Only Human (Goddess of Victory NIKKE SI)

[Gato]

Damn Cliffhangers, man. All the homies hate Cliffhangers.

Okay, are we getting a happy reunion? Cause Dorothy seems really cool with all of them, no lingering resentment just wanting them to be better. I'm really down for a happy chapter. Surely, nothing bad will happen!

Spoiler: Totally happy!

She's gonna think Joe's a clone or imposter or some shit, right? Can't have shit in Nikke, games nothing but coomer bait and depression!

 

[JKD_666]

As long as Joe remebers to bring up the Doro, we should be good.

 

[Dsaeg]

Damn Cliffhangers, man. All the homies hate Cliffhangers.

Okay, are we getting a happy reunion? Cause Dorothy seems really cool with all of them, no lingering resentment just wanting them to be better. I'm really down for a happy chapter. Surely, nothing bad will happen!

Spoiler: Totally happy!

She's gonna think Joe's a clone or imposter or some shit, right? Can't have shit in Nikke, games nothing but coomer bait and depression!

Click to shrink...

I hope for turbulent with a lot of denial and pointed guns but in the end all will be fine. Not good because even if Dorothy joins them there is still an issue that Eden is a fully functional settlement with strong ideology and decent population. It can't be dismantled overnight or if there is even need to do that.
I won't delve into possible scenarious but almost none of them allows for Dorothy to directly join Outpost.

 

[DarkthShadow]

You got me on pins and needles, I need another chapter ASAP

Click to shrink...

Same here, I had chills go down my spine after that chapter. Things will either go very well, or VERY bad from here, but I'm hoping it goes well.

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 85 - Goddess Squad
===

Joe paced about in the tent, lightly wringing his hands together in anticipation of what was to come. Rapi, meanwhile, had claimed a stool made of titanium to support a Nikke's weight, anxiously tapping her knees as she did her level best to keep her breathing even.

The blonde was not happy in the least to have had Joe inform her that she was being used as bait to draw Dorothy out, but she saw the strategic value in the plan. Not that understanding it didn't make her feel like she'd been pushed into the line of fire regardless.

She was remembering more and more of her time as Red Hood, enough that she'd recognize Dorothy and share at least a portion of memories and experiences with her… Though she was still uncomfortable with being put on centre stage. Not that she'd complain, this was her duty to protect Joe, stand between him and any dangers which may cause him harm.

But it was just so damn uncomfortable!

Regardless, Rapi fidgeted in place, now regretting that she'd left Wolf's Bane outside leaning on that tree, as she'd at least be able to busy her hands field stripping it if she had it on hand. She could ask a member of Pioneer to grab it for her, but she didn't want to be a bother to anyone. She'd have gone out of her way to make her anxiety everyone else's problem as Red Hood. Again, she had to do better.

But still, Dorothy had always been so short with her. Easily annoyed, openly aggravated by the way she'd encouraged Joe to lean more into his less gentlemanly tendencies. Was this really such a good idea? Much of the time, it seemed like Dorothy had barely tolerated her, and understandably so, given how it had all ended up…

Letting out a shuddering breath, Rapi closed her eyes and made an effort to gather herself. In the midst of this simple exercise, she felt Joe's hand settle on her shoulder. Shifting her attention up to him, she made note of the apologetic look on his face. Then considered how intensely close he and Dorothy had been, and how incredibly hard this all had to be on him, considering how he kept being informed of how dangerous Dorothy was.

Rapi recalled how Joe and Dorothy had been so close that initially, she—along with the rest of Goddess—was certain beyond a reasonable doubt that they were in a relationship. They had to be. The only reason Dorothy wasn't spending all of her time on his lap was because she, like all Nikkes besides Cinderella at the time, weighed about 800 pounds, or around 363 kilograms on average.

The blonde ruminated upon how she'd started probing to test if she could potentially get herself involved in a three-way relationship with them at the time, given how easy on the eye both of them were. Only to have it affirmed to her on no uncertain terms by both parties that they were not in a relationship to begin with.

She recalled how incredibly unbelievable that was, to the point of getting pushy with Joe at the time, under the belief that her aggression would cause him to relent and admit the obvious truth that he and Dorothy were together to dissuade her from pushing him towards being unfaithful.

What that instead got her was laid, caught by Dorothy barging into the room while they were in the middle of the act to talk to Joe about something, and cursing them both out for being 'exhibitionist perverts' for not locking the door before 'rutting like dogs in heat.'

By then, Rapi found it difficult to keep believing that Dorothy was Joe's girlfriend when she was only annoyed to have walked in on him inside of another woman. Doubly so when Rapi was then herself merely chastised for her lack of discretion, more than anything else.

Granted, Dorothy made no attempt to mask her jealousy afterwards, or her possessiveness of the man, but she still never pushed to get his attention using her obscenely curvaceous body, in particular those shockingly thick and shapely hips- Er, rather, her... 'Feminine wiles' and 'winning personality.'

It made it difficult to get a read on her. Dorothy would often attempt to monopolize Joe's time, jockey for his attention with both Rapi and Cinderella once she'd joined the squad as well, yet she simply never went anywhere near as far as either of them. She wanted to spend time with him, but never tried anything romantic or sexual.

Dorothy was a deeply confusing woman, needless to say, and Rapi wasn't sure of what to think of her: besides that the pinkette didn't like her much at all, by the end. Understandably so, of course. Yet still, that brought her back to the modern day. Where Joe was more concerned about the oncoming potential meeting with his former second-in-command than their old, complicated relationship.

Even still, Joe's anxiety had to be stronger, all things considered. So Rapi leaned forward, wrapped her arms around the man's waist, pulling him into a hug to offer him a measure of comfort—which had the benefit of pressing her face into his chest, but that wasn't the primary reason she did it.

Smiling at the show of affection, Joe lightly hugged Rapi back.

After a few minutes of wordless support between the pair, Scarlet could be heard calling out from the outside of the tent. "Cinderella approaches, with Dorothy accompanying."

Joe's heartbeat picked up right fucking quick at that, which Rapi very much noticed given her situation. Suddenly, she was all too aware of the fact that they were about to be reunited with Dorothy, and it was on her to determine if it was safe for Joe to meet her again, if forming an alliance with Eden was even on the table.

This could be bad, and Rapi wasn't sure she was cut out for it.

---

Heart pounding in her chest, Dorothy did her best to keep her expression level as she set eyes on the rest of Goddess for the first time in many, many years. They were all fine. They were all safe. All in good health, all strong.

But, noticeably, Red Hood was nowhere to be seen.

Touching down alongside Cinderella—paying little mind to the tent which they'd likely all been planning to sleep within that night—Dorothy's winged armour disappeared in a flash of light, returning her to that same fine white dress she wore back in the past, their long-lost Commander's jacket dangling from her shoulders as though it were a cloak, as it ever did. The pinkette gazed upon her sisters, all of whom-

"Dorothy!" Rapunzel immediately rushed her, arms outstretched and a relieved smile worn clear on her face. "It's so good to see you again!"

Despite herself, despite the situation and everything that had happened and what was going on, Dorothy couldn't help but feel the corners of her mouth stretch upwards and outwards. Reaching out, the rush of serotonin as Rapunzel encircled her arms around the smaller woman, drawing her into a tight, loving hug was intense.

Rapunzel, of course, would have been the first to affirm that despite everything, they were still comrades, friends, family. No matter what, Rapunzel still cherished their relationship, and if not for Snow White's bull-headed stubbornness, they'd all still be together. They'd all still be happy.

This was all Dorothy wanted. This was all she needed. To have Goddess back. To be Goddess again. A squad, standing together against the end, holding the tide, being the Goddesses of Victory that would break the flood of Raptures threatening to overtake all.

"I've missed you, Rapunzel," the white-clad pinkette said in a breathy, wistful voice, practically melting into the larger woman's arms. "I've missed all of you," she declared with a shuddering sigh.

"We've missed you too, Dorothy," Rapunzel answered back, squeezing the wayward Nikke with a longing, melancholy frown.

"Your rooms are just as you left them, you know," Dorothy declared as Scarlet couldn't help but purse her lips in a mild amount of sheepish guilt. "Waiting for you all to come back and reclaim them…"

Snow White, in contrast, averted her gaze and pursed her lips as well, though in distaste and aggravation.

Peeking over Rapunzel's shoulder, Dorothy noticed, and at once, wondered if this meeting really had any chance of being as fruitful as she was hoping. If after all this time, Snow White was still clinging to her resentment to the point of bristling at Rapunzel merely going to hug her…

After a few moments, Rapunzel backed off, releasing Dorothy and lightly sniffling as she wiped at her eyes. Perhaps, if nothing else, Rapunzel could be convinced to return to Eden. All the good she could do there, with her unique healing abilities that even Cecil could not manage to decode... So many risks they could afford to take if the healing light of Goddess was with them again.

Scarlet, for her part, seemed wary and uncertain, more than anything else. She spoke up next. "It seems that you have been fairing well, Dorothy," she remarked with a degree of forced casualness.

Smiling lightly at that, Dorothy replied, "Such conduct ill suits you, Scarlet," she noted. "Since when do you not speak your mind, regardless of the consequences of doing so?"

"I've not played the role of the squad's hellion in countless moons, I'll have you know," Scarlet shot back with an offended frown. "I dare say, I have yet been the adult of Pioneer for seasons upon seasons now!"

"Oh?" Dorothy cocked her head at Scarlet quizzically. "Meaning you've finally given up morning drinking, then?"

Scarlet sheepishly averted her gaze once more, pointedly not answering the question she knew she could not answer favourably. Dorothy, in turn, smirked at her easy victory. Even still, all these years later, she'd never lost a spar with the barbaric swordswoman.

Shifting her gaze aside, the angelic beauty settled her violet eyes upon Snow White, who, in turn, settled her eyes on the horizon rather than reciprocate Dorothy's attention. She said nothing, projecting little beyond resentment at their reunion.

Dorothy met the dismissal with the same, simply looking elsewhere at the affirmation that remarkably little had changed since the last time she'd interacted with the Squad's youngest.

Cinderella watched quietly, having already had an exchange with Dorothy within the borders of Eden. There wasn't much to say between them by way of greetings which would hold water before they'd determined if they were to reveal Joe to their former squadmate.

Thus, there was nothing to distract Dorothy when her eyes drifted over the tree against which Rapi had rested her weapon. Wolf's Bane, seen by the diminutive pinkette for the first time in one hundred years, Dorothy felt her heart leap into her throat, and she lightly gasped upon setting eyes on it again.

Pioneer noticed, followed her gaze, and the air between them all suddenly became charged and tense.

Dorothy remained where she was, heeled feet seeming rooted into the grassy earth, a long, shuddering breath slipping past her lips before her attention drifted, and she traced their surroundings, the horizon itself for a few moments. She closed her eyes, a second, far more pained sigh coming from the pinkette before she quietly started off towards the garishly decorated rifle.

Nobody stopped her, watching her drift to Wolf's Bane with palpable sadness, coming to a stop before the massive weapon, gingerly reaching out and settling the tips of her fingers on the anodized metallic surface of the firearm. The wind catching her hair, skirt, and Joe's old olive drab jacket, she remained quiet as she simply stood there in silence.

Nowhere in sight. Absolute silence falling over the group. A silence which would never have lasted more than a scant few seconds in Red Hood's cacophonous presence. It seemed obvious to Dorothy, the reason Cinderella would not entertain the notion of speaking of Red Hood apart from Pioneer.

"...Did she go as a hero?" Dorothy asked, her voice quiet, but clearly audible to all present, given little other to make sound beyond the wind and the distant songs of birds.

Nobody replied, Dorothy's back was turned to everyone to stand before Wolf's Bane now. While Rapunzel remained focused on the pinkette, Scarlet had turned around to look at the tent, wondering how long Rapi intended to torment Dorothy for.

"At least- At least tell me she was surrounded by an army of obliterated Raptures," Dorothy pleaded. "Don't you tell me she accomplished anything less in her last moments. Don't you say she didn't send a legion of them to Hell on her way out. Don't you tell me that."

Seemingly on cue, the tent's flap parted just enough for Rapi to quietly pass through, out into the open. The expression she wore was strained, to say the least. Dorothy, of course, did not have eyes on the back of her head, and so failed to notice that the presumed dead member of Goddess was, in fact, there, and alive.

The beat hung for a few long moments. Scarlet and Cinderella stared expectantly at Rapi, while Snow White looked intensely agitated by the entire situation. Rapunzel was deeply moved by Dorothy's clear care for her thought-dead comrade, holding her tongue regardless, given that this wasn't her moment.

"Please," Dorothy all but whimpered as Rapi started off towards the white-clad woman.

The blonde hesitated once she was within arm's reach of her once-comrade, lips parting as if to say something, only to freeze and visibly struggle to find words to actually speak.

Dorothy, however, continued to ramble. "Don't say she was anything less than a hero in her final moments, don't say she did anything less than casting down humanity's enemies, don't say she didn't make a difference in the end. Don't say she was anything less than a Goddess of Victory."

At that, Rapi, though with great hesitation, reached out, and gingerly settled a hand on Dorothy's shoulder.

Utterly hyper-fixated on Wolf's Bane, Dorothy only registered that someone had approached to offer her some meagre comfort, to which she responded by reaching across her chest with her free hand, to firmly take hold of that which was offered to her. "I-I was angry with her… I was so cross with her, for the way she treated Joe. How she turned on him, treated him so terribly after he let her in, after he accepted her…"

Her breath hitched in her throat as she continued.

"I wanted to make her pay. I wanted to make her regret treating him so badly, when he'd only ever offered us his love. When he gave us everything, when he elevated us from mere soldiers, into humanity's Goddesses of Victory, with his heart alone. But Joe, I knew he would never tolerate that. I knew he expected better from me. I knew he believed that I was better than that."

Dorothy's head fell, hanging low as tears began to fall from her cheeks, her shoulders beginning to tremble beneath Rapi's hand.

"But I still stayed angry. I still refused to forgive her. I clung to my resentment. I refused to set it aside. I refused to rise up to the expectations Joe had of me. I hated her. I hated Red Hood. I let myself hate her, I refused to set it aside. I refused to speak to her. I refused to acknowledge her… And I only realized the terrible depths of the mistake I was making after it was too late. A mistake I could never correct."

Unknowingly clutching Rapi's hand with mounting desperation, as absolute dismay overtook her, Dorothy began sobbing outright.

"I'll never be able to make it right. I'll never be able to apologize. I'll never be able to talk to her again. I'll never be able to look her in the eye, hug her, hold her hand, appreciate what we had, repair our bonds and cherish what we had. Red Hood-"

Gritting her teeth in open dismay, Dorothy pressed her hand into Wolf's Bane, gasping and tearfully whimpering.

"-I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, please forgive me, Red Hood…!"

Nothing but the sounds of nature, and Dorothy's pitiful crying could be heard for over an entire minute. In that minute, nobody could gather themselves well enough to respond to Dorothy's spilling of her guts.

Least of all Rapi, who was the subject of this admission of abject guilt and sorrow. Rapi just stood there, mouth gaping like a fish out of water. She didn't know what to say or do. This was the exact opposite of what she'd expected. She'd thought that Dorothy would tear into her, let a hundred year's worth of disappointment and anger spill out and hit her like a tsunami.

Rapi was caught completely flat-footed, frozen in place, struck hopelessly dumb.

All the while, Dorothy calmed down, the flow of tears slowing, breath evening out, emotions smoothing. Her face rose again, and she stared at Wolf's Bane mournfully. "I'm sorry, Red Hood. I, I'll-" Squeezing Rapi's hand, she turned slightly to actually properly acknowledge her former squad member, halting sharply upon spotting Rapi's distinctive black glove with a neon red palm, framed by the brilliant red of her trademark leather jacket.

Time seemed to slow as Dorothy continued to turn, eyes trailing up the entire length of Rapi's arm, following the length of her limb before, with scarcely describable rapidity, her reddened, tearful gaze snapped up to meet Rapi's, pupils constricting into pinpricks as the pinkette Goddess produced a razor-sharp inhaling gasp, eyes widening like saucers.

Both women went statue-still. The pair stared at each other in dead silence, visibly overwhelmed by the direction this entire situation had gone.

Eventually, however, the quiet had to be broken, and it was Rapi that broke it. "...Dorothy-"

She was cut off by Dorothy spinning around to face her, and leaping at her long-lost comrade with a keen, clawing desperation.

After a miserable century of lingering regrets, a soul-deep pain which could never possibly be corrected, without a solitary ounce of hesitation, Dorothy dove on this miracle.

This opportunity to set things right.

 

[moonmoon]

Why are you cutting onions, author-san!?

 

[Valthorix]

Well, that's step one competed. Now to hopefully keep her mostly calm during the explanation of what happened in the past hundred years and stop her from flying into a rage and nuking the Ark after she learns the context behind Rapi's mind shift and Joe's near death.

 

[Gato]

Why is always Cliffhangers with you?! I'm holding on for dear life over here!

Glad we got that confirmation for Dorothy just doing things to help out in her own way. It's nice to see them get along without any added drama for dramas sake.

Join us next chapter for a new episode of MythBusters where we find out if a buff Canadian can survive being hit by a 200Kg Nikke going at roughly 300km/h.

 

[Grim Dark Fantasy]

Why is always Cliffhangers with you?! I'm holding on for dear life over here!

Glad we got that confirmation for Dorothy just doing things to help out in her own way. It's nice to see them get along without any added drama for dramas sake.

Join us next chapter for a new episode of MythBusters where we find out if a buff Canadian can survive being hit by a 200Kg Nikke going at roughly 300km/h.

Click to shrink...

Bump that to 800 pounds (about 350 kilograms) at supersonic speeds.
Because we know that Dorothy haven't lost a single pound since almost a hundred years ago. Haven't gained one as well, she is as perfect as she can possibly be.
And even a flight module cannot fully compensate for the sheer inertia she will make after hearing the news.

 

[BakaSmurf]

Join us next chapter for a new episode of MythBusters where we find out if a buff Canadian can survive being hit by a 200Kg Nikke going at roughly 300km/h.

Click to shrink...

Bump that to 800 pounds (about 350 kilograms) at supersonic speeds.
Because we know that Dorothy haven't lost a single pound since almost a hundred years ago. Haven't gained one as well, she is as perfect as she can possibly be.
And even a flight module cannot fully compensate for the sheer inertia she will make after hearing the news.

Click to shrink...

In OH, all flight-capable Nikkes have been either originally built or upgraded with featherweight frames to facilitate the functioning of their anti-gravity modules, actually. Meaning that Dorothy, like Cinderella, is only somewhat heavier than one would expect based on her outward appearance. She actually weighs less than Joe, who is 200lbs/90kg now. He could very easily pick her up and carry her around like Cinderella at this point.

 

[Fragment of Serenity]

In OH, all flight-capable Nikkes have been either originally built or upgraded with featherweight frames to facilitate the functioning of their anti-gravity modules, actually. Meaning that Dorothy, like Cinderella, is only somewhat heavier than one would expect based on her outward appearance. She actually weighs less than Joe, who is 200lbs/90kg now. He could very easily pick her up and carry her around like Cinderella at this point.

Click to shrink...

...oh. Oh no.

Doro is going to demand to be carted around, isn't she?

 

[Grim Dark Fantasy]

In OH, all flight-capable Nikkes have been either originally built or upgraded with featherweight frames to facilitate the functioning of their anti-gravity modules, actually. Meaning that Dorothy, like Cinderella, is only somewhat heavier than one would expect based on her outward appearance. She actually weighs less than Joe, who is 200lbs/90kg now. He could very easily pick her up and carry her around like Cinderella at this point.

Click to shrink...

Okay, so what's the downside of featherweight frames, aside from sheer cost and probably rare materials required, that all Nikkes weren't built with them?
800 pounds feels a bit overwhelming for terrain if we are talking about under 5 feet tall Nikkes. Not to mention needing extra sturdy furniture to support such weight.

 

[YoRHa_42s]

Okay, so what's the downside of featherweight frames, aside from sheer cost and probably rare materials required, that all Nikkes weren't built with them?
800 pounds feels a bit overwhelming for terrain if we are talking about under 5 feet tall Nikkes. Not to mention needing extra sturdy furniture to support such weight.

Click to shrink...

for your consideration.
Imagine the durability of a frame made out of Steel, Lead and Some Titanium.
Now imagine the durability of a frame made out of lighter stuff.

It's a trade off.
Standard Nikke can take several buckshots and barely notice, a lightweight will likely get an exit hole.

 

[BakaSmurf]

Okay, so what's the downside of featherweight frames, aside from sheer cost and probably rare materials required, that all Nikkes weren't built with them?
800 pounds feels a bit overwhelming for terrain if we are talking about under 5 feet tall Nikkes. Not to mention needing extra sturdy furniture to support such weight.

Click to shrink...

Featherweight frames were bleeding-edge next-generation technology with all the implied costs associated when it was invented for Cinderella. The Grimms facility that had developed this technology was attacked and destroyed by Rose shortly after Cinderella was recruited to Goddess, and featherweight frames had to effectively be re-invented afterwards.

Humanity then started losing the war so badly, so quickly, that they straight-up could not afford to create Nikkes with them by the time they had the remade the technology.

In the modern day, every Ark Nikke isn't built with a featherweight frame because the Ark is run by discriminatory asswipes that have no intention of reclaiming the surface, and actively want Nikkes to weigh close to a half-a-ton on average because that's one of the few reliable ways to sus one out in public, and Nikkes are an othered second class in the Ark.

Featherweight frames being practically unheard of in the Ark's society outside of specialist Nikke squads like Aegis—who need to be light enough to be able to swim—also makes it far and away easier for the Central Government to mask their unfettered secret police Nikkes like Privaty, who, weighing only a little more than one would expect a baseline human woman to weigh anyways, are legitimately unidentifiable as Nikkes before they start doing Nikke things without using specialized equipment that only exists in CentGov hands to begin with.

Nikkes function just fine as the frontline soldiers they are with classic heavyweight frames too, so there's no pressing, practical reason to standardize featherweight frames in the Ark either, on top of everything else.

Outside of the Ark, Eden has been standardizing featherweight frames so that every single one of their Nikkes can fly for the same reason they've developed cybernetic technology that can actually be reliably applied to men to make them viable combatants against Raptures—specifically because, in sharp contrast to the CentGov, Eden is actually actively trying to build up the means to reclaim the surface and win the war. Simple as.