Only Human (Goddess of Victory NIKKE SI)

[BakaSmurf]

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Chapter 61 - The Ugly Truth
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Pioneer laughed heartily, with far more levity and merry than any of them had in a long while.

Both because of how long it had been since they'd had the privilege of enjoying such a refined meal, and because they had been reunited with their long-lost Commander and sister—and because they knew that Andersen was also alive too.

For as dark and miserable as the lives of the former members of Goddess had been this past century, this day proved to them all that miracles did still happen.

It was especially heartening to see that, all this time later, while Red Hood was noticeably different now…

The Commander was taking single pieces of chicken nuggets, setting them on the palm of his hand, and smiling like a buffoon every time Snow White lunged forward to eat the nuggets from his hand like a dog would.

The more things changed…

Moreover, Rapunzel was staring at Rapi, visibly confused as she periodically gave the much smaller blonde a blatant once-over. After a while of that, Joe had to ask: "Is something wrong, Rapunzel?" He inquired.

"Rapi's breasts are smaller," she immediately replied without missing a solitary beat, at this point, very obviously staring outright at the red-and-black-clad blonde's chest.

Needless to say, everyone, save for a Snow White still chewing on a mouthful of food, sharply turned to look at Rapunzel in shock at once… Then to a mortified Rapi.

Joe, while thinking of how damn gauche it was for Rapunzel to just call that out as she had, was the only one that didn't outright leer at Rapi in reply.

Instead, he fell back upon the ancient, mystic technique all men eventually instinctively learned with age: to look without looking by focusing in on his peripheral vision.

…Rapunzel was right. Rapi was noticeably larger back during their days as Goddess. How did-

Loudly swallowing her surely only partially-eaten food, Snow White cleared her throat and interjected: "No they aren't," she declared matter-of-factually. "She's just wearing a compression top under her shirt." She declared before she began contemplating a whole, baked potato.

Blinking once, Joe had to acknowledge that yeah, if anyone would know that, it would be Snow, given that she'd stripped Rapi down to her birthday suit to perform maintenance on her.

After a few moments, Rapi spoke up, more than a little sheepishly. "...They get in the way, otherwise," she explained herself, visibly uncomfortable and shifting about anxiously with the scrutiny she was receiving.

Only then, did Rapunzel seem to actually process what she'd said. "I-I-I didn't mean that in a bad way or anything! I mean, you're still shapely and curvaceous and beautiful and striking and—And—And-!"

At once, the blonde turned neon red, her big blue eyes bugging out as she slapped her hands over her face and squealed like a tea kettle in embarrassment.

At that, Joe was smacked in the face with a distant reminder of how repressed Rapunzel was, and how she'd actually made him look remarkably less prone to spilling spaghetti by comparison alone.

The poor nun was down bad, and everyone inevitably wound up knowing it. He'd forgotten what it was like to not be the source of social pasta disasters. How nostalgic.

"Well, at least the Commander seems to be enjoying this tableau, should one account for his contented smile," Scarlet observed between swigs of her flask.

Indeed, Joe had started smiling at the byplay unconsciously, and immediately attempted to correct by raising a hand to cover his mouth-

"No!" Cinderella, however, did not let him, her grabby little digits immediately striking out to prevent him from masking his features. "Don't try to mask your smile from us! It's been so long since we've been allowed to see it!"

As the silver-haired Nikke suddenly invaded Joe's personal space, a wide smile on her flawless features which stirred far too much in the man, his space was suddenly invaded from two angles at once.

Rapi immediately claimed one of his arms and drew him in closely, as if in an attempt to demand his attention over Cinderella.

Glancing Rapi's way, Joe noticed that the blonde was visibly frustrated and annoyed, attempting to pull him away from the stark-haired, even smaller woman.

Where this situation would have normally escalated based on Joe's memories of Goddess, instead, Cinderella paused, blinked, and retreated back to her seat with a small, sheepish cough.

Cinderella didn't say anything, leaving Joe and Rapi in a somewhat awkward position, as the blonde continued to cling to a perplexed Joe possessively.

Backing off was hardly Cinderella's typical modus operandi, so the man was more than a little confused.

After a few moments, however, Joe shook his head as the break served to remind of the time and place, and the fact that they needed to address the elephant in the room.

Thus, he moved to return to his normal seated position—needing to turn to Rapi to address her, "Rapi, let go of my arm, we've got to talk about everything," he pointedly noted.

Though Rapi was more than a little hesitant, she did eventually relent and let the Commander go, glowering lightly as she did so.

The air around the campsite had shifted at Joe's assertion, which caused everyone to adjust their seating positions.

Even Snow White, who had shoved an entire potato into her mouth, attempted to look as serious as she could while she played the part of a whole roasted pig on a platter.

Glancing about, affirming that everyone was well and properly settled in for the discussion that was to be had, Joe took a breath and settled his elbows on his knees.

Clasping his hands together before his mouth, Joe contemplated the situation. "Dorothy," he began. "Why isn't she here? Why are you all so wary to speak of her?"

There was a heavy pause before someone finally spoke up. "The situation with Dorothy is… Difficult," Cinderella darkly noted, anxiously rubbing her hands together. "She, um, she… Isn't aligned with humanity anymore."

Turning to face the silverette, Joe's brow furrowed heavily at the assertion for obvious reasons.

It was Scarlet that followed up, though. "We were informed by our handler in the Ark, that Andersen and thee had been executed by the Central Government for 'outliving thy usefulness.' The gate had been sealed behind thee, leaving Dorothy inflicted with a most ruinous sense of betrayal."

Having chewed through and swallowed her potato in record time, Snow White spoke up next. "Dorothy has declared her intention to cast down the Central Government, and destroy the Ark. Not unlike a Heretic."

"Dorothy isn't a Heretic!" Rapunzel declared, rising from her seat forcefully. "None of what happened is her fault! She just needs to see Joe and know that he's alive and well and she'll calm down!"

"You don't know that-!" Snow White started as she too rose to her feet, rapidly growing heated.

She was cut off by Joe and Rapi sharply rising to their feet, reminding everyone that they were, in fact, present this time.

Pioneer fell into rapt silence, all eyes on the Commander as he stepped aside and away from the campfire. Joe settled a hand on his bearded chin, as Rapi remained stuck to his side, understandably concerned for obvious reasons.

The little blonde reached over and set a hand on Joe's elbow, more than a little uncertain. The man in question, however, was stuck pondering the situation. Dorothy, she hated the Ark and the Central Government. Understandably so.

Yet Snow White considered her to be a Heretic because of this. This was a complicating factor, but, given everything that he knew, Joe was firmly of the opinion that they couldn't, and shouldn't pull the wool over Pioneer's eyes.

From Joe's perspective, the best path forward would be to walk Pioneer through the situation, explain to them what had actually happened in the Ark on the Sealing Day. Then discuss contacting Dorothy.

With a nod, he gave Rapi's shoulder a squeeze, turning around and facing his girls once more, making note of how anxious the lot of them were.

"I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to say," Joe declared, crossing his arms and stepping closer to the campfire again. "But, clearly, it needs to be said. First off: your 'handler' lied to you. Whatever it is you've been led to believe about what happened on that day, was a lie."

"Then what happened?" Rapunzel asked, leaning forward, heart going a mile a minute in her chest along with the rest of her long-time companions.

"After I arrived in the Ark proper, I was called to meet with the Central Government council. The message they had for me was simple and clear: Goddess was to be disbanded, the Grimms which made it up 'deactivated' and disassembled to reverse-engineer the technology that went into their creation."

Walking aside, Joe had his back to Pioneer, looking out into the distance as he continued to speak.

"They wanted me to become their figurehead, to lead the charge to shifting the Ark into fascist rule, wherein everyone would answer to the Central Government, and anyone that was in with the CG would live like royalty."

Joe's voice was tinged with no small amount of anger. Anger which would never leave him; a deep-seated hatred for those bastards that would have seen his girls disposed of, after all they'd done for mankind.

"I would lead Goddess to their deaths, because all of you had outlived your usefulness, and they wanted super soldiers they could control absolutely, not potentially contrarian heroes that might put their rule at risk."

Joe continued to look outwards into the horizon as he continued.

"Red Hood had been sneaked into the Ark, lured in ahead of everyone else, because Exceed was deemed to be the most valuable ability among those granted to Goddess. Then, in their infinite wisdom, they had allowed her to roam free while setting up her execution. This was the opening I needed, that we needed, to do what had to be done."

Rapi glanced back over her shoulder, making note of the mounting horror on the faces of Pioneer as Joe laid out the facts to them.

"Enikk, the Ark's central managerial A.I. overheard us, and immediately cut us off from the rest of the system to ensure we wouldn't be caught. She confided in us, informed us that the Central Government's immediate plans left humanity with naught but ten years before extinction."

That was the point when Joe turned around to face Pioneer, his expression grave as he too saw how mortified they all were. It did little to discourage him from continuing to reveal the ugly truth.

"Enikk served as our handler in the two-man operation to eliminate the council to the last man. Her intervention is the reason we succeeded, and humanity did not go extinct ninety years ago."

Silence reigned, Pioneer staring at Joe and Rapi in open horror. Doubtlessly, this was just about the very last thing they'd expected to hear from their Commander a century after their last meeting, back when they were all loyal soldiers of the United Forces of Humanity and the Central Government.

After an extended period of time, Cinderella was the first to speak up. "...Dorothy was right," she breathed, gaze becoming unfocused as it hit her all at once. "All this time, she was right…"

"-Bullshit!" Snow White all but screamed, on the contrary, eyes having gone wild as they snapped between Joe and Rapi. "That's not- No! No! That doesn't- You're lying! You wouldn't betray-!"

"Snow White, calm yourself," Scarlet interjected, pointedly rising to her feet commandingly. "If even the Commander and Red- Rapi have been driven to turn their sights upon the Central Government, then any betrayal would have been upon them by those we trusted—those who hunt us to this day, if thou shalt recall!"

As the pair stared at each other with considerable intensity, Rapunzel remained quiet, just staring at Joe and Rapi. It seemed, that of Pioneer, she at least had the wherewithal to wait for them to finish explaining themselves, and so they did.

"Our enemy is the Central Government," Rapi, notably, spoke up rather than Joe. "Not the Ark."

That caught Snow White's attention once more, the golden-eyed woman now keenly focusing on the smaller blonde.

"The Central Government is not the Ark," Rapi asserted matter-of-factually. "The Central Government has infested the Ark. It needs to be extricated, like a cancerous tumour, so that the Ark itself and the civilians inside of it may survive in the long term. So that we may one day reclaim the surface the Central Government has forsaken."

Joe just nodded in agreement of Rapi's clarification, very much appreciating that she was supporting him on this matter, and so well at that.

That seemed to give Pioneer no small amount of collective relief, though the tension in the air did not dissipate in whole.

This was exemplified by Scarlet's response. "So, thou suggests that our purpose ought to be combating the Central Government, for the sake of mankind?"

Joe replied to that. "The Central Government are enemies of mankind. They have no interest in reclaiming the surface. They know the Ark's time is limited, that it is not self-sustaining and will one day run out of resources. The only thing they care about is ruling over it and what little remains of mankind until our species hits its expiration date."

The man was looking between the girls that had served under him amidst the Initial Rapture Invasion.

"Andersen has been among their upper echelons for years now, as one of the Ark's Deputy Chief Commanders under a pseudonym. If anybody would know these to be facts, it would be him. Would any of you argue that it is not our duty to see the CG cast down, in light of these facts?"

As Snow White's hand balled into a fist, Cinderella anxiously wrung her hands together, while Rapunzel clasped her hands in uncertain prayer, and Scarlet rapped her fingers on the butt of Fleetly Fading.

They weren't going to get anywhere by sitting around and leaving everyone to brood and get lost in their own heads. So, Joe pressed the issue immediately. "Look me in the eye, and tell me that the Central Government is not humanity's enemy, despite actively and knowingly engaging in malicious behaviour they know will lead to the extinction of our species for their own short-term gain."

That only momentarily made Pioneer all the more visibly uncomfortable, shifting about with no small amount of mounting unease.

But Joe wasn't having it. "That is an order," he dictated with anything even approximating a semblance of humour.

That caused the attention of the girls to all snap to Joe at once, wavering slightly, only to deflate more than a little bit at the newfound pressure placed on them.

Scarlet was the first to reply. "Nay, I cannot," the ashen-haired swordswoman said with a heavy sigh. "The Central Government, by thy own words, can only be construed as mankind's enemy, if they do be truly bettering their own purses at humanity's expense."

Cinderella replied next. "If my father has been serving as a… A spy, I suppose, and he says they're evil too, your word alone would be enough for me, Joe. If our next mission is to destroy the Central Government for humanity's sake, then so be it." Despite the clear conflict in her shimmering blue eye, the Commander could see that she was indeed truthfully putting her faith in him. He wasn't misleading her, so he simply nodded once in acknowledgement of her assertion.

"I can't believe that. But Dorothy wants to destroy the Ark-!" Snow White began, only to be cut off by Rapi.

"We are not discussing Dorothy or the morality of her actions or objectives," the diminutive blonde asserted forcefully. "You are being informed of our newfound mission which, as all other missions we have engaged in, is for the sake of mankind. Not Dorothy, not Joe, not ourselves, not revenge. The Central Government is knowingly driving humanity to extinction. Is this acceptable to you, yes, or no?"

Snow White closed her eyes, visibly conflicted by the notion of knowingly and deliberately taking up arms against human beings. Yet, "...No," she growled out, demonstrably resenting that she had to vocalize such thoughts in the first place. She left it there.

At that, only Rapunzel was left, who was clearly lost in her own head. Muttering quietly to herself, periodically shaking her own thoughts, trying to sort something out on her own. Rapi didn't seem content with this, and so interrupted the towering blonde's thoughts. "Rapunzel? You've been asked a question."

Rapunzel jumped in her seat, large blue eyes going wide before she cleared her throat. "I-I hate the thought of bringing harm to humans. But, if the Central Government is truly deliberately working towards mankind's extinction, then there's only one path forward: bringing them to justice for the sake of the many to whom we exist to shield, from anything and everything that would threaten them."

She paused, lips still parted, gaze drifting aside for a few moments before she spoke back up.

"I'm more so thinking of Dorothy, though. She- It's as has been stated. We all left her, because she made it clear that she considered mankind to be the enemy, that the Ark had to fall, that she would see it fall for the 'sins' committed against us. How for what they did to you, Joe, that the Ark absolutely had to be punished, for profiting off of and benefiting from your 'murder.'"

That brought everyone to silence once more. Joe hadn't been expecting to hear that Dorothy had become an extremist after the Ark was sealed. Nor that she was driven to such hatred specifically by what she'd been told of his fate, which was itself a lie. He'd known that she cared deeply for him, but to the extent that she'd effectively stopped just short of Heresy herself for vengeance?

Speaking up, Joe vocalized his thoughts. "I can see why Snow White would accuse her of being a Heretic." Though Rapunzel clearly disliked that, Snow White seemed vindicated by his assessment. "But, the thought of treating Dorothy as an enemy…"

Rapunzel was quick to speak up at that. "I think she would be calmed just by seeing that you're alive after all! She's far gone now, but only because of how much it hurt her when we all thought you'd died! She just needs to know that you're still with us, that you've been working towards a less extreme version of what she has been all along!"

While Snow White was still more than a little uncertain and uncomfortable with the notion, Joe was just disconcerted by the question of Dorothy's state, and furthermore: "Where is Dorothy, then?" He asked.

At that, the girls all shared collective looks of uncertainty, and Scarlet was the one that answered him. "Eden, Commander. Dorothy is in Eden."

Rapi's brows furrowed. "Eden?"

At that, Joe too was confused, spurring a question that was far larger than he'd have expected.

"And what, exactly, is Eden?"

 

[BakaSmurf]

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Chapter 62 - Someone Else's Definition of 'Perfection'
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"Eden…" Cinderella started, shifting in her seat warily, mulling over the question as she crossed her hands over her lap in consideration. "Eden is a human enclave on the surface, with a population in the low ten-thousands. It's hostile to the Ark."

Joe sharply turned to stare at the platinum-haired woman with wide, dumbstruck eyes. An expression shared by Rapi, who looked as though she'd just been slapped with a fish.

"A human enclave? On the surface?" Rapi cried out abject shock. "But that's not possible. The Raptures target and destroy any and all human habitation on the surface. It's impossible to stand against the endless waves that would be thrown at any established human population."

"Yes, tis' the truth," Scarlet noted simply. "Yet, still the truth: is that Eden stands, and has stood for decades upon decades at this juncture. Not as a mere outpost, a concrete bunker filled with naught but stale air and miserable fluorescent lighting-"

The swordswoman adjusted her stance to resettle her wrist, resting upon the butt of her sword as it was.

"-But as a true, self-sustaining arcology. A towering structure of crystalline glass and steel which casts a large shadow upon the environment in which it looms. This too, surrounded by rolling, verdant farmland in addition to those vertical farms contained within the primary arcology as well."

"And the living conditions for its inhabitants are fantastic as well!" Rapunzel interjected with no small amount of enthusiasm. "Though personal accommodations are somewhat on the cozy side, to ensure no space in the primary tower is wasted, everyone has large, wide windows that can be opened to let the sun and fresh air inside!"

The blonde spoke with no small amount of seemingly genuine cheer.

"And everyone receives a fair and healthy weekly ration of food and water! Entertainment is distributed for free, everyone lives in safety and security-"

"How could they be living safely on the surface?" Joe cut in, furrowing his brow as he considered the information presented to him, finding it far too good to be true. "Especially in a tower. What you're describing would be a cacophonous dinner bell to the Raptures."

"Eden is a- I suppose it would be most accurate to refer to it as a nation-state," Cinderella began in reply. "It's a 'technocratic meritocracy.' Their technology is hundreds of years ahead of that which the Ark has. To the tune of their territory being enshrouded with a stealth field that makes the entire region appear as a barren, silent wasteland at a distance. By the naked eye, or technological means, the Shroud cannot be pierced except by stepping past its threshold."

Rapi and Joe, by that point, were staring in dumbstruck awe. Given the state of the Ark, how it had largely stagnated since it was sealed…

If Pioneer were being honest, Eden was not only advanced to the point of it being comical, but it was advanced to the point of having the means to permanently reclaim parts of the surface.

"Even still," Scarlet continued to elucidate. "Should the Shroud be pierced by happenstance, as thy may imagine, Eden's Nikkes are truly awe-inspiring in comparison to the middling strength those produced by the Ark may project. They are not on-par with us Grimms models, though they are far, far closer than what we've seen among the Ark's forces."

"In some ways," Rapunzel began to add onto Scarlet's point. "They're even actually more versatile than most of us: Pioneer. When we left Eden, they were powerful, incredibly so, yes, but since then, in the rare times we've encountered Eden Nikkes since…"

"When we were with Eden," Cinderella started, a conflicted expression worn plain on her face. "We allowed them to study us, to reverse-engineer the technology that went into our creation. While some things are simply too heavily black boxed to be accurately or reliably assessed non-destructively, others, they were able to actually extract all the information they needed on. Such as my featherweight frame, and my anti-gravity capabilities."

"Many Eden Nikkes can fly," Rapunzel declared. "This, on top of their weapons technology being so terribly advanced, means Eden can do everything the Ark can do, with a small fraction of the same amount of Nikkes."

"If not for their middling numbers," Scarlet added on with a ponderous hum. "Eden would have all which was needed to begin reclaiming the surface, doubtlessly."

Joe felt as though he'd just fallen down a flight of stairs. The Ark had been piddling along pitifully, not even able to truly claim the territory right on top of the Ark, while another civilization freely and safely existed on the surface. Not only existed, but apparently, thrived. Being outright invisible to encroaching Raptures, feeding and housing all citizens. "And yet, you all underwent this self-imposed exile from Eden," the Commander noted.

"With the entirety of the adult population consisting of former Ark dwellers, abandoned and betrayed Commanders, Nikkes, and even former megacorp researchers, Eden considers the Ark to be their enemy," Snow White finally spoke up, after having been silent the entire time the nation-state was described. "In fact, so far as Eden is concerned, they are actively at war with the Ark, and behave accordingly in encounters with active duty Ark Nikkes and Commanders."

Ah. Yeah, there it was.

Snow White continued. "Eden attempts to capture Ark Nikkes, as many as possible amidst any particular engagement. These Nikkes are then brought to Eden, and whereupon they are interrogated, and attempts are made to recruit them. Policy is that Commanders be simply executed in the field, barring particularly exceptional examples. They are assumed to be not worth the effort in any regard. Dorothy emphasized this point to us by doing the deed herself the first time we encountered a Nikke squad alongside her, with such a serene expression on her face, no less."

Silence fell over the group, Joe bringing his hands up to cover his face, taking a number of deep, bracing breaths. "'Execute.'" The man began. "Meaning, said Commanders were already captured?"

"Yes," Snow White pointedly forcefully declared without missing a beat. "There are numerous examples of Commanders being shot, even if they surrender-"

"Not every time-!" Rapunzel tried to interject.

"That it happens at all is beyond the pale!" Snow White cut her off angrily, sharply turning and gesturing towards the nun. "Executing captured and surrendered forces is a war crime! It was Dorothy that pushed for this policy! It doesn't matter that it wasn't her that initially proposed it, she was the one that pushed and pushed and so clearly takes pleasure in the act of murdering helpless Ark Commanders!"

There was another stretch of silence in which everyone had grown visibly uneasy, Joe still performing breathing exercises into his hands.

The average Ark Commander was, indeed, a wretch. An active, walking insult to the memory and efforts of Goddess. But that didn't mean that it was okay to commit war crimes against them! Execute them without a trail to prove it was deserved beforehand, after they'd surrendered and been captured!

It was one thing to kill a combative Commander actively attacking them, but what Snow White was describing was cold-blooded murder!

"As a reminder, Snow White," Scarlet spoke up again, not privy to Joe's internal narration. "We. Are. Not. Thy. Enemies. We left Eden because we agree with thee. Do not seek to snap and nip at us because we seek to give Joe and Red- Rapi the whole picture, over demonizing Eden in whole."

"Just as you'll tell the Commander all about Eden's wonders, I will tell him about its numerous maluses," Snow White darkly asserted. "Such as the fact that Eden pointedly houses no non-combatants."

At that, Joe finally tore his hands from his face, focusing on Snow White in a way that clearly indicated that he wanted her to elaborate.

"Everyone, be they human, or Nikke, is required to prove that they can personally, and directly destroy Raptures before they will be even allowed to pass through the Shroud without being slaughtered by Eden's border patrol," the silver-haired, golden-eyed woman declared with a grimace. "This not only contributes to every single inhabitant of Eden being a soldier expected to participate in combat, it means that countless humans have died simply attempting to qualify to even set eyes upon Eden in the first place."

"Even humans are expected to be able to destroy Raptures?" Joe echoed the assertion dubiously. "How?" Who the in the nine Hell's idea was that? How is that a reasonable expectation to even enter the place?"

"It was Dorothy's idea," Snow White stated matter-of-factually. "And she had the rule implemented 'to honour' you," she asserted darkly. "You, unlike the Commanders of the Ark, actually fought alongside us in battle properly. You took up arms, and, in one particularly extreme case, even managed to destroy a Tyrant, on your own, when separated from the rest of Goddess. When Eden had received information that the Ark's Commanders are hollow, insulting facsimiles of you, and how you led and supported us… She was very forceful about ensuring that the only human beings that would ever enter Eden, would be those worthy of serving alongside Nikkes in the same way you were."

After a beat of stunned horror, Joe replied in mounting mortification. "I'm a Hoplite. I would burn through Hoplons at a rate that was unsustainable in the long term just keeping up with you girls."

"Well Dorothy and Eden's most high-ranking officers expect all humans that inhabit that place to be able to do the same," Snow White all but growled in reply. "Initially, without the augmentation and mechanized assistance you had access to."

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Joe just exhaled as he was forced to his ass, dropping to the ground as he was bombarded with this social Darwinist horseshit, apparently being done in his name. "D-does Eden even have children!? If they don't have non-combatants-"

"Children born in Eden go through combat training alongside typical academic schooling from the moment they are capable of walking and retaining meaningful information," Snow White stated. "There are no non-combatants in Eden. Everyone is a soldier. Some are just mere Cadets before they reach the age to undergo qualifications for promotion to the rank of Private, and graduate out of the trainee phase of citizenship."

Snow White continued past that point.

"Eden has not been around long enough to have properly elderly citizens age out of being viable combatants, given the society's life extension capabilities. However, it is already established policy that women, if they had not already, are to undergo Nikke conversion upon reaching the age wherein their natural biological body begins to deteriorate. Men undergo extensive cybernetic alterations in much the same way even before this, in order to make them as capable of fighting alongside Nikkes in open combat as is possible."

That last fact caught Joe's attention in particular, for very obvious reasons.

Having noticed, Snow White elucidated. "Eden's technological development has granted them the means to augment men to a far greater degree than seems possible in the Ark. They are no Nikkes, nor Adonii, but the Epilektoi of Eden are capable of fending for themselves on an open battlefield against the most common Raptures, even if with no small amount of exertion."

Epilektoi, ancient Greek for the Chosen. Men capable of actually fighting alongside Nikkes properly, not just standing at their backs and cheer leading for them, but taking up arms and supporting them in battle. That, in a vacuum, sounded amazing to Joe. If they had opened with that, and left it at that, the man would have been demanding that they bring him to this place at once.

But it wasn't just that one, positive point. Eden wasn't just men fighting alongside Nikkes in combat meaningfully, not forcing the women to shoulder the burden of war effectively on their own. It was also everything else that had been mentioned.

Joe saw meritocracy as a good thing. People should be awarded as per their personal accomplishments, in accordance with their ability to live up to their own ambitions. Too often, did fools and worthless sacks of flesh unworthy of much of anything find themselves in positions of power. Positions which should be held by those who have earned their place in the leading roles of society, that have proven they can lead and make life better for the many they serve.

But this? This was just social Darwinism. Forcing children to learn to fight, putting the 'unworthy' to the blade, taking no prisoners who could not potentially be converted to their way of thinking. No fucking shot that Eden didn't also bombard their citizens with propaganda extolling the virtues of the state, that their way of life was the way of life, and that the Ark was a society of 'unworthy' weaklings.

A soldier's purpose was to protect civilians. A soldier's duty should be defending the weak, ensuring those who could not fight for themselves, could live in peace and prosperity. A society without civilians, a society wherein the weak were treated as chaff to be discarded…

For all the Ark's problems, for as wretched a place as it was, for as much as Joe hated the culture the Central Government had cultivated, the Central Government didn't actively cull the Ark's civilian population. The Ark still had civilians. The young were allowed to be children, the weak were allowed to live. The elderly were not forcibly conscripted and augmented to justify their continued existence. At least, not to the point of leaving no civilian class to speak of.

Yet, worst of all, "And Dorothy contributed to this culture?" Joe inquired with dread bubbling up in his gut. "She directed Eden to develop into this Neo-Sparta?" He spat out the term, openly disgusted by the notion.

"She did," Snow White declared as the rest of Pioneer looked halfway between relieved and anxious. "She even refused to budge, so much as relent in the slightest on her beliefs and newfound ideals, even when we all told her on no uncertain terms, that we would not continue to support Eden if it did not change its ways. So, we left. And never looked back."

Joe pinched the bridge of his nose, rising to his feet with a heavy, bone-deep sigh. "Meaning that Dorothy is so damned stuck in her newfound ways, that even driving off what remained of Goddess at the time wasn't enough to deter her from continuing down this path." This path, which involved the execution of captured enemies and radicalization of Eden's people against the Ark, no less! "I can increasingly see why Snow would compare her to a Heretic."

As much as it clearly hurt Rapunzel to hear him say that, Cinderella and Scarlet just averted their gazes uncomfortably, while Snow White huffed, evidently not quite finding the statement as vindicating as she did previously.

Such did not stop her from replying in earnest, regardless. "This is why she can't be trusted. This is why she is a danger, not just to the Ark, but to you. We don't know what she would do if she knew that you were still alive."

Joe didn't reply to that, remaining quiet as Rapi gave him an uncertain look, clearly herself unsure of what to say,

Rapunzel was the next person to speak up, regardless. "And how do you know, that knowing Joe is alive won't be the hook we've needed to pull Dorothy back from the abyss?" She inquired, giving Snow White a reproachful look. "It was his 'death' that pushed her over the edge. You know it, we all know it. We were all there when it happened. We all had to watch her break. We all had to stand by, knowing we could do nothing, watch her heart shatter into a thousand pieces, helpless, inconsolable… Crying, begging Joe for forgiveness, for failing him, for letting him down when he needed her the most…"

The Commander, at that, turned to focus on Rapunzel, his expression having fallen considerably, these assertions flew in stark contrast to all of his memories of Dorothy. Dorothy: strong, unbending, unbreaking. A rock, an anchor, a lighthouse in the dark. She had been all of these things to him. Now, Joe was learning that, all this time, he had been the same to her? How? Since when? How was he allegedly so damned important to her? How did losing him turn her into a monster that would see the Ark burn in retaliation?

Snow White firmly affixed her gaze to the fire, pointedly not looking Rapunzel's way. Cinderella fidgeted in place deeply uncomfortably. Meanwhile, Scarlet rapped her fingers on the pommel of Fleetly Fading, expression suggesting she'd just bit down on something sour.

The nun, at that point, turned to face Joe directly, her expression projecting no small amount of sorrow. "Joe. It may or may not have been romantic, it may have been more complicated than just the feelings a man and a woman may share for each other. But Dorothy loved you. With all of her heart. When we were told you died, when she was led to believe that we'd all just let you walk into the jaws of the beast that took you, it," Rapunzel had to take a steadying breath, the motion producing a half-choking sob. "A piece of her soul died with you. Seeing you alive again, it just may bring that lost piece back."

That gave Joe no small amount of pause, his expression becoming deeply uncertain and pained. If Dorothy had actually been pushed to such terrible depths because they'd lost him, would it really be enough to bring her back, knowing that he wasn't truly gone?

"She deserves to know, Commander," Rapunzel all but pleaded with him, lightly clasping her hands together, eyes shimmering with budding moisture.

At that, the man just let out a low sigh. "Yeah, she does," he admitted, wary of the notion, given how far she'd fallen. Yet, it was Dorothy. He couldn't just abandon her. "But, we can't go off half-cocked on this matter. We have to make sure we aren't setting ourselves up for failure of any kind. No stumbling into this blind."

Though Snow White was clearly displeased with the notion, she didn't protest further. Cinderella let out a weary sigh, while Scarlet rubbed her eyes, evidently finding some measure of relief at the finality of Joe's decision. It was his decision to make, after all.

Joe continued on the matter of Eden. "For starters, where even is Eden?" he inquired.

"The Okanagan Desert," Cinderella answered simply. "Due East of the Ark."

"That's-" Joe paused, brows scrunching up in surprise. "A lot closer to the Ark than I'd have expected. Even in the same province, unless it's on the American side of the border."

"Dorothy did say something about keeping one's enemies close," Snow White gruffly grumbled. "It's on the Canadian side, for all the difference that makes at this point."

Joe just nodded, rubbing his bearded chin contemplatively, pondering the notion of just how they'd get in contact with Dorothy, in as safe and controlled a manner as was possible.

"Joe?" Cinderella, however, spoke up, no small amount of curiosity lining her tone. "We've been wondering, ever since we discovered that you were still alive: how are you not an old man?"

"Yes, that was something of a sticking point," Rapunzel added. "We know that the Ark's food has life extension additives in it, but, we also know that it only slows aging. Meaning that, a century since we'd last met, you should be far physically older than you are. Yet, you clearly haven't aged a day."

Ah. Right. That. "I've been in cryogenic stasis since shortly after the Ark was sealed," Joe explained the situation quite simply. "It's actually only been like, two months since then, from my perspective?" He turned aside to Rapi inquisitively, though she could only shrug in reply. Time was something that sort of slipped away from the both of them, given all the shit they'd had on their plates lately.

"Ah, that would explain it," Rapunzel accepted the answer easily, gazing up at Joe somewhat forlornly. "Rapi was in a similar situation?"

"No," Rapi answered flatly. "I've been active almost the entire time since then. I only just started to remember our shared past together... Not very long ago," she declared with no small amount of discomfort.

Pioneer shared a look of mild dismay at that, but just allowed the topic to fall by the wayside. If they were to get into the matter of Rapi's career post-Goddess, they'd clearly be talking about it all night.

For that matter, "Joe," Rapi started, looking out to the horizon as the evening wind caught her silken hair and scarf. "We should set up our tent. We're clearly going to be spending the night out here."

Glancing up, Joe noted with mild disinterest that, yeah, the sun had started to set. "Guess so."

Notably, Snow White heavily rolled her eyes. "Figures that you two would still be sharing a bed, even after all this time."

While Joe just grimaced at the insinuation with some minor discomfort, Rapi's entire head turned the same colour as her scarf and jacket. Harshly turning on her heel, she took off without a word, fleeing the scene with a purpose.

That caught Joe, and especially everyone else off-guard, to say the least.

"...Rapi is not the same person she was back then, Snow," Rapunzel noted a little reproachfully. "Please, relent, given that she clearly is not even as half as 'Red Hood' as she used to be."

While Snow White at least had the decency to look somewhat sheepish, Cinderella, meanwhile, just stared at Joe with uncertain longing. Her sole visible eye focused on him, wordlessly measuring him.

Recalling how Cinderella had just backed off of him, rather uncharacteristically a little earlier, Joe had to wonder what exactly was going on with the twintailed beauty. She had made it very clear that she was very romantically interested in him back in the day, and while he'd have just shrugged it off as her moving past her crush, he recognized that look well. That quiet longing and envy she held when regarding the relationship—however casual it had been—he had with Red Hood.

Of course, with the reunion of most of Goddess, Joe's personal life would become quite a bit more complicated again.

Regardless, he moved to his backpack to begin the process of setting up the tent he'd packed for himself and Rapi. It was all the Commander could do to sigh, and not let the attention of literally the most powerful women to have ever lived, to say nothing of the ongoing discussion about Dorothy's so-called 'Eden,' get to him.

Such was the life of the Legendary Commander of Goddess.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 63 - Pillow Talk, Ruminations, and Deliberations
===

"...Joe?" Rapi's voice quietly spoke up from his side, a low breath uttered in the dark confines of their small tent.

Turning his head towards the sound of her voice at his side, despite it being far too dark to see her, the Commander responded in a fatigued whisper. "Yeah, shorty?" He inquired.

There was a long beat, to which Rapi too replied: "...I'm not short," she damn near audibly pouted, a fleeting hint of Red Hood shining through in her tone.

"Yes you are," the only slightly above-average-sized man an entire head taller than her asserted, audibly smirking. "And it's wonderful."

Again, a significant pause punctuated Joe's declaration. Rapi eventually replied a little warily: "...You like short girls?" She asked.

At that, Joe blinked, shifting in his sleeping bag slightly. Did this never come up back in the days of Goddess? "This is a short girl supremacy house," he asserted matter-of-factually, ignoring the fact that they were in a fabric tent.

Shortstacks were compelling evidence that God was real and loved humanity, after all. Hence the danger Joe was constantly in, surrounded by the weirdly abundant shortstack Nikkes in and around the Ark.

Speaking of, he was kind of starting to miss Privaty…

Regardless of the Commander's internal musings, in the dark, he couldn't see Rapi's expression become incredibly smug and self-satisfied.

Happy with that unexpected revelation, the little strawberry blonde let out a shallow sigh before refocusing. "All of this business involving Dorothy, and Eden. How do you feel about it all?"

Mood immediately sobering, Joe inhaled deeply before responding. "I hate it."

Rapi shifted in her own sleeping bag somewhat. "...Is that all?"

"What else were you expecting?" Joe asked. "Dorothy was my rock, back in the day. She was always the most dutiful and reliable member of Goddess. She was there first, standing firm at my side from the moment the squad was formed…"

The man hummed in naked discontent.

"I hate the idea that we have to approach her assuming that she may be hostile. I hate the idea that we may not be able to trust her."

"I hate the idea that she might've misunderstood me so badly that she'd thought I'd have approved of the creation of a Neo-Sparta. I hate it. There's nothing about it that isn't miserable and soul-crushing."

There was a beat in which Rapi mulled over Joe's blunt, entirely honest words. From what she could remember of Goddess herself, his words felt right. About as expected. Dorothy and Joe had been nearly attached at the hip from the very first moment Rapi had set eyes on them.

But, that aside… "What of the rest? Of… Pioneer, as they go by now?"

The man fidgeted in his place, mulling over the question before responding with one of his own. "What about you?" He asked. "How do you feel about everything that's happened with Pioneer?"

That gave Rapi no small amount of pause, having, for some reason, not expected the Commander to turn the question around on her. "I… I'm not sure."

She admitted, the fabric laid over her diminutive form lightly sounding out in time with her shifting.

"It's… It's been been so long for me. Even with my memories having come back recently… I was in the Ark, serving as a member of Absolute for so much longer than Goddess…"

Lightly gripping at the bedding of her sleeping bag, she frowned slightly.

"I feel detached, disconnected from them. It was so many lifetimes ago. It makes me uncomfortable when they treat me in such a familiar way. Especially since… I'm not the person they knew. Literally."

Joe pondered Rapi's assertion. Indeed, for Joe, with his memories gradually returned to him, it had only been a few scant months since having been separated from Goddess.

This, in stark contrast to Rapi having been active for… Decades upon decades since.

No wonder she would be uncomfortable interacting with them, especially with Snow White trying to just… Keep treating her like Red Hood.

"It would only make sense for it to feel awkward for you, yeah," Joe acknowledged Rapi's point of view. "I'll talk to them about laying off a bit later on."

Sighing, Rapi quietly appreciated the concern Joe showed for her. She knew that, obviously, she would have to eventually fall back into her old role—a member of Goddess.

But… She would rather not have that forced onto her just yet. Not when she was only just starting to remember her original life; after having lived an entire life separate from them.

"Thank you, Joe," the little blonde said gratefully. "But… Still, your thoughts on the situation with Pioneer?" She pressed.

At that. glancing aside, out the transparent plastic window that granted a view of the distant night sky, Joe lightly clicked his tongue. "I feel relieved. Remembering so many things, so quickly, as I have… I remember them. I remember you all."

The Big Dipper stood out starkly against the inky black cosmos that night.

"Given that I've been in stasis for so long, to me, it just feels like a reunion after a relatively short separation. I know that, in fact, it's been an entire century for everyone else, but…"

Closing his eyes, the man hummed contemplatively.

"It doesn't help that everyone's still dressed the same way they used to be. You presented yourself so wildly differently across the board, even down to actually brushing your hair straight, you did kind of feel more than a little disconnected from Red Hood."

"Yet, having taken up your old rifle, jacket, and scarf…" He turned aside to the place he knew Rapi was laying in, despite being blind in the dark. "I keep seeing bits of who you used to be shining through too. Even just hints, but it seems to me like you've still got some Red Hood, hidden away in there."

Feeling something stirring in her, thinking on that, Rapi reflected on her initial days with Absolute. At first, she was quiet, uncertain, wary and distant. She almost never interacted with Vesti seeing as how they were both so withdrawn, Emma had treated her as almost being a second Vesti that needed to be similarly babied, and Eunhwa seemed split between annoyed at her shyness, and pleased by her professionalism and competence despite that.

But, thinking more on how all three eventually came to see and look at her… Rapi realized that, for the sake of bettering the squad and her role in it, being the beacon they needed, she had taken a few steps back towards behaving like she had when she openly carried her Goddess code name. Eunhwa grew to treat her as a trusted, cherished confidant. Vesti looked up to her like a peerless hero. Emma trusted her implicitly in keeping Vesti and Eunhwa in good spirits. She was trusted to keep morale high…

She had put on a mask. A mask of her forgotten past self, without even being aware of it.

Then, she screwed up. She killed a human. In the arrogance she hadn't even noticed she'd developed, she killed a human, and the realization that she didn't care broke her. Then, rather than… Simply talk to Absolute, discuss what had happened, how it had affected her… She left. Without a word. Without saying anything to her newfound comrades who had come to trust and value her as an invaluable anchor.

She avoided the uncomfortable interaction. She ruined among the few good relationships she'd had in her time in the Ark to avoid admitting to them how she felt. Telling them what sort of person she really was, in stark contrast to the pedestal they'd placed her on…

In the days of Goddess, it had been much the same. Everyone looked at her as a cheerful fool. The squad jester, there to keep everyone's minds off of the direness of the war. She had been appreciated for her ability to keep spirits up. All the while, nobody knew just how troubled, even haunted she truly had been beneath the mask. A hopeless sad clown, putting on a show for everyone else, even to her own expense…

She was trying to do it again now, wasn't she? Hoping to avoid interacting with Pioneer, despite their storied past together. Because… She found the idea uncomfortable. Always, every time. She ran away from situations that might make her uncomfortable. Both in this life, and the last.

Rapi knew that she couldn't keep doing this. She had promised Joe that she'd be better than she was, all those years ago. She had promised him that. She couldn't be the person she was back then anymore.

"...Rapi?" Joe inquired, rolling onto his side to be closer to her. He was more than a little worried by her response being, after an awkward-seeming silence, a long shuddering sigh.

"I-" the strawberry blonde started, catching herself just as she could tell her voice was about to break. "It's nothing, Joe. Just…" She tightly gripped her pillow, grimacing heavily to herself. "...I'm realizing that there's some things I need to do, things that I need to stop running away from."

At that, Joe blinked owlishly. "You haven't struck me as the type to run from things," he remarked with some confusion.

If only he could see the pained expression worn on the Nikke's face. "...Running is what I'm best at," she asserted grimly.

Joe didn't like that, shifting in a futile attempt to spot her in the dark. "Rapi-"

"Not-" the blonde began, almost a bit too loud, reining herself in as she continued. "Please, not here. I don't want to have to talk about stuff like that when we're out here."

On the surface, meaning. As much as the Commander didn't much care for that… "Okay." A tent wasn't exactly the most private place in the world, so he would allow it. Instead of pressing that issue, he shifted onto something else he'd noticed. "...Y'know, I'm surprised that you didn't volunteer to stay up all patrol the camp all night with Snow White. I'd have assumed you'd want to do guard duty."

"I am doing guard duty," Rapi somewhat forcefully asserted, not at all keen on making the mistake of leaving him unattended in a tent with room for two with much of the old squad reunited as they were.

For his part, Joe didn't really understand what she was getting at, and so shrugged as he replied: "If you say so…" he wasn't particularly feeling up to interrogating what she meant by that, and so simply allowed the topic to fall by the wayside. "Anyways… Was there anything else?"

Humming, Rapi contemplated the question for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "I should actually let you get to sleep. It's already dark out, and unlike the rest of us, you need consistent and proper rest. So… Goodnight, Commander."

"Alright then," Joe made an attempt to make himself as comfortable as he could in reply. "'Night, Rapi."

At that, silence fell in the tent, little other than the sounds of wind and distant night critters to break the silence of darkened open wilderness.

---

The following morning, everyone clambered out of their tents, a bit of sniffling occurred when it was once again confirmed that Joe and Rapi were, in fact, back, and their return hadn't been a sweet, delusional dream.

Breakfast had been eaten, everyone got their engines spooled up, and…

"Do you… Really think that's a good idea, Commander?" Snow White asked warily, adjusting her wrist's place where it rested upon Seven Dwarves. "I mean…"

"The CEO of Elysion is on our side," Joe declared to head off the concerns already being presented to him. "She's already demonstrated that she's willing to alter records to suit our needs, hence the reason I'm not being harassed for not actually being a licensed Commander-"

Rapi scoffed heavily at that.

Though Joe didn't let her interruption phase him. "-I've already worked out a simple enough idea. Pioneer are an Elysion Black Ops Commando unit, and have been assigned to the Outpost by Ingrid specifically to bolster Counters' operational capabilities."

"...This doesn't seem wise, Joe," Cinderella noted, brows furrowed in naked concern. "That excuse seems really… Flimsy. Wouldn't the Central Government see through it really easily-"

This time, Rapi and Joe both snorted in open derision of the notion. "No," the man declared. "They won't."

While Pioneer looked more than a little dubious of the notion, Rapi backed him up. "The Central Government's incompetence has to be seen to be believed. And you'll see it…"

Rapunzel hummed warily, delicate lips pursing as she wrung her hands together in uncertainty. "You two… Suggesting that we just, go along and live in the Ark-"

"The Outpost," Joe corrected her. "The Outpost isn't a part of the Ark, and I'm the Central Government's primary contact there. Do I have to note that you can trust me to not turn you girls in to them?"

"Of course not!" Rapunzel cried out, upset by Joe even feeling the need to make note of that. "But-"

"And everyone else in the Outpost can be trusted?" Snow White interjected. "Nobody there will see us, and report us to the CG for being suspicious?"

"Again, I am the CG's representative in the Outpost," Joe asserted as he adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Anyone that gets suspicious will report such suspicions to me, and I'll respond by opening a line to Ingrid to have them explain to her why they're poking their nose into top-secret Elysion matters that do not concern them."

"...Somehow," Scarlet began, "I doth suspect there is some matter you are not considering, Joe. This feels as though it would be entirely too easy."

"As easy as the High Commander of Goddess infiltrating the Central Government and becoming one of the highest-ranking members of its military, full-stop?"

Joe countered, crossing his arms as he did so.

"As easy as the Legendary Commander of Goddess just reappearing from the aether, becoming a Commander in the Ark's Armed Forces despite never having attended the Commander Academy, and having nobody actually look into his history at all, despite the fact that he should be the CG's public enemy number one?"

He pointedly continued.

"As easy as the Legendary Commander being given control of a forward operating base that functions as a small town in its own right, with no Government oversight as its administration is entirely delegated to the megacorps backing said Legendary Commander?"

He nodded aside to Rapi.

"As easy as Red Hood having been actively serving in the Ark's military for decades, as a member of the most successful and famous Nikke squad in the Ark, full-stop, without ever being so much as suspected of being a member of Goddess?"

Pioneer went collectively quiet at that. All four sharing somewhat bamboozled looks.

"Look, I get it," Joe started once more with a sigh. "Everything's been so shit for so long, that it's difficult to imagine that something can just be good. If you girls are really so worried, Rapi and I can return to the Outpost on our own, and we can get back in contact with you once everything's been already set up ahead of time. But I don't think you should remain on the surface, living like homeless drifters, wandering from fight to fight all but aimlessly."

The Commander uncrossed his arms to set his hands on his hips.

"We have a home, meaning you have a home again too. We have the means to get you girls sorted into the Outpost's ranks unnoticed. I don't see why we shouldn't take it and have us all back together again from now on." He looked to Cinderella in particular. "It'd make it a lot easier for Andersen to pop in for a visit if you're all actually on hand too, y'know."

Cinderella, at that, visibly swayed quite heavily in her stance against going to the Outpost, lifting the plushies of herself and her father to gaze forlornly upon them. She didn't say anything, but it was clear that the argument had moved her by no small amount.

"...It would be nice to have a warm bed to sleep in at night again…" Rapunzel mused quietly, "And have things to do aside from just… Wander. Wander amidst ruins, and death…"

Scarlet hummed, drumming her fingers on the side of Fleetly Fading's scabbard. "The ronin act has grown more than a tad trite, to be wholly truthful… Yet still, a proper home in a community again would mean access to easy food, and showers…"

Snow White's eyes grew wide, her face going slightly gaunt as she sucked her cheeks in to lightly bite down upon them in anticipation at the notion.

It was Joe that spoke up next, to add onto Scarlet's point. "More food than you could handle," he declared as Snow White's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Of the many issues the Ark has, hunger isn't among them. To say nothing of the fact that our Tetra Line sponsors ship us the good stuff on the regular too…"

"'The good stuff…?'" Snow White all but breathed, her lips beginning to quiver.

"Rapi and I are conservative in how we eat," Joe remarked to the monochromatic engineer. "What we brought here was a small fraction of what we have back at the Command Centre. A fraction of the 'boring' stuff at that."

Snow White was visibly fighting the urge to begin drooling outright… As her stomach audibly growled despite that.

As ever, it was the promise of common creature comforts that would really sway them. Easy access to complex meals, running water, and entertainment went a very long ways, especially to someone whose every living day was a miserable struggle for scraps.

Joe knew that they were all but convinced. So… "If you girls really want to hang back until everything is already set up, then so be it, Rapi and I will come back after-"

"A-actually," Rapunzel stood up. "M-maybe, even if we maybe shouldn't hang around until, yes, you've had everything set up for us… It might not be so bad to come and at least… Pop in, to get an idea of what we're signing up for," she glanced at the rest of Pioneer. "Right?"

"It would be nice, to walk among a living civilization again," Cinderella mused quietly, making no attempt to mask her longing to do so. "...Maybe even visit a café… Go shopping… It's been so long since we've been able to enjoy even something like coffee..."

Scarlet gasped, eyes suddenly widening as they locked onto Joe. "Does the Outpost perchance house a tavern, or liquor store?" She eagerly inquired. Because of course that's what would get Scarlet visibly excited.

"I'm not sure," Joe shrugged. "But we certainly have beer at the Outpost, given how someone has to keep telling Anis to toss her cans when she's done with them…"

"...Let's go," Snow White finally sighed in defeat, capitulating despite her misgivings. "We can justify it as a supply run before returning to the field to complete a mission, I suppose. In and out before the end of the day."

Nobody protested, Pioneer seeming to have been successfully swayed to at least visit the Outpost, if not move in right away.

As the wind picked up somewhat, causing everyone's hair and clothes to slightly billow about, Joe nodded in acknowledgement of the affirmation that Pioneer would be, at least for now, following himself and Rapi back.

"Okay," the Commander gestured over his shoulder the way he and the red-clad Nikke had initially arrived. "Let's get along and mosey on then."

There was a beat, eventually broken by a grinning Cinderella replying with a declaration of: "Giddy up, pardner," she teasingly poked fun at Joe's backwoods country boy lingo everyone present damn well knew was far more natural than he'd like anyone to know.

"Boy howdy, it gon' be a long ways, riding along that Oregon trail..." Scarlet gently mocked the Canadian from the boonies.

"It'll be high noon around the time we get hoofin' it at this rate," Snow White 'seriously' mused with a hearty hum.

"E-easy up there, little doggy," even Rapunzel started to pile on, a small, entertained smile finding purchase on her gentle features. "Ain't no need to go hopping about like you got a snake in your boot now..."

At once, even with Rapi being kind enough to not join in on the ribbing, the man's bones rattled in dreadful defeat.

In stark contrast to the walk to Pioneer's camp, Joe knew that this was going to be a long ass hike back the way they'd come.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 64 - The First Steps into a New Home
===

It wasn't long before the group was back in the Outpost, passing easily through the front entrance and stepping into the great, cavernous living space. Though, despite it being an increasingly familiar location, Joe was caught quite off-guard upon looking up and seeing the sky where there had once been a rocky ceiling.

Staring up in open surprise, it was Snow White that spoke up first. "What in- I thought the Outpost was underground? This is clearly a valley!"

"One must admit, this sight is rather incongruous with the description we were given leading to our arrival here…" Scarlet added as she tipped her massive hat up, gazing about with a popped eyebrow.

Rapi was the one that spoke up next. "It seems that Mighty Tools finished installing the Outpost's Dome of Eternity," the little blonde remarked at the sight. "Do you not remember having approved the motion, Joe?" She inquired of the Commander, giving him a bit of a bemused look.

At that, Joe just coughed into his fist and started off towards the Command Centre. "A-anyways, there isn't a whole lot to see, but-" once again, he paused. This time, upon noticing how very filled out the Outpost was compared to how it was when he'd last observed it.

Mighty Tools had been hard at work, it seemed. Suddenly, though the streets were still rather barren aside from distant workers, the place was increasingly looking more and more like a proper budding town. All it was going to need at this rate, was a wave of immigrants to fill up the empty buildings.

Hell, thinking of the map Litre had shown him of the place's zoning plans, it looked like the commercial district was even at least mostly done. Shopping might be a lot easier to get done here, at this rate…

Regardless, Pioneer surged forward, seeming more than a little eager to see a functioning, properly built-up town being actively constructed—something of a rare sight on a planet almost entirely bereft of human life, to say the least.

With no small amount of surprise, Joe watched them begin to zoom off—with the exception of Snow White, who stepped towards the Outpost proper, then stopped to give the Commander an expectant look.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Joe looked to Rapi, who was still glued to his side, and motioned for her to follow. "Alright, let's give you girls the tour of the Outpost, such as it is." With that, he set off, Snow White and Rapi remaining close by his side all the while.

---

There hadn't been all that much to show Pioneer, and while the group did garner a few eyes, Joe had just made it clear that they answered directly to Ingrid, and to mind their own business. That, if nothing else, seemed to make the remnants of Goddess all but invisible to wandering eyes right quick.

Aside from Centi, who seemed utterly nonplussed by Pioneer's presence regardless, nobody of particular note was around to see the girls in the first place. While the Outpost wasn't much, especially when compared to the Ark proper, it was still seemingly a bastion of life as far as Snow, Rapunzel, Scarlet and Cinderella were concerned. Such was understandable, if nothing else, given how they'd been living since… However long it had been since they'd left Eden.

Eventually, the girls had seemed to have their fill of wandering around, and so everyone made their way for the Command Centre, and more specifically, Joe's office. Since there was an elevator in the foyer leading directly to the top floor, they didn't need to pass through the general Nikke living space, and so they didn't run into the rest of Counters proper yet.

Thus, Joe marched to and collapsed into his office chair, letting out a long, weary sigh as he allowed himself to momentarily melt into the seat.

All the while, Pioneer zipped around the suite, immediately looking around and poking at near everything—culminating in Cinderella finding the washroom and declaring with no small amount of utter, rapturous joy, that there was a shower.

The Commander wished that he couldn't say that he was surprised when he heard the water start running, Scarlet glowering covetously at the washroom door as it did so. He probably should have seen the girls hijacking his utilities immediately, given how they'd been living out of tents and probably bathing in rivers for decades now.

Regardless, as the girls all settled in, Joe worked up the will to withdraw his phone to contact Ingrid and Andersen.

[I'm back from the field. Requesting a meeting to debrief.]

Short and sweet, hopefully they'd immediately understand and-

[The Deputy Chief Commander is preoccupied,] Ingrid rapidly responded, [I'll be at your office shortly.]

Ah. So, Cinderella was probably going to have to wait a while before being reunited with her father just yet… Unfortunate, but it was what it was.

"Andersen can't come to meet everyone just yet," Joe declared to the gathered girls, of whom Snow White was peering intently at Marian's gun, First Affection; Rapunzel had claimed one of the couches and was serenely sitting without making a nuisance of herself; and Scarlet was looming next to the washroom door, clearly intent on being the next to use the shower. "Ingrid, the CEO of Elysion and a trusted ally, is going to show up to talk in his stead."

"Ah," Rapunzel seemed more than a little disappointed, glancing towards the small, increasingly steamy room Cinderella was currently occupying. "That's rather unfortunate, but I suppose it can't be helped. He's probably busy with being a… General, I suppose?"

"That's effectively what Deputy Chief Commanders are to my understanding, yeah," Joe nodded in acknowledgement of the comparison. "We'll figure out when we'll be able to have a proper family reunion sooner or later."

"I suppose if we've waited this long, just a bit longer can't be so bad…" Rapunzel mused as she lightly steepled her fingers, seeming to mull something over as she glanced out the window. Her eyes widened at the sight of the sky again. "Um, Joe?" She started. "Rapi mentioned 'the Dome of Eternity' in reference to the sky earlier…?"

"The Ark has a holographic artificial sky over the city," Joe answered matter-of-factually. "It creates the illusion of the city not being a hole in the ground. Helps with the psychology of the general populace. Separates them from the reality that most of them have never, and may never see the real sky, sun, or moon in their lives."

Joe looked out the window himself, noting how, under scrutiny, the illusion cast over the Outpost was somewhat less convincing than the one in the Ark proper. "Mighty Tools must have used older, mothballed projector panels for this one. It's easier to tell that the sky isn't real compared to the Ark itself."

"Amazing…" Rapunzel let out a wondrous breath. "It's good to know that most get to experience normalcy, even today. All this time, we've been fighting just for something like that…"

"It'd be better if they didn't have their heads firmly buried in the sand, in my opinion…" Joe noted somewhat darkly, his frustrations with the Ark's populace filtering through to no small degree. "Maybe the ungrateful fucks would be less inclined towards mistreating the Nikkes they owe everything if they couldn't deny the reality of mankind's situation," he suggested in a resentful tone.

That gave Rapunzel no small amount of pause, shrinking in on herself somewhat with a strained grimace. Snow White's attention shifted to Joe, now staring at him with some measure of wary uncertainty. She didn't say anything, however, leaving the group in a momentary lapse into silence.

"...Such an indulgently large bed…" Scarlet mused out of the blue, leaning over to peer into the sleeping quarters proper of Joe's Commander Suite. "The Commander hath been living in the lap of luxury in his time here, if nothing else."

An obvious subject shift, but one that wasn't altogether unwarranted, all things considered.

The conversation that followed wasn't particularly noteworthy, thus nothing of particular interest occurred until Cinderella was done with the shower… Only to realize that she'd not thought her actions through entirely, given that the washing machine only just audibly started up after the shower stopped.

"Truly?" Scarlet started with audible frustration. "Didst thou sincerely not consider that you hath not a solitary change of clothes on hand?"

"Shush!" Cinderella indignantly cried from the other side of the door. Joe could hear the embarrassed pout on her face.

Although… "So what was your plan then, Scarlet?" the burly figure inquired, popping an eyebrow as he observed the swordswoman's continued vigil over the washroom. "You don't exactly have any clean clothes either… In fact, hey!"

The man suddenly rose to his feet, ignoring the flush of realization striking Scarlet's features. Rather, he quickly rushed to the door and authoritatively rapped on it.

"Don't use the washer and dryer just for one bloody outfit! The Outpost has to get potable water delivered from and dirty water shipped back to the Ark until the on-site recycling centre gets set up! We have to ration it out because there's only so much to go around per shipment!"

"W-well what am I supposed to do then!?" Cinderella cried back, her voice becoming audibly distressed as the washing machine stopped spooling up. "I can't come out and lounge about in my birthday suit! I'm not my father!"

…Yeah, Andersen had tried to waltz about the Avenger in nothing but his way too revealing briefs, sunglasses, and hat more than once. Cinderella may have inherited some of the man's attention whore tendencies, but she wasn't that egregious.

Usually.

With a jolt, Rapi suddenly went ramrod straight with a look of stark realization, and with a grim expression, declared: "I'll be right back!" She then zipped out of the room with a purpose.

Joe couldn't do much beyond stare at the hallway door after the little blonde's departure, not entirely sure what it was she intended to do-

"Here!" Scarlet slapped the washroom door herself, presenting to it a-

"Oy!" Joe started with a furrowed brow. "Did you just sneak into my closet-?"

"You just declared that it would be wasteful to wash but a single collection of garments at a time," Scarlet noted with a grimace as she continued to hold one of Joe's spare shirts up to the door. "Therefore: we need something to wear until the last one in to clean themselves can wash all of our accoutrements at once."

Joe opened his mouth to protest, however, she had a point. So, he just shrugged, spinning on his heel to return to his seat. "Alright, alright, point taken! I'll make a note that we need to get you all new clothes the next time we make a supply run to the Ark…"

"You said that we weren't to head into the Ark proper," Snow White noted dryly, paying little heed to a rapidly reddening Rapunzel.

"I meant myself or one of the Counters girls!" Joe clarified with a groan. "Y'all can give us your measurements or something!"

"O-our measurements!?" Rapunzel cried out, openly scandalized. "B-but that would mean- You would know how big our- And you'd have to use a measuring tape and touch and squeeze and lift and cup our…!" The repressed nun buried her face in her hands, somehow failing to hide how widely her eyes were bugging out at the thought of regardless.

At that, Joe just fell into his seat, then slumped right forward and allowed his forehead to all but slam into the surface of his desk with a long, pained groan. "You've all been here for less than an hour, how is my room already devolving into bedlam, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…!"

"I'm not even doing anything!" Snow White protested with a heavy frown.

Then Cinderella finally emerged from the shower, more than a little sheepishly doing her best to adjust the massively oversized shirt loosely hanging from her frame in a manner that made it look like a wildly ill-fitting dress. The sight reminded him of the first time the little Nikke met Goddess, in fact…

Otherwise, needless to say, Scarlet all but shoved the little platinumette out of the way as she bounded to get in the shower next.

At any rate, with Cinderella's hair worn loose as well, the effect was more cute than anything-

"And of course," Snow White spoke up again. "You're already making yourself comfortable wearing nothing but the Commander's own clothes in his quarters, as per usual."

While Cinderella turned ruby red, Joe gave Snow White a deeply betrayed look.

"...I have done nothing wrong in all my life," Snow White defensively asserted, making firm eye contact with the man as she did so.

"Judas," Joe countered with a heavy grimace.

Some time after, just as Scarlet stepped out of the shower, a deeply contented expression worn on her face as she ran a hand through her still-damp hair, Rapi emerged back into the room. A bundle of clothes held in her arms and a determined look on her face.

"Put these on," she ordered the two recently cleaned Nikkes, randomly shoving half of each bundle into their chests. "Whatever fits best."

As the two blinked in surprise, Joe scratched his head in confusion for a moment before he realized that Rapi had grabbed a bunch of spare workout tops and bottoms from the barracks. That was a really simple solution, though… "Um, Rapi, I don't think those will-"

"You're complaining about me ensuring that your closet remains unraided?" The little blonde sharply turned to face the burly brunet, her delicate brow furrowing heavily in the moments before…

"U-um…" Rapunzel started after she'd stood up, approached, and took an article of clothing from the bundles, holding the shirt up and very warily gazing at it with a deeply embarrassed and somewhat scandalized expression on her face. "All of these, on top of being so... airy, would be several sizes too small on me, R-Rapi. J-Joe would be able to s-s-see e-e-e-everything…!" The towering blonde noted as, yes, it had to be noted that Rapi had failed to account for the fact that Rapunzel was a big girl, actually being the same height as the Commander himself was.

Joe interjected before the poor Italian started to death spiral. "I think that Rapunzel is going to need to wear one of my shirts tonight, Rapi."

The nun's chest alone would probably cause even the largest of Counter's spare tops to tear if she tried to force any of them on. And as appealing as the idea of that was in a vacuum, Rapunzel would probably die if that happened. Come to think of it, Joe would probably die too. Rapunzel was very much a stone-cold stunner, after all.

Rapi just stared at Joe, clearly displeased with his assertion, though she wordlessly shifted her attention to the shirts and shorts she'd provided, and obviously, could not deny the fact that not one of the girls currently housed in the Command Centre even came close to sharing Rapunzel's statuesque, fertility goddess-like build.

So, instead, she turned to Cinderella. "Well, you can at least-"

Cinderella had found what was obviously one of Anis' spare shirts, and upon probing and feeling it out for a bit… "...This would be too tight in the chest, and too loose everywhere else," she pointed out.

Indeed, Cinderella was as stacked as Rapunzel was, while being the shortest member of Goddess at that. Again, none of the Counters girls had anything even approximating a figure like hers, with only Anis even beginning to approach parity in a certain specific area.

"...Again, I think Cinderella's going to have to keep wearing my shirt for now," Joe noted as he rubbed the back of his neck with a small, apologetic grimace. Better for the entire article to be too big, than distractingly too tight in the chest and baggy everywhere else.

After a few tense moments, Rapi turned to face Scarlet, her expression entirely too blank.

"...Well, luckily, given that thine attire seems sized for thy binded figure…" Scarlet began, holding up one of what was one of Rapi's spare tops, given that Rapi's name was written on it on a patch, oddly enough. "There's little reason I could not change out of Joe's garment and change into thine." She reached out, secured a pair of (worryingly tiny, holy shit, Rapi) shorts, and retreated back into the washroom to change.

After a moment, Rapi turned to face Snow White-

"I'm not showering," the silverette asserted plainly.

"Yes thee art!" Scarlet shouted through the door. "Smelly Nikke!"

"I am not a smelly Nikke!" Snow White very forcefully and defensively cried in reply, immediately hunching over like a snarling dog might.

"Stinky Nikke, stinky clothes!" Scarlet asserted. "The Commander only spares you criticism on account of thine fragile ego and sisterly status!"

Utterly aghast, Snow White sharply turned to face Joe, her expression demanding that he deny the cruel assertions.

However, Joe knew and understood what Scarlet was attempting to do, and thus, he simply averted his gaze sheepishly.

At that, Snow White's expression contorted into one of pure betrayal, then pain, then, resignation. In a deeply uncharacteristically small and defeated voice, she declared: "...I'll shower…"

Well that made Joe feel bad, though he wasn't about to go undercutting Scarlet's efforts to get Snow White to bathe. Thus, he simply resolved to low-key make it up to the bottomless pit by allowing her to gorge herself on food that night.

All that aside, there was little else to do but wait for Ingrid to arrive.

---

When Ingrid did eventually step into the room, carrying what was clearly a rifle case as she did so, she harshly halted, freezing in place like a statue as she took in the sight of almost the entirety of the legendary Goddess squad.

All of whom were loitering and lounging about the Legendary Commander's room, in various states of undress, several wearing what were clearly the Commander's own shirts and little else, listening to cyberpunky ambient background music. There was a mountain of just-emptied Tetra Line Premium-grade ration packs piled up on his coffee table, and the Legendary Commander himself was slumped in his office chair, a can of soda limply held in his hand in a way that called to mind a man defeated by his life and nursing a can of cheap beer in an impotent attempt to deal with everything.

Joe simply tracked his eyes over to Elysion's CEO without turning to face her properly, simply letting an acknowledging, guttural sound of "Egh," along with a quarter-assed nod of his head to affirm that her appearance hadn't gone unnoticed.

Ingrid's keen violet eyes took in the unfathomably absurd sight, and after several long moments, she reached up and heavily pinched the bridge of her nose with a bone-deep sigh of absolute exasperation.

"...It would have been appreciated," Ingrid began, "Had you been so magnanimous as to grant us a warning that you intended to bring Goddess into the Outpost, rather than simply springing your decision upon me like this, Commander," she declared in a deeply put-upon voice.

After a few moments of consideration, Joe looked as though he'd bitten down on a lemon after considering that, yeah, they'd never discussed the notion of him just bringing Pioneer into the Outpost the moment they were reunited. He'd just done so without talking to anyone about doing so beforehand.

Joe had only a simple reply to Ingrid's entirely reasonable point.

"Oops."

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 65 - Tactical Opportunities
===

Ingrid, regardless of her intense aggravation with Joe's ongoing and increasingly typical brand of particular bullshittery, marched up to his desk, brusquely depositing the rifle case she'd been carrying into it with a huff.

"Matters of your persistent lack of forethought aside," the CEO began with no small measure of annoyance, "It is good to see that the operation was clearly a…" She turned aside to take in the sight of Pioneer, eyes tracking over the group with transparent reverence. "Success."

Indeed, all but one of the legendary Grimms were present—only Sleeping Beauty, Dorothy, was missing. The Nikkes that humanity as a whole owed their continued collective existence to. The most important warriors and heroes to have ever lived.

All of whom were clad in little more than what looked like borrowed gym wear, and the Commander's own ill-fitting clothes. By all accounts, they looked the part of a gaggle of teenagers in the midst of a sleepover, rather than unstoppable living legends.

…And Snow White's cheeks were puffed out from having a mouthful of something, with Scarlet being visibly drunk, given the heavy blush on her cheeks, her unfocused expression, and the way she swayed in place even while seated.

Elysion's CEO did not know how to even begin to process the absurd sight. So, she opted to ignore it and focus on Pholus. "I hope there was a purpose behind bringing Pioneer into the Outpost, and that you weren't acting entirely off of pure id." She blinked, rubbing her chin as something seemed to cross her mind.

"Also, after some discussion, it's been agreed upon that the Outpost should probably receive a proper name, given that it's rapidly looking to develop into a small town in its own right. Doubly so with the interest many Nikkes have been expressing in it lately."

While Joe wanted to take offence at the implication that he had a tendency to not think his actions through… Well, he had a tendency to not think his actions through, and so, passing the rifle case but a curious glance, he adjusted his position in his seat and set his soda can aside as he replied.

"Duly noted in regards to giving the Outpost a proper name. That aside: you previously altered existing records to make it seem like I was always endorsed by Elysion to keep the likes of Syuen off of my back," the Commander started as Pioneer looked warily between the two. "Could you do the same for the girls to make them an Elysion Black Ops squad, to discourage anyone from digging into their presence in the Outpost?"

Ingrid's response to that was immediate. "I could, but, frankly speaking, I have severe doubts about granting them any kind of excuse to set foot inside of the Ark given how increasingly brazen you've demonstrated yourself to be." Immediate, and more than a little scathing.

At that, Joe pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy sigh as he bit down on his bottom lip in frustration.

"The Commander assured us that the Outpost is a haven, bereft of Ark monitoring, and staffed by naught but Nikkes who answer only to him," Scarlet piped up, her expression sobering up somewhat as she critically gazed upon Ingrid.

She continued on without missing a beat.

"We hath also discussed at great length the fact that any of us setting foot within the Ark, regardless of the cause, would be the epitome of suicidal. Whatever thine impressions of us are, we have survived conditions which demand nothing less than peak performance, and a keen intellect, for a hundred years."

"None here would be fallow of intellect enough to so much as approach the elevator to the Ark, without having had multiple layers of confirmation given to us beforehand," Scarlet pointedly finished.

"We aren't stupid," Snow White—who had a towel loosely secured in place over her shoulders by a hair clamp like a cloak—after swallowing her mouthful of food, curtly summed up Scarlet's counterpoint. "And we were told that the Outpost was made wholly secure by the Commander's allies. Were we misinformed?"

Ingrid turned to face Pioneer, her expression shifting to be somewhat uncertain. After a few moments of consideration, she replied with a notable lack of the intensity with which she addressed Joe.

"The Outpost is as safe and free from the CG's oversight as it possibly can be, all things considered," the CEO stated. "And I meant no disrespect to Pioneer, but Cmdr. Pholus has repeatedly demonstrated a tendency to behave without the foresight he should have given his status as the Legendary Commander."

It was Cinderella replied to that assertion. "So you're criticizing him for not having a strategic mindset that he never had, even in the midst of the Initial Rapture Invasion?"

The silverette—with her now-dry hair worn in her typical twintails and garbed in nothing but one of Joe's spare t-shirts—added on, levelling a firm stare Ingrid's way.

"Joe's told us about the missions he's been sent on, and the preparation and support—or consistent lack thereof—he's been provided for all of them. He's a tactician. His skill set has always laid in on-the-spot improvisation and making snap judgments while under pressure. He always had Lilith, or my father to provide intelligence and form long-term strategies to work towards before deployments."

The platinum-haired beauty noted the role Andersen apparently should have been filling very pointedly.

"From what we've been told, and as Rapi has affirmed, every time he's been deployed from the Ark, it's been with little to no actual information or directives beyond 'get it done.'"

"It isn't his fault if those who should be providing him adequate support and intelligence have been falling woefully short, putting undue pressure on him whose increasingly negative effects should be readily apparent and wholly expected."

Even Rapunzel—with a towel loosely draped over her crown as though it were a colourful, improvised nun's habit—joined in on playing defence for Joe, her lips lightly down-turning as she produced the closest thing to a frown she seemed to be capable of.

"The expectations placed on him in the midst of the IRI were somehow significantly less unreasonable than those of the modern day, considering how he's been offered so remarkably little to accomplish his goals recently. Even when made to go up against the likes of Tyrants, which we would never have allowed him to so much as approach without a Hoplon…"

Rapunzel paused, before finishing pointedly:

"And he never would have been knowingly deployed against something like Chatterbox without being informed of the danger he was approaching in the first place."

Snow White crossed her arms, brow furrowing as she added on: "And the one time Andersen was actually directly involved in the planning for an operation, Joe was deliberately lied to and misled as to the objective of the mission, leading to the necessity of altering the plan to account for him and Rapi being exponentially more competent than the Ark, meaning you, were willing to give them credit for."

There was a long pause, in which Ingrid looked more than a little bushwhacked.

After a fairly pregnant pause, she cleared her throat, and noted: "...I actually directly questioned the wisdom of expecting the Legendary Commander to not pull a miracle out of his ass when deploying on that mission, but Andersen would have known better than me, or so I thought…"

There was another significant beat, which was punctuated by Cinderella glaring at the smug little Andersen plushie set before her next to the chibi depiction of herself, on the coffee table she was seated at on the floor. She ultimately reached out and lightly punched the doll with a displeased huff. The little Andersen looked quite sad, now splayed out on its back like that.

At any rate, Joe was left awkwardly gazing about sheepishly. He had not been expecting to have the girls be so quick to rush to his defence, outwardly criticizing Ingrid like that. Granted, it felt… Incorrect, to him. It made him uncomfortable.

Rapi seemed to notice, shifting to stand closer to the man. Cinderella too noticed, her expression taking on a tinge of self-recriminating, envious longing at the sight of Rapi's physical closeness to the Commander.

Regardless of Cinderella's thoughts, Rapi spoke up next without any concern paid to the silverette. "I must admit, based on what few memories have returned to me of the IRI… The Ark's penchant for strategic and tactical considerations is… Woeful, respectfully, ma'am."

Though Rapi had said 'respectfully' in order to ensure that her words were… Respectful, Ingrid looked utterly aghast at her subordinate's assessment. "...Even Elysion?" She asked, uncharacteristically wary.

"...Yes," Rapi flatly replied, averting her gaze as she did so.

Ingrid looked like she'd just stepped on a nail, gritting her teeth near hard enough to crack a tooth as she sharply sucked in a lungful of air with a harsh hiss. "But our tactical acumen… It's second to none…!" She stage-whispered aloud.

"Resting at the top of a pile of rancid trash is no feat to be proud of," Snow White mercilessly declared in response.

Ingrid looked as though she'd been shot in the heart, actually needing to plant a hand on the Commander's desk to steady herself.

The girls, at least, seemed willing to relent, the suite growing silent, cyberpunk ambience aside, as Joe contemplated the newfound awkwardness.

Only briefly, however, before he decided that it would be best to keep the ball rolling on track. "So you won't modify Elysion's records to legitimize Pioneer's presence in the Outpost?" The man inquired.

It took Ingrid a few moments of wavering in place before she responded, audibly pained. "...They would be assigned an Elysion-specific squad name, and understand that they are never to set foot in the Ark proper unless cleared to do so by myself, Mustang, and Andersen, simultaneously and without exception. Am I understood?"

"Of course," Joe answered plainly, not noticing how the girls had all perked up at the mention of Mustang's name.

"They will always, and without exception, refuse to answer questions asked of them by anyone not a part of the conspiracy," Ingrid continued, recovering fully and crossing her arms beneath her chest. "To the point of being openly hostile if pressed. Elysion black operatives do not tolerate attempted interference from anyone. Even the CG understands that our toes are not to be stepped on, in certain regards."

"That sounds perfectly doable," Snow White declared matter-of-factually.

"They may need to also be deployed on missions apart from yourself, Pholus," Ingrid added, though she was obviously addressing everyone in the room. "If I'm obviously playing favourites and giving you exclusive command to a Black Ops unit that otherwise does little beyond mill about the Outpost, it will draw undue attention we do not need."

While Pioneer looked ready to collectively protest, it was Joe that spoke up. "It goes without saying that we can't have them accompany us on every single, or even most CG-assigned operations," he noted as he crossed his arms with a slow nod. "That would be like if Absolute suddenly did nothing besides deploy alongside Counters. Everybody would notice, and get understandably suspicious."

"It would be worse," Ingrid declared rather forcefully. "Absolute has a track record that, even if it can't be discussed openly or in any degree of meaningful detail, is known to exist. Pioneer? A 'new' Elysion Black Ops unit, that nobody outside of Elysion can attest to the previous existence of, has not appeared anywhere before suddenly showing up and working under the brand new rising star Commander of the Outpost, who also doesn't actually have a verifiable past anyone outside of Elysion can affirm?"

Closing her eyes and shaking her head lightly, the white-clad woman's wavy chocolate brown locks swayed about her sharp features.

"The most I can do most of the time is grant an allowance to call upon them in emergencies ala Absolute during the mission to hunt down Chatterbox. And even then, it would have to be in a staggered manner: Pioneer some deployments, Absolute other deployments, depending on either squad's availability. There can be no allowance for brute force on this matter which may reveal to the CG your true identities."

Pioneer, collectively, looked as though they'd bit down on one Hell of a batch of lemons. At once, the girls were all clenching and unclenching their hands, fidgeting in place in open discomfort. The reason why was obvious: not one of them wanted to tolerate the notion of Joe and Rapi going out into the field without them. But they weren't in the midst of the Initial Rapture Invasion anymore, and in fact, they were all technically fugitives that would be targeted the moment they slipped up and suddenly everyone knew who they really were.

"That will have to do, for now," Joe declared as he leaned forward in his seat, uncrossing his arms to rest his elbows on his knees and rest his chin upon his knuckles—a position which seemed to catch Cinderella's interest for some reason.

Otherwise… The mention of Chatterbox twigged something in Joe's head, and he found his brow furrowing heavily in deep consideration. Was he forgetting something regarding that? He couldn't-

"Fuck!" He suddenly jumped in his seat, which caused everyone to go on-edge. "Wardress!"

"Wardress?" Ingrid fixed the brunet with an intense stare. "The two-woman squad that accompanied Counters to hunt down Chatterbox in Vancouver? Syuen's little pet project... What about them?" She inquired, even as Pioneer, Snow White in particular, had their interest visibly piqued.

Joe took a moment to grit his teeth and calm himself—Christ, he'd completely forgotten… "Yuni and Mihara, Syuen abuses them, to the point that even though they heard enough about what Chatterbox said about Rapi being Red Hood-" Pioneer suddenly looked very pointedly concerned, to say nothing of Rapi herself, "they agreed to say nothing to Syuen or anyone else, so long as I myself didn't tell anyone-" Joe paused, considering if he actually should…

"If you didn't tell anyone what, Pholus?" Ingrid inquired, her eyes narrowing as she focused heavily on him. "Remember that the Command Centre and Outpost as a whole is clean of listening devices. Nothing that's said here leaves this building so long as nobody talks outside of it."

…Yeah, fuck it. "Yuni was able to blind Chatterbox by simply pointing at the thing," Joe declared, which very clearly piqued Ingrid and everyone else's attention in a big way. "So long as she maintained her focus, kept her finger firmly locked on it, Chatterbox's eyes just flat-out stopped working. I'm given to understand that isn't normal for a Nikke."

"It is not," Ingrid declared as she turned fully towards Joe, immediately leaning over the desk and planting her palms on the surface with a keen interest. "In fact, that sounds rather like the modern-day Grimms experiments that Elysion and Tetra Line have also been performing to grant decidedly unusual special abilities to select, high-performance Nikkes."

"What!?" Pioneer collectively jumped in place themselves—with Snow White actually leaping to her feet outright. "The Ark has produced more Grimms in the modern day?"

At that, Ingrid openly snorted derisively. "Hardly. They can do things other Nikkes cannot, but their baseline performance rarely exceeds that of typical specialist Nikkes. We do our damn best to push the envelope, but…" the CEO growled outright, letting her frustration show openly. "It's a miracle we've managed what little we have, as it is."

Regardless, she turned to Joe again.

"Why are you bringing them up in the first place, regardless?"

Joe was quick to answer. "Because I wanted to find out if it would be possible to have them transferred to Counters."

While Rapi looked somewhat put-off by the notion, Ingrid just scoffed. "Good luck with that," the violet-eyed woman declared. "If Yuni is actually a modern Grimms prototype, Syuen will never so much as consider loosening her grip on their leash. Just as Mustang would never surrender Alice to myself or Syuen, and I would never surrender… Any of my specialists to them."

Again, Pioneer visibly reacted to the mention of Mustang's name, though it had gone unnoticed by Joe and Ingrid.

"She abuses them though," Joe countered pointedly, rising to his feet as he fixed his own gaze on Ingrid. "Mihara told me outright: it's the reason she was willing to cut a deal and not tell Syuen what they'd seen or heard about Rapi and Snow White. They aren't loyal to the little twerp, and clearly aren't happy working for her."

He needed to get Ingrid in on the idea of poaching Wardress from Missilis… Perhaps…

"My mind trembles at the sheer breadth of tactical applications that would grant us," the man declared damn near boisterously, and, notably, Ingrid's eyes lit up, damn near metaphorically burst into flames at the mention of the word 'tactical.' "We've already seen that Yuni's ability works on Tyrants, Chatterbox had to determine that it was her doing it specifically before it knew to fling attacks in her general direction to break her focus. If it works on something as powerful as a Tyrant… Well, what if it would also work on a Heretic?"

At that, Ingrid outright bit down on her nail through her ivory-white gauntlet like a dog might a bone, her pupils darting about as her mind visibly started overclocking. "The tactical applications… The tactical avenues it would open up…! The tactical opportunities…! The tactics…!"

She trailed off, the fervency in her voice rising despite her volume noticeably decreasing to a whisper with each utterance—which was starkly noticeable, given that otherwise, Ingrid had no indoor voice and was always shouting.

"...Tactics…!" She finished with a breathy whisper just barely on the edge of hearing.

Weird, but, okay, it seemed to be motivating her to seriously think about the notion, if nothing else.

The woman clenched her eyes shut, and after a few moments of consideration, she replied: "I seriously doubt I'll be able to produce a miracle, but I'll put in a request on your behalf, and probably get into an argument with the little shit over it. Just don't expect anything to come of it."

Well, that… Yeah, Joe didn't like the idea of leaving Yuni and Mihara with someone that was literally using them as punching bags, but, if they couldn't swing it, then they couldn't swing it. "I appreciate that you'll try, regardless."

"That's about all I can promise," Ingrid declared before looking over Pioneer, giving the ancient squad a particular look of appraisal. "I'll let the Commander know as soon as all the paperwork has been fabricated to point to you all as being an…"

Her gaze drifted to, and visibly hung on Cinderella and Rapunzel in particular for a few moments before continuing.

"...Inter-Manufacturer Black Ops squad—because nobody would believe that anyone other than Tetra Line would produce Nikkes that look like you two. It'll take me a bit, given that additional wrinkle, but it'll get done."

"...I'm not sure if I should be offended or not…" Rapunzel noted, brows furrowing and lips down curling somewhat at her and Cinderella's having been singled out. "What is that supposed to mean? That we have to have been made by Tetra Line?"

Rapi averted her gaze sharply, suddenly finding an empty soda can sitting on Joe's desk to be remarkably interesting. Snow White grimaced and acted like she didn't hear what was being said, and Scarlet was suddenly a lot more tipsy than she was before, conveniently too much to be able to be relied upon to explain much of anything.

Joe, meanwhile, did his level best to not respond to having attention indirectly called to Cinderella and Rapunzel's figures by looking. Meaning that suddenly, Ingrid was the only one that was actually looking directly at the two.

Which, unfortunately, meant that it was Ingrid that elaborated on the matter to Rapunzel. "Your figures, mode of dress, and the way you present yourselves is far more unnecessarily glamorous and obscene than what would typically be found in the average Elysion Nikke," the professionally-clad woman declared with all the bluntness of a bull moose.

The poor nun, at that, suddenly seemed to spontaneously develop the ability to use Exceed herself, given how her cheeks took on the same glowing hue that Rapi's hair did when she activated her own super mode. "I-I-I-I'm not 'obscene!'"

Rapunzel protested in a high-pitched squeal as she jumped in place to cup her cheeks in scandalized horror, the act causing her massive and presently unsupported chest to jiggle about so violently as to nearly break Joe's neck with the sudden, onset gravitational pull the motion the two borderline celestial objects had nearly produced.

"I-I'm a good, well-behaved and conservatively dressed girl! M-my outfit doesn't even show any bare skin below the neck! How is that obscene!?"

Joe pointedly did not note that Rapunzel's full-coverage outfit was a skin-tight body glove that hugged and emphasized every single one of her absurd curves, leaving damn near nothing to the imagination, in so doing. The poor woman, she didn't understand…

Cinderella, meanwhile, only took on a slightly reproachful expression. "'Obscene' is not the term I would use," she said calmly, flicking her hair with a hand for effect as she did so.

"I am simply emphasizing my natural beauty for all to see: for beauty is something that all should appreciate in all of its forms. Rapunzel, clearly, is doing the same, and why should she not? A woman's beauty is something that is adored and appreciated by all, and we shine so brightly as resplendent Goddesses, even just our presence serving as a balm to weary souls in terrible need of any and all forms of comfort they may receive…"

She looked to the Commander, an expectant, somewhat presumptive little grin finding purchase on her features as she did so. "Isn't that correct, Joe?" She sweetly asked as she arched her back in such a way as to emphasize her own chest which rivalled Rapunzel's, despite being clad in nothing but one of the man's own oversized shirts-

Joe tore his gaze back upwards with a mortified grimace as he realized he'd just dead-ass and rather openly looked.

However, Cinderella only looked smugly satisfied to have caught Joe looking. She put on that grin—that fucking grin—the one she'd inherited from her father, the one that just shattered one's defences as ruinously as her beatific, earnest smile would.

Hadn't she just recoiled and made a point to avoid invading his personal space the night prior? Joe wasn't sure what to think of that—unless she was just doing that thing she usually did where she wanted praise from anybody for her looks?

Regardless, as Snow White rolled her eyes at the display, Joe rather quickly and forcefully planted his ass back in his seat, coughing repeatedly into his fist as he did his best to not let his intense embarrassment show—quite unlike a poor, crying Rapunzel that had hid her face beneath the towel she'd previously had laid over her head not unlike her typical habit.

Cinderella's smug expression only intensified at that, even as Rapi's own intensely dissatisfied expression went unnoticed at large.

Ingrid, all the while, just gave the entire group a heavily lidded look, eventually rolling her eyes in turn as she turned aside to face Joe properly once more.

"At any rate, Pholus," she slapped the rifle case to call attention to it. "The rifle you brought back from the Yukon. I had it inspected, maintained, and treated to be capable of handling a far hotter load than was typical of such ancient-pattern firearms. Additionally: owing to the eclectic variation in Wildcat cartridges produced by Tetra Line, I was able to procure several boxes of reproduction, high-powered .30-30 cartridges for it."

Joe blinked, paused, looked at the rifle case, then around the room… What the fuck, he hadn't even noticed that the old lever-action rifle was missing. Holy shit, talk about missing a spot check. When had she even taken it from him!?

Leaning back up, Ingrid set her hand on her hip as she continued. "First and foremost: this rifle is a non-functioning replica, and nothing more. Never, under any circumstances, admit to the CG that you have a non-biometrically locked and untracked firearm. They don't tend to appreciate it when a weapon they can't control exists anywhere near the Ark. Understood?"

The Commander gave the rifle case a serious look, decidedly caught off-guard by the entire notion, but one thing in particular stuck out to him. "It's been 'treated' to 'handle' hotter-than-normal loads?" He inquired.

"With the same process we use to reinforce conventional firearms used by Nikkes," Ingrid answered with a nod. "Of course, even with that treatment applied to it, it absolutely could not handle a true Nikke-grade cartridge without exploding, given that it isn't built from Goddessium, but it'll be far more powerful than it ever had been historically, with no cosmetic changes to speak of… Besides the addition of muzzle threads, at least. There's a powerful muzzle brake and a heavy-duty suppressor included in the case, incidentally."

Ingrid shrugged.

"Do what you will with it, just, again, never let anyone that works for the CG know that you have a functioning firearm that lacks a biometric lock. Understood?"

…Did Ingrid… Holy shit, she just gave him an emergency trump card, didn't she? Something he could grab in case of an emergency, rather than being completely helpless.

"Understood," he answered, getting the point she was non-verbally making.

"Good," the CEO declared with a nod. "Additionally: while you were gone, the Outpost's Armoury was finished, and your personal high-mobility tactical exoskeleton was delivered to it. Inspect it yourself whenever you see fit, though it should be good for deployment whenever you next go on a surface excursion."

His.

What.

"Don't ever call attention to the Hoplite input it has either," Ingrid added pointedly, shifting her balance where she stood. "...Additionally," her gaze drifted over to First Affection, Marian's submachine gun, resting on the wall over Joe's desk as it was. "Nikke firearms are, obviously, biometrically locked, and would be impossible for a human to use safely even if the lock was defeated by an exceptionally skilled engineer anyways."

She made that declaration while pointedly not looking in Snow White's direction.

"An unaugmented human would require an exoskeleton that had been built, or modified to be capable of better handling the recoil of a weapon meant for Nikkes, and any such weapon itself would likely have to be altered as well to tame its recoil on top of that to minimize strain on the exoskeleton and operator just the same. Such developments would be absurd, and unreasonable given how human soldiers are so terribly unsurvivable against Raptures, regardless of how well they're armed."

The violet-eyed CEO shrugged, still making a point to not so much as glance at Snow White.

"Not that it would matter regardless. Even with extensive modifications and heavy-duty equipment to allow for it, a human would only realistically be capable of handling a pistol-calibre Nikke-grade firearm in semi-auto, at most, anyways. The tactical applications of that would be limited to, what, emergency situations?"

"Nothing the CG would be willing to waste resources on, given how unlikely it is for the average Commander to be put in a situation wherein they wouldn't be just relying on the Nikkes under their command anyways. Especially considering that no Commander would have the acumen to suggest they'd be able to meaningfully or intelligently contribute to combat situations regardless."

Joe just stared at Ingrid in silence as he was forced to contemplate the implications, the woman returning his gaze as Snow White's eyes were quietly locked onto the side of her head.

After a few beats, Ingrid continued. "So, with all of those disclaimers and warnings out of the way… I'll inform you as soon as Elysion's new Inter-Manufacturer squad is ready for deployment, and I'll be damn sure that Andersen knows that he is the one that will handle the next inevitable briefing you'll need."

Cinderella's breath hitched in her throat, and she reached over to gingerly pick up the little plush doll of her father, bringing it to a gentle hug against her chest in sharp contrast to how she'd smacked it in retribution for his poor conduct towards Joe earlier.

A firm reminder that, despite her protests to the contrary, she ultimately was her father's daughter.

"Until next time, Commander." At that, Ingrid about-faced and moved for the hallway door, her stark white and red-accented greatcoat whipping around her frame as she marched. Though, she stopped at the threshold, halting and holding her position before she turned back around, this time to face Pioneer, sparing a glance Rapi's way as well, before… She simply, sharply saluted with a reverent declaration of: "Thank you for your service."

There was yet another long pause, none of the girls seeming to have seen that coming.

Not that it seemed to bother Ingrid, who, after holding the salute for a few moments, spun on her heel and continued on her way with no further aplomb, leaving the group as she proceeded back on to the Ark to handle everything that had been set on her plate without complaint.

After a long, pregnant pause, Joe's attention was grabbed by his having noticed Snow White's golden oculars being focused squarely on him. When he returned her look, her stare momentarily shifted to First Affection, hanging on the firearm for a few moments before once more meeting the man's gaze.

With a small, gremlin-esque mounting smile, Snow White declared to Joe in a deliberately, exaggeratedly dry tone: "Now I have a machine gun."

"Ho-ho-ho."

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 66 - Starseeker
===

Eventually, Joe found himself running headlong into a particular little issue: he, as per usual, failed to account for his recurring character flaw of not thinking his actions through all the way. That is to say: night fell, and Pioneer, not exactly having the credentials to simply rock up to the barracks and claim some free bunks for the night just yet… Made themselves comfortable in the living room area of his suite, once Rapi left for her own bunk.

Joe was surprised by how surprised he was, to see that Scarlet was drunk enough to attempt building herself a pillow fort. She claimed that it wasn't a pillow fort, and that she was only preemptively attempting to shield her hungover eyes from the morning light.

Nobody bought it, and the sloshed swordswoman was forced to instead simply use her comically massive conical hat as a makeshift tent on the floor instead. Scarlet was small enough for this to actually work, notably. So long as she propped one side up with a pillow and balled up under it, at least.

Snow White simply curled up under her poncho in one of the room's corners, asserting that she would need nothing else for a tolerable night's rest. She also noted that sleeping in a climate-controlled building was wildly opulent in of itself, regardless.

Rapunzel simply claimed one of the two sofas which sat across from each other, making herself a cozy little bed atop it, and laying down to drift off without causing a fuss. Angel that she was, she sought to avoid making trouble for anyone if she could.

Cinderella, meanwhile, quietly claimed the opposing couch, giving Joe a small, gentle smile as she laid on her side and watched him retreat into his room for the night.

While one might have expected Joe to pass out the moment the opportunity presented itself, he instead wound up just sitting on the edge of his bed, only having removed his jacket. Face in his hands, the man found himself lost in his head—his thoughts getting to him as he, as per usual, found his brain taking the lack of external stimuli as a prompt to start thinking.

No small part of him wondered if he was ultimately doing Pioneer a disservice, putting them into a position wherein they were made to serve the Ark… Considering everything as a whole, that was debatably a bad thing. The Ark didn't deserve their service. Not with the way they'd been betrayed at the end of Operation Ark Guardian.

On top of that, Ingrid couldn't even realistically guarantee that they'd be able to consistently support him and Rapi in the field. This was debasing, wasn't it? Couldn't he be said to be screwing them over, in some capacity?

Though, it was entirely possible that he was overthinking it too. Ingrid wasn't stupid. Ingrid knew what the Central Government was. In fact… Given that Pioneer would answer exclusively to her, she would doubtlessly have the presence of mind to put them to work undercutting the CG's power, wouldn't she? There were things Pioneer could do, places they could go, resources they could gather, things they could fight no other Nikke squad could.

Hell, Ingrid wouldn't make Pioneer do anything that she knew would piss off Andersen.

Worrying for nothing, ultimately. Typically, the so-called Legendary Commander, upon stopping to think, thinks stupid. Just with extra steps. Screwing himself out of precious sleep for no good reason-

The door automatically slid open, Cinderella's arresting sky blue eye peeking past her alluring bangs at the man in no small amount of surprise.

Because somehow, he'd failed to account for the possibility of a certain someone doing what she typically did. Again, stupid, just with extra steps and more wasted effort spent on the wrong thing.

"...You aren't sleeping," the silver-haired beauty quietly noted, big blue eye glimmering with concern.

"You expected otherwise?" Joe responded with a lop-sided smirk. "Neither are you, Ellie."

Where most might've worn a reproachful look at that observation, Cinderella just put on that smug, dangerous little grin of hers. "Yes, I've successfully monopolized even a small fraction of your time, all to myself."

She stepped into the room, silently closing the door behind her as she did so.

"Spend enough time with someone, and you will learn how long it takes for them to fall asleep, thus letting you act with impunity. I've learned well from my Commander and Lilith…" The little platinum-haired beauty declared, laying out her plan to have waited for the rest of Pioneer to be left in no state to interrupt her plan.

Joe just sighed in defeat. What troublesome Nikkes he was saddled with. Yet, he didn't complain as Cinderella quietly padded over to claim the spot next to him, her expression becoming slightly uncertain as she lightly wrung her hands together.

After a few moments of the two just silently sitting in the dark, Cinderella took a deep breath, visibly bracing herself as she did so. "...Joe," she started, "I… I would like to apologize to you," she eventually said, her voice now somewhat reproachful.

The man blinked, confused, staring at her in naked perplexion. "...Huh? For what? The washing machine thing? I'm not-"

"Wha-" Cinderella's eyes fluttered in confusion this time, shooting the Commander a bushwhacked expression. "N-no, I- You dummy, I'm trying to be serious here!"

"About what?" Joe held his hands aloft in defeat like a put-upon used car salesman. "What do you have to apologize for?"

"How I conducted myself during our time together in Goddess!" Cinderella asserted, brow furrowing momentarily before she stopped and took a moment to recentre herself.

That only served to confuse Joe even more, but he bit his tongue and simply waited to let her get to the point she was trying to make.

"...My behaviour back then," she started back up, Joe making a point to not interrupt her. "From the first time we met in person, to the very last… It was inappropriate, and only in retrospect did I come to realize it."

That really caught Joe off-guard, and he did not understand where this was coming from. "I… what?" He expressed his confusion quite openly.

"...You know how I feel about you," Cinderella continued, directing her gaze to the floor with a small grimace. "I've always been upfront about it. So… Only after we had lost you, did I realize why you never acknowledged my feelings. It's because I approached you like… Rather than as a good man, I approached you like a celebrity, as though I were an immature, smitten teenager, despite us both being grown adults."

"For the longest time, I couldn't understand why it was that you and Red Hood had what you did, yet, despite her assertions that it was only casual and to not consider you as being 'tied down' with that rakish grin of hers, you never… You never took my hand, no matter how often I offered it, no matter how long I kept it extended."

"When my dream was taken from me, when I was told I would never be allowed to be a Goddess of Victory, that I would never be allowed to be a beacon of hope for mankind… You fought for me. You, literally fought for me, even though we'd never met, even though you didn't even know who I was, you fought for me where nobody else ever had before. You fought my father to give me back my hope. You struck him down, forced him to treat me well for the first time in my life to grant me my dream…"

Cinderella turned to face Joe, giving him a resplendent, glowing smile.

"You gave me my glass slipper, gave me the chance to meet my fairy godmother… You became my first love. My Prince Charming, who brushed the soot from my face and picked me up, carried me into the light, and gave me the chance to spread my wings, fly, and become the hope of all mankind, even if only for a few, beautiful fleeting moments…"

"Yet I harried you away, by acting so… Forceful, so shameless. I was jealous that Red Hood could be with you—even so casually—while I couldn't. So I tried so hard to be like her, to approach you shamelessly, to suggest that I was offering the same thing as her…"

"Of course you would keep your hands to yourself, despite my being everything you would ever want, despite me having every trait you desire in a woman, the perfect encapsulation of femininity and beauty. You already had what I seemed to offer with Red Hood, and… That isn't what you wanted. Not truly."

"Yet, not only is that what I seemed to offer, I did so with such… A distinct lack of maturity. I acted desperate. But still, I wanted you to be the one to make the first move, I wanted to be the Princess you would scoop up in your arms and carry into the sunset."

"Of course you were turned off. Of course you wouldn't take my hand. My behaviour was shameful, pitiful, not beautiful at all. I'm sorry, for being so… For my uncharacteristic lack of pulchritude. I'll be better than I had been. I'll conduct myself more appropriately than I did. I'll give you cause to reach back and take my hand."

Her smile only intensified as she rose to her feet, looking so very sweetly down upon Joe as she did so.

"I've waited, kept this flame burning for a hundred years, if even in mourning until so terribly recently… I can wait a few more weeks, or even months, to show you, to demonstrate that I can be a worthy Princess for you."

She turned to face him properly as she shifted to stand directly before the man, stooping over as her arms encircled his shoulders and neck, gently pulling him into a tender embrace.

"I've missed you so much, Joe," her voice warbled slightly. "I'm so happy to have you back. I'm happy to see your face, to hold you, to see your smile and know that you never stopped cherishing us as much as we cherish you. So…" She pulled back just slightly, and after a ruinously heart-stopping moment, a wondrously soft, warm, pillowy sensation graced his cheek, and Cinderella held it for a few long moments before she pulled back from the kiss.

Even despite the heartfelt tears of happiness lightly streaking down her face, the smile she wore was Heavenly. The way she shifted her hands to gently cup his cheeks only increased the intensity of the moment a hundredfold.

"Watch me, Joe. Watch me so keenly, so intently, as I shine brighter than the brightest star for you. Watch me show you that I can be your worthy Princess, become the star that you seek, just as I reach towards the brilliant night sky for you… And maybe, in doing so, you'll come to understand that you are the perfect Prince we deserve. Maybe you will be kinder to yourself, when you are offered the rightful praise, loyalty, and protection you have earned from your resplendent Goddesses of Victory."

She made a point to brush his cheeks lovingly in the instants before she started to back off, the tips of her fingers seeming to protest against the motion of being removed from his face.

"I wish you only the most pleasant of dreams, my perfect Prince."

With that, she quietly backed out of the room, the door quietly opening and closing, the gorgeous silverette continuing to stare longingly at the Commander from between the door and its high-tech frame for as long as she could before it soundlessly slid shut.

Thus, Joe was left alone again.

He stared.

He stared, and stared, with eyes as wide as saucers.

Firstly, because she actually said it. Cinderella just said it, outright, leaving no room open for interpretation.

Yet, further, because Cinderella, for an entire century, had been ruminating on the way her interactions with Joe had gone aboard the Avenger and beyond… On the mistaken belief that she'd done anything wrong, and it wasn't that fucker Andersen's fault that he hadn't pounced on her on day one.

One-hundred years, Cinderella had been left believing she was a fuck-up, that she'd done so much wrong, that it was her fault that Joe hadn't eagerly taken her hand all those years ago. One-hundred years, she'd longed for him… An entire century, she'd not stopped wishing for him, even despite believing he was gone forever…

All because Andersen just had to do what he did best, and ruin something for her at the first opportunity he received.

Joe was going to make that dumb fucker regret being born.

---

As per Rapi's report, Pioneer scattered around the Outpost come morning, the girls being considerate of the fact that Joe had shit he had to do as the administrator of the budding community. Rapunzel, Scarlet and Cinderella went to explore the area in general, appreciate the opportunity to simply traipse about a small settlement that wasn't in ruin, and mirrored those of the old world as well.

Snow White, meanwhile, moved to immediately lay claim to the newly-built Armoury, to nobody's great surprise.

Thus, the Commander was left free to do the shit required of him.

Which started with Rapi noting that the Carronades had actually arrived at the Outpost a few days prior, and were getting somewhat visibly irritated that he'd not come to greet them.

So, more than a little sheepishly, Joe proceeded to the barracks to meet the new girls, idly wondering what else he'd missed in the avalanche of shit happening lately.

While it really hadn't actually been all that long since he'd last set eyes on the iDolls, it somehow felt like it had been months since Joe had last interacted with them. Mia and Flower each presented a happy wave the Commander's way, while Sunny only spared him a passing, wildly uninterested glance with her big blue eyes. While Mia was still wearing her headgear, the other two had gone without all of their tactical equipment and were just sitting around the common room in regular (if somewhat skimpy, in Sunny's case) clothes.

Surprise surprise, even despite being Mass-Produced Nikkes, Sunny and Flower were gorgeous. Joe was sure that Mia would be too, the moment she allowed her face to be seen, but alas, that time was not now.

While idly tapping away at their phones, the three were watching the TV; what looked like some sort of Power Rangers/Super Sentai knock-off.

Flower spoke up on Joe and Rapi's approach. "Commander, you've been busy lately, huh?"

"'Commander!?'" Joe did not get the chance to reply, however, as a new, very girly voice interjected from deeper into the barracks, followed by a very loud series of bounding footfalls.

"Belorta, wait!" Another, equally girly voice called out, audibly following the first as quickly as she could. "Don't get us in trouble with a new Commander again!"

The first, regardless of the second's pleas, slid into the room with a scowl which could only be described as 'cute' worn on her button features, looking almost poised to strike out like an irritated dog.

The first thing that was noticed was how small the new girl was—or rather, small wasn't the right descriptor to use. She was pale-skinned and short, but otherwise, easily and impressively rivalled Anis in build. Short, clad in a form-fitting red button-down capped with a thick, fabric gorget neck protector, and detached baggy sleeves adorned with athletic stripes. Additionally, she wore a short skirt supported by suspenders, and simple red-and-black short boots over thigh highs lightly decorated with three-or-so inches of vertical stripes over the elastic bit.

She had yet another stark head of snow-white hair (which seemed a bit oddly prevalent among Nikkes to Joe) done up in girly little twintails, and wow she had pretty golden eyes and—why was she looking at Joe like he was the most shocking thing in the world-

"T-The-!" The little Nikke, Belorta, going off of the second girl's words, started as she stared at Joe.

"Belorta, please!" Another girl, darker in complexion than her fellow, but still rather fair-skinned, bounded into the room worriedly. She was significantly taller than Belorta, yet still quite short. Built far more modestly, but dressed in a far more provocative, very high-cut leotard beneath a cropped baggy orange-and-black jacket. Her black socks only just went over her knees, ending with simple black boots zipped up the front.

She was brunette, her excessively long—to the point of rivalling Rapunzel's—silken hair adorned with a simple headband, otherwise worn loose and trailing down her back to her ankles. Her eyes were grey-blue, large, and sparking with intense worry.

The brunette attempted to finish her plea. "Don't get us in trouble-!"

Only to be cut off. "-The Legendary Commander!?" Belorta cried out at the top of her lungs.

The slim brunette, at that, jumped, turning towards Joe and Rapi, then- "R-Red Hood!?" She too, all but screamed upon setting eyes on Joe's second.

The room went completely silent, aside from the sounds of sentai action in the background, the TV continued with little heed paid to the room's occupants.

After a few moments of significant tension, Joe reached into his pocket, withdrawing his phone and immediately going through his contacts. There was a beat, the device audibly ringing before, even despite it not being on speaker mode, everyone in the room heard the man on the other end. "Aaaah, mon cheri Commandant Pholus! I have been anticiper the moment your oh-so-masculin voice would grace mon téléphone intelligent! How might I servir you?"

"I just met the Carronades," Joe started in a plain monotone.

Mustang all but crooned in reply. "Ah yes, little Mica and Belorta, such adorables petits chéris they are, oui? Are my sweet little pétards treating you well, mon cheri?"

"They just exposed Rapi and I's identities to the iDolls." Joe very flatly declared to the CEO of Tetra Line, Rapi wearing just about the most put-upon and exhausted expression on her face that he ever did see.

There was a beat before Mustang flatly replied. "Do not allow anyone that was present in the room when this was said out of your sight. I will be there shortly," he stated matter-of-factually as he dropped his usual flouncy pomp, the line cutting at once.

With that, Joe returned the phone to his pocket, just blankly staring at Mica and Belorta. They, in turn, wore expressions of mixed horror and dismay. Belorta in particular looking the part of a chastised puppy, her large, glimmering eyes becoming equal parts watery and pitiable.

The iDolls, meanwhile, were just blankly staring at the tableau, rather visibly dumbstruck into a collective stupor. Given the weight of the revelation they'd just been exposed to out of the blue, such was rather understandable.

"If it's not one thing…" Joe started, his eyes heavily lidded as he pondered how in God's name these two could have even known who he and Rapi were to begin with. To say nothing of how much the two just complicated things involving the iDolls.

"...Then it's another," Rapi finished his sentiment as she rubbed her forehead in pure exasperation with a heavy grimace.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 67 - All the Depth of the Ocean
===

Mustang quietly, lacking even a vague semblance of his usual flamboyance, circled the sofa upon which Belorta and Mica sat. The iDolls too—after having had their phones confiscated—set in a central location so that the CEO of Tetra Line might loom dangerously over the group; like a bear upon its hind legs might threaten a troublesome hound.

In this instance, it was a firm reminder that, immediately nonthreatening as a panda may be, it was still a bear, and bears did what bears did when one fucked around.

Joe and Rapi stood at the entrance to the barracks common room, having confirmed that the iDolls and the Carronades were the only groups present in the Command Centre apart from himself and his XO.

"...My apologies, Commander," Mustang started, his voice lacking any of the pomp typical of the towering, muscle-bound man. "I committed a grave oversight in assigning the Carronades to you, without considering the fact that they were converted into Nikkes but two decades after the Ark was sealed…"

The Adonis tilted his head back, pinching the bridge of his nose past the rim of his aviators.

"But of course they would recognize you two, given that they were around well before the Central Government started their suppression campaign…"

Joe took a deep breath, furrowing his brow heavily as he let out a deep sigh. "Something of an oversight, yes."

The iDolls all shared a deeply disconcerted look between the three of them, visibly unsure of what to make of this ongoing development.

Mustang, regardless, continued on. "Well, with this particular issue having been revealed perhaps a tad early… What would you have done, Commander?" He inquired as he adjusted his sunglasses.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, idly tapping his bicep as the situation unfolded.

"Commander, please," Mustang started, giving the far more modestly dressed man a dubious look. "Your identities," he motioned lightly towards Rapi, "have been revealed to the iDolls. This is not nothing—it is, in fact, rather potentially disastrous. We have been subtle about your return for a reason, after all—"

"Could you stop with this idiocy?" Sunny interjected somewhat forcefully, lips down curling heavily. "As if anybody's buying this-"

With a quickness which borderlined on supernatural, Mustang snapped forward. At once, Sunny's large, sapphire eyes were locked with the CEO's. Mustang's steely silver irises uncomfortably close to the Nikke's, her dainty little chin firmly secured between the man's thumb and his hooked forefinger. "You are accusing me of lying, little Doll?" he inquired in a low, borderline guttural tone so terribly unlike him.

Flower and Mia both skirted away from their fellow, rather understandably more than a little spooked by Mustang's uncharacteristic shift in attitude. Belorta and Mica, for their part, remained rooted where they'd been made to sit, too visibly terrified to risk moving in the first place.

"A- I-I-I-" Sunny's voice audibly cracked as she started to tremble. "B-Boss, I-I didn't mean- J-Just… P-Please, the Legendary Commander? Seriously-?"

"Seriously," Mustang drew Sunny in closer, jerking her head up by her jaw to emphasize his point with a smidgen of deliberate inflicted discomfort, given how the Nikke jumped and was lifted slightly off the sofa by the motion—or, rather, she didn't resist Mustang's motion for obvious reasons. He wouldn't be stupid enough to do anything to suggest he was capable of lifting a 800lbs/363kg Nikke outright.

Sweat was rapidly forming on her brow, and Joe was getting agitated by the obvious intimidation play being done on her.

Mustang, if he noticed Joe's distaste for the way Sunny was being handled, didn't let it stop him from maintaining course. "You think I would come all this way for a joke? You think I would confiscate your phones on a lark? You think we would have had the premises swept and cleared of other potential information leaks as a laugh? You think Mica and Belorta would look like they were awaiting a death sentence if they were not genuinely in fear for their lives on account of the gravity of their thoughtless mistake?"

Sunny's chin was jerked yet further upwards, Mustang deliberately forcing her into an unnatural, uncomfortable position as he loomed in an increasingly exaggerated manner for effect.

"This situation is intensely serious, little Sun. And for as much as I cherish all of my little idols, for as much as I will forever give all of you the praise you deserve for the sacrifices you make towards mankind's salvation…" He stared darkly into her eyes, expression incredibly intense. "This particular situation relates to mankind's future, towards the possibility of us actually one day retaking the surface, or going extinct in a fetid hole in the ground. This situation is serious, and you will treat it as seriously as it warrants."

Sunny's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, her breath firmly hitched in her throat. Mustang never talked to his girls like this, loomed over them in such a nakedly threatening manner. Whatever doubts she must have been harbouring towards the notion of this situation being very real, then, were clearly rapidly dissolving beneath the weight of one of the most powerful individuals in the Ark stopping just short of pressing a weapon against her skull.

"Mustang," Joe, at that point, felt the need to step in, approaching the pair with a displeased expression on his features. "You've made your point. Dial it back a notch," he instructed the man pointedly.

Mustang didn't immediately acknowledge the order, continuing to stare into a decidedly terrified Sunny's eyes. When he did reply, it was still directed towards her, rather than at Joe. "A common Commander, having the sheer gall to give an order to one of the Big Three of the Ark, so brazenly, so confidently, in defence of one of his Nikkes? Curious, that, hm, little Sun?" He suggested as he finally leaned back, making a point to continue holding onto Sunny's chin even with his arm fully extended, only finally releasing it with a small flourish.

The twintailed blonde heavily fell fully back into her seat with a quiet, shuddering whine, clearly incredibly shaken by the CEO's uncharacteristic display.

At that, Mustang leaned back, settling his palm upon his chin with a hum. "You just had the Legendary Commander himself step up to protect you, little Sun. How many Nikkes have fantasized about just such a scenario happening to them? The answer is many! I have read the fanfiction that gets posted on the Ark's internet!" The man leaned back, laughing heartily despite the seriousness of the situation as it was.

Joe felt an ice cube run down his spine. He had never once pondered the notion of fanfiction existing of Goddess, and he'd rather go back to a time when the thought had never occurred to him. But, that wasn't this timeline, to the Commander's dismay.

Regardless, the displaced Canadian crossed his arms over his chest with a huff, making no attempt to hide how put-off he was by Mustang's conduct.

"That being said," the flamboyant man built like a Greek God started, turning back to face Joe as he did so. "To bring it back to my original question: what would you have done about this development, Commander? These girls may be Tetra Line, but they are also, moreover, your direct subordinates. They know enough for it to be a direct danger to our plans. Would you trust them regardless?"

The Nikkes all presented wide eyes (presumably, in Mia's case) to Joe, save for a mostly inquisitive Rapi. Belorta and Mica's expressions were pleading, while Mia, Sunny, and Flower all gazed up at the man with mounting dread. For his part, it was an easy decision to make. "Full disclosure," the Commander declared as he looked over the gathered super soldiers. "The more they understand, the more likely they are to treat everything as seriously as they should."

"Oh?" Mustang started, a bit of his typical pomp filtering back into his voice. "You would tell them everything, Commander?"

"Everything," Joe pointedly declared. "They're going to be putting their lives on the line to fulfill our long term-plan, so it's only right that they know as much as the others do too." He refocused on Mustang. "Besides, your girls can be trusted, right?"

"But of course!" Mustang asserted cheerfully. "They only needed to understand the gravité of the situation, to know to not treat it as a petit tableau épicé for evening gossip! If you would inform the Carronades and the iDolls of everything, well, I believe they can be trusted. Doubly so considering who you are!"

He turned back to face the girls, lowering his glasses to peer over the rim at them keenly.

"None of you would be the Nikkes that betrayed the confidence of the Legendary Commander himself, would you?"

"N-no!" Mica and Belorta cried out in unison, the two's big 'ol eyes glimmering and watery.

"...Nobody would ever betray the Legendary Commander," Flower asserted warily, the redhead's gaze drifting aside to give Joe a deeply uncertain stare. "But… How could the Commander possibly be… Him?"

It was Mia that spoke up next. "It's been a hundred years since he disappeared, after the Ark was sealed… Commander Pholus doesn't look old enough to be him."

"I've been in cryogenic stasis since immediately after the Ark was sealed," Joe stated outright and with no aplomb.

All five girls blinked (presumably, again, regarding Mia) owlishly at that, replying with a collective "Oh."

"That… Actually explains a lot," Flower noted dryly. "Suddenly just being… Gone. Nowhere to be found… But, why? All these years, the Ark has needed you. Why would you only come back now? Why would you go into stasis in the first place?"

"Because I needed to be sealed away until medical technology advanced enough to save my life," Joe, again, flatly answered.

That, needless to say, caught all of the girls off-guard, no small amount of concern showing on their faces, even as Rapi grew visibly uncomfortable in the background.

"You… Were you hurt when Goddess was sealing the Ark?" Mia asked nervously.

To that, a particular tension sprung up between Joe, Mustang, and Rapi. The three exchanging swift glances of their own discomfort.

Joe did say full disclosure. "Goddess didn't seal the Ark," he declared outright. "They were locked outside of it when the Central Government betrayed us."

That caused the girls to react as though they'd been struck across their faces with a fish, to say the very least. "W-what!?" They cried out collectively.

"I can, and do, attest to the reality of this betrayal against our saviours," Mustang added, taking a hold of his own photogenically stubbled chin as he did so. "Goddess did not sacrifice themselves. They were tricked and abandoned to die, after Commander Pholus was manipulated away from their side by the treacherous vipers of the Central Government."

"The Central Government, at the time, were hardline fascists seeking to consolidate all power into their own hands, and eliminate any and all potential threats to their rule in doing so," Joe began, just opting to explain the entire situation as it was. "Goddess was a threat to them. Goddess would never have gone along with their wretched plan to turn the Ark into the Central Government's personal slave colony. So they were removed from the equation."

Stepping aside, Joe approached the window overlooking a small, empty lot set to be built into a park, so that the Nikkes living in the Command Centre's barracks could at least have a pleasant view out of the common room's window.

Joe laid out the facts as they were to the iDolls and Carronades, relaying events as he recalled them, the words the Central Government had used, how even Enikk had supported them in their attempt to eliminate the Central Government right then and there. How the Central Government's plan would have led to mankind going extinct ninety years ago.

They were visibly overwhelmed, to say the absolute least.

Yet, moreover…

"...O-one of Goddess Squad… Was there with you?" Sunny found the will to speak up again. "There's… A Goddess in the Ark? There has been, this entire time?"

"W-who?" Mia leaned forward. "Who is it? Who's the Goddess that's been secretly in the Ark this whole time? Is it someone in Matis? O-or Absolute? You said her name was 'Red Hood-'"

Flower and Sunny's eyes both snapped opened to their maximum, with all three iDoll's faces whipping around to keenly focus on Rapi.

Poor Rapi damn near wilted under the sudden scrutiny, firmly averting her gaze and pursing her lips in discomfort.

"No way…" Sunny started, her voice wispy and awe-struck.

"It can't be…!" Flower's voice was caught in her throat, pupils seeming to dilate at the onset realization of just who Rapi might be.

"She's always been so much better than everyone around her…" Mia noted, leaning forward in her seat to get a better look at Rapi from around her fellows. "But… Could that possibly mean…?"

"Rapi is indeed Little Red Riding Hood of Goddess Squad, just as the Commander is the Commandant Légendaire," Mustang asserted, reaching up to run his fingertips along the shaved sides of his head. "As petit Belorta and Mica can attest based on their expériences personnelles."

"Mica had a Legendary Commander backpack, before they took it away from her!" Belorta declared with a degree of sudden onset cheer.

Mica, at that, cried out as her entire face turned beet red, betrayal writ large on her features as she covered her face and turned away from Joe. "Y-you had a dress-up Red Hood action figure!" She shot back, as if attempting to embarrass her partner in turn.

"It was so cool!" Not that it seemed to work, given Belorta's rather excited response. "Her hair would actually turn red and glow when her batteries were charged, and she had changeable face plates to change her expression and everything down to articulated fingers and toes, and even thighs that squished if you put thigh-highs on her!"

The silver-haired Nikke's tone shifted to an affronted, deep-seated and long-burning anger.

"I had her set up in a super cool sentai pose with her gun and everything! It was so cool! Then those jerks just came in and grabbed it and tossed it in a bag along with all of my posters and stuff like it was trash and didn't even compensate me for it even though she was really expensive! I knew they were evil from that moment on!" the little golden-eyed Nikke asserted with a childish huff.

Mustang, in reply, leaned back as he let out a pained whine of his own. "The Action Goddess line was my fierté et joie! Oh, I will ne jamais pardonner them since they gathered up and détruit all of those objets de collection classiques…!"

"Ah!" Belorta suddenly leaned forward, pointing firmly at Rapi, or rather, more specifically, at her- "You see! You see Mica!? You said that it was unrealistic how my Red Hood doll's thighs squished when wearing thigh highs! But look! Look! She's wearing thigh-highs right now! Look at how they squish on the real Red Hood too!"

Rapi immediately looked like she wanted to die, actually starting to turn away from the group as a whole to hide her intense blush and contemplating retreating from the room entirely. Joe could not blame her, Jesus Christ almighty.

"Mustang, what the fuck," Joe declared, giving the CEO a deeply dubious look of horror, because why would he make posable figures of women he actually knew with absurd details like squishy thighs?

"The Goddesses deserve nothing less than représentation parfaite! They are, all of them, des beautés parfaites et sans défaut! Any recreation of them must honour their splendeur de haut en bas in turn!"

…Suddenly, Joe was deeply, deeply dreading the moment Mustang and Cinderella were in the same room together.

He didn't let himself get caught up on that, however, instead refocusing on the issue at hand.

The iDolls seemed more keen on keeping the discussion going seriously as well, given Mia's next words. "...This… This is real?" She inquired, audibly awed by the apparent revelations they were subject to. "They… They're really…?"

"Yes," Mustang interjected. "The Legendary Commander, and a member of Goddess Squad."

"And," Sunny piped up next. "They… They've been in hiding, this entire time, because… Because the Central Government…"

"Would see them killed," Mustang replied again. "The Central Government has no actual intention of reclaiming the surface. The Legendary Commander and Goddess do. This makes them threats to their ironclad rule."

"...The Central Government would betray everything Goddess fought for? Everything we exist for?" Flower spoke up next, her voice warbling in frustration and anger. "They… They would forsake the surface!?"

"They already have, little Flower," Mustang noted mournfully. "One-hundred years ago. All signs to the contrary since, have been but circus to placate the masses. Surely, you have all wondered, why the common Commander is so very intensely incompetent?"

"...They aren't supposed to win against the Raptures," Belorta spoke, her expression too, falling into a small grimace of intense distaste. "I knew it…"

"...Yeah," Mica whined, just looking utterly defeated at the confirmation, directly from the mouth of one of the Big Three CEO's themselves.

Joe decided to touch on a particular sore spot next. "It's also the reason Nikkes are treated the way they are, in the Ark," he began with a heavy grimace and intense disgust etched across his features. "Our Goddesses of Victory, each and every one of you… Treated like tools, like trash by actual, worthless maggots that dare to think themselves your betters, when they do so very little, when they actively demonstrate that they are traitors, enemies of mankind."

"This isn't what we fought for. This isn't what we bled and suffered for. Nikkes, regardless of whether you are mass-produced or not, are heroes. Among the greatest this world has ever known. For all the sacrifices you make, for all the Hell you throw yourselves into, so that an ungrateful, and unworthy Ark can live another day under the authoritarian thumb of the Central Government…"

Speaking in a deep, guttural growl, Joe made no attempt to mask his intense contempt for the Central Government, and the culture it had cultivated in order to prop up its own rule.

"You are human beings, it doesn't matter how much metal is in your bodies. You are people. You feel, you hurt, you bleed, you cry and love and deserve nothing but love in turn. For all that you do, for all the battles you fight in our name, to give our species another day on a world no longer our own, you all deserve nothing but the utmost love and adoration. You have given us everything, and the Central Government deserves nothing more than to burn for daring to demand even more, while offering you less than nothing in return."

The room had grown silent, the iDolls and Carronades staring up at Joe in dumbstruck shock. He decided to cap it off with a hammer to nail the point home.

"The Central Government does not deserve your loyalty. The Central Government are traitors to humanity and defilers of our hope and legacy. Mica, Belorta, Sunny, Mia, Flower… Will you take my hand, and join us, in our journey to overthrow the corrupt, hedonistic fascists that have usurped the place of a worthy, just administration set to lead us all into the future, as rightful equals?" He extended his hand for effect. "Will-"

Mica and Belorta immediately lunged from their seats to firmly latch onto the man's hand, despite him having intended it more as a symbolic gesture than anything. That caught him off-guard, to say the least. Doubly so when, though with some hesitation, Mia, Sunny, and Flower followed suit.

Looking down upon the sight, Joe remarked, "...Shocking, how despite Nikkes all being supposedly untouchable, cold, unfeeling and soulless machines, I feel naught but the warmth and softness one would expect of a woman's touch through your palms, though your delicate, soft fingers. The touch of my fellow human beings. Not the empty cold of a weapon."

Shifting his focus up, he caught their gaze, the large, bright stares of the girls that had gone through so damn much.

"'Disposable weapons' my ass," the man declared, looking deeply into the eyes of the quint of girls. "Look at these eyes… Look at how soulful these eyes are, with all the depth of the ocean…"

Speaking of oceans, save for…

"...Mia," Joe started, "Please, take off your mask."

The platinum blonde jumped, looking very much put on the spot, almost seeming to wilt at the request. Lips becoming a quavering line, she tensed up and almost looked as though she wanted to retreat.

"...It's okay," Belorta spoke up next, having turned to face Mia and talking in a gentle voice. "It's the Legendary Commander. He's not like those other mean Ark Commanders. You can trust him," she assured her fellow with deceptive kindness.

"Y-yeah," Mica backed up Belorta's word. "Everyone knew how good and nice he was—is to Nikkes. Everyone."

Flower whispered something to Mia, doubtlessly also words of encouragement, while Sunny looked… As though she was in over her head. Not everyone was good at comforting and assuring others. Regardless, after a few moments, with a shaky hand, Mia started to reach up, her fingers settling on her face-obscuring headset. With a grimace, her hand began to shake even harder, and continued to shake for some time.

Until, with a gasp indicating that she'd been holding her breath, she let her hand fall, headgear remaining unmoved in place. "I-I'm sorry…" She apologized pitifully, all but whimpering. "I-I can't, i-it's too… I can't…!"

After a few moments, as the other Nikkes gazed upon Mia with open pity. Joe let out a low sigh, declaring, "It's a good thing you're not alone any more, and have us to help you with this sort of thing now," he said as he reached out with his free hand, taking a hold of her visor.

Mia gasped, going as still as a statue. The man had the presence of mind to not just tear it off, instead, gently, slowly lifting the armoured mask. The Nikke's expression twisted in rising fright and anxiety, and soon enough, her entire face was wholly exposed.

It went without saying that she was beautiful.

Otherwise, of course, she had clenched her eyes shut as hard as she could, trembling pitifully as she tried to continue hiding her oculars from view.

Joe quietly set the visor aside on a table, and with that same hand, reached out again, this time, gently cupping her cheek in a comforting manner. Mia's breath came out in a shocked shudder, her trembling intensifying at the contact.

He waited. Content to give Mia as much time as she needed to find the inner strength to overcome this trauma, take the first step to learning that he wasn't like every other Commander she'd been accosted by. She was safe, and appreciated here.

Eventually, with the other Nikkes gently encouraging her, Mia relented. Her eyes gently, gradually, slowly opening, fervently meeting Joe's own in naked terror.

To that, he could only smile. "'Ocean' really was an appropriate designation, with how shockingly deep, swelling with life these big seafoam green jewels are," he gently asserted. "How bereft of empathy and humanity somebody would have to be, to feel anything but wonder and adoration upon meeting such soulful eyes…"

Mia, at once, let out a long, shuddering whine, tears immediately welling up, relief, gratefulness, joy visibly overwhelming her. "C-Commander…!" She hiccuped, immediately prompting her red-headed comrade to draw her into a one-armed hug. "I-I… I…! T-thank you…! Thank you…!"

Basic empathy. Such a simple display of appreciation, consideration, kindness. That is all it took to get such an intense reaction out of this Nikke. That fact was heartbreaking and infuriating in equal measure. Only emphasizing how utterly bereft of worth the Commander Corps was, to thoughtlessly, shamelessly, heartlessly hurt these women like this.

All the more reason for Joe to do better, and make these girls feel adored, as they damn well deserved.

As everyone was quiet, aside from Mia's silent crying, a high-pitched keening sound slowly made itself known to everyone in the room.

To Joe's horror, it was Mustang. The comically muscular man craning backwards, balanced precariously upon the balls of his feet as he took in the sight of Joe surrounded by the iDolls and Carronades. "This! This! Magnifique! Belle! Resplendissant! Nikkes, being given hope for the first time in so long! Seeing la lumière, spotting the bright couper dans l'obscurité!"

"This is it! This is precisely what we, the Ark, have needed! C'est pourquoi vous êtes légendaire! This is why we will win this war! Le Commandant Légendaire Joseph Pholus! The shepherd to guide us to victoire promise!" He then continued to squee, as he, still craned over backwards at a seemingly impossible angle, started bouncing on the balls of his feet in an alternating motion akin to running in place.

While Rapi looked just as mortified as Joe… The Tetra Line Nikkes, on the other hand, didn't so much as blink at the display. Meaning that they were just used to this sort of thing.

Jesus Christ, how horrifying.

At any rate, the Nikkes gathered around Joe continued to focus on him, all smiles, all happy and hopeful, likely for the first time in a very long time. And it came so easily. The only thing he had to do was show them empathy, make them feel seen and appreciated for all of their bitter sacrifices made for humanity's sake.

These beautiful, heart-rending smiles only reemphasized another point firmly home into Joe's very soul.

For their crimes against their Goddesses of Victory, the Central Government would burn.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 68 - All Work and No Play
===

Luckily, it seemed that Joe had the loyalty of the iDolls and Carronades in the bag. Mustang—once he had assurances that everyone was on the same page—checked the girl's phones to ensure that everything was good.

The flamboyant man returned the devices to them with the reminder that if word of Joe or Rapi's identity wound up leaking, they'd all find themselves wishing they were just decommissioned.

He then took his leave, having all sorts of other shit he had to tend to as a megacorp CEO.

Harsh, but given the stakes, not unwarranted. Nobody seemed keen on being the Nikke that screwed over the Legendary Commander or one of the deified Goddesses, regardless. Thus, it seemed that everything should be fine as far as they were concerned.

Joe was, admittedly, more than a little put-off by the way they were all looking at him now, but that sort of came with the territory of his being who he was.

The iDolls still had some varied reactions to him, either way, with Mia of course looking at him with stark adoration, Flower (who they had to get around to giving at least a proper nickname) seemed a bit unsure of how to behave, while Sunny…

Sunny didn't seem to be capable of looking right at him now. Her expression was more than a little wary, and the man felt like it would be best to talk more to the girls about things going forth.

However, he received a call from Ingrid as he was about to do so, and upon answering it…

"Get to Missilis HQ, right now!" Ingrid urged him the instant the line was opened, startling the man, to say the least.

"E-hwa?" Joe vocalized his confusion, causing Mica to tilt her head at him in confusion while Belorta lightly covered her mouth and tried to not openly laugh at his goofy cry. "What? Why?"

"Because I just got done talking to Syuen about the matter of putting Wardress under your command, the little idiot said that 'if that talentless and lazy dumpster diver wants to play with garbage, then if he comes and take out the trash himself, he can do whatever he wants with those worthless buckets of bolts!'"

The CEO of Elysion declared with a purpose.

"She previously set a precedent that such indirect language and directives can and should be counted as a binding agreement between the Big Three to get out of needing to go through typical Byzantine red tape and middlemen to get things like transfers of resources and money between companies done!"

Joe blinked, shaking his head as he started to reply, "That doesn't sound-"

"Until she realizes what she's done, it's a legally binding agreement!" Ingrid asserted forcefully. "But if she realizes that she just gave you permission to claim Wardress before you do so, she can recant it and you'll lose the opportunity to add them to the Outpost's reserves! For free! So haul ass and go grab them now!"

While this sounded shockingly stupid to Joe, Ingrid, of all people, would know if this was the real deal. Plus, Syuen was, by all accounts, actually that daft and short-sighted. So, with a start, he spun on his heel and started off with a purpose. "O-okay! Okay, shit! I'm running now!"

"Hurry!" Ingrid urged him onwards.

As Joe bolted out the front doors of the Command Centre, leaving the Carronades and iDolls deeply confused by his sudden departure, Rapi, meanwhile, kept up with him. "Joe, what's going on!?" She cried out, understandably concerned.

"Syuen did a stupid and gave me permission to claim Wardress as additions to the Outpost if I get to Missilis HQ and grab them before she realizes she did so!" Joe called back.

Rapi was visibly caught off-guard by that, grimacing lightly as she continued to follow the Commander. She assured herself that the Commander's interest in them was purely professional. Surely. Definitely… Maybe.

Considering how Yuni and Mihara presented themselves, the once-Goddess was starting to get worried about just how many dangerous women she was going to wind up having to keep a watchful eye on around Joe from there on.

---

Recovering outside of the well-travelled, but largely empty courtyard of the main Missilis HQ in the Ark proper, Joe had dumped his ass quite bodily upon one of the benches set before the ridiculous, spiralling skyscraper. He and Rapi were ignoring and being ignored in turn by the distant crowds ambling to-and-fro on the main street across the courtyard.

Missilis HQ looked far more like some sort of gargantuan art deco piece than the centre of the Ark's technological innovation, but, Corpos. They did, and would flop their dick out on the table to show off at any and every opportunity provided.

Regardless, Rapi, who had been forced to wait outside when he went in, had claimed the seat next to him once they'd settled down to wait for Yuni and Mihara to receive word that they were transferring to the Outpost. They had gotten there in time, luckily, and after confirming it with Ingrid, who had remained on the line with Joe the entire time… Well, he'd been informed that the two would report to Joe and Rapi shortly.

Joe was in pretty dang good shape, considering he was an active combatant during the Initial Rapture Invasion, but damn, hauling ass to the Ark and Missilis HQ had winded him something fierce.

"...My cardio suddenly feels woefully inadequate," the Commander declared with a heavy grimace. Especially considering how often he made a point to work out-

…Before Operation Ark Guardian.

"-Oh, wait, shit, when was the last time I actually properly worked out!?" Joe wondered aloud in mounting horror. "Ah fuck me, I'm withering away! I've started to let myself go! Damn it! Rapi, please don't hate me for degenerating into a pot-bellied stick figure!" He whined in embarrassment and dismay over his realization.

In turn, Rapi just gave the man's burly and well-toned exposed forearms a significant look. There was more solid muscle in his arms alone than most scrawny Commanders had in their entire body.

"You're being melodramatic," Rapi asserted past lidded eyes. "Your figure is as pleasing to the eye as ever." The little blonde Nikke matter-of-factually declared, her mouth moving faster than her brain.

Her eyes widened in horror as she processed what she'd just said aloud to Joe, however, he didn't seem to notice considering-

"Tublord! Go for a second helping of ice cream, why don'tcha!?" Joe cried out as he grabbed at his midsection—which while notably more thickset than a typical, showboating bodybuilder's (like Andersen) would be… Such was because Joe's body was developed for functional fitness demanded of a working man that went into active battlefields, and had to carry the equipment for it without being burdened and winded.

Men that actually used their muscles needed to have supportive layers, to avoid hurting themselves when working and carrying significant loads, after all. Old-timey strongmen came to mind.

"Lard lad gonna eat him a whole box of donuts to his self!?" Joe cried out as he pinched at imagined chub hanging off of his well-muscled forearms. "I need to get workout equipment delivered to the Outpost! Fuck!"

In other words, the man was suddenly being a drama queen over nothing.

Yet, something in the back of Rapi's mind was tickled by the display… Joe and Andersen, viciously fat-shaming themselves and each other into pushing themselves to their limits while working out to spite each other, rather than doing so at a reasonable pace.

Blinking, she also recalled how that absurd method had obviously worked. Those two, managing to accomplish something so meaningful in such a transparently boyish manner… How vexing.

But, also… On the matter of Joe potentially getting into regularly working out… "A fitness centre was among the facilities you've previously approved the construction of in the Outpost," Rapi noted. "We could begin using it as soon as it's done, assuming it isn't already."

Rapi enjoyed the idea of getting to watch the well-built man work out. Not that she would admit that openly.

At any rate, Joe's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit, I did? Good! I'll look into that once we've got some free time-"

The man cut himself off as he noticed Rapi's attention shift back to Missilis HQ, and following her gaze, he made note of Yuni and Mihara approaching them. The two looked just as they had the last time Joe had set eyes on them, though they were giving Joe a very particular look as they neared.

Rising to his feet—which Rapi mirrored—the Commander crossed his arms as he gave the duo an acknowledging nod. "Yuni, Mihara," he started. "Good to see you two again."

"My my," Mihara started in her perennially sultry voice. "And here I was certain you'd gone and forgotten about us as soon as we were out of sight… Imagine our surprise to be suddenly informed that we were being transferred to the Outpost not twenty minutes ago…"

"Weird…" Yuni muttered as she stared at Joe in plain stupefaction.

"Yuni," Mihara rounded on her pink-haired fellow, leaning over and planting a slender finger on the diminutive Nikke's lips with a matronly 'hush,' "don't be rude to our new Commander."

"But why would he suddenly show up to take us away from Syuen?" Yuni countered with her brow immaturely furrowing, huffing as she lightly clapped her heel against the finely-paved courtyard tiles. "We had to leave all of our stuff in our rooms too! I don't want to leave all my things and toys behind!"

Joe interjected. "We'll have your belongings brought to the Outpost later," after they've been swept and scanned for possible tracking and listening devices, the man thought to himself as well, "we obviously wouldn't force you to just abandon all of your belongings."

"You see, Yuni?" Mihara started as she returned to her full height, adjusting her stark white trench coat as she did so. "There's nothing to worry about, so be polite."

Yuni just quietly mouthed an 'oh,' in reply, deflating at the clarification.

The ravenette, with Yuni cowed, gave Joe a significant look, measuring him as Rapi lightly glowered at the larger woman in response to the attention placed on the displaced man. "Handsome… I must admit, this is more than a little sudden and unexpected. To go from hearing nothing from you once our mission was complete, to suddenly being told that we'd been put under your permanent command… Did we perhaps leave more of an impression than we thought?"

Pausing, Joe slightly chewed on the inside of his cheek before answering. "That's certainly one way of putting it." Turning, he motioned for them to follow. "We'll talk more when we're back at the Outpost," he declared, not wanting to get into anything potentially… Dangerous right in front of the Missilis HQ, where they surely had listening devices set up.

"Our new home, hm?" Mihara mused aloud as she set off, confidently sashaying along as she followed Joe and an unamused Rapi. "I've not looked much into the Outpost, admittedly. Are we to share a barracks with everyone else, or-?"

"I don't want to share a room with everyone!" Yuni protested the notion in a whining tone, further emphasizing her apparent immaturity in doing so. "I want my own room!"

Mihara, again, turned to lightly chastise Yuni, while Joe called back over his shoulder: "The residential zone is going to be finished soon. If you want your own apartments, then just put in a request to be transferred over to one rather than the communal barracks."

"Nikkes are permitted to have their own homes in the Outpost?" Mihara wondered in reply to that, womanly violet eyes going wide in surprise.

Joe wished he could say that he was surprised by the implication that Nikkes in the Ark were corralled into communal barracks or likely dinky little dorms at best. "Yes," was about all Joe felt the need to say by way of response.

Yuni and Mihara shared a significant look at that, the pair smiling devilishly at each other. As the two girls seemed more than a little intrigued by their newfound situation, Joe lightly grimaced at the potential living standards the average Missilis Nikke might've had to put up with…

Worse, actually, Yuni might've been a modern Grimms, or at least the closest thing the Ark could produce to a Grimms. Yet, she, along with Mihara, was surprised by the notion of being allowed to occupy a simple, personal apartment in the Outpost?

Was Missilis really so bad? Did the average Missilis Nikke really have to bear such cruelty on a daily basis?

Considering how flippantly Syuen had presented him the opportunity to actually take Wardress from the Ark, actually… Yeah, that didn't surprise him in the least. Even someone with such an inherently powerful ability as being able to blind Raptures, up to at least Tyrants, at will…

What in the fuck was Missilis and Syuen's major malfunction?

---

Upon arriving at the Outpost, Joe confiscated Mihara and Yuni's phones, to much caterwauling in reply to the demand. Though even Mihara seemed loath to separate from her smart device, she did ultimately surrender it along with a heavily pouting Yuni.

The Commander asserted that they'd get them back, but this was basic Operations Security. For the time being, they'd have to go without the magic picture boxes.

They really didn't like it when he opened the devices to remove the batteries right in front of them, but Joe wasn't about to potentially lug a pair of active Missilis listening devices into the Outpost proper like a total buffoon.

With that, he brought the pair into the Command Centre proper, noting how impressed they were by how built-up the Outpost was, not having expected it to have its own Dome of Eternity in particular.

Introductions were made, Mihara immediately attempted to lightly pinch Belorta (who protested) and Mica's (who didn't seem to dislike it) cheeks while cooing about how cute they were.

Yuni wore her jealousy on her sleeve, demanding Mihara's undivided attention afterwards, to which it was provided as the duo were given leave to go and explore the Outpost as they saw fit.

After that, shooting Ingrid a message that they'd successfully poached Wardress from Missilis along the way, Joe returned to his office to do his stupid-ass managerial work shit—starting with sealing Yuni and Mihara's phones in the same type of Faraday shielded-baggy Andersen had once put his own, original CG-assigned smart device in.

While he was prepared to have to wade through the suck, as was usual, Rapi had followed him into his office, and absolutely insisted that she be allowed to help him. To the point of damn near seeming to get actively mad at him, for trying to wave her off to actually take advantage of her own free time.

Joe wasn't sure how to feel about that, but Rapi claimed half of the paperwork he was supposed to do, and settled down to start filling it out for him. The pair worked quietly, little in the way of distractions cropping up.

It took a few hours, but, eventually, they finished, thus, by the grace of a miracle named Rapi, Joe was left with actual free time before the day ended.

The man pondered things for a few moments, eventually realizing that he didn't have any more duties to tend to any time soon now. Including missions. Meaning… Extended free time.

Joe stared ahead blankly for a time, not entirely sure what to do with that realization. Or with himself.

"...Joe?" Rapi started, leaning over to give the figure a wary look. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know what to do now that I don't have any work to get done," Joe responded flatly. Still just staring into the aether.

Rapi blinked owlishly, lightly thrumming her fingers against her knees in consideration. "...You could partake in some of your hobbies?" She suggested.

"I don't have any hobbies," Joe, still flatly, declared. He obviously had hobbies before all the trans-dimensional displacement bullshit, but that was a long time ago, before he suddenly because a military man. "One needs free time to develop hobbies. I don't get free time."

Indeed, Joe's time in the Ark had been anything but 'relaxed.' At most, he had just enough time between major bullshit events occurring to stave off a psychotic break. He hadn't been given real free time since… Before his first mission to the surface. And he had Marian keeping him occupied for that entire time.

Marian… Shit. Shit. She was alive. She was a Heretic. She was being controlled by the Raptures. She, for just a moment, freed herself from their control. She…

Joe didn't know how they were going to save her. To free her from the clutches of the Raptures. He had to figure something out, he had to-

"Joe?" Rapi's hand suddenly came to a rest on his shoulder. The man jumped as he hadn't realized he'd harshly leaned back on his desk, becoming intensely focused on something she couldn't see, and that Rapi had risen from her own seat to approach him. "What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, the man replied in a slightly shaky voice. "I need to find a way to save Marian," he declared bluntly, rising to his feet as he did so. "Pioneer. The girls have been dealing with Heretics on the surface for a century, if anyone would know how to deal with this, it would be them."

As Joe started for the hallway door, Rapi was hot on his heels, her brows heavily knitted as the man seemed to be actively refusing to grant himself a moment of meaningful respite. "Most of them are wandering around the Outpost, Joe. You won't even be able to find them-"

"Snow White settled into the Armoury," Joe noted as he passed through the door, already heading down the hall and towards the elevator. "Her input will be enough, for now."

Though Rapi grimaced heavily at Joe's insistence on depriving himself of even a moment's respite, she understood and could hardly hold it against him. Marian was important to him, his relationship with her was the basis for how he treated every Nikke under his command.

For as much as the blonde would like for Joe to give himself even just one break… Given what was at stake, in every capacity, and just who he was, she supposed that she really couldn't blame his insistence on being productive.

Even if Rapi didn't like the tightening in her chest whenever she pondered the notion of Marian, who Joe clearly cherished, coming back and… Picking up where they had previously left off, she supposed. As if it wasn't bad enough with Cinderella still being interested in him too, even after all this time.

Marian had been there for Joe when he awoke in the Ark, before he regained his memories. She gave him a happy, joyful beginning. She had affected him so strongly, that he kept her weapon, her ID card, and her ribbon at his bedside.

Cinderella had remained loyal to him, waiting for him, keeping her flame burning for him for an entire century, held out hope, never forgot him, and had never hurt him.

While Rapi, in contrast… As Red Hood, she'd strung him along, jerked him around. Mistreated him. Refused to be there for him emotionally. Among her last words to him were abusive, despite the boundless trust he was placing in her, even then.

In this life? She'd forgotten him. Forced him to kill his lover. Treated him as a distant stranger she had no interest in becoming close to. Then clung to him, started to treat him as a security blanket with little regard for his own need and want for personal time to himself.

She took the emotional support he offered, and offered in return… What? Doing half of his administrative paperwork for him? Something he could just hire an assistant for?

The tightness in Rapi's chest intensified tenfold, as she considered how remarkably little she had to offer Joe, compared to Marian or Cinderella.

Such loyalty, that even death and rebirth by an otherwise all-consuming Corruption couldn't erase Marian's feelings for him. Such loyalty, that even a century after believing him lost, Cinderella hadn't wavered and earnestly waited for him regardless.

While Rapi, from all she could see of herself, could not see what she had to offer him in turn.

How could she ever hope to compete with any of that?

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 69 - Building Pressure
===

"Joe," Snow White, already covered in oil and grime, immediately called out the moment she noticed the Commander step into the armoury. "I need access to parts to properly upgrade this thing," she called out from where she sat amidst the disassembled parts of what had to be his exoskeleton. "Things to reinforce the existing limbs, and construct a new limb, among other things. Nikke parts would be ideal, but I could work with Rapture parts too."

Blinking, the Commander did not expect Snow White to have gotten to work so quickly. Neither did Rapi, given how visibly caught off-guard she was by the sight of the exoskeleton in pieces.

Lips parting as the man contemplated the sight, he hummed as he inquired: "Shouldn't you perform proper maintenance on Pioneer's weapons first and foremost?"

"All of our weapons are currently functional—save for the Glass Slippers, which I lack both the specialized parts and expertise to properly repair. You, on the other hand, are utterly incapable of fending for yourself in any capacity. Having this," she patted what looked like a leg servo, "will make you far more survivable in the field. So your equipment takes precedence."

For a moment, Joe was surprised to hear that even with proper equipment, Snow White couldn't do anything to repair the Glass Slippers. Just a moment, though. He was quick to recall how they'd been struggling to keep them maintained even back aboard the Avenger.

More facilities had apparently actually produced the parts needed to repair Cinderella's weapon, but they'd never found their way to Goddess' hands. The man wondered aloud, "...Whatever happened to the parts they never delivered to us, I wonder?"

"Eden claimed them," Snow White noted with a heavy frown. "They have the means and methods to keep the Glass Slippers in proper working order, and were even backwards-engineering them by the time we'd left. This doesn't do us any good today, as you might imagine," the starkly-maned woman declared as she started fiddling with a piece of machinery Joe couldn't identify at a glance.

Eden could even maintain the Glass Slippers? Holy shit, that was a big deal. All the more reason to make contact with Dorothy and figure things out, if they could get Pioneer back in working order. "...Well, for now, the Outpost's repair centre was finished not so long ago. I'm sure we could get at least some spare parts from there for you. There's a pile of Rapture parts near the tunnel exit to the surface, too."

"The Outpost has to contend with Rapture incursions?" Snow White looked up at the man, brow furrowing at the statement.

"Not in any great numbers," Joe assured her. "Our current defences have never reported anything serious making its way down the tunnel. Nothing's ever managed to get into the Outpost proper either."

"...Does the Outpost tunnel have automated defences?" Show White inquired, brow remaining furrowed in consideration.

"I-" Joe stopped, gaze shifting aside as he considered the question and realized he didn't know-

"It doesn't," Rapi answered for him. "Just Nikkes."

Snow White hummed, setting a hand on her chin ponderously. "I'll look into producing turrets and other traps to reinforce the entrance tunnel then. To think that the Central Government would allow a possible entrance to the Ark be left without proper automated defences all this time…"

Joe repressed a grimace. He hadn't caught onto that himself, and that rankled at him severely. There was a lot of shit going on, he had practically no time to notice, even, but still.

"I'll tear into the Rapture parts you have on hand and modify those for jury-rigging shortly then," Snow White declared as she made modifications to something that probably did something when plugged into something else on the exoskeleton. "Otherwise, I'll go to the repair centre and take what I need—which shouldn't be more than one or two spare arms. I'm going to add a tertiary support arm that should bear most of the weight and recoil of that gun Ingrid called out yesterday."

First Affection, Marian's submachine gun… Joe didn't quite know how to feel about the idea of bringing it into the field with him. But as it stood, it was his best option for arming himself with something he could use to defend himself at all. But, that aside…

"Snow," the Commander started, "Pioneer has fought Heretics on the surface before, right? Do you-" He trailed off, voice catching in his throat for a moment as he fought to keep his cool. "-Marian, she overcame the Corruption, even for just a moment. That is, I mean, I-" Sharply taking in a shuddering breath, he closed his eyes and did his best to calm himself. "-Do you know if there's any way to save her? Is there anything we can do to help her overcome the Corruption for good?"

At that, Snow White stopped dead, blinking once before she shifted her attention to the man. "...Do you not-" she paused, letting out a small huff. "I suppose that's among the many things you've forgotten."

Joe's eyes went wide, stepping closer to the Grimms and starting with no small amount of rising anxiety, "Forgot what!? Is there something we can-!"

"Yes," Snow White made a halting gesture towards Joe, rising to her feet and moving to the front gate, locking it with a huff. "Vapaus," she started as she spun on her heel to face the Commander and Rapi once more. "Bullets produced from a substance that destroys the NIMPH in a Nikke's brain, taking the Corruption with it."

That answer made Joe's eyes go as wide as dinner plates, breath hitching in his throat and entire body going tense. "'Vapaus' bullets," the man started, his gaze pointedly intense. "Where can we get them?"

Though Snow White grimaced—an expression matched by Rapi—at Joe's intense reaction, she replied by reaching under her cloak, and after taking a moment to fumble about, she produced from within a single pistol calibre cartridge. Setting it down on a counter set between herself, the man, and Rapi.

Joe beelined for it, reaching out for it without hesitation, though stopping as soon as he processed what it actually looked like.

Where most bullets were simply a copper or brass-coloured oblong spheroid sticking out of a casing, the so-called Vapaus bullet looked the same, however, the tip was crystalline—as though it may have been a hollow-point bullet that had its cavity filled in and capped with this anti-Corruption substance. The tip was ruby red, reflecting light as a jewel might… It looked more like an art piece than something that could be used to destroy Corruption.

Picking it up, somewhat gingerly, Joe lifted it into the light to get a better look at it. The casing, as according to the bottom, was a typical 10mm Auto. Brow furrowing, he started, "Why didn't you-" he'd been about to ask why Snow White hadn't used it against Marian, when she was acting as Modernia, but then he thought it through all the way. "-None of you carry pistols."

"I used to," Snow White noted grimly. "Pistols break easily, unfortunately. We've also found appropriately chambered carbines in our time on the surface, but…" She shrugged. "Weapons not built to Nikke specifications just don't last out there."

Joe grit his teeth in open anger. The pistol issued to him was a 10mm. They were issued in said calibre because Commanders were expected to either use them to 'dispatch' Corrupted Nikkes, or dangerous animals—10mm having been considered an effective anti-bear round, after all.

"The pistol I was issued and carry at all times is a 10mm," he growled.

There was a beat in which nobody said anything, Snow White eventually replying plainly. "Ah. Shit."

Had he been given the round back in the Yukon, before they went after Chatterbox and Marian… He could have used it, right then and there. Marian could have already been freed.

To describe this revelation as vexing would be an understatement.

But… They had it now. They only needed to find the opportunity to use it. Unholstering his pistol, Joe, ensuring that it was pointed in a safe direction, gazed at it, comparing the two objects held in either hand.

A few moments passed. A few moments in which Joe felt his stomach lurch up into his throat, eyes widening in horrible realization.

Using the Vapaus bullet on Marian would mean… Shooting her again. Settling the barrel on her again. Pulling the trigger again.

But… It hadn't even been him that pulled the trigger back then. Not without help. Then, on his first deployment, Marian had helped him. Marian had effectively been the one to pull the trigger for him.

Could he do it? Could he look down the sights of this pistol again, and pull the trigger himself? Even if it was for Marian's own good… It had been for her own good back then too, hadn't it?

Could he do it? Could he pull the trigger?

Joe had started to tremble with wide eyes as he stared at the cartridge and the gun. A sweat even began to form on his brow, and his breath came in shaky tremors.

While Snow White didn't wholly understand the reason for her Commander's reaction, Rapi very much did. Rapi knew exactly why he was reacting this way. It was, after all, her fault that he looked to be on the verge of having a panic attack right then and there.

Yet, her immediate response to reach out and comfort him in some capacity, fell short. Suddenly, the little blonde herself felt as though she'd been hit by a tidal wave of anxiety. This was her fault. He was reacting to the idea of being the one to shoot Marian because she had previously forced his hand. By what right did she presume to comfort him? Where did she get off, thinking she had the right to be there for him, to support him over an anxiety she had given him to begin with?

Rapi, eventually, retracted the hand she'd started to reach out to set on Joe's shoulder. At once, she couldn't seem to look at him, even.

That gave Snow White no small amount of deep-seated concern. This reaction from the both of them was worrying, and she didn't like it in the least.

"...Joe," Snow White started, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder to snap him out of it. He jumped, gazing at her with wide eyes as she continued, "You should head out for a walk. A long walk. Once you've done that, come back, and we'll talk things out more."

The man looked overwhelmed, but grounded. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, and upon reholstering his pistol… Snow White reached out, quickly snatching the Vapaus bullet back up. Joe looked caught off-guard by that, to say the least.

Snow White had an immediate defence, however. "I'll hold onto this until we need it," she asserted. "You just head out, you don't need any distractions right now. Go out on your own, and just let yourself work the anxiety out, then consider things you have on your mind."

Taking a deep breath, Joe nodded once more. He closed his eyes and clenched the hand which had been holding the Vapaus bullet. "You're right. You're right. I'll… I'll be back. Just…" Stepping back towards the door, he looked at his still-clenched fist, shook his head, and declared in a breathy, strained voice, "I'll be back."

With that, Joe about-faced, unlocked the door, and departed quickly.

Rapi, meanwhile, gave Snow White a decidedly put-off look. "What're you doing?" She demanded.

"He needs to be left alone," Snow White declared pointedly, holding firmly onto Rapi's wrist—having stopped her from following Joe when she immediately moved to follow him. "You'll only give him a distraction that'll stop him from focusing on what he clearly needs to. To say nothing of the fact that we, just as clearly, need to talk about what just happened."

"I-" Rapi stopped, grimacing as she, once again, averted her gaze. She didn't follow up on that, just allowing herself to fall uncomfortably silent.

"Rapi," Snow White started assertively, not feeling up to letting much of anything fester or otherwise stew where it clearly shouldn't be allowed to. "Just tell me: what happened?"

Rapi did not want to have this discussion. She did not want to have to vocalize what happened, openly admit what she'd done, but…

"I'm not letting you go until you explain what the Hell that was, Rapi," Snow White declared forcefully. "So. Start. Talking."

It would clearly be far worse if she tried to get out of addressing this, and the Pioneer clearly had her mind set on this besides. So… "...Joe and Marian were in a relationship," Rapi started, her voice low and defeated. "On their first deployment together, she was Corrupted. We defeated a Tyrant on his orders to save her. I… I made him be the one to… Put her out of her misery," she softened the harsh truth as much as she could.

Snow White didn't immediately reply to that, just closing her eyes and taking a deep, bracing breath. When she did respond, it was with a brow furrowed in no small amount of visible anger. "You're sitting down, and we're talking about everything that's happened before we were reunited, and I am not taking no for an answer."

This wasn't like dealing with Anis. Snow White clearly had no problems being forceful, and combative if she needed to be to get her way. Rapi knew that she wasn't going to get out of this. Thus, "...Okay," she capitulated in a deeply defeated tone, even as the younger, white-haired woman immediately went to drag her towards the disassembled exoskeleton.

Rapi hated being faced with confrontation.

---

Joe had gone for a very long walk. Straight for the elevator to the Ark. Not because he uniquely enjoyed being in the Ark compared to the Outpost, but because he needed to be alone to think. The Outpost was small enough that he was very likely to run into Cinderella, Rapunzel, or Scarlet, if not all together when he needed to be isolated, at least for a time.

At some point, he stopped, and just leaned on a tree in a park—a facsimile of the surface that was the closest most living human beings would ever get to experiencing nature.

He was doing it again. Not giving himself a moment, not letting himself stop and actually think about his situation, everything that was going on around him, the position he found himself in, the responsibilities being foisted upon his shoulders…

He was trying to distract himself from the obvious fact that the weight of it all was crushing him. Instead of trying to set it all aside, to even so much as lift the load to get it off of his chest and let himself just breathe, he refused to acknowledge that it was killing him, and tried to pretend that nothing was wrong.

Goddamned fool that he was, he hadn't even actually stopped and acknowledged the fact that Marian was still alive, and what saving her might entail. He was aware of it, he knew that he'd do everything he could to bring her home, but, he hadn't actually thought about any of it. How it made him feel, how that was not actually the last time he'd ever set eyes on Marian. How those words… Weren't really the last they'd ever share.

She was a Heretic. They would have to fight her to even earn the chance to see her freed from the Corruption. This, with the knowledge that only Rapi was able to actually stand up to her in a straight encounter, and she could not do so again. The danger in trying to bring her back was… Nightmarish.

They may well lose Nikkes trying to create the opening they'd need to use the Vapaus bullet on her. Was that a price Joe could actually pay? Was he really willing to risk a plurality of lives, trying to just save one?

Everyone was standing at his back, assuring him that they would support him in this venture. But, how much of that was just because they couldn't afford to lose the support of the Legendary Commander? How much of that was just them humouring his trauma? Trying to avoid breaking him?

He'd just kept refusing to think about anything. He'd address the surface level of shit, and little else.

Too much. All of it was too much, too damned much. Too damned much weight, too much fucking bullshit, not enough down time… Not enough time he'd just allow himself. All work, all work and no play.

How damned much of it was showing, he had to wonder? Just how deranged must he have started to look to everyone around him? Was he sleeping well? No, he wasn't. Was he eating properly? No, of course he wasn't. Son of a bitch, he wasn't built for this.

But it didn't matter if he wasn't built for this. It didn't matter if he wasn't ready. This was where he was, this was the situation he was in. He had to get his shit together, figure it out, and be the leader that was needed to carry everyone to victory.

That started with letting himself decompress, because this was… Unsustainable. He couldn't keep on like this. He needed to let himself just relax between missions. If he was wound up like this all the time, he was going to snap at the worst time, and probably get somebody killed.

But, how-

"-Hey!" A slap on Joe's shoulder caused him to jump and yelp, breath coming heavily, his gaze was immediately arrested by a large pair of gorgeous golden eyes framed by turquoise locks-

Ah- "...Privaty?" The man started, trying to catch his breath. "Holy shit- Why'd you sneak up on me like that!?"

"Sneak up-" The twintailed beauty started, staring up at Joe with an utterly flabbergasted look. "I've been calling out to you for the past minute and a half!" She asserted with a heavily furrowed brow. "Are you okay!?" She demanded, making no attempt to mask her very visible concern.

Joe blinked several times in rapid succession. A minute and a half? How could he have failed to notice that? She was exaggerating, right? "I- It's nothing, I'm fine, okay-" He raised a hand, to make a halting motion at her. He noticed too late that his hand was shaking—which Privaty very much did spot, given how she lashed out and caught his limb when he tried to drop it back down to his side.

Holding onto his wrist, Privaty stared at his hand, took in how it was outright trembling, then took in the rest of his figure, clearly, catching on to all of the other little tells even he himself hadn't noticed. She stopped on his eyes, met his gaze, and just stared for a few long moments.

Breath hitching, the man sharply averted his attention, feeling the rapidly mounting unease in the little woman's eyes as overt worry suddenly overtook her features land like a shiv in the kidneys. She saw right through him, and saw pain. At once, she knew that he was in a bad place, and made no attempt to hide the empathy she clearly felt.

Though, she didn't say anything outright. Privaty just stood there, holding onto Joe's wrist, staring up at him in unapologetic disquiet. Where she was typically combative, even if in a light way… There was none of that in her body language now.

The two just remained there in apprehensive silence for a time. Eventually, however, the little woman saw fit to act. She stepped back, still holding onto his wrist, she moved to draw him along. "Come," she instructed him, an uncharacteristic gentleness starkly present in her voice.

"Wha-" Joe started, blinking in confusion.

"Just-" Privaty almost snapped, but stopped short with a small, worried frown. "Come," she urged the Commander, lightly tugging on his arm without being forceful.

After a moment, the man let out a sigh, and just allowed himself to be pulled along by a fretful Privaty. Idly, he recalled how his previous meetings with the twintailed little beauty had gone, and despite himself, a small, anticipatory smile found purchase on his beaten-down features.

Maybe a meeting with an increasingly familiar little goofball was just what he needed, after all.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 70 - A Long Time Coming
===

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Snow White forcefully demanded as she stared at Rapi with intensely judgmental eyes.

Rapi didn't answer, with her gaze averted, she didn't attempt to defend herself from her fellow's accusatory tone.

The red-and-black clad strawberry blonde had brought Snow White up to speed on everything that had happened since she'd been reunited with Joe on that rescue mission.

"Have you spoken to him about any of this?" Snow White pressed. "Or have you just quietly sat back and done nothing as your inaction made everything worse, just like 'old times,' just like when you turned on him back then and refused to tell anybody why?"

Snow White did not like what she'd heard in the least, on just about any level. She especially did not like it on any level when Rapi continued to say nothing in reply, right then and there.

"You have got to be shitting me," Snow White's brow furrowed heavily, she continued with flaring nostrils. "Are you going to sit there in silence, refusing to say anything, again? You're going to just stand there, staring off into the corner like a dog that's getting chastised, and say nothing?"

Silence.

"I'm not asking you a complicated question!" The monochromatic Grimms declared forcefully. "You have no damned reason to just stand there like a mannequin! You made Joe be the one to execute Marian, after he'd shown just how much he cared about her, despite the fact that Anis tried to step up to spare him that horror! Have. You. Spoken. To. Him. About. This?"

Rapi just remained rooted in place, refusing to meet Snow White's gaze. She did, at the very least, respond, though. "No," her answer was plain.

"Why!?" Snow White was only all the more agitated by the response.

Grimacing, Rapi wished that this conversation could just be over. That she could just leave and go do something else. She didn't want to talk about this, or have to be faced with this. She'd screwed up. She knew that. That's why she was trying to stay by Joe's side, take as much of the load he was carrying herself.

That was simple. This was complicated, and uncomfortable.

After a beat in which Rapi didn't provide an answer, Snow White growled through clenched outright. "He hadn't done anything to you! As far as either of you knew, you had just met! You would have met countless, awful Commanders that openly abused the Nikkes under their command before him, and upon meeting a Commander that clearly cherished his… Your first instinct is to force him to put a bullet in her at the first opportunity!?"

Again, Rapi didn't respond. She said nothing to defend herself, or even explain herself. She just stood there, refusing to look at Snow White.

From Rapi's point of view, it was just as she'd said back then. Nikkes weren't permitted to approach or engage in unnecessary contact with their Corrupted fellows, as there was a potential risk of it spreading to them in turn. Joe was the on-site Commander, it was his duty to do what had to be done, no more, no less.

In retrospect, she could see why it could be seen as awful, she could see why someone would see that, and see it as an extension of that lack of empathy she'd developed from her time with Absolute. But, it was what had to be done. It was basic protocol.

She didn't voice any of this, however. She continued to just stand there, refusing to speak, even as Snow White's anger rapidly grew. Rapi didn't want to be here, she didn't want to be dealing with this.

"...The more things change," Snow White declared in a low, scathing intone, glowering daggers at Rapi as she did so. "The more they stay the same."

With a huff that bordered on being a snarl, Snow White about-faced, stomping away from Rapi and back to the disassembled exoskeleton.

"Expect me to track you down and finish this talk the moment I've calmed down enough to feel like I'm less likely to lose my temper and deck you in the face for this bullshit you still haven't grown out of a hundred years later."

With that, the white-maned woman all but threw herself back into working on the Commander's exoskeleton, completely ignoring Rapi as she did so.

For her part, Rapi simply turned on her heel, and made for the door to depart the Armoury.

Rapi detested confrontation. It was uncomfortable. It was unpleasant. She didn't want to have to deal with it. She just wanted to…

…

Find Joe, and stay by his side, where she could make sure nothing would ever happen to him again.

That wasn't complex at all. That was simple. Rapi could do simple.

Better that, than detestably uncomfortable conversations she just wasn't equipped to deal with.

As if she'd have anything worthwhile to say to begin with. As if anything she'd say wouldn't just make everything worse regardless.

Even if she said anything to Joe about what had happened with Marian, if she had reiterated her reasoning to him, realistically…

What difference would it make?

---

Joe stared down into a cold cup of iced coffee—practically bleached white with creamer and sugar given how the man hated coffee and wouldn't be able to stomach it otherwise—seated at a small table at a very upscale café on the Royal Road.

Privaty, it seemed, didn't do things by half measures given the prices demanded when he caught a glimpse of the costs of any given drink.

It seemed to be off hours for the business, given how it was really just them there, despite a fair amount of traffic passing by the street as they spoke.

This was all definitely being wasted on him.

Regardless of his personal musings, the blunette quietly stared at Joe. Her expression was uncharacteristically soft as she kept her hands encircled around her own cup. "Something bad happened on the surface, huh?" She gently inquired, golden eyes glimmering with empathetic concern.

Yeah, it stood to reason that she'd be able to suss that out, given that, well, he was a Commander. Stood to reason that something would have happened up there, if anything.

Joe replied with a light nod. "Yes," he simply declared. With little in the way of expression, he continued to just stare at the iced coffee before him.

Taking a deep breath, Privaty closed her eyes with a slight grimace. After a moment, she refocused on the Commander with a frown. "I can't make you say anything if you don't want to… But it's bad to not talk to anyone about this sort of thing, Joe."

"You're clearly in a bad place, and it could lead to bad things happening if you go back into the field with this sort of thing stuck in your craw," she finished.

She wasn't wrong. It was hardly as though he could just open up about everything that had happened, though. Especially more recent events, all things considered.

Though, by the same token, Privaty was going out of her way to reach out to him when he was clearly in need of help. Shutting her out entirely would be really damned shitty of him.

But, what could he actually say without it rapidly becoming problematic-?

Ah, well, he could just… "...At the start of all this—from my perspective, at least—I woke up in the hospital, with honest-to-God amnesia from a severe injury I'd suffered in training."

The man decided that he could, at least, open up to Privaty about the basics of everything that was safe to know.

"I was assigned an entire squad, Silver Gun, permanently. On account of my scores compared to my peers. My performance warranting an… Experiment, of sorts. 'What if,' right? Let's see what happens if a Commander a cut above the rest is allowed to build a proper team for surface operations…"

"The eggheads in command, however, did what they did best and didn't actually look into Silver Gun's status when they assigned the squad to me… Meaning I was assigned Silver Gun's sole surviving member at that point: Marian."

Joe wasn't looking at Privaty, staring into the still-untouched coffee as he started to recount how everything had started: something he hadn't let himself do up to that point… Period.

"She helped me get myself back in the saddle. Reintroduced me to the Ark. For an entire half a month, it was just the two of us, constantly out and about. All day, every day, just… Spending time together, with no worries, no concerns about what was to come. It was… Wonderful."

A strained, wan smile etched across Joe's features as he continued.

"I nearly got into so many fights with disgraceful asswipes that had the temerity to discriminate against her for being a Nikke… And she kept working so hard to get my mind off of heavy stuff like that, to just have fun together despite all of it."

"We talked, got to know each other so well in such a short amount of time… Which, I suppose, makes it kind of unsurprising, that she just came out and said she wanted us to be in a relationship together, just as we got called out to our first mission to the surface."

The moment was so clear in his mind's eye. How casually she'd admitted her feelings for him, what she wanted.

For as caught off-guard as he'd been, in retrospect, Joe adored the bluntness. He was ruinously dense, and wouldn't have caught on had she not just said it as plain as day, right to his face, after all.

"She stopped me from answering her, right then and there. She told me she only wanted to hear my answer after we got back home, after our first mission together. Her reward for a job well done, I suppose."

Joe paused for a few long, heavy and pregnant moments. The break in his speech was punctuated by a single, strained, mirthless laugh that came out more as a death rattle than anything.

"...Only figures, then, that she'd be fucking Corrupted on our first deployment then, huh?"

He wondered quietly, no small amount of resentment towards the world he'd not so much as allowed himself to acknowledge to that point, finally making itself known.

"Of course, after I managed to direct Rapi, Anis, and the Scouts to take out the Blacksmith that had captured her, under-equipped, understaffed, under-prepared… After we did what should have been impossible, Rapi-"

Joe's breath hitched, and it hit him all at once. Realization, realization of a fact he'd just not allowed himself to see.

"-Rapi, she wouldn't let Anis be the one to do it," he noted darkly. "Rapi… She insisted, she said that it had to be me. She threatened to report me to the Central Government if it wasn't me that put Marian out of her misery. She all but demanded it."

"Anis wanted to spare me the pull of the trigger, but Rapi wouldn't allow it. It had to be me. It just had to be me. For some fucking reason, it had to be me."

His hands had started to tremble, lips parting in mounting, delayed mortification.

"I couldn't do it. Her eyes… I could see it, her soul. She was still in there. It was still Marian looking back at me. She had protected me. She'd saved my life. She was my friend. She was my partner… I couldn't do it. I just couldn't."

"But Marian… She knew. She knew what had to be done. She fought the Corruption. For just a moment, she overcame it, she fucking overcame it, so she could reach out, take the barrel of my gun, and guide it to under her jaw as I held her."

"She smiled at me, she thanked me… And she said she loved me, right before, in the instants before she put her thumb over my trigger finger, she forced me to fire the gun."

Joe had just not let himself acknowledge and think about any of this. He had forced himself to focus on work, to keep to his productivity, to find something to do. Anything. Anything but stop, and just process Marian's death.

Now, he was struck by the actual, sheer horror of what had happened back there. The sheer depths of the utter lack of basic empathy Rapi had shown back then. Both in the lead-up to the action taken, and afterwards.

How differently would things have gone, how differently would he have treated Rapi, had he acknowledged the outright sociopathic display back then?

Would he still have been willing to extend his hand to her? Would he have been willing to defy her self-recrimination, accept her, and place his trust in her, come to appreciate, and even adore her regardless?

Was it a good thing that he'd engaged in what should have been a horribly unhealthy coping mechanism, given how positively it had affected his relationship with Rapi?

Would he have accepted her assertion that she was broken, a soulless weapon, had he done otherwise?

Upon further consideration… Had Rapi ever apologized? Had she ever actually acknowledged how cruel and unnecessary it was, to force him to be the one to finish off Marian?

"And she never apologized," Joe noted quietly, more to himself than anything, to really internalize that fact. Jesus fucking Christ, what the fuck.

As Joe had continued to experience a low-key breakdown, he was caught off-guard by the sensation of a pair of slim arms encircling him. Privaty, who had dutifully listened intently to the Commander as he'd started to ramble, had risen from her seat and marched around the small table to hug him.

The man just blinked owlishly, not quite processing the unexpected embrace.

Privaty, regardless, spoke up in a gentle tone. "You're a good man," she started, lightly stroking the back of his head, hand gliding along the length of his hair. "You're kind and… You didn't care, at all, that she was a Nikke?" She inquired somewhat anxiously.

"Of course not," Joe asserted, almost, but not quite pointedly given how fatigued he'd become. "She, like all Nikkes… Is a Goddess of Victory. We owe Nikkes everything. Anyone that denigrates our Goddesses are wretched scum. Nikkes deserve the absolute best, nothing less."

After a brief moment, Privaty let out a quiet, appraising hum. "You're a good man," she repeated herself, "She was lucky to have had you as a Commander."

Joe closed his eyes and took a deep breath—barely noticing the pleasant vanilla scent pervading Privaty's form given the situation. Marian was 'lucky' to have been with him, yet he felt like he didn't do anywhere near enough for her. He felt little more than intense regret, guilt, and longing when he thought of her.

Though, despite himself, the man could not help but feel no small amount of relief and comfort at the gentle, comforting affection he was being offered—so freely at that too.

This was only the third time Joe had met Privaty, yet, she was showing such a large degree of consideration for him. Despite all the teasing he'd done to her, she was going so far out of her way to give him help when he was in a bad place.

Despite the tsundere routine she'd put on most of the time, she was quite clearly a little sweetheart. "...You're nice," Joe remarked with no small amount of endearment in his tone.

Privaty stiffened at that, a bit overly quickly responding with: "S-so!? What is that supposed to mean!?"

Man, what a little goof. Joe's reply came by reaching up and returning her hug, which elicited a sharp inhale from the turquoise-haired counter-terrorism specialist.

"Thank you, Privaty," Joe said. "I've been letting this weigh on me for a while now. It's- It's not all better, but… Thank you, this helped." His voice was tinged with earnest appreciation.

Privaty was silent for a few moments, and when she did respond, she did so by tightening her hug, almost redoubling on the physical affection even as she declared: "D-don't get the wrong idea or anything…"

She protested despite her voice too being laced with flustered glee.

"Just… Smile more! Okay?" She demanded, clearly attempting to put on a harsh front which failed before how gently she continued to stroke the back of Joe's head.

At that, the Commander let himself smile a bit. She tried to act tough, but Privaty's concern shone through, showing that she was a lovely little thing with a bigger heart than she was willing to admit to having.

It was Privaty that spoke up next, as she peeled back with a flustered grimace. "L-look-" she started, only to jump as if struck when she saw the, however weary, smile on his face.

She hesitated, just staring at him for a moment before she seemed to catch herself, choking and letting out a strained attempt at a "Hmph!" As if to suggest this was a bother for her, however ineffectually.

"Go on," she continued, button nose held aloft in the air. "Pick up your coffee and let's go do something fun, you need to be better taken care of- I mean because I'm bored!"

At that, Joe couldn't help but chortle under his breath, not able to mask how damned much Privaty was making him grin.

The little tsundere in question grumbled at that, even as she buried her lower face in his scalp. "S-shut up, and stop dragging your feet! We have things to do!"

"Kind of hard to do when you won't let me go," Joe noted with a keenly amused chuckle as he drummed his fingers on her back for emphasis.

"As if! You won't let go of me!" Privaty protested as she tightened her grip around the man's shoulder and head, face still partially buried in his scalp. "Dummy, you're so difficult!"

What an idiot. Joe loved her.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 71 - Simple Boobery & A Firm Reminder
===

Privaty clung to Joe's arm, curled up and letting out a low, warbling whine.

The man was almost exasperated by how remarkably stereotypical the situation was.

The Commander had been dragged to a movie theatre, wherein the little blunette had insisted upon a horror movie. Or, rather, a 'horror' movie. It was some basic bitch stuff Joe was forgetting as he watched it.

It was doing the trick, though. Giving Privaty an excuse to do the 'scared girl clings to big strong man for safety' bit.

Not that Joe was complaining about that, he was typical enough that having a beautiful woman press her body into his was very buéno. It was just…

Rote, he supposed? It felt very… Off. Like this was a situation that didn't belong in this world. Mankind was on the losing side of a war of extinction… Joe had been witness to the horrors of that.

Yet, here he was, being made to watch a shitty b-grade horror movie at a public theatre so a pretty girl could do a stereotypical dating bit with him.

The disconnect was throwing him for a loop. Leaving him almost feeling like a passenger in his own body, as a dream he couldn't possibly have been actually experiencing happened around him.

What a curious sensation.

After that was done, Privaty pulled the wayward Canuck along to find somewhere to eat next. Preferably somewhere with 'stellar service,' as she put it.

Luckily, she'd heard good things about a particular location, and thus, quickly enough, Joe found himself looking up at the sign of a decently-sized, relatively high-traffic establishment. "'Maid for You?'" His brow furrowed at the implications.

Privaty wasn't about to drag him into a maid café, was she?

At any rate, the tiniest counter-terrorism specialist was quick to drag the man inside by the elbow. She hummed pleasantly as she glanced around the large, wide-open space that made up the building—quickly making note of the fact that it was one big open room.

The kitchen was clearly exposed to the main dining area, separated only by an island counter.

There was additionally a set of stairs leading up to a second floor, to which Joe could only just see what looked like curtains. A sort of performance area? The general atmosphere was quite welcoming and light, if nothing else.

Otherwise, there were a few other customers in the… Restaurant(?), happily digging into their dishes and-

"C-Commander!?" Anis, bereft of her typical heavy jacket and beret, cried out in open horror.

Joe blinked, shifting his attention to track the source of the voice, and indeed, finding the blonde with her hair worn in a messy bob seated at a small table on her own. She seemed to have just finished eating something, given the used plate and utensils set atop it.

Lips parting, he was about to respond to her, only for a door set in the wall next to the stairs to swing open, out of which stepped the platonic ideal of a traditional maid.

"Anis," the gorgeous woman called out. "Adjustments to your uniform are done. You may begin your shift now." She then took note of Joe and Privaty, curtsying to the pair and noting, "Welcome, Masters. We apologize for the delay and will be with you shortly."

All the colour rapidly faded from Anis' face, and with a rapidly rising blush, she rose from her seat and power-walked to the door the maid had stepped out of. Pointedly, she did not look Joe's way as she did so.

Of all the things the Commander had expected out of coming into this establishment, randomly discovering that Anis apparently moonlit as a maid café waitress was not one of them.

Least of all considering how the little shit hemmed and hawed about so much as cleaning up after herself at the outpost.

"Ah! Anis!" Another woman's voice called out, high-pitched, girly and excitable, the source was out of sight, and so Joe had no basis on which to describe her appearance… "Here! Let's get you dressed up in your new uniform! Let's get you out of those clothes then!"

Beyond the audibly lurid giggle that clearly originated from Anis, at least. Idly, the man recalled how blatantly Anis' eyes had been locked to Ludmilla's ass when they were following her back at the Northern Base.

So, whoever that other presumed employee was, she was probably Anis' type then. Probably a looker, to elicit such an unapologetically rakish response to the notion of being undressed by another woman.

…Was Anis just working here to get close to that chick?

No, doubtful, probably not. She didn't strike him as the sort to do that kind of thing. She was probably just picking up a side hustle for more pocket change.

At any rate, the maid that had called out to Anis approached Joe and Privaty with a small, but intensely genial and welcoming smile. "Hello, Masters," she started with a small, proper bow. "My name is Ade. Will you be dining with us this evening?"

Joe was making an effort to keep his eyes fixed on Ade's face, which admittedly wasn't particularly difficult given how much of a traditional beauty she was.

Long blond hair was tied up in a braid-encircled bun on the back of her head, her crown capped off with a typical frilly headband. Her bangs were parted in an elegant style, framing her fair-skinned, womanly face and olive green eyes in a very pleasing manner.

She wore simple, brass-framed glasses with a tasteful chain streaming off the frame and draping around her neck, yet only further adding to her dignified charm.

Why was Joe having to make an effort to keep focused on Ade's face? Because she was very well endowed, which her traditional, frilly, full-length and poofy-shouldered monochromatic dress did nothing to hide—this despite the outfit being very tastefully conservative in its design.

All-in-all, a very distractingly beautiful woman, to say the least. Made all the worse for Joe given that she looked to only be about 5'2"/158cm in three-inch/eight-centimetre heels.

Joe loved his shortstacks, and by God, were shortstacks distressingly common in the Ark for some blessed reason.

"Yes," Privaty answered for herself and Joe, wearing a broad, if somewhat strained smile as she did so. "That would be swell, thank you."

"Then allow me to show you to your table, Masters," Ade turned, gesturing for the pair to follow her with a surprisingly sophisticated motion.

As the duo did so, Joe grunted upon receiving a tiny elbow in the side. Privaty was giving him the stink-eye, lips pursed to the side in annoyance at some perceived slight. The man didn't know what was up with that, and quickly enough, Ade had them seated at a cutely decorated table.

Handing the two a pair of small menus, she declared: "The menu may be small, but I assure you, it's only so that each dish can be prepared with as much love and care as is deserving of our customers as possible. Please, take your time choosing, someone will be back to take your order shortly."

Flashing Joe and Privaty a brilliant, understated smile, Ade about-faced and went back the way she'd come, once more disappearing into the same door Anis had. Once she was gone, Privaty fixed Joe with a withering glower.

"W-what!?" He cried out, immediately feeling rather put-upon, to say the least.

"So you're into zeppelins, huh?" Privaty asked, projecting all of her apparent annoyance right at Joe's face.

"W-bwah?" Joe cried, recoiling in abject confusion as he reached up to set a hand on his head. "What the Hell is- Huh?"

"Oh, like I wouldn't notice!" Privaty started in an accusatory tone. "Blondes with big, heaving… Those!" She gestured in the general direction of her chest-

"Did you just refer to her breasts as zeppelins?" Joe leaned in, speaking under his breath to avoid making a scene and looking at Privaty like she was crazy.

"So you were looking!" The twintailed little lady suddenly leaned forward in her seat, seeing to bare her little teeth at the Commander as she did so. "I knew it!"

"First off, no I wasn't!" Joe started, "Second-"

"You were weren't looking!" He was cut off by the blunette, her hair bouncing around her figure as she did that sassy annoyed woman full body gesticulation thing. "You weren't not- You noticed!" She dramatically pointed at him.

"No shit I noticed! It's kind of difficult not to!" Joe asserted in his own defence, because good Lord woman, "You saw her too!"

"I-I only looked a bit!" Privaty suddenly leaned back defensively, as if attempting to avoid an oncoming jab in a boxing match. "T-they're huge- I mean I wasn't looking! She's pretty and her whole outfit is clearly designed to call attention to them! Not that I noticed!"

"Holy mackerel the projection is real!" Joe declared, throwing his arms out like a put-upon used car salesman. "Why are you getting mad at me for something you were doing!?"

"What the heck do fish have to do with this you weirdo!?" Privaty shot back, dramatically cocking her head at Joe and furrowing her brows over wide-open eyes. "What, you're comparing those artillery shells of hers to whales now? Do you ever not think about airbags!?"

"Why are you so hyper-fixated on her chest!?" Joe's expression grew increasingly dumbstruck and confused. "And why do you keep using such weird euphemisms to describe them-"

"I'm not 'hyper-fixated' on her gazongers!" Privaty defensively asserted. "What's so good about big balloons anyways!? They're huge and at first you're proud of them but then they get in the way and you have to dress around them and you get picked on and called 'top heavy' and you get asked if they're going to cause you to fail this training operation too-!"

She stopped, mouth hanging open mid-rant before her eyes opened to their maximum and her pupils constricted to tiny little mortified pinpricks.

"N-N-Not that I'd know anything about all of that!"

What was she- Privaty was visibly modestly endowed, where was this even coming from!?

"Privaty what the fuck are you talking about-!?" Joe started with overwhelmed exasperation, only to be cut off again.

"Excuse me, Masters," this time, by a small, tiny, and extremely derpy voice interrupted the pair's increasingly stupid and pointless argument. "Are your orders ready?"

Turning aside to the source of the voice, Joe paused and glanced down. Where Ade was a full-figured woman, this maid was tiny, small, an actual child. Long pink hair was up into thin twintails, adorned with a single, black bow planted dead centre of her forehead, and she was dressed in a cute, overly frilly maid's dress.

Her eyes, despite their impressive size, were heavily lidded in a lazy manner, causing the girl to project a very particular aura despite being just a small child.

Where Privaty had been growing increasingly feral but a moment ago, suddenly, she one-eightied and started to outright squeal in glee. "Ooooh, look at you! You're so cuuute!" She cooed gleefully, turning fully in her seat to cup her own cheeks and lean over to focus entirely on the tiny little maid.

"I know," the little girl replied matter-of-factually, her derpy voice only serving to punctuate her seeming self-assuredness. "I'm Cocoa, the perfect maid," she asserted with a little thumbs-up and a sparkle in her eyes. "Masters, are you ready to order?"

Privaty continued to gush over Cocoa for a few moments, rapidly clicking her heels on the fine panelled wood floor of the establishment in excitement. Eventually, she seemed to gather herself enough to reply. "What do you suggest, Cocoa?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Omurice!" Cocoa was quick to reply, "I draw the best ketchup pictures on omurice!"

"We'll take two omurices then!" Privaty leaned forward, smiling broadly as she presented two fingers and continued to coo over Cocoa with glee.

In reply, Cocoa sharply nodded once, furrowing her brow and presenting the blunette with a goofy little thumbs-up. "You'll have your omurice right away then, masters!"

With that, the tiniest maid about-faced and marched her tiny little legs to the kitchen in the back of the dining area. This suggested that she was going to prepare the food herself… Wasn't omurice actually supposed to be exceptionally difficult to do right-?

"Isn't she the cutest little thing?" Privaty to face Joe again, still gushing about Cocoa. "Ooh, I knew it was a good idea to come here!"

Blinking, Joe shrugged, "Yeah, sure," he noncommittally replied with a shrug. He didn't really have the paternal instincts that seemed to flare up whenever a lot of people set eyes on a kid. He was just indifferent towards them.

At that, Privaty gave the man a perplexed look. She seemed visibly confused for a few moments, but then shook her head as if to dismiss an errant thought. Shifting in her seat to properly face Joe again, she set her elbows on the table, and planted her chin in her hands.

"I can't say say this is what I expected when this place was recommended to me…" She said as she lightly cocked her head at the Commander, simply observing him now.

"Despite 'maid' literally being in the name?" Joe wondered with a popped brow, leaning back in his seat as he crossed his arms.

Privaty's eyes went wide as she, again, leaned back and grimaced. "T-that doesn't mean anything! Who would see that word being in a restaurant's name and assume that means it's staffed by maids!?"

"I did," Joe flatly noted, bemusement lacing his tone.

"T-that- Yeah right! Sure! Totally!" Privaty cried, attempting to project an air of doubt despite her rapidly mounting panic. "I believe you, for sure!"

God, what an idiot. Joe loved her.

Idly, the man patted his pants pocket to habitually adjust his phone—only to find that it was missing. Blinking, Joe immediately realized that he must have forgotten it back in his room. It was rare for him to do that.

While on the one hand, that could prove to be a problem, on the other, they were supposed to be on a break. So, it would probably be fine, right?

Yeah, it was probably nothing to worry about for now.

---

[Joe? Are you there? Where are you? I can't find you, Anis isn't responding either and my messages aren't even going through to Neon. Please respond.]

Rapi sent yet another text to the Commander, brows furrowed with intense anxiety and lips drawn into a heavy grimace.

She couldn't find him, despite going around almost the entire Outpost, and she was getting increasingly worried. She needed to stay by his side, that was her purpose. Why wasn't he responding to her? Was he mad? Was he ignoring her? Did he hate her-?

Breath hitching, Rapi clenched her teeth and firmly locked her eyes shut as she took a deep, bracing breath.

It was okay, it was fine. She just needed to make it up to him. She just needed to be there for him, and show that she would always be there for him. It was okay, it was fine. Words were meaningless, but actions meant everything, so he'd know, if she just stayed with him at all times, he'd know and forgive her and-

"Rapi?" The strawberry blonde was startled out of her stupor, a gentle hand setting itself on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Sharply turning to face the speaker, Rapunzel's big blue eyes were glimmering with unfettered worry and concern.

"Ah-" Rapi started, her voice hitching and breaking as she tried to collect herself. "I-I-"

After a few moments, Rapunzel's brow furrowed, and with determination etching across her features, she nodded, moving to pull Rapi along. "Come, let's find somewhere quiet to sit down and talk."

"N-no, it's fine-" Rapi started warily, "I-"

"No, it's clearly not fine, Rapi," Rapunzel asserted pointedly, continuing to pull her along. "Something is obviously bothering you, and I want you to at least try to talk to me about it. I know you would avoid acknowledging and discussing such things in the past… But things have to be different now."

Frowning, Rapi was immediately flashing back to the 'discussion' with Snow White. She didn't want to have to be subjected to that again. Being shouted at and reminded of how horrible she was, even as she was trying to make it better the only way she could…

Rapunzel stopped, stared at Rapi for a few long moments, before encircling her arms around the far smaller woman's figure, drawing her into a gentle embrace.

Blinking in surprise, Rapi's eyes darted about, not quite sure how to take this.

"Rapi," Rapunzel lightly squeezed her. "Whatever it is that's bothering you, I just want to help you. You're my sister, and while I understand that things are strange and perhaps a bit uncomfortable for you right now… I help the people I care about. Something is clearly terribly bothering you. Please, let me help."

There was a beat in which Rapi's breath hitched again. Eventually, she replied in a low, beaten-down voice: "You won't want to help once you know, just like Snow White…"

There was a very heavy pause, and, still being held in a tight embrace, Rapi felt a chill run down her spine as Rapunzel replied: "What do you mean by that?" Her typically sugary sweet voice taking on a sharp edge normally not present.

Rapi didn't respond, just going quiet as she suddenly felt a deep, terrifying worry as something deep inside of her was stirred, and felt as though a landmine had just gone 'click.'

"Rapi," Rapunzel repeated herself, squeezing the far shorter woman just a little bit harder. "What do you mean by that? What did Snow White do? What did she say to you?"

Somehow, despite Rapunzel being a big teddy bear, Rapi felt a distant emotion, a shadow of a forgotten memory launching a flare in desperation. Suddenly, Rapi remembered a fear of Rapunzel.

"Rapi," Rapunzel's voice became very, deeply stern. "What. Did. You. Mean. By. That?"

Somehow, Rapi felt terror.

For Snow White.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 72 - Raw Clown-to-Clown Communication
===

Joe finished polishing off the omurice that had been presented to them as though it were mana from the gods. It was… Fine. It would have been a lot better had it not had what seemed like an entire half a bottle of ketchup dumped on it, for sure.

Privaty finished forcing down her own plate—the sheer quantity of sweetened tomato sauce seeming to be a bit much for her as well.

Luckily, Cocoa hadn't stuck around to watch them eat, the other patrons needing to be tended to, so Joe didn't have to deal with Privaty probably getting mad at him for rightfully informing the little pinkette that sometimes, less is more.

Instead, after they'd finished and quietly exchanged some opinions on the meal they'd just shared, they were approached by a thoroughly put-upon Anis, all dolled up in her maid uniform.

On account of her typical mode of dress—that is to say, with her chest looking about ready to fall out of her frighteningly low-cut tank top, Joe would have expected Anis to be done up like a typical sexy anime maid.

Instead, she was wearing a dress that was little other than an even more plain version of what Ade wore. It was, honestly, nothing worth writing home about. Anis just looked like a normal, like, actual professional maid. Headband included.

"Uh," Anis started, making a point to not look directly at Joe. "So, uh, you done with that?" She lamely inquired as she pointed at the man's empty plate.

As Joe was about to respond, a girly cry of "Noooo! Aniiiis!" sounded out, followed by a series of loud, heeled footfalls-

And a crash that damn near took Anis down as well.

Shrieking as she barely caught herself atop the toes of a single foot—demonstrating the inhuman degree of control Nikkes had over their bodies in so doing—Anis balanced like a ballerina might mid-dance, with a leg outstretched to counter the weight of her torso being almost parallel to the ground, backwards.

Impressively, Anis was settled back atop both of her feet in a display that actually garnered claps from the other patrons. That, along with some lighthearted chuckling, and even coos of endearment at the tableau playing out before Joe and Privaty's table.

One might've expected a degree of concern, rather than amused laughter, given how hard the other girl just ate hard shit on the floor while Anis only just barely avoided joining her. Yet-

"Ohmygosh, are you okay!?" Privaty was quick to rise to her feet and stoop over, clearly aiming to help the yet-unidentified maid up.

"-Anis!" The new girl cried out as she inelegantly stumbled to her feet before Privaty could set hands on her, however. "You're supposed to say: 'hello Masters! I'm so happy you came to visit us today! Was your meal positively scrum-diddly-umptious? What would our beloved Masters like for dessert?'"

HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY.

The newest maid, in sharp contrast to Ade, Cocoa, and Anis was, shockingly, actually dressed in the skimpy anime maid dress Joe had low-key expected from Anis. This would have been noteworthy on its own, yes, but pretty girls were common enough in the Ark for such to have become a somewhat unremarkable sight.

She had long, flowing pale green hair—very nearly green-tinted platinum blonde it was so light—tied up in cute, messy loops atop a pair of streaming thin twintails.

Her crown was naturally adorned with a set of antennae-like ahoge whose tips intersected to form the outline of a cartoon heart over her brow. Said brow itself was accentuated by blunt, neatly-trimmed bangs.

Yet this was not the most noteworthy aspect of her appearance.

She had large, sweetly glimmering, downright arresting magenta eyes, framed with thick lashes which came to a gentle, downwards slope that presented a kindly air about the girl. Her fair-skinned, soft features only further impressed upon the observer the suggestion that she could only be a sweetheart of a lass.

This too, was far from the most striking thing about her looks. Rather, what stuck out about her most aside from her top-tier beauty…

Was the fact that, despite being about Privaty's diminutive height, her chest rivalled Rapunzel's in how each were the size of her head.

To say nothing of how her shirt was DANGEROUSLY low cut to the point where Joe was genuinely shocked that nothing was peeking out over the rim of the fabric, yet at the same time, it was clearly under-sized given how she wasn't just spilling out over the hem of the top, but the buttons, the poor two buttons holding what looked to be a button-down tube top shut were dying.

The strain, the strain on her buttons was ruinous. They were about to fail, they were visibly about to fail, Joe was about to watch this poor woman's top explode off of her and see her endowments just flop out in front of the entire goddamned establishment and how hadn't they already popped out just from that horrid crash to the floor?

She'd landed flat on her face—or as flatly as a woman as intensely well-endowed as she was could—that shirt shouldn't have been able to contain such an accident! How was it still holding up!? Holy shit-

"N-no!" Anis protested, grimacing as she continued to not look Joe's way. "H-He's-"

"Anis!"

The stacked and skimpily-dressed verdette leaned over in a motion which really should have defeated her minuscule and entirely unsupported top.

"Being a maid means always being considerate and welcoming to all our patrons! No matter who they are! You signed up for the job, you must have wanted to smile for customers and make their day, right?" She inquired with an innocent smile which so terribly ill-suited her manner of dress.

"B-But, Soda, he's my Commander!" Anis cried under her breath, her face rapidly turning the colour of the ketchup Cocoa had put way too much of on Joe and Privaty's omurice. "I-I live with him and have to see him every day and-"

"He's your-" The verdette, evidently and shockingly appropriately dubbed 'Soda' given Anis' possible interest started, turning to examine Joe for the first time. "Oh, oh! Oh wow! You weren't kidding! He really is handsome!" Soda declared.

While Anis looked like she wanted to die, Joe rather suddenly felt as though he were in danger. Yet, not seeming to sense the same peril, Soda simply continued on unabated.

"But you said he always looked kinda mean and scary even though he's 'actually super nice,' Anis! He just looks like a big ol' surprised lion! Like a big cartoon kitty cat!" Soda chortled cutely. "Well, if you're friends with him, that should mean you're already comfortable around him, right? So go ahead! It should be easy for you to be a proper maid for him!"

Joe could barely remember the last time he was compared to a lion in appearance. Was it the scowl? It was probably the scowl. It wasn't his fault his face was born like that! His resting bitch face was genetic, damn it!

She circled back around Anis, and gave the beleaguered blonde a light, encouraging push on the back, as if urging her onward.

Anis, for her part, very clearly rued the fact that Joe, of all people, was her first customer. Likely for a number of reasons. Including those relating to the fact that getting her to simply clean up after herself back at the Command Centre was akin to pulling teeth.

He was going to remember this the next time she tried to bitch and cry about tossing her empty cans in the trash, and not leaving her used socks draped out over the TV for some demented reason.

At any rate, Anis grimaced, even as she attempted to press it down and present a strained smile of pain to Joe and Privaty. She assumed a far more girly stance than was usual for her, bringing her knees together, heels apart, and keeping her elbows locked at her side as she lifted her hands, she…

"H-h-h-hello, M-Masters," She tried her best. "Y-you… Are you done with your meals?"

"Yes," Privaty declared for the both of them, having since returned to her seat. "If you'd please clear the table for us?" She asked quite prettily in a way that redoubled Joe's feeling of being in imminent danger.

"Y-yes, Masters," Anis shakily stuttered out, ears and cheeks tinged red with embarrassment as she scooped up the plates and rapidly about-faced to rush to the kitchen area—catching a stray encouraging thumbs-up from Soda as she did so. Soda was quick to follow the blonde, rapidly leaving Joe and Privaty alone again.

Privaty's head whipped around quickly enough that Joe was genuinely shocked the motion hadn't produced an audible 'snap.' Further, the glower she presented to him could melt steel.

"I-I didn'-t-" Joe started in a feeble attempt to defend himself, because, no, yeah, he'd just out-and-out stared, since, well, holy shit.

"Don't you dare act like you weren't looking hard enough to notice the beauty mark on her mondo sweater puppies!" Privaty immediately and furiously snapped at him under her breath.

-Wait, "Wha- there was a beauty mark-?" Joe started, genuinely surprised.

"I knew you were looking!" Privaty immediately snapped forward, setting her palms on the table as she shot daggers at the man with her big, golden eyes. "I knew it! You're all obsessed with big, bouncy, back-breaking badonkers to notice something like that, aren't you!?" She demanded of him, under her breath, of course, lest she make a scene.

Joe recoiled, leaning back, so pressed that it didn't occur to him to note that it was Privaty that had been looking closely enough to notice that. "I didn't even-!"

"Just admit it! Admit that you're a big boob lover! You... You milk cannon fanatic!" Privaty demanded of the man, her eyes having a… Some kind of glint to them he couldn't quite parse. "I bet you'd go nuts if you saw me dressed like that and I had big jello boulders ready to fall out of my top like that, wouldn't you!"

Did she just call them fucking 'milk cannons' and 'jello boulders' then just move on from that without missing a beat, what the fuck Privaty?

Immediately distracting him that from, however, the Commander was almost sure for a split second that the glint in Privaty's eye as she made that accusatory inquisition was one of almost desperate anticipation, but what kind of sense would that make?

"Why are you so fixated on this!?" Joe demanded of her in turn, leaning forward and straining to keep his voice low, even despite his mounting stress. "Would you chill? It's not my fault she's dressed so provocatively-!"

"So you do find that tiny skirt of hers provocative!" Privaty declared with wide eyes. "You admit it then! You'd kill to see me dressed like that with my big honkers- I mean my gazongers aren't big! I'm not hiding anything under my shirt! Shut up!" She demanded of him.

The twintailed blunette dropped back into her seat and, as though hiding something and with a scandalized expression, encircled her arms over her, again, visibly modest chest.

"Privaty what the fuck are you talking about!?" Joe, once again, demanded of her in turn.

"You're the one that suddenly brought up my chest!" Privaty cried in horror.

"No I- You did- What the fuck are you-!?"

"You were thinking about how big my jiggle-jogglers are! I mean they aren't big! I don't have anything to hide, stop looking!" Privaty commanded him, despite the fact that he wasn't.

"Privaty, what the fuck are you talking about!?"

The two's idiotic argument was cut short by Anis warily approaching the table again, clearly put-off by how the pair seemed to be bickering under their breath. This time, she was holding another plate, this one with a big, perfectly-formed scoop of decorated ice cream resting atop it.

Once more, Soda was following shortly behind her, giving her encouraging little back-taps and smiles.

"Uh-um, your Commander appreciation dessert…" Anis grumbled quietly.

"Anis!" Soda started with a whine. "You need to cast the magic spell on it!"

"Please God no…" Anis also whined, looking as though she'd been ordered to walk the plank.

"Aniiiis," Soda doubled down on the whine, lightly pushing on Anis' back, as though encouraging a nervous child to jump in a swimming pool for the first time.

Joe just stared at Anis.

Anis just stared at Joe.

After a moment, Anis braced herself, swallowed her pride and shame in equal measure, and-

"Become super delicious!" Anis suddenly struck a magical girl pose. "Coochie, woochie, coo!" She finished by holding her arms at their full extension, framing the ice cream scoop with her fingers encircled around it in the shape of a heart, her expression…

Was actually quite lovely. Anis, holy shit, actually had a really nice smile. Like, oh shit, wait, since when was she so pretty, what the Hell, where did Joe's weirdo girlsmell gremlin go, why was his heart skipping a beat seeing her eyes sparkle like that? Wha-

While Soda clapped excitedly and cheered Anis on, the blonde just covered her face, lightly cried in dismay into her hands, and spun on her heel to flee the scene of her own self-immolation.

Soda wiped out trying to go after her, but quickly recovered, somehow still not having popped out of her undersized and horribly strained top despite the hard tumble. She speedily continued off after Anis, trying to encourage her all the while.

After a few moments, Privaty took a shallow, bracing breath, and said: "...So, that's your subordinate?" She inquired.

"Uh," Joe shifted to refocus on the twintailed blunette. "Yeah."

There was a small pause before she continued. "She seems nice," Privaty noted with a little, appreciative smile.

"...Yeah, she can be pretty nice," Joe reflected on how Anis had made a point to wait for him to wake up, while he was out in the Northern Base after he got hurt. The understated way in which she established that she had his back, and would stick by his side if Rapi couldn't for some reason. "I know I can trust her when shit goes down, even if she can be a bit of a head-ass at times."

"Mm…" Privaty hummed in consideration of his point.

After a few moments, Joe noticed that she was focusing—intentionally or not—upon the ice cream. With a small smirk, he reached out, and pushed the dish closer to her.

The little lady's eyes went wide at the gesture, and Joe simply instructed her "Go on," he offered it to her.

"B-but it's for you," Privaty asserted, seemingly genuinely surprised. "Since you're a Commander…"

"And it'd make me happier to see you enjoy it than eating it myself," the man asserted honestly. He liked ice cream well enough, but he liked seeing pretty girls smile more.

There was a beat in which Privaty started to blush again, but, rather than get defensive or grumble or growl, she accepted the dessert with a small, strained 'thank you,' and dug into it with the tiny provided spoon.

Rather quickly, her expression brightened up, clearly enjoying the ice cream, Privaty wound up entirely absorbed in the sweet treat.

Today wasn't such a bad day, really.

---

Joe and Privaty parted ways once it was time for him to return to the Outpost. She seemed a little expectant of something, and annoyed for a moment when the man started off for the elevator.

She didn't press anything, and demanded that he not worry about it as she about-faced and started off on her own in an aggravated huff.

It was a fine outing at any rate, and Joe was becoming increasingly glad that he seemed to have a good friend in the little, somewhat temperamental and kind of endearingly dumb beauty.

Quickly enough, he found himself stepping back into the Outpost, and with his hands deposited into his pockets, he ambled on to the Command Centre.

He blinked in some small measure of surprise upon spotting an out-of-place white blob next to the front entrance. Then, upon getting closer, he was able to make out that it was Snow White. Kneeling next to the front doors, eyes firmly locked on the ground in front of her.

Joe blinked once more, this time quite owlishly… Then, he noticed the sign hanging around her neck declaring 'I acted inconsiderately of others circumstances and behaved the part of a mean-spirited, immature child despite my age.'

The Commander had stopped, and just stared blankly at the Nikke, who shamefully kept her gaze fixed on the ground, expression heavily strained in equal parts fear and dismay.

There was a beat before Joe just marched into the front doors, calling out: "What did she do!?" He immediately recalled a few specific moments from their past together aboard the Avenger, the few rare moments wherein Rapunzel got genuinely mad.

He noticed, but didn't acknowledge the way Snow White flinched at his words. Snow White was usually pretty cool, but when she fucked up, she had a tendency to fuck up.

He could only imagine what had happened to warrant Rapunzel going full pissed-off Italian Catholic nun on her.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 73 - Reassurance and Affirmation
===

Some time later, Joe was alone in his sparsely-decorated office, elbows set on his desk and face buried in his hands.

Though he had attempted to press for details on what exactly Snow White had done to warrant public shaming… Rapunzel categorically refused to spill the beans.

The statuesque blonde had asserted that it was ultimately Rapi's tale to tell, such as it was. Little surprise then, that Rapi instantly clammed up and refused to speak on the matter.

So, it was all Joe could do to assure Rapi that she could tell him anything, then return to his room to decompress and pointedly focus on other things.

As deeply annoyed as Joe was by all this interpersonal shit just continuing to not be straightforward, forcing things would probably not be wise.

Doubly so if even Rapunzel wasn't able to work things out before he got involved.

While Joe was quietly ruminating upon the fact that things had an uncomfortable amount of room for improvement, his phone started ringing, catching his attention at the reminder that he'd forgotten it earlier.

Rising from his swivelling office chair, the man power-walked into his generally starkly spartan bedroom, finding the device laying on the nightstand upon which his sword leaned; right next to Marian's ID tag, as was usual.

Given that it was flagged as a call from Elysion's CEO, he was quick to scoop the device up and answer.

"Ingrid," he acknowledged her by way of greeting.

"Syuen noticed that Wardress is gone, and is more than a little upset that you took them from her," the militaristic woman declared, cutting right to business.

"I've pointed out how she directly gave her permission for you to claim them, and cited previous deals made in the same vein—at her insistence—as precedent for it being a binding agreement. Needless to say: she is furious."

"As expected," Joe declared as he ambled over to the bedroom window, gazing out and looking over the Outpost, catching sight of Cinderella and Scarlet interacting with Liter's bright yellow and white robo-dog, Volt. "You think this could become a problem?"

"Yes and no," Ingrid asserted simply. "No, in that Syuen isn't going to do anything so overtly combative or antagonistic that it would warrant direct retribution from Elysion."

"Yes, in that Syuen will bend over backwards to cause a multitude of minor inconveniences and general difficulties for us in the long term."

"If she can't get her pound of flesh, she'll find a way to take it in slivers regardless?" Joe inquired as he popped an eyebrow at the sight of Cinderella lifting Scarlet's enormous conical hat off her head…

To throw said hat like a frisbee, which Volt—and Scarlet—immediately desperately dead-sprinted down the street in pursuit of.

"Absolutely," Ingrid said plainly. "She's felt more than a little slighted by having been ghosted by you as it was. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she actually gets a little brazen about getting back at you over all of this."

"It would be best to avoid risking possible and serious fights with Missilis," Joe noted as he set his free hand in his pocket.

"An understandable concern," Ingrid replied. "I'm not entirely sure what you could do, short of returning Wardress to her, though."

Joe paused and considered that for a moment, his mind drifting back to the extensive number of text messages he'd received from Syuen after she'd attempted to entice him to work for her rather than Ingrid.

"What if I offered to do a job for her?" Joe suggested, watching Scarlet rush to catch a surprisingly slippery Volt, the robo-dog having caught and claimed her hat.

Impressive on Scarlet's part, really, considering the swordswoman was apparently quite hungover.

"Hm…" Ingrid audibly pondered the suggestion. "She did previously establish that she wanted you in her pocket. I trust you wouldn't be so foolish as to just blindly agree to whatever demands she might make of you?"

"I would demand nothing less than a full—meaning very in-depth—briefing before I actually agreed to do anything," the Commander declared.

The corners of his lips curled upwards as Volt tripped over Scarlet's hat and tumbled ass-over-teakettle.

This granted Scarlet the opportunity to snatch her hat back up, to which she immediately began to advance upon Cinderella.

The twintailed silverette took off the moment the show was over, Volt being hot on Scarlet's heels in turn, leaping up and nipping at the rim of her great hat all the while.

Two of the most powerful warriors to have ever lived in Earth's history. Peak performance at play down there.

"As long as we don't wind up with a repeat of the Chatterbox situation, then I'll officially clear you to extend an offer for another joint operation," Ingrid informed the displaced Canadian.

"Just keep your wits about you and don't be stupid."

"Like I said," Joe started, "I'm not setting anything in stone with her unless she sets all her cards on the table beforehand," he assured the stern brunette.

"I'll give you leave to handle that, then," Ingrid said. "We'll discuss team composition once we have details on the operation-to-be, assuming Syuen even agrees to it in the first place."

"Understood," Joe nodded as he backed away from the window, no longer seeing much else of particular note going on in the Outpost, apart from Cinderella and Scarlet's tomfoolery.

"Give me updates as they come, Commander." With that, Ingrid closed the line on her end, and Joe followed suit.

He stared at the device quietly, dreading the notion of opening contact with the CEO of Missilis again, but… It was as he said: best to avoid the risk of her getting vindictive and causing problems down the line.

So, Joe opened his text window with Syuen—And balked at the sheer fucking amount of texts he'd received from her since he'd muted her. Sweet mother of all that is good and holy, the scroll bar was minuscule.

Though he was tempted to scroll up and read through them all, something told Joe that there was nothing positive to gain in doing so. Especially considering how venomous even the most recent ones on-screen were.

Instead, he just unmuted the little twerp, and sent her a single message.

[Syuen.]

Closing his eyes and bracing himself, Joe wiped at his forehead with the back of his forearm, more as a calming motion than anything-

His phone rapidly chirped three alerts to him back-to-back as he stood there quietly.

After taking a moment to rue the life choices that led Joe to this moment, he lifted the phone to embrace his duty, such as it was.

[THE NERVE.]

[(MESSAGE REDACTED FOR EXCESSIVELY CRUDE LANGUAGE)]

[(MESSAGE REDACTED FOR EXCESSIVELY CRUDE LANGUAGE)]

Yeah, that figured. It was time for Joe to actually flex his mental muscles and put his brain to work.

[Given that you were generous enough to allow me to take command of Wardress after Ingrid relayed my request,] Joe opened with a considered fib, deliberately seeking to mislead and misdirect the immature little shit. [It would only be appropriate for me to formally extend an offer of cooperation to return your gesture of goodwill.]

Joe started back off for his office chair, passing through the open door into the main office space and dropping into his seat with a heavy sigh.

After a good minute, Syuen responded. [That's right, a show of gratitude would be appropriate given my magnanimity on this matter.]

Hook, line, and sinker.

Syuen continued. [So you've finally come to your senses and see the benefits of cooperating with Missilis. Excellent. Everybody always comes around eventually.]

Rolling his eyes, Joe responded. [I'm only extending an offer for one joint operation.]

Syuen's reply came quickly. [For now.]

Joe could hear the smug on her face as she typed that out, and boy howdy, was it grating on him. But, as it was, giving the little shit a win would be wise. [Do you have a mission you'd like to have done, then?]

[Yes,] the CEO of Missilis rapidly answered. [I'll give you the details in person, after you've signed an NDA, of course. Can't risk having one of Ingrid's favourites leaking Missilis secrets to her, after all.]

[Of course,] Joe allowed it with a small grimace. Basic OPSEC wasn't entirely lost on her, it seemed.

[I'll let you know when to come to Missilis HQ for your briefing,] Syuen noted with palpable smugness. [Except a call within the next few days.]

[Duly noted,] Joe responded, which seemed to be the end of that exchange.

Leaning back in his seat, the man groaned deeply as he covered his eyes and set his phone down. If it wasn't one thing, then it really was another in the steaming shithole that was the Ark.

With nothing else immediately claiming his time, Joe simply remained where he was seated… And sat there.

He didn't think. He didn't ponder. He didn't plan, or consider his recent interactions with anyone. He didn't think about playing video games. He didn't put on any music. He just sat there, in his silent room, doing absolutely nothing. Blankly staring into the aether, Joe just sat there.

The man remained in dead, oppressive silence for a good, long while. Until Rapi eventually ambled into the room, pausing to gaze upon the Commander with a degree of concern. "...Joe?" She started.

He remained silent, gaze unfocused, unresponsive.

With no small amount of concern, Rapi immediately started towards him, reaching out and repeating herself: "Joe?" She settled a hand on the transition between his neck and shoulder.

He jumped, eyes going wide and snapping to the blonde. "Ah-" Joe paused, blinking and rapidly shaking his head. "Y-yeah? What?" He seemingly attempted to brush off how he was just… Vegetating.

Rapi didn't know what to do about this. Clearly, something was bothering him. Severely. Yet, what was she supposed to do about that?

She couldn't talk to him, she was terrible at talking about things. She didn't know where to begin, how to speak with him, what to do…

So, after a few moments, she simply leaned over and drew him into a hug.

Holding him for a few moments, Rapi wasn't sure what else to do to comfort him, and so, she could only hope this would help him, somehow.

There was a beat in which nothing happened.

Anxiety spiked when Joe started to stand from his seat, despite Rapi having still been holding onto him.

At once, thoughts of him pushing her off, and being distant and cold because of what she'd done came to mind. Terror, the idea of rejection dug into her chest, and she almost started to panic as he rose too high for her to hold on-

Only for the man to encircle his arms around the little Nikke's shoulders. He reached up and settled a hand on the back of her head, as he held onto her himself.

Relief washed over Rapi like a wave, and after an instant of dumbstruck surprise, she wrapped her arms around his midsection to redouble the embrace. A shuddering sigh slipped past her lips, and she squeezed the much larger figure gently.

She, feeling an intense urge to, uttered, "Thank you," The return of affection, despite all she'd done wrong, hitting her in a deep way she couldn't quite place.

"You're precious, Rapi," Joe assured the little woman, sighing deeply as, despite everything, he knew that she clearly cared—despite how… Cold she could seem. She was awkward, clearly, but that just didn't matter compared to her making an effort to demonstrate concern. "You don't have to-"

"No…!" Rapi shook her head, burying her face into Joe's chest, some distant, deep-seated emotion with no clear memory associated with it triggered by the exchange, by everything that had just happened. "I- I-!"

Her breath hitched, and she began to tremble from head-to-toe.

"I- I- Joe…!" She grit her teeth, trying to fight down the emotions, the anxiety demanding that she just stop. It just made it worse.

It just made it worse when she tried to apologize. When she asked what she'd done wrong. It just made it worse when she asked what she could do. It just made it worse.

She just had to be better, she just had to do better. He'd hate her if she spoke, if she tried to apologize. If she showed her pain, if she cried, or even so much as sobbed.

She didn't know why. She just… Knew. She was certain. It had happened before: not with Joe, not with Goddess, but, it had happened. It was the truth. She couldn't remember how she knew, she just did.

But. Joe wasn't like that. He wasn't, he wouldn't be. How could she put that on him? How dare she?

So, Rapi fought the anxiety down, she assaulted and beat it into submission, as best she could. And, with terrible effort, finally… "…I'm… I-I-!" She grit her teeth, and with a great effort, she half-whispered, "...I'm sorry…!"

Joe could sense how intensely difficult saying that had been for Rapi. At once, he knew she must have been apologizing for Marian. What else would she have to apologize for?

Even as Red Hood, back aboard the Avenger, Rapi was horrendous at addressing things like this. She either didn't acknowledge it at all, or went way overboard and proceeded to fall into the metaphorical cake, so to speak.

So, she did realize how cruel it had been, to force him to be the one to shoot Marian, when Anis would have done it to spare him the pain.

She realized it, and, ultimately still being Red Hood at the end of the day, she remained herself and fucked it up. She should have said something, but avoided doing so, because…

Well, because she was an idiot.

Shit, was Rapi still an idiot, but just not an explosive one, as she used to be? That thought had never occurred to Joe, but, it would make sense, wouldn't it?

Or maybe Red Hood was smarter than she seemed, but never let it show, or was so id-driven that it completely suppressed her actual intelligence?

Well, regardless, in response, Joe simply drew Rapi in closer, and started to stroke her hair. "It's okay," he assured her.

Then, another thought occurred to him. From Joe's perspective, he didn't like saying 'I forgive you.'

Not because he didn't like forgiving people, but because it just felt… Arrogant. Just letting things slide, saying it was 'alright,' or that they 'were cool,' felt less holier-than-thou to the man's sensibilities.

But, given how unexpectedly strongly Rapi seemed to feel about this, it would probably be best to just say it for her sake.

"I forgive you, Rapi," he said in as soothing a tone as he could manage, holding onto her tightly for emphasis. "And, so much more importantly, never forget that I cherish you. Okay?"

Her breath hitching, Rapi's trembling intensified, and she let out a shuddering whine. She attempted to bury her face even deeper into Joe's chest, and she repeated herself with mounting desperation despite her continued whisper: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Joe felt like he was being stabbed in the heart. First, because of how pitifully vulnerable Rapi was coming across, despite being among the most powerful women to have ever lived in the world's history.

Secondly, because of how he'd mused on how Rapi had never apologized for what happened with Marian. For wondering, even if not directly, if she was even sorry in the first place.

He should have known better. Rapi wasn't heartless. She was just ruinously awkward and difficult to read. Too direct, overly harsh, but not cruel.

He would have apologized to Rapi in turn, right then and there, but he could tell that she was terribly overwhelmed as it was, and didn't need that added onto her current emotional load.

Besides, it wasn't as though he'd said anything about what happened with Marian directly. It was hardly as though he'd openly questioned her consideration for him to her. An apology from him would be more for his own sake than hers.

So, he'd let that sleeping dog lay. It didn't need to be stirred, Rapi didn't need to know that Joe had doubted her, for even a moment. He trusted her, he knew she'd always be there, right by his side, even if she would probably be a complete caveman about it sometimes.

Though, it wasn't as though the same couldn't be said about him, right? Joe knew himself well. There was a reason he got along with the Rapi of a century ago as he had. They were both kind of dumbasses, at the end of the day.

If nothing else, Joe had a far, far better handle on emotions and how to conduct oneself in regards to them compared to Rapi.

So, rather than freezing up, panicking, or otherwise losing his cool at Rapi's emotional outburst, he just leaned in, did all he could to draw her in closer, and continued to stroke her hair. Make it clear that she was wanted and adored with physical affection.

He wasn't entirely sure if it worked, but, he continued to quietly assure her regardless. "It's alright. It's okay, Rapi. It's okay."

The pair remained like that for some time, nothing demanding either of them for the rest of the day. Joe, in all honesty, wasn't at all bothered by comforting Rapi.

If anybody in the world deserved it, after all, it was her.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 74 - All You Can Be
===

After she calmed down, Joe said his good-nights to Rapi and headed to his room to let her see herself out. The following day, the man stirred from sleep.

Said sleep had done little to rejuvenate him in the wake of recent events.

He kept his eyes shut, sighing as he confirmed that he'd fallen onto bed and passed out without getting properly undressed first. Might've contributed to his shitty night.

As much as the man would have loved to just remain where he was, and hopefully slip back into unconsciousness, his brain began to spool up.

As waking thoughts began to assert themselves in his mind's eye, he started to turn over to-

Hear a soft, protesting whine at the motion of the bed being disturbed.

Eyes slamming open, Joe was immediately confronted by the sight of Rapi, curled up right next to him, similarly atop the sheets and nearly fully-dressed like him.

Where the Commander had slipped back into wakefulness, the little blonde slept with what looked to be utter contentment.

She lay there, little other than her lips and eyelids slightly trembling in the midst of what must have been a fairly fierce dream, given the slight, almost inaudible vocalizations she periodically produced.

At once, Joe's mind flashed back with significant intensity to their time together in Goddess. All the times he'd awake to Red Hood, having crawled into his bed and under the covers to startle him awake with shamelessly rakish intent.

Rapi didn't actually leave the previous night, after Joe wished her pleasant dreams and proceeded to pass out the moment he laid down—just to collect himself before actually going to sleep, he'd assured himself.

She had, in fact, fallen back upon old habits from a far and away lifetime instead.

Back then, this was a particular bedbug Joe didn't mind getting nipped by. But now?

What was she doing? Was this her deliberately enticing him? Was she trying to signal to him that she wanted a return to that?

But she'd clearly only spent the night there. She'd laid down and gone to sleep alongside him without doing anything.

Did she, rather, want something deeper than what they'd had a century prior? Did she want him, but this time, in a meaningful manner?

Heart skipping a beat, at the thought of entwining their fingers together, Joe's breath hitched at the image of being romantically intimate with Rapi. Of sharing a bed with her every night. Of-

His attention, his mind's eye, drifted to Marian's I.D. on the nightstand beside him.

The man started to rapidly shift into panic mode. Self-defence mechanisms kicked in, and attempted to silence, to at least muffle such thoughts and related considerations.

Here. Now. The Raptures. Him. His title. Who he was. Who he needed to be.

He was the Legendary Commander. That's who he was, that's who he needed to be.

He couldn't afford to waste time on anything else. He couldn't afford such dalliances. Not when he didn't focus enough back then.

Not when he'd already failed humanity once before. Not when his not taking his duty seriously enough is what caused almost the entirety of humanity to fall. Not when this weight was placed on his shoulders again. Not-

Rapi let out a grumbling sigh, reaching up to rub at her eyes as she stirred heavily, groaning and wordlessly complaining about the need to wake, as she always would back then. She lifted her head without opening her eyes, whining as wakefulness too, dug its claws into her.

Plonking her head back down, her eyes drifted open, then slammed open as widely as Joe's had.

Joe and Rapi's gazes met. Rapi, clearly, was just as caught off-guard as he was.

There was a beat in which the pair just stared at each other.

Then at once, they each rolled in opposite directions, very literally leaping to their feet on the flanks of the bed as though their lives depended on it.

"I-" Rapi cried out, only for her voice to catch in her throat.

"I-" Joe started as well, only to similarly fumble over his own breath and choke.

There was a long, stifling pause as neither of the two seemed to be able to find the words to address the other.

Utter, oppressive silence filled the room, until Rapi suddenly started off for the door. "I-I'm going to go do maintenance on my gear!"

"Okay," Joe shot back without missing a beat, the two pointedly not looking each other's way as Rapi power-walked off.

Rapi quickly zoomed through the apartment space, and out the hallway door. She power walked up to the elevator, reaching out to hit the button to call it-

Only to pause, brain glitching as she noticed that it was already making its way up to the current floor.

For a moment, the blonde just stared, then her mind kicked into overdrive, and was horrified by the notion of someone catching her leaving Joe's room first thing in the morning.

Still dressed in the same clothes she'd been wearing the previous night, hair a mess, and having no reasonable explanation for why she'd laid down next to Joe once she'd noticed he'd immediately fallen asleep.

She didn't want to leave after he'd finished comforting her. She didn't want it to end. She just wanted to make sure he didn't have any nightmares. She was just worried about him. She just wanted to make sure he slept soundly and safely.

He looked so miserable all the time, despite her memories from Goddess revealing to her how broadly he could smile, how brightly his eyes could shine. She wasn't doing enough. She clearly wasn't doing enough.

She wanted to be able to be there for him, she wanted to be with him all the time, so he'd never be alone.

But she'd be criticized for that. After all she'd done, where did she get off? Who did she think she was? By what right did she presume to be with him?

So, Rapi leapt for the door leading to the stairwell, and started bounding down them to avoid being caught.

Back in his room, Joe had retreated to the bathroom to wash his face with cold water. He did his level best to just not think about the fact that Rapi had, rather than leave, snuggled up next to him the previous night.

Just don't. Just don't. The here and now. His job, his duty. That was all that mattered, that was all that could matter. He couldn't afford to entertain the notion of relationships.

So, just-

A knock from the front caught his attention, followed by a call out.

"Joe?" Cinderella's voice carried into the washroom, and upon finishing drying his face, he ambled out to greet her.

The man was met by not only Cinderella carrying a tray bearing a pair of steaming bowls, but by the silverette wearing a new outfit.

Cinderella was no longer in her incredibly revealing, skin-tight, half-transparent bodysuit.

Instead, she was wearing a simple, perilously low-cut white sundress, adorned with little other than a white ribbon nestled just beneath her bosom, and a simple pattern of four, evenly-spaced black Petrine crosses along the hem of the skirt.

A white choker encircled her neck, alongside a more traditional ivory chain necklace and a ribbon strip which plunged deep into her cleavage.

Another length of ribbon encircled her right leg, just tightly enough to produce noticeable thigh squish. It trailed from all the way up to where a thigh-high stocking would terminate, all the way down to her ankle.

The most ostentatious aspect of her attire was, intensely prominent cleavage aside, her 'glass slippers.'

Because of course, Cinderella would gleefully adorn a set of transparent, about three-inch high-heels at the first opportunity.

A thoroughly simple outfit compared to what she typically wore—though the get-up's simplicity still only worked in her favour. Complimentary, yet not distracting from her own beauty. In a word: perfection.

"Do you find my new attire agreeable?" Cinderella inquired, lightly cocking her head at Joe, still holding the tray with a small, anticipatory smile.

"Jesus fucking Christ, you're resplendent," the man breathlessly, yet immediately shot back with unabashed awe, legitimately struck dumb by the reminder of just how pretty the woman was.

The part where he got embarrassed for expressing as much didn't even come, because what had he said besides the plain truth?

For her part, Cinderella's smile turned ruinously smug. That smile, that damned smile. She'd inherited it from her father, and good Lord was it dangerous to be caught in its area of effect.

Needless to say, Joe gawked like a smitten teenager, while Cinderella shamelessly basked in his deer-in-headlights stare. After a moment, she ambled towards his desk, gracefully setting the tray down.

Then, she stepped back from the surface again, and upon meeting Joe's eyes-

The Commander hurked and nearly lost his footing as Cinderella spun atop her toes—her twintails and the hem of her skirt flaring out at the motion most dangerously.

Noting that her underwear was incredibly scanty might've been in poor taste, were she not making it very clear that she wanted as much to be known. You could tell that she was Andersen's daughter every time she shamelessly, pridefully flaunted her body like that.

While Joe braced himself against the washroom door frame, Cinderella just presented that striking smile that dripped in self-assured endearment to him.

"We all woke to new outfits this morning," Cinderella explained matter-of-factually. "From Tetra Line, a friend of yours and my father's, apparently. We've been here for only a day, and already, gifts abound… Such a beauteous state for we goddesses to find ourselves in."

She smiled contentedly, lightly running a finger along the hem of the skirt Mustang evidently had tailored for her on very short notice. That man was prepared for anything, it seemed.

"Come," the short silverette instructed the man, as she claimed the seat across from his own. "I made this for you—I want to see you enjoy the fruits of my labour."

Blinking in surprise, Joe's attention was drawn to the steaming bowls. He approached the desk, to see what Cinderella had made.

"Vegetable soup?" He observed, making note of the large chunks of potatoes, carrots, and celery amidst obvious signs of fine seasoning.

With an acknowledging nod, Cinderella replied, "Just like how you taught me, so long ago…"

She closed her eyes, halfway between nostalgia and longing melancholy.

"I've done my best to perfect it, since you descended into the Ark. I might not be able to ever enjoy it with you again in this life…"

"But, perhaps, it might feel as though we were still connected, if I maintained and continued to partake in this simple recipe you'd once taught me."

Cinderella once again looked at Joe, her smile wide and earnestly fulfilled.

"It has since been an unending dream of mine. One cloying, so tempting to lose myself entirely to, in times of isolation."

"The notion that I might one day finally prepare a meal for you, just as you would have done for me. But the first of many to come."

Her smile redoubled. "A meal which we might share, once, and ever onward into a most beautiful future together."

Picking up one of the bowls, she leaned over and set it before Joe's seat, before doing the same with her own.

"Come, let's eat, my Prince," Cinderella directed him with a smile.

Joe… Did as instructed. Though he returned Cinderella's smile, he did his best to just not absorb her deeply romantically charged words, avoid letting them take root and take his mind off of his duty.

Don't, he told himself. Just don't.

Focus on the path ahead. You can't afford anything else. Mankind can't afford anything else. You have to be a hero, not a lover.

You have to be a soldier, a warrior, a restless commander whose eyes remain fixed on his terrible duty. With only regard for the whole of humanity, whose lives have once again been placed upon your shoulders.

You're the Legendary Commander.

That's all you can be.

He sat down, and shared a table with the gorgeous woman, greatly enjoying the deceptively simple meal she'd offered him.

With a grateful smile, Joe thanked Cinderella for making breakfast—one which he only belatedly realized might well have been worth the equivalent of many hundreds of dollars in the Ark proper.

This given that she'd informed him that she'd used real vegetables and herbs from Scarlet's various gardens on the surface. The man wasn't sure Cinderella had quite caught up to Privaty's spending, but this simple bowl of soup doubtlessly got her damn close in one fell swoop.

Even still, the diminutive Grimms wasn't done, it seemed. From a distantly familiar thigh-mounted pouch, she withdrew what looked like a super heavy-duty phone, and slid it over to him.

"Your original phone died a very long time ago, and was left with Dorothy when she made a… Memorial for you in Eden," she explained somewhat mournfully.

"But, its contents were transferred over to this device. All of your music, pictures, movies and such, are all still in there. Along with a fair few extra pictures and recordings I'd taken over the years."

Blinking, Joe remembered handing various personal articles over to Goddess, back when he descended into the Ark that fateful day. The girls had actually maintained his stuff, to the best of their ability, then?

Reaching out, he picked up the phone, and upon unlocking it… He stared at it in mild non-comprehension, because this was not the Android interface his phone had used—nor was it the interface used by the Elysion or Tetra Line phones either.

He, at least, was able to start making his way to the pictures.

While he fumbled around with the device, Cinderella spoke up again. "I must apologize, my Prince. Given that I was under the impression that you were gone, and, how… Melancholic I would often grow, wishing to see you again, I did eventually go through the personal photos and videos you had on it."

There was a beat as Joe processed that.

His lips parted slightly, and his eyes went wide as he realized that, indeed, everything he'd had on his old phone was still there.

Everything-

"I do truly apologize for the violation of your privacy, even while believing you gone," Cinderella continued. "Though, I cannot be anything but earnest regarding how glad I am to have so many articles of confirmation that I am very much your ideal woman. Your taste is utterly patrician, my Prince."

The twintailed shortstack silverette's expression achieved levels of smug scarcely describable even by the unfettered chimeric lexicon of the English language. She'd found the good stuff, and found naught but sweet validation therein.

What had he done to deserve this?

With characteristic grace, Cinderella rose to her feet as she reached out and gathered up the now empty soup bowls.

With the tray in hand once more, she looked down at a still-seated Joe, and with an appraising hum, she said, "While I'm sure that you'll be eager to reacquaint yourself with your long-lost archives…"

Her grin, somehow, someway, against all odds, became even more smugly anticipatory as she continued.

"Do be sure to also enjoy the most recent additions to your collection too. At least as much as I enjoyed ensuring your new phone's camera is up to par."

With that, Cinderella about-faced, and moved for the hallway door with a deliberately exaggerated sashay, leaving Joe alone again after delivering that final, crushing blow to his resolve.

The man was left dazed, downright stupefied. He very pointedly set the device containing all of the memories of his old phone down, without opening the photo album first. That woman was too damned confident, too damned assured in her goals.

He had to just keep his head. Remain focused. Not let his attention waver.

For as much as Joe might have earnestly adored Cinderella, knowing how she felt about him and how genuine, and loyal she was, how she'd never done anything to hurt him, how she'd just demonstrated that she wished to be good to him, and would act upon that wish with such fervent earnesty, how he himself wanted to see her happy and fulfilled…

To say nothing of Rapi, what he'd once had with her, and what she might want from him too, in the here and now.

His mind's eye, once again, drifted to Marian's I.D. badge on his nightstand.

Somehow, the Raptures didn't quite seem like the scariest thing in the world to the Legendary Commander anymore.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 75 - Never Interrupt Your Enemy…
===

By whatever providence had seen fit to show mercy upon him, Joe was granted a measure of peace and quiet, despite the Outpost's mounting population of assorted weirdos and wack jobs.

Pioneer, thankfully, hadn't bum rushed him, and were, in fact, occupied with chasing down Snow White and forcing her into her new outfit.

That made Joe wonder what, exactly, Mustang had provided her, to warrant her to flee as though her life depended on it.

That, combined with Rapi actually keeping a degree of distance—most certainly out of raw embarrassment—meant that Joe was granted some time to centre himself.

Up until he received a pair of messages: first, a text from Ingrid unceremoniously informing him that Counters was officially a Commando unit as per she and Andersen's recommendations. Then, an automated text from Missilis dictating that he had an appointment there shortly.

Meaning that Syuen likely just received word that Joe was a black ops Commander, and had immediately settled on a mission for him and the girls.

Break time was over—continue your Sisyphean task, Commander.

Thus, Joe found himself claiming the seat across from Syuen at Missilis HQ.

The little twerp wasted no time in projecting a hologram to him, the NDA he was expected to sign before he'd be informed of anything.

It was all exactly as expected: 'if you violate the terms as established in this document, we will literally atomize your very soul,' et cetera, et cetera.

With a shrug, Joe signed it, given that Syuen hadn't done anything exceptionally stupid like attempting to slip any 'also, you literally belong to us now' clauses in.

What she had done, however, was only specify that Joe couldn't share any information with Elysion or the Central Government. Specifically. Meaning that he could just go to Mustang for logistical support on this one.

Gaping blind spots were pretty evidently a recurring issue with Syuen.

Grinning with intense satisfaction, Syuen closed the hologram, and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she did so.

"Well then, now that we're all on the same page…" the diminutive ravenette started, "as per your own prerequisites…"

"We've had scouts scouring the surface in search of any possible sources of pre-Ark technology. We found one."

With a snap of her fingers, another hologram appeared between them, this time showing a number of images depicting a… Starkly familiar sight.

"In the former United States, Oregon. We stumbled upon the entrance to a Lost Sector; a failed Ark."

Joe's eyes went wide. In the Initial Rapture Invasion, he was aware that attempts were being made to build multiple Arks all over the world.

The location of each Ark was kept secret from the other Ark projects.

The Raptures could capture and corrupt Nikkes, meaning that if every Ark project was known to the rest, a single corrupted Nikke would mean that every Ark would be compromised.

Ergo: by the time of Operation Ark Guardian, the only thing they ultimately knew about the other Arks was that they'd all failed and had to be abandoned.

Only the Vancouver Ark was viable, and it was up to Goddess to ensure it didn't fall.

Missilis had just bumbled upon one of the American Arks. And it absolutely was an Ark—Joe recognized that entrance well.

The surrounding environment was different, but that was the entrance tunnel to the Oregon Ark. It was identical in design to the Vancouver Ark's.

Meaning, a potential source of pre-Ark technology.

Resources that had been stockpiled, then had to be abandoned because the logistical infrastructure to extract what they'd established there simply did not exist anymore.

"Wanna hear the best part?" Syuen continued, her lips churlishly curling upwards in smug self-satisfaction. "Our scouts only went down the entrance tunnel and reached the landing zone."

"That was enough for them to confirm that it hasn't been touched, minor Rapture infestation aside. Meaning that whatever had been left there a century ago, is still there."

She leaned forward in her seat.

"Which would include the Harmony Cube at the heart of the operation."

Ah… Harmony Cubes were, to Joe's understanding, effectively hyper-tech quantum computing cores.

They were used to aid in the development and production of Arks, automating much of what would otherwise have been a ruinously complicated and gruelling engineering task.

Notably, the only reason Joe knew about this was because it was noted in the 'tactical' documentation provided by Elysion, that Harmony Cubes could be implanted into Nikkes and tethered to their cores.

This augmented and empowered them well beyond their usual operational parameters. In some cases, Harmony Cubes were even known to have granted Nikkes unexpected and unprecedented powers.

The Elysion documentation referenced one instance in which a Nikke was effectively granted bullet time, and the ability to instinctively calculate bullet trajectory in a millisecond.

Meaning she could shoot a sandfly out of the air the distance of several football fields away, from the hip, with a pair of reactive snapshots.

The first shot wasn't intended to land on target, she just tracked it mid-flight and used it as a moving reference point to correct all of her follow-up shots, before the first bullet even hit anything.

Yeah, no fucking shit Syuen would want the Harmony Cube that would doubtlessly have been left sitting in the Oregon Lost Sector for an entire century.

"...And because you were obviously performing these scouting missions extra-legally," Joe started evenly, "You need a Commando unit to be able to perform this operation without tipping Central off in so doing."

"I'm more interested in the fact that your track record indicates you could get the job done effectively," Syuen noted matter-of-factually. "Harmony Cubes are treasured in the Ark. Having one would give Missilis research a very big push forward."

"We produce the most advanced Nikkes in the Ark. We need to keep producing the most advanced Nikkes in the Ark."

"Having a Harmony Cube would mean we could try to crack open the black box, figure out how to replicate the technology that lets it augment Nikkes."

"Or just plug it into our already existing supercomputer cluster, to further reinforce Missilis Military Research's computational power. Either/or," she finished with a noncommittal shrug.

That checked out, yeah. A Harmony Cube would be a huge boon to Missilis, regardless.

Joe responded. "Everything else in the Lost Sector would only be the cherry on top of the cake for you too then, huh…" The Commander idly mused.

"I don't care about anything else in that empty tomb," Syuen flatly replied.

That caused Joe to blink owlishly, and after a moment, he let out a bewildered "Bwuh?"

At that, Syuen leaned forward, crossing her arms as she did so. "Let me make the deal perfectly clear: those two rust buckets you took from me are valuable… But I'm not deluded enough to think they're as valuable as a Harmony Cube."

"What I want is for us to be even. Considering that the real prize in a Lost Sector is the Harmony Cube, I am only interested in that singular one. Aside from that lone Harmony Cube, every single other thing you might find down there, belongs to you."

The pint-sized twerp leaned back in her seat lazily as she continued.

"Anything in there that isn't the Harmony Cube would be wildly obsolete anyways. Only really worthwhile as collector's items that maybe Elysion and Tetra Line would beg for like dogs at the table…"

She dismissively waved her hand.

"But to Missilis? Worthless junk light years behind anything we can make right now. So-"

She pointed at Joe for emphasis.

"Anything that isn't nailed down in there- and Hell, bring along a crowbar to pry up the stuff that is nailed down for good measure too."

"Point being, I want that one Harmony Cube. All the other junk you find? Yours to sell or trade to Ingrid for brownie points or whatever as far as I'm concerned. Just bring along your own gear to lug it out of there."

"Otherwise, I don't care and am considering it your proper payment for this operation. Salvaging rights tend to go for a hefty premium, after all."

Never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.

Syuen was giving Joe carte blanche to claim the literal rest of the Lost Sector, which might well mean Initial Rapture Invasion Nikke parts. The means to have proper maintenance performed on Pioneer and Rapi.

That alone made the entire venture worth it, to say little of what else they might find in a failed Ark.

Now, granted, while a Harmony Cube would be better served in the hands of Ingrid or Mustang, given that they were the ones allied with the conspiracy… There wasn't exactly a good way to deprive Syuen of her prize without triggering a corpo cold war.

Unfortunate, but it was what it was. Best to simply take the silver lining as the victory that it was.

With a grunt, Joe inquired: "Expected Rapture presence?"

"Nothing serious," Syuen shrugged. "My scouts, being scouts, weren't equipped to be engaging Raptures in open combat at all. But what they saw wasn't anything a Tyrant Breaker squad shouldn't be able to handle."

Joe's eyes narrowed. "Implying that we should expect to encounter Tyrants?"

"I just said 'nothing serious,'" the two-toned ravenette glowered at the much larger man in turn. "I'm only sending you up there because I want someone competent to handle this. Someone competent who I can also expect to not go running to blab to the Central Government and screw us both over, no less."

Joe blinked, frowning at the suggestion. "Has that actually happened before?"

"Most that come out of the Commander Corps aren't very smart," was Syuen's very telling reply. "You, at least, seem to have a sense of self-preservation about you. So, that being said: do this simple extraction job, and we're even. Deal?"

For as remiss as Joe was to hand over a Harmony Cube to Syuen… Pioneer needed whatever resources they might find down there.

"I reserve the right to call the operation off should we run into anything like a Tyrant," Joe declared, making sure it was known they were not to be treated as disposable.

With a roll of her eyes, Syuen replied: "Yes, yes, because you're so likely to encounter Tyrants in a place that's been empty for a hundred years."

She gave Joe an annoyed look.

"So, deal?"

…Fuck it. "Deal," the Commander agreed.

Syuen's smile widened exponentially. "Good," she hummed with a toothy grin. "Do you want to commission a Missilis transport, or will you just make your own way there?"

"I'll find my own way," Joe immediately shrugged off her offer to shuttle Counters to the Lost Sector for a price, little fucking shit.

Though Syuen popped an eyebrow at that, she ultimately simply waved off the assertion. "I suppose a Commando unit would have their ways around the surface."

"At any rate, get it done sooner rather than later. I don't want to be waiting on this for too long."

Given the month-long break the squad was officially on, that should be plenty of time to get in, extract the Harmony Cube, and get a Tetra Line salvage team in to rip the copper wiring out of the walls after them.

"You'll hear from me by the end of the month," Joe asserted as he rose to his feet.

"That'll do," the diminutive CEO of Missilis breezily replied. "See yourself out, then."

With a nod, Joe departed to return to the Outpost.

---

"A-a Lost Sector!?" Mia cried out in shock at the casual reveal. "How? Only a few other Arks have ever been found!"

"So close too…" Flower noted warily, looking wearily at the holographic map projecting from Joe's office desk.

Sunny glowered, as she ever did, glancing between the Commander and the map rapidly. "Why're you telling us about this, when you have Goddess on call?"

Joe's answer came easily. "Because Pioneer," he corrected her. "Isn't fit for deployment yet. In fact, the entire reason I accepted this mission was for the opportunity to procure proper maintenance supplies for them."

"Additionally, Missilis recon reports that there isn't anything threatening enough to warrant deploying Pioneer in the first place. This, while you girls have yet to be put through your paces at that."

Sunny's grimace deepened. "So, what, you're giving us the grunt work your elites can't be bothered with?" She inquired in an accusatory manner.

Joe projected his intense lack of amusement the twintailed blonde's way as he crossed his arms and replied, "You're above performing an immensely important mission to retrieve much-needed materials for the well-being of former members of Goddess, then?"

That seemed to catch her off-guard, recoiling as if struck and clenching her teeth at the accusation. Her reaction was doubtlessly not helped in the least by the sharp looks she received from Flower and Mia.

"T-that's not what I meant…" Sunny attempted to weakly play defence.

"To say nothing of the fact that I'm still going to be personally leading this operation," Joe added for emphasis.

Though he didn't particularly like getting on any given Nikke's back like this, Sunny had a continuous tendency to project her misery to a fault. If she had to have that habit metaphorically beaten out of her, then so be it.

This, doubly so considering she was clearly so deep into her blackpilled shit, that she was acting like she was being treated like a peon upon being directly called upon by the Legendary Commander to help the remnants of Goddess.

Sunny averted her gaze, clearly distressed by the harsh stares she was receiving.

With a low, rumbling sigh, Joe shook his head as he shifted his focus back onto the map. "If you're really so offended by the notion of working with the Legendary Commander to help what remains of Goddess, by all means, return to the barracks and wait to be picked for little more than your next automated dispatch mission."

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Flower closed distance between herself and Sunny, reaching out and firmly grabbing onto the blonde's arm. "You stop it," she commanded her miserly fellow quietly.

"This isn't like every other mission, and he isn't like every other Commander. He's literally the Legendary Commander. He's still fighting for everyone, even after the Ark betrayed him and hurt everyone he cares about. He's shown that he cares about Nikkes, and that we aren't just disposable tools to him."

"Pull your head out of your ass, unless you want to be known as the Nikke that turned her nose up at the Legendary Commander when he tried to lift you up to serve alongside Goddess!"

Despite attempting to speak below her voice, Flower was clearly agitated enough that Mia and Joe heard her just fine regardless. While Mia was more than a little uncomfortable, Joe just pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy frown.

Flower roughly released Sunny's arm, and after a few moments of remaining rooted in place to stare harshly at the blonde, the ponytailed redhead returned to her previous place, letting out a shuddering breath as she attempted to gather herself.

Yeah, Joe had only interacted significantly with Sunny a small handful of times since she'd been assigned to the Outpost, and yet, holy shit did she make it difficult. He could only imagine how tiring it was to be around her all day and night as Mia and Flower were. All doom and gloom and little else.

Hell, Anis could be miserable to be around at times, but those seemed to be depressive episodes in between spouts of seemingly genuine cheer. With Sunny it was nothing but misery.

"...While I'm sure you have good reason to be doubtful of the intentions of any given Commander, Sunny," Joe started, giving the girl an olive branch. "I would hope that I've demonstrated that I want nothing but the best for all of you. Both in my recent actions, and my historical ones."

For whatever credit it was worth, Sunny, though she kept her eyes averted, didn't turn and flee. After a few moments of silence, Joe took that as wordless assurance that she would, at the very least, do the job assigned to her.

Letting out a heavy breath of his own, the Commander shifted his attention to the squad's redhead to address a somewhat long-standing matter. "Flower," he started, "Have you settled on a name yet?"

That very much seemed to catch the Nikke off-guard. The woman's large, emerald green eyes went wide, gaze snapping up to Joe in surprise.

She glanced side-to-side for a few seconds, then, with a low whine, she replied: "N-no, I haven't… It's- it's harder than I thought it would be."

The Commander tapped his foot in consideration, deciding to offer her one himself. "How about 'Cammie?' Short for Chamomile."

At that, the redhead blinked, looking up at Joe with some degree of uncertainty. After a moment, however, she hummed, muttering both the whole name and its contraction a few times as s small smile found purchase on her lovely features. "...I think I like it."

Mia couldn't help but smile in turn at her squadmate's answer, though Sunny just continued to try remaining quiet and didn't overtly respond.

Mia turned to Joe, asking, "Where did you come up with that name, Commander?"

"Chamomile is my favourite tea," Joe simply shrugged. "I fucking love Chamomile."

Cammie's eyes widened again and her lips pursed, a light blush playing across her features at Joe's declaration of his enjoyment of a particular type of tea flower.

Mia giggled, giving a suddenly sheepish Cammie an entertained, impish smile.

While Joe waited for the mood to settle after that exchange, Mia spoke up again. "Um, to bring it back to the mission, Commander… Do you mean to deploy to the Lost Sector with just us three?"

"No," Joe flatly declared past lidded eyes. "The other two just simply haven't responded to my summons-"

As he spoke, a bounding series of heavy footfalls and girlish whines rapidly approached the hallway door, and Mica suddenly emerged into Joe's quarters, literally dragging a whining Belorta behind her.

"I-I'm sorry Commander!" Mica cried out, a hand firmly locked on the back of Belorta's stretched-out suspenders. "Belorta kept making excuses and said she was trying to 'get out of work-'"

"Traitor!" Belorta shouted, her button features scrunched up in betrayed offence.

"Don't disrespect the Legendary Commander!" Mica shouted back at her uncooperative squadmate. "He's trying to-"

"You're just being a little goody two-shoes snitch because you've got a crush on him!" Belorta cut Mica off with an assertive accusation.

While Mica immediately turned the colour of a cherry tomato, dismay and indescribable embarrassment writ large on her features, Belorta childishly blew a strawberry at her.

They were interrupted by a singular, harsh clap produced by Joe, directing a firm, unamused stare Belorta's way in particular. With the attention of the two shockingly childish old women now caught, he firmly pointed to the sofas situated across from each other. "Sit," he commanded them both.

Mica, trying to hide her face behind her hands the whole time, immediately complied and moved to settle down on the heavy-duty seat rated for Nikkes. Belorta followed, but with a deep set pout, and crossed her arms impetuously as she dropped into the couch next to Mica.

Letting out a bone-deep sigh, Joe started: "Well, starting the entire briefing over, again," he noted with no small amount of annoyance filtering into his voice. "We may wind up being here for a while, making sure everyone is on the same page."

Joe loved his Nikkes, but god damn, could some of them be unnecessarily difficult to deal with.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 76 - Forsaken Sanctuary
===

Boots hitting grassy earth, Joe took several steps forward and away from the winding down Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicle that had ferried the squad to the Oregon Lost Sector. Sunny, Cammie, Mia, Mica, Belorta, and Rapi all followed shortly behind him.

The Commander had fully intended to leave all three of the original Counters members out of this operation, because soldiers needed time off between missions—least of all high-octane missions—and they were supposed to be on a mandated month-long break anyways.

However, the moment Rapi had learned about the plan, she'd very forcefully insisted upon being assigned to it as well. To the tune of clamping onto Joe's wrist, planting her feet onto the ground upon which she stood, and refusing to let him move until he relented and assigned her to the deploying squad as well.

The man was caught very much off-guard by just how intensely upset the blonde seemed to be with him over this. To the point of not having spoken much to him since then, and upon getting boots on the ground.

Of course, Rapi had sworn to protect him no matter what, to stay by his side and ensure that he was always safe. She couldn't do that if he tried to leave her out of surface operations. Immediately after he'd… Forgiven her too. He immediately tried to distance himself from her like this?

This wasn't the time or place to confront him about whatever madness had taken his mind, but she felt like she had to now. She would, once they were back at the Outpost. For now, she'd do her duty and ensure he was safe out here in the field with professionalism.

Not being privy to Rapi's thoughts, Joe took in their surroundings as a number of additional VTOLs landed and started deploying more Tetra Line MP Nikkes apart from Sunny, Mia, and Cammie as well. Said Nikkes immediately scattered and moved to set up equipment and devices of all kinds. Presumably stuff for analyzing and cataloguing whatever they pulled up from the Lost Sector.

The 'salvage team' Joe had 'hired' through Mustang for this operation. They were present primarily to follow Counters and start setting up to gather up as much as they could. Being Nikkes, they were themselves all perfectly capable soldiers in their own right, of course, meaning they were also back-up, in a sense.

Back-up, and the back guard that would keep their exfiltration point clear.

Notably, to Joe's surprise, among the iDolls were actually additional Suns, Flowers, and Oceans. None of which were actually truly identical to Sunny, Cammie, or Mia. They, at least, were certainly outfitted identically to them, at least in terms of the models and make of their weapons and outfits.

While they all seemed to be cut from the same cloth in terms of physical appearance, there were immediate differences between them all in colouration, and even how they individually wore their hair.

They all seemed less like clones, and more like each model was made up of sisters. Which was largely the case for how things were back during the Initial Rapture Invasion, to Joe's recollection of the time period.

So, not quite as dystopian as Joe had assumed the situation with modern MP Nikkes would have been. Or maybe it was just Tetra Line MP's that were granted the privilege of a degree of individuality, and the man would be suitably mortified upon seeing hordes of clone copies of Missilis Nikkes.

Regardless, that was neither here nor there.

Lifting his hand into view, Joe formed a fist, testing and getting a feel for the sensation of the metal encasing his limb. Snow White had gotten the exoskeleton functional in time for deployment, and so after briefly testing it in the Armoury, it was deemed fit to be pressed into service.

Joe had expected a skeletal frame from top-to-bottom, and while that was, in fact, what it had been initially, Snow had made extensive modifications. Up to and including the inclusion of gauntlets which encased themselves around his hands and forearms. Said gauntlets came with rubberized grip pads on the palms and digits, for obvious reasons.

To say nothing of the tertiary support arm on which Marian's submachine gun, First Affection, was currently mounted. Snow had modified First Affection to be semi-permanently affixed (meaning only a dedicated armourer, like her, was supposed to remove it for maintenance) to the exoskeleton, so that it would take the brunt of the recoil produced by the firearm.

It would still be a horrifically bad idea for Joe to attempt firing it on anything other than semi-auto, given that the sheer kinetic energy the shockwaves its reports produced actually still God damn near stunned him, given the practice shots he'd fired in preparation for this deployment. If he hit the full-auto switch, he'd immediately lose control of the thing, likely damage the exoskeleton, and suffer severe blunt force trauma too.

Hospital time in exchange for missing all but the first shot taken, on top of compromising any given operation where he tried it, didn't strike him as being particularly worth appeasing some fleeting desire to play the part of Rambo for even a moment.

To say nothing of the fact that he didn't carry any spare ammo for First Affection on him either. The gun was an 'Alphatec Armament Group Defender,' as according to the writing on the side of the receiver, and was normally chambered in a far larger round than Marian had First Affection in. These were usually more fully-fledged anti-armour battle rifles, while Marian for some reason had hers set up to function as an extreme capacity pistol-calibre submachine gun.

This, of course, meant that what was normally a just mostly adequately-sized drum magazine for a handful of big, magnum cartridges, was a fully-fledged helical drum mag that held an excess of one-hundred pistol rounds. Joe, for obvious reasons, would not realistically expect to ever actually even come close to emptying the drum on any given mission, given that he was meant to use it as a semi-auto only emergency weapon.

He instead occupied the spare magazine pouches on his vest and belt with spare ammo for the girls in general. Everyone's rifles, pistols, and submachine guns sharing ammo and even mags when possible made for some very easy logistics, and Joe fucking loved him his easy logistics. It was unlikely for anyone to run out of ammo on his watch, to Ingrid's intense satisfaction.

That being said, the exoskeleton moved in perfect sync with his own body, owing to the fact that it was plugged into his now-exposed Hoplite implant. Meaning that it was hooked into his central nervous system, and would operate as an extension of his own body for as long as it was.

He acclimatized to the strange sensation far more quickly than would have been normal for a 'first timer,' on account of both his extensive history with piloting Hoplons, and the fact that he remembered operating Hoplons in battle too now. It was effectively plug-and-play, such as it was.

Even the tertiary support arm upon which First Affection was mounted wasn't providing any issues, given that one extra limb was nothing compared to controlling an entire secondary four-limbed body, Hoplons being what they were.

Having run a few laps around the Outpost to cap off the testing, Joe confirmed that he could move with this thing on. Nowhere near as well as a Nikke could, of course, but he could get himself out of the direct line of fire and to places he'd otherwise have needed a Nikke to carry him to before.

In some ways, this was even better than having a Hoplon, because Hoplons were massive targets, while this exoskeleton granted him everything of real value one of the mechs did. Short of being able to safely operate true heavy weapons, at least. Though it could be argued that his being able to properly operate a Nikke weapon as a Nikke could wouldn't even be a good thing to begin with.

He was a Commander, not a combatant, after all.

That all being said…

Joe made a circling motion over his shoulder with two outstretched fingers—the non-verbal hand gesture to indicate a call for all active squaddies to form up on the squad leader.

The girls all did as instructed, taking up formation around the Commander at the ready.

Nodding once, Joe started: "For the duration of this operation, you will be divided into Squads Rifleman, consisting of Rapi, Sunny, Mia and myself; as well as Squad Rocketeer, consisting of Cammie, Mica, and Belorta. Rules of Engagement are Return Fire Only unless otherwise directed. I don't want anyone going off half-cocked and getting us into a dumbass situation we could have planned an easy win out of!"

"Rocketeer, once we're down there, the first thing we're going to do is find the tallest open-top structure we can, clear it, and once it's secure, you're to set up an artillery perch on the roof and rain Hellfire down on the heads of any Raptures that try to give Rifleman shit."

"Cammie, you'll be on spotting and ranging duty for Rocketeer while you're all on Overwatch, and you're to keep your submachine gun at the ready in case you're directly confronted by Raptures. Mica, load multi-target anti-armour munitions in your rocket launcher. Belorta, you'll be on active reloading duty for Mica. Treat Mica's RL as a crew-served weapon for efficiency's sake, and keep your SMG readied alongside Cammie's in case you're engaged through the main building."

"Once Rocketeer's artillery perch is secure, Rifleman will proceed to return to street level, setting up decoys as an early warning system if Raptures start ascending the building to get at Rocketeer. Once back on the ground, we will proceed to sweep the Lost Sector's most likely locations for its Harmony Cube."

"Mia, as the squad's medic, prioritize remaining out of direct line of fire. You are cleared to provide close-in supporting and suppressive fire with your submachine gun should the opportunity present itself. However, your priority is first and foremost to ensure that Rapi and Sunny remain in fighting condition for the duration of this mission over attempting to fire for effect in open combat with a Personal Defence Weapon."

"I'll use my drone to sweep streets ahead of us to ensure we don't walk headlong into any Raptures without giving Rocketeer a chance to soften them up for us first. Otherwise, check your corners, hug walls, do not step into the open street unnecessarily. Always scan nearby buildings for signs of Rapture activity, nobody wants a surprise amputation because nobody thought to glance up and spy a Rapture just hanging out in some derelict building's window."

"Any questions before we move out?" The man finished glancing at the girls surrounding him… To find all but Rapi staring up at him in dumbstruck wonder and awe, eyes sparkling and jaws practically unhinged.

He was caught off guard for a moment, then he remembered that any other Commander would have just cussed out the Nikkes on principle alone, before marching into the objective area ahead of the squad. Probably while loudly singing off-key about how great and immortal they were because they're the hero of humanity and will single-handedly save the Ark, just like in the simulations.

It wasn't even a complex plan Joe had presented. It was actually kind of elementary, frankly. Put artillery at a good, defensible vantage point to support infantry, make sure artillery is properly equipped to defend itself if it's engaged at close range.

But, then again, for the average Ark Commander, 'elementary' might as well be the equivalent of advanced trigonometry or divisible calculus, or what the fuck ever, Joe wasn't no math surgeon.

After a few moments of extended silence, it only then registered that the other assorted Tetra Line MP's had stopped what they were doing to stare at the Commander in equally bushwhacked shock. At this, the man just shrugged.

"No? Good," Joe declared, taking the lack of a response to his inquiry as a good excuse to kick everyone out of the awkward lull—and unapologetic, if wordless hero worship from Belorta and Mica—they'd slipped into and get the operation started.

The burly brunet pointed towards the entrance to the failed Ark, motioning towards it with two jabs of his fingers. "Get tactical ladies, secure the entrance and elevator in preparation to descend into the Lost Sector. Now move it or lose it! Syuen ain't paying us by the hour!"

He, of course, had no intention of rushing anyone once they were down there properly. But getting gawked at got old fast, and what better way to distract them from working with a Commander that wasn't an incompetent blowhard for once in their collective lives?

With only a bit of a hitched start, the girls all set off after Rapi—who had remained firmly on the ball—and Joe addressed the salvaging team before moving to follow them. "Protocol's just as we established on the ride over: something happens, contact me via comms, comms go down, send runners. Can't get in contact with us at all, send an alert to Mustang, not the Central Government under any circumstances. Secure the area behind us, and start tearing the copper wiring out of the walls."

With a firm nod, he then started towards the entrance to the failed Ark—suppressing the disquiet he felt upon approaching that wide-open, familiar gateway. This time, at least, he wasn't going down alone, or under-prepared.

Rapi did and thought much the same.

---

The elevator, to the shock of everyone, had turned out to actually still be functional, suggesting that the Lost Sector was still powered. By what, Joe could only wonder. A nuclear reactor would probably not have been able to remain fully automated for an entire century, there was no solar array on top of or even near the failed Ark proper…

A geothermal generator, maybe? Wouldn't be enough to support a maximum living population of ten million like the Vancouver Ark; but, maybe continuously running legacy foundational systems like emergency lights and elevators could work?

Joe didn't know enough about power systems and that sort of thing to say one way or the other, and he supposed that such was above his pay grade regardless.

The primary elevator, whose platform was the size of an American football field, came to a loud stop, the gears upon which it rode halting their mechanical motion.

The whole team was rather caught off-guard by the sight which revealed itself to them at the end of the elevator's travel. To Joe? It was exactly as he'd have expected: or, rather, it was an exact recreation of what he'd seen the last time he'd descended an Ark's elevator. Save for it looking like this Ark hadn't finished rendering in.

Everything was a flat, crystalline white that called to mind the Copied City from Nier: Automata. Where the Vancouver Ark closely resembled the less crime-addled parts of Night City, with all the variance in structural texture that suggested, the sight of the Lost Sector left the spatially displaced Canuck wondering what exactly the Ark was actually made from.

So stunned by the sight was the entire team, that they all just sort of ambled out of the elevator, along with the salvage team detachment that was there to secure the elevator landing site.

Taking in the landing area and highway it was situated upon, the Commander and Nikkes had to take a few moments to process the sight. Joe craned his head back to gaze at the natural ceiling of the Lost Sector, and found both that it lacked a Dome of Eternity, as expected… But it was also far lower than the Ark's ceiling was. By several orders of magnitude.

Perhaps raising the ceiling of the cavern was a planned aspect of any given Ark's creation?

Humming, Joe shifted his gaze to take in the city itself. It was a small fraction of the size of the Ark, and like the highway upon which they stood, it was all a stark, glassy white, only dimly lit by threadbare public utilities, almost entirely bereft of activity.

Almost.

"Eyes on," Joe commanded the group. "Rapture activity."

The girls were quick to fall in line, raising their weapons and tracking the Commander's gaze. The Raptures weren't exactly 'nearby,' but it was as Syuen said: the Lost Sector wasn't entirely empty. It didn't look like anything the two sub-squads couldn't easily handle, but Raptures were Raptures.

"They don't look like more than scouts, Commander," Rapi observed, peering through the scope of Wolf's Bane. "They also don't seem to have noticed us."

Joe nodded as he deployed the drone—which too had been upgraded in all sorts of little ways by Snow White—directing it to fly as high as it could. From its vantage point, the man made note of the building best suited as a perch for Rocketeer, and scoped out a few familiar-looking buildings that might serve as good starting points for tracking down the Harmony Cube.

"Repair Centre spotted," the bearded brunet declared with a small grin. "That's a proper assload of shipping crates around it too… Meaning Initial Rapture Invasion Nikke parts."

One of the salvaging team members stepped forward, approaching Joe and inquiring: "Should we prioritize securing and cleaning out the Repair Centre, sir?"

"Yes," Joe flatly replied with a single nod. "I'm pinging its location and pushing that ping to you girls. Take it slow and steady, and avoid combat with anything you aren't certain you can safely handle as well. We're in no rush here, and while Syuen has said there shouldn't be anything as dangerous as a Tyrant down here, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Syuen probably says a lot of things."

A round of indignant grumbles confirmed Joe's theory, and with that, he set the drone to autonomously follow the squad and actively scan their surroundings, generating a local area map for them as it did so.

"Alright, let's get moving then," Joe directed everyone onward. "Let's keep a low profile, locate as many resources as we can, and find the Harmony Cube. We'll have all the time in the world to entirely secure this Lost Sector and tear this place apart piece-by-piece afterwards. Missilis just straight-up gave me sole claim over the entire place outside of the Harmony Cube, after all."

Before continuing, he pointed down the length of the highway leading to the city, what looked to be an hour-long walk.

"We simply follow this road into the city limits proper, then make our way for what would have been Central Government HQ in the Vancouver Ark. We ascend to the topmost floor and roof, Rocketeer sets up, then Rifleman proceeds to clear streets and key locations until we've bagged the Harmony Cube. No theatrics, no unnecessary risks. Any questions or suggestions?"

When nobody spoke up, Joe nodded and directed everyone down the highway.

"Let's get this show on the road and hit da bricks then."

Hopefully, this operation would prove itself to be an easy win, and little else.

Lord knew they could do with one of those at this point.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 77 - No Tyrant
===

Rocketeer was set up on the tallest roof of the Lost Sector, ready and able to provide support for Rifleman as they swept the area's streets and made their way to likely locations that might house the Harmony Cube.

On their way up, and on their way down, the building had decoys established so that if Raptures tried to ambush Rocketeer, they'd get forewarning when the decoys were attacked ahead of time.

So now, the only thing left for them to do was proceed onward, hugging walls and street corners to avoid bumbling ass-first into local Raptures.

Things were going well, minimal Rapture resistance was met, and what few Raptures came at them fell easily. Joe had First Affection drawn and readied to fire, doing his duty as the squad's Commander, and the girls kept hitching any time they caught sight of a man actually forming up alongside them with a functional weapon.

That made Joe sad. It went to show just how far the Central Government had fallen, and how useless the Commander Corps really was. Men were capable of fighting alongside Nikkes back in the midst of the Initial Rapture Invasion—primarily in supporting roles, owing to Hoplons and lighter exoskeletons—but Nikkes didn't stare like fish out of water at the sight of a man actually pulling a fraction of his own weight back then.

It encouraged him to work all the harder. Where the Commanders that came after him had failed these girls, Joe would not. He was back, and he'd show these Nikkes that they could look to Commanders as proper comrades-in-arms. Things would be different. Things would be better.

Moving down the street, what stuck out to Joe was how uneven the construction was. It almost looked like this Ark was being 'grown,' and parts of the buildings and streets had 'overgrown,' and would have had to be shaved down to be level with everything around the overgrowths. It also meant that the street had fairly significant bumps and divots in it, large squared-off potholes and upswells that made walking down the street kind of a bitch.

This didn't slow the squad down, at least. The Nikkes just stepped harder to bound up boxy upsteps, and across holes, while Joe followed suit. The high-mobility nature of the exoskeleton Ingrid had provided him was proving its worth already. Where someone might have had to slow down and pick Joe up, even carry him across this uneven terrain, he was hauling ass without slowing down everyone else.

It felt good, feeling like less of a burden on the girls that depended on him. This was so much closer to how it should be. Not some blowhard attention whore Commander that saw himself as better than the girls doing the hard work. A fellow soldier, fulfilling their specialty in the squad, contributing to their collective success in this war of humanity's survival.

The moment these girls looked at him with pride, was the moment he'd know he'd succeeded. God damn, would he make them proud.

"-Commander," Cammie's voice crackled over comms. With a halting motion from the Commander, everyone stopped and waited. "There's a fairly large concentration of Raptures converging in the street around the corner you're approaching. Mica says that she'll be able to soften them up significantly if necessary, and maintain a steady stream of fire with Belorta's support if need be."

Pausing, Joe glanced down the street, and noticed something… "The uneven 'cubing' of the road has produced a line of workable cover along the entire length of the street on our end," he observed, checking the drone's feed and getting his own eyes on the situation around the corner. "It looks like we could set up a firing line behind that cover while Mica paints targets and ambush the Raptures."

The Raptures were grouped up near one of the major search locations for the Harmony Cube, so it'd be best to deal with them to ensure they could do their job.

Joe made a lowering motion to the ground with his palm.

"We all lower ourselves to the ground, and crawl to stay behind cover. We set up, and after the first volley hits, we pop up to unleash a wall of lead on those bastards, giving Rocketeer the chance to reload and fire again, finishing them off."

Again, only Rapi wasn't caught off guard by Joe's relative competence. As sad as that was, it was what it was. When nobody had any complaints or objections to the plan, they went about complying. Crawling into position, Mica assured the Commander that Rocketeer was ready to rain Hellfire at a moment's notice, and only needed to receive the go-ahead.

Quickly enough, Rifleman was set up, and with the affirmation that everyone was ready…

Joe pinged Rocketeer, and the distant thump-thump-thump-thump swoosh of Mica's multi-stage multi-lock launcher going off was all the warning the man needed to brace hard against the street's cover. Had he not been readied, he'd have been blown clean off his feet. Nikke explosives were terrifying.

Luckily, the girls didn't need to be babysat by the man, and so they'd all popped up to open fire on the now screaming and screeching Raptures. They received fire back, but not very much, considering how many Raptures had converged at the end of the street.

Another thump-thump-thump-thump swoosh sounded out, and the girls dropped back behind cover just before the second salvo came.

There were no words to convey how glad Joe was to have the Ark's super-tech ear protection. He would have been deafened a thousand times over if he'd needed to rely on the basic bitch shit from his own world. Let in the good sounds, block out the bad noise. It said a lot that he was still left reeling and shocked every time he was close enough to a gun or explosion going off to rattle his bones, regardless.

Following the explosions, was silence. Joe directed the girls to all remain right where they were, and for Rocketeer to hold fire. He used the drone to go in and investigate, and found that the Raptures were all dead. Absolutely fucking shredded. Entire simulations existed around attempting to just survive these sorts of numbers back in the Ark.

"All hostiles down," Joe declared. "Good work girls, we got 'em."

Mia looked absolutely gobsmacked. "...N-none of us are even hurt though…!"

Sunny was reeling in disbelief, even as Rapi peeked over cover and glanced around to affirm with her own senses that they were in the clear.

Rising to his feet, Joe let out a hefty sigh and a nod, reaching up and applying pressure to the side of his shoulder as he rolled his neck. "Stay frosty, ladies. The Lost Sector isn't clear yet, and we still have a job to do."

"Yes, Commander," Rapi complied as she too stood and moved to set herself in front of Joe, clearly making an effort to continue ensuring he was safe.

Turning around, Joe looked up to the rocket perch, and made a raised fist gesture to them. They were too far away for his mere human eyes to make out, but he was sure they got the affirmation, regardless.

Thus, the squad started off once more, closing in on the first of the possible Harmony Cube locations. There were more Rapture encounters, but nothing quite as noteworthy as their biggest encounter. Sunny and Mia proved themselves to be competent, Rapi was putting in the work as she ever did, but she was hardly 'carrying' the new girls, as it were.

Everything was going smoothly. By all appearances, they were, in fact, going to finish this operation without running into any Tyrants. The Lost Sector was mostly quiet, bereft of much other than the distant skittering of weaker Raptures.

Yet, Joe could already see all the ways in which a common Commander would have fucked everything up, gotten Nikkes killed unnecessarily, and even produced a mission failure out of what should have been an easy win. This was emphasized by how dumbstruck Sunny and Mia were, how they visibly could simply not believe that things were going as well as they were.

One could hardly blame them. But, luckily, things seemed to be working out for the team-

"Commander!" Mia cried as she lunged for Joe. "Move-!"

An explosion of the crystalline white material which made up the Lost Sector produced a glassy scream. With a terrible crash, Joe went soaring along with Mia, the pair slamming into the street and coming to a rolling stop as the man gathered himself.

A singular Rapture towered over them, entirely mechanical in its make, it almost resembled a Metal Gear. The warbling cry it produced as it pitched itself upon its quadrupedal feet only served to emphasize this similarity.

"Heavy Metal!" Rapi called out from where she'd been thrown by the assault. "Lord Class!"

-Of course, of fucking course. No worries about running into a Tyrant, just a mere Rapture of the class immediately below a Tyrant in power and danger!

The Heavy Metal looked the part of a walking turret, its core encased in squared-off armour with a pair of massive cannons mounted on either side of its body. It looked like a walking turret, and those cannons would probably hit like stationary turrets would too. It only figured that they'd manage to be bushwhacked by something like this when everything was going too damned well!

Scrambling to his feet, Joe pumped his legs and booked it. He had to get out of the immediate danger zone, let Rifleman focus on fighting the Lord rather than fixating on keeping him alive. "Rifleman, spread out, and keep moving! That thing's cannons will shred any cover you could take! Don't let it focus on any one of you!"

Joe would have panicked at the speed he achieved with the exoskeleton, had he not locked the fuck in, years of combat instincts kicking into high gear and causing him to slip back into a Hoplite's mindset.

The man leaped into an open second-story window of what would have been an office building in the proper Ark. Crampons deployed to dig into the ground and arrest his forward momentum, allowing him to stop and spin on his heel. The Heavy Metal was fixated on the Nikkes, not having aimed for him once.

"Rifleman! Create as much distance between yourselves and the Lord as you can!" He commanded the girls as he fell to a knee, withdrawing the tablet to take control of the drone and get a proper view of the battlefield from a safe position. "Rocketeer! The moment Rifleman is clear of danger close, you have permission to fire at will! Cammie, you take up arms and open fire as well! Belorta, support Cammie and Mica's reloads as you can! If Belorta is busy, you reload your launcher yourself!"

"Sir!" Mica, Belorta, and Cammie all called out over comms to acknowledge Joe's directions.

Observing the ongoing fight, the Heavy Metal unit was ripping about the battlefield, barrelling over any changes in elevation with ease given its quadrupedal nature. Despite its size, it moved with terrifying speed, its cannons blowing massive holes in the buildings the Nikkes zipped by as they avoided being hit.

Joe's stomach leapt up into his throat as a bullet struck the building he was in, shaking the whole damned thing. A sharp reminder that there was a reason it was Nikkes alone that were entrusted to protect humankind from Raptures.

Regardless, the man did his best to scan the battlefield using the drone's eye, and the thump-thump-thump-thump swoosh of Mica's rocket launcher announced itself alongside a harsh, distant ting-fwoooOOOSH for a brief instant before a number of explosions, along with a single massive additional explosion sounded out.

Mica's weapon was a multi-stage multi-lock crowd killer. Cammie used a hyper-velocity dumb tandem rocket meant to do massive damage to a single, heavily-armoured unit. The pissed-off scream of the Lord indicated that she'd probably turned a good chunk of the thing's armour to slag.

"Commander! Raptures converging on the Lord's location!" Belorta called out over comms, "Mica's opening fire on them to try thinning them out before they get to Rifleman, but there are more than she can hit all at once!"

"-You have permission to open fire too, Belorta!" Joe proclaimed as he spun the drone around to confirm Rocketeer's assertion. Indeed, it was a minor horde, one that lost a large chunk of its numbers on account of Mica's assault, but a horde was a horde. It would be enough to break Rifleman's focus and put them in a position to be sideswiped by the Lord.

Grimacing, Joe did some quick calculations, and immediately sent out a wide-band message across their comms. "All forces, this is Commander Pholus, converge on our location at once! We are engaged with a Lord class and are about to be overwhelmed!"

A series of affirmations replied, and while he knew that Nikkes could haul ass, they would still be a good minute or two out. A minute or two when a bullet or two would be all it took to turn Rapi, Mia, and Sunny to scrap.

It was stupid of him, but they needed all hands on deck right now. So Joe rose to his feet, charged for the window, drove the crampon spikes into the rim of the open frame, and shouldered First Affection, the laser sight snapping to life to give him a quick reference for point shooting.

Gritting his teeth, the man started firing into the Rapture horde, single bullets being all that was needed to convert scout class Raptures into scrap metal. One shot, two shots, three, four, five, six. Scouts weren't individually dangerous, but they didn't need to be, they only needed to be allowed to distract Rifleman while a fucking Lord was gunning for them. So Joe shook his head between shots, growled like a pissed off bear, and powered through the stunning effect of each trigger pull.

It was like fighting to control a motorbike you'd accidentally revved without being mounted on it, but it just kept bucking, right back at you. His brain rattled, his muscles cried as the exoskeleton only absorbed most of each round's recoil. The advanced ear protection set deep into his ear canals struggled to keep up with the repeated point-blank thunderclaps, everything fading out into a white static with each shot fired. Stop all external noise entirely, if nothing else.

Another salvo of missiles struck the Rapture horde, the shockwave nearly knocking Joe off his feet, the spikes attached to his exoskeleton frame keeping him anchored in place as he continued to fire for effect, actually successfully thinning the wave of scouts down to a small handful. Maintaining his aim, the man braced himself and continued to fire, aiming to pick off the last of the scouts.

The last handful of Rapture scouts took notice of his shooting at them, and they returned fire. The energy bolts went wide, missing the Commander by several feet. Joe was faster to put rounds in their cores, actually reducing them to the single-digits.

Another hyper-velocity munition struck the Heavy Metal Lord, damn near knocking it over outright as the red glare of its core was now visible.

As Rifleman was forced to turn and pick off the scouts that Joe and Mica hadn't managed to stop entirely, the Lord spun in place, following the trajectory of Mica's missiles- Oh shit-!

"Rocketeer!" He called out as Rifleman was entirely distracted by the last of the scouts. "Away from the ledge! Get away from the ledge-!"

A staccato of cannon fire sounded out, the Lord's aim proving true as the ledge upon which Rocketeer had been perched burst into a debris cloud of glassy, crystalline dust. With wide eyes, Joe felt his heart plummet into his stomach, seeing figures tumble and fall from the roof.

His attention was caught by the sound of Rapi screaming at the top of her lungs, bounding off the crystalline street and leaping at the Lord, spinning and cocking her leg—the stiletto heel spike she'd last used in their fight against the Blacksmith to anchor herself to the Tyrant's back firing out as the blonde aimed to repeat the same manoeuvre here.

Only for the Lord to spin atop a single leg, the rest flaring out like propeller blades and catching Rapi by the midsection, sending the Grimms soaring down the street at extreme velocity and out of sight with a horrible crash.

While Sunny and Mia finished off the last of the Scout classes, the Heavy Metal—honed in on Joe.

"OH SHIT-!" Joe cried out as he scrambled to get the fuck away from the open window, having to wrench his spiked boot from the ground upon which he'd anchored himself to secure his firing position.

A series of thunderclaps punctuated the entire front end of the building collapsing in on itself, the floor giving out from beneath Joe's feet as he lost any semblance of balance and went tumbling out into the open air. He'd mercifully avoided being directly hit by the massive bullets the Rapture fired, but had been caught in their area-of-effect anyways.

If not for the armour he wore, the effect of hitting multiple out-hanging struts of debris would have put him entirely out of commission entirely on their own. To say nothing of the exoskeleton mercifully having emergency airbags, which had detected his falling back-first at the ground long and fast enough for said fall to risk severe damage.

They popped instantly, but broke his fall more than enough to cause him to be only winded by the tumbling out of a second story window.

Now in the middle of the street, Joe could do little but stare in wide-eyed horror when the Lord remained focused on him, and pounced. Bringing its legs up around it as the extraterrestrial Hell machine clearly aimed on crushing him beneath its immense body weight.

Joe could barely even manage to begin trying to roll over to ineffectually shield himself from being turned into a crimson stain—but a great crash and a strained scream precluded the sensation of being crushed outright. Sunny had lunged for Joe, and not having been able to grab and pull him free or shove him out of the way, fulcrumed herself onto her back and caught the falling Lord with her legs.

At once, he could see her limbs giving out, being driven well beyond their safe limits as she braced herself against the ground and pushed with all of her might against the massive Rapture which pushed right back. Screaming in agony, Sunny had planted herself in a situation that would surely kill her to save Joe's life.

Without a second thought given, without pondering the wisdom of his next move at all, Joe became a creature of pure Id as he saw one of his girls suffering for his sake, and the hateful red glare of the Rapture's core, exposed by Cammie's carefully-aimed missile fire.

Joe braced the butt of First Affection against the ground upon which he lay, used the laser sight to settle the barrel on the Lord's core, flipped the fire control onto full auto, and unloaded the entire remainder of First Affection's magazine directly into the Heavy Metal unit's core at point-blank range.

Everything turned to static, the man's senses entirely drowned out by the unfathomably vicious recoil and stunning effect of the veritable autocannon's singular, buzz saw-like report of many dozens of furious thunderclaps, each of which struck the man like a punch to his throat.

There was little to be done with Joe's senses were so hopelessly overwhelmed, that the man effectively blacked out with his eyes wide open. Only a series of terrible crashes could be made out, as the Commander lay where he'd fallen, damn near slipping out of consciousness outright.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 78 - …When They're Making a Mistake
===

Rapi had, the very instant she'd recovered, launched herself at the Lord-class and kicked it off of Sunny and Joe as hard as she could. The whole thing was knocked clean off the MP Nikke, and crashed on its side bonelessly. While Rapi had drawn Wolf's Bane and moved to drive the barrel into its core, she was caught flat-footed to find that it was already dead.

Turning aside, she found Sunny laid out next to Joe, her legs visibly partially collapsed from fighting against the weight of a Lord, the ground around her surrounded by Nikke blood; and Joe himself, coated in Sunny's blood as well, with a massive pile of hot brass next to him. The man was noticeably and extremely discombobulated.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened as Mia, the team medic, rushed to Joe and Sunny's side. The Commander, deranged maniac that he continually proved himself to be, had dumped the magazine of his weapon into the Rapture's core when Sunny had caught and effectively held it at point-blank range.

Rapi was quick to descend upon the idiotic man, scooping him up despite Mia's protesting to cradle him with extreme worry. He was… Awake, but saying he was 'conscious' would be pushing it. The raw burst of Nikke-grade weapons fire must have rattled and stunned him. He'd need a few minutes to recover, at least.

He was probably even concussed to some degree, given how hard Nikke-grade munitions were on mere humans.

"You idiot," Rapi chastised him with a heavy grimace. "Absolute moron, damned fool…!" The blonde practically whined as she drew the Commander in, even as he groaned, mumbled under his breath, and otherwise indicated that he wasn't fully aware of what was happening around him.

Once it was clear that Rapi couldn't be separated from him, but he was in no apparent life-threatening danger, Mia had shifted her attention to Sunny. The twintailed blonde's legs were totalled, she'd need to be carried back to the Ark, but she'd ultimately be fine. The risk she'd taken to protect their Commander was noted, however, despite her sour attitude, when it mattered, she saved his life. That mattered, and would be remembered.

The salvage team, having converged on their location just in time to witness a Commander kill a Lord, kicked themselves into gear and moved to secure the surrounding area.

The whole lot took every chance they could in order to steal a wondrous glance at the Commander and the Nikke clinging to him with such terrified, desperate affection. This, on top of his having been an already known favourite of Mustang and trusted ally of Tetra Line beforehand.

Word would quickly spread among their number that he'd put his own life on the line to defend a 'mere' iDoll, and in so doing directly killed a Lord-class himself. He was doubtlessly going to become a celebrity among Tetra Line's forces with rapidity.

Such was the way in which providence guided the hand of the Legendary Commander of Goddess.

---

When Joe eventually became fully aware again, he was met by Rapi cradling him as they sat in the midst of a pop-up medical camp. It was confirmed that he'd concussed himself firing First Affection on full-auto, and that the only reason he didn't require a shoulder replacement was that he had the presence of mind to brace the gun against the ground, rather than his arm.

The exoskeleton, which he'd been warned wasn't rated to absorb the full-auto recoil of a Nikke-grade firearm, had damn near failed under that punishment, as he was told it would. Again, bracing it against the ground meant that the majority of the recoil it produced was dissipated directly into the street, but the exoskeleton still had to contend with more than it should have.

The exoskeleton was still functional, but he wasn't going to be using First Affection for the rest of the operation. Not that he could regardless: he'd spent the entire magazine, after all.

Sunny was a mission casualty, given that her legs were absolutely destroyed preventing the Heavy Metal Rapture from crushing him. She was unconscious when Joe and Rapi went to check on her, by her own request. She didn't want to be aware when she had injuries that so obviously marked her as non-human.

Some Nikkes were like Anis and Neon, and could just shrug off reminders that they had metal bones and hyper-tech artificial muscles, at least in the short term. Others… Preferred to be placed into an induced coma until they were fixed back up. He could hardly hold it against Sunny, and it was all Joe could do to lightly touch the twintailed blonde's forehead, and wish pleasant dreams upon her until they could get her to a repair centre.

He'd been informed that Mica, Belorta, and Cammie were all fine as well. They'd fallen from the roof of the tower, yes, but they'd all caught the side of the building, drove their hands into the structure, and were able to slow their descent enough to be able to kick off the wall when close to the ground and completely disperse all of their momentum into a series of rolls.

They were all also apparently really peeved that nobody saw them pull that off, and Joe could understand why: it sounded like it would have looked really cool.

Though the girls all had the skin stripped from their hands doing that stunt, they all just shut off their pain receptors and were able to keep functioning. They, along with Mia, opted to accompany the salvaging team that went out to keep searching for the Harmony Cube.

From Cammie, that wasn't too surprising, but Joe couldn't help but feel more than a little impressed by Mica and Belorta proving themselves to have no small amount of mettle. The two rocketeers didn't exactly strike him as hardened warriors, despite being Nikkes. Old Nikkes, at that. Even the cutest of girls could be tough little troopers in the Ark, as it turned out.

Joe couldn't help but feel more than a degree of pride in the entire team. They'd more than proven themselves to be worthy and reliable allies, so far as he was concerned.

That all being said, Rapi remained absolutely locked to his side, her arm locked around his. Both because he'd been hurt and she was worried, and because he was still concussed and had already once gone light-headed to the point that he'd have lost his footing, had the blonde not been holding onto him at the time.

The Commander was in no state to be accompanying Nikkes into potential combat for now, so he sat out the remainder of the operation, and would be forced to check in at the Outpost hospital once they were back. They needed to ensure there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him, given the concussion.

So, it was all he could do to settle in, sit among the small medical team, and wait.

Some time later, Rocketeer and the salvage unit rocked up to the temporary medical post they'd built near the now-dead Lord-class. Reports suggested that they'd actually cleared out the Rapture infestation with that battle, and might have made the Lost Sector safe to tear apart with wild abandon for any and all resources within.

Mica marched up to Joe, dropped the backpack she was wearing, dug into it, and presented the prize they'd descended down there to find to begin with. A small block, about the size of a Rubik's cube. Black, textured similarly to the uneven cubic manner in which the structures of the Lost Sector were, with squared-off 'windows' which revealed a red core within. "Look, Commander! We found it!"

With a smile, Joe gave the little brunette with absurdly flowing long hair a thumbs-up. "Hell yeah you did."

As Mica beamed, Belorta stepped forward, the little silverette too grinning broadly. "Hey, hey, Co~mmander! Syuen said that the one Harmony Cube was absolutely hers, and that every single other thing in the Lost Sector belonged to us, riiiight?"

Joe blinked, nodding once. "Yeah, her declaration and the contract she had me sign emphasized that the only thing she was interested in was 'that singular one,' and that 'every single other thing you might find down there, belongs to you.' She pretty clearly wanted me to feel like the job would be worth my time."

Belorta's smile widened with each word that came from Joe's mouth, and with a bounce on her heel (which almost made Joe grimace and hurgle, given the reminder that Belorta was quite well endowed despite her diminutive size), she buried her hand into one of her large pouches-

To withdraw a second Harmony Cube.

"So, this one would be one of the 'every single other things' Syuen mentioned, then?" The golden-eyed little woman inquired with a gremlin-esque smile.

Joe stared at the black-bodied, blue-accented cube that had a circular window to a bright, sky-blue core. He'd gone blank-faced, then an absolute, shit-eating grin found purchase on his features, alongside a rumbling chortle building upon his lips into a gut-busting laugh to the Heavens above.

Belorta and Mica's eyes sparkled at Joe's reaction, while Cammie made a valiant effort to not look totally taken with how utterly rapturously joyous the Commander's reaction was. Joe jumped to his feet, actually startling Rapi enough that she missed his arm when she tried to reach out and clasp onto him again.

Joe's first instinct was to reach down and pick Belorta up by the waist to spin her around, because holy shit, get fucked, Syuen! However, part of him remembered that he was both concussed, and also that Belorta, being a Nikke, weighed some 360kg, or about 800lbs. Meaning he'd probably throw out his back like a decrepit old man if he latched onto her waist and tried to lift her off her feet.

So, he just reached out, cupped and squeezed her cheeks, laughing uproariously like a madman. "What did I do to be blessed with such wonderful Nikkes, huh?" He rhetorically inquired with a gleeful cheer. "Screwing over Syuen by the letter of her own word! The best! My girls are the absolute best! Ha!"

Belorta's eyes lit up like fireworks at the positive attention, her smile stretching ear-to-ear, then she plonked her hands (including the cube she was still holding) over Joe's, bouncing in place excitedly alongside an also eager Mica.

Mia had ambled over from where she'd been checking on Sunny, a more reserved smile on her face. She seemed just as heartened to see their Commander absolutely glazing them for a job well done. A very, very rare occurrence for any Nikke.

Rapi remained close to Joe, ready to grab him if he looked like he was about to experience another fainting spell, but otherwise remained quiet. Both because of her own persisting worries about the situation between herself and the man, but also because she was used to Joe being decent upon a successful mission, while this was something of a first for the iDolls and Carronades.

So she'd just let them have this, and remain focused on keeping to Joe's side and ensuring he was as safe as he could be at any given moment, even if from his own foolishly self-inflicted injuries.

---

With their mission done, Joe, Rapi, the Carronades and iDolls all departed from the Oregon Lost Sector and set off to return to the Ark.

The salvaging team remained behind with their own vertical take-off and landing vehicles, having confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt that the failed Ark was clear of Raptures and safe to pillage unopposed. They'd rip everything up, analyze it, package it, then bring it back to the Outpost to be shoved into their resource piles and used as the Commander saw fit.

Which meant that the Initial Rapture Invasion-era Nikke parts from the Lost Sector's long-abandoned repair centre would be following them shortly. Along with a whole mess of other raw materials they'd be able to find all sorts of uses for.

The former members of Goddess were going to get a much-needed round of proper maintenance with parts which—while still nowhere near proper Grimms material—were a damn sight better than the improvised and jury-rigged Rapture junk they'd been using since having left Eden. Rapi especially would benefit from this, after she'd gone and damaged her body by using Exceed against Modernia- Marian.

Additionally, in the back of his mind, Joe recalled their stop at the Northern Base—and specifically upon considering Rapi—Ludmilla requesting that Joe ask Mustang for permission to have Snow White perform maintenance on Alice. The little pink bunny girl who too had an Exceed system, but one which was actually incredibly faulty compared to Rapi's.

With that in mind, he'd make a point to set an entire body's worth of spare parts aside for Alice and put in the request to Mustang as soon as possible, then get Syuen her Harmony Cube, before passing his Harmony Cube along to Ingrid. He needed to have their Harmony Cube identified before they could do much of anything with it, and if Elysion would potentially benefit from having it on hand, giving it to them to use much like Syuen would use hers.

They shortly arrived at the Outpost, or the trip at least felt short given how Joe had passed out pretty hard and wound up sleeping most of the way there. At any rate, Sunny was immediately picked up and brought to the repair centre, while Joe was instantly dragged to the armoury to deposit his exoskeleton and First Affection for repairs and maintenance, then to the newly-established hospital.

Rapi would hear no arguments, and made it clear that if the man attempted to protest, she'd throw him over her shoulder and carry him there like an undignified sack of potatoes.

Upon arriving at said medical centre, which just looked like a normal hospital, a nurse gave Joe an examination to see if he was okay.

He was, for the most part. He indeed had a minor concussion, and some bruising on his arms where he'd suffered blunt force trauma death-gripping First Affection while mag-dumping it, but he'd be fine as long as he sat his ass down and didn't slam his head on anything for a while. A tall order for him, yes, but one he could at least give the ol' college try.

When Rapi asked about the fact that a doctor hadn't been sent to check on him, she was told by the nurse that 'Doctor Mary' was set to transfer to the Outpost alongside 'Doctor Pepper' in a few days, and they'd likely call Joe back to check him over again.

Until then, the Outpost's hospital was just staffed by some temporary Ark nurses to basically get the place running in preparation for the proper permanent staff's arrival.

The mention of 'Dr. Pepper' caused Joe to long for a Dr Pepper, which made him kind of sad, but otherwise, everything seemed to be okay, so he was cleared to return to the Command Centre and not go around doing anything while recovering from his injuries.

Before setting off, he stopped and sent Syuen a message, requesting a Missilis representative be sent to the Command Centre for a package pick-up, alongside messaging Mustang to request a brief meeting as early as tomorrow, if he could spare the time.

Rapi, again, escorted him back dutifully, the pair arriving home to little fanfare. Pioneer were off helping with some construction, apparently, while the other girls were either at the repair centre, or off working in the case of Anis.

Or… Whatever it was Neon was doing. Joe actually had no idea what Neon was doing. When was even the last time he'd seen her? Bah, probably not important, she'd show up sooner or later and turn out to have been doing nothing important.

Mustang confirmed that he could show up to talk to Joe the following day, just as a Missilis courier showed up at the Command Centre. Joe handed them the Harmony Cube—in a sealed box, of course—and they already understood that it was to be delivered straight to Syuen, no questions asked.

With that, the red-cored Harmony Cube was hauled off, and Joe's end of the agreement with Missilis was fulfilled, Syuen being none the wiser to the sheer scope of the mistake she'd thoughtlessly made. A very, very profitable venture for Counters and their sub-squads, to say the least.

As soon as all business was done, Rapi immediately directed Joe to the elevator, clearly intent on dragging him to his room and having him lay down right away. Any other day, he would have complained, but, concussion. It would probably be wise for him to not fuck around and lay his weary head to rest as early as possible.

Thus, quickly enough, he was in his room, was stripped down to a more comfortable state, and found himself seated on the edge of his bed. He sighed as no small amount of fatigue started catching up to him all at once.

Rapi lightly fussed over the man, understandably still concerned given everything that had happened. He wasn't too bothered by having a beautiful woman worry about him, and, in the midst of seeing her seeming to cling to excuses to stay with him as long as possible…

"Am I going to find myself waking up with you cuddled up next to me again, at this rate?" Joe teasingly asked as his mouth moved faster than his brain, causing him to wind up stunlocking himself.

Rapi had, in turn, recoiled as her eyes went as wide as dinner plates, her face turning as brilliant a ruby red as her irises. She stared at Joe, who had frozen still with a seemingly unphased, expectant expression on his face. Not being privy to his internal thoughts, she did not hear his internal screaming.

After a few moments, Rapi shyly averted her gaze, suddenly playing with her own fingers, she lightly bit her bottom lip. Then, she responded shakily, "W-would you like that…?" The anticipatory edge to her tone wasn't lost on Joe.

For his part, Joe's brain first crashed, then rebooted, then went into overdrive as it devoted all of its runtime to this singular moment, to process that response of Rapi's.

A great many thoughts fired through his mind over the course of a few seconds, including the fact that while Rapi didn't remember it, or at least not as much as he did, she was still Red Hood. Meaning that that had been intimate a great many times as it was, meaning it would hardly be new ground they'd be breaking.

If anything, it would just be a step taken back to what they had before. Something that the both of them had very much enjoyed, back then.

Then his libido, which he'd been fighting so hard to suppress for a great number of reasons, upon being granted an inch, decided to forcibly take an entire mile and suddenly Joe could see nothing besides Rapi's flawless figure, her peak womanly countenance, the borderline ethereal quality of her hauntingly familiar yet exotic features, how very perfect she was from top to bottom…

Fuck it fuck it fuck it fuck it FUCK IT-

"I very much wouuuuaaa-" Joe started with an anticipatory timber of his own, only to start tipping over as he grew lightheaded and slurred his words. His concussion reaching out and slapping both himself, and a visibly mortified Rapi who had lunged out to catch him.

"-You need to go to sleep, Joe," Rapi said in a hushed, yet somewhat forceful tone. She did her best to repress the disappointment she felt, but holy shit what cruel timing.

The Commander let out a heavy groan as he allowed the gorgeous blonde to gently lower him onto the bed, before retreating just enough to grab the bed's sheet and cover him with it. The unspoken message was clear: nothing would happen while the man was actively concussed.

While that might have been perfectly understandable, it didn't make it any less frustrating given that Joe's defences had only just given out.

Rapi quickly beat a hasty retreat, standing and immediately moving for the door to depart. She did stop and turn to call back over her shoulder: "Send me a message if you need anything, okay? Even if it's just a glass of water, don't get out of bed unless you have to."

Joe just nodded, taking a few heavy, bracing breaths.

"...Good night, Joe," Rapi said with a forced even tone, doing her best to not let her own frustration show. They both noticed it, however, which made it all the worse.

"Night, Rapi," Joe answered in turn, to which Rapi nodded and set off, closing the lights behind her as she did, leaving the man to lay there and rue his life in the dark. Granted, it probably would be an exceptionally bad idea to get intimate with a 630kg cyborg super soldier while concussed, but still. It would probably be worth it. Maybe.

At this rate, surrounded by all of these unreasonably beautiful women, some of whom were being very forward with their interest in him, Joe knew that there was an increasingly high chance of him slipping up as he just did with Rapi again, sooner or later.

Turning aside, he caught sight of Marian's ID on his nightstand, her gentle, soothing smile hitting him like a brick. Then, he remembered Cinderella's heartfelt confession. Hell, even Privaty had been acting a certain kinda way with him, hadn't she? He felt his stomach twist and form a knot as he rolled onto his side and settled a hand over his chest.

He didn't want to hurt anyone. Yet he was just a man, surrounded by too-beautiful women, who had too-complicated relationships with him, who he had too-complicated feelings for.

Joe loved these women with all of his heart, but God damn it, did they not make it easy for him. Or rather, they made it entirely too easy to love them.

As he drifted off to sleep, the man renowned as the Legendary Commander mused upon the notion that he really wasn't sure that he was built for this.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 79 - The Blinders Come Off
===

The following morning, Joe awoke to a message from Syuen, denoting that she was deeply pleased with the results of the operation, and the sheer punctuality of it. She'd not been expecting to receive the Harmony Cube so quickly, evidently, and made a point to note that he should expect more job offerings in the future.

Otherwise, Mustang arrived not long after Joe woke up, and was not only quick to green light the suggestion that Snow White be allowed to perform maintenance on Alice, and he also metaphorically kicked himself for not having thought of that himself.

He also praised Joe for having the discretion to not just message this to Mustang over Blabla. Joe just said 'Opsec' in reply, to which Mustang chortled and departed. He'd arrange transport to bring Snow White to the Northern Base to get it done, just as soon as Joe requested it.

Obviously, Pioneer came first in that regard, but it shouldn't take Snow White too long to do her thing and get herself and her squadmates in better working order. Then, she could maybe make life a bit easier for Alice.

Ludmilla would surely appreciate that, if nothing else.

At any rate, Joe descended into the ground floor of the Command Centre to raid the kitchen for breakfast. Upon reaching the dining area, he found Anis, dressed down in her worryingly low-cut tank top, short shorts, thigh highs and little else. She was just finishing her usual bowl of morning off-brand Froot Loops.

Notably, the short-haired blonde instantly clammed up and displayed no small amount of anxiety the moment Joe was in sight. "Uh… Morning, Commander," she awkwardly acknowledged his presence, making a point to avoid looking directly at him.

Pausing mid-step, Joe's brow furrowed as he considered how she'd been behaving lately in general. Every time he'd seen her, she grew awkward and anxious. Visibly uncomfortable and uncertain, even at the maid café. She'd been behaving this way since returning from the Arctic.

"Anis," the burly man started, shifting to face the haphazard Nikke, visibly disconcerted. "You've been avoiding me since our mission to the Yukon."

At that, the blonde's body language tensed significantly. Her expression soured, and she started to subtly tremble.

That was probably a bad sign.

"What's wrong?" Joe immediately inquired, closing distance with her, but not quite reaching out to touch her.

Anis remained silent, her spoon lightly shaking as she made a concerted effort to not look Joe's way, or even acknowledge him. She was visibly terrified, to the man's intense confusion and mounting concern.

At that point, he did reach out and set a hand on her shoulder, eliciting a grimace and low whine from her. "Anis, seriously. What is it? What happened?"

"Nothing," the golden-eyed Nikke asserted sharply, with a slight tremble in her voice. Still refusing to meet Joe's gaze.

There was a beat as the man considered the woman, before he reached out, pulled out the chair next to her, and set his ass down right next to her. "Anis, come on," he started, leaning over the blonde's way. "You are boisterous, brash, and opinionated to a fault. You aren't convincing me that everything's okay by acting so uncharacteristically skittish."

At that, Anis grimaced, looking more than a little put-off by Joe's words. "Jeez, make me sound like an utter gorilla, why don't you," she whined, looking more than a little hurt. "...Being seen like that is about what I deserve though, isn't it…" She mused in a recriminatory manner.

Closing his eyes and sighing very deeply, Joe knew this wasn't going to be fun as he locked in. "Alright, neither of us are moving from this spot until you tell me what's happening with you. I'm not having this hanging over our heads like a storm cloud and potentially causing problems in the field."

Anis let out a low whine of dismay, dropping her spoon in the cereal bowl before crossing her arms across her stomach, now she was staring at the wall next to her, rather than at the Commander. Of course, she didn't say anything.

Even after at least a good, awkward minute.

"For the love of God Anis," Joe groaned, setting a hand over his eyes as he rued how this seemed like it was going to take a while.

"...Don't," the typically cacophonous blonde said meekly.

"Don't what?" The brunet, meanwhile, was already growing frustrated with the blonde's refusal to cooperate.

"Don't make me talk," she all but pleaded, her body language screaming intense discomfort.

That all but bushwhacked Joe, leaving him utterly gobsmacked and confused. Anis loved to talk. That much was made clear by how she'd go out of her way to spar with Neon just to justify yapping both in the field, and in the Outpost. "Why?" Joe asked with no small amount of confusion.

"Because I might make you hurt yourself again!" Anis snapped at him, curling in on herself with a heavy, deeply guilty grimace.

If Joe had thought he was caught off-guard before, he actually recoiled in shock, staring at the woman with eyes the size of dinner plates. His mind crashed, and he struggled to process her assertion.

Hurt himself? What? When? He hadn't-

Joe stopped, blinked several times in rapid succession, and his eyes were suddenly forcibly opened. He had injured himself. Right when they got back from the Yukon. He'd dug his nails into his palms badly enough that Rapi had forced him to go to a hospital to get them checked out.

And he'd hurt himself because of… Marian. He'd panicked. Flipped his shit, and lost control of himself. He was overwhelmed by what had happened. "-How was that your fault?" He inquired as he did his best to gather himself.

Anis scoffed, still refusing to look at Joe in the midst of this incredibly uncomfortable conversation. "You said it yourself. 'Anis is right everybody is just going to die if they try to rely on me.'"

There was a very long pause at that. Joe did not remember saying that. He- Blinked rapidly, again, feeling as though his eyes were being forcibly opened.

Anis did constantly bemoan and declare that she expected the entire team to be killed on every mission they deployed on. She didn't say it directly, but the implication was clear: she didn't trust Joe to keep them safe. She expected him to lead them to their deaths.

This, after she saw what had happened with Marian. After Anis saw Joe fail to protect Marian with her own eyes, and be forced to execute her himself, which ultimately led to her being turned into a Heretic.

Joe was rapidly being forced to wrestle with many things all at once. Up to, and including the fact that he had been actively attempting to avoid thinking about anything and everything on an interpersonal level.

Anis kept tearing open the wound, kept pouring salt all over the raw injury and reminding him of his failure, shouting directly into his face that she expected to suffer the same fate under his watch. Joe just refused to acknowledge this. He put it out of his conscious mind and marched onward, pushing such ugly notions back into his unconscious thoughts…

Into the same place where his dreaded feelings of being a failure of a 'Legendary Commander' wallowed. The same thoughts that whispered into his mind that he'd failed mankind once before, and surely would again, if he achieved anything less than instinctive mechanical perfection.

Oh.

Shit.

He was compartmentalizing everything. Too well. Too aggressively. Shoving things into such dark corners of his own mind that he would forget about them on a conscious level, while they gradually fermented into rot and poison. Blindly stumbling forward, in a near-drunken haze.

It was practically like there were multiple Joes that were hot-swapping into and out of control out of a mutually shared body.

The Joe that led Nikkes into combat, locking in, becoming the warrior he had once been for the sake of those who depended on him.

The Joe that bummed around the Outpost, feeling bad for himself and longing for what he no longer had.

The Joe that would offer his hand to the Nikkes under his command, lift them up, and show them that the Legendary Commander was back, and that they were his Goddesses of Victory, regardless of whether they were Grimms or Mass-Produced.

The Joe that went down into the Ark and had those little dates with Privaty, where he actively fought the pain down and projected the image of an ordinary, fun-loving guy. That same Joe that Marian had fallen for.

The Joe that reunited with Pioneer, that was a shadow of his old self in their presence, yet was still there despite it all. That same Joe that Cinderella loved so truly and wholly that she had waited for him for a hundred years, despite believing him dead.

The Joe that couldn't take it anymore, and periodically started imploding, only to be caught at the last possible moment by someone else, gradually burning himself out as he did his very best to deny the truth: that he was hopelessly overwhelmed, and kept forcing himself to pretend it wasn't the case as the foundations of himself buckled and crumpled in slow motion. Ready to fall. Ready to collapse. Ready to crash.

Holy fuck, he'd been just bumbling into active combat situations while metaphorically lobotomizing himself. He'd been in command of these girls and leading them into combat with blinders on.

The man was stunlocked. Staring into the aether as he was overwhelmed by these mental blocks all coming down at once. He'd put everything off, pushed all these problems into a closet and avoided acknowledging them to the point that now that he'd been reminded of the actual depths of his workload, he had no idea of where to start.

If he tried to pull any one thing from the pile, the structural integrity of it would fail, and the whole damned thing might well collapse right on top of him, crush him beneath all of these problems he'd let build up rather than address them as they came.

A Jenga tower of issues. Which block did he reach for, try removing first? What a right proper state he'd worked himself into, by refusing to do the work when it fell upon his desk. Lazy. Idiotic. Childish. How had he let all of this happen?

Amidst all of this, something caused him to take notice of Anis again. The girl was still sitting right there next to him, trying to avoid his attention. Joe liked her. Most of the time.

When she was decent, she was great to have around. She could be downright bubbly when she was upbeat. Her smile, when it was real, was something to behold—Anis was beautiful, gorgeous, fun. The type of girl your dumb ass would trip and become ass-over-teakettle smitten with if you bumped into her at the right time, when she was in the right mood.

When nobody else could, she remained by his side at the Northern Base, to ensure that he wouldn't wake up alone after everything that had happened. There was loyalty there. There was a trustworthy companion there, someone that had the potential to be a reliable ally.

But.

The constant tearing him down, reminding him of his failure. Rubbing her lack of faith in him in his face. Banging a drum as she sung about how he would get her and all of her fellow Nikkes killed, how she didn't trust him despite his best efforts to do right by she and her peers…

That, despite Joe's attempts to ignore it, had hurt him. Anis was preventing that Marian-shaped wound from healing. She was tearing it open repeatedly… Hell, she'd made it worse. Marian kept coming to mind unbidden. Marian kept dominating his thoughts, despite Joe knowing that he needed to move on and focus on the girls that needed him to prioritize them in the here and now.

Of course she did. Of course Marian was always there, at the forefront of his mind. Anis wouldn't let him forget. She wouldn't let him put what happened with Marian out of mind. She wouldn't let him move on without reminding him that she had about as much faith in him as she did the average Commander.

And why? What great failure and sin had he committed against her, Rapi, Neon, Sunny, Mia, Cammie, Mihara, and Yuni? When had he done anything less than go above and beyond to ensure they were all living as comfortably as they could? When had he done anything less than demonstrate his intense respect and consideration for the Nikkes under his command?

What had he done to deserve that from her? Legitimately? If Joe looked at everything objectively, if he stepped back and put aside his own personal hang-ups, he'd been putting his best foot forward when and where he could.

Was he handling his relationships with the individual girls as well as he could? No, obviously not. He was in a bad place, and kept deflecting any attempts from them to offer him emotional support, turning it around on them instead. He… Categorically refused to grant himself any relief at all. Even when it was reciprocal from the likes of Rapi.

But, he wasn't being unkind, or cruel to them. He wasn't being inconsiderate. He was trying his level best to make sure the Nikkes under his command lived well, lived comfortably, and without needing to face the discrimination they so commonly did in the Ark proper.

Yet, Anis kept digging her fingers into that gaping wound, tearing it open at every opportunity.

He stared at the blonde. Feeling no small amount of intense resentment flaring in his chest, once he'd started to actually acknowledge his interpersonal situations, rather than hyper fixating on the bigger picture.

What was he supposed to do now? Tell her that it was okay? That he didn't hold it against her? That he wasn't mad? None of those were true. Her cruel stabs and twisting of the knife… That's what was ultimately actually causing him to turtle up emotionally, wasn't it?

If Anis would continually shiv him in the kidneys as she had despite the fact that he was doing his best, what else would the other Nikkes do, if given the opportunity? Hell, that fear was reinforced in his own memories via Red Hood. They'd been in a relationship, Joe was sure that, if he wasn't in love with Rapi back then, he was damn close to it. Then, she just flipped and turned on him, and he didn't know why.

Anis was making this worse. She was validating that fear. That horrible anxiety that he wasn't good enough, that any of these girls he was doing so much for would turn around, and just attack him for reasons outside of his control.

Joe was trying to do everything he could for Anis. In turn, she hurt him. Because of things he hadn't done. In retaliation for sins that weren't even his, for actions performed by the Commander corps he constantly professed his own hatred for, in no small part for how they treated Nikkes like her.

The man stared at Anis for a few, long moments. Then, in the midst of feeling resentful anger swell in his chest, he stood up, and walked away. Joe knew himself. He knew what happened when he got mad. When he lost his temper—which came so easily to him—he got stupid and impulsive. He said and did things he'd regret. He said 'fuck it' and did things he knew he'd regret out of sheer, overwhelming spite. Salt the Earth, burn the bridge. Fuck it, fuck all of it.

Better that he leave, lest he do or say something he'd regret to Anis, regardless of how much she may well deserve it.

Of course, up and leaving without saying a word after a withering, nearly hateful glower was a telling decision in of itself. Anis shrunk in on herself, lips curling downwards as she could do little other than listen to the man's uncharacteristically heavy footfalls as he stomped away. Joe was so forgiving and considerate. For him to react as he had, after she confronted the gravity of her own behaviour, made such an admission of guilt…

Anis didn't finish her bowl of cereal that morning.

---

"Joe?" Cinderella's refined, womanly voice called out to him.

The man had departed for the edge of the Outpost, to a low-traffic section that had benches set up for public use, but no real reason to be frequented by what population the settlement had just yet.

He didn't want to go down into the Ark. Basic pattern recognition suggested that he'd run into Privaty if he did so, and he just wasn't in the mood for a date. But he did want to get away from the Command Centre and the girls around him. He wanted time to himself, to settle down, to calm himself and get his thoughts in order.

Luckily, he'd been sitting there, ruminating long enough that he'd largely relaxed, if nothing else. He wasn't good, not by any stretch of the imagination. But he was calm.

Glancing up at Cinderella, she was wearing a hardhat and high-visibility vest over her pretty little sundress. Right, she'd been helping Mighty Tools with construction alongside the rest of Pioneer. Being productive. Which, thinking about it…

"Helping to build homes and such probably feels absolutely wonderful for you girls, huh?" The burly brunet inquired with a small smile.

Cinderella's smile, meanwhile, was absolutely magnificent and downright radiant. "It does," she affirmed his supposition. "After so long, wading through naught but destruction and rot on the surface, seeing almost nothing but ghosts and echoes amidst dust and a century of death… To build homes, to know that we are helping to build up a new settlement for mankind, it feels so wonderful." The silverette said as she removed her hard hat and vest, gracefully striding over to claim the seat next to the Commander.

"Destroying Raptures helps, yes, but, so soon, we shall see these homes abuzz with life and love. It is beautiful. Building something, after losing so much. And it's all because of our reunion with you, Joe," the silverette smiled brilliantly at the man, her eyes glimmering with adoration and gratefulness. "All this time, we would muse about how much better it would be, if only you were here again. Lo and behold…"

Cinderella leaned over, resting her head on Joe's shoulder.

"Thank you, my Prince. For making things so much better for us, just by being here."

That long response caught Joe off guard. He took a long, shaky breath, centring himself after that debacle with Anis…

"-Joe?" Cinderella shifted back up to attention, lifting her head from his shoulder and giving him a disconcerted look. "Your breath is hitching, and your eyes are bloodshot… Are you well?" She reached over, taking the man's hand, entwining her fingers with his.

I'm fine, I just stayed up too late on the computer last night. Tell me more about you girls doing construction work.

The words damn near slipped from his mouth unbidden. Without a thought given, he almost reflexively doubled down on the mistakes he'd been making since his first mission to the surface. A lie, parrying and riposting the truth… When it was Cinderella showing concern.

It was bad. It was so much worse than Joe had even realized it was. Of all the people in the world, Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Scarlet were among the last he should ever dare lie to. They had never been anything but his loyal friends and comrades-in-arms, those who had jumped into Hell and fought their way back out with him.

His heartbeat intensified, grimacing heavily as the idea of actually discussing what had happened hit him like a brick. The feeling of opposing a coping mechanism always sucked, didn't it?

Cinderella leaned in further, her expression contorting into one of pure worry. It was so terribly clear that he was in a bad way. She knew him well enough that she could tell, and he couldn't deflect as easily as he could with pretty much anyone that wasn't once a member of Goddess.

"No," Joe forced it out, not letting himself lie to one of his original, still loyal girls, of all people. "I'm not."

The admission came with no small amount of audible strain. His expression falling and chest tightening.

In immediate response, Cinderella slid over to press herself into Joe's side, wrapping her arm around his, and redoubling her hold on his hand as she projected an air of intense focus and concern. "What happened?"

Well. Time to rip the Band-Aid off, and actually begin surgery on the open gunshot wound.

Better late than never, right?

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 80 - Revealing the Rot
===

Taking a deep, bracing breath, Joe resolved to reveal everything to Cinderella, to finally let it all out. To let the work begin.

So, he started. "You've been told about everything that's happened to me, since I woke up in the Ark, right?"

"No," Cinderella flatly replied.

Joe blinked several times, turning to stare at the platinumette with open confusion. "-Huh?" He vocalized said surprise. "Wha- Nobody told you?"

"Scarlet and Snow White only told myself and Rapunzel that you were alive, that you have been in the Ark this entire time, and that you sought us out the moment you knew we were all alive and well."

The man blinked owlishly, coughing into his fist and sighing. "Ah. Okay, well then, I suppose I should bring you up to speed on everything, then…"

Joe spared little detail when he recounted his journey, starting with waking at the hospital to Cinderella. He relayed all the hardships, twists and turns, and even the relationship issues he'd been having.

Cinderella's reaction to learning about the almost-relationship with Marian was muted. Her brow fell in concern upon learning of how he'd had to execute Marian for her own sake. She nodded and listened intently when being informed of their missions to the surface. Her brow started to furrow when Joe mentioned turning away the support he'd been offered.

Then, she was staring silently at the man when he finished speaking on how Anis had been verbally harming him. She remained silent, scrutinizing him intensely even as she actually peeled back from the man. An uncharacteristic display from her, to say the least.

"...You have been in a terrible mental state," Cinderella started slowly. "You have been struggling to keep your head above water. You have been trapped within your own mind, mired in a miasma of loss, fear, and imposter syndrome."

"Yet you've rejected every instance of Rapi attempting to offer you a shoulder as you offered to her, you've said not a word of your suffering to my father, who, despite your disagreements, was ultimately your best friend?"

Joe went very quiet as Cinderella's tone grew increasingly sharp with each word spoken. Her lone visible eye narrowed as she stared at him with notable intensity.

Cinderella continued. "You've said nothing to anyone? This entire time, you've not addressed Anis' attitude and the harm she's been causing you to anybody? Even when Anis herself remained by your side after the conflict with Modernia, even when she showed that she cares about you directly, hugged you, expressed joy at hearing you cared for her in turn…"

"You said nothing to her, or anyone else, about this apparent abuse she's been putting you through?"

Joe felt no small amount of pressure building around him, the air permeating their surroundings becoming charged. Cinderella, normally so boundlessly sweet, seemed increasingly aggravated.

After a period of silence, she continued. "Rapi, when confronted by Snow White over your state, admitted to being a horrible person. A terrible companion, that she's been hurting you and showing that she 'hasn't changed' since her days as Red Hood, where she was so terribly hostile and cruel towards you, even in our last days together."

"Yet, even all you just told me points towards her being all but desperate for your affection and acknowledgement. Nothing but loyal, an unbending companion that has to be pried from your side by force."

"She said that she 'forced' you to kill Marian. That she wouldn't let Anis do it for you." Cinderella cocked her head as her eye grew all the sharper. "Anis, who has supposedly been nothing but emotionally abusive towards you? Was that a lie? Did she not try to take the gun and spare you that horror?"

Ah- Oh.

"Rapi was only following protocol, as according to your own recollection. Anis was putting herself at great risk suggesting mercy killing Marian for you, as far as the Ark's understanding of how Corruption works. Both of these actions qualify as abuse to you? Rapi protecting Anis from her own bleeding heart, that is cruelty?" Cinderella demanded as she rose to her feet and rounded on Joe.

"If so," she continued. "Why did you never say as such? To anyone? Why would you allow this to go unaddressed? Why would you not confront either of them? Why would you just sit upon these things that have been stewing in your mind this entire time?"

Joe didn't reply. He just stared, his mind shorting out at the intense interrogation.

"Why would you have never brought this up to Rapi during all of your many moments alone together? Why would you never confront her with how horribly she'd hurt you? Why would you never ask if she'd meant to hurt you?"

"Why would you never ask if her cruelty was intended? Even after she showed how much she clearly loves you, to so longingly remain by your side, to the point of attempting to commit suicide for your sake."

That caused Joe to recoil in shock, his eyes going wide and his breath hitching as his jaw dropped, utterly flummoxed.

"Did that fail to register to you?" Cinderella leaned over, expression hardening yet more. "Exceed would claim her life if she used it. She knew this, you knew this. The moment it seemed that you were in imminent danger of being directly targeted by a Heretic, she did not hesitate to use it."

"She had no reason to believe that Snow White would be in any state to help her, nor that the Northern Base would have just so happened to have the materials on hand for Snow White to just barely save her life! As far as she could see, how could that decision have been anything but the ultimate sacrifice, for a chance to protect you!?"

"Yet, you'd leave her to set herself in such a head space, that she would admit her 'heartless sins' to Snow White as though she were some monster!? You would allow her to degenerate into such a state that she'd feel that she had to beg for your forgiveness?"

Cinderella was now looming over the man, wearing no small amount of genuine anger on her otherwise soft features as she did so.

"Has Anis really been verbally abusing you? Has she?" The twintailed woman inquired, projecting a deeply disconcerting aggravation. "Or are you projecting this offence onto her, so that you may further justify pushing her and Rapi away? All the while you seek comfort from another not even serving alongside you, this 'Privaty' that you have also told lies about Rapi?"

Ah- Ah. Oh.

Silence reigned for a good long while after that. Joe was too overwhelmed to even begin to formulate a reply.

So, Cinderella continued once again. "I love you, Joe," she started, her tone becoming pained, and deeply disappointed. "I love you with all of my heart, and that is why I will not tolerate such hideous behaviour from you. Not when I know that you are better than this."

"Not when I've seen you confront Dorothy and Scarlet about their harmful, team-breaking conflict to make them see reason without putting them down. Not when I've seen you admonish Red Hood in such a way as to make her cease crossing the line with an increasingly distressed Rapunzel."

"Not when I know you'd helped Lilith uplift Snow White, when she was terrified of so much as meeting Goddess before me, and sequestered herself away from all but you two…"

She leaned forward even more, tears starting to form in her eyes as she spoke through teeth grit together out of sheer frustration.

"Not when you fought so hard for me, not when you did all you could to grant me my wish, to give me happiness, before we'd even met! Because it was simply the right thing to do!"

Her breath came in ragged gasps, closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, gathered herself as best she could, and when she looked upon him again, she looked downright betrayed and heartbroken. "The man I fell in love with did all in his power to uplift those around him. Even when he didn't know where to begin, he blazed a trail forward."

"When he was struggling, when he was hurting, when he didn't know what to do, he allowed his most trusted allies to lift him up in turn. He would allow me to hug him, to listen to his woes and offer unconditional support. He would allow Dorothy to cradle him, to reassure him that he was still her Commander in our darkest hour. He would hear the gentle assurances of Rapunzel that encouraged him to aim to be someone better than he was."

"He would listen to the sharp, but well-intentioned critics of Scarlet. He would let Snow White tell him about how much he'd helped her grow, how she wouldn't be who she was if not for his help. He would hear the harsh, but earnest words of his best friend that only wanted him to open his eyes, and be the best version of himself he could be."

"But here? Now? Hearing this story? Hearing these complaints? Hearing how you've conducted yourself, seeing the wretched belief in your eyes? Seeing your expression harden and shift into such genuine anger, relaying these supposed offences so egregiously inflicted upon you by those you have sworn to support?"

Her breath hitched, and the tears started to fall, her expression becoming tortured as she gazed mournfully upon him.

"I almost don't see the man I fell in love with in you anymore."

It felt like a piece of Joe's soul had shrivelled up and died. Cinderella, of all people, of all people, to turn on him like this, to grab him by the scruff of his neck, and drive his face into his… Mistakes.

'Mistakes.' That sure was one way of describing them. No, he was underselling it. Cinderella's heart was broken by his behaviour, because she looked upon the Prince Charming she'd fallen in love with, and found something hideous gazing back at her.

She was right. She was right, and he knew it. He'd reflected upon how lesser he was compared to before, but, even still, he'd not grasped the sheer depths he'd fallen to.

Rapi had tried to be his rock, even despite her own problems. Why hadn't he allowed it?

Andersen was right there. He was terribly busy, but when was he ever not? He was literally the primary grand strategist of Goddess and the Nikkes serving as their support aboard the Avenger. Was he not busy then? Was he not busy when he was directing the spear in the war against humanity's extinction? When he was the General to Joe's Commander?

Anis had opened their relationship by trying to shoulder the burden of mercy killing Marian for him. She was difficult, yes, but she wasn't malicious. She might've been willing to at least try to help.

Yet, he didn't reach out. He kept everyone at arm's reach. He just sat in his darkened room, wallowing in his misery, refusing to actually confront any of it. Worse yet: he'd started projecting it onto others, instead of looking inwards and acknowledging that he'd done this to himself. It hit him like a brick, the realization of just how pathetic he'd been.

This was the so-called Legendary Commander? This cretin that refused help, that used his suffering as an excuse to lash out at others? What the fuck was wrong with him?

"...I'm sorry," the burly man started, his voice small and intensely regretful. "I-" His gaze rapidly wandered, yet he was looking at nothing in particular as he processed everything all at once. "I owe so many of you girls apologies. I owe you all so much better."

Cinderella didn't say anything. She just continued to stare, her cheeks streaked with tears and her breath coming in hitched gasps.

"Ellie," Joe, despite desperately wishing to retreat to a hole and die, to never meet anyone's gaze again, he met her heartbroken gaze. He wouldn't let himself look away, spare himself a moment of her disappointed sorrow. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Cinderella remained quiet, and after a few moments of extended quiet, she reached out, took one of the man's hands, and drew it out, settling his palm over her heart. It was beating hard, and fast. Her face was flushed.

"Do you know how much this hurts?" She asked, still staring into Joe's eyes. "How it feels? After a century apart, after waiting for you, after seemingly defying the reality that you had to be gone. After remaining loyal, faithful for so long, for this to be what returns to me? To feel my heart breaking like this, as my reward for refusing to give up on you against all reason?"

Joe's own heart would have fallen into a thousand pieces, had he not braced and hardened himself. It still hurt, but, in a way that only steeled his resolve to be better.

In her eyes, Cinderella could see that resolve finally reflected back at her, and after several long moments, she let out a shuddering sigh. Releasing Joe's hand, she extended her arms to him. She didn't move, though. Immediately, he knew that she was demanding that he be the one to reach out. That he show that he wouldn't make the girls be the one to do all the work, only to be met with a nonreciprocating wall.

He responded by extending his limbs, grasping her shockingly slight waist, and drawing her in. She circled her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her midsection. Once again, she let out a shuddering breath as she set her cheek against his crown.

"Do better," she instructed him. "Be the man I fell in love with. Not… That hideous thing that was wearing your face."

Her words were horribly harsh. But, it was warranted. He deserved it. He nodded into her chest, declaring: "I will." He took a deep, bracing breath. "I'll start with Anis."

Cinderella didn't immediately reply to that, the two simply remaining there for a time. Eventually, she did peel herself away. She wasn't smiling, but she did seem hopeful. "Then start," she directed him, backing off entirely and watching him expectantly.

At that, the man rose to his feet, looked down at the woman that had set him straight, and nodded once. He hesitated only to say, "Thank you, Ellie." He then moved to return to the Command Centre.

Cinderella watched him go, and immediately, she saw a change in the way he carried himself. It wasn't even subtle. In some way, she caught a glimpse of the man that had stood alongside Goddess. Not the resentful face stealer that had been hopelessly miring in his own self-imposed rot.

"I'll be here," Cinderella whispered as she watched the man stride off to correct his latest mistake, hopefully, but the first step towards bettering himself into the figure she'd fallen in love with. "Once you've returned, I'll be right here. Waiting for my Prince Charming to lift me up, and carry me into the sunset."

"For you, I will wait, my Prince."

---

Emerging back into the Command Centre, Joe wasted no time in searching for the short-haired blonde. He quickly found her fluffy locks peeking out from her bunk, curled up in a ball beneath the sheets. It was just her, everyone else seemingly out.

Grimacing heavily, no small part of Joe wanted to avoid the awkward discomfort that would follow if he continued on. He stabbed that doubt and threw its body in a dumpster. It had no place here. It had no place when it came to being the Commander these girls deserved.

So, he gradually approached her. His steps quiet, measured. Anis noticed, regardless, given the way she shifted ever-so-slightly. She was upset. Of course she was. He stopped just short of spitting on her as he left. Over a misunderstanding. Over his own self-delusions.

Or, at least, half-delusions. Anis shouldn't have been projecting that doomer shit at everyone around her the way she did. He'd spoken to Rapi about it, however briefly. The long-haired blonde had learned to just ignore it. Avoid letting it get to her.

Joe owed Anis an apology, but he'd also talk to her about how negatively that could affect everyone around her. He didn't have to be awful, mean, or cruel. He just had to say it like it was, and affirm that she could trust him and her comrades to protect her and themselves in the field.

He came to a stop alongside her bed, and after a beat, he spoke up. "Anis," he started, voice gentle and quiet. "I'm sorry."

The Nikke stirred, stiffening at his words. She didn't reply, however, falling still just as quickly.

It was all Joe could do to continue, reaching up and setting his hand on the frame around the bunk, which was inset into the wall.

"I've been refusing help from any of you girls. Miring in my own shit, locking myself away from everyone else. Blocking everyone off. To the end point of hearing your… Pessimism, and hearing a personal attack against me. An affirmation that you only trusted me to get you killed… In the same way I got Marian killed, before, well, we knew better."

He wasn't there to discuss Modernia, so he'd brushed past it to focus on Anis.

"That was awful of me. Atrocious. I don't even have a good excuse for why I did it. I just… Did. It didn't feel good. It didn't justify anything. It just further enabled me to wallow in shit, look at you girls as though you were- I don't even know. I still tried to help you girls, be there, give you cause to trust me and feel safe. But I grew resentful over how alone I felt. Even though I was making a concerted effort to hold everyone at arm's length."

It sounded so fucking ridiculous when he said it out loud. Like, really? Seriously? That's what he'd been doing this entire time? Christ, he really had been utterly pathetic, hadn't he?

"I fucked up, basically. Looked at you like you were my enemy, like suddenly all of my self isolation was justified, when you were so obviously trying to show that you felt terrible for what happened. Even though it really wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, Anis. Please, don't think you did. You're great. Really, You're wonderful to have around. And… I'm happy you're here."

He released the frame, letting his hand fall back down to his side.

"So, I, yeah," he lightly shrugged. "I'll do better, be better. Otherwise, um, I suppose I'll just, leave you be-"

As soon as he took a step away, the blanket Anis had been hiding under was thrown aside, the girl lunging out and firmly grabbing onto Joe's arm, locking him in place.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair a frazzled mess. She hadn't been crying, but it had been damn close. She stared up at the man, her breath heavy and somewhat heightened.

She held him there, staring for a few long moments, before averting her gaze and looking more than a little sheepish. "U-uh. I, uh," She stammered by way of opening, clearing her throat. "D-don't go," she meekly asked, sniffling lightly as she did so. "I-I want to talk."

Joe blinked in surprise. Part of him had expected her to let him leave, if not run him off outright. But, if she actually wanted him to stick around, have a discussion with her, then, who the fuck was he to deny her that? To do anything less than give her anything she asked for at this point?

"Alright," he agreed as he stepped back, and settled down to sit on the edge of the blonde's bed. "We can talk. Whenever you want from now on."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Anis looked over at Joe, and inquired: "Um, first, Commander-"

"You can still just call me Joe, Anis," he assured her. "Unless, you don't feel comfortable anymore-"

"Joe," she corrected herself fairly firmly, locking eyes with him at least momentarily for seeming emphasis. "I-I just- before we start," She released his arm, and extended both of her own to him. "Can- can I get a hug?"

Ah. Well, that made him feel like even more of a piece of shit, if that was the first request she made of him despite the bitch baby tantrum he'd thrown earlier. But, if that's what she wanted. "Of fucking course-" he reached out and drew the blonde into a gentle hug- or what was gentle at first, before she latched onto him and squeezed. "-Any time you want, Anis. Hugs, talks, games, watching those shitty trashy animes of yours, just ask, and I'll gladly come running."

"My taste in anime is immaculate, you uncultured jackass!" Anis countered with a grumble, though there was no actual anger in her voice. "But, okay, I'll hold you to that promise, you hear?"

"Please do," Joe asked. "Don't ever let me fall back on my bullshit again. You deserve better than that."

Anis just hummed quietly in reply, just leaning into the hug for a few moments before she spoke up again, slightly playfully. "Am I still 'really nice to hug?'"

Joe let out an amused huff, squeezing the girl more intensely. "Squeezable? Check. Friend-shaped? Check. Nice and soft? Check, check, and check. Certifiably 'really nice to hug.'"

"I'm gonna choose to interpret 'squeezable, friend-shaped, and soft' as complimentary as possible," Anis lightly grumbled, though she didn't pull back from the hug in the least. "I'm… I'm really happy to be here too, Joe. I'm really happy that- that we don't hate each other."

At that, he smiled broadly. "You can be awful difficult, but you're pretty hard to hate by any reasonable metric."

Anis just snorted in reply.

This felt so much better than sitting around his room, feeling sorry for himself about all the bad shit that had happened. And all it took was being reminded of who he was by Cinderella, and remembering how friend-shaped and huggable Anis was. That she, and all of the girls that served with him, deserved nothing less than the best he could be.

He'd damn well never make the mistake of forgetting again.