NIKKE Xenoverse
Mission 12: Snow Blues Part 7
Chatterbox laid on the ground, coughing out black blood as Snow White stalked over to the hulking Rapture. Rapi holstered her rifle as she wiped sweat from her brow. Yuni stuck at Suskian's side as the hybrid Saiyan sighed and relaxed. They were locked in battle with Chatterbox for 30 minutes now and it was a grueling battle… But, thanks to Snow White… They came out relatively okay.
"Spare… Me…" Chatterbox gurgle as he coughed out more black blood onto the white snowy ground. Snow White winced at the amount of blood Chatterbox coughed out.
"Are you asking for mercy? You think your kind deserves mercy?" Snow White asked him seriously as she glared down at him, "What about all the countless Nikke that fell to your kind's hands?"
"Spare… Me… Please…" Chatterbox gurgle again as he reached his hand up to the sky. Snow White clicked her tongue at this and pointed her gun at him.
"Pathetic creature. I won't show mercy to you," Snow White said. Suskian then flinched as an overwhelming presence seemed to appear out of nowhere and he immediately looked up in shock.
"My… Queen…" Chatterbox said and Snow White looked confused as Rapi glanced back at Suskian and saw him looking up. Yuni also looked up and yelped in shock. The clouds parted way to reveal a black hole above them and out of the black hole… Was a HUGE mecha with no legs hovering down from the black hole.
"That's the same black hole Alice and Ludmilla saw!" Suskian yelled as he points to the black hole.
"What the hell is that?!" Yuni yelled in shock.
"My Queen… You show mercy, even to a lowly monster like me…" Chatterbox called to the mecha.
"Wait, THAT'S the queen?!" Yuni yelped in horror.
"...This is not what I expected to happen today," Suskian muttered as the mecha hovered a few feet above the ground and dozens of flying Raptures came out of the hole as well to surround the group. The mecha's head opens up and a silver haired woman comes out of the cockpit and floats down to the ground. She had a silver visor covering her eyes as she looked out at the small group.
"…A Heretic! A Nikke who sold out mankind for her bastard being of a Queen! A traitor…" Snow White yelled in anger as she was about to raise her weapon but the sheer amount of Raptures responded in kind, weapons and lasers drawn at a moment's notice.
"…Snow White, wait. This might be a bad suggestion, but let's hear her out. I don't know why she is here… But, I do know she is siding with the same enemy I have here. I got some things I need to know… Maybe she can answer it better than Chatterbox can," Suskian told Snow White and Snow White glanced back at Suskian with a confused expression on her face, "Besides, Yuni is still injured. I need to keep her safe, as her Commander." Snow White sighed heavily as she lowered her gun.
"Ah. I see someone has common sense," the Heretic said in a sickly sweet tone, "Hello, otherworlder. I see you and the Pilgrim gave my dear Chatterbox a world of trouble. If anything, you're an incredible specimen. No wonder you're a hit with the other Heretics… And, the Queen herself."
"Okay, so you're not the Queen," Suskian said as he nods his head.
"I would never impersonate my Majesty," she said in a faux shocked tone, "In fact, I revere her in the highest regard. Such blasphemy would not stand."
"Okay, cool. So, what are you doing out here?" Suskian asked seriously as he raised an eyebrow, "Is this all for me…?"
"I wonder… How much can you provide for the Raptures besides procreation?" she asked as she folded her arms under her chest. Both Rapi and Yuni looked shocked at this as Suskian sighed and slapped his forehead.
"…What is it with you people and sex…?" Suskian muttered.
"Oh, you don't know? You have a special D.N.A. that is capable of emitting high waves of hybrid cells. That means you can make perfect hybrids if you were willing to," she said and Suskian looked genuinely confused at this, "The old lady with the weird name and the cloaked woman confirmed it with your blood samples."
"BLOOD SAMPLES?! HOW THE FUCK DID THEY GET BLOOD SAMPLES OF MINE?!" Suskian asked in disgust.
"Well, if you're as careless in battle as you are knowing certain things… You would miss a few things. At any rate, we could use your sperm for making Rapture/Saiyan hybrids if we wanted to. But, since you would be unwilling to do that… Might as well take you away and extract it that way," she said in an unsettling tone.
"Yeah, no. I'm not doing that," Suskian said as he shook his head, "You can just kill me at this point…"
"Where is this conversation going…?" Snow White asked in shock and disgust.
"I'm with you on that…" Rapi shuddered.
"Now, we're REALLY not handing him over to you… As if we were gonna do that in the first place, even if you begged us," Yuni said as she held Suskian's left hand.
"…Hard way it is, then," the Heretic said as she shrugged her shoulders and pointed to them, "Get them."
"Move! Now!" Snow White yelled as she fired off a large white beam at the Heretic and the Heretic dodges the attack and retrieves Chatterbox and escapes. The dozens of Raptures attack the small group and Suskian, with a yell, repels them back with a Shockwave that forces the Raptures back.
"My Queen, Modernia… We should…" Chatterbox groaned.
"Don't talk, sweet Chatterbox. I'll fix you up and we can capture the Saiyan together with no problem," she said. Chatterbox passed out and Modernia loaded Chatterbox into the mecha and it flew off as she got into the cockpit and the mecha flew off while the group fought the Raptures.
"Hey, she's getting away! Get back here!" Snow White yelled as she blasted another Rapture into pieces, "Come on, we have to go after her!"
"Wait… I need a minute to process this now," Suskian said as he looked down. The Raptures were already Defeated as soon as Modernia escaped with Chatterbox.
"No time! We can't let her-" Snow White yelled and stopped as she saw the look on Suskian's face- Lost and shook, "…Okay, a few minutes. What the hell was that all about…?"
"I… Don't know. That all was news to me. I knew they were making new Raptures, the Demon Realm. I didn't know they would also make hybrid Saiyan/Raptures using my D.N.A.," Suskian said as he had a serious look on his face. Rapi placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her.
"Even more to unpack here… I think we need some time off to process this after we're done here."
"Yeah, no shit," Yuni muttered as she looked down and sighed, "…I remember Melina saying Fia was after your life force for this Godwyn being. Now, the Raptures want your D.N.A. to make hybrids? How is that gonna work?"
"…Snow White. What is a Heretic? This is the first time I'm hearing of this," Suskian told her.
"A Heretic is a Nikke that betrayed all of mankind to serve the Rapture Queen. That's pretty much the short of it," Snow White said as she holstered her gun.
"That Nikke… Had Rapture parts grafted on her body," Suskian told Snow White seriously, "That means somehow… They found a way to merge a Nikke with a Rapture. Maybe they also found out a way to make a Saiyan and Rapture hybrid… I wouldn't put it past Dakimu to do that. She did make the Lust Wyrm… With little time in this world than the others who had resided in this realm."
"…I met one of them on the way here. They did call themselves a Demon," Snow White told Suskian as she folded her arms, "They were… Overwhelmingly powerful. I barely put a scratch on him… And, they dealt one punch that sent me on my ass. I could barely breathe or anything… You are as strong as them?"
"Yes," Suskian said seriously and Snow White went silent at this, "This isn't good. We need to catch up to Modernia and… I don't know, get more answers out of her? I don't know how they can make a hybrid Saiyan/Rapture, more or less how many they can make at this point… Nor do I want to know, but I have to."
"We need to find the others… But, I don't know how far they are from us," Rapi said seriously.
"Well, hope they can find some shelter. Another snowstorm is coming," Snow White said seriously as she looked up at the sky and saw that the clouds reformed and a heavy snowfall was coming down.
"Let's… Find shelter quickly," Suskian said in an exhausted tone.
"Ditto," Rapi said.
"Follow me. I got a camp nearby… We can ride out the storm there," Snow White said and they group quickly followed behind her and moved northward.
[-]
An Hour Later, Campsite
"Jeez, Suskian. That's rough… No wonder you're freaked out," Snow White said as she poked at the campfire she made with a long stick.
"No kidding. That's 2 women that want me for nefarious reasons. I'm not some Adonis or anything like that… Why are so many women flocking around me like this?" Suskian said as he rubbed the back of his head, "Not that I mind it with you 2, Yuni and Rapi…"
"Well, you're you, Suskian… You're caring to us… As well as pure hearted," Yuni said as she sat on his lap while looking up at him, "I would follow you to the ends of the earth."
"..." Snow White was silently watching Yuni snuggle up to Suskian and Rapi sit next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. The 3 looked almost… Content.
"You guys remind me of a couple comrades I had in the past who were super close," Snow White told them as she leaned on her left knee and smirked at them, "It's been a long while since I seen them."
"Oh? Were they as cool as Suskian?" Yuni giggled abs Snow White rolled her eyes.
"I wouldn't be that precocious, but sure," Snow White said as she poked at the fire more with her stick.
"Snow White… I didn't ask before, but… How long have you been on the surface?" Suskian asked Snow White and she glanced up at him with an… Almost sorrowful look in her eyes.
"Hard to say… I've been fighting Raptures since the First Rapture Invasion," Snow White told them and Yuni and Rapi looked aghast at her, completely shocked at this.
"Wait… That's impossible. The first invasion happened… Over a century ago," Yuni said softly as she leaned back against Suskian and had him wrap his arms around her waist.
"That means… You have been up here that long?" Rapi asked in shock, "Wait, were you part of the Goddess Squad?" Snow White nods her head and Rapi had a surprised look on her face as Yuni had stars in her eyes.
"…I'm so lost…" Suskian said softly.
"Oh, right. You only know the bare minimum, don't you?" Rapi said as she looked at Suskian, "The First Rapture Invasion happened over a century ago, when we had built the Space Elevator. That place is littered with Raptures now… No way anyone can get close to it. I'll give you a history lesson when we get back."
"…He doesn't know that?" Snow White asked.
"No. Actually, he isn't from our world," Rapi said as she glanced at Snow White and the Pilgrim blinked a few times in confusion, "Okay, how about this? Do you remember seeing a crack in the sky about several days ago?" Snow White looked down and hummed before looking up and saying…
"No. But, a colleague of mine saw it while she was traveling around the city ruin district and told me about it," Snow White said as she stared at Suskian, "You're telling me you came out of it?"
"Yes," Suskian said seriously and Snow White stared at Suskian, "I should look suspicious, as I have a tail. No human has a tail, in any instance. I've seen other Nikke have tails and animal features… But, that's it."
"…Huh. Interesting… That does help explain why those Heretics wanted you. The first human to come from a different world. Still…" Snow White said and Suskian held up a holoscreen in front of his face, "…That's new."
"It's understandable that you don't trust me 100%. I don't expect you to, with how much experience you have on the surface. But, I would never lie about my existence," Suskian told Snow White, "I'm just as lost as you in a few things. I'm just… Trying to find my way as I protect the ones I care about."
"…Well, hold onto that conviction. Don't lose it," Snow White said seriously as she stared at him.
[-]
The Next Day
"Man, who would have guessed that they would go this far out here…?" Yuni said as the group trudged through the arctic tundra, following where Modernia had taken Chatterbox and trying to catch up with them.
"They're tenacious, if not committed," Snow White said as she shook her head.
"Agreed," Suskian said as he rubbed the back of his head, "I can't pick up on Chatterbox's energy… But, it's weird."
"What's weird?" Rapi asked as she turned to Suskian.
"Even if Chatterbox vanished into thin air, there would a small trace of energy to track. It's almost like… He's hiding his presence… Which is possible. But, he didn't do it before…" Suskian said seriously.
"The other Heretic is probably masking his presence, as to hide him away," Snow White said as she glanced back at Suskian and Rapi, "A hulking behemoth like that Rapture wouldn't be that hard to find out here. He's fully exposed out here…"
"Sweetie, I can try and track him again," Yuni offered as she turned to look up at him.
"Just be careful, okay?" Suskian told her and she held his hand while closing her eyes. She snapped them open after a few seconds and pointed northwest.
"I'm getting a faint presence coming from that way," Yuni told Suskian as she looked in the direction she was pointing towards.
"You heard the little lady. Let's move," Suskian said.
"Hope this isn't a trap," Snow White said seriously as she led the way. Rapi followed behind Snow White and Suskian and Yuni followed behind her, keeping their guards up.
[-]
"What the hell is she doing to him…?" Suskian muttered as the group hid behind a large stone sticking out of the ground as the small group was spying on Modernia as it looked like she was patching up Chatterbox.
"It looks like she is repairing him… But, why is she grafting Rapture parts onto his body?" Yuni said as she stared on in confusion.
"Maybe that's how they repair themselves?" Rapi said seriously.
"At any rate, they're acting pretty chummy with each other… It's almost sickening to see," Snow White frowned, "Let's crash their party."
"Be careful. This could be a trap," Suskian said seriously as he glanced at Snow White, Rapi, and Yuni. The 3 Nikke nodded their heads and carefully came out of hiding and moved quickly with weapons raised as Suskian stood behind them and followed behind them.
"Halt! Cease what you're doing!" Rapi ordered.
"Ah, you lot. I was wondering where you went… Especially the Saiyan," Modernia said as she stood up and glanced in their direction.
"You gave us the slip last time, and we were surrounded anyway…" Suskian said as he stared at Modernia.
"You're too cute, Saiyan. I can see why you attract a lot of women," Modernia teases Suskian.
"Can you enlighten me on that? I am still clueless on that," Suskian said as he rolled his eyes.
"Forget all that. We are gonna make sure you don't get away this time!" Snow White yelled as she points her gun at Modernia. The Heretic stared at Snow White and waves her hand to the side before scoffing at her.
"Oh, don't ruin the moment," Modernia said as she folded her arms, "Anyway, I see we are beyond words. Let's see if you can back them up…" Modernia then turned to Chatterbox and patted him on the head before flying into the air towards her mecha.
"Stay back. I'll handle the Heretic…" Snow White ordered them.
"Are you sure?" Rapi asked her and Snow White ran ahead, engaging in battle with Modernia.
"Guess so…" Suskian said softly.
[-]
Meanwhile…
The rest of the group were quickly trudging through the Snow, keeping a look out for their comrades. They were on high alert and were also worried sick for them.
"…How can they get this far? How much did Chatterbox go with them?" Anis asked seriously as she shook her head.
"I know Rapi wouldn't let him go that fast… She would have definitely caught up with them," Ryu said seriously as he shook his head.
"Even then… This is unfamiliar territory to them. Even if they are fighting him, they would need to get away… And, they went a distance away," Roberta said seriously, "Loona, do you have a scent on them?"
"…No. It's like it's being masked for some reason. This is worrisome. I'm picking up a different scent, though… One that is metallic in nature. Huge, too… And, it's in the same direction Rapi ran," Loona said as she turned back to the group.
"…I think we should follow it. We got no other leads," Bradley said seriously as he shook his head.
"Loona, keep following the scent," Akeno said and Loona nods her head, turning back into her wolf form and keeping her nose to the air while moving ahead. Ryu looked down as he went into deep thought.
"Something isn't right… Why would Chatterbox take Suskian like that? What purpose would Suskian serve to their cau-" Ryu thought as he rubbed his chin.
"Commander," Tsubasa spoke up as she came up beside him. He glances at her and she gave him a calm look.
"What is it, Tsubasa?" Ryu asked her kindly.
"…Are you thinking about why Chatterbox took Suskian and Yuni, too?" Tsubasa asked and he nods his head, "I've been… Theorizing about it this whole time. I think I have a concrete idea on why they want him."
"Lets hear it," Ryu said and Tsubasa folded her arms under her modestly sized chest.
"…Remember when we were facing that Lust Wyrm several days ago?" Tsubasa asked him and he nods his head, "Well, I figure they are trying to make something… Using the D.N.A. from Suskian in some way. Maybe they need something from him…"
"…That almost sounds ridiculous, but look who we're up against," Roberta spoke up as she glanced back at then. Melina, who was silently thinking to herself, had quickly froze up and frowned at this.
"That's EXACTLY what they are doing," Melina growled and everyone looked at her, "It makes sense. We haven't been in this world long, but we have already discovered so much. It's like they wanted to work in the shadows, but we already found them out and they are trying to work overtime and take something from him."
"Blood, maybe?" Theresa asked.
"…Knowing Fia is with them, not just blood," Melina said grimly. Dawnbreaker had a collective shudder at this.
"They want him to breed with their Heretics," Roberta surmised.
"What?! Why would they want to do that?!" Anis asked seriously.
"Think about it. Suskian is shown to be capable of combating them in every way… So, of course they would find a way to replicate that. Sickening, but genius," Theresa said as she shook her head.
"But, have they thought about the time they need to birth a new Saiyan? It's still gonna take 9 months, at most…" Melina said in disgust.
"Maybe… they thought of that. Otherwise, they wouldn't have kidnapped him so fast…" Tsubasa said calmly. That… Got everyone thinking.
"…Did Dakimu tell us how long she took on making the Lust Wyrm?"
"…No," IF said as she shook her head, "This is a HUGE gamble they are taking here. But, who's to say it would work quickly?"
"That's the thing I'm confused about. Even if they have him, how long would they need…?" Tsubasa asked as she shook her head. Then, she thought back to the battle with the Lust Wyrm and remembered that Suskian wad hacking away at the beast while on its back. Maybe… Wait.
"Shit, maybe Suskian didn't tell us he took damage during the Lust Wyrm fight. He was fine, but… Maybe something happened and we have no idea," IF said as she shook her head.
"I'd like to say that wouldn't be the case, but…" Mihara said as she moved her hair to the side, "I would like to think that they must have taken a blood sample from him in some point and he was unaware. Or, they took one from the battlefield, which is the most likely of the 2 scenarios."
"Damn, that is horrifying…" Chris said, "So, if they did take his blood and found out a way to use hybridization on his blood with… A Rapture… Then, we might have some SEVERE problems in the future." This sent a collective shiver to everyone.
"Is Prince in danger…?" Alice asked innocently.
"Very," Melina said darkly, "Loona, step on it. Track faster."
"I'll do tha-" Loona said and an explosion made her jump and look towards the direction of the explosion, "What the fuck?!" Everyone also looked to the direction of the explosion and saw a HUGE red mushroom cloud rising into the air. They also see Modernia's large mecha rising into the air.
"What… The… Fuck…" Ryu said in shock.
"Yep, that's definitely where they are," IF thought as she ran ahead.
"IF! Everyone, go!" Bradley called and everyone ran behind IF.
[-]
Back with Snow White, Suskian, Rapi, and Yuni..
A low pitched ringing was heard from Suskian's ears as he laid in the snow, blinking away his ringing headache. That last blast was as powerful as his own Ki Blasts and it definitely felt like he was hit by several of them at once. He slowly sat up after the headache went away and saw that Snow White, Rapi, and Yuni were laid out on the ground, injured and not moving. Modernia hovers down from the mecha's cockpit and walked over slowly and menacingly to Suskian, who groaned out and struggled to get to his feet.
"Don't get up, sweetie… We have much to discuss about your… Coming orders," Modernia said as she stood over him and taps his chest with her left index finger. She then grabs his shirt and slammed him back down to the ground with such surprising force that it cracked the ground underneath him. He yelled in pain as he felt his bones rattle. This woman was WAY stronger than he'd like to admit.
"Lady Nihilister does have good taste in men, after all… Sad that she called dibs on you…"
"Am I supposed to be happy about that…?" Suskian groaned as he stared at Modernia.
"As cute as you are, I'm surprised you aren't jumping st the chance to breed a Heretic like me…" Modernia told him.
"You're technically still a Nikke. I can't get Nikke pregnant," Suskian groaned as he rolled his eyes at her. She giggled as she glanced at him.
"Oh? And, what if I say… We found a way around that…?" Modernia said as she trailed a hand down his chest. She then sat on his lap and stared at him. In that moment, Suskian just… Looked astonished at her. Her eyes… Reminded him of someone. Someone he never thought he would see again. Her eyes looked just like…
"…Marian?" Suskian said softly and Modernia raised an eyebrow at this.
"Who's Marian?" Modernia asked quizzically, "A lost lover of yours?"
"…You're not serious. You're Marian…" Suskian said and sensed something familiar about her, which horrified him. Her energy may be different, but it also felt familiar. He also… Saw inside her the same brain waves he saw when he scanned her brain before. No bugs… But, this was the first time he was looking in a Rapture brain, technically. And, what he saw… Was almost like a storm of electric waves. It was almost like he was looking into a static screen off of a T.V. in a way. But, one thing is for sure… This is Marian, no doubt.
"Oh? Are you saying that I was an ally of yours? Interesting…" Modernia said with a smirk as she leaned in close, "Makes the experience even better."
"Get off… This is wrong, on so many levels," Suskian said as he moved Modernia back.
"Aww… Are you SUUUUURE?" Modernia said in a cute and seductive tone. Suskian grimaced at that and Modernia pouts as she stands up and stared down at him.
"Why are you denying it? It would be better for both of us if you comply… Plus, I hate to force you," Modernia told him as she Bends down and winks at him, "Lady Nihilister won't need to know…"
"I don't care. I'm not giving you anything," Suskian told her and she frowned at this, "You're Marian, anyway… How are you alive…? You died and IF and Vert mourned your death. It's not possible for you to be alive…"
"…Why do you keep calling me Marian? I'm Modernia," she said in annoyance as she got close again. Just then, she was drop kicked in the face by Yuni, who got up and charged at her without a word.
"Stay away from Sweetie! He's not yours to take!" Yuni called as she Grips her rocket launcher in her hands and points it at Modernia, who was shocked and reeling from the attack. Modernia stood up and glared at the short girl.
"You will pay for that, brat!" Modernia yelled.
"Thank you. I like being called a brat," Yuni told her with a cocky smirk. A blue light emits from her hands and Modernia suddenly shrank to her knees.
"What the?!" Modernia yelled in shock.
"RAPI!" Yuni called and Rapi got up, firing at Modernia quickly. Modernia ducks out of the way and growled as Rapi ran forward and kicked the Heretic in the stomach. Modernia rolled a few feet away and Rapi then glared at the Heretic while her hair flickers red.
"Second Body, Activate. Override: Application. Mode: Red Hood," Rapi said and her hair changed to blazing red and a red scarf materialized around her neck. Modernia looked on in shock as Rapi yelled and tackled her to the ground, delivering bone crushing Punches to Modernia's body and face, making her yell in pain. Suskian then called out his holoscreen and snatched out a brown pouch from it. He opens it and pops a green bean into his mouth, crunching on it and swallowing it. His wounds healed instantly and he got to his feet as Modernia kicks Rapi off of her and got back to her feet.
"What kind of power is that?!" Modernia yelled as Rapi panted and began to flinch in pain, "Oh?" Rapi panted and glared at Modernia with one eye open.
"I… Will… Not let you… Take Suskian!" Rapi yelled as she cracked her neck and took a fighting stance.
"You're struggling to move over there… Seems this powers is fleeting," Modernia told Rapi.
"Don't care. You're going DOWN," Rapi growled and took off at Modernia, her show of speed shocking the Heretic.
"What…?! Fast…" Modernia said and was punched at breakneck speed, knocking her back several feet away to the ground. Rapi continued and stopped, coughing and panting as what looked like steam emitted from her body.
"Ugh! Why now…? Damn it!" Rapi groaned as he sank to her knees, "Move, body. Please!" Modernia staggered to her feet, wiping red blood from her chin and walking towards Rapi. She was then hit by a rocket, making her stagger.
"Damn it! YOU DAMN BRAT, YOU'RE NEXT!" Modernia yelled. Yuni stuck her tongue out at Modernia and the Heretic charged at Yuni.
"Kazanari Ittoryu: Hanzo Ryu Batonshi!" Tsubasa's voice called from a distance and a large red slash wave knocked Modernia off course and she skids to a stop, glaring at the incoming group. Anis, Ryu, and IF looked at Modernia in shock and Modernia stared at them before looking right at Ryu.
"…Commander?" Modernia said softly and flinched as she felt her head pounding.
"Marian?! How?!" IF yelled in shock as she stared at Modernia. Suskian got to his feet and glanced over at Rapi, who was laying on the ground, writhing in pain and gasping for breath.
"Shut down!" Rapi groaned and her hair turned back to blonde and the scarf vanished around her neck. Her vision doubled as she laid on the now melting snowy ground. Suskian and Yuni went over to check on her and Yuni yelped as she touched Rapi on her arms. Her body was EXTREMELY hot to the touch.
"She's burning up! We need to cool her down!" Yuni panicked.
"I… Need coolant or something similar…" Rapi panted as she looked up at Suskian.
"MELINA!" Suskian yelled and Melina turned to Suskian as he looked back at her in a panic, "I NEED YOU!"
"I'm coming!" Melina yelled and ran over to him.
"Chatterbox, are you done resting?! We have guests!" Modernia called and Chatterbox leaps into the air and lands beside Modernia. Bradley stared at the monstrous Chatterbox with a dark look on his face.
"You…" Bradley said lowly and his Nikke looked at him in concern, "You have NO idea what you took from me and my sister…"
"Am I supposed to know who you are, human?" Chatterbox asked Bradley as he glared at him.
"You should. You killed my parents," Bradley told Chatterbox, "5 years ago…" Chatterbox blinked and then laughed as he remembered.
"You're the sickly little boy that didn't amount to much, aren't you? Laughable that we meet again," Chatterbox said and Bradley grits his teeth.
"Bradley, don't let him goad you like that," Kyouka said to him calmly as she touched his arm.
"No time to dwell. We got a fight on our hands! Girls, get ready!" Roberta called, "Ludmilla, Alice… aide Phoenix. We got to aide Suskian and the others while they are helping Rapi!"
"Dawnbreaker, Emperor Shield formation! Keep her off us!" Suskian called.
"ROGER!" Dawnbreaker called.
"Yuni… Go help. It's okay… You and Mihara would be helpful," Suskian told her.
"I can help… Ugh. Fucking hell…" Snow White groaned as she sat up and cracked her neck.
"Here, eat this," Suskian called as he tossed her a green bean. She looked at it for a second and then ate it quickly. Her body rapidly healed and she looked surprised at how refreshed she was.
"Damn, that shit hit the spot. What was that?" Snow White asked as she picks up her weapon.
"Senzu Bean. Heals all wounds and organs back to a healthy state," Suskian said, "Keep her busy as long as you can."
"Got it. Stay low," Snow White said and rushed to join the fight. Suskian and Melina looked over Rapi as her body was still steaming.
"Suskian…" Rapi gasped in pain.
"Shh… Don't talk. We got you," Suskian told her and Melina closed her eyes. Then, what looked like a blue light surrounded Rapi and the steam slowly went away and Rapi breathes in and out slowly and ruggedly, like she had just finished running a marathon. She glanced up at Suskian and reached out to touch his cheek. He held her hand and she smiled at him.
"Thank you…" Rapi said softly.
"Don't mention it," Suskian told her and Rapi slowly passed out from fatigue.
"…What was that form she took?" Suskian thought as he looked Rapi over slowly. He looked at Melina and she nods her head, placing a hand on Rapi's chest and Rapi began glowing golden yellow. Her pained look went away slowly as she breathed easier. Suskian and Melina worked on Rapi as the others combated Modernia and Chatterbox.
Phoenix, Ludmilla, and Alice had Chatterbox on the backfoot, ensuring that the hulking Rapture doesn't get the upper hand. Bradley, especially, was delivering some devastating Punches to Chatterbox's chest as it tried to grab one of his Nikkes.
"You're NOT taking someone from me AGAIN!" Bradley roared in rage as Chatterbox staggered back from the recent punch.
"A mere human like you shouldn't be able to damage me this much!" Chatterbox yelled as he reeled in pain.
"I won't spill any secrets, bub!" Bradley yelled as Akeno unleashed a lightning storm onto Chatterbox. Chatterbox roared in pain as it shrank back.
"What the?! How?!" Chatterbox yelled.
"No secrets told, Rapture freak," Akeno told him as she flew above him with her hands coated in electricity. Ludmilla and Alice unloaded dozens of bullets from their guns on Chatterbox as Kyouka knelt on the ground and what looked like earphone jacks stabs into the ground, emitting Shockwaves that kicked up the snowy ground and knocked him back. Snow White unleashed a large beam that stunned and blew a hole in Chatterbox's torso once again.
"Nepgear, you're clear to go!" Kyouka yelled.
"Thanks, Kyouka!" Nepgear called as she ran ahead of her and leaps into the air, materializing what looked like a fusion of a beam Saber and Sniper Rifle in her hands and dove down towards Chatterbox and bellows out a battle cry, cutting Chatterbox down the middle. A huge slash wave rips out of the back of Chatterbox and raced along the ground behind him, blowing away a huge stone behind him. Chatterbox coughed out black blood onto the ground as he fell onto his back.
"Chatterbox down!" Nepgear called as she looked at the fallen Rapture. She glanced back at the others and nods her head.
Counters, Dawnbreaker and Wardress were locked deep in combat with Modernia, keeping her on the defensive with their tight formations and teamwork.
"I'm impressed… Even if I'm outnumbered, I should be easily beating you all. But, seems I'm mistaken…" Modernia said as she stood up and cracked her neck, "I'm saddened, though… Why don't we share your dear friend and Commander there? My Lady needs him by her side, and we can make new Rapture hybrids that can be even more powerful than ever."
"No, that is the EXACT reason why we ain't giving him over," Mihara said seriously as she aimed her gun at Modernia, "Unlike you, who wants to use him like breeding stock… We treasure all he does for us by being loyal to him. Like we will EVER give him to the likes of you and your allies." Modernia shrugged her shoulders and stared at them.
"Suit yourself… I'm not really gonna ask again. I'm just gonna take him," Modernia said.
"CUT IT OUT, MARIAN!" IF yelled in anger, "You think this shit is funny?! It's NOT! You never took orders from anyone, including me! How can you forget that?!"
"I told you, my name is-" Modernia said and flinched as a black aura surrounded her body, "NNGH! My head…" Everyone looked at each other before Ryu spoke up.
"Marian?! Marian, are you there?!" Ryu called and Modernia yelled in pain, sinking to her knees while the black aura began expanding.
"Marian… Yes. My name is Marian… Of the Silver Gun Squad. 2nd In Command, behind IF… Nice to meet you…" Modernia stammered as she looked up, her eyes not glazed over but they looked… Familiar to IF.
"Marian! Yes, I'm here! Can you hear me?!" IF called as she puts her weapons away and rushed to her side.
"IF, STOP! IT'S DANGEROUS!" Theresa called and rushed after her.
"Iffy…? Iffy… I'm sorry… Tell Commander… It was an honor…" Modernia said softly and the black aura explodes, creating a MASSIVE mushroom cloud that engulfed the entirety of Counters, Dawnbreaker, and Wardress as well as Ryu. In the distance, Suskian and Melina as well as Phoenix, Unlimited, and Bradley heard the explosion.
"What the hell?!" Suskian called as he stood up and ran over to the explosion, "Guys!" Melina carried Rapi in her arms and followed Suskian.
"What happened?!" Bradley called as he looked ahead at the explosion and covered himself from the raging winds that pushed them back. In the epicenter of the explosion, only Modernia laid on the ground… And she suddenly was picked up by a man in a black suit of armor that emitted nothing but malice. It conjured up a black portal behind him and walked with Modernia in his arms without another word. IF, who was nearby but her legs broken on impact with the ground from the explosion that blew her back, crawled slowly towards the portal but reached out fruitlessly for Modernia.
"Marian… No… Marian… Come back…" IF moaned and passed out after the portal vanished. All around the crater, the unconscious bodies of Wardress, Counters, and Dawnbreaker laid strewn out in many different ways. The rest of the group made it to the crater and looked down to see the others laying in the crater.
"What the fuck…?" Kyouka said lowly, "The Heretic did THIS?"
"…She's definitely a force to be reckoned with," Loona said as she shook her head. Suskian slid down into the crater to the nearest body, which was Mihara. He knelt beside her and checked her and see if she was still alive
"Bradley, can Loona check and see if anyone is… Still alive?" Suskian asked grimly.
"No need. That's Nepgear's job. She can sense for signs life if they aren't in a body," Bradley told him.
"They're all still alive… Barely. That explosion was way too powerful, though… Where's Ryu, though?" Nepgear asked.
"…Here," Ryu called as he raised a hand into the air outside of the crater, "Ungh. God, everything hurts…" Snow White went over to check on Ryu and helped him up.
"How did you end up in the outside of the epicenter of that explosion?" Akeno asked him.
"…Anis threw me back several feet as Marian blew up," Ryu said calmly as he shook his head, "Helped a bit, though… My body feels like a ragdoll." Mihara stirred back to consciousness and coughed out ash and groaned.
"Ow. That… Wasn't pleasant. Where's…?" Mihara asked and looked up at Suskian, "Is Yuni…?"
"I'm good… I think. I wanna get laid after this damn mission, please…" Yuni whimpered as she raised an arm into the air and flinched as she couldn't get up, "My fucking spine… Damn it, I can't move…"
"Yuni," Mihara groaned and got to her feet and began limping over to Yuni's paralyzed body. Suskian helped her over and both of them checked on Yuni.
"I can't give you a Senzu for this. It's gonna heal incorrectly," Suskian told Yuni, "You need a new body."
"…What else is new…?" Yuni grumbled, "I'm sorry I wasn't much help, Sweetie."
"Fuck that. You stopped her from fucking me non-consensually," Suskian told Yuni and pet her on the head "Thank you, Yuni."
"Mmm… Well, it's worth it… Oww, not worth it. Fuck," Yuni said and flinched at the pain.
"Ugh… I need a vacation," Theresa groaned as she cracked her neck and back, "And a chiropractor… Jesus, that was crazy. Where's IF?"
"Down there," Mihara said as she points down at the middle of the crater. IF was still unconscious at the bottom of the crater, her body the most damaged from the explosion since she was the closest to Modernia.
"I'll get her," Suskian said and slid down to the bottom of the crater.
"…This is gonna be hell to report," Bradley said as he helped out Chris and Neon, who were next to each other. Chris was shielding Neon, from what it looked like.
"Ugh… My head…" Neon groaned and looked to see Chris hugging her tightly, "Uhh…" A blush appeared on Neon's cheeks.
"Cute," Bradley joked as he looked at them. Snow White was helping out Ryu by patching him up as Suskian made it down to IF and checked her body out. Her legs were busted to shit, her chest was burned heavily, and her left arm was charred black.
"Oh, shit… She needs repairs BAD," Suskian said as he picks her up in his arms as the others seemed to rouse.
"Ugh… Everything hurts…" Anis called out, "Is everyone alive?"
"Define alive…" Revy groaned as she laid on the ground in pain, her back broken.
"Breathing? Yes," Roberta sighed as she removed some shrapnel from her torso and tossed it aside, "Damaged? Hell yes."
"Other than traumatized by being nearly blown up… I'd say we got out of that alive," Theresa said as she dusted herself off. Tsubasa was sitting cross-legged on the ground, her clothing burned and she checked her sword out, which was… Charred black with some sections of the sword marred. She clicked her teeth in frustration as she sheathed her weapon. Bradley went over to check on her and she gave him a glare before softening her look and sighed.
"…That was a family heirloom, wasn't it?" Bradley asked her and she slowly nods her head, "I'm sorry."
"You didn't break it. I was careless," Tsubasa said as she stood up.
"We can get it repaired when we get back to the Ark," Bradley offered to Tsubasa and she glanced back at him with a wary look and saw the genuine concern on his face. She sighed again and stood up slowly.
"That's kind of you, really…" Tsubasa said and walked past him, "But, I think I'll manage with getting a new sword."
"That's fair," Bradley said as Nepgear came up to his side and hugs his left arm.
"It's okay, Brad… She just need time," Nepgear told him softly and he nods his head with a small smile. Suskian carried IF out of the crater and laid her on the ground, which woke her up and she groaned, clenching her fists and grabbed a small clump of snow in each hands, feeling frustration build up in her chest.
"DAMN IT!" IF yelled in frustration as she hits the ground in anger, "We… We were so close to getting Marian back… It's not fair…"
"…IF," Suskian said softly and she looked up at him and he sighed, "It… Marian is in there, but it was difficult to get her out for me. I didn't know her personally, so maybe that's the reason. Still, a lot has happened since we separated again… A lot I need to tell you guys. For now, we need to contact Vert and Shifty and tell them what's going on… And, get some medical attention."
"…I know. I'm just frustrated," IF told him as she looked up at him. He knelt beside her and had a rather haunted look on his face, which IF found unsettling.
"…What did she tell you?"
"They're trying to use my blood or sperm to make Rapture hybrids," Suskian said softly and IF frowned at that.
"Tsubasa was right. She theorized why Chatterbox went after you, and that was the conclusion," IF said seriously.
"…" Suskian silently looked at his second in command as she laid on the ground. This day… Just got a lot weirder…
[-]
Later That Day, Safe Zone…
"Fucking Alva Particles, I swear to God… We need a signal to get out, but nothing is getting out through this jamming signal," Theresa groaned as she tries again to contact the Ark. The groups were in small circles around some campfires, with Melina acting as the resident medic to alleviate pain from whoever was feeling it, which was IF, Revy, and Yuni mainly.
"And, we're kinda stranded in this snowstorm… Can't go anywhere," Bradley commented as he stood by a window and stared out at the billowing snow that fly around the window.
"Well, the only way we can get a signal out is by going out there and physically looking for a dead spot in the jamming signal to contact the Ark. But, it would be a death wish for me and you, Bradley… Strong as I am, even I have a tolerance to cold weather," Suskian said calmly as he held Yuni in his arms as she was unconscious.
"…Snow White? Can you do it? You're always walking out in the snow," Bradley asked Snow White as she was repairing her weapons. She glanced up at him and hummed.
"Yeah. I know where one dead zone is… I head there to contact my comrades all the time when I need assistance," Snow White said calmly as she finished up her repairs on her weapons and stood up, "Don't know how long I'll be, but… Hopefully the dead zone can agree with me."
"Agree? Is it not consistent?" Mihara asked her curiously.
"No. And, it's the closest to us right now… Like 3 miles from here," Snow White said, "But, I'm a fast runner, even in snow."
"Then, get to it. We don't have much time before one of our human companions freeze to death," Revy groaned as she glanced at the Pilgrim and turned over to Ryu, who looked like he was freezing by hugging himself in a blanket. Anis saddled up next to him and hugs him tightly and Rapi came up to hold him as well. Neon and Tsubasa, who was sticking to themselves or their partner, came over and huddled with Ryu to keep him warm.
"…Thanks, girls…" Ryu shuddered lowly.
"I'll be quick. But, I might not come back," Snow White said as she stretched her body out.
"How come?" Bradley asked.
"…If your people come, they might ask me to come back to the Ark. And, I can't do that yet… I have a mission to reclaim the surface for humanity. And, I won't accept a handout to come back to the Ark. In my eyes, it's like I'm accepting failure," Snow White explained.
"…I can respect it. Thanks for the assist, anyways… Snow White," Suskian told her with a smile, "I'll never forget this, I swear."
"Heh… Just be careful from here on out," Snow White told him with a smile, "Oh, take this. You'll need this for the future." She hands Suskian a bullet with a red tip and winks at him.
"Hold onto it for me, okay? You'll find it useful later… Just search the name Vapaus and you'll be put on the right path." Suskian puts the bullet away in his pants pocket and Snow White headed to the door. She glanced back and waved to everyone.
"Good luck on your end, everyone. Godspeed." Snow White opens the door and the snow began blowing into the safe area. She quickly headed out and closed the door behind her, making snow stop blowing into the safe area.
"Now what?" Anis asked and looked at Suskian and then at Bradley.
"Now, we wait…" Bradley said cryptically as he looked back out the window.
"In that case… Bradley, you should rest. You have been fighting and not resting much the entire mission," Nepgear said kindly as she came over to his side and touched his chest softly, "I worry for you health… I don't want you to pass out and freeze to death."
"…Gear, you know I won't. I just need to keep an eye out…" Bradley told her softly.
"We can take shifts," Kyouka said as she looked at him, "You don't have to be the lookout the entire time… Sleep. You deserve the rest." Bradley sighed and turned to Suskian, who gave Yuni over to Mihara.
"I got it from here. Your ladies need you," Suskian told him as he walked over to Bradley and Nepgear. The young man sighed and nods his head.
"…You remind me of my best friend from the Time Patrol. His name was Prince Soju of the Zenobian Clan. He always put his people first before himself," Suskian commented as he looked at Bradley, "That man don't know the first thing about rest unless his wife beat it into his brain with a rolling pin." Suskian chuckled at that and Bradley sweat dropped at that.
"Why do I feel like I'm gonna need an ice pack for my head?" Bradley asked and the Hybrid Saiyan laughed at that.
"Sorry. He says the same thing," Suskian told him as he pats Bradley on the shoulder, "Just rest, buddy. I got things from here." Bradley was led away by Nepgear to their group and Suskian glanced out at the window at the falling snow. It will be a long night…
[-]
Hours Later; Near Morning…
Suskian stared out the window, gazing at the falling snow and thinking about the past. He glanced back at the others and saw that mostly everyone were asleep… Besides Melina, who was keeping an eye on everyone. She had slept earlier and was awake, tending to them in any way she could.
"What a hectic few days," Suskian said softly.
"You're telling me," Melina said softly as she glanced up at him, "How do you feel?"
"Just… Out there," Suskian said as he glanced back out the window.
"…James," Melina said and Suskian glanced back at her slowly, "I know you. Tell me how you REALLY feel." He… Looked lost as he stared at Melina.
"I'm scared, Melina," Suskian told her as he looked down, "I've never dealt with anything like this… Something this… Scary. I know Fia wanted my sperm for Godwyn, but… This somehow feels different than that. More… Real, I guess…" Suskian shook his head and sighed, covering his face and Melina came over to hold him tightly.
"Shh… It's okay, honey. I'm here… I'm always here," Melina told him softly, "I know. I can understand it… Just lean on me if you need to vent." Suskian sighed and hugs Melina tightly.
"Thanks, my love…" Suskian told Melina and she rub his head soothingly, "I… Feel lost without you…" Just then, the sound of an engine can be heard in the distance. Both looked up and bright lights poured into the safe zone windows.
"Looks like Snow White got in contact with the Ark. I'll flag them down," Suskian said and both separated from each other, "I'll be right back." He quickly heads out and Melina closed the door behind him, careful to not let any snow billow in. She sighed and waited for Suskian to come back. Finally… This mission can be over and they can get back… But, their troubles are just beginning.
End Mission 12
Final Episode to Snow Blues Arc