Chatterbox

...

Next day…

Rapi: We've reached the surface. establishing connection with shifty.

Varakiel: please, do.

Mihara: You won't have much luck with that. Syuen is jamming the communication network.

Rapi:....seems like this is no ordinary operation.

Mihara: You could say that. We refer to them as black ops.

Varakiel: *sigh* maybe 10m credits was still too low…

Anis: how cliché can you get?

Neon: she ordered us to capture a specific rapture. Is that even possible?

Mihara: Yuni and I were made for this. let's move out.

Varakiel: alright, mihara you lead the way, counters stay alert.

Rapi: roger.

Anis: roger.

Neon: roger.

Mihara: Good, follow me.

…..

…..

Neon: where are we going?

Mihara: Why do you keep asking questions? don't you know that men don't like women who are nosy?

Gnome: (.....)

Varakiel: (it depends on the men gnome, for me, i like all of you like you are, even if sylph is nosy)

Anis: Well, we have to know where we're going, don't we?

Varakiel: hm…mihara are you okay?

Mihara: Why do you ask?

Varakiel: You were shot a lot yesterday.

Mihara: It's okay, I don't mind a little pain.

Anis: What's up with that?

Varakiel: if you say so…

varakiel then put his hand on her shoulder.

Varakiel: But if you begin to malfunction, tell me I can perform maintenance on the spot, got it?

Mihara: roger…I appreciate your concern, commander.

…..

yuni: mihara! over here!

Mihara: Nicely done, yuni.

Yuni: don't I get a reward? heh heh.

Mihara: We'll talk about it later. I haven't decided how much you can have yet.

yuni: okay!

Anis: What are these? footprints?

Yuni: Yes, I found them.

Varakiel then crouches down on the foot prints.

Varakiel: they were done about an hour ago…..and they follow in a straight line….hm..

Varakiel stands up and walks to the back.

Anis:....you still track raptures using footprints? talk about being stuck in the stone age.

Yuni: chatterbox's signal isn't so easy to pin down.

Neon: chatterbox? Is that the name of a rapture?

Mihara: yep, codename chatterbox. He's a unique organism, unlike any other rapture we've seen before. He's the reason we're here.

Rapi: why?

Mihara: hell if i know. They told us to bring him in a few months ago, but never told us why.

Rapi: Is there anything about him that stands out? any previous engagements?

Mihara: I know as much as you do. I've never actually seen him myself.

Neon: jeez, this is gonna be like finding a needle in an ocean.

Anis: don't you mean a nail in a haystack?

Rapi:*sigh* it's a needle in a haystack, you morons.

Mihara: he has unique footprints, so we use those to track him. I've never seen him with my own eyes, though.

Rapi: What does that have to do with us?

Mihara:....seems like this isn't your first rodeo. Tell me then, what's the probability of a commander dying in their first battle?

Rapi:...70%

Mihara: And that number goes up for the second battle, does it not?

Anis: aha! so is that the reason whatshername came knocking? because of how the commander beat the odds?

Mihara: exactly.

Rapi: how many of them are there?

Mihara: hmm?

Rapi: how many one-and-done commanders have there been up until now?

Mihara: i don't know the exact number, but i'm pretty sure it's over 40.

Rapi:....

Anis: incredible. i should be a CEO too.

Neon: let's start a company! what do you say?

Anis: really?

Rapi:.....co…mmander?

Rapi notices that varakiel is in deep silence….

Varakiel:.....rapi, anis, neon, mihara, yuni, be careful, this chatterbox is more dangerous than you think.

Mihara: hm? What do you mean by that?

Varakiel: these footprints were put there on purpose, he knows we are after him, be ready for combat in any second.

Rapi: Roger commander!

Anis: ah damn!

Neon: understood master!

Mihara:..you are joking right?

Yuni: That can't be true, he's just a rapture.

Varakiel: raptures can evolve too, don't underestimate your opponent, mihara let's proceed, i will be able to figure out where he is if we continue using his footprints, is the best we can do for now.

Mihara:....understood, commander.

Varakiel: Black Ops, engage.

Yuni: hehe.

...

Yuni: hmm? mihara, look at this.

Mihara:....the footprints are gone.

yuni: What do we do now?

Mihara: well..we could go back…

Rapi: I don't believe this.

Yuni: hmm? mihara, look at the wall over there!

Mihara:....

Yuni: so, he stepped on the wall.

Rapi:...you mean raptures can move on walls?

Anis: That's impossible. only a four-legged animal could do something like that.

Varakiel: And you're wrong there, check this out.

Varakiel then puts a lot of strength on his legs and making a perfect balance walks up a wall.

Varakiel then graciously jumps back down.

Rapi:....

Anis:*sigh* show off.

Neon: wow *clap* *clap*

mihara: impossible humans shouldn't be able to do such a thing.

Yuni: Is the commander actually a super secret soldier?

Varakiel: don't get distracted, this chatterbox has anthropomorphic features, he has 2 hands and 2 legs.

Mihara: Roger, the intel has been updated. chatterbox is an anthropomorphic rapture, and he's able to scale walls…and he knows that we're tracking him.

Neon:...it sounds as though he's intelligent.

Mihara: the commander is right, raptures are evolving…this is bad.

Yuni: mihara! Give me a reward! reward!

Mihara: All right, all right! You've been a good girl.

yuni: yes!

Mihara: Come and get it, then. let me turn off your pain sensor.

Yuni then sits on Mihara's lap.

Yuni squeezes mihara in the calf.

Mihara: Hrrrnngn!

Yuni: hee-hee!

Anis:...what are they doing?

Neon: she's…pinching her.

Yuni: mihara! Does it hurt? well?

Mihara: agh! it hurts…! so bad!

Anis: Wait a minute..I'm confused.

Neon: master, what's wrong with them?

Varakiel:I'll tell you when you grow up.

Neon: all right…wait I am a grown up!

Rapi: You certainly seem to have a good grasp of it.

Neon: huh? about what? tell me.

Rapi:um…that's…

Yuni: Mihara, can I hurt you more?

Mihara: N-no, that's enough for now. we can't get addicted to it, you know?

Yuni: Okay, I'll do better next time.

....

Rapi: We've lost him again.

Anis: There's nothing around here. He couldn't have walked along a wall.

Varakiel: he's underground, prepare!

Rapi: Roger!

Anis: !! raptures, inbound!

Varakiel: engage!

…..

Rapi: enemy neutralized. vanishing footprints and a rapture ambush…

Varakiel: Like I said, he knows we are here.

Rapi: mhm

*PEW*

*Cling*

Varakiel deflects it back to the rapture and this fall on the ground.

Varakiel: Are you okay rapi?

Rapi:....i am fine commander…thank you.

Mihara: impressive, to be able to deflect that as a human….just what are you?

Yuni: he's a secret super soldier, mihara, i told you!

Rapi: But still that shot was aimed straight to my head…what'd you do to piss them off so much? something to do with capturing them, i assume?

Mihara: more or less. Yuni is able to target the specific sense of an enemy and shut it down.

Yuni: That's right! one shot from this laser and they're out of commission!

Mihara: As for me, you already know. I can swap my senses with someone else.

Rapi: So they're not originally meant to be used on nikkes?

Mihara: no, we typically use them to bag raptures.

Rapi: can raptures feel pain?

Mihara:...?

Rapi: how can abilities meant to be used against raptures also be effective against nikkes and humans?

Varakiel:....i see, so that's what it is….

Varakiel now realizes a lot of things instantly.

Mihara:....

Rapi: Who are you?

Mihara: you're quite the supersleuth, rapi. always getting to the bottom of things.

Rapi: answer my question.

Yuni: do-don't talk to mihara like that!

Mihara: it's fine…..i'll admit we haven't been very transparent about who we are. but i assure you that our abilities are equally effective on nikkes, raptures, and humans alike.

Rapi: you're lying. nikke's bodies are modeled after what humans consider to be the ideal form. you couldn't possibly end up with abilities that you didn't want.

Mihara: Syuen is the one who made us.

Rapi:...

Mihara: The CEO of Missilis Industry. you think she's going to sit down with us and have a nice chat about what she did to us, and why?

Anis: fair enough.

Varakiel:.....i see, she gave you those abilities because her company reputation is becoming lower than the other 2, and now she trying to get in other kind of markets such as raptures contraband, i am right?

Mihara:....you're really a perceptive commander, are you sure you graduated a week ago?

Varakiel: What can I say? I graduated as top of my class for a reason.

Mihara:no wonder…..yet, all we know is that we have these abilities, and that we minted on using those abilities to capture raptures. that's all there is to it.

Rapi: if you say so. adjust the formation. wardress takes the lead from now on.

Neon:...rapi.

Rapi: i'm not turning my back on a nikke who doesn't even know what she is.

Mihara:...roger. the footprints are connected. let's continue.

while they walk anis and rapi come to varakiel side.

Rapi: commander is it true that all of this is because Missilis reputation?

Varakiel: indeed that brat might be entitled and have an horrible personality, but she's not stupid, but also isn't very clever, bringing raptures to the ark….*sigh* by this point raptures know the ark location.

Anis: WHAT!?

Rapi: commander, this is bad!

Varakiel: calm down, this not seems to be the first time they have captured a rapture, it might have been a long time since they captured their first rapture, now the true question is, why haven't they invaded the ark yet.

Rapi: That's true….

Anis: Well maybe because all the nikkes are there?

Varakiel: no…..it seems marian corruption incident is way deeper than i thought ...at least i have a new lead now, whoever was behind marian corruption was a higher up in the ark.

…..

Mihara: lost them again.

Rapi: I'm sensing dense concentrations of alva particles up ahead. That's not a good sign.

Mihara: So what do we do? commander, should we pull back?

Varakiel: looks like we lost him, or he let us go away…for now, let's pull back everyone.

Mihara: fine by me. things are starting to get a little too risky for my liking anyway.

*beep*

varakiel phone beeps.

Rapi: That's impossible…

Varakiel: hm? didn't you say all communications were blocked?

Varakiel then sees the sender….syuen.

—-

Syuen:

Ah!

Ah!

Oh.

Finally.

How's the tracking going?

Varakiel

We're heading back.

Syuen

oh? is that so!?

good, good.

there's one small matter i'd like to discuss with you.

we found something.

in your quarters at the Outpost

Military plans outlining an attack on the ark.

Varakiel.

Oh really? then guess what i just discovered directly from your subordinate.

Syuen

!!

W-what are you talking about!?

Varakiel.

Smuggling Raptures inside the ark, really? you realize by this time the ark isn't unknown to raptures anymore and they could attack at any moment? so you better pray that the higher ups don't get this information now, it could be bad if someone let's say andersen knew that there's a traitor dealing with raptures~.

Syuen.

y-y-you! who was it!?

Varakiel

i am not going to tell you, also if you hurt mihara or yuni in any way my tongue might slip, capiche? and remember 10m credits by the end of the week, we are done in here, got it? good.

—--

Varakiel: heh.

Anis:huh? What is it commander?

Varakiel then gives anis his phone

Anis: Puahahahhahaha!!!

Anis falls to the floor and rolls on it laughing.

Neon: What's so funny?

Neon picks up the phone and reads the messages.

Neon: hahahahaha!!!

Rapi:...?

Rapi then picks up the phone….

Rapi:...*chuckle*

Rapi then realizing she almost broke in laughter, looks away with a red face.

Mihara: ¿? What is it?

Rapi then hands the phone to mihara…

Mihara:....*sigh*...

Yuni: I want to look too mihara, show me!

Mihara then hands the phone to yuni.

Yuni:...heh-heh.

Yuni laughed with a sadistic smile.

Varakiel then grabs the phone back.

Anis: So are we going back?

Varakiel: no, despite I don't mind syuen threats, this…chatterbox, seems to be smart…too smart, we must confront it to measure his strength.

Rapi: It could be really dangerous commander.

Anis: i say we go back.

Varakiel: don't worry, the moment things go south I issue the retreat order.

Neon: alright master.

Mihara: So we keep on tracking?

Varakiel: Yes, but remain careful.

Rapi: understood. Let's keep moving.

….

after exploring for a long time, it finally is night time.

Varakiel: alright everyone stop, we are camping in here.

Anis: ugh, camping…

Neon: i think it sounds fun.

Rapi: indeed we should camp, visibility is poor right now, and the commander needs rest, then ill go put up the decoys arou-

Varakiel: that won't be necessary~.

Varakiel then takes out his camp.

Varakiel: mhm, that should do it.

Mihara:...what the.

Yuni: super magic soldier!

Anis: what is all this commander?

Neon: it came out of nowhere.

Varakiel: hehe, this is an special camp, i been using it for 5 years now, and don't worry about the decoys in the center hidden under the campfire is a little device that reflects the light making us unseeable from outside the perimeter, and the tents are made of thermal camouflage making it so we are undetectable.

Rapi:...this isn't supposed to be a camp-out where we roast marshmallows by the campfire.

Varakiel: Too bad, I already took the marshmallows out~.

Varakiel says as he was putting a marshmallow in a wood stick.

Rapi:....*sigh*

Varakiel made a lot of changes to the camp for this world.

Anis: What about the campfire? wouldn't it be too suspicious to raptures?

Varakiel: don't worry about it i have it covered~.

Neon then gets close to anis.

Neon: probably magic.

Anís: oh! that makes sense!

Rapi:....commander is really okay to you know to reveal this much too mihara and yuni?

Varakiel: don't worry.

Mihara: I don't know what is going on here, but I won't say anything about it, isn't right yuni.

Yuni: Of course the commander's secret is safe with us! heh-heh.

Varakiel: see~?

Rapi:....

Varakiel: Alright, let me prepare dinner then~.

Varakiel the goes to a box behind one of the tents.

Yuni: woah!!? Are those real potatoes!?

Varakiel: Mhm, here I have everything a human used to have in the past.

Mihara: How is that possible….

Varakiel: Sorry but that's a secret~.

yuni: Not fair, I want to know.

 …..

Yuni: mihara, this is so delicious, not even the most expensive things on the ark compared to this~!

Mihara:...yes yuni, you're right…so delicious…

Varakiel: Glad you like it.

Yuni: How come you're a commander? You should be a chef in the ark, you could become a top chef in there!

Varakiel: Hehe, thank you Yuni, but that's not what I want.

Mihara: what is it that you want then? to put yourself first before your nikkes or even us, what is that you seek?

Varakiel: hmm, what is seek is simple, you see the reason andersen sent me to the outpost due to my request, i want the outpost to be a place where nikkes can go back and call home, a place where they are not treated as tools nor weapons, just living beings.

Mihara: Oh my, to believe you have such a crazy idea, I don't think the government would like that.

Varakiel: Like hell I care about the government, you saw my attitude with syuen. I don't give a damn about authorities who can't show the slightest respect for their companions, hell syuen didn't even tell you what did she do to you.

Yuni: But that's how things are in the ark, commander.

Varakiel: indeed that's how things how are in the ark, but not in my outpost, the moment they gave me the outpost they lost any sympathy i had for them, i just ask you a simple thing, when you are lost or tired and don't know what to do come to my outpost, i will receive you with my hands open.

Yuni:....really?

Varakiel: mhm of course.

Yuni: pinky promise?

Varakiel: pinky promise.

then varakiel and yuni make a pinky promise.

Varakiel: so mihara?

Mihara: *sigh* i can't let yuni go around by herself, so i'll always be with her no matter how many times our memories are wiped out.

Varakiel: hehe, it seems you two are great friends.

Yuni: Yeah, I love mihara!

Mihara: fufu, i love you too yuni.

….

later that night.

Yuni: Mihara, I'm tired.

Mihara: alright yuni let's go to sleep.

Yuni then falls asleep on mihara's legs.

Anis: mihara.

mihara: what's wrong?

Anis: What's going on between you and yuni?

Mihara: huh? What makes you ask?

Anis: it feels to me like yuni is very dependent on you.

Mihara: dependent? yuni? you're way off base. We both rely on each other. we have no choice. When two people are together, they're like two gears in perfect sync. Yuni and I are crooked gears. no one else fits with us.

Anis:....

Mihara: But sometimes, two crooked gears can be a perfect match. That's how I met yuni. Neither of us is perfect, but we're perfect for each other. I realize how strange we must seem to people on the outside looking in.

Neon: no, I didn't, it's kind of….sweet.

Mihara:...thank you.

Anis: A crooked gear..

Mihara: All right, your turn.

Anis: hmm?

Mihara: You've been working with rapi for a long time, haven't you? I can tell. neon, on the other hand, must be new.

Neon: Well, it's a secret, but I'm actually a spy.

Anis: yep, a real whopper of a secret.

Mihara: Wow, no kidding?

Anis: we…yes. We all have our problems. or maybe defects is a better word.

mihara:...?

Anis: well, if you don't mind, i need my beauty sleep.

Mihara:hmm..someone's in a foul mood.

Anis: lay off it, will you?

Mihara: all right, all right, just for you….so commander you have been really silent all this time, so tell me what kind of gear do you think you are?

Varakiel: a gear? I am not something like that….i am more like a mechanic. I assemble the gears and create a machine that can build something.

Mihara: Is that so? What is it that you want to build if you don't mind me asking?

Varakiel: I want to build a future, a future for humanity, a future for nikkes, a future for hope.

Mihara: that…..I see why those three trust in you that much, you're truly different than any commander to exist.

….