"Listen up! I know you ladies are capable of fighting, though not necessarily winning battles, it's about time we discuss the combat roles of your classes, starting with you Boomer!" The Drill Sergeant points to the RPG-7 On her back, as mentioned, in addition to your sapper roles of building defenses, trenches, repairing vehicles and infrastructure, you are also tasked with taking out hostile vehicles such as transports and tanks. Your RPG-7 is capable of firing HEAT warheads which can be used to take out or disable some armored vehicles. Take a look at that wrecked tank over there, 50 meters to the right of you." Mai directs her attention at a T-80 battle tank which has seen better days. "Why don't you show your squad mates what you can do with your new RPG-7?"
"My pleasure, Drill Sergeant." Mai happily obliges as she pulls out the RPG-7 from her back, loading a HEAT warhead at the front. She gets down onto one knee and aims down the red dot sight mounted onto the launcher. Hikari stands behind her to get a better view, which turned out to be a fatal mistake when Mai pulls the trigger of her rocket launcher causing the projectile to fly towards the tank creating a large explosion on the tank's tracks. Unfortunately, the back blast of the RPG-7 Knocked Hikari over depleting all of her health. Her rag doll lies on the floor for a brief moment before she respawns back in the same spot. "Uh....woops...sorry Hikari." Mai nervously remarks.
"W...what just happened?" Hikari asks in a confused state of mind.
"You were being absolutely naive. That's what happened." Answer the Drill Sergeant. "You never stand behind someone firing a RPG-7 or most handheld rocket launchers. The back blast is deadly enough to obliterate anything standing in front and behind."
Emi can clearly see Tomio and the rest of longhorn squad chuckling to themselves seeing Hikari blow away by the back blast. Hikari is incredibly embarrassed by what happened right now.
"I...I'll keep that in mind next time, Drill Sergeant."
"Well since we got that out of the way, there's another projectile I'd like to introduce to Mai if you can stop ragdolling for just a minute, Hime." The Drill Sergeant pulls out another warhead from a nearby crate and hands it over to Mai. "These warheads are Fragmentation" rounds. They are more effective against against large group of enemy soldiers. Not really useful for anything else. So how about you see for yourself what it can do." He then points directly to Tomio and the rest of Longhorn Squad sitting by the bleachers. "Why don't you go ahead and fire at those useless lots over there?"
"Wait...oh crap!" Kimberly shouts out to the others but Mai doesn't hold back as she starts smirking as she aims her RPG-7 at the bleachers and fires her Fragmentation warhead into them, causing longhorn squad to completely fall into the ground as the bleachers break part and collapse. "Ha! Nice shot Boomer. Well done." The Drill Sergeant laughs as Tomio's squad respawn over the wrecked bleachers where they were once sitting at.
"Was that really necessary?" Ramirez complained in a low voice.
"We're almost done here. A little standing about wouldn’t hurt." The drill sergeant called through his megaphone.
"That was pretty cool, Mai."
"Heh. Thanks Hikari!"
"Alright, Let's get a move on. Trackstar. You're up next. Since you're the squad leader, your duties are quite obvious. Lead your team to victory and boss them around. Sounds simple enough right?"
"I'd think so, Drill Sergeant."
"You don't sound too confident. That's not very promising. But maybe this might help. You see that radio in your plate carrier. You use that to communicate with your squad or allied teammates. Just make sure settle on a channel where you can communicate easily with them. Keep in mind that if the enemy knows your channel frequency, your communications can be intercepted so don't be giving away your strategies over the air unless you can find a way to encrypt your messages."
"Encryption, Drill Sergeant?" Emi asks.
"For the time being, your handheld radios will not be capable of encryption. You'll need to invest in better communication technology for your squad should you rake in the credits in your future matches. I suppose you can get creative with your orders, should you need to issue out vital information through the waves. But communicating with your teammates isn't all that impressive of a skill. Here, I'm sending you an additional exclusive radio channel you can use."
Emi's heads up display shows a frequency she can tune to with her radio. "That channel frequency you are being shown is a support channel. Should you end up in a less than ideal situation, you can call that channel for emergency reinforcements which can aid you on the battlefield."
"You mean like additional soldiers, Drill Sergeant?"
"Precisely. You are getting the hang of it, Trackstar. Calling for reinforcements will give you an additional squad of AI controlled soldiers that will arrive either by air, sea, or land depending on the battlefield conditions, rules, and theme. Just keep in mind these soldiers will not exceed the skill level of you or your squad but they'll follow orders. Alternatively, you can call in for artillery barrage, CAS or Close Air Support, or if the battlefield permits it, a supply drop to resupply your squad and your teammates. One caveat of this ability is that it could only be used once."
"I understand Drill Sergeant."
"Last thing to note, if you are ever incapacitated, someone from your squad or even a squad leader from another squad can take your place and use your abilities for the rest of the match. So try not to get yourself recklessly killed unless you can trust on the leadership skills of your squad mates."
"I'll try not to let that happen, Drill Sergeant."
"Very Well. Mouse, we gone over most of your abilities during physical training. You're a scout so you're going to be moving ahead of everyone else if instructed to by your squad leader. Sometimes you might have to sneak behind enemy lines to collect intel or sabotage. Speaking of which, check your backpack Mouse."
Chiara takes off her backpack and opens the zipper, revealing some hefty objects wrapped in duct tape and a small electronics module taped over them.
"You scouting kit includes some additional C4 charges. They have an electronics device on the top to set the timer before they can detonate. The underside has a sticky adhesive so you can place them on a moving target like a vehicle or tank without the explosive falling off. You can give the enemy team a real surprise if you know what you are doing. But C4s aren't just for fun and games either. Some mission objects will require you to destroy assets that are giving your enemy an edge such as a weapons cache or even civilian infrastructure which has been repurposed for military means. In such cases, you will have the green light to destroy them to hinder the enemy. But don’t waste them if you need to use explosives for an objective."
Chiara nods as she looks at her C4 charges before putting them back into her backpack.
"So far so good, it seems you girls are starting to understand your roles pretty well so far. It's only a matter of time before..." Without warning, the Drill Sergeant takes out his Browning Hi Power side arm and shoots Mai in the leg.
"Ah!" Mai stumbles onto the ground as her leg has taken damage. There is a redness to her leg where the bullet has impacted.
"Oh my God! Mai has been shot!!! WHERE'S THE MEDIC!" The drill sergeant yells openly. "Why is the squad medic just standing there. Heal your sapper!"
"On it, Drill Sergeant." Hikari recovers from the shock of seeing Mai being unexpectedly shot in the leg and gets down to help Mai with her injury.
"Pay attention you two, this is important. Watch as Hime stops the bleeding." The Drill Sergeant points to Hikari who is addressing Mai's wound with a tourniquet.
"The Tourniquet will stop the bleeding and will allow some time for Boomer to keep bleeding out. In a real life situation, Mai would be sent away from the battlefield to be medically addressed by surgeons. Since bodily damage is all simulated and does not persist after the match, this will not be simulated completely. However, if Boomer's injuries are severe enough, she may have to be airlift, or transported out of the battlefield. Technically, this will make her a casualty and will no longer fight for the rest of the match, however this will not count as a KIA for your squad if she is pulled out of the battlefield so you'll get some extra points if you save a critical wounded team mate, POW, or civilian that you run into. The Tourniquet is useful for most gunshot wounds, but sometimes that won't work with other bodily injuries. Packing the wound with gauze would be more ideal in those situations. Chest and abdomen wounds are more likely to be fatal and severe, especially without plates to protect your vitals so a chest seal would be used to keep your injured squad mate from dying out. And if the injury is to the head or mouth...well you're more than likely done for. Check for red zones on your injured squad mate and use your knowledge to heal them in an appropriate manner."
Hikari finishes healing Mai who is able to get up on her feet again but with a limp. "Oh and since our demonstration is done here...let me reset your vitals." Mai's health and injuries and reset back to normal.
"Mm...that's better."
"Well congratulations girls. This concludes our basic training for Mil-Sim Story's Tournament matches. One additional thing I'd like to address is that you don't have to stick with your class for the entirety of the tournament. You're free to change roles, weapons, gear, or adopt a new class should it be more beneficial to your squad's tactics for an upcoming match. In such cases, you should report here to the training field to learn these new skills before going out into the battlefield again. Until then, you are all dismissed." The Drill Sergeant Salutes.
"Thank you, Drill Sergeant!" The girls of armadillo squad call back with a salute.
"Now if you excuse me, I'm going back to my office for a tea break. I suggest you talk about your plans for tomorrows match for the tournament with your spectators over there." Drill Sergeant Perry walks off to the barracks on the opposite end of the field. Emi turns her attention towards Longhorn squad who is approaching them from what was the remains of the bleachers.
"Not bad Armadillo Squad." Tomio noted. "I think I made the right choice letting you partner up with us for the tournament."
"We didn't breeze through it, Tomio." Emi admits humbly. "Even I struggled at one point."
"So did us." Fio added. "It's a miracle I ever completed training." She smiles with a little chuckle to her voice.
"So just as a heads up, the gang and I found out about our first match tomorrow. We're going up against Glam Squad and Kraken PMC."
"Oh....Kraken..." Mai eyes blink from hearing that name. "So Zander is actually serious about competing in the tournament this time?" She grumbles to herself.
"You know them?" Tomio asks Mai with suspicion.
"Know them? I used to be part of Kraken PMC back in the summer."
"Huh? You were in another squad before Mai?"
"Of course I was Emi. Like I said, I've been playing this game for quite a while now. The thing is, Kraken PMC is an international squad but most members don't stick around for very long. Zander is more of a hard ass than Drill Sergeant Perry if you can believe that."
"How do they fight Mai?" Chiara chimes in as well.
Not like a conventional military force. They are a professional private style military but they are more cut throat and are more focused about getting the mission done no matter what. Their entire reputation lies on making the most credits from matches...well at least in the past. They have a lot of sponsors and work with other squads if they pay them high enough."
"And what about Glam Squad?"
"No clue. They seem new to me."
"Can you be honest with us Mai? Do you think we have a chance against them?"
Mai looks at Emi for a brief moment, then to Tomio before speaking to the group as a whole. "I'd like to say there's a possibility. Technically anything is possible, but I don't think our victory is guaranteed."
"I see...well..." Emi nods to Tomio. "We have some experienced members in our platoon. I trust your leadership, Tomio."
"And I trust in your squad's abilities and your own, Emi."
"Perfect! Then those money hungry mercenaries and that new squad will get the ass whipping they deserve." Kimberly declares enthusiastically.
"You sure of yourself Kimberly." Ramirez asks doubtfully.
"I have a gut feeling about it. We've become all good friends with Armadillo Squad in a short matter of time, and we seen them and what they are capable of."
"Is it enough?"
"It's more than enough, Rami."
"So it's settled, we're actually going to go through this. I just hope we don't completely get humiliated. Can we all make a promise here everyone?"
Everyone's eyes are on Hikari who has something to say.
"If we are destined to lose our first match, can we at least try to lose in the best way we can. Let's not give them an easy victory."
"As long as I get to shoot my RPG-7 in Zander's face, that would be good enough for me." Mai conveyed confidently. "But it would be nice if we could we win this."
"Chiara. You've been awfully quiet so far, do you have something you'd like to say?" Kimberly addresses Chiara.
"Oh...um...well....I'd say....Let's do this."
"Let's do this." Emi repeats Chiara's words.
"Let's do this!" Everyone all cheers in unison.
Everyone has logged off of Mil-Sim Story's server from Longhorn Squad and Armadillo Squad. Everyone except Tomio and Emi who are hanging out at Flint's Gun store. Emi is looking through some of the pistols in the counter.
"I'm going to need a pistol before the match tomorrow. I can't believe I didn't get one before going up against you last week."
"Our last match would had gone differently if you had one."
"Obviously Tomio." She shakes her head and sighs. "I mean, all of these handguns seem good enough. I have no idea what I should get for myself."
"Hm..." Tomio looks at the pistols in the counter with Emi. "I'd think you would look good with a Beretta."
"You mean those pistols over here?" Emi notes to the section labeled Beretta which has a couple of handguns under the brand name.
"They are probably one of the oldest firearm brands and they are Italian too which is a plus for me."
"Is that all Tomio?"
"Some of them are combat proven. How about that Beretta M9A4. It's a recent redesign of their classic M9 line."
Emi looks at the M9A4 for a moment before calling Flint who is waiting behind the counter. "Flint, can I see it for a second?"
"Sure thing Emi. This is a high quality pistol. Tomio ain't wrong about that. See for yourself." He takes the pistol from the counter and hands it over to Emi. She grips her hand around the grip of the pistol. Her hands are comfortable on the grip, even though her hands don't completely envelope it. It's a fairly large handgun for a combat pistol, but not comically large.
"Not bad, the slide seems to rack smoothly and there appears to be an optic and threaded barrel too." Emi racks the slide to safety check the firearm before trying out the trigger. "Hm...that's a nice trigger too."
"I'd knew you would like it. I would buy one myself but I’m rocking my Single Action Army."
”That cowboy thing? Why Tomio? That’s even more antiquated than Mai’s gear.”
”You know I like my spaghetti westerns. I shoot pretty well with it. You’re a witness to that skill.”
"Yeah, you got me there Tomio.” Emi sighs remembering how she got taken out at the last second of their previous match together. “Alright. I'll take it Flint."
"Thanks Emi. I'll go ahead and process your transaction. You should probably give it a few shots at the shooting range before your match tomorrow. I'll be rooting for your squads."
"We appreciate it Flint, Thank you!" Tomio replies.
Tomio and Emi are now outside of Flint's. The evening hue is now completely gone and the dark hues of the stars and sky have replaced it. It's awfully quiet but relatively peaceful.
"It's been a long time since we hung out like this Emi." Tomio remarked as they lean on a parked car outside of Flint's store together.
"Yeah, with just the two of us. How long ago was that Tomio?"
"Jeez, I don't even know how many years it's been." Tomio eyes dart to Emi's face. "Can I say something Emi?"
"You can say anything Tomio. I'm not going to stop you.
"I know I can Emi...but you know this is difficult for a guy like me to bring up with a childhood friend. I'm a bit uneasy right now?"
"Huh? You? Uneasy? About the tournament?"
"No, Emi...it's about us?"
Emi's eyes dilate as Tomio speaks.
"I know you are reluctant to admit it but...I'd must of done something wrong back then for you to avoid me back in middle school."
"Tomio...no...no you didn't. You could never offend me...at least now that I am somewhat...more mature."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Uh....well..." Emi loses her train of thought while Tomio laughs quietly to himself. "Okay....maybe I'm not exactly in control when it comes to my own issues. Life has been up and down Tomio. I honestly wished I never locked you out of it."
"Our parents were still talking even when we stopped. I heard about what happened. I'm deeply sorry about your parents and your younger brother."
Emi and Tomio remain quiet for a moment before Tomio speaks up again. "If you ever have anything that's troubling you, I'm willing to listen."
"Thanks Tomio. I never thought a psychology major would be getting psychological help at some point. I want to help people like I helped Chiara and so many others and yet sometimes I feel like I can't help myself you know. I can't even get over my phobia of heights."
"That's something you can fix with exposure therapy right?"
"Yeah, but I feel like being put through that stresses me out."
"You shouldn't have to feel that way. You have friends who can help you out when you need it. Don't be afraid to ask. You're a team leader, just like me, but you and I aren't perfect. We shouldn't pretend to be."
Emi sighs but a small smile forms on her lips. "Tomio, you're acting a lot mature from the last time I seen you too."
"Oh...really? Thanks Emi." Tomio almost blushes as he speaks. "It's not like I'm doing much with my life. You're at least going to college."
"College isn't all what it's made out to be Tomio. Trust me. These past few weeks have been disappointing. I don't know what's going to await for me in track, but I'll rather not talk about that. We have to stay focused on the match tomorrow."
"Yep. And we better get our rest too while we are at it. It's getting late."
"Ready to log off already, Tomio?"
"Yeah, you too?"
"Emi nods to Tomio. "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow on the battlefield then."
"Yeah. This time, we'll be fighting together and not against each other."
"Mhm. Well...I guess this is goodnight then, Tomio. See you tomorrow?"
"Uh...yeah. See you Tomorrow Emi. It's been nice talking to you again."
"Me too. I missed you Tomio..."
"Huh...what was that?"
"Oh..uh...I...I said I'll be seeing you."
"See you tomorrow Emi. Goodnight."
Emi removes her VR headset and wipes her eyes with her t-shirt. She lets out a quiet yawn before setting her headset by the bedside, letting her head plant gently on her pillow. She pulls another pillow closer to her and hugs it tightly before closing her eyes.