-2: 80
Rapi jumped across the rooftops of the buildings in the Ark with Neon.
Trusting Neon to handle navigation, she fired her coilguns with bits of Rapture shrapnel they had grabbed along the way at the stray Raptures she could see. "This is a disaster... but it seems like our commander is handling it."
From their vantage point, Rapi could see that most of the Raptures were falling from the hole in the Dome of Eternity directly to where their commander was fighting with... Ark Ranger Black?
That was an interesting coincidence.
Laplace and Drake would definitely be disappointed they missed out...
But that aside.
Rapi shifted her gaze towards the Outer Rim. "...This was coordinated."
A group of Nikkes were being led by commanders and what looked like a Deputy Chief right towards the Outer Rim.
Neon glanced over as well and her eyes widened. "No way! Are they going to wipe out the Outer Rim?! Now?!"
Rapi came to a stop at a rooftop's edge and pursed her lips. "...This isn't good."
Was this an inside job?
While it wasn't possible to control the Raptures to coordinate an attack, it was possible to induce them to move by creating certain circumstances...
And with Absolute being corrupted...
"...I see." Rapi murmured. "Someone in the Central Government has more information than they let on. And they're planning to use all of this to pin on the Outer Rim."
Neon looked panicked and said, "They can't do that! The people in the Outer Rim... they're people too!"
"I agree. And that's the problem..."
Rapi took a look around from her vantage point.
Nikkes were moving to bring the civilians to safety.
The Central Government was going on lockdown because of the breach.
Elysion HQ was either on lockdown, wiped out, or desperately trying to sort out Absolute's corruption.
Missilis... didn't seem to be deploying anything.
Tetra Line... they were probably moving. The Underworld Queens were probably heading to resolve the situation with the Outer Rim...
'But if a Deputy Chief is involved...'
"What do we do, Rapi?!" Neon looked at Rapi and said, "Are we just going to ignore them? No one else is going to help!"
"...We are not equipped to help-"
"I am! I'm the equipment! I can stop them!" Neon looked at Rapi, pleading. "Please!"
Rapi pursed her lips. Then she glanced at her phone, thinking.
"...Do you think the commander will answer?"
Neon blinked. Then her eyes widened. "Of course he will! Master's amazing!"
There wasn't time, so Rapi didn't hesitate. She immediately called Commander Hoopa.
And he immediately answered on the first ring.
"Kinda busy here, Rapi! You and the other girls alright?!"
Muffled explosions and shearing steel echoed from the line.
Rapi had a lot to comment on that, as well as a lot of concern for the fact that their commander seemed to be actually engaging in close combat with a horde of Raptures...
But she focused and said, "Commander. A detachment of Nikkes and Commanders appear to be heading to wipe out the citizens of the Outer Rim. Neon wishes to help the Outer Rim. Your orders?"
Neon chimed in and said, "Please, Commander! They're people too!"
"What the fuck?! Really?! Some asshole is fucking using this as a pretext to- Gah! You're getting better, Raptures, but not good enough!"
The sound of screeching steel echoed again.
Then Hoopa said, "Anyway, go fuck them up. I'm DONE with this nonsense. We'll let Burningum clean up the mess later. Also, check in on Mari and the others! I haven't heard back from them- WHOA! Okay, time's up! Love you, bye!"
The phone line went dead.
Neon let out a relieved sigh and then smiled. "We got the okay! So let's go, Rapi!"
Rapi hesitated. "Going against a Deputy Chief... Wait." Rapi blinked. "...I forgot. Commander is Deputy Chief Andersen's son."
"...YEAH! That's right!" Neon nodded. "So it doesn't matter!"
Rapi laughed and said, "Yeah. I forgot between everything else... but it'll work itself out."
Andersen was known for insubordination anyway. And Commander Hoopa had proven more valuable than anything an ordinary commander or Deputy Chief had ever done since he had reclaimed portions of the surface.
So...
"Let's be heroes."
"YEAH!" Neon laughed and then started running. "Race you there, Rapi!"
Rapi sprinted after Neon. But as she did, she remembered Hoopa's words to check on the others, so she pulled out her phone to call Mari.
One ring, two... and then silence.
Rapi blinked and then frowned. 'That's odd...'
Still, it wasn't too worrisome. Marian could be a bit airheaded and miss a call.
Rapi tried calling Suri instead, since she would definitely pick up.
And like Rapi thought, Suri picked up right away.
"Rapi? Did something happen?"
Rapi kept running after Neon, but she kept talking as well. "Did you not see the hole in the sky?"
"Of course we did. That's why we're on the way to the elevator. Commander Hoopa said to head there. Did you not get the text?"
"What?" Rapi blinked and quickly lowered her phone to see that she did miss that text. Neon had too, apparently... but they had also been trying to not get shot at by Absolute at the time. "No, never mind. That's the right call. Head on up to the Outpost first and get reinforcements."
Suri started to respond, but then Marian's voice echoed as well.
"Is Commander okay?"
A big gap was up ahead. Seeing that, Neon grabbed Rapi to make the jump.
Rapi let Neon support her and kept talking. "He's fine, Mari. But I think he's worried about all of us since we're scattered. Anis should be alright since she's with Tetra Line, but we need someone to tell the others." Rapi glanced at the approaching Outer Rim and the mass-produced Nikkes gathering there along with some human commanders and Deputy Chiefs.
"...This might actually be war. So get support."
Suri groaned over the line.
But Marian spoke up and said, "Understood. We'll go get Endless and Matis, along with proper weapons-"
The line suddenly went dead.
Rapi's eyes widened and then she clicked her tongue. "...This isn't good."
Neon glanced at Rapi and said, "Did they hang up, or...?"
"Or. But we don't have time to worry about them."
Rapi sent a quick text to the commmander about Marian's situation. But after that, she had to focus because she and Neon were approaching.
"Should I just jump in front of them, Rapi?"
"...Go for it. Commander's being flashy too, so it's time for the Brave Squad to match up with its Commander."
"Perfect! Then hold on tight! Ultimate...!"
Rapi had a bad feeling, but she held on tight.
"FIREPOWER!"
Plasma... No, a substance 'like' plasma wreathed Neon's body and Rapi before she shot down, crashing in between the detachment heading out from the Ark and a few members of the Outer Rim that had already begun to gather.
"What is this?!" A gruff male voice echoed from the leader of the group from the Ark. A tall and muscular Deputy Chief with a black beard, mustache, and a red beret.
Rapi hopped off Neon the moment they landed and stood at Neon's side.
Behind them, she could see the Underworld Queens along with members of the Outer Rim. There was also a woman who looked... strangely like Instructor Ingrid? But with short black and red hair, along with a cap and practically covered head to toe in bombs.
...That was concerning. But Rapi focused her attention back to the detachment from the Ark.
Like she had seen from the start, there were commanders there along with mass-produced Nikkes.
And not just a few. Enough to run a proper purge.
So...
Rapi casually tied her hair into a quick ponytail and then said, "My name is Rapi, Vice Captain of the Brave Squad. The Outer Rim is under protection of Special Commando Hoopa." After saying that, she drew her coilguns and said, "I suggest you turn back. There are more pressing matters at hand like the hole in the Dome of Eternity."
The Deputy Chief... No.
Rapi recognized that man's face.
Deputy Chief Doban sneered and said, "A special commando? What is this, insubordination? Stand down." He stared at the Outer Rim denizens behind Neon and Rapi. "It's about time we get rid of this stain from the Ark."
Neon's usually bubbly demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold stare.
Before Rapi could speak up, the woman who looked like Instructor Ingrid called out to her.
"I-Is that true? Is Commander Hoopa... Did he really send you here to protect us?"
Rapi glanced back at her and said, "Are you the leader here?"
"Y-Yes. I mean, yes." The woman straightened and said, "I'm E.H. I am... I was the leader of Heavenly Ascension. But we weren't responsible for this! It was-"
Doban cut in and said, "It doesn't matter. Nikkes! Get ready to fire!"
Neon stepped forward. "Rapi. Can I?"
E.H. looked at Rapi and said, "We just want to live...! Please, if you're really here to help us...!"
Rapi paused and looked at Doban. Then she said, "Deputy Chief Doban." She held up her coilguns and said, "Deploying commanders and Nikkes without express permission of Enikk or a majority of the Deputy Chiefs... Under my Commander's name, I brand you as an insurgent. You are going against the Ark's interests. Surrender, or we will use force to suppress you."
Doban blinked. "What?" Seeing that Rapi was serious, he burst out laughing and said, "You scrap buckets dare to order me-"
"Sounds like an insurgent to me!" Neon laughed and sprinted forward. "What would Master say...? Oh, right! HAVE AT YOU!"
"You little-! GAH?!"
Neon sent Doban flying with a dropkick before looking at the commanders. "Any takers?"
"Q-Quick! Fire!"
"She's just one Nikke!"
"No, fire on the crowd-"
Rapi immediately shot the leg of the commander who said to fire on the crowd, searing his thigh. "For the record, neither of us have our inhibitors. It's a necessity for surface operations, you see."
Neon cracked her knuckles. "That's right. So... Who wants a taste of Master's brand of Firepower?"