Godslayers and Goddesses (Nikke X Destiny, Semi-Crack)

[Flameal15k]

Been feeling like doing something with Nikke and Destiny will not get off my brain. So here we are.

Leave your thoughts after the author's note.

XxXxX

Ikora skimmed through the report, occasionally stopping at some of the more outrageous portions. Why did the Young Wolf have to get into such absurd situations?

Sighing, Ikora composed herself, then glanced upwards at the Guardian in question. Clad in armor gifted by the Eliksni of the House of Light, his amber eyes stared at her, a look of discomfort coloring his face.

Clustered around him were a collection of female figures - human in appearance, but closer in nature to Exos beneath the skin. Nikkes, they were called. Five of them now sat around him - one wearing a blue and white outfit that, according to Golden Age records and claims by Executor Hideo, was used as a school uniform in South Eastern Asia, while another wore a gray and black combat uniform and jacket. The third wore a red and black uniform with a beret and skirt, while the fourth wore what could charitably be called a black skinsuit. Finally, the last among them was a girl with hair so white, the Warlock Vanguard wondered if it was bleached. Her attire, meanwhile, was a mixture of black armor, the white remains of an uncertain article of clothing, and gray, almost transparent fabric elsewhere.

There were others, too, most of whom were further back in the room. Ikora pointedly ignore how revealing some of their outfits could be.

"So, Guardian," she asked, "is this report complete?"

"As complete as possible."

"I see. So, if I am reading this correctly, while exploring one of the nodes in the Vex Network with Mithrax's assistance, you ended up on an alternate Earth."

"Correct."

"There, you encountered another group of humans called the Ark, which were opposed to an invading army of mechanical lifeforms known as Raptures."

"Also correct."

"Due to having no way to determine a method to return home, you offered your services to the Ark in exchange for their assistance, and were made into a commander of their military forces."

"That's true."

"..You being promoted to Commander so easily is either an indication of talent the Vanguard has not noticed or an indictment against the Ark."

"Probably both," conceded the Nikke in orange and gold.

"Excuse me?"

Instantly, the girl blanched. "Ack, sorry! I'm Anis, of Counters squad. We're the Commander's squad."

"Understood. May I presume that the rest of these…Nikkes clustered around you are also part of Counters?"

The Young Wolf nodded. "I think introductions are in order."

The girl in white shot up instantly. "I'm Neon, and firepower is my game!"

"Rapi," said the girl in red and black.

"Call me Red Hood," said the one in the black skin-suit.

"My name is Marian," spoke the last Nikke. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Noted. I am Ikora Rey of the Vanguard, and while I wish it was under better circumstances, welcome to the Last City."

"Wait," said the most scantily clad of the five Nikkes beside the Young Wolf, "you're his boss?"

"I am his superior. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. He just has a lot of respect for you. Nice to finally tie a face to that name."

"...Thank you."

Refocusing on the Young Wolf, Ikora took a deep breath. "While I'm certain that this report will explain everything in detail, for the sake of brevity and immediately understanding the situation we are now in, I require a direct answer: why are we now dealing with a sudden human refugee crisis in addition to the arrival of the House of Light?"

For a moment, everyone else in the room froze up. Then all eyes darted to a trio of Nikkes - one a blue-haired girl in a military uniform, another appearing to be a child wearing clothing better suited to an office worker, and finally a more mature woman who looked exhausted and really needed a more covering pair of pants. Said trio instantly wilted, with the blue-haired one blushing in discomfort. "Hey, stop it! We thought it was just another Gatekeeper incident. How were we supposed to know that the things it summoned this time didn't need it to keep coming back to Earth? And what about Dorothy?"

The pink-haired Nikke was currently sitting with three others, mouth taped shut and arms bound, but Ikora paid her no mind, instead focusing on what the blue-haired girl had said.

"Gatekeeper? Did this involve another Gate Lord?"

"No," denied the Guardian. "It's a type of Rapture. Long story with that one."

"So it seems. Are there any other topics that require immediate discussion?"

The minute she said that, Marian, Rapi, and Red Hood all glanced at their commander, who simply nodded. Without a word, all three held out their right hands, and in each materialized a ghost.

"...Oh."

XxXxX

AN: Ugh, finally done.

Alright, so, yeah, Nikke and Destiny fic. Want to do something while I figure out what to do with my other Destiny stories.

First, background stuff:

1. This story is semi-crack. Mostly serious, but some silly moments.
2. Plot-wise, this takes place concurrently with Season of the Splicer for D2 and around Chapter 15 for Nikke.
3. I still haven't decided on a name for the Commander, which is why he is unnamed here.
4. Every Nikke in the game excluding the Heretics making up the Four Beasts is currently with the Commander. This includes Exotic, Nihilister, Indivilia, Crown, and Chime.
5. Yes, Marian, Rapi, and Red Hood are risen. If I had to give them classes, Rapi is Titan, Red Hood is a Hunter, and Marian is a warlock.
6. Regarding what Privaty was saying (yes, that was Privaty who was talking about all the looks she was getting), the Point of Divergence was a Gatekeeper incursion that caused Vex from the Sol Divisive to be summoned to the world of Nikke. The incursion was mostly handled as normal, though it caused Eden and the Ark to meet way ahead of schedule. Both sides acquired Vex samples to study, on the grounds that the samples would vanish when the Gatekeeper woke up (the Gatekeeper is a giant rapture who has the ability to summon things from other universes via its dreams. It is the canon explanation for all crossover events in Nikke). Unfortunately for the Ark and Eden, they never considered the possibility that whatever the Gatekeeper summoned can naturally punch holes in the laws of reality in ways that make even the Angels from Evangelion look like child's play.

So, yeah, AN done. Will post the next chapter when my muse gets motivated. Until then, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

Neon and Anis watched as the Commander, Marian, Rapi, and Red Hood headed off toward a different part of the Tower, leaving the duo alone.

"...Should we head over to the…what did Ikora say the name of the place we were staying was?" asked Neon.

"She said it was the Minerva District," was Anis' answer. "Let's just get going."

XxXxX

Minerva District

The Minerva District had been among the many districts abandoned following the Red War. While it had been marked for repair, time and resources had put it on the backburner while other districts, such as Botza, Peregrine, and Ridgeback, were refurbished. Due to the strange circumstances of the most recent incursion into the Vex Network, though, the Minerva District had unexpectedly become home to a…very large number of refugees. Some of whom did not get along.

Of course, for Michael, why all of this was happening flew beyond his head. A six year old wasn't exactly someone who could understand the various issues with the Ark. Or why all the Outer Rim people all got angry at everyone living in the Ark. Or why the Eden people gave his parents dirty looks. Was it because they worked for Elysion?

A rumbling noise turned his attention toward the docks, where the Admire had hastily been transported after the strange plant robots had started attacking. More worrisome was that big white Rapture floating nearby it, seemingly ignorant of the ship's presence. Michael couldn't figure out why the giant Rapture was listening to the man in the Rapture suit, but somehow, it wasn't trying to kill everyone, so that was a plus. In a way, it was funny, seeing a squad of Nikkes being completely confused by a..well, not really nice, but perhaps neutral Rapture. It was also a warm thought - maybe Raptures weren't all bad.

Of course, the main reason Michael was focusing on this was to ignore how bad everything else was. Despite so many people having made it safely to this new city, the day everyone dreaded had come - the Ark had fallen. The only home all of them had known was gone now, and they would have to start over here. That had been…hard on everyone. His mom and dad hadn't even spoken to Michael or his baby sister after finding a house to stay at, just sat on chairs and stared somewhere. He remembered seeing Absolute looking, well, haunted - they had faced their failure, and it hurt. Matis also seemed to be out of it, as did Cafe Sweet. Happy Zoo had found the first building that could hold all of their animals and held a giant cuddle session, but there was no warmth in it - just a sense of longing. It seemed that this was the case everywhere - everyone felt the tinge of loss.

Michael understood that, on some level. But at the same time, the wonder of this new city was too much to keep him down. It was strange, seeing the sky for the first time. Not the screen on the ceiling of the Ark, but the actual sky, with clouds and storms, and all that. The giant sphere was weird, but it wasn't too scary.

This was the end of the Ark, yes. But all ends are beginnings.

XxXxX

Several Hours Ago

"This is Rouge, I've finished evacuating Coin Rush, but-"

"Helm reporting: we've destroyed the large flyer, but another one is coming. We're running out of ammunition for the Admire-"

"THIS IS YUNI, I NEED HELP! MIHARA PASSED OUT AND-"

Groaning in rage and annoyance, the Commander muted the comms. Instead, he turned his attention to the video terminal, which had unfortunately been reduced to just sending and receiving text.

YW: Does anyone read?

CZ: This is Commander Zavala. Your message has been received, Guardian.

YW: Well at least that went right.

CZ: Do you have any idea how insane what you are asking is?

YW: Yes, but I think all the alternatives are worse.

IR: Regardless, we are racing against time to mount the largest rescue and evacuation effort since the Red War. We must make a decision, and now.

CZ:Fine. Mithrax, can you assist?"

MK: It will be difficult, but it can be done. The coordinates you have provided make this easier, though.

YW: Thanks. Any other aid?

IR: Saint, Ana, and Shaxx are preparing to intervene, as is the Drifter. We're preparing to transmat the ordnance you requested as well. But please, be careful - this was salvaged from the Almighty before it was put on a collision course with the last city, and I cannot stress how dangerous it is.

YW: Your concern is appreciated. But I need to go right now - I have guests.

CZ: You are writing a full report on this when you return.

YW: Understood.

The Guardian terminated the transmission just as the rest of Counters returned, bringing with them Real Kindness, Mana, Exotic, Matis, Absolute, Cafe Sweet, Infinity Rail, Anderson, and the Big Three's CEOs.

Syuen, of course, wasn't happy with this. "Seriously? We're under attack and you dragged us up here?"

"For once, I'm with Syuen here," added Ingrid. "You better have a good reason for this."

Mustang just nodded in agreement.

"Of course the Commander has a good reason, he's unbeatable!"

Anis rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling at Neon's optimism. "Well, you do always have a plan for victory."

The Commander just sighed in response. "Yeah, well, not this time."

That hit everyone else in the room like a slap to the face. "WHAT?!"

"I know what we are fighting, and honestly? I think the Ark is already lost."

"Really?" questioned Eunwha. "You truly intend to give up that easily?"

"I know my limits. And I'm saying the Ark is lost - not the people in it."

"So, what?" asked Milk. "Are you saying we should evacuate the Ark? In case you didn't notice, we have nowhere else to go!"

"I'll handle that. I just need help making sure these things don't follow us."

"If that's the case, why don't you just blow up the Ark?" asked Crow. The stares everyone else gave her only served to amuse the terrorist Nikke. "It'd bury them down here where they won't be able to escape too easily."

"Wouldn't that require some big explosives?" asked Jackal.

"Of course it would-"

"Would these be big enough?" asked the Commander as he handed the grubby-looking Nikke a tablet.

"....Yeah, but you'd need something big to carry them on…no way."

Crow was not the only one with an objection. "Commander!"

"I know, Diesel.."

"But she-"

"I KNOW!" shouted the guardian, "and if I had a better solution I would be using it. But I am out of options here!"

"Do you even have an idea how to get everyone moving?" asked Maxwell. "There's a couple million people in the Ark."

"Maybe I could help with that," spoke the masked member of Real Kindness, Sin.

"No," answered Mana. "You are not permitted to-"

"Are you volunteering?" asked the Commander.

"Really? You're asking me that question right now? I'm hurt, Counselor-"

Before Sin could get any further, the Commander extended a hand toward her, cause a strange blue projectile to shoot forward. Sin flinched when it hit her, but surprisingly she felt no pain, only a sense of coldness coming from her face mask. She barely had time to process this sensation before the Commander grabbed said mask and pulled.

The cybernetic mask, meant to keep in check a voice capable of enthralling anyone who heard it, shattered.

For a moment, Sin couldn't even think, instead feeling around a portion of her face that hadn't been exposed to air for years. But then the Commander surprised her yet again by taking a microphone and tablet and shoving them toward her. When she glanced up at him in confusion, the man simply sighed.

"Start reading."

Everyone's eyes shrank at those words. They shrank again when suddenly, a set of colossal artillery shells appeared in the loading bay they'd hastily met at, alongside a crate containing remote detonated explosives. Without bothering to look at the newly arrived ordnance, the Commander opened a different crate and pulled out several boxes of ear plugs, the first of which he shoved into Syuen's hands.

"What the hell is this for?!"

His response was to point at Sin.

"...Oh. This is really bad, isn't it?"

The guardian merely nodded. Then he glanced at Exotic and Infinity Rail.

The two squads glanced at each other, faces plastered with shock, then started loading up the shells. The rest of the squads present soon joined them.

"So, can we handle Eden yet, Guardian?"

"Soon."

XxXxX

AN: And that concludes chapter 1.

Now, onto the notes:

First, I'm writing these notes on the assumption that some of you are familiar with one half of the crossover but not the other, so I apologize if I baby some of you here.

Still trying to get a feel for how a lot of the Nikke cast feels. This was why Mustang didn't speak so much.

The Last City is implied to be where Santiago, Chile is IRL based on when we see its location from space during Season of the Seraph. I'm not sure if the city is big enough to reach the coastline, so if you want, you can assume the Admire is in a large lake.

The big rapture and the guy in the Rapture Suit are Raptalion and his Mother Whale.

Wanted to show just how badly everyone from the Ark is taking their evacuation - this is probably the day all of them have dreaded, just like how the arrival of the Black Fleet is the day the Vanguard dreaded.

For context regarding Crow and Infinity Rail, the Nikke known as Crown is the leader of the terrorist group Heavenly Ascension, and acts as the main villain for the second major arc of Nikke's story. She's probably the only irredeemably evil Nikke in the game. Prior to being turned into a Nikke, she bombed a train that was carrying the girls who would become Infinity Rail, killing everyone on board. One of the casualties was the brother of Diesel of Infinity Rail, who is still traumatized about it to the present day (when they added in special gifts you could give Nikkes, Diesel's gift is a toy train she meant to give her brother but never could, and seeing it gives her bad memories). This stuff isn't revealed until well after chapter 15, hence my earlier claims of this story not completely lining up with the main Nikke storyline.

Nikke!Crow and Lightbearer!Crow will not meet for a while.

Since I haven't said it in my other stories involving him, RIP Lance Reddick - I've been meaning to say that elsewhere, but all my stories that feature characters he played have stalled out before said characters actually show up.

Real Kindness are all criminal Nikkes that the player has to rehabilitate in a special part of the Outpost (your homebase in Nikke). This means completing a special set of missions that cycle daily until you get 3600 points. For this story, the Commander has gotten through all of them.

Sin was arrested for using her voice to manipulate others into doing her bidding, and is still manipulative without it - her first few counseling sessions have her blatantly and subtly manipulating the players, which they eventually catch on to. For this reason, she is never allowed to take off her mask and has to eat everything as a liquid. She even tries to figure out what kind of circumstances would get the Commander to take the mask off for her.

The Commander not only taking the mask off, but completely destroying it, was mostly to set the stakes here. Everyone else except maybe Counters assumed the Commander was pulling stuff out of his ass regarding the evacuation plan. Making it clear that he was willing to mind control everyone in the Ark to make it happen silenced all those doubts. It also cowed Exotic into submission, and for the time being made Infinity Rail drop the issue, because again, if he's willing to cross that big a line to evacuate the Ark, then he probably has a really good reason for it.

Probably going to divide this story into normal chapters and sidestory stuff for the future. Until then, Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

The hulking Rapture watched as the humans milled around, taking what items they had retrieved from the Ark and Eden as the only mementos of their past lives. Some were curled up crying, other staring off into nowhere in particular, while a brave few swallowed their pain and tried to find something positive about their change in surroundings. The strange sky didn't help with that, but the pushed on all the same.

It was admirable, in a way.

Yet that wasn't what Chatterbox was focusing on. No, his mind was elsewhere. Part of him knew that his long term objective was finally completed - the Ark was no more, its populace forced to flee as the cavern it had been built with collapsed in on itself. That Eden had been destroyed as well was a nice bonus. And yet…

"Well, this sucks."

The hulking rapture didn't even bother looking to his side. "Hello, Nihilister."

"Nice to see you too, Chatterbox."

"Why are you talking to me right now?"

"I'm bored."

"Can't you find something or someone to destroy?"

"….Not in the mood for that today."

That was a first. "Really?"

"Yeah. Just…not feeling up to it."

"Hmph."

The red-maned Heretic raised an eyebrow at him. "You're feeling the same, aren't you?"

"....Yes."

"What are you two talking about?"

The giant rapture and his heretic master glanced at the intruder on their conversation - the rummage clad Nikke known as Crow. Her compatriots were nowhere to be seen, and neither the heretic nor her creation really cared to know where they went.

"It's none of your concern," was Chatterbox's reply.

"....You're not sure what to do now, are you?"

'How'd she figure that out?!' wondered Nihilister, who only barely failed to hide her shock. "And what if that's true?"

"...Well, I'd say I'm the same as you there."

"...Really?" questioned the heretic. "You wanted to destroy the Ark?"

"Yes. It was just a vessel destined to sink, a monument to mankind's hubris and hypocrisy."

"But it sounds like you're not happy it's gone."

Crow sighed. "I thought I'd be the one to destroy it - directly or through the Raptures. Seeing it destroyed by a different party - one that just showed up - just doesn't feel satisfying."

Nihilister opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out, and eventually, her lips closed, a look of uncertainty on her face. "Yeah, that seems about right. I feel cheated out of watching the Ark suffer."

Crow rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you came to our aid. Thought you'd just leave the Ark to burn."

Nihilister and Chatterbox actually pouted upon hearing that remark. "It wasn't our choice."

XxXxX

Several hours ago…

"This is Poli, we've managed to get everyone to the evacuation point and linked up with the Scouts, but more enemies are approaching and we're almost out of ammunition. Requesting backup!"

"Understood," replied Ingrid, "but we don't have anyone to spare-"

"Actually, backup is incoming," interjected the Commander. "Just hold on for a few seconds."

"What?" asked the Elysion CEO over the radio. "We don't have any squads free right now. Did you manage to get aid from Eden?"

"Oh hell no, they're fighting off their own army of these machines."

"Then who did you-"
"Sorry I'm late!" spoke a surprisingly cheerful voice. Moments later, a humanoid figure slammed into one of the oncoming Minotaurs, sending it flying through the vex war group, clearing away many of the smaller machines.

"Commander, it's Marian. I'm here now!"

"Marian?" questioned Ingrid. "You're here."

"Yes. I promised the Commander I'd bring help!"

"...Then where is it?"

Before Marian could reply, a Wyvern leapt into the air and surged toward her, only for another large form to collide with the Vex chassis, sending it hurtling into a now abandoned building. The new arrival, meanwhile, uncoiled itself, revealing what could best be described as a muscular robotic gorilla.

"...Is that Chatterbox?"

"Yes," replied Marian. "I asked him to help us, and he said yes!"

"Only because you were the one asking, my queen."

"..Did you ask any other raptures to come?"

Within moments, more raptures began to pour in from above.

"Yes. And also two other Nikkes I found with them/"

What Ingrid said next was not something that could easily be translated.

XxXxX

"Really?" asked Crow. "Marian just asked you to help out?"

Chatterbox and Nihilister gave the terrorist a flat look. "She can be very persuasive."

XxXxX

Even more hours earlier

Chatterbox and Nihilister stared at the absolute mountain of plant-covered machine parts they had amassed. 'Is that…*huff*...the last of them," huffed out the heretic.

"So it seems."

"Hello!"

The two turned around, weapons primed, only to find Marian-Modernia behind them and…how had a Mother Whale gotten behind them unnoticed?

"W-what are you doing here?" questioned a flummoxed Chatterbox.

"The robots that you were fighting are attacking the Ark. I'm trying to get help for them. Will yu help."

The rapture and his master shared a flat look. "No."

Marian had a look of shock on her face. Then her expression hardened and her eyes started to shine. "Please help me now."

Without hesitation, Chatterbox and Nihilister bowed. "Yes, my queen."

Both were stunned when they realized what they had said, but they did not back down from their statement.

Meanwhile, atop the Mother Whale, a regal-looking Nikke stared at a man wearing a poorly designed Rapture costume. "That was….significantly more expedient than I expected."

"It was."

Behind them, a girl in an equally badly designed Rapture suit was arguing with a yellow-clad Nikke about snacks.

XxXxX

Elsewhere, present

"Are you okay, Jien?...Yes, I'm fine….Yes, Matis and Wardress are safe…"

Ingrid glanced at Andersen and Mustang. "You know, I'm not sure what's weirder - seeing the night sky or Syuen actually being a nice person."

"Everyone is full of surprises, mademoiselle," was the Tetra Line CEO's reply.

"That doesn't make it any less odd."

"Regardless," interrupted Andersen, "it would seem that…I don't know where to start, actually."
"Agreed. So, how're your Nikkes taking everything?"

Mustang actually seemed to deflate upon hearing the question. "As well as they can. I don't believe any of them will be performing for a while."

"My Nikkes aren't doing well either. Absolute is taking it especially hard."

"Weren't they in need of serious repairs?"

"Serious? All of them need new limbs!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

Ingrid sighed. "It's fine. Just…what was that thing we saw just before leaving?"

XxXxX

Last minutes of the Ark's evacuation….

"Is everyone through?"

"Affirmative, Commander," answered Rapi. "All civilians from the Ark and the Outer Rim are through."

"All charges outside of those in the immediate area have been detonated," informed Crow.

"Good. Exotic, give me the detonator for the remaining explosives, then extract with Underworld Queen and the Scouts."

Crow raised an eyebrow. "You really think your squad can keep the last of these things away from us until every other squad can be evacuated? Even with the Pilgrims backing you up, you know that's a fool's hope."

"Eh, I got some other tricks up my sleeves."

"...Good luck. Nice knowing you."

Beneath his helmet, the Guardian rolled his eyes. "Please. I can make it out of this. And if I don't, I'm haunting you."

Crow laughed flatly at that comeback, then followed Viper and Jackal through the portal alongside Delta, Signal, Moran, Sakura, and Rosanna. They were soon joined by a very badly battered Eunwha, Vesti, and Emma, who were followed by Sugar, Milk, and Frima, leaving only Counters, Matis, the Commander, Pioneer, Chatterbox, Nihilister, a scorpion Heretic whose name no one knew yet, and the three CEOs, who had insisted on seeing this through.

"Where did all these greyscale machines come from?" questioned Anis. "Are these a new line of these…you said they were called the Vex, right?"

"Yes, but these aren't quite a new line. More like surplus given to allies."

"What?!" squealed the CEO of Missilis. "You mean these things have friends?"

"Kinda."

"It matters not what compatriots these foul machines have, we shall cut them all down!" countered Scarlet.

"And then we'll go back to killing each other," added Nihilister.

Suddenly, all of the Vex forms stopped attacking, instead backing up as a distortion appeared in the center of their ranks. But instead of a glowing set of lights, this distortion took the form of a a strange black vortex, which elicited a swear out of the Counters' Commander. Before anyone could ponder his reaction, the vortex resolved itself, releasing more shadowy entities - but not those of robotic form. Instead, these were foes unlike any seen before: hulking brutes carrying shields with holes in them. Another brute with a strange blue shield around it. Six limbed warriors holding strange rifles. And most worrisome of all, a colossal monstrosity, with strange limbs coming out of its chitinous back.

"What the-"

"Everyone fall back!"

All eyes fell on the Commander, with Ingrid' indignation at being interrupted being replaced by puzzlement.

Snow White balked at the order. "Commander, what are you-"

"I said fall back," he answered, stepping out of cover and approaching the new foes. "I've got this."

The assembled Nikkes held their fire, but refused to budge, all focused on the human approaching their new foes. He had holstered all of his weapons, and while his foes seemed inclined to oblige his stupidity and not shoot, that certainly wouldn't last long.

"Cutie," asked Maxwell, "what are you doing?!"

"...This."

With impossible swiftness, the commander stretched out his arm, and from it materalized a sword of cleansing fire, while behind him, wings of flame surged into existence. While those at the portal could only stare in shock (except for Rapi and Red Hood), the monsters in front of him simply roared and either charged or opened fire.

The Commander responded in kind.

XxXxX

AN: And done.

So, yeah. The Raptures and Exotic are kinda listless over how the Ark got destroyed by someone who wasn't them. Had this planned from the get go.

As for how Marian got Chatterbox and Nihilister to help her, BIG SPOILERS NOW:

The Raptures are led by an entity known as the Rapture Queen, which the OVER ZONE event implies was created using the remains of the former Goddess Squad Nikke Liliweiss (Lilith). The Last Kingdom event would later heavily imply that Marian (who was converted into a Heretic Nikke) is developing into a new Rapture Queen, and said event ends with her ordering Chatterbox and Indivilia to stop attacking Crown's kingdom. The two bow in acknowledgement without even realizing what they are doing. So as crack filled as that sequence was, it is entirely plausible.

The girl Syuen is talking to, Jien, was introduced in the new sidestory WORDLESS, and she's Syuen's half-sister. Certain actions that Jien takes in said event (which handles the fate of Yuni after the events of story Chapter 23 and 24) imply that Jien at least cares about Syuen, and given how Syuen treats Matis (as much of a jerk as she is to them, Syuen views them as her kids and begs the Commander to help them), I'm assuming they do have a somewhat close relationship. Also, Syuen is still in panic mode right now, so she's being much nicer than normal.

I like Mustang, but I'm still not quite sure how to write him properly, which is why he doesn't speak much.

Those final enemies mentioned at the end of the Chapter are Taken - a couple Taken Phalanxes, some Taken Vandals, Taken Goblins/Hobgoblins, and finally, a Taken Unstoppable Ogre. Taken Unstoppable Ogres don't exist in-game, but I made one here because I wanted a more visually distinct Taken to use - this one looks a lot like what a Taken Golgoroth looks like (I hated fighting him in the Pantheon, and he's the second easiest foe after Atraks!)

Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

Several Hours Ago

"This is Signal, requesting backup! Delta and me are almost out of ammunition, and the evacuation isn't complete yet!"

"I copy," said the Commander. "Just try and hold out a little longer - reinforcements are coming."

"From where?" Asked Ingrid. "We're overstretched as is trying to get everyone through the portals! Don't give my Nikkes false hope."

"I'm not - help is on the way."

"Oh, really?" Asked Syuen. "From where?"

"You'll see."

Before Signal could question what that meant, an electronic roar turned her attention to one of the strange bipedal machines with wing-like shields. Roaring, the machine leapt into the air and charged at her and Delta, the two not quite escaping their cover before it collided with the ground, sending the Scouts flying. Signal hastily recovered her SMG, only to hear a loud roar. Turning, she found herself staring down the bipedal machine. Tears in her eyes, the petite Nikke took aim, hoping this would not be how she died.

Fortunately, she was right.

Just as the machine prepared to open fire, the unmistakable sound of a shotgun blast filled the air, causing the machine to recoil. Moments later, what looked like a disk-shaped shield slammed into the machine sending it careening some distance before it exploded.

"Ha ha, I am here, Young Wolf! Let these Vex become reacquainted with my fury!"

Signal watched as the new arrival made his - for the voice left no ambiguity, this was a man - way across the battlefield. Clad in armor reminiscent of a knight, and carrying a shotgun that Signal had never seen before, he strode across the battlefield, laying waste to any machine that he encounter. He even headbitt one to death instead of wasting shells on it. And he was not alone - joining him was a squad of humanoid robots, all wielding strange burst-fire rifles that did not match anything used by the Ark. When a trio of turret-machines tried to fire upon them, the knight did something to create an energy dome that repelled the attacks before returning fire, reducing the turrets to scrap.

Signal watched him a while longer, then joined Delta, Perilous Siege, and the Ark Rangers in retreating through the portal.

XxXxX

Same time, Outer Rim

Moran couldn't help staring as the shielded machine slowly froze in front of her, ice forming around its body. Moments later, the newly arrived bearded man aimed a pistol at its single eye and fired, shattering it to pieces. Three shots later, and the rest of its minions were also destroyed. The new arrival took a moment to admire his handiwork before turning to Moran.

"Name's Drifter. Looks like you needed a hand."

"Er-uh, yes. I did. Thank you."

Rosanna and Sakura would have admonished or teased Moran about how her reply lacked dignity if they weren't busy trying to pull their jaws off the floor after seeing the newly named Drifter freeze a hoard of the invading machines. Just how had he done that? Did the Commander have until now unknown friends experimenting with cryonic weapons (at least, that's what they assumed they were called from the few times they recalled Mustang talking with Syuen and Ingrid about ice weapons), or was it something else?

A distant explosion finally shook the Underworld Queens out of the stupor, though the Drifter was only mildly surprised by the tremor. "You ladies need a way out?"

"Yes," admitted Rosanna.

"Well, I think I know a way out."

XxXxX

Present

"So, you're Commander Zavala?"

The Titan Vanguard glanced at the one who had asked his name - a worn yet still handsome looking man dressed in military uniform. Beside him was a girl dressed in white who had…many symbols on her that evoked cats. Not the weirdest sight the Vanguard Commander had seen - that was probably the Hunter who had an Archylophage Symbiote growing on his mask. Zavala still wondered why other Hunters thought it a good idea to make more of those masks with the fungus growing on them, especially after evidence indicated that this wasn't a result of Daito's antidepressant. Even Hunters who used armor made from Ahamkhara bones exercised more restraint.

"Yes, I am."

"Greetings. I'm Andersen, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ark Central Government. Or at least, one of them."

"And I'm Shifty," added the blue-haired girl in white, "one of the operators for the Ark Intelligence Department."

"We've heard…good words from Commander Lucas about you."

"Ah. So you're the one the Young Wolf was talking about."

"Young Wolf? Is that a title he was given?"

"Yes. He's amassed quite a reputation here - bested many foes thought unbeatable. Saved the city more times than I can count."

"I see. Impressive - he's only been part of the Ark's forces for a few months, but he's already amassed a reputation before our…less than optimal first meeting with you. He must be a valued part of your command staff."

"I believe you are mistaken, Deputy Commander Andersen."

"What do you mean?"

"Prior to serving with your military forces, Guardian Lucas has never been placed in a command position before. All of his commendations were acquired through field assignments."

Andersen managed to keep the shock off his face, but Shifty's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates upon hearing that. "Wait, really? What did he do?"

"I believe he will tell you, soon enough. And I'd prefer if he did - some of those stories are not mine to share."

"Understood. Sorry."

"It's fine. Now, may I ask you two a question?"

"What is it?" asked Andersen.

"I have detailed reports of our guardian's time with the Ark, as well as those who have served under his command. While I have…strong opinions on how these Nikkes are created, I am willing to let those rest for now in the interest of establishing better relations between our organizations."

"Does this question pertain to specific Nikkes, then? Such as, perhaps, Marian, Rapi, and Red Hood."

"Yes and no - my interest is in a set of Nikkes, but not those three."

"Then which ones are you interested in?"

"Two of them are named Outbreak and Whisper."

XxXxX

Two hours later

"Why are we going shopping again?" asked Neon. "That seems like the lowest priority right now."

Anis, Red Hood, and Modernia all made sounds in affirmation to this, with only Rapi seeming to understand his reasoning. Lucas just sighed in response. "Because all of your are very underdressed for this city, and I'd rather not have people staring at you all the time."

Anis couldn't help smirking at that remark. "Really? Worried that someone would steal us away from you?"

"Maybe."

"Oh, I see…wait, what?"

"We are going now, get a move on!"

And so it was that the five nikkes and one human made their way toward the portion of the City's main market dedicated to clothing. As their Commander had expected, they indeed received several odd looks, including some leering glances from both genders. Fortunately, that was as bad as it got. Things went much more smoothly once they finally reached the various clothing merchants, who were happy to oblige the savior of the Last City in whatever errands he needed done. It wasn't long before all of them were outfitted with attire a bit more appropriate for their new home, much to the Commander's relief.

Just as they were about to leave, though, a familiar voice filled the air.

"So here we are, Lupins. I know this is….really not the best of circumstances, but we've reached this city's clothes market. Let's see what spectacular wares I can find here."

The Commander shared a glance with his squad, then started making his way toward the voice. Sure enough, he found the resident gyaru girl of Talentum, Rupee walking through the market, with the surprise additions of School Circle - Ein was understandable, but Zwei and Rei weren't people he was expecting to see there. Nor was Marciana, but then again, she was very invested in her students' safety, and it made sense for her to watch over them when they were in a settlement they hadn't known existed until several hours ago.

"Rupee?"

"Huh?" went the Nikke in question, immediately looking around until she found a familiar sight. "Ah, Commander! Wow, fancy seeing you here. Thought you and Counters were stuck up in…uh, where were you?"
"Vanguard Command. And I finished things with them."

"Neat! So, uh, you mind joining us? Please? I don't have a guide."

Lucas let out a laugh. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

What followed was an hour of rampant shopping that the Commander had to work very hard to moderate - Rupee might be much sweeter than her appearance suggested, but she didn't quite realize how demeaning such a massive spending spree might seem to all those native to the city, even if it amounted to a colossal amount of haggling. Where did she even get all of those things to barter with? "Dolla," had been the answer, which in hindsight didn't seem surprising. Mentally, the Commander was glad that they had managed to bring over enough splendamin to handle food problems until more active farming could be attempted - with the House of Light now living in the city, food problems were starting to pop up.

Also, how was she even managing to stream?

Such a question had a relatively quick answer - the Central Government had brought a (rather crude) backup system for the Ark's internet and other communication systems, which Rupee had requested usage of for the sake of 'keeping her lupins assured that she was doing fine'. That this also provided a way of calming the evacuees was something the Ark had no intention of overlooking.

Eventually, Rupee seemed to satisfy her urge to spend, much to the relief of Counters, Zwei, Rei, and Marciana - all of them wanted to go back to the Minerva District to settle in. Ein, though, had one last thing to handle.

"Agh, I almost forgot," exclaimed an embarrassed Rupee. "Ein, Zwei, Rei, did you want anything special? It's on me!"

Zwei and Rei shook their heads, but Ein?

"Hmm…how about some thread to work with? To make something new for our…well, new home?"

"Sure!" Then Rupee gazed at the Commander. "Where's the best place to get fabric? And what's the newest and most trending?"

Lucas thought for a few moments, then sighed. "The most trending right now is a set of silks made by a woman named Vrivkis. I'll take you there. Just…be open minded, please."

"Sure!" said Rupee, totally oblivious to what was about to happen.

XxXxX

Ten minutes later, they had reached Vrivkis' stall. Unfortunately for them, there was already a crowd, and it wasn't a group of shoppers. No, they were staring at the pair that was currently in a shouting match.

"Dirty Outer Rim rat!"

"Government Dog!"

Pushing through the crowd, the Commander and the Nikkes found themselves watching as an Ark deputy commander argued with a woman in a black armor set. Lucas soon realized who they were - the former was a particularly annoying deputy commander named Doban, while the woman was, if he remembered Crow's comments right, Elysion Harper, head of Heavenly Ascension. Evidently, the two were not taking being forced to live in the same city together well at all.

"Hey, hey, hey," interrupted Lucas, trying to direct their attention toward him. "Can't we try to get along."

"This isn't any of your business," was Elysion's reply.

"Uh, yes it is. This is my city, and you two are disturbing the peace."

"That's what happens when you let rats into your home," was Doban's answer.

"Didn't you grow up with those rats?" asked Anis.

"Rats eat each other."

That earned an eyeroll from the more open minded members of the gathered crown, including a very annoyed silk merchant who wanted to get back to business.

"Fuck off!" swore Elysion.

"You first," retorted Doban.

"Hey, that wasn't nice," said a young boy in the crowd. "She didn't do anything bad until you started yelling at her."

"SHUT UP!" roared the deputy commander, causing the boy to let out a shriek and fall backwards. Instantly, his mother moved to try and give Doban a piece of her mind, taking her eyes off of the silk saleswoman who she had been glaring at for the duration of the argument.

"You listen right here mister-"

She barely had time to say the last word before a hard slap sent her flying to the ground. With a shriek of "mom!", her son tried to approach her, only for a yell from the deputy commander to send him crawling backwards. Having seen enough, Lucs stepped forward to intervene, but found himself beaten to the punch.

Sensing movement, Doban turned to his left only to receive a punch to the face, knocking him clean on his ass. Instantly, he was seeing red.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

Anything else he would have said was cut off when his assailant quite literally roared at him, causing the words to die in his throat as his anger evaporated, giving way to confusion. Glancing upwards, Doban felt his courage leave him for a moment as he finally saw who had punched him: a figure wearing green and brown robes.

What was most surprising, though, was that this figure wasn't human - instead, they looked like a humanoid, four eyed insect.

"What the-"

"Leave. Now."

Doban thought about pulling out his knife and refusing the creature's request, but a quick glance around him confirmed that he had no allies here. So, reluctantly, he obliged, getting up and trudging off into the crowd, pride heavily bruised.

The robed figure watching him leave for a moment, before turning to the woman and her son and offering them each a hand. "Are you unhurt."

"Yes," said both mother and child. The child soon added "thank you", and after a moment of hesitation, so did his mother. Only then did they choose to leave.

"W-w-w-w-w….."

Confused by the stuttering, the Eliksni turned to glance at the blond haired and dark skinned woman. "What are you asking?"

"Ack, I'm sorry. I'm Rupee. Who are you?"
"I am an Eliksni. You may call me Vrivkis."

Somehow, the reactions of the girl and those with her told Vrivkis she had just dropped a major bombshell. What that was, she did not know. "Are you here for something."

"....Actually, yes," said the little girl with the tie on her shirt. "Someone told me you sell silks?"

XxXxX

AN: Yeah, Rupee's livestream got everything. A very big bombshell got dropped on the Ark.

Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

Shopaholics Anonymous Stream Chat, a few minutes prior

Mama_Mia: How did we get this running again? I thought this city didn't have an internet.

FanOfTheGoddesses: It's a long story. And that is what concerns you the most right now?

Mama_Mia: Point taken.

D4nial: I wonder what Ein will find when they go to see Vrivkis, whoever she is.

LongLiveTheGoddesses: Well, it will almost certainly be beautiful.

CryptWorker: Probably.

Professional: I can't believe that Lucas hid this from all of us.

BloodRedLips: He had his reasons. I respect them.

BloodyMagpie: Well for someone who is so trusting, he should've been more willing to divulge his past.

PrimAndProperMaid: Do we have to argue now?

BloodyMagpie: Fine.

MsSanson: Hey, who's arguing up there.

FanOfTheGoddesses: Oh no.

AspQueen: Is that EH? What's she doing there?

NomNomNom: Is she looking for snacks?

BloodyMagpie: Wrong part of the market.

InfiniteVillainy: Oh, really, he's gonna be a jackass? Even Villains have class!

HEROES4EVAH: How dare he besmirches the Ark with his rudeness!

FanOfTheGoddesses: Doban, we are having words after this.

Uncontainable: Do they have to argue?

InfernoDragon: They're humans, your kind always does that.

AceOfEden: Of course you would say that, you Heretic.

Indomitable: Oh he did not just hit that woman!

NyanCat: Should I put in a notice to the Central Government-AGH!

CantStopTheSignal: MONSTER!

K9: WHAT IN THE WORLD!

UnyieldingJustice: RUN AWAY!

Arpeggio: Wait, it talks?

GrandPrize: And it's a girl.

Lioness: I wonder what her name is.

NyanCat:....

BloodyMagpie:......

Arpeggio:......

FanOfTheGoddesses:.....

LongLiveTheGoddesses:.....

InfernoDragon:.......

Indomitable:....WHAT THE FUCK?!?!

XxXxX

Several Hours Later, Pantheon Guild HQ

Even if the Eternal Night was not ongoing, Lucas had a feeling it would still have been a long day. As it was, the clocks indicated that now was nighttime on this portion of the world, which made the gathering of Nikkes and other Ark personnel around him (plus those from Eden and the surface) all the more exhausting.

After that bombshell that got dropped earlier, though, such a gathering was inevitable.

At least this time, he had Zizi and Bertrand to back him up.

When you had several dozen Nikkes staring at you, plus the Big Three's CEOs and a few CG personnel, you needed all the help you could get.

"So, uh, who wants to speak first?"

He could probably have started better than that, though.

Novel ended up being the one to answer his question. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know."

"You think?" Asked a very annoyed Milk. "It didn't occur to you that we should know that, oh, this city has aliens in it?!"

"In my defense, I didn't exactly have a lot of time to explain things."

"He has a point," noted Delta.

Zizi glanced at Bertrand. "I know Lucas said he worked alongside a lot of girls, but this is ridiculous."

"Agreed."

"Hey, who are you?" Asked Novel.

The Hunter and Titan both fixed their gazes on the detective Nikke. "Us?" Asked Zizi.

"Yes."

Lucas sighed. "Guess introduction are in order for those who weren't already acquainted. Zizi, Bertrand, these are….well, most of my friends, allies, and acquaintances from the Ark and Eden. Everyone, these are Zizi Gaav and Bertrand-10. My teammates."

"Hmm, so these are your companions," noted a very regal looking pilgrim Nikke. "I'm Crown, of the White Knights. A pleasure to meet you."

"The same," admitted Zizi. "So, you are the Goddesses of Victory?"

"Technically, they only applies to the now defunct Goddess Squad," said a certain White Haired Pilgrim, "but I suppose it is correct. I'm Snow White of Pioneer. Formerly of Goddess."

That elicited many gasps out of the assembled crowd (and a few nervous looks from the CG personnel in the guild hall), but the laugh that Bertrand let out was not the reaction she was expecting. "What?"

"Nothing. Just wasn't expecting the leader of Fireteam Heaven's Fall to associate with so many Goddesses."

"What an interesting name your squad has," noted Crow. "So, what did they call your leader? I assume he had some suitably mighty title, especially since he seems to be even more loved here than in the Ark."

"It's Godslayer."

Everyone's eyes fell upon Lucas. "Seriously?" Asked Syuen, a look of incredulity on the petite CEO's face. "That's what they call you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"That is a surprise," admitted Ingrid. "I thought that you would have a more intellectual title, especially given your work with MMR."

"You know," added Anis, "I'm still surprised that you decided to work with Missilis after how our mission with Wardress went."

"Hey, I needed something to do research with. Only Missilis had stuff to my standards."

Zizi laughed. "Never change, Lucas."

"Oh, so he's a scientist?" noted a certain winged pilgrim. "What other secrets does he hold?"

"Did you catch him writing songs?" was Bertrand's response. "He has a knack for that."

Instantly, the three stars of Prima Donna all had their eyes on the Young Wolf. "You're a musician?" asked Volume. "And you never told us?"

"I told Julia."

"Why her and not us. Manager?"

"Because he's a musician, not a singer," answered Julia.

"Hey, can we get back on topic?" asked Lucas. "You guys wanted answers, and now I willing to share them."

".....I suppose you have a point," conceded Eunwha.

The look she gave silenced all objections.

"Thanks," said the leader of Counters. Then he glanced at Rupee. "Are you going to stream this?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes - this is important."

"Okay, then! Alright, Lupins, time for a story from Lucas of Counters!"

Lucas couldn't help letting out an exasperated sigh before composing himself and holding out his hands. Calling out to the Light, he focused on perhaps its most obscure element - Void. The embodiment of the Casimir Effect, it was the most destructive facet of the light, but it cold be harnessed for more than just devastation. With it, you could bend light, allowing you to become invisible....or create an image where none existed, as was the case now.

A few of those gathered in the room asked what he was doing, only to fall silent as an image of the heavens formed before them.

"I don't know when this all started, but I do know how: in an age long past, man gazed upon the stars, hoping for proof that we were not alone. And then, the day came where we found it."

The mirage of the system then shifted focus to Jupiter, with two of its moons being highlighted.

"On that day, a strange object was found among the moons of Jupiter. Two of them had been changed - where once they had been as man knew them, now they were capable of sustaining life. Then, it vanished, only to appear again at Mercury. Once again, the world was changed, and where once there was a heat blasted hellscape, there now lay a garden world."

Just as he had said, the illusion of Mercury changed from a barren planet into one that resembled the simulations he had seen during his time with Osiris, with trees that were unlike any on Earth.

"Eventually, plans were formed to make contact with this entity. The nations of old sent three of their best and brightest to Mars, where the sphere had made its next stop. There, at last, man communed with it."

The illusion shifted once more to show Ares One traveling through the void until it reached the Red Planet, then morphing into the forms of three astronauts witnessing the first time it had rained on Mars in recorded history, as they stood in the shadow of a god.

"We named it the Traveler, and its arrival changed us forever. Great cities were built on Mars and Venus. Mercury, as already stated, became a garden world. Human lifespan tripled. It was a time of miracles."

Slowly, the illusion grew to encompass all the bodies the orbited Sol. Everyone in the room, even the Heretics, Exotic, and Syuen, stared on in wonder, old rivalries forgotten for the moment as they heard the tale of their cosmic cousins.

"We looked up at the stars and knew it was our destiny to go forth into them - to grasp what our forebearers had only dreamed of. But it was not to last."

Slowly, a shadow began to overtake the system.

"For the Traveler had an enemy. We call it the Darkness. Since time immemorial, it had been hunting the Traveler, for reasons we still don't understand. Centuries after our Golden Age began, the Darkness found us, and that was the end of everything."

The who illusion became shrouded in shadow. More than a few of those watching started to shake in fear, though they hid it well enough.

"But it was also a beginning."

Within the shadowy illusion, the form of the Traveler, now damaged, glowed once more. This time, though, smaller lights began to emerge from it, soon revealing themselves as strange drones.

Everyone shifted their glances at the Guardians in the room. All of them had drones like the ones in the illusion.

"Though the Traveler had been wounded in the Collapse, it was not dead. In its last act before falling into dormancy, it created the Ghosts - those who would choose which among our people would be, for lack of better term, blessed with the power to wield the Light, the Traveler's might."

"These are the Guardians - those chosen to push back the Darkness and light the path to a new future."

The illusion shifted one last time, now showing a Titan, a Hunter, and a Warlock.

"Now, it is up to us to decide the future."

Only then did the illusion end.

Lucas could tell everyone had a bunch more questions to ask, but right now, he did not want to answer them. "Look, I know all you have more questions," he said as he raised his hands, "but I am not in the mood to answer them right now. I need some rest."

Predictably, the room exploded into complaints. One, however, drowned out the rest.

"Are there any other aliens in this city?"

Lucas glanced at Kilo, then at Zizi and Bertrand. The two instantly understood what he was asking.

"Why are you looking at your frien-OH."

Kilo hadn't been able to finish her sentence before the duo had removed their helms. Needless to say, seeing an Awoken and an Exo in person for the first time was a shock, even if some people had noticed them before on Rupee's stream.

"Guess we should get this out in the open," said Zizi. "I'm....not exactly an alien, but close enough."

"...What are you, then?"

"My people are called the Awoken. During the Collapse, the Darkness fell upon all of the colony ships trying to flee the system. The Traveler was only able to save one, but it was pulled between the Light and Darkness. Those within survived, but were...changed. You could say were are the children of the Light and the Darkness. Most of us live in a giant starship graveyard called the Reef."

"Oh. Well, t-that's good to know. What about Bertrand?"

"I'm an Exo. We're...actually a lot like Nikkes, from what Lucas has told me. Though not as they were initially intended."

Kilo made a gesture for Bertrand to continue.

"Exos, short for Exominds, were the brainchildren of Clovis Bray I, patriarch of the Bray family and founder of the Clovis Bray corporation. Whereas Nikkes were created for combat, Exominds were intended for a goal mankind has chased since its dawn - immortality."

"Wait, he found a way to become immortal?" asked Syuen. For once, few could fault her - immortality was particularly appetizing, especially if you didn't have to fight forever.

"Yes. The Exominds were intended to allow a human conscience to survive forever in a mechanical body. Of course, it had its own teething problems."

"Such as?" inquired the purple-haired MMR Nikke Ether.

"The initial Exominds were designed to not need to eat, sleep, or experience other human impulses. Unfortunately, it was determined that these impulses and the feedback received by them were needed to inform the brain that the body was still alive. Without it, the human mind assumes it is dead and...well, Dissociative Exomind Rejection was invariably fatal for a reason."

"Unfortunate. Did he find a way to resolve this?"

"Two, actually - the first was to partition off accumulated memories such that while the Exomind retained access to them, the emotional connection was lost. These are called resets, reboots, or memory wipes, but this isn't really an exact term, since again, the memories still exist - Exominds are close enough to human brains that memory storage tends to be scattered across multiple locations, making traditional resets impossible. While this worked, excessive reboots eventually drive the Exomind insane."

"I see. What was the second method?"

"Replicate organic sensations and feedback to certain stimuli to convince the Exomind that it was still alive. This included replicating feelings toward eating, sleeping, and procreation."

There was the expected snickers from...somewhere.

"Interesting. Are there any surviving notes on how to make Exominds?"

"Yes, but the Vanguard and the Consensus would prefer to keep those confidential for now," intoned Lucas. "So can we please call it a day?"

"...Fine."

"Thank you."

With that, the crowd started to disperse. One squad, however, was not allowed to leave yet.

"Laplace?"

The hero of the Ark immediately turned toward Rapi. "Yes?"

"...Could you stay a bit?"

"Why?"

Rapi couldn't keep the blush off her face. Sighing, she decided to rip off the band aid. "..Could you teach me how to do your hero entrance."

The look of shock and awe on Laplace's face would not be forgotten anytime soon.

XxXxX

The next day

"Remind me why we are heading to meet this Shaxx person instead of the Vanguard command?"

"Lucas said that this man wanted Rapi and him to report for some special training program called the Crucible," was Ingrid's reply. "Our commander asked that Absolute, Aegis, Exotic, Matis, Underworld Queen, and Cafe Sweet be allowed to observe from, according to him, 'the best seats in the house'."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence over how this training works," added Maxwell. "It sounds more like the Arena than normal training."

"Hey, the arena is perfect for training!" countered Milk.

"Still, it would be très intéressant that these Guardians have something like our Nikke arena."

"Shut up you bucket of bolts and give me my gun back!"

Instantly, the conversation was forgotten as the Nikkes and their superiors found themselves staring at a crowd gathered a small shop on this part of the tower - the gunsmith, according to the information they had been provided with. There, an Exo was being harassed by someone in...was that a Central Government uniform?

"Um, who is that?" asked Vesti.

Ingrid groaned. "That's Samatha Wallace. What's she doing here?"

"Attempting to have a rifle calibrated," noted a hooded Awoken man standing some distance away, next to a very surprised looking librarian.

"Excuse me?" asked Emma. "I don't think we've met."

"My apologies. Master Rahool, representative of the Cryptarchs."

"Cryptarchs?"

"Crypto-Archeaolists. We seek to uncover and preserve the culture of mankind that was lost during the Collapse and the times that followed. Art, literature, music, all are of interest to us."

"I see," noted Ingrid. "I'm Ingrid, CEO of Elysion."

"Ingrid, you say?"

"Yes. Why do you sound confused."

"I'm not. It's just that I was talking with someone who speaks very highly of you," was Rahool's answer, as his attention turned to the nearby librarian, who was now sweating bullets.

"Really? And who might that be-Phantom?"

Sheepishly, the Best Seller Nikke waved at her superior.

"...How'd you get here?"

"Lucas said he wanted me to meet someone?"

"Listen right now, you tin-can-"

"ENOUGH!"

All eyes fell upon the newly arrived Lucas, who had a very annoyed look on his face. "What, exactly, is going on here?"

Samatha just glared at the Young Wolf. "That's none of your concern."

"Uh, yeah, it is - the 'bucket of bolts' you are talking to is Banshee-44. My friend."

"Really? Of course you would have a habit of making friends with machines."

The various MP Nikkes gathered around Lucas, alongside Counters, Marian, and Red Hood, all glared at her.

"That wasn't funny."

"You have no sense of humor."

"Oh, fuck you!" said a Hunter who had been watching the spectacle. "Banshee is awesome! You better take back those words or else!"

"Or else what?...EEK!"

That last respone came when Samatha found over a dozen weapons trained on her.

"...Y-y-you won't shoot me."

"Excuse me, Guardians?"

All eyes fell on the robotic form of Kadi 55-30. "Yes?" asked Lucas.

"Would you like me to file a request for a form regarding an accidental weapons discharge?"

"WHAT?!"

"...Let me think about it-"

"I'M SORRY! I'm SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

The crowd watched her for a moment, before lowering their weapons and dispersing, leaving behind a shocked group of Nikkes and one Central Government employee who needed new underwear.

"Sorry about that," said Lucas. "Banshee's just...very treasured among the Vanguard."

"Reliability?" asked Crow. "Or is it simply a case of being a good friend?"

"Both, but he also has some issues from all the resets he's been through - Exominds aren't supposed to be reset more than twenty times."

"Ouch, that doesn't sound good," noted Maxwell. "How many has he gone through? Twenty five."

"...Forty four."

"...Eh?"

"And who are these strange guests to the Tower?"

All eyes fell upon the source of the new, booming voice: a Titan wearing a horned helmet, with one horn long broken off.

"Ah, sorry about that," interjected Lucas. "Shaxx, these are representatives from the three big Nikke producing corporations of the Ark - Elysion, Missilis, and Tetra Line. Everyone, this is Lord Shaxx, Lord of War, Hero of the Twilight Gap, and Handler of the Crucible."

"Quite the mighty titles, no?" said Mustang.

"A pleasure to meet you all. Now, is there anyone else we need to wait for?"

"Just two, and they should be coming over right about-"

"We're arrived, as asked," spoke a pink and white Nikke.

"Nice to see you again, Commander," said Snow White.

"This better not be boring," groused a red haired, frenzied looking Nikke.

"Hello, my prince," greeted Cinderella.

"Now."

The group found themselves joined by four more Nikke squads - Pioneer, from the surface, Inherit, from Eden, the obscure squad known as Old Tales, and the few Heretics that had been taken along during the retreat. The last group had several guns trained on them, just in case. Given that everyone else was already glaring at them, it was an adequate precaution.

"I wasn't expecting to see any pilgrims here," noted Rosanna. "Guess this really is important."

"It's gonna be, though I do have a surprise for Inherit and Pioneer."

"Really?" asked Dorothy. "And what could that be-"

"Sorry, my meeting with Commander Zavala ran late," intruded the voice of Andersen. "Now what did you want-"

The rest of the words died on Andersen's throat when his eyes fell upon Dorothy, and said eyes grew wider when they noticed Pioneer, who with the exception of Snow White all froze upon seeing Andersen's arrival.

"....Andersen?" asked Dorothy.

"Dorothy, I-"

Shaxx glanced at Lucas. "Do they know each other?"

"They go back about a century."

"I see."

XxXxX

There was a sense of awkwardness that last a minute, before Shaxx cleared his throat. "I can tell there is much I do not know right now, but at the moment, it does not matter - I welcome you all to the Last City, and would like to introduce you to the Crucible."

"What is that, anyway?" asked Ingrid, happy to have a chance to get a feel of how this city trained its best.

"The best, and only, training that Guardians receive."

"And how does that work?" inquired Milk. "Do they battle eachother in the ring until only one remains?"

"Not quite! As I have discovered, the best way to train guardians is to pit them against the most dangerous foes I can find! And as it happens, that would be their own peers."

Crickets filled the crowd.

"So, I devised the Crucible as both a way to settle grudges and keep Guardians sharp by pitting them against each other in live fire training, with offerings for those who are victorious in their training matches."

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" asked Ingrid.

"Guardians face death all the time! This isn't much of a danger in comparison."

"But what if they die?"

Shaxx glanced at Lucas.

Lucas glanced at Rapi.

Rapi nodded.

Shaking his head, Shaxx pulled out a fusion rifle - Super Sass, to be specific.

Then he pointed it at Lucas and pulled the trigger.

"What are you doing-"

Cinderella never got to finish what she was saying before the fusion rifle fired, wiping Lucas from existence, and leaving behind his ghost.

The crowd stood silent for a moment, looks of shock and horror on their faces. Before anyone could react, though, Rapi walked up to the Ghost and extended her hand.

Moments later, Lucas rematerialized.

"As you can see, Death is not the end for a Guardian!"

XxXxX

AN: That took forever to get written.

So, yeah, handling the bombshells. Shaxx will give a more detailed explanation of Destiny history in a later chapter.

CG Butt Monkey Get! Samantha is probably going to remain in this story for a while as one of the many punching bags for comedy. Also, the original plan was for one of the Guardians to threaten to throw her off the tower.

Phantom is adorable. Wanted to give her a scene here.

I was always going to have Lucas pull that meeting on Andersen and the remnants of Goddess. Snow White reaquainted herself with him during the Vex Invasion, but the rest of Pioneer and Dorothy were in the dark to him still being alive. They will get a sidestory chapter to themselves where the full reunion takes place.

Grave and Cinderella are here. Debated including the rest of Old Tales (the explanation for how they are alive will come when I flesh out the details of the Gatekeeper incident that led to the Ark and Eden being evacuated), but I'm erring on the side of caution until the Old Tales event ends, because there's some theories suggesting that Old Tales were all converted into Heretics - with one theory being that Nihilister was originall Red Shoes.

Most of the Ark was unaware that Guardians can come back from total disintegration if their ghosts are still alive. This ended that - since I didn't state it already, there's a drone filming all of the nikkes at the Tower and broadcasting it to the curicible audience. This includes most of the Ark and Eden's civilian populations.

Since I haven't stated it yet, Lucas' ghost is named Odysseus, Rapi's Ghost is named Penelope, Marian's Ghost is named Circe, and Red Hood's ghost is named Athena.

Bertrand's full designation is Bertrand-10.

Next chapter is crucible!

Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!