The use of these brackets '' indicates a character is "speaking" in sign language.

  That is all.

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  'What do you mean, he's close by?' Rapi suddenly cut into our conversation. 'How can you tell something like that?'

  '313N,' I resisted the urge to elbow Mihara as hard as I could. 'Is able to pick up an unique audio frequency that Chatterbox gives off. We don't know why or how, but she can.'

  Rapi's face was nearly impossible to read, not even a single twitch able to give away what she was thinking at any given moment.

  'Does it go both ways?' She finally asked.

  'No clue. I just operate under the assumption that he can. Leaves me less likely to be unpleasantly surprised,' I said before Yuni and Mihara could get a word in edgewise. Rapi's face remained unreadable as if I was actually looking at a machine.

  'Very well, I will inform my squad mates and the Commander about this,' she said, turning around and doing just that. Her eyes seemed to narrow, almost imperceptibly, before speaking to the rest of her teammates and the Commander with hushed tones, barely above a whisper.

  'Good going, dumbass, what if they tell somebody?' Yuni wore an annoyed look on her face.

  'A rookie commander and a fresh squad? Who's going to believe them, Yuni?' I glared back at her. That was provided we even made it back. We hadn't run into since the first time. Hadn't even gotten close. So the fact it was here? Now? Either we were very unlucky. Or it was picking fights it was certain it could win.

  Go ahead. Guess which of the two I was betting on.

  'One of them is a former member of Absolute, idiot, and she hasn't lost a bit of her edge,' Yuni aggressively signed back the two us glaring at another.

  'And what type of Commander is just going to take her at her word? None of them!' That Yuni knew of, anyway. Anderson absolutely would, enough to at least do some digging. But I wasn't going to tell Yuni or Mihara that piece of information. 'So let's focus on the mission, and so you can bite my shiny metal ass later.'

  If there was one upside to this whole mess, it's that I could quote Bender and actually mean it.

  'Okay.'

  Wait what? OW! Mihara snickered, snickered! At my pain, as Yuni took my expersion as, the next free second she could!

  'Control your top!' I scowled at Mihara. We were probably going to die today, as we were stuck doing a Three Stooges routine. I really hope it is worth it, you two.

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  After the chicanery, we finally settled into our usual routine when it came to operations. A very quiet creeping through the ruins, keeping a slow pace as we went. Sure, there were engagements, ones we made sure to end as quickly as possible. Counters was helpful in that regard, as they brought more guns to the fight. And Neon's shotgun operated at ranges I was much less ideal at. As close as humanly possible.

  I really wished someone would make a shotgun pistol for all the snipers in the world, but allas, it was not meant to be.

  Of course, that wasn't the only thing of note. The Commander himself was, interesting. He didn't seem like much. Definitely muscular, as expected from an active military man. Even Anderson retained a fair share of his musculature, despite his condition and the shape of his peers. But this guy was a bit more active than that.

  And then there was just, how he was acting. He didn't really mouth off, he didn't do anything stupid. But he wasn't waving around his pistol like a lunatic, unlike a fair few Commanders we had to deal with in the past. He wasn't demanding, he was just, letting us, who had been doing things for a while, set the pace. Not exactly unquestioning. But.

  Understanding. Knowing there was a reason we were doing what we were doing, and, not pushing just simply because it might be more convenient for him to make us rush. Whether it was because of real, genuine pragmatism or actual compassion, I didn't know. I really couldn't judge right now. Anderson said the man had potential, and most of those he even considered usually were capable of basic pragmatism. Some even outright compassion, though that was a far rarer trait.

  Rare enough that it was like trying to find gold or diamonds. Hell, the way Anderson talked, and some of the examples I saw, Yuni and Mihara were underselling just how bad things were. I was surprised there was even a survival rate to be had in the first damn place. Nikke rights barely existed, and when it came to military officers? We might as well not have any rights. Only people get human rights. Anderson had been a breath of fresh air, and got his foot into the door before I became much too bitter to trust any Commander that got close, but he was an expectation, not the rule.

  Of course, with every exception, there would always be others, even if only in small amounts.

  I raised my eyebrow at the scene. Post battle, and this guy was just, giving out bandages. Bandages! Out of all the things I had seen thus far, that was somehow among the most bizarre.

  Yeah, that was proof I'd been here for far too long. That basic compassion was something I'd consider a strange sight. It wasn't even unuseful. Sure, for most injuries, it did nothing. Nikke's, despite all the effort into making us as human as possible to stop us from freaking out, did not operate under normal human conditions.

  As I'd found out during that time I'd spent as a head. So normal cuts and scraps really didn't do much too slow us down, even if we bleed like a person did. Of course, that was normally. Normally, bandages did nothing for a Nikke. There was no dirt that needed to be kept out of a wound, no risk of biological viruses, none of that. Sure, if you took a hit to the head and needed to keep the blood out of your eye, then they had some use.

  But beyond that? Nothing. There was no reason to even bother to carry such things.

  And yet. He was. For no reason. And Anderson had an eye on him for a reason. Was this why? Actual care? Actual compassion for other living beings, regardless of their circumstances? More than just losing a companion on the field of battle? Was he like Anderson, before the weight of his duties and actions came crashing down around him?

  I, really couldn't say. But his compassion had gone beyond even his own squad. Sure, he was in charge of both on grounds of technicality. But given Syuen's own behavior towards him, and the fact we operated under her, I expected some degree of hostility. But, he wasn't. As far as I could tell, he was as concerned about our wellbeing as much as his own team's.

  Still, wish I took a picture of when he tried to put a bandage on Mihara, the look on her face! I would cherish it until the end of time. To an extent. I knew it had more to do with Mihara liking pain than it did anything else. I could never really phrase the concept. Enjoying pain sounded alien. Then again, given how her powers interacted with her body, feeling anything, even pain, would be a nice change of pace.

  Of course, as much as I wanted to have that simply as blackmail material for possible future use, I had other things I needed to do. Provided we got back alive, then I was going to come out swinging. And as much as I could get things to people with enough subtle deniability, there was also no doubt in my mind that anyone with three brain cells was going to be able to figure out where the information leaks would come from.

  But by that point, with the bomb collar off and having jack shit to lose? I was going to twist the knife about as far as it would go.

  But that was less relevant than what was before us.

  'Ambush. A good few dozen.' I move my hand to their hiding spaces. If we hadn't run into Chatterbox before, we would have fallen for this.

  'It sounds like you expected this,' Rapi's face didn't hold any accusations, but I felt them.

  'It's using the same playbook as last time,' I frowned. That was not a good sign.

  'So it isn't as smart as we thought it was, big deal,' Yuni rolled her eyes.

  'It knows that we know,' I sign back. 'It's likely trying to lull us into a false sense of security. Throw the tracks that lead to an ambush, then spring something new on us later. We destroy the formation, it likely knows that we have.'

  'You are unfathomably paranoid.'

  'And 313N has a point. She really does. Chatterbox isn't dumb enough to pull the same trick twice without having something in the wings to back it up,' Mihara cut in, before Yuni and I could start arguing again. Now if only she would start using my real name, that would be great.

  'Engagement?' Rapi looked between the three of us.

  'Commanders call. 313N isn't wrong that Chatterbox will know if we destroy them, but sneaking by isn't an option, and going around will delay us even more. Plus, if we run into trouble and have to make a retreat?' Mihara paused, the dangers of not having a clear escape route being evident.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Which I figured. It was better to deal with them now, rather than later. We'd just have to be careful and keep an eye out for traps or other ambushes.

  'Give me a signal when we're ready to begin,' I crouch down, drawing a bead on one of the more exposed targets, my visor helping me account for the wind and gravity as I lined up the shot.

  The signal, in this case, was multiple thumps of a grenade launcher, the arcing shots not caring for concerns such as cover, or rubble, or warning shots. Joined with Yuni's rocket launcher? The Raptures were swiftly left without any cover to protect themselves. That's when the real fun began. My gun kicked into my shoulder, several bullets tearing through Rapture armor before finally piercing its core, sending the monster crumbling to the dirt, dead. As dead as Rapture's got, at any rate.

  From my position, I could see most of the battle unfold, using my overwatch to make sure we didn't get flanked or otherwise out-maneuvered. I put a few bullets into one that was trying to do so, killing it in fairly short order.

  It certainly had the potential to be a lot messier than it was. All the while, I made sure to keep my senses tuned into Chatterbox to the best of my ability.

  It was unmistakable. The range had widened. We were going in the right direction, but we were getting closer. And yet. I hadn't lost whatever gave off the waves. Far from it.

  It was almost as if it was baiting us in. Unless it didn't know and we simply were unlucky. Which I doubted. Chatterbox was too smart for that, even if he couldn't sense me, which was something I wouldn't bet on, even if he told me that was the case.

  Plus, the traps, ambushes, and footprints painted a very different picture than just bad luck. Once was a coincidence, twice was happenstance.

  Three times? Enemy action, straight forward.

  'Signals getting further out,' I sign, stepping down the ladder from my perch. 'He's due North now.'

  The fact it was baiting us was a bad thing. Us staying out overnight was going to invite trouble, but we were no damn closer than where we started. And if it was going into where I thought it was?

  'Reward?' Yuni signed towards Mihara as I rolled my eyes. Oh boy, here we go. I had half a mind to break them up and remind them that we have a job to get done. One that was far more important than their equivalent of handholding.

  "What exactly are they doing?" Anis asked, looking at the display. If one didn't know any better, one could look upon the scene and imagine that all that was happening was an almost child sitting on their mother's lap.

  What one wouldn't pick up at first glance was the harsh pinch Yuni had on Mihara's skin. Harsh enough that if Mihara had a regular body, she would be bleeding, Yuni's grip strong enough to break through skin.

  "Yuni enjoys causing pain. Mihara only feels pain," I decided to speak, as unlike everything else, this information was never going to be relevant to Chatterbox if he was listening in. It was a match made, well, certainly not in heaven by any means. But it did mean the pair did find some degree of comfort from the other.

  Of course, the relationship could best be described as messed up on a good day. Because heavy codependency does not make a healthy relationship in the slightest. And these two were codependent on one another. Yuni is the far more aggressive case on the matter. Mihara could function with Yuni. Not well, but she could. Yuni was a completely different matter. Mihara dying would probably break her.

  "That's," Anis seemed unsure of how to process the information. Me? I'd long since learned to live with their particular brand of flittering.

  It had not been the worst thing I'd seen. Nor the most scaring.

  'Your gun is strange. You use it like a sniper, but it looks different and has more bullets than a standard issue should,' Rapi approached me. Anis raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet for the time being.

  'It's modified for better synergy with my own abilities,' I signed back. 'The large magazine allows me to dump it into a target should the need arise, while each bullet still retains a significant amount of penetration behind it.'

  Rapi's face was still unreadable, but I could tell she was judging my words carefully.

  "Are you really that paranoid that you have to talk like that?" Anis crossed her arms with a huff. I gave her a look.

  "I get it, Syuen is an asshole and an idiot," I cross my arms as well, meeting her gaze with my own. "And I've yet to encounter a scenario where these two haven't where these two haven't put their foots in their mouths by torturing somehow Syuen told them too."

  I ignored Yuni's squawk of protest, as Mihara kept her close by.

  "Seriously, how do you think I met them? So I get the grudge, and as much as I'd have loved to step in, because Syuen, again, is a moron! But she also more or less has a bomb in my brain, and there is only so damn far I can push things with her," I scowled. "But we've run into Chatterbox before, and the experience damn well near killed us. The only reason we're even having this conversation right now is somebody bailed our asses out of that particular fire. If you're anything like me, I totally get not wanting to bury that hatchet. The tree doesn't forget and all that jazz. But please try to drop it until our lives aren't under very real threat from the very intelligent Tyrant Class Rapture."

  Anis, to her credit, blinked, though I could also see her eyebrow twitch. It was largely stuck on confused as hell. Then again, given how the Ark didn't have any trees, or wood chopping hatchets for that matter, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that another old earth idiom had been lost to the sands of time.

  Explaining to Yuni and Mihara the whole concept of chickens, eggs, and not counting them before they hatched had been a, time. One I never wanted to experience ever again.

  "I," it seemed as if for a moment, Anis had a hard time processing the absolute mess I'd dropped on her. Because yeah, I completely understood what they were going through. When it came to Syuen, Yuna and Mihara had pretty much no spine, and while the kill switch for me had been disarmed, I sadly couldn't reveal that yet. As much as I'd love to punt the rich gremlin. Though, granted, that little emotional outburst showed that I wasn't exactly the best with interacting with people either. Either way, the situation was fucked for pretty much all of us.

  It didn't help that I was scared still. Chatterbox had successfully scared the absolute piss out of me, and meeting him at all at any time would be much too soon.

  "If they've encountered it before, it would be wise to at least listen to what they have to say," Rapi spoke, her voice even and flat. "Even if we killed a Blacksmith before now."

  I shuddered. I'd done digging. Chatterbox was scary because he'd shown himself to be smart. Blacksmiths? Were utter pieces of work, one of the Tyrant classes known for its ability to corrupt Nikke's. And corruption was, scary. If I ever saw it in action, it would be much too soon.

  "Yeah, through pure luck," Anis scowled.

  "Then welcome, we're part of the lucky survive when we shouldn't club," I said, as Anis just shot me a look, before stalking off.

  'How exactly did you even get an ability in the first place? Even for individual Nikke's, something like Yuni and Mihara is, rare. For a mass-produced model, I don't think I've heard anything about something like that happening,' Rapi's words made me force down a bristle.

  'I don't know about the two of them, but in my case, it's 100% dumb luck, on both accounts,' I shrugged. I wasn't going to tell them that story, I wasn't going to tell them that at all, at least not yet.

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  "We found something in your headquarters on the Outpost. Military plans to carry out a terrorist attack on the Ark," It was impossible to mistake Syuen's words as anything else than outright blackmail. And I was recording every single bit of it. I wondered if she would admit as such. "It has your signature and everything. Capture Chatterbox and I'll be willing to ignore what I saw. Return empty-handed? And you and the Scrap Metal are done for." The line broke apart into static once again, as my fingers dug into the palm of my hand.

  This absolute, fucking bitch. The moment I got a clear signal, I was passing this along to Anderson. We may not be able to capture Chatterbox. But when we got back?

  It was time to scorch the earth with this pathetic toddler.