I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun-Chapter 796: Washington D.C (12)

"Throwing around defective products and outsourcing the final adjustment, you stupid Slavic pigs... I should have known when they threw them away in a cargo container or something."

"Don't say that. The idea itself wasn't bad. Seeing that they realized that it wasn't enough to integrate bionics and turned it into an exoskeleton, I think they have some understanding of the subject."

"They threw everything here except the hardware, damn it. It's so frustrating... If the performance was a total mess, I would've thrown it all in the incinerator."

The special equipment room of the Black Eagle Command Center 'Kestrel' in front of the White House in Washington D.C.

While people wearing suits that seem like a subtle mix of exo-suits and heavy armor and bulletproof masks with partial bulletproof capabilities are busily moving around, a woman wearing a full-body suit walks around and complains.

One of them, who was leisurely following him, was constantly laughing and accepting his nervous voice. The mechanical devices attached to each joint moved smoothly to assist the man’s movements.

One of them was Race, a high-ranking officer of the Black Eagle commanding the soldiers of the amphibious assault ship Kestrel, and the other was Crow, the Kestrel’s chief of technology and former Artemis technology director.

Race absentmindedly picked up the tablet that one of the soldiers offered and quickly flipped through the screen to check the status.

The screen was filled with Russian. The horribly long sentences were all related to the Hunter Project that the Allied Forces were working on, and below that were the catalog specs.

However, the specs were not important. What was important was the purpose of the Hunter Project, and to achieve this, Black Eagle was currently working on a separate post-processing of the exoskeleton that had been unloaded near Washington D.C.

Of course, it wasn’t going to go so well.

"Because of the Allied Forces, all the evils are gone. How can the primary objective be achieved if you put in a tiny memory? And you can't return it."

"Consider it free. It won't take that long. Since Artemis was involved in it quite a bit, the expandability won't be that bad, and the engineers who came with it are working day and night."

"Damn, I'm the one who gives the approval to deploy that pile of scrap metal into the battlefield. At least the EMP function needs to be reinforced. Icarus Operator must have heard it by now."

"Isn't it possible to do limited network interference with the master code Webb gave you?"

"Damn, it's not like it doesn't work, but..."

With a hissing sound, Race's helmet comes off.

The sharp helmet folds in and merges into the neck area, and the moment it does, a torrent of white hair pours out. And underneath it, there was unrealistic white skin that looked like it could be scooped out with a spoon.

Above that, the bright red eyes and pointed ears. Even the long fangs that show whenever she opens her mouth. An appearance that could be proven to be a vampire cast in the form of a woman, out of a hundred fantasy novels or myths.

Only then did she let out a breath as if she was less suffocated, and she looked down at the memory chip containing the master code on her palm and added.

"This is just folk belief. Secretary Solomon, who has the position of the Secretary of Homeland Security, is a complete lunatic, bordering on paranoia. I don't think the master code will work even now."

"Well, I have nothing to say since the person in charge is like that. I'll try my best for now. But I don't think I need to worry that much. Isn't this something I got for free anyway?"

"...Damn it, this isn't some kind of lottery...Yeah. I guess it's better to think of it that way. I was going to throw it out soon anyway. I don't have high expectations, though."

"Is it because of the Dagger Team?"

"Aside from those guys, who else should we be concerned about in D.C?"

Just like before, he let out a loose laugh. This time, he was right.

At this point, Black Eagle had completely reduced all the miscellaneous forces roaming around Washington D.C. except for the US military - armed carriers, gangs, warlords - to ashes, and partially helped the Allied Forces.

So the power structure in Washington D.C. was very simple. The US military, Black Eagle, and the Russian-Chinese Allied Forces. Of these, Black Eagle and the Allied Forces were in a tacit alliance, so it could be said that it was a standoff between the US military and Black Eagle.

And from Black Eagle's perspective, there was nothing else to worry about. Only the Dagger Team, known as the Reaper, was the biggest threat.

Crow absentmindedly recalled the past.

If he hadn't foolishly let go of the Icarus Gear that was almost in his hands, he would have already disappeared from this world.

"I'd like to go and see for myself, but I don't want to risk my life. It's crazy to hang around in front of the lunatics who kidnapped Director Carlton in Syracuse...."

"Director Carlton?"

"He was one of the board members of Artemis Technologies. It's an internal matter, so Black Eagle wouldn't know."

"I see."

She made a calm expression, and Crow didn't say anything else either.

Instead, he added one word.

"That. Have you tried it on?"

"Hunter exoskeleton? Are you crazy enough to call a potential defect that was collected less than a week ago? If you're going to say that, give me a more improved enhanced suit."

"It's a shame for you, but it's not that easy. You must know that the enhanced suit you're wearing was made because your body data existed a long time ago."

"It was wrong to bring it up, you damn punk."

She turned her head again, and Crow shook his head.

It was a familiar sight. At least to them. It had been going on for nearly ten years. Wraith, who was naturally sickly, had been a volunteer for Artemis' clinical trials and augmentation treatments, and Crow had continued to have a close relationship with Wraith.

In the meantime, another person approached Wraith again and handed him the tablet again.

It was no different from before, but Crow felt that Wraith was gradually regaining her vitality. In reality, there was not much difference.

Wraith, who was extremely sensitive to sunlight, could tell exactly what time it was even inside the building, and her returning vitality meant that the night was getting deeper.

And the deepening night meant that the operation time was approaching.

"Optimization work is complete. Currently, 20 troops are available for deployment."

"... Yes. That's faster than I thought. Where is the deployment point?"

"The three surrounding bases, including the forward surveillance base built in Potomac Park."

Potomac Park.

The surveillance base built in Potomac Park, located not far from the Lincoln Memorial and across the bridge that crosses the Potomac River, and not too far from the Pentagon.

Even if the attack failed and they tried to retreat, the Potomac River was behind them. In other words, there was no place to go back, and the soldier who delivered the tablet knew very well what that meant.

Moreover, at this point, the Dagger Team should have heard news about the Hunter, so the Hunter who was actually deployed to that location had only two options.

"Whether to die or kill everyone and come out. I wonder if this is how the Dagger team felt... I approve deployment. You should step back now."

"Understood."

Even if they were high-ranking, those currently in the Black Eagle have had their sanity partially removed.

Considering the possibility that the Dagger team, who are unusually active, have heard about the Hunter, the Hunter, who will be deployed to Potomac Park in a few hours, will be deployed in an operation with a low chance of success.

Despite this, no one stops them. This was possible because the option of NO was eliminated from their minds.

Before long, there was no one around the two, and Race glanced outside and added.

"Please take my combat uniform, Crow. I'll go out too."

"...What?"

"Don't worry. I have no intention of crossing the bridge. If it's the roof of the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Lincoln Memorial, I should be able to see Potomac Park without much trouble."

“...I wouldn’t recommend it. If the Dagger team were to come out with that ‘weapon’, practically all of Washington, D.C. would be within range.”

“I’ve thought about that.”

At the same time, she met Crow’s eyes.

They were bright red.

They met human aesthetic standards, but they felt inhumane just because a few elements were off. But that wasn’t the point. She had taken off her helmet.

Crow vaguely understood what that meant, and Race opened his mouth.

Opened.

"I heard that there is a Sharpshooter among the Dagger team with unrivaled shooting skills. Potomac Park and the Lincoln Memorial are only 1km apart, so maybe he will try to make contact before trying to blow my head off."

"...You risk your life for that little bit of expectation? That's crazy. Do you think I will accept it?"

"Do you think I am asking for acceptance?"

At that moment, red eyes looked down at Crow coldly.

Race raised his hand leisurely, and at that moment, Crow felt a pain he had never felt before, like his blood vessels were boiling. A bitter taste seemed to rise up his throat.

Race also seemed to have expended a considerable amount of energy in that short moment, but it didn't matter.

In a world where one person is replaced by another being in an instant, it was a common occurrence.

"Is that enough to answer your question?"

"...You."

"Even if they blow my head off, at least if we face them face-to-face, there's a chance I can escape. So I'll ask you one last time. Bring me your combat uniform, Crow."

"Whoa, you damn bastard..."

He opened the door at that moment and winked at a soldier waiting in the hallway.

As the sound of running down the hallway grew quieter, Race added, letting out a small breath.

"And just take two blood packs. That should be fine, right?"

"...Do whatever you want. Just don't get caught or kidnapped."

"Ha. Mind your own business."

At that moment, Race disappeared from his seat like melting snow, and Crow muttered, looking at the spot where she had been sitting with a subtle expression.

"...The world is so strange."

That was exactly what he said.

The night was deepening.

- Skyhook system ready. Helium infusion awaiting. You'll reach max altitude in 30 seconds.

-Aurora, Shark, ready. No problem with the ascender. Sniper team?"

-Ready.

-Good. Now we just have to wait until the enemies attack. This is going to be a long wait.

"We should've brought that Lapland kid."

"If that kid had come here, it would've ended badly at the White House."

"The hurdles are getting higher, and there's no one to replace the Dagger team. "It's a headache."

At 1:20 AM, the April dawn in Washington, D.C. was cool and full of moonlight.

The world was still quiet, but as always, there were places that weren't quiet, and the area around the Pentagon was always like that, and today was going to be even louder.

In front of the Pentagon, there was a balloon about to be filled with a large amount of helium gas, and a 700-meter-long steel cable connected to the balloon. The Dagger Team had chosen a method that would allow them to be quickly deployed to the battlefield, taking advantage of the capital's situation, where transportation was not as good as Manhattan's.

Of course, the situation in New York was the same.

Olivia and Eagle Team, who were looking at the scene from the newly erected spire on the roof of the Pentagon, smiled slightly.

But after a while, even the small smile disappeared from their lips, and they took in the moonlit capital. The darkness that moonlight alone could not erase illuminated the Washington D.C.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

The Dagger Team was moonlight, and the capital was darkness. That's why they I was feeling suffocated. It was because of the relatively sluggish situation.

"...I don't know if it's because I've been scamming too much, but I'm getting impatient. I shouldn't adapt to the pace of the past."

"I don't think so."

"What?"

"If Dagger's way is to create new options by forcibly twisting the conditions, then wouldn't it be right to adapt to that? The item I brought this time is the same."

"...That must be true."

If it can't be done, make it happen.

It was a very harsh statement, but at least for the Dagger team, it was the right answer. They jumped head-on into a world that was at first glance considered impossible and pioneered new options.

The Icarus Operators never conformed to reality. They were the writers of history who rewrote reality.

And the reason they were so motivated was because they expected that this might be the beginning of a watershed.

-Eagle. What's the situation?

"There's nothing I can see. Shouldn't you be the ones to tell them?"

- I thought they'd be bored.

Olivia made a face of bewilderment, and the Eagle team burst into laughter.

It was light to say that it was the atmosphere before the operation began, but this was also the method of the Daggers. And there was a reason for this - since they were dispatched the moment communication was cut off for a certain amount of time, they had no choice but to go in if the enemies didn't show up.

In addition, Washington D.C. was the capital and also had various government buildings gathered together, so there was a height restriction on the buildings. Because of that, the buildings were all similar in height, making it difficult to detect movement.

If Olivia couldn't see it with her own eyes, it was obvious what a reconnaissance drone would do.

That's why she also leisurely looked down at the view of Washington D.C. and enjoyed the silence.

How long had it been?

An ominous silence spread through the network.

-...Potomac Park Some of the connections are being lost around the observation post.

-Launch a drone in the area.

-Already prepared.

No matter how much the Dagger team was a combat specialist, they didn't love combat, and engagements and operations were things they hoped would never happen.

And as Murphy's Law always goes, things they hoped would never happen would always happen. And in the worst possible way.

The TOC requested several communications, but there was no way those who had lost communication would respond.

The only thing the operatives could know was this: the soldiers stationed at the Potomac Park observation post were either unable to respond because they had lost communication, or they were being massacred.

And after a while, the helium gas was fully injected into the balloon.

───Zzzzzzzzz!

As the balloon rose into the sky, the steel cable wrapped around the winch was pulled up, and all of the Dagger team except the Eagle team took out their ascenders with serious expressions.

It was the moment when the wingsuit infiltration, which was exclusive to the Dagger Team that had been shown in Manhattan, began.

However, at that moment, Olivia did not see the magnificent sight.

"...Potomac Park, you say?"

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"No. I think there was something rippling across from the Lincoln Memorial."

"...I can't even see the Lincoln Memorial properly."

She found something in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial. It was the result of a color scheme that only she could do.

Olivia added on the radio.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

"...I need to check something, so don't let the balloon out of gas."

-Okay.

She didn't know what it was, but she would find out if she opened it.

It was the moment when gunfire was heard in the capital again.