Tom studies the run down an apartment building with a critical eye as he frowned. Some of the windows had been boarded up and others with black soot round them. Most of the street light posts were missing or the light bulb was gone and replaced by the smell of garbage.
"This is where the Dark Sun Guild suppose to be here?"
Zabel glared at the surrounding.
"Yes Sr. The intel analysts say they are round here somewhere."
Tom retrieved June's glossy feather from a pocket.
"Let's get a second opinion."
The black feather softly glowing a purple caught all five of the kobold attentions. Tom asked the feather.
"Are they here?"
It turned to point at the building's basement, but spun round. Every time it got close to be centered on the building, something would knock it off. Saying off offhandedly as he put the feather away.
"Looks like this is the place. Silent drive round and see if it has a parking garage. I have things to do and people to kill."
The underground garage may have used as a garbage dump, but there was a clear path to the second level. Tom stopped Silent before she drove down.
"Ok, I'll go on alone and you five will stay here to cover my exit."
Zabel gasped.
"Sr. you can't go in alone."
Adjusting the straps on his ammo box, Tom huffed.
"Fine, but only in an MAX."
She placed two fingers to her temple and sighed.
"Sr. we don't have one."
The other girls were snickering as Silent passed Jester a ten. Looking round at all of them, Zabel asked.
"What's so funny?"
Tom put in his ear plugs as he replied to her.
"They thought you hit me because I nicked an MAX, but now they think I was whispering sweet nothings to you. I told them I wasn't, but they didn't believe me."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Zabel didn't know where to start. She sat there with a grimace and stared out the window at the mechanized assault exo-suit. It seemed to stare back as it held a 20mm heavy machine gun in its mighty hands. Ever so slowly, she shifted her head to glare at Tom. He popped out an ear plug with a questioning yes.
"Sr. you didn't fill out any paperwork for that did you?"
Its clicked in his head as he gazed at her in alarm.
"Oh my god, that's what you're sore about. You like the filling out paperwork and doing it the right way."
Jester chuckled as she push open her door and hopped out of the SUV.
"Yep, that's why we keep her in charge."
Tock got out with Jester and the both of them naturally want go look at the hulking suit of armor. Zabel started discarding her armor and standard kit in mild irritation. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to make amends.
"Ok, how about this? I'll let you do all my routine work involving written documents that a First Claw would do, is that ok?"
She paused thoughtfully for a second and lost her frown as she eagerly took off the last piece of gear.
"That will be fine Sr."
Tom followed her as she got out of the SUV. The exoskeleton's armor joined together with nice clean lines and round edges as lights flickered in an open panel. Jester and Tock were running it through its boot up sequence and doing the check off list. Zabel want round to its back and press her thumb against it. Armor plates moved and shifted to form an opening. After sliding her legs and arms inside, it closed back up. She faced Tom to say over external speakers.
"I'm ready Sr."