Glory to Mankind (Nier Automata) ch 32

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The missiles slammed down, orange-red light flashing across Adonis's HUD.

"Area denied," Adonis declared. "Confirm, Rez?"

"Kills confirmed, sir. Moving to advance," came the voice from the ground. "Thanks for the support."

Adonis nodded. "No problem, Rez. Parrot and I will be in the AO before we gotta bug out. Adonis, over and out."

He cut the connection and sighed. The Resistance was advancing quickly, reclaiming what had once been machine-dominated territories. Amazing what heavy vehicles and air support could do for a war effort. Adonis had been following the pace of the conflict, and until recently, progress had been stagnant. But with their rise, the Resistance had electrified the battlefield, turning the tide against the machines.

"Adonis to Parrot, you copy?" he called out to his wingman.

"Parrot receives," came the response.

"How's your loadout looking?"

A pause. Then, "One five-hundred-kilogram bomb, a thousand rounds for strafing, and the missile pods are half-empty. We can still support before we gotta head back."

"Same here," Adonis replied, checking his own HUD. "You still up for one more?"

"Sure, why not?"

Adonis grinned. "Adonis to 6O. Do you copy?"

The roar of his engines and the wind whipping against his mech filled the silence until finally, the YoRHa operator's voice came through. "6O copies! How can I help you, sir?"

"Any requests for support in our AO?"

6O paused, scanning her terminal. The Resistance seemed to be holding their own in the city, but... "I'm seeing a request for support in the Forest Kingdom. They're assaulting a castle of some sort. Think you can help them out?"

Adonis checked his tactical map. The location was just a five-minute flight away. "Connect me with the Rez."

"Connecting," 6O replied.

A few seconds later, the screen flashed. The feed showed a Resistance squad pinned behind a tree, gunfire and the clanking of machines filling the background. A frantic voice broke through: "This is Lieutenant Mack! Requesting immediate support!"

"Do you have access to markers, Lieutenant?" Adonis asked.

To streamline airstrikes, androids were issued sensor spheres. Toss one, and it marked the target zone, feeding critical data: elevation, distance, and everything else the pilots needed for precision strikes.

"Markers out!" Mack shouted.

Adonis's HUD lit up as an invisible red line shot into the sky. "Adonis and Parrot, in your AO in five minutes. Stand by, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir! Please, hurry!"

The connection cut. Adonis nodded. "Thanks for the assist, 6O."

The operator beamed. "I'm here whenever you need me, sir!"

Her screen went black, and the mechs shifted course, turning northeast. A low hum grew into a powerful force as their Gotterdämmerungs rocketed through the sky. Adonis's HUD pinged. "Parrot, send it."

"I think 6O likes you," Parrot said.

Adonis's tone was incredulous. "You called me to say that?"

"I mean, yeah. When are you going to tap that?"

Adonis snorted. "Parrot, that is highly inappropriate."

"Dude, the Old Man knocked up their Commander. I think we're past those barriers, you know?"

The news of Commander White's pregnancy had spread like wildfire. Soldiers, human and android alike, were buzzing with gossip. Many celebrated; others didn't. Adonis had seen it in the eyes of the androids below. Stuck in the ground, they could only throw longing, envious glances cast skyward.

"I think I'll get her a nice dinner first," Adonis retorted. "No need to rush. Besides, there's that lottery system they're implementing."

"I just think you're too chicken to approach 6O."

"Yeah, yeah."

The shadows of their mechs passed. Grey turned green, thick logs kissing the sky. But amidst the sea of green stood a ruin straight out of fantasy. 

And it was on fire. 

​Adonis's HUD flashed with blue dots, allies, and multiple reds, the enemy. Some dots were clearly bigger than the others. But he paid no mind to them. 

"This is Adonis to Rez," he announced into his screen. "Be advised, hammer down in one minute. Get to cover!" 

Below, the androids looked up into the sky and saw two dots in the sky travelling fast. Lieutenant Mack clutched his rifle close, and yelled. "Everyone down!" 

Ahead of them, the Machines charged. "For the King!" they cried. As one, armored stubbies and bipeds pushed forward over the bodies of their fallen. They were Knights of the Forest Kingdom, and for his majesty, they would fight the android interlopers to the death. But zeal, no matter where it came from, could not match two five-hundred kilogram bombs thrown at their faces. The air sucked in, then orange-red light expanded as force and shrapnel detonated among the Machine Life Form ranks. The survivors that managed to avoid the bombs were quickly felled as two succesive "BRRRTS" entered android ears. Explosive rounds kicked up dirt and Machine Lifeforms up in the air. Then, a heavy thud as Adonis and Parrot landed. The former, right by on the ground with the androids. The latter, on a mound overlooking the castle ahead. 

"Firing a barrage," the pilots declared as four rockets left their pods, crashing onto the Machine Life Form ranks ahead. 

When all had settled, what had been the Army of the Forest Kingdom was a shattered remnant, survivors limping and groaning in the ground. This Lieutenant Mack saw as he poked his head behind his cover. 

"Area cleared," Adonis declared. He twisted his mech, turning to Mack. 

"Thank you, sir," Mack greeted. He turned ahead. "The rest of you, move up!" 

His men cried, then rushed from cover, surging ahead into the breach. Mack turned away from them to greet Adonis. He saluted. "Lieutenant Mack, 24th Mechanized Battalion, at your command, sir." 

"Where's your heavy vehicles?" Adonis asked. 

"Left behind. The forest trail was too cramped for our vehicles to get in," the Lieutenant reported. Adonis had seen what the Resistance fielded. Their vehicles looked like a unholy mix of American, Russian, and German designs. 

"You must be stubborn as hell to push through without support," Parrot noted from his mound. Mack craned his neck towards Parrot, and scratched his cheek with a gloved hand. 

"Well, they were able to support us in our initial advance. Then, they fired over the tree-line when we called. Over here, we're just out of the range of their guns," he said. 

"What's so important about this castle that your units pushing for it?" Adonis asked, mech servos whirring as he looked up. 

"We have known about the Forest Kingdom for awhile," Mack began. "It's ruled by a King. If we assassinate him, the machines here will be leaderless and easy pickings. A disorganized rabble is easier to fight than an organized one." 

​Regicide. Sweet. 

Mack hesitated. "You've already done more than enough for us, sir. But...if I may be so bold, if you help us, we can wipe out this area faster, and this place can be reclaimed. Can you help us?" 

Adonis turned to Parrot. "I still got some missiles and rounds left," he declared. 

"I suppose we can assist a little," Parrot aquised. "Though we can't exactly fit through the castle. Our mechs are too big." 

​Mack's face was estatic. "You don't need to, sir. According to Intelligence, the King's throne room is on the roof. All you need to do is turn it into scrap." 

"Sounds like a plan," Adonis said. "But don't you want to kill him yourselves?" 

Mack laughed. "All we want to do is our duty, sir. You can have the glory." 

"We'll make sure your unit gets the credit," Adonis rebuffed. "Parrot, let's go." 

​At that, the two mechs rose. 

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The Knight shivered.

It had all begun when the androids invaded from the south. Their forces were relentless, their war machines formidable. But the Forest Kingdom was blessed by its narrow paths and dense woods, making it impossible for heavy vehicles to traverse. The knights had used this to their advantage, cutting down the androids whenever they found them. Yet, no matter how many fell, the machines kept pushing forward, driven by a hatred that burned brighter with every step.

"Sir Knight...why are the androids attacking us?" a small voice asked.

The Knight turned to his squire, a stubby newly brought into the fold. The little one was barely half his size, with wide, innocent optics staring up at him.

"Because they wish to kill the King," the Knight replied. There was no other reason for anyone to be in the Forest Kingdom. The King was the heart of their land, their purpose, their future.

"Why do they want to kill the King?" the stubby asked again, his voice tinged with fear.

The Knight's grip tightened around his lance. "Because they hate us."

"Why do they hate us?" the stubby asked, tilting his head.

"...I don't know," the Knight admitted, his voice heavy.

Silence filled the throne room. The Knight glanced back at his comrades, stalwart defenders of the kingdom, armed to the teeth, all encircling the crib where their future lay. The King, still so small, so fragile, rested within. He was innocent, defenseless, unaware of the chaos outside. The Knight's gaze hardened.

"What I do know," he continued, "is that our King is in danger. We must defend him."

"Why do we defend him?" the stubby asked.

The Knight turned, looking past the crib to the throne room doors, where the sounds of war raged: gunfire, the cries of martyrs, the clang of steel. "Because he gave us a home...a family...a future," he growled.

"Future," the stubby repeated, testing the word as if it were foreign. "Is that...tomorrow?"

The Knight nodded. "Yes."

A spark of determination lit up the stubby's optics. "I want to see the to-mo-rrow."

"Then we must defend the King," the Knight declared.

"For the King!" the stubby cried, his voice echoing in the chamber.

"For the King!" the machines replied in unison. Shields were raised, lances poised, swords drawn. The sounds of battle grew louder, closer. Gunfire ripped through the air, and the cries of their brothers outside dwindled, one by one. The Knight's resolve hardened. If the androids thought they could steal their family, their home, their tomorrow, they would pay dearly for it.

But the androids did not come.

The Knight frowned, his processors racing. Something was wrong.

Then, faintly, his audio receptors picked up a new sound. It was low and ominous, growing louder. The hum of engines. His chest tightened.

"Sir Knight...what's that?" the stubby asked, tugging at his side.

The Knight turned to the windows, and his optics widened. Two massive war machines hovered in the distance, their sleek forms bristling with weaponry. A sudden scream pierced the air as dozens of missiles erupted from their pods, all aimed at the throne room. His HUD calculated the time to impact.

Five seconds.

"Sir Knight...?" the stubby whimpered, his voice trembling.

The Knight made his decision.

"Whoa!" the stubby yelped as the Knight shoved him aside with all his strength.

Then, nothing.

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"Missiles depleted," Adonis muttered, his HUD clouded with smoke. As it cleared, blinking dots appeared. Survivors.

"You wanna let loose?" Parrot's voice crackled over comms.

"Nothing I can't handle myself," Adonis replied, calculating the size of the throne room from his readings. "It seems big enough. I'll go in close."

"I'm covering you," Parrot confirmed.

Adonis piloted his mech forward, descending into the Throne Room with a heavy thud. The once-grand hall, ceremonial in its design, had been reduced to rubble by their missile barrage. What remained of its structure still stood strong, defiant.

"These are some damn sturdy stones," Adonis remarked, scanning the room as his mech advanced.

"That's what happens when you don't source crap from China," Parrot quipped.

"Jesus Christ, P-" Adonis started to respond, but his mech shifted instinctively into a combat stance. Something moved in the rubble.

"Sir Knight!" a robotic voice wailed. "Sir Knight!"

Adonis's HUD zoomed in, revealing a stubby standing over the shattered remains of a larger bipedal machine. He raised his gatling cannon, targeting the small figure. But then, he hesitated.

The stubby turned, its yellow optics blinking as it stared up at him. "You...killed...my Knight."

Adonis said nothing.

"Why...?" the stubby asked, its voice halting and broken. "What...did...my...kingdom...do...to...you?"

Adonis's voice trembled through the Gotterdämmerung's speakers. "You are invaders. This is not your home."

"This is home," the stubby replied. "This is family."

It glanced at the shattered remains of the other machines sprawled around it, then back at Adonis.

"You killed family."

Adonis's grip tightened on the controls. "You're machines. You don't know what a family is."

The stubby ignored him. Instead, it turned and hopped toward a corner of the throne room. There, tucked amidst the rubble, was a pram.

"You will not take my King!" the stubby cried, its voice trembling with surprising emotion. "You will not take my future!"

Adonis's optics focused on the pram. To his shock, inside was a smaller machine, egg-shaped and unscathed. This...was the Machine King?

"You will not take the King!" the stubby roared again, its voice louder, angrier. Yet Adonis could hear the fear beneath it. The stubby trembled but stood its ground, defiant against him and his massive weapons.

Adonis hesitated, his cannon still raised.

"Please..." the stubby pleaded, its voice cracking.

The raw emotion in its tone stopped Adonis cold. This little machine, a pretend knight, was defending its monarch with everything it had. He knew what he had to do. All it would take was one pull of the trigger. But something about the stubby's desperate, tearless cries gave him pause.

'An ally has entered the zone,' his mech's internal systems interrupted, pulling him from his thoughts.

Adonis blinked as a new signature appeared on his HUD. Lines of data streamed across his screen, and a name registered:

'Tag: YoRHa. Class: Attacker. Identification Number: 2.'

Before Adonis could react, a figure dropped from above. His sensors caught the glint of long silver hair as it fluttered in the breeze. There was a sharp cry as the YoRHa gynoid struck the stubby from behind, splitting it cleanly in two.

"Wait-!" Adonis began, but it was too late.

In a blur of motion, the gynoid turned, her sword gleaming, and drove it through the pram. Adonis's heart pounded as she pulled the blade free, the small machine inside utterly destroyed. She turned to face him, her weapon still dripping with oil and sparks.

She was beautiful in the way all YoRHa models were, sleek, graceful, and deadly. But something about her was different. Her uniform was torn, ragged at the seams, and her body bore blackened scars from countless battles. Most striking of all, she wore no blindfold. Her face was bare, her eyes naked and locked onto him.

But what he saw in those eyes wasn't the reverence he was used to from androids. It was pure, unfiltered hate.

Adonis's senses screamed at him.

'Warning: YoRHa Type A No.2 is wanted by the Council of Humanity for the crimes of desertion, theft of Army of Humanity property, and the murder of fellow YoRHa androids.'

"You," No.2 said, pointing her blade at him. "What are you? Some new YoRHa model?"

"No," Adonis replied, his voice steady. "I am human."

Her eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering for just a moment before the hate returned, sharper and more focused. "Human...? Good. Good. I've got a lot of questions for you, human. And you're going to answer every single one."

"And if I don't?" Adonis challenged.

"Then I'm going to get them after I beat your ass!" A2 roared, charging at him.

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A/N: Et Tu?