Chapter 59: Node Defense!
As White had promised, an airbus was dispatched to pick up the two ex-YoRHa operatives, along with some other units and supplies from the area.
The sleek black vehicle set down on a stretch of road that'd been converted into a landing and runway strip, and workers swarmed it, getting it refueled as well as loading up the cargo. Only when that was done were A2, 9S, and the rest allowed to board.
The airbus was not heading straight for Japan, however. There was a quick stop at Hawaii to deliver most of the supplies that had been picked up, along with dropping off the other androids riding along.
When the aerial transport lifted off, 9S and A2 were the only androids aside from the pilot left.
This, naturally, sent both of their paranoia tingling in worry. Why were they the only ones being sent to reinforce Osaka? Surely other androids would be needed to hold the line?
Still, as the approached Japan's southern coast, neither wanted to act without knowing more. Ending up stranded in the middle of the ocean was not a good idea.
"Why aren't we landing at the base?" A2 asked, glancing out the window, and noticing that they weren't slowing down at all. "In fact, why does it seem like we're heading past the city entirely?"
"New orders," the pilot informed her. He then sent the confirmation codes from the order he'd received, and A2 frowned.
"Why does White want us to go to the Node all of sudden?"
"And what about Osaka?" 9S wondered.
"Dunno. Get ready for anything, though," she told him. He nodded, and gripped his weapon tightly, just in case.
Eventually, the airbus set down, but not in a place either of them had expected.
"Gear Town?" A2 muttered, surprised at their destination.
The ramp lowered, allowing the two to step off, and were greeted by a cheerfully waving Pascal.
"Hello!" they chirped happily, approaching the duo. "How are you?"
"Well enough," 9S replied, recovering quickly. "Yourself?"
"Been better," the mayor the settlement admitted. "Things have… changed."
Looking around, it was certainly true. Gear Town had been heavily reinforced, the serene natural aesthetic sadly disappearing under AA turrets, defensive walls, and increased militant vigilance.
The Neo-Machines did not discriminate between androids and older Machine Lifeforms. All relics of the past were to be purged, by order of Purple Athena. As a result, the town had swollen rapidly into a city of its own as Machine refugees poured in from across the globe.
The good thing about artificial life was that it didn't have the same issues biological life did when it came to sustaining oneself, and so, while the glut of refugees had taxed the settlement's resources, it hadn't suffered the same problems old humanity would have faced. No need for food, waste disposal, or risk of disease meant Gear Town had been able to accommodate the new citizens and integrate them far more easily than would normally be possible.
However, as Machines trotted up the airbus' ramp and took out several crates of supplies acquired from YoRHa, it was clear that just because they could handle the influx, didn't mean it'd been easy.
Pascal sounded tired, and that wasn't something that 9S or A2 had ever seen any Machine Lifeform express.
"Do you know why we're here?" A2 inquired, deciding to skip the pleasantries and get to business.
"Yes. I was told by White that any YoRHa who came by today were to be sent to FOB Tangle-2 for further debriefing," Pascal informed them.
"That's not too far from here," 9S said, pulling up map data. "Hmm. It's apparently near the base guarding the entrance to the Forest Kingdom."
"In that case, we better head out there before White gets on our asses about being late or whatever," A2 muttered. "Really not a fan of this cloak and dagger shit."
"Mmm. Can't say I'm fond of it, either," 9S agreed. "Still, you have a point. Best not to keep White waiting."
The two bid Pascal farewell, and departed, leaving the growing town and making their way to the FOB.
FOB Tangle-2 was the name for the gatehouse that guarded the bridge which led across the canyon into the Forest Kingdom's domain. Tangle-1 was the gatehouse on the opposite side of the divide.
Neither understood why they were being sent to the place. Had Purple Athena been spotted amassing her forces within it? But if so, why the secrecy?
They weren't the only YoRHa units at the FOB either. Upon arriving, six more androids were waiting. Curiously, half of them were B-type, but the rest were T's.
"Are we waiting for anybody else?" A2 wondered.
"Commander White said we'd receive a notice when everybody was here," one of the T-type said.
A2 grunted in annoyance, but settled in to wait, leaning against the wall. Several minutes passed, and soon six more androids trickled in. Interestingly, two were S-types, like 9S.
The other four, however, caused the rest of the androids to tense up when they recognized the ID's of the models. E-types.
"What the fuck is White doing sending Executioners out here?" A2 demanded, glaring at them.
One of the E-types glared back and made to draw her weapon, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder by a fellow Executioner.
"Enough," they stated. "No infighting."
That didn't exactly calm things down, but nobody was about to draw a weapon again.
"I am 3E," the Executioner who had stopped her companion informed the group. "We are all here today to undertake a vital mission. If we fail, Purple Athena may likely win this war."
That got everyone's attention, and they straightened up, listening intently.
"We are to enter the underground passages located beneath the canyon, and make our way to the Node. Further instructions will be given when we arrive," 3E said plainly.
"Great, more mysteries," 9S sighed. Still, the fact they were going to the Node was worrying in and of itself. The POD enclave was a critical asset, and if it fell into Purple Athena's hands… well, it would be disastrous, and might very well turn the tides of battle in her favor.
Mission given, the group of fourteen left the base and descended into the canyon before entering a blast door that'd been built into the side of the rocky cliff face. This led directly into the subterranean realm the PODs had retreated to in the wake of the fall of the Red Girls' Tower.
Making their way down through the darkened, twisting paths, the androids warily kept their eyes open for any Neo-Machines. The shadows soon lessened as they went deeper thanks to glow-stripes that appeared on the walls, illuminating the area.
"Movement ahead!" 11S suddenly exclaimed from the vanguard, causing the rest to halt and tense up.
Sensing something that the others didn't, A2 and 9S made their way to the front, just in case.
"Hang on, I think we know what this is," 9S said slowly, having gotten an unusual signal from whatever was approaching.
"9S! A2! Hi! It's so great to see you!" a bubbly voice called out from the gloom in greeting as the duo stepped up.
A hovering skeleton floated up to meet the androids, and several of the YoRHa units recoiled in surprise. A2 and 9S did not, as they recognized the bulbous, grinning skull-like face.
Emil had swapped out his old scooter body for a brand-new one, custom built by Hatchet and Jaqueline to specifications he'd provided. His form resembled a human skeleton, but made of advanced metal alloys and ceramics, and possessed four arms. According to Emil, this was a close copy of one of his old bodies.
One hand carried a scepter that glowed with maso particles, while a sword was clutched in another. The last two hands were holding a modified Resistance rifle.
"Hey there, how are you, Emil?" 9S asked as he approached the hovering skeleton, and the skull-headed boy bobbed up and down happily.
"I am well! The PODs have been nice to me," the powerful maso-wielder informed the Scanner.
"You enjoying being stationed here on guard duty, then?" 9S inquired, and Emil nodded.
"Yes, I am happy being able to help out like this," Emil confirmed. "I am not eager to go back to war again, but down here, I can make a difference."
Ever since the war against Purple Athena began, Emil had retreated below ground, protecting the Node and the PODs from Neo-Machines. His ability to use maso made him well suited to acting in concert with the PODs, and he'd also been teaching the little robots several spells to use.
A few probing attacks from Purple Athena had gotten underground, but the relic of humanity had been able to destroy them before they got too far.
"Why are we here?" A2 asked, and Emil bobbed his head ruefully.
"I am sorry for the deception, but White and I need your help, and we were unsure how compromised our communication systems are," Emil apologized. "As such, we gave you false orders to head to Osaka, when in truth the pilot was to take you to Gear Town, and then head down here with others."
"Alright, that makes sense," 9S muttered.
3E looked annoyed at the two taking over her mission, but she held her tongue, not wanting to anger either of them. A2 was infamous among the E-types for a number of reasons, and 9S was responsible for helping end the 14th Machine War. And he was kind of cute, she guessed.
So, she sat back and watched, waiting for her chance to speak up.
"What on Earth could the Neo-Machines be after down here?" an android wondered, confused as to why Purple Athena would bother attacking this place at all.
"We believe they wish to use the Node to rebuild the Machine Network," Emil said darkly, causing gasps to be uttered.
"Are you sure?" 9S asked worriedly, and the skeleton nodded.
"The PODs have run the calculations," Emil replied. "And they believe that Purple Athena's current Network is shoddy and barely held together. It lacks special data that, if acquired from the Node, would allow it to develop greater cohesion and stability."
"That can't be all," A2 said suspiciously.
"It's not. White discovered that there was data missing from the Bunker's servers following 13R's infiltration," Emil revealed.
"What sort of data?" 9S asked nervously.
"Everything that YoRHa had ever compiled regarding the old Machine Network, including a few copies and samples of its data and code," Emil stated grimly.
"That's not good," 9S muttered as several other YoRHa members wince.
"No, it's not. Purple Athena's forces are not just numerous but also more advanced than the older Machine Lifeforms. However, their operating and processing power is limited, and without any satellites or a functioning Network like the previous Machines used to have, it forces the Neo-Machines to rely on special relay-towers to send and receive orders. But if they can fix the issues they have with their rudimentary Network…"
"Then they can act in total unison. If a Neo-Machine learns important intel, it can be shared with the rest of their forces across the globe in seconds," 9S realized, and Emil nodded.
"Precisely. As such, we must protect the Node from Purple Athena," the skull-boy said. "If the Node's data is combined with what 13R stole from the Bunker, Purple Athena could update her own Network to rival or even surpass the older version."
"Is that it?" a B-type asked, skepticism audible in her tone. "Protecting some PODs really necessitates this many YoRHa units?"
"It does," Emil said firmly. "Already, the Neo-Machines have launched several attacks. Though we've managed to defeat them all, each subsequent attempt has only gotten larger and more fervent."
"We're not just here to defend the Node," E3 explained. "There's a reason we've requisitioned S and T-types."
"Ah, I see. White wants to transfer the Node's data and safeguard it on the moon," 9S realized.
"Yes. The PODs aren't exactly happy about this, but they understand that it is better to have a copy or two in the event the Neo-Machines succeed in breaking into the Node," Emil confirmed.
"Then let's get moving," A2 declared. "We're just wasting time here."
"Eager to see your husband again, eh?" 9S teased, only to receive a fist to the gut.
"Shut up!" A2 hissed, stalking off.
"That wasn't a no," 9S wheezed out, smirking despite the pain.
"You really shouldn't keep taunting her like that," Emil suggested to his friend, who just laughed.
"But it's so fun!" 9S protested. The other YoRHa units watched them with confusion. These were the heroes who'd brought down the Red Girls?
Any further questions were put off until later as the group moved through the tunnels down into the bowels of the earth.
The passages grew wider in some places, but a large number of defenses were also encountered on their way through. All along the trip, Emil had to stop in order to disable primitive tripwires alongside landmines rigged to collapse passageways.
"There's a lot of traps down here," 9S noted.
"They're necessary. Purple Athena has dispatched a lot of Neo-Machines," Emil replied.
"How many of them could there be to warrant such an absurd amount of defenses?" 11S, one of the other S-types, inquired.
"You'll see soon enough," the relic of humanity replied cryptically.
After some more twisting passages, the party eventually discovered just what it was Emil meant when they entered a cavern that overlooked a giant pit, filled nearly to the brim with the shattered bodies of Neo-Machines.
"This is where we've been tossing the remains of the invaders," Emil said, and one of the E-types let out a whistle.
"There must be thousands of them!" they exclaimed, morbidly impressed. "And this is all from the last few weeks?"
"Try the last few days," Emil said darkly. "We've already filled up four other pits with broken Neo-Machines."
That immediately sobered up the YoRHa units as they quickly realized the situation was a lot worse than they'd thought if this many enemies had made it down here without any of them knowing about it until now.
When the group finally reached the bottom of the underground, the androids couldn't help but marvel at the Node.
"Whoa, it's huge! Way bigger than I thought it would be," 9S praised.
"Allow me to escort you to the Node's server farm," Emil offered. Taking him up on it, they found themselves in a cold warehouse, filled completely with advanced computer terminals.
"This is not going to be easy," 11S commented weakly.
"Yeah. Trying to move one of these servers would require a bunch of heavy machinery," 18T agreed. "How did these even get down here? I don't think I saw any tunnels large enough to transport one of them."
"The PODs built them on site, from what I understand," Emil said.
"Well, I wish we'd known what we were doing before we got sent down here," the other S-type, 27S, grumbled as he scanned some of the data. "We're going to have to either spend several days ferrying numerous Motherlode data-cores down here to download all the information these servers contain, or we'll have to set-up a wireless relay unit to transmit the data to an offsite server bank."
"What would you suggest we do, then?" 3E inquired.
"If we had a dozen more combat oriented units, I'd say we should use the Motherlode idea," 27S stated. "But doing that would require escorts to and from the surface, and at any point we could be ambushed by the Neo-Machines, so it's the riskiest option."
"Agreed. The broadcasting option is physically the safest choice," 9S said, nodding at his fellow S-type's words. "But even that one is dangerous. We'd have to make sure YoRHa actually has a couple dozen spare servers to store all the data. Plus, Purple Athena could easily hijack the transmission."
"Well, how long would it take to build a relay station compared to bringing in Motherlode data-cores?" Emil inquired.
"If every one of us in the group carried a single data-core with us? Five days, and that's with repeated visits to the surface to fetch more of them," 11S said after thinking it over. "And that's not taking into account file compression, download times, risk of accidentally corrupting the data, and the treks back to the surface."
"And how long would it take to build a wireless relay station to transmit the data straight to YoRHa?" 3E asked.
"Only three days to build the actual device," 18T said after a moment to think it over. "But again, that's not taking into account how much time would actually be needed for transferring the data, nor programming and setting up firewalls to prevent hacking."
"Still, that seems the safer option," Emil said, before sighing. "Very well, I will inform 42 to set aside some supplies for you to build this."
"Thank you," 9S said gratefully.
"And what about us?" A2 asked grumpily. "We won't exactly be much help with the nerdy shit."
"You will be helping me protect the Node," Emil stated. "You'll have guard duty protecting this area, but will also go out into the tunnels to repel any Neo-Machines that pop up."
"Now that is something I can do," A2 said proudly, cracking her knuckles gleefully.
"We will establish a guard rotation schedule," 3E said. "Mr. Emil, if you could help by informing us by pointing out where we should be protecting?"
"Of course! Come this way, I will show you which tunnels need the most watching," the magical skull-boy said.
As the combat models walked off, the S and T-types got to work preparing the data for transfer with help from the PODs.
Everything seemed fine on the surface. However, none of them could shake the feeling that this would not be as easy as they hoped.
"Yet another group dealt with," A2 grunted as a Neo-Machine slid off of her blade. POD 153 beeped in agreement.
"All hostile units eliminated," the POD informed her, and A2 sighed deeply, running a hand over her face in exhaustion.
All around her were the remains of a Neo-Machine infiltration force that had tried to sneak into the Node, but had been ripped apart by the A-type.
Mere hours after they'd arrived at the Node and begun constructing the broadcast relay, the first of the attacks from Purple Athena had begun. Neo-Machines had swarmed the tunnels, pouring in from the surface in large groups.
Dozens of them at first, then hundreds as the elite androids made easy work of them. Of course, much of the YoRHa units' success was due to the support of the PODs and Emil, whose maso-powered abilities were quite versatile. Though the Neo-Machines had adapted and begun to dispatch units equipped with anti-maso shields like A2 and 9S had encountered at the gun tower. That was apparently the whole reason Emil and 42 had sent out a request for help to White in the first place.
Now, two whole days later, the YoRHa defenders had already had to repel nineteen different massive assaults, this current batch of Neo-Machines A2 had just slaughtered marking the twentieth.
"Where are they all coming from?" A2 wondered to herself as she trudged back to the Node.
"Unknown. It is likely the Neo-Machines have dug new tunnels to try and enter the Node," POD 153 suggested.
"How does that purple bitch even know about the Node in the first place?" the Assault model asked.
"Unknown. Odds are she only knows something important is buried here and is sending in Neo-Machines to map the tunnels in the hopes of stumbling across the Node," 153 offered, but A2 shook her head.
"No, these attacks are too concentrated. Too… deliberate. Every time the Neo-Machines pop up in the tunnels, they always head straight towards the Node, as if they're aware of its location. They don't scatter and try to explore, just march directly through," A2 replied.
153 had no response to that, choosing instead to hover silently at A2's side. As they returned to the Node, several other PODs flew past them, off to collect the destroyed Neo-Machines behind the duo and transport the remains to one of the dumping grounds.
Seeing them, A2 couldn't help but wonder what the PODs thought about the whole thing. For the longest time, the PODs had served YoRHa. They'd never had anything like independence. They'd been tools, little else.
But now, they'd become so advanced they'd begun to develop their own emotions and opinions. Both of which, according to her son, were true indicators of sapience.
Did the PODs resent Purple Athena for trying to ruin their home? Did they hate her? Fear her? What would the PODs do if the Node fell? Would they rebuild anew, or be folded back into YoRHa? A2 didn't know. But she hoped whatever they decided would be their own choice.
A few minutes later, A2 returned to the Node, passing through a handful of heavy weapon emplacements set up at the entrance to the POD settlement to shoot down the tunnel she'd come from in the event the Neo-Machines got too close. The androids currently manning this chokepoint, 16B and 19E, gave her polite nods.
"Killed 'em all?" 19E inquired.
"Killed 'em all," A2 confirmed. "What's the status with the relay? Are the nerds done yet?"
"Dunno, but the PODs have been really accommodating the techies requests for parts. Sure hope they finish soon, though. I don't like being down here," the Executioner said, glancing at the ceiling. The cavern the Node was located within was nice and all, but it wasn't the clear blue sky or a nice, green forest.
Much as A2 didn't want to agree, she also felt herself steadily becoming annoyed with the cramped confines of the Node.
'Wonder how the PODs put up with it?' she wondered to herself as she left the checkpoint and headed down into the town below.
Walking through the narrow streets, A2 found her eyes being drawn to the PODs as they went about their daily tasks. Due to the war, many of them had decided to, as Alexander had put it (when he'd stopped laughing at the sight, at least), 'get tricked out, Mad Max style.'
Yes, the PODs had shown support for the war against Purple Athena by playing dress up. Some had drawn angry faces onto their chassis, while others had refused to wear the color purple, getting paint jobs of blue and red or plain white. A2 even saw one that had wrapped itself in barbed wire, and another had taped knives to its body.
It was kinda adorable to see the cuddly little boxes put on their war faces (in some cases quite literally) but if it helped them cope, then so be it. No synth-skin off her nose if the PODs wanted to do that.
Instead of going to the warehouse where the broadcast relay was being built, A2 decided to swing by 42's place after a bit of thought.
The elected king of the Node had turned his home into a command center, swapping out his pink, plastic palace for a more sensible – if somewhat unnecessary while underground – YoRHa issued black tent.
Within it, A2 found POD 42 bobbing in the air, giving orders to the various PODs stationed within.
Watching them work was odd, to say the least. PODs communicated wirelessly, and didn't need keyboards or any sort of terminals to interface with. Nor did they have to speak or make noises at all! They just floated there, utterly silent as they shot packets of data back and forth. Occasionally, one would fly off to do something, but again, it was done in silence, without a clue as to what it was going to do.
Eventually they finished, and 42 was left alone for a brief moment, which he took to float over to A2. The gynoid had to resist the urge to laugh at the sight of the little blocky robot still wearing the tinfoil crown 153 had made for him.
"Greetings, A2," he said. "Your mission was successful?"
"Hell yeah it was. Junkheaps didn't stand a chance," A2 huffed smugly. "Didn't even scratch me!"
"That is good. Probability of another attack: 99.7% likely," the 'king' informed her.
"Mm-hmm. So, what's the status of the damned relay?" she asked.
"Progress is faster than anticipated. 81% complete. Should be able to start transmitting in less than five hours," he informed her. "Unfortunately, news is less good elsewhere. We have been trying to copy the most important data into a few hard drives for physical transport, but that is less on track. Only 34% finished. And that is just the most critical files within the Node's possession."
"Damn. Can't we speed this up somehow?" A2 asked in frustration.
"Negative," he replied, tone apologetic.
"Then we'll just have to-" whatever she was going to say was cut off as a rumble shook the cavern, and A2 looked up at the ceiling in worry.
"What was that?" she demanded.
"Unknown. Investigating," POD 42 said. "Accessing seismographs… Please wait."
For a few nerve-wracking seconds 42 was silent, and only after a second shockwave hit the Node did he speak.
"Seismic vibrations detected. Warning: The likelihood of a drilling machine being used to break into the Node being the cause of the quakes 86% likely," POD 42 stated worriedly.
"Those damned-!" A2 swore, before shaking her head. "Where is it coming from?"
"Calculating… the south-south-west tunnel!" 42 informed her.
"I'm going there now! Send another group to join me! We have to find drill and take it out!" A2 instructed him, and the POD bobbed in the air mimicking a nod while she took off at a sprint towards the threatened entrance.
Quakes continued to strike the Node as she ran, growing in frequency as she did so. Concern pushed her to move even faster, but the area the drill was coming from was practically on the opposite side of the town from where she was.
Thankfully, she arrived quickly due to slotting a movement speed mod soon after departing. Furthermore, A2 wasn't alone when she reached the spot. 3E, along with two other E-types and a pair of B's, were waiting for A2 at the tunnel entrance.
"Good, you're here. Now we're just waiting on the last member," the leader of the team's Executioners noted.
"Who's holding up the mission?" A2 demanded.
"That would be me!" a boyish voice called out.
"9S, what are you doing here?" A2 demanded incredulously as the Scanner model ran up.
"42 wanted me to assist you. I can remotely access the seismographic data and use it to triangulate the drill's position!" he explained.
"What about the relay?" 3E demanded.
"If the drill breaks through, we won't be able to finish it in time regardless," 9S replied. "And my skill is in software, not hardware, so my uses are limited. Helping you is a better use of my skills."
"Just don't get in our way," A2 said.
"Aww, I knew you cared!" 9S teased.
The Assault model grumbled at that before glancing over at the mixed squad of E and B-types. "Come on, let's go!"
One the E-types and another from the B series was left behind to guard their backs and man the heavy weapons platform. The rest shot off into the tunnel, racing off into the distance towards the large Neo-Machine that was boring towards the Node.
"We're getting closer," 9S said after a bit, guiding them down several winding paths.
"You don't say," A2 drawled as another quake, this one stronger and longer than any of the others, struck them.
"We're coming up to a fairly large and open cavern," 9S continued, ignoring the snark from his companion.
"How big is it, exactly?" 12E, the other E-type, inquired.
"According to Emil and POD 42… close to four thousand square feet with a hundred feet between the floor and ceiling," 9S informed the group.
"That's huge!" 12E gasped.
"But it's perfect for a place to fight a big ol' Neo-Machine," A2 said with a vicious grin.
"We can lure it in to the open space, and destroy it there!" 3E realized.
"Hopefully," 9S agreed.
"How will we do that?" the B-type with them, 30B, inquired.
"If the readings are correct, the source of the drilling will be passing by soon. From a tunnel above the cavern, actually. We can redirect it down into the open area with bombs. Weaken the ceiling, cause it to fall through, and we can destroy it when it falls," 9S said.
"Good enough for me," A2 hummed.
Less than a minute later, they entered the cavern in question, stumbling a bit as more earthquakes shook their surroundings.
"There! Put one… no! Two! Two demolition charges right there!" 9S said, pointing to a spot the ceiling. "Quickly!"
"Understood," 3E said, jumping up towards the top of the cavern. She was carrying two demolition charges, and planted them where they were needed. Then, after setting the detonator to five seconds, she leapt away while everyone else hid, getting clear of the blast radius.
Right before the bombs went off, there was a loud grinding and ringing sound from above, and the cavern trembled violently. Then the explosions came, and a ton of dirt began to tumble down as the ceiling collapsed, along with a giant mass of metal.
"There it is!" 9S said as the Neo-Machine Purple Athena had built for the sake of invading the Node dropped down into the cavern.
The drill was mounted onto the front of a massive segmented metal snake, over three-hundred feet long, and at least fifty wide. Each segment was twenty-five feet long, making it resemble a giant, angry train more than anything else. The drill itself was also covered in a crackling coating of maso energy, which no doubt helped it tear through the earth.
"That is one big Neo-Machine!" 9S exclaimed as it crashed into the ground with the sound of rending metal.
"How do we stop it?" 3E asked, though she'd already drawn her weapon, an axe.
"Well, I don't think we can collapse the place on it. It'll just dig it's way out," 9S mused.
"Obviously we blow the Neo-Machine up before it can get any further!" A2 said. "Who's carrying any more demolition charges?"
"I am," 12E spoke up.
"Me too," 30B confirmed.
"We have to find a way to attach them to its body," A2 continued. "9S, can possibly hack it? Make it slow down or redirect it away from the Node?"
"Uh, I can try. Won't be easy or last all that long even if I do manage it, and I'll have to get closer," he said.
"Then let's go! Now, before it recovers!" A2 shouted.
"Huh, I'm surprised you could come up with this idea so fast," 3E praised as 12E and 30B got their explosives ready.
"I'm not just a berserker. You don't last long like that when you're alone. Gotta know how to plan, place traps, and ambush your foes," A2 replied. "Now look alive, we've got to take it down!"
The drill-snake was sluggish, and it was slow to react. Furthermore, it had landed on its back and become crumpled up in a heap, unable to get back up on its own.
Braving the giant drill that continued to spin as the snake-train rocked back and forth trying to right itself, 12E and 30B darted forward, circling around the drill before hurling their demo-charges at the monstrosity of metal.
The special adhesives on the backs of the explosives were quite sticky, and managed to cling to the front carriage of the train-like snake.
"Take cover!" 30B shouted, and then there was another round of explosions.
As a result, more parts of the cavern began to collapse, crushing and denting what hadn't already been destroyed or damaged, and burying a great deal of the weapon underneath a great deal of rubble.
"Huh… that was easy," A2 muttered, disappointed as the drill-snake collapsed, it's head completely destroyed. "Can't believe I didn't get to do any fighting!"
Before anyone could respond or say something else, there was a loud hissing sound of pressurized air being released, and all along the body of the Neo-Machine, hatches on the tubular segments that weren't covered up by mounds of rock and dirt began to pop open.
"Damn it, you just had to open your stupid mouth and jinx us, didn't you?" 30B groaned as the drilling device revealed it had one more trick up it's sleeve.
"Holy crap! It's body is full of Neo-Machines!" 9S exclaimed as the tube-like segments on the mechanical snake finished opening up, revealing dozens of Purple Athena's mechanical soldiers that quickly hopped out.
"Ah, so that's how it was going to attack the Node. It's basically just a giant train with a drill mounted onto it. It would get in, disgorge troops that'd ransack the servers, then retreat," 9S hummed as he guessed what the plan would have been had the drill-machine reached the PODs' settlement.
"Enough talk!" A2 shouted, a bloodthirsty grin smearing itself onto her face. "There's more fighting to be had!"
With a joyful battle cry she darted forward, attacking the Neo-Machines. A2 would have loved to try fighting the actual drilling unit, but a nice and easy beatdown was fun enough.
Watching her wade into the fray, 3E sighed at A2's antics, but joined in as well, her axe carving apart the mannequin-like enemies with contemptuous ease.
12E and 30B got in on the 'fun' as well, tearing the Neo-Machines apart. While the enemies deployed by Purple Athena had been elite models, there simply weren't enough to pose a threat to a trio of YoRHa veterans. Not to mention several compartments had been destroyed or blocked when part of the tunnel caved in.
The fight was over in less than five minutes, not a single Neo-Machine left standing afterwards.
"Ha! That was-!" A2 laughed, only for 9S to run over up to her and cover her mouth with one of his hands.
"No. Stop talking!" he demanded, annoyed.
A2 narrowed her eyes at him, then grabbed the S-type's wrist and yanked it away from her face.
"What's the worst that could happen?" she said with a sneer, tempting Fate and Murphy to take up the challenge.
Everyone tensed up and looked around nervously, but when nothing else happened after a minute of waiting, sighs of relief rang out from everyone – except A2, of course.
"Okay, I'm going to let them know we took care of things," 9S said, relieved nothing else had gone wrong. However, a moment later his expression fell.
"9S? Is everything alright back at the Node?" 3E inquired anxiously.
"Something's wrong, I can't get in contact with POD 42 or anyone else back at the Node!" 9S revealed, his expression grim.
"Ah, shit," A2 muttered. "My bad."
"Moron," 12E muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" A2 demanded, glaring at the E-type.
"I said what I said," the Executioner grunted.
"Enough!" 3E snapped, stopping the fight before it could escalate. "Now, 9S, do you need help? Or do we return to the Node?"
"I think I can make some adjustments… ah-ha! Got it!" 9S said. "Managed to find an outgoing signal… lemme just… there!"
"-in! 9S, Come in! Or A2! I'm not picky!" a panicked voice called out over the radio.
"Emil? Emil! We can hear you!" 9S exclaimed.
"A2! 9S! You-*ssrrrkk*!" Emil tried to say something, but was overwhelmed by static. "Node-*fzzzt*! *zzzzrt*-all over the place, can't-vvvvvrrrrtttt!"
"Emil? Emil! Damn it, something is actively jamming us!" 9S exclaimed as the transmission died as quickly as it arrived.
"We need to get back to the Node," A2 said, her tone serious.
"I agree!" 3E agreed.
"What was that?" 30B abruptly asked, head on a swivel.
"What was what?" 12E asked her.
"I heard… there! That humming!" the B-type exclaimed.
The other androids stopped and listened, and could hear a hum permeating the cavern as well.
"That can't be good," 9S muttered.
"It's coming from the Machines!" 30B exclaimed, pointing towards the pile of destroyed Neo-Machines.
They all turned and indeed, the sound was loudest where the piles of broken machinery were littered.
At first, nothing to wrong. But then, a screw on the ground twitched, and a metal plate quivered. And from a severed head, the hum increased in frequency until it set the android's teeth on edge, and to their shock, the eyes lit up with an eerie, purple glow.
The broken pieces started to shake and vibrate, and then, they started to move, pulling themselves towards each other while purple sparks spewed forth from the detached parts.
"What the-?!" 9S exclaimed, staring in shock as the Neo-Machines he'd just defeated began to repair themselves, arcs of purple, maso-infused electricity dancing across them.
"WE ARE ONE WITH THE GODDESS!" the Neo-Machines uttered in unison as they clambered back to their feet. "DEA VULT! DEA VULT!"
"Screw that bitch!" A2 snarled, lashing out with her sword and bisecting one of the closest Neo-Machines at the waist. Its two halves collapsed to the ground, but a second later purple energy flashed, and it pulled itself together, the metal fusing together seamlessly, as if it'd not been cut at all.
"Huh?" A2 exclaimed, bewildered by what she'd just seen. 9S couldn't blame her. Machines were supposed to stay dead when chopped into pieces!
Marching forward, the Neo-Machines attacked the group, forcing the quintet onto the back foot. They fought back, but not a single injury the YoRHa units inflicted lasted more than a few seconds before purple maso repaired it.
9S looked around with a grimace. The situation was bad. Every enemy unit was back on their feet, and even if they were struck down again, they were instantly brought back to full health by a burst of maso.
"Retreat!" 9S eventually ordered.
It galled him to do so, but there was nothing they could do. Not with every enemy they felled able to recover like this. They had to escape, and bring word of what was happening with them to the surface and to the Node.
A2 snarled at the command, but saw the writing on the wall as well as 9S could, and stopped trying to destroy the auto-repairing enemies.
"Back to the Node!" 9S instructed, and the other YoRHa androids obeyed, falling back to the kingdom of PODs.
'Please be alright!' the S-type thought to himself, but deep down, he knew that something had gone horribly wrong.
&&&&&
Author's Note:
Here's your regularly scheduled chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
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