-3: 124
After spending a nice lunch with Indi, Marian, Endless, and Eternity, I decided to finally get some work done.
It was Sunday and technically a holiday... but I also felt restless when I wasn't doing anything.
Apparently, Pops was the same way before the surgery healed him though, so it was probably hereditary.
But anyway.
Roughly around 4 PM, I headed to the recycling center facility to check in with Sophia as well as log into my Guardian.
But then I was confronted by three women I'd never met before, and two who ABSOLUTELY were Heretics.
The one in the front, a woman with a tattered lab coat and lilac hair that was the same shade as the bang Syuen had...
She smiled at me and said, "You must be the one that charmed my sweet sister. I've heard a lot about you."
I walked into the building and cautiously eyed the Heretics behind the mystery woman.
The Heretic with crimson hair, 'Acedia' according the the name on her visor, seemed to be distorting the very space around her.
The other, one with blonde hair and pink highlights... 'Avaritia' apparently. The light seemed to distort around her, dimming as if she was draining it somehow.
I shifted my gaze to the mystery woman and said, "I don't believe we've been acquainted." I held my hand out and said, "Commander Hoopa, leader of the Brave Squad. Also CEO of Abnormal, the newest Nikke Manufacturing line. Government name is apparently Jacob Ian Andersen."
The mystery woman smiled and shook my hand. "A pleasure. I am Jien Missilis."
I slowly blinked. "...You're Syuen's sister?" I reflexively gave Jien a once over, taking in her very much developed body and comparing it to Syuen's.
Jien seemed to realized what I was doing as she laughed and said, "Oh my." She held up her phone and said, "Sweetie, it seems your lovely commander has preferences~"
*Sh-Shut up, Jien! No he doesn't! If he did, then he wouldn't have-*
"Wouldn't have what, Sweetie~?"
*Eep!*
I glanced at the phone and then laughed. "Oh, right. I always forget that Syuen's like, literally a multi-form entity. Did you synchronize with everything we did last night, Baby?"
*Stooooooooooop!*
Jien giggled. "Oh my? So Sweetie likes to be called 'Baby' in bed then? Does she like to be cuddled and patted too?"
I nodded. "Mmhm. And when she doesn't, she likes it rough-"
*I'M DISCONNECTING!*
There was a soft 'beep' as Syuen ran away, disconnecting from Jien's phone.
But the moment it did, Jien fixed me with a sharp glare.
I paused and tilted my head. It wasn't hostility, so I didn't put my guard up. But it was definitely intense.
After a few moments, Jien said, "...You look like Number Seven. But you aren't him."
"...Yeah." I nodded. "Number Seven is dead. If we have to be specific, I'm probably Number Eight."
Jien held her hand up to her mouth and nibbled on her fingernails. "...There should not be an Eight. The program was shut down and the resources were disposed of."
"Well, I'm here." I shrugged. "I exist."
"Clearly." Jien stared at me.
I stared back.
Then Jien said, "...You are not a Rapture, are you?"
"...I mean. I might be part Rapture. Why?"
"...Because you feel odd." Jien slowly walked circles around me and tapped her chin. "I heard from Sweetie about your exploits. And her suspicions. But seeing you in person..." She glanced at Acedia and Avaritia. Then she looked back at me and said, "...Would you try to claim them?"
I paused and said, "Uh. Be specific. In what way? Like, intimately or-"
Jien laughed. "My. If you are that bold, I suppose you can try? I was more suggesting in terms of command, but whatever floats your boat..."
"Ah, got it."
So she wasn't asking me to breed the Heretics.
...Jien had been giving me mad scientist vibes, so I had to be sure.
Always good to confirm these things.
I looked at the two Heretics and thought about how I had 'claimed' Liberalio and Nihilister by turning them to humanity's side.
Then I walked up to Acedia first and placed my hand on her head. "Uh... Be mine?"
At first, nothing happened.
But then the crimson glow around her body crackled with violet lightning before slowly shifting towards a soft violet hue. And after that, Acedia knelt on the ground in front of me. "...King. The Arbiter of Sloth, Acedia, swears her loyalty."
I slowly blinked. "What?"
Jien blinked too. "...I beg your pardon? Did you just... headpat a Heretic and make it yours?"
"...I guess? Let me try again."
"H-Hold on a moment-!"
I walked over to Avaritia and patted her head. And the moment I did, the same thing happened.
Violet lightning, the crimson cores and circuitry turning a soft violet.
And after that, she knelt too. Speaking in a bright and chipper voice, she said, "Nice to meet you, King! Arbiter of Greed, Avaritia, swears her loyalty!"
Jien stared at me.
I stared back.
Then Jien slowly said, "...What are you?"
"At this point, fuck if I know." I shrugged. "Seems like I can rule over Raptures though?"
"...This is unprecedented. Is this hereditary? No, is it a property of having Liliweiss as your mother? There were rumors that she possessed a particular gene that allowed her to become so powerful... In that case, if you breed, would it allow for an evolutionary step?" Jien looked at me, curiosity shining in her eyes. At the same time, she slowly raised her hand to her tattered labcoat. "...Commander. Would you like to complete an experiment with me?"
I reflexively took a step back. Then I took another when I saw her eyes flicker with violet light. "...It depends. What kind of experiment?"
"Childrearing. No worries, I am not like my father. I will ensure our offspring receives as much affection as he or she desires. All I ask is for a donation-"
*JIEN NO!*
Jien paused. "...Ah. Yes. I suppose we would already have one sample in you already, Sweetie."
I blinked and said, "I don't like how you're referring to it as sample- Wait. Does that mean Syuen can get pregnant?"
Dead silence.
"OH MY GOD, WERE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT HAVING KIDS WITH ME THAT TIME?!"
*SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!*
Jien smiled and pulled me back into the lab. "Wonderful. In that case, let us raise the sample size."
"Wait." I stopped Jien and said, "Before that, I object to having children just for the sake of an experiment."
Jien nodded. "Understood. Then let us properly coparent."
"W-What? Hold on-"
Jien immediately reached for my belt. "No need to be shy. My body is functional. I recently modified it just for this possibility... granted, I had intended to experiment with Raptures, but this is fine."
*I THINK I JUST HEARD SOMETHING RIDICULOUS?! JIEN?!*
Jien pulled off my belt and said, "I was not quite in the right state of mind then, Sweetie. Do not judge me too harshly."
*THEN WHAT STATE OF MIND ARE YOU IN NOW?!*
Jien looked up at me, smiling. "If you say no, I will stop, Commander. Should I?"
"...Fuck it. Might as well go all the way."
After that, I pushed her down and said, "Sophia. Mind making this private?"
Sophia's voice echoed from the speakers as she said, "Truly, the worst sort of man, Creator. And the best. Contradiction at its finest... but very well."
Jien chuckled as she stared into my eyes. "My. Are you going to claim me here and now against this grimy floor?"
"Got a problem with it?"
"What a beast you are..." Jien licked her lips. "...But I like forceful men. Carry on."
*JIEN?!*
I shrugged. "Don't mind if I indulge then~"
"Ahn~? M-My. Starting with- Kya?!"
After that...
===
Back at Dorothy's house and deep in a wartime strategy session with the new information that Red Hood had provided earlier that morning.
Andersen paused in the middle of strategizing with Red Hood, Snow White, Dorothy, and Scarlet. Then he glanced towards the recycling center facility in the distance.
Dorothy noticed and tilted her head. "Commander?"
Andersen frowned. Then he slowly said, "I just have the feeling that my son is doing something that I, as a father, absolutely should not approve. But that, as a man, I cannot help but applaud."
Red Hood's eyes sparkled. "Is he having a giant orgy?!"
Snow White coughed, spluttering mid-sip of a soda. "RED HOOD!"
"What?! You KNOW Lil Boss is having one. Or had one. He's got Boss's swag with none of his shame. And apparently the sex drive of a machine based on what Endless tells me."
Snow White covered her ears. "I DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT RED!"
Red Hood laughed.
At that time, Scarlet paused and said, "...I have just realized. Where is Rapunzel?"
Silence.
Andersen slowly blinked and said, "...Is she not sleeping upstairs?"
Dorothy quickly got up and looked around her house. A few minutes later, she came back. "...She is NOT here. So..."
Red Hood cackled. "CALLED IT!"
Andersen rubbed his face. "...I'll handle this later. For now, let's focus." He tapped the map on the table again and said, "The first priority is retrieving the Wings of Victory. Without that airship, our mobility is fairly limited."
Dorothy sat back down and nodded. "That is true... Even at Eden, we haven't achieved that level of air dominance."
Snow White looked at Dorothy and said, "Should you be so casually speaking Eden's secrets, Dorothy? And to a Deputy Chief of the Ark?"
Dorothy shrugged and said, "Our Nephew has better technology."
"...Even if that's true, it's still rude."
Dorothy waved her hand dismissively and said, "They denied my request to help develop a solution to keep my dear nephew safe in combat. In all honesty, they are dead to me. Besides, I have done far more than enough for them at this point."
Scarlet looked at Dorothy, concerned. "...Thou art most cold, Dorothy. Doth thou not believe this will come back to hurt you?"
"Not at all." Dorothy laughed. "And the reason is simple."
Andersen looked at Dorothy. "Oh? Do tell."
"The moment that Cecil meets my dear Nephew, she will fall for him. Utterly and completely. A handsome, young, fit man with an intellect to rival her own? For a woman who has spent decades alone and on the run from the Central Government, it is a dream within a dream to meet a man like my dearest nephew. Is it not? Besides, I do believe they would make a wonderful match."
Red Hood's eyes widened and she pointed at Dorothy. "Holy shit! You're pimping out Eden to our Nephew!?"
Dorothy stammered and said, "I-I am doing no such thing! I am simply saying that Cecil is a beautiful, competent woman who is getting up there in age and would be quite happy to meet a competent young man like our nephew."
Snow White gave Dorothy a blank stare and said, "...You ARE an aunt. The nosy sort of aunt who plays matchmaker."
"E-Excuse me?! I am- ...Okay, perhaps a little. But Cecil DOES deserve to find happiness. And I am quite put out with her always complaining about New Hope's faults and how she cannot find a man who is not intimidated by her and-"
Andersen held up his hand. "We get it, Dorothy." He paused. "...And I cannot believe that I am playing the straight man here. But in any case." He tapped on the map again. "Wings of Victory. Ingrid thinks it's located roughly around here. If we can retrieve it, then the fight for the surface becomes simpler."
Dorothy stared at the mark on the map and hummed. "That's quite far... How will we even retrieve it?"
Red Hood smacked her fist into the palm of her hand and said, "Easy! We get Lil Boss to just teleport it in!"
Andersen paused. "...Run that by me again?"
"You didn't hear, Boss? Lil Boss has warp tech! Apparently, it uses the Alva Particle communication system as a relay and lets you zip things around. That's how we barely missed him last time in the Ark."
Andersen was quiet. Then he said, "You're telling me that my son possesses instant translocation technology. One that reaches WITHIN the Ark. And one that would completely trivialize the supply chain issues that were the main reason the previous Surface Reclamation wars failed?"
"Yeah? I mean, Lil Boss said it takes some time to setup, but he also said it's still just a prototype. But he's been busy, you know?"
Dorothy massaged her temples. "...The greatest mind of all time. A man who could likely take humanity to new heights of technology unseen in a month if he remained focused... and the reason he has not is because he loves combat and women." She slowly turned to look at Andersen. "...I blame you, Commander."
Andersen sighed. "Honestly, I'll take it..."