Gear & Radio

*krtchhhcchchch* *krtchhhcchchch*

*Pap* *Pap*

Sounds of velcro ring out as Houmin threw his gloves on a table, making the plethora of gears, gun parts, bullet casings, and a knife on top of it to be shuffled around. He exhaled. Satisfied, he grabbed a pulsating diamond shape crystal and inspected it. He threw it to a man wearing orange with a black lining power suit, catching it in the air.

"A Synthesized crystal that houses a dimensional rift that feedbacks energy to itself without causing catastrophic thermal blowout to the crystal casing. Impressive... But a little more adjustments on the gravitational equation." said Freeman. He held the crystal as he plays catch with it. "So what I'm gonna do with this self-recharging battery?"

"For your H.E.V suit, of course. HAHA!" Said Houmin. Freeman just smirked at that answer.

"Indeed-- Instead, I think I'll just keep it as a souvenir." then a beep sound followed. "We're done already?. Am I the last one?" He asked.

Houmin nodded.

"Is that so." He fixed his glasses. "Alright, I'll be leaving now. Oh! Just a reminder. Stop being so scared about numbers, okay? It's not that hard." The last thing Freeman said before he disappears.

Houmin stretched his hand, standing up from his chair. Stretching every part of his body.

Meanwhile, Skylar's tears ran down as she laughed with Julia Chang. They bid their farewell to each other. Thanking her nonstop until she disappeared. She immediately frowned when she turned around and saw a jughead of a man suddenly flexing his stupid body in her direction.

"Sure, he's taller than me. But can he at least do it somewhere else?! Geez." She thought. "You're damn lucky cause if it wasn't for your baby blue eyes, I'll freaking clobber your damn face into the ground!." As she raised her middle finger at him. In return, he just waved at her.

Essentially, Houmin is 178cm tall while Skylar is 172cm tall. Standing side by side, these two are relatively taller than anyone else. Additionally, while Houmin's body is buff and toned, much like special forces should be, Skylar's body is more of the athletic side, which is lean and muscular.

Suddenly, the mechanical sound of the bunker door opening was heard.

Both of them looked at the open door, then looked at each other as they both nodded.

They moved ahead, closer to the door. Just stopping before it.

Skylar inspected the outside and saw a table with all sorts of gear on top of it. While Houmin's focus is on the door, making sure there's no alarm nor trap on it or in it.

Satisfied that there are no surprises in store for them, they entered the other room at the same time.

In front of them were 2 tables with all sorts of gears, clothes, and a pack. On top of it were huge signs saying "Boy here" & "Girl here" respectively.

It didn't bother the two that much and walked to each of their tables.

Skylar was the first one to recognize that the setup was arranged oppositely. Her pack was on the left side of the table, Houmin was on the right. The dressing booth was on her right while Houmin's booth was on the left and the list goes on.

"I didn't expect he'd paid any attention about this." Skylar looked around, amused. "The only difference is that I got a Modified IFAK, and you got a nerd toolkit."

"You've changed." He suddenly said. "No, don't point that thing at me~ I'm just saying, you know. Just an observation." He didn't even glance back at her, but he knows a gun is trained on him.

"Sure~ If you weren't so damn cute." She lowered the pistol, a modified FN 5.7, down to the table. "I'd already shot both of your eyes." She cocked the slide back, and a bullet popped out. She opens her palm and waited for it to land in. As soon as it lands, she immediately put both on the table.

"Ouch~ I'll miss you if I don't see you every day." He teased. He was puzzled about why there's a pair of undies while also clothes in plastic cover labeled "THERMAL UNDERSUIT. Wear underwear, then wear this."

"Anyway, thank you." She said with a smile.

Houmin paused and glanced back at her, "What for?"

"For everything, for back there." She heaves, the heavy feeling she had is now gone after she said thank you. "It was really tough for me, and I wouldn't pull myself through if it weren't for--"

The room speaker came to life. The 2 were not expecting a different voice coming in on the radio.

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"Come in, Team Delta. Ranger Citadel here." A man's voice was heard.

"Reading you, Ranger Citadel." Replied by a man with a much hardass tone.

"How goes the Rabbit?" Ranger Citadel asks.

"Bugged out, takes time to track it again. We'll flush it out soon enough. Break. We bumped into its new grazed ground, we'll inform you in a bit-- AMBUSH!" Sporadic gunfire was heard.

"Team Delta, reinforcement on route. Team Able will be able to support." Ranger Citadel immediately barked out orders on his end.

"Negative, Command. We can handle this. Good Rabbit is even here. Delta, Out."

The radio died out.

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"Anything you'd like to add?" Skylar tried to nudge him to speak his mind about it.

The two were in their respective changing room where their head and their ankle can be seen.

Houmin paused before giving out a reply. "The one speaking for the Ranger Citadel is General Vargas." He neatly hanged all the clothes from the on the rack. "The other is Captain Hunter from Team Delta." He unzipped the vault jumpsuit and stared at. He knew he had to let it go. Still, it hurts when it is happening.

"And?" Skylar waited in anticipation. Due to Houmin messing around, she was already wearing the undersuit. A sleeveless, almost turtle neck, and length reaches out before the ankle.

"They're hunting rouges rangers. Team delta operates on that parameter." He wrestled with the flat earth-colored pants. Not because it's tight, its because the material does not comply very well. He folded the cuff and tapped on the knee pads to make sure everything fits.

"Figures as much," Wearing olive pants and a grey undershirt. Skylar was examining the Combat Breastplate addon. Too many straps or too tight will cause friction and create unnecessary problems in the future. "You think they let us in that easily? Even if our gear is similar to what they use, I'm sure they're not dumb to not think this looks out of place."

Poking his head out of the portable changing room. "What's the color of your pants?"

Skylar peaked out her right leg out instead of saying it. "Enough?"

"Yeah. Looks good on you." Houmin exited out of the changing room. Dressed in a greyish-brown 3/4 jacket top with an attached combat pauldron. It's sleeve just ending before his elbows and undershirt with an inner weave Kevlar lining for his vital areas and a flat earth-colored battle pants. He liked the outfit, especially the pants. Ain't a bad thing to have extra pockets. He thought.

The radio backed on-again, Team Delta informed Ranger Citadel their hunt escaped again while its friends are all dead. They are tracking it heading west.

"It's tough if it's blue on blue." Skylar exited the changing booth. Wearing the same top, and the only difference was the color of the undershirt and an added breastplate that can be easily concealed with the jacket's zipper. "Looks good on you." She said as she glanced at him.

"Now that you mention it, we might be a bit out of place when we get there. Ours is too modern. They'll surely suspect something." He said. He looked down on the table and inspecting the firearms on his table.

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An AK/Saiga model rifle converted to be able to chamber the 5.56x45mm. A heavily modified platform. A concussion muzzle device, an AK12 Top Cover, A strengthened customized gas block, a customized pistol grip, a 2 stage trigger, an AK12 firing control group lever, a rounded grip charging handle, a hybrid sight with back-up iron sights, an extended rail handguard, an AR buttstock buffer tube.

Additionally, there are additional accessories attached. AN/PEQ 15 box, flashlight, a hand-stop, and a three-stage sling. A full complement of Magpul magazines and a quick-attach suppressor.

He trailed his eyes onto the next firearm, a customized 1911 pistol that is chambered in .45 ACP. A double-stack magazine with a flared magazine well, an integrated suppressor, a rail attachment with a pistol size red dot, and an under-barrel flashlight. Additionally, a customized grip with a cut-out on its left side that can fit the combat knife's handle.

Meanwhile, on Skylar's table laid an integrally suppressed piston action AR-15. A 14.5 inc length rifle with a full rail, flared magazine well, customized handgrip, 2 stage trigger, Raptor charging handle, a customized buttstock with a buffer tube. Complemented with AN/PEQ 15, an angled grip, flashlight, a hybrid sight, and a Magpul off-set iron sights. Additionally, with a three-stage sling.

Besides that, 2 two-toned black customized FN 5.7 with a lengthened barrel, making it an integrally suppressed pistol. An under-barrel laser sight, a customized grip, a one-stage trigger, a rail attachment with a pistol red dot.

Same as houmin, fully completed with magazines and other gears.

Lastly, Skylar and Houmin have a different bladed weapon on hand. A karambit for Skylar, a simple combat knife for Houmin.

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"They might scream 'Communist' with you holding that." Skylar pointed at his rifle.

"Hey! Hey! Eyes up here!" Houmin angrily called out to her.

Realizing that she was pointing at his crotch, she frowned. Annoyed that she had been had.

Houmin laughed it off.

"Might be, but we'll improvise once we got to that point." Customizing his RIG to his specification.

Stumped on what plate she will use for her RIG. "About earlier--"

Checking for last-minute adjustments on his RIG, "--It's okay. I'm glad I can help." He thought about saying to her that he felt guilty about dragging her in this... but he realized it might do more harm than good.

Skylar smiled at his reply. "That's rude! I wasn't even done! I'm talking about you blaming me for a pervert! While your the one who's a pervert!"

"Wha- What?! How dare you?!" as they both bickered about nonsense.

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"Everything's in order?" She asked.

"One sec," as he arranges the spout on his hydration pack. "Yup. That's done. Hmm..."

"What?"

"You're using two handguns? Not practical at all." He pointed out.

"Not really." Skylar tapped the first pistol holster on her thigh with her right hand and tapped the second pistol holster on her back belt with her left hand. "I'm handy with two of these. Heh! Get it? Handy. Haha!"

"That's a good one." He was happy she was making this kind of jokes. "How's your pack? Can you manage it?" He asked.

"Nothing to worry about. Still effective with this on." She jumped a bit and rolled her shoulders as her backpack and the rig also juggled around. Seeing him nodded with that means it's okay. "Oh! Almost forgot!" She unzips a pouch on the side of her rig that is labeled with a big red cross. She grabbed something and walked towards him.

"Here," She said as she held on to the stock of his AK. "A spare tourniquet. A first aid basic." She tied it on the right side of the cheek rest.

"There! Done." She slapped the stock. She looked up and saw him looking at her... so calmly.

"What are you looking at, big guy?" She taps his rig with her knuckle. "Haven't seen a hot redhead before?" She teases him. Due to her training, this split second, heartbeat skipping moments, heart teases are now manageable.

"... You got a nose hair sticking out, you know." he calmly said.

!!!!!

"Fucking Asshole!"

"-Ugh!"

As Skylar turned around in a panic, due to the momentum, her pack went straight to Houmin's RIG and bouncing him off as he lands on his backpack.

"DAMN IT! HELP ME UP! I'm LIKE A FREAKING TURTLE HERE!"

"Stand up on your own! Fucking Asshole." As she desperately tries to find that loose hair. And she did. In turn, her face quickly heated up in embarrassment.

The radio in their RIG trickled to life. "[Puff] Now, are we having fun wasting my time here? What are you waiting for? Christmas? Git!"

Skylar ran up next to him and proceeded to repeatedly kick him down while Houmin screams he can't get up, and she's making it worse.

The speaker turns back to life.

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"Team Delta to Ranger Citadel." Captain Hunter called.

"Ranger Citadel here, hearing you loud and clear." General Vargas said.

"Rabbit got a new hole. It's an ants nest from where we are.," Delta reported.

"Elaborate, Team Delta." General Vargas' voice turned serious.

"Sir, it's a war trail. Too many bodies along with it. Locals and nomads alike. Feels like a bandit band, can't confirm as of yet, but we have visual contact on target."

"Troubling news, Team Delta. Recon the situation but priority on the Rabbit. If it's too overwhelming, head back to base. This group has managed to slip out of our watch. We'll get them. Don't worry." General Vargas said.

"Affirmative, Delta out."

Radio died down.

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"There's an opportunity," He said with a smirk. "Though we need to make contact with Ranger Citadel first."

They walked to the pathway, in-between their tables, and headed towards the exit.

"With just the two of us?" She pointed out.

The radio in their RIG trickled back to life. "As Christmas came early, here's a present. Walk outside, and you'll meet the others. I love it when I'm so generous."

♪ Let's Ride Into the Sunset Together · Tony Vice, Jerry Burnham & Don Burnham ♪