Rogue

[Control to AI]

[Auto Assist: Enabled]

[Visual Guide: Enabled]

[Manual -> Automatic]

[Notice: Battle report]; information on the suit and how it held during the ambush displayed across.

[Autonomous AI in control]…[Cess -> Active Mode]

"Hello," spoke Cess nonchalantly.

"Yeah, hello," he replied with the head facing the ceiling. Faint muffled whimpering came from behind the register. The gunfire had startled the hostages in tow.

"Cess, what happened, everything sort of turn in a blur."

"Is it not obvious?" she asked with smugness, "-you took over the suit's full control and eliminated a threat. Not the wisest of move."

"What of the big explosion?"

"Flyover is broken, the only way into their territory is crossing the main road," along with words, a display came up with updated imagery of the area.

"Let me guess," he sat upright facing the unconscious girl,"-I'm responsible for them blowing the bridge. If I didn't ask you to broadcast a cry for help, then, well, I suppose we could have made it."

"Not that I completely blame you," her face seemed neutral on the display.

"What of the kids, do a scan," he stood and walked over to check the girl who bled.

"I can't, the sensors are being repaired; completion is 45%."

"The girl isn't going to last that long, priorities the sensor. There must be some first aid I can administer."

"No can do," she voiced harshly, "-auto-repair is priority. You don't have the rank to override said program. As for first aid, tightly wrapping cloth on her thigh, above the injury, should slow the blood-loss."

"Understood," quick on the feet, he did as Cess instructed.

"S-sir hero?" called a shuddered voice, "-Is everything ok?"

"Yes," he paused, '-damn it, I can't think of anything to say to them. A hero who can't protect a little kid isn't worth his damn weight. There must be others waiting to ambush, the sensors are offline. Without them, I'm blind, in no way can I do what I did earlier.'

"Status on armor repair," he ordered.

[90% complete].

'The sensors won't be active for half-an-hour. Such a hopeless situation. Staying still isn't going to do anything.' Her blood loss was reduced, it gave more time to assess the surroundings. The assault came from the opposite building. A singular path leading to the now broken fly-over. Dusk drew in as well, a chance to breathe or another opportunity for the enemy to strike.

"Listen carefully," knelt with the children hidden under the register, "-I'm going to look for help. The big explosion broke the bridge, I need to find another path for us all to escape. No matter what happens, don't move and don't make noise, I'll be back soon. I'm going to try and get her to safety first," the injured girl was held in princess-carry. "I'm leaving behind my sniper and bag, make sure you don't touch it, it's deadly."

"W-when will you be b-back?" they asked frightened by him going away.

"Soon, very soon, your friend needs help – if she isn't treated, she'll die." Placed on a table not far from the counter, '-let's do this,' he carried over vending machines and fridge to build a sort of refuge for the children. One that was both inconspicuous and well protected. Hidden amidst the rubble, none would guess they hid.

"Alright, I'm off," peering over for one last look, they returned his gaze with a smile. He dashed after vaulting over the broken window, "-Cess, plot the quickest way to the AN-C's resistance post."

"On it."

Meanwhile, opposite the fly-over, the remainder of Parker's men stood in disappointment.

"They blew up the bridge," said Julia staring the carnage as the sun-set.

"There's no way anyone from that sector can reach out for help. How cruel can these people be," mumbled Keira watching as Miles walked nonchalantly with a smile. No one from his squad had died. It gave both arrogance and pride. His team thew disgusted gazes at the two ladies. They who survived the engagement were seen as cowards. Escaping the frontline to survive, not knowing the truth. The truth of how they eliminated a squad each. The orders came from the Second Lieutenant. Sergeant Parker knew as soon as the orders were told, that they were on way to certain death. Sergeant Malley knew that going into the enemy's land was deadly. Using a squad to do reconnaissance as opposed to a drone. Unable to reject the orders given, the squad left with a nervous smile. Platoon 039, in particular, Parker and Malley, were shunned. Shunned for showing mercy to the enemy. Shunned for being smarter than their field officers. Coming out on top of a mission that was supposed to be deadly. Their mentality was of saving the people rather than killing. Many viewed said traits as noble and many more as ignorant and foolish. Despite the remarks, they climbed the ranks with many being jealous.

As soon as they were made into sergeants overseeing a squad. Their idealism transferred over to the soldiers. Many at headquarters viewed it as a potential threat. Soldiers are there to do the bidding of the superiors. The law is instated by the General, one to fight without emotions. To that extreme, the compassion of saving could be detrimental to his plan.

"Did they willingly pushed us to die?" thought Keira as the same thoughts went around her mind.

"Was the mission nothing but a murder in the name of the war?" wondered Julia who gripped her assault rifle.

"Don't," intervened Keira, "-if you shoot now," holding her friends' gun, she side-glanced to a sniper on the third floor peering down onto the street, "-they'll shoot us without mercy."

"Are you telling me to stay quiet?" she urged, "-is leaving them that worth it? What about the children, what if it was your sister, brother, or kids in there, how would you react?"

"Shut up," *smack,* "-Julia, I understand how you feel. I want to help them too; if this goes out of hand, we'll be the ones who die. What then, what would your father say?" she asked.

"My father," she breathed a humph, "-that man has nothing to say," turned facing the rubble, "-the slap you gave wasn't that hard, are you getting weak?"

"I'm not," they both stared into the wreckage, "-are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I guess so,"

"Let's do this together, partner," giving a fist bump, they sprinted across and leaped.

"SERGEANT," screamed a gunman, "-THEY'VE ESCAPED," he panted to the empty door-frame.

"Leave 'em be," he shrugged off the warning with a cigarette in hand, "-they can die like pigs for all I care. We'll be getting new orders soon, have the men be ready to move," he sat next to the intelligence officer. Relaying information back and forth had the soldier in pain.

At the outpost, the lieutenant's men were getting ready to move to point C. The advance unit of the armored division 030 was forty-minutes out of the rendezvous-point. The intent of said mission was kept secret to even his man. Rashford wasn't the only one in on the plan. It went as far as the Brigadier General in the chain of command. The war had been fought for too long. Supplies and men were low on both sides. If the AN-C won in academy city, the war would end while if the IG-4 won, they'd have great resources to advance into the Western-continent. The final stand-off would happen somewhere here, a place far from ideal. Therefore, more convoluted and less humane strategists were employed throughout the world. An example was of a hostile takeover of IG-4 in Antis, they burnt a small village to a crisp. The weak massacred and the strong sent to camps as forced labor. Slaves who'd walked death marches, working throughout their territory.

'We'll make it soon,' sprinting across the streets, the night settled. The moonless sky gave less than ideal light. The street lights were down. Electricity for the North-East was cut to halt the IG-4.

[Night-Vision: Enabled], '-the sensors are offline, thankfully, the gun has a thermal scope. I should be able to fight in complete darkness if need be.'

[Notice: Receiving Transmission from unknown source], he stopped a few meters away from the flyover.

'I hear footsteps in the distance,' he ducked in an alley. Gently resting the girl on the floor, the footsteps grew audible. Hidden behind cover, he knelt and peered to their vague direction.

[Notice: Receiving Transmission from unknown source], yet another ping.

"Any luck?" said one of the figures.

"No, trying to ping out transmissions does no good," they walked gently. Kept to the buildings and in cover as opposed to in the open; there was no way in knowing who shuffled about.

*Sniffles,* "m-mommy," she whimpered, "-Mommy," it turned to sobs, "-MOMMY," her cries echoed down the street. Loud to the point of shivering, the pain of the injury grew unbearable.

"Who stands there," the footsteps rushed over with gun ready to fire.

"There's an injured girl," shouted one of the figures, Night vision went off with flashlights taking reign.

"Can you treat her?"

"No, she needs to be taken to the medical camp. The blood loss has been stopped but it's not all that good."

"What should we do?"

"Wait, there's no way she could have walked here," said the figure examining the girl.

"You're right," said the other with her back to the street.

"Don't move," ordered a deep voice with a cold barrel against her head.

"Are you with the IG-4?" asked the other with her gun ready to fire.

"If you kill me, she'll shoot my dead-body to kill you without mercy," said the hostage.

"Why are you here?" asked the deep voice.

"We received a distress signal," replied the other.

"Is that so," 05's gun lowered, "-you're with AN-C I presume?"

"Yes, Private First-Class Keira," said the standing figure.

"Corporal Julia," said the other who examined the girl. "Are you the one who sent the distress signal, the one who saved us on the fly-over?"

"Yes, let's keep the chatter to a minimum. I need to get her to a medical camp quick, more children are hiding a few hundred meters there."

"I knew the signal wasn't a trap," smiled Keira, "-alright, we'll take her to the camp. There's a truck that can take us to the outpost given the moment."

"Cess," called 05, "-we made contact with the ANC. Is there a road that the truck can take, surely the town must have a path leading into the main road."

"Yes, but there's no opening to get on the other side, each is divided by a wall."

"Alright, that should do it," 05 paused to think, "-I have an idea," he voiced.

"What is it?" asked Keira intently. Her partner was busy treating the child.

"The truck, have it brought onto the main road. Don't go anywhere near point B, use the upper paths. This area is clear of snipers from the IG-4. I'll have the children escorted to the main road, we'll have the exchange then."

"Alright," nodded Keira.

"I'll take care of her," stood Julia with the girl sobbing on her arms.

"Let's meet up at 19:10."

"Roger."

Time showed 18:40. 05 made contact with two rebellious soldiers from the AN-C. Firm plan in mind, they separated. Julia was soon to inform of the new development. Miles wasn't pleased to hear what they had done. In the end, he agreed to help in the rescue operation. He agreed because of the information the intelligence officer intercepted. A clean-up operation with the advance armored division was scheduled at 19:30. His men were ordered to return to Point B for further orders.

As for 05, he dashed off to help assist in helping the children. On the way there, the smell of danger triggered his instinct. The radar picked up on multiple red dots around the shop. No intel on what had happened, he approached vigilantly with gun-drawn. 'Please, be alive.'