big time.
Someone who wasn't going to give a damn about anyone who got in their way.
Someone named GENOM.
It was time to move. Still staying low, Daley grabbed the stomach rifle and started duck walking towards the far end of the wall. At the last moment, he remembered his radio and turned it on.
// -are you?// he head Ko shouting. //Damn it Daley, answer me!//
Daley stopped and keyed the mike. "Sorry about that."
//Are you all right?//
"No. Some guests showed up to crash the party."
//I saw. What the hell is going on?//
"Looks like Quincy dealt himself into this game, and he likes playing with a stacked deck that's in his favor. I only saw a couple of boomers. How many do you see?"
//At least five, all combat types.//
"Where are you?"
//In an alley about thirty meters from the car. Only there's a pair of Boomers standing next to it, and I think that all that my rifle will do is just annoy them.//
"Stay put. I'm betting these guys have been programmed to secure the perimeter, then destroy the G&B building."
//You don't have to tell me twice. What about you?//
Daley glanced around. There were several parked cars nearby, light from the fires behind Daley glittering in the windows He scooted forward between two of the cars and glanced out into the street. No one. He keyed the mike again. "I'm going to make a run for it," he said to Ko. "I'll contact you once I'm clear."
//Good luck.//
Daley released the talk button on his radio, glanced out into the street again, then started across the street, trying to combine speed with staying low. His destination was the black mouth of an alleyway directly across from him, separated by four lanes and a median strip lined with trees.
He had just reached the median strip when he heard a whirling sound. Reacting on instinct, he threw himself onto his stomach just as the trees next to him were torn in pieces by a swarm of slugs. Splinters of wood, torn branches, and shredded leaves covered him as Daley tried to will himself into the short grass.
After what seemed like a lifetime, but probably no more then ten seconds, the avalanche of minced trees stopped, as did the whirling sound. Moving slowly, Daley turned his head in the direction the he had heard the sound coming from. Through a small opening in the pile of brush, he saw another combat boomer standing maybe sixty meters away, the two large machine cannons that hung over its shoulders still pointed in his direction, wisps of smoke drifting from the muzzles. In the back of his mind, the boomer model and stats flashed up like an ghoulish reminder of his own mortality. BU-12B air defense model . . . two 35mm rapid-fire cannons, rate of fire for each cannon - 540 rounds a minute. . . . if the SOB fires into this brush, I'm
so screwed. . . .
He froze as the boomer stood there for ten more seconds before it turned and started moving towards the fire-scorched building. Beyond it, Daley saw several other type of combat boomers advancing, ignoring the few steams of slugs fired at them by the defenders. Slowly, he reached for his radio and keyed the mike. "Ko, I'm going to be a while," he said softly, reaching for the stomach rifle.
//Are you hit?//
"No, but I don't want to give those things a target." He began to move carefully through the shattered limbs, trying to avoid the split wood and finger-length splinters that covered the grass. "If you can't get to the car, get to a phone and call headquarters. Tell Lars he has my direct orders to round up every single person he can get his hands on and get out here ASAP. I want everything and anything that's in the armory out here and ready to be used. Have all units currently out in the field to send anyone they can spare. I want a perimeter containment in place before we move in. And I wanted all done yesterday."
//I'm on it.//
"Good. I'll contact you as soon as possible. Daley out."
It took Daley another minute to free himself from the foliage debris. The right sleeve of his coat was bloody from a splinter that has jabbed him in the forearm, and his stomach and chest was sore from moving across the uneven wood fragments. He ignored the sound of battle that were happening behind him -- the dominating crack of the tank-killer's gun, the tornado scream of the anti-aircraft boomers's cannons, and the higher-pitched snaps of lasers mixing with the sounds of explosions, people screaming, and the hungry crackling of the fires.
My god, Daley thought, risking a look back at the battleground behind him. Quincy must REALLY be pissed off at the Bradley twins! Finally free from his wooden prison, he crawled down the slight slope until he was sitting on the edge of the road, out of direct sight of the war behind him. Part of him screamed for a cigarette, but he overrode that idea with a wave of self-survival. His eyes drifted down to the stomach rifle, and he took the opportunity to look over the weapon for any clear signs of damage. After seeing nothing that would indicate the rifle was useless, he looked around.
Across the street, a figure detached itself from the alley's shadows and moved toward Daley. The ADP Inspector pointed his rifle at it just as the figure moved into the illumination of a streetlamp. The person was wearing a hardsuit, burnished black with dark gold highlights. Instead of a right lower arm, a short barreled weapon of some sort was there, its muzzle pointed at Daley. As the figure got closer, Daley could see a small insignia on the hardsuit's right breast, that of a black horse's head on a gold shield.
Five meters from the Inspector, the Black Knight raised the muzzle of his weapon so it pointed above Daley's head. A voice asked, "Are you planing to stay there all night Inspector, or are you going to follow me?"
**********
When Madigan was ordered to attack the headquarters building of Gulf and Bradley, there was no time for an elaborate, complicated plan. Instead, she just split the attacking force up into two groups and had them attack two of the building's entrances at the same time. With the exception of the VanDell girl, the orders were simple -- destroy anything that came across their paths.
Each spearheaded by a single anti-tank model boomer, the attacking GENOM cyberdroids hit the already chaotic situation with all the power of a tidal wave. While the AT boomers would fire 125mm shells into the building, several of the AA boomers used their 35mm machine guns to rake the windows with storms of lead. As a precaution, the area of the building housing the infirmary was left alone. But between the fire and the continual impact of HE shells, the building was taking an intense pounding.
Under this covering fire, several commando versions of the BU-12 dashed towards the building, occasionally firing their own weapons at targets of opportunity. The return fire was scattered and uncoordinated, as confusion and causalities had taken their toll. The last of the G&B boomers still able to defend the flaming remains of the lobby was torn apart by the firepower of a trio of 12Bs. As the boomer went down in a flaming wreck, the last catterings
of the defenders retreated. The GENOM boomers moved in and secured the main entrance.
At the south entrance, the resistance has heavier. Here, the security consisted of desperate G&B security teamed with security boomer running on Zeta protocols. The result was a sharp, intense firefight with neither side willing to give a centimeter. The GBS-33s security boomers were like madden Samurai defending their lord's castle from an invader, throwing themselves into battle with no concept of self-preservation. The human part of the defense
fought almost as stubbornly, using rockets, rifles, or even chunks of concrete in the attempt to keep the battle boomers from reaching the building.
But the GENOM boomer were designed for this type of combat, and step by step, the defenders were shoved back into the building. Shots, both large and small, ripped into the windows and stone, sending shards of both in every direction. New fires sprang to life and began to spread, adding to the maelstrom of anarchy that had descended on the area.
When the last GBS-33 was torn apart by a 125mm shell, the last guardians ran for their lives. Leaving the AT and AA boomers to defend the entrance, the commando boomers moved into the building on a search and destroy mission. Their mission parameters were downloaded into their silicon brains, and the orders already clear in the RAM, with no room for mercy or guilt and no feeling for anyone who got in their way....
**********
Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:12am
Carlton Bradley was not happy.
In fact, he was in a towering rage. "You cowards!" he shouted into the radio. "Stop running and start fighting, or I'll kill you myself!"
Around him, the other members of the group were divided between the shouting match Carlton was having with a security man on the ground floor and looking uneasily at the walls as they rattled from explosions that seemed to be increasing by the minute. The only ones that looked unimpressed by the surrounding battle were the security boomers that occupied each end of the hallway they were in.
In the center of the hallway, the VanDell girl laid on the stretcher, Doctor Kyso worrying over her with the intensity of someone who didn't want to die. Cora leaned against the wall, her expression partway between hate and hunger to kill something. The other members of the small group were scattered between the three boomers. None of them looked happy.
They had reached the fiftieth floor, two floors below the helicopter pads, when the explosions had begun, causing an alarm among the group. Carlton had immediately grabbed his radio and started demanding to know what happened. It had taken him a minute to find someone who was coherent, and even then the news wasn't good.
//We can't fight combat boomers!// the security man on the radio was shouting back, not really caring that he was yelling at his boss. //They're got at least two fucking anti-tank boomers out there, for god's sake! All our security boomers are destroyed, and I think all we've done to them is piss them off! We can't hold them!//
"How many men do you have left?" Carlton demanded.
//Six,// The security man replied, //and two of them are too badly wounded to fight.//
Carlton's hand tightened on the radio until his knuckles were white. "Gather everyone you can find and cover the parking garage!" he snarled. "You are to hold at all cost! Do you understand? We're making our way there and will join you as soon as possible."
//I understand.// The man didn't sound happy, but Carlton didn't give a damn.
"Then do it!" Carlton turned off the radio and looked at his sister. She was cradling her machine gun like it was a child. "We release Mclaren's boomers now," he told her firmly.
"Are you sure we should do that?" Cora asked. "They're also running under Zeta protocols."
"We have no choice. Those spineless yellowbellies wouldn't hold out for long."
"Then why did you tell them to hold the parking garage? We're not going there."
"I know that and you know that," replied Carlton, pocketing the radio and pulling his pistol from his waistband. "But they don't know that and neither does anyone who intercepted the conversation. With a little luck, most of the enemy will head for the garage to try and block our 'escape.' Between that and the shielded boomers, we continue with the escape plan."
"Right." Cora pulled out a bulky hand sized box, flicked open a small panel on the face of the box. "Boomers activated," she said cheerfully.
"Good. We use the escape staircase. There's an access panel two floors below us."
"I know the one."
"I want you to take up the rear with a boomer. If anyone can't make it...." He left the rest unsaid.
Cora nodded. "No one left behind alive to tell where we've gone. You can trust me, Brother."
"Good." He glared at the others. "Get ready to move out! No stragglers or complainers, or I'll shoot you where you stand."
Just then, the lights started flickering, a sure sign the power lines were taking a beating. "Move out now!" Carlton snapped, and started down the hall, his face an ugly mask of hate. He had to escape in order to continue his plans to kill Quincy, and no homicidal bucket of bolts was going to stop him....
**********
The combined Knight Sabers/Black Knight team met no resistance either on the way down the stairs or on the floor below the roof.
Sylia crouched in the middle of the hallway, allowing her suit's sensors to sweep ahead of her for a possible ambush. Behind her, Nene and Red Four extended their own sensor suites beyond her own. Behind them, the rest of the team was strung out along the hallway, both Sabers and Black Knights watching for any other presence.
"Floor's clear," said Red Four.
"I agree," replied Nene.
Just then the building shuddered as something struck it. "You were saying?" asked Leon in a tight voice.
"We've got problems," said Knight One. "Tristram is reporting combat boomers are attacking the building."
The building trembled again. The sound of heavy guns, muffled by the steel and concrete, was now audible. Knight One looked at the Saber's leader. "We're going to have to move faster then we thought."
Sylia nodded. "How do you want to do this?"
"I'll send Red team via the elevator shaft and drop three floor and start working their way up. The rest of us will start here and work our way down."
"I have no problem with that." Sylia switched channels. "Priss, Mackie, what's your situation?"
Mackie answered the question. //We're about two kilometers south of the target building right now, getting ready to swing around. Is there a problem?//
"Possibly," Sylia replied. "We're getting reports of combat boomers are now attacking the target building."
She heard Priss cursing in the background. Mackie said, //Understand. Do you want us to hold our position here?//
"For now. We need you more for retrieval than fire support."
//Understood. We'll stand by. KnightWing out.//
During her short conversation with Mackie, Knight One had directed Red Team in the new plan of attack. The three Black Knights dashed past Sylia and Nene, heading towards the elevators. Greg nodded to Sylia. "We'll wait thirty seconds, then head for the stairs."
"Fine." Sylia turned to the other members of her team. "Red Saber, you're with me. Green Saber, you're at the rear."
"I'll stay with Green Saber," said Knight One. He turned to the MALCORP men. "Keep one hand free for weapons at all times, and expect trouble. If any Boomers appear, leave them to the hardsuits."
Sylia started for the stairs. "Let's go."
**********
The building half a block down the street from the now fire shrouded Gulf and Bradley building was a office building scheduled for demolition sometime in the near future. Because of the poor condition of the building, the only security were a pair of old guard boomers who were too out of date to be anything more then a nuisance to any would be thief. Of course, there was nothing in the building worth stealing, so real security wasn't needed.
It was here that Carlton had stored the shield equipped boomers. A mixed group of BU-12s and BU-55Cs, this group of twelve was Carlton ace card.
And the ace card was now being played.
The activation signal was received, and in the darkness of an internal room, eyes began to glow red as the boomers' CPUs began to process their uploaded orders....
**********
Outside Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:14am
The hardsuited Knight led Daley through several alleyways to a van idling in an alley a block down and an empty lot away from the battle. From here, Daley could see most of the Gulf and Bradley building's southern entrance, as well as the boomers standing near it. He filed away the questions he had when he saw who was waiting for him.
Jeena Malso was leaning against the side of the black van, looking amused as the ADP Inspector walked up to her. Wearing a black jumpsuit that hugged her figure well, she was primed for the possibility of combat with the binoculars, radio headset and gunbelt she was wearing. She said something into the headset, then nodded to the Knight beside Daley.
"Fancy meeting you here," she remarked as the Knight left them.
"What are you doing here?" The ADP Inspector asked her.
"Besides saving your ass?" Jeena shrugged a shoulder. "The boss told me to come here and wait."
"Wait for what?"
Jeena gave him a level look. "He didn't say," she said insincerely.
Daley sighed. "I'm not looking to arrest anyone right now. For one thing, these people outgun me slightly. Second, you're a friend, and I know you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for something important you believed in. And third, anything I could arrest you for would never seen the inside of a court, so why waste my time?"
The tall woman raised an eyebrow. "You've gotten cynical in your old age."
"I've always been cynical, it's just Leon's better at expressing the feelngs." He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the battle. Speaking of which, where is Leon?"
"He's busy right now. The less you know the better."
Daley looked back at Jeena. "He's inside the Gulf and Bradley building, isn't he?"
"Like I said, the less you know the better off you'll be if the shit hits the fan."
"I've got news for it, it's hit and it's a major shit storm." The ADP officer jabbed a thumb in the direction of the gunfire. "But even I didn't think things would move so fast, or become so violent."
The tall woman shrugged. "We got late-breaking information on the girl's whereabouts." She frowned. "Looks like GENOM did too."
"Tell me about. Quincy's not pulling punches here. He's sent combat boomers to clean up this mess."
"We know. We've been forced to pull our own people back."
"Am I a prisoner?"
Jeena gave Daley a look of disbelief. "We're the good guys, remember? We were just doing our civic duty getting you out of a dangerous situation."
"What about my partner?"
"The cute one? We've got someone retrieving him too. He should be here in a couple of minutes."
"In that case, you don't mind if I try and call headquarters, do you?"
Jeena handed Daley a cell phone. "Use mine. It should be able to punch through any interference."
Two more explosions roared through the night sky from the direction of the G and B building. Suddenly, several more explosions blossomed into the sky from a building down the block. Before either observer could react, several figures stormed out of the detonations and started towards the smoke-hazed building.
"What the hell?" Daley yelled.
The GENOM combat boomers reacted as quickly as their programming allowed, which was very fast. Before the first of the new figures had cleared the fireballs completely, they were met by heavy machine gun fire and missiles from the now defending GENOM boomers. As the bullets bore in on their targets, there was sparks as they struck something in front of the boomers. The missiles had almost the same effect, exploding before they hit their targets. None of the new boomers went down in the barrage and were now returning fire, scoring hits on their enemy.
"Goddamn!" Jeena had her binoculars up and watching the exchange of fire. "The shitstorm just went to typhoon strength," she said sharply, dropping the spyglass and turning her radio to transmit.
"Are those shielded boomers?"
"You got it! The Bradley's must have had them nearby!"
With the speed that only a war-programmed boomer has, the GENOM boomers changed tactics. The AT boomer charged into firing position, flanked by a trio of the AA types. Several of the commando designed boomers moved towards the empty lot, firing at the attackers as they went in
an attempt to outflank the new attackers.
A 125mm shell slammed into an attacking Bradley 55C, the explosion slamming through the shield and boomer with conclusive force, turning the boomer into a flaming pile of debris in an instance. Another Bradley boomer's shield gave out under the combined firepower of six 35mm machine guns and literally disintegrated in the plague of lead. But the rest of the new attackers were continuing their charge, heedless of any losses they might take.
Daley dialed a number on Jeena's cell phone, trying to ignoring the war behind him. Jeena watched the fire rolling into the sky. "You better tell your people to bring a lot of friends," she said quietly, "and a hell of a lot of firepower."
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