…Power Restored…

…Systems Online…

Protivotankovyy awakes to the hissing welders.

There’s a maid standing before him with her arms crossed. It’s Genesis. She is smiling at him for some reason.

“Hey.” She calls him. It’s a genuine smile. She seems delighted by his return. He finds her welcoming aura surreal. He expects her to follow it up with a ridiculing remark. She doesn’t do it. It’s the usual greeting exchanged by comrades to acknowledge each other.

The tank sweeps his gun from left to right in a humanly fashion. Hues of orange bathe the place. Sparks leap out as parts are being cut. Metals clutter against metals. There are Chords to his left and right that also undergo repairs. Their reactive armors are stripped, and one of them has cavities on their side hull. The Utility-class Proxies, combat engineers, are assisted by the Creepers. They replace the damaged hull and fasten the reactive armors. Three Turangga drives away from the place, leaving a bunch of crates for the Maids to handle. It’s not the usual garage where he would be taken for extensive fixing. Rather a street surrounded by destroyed buildings and trees cut by artillery shells. Stripes of white lines extending from his position suggests that the place used to be a parking lot.

Regardless, he finds the vibe relaxing. It makes him feel at home. He doesn’t have one. But he considers all repair stations to be his. A dorm, at least. Just like the quarters of the men back at base. Thinking about it makes him wish that he has his own place. It has been a decade. No Chords have ever lived as long as him. He wishes to retire to a granite pedestal like the tank he saw at a village near Carvingstone. Just one more year perhaps. He keeps clinging to that thought ever since he lost his comrade. Though it keeps him going, it’s not enough to contain his grief.

“Where’s KT?” Protivotankovyy asks.

“Back in base.”

“Is she okay?”

“She lost a leg.”

“What!?”

“Hey, hey,” Genesis calms him. “Don’t sweat it, she’s fine.”

Protivotankovyy grumbles.

“Come on,” Genesis tries to cheer him up. “Replacing a leg isn’t a thing Command can’t do.”

Fair point, but that’s not what he is thinking. “Must have been agonizing.”

“Well,” Genesis shrugs. “Yeah.”

“Have you ever lost yours, blonde?”

Genesis grabs her skirt and pulls it up slightly. “These are still my original legs.”

Protivotankovyy briefly stares at them before coming up with an idea. “What if I shoot them and then you tell me how it feels like?”

Genesis let go of her skirt and places her hands on her waist. “You just woke up and you choose violence.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“I’m made for violence, am I not?”

Protivotankovyy suddenly catches a commotion just across him. There is a number of Proxies lined up far ahead. NCOs he thought. An officer is standing in silence across them. Then he sees a woman elegantly walking into view. The golden edges on her uniform gave her away. She is passionate in her speech. She cries every word she says like her life depends on it. Her skirt is just above her knee. A part of her thigh is literally visible for others to see.

“Makes me miss a friend.”

“A commissar?”

“She is.” Genesis exhales. “I hope she is still alive and well.”

“How does she look like?”

Genesis puts a hand on her chin and leers up for a couple of seconds. “Imagine Caitlyn. But instead of looking like she’d take her own life at any moment, she looks like she’d take someone else’s life at any moment.”

“Friend or foe?”

“Friend or foe.”

“You’re not making things up right?”

“After all these days you still don’t trust me?” Genesis gazes at him.

“No.” Protivotankovyy chuckles.

Genesis pouts.

“Scientia!” The woman yells.

“Victrix! Victrix! Victrix!” The Proxies reply in unison.

As the soldiers disperse in good order, Protivotankovyy starts to fantasize things; KT in that woman’s boots. How awesome would it be if she is the one yelling to motivate the troops? Not to mention her in that dashing golden-edged uniform. It’s definitely going to be a view when she leads a charge on an enemy position. But it’s probably not a good thing on second thought. He’ll be occupied by firing at something else when that happens. He won’t be able to stare at her thigh.

Protivotankovyy is aware that she is not fit for that kind of job. She barely talks, let alone giving out huge speeches. It would be great if she inhabits such energy. But Protivotankovyy doesn’t wish her to be like that. He much more prefers her meek nature. It’s what defines her after all. Besides, she also won’t be needing his protection if she is bold and assertive.

Protivotankovyy returns to reality. The girl isn’t around for a while and he already miss her. Her bright porcelain skin, her lustrous pale blue eyes, and her chocolate ponytail spark a limerence that’s just too perfect for this world. It’s unbelievably absurd how they give him the ability to feel human emotions. Sometimes it feels like an act of kindness. They genuinely wanted him to develop camaraderie with the soldiers. And sometimes it’s otherwise. Protivotankovyy dreams of taking KT into a ride through the countryside. But he knows it’s not going to happen. They allow him to hope, A hope that is not going to manifest. And that’s a wicked thing to do in his optics.

He wants to believe that he’s just overthinking the latter. He wants to believe that he has the right to be affectionate to a female partner. Surely seeing her for the second time after his best friend left him isn’t a coincidence. And his feeling was right. Though they had it rough to begin with, he can’t stop worrying about her now. Her softness has seeped into him so much that he couldn’t stand having it taken away.

And speaking of KT, he still has something in mind.

“Hey blonde, help me out.”

“Huh…” Genesis smug. “Why is that all of a sudden? You said you don’t trust me.”

“Come on.”

Genesis puffs her chest. “What’s in it for me?”

“Accept first, then I’ll tell you.”

“That’s not how it works.” Genesis briefly looks away. “How about this, you’ll listen to my proposal and I’ll help you with whatever you need.”

Protivotankovyy raises his barrel for a second before realigning it again. “Deal.”