[76: Eleanor, There are Better Options for Rifles Out There. You Don't Need to Use This One. But It's Cool, so It's Not A Problem.]
"Alright, Kaina, let's plan this operation. The Hero Public Safety Commission will be holding a press conference soon. We know the location, but unfortunately, it'll be very high security, so we can't get close. Which means we'll need to plan for a long-distance kinetic operation, potentially extreme long-range"
Eleanor was giving a briefing to Lady Nagant. Lady Nagant was sitting down at a table while Eleanor moved across the room, presenting the information to Lady Nagant. The screens in their hideout showed pictures of where the press conference was as well as potential spots to hide in for their operation. Files and internal messages from the HPSC regarding the upcoming press conference also flashed on the screens.
"We can see their entire schedule and how they'll move, especially their 'Madam President.'" Eleanor's voice dripped with sarcasm at the commission president before she continued. "Now, we could try the operation when they're on the move, but that'll be too difficult. Even for you, Kaina. We almost failed the assassination of Shigaraki. And the distance required for this one will be even greater than that."
"But it'll be possible, correct?" Lady Nagant was intensely focused. The moment she's been wanting and waiting for was upon her. She wasn't going to throw away her shot.
"Yes, but it'll be very difficult. We're going to need specialized equipment for this one. But I have you covered on that."
"Alright. So where am I going to take the shot?"
Eleanor let out a breath. "Here's the hard part. You're going to take the shot from an aircraft. We'll be a few kilometers away from the target, but we'll also be above, so you'll be shooting at an angle of depression."
Lady Nagant went quiet for a moment as she thought about it. "Okay, uh, this is kind of new to me. I'm a sniper, but I don't have this kind of experience shooting from an aircraft."
"I know how it sounds, but it'll be a steady ride. It'll feel like you're standing on solid ground."
"Alright, if you say so."
"Okay, moving on. Let's go over what equipment we'll be doing this with." Eleanor moved aside and retrieved a large case, putting in a bit of effort to lift it. She put it on the table and opened it. "This is the equipment you'll be using to pull off the shot."
In the case, there was a massive anti-material rifle broken into four pieces, various attachments, three bullets, and one magazine. "What the fu*k?!" Lady Nagant exclaimed in complete shock when she first saw the rifle. Even when broken into four pieces, her mind quickly put it together. It was massive. (A/N: Insert Ninja Meme)
Eleanor glared slightly at Lady Nagant. "Language, Kaina. Though, I completely understand. If there's one moment to say something like that, it's when looking at this death machine."
"I, uh, um, yeah, sorry about that. But…are you being for real with this?" Lady Nagant still couldn't get the shock out of her.
"Yes, I'm being for real. This anti-material rifle is what you'll be using for this operation. Let me give you a quick rundown." Eleanor started to assemble the rifle, including attachments. The entire rifle made the table look small. A bipod on the front and a monopod on the back, a large suppressor, and a scope. Other minor attachments were left aside.
"Will this even fit on whatever aircraft I'll be on? This thing makes me look short, and even you look short compared to it."
"Yes, it will. And don't worry about having to carry this thing. It'll be mounted on the aircraft. And yeah, this thing is like eight feet long. That's like…2.4 meters. With all these attachments and the bullets, it'll weigh about 130 pounds or about…59 kilograms. This little baby has a maximum range of 5,000 yards, or like about…4,570 meters, which also happens to be close to its effective range as well."
"What the? H-how did you even get something like this?" Lady Nagant was being blown away by this anti-material rifle.
"Drones. Anyway, now, we can be technical and say that an anti-material rifle shouldn't be used for an assassination, but for the distance you'll be shooting from, it's needed." Eleanor picked up one of the bullets. It was about 6 5/8 inches long, or about 168 millimeters. "And if you're worried about the distance, this bullet will help you out even more."
Lady Nagant was getting over her shock. The size of the bullet didn't come as a surprise to her; it was basically expected for how big the rifle was. "Okay? It looks like the bullet I'd expect for a rifle like this."
Eleanor smirked. "On the surface, yes. But what matters is what's inside it. This is a 20x102mm Vulcan round, the same stuff fired from a rotary cannon, but instead fired from an anti-material rifle."
"What? So, this is some high-class military stuff."
Eleanor chuckled a bit. "No, not really. This rifle was made for civilian and public sale. In America, at least. I don't know if this rifle would be allowed to be sold to civilians in other countries. Probably not, which in that case is a bummer."
"Huh? N-no way. You're messing with me."
"No, I'm being serious. This rifle was really made for civilian and public sale. I, for one, think it's great. Especially now, since the NFA is basically just words on paper now with no power. If this were the early 21st century, you'd have to go through a nightmare of paperwork and approval to get it since this is a 'destructive device,' or whatever the ATF says." Eleanor scoffed, clear disdain in her voice. "Those government thugs."
Eleanor cleared her throat, a bit more cheerful. "But we're not in those times anymore, so we don't have to worry about stupid stuff like that. The ATF and NFA are basically powerless relics of the past. So, yes, someone in America can buy, or 'transfer the ownership,' of this rifle legally and at a store with no problem."
Lady Nagant rubbed her forehead. "This is crazy. But we're in Japan, Eleanor, not America."
"Hmm...you're right. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, right, the 'magic' of the bullet. So, this 20mm Vulcan round has something special inside it. Inside this bullet is a lot of technology. It's a smart bullet and has an optical guidance system. Basically, the bullet can change its flight path in mid-air to hit a target. This technology also helps extend the range of a rifle. It's way too complicated to get into. Just know that there's a system inside the bullet that corrects for a bunch of factors."
"Once again. What?"
"Yeah, not surprising. This kind of bullet costs thousands of dollars. That's per bullet, by the way."
"Is this new technology or experimental stuff?"
"Huh? No, of course not. This has been around for decades at this point. This kind of technology was being used in the early 21st century. In fact, patents for this kind of concept were around in the late 20th century. I'd say the most famous and well-known example is DARPA's EXACTO. In the early 21st century, DARPA contracted Lockheed Martin and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging to make a smart bullet for .50-caliber bullets. It was a success, and now it can be scaled up to something like a 20mm Vulcan round."
"Alright. You're trying to make this as easy as possible for me."
"Well, it might be overkill in a way, but there's no such thing as that. Especially now with someone like 'Madam President,' right?"
"Yeah."
"Good! We should practice a bit with the rifle, so you can get used to it." Eleanor set the bullet down and started to disassemble the rifle.
"We're not going to use the smart bullet, right?"
"Only one to let you get a feel for it; we'll use the standard rounds otherwise." Eleanor put all the pieces of the rifle back into the case, including attachments.
Eleanor grinned one last time at Lady Nagant. "So, you ready to try out the Anzio 20mm?"