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When something like this happens in a sleezy action movie, the hero always has a cool oneliner to cap the situation. A silent ”woah” is the best your overstrained brain manages to produce. The <span class="mu-b">AI spike</span> did its job and then some, as by some mechanical miracle the Panther Alpha's ammo storage explode with a loud boom. You marvel your handiwork for a second before stepping back. The men look nervous. Did it work? Slowly the good news spread amongst them. You have to step in before they forget their duty in face of jubilation. The situation is not over yet. By the security feed's account most of the assailant fled after the explosion, but you can never be sure.
After 18 long minutes a loud noise of the rotor blades announces the arrival of the Shark Squad. You and Rufus meet the delegation. ”You needed some help here?” Corporal Hartmann asks. He is a heavy built and rude man. ”We managed to secure the upper floors, but it's still a warzone down there. One dead and several wounded by my understanding.” ”Two dead”, Hartmann retorts. ”Costava bite the bullet. Higgs is in coma last I heard. Looks like you folks really screwed up this time.” Your stomach lurches as you hear the news, but you manage to keep you voice steady. ”It wasn't us who screwed up, the intel wasn't good! Look what's down there! It's a small miracle we're still standing!” You wave your hand towards the smoking wreckage. Hartmann gives a whistle before his comeback. ”Just one? Well, I guess you can't ask too much from you rookies.”
You start the cleanup process. Slowly and methodically the men advance downward the building, floor by floor, room by room. Any cupboard and alcove large enough to hide a person or worse. By the time you finish the whole building an hour has already passed. As you're advancing towards the main facility, APC after APC starts to enter from the wrecked main gate. Finally, the reinforcements proper came up! Even while the most agressive members of the rioters already met their bloody end or exited the facility, there is a fair number of looters still inside and you rather have the numerical advantage. Some company police officer you can't care to remember assumnes command and you can finally relax a little.
You lit up a nicovape and look at the remains of the carnage that unfolded two hours ago. It's not that you're relieved yet, but you just can't give a damn at this moment, fuck everything. The corpses of the rioters and the burnt out dronetank make the late night industrial lot look like straight out from an old wardoc. The company police officers keep coming in in numbers and after them a small army of technicians and paramedics, documentinc the scene, collecting bodies and maybe even some of the wounded. One even tries to give you a medical check up, but you dismiss him without a second thoght. You don't need a shrink or bandages, you need a good sleep and a hot meal.
