-2: 68
I kicked open the doors to the recycling center and shouted, "SOPHIA! Change of plans!"
"Creator?" Sophia's confused voice echoed from the speakers.
Maxwell came in after me and then stared at the blinking terminal, her eyes wide in surprise, understanding, and then pure unrestrained excitement. "YOU HAVE AN AI LIKE ENIKK IN THE RECYCLING CENTER?!"
"BETTER!" I pointed at Sophia and said, "WE ARE MAKING ME A POWER ARMOR SUIT YESTERDAY!"
Sophia was quiet. Then she said, "Power armor suit?"
At that time, a literal red steel box rolled over. As it spun around, it revealed a monitor with Red Hood's face on it. "Lil Boss! You're back! And what's this about a power armor suit?"
"Red Hood!" I pointed at her. "Sorry, but your body's getting delayed! Change of plans! We're turning me into a Kamen Rider!"
Red Hood laughed. "I don't know what that is, Lil Boss, but count me in!"
Maxwell walked in, her golden microbots shimmering around her like a haze.
Sophia's voice echoed through the speakers. "...What is THAT?"
Maxwell spun, laughing. "Oh, these?" She clenched the air and the microbots turned into a giant golden hammer. "Only the coolest thing since the invention of gunpowder! Behold, the modular microbotics weapon, Baemax!"
I froze. "...Come again?"
Maxwell tilted her head, causing the golden microbots to flow around her again into a golden suit. "What? I'm a 'Bae' and my name is Maxwell. So together, Baemax. Don't you think it's a cool name, Cutey?"
"First of all, don't call me Cutey unless you want the entire Brave Squad to shank you. Second of all... I think it's cool. Just, uh. Surprising."
Big Hero 6 didn't exist in this universe, right? Like, it came out later than 2012 if I remember...?
The microbots were from the movie and 'Baymax' was also the main character other than Hiro in that...
Weird, but not a problem, I guess.
Maxwell nodded. "Good. Then..." She cracked her knuckles and said, "We're making Cutey a power suit... Funnily enough, I've been working on an advanced exoskeleton already."
My eyes widened and I spun to look at Maxwell. "EXOSKELETONS EXIST?!"
"Well, obviously, Cutey."
I ran my hand through my hair. "THIS IS NOT OBVIOUS! Oh my god, is this how other people feel around me? WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS STUFF?!"
Sophia spoke up and said, "Creator. That's because we assume you know everything about it..."
"IF I DID DO YOU THINK I WOULD BE SWINGING AROUND A STUPID SWORD?!" I tossed off my armor and weapons (though I made sure to palm my multitool just in case), letting them clatter against the floor. "Okay, scrap that. Forget everything. I'm heading back into the Ark as a goddamned Kamen. I've decided."
Red Hood laughed. "That's the spirit, Lil Boss! Pull off something crazy, just like Boss in the old days!"
I walked over to Sophia's terminal and smacked my hands down on the desk. "Sophia! Forget the Goddessium budget! We're blowing it all today!"
"...Today?"
"Yes!" I started typing in the schematics, detailing as much as I could remember how Warhammer 40K's power armors worked, how Power Ranger morphers operated, Kamen Rider coins, Kamen Rider belts... everything from that to Raiden's cyberninja suit from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Sophia parsed the details. Then, after a long silence, she said, "Creator. Tell me something."
"Yes, Sophia?"
"Are you planning to go to war with the Ark? Because can't these schematics equip an army on par with Nikke?!"
"Don't care, didn't ask, just help me make this. Maxwell, you too. Hell, grab Neon and Endless while you're at it."
Maxwell pulled out her phone. "Already on it, Cutey~"
"And stop calling me that."
Maxwell laughed. "I can't help it." She walked over and slung her arm over my shoulder. "You GET me, Commander. The joy of research, the mad rush of being on the pinnacle of a groundbreaking development..." She let out a grin that was definitely more than a bit insane. "Let's break this world in half."
===
The Commander's Office building. Specifically, Commander Hoopa's office room.
Rapi had headed there early in the morning to go over the latest reports since Nami was in the Ark with Anis. While Hana had helped, the iDoll Flower model wasn't very suited for paperwork... plus, she had holed herself up in her room to play through that visual novel she found.
Not only that, but since the commander had informed her that Marian was sick, Rapi had decided to stay close to keep an eye on her.
"Ugh..." Marian rinsed her mouth with a glass of lemon juice and then spat it out into a waste bin. "...Sorry you have to see me like this, Rapi..."
Rapi moved the waste bin aside and said, "It's no problem, Mari. But are you sure you're well?" She frowned. "Being nauseous like this... It's unnatural, isn't it?"
Marian shook her head. "I've done maintenance. And Endless helped scan me too. Nothing's wrong. I guess maybe it's just motionsickness from the road?"
"Hm... it could be." Rapi nodded. "Even with stabilizers, some Nikke are like that."
Marian laughed. "Well. I guess I'll just travel on foot in the future... or maybe if we can get air transport vehicles here again, it could help."
Rapi laughed as well and said, "Knowing the commander, that may come sooner than you think..."
Marian walked over to the commander's desk and said, "Are we doing paperwork again then?"
"That was my intention, yes." Rapi handed Marian a lemon soda and said, "Shifty is suffering under the bulk of the inventory we have to sort, so I figured that I would help her with that."
Marian took the can of soda from Rapi and cracked it open, sipping on it. As she did, her eyes widened and she let out a warm smile. "I see why Anis likes these. They're tasty."
Rapi chuckled. "Well. Try not to get TOO addicted. Anis might take offense at another person going through our limited supply of lemon soda."
Marian smiled and said, "Well she's not here right now, is she~?"
"True." Rapi chuckled again. "Then I suppose you should enjoy it while you can."
"I will!"
Rapi sat down at the commander's desk and then started pulling out the notes they made while at the 5th Arms Depot... No, the 5th Weapons Depot. That was the official title they were using from now on, so she should keep it consistent.
Marian sat down next to her and easily joined the flow of work. As they both made their way through the stack of paperwork, Marian said, "Did Commander leave for the Ark?"
"No. From the groupchat... and from how much Neon is spamming in it, he appears to be working on a 'grand technological development' with the others." Rapi chuckled as she stamped a requisition for supplies and slid it into the 'to be filed' pile. "Fortunately, Laplace and Drake both appear to be taking breaks after the last mission, otherwise we would likely have a disaster on our hands."
Marian giggled. "Those two DO get along with Commander a bit too well... like two little sisters and their older brother."
"I agree. Except the older brother is much too doting and caters to their nonsense too much..."
Rapi still remembered the hour long improv sessions those three had on the way to and from the 5th Weapons Depot...
Marian giggled again. "True! But that's why Commander is Commander. He wouldn't be him if he didn't."
"Mm." Rapi nodded. "I suppose that's correct. And Red Hood DID say that Andersen was just as silly, if not worse in his heyday."
"Then it's just like father like son, isn't it?"
Rapi sighed. "And that's my concern... From what I saw of Red Hood's memories, and of what she told me, Andersen had a bad habit of rushing headlong into battle despite being a normal human. And since our commander is definitely NOT a normal human, he'll likely be worse."
Marian smiled. "Well, that just means we have to keep him busy, don't we?"
Rapi blushed.
Marian laughed and then winced, rubbing her stomach.
Rapi noticed and frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No. Must just be phantom pains or something? I'm fine though!"
"Hm... Well, if you're sure there's nothing wrong."
"I'm sure!" Marian smiled. "If anything, it's probably the beer we drank on the way back."
Rapi sighed. "I DID warn you all that drinking beer close to a century old is like rolling dice, even if the first few were fine..."
"Teehee~"
Rapi shook her head. "Let's get to work then. I'm sure the commander plans to head to the Ark soon, so it's best if we get this done before then. Especially since Shifty might actually attempt to kill the commander for the sheer amount of work dropped on her lap if we don't finish this beforehand..."