AnnouWele to the new schedule!

  TBoB is going from 1 every 3 days (approx 2x week) to Monday / Wednesday / Friday

  Tarnished Honor Book 2 returns tomorrow with Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday

  My ory Wicked Witch of the Wild West will be released Friday / Sunday / Tuesday (Laung tomorrow!)

  “Do you really think that bringing people down here is safe?” Jane asked as we watched the bears put up some temporary feng the other samurai had provided. The Stacks were still a mess of colpsed buildings and debris, so I had a squad of bears wandering around with disassemblers, ing everything up.

  “Safer here than up there,” I grumbled. “You didn’t see the shit they were throwing at each other. They only stopped because one of the megabuildings colpsed on their front lines. Despite taking heavy losses, both sides are already spreading out, looking to start round two.”

  “Doesn’t that mean evacuating more people?” Jane asked. “Are you going to be able to keep up?”

  “No. And we don’t io. Hel had her AI hato the emergency response system aend the evacuation area. Anyone eveely close to the bat is being advised to evacuate before they get caught in the crossfire,” I expined. “We’re telling ahat needs assistao tact the Family.”

  “And hoeople are in the evacuation area?” Jane asked suspiciously.

  “Too damn many,” I grumbled. “Let’s head baow.”

  Even with my full forces back withiy, it was going to take quite a while to clear out the former rail yard; it was just too much space. The area would be able to handle a massive amount ees, but something told me it still wouldn’t be enough.

  Halfway back to the truck Bandit pinged me. [Boss, roblems.]

  [What is it now?] I groaned.

  [They’re down here,] he replied before sending me a surveilnce feed from Sector fifty-five. [Both of them.]

  I watched as a small n of battle tanks spread loosely through an uy neighbourhood. The tanks took turns approag the side street and exging fire with an opposing n a couple streets over. her side seemed to have any regard for the people, ae there being people ireets betweehey didn’t stop firing. After a couple seds, one of the tanks missed its shot, hit an apartment building, and caused part of the already unstable building to topple into the streets.

  The ns just moved to areet and tinued firing.

  “Motherfuckers,” I hissed. “They’ll bring that entire neighbourhood down. Jane, I o take care of something.”

  Jane barely had time to raise a hand before I took off running. “Okay…?” I heard her call after me.

  A quiand summoned a handful of Kodiaks from around the area. Squads of bears lined up, waiting to load up, and my team gathered around me.

  “Spooky, you keep the up process moving here. We’re probably going to he space fairly soon. Bandit, flood that area of the uy with squirrels and have them broadcast an evacuatio. There are probably a ton of people that don’t have augs capable of receiving citywide bulletins.”

  As soon as the Kodiaks nded, I jumped on the oill giving ands. “Nyx, get me into their systems. I want to have a word with these assholes.”

  My augs crackled to life, and dozens of overpping versations filled my mind. “Cut their outgoing, except for the two and tanks.” I hissed, pressing a hand to my forehead. That few-sed burst was enough to give me a headache.

  [Attention jackasses. I do not give a shit about your flict, but you are fighting in a residential area. Cease yhting and allow the civilians to evacuate, or I will intervene.]

  [Who is this? How did you get on this el?] One side snapped. [Be aware, any attempt to interfere in cil operations will result iended jail time]

  [Fuckers are on our s, cut them!] The other yelled at the same time.

  The Denver n has cut power to their s but are tinuing to fire.

  “Motherf…” I hissed. I sent a quiand for the Kodiaks to take off ao the bat zone before trating on the one person still on the line. [Listen up, jackass. My bears and I are inbound to evacuate the civilians in that area. If you’re still fighting when you get there, I’ll do everything within my power to stop you, until the evacuation is plete.]

  [Bear girl?] the person oher side of the line said, but I just kept ranting.

  [Once I’m done evacuating, you go back to your little war again, but I’m not letting i people get hurt by your stupidity. Got it?]

  The voi the other liarted yelling. [Fug stop firing! Pull back! A samurai’s ing. Do not fire until she’s gone!]

  [Thank you for being reasonable,] I said simply before cutting the e.

  “Nyx, nd squirrels on the opposing tanks and broadcast the same message. I’m not going to let them use cut s as an excuse,” I growled.

  Sihe fighting was ior fifty-five, pretty much right underh the eastern gate, it didn’t take long to arrive in the area. The cil troops had stopped firing, and it looked like they were pulling back towards the lift they’d used to get into this area while the Denver n was chasing them, firing wildly.

  “I thought I asked you to put squirrels on those tanks, to broadcast to them directly, Nyx,” I huffed as I watched the camera feed.

  They shot them off.

  “Of course they did! You know what? Fuck them. If they don’t want to talk, I’ll use a nguage they uand,” I yelled. “Bob, stop that fug advance.”

  The big bear turo me, saluted, then stepped off the still l ramp.

  Bob smashed into the ground below, nding just a couple feet ahead of the lead tank. If they saw him, they didn’t try to avoid him or slow down. Ihey drove into him at top speed.

  Not a smart move.

  The front cracked at the impact, crumpling around Bob’s immobile form. The rear of the tank flipped upwards, uo deal with the plete loss of forward momentum.

  When the back of the tank reached the apex of its jump, Bob pced one foot on the angled front pte and one hand on the on, halting it in pce. “Mine now,” he growled.

  As he pushed upwards, the barrel slowly bent, and the turret es strained uhe pressure until finally snapping free. With a casual kick, Bob sent the tank sliding into the vehicle behind it before resting the turret on his shoulder.

  The tank ander slowly crawled out of the destroyed vehicle, blood p down his head, obviously shaken.

  “What the hell is this?” he managed.

  “You really should have listeo the warnings,” Bob growled.

  Somehow the rest of the tank n mao slow down enough to avoid smashing into the slowly growing pileup. The third tank in line slipped to the side and brought its on to bear.

  “Don’t even try…” Bob started before being lost in the fsh of an explosion.

  The aumbled out of his wrecked vehicle, stumbled to the side, and watched in horror as the oversized bear stepped out of the bst retively unscathed. Its outer c had burned away in several pces but seemed to be regrowing before his very eyes.

  With a growl, Bob lunged frabbed the third tank’s barrel in both hands, and twisted it until it faced back towards the turret. Satisfied, he stepped over the still-active tank and pounced on the .

  What followed was a frenzy of screeg metal and on fire.

  By the time I set my feet on the ground, the fight was already over. The streets were littered with wrecked tanks, stunned soldiers, and debris. Bob came running over, carrying the fused ander by the back of his jumpsuit like some oversized kitten.

  “What is this? Who are you?” the fused man asked.

  “My eddy, I’m a samurai, and this is an evacuation,” I said, as I leao one side to see behind him. “Although it might not be as urgent, since your side is uo keep fighting.”

  “How dare you do this?” the ander yelled, suddenly struggling to get loose of Bob. I sighe bear with my eyes, and he dumped the man on the ground.

  I stood over him, only slightly taller than his seated form. “How dare I what, exactly? How dare I try to protect civilians? How dare I ask for a short ceasefire? How dare I fug care? You’re eo bme for this euation.”

  Behind him I could see a couple of the tank crews staring at the pair of us, scared and fused. “Let this be a lesson to all of you,” I said, raising my voice. “The samurai in this city may be a ral party right now, but if you keep threatening civilians and ign our warnings, we won't be. Let your anders know there will be no more fighting in obviously occupied neighbourhoods. If you do, I will not go easy on you.” I stared down at the ander, who flinched. “Got it?”

  “Got it,” he repeated much more quietly.

  “Good,” I growled as I walked past him. “Now fuck off.”