I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun-Chapter 795: Washington D.C (11)

"...Captain, are you still alive?"

"...I feel like I slept deeply, but I still can't shake off the fatigue. It's hard... It's not your fault, so don't worry about it too much. It was fun, after all."

"Ah, haha..."

2:35 PM, Central Park HQ Alpha-class Mutant Dormitory, 1st Floor.

It was already late afternoon, too late even for lunch, let alone waking up at the designated time. After nearly 10 hours of deep sleep following a vigorous relationship that lasted until about 4 AM, the two of them sluggishly woke up.

The outside world was still noisy. In fact, it couldn’t have been otherwise. Including the two of them, six people, the so-called Lapland team, had taken a break after traveling throughout New York City. However, the world didn't take a break with them.

In fact, it was quite the opposite. After much effort, the Lapland team had restored most of the communications networks on all fronts, meaning that it was now TOC's turn to counterattack, and thus, it was naturally a busy time.

The room didn’t exactly smell pleasant.

When the window, which had been covered by a curtain before sleep, was slightly opened, the sight of a nearby restricted area was visible. As expected, many people were moving around, fulfilling their roles.

The two of them both thought that perhaps they should stop resting and do something, but they soon pushed the thought forcefully to the back of their minds.

It was still just the first day of rest. Unless it was an emergency, there was no intention to call Lapland and Captain Paquesson anywhere.

Of course, it was true that such emergencies could occur quite frequently.

Lapland got up and entered the TOC network, while Captain Paquesson # Nоvеlight # glanced at her.

"You're so diligent. I think I'll just eat something simple and go back to sleep..."

"You must be very tired, so you can do that. I’m just checking on what happened while I was away."

"Can I watch too?"

"Well... yes, sure. It's fine. After all, the information you're looking for is available to you anytime... No, I mean, it’s just that, watching from behind while hugging, that's...!"

"Is it not allowed?"

"...That’s not it."

With a smile, the captain hugged Lapland from behind, and though she didn’t seem to dislike it, she moved the screen leisurely to show him.

Soon, the data showing recent events appeared in their view. While they were spending a rough morning, it wasn’t exactly quiet elsewhere.

Due to the recent high-intensity EMP attack, the US didn’t just sit idly by. The Columbia-class nuclear submarine, which had ventured to the Atlantic, launched SLBMs, scattering them across the Allied territories such as Boston and Saint Johns.

Although many were intercepted, it didn’t matter much to the US. The intention behind the EMP-like attack was clear.

It was a harsh blow to the Allied forces in preparation for launching transport planes, but no American would have seen it that way.

"It was good to teach the Allied forces a lesson in manners, but it looks like a lot of their transport planes made it back. Such a waste."

"We have inflicted significant damage to the enemy across all fronts, but TOC's analysis suggests that for every death caused by this airborne operation, reinforcements were dispatched. It's a worst-case scenario conclusion, though, so no one is taking it seriously..."

"In this world, there's a basement beneath the worst. The lights in New York still have a long way to go before they go out."

"True enough."

The rustling sounds echoed in the room. The growls from their stomachs signaling hunger continued, and high-calorie snacks were the simplest solution to this.

The sound of chips and snacks filled the air. Along with various other sounds, the sweet aroma began to fill the room. The sour body odor was gradually masked, but this led them to wonder how they should clean the room.

However, the conclusion was rather amusing.

"How about we clean everything up later, all at once? What do you think?"

"That... sounds good."

No one disagreed.

Though their strength hadn’t fully recovered yet, it couldn’t be helped. But conversely, the moment they were fully recovered... there was no need to elaborate on what would happen. Now that they had awakened from their exhaustion, the two of them were more akin to beasts than humans.

The reason they couldn’t fully indulge in pleasure was entirely due to the circumstances.

"What about the Dagger team?"

"They've been quite busy. I heard transport planes passed by near Washington D.C. But honestly, the bigger issue might be Black Eagle."

"I hope nothing happens."

"True enough."

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"Not a single one can die. They should at least be told that the mission was a success."

"Why would you tell them that?!"

"It’s an accomplishment."

Although those were the words, Lapland could vividly imagine the reactions of the Dagger team when they heard the news. One thing was certain: despite the teasing, they would sincerely congratulate them.

That aside, Lapland wondered if the Dagger team could ever love someone like she did. The truth was, she couldn’t imagine it at all. They were special forces, after all, just men dressed as women.

It would certainly come up as teasing, but if they were mocked, Lapland had something to say in return. Loving someone was a different kind of happiness.

How much time passed? The two of them finally had a late lunch.

Today’s meal was something called "Hamburger Helper." It was essentially an emergency calorie supplement with macaroni, beef, and cheese piled on generously. In no time, the kitchen on the first floor was filled with a delicious smell.

Their attire was simple, compared to what they’d worn before. Just pants and t-shirts, the two of them dug into their heaping plates of food.

"What will you do once the war is over?"

"...Well, as you said, Captain, by then, the fact that I was in prison will be erased, so I’ll probably be doing whatever at that time."

"A safe answer. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? Domestic or international."

"Uh... well, I don’t want to go to Boston."

"Haha."

Anyone who didn’t understand why she answered that way was absent.

The trivial conversation continued. Due to the hard schedule, within a week, the two of them had lost over 2kg, but now they could finally eat a proper meal.

Grateful for that fact, they hurried through their late lunch and, dressed in simple attire, began a walk around the HQ to aid digestion.

The HQ was still noisy, but at least there were no artillery shells falling from above, like the last time. It was thanks to Lapland and the 107th MP Company members who had been out shooting for the past few days.

In Central Park, cherry blossom trees that hadn't been picked or were deliberately left behind were now in full bloom, showing off their beauty. Lapland took a deep breath to enjoy the scent of the cherry blossoms.

While there were open areas where picnics could be enjoyed, no one was there. No one needed to be told why.

"They should be able to enjoy this too. It’s a shame."

"Someday, it will happen, right?"

"Yes, someday..."

Thus, the two of them carefully sat in the open area, covered in cherry blossoms.

Lapland released a pulse, and with that shock, the insects below the grass were wiped out in an instant.

It was right after that when Lapland, sitting leisurely below, made a strange expression and grimaced.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, no. It's... well, just a little... slipped."

"...Ah."

Captain Paquesson smiled awkwardly, and after that, they didn’t say anything more.

Feeling the need for a quick change of subject, the two of them kept up with trivial talk. The enjoyable time passed quickly, and before long, it was about 4 PM.

The two of them, now back at the Mutant Dormitory, had one more destination: the shower.

With the sound of clothes dropping to the floor, Lapland saw Paquesson’s muscular body for the first time since yesterday.

There were several gunshot wounds.

"...Did you get those injuries during the fight with the Lycans?"

"I got hit quite a bit, so I don’t know exactly. It might have been from that. I’ve said this a few times, but it’s not your fault, so don’t worry."

The captain gave a wry smile, and Lapland again made a pitiful expression, much like a drenched puppy. Of course, he didn’t care anymore.

Fully undressed, the two of them headed to the shower. Unlike yesterday, they no longer found it strange to enter the shower together—though there was one other difference.

They no longer hid their desires from each other.

"We’ll have to shower for a while."

"...Yeah, I guess so."

Lapland’s face turned bright red, but she no longer avoided his gaze.

It was going to be a long shower.

"New enemy? Heavily armed? And they only attack at night?"

"They wore bulletproof masks and covered their faces. EMP as well? They're a joke."

Meanwhile, if New York was harsh with love, Washington D.C. was just harsh.

It hadn’t been long since the transport planes swept through the capital area, and yet, the world was once again in turmoil.

"Common cervical spine damage in the corpses, and the damage to the electronic equipment they had. It looks like a method we've seen before."

"By now, they should have learned, but seeing it with my own eyes doesn't feel right... It really pisses me off when these guys make me mad after meeting them directly."

"So, is this all the data you’ve secured so far? This is quite troublesome. With just this, finding a needle in a haystack is about the same."

"Unfortunately, yes."

Mid-April, Washington D.C.

As Central Park was heating up, the capital of the United States was heating up in a different direction. As usual, it wasn’t for any good reason, and for the Dagger team, it was more about coldness than heat.

Specifically, staying in the heat would result in the cooling of the head.

"Based on the information we've collected so far... these unidentified attackers, as Logan mentioned earlier, are pretty much a benchmark for the Dagger team."

"Strictly speaking, there are some differences. Looking at the attack points, this isn't an action aimed at achieving any operational goal. The soldiers who died were positioned close to the front lines..."

"It could be a test run, or they could be trying to instill fear. Or... maybe both."

"The response itself won’t be too difficult, but I can’t think of any countermeasures..."

Silence.

Logan, who had been cracking his neck, added.

"They’ve finally decided to move. It's a good thing. Whoever they are, capturing them alive might be hard, but collecting their remains should be possible... Ah, I don’t mean that the deaths of our comrades are a good thing. You get what I mean, right? I’m not crazy."

"Logan, you're really a bad person."

"No, hey!"

"Ugh, trash."

"You idiots! I just clarified that wasn’t what I meant!"

It was so easy to turn someone into trash.

Logan, his face red, stomped and raged, but, naturally, it was resolved before he actually exploded. And as for the words that followed, they made sense.

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At least from the precedents, when the enemies started to move seriously, they mobilized high-ranking personnel. The reason was simple: the higher their rank, the more body modifications they had received.

In particular, the Dagger team had previously captured and had their way with an Artemis-class officer from Syracuse, which meant that the Dagger team could handle high risks.

And if they could take risks, there was usually a high return.

"Anyway, whether it’s a test run or inducing fear, the possibility that they’ll openly hit us is low. Aside from being frontline soldiers, their target selection method is almost random."

"So, what should we do? Didn’t you say you had countermeasures?"

"Sometimes, gaps in signals can be excellent location information."

No one had trouble understanding what Logan meant.

It was simpler than expected, almost classic. In essence, they would drastically shorten the GPS signal transmission process of each communicator—because the enemy had induced a break in communication through EMP, this was possible.

The areas where signals were missing would be where the enemy had attacked.

"Just like we always do with the rapid strike team. Let’s finish them off when they let their guard down. If we drag it out, casualties will increase."

"We’ll split the team into three. Laurentina, Logan, and I will each lead a team, and Olivia will provide sniper support. That should cover everything, right?"

Naturally, there was no issue.

It had been almost three months since they arrived in Washington D.C., and things had been dragging on slowly. Marcus and Rapier were soon supposed to join, but that alone wouldn’t be enough.

Moreover, Black Eagle had somehow distorted the orders coming down from Cheyenne Mountain, causing confusion and making it difficult for the Pentagon to cooperate smoothly with the northern US military forces.

The Dagger team instinctively felt that this was the turning point.

They immediately consulted the Washington D.C. TOC and received approval.

All that was left was to wait, but strictly speaking, that wasn’t the end of it.

Turning points could be created by small triggers, but that wasn’t the Dagger team’s style. A more decisive blow was needed.

Just like now.

Knock knock!

It wasn’t exactly a knock; the sound came from the gears rather than the door, but the Dagger team cautiously opened the door as if it were a real knock.

Three people standing in the hallway entered the room, and two heavy bags were placed on the table immediately.

In an instant, the Dagger team analyzed the shape of the bags with serious expressions.

They were just normal-sized briefcases, but when one of the operators touched the side, the center panel shifted, revealing buttons and dials with a click.

The bags were quite heavy, and the lead operations officer, Kelly, added with a tense expression.

"This is the nuclear briefcase you requested. It has a power of 10 tons of TNT, or about 0.01kt... without a power source like Icarus gear, the internal laser can’t be charged."

"How long does it take to charge?"

"Three minutes."

"The reason it’s so heavy is because of the laser device."

"That's right."

A hydrogen bomb trigger using a laser.

The nuclear briefcase that the Dagger team had once mentioned had returned in an unusual form. In other words, the Dagger team had, albeit limited, gained the power of the atom.

The conversation continued.

"The explosion radius is about 150 meters. If we trigger it from the right location, we can easily demolish a large base. For example... one of their cherished air defense bases."

"You must’ve had a hard time retrieving it."

"Don’t even mention it."

With that said, she added with a resolute expression.

"Please, bring peace back to the capital."

"I’ll do my best."

Of course, no one knew how that peace would be brought about.

It was only a matter of time before an explosion equivalent to a MOAB took place in Washington D.C.