Robo-Dog to the Rescue
At that moment, something appeared. The thing Minwoo had called a dog robot burst out from somewhere and blocked the terrorists' path. Bang!Rat-a-tat-tat!Ping!Ping! The panicked terrorists opened fire. But the dog robot silently absorbed the bullets and swung its paw like a roaring bear.
“Argh!”
“W-what the fuck!”
In an instant, the terrorists were rolling on the floor. The dog robot scanned its surroundings and spotted Minwoo.
-Damn, this is messier than I thought. Everyone okay?
“Are you... controlling that thing?”
-Yeah, it’s got command modes, but with all these civilians, the filtering’s a bitch. Evergree... Shut up already! I’ll handle it!
The man was bickering with someone, like he was in a heated argument. Had the absurd situation made them drop their guard? Another terrorist popped out from somewhere else. Bang! The guy leaping into the multipurpose hall took a bullet and crumpled.
-Focus up, uncles! We all gotta make it home alive!
“S-sorry. But this place is too damn big. Just the three of us...”
Minwoo caught himself making excuses without thinking. The dog robot’s face turned toward him. He shrank back, flashing back to getting chewed out by his parents.
-You’re doing great.
“Huh? But...”
The words were nothing like what he’d expected. He’d been about to rattle off his own clumsiness and shortcomings.
-We gotta get Hyuksu home. You busted your ass last night to save him, right?
“Ah...”
This guy had been watching him. Thinking back, the sniper covering them from the Liberal Arts Building was him. Hyuksu... Lee Hyuksu had gone down from a terrorist’s bullet.
Minwoo wasn’t trying to be some good guy or feeling any brotherhood for Hyuksu. He’d just done it so no one would finger him as the bad guy, so his parents wouldn’t look at him with disappointment.
“But I...”
-Whatever the reason, what you did as sergeant doesn’t change. I believe in you. No, Evergreen—at least two of ‘em...
The man dove back into his argument with whoever. Minwoo gripped his gun tight and planted his feet. He leaned out toward the approaching terrorists and squeezed the trigger. Bang!Bang!
“Gah! The fuckers...!”
“This goddamn prick!”
The terrorists spewed vile curses in reaction to his shots. He didn’t flinch.
-And remember. I’m always watching your backs.
An unknown but rock-solid guy was keeping eyes on him and his team.
“So, you propose yet?”
“What the hell kinda talk is that, Shai?”
ShiningBlue888. The woman using that handle in Chasefield X, whom her teammates called Shai, spoke up. Her mischievous jab got a reply from her gray-haired girl teammate.
“That’s not it. Just something I really wanted to say.”
“Sounds like a line right before falling in love.”
Shai teased her once more. Huh, but Conel’s ears turned bright red. Not meaning it for real, Shai quickly changed the subject.
“Broadcast room—you’re heading there, Conel?”
“Yes. Unlike you, I’m weak in group fights. Better to quickly neutralize terrorists and provide cover.”
Thankfully, shifting to tactics brought her teammate back to normal. Shai liked this gig. Good pay, and fighting alongside a cute teammate wasn’t bad. As she climbed to the Main Building roof using the rope, she whispered to Conel.
“B2 cool with you, then?”
“Ugh, don’t talk to me outta nowhere.”
Conel nearly slipped off the rope. Regaining balance, she climbed on and said, “He’s a good guy. Strong, quick judgment, brave.”
“Hmm...”
Shai recalled today’s B2 alongside Conel’s words. Yeah, at first he seemed kinda green. Movements like he’d never fought a real person, pistol grip stiff like straight out of a textbook. But then she got it. B2 was the real deal—the same B2 from Chasefield X she knew. Her grip tightened on the rope as she climbed. ...Something like ‘this is fun’ bubbled up. Fun? Not just ‘not bad’? She shook her head at the unfamiliar feeling.
Moments later, they reached the roof.
“No windows in the broadcast room. We’ll enter via the adjacent hallway and force our way in.”
“Got it. I’ll slice up anyone who comes close.”
Tactics were set in under a minute. As they prepped to breach, a familiar voice crackled over the radio.
[Whoa, hold up a sec!]
A panicked voice. Unless Shai’s ears were busted, it was B2.
“Heh, this is getting fun.”
She chuckled hearing him declare he’d protect everyone, ignoring the Korean cops. Just like the B2 from the game. Bang! With his sniper shot kicking off the op, they pushed inside. Surprisingly few enemies.
“Should I come to the broadcast room too?”
“You’d be isolated—too risky. I’ll go alone.”
Shai covered Conel’s entry as planned. “Always listen to the commander.”
The broadcast room door swung open—and footsteps echoed like they’d been waiting. Lots of ‘em. At least a dozen. She keyed her radio.
“B2, need a hand real quick?”
[Anytime.]
Solid as ever. She pulled up her hood to cover her mouth, grabbed the grenades and tear gas from the riot cops. Clang!
Suddenly, the Main Building hallway’s fire shutters dropped. Narrowed the defense zone nicely. Shai blew a kiss at the cam. “Mwah! Thanks, B2!”
[Evergreen, I didn’t... Huh? Oh, okay!]
Clink! She hurled everything at the approaching enemies. White smoke bloomed with acrid stench.
“Cough! Cough!”
Shai drew her pistol and her favorite dagger. Listening to the terrorists hacking, she said, “Can’t use weird signals or Conel’ll chew me out, so—cover me?”
[Got it. Go, Shai... run!]
She powered her legs and charged. Burst through the white smoke, popping pistol shots at visible foes. Bang!Bang! Anticipating return fire, she dropped low. Bullets whizzed over her head. Hugging the hallway wall, she slashed throats with the knife and shot legs whenever they peeked. Danger moments hit too. That’s when a sudden bullet pierced the terrorist. ...This is fun! Really fun! She was grinning before she knew it. Feels just like Chasefield. Back when Conel suggested game sims for op prep, Shai had scoffed. Real life ain’t games. Even with tech, one real bullet’s worth a hundred virtual ones. She reflected on her bullshit now. And thanked Conel for shoving it through with authority.
Boom!
[Fire shutter’s down! Watch it, Shai!]
“Hahaha! This is fun, so much fun!”
[Why’s she like that...?]
Not even pissed at B2’s words. She trusted him. Her teammate from three years of fake game battles.
[Evergreen, I got this! Just sit back and watch!]
B2 griped in that whiny tone. Soon terrorists squeezed through the bomb-breached steel plate.
[Shai, that water cooler over there...]
Bang!
“Smashed it!”
[Uh... nice shot.]
The massive water tank burst, spraying like a fountain. Terrorists splashed toward her. Whoosh! Something like an arrow whistled. A huge dart-like pin slammed into the lead terrorist. Crackle!
“Gaaah!”
Blue sparks flew; the men convulsed on the floor. Shai laughed seeing it through the clearing smoke.
[You good now?]
“Motherfucker! Who you think I am?”
[Dog-girl.]
“You’re dead after this.”
Shai shot back in her usual tone. The downed terrorists started stirring. She threw herself into the joyful fray.
I let out a sigh as things finally started calming down. A few close calls, but luck held and we pulled through okay.
-Kiddo! You’re way too reckless! Ignoring odds like that coulda got your friends hurt bad!
But our Evergreen wasn’t settling. I spoke to the near-teary AI voice.
“...Saving people is a losing bet statistically.”
-What kinda nonsense is that, kiddo-kiddo!
I lightly tapped my sniper rifle—home to the cute-talking Evergreen.
“The soldier uncle who threw himself to save his junior, the riot cops.”
“The idiots who rushed here to stop terrorists with no damn reason.”
“If they’d weighed high and low, no one would’ve been saved.”
Evergreen went silent for the second time. After a crackle in my headset, a voice returned.
-...Our kid’s really something! I’m touched!
“Thanks, but you said I’m out of bullets—down to one .50 cal round? Swap it if you can. Ain’t over yet.”
-Already did!
“Huh? Th-thanks. Fastest Evergreen ever.”
I scoped the area. Bomb switches recovered, hostages secured. Future Hall and library finally looked safe.
“Phew...”
Tension eased, and I realized I was soaked in sweat. Double-checked the action cam just in case. Problem lingered where I least expected.
“Conel? Conel! You hear me?”
No reply from Conel in the broadcast room despite my radio. I’d confirmed via cam the terrorist ringleader taking one between the eyes. Cam showed Conel approaching the body slow—then a guy burst from the side.
It was Ryu Seonghong, the colonel we’d seen on broadcast, mastermind of this mess.
“What the...? That bastard...!”
Cam explained my mix-up. The colonel had swapped clothes somehow.
“Conel? Conel! Respond!”
Radio wasn’t getting through. No voice from her. I instantly knew why she was still in standoff.
The colonel held a detonator switch. One twitch of his finger and boom—way too close.
“Ah, if that’s the play...”
I shouldered the sniper and aimed at the Main Building. A plan clicked; I called Conel.
“Got a plan for us! ...Conel?”
-Kiddo! Something’s off over there!
“Yeah?”
-Can’t send comms! Looks like some bushy crap jamming it! Words get all twisty in your ear!
...No clue what that meant. Anyway, comms down—time for backup measures.
“Hm...?”
Suddenly, a chilling prickle up my back. Shai’s warning about watching my six? I lowered the sniper, drew my pistol. Crept toward the stairs cautious...
Clunk! Opposite passage flew open; something lunged out. A guy in North Korean uniform, rifle up.
“Shit...”
Bang!Bang!