NIKKE: Wings of Victory - Rider_of_Black_00 - 니케: 승리의 여신 (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

*Rat-atat-tat!*

*Whhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrr*

The chaotic cacophony echoed throughout the barren wasteland; the once quiet plains stirred by gunfire. Like a pack of wolves, the Raptures surrounded their prey, firing salvo after salvo of piercing-hot lasers. Barely clinging on behind a series of wreck cars, a young Commander cowered behind the debris.

‘This was not how it was meant to go…’ The terrified youth thought to himself. ‘This was all WRONG!’

He had been one of many whom the Ark’s propaganda had swept up. You’ll reclaim the surface, they said. It’ll be an easy task, they also said. And like a moth to a flame, he had been drawn in.

Now here he was, fighting not to reclaim the surface, but for his very life. Thankfully, however, he was not alone. For fighting beside him were the NIKKE, named after the Greek Goddess of Victory.

Taking positions behind the tattered wrecks, the NIKKE engaged the Raptures, fighting with legendary courage. They were the last champions of humanity, ones they needed, but certainly not deserved…

“Target acquired!” A Soldier EG barked out loud, aiming with her assault rifle and firing at a trio of Salver’s. Distorted whirring filled the air as the Raptures crashed onto the arid dirt with a *crunch*. Reloading her weapon, the Soldier EG poked her head from the wreck an—

*Tink*

A stray bullet bounced off the rusted car frame, narrowly missing her head. Yet she barely flinched at all; even the most minor spurts of fear could prove fatal. Her composure maintained; she continued firing upon the scourge of humanity.

Lifting his head from his hands, the young Commander peered at his NIKKE and watched. They… even in such a dire situation, they refused to give up. He could feel a second wind coursing within his heart. All the bravado and machismo the Ark drilled into him during his time at military academy came crashing back like a tidal wave.

He combed his greasy blond hair before re-adjusting his officer’s cap. “Sorry for my brief cowardice.” The Commander turned to his NIKKE. “Now, let’s show these demons what humanity’s capable of!”

A quick cheer escaped the NIKKE’s mouths as they instigated a counteroffensive. Emerging from the wrecks, they ran toward the Rapture’s position whilst firing. They bobbed and weaved through the terrain, gunning down all the Thrashs in their way. And like fish in a barrel, the mechanical monstrosities were decimated. Debris littered the battlefield as the Raptures fell one by one. But like a swarm of locusts, their numbers quickly replenished. For all the might the NIKKE possessed, they were outmatched by the sheer numbers of their enemy.

“Enemy Sparrow ahead!” an iDoll Flower pointed at a small quadrupedal Rapture behind an overturned truck. Serving as medics of the Rapture army, their destruction was prioritized over all the other Minion-class Raptures. Its body glowed a cool, grassy green that enveloped nearby Raptures, slowly repairing the damage they sustained. Hoisting her heavy rocket launcher, the iDoll Flower aimed and…

*Pfffffffft*

*Ka-Boom!*

A loud explosion filled the air as chunks of dirt & debris were flung everywhere. The burnt scraps of metal littering the ground indicated that the Sparrow was no more.

“Target cleared!” The Commander grinned victoriously while pumping his fist. “Now to mop up the stragglers.”

“Right!” A Product 12 chimed before turning to the other NIKKE. “Time to move out everyo—”

*Pffffft-tow*

*Booooooom!*

A large laser beam appeared out of nowhere and obliterated Product 12’s head, popping it like a rotten tomato. Stunned silence overcame the Commander as his NIKKE’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground, crackling electricity emanating from the severed wires. Fear gripped his heart once more…

I’m gonna die…

I’m gonna die…

I’m gonna die…

I’m gonna die…

“I don’t want to die!!” He curled into a ball and began trembling behind the wrecked car. His NIKKE was also paralyzed by fear, overwhelmed by the loss of their comrade-in-arms. They both hid behind a second-wrecked car, quietly awaiting their inevitable demise.

0000

“Target spotted!” Product 08 peered through the scope of her rifle at the trio. “Status: One NIKKE down, minimal injuries on everyone else. Package appears to be in good condition.”

“And the Raptures?” A voice approached from behind as the sniper turned to face her Commander.

“Sizable. 18 Thrash’s, 21 Minions, and a Driver-class Rapture.” Product 08 peered through her scope once more. “Odds of success 78%”

“I like those odds…” His bright blue eyes twinkled with determination. Though not the best odds out there, it was certainly the best he could expect on the surface. “That Driver’s the only troublesome Rapture. Take it out, and the rest will be a breeze.”

He then turned toward the NIKKE he trusted above all else, one who’d been with him from the very beginning. Comfortably nested atop a nearby rock was a NIKKE of unparalleled beauty. Her calm orange eyes gazed quietly at the violin in her hands, burning with the flickers of musical passion. Her short, shoulder-length greyish-white hair was nestled comfortably underneath the billowing white hood adorned with roses.

Her outfit, though not suited for battle, suited her perfectly. The matching white crop top and micro shorts clung to her elegant figure. White thigh-high socks hugged the NIKKEs' long legs, contrasting well with her black boots. This was topped off by a pair of long white gloves that reached just underneath her shoulders.

“Julia?” The Commander spoke quietly, snapping the violinist from her peaceful playing.

“Yes, Conductor?” She spoke in a soothing, almost ethereal tone of voice.

“I need you to sneak from behind and take out the Driver. I’ll join up with the other Commander and take out the rest.” He issued an order before resting his hand atop Julia’s exposed shoulder. “I know you can do it.”

A small smile grew on Julia’s immaculate lips. “We shall perform a duet they’ll never forget.”

Satisfied, the Commander turned his attention toward the rest of his squad. “Alright everyone, follow me!”

“Encounter!” Product 08 declared with iDoll Ocean & Soldier OW approaching their Commander. Brimming with confidence, the Commander hastily rushed down the hill to rescue his brother-in-arms. He bobbed and weaved through the wrecked cars as silently as possible, managing to avoid detection from the Raptures. Now in position, he gestured at iDoll Ocean & Soldier OW to get into position. Weapons raised, the duo aimed and…

*Rat-atat-tat! Rat-atat-tat!*

Bursts of SMG fire struck the Rapture’s left flank, taking out several Thrash’s. Confused whirrs emanated from the creatures as they turned toward their new foes.

“Allied reinforcements coming from our right!” Soldier EG called out loud to her Commander, who was still paralyzed with fear. Yet her words shattered that fear…

Lifting his head, the rookie Commander peered over the burnt car wreck. Scrambling for his binoculars, he peered at the newcomers to gauge their identity. “N-No way!” His eyes grew wide in surprise. “I-Is that…”

0000

“Product 08!” The Commander called out behind him. “What’s Julia’s situation?”

Nestled on a small ridge overlooking the area, she peered through her scope. “So far so good. The Driver doesn’t know she’s there.”

“Good!” A smile graced his lips. “Provide covering fire for us. The Minions are about to engage.”

She gave a silent nod of confirmation before aiming at the small group of Frisbees floating toward her comrades. Holding her breath, she peered through her scope before slowly squeezing the trigger.

*Crack!*

The first Frisbee was struck in the center and hurtled toward the ground. Spotting the sniper, the remaining Frisbees aimed and fired at her. But their lasers harmlessly bounced off the rusted car frame. Poking her rifle through the passenger side window, Product 08 continued to carefully fire at the enemy.

*Bang, Bang, Bang*

One by one the Frisbees fell onto the ground, their bodies shattering upon hitting the earth. With their air support obliterated, the Raptures had lost the initiative for good. Now it was time to put the nail in the coffin.

Unbeknownst to them, Julia had managed to get close to the Driver; amber-colored eyes sized up the Elite-class rapture. Amongst the lower-class Raptures, Drivers possessed some of the most potent firepower. But their lack of mobility and poor defenses made them glass cannons best suited to support other Elite-class Raptures and above. In other words, it’ll be a cakewalk for Julia.

Aiming with her assault rifle, she fired at the Driver’s exposed core. The glowing red orb was easily shattered by the relentless firepower as a distorted whirr escaped from the artillery piece. The damage quickly became too much, and the Driver soon exploded, sending shrapnel all over the place.

“Ah!” Julia managed to duck in time to avoid the debris, yet a cloud of dust blew over her body. Dirt and grime coated her once pristine outfit, yet she wasn’t phased by it at all. With the dust settling down, she peered over the rock and gazed at where the Driver once stood. Burnt metal and wiring littered the area, alongside a few small Rapture Cores that only sustained minor damage. Her Conductor will be most pleased with this outcome.

Turning her head, Julia spotted Product 08 and gave her the ‘all-clear’ gesture. Nodding in confirmation, the sniper aimed and continued firing at the remaining Raptures. By this point, the battle was all but won; Soldier OW and iDoll Ocean were mopping up the few remaining Vulcans, effortlessly dispatching the Raptures.

“All clear!” Soldier OW declared upon killing the last Rapture.

“Well done, everyone!” The Commander beamed at his squad before turning toward the approaching Julia. “Excellent work dealing with that Driver!”

“It was a most wonderful performance from us all.” Julia chimed with humble pride.

The Commander responded with a nod of agreement. “Now then. Let’s check up on the survivors.”

He emerged from his cover and began approaching the terrified Commander, only for his eyes to widen. He recognized that greasy blond hair anywhere… “J-Joshua?!” The Commander ran toward his brother-in-arms, leaping over a bullet-riddled car frame.

“Charles?” The now-named Joshua lifted his head toward the man who saved him. “Charles, it is you! Oh, what a sight for sore eyes!”

The two squads briefly united with one another as Charles helped Joshua off the ground. “Thank goodness you’re alright. Those Raptures nearly got the better of you!”

A deep sigh of relief escaped the young Commander. “I thought I was a goner at first.” Sweat poured down Joshua’s forehead. “The academy never told us things were going to be this hard…”

“I don’t think they taught us anything besides the basics. Even then, it was a slapdash job…” Charles muttered those words under his breath. Criticism against the Central Government was… frowned upon, so to speak. Especially if they came from a Commander. Nevertheless, it was a fact that most Commanders were given a poor education. Speaking of which…

“What’s the cargo’s status?” Charles gently shifted the conversation.

Joshua turned his head and glanced at the metal crate nestled beside him. “It’s all there. Dunno why the Ark needs these gems so badly. They look really pretty through…” He approached the crate and gently pushed the lid, revealing a trope of sparkly blue gems. They twinkled with an indescribable light, like stars nestled within the night sky. “I wish I could take one home for myself; might be worth a pretty penny.”

“You know how pedantic the Central Government can be Joshua.” Charles reminded his colleague, arms folded over his chest. “They’ll kill you if they suspect you’ve pilfered from them. Or worse, dumping you off in the… Outer Rim.” He shuddered upon saying the words ‘Outer Rim’.

A mild scoff of disappointment escaped Joshua as he tossed the crystal back inside. “Man, what happened to you, Charles? You’ve grown to be quite the bootlicker…”

The olive-complexion man casually reclined against the crate. “It’s my duty as a Commander to act out their will. Fighting to reclaim the surface and keeping the peace within the Ark, what could be better than that?”

Joshua knew that it would be futile to continue arguing so he dropped it. “Anyway, I gotta bring this crate back to the Ark.” He gestured at Soldier EG and iDoll Flower to lift the heavy crate. “Thanks for the save, Charles. I owe you one.”

“Ah, it’s not needed. I’m just doing my duty.” Charles airily waved his hand while watching the NIKKE hoist the heavy crate into their arms. “Wait, what about you fallen NIKKE?”

“Hmmm?” Joshua tilted his head in inquiry as Charles pointed at the headless body of Product 12. “Ah, it’s no biggie. I can always ask for a new one.”

The response didn’t come as a surprise to Charles; most Commanders saw their NIKKE as replaceable weapons. A fact that was drilled into them at the academy. It was a stance he didn’t quite agree with; there were less than 10,000 NIKKE within the entirety of the Ark. With numbers this small, every NIKKE was irreplaceable. But it was no use convincing him otherwise…

“Soldier OW, iDoll Ocean!” Charles turned toward his NIKKE. “I need you to bring your comrade’s body back with us. We may be able to salvage something from her.”

“Understood!” iDoll Ocean saluted her superior officer as she & Soldier OW crouched to lift the headless body. Strained grunts escaped the NIKKE’s mouths as they struggled to hold onto the body.

NIKKE were f*cking heavy; more than twice the weight of an ordinary human. Charles wasn’t quite sure why they weighed so much, all that armor plating, perhaps? What he does remember was witnessing a colleague of his order his NIKKE to sit on his face.

It took weeks to clean the blood and gore out of the pavement…

Shuddering to himself, Charles wiped the memory from his brain before taking out his phone. Dialing in a certain number, the screen flickered to life as the visage of a bubbly, blue-haired girl appeared. “The Mission’s a success! Commander Joshua Phelps and the cargo have been successfully rescued!”

“Another successful mission.” Shifty cheerfully scribbled a few notes on her tablet. “You’re on a roll, Commander Alvinczi!”

“Only because I have the best operator watching over me!” Charles beamed brightly at the young girl.

“Ah, t-thank you!” The compliment was unexpected, but it made Shifty’s day. Her scribbling picked up in pace as the Operator hastily jotted down some more notes. “Any casualties sustain—oops!” The stylus flew out of her grip from her hasty writing.

“None from my squad, but Phelps lost one of his NIKKE during the firefight.” Charles briefly glanced back at Product 12’s body. “I’m bringing it back to the Ark. It would be a waste to just leave it here.”

“Understood.” Was all Shifty said as she managed to retrieve her stylus.

A casual smile formed on Charles’ face. “It’ll take us at least 12-15 hours to make it back to base. Any pockets of Alva particles to look out for?”

Shifty began typing away at the keyboard before her, eyes taking in the sudden flood of data coming in. “All clear!” She beamed brightly. “Alva Particle concentration at 0.7%”

“Thanks, Shifty. I’ll get in touch with you tomorrow!” Charles flashed her a thumbs-up before ending communications. Pocketing his phone, he turned his attention toward his squad once more.

“Alright everyone, we’ll rest up once we’ve crossed the river 10 kilometers to the south. Afterward, it’s a straight shot to the Ark!” He informed his squad with clear and precise orders. “Product 08, you’re on scouting duties once more!”

“Roger!” The sniper called out before getting into position ahead of the squad. With everyone now ready, they began the trek over the desiccated plains. What was once lush grasslands was now a barren wasteland. No birds… no bees… not even the co*ckroaches made this place home. All that populated it were smoldering car wrecks, filled with the bleached skeletons of those who couldn’t make it into the Ark. It was a depressing sight, too depressing for Charles to handle.

“Julia.” He inquired politely to the NIKKE by his side. “May I hear one of your excellent performances?”

“Certainly.” She beamed with pride over the request, taking out her violin-assault rifle hybrid. “What would you like for me to play?”

“Something uplifting. Anything to keep my mind off this wasteland.” Charles requested. With a calm nod of approval, Julia rested the violin within her arm and began playing a cheerful melody. It was exactly as he had hoped for; a gentle tune that revitalized the spirit. A soft hum escaped Charles’ mouth as he began walking to the beat of Julia’s song. As for the violinist herself, she was caught up in the rhythm as well, walking in beat with her Commander.

“She’s so incredible…” Soldier OW spoke quietly so as to not disrupt Julia’s playing. “Mastery over music and warfare? What an aspiring role model.”

“It’s no wonder the Commander places a lot of trust within her.” iDoll Ocean added with equal admiration, only for a sigh to escape her mouth. “These later model NIKKE are so lucky…”

“I know what you mean.” Soldier OW replied in return as she too uttered a sigh. “I wish I was unique…”

“Maybe one day our wish will come true. The Commander treats us nicely, I’m sure he’ll agree to our request.” iDoll Ocean’s tone took a more optimistic tone.

“Something the matter back there?” Charles called out to the duo as Julia briefly ceased her playing.

“Ah, nothing Commander!” The two Mass-Produced NIKKE replied quickly. Though initially confused, Charles opted to brush it off and continue walking. Julia quickly resumed her playing as though nothing happened, a testament to her skill as a violinist. It would prove to be a long, yet overall peaceful trip back to the Ark.

The Next Day

A quick sigh escaped Charles’ mouth as he quietly reclined atop the chair. While satisfied with the mission’s success, he was utterly bored by the waiting. He couldn’t go in and report his success to the Deputy Chief. No, he had to sit with his thumb up his ass while the Central Government processed everything.

For all the good they’ve brought, their obsession with meaningless bureaucracy was tedious…

So, Charles was content with mulling over the stray thoughts in his mind. Starting with his squad, of course. He was more than satisfied with their performance the other day. For as sparse as their numbers were, they fought with valor and courage. Product 08 was the perfect scout, spotting enemy movements from miles away and taking out aerial Raptures with ease. Soldier OW oversaw the squad's logistics, supplying the others with more than enough ammo needed for their mission. And iDoll Ocean’s skills in medicine kept the squad in tip-top condition.

And then there was Julia, the crown jewel of his squad. Her movements were elegant. Her willpower is unwavering. She attacked with the grace of a melody, fueled by the unbridled fury of an orchestra. Charles was immensely lucky that he got to skirt the rules a little regarding squad designation.

Normally, a Commander wouldn’t be given the same squad more than twice in a row. The exact reason was unknown, but it was stated that repeated interactions usually lead to the Commander’s death. But as Charles had proved himself to be more competent than his co-patriots, the Central Government was more than willing to cast a blind eye.

Provided he remained loyal, that is…

*ding*

A notification pinged on Charles’ phone as he got up off his chair. Finally, things can get started. Briskly approaching the door, he rapped his fingers against the wooden surface.

“Come in.” A smooth, if ever-so gravelly voice called out from the other side. Charles sighed in relief. Thank goodness he got Andersen.

With a kick in his step, Charles entered the office and closed the door behind him. As expected, Andersen was finishing off a few brief emails. His concentration shone through his rugged, masculine face. He’s aged just as well as the finest of wines; his handsome visage complimenting the pristine uniform he usually wore.

A total DILF as the younger generation would call him.

“Commander Phelps reported his safe arrival a few hours ago…” Andersen instigated the conversation whilst finishing his email. Then with a ‘click’, he sent it to his colleagues. “Another impressive outing, Commander Alvinczi.”

A sense of pride overwhelmed the young man. “You flatter me with your kind words,” Charles replied with the slightest hint of humility. In all truth, he loved being praised for his deeds. Perfect nourishment for his growing ego.

“You’ve become somewhat of an icon amongst your colleagues…” Andersen noted as he turned his attention toward Charles. “Not many Commanders survive their first year in the line of duty.”

“Yeah, life is brutal on the surface.” Charles took a seat opposite the Deputy Chief. “If it’s not the Raptures attacking you, it’s the terrain. The surface can be treacherous at the best of times.”

“Yet you’ve achieved success after success.” Andersen gently leaned forward, his hand pulling up his sleeve as he briefly glanced at his luxury watch.

“It’s all thanks to my NIKKE. They’re the ones putting in all the hard work.” Charles admitted in all sincerity. And why wouldn’t he? It was the absolute truth; NIKKE were the ones doing all the heavy lifting.

“I didn’t expect such an answer…” Andersen’s tone was filled with mild bemusem*nt. Most Commanders would often take all the credit for themselves, refusing to even bring up their NIKKE. But Charles had a different mindset from the rest. Perhaps that line of thinking contributed to his success.

“Anything else you needed me to do?” Charles’ inquiry snapped the Deputy Chief off his train of thought.

“Not today,” Andersen informed him. “You’re free for the rest of the night.” A relaxed expression overcame the older man. “You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir!” Charles promptly got off his chair and saluted his superior. With a nod, Andersen watched as Charles exited his office. Now on his own, he took out a notepad and scribbled a reminder to himself.

‘Have Charles and his squad engage in a series of combat drills as soon as possible.’

0000

Upon exiting the Central Government Command HQ, Charles took a moment to bask in the Ark’s atmosphere. Things were ticking along peacefully, just as he hoped for. The citizens were going about their evening duties, blissfully unaware of the potential danger they faced. For at any moment, the Raptures could invade this last bastion of humanity and slaughter them like sheep. All that was keeping them at bay was the NIKKE. Yet the overwhelming lack of competence within the Ark’s military was staggering.

You’ve got rookie Commanders getting themselves and their NIKKE killed, all while the bureaucrats up top wallow in their pit of hedonism. It was a growing tumor that threatened to engulf the Central Government and the entirety of the Ark. But that was part of his duty; preventing as many losses as possible to preserve the Ark’s scarce resources.

“Conductor?” Julia’s pleasant tone graced his ears as she walked up to Charles.

“Julia!” A smile grew on his face. “Just the person I wanted to see. We’ve got the rest of the day off.”

The softest of smiles grew on her face. “Now I can spend my night practicing. Just as my Mentor suggested.”

“Got a performance at the end of the month. I’ll use everything I’ve learned during my pilgrimage on the surface.” Her shimmering amber eyes gazed at Charles. “I hope you’ll attend my show, Conductor.”

The Commander gingerly grabbed Julia’s gloved hands and squeezed them gently. “I swear that I’ll attend your show. Your music brings me immense joy.”

Julia was stunned by the Commander’s words, mouth slightly agape. Only for her mood to be heightened as a radiant smile grew on her face. “Then I shall give it my all. I pledge that you shall feel the melody in my heart.”

“I’m looking forward to it already!” Charles beamed joyfully before relinquishing his grip. With a polite nod, Julia made her way to a secluded place, one where she could practice in peace. As badly as he wanted to listen in, Charles knew that disturbing a musician during practice was a major faux pass. As such, he opted to head toward the communal dormitories. Where he and the other Commanders spent their respite hours.

Life as a Commander was tough. Not only were you constantly thrust into deadly situations daily, but the payoff was pitiful at best. Many of his colleagues lived paycheck-to-paycheck, often taking side jobs just to make a little extra money. And though Charles earned a little more than his colleagues, it wasn’t enough to find a new place to live.

Besides, he found the dorms to be enjoyable. Yeah, things could get obnoxiously loud at times, but the overall atmosphere was inspiring. Especially when it came to telling tales about their latest exploits. And with Joshua’s recent rescue, Charles had a feeling he’d be the talk of the town.

0000

“Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour!” A middle-aged Commander raised a glass in the air upon Charles entering the room. “A toast to the greatest Commander alive!”

“A toast!” Several more Commanders raised a glass in admiration.

“Hahaha, thanks, guys!” Charles hung his jacket over a hook before taking a seat. He uttered a deep sigh of relief upon taking a seat, kicking his feet in the air. “Feels good to be back home.”

“That’s exactly what Joshua said when he got back.” A Commander with long black hair slouched over a couch like the lethargic lizards of old. “Though it’s a little more understandable in his case. Poor fella nearly got killed.”

“Mhm…” Charles hummed in agreement whilst pouring some Splendamin-based wine for himself. It may not have been the expensive stuff the higher-ups indulged in, but it was exactly what he needed right now. Charles calmly sipped from his glass as a refreshed “Ahhhh…” escaped his lips. The smooth, slightly bitter flavor was refreshingly delicious. Wonder if Julia would appreciate the taste…

Charles’ mind soon began wandering. There were a multitude of thoughts that crossed his mind every day, yet none were as prevalent as Julia. She was… more than just another NIKKE. She had a gift; one that was nestled within her heart yet needed Mustang’s guiding hand to be known.

And he was there to witness its birth.

The divine melody that Julia produced upon finding her soul and bones brought him to tears. Charles wanted to hear it again, to bask within its splendor once more.

Julia…

Just thinking about his tender Maiden of Melody caused Charles’ heart to stir. But for what reason…?

“…rles? Charles?” A voice called out to him from the other side of the room. “Charles!”

“H-H-Huh?!” Charles jerked abruptly in response to the loud noise.

“You were daydreaming again, weren’t you?” The tan-skinned Commander chimed in amusem*nt. “Thinkin’ about that NIKKE who always follows you around?”

“Someone’s got a crush! Someone’s got a crush!” The long-haired Commander sing-songed mischievously. Laughter soon filled the room as the other Commanders poked fun at Charles.

“Who’d have thought the legendary Bloodshadow would fall in love with a NIKKE?”

“For all we know, he could have a harem of NIKKE!”

“That’s our Bloodshadow; gentleman in the streets, freak in the sheets!”

Charles chuckled sheepishly along with his comrades to hide his unease. It wasn’t the polygamous accusations that unsettled him, but the fact they used his infamous moniker.

Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse.

To this day, Charles doesn’t know how or why he got that name. One day he was Commander Charles Alvinczi, the next he was Charles, Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse. He didn’t like the moniker; it was far, far too edgy for his liking. Either way, he was stuck with it for the foreseeable future.

“You know I just realized something…” The tanned Commander ceased his playful taunting and raised a hand to his stubbled chin. “Why would the Central Government push this whole harem idea? Aren’t NIKKE/human relations illegal?”

“They most certainly are, Satoshi.” A towering, dark-skinned Commander clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s all one big bait-and-switch to lure young men into becoming Commanders. We’ve all seen that advert after all.”

This piqued Charles’ attention. Was the Central Government doing yet another recruitment drive? Just how many did they need to do; the last one wasn’t even a month ago! “What do you mean, Thomas?”

Satoshi’s eyes almost bugged out in surprise. “You haven’t seen it yet, Charles?!” He exclaimed incredulously. “Oi, Igor!” He turned toward the long-haired Commander. “Get your ass off that couch and bring in the tape!”

An exasperated sigh escaped the man as he oozed off the plush couch. “I’m getting there…” He mumbled while walking sluggishly toward the nearby storage room. What followed were the sounds or rummaging as Igor searched for the tape. Then, the long-haired Commander emerged from the storage room with tape in hand. Causing everyone to start scrambling for a seat.

“O-Oi! I called dibs on this seat earlier tonight!”

“I was here before you called it; go find another one!”

“You two better get off MY seat. I bought it after all!”

Charles couldn’t help but watch with great amusem*nt. For all their bickering and squabbling, his fellow Commanders brought a sense of camaraderie that could scarcely be replicated. It’s why he went above and beyond on his rescue missions; in this crapsack world, friendship was more valuable than all the Credits in the Ark.

“Okay…” Igor mumbled whilst inserting the tape into the video player. “Tape’s put in. You go work your magic, Satoshi.”

“Nice.” Satoshi retrieved the remote from his pocket. “Watch carefully, Charles. This advert is gol—”

*plop*

“!” A sudden grunt escaped Satoshi’s mouth as Igor hopped on top of his and Thomas’ lap. “Y-You’re squishing me, Igor…”

“May as well get comfortable, Satoshi. He’s not going to move for hours.” Thomas calmly accepted his fate. Nodding in defeat, Satoshi pointed to the controller and pressed the play button.

A disheveled, middle-aged man sighed wearily as he walked out of a towering building with his office supplies. Having been fired from his job, his overall demeanor was down in the dumps. Things couldn’t get any wor—

“Hey, isn’t that your cuck boyfriend?” The screeching of tires filled the air as a red sports car stopped before the man. The driver was your typical beach bully; short, spiky blond hair, tanned skin, and a sh*t-eating grin that reeked of ‘rich frat boy’ energy.

“Not anymore, loser!” The woman beside him flipped off the office worker. She looked like your average shopaholic bimbo. Wavy blonde hair, a voluptuous body, and a resting bitch face. With a malicious grin, she smacked the box out of the man’s hand as the car drove off, uproarious laughter escaping from the blonde man.

Having utterly given up on life, the office worker ran toward the nearby bridge and attempted to jump into the water.

“It’s not over yet!” A NIKKE suddenly emerged from a portal and kissed the man before dragging him back to her world. “I need you to come with me.”

“Oh, Commander. Welcome back!” Several half-naked NIKKE swarmed the man and caressed him sensually.

“Break free from cuckoldry today!” A stock announcer boomed over the video as various images of NIKKE in combat plastered the screen. “Join the army today and Command your personal harem today!”

Sponsored by the Central Government.

Charles did little more than blink in bewilderment. Was that the best they could do? Some sleazy advert that was better suited for a sh*tty mobile game? The silence was pierced by the cacophony of laughter that filled the room.

“Hahahahahaha!” A blond-haired Commander laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair. “What a loser, allowing his girl to be stolen.”

“The actor for the beach bully knew what he was getting into! The way he said ‘cuck boyfriend’…” Another Commander wheezed joyously. “You can tell he purposely hammed it up.”

“That girl looked exactly like my ex-girlfriend, who left me for a beach bully…” Igor began shaking his fist at the TV. “Damn you Stacy, you took everything from me!”

“Easy there, Igor. It’s all in the past now.” Thomas consoled his comrade before turning toward Charles. “Any thoughts, my friend?”

“Well, I can safely say that there is a God, simply because this ad was so bad he abandoned us in disgust.” He quipped to everyone’s amusem*nt.

“Hahaha! That’s our Bloodshadow!” A series of cheers escaped the Commanders’ mouths. The group soon began conversing about life once more, giving Charles the chance to quietly slip into his room. Exhaustion hitting in, he walked toward his bed and collapsed onto it. These last couple of days have been tiring; fighting Raptures was never an easy task. But in a way, it was a rewarding one.

For he was among a select few tasked with guarding the remnants of humanity. And despite his gripes, Charles loves his job with all his heart. Now to lie back and rest his weary head; tomorrow could be a big day after all…

Chapter 2: All Aboard the AZX!

Chapter Text

A wide-eyed Charles found himself inside a desolate void, the air thick and muggy. Beads of sweat began trickling down his olive-toned skin. The humidity was unpleasant; wherever this place was, really needed air conditioning.

“Hello?” Charles called out. “Anybody here?”

Silence… nothing but silence permeated this barren area. An eerie silence much like that on the surface filled the air. Which can only mean one thing.

Raptures were lurking within the shadows…

Charles was on edge; at any moment, he could get sniped from behind. His death, though brutal, would be mercifully quick. At least he hoped so.

“Better get a move on…” He muttered under his breath. “No point standing around here.”

And with that, he began walking. And walking, and walking some more. The clacking of boots walking atop a hard surface echoed around Charles. It felt… strangely soothing to the Commander. Anything to break the silence hanging in the air.

Charles kept on walking through the void for what seemed like hours. But no matter how far or how long he walked, nothing changed. The scenery stayed the same, the air was still thick and humid, and he wasn’t even tired. Just what was going on here?

Disjointed thoughts raced through his mind. Was this all some sort of metaphor for the futility of humanity’s struggle against the Raptures? A subtle clue to some sort of “prophecy” he had to fulfill? Or was this all some fever dream taking the piss out of his stupid moniker? Whatever it was, Charles wanted answers now.

“Is anybody there?” He called out once more, hands cupped around his mouth. “If you can hear me, please say some—”

Charles’ words were silenced by… sobbing? Did someone else get stuck in this void with him? Whatever the reason, he knew he had to help them.

Pinpointing the source, Charles quickly ran toward the crying. Slowly, it grew louder the closer he ran. He was now able to determine the person to be a woman, perhaps even a NIKKE. Maybe she had gotten lost in here and needed help.

Charles ran for what seemed like hours, his breath escaping in ragged pants. Sweat poured down his skin and stained his crisp uniform. One thing’s for sure; he was going to take a bath after this.

He kept on running and running toward the voice, the crying growing louder and louder… until it was all around him.

The sudden volume halted the man in his tracks, eyes darting all over the place as she surveyed the area. Suddenly, ominous lights shone through the void. Crimson reds and sickly purples illuminated the area. Shattered mirrors hovered in the air; many of them cracked, others stained with blood. Yet they all showed what appeared to be a white-haired woman kneeling on the floor as she sobbed to herself.

“Is everything alright ma’am?” Charles called out to the sobbing woman.

She ceased her crying upon hearing his words, slowly rising to her feet as she turned around. But the area soon glitched and she… disappeared? Charles was left speechless by this turn of events. Just what was going on here?

*CRASH!*

One by one the mirrors shattered into hundreds of jagged pieces, raining all over the place as Charles looked all around him. Then, he suddenly saw a pale face with blood-red eyes hovering right before his—

“WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!” Charles jumped so hard he almost fell out of bed. Fear gripped his heart as it raced a mile a minute, sweat pouring down his forehead.

It was just a dream… it was all just a dream. But what a strange dream it was…

Who was that woman? Why was she crying? And what was with all the mirrors? As far as Charles knew, the dream meant nothing to him. But even though it seemed irrelevant… what if it wasn’t? What if somewhere down the line, he found that woman again?

“Everything alright, Charles?” Thomas inquired as he finished buttoning up his jacket.

“Y-Yeah… just had the weirdest f*ckin’ dream.” Charles wiped the sweat off his brow. “I was in this void and I met this girl, and she started crying as these mirrors shattered around me.” He turned to face the towering man. “Then she jump-scared me like those crummy videos Satoshi passes around.”

“They’re not crummy!” Satoshi protested as he poked his head through the door. “They’re a work of art and I won’t hear otherwise.”

A polite chuckle escaped Charles’ mouth. “You keep telling yourself that.” He rebutted coolly. “So yeah, that was the dream I had, Thomas.”

“You had that dream too?!” Thomas’ eyes flickered with a mix of disbelief and concern before his mood dampened considerably. “This isn’t good at all…”

Charles’ tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean it isn’t good? It’s just a dream, right?”

Satoshi promptly burst into the bedroom upon hearing this. “You mean you’ve never heard about the legend, Charles?” He inquired with sheer bewilderment. Charles only responded by shaking his head; whatever this legend was, it was new to him. Glancing at the clock, Satoshi took a seat on the bed opposite Charles and cleared his throat.

“The legend’s been around for years, possibly decades. I heard about it myself on my first day as Commander.” Satoshi began. “One day, a Commander will dream about this white-haired woman crying before a mirror. Nobody knows how or why they start dreaming about her, only that they become more frequent as time goes on. Sounds harmless, right? But here’s the kicker…” He leaned forward atop the bed. “Every Commander who’s ever had that dream died a brutal death. And I do mean brutal. Jimmy was the last guy who had that dream, and he got torn apart by Raptures.”

“No offense, but that sounds like a coincidence,” Charles interjected. “I mean, it’s an interesting tale, but I refuse to believe that this dream heralds my imminent death.”

“I thought that was as well, Charles. That was until I heard all the incidents…” Thomas replied with his arms folded over his chest. “First there was Reginald who was pulverized by the Grave Digger. Then there was Shinji who was trapped by a cave-in and slowly starved to death. And then there was Jimmy whom Satoshi told you about.” The dark-skinned man gently reclined against the wall. “All of them had that dream.”

Charles was a little taken aback by all this. A single incident could easily be brushed off as a coincidence, but three? And those were just the ones Thomas listed. This dream has been around for decades, who knows how many victims it claimed? “How long is the time between when the dreams first appeared, to the person's death?”

“Nobody knows…” Satoshi answered. “It could be within a week, or it could be within years.” His expression soon morphed into a confident smile. “But I’m sure a dream’s no match for our Bloodshadow!”

“Agreed. Not even the Rapture Queen herself can take you on!” Thomas eagerly chimed in as well.

“I appreciate the pep talk has, guys.” Charles finally clambered out of bed. “But I’m nobody special. Just a guy doing his duty for the Ark.”

“Hahahaha!” Thomas gently punched Charles’ shoulder. “As humble as ever.”

“Anyway…” Charles shifted away from the subject of potentially cursed dreams. “What’s our duty for today?”

“Thomas and I are tasked with resource gathering again. Nothing too complicated.” Satoshi took out his mobile and presented it to him. Sure enough, the opened email contained detailed information about his orders. “You should check your phone, Charles.”

Reaching for the bedside desk, Charles retrieved his phone and booted it up. As expected, he had received an email around five minutes ago.

To: Commander Charles Alvinczi

Subject: Today's Mission

Given that your last assignment was a taxing affair, we’ve decided to give you an easy mission to recuperate.

You are to watch over Infinity Rail and assist them in any affairs regarding the AZX. You are to arrive at the central terminal by 11 am sharp.

From: The Central Government

A nice, easy mission… not what Charles expected, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain. Besides, he had at least a couple of hours to fully prepare himself for his mission.

“I’m helping out Infinity Rail today, it seems.” Charles presented his phone to the duo. “I haven’t met them before, so is there anything I need to know?”

“I’ve been on a couple of missions with Diesel before,” Thomas informed him. “She’s an absolute sweetheart, but she got quite the craving for strawberry candy.” A small smile formed on his face. “Don’t be surprised if she offers some to you.”

“I see…” That was all Charles said in response. In all honesty, he had a soft spot for strawberry-flavored stuff. So if Diesel offered some to him, then who was he to knock it back? “Anyway, I’m gonna have a shower. I don’t want to smell like basem*nt-dweller after all.”

And with that, Charles shuffled his way to the dormitory bathrooms. They may not be the most luxurious in the Ark, but a hot shower was ALWAYS appreciated.

0000

The sound of people going about their business filled Charles’ ear as he sat on a wooden bench. His eyes drifted toward his watch; 10:58 am, it read. Admittedly, he was lucky enough to have caught the early bus to the terminal. Most Commanders could only dream about affording a car.

He resisted the urge to grumble over the pay situation. He and all the other Commanders were risking their lives for the sake of humanity, you’d think the Central Government would show a little more appreciation. But now wasn’t the time to act all grumpy, he had a mission to perform.

Charles’ ears twitched slightly as they picked up the roar of the approaching AZX. Lifting his head, he watched it grind to a halt before stopping before the platform. With a ‘ding’, the doors slowly opened as passengers scrambled into the terminal.

“There’s my ride.” Charles mused to himself before entering the train. Almost immediately, he was blasted by cool air. Somebody must’ve turned the AC on too high. Not that he minded in the slightest…

“Ok, now to find Diesel.” He continued to muse. “I’d ask around, but that would look awfully unprofessi—”

“OK, everyone.” An intoxicatingly cheery voice echoed within the carriage. “Please take your seats in an orderly fashion. There’s plenty of room here.”

Turning his head, Charles watched as a young lady gently ushered people to their seats. She was almost as tall as Charles and had shiny black hair that reached her back. Her outfit consisted of a dark blue button-up shirt over a billowing white dress that reached her slender thighs, as well as a light blue jacket and matching officer’s cap.

“Thank you for waiting.” She smiled at the passengers with a polite bow. “The AZX will be departing in a minute.”

It was with that announcement that she gingerly made her way to the seat beside Charles, only to notice the veteran Commander. “Ah, you must be the Commander for this mission.”

“Yep, that’s me!” Charles replied with a hint of cheeriness. Seems she was starting to rub off on him. “Charles Alvinczi at your service!”

“Nice to meet you, Commander! I’m Diesel, leader of Infinity Rail.” Diesel introduced herself by offering a handshake. Charles accepted the offer, only to be surprised by how firm her grip was. She certainly wasn’t as delicate as her appearance may suggest. “Thank you for choosing the AZX to travel.”

“It’s a very impressive train…” Charles’ eyes wandered over the sleek, futuristic interior of the train. The abundance of bright colors gave the AZX a welcoming aura, one that ensured the utmost safety for its passengers. “So, what did you want me to do today?” He turned to face Diesel.

“Nothing much, right now.” Diesel unclipped a small pouch off her belt and began rifling through it. “Just keep an eye out for us as we’re performing our job.” She pulled something out of her pouch and presented it to Charles. “Strawberry candy?”

Yep, just as Thomas told him this morning. Diesel was ready to hand out strawberry candy. That said, who was he to knock back a generous offer?

“Thank you.” Charles took the candy and unwrapped it. Popping it in his mouth, he was immediately hit by the overwhelming flavor. While it was very enjoyable, Charles was certain he’d only be able to taste strawberries for the rest of the day.

Satisfied, Diesel took a candy for herself and popped it in her mouth. “I love the taste of strawberries!” She cheered while sucking on the spherical candy. “It always perks my spirits.”

“Mhm.” The Commander only hummed in agreement. Even though his tongue was on the verge of turning into a strawberry…

“Well, I think we’ve rested for long enough!” Diesel stood back up with surprising zeal. “Come, Commander. Let’s see what we can do for our passengers!”

“What do you me—eeeeeeaaaannnnn?!” Charles suddenly cried out as Diesel hoisted him off the chair. Before he knew it, she eagerly escorted him to the AZX’s kitchen.

0000

This… wasn’t what he expected at all.

“Anyone want some complimentary water?” Charles wheeled a tray down the carriage. “Freshly chilled for a hot day!”

Diesel rested her hands on her hips. “You need to show a little more enthusiasm, Commander.” She took a bottle off the tray. “Here, I’ll show you~”

Clearing her throat, the NIKKE began… singing to the crowd? “Get your water here♪ Wonderfully wet water♪ If you need refreshment today, visit the AZX—”

“I-I’ll take some water ma’am!” A middle-aged man called out from the crowd. “Just… please stop singing. M-My wife’s uhh…” he sheepishly turned to face his wife. “Got a headache. Y-Yeah, that’s it!”

“Ah, my apologies sir!” Diesel handed the main two bottles instead of one. “Take the second one as a token of my apology.”

“O-Okay…” The man was stunned by the generosity, but he wasn’t going to protest. With a nod, Diesel continued assisting Charles in handing out water.

The Commander remained quiet over the matter. In all honesty, he found Diesel’s singing… pretty bad. The tune was off-key and she couldn’t hold a tone. Yet there was soul within her singing; Diesel genuinely enjoyed what she was doing. All she needed was some guidance and a LOT of practice, and she’d become a pretty good singer. Perhaps Julia could teach her a thing or two…

“Commander?” She chimed in out of the blue. “How did you find my singing?”

This caught Charles off-guard. On one hand, brutal honesty was a necessary evil. But Diesel was such a pure soul that he couldn’t bear hurting her feelings. Perhaps if he answered in a roundabout way…

“It’s good, Diesel…” He swallowed his pride and answered. “But I recommend practicing whenever you can.”

“Sounds good to me!” Diesel welcomed the advice. “Practice makes perfect after all.”

“I know somebody who’s quite skilled when it comes to music. Perhaps on an off-day, we can arrange a—

*Shiiing*

“Diesel! We’re out of cherry tomatoes again.” A somewhat high-pitched voice echoed from behind. Turning his head, Charles watched as a petite girl approached the duo. Her creamy white hair was very long, reaching below her waist. Her uniform was somewhat unkempt; the white button-up shirt was untucked, her black jacket had a few small creases in it, and her matching black skirt was ever-so-slightly ajar.

Yet despite this, she displayed an overwhelming sense of self-confidence, bordering on arrogance. But Charles didn’t find it off-putting for some reason; after all, he had worked with plenty of Commanders with similar levels of self-confidence.

“Understood.” She gave the petite girl a quick nod whilst reaching into her pouch. “Would you like some strawberry candy?”

“I-I don’t need to be rewarded with candy every time!” She shot back at Diesel with a tinge of annoyance, only for the faintest of blushes to appear on her cheeks. “I’ll just take one…” Her tone was considerably quieter than before.

Diesel merrily handed over the candy as the petite girl popped it in her mouth. “This is Soline, Commander.” She gently turned to face Charles. “She’s in Infinity Rail as well.”

The Commander extended his hand toward Soline. “It’s nice to meet you, Soline.” Charles greeted her politely.

“Likewise, Commander!” Soline reciprocated the gesture with moxie. “You’re lucky to have a NIKKE like me who knows what she’s doing!”

A smile grew on Charles’ face; a NIKKE with this much gutsy confidence was a rare sight in the Ark. If only the upper brass displayed the same level of moxie she did…

“So…” He gently reclined against the wall. “How does it feel working on the AZX?”

An amused huff escaped the petite girl. “Wonderful! It’s a very easy task for someone of my cap—”

“Didn’t you accidentally wipe the floor with oil the other day?” Diesel sheepishly raised her hand in the air.

A sudden blush overcame Soline as a hot burst of embarrassment overcame her. “T-That was a c-complete a-accident!” Soline stuttered in her defense. “B-Besides…” She crossed her hands over her small chest. “You told me to oil anything that looked old and creaky!”

“I should’ve been more specific with my advice…” A mild giggle escaped Diesel’s mouth. “My apologies for the confusion. Would you like some candy as an apology?”

“You don’t need to keep showering me with candy.” Soline rebutted, eyes darting side-to-side before accepting the apology. Like before, Diesel handed over some candy as Soline promptly snacked on her sugary treat.

It was an amusing, yet heart-warming sight to see. For even with their quarrels and whatnot, Charles could tell that they both cared for each other immensely. Perhaps this camaraderie resulted from them being assigned to the same squad.

That was a concept that he needed to do more research on. Charles had heard that NIKKEs perform better when fighting alongside their teammates. But having more than one NIKKE from the same squad under your command rarely, if ever, happened. Not only did it require having a lot of experience under your belt, but most of these squads were assigned other, more important roles within the Ark. And then there were those elite squads that only obeyed orders from the upper echelons. The Big Three, the Deputy Chiefs, and even the Central Government himself.

Charles had some deep-seated ambitions. Not enough to cause any reasonable person to worry, but more than enough to keep him going. He wanted to rise through the ranks, to become one of the upper brass himself. That way, he can have a say in making the Ark a better place. Because all this complacency was going to doom humanity sooner or later.

“Diesel.” Charles inquired out of the blue. “Say that I was interested in having you and Soline under my command during missions.” His head slowly turned to face her. “What would I need to do?”

“O-Oh? You’re interested in us?” Her tone conveyed an underlying sense of joy.

“Of course, he’d be interested in us. We’re among the best after all.” Soline puffed her chest out in pride. “It’s good to see there’s a Commander out there with an eye for talent!”

“Well, when you have a few years’ worth of experience under your belt, you tend to pick up on some things.” The Commander took a seat.

“To answer your question…” Diesel gently cleared her throat. “You’ll need permission from not only a Deputy Chief but from a member of the Big Three. Since Infinity Rail falls under Elysion’s care, you’d have to receive permission from Ingrid.”

That makes a fair amount of sense. A lot of these squads feature NIKKE whose power level exceeds those of the mass-produced NIKKE. As such, it’ll require a few hoops to go through before you’re deemed worthy of commanding one. Of course, there was the unsubtle elephant in the room, that is the time it’ll take for said request to go through.

No doubt the Deputy Chiefs get swamped with tons of requests, most of them from inexperienced Commanders eager to get a leg up over the others. But such recklessness often led to disaster, resulting in dozens, if not hundreds of unnecessary casualties.

If only said recklessness wasn’t instilled into these men by the military academy…

“Is it just you two in Infinity Rail?” Charles broke his train of thought with a question.

“Not at all~” Diesel whistled merrily. “Brid’s in the cabin as we speak. She’s very devoted to her job, only going on breaks when mandated.”

“She makes the both of us look bad…” Soline uttered a win as her body slumped forward. “Brid goes for days on end without taking a single break. If this keeps up…” A soft sigh escaped her mouth. “People will start to think I’m a slacker!”

“I don’t think anyone would ever consider you a slacker, Soline.” Charles offered a reassuring smile. “It’s obvious that you show a lot of dedication and passion in your job. And even if Brid’s work ethic is unwavering, I wouldn’t say that makes you look bad.”

“I guess so…” Soline didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she chose not to press the issue for now. “Anyway, we should get back to work. I’ll show everyone I’m not a useless slacker!”

With a click of her heels, Soline turned around and re-entered the kitchen, leaving Diesel and Charles on their own. There was something about her parting words that bothered him. Neither he nor Diesel ever implied that she was useless, so why would Soline say something like that?

“Commander…?” Diesel noticed the furrowed look on his face.

“Ah!” Charles suddenly called out. “J-Just thinking to myself, that’s all.”

“I see.” The cheerful NIKKE replied. “We should get back to work, Commander. There’s still a lot of thirsty passengers~”

Almost immediately afterward, Diesel resumed her duty and began handing out bottles of water with a cheerful whistle. Charles helped out where he could, passing bottles to those who asked for them. Though not the most blood-pumping of assignments, he could get used to this. Assisting people with whatever problems occur, no matter how small they may be. All alongside the NIKKE who’ve sworn their lives to defending humanity.

If only NIKKEphobia hadn’t been institutionalized within the Ark’s community…

0000

“Thank you so much for assisting us today!” Diesel thanked Charles with a bow. “Everything went smoothly today.”

“No need to thank me,” Charles replied with surprising humility. “I didn’t do much in the grand scheme of things. You and Soline put in all the heavy lifting.”

“Even so, just having you watch over us made our day.” Diesel’s smile was so sweet it put her strawberry candy to shame. “The next time you visit us, I’ll promise to introduce you to Brid.”

“I’d like that a lot, thank you.” Charles extended his hand toward Diesel, who shook it with surprising power. The tiniest of winces formed on Charles’ mouth; he keeps forgetting just how frail his body is compared to a NIKKE.

With a quick nod, Diesel hopped back on the AZX as the automatic doors closed behind her. A low hum emanated from the train as it slowly surged forward before running down the tracks. Charles briefly glanced at his watch, only to stagger backward in surprise.

“7:30 already?!” He exclaimed in disbelief. Time sure flies when you’re having fun. Digging his hand back in his pocket, Charles quietly made his way up the stairs and onto the bustling streets. By now, night had overcome the Ark, with dozens of buildings lit up like Christmas trees. It was a most mesmerizing view, but it would’ve been even better underneath the real sky, not an artificial sk—.

*rumble*

A subdued gurgling emanated from Charles’ stomach. He worked up quite the appetite today, one that couldn’t be satiated by strawberry candy alone. He could go for some nice, steak-flavored Splendam—

*ding*

The sudden chime piqued his attention. Taking out his phone, he quickly read the newly sent message.

Please see me once you’ve finished your assignment with Infinity Rail. This is an urgent matter.

From: Deputy Chief Andersen

“Not exactly what I was hoping for…” Charles muttered to himself. As much as he hoped for a bit of dinner to whet his hunger, orders were orders. Pocketing his phone, he calmly made his way to the Central Government Command HQ.

0000

“I’m glad you’ve arrived.” Andersen chimed in a professional tone as he got off his chair. “I’ve heard everything from Infinity Rail. You handled yourself admirably.” His hands straightened out his slightly ruffled jacket.

“It was an enjoyable, albeit easy assignment, sir.” Charles saluted his superior. “It re-affirmed the notion that a Commander’s role is more than just military operations.” His voice spoke with unwavering admiration. “It’s assisting the public alongside the NIKKE.”

“Indeed. But that isn’t why I called you here…” Andersen turned his attention to Charles. “I received an email from Mustang tonight. He wishes to borrow Julia for a week or so.” His brow furrowed ever so slightly. “As such, you won’t be able to deploy her for your missions.”

The news was disappointing, but not unexpected. Julia did have a performance at the end of the month. Knowing Mustang, he wanted a few extra practice sessions before the show. “I understand, sir.”

Andersen appreciated how easily Charles accepted the news. “You won’t be going home empty-handed, however. I got in contact with Ingrid and she’s agreed to loan you one of Elysion’s NIKKEs for the time being.”

This piqued Charles’ interest. A NIKKE from Elysion? Given today’s circ*mstances, it’ll most likely be a member of Infinity Rail. But who exactly? Diesel? Soline? Or perhaps even Brid?

His mental questions were put to rest as Andersen slid a recruitment sheet toward Charles. “Present this to the secretary on the ground floor and she’ll walk you through the process.”

“Thank you, sir!” Charles eagerly accepted the sheet and began reading it. His eyes glossed over the sparse yet important details on the front.

NIKKE Recruitment form

Faction: Elysion

Squad: ???

Name: ???

Commander: Charles Alvinczi

“If I may ask a question…” Charles spoke up. “Why are the ‘Squad’ and ‘Name’ boxes left empty?”

“Under normal circ*mstances, both of them would be filled with the specific NIKKE assigned to your command. But as Elysion’s NIKKE are spread thin at the moment, nobody is sure who’ll be assigned to your squad, not even Ingrid.” Andersen explained as briefly yet calmly as possible.

“I understand.” The Commander accepted the reason. If anything, it made things a little more exciting. Like rolling the die or spinning a roulette wheel, you never know what you’re gonna get. And while there was the risk of getting a NIKKE who wouldn’t mesh well with his squad, there was also the chance of getting a NIKKE who’d fit in beautifully.

“Do you have any other questions?” Andersen spoke up.

Charles had no more questions to inquire about, at least regarding the recruitment. But there was one that still plagued his mind.

“Have you heard about the dream? The one about the white-haired lady and the mirrors?” He asked.

Andersen’s mood shifted dramatically. Though not angry, his expression indicated that he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. “It’s just a dream, Commander Alvinczi. Nothing to worry about.” He answered ever so bluntly.

The response wasn’t what Charles had anticipated. He had hoped for some more information regarding the dream, yet that was promptly shut down. Still, the fact that Andersen told him not to worry was a relieving sign. Surely, he’d know more about it than the Commanders, right? All those deaths were probably a result of unfortunate circ*mstances or negligence.

“Is that all you wanted to ask?” Andersen’s inquiry snapped Charles back to attention.

“Yes, that’s all sir.” He promptly saluted his superior.

“You’re dismissed.” Andersen returned the salute as the younger man promptly exited the office. Now on his own, Andersen promptly collapsed on his seat and quietly gazed at his hands. A myriad of thoughts raced within his mind, most of them gravitating toward Charles’ words.

That dream… it was something he was familiar with. Though he’s never dreamt it himself, Andersen’s heard all about it from the Commanders under his command. All of them described the same image, the same woman… the long, wavy white hair. The piercing red eyes… and the almost ethereal feeling to her, as if she were a ghost… or made of glass. This dream… it could only mean one thing.

“She’s set her sights on him,” Andersen muttered to himself.

0000

“Good evening, Commander Alvinczi!” The cheery, if slightly tired secretary greeted him. “How can I help you tonight?”

“I was given a Recruitment Form from Deputy Chief Andersen.” Charles presented the form to her. “Is there anything else I need to do?”

The middle-aged woman accepted the form and gave it a quick glance. “Not at all.” She pointed down the hallway. “Just take a right turn at the end and present the form to the officer.”

“Thank you!” Charles accepted the form before making his way down the hallway. His boots clicked atop the shiny linoleum floor, a satisfying ‘clack, clack, clack’ filling his ears. It was a sound that never got old, a smile slowly creeping on his face. Making the turn, Charles was promptly greeted by a stern-faced officer.

“Form please?” He outstretched a hand toward Charles. The Commander promptly handed it over as the officer gazed at it. A bemused hum escaped the man as he removed his shades to get a better look at it. After what seemed like a minute, he looked back up at Charles. “All clear. Please wait inside, Commander Alvinczi.”

“Thank you.” He replied before stepping into the waiting room. Taking a seat, he rested his hands on his lap and calmly gazed at the wall. His mind was abuzz with various hopes and thoughts, who among Infinity Rail would join his squad? Diesel was among his first options; her bubbly, bright demeanor was immensely enjoyable. No doubt the mood would brighten with her around.

Then there was Soline; her gutsy moxie was admirable for someone of her stature. And though his gut told him that she hyped herself a little too much, he knew that she’d prove to be a solid close-quarters fighter.

And then there was Brid. Charles doubted that she’d be chosen given that they never got the chance to meet today. But life works in mysterious ways… perhaps this assignment was an opportunity for the duo to know one another. Whatever the case was, he’d gladly take any of the—

*psssssssshhhhhhh*

The sound of smoke billowing from the metal door to the right reached his ears. Turning his head, Charles watched the heavy door slowly open as a bright light emanated from it. The sound of approaching footsteps joined the cacophony as a figure walked through the door and stood before the Commander.

“Greetings Commander!” The NIKKE cheerfully chimed whilst bowing respectfully. “I am Marian of the Silver Gun squad. It’s a pleasure to be working for you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Marian.” Charles stood up and shook her gloved hand. He was surprised, to say the least… Given his assignment today, he assumed that he’d be given a member of Infinity Rail. But perhaps they were too busy with their duties to assist him. Either way, he was more than happy with Marian.

She looked like a cheerful yet mature woman, shimmering brown eyes gazing back at him. Her sleek black hair had a small hat of sorts nestled atop it. Gently adjusting the form-fitting blue dress over her body, Marian shot Charles a gentle smile. “I’ll be under your care from now on.”

“I’ll take very good care of you, Marian.” He solemnly pledged to her.

“Thank you.” Marian smiled at him.

A serene smile formed on Charles’ face, one that was soon broken by a familiar *rumble*. A fierce blush burned his cheeks as he sheepishly turned away from Marian. “S-Sorry about that…” He muttered quietly. “I haven’t had dinner yet…”

“It’s not good to go without eating for so long.” Marian reminded him in a casual tone. “Why don’t we go get dinner together?”

“Sounds great to me!” Charles eagerly accepted the idea. Admittedly, it was a little risky bringing a NIKKE to a restaurant, on account of the NIKKEphobia that was forced upon the populace by the Central Government. But if they didn’t draw any attention to themselves…

He offered his hand to Marian, who gladly accepted it. Eyes shimmering brightly, she walked alongside her new Commander out into the shimmering night. Marian’s heart was skipping with joy; she was looking forward to their mini-date.

Chapter 3: Fateful Assignment & Bonding

Chapter Text

*ting-a-ling*

The bell chimed blissfully as Charles & Marian entered the candle-lit restaurant. The place wasn’t as packed as usual, on account of the dinner rush ending minutes ago.

‘Perfect’ Charles thought to himself as he eyed a booth in the corner. A nice, isolated place would suit them well, more so since it kept Marian away from the rest of the patrons. He didn’t expect anything serious to go down, but he didn’t want to risk it.

“Table for two?” A young lady approached the duo with a pair of menus in hand.

“Yes please,” Charles replied as the waitress handed the menus over.

“Feel free to take a seat~” She chimed, albeit slightly forced. Whether it was the fact she was tired, or that she wasn’t keen on NIKKEs wasn’t known. But Charles didn’t want to press the issue, so he escorted Marian to the booth from before and took his seat. Looking around the restaurant, he saw a few sets of eyes gazing at them. Most were simply curiosity, others were suspicion. As long as he kept his head down an—

“Commander?” Marian tilted her head slightly. “Is something the matter?”

“Ah…” Charles turned his head back. “Nothing at all, Marian. Just got distracted.”

“A Commander can’t give in to distractions. Even the tiniest one could prove fatal.” A cheery smile formed on her soft face. “You leave them to me while you focus on your job.”

“U-Understood…” The slightest of stutters escaped Charles’ mouth. Marian was… devoted to her duty. In most other jobs, it would be an admirable trait, but as a NIKKE? It was one of the most thankless tasks in the world. Not only are you robbed of your original body, not only are you sent out to die almost every day, but the Ark and its residents look at you with scorn and suspicion. To maintain such diligence when faced with an uncaring and prejudiced system was beyond admirable.

But that was a topic for another time… Charles was ravenous by this point.

“Ok, I’ll go for the steak-flavored Splendamin.” He said quietly, eyes looking up at Marian. “Did you want anything?”

“I’m happy with the fish & chips flavored Splendamin,” Marian answered with a polite smile. Charles gave her a quick nod as she handed her menu, before getting up to make the order. Now on her own, Marian took the time to quietly survey the restaurant.

The tables were neatly arranged in several lines, with booths built into the cream-colored walls. Several small chandeliers hung from the ceiling, gently swaying back and forth. Lined up against the tiled pathway were several potted plants, all of which were artificial.

Not too illogical given how hard it was procuring real plants for decoration…

“?” Marian tilted her head slightly and saw a group of people… staring at her. Not in hatred, but fear and suspicion? Why would they be suspicious of her? She hadn’t done anything wrong… right?

“Something the matter, Marian?” Charles’ voice called out to her as the people hastily turned around.

“Nothing, Commander.” Marian brushed off the glances with a somewhat forced smile. Though not completely buying her answer, Charles didn’t want to start anything and quietly took his seat.

Yet Marian couldn’t keep it to herself. It would be amiss of her to lie to her Commander. “Commander…” She turned her head in the direction of the people from before. “Those people were staring at me before…”

It didn’t surprise him to hear the news. People’s suspicions regarding NIKKE were at an all-time high. A symptom of the Ark-instilled NIKKEphobia. It was tragic just how much it bled into society, where people hate and fear NIKKE for reasons even they are unsure of. Charles wanted to do something about it, but he was just too low-ranking for his voice to matter. For even with his high rate of success, he was just a Commander.

This was why Charles wanted the promotions, so he could strive to make some actual change within the Ark. And the first order of business was becoming a Deputy Chief. Now those guys had some sway within the Ark. The fact that he could chill out with Andersen was a bonus.

But the path to promotion was a perilous one. If you didn’t have the money and connections, you had to bust your ass off just for the HOPE of getting a promotion. And you usually lost to those with the deepest wallets. It was an unjust system where merit was cast aside in favor of wealth. Well, if that’s how the Ark wanted to play, then Charles will play ball.

“Deep in thought, Commander?” Marian’s soft tone broke Charles’ train of thought.

“I guess you can say that…” He all but admitted to her, hands clasped together. “Just pondering what my next mission could be.”

“Whatever it is, I know we’ll succeed.” Marian’s tone perked considerably.

Her optimism was very endearing; addictively so in fact. She and Julia would get along swimmingly…

Ah, if only she wasn’t busy for the week. Then he could’ve brought her along on the date as well. A wistful look overcame Charles’ face as he thought about Julia. Oh, how eager he was to see her perform on stage, fully embracing her talents. Eyes slowly drifting shut, he began daydreaming about Julia.

They were dancing on the stage as her music played in the background, holding her in his arms. Their smiles were as radiant as ever, bodies moving to the melodious tune. This was a moment just for them, nobody else. and they were going to savor it together. Then, eyes locked together, they slowly leaned forward to ki—

“—nder?” A sudden voice snapped Charles awake, his eyes darting everywhere. “Commander…” Marian’s voice commanded his attention. “Our dinner has arrived.”

Turning his head, Charles looked up at the waitress who sported a bewildered look in her eyes. “W- Was I talking in my sleep?”

“No, no! Not at all.” The waitress hastily replied whilst placing the plates atop the table. “Sorry for bothering you two. Please, enjoy your dinner~”

She gave the duo a polite bow before making her way to another table. Cheeks beet red from the embarrassing situation, Charles shakily picked up his fork and knife.

“Sorry about that, Marian. Let us dig in, shall we?” He sheepishly replied as the NIKKE gently giggled in response.

0000

“Phew…” A satiated sigh escaped Charles’ mouth as he and Marian exited the restaurant. “That did the trick and then some!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, Commander!” A cheerful smile graced Marian’s delicate face. Hands behind her back, she leaned toward the taller man. “More importantly, did you enjoy yourself?”

“Of course, I did.” Charles joyfully replied. “It’s not every day I get to go out with a NIKKE!”

“There’s much to be gained from dining with one’s NIKKEs.” Marian gave a slow nod of approval. “It’s a pity not a lot of Commanders go out with their NIKKE.”

“Mmmmm…” A slightly melancholic hum escaped Charles’ mouth. Due to the stigma within the Ark, most Commanders choose not to get close to their NIKKE. Not that they got many opportunities to do so; Ark regulations stated that a Commander can’t be assigned the same squad of NIKKE twice in a row. At least three missions must be completed before the two can be reunited. Not many knew why such a rule was put in place, though whispers emerged that repeated assignments usually lead to infighting, resulting in the death of either the NIKKE, or the Commander.

Yet it all seemed like pointless bureaucracy to Charles. He was an exception to the rule, having been assigned the same squad of NIKKE multiple times in a row. Many chalked it up to his skill on the battlefield. But even now, he couldn’t help but wonder…

“Commander?” Marian tilted her head toward him.

Charles quickly turned his head in her direction. “I’m all good. Just thinking to myself…” His tone was much softer than before.

“I understand.” Marian gave a quick bow in response. “If there’s anything you want to say, don’t keep it to yourself. As your NIKKE, I’ll help shoulder any burdens you may have.”

“I…” Charles attempted to protest before silencing himself. “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Marian gave a confirmatory nod in response, only for her body to perk up slightly. “Did you hear that?” She gingerly shushed Charles before cupping her ear. Intrigued, he followed her lead and cupped his ear. The faint melody of a violin reached his ears, one that Charles knew all too well.

“It’s alright Marian. I know exactly what it is.” He gestured for her to follow him. They walked down the cobblestone road, shoes clacking atop the hard surface. The sound grew louder with every step, drawing them in like bait on a hook. The softest of tunes comforted them, eating away at whatever stress may have festered within the depths of their heart. It was like a siren’s call, and they were the hapless sailors.

Walking into a nearby park, they located the source of the noise. Sitting comfortably atop a bench was Julia, calmly playing the violin to herself. Her eyes were gently closed, fully indulging in the harmonious tune she was playing. She had no worries or cares in the world, just a drive to further hone her talents.

Marian was about to call out, only for Charles to gently raise his hand. ‘Let her finish…’ He mouthed to her, with the NIKKE shooting a silent nod on confirmation. The duo silently watched as Julia continued her practice. The way her bow trailed back and forth along the violin, plucking at the delicate strings was masterful. Its gentle caress played the most peaceful of tunes, part melancholic, part joyous. To be able to express multiple emotions in a single piece… took a lot of talent.

Marian’s pulse began racing as she indulged in the melody. To be able to hear such sweetness underneath the starry artificial sky made for a pleasant memory, one that she’d never forg—

“!”

The quietest of winces escaped Marian’s mouth as a throbbing pain coursed through her head.

“Are you alright?” Charles whispered as the NIKKE clutched at her head.

“It’s… nothing…” She quietly reassured him. Yet as quiet as they were, their whispers didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hmmm?” Julia’s eyes slowly opened and gazed upon her muse, her source of joy in this otherwise grim world. “Con…ductor?”

“Julia!” A flustered expression appeared on Charles’ face. “We’re so sorry for interrupting your performance.” He humbly bowed at her whilst subtly gesturing Marian to follow suit.

“We were completely mesmerized by your performance.” Marian bowed at the violinist. “We didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

Julia was unfazed by the interruption. Though she always preferred finishing off her verses, she knew that neither of them willingly interrupted her. Besides, the fact they were enjoying her performance brought a smile to her face. “Tonight’s a perfect night, no? The quiet tranquility of the night sky is a boon for those hoping to hone more peaceful melodies…” Julia’s eyes gazed toward the artificial sky. “Yet it’s but a hollow impersonation of the real sky. Could it be that an artificial sky can inspire artificial music?”

“You would know more about music than me, so I don’t feel fit answering such a question.” Charles sheepishly admitted whilst scratching his head. “Anyway, how’s practice going?”

“Superb!” Julia’s lips curled into a smile. “My Mentor has offered a lot of useful advice, encouraging me to create more entertaining pieces.” Her gaze drifted to the side. “Yet his definition of entertainment and mine are different. Conductor…” Julia looked back at Charles. “How would you propose I get a better grasp of entertainment?”

This was a rather simple question to answer; although he had not met Mustang, Charles knew a fair bit about him. “Mustang’s form of entertainment is flashy, heart-racing, the sort that makes you want to bust a move.” He explained to the NIKKEs’ confusion. “My advice would be to watch a few of his performances. Soak in the energy of his moves and channel it into your melody.”

“Hmmm…” Julia mulled over her Conductor’s words. Infusing her Mentor’s energy into her music would give it a kick, that’s for sure. But she couldn’t just copy his style; she needed to add her unique flair to it. Fervent yet delicate; Julia had her work cut out on this one. “I’ll give it a try.”

“Wonderful! The Commander’s wisdom will surely help you out~” Marian cheerfully beamed at the violinist.

Julia’s head tilted slightly. “Ah… who are you?”

“My bad, I forgot to introduce you two…” Charles chuckled sheepishly. “Julia, this is Marian. She’s covering for you while you’re practicing for the big show. Marian, this is Julia. She’s the leader of my NIKKE squad.”

“A pleasure to meet you!” Marian extended her hand toward Julia for a handshake.

“Likewise.” Julia reciprocated the offer. Satisfied, she withdrew her hand and picked up her bow once more. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to pick up where I left off.”

“I understand.” The Commander gave Julia a respectful nob before shooting a glance at Marian. “Come, Marian. We’ve got places to go.”

“As you wish.” She smiled before turning to Julia. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Julia.”

“I’d love for you to attend my performance when the time comes.” Julia smiled back at Marian before making herself comfortable. Her violin nestled on her shoulder; she resumed her peaceful melody. Both Charles and Marian indulged in the music as they left the park, almost as if it was shepherding them out.

Yet it was within this blissful tune that the sparks of energy made themselves known. A smile crept upon Charles’ face; looks like Julia was taking heed of his advice. And though the shift was a little rough, he knew that in time, Julia would be able to meld both tunes together.

“I’m looking forward to her performance. More than mere words can explain.” Charles shot a gentle smile at Marian. “Would you like to attend the show with me?”

“I’d love to, Commander!” She beamed brightly, snaking her hand around Charles’ arm. Yet she soon realized what she was doing and retracted. “My apologies, Comm—”

Marian was interrupted as Charles gingerly wrapped his hand around Marian’s wrist. “No need to apologize ~”

The faintest blushes appeared on her cheeks as she rested against Charles’ shoulder. Both were eagerly looking forward to watching Julia’s performance.

If only they knew what the future had in store for them…

The Next Day

*Beep, beep, beep*

A muffled groan escaped Charles’ mouth as he slammed his hand on the snooze button. He slowly sat upright and rubbed his weary eyes. Last night’s sleep had been peaceful; no mention of that bizarre dream whatsoever. Perhaps it was just an absurd prank orchestrated by his colleagues. Yeah… sounds like something Satoshi would pull.

Charles slowly crawled out of bed and stretched his arms. Subdued grunts escaped his mouth as a burst of relief shot up his spine—nothing like a good stretch to get the blood pumping.

His mind awake, Charles slowly exited his bedroom and entered the dormitory kitchen, an exasperated groan escaping his lips.

The place was an absolute pigsty; dirty dishes and cups littered the sink. That lazy Igor… it had been his turn to do the dishes. But as badly as Charles wanted to dump them on his bed, he opted not to. After all, if he didn’t clean them, then who would?

So it was with a sigh that Charles bit the bullet and turned the hot water on. Yet he wasn’t going to do this alone…

Switching on the radio, he turned the dial to the Ark Radio station. Background noise always made chores easier to perform, even if said noise was inane dribble half the time.

“…it has been three weeks since the recon squad was reported missing. Authorities are at a loss as to what could’ve caused their sudden disappearance. Some gravitate toward the rumors of a Tyr—”

“No thank you.” Charles changed the station in an instant. He knew all about the missing squad incident and was immensely annoyed by it. Why has it taken the Central Government this long to do something about it? Do they not care about the war effort anymore?

It bothered Charles immensely; for as much as he appreciated the Ark, he hated some of the choices made by the government. It almost feels like they’ve lost interest in reclaiming the surface, which was very frustrating. After all, it was why he became a Commander in the first place. He wanted to make a difference, to bring things back to the way they were all those years ago.

Alas… he can’t spend the entire time moping and pondering. He had a job to do. So, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work washing the dishes. Thankfully, Splendamin was easy to wash off…

“Nggggh…” A subdued yawn came from behind Charles as a figure sluggishly made their way to the fridge. “Mornin’ Charles…” The drowsy tone of Igor spoke as he reached for a can of beer.

“Ah, good morning, Igor. As you can see, I’m doing your job for you~” Charles chimed with thinly veiled sarcasm.

“I was about to get to them, mate…” Igor lazily waved his hand at Charles. “These last few days have been hard on me. Had to work in a café alongside Café Sweety…” A shudder escaped as he trembled on the spot. “Customers are the worst.”

“Aye. That’s one thing we can agree on.” Charles placed the first plates into the sink and began scrubbing them. “While you’re here, may I ask you a question?”

Igor casually reclined against the wall and took a swig of beer. “Sure.”

“Doesn’t it frustrate you that very little progress has been made reclaiming the surface?” Charles opened with a heavy question. “Don’t you wish you could disregard orders and liberate some land from the Raptures?”

“Eh, it doesn’t bother me personally…” Igor shrugged his shoulders without a care in the world. “If the Central Government wants us to stay in the Ark, then why not stay in the Ark?”

Igor’s laissez-faire attitude rubbed Charles the wrong way. “Except we can’t stay here forever. We’ve only got so many resources left before we run out. Why do you think we go on supply runs every week?”

“But look at it this way.” Igor tilted his head with a smile. “We take from the surface and stay underground. The Raptures haven’t found us…”

“Yet.” Charles retorted sharply. “It’s only a matter of time before the Raptures find this place. That’s why we must go on the offensive!”

“Look, mate. I understand your hastiness; really, I do…” Igor attempted to placate his colleague. “But you said it yourself, we’re strapped for resources now. The Central Government can’t just waste what little we have on impulsive maneuvers.”

Charles clenched his teeth to hold back a scathing retort. For as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Igor was right. With how stretched the Ark’s resources were, they can’t just waste them on any random operation. So it was with an audible gulp that he swallowed his pride. “I understand…”

A reassuring smile grew on Igor’s face as he gently tapped Charles’ shoulder. “There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, mate. We gotta fight to reclaim said light.”

“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes…” Charles pointed out as Igor chuckled politely. Still, he did appreciate the kind gesture. “Thank you for the kind words Igo—”

*ding*

Charles promptly ceased what he was doing and retrieved his phone. Unlocking it, he saw the ‘New Message’ prompt and gently tapped it.

To: Commander Charles Alvinczi

Subject: Urgent Request

Meet me in my office as soon as possible, this is an urgent matter.

From: Deputy Chief Andersen

“sh*t…” He muttered under his breath before pocketing his phone. “Sorry about this, Igor, but can you finish the dishes for me? Just got an urgent request.”

“I can do that for you.” He placed the half-full can aside and approached the sink. Nodding in appreciation, Charles hastily made his way out of the dormitory and toward the Central Government Command HQ.

“Good morning Command—” Marian, who had taken a seat outside the dorm, warmly greeted Charles.

“I need you to come with me.” He urgently called out to her. “We just got an urgent assignment.”

Marian didn’t question his order. She leaped off the bench and quickly ran beside Charles. Whatever this mission was, it seemed to be of the utmost importance.

0000

“Thank you for arriving as fast as you did.” Andersen turned his head toward the duo as they burst into his office. “My apologies for the short notice.”

An utterly exhausted Charles panted heavily as he rested his hands on his knees. “It…it’s f-fine…” He gasped for air, sweat pouring down his forehead. “What… d-did you need… from me…?”

“I assume you’ve heard of the lost recon squad?” Andersen inquired, with Charles giving him a sluggish nod. “A few days ago, we sent Commander Derek Jones to recover the squad, yet we’ve heard no word from him since. He’s likely in just as much danger as the recon squad.” The Deputy Chief turned to face Charles. “Therefore, we’re sending you to check up on them and if needed, rescue both Jones and the recon squad.”

“I understand….” Charles managed to recover enough energy to offer a salute. “I’ll just call my squad and—”

“Due to the urgency of this mission, a squad has already been provided for you.” Andersen politely interjected, his hand rubbing his wrist. “They may not be the NIKKE you’re used to commanding, but I’m confident you’ll have no issues.”

Charles was a little surprised by what he just heard, but he chose not to object. To be immediately assigned a new squad instead of his usual crew… this was an urgent request.

“Any questions?” Andersen inquired.

“No sir,” Charles answered firmly.

A smile formed on the older man’s face. “Then that is all,” Andersen concluded his debriefing. “The transport copter is already loaded. They’re waiting for you in the fifth hanger, right next door to here.”

“Understood.” The Commander replied as he and Marian promptly left the office. Even with his exhaustion, Charles briskly walked down the halls. For time was of the essence, and he couldn’t waste even a single second.

0000

“You’ve arrived, Commander Alvinczi!” A hanger staff member finished signing off a document as he greeted the approaching duo. “Just in time, too. We’ve finished loading up the transport copter. Your squad’s waiting inside, alongside all the necessary supplies.”

“Thank you.” Charles thanked the man with a handshake. “Is there anything else I need to know about this mission?”

“Deputy Chief Andersen already gave you the basics, so I’ll only give you what else I know…” The man turned his head to the side. “The area Commander Jones went missing in is a densely packed city. Lotta ambush spots the Raptures can attack from.” He regaled his intel to the Commander. “There are also rumors that a Tyrant-class Rapture prowls the area.”

“That doesn’t sound good at all…” Charles’ tone took a more pessimistic shift. After all, Tyrant-class Raptures were among the most terrifying enemies to mankind. Their immense size, limitless arsenal of attacks, and mastery over lesser Raptures make them formidable opponents on the battlefield. Charles himself had never fought a Tyrant-class Rapture, and he intended on keeping it that way.

He promptly cleared his throat. “So I go in, rescue Jones & the recon squad, then bail outta there?”

“Yep! Should be easy for you.” The staff member gently clapped Charles’ shoulder.

Charles offered the man a respectful nob before making his way to the transport copter. Stepping inside, he took a seat next to a Product 23 who gave him a brief glance before turning away. Making himself comfortable, Charles put on his seatbelt and watched Marian sit next to him.

“Our first assignment together, Commander!” Marian beamed brightly at him. “With your leadership and my prowess, victory is all but guaranteed!”

She turned to face the small squad of Mass-Produced NIKKE in the copter. “Come on everyone, let’s show our support for the Commander.”

Silence… not a single NIKKE responded to Marian’s cheer. Instead, they glanced at her wearily… almost as if afraid of her. This was most unusual behavior; most NIKKE would look out for each other in an uncaring society. So why were they giving her the cold shoulder?

“No need to worry, Commander. They’re just worried about the mission.” Marian reassured Charles with a smile.

Fair enough… There was the risk of running into a Tyrant-class Rapture after all. Satisfied with the answer, Charles gently banged on the metal wall. “We’re ready when you are.”

The loading door closed seconds later as the rotors roared to life. Slowly, the transport copter lifted off the ground and went higher, and higher, and higher. Charles was never one for heights; his stomach doing flips and turns inside him as the copter ascended. But it was all for the mission.

This may be his toughest one yet; not only did he have to rescue Jones’ squad and the recon team, but they had to do so quickly. For this was dangerous territory he was heading toward, and he needed to be at the top of his game.

“Commander.” Charles’ head turned to face Marian. “Why don’t you rest for a little while?”

Rest… yeah, that sounded like a good idea. A fresh state of mind would help him on this mission. Charles just needed to close his eyes and allow the world of dreams to take care of him. He needn’t worry about strange white-haired women and halls of mirrors. No, all he had to worry about was bringing people and NIKKE home safely.

Little did he realize that this very mission would set about a chain of events that would not only affect the Ark and its occupants, but the entire world itself…

Chapter 4: Beginning of the Fall...

Chapter Text

“……01 dow…” “BA-0….wn.”

A throbbing pain pulsated within Charles’ head as he lay motionless on the ground. His ears were struck by a painful ringing, blocking out all other noise. His mind was going haywire; what was happening…? Where was he…? How did all of this…

“…mand…” “Comm…” A voice called out to him from… somewhere. Yet Charles could pinpoint the source; his vision was blurry from whatever happened to him. “Comm…” “Commander!”

His body suddenly jerked from the loud noise; eyes wide open as he slowly sat up on the ground. Sharp pants escaped his mouth, beads of sweat trickling down his skin. He was alive; in a lot of pain, but still alive. That was something at least.

Looking down, Charles saw that his uniform was all tattered and burned from what he assumed was a helicopter crash. Various cuts and scrapes littered his body, though the most grievous had already been treated. And nestled beside him was Marian, holding onto her walkie-talkie.

“The Commander’s awake!” The urgency in her tone was slowly replaced by immense relief. “I repeat, the Commander’s pulled through.”

Yet she didn’t receive any response whatsoever… a scowl formed on Marian’s face as she tossed the walkie-talkie aside. “Useless piece of…” she grumbled under her breath before turning back to Charles.

“It’s broken, right?” He inquired slowly so as not to over-exert himself.

“Yes, we’ve lost contact with the Central Government.” She admitted before turning back to bandaging a cut on his leg. “It’s just the two of us now.”

Charles tilted his head in confusion. “Just the two of us…?”

Marian gestured at what was left of the transport copter, nestled a few meters behind them. Though calling it a transport copter was being generous… it was a burnt-out hunk of scrap metal. Debris was scattered all over the place; a few rotor pieces here, a hunk of cabin there, glass shards everywhere. And laying amidst the wreckage were the mangled remains of their NIKKE squad. It was obvious that there was no hope of saving them due to the damage they sustained, a few of them even had brain fluid leaking out of their heads. It was an overall wretched scene.

“What happened…?” Charles was mystified by the sight before him.

“We were shot down, Commander.” Marian finished bandaging his leg. “The Raptures must’ve spotted us.”

That was not good… not good at all. In just one attack, his entire squad had essentially been wiped out. And that’s not mentioning the fact that the nearby Raptures will investigate the source of the noise. In other words, they were up a certain scatological creek without a paddle.

“We need to get moving.” Charles struggled to get back on his feet. “Swiftly yet silently. Raptures will be on their way.”

“Yes, Commander.” Marian got up on her feet as well. She quickly checked her submachine gun and supplies before nodding to herself. Looks like everything was still in working order. Satisfied, Charles was about to walk toward a derelict building, only for Marian to gently grab his wrist. “Don’t worry, Commander.” She shot him a warm smile. “I will protect you.”

“Thank you.” He smiled back at her as the duo soon rushed inside the building. Ducking underneath the window, they both peered over the edge as the sound of scuttling reached their ears. Then the all-too-familiar screech…

*Screeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

Around a dozen Raptures swarmed to the wreckage and investigated it, crawling all over it. They homed in on the mangled NIKKE, dragging away the crumpled pieces for… some purpose. Was it to consume them or something? Charles had never seen such behavior before…

Yet he didn’t voice his sentiments. He remained as quiet as could be. For if the Raptures discovered the—

He froze as he saw a lone Rapture perk its body upright, almost as though it was looking for something. Had it discovered their location? If so, then a fight was inevitable.

His gaze fixed on the Rapture; Charles silently gestured for Marian to enter combat mode. She did so without hesitation, her gun locked and loaded.

The air was thick with tension, so much so that one could cut it with a knife. It wouldn’t have taken much for a fight to break out between both sides. But that didn’t happen…

The Raptures, not having detected anything, scurried away with their “loot”. Charles wasn’t sure whether to thank his lucky stars or breathe a sigh of relief. They’d gotten away… somehow.

“Transitioning out of Comb—Argh…” Marian fell to one knee as she gripped her right leg. “My leg.”

“Is everything alright, Marian?” Charles turned to face her.

“Y-Yeah…” She managed to wince out a reply. “My leg’s just… malfunctioning.”

His eyes drifted toward Marian’s leg. True to her word, there was noticeable damage to it. Not enough to render her immobile, but certainly a nuisance if left untreated. Which was when Charles got an ingenious idea.

“Pass me some bandages, please.” He requested.

“C-Commander?” She tilted her head in confusion.

“Trust me, I have an idea.” Charles reassured her with a smile.

Marian wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she had no reason not to trust him. So she handed over some bandages from the first aid kit and watched as Charles got to work bandaging her leg. “You know that bandages don’t work on a NIKKE, right?”

“Yeah, I do. But think about it this way.” He spoke up as his hands got to work. “You’ll feel much better if you don’t have to look at your wound.”

“I… see your point, Commander.” Marian chose not to protest further and allowed Charles to bandage her “wound”. Her heart skipped a beat as warm, fuzzy feelings overwhelmed her. To be looked after by her Commander instead of coldly ignored… it was a feeling many NIKKE yearned for within their hearts. And even though the bandage would do nothing, it was the simple gesture that mattered.

“Thank you, Commander.” She smiled upon Charles finishing off his procedure.

“No problem.” Charles chimed in return before standing back up. “Anyway, shall we continue with the mission?”

“Indeed.” Marian quickly got back to her feet. “The rendezvous shouldn’t be too far from here.”

It was with these words that the duo slowly crawled out of the derelict building and began their journey north. They walked through messy roads and pathways filled with debris. Wrecked cars, rubble from nearby buildings, as well as burnt-out hunks of metal, littered the area. For Marian, traversing over such obstacles was no challenge whatsoever. Charles… not so much.

Granted, it wasn’t overly difficult. But he hadn’t fully recovered from the crash. His movements were staggered, almost dizzyingly so. He weakly clutched his head, stifling a wince under his breath.

“Commander?” Marian turned her head back.

“S-Sorry…” Charles briskly ran up to her. “I just feel a little dizzy from the crash.”

“It was a very nasty crash.” Marian’s tone was sullener than before. “You’re lucky to have survived.”

“That I am…” He admitted without any guilt or shame. Yet it was here that Marian grabbed his arm and held it close to her.

“Let me hold onto you.” Marian smiled brightly at Charles. “I don’t want you falling behind.”

Charles initially wanted to knock back Marian’s offer out of pride, yet pragmatism won over. For if he lagged, then the Raptures could easily pick him off. So he didn’t fight back and allowed Marian to hold onto him.

Leading the way, Marian escorted Charles to the rendezvous sight. Her steps were unwavering and energetic, with a clear destination in mind. She knew exactly where they were going, and if they kept up the pace, they’d arrive within minutes. But as they had entered yet another alleyway…

*Rat-a-tat-tat*

“Gunfire!” Marian gasped in surprise as her grip tightened. “Let’s go check it out!”

Charles titled his head in mild bewilderment. “Shouldn’t I be giving the—woah!” He was promptly silenced as he and Marian ran down the alleyway.

0000

“How long are we going to wait here?!” A NIKKE with short brown hair called out urgently to her colleague as bullets pinged off the nearby barricades. She was a little on the plump side, her greyish-white crop top and black short shorts clinging to her voluptuous frame. She also had a beret nestled atop her head.

“Until they come.” Her colleague answered calmly, firing the occasional burst back at the enemy. She was equally as curvaceous as her companion, donning an all-black outfit. Black jacket, black beret, and a black leotard with matching thigh-high socks.

“Until the come?” The former scoffed in exasperation. “We’re sitting ducks out here!” She urged the other NIKKE. “We need to retreat, now!”

“We’ll wait until they come.” The latter repeated herself without breaking a sweat.

“Did you not see how far they went down?!” The first NIKKE reminded her in frustration. “Nobody’s coming out of that explosion alive!”

“We haven’t received any confirmation of death.” The second NIKKE pointed out.

“So we’re waiting here until we do, all while the Raptures take potshots at us?” She replied to her companion, who gave her a nod in return.

“This is the rendezvous point. Leaving here would throw a wrench at the works.” They reminded her. “We’ll need to hold our ground until they—”

“Everyone!” Marian ran up to the duo with Charles in her grip.

The NIKKE with short brown hair jumped in surprise over Marian’s call. “Y-You scared me!” She exclaimed to the duo.

“Sorry about that.” Charles apologized to the duo. “And sorry for taking so long. We encountered some… unforeseen complications.”

“Wait, you two are our reinforcements?” She inquired with a hint of apprehension. “How did you survive that explosion? I mean, I get you survived, what with you being a NIKKE.” Her gaze shifted from Marian to Charles. “But you’re just a human. How did YOU survive?”

“To be honest, I don’t know myself.” Charles shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I just got lucky, I suppose.”

He then turned his attention toward the other NIKKE. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to take Command from here.”

“Let me verify your status, Commander.” The second NIKKE ran a finger through her long brown hair as she scanned his phone. Satisfied, she handed it back to him. “The Squad O4-F Commander has changed. Welcome aboard, Commander Alvinczi.”

“W-Wait, he’s THAT Commander Alvinczi?!” The first NIKKE exclaimed in surprise. “Huh… maybe things won’t end as badly as I anticipated.”

“Didn’t realize there was a second one out there.” Charles smiled casually. “Anyway, what are your names?”

“I’m Anis.” She introduced herself before pointing a thumb at her companion. “And this is Rapi. We’ve fought together for what feels like forever at this point.”

“Rapi, Anis. It’s a pleasure to meet you two.” Charles flashed a confident wink at them. “But why don’t we deal with these Raptures before we continue pleasantries?”

“I agree.” Marian narrowly dodged an incoming bullet. Her gun locked and loaded; she was ready to deal with the enemy. “Encounter!”

It was with this call that all three NIKKE got into position. Charles, crouching beside Marian, carefully surveyed the area. A few Bullwhips in the air, several Cubes scurrying on the ground, and even a couple Pelicans. Not too overwhelming of a force in all honesty.

“Focus on the Bullwhips first! Taking out their air force should even things up.” Charles relayed his orders.

“Roger.” Rapi loaded her assault rifle and aimed at the first Bullwhip. Her gaze cold yet determined, she fired a small burst at the enemy.

*Rat-a-tat-tat*

Her attack shot off the Bullwhip’s in-built gun, causing it to stagger in the air. Rapi followed this up by firing at the Rapture’s core, resulting in it exploding. Tiny pieces of scrap metal rained down on the ground as smoke wafted in the air. Satisfied, yet not showing it, Rapi quietly aimed at the second Bullwhip. Yet this one was a lot speedier than the former; bobbing and weaving against the incoming gunfire. It soon charged up a salvo of bullets and fired back at Rapi.

“Ngh.” A quick grunt escaped her throat as she narrowly ducked in time, the bullets blowing off bits of concrete behind her. Teeth bared with gritty determination, Rapi counterattacked the slippery Bullwhip. She managed to shoot off its tail, a pained whir escaping its mouth as it hurtled onto the ground and exploded.

Two down, three more to go…

“There’s the next one!” Anis aimed at the Bullwhip and was about to fire—

“Focus on the ground enemies.” Charles urged her whilst pointing at a small cluster of Cubes. “Grenade launchers are notoriously inaccurate against flying enemies.”

Anis raised an eyebrow in intrigue. To know about the shortcomings of her weapon… she really was dealing with a veteran, or what constitutes a veteran within the Ark.

Giving him a nod of confirmation, Anis aimed and fired at the cubes. The heavy 40mm grenade landed right in the middle of the group and exploded, sending hunks of scrap metal everywhere. Yet even with the wicked explosion, the Cubes were still numerous. Fighting back a scoff, Anis reloaded her weapon and fired at the incoming horde.

*Bang, bang, bang*

The Raptures scurried toward her position, chipping at the barricade with precise gunfire. Yet they soon fell victim to the relentless bombardment. One after the other, they were blown into thousands of tiny pieces. Dust and dirt were blown into the air because of the constant bombardment, blocking everyone’s vision. But not the Raptures…

Their cores glowing a sickly red, the Raptures uttered another high-pitched screech before firing at the heroes. Charles hastily ducked down as a bullet whizzed mere centimeters above his head. Had he been just a little taller—

No, now wasn’t the time to think about ‘what ifs’. He had a battle to win…

“Marian, I need you to assist Anis in taking out the Cubes. Leave the Bullwhips to Rapi!” He issued another order.

“Yes, Commander.” She happily chimed whilst reloading her submachine gun. Unbeknownst to everybody… Marian’s eyes flashed red for the briefest of moments.

Her resolve unwavering, Marian aimed down the iron sight and picked off the Cubes one by one. Her accuracy was unparalleled, with every hit striking the core. The Cubes whirred in agony before exploding in a shower of scrap metal. Yet their numbers were numerous; for every one she killed, another took its place.

“Where are all these Raptures coming from?!” Anis grumbled to herself whilst loading her grenade launcher. She offered Marian some much-needed assistance, taking down the Cubes coming in from the flanks. The subsequent explosions caused a nearby wall to collapse onto the ground, crushing several Raptures.

But the mechanical entities couldn’t care less…

They scuttled over the pile of debris, rushing toward the NIKKE in a crazed attempt to kill them, cores glowing brighter than ever. Yet the heroines remained unfazed by their sworn nemesis. Composing themselves, Anis and Marian continued firing at the horde of Cubes. One by one, the enemy was gunned down without mercy. Not even their seemingly limitless numbers guaranteed victory, for the herd as thinning…

“The enemy’s out of reinforcements,” Rapi spoke with an almost unnoticeable smile. “Keep up the pressure!”

“Roger!” Anis chirped with a smile of her own as she glanced at the Pelicans. They had remained in the background during the fight, firing suppressive fire at the NIKKE. Taking a slow breath, Anis aimed her grenade launcher and fired at the small cluster.

*BANG!!*

The ground trembled for mere moments as an ear-splitting explosion rocked the area. The Pelicans had been blown into smithereens from the powerful attack, bits of metal raining down on the ground.

It was at this point that Rapi managed to gun down the last of the Bullwhips. Now all three of them could focus on the thinning herd of Cubes. Crouching behind cover, they fired volley after volley of suppressive gunfire, taking out Cube after Cube. The stragglers attempted to clamber over their fallen brethren to attack their enemy, yet their legs for caught in the mangled mess of scrap metal.

“Easy pickings…” Marian smiled to herself as she shot down the few remaining Cubes. Yet even with no enemies visible, she kept her guard up. For there could be more behind the corner.

One minute… two minutes… three minutes… the waiting was painful. Yet nobody showed up.

“All clear!” Marian chimed to herself. “Mission success!”

Charles slowly emerged from behind the concrete barrier, bullet holes riddling its surface. “Well done everyone. We got out of that tight pinch!”

“All thanks to you, Commander!” Marian turned around and gave a quick bow, hands resting behind her back. Rapi gazed at her with feelings of curiosity; her marksmanship was a level above most other NIKKE she met…

“What squad are you from?” She inquired.

“I belong to Silver Gun.” Marian presented her squad’s insignia to Rapi. “I’m most proficient with my submachine gun.”

Rapi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Silver Gun… they hailed from Elysion just like her. Yet she hasn’t seen or heard from its members. Probably because they’re always out on missions and such. Either way, it wasn’t worth losing sleep over.

“Ngggggghhhh…” A soft grunt escaped Anis’ mouth as she stretched her arms. “Well, that was easier than I expected.” She soon rested a hand on her hip. “So you were sent here to help us, right?”

“Mhm.” Charles gave a confirmatory nod. “I take it you two are a part of Commander Jones’ squad?”

“We were a part of Commander Jones’ squad…” Anis’ tone took a downward shift upon hearing his name. That wasn’t a good sign; it never was in this line of work. Charles was about to press for further details, yet Anis beat him to the punch. “Our former Commander is dead.”

His growing hunch had just been confirmed. Commander Derek Jones had been killed in the line of duty, another victim of the Rapture Invasion. It was a very bitter pill to swallow, yet it was one Charles had swallowed several times. This hadn’t been the first mission where he failed to save a colleague from death…

“So how did he die?” Charles reclined against a bent lamppost.

“He just leaped out of cover and tried shooting the Raptures with a human weapon, hurling obscenities all the while.” Anis regaled whilst resisting the urge to chastise her former Commander for his stupidity. “He knew those peashooters wouldn’t make a dent in a Rapture, but he didn’t care at al—”

“That idiot!” Charles threw a fist-sized stone at the wall. “That mouth-breathing idiot! I told him this would happen one day! I f*cking told him that he can’t treat this like a video game. But noooooooo…” He got up and moved his body to emphasize his words. “He just had to act like a big damn hero! God damn it all!”

Charles kicked another hunk of debris to the side before slumping down on the ground. His anger dissipated; he allowed a saner mind to take control once more. “I’ll go find the body. the Ark would want his dog tags as proof of his passing…”

Taking a deep breath, Charles got back on his feet and began searching the area for his fallen comrade. Marian's empathetic gaze lingered on Charles for a few moments, only to shoot a frown at Rapi and Anis. “You two failed in your duty to protect your Commander!” She scolded them. “You let him die!”

Anis naturally took offense to the allegations. “You’re wrong! We’ve always been willing to protect the Commander.” She rebutted. “Even if it meant sacrificing ourselves.” Her gaze drifted toward Charles for a moment. “But that doesn’t mean the Commander will always be safe. Anything can happen on the battlefield.”

“Either way, you should’ve tried har—”

“It’s alright, Marian. There’s no need to scold them any further.” Charles returned to the group with dog tags in hand. “We should get moving. It’s too dangerous here.”

“Roger.” Rapi agreed with his advice. Weapons locked and loaded, the group of four left the desiccated street and continued moving north. Tensions in the air were thick; Anis and Marian kept glancing at each other wearily. No doubt Jones’ fate left everybody on edge. Yet Charles didn’t lose sight of the other mission, rescuing the recon squad.

“I’m curious about something…” Anis was the first to speak up. “Why would they send somebody who’s essentially Ark royalty to save our butts?”

A casual chuckle escaped Charles’ mouth. “Ark royalty? That’s a little over-the-top… I’m just a Commander after all.” He scratched the back of his head. “As for why they sent me, well that’s the job I specialize in. Rescuing other Commanders from sticky situations.”

“So, in other words, you’re the guy the Ark sends to fix their mistakes.” Anis chimed with a hint of sarcastic wit.

“Pretty much…” Charles shrugged his shoulders in return as the group continued their trek. Over piles of debris, avoiding burnt-out cars, diving in and out of desiccated buildings. All to avoid the ever-watchful eye of the Raptures. For most people, it would’ve been a grueling task, but for the NIKKE, it was just another Tuesday. Or whatever day it was; a lot of people stopped paying attention.

“If it’s not too much trouble…” Rapi spoke up. “I’d like to go over our current course of action.”

“Go ahead.” Charles gave the order as Rapi began her recollection.

“Over 46 hours ago, we lost contact with the recon squad patrolling this area. As such, a rescue party was sent to search for them. It was during this search that Commander Derek Jones was killed in the line of duty.”

“The only problem is that he had the coordinates.” Anis’ gaze turned toward Charles and Marian. “That is unless you two have them as well.”

“I have the coordinates.” Marian quickly interjected. “That information was input into my system when I was sent out on this operation.” Her gaze was one of reassurance. “I’ll take the lead from here.

Anis’ body relaxed a little upon hearing that. “Okay then.”

The former soon turned her gaze toward Rapi. “You’re Rapi, right?” She inquired to the brown-haired NIKKE who gave her a nod in return. “You failed to protect your previous Commander. I will not let you get away with failure once aga—”

“Marian.” Charles rested a hand on his shoulder. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but you don’t need to chew out Rapi and Anis for what happened to Commander Jones.”

“But what if there’s nobody to protect you?!” Marian’s voice betrayed her immense stress over the idea of her Commander getting shot. “You’re not like us. You’ll die in a single hit!”

Not even her threats were enough to dissuade Charles, his calm, collected gaze staring right back at her. Marian’s mouth began quivering ever so slightly, unsure of what to say next.

“I’ve got you all looking out for me, just as how I’m looking out for you.” He reassured her with a smile. “So let’s forget all this ‘failing to protect the Commander’ business, alright?”

“...Y-Yes Commander.” Marian stammered; cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

Gently tapping her shoulder, Charles turned his attention to the rest of the group. “Well, we have our coordinates. Let’s not keep the others waiti—”

“Wait, Commander!” Rapi interrupted Charles with Anis’ eyes wide with shock. Their former Commander hated being interrupted, often flying into rages when it happened. Heck, most Commanders did so when they were interrupted.

Yet Charles remained as cool as a cucumber. “Something the matter?”

“I…” Rapi quickly composed herself. “I’m sorry about what happened to your friend. I should’ve taken better care of him.”

Charles shot her a reassuring smile, a trademark at this point. “You shouldn’t blame yourself. War’s a forsaken hellhole where anything can happen.” His gaze drifted toward the sky. “Even when you and Anis did all that you could, Derek still chose to go out his way. I may’ve gotten angry over how he died, but I never blamed you two for even a second.”

A polite chuckle escaped his mouth. “Ah, but enough with my rambling. We’ve got to get a move on.”

It was with these words that Marian led the way, with Charles following suit. Yet Anis and Rapi stood there, puzzled over what they had just witnessed.

“He didn’t get in a tizzy over being interrupted…?” Anis tilted her head in confusion. “This guy’s not an ordinary Commander.”

“He’s…unique.” Rapi mused quietly to herself. “But I don’t see him being harmful to us.”

A smile grew on Anis’ soft face. “Same here.” She readjusted the strap of her grenade launcher. “I think I’m going to enjoy hanging out with him.”

Rapi gave a quick hum in return as the duo hastily caught up with the others. The journey was more of the same, broken roads, ruined buildings, derelict cars. Who would’ve thought a post-apocalyptic city could look so… samey? Charles was thankful that Marian had the coordinates, otherwise they’d end up going around and around in circles. He turned to glance at Marian, only to notice something was… off.

Her once confident strides were now staggered, a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead. Shot pants of exhaustion escaped her mouth as she tripped over a loose pile of rubble.

“Marian!” Charles quickly caught her in time.

“I-I’m fine, Commander…” She muttered weakly, a hand resting on his chest. “I-I’m just feeling a bit…”

Rapi, having watched everything, quietly approached the duo. “Let me do some maintenance.” She offered to Marian as the latter regained her footing. “Please, take your top off.”

Marian’s cheeks flared an intense crimson over the proposal. “R-Right in front of the Commander?!”

“Do you really think he sees us that way?” Anis chimed in with a toothy grin. “We’re nothing but emotionless fighting machines to them. The last thing they’re thinking of is sex…” She rested her hand on her hip while flashing a wink. “Trust me on this~”

“Well, if a NIKKE wanted to do the deed with me, then who am I to say no?” Charles rebutted with a toothy grin.

His response caught Anis totally off-guard, the light brown NIKKE shooting him a look of utter exasperation. (The Anis expression we all know and love~)

Charles couldn't help but chuckle over Anis’ expression of disbelief. It was so… bewildered, as though she had watched him grow a second head on his shoulders. Amusing as the situation was, there were more… pressing matters at hand. “I’ll give you three some space to perform the maintenance.”

“T-There’s no need, Commander.” Marian urged him. “It’s probably just a small malfunction caused by the crash.”

“Even if it is a small malfunction, it’s better to get it checked out than leave it to fester and get worse.” Charles gently countered. “Anis, I’ll need you to watch my back as Rapi performs the maintenance.”

“R-Roger.” Anis was still a little stunned by Charles’ answer from before as the duo moved a couple meters to the side. Marian, feeling at ease now, allowed Rapi to perform the necessary maintenance.

Facing a crumbling wall, Charles pondered over things in his mind as Anis kept an eye on him. Her words came as a surprise to him; did nobody view NIKKE in a romantic light? Was there no other Commander who thought ‘That NIKKE looks attractive, I’m going to ask her out tonight’?

It completely contradicted the advertisem*nt Satoshi showed him a while back. That one played with the idea of a Commander forming a harem with his NIKKE with all the shamelessness of a crappy mobile game. Was the Ark trying to change the way Commanders thought of their NIKKE? Or was it a pathetic attempt to attract single young men with the allure of titillation?

And then there was his view on the matter. While he certainly treated his NIKKE with respect, he wasn’t quite sure if he viewed them romantically. Not that they were unattractive; if anything, most of them would be a solid 10/10 on the attractiveness scale. It’s just that he was so busy with everything else that he hasn’t had the time to ponder such thoughts. But if there was one NIKKE whom he could see himself dating, it was unquestionably Julia.

“Commander?” Anis called out to him. “I just got a message from Rapi. The maintenance is done.”

“So, it’s safe to join up with them?” Charles inquired as Anis gave him a quick nod. “Then let’s not keep them waiting.”

As he got up and began moving, Anis quickly called out to him. “W-Wait a minute!”

He turned his head back in mild confusion, only for it to hit him like a sack of bricks. “Ah, my bad.” Charles fully turned around to face Anis. “I apologize for my earlier comment. I didn’t mean to make you feel as though I was pressuring you for sex.”

That was not what Anis expected at all. “I-I didn’t feel pressured or anything!” She hastily corrected him. “If anything, I was surprised you even felt that way.”

The young Commander shrugged his shoulders. “I know most Commanders view NIKKE in a poor light, and I apologize for that.” His gaze drifted toward Anis’ topaz-colored eyes. “But I won’t let such close-minded thinking cloud my judgment. All NIKKE are beautiful and deserve all the praise and respect in the world.”

“Pfffft.” She resisted the urge to chuckle over his corny words. “I didn’t know you were such a romanticist. Still…” A smile formed on Anis’ face. “Thank you for the kind words.”

“No need to thank me.” Charles sported a smile of his own. “I’m just speaking the truth!”

It was with these words that he made his way back to the others with Anis following suit, lost in her train of thought. He really wasn’t like all the others, a statement that while cliché, held several kernels of truth to it. She wouldn’t say no to going on another mission with him just to truly gauge his character.

But little did she know that the entire group was on a collision course with the throes of tragedy…

Chapter 5: Tendrils of Corruption

Chapter Text

The trek back home remained as arduous as ever, and Charles had no idea how long he’d been out there. Days? Weeks? Time seemed to have slipped by him. And the journey wasn’t getting any easier. The Raptures, though never overwhelming in numbers, were consistent in their attacks. Rest was a fleeting thought as wave after wave of mechanical monstrosities swarmed their position.

A weary sigh escaped his mouth. What he wouldn’t give to be home right now, perhaps even resting on Julia’s lap.

Julia… she had a performance this month. One she poured her heart and soul into. He hoped above all hope that he wasn’t too late. Charles loathed the thought of disappointing her…

“…opy? Do you…” Static emanated from Charles’ phone as a voice spoke from the other line. “Do you… copy?”

That voice! Shifty! They were saved! Oh, he could hug her right now.

“Shifty? Shifty, it’s me!” Charles hastily spoke into his phone but to no avail. Yet he hadn’t given up just yet; briefly scanning his surroundings, he emerged into a decimated town square and held his phone up to the air. The static subsided as the signal became clearer, just as he hoped for!

“Ark Control to surface. Do you copy?” Shifty called once more. “Commander Alvinczi, do you copy?”

“Loud and clear!” He joyfully beamed as Rapi, Anis, and Marian quickly joined by his side.

“Oh, thank goodness. We’ve been trying to contact you for days.” Shifty breathed a sigh of relief. “What happened out there?”

Shooting a glance at Charles, Rapi silently asked for his phone, which he agreed to. “Commander Jones was killed in the line of duty. As such, Anis and I have been temporarily assigned under Commander Alvinczi.”

“I see…” Shifty’s tone dropped considerably. “I feared that was the case when we lost contact with him.” The petite operator perked herself back up. “…and the mission?”

“Going as planned.” Rapi continued. “We have the operational coordinates and we’re proceeding as planned.”

A smile formed on Shifty’s face. “Excellent! We had quite the scare back there when we lost contact with the transport ship.”

“It was even scarier for me.” Charles chimed in a casual tone. “I was just taking a nap one minute, only to wake up amidst the burning wreckage.” A chuckle escaped his mouth. “Talk about a rude awakening.”

Silence permeated the area…

Nobody was impressed with his quip, not even Marian. It was obvious to Charles that his joke fell harder than the transport copter itself. Guess he shouldn’t quit his job to become a comedian then…

“You sent a transport ship through the middle of an enemy encampment?!” Anis broke the ice with a sudden exclamation. “What were you thinking?!”

“What…?” The news stunned Shifty.

“And now we’re stuck out here without a way back!” Anis continued to grill Shifty before scoffing in contempt. “With friends like you, who needs enemies…”

“Raptures in that area lack anti-air weapons.” Shifty defended herself. “I’m sending the reports now to verify my claims.”

True to her word, Shifty sent over a few documents via text message. Opening them, Charles saw a compiled list of the Rapture types reported in the area. Based on his knowledge of them, Charles could confirm that none of the listed Raptures have anti-air weapons.

But if that was the case… then how did the transport copter fall in the first place?

“Lost for words, Commander?” Anis chimed in as he gave her a nod of confirmation. “You and me both.”

Yet Rapi wasn’t confused in the slightest. Suspicions raised, she turned toward Shifty’s projected face. “Shifty, can you send me the data for the transport copter’s black box?”

“Sure.” She happily agreed. “I’ll need to analyze the data beforehand. Shouldn’t take too long.”

“Thank you.” Rapi replied.

Shifty smiled at her before turning toward Charles once more. “In the meantime, you’ll be continuing the operation as planned. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

“Thanks, mom,” Charles replied with another cheeky quip… to dead silence once more. Man, his jokes were falling flat today.

Anis gazed at him with an unimpressed look in her eyes. “Does he do this all the time?”

“Yep…” An equally unimpressed Shifty replied, only for an alarm to start blaring on her side. “High-class energy detected!” Her voice quickly shifted to a more panicked tone. “Lord-class Rapture ahead!”

“That can’t be right, Shifty.” Charles rebutted. “None of the reports mentioned a Lord-class Rapture.”

“It must’ve just migrated here.” Shifty proposed. “What else could explain such a spike in energy?”

“What’s something that big doing here?!” Anis exclaimed in surprise before turning her head to Rapi. “What should we do?”

“I suggest we retreat.” Rapi remained as unwavering as ever.

And it was good advice in all honesty. Though not at the top of the Rapture hierarchy, Lord-class Raptures were pretty high up. Their size and power were around ten times that of an Elite-class Rapture. They were challenging enough to take on with a full squad, but with only three NIKKE? Charles may as well throw his life away.

“Sounds good to me.” Charles agreed to Rapi’s proposal before turning around. “Come on, we’re heading a differ—”

“What about the missing NIKKE?” Marian interrupted him.

“We leave them behind,” Anis answered her query. “Only a small minority of NIKKE who go missing are recovered.” She turned her head toward Charles. “You of all people know that these search parties are just for show.”

A sigh escaped the Commander’s mouth. “You’re… not wrong, Anis. More often than not, the Central Government only cares about looking good in the public eye with these missions.” His gaze shifted to the side. “But even so, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my role. I’ve saved countless NIKKE and their Commanders from death. To abandon them without trying would spit in the face of all I’ve done.” He turned back to Anis. “I understand why you’re all for retreating. Our odds of defeating a Lord-class Rapture are slim. But I refuse to abandon anybody!”

“That’s my Commander!” Immense pride welled within Marian’s heart upon hearing his words. “You see, Anis?” She turned toward the apprehensive NIKKE. “There’s no way our Commander would abandon anybody!”

Anis couldn’t deny how impressive Charles’ words were. After all, he did have the resumé to back up his comments. But gallant words alone weren’t enough to take on a Lord-class Rapture. “Say we choose not to retreat…” Anis continued. “Do you really expect us to get out of a fight unscathed?”

“No, which is why I’m proposing a third solution…” Charles cleared his throat. “We sneak around the Rapture and continue forward.” He turned to Shifty. “What are the odds of success for sneaking around?”

“Provided that everything goes according to plan…” She jotted the calculations down in her notepad, taking a few moments to add everything together. “You’ve got an 82.65% chance of success.”

A satisfied whistle escaped Charles’ mouth. “I like those odds!” He turned toward his NIKKE. “Any objections?”

“None from me, Commander!” Marian eagerly replied.

“No, Commander.” Rapi accepted the order.

“Well, it beats going into battle against such low odds…” Anis was still a little hesitant about continuing the mission but came to accept Charles’ order. “Sure. Why not?”

With a satisfied nod, Charles gave the order to progress as quietly as possible. They crept and crawled amidst the derelict buildings, going around the area instead of heading straight through it. The path was long and windy, but mercifully, there weren’t any Raptures in the area. Or so he thought…

Little did Charles know, but he was being watched by a small group of Remnants. They gazed at each other, cores flashing as if they were… speaking with each other. Whatever plan the Remnants conceived was one they eagerly put into action, the group shadowing the heroes. The Remnants skittered through the ruined buildings, silently leaping from floor to floor in pursuit of their prey. They knew the terrain well, and they knew that the heroes were heading toward a tight alleyway. The perfect place for an ambush…

“High-class energy signal fading…” Shifty informed the group. “We’ve successfully snuck around the Lord-class Rapture.”

“Thank you, Shifty.” Charles gratefully replied. “May you calculate a new route to the destination? I fear our little detour got us sidetracked a little…”

“Can do!” Shifty offered a thumbs-up. “This should only take a few minu—”

“Raptures!” Marian called out in fear as the Remnants emerged from the windows. Cores glowing a vivid crimson, they leaped down and hurtled toward the heroes. Glancing at Charles, she pushed him into cover before shielding his body with hers.

What followed was a few brief moments of utter chaos. Rapi, Anis, and Marian shot at the Remnants, killing most of them. Yet the few that survived exploded by their feet, knocking the NIKKE to the ground as dust and debris were blown everywhere. The skirmish ended as soon as it began, with the group of four slowly getting back on their feet.

“Ugh… I hate those damn things. Always blowing up in my face…” Charles grumbled to himself as he dusted his tattered outfit. His jacket and pants had several tears in them, large enough for the uniform to be written off completely. It’ll be a pain to get it replaced, but at least he was alive.

More importantly, how were his NIKKE doing? They did take the brunt of the attack after all…

“Damage report.” He called out to his squad.

Rapi looked over herself for a few moments before gazing back at Charles. “Minimal damage. Sufficient ammo remaining.” She reported.

“Same here.” Anis finished checking herself as well. Seems both of them were in tip-top shape… which was more than can be said for Marian.

Her mouth was contorted in a wince as she clutched her shoulder. The skin was broken, blood seeping out of several wounds. “H-Heavy damage to the left clavicle…” Marian managed to wince out. “D-Don’t worry… I’m still combat capable.”

“Even so, we can’t let that shoulder go unchecked.” Charles picked up the first-aid kit and rummaged through it. “Please, hold still for a moment.”

Retrieving some cotton pads, he approached Marian and began cleaning up her wounds. She was about to protest, yet was silenced by the warm, fuzzy feeling within her heart. So she opted to sit back and relax, eyes resting upon her Commander.

Anis, on the other hand, was taken aback by what she was seeing. “Commander. you do know that sort of thing is useless to a NIKKE.”

“Even if it’s not all that necessary…” Charles began bandaging Marian’s wounds. “It’s a common act of courtesy to bandage one’s wounds after a battle, no?”

“And it works.” Marian quickly added with a smile. “The Commander’s done this before…” She held her hands close to her chest. “It feels like I’m being healed from the inside.”

Neither Anis nor Rapi knew how to respond to her words. By all accounts, using medical supplies on a NIKKE was a fruitless endeavor. Physically, at least. On an emotional and mental level, it was a simple act of kindness that went a long way. And Marian was making the most out of it…

“Commander I could use another bandage here!” She pointed to a scrape above her right eyebrow.

“Duly noted.” Charles reached for another bandage and began tying it around her forehead. The NIKKE sighed blissfully as she felt his hands work their magic. She could indulge in this all day… she wanted to indulge in this all day.

So why was there this throbbing pain in her head?

0000

The group of four continued down the cratered roads, bobbing and weaving around the burnt-out husk of cars and various other vehicles. They were close to their destination; a mere handful of meters away from where the recon squad went missing. Charles could feel the weight slowly lift off his chest. Though he failed to save Commander Jones, he could at least bring the recon squad back home. Not a total success, but not a complete failure either…

Which is why he paused upon entering the town square. It was… derelict of life, to the point where not even a ghost inhabited the area. The silence was deafening, frighteningly so. No birds, no insects, not even the subtle whirring of a Rapture. Charles knew that the Surface would be quiet, but this quiet?

“We’re here.” Marian made her way to his side with a smile. But it wasn’t her usual smile… no, this one made him feel uneasy. He had no idea why; was the silence playing tricks on him?

Similar feelings of unease stirred inside Anis’ heart as she surveyed the area. “No sign of any vanguard.” She gazed at the abandoned square. “No bodies, no half-eaten food, not even a tent.”

“!” Her words piqued Charles' attention. Anis was right; had there been life here, then there would’ve been some telltale signs. Like a burnt-out campfire, or some empty food wrappings. Here? There was absolutely nothing. It was almost as if they disappeared into thin air.

“They’re here.”

Charles turned his head and saw Marian…talking to herself? There was no structure to her phrases, just constant repetition.

“We’re here.”

“They’re here.”

“Over here.”

“We’re here.”

“They’re here.”

“Over here.”

She soon began walking away from the group, constantly muttering the same phrases over and over again. Chills ran down Charles’ spine; now he was starting to get scared. In all his time as a Commander, he’d never seen any of his NIKKE act like this. Had the damage caused by the Remnants been more severe than Marian had let on? That had to be the case. It couldn’t be anything else but—

“Rapi? Are you there, Rapi?” His phone lit up as Shifty’s face appeared on the screen. Without saying a word, he handed it over to Rapi.

“I’m here, Shifty.” She spoke into the phone. “Has the analysis been completed?”

“Yes. I’m sending the data to you right now.” Shifty’s tone was… deathly serious. Normally, she’d be proud of herself for accomplishing such a task, but not in this case. That means that whatever was on that box was no laughing matter…

And evidently, Rapi felt the same way. For upon reading the data, she took her assault rifle and aimed it at Marian. “Don’t move.” She ordered.

“Roger.” Marian replied emotionlessly.

“H-H-Hold on, Rapi.” Charles attempted to plead with the NIKKE, yet she remained unwavering. “What’s going on here?!”

“Marian shot down the transport copter…” She briefly answered his question before turning toward the black-haired NIKKE. “…didn’t you?”

“Woah, woah, woah, woah!” Anis almost jumped on the spot upon hearing the revelation. “She did WHAT now?!”

“There were two explosions inside the transport ship, caused by the explosives meant for this operation.” Rapi continued while keeping her gun pointed at Marian. “They couldn’t go off without an external detonation signal. That detonation signal originated from you, Marian.”

“No.” Marian coldly replied, as if whatever warmth she had before never existed.

“What are you trying to achieve?” Rapi pressed her, inching ever closer toward Marian.

“We’re here.” Marian didn’t even bother replying to Rapi’s question.

A frown formed on Rapi’s soft face. “Start talking, or I’ll put a bullet between your eyes.” She demanded.

Silence filled the air. Marian calmly gazed at Rapi, seemingly unfazed by her threat. To her, she was nothing but a past, a morsel for the Raptures. A morsel. Morsel. Food. Food. Food. Fooooood.

“We’re here.”

“We’re here.”

“We’re here.”

Her body began jittering on the spot as she repeated herself. Her hands trembled, sweat poured down her forehead. And her eyes… they began glowing red.

“OvEr HeRe…” Marian’s voice was now distorted. “OvEr HeRe.”

“OvEr HeRe.”

“OvEr HeRe.”

“OvEr HeRe.”

A sinking feeling grew within Charles’ stomach. Marian had become Corrupted. Somehow, underneath his nose, the Raptures corrupted her. But how?! She hadn’t left his sight the entire time...

Except for the time when the crash had knocked him out. Admittedly, he didn’t know how long he’d been out, but it couldn’t have been long. And even then, the Raptures only appeared AFTER he’d woken up. So how could Marian have been corrupted?

This was all so overwhelming for him… never before had he dealt with a Corrupted NIKKE. He’d heard horror stories about it from his fellow Commanders, hence why he took extra care not to let such a thing happen… and yet the impossible was now possible.

“OveR HeEeEeEeEeERRrrrrrRrRRrrrEEeeeeeEeE…” Marian’s lifeless voice droned as a sudden rumbling resonated in the area. Rapi tried to fire a shot but the tremor almost knocked her off her feet.

“I’m detecting a massive source of energy heading right toward yo—” Shifty spoke urgently as a gasp suddenly escaped her mouth. “It’s a Blacksmith!”

“A Blacksmith?!” Charles exclaimed in absolute shock over Shifty’s words. “Are you sure you’re reading it correctly?”

“I’m as sure as sure can be. More than enough to wager everything on it!” Shifty confirmed her report to him.

This was bad news. VERY bad news indeed… The Rapture Model codenamed Blacksmith was a Tyrant-class Rapture. The most imposing of all classes in terms of size, their strength was ten times that of a Lord-class Rapture. As their name suggested, Blacksmiths harvested NIKKE parts to recycle them into Rapture parts. Was this why the Raptures dragged away the NIKKE corpses over at the crash site?

*boom*

A sudden thud filled the air as the massive Rapture landed before the group of four. True to Shifty’s words, it was the Blacksmith in all its majestic monstrosity. The best way to describe it? A large mushroom-shaped machine with a few pairs of crab-like legs carrying its frame. It had a powerful rifle on either side, as well as a laser cannon on its head. Several red pods atop the Blacksmith held the broken remains of several NIKKE. Charles didn’t need to guess what had happened to the recon squad…

“Over HhHhHhHhEeEeEeEeEEEeerrrRRrRrrRrRRREEeeEeEeeEEEEE…” Marian droned one last time before a set of tentacles wrapped around her body, dragging her into the creature's maw.

“It absorbed her into its body…” Anis recoiled in disgust over the sight. “And most likely the recon squad as well.”

“We may be able to save everyone.” Rapi turned her head to Charles. “Even Marian.”

Rapi’s words held some weight to them. Blacksmiths don’t immediately digest their prey upon capturing them. But even so, that required the Blacksmith to be defeated in the first place.

A feat that nobody has ever accomplished.

Charles was unsure of how to proceed. He refused to fight a Lord-class Rapture with three NIKKE; on what planet could he ever hope to defeat a Tyrant with TWO?! His knees began buckling as the thought of retreat crossed his mind.

He was scared…

Scared of getting slaughtered by the Blacksmith, scared of watching Rapi and Anis get digested before his very eyes. For the first time in his life… Charles felt hopeless.

But he couldn’t run away.

That monster had Marian as its hostage. She and all the other NIKKE were suffering within its tyrannical grasp. And it would be an utterly cowardly move to abandon them. So it was at this moment that Charles gingerly smacked his cheeks to regain his composure.

“I know the odds are stacked against us, more so than they’ve ever been…” Charles spoke to his remaining NIKKE. “But today, we take a stand against this Tyrant.”

Anis balked over his words. “Are you insane?! There’s no way we can stand up to this thing!” She called him out. “Let’s just get out of here while we can…”

Charles had a hunch Anis would opt to flee. But he wasn’t mad at her; after all, he was just as scared as her. Calmly approaching her, he rested a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re scared. Trust me, I am as well. But even if it’s a hopeless battle, we must try for them.”

She knew exactly who he was referring to when he mentioned ‘them’. And Anis couldn’t deny that there was a chance, however slim, that they could be saved.

The fact that he didn’t chew her out helped improve her mood a little.

“If you say so…” Anis took a deep breath to settle her nerves. “Sure. Let’s give it a go!”

Rapi offered her comrade a small smile before turning toward Charles. “Your orders?”

“We put an end to the Blacksmith’s reign of terror!” He unflinchingly declared. “Shifty, please support us in any way you can!”

“Affirmative!” Shifty pledged with equal determination. “I have the odds here, but I doubt you’d want to hear them.”

“Hahaha, you know me well, Shifty~” Charles winked at his phone before turning to Rapi. “Whenever you’re ready.”

That was all she needed to ready herself for battle. Her assault rifle locked and loaded, Rapi’s piercing gaze locked onto the Blacksmith. “Encounter!”

Shifty’s words sprung the duo into action; Rapi and Anis ducked into cover at astonishing speeds and began firing at the towering Blacksmith. Their bullets struck the target, but they barely inflicted even as much as a scratch on the Blacksmith’s armor. Its sickly crimson core faced the NIKKE as it slowly turned its overwhelming frame toward the duo. Then, it lumbered toward them.

Thud, thud, thud.

The ground quivered with every step, forcing Charles to hold onto a bent lamppost for support. His knees began quivering slightly from a mix of adrenaline and fear; facing off against a Tyrant was a truly different experience from reading about them. Even with his earlier words, Charles was convinced that today would be the end of him. But, if that were the case, then he wasn’t going to go down without a fi—

Bang, bang, bang.

“Gahh!” Charles hastily ducked in time as the Blacksmith fired at him with one of its rifles. The bullets whizzed above his head and struck the building behind him, leaving large, watermelon-sized holes in the structure. Had any of those hit him…

“Rapi, Anis!” Charles urgently called out to them. “Aim for its rifles! Taking them out should even the fight a little.”

“Roger!” Rapi accepted the order before quickly running out of cover. Her eyes looking down at the sight of her rifle, she pulled the trigger and fired at the Blacksmith’s left rifle. The bullets severed a few wires connecting the rifle, invoking a high-pitched whine from the Rapture. It scuttled back a few feet before focusing all its attention on Rapi. Then, it began firing at her.

With speeds unlike that of most NIKKE, Rapi dodged the incoming gunfire and ran toward the Blacksmith. She continued firing at her target, bullets clinking against the rifle’s casing. But eventually, chunks of the casing fell to the ground, the vulnerable interior now exposed. Lips curling into the smallest of smiles, Rapi fired a few more times…

BOOM!

The Blacksmith uttered a high-pitched screech as its rifle exploded into thousands of pieces. Static electricity crackled from the stump that was once its left rifle, damaged wiring swinging back and forth in the air. Yet even with this grievous injury, the Blacksmith wasn’t interested in retreating. No, it wanted to consume as many NIKKE as possible.

With a loud, possibly enraged screech, it pointed its other rifle at Rapi and fired round after round. She managed to duck in time, shielding her head from small chunks of plaster falling from the building.

Anis, who had been firing at the Blacksmith’s legs, saw her friends’ predicament. Lips curled in an angered snarl, she leaped out of cover and fired a few grenades at the rifle. Her attack was very effective; the gunpower within the rifle was ignited, creating a wicked explosion. This stunned the Blacksmith so much that it staggered back a couple of feet, processing where to go from there.

“Got your back, Rapi!” Anis gave her a thumbs up, a gesture the latter appreciated. She then turned her head toward the Commander. “Good thinking there. With its rifles gone, the Blacksmith’s a sitting—”

“Watch out!” Charles interrupted her whilst pointing to the air behind them. The duo quickly turned their heads and saw that the Blacksmith had fired a couple dozen bombs from the vent atop its body. They promptly rolled backward before firing at the bombs, watching as they exploded in mid-air. But the Blacksmith wasn’t perturbed; it kept launching volley after volley of bombs at the heroines. The ones they couldn’t shoot down they dodged, causing the ground to quiver with every explosion. Yet no matter how many they shot down, they kept on coming.

“We’re going to die of old age before this thing runs out…” Anis grumbled to herself as she rolled into cover, only to notice a crumbling building overlooking the area. “Rapi! I have an idea.”

“Go.” Her lone word was all the encouragement Anis needed. With a nod, she scrambled toward the building and began climbing flight after flight of stairs. The trek was taxing, yet Anis was determined to bring the Blacksmith to justice. And if she could fire a grenade at just the right angle—

Silence suddenly blanketed the area, causing Anis to pause momentarily. Peering out a shattered window, she saw that the Blacksmith had stopped firing its volley of bombs at Rapi. Had it given up all of a sudden? Was it planning to retreat?

No… she saw a vivid red glow stemming from the guns surrounding the vent. A sinking feeling overcame the plump NIKKE.

“Rapi!” She called out at the top of her lungs. “Watch out!”

Rapi was already alert to what the Blacksmith was planning. Turning back, she quickly ran toward Charles and scooped him in her arms.

“Hey Rapi, what’s the matt—Woah!” He cried in surprise as the NIKKE quickly carried him away from the area. Mere seconds later, the Blacksmith fired a relentless volley of lasers at the retreating NIKKE. The lasers tore through buildings like a hot knife through butter. Rubble collapsed onto the ground with a loud crash, yet Rapi kept on running. Anis knew that the situation was dire and that she needed to do something. So she ran up the last few flights of stairs and onto the rooftop. There, she had an excellent view of the Blacksmith’s vent. So she ran toward the edge and aimed her grenade launcher at just the right angle.

“Chew on this!” She called out before firing a few grenades into the vent.

The resulting explosions were catastrophic; large chunks of the Blacksmith were sent flying everywhere as the bombs inside its body detonated. It staggered back whilst howling in agony, its overwhelming body flailing on the spot. Its core began blinking rapidly, an idea sparking inside Charles’ mind.

“Rapi.” He spoke softly. “I think it’s about time we put an end to that monster.”

“Affirmative.” She gingerly placed Charles on the ground and took her rifle. Her breathing steady, Rapi fired at the Blacksmith’s core, shattering it within seconds. It proved to be the finishing blow, the towering Rapture staggering back before falling off its feet. Explosions continued to rock its body for a few moments before it crumbled into a large pile of twisted metal.

“I-Is it over…?” Charles inquired cautiously as Anis quickly rejoined the duo.

Both NIKKE gestured for Charles to stand back before approaching it. Guns raised; they cautiously approached the Blacksmith, weary of any final surprises. Yet, there were none. Somehow, the group of three defied the odds and took down the Tyrant-class Rapture. Something almost unheard of within the Ark.

But Charles wasn’t in the mood to celebrate, he wanted to save Marian as soon as possible. So, he went against better judgment and ran toward the Blacksmith’s corpse. What he saw next caused a pit to form in his stomach…

She was alive… barely. Her legs and left arm had been digested by the Blacksmith, stray wiring weakly crackling with electricity. Her right eye was completely missing, save for the red light of corruption flickering within her skull. Blood was caked all over Marian’s battered body, her breathing was shallow to non-existent. Charles staggered back from the brutal scene; he may’ve been no stranger to dead NIKKE. But this… this was different. This was a NIKKE whom he’d bonded with, shared dinner with, and was ready to fight alongside.

“Here…” She spoke weakly. “Over… here.”

Even now, she clung to life, desperately fighting against the Corruption that infected her. But Charles knew that it was a lost cause. No NIKKE has ever fought against Corruption and lived to tell the tale. It was a slow, agonizing death, one that nobody should have to go through.

“Commander Alvinczi…” The all-too-familiar tone of Shifty spoke through his phone once more. “You know the rules. Any corrupted NIKKE must be terminated, or else they’ll become an Irregular.”

“I know, Shifty…” His tone was melancholic as the weight of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. “It’s just—”

“I know this must be painful for you, Charles.” She offered a few words of support. “You and Marian quickly bonded with each other. If there was a way we could save her, then I’d gladly take it.” Shifty’s tone was equally sombre. “But we can’t allow Marian to continue suffering.”

Suffering… that was the best way he could describe the situation. Marian was suffering, and it was his duty to end it.

“I understand…” Charles replied before unsheathing his service pistol. It was something he had hoped to never do in his lifetime, but fate was a cruel mistress. He was no stranger to hearing tales of his comrades executing corrupted NIKKE, but this was the first time he was in their shoes.

“Commander.” Rapi gently called out to him. “We’re here for you.” She spoke with Anis giving a nod of agreement.

Yet Charles couldn’t even smile over such supporting words. Giving a weak nod in return, he quietly approached Marian’s body and pointed the pistol at her forehead. All he needed to do was pull the trigger and end her suffering… so why couldn’t he do it?

His hand trembled violently, sweat trickling down his skin as the pistol trembled before the dying Marian. Charles’ breathing grew ragged as he struggled to fight against himself. He wanted to bring Marian the peace she deserved, yet his weakness, his inexperience, and his desire to save her quickly overpowered him. Slowly, he pointed the barrel away from Marian.

“Commander.” Rapi raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “Why are you hesitating? This needs to be done as soon—”

“Do you really think it’s that easy?!” He snapped back at her, grief morphing into frustration. “Do you think I can just execute a NIKKE without hesitation?!”

Both Rapi and Anis were taken aback at his sudden outburst, flinching ever so slightly. Charles realized his mistake and immediately clammed up. Turning back to Marian, he attempted to raise his pistol once more. But his trembling hand kept on lowering and lowering. He couldn’t do this… he couldn’t put an end to his comrade’s li—

Click

Stunned silence overcame Charles as Marian grabbed the barrel of his pistol and held it against her forehead, smiling weakly at her Commander. Was she helping him in her dying moments? Assisting him in her own execution?

“O-Over here… Commander…” She was encouraging him to take the shot, the last remnants of her asking to be put out of her misery. Both Rapi and Anis were stunned at what they were seeing, unable to form any words whatsoever.

This final plea for mercy… this was the wake-up call Charles needed. Offering the weakest smile he could, his finger drifted toward the trigger with Marian’s thumb following behind. Both hovering over the trigger, Marian offered a final smile of her own.

“Thank you… for your… bandage.” She slowly closed her remaining eye as a tear trickled down her cheek. Then, she and Charles squeezed the trigger together.

*bang*

It was over… it was all over…

Stepping back from Marian’s body, Charles took one final look at her. Her smile… a smile remained on her face, knowing that she had finally found peace. Fighting back the urge to cry, he knelt before her and wrapped a few bandages around her head. It may not do anything, but it’ll allow Marian to keep her dignity.

“Official confirmation of death for Marian: Terminated by her Commander upon becoming corrupted.” Shifty began writing down a report. “Any signs of life from the recon squad?”

Rapi and Anis took the time to survey the wrecked Blacksmith for any signs of life. But their efforts bore no fruit; the recon NIKKE were in an even worse state than Marian. Their bodies had been digested, heads cracked open, and devoid of any brain matter. It didn’t take a genius to determine they were dead.

“No signs of life.” Rapi informed Shifty as the operator jotted it down.

“The rescue mission is a failure, though no fault can be pinned on Commander Alvinczi,” Shifty informed the trio. “Head back to the Ark, to prepare your in-person report.”

Bitter feelings overcame the trio as they left the battlefield. What was supposed to be an ordinary rescue mission ended in utter failure. All those innocent lives lost; snatched by one of the most merciless Tyrants out there. And though its death would prevent any more NIKKE from being harvested, it did little to raise everyone’s spirits. For they saw firsthand what Corruption was; a dreadful thing that could grow in any of them, regardless of their wishes.

Chapter 6: Restless Respite

Chapter Text

It had taken days of wandering the surface, slowly trudging through the derelict buildings and ruined streets, but at last, the trio were home. Entering the underground corridor, they were greeted with the cold, flashing lights of the Elevator. Though not the most welcoming of sights, it was a much-needed break from the dreary ruins littering the surface.

But not even such a break could ease the pain in Charles’ heart…

He slumped against the wall in sheer exhaustion, like a veteran of old returning from their last tour of duty. Though only in his late 20s, he felt like an 80-year-old right now, his body and soul beaten ruthlessly.

The whole experience had been an eye-opener for him. Not only did he encounter a Tyrant for the first time in his life, but he had to deal with a corrupted NIKKE as well. No… she wasn’t a corrupted NIKKE, she was Marian, the bright, bubbly woman whose life was cruelly stolen from her.

His “innocence” had been shattered that day, like a kid finding out Santa Claus isn’t real. Some Commanders would consider it a rite of passage, but if that was the case, then Charles wanted off this train right now. Because who on earth would look at Corruption and go “Oh boy! Now I’m in the big leagues!”

It was this passive contempt for the NIKKE that irritated the young Commander.

“Whew!” A sudden sigh of relief from Anis shattered Charles’ train of thought as she stretched her arms in the air. “We’re finally back home.”

Her joy was evident in her tone, not that he could blame Anis for being cheerful. Yet Charles expected her to be more joyous… after all, she was the one who urged the group to make it home as soon as possible.

“Something on your mind?” He inquired.

Anis tilted her head toward him for a moment. “Sorry, I know you anticipated me to be a lot happier…” Her gaze turned toward the large metal door as Rapi keyed in the necessary codes. “It’s just that there’s a lot on my mind at the moment.”

“Are you talking about Marian?” Charles assumed, with the plump NIKKE giving him a quick nod.

“How did she get corrupted in the first place?” Anis asked out loud. “We kept an eye on her at all times, yet nothing bad happened to her…”

“Except for the Remnant ambush, but Remnants can’t corrupt a NIKKE,” Charles added before raising a hand to his chin. “So how did she become corrupted in the first place…?”

“Am I interrupting anything, you three?” Shifty’s upbeat tone echoed from the phone.

“No, not at all. We were just musing over Marian.” Charles casually replied. “What did you want?”

“I’ve done some further analysis on the data, and you wouldn’t believe what I’ve found.” Shifty’s voice took on a more serious tone “The Corruption code implanted into Marian’s brain acted as a navigator, guiding her to the Blacksmith’s location.” She hastily sifted through the notes and reports on her desk. “The thing is, she wasn’t the first victim…”

The news hit Charles like a ton of bricks. Marian wasn’t the first victim of this… this atrocity?!

“I’ve read reports from other Commanders who’ve experienced something similar. Their NIKKE would experience sudden Corruption before wandering away from them. And it wasn’t just in the general vicinity; these reports stemmed from all over the place.” Shifty soon came to a grim conclusion. “It’s as if these NIKKE were nothing but food for the Blacksmith, delivering themselves to its location no matter how far away.”

“But Marian was acting completely normal before going haywire.” Anis chimed in confusion.

“That was most likely because of the Commander.” Shifty turned her attention toward Charles. “A NIKKE’s highest priority is protecting their commander and obeying their orders. And when you factor in their budding friendship…”

“…She was able to overpower it for some time.” The news was another blow to Charles’ morale. Hearing that Marian had been corrupted from the beginning yet overpowered it long enough to keep him safe… was enough to make him tear up again.

“Shifty…?” He turned toward his phone. “When do you think Marian was corrupted?”

“That’s difficult for me to say with 100% accuracy…” A puzzled look formed as Shifty raked her mind for a possible answer. “But I’m willing to bet it all started when she met you. It’s when her priorities were shifted out of order.” Her eyes drifted toward Charles. “Once she was within close proximity to the Blacksmith, that was when she fully succumbed to the Corruption.”

Shifty’s words stung Charles’ heart; even when she had already fallen victim, Marian endured it the best she could for his sake. This… virus ate away at her humanity, yet she desperately clung on to the remaining shreds to protect him.

“Oh, Marian…” Charles’ tone was deeply melancholic, the Commander on the verge of tears once more. “You were too good for this world.”

Anis chose not to say anything, opting to rest a hand atop his shoulder. The gesture did little to ease his mind, but Charles appreciated her concern.

*Whrrrrrrrr*

The large metal door slowly opened as Rapi turned her head back. With a quick flick of her hand, she gestured for the duo to join her on the elevator. The door slowly closed once more before the elevator slowly took them down the tall shaft. Normally such a sight would be relieving; they were returning home from the surface. But now… now it was a lot different. The overall feeling was empty, devoid of the usual joy one has upon re-entering the Ark. It was as if things were finally settling in; Marian was gone for good.

The atmosphere was silent for the first few moments, with nobody uttering a word. Yet a lone question piqued Rapi’s mind, one she wanted an answer for.

“When did it start?” She asked Shifty.

Shifty knew what Rapi was asking, yet she didn’t have a totally accurate answer. “During the operation, I suppose…”

“That can’t be right…” Charles interjected out of the blue. After all, he’d fought by her side the entire time, and there wasn’t an instance where she’d been pierced by a Corruption tentacle. That was the main way NIKKE got corrupted, this much he knew. It was why he made destroying them his No.1 priority. Yet he saw none of those there, not even the remains of such when Marian woke him up following the crash.

And it seemed that Rapi was equally as suspicious over Marian’s Corruption. “The report said that she sabotaged the transport copter, right?” She inquired as Shifty gave her a quick nod. “That means she was already corrupted at that point.”

“And since the copter came from the Ark…” Charles caught onto Rapi’s line of thinking. “That can only mean—”

“I see you’ve figured it out.” Rapi gave Charles a brief nod of approval.

Anis was completely lost in what they were talking about. “What are you trying to say, Rapi?”

She gazed directly into her friend’s eyes, an unwavering expression on her face. “Someone within the Ark corrupted Marian.”

0000

The sound of quiet footsteps paced up and down the hall as Julia kept her glance at the large metal door. It has been over a week since her Conductor left for his mission, so why wasn’t he back yet? He said he’d watch her performance, he promised with all the sincerity he could muster, but the performance was days ago, and he wasn’t there.

Julia’s hands were clenched tightly into fists. Had the worst happened to him while he was out there? Was he bleeding in a ditch somewhere, never to be recovered and all but forgotten by the Ark? The thought alone terrified her. For he was the one who helped rekindle her love of music, reigniting the spark within her soul. If he had died out there…

*Whrrrr*

Julia’s eyes lit up as she watched the door slowly open, heart skipping in anticipation. Emerging from the elevator were a pair of NIKKE she’d never met before… and her Conductor!”

“Conduct—” Julia’s cheerful cry was silenced as Charles suddenly embraced her. She was at a loss for words, her cheeks beginning to flush red with embarrassment. But she could tell that something was on his mind, something that was eating away at his soul. So Julia gently reciprocated the embrace and gingerly massaged Charles’ back. “I’m here for you, Conductor.”

“You don’t know how badly I missed you…” Charles fought off the urge to cry into her shoulder. He wanted to save it for when it was just the two of them. “I’m glad you’re unharmed. So, so glad…”

Julia was initially confused by his words until she realized who wasn’t there; Marian. It didn’t take her long to figure out that she didn’t survive the mission.

“Marian…” Julia muttered quietly before glancing up at the NIKKE behind him. “What happened to her?”

“Marian succumbed to Corruption, leaving the Commander no choice but to execute her.” Rapi’s answer was to the point.

A quick gasp escaped Julia’s mouth as she glanced back at Charles. No wonder he appeared to be in so much pain.

“Conductor…” Julia’s grip tightened as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Julia.” He reassured her with a smile. “Whatever happened on the surface wasn’t your fault, nor will it ever be.”

“C-Conductor?” She tilted her head with slight confusion.

“Why don’t we catch up after I’ve made my report to Deputy Chief Andersen?” Charles mustered up a small smile. “You can tell me how your practice is going.”

Julia didn’t quite have it in her to tell him that her performance had already gone by. Not yet at least. She needed a little time to muster up the courage, as well as some time for Charles to recover. For now, though, she was more than willing to act as his pillar of strength during this difficult time.

“Allow me to walk with you, Conductor.” She offered her hand to him, which he gladly accepted. Slowly, the duo made their way toward the Central Government Command HQ, with Rapi and Anis gently walking behind them.

“Well this is new to me…” Anis mused to herself as her gaze was trained on Charles and Julia. “Never seen a Commander be so close with a NIKKE. Most of ‘em keep their distance from us.” She turned her head toward Rapi. “Who is she, by the way?”

“Julia of the Master Hand Squad. Manufacturer: Missilis.” Rapi answered the question as she sifted through the available data. “According to this, she’s served under the Commander for almost two years.”

“Seriously?!” Anis’ tone was a mixture of awe and disbelief. “No wonder they connect so well with each other.”

“Mmm.” Rapi mused in agreement as they continued following the duo ahead of them.

0000

“…and that concludes my report, Deputy Chief Andersen,” Shifty informed her superior as Charles held out his phone.

“You mean to tell me that Commander Alvinczi took down a Blacksmith with only two NIKKE?” Tiny traces of disbelief were evident in his tone. Not that one could blame him for being weary; taking down a Tyrant was almost unheard of, let alone with just two NIKKE.

“Affirmative.” Shifty clarified with him. “Though it wasn’t a flawless operation. Marian had succumbed to Corruption and was terminated by the Commander.” Charles looked to the side as Shifty continued.

“And the recon squad?” Andersen inquired.

“Dead,” Charles spoke up for the first time in the meeting. “The Blacksmith had already gotten to them before we arrived. By the time we destroyed it, it was too late.” He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. “As for Commander Jones, he perished alongside most of his squad. Rapi and Anis were the only survivors. Overall, the mission was a complete failure.”

“Not necessarily, Commander.” Andersen rebutted, piquing the former’s attention. “With the Blacksmith terminated, no more NIKKE will fall prey to it. This means the foraging parties will be able to safely scavenge for resources once more. Though given the loss of so many NIKKE, this victory can be considered pyrrhic.”

“I’m inclined to agree, sir,” Charles stated quietly. “If I may, I’d like to put in a request.”

“By all means.” Andersen gestured for Charles to speak his mind.

“Would it be possible for Rapi and Anis to be assigned to my squad?” He politely requested. “I know this sort of thing requires an official agreement between—”

“Say no more, I’ll make the necessary arrangements.” Andersen warmly agreed to the idea. “Under normal circ*mstances, both NIKKE will be sent back to the reserves following their Commander’s death. But given that temporary authority was bestowed onto you during the mission, one can consider them under your command.” He briefly glanced at his watch. “It should only take a few hours or so, tops.”

“Thank you, sir.” Charles smiled at Andersen.

“Don’t mention it.” He replied, though his expression dropped a little as he took a deep breath. “You’ll be given a new assignment tomorrow. The Central Government wants you back in the field as soon as possible.”

This did not sit well with Charles at all.

“After everything I’ve been through, they want me back out there so soon?” He fought the urge to raise his tone at the Deputy Chief.

“I’m not keen on the idea myself, but it’s what the upper brass want. And you know how they feel about disobedience.” Andersen reminded his subordinate as gently as he could.

“Mhm. I understand…” Charles conceded. “I’ll let my NIKKE know about what’s happening tomorrow.

“That would be appreciated.” A small smile returned to Andersen’s face as he and Charles saluted each other. Then with a click of his heels, Charles promptly left the office. Now on his own, Andersen opened a separate line with Shifty.

“Please send the combat data to Ingrid of Elysion.” He requested. “She’s gonna want to see this.”

“Affirmative.” Shifty got to work as soon as possible as Andersen quietly mulled over things. If word got around over what happened out there, the consequences could spiral out of control…

0000

“HQ is calling us in tomorrow?” Rapi inquired as Anis and Julia gazed at the Commander.

“Unfortunately…” A weary sigh escaped Charles’ mouth. “They’ve also requested that the three of you come along with me.”

“Aw man, not this again…” An equally weary sigh escaped Anis’ mouth. “So, few of you, and yet you took down a Blacksmith? Simply astounding!” She sarcastically spoke in an overly posh tone, one commonly associated with political and corporate big-shots. “Keep fighting the good fight, my loyal and most subservient of all my government lapdogs!”

“You two took down a Blacksmith?” Julia interrupted Anis’ tirade with intrigue in her eyes. “Such a battle against the odds. I can feel the inspiration already!”

Julia’s enthusiasm invoked a small chuckle from Charles as he gingerly rubbed her shoulder. Her love of music always cheered him up, even on the gloomiest of days.

“Julia does raise a fair point in her way. We did do exceptionally well in that battle.” Rapi reminded her friend.

“Even so, it’s the same routine all the time.” Anis gently rebutted. “The only difference this time is that we’re coming along. Usually, it’s the Commander who gets all the credit.”

“It’s a demoralizing trend that’s plagued humanity, even before the Rapture invasion.” Charles folded his arms over his chest. “Many people shower praise over the generals and warrior kings who’ve achieved glory on the battlefield, all while treating the soldiers under their command as a statistic.” His gaze turned toward the trio. “My words may not seem like much given my position, but I will not treat you all as a statistic.”

“Coming from you, Commander, I’m almost willing to believe it.” Anis’ eyes briefly darted to the side.

“Anis.” Rapi chastised her for her discourtesy, yet Charles wasn’t bothered by it. From the sound of things, Anis was disillusioned with life after being put under the command of several uncaring Commanders. Hence why she was sarcastic at times. He just had to accept that it would take some time before she fully trusted him.

“In any case, we don’t have to worry about much until tomorrow.” Charles’ tone carried an underlying sense of relief. “Why don’t we get a quick bite to eat? I’m sure you two must be famished right now.”

“Well, if you’re offering…” A toothy grin formed on Anis’ face.

“I figured some respite would do us all some good.” He casually stretched his arms in the air before gazing at Rapi & Julia. “No need to worry, I’ll cover you all.”

“That won’t be—” Rapi was about to protest, only for Anis to grab her wrist.

“Come on Rapi, it’s not every day a NIKKE gets treated by their Commander.” She goaded her with an ever-cheeky smile.

“…if you say so.” Rapi was still unconvinced but chose to go along with her friend. Satisfied, Charles made his way to the nearby burger joint, with Julia tagging along by his side. The stoic NIKKE ignored her friend’s enthusiastic ramblings and focused on the violinist. It had been ingrained in her mind that NIKKE were machines, not humans, and the Central Government’s propaganda further pushed that thought. Yet whenever she watched Charles and Julia converse with one another, it felt less like a human talking to a machine, and more like a young couple conversing about their day.

It gave Rapi something to mull over in the days to come…

0000

“…here’s your orders, sir!” The fast-food worker placed the tray atop the table. “Thank you for your patronage!”

“Thank you!” Charles waved at the worker as they briskly returned to the cashier. “Now to divvy this up between u—”

“I’ve got it!” Anis quickly reached for her food before handing over a basic cheeseburger set to Rapi. “And here you go~”

“Thank you.” Rapi’s tone was as stoic as usual, though her gratitude was sincere. But as she was about to unwrap her burger, she was interrupted by a loud sucking sound. Turning her head, she saw Julia enthusiastically drinking her strawberry milkshake. She was really enjoying herself, more so than Rapi anticipated.

“Julia loves her strawberry milkshakes,” Charles spoke up in an amused tone as he reached for a few chips. “I always make sure to buy one for her whenever I get some spare change.”

The smallest of sighs escaped his mouth as he turned to face the other two. “But that’s easier said than done given my rotten salary. Admittedly, mine’s not as bad as most of the other Commanders’, but it’s still barely livable.”

“Part of me finds it hard to pity them,” Anis replied bluntly whilst picking up a few fries. “They treat NIKKE like dirt, only to turn around and go ‘why me?’ whenever the mildest of inconveniences crop up. As far as I’m concerned, they can deal with it.”

“Anis.” Rapi gently scolded her. “You shouldn’t drag the Commander’s—”

“It’s alright, Rapi. I can understand Anis’ point.” Charles reassured her. “Most Commanders don’t even spare a second thought about their NIKKE, let alone share their earnings with them. And to be honest, that last part would hold true no matter how much we earned.”

He wearily twirled his straw within his fingers. “It’s all so depressing, you know? The Ark was meant to be a safe space for the remnants of humanity, yet it’s only the 1% who flourish. They’re the ones who dictate how the masses live from the comfort of their homes.”

Anis was a little taken aback by what she heard. “You do realize you can get in serious trouble for saying things like that?” She reminded Charles.

“Yeah, I know. But there are times where I just don’t care anymore…” Charles bit into his burger. “The Ark’s rotten to the core, and elements within the Central Government are a disease.” He gulped down his mouthful. “If I could, I’d bring about so much change. But the ones in power aren’t keen on any upstarts seeking to take their position. They’ll use any trick in the book to retain their comforts and privileges.”

He turned his attention back to his NIKKE. “Ah, but this is a topic for another day. And a less… public location.” Charles took another bite from his burger as a means of ending the conversation.

Both Anis and Rapi were surprised over how open he was regarding corruption within the Ark. Most people would either brush it off or go on hour-long diatribes justifying the Central Government’s decisions. It was sorta refreshing to see a Commander who hadn’t been swept up by all the propaganda and such. Though on the topic of Commanders…

“What will happen to Anis and I?” Rapi inquired. “Our Commander was killed in action, and we were only assigned to you temporarily.”

“About that…” Charles took a quick breath to prepare himself. “I put in a request with Deputy Chief Andersen, and he has no problems assigning you two to my squad.”

Julia, who had just finished her milkshake by this point, turned toward the duo. “Welcome!” She shot them a small smile. “I’m looking forward to performing with you on the battlefield.”

“Yeah… same here.” Anis was a little taken aback by Julia’s choice of words. Though overall, she was keen on the idea. “Anyway, I’m under your command. Please treat me well.”

“Understood.” Rapi’s reply was more straightforward and to the point.

The quietest of sighs escaped Charles’ mouth; that went much better than he anticipated. He’d expected them to put up a little more resistance, or at least protest the idea. But they were both fine with it; Anis even seemed keen on the idea. Perhaps the life-and-death experience they faced together sparked something within them. The flickers of a bond like his with Julia. It was one he was eager to develop over time, no matter how long it may take.

“Something the matter, Conductor?” Julia tilted her head in his direction.

“Hmmm? Ah, nothing. Just thinking about a few things…” Charles casually replied before noticing the empty glass. “Did you want another milkshake?”

“I’m fine, thank you very much.” She politely rejected the offer.

Charles gave her a quick nod before returning to his lunch, all while keeping an eye on his surroundings. So far, nobody has given him or his NIKKE any grief, probably because they didn’t know NIKKE were in here. Which was for the best; the last thing he wanted was a fight to break out because of someone’s thoughtless bigotry.

The fact that he had to show this much caution when EATING showed just how badly the Ark needed reform. Which is why he had to rise up in the ranks, to gain more power and influence within the Central Government. Then, and only then would he be able to prevent any more tragedies like what happened to Marian.

Because someone within the Ark corrupted her. It was only a hunch he had, but it was a damningly strong one. For how else would it have been possible? The Aegis Barriers protecting the Ark hadn’t been breached, so a Rapture invasion was off the table. But who would stand to gain from corrupting Marian and sending her to the Blacksmith? Who would carelessly throw away humanity’s last hope against the Raptures like a piece of garbage? It didn’t make much sense to him.

Ah… but those were thoughts for another time. All Charles wanted to do was sit down and enjoy his lunch with his Comrades.

Later that night

Having said his goodbyes earlier that night, Charles was about to head back to his dorm for some well-earned rest. It’ll be the first time he’s slept in a remotely comfortable bed in a while. Yet there was so much on his mind; a myriad of buzzing thoughts that’ll keep him away all night. He needed to wind down and take a seat to catch his breath, and he knew the perfect place to do so.

Quietly walking down the path, Charles made his way to the park near the dormitory. His ears suddenly picked up a familiar melody; she was here as well. Perfect, just as he hoped for.

Arriving at his destination minutes later, he saw the familiar figure of Julia sitting atop her favorite bench. Gently, he made his way to her side to not disturb her playing. Julia never liked it when she was interrupted after all.

Charles took this opportunity to sit back and indulge in the melody. It was a dreary tune, the sort you’d hear playing at a state funeral. The notes were slow and drawn out, lacking any energy or zeal, but it was perfect for the moment. This melancholic melody conveyed the grief nestled within Julia’s heart; was this her way of mourning Marian’s death? Whatever the case, Charles sat back and allowed her to play in peace, allowing his thoughts to run wild.

“Hmmm?” Julia promptly ceased her playing and turned her head to the side. “Conductor? What are you doing here?”

Her sudden inquiry caused Charles to jerk upright atop the bench. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to disturb your playing.” He hastily apologized to her.

“It’s alright. I can always pick up where I left off…” She reassured him with a casual, almost serene smile. Charles didn’t know whether it was the artificial night sky or not, but Julia looked… divine. As if she were a seraph of old descending onto this desolated planet. It stirred something in his chest, his heart palpitating rapidly.

“So… w-what were you playing before?” He struggled to maintain his composure, his hand trembling against his lap.

“A small piece to honor Marian’s memory.” Julia’s gaze drifted toward her violin. “She had such a beautiful soul, bright as the early morning sun. I only wish that she could hear my melody on the other side.”

“I’m sure she’d love it; Marian was keen to listen to your performance.” Julia flinched ever so slightly upon hearing Charles’ words, which he quickly noticed. “Is something the matter?”

This was the moment Julia had dreaded. How could she tell him that the performance had already gone by? If he found out, he’d be devastated. But, she couldn’t hide it from him forever; he would find out eventually…

“Conductor…” Julia took a breath to settle her nerves. “Do you know what day it is today?”

“Lemme double check.” Charles hastily dug into his pocket and took out his phone. Booting it up, he saw that it was the 15^th of June, a sinking feeling festering inside him. The fifteenth?! That couldn’t be right, it had only been three days since he first embarked on the miss—

“You were gone for over two weeks, Conductor…” Julia’s tone was a lot more forlorn than usual, hands clenched tightly into her fists. “The performance… my performance ended a few nights ago.”

It was the last thing Charles wanted to hear. He’d wanted nothing more than to sit in the audience and watch as Julia poured her heart and soul into her performance. But he let her down when she needed him the most, just as he’d let Marian down. It was all too much for him.

“…rry…” He weakly muttered under his breath.

“Conduct—” Julia was interrupted as Charles embraced her out of the blue, quietly sobbing into her shoulder. All the pent-up stress and pain had finally burst out of him into an eruption of grief.

“I’m so, so sorry, Julia…” He sobbed on her shoulder. “I-I know you wanted me to w-watch you perform… to see you on the shining stage…” His words came out in barely audible splutters at this point. “But I let you down… I let everybody down.”

“Conductor?” Julia tilted her head in confusion.

Charles looked up at the violinist, eyes wet with tears. “I couldn’t save any of the NIKKE in the recon squad. I couldn’t even save Marian; I killed her, damn it!” His voice heightened in volume. “And nobody gives a damn about them, nobody at all!”

His hands held a firm grip on her shoulders, though not enough to cause discomfort. “You’re all out there fighting for your f*cking lives against an endless horde of Raptures, all while those holier-than-thou bastards up top indulge in women and wine. And do you know how they repay you?!” Charles’ tone was drenched with mournful venom. “They treat you like second-class citi—no, third-class citizens! And even that was only because of the Goddess Fall! Had that never happened, you wouldn’t even have rights at all!”

Julia knew that the anger wasn’t directed at her, but at society in general. And the anger was understandable; she too harbored disdain for how the Central Government and humanity view her and her kin. Yet she never allowed such thoughts to fester; it would affect her playing after all. But there were more pressing matters at hand.

“Conductor…” Julia’s arms wrapped themselves around Charles’ shivering body. “You are not to blame for any of this. You gave it your all on the missi—”

“If I had given it my all, those NIKKE would’ve returned home!” He bluntly interrupted her, only to pause upon realizing what he’d done. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you…”

“It’s alright, Conductor.” Julia shot him a reassuring smile. “These last few days have pushed you to your breaking point. It’s no small wonder you’re this distressed…” An idea suddenly formed in her mind. “Why don’t you take a rest on my lap? I’ll gladly recreate my performance for you.”

It was a wonderful thought. Even if it wasn’t in a bustling theater, being able to hear Julia’s melody was exactly what he desired. So with a quick nod, Charles gently shifted his body and lay atop the bench. His eyes widened upon resting atop Julia’s lap; it was the softest thing he’d ever felt. Made the pillows in his dormitory look like bricks in comparison.

He subconsciously nuzzled up to Julia’s legs, causing her to flinch in surprise. “C-Conductor?!” She stammered with a fierce blush on her cheeks.

“Sorry Julia. Just needed to get comfortable.” Charles replied with a sheepish smile. Julia returned a smile at him, relieved to hear that the anger and grief in his tone was subsiding.

So she lifted her violin in the air and began playing a tune. It was a most soothing tone, meant to convey feelings of peace and tranquility. She recalled the rapt attention of the audience as they watched her, tears trickling in their eyes. To have the attention of the Ark’s people upon her brought a smile to Julia’s face.

But she enjoyed the thought of giving her Conductor a private performance. No grandiose stage or billowing dress, just the two of them listening to the melody in peace. One day, when the surface was reclaimed, Julia wanted to perform a celebratory piece to commemorate the victory. And she wanted her beloved Conductor by her side, indulging in the melody that conveyed her purest of feelings.

Chapter 7: Back to the Surface

Chapter Text

A startled gasp escaped Charles’ mouth as he found himself in the void again. The same eerie silence loomed over his head again, pressing down on him like a ton of bricks. His knees buckled from an overwhelming anxiety festering inside him, sweat trickling down his skin.

What was he doing here again? Why was he called here?

Taking a few sharp breaths, Charles slowly walked down the pitch-black road. The clacking was just as audible as before, like boots atop a tiled floor. It was the only thing keeping him company in this hellish realm.

Then… he heard someone crying.

“?!” Charles gasped under his breath. He remembered that crying; it was the one that lured him deeper in the first place… or was it?

No… this crying had a different pitch to it. One that immediately tugged on his heartstrings.

“Marian…” Charles muttered under his breath. “Can you hear me, Marian?”

Silence temporarily filled the void, engulfed by the overwhelming darkness. Then…

“Over… here.”

It was a phrase Charles knew all too well. One that he could never forget. He failed to save her back then, but this time.

“I’m coming Marian!” Charles sprang into action and ran down the path. The darkness seemingly went on forever, slowly enveloping the Commander within its oppressive grasp. Yet Charles wasn’t fazed by this; all he could think about was saving Marian. And if he had to power through this void to do so, then so be it.

He ran as fast as his legs could take him, pushing himself to his limits. Though not on the same level as an Olympian of old, Charles certainly wasn’t a wet blanket in terms of physical health either. He just had to hope it would be enough to save Mari—

“!” Charles’ eyes widened as he saw a faint light within the darkness. She had to be there, she was just out of reach. Mustering up whatever reserves of strength he had left, Charles uttered a short cry before leaping into the light…

Only to step into another familiar view; the Hall of Mirrors. The eerie atmosphere heightened as Charles found himself surrounded by dozens—no, hundreds of mirrors. All of which depicted him, or at least variations of him.

Some reflections were normal, if slightly distorted. Reflections where his body was tall and emaciated, reflections where he was short and rotund, it was like those carnival attractions of old. A totally normal sight had it been elsewhere.

But then there were those reflections… the ones meant to portray what he could only describe as a mockery of him. There was one that depicted him as this blood-soaked harvester of death, a modern Grim Reaper.

‘Yeah, Haha. A Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse.’ Charles rolled his eyes at the sight. That damned moniker was going to haunt him until his dying days…

There was one that depicted him as a Deputy Chief, brutally suppressing all dissenters within the Ark. And the reflection laughed! Its chortles were silent, but they felt like needles sticking into his eardrums to Charles. The sharp pain caused him to back away from the mirror.

What was this place? What had he done to warrant being trapped in here?! Fear slowly crept inside his heart. Was he doomed to spend all of eternity within this backroom of Hell? More importantly, where was Mari—

“Over… here…”

Charles turned his head and saw a lone mirror standing in the center, effortlessly towering over him. And within the mirror itself was Marian, her hand pressed against the glass. Reaching for him, beckoning for his aid…

He ran toward her in a brisk sprint, gazing into Marian’s lone, blood-red eye. Her expression radiated the primal fear one shows on the precipice of death. A raw animalistic desire to survive that all humans harbor within them.

“C-Commander…” She fought off the Corruption eating away at her psyche. “O-Over…here.”

“Marian!” Charles threw all caution to the wind and began banging on the mirror. “Hold on Marian, I’m coming to save you!”

He pummeled at the mirror with all his might; punching, kicking, even headbutting it. Yet not a single crack formed. Even so, Charles refused to throw in the towel. He continued punching at it, all while Marian watched with desperation in her eye. But no matter what he did… the mirror wouldn’t shatter.

Exhausted and demoralized, Charles slumped against the heavy mirror, only for a near-silent chuckle to fill the air. He jerked upright as the sound of footsteps slowly approached his position.

Then… she stepped into view.

The woman was unlike any he had seen before. Extremely long white hair done up into twintails, the texture akin to the finest of silks. Her skin tone was bordering on porcelain white, much paler than Charles had ever seen in his life. And her outfit! Her impossibly tight bodysuit clung to her extremely curvaceous figure.

Such an idealized body, and the aura of radiance she gave off… she had to be a NIKKE. But her eyes. Her eyes were blood red with Corruption. She too, had fallen victim to the Raptures. But whereas Marian was unwilling, she seemed to have… embraced it.

The NIKKE briefly glanced at Marian before turning toward Charles. Eyes closed, with a smug smile on her immaculate face, she pressed a finger against the mirror and—

*shatter*

“NO!” Charles cried out as the mirror crumbled into hundreds of tiny, jagged shards. Marian… she had killed Marian. No… he was the one who killed her, out of “mercy”.

Eyes open once more, the NIKKE raised her hand in the air as the glass shards levitated at her command. She gazed briefly into Charles’ eyes once more, as if scoping him out. But then, she pointed her finger at him, sending the shards hurtling toward his fa—

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” Charles sat upright in bed once more, drenched head to toe in sweat. It was another dream, just like all those weeks ago…

*creak*

“Everything alright, Charles?” Thomas stuck his head through the door, a mug of coffee in hand.

“Y-Yeah… just had a bad dream.” Charles combed through his slick hair as his eyes locked onto the bronze-skinned man. “I saw her, you know? I saw that damn woman…”

A pained expression formed on Thomas’ face. “Then it’s true. The Lady in the Mirror’s set her sights on you.” His tone carried an underlying sense of regret, lamenting over the fact that his friend was effectively on borrowed time. “I’m sorry, Charles. I don’t know what I could say to cheer you up.”

“No need to feel bad, Thomas.” Charles slowly climbed out of bed. “This whole thing’s completely out of everyone’s hands. She’s a threat unlike any we’ve seen before.” He briefly glanced in the mirror before turning away from it as fast as possible. “The best I could do is learn about the Lady. To fully understand her modus operandi so that no more will fall victim to her machinations.”

“Mmm…” Thomas hummed in agreement whilst taking a sip of coffee.

“Besides, it’s as Satoshi says…” Charles gently approached the taller man and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m the Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse. Nothing can take me down.”

Thomas’ mood took a complete 180 as he chuckled in delight. “Never thought I’d see the day you embrace your moniker!”

“It’s times like these I’ve got to pull up my boots and think positively!” Charles reached into the closet for his spare uniform. “Even if it means returning to duty after my last failure.”

“Now that’s the get-up and go I can respect.” Thomas flashed an equally enthusiastic smile. “I wish there was a lot more of that around these parts.”

“Indeed. Things may be hard right now, but as the old saying goes, hard times make the toughest of men.” The young Commander reached for his spare towel as well. “I’ll be in the bathroom if you need me.”

And with that, Charles confidently walked out of his room and into the communal showers. All while Thomas watched with awe and concern. For even though he couldn’t help but admire his colleague’s moxie, he was worried about him as well. After all, he knew exactly how much of a toll the last mission took out of him.

0000

“You’ve arrived just in time,” Andersen commented in mild relief as Charles and his NIKKE calmly entered the office. “Good, we can begin the debriefing.”

“If I may interject for a moment…” The door opened once more as a tall woman clad in a pristine white uniform entered the room. An aura of stern diligence emanated from her overall demeanor as she gazed down at Charles. “I’d like to congratulate Commander Alvinczi on a job well done.”

“You may have some time, Ingrid.” Andersen accepted as Charles’ eyes widened in surprise. Ingrid of the Big Three? Well-renowned CEO of Elysion? What was she doing here?

Ingrid was seemingly unfazed by Charles’ stunned expression. “Taking out a Blacksmith with only two NIKKE is a remarkable feat, one I would’ve brushed off as complete nonsense had it been from anybody else.” She informed in her usual no-nonsense tone. “To remain level-headed under such circ*mstances is most admirable.”

“Uhh… t-thank you ma’am.” Charles was unsure how to react to such praise.

“Just Ingrid would do. I’m not one for flowery titles.” She stated quickly yet clearly.

“R-Right!” Charles quickly replied. “Anyway, may I inquire as to why you wanted to see us?”

“Ingrid and I were discussing what assignment to give you today.” Andersen reached into his drawer and took out a manila folder. “There were several viable options available, but we felt this one would suffice for you.”

He handed over the folder to Charles who quietly opened it. His eyebrow co*cked in intrigue as he read its contents.

Mission: Power plant investigation

Our scouts have reported a large power plant within a coastal city to the southeast of the Ark’s location. If reactivated, the plant would provide two months' worth of resources to the Ark. Investigate the plant to see if it’s functional. Do NOT engage in combat within the plant itself.

Warning: previous reports have indicated that the Tyrant-class Rapture Grave Digger has been sighted within the area. Under no circ*mstances are you to engage in combat against it.

“This one’s quite the doozy, Andersen…” Charles whistled to himself before closing the folder. “But I’ll gladly accept the mission.”

“It’s more of an order than a mission.” Andersen reminded him. “Still, your enthusiasm is appreciated.”

Both Rapi and Julia gave silent nods to Charles, whereas Anis resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Before I go on my mission, may I ask you a question?” Charles spoke up.

Both Ingrid and Andersen glanced at each other before the latter checked his watch. “I suppose we have time to answer one question.” He replied. “Just one.”

It didn’t take long for Charles to come up with the question he wanted to ask. “Marian seemed to have been corrupted whilst still inside the Ark. Would you know anything about it?”

“C-Commander. This isn’t the place to be asking such things…” Anis whispered harshly at him.

“I know, but where else will I get an answer?” He whispered back at her.

“We’re investigating the mission as we speak.” Ingrid seemingly ignored their whispering and began her explanation. “As Marian was an Elysion NIKKE, I’ve ordered a strict inspection on every Elysion NIKKE for signs of Corruption. So far, nothing has turned up.” She continued before glancing back at Charles. “What we can tell you is that the Aegis Barrier wasn’t penetrated.”

So it must’ve been an inside job… but who could be the culprit? Given that Marian was from Elysion, suspicion was directed at the other two of the Big Three. Missilis Industries was the more prominent suspect as its CEO, Syuen, was a bitter rival of Ingrid. But as petty and conniving as she is, would Syuen really risk everything just to sabotage what was ultimately a mid-level mission?

Mustang was far less likely a suspect, given his sympathies towards the NIKKE’s plight. After all, he was the one who gave Julia a second chance when Syuen abandoned her. But as the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving. And when Charles factored in the fact that Mustang’s been the CEO of Tetra Line ever since the Ark was founded, it’s easy to believe that he has a few cards up his sleeves.

“I understand.” Charles kept his theories to himself for the moment. As that’s all they were, theories. And accusing any of the Big Three without proof would land him in scalding hot water.

“If you don’t have any more questions, I suggest you get going.” Andersen politely encouraged. With a quick nod, Charles gestured for his NIKKE to follow him outside, only to be halted by Andersen out of the blue. “One last thing.” Charles stopped in his tracks and turned back to his superior in curiosity.

“Let’s say somebody corrupted Marian out of malice. And they were so powerful that you couldn’t do a thing to oppose them.” Andersen gingerly adjusted the sleeves of his jacket. “Tell me, what would you do?”

That was a loaded question; far more so than Charles had anticipated. Not only did it have the implications that Andersen knew more than he was letting on, but that this wasn’t a first-time thing. Brief flickers of vengeance sparked in Charles’ mind, but said flickers were soon engulfed by rational thinking.

“I’d ask them why.” He replied calmly. “Why sacrifice Marian and so many others to the Blacksmith?”

“Oh?” Andersen was intrigued by Charles’ answer. “You’d ask them why they did what they did?” He casually leaned toward the Commander. “Even if the answer they give you makes you question everything you’ve ever done?”

“Yes. I’m no longer afraid of whatever consequences they have in store. For I dreamt of her last night…” Charles turned to face the office door, his hand resting on the wooden frame. “She’s got to have some sort of involvement in all this drama. Some secret she wishes to tell me before I die. And I intend to find out one way or another.”

It was with those words that Charles left Andersen’s office with his NIKKE glancing at each other in confusion before hastily running in pursuit. His lingering words caused a small pit to form in Andersen’s stomach.

“She really has set her sights on him…” Andersen muttered under his breath. “Only question is, will she kill him like all the others?

“I always thought it was an urban legend to keep the Commanders in line, but if she has appeared in his dreams…” Ingrid knew exactly who Andersen was talking about.

“We don’t know what she wants, or even if she’s friend or foe.” The Deputy Chief turned his head toward Ingrid. “But if she is after Commander Alvinczi, then there’s a chance we can reclaim her, however slim it may be.”

“For now though, we’ll need to focus on the mission at hand.” Ingrid’s eyes gleamed with ingenuity as an idea sparked in her mind. “And I’ve got just the NIKKE to help support them…”

0000

“Well…” Charles spoke up to his NIKKE as they made their way to the elevator. “That went better than I anticipated.”

“Better than you anticipated?” Anis scoffed under her breath. “We’ve just been sent out on a dangerous mission, right after we narrowly escaped the last one with our lives! And all without even so much as a thank you!”

“It’s a crummy feeling, I know, but those are our orders.” Charles attempted to pacify the situation.

“And yet you sounded so excited to take on this mission back there.” Anis retorted sarcastically. “Gotta please your masters’ like a good little doggy, am I right?”

“Anis.” Rapi frowned at her friend’s disrespectful attitude. Noticing her expression, Anis took a deep breath to calm down before turning back to Charles.

“Sorry… that was uncalled for.” She apologized to her superior officer.

“It’s alright. I know you have your grievances with how things are run in the Ark; most people do in fact.” Charles remained unfazed by Anis’ words. “Anyway, since this is an investigatory mission, we’ll need a professional scout. Julia, would you kindly give Product 08 a call?”

“As you wish, Conductor.” She accepted the phone from him and began making the call.

Satisfied, he turned his attention back to Rapi and Anis. “With that sorted out, we can focus on the mission on hand. Should be easy as long as we stay away from the Grave Digger.”

Anis couldn’t help snickering over Charles’ words. “Yes, we’ll all be fine as long as we avoid the Tyrant-class Rapture which tunnels through the ground at insane speeds.” She sing-songed in the tone of an overly gallant Commander. “I don’t know whether you’re overly enthusiastic, or just plain reckless.”

“A little from Column A, and a little from Column B.” Charles casually shrugged his shoulders. “More so since I could be on a time limit of sorts.”

“You did mention something about a dream you had last night…” Anis pointed out to him.

“Mhm. Haven’t you heard of the Lady in the Mirror? It’s an urban legend that whoever dreams of her will die a horrible death in the future.” He elaborated on his point. “She’s got that eerie vibe to her. The long white hair, porcelain-toned skin, the tight bodysu—”

“!” Rapi’s body jerked suddenly, eyes widened in surprise. Vague memories flashed in her mind of a mysterious woman, one who looked exactly as Charles described. But she’d never seen her before, so why was she having these memories? The thought left her paralyzed, beads of sweat trickling down her skin.

“Rapi… Rapi!” Anis placed a hand over her shoulder and snapped her out of it.

“Ah…” She quickly recovered her composure. “My apologies.”

“Phew, you almost gave me a heart attack…” A sigh of relief escaped Anis’ mouth. “Is everything alright?”

“I don’t know why, but that woman…” Rapi’s gaze turned toward Charles. “She sounds familiar. As if I know her…” Her gaze drifted toward the ground. “But I’ve never seen her before.”

Charles was intrigued by Rapi’s words. Was she having similar dreams to him? Could the Lady in the Mirror target NIKKE as well? What if those dreams lead to a NIKKE being corrupted? If so, then did Marian have said dreams as well? There was still so much that he didn’t know.

But said questions would have to be answered later.

“I’ve gotten a response from Product 08.” Julia handed the phone back to Charles. “She’s waiting for us by the elevator.”

“Good.” Charles smiled at Julia. “Let’s not keep her waiting then.”

It was with those words that the group of four picked up the pace. Though their opinions on the matter varied regarding the mission, they all knew that they had to do it. Besides, surely things won’t go haywire like last time, right?

Upon arriving at the elevator, they were greeted by the resolute Product 08. “Reporting for duty, Commander!” She saluted Charles.

“It’s nice to see you again.” He saluted in return. “I’m more than confident your services will be sorely need—”

“Someone’s coming!” Rapi suddenly raised a hand in the air.

Their words fell on deaf ears as they heard what sounded like footsteps approaching them; footsteps that attempted to be stealthy, but were only more audible because of it. Turning around, the group saw a petite NIKKE approaching them.

Her green eyes shone behind her reading glasses, long white hair adorned with a fluffy white beret. Her outfit was a simple white school uniform with a dark blue leotard underneath, topped off by white thigh-high socks. A shotgun was slung over her shoulder, heavily used, but still in great condition.

“Ah, hello!” The newcomer beamed brightly. “I’m Neon, a NIKKE from Elysion! I was ordered to take part in this investigation. Nice to meet you all.”

“Likewise.” Julia returned the greeting. “Welcome to our squad!”

This came as a complete surprise to the others though. Suspicious, Anis quickly reached for Charles’ phone. “Shifty. Can you hear me Shifty?”

“I heard you.” Shifty quickly turned on communications before going through her notices. “I just received a personnel transfer from Ingrid.”

“Why would they add another member to our squad? Something doesn’t seem right here…” Flickers of suspicion rose within Anis’ tone.

“Perhaps Ingrid realized that sending us into Grave Digger territory with only three NIKKE was dangerous, so she re-enforced our squad.” Charles proposed to Anis. “I don’t see any malice behind this decision whatsoever.”

He soon turned his attention toward Neon. “So, Neon. What type of NIKKE are you?”

“What type of NIKKE am I?” The lens’ on her glasses gleamed in the light. “I’m one of Elysion’s greatest spies! A master of the art of firepower!” She struck a dynamic pose before the group, all of whom save Julia were stunned into silence.

“Sounds intriguing.” The violinist cheerfully mused. “Your activities may very well serve as a new source of inspiration.”

“Ooooh, you’re a musician?!” Neon cooed in return. “Every spy’s got to have an awesome theme song. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got for me!”

The duo conversed eagerly to themselves as Anis was left dumbfounded by the sight before her. “Why do I have the feeling this is going to be a problem later down the line…?” she sported an exasperated look in her eyes.

“I think everything’s going to be alright, Anis. After all, Julia’s warmed up to Neon very quickly.” Charles reassured her. Even if Ingrid did have an ulterior motive for assigning Neon to his squad, he was more than confident she would pose a risk to him or his NIKKE.

0000

“So… this is the surface.” Neon’s voice dripped with awe as she gazed out at the derelict landscape. Her tone indicated that she had no experience with the surface whatsoever, which was odd for a NIKKE. Maybe she’d been kept in reserve all this time, or she could’ve been newly manufactured.

“First time?” Anis chimed with a toothy smile.

“Roger!” Neon eagerly saluted her comrade. “It’s so… big. And the sky isn’t buzzing. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

Her words piqued Julia’s attention. For a first-timer to be this excited to embark on the surface was almost unheard of. Her view on things could be substantially different from the others. Just as how two musicians can pick up different feelings from a piece, so too can two NIKKE have different feelings for the surface.

“The surface is a wonderful source of inspiration.” Julia chimed in as Neon turned her head back. “Stick with us, and allow me to show you exactly what I mean.”

“Mhm!” Neon eagerly hummed in agreement, to Charles’ amusem*nt.

“She seems really interested in the surface.” He mused to himself.

“Eh, don’t sweat it, Commander. It’ll wear off in a day or two.” Anis chimed in with her usual wit. “Anyway, we better get moving. Or else the Raptures will swarm our position and give us a nice healthy dove of electron beams to the brain.”

“Sounds wonderful!” Charles rebutted in jest.

“There’s no time for joking around.” The phone blared to life as Shifty appeared on the screen. “The objective is to investigate the control room of the power station. Nothing more, nothing less.”

She then proceeded to clack away at her keyboard in the background. “Scanning the area… alright, now to clear out the Alva Particles. Alva Particle concentration lowering to 42.23%... 21.48%...2.01% Scanning complete!”

Satisfied, Shifty turned her attention back to Charles. “According to the scan, you’ll have to go down the maglev train tracks to reach the power station. A high voltage line is running through the line.”

“So in other words, I’m gonna be fried to a crisp…” Charles chimed in before shrugging his shoulders. “Eh, I can think of worse ways to go.”

“Or we could cut off the power for the line.” Rapi didn’t see the humor in Charles’ quip. “Shifty, can the line be shut down?”

“Yes, it can. I’ll mark the location of the control room on your map.” Shifty smiled to herself as she typed away at her keyboard. Within seconds, a red blip appeared on the map focusing on a small cluster of houses. No doubt the control room was nestled within that cluster.

“Well, we better get going now.” Charles turned toward Product 08 as she polished the scope of her rifle. “Please, lead the way.”

“Affirmative!” She saluted in return before making her way forward. With a gentle flick of the wrist, Charles gestured for the other NIKKE to follow suit. Once more, they walked through a derelict city, mangled car wrecks, and decimated roads aplenty. Post-apocalyptic cities aren’t the most awe-inspiring locals Charles has visited during his career.

No, those go to the untouched landscapes outside the urban areas. Grassy plains shimmering in the morning light, forests teeming with life as though humanity never encroached on it, and the snowy hinterlands far up north. The scars of pollution & habitat destruction were slowly healing from the years of unrestrained destruction at the hands of humanity. It was sights and moments like this that made Charles grateful for the Ark. Humanity’s destructive tendencies had been halted, and Mother Nature was slowly healing under the Rapture’s mechanical thumb.

Turning his head, he saw the ever-enthusiastic Neon coo in awe at every sight and sound. Such childlike innocence… it reminded Charles of himself back when he was on his first mission. He too had been swept up in all the propaganda and brainwashing, just as the Central Government intended. But he survived the baptism of fire, igniting his disillusionment with the government, and Ark society in general. Still, for all his dark musings, Charles stuck to his job as gallantly as possible.

“Halt!” Product 08 raised a hand in the air as everyone stopped in their tracks. Crouching on one knee, she peered through the scope and surveyed the road ahead. “Raptures spotted ahead!”

Neon was about to step forward, only for Anis to quickly grab her wrist. “Get down!” The latter whispered to her.

“Get behind me, Commander!” Rapi urged Charles as she and Julia stood in front of him, guns pointed directly ahead.

Blood pumping in her veins, Neon took her shotgun and co*cked it. “Time to give them a taste of my—”

A wide-eyed Anis hastily covered Neon’s mouth with her hand. “Shhhhh! There’s an unwritten rule on the surface.” Her whispering was a little on the harsh side.

Neon gingerly lowered Anis’ hand. “What kind of rule…?”

It was as if all tension had dissipated upon uttering those words, replaced with a feeling of comical disbelief. Anis resisted the urge to smack her face, taking a breath to settle her nerves. “Let’s get this straight, Neon. You don’t blurt things out indiscriminately.”

“I-I understand.” She replied in a more subdued tone of voice. “Is this better?”

“Sure.” Anis accepted it, not wanting to drag things on for longer than possible.

Turning to face him, Neon slowly crept up to Charles as he and the others kept their eye on the patrolling Raptures. “I just thought of something,” Neon whispered out loud. “If the current running through the tracks is the problem, then why don’t you just put on a pair of rubber boots?”

Everyone was stunned by Neon’s proposition, and not in a good way. While they did understand where she was coming from, there was just one teeny tiny little problem with it…

“You do realize just how many volts are running through those tracks, Neon?” Shifty’s tone was very harsh. “The Commander will be burnt to a crisp!”

An amused smile formed on Charles’ face as he turned to Shifty. “I haven’t seen you this angry since I accidentally called you, my sister.” He mused out loud. “Don’t you remember that day, Sis?”

Shifty gave Charles the glare of a lifetime before turning back to Neon. “On second thought, I feel like your idea could work. Beginning preparations to send a pair of rubber boots to your location.”

“W-Wait a minute!” A now startled Charles realized the gravity of the situation. “C-Can’t we talk this out?!”

“Nope,” Shifty replied with a smug smile. “Enjoy the rest of the mission “brother”.” She promptly ended communications.

A stunned Charles held onto his phone in disbelief. His joke backfired on him big time. But surely Shifty knew he was just mucking around; they’ve had this song and dance multiple times in the past. Neon and Anis were snickering to themselves over the outcome, holding back their laughter to not attract the nearby Raptures.

All the while Rapi watched the trio in disbelief. Just what had she gotten into when she accepted being a part of Charles’ squad?

“Don’t worry.” She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder as Julia stood next to her. “You’ll get used to it.”

Returning a quick nod to the violinist, Rapi soon turned toward Product 08. The Mass-Produced NIKKE had kept her eye on the enemy the entire time, finger hovering over the trigger. If she needed to shoot, she’ll shoot. If she needed to fall back, she’ll fall back. yet she didn’t need to do either of those things.

“Raptures are leaving the area.” Her posture relaxed as she turned toward the group. “We can advance now.”

“Good.” Charles gently made his way to the front. “Let’s keep quiet and make our way to the control room.”

At his word, the group continued their trek down the ruined road. Soft crunches filled the air as they trod over broken glass and shards of scrap metal, with the group pausing at every noise. Though they were in the clear, that could change at any moment. The slightest of sounds could attract the Rapture’s attention, potentially sealing the group’s fate.

Nevertheless, they continued their march toward the cluster of houses. All while Neon soaked in the post-apocalyptic view. She cooed and gushed in awe at every sight, a chirpy “Wow!” escaping her lips every few seconds. Anis resisted the urge to clamp her hand over Neon’s mouth, whereas Julia watched the duo in amusem*nt. Such liveliness would make for an uplifting melody, after all.

Fortunately, they soon arrived at their destination. Several crumbling ruins of what were once houses, surrounded a small power station, one that was in better condition than they anticipated. The ever-cautious Rapi approached the station with her rifle trained, slowly creeping toward the door before pressing against it. Then in one swift motion, she kicked the door open and scanned the surrounding area.

To her relief, the place was abandoned.

“Coast is clear!” She reported to the group and they quickly followed her inside.

The interior was dank, dusty, and overall cluttered, but it wasn’t untraversable. Gingerly making his way to the control panel, Charles booted up his phone and switched on the feed once more.

“We’re at the control room, Shifty,” Charles reported. “Preparing to cut the power at your behest.”

“Roger that!” Shifty replied in a much cheerier tone than before. Thankfully she understood that the whole ‘sister’ thing was a joke…

A soft hum flowed from her mouth as she furiously typed away at the keyboard, her fingers working their magic. Mere moments later, she uttered a satisfied cheer before pressing the final key. “All good, Commander. Please insert the CombiLink into the control panel.”

Charles gingerly reached for the back of his phone and opened the panel. His fingers pulled out a small cable and he soon approached the panel. He carefully inserted the CombiLink into the port with a silent ‘click’ before backing away.

“The CombiLink’s been inserted, Shifty. Now it’s time to work your magic!” Charles reported back to her.

“Affirmative.” Shifty chimed as she got to work once more. She dug through the panel’s mainframe, bypassing whatever anti-virus wall had been installed into it. Manipulating old-school technology was a breeze for Shifty, one that never got old for her, funnily enough. So it was with a satisfied smile that she tapped the final few keys. “The power has been shut off. You can now take the line straight into the city center.”

“Thank you!” Charles beamed in satisfaction. “Now I won’t have to worry about rubber boots anymore.”

“But shouldn’t we find a pair just in case?” Neon chimed in. “I mean, what happens if we—”

“Forget the stupid boots, Neon!” Anis shot back in exasperation. “Shifty just said the power’s been shut down. Ergo, the Commander won’t be fried to a crisp.”

“True, but anything can happen you know…” Neon cheerfully sing-songed. “Just as how I always bring along extra ammunition, so too should the Commander keep a pair of rubber boots by his side.”

A grumbled sigh escaped Anis’ mouth. At this point, she’d have better luck talking to the brick wall. Still, things could’ve been wor—

*Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrr*

An all-too-familiar mechanical screech filled the air as everyone flinched on the spot.

“Raptures…” Charles mused quietly to himself before putting on a brave face. “Alright everyone, you know what to do!”

“Yes, Conductor.” Julia gave him a graceful bow before taking out her trusty violin-assault rifle hybrid. “When you’re ready.”

Charles turned to see that all his NIKKE were locked and loaded; Neon in particular was bristling with excitement. Finally… her first engagement on the surface. The Raptures will get a taste of her overwhelming firepower. Confident in his chances, he uttered the one word they’d been waiting for.

“Encounter.”

Chapter 8: EXTREME TUNNEL DESTROYER

Chapter Text

“Encounter!”

The singular word spurred the NIKKEs into action as they quickly took up defensive positions. Guns resting in their hands, they cautiously watched the horizon for their archnemesis. But they didn’t have to wait for long…

Clambering over a pile of rubble was a swarm of Beetles, their cores glowing a dim orange. Then, without warning they fired upon the NIKKEs. The group quickly ducked behind cover as bullets bounced off the chipped rubble. The chaotic, inaccurate gunfire did little to keep them pinned.

With steely determination, Rapi led the offensive and rushed out of cover, firing several bursts at the Beetles. Her accuracy was precise, scoring a kill with every burst. But the Beetles had numbers on their side. 30—no, 40—scratch that, 50 Beetles homed in on the heroes. It was an unrelenting wave of steel that dared to crash against the NIKKEs’ tiny outpost, a wave that sought their enemies' death at all cost.

“Anis!” Charles quickly called out to her. “Try to find some high ground and take them out. They’re all clustered in this small area.”

“Roger!” Anis quickly picked up Charles’ plan and, alongside Product 08, made a flanking maneuver toward an abandoned apartment complex. Noticing their comrade’s maneuvers, Neon and Julia offered suppressive fire to keep the Raptures’ attention on them. And it was working wonders.

The massive metal horde, reinforced by a couple dozen Scimitars, focused all their fire upon the remaining trio. It was an unrelenting bullet storm, with sparks and debris flying everywhere. Such a chaotic mess would drive anybody wild with fear, especially if this was their first time on the surface.

Julia knew that feeling all too well, having narrowly survived her baptism of fire years ago. As such, she was worried about how Neon was faring. But she’ll soon figure out that fear was the last thing on Neon’s mind.

“So the Raptures wish to show off their firepower…?” She mused to herself whilst reloading her shotgun. “Then it’s time for me to show them MY firepower!” A confident grin formed on her face.

In a flash, she leaped out of cover and rushed toward the metal horde, firing round after round of buckshot into her enemy. Neon effortlessly tore holes through the Rapture swarm, chunks of metal flying all over the place. Not to say the Raptures just stood there and took it; several of them turned to shoot down the NIKKE. But Neon was too fast for them, leaping from cover to cover before firing back at the horde.

And if things weren’t bad enough for the Raptures, their flank was soon struck by a series of explosions. For making herself comfortable in the apartment was Anis, firing several grenades at the enemy horde. As for Product 08, she focused her efforts on sniping the Scimitars, knowing full well of their supportive capabilities. One by one, the Scimitars were silenced with a single shot, their bodies crumpling onto the cracked pavement.

Things were looking up for the NIKKE; slowly but surely, the horde was whittled down by their relentless gunfire. Yet Rapi felt a slight flicker of unease in her heart; something was off about this…

“!”

She rolled to the side in time to avoid a few incoming bullets. Gazing through her scope, she found the source of the gunfire.

Bullwhips! An entire swarm of Bullwhips were homing on their location. Now the Raptures had aerial support on their side. This could be troublesome if not dealt with soon…

“Commander.” Rapi quickly turned her head toward Charles. “What’s your next course of action?”

Charles briefly turned to Julia, who gave him a nod of agreement before turning back to Rapi. “I’ll need you and Neon to cover Julia for a little while. I promise you, it’ll work out.”

Though not quite sure where he was going with this, Rapi was happy to take her chances and ran toward Neon’s side. With the bespectacled NIKKE now in the know, she eagerly reloaded her shotgun and fired at the swarm of Beetles.

All while Julia held her violin and began playing a solo to herself. But this wasn’t an ordinary solo… this one had an astonishing power, fueled by her love of music and her Commander. Her skilled fingers danced in tune with her bow as the sound of music flowed within the area. The Raptures were oblivious to her playing, a fact they’ll come to sorely regret.

“And now for the climax…” Julia mused to herself as her playing picked up in tempo. A warm, yellow glow soon enveloped her instrument as a great power formed within. Then, at her feaver pitch, Julia finished the song with a flourish.

A stream of musical notes made of pure energy flew out the barrel of her rifle and homed in on the Bullwhips. They barely had any time to react before they were struck, exploding into thousands of tiny little pieces.

This final attack shattered the Raptures’ morale, causing the survivors to beat a hasty retreat. Once they were sure the enemy was out of sight, the NIKKE promptly exited combat mode.

“Enemy Neutralized.” Shifty reported as Anis and Product 08 soon returned to the group. “The road is all clear!”

A sigh of relief escaped Neon’s mouth. “Phew… talk about a workout.” She wiped her brow with her hand.

“I’ve gotta admit, I was a little worried about you Neon…” Anis soon spoke up. “But you handled yourself remarkably well for a first-timer.”

Pride soon overcame the bespectacled NIKKE. “Do you really think I’d lose to the Raptures' pitiful firepower?” She co*cked her shotgun in a display of power. “The bigger the better, that’s what I say!”

“But wouldn’t that make things unbalanced?” Anis tilted her head in inquiry.

Neon wasn’t fazed by her words in the slightest. “Think about it. The only thing standing between us and our enemy is our weapons. If I end up unbalanced in my pursuit of firepower, then that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“I see…” Was all Anis could say as an exasperated expression formed on her face.

Neon soon turned her attention to Julia, enthusiasm brimming in her gaze. “That was incredible back there!” Her hands promptly clasped the violinist’s hands. “You’ve got to teach me how to do it!”

“Ah… it’s not that simple.” A slightly bewildered expression formed on Julia’s delicate face as she glanced to the side. “It’s a special power. One that represents…” Her cheeks flared up briefly before she silenced herself. “I’d rather keep quiet about it.”

“It’s alright, Julia.” Charles walked up to her and gently wrapped his arm around her. “There’s nothing wrong with keeping tight-lipped about your gift.”

“C-Conductor…” His warm embrace only caused Julia’s blush to intensify.

Neon briefly glanced at the Commander as if mulling over something in her mind. But she chose not to bring it up right now. With a confident stride in her step, she made her way to the front of the squad.

“Alright everyone, follow me!” She briefly raised her shotgun in the air. “Firepower wins the day; hip hip hooray!” The bespectacled NIKKE promptly walked off down the cracked road.

“That’s not the right way, Miss Neon!” Product 08 quickly followed her in hot pursuit. Anis and Rapi gave each other a quick gaze before following behind the duo.

“She’s such a cheery soul, isn’t she?” Charles spoke about Neon to Julia. “In this day and age, we could use more people like her.”

“Mhm.” Julia hummed in agreement as Charles extended his hand toward her.

“Shall we hold ha—”

*clap*

Julia grabbed his hand without a word before pressing herself against his body. Her warm orange eyes gazed affectionately at him, with Charles returning the affection twofold. Smiling to themselves, the duo followed behind their comrades at a slow and steady pace.

0000

“Shifty.” Rapi spoke to the phone. “How close are we to the power station?”

“At the pace you’re going, you’ll arrive in an hour or so.” Shifty answered in a dutiful tone.

“Considering that place could be crawling with Raptures, we can’t just waltz in there like we own the place.” Anis commented out loud while resting a hand on her hip. “They could be having a housewarming party, for all we know, and I don’t wanna end up as an entrée.”

“I mean, it could be worse.” Charles spoke up from the back with a toothy grin. “They could be hosting an org—”

“Moving on…” Shifty shot Charles a soft glare to keep him quiet. “The reports recovered indicate that the power station resumed operation just a few months ago. If recovered, it can provide up to two months' worth of resources.”

Two months' worth of resources?! No wonder the Central Government wanted this power station reclaimed. But how could it still be operational? There certainly couldn’t be a small population of humans residing on the surface, right? The Raptures would’ve hunted them down if that was the case.

“Stay on your toes, everyone. There have been several attempts to investigate the station in the past, but we’ve discovered nothing so far.” Shifty warned the group.

“I’ve heard that one of the investigations involved a large contingent of troops. Yet none of them came back, and it’s unknown what happened to them.” Anis chimed in out of the blue.

“I can think of one possibility…” A grim look overcame Charles's face as he recalled a particular detail of this mission.

Warning: previous reports have indicated that the Tyrant-class Rapture Grave Digger has been sighted within the area. Under no circ*mstances are you to engage in combat against it.

The Grave Digger… one of the nastiest Tyrants out there; a harmonious combination of speed and power. It was the last thing he wanted to face today.

“That aside, the requisition of this station would be beneficial to the Ark.” Rapi gently steered the conversation away from the morbid direction it was heading. “As Shifty mentioned, it could provide up to two months worth of resources. It’s little wonder the Ark views it with such importance.”

“Yet not important enough to send more than five NIKKEs to reclaim it.” Anis offered a cheeky rebuttal.

“Do you intend on bowing out of this operation, Anis?” Rapi raised an eyebrow in response.

The former was quickly caught off-guard by the question. “N-N-No…” She hastily replied.

“Then I suggest you think before you speak.” Rapi lightly scolded her.

“I mean, is Anis in the wrong here?” Charles interjected in Anis’ favor. “She raises a fair point, why is our force so small despite the mission’s importance?”

Yet Rapi was able to quickly formulate an answer. “The exact mission wasn’t to recapture the power station, but to investigate it.” She corrected her Commander. “You don’t need an army’s worth of NIKKE to investigate. If anything, smaller numbers work in our favor.”

Charles wanted to respond, but he knew that Rapi was right on the money. You don’t need a lot of troops to scout out a location. As a matter of fact…

“Shifty!” Charles asked the bubbly operator. “Is there a sewer system nearby?”

“I’ll give the area a quick scan. Just give me a minute or so.” Shifty gave him a thumbs-up before clacking away at her keyboard.

“Commander…” Anis had a curious look in her eyes. “Where are you going with this?”

“Think about it. There are only two ways we can proceed from here, going through the front door, or infiltrating from behind.” Charles began. “Now, the front door would involve a fair amount of combat—”

“Say no more!” Neon eagerly chimed in whilst loading her shotgun. “Just point me in the right direction and I’ll—”

“Hold, Neon!” Charles quickly called out to her. “Now, we could go in through the front door. But I’m sure we’re not in the mood to get into another battle.”

An amused snort escaped Anis’ mouth. “No offense, Commander. but what do you have to complain about?” She folded her arms over her ample bosom. “I mean you’re all nice and comfy in the rear while we’re doing all the fighting. Think you can handle that? It’s a lot better than the raw deal we’re getting—”

“That’s enough!” Everyone present turned to see Julia of all people glaring at Anis. Seeing the usually tranquil violinist shoot daggers at her comrade was a little unnerving, to say the least. “I don’t know what your last Commander was like, but my Conductor’s different! He’d never treat you in such a manner!”

“Julia…” Charles attempted to defuse the situation, only to feel her gently grab at his jacket.

“You’ve helped me find my soul, my love of music once more.” Her eyes began to water. “I…” She buried her face into his chest. “I can’t bear the thought of someone dragging your name through the mud!”

“Julia…” Charles gingerly embraced the NIKKE. “I appreciate your kind words. Truly, I do. There’s nothing I strive for more than to see you smile…” His hand gently rubbed her back. “But Anis wasn’t singling me out in particular. She was just venting about the unfair system that’s holding you two back.” Charles’ other hand drifted to Julia’s chin and cradled it. “It’s alright, Julia. I’m not upset, honest.”

“Y-You sure…?” Her lip quivered as Charles gave her a quick nod and wiped her cheeks. Taking a few breaths to compose herself, Julia turned her head toward Anis. “My apologies.”

“No, I should be the one apologizing. I kinda took things a little too far.” Anis offered an apology in return.

Seeing that things were starting to improve, Charles turned to face Rapi. “No need to report this incident of ‘insubordination’, Rapi.”

“Understood,” Rapi replied with the faintest glimmers of relief in her tone. Not that Charles could blame her for being happy; insubordinate NIKKE were often punished via execution, something the more nefarious Commanders happily exploited.

“Ok, the scan’s been completed.” The all-too-familiar voice of Shifty was a welcome relief after such a tense moment. “I can happily confirm that there is a nearby sewer that leads into the power plant.”

“Excellent!” A bright smile formed on Charles’ face as he received the data and turned to Product 08. “Change of plans. Please guide us to the sewers.”

“Affirmative!” Product 08 happily saluted the Commander as he gave her the digital map. Giving it a quick look over, she gestured for the group to follow her.

“I’ll explain my plan along the way.” Charles gingerly wrapped his arm around Julia as he gestured Rapi, Anis and Neon to follow him. The former two gave each other a quick glance before they hastily followed the Commander.

0000

“…and that’s the gist of my plan,” Charles informed the group as they all arrived at a large drainpipe nestled in the side of the hill. “Since we don’t have the numbers for an assault, our best option would be to sneak inside.”

“So you want us to climb into this thing?” Anis double-checked with Charles with some slight apprehension in her tone.

“It may not be the nicest way to enter the station, but it’ll certainly be the safest.” He shot her a reassuring smile before inspecting the drainpipe himself. It looked more than sturdy enough to hold its weight as they crawled through, but there was one teeny, tiny problem… the opening was blocked by debris.

“Damn it!” Charles's lips curled in a disappointed grimace. “The pipe’s blocked with debris. We’ll have to find another way in.”

“That won’t be necessary…” A determined gleam shone in Neon’s eyes as she stepped forward. “We’ll dig our way through!”

Charles tilted his head in inquiry. “With what, our firepower?”

His words further fuelled the bespectacled NIKKE. “Yes, exactly!” She was excitedly trembling, fingers clutching her shotgun as if it were a lifeline.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Anis inquired with a weary glance. “It’ll be awfully loud after all.”

“I’m more than confident we won’t attract any attention.” Charles confidently lifted his phone. “Shifty, are there any Raptures in the area?”

“Not at all.” She beamed brightly at him. “The Raptures have totally disregarded this area.”

That was all the confirmation he needed. “Then let us dig through this debris as a—”

“Wait just a minute!” Neon interrupted him. “Let me handle this on my own.”

“But we’ll be faster as a group—” Rapi attempted to interject.

“Trust me on this!” The bespectacled NIKKE quickly rebutted before pointing her shotgun at the debris. Then, with a flick of her finger…

*bang, bang, bang, bang*

She fired round after round of buckshot at the pile, blowing off chunks of rubble. Her breathing was ragged as her eyes gleamed with childlike joy. Finally… she found a problem she could solve with pure firepower. It was as though she was floating on Cloud Nine at this very moment.

But alas, all good things must come to an end…

*crumble*

“Ahh…” Neon sighed in satisfaction as the debris crumbled before her eyes.

“All wreckage has been cleared. You may now enter the drainpipe.” Shifty reported cheerily at the group.

“Thank you.” Charles chimed back before turning to face Neon. “And a very special thank you for your optimal use of firepower.”

“No kidding. That was amazing!” Anis gushed in admiration.

A confident huff escaped the bespectacled NIKKE’s mouth. “As I’ve always believed, there’s nothing that firepower can’t solve!” Neon soon turned to face Charles. “Your unyielding support was exactly what I needed, Master!”

“Master…?” Charles tilted his head in confusion.

“You’re like a wise old master well-versed in the art of Firepower!” She got on her knee and knelt before Charles. “As your diligent and devoted student, I look forward to learning more from you!”

“And I’m looking forward to errr… t-teaching you.” Charles sheepishly chuckled in return, utterly bewildered by what was going on. “A-Anyway, let’s begin our infiltration.” He hoped to redirect the conversation back on track. “Product 08, Rapi. You’ll be leading the way. The rest of you will—”

“Wait, Conductor!” Julia quickly reached out to Charles. “Let me go in front of you. I vow to protect you with every fibre of my being.”

“Julia…” Charles began quietly.

“If anything were to happen to you. I…” Julia quickly shook the negative thoughts away before shooting a determined gaze at the Commander. “As your muse, it’ll be my honor to protect you.”

“Well, who am I to reject such passion?” Charles gently caressed Julia’s soft chin as the latter’s cheeks flared red with embarrassment. “In that case, I’ll let you go in front of me.” He turned back to Anis and Neon. “Will you two be alright in the rear?”

“Yep. You’ll get no complaints from me!” Anis shot him a toothy smile.

“As you say, Master!” Neon eagerly saluted him, much to Rapi’s chagrin.

“Please show a little decorum when addressing the Commander…” She sighed in exasperation whilst preparing herself for what was to come.

0000

The sewers were awfully cramped, so much so that the group of six were forced to crawl on their hands and knees. And the darkness was an added layer of annoyance; not even Product 08’s in-built flashlight was enough to fully illuminate the area. so they were forced to stick together like sardines in a can, squirming through this cramped space.

That alone was awkward enough for Charles, but what made things even more awkward was that he was staring directly at Julia’s ass. Admittedly, it was a very nice ass; round and firm and perfectly suited for her slender frame, but he felt a little guilty for essentially ogling her. And it wasn’t as if he could fully avert his gaze, as he needed to see where he was going.

Perhaps it would’ve been better had he been at the fro—

“Phew, it stinks to high heaven here!” Neon chimed from right behind the Commander.

That was the final source of the awkwardness, the repugnant odor. Even though said sewer system hadn’t been used in ages, it still reeked of decay and refuse.

“If there aren’t any people here, then how come it smells so bad?!” Anis exclaimed from behind Neon.

“That’s what I want to know as well.” Charles replied in agreement.

“Because it’s a drainpipe, you two.” Rapi answered their question with little emotion. “All sorts of stuff builds up in here.”

“Hrrrk…” Neon quickly covered her mouth. “I think I’m going to throw up…”

“Then turn off your olfactory sensor.” Rapi quickly suggested. “It’ll help with the nausea.”

Yet Neon was hesitant to do so. “But I feel less of a human if I do that…” She winced whilst the group continued crawling through the dank drainpipe.

“Y-You’re not serious, are you?” Anis chuckled in disbelief from behind.

“In my heart, I’m a human!” Neon’s firm resolve was heartwarming to Charles. It was refreshing to see a NIKKE rebel against the Ark’s institutionalized racism, no matter how minor said rebellion may be.

“Well good for you. As for me, I’m turning mine off.” Anis gently pressed down on her nose before breathing a sigh of relief. “Ahhh… that’s much better.”

“Commander, are you alright?” Rapi briefly turned her head back toward Charles.

“O-Oh yeah, I'm perfectly peachy!” Charles gave her a thumbs-up in return.

An amused snicker escaped Anis’ mouth. “I’d watch what I’d say if I were you. You’re in Julia’s ‘line of fire’ if you know what I mean.”

He knew exactly what she meant and gave her a confirmatory nod. After all, it would be incredibly awkward if he got in her line of fire after all. Though it did make him ponder over just how soft and pillowy—

“I must admit, I never anticipated I’d be crawling through a drain today.” Neon mused out loud. “Most Commanders prefer confrontational tactics, throwing NIKKEs at the enemy as though they were pawns.”

“Tactics my ass! They’re just too lazy to come up with anything different!” Anis scoffed in contempt. “Those assholes think they’re God's gift to mankind. Meanwhile, they throw a massive tantrum whenever a single speck of dust gets on their uniform!” She turned her head and spat in the water. “It makes me sick…”

“If I have to play devil’s advocate this one time…” Charles spoke up as he turned his head to Anis. “It’s not as if we were taught anything other than basic assault tactics. There’s no course for infiltration, no course for managing logistics, not even a simple lesson on boosting a NIKKE’s morale.” His disdain over the Ark’s military bureaucracy was as plain as day. “And even then the course barely covers the basics, it’s little more than government-sponsored brainwashing!”

“That explains so much…” Anis digested Charles's words. “No offense, Commander, but I’m surprised you’ve turned out the way you are.”

His eyes flickered melancholically for a few moments. “I wasn’t always like this. In the beginning, I was no better than the Commanders that you rightfully voice your disdain for. I was arrogant and used my NIKKEs recklessly. But as I survived my first few missions, things started clicking in my mind…” Charles’ voice was quiet and composed. “I realized that I needed to treat my NIKKEs better and that I couldn’t rely on what the Academy had “taught” me. That was when I first met Julia—”

“Halt!” Product 08 stopped in place and gestured at the others to stop.

Charles, who had been gazing to the side didn’t stop in time. He bumped straight into something… soft. Incredibly soft. Like so soft he could fall asleep right there and then.

“C-Conductor…” The flustered mewls of Julia rang in his ears as it suddenly dawned on Charles. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself buried in Julia’s round backside.

*giggles* “To think you’d be this forward, Commander…” Anis chimed from behind as she stifled the urge to laugh out loud.

An immense burst of embarrassment coursed throughout Charles’ chest as he quickly reared his head back. “S-Sorry Julia!” He hastily blurted out.

Yet the equally embarrassed managed to keep her composure. “It’s alright, my Conductor.” She flashed a warm smile that complimented her rosy-red cheeks. “Just ask me next time you wish to perform that kind of duet.”

Her last statement caused Charles to pause for a moment. Was Julia ready to go that far right now? They weren’t an official couple yet, and he knew how taboo Human-NIKKE relationships were. But perhaps she wasn’t ready for that just yet and merely teased it to help ease the tension from before.

Those thoughts can be answered another time, they have a mission to complete…

“Do you see anything, Product 08?” Charles inquired.

“I see light, Commander. We must be in the station.” She reported back to the group.

Overwhelming sighs of relief escaped from Neon and Anis upon hearing the news. “Finally… we can get out of this dump.”

“Indeed.” Charles turned back to the front. “Let’s move out.”

It was on his orders that the group slowly emerged from the sewers and into the station. The stark contrast in scenery was a welcome sight to behold; gone were the dank and grimy walls of the drainpipe. In their place were pristine white walls ordained with various flickering lights and even a few small panels. In fact, it looked too pristine for Charles’ liking, as if this place… was still occupied.

“Be on guard, everyone.” He whispered to his squad. “Keep your voice down and walk as quietly as possible.”

“Affirmative,” Rapi replied with a whisper as she and Product 08 led the way once more. Walking down the long corridors was incredibly nerve-wracking; Charles felt as though he was being watched. But from where? And he could swear he was hearing the faintest of noises in the distance.

The noise of a drill burrowing through solid rock…

“Keep it together, Charles…” He whispered to himself. “Y-You’re just hearing things.”

Julia, sensing her Conductor’s discomfort, reached for his hand and gently squeezed it. The firm yet comforting sensation put a smile on his face, with Charles gently squeezing Julia’s hand in return. The message was clear; everything would be alright as long as they were together—

“Halt.” Rapi gently called to the group. “We’ve arrived at the control room. But there are Raptures nearby.”

Pressing themselves against the wall, the group peered around the corner and saw… Raptures operating the terminals? Over a dozen Pelicans were crowded around the various monitors and terminals, typing away at the keys with what could be considered their hands. Yet there wasn’t any random button mashing, there was precision to their typing, almost as if they knew what they were doing.

This was an alarming sight to behold. Charles knew that the Raptures were more than just dumb brutes to be slaughtered. They were capable of basic thinking and strategizing. But for them to know how to operate human technology…?

“Product 08, I need you to take a few photos of the area. Be sure to turn the flash off.” He whispered to the sniper.

She gave him a quick nod and took out her small camera. Getting into a comfortable, well-hidden position. Product 08 took a few photos of the Raptures and the terminals. Every single ‘click’ caused Charles’ nerves to flare up. For they could get caught at any moment…

But fortunately for them, that wasn’t the case. Satisfied with the amount she took, Product 08 handed over the camera to Charles. He looked over all the photos she had taken as the true scale of the Rapture’s expertise dawned on him.

“They’ve been keeping this place running…” He muttered whilst scrolling through the photos.

Anis was taken aback by what she had just heard. “H-How do Raptures know how to use human technology?!” She whispered harshly.

“I don’t know, but we must report this as soon as possible.” Charles handed the camera back to Product 08. “We’ve completed our investigation. Now to escape this place back through the sewers…” His voice grew weary upon mentioning the sewers.

“Not necessarily.” Product 08 brought up her in-built radar which depicted a rough map of the local. “We passed by an emergency escape on the way here. We can go through here and enter the abandoned train tracks.”

“Well, you won’t hear any complaints from me.” Anis chimed in relief. No more stinky sewers for her, just the way she liked it.

“In that case, let’s fall back.” Charles gave the order with the group beating a swift yet quiet retreat. They walked briskly down the halls, keeping to the shadows and avoiding any patrolling Raptures in their area. All the while Product 08 kept a close eye on her radar to not get lost. The short, albeit tense escape concluded when, to everyone’s relief, they found the emergency exit. They opened the door and quickly ran down the flight of stairs before hopping onto a nearby train cart. Charles flicked on the motor as it uttered a low *groan* before slowly lurching forward.

Success! It was still in somewhat working condition. Relieved, Charles took a seat on the cart and took the time to catch his breath. He’d done it; he completed a very challenging mission under a precarious situation. And though it didn’t completely wash away his previous failure, it helped ease the pain a little.

His NIKKE followed in his lead and took a rest atop the moving cart, kicking their feet in the air and enjoying their well-earned rest.

“I’ve received your photos, Commander Alvinczi.” Shifty’s cheery tone pierced through the silence. “To think that the Raptures know how to use human technology…”

“It’s an uncomfortable thought, Shifty. Who knows what they’re truly capable of…” Charles muttered in return. “Make sure to send them to Deputy Chief Andersen as soon as possible.”

“Right awa—” Shifty’s voice was suddenly drowned out by a blaring alarm from her end. She quickly turned to investigate, a frown quickly forming on her face. “Tyrant-class Rapture heading in your direction! I repeat! A Tyrant-class Rapture is heading toward yo—”

*Crumble*

*WHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!*

The nearby rock wall suddenly crumbled as an imposing figure barreled toward them. It had a long, serpentine body around a hundred meters long, and was made up of various high-powered drills. Its head was one massive drill protected by a sturdy carapace.

Charles resisted the urge to swear at the sight before him. He was staring down a Grave Digger, one of the most feared Tyrant-class Raptures.

“Tyrant-Class detected.” Rapi remained unflinching before the overpowering monstrosity, taking out her rifle and aiming at the serpentine monster. “Encounter!”

All five NIKKE quickly got into position behind whatever leftover scrap metal was strewn across the cart. It would do little against a Grave Digger, but it was better than nothing.

Charles quickly snapped into action and nestled in a safe space between Rapi & Julia, watching as they fired at the Grave Digger. Their bullets pinged off the carapace like flies hitting a window, barely phasing the Grave Digger. But they were keeping it from approaching the cart, and that was all that mattered. It was then that Charles noticed a gap in the carapace, with various drills and rotors exposed. And it got him thinking…

“Anis, Neon! Aim for the exposed drills.” He issued an order to the duo.

“Loud and clear!” Anis gave him a thumbs-up before firing a few grenades at the exposed machinery.

*Bang, bang, bang!*

The Grave Digger uttered what could only be a pained screech as its head was slammed into the rock wall. Its entire body contorted for a few moments before it regained its composure. It continued to barrel toward the heroes before lifting its head in the air. Its “eyes” began glowing as high-pitched beeps filled the air.

Those beeps could only mean one thing…

“Run!” Charles urgently called out to his squad right as the Grave Digger slammed its head into the cart. Julia, Anis, Neon & Product 08 narrowly avoided the massive drill, yet Rapi’s leg got caught between the gears and was slowly being pulled inside. With a sharp, “Rapi!” Charles ran up to her and, with her combat knife, hastily severed Rapi’s head. He then backed away with barely a handful of seconds to spare as Rapi’s body was quickly mulched by the Grave Digger.

“You bastard!!” Anis angrily snarled at the Rapture before firing a relentless barrage of grenades at the Grave Digger. Pained whirrs escaped the monstrosity as it thrashed all over the place in agony until—

*Ka-boom!*

An explosion blew off the Tyrant’s protective carapace, its massive drill now exposed. All around him, Charles watched scrap metal clatter onto the cart, his arms firmly gripping Rapi’s head. He knew that so long as her brain was intact, a NIKKE could be revived. He just had to protect it like a dragon protecting its horde.

*Pftew, pftew*

The Grave Digger fired a series of drills from its body at the heroes. The rotating heads spun at dangerous speeds while they whizzed through the air. But Julia wasn’t fazed in the slightest; standing in front of Charles to protect him, she fired burst after burst of rifle fire at the incoming drills. And her aim was as precise as a well-crafted sonnet.

She shot down the incoming drills with ease, enabling the other NIKKE to fire at the massive drill. Neon in particular, was giving it her 100%, firing round after round of buckshot into the serpentine monster. But it wasn’t quite enough to deal with it for good…

“Looks like I’ll have to put the ‘fire’ in firepower…” She muttered to herself before bringing out her trump card. Dragon’s Breath shotgun shells, for that extra bit of ‘oomph’. Hastily loading her shotgun. Neon aimed at the Grave Digger and fired a few rounds into its drill.

The shells did little damage to the Tyrant, but the incendiary chemicals ignited its body. soon a monstrous flame engulfed the Grave Digger’s drill as it thrashed about in unrelenting agony, crashing into the walls with reckless abandon.

Charles winced at this development; if this kept up, then the power station could collapse on top of them. He needed to act fast if he wanted everyone to escape this nightmare aliv—

“!” He suddenly noticed a fork in the road, the left track leading away from the station. Hastily running to the front, he put all his weight in steering the cart toward the left. And it worked…

The cart switched onto the left track and sped down the slope with the Grave Digger in hot pursuit. By now, the fire had done so much damage to the drill that it crumbled into hunks of metal. The Tyrant’s chassis was exposed… as was its core.

“Product 08. I need you to charge up a shot and aim at the core. A single shot should end this beast!” Charles gave the order.

“Roger!” The sniper got into position and began charging her rifle. But the Grave Digger wouldn’t go down that easily; its now lighter body reaching eye-popping speeds. It reared its head and slammed it down multiple times in an attempt to kill its prey. Yet its now smaller head kept on missing the cart by mere inches, kicking up rock and dust into the air. Frustrated, it reared its head up one last time to deliver the killing blow, unaware that it opened the way to its demise.

“Fire!” Product 08 fired her shot at the Grave Digger’s core, shattering it with ease. An agonized screech escaped the Grave Digger as several small explosions rocked its entire body. It lurched toward the heroes before slumping onto the ground, its head exploding mere seconds later.

But even as they watched it die, the heroes were still on edge. Their hearts were pumping like crazy. Was it all over? Were they safe for the time being? These questions and more lingered in their minds as the cart rumbled down the track.

0000

Upon stepping above ground, Charles turned his head back and saw that, to his relief. The station was still intact. His decision to steer the cart saved their lives and the mission. But at this stage, he couldn’t care less about the latter.

Gazing into his arms, he saw that the light in Rapi’s eyes had begun to dim. They needed to return to the Ark as soon as possible, Raptures be damned.

“Shifty!” Charles spoke into his operation device. “I need you to set up a stasis chamber for Rapi ASAP!”

“Roger!” Shifty quickly typed up the request via email before sending it. “From your position, the Ark’s only half an hour away.”

“That’s fine by me.” The Commander gave her a small, slightly weary smile before hanging up. Turning to his squad, he gestured at them to follow him through the derelict streets once again. Even with the minor setback he encountered, the mission was a smashing success. So surely he and his squad would get some time to rest and recover, right?

Chapter 9: Welcome to the Outpost

Chapter Text

*Tick, tick, tick*

The clock nestled above Charles ticked quietly as he waited outside Andersen’s office. He and his squad made it back without any hassles and immediately retired for the night. The young Commander had hoped for a longer respite, but the text urged him to come as soon as possible.

Had he done something wrong? The station was still standing and the Grave Digger was destroyed, so that couldn’t be the case. Perhaps it had to do with what he and his squad saw in the power station. It was an unusual sight, after all; nobody had ever reported about Raptures using human technology. Yeah… that’s all this was, some harmless speculation followed by some congratulations.

“You may come in…”

Charles calmly got up from his seat and entered the office, where he saw Andersen finishing off a report.

“Thank you for coming…” Andersen’s tone carried a melancholic undertone, something Charles found unusual. True, he wasn’t as upbeat as Mustang, but Andersen was usually calm and composed. Though it could just as easily be Charles hearing something that wasn’t there; he didn’t get the best night’s sleep after all.

“No problem,” Charles replied as cheerily as he could without being over the top. “It wasn’t an easy mission, I must admit.”

“It was one of the hardest missions out there. Ten entire squads have attempted it, yet all of them failed.” Andersen turned his attention to the Commander. “Some had to retreat after sustaining heavy casualties, whereas others succumbed to the Grave Digger. There were even talks of abandoning the mission altogether…” The older man gave Charles a forced smile. “But you passed with flying colors.”

“With the Grave Digger eliminated, we can now send a squad or two to take out the Raptures occupying the station.” Charles’ tone heightened in enthusiasm. “That’s two months’ worth of resources right there!”

“The Ark’s always in need of more resources. Your efforts yesterday have eased those tensions considerably…” The Deputy Chief continued in the same unenthused tone as before.

By now, Charles’ suspicions were sufficiently piqued. “Is something the matter, Andersen?” He inquired out of concern. “Surely this is a momentous occasion for us all.”

His face contorted into a pained expression as he fought back the urge to say what he had to say. But the higher-ups forced this upon him, forced him to essentially stab a trusted comrade in the back…

*sigh* Andersen took a deep breath to settle his nerves. “It pains me to say this, Commander Alvinczi…” His gaze burrowed into the young man’s soul. “But you are hereby banished.”

“Banished? Banished!” Charles initially brushed it off as a joke, chuckling heartily to himself. “Oh, I never took you as a prankster, Andersen!”

Yet Charles’ laughter slowly died down as Andersen’s expression remained as stony as ever. He wasn’t joking around…? But why? Surely, he and his NIKKE performed admirably yesterday. So what was all this about?

“Y-You’re serious…?” Charles inquired with the Deputy Chief giving him a quick nod. “But I thought I did a good job.” A realization soon dawned on the Commander. “A-Am I being punished for failing the rescue mission back then?”

“It’s got nothing to do with that mission,” Andersen reassured Charles as best he could. “Word of your dreams has reached the higher-ups within the Central Government. Out of ignorance and fear, they’ve ordered that you be banished.”

This completely caught Charles off-guard. “But you said there was nothing to worry about!”

“And I still maintain that opinion, it’s nothing but a harmless dream.” Andersen’s tone was unflinching. “But I’m in the minority. The Central Government fears that these dreams could serve as a way for her to invade the Ark, especially if they were dreamt by a veteran Commander like you.”

Things didn’t sound right to Charles. Were the Central Government so paranoid that they feared this dream above all else? Who even was she to warrant such fear within them?!

“Andersen…” Charles began. “Who is the Lady in the Mirror?”

Andersen’s face grew grim upon hearing that question. “She is the very reason humanity’s trapped in the Ark.” His answer was brief but to the point. “Her power is beyond that of a Tyrant-class Rapture…”

“!” Charles flinched upon hearing Andersen’s answer. There was only one thing that surpassed a Tyrant in terms of sheer power…

A Heretic.

“Back to the topic at hand…” Andersen expertly shifted the conversation. “You and your squad will be banished to the Outpost. Of course, that’ll include Rapi after her repairs are completed.”

Charles had heard of the Outpost before. It was intended to be a go-between the Ark and the surface. However, the excavations dug too close to the surface, resulting in the occasional Rapture entering the place. As such, further plans for it were abandoned.

“Things aren’t all doom and gloom, though.” Andersen’s voice interrupted Charles’ musing. “I was able to pull some strings and secure some resources for you and your NIKKEs, as well as a few Mass-Produced NIKKEs to guard the place. It may not be much, but it’s all I could muster.”

“Thank you, sir.” Charles thanked him. For even if he had been banished, it was uplifting to see that Andersen still had his back.

“If I had it my way, you wouldn’t be in this situation.” The Deputy Chief brushed off Charles’ thanks. “That is all.”

With a dejected nod, Charles quietly made his way out of Andersen’s office. His mood was noticeably dourer than before; he was being punished for something out of his control. Not even Andersen’s offer of support was enough to cheer him up. But it wasn’t just him who was punished, but his NIKKE. The mental image of their distraught expressions was enough to make him sick to his stomach.

The Commander was so stuck in his train of thought that he completely ignored Ingrid as she passed by. Taking note of his expression, the CEO promptly entered Andersen’s office and was met by the equally dour Deputy Chief.

“So you’ve broke the news to him…” Ingrid broke the ice.

“It was like watching your childhood pet get euthanized.” Andersen bitterly replied before glancing at her. “The Central Government has gone too far this time.”

“While I do agree with your overall sentiment, I can’t say I’m surprised over this.” The CEO gently reclined against the wall. “Had it been any other Heretic, they would’ve just brushed it off. But it had to have been her…”

Andersen wasn’t quite ready to delve further into that particular topic. “How goes the investigation?”

“I was just about to report my findings.” Ingrid handed a manila folder over to Andersen. “I’ve completed my inspection on every NIKKE under Elysion; none of them are corrupted.” She blinked a few times before folding her arms. “I’ve also sent requests to Tetra and Missilis to follow my lead.”

“And?” Andersen pressed her.

“Mustang was more than happy to follow suit and is beginning his own investigation…” Ingrid’s tone soon grew lower as frustration seeped into her voice. “Syuen on the other hand hasn’t responded. And I highly doubt she’ll go through with it.”

A weary sigh escaped Andersen’s mouth. Leave it to Syuen to be as difficult in such a critical situation…

“If you’re still this sullen over Commander Alvinczi’s banishment, then look at it this way.” Ingrid shot the older man a glance. “He’s now out of the sight of the all-seeing Central Government.”

That perked his mood considerably. In their blind panic, the Central Government sent their best Commander to a place where they held no control over him. And if he was out of their grasp, then he’d be free from the corruption that plagued the heart of the Ark.

“Thank you, Ingrid.” A small smile returned to Andersen’s chiseled face. “You have a way with words.”

“Don’t mention it.” Ingrid’s tone eased up a little. “There’s one more thing I wish to discuss with you?”

She folded her arms underneath her chest. “It’s about the Raptures at the station. I’ve spent all night pondering over their actions, yet I can’t make heads or tails of it. Why now of all times are they attempting to operate human technology?”

“Could it be they’re evolving?” Andersen offered his two cents, unsure of what the Raptures’ endgame was.

“Who knows?” Ingrid was at a complete loss as well. “I could only come up with two possibilities. They either want to wipe out humanity…” Her tone grew deathly serious. “…or they want to replace us.”

The Outpost

The Outpost…

What was once meant to be a base of operations for future missions on the surface is now reduced to a ghost town. Though calling it a ghost town would be generous.

The place was a complete dump; barely more livable than the ruined buildings strewn atop the surface. Arguably the only exceptions were the NIKKE’s dormitory and the Command Center. Needless to say, nobody was impressed by what they were looking at…

“What is this place?” Anis inquired as the group of five stepped into the Outpost’s perimeter.

“It’s where we’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.” Charles tried to be as upbeat as possible, yet the NIKKEs easily saw through this façade.

“I’ve heard about the Outpost.” Neon’s eyes twinkled behind her glasses. “It’s where the elite of the elite prepare for their next daring miss—”

“Pffft.” Anis resisted the urge to laugh. “Daring mission my ass. The Central Government ditched this place as soon as things took the smallest turn for the worst.” She scoffed in annoyance. “Yet they certainly had no problem banishing us here even though we completed their stupid mission.”

“It does blow that we got the shortest stick of the entire bundle. More so since their reasoning was pitiful.” Charles turned to face his NIKKE. “But at least we have the entire place to ourselves.”

“Ah yes, we have the entirety of this wasteland to ourselves.” Anis shot a smart-ass grin at her Commander. “We’ve got the dirt-brown fields, the mud-brown corner, and the dried-up lake. I call dibs on the lake.”

“It’s not as bad as you may believe…” Julia chimed in. “Where there is misery, lies the glimmer of hope. For even a place this depressing may give birth to something beautiful.” The violinist glanced toward the two remaining buildings. “There. They may hold out glimmer of hope.”

“Well, we may as well have a quick look while we’re here.” Charles gestured for his group to follow him down the half-built roads. All around them lay large plots of land; old signs of what this place was meant to be. But maybe… just maybe there was hope for the Outpost. For if this was going to be his new home, Charles may as well give it some sorely needed renovations.

“Looks like this is it.” Charles stopped a few feet from the entrance to what he assumed was a dormitory. On the surface, it looked reasonable enough. The building was around three stories tall and large enough to theoretically house several dozen NIKKE. Additionally, there was also a bronze plaque on the door that was worn out from age. “Welcome to the ….’s dormitory.”

He gazed at it momentarily before something sparked in his mind. Something that made Charles smack himself in frustration. “Only now have I realized something… I forgot to name our squad!”

“You mean to tell me that you’ve been a Commander for a few years, yet you haven’t named your squad?” Anis asked incredulously.

“Yeah… it kinda slipped my mind.” Charles chuckled sheepishly, with Anis giving him an exasperated glance.

“Oooooh, this is exciting!” Neon, being Neon, saw the bright side of this. “We can give ourselves an awesome name!” She mulled over it for a few seconds before her eyes began twinkling. “How about Absolute Firepower!”

“…I doubt Absolute would appreciate us using their name without permission.” Charles shuddered over the thought of a tongue-lashing from Eunhwa.

“Hmmm…” Product 08 mulled to herself as well. “Why don’t we go for something nice and easy? Such as the Survivors?”

Neon wasn’t too keen on that suggestion. “It sounds a little too generic. Doesn’t exactly pique the people’s imagination…” The bespectacled NIKKE turned toward Charles. “What about you, Master? Do you have an idea?”

“I do have an idea, Neon…” A smile slowly crept on Charles’ face. “As people refer to me as the ‘Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse’, I feel it’s only necessary that you all get an equally over-the-top name…” He turned to look at his NIKKE. “How about the Hell Valkyries of Ragnarök?”

…

…

…

…

“Please never come up with any more names for our sake…” Anis’s face was plastered with an exasperated expression.

‘Has he been hanging around Guillotine?’ Neon briefly thought to herself.

“Hmmm…” Julia quietly mused to herself. “How about ‘Counters’?” She proposed to the group. “After all, we are the ‘Counter’ to the Raptures.”

“Good enough for me!” Anis beamed a bright smile at the violinist.

“I agree!” Neon’s glasses shone in the artificial sunlight. “And with that, we have a majority vote!”

“I’m down with that.” Charles took out a texter and filled in the blank with ‘Counters’. Yet upon slipping it inside his pocket, he soon felt an awkward tapping on his shoulder.

“W-While we’re on the topic of naming things…” Product 08 inquired shyly. “W-Would it be too much trouble i-if I got one as well?”

“You want a new name?” Charles inquired with the mass-produced NIKKE nodding in confirmation. “Well, what kind of name are you looking for in particular?”

“Ah… I hadn’t thought about that.” She jumped slightly in response. “I was hoping you might come up with something…”

“W-What are you doing?!” Anis exclaimed in concern. “You’ve opened the invitation to be called Devilsbane or something just as corny!”

“Don’t worry Anis.” Charles placed a hand on her shoulder. “I won’t go that far. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a decent suggestion…” he soon turned his attention toward Product 08. “I remember this anime I watched with my buddies years ago. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was solid entertainment. Anyway, the main female lead was given a codename, and I feel that something similar would suit you.”

He gently placed his hands in his pockets. “How does Zero Eight sound to you?”

The Mass-Produced NIKKE gave him a small smile. “I like it.” She chimed merrily. “It’s simple yet unique.”

“Then it’s settled!” Charles beamed. “From now on, I christen you Zero Eight!” His hand reached for the dormitory door. “Now let’s celebrate by checking out this pla—”

His words died in his throat as he gazed upon the horrors that lay before his eyes. Whoever had built this place did a piss-poor job with the interior. The wallpaper was peeling, the furniture looked as though it was taken from a rubbish dump, and the lingering odor was rancid.

This wasn’t livable in the slightest… heck it made the tin shacks of the Outer Rim look like palaces in comparison. They clearly spared every expense here.

“What the hell…?” Charles’ tone grew dejected upon witnessing the gloomy sight. “This isn’t a dormitory; this is pain personified.”

“Evidently the glimmer of hope isn’t in this building…” Julia chimed in to brighten up the mood.

“Does this place have a bathroom at least?” Neon inquired in the hopes of finding a bright spot... only for Anis to shoot it down without hesitation.

“Over there, in the corner.” She pointed to a rusty bucket stained with god knows what nestled underneath an equally grimy tap. The brown-haired NIKKE approached the tap and turned the handle, yet not a single drop of water came out. “Yep, I figured as such.”

“Damn it, Andersen…” Charles winced to himself. “You couldn’t have sent a plumber up here to fix the taps? Or even a few people to give this place a makeover?” A groan escaped his lips as he fell to his knees. “It’ll take months just to make this place livable…”

It was here that Zero Eight came up with a possible solution. “We could always stay in the Command Center for the time being.”

“Hey yeah… we haven’t checked that out.” Neon’s tone perked up. “Hopefully the bathroom there’s a lot better.”

“Why do I have the feeling I’m about to get angry?” Anis mused to herself as the group made the quick trek to the Command Center.

0000

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Anis’ jaw dropped as the group basked in the splendor that was the Command Center. Not only was there a highly advanced computer terminal in the corner, not only was there a luxurious desk with a gramophone on top, and not only was the bed miles better than the rusty junk inside the dormitory but there was a spacious ensuite connected to the bedroom. An ensuite with working water valves. “This is totally unfair!”

“Tell me about it.” Charles voiced his sentiments wholeheartedly. “And I’m the one sleeping in here!”

“Oooooh.” Neon giggly bounced atop a couch nestled against the wall. “This couch is so comfy~”

Julia glanced at the gramophone before activating it, her eyes watching the record spin as a peaceful melody soon filled the air. “It works!” A smile graced her flawless face. “I now have another source of inspiration.”

“We’re out here stuck in the desert…” Anis turned to shoot a soft glare at Charles. “While you’re here in an oasis.”

A quick sigh escaped her mouth. “Then again, it’s not surprising that a Commander gets all the luxuries while the NIKKEs go without.”

“Yeah, I’m not a fan of it either. Why should all of you constantly get the short end of the stick?” Charles couldn’t help but express his disgust over the blatant Nikkephobia on display. For his comrades to receive a barely functional dorm while he got this swanky palace was a travesty. Something had to be done about this…

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Neon eagerly raised her hand. “Why don’t we swap with the Commander?”

“I get it… the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Anis eagerly supported Neon’s idea as she turned her head toward Julia and Zero Eight. “What about you two?”

Neither of them was willing to join in on the conversation. It wasn’t that they didn’t like the idea of a luxurious life, they didn’t want to screw over their Commander. So both NIKKE chose not to answer Anis’ question.

“I’ll take that as a yes then.” Anis gave them a toothy grin before turning toward Charles. “The majority has spoken, Commander! The Command Center is ours.”

Rather than complain, Charles was ready to take the bullet for the team. Like Anis said, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. But it was here that an idea sparked in his mind…

“I’m gonna send a message to Andersen before we get moving.” Charles took out his phone and began texting away.

Charles:

May I ask you a question?

Andersen:

Sure.

Charles:

Would it be possible for me to renovate the Outpost?
Adding new buildings and restoring old ones?

Andersen:

I don’t see why not.
You’ll have to cover the expenses yourself though.

Charles:

I figured as such.

Andersen:

While I have you here, I have something else to tell you.
As the Central Government has no jurisdiction here, you’re free to fraternize with your NIKKEs at the Outpost.
Getting close to your NIKKE will allow you to take better care of them, among other benefits. I’m sure you’ll figure out what I mean.
As the old saying goes: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Goodbye.

A satisfied smile formed on Charles’ face as he turned toward Julia. “You’re familiar with Mighty Tools, right?”

“Indeed I am, Conductor.” A smile formed on her face as she instantly knew what he was talking about. “I’ll get in contact with them right away.”

It was with a click of her heels that the violinist exited the Command Center, leaving a confused Anis & Neon in her wake.

“I figured that rather than fight over this place, I’ll hire Mighty Tools to give the dorms a facelift.” Charles sought to ease their confusion. “I’m talking a complete makeover. Any luxury you desire, and I’ll make it happen.”

This immediately perked the duo’s spirits. “Heheh, you’re the best, Commander!” Anis grinned at Charles. “I want a flatscreen TV. Oh, and a minifridge stocked with soda!”

“I want an in-built spa, Commander, and some water beds.” Neon eagerly grasped Charles’ hands and gently squeezed them. “Oh, oh. I also want—”

*Whirr*

“It won’t be good for any of us if we’re pampered too much.” A familiarly stoic voice suddenly filled the room. The group quickly turned their heads and were delighted to see Rapi back in one piece.

“You’re back Rapi!” Charles breathed a sigh of relief. “I was so worried about you back there.”

“You don’t need to express concern over me. Us NIKKE can be easily repaired so long as our brain’s intact.” Rapi rebutted coolly, though Charles could’ve sworn that he saw the tiniest of smiles on her face. “That aside, they’ve put us through the wringer this time…”

“Yeah. But as Andersen told me. When life gives you lemons, you just gotta make lemonade.” The Commander reclined against the wall. “And I’m about to make an entire jug’s worth of lemonade.”

“Ooooh!” Neon chirped happily. “Can mine come with one of those little umbrellas? And a silly straw as well!”

“He wasn’t being literal, Neon…” Anis replied in a dead pan tone.

Yet Rapi’s focus was solely locked on the Commander. “You look like you have something on your mind, Commander.” She spoke up to Charles. “I’d like to make it clear that—” Rapi suddenly flinched before holding her nose. “…you smell.”

Confused, Charles lifted his arm to his nose and took a few sniffs, only to recoil in disgust. She was right, he did smell terrible. And it wasn’t just him either.

“I’m gonna go take a shower right now. I suggest you all do the same.” He casually approached the ensuite shower before turning back to the group. “Be sure to let Julia know, Zero Eight. She’d require a shower as well.”

“Affirmative!” Zero Eight gave him a salute in return as Rapi gave the Mass-Produced NIKKE a quick glance.

Only for her to turn her head back to Charles. “Meet me outside once you’re done. It’ll give the others some space to have their shower.”

“And here I thought we were all going to shower at the same time.” Charles cracked a joke in response.

“Pffft…” Anis snickered under her breath. “In your dreams!”

“Well, you can’t fault me for trying.” Charles accepted his loss before heading into the shower, all while Rapi’s gaze was locked onto him.

0000

A deep sigh of relief escaped Charles’ mouth as he dried his hair. It had been so long since he had a good shower, one without the nagging feeling of being rushed. That and the hot water worked this time. Too many times he had been disappointed by the dormitory shower…

By now, Anis, Neon, and Zero Eight should be getting ready for their showers, with Julia following suit once she gets back. Soon they’ll have their own showers to enjoy, with warm water and luxury shampoo. For he was more than willing to cough out the funds needed to breathe new life into the Outpost.

Because by looking at the vast territory before his eyes, Charles knew that this place had great potential. He just had to capitalize on it.

“How long can we survive in such a desolate place?” The question grew louder as the speaker approached. Turning his head, Charles saw Rapi approach him as she gazed all over the place.

“I’m not sure. We’ve yet to receive the promised supplies and reinforcements from Andersen.” Charles answered to the best of his capabilities. “Knowing him, he’ll provide us with a few months’ worth to get us started.”

Rapi responded with a silent nod before glancing up at the Commander. “Back to what I wanted to say before.” She took a quick breath to ease her mind. “I’d like to make it clear that we NIKKEs aren’t humans. We’re weapons. Formidable and unkillable weapons meant for dispatching mankind’s sworn enemy, the Raptures.”

Rapi briefly glanced at her new body, which was practically identical to her old one. “It’s common practice for a NIKKE to come back with a new appearance after sustaining severe damage. So you can wipe that look off your face.”

Charles didn’t like this one bit. How could Rapi be so insistent on denying her own humanity? Even if her body was artificial, it didn’t change the fact that everything else was human. “With all due respect, I can’t say I agree with what you’re saying.”

“?” Rapi tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes, your body may be artificial to the point where it can easily be replaced after sustaining damage. But that doesn’t change who you are on the inside.” He took a seat atop a small pile of rubble. “Every NIKKE I’ve met was unique. Neon’s love of firepower, Anis’ witty commentary on the Ark, and Julia’s love of music. All of them have their idiosyncrasies that make them human, and that’s a fact.”

Charles’ gaze was locked onto Rapi’s orange eyes. “You must’ve had a terrible Commander before we met. One who saw you and Anis as disposable weapons to be exploited. Between that and the Central Government’s constant propaganda, I can see why you’re in denial over your humanity.” He reached for Rapi’s hands and gently squeezed them. “But things are different here. I see you and every one of my NIKKEs as humans, and I won’t let ANYBODY deny your humanity.”

A near-inaudible wince escaped Rapi’s mouth. “I’m flattered you’d treat us with human dignity. But it’ll only hurt you in the end…”

“I don’t agree with that.” Charles offered her a small smile. “We’re in this together, you and I. Risking our lives to reclaim the surface. It’s through these experiences that we grow as people, be they pleasant or painful…” His expression grew serious. “Even if the potential pain reaches the depths of my soul, I’ll always treat you and everybody else with human dignity.”

“I see that I can’t convince you otherwise…” Rapi opted to drop the conversation. Yet her voice wasn’t melancholic in the slightest.

If anything… it contained the tiniest traces of joy she could muster.

“Ah, Conductor!” Julia called out from afar before briskly running up to Charles. “I was able to get in contact with Mighty Tools.” A soft smile graced her face. “They’re waiting by the dormitory.”

“Thank you, Julia.” Charles gently caressed her cheeks as a fierce blush formed on Julia’s face. “Anyway, the others should’ve finished their shower by now, so it’s your turn now.” He turned his head back to Rapi. “That goes for you as well.”

“I understand.” Rapi replied with a quick nod as she and Julia quietly made their way to the Command Center.

“Alright then!” Charles clapped his hands together. “Time to renovate this place.”

0000

*Whistles* “This looks like a doozy!” A quick whistle escaped Centi’s mouth as she and Liter gazed upon the derelict dormitory. On the surface, it looked to be an arduous task. But for the Ark’s finest construction company, it was but a piece of cake. A cake that Centi was all too eager to dine on. “Shall we begin no—”

“Hold your horses there.” Liter called for Centi to halt. “We need to speak to the client beforehand. It’s common protocol.”

A sheepish chuckle escaped Centi’s mouth as she scratched the back of her head. “Ahahaha, my bad…”

As badly as she wanted to begin construction, Liter was right. After all, they needed to know the intricate details of the customer's desire. So began the tedious process of wait—

“Sorry I’ve kept you two!”

Well, it looks like Centi didn’t have to wait that long after all…

“You must be our boss for this project!” Centi ran up to Charles and gave him an enthusiastic handshake. “I’m Centi of Mighty Tools! Saw teeth, entire buildings, you name it, we can make it for you!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Centi.” Charles greeted her warmly. “I’m the Outpost’s newest Commander, Charles Alvinczi.”

“I know all about you, Mr. Bigshot.” Liter extended her hand toward him. “It’s good to see someone your age with this much get-up and go.”

Charles co*cked an eyebrow over Liter’s choice of words? Was she commenting on his age when she looks like a pre-teen? Then again, she IS a NIKKE; no doubt there’s more to her than her appearance may imply.

“Anyway, I was hoping you could refurbish the dormitory. It’s practically unlivable.” Charles requested. “Regarding payment, I’m more than happy with whatever fee you’re offer—”

“Unlivable seems like a bit of a stretch, Boss.” Centi’s hand reached for the dormitory door and grabbed the knob. “Surely it can’t be that ba—”

Her words died in her throat as she gazed upon the horrors within the dorm. Somehow, the place had gotten worse since it was last opened. The floor was in tatters, cracks appearing on the surface. Several pieces of furniture had completely collapsed into themselves. And the smell was just as rotten as before.

“…I guess I spoke too soon.” Centi sported a toothy grin as her eyes entered the ruins before her.

Liter, on the other hand, was absolutely mortified. How on earth was anyone expected to live in such… dire conditions?! Her biggest pet peeve was unclean spaces, and this took the cake for the dirtiest place she’d ever seen.

“How’s anyone supposed to love in this place?!” She exclaimed in frustration. “The floors, the walls, everything’s falling apart!”

“Now you know why I hired you for this job…” Charles casually chimed in as he glanced down at Liter. “So how long will this take?”

“Hmmm…” the petite NIKKE mulled over things in her mind as a confident grin formed on her face. “A few days at most.”

Charles staggered backward in surprise. “A-A few days?!”

“Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with?” Centi joined in with an equally confident tone. “We’re Mighty Tools! The finest architects in the Ark.”

“So long as you stay on task, that is.” Liter shot a cheeky comment at Centi with the latter chuckling sheepishly in response.

“I can tell this place will be in great hands.” Feelings of elation surged within Charles’ heart. Andersen was right; when life gives you lemons, you gotta make lemonade. And Mighty Tools was going to make some of the best damn lemonade in the Ark. “Anyway, about payment…”

“About that, Greenhorn. I’d actually like to make a deal with you…” Liter turned toward the Commander. “I’ll give you a discount on this project on one condition. You allow Centi and I to set up shop here.”

“Oh?” Charles was intrigued by Liter’s offer. “May I inquire why?”

A serene smile graced the petite NIKKE. “This place has untapped potential… potential to be a safe haven for NIKKE.” Her warm yellow eyes glanced up at Charles. “I want to leave a legacy behind before I go, and this Outpost will be a cornerstone of my legacy.”

Liter’s words resonated with Charles. She was right on the money; this place could become a safe haven for NIKKE. Free from the indoctrination and bigotry festering within the Ark. And he’d gladly pay every last credit he had to make that dream a reality.

“You’ve got yourself a deal!” Charles happily agreed to it.

A satisfied grin formed on Liter’s face. “You won’t be disappointed!” She promptly took out a whistle from her jacket. “Bolt! Bring us the paperwork!”

*Pftweet*

She blew into the whistle for a few seconds before pocketing it. Out of nowhere, the dormitory door was knocked off its hinges as a robotic dog bounded into the building with some paper in its mouth.

“Good boy!” She took the paper from Bolt’s mouth and affectionately rubbed his head. Charles couldn’t help but gaze at the dog. Even with its mechanical body, it radiated the same lovable aura as a flesh-and-blood dog.

“Impressive, isn’t he?” Centi chimed in as she leaned toward the Commander. “Bolt helps us out with our construction.”

“I see.” Was all Charles said as Liter handed him the paperwork. With a quick flourish, he signed it off and handed it back. “Done and done! When will construction begin?”

“Tomorrow morning.” Liter quickly answered.

“In that case, why don’t you rest up in the Command Center? I’m sure I can make some roo—”

“Thanks, but we can make a small shack for the night.” She politely declined Charles’ offer before gazing at him with a smile. “May we have a long and fruitful working relationship.”

“Likewise!” Charles replied with a smile as well. Seems like things were finally looking up for him…

0000

“Ugggh…” An anguished growl of frustration escaped from Syuen’s mouth as she gazed at the request sent in by Ingrid. Oh, how she couldn’t stand that woman. Always butting in whenever she comes up with an ingenious idea.

Jealousy… Ingrid’s hostility was born out of pure jealousy. At least that’s what Syuen liked to think.

“Why do I have to do this damn inspection?” She grumbled to herself before tossing the request aside. “It’s not my fault one of her rust buckets got corrupted.”

Turning her nose up at the request, Syuen got back to work on more important matters… such as making sure Missilis remains the alpha dog of the Big Three. Loathe as she was to admit, Elysion and Tetra were slowly catching up to Missilis. But that’s nothing she can’t solve with a little—

*crash*

The sound of glass shattering filled the office as a figure leaped through the window. “What the?!” A frown formed on Syuen’s face as she quickly turned toward the source.

“Ta-da!” An overly enthusiastic voice filled the air as the NIKKE stood upright. Her long blonde hair was done up in flowing twin tails, bright blue eyes twinkled with delight. “Your hero, Laplace is he—”

“Laplace…” Syuen resisted the urge to scream at her prized NIKKE. “Is it not within your programming to use a damn door?!”

“S-Sorry…” A sheepish expression formed on the petite NIKKE’s face, for around three seconds. “But surely you were bedazzled by my heroic entrance, right?”

Syuen chose not to dignify Laplace’s response with a question. “What do you want from me? As you can see, I’m a little busy at the moment.”

“Ah, my apologies. I’ll make this quick.” Laplace stood up straight. “Anyway, I saw Mighty Tools heading toward the Outpo—”

“Are you f*cking kidding me…?” Syuen’s tone bristled with searing hot anger. “I gave no such order for them to go there!” She turned to Laplace with an enraged expression on her face. “Who’s the babbling moron in charge of the Outpost?!”

“Oh, that’ll be Birdie!” Laplace’s tone perked up. “I heard on the grapevine that he—” She was soon met with a sharp glare from Syuen. “R-Right. Commander Alvinczi, Syuen.”

“Him?” She raised an eyebrow in intrigue. He was, for better or worse, the Ark’s golden boy. So what on earth was he doing in the Outpost? Regardless, he was using her NIKKE without permission, and that wasn’t okay in Syuen’s books. No matter, she knew exactly how he could “repay” her for using Mighty Tools’ services.

“Bring Wardress here, Laplace.” Syuen issued her next order as a vicious grin crept on her face. “I’m going to have a meeting with Commander Alvinczi…”

Chapter 10: The Hunt is On

Chapter Text

*beep, beep, beep*

The alarm on Charles’ phone blared throughout his room. Stifling a yawn, the Commander slowly sat on his bed and switched off his alarm.

The night hadn’t been the kindest to him; Charles’ new surroundings made it difficult to fall asleep on account of the artificial wing blowing outside. Once he did fall asleep, however, it was surprisingly blissful. For his new bed was miles better than the one in the dormitory.

That aside, today marked the first official day of his new life in the Outpost. Who knows what it had in store for hi—

“Commander.” Rapi briskly entered his room and gazed upon him. “Forgive my intrusion, but we’ve got guests.”

This caught Charles by surprise. Guests? At this time of the day? Could it be Andersen coming to check on him, or perhaps it was Mighty Tools informing him about their success? Though from the weary look in Rapi’s eyes… Charles could tell that it wasn’t either of them.

“Please let them know that I need a few minutes.” Charles slowly crawled out of bed and rummaged through the closet for a uniform.

“I suggest you hurry up, Commander.” Rapi insisted as a hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes. “Our guest isn’t the most patient woman out there.”

Charles’ body froze as he heard the word ‘impatient’. There was one woman in the entire Ark who had access to the Outpost and was impatient. And every fiber of his being dreaded meeting her…

0000

Having hastily dressed himself, Charles quickly made his way to the Command Center’s Lobby alongside Rapi. There, he was quietly greeted by the rest of Counters, alongside three newcomers. Two of them were NIKKEs, standing on either side of who Charles assumed was his guest. And much to his dismay, his eyes confirmed that the guest was the CEO of Missilis, Syuen.

Slumped backward on the couch, she turned to give the Commander a bored look of contempt. “Well, it’s about time you got here!” She barked rudely at him before glancing at the surrounding area. “I had to wait in this dump for five minutes!”

Charles knew that acting defiant toward Syuen would spell disaster for him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun. “I could’ve tidied up the place, but I’m a little low on money at the moment.” He turned to shoot Syuen a smile. “So if you could donate some credits to me, I’ll see to it that this place gets the makeover of a lifetime.”

The petite girl scoffed in contempt. “I knew you brainless Commanders were poor, but to be desperate enough to beg me for money…” A malicious smile crossed her lips. “You put a new meaning to the word pathetic.”

“You watch your mouth around my Conductor!” Julia fired a retort back at Syuen, anger dripping in her otherwise serene voice.

Syuen merely turned her to the violinist in response. “Uh, who were YOU again?” She inquired rhetorically. She knew full well who Julia was, but held so much contempt for her. In her eyes, she was a NIKKE who failed at the one job they were designed for. And failures either get abandoned or were sent to the frontlines as cannon fodder.

Julia knew full well what Syuen did to her and attempted to act tough in front of her former master. Yet the contemptuous gaze ate away at her soul, the violinist trembling on the spot.

“It’s alright, Julia…” Charles approached her side and gingerly embraced her. A quiet gasp escaped Julia’s mouth before a smile graced her face. For even in the presence of her abusive master, she still had her beloved Conductor by her side.

The Commander turned his attention back to Syuen. “Why don’t we cut to the chase already? I’m sure someone like you doesn’t have a lot of spare time on their hands.”

“A little birdie crashed through my window with news that Mighty Tools is in the Outpost.” Syuen folded her arms underneath her chest. “As far as I recall, I never permitted you to use them. As such, you owe me a favor.”

“And what is this favor you ask of me?” Charles inquired.

A malicious smile formed once more on Syuen’s face. “I want you to capture a Rapture for me. It shouldn’t be a challenge for the Ark’s so-called ‘Golden Boy’.”

“Golden Boy?” Charles tilted his head in confusion. “Well, it’s not as eye-rolling as Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse…”

Syuen’s eye twitched in disgust upon hearing his words. “Bloodshadow of the Apocalypse…? What kind of f*cking tryhard bullsh*t are they assigning the rubbish at the military academy?!”

“I’m just as lost as you are, Syuen—”

“MISS Syuen, dumbass. I didn’t become CEO of Missilis only to have worthless worms such as you treat me with disrespect!” She reminded him with an annoyed huff.

“Anyway.” Charles promptly ignored Syuen’s comment. “What kind of Raputure were you looking fo—”

“Hey.” Syuen cut him off. “If you wanna ask questions, ask Wardress.” She gestured at the two NIKKE beside her. “They’ll be joining you on this mission.”

The taller of the duo approached Charles. “A pleasure to meet you, Commander.” She bowed politely. “My name’s Mihara. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Her outfit wasn’t the most safe-for-work out there, consisting of a black leather skirt and crop top that emphasized her voluptuous figure, and a long flowing white lab coat. Long black hair and shimmering amethyst eyes compliment her sleek design.

Almost immediately after Mihara introduced herself, the second NIKKE bounded over to her side and gazed at Charles with a… slightly unnerving smile. “Hehe, the name’s Yuni, Commander. Mihara and I are…” she firmly squeezed Mihara’s hand. “…eager to work with you~”

In stark contrast with Mihara, Yuni was short and more petite, though she did have some admittedly plump thighs. Her outfit was a long-sleeved, white button-up shirt tucked into a pair of black high-waist shorts. Her medium-length pink hair was done up into twin tails.

Charles wasn’t quite sure what to make of them; this was the first time that he’d seen either of them. But they seemed harmless enough, even if they were under Syuen’s command. “It’s a pleasure to be working with you two.” He shot the duo a casual smile.

“Now that we’re done with the introductions, I suggest you lot get going.” Syuen all but barked at them. “You’ve got two days to complete this mission, so chop-chop.”

“Now hold on a minute,” Charles interjected. “Did you get permission from the Central Government to authorize this mission?”

“Nope.” Syuen callously answered his question. “As one of the Big Three, I shouldn’t have to go through such bureau—”

“Then I won’t take this mission.” His blunt rejection caught everyone by surprise, Syuen most of all.

“… My hearing must’ve acted up. Could you repeat that again?” She all but dared him to defy her. Syuen was used to walking all over weak-willed Commanders, who’d often throw themselves at her feet and beg for mercy.

Yet Charles wasn’t like the other Commanders she’d dealt with before. “I said I won’t accept the mission.” He doubled down. “I know for sure this is a shady as f*ck mission, one you could easily wash your hands of if things go haywire. So no, I won’t be your fall guy.”

“Are you f*cking kidding me?!” Syuen exploded in anger as she kicked a chair into the wall. “I didn’t come this way just to have a smartass like you defy me!” She turned to face Yuni. “Bring him to his knees!”

“You got it…” She whipped out a taser and with a quick jab, thrust it into Charles’ side.

“Commander!” Anis called out as she watched the man fall to his knees in pain. Glaring at Yuni, she attempted to take out her gun but was promptly halted by Mihara.

Snickering to herself, Syuen casually approached Charles and gazed into his eyes. “Let me make myself clear, you need me. I could report this insubordination of yours to the Central Government. The penalty would be harsh; you’ll lose your job…” her gaze shifted toward his NIKKE. “…and your rust buckets will be assigned to other squads.”

“Hah…” Charles endured the pain of Yuni’s taser as hundreds of volts coursed through his body. “Y-You’re wrong about one thing.”

“Oh?” The CEO raised an eyebrow in intrigue. “By all means, enlighten me.”

“You said that I needed you…” The Commander began. “But in reality, you’re the one who needs me.”

“Excuse me?!” Syuen’s expression warped to one of disgust.

“You could’ve gone to any other Commander with this assignment. But no, you chose me of all people.” He elaborated on his point.

Syuen quickly offered her rebuttal. “Did you forget already? I chose you because you used my NIKKE without permission!”

“Oh, so you do care about your NIKKE.” Charles playfully rebutted with a cheeky smile.

“W-Why would I care about some useless rust buckets?!” Syuen snapped back.

“I wouldn’t know your reasoning, whatsoever. But I can tell it’s enough to rope me into this dangerous mission.” Charles brushed aside Yuni’s taser and slowly got back on his feet. “If you want me to do this for you, then you better offer a substantial payment, regardless of mission outcome.”

“Tch…” Syuen growled over the fact she was outwitted by some lowly Commander. “Fine, you’ll get your damn payment after the mission’s done. Money’s no issue for someone like me.”

“And you’ll get authorization from the Central Government?” Charles pressed her further.

“…yes, I will get authorization,” Syuen replied with a small smile.

“Then I’ll accept this mission.” Charles bit the bullet and accepted Syuen’s deal.

“So you’re not as dim-witted as I initially believed…” The petite CEO grinned maliciously. “Good, the Ark could use more Commanders like you.” She turned around and looked at him one last time. “Wardress will be in your care for the time being. Don’t keep me waiting.”

With that, she left Counters to themselves to pick up the pieces of her shotgun diplomacy. Admittedly, the air was tense, especially between Counter and Wardress.

“Commander…” Anis failed to mask her frustration. “Do you really expect us to work with them after what they did to you?”

“I know our introduction wasn’t the nicest, but in Yuni’s defense…” He glanced at the pink-haired NIKKE. “She isn’t exactly in a position to refuse an order from Syuen.”

“If you say so…” Anis wasn’t totally convinced but accepted his reasoning for now.

“Anyway, I’ll need you all to wait outside for a few minutes…” Charles briskly walked to a nearby drawer and rummaged through it for supplies. “I just need to do something beforehand.”

Rapi raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing, Commander?”

“Syuen is and will always be a manipulative little c*nt. No doubt she’ll seek to blackmail me for my earlier defiance…” Charles explained to her while he continued rummaging. “So I’m going to ensure she gets a healthy serving of egg all over her face.”

“An ingenious plan, Conductor.” Julia wholeheartedly offered her support before turning to the others. “Let us give him the space needed to conduct his symphony in peace.”

With these words, the violinist calmly exited the Command Center as the others watched in abstract confusion. However, none were more confused than Yuni and Mihara, who until today, had never seen anyone act so defiant toward Syuen.

On the Surface

A quick sigh escaped Charles’ mouth as the group arrived on the surface for the second time in a week. Syuen could’ve given the group the day to get prepared. But nope, she just had to be an impatient brat.

Adding salt to the wound was that Zero Eight had to stay behind to ensure the arrival of the Outpost's supplies & reinforcements. While it sucked losing his best scout, he did have Wardress under his temporary command. And supposedly they were designed to track down Raptures.

Rapi, sensing that the coast was clear, took out her phone and attempted to connect with Shifty. Yet for some reason… it wasn’t working. Confused, Rapi restarted the process in the hope it was just a minor technical glitch. But her hopes were dashed when the screen remained a pitch-black void.

“Alva Particle concentration isn’t particularly high in this area…” Rapi’s brow furrowed as she tucked her phone away. “So why are our communications jammed.”

“Syuen must be jamming the communications herself.” Mihara chimed in from the back in a casual tone. “I believe it’s only a temporary move, at least until she receives permission from the Central Government.”

Charles’ mood took a hit for the worse upon hearing that. They’re now stuck on the surface with no communications whatsoever during a super shady mission. And if anything goes wrong, he can bet that Syuen would do anything to cover her ass.

They were up a certain creek without a paddle…

Sensing his frustrations, Mihara offered Charles a sympathetic glance. “This must be your first Black Ops. mission.” She gazed at him with her rich purple eyes. “Yuni and I have some experience with them, we’ll look after you and your squad.”

Strangely, her words seemed to cheer him up a little. “Thank you, Mihara.” Charles returned a small smile to her. “Even a veteran Commander like me needs some help now and then.”

“Don’t mention it.” The taller woman returned a smile at him.

“Mihara, was it?” Neon soon chimed in. “Syuen said that we had to capture a specific Rapture. Is that sort of thing even possible?”

Mihara shot her a confident smile. “Of course. Yuni and I were designed for this. We’ve captured several Raptures before to Syuen’s delight.” Her gaze soon turned toward the derelict city. “Hearing her congratulate us on a job well done feels uplifting to say the least…”

Julia chose not to respond to Mihara’s words. She still remembers the day Syuen denounced her as useless and abandoned her to be cannon fodder on the surface. Her gaze drifted toward her feet as she mulled over that painful memory.

A memory that shattered the moment Charles slid his arm around her shoulder.

“Something the matter?” He warmly inquired.

“Ah… n-nothing, Conductor.” A blush formed on Julia’s pale cheeks as she averted her gaze.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll get that Rapture and hand it over to Syuen. That ought to keep her out of our lives for good.” Charles sought to cheer her up. “And with Syuen gone, we’ll be free to enjoy your music. Does that sound good to you?”

Julia’s frown evolved into a tender smile. “That sounds good to me, Conductor.”

Relieved that Julia wasn’t upset anymore, Charles turned his attention to the rest of his squad. “Well let’s not keep Syuen waiting any longer. Let’s find her that damn Rapture!”

“Hear, hear!” Neon was just as eager as Charles and, like before, led the group down the decimated roads. All while Yuni and Mihara kept a close eye on Charles.

“That Commander…” Yuni muttered quietly. “He’s awfully close to that NIKKE, isn’t he?”

“True.” Mihara turned to gaze at her squadmate. “It’s just like how close we are to each other, Yuni.”

“R-Really?!” Yuni’s initial expression was one of surprise. Yet Mihara’s reassuring smile told the pink-haired NIKKE all she needed to know. She chose not to comment further and followed the rag-tag group through the ruined city.

Fortunately for the group, they didn’t get lost in a maze of ruined buildings and broken roads… mainly because there wasn’t much left. This city had been hit hard by the Raptures, with over half the buildings reduced to nothing. The occasional pillar of smoke wafted over the area, most likely the remnants of a fuel source being burned. Yet the view wasn’t completely depressing, for nature had begun reclaiming parts of the city.

It was an awe-inspiring sight to behold… seeing grass grow in places it hadn’t grown in for centuries was humbling. It gave Charles a sliver of hope; if Mother Nature can reclaim the surface, then so could humanity. But at the same time, he didn’t want humanity to trample all over nature as they did before the Raptures attacked.

“So where exactly are we supposed to go?” Neon halted before a crossroads with the rest following suit.

A short sigh escaped Anis’ mouth. “You should’ve asked that before taking the lead…”

“It’s no problem!” Yuni chimed in eagerly. “Mihara and I shall lead the way.”

“Yuni’s right. We’ve been tracking this particular Rapture for a while now, so we know what to look for.” Mihara joined the conversation. Yet her words didn’t sit right with Charles.

For one, she mentioned they’ve been chasing this Rapture for some time now. Which meant that it was no ordinary Rapture. Was it a Tyrant-class Rapture? Or something else entirely? And even if they do manage to track it, how would they go about capturing it, or even escort it back to the Ark. And if it somehow breaks out of its confines…

This entire mission was giving Charles an intense headache. Not helped by the fact he was nagged into it by a petulant brat. Oh, how he hoped Syuen would find the plans he left in his office. Watching her blunder into his trap would make his day…

“Mihara!” Yuni’s cries of joy suddenly filled the air. “Mihara, look! I found something!”

“Have you now?” Mihara’s voice brimmed with intrigue as the pink-haired girl eagerly pointed at the road heading right. Sure enough, there were a series of footprints heading in that direction; footprints unlike anything Charles had seen before.

They were humanoid in structure, but had three toes ending in what appeared to be talons. And they were large; the footprints were more than three meters long. What on earth were they pursuing?!

“Mihaaaaaarrrraaaaa~” Yuni called in a sing-song tone as she held her hands behind her back. “Don’t I get a reward? Heh heh heh…”

“I haven’t decided how much you can have yet.” Mihara’s tone grew breathier as she gazed into Yuni’s eyes. The latter responded with a salacious grin, her excitement was reaching a fever pitch at this point.

The members of Counters, however, were left dumbstruck by the footprints. No doubt the Rapture they were after is no ordinary Rapture. And while they do have some experience in handling Tyrants, they weren’t looking to make it their full-time occupation…

“Yuni, was it…” Anis called out to her. “These are footprints, right?”

“Yep, and I’m the one who found them!” She replied with pride in her tone.

“You still track Raptures using footprints? Talk about being in the Stone Age…” Anis muttered the last part under her breath.

“Chatterbox’s signal isn’t easy to track down.” Thankfully Yuni didn’t hear Anis’ witty jab. “That’s why we search for its footprints; they’re a lot more distinct than those of other Raptures.”

“Chatterbox…” Charles mused to himself. “Is that the Rapture we’re tracking down?”

“Indeed.” Mihara answered his query. “Even among Raptures, he’s unique. The name alone should clue you in.”

“So this Chatterbox is capable of speech, right?” The Commander continued his line of questioning with Mihara giving him a confirmatory nod. “No wonder Syuen’s interested in him…”

Yuni tilted her head in confusion. “You haven’t heard of Chatterbox before?” She inquired as Charles shook his head in denial. “But aren’t you a veteran Commander? Surely you would’ve heard of Chatterbox before.”

A small chuckle escaped the Commander’s mouth. “Even as a veteran, there’s still a lot I don’t know about the Raptures.” He turned to face Wardress with a casual smile. “Thankfully I’ve got you two helping us out. I’m sure we can bag this Chatterbox within minutes!”

“Hehehe, even the Commander’s impressed with me.” Yuni’s salacious grin returned to her face as her eyes darted back to Mihara. Her gaze was one of yearning; she wanted her reward now.

“If I may ask my own question.” Rapi broke the ice to Yuni’s displeasure. “Is there anything else about Chatterbox that stands out? Have you had any previous engagements with it?”

Mihara’s expression shifted to one of disappointment. “All I know about Chatterbox is that he’s capable of speech. Neither Yuni nor I have engaged it in battle.”

That wasn’t what Charles had hoped to hear. Had either of them gotten into at least one or two battles with Chatterbox, he could have attempted to form a strategy based on their experience with it. So he and his group were essentially tracking a Rapture, who’s only known trait was that it could talk.

Then again, if it really was capable of speaking, perhaps they could skip the fight altogether…

“I’ve got it!” Charles was struck by a brilliant idea. “When we confront Chatterbox, we’ll host a discussion with him.”

“Commander. I don’t think that would be wise.” Rapi disapproved of his idea. “Raptures are incredibly dangerous. How do we know that Chatterbox won’t kill you on the spot?”

“True, I have no idea about what Chatterbox’s intentions are, but think about it. A Rapture that can converse with humans; do you know the potential wealth of information he may harbor? We could figure out why the Raptures invaded Earth, and how we can end the war peacefully.” Charles was genuinely thrilled over the idea. Being able to converse with the Raptures and hear their side of the story was something nobody had ever achieved before. At least not to his knowledge.

“You could even find out the origins of your dream, Conductor.” Julia chimed in with a smile whilst standing by his side.

That was the cherry atop the sundae. He could finally get some answers about those damn dreams. Like who was the Lady in the Mirror, and why has she targeted him? Surely a Rapture such as Chatterbox would have some knowledge of the subject.

Then there was Marian’s Corruption. The fact that she’d been corrupted within the Ark was highly suspicious, more so since it seemed like nobody was doing a thing about it. Chatterbox… could he know something about that as well? This thirst for knowledge was what drove Charles to continue the mission, despite all the bullsh*t Syuen’s pulled.

“Mihara.” Rapi broke the ice once more. “You’ve said you haven’t seen Chatterbox, correct? Am I to assume this is your first time tracking him?”

“Far from it.” Mihara’s tone grew sullen. “Yuni and I have been on forty separate expeditions, each one with a different Commander.” She averted her gaze from the brown-haired NIKKE. “None of them made it back…”

That took the wind out of Charles’ sails. FORTY Commanders and their NIKKE died in the pursuit of Chatterbox, all without so much as even taking a glimpse at the guy. No wonder Syuen jumped on the opportunity to coerce him into it. Regardless, he couldn’t back out of this mission. Not when his NIKKEs' lives were at risk.

“Alright!” Charles clapped his hands together. “We’ll follow the footprints that Yuni found for us.” His gaze turned toward the pink-haired NIKKE. “If you’ll lead the way.”

Yuni was more than happy to do so, if only for the ‘reward’ Mihara had prepared for her. She briskly walked down the road, gesturing for the others to follow her. The group slowly tailed behind, with Rapi gently grabbing Charles’ shoulder.

“We need to tread carefully, Commander.” Rapi reminded him. “We don’t know anything about this Chatterbox.”

“I know, Rapi.” He replied with a serious expression on his face. “I just hope Syuen hasn’t bitten off more than she can chew.”

The group continued following the trail of footprints down the broken road. Eventually, they walked out of the city limits and onto a dirt path flanked by lush grasslands. It was a welcome breath of fresh air from the ruined buildings and twisted cars that littered the area. Heck, one could be fooled into thinking there had been no apocalypse with how vast these plains were.

Yet the footprints never diverted from the road whatsoever; they kept on plodding along as if Chatterbox was minding his own business. Or at least whatever’s considered business by the Raptures. Charles wasn’t going to ask that question just yet, for he had two priorities on his mind.

Marian’s Corruption, and the Lady in the Mirror.

He needed those answers if only to put his mind at ease. But would Chatterbox really speak the truth, let alone answer him at all? After all, he WAS a Rapture and they hated humanity with every fibre of their being. Or at least, that was what he was taught. And the Military Academy was hilariously awful.

Charles wished he’d gotten a better instructor. One who cared for their students and recognized who they were and what they excelled in. Things would be much better for him, and the Ark had things gone that way, but that was a topic for another time…

For now, he had the task of following Chatterbox’s footprints, which slowly led them into a small town. It must’ve been a more rural town in the past, on account of its modest size compared to the city from before. Yet not even these rural roots saved it from destruction.

The same sight of ruined buildings, crumpled cars, and broken roads graced his vision once more. A weary sigh escaped Charles’ mouth; viewing such a sight after indulging in nature’s beauty was depressing, to say the least. Yet Wardress couldn’t care less about nature at the moment.

“Mihara!” Yuni chirped out loud. “The footprints are gone.”

“That’s unusual…” Mihara was taken aback by the news. They’d kept a very close eye on the footprints, and they were relatively fresh. How the trail suddenly grew cold baffled the duo; did Chatterbox catch wind of their pursuit and cover his tracks?

The rest of Counters noticed the disappearing tracks and were just as baffled by the sight. “The trail ends here…” Rapi knelt down and inspected the path. “Do we double back and search another area.”

“We could do that...” Mihara began. “Or we could do a quick search of the area in the hope of finding a new set of tracks.”

“I can work with that.” Charles gave her a quick nod before turning to the group. “Alright, everyone. We’ll search the area for half an hour. If anyone finds something, let us know asap!”

“Roger!” The NIKKE complied with the order and broke off into groups of three; Rapi, Anis and Neon in one group, and Julia, Yuni, and Mihara in the other. The violinist was admittedly nervous around the duo; she had once been under Syuen’s command but was quickly tossed aside for being useless in her eyes. It wasn’t the most comforting feeling to be around NIKKE who appeared chummy with Syuen.

Yet Mihara was the one who broke the ice for her. “You’re Julia, correct? Of the Master Hand squad?”

“That’s me.” She replied casually. “Did you want something?”

“The reports mentioned that you’re a Missilis NIKKE like us, yet we’ve never met before today.” Mihara pointed out as she kept searching the nearby area. “Did something happen between you and Syuen?”

“…”

Julia was speechless, unable to respond to Mihara’s question. Painful memories of her abandonment surged in her mind, memories that she wished to forget. Yet Mihara didn’t need a verbal response; the haunted look in Julia’s eyes told her everything.

“I see… I won’t press you any further over the subject.” Mihara briefly gazed at Julia. “What I will say is that you and your squad mates are very fortunate.”

“How so—” Julia initially inquired, only to pause and mull over things. The answer to her question was blatantly obvious. “Conductor…”

“I’ll confess that I don’t know much about your Commander, but he seems to care about you a lot.” Mihara continued. “He comforted you during his meeting with Syuen earlier.”

A smile slowly grew on Julia’s face as she remembered her Conductor’s gentle touch. Oh, she could melt into his arms and perform the duet of a lifetime with him. It would be a dream come true. But how was Mihara able to get all that from just an observation? Unless…

“You seem to know a thing or two about personal feelings, Mihara.” Julia observed.

The look in Mihara’s eyes was not one of denial. “You could say I know a thing or two about Romance. Yuni and I—”

“Mihara!”

Speaking of Yuni…

“Look, I found something!” The pink-haired NIKKE eagerly pointed at a half-ruined building as Mihara and Julia joined her. Right in front of them was a wall with footprints on it; very familiar footprints.

“Impressive.” Mihara beamed brightly whilst sending a quick text to their allies. Sure enough, Charles and the rest of Counters quickly arrived at the site and immediately noticed the footprints.

“So Chatterbox is capable of climbing…” Charles deduced from the information presented to him. It was both relieving and unnerving, but mostly unnerving. For if Chatterbox could climb atop buildings, then who knows how advanced he could be.

“This can’t be real!” Anis’ tone was brimming with disbelief. “There’s no way a Rapture could climb atop walls.”

“Unbelievable as it may be, it is what the footprints indicate.” Mihara calmly rebutted Anis’ reply while jotting something down in a small notepad. “Intel on Chatterbox has been updated: He can scale walls.” She mused to herself. “…and he knows that we’re tracking him.”

“He must be very intelligent.” Neon’s eyes twinkled with intrigue over the idea, only for Mihara to chuckle in response.

“Intelligent? Raptures are the farthest thing from intelligent.” She brushed off Neon’s comment. “He must’ve been programmed with an algorithm that allows him to shake us.”

“It’s possible…” Charles mused over Mihara’s words. “But it’s also possible that Chatterbox is a truly intelligent specimen. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Raptures.”

“That’s very true, Commander.” Mihara considered his argument. “For all we know, Chatterbox could be—”

She was interrupted by an earnest tugging on Yuni’s behalf, the latter eagerly eyeing up Mihara. “Reward! Please reward me!” She begged her squadmate.

The black-haired NIKKE chuckled in response. “You have been a good girl today. Very well, I will reward you.” Mihara gently escorted an ecstatic Yuni to the remnants of a town park and, taking a seat beneath a luscious oak tree, gestured for Yuni to sit between her legs.

She eagerly took the offer and began firmly pinching Mihara’s soft thigh. A sharp grunt escaped the latter’s mouth, but it wasn’t a pained grunt; far from it. If anything, it was a grunt of enjoyment.

“Heh heh!” Yuni giggled sweetly. “Does it hurt, Mihara? Does it feel good?”

“Yeah… it hurts so good.” Mihara managed to reply before Yuni doubled down on her pinching. The pink-haired NIKKE indulged in her sad*stic urges, tingly jolts of pleasure coursing throughout her body. All while the rest of their allies watched them from the sidelines.

“What are they doing…?” A dumb-founded Anis inquired.

“She’s pinching her.” Neon pointed out. “And Mihara seems to be enjoying it.”

Yuni noticed the group watching them, but she didn’t care. She was going to enjoy her reward no matter what.

“Did you want me to pinch your other thigh, Mihara?” Yuni inquired with a lustful smile.

“I-I’d love that Yu—Ahhh!” A sharp gasp silenced Mihara as Yuni harshly pinched her other thigh.

“I’m confused here…” Anis tilted her head with Neon glancing up at Charles.

“Master, what’s wrong with them?” She inquired innocently.

“There’s nothing wrong with them.” Charles politely told her. “This is just their way of expressing their relationship.”

His words caught the attention of his NIKKE, sans Yuni & Mihara of course. “Given the Ark’s stance on human/NIKKE relationships, it doesn’t surprise me that NIKKE would seek each other for comfort. And when you’ve got someone like Mihara who relishes in feeling pain, and Yuni who enjoys inflicting pain, then it’s only natural they’d find comfort with each other.”

“You certainly seem to have a good grasp of it,” Rapi commented before glancing back at the duo. “Do we let them continue with their pinching?”

“I think it’ll be for the best,” Charles told her. “From the look of it, it’s not every time they get an opportunity to do this sort of thing. Besides, we could use a brief rest after all that walking.”

The group had no qualms with the idea and left Wardress to their own devices. Yet Julia’s gaze lingered on the duo for a few moments, taking in just how close Yuni and Mihara were to each other. Seeing them interact with each other got her thinking; if they could express their love for one another, then could she express her love for her Conductor as well? It was a question she’d have to mull over for some time.

“You coming, Julia?” Charles called out to her from afar.

“Ah, I’m coming, Conductor!” She quickly ran up to him, blissfully unaware that the entire group was being watched by an ominous entity. One who wanted nothing more than to pulverize them.

Chapter 11: Garrulous Talker

Chapter Text

As the group continued their trek through the ruined town, they kept their wits about them. After all, they knew next to nothing about Chatterbox, and without good intel, it was very hard to concoct a plan. Nevertheless, they continued searching the area because as enigmatic as he may be, there’s no way Chatterbox could be scarier than an enraged Syuen.

It was while thinking of Syuen that Charles’ attention drifted toward Wardress. Of all the NIKKEs he’d met, they were among the most unique he’d ever seen. He couldn’t think of any others who were as… open as them. Yet despite their unique nature, they complimented each other well; like two broken gears that could only fit with each other. But perhaps there was more to them than meets the eye. After all, Syuen entrusted them with this mission.

“Forgive me if I’m being rude…” Charles spoke up to Mihara. “But may I inquire why Syuen picked you for this mission? I know the both of you are great at tracking Raptures, but how would we capture one?”

“No offense taken, Commander,” Mihara replied before glancing at Yuni. “Shall we give him a demonstration?”

An excited smile grew on Yuni’s face. “Oh! Oh! That sounds excellent, Mihara!” She was all in on the idea.

Satisfied, Mihara turned her attention back to Charles. “Normally we’d demonstrate our abilities on a Rapture, but there aren’t any around here. No worries, though…” she rested a hand on her hips. “Our abilities work on NIKKEs and humans.”

This piqued Counters’ attention, who’d been eavesdropping on the conversation. Admittedly, they weren’t keen on the idea of being glorified training dummies.

“So you just want us to stand here while you do whatever with us?” Anis asked in an apprehensive tone. “I Don’t like this one bi—”

“Don’t worry, Anis. I’ll act as the training dummy today.” Charles reassured her with a casual smile. “After all, it’s only fair that I take a bullet every now and then.”

This didn’t sit right with Rapi at all. “But you’re a human? You can’t take a tenth of the punishment a NIKKE can!” She rebutted his comment before glancing at Wardress. “I’ll let you demonstrate your abilities on me.”

“No Rapi.” Now it was Charles’ turn to offer a rebuttal. “You do so much for me already, you and all the others. Let me step up to the plate this time…” He offered her a gentle smile.

“Commander—”

“It’ll be alright.” Julia rested a hand on Rapi’s shoulder. “I know they won’t hurt him, I trust them on this.” She reassured her colleague.

“She seems awfully trusting of them despite only meeting them recently…” Anis was a little taken aback by her words.

“Well, she is, or was, a Missilis NIKKE.” Neon chimed in. “NIKKE are more inclined to trust those from the same manufacturer. Call it a sense of kinship.” A cheery smile graced the bespectacled girl. “Naturally, there are exceptions to every rule, like you and Rapi~”

“You’re not wrong there…” A soft chuckle escaped Anis’ mouth.

Not wanting to drag this on for longer than necessary, Charles quietly approached Mihara much to Rapi’s dismay. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Good.” A satisfied smile grew on Mihara’s face before locking eyes directly on Charles. “Sensory Swap!” Her eyes glowed purple for a second or so before returning to normal. Charles didn't feel any different despite the bright light engulfing his vision.

“Yuni.” The black-haired NIKKE called to her comrade who eagerly bounded to her side. She grabbed Mihara’s arm and, with her trademark smile, pinched the back of her hand.

“Ahh.” A sudden burst of pain coursed through Charles’ arm as he glanced at the back of his hand. Though there were no marks on his skin, the area was a mild shade of red, almost as if somebody pinched him recently.

“Mihara can swap her senses with anybody she chooses.” Yuni ceased her pinching before smacking Mihara’s hand. Sure enough, the stinging pain surged through Charles’ hand. “It’s pretty useful for immobilizing Raptures. But my ability’s also impressive.”

“Sensory Swap!” Mihara reversed her ability before glancing at Yuni. “I’m not sure we should demonstrate your ability on the Commander…” Her tone carried a sense of apprehension.

“I appreciate your concern, but I can handle it. I did volunteer after all.” Charles reassured the duo.

“If you say so…” Mihara was still a little apprehensive over the idea. Excitedly, Yuni took out a laser and pointed it at Charles.

“Sensory Nullifier: Hearing!” Yuni declared before pressing the button. A beam of light struck Charles between the eyes as he stepped back in surprise. It wasn’t painful at all, more uncomfortable than anything.

Yet the voices around him slowly grew silent. As did the landscape and whatever animals may’ve been scampering around them. He could hear nothing, not even the gentle breeze in the air. It was a terrifying sensation, one that left him helpless. Was this how deaf people lived their lives? He hoped this sort of thing wasn’t permanent…

Thankfully, Yuni pressed her laser a few seconds later. The noises returned, ears mostly ringing with cries of “Commander!” coming from his NIKKEs mouths.

“Gah!” A sudden gasp escaped Charles’ mouth. “That… was terrifying.”

“As you may’ve deduced, I can shut off a Rapture’s senses with the click of a button.” Yuni regaled with a sense of pride. “Mihara and I make the ultimate team!”

“I won’t be doubting that any time soon…” The Commander’s knees suddenly grew weak from anxiety, and Julia quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It was a harrowing experience, though it was nothing compared to what the NIKKE go through every day.

“That aside, I can respect the fact you willing volunteered to go through with it. Not many Commanders would’ve done so…” Mihara pointed out.

“I appreciate the kind words, but there’s one thing that’s got me curious…” Charles glanced back at Mihara. “How can abilities meant for immobilizing Raptures also work on Humans and NIKKE?”

“The Commander raises a good point.” Rapi joined the conversation. “Who are you and why do you have these powers? NIKKEs are meant to represent humanity’s ideal form. How then, can you have powers you may not have wanted in the first place?”

Mihara was left speechless, as was Yuni. Neither of them had put much thought into their abilities. Syuen just told them that she created them with these powers, and their purpose was to capture Raptures. Yet upon hearing such questions from Rapi, it got them thinking. Why of all NIKKE were they given these powers? It’s not like Syuen would have a chat with them about it. In her eyes, they were just tools who haven’t outlived their usefulness yet.

“Your silence speaks more than words ever could.” Rapi mused to herself before turning toward Charles. “May I suggest we keep Wardress at the front of the formation? I’m not turning my back to a NIKKE who doesn’t even know what she is…” She whispered the last part in his ear.

“I know you’re weary about them, Rapi. I can’t blame you for feeling that way.” He whispered back to her. “But we’re all in this together. We can’t just—”

‘Bzzzzzzz, bzzzzzz’

His phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. Confused, Charles took it out and booted it up. And sure enough, the message was from a certain petite CEO.

Syuen:

How goes your search?

Charles:

No trace of Chatterbox so far.

Syuen:

Well you better pick up the pace because I found THIS in your office!

Attached to the message was a selfie of Syuen with a smug, sh*t-eating grin while flaunting a folder titled “Planned Coup against the Central Government”.

A smirk grew on Charles’ face; she took the bait without breaking a sweat. Now to reel her in…

Charles:

How did you find that?!

Syuen:

Your dumbass just left it out in the open.
I’ve got to say, your handwriting is atrocious. Even a toddler could write better than you.

Charles:

W-What do you want?

Syuen:

You know what I want.
Bring me Chatterbox in two days, and I’ll forget all about your little coup.

She promptly ended the chat before Charles pocketed his phone. Syuen thinks she has him by his throat, but in reality, it’s the other way around.

“Something the matter, Conductor?” Julia’s soft tone graced Charles’ ear.

“Syuen’s taken the bait just as I predicted.” He smiled at the violinist. “Oh, how she’ll pay for abandoning you all those years ago.”

“It’ll be the finest sonnet you’ve crafted. One that carries a harmonious blend of contradictory emotions.” She regaled with a smile.

“Mhm, but we’ll have to keep quiet about it for now.” Charles told her before turning his attention back to Mihara. “So what’s our next course of action?”

“There’s a relatively intact house a few miles from here.” She pointed in a northeasterly direction. “We can set up camp here for the night. Given what you went through before, it’ll be wise to get some rest.”

“I have no problem with it.” Rapi accepted her suggestion despite her earlier misgivings. “Your thoughts, Commander?”

“Sounds good to me.” Charles embraced the idea as he gave the order to march. With how hectic things had been today, he could use the rest.

0000

Just as Mihara said, the house was in good condition. A rarity on the surface that Charles wouldn’t take for granted. Admittedly, it was a pigsty like all the other houses on the surface, but it wasn’t anything that a simple cleaning couldn’t fix.

Upon arriving at the house, the decoys had been put in place, ensuring that the Raptures wouldn’t come barging in as they were sleeping. Even with the decoys, Charles doubted he’d get a good night’s rest. After all, the Lady in the Mirror might visit him…

So he opted to glance around the room to pass the time. Right beside him, was the gentle, slumbering form of Julia. Her head rested on his shoulder, a serene expression on her face. She must be having a sweet dream, one that was much better than the one he’d undoubtedly have. And to his left, he saw Anis and Neon eagerly getting a small fire started. Both appeared to be having a blast with the fire, to Rapi’s mild dismay.

“T-This isn’t a camp-out, you know?” She reminded the duo.

“Aw, don’t be like that Rapi.” Neon chimed with a smile. “I managed to smuggle us some marshmallows.” She whipped out a small bag from her knapsack and flashed it at Rapi.

“How did you—N-Nevermind…” Rapi changed her mind, knowing full well what kind of answer Neon would give.

“Don’t mind if I do!” Anis eagerly opened the bag and impaled a couple of marshmallows on a stick. “Did you want some, Commander?”

“I’m not feeling hungry at the moment. You can enjoy them.” He politely refused the offer with Anis shrugging her shoulders before roasting her marshmallows.

Charles’ gaze soon drifted toward Mihara and Yuni, with the latter uttering a quiet yawn. “I’m tired, Mihara…”

“Don’t worry, you can rest on my lap.” Mihara laid out her legs atop the floor. Without uttering a word, Yuni rested her head on Mihara’s thighs and, within minutes, drifted off to sleep. It was an admittedly adorable sight to the Commander…

“You two are very close to each other.” He gently spoke to Mihara.

“You could put it that way,” Mihara replied to Charles’ observation. “Yuni and I, we rely on each other a lot. For there’s no one else we can rely on…”

This confused the young Commander. “What do you mean?”

“Think of it this way. When two people are together, they’re like a set of gears in perfect motion. Yuni and I are crooked gears.” Mihara began. “Two crooked gears that—”

“…that can only fit with each other.” Charles finished off her sentence.

“You knew what I was going to say?” Mihara was impressed by his observation.

“It’s the general vibe I got from you two; one that was solidified when you ‘rewarded’ Yuni.” The Commander replied before gazing at the wall opposite him. “I suppose I’m looking for my own gears to mesh well with.”

“I think you’ve found one already.” A smile graced Mihara’s face as she glanced to the side of Charles, directly at Julia.

Charles turned his head toward her sleepy form before gently wrapping an arm around her. “I think you may be onto something, Mihara…” He shot Julia a smile.

“You should rest up as well, Commander. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.” Mihara encouraged him.

She wasn’t wrong; tomorrow was going to be a hectic day. And with everything on his plate, Charles needed all the rest he could get. So he allowed the comforting allure of sleep to overwhelm him, his head resting against the wall.

The Next Morning

The warm tendrils of daylight shone through the broken roof and onto Charles’ face, stirring him awake. A soft, weary groan escaped his lips as he slowly got back on his feet.

Remarkably, he was spared a visit from the Lady in the Mirror… for now at least. However, it was only a matter of time before she returned. And speaking of time…

“Still morning.” Charles mused to himself before glancing outside. The decoys had done their trick; no Raptures were in the immediate vicinity. This gave the group some time to prepare for today’s search. But first, he needed to wake his NIKKE up…

“Rise and shine, everyone. It’s a wonderful day today!” He called out to everyone. As expected, Rapi stirred from her sleep within seconds, a refreshed look in her eyes.

“Good morning, Commander.” Her tone was gentle and polite.

“And a good morning to you, Rapi.” Charles smiled at her before turning to the rest of the group, still slumbering peacefully. He couldn’t get mad at the situation; if anything he’d probably do the same as well. If only to increase their hours and earn a bigger payout from Syuen. And if she attempted to blackmail Charles, then it’ll only blow up in her face.

Though Rapi didn’t see the hilarity in the situation. “Get up.” She urged Anis and Neon. “I said, get up!”

“Just five more minutes…” Anis mumbled in her sleep before rolling on her side. “I’m enjoying soda at the beach.”

“Mmmmm, firepower…” Neon was also mumbling in her sleep. “Need more… firepower…”

Cute as the scene was, Charles knew they couldn’t stay here all day. So he opted to pull a mischievous trick on the group. “I have this big juicy burger in my hands.” He found some nearby paper and ruffled it to create the illusion of a burger wrapper. “I can’t wait to eat this all by myself.”

“B-Burger?!” Anis’ appetite got the better of her and she bolted upright in anticipation. Her abrupt movement stirred everyone else awake as they slowly scrambled to their feet.

The brunette NIKKE eagerly turned her head toward Charles. “Where’s our burger, Commander?” She grinned at him. “I could use an early morning snack.”

“About that…” He playfully shrugged his shoulders. “I just said that to wake you up. Hahahahaha!” Charles chuckled to himself.

Yet Anis wasn’t impressed in the slightest. “That’s a low blow, Commander…” She shot him an exasperated look.

“My bad.” Charles sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “Tell you what. When we’ve finished this mission, I’ll take you all out for burgers. How does that sound?”

“Oooh! Oooh! I want mine without pickles.” Neon pounced on the opportunity with a gleam in her eyes. “And extra lettuce as well!”

“Well, if you’re offering…” Anis’ mood did a complete 180. “I’d like mine with some extra bacon.” She shot Charles a toothy grin.

“Can’t you two wait until the mission’s over before badgering the Commander…?” Hints of exasperation seeped into Rapi’s tone.

“First time, Miss Rapi?” Julia chimed from the sideline with a small smile. “The Conductor loves spoiling his NIKKE after a mission.” She briefly glanced at the stoic NIKKE. “You have more than enough time to decide what you want.”

“…” Rapi chose not to respond to the violinist. She still wasn’t sure how to handle the situation; NIKKEs were weapons, and weapons don’t need to be treated with burgers. But even so, she couldn’t say she hated the idea.

0000

The group of seven walked down the dusty road at a brisk pace, boots crunching atop the cracked asphalt. At the front were Mihara and Yuni, carefully tracking the footprints left behind by Chatterbox. On the surface, everything seemed normal to them. They were just pursuing him as they’d done yesterday. But the longer they walked, the more… uncomfortable things got.

For one, the footprints kept on going straight; with no abrupt turns to fend off any pursuers. Had it been a normal Rapture, it could easily be brushed off as a coincidence. But Chatterbox was no ordinary Rapture. More so because the footprints were leading to an especially cramped area of town.

“I don’t like the look of this place…” Rapi commented as the group entered the cramped square.

“It’s perfect for an ambush.” Anis spoke up as if knowing exactly what Rapi was going to say. And their hunch was spot on; with how tightly packed the buildings were, there was very little room to escape.

“We must’ve been led here on purpose…” Mihara mused to herself before glancing back at the group. “We’ve fallen into Chatterbox’s trap.”

“Normally this would be the part where I’d panic like a lost child…” Charles briefly glanced at the ground before turning his cap. “But here? Here’s where I’d say something like ‘We aren’t trapped with Chatterbox; Chatterbox is trapped with us’!”

His bold declaration was met by silence from everybody. Silence layered with questioning as to how their Commander could remain positive in such a situation.

“Have you worked with Matis by any chance?” Yuni inquired with a hint of curiosity.

“Once in the past, way before I got tied up with all this Outpost business,” Charles answered honestly. It was a… unique experience for the Commander, one that he looks back on fondly. “Bold declarations aside, it’s important that we remain calm. Chatterbox wants us to panic like headless chickens, and I won’t give him the satisfact—

Charles suddenly found himself tackled on the ground as a bullet whizzed past where his head was.

“Conductor!” Julia called out to him as she lay atop his body. “That was a close one.”

“Too close for my liking…” He muttered as his mind buzzed with uncomfortable thoughts. Had Julia been even half a second slower—no, now wasn’t the time to think such thoughts. “Thanks for saving me.”

A mild blush formed on the violinist’s soft cheeks. “No need to thank me, Conductor.” She rested her hand on his. “Stay behind me; I’ll protect you with my life.”

“Get into formation, everybody!” Rapi urged as the NIKKE scrambled into a circle formation around Charles. They trained their guns at the rooftops, watching as more Raptures crawled into view. Their lasers were locked and loaded, ready to engage in a firefight with their nemeses. Yet they remained eerily still as if silently awaiting orders.

Charles got on his feet and surveyed the scene; it was most unusual for Raptures to act in such a manner. The only time they’d do so is in the presence of a Lord or Tyrant class Rapture. Wait, that meant—

“He’s here…” He whispered to his squad. “Chatterbox is here.”

“Seriously?!” Anis shot back incredulously. “Had he been following us the entire time?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if that were the case. He’s cut from a far different cloth from all the other Raptures.” Charles reasoned with her before turning back to the Raptures. “Oi, Chatterbox! I know you’re out there; show yourself to us!”

“Heheheheheh…” A gravelly, digitalized voice echoed throughout the area. All of a sudden, a figure leaped over the buildings in front of the group and slammed itself into the ground.

It was a hulking beast of metal; several meters tall with the body structure of a gorilla. Its chest and arms were very thick, with large fists capable of smashing steel and concrete. It also had a pair of rocket batteries on its shoulders, and a long, whiplike tail ending in a spear tip. But the most chilling part was the twisted smile atop its face; one befitting a psychopathic murderer.

“You’re not like all the other humans I’ve killed.” The beast sneered at Charles with predatory glee. “Today’s my lucky day it seems…”

Charles was intimidated by the mere sight of Chatterbox. This was the Rapture Syuen wanted to capture?! Does she know the potential consequences should it break free from its confines? Oh wait, that would imply that she cared about anybody other than herself…

Nevertheless, he wasn’t going to give this thing the satisfaction it craves. “Chatterbox, I presume.” Charles masked his nervousness.

“Yes… I am the one you seek.” Chatterbox revealed its identity without a care in the world. “Though it was I who did the seeking. You’ve fallen into my trap, just as I predicted.”

“So it was an ambush after all…” Mihara muttered to herself before pointing her assault rifle at Chatterbox. “No matter, we’ll just finish you off here.”

“That hasty, Human imposters?” Chatterbox was amused by Mihara’s hastiness, with Charles taking note of his wording. Human imposters…? Was he talking about the NIKKE? Why use such a term for them? Was there more to Chatterbox than met the eye—no, of course there was more to him. He was the first reported Rapture capable of speech, a non-Heretic Rapture at the very least.

“You there…” Chatterbox noticed Charle’s intense gaze and shuffled toward him in a lumbering manner.

“Don’t you dare move another inch closer!” Rapi barked at him while pointing her rifle at his face.

“Stand down, imposters. I just wanted to have a ‘chat’ with the human.” Chatterbox ‘reassured’ them in the least comforting tone possible before snatching Charles with his tail. The NIKKE watched in horror as the slim appendage wrapped itself around the Commander as he was lifted toward Chatterbox’s head.

“Look I’m fine with a brief talk, but was the tail necessary?” Charles attempted to downplay the situation. “All things considered, it’s a little on the tight side…”

“Even now, you’re not cowering in fear. Most intriguing…” Chatterbox mulled in intrigue before gazing at Charles with his beady eyes. “Hmmm. You’re different, aren’t you?”

“Different in what way?” He inquired.

“I don’t know; perhaps if I were to…” Chatterbox pointed the tip of his tail at Charles’ face. “…cut you open, I may get my answer.”

The Commander winced at the thought of being cut open; fully anticipating Chatterbox to drag out the suffering for as long as possible. But he’ll be damned if he dies empty-handed. “Before you cut me open, may I ask a question?”

“Hmmmm…” Chatterbox mulled over the request in his mind. “Very well, I’ll grant you your last request. Make your one question count.”

Charles didn’t need to mull over what he wanted to ask. “Do you know of the Lady in the Mirror?”

His words caused Chatterbox to tilt his head in confusion, albeit slightly. “Ah, you’ve never heard of her? She’s this mysterious woman haunting my dreams. Long white hair, porcelain-toned skin, a tight bodysuit over her—

“She lives?!” Chatterbox exclaimed in surprise before tightening his grip on Charles. “Where is she?! What have you humans done to her?”

“Funny you ask me that, I was hoping for an answer myself.” Charles endured the squeezing pain wracking his body. “Perhaps when you find out you can—”

His words were silenced as Chatterbox threw him onto the ground. A sickening squelch followed by the crunching of bone rang in Charles’ ears as he weakly rolled on his side. Shocking pain was all he could feel, his right leg broken and mangled from the impact. But at the very least, he was alive.

“Conductor!” Panic gripped Julia’s tone as she ran up to his side and grabbed his body.

“I-I’ll be fine…” He winced at the violinist. “Just be sure to get that bastard…”

Julia didn’t need to be told twice, her usually serene face masked with unbridled fury. She was going to make Chatterbox pay for harming her Conductor.

“Encounter!” She declared before firing an entire magazine at Chatterbox, with the rest following suit. The hulking behemoth shielded his face with its massive fists before slamming them into the ground. Stunned winces escaped the NIKKE as they were knocked off their feet from the attack; though thankfully they were unharmed. But it was at this moment that the Raptures posted on the roofs began firing down at the NIKKE, forcing them to take cover.

“We’ll handle Chatterbox…” Mihara called out to Rapi and Julia “You deal with the small fry.”

“Mmm.” Julia gave her a quick nod of approval while reloading her rifle. With a plan laid out, the NIKKE kicked into action. Almost immediately, Rapi and Julia were strafing the battlefield, taking out the Raptures one by one. Their deft and precise movements were too much for the enemy, dodging all incoming attacks.

As their weapons lacked the necessary range, Anis and Neon opted to assist Wardress in dealing with Chatterbox. The quartet assaulted the Tyrant with a barrage of powerful attacks, striking at his front and sides. Yet Chatterbox wasn’t even phased by their attacks; brushing them off like one would brush dust off their uniform.

“Is that the best you can do, imposters?” Chatterbox asked mockingly.

“Hmph, I wouldn’t underestimate my firepower if I were you.” Neon’s glasses gleamed with determination as she dodged an incoming fist and fired a few buckshots into Chatterbox’s torso. The mildest of grunts escaped the behemoth as he staggered back a couple of feet.

A near-inaudible growl escaped his mouth as he fired a barrage of missiles from his launches. They hurtled toward the ground and exploded on impact, with the NIKKE narrowly dodging in time. But before they could regain their composure, Chatterbox followed up with a series of lightning-fast spike missiles.

Quick cries of pain escaped the NIKKE’s mouth as they were flung back several feet, with Anis crumpling mere inches from Charles.

“Anis!” He attempted to get back on his feet but was immobilized by the agonizing pain. “Arggh!”

His grunts of pain spurred Julia, who having finished off the lesser Raptures, joined the fight with Rapi in tow. She aimed at Chatterbox’s left shoulder right as he was about to fire another salvo, and shot furiously at it.

*Ka-Boom*

Julia’s bullets struck the missile’s tip, causing an explosion that obliterated the battery. The attack stunned Chatterbox for a few seconds, his gaze locked onto the violinist.

“Not bad, imposter. But it’ll take more than that to—”

“Sensory Swap!” Mihara’s body shone a vivid blue while gazing at Chatterbox. Then, with the swap complete, she took out a knife and began tearing at her abdomen. Blood was sprayed everywhere as Mihara dug inside her body and pulled at her organs… or at least what constituted as organs for a NIKKE.

A weak, sickly cough escaped Chatterbox as he got on one knee. His body was wracked by an agonizing pain unlike any he’d ever felt before. His hulking frame trembled on the spot, eyes glaring at Mihara with implacable hatred. Yet the latter wasn’t phased in the slightest.

“Yuni!” She called out to her squadmate.

“On my way!” The pink-haired NIKKE declared while pointing her laser at Chatterbox. “Sensory Nullifier: Sight!”

Yuni fired the laser at Chatterbox’s head as the latter reared back in surprise. At first, Chatterbox seemed fine; the attack did no damage at all. But then his slowly faded to black…

“My eyes!” He growled in surprise. “Is my vision blocked?!”

A small, smug smile grew on Mihara’s face as she ignored Chatterbox’s question. “I think it’s about time we finished him off.”

“Heheheh…” Yuni giggled in delight while reloading her rocket launcher. “This is going to hurt so much.” She all but salivated over the idea of making Chatterbox suffer.

So the united squad launched an all-out attack against Chatterbox, barraging his weakened form in a hail of gunfire. For the first few moments, he could do little more than strike feebly at the NIKKE, his attacks missing on account of his lost vision. This, coupled with the crippling pain of disembowelment coursing through his gut should’ve made him an easy target.

Yet that wasn’t the case…

Chatterbox stood his ground against the relentless assault and quietly pondered to himself. Mihara had swapped her senses with him so that he’d feel the pain that she would have. But surely it went both ways? That’s what exchanging’s all about, right? It was this line of thinking that formed an idea within Chatterbox’s mind.

He pointed his left fist at his right shoulder and charged up his laser. Then with a sickening squelch, he blew off a massive chunk of flesh from his arm.

“Gah!!” A sharp burst of searing hot pain coursed through Mihara’s arm as she feebly clung to it. Her legs buckled in agony as she staggered backward.

A sinister smile crept up on Chatterbox’s face; just as he’d planned. Now for the follow-up…

He slowly pointed his fist at his torso and, like before, fired a laser at himself. The attack tore a hole through his body, but he wasn’t phased by it. Mihara on the other hand, promptly collapsed from the agonizing pain. Her body spasmed and convulsed in unbearable anguish, strained coughing fits escaping her lungs.

“Mihara!” Tears welled in Yuni’s eyes as she gazed helplessly at her injured squadmate. Tears that turned into unbridled fury. “I’LL KILL YOU!!” She screamed at Chatterbox with immense malice.

She quickly got into position behind Chatterbox and loaded her rocket launcher. Oh, how she was going to enjoy seeing him squir—

*Thwack*

“Ahhhh!” Yuni cried out in pain as she was flung backward. How did he figure out where she was?!

“When your vision is impaired, attack the previous location of your enemy.” Chatterbox lectured to the NIKKE. “Understood, imposters?”

It was with these words that something terrifying happened; slowly, the wounds on Chatterbox’s body began healing themselves in a series of sickening squelches. The sight disheartened Counters’; all their efforts were slowly fizzling into nothing.

“Self-healing?!” Anis exclaimed in surprise. “Raptures can do that?”

A pained expression grew on Charles’ face; medicinal Raptures weren’t anything new to him. Sparrows, Ponytails, and the Lord-class Doctor were all capable of healing their fellow Raptures. But they couldn’t heal themselves, which left them a tempting target for any Commander worth their salt.

Chatterbox was a different beast altogether. He could repair any wounds sustained to himself; ensuring he’d come out on top in battles of attrition. For the first time in his life, Charles was at a complete loss as to what to do. How could he get himself out of this perilous position with everyone alive?

“Come with me, human…” Chatterbox beckoned at him. “Come, and I’ll let the imposters go.”

“I-I’d love to, Chatterbox.” Charles coughed in pain before glancing at his mangled leg. “B-But as you see, my leg’s broken. N-No thanks to you—” *cough, cough* “—of course…”

“Even now you’re putting on a brave face. How admirable…” Chatterbox replied mockingly. “No matter… I’ll just take you with me—”

His words were silenced by Rapi as she fired a few times at him. Her cold glare burrowed deep inside the Rapture’s twisted core, causing him to pause for a moment.

“You’re not going anywhere.” She firmly told the Tyrant.

“Even in such dire circ*mstances, you remain unwavering?! What kind of imposter are you?!” Chatterbox’s tone seeped with brief anger as he glared at Rapi. A glare that soon morphed into a thoughtful expression. “Hahaha, I see…”

A creepy smile formed on Chatterbox’s face. “You’re a Grimms model, aren’t you? Red Riding Hood, I believe.”

Grimms model? Red Riding Hood? What on earth was Chatterbox talking about?! Had he lost his mind from the pain, or did he know more about the NIKKE than he initially believed? A pounding headache soon joined the sea of pain Charles was drowning in; he was going to do his research on the matter as soon as he gets back from this clusterf*ck of a mission.

“Hahahahaha! It really is my lucky day.” Chatterbox cackled with maniacal glee. “First I learn that she’s alive, and now I have a Grimms model in front of me!”

“You’ll have to get through us, first!” Anis stepped up to the plate and pointed her grenade launcher at Chatterbox. “I’ve had it up to here with your incessant prattling.”

“At least we know why they call out Chatterbox~” Neon cheerfully chimed in, much to Anis’ chagrin. Yet she too loaded her gun and pointed it at the Rapture. “But enough talking, time for you to taste my firepower!”

“Shall we conclude this symphony together?” Julia extended a hand to Rapi. “Even if our audience is unruly, a performer must perform, no?”

“Mmm.” A small smile formed on Rapi’s face as the four NIKKE stood in front of Charles with their weapons drawn.

“Fighting to the bitter end, are we? No matter, I’ll just crush you all in one fell—”

Chatterbox was silenced as a massive hole was blown out of his chest. Pained coughing escaped his mouth as he collapsed onto one knee, feebly holding himself up. Charles was stunned; what, and more importantly who did that?

He would soon get his answer, for his eyes drifted to a figure in white standing atop a ruined building.

She carried an air of composed dignity, nestled above a spark of righteous fury. Her mere presence was alluring; similar yet different to that of Julia. The cold expression on her flawless face told Charles that she was a very deadly fighter; one who he didn’t want to make an enemy of.

That and the fact she was wielding an anti-ship rifle like he’d wield a mobile phone…

“Y-You.” Julia’s face shifted to relief upon seeing the woman.

“It’s been a while, Julia…” The mysterious woman greeted her with small hints of warmth in her tone. “Go, I’ll handle Chatterbox!”

She raised her anti-ship rifle and fired another round, completely blowing off Chatterbox’s left arm.

Chatterbox roared in pain as he collapsed onto the ground. “A P-Pilgrim…?” He spluttered weakly.

“Blasphemous creatures like you should all perish!” The woman declared before firing another round into Chatterbox’s torso. The Tyrant began writhing in pain, convulsing atop the wrecked road as choked gasps escaped his mouth. “What are you still doing here? You need to go, now!” She urged Julia and the others to escape the area.

“U-Understood!” She quickly snapped into action and gingerly scooped Charles up in her arms. All while the rest of Counters helped Mihara and Yuni get back on their feet. “Thank you. We won’t let your efforts be in vain.”

The woman in white gave her a quick nod before turning her attention back to Chatterbox. The squad wasn’t going to wait around any longer; they took the opportunity to escape and did so in a heartbeat.

Yet Charles could tear his gaze away from the woman in white; the stoic beauty who crippled Chatterbox with just three shots. Who was she, and why did Julia know her?