A/N: Here it is, the climax of the reclamation operation in the midst of the V1C3 revelations which I'm pissed they haven't released in its entirety. Speaking of things I didn't know until recently, do you know about the Tardigrade Armor System? I didn't until recently. It's an evolution to reactive armor, ablative nano-plating with self-repairing capabilities meant to be used for aircrafts repeatedly entering and exiting planetary atmosphere…
It sounds awesome, not gonna lie, wish I knew about it earlier though…
If the Division 3 or Heartlands devs release something better or make any changes I swear to god, it's on sight.
Now, here's an announcement, the poll for Mateo's relationship is still up with twelve people who have voted, nine have said they wouldn't mind seeing Mateo in a relationship with multiple girls and three have said no.
Let me remind you that this poll is more for me to gauge your guys' opinion, will it change what I decide? Probably not. Will romance take the front seat? No.
I'll probably close it in the next chapter though.
Speaking of, this story has over one hundred kudos on AO3 and one hundred followers with nearly a hundred favorites in FF. That's pretty awesome, not gonna lie.
Now onto reviews:
manos. gr: I think you're talking about Binah and Black Suit is very curious. Admittedly, they probably won't have access to the tech unless it's a SCHALE-sanctioned operation or other circumstances. Mateo is fairly paranoid after all and ISAC is a very capable AI.
ikmal. aizad11: Well, he has a coilgun, a weapon meant to go against electronics, and a missile launcher, so it might go well? Hopefully.
GoldStar77: Oh the opening was pretty good, ending too, my favorite part, well, hard to decide since I liked it all. And yeah, I saw that picture, truly, Kivotos' ass. That was probably my favorite scene to write. I felt like it'd make sense for Black Suit to appear when he did, as for their meeting…well, we'll see how that goes. Heh, that'd be fun to see, though he'd hate it since he'd have to pay for tuition and none of the schools would be what he's looking for. As for Events, yeah I'll be adding those with a few of my own to make things a bit more interesting on occasion. Sadly, Arona might not be a yandere because ISAC is there to keep her in check as her 'senpai' and as someone who worries for Mateo's well-being as well.
The Disquieting One: Well, it makes sense for the students to worry, regardless of who it is, Sensei of SCHALE is a very important position and having them be injured while working with a certain school wouldn't look good for said school. And technically, Mateo has already gone through Badass Decay, might write that as an omake one day. Still, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
EmperorCeph: They might, but if they're going against Mateo, he himself is a pretty good fighter. And SRT gets their gadgets from Millenium, I think. Sadly, if FOX Squad wants the toys, they'll have to wade through a bunch of fakes being guarded by the genuine articles and Mateo's paranoia.
Guest: True, it probably would be, but it makes sense, they're students after all. Also, true, they themselves aren't invincible. While Mateo could, it kinda goes against what the Division trained him to do and what he got used to doing during his time as an Agent. So he probably won't, not to mention his reliable body armor.
CrumbleJon: Thanks, I'm usually not very confident in how I handle the characters interacting so hearing this means a lot. And on the same level as Courier of Kivotos and Sensei of the Imperium feels like a bit of a stretch but it's nice to hear. Thanks.
GhostEist: First, I already finished the main campaign and know a bit about the seasons so it kinda helps. Also, the wiki itself is missing a lot of information. And he can get a new mask, don't worry. Let the man rest in his own home. And not only is this a Blue Archive fic, but Mateo will do everything in his power to reject the girl's advances! (I get what you mean, but romance isn't going to be the focus of the story and Mateo isn't the one who'll be pursuing it, trust me.)
That's it for responses. Now, time to get to the story since this has gone on long enough.
We felt it before we saw it. Not physically, but metaphorically. The Abydos girls probably felt it more than I did since they've been here for a longer time.
From the beginning, Ayane is driving since I am the one with the LMG, so I sit down on the edge of the door, as I look around for...something to pop up. No one says anything as the car continues to jostle in the sand, even Megu could see how tense everyone is, coiled tighter than a spring and willing to do far more damage.
Then Hoshino pipes up, "Sensei." She starts slowly, her voice clear and concise and leaving no room for error. "There's a file I need you to find. Search for-." A particular rough patch interrupts her.
ISAC is already looking before she could finish as her underclassmen look at her in confusion. "Hoshino?" Shiroko asks.
"It's here." Nonomi confirms, standing with Hoshino in the back of the truck. "Isn't it?"
"I can feel it." Hoshino responds, holding a hand to her chest. "Sensei, has ISAC found it."
He did.
He fucking did.
/The Observant Understander who Acutely Perceives Difference
The more I read, the more I wish I was back in America. "I-He did." I manage.
At least back in America, the worst I had to deal with were reckless PMCs or prototypes of dangerous weapons, a Rogue Agent, or an entire city of hostiles that I alone have to liberate since it'd take too long for reinforcements to arrive in any notable size.
"Then-." Hoshino starts as I check Bluescreen.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves. Once it surfaces, we're all fighting it." I say to Hoshino's surprise as everyone follows my example.
"Sensei, are you insane? We can't fight that! The most we can do is scare it away." Hoshino says but I look at her and shake my head.
"Either that thing catches us, or we make it run." I explain, "One of those is more desirable than the others since there is an actual chance of survival with it. I ain't leaving you, no one is. Are you two willing to help?" I ask Kasumi and Megu, the two with the most to lose and the least to gain.
"Well~," Kasumi says before nodding, "sure. This was kind of our fault. In return," she says with a devious grin, "let us look for hot springs at some point."
"Sure." Hoshino says, with a bit of disbelief, "If we manage to win, once this is all over I'll let you find some hot springs."
"I'm ready!"
"It's your fault this happened!" Serika snaps as she checks her weapon, slapping the magazine back in it with a click as the charging handle snaps into place.
"Ehhh?!" Megu yelped as I had an idea.
"Ayane, stop!" I yell as she stops, I get out of my car, removing a glove.
"What are you doing, Sensei!?" Hoshino asks. "It can't be tracked by satellites or anything."
"Maybe not. But it still makes a sound." I note as I roll up my hoodie sleeve and bury my hand into the sand, my idea coming to fruition as I smile.
Vibrations. I can feel them. Though my smile is quickly wiped away. "...Everyone, off." I tell them as all of them dismount. "It's here." I warn them.
I take a moment to look at my surroundings, dilapidated buildings all setup in a city block, an old piece of what was once Abydos buried under sand with roads still visible as my students join me. Taking a deep breath, I murmur the singular psalm that comforted me during my time as an Agent.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me."
Almost as if waiting, something bursts through the earth, taking tarmac, buildings, cars, everything with it as they hang in the air for a bit before falling around us, the ground collapsing with it as none of us paid any attention to it as we peered into the form of what must be the Leviathan.
It was white with orange accents, and the biggest damn thing I've seen. ISAC informed me of its combat capabilities, from biting me in half, gunning me down with artillery, to shooting a laser at me, and stripping away the skin from my muscles with a devastating sandstorm with the same monotone as usual. It had a snake-like form that seemed to shake, almost as if removing its sleepiness in preparation for what's to come. Its orange eyes land on us and we're practically nailed down under its gaze, me especially.
Because it has a halo. Something only students are supposed to have. How does it have one?
Orange with two sides poking out and an orb right in the middle of it.
"I forgot how big the thing was." Hoshino notes. "Sensei, sure you don't want to back out?"
…
"Sensei?" Hoshino asks, but I couldn't really hear anything, because for the first time, ever since the NOA mission, I felt nothing but fear.
Not to say I didn't feel it afterwards, but after the slog that was going against someone with a grenade launcher with only a pistol and broken armor...not much can really compare to how hopeless and scared I was in that fight.
Sure, I've fought impossible odds. The Tidal Basin was one, the CDC is another, fighting Keener and his rogues was practically impossible, tracking down the Hunters and fighting them was also a near-impossibility but I survived, the Black Tusk's subsequent invasions and the requirement to adapt to the new strategies and tactics they used was exhausting but DC is still around for a reason, but this…
I've held off armies, alone on occasion and sometimes with nothing but a few civilian militia and barely any SHD Tech, I've fought against the best and the worst the world and the Black Tusk could throw at me, I've learned from people broken and rebuilt by the world's strongest force from Marines, ex-CIA operatives, and other Special Forces and with those skills I fought. But I also learned from scam artists, advertisers, and diplomats on how to broker a deal between two opposing forces, a skill I used a lot in my last year as an Agent.
Nothing could prepare me for this. It wasn't remote-controlled so I couldn't shoot a control panel and stop it all or have ISAC hack it, it wasn't a vehicle so it had no crew and I couldn't go in and shoot them all, and I didn't have heavy artillery or some other form of extreme firepower to assist me.
I have never fought something like this.
"Uwa~, I think we lost him." Hoshino mutters as that knocks me out of my reverie.
The fuck am I doing? I slap my cheek and blink as I look at the thing as I try to imagine that it's smaller than it actually is.
"Jesus, I really want to run." I admit before shaking my head.
"You and me both." Hoshino says. "But, keep your eyes on the prize, Sensei."
"R-Right!" Serika said with bravado. "i-it's just a big snake."
"Let's take it down." Shiroko confirms.
"I won't be much use here, so I'll stay back." Kasumi says before running back.
Turning to Megu, I quirk a brow. "You sure you don't wanna go with your President?"
"No. I'll be fine." She answers, before lowering her goggles, smirking as her eyes glint and her flamethrower spews some flames. "After all, this is what I'm best at."
Not gonna lie, the smirk was kinda hot.
Shaking my head, I release a breath. "Right, we're approaching Binah," I start as ISAC begins to outline details and all of us get behind some form of cover, "it's armor is thick and uses technology I can't even understand, much less ISAC but it has six cannons in the front sections that can open and shoot out , and it can summon a sandstorm that will demolish our armor or defenses. It also has a laser."
"Eeeeh~." Hoshino groans, "This is starting to sound impossible."
I don't answer, instead, I grab Nemesis, "Don't worry, it's armor is just armor, hit it until it dies."
Something in me shivers as the sand particles from Binah's surfacing disappear, my mind expecting a sound, a roar, something, but nothing comes as its eyes land on us.
Strategy means nothing and neither do tactics. Under its gaze and overwhelming power, there's only one tactic we can fall back to. Pray that the bullets do something, and considering Hoshino has enough explosive slugs to bring down a building and I have some extra in my Go-Bag, it might be enough. Still, I'm quite lacking in ammunition at the moment since most of what I have is for the girls since I wasn't expecting to fight something like this. My injuries ache, reminding me of my situation, but like usual, I grit my teeth and continue
"Do you trust me?" I ask the FTF, Kasumi, and Megu.
"Of course."
"Nn."
"Yup~."
"Don't be stupid!"
"For Hot Springs!" Kasumi and Megu say at once and I sigh. That'll suffice.
"Megu, run diversions, make its insides heat up, Kasumi, you're on support! Ayane, go to the city," I say as I check my cell phone and grimace, "something's interfering with the signal, call the GSC, hire someone, I don't care, but bring good news!"
"But-!" Ayane tries but Hoshino interrupts.
"Do it, Ayane." Hoshino starts, a sense of resignation in her voice. "We won't be able to hold up for too long, it'll relocate and we'll need to chase after it or it'll chase us into the city."
"We don't have the time. Go!" I order while swinging my arm out. "We'll hold up over here and chase if we need to and the GSC will cover the cost."
"Don't you mean SCHALE?" Serika asks but I shake my head, a dark urge bubbling forward as I practically growl.
"Either they start making up for everything, or I start wringing necks, and not in a metaphorical sense." I say, to the FTF's surprise. "There's a big-ass snake, way too big to just miss. There's mistakes in bureaucracy, then there's simple incompetence. As it turns out, I'm far more open to punishing one than the other."
If the Nemesis wasn't a weapon with a good grip, I'd have broken it already with how tight I'm holding it. Very little can describe the rage I'm feeling and looking at Binah only stokes the flame further.
Ayane doesn't say anything for a beat until she sighs loudly. "Fine, but be careful. All of you!" She practically orders, the anxiety in her voice obvious to everyone.
"We'll do our best~!" Nonomi says as she cuts the comms on her end.
"Now," I continue, "FTF is on attack until reinforcements come in or that thing relocates. Hit it hard, don't stay in the same place, and keep moving."
They all nod. "Everyone knows what they're doing?"
"What am I doing as support?" Kasumi asks.
"Run distractions, throw explosives at it, topple buildings, I don't care, but warn us first." I order as I spot her a second later.
"Understood." Kasumi says.
"On three. Megu, give that thing a nice warm welcome!"
"You got it!"
"And...Three!" I say as I begin to run back, taking solace in the singular bits of moments where it feels like I'm running away from danger, specifically, the big thing behind me. A very uncharacteristic thought, but not one that was there for long. Though I think I can be forgiven for having the thought.
I hear the familiar and somewhat terrifying sound of a flamethrower spewing napalm-fueled flames with gunfire as I jump over a roadblock and duck behind it. Peering into the digital scope of the Nemesis, the stock resting against my shoulder as my earpiece is filled with chatter.
Releasing a breath, I pull the trigger. Hold it down as I can hear the innards of the Nemesis subtly whir to life if I focus, after all, the Nemesis isn't just a modified sniper. The digital scope shows a percentage as it slowly goes from zero and continues rising as the electromagnetic accelerator continues charging up.
Megu was cooking its side, Nonomi letting her minigun whir to life as Shiroko aimed for its head and Serika was on the other side, cutting Binah's concentration in two as the hatches on its back opened, aiming at Megu but before it could fire off its bullets, an explosive sailed over the sky and went off by its eyes, shifting its aim slightly as it hit nothing and Megu evaded the ones that nearly did hit her.
The number on the scope became a hundred as I aimed the Nemesis right into one of its eyes.
A crack rings out as an armor piercing ferromagnetic bullet hits its head, taking some of the armor with it and revealing some innards as I smile. The Nemesis isn't an anti-material rifle, but the electromagnetic accelerator makes it one dangerous gun regardless of the target.
Except, to my shock, it began to repair itself.
Its eyes landed on me as I was cycling the bolt, the casing of the armor-piercing ferromagnetic bullet flying out and clattering to the floor, and I knew I had to be on the move.
Reaching for my backpack, I activate the Booster Hive, the nanomachines landing on me and injecting the stims and combat enhancers into my bloodstream as I feel the effects begin to take place.
This is going to be hell on my body, isn't it?
Ayane sped through the desert, gritting her teeth and glaring forward. "C'mon, c'mon."
She was going to the city, that's for sure, but she wasn't Mateo. Calling the GSC would be fruitless, as much as she wishes it wasn't, why would they believe her? It was a giant mechanical snake with a halo.
Instead, she followed ISACs instruction as it led her to a fixer group.
The nearest one she could find and the only hope the FTF have of surviving. Of Sensei surviving.
With such a purpose, she speeds on, holding down the gas pedal to the floor.
"Shit!" Mateo cursed under the hail of artillery coming from Binah's cannons on its back. "I'm pinned down!"
"Got it!" Megu cheered as she unleashes a hail of flame onto Binah's side, lighting it up as Nonomi follows her, firing at its side as Mateo moves, Bluescreen, the Stoner LMG in hand as he fires into Binah's hide, ignoring the aches of his own re-opened injuries mixing with the adrenaline, stims, and combat enhancers as a familiar feeling courses through him. While urban environments are good for quick engagements, multiple engagements over the stretch of a long time counts for long engagements to his experience and long engagements in urban environments are fairly exhausting.
Hoshino was running defense, Iron Horus unfurled as Megu and Nonomi duck behind her as Binah's hatches open and fires at them. Kicking up dust as Nonomi, Megu, and Hoshino run, Seika firing at its hide before ducking as Shiroko takes her place shooting at it while Serika reloaded, Hoshino and Nonomi helping with Megu as they all fired on the same side.
Binah's hide is tough, really tough, and it heals, but with enough sustained fire and a bit of softening of napalm-fueled fire from Megu, Hoshino using explosive shells, and a liberal amount of bullets a dent is being made. Thankfully, Mateo had the idea of bringing explosive ammunition beyond just shotgun slugs. Though there is a problem.
It opens its mouth, tanking the attacks as an orange orb gathers around its mouth. "Move!" Mateo orders into the comms as all the students do so, scarring the sand and going through buildings.
That laser was a problem, it didn't have a pattern, but it was dangerous, very much so. It didn't use it in a certain way, sometimes it was straight forward, others its diagonal, and sometimes different patterns.
Reloading Bluescreen, Mateo looks at Binah's 'health' as he clicks his tongue. ISAC was projecting everyone's 'status' on his and the other students' ScanTek, and out of all of them, Binah was the best off.
"Damn it!" Serika yells as a flame bursts from her position, "Why won't this thing go down!?" She asks, while aiming at it and firing while Shiroko, who has moved towards the roofs of the smaller buildings at a higher elevation fires at its face.
Another explosive is thrown, as it blows, hitting Binah's side as Megu spews fire at it and Hoshino unloads into it with normal shells with Nonomi in the middle unloading her minigun at its face.
In a surprising move, it goes into the earth, its colossal form moving near-unimpeded and undetectable as Mateo curses. "Shiroko! Go over the buildings and find that snake's location, now!"
"Nn." Shiroko answers as she runs across the roofs to the next street while ISAC shows her possible locations.
A pillar of light rises from the earth as her eyes widen and she slides to a stop as the pillar moves downwards and Binah reveals itself, a street away with dust going everywhere and the houses exploding under its laser as Shiroko is lost in the dust.
"Shiroko!" Hoshino yelled.
"Fuck!" Mateo yelled as he grabbed Nemesis, charging it up as he aimed at the head again and released once the charge reached one hundred, the crack causing more damage as it seemed...disoriented for a second before he continued into his comms. "Shiroko's alive," he announces as he returns to Bluescreen, "deploy smoke bombs!"
With that, Kasumi and the FTF girls threw smoke bombs at the general location, "FTF! The manhole, now!" Mateo says as they listen to him with only minor reluctance, "Kasumi, Megu, standby!"
"Yes, Sensei!"
"Be careful."
With that, Mateo and the FTF run through the sewers a tense silence over them. "Shiroko, status?"
"Nn, Sensei." Shiroko responds to everyone's relief. "I'm alright, no injuries to speak of but I'm hidden by the smoke. What would you like me to do?"
"Wait until we're there." Mateo responds. "We'll be opening up hard from two different directions."
"How are we going to do that?" Serika asks over comms and loud enough for everyone to hear. "The only ones who can do any notable damage are Megu, Nonomi, Hoshino, and Sensei's railgun-."
"Technically a coilgun," Mateo interrupts, "but I'm not sure it's doing much-."
"No, it is." Hoshino interrupts to everyone's surprise, her eyes glowing blue as she reads through the report on the ScanTek with the help of ISAC. "I've been looking at the compiled reports for Binah, and it says that despite its advanced technology and hard plating, certain attacks will cause errors in its programming. Piercing attacks in particular, like Sensei's sniper." She says as we reach the ladder to the next street. "There's some extra notes saying that they theorize it's because the bullet messes with its internals but because it's in combat it can't just remove it but then it brings up its technology and whatnot, so-."
"Hit it enough times and it'll stagger. Got it." Mateo says as he reaches into his bag and passes a box to Hoshino. "Here, more explosive shells." He says as Hoshino grabs them and Mateo begins to go up. "Shiroko. Be ready. Kasumi, Megu, you too."
After a round of affirmatives, he pushes the manhole cover as the FTF tried to stop him from going first, but he already had insurance.
A barrage of micro-missiles hit Binah, injuring it long enough for Mateo to pull out his own P-017 Missile Launcher as ISAC locks on. "Go!"
Each missile flies for a second before hitting its target as Serika comes up next, firing first with Nonomi next, joining as Mateo reloads the Missile Launcher and Hoshino comes next, Kasumi charging through the smoke and spewing flames with a smile as the flames seem particularly hot. Maybe it's like Serika's flames?
Switching to Bluescreen, he watches Binah's health slowly go down as he huffs.
Bluescreen has a little trick to it within its Disruptor Rounds, the first thing it does is Pulse enemies that didn't go down after the first shot. After that, the more bullets they find themselves with, they get something known as 'Disrupt' or 'Disorient'. AKA, they get shocked. The Bluescreen is a weapon practically made for Warhounds and most robotic enemies, but the rounds are expensive, or were. The Crafting Chamber is a godsend.
Everyone's getting tired, from Megu, to Shiroko, who runs out as they disperse, the sun inching down. Hoshino moves ahead, Serika and Nonomi ducking behind cover as Mateo ducks into a building barking out orders as he gets news.
Kasumi's trap is ready. This should either end it, or the worse will come to pass, the sand storm.
And if that happens, well, they'll just have to hope Ayane gets there on time because Mateo really doesn't want to be the 'last hope' these girls have.
Within the sand-layered district of Abydos, a group of strange students walk through the streets. Silently looking around in a variety of expressions. Their leader, a pink-haired girl with bangs shadowing her eyes and hair reaching her shoulder, her yellow eyes glowed under the shadow of her bangs and her pink halo, an intricate patchwork of lines coming together in the form of something vaguely eye-shaped, bobbed with each step as wine red horns with gold accents sprouted from her head. She wore a fur coat on her shoulders and a white button-up with a pencil skirt, giving Aru Rikuhachima the dignified image of an outlaw.
Beside her, a purple-haired girl hugged a shotgun protectively, watching around as her purple eyes moved from side-to-side almost frantically, she wore purple navy clothes with a short skirt, and a garrison hat resting atop her scruffy purple hair with a purple halo of three lines with thorns sprouting from them. Haruka Igusa looked down at her phone before looking around again.
Humming a jaunty tune, a shorter girl skips beside them, plum eyes looking around in interest, her hair tied up in a side ponytail with a scrunchie, her uniform moving with her as the bag slung over her shoulder jostles with each movement. With an LMG nearly her size slung over her shoulder, she smiles like an imp, her eyes landing on Aru, who did her best to ignore it. With each skip, Mutsuki Asagi's halo, red with two layers and a flower in the middle with four sharp indents like a crosshair bobs behind her.
Finally, there was the quietest of the group, a girl with pale skin, sharp red eyes and white hair, some sections of it were black, like a set of bangs and her ponytail beside her black horns. She wore a choker and a black hoodie with the words ' .Kill' on it and the head of a demon atop it, her pistol holstered to a backpack hanging off a shoulder as the barest hints of a skirt is seen at the bottom of her hoodie.
Their steps are silent from the sand before they stop, silence overcoming as the purple-haired girl doesn't say anything. "Haruka?" Aru asks, looking at her intern out of curiosity.
Slowly, Haruka places her phone on the floor, as she crouches down, something coming out of her mouth as she spoke but no one could hear it. Finally, it became more audible, "...ryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry. I shouldn't have been born and neither should this thing," she spits out with vitriol at her phone as she reaches into her bag, "that impedes you."
Kayoko Onikata sighs, "It changed again huh?" She notes as Aru looks at her in confusion. "The Abydos district doesn't have good signal to begin with and the maps haven't been updated in years." She looks around, "I heard that the signal's been better recently, but it might be around the school."
"Uh-oh~." Mutsuki starts while looking around, "Are we lost again."
"No." Kayoko answers as she points at the storefront. "It's out of business."
There's a beat of silence as a sense of frustration could be felt among them. It all started out fine, they were hired to 'relieve' the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang of their duties but instead, they found empty houses, like they left in a hurry. To Mutsuki, this was a perfect opportunity to take the credit for it, even if Aru was reluctant to do so, now they were gearing up to attack the Abydos school.
Or, they were supposed to. Instead, they found out that they couldn't attack today because of scheduling issues with the mercenaries, so they had to do it tomorrow, this little gap allowed for some new information to come to light.
A post from SCHALEs account. As curt and to the point as usual with an implicit threat to it, and images. Five students against enough Helmet Gang members to make the rest run? A gang notorious for having no clear chain of command?
To the rest of Problem Solver, this was something interesting and daunting, but Kayoko could read in between the lines. She had to.
If the students could have done the same on their own, they'd have done it a long time ago. This time, they had someone with them, SCHALEs Sensei. A haloless male adult with weapons, a backpack, and body armor, a figure that wouldn't be out of place in SRT. Yet, why?
Why a bandolier? Why four different weapons? Why plates under the body armor? Why do his eyes glow? Why give SCHALE extrajudicial authority when SRT has it?
Kayoko was fairly sure she understood that lack of halo, his gender, his age, all of these are what differentiate him from a student. He probably doesn't have the same protection a student would.
Yet, how can a man who can't take a bullet like a student can be the single notable difference that can cause a decentralized gang to run? And if the President wanted an organization different from the SRT, then why bring a teacher like him?
The answer comes in the Hot Springs Development Department. He was seen interacting with them and leaving with Kasumi where she escaped. Then the Emergency Medicine Club helped them.
The saying 'the pen is mightier than the sword' works in this situation. In a place where guns and dangerous weapons are a lifestyle, in a city full of hostility being held back by mutually assured destruction, the ability to gauge a situation and decide to charm or fight is priceless.
But all of this was mostly Kayoko's curiosity, so she didn't really complain when Aru spent most of the advance payment to hire Part-Timers, though she didn't think she would forget to take their food into account.
So, with five-hundred yen to their collective name and hunger, they began to look for stores. Except...the Abydos map hasn't been updated in years and the service is atrocious. So they regularly found that the store or restaurant simply didn't exist or it was somewhere else outside Abydos, and with how big and confusing Abydos is, they regularly got lost.
This was the first restaurant they've seen that they didn't get lost with the directions, and is in pristine condition. And it was closed.
Not broken, relocated, or even abandoned. Genuinely closed, notice and everything.
"He," Haruka said as she stood up, "hehehehe, I'll kill them." She says, to Kayoko's exasperation, Mutsuki's amusement and Aru's worry. "I'll kill the ones who stopped Lady Aru from eating!"
"H-Haruka, it's fine!" Aru tried to calm her friend down as Haruka froze, curling in on herself and looking around with wide eyes.
"Oh-Oh no. D-Did I cause trouble for you again, Lady Aru?" Haruka asks in horror.
"No, not at all." Aru panicked as she subtly tried to hide her phone from Haruka's explosive wrath. "Just…"
"Not like we could've bought anything." Mutsuki notes with a shrug and an amused smile. "The cheapest thing on the menu was six-hundred yen."
"Didn't you say your phone didn't have reception?" Kayoko asks while Aru has the task of calming down Haruka.
"Did I~?" Mutsuki asks, smiling as she holds a hand to her chin. "I can't remember."
Kayoko shakes her head with a sigh as their exhaustion was obvious. From Mutsuki's lackluster teasing, Aru's facade breaking quicker than usual, and Haruka being quicker to apologize for her self-perceived uselessness.
"I'm sorry for being so useless." Haruka says with her usual downcast expression.
"No, you're not." Aru quickly assures her as Mutsuki leans in.
"Yeah, at least you didn't forget to account for our personal expenses when hiring mercenaries." Mutsuki adds to Aru's shame.
"W-Well," She stutters out, "it was a required sacrifice, after all, we can't forget Problem Solver 68's motto 'Expect the unexpected'!" She proclaims confidently.
"Amazing!" Haruka said, her eyes shining as Aru nodded under the praise.
"We had a motto?" Kayoko asks Mutsuki, who shrugs as Aru's eye twitches before Kayoko adds, "Well, I get where she's coming from." Kayoko relents as Aru continues to preen. "Especially after what I saw with the helmet gangsters."
"But enough to forget our food expenses?" Mutsuki asks as Aru twitches and flinches, as if she was struck by an arrow.
"...That is true. You could have left us with a little more." Kayoko points out and Aru's confidence plummets.
She had to regain the upper hand in this mutinous event. "W-Well, outlaws like us can't be caught off-gua-."
Kayoko interrupts, "Wait." She says as she looks around, her hand inching closer to her holster with each second. "Someone's coming." She heard it for a second, the sound of wheels on the road, now that she's paying attention, she can hear it better, a vehicle was closing in on their position.
"Is it the Prefect Team?!" Aru asked, worried but Kayoko shook her head.
"No. Iori would have shot us already." Kayoko answers. "And it isn't Hina's style to invade an autonomous district. So, it has to be-."
The car came barreling through, as Mutsuki smirked, Haruka righted the grip on her shotgun, and Aru quickly regained her composure as Kayoko grabbed her pistol, "Well, it seems like we won't have to wait any longer." Aru notes with bravado as she grabs her sniper rifle. "Now, let's-."
"Wait," Kayoko says as she squints, "I...I think she's hailing us?"
Aru stops as she squints and blinks in surprise. "I think she is."
"What should we do Aru?" Mutsuki asks, a savage grin in place as Aru falters before shaking her head and puffing out her chest.
"Let's wait. After all, introductions are-." The squealing of wheels interrupt her along with sand, the truck drifting and kicking up sand as Aru coughs when some of it got in her mouth as she tries to spit it out, to Mutsuki's amusement, Kayoko's exhaustion and Haruka's frustration.
"You're Problem Solver, right?!" The girl said as she got out of the truck, a mask similar to Sensei's on her face as she removed it, revealing her desperate features. "I need to hire you!"
At her words, a silence overcomes the group as even Aru stops trying to rid her tongue of the taste of sand to look at her in confusion. "Us?" Mutsuki even asks.
"Yes! I-It's an emergency, so I can't explain here, but you'll be paid." She says, her voice shaky and desperate. "J-Just, name your price. Anything. Th-The GSC will cover it or SCHALE will, or-or we will, just please, we need your help!" Ayane asked desperately, her features contorted in anxiety and fear.
"Aru?" Kayoko asks as, for the first time, Aru was composed. After all, she could relate to the girl, she was in a similar situation herself, begging for work, not only for her own dream, but also to pay back those who stood by her. Watching this girl, she comes to a decision.
"Alright." Aru says, confidently. "We'll do it."
Ayane blinks away her tears, as she smiles, nearly slumping in relief. "Th-Thank you, really. I'll explain everything on the way." She says as she enters the car.
"Been a while since I was in one of these~." Mutsuki says, to Aru's embarrassment as she gets in, Kayoko and Haruka join a second later. The former is far more reluctant than the latter.
Soon, they were all driving away as all of them saw a pillar of light rise. Even Kayoko couldn't help but blurt out, "What is-."
"That is your target." Ayane says as she reaches a hand down to a tablet and hands it to Kayoko, who was sitting beside her in the front seat. "My friends, some allies, and Sensei are holding it off, but I'm not sure how long they'll last."
Kayoko grabs the tablet and turns it on. She looks at it for a second and slowly turns to Aru, her face flat and screaming regret as she starts. "Boss, is it too late to turn in my two-week notice?"
"Kayoko!?" Aru yelped in surprise as Mutsuki blinked.
"Ooh, let me see!" Mutsuki says as Kayoko passes Aru, who was in the middle in the back seat, the tablet as their expressions contort into varying levels of shock and fear.
Haruka shook in awe and shock, "Wow…"
"Well…" Mutsuki trailed off, her amusement cracking at what she saw.
Aru was just gaping, her eyes blank and her skin rapidly paling as she seemed on the verge of passing out instead of being in shock. She can't really blame her Department Head after seeing what she just agreed to.
"Its name is Binah." Ayane explains. "According to the file, it has a tough outer-layer with some form of regeneration. A certain amount of penetrating shots cause it to be 'stunned' for a bit. And we need you to run it off."
"Not defeat it?" Kayoko asks, noting the difference in terminology.
"That's impossible at the moment." Ayane says with a tone of resignation. "If it could be defeated, Kaiser or the previous Abydos council would have done so." She looks at them and realizes something, "I'm sorry I sprung this up on you so suddenly and with such shady assurances." She says, Aru flinching instinctively despite her catatonic state as Mutsuki giggled and Kayoko sighs.
"It's fine, I just hope you have ammunition to spare," Kayoko says in resignation, "we're running a bit short ourselves."
"There should be a box under the seat, um…" Ayane trailed off, glancing back with a slight grimace visible. "I'm sorry, I never got your names."
"It's fine four-eyes," Mutsuki started as Ayane mouthed the term in confusion, "I'm Asagi Mutsuki, this is Aru Rikuhachima, our boss." Mutsuki presents her still-shocked friend and president.
"I-I'm Igusa Haruka." Haruka introduces herself.
"Onikata Kayoko." Kayoko introduces herself.
"Okusora Ayane." She says, "Under Asagi's-."
"Just Mutsuki's fine." Mutsuki interrupts as she reaches down, pulling out a blue and white box with a bit of trouble. "Oof~. Heavy. What's in here?" Mutsuki asks as Ayane sighs.
"It's Sensei's." Ayane explains. "He said it'd be a good idea to keep a stockpile in here in case we need it." She says as she taps her blue watch, the latches on the box open to Mutsuki's surprise. "Just open it and get what you need."
"Thank y-." Mutsuki said before blinking as she reached in and grabbed ammo belts for her MG5. "Huh, I didn't think you had this." She trails off.
"That's for Sensei." Ayane explains, "He was carrying an LMG but I think that was there before."
"Oh, that's good." Haruka says as she reaches in and grabs all of them as she smiles. "Hey, Aru~."
"Huh, wha-?" Mutsuki throws a grenade at her as Aru panics and flails around before finally catching it as she notices the pin is still in.
"I think a re-supply is a bit overdue, after all," Mutsuki starts, the amusement clear in her voice and eyes, "we can't attend class if we don't have supplies."
"Supplies?" Aru asks as she looks around in confusion before her eyes land on the ammo box.
"Yup," Mutsuki cheers with a bright smile, "you know~, a notebook, pens, pencils," Mutsuki's hand digs into the box once more as she brings out handfuls of a variety of grenades and smiles as she puts them by her face and smiles smugly, "enough explosives to level a building in Gehenna," she stuffs them in her duffel bag, a black one with the words 'Love & Violence' in red, before returning to the box a second later "and enough ammunition to fight off the Prefect Team afterward." She says as she tosses a box of shotgun shells to Haruka, who caught it and a few boxes of 9x19mm Parabellum for Kayoko before extending a hand with a box of rifle rounds for Aru's own weapon.
Blinking, Aru smirks despite the debilitating fear she felt, "Of course," she says, "after all, what kind of students would we be if we can't even solve one of Sensei's problems?"
Even Kayoko, who was loading her used magazines with new bullets, an act she and the rest of Problem Solver got used to after joining Aru since the money they could use to buy magazines is better spent on more ammunition, looks back in surprise as Aru leans back, following Kayoko's example and loading her old magazines with the rounds, after checking that Mutsuki did actually get the right caliber. She was caught off-guard once, never again.
…Twice and never again.
Okay, so it might have been more, but Mutsuki was very convincing!
"Wow," Mutsuki said, her eyes shining, "that actually sounded pretty cool!"
Haruka was scribbling on a note, her shotgun in between her thighs as she mutters, her eyes glancing at some of the explosives in the munitions box.
"Really?" Aru turned to her before blinking, coughing into her fist, and puffing her chest out. "Obviously, we are hard-boiled outlaws."
Ayane, meanwhile sighs. "...I hope everyone's okay."
Mateo tackles Hoshino, a laser sailing overhead as he picks her up once he hears the old building start to groan, "Uuuu-eh!?" Hoshino groans as Serika lights up and fires at Binah, only to run into the radius of one of Binah's cannons as she yelps and falls back, breathing heavily as she tries to get up as the building bares down on her.
"Hyah!" She yelps as something grabs her collar as she's practically dragged across the road before it stops, the building falling as dust and sand is kicked up as Serika groans, her ability flickering out as she releases deep breaths. "Thanks...Shiroko."
"Nn," Shiroko responds, one leg against the pavement and the other on an old bike, her breathing heavy despite her own prodigious stamina honed by months of intense training, "no...problem."
It's been around an hour ever since they first started fighting Binah, the drive from the un-buried part of the city to here is around thirty minutes at a speed slightly higher than normal, so the way back is the same, that means Ayane should be approaching their location with reinforcements, sadly…
They're all flagging. In ammunition, stamina, and ideas, they've been trying to corral Binah to a certain area but it keeps going down in short bursts and forcing them to chase it.
"Damn it. Where's Ayane?" Serika asks.
"On her way." Shiroko answers. "With help too and some ammunition."
"Good." Serika says as she looks at the rusted mess that was the magazine in her gun with a disgusted grimace. "I'm starting to get tired of these and it's gonna take forever to clean the inside."
As it turns out, the city still had some places with magazines and rounds in them, something Kasumi has been scavenging for and giving them when they have the time. It's dirty and now a lot of their weapons are in need of a good cleaning to their insides but it's been helpful, sadly…
After looking around, Shiroko releases a puff of air, "Seems like she can't find any more ammunition."
"Damn!" Serika curses before shaking her head.
Their comms come to life, "Status?" Came the shaky and dry voice of Mateo, who's been the sole reason this has been going on for as long as it has. From his orders and impressive stamina to his gadgets, he's been with them this entire time and how far have they gotten?
Binah's predicted health is at sixty.
After around an hour of fighting.
"Megu is out." Kasumi reports, also sounding exhausted and a bit regretful, "I'm sorry Sensei, but she just can't push any longer."
Despite being the one who spoke the 'accursed words', Megu didn't complain in her role as a distraction, and took it with joy instead, burning Binah and setting off the explosions of the old explosives they were forced to use and either didn't go off or had something wrong. It left Serika feeling a bit guilty for snapping at her and had some respect blooming within the Foreclosure Task Force because of her actions.
"She's done enough." Mateo assured her, "But we're in position. Serika? Shiroko? Nonomi?"
Serika speaks up next, "I'm with Shiroko, we're fine. Just tired, Hoshino?"
"Ueeeh, my underling's worry is so cute. It makes me feel younger." Hoshino jokes, but even then the fighting was clearly was getting to her. Though, Serika swore she could hear something else, was she...flustered?
Must be the heat.
"I'm fine." Nonomi spoke, though even her exhaustion was audible through her cheerful voice. "I'm sorry, Sensei, but I only have enough for one more barrage."
"I don't think this bike is going to last long." Shiroko notes as Serika jogs beside her, the cat girl looking at the bike in suspicion.
"Like I said, I'm in position, Binah is right where we want him." Mateo says as Shiroko and Serika's eyes widen in realization.
"We'll be there." Shiroko says as they hear Mateo sigh in relief.
Mateo, hiding behind a wall with Binah right around the corner, rests his hands on his knees and regains his breath with Hoshino, who was practically heaving and seated against the wall on the floor. "Sensei," Hoshino says, "what kind of stamina do you have?" She asks in disbelief.
"Enough to keep me going for as long as I need to." Mateo answers as he reaches back and grabs a canteen, taking a sip from it and sighing. "Here, this is it, Hoshino, we need you at your best."
"Thanks." She says as she eyes the opening a bit before shaking her head, slowly placing the opening to her mouth and taking a mouthful of water before lowering it, a blush on her face. "For saving me too. Multiple times."
"Don't worry about it." He says as he reloads the Backup Boomstick and closes it with the flick of a wrist. "I can't be too far when using this."
After the first time stunning Binah, which took far more bullets than it was supposed to, Mateo has been limiting the use of his main weapon, instead picking up old and rusted weapons and using them until they break or he loses them until he was forced to use his sawed-off double barrel shotgun. Because of that, he had to be pretty close to Binah, too close in their opinion, and the worry combined with the exhaustion, would leave them making mistakes, mistakes he covered up quickly, saving each of them multiple times, but not without cost of his own.
He was bleeding, again, and his body armor was practically riddled with scratches and slight dents, not to mention, "Sucks that I'm out of plates though." He notes.
Though he also doesn't mention that Arona has been helping him in keeping the plates from breaking immediately but even then, it didn't last so all he has is the body armor and Arona's shield.
"You know," Hoshino starts, catching Mateo's attention as she turns to him with a sardonic smile, "this is the first time I've done something like this." She says in disbelief. "I wonder what younger me would say if she saw me."
"'Get off your ass and work'?" Mateo says as Hoshino barks out a laugh as she forces herself back up.
"Probably." She admits with a nod before stretching while standing up, "Now, let's do this."
"I'm in position, Sensei." Kasumi says as Mateo nods.
"Good, I'll leave it at your discretion."
"Just push it back a bit." Kasumi requests as Mateo shakes his head.
"Yeah, sure, let's push back a cyber monstrosity." He says in disbelief. "Guess we'll need Nonomi for that."
"Present~." Nonomi announces as Shiroko and Serika are next, stepping towards the older duo as they prepare themselves.
Their haloes afforded them protection but even that was wavering under all the damage it's been going through. All of them were scuffed, from Serika's blazer nearly tattered to shreds, Nonomi's cardigan gone to the wind while her shirt sported a few cuts, and half of Shiroko's blazer is practically missing, but they still had the Bricks and ISAC. Good.
Mateo was visibly the worst, his hoodie in tatters, blood staining his clothes and he has a slight limp to his leg, despite this, he seems ready to continue. "Now that everyone's here, we have to push Binah back."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Serika interjected in frustration and outrage. "Why don't we clean up all the sand in the district while we're at it."
"Well, nothing we can do about it." He says as he grabs Bluescreen and checks the magazine. There's enough for now and later if need be. "Let's do it."
All of them were too exhausted to really complain as Nonomi stood first. "I'll go first."
Unfolding Iron Horus, Hoshino joins her. "Let's."
With that, the two dash out as green flames converge around Nonomi, her halo flaring out as she glares at Binah. "Go! Away!" She says as a stream of continuous minigun fire hits Binah as they slowly get closer.
We join her a second later, nothing in their minds but the wish, that it'd move back already.
Nonomi stopped firing as Binah was leaning back from the force as we waited.
Kasumi doesn't say anything for a bit until the comms ring out.
"Eh, good enough."
Before Serika could explode in rage at the trivialisation of their best efforts, the tallest building exploded first as it began to fall after a series of explosions followed, scattering shrapnel and pieces of the building as it bore down on the mechanical monstrosity. Mateo and the FTF covered their eyes with their forearms as Binah released a soundless roar as the building landed on it.
"Wait, won't it-." Serika started before Hoshino moved in front, Iron Horus unfurled and stabbed into the ground as another explosion followed.
To simply call it an explosion is understating it. It was the perfect version of an explosion, each following explosion kicking up more dust and shrapnel.
All of them were nearly swept off their feet from the force behind the explosion before getting the hint and piling up behind Hoshino, dust and shrapnel hitting Hoshino's Iron Horus. The sounds were nothing compared to the force and explosions that seemed to go on forever while Binah's 'health' decreased with each explosion.
Slowly, it stopped, despite the audiometric earpieces doing their best, Shiroko's and Serika's ears were ringing as they waited while the rest of us weren't much better, but still ready to move at a moment's notice.
Reluctantly, they stepped away from Iron Horus, Hoshino shifting her grip on it, tilting it as she rested her shotgun on the slight indent on the side of her shield, waiting for Binah to move. No one says anything, their hearts practically beating out of their chest in the ensuing silence.
Then, they felt it, the feeling of sand shifting with a strong wind that came from nowhere as Hoshino yelled desperately. "Behind me, now!"
No one refused as something pulsed, clearing the smoke to reveal Binah, once again as all their hearts dropped.
Shiroko, still on the bike, tried to bike behind Hoshino, but it broke down a second later, throwing her to the floor as she slipped to Serika's and Nonomi's shock as Hoshino seemed ready to move to help her until she remembered that Nonomi and Serika were behind her. Except, Binah was already charging up a storm and was nearly done.
In a swift move, Mateo picked up Shiroko and threw her over, Nonomi catching her as they looked at him in shock, their hearts falling as the sand began to pick up. In their comms, they heard him say, "Good luck. I'll see you on the other side, Foreclosure Task Force."
In a move, he unfurled his own shield as the wave of sand hit them both, with Hoshino barely holding on as she grit her teeth, reaching into stores of energy with her anger, fear, and worry as she held on, the ground cracking under the force caused by her fighting against a natural disaster.
It wasn't enough. It rarely is.
The ground gives in as the force pushes them back, the sand pelting them as their defenses slowly lowered and their consciousness left them.
Frantically, Ayane releases her drone, looking for her clubmates desperately as she mutters. "C'mon, where are you?"
According to ISAC, they were still alive, so…
Then, she got a positive reaction, pulses of something at a certain location released at certain intervals it seems. She ran over in relief, "Everyone!"
Problem Solver 68 watched as she went to a particular mound of sand and reached in. a second later, she heaved in effort as out came Hoshino, shield unfurled on her back as she began to cough trying to get on her feet as Iron Horus slid off her back. "Hoshino!"
One-by-one, she dragged out the rest of the Foreclosure Task Force until they were all out of the mound and either groaning or unconscious. "Dropping a medkit." She says as she fiddles with her tablet, the drone that was following her drops a box, opening upon contact with the ground as a green mist was released, the girls inhaling it as their injuries began to visibly fade, Serika's eyes flutter open and Nonomi pushed herself up into a seated position, Shiroko managed to stand with the help of her gun and Hoshino was looking around. "You're awake!"
"Sensei." Hoshino starts, frantically forcing herself up as she stumbles a bit once she manages to get on her feet, "Where's Sensei?! And Binah?!"
"I-I don't know." Ayane says in resignation and worry. "I-I only found you guys."
"North." Shiroko says, using her gun as a crutch as she tries to move only to slip with a grunt, "He's North. I saw his form before I passed out."
"Got it." Ayane says before turning to Problem Solver 68 who were trailing after her. "There's been a change in plans. Sensei is nowhere to be found and last we saw him is North. I'm sorry to ask-."
"Say no more." Aru interrupts. "Leave it to us." She says, turning with a flourish as she walks back to the truck. The rest of her team followed after her.
Turning to her classmates, Ayane told them, "I called the Hot Springs Development Department, they'll be here to pick you up and send you back home."
"No." Serika forces out while sitting up, her eyes narrowed, "We're seeing this through.
"Yeah." Nonomi agrees with a nod. "We just need some ammunition."
Ayane can't help but whine, "Why are all of you so stubborn?"
At this point, even the sturdiest of them, Hoshino was more exhausted than usual, cuts littered their forms while blood slowly fell from these cuts, any article of clothes they had over their shirts was ripped to shreds and even the white collared shirt under it had its fair share of rips and tears and left them in a very compromising position but none of them cared. Their teacher needed them, and he needed them as soon as possible.
A familiar vehicle comes around as Ayane sighs. "Fine. But we're going on ahead. And get some first aid applied first!" Ayane warns as she enters the car with Problem Solver 68 and drives off.
Meanwhile, the other four worry as they see the vehicles of the Hot Springs Department close in.
The first thing I see when I wake up is sand. The second is my body armor in tatters. The third is the remains of my Ballistic Shield strapped to my arm.
One of those is a lot more surprising, and worrying, than the others, and that's my body armor. After all, it uses a system integrated into armor I picked up in D.C. once. While it has a plate holder as the first layer, over it is a layer of kevlar and on the outer layer it uses something called the Tardigrade Armor System, using ablative nano-plating to make it extremely resilient with self-repairing capabilities. So the fact that a prototype designed to be self-repairing heat shields meant for aircrafts repeatedly exiting and entering planetary atmospheres, like spaceships, was absolutely scrapped by Binah's desert storm has to mean something and I don't like it. Hey, at least Arona only had to use most of her energy protecting everything else that wasn't covered and then some.
I don't feel good, I should start by saying that, not at all, but considering it's not exactly night in Abydos, the little nap I took was fine, if it wasn't for all the aches and pains on my body that were far more obvious now that I rested a bit. "ISAC," I start, my voice raspy, "status."
"No abnormalities." ISAC reported. "A Pulse has been released, help should be here in a few minutes."
I spot my Go-Bag, Bluescreen and Nemesis still on it as I sling it over my shoulder as I turn to the large expanse that is the Abydos desert, as I remember the sensation in my leg and the injuries crawling through my body. "Let's hope I didn't go too far."
After all, I felt the vibrations before I stood up. The good thing is that I was in a kind of junkyard so there was a lot of cover to hide behind. Before I can move into cover I feel my instincts go haywire as I look at the clearing. Slowly, as if waiting, Binah appears, ISAC showing me its health as I can't help but scoff. Twenty-three percent? Can I even do that much damage?
Slowly, as its eyes bore down on me, a lazy smile spread from under my mask, which hasn't been broken yet. "Fine, let's do this." I say as I remove Bluescreen, shaking it to remove the sand on it. "'Cause I ain't done."
Binah's mouth opens, the beginnings of an orb appearing, until a familiar voice rings out. "Sensei! Reinforcements are here!"
Ayane's drone drops near my location, opening to reveal a green mist as I inhale it, clarity returning as my injuries healed at a visible rate. "Ayane!"
A gunshot rang out, as something stuck to Binah's side, flashing for a few seconds before blowing up, taking some of Binah's health with it as I can't help but laugh and turn to see who it was that shot it. The answer came in a pretty girl, a PSG-1 rifle in hand with a jacket around her shoulders and a confident smirk. "Problem Solver 68, here to assist Sensei."
"Hello~!" A shorter and more impish girl waved as two more appeared, one was more menacing with a monochrome theme and the other was purple but they might as well have been genuine angels for their timing, even if the former had horns and a single visible pinioned wing visible.
"Well, what are you waiting for!?" I ask as I wave them down. "C'mon and join the fun."
They proceed to run down, the shorter imp practically sliding down the mounds as Ayane gives me a rundown of what happened.
Mutsuki was laying down covering fire while sliding down the sand as the other three got closer, all of them in a far better state than I was. Wonderful.
Soon, they got within earshot as the leader began, "It is an honor to meet you, Sen-argh!" She said, tripping as I moved to try to catch her but missed instead, leaving me frozen in an awkward position. She looks up, a blush on her face and her eyes a bit teary as my mouth twitches under my mask.
"...I didn't see anything if you didn't?" I ask and Aru releases a quiet whine.
"Deal." She says as I extend a hand and help her up.
"What a first impression." The imp approaches, barely hiding her giggles as she smiles at me. "Hello, Sensei~."
"'Sup." Kayoko says, a suppressed H&K P30L in hand. "So, what are we doing?"
I turn to the final member who hasn't introduced themselves as she jumps. "U-u-Um...Hi." She says, hugging her shotgun closer as she looks away and I get the hint. Smiling, I turn to them.
"We're opening that thing up." I answer before grabbing Nemesis. "We need someone on distraction, someone on damage, Mutsuki, do you have explosives in that bag?" I ask as Mutsuki seems to find the question particularly entertaining.
"Kufufu~. Of course~, it's required and I'm nothing if not an exemplary student." She says, acting innocent as I shake my head in amusement and disbelief.
Reaching out, I surprise her as a gloved hand latches on her nose. "I'll trust that for now, little brat." I end as she lets go and stumbles back before pouting.
"Kayoko can run distractions. Haruka, our intern," Aru says, pushing the purple-themed girl forward as she seems scared, "is reliable in dishing out more damage that she's given."
Once again, Haruka stutters, "I-I-If Aru wishes so, I'll give my life-."
Right, let's stop that. I place a finger on her lips, stopping her as I continue, "If Aru, your Boss says you can do it, I'll trust you with the role. Just come back alive, I'll be sad if you're hurt." I interrupt as I bring my hand back, ignoring the blank look on her face and the ensuing creepy smile before glancing beside our cover to look at Binah.
"Right, here's the plan. I'll shoot it with this," I say while signaling to the Nemesis, "and it'll stop its attacks after a few hits. After that, just hit it with all you've got, but I'd like it if you could aim for the forehead." I said as I look at all of them, "I'm not in the habit of leaving good work unpaid. So contact me once this is done and you'll be remunerated fairly," I smile, though from the way they seemed to flinch, it wasn't very comforting, "even if I have to wring some necks to do so."
I'm still pissed about this whole thing. Still, I shake it off and sigh, after all there's work to be done, "Everyone knows what they're doing?"
Kayoko nods as the rest of the Problem Solver girls also nod. "Then, godspeed." I start as I take a deep breath. "Aru, you're going up top, take the high-ground." I say, "Now go!" I say as I take a knee and turn to Aru, "C'mon. I'll help you up."
The first to move was Musuki, giggling as she threw a strange grenade as it rang out, revealing it to be an EMP grenade. "Ooh~, how fun!" Electricity coursed through Binah's form for a second as it shakes it off.
A loud pair of cracks rang out, one from atop a shipping container and another from behind a barrel. Mateo's Nemesis pierced Binah's armor but it quickly repaired itself as the hatches on its back opened.
Kayoko's eyes narrowed as she removed the suppressor and aimed.
A roar rang out a second later, shivers running through Mateo's spine as a visible aura rang through, Binah's cannons glitching as it lagged before Kayoko moved, "What…"
"That's her Mystic ability," Arona popped up, "like Serika's flame, or Aru's bullet."
"So I wasn't halluci-Shit." He curses as Nemesis' bullet fired wide, hitting nothing but air as Binah moved. "Stay still." He growled under his breath as he kept an eye on the rest of Problem Solver 68 while cycling the bolt.
"Die." Haruka said darkly, punctuating it with the pull of the trigger of her shotgun. "Just die. Just die. Just diediediedie! Die for Lady Aru and Sensei!" Haruka roared as she balefully glared at Binah while firing from the hip at the large monstrosity as it tried to bite her only for Haruka's shotgun to click empty. But she didn't seem to care, switching her grip so she held the gun like a bat and swung her shotgun like she was going for a home run as Binah's head swung to the side as sand was kicked up and no visible damage to her gun.
Jesus Christ, that shotgun can take a hit and Haruka can really swing!
Mateo thinks with a bit of amusement before his eyes widen. "Look out!" Mateo warned as he dashed after Haruka and tackled her to the side, Binah's laser cutting through where they were just at as Mateo charged up Nemesis and fired into its jaw.
"Hwah! Sen-." Haruka tried but Mateo was already up and pulling her to the side as he goes behind cover as another of Aru's explosive bullets hits Binah as it goes off, distracting it as Kayoko releases another roar as Mateo releases a sigh.
"Be careful." Mateo suggested, "I'd rather not see a student get hurt as badly as you would have been if that laser hit."
"Ah-Ah, right." Haruka says as she reloads her shotgun returns to unloading into Binah with renewed vigor and rage.
"Whoo~," Mutsuki noted, "Sensei seems to be trying to steal Haruka~."
"What!?" Aru yelped as Kayoko sighed.
Then, Binah shifted, "Hit the deck!"
It revealed its three hatches, revealing the cannons in them as Mateo hid and Binah locked onto four targets Mateo, Aru, Mutsuki, and Haruka.
Thankfully, Mateo was quick enough to warn them and move so the three moved, but only Mateo managed to clear away from the radius completely, the others were still within the radius of the explosion so they yelped but they quickly righted themselves, only frustrating them a bit. "You-!" Haruka started as Ayane dropped a medical case under Mateo's order, healing them as Mateo's Nemesis cracked once more.
Then, a series of explosions rang out, smoke and shrapnel bursting from Binah's side as Mateo looked to the distance, "Shiroko!"
"Nn." Shiroko confirmed. "Foreclosure Task Force is in the area."
More gunfire rang out as Binah's 'health' lowered as more of it converged on the monstrosity.
Finally, Mateo's Nemesis cracked as Binah seemed to reel as it slumped over, occasionally twitching as Mateo's eyes narrowed in recognition and a grin bloomed under his mask.
"He's stunned! Hit it!" Ayane yells.
Haruka unloaded into Binah's side, Aru aimed for its head along with Kayoko while Mutsuki threw her bag at its head and shot it, setting off the explosives within as a long series of explosions rang out. Nonomi's minigun, Shiroko's and Serika's gunfire, Hoshino's pistol joined at aiming at its head visibly leaving its internals open as it tries to repair itself as Mateo unstrapped Bluescreen and aimed.
Holding down the trigger, a slew of bullets hits the exposed parts of Binah's head as it's 'pulsed'.
No matter how advanced technology might get, how hard something can be, or how perfect a piece of hardware or software might be-
Electricity lanced through Binah's form as Mateo grinned under his mask. Finally, the Disruptor Rounds are working as ISAC marks Binah as 'Disrupted'.
-with enough firepower, any defense can be broken, and too much electricity in the wrong place will cause any hardware to short-circuit.
Its self-repair began to slow as it twitched, moving contorting, Mateo noticing, "Don't let up!"
"HAHAHAHA!" A familiar laugh rang out. "It's time for a bit of destruction!"
The FTF stops firing and Mateo couldn't stop his curiosity as he looks over and he nearly stops firing himself.
Kasumi's drill was sailing through the sky, its red form and silver drill glinting in the darkening sky as he could see its target.
Binah.
Binah's stunned state barely ended before it was hit with a drill, both metals screeching as they grind against each other as both began to crack.
Thankfully, Binah was the first to give ground, slowly falling back before landing on the sand as the FTF returned to shooting it. Not letting up even as it slithered into the sand once more. Not even when it revealed its impossibly long body or the whale tail at the end as it disappeared.
Binah's 'health' was at zero.
They waited still, their guns aimed at the last location of Binah as the FTF got closer but nothing happened as Mateo gulps audibly, causing Problem Solver to twitch as Mateo lowers his gun, his shoulders lowering as he looks around.
"Binah has left the area." ISAC announced to the FTF and Mateo as he sighs in relief, slumping over as he groans, stumbling back until his rear hits a roadblock and he sighs as he sits on it. Slowly, a silent series of laughter joins as he leans back.
Within the open comms, Mateo announces, "Girls, that's it." He says in relief as he lets himself relax, flinching as some of his wounds ache. "Binah is on the run. With that, this operation is a success."
There was no cheering, all of them were too tired for that as Mateo switched the channels. "Beautifully done. We've regained access to some of Abydos' files, have reclaimed most of what was inside, and...that's it. I-oof!" He heaves as he's tackled off his seat by Shiroko, his back hitting the sandy floor as his injuries flare up once more. "Wai-wha-ah!" Then Serika joined in before he could notice her approach..
"Idiot!" Serika yells, tears in her eyes as she weakly hits his side. "Are you stupid!?"
"Reckless." Shiroko accuses him, though something told him she was being a bit hypocritical there, as Hoshino stumbles closer with Nonomi following along, an exhausted smile in place.
"Sensei." Hoshino said, looking at the dog-or animal-pile as she shakes off her shield and shotgun, letting them clatter to the floor. "Tired." She says. Slowly, she leaned forward and fell, landing on Mateo as he heaved again under her weight. "Punishment."
Nonomi just smiled as she sat down and leaned back, also laying on Mateo as he groaned. "Girls, please. At least let this wait for the school."
"You seem busy, Sensei~." Mutsuki says while leaning over him as he shrugs. "Enjoying yourself."
"Not really, I've got bruises all over, my injuries are reopened, and my armor is a mess that I think it's just better to get something else. Bluescreen has a bunch of sand in it and Nemesis does too and Ayane looks angry." He finishes as they turn to see Ayane waiting with crossed arms and a pout. Sighing, he gives Problem Solver 68 a regretful look, "I don't think I'll be able to get to your payment, I need to get chewed out by Rin for this, help Ayane set up a Base of Operations, help her go through the files, make sure none of them are viruses, upgrade the server room, and so much more." He says as he shifts, causing Hoshino to roll on top of Serika and Shiroko who were on the verge of falling asleep as he begins shifting through his Go-Bag. "I'm sure I grabbed them yes-Got I."
He brings out a magazine, passing it over to Mutsuki, "Here, give this to your Boss and tell her to keep it until I can properly pay her back." He says to Mutsuki's curiosity.
"Hmm, let's see~, let's-." She froze as she looked at the magazine, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping as Mateo got up, carrying the Foreclosure Task Force with him as he lugged them to the car and placed them inside.
"Need a ride?" He asks as the Problem Solver girls look at each other.
"If you'll have us." Kayoko says as they file into the box of the car, stopping as she reaches the unusually silent Mutsuki.
"Is something-." Kayoko also froze as she saw the bullets in the pistol magazine. "This-?!"
Gold. Pure gold rounds with brass casings.
"I…" Kayoko trails off, "I don't think we can accept this."
"We're just holding it until he straightens out our payments." Mutsuki mutters as she tightens her grip on the mundane pistol magazine.
Slowly, the two follow Haruka and Aru into the back of the truck, both of them had their eyes on Sensei for different reasons.
Soon, they were driving to Abydos, exhausted, but generally, in a good mood.
Inside the car, where no one can hear, Shiroko asks a very prudent question. "Can we keep the watches?"
"I've always wanted a smart watch." Hoshino grumbles as Mateo sighs.
"Why not?" Arona says, materializing on Mateo's lap, "I should be able to scrub ISACs and my presence from them. They won't be able to use the ScanTek or access ISAC, but," she adds cheerily, "we can always re-activate them in case you need help. After all, it uses the SHD Network rather than the Sanctum Tower. So in case the backdoor that's been installed has been found and removed or something else happens and you need help, we can activate them and they'll be here in a second."
Mateo really couldn't find anything wrong with what she said. "It can also work as a gift!"
Not like she needed to add that. "Fine." Mateo grumbles out loud, to the girl's excitement. "As long as you get rid of the Brick and lenses, you can keep anything else. Hell, you can change the color too. So at most it'll just be a normal smart watch, okay?"
"Fine~." Hoshino grumbles as she slumps back with a smile, "just let me sleep~."
"Nn, thank you." Shiroko says, her eyes glinting with excitement while looking at her watch.
Serika smiled at hers too and Nonomi was humming in excitement.
Now, it's time for them to rest.
"A squad of students that trusted him and another that came in to save him that were supposed to be his adversaries." Black Suit muttered, confusion clear in his voice despite the smile on his face. "How curious."
There was no question in Black Suit's mind. He was an 'adult', after all, only an 'adult' can lead the Students as he did so. Whether that be as support or as an active combatant, outlasting the Mystic students and even Hoshino, who is believed to have the strongest Mystic.
Yet, multiple times he risked himself for the students…
Why?
He couldn't understand. But it's irrelevant, after all, Abydos is now the center stage for a lot of people and under the watchful gaze of many. He'd liken it to a chess game or shogi, but that'd trivialize the intricacy of what's happening on all fronts, limiting it to two 'major' players instead of the multiple 'players' it actually is.
Poker, it's not accurate enough, but Black Suit believes that Golconde would quite like the comparison.
For years, he has had all the cards he would need for whatever he wants, every other player involved was in his pocket one way or another, the other players scared everyone else off and Abydos couldn't even deal itself in, too busy trying to stay afloat and live another month, while the dealer skews all the community cards to his side. Now someone new has been dealt in.
SCHALE. Mateo Vernes. Sensei.
In his first move, kicking out the Helmet Gang, he revealed his hand, his skills, his capability, willingness to work with others and adaptability, not to mention his strength.
In his second move, the operation for Abydos' files, a Joker has been drawn, a wildcard. The appearance of the Hot Springs Development Department, the explosions waking a Prophet and then working with their possible enemy to chase it out. Now, all the cards are a mess as the game is reset and re-shuffled, turning a sure victory into a delicate situation.
Now every player is scrambling to learn more, to reassess their position. The few academies with the resources to care about what's happening in Abydos are trying to find out what happened and what to do, Kaiser is moving troops around to not only gather information but solidify their position against an enemy that could probably steamroll them, and SCHALE is watching them as Abydos assists them.
Despite the injuries he gained from fighting the Helmet Gangster, injuries that should've kept him down and out of the fight, the moment trouble popped up he was ready to fight. Even beyond that, he feels as if SCHALE is watching for more than just visible adversaries.
Black Suit can't help but chuckle. For years, Kaiser has reigned supreme with their superior weaponry, capability of mass-production, and the sheer power they have due to their multiple branches while the Academies and GSC used bureaucracy and strategies to fight each other as he and his group moved in on any possible openings. Both of them believe themselves in the right, that they are better because of this.
One believes that might makes right, that they can do what they do because they have as much power and influence as they do while the other is a chaotic mish-mash of beliefs and personalities that can't even project a united front at the worst of times.
In the face of the man that ran off Binah with a few students, they'll soon find the truth, that those who reign supreme, 'adults', rule with knowledge and power.
Despite the possibility of it all falling apart, it was exciting to Black Suit. "Now, Sensei, what's your next move? Teach me."
A/N: Now, Abydos has gained a Base of Operations and the girls got some smart watches! Normal smart watches with holographic capabilities with a similar style to Mateo's, not the watches Agents use, and considering the common color theme of the girls…Mateo's going to have a fun time.
Also, Problem Solver 68's dynamic is hard to write well, in my opinion. Like, really hard, and I felt like the ending was a bit too easy, but it makes sense considering how strong Problem Solver 68 is and other factors.
Still, I hope all of you enjoyed the chapter. Remember, the poll is still up until the next chapter.
Also, I hope all of you are okay with the changes I made in the chapter, like Kayoko's shot affecting Binah and whatnot.
For now, I still have some assignments that need doing so I'll have to finish those.
Orange Archive: Some things better left unsaid
Self-awareness is a very useful thing to have. For example, I know that my body is conventionally attractive, I'm tall, well-built and handsome, but personally, I think anyone who calls me the last one needs to get their eyes checked.
During my time as a Support Agent I wasn't very tall, fairly average, but training and constant threats change a person not to mention the BSAV and the Cocktail doing their thing, well-built is obvious since even before the BSAV was injected into me and acted like a dollar-store super soldier serum I could lay out some of the weaker enemies in D.C. with one punch to the jaw. Handsome is subjective since a lot of people have called me handsome, my exes especially, but again, I don't think so.
Anyway, why is this prudent you might ask.
Well, that's because I'm staring at the Foreclosure Task Force as they look at me while I'm out of the shower.
Not like there's a reason I shouldn't, I was doing a job in Abydos, got sand all over me like how I got my original moniker of Sandman and when I came in to tell them, none of them were there. So, I left them a note in the clubroom.
Except, from the way they look, they must have finished up a particularly dirty job, Shiroko had the mask I gave her, Serika's hair was loose, and I could see dust on all of them so they probably didn't stop by the clubroom.
So here we are, me in only a towel and the girls' looking at me in shock and blushing up a storm.
"Hey," I start, smiling as I shift to look at them, "sorry for dropping by unannounced, I was jus-."
Before I could finish, the knot tying the towel around my waist goes undone, thankfully, I manage to grab one side before it can fall completely, obviously, that means the other side still fell.
I just looked at the towel crumpled on the floor, unwilling to look up until I pulled up the side of the towel I was holding and then tied it again and then looked up, hoping that nothing was seen. Sadly, their expressions said otherwise.
Shiroko's blush was the least intense but her eyes were also the least focused, blinking blankly as her ears twitch with little change to her usual expression beyond showing something that is definitely not 'interest'.
Hoshino was next with a sheepish and awkward smile with her blush while scratching her cheek despite her glances back to me.
Nonomi was holding a hand to her cheek, eyes wide and mouth closed as a blush lit up her face, her eyes roaming around like she didn't know where to look before returning to me.
Ayane was next with her mouth on the verge of screaming, her glasses crooked and her hands over her eyes, but her pupils were still visible within the gaps of her fingers.
Serika was redder than a tomato, her mouth gaping and her eyes wide while her ears twitched as she seemed stunned.
That's enough observation for today.
Slowly, I grab my stuff and step towards them, all of them moving as I enter an empty classroom and change there.
Sadly, I wasn't far enough to miss Shiroko piping up and saying, "Nn, Binah sighted."
I elected, then and there, to leave through the window once I was in normal clothing, ignoring my own laughter and the shame burning together.