Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction ❯ Black Knights, Steel Hearts ❯ Chapter 43

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

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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 43

Gulf and Bradley Biomechanical Research Institute
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:37am

By the time Skeeter and the others got back to the lobby, the number of dead boomers scattered across the entrance hall had dramatically increased, as had the number of dead and wounded defenders. The armored car that had been stationed outside the lobby was a morass of flames, hot metal, and thick black smoke, some of which was leaking into the lobby, adding a extra haze to what was already there.

"Status?" snapped Skeeter as he approached the makeshift barricade. The other squads darted past him and joined the thin defenses. The two Black Knights that had gone down with the giant into the sublevels stayed behind Skeeter, Mclaren squarely between them. The prisoner looking tired and scared, which was ignored by his captors.

"They've hit us twice in the last five minutes," said the leader of the lobby defense, a diminutive woman by the unlikely name of Paco. "The first time, they tried dropping down the elevator shafts, but after we blew two of them, they stopped. Must have a directive to avoid unnecessary damage to the building. The second time, they smashed the windows above, dropped out of them and tried hitting us from both sides of the lobby. We've must have blown away maybe ten or fifteen of the mechanized mannequins. We've got three dead, two more wounded, but those two can still shoot. The armored car is history, but the crew managed to get out before it blew. The tin suit," she motioned towards White Two, who stood in the center of the circular rampart, "Has been a big help, but I don't have any idea how much ammo he has left."

"What's your ammo situation?"

"Could be worse. We're low on grenades, and we've got three rounds left for the RPG. We could hold off one more attack with no problem, but I can't say after that."

The giant nodded. "We're ready to get out of here."

"Gori said you hit paydirt downstairs," Paco said. If it wasn't for the way she held the assault rifle, or the coldness in her eyes, she might have been mistaken for a teenager playing war games.

"Gori has a big mouth," Skeeter replied, giving the youth acting as communications link a cold stare. Gori wilted under the glare.

After several seconds, Skeeter activated his radio. "Gawain Six to Five. Doc, are you still breathing?"

//Of course, heroic and perceptive warlord. We anticipate your demands with zealous suspense.//

"We're getting ready to pull out. How many boomers can you see from your position?"

Doc's voice switched to a more matter-of-fact tone. //We can see half a dozen. Looks like they're waiting for you to come out into the open so they can catch you in a cross fire.//

"How many can you take out from your location?"

//My people can take out three with no problem, but the others are inside the building, and none of us have clean shots at them.//

"Which floor?"

//One on the third, two others on the fourth. There could be more we can't see.//

"Understood. Rattler Four, what's your status?"

//Still have plenty of ammo and fuel. What do you need?//

"I want you to take out the third and fourth floors of this building, then cover our withdrawal. Doc, I want the other armored car at the gate doing the same thing. We're coming out in two minutes. Rattler Four, I want you to start your attack in one minute, three-zero seconds. Continue for one-five seconds, then drop back and cover us."

//Understood. I'm swinging into position now. I'll be ready.//

//We shall organize a defending fusillading accorded for a potentate.//

"Just do it Doc. Gawain Six out." Skeeter looked at Paco and Hosokoawa. "Get everyone ready to move out. The gunship's going to blast a couple of floors above in less then ninety seconds. Hopefully, that'll keep the boomers off us. Blow the rest of the elevators and stairwells in one minute. I don't want the boomers hitting us from the lobby. I want us to start moving out as soon as I give the word. Go!"

The two gang members darted away, and the lobby became a scene of quick, but complete preparation. The dead were wrapped in sheets and readied for transport. The wounded were check for mobility and assigned a partner to make sure they stay with the group. Weapons were reloaded with fresh magazines, as were the grenade launchers and RPG launchers. Squad assignment were quickly hashed out and put into place.

The Knights were also busy. While White One stood next to Mclaren, White Three cracked the building's database again and uploaded some files as a 'going away present.' White Two reloaded the Gatling gun attached to his armor, singing something in Russian in a low soft tenor. Skeeter stood in the middle of the preparations like an immobile rock in a stormy sea, with his eyes the only thing that moved.

As ordered, a series of loud thumps echoed through the lobby, as the elevator and stairwells were turned into impassible shafts. A thick layer of dust drifted down from the ceiling,covering everything with a fine powder. A few of the gang members glanced up at the ceiling in concern as the building groaned slightly.

"Boss," Hosokoawa said, "maybe we overdid it with the explosives."

Paco shook her head. "Ain't such a thing as overkill when it comes to saving your hide."

"We can discuss that later," Skeeter rumbled. "The gunship should be making his attack anytime now."

As if on cue, Skeeter's radio came to life. //This is Rattler Four. I'm starting my attack run, now.//

"Stand by to move out!" Skeeter bellowed. "Everyone hit the floor NOW!"

Everyone did so, falling onto their stomachs, closing their eyes and covering their ears. For several seconds there was silence in the lobby. Then, from outside, a low wail could be heard, getting louder every second. There were a series of small explosions, then several thunderous explosions above them filled the air with thick dust and pressed the assault force into the floor.

The air became alive with the dim sounds of cannons and machine gun fire, mixing with the ring of shattered glass and broken concrete, as the gunship turned the two floors into a mass of flaming ruins. A shower of glass and burning wreckage plummeted from above, turning the area just outside the lobby into a morass of destruction and havoc.

Skeeter leapt to his feet as if he was a man half his size. "Let's go!" he bellowed and charged for the shatter doors. In ones and two, then as a wave, the troops followed him.

Glass was still falling when the assault force swarmed out of the building. The heat from the fires still burning on the floors above them was oppressive, the fire giving off enough light to illuminate the compound with as hellish glow reminiscent of a nightmare. One of the gang members stopped long enough to drop a thermite grenade into the cripple armored car. The muffled explosion was lost in the general confusion, but there wouldn't be a lot left for the Police or Gulf and Bradley to work with.

They darted around several still smoldering piles of jetsam, a few of the gang members turning and covering their fellow warriors until all had passed them, then running after the group while others covered for them. Skeeter, the Knights and Mclaren remained close to the center of the group, the core of the temporary gestalt. Mclaren, still wearing his bathrobe and pajamas, was carried along by White Two and Three like a sack of rice. White One took point, while Skeeter stayed behind Mclaren and his keepers, directing the retreat with short sharp orders and strong gestures. Above them, the Rattlesnake hung in the air like an airborne shark
waiting for its next meal.

The force was close to the wall when a bulky shape pulled to a stop outside one of the breeches. A figure leapt out of the vehicle and dashed towards Skeeter's command group. Doc looked excited as he shouted, "I counsel that we vacate this locality instantly! Both the constabulary and the fire service are on their way, and I don't presume we can illuminate our proximity to this predicament with any conviction!"

"How long!" Skeeter bellowed.

"No more then five minutes!"

"Which direction are they coming from?"

"North and West!"

Skeeter stopped and changed channels on the radio. "All Gawain units!" He said. "This is Gawain Six! Execute Evac Plans Sierra and Echo! I repeat, Execute Evac Plans Sierra and Echo! First rendezvous point, twenty minutes!" He looked at Doc. "We found a VIP," he said, pointing at Mclaren. "Take him and the Knights out of here on the car, Evac Plan Sierra. I'll hook out with you in about thirty minutes. If I'm not there in forty, head back to the staging area and I'll join up with you there."

Doc smiled. "I conclude we've managed to rankle Gulf and Bradley this daybreak."

A couple of small explosions sent fireballs out of the burning building and into the slowly arriving dawn. Skeeter turned to look at the fire that was now beginning to spread upwards in the building, his expression unreadable. "'Rankle' is not the word I would use, Doc," He said. "'Put on notice', is more like what this is. And it's about time." He looked at Doc again."Let's get going."

**********

ARNPTSE Storage Compound
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:39am


The strafing run by Galahad Black was the turning point in the battle of the storage compound. Both the Yakuza and Boomers forces had been shredded by the gunship's firepower, allowing the Black Knight team and the attached demolition squad to reach the office building without incident.

"Suyuri!" Chika barked into her radio. "Get going!"

//Right.//

"Fuko!"

The woman with the Mohawk stuck her head into the room. "Yeah?"

"We ready to move out?"

"Just say the word boss, and we beat feet. Saki's got all the wounded with him, so we can move fast."

The strike leader glanced out a window and saw Suyuri's people flying down the stairs of the building entrance. Two of the Black Knights were supporting the third member of their team. Several of the Gang members were also assisting wounded comrades out of the building and towards the abandoned factory across the street. One of the armored cars stopped long enough to load a couple of the more seriously injured onto it before it roared past the building and out into the street. As the gang members ran for safety, Chika could hear the fire from the others still left in the building pick up to cover the withdrawal.

Time to leave, Chika thought. "Let's get downstairs," she told Fuko as she ran past the woman.

"Hokay, boss."

The took the steps two at a time, their boot soles slapping the concrete a counterpoint to the roar of automatic weapons that got louder as they got closer. Chika slammed the stairwell's door open and dashed out into the small lobby.

Mongo was there, looking pleased with himself as he watched the area outside the entrance. He glanced in Chika's direction and smiled at her. "Hey ho chief," he said.

"How much of the bank did you get out?" Chika asked him.

Mongo looked offended. "All of it, of course. What did you expect?"

"No funny business?"

"None whatsoever. It wasn't pretty, but we cleaned the room out with two minutes to spare. Ramon, Preacher and me got all over there in one trip."

"Who's guarding it?"

"Preacher is."

Chika nodded. Preacher was an odd combination of Bible-spouting scholar and expert marksmen that served as the gang's chaplain, and thus was trusted with things of value. "Any idea how much?"

"Twenty, maybe thirty million Yen." Mango shrugged. "We didn't have much of a chance to count it."

The radio cracked to life. //Suyuri here. We're across and ready to cover you.//

"Right." Chika opened another channel. "All right, Galahad! Time to get the Hell out of here! We've got thirty seconds to clear the building before we become part of it! Galahad Black, cover us! Go! Go! Go!"

She took her own advice and charged out the doors, Mongo and Fuko following close behind. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and waved the others on. Even as the pair tore past her, others were charging out the doors and down the stairs. As their appeared, fire from the factory streaked over their heads and towards the smoke and flame beset warehouses. The second armored car thundered past her, it's heavy machine gun spitting a stream of bullets in the opposite direction.

Ramon came racing out of the doors and leapt down the stairs. "I'm last man!" he shouted as he raced past Chika.

Chika took off after him, her boots crunching in the broken concrete. She managed to reach the street when she heard Suyuri shout over the radio, //Fire in the hole!//

A car was less the three meters away and she threw herself towards it she was dropping into its shadow when twenty kilograms of C-9 detonated.

A sheet of flame twice the height of the building shot into the not so dark sky, expanding into a fireball as the building disintegrated. The shockwave destroyed almost all the building's internal supports, flattened fences and walls at twenty meters, and shattered windows at ten times that distance.

Fortunately, Chika was fifty meters from the blast. She felt the car rock and the car's safety glass pelt her back, then she struck the sidewalk next to the car. She laid there, stunned by the explosion and shockwave. After several seconds, the car stopped rocking, but Chika's ears were still ringing.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder and she looked up. Ramon, looking like a specter in the smoke and dust looked down at her. "You all right?" he mouthed, his voice faint in her still ringing ears.

Chika nodded and Ramon help her stand up. "Where is everyone?" she shouted, trying to hear her own words. Her legs felt wobbly, and her vison was somewhat blurry. She took a step, only to have her legs buckle. Ramon grabbed her by the arm before she fell.

"You need help." Ramon waved Mongo and Fuko over and they half carried, half-dragged Chika into the factory. The rest of her unit was there, most trying to shake off the effects ofthe dash to safety and the explosion. The trio deposited Chika into a empty chair, then Mongo went looking for the medic while Ramon and Fuko stayed with their leader.

Suyuri came running up. "How is she?" he snapped. To Chika, his voice sounded louder then the others had.

"She's a bit woozy," Fuko replied, her voice also sounding louder. "She only had a car between her and the explosion."

"We're moving out in three minutes," said Suyuri. "If she isn't able to take command, stick her into one of the cars. We're using evac plan November."

"Any word on the police?"

"They're on their way, and I don't want to be sitting here when they do show up. So let Bones look her over, and if she says Chika's out of it, cram her into a car and go!"

"I'm all right!" Chika snapped. "I just had my bell rung."

"Do you want to take back command?" asked Suyuri.

"You're doing everything I would have. It's your show."

"Right." the ex-mercenary grinned. "It was good dealing out some of the shit we've been taking over the last couple of years."

"Celebrate later," Chika warned. "We've got to get out of here first."

"We will," Suyuri replied. He looked at Ramon and Fuko. "Get her into a car and get her out of here." he turned and walked away, shouting commands and making sure everyone had their orders.

Mongo showed up, trailed by a gaunt little woman with almost no hair and a beaked nose who served as the unit's medic. After a minute's examination, the medic said, "You have a mild concussion. Nothing serious, but you'd better take it easy for the next couple of days."

With that as the final word, Chika was lead over to an armored car and buckled into an extra seat. The hatch was closed and the car's engine roared to life. With a cloud of smoke the car raced out of the factory and into an alley. Three minutes after the car left, the factory was deserted again, the only sounds that of approaching sirens of the fire and police departments.

**********

Above MegaTokyo
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:40am

As it was before, the cargo compartment of the KnightWing was crowded with people and equipment. Sylia had reclaimed her position in the doorway leading to the cockpit and watched the others in the compartment. The pod in the center of the compartment held the injured VanDell girl. From where she was standing, Sylia couldn't see into the small clear portal, but the blinking lights seemed to say that everything was all right. The wounded MALCORP trooper was lying on a bunk, his entire leg swathed in bandages. Leon and the other unarmored soldiers were slumped against the bulkheads relaxed in the knowledge they had completed the mission and survived. By unspoken agreement, the hardsuited members kept their visors down, even though there was no question of trust between the two groups. It was a matter of respect.

As for the members of the Knight Sabers, Priss was back in the cockpit, helping Mackie. Nene was monitoring communications and ECM, while Linna was keeping an eye on the injured trooper.

The Black Knights were also attending to their own responsibilities. Red Two was checking his suit's weapons systems. Red Three was checking medical supplies, while Red Four was helping Nene. Knight One was standing next to the pod, facing away from Sylia, staring down into the clear panel at the face beneath.

Sylia walked over to him, carefully avoiding the others in the compartment. "Are you all right?" she asked over their private channel.

Greg didn't turn to look at her. "She looks like a ghost," he said softly, stroking the pod with the fingertips of his right hand. "So pale and so weak."

"We got her out."

"Yes, and we couldn't have done it without your help. But I don't know if we did the right thing by saving her."

"She's survived this long. A few more days and she'll be on the upswing."

"You realize the Bradley twins are dead people walking, don't you?"

"I know, and I won't try and persuade you otherwise. But remember why they did this. Don't allow your hate and anger at them blind you to reason."

"I won't let my anger get the best of me on this," Greg replied. "But the Bradley twins will not escape the justice they deserve."

"Let the police handle them."

"No." The word was swift and firm. "I will not allow those two to escape behind their phalanx of lawyers and legal maneuvering. The terror they have caused Janie, the deaths they were behind, their plans of destruction, it will end with their deaths. Anything less will be a denial of justice. From now, until they are dead, they will never know a moment's peace, find a safe place, or the freedom from the same sort of terror they caused. I promise this."

"Don't allow you hate to make you just like them."

"I won't." He turned to look at her. "I want those two dead, but I'm not going to sacrifice everything to get them. I will do it methodically, with cold deliberation. And do you know something?"

"What?"

"No matter what happens to them, it will be only a fraction of what they deserve." Greg let his fingers linger on the surface of the pod. "But my immediate concern is Janie's safety. The pursuit of Carlton and Cora will wait -- for now."

"And she's safe?"

"Then it's their turn."

Sylia nodded. "She's going to need excellent medical care. Are you sure this medical research subsidiary of yours is the best?"

"The medical facilities there are as good as any hospital's, if not better. I have two specialists in blood disorders standing by, along with our own trauma specialist. As soon as she can be moved, she's going to the best private clinic in the United States. As much time and money as she needs, she'll get." He looked down at the pod. "That is the least she deserves."

"We'll be there shortly."

Greg nodded and continued to look at the pod. "Mackie," said Sylia over the Saber's channel. "What's our ETA to the landing site?"

"Seven minutes," her brother replied.

"Fine. Nene, any signs of pursuit?"

"Nope. I think we got away clean."

"Keep watching. There's too many people what want Janie and what she knows."

"Right!"

Sylia switched back to the private channel. "Our ETA is seven minutes."

"I call the facility and tell them we're coming."

"Good." Sylia went back to the doorway, but her eyes never left the armored figure and the pod it stood by.

**********

Five Blocks South of Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
Sunday, December 23, 2035
5:43am

The car that pulled out of the underground garage was large, black and expensive. The windows were mirrored so no one could see inside, and if anyone was to run the licence plate, it would be traced to the personal transport of a senior GENOM vice-president. But the people inside the car weren't part of the GENOM senior management. Rather, they were the CEO of Gulf and Bradley - Japan and his sister.

Cora was curled up in on corner of the rear seat, her expression a twisted intermingling of anger, anticipation, uncertainty, and arrogance. "What do we do now?" she grated out.

"Relax," replied Carlton. He sat across the compartment from her, a large glass of alcohol in one hand. His composure was back, and he didn't now looked like a man running away from a fight. "We're going for another twelve or so blocks to where a specially prepared tractor-trailer is waiting for us. That will take us to our emergency shelter."

"And how long will it be before we're found there?"

Carlton sighed. "How can they? The holding company that owns the building and the land has no connection with Gulf and Bradley. The loans for the land's purchase came from several different banks, and the impression that I taken great pains to spread is that it's a subsidiary of GENOM. The only place that has all the details is up here." he tapped his temple.

"How do we get back at them?"

"Patience, sister, patience. We must first discover what our assets are first. Even now, there's computer programs at work, funneling supplies and money to our use, though I don't know how much time we have before they're discovered."

"Patience? I want to kill something!"

"And you will have your chance. But it will take some time to secure ourselves from all the prying eyes that infest this city. When our enemies can't find us, they will assume we have left the city, and thus will not look for us here. Soon they we forget us. That is when we will strike."

"I hope you are right."

Carlton smiled. "I am right. And soon those who oppose us will find out that fact for themselves soon enough."

**********