Bethesda is in the elevator looking a the time, its 19H00, he decided to spent 2 extra hours working on his new project, he also thought about another one since the time he fought that berserker robot, he quickly look himself in the reflection of his phone "Time to go the barber." he thinks

[Later]

Bethesda exit form the barbershop with his short haircut he used to have before and with a pencil style mustache and a short goatee beard. He then head to his apartment and cook for himself and eat his food, just some pasta. After he get his phone and call someone

"Bethesda?"

"Hi IF, how went the search for the first mascot?"

"Uhm, We found the one form Planeptune, but..." IF sighs and continues "Some underling of the ASIC broke it, and we couldn't prevent it form happening"

"Oh."

"But, Gear managed to retrieve a part of it's power."

"Well that's good. But hang on, how a random Underling managed to break it? And what do you mean by you couldn't prevent it?"

"...Forget about it."

"Is everyone okay at least?"

"Yeah don't worry about that."

"And you girls are where now?"

"We are at Lastation, we are at a hotel, we are going back on the search tomorrow."

"Oh, good. How you managed to get there tough?"

"Relic lend us a vertidragon to get there."

"Okay, well don't hesitate to call me if you need help like something to kill like a dragon."

"Yeah sure…. Uh? There is Nepgear that want to talk to you."

"Pass me to her."

"Hi Bethesda." The candidate says

"Hi Nepgear."

"So… what you started to do?"

"I starting to make a weapon if we have to fight something like that robot at the Gamindustri Graveyard, something like a rocket that carry a nuclear warhead kinda like the little boy but with better range

"Nice, but if I didn't manage to beat that robot, its because I wasn't strong enough."

"That's true, that's why I thought about it, I don't have any doubt that you will beat that thing someday but if there is one robot like that, there is maybe more, so if we go on a full war again against the ASIC, the troopers will need the weapons to defeat them."

"Wait you think that I can defeat it?"

"Of course you can! Its just about preparation and training... and also getting boosted by the Mascots."

"Thanks you!"

"No need to thanks me, you defeating those syndicalists would be a better thanks. Anyway what happened when you were searching for the Planeptune Mascot?"

"Uhm…uh there was a ASIC underling breaking it."

"And it got broke?"

"Yes, but I retrieved a part of its power."

"That's good, about the underling, it still alive?"

"Yes, and now she is heading for the Lastation mascot."

"Why you didn't kill her?"

"..." Nepgear stay silent, Compa and IF are looking at her in the room "I actually wanted to spare her, but she then gave the last hit to the Mascot."

"You better kill her next time."

"...I'll do it."

"So anyway. how's Lastation?"

"Its an amazing city full of technologies! To bad you are not here to see it."

"That's fine, I went there with my father when I was a way younger, I also made a friend there, I wonder what happened to him. He had rather a dark skin tone."

"What's his name?"

"I think it start by an R. can't say much else... well good and good luck on your journey. I hope everyone will return in one piece"

"Thanks… goodbye."

IF walks quickly toward Nepgear "Give me back my phone." she says

Nepgear complies and give back the phone to IF

"What did you say to her?"

"To kill that underling."

"Because you girls can get rid of her, it will be less annoying for your tasks."

"I want to capture her, she might have useful information's about her operations and also ones form the ASIC."

"She just an underling, its not like he was a politician or a military commander worth of sparing her or even just capturing her, she basically easily escaped form you three and she will do it again, so just kill her."

"That doesn't mean she knows some things, and well if we take your logic that she just an underling, she will just be replaced if we kill her, if we capture her we can get information and also take her as a hostage

"Nothing will say that she will willingly give away some important things, and as you said, if they can just replace it, then the ASIC won't give a shit about some random underling as a hostage."

"Too bad you are not there to make me change my plans." IF then end the calls and angrily "Tsssk."

"What's wrong Iffy?"

"Nothing. I'm hungry, let's get to eat."

[The day after]

And now Bethesda is back at the lab, he thinks about how the rocket should be drawn, he thought about a pretty big rocket, typically the one that are mounted on aircraft, the problem that the catapult that is used to fire the mini nuke like the one on the little boy would be a too small for it and now a simple but effective idea come in his mind

"And if I made a tripod to mount a bigger launcher?" He thinks and draws a sketch and its a way bigger than the little boy, the rocket should be around the size of Neptune it would be long as her, yes he used Neptune as a scale on the drawing

So now about the rocket, he started to redraw the mechanic that was used in the little boy, a gun type fission weapon (A nuclear weapon that use a conventional explosive to propel a "uranium bullet" which is a hollow cylinder into a cylinder at the other side which is also made of uranium, the whole mechanism cause a chain reaction causing a very powerful explosion, its on a reduced charge of course for the little boy.) At the tip of the rocket, there will be a trigger that when it hit the target it will trigger the conventional explosives while the rocket continue penetrating the armor, there will be an empty cavity between the uranium cylinder and the tip of the rocket and also the part after the conventional explosives which includes the propellant and the booster will be the most solid part of the rocket which grant it a directional powerful explosion while still partially explode all around the rocket (even if it will be weaker), of course for the stability of the weapon, there will be fins

So if this work as planed, once the rocket hit a very strong or very armored target it will annihilate it by the interior due to the explosion penetrating the armor and so destroying anything on its way and vaporizing anything too close too the explosion, that weapon would greatly injure or if used at a vital point, it could destroy a robot like judge... on the theory.

There will also have a trajectory binocular-computer hybrid to aim

Bethesda gets up and head to the elevator with his sketch


[Meanwhile]

"So here the documents that confirm that the ASIC have a technology that allow to transform humans in to monsters." The operative says and give the documents to Histoire

"That's terrible but at least we know that they can do that, but we still need the exact mean that the ASIC use to transform people. We should send some spies to know where and how they transform people. And if possible steal the thing they use for doing it. So the R&D can study it"

"And when exactly."

"In 3 weeks."

"That's too long."

"I can't do much about the time it takes."

The operative leaves the room and then Bethesda enters

"Hello Bethesda, what its about?"

"I made a sketch of my new project, I thought you might be interested by it."

"Show me your plan for the new innovation then."

Bethesda walks to her and show it to the Tome, she lean a bit to see better

"Since the fight with that robot, I was thinking that they might have other one and the only thing that damaged it is the Little boy, the problem that a mini nuke being not made specially for these kind of target but still effective enough, I made something specialized for anti-armor that may be able to kill it in one blow."

"And how that work exactly?"

"Its literally a mini-nuke strapped on a rocket with mechanisms made to be sure it kinda works like an anti-tank missile making it very powerful anti-tank missile, it of course have more range than the Little boy."

"That's an interesting concept, unfortunately it as not been confirmed that the ASIC that have other individuals like that thing you fought with the girls, but you might start to make a prototype so we could try testing it, the main complication tough is finding a test target resistant as that robot. Tell me when the prototype is finished."

"That's sure that finding a test target will be a hard thing, thanks anyway."

Bethesda then leaves the room and returns to the lab, on his way he also quickly wave at the others operatives and other staff of the Basilicom, who waves back to him. He then get in the elevator and exit it at the lab and go to his office, now he get back to work on his main project: the mechanized suits

He had the idea since a few days but his project very slowly advance, The idea is to make powered armor that is bullet proof so fully impenetrable to smalls arms making it a walking tank, like a modern knight armor who was a un-penetrable target that only a few weapon can take them down like a hammer in the ancient times and now an anti-tank weapon, this thought also gave him another idea, like a rocket strapped to a sledgehammer but... one idea at time.

The currently used armors rather looks like the ancients ones, like the one that Brave used are still expensive and can only protects form a few small arms shots…

BANG BANG BANG

Bethesda knows it since he used Brave helmet as a test target with his revolver, he see that the first bullet ricocheted but the two others one went trough the helmet, piercing the head of the dummy

So the challenge is to make something fully invulnerable to these, the day before, he analyzed in what was made brave helmet and it was made in a high quality metals that include the titanium and tungsten composites, there is also some gold in it but the main metal was the steel with around 90% of the composition. The reason why it didn't stand is due to how thin the helmet was. So the plan is to make it a way thicker and also angle the armor as possible to bounce bullets easier and also make the armor out of poly-laminate composite: a composite material made in a mix of others composite materials (metal composites but also resin and fibers), making it hard to make but very resistant

But consequently the problem of expansiveness might still be here with the suits, the knight armors were quite rare on the battlefields due to their cost but also the weight will be problematic due to the accumulation of the poly-laminate

The weight? You really thought that it would be an actual problem? If its called mechanized suits that there is a reason, Bethesda planed to solve the weight problem by having a system of servos and actuators inside the armor that are powered to increase the physical power of the guy inside, the hydraulics servos are powered by some pumps that are themselves electrically powered by energy cells, quite an armored exoskeleton

There is a sketch that he already made but there is something it lacks, there might be some magic casters within the ASIC ranks, he note that dragon bones reduced into powder and integrated into the poly-laminate might absorb potential magic attacks. Actually Bethesda is not really sure if it can really absorb it, well there is one way to find out…

Bethesda make a list of thing to do which includes the three inventions and killing a dragon and get back his bones. He then get to his computer and continue to make a 3d design of a mechanized suit prototype.

During the making of the design he receive a phone call.

he get his phone and responds"Hello again Histoire, what it's for?"

"Go see me, someone want to see you."

"Who exactly?"

"You will see when you will be there." she then ends the call

Bethesda wonders who want to see him, it might probably be Relic and its probably going to asks about his current projects, so he get up of his chair and leave his office


[Later]

Bethesda enter the meeting room, Histoire waits for him and then she see him

As Bethesda enters he speaks "So Histoire, who wants to see me-" and stops and notice who the one wanted to see him is… "Id..."

Its her, Id, she already removed her helmet "Hello Betty." she walks towards him and stops in front of him "I wonder actually if I should punch you for making me worry or hug you because I missed you." and hug Bethesda "I guess I will hug you… Glad that you are okay."

Bethesda returns the hug "Me too." she then let her go "But I have several questions."

"I also have." Id says

"So firstly, I was wondering since I returned to Planeptune after my disappearance in the mountain..." Bethesda says while thinking about something "There some people form there that knew you helped me to escaped, but how exactly?"

Histoire speaks up before Id could "Actually after the Changers war ended, she managed to get at Planeptune, she asked an audience with me and told me about everything. Which is how we managed to know you escaped form the MOD, she also asked if you are there. Well since you were missing at this period, we couldn't hide that and we told her that we are gonna start to search for you, I proposed to her to join the guild for the moment that we find you and she accepted. I sent her on a mission to Heneda. A city in the north of the nation."

They both silently and awkwardly look at the tome before Bethesda says something "Well… you answered all my questions… wait on what kind of mission?"

"Solving a problem with a politician who is a potential ASIC sympathizer."

Bethesda looks at Id and then looks back at Histoire "By "solving a problem" did you mean something that implies breaking spines?" he then chuckles

"Possibly." Histoire responds

"Yes." Id very shortly say after her

"Nice." Bethesda responds

"I got other things to do, Perhaps you two can go talk outside."

"Sure thing." Bethesda says and walks out of the room, shortly followed by Id


PLANEPTUNE

BETHESDA APARTMENT

19H20


"So how what you were doing actually when you were in the mountain range? There is probably a reason if you stayed here."

"Well… I went trough the mountain as you asked me but I had to eat the horse to not starve and even I still fainted out due to hunger and then I woke up in front of THQ."

"You met him?"

"Himself, he allowed me to train so I can learn some basic magic but well it almost took three years to me to only use that inventory spell."

"That's sucks, especially since everyone knows that spell."

"I also learned something else, when I fought a wyvern I yelled at it at some point and it caused a powerful wave of air or something like that pushed it and quite stunned it."

"Cool. Can you show me it?"

"Well the problem is that I can't do it..." Bethesda thinks for a minute "But… I think, I found it! When THQ sent me to kill the monster so I can absorb his soul, he asked me to not disable a jammer I carried on me until I killed it… Yeah and if I remember correctly he told me that it might be the microchip I have in the brain that I couldn't absorb dragon souls but it might also prevent me to use this kind of magic."

Id look at with a visible confusion Bethesda "I don't get it. Can you explain me that whole dragon soul thing?"

"Well THQ told me that I'm some kind of special case that require me to absorb souls of dragons to allow me to learn magic."

"Okay that's a little more understandable… and what happened next?"

"During the moment he was training me to learn the inventory spell, we encountered a patrol of the ASIC."

"Hang on, so you two were in the ASIC territory?"

"When I woke up in THQ house, yes."

"Why the hell THQ live in their territory?"

"He said to me that he wanted to take his revenge on the ASIC. Quite like me."

"Got it."

"So, it was a patrol that we encountered and we got rid of them, to note there is also was some kind of dragon-humanoid hybrid among them but these are details… And then we encountered the leader of the ASIC herself."

"Isn't her who defeated the goddesses?"

"Yep, and apparently she wanted to capture me, THQ knew that we couldn't beat her so he gained time as I could get back to Planeptune."

"No shit."

"But well on my way I encountered some syndicalists border guards, I couldn't really fight them since I was out of ammo and I was injured, so I tried to sneak past them."

"You did?"

"No, they spotted me so I just ran past them fast as I could and they shot me in the leg, since I knew that they wanted me alive, I just conveniently fallen into a river and pretended to be dead."

"They verified if you were alive?"

"Probably not… and then, two friends found me and got me back here."

"I get it."

"And about you?"

"I just went back with my mercenary group and we continued the fight against Lowee army. We were undefeated until we got nearly killed by the elite force of Lowee."

"Their elite force?"

"The Lowee Magical Squad or some shit like that. They used some kind of weapons that fire magic beams and for some reason it also increase their spells powers."

"Oh, oh and what happened that day exactly?"

"Me and the squad were fighting in a large outpost that was capital for the MOD to capture, we splited to support the Changers individual, it was a big mistake since the magical squad could just kill us 1 by 1, One of my mates called us in emergency as they got attacked by them, when I reached them, most of them were agonizing and only one was still standing, a small cocky guy that is the mage of our group that was about to be killed by the leader of their squad, I prevented this form happening but she overcame me, the last thing I saw is her being blasted a way by a beam made by the small dude, I didn't expected that he would save us all." Id explains

"That's… wow." Bethesda is surprised "Their leader must be very strong then."

"She must be pissed that we killed all of her squad."

"And what happened after?"

"… I woke up in a hospital and I left a letter to my group, and I headed to Planeptune to find you."

"Thing that you didn't since I was in the mountains at is moment." Bethesda chuckles "But I also want to know, why you wanted so much to see me again? You just could continued your life as a monster hunter."

"I-I… just wanted to know what's happening with you and the ASIC."

"That's it."

"No… remember that I considered you as my new brother and I wanted to protect you because I didn't managed to protect mine. And don't forget the promise you made to me."

"…About traveling around the world with you?"

"Yes..."

Bethesda sighs "You know… when kids in general try to follows their dreams, very rare are the one who manage to live with it or even realize their dreams because life don't want them to..."

"What do you mean?"

"I always wanted to be an inventor like father. But since his disappearance and the whole problem with Badd and everything that followed made realize that. The few kids who manage to live likes in their dreams, I had to sacrifice things to at least become a known inventor and even with that, I wanted to get back the facility that always belonged to me and even if I do I have to make sure that the facility runs well. And so, I afraid that we can't travel around the world Id, at least not for now because its not my priority. I'm currently fighting the ASIC not only for pure hatred towards them but also that if the two parties are happy after I done my job, I can negotiate to get back the facility."

Id thinks for a moment and says while getting up "Then I will help you! Let's get back the facility and make it runs perfectly so then we will explore the world and our homeland!"

"Then we are on it!" Bethesda says while getting up

The two shakes their hand… this seem familiar


[Later]

After a few extra hours they spent talking about random things, Id leaves the apartment, Bethesda is now alone "I wonder what's the girls progress now..." Bethesda pick his phone up

"Hi IF. So you found the mascot?"

"Uh, well the Oracle is a freaking business woman so we had to get her some materials for her to tell us the location of the mascot."

"That's suck. Which materials?"

"A treasure gem and a hematite. We got them gem for a ancient dragon and the hem-."

"A dragon? You should have called me over, it would have made the task easier."

"We don't have time to wait for you and if its to use the spell that don't work..."

"I would have used the other one."

"Anyway, we also encountered the underling again.

"Did you kill her this time?"

"Actually she just got some things that look like the R-4s we fought during the war and she ran away. Those things are surprisingly effective against Gear."

"You must live some kinds of things don't you."

"That isn't all! We got saved by a small girl who visibly want to make a harem of girls."

"I heard about her."

"She also joined us on our mission."

"She must be quite courageous, I would like to meet her."

"She is but you wouldn't want to meet her."

"Why exactly."

"Trust me. So the oracle accepted to tell us the location of the mascot and we didn't lose time to find it. And it was about to get destroyed by some rat."

"Oh shit. So they are really in advance huh."

"Yep."

"Well I will stop bothering y'all. Goodnight"

"You're not, don't worry. Goodnight"

Click