Prologue - Glory to Mankind

March 10th, 11, 945

- The 243rd Descent Operation -

Brilliance.

Pure brilliance. 6H thought to herself.

She had been on missions before, arguably too many. But any time she was sent out, it was with a larger unit, typically of the B or D classes, hell-bent on finding a specific target of interest in an already well-documented area.

This time? She was a part of the discovery operation! In fact, many more than usual were. Goliath class machines were spotted yet again in a fairly undocumented industrial area. But the flight there was something to behold.

She'd never ridden in a flight unit before, let alone driven one. The general impression from command that it was all hands on deck, due to how badly their numbers had dwindled in recent operations.

But none of that mattered. Not even the operation she was on. No, what captured all of 6Hs being was the beautiful blue skyline she and her squad were flying towards. The sky seemed like it was breathing with how the clouds moved and the sun's rays shimmered and reflected off of her flight unit.

"Look alive 6H, you're drifting out of formation." spoke a voice through the speakers of her flight unit. It was 19D, the squad leader.

6H shifted back into formation, fixing her gaze ahead. It was then she noticed the small explosions that dotted the slowly growing structures in the distance.

With a ring, a heads up display appeared next to her. Featuring a new face.

"19D." the voice spoke, "This channel is being shared with all non-combat units in your squad."

"So that's a fancy way of saying that 6H is listening in?" 19D retorted.

A slow exhale sounded through the channel. 6H felt like she was listening in on a couple. The awkward tension was palpable.

"Yes. I suppose it is." the operator said, regaining the remainder of her composure. "But to remind you, you're currently headed towards the industrial area where Goliath class machine was discovered. However, your squad isn't tasked with facing the Goliath's yourselves. Rather, you'll be clearing the perimeter of any machines that might attempt to leave and try to regroup their numbers."

"Understood," 19D said.

"Good luck. Both of you." said the operator. "Operator 9O, out." with a fizzle of static, the operator hung up.

So were staying out of the action? 6H thought, breathing a sigh of relief. Can't say I'm disappointed.

"6H," 19D called out.

"Ma'am?" 6H responded.

"Once we land, you will do exactly as I say. Your history says you have no combat experience, so I need you to follow my orders to the letter. Is that understood?" 19D said in a commanding tone.

"Of course, ma'am," 6H said.

With that, the comms opened once again. This time it was to the whole squad.

"Look alive everyone, we're approaching the landing zone," 19D said. "Commence landing procedures. Begin formation theta."

An image of the formation appeared on the HUD of 6Hs flight unit. 19D took the lead, with the remaining units in rows of two behind her. 6Hs spot was highlighted she was on the left side of the row behind 19D.

With much more care than necessary, she drifted into position as the squad began to shift downwards to the area just outside the industrial zone.

In almost perfect alignment, they each landed on a small remaining strip of highway and dismounted their flight units one by one.

6H finally got a good look at every one.

There was six of them in total. Including herself.

19D was the tallest, sticking out like a sore thumb. She was also the most professional looking as well, wearing a short button-up dress with laced stockings. Her white bob cut hair helped to sell the look.

The rest were in more traditional YoRHa attire, featuring their signature combat skirts and donned their blindfolds as well.

Of course, blindfold isn't exactly accurate. They acted more as filters or visors more than purely blindfolds. But if her Pod wanted to show her anything from command, it would simply appear in her vision through the blindfold.

There was an odd one out in terms of fashion choices. That being the gunner. She had long jet black hair pulled back into a pony tail. She wore a tank top, with a tight leather skirt wrapped around her waist. Oddly enough, she had white and laced boots on, compared to the rest of the squads high heels.

Lucky. 6H thought. She hated the heels. She more often than not tripped on them and in the least opportune moments. She had asked command multiple times about a change in wardrobe but was told that, as a "H" class unit, she didn't have a need for "such a frivolous use of limited materials."

Yeah right. She thought to herself. I bet that slave driver just has a high-heeled fetish or something. She clicked her tongue.

"Listen up!" 19D called out. The squad stood in attention, awaiting their leader's orders. "I first want to say that each and every one of you is risking your lives just as much as the other squads today. As we're holding the line of any straggling machines."

19D turned to the gunner, "18B."

The gunner, apparently designation 18B, relaxed slightly, "Ma'am?"

"In my absence for whatever reason, I'm placing you in command."

18B nodded, a smirk of confidence forming on her face. "Ma'am!"

"As for the rest of you, I expect you to take 18B's orders as if they were my own, in my absence."

"Ma'am!" the remaining units spoke in unison.

"6H." 19D turned to the healer unit.

"Ma'am!" 6H straightened with a significant amount of stress.

"As previously discussed, since you are a healer unit without combat experience, you are to follow my orders exactly. This extends to 18B in my absence."

"Of course, ma'am!"

19D smirked at 6H's anxiety, finding it a charming change of pace from the mutual respect of her other cohorts.

"Very well. We hold the line just over there, where this city meets the factory," she said, pointing to a stretch of land between two buildings. With a road towering overhead, leading into the factory.

"18B, since you're our long-range specialist, I'd like you to find a vantage point to be our eyes up top. But close enough to be able to jump in. Think you can do it?"

"Do you doubt me, ma'am?" said 18B, the same smirk having a different meaning.

The two nodded in unison.

"Very well." 19D turned her attention to the entrance.

"As for the rest, we're going in to find the best spot to hold. Preferably deeper in, just in case we need to fall back."

19D stood in attention once more, her squad doing the same. She held a hand over her chest.

"Glory to mankind," she spoke.

"Glory to mankind!" her squad responded in kind.

The squad leapt off, clinging to their pods as they set foot in the ruined city. 18B split off to begin her climb up the building immediately to their left as they entered the factory zone.

I've never been in a place like this before. 6H thought to herself. It seems almost… Sad. Very little life is left in places like this…

Off in the distance, the rising intensity of gunfire could be heard. The closer they approached, the more it stuck out in 6H's mind. It stuck out so much, that she found herself tripping on some uneven pavement, stumbling to her knees.

"Ah- shit!" 6H cursed her heels.

"You alright?" a squadmate reached out to pull her up, which she spared little time in accepting.

"Sorry, I'm awful in heels. They screw me up all the time." 6H said, dusting off her skirt.

"God, I can relate to that." the unit said, shaking her head sadly. "You get used to it over time though, trust me."

"Keep up, 6H!" 19D called back.

"R-right! Sorry, ma'am!" 6H broke into a slight jog to return to her spot behind the squad leader.

As 6H approached 19D, the whole squad froze. All of them seemingly notice the same thing in tandem.

"What's wrong-?" 6H asked her superior. However, she was interrupted by the slam of a massive blade laid down by 19D, followed by an intense amount of gunfire. 6H dropped behind the blade. The rest of her squad followed.

"Stay there." Said 19D as she turned one of the units that assisted her before, "12B, create some cover! We're too exposed!"

"On it!" 12B broke into a sprint towards a vertical metal pipe to the squad right. With one swift motion, she summoned a large axe and made a notable gash in the pipe. She thrust-ed her arm forward and her pod let loose a beam of energy. The pipe was weakened enough to begin falling over, bringing some of the mangled lead-work attached with it.

"Move back! Everyone!" 19D said, lifting her blade and deflecting and dodging the barrage of bullets.

The massive blade dissipated, signalling 6H to fall back with her comrades. As she fled, 12B, who was running behind her, let out a pained grunt and fell to the ground. On hearing this, 6H skid to a halt and turned around. 12B was injured. Her back was blackened with smoke from the impact. It wasn't long before blood began to seep from the wound.

"Dammit!" 6H grunted, diving towards 12B as machine munitions flew overhead. She gestured her pod to her side and began getting to work while she was prone.

"Pod," 6H commanded, "Run diagnostics. Confirm unit self-repair protocol. Run if possible." The pod began its magic. As it did so, 6H decided at least to give the battle unit a head start. She pulled out a tube from her fanny pack. With a squeeze, the cap exploded off, leaving steam behind and exposing a large metal spike. 6H jammed the tube into 12Bs back. A snap, sizzle and pop could be heard. With a lot of effort, 12B steadied her breathing.

"Self-repair protocol confirmed, initiating." The pod said.

"6H move it!" 19D called out, now with the remainder of her squad from behind the pipe.

"Thank god," 6H said, wiping her brow. "How serious is the wound?"

"No sensitive components damaged. Black box only detected kinetic energy from the blast." the pod responded.

"Even better." said the healer unit. "Can you hear me? We need to move!"

12B was mostly unresponsive, but she managed a nod. 6H pulled 12Bs arm over her own and tried to carry the injured unit to behind the pipe.

"Hurry!" called out another unit.

6H made the mistake of glancing behind her, a large herd of machines began marching towards them. She didn't want to look at specifics. She simply looked ahead and tried to hurry her pace.

19D vaulted over the pipe, running over to 6H. She leapt into the air, over the pair and taking a massive swing with her large blade. A small explosion erupted behind 6H and 12B.

6H remembered reading the log of the very blade she wielded, it was infamous among combat YoRHa units as being unwieldy. If she recalled correctly, the blade was known as Iron Will.

With the colossal blade, 19D swung it overhead, using the blunt side to swat an airborne machine into the building beside her.

6H and 12B were pulled over the pipe by their fellow units. Once they were over, another unit called out, "Ma'am! They're safe!"

19D kicked off the ground, breaking into a sprint as she threw Iron Will aside, letting it disappear in a flash. With just as much ease, she vaulted back over the pipe.

She took a moment to catch her breath as the other units were opening fire with their pods.

"That- was incredibly reckless-" 19D said to 6H.

"I'm sorry ma'am." 6H said, looking 12B over one more time, "But she was injured. The hoard was far enough away where it shouldn't have been-"

"You could have gotten shot." 19D interrupted, "Then you would have been in no condition to help anyone else."

"I-" 6H froze. She wasn't entirely sure what to say, she was doing her job, wasn't she?

"I'm sorry…"

19D sighed, "I suppose we'll take this as a learning experience. Next time you need to help someone in the open like that, at least call for backup." She patted 6H on the back.

"R-right, ma'am…" 6H said, shaking herself out of her fretting.

6H continued to monitor 12Bs condition as the rest of the squad began to push back against the hoard of machines. It was then she noticed the flying machines.

"Since when are they airborne!?" 6H said. It was her first time seeing such machines. In fact, there were numerous types of machines she hadn't seen before that began to pour out of the facility.

"Don't worry about them, they should be covered," 19D said.

Off in the distance, multiple gunshots could be heard. The next thing 6H knew, the flying machines were crashing to the ground around their cover.

"Damn, remind me not to piss off 18B." said one unit, inspecting her blade before joining her squad over the cover.

The wave of machines was finally beginning to thin. However, there was universal unease once the last one was destroyed.

"Expect more. Especially when things really heat up in the factory." 19D instructed. "Can 12B move?"

"I think so," 6H said, "She's still largely unresponsive, though. Definitely not in fighting condition."

"Damn…" 19D said, gesturing her Pod towards her.

With a short ring, a call was established with 18B. Her face appears on a holographic display curtsy of the pod.

"Yes, ma'am?" 18B said, occasionally firing a pot shot at an off-screen machine.

"The situation has changed. I'm going to need you to be stationed closer as we move in. Can you manage?"

"Are these machines as dumb as they look?" 18B retorted, a cocky smile on her face.

19D rolled her eyes, "Technically, no. Their procedures are a part of an internal neural network that carefully calculates each machine's decision."

18B scoffed, "You're no fun, ma'am, you know that right?"

"Last I checked, this wasn't a vacation."

"Fair. I'll be right over."

"Thank you. 19D, out." she hung up and stepped forward, "Come on, with less firepower, we need a stricter choke point."

6H continued shouldering her wounded comrade. As they moved deeper, another exit was spotted. A chain-linked fence opened up to a path leading to the shoreline by the ocean next to the factory. 19D whispered to a unit, presumably making note of another exit.

Then something unexpected happened.

A pair of YoRHa units ran past, followed by one unsuspecting B class unit. 6H initially mistook them to be an S class unit. But on further inspection that couldn't be the case, as they turned out to be female.

She was dressed somewhat conspicuously, with a grey button-up shirt underneath a black leather vest that yielded the usual combat fittings a YoRHa unit would typically expect. The most feminine feature about her was her grey hair. Which was pulled up in a loose and messy up-do. She wore shorts cut just above the knees, with equally black stockings nearly hiding this fact. Rounding the lookout with, of course, combat boots.

Why are some units so damn lucky… 6H cursed her perpetual suffering.

"Stop-!" The unit cried, out of breath, presumably pointed towards the pair of B class units.

19D grew a grim expression. She turned to another unit, "Inform 18B to join you all. I'll see if they need help."

The unit nodded as 19D jogged her way onto the sandy pavement past the fence. The two conversed for a moment before making chase towards the other units.

"What's happening?" 6H asked, struggling to keep her balance holding up 12B.

"Probably more deserters…" said a unit, skimming through a list of contacts, looking for 18B, "There have been more and more as of late."

It wasn't much longer before 18B joined them and they continued their trek towards the factory.

They approached more fencing that was lined around the perimeter of the factory. 18B held up her fist, indicating the squad to stop.

What was held behind the fence was what 6H could only describe as a mess of pipes. Big, small, or average size, it didn't matter. It was all jumbled together into a cage that connected to the factory ahead. Just past the cage of pipes was a stairwell as well as two other exits from the factory itself.

18B took a look around, "I suppose this will do." she said, tracing her hand across the nearby pipes, gauging their structural integrity.

"Bring down some of the pipework!" 18B commanded, "This will be our chokepoint!"

As the two remaining units began inspecting and bringing down pipes to use as cover, 6H propped 12B up against the fence, inspecting the progress of her healing.

18B knelt next to her, "So, no combat experience, huh?" she said, quizzically.

"N-no. I never looked for any trouble. I just heal those who've been in it." 6H said, trying to ignore how close 18B was.

18B stood, looking around for any activity. "I guess that's fair. Although, it's strange. I've never heard of a pacifist YoRHa unit. You must be a one of a kind, eh?"

6H shrugged, not especially interested in her place in the greater world, "Maybe…"

18B scoffed, "So non-committal."

In a brief flash of light, a large rifle appeared midair, where 18B snagged it. She raised her aim upwards, looking in the distance through holes in the cage of pipes.

6H observed the rifle, "Talk about one of a kind, I'm surprised to see rifles are still used by YoRHa." she said, "In fact, aren't all G class units obsolete?"

18B smirked, "No, you're right. In fact-" in another flash, a spear with a two-pronged butt-end. She slammed it down, using the prongs as a stabilizer. "I've just been around a while."

Showoff… 6H thought as she sighed and turned her attention back to her patient.

"Wha-?" 12B muttered, slowly regaining consciousness. "What the hell?"

6H held 12B in place, "Easy. You took a nasty hit. Your body is still undergoing self-repair."

12B winced as she tried to adjust her posture, which in and of itself was a tall task leaning against a fence. "You're… 6H, right?"

6H nodded, "Yeah. But my friends call me 'Hives'."

12B frowned, "Why would they call you that."

6H smiled, recalling fond memories, "I've been told my charm is infectious~!" she snapped her fingers and winked playfully, relieving some tension.

12B managed a smile herself, "Damn, I guess they were right." she looked at her hand and began to grip it, determining how many of her senses were still intact, "Then thanks, Hives."

6H nodded gleefully, "Just doing my job!"

"Enemy approaching, ma'am!" called out one of the units. "And fast-!"

As she was calling out, a flurry of bullets began ricocheting off the pipes. All of the units hid behind their cover.

"There's too many!" called out another unit, "We should fall back to higher ground!"

18B turned her gun ahead and fired at the large machines stomping their way towards them, "No! We hold here! This is our best shot!"

Slowly, the remaining units guided their pods above cover and opened fire.

"Is that the best you all got!?" 18B shouted at her comrades.

"They're too many for anything fancy," a unit interjected, "We need to thin their numbers first!"

18B looked around. Something above caught her gaze. "When shit gets loud, you all press on them!" When the moment was right, she climbed the closest pipe and began jumping through the pipework above.

"What does she mean by 'gets loud'?" one unit questioned.

"Wait- she doesn't intend to!?" another unit called out but was interrupted by ear-piercing creaking and bending from above.

"She's crazy! It's all going to fall on us!" the same unit said.

6H could barely see 18B through the pipes above, but what she did see was a spinning spear and the occasional shot from her rifle. Whatever she was doing, it was making the cage unstable.

Suddenly, loud clangs from above could be heard. With each impact, the pipework began to loosen and bend.

The units looked at one another, quickly trying to formulate their move. Falling back would be a large risk due to the ongoing assault from the machines, but staying put would result in their demise potentially more so.

Quickly coming to the same conclusion, they all fell back behind the fencing, digging their faces into the dirt as machines continued to open fire.

With one last impact, the ceiling of the cage went into a free fall, colliding on the massive pool of machines that had accumulated underneath. From the smoke, 18B leapt and impaled one of the remaining machines with her spear. The two healthy combat units summoned their blades and followed their temporary leader.

6H inspected 12B one more time, making sure she wasn't injured during the sudden movement.

"I'm alright, 6H." the unit assured, "Just make sure the others stay that way."

"Stay safe," 6H commanded, "That's an order from your doctor."

12B let out a pained snort, "Dammit- don't make me laugh!"

"S-sorry…" 6H, confident in her handiwork, gave one last nod and ran to rejoin the others.

She hesitated as she approached the cloud of dust, which made it impossible to see well enough. However, she also didn't want to leave her comrades without any support.

Falling to her knees, 6H crawled through the debris to find her way through the dust cloud.

For a brief moment, she had the idea to use her pod's lamp to shine a way through. When turning the lamp on, however, only the dust in front of her lit up.

However, on closer inspection, there was a figure in the cloud. It wasn't well defined, but 6H approached slowly, with intense caution. Whatever it was, it wasn't alive or hadn't noticed her yet.

As she approached, the figure began to take shape.

In fact, it was two shapes. One is held by another.

6H felt an urge to call out, but something in the back of her throat resisted. Be it anxiety, or intuition, she suddenly found herself frozen in place, speechless, as a machine protruded a Canon from its chest, and shot multiple times into what 6H assumed to be a fellow android.

One of the figures fell limp to the ground. As the other one slowly took notice of her pod's light, opting to turn in attention.

6H flinched but was otherwise immobile from fear. It suddenly felt like the weight of the world pressed on her chest, holding her in place.

The tall machine approached. Its cannon trained on her, it began to whir with energy that lit 6H's face up.

Suddenly, a gun barrel thrust from right beside her head and into the machine's cannon. With one blast, the insides of the machine flew out from behind it, the energy from the cannon dissipating into a small explosion.

The entire situation resulted in an intense ringing in 6H head.

18B grabbed her by the shoulders and seemed to be screaming at her for some reason. She couldn't think clearly, so she wasn't sure.

The action around her began to amp up briefly again, as a flash of light whizzed by and overhead. Ultimately ending with 18B looking madly through the debris.

6H looked around at the now clearing dust, finding 19D approach from the entrance of the cage. The unit from before followed with a blank deadpan expression on her face.

As 18B and 19D seemed to engage in an aggressive conversation, 6H fell to the ground, unconscious. The ringing became too mind-numbing.

6H had been on missions before, arguably too many.