Knight was the same as always. The hot pink hund introduced himself and asked me if I had any preferences. I decided to skip his whole spiel because I had heard it before. I requested a Döbian smart carbine, and a dumb pistol.
“Do you know how to use them?” Knight asked.
“Yep,” I replied, trying to get over the unease I felt at meeting one of my friends again for the first time. “I learned from the best.”
The armorer gave me a funny look, almost like he was about to call me out. Then he relented. “Is there anything else you need?”
I almost told him no. Then I remembered a vital piece of kit that I was missing. “I could use a scarab, just to be safe.”
“I've got one in stock,” Knight replied, making a note on his tablet, “Anything else?”
I thought about GG, and the optical camouflage she would be wearing. Which then reminded me of the unwelcome guests that would be waiting for me in my apartment. I would have to figure out a way of dealing with them.
“Actually, yeah.” I pointed at my eyes. “I can't see in the dark. Do you have any old school night vision kicking around? My aunt thinks she's so cool with her active camouflage, and I want to fuck with her.”
The armorer visibly perked up at the thought of ruining GG’s day. “Good idea. I’ll see what I can come up with.”
Vika continued to stare at me as Knight went off to gather our gear. She didn't say anything, but I could feel her suspicion.
“I've been doing some VR training,” I lied, wondering if I sounded as full of shit as I felt.
“Sure you have,” Vika said, “And what VR program would that be?”
“It was something the police academy had us do,” I replied, realizing that I would have been absolutely worthless as a spy, “I forget the name of the program, but it was very realistic.”
“It must have been,” the thick coated hund said, “Because most people don't know that active camouflage doesn't do well against light outside the visible spectrum. What kind of training scenarios were you running?”
I was saved from answering by Knight’s return. “You are both good to go. Your gear is already at the range.”
“Thanks,” I said as I hurried towards the door, “You're the best.”
***
My continual sense of deja vu got even worse as we entered the boneyard. Gigot was standing there, looking out of place in his casual attire, while Simon was fully kitted up in a plate carrier.
This time I recognized the black metal bar strapped to my father's back. It was Torheit, the vampirzahn. Simon had come to the range fully prepared to kill André if things went south.
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The last time I was here things had kicked off when I told them that I needed a HUD. I decided not to change anything. It wasn't worth the risk of deviating and having things go wrong. But as I strapped on my plate carrier and the rest of my gear, I hit a small snag.
My night vision goggles had a built in HUD. I decided to ignore that fact and keep to the original script. Then I realized something else I had missed on my first go around, my scarab could act as a HUD when paired with a smart weapon. That was probably why they hadn't given it to me until later.
My head was spinning. Simon and GG had meticulously planned everything out ahead of time.
“Dad, where's my HUD?” I asked, playing my part in the drama that was about to unfold.
GG laughed. "You're hilarious."
"No, really. Where's the heads up display for my weapon?" I looked over to Simon who was wearing a look of confusion and concern, the same as he had last time.
"Why would you need an external HUD?" He asked. "Can't you just interface directly?"
Thankfully I still had a perfect memory. "No. Can you?" I asked.
"Of course he can!" GG said, frustration rising in her voice. Frustration that I now recognized as part of her plan. She had been acting from the beginning, moving the conversation along. "We all can! Did they not teach you how to properly use a weapon in that police academy?"
What followed was the surreal experience of acting out my own history like a play. Only this time, I knew what was going on behind the scenes. They were getting André into position for an easy takedown.
GG closed her eyes and took a deep breath before slowly letting it out again. "Fine, I'm over it. But we're here and we've got the equipment so you need to learn. You won't always have access to a HUD. I'm going to get some fresh air and clear my head. Gigot, you used to be an instructor. Will you please teach her for me?"
The tall Dansk nodded. "Of course. I would be happy to teach the basics to Eden if she wishes to learn."
I nodded, knowing what was about to happen next.
"Good." Gigot looked over at André. "The rest of you may go but I would like to borrow André if I might."
"Sure, whatever," Simon said as he followed Vika and GG to the break room. The fluffy northerner held the door open for her boss, which I now realized was a smoke screen for GG to creep out unseen. She had activated her stealth suit and walked right back out the open door.
The muscle bound Döbian let out a bark of laughter once they were gone, pulling me back to the present. "Are you going to teach me how to shoot as well?"
"No, I'm going to use you as an example of what not to do." Gigot pointed down range. "Put two targets each at fifty, one hundred, and two hundred meters. I'll have you shoot, then I'll critique your technique."
"Set up your own targets. I don't work for you," André replied menacingly, completely unaware that he was about to get his skull bashed in.
"No, and you never will because I have standards," Gigot said calmly as he walked forward, getting in the larger hund's personal space, "I already asked your boss if he had any particular attachment to you. He said no. So go setup those targets like I told you to before I-"
This time I saw the headbutt coming. André shifted his weight ever so slightly, telegraphing the upcoming attack. But this time Gigot missed it. I don't know if I had accidentally changed something, or it was bad luck, but the headbutt connected. The big Dansk reeled back woozily as André followed up with a right hook.
My training took over at that point. I shouldered my carbine, flipped off the safety, and sent a three round burst between André’s eyes. The muscle bound warhund dropped to the ground, dead.
Gigot turned to face me, visible confusion on his face. “I thought you needed a HUD.”
I shrugged, finding a suitable lie somewhere in my subconscious. “I was trying to pull one over on Aunt GG.”
“Congratulations!” said the katzen in question as she appeared at my elbow, “Consider me surprised!”