BakaSmurf said:
"Seriously? Annoying…" Modernia grumbled even as she rapidly teleported away multiple times in a row, creating distance between herself and the squad that had managed to land real strikes upon her, the machine's ability to fly not at all outwardly impacted by the loss of its wings. "I forgot I was dealing with Grimms. I got careless." The remaining beam cannon began to visibly power up and charge to retaliate, "I suppose I'll-" as another supersonic grenade struck the connecting strut holding said cannon in place, and it promptly tumbled down to the snowy ground uselessly. "-Well, now I'm just annoyed."
Snapping to and charging at Anis, the messy-haired blonde's eyes became unto saucers as she scrambled and flipped into a somersault - just managing to clear the blade which would have bisected her outright. Yet, avoid it she did, in a display that inexplicably exceeded anything she'd managed up to that point before.
Whelp, ain't that further re-affirm the sheer magnitude of poor training and command of Nikke in the big picture, that Modernia got accustomed to with.
Nice hit by lil Snowy tho!
Never underestimate a Veteran Grimm with high morale boost 
Also, hehe, nice "Cancel Shot" hit Anis! The ever familiar mechanic of in-game NIKKE.
Even the younger Nikkes are not a pushover under correct command 😉
BakaSmurf said:
Neon interjected by dive-tackling her teammate out of range of the slash, the platinumette catching herself in a roll and landing on her knee. She immediately shouldered her machine gun and unloaded on the Titan, the monstrous flame produced by the muzzle flash of the high-explosive armour-piercing Ultra rounds dwarfing that of a common 5.56mm report.
Neon's tracer-laden aim was shockingly true and keen, striking at the joint between the sword and the arm it was connected to - immediately causing the energy beam to pulsate and audibly wind down as sparks flew from the connective joint. She'd managed to at least damage whatever internal cable was powering the weapon, diminishing and damaging it.
"Seriously!?" Modernia cried out in open frustration. "Those two aren't even Grimms! What's going on here? Why are all of them doing so much better than they should be!?"
*Whistle*,
No matter how much of a Gremlins and Dorks,
They are first and foremost are the Nikkes.
The Action Girl/Lady extraordinaire.
And here Modernia,
Are the true potential of standard Nikkes properly trained and utilized as "Soldiers" 😉
BakaSmurf said:
One slip-up was all that it took to grant Counters and Snow White the chance to create a series of openings, and in so doing, the Nikkes demonstrated that even a seemingly invulnerable enemy had weak spots to exploit. And Modernia, it seemed, was very easily annoyed and distracted.
A critical flaw for a combatant, to say the least. Bad for her and Chatterbox. A spark of hope for the good guys. Joe would be damned sure to give Neon and Anis no small amount of praise for doing real damage to a motherf*cking Heretic-piloted Titan. Quite the stark difference from how ineffectual they'd been against Chatterbox back in Vancouver.
Good to know that fancy gadgets are not a substitute to personal battlefield discipline.
And that Raptures are still subject to design bottleneck, flight-capable Titan class having thinner armor at the joints for example.
Preach it Joe,
Gotta reward the Gremlin duo accordingly~
BakaSmurf said:
Following a strained cry of agony, one of Chatterbox's comically massive arms soared into view, crashing through a snow drift like a runaway tree, causing Joe to duck and scurry back, given how damned close it had come to colliding with him. Scarlet came to a harsh halt alongside Joe just after the dismembered limb, adjusting her oversized kasa with a small huff, quickly giving the Commander a wordless once-over, seemingly to confirm that he hadn't been hurt.
"-Chatty!" Modernia called out, her Titan-class immediately spinning in place and bee-lining for a seemingly severely injured Chatterbox.
BakaSmurf said:
Thus leaving herself wide open to another shot from Rapi - the round from her anti-Tyrant rifle being placed just so as to actually sever the sword from the arm entirely. Modernia did absolutely nothing to avoid this, and in fact, did not acknowledge it at all. Quickly enough, Chatterbox had been scooped up by the Titan-class, zipping away to create distance between them and the Nikke squad.
Coming to a stop to look back over the rag-tag band of misfits, Chatterbox was hanging from the Titan-class's chest with its remaining arm, covered in gaping, open wounds that highlighted just how outclassed it was against Scarlet in a straight fight.
In a dazzling flash, all of the debris and damaged pieces from the Tyrant and Titan erupted in what looked the part of a flash burst of plasma, incinerating anything Counters and the Pilgrims may have been able to scavenge from them in an instant.
Modernia, in an almost pouty voice, declared: "I got careless today and forgot that we were dealing with Grimms, and Chatty got hurt because of it. Next time, we'll be prepared, though."
"All of this juicy combat data!" Chatterbox called out uproariously, not seeming particularly perturbed by the stump and gushing wounds Scarlet had left it with, all things considered. "I promise to put it to good use in preparation for our next dance, Goddess!"
Damn......missed the killing strike opportunity.
We can't let Chatterbox bring the data back!
Melee Nikke's advantage against Rapture is the only ace Humanity have right now!
Modernia is projecting what Marian wishes she could have done for her deceased teammates within SilverGun Squad huh..... 😢
BakaSmurf said:
The Titan-class began to turn away, but slowed, its single, visored eye focusing on Joe with no small amount of longing hesitation, to which Modernia called out: "...You've already waited this long. A little bit longer won't be the end of the world, right, Commander? So, goodbye… for now." she sweetly said, her question clearly rhetorical, given how the Titan-class immediately zoomed off like a rocket before anyone could react - Chatterbox chortling gleefully all the while, the Tyrant's impossibly bassy voice echoing off into the distance as it tapered off into silence.
Hah!
She said the line! 😆
So this is the twist BakaSmurf made on first end of Modernia's encounter eh? I'm liking it!
Also........Chatterbox, please.
It's gonna take a deaf Nikke and Commander to not hear where you are within open wilderness.
You Chonky-Ass Gorilla mass 😅
BakaSmurf said:
There was a Hell of a beat in which everyone just remained rooted in place where their feet had been set. Nobody even seemed to breathe for what felt like an eternity. To say nothing of how Joe didn't even begin to know how to parse any of what had just happened. Least of all how inexplicably... familiar Modernia seemed to be with him. Until…
Grabs some popcorn for the next encounter 🍿
BakaSmurf said:
"...Am I… Wait!" Anis cried out, her voice hitting a pitch heretofore unheard. "Did- did we just drive off a Heretic!? Without suffering any injuries!?" Outright dropping her grenade launcher, Anis started patting herself down in plain disbelief. "Bullsh*t! No way! That's not… I'm not hurt!? I'm okay? Am I seriously okay for once!?"
"BOOYAH!" Neon just jumped in place, cheering and dancing in response to their victory. "That's what it means to face the overwhelming might of superior firepower! Even Heretics fall before the power of… Firepower!"
Yes Anis,
You contributed in driving off the infamous Heretics as well. Chin up! There will be more to look forward for, perhaps enough to shave off your Doomerism bit by bit 😄
Yes Neon,
The answer against all Raptures and feral Heretics are Firepower.
If it's not enough?
Bring MOAR Firepowah 😁🔥💣
BakaSmurf said:
After a few long moments, Rapi, Snow White, and Scarlet all let out a collective breath. Scarlet was the first to speak up as she sheathed her massive sword. "This erstwhile inkling in mine bosom…" she set her now free hand over her chest, closing her eyes with a wistful sigh. "This surge of strength and will… I've ill recalled the feeling these long years apart…"
"...It's almost intoxicating, so invigorating…" Snow White asserted, taking a deep breath as she relaxed. "My heart feels so… strong… Like nothing could stop me..."
🥹
BakaSmurf said:
"I-" Joe sputtered out, more than a little overwhelmed given everything that had just happened. "Y-yeah, I-I'm fine." He assured the little black-and-red bedecked blonde. Hell, he'd barely moved from the spot where he'd been standing when this whole encounter had started.
As relief washed over Rapi, Scarlet and Snow White ambled over to the pair, satisfied smiles in place on their faces. "I could stand against all the Raptures in the world, with you at our back, Commander," Snow White asserted. "Even a Heretic is nothing with you here again."
"The most trying of battles are made but minor hurdles with thy at our side, Commander," Scarlet declared with a wide grin. "Let us away to strike down the Rapture Queen! With ease shall she fall before mine blade!"
Looking deeply confused, Joe looked around, visibly bamboozled, utterly perplexed. "...But… I didn't even do anything!" He cried out, spreading his arms wide for emphasis given that, indeed, he'd just sort of stood there being overwhelmed by everything going on, like a potato.
Scarlet and Snow White blinked, looking at Joe with no small amount of confusion themselves. Sharing a look between each other, the two looked to Rapi… who was herself giving the pair an uncertain look.
"...Joe," Snow White started, "You… have you forgotten-?"
Gahahaha!
Truly standing still and rooted as a Potato,
just like the in-game mechanic! 😆
Altho, that speaks a lot of Modernia's immense target discipline towards Joe too.
Joke aside,
I wonder what is the missing detail of Joe's core role as the Goddess Squad commander from what Snow and Scarlet spoke about.....
Joe literally did nothing, yet both felt stronger.
Hmmm........more plots to look forward to!
BakaSmurf said:
"Snow White and I are in concert on this matter," Scarlet declared matter-of-factually. "The eagerness of thine squad is understandable, and they are correct: fleeing as though we had not overcome the Heretic would be the height of folly."
"Commander!" Rapi rounded on Joe, visibly bemused by the arguments made by the rest of the girls. "You're in danger out here, you saw yourself how the Heretic focused on you! We need to get you back to the Ark, to safety!"
Looking between all of the present Nikkes, Joe chewed on the inside of his cheek in consideration, responding to Rapi's point with one of his own. "Until?"
Blinking, Rapi co*cked her head at Joe in confusion.
"I'm a Commander, Rapi," the burly man asserted as he adjusted the collar of his jacket to break the chill, Arctic wind hitting his neck. "If Modernia is going to be hunting me, then I'm going to be critically endangered even more so than usual with her in the picture. We just pushed her back, her and Chatterbox together. They're on the back foot and-" Joe looked back over the group, gesturing over them all for emphasis. "We're good on ammo?" He received nods of affirmation, then looked back to Rapi. "-Weakened. We can still fight, we aren't even winded it seems like. We go after them, and if we can catch up to them, press the advantage we clearly have, we end their threat right here and now."
I am leaning on hunting the weakened Chatterbox and Modernia's de-fanged Titan mech.
Because even if Joe turtle in within Ark,
the Raptures have all the time and resources in the world to make meticulous plans against Joe specifically 24/7.
Something Joe does not have on equal measure due to CG's political nonsenses.
And we really don't want the Raptures integrating data against Melee Nikke like Scarlet does from Chatterbox, stacking yet more odds on top of all disadvantages humanity had.
BakaSmurf said:
As he'd made his point, Rapi had reached up and set her palms atop Joe's hands, and rather than snapping at him or letting her emotions continue to get away from her, she stopped, closed her eyes, and took a long, deep breath.
In the midst of this, Snow White and Scarlet, once again, shared a very intense look of unease and low-key dread, though neither spoke up, allowing Joe and Rapi to continue unimpeded.
More of Red Hood's shadow resurfaces within Rapi huh.......
At least.....there is still one thing Rapi shares with the rest Goddess Squad despite the Mind Switch,
Not wanting to lose Joe, ever again 😢
BakaSmurf said:
After a few long moments, Rapi opened her eyes again, now once again as focused and clear as ever. "You're right. We have a chance to eliminate a Tyrant and a Heretic, and are as best equipped and prepared for such an encounter as the Ark's forces could ever hope to be. And the Heretic outright dictated that you not be harmed… You're all right. We can, and should pursue and eliminate these threats to the Ark while we know we may be able to destroy them. As is our duty to mankind."
At that, Joe gave Rapi a small, satisfied smile as he retracted his hands, the little Nikke's expression becoming as stony and firm as ever. Looking back over the rest of the squad, he nodded, and declared: "Well then, girls… reload your mags, and let's hunt us down a Heretic."
No more with Ark's passive stance,
It's time to initiate offensive maneuver to save the future Nikke squads!(Ark 'Commanders' not included, they can take dirt nap as far as I am concerned)
Thank you for the story update!
