Night Strike And Settling down
Varakiel: I have to admit, this world's technology is very advanced. It should be around the year 2500 or so…
Varakiel then notices that the raptures are operating the power station like normal.
Varakiel: what are they doing i wonder…..that doesn't matter right now time to get outside…
...
Anis: hey rapi what do you think of the commander?
Rapi: What do you mean?
Anis: Like what you actually think of him, do you think everything he does is to please the higher ups in the ark, despite what he has said he seems to be actively trying to help the ark.
Rapi:.....i shouldn't talk about the commander's back ....but i don't think he's doing it for the ark…
Anis: really? then who else he could be trying to please?
Rapi: As weird as this might sound, I think he's trying to help us.
Anis: what?
Anon: yeah i think so too, master seems to care a lot about us, he doesn't seem to look at us like machines….but also not humans, i feel…i feel like master sees us like any other living being.
Anis: like a living being? that doesn't make sense if we are not machines but also not humans what are we?
Rapi:.....you should ask him that yourself.
Neon: I'll ask him too.
Anis: hmmm…
...
*BOOOM*
an explosion sounds in the distance.
Rapi: That's our signal, let's move out!
Anis: finally what took him so long it has been 3 hours!
Neon: maybe he prepared a super tactic to defeat the raptures!
Anis: I don't think so….
...…
Meanwhile outside…
Varakiel: haha, that should do it
Varakiel says as he looks down in several pits on the ground filled with raptures.
Varakiel: And they should be out…now!
Suddenly rapi, anis and neon come out of the power station and begin shooting down the aerial raptures.
Varakiel: That's it! rapi, neon keep taking them down, anis shoot your grenade launcher in those pits they are filled with the raptures!
Anis: how the hell you managed to make those in 3 hours!?
while complaining anis shoots her grenades to the pits and effectively destroys the raptures in one strike.
Varakiel then goes to the squad side.
Varakiel: Great, but be alert. I am sure those weren't all the raptures inside the power station.
Rapi: roger.
Neon: roger.
Anis: got it.
….
After dealing with the raptures outside the squad prepares to head inside.
Anis: you know our job was investigating the place not taking it…
Varakiel: Well it was too late to retreat, if we tried to retreat the raptures would find us out and would have been the same thing.
Shifty: that's true, while you were waiting the zone got infested with raptures, it seems they got suspicious with your previous battles.
Neon: incredible, master really is a master tactician.
Varakiel: hehe, you'll make me blush ...everyone get your weapons ready we are going inside.
Anis: understood.
Rapi: roger.
Neon: I am ready.
Varakiel: alright.
*Click* *thud*
Just as the door opened
*PEW*
*BLING*
Varakiel deflects a laser that was going directly to rapi's head.
Varakiel: dammit they were waiting for us, are you guys okay!?
Rapi:....i am fine commander, thank you.
Varakiel: don't worry about that, it's clear these raptures are oddly intelligent, they were even operating the power station.
Anis: damn, really?
Varakiel: yes, so don't take these ones lightly, neon how much firepower you have left?
Neon: I still have plenty, master!
Varakiel: Good you three get behind me at the count of 3. I will open the door again and deflect all their attacks and use that time to take them down, understood?
Rapi: ...roger.
Anis:*sigh* Roger commander.
Neon: master, isn't that too dangerous?
Varakiel: You can't have firepower without danger isn't?
Neon: master, you're right! alright leave it to me!
Varakiel: alright 1….2…..3!
*click* *thud*
*PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW*
*PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW**PEW*
*BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING**BLING*
Varakiel: fire!
*BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG*
*BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM*
...
*shake*
the ground begins to shake
Anis: What is that shaking?
Shifty: we're detecting a tyrant up ahead. identifying the signal.
Varakiel: Of course it's a tyrant, counters prepare to engage.
Rapi: roger.
Anis: roger.
Neon: understood master!
...
after a long battle and a long travel varakiel is back into the deputy chief office
Andersen: You are hereby banished.
Varakiel: *sigh* why's that?
Andersen: my orders were for you to investigate the power station. not destroy it. Thanks to your little display up there, the power station was damaged severely. It would take a lot of time to repair it back, making the point of this operation useless, all those materials, those facilities, gone, wiped off the map. two months. Those resources could have supported the entire ark for two months. now it's all been flushed down the drain, thanks to you and those nikkes. Do you have anything to say for yourself?
Varakiel: Actually I do.
Andersen: no, nothing you say could possibly excuse what you've done here. As of today, you and your squad are to be driven out of the ark and banished to the outpost. a barren wasteland. no man's land. but don't worry yourself too much. there are at least some resources available there. and i'll arrange an escort for you. Consider yourselves lucky. I haven't thrown you all into a rehabilitation center.
Varakiel: What about my squad?
Andersen: They will be joining you too. Now go pack your things and get out of my sight.
Varakiel stands up
*click* *thud*
Varakiel: Hey Andersen, thank you, I'll buy you a drink when this show is over. Also, beware, raptures are evolving.
*thud*
Andersen: *sigh* so even he got aware of that…any update on the combat report?
ingrid who was silent in the room finally speaks.
Ingrid: I've just finished analyzing it.
Andersen: well?
Ingrid: in a nutshell, i wouldn't consider them to be particularly proficient in actual combat scenarios either. however the raptures at the power station were actually different compared to their brethren like he said.
Andersen: but they successfully pulled a sneak attack and disposed of almost all of them, despite the inconsistencies in the report.
Ingrid: indeed, something doesn't line up here, but I just can't put my finger on it yet. it's worth investigating further.
Andersen: That's why they are sent to the outpost. There is no better place to avoid the eyes of the all-seeing central government.
Ingrid: one more thing.
Andersen: I assume you're referring to how those raptures were able to operate human machinery?
Ingrid: That too, but no, this commander is something different and I don't mean it in attitude, according to the report and aerial recon.
Ingrid put on an angry face.
Ingrid: the holes formed to trap those raptures formed a middle finger.
Andersen: Is that so? It seems this commander not only has some unnatural skills but also a sense of humor. let's keep investigating….and keep his secrets safe.
Ingrid: indeed, while raptures seem to be evolving, it seems a human also managed to do so as well, let's see who wins this war once and for all.
Andersen: I just wonder what his end game is?
Ingrid: by his attitude i have created 2 conjectures 1, he wants to take control of the ark in the shadows….
ingrid takes a look at the video feed of varakiel covering rapi, anis and neon from the door on the power station.
Ingrid: or he wants to save us all.
Andersen: Is that so?
Ingrid: they are conjectures, they could be wrong.
…..
…..
in the surface on the…."outpost"
Anis: What is this place?
Neon: Apparently, it's called the outpost.
Anis: I know that. I'm asking why we were sent here!
Neon: cause we're upstanding citizens who protected the master and almost destroyed the power station?
Anis: Be that as it may, how are we going to survive in this pl…
*BANG*
Anis: AGH!
Neon: anis, did you see that? I can fire off as many rounds as I like here and nobody will bat an eye!
Anis: -_- that's…awesome!...never mind. Even if this is all a mistake, it's not like I'm completely free from blame.
Varakiel: Well it was my fault for letting the grenade launcher girl use it in a closed space…..
Anis:..don't dare you make that some sort of nickname, or i'll make sure that you only can eat splendamin through a straw.
Neon: if you think about it, it's kinda like a big camping trip! Oh man, I'm so pumped!
Anis: I hate camping.
Varakiel: (not for too long) anyways let's wait for rapi, she's still receiving maintenance, *sigh* i told her to not worry about me but still she took the tyrant strike to protect me.
Anis: well duh, is not normal that a human can face a tyrant face to face even more than take the damn upper hand.
Varakiel: Well, that's….true.
Neon:But, master, where do we sleep?
Varakiel: Well it seems we have dormitories.
Neon: dormitory? Where is that?
then they walk to the dormitory…
...
Neon: is this it?
Anis: I thought it was a warehouse.
Neon: do they have a dining room?
Anis: there are canned goods and military rations over here. they're about to expire though.
Neon: oh…okay..
Varakiel: *sigh* well we can't have anything of that or you will go insane…
Varakiel then walks to the food and puts it in a nearby box.
Varakiel: c'mon help me clean all this place.
Anis: you mean….like all the place?
Neon:....master, it will take too long…
Varakiel: Just help me save up in boxes all these about to expire food would you?
Anis: ugh, fineeee…
Neon: alright master.
…..
Varakiel: mhm that should do it…
Varakiel says as he takes a look at the 8 piled boxes full of expired food…
Varakiel: (lily can i sell this on the system?)
Lily: (of course~)
Suddenly the 8 boxes disappeared.
…..
Neon: so, the bathroom is…
Anis: in the corner over there, it seems…
Neon: seriously? We can't do without a bathroom.
neon then runs to the bathroom at a brisk pace.
*squeak*
…
Neon: there's no water!
Anis: feels like we're in the desert.
Neon: There's something else I'm concerned about.
Anis: What's that?
Neon: Is master living here with us? If so, that's going to be a big problem.
Varakiel suddenly goes inside the room.
Varakiel: You called?
neon: ah master we were wondering, are you living in the dormitory with us?
Varakiel: no, it seems like i have my own room
Anis: good, everyone needs some space for privacy, y´know….wait a minute let's take a look at it.
…..
They walk to Varakiel room.
Anis: This is so unfair! This place is massive! I could run laps in here! Wow, the sofa is super comfy! What's a sofa doing here anyway?
Neon: I need to confirm something.
Neon goes directly to the bathroom.
*squeak*
*swoosh*
Anis: we're out there in the desert, meanwhile you're in an oasis!
Varakiel:¿? What do you mean?
Neon: ah master, you see our bathroom doesn't seem to have water.
Varakiel: really? damn, don't worry i'll check it out later.
Anis: Then again, it's not entirely unreasonable for a commander's quarters to be like this…but it's such a big difference…i can't help but…hey. I've got an idea. How about we swap?
Varakiel: how about sleeping together~
Anis: ugh….
Neon: hehe,
Varakiel: don't worry now that we have some free time we all will go to the ark and get our necessities, deal?
Anis: with what money?
Varakiel: hehe, just wait and see.
Neon: is master actually a playboy? If so , I misjudged you.
Varakiel: Hehe nothing like that, it's just that I am VERY resourceful, don't worry.
Rapi: commander, it won't be good for any of us if you pamper us too much.
rapi suddenly goes inside the room.
Varakiel: ah, rapi, welcome back.
Rapi:.....(what with this warmth ) mhm, i am back from maintenance commander.
Anis: there you are.
Neon: oh?
Rapi: they're really putting us through the wringer this time, uh?
Varakiel: well is time to explain about that, uh sit down on the sofa, don't worry it's made to support the weight of nikkes
Rapi: understood.
Anis: finally standing still was killing me.
Neon: oh, is indeed very comfy.
Varakiel then takes a chair and puts it in front of the sofa.
Rapi: commander you shoul-
Varakiel: ep orders are orders isn't?
Rapi: *sigh*...
rapi sits back.
Varakiel: hehe, alright then, i know it's way too late but, i am varakiel fateburn, i graduated from the academy 5 days ago and now i am commander of the counters squad.
Rapi:....i am rapi.
Anis:...hello, i am anis…i can't do this is so embarrassing!
Neon: hello master i am neon, a elysion nikke i use a shotgun and my dream is to become a master of firepower!
Varakiel: hehe, see you should learn a bit about neon enthusiasm, *cof* Anyways we were sent here to the outpost for many reasons, the official reason is because on our previous mission we destroyed the objective we were supposed to investigate.
Rapi: i am sorry commander it was m-
Varakiel: the only one at fault is HQ for not giving a proper recon that a tyrant was going to be present on the mission, even more under the damn power station,
Rapi:....
Anis: Wait, you said many reasons, what are the others?
Varakiel: Well, they don't want us to divulge that raptures indeed are evolving, so we were sent here where only me and nikkes will go through.
Neon: I see so they are forcing us to keep our mouths shut.
Varakiel: and also they are aware of my….capabilities in combat now, and also i might or not have angered ingrid with a little prank as payback to talking to rapi so rudely back into the simulation room~.
Rapi:.....commander….
Anis: what kind of prank.
Varakiel: Here they even let me have a photo of it as a "shame" to my career hahaha!
Varakiel shows them a photo taken from the sky of the power station, and it shows….a middle finger.
Neon: wow you made all that with firepower master? you have created art!
Neon looks at varakiel with sparkling eyes.
Anis:-_- really, that's so childish (HAHAHAHAHA!)
Rapi:.....should i be concerned about the commander or should i be grateful….
Varakiel: and they sent us here because there's no surveillance from the ark, indeed in here there's no ears and no eyes that tracks our every movement.
Rapi: You mean?
Varakiel: Hehe, indeed, I can finally teach you all my secrets.
Neon: awesome, then master tell me how did you make all of that!?
neon says as she points at the now hanging photo of a giant middle finger.
Anis: I just have a question, what are you?
Varakiel: I am a human being, I can get angry, I can cry, I can laugh, I can get sad, but more importantly I can give hope.
Anis: give hope?
Varakiel: Indeed, that's my dream. I want to give hope not only to humans, but also nikkes.
Anis: I don't understand.
Varakiel: With time you will, we have plenty of time to get along and know each other.
Rapi: I also have a question….what are nikkes to you?
Varakiel: a living being, you're not too different than humans, in a sense i am not different than nikkes, a powerful being willing to fight for what he believes….was that answer enough?
Rapi: it was more than enough thank you….varakiel.
Varakiel: Hehe, and you neon?
Neon: I want to ask, when are we beginning my firepower training!?
Varakiel: pahaha, soon, neon, soon, but before we need to settle down, this place needs a lot of work. My room is in good condition but your room needs a lot of work, rapi can i leave you the paperwork?
Rapi: of course commander.
Varakiel: perfect also thanks beforehand, first thing in the morning we will do is go get you some furniture, alright?
Neon: alright master! It's time to go shopping!
Rapi: commander, first the important things: how big is our budget?
Varakiel: Let 's see we have….
Bank Account Balance: 150K
Varakiel: 150K~.
Anis: ugh that's too low, i guess we will have to get our daily necessities and then get furniture later.
Varakiel: nah, tomorrow i will get some money don't worry it is 100% legal.
Rapi: mentioning its legality doesn't make it sound better commander…
Neon: is perhaps secret funds from your family, master!? Are you actually super rich!?
Varakiel: hm….it might depend on how the market is today, just leave it to me, a commander who cannot repay the hard work of his squad is utterly incompetent, and all of you have worked hard, so let me pamper you for a bit, alright?
Rapi:....fine but it better not become a habit, that goes for you too anis.
Anis: Hey, I haven't done anything yet.
Neon: don't worry, as long as I get my firepower training I will keep working hard.
Varakiel: So rapi is everything alright?
Rapi: Yes commander, I came right after they finished my repairs. so, this is our new home, huh? the outpost….hmm.
Varakiel: hm? What's wrong?
Neon: Did you forget something?
Rapi: You smell.
Anis: uh…
Neon: !!
Varakiel: ah crap with all this work i forgot to use it.
Varakiel then use cleanse magic on his body with the snap of his fingers.
Varakiel's body shines and all of sudden his body and clothes are all clean.
Varakiel: mhm, much better.
Rapi:.....
Anis:....
Neon:....
Varakiel:.....
Anis walks to varakiel and puts her arms on his shoulders.
Anis: I don't know what you did but you will teach us right away, understand?
Varakiel: of course~.
...
Anis: So magic actually exists in this world?
Neon: Does that mean there is firepower magic!?
Varakiel: well magic did exist in the past, but my family couldn't expand its uses after the raptures invaded, now the only machine that can grant magic is this one, but the method to create it is lost, so try to not divulge it unless is to your fellow nikkes, alright?
Anis: understood commander,
Neon: don't worry, master your secrets are safe with us.
Rapi: magic, uh….could this have saved humanity back then?
Varakiel: Maybe but it could also have doomed them too, but who knows now, I only will allow it to use it to people i trust with my life.
Rapi: ….very well commander, I will take this secret to the grave.
Varakiel: hehe, don't say that, that's a massive red flag,
….
Anis: But still I want to take a shower soo…
Rapi: commander come with me…
Varakiel: alright…
Rapi and varakiel goes outside..
…..