Nier Revengeance - ch 1.3 & 1.4

Here it is the late weekly chapters. I will proceed to finish writting the An Engineer In Night City afterwards, then if there's enough time a story for the next week rotation.

Abandoned Factory (3)

As the Attack Group One proceeds with through the factory, they encounter bigger and stronger opposition. As if to match the number of intruders, the opposing machines throws an army of the smaller units, mixing both ground and flying opponents against the androids.

“Why there are so many?” 1D asks, a hint of fear entering her voice, “where were they hiding?”

“I’m sorry,” the voice of 9S sounds over the communications, “I just found out the factory activates whenever the number of active machines lowers bellow a certain threshold, it will take some time for me to hack that control feature. You need to find a safe area area while I work.”

“There’s no safe area in this forsaken place,” 2B points out to 9S, “even the stairs are swarmed with machines.”

“I’m sending the coordinates of certain areas of the factory that most machines aren’t allowed to roam, if you get there you can set up a defensive peri-eter a-- r--over.” Before 9S could continue, the signal fills with static and his last words are lost.

“9S? 9S!” 2B calls out futilely until she gives up. “The signal is being interfered by a jammer located in the following coordinates” 2B Pod helpfully answers.

“Well, if you finished flirting with 9S we can take down the jammer and resume contact with him.” 11B teases the group veteran. “Emotions are prohibited.” 2B responds with a warning tone, shutting up the younger model.

“Let’s move on,” 7E calls and takes point towards the new area.

The group manages to reach the new location with some difficulty, as the machines are relentless in their pursuit, however, as they came closer to the jammer the number of enemies dropped significantly. When they reached the area, they soon found out why.

Another Goliath-class machine waits them, the large enemy body embedded into the wall and filled with guns. Without wasting any time, it starts filling the room with bullets and each android deals with the attacks in their unique ways. 1D forms a barrier to hide herself and 12H behind, 11B and 4B dodge the attacks by reaching near the edges of the room, and 7E takes cover behind one of the Flight Units. Meanwhile, 2B dodges the attack with practiced grace, slashing and dicing at the massive enemy.

“The enemy is not so tough. Focus on the guns and it will ease our burden.” 2B instructs the others, hopping that they follow her advice.

“2B, there are just too much to dodge!” 4B calls out, “we’re barely avoiding them as it is!”

Sadly, 2B knows that’s true. If it weren’t the Combat Codex update, the rest of the group wouldn’t even have reached this far. As she finished the thought, a new instruction appeared on their HUD.

“Activate Flight Unit Armor Mode.” 2B calls out, and her Flight Unit comes flying for her to use, but compared with the Mobile Mode the equipment movements are more limited. The flight capability is currently offline, and the arm sections split into a new configuration of hybrid gun and sword combo. Despite the loss of overall mobility, the new Armor Unit follows the android’s more delicate commands, allowing 2B to jump, roll, and dodge the attacks with only a small loss of overall efficiency, while her attack and defense increased.

The other YoRHa combat models follow suit, and they quickly dispatch the Goliath-class. Unfortunately, this system has a drawback.

“Flight Unit overclock detected.” 12H Pod speaks. “Physical integrity low. Recommends to send it outside the factory to avoid explosive malfunction while it undergoes self repair.”

“Do it,” 1D orders, “we still have some units available. We will pass the control unit to the combat units. Wait a minute while I fix the jamming.”

1D connects with a terminal inside the room, performing the necessary hacking attempt. While not a Scanner unit, she has the necessary means to deal with simple tasks like operating jamming equipment. After a minute the signal clears once more, but before she could give the good news, the entire factory shook as if an earthquake happened.

“S-status report!” The captain calls, and all units report nothing wrong with their systems. Sadly for them, that was the last good news they would hear in a while.

“9S here, you guys need to get outside the factory, now! The machines just finished the construction of a much larger Machine Lifeform and it is going straight to your position! The thing also has a massive artillery piece backing it up. I will try to deal with it and ease some of your burden. 9S out.”

“You heard him,” 2B calls out the group, “let’s move out!”

They move with haste as a timer with the estimated arrival of the Goliath-class displayed on their HUD’s, and to make matters worse for them the number of enemies increased once more. Just as they thought they would be overwhelmed before they could escape the factory, a shadow figure appears on the distance and shots down several of the machine lifeforms from afar, the bullets raining in bursts and exploding on impact with the enemy. While it didn’t destroy all of the machines, it allows the group to recompose themselves and carve a path towards the nearest exit.

“Close that door!” 2B calls orders 1D while she holds the rearguard, cutting down lesser enemies while the group shots down those wanting to follow them.

With purpose born efficiency, 1D hacks the door and closes it, the various machines flying towards them slamming into the thick steel wall of the factory. The small reprieve from the constant assault earns a sigh of relief from the group, the human-like behavior helping them recalibrate their systems.

“Uh, everyone, I think its too early to relax.” 12H reminds everyone by pointing to the horizon, where a massive Machine is walking from the ocean.

“H-how are we s-supposed to deal with that thing?” 4B asks with a trembling voice, her usual calm slowly shifting to panic, “it’s too much for us!”

The other girls reaction isn’t as pronounced as 4B, but 2B knows that they share the same sentiment.

“I will fight it,” 2B volunteers herself, “the rest will provide cover and support. 1D, set up an area where 12H can provide emergency treatment if it becomes necessary. 11B, 4B, use your Pods to provide point defense against the enemy ranged attacks, while 7E will take one of the remaining Flight Units and provide sniper cover. One of the Flight Units will assist 1D and 12H, while I will be using the final Flight Unit. Everyone agrees?”

A chorus of yes later, the group patiently waits the arrival of the Machine Lifeform.

“Is it still out of range from the Pods?” 2B asks on the comm channel.

“Y-yes.” 7E answers, “damn, that thing is big.”

Finally, the large enemy arrives at the extreme range of their Pods attacks and the group realizes that the Command will need to either create a new designation for Machine Lifeforms, or they will be stretching the Goliath-class far beyond its initial intention.

“Fire at will!” 2B orders, and the combat models start firing at the enemy. Every shot hits, but the titanic enemy doesn’t show signs of being affected. Entering Mobile Mode, 2B flies towards the machine and fires her guns, trying to find any weak spot she can. The steel titan swings its massive arm and despite missing completely the air displacement is enough to unbalance 2B.

“The joint!” 7E calls on the comm, “that thing arm is made of the previous Goliath-class we fought before, the thing joint should be less armored like 9S showed us before.”

As if the steel titan could hear her, the Machine Lifeform turns towards 7E and opens its arms, reveling several guns on its body. Before anyone could react, the titan fires its weapons all at once.

“Ahhh!” 11B, 4B, 1D, and 12H yell as the explosion of the attack throws them into the ocean.

“7E, eject!” 2B orders the Executioner unit while praying that the others are alright. 7E manages to eject at the last minute, but her Flight Unit becomes useless in the process.

“Pod, I’m going to eject, bring the other Flight Unit here!”

“Acknowledged.”

2B current flight unit ejects her, and subsequently overclocks the equipment turning it into an IED, Improvised Explosive Device, the Pod directs to ram into the titan chest. The enemy chest explodes, taking out its guns while leaving its chest exposed.

“Massive energy signature detected. Ejecting pilot.” The Pod calls out, ejecting 2B without her input just in time as a massive laser blows up the Flight Unit. The combined energy from the explosion throwing her back into the factory platform.

2B form skips through the ground thrice before she can reorient herself, but once she recomposes herself the titanic figure is already finished charging its laser attack.

“Is this how it ends.” 2B bitterly asks the heavens, wondering what was the point of surviving up until now, if it ends up with her and her team’s demise anyway.

The enemy weapon’s light turns blindingly bright for an instant, then a shadow falls in front of the android.

Abandoned Factory (4)

In an impossible display of speed, the mysterious figure that protected the YoRHa androids earlier cuts down the factory steel ground into several walls before reaching for 2B frozen form. The laser fires, slowly melting the improvised walls while 2B savior cuts more walls as the pair retreats from the relentless attack.

With a powerful jump the duo reaches a higher area and 2B is gently deposited on the ground. Without saying anything, the mysterious figure rushes after the titanic machine. With common sense defying speed and skill, he cuts the factory floor and kicks them forward to use them as platforms to reach the Machine Lifeform.

Once again, the savior of the androids displays an impossible feat of speed, as he jumps the still flying improvised platforms in mid air, effortlessly dodging the feeble attempts of the steel titan to shot down the small figure from the air.

“Target the exposed cable connectors near the Engels artillery weapon core. If you do that the machine will damage itself when trying to fire the weapon.”

“Got it, Doctor.”

With a final jump, the black clad figure reaches the exposed cables, cutting them into thousands of small pieces before kicking off the massive figure back to the factory ground. As predicted, the titanic creature tries to shot its laser but a massive explosion on its chest makes the metallic monster stagger back.

Taking a rifle from his back, the figure starts shooting at the other cables to completely destroy the deadly weapon. The warrior shots quick bursts at first, until he holds a secondary trigger to charge the energy attack to the tier 2, the impact destroying another cable section and the sudden surge of energy once again damaging the newly designed Engels.

Realizing the danger it is, the metallic creature diverts all its power to one arm, swinging it far faster than a creature of its size should be capable off.

“Stop that saw!”

With a mighty swing the swordsman holds his sword against the massive buzzsaw, but instead of being shredded by the metallic teeth, the circular cutter loses the power struggle, its various teeth being cut down by the stationary sword one-by-one until the mysterious swordsman cuts at the gear responsible for the rotation, making the saw useless. He doesn’t stop there, jumping over the metal arm and rushing ahead while cutting down the crane like limb, and compared with the running speed of the swordsman the cut down pieces fall to the ocean in slow motion.

Finally, the swordsman reaches the Engels ‘head’ before he sheaths his blade for an instant. The machine eyes glow with an ominous red light for an instant, yet its final act of defiance turns pointless when the swordsman unleashes his blade. The large machine head turns into pieces smaller than an aluminum can and without waiting for gravity to take hold of the metal fragments, the swordsman runs down the metallic titan torso as he slices the body of the Engels, until he reaches the artillery core. With one final powerful swing, the Goliath-class Engels is finally split into two, the accumulated energy exploding the whole creature into pieces as the mysterious warrior harmlessly rides the explosion to land gracefully on the factory floor for one final time.

Despite the ease which the powerful soldier defeated the Machine Lifeform, he doesn’t lower his guard, as several other similar figures emerge from the ocean.

“What’s taking him so long?”

“He had to make a detour to save an android under assault from a ‘logic virus,’” the mysterious voice cracks with static over the private communication channel, “otherwise the would had finished this earlier than you. As it is, he should be done finishing the local Network Node right. About. Now.”

Indeed, as the voice finishes the remaining Engels units stop moving, the menacing glow of their red eyes dimming into nothing, until their bodies sag in place until emergency mechanical locks prevent them from falling back on the ocean.

“Great. Tell him good work for me while I meet with the ladies.”

The ‘Doctor’ grunts in response, cutting the communication off.

Back at 2B location, she’s stunned by the sight in front of her. “What did just happened?”

“Hey, over here!” 2B turns her head to the familiar voice, and once again she’s surprised as the impossible happened once again. 9S is flying on his Flight Unit, creating a temporary platform for the rest of her team to stand on before they jump off back into the factory floor.

“We did it!” 11B and 4B jump in joy, “our first mission is a success, and nobody died!”

“It’s a miracle.” 12H whispers under her breath, unable to believe what her sensors saw. “I never saw anyone move like that.”

“Why were you holding on to us, ma’am?” 7E asks, “if you could do all that from the beginning, our mission would had gone much smoother.”

“She probably had her reasons,” 1D argues, “I’m simply glad we all survived.”

“It wasn’t me,” 2B corrects them, “someone else took down the Machine Lifeform.”

4B stares back at the veteran android. “If it wasn’t you, then who did it?”

“I think he did,” 9S points towards a figure slowly approaching them. “Strange, my sensors are picking something weird…” 9S words hang in the air, as he becomes silent.

At first, He looks like an android wearing an experimental set of armor. Differently from the other YoRHa androids, or the previous models of androids from the Army of Humanity, He is fully armored with a black armor with blue accents on his legs, arms, and shoulders. His face is initially obscured while His white hair flows freely behind his head. As He further approaches, the face mask opens to reveal His face, while several light circuits cover the armor before seemingly disappearing, revealing a form-fitting black body with similar coloring as the armor.

When the androids first saw this silhouette from afar, they wanted to know more about him. ‘Who he was, what was his mission, why the Command didn’t mention him in the debriefing, why he didn’t meet with them earlier?’ All those questions were forgotten, as they all had the same instinctual reaction upon seeing and smelling the aroma of sweat, their sensors detecting the heightened pulse rate and labored breathing characteristic of exertion, each individual blink, and each minuscule pore on His skin.

9S was simply the first one to say what everyone else was thinking: “H-human! You’re a Human!”

The figure runs a hand over his sweaty hair, giving everyone present a radiant smile.

“Kept you waiting, huh?”