Eeeeeeenternaiment!!!!!!

...

Varakiel then after an hour arrives at Andersen's office alone.

*click* *thud*

Andersen: long time no see. i'm sorry to call you in like this, are you mentally alright?

Varakiel: I am okay, thanks for asking andersen.

Andersen: very well…i've been informed of a rather serious matter. The way you command your nikkes is rather unorthodox. you must be quite displeased that after all that you have been suspended. So tell me, how are you feeling?

Varakiel: Honestly I am most surprised that Enikk allowed my petition to pass on.

Andersen: ah yes indeed, i was quite surprised myself, is not usual that she takes the opinion of the commander so seriously, even more in a judgement of that caliber…that being said is the first time a commander puts himself for a nikke…..you asked me before, if i knew anything about marian being corrupted the answer is yes. As long as you keep it a secret, I will tell you everything I know.

Varakiel: I have made some discoveries myself, so let's share information.

Andersen: really? that fast? impressive, the kind of answer that is most convincing. fine then. since you've agreed. I'll tell you. someone inside the ark tampered with the nikkes and sent them up to the surface to sabotage our operations. we're not entirely convinced if it's a one-man operation, or a group who's behind all this.

Varakiel: It's neither of them, it is a two-man operation, one brings the corruption while the other provides the nikke.

Andersen: You mean….

Varakiel: a rapture is working with someone in the ark.

Andersen: dammit…

Varakiel: I also have another piece of information ... .the raptures, they might have knowledge of the ark location for a long time ago.

Andersen: *sigh* that would make sense of how they managed to corrupt the nikke's something else?

Varakiel: Indeed, this is not made by a human nor a nikke….

Andersen: You mean…an IA!

Varakiel: most probably, an IA wouldn't care about consequences only about results…about the rapture…you're aware chatterbox can speak right?

Andersen: Well yes…..

Varakiel: and that's the only rapture nearby that could possibly establish negotiation with the ark.

Andersen: dammit!

Andersen smash his fist on his desk!

Varakiel: yep, chatterbox is our first man, now about the second man.

Andersen: there's only one IA that manages nikkes, Enikk.

Varakiel: and the only IA that could think about the safety of the ark before the consequences…

Andersen: Dammit, you're something else commander varakiel.

Varakiel: haha….i can't blame Enikk for what she has done, she was programmed to protect the ark at all cost… so the only thing we can do is take care of chatterbox, but we also can't increase the pressure on him or he will get suspicious.

Andersen: Indeed, this is indeed quite the problem.

Varakiel: My squad will take care of chatterbox.

Andersen: I knew you would say that….now that we have a course of action, i hope you can excuse me, i have a meeting in five minutes.

Varakiel: Alright, just one more question, why are you helping me?

Andersen: consider it a small consolation to those nikkes with no feeling, no memories…and no control over their own lives.

Varakiel: you're a good man Andersen, I respect you for that, as the leader of the counters squad….thank you.

*click* *thud*

Andersen: is the first time someone thanks me with such sincerity, commander varakiel to be able to express your emotions so openly in this world, you are truly a human to fear.

…..

two days later.

Mihara: Hello, I'm Mihara. you're my new teammates, rapi , anis and neon, right?

Anis: stop talking like that it sounds like your memory was wiped…ugh, it gives me the chills.

Neon: haha, hello mihara i am neon, and i am a spy from Elysion!

Rapi: welcome aboard mihara. 

Yuni: And I am Yuni! Nice to meet all of you.

Varakiel: heheh, welcome to the team mihara and yuni.

Mihara: mhm, so what's our next operation commander?

Yuni: Are we going after chatterbox!? this time i will give him a piece of my mind for what he did to Mihara!

Varakiel: Relax, we aren't sure where is chatterbox right now, but we are indeed going after him, HQ will issue a mission shortly.

Rapi: Did they inform you?

Varakiel: nope, they will just come and give me the mission.

Anis: how do you know?

suddenly someone comes inside the dormitory.

Syuen: hey. didn't I ask you to clean up this pigsty?

Varakiel: is completely clean, are you sure your eye lenses aren't actually dirty?

Syuen: *inhales* I've got another mission for all of you. allow me to explain.

Varakiel: Mihara changes senses with Syuen.

Mihara:.....roger.

Then a blue light comes from Mihara…

Syuen: h-hey what are you doing!?

Varakiel: Yuni, tickle Mihara, the best you can do.

Yuni: tickle? heh-heh this is the first time i do this but i will do my best.

Syuen: wait what are you ,hahaha…Stop, ahhahaha!, STOP IT, hahahahahahaha!

…..

after half an hour of tickling hell.

Varakiel: Alright that's enough, thank you Mihara and Yuni.

Mihara: Of course commander, I must say Yuni, I didn't know you had a talent for tickling people too.

Yuni: me neither, Mihara, let's explore this new found talent later, heh-heh.

Syuen: *pant* *pant* *pant* wha- what the hell do you think you're doing!?

Varakiel: It is called karma, Syuen. I told you, your actions have consequences. This time I was soft with you, but next time you wouldn't be so lucky, now what do you want?

Syuen: i…forget about it, I am leaving….

Syuen then leaves the outpost.

Varakiel then notices a small puddle on the floor…

Varakiel: *sigh* 

varakiel then use cleanse magic and the puddle disappears.

Anis: serve her right, hahahaha!

Neon: commander, are you sure that we should do this ?

Rapi: we didn't hurt her in any way, so she can't blame us on anything and i bet she won't dare to snitch on her own nikkes abilities or she will get questioned about their origins.

Mihara: That's true rapi.

Yuni: heh-heh commander you seem to know a lot about hurting others for pleasure, can you teach me more?

Varakiel: we can do that later yuni

*beep*

Varakiel: hm? andersen?

—-

Andersen

I heard Syuen is on her way to your place.

Hide

I don't know what she is going to do.

Varakiel

Syuen just left right now.

Andersen

What?

So soon?

What did she say?

Varakiel

well she had a small "accident" and decided to go back.

Andersen

??

Are you free now?

Varakiel

Yes.

Andersen

then come to my office

I need you to do something for me.

—-

Varakiel: and our mission request has arrived, told you, then i'll see you later, prepare for going out soon, i'll inform you if we are actually parting tomorrow.

Rapi: understood commander.

Anis: boooooring, more waiting.

Neon: Well, we are going out soon Anis, so we should prepare everything.

Mihara: let's go Yuni, let's give our weapons a quick maintenance.

Yuni: alright mihara!

...

in the deputy chief office.

Andersen: I need you to go up to the surface and head north.

Varakiel: Is this about chatterbox?

Andersen: Indeed, you said a pilgrim managed to take down chatterbox, she was spotted in the north. go and see if she knows anything about its whereabouts.

Varakiel: understood anything special i should know about my objective?

Andersen: You might know this already but, pilgrims are nikkes who live on the surface.

Varakiel: So there's more than one of them.

Andersen: correct, and we have never had any official contact with them. they're incredibly elusive and nearly impossible to track. I am sure you have a lot of questions: how am I supposed to locate these pilgrims? Everyone knows how vast the frozen north is. Well you'll go to the research center in the north.

Varakiel: understood, but how do I enter this research center?

Andersen: Once you arrive, our staff at the research base will provide additional assistance. understood?

Varakiel: Yes, for now.

Andersen: All right, then. we're done here. I've got a meeting coming up.

Varakiel: Alright then I am off.

*click* *thud*

Andersen: commander, bring me back some good news.

*thud*

...

Rapi: So we're the only ones being assigned to this mission?

Anis: it's better this way, otherwise, the commander can't be a show off and do the work for us sometimes.

Rapi:....that's true.

Anis: So we're heading for the research base in the north, is that right?

Neon: Wait, where are Mihara and Yuni?

Varakiel: I assigned them for some errand while we are away, at this path the outpost will remain a wasteland so I asked them to contract some builders to create some facilities on the outpost.

Neon: Wow, commander, that's actually awesome.

Rapi: What about the funds?

Varakiel: Well with these two free days I managed to finally use my money making tactics….here take a look.

Varakiel Balance: 2000m

Anis:-_- did you just rob a bank or something?

Varakiel: Oh no, I made some deals with a rather peculiar individual.

Anis: good to know i guess, but i am pretty sure that the research base is completely inaccessible without a pass.

Rapi: although it is a research base, it's protected by armed forces, and lots of them.

Anis: one false move and that's all she wrote.

Varakiel: sounds parryable.

Neon: Indeed I bet the master can deflect all of it.

Anis:-_- while you might be right remember, is our research base.

Rapi:....so Andersen didn't give you anything? no pass or anything like that?

Varakiel: nope, but i think someone is about to do that isn't?

???: perfecto, you guessed right commandant!

Neon: what's going on? What's that light up ahead?

Anis: Wait, that's a disco ball…don't tell me that's…

Mustang: voilá! exactement! i am the CEO of tetra line, the greatest showman in the entire ark! Mustang.

Varakiel: Hello, Mustang, is nice to meet you again!

Mustang: allez! repeat after me! Entertainment!

Varakiel: Entertainment!

Varakiel and Mustang: Eeentertaiment!!

Anis: oh no, there's two of them now…

Rapi:....

Neon: wow.

Mustang: oh non, anis, where is your applause?

Anis: Hello, boss. It's been a while. 

Mustang: You look well, chérie.

Anis: ha ha, do i?

Mustang: Tell me, chérie, when will you come back to me?

Varakiel: I am sorry, mustang but she belongs to my squad now, if you want to get her back then…..

Mustang: oh moy, another challenge!?

Varakiel: You'll have to wait until this mission is over~.

Mustang: oh…C´est bon. the best things in life are worth waiting for….and yes….vous étes commandant varakiel

Varakiel: Oui, c'est moi!

Mustang: bravo! Magnifique! Bonne réponse! you are heading towards the research base in the north, no?

Varakiel: c'est correct

mustang takes out a card.

Mustang: take this pass. however, this pass is, shall we say…particulier.

Neon: does anyone else hear music?

Varakiel: haha, indeed, actually I have pretty good melodies for our battle in the future. I wait for them with excitement.

Mustang: magnifique you even bring the entertainment out to the battlefield, anis is very chanceux

of having you commandant, now take a good look, commandant varakiel! I will only show you once!

Mustang dances to the music.

Varakiel: Is that dance from yesterday?

Mustang: magnifique it's seems you remembered our encounter

Neon: no kidding!

Mustang: Look at the pass now!

the card on mustang hand begins to glow.

Mustang: if you do se dance, you can activate the pass. This pass is the crowning achievement of mon enterprise, tetra line!

Neon: wow! What technology!

Anis: seems like an awfully big waste of technology to me.

Mustang: Come on, it's yours now, commandant varakiel. or shall i dance again for you, si vous voulez?

Varakiel: Sadly any second counts for this mission, but I promise next time I visit you I shall show you more of my Entertainment!

Mustang: magnifique as ever.

Anis: ummm..boss.

Mustang: oui.

Anis: I appreciate it, but what exactly are you doing here?

Mustang: bonne question, ma Anis. Do you realize just how popular counters are…in the ark right now? Trés populaire indeed! As the Ark's finest showman, it behooves me to have such promising starlets as yourselves to be in my debt!...I was also curious to finally meet the squad that ingrid is so pleased with.

Anis: hmm? What was that at the end?

Mustang: hmm? oh, nothing. best of luck with your opération! Eeentertaiment!!

Varakiel: Eeentertaiment!!

Rapi:.....

Anis:...

Neon: That guy really knows how to put on a show!

Anis: That's one way of putting it. anyways how come you know my boss already commander?

Varakiel: Well it is thanks to him that I could get all those credits.

Neon: commander, did you sold your body!?

Rapi: commander is that right!?

Varakiel: Of course not you pair of dolts.

*click* 

varakiel then calls the lifts.

Varakiel: I just sold him a lot of music from the past, music from different years, like 2000 to 2200.

Anis: yep that sounds like my boss…wait how come you have music that old?

Varakiel: You really believe that a family that invented magic wouldn't be able to save those kinds of things ?

Neon: Wow, master family is like a time capsule!

Rapi then gets to varakiel side and whispers to him.

Rapi: Commander, isn't it illegal to sell music that isn't your own?

Varakiel: not when they are from another world teehee~.

Rapi:...

Lily: (teehee)

...