Chatterbox started to storm down the mountain.
"What the fuck is that thing?!"
Hiroto started to back away in fear from the goliath of metal and flesh. Opening its gaping maw, Chatterbox uttered a single word.
YOU
"It speaks? Oh god, oh fuck, why did I sign up this?"
"Shut up and let me command! If you won't help, just transfer command and go."
Hiroto ran back to the lift, almost running into the door.
Coward.
WE'RE NOT DONE YET.
Shikikan turned his attention back to Chatterbox. It was standing on the ridge, just barely out of reach from their weapons. The arm Helm had shot off was almost finished regrowing as well.
"Don't you remember what happened last time you tried us?"
THAT WAS THE PAST. YOU CAN'T SURVIVE FOREVER.
Before Shikikan could say anything else, Hyphase fired the railgun. Chatterbox snarled and jumped out of the way.
"Commander, is it me, or is he trying to buy time?" asked Anis.
"Yeah, I though it was strange as well." chipped in Rapi.
"Let's move up. Everybody, get in range and fire."
Everyone, exept Neon who was being treated by Pepper and Mary for high energy burns, moved up and peppered Chatterbox, who started to accumulate damage at a rapid rate.
ANOTHER TIME. YOU WILL FIND YOUR VICTORIES FEWER IN THE FUTURE.
Chatterbox retreated as facing six Nikkes was pushing it. Facing thirteen? Shikikan was surprised the Raptures had the balls to attack them.
The Ark really doesn't want these lifts gone.
After checking he had actually left with Signal, they said goodbye to Mica, Belorta, Matis, and Neon. She was too badly damaged to continue on the secondary objective Anderson had just announced.
Anderson - Commander, due to your efficiency, we have decided to task you with a secondary objective.
What is it?
Anderson - Raptures have been significantly more prevalent in your area, which allowed them to mount this attack.
What do we do about it?
Anderson - Meet up with Chemos and Anger to investigate Windblight City. We believe there may be a Rapture factory hidden in there. This is a first encounter with something of the kind, so take extreme caution.
Who's Anger?
Anderson - I believe she can explain.
Anderson does not elaborate further.
As the lift doors open it reveals a strange sight. A Nikke with lime green hair and a respirator was dipping a bullet in a beaker full of orange liquid while one in a full body yellow chemical disposal suit was pouring a similar liquid in a rocket shell. The other one with blackish-green hair was recording them as the outlier with void purple hair was polishing a weapon that looked a lot like a laser. She was the first to notice them.
"Ah, there you are. I am Anger."
The remaining members of Counters looked at her confusedly.
"Humph. I'm here to monitor the combat capabilities of Chemos to see if their weapons are up to the task."
"Why? And again, who are you?"
"I'm not obligated to follow your orders Commander. I am the figurehead of Kyrexian Arms Corporation."
"....what?"
"Where do you think your weapons come from? Thin air?"
"Aren't they just made by the Big Three?"
Anger let out an irritated sigh.
"Let's just go. I'll educate your ignorance along the way."
They started off before realising something.
"Oi, you three! Get over here!"
The three members of Chemos dutifully packed up their equipment and ran over to them. They started to trek towards the city.
"So who are you three?"
The three girls looked at him in the same confused expression that most Nikkes showed when he showed interest in them. The one with dark green hair answered him first.
"Uh, I'm Toxina. I make poisons that target the biological parts of Raptures. My combat capabilities extend from my machine gun."
Her voice was rather shy and worried, like a bad word from him would shatter her like glass. The filter mask she wore clearly didn't impede her speaking.
"We designed and built that thing by the way."
Anger looked happy as the Nikke in the chemical suit spoke up.
"I'm Acidia. Coincidentally, I make extremely potent acids, which is why I wear this suit."
Acidia was muffled by the clearly heavily insulated protection that she wore. The faceplate of which, was pitch black.
"It's not like I can't take it off, it's just rather annoying to do it. It does not impede my combat capabilities, but I can remove it if you wish.
"That's fine, you do what you feel comfortable with."
She looked surprised by the answer before the last member spoke up.
"Corro."
Corro tapped her head and let out a grating metallic laugh.
"They took my voice from me. Fucked it up so bad the Ark still hasn't found out how to fix me up. Now I enjoy their screams."
Corro's voice was a metallic mess that somehow flowed with audible wheezing of servomotors coming from her. She pulled back her yelkow elbow length gloves to show a skeletal metal arm.
"My original arm."
Her voice burst into a hacking wheeze that Shikikan realised was her laughing.
"Built it myself when I melted it as a human. Still works. Still allows me to fight. Still allows me to make them pay."
She let out another wheezing laugh.
"Good talk."
"Oooooookay then. Everyone, let's move out."
Various affirmations came from all of them.