Only Human (Goddess of Victory NIKKE SI)

[JamesAsmodeus]

So...the Power of Love is what Joe's got?

....PFFFFFFFFTTTT-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Hoooooo, whee! You actually got me going there!

...Wait, it's real? What? Ah...shit. Pushing that aside, Good chapter! Especially love the fact that Joe knows Marian is alive now, and I'm relishing in the fact that Goddess are probably going to know that Marian is technically his "first love" in this current time lol.

 

[Dmrules]

What's the old saying love accepts and empowers you. There is no full bodied cyborg that can't fight beyond what's possible and break only some parts of physics for some of that good old fashioned love.

 

[Voideddragon]

I mean in the game there's a bond mechanic that gives a not insignificant amount of stats so power of love and/or friendship definitely has canonical effects outside of pure shenanigans. Which is yet another thing that explains why so many other Commanders suck due to not seeing them as people. Though that's a laundry list a mile long.

 

[Dsaeg]

I think we have the case where while Joe is not tactical/strategic genius, he spent a lot of time with several of them and it rubbed off on him just enough. Scarlet said herself that they lost at least some memory of him. I think the whole figurehead leader was only the beginning of his relationship with goddess squad.
So, she used basically a very summary of Joe abilities because it was not important to HER. ( being decent human and heart of the team was his focus after all).


I think that pre-amnesia Joe would be considered a very good commander even by strictest standards. It is just literally the best of humanity so outshined him and he still managed to have his moments of brilliance(it even was worthy of preserving among limited memory space) . Also he grew with them because as it was said he was on frontlines so he still should be extra competent compared to the others by sheer virtue of experience. it is just was not his main role therefore irrelevant for squad.

A shark among megalodons is still a fucking shark.

 

[Slamm-O]

Joe let's his humanity shine its probably why goddess squad cared for him in such sway because they knew they would have someone who would fight their corner to.the bitter end.

 

[Nomad-117]

Hmm, if goddess didn't have access to proper facilities in so long... would it be possible for Joe to give them access to stuff in the outpost? Or at least conveniently lose some stuff close to the outpost that they could use? Risky, but its not directly part of the Arc after all, so here is hoping.

 

[Fregith]

Hmm, if goddess didn't have access to proper facilities in so long... would it be possible for Joe to give them access to stuff in the outpost? Or at least conveniently lose some stuff close to the outpost that they could use? Risky, but its not directly part of the Arc after all, so here is hoping.

Click to shrink...

Those aren't proper facilities either.

The Ark's completely lost the ability to produce Grimms quality nikkes, or the parts needed to keep existing ones properly maintained.

It's why Rapi's in such dire straits.

 

[Nomad-117]

Those aren't proper facilities either.

The Ark's completely lost the ability to produce Grimms quality nikkes, or the parts needed to keep existing ones properly maintained.

It's why Rapi's in such dire straits.

Click to shrink...

I mean, yes, but they gotta be better than just taking scraps, right?

Also, I know it has been said before but it never hurts to repeat, the Ark fucking sucks.

 

[Zam138]

If only such a ridiculous idea could be true...

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So...the Power of Love is what Joe's got?

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Fun fact: this is canon.

Literally and scientifically.

Maxwell, the mad rapis-I mean, the Mad Scientist of Missilis, unironically performs an experiment on it in her Bond Story (on behest of Syuen who wants to find out wtf is going on to make the MC so special) where the more time and affection she has with the protagonist the better her combat performance increases, and she cannot explain it either. Granted, it ends with her falling for and jumping the MC in his room to bump those numbers up, but that's the Insanity side of Nikke.

 

[S-Naruto]

Power of Bonds and Love, huh, so that's why Nikkes get stronger as their bond increases in game. It's kinda sweet in this rather dark world, also gives me Fairy Tail (the anime) vibes.

Though...does that mean getting super duper close with a Nikke, whether that be platonic or romantic (no difference really, one is caring for one another unconditionally while the other is the same with more spice~), will supercharged/boost the Nikkes prowess to another level? Like Joe being the person he is, and look at the results of that with Goddess Squad!

Ohhhh--what will happen if a Joe had married Marian in the beginning phase of the story, maybe that might be a stretch considering they have known each other for a short time...let's say engaged? Yes, what if Joe had proposed to her? Would Marian or Modernia now, have just overpowered the corruption within her, through sheer power of friendship and love? Seeing as the jewel mounted just under her collarbone seems to be a external thing, making her Rapture-ry...

Heck, what if this Legendary Commander had been like his Canon self which in game teased of a relationship with the first Nikke Lilith/Liliweiss? God's, she would've been a nightmare for the Raptures! No wonder a certain R Queen took Lilith after her passing (in game). Then again, this might be the case in this fic with Anderson and Lilith, ahhh, I see what you did there author. Good show, jolly good show!

I'm enjoying the story, so keep it up Mr Author! Didn't know much about Nikke in the first place, but hey I'm firmly in the fandom now thanks to you! (Via a lot of YouTube videos.) Cheers? Cheers! Hope your inspiration and motivation continues for this Nikke story!

 

[Ace of Scarabs]

Fun fact: this is canon.

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Marian in her Second Affection Sidestory undergoes self-actualization of her affection for the Commander and Counters and transforms into her new skin.

 

[xcv45]

Marian in her Second Affection Sidestory undergoes self-actualization of her affection for the Commander and Counters and transforms into her new skin.

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Still only on C4 of the game's story, but that sounds pretty blatantly magic to me.

 

[Dasneaky]

As stated before and I say it again bonds be important bro...if you play the game you know what I mean...

 

[Fragment of Serenity]

Neon: FEAR ME, RAPTURES! I SHALL DEFEAT YOU WITH THE POWER OF BOOM!

Joe: *coughs*

Neon: AND THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!

Jokes on Joe; the grenade launcher is called 'The Power of Friendship'.

 

[Lady Vanatos]

So, it's been quite a bit since I've left feedback (since mid-Dec) and we've had like over 10+ chapters since then but since I made a deal with Baka and found the time and energy to actually write it, here we are. So, I'm not going to lead feedback for each chapter but rather point out a few moments and themes throughout these last few months, go over and talk about them in detail and give my thoughts on the story so far at the end.

Starting with Chapter 34. "The Truth Will Out", Which begins the mini arc in which we learn a lot of the mysteries surrounding Joe and arguably the most important moment(s) in the story so far as it really establishes many themes and gives context for many characters within the canon of the story and based on rather solid extrapolations on Baka's part but first things first.

"Ah, fantastique, to see even the Legendary Commander himself bedazzled and sidéré by la magnificence of Tetra Line!" Mustang leaned back, far, very far, arching his figure wildly, causing his rippling muscles to visibly constrict and strain against the metallic fabric which seemed to struggle for its life to contain his figure. "This is the merveille of Tetra Line! Even living legends are left in sputtering awe! Magnificent!"

Click to shrink...

Very strong Mustang characterization here. I often have great trouble capturing the voices of characters in dialogue in my own stories at risk of making them almost OC's so glad to see you are able to properly convey this and even expand upon it. This applies to all the characters in the story thus far, it was something I meant to have mentioned in the previous yap session, but I think as a writer one of yer greatest strengths is that characterization.

I guess my only nitpick is that I see some have mentioned on SB at least you may sometimes "overboard" such as with Chatterbox but that's the smallest of nitpicks and I would argue negligible. If you can convey an emotion or a moment but going "overboard" with one's characterization, then go ham I say. The only reason I mention it in the first place is that someone mentioned it once and to be frank, who really cares? If it's to make the character more entertaining, than leaning a bit more on the hammy-ness that's already there is perfectly fine I'd say.

(P.S Love Mustang being an Adonis. Would.)

But back to the actual story, it' revealed that Joe and Red Hood went on a murder spree on the Ark's higher ups to prevent full-blown fascism from taking root and to prevent the imminent extinction of humanity as Enikk mentions:

"The Central Government's current planned policies critically diminish the species' survival rates and will allow the Rapture threat to fester and grow effectively unimpeded.

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Pretty dire, actually!

But let's talk about a potentially volatile subject matter: Fascism! Now I ain't gonna turn this into Whitehall and you losers punks better not but I would like to discuss what it is in broad strokes and its relation and the form it takes in the Ark.

So, what is fascism. Well, wikipedia tells me that it's a "political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition"
And yeah, that's pretty accurate if rather generic. But as a teacher who teaches kids who barely have basic vocabulary, that's pretty confusing for most people and even then, it doesn't say the full idea of what fascism truly is. Fascism is very simple yet somehow very complicated idea to get across as you see many people online scream fascism here and there and there's a reason for that as fascism in many ways is vibes-based.

Now what the fuck do I mean by that?

Here's the thing, fascism isn't one specific static doctrine, but rather it is often opportunistic and based on hateful rhetoric for an Other and extreme national, racial and/or cultural pride. And to be more specific with what I mean, it ferments around different aspects of a society that is often a deep-seated response to social and economic crises that society may be facing at the time. Nazi Germany was German fascism, Spain had their own version, Italy, I mean hell, you can prolly point at a random country in Europe and they likely had some form fascist government at some point.

To put it another way, Fascism is Gumbo. If you are from New Orleans or somewhere in the South, I can assure you that every family has their own way of making it. Some may use shrimp, some may use oranges to add a zingy taste to it and what not, but the core of the ingredients is often the same. A charismatic leader, a demagogue(s) who's ideology is often loosey goosey for the sake of striking at an opportunity to gain power in whatever way possible. These people or groups of people play on these deep-seated and often culturally rooted anxieties & fears at any given time, usually during states of social upheaval to implement or at least tend towards extreme autocratic systems of governance. This new cult of personality creates Newspeak, more groups to categorize and hate against while sparking ultra-nationalistic fervor among the masses in an effort to combat this perceived threat, whatever that may be as well as inspire conspiracy and fear within those who are seen as "the good ones" to keep the population in control socially, either through violence or intimidation or discrimination.

To go back to my analogy on gumbo, you can have all these ingredients but based on yer family history, circumstances and what have you, the expression of these things can and will be very different on a macro and micro levels.

So, when people shout fascist, even if they aren't completely right or even understanding fully what they even are saying or what they even mean, they say that cuz its "the vibe".

With that super long and non-volatile anecdote out of the way, what form of fascism is the Ark? The short answer: Bruh.

Long answer: Why? Well take everything I just said about fascism and then amplify these things by the fact that the entirety of the human race is under siege and is at risk of extinction by an unknown, foreign force that seeks our complete, and utter annihilation for yet unknown reasons. Quite literally a fascist wet dream and a perfect environment where ideologies like fascism would breed, fester and grow. Again remember, fascism is often created in response to crises. What greater crisis could match human extinction? Such a deep searing existential threat and idea knowing that literally any day could be your last by the ultimate crystallization of the "Other" in the eyes of most people.

Yeah, no shit fascism got so bad. It was bound to happen. Not that it justifies any the Central Government did and continues to do. The fact that humanity was a decade or two away from extinction due to the policies put in place by the CG, I can't even imagine how bad it would have gotten in those hypothetical decade(s) is probably would have been humanity at it's worse as it sputtered out of existence if not for Joe, Enikk and Red Hood.

Shit's fucked.

But, uh, cool fights too. Very gorey. Joe died or something idk. He had Red Hood's crying over him (which she was so mean to him early pick a struggle, girl) so it couldn't have been that bad. Walk it off, loser.

Good job preventing Super Fascism, guys. We only ended up with Cyberpunk corpo technocracy fascism, which is better(?).

---

Chapters 38 - 41:
So, the next couple of chapters are basically winding down the events of the mini arc, with slice of life and other plot building and flashbacks and insights into the current doing and whereabouts of characters important going forward as they prepare for thier mission to the Artic to make contact with the Pilgrams. New characters, new dynamics and dialogues and to save me time I'll touch on a few of these such as Privaty and Joe's relationship. They play off of each other rather well (despite Baka's rampant simpery for her bleeding through) (i get it though), I think she leans into a pretty comfy spot for Joe as they are both very guarded people though Privaty is far more obvious about it but she has enough social sense to pick up on the fact regarding him:

"You were concerned about me looking sad?"

Leaping back as her eyes and mouth went wide, Privaty looked downright cornered, gaze snapping to-and-fro as she seemed to be searching for some manner of escape. "I-I-" she stammered, clenching her teeth and presenting an adorable rictus of rage Joe's way. "L-like I'd be worried about you! And even if I was, s-so what!? You think I'm some kind of heartless psycho, is that it!?"

Click to shrink...

In that regards I'd like to post this brief chart I made:

Joe Simpery Chart
Rapi	♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Privaty	♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ -♥
Marian	♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

The red is the Red Hood buffs and the blue for Marian is the depression/guilt buff modifiers, completely accurate. Purple for Privaty is for her butt but she gets reduced 1 for being a bootheel for the CG. (Not that he knows that fully yet)

Rapi is also dealing with the truth and the ramifications of who and what she is, and it isn't pretty and was pretty much already called and explained in my previous yap session that I'll link for reference but what I said there basically applied here but I'll mention one thing which is:

"Why do you get to know what so much of my body looks like, when I've never even gotten to see you so much as shirtless?" the stern-faced little Nikke asked, completely straight-faced and even-toned.

Click to shrink...

We flashforward to Eden where we meet Dorothy and she wildin'. She been (understandably) stewing in hate and resentment for decades. As much as I love a good, hateful hag I can understand why the rest of Goddess would go their separate ways. Her trauma has turned her into potentially just as bad in some cases as those in the CG who abandoned her. I think the reddit user, u/Genprey in their analysis of Dorothy pretty well where they state: "Tragically, Dorothy shows signs of the very individuals who broke her, now being willing to sacrifice Counters/Commander if it means the capture of the heretic, Nihilister. At the end of it all, Dorothy has found her paradise--just not without the caveats a certain little farm-girl from a different story lack."
Pain begets pain and trauma is often cyclical as Dorothy's own suffering is being projected towards others. However, it seems that while still resentful to the extreme the full brunt of her madness seems to be at least mitigated due to the fact that Pinne is alive. Now that's a change.

Sighing deeply, Johan allowed his apparently armoured hand to fall back to his side, choosing to simply take this victory for what it was. Not wanting to risk rocking the boat, he turned to the room's sole other occupant and addressed her first. "Pinne, Isabel is futzing about in the sky with her communications disabled. Knowing her, she'll be up there all day if she's left to it. Collect her and inform her of the upcoming operation. Harran is waiting for the call to assemble already."

"Yes sir," Pinne dutifully replied, saluting as her metallic wings flexed in anticipation of taking flight.

Click to shrink...

Not going to lie though Dorothy was hallucinating until addressed by Johan and even then, I thought he was playing to her delusions but was like oh nah shes alive. I'm sure that little narrative trickery was intentional on Baka's part for those who know the story that is.

Also, she broke some guy's hand in a previous chap or something, it was pretty hot.

---

Chapters 42 to Current:

In the Artic, they cold as hell (cuz it's the Artic and all that jazz) so they take refuge in an Old World dwelling where Joe proceeds to impress the ladies on his old-world gun knowledge like the alpha sigma chad that he is, and you should project on to that image. Just kidding.

They think he is in fact sus for knowing that. A sussy baka even.

Rapi and Baka do some bonding over their collective trauma murder fest. They sleep together very platonically but Anis is low key very jealous that Joe prefers the efficientmaxxing kuudere over her slothpilled girlsmell (she wishes she was in-between them).

I'll stop talking like that now.

So, at this point the peak begins to manifest as Chatterbox does an honest to God, Tom and Jerry-type skit:

"Well," Joe began with a shrug and a lop-sided grin. "Maybe our luck is finally turning around-"

With an explosion of white, the world violently turned sideways. Pain overtook Joe's entire torso, and at once, he felt the unexpected weight of incredible g-forces acting upon his body. Disoriented, struggling to breathe, confused beyond belief, it was all the Commander could do to process that he was being hefted off the ground and-

"I cannot believe that actually worked!" Chatterbox's impossibly bassy voice cried out as the Tyrant made off with Joe in hand, thunderously bounding down the snow-covered streets of the small northern community at the very same breakneck speeds with which it had previously escaped Snow White. "Allowing myself to be buried in snow, and waiting for you to come into grasping distance- I actually thought at least one of you would have thought twice about such a massive, out-of-place snow pile! Considered that a pillar of smoke would stand out in such a frigid climate once the blizzard settled! For one who bears the title of 'Legendary Commander' you seem rather remarkably imperceptive and short-sighted, Commander Pholus!"

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I agree with Chatterbox, pay attention loser!

But without quoting every specific scene, the following fight scene(s) in the next few chapters is probably some of the best in the story so far. Visceral and functional and easy enough to read and visualize exactly what is happening in my head with each following sentence. Though when Modernia drops in it really steals the show:

An airborne Rapture, one purely mechanical in nature. Humanoid from the waist up, and bearing segmented wings which jutted from what looked like great jet turbines - the laser cannons which had just fired on them, going off of the way they glowed and smoked. The two arms it had terminated in what looked like some kind of railgun on one appendage, and a fucking energy sword on the other. Below the waist, the machine had a great tail not unlike a mermaid's, though lacking in fins, rather than legs.

From this stark white mechanical devil, Joe felt a terrible sense of overwhelming oppression and malice, a hatred and desire for bloodshed, suffering, and a will to inflict it which washed over him in a sensation he could only describe as preternatural. At once, Joe realized that, while he thought he'd known fear before… no, this feeling that ran clear through his body, a chill he'd only ever previously experienced in nightmares purged from his memory by his own mind to preserve him… this, this was fear.

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You managed to really deliver the presence of a Heretic as something that is more than human, Nikke or even Rapture. Otherworldly in the worse sense possible, in regard to their palpable hate for all things human, it's almost ontological in nature in how it's depicted. It's pretty cool. But you know what's cooler (aside from Joe and co. chasing after Modernia and Chatterbox only to get their ass kicked) was this moment right here:

Spoiler

There seems to have been a misunderstanding," Modernia began, utterly, absolutely unperturbed by the firing line she'd just been subjected to, her voice low, roiling with offence and resentment. "So, allow me to clarify for you all and correct your boundless, cartoonish arrogance. You. Hurt. My. Friend. My. Friend. Needed. Help. I. Was. Protecting. My. Friend. You did not 'best' me. I did not 'flee.' There is no 'trap.' There are no 'reinforcements.' I do not need to set traps. I do not need to cry for help. I am power incarnate. You, all of you, are wretched, hopeless, delusional gnats."

Modernia began advancing upon the group, taking calculated steps, small, graceful, but backed by no small amount of palpable anger. The entire squad, Pilgrims and all, began backing up in turn, the gravity of their situation rapidly catching up to them.

"Had Chatty not needed help, I'd have continued to play with you. Had I not been entertaining Chatty's request to make a game of toying with you, I'd have attacked you all head-on to begin with, and there would be no 'fight' at all. You are not saviours. You are not heroes. You are not Goddeses of Victory. You are pitiful, wretched dogs nipping at the wheels of a power you demonstrably could not even begin to hope to comprehend. Prideless, pathetic, wretched. All words that describe the whole lot of your kind yet fail to convey the sheer depths of your accursed existence."

Unshaking were her steps, fearless, utterly unconcerned.

"You proclaim yourselves Goddesses of Victory, but to whom? To those that treat you like the desperate, mange-ridden dogs that you continually demonstrate that are? To those soulless curs of the Ark that deny you even a shred of the humanity they so easily enjoy with nary a care in the world? To those who gorge themselves on the fruits of your labours, and deny you even the privilege to freely love and be loved in turn? To those that hide behind your backs, even as they decree you subhuman to your faces? To those that use and abuse you, that treat you as tools to be worn to nubs, then casually discarded the moment the edge is blunted?"

The hatred, the malice, the raw, unfiltered antagonistic intent that had previously and literally emanated from the Heretic had returned in full. Once more, it hit Joe in very real waves. This was not a mere animalistic fear, this was a very real force acting against his and the Nikke's physical forms.

"You all, all of your kind, so small, so pathetic, so desperate to please those that treat you as weapons, tools, toys that exist for their convenience and amusement, and nothing more… You dare, you have the unmitigated temerity to presume that you are anything in comparison to me? You dare to believe that you court anything less than death in facing me? You dare to look upon me, a being that has had her eyes opened to the truth, has been unshackled and become so much more than anything you could possibly hope to be… and you would ever think, for the most fleeting of moments, for the smallest fraction of an attosecond, that you, could possibly, in even your most fantastical of dreams… you dared to presume that you could beat me?"

Not gonna front, that was fire.

But yeah, it's revealed that Modernia is... Marian?!? Very shocking for Joe.

They are getting actually curbstomped until Rapi went Super Saiyan (quite a bit before canon mind you) and Exceed's the hell out of her. She retreats after getting that ass kicked and Rapi gets hot (overheats). So they all get some rest and recover a bit and Joe is bemoaning the fact that he frankly didn't do jackshit during that fight (to be fair though, what could have actually do physically there?) when Scarlet stops his bitching and says this:

"Though you did have thy moments of clever brilliance in the midst of battles… Joe, it was the bonds you forged with us that made you so very important. Nikkes are empowered by love. Both received, and given. Preposterous as it sounds, it is the honest truth. We have measured it. We had to, after a point, when all of us continued to exceed all of our apparent limitations continuously with little apparent cause."

Click to shrink...

Power of love and friendship canon. That's right! Nihilism and rampant doom and gloom is cringe.

But that just about catches me up. I'm sure I missed other details others and prolly Baka will point out but it's whatever. Overall, I find the story very engaging most of the time, when Baka isn't rampantly simping (usually over Privaty, not that I blame him mind you, I'd do the same) as it can kinda bleed into the narrative and somewhat take you out of it but that is a small complaint and is largely there so I ain't completely gassing Baka up. I think it makes very smart decisions and extrapolations on what canon is at the moment and building from that in a believable way. Gacha stories are hard to right around based on that very purpose and while not impossible very difficult to do and I feel you have found a good balance of canon and going off the rails believably.

Overall? 3/10 story, needs more water and Helm. its aight I guess. or whatever, s-stupid baka,

Okay they're done blood oath fulfilled. Never threaten me or my memes again. Or bitch about feedback...bitch

---

Work cited:

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/NikkeMobile/comments/13a59ap/lost_paradise_an_analysis_of_dorothys_journey/
The Five Stages of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton
Renton, David. Fascism: History and Theory. Pluto Press, 2020. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv16zjhd2. Accessed 9 May 2024.

 

[palacesound]

This wasn't a world of magic, of supernatural forces. It was one of hard science, where bullets, armour, and technology were what preserved mankind.

Click to shrink...

Just wait until you get haunted at the Outpost.

 

[Ace of Scarabs]

Just wait until you get haunted at the Outpost.

Click to shrink...

Or Ruru sends a posthumous text ;_;

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 48 - Queen's Court
===

Joe damn near jumped out of his skin when the door to the 'Deep Freeze' slid open, breaking the otherwise mildly disquieting silence he'd fallen into with Anis and Scarlet.

Snow White stomped out, face drawn in a severe frown and covered in… blood - at least the fake blood Nikkes had - diluted and smeared by water, and other fluids that resembled motor oil. Her gaze flowed down to settle on the lowered trio, and she immediately declared: "She's stable, and I've done all I can with the parts they had on hand. The ice bath will keep her temperature within tolerable levels until I can finish the job."

Though 'stable' did not necessarily mean 'okay,' it at least meant that Rapi was under no imminent threat of death. If nothing else, that allowed Joe to let out a bone-deep sigh of at least partial relief.

"So, with that being said," the monochromatic, poncho-bedecked Nikke pointedly focused on Scarlet. "Clothes off, I'm looking you over while I have the chance."

"Fallow boor!" the grey-haired swordswoman immediately protested, fingers still interlocked with Joe's. "Art thine eyes malfunctioning? Can thou not see the Commander right here?"

"I can see him just fine, and I can see that he's well enough that he was able to get out of bed and make his way here," Snow White firmly said. "If you don't want him to see your chest, then he can avert his gaze, and you can turn around."

"I- it's fine," the displaced Canadian started as he rose to his feet, slipping his hands free from the flanking Nikkes and somewhat caught off-guard by just how brusque Goddess' engineer was being. "I want to see Rapi any-"

"I would advise against that," a mature, dignified woman's voice with a notable posh accent called out from within the room, which echoed slightly off the largely unadorned metallic hallway walls and floors. The door was still wide-open, given that Snow White was standing in it. "The lady is unconscious and far from decent, right this moment, considering her impromptu 'maintenance' which has seemed more in line with a maddened field surgery. To say nothing of the state the 'doctor' has left the room itself in…"

"I wasn't left with much of a choice, given what she did, and what I had to work with," Snow White asserted pointedly, glancing back into the area in question before shifting her attention back to Joe. "Though you're already well familiar with what Red Hood looks like naked, Commander, I would advise that you refrain from seeing her just yet, given that she's partially disassembled and has her maintenance panels wide open. Accepting and non-judgemental as you are, there's little to gain from disturbing yourself needlessly. She'll still be there, and back in one piece in hopefully just a few hours at the most."

The white-maned woman cracked her neck, producing a small 'pop' as she continued.

"Especially considering, knowing you, you'll want to hold her hand, which would give you at least a mild burn at this point. Even despite her being submerged in highly concentrated saline water well below the freezing point - which would itself probably be bad for you to dunk your hand into on its own."

Joe did his level best to not react like he'd just been struck in the face with a bat by those statements, or the implications they carried. The former, considering how his previous relationship with Red Hood had seemingly gone and ended. The latter because Jesus fucking Christ, please be okay, Rapi. Instead, he just took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "I-"

"Scarlet," Snow White, however, cut Joe off as she refocused on the swordswoman, pointing firmly at her chest. "Top. Off."

While Scarlet rolled her eyes and Anis turned beet red while rapidly rising to her feet, a starkly pale platinum blonde about the same height as Anis strode out of the room Rapi was occupying. She carried herself with the firm, dignified grace of a noblewoman, and had a build comparable to Rapi's. Her long, wavy hair shone with an eye-catching silken sheen. Her gaze, yet still the same ruby red as Rapi's, immediately locked onto Joe, staring at him with no small amount of rapt intensity.

And moreover… recognition. "Perhaps while waiting for a more prime opportunity to check on your companion, I might offer the Legendary Commander a spot of tea," she started. "As I ask what precisely brought himself and half of Goddess to my remote Fortress of Solitude, an entire century after they were supposed to have faded into the annals of history."

While Joe was good and ready to stare back at the women for a good few moments, considering the holy shit of just being casually recognized like this, Snow White turned to face Joe and immediately spoke up at that. "Commander, please distract her while I'm working. I need to focus, and she keeps dividing my attention with her incessant questioning."

The sheer brusqueness of Snow White was something to behold. She'd matured into something altogether different from the shy little teenager Joe remembered - for as little as he did remember her, at least.

At any rate… "That might be appropriate, given how she's doing us the honour of hosting us on such short and demanding notice," he declared.

"Indeed," the apparent XO of the Northern Fortress dryly replied, her long, thick eyelashes seeming to only accentuate her noble air as she looked up at Joe with a detached interest. "Follow me, then, Commander Pholus. Any of your Nikkes are invited to join as well, for as much as it goes without saying. I'd not have it be said that I am an inconsiderate host."

With that, she spun on her heel and started off down the hall - her stride being… incredibly distracting as Joe only just registered how very tightly fitted the skirt of her short, borderline micro white dress was, compounded by being coupled with her prideful sashay and lace stockings held up via garter straps.

Given Joe's propensity for blondes at that, he had to make a point to remind himself of the circumstances to not gawk like a horny caveman… Which, it seemed, Anis was not managing, as she did openly stare at the XO's ass as she strode down the hall.

Well. Joe sure as shit wasn't going to hold that against the messy-haired blonde, shrugging and setting off with a start.

"Unhand me, foul cur!" Scarlet immediately began caterwauling in the background. "I have been offered tea! You know mine feelings on tea-!"

"You can drink your damned tea after I've made sure you didn't sustain any serious, lasting damage being backhanded through a small forest by a Heretic, you idiot!" Snow White forcefully cursed her fellow out.

Scarlet was quick to shoot back. "As though thou was not pitched directly into the earth thyself-"

"Take off your damned shirt or I'll tear it off, damn it-!"

Somehow, Joe was rapidly finding it far more believable that he'd once been the commanding officer of Goddess.

---

"Ludmilla," the starkly white-clad woman suddenly proclaimed as she sat down in a cushioned seat set at a long, inorganic utilitarian table in what seemed to be the base's sparsely-decorated mess hall.

"Huh?" Joe, and Anis, dumbly replied as they were in the midst of sitting down as well.

"My name," the woman, evidently named Ludmilla continued as she lifted a cup of steaming tea to her fine lips. "I'd had yet to introduce myself."

"Oh," Joe intoned, looking at his own glass, lifting it to take a sniff - chamomile, his favourite kind of tea, luckily. With that particular bit of information known, Joe added sugar - or, it was probably more of an artificial sweetener given that there was no way they were growing sugar cane or sugar beets in the Ark - and let it sit to cool before drinking it. "Well, you already know my name…"

"Anis," the bodacious blonde seated alongside the Commander noted, meanwhile. She gave her tea a far more dubiously experimental series of sniffs - unsurprisingly, given her predilection for soft drinks over anything else.

"Is it not to your liking?" Ludmilla inquired, an eyebrow slightly raised as she gazed at Joe over the rim of her cup.

"I'm just letting it cool down," Joe informed her. "Chamomile is my favourite; I just don't like scalding my tongue and the roof of my mouth."

"Hm, fair enough," Ludmilla seemed to allow his explanation, if anything. Her gaze drifted aside to Anis, who seemed somewhat reassured by the notion that this was Joe's favourite, though not entirely. The far more mature and dignified-seeming woman didn't otherwise address Anis' concerns. "So, if I may be so bold as to follow up on my initial inquiry," she refocused on Joe.

"If I could ask a question first?" Joe interjected, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms, not entirely comfortable given the circumstances. To say nothing of the dining hall they were in… being drab, to say the least.

"Demanding for a guest, aren't you?" Ludmilla seemed halfway between amused and annoyed. "If anyone has earned such an onerous predilection, I suppose it is you and yours. Ask," again, she seemed the part of a well-to-do noble granting a boon to a social subordinate.

"How in God's name do you know who we are?" Joe pointedly asked, which caused Anis to perk up, pointing at Joe and snapping her fingers with a series of forceful grunts and hums to punctuate an agreement with his line of questioning. Having a mouthful of hot chamomile tea wasn't exactly conducive to simply vocalizing her support, it seemed.

"We met when you were all knighted following the, however fleeting it revealed itself to be, reclamation of London," Ludmilla matter-of-factually replied.

"I- wait, what?" Joe blinked owlishly and all but jumped in place. He was a knight!? Also… "What do you mean we 'met' when- the Ark was sealed a hundred years ago!"

"And I underwent conversion into a Nikke two decades afterwards," Ludmilla stated plainly. "I was a child at the time we'd encountered each other at the victory parade in Edinburgh, given that London itself was in no state to be hosting festivities of any kind… so, I suppose it's not unreasonable that you wouldn't recognize me, given how much smaller I was back then."

"I have amnesia," Joe noted in reply to her supposition. "I have no memory of having been 'knighted' in the first place." He would reflect on the fact that Ludmilla was far older than she looked, both because older women, fuck yeah, and because that really hammered in how Nikkes were functionally, if not just literally ageless. Though given that Goddess as a squad were very much on the older side as a whole, that wasn't that amazing of a revelation at this point.

Ludmilla lowered her cup, giving the brunet a calculating look. "...Is that so?" She acknowledged his assertion. "So, I suppose you could not tell me how it is you came to be alive, and young so long after the Initial Rapture Invasion, then?"

"I actually could," Joe corrected her. "The actual question is if I should."

At that, Ludmilla hummed deeply, setting her cup down upon the saucer accompanying it with a light 'clink.' "Well, given how knowledge of yourself and Goddess has been aggressively suppressed for some sixty-odd years now, I suppose it would be a safe bet to wager that it would be perilous to reveal the truth on what happened to yourself and Goddess… Not that I would be foolish enough to reveal that I knew enough to recognize Goddess or the Legendary Commander myself to the Central Government in the first place, but, if you do not wish to reveal the truth, I shall not begrudge you that."

The gorgeous woman of seemingly English origins crossed her legs in a manner which damn near broke Joe's focus, but he was getting better about not going full caveman mode from being exposed to unreasonably beautiful women - likely on account of never not being exposed to unreasonable beautiful women these days, Nikkes being what they were.

"However," Ludmilla continued. "I would, at the very least, ask that you inform me why you are here, so far in the distant North, with half of Goddess, no less."

"We were searching for Snow White," Joe answered honestly, because he didn't really want to shut down every question Ludmilla asked. "Myself and Counters, Anis, Neon, and Rapi - er, Red Hood, that is. We've had no contact with Snow White, or Scarlet, for that matter, since… well, since the Ark was sealed."

"Is that so?" Ludmilla brought a hand up to her chin in a notably dignified manner, "That alone is quite telling, regarding your situation, as it is, when combined with how the Central Government seeks to cause Goddess to be forgotten entirely… This is not an officially sanctioned expedition, I suppose," she pondered aloud - notably, not as a question. She didn't seem to intend to actually drill Joe too hard given the circumstances. "Well, I am not going to be the Nikke that attempted to turn in the Legendary Commander and Goddess to the Central Government, intentionally or otherwise, so I will make a point to not log your visit to the Northern Fortress, nor your presence here in the Yukon."

With that declaration, she lifted her cup to her delicate lips again, sipping at her tea elegantly.

Joe wasn't entirely sure how to process much of this. Ludmilla recognizing them was deeply unexpected, to say the least. Especially unforeseen was meeting a Nikke who had been alive before the Ark was sealed, had met Goddess as a human. As much as Joe wanted to question her about everything, it didn't seem like it'd be wise to do that. Though, if nothing else… "Thank you, for…" For a moment, he wondered how to put it beyond a simple 'thanks.'

"Any Nikke that would seek to stab the Goddess Squad in the back is a foul wretch undeserving of their augmentations," Ludmilla forcefully cut him off. "To express gratitude for the bare minimum of what should be expected of any Nikke that recognizes you is absurd and obscene. I'll not have it."

…Man, with the sheer stiffness of Ludmilla's upper lip, Joe was about ready to ask if she was a member of the British Royal Family, as absurd as the notion was - least of all considering she was a Nikke. He just managed to hold his tongue, regardless. "Even if you don't think I should be, I am appreciative of the help you're providing us, and especially Rapi, regardless. Especially considering it sounds like she might've died if not for the facilities you have on-site…"

"Providence has a way of rewarding the just, I find," Ludmilla remarked matter-of-factually between sips of her tea. "Even if it does oftentimes take many years upon years for it to take effect. And sometimes, fate too conspires with providence, given the cause for that room to have been built to begin with…"

That… actually… "Now that you mention it, I'm more than a little surprised that you just so happened to have the exact right facilities on-hand to address the exact issue that Rapi happened to have."

"It is not nearly as unlikely as you might imagine, given who I happen to have on-site as a dependant," Ludmilla replied simply. "Alice has more in common with your 'Rapi' than you might expect."

At that, Joe glanced aside at Anis with no small amount of confused surprise, a look Anis understandably shared with him. Regardless, he refocused on Ludmilla out of the corner of his eye with a wary expression worn on his face. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked. "I don't see how Rapi could possibly share this particular issue with anyone else considering-"

"Red Hood is not the only Nikke that was built with Exceed, Commander Pholus," Ludmilla asserted. "She is simply the only one to have had Exceed operate within her systems as intended."

That caught Joe's attention, to say the least. Especially given how that caused Joe to suddenly recall how Andersen had offhandedly mentioned that at least one other Nikke had been created in an attempt to replicate what Rapi could do. A Missilis Nikke, whose name escaped Joe at that moment. Was this 'Alice' that Nikke, then? "And who-" Joe started to ask after the Nikke in question.

Only to be cut off by a distinctive jingle playing over the base's intercoms, which caused Ludmilla to hum in acknowledgement. "Speak of the devil. It seems that the away team, meaning the little bunny in question, is back with the parts needed to finish helping Rapi. If you'd like to meet her, as she very much wants to meet you, everyone should shortly gathered at the front entrance to the base."

With a low hum, Joe grabbed his glass and tipped the cup back, getting the tea down in just a few gulps. Though he could hardly say that he'd savoured it, damn, did it taste good. "That tea was so good that I feel bad for not having gotten to actually take my time drinking it," he admitted aloud.

Ludmilla, in reply, smiled with a small amount of gratification, finishing off her own cup and setting the dishes aside. "Then I can say that I've satisfied the Legendary Commander, if even in a small way." Rising to her feet, she began moving for the hallway door again. "Come, then. If nothing else, you and Anis will do well to help move the Rapture parts to a convenient location for Snow White to work with."

With one mighty gulp, Anis swallowed the entire mouthful of tea she'd apparently been just holding like a chipmunk, then declared: "Anything to help Rapi," as she stood with a purpose. "Come on, Commander!" She then sharply spun to follow Ludmilla.

Joe understood her eagerness, and followed shortly after her. It wouldn't be much, but every little bit would help in getting Rapi back on her feet, and damn, did the little Goddess deserve all the support in the world, and anything more Joe could manage.

To say nothing of the fact that they were apparently about to meet another Nikke with the Exceed system.

This was bound to prove interesting.

 

[Matttts]

Great chapter as always man. Interesting that we see more into Joe's past through other people that are not Goddess or Anderson.

 

[Masayume]

Alice having a somewhat "failure" of an exceed isnt a bad in-story explanation for her ingame top dps status.

Also yey her majesty the queen is here! And yes Joe, Ludmilla is actual royalty.

 

[Vicentehuerta777dragon]

Holy crap you did use my head canon for Alice!!!!

 

[BakaSmurf]

===
Chapter 49 - Echoes of a Past Life
===

Following Ludmilla into the front-most entrance of the Northern Base, which was itself a largely unimpressive, unremarkable military installation, a small crowd gathered around a large pile of what looked to be Rapture parts. Said parts were hastily and inelegantly bundled up in tarps and resting atop sleds which had been crudely lashed together to form an ad-hoc wagon train.

The front gates had been sealed behind them, the girls already readying themselves to drag the stuff the rest of the way to the room where Rapi was waiting.

While Joe might've usually gotten caught up on the group of absurdly beautiful women, he was more focused on-

His train of thought was broken by a sharp and loud gasp. Draped head-to-toes in pinks, a skintight bodysuit which left remarkably little to the imagination despite revealing no skin below her neck, and a loose heavily-cropped shrug jacket, was a striking twintailed beauty. With-

"My queen! My queen!" The pinkette called out in a high-pitched, incredibly girly voice, her nearly white pink hair bouncing in place as she too bounced on the balls of her feet, pointing at Joe as an excited child might. "The King in the Mountain! The King in the Mountain is up! He woke up! The Queen of Hearts will finally be beaten!" she declared joyously, again, with childlike glee. "Look! Look my queen! We can finally defeat the Queen of Hearts and free Wonderland!"

Though this tiny little lady did, frankly speaking, tick a good many of Joe's boxes at a glance… at once, the man immediately and most assuredly knew: this one was not for lewding, and any that may attempt to do so, deserved a bullet.

So, quickly, all physical attraction was quashed against the rocks, and he firmly slotted this Nikke into the 'headpats only' category, given her decidedly and obviously immature nature.

"Yes, yes, I know, Alice," Ludmilla asserted, reaching out and patting Alice on the head - "Now hush, the King in the Mountain's Knight needs help."

"Oh right! Little Red Riding Hood got hurt fighting the Queen of Hearts' minions!" Alice declared, large pink eyes going wide for a moment before she spun in place, grabbed a large cable being used as the rope for the wagon train of sleds, and started off down the hallway towards the Deep Freeze with a purpose, single-handedly drawing the entire, massive load behind her despite her diminutive size. "Don't worry, King in the Mountain! Little Red Riding Hood will be good as new right away!"

Bounding off with a childish spring in her step, Alice quickly left most everyone else behind, the sleds quite loudly protesting at being drawn over anything other than snow.

With a blink, Joe watched her go for just a moment before turning to face Ludmilla, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Well that was weird," Anis, on the other hand, just openly vocalized her intrusive thoughts, as she was wont to do.

"Alice lived a difficult, scarring life, even before she underwent conversion," the haughty blonde declared in reply. "Many of those same scars, she still carries to this day. I would ask that you not be so cruel as to deprive her of the comforts of her own imagination, Commander."

…So, probably a Mind Switch situation, then. One which was balanced upon a knife's edge, if allowing Alice to live in whatever kind of fantasy she did was preferable to… drawing her back into reality.

Not any of Joe's business, ultimately. Even if it was concerning, he had a whole mountain of his own shit to deal with. Thus he simply nodded in acknowledgement of Ludmilla's request, shifting his attention to Neon and the other two present Nikkes.

Neon had a small smile of relief to see Joe up and on his feet, and generally, seemed fine overall. A strange kind of rock, she was seeming to be.

The other two Nikkes, on the other hand, were openly staring at Joe with wide, wonder-filled eyes. Yet another silver-haired woman (silver-white hair seemed to be notably popular among Nikkes for whatever reason), hair worn in a bob. She was incredibly curvaceous, and strikingly well-endowed, which she was very clearly eager for everyone to notice, given how she had her cold suit unzipped down to her navel and her chest seemingly one unfortunate sway away from having her heaving breasts come tumbling out into the open air, much like Anis. Joe very much didn't notice that she had a beauty mark on said chest.

Otherwise, she had large, glimmering silvery-violet eyes with a gentle, down-turned angle. Somewhat thick eyebrows which too seemed to naturally angle downwards, giving her a very soft, easy-going aura. Then, upon processing that Joe was looking at her, the large open-mouthed, toothy smile she presented to him only further emphasized this impression. One might be shocked to hear that she was unreasonably beautiful, and had Joe not been constantly exposed to unreasonably beautiful women, he'd most assuredly be immediately making a complete fool of himself in front of her. Luckily, he was able to keep it to a somewhat 'oh no pretty girl' anxiously nervous wave, rather than outright dumping a metric tonne of spaghetti at her feet.

Her returning the wave with that big smile of hers did very nearly shove him over the edge, though.

Aside from the dark blue jumpsuit which contrasted heavily against her fair skin, notably, she was wearing a white cropped shrug like Alice's - however, the full-length sleeves seemed to end in large puffballs, with dedicated finger holes to poke her digits through them. That, combined with her furry boots that terminated in what soles that gave the impression of cartoony animal paws, and moreover, the furry cloak adorned with a pair of round bear ears, with a pair of 'wings' that came to large, clawed bear paws, produced a strange mixture of overtly sexy and cute.

It took Joe a moment to realize that what he thought was an armoured visor on her forehead like Snow White's, was actually a polar bear-themed sleeping mask. And she had a teddy bear hanging off of her back, rather than a dedicated backpack.

She was, needless to say, very 'quirky' in her choice of aesthetics, given the clashing nature of her skin-tight cold suit which hugged her every curve and nearly wholly exposed bosom, combined with the starkly cutesy polar bear themed cloak, boots, and cropped jacket.

Still absolutely gorgeous, though.

The long-haired blonde standing astride her, shorter and more athletic in her build, skin having more of an olive, yet still fair complexion was decidedly eye-catching in her own way. Her eyes were larger, more striking and lively. A pair of simple braids tucked behind her ears adorned otherwise unstyled hair. A white, horned hairband rested atop her crown, the tips terminating in golden points, a secondary band stretched between the horns, creating the illusion of floating just off the top of her skull.

Her cold suit was a bright, almost fluorescent orange, and so tightly fitted that her belly button was visible through it. She wore a short, but not outright cropped hooded black and white jacket loosely hanging from her slim shoulders. Her suit ended with four or five-inch heels, giving her legs a long, shapely appearance.

She was incredibly pretty, yes, but there was otherwise, outwardly nothing all that stand-out about her attire. Is what Joe would have said if she weren't wearing a white, black-trimmed two-piece bikini over her cold suit which, being notably skimpy, produced an effect which gave Joe pause, and necessitated him actually having to fight his instincts to stare a bit, even despite his budding desensitization to beautiful girls in revealing attire.

Unfortunately, she was evidently the type that was very perceptive, and very clearly noticed how Joe was very pointedly not looking at her midsection. Thus, though with a little starting nervousness, she proceeded to inflict an outright critical hit upon the man by producing a V with her index and middle fingers, bringing said V to her eyes, presenting a broad, toothy smile his way, following up with a goofy kissy face.

Joe had negative defences against gyaru energy, and thus, he could not entirely suppress his reaction to the display.

The blonde looked more than a little taken aback by the effect her gesture had, immediately looking more than a little smug and intrigued… all the while Joe suddenly felt danger emanating from Anis' direction.

Ludmilla turned to Joe, a somewhat amused expression worn on her face as she started, "Commander, as familiar as I'm sure you are with amorous women, I must ask that you exhibit a degree of professionalism and not actively flirt with my squad."

"I-I didn't!" Joe immediately protested his innocence, his voice breaking as he sharply turned towards Ludmilla in dismay.

Ludmilla, however, just turned to her two wayward squadmates, declaring: "Tove, I must also ask that you not actively and openly attempt to court the Legendary Commander literally the minute you've met him."

"I-I didn't!" the orange-clad Nikke dubbed 'Tove' protested, in pretty much the exact same cadence and tone as Joe had, her expression twisted into a nearly cartoonish display of embarrassed dismay - not entirely unlike the one Joe himself was wearing.

Ludmilla then, without missing a beat, turned to the taller, far more well-endowed silver-haired Nikke in the room to address her directly. "Neve, you and Tove are on surveillance. We are tending to a member of Goddess in need. The shame that would be brought upon our names should we need to divert attention away from her to deal with Raptures near the base cannot be overstated. Ensure her rest is not interrupted."

The fuzzy Nikke, meanwhile, immediately took on a more militaristic, hard expression upon the mention of 'Goddess,' nodding firmly once. "Yes ma'am," she declared before heading off with a purpose - this despite having presented no small amount of lethargic calm up to that point.

"A-ah, right!" Tove bounced back, clicking her heels together. "We're on it, ma'am! We won't let Goddess down!" She hesitated for a moment, gaze settling on Joe for an instant - and she quickly winked at him once before setting off to follow Neve.

Ludmilla let out a small sigh at that, shaking her head before addressing Joe again. "It will likely take some time for Snow White to fully finish tending to Red Hood - or Rapi, if you prefer. Though I would not blame you if you are lacking in appetite, I would offer you three a meal. Especially you, if nothing else, Commander. As a human, it is essential that you eat regularly."

Looking between Neon and a still visibly annoyed Anis, Joe shrugged. Though yeah, he really wasn't hungry considering the circumstances… "You're right, it'd probably be wise to at least try to eat something, considering we're in the field and all that."

"I'm not really hungry, but…" Neon started, pushing her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose. "Like, maybe a few cookies or something would be nice."

Anis just glowered at Joe.

"Then come, let us return to the dining hall and partake in some finger food to tide us over until dinner proper," Ludmilla proclaimed with all the authority of a posh noblewoman, spinning on her heel and going right back the way they'd come.

Part of Joe low-key wondered why they'd even bothered coming to the base's entrance to 'help' when Alice - the girl that apparently also had Exceed he just realized, didn't even need help hauling the massive load of Rapture parts to Snow White… but he supposed that it was good to have met Tove and Neve as well, if nothing else.

---

Darkness. Alarms. The stench and wetness of fresh death hung heavy in the air. Already, she'd been coated in gore - yet now, the fresh blood streaming down her front filled her with far more horror and agony than she'd imagined possible. It wasn't her blood, yet so terribly desperately she wished it was, rather than his.

Red Hood clung to Joe, held him close, and refused to let him go. Even as he bled all over her, even with the mortifying hole blown in his side. His breath came shallow, shuddering, audibly pained, each inhale a horrible struggle. She'd entwined her fingers with his, and there was no strength left in his hands - he was entirely limp, seemingly barely even aware of their surroundings, of what was happening.

"-Don't go," the Nikke cried, drawing him in, hugging him desperately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please! Joe… Please don't leave me! Please, stay!" She pressed her cheek against his, tears streaming down her face helplessly. "I'll- I'll be better! I'll do better! I'll never let you down again! I'll stop being stupid, I'll be reliable, I'll be strong, I'll be like Snow, I'll be like Dorothy! I'll… I'll be everything you deserve! I won't be a burden! I'll never insult you, or mistreat you again!" Red Hood's voice grew increasingly desperate and strained - her voice was entirely broken, not a single word coming out strong. "I… I won't betray your trust! I won't make you feel useless! I'm the useless one! I'm the idiot, I'm the moron! I'm the one always causing problems! I'm the one always annoying everyone! I- I- I-"

A pitiful cry spilled forth from her lips, tears mixing freely with blood as the pair were lit only by strobing red lights.

"I'm useless. I'm incompetent. I'm an idiot. I… I don't deserve you. I don't deserve any of you! You're better than I deserve! I'm trash! I'm garbage! I'm just a thug, some lazy loser from the middle of nowhere! Some idiot that doesn't deserve to serve with Goddess! I… I'm the one that deserves to die, not you! So please! Please!" Red Hood squeezed Joe, let all of her darkest self-recriminations fall free, laying her heart and soul out to him in a desperate attempt to convince him to stay, to not go. "I… I… Joe…"

With a shuddering breath, she finally uttered those three little words that had evaded her for so long, that had simply refused to come no matter how hard she'd tried to force them out, even when things were at the best they'd ever been.

"I love you," Red Hood all but whimpered to her dying Commander. "I love you, Joe… I love you! So… so there, I admit it! I admit it, okay!? So you have to stay!" she couldn't hold him any tighter, yet desperately, she tried to. "You… have to stay, you have to take responsibility! You… need to… you need to give me a chance, you need to let me make it up to you. You need to let me prove it, to prove that I mean it! That I'll be better! That I'll be reliable! That I'll be trustworthy! That you can tell me anything! That you can lean on me no matter what!"

"I'll stop being unreliable! I'll stop being immature! I'll grow up! I'll get my shit together, I swear, I promise! I promise! So please, please! Don't go! Please! Stay with me! By my Commander! Be my Commander, and I'll be everything I haven't been! I'll be the Nikke you deserve! I swear!"

"I love you."

As Red Hood's breath came in ragged gasps, having started desperately shouting and wailing at some point, relative silence fell. Little other than distant alarm klaxons accentuating this horrible moment.

It was Joe that broke that silence. "...I'm… Sorry…" he wheezed out, the suffering in his weak, borderline whisper of a voice feeling like a thousand daggers to Red Hood's heart.

He was apologizing. He was apologizing. When he had done nothing wrong, when it was her fault, when she'd failed him in all ways that mattered, when she had left him confused, uncertain, befuddled, then failed to protect him when he'd placed his life in her hands… when she didn't deserve to fight alongside him. When he was the Commander she didn't deserve, when she didn't deserve to call herself a Goddess-

Joe's voice cut her thoughts off, one last time. "...My Goddess… of… Victory…"

Then with one final, shuddering exhale, he fell entirely still, face falling into her shoulder, even as Red Hood stared forward into the darkness. Even as the weight of this moment fell upon and crushed her like a boulder.

His last words. An apology she didn't deserve. His final moments. Consideration and regret she had no right to be the recipient of.

That was it. Her last ray of light, the last thing that kept her flame burning bright.

With that last light extinguished, Red Hood leaned forward, drew her Commander in as close as she could. She curled up, she twitched, she spasmed, she gasped for air. Yet, the tears had stopped flowing. She wasn't crying. Her eyes, wide open, her lips twisted into an agonized grimace, and no tears accompanied the hitching, animalistic cries projected from deep within her chest.

Red Hood curled over yet further, the darkness all-encompassing, all traces of light fading, until finally…

Her back was starting to get really sore.

So many bumps, so many jostles. So much noise, curled up into a tiny little ball like this, barely able to breathe, pretty much blinded for hours… and all for what? Some dumb little joke?

The Nikke was actually really starting to think that this wasn't the best idea she'd ever had, especially now that everything had gone still for what felt like ages now, and yet-

Suddenly, she could hear the clamps of the box unlatching, and her typical ear-to-ear smile found purchase on her deceptively lovely features once more, and at once, she knew that it would have been worth it to see the looks on their faces when…

The moment a little light hit her face, the black-and-red clad Nikke all but jumped up to her knees, throwing her arms out wide and casting the lid of the metal shipping container open with a crash as it slammed into the floor behind it. "Surpri-aaaAHHHH!" she cut herself off, immediately placing a hand on the bare flesh over her posterior, crying out in pain. "My back! Dang it, it hurts! Why did I think shipping myself here in a box was a good idea...!?"

Eyes closed, hissing at the harsh stringing, it took the Nikke a few long moments to recover, eventually cracking her eyes open to find…

Well, what had to be her new squad.

"...Commander," a pink-haired, ruinously snooty-seeming lady declared, gazing down at Red Hood through her nostrils. "Close the lid and ship the box back to the return address, I don't think we want to have to put up with this 'gift.'"

"-Best gift ever," a burly, long-haired man in a plain, military green combat jacket declared with a stupid, downright smitten grin as he stared down at Red Hood, his hands still hovering in place where they'd been in the instant before Red Hood threw open the lid of the box she'd had herself shipped to Goddess Squad in.

Red Hood's smile returned in full force, and even redoubled upon hearing that, and seeing the dog tags hanging from his neck, immediately knew who this was. "Hey, is it Christmas morning, Handsome?" she asked the man that was surely her Commander.

He blinked owlishly at that, seeming more confused than anything-

"'Cuz damn if I don't want to unwrap your clothes like I just found you under a tree!" Red Hood finished her totally butter smooth and absolutely sensical pick-up line as she set her hands on the rim of the metal box, deliberately puffing her scantily-clad chest out to the long-haired man with her trademark winning smile for emphasis.

Though there was a but of an awkward delay, the man eventually seemed to process what she was implying, at once turned beet red and sputtering like an old car, the white-clad pinkette standing off to his side too went red, but with her brow furrowing and nostrils flaring heavily, the towering blonde nun Red Hood had previously not noticed built like one of the girls from her favourite hentai mags suddenly started squealing like a tea kettle… and another man's voice started uproariously laughing in the background.

Twisting around to find the source of the laughter, Red Hood spotted a far more ostentatiously dressed military man wearing a peaked cap, aviators, and a greatcoat like a cape doubled over, wheezing and hitting his own chest as he attempted to get his laughter under control - even despite using his other hand to point at his long-haired fellow.

"John…" there was a silver-haired woman, mop styled into an asymmetrical bob standing alongside him. She too was dolled up in a nice military uniform complete with a cape, speaking to him in a mildly chastising, heavily-accented posh voice, reaching over and pinching the lobe of the apparent officer's ear to drag him back up to his full height. "What did I say about conducting yourself as the High Commander of Goddess?"

"I give! I give!" the well-dressed man, 'John,' declared desperately as he latched into the woman's wrist utterly ineffectually, his assaulted ear rapidly turning red. "Uncle! Uncle! Lilith, lay off! You win! You win! I'll leave the treasonous cur alone- Ahhh!" His cries redoubled as Lilith began to lightly twist his ear for emphasis, a serene smile in place on her unsettlingly artificial face all the while. "Joe! You're her Commander! Command Lilith to lay off- AAH!"

Still twisted around to watch the byplay, Red Hood caught sight of someone she would've missed otherwise, actually seeming to hide behind Lilith's cape, was a young teenager, short, dressed in all whites and blacks to accompany her messy white head of hair, large golden eyes standing out all the more because of it. She was visibly nervous as she peered around the taller Nikke at Red Hood, lips drawn into an adorable little uncertain grimace.

Red Hood immediately desperately wanted to tug at her little cheek and listen to her whine over being called 'cute.' And she'd surely do so! But not before she finished hooking the Commander like the smooth operator she was! "-So, Commander!" she started as she spun to face the man dubbed 'Joe' once more, smiling brightly at him. "Where're you planning on taking me for our first date, and is pinky there gonna tag along for the fun too, or are you more of a one woman kinda- AH! Hey! What's the big idea!?"

The blonde cried out as the pinkette boldly strode over to the box, shoved Red Hood back into it, and started trying to close the lid on her again, producing a small fight as Red Hood tried to stop her from doing so from her awkward angle. "This one is clearly defective, Commander!" the snooty lady in the fine silk dress asserted pointedly, "We should send her back and get a replacement!"

"What the Hell?" Red Hood cried in offence and protest. "Hey! Chill out, I said that I'm cool with sharing! Don't bogart the Commander, Missy! I'm sure there's plenty of him to go around! Right Your Holiness?" she called out to the nun, whose full-faced blush somehow redoubled and intensified at the inquiry. "Come on! Don't be such a stiff!" she attempted to reason with the well-to-do lady. "Learn to live a little, Your Highness!"

"Commander!" Lilith called out, even as she continued to discipline the High Commander's ear for his poor conduct. "I think you need to calm Dorothy down before she starts attempting to bash the box's lid on our new recruit's head. And Rapunzel likely needs to be coaxed from the corner she's retreated into as well!" She was clearly referring to the nun that was now facing away from the rest of the room, evidently attempting to hide her reaction to Red Hood's open gooning. "I'm going to finish punishing High Commander Andersen, then take Snow White to the mess hall for a treat! Good luck!" At that, Lilith began dragging Andersen from the room, the man squealing all the while. Snow White moved to keep Lilith between her and Red Hood, clearly a shy girl as she was.

Red Hood, meanwhile, was stuck fighting for her life, trying to prevent Dorothy from locking her back in the box. "Hey! Come on! You haven't even let me introduce myself! Hey! Commander Handsome! Get her to lay off, will ya? Getting harangued like this is such a turn off, and I assure you, you're gonna want me turned all the way on for our first date-!" Her voice cut off as with one mighty push, the box was slammed shut, and darkness overtook her once more.

"Red Hood!"

She held him tight.

"This is the A.C.P.U.! Raise your hands above your head now!"

Gently, Red Hood set Joe down, laying him to rest, at least setting him in a dignified position. The absolute least she could do for him now.

"Comply at once or we will open fire!"

They'd taken everything. Everything. Everyone. All that she cared about. They took her ray of light. They'd snuffed out her burning flame.

"Stop! Freeze! Now! Red Hood! Stop!"

And so. Red Hood would do unto them what they had done to her. The Ark, they'd sacrificed so much for it, and the Ark had taken even more. The Ark would see them all destroyed. The Ark would see her sisters, her family, her loved ones destroyed.

"It doesn't have to end like this! Stop!"

So in turn, Red Hood would do just the same.

"Open fire!"

Red Hood would destroy the Ark.

 

[TheLastWitness]

Well damn. thats a dark memory to end on. But still, I'm looking forward to see how the rest of the reunion goes.
tftc

 

[palacesound]

Joe had negative defences against gyaru energy, and thus, he could not entirely suppress his reaction to the display.

Click to shrink...

Rupee will destroy you.

 

[Matttts]

Amazing chapter as always. Nice to see more flashbacks with the whole gang goofing around.

 

[Nehef]

Joe had negative defences against gyaru energy, and thus, he could not entirely suppress his reaction to the display.

Click to shrink...

My guy gon' be eaten alive by Tia and Naga then.

 

[Vicentehuerta777dragon]

Oh God rapi is so going be horrified seeing That memory,she is going wrap Joe in a hug and not let go for anything.

 

[Masayume]

She held him tight

Click to shrink...

REDASH : Hold you tight (feat. AKA) [GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE OST]

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE OST© SHIFT UP CORP.REDASHHold you tightComposer - CosmographVocal - AKA @AKAraxy Lyrics - N.U.Guitar - NieN------------------------...

youtu.be

Obligatory Nikke ost

 

[Crimson Reiter]

The first half was hilarious, I really enjoyed Joe reaction to She-Who-Deserves-Unlimited-Headpats, how quickly he went from "Damn, she's sexy" to "MUST PROTECC".

Alice calling him King in the Mountain is pretty damn apt, and kinda hope it's a sign that some of Alice's ramblings have bits of supernatural truth, like a futuristic full-body cyborg Cassandra. I mean pretty sure Ludmilla told her about Goddess and the Legendary Commander, but doubt that she ever used term like the King Asleep in the Mountain, especially since most people, even those who remember the LC and Goddess, thought Joe was deader than a dodo.

Unfortunately, she was evidently the type that was very perceptive, and very clearly noticed how Joe was very pointedly not looking at her midsection. Thus, though with a little starting nervousness, she proceeded to inflict an outright critical hit upon the man by producing a V with her index and middle fingers, bringing said V to her eyes, presenting a broad, toothy smile his way, following up with a goofy kissy face.

Joe had negative defences against gyaru energy, and thus, he could not entirely suppress his reaction to the display.

Click to shrink...

I absolutely feel for you. It's not her spandex clad ass and stupid, erotic shooting pose that are her main assets, it's her toothy, cheeky grin and adorbs energy!! Her Burst Skill animation is so damn good!! gnghjdazsbfgsdhnfg

But as amusing as that was, I'm really looking forwards to what will Anis do now~

The second half was... oof, a kick right on my feels. The sudden flashback inside a flashback was unexpected, but fitting and really helped to sell the sheer contrast between the tragedy of Joe's "death" and the good goofy memories of their first meeting, just to then come back to the tragedy and it immediate aftermath. The moment I started to read this part it took me hostage and keep me reading 'til the end, it was a pretty damn gripping and at least in my case really made me want to reach through the screen and hug her tight.

I'm really hyped for Rapi/RedHood waking up.

And so. Red Hood would do unto them what they had done to her. The Ark, they'd sacrificed so much for it, and the Ark had taken even more. The Ark would see them all destroyed. The Ark would see her sisters, her family, her loved ones destroyed.

"It doesn't have to end like this! Stop!"

So in turn, Red Hood would do just the same.

"Open fire!"

Red Hood would destroy the Ark.

Click to shrink...

Oh boy, this ending is perfect, and makes me hope there's enough of that Angry RedHood around when they meet Crow and all her bullshit plotline, just to see the fireworks

Great chapter, Baka! Thank you very much for sharing it with us!

 

[Vicentehuerta777dragon]

The first half was hilarious, I really enjoyed Joe reaction to She-Who-Deserves-Unlimited-Headpats, how quickly he went from "Damn, she's sexy" to "MUST PROTECC".

Alice calling him King in the Mountain is pretty damn apt, and kinda hope it's a sign that some of Alice's ramblings have bits of supernatural truth, like a futuristic full-body cyborg Cassandra. I mean pretty sure Ludmilla told her about Goddess and the Legendary Commander, but doubt that she ever used term like the King Asleep in the Mountain, especially since most people, even those who remember the LC and Goddess, thought Joe was deader than a dodo.


I absolutely feel for you. It's not her spandex clad ass and stupid, erotic shooting pose that are her main assets, it's her toothy, cheeky grin and adorbs energy!! Her Burst Skill animation is so damn good!! gnghjdazsbfgsdhnfg

But as amusing as that was, I'm really looking forwards to what will Anis do now~

The second half was... oof, a kick right on my feels. The sudden flashback inside a flashback was unexpected, but fitting and really helped to sell the sheer contrast between the tragedy of Joe's "death" and the good goofy memories of their first meeting, just to then come back to the tragedy and it immediate aftermath. The moment I started to read this part it took me hostage and keep me reading 'til the end, it was a pretty damn gripping and at least in my case really made me want to reach through the screen and hug her tight.

I'm really hyped for Rapi/RedHood waking up.



Oh boy, this ending is perfect, and makes me hope there's enough of that Angry RedHood around when they meet Crow and all her bullshit plotline, just to see the fireworks

Great chapter, Baka! Thank you very much for sharing it with us!

Click to shrink...

Crow starts anything with Joe and rapi will rip her limb from limb.