Chapter - 38

Sangvis Ferri HQ

The outside defenses of the SF's fortress were turned off and so the G&K troops didn't have any problems getting inside. Anti-Rain was inside their new titans when a transmission from command arrived.

"To all G&K forces, the objective is to retrieve Mastermind, unfortunately, in order to reach the target you'll need to make your way across the entire complex. The Sangivis Ferri troops are not as many as the last time you saw each other in the battlefield but don't forget to rely on our new allies...the rules of engagement are as follows...the ringleaders must be captured while any other Sangvis can be destroyed, Mastermind as the top priority...The Imperium struck a deal with it but, unfortunately, the news couldn't be communicated to the rest of SF due to the Honkai Corruption of the channels. In order to access the area where the VIP is located, we are forced to reactivate the entire complex including the tactical dolls..." Kryuger spoke through the radio.

"M4, we need to separate, my chassis cannot fit inside those corridors" M4's titan, which she named Skull, informed its pilot.

"Roger that" the tactical doll opened as she got out of the titan.

The rest of her squad did the same and were about to enter the facility along with the rest of the T-Dolls and the Crimson Slayers

"We'll find a way to catch up with you" Skull said receiving a nod from M4 before walking away with the rest of the titans to find another access point

"Bye Luv!" Sop said waving her hand at her titan

STAR 15 sighed "I can't believe you gave it that name"

"Reactivation of the facility in 3...2...1...now" RO whispered as the main door of the SF structure opened on its own

The Crimson slayers were the ones to enter first since even if there was someone was waiting to ambush the troops they will hit a brick wall. M4's squad entered shortly after but while they sprinted past the Astartes RO noticed that the Space Marines were holding back, when they entered the G&K HQ they were fast, methodical and dominant but now they were simply acting as shields leaving the job of clearing the rooms to them.

The sounds of footsteps approaching suddenly could be heard from the depths of the facility, the SF troops were there. M4 tightened the grip of her rifle and pointed it in the direction of the sounds then they appeared and they were greeted by a barrage of bullets from both G&K and the Crimson Slayers.

The slayers were aiming at the armored targets which they knew that most of the t-dolls couldn't take down while AR team and the other wiped out the less armored ones. After the skirmish, the troops advanced and encountered more enemy troops, the fight went down just like the first one and so they keep going and going repeating this cycle over and over again.

The Tactical dolls which got hit were roughly repaired on the spot by the Mechanicus allowing them to quickly return to the fight. The Space Marines showed off their strength by literally ripping apart the SF armored units after they got close enough.

M4 and her teammates in the meantime finally understood the big changes in their equipment, so far even a directed hit on the chest was nothing to them and their newfound mobility gave them the upper hand on the SF troops which were having a bit of a hard time aiming at them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the facility, where the second entrance of the facility was, 404 squad was entering the base along with Spas 12 and a few Skitarii squads.

UMP 45 was wondering why with them there was Spas 12, she wasn't a member of the Squad and yet she was with them not even wearing her standard uniform but with her knight-looking armor, the one she called Goblin Huntress for some reason.

The Imperium Forces quietly got inside, checking the corners and making sure that there wasn't an ambush. Just like the Astartes, the Skitarii's role seemed really passive though they also seemed eager to see something...

HK416 was looking around as the echoes of the gunshots on the other side of the facility could be faintly heard. The squad received secret instruction from Kryuger himself...they had to oversee the meeting between M4 and Mastermind...

"Yo" someone said causing 416's expression to be filled with hatred "long time no see 416...you haven't changed much"

"M16" 416 replied with spite as she looked at the white-haired woman with a heavy black jacket in front of her "I was looking for you"

"I can't say the same" M16 replied with a sigh "Let's make this quick, if you are here it means that they are the other side"

"I was about to say the same thing M16" 416 replied "Finally, I will show you that you are nothing compared to me"

"You couldn't beat me before, I don't think you can beat me after how I've been modified" the former G&K doll replied raising her rifle

416 threw her rifle away and cracked her knuckles before sprinting in M16 direction, who opened fire against her.

The bullets bounced off 416's body as if they were BBs instead of real bullets, and this caught M16 by surprise but she kept firing until she saw something that shocked her. The bullets had shredded 416's clothes revealing an entirely different body, it looked like a living armor of metal. She was about to dodge but suddenly 416's speed increased massively and in the blink of an eye, she was right in front of her.

416 launched an upward kick that disarmed M16 of her weapon and then followed up with a downward kick that hit M16 on the top of her head. The SF Doll ignored the pain and immediately counterattacked with a left hook which was caught by 416

"Like you, I also chose to become something else" 416 said as she started crushing M16's hand "Something far better than this scrap body of yours!"

M16 gritted her teeth and threw another hook with her free arm but 416 raised her arm and blocked it before grabbing onto it...ripping it off with swift motion, 416 didn't allow M16 to realize what just happened, she used the ripped off arm to hit her rival's head before ripping the other arm. She then rammed her knee in M16's belly and forced her to kneel, she then grabbed by the collar of the jacket with her left hand and proceeded to punch M16's face without any mercy

With each punch, the ground below them shook but 416 was controlling herself, she had received instruction to retrieve her rival after all but they never specified in what state, she will leave her barely conscious.

"LOOK AT ME M16! HOW DOES IT FEELS?! TELL ME!" She shouted as she threw one last punch that echoed across all the facility before letting the body of her enemy fall to the ground. Her eyes became filled with disgust as she stepped on M16's back "Pathetic"

"416...?" UMP 9 called her with a horrified expression "W-What happened to you?"

416 grinned "I accepted the Mechanicus upgrade" she replied before bursting into maniacal laughter "My body was replaced with a stronger one...I'm not a tactical doll anymore, I have become an Adepta Omnica" she declared before someone rushed in

"M16! I need you to go to..." Dreamer shouted before seeing what was going on, she was about to raise her sniper rifle when Spas 12 suddenly appeared behind her and rammed the bayonet of her shotgun in the Dreamer's body, but that was not a common bayonet, it was a chainblade. Dreamer's body started to be ripped apart when the blade stuck in it came to life and started ripping apart everything in its path.

"What the hell" UMP 9 whispered in shock as she looked at Spas in pure shock

Spas let the Sangvis doll's body drop to the ground destroyed and looked at the Skitarii "It's perfect" she said with a twisted smile

"The master will be pleased to know that, Adepta Omnica Sabrina" one of the Skitarii replied

"So this is the upgrade..." 45 muttered before returning to focus on 416

"You wanted to see your sister, didn't you?" 416 said darkly as she grabbed M16's hair and started dragging her by it "then let's go find her"

The AR team, in the meantime, had finally come across the heavy troops of SF but so far none of them have encountered a ringleader which was strange since most of the other squads did come across them like Destroyer and Alchemist but for some reason, M4's squad didn't, they were clearing out the structure without any major problem, The crimson slayers were able to take down the Nemeum and Matincore SF units without too many troubles while the Tactical Dolls took care of everything else.

"Clear!" RO shouted as she came out of a room

"Same here!" STAR 15 said

M4 looked around a bit before checking the map they were given...then she realized that there was only one room left to check and the signal of Mastermind was coming from there...she clenched her fists and closed the map, she then placed herself in front of the final door, her squadmates leaned against the wall at the sides of the door. The Crimson slayer seemed to have disappeared.

M4 placed a breaching charge and made it explode before rushing in with RO, STAR, and Sop. All of them pointed at the same being that was standing in front of several computer screens.

She was a little girl, with light purple skin and white hair and a symbol on her forehead. She was staring at M4, she didn't carry any weapon on her "M4..." she muttered before a bullet flew right next to her face

"Don't you dare..." M4 growled "You took everything from me...you put me through hell...now I understand why we didn't meet any of your ringleaders...I don't know what were you expecting but this is not going to be a moving reunion. I have orders to take you in and you should be thankful that I'm not allowed to shred your body to pieces"

The little girl looked down on the ground

"But I have to ask...didn't you expect me to hate you after all you've done? How you tried to break my mind and so on? Are you now trying the diplomatic approach because you can't attack our minds now?"

The girl looked so small even though she was the one called 'Mastermind', M4's words left her no room for any reply except for "I'm sorry..." she whispered before someone broke in causing M4 to point her weapon in its direction.