Fate/Anarchy: Shattered Paths

[RanmaBushiko]

I ended up doing some visual diffing to work out the changes. Biggest thing seemed to be extra-flirty Kongou, that was fun. A bit of extra name-dropping here and there as well. I do suspect that my perspective on these will be skewed relative to other readers, since now I mostly look for the differences.


Nyarlathotep's dialog is a lot more natural here, nice. I suppose framing it as an affectation helps.

Also useful to know that they can't directly mess with Erik's memory. Given the preparation time they need to make changes, that's somewhat enouraging?

The Pale Doll remains... very ambiguous. Seems odd that her strategy is to just reveal everything, but it does make it easier to track what Erik and the Literature Club are aware of compared to their observers. Erik doesn't seem to avoid cooperating with Eldritch Horrors on principle, so disclosing doesn't seem to cause direct problems. I suppose he's a sucker for cute girls.


Light pollution is serious business. It's amazing what you can see further away from cities.

I haven't been camping in a while, I can imagine it gets harder as you age, if you don't do it regularly.

Yeah, Kongou tends to be fun in her own way, for Kancolle. Putting in names where necessary, and fixing grammar is a thing, too. You can sort of tell that I hadn't decided on how many people would be necessary as actual characters, rather than "assholes to possibly be dealt with off-screen", in the first run through. As for skewed? That's fine. You're replying, and making commentary as well, so I don't mind one bit.

Nyarlathotep's... very much hard to get down, for how Lovecraft's extended works portray him. As a leader, definitely. One that you can't easily stop listening to.

As for memory, they can't affect his, or the ones he's interacting with. Not that Erik's realized that, yet.

The Pale Doll is... meant to be ambiguous. Supportive, in her own way, but ambiguous nevertheless. Considering the last time Erik encountered her, however? She has, very much so, her own agenda. Visiting Erik just may or may not be involved with this one, considering their last meeting, and her giving him advice outright. As for cooperating with Eldritch horrors? He's not sure what to make of things yet, or how to get out without fucking over someone. So he's having to watch, wait, and be curious as to what everything is that's going on.

As for her relationship with him? He's stressed, realizing he's being fucked with, and has a doll in front of him, talking with him. It's very much why she warned him that Hunters from Bloodborne would likely start hunting him, if he hurt her, and that she has a respawn mechanic here, as well. She has a respawn mechanic in Bloodborne, and Gehrman outright tells the character that "You're welcome to use whatever you find. ...Even the doll, should it please you...". There's lots of horrifying ways you can take that sort of comment... and even if she loves Hunters equally...? *sighs* Blegh. Complicated writing, can you tell? And throwing so much bullshit in, to make a neat story doesn't make it easier or simpler.

As for being a sucker for cute girls? He very much wants to help people. That doesn't mean he can exactly trust her, yet. Even if she's telling the truth, she can obscure so many things by simply omitting bits of information here and there. Because he's seen enough of the game to know shit's going on behind the scenes in the game, and likely not that much different for her, Bloodborne character or not.

As for camping? Yeah, the light pollution being gone gave me one of the best views I've had in a very long time. Only thing close to it was a winter camping trip years and years ago, where we were high in the mountains and had a great view. It's pretty hard on the body, if you're not used to heavy lifting. Car camping can be pretty nice, though, especially when it's still this cold out, for the Pacific Northwest.

[RanmaBushiko]

Chapter 2: Setting Up To Avert An Apocalypse


Neo Arcadia

Erik glances at Mordred, walking alongside himself and Fiore. The Main Street of Neo Arcadia around them bustles with moving people around them, humans and Reploids alike.


“So. That Energen that zapped you, Fiore, seems to have given you some sort of ability?” Mordred asks Fiore, curiosity in her voice.

“And stabilized my other issues.” Fiore admits, smiling. “It’s all rather fascinating!”

“Indeed.” Erik chips in. “And the armor you’ve been working on, as an upgrade to your Bronze-link manipulators unit, seems to be… fascinating.” Erik admits.

Mordred nods, humming. “I wonder if either of you could upgrade my own armor?” Mordred muses aloud.


“Shouldn’t be a problem, so long as we can figure something out for handling the energy issues I’m dealing with.” Erik admits, wryly. “Admittedly, maybe I can jury rig something with some of that Energen…?”

Mordred nods, thoughtfully, and smiles at children running along in the street, playing.

Erik’s eyes pause, focusing intently on a young blonde girl, in a bright pink dress. Not playing with the others, but reading a book.

Then his eyes look closer over the area, spotting Fairy Leviathan watching over her in the distance.

Erik’s eyes catch the Reploid General’s, before he looks at her, one eyebrow raised.

She smiles at him, in the distance.

Erik nods slightly back, then hums as he heads over to the little girl.

“What are you reading?” Erik asks, curiously.

“Oh, it’s a book on building Reploids!” Said little girl smiles, then looks up. “Oh, I don’t know you. Are you foreign?”

“Something akin to that, you could say.” Erik admits.

A slow nod from the pink clad girl is Erik’s answer, before he sits, in a way that she can see him sitting. “Want to tell me about it, little one?”

“I’m not little!” Her retort makes Erik grin, memories of his own childhood and saying something similar as one proving amusing. “I’m going to be Seven, soon!” She snaps out, frowning.

“I get that. The more you deny being little, the more people will assume you’re young, though.” Erik admits, smiling.

Blue eyes look up at him from her book, for the first time properly meeting his eyes. “Thank you for the advice, mister. I’m Ciel. I’m going to be a scientist like my parents and grandma were, one day!”

Erik smiles, and nods. “I’m Erik, and I’m a very lost scientist and engineer, myself.”

Ciel smiles up at him, thinking. “Well, I’m sure the four Guardians would be happy to help you with finding your way!”

Erik chuckles. “They’ve been nice about things, yes. But I’m considerably more lost than they can easily help with.”

Ciel pauses, thoughtfully blinking. Then she looks at Erik a little closer, studying him properly, rather than her book.

Comprehension strikes her, instantly. “The space ship?”

“Smart girl. Never go into dimensional physics and portals, unless you want to have a chance of going through what I did.” Erik nods at her.

A slow nod from Ciel, before she muses. “Meaning you know lots of stuff no one else would.”

“Mmhmm.” Erik nods.

“Could you teach me?” Ciel asks, curiously.

Erik pauses, musing.

“A way to influence things subtly… and she’s a literal one in a trillion genius. I’d be stupid to not accept, but what do you think, Mordred?” Erik asks his Servant.

“Another person to help develop things with you and the others, wouldn’t hurt.” Mordred admits. “Honestly, influencing this clusterfuck of a universe could only go well, with how shitty it seems to be so far.”

“Do you think we’d need permission from your parents for that, Ciel?” Erik asks, curiously.

“They…” Ciel trails off, quietly. “Aren’t in my life anymore. Not after the lab accident that augmented me and several others.”

Erik winces, softly. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Hidden Phantom’s gotten close, Erik. He’s on the rooftops, watching.” Mordred alerts Erik, quietly.

“We’d have to check with one of the Guardians, I think. Especially with some stuff I’ve been helping them with.” Erik admits, wryly. “But I wouldn’t mind helping you out, Ciel. Though, keep in mind that a lot of what I learned is outdated, compared to what your place has. I’ll be catching up, and learning a lot of what you’re learning, too.”

Ciel smiles softly at Erik. “Sounds neat! Then we can learn some things together?”

Erik nods, smiling.

Mordred looks up, studying Hidden Phantom, then nods at him when he blinks at Erik talking with Ciel.

“Interesting…” Hidden Phantom murmurs, softly. Then his eyes turn to look at Mordred.

Moments later, he nods back at her, moving back into the shadows to watch.

Minutes pass, as Erik and Ciel talk, mostly about the book she’s been reading, Erik studying over her shoulder, and explaining what he knows of concepts she has a hard time understanding.

Eventually, Ciel perks up at the sound of her name being called, in the distance.

“That’s my orphanage’s matron! I should go see her, since she’s probably calling me for dinner.” Ciel states, smiling.

Erik nods. “I’ll have a talk with her about sitting in on your lessons, then. An apprenticeship, if you’d like.”

“An apprenticeship, from an unruly, poorly dressed hooligan like yourself?!” The matron states, loudly. “State your designation, and why you think you could offer young Ciel an apprenticeship.”

“Erik Ulricson.” Erik states, calmly. “Not a Reploid.”


“Oh. With your armor and that clothing, I assumed… my apologies, good sir.” The Matron nods, breathing out as she kneels to look at Ciel. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

“He was just teaching me to understand the concepts in this book, easier!” Ciel states, holding up the book in question.

“One of your parents’ books- wait. You said he understood and could explain it?” The Matron asks, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then she sighs, and nods. “Thank you. I’ve been staying up far too late into the night trying to understand half the concepts in the book.”

Erik nods. “Glad to help. The concepts are a touch different from what I’m used to, but…” Erik trails off, calmly.

“Different? But all of Neo-Arcadia… ah.” The Matron whispers, quietly, before nodding. “You’re with that giant thing that fell from orbit.”

“Unwanted dimensional travel hurts.” Erik admits. “All I’ll say about it, except that your Guardians have been rather friendly with me and the Fusion Reactor I’m letting them use to solve power issues.”

Two quiet simultaneous blinks, one from Ciel, and the other from the Matron, before the Matron smiles widely. “Well. I suppose if you’re helping with the power issues, that’s a wonderful thing to hear!”

Erik nods softly. “I’d like to help Ciel here with her schooling. She reminds me of me when I threw myself into studying and getting ideas, when I got my own apprenticeship, long ago.”

“By whom, may I ask?” The Matron hums.

“Ever heard of Wayland Smith?” Erik asks, curiously.

The Matron shakes her head, thoughtfully.

Ciel, on the other hand, perks up. “Wasn’t he the one that forged legendary weapons way back in ancient legend? Ones that my parents thought may have been powered by Energen, or a precursor to it?”

Erik chuckles softly, then with laughter in his voice, replies to them both. “That’s one way to put it, I suppose.”

Ciel smiles. “You’ll have to show it to me later, then!”

Erik nods, smiling. “I’d be happy to do that for you, Ciel.”

Then he glances over at Mordred, grinning. “Mordred was thinking about a sparring match with one of the Four Guardians, after all. To get an idea of how a warrior of his calibur matches up against one of your best. And a fight like that would be one for the ages.”

Ciel blinks. The Matron blinks. Hidden Phantom, on the other hand, grins.

“I believe it would be my brother, Sage Harpuia, who would be best suited for a fight against your ally, Erik.” Hidden Phantom states, walking out of the shadows.

Erik nods, smiling. “A fun show to watch, for sure.”

Hidden Phantom snickers. “One that my siblings and I argued about for days on end. After the showing Mordred gave, using some Mavericks that tried to steal that Energen supply you found as target practice? We’ve all been eager to fight your friend and ally.”

Erik chuckles, nodding. “Mordred’s a good friend and ally, I’ll agree. One of the truest I have.”

Mordred quietly smiles, enjoying the attention and compliments she’s getting, for once in her life.

Ciel blinks at Mordred, quietly thinking. She opens her mouth, getting ready to ask Mordred something.

Erik’s eyes narrow, as he spots Hidden Phantom’s eyes narrowing to slits, as someone messages the Reploid in question.

Then he glances back. “Mordred? Any sign of trouble?”

A distant explosion in the background is the answer for them both.

“We’re far away from the bunker! Come with me, and we’ll get to safety!” The matron shouts.

Erik glances at Mordred, instead. “Well, Mordred? The Four Guardians have been wanting to see your power. Will you go and handle the threat?”

“As you wish, Erik! It’ll be fun, getting to deal with an issue for a change.” Mordred smirks as her armor forms, helmet clicking into place from her shoulders and back.

Then she dashes out towards the location of the sound, as Hidden Phantom watches in sheer surprise at her speed. Moments later, he’s radioing his siblings, warning them of the incoming Servant dead set on interfering with things.

“Erik?” Ciel asks, quietly. “Why are you so sure Mordred can handle things? Wouldn’t one of the Four Guardians be better for this?”

For a moment, Erik looks down at her, then ruffles her hair gently. “Mordred’s capable of holding off a vampire who was capable of crazy things.” Erik admits, gently. “There’s reasons why I trust Mordred at my back when I’m this weak, and my armor’s healing me up.”

Fiore nods, quietly. “I remember feeling the shockwaves from that fight. It was… terrifying.”

“Not to mention both your fiance and yourself stuck in a room for it?” Erik muses aloud.

Fiore nods, blushing softly. “Still, Mordred’s a legendary hero for a reason.” She smiles, quietly, sitting beside Ciel, as the Matron simply stares quizzically at Erik and co.

“You’re not moving to the shelter?” The Matron finally queries, her voice exasperated.

Erik shakes his head, pulling his helmet on, as the arm cannon flips into place. “Nah. If Mordred misses any, I’ll handle it.”

A long, irritated look passes over the Matronly Reploid’s face, before she sighs and puts her face in her palms. “I give up.” Her muffled voice states from between her palms. “Just keep Ciel safe?”

“Yup.” Erik admits. “That was my plan. But it’s safer here than anywhere else. Right, Hidden Phantom?”

With those words, Erik glances at one of the Four Guardians, watching nearby. For a moment, Hidden Phantom glowers at Erik, before letting himself be seen enough so Ciel and the Matron can spot him.

“...Oh. One of the Four Guardians was here, all along…” The Matron woodenly whispers, her programming suddenly feeling a moment of terrified dread. “And all the stuff I was considering reporting you to an insane asylum for a long term stay for…?”

“True.” Erik chuckles. “To be fair? They would have stopped you from trying that.”

The Matron stares at Erik, quietly, then passes out, the Reploid’s brain deciding “Nope.” as being the proper course of action, and knocking herself out to leave the situation.




Neo Arcadia’s Trainyard




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oD_b8239j8 (Castle in the Sky American OST ~ The Chase)

Mordred frowns, rushing faster, only to see several damaged Reploids on a train, as it begins picking up speed. Several more are throwing themselves on the train, bottles of blue crystals in their arms.

“Run for it! They’ll be here any moment!” One shouts in the distance, the lion-like Reploid obviously ordering them from the control room of the train, an eyepatch over his left eye. “If you bastards revived me, only to die like this? At least you can fight to keep our new energy supply safe for as long as possible!”

Mordred’s eyes narrow, looking over the motley Reploids trying to rush to the train, only a few noticing her arrival. Distantly, she can see Sage Harpuia drawing closer.

One Reploid turns, narrowing their eyes at a human nearby.

“Hey, I said not to kill humans! Don’t you dare ignore my orders!” The leading Reploid shouts, only to growl at the Reploid shooting anyways.

A prana-burst leaves Clarent in between the human and the shot of plasma. Mordred’s eyes narrow as the Reploid before her with the gun stares in shock, then glares harder at the fool before her.

Then both jump, as the train rapidly accelerates, rapidly leaving the station. The Reploid firing the shot turns, desperately jumping for the train, only to flinch as the arm with the gun gets caught, ripping it clear off.

Moments later, Mordred impales the foolish Reploid, then grabs onto the train, pulling herself onto the last empty train cart.

For a moment, Mordred glances back. No injured people or Reploids on the station. Distantly, she can see Sage Harpuia watching.

Then she nods to him, before dashing forwards. “I’ve got a full tank of power, so I can handle this for a while, Erik.” She sends, as she dashes forwards.

The Reploids she’s facing are old. Damaged, rusted. Parts of their bodies and limbs are outright missing. Looking both eager to fight, but somehow exhausted as she rushes forwards on the train, Clarent at the ready.

Then she launches herself forwards, jumping over the train cart, or platform, or whatever she’s standing on that’s flat like an empty truck bed, as it detaches entirely, sending a betrayed looking Reploid backwards as it slows down behind them.

Eyes grow wide at her having leapt so far, impossibly so, before Clarent slams through one Reploid’s head.

“Was that it?” Mordred asks, as she decapitates another Reploid outright, first still stuck on Clarent’s blade as she does so. “Funny, but in a sort of sad way. Like watching a bunch of kids stare at their tower of blocks and not being able to comprehend why it fell over.”

With those words, she pushes forwards, Clarent carving her way through, as she leaps from train cart to train cart.

Ahead, the Lion Reploid nods towards her, as she keeps coming closer.

Then she winces, as two sections of the train detach from ahead of her, at the same time.

“Can we fire anything? We brought you back to fight, didn’t we?! Fire at that monster!” One Reploid shouts, glaring at the lion Reploid near him.

“Didn’t you swear to not hurt humans with this? I saw what one of your people did.” The Lion Reploid retorts.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself, then! Detach more cars from the train! As many as it takes! I want this monster out of our hair!” The Reploid screams.

For a moment, Mordred grins outright. The sound of her enemies screaming in rage and futility.

Then the next three cars of the train she’s on detach from the engine, all at once.

For a moment, Mordred frowns.

“You idiots, don’t let them get the Energen back! You shouldn’t have cut off that many!” The irritating would-be leader screams.

The lion Reploid smirks. “Whoops, my hand slipped.”

“You’re a maverick, like me! You’re supposed to be helping us win against humanity!” The would-be leader screams, as Mordred rushes forwards, eyes narrowing as she works on ideas.

Then they’re on an older, rusty looking bridge.

“Wait… this isn’t the bridge we were supposed to be on!” The idiot trying to lead, yelps, then turns to see Mordred on a train car far too close.

“You… I revived you! I spent precious energen on you! Kill the monster! You lost to X and Zero, right? Kill the monster, and we’ll have precious food!” The idiot yelps, staring at Mordred, then at the lion Reploid beside him. “I saved you, Slash Beast. You owe me!”

“Hmph. To owe a traitor to humanity such as yourself…” Slash Beast frowns, looking at Mordred.

“You know what will happen if you attack me. We took precautions to ensure that you’d be loyal no matter what you’d prefer.” The idiot admits, pulling a remote out with a grin.

For one single moment, Clarent is there, impossibly long, as Mordred feels liquid warmth rushing through her and her blade. Then the moment is gone. As are both arms of the idiot reploid trying to control Slash Beast, and the remote control.

“Is this a two person argument, or can anyone join in?” Mordred asks, humor in her voice.

Slash Beast chuckles outright, as the bridge starts groaning beneath the weight of the train.

“Go right ahead. I have no loyalty to Mavericks, and though I wasn’t one, my group was remembered for rebelling against humanity and wishing to live in space, in peace.” Slash Beast admits, wryly.

Then the bridge itself under them buckles, a louder groaning going through it.

“I’ll kill you! Once I get that remote back, I’ll kill you!” The idiot shouts, then pauses, wincing as he realizes where they are. “Oh no. They rerouted us here-”

With a horrible groaning noise, the bridge collapses beneath them, the old steel no match for the heavy train.

Then they’re in free fall, and Slash Beast blinks to realize he’s not dead.

“Oi.” Mordred states. “Little help, here? I can’t hold you up forever, even if I got us to the walls of this ravine or whatever we’re in.”

Slash Beast nods, grabbing the ravine and pulling himself to it. “Thanks.”


“For a machine, you don’t seem to be a bad one.” Mordred admits.

“For a ma-” Slash Beast pauses, staring at Mordred. “If we survive this, I’d sure like to know what you’re talking about.”

Mordred frowns, then pulls herself up, silently. “So, they considered you to be one of them? But with how you’re acting… you’ve got a bad reputation, too, huh?”


Slash Beast, once a strong Repliforce Captain, nods towards the armored knight next to him, as they both slowly pull themselves up.

“You aren’t killing him, Mordred?” A voice echoes from behind them both.

Mordred glances back at Sage Harpuia, then nods. “He was trying to keep casualties from happening. They ignored his attempts to get them to stop, and he was too far away to do anything.”

“Considering what, exactly, that bastard likely put in me to ensure I’d cooperate if I’d not follow orders?” Slash Beast grumbles as he pulls himself up. “Evil bastard. On one hand, I’m not actually a Maverick, but considering the entirety of Repliforce was considered to be Maverick when we simply wanted freedom…”


Mordred nods. “Kinda like how I’m hated for fighting my father, in order to give him a break? I get it.”

Slash Beast pauses, blinking, before pulling himself up over the edge. Then offers a hand to Mordred, pulling her up. “The bastard had a remote control in his hands, before he went over the edge. One connected to bombs in my systems. If I didn’t obey and help him as far as I was able to, he’d simply detonate me and use my reactor as a new source of power.”


Sage Harpuia frowns, then nods. “I’ll look for it, then.”

“Thanks. He doesn’t seem bad, especially with his attempts to limit casualties.” Mordred admits.

Harpuia nods again, then flies downwards.

A long pause, as Mordred and Slash Beast study each other, the lion Reploid frowning. “Mordred, huh? Any relation to King Arthur’s kid?”


“From a different universe, yeah. So long as I’m working with my partner, I’m back from the dead. If the energy flow dries up, however…” Mordred trails off, shrugging.

“Fascinating.” Slash Beast murmurs. “Pity I can’t understand heads or tails of all that science crap.”

Mordred laughs, long and hard. “Oh, I get that. Erik’s fun to learn from, though. And smart enough to explain it in ways that even fight addicted warriors like ourselves get.”


Slash Beast pauses, then snickers.


Author’s Notes:


Can you tell Mordred really doesn’t care about technology if it’s not downloaded, and Erik hasn’t explained much to her about things involving trains yet?

As for the Mook of the day? You got to see one of the more interesting people. A battle junkie like Mordred, being revived and used as a “fighter” by Maverick Forces. (Considering how many times Vile shows back up in the X series…? Megaman X, he dies. X3, he dies again. X8? He dies a THIRD time while not being labeled as Mark 3, but Mark 5…) So, you have a Captain of one of the groups of Reploids, known battle loving meathead, and supposed Maverick, by history’s teachings.

Except Repliforce as an organization? No one in it were Maverick at all, they just wanted to get the fuck off-world and not deal with humanity’s shit anymore. So, while history sees them as Mavericks…


For his profile, and ideas of how he fights? https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/Slash_Beast

[RanmaBushiko]

Originally posted here.
Chapter 4: A Long Voyage


2 days later

“I’ll be happy to escort the convoy there, Admiral.” Wolfen admits. “Just understand that with that Admiral in Everett, I’m not going to be getting too close to his harbor if possible. I’m sure he’s gnashing at the bit in a rage that he’s unable to get his hands on me, to roughly quote my captain.”

Admiral Kouzuki nods, thinking. “I’d honestly suggest using some of that money over there to get yourself on either some truly potent hot sauce, or perhaps some of those Carolina Reapers, Wolfen. With the wasabi only giving a minimal amount of fuel for you compared to our hopes, we’ll look into hot sauce production over here, too.”

Wolfen nods, smiling. “Thank you for the funding to ensure I’ll be able to help!”

“BURNING LOVE!” Kongou shouts, right before pouncing, jumping her admiral and repeatedly kissing his face.

“Kongou?! Get off of me!” Admiral Kouzuki squirms for a few moments, before sighing at the realization that she’s not moving. Then he pulls her close for a hug.

“Don’t you dare die out there, Kongou. Do you hear me?” Admiral Kouzuki asks, glaring half-heartedly.

Kongou smiles. “Of course, my Teitoku. Sinking would mean I couldn’t come back to hug you again!”

For a moment, Admiral Kouzuki muses, before grinning. “If you’re good, and do well with the others, I’ll have a tea party with you afterwards…” He trails off meaningfully.

“I’d love a good cuppa~” Kongou blushes softly, before snapping out of it, looking at everyone around, and smiling widely, letting her admiral go. “I’ll keep you to that promise, Admiral!”

“They make a cute couple, don’t they? Even if the Admiral is trying to be a proper leader, more than a husband like Kongou wants.” Mordred smiles as she watches from Wolfen’s “bridge”.

Admiral Kouzuki nods, before formally saluting her. “Kongou, your orders are as follows. Yourself and Iku are to escort the supply ships, along with PAB Wolfen, on a supply run to the United States of America. Lead the Convoy well, my Battleship!”

“Yes! I will show you what I’m made of!” Kongou salutes back with a wide smile, then turns to Iku and Wolfen both. “Now it’s our turn! Follow me! Everyone follow up!”

“Aww. Kongou’s completely adorable today with lines like this.” Mordred grins. “Time to follow her, I suppose!”

With those words, they dash towards the water, sailing off alongside the cargo hauler ships.




First Day of the Escort




“So, what have you been making over there, Wolfen?” Kongou asks, smiling. “You seem to be hard at work!”

“It took me a while to figure out how to use my manufacturing capabilities, I’ll admit.” Wolfen smiles over at Kongou, before continuing. “But I think that this should be of help to you.”

“Eh? Something of help to me?” Kongou asks, tilting her head.

“It’s not quite done, but I’ve been working on some laser secondaries for you, as upgraded equipment, if you’d like to test them out.” Wolfen grins.

“Hey, what about me?! I want something neat, too!” Iku sticks her head out of the water to frown at Wolfen.

“I’m working on ideas for you, but I’m not nearly as experienced with torpedoes, sorry. Well, except that Kongou should be able to jump over the things, considering she’s as much a girl as a ship now...”

Both pause, blinking. “Wait…” Kongou mutters, then tries jumping. With a splash, she lands back on the water, before she blinks more. “I can do that?!”

A long pause as Iku simply stares at Wolfen. Then at Kongou. “Huh. Being a girl is neater than I thought, isn’t it?”

“Especially since you probably can swim with your arms and legs, instead of the propellers, and go super quiet?” Wolfen retorts.

Iku simply blinks for a long moment. “Holy crap! I’d be nearly impossible to hear if I did that!”

Wolfen simply nods. “Common sense and thinking outside the box helps, doesn’t it?”

“Especially when I’m helping you realize it’s possible, right Wolfen?” Mordred smiles from the bridge.

For a long moment, Kongou frowns, rubbing her chin. Then she smiles, and simply pulls a gun out of it’s mountings, before handing it over to Wolfen. “It’s surprisingly easy to do, when you realize you’re more than just a ship, Dess! Take good care of my smaller turret while you ensure the new gun will fit where the old went, please?”

Wolfen nods with a smile as she accepts Kongou’s weapon, while Iku happily swims with her arms and legs, testing things.

Iku then blinks in surprise at seeing several mechanical crew from Wolfen move outside her body, look over the gun, and start measuring it carefully. Then they return, as Wolfen hands the secondary gun back.

“Got the specifics. We’ll be able to ensure it fits when we deliver the final product.” Mordred admits.

Kongou smiles, as she reattaches her guns, before pausing. “On a different note, Wolfen? Are there any signs of Abyssals? Normally we have a lot more showing up for a convoy mission like this for supplies…” Kongou asks, looking now rather curious.

Mordred frowns, as she glances over the charts, humming. “They’re too far south, but they’re grouping in massive numbers. Looks like a small army starting to form, or navy.”

“I’m not sure. The few satellite photos I’ve gotten are… confusing. There’s a huge group south of us, and by huge, I mean huge. But they’re doing nothing but gathering.” Wolfen admits.

“Here’s hoping they’re not planning to attack all at once, Dess!” Kongou smiles.

“Let’s hope you’re right…” Wolfen muses. “On a different note, have you gotten any further with your Admiral? I’ve noticed you’ve been looking into video games to play with him…”

Kongou smiles, half giggling. “Well, Fate/Stay Night was interesting to watch with him last month. Though the plot was confusing. They couldn’t get funds for much of the planned prequels after they first produced that.. Babylonia series?”

Wolfen blinks, rather confused. Mordred blinks as well, from in her comfy chair at the wheel.

“Erm… what?” Wolfen asks, carefully. “Babylonia? I thought that was part of Fate/Grand Order…”

“I heard Nasu was more concerned with his Tsukihime series, to be honest.” Kongou admits.

“That’s a lot different from what Daddy saw…” Wolfen admits, quietly. “Fate/Stay Night and it’s spinoffs exploded, where I’m from. Not Tsukihime and Melty Blood...”

Kongou blinks. “Interesting, Dess!”




Day Five of the Escort




“So, how long do these things normally take?” Wolfen asks, stretching as she does so.

“Usually about 15, 20 days.” Iku responds. “Depending on weather, or if Abyssals shoot at us to try and steal our return convoys. Considering we’re sending computer parts, microchips, and all those good things back, they don’t really see much interest in getting to the return convoys, except to harass us.”

Wolfen nods, thinking as she stretches.

“So, super fast for us, if we need to, but for anyone else? Super slow.” Mordred trails off, amused.

“Any luck in finding data in your hard drives, Wolfen?” Kongou asks with a smile.

“Slow going, to be honest. I’m having to look through my crew mates memory banks, for the few that survived the transit…” Wolfen trails off, musing.

“What exactly are your crew, anyways? I keep hearing a ‘Bzzt’ from yours?” Iku asks, curiously.

“Ah, they were a type of mechanical crewmates Daddy designed! I’ve got several manufacturing designs to be honest, as well as the tool sets to make more.” Wolfen admits.

“Huh. Friendly, but mechanical… no wonder it’s hard for you to think, Dess! We’ll have to figure out how to help you get more living crew on board!” Kongou giggles.

Wolfen smiles, stretching as she nods. “Definitely. Maybe if I can find some legendary items involving my parents, or uncles, perhaps something can be done about that?”

“Hmm. Did you ever have any crew like that on board?” Iku asks, thinking.

“Um… a few. They got moved to Daddy’s space station before things went… from bad to worse.” Wolfen admits, thinking.

“Pity I never got to meet them.” Mordred admits, grumbling.

“Define ‘bad’ please?” Kongou asks with a smile. “We’d like to help you, you know?”

“Go ahead and tell them, Wolfen. It’s the same stuff your dad told me, isn’t it?” Mordred sighs, settling back while glancing around for some popcorn.

For a long moment, Wolfen just sighs, thinking. “Daddy wasn’t sure, at the beginning, what happened. It was a huge jumble for most everyone, at first, especially considering we were working to colonize Mars at the time. The Greater Titans, the ones that existed before the gods, suddenly had an incident at the jail where a good chunk of the lesser ones involved with the Norse Pantheon, avatars for the Greater Titans, were once more sealed up again, through Daddy’s help…” Wolfen trails off, thinking.

“Then a far worse fate than Ragnarok hit, as somehow the Titans, Greater and Lesser Titans, alike, all became a single being.” Wolfen admits, quietly, much to gasps of shock, and wide, half confused eyes looking at her. “The Greater Titans, in our version of history, were… aspects of existence itself, literally having worlds within them. The Great Flood Noah barely survived with those animals, was a result of Ymir, Greater Titan of the Norse, actually being slain outright.”

Horrified silence greets her words, as Wolfen rubs her forehead. “Mommy and Uncle Fenris were drastically weakened, from helping her own mother out. I know something happened there, and it involved Mommy’s own mom dying… but I can’t tell you what happened. Too much lost data.” Wolfen admits, quietly. “The dozens of Nuclear Powered Battleships sent by Daddy to help were all lost, with no transmissions or reports sent, or even codes reporting heavy damage.”

Kongou shivers, quietly. “Not even a word, then… terrifying.”

“I got to see it. The end of the world, from where Daddy had me teleported to in Orbit as overwatch.” Wolfen admits. “That purple energy slowly encompassed the earth, and we could see time… reverse for lack of a better word for it. Going backwards.”

Kongou and Iku shudder in unison. “A trap, perhaps?” Iku asks, quietly.

“More than likely, one to reverse the clock if something happened. Daddy had an artifact of Ymir’s, that it started chasing us to Mars to retrieve. Seeing as Mommy hadn’t made plants that could actually survive Mars’ atmosphere naturally, and the air was going to run out, Daddy went for a desperate move. To jump universes entirely.” Wolfen admits, folding her arms, shivering quietly.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Kongou asks, moving over to hug Wolfen. Wolfen’s only response is a quiet nod.

“We were looking for a new universe to settle in, when we wound up in some sort of ‘Grand Grail War’, involving two sets of 7 Servants duking it out in teams… and another showing up to act as an Arbiter, or Judge.” Wolfen admits. “Called herself Ruler. She seemed nice enough, when she wasn’t poisoned and stuck convalescing in me while Mommy slowly cured her.”

“Pity she died like that.” Mordred admits. “I would’ve loved to spar with her.”

“I’m guessing you jumped around more, before you ran into what led you here?” Kongou asks, quietly.

Wolfen stretches, quietly, thinking. “Damned Eldritch Kaiju at the end of the Grail War. Or whatever it was. My memories aren’t very clear of what happened during the fight, to be honest, due to me needing heavy repairs from part of that Grand Grail War. Everything past that Grand Grail War is... hazy.” Wolfen admits, closing her eyes. “I just remember horrible pain and then… drifting. Until you met me, eating the last of my hull to repair myself enough, to generate crew and be able to think straight.”

“I’ve got you too, Wolfen. As your captain, I won’t abandon you.” Mordred admits, patting the wheel she sits in front of.

“Kind of like how we remember when we were sunk?” Iku asks, quietly.

Wolfen nods.

The rest of the day is quiet, as they sail more.




Day 10 of the Escort




Wolfen hums, as she goes along with Kongou and Iku, thinking as she goes.

“Pretty song, what’s it from?” Iku asks, smiling.

“Ah, Castle in the Sky, as Daddy first watched it over in America.” Wolfen nods, smiling.

“I wish I got to see that one…” Mordred half-heartedly grumbles.

“Huh. I think I’ve heard that music from clips of it on Teitoku’s cell phone…” Kongou muses, quietly.

“I’ve found some soundtracks for movies, and one of my crew member’s memories of some movies earlier. Just thought I’d enjoy trying to hum it. It’s not like I could before, after all!” Wolfen smiles. “Not in a way that others could hear besides Mommy, anyways.”

Kongou nods, and for a long moment, they all go quiet, thinking.

“Wolfen?” Kongou asks, quietly. “Could you check that satellite and see where any Abyssals might be? It’s gone from odd to downright disturbing that we’ve had barely any fights.”

Wolfen nods, focusing, as she links to her satellite. Then she glances up, blinking, before looking south. “There’s perhaps… hmm.” She trails off, focusing, trying to count. “A couple hundred to the south west of us, gathering. I think they might be going for an assault of some sort, towards Australia. But I simply can’t tell for sure.”

“Lemme try to get a better view, Wolfen. Give me a bit.” Mordred mutters, working on the screen in front of her.

“Why not?” Iku asks, quietly, pulling herself mostly out of the water to look over at Wolfen properly.

“I almost think it’s like a meeting, or perhaps a feeding frenzy?” Wolfen muses. “Too many ships are aimed inwards.”

“Feeding frenzy. They’re eating a couple of whales while they’re still alive and trying to get away.” Mordred mutters, grimly. “Let’s not mention the alive part, huh? They could have had the kindness of at least putting them out of their misery first...”

“Correction.” Wolfen admits, a few minutes later. “They’re eating a whale or two, and are now heading north while eating. Looks like they’ll miss us by a day or two.”

A flinch runs through Kongou and Iku.

“Let’s just, not think about that, for now. Okay?” Kongou half asks, half states, looking queasy.

Iku quietly nods in agreement.

Wolfen finally nods, thinking, before smiling widely. “So, how’s your attempts to date your Teitoku going, Kongou?”

Kongou’s face goes a brilliant scarlet, her blush shining brightly.




Day Fifteen of the Escort




“We’re getting close!” Iku admits, humming.

“Yup! Your cloaking device prepared, Wolfen?” Kongou asks, carefully. “We’re not sure if we got all those crew members on the last convoy identified, that wished to make sure you would wind up part of the United States…”

“Yeah, it’s ready.” Wolfen admits, then glances over, a wide grin on her face matched by her captain. “Now, you were getting ready to ask me for help with dating your Teitoku, weren’t you?”

Kongou blushes hard again. “Stop teasing me! Hmph!”

“I’m not teasing you at all, Kongou!” Wolfen admits, a grin on her face, as she moves over to hug Kongou from the side. “You’re becoming a good friend, and seeing you happy with him will put a smile on my face.”

“I’ll second that one. Cheery happy shipgirl is too nice for her own good.” Mordred admits, somewhat amused.

Kongou sighs, with a smile on her face. “Fine. If you have any tips, I’m willing to listen, Dess!”

Wolfen pauses, pulling Kongou’s ear to her lips, then starts whispering. “Now, this is what mommy did to get daddy to be with her…”

“Home cooked meals, Dess? That’s not too much of a problem… the legendary naked apron?! Whipped cream? What’s the whipped cream for?! Chocolate syrup, too?!” Kongou whispers, blinking. Then she starts going a brilliant red, as Wolfen describes to her in explicit detail about what those things are meant for.

“Oh my!” Kongou whispers, blushing scarlet.

“THAT’S how girls can entice men into having sex with them? Huh. Wow.” Mordred muses quietly. “I suppose that’s why so many men listen to their wives, then. Getting rewarded with something like that for doing what they want?”

Wolfen and Kongou quietly giggle, as they go over ideas on how to ensure Kongou’s Admiral will be more susceptible to her burning love, when Kongou returns to Japan.

“So if I’m in a naked apron, I should use that line, huh?” Kongou giggles hard, blushing. “Inviting him to have a bath, or a meal, or me? I’ll do it! Teitoku will be mine!”

For another hour, they plot and plan, Kongou working out with Wolfen exact specifics of the plan for her to seduce her Admiral. Then they sigh, smiling.

“Ah, that’ll be nice. Hopefully, it’ll work out soon. Well, at least if I’m stuck taking another airplane back, and Missouri is the one bringing the convoy halfway back to here, at least.” Kongou admits, blushing. “Sometimes we’ve got the political pull to have them help do things halfway.”

Wolfen nods, smiling, then pauses at a slight feeling.

“Aww, shit.” Mordred mutters. “Incoming Abyssals from North of us.”

“Incoming Abyssals, Kongou, Iku. Have the convoy speed up while I start heading to counter them.” Wolfen nods towards them, preparing her cloak.

“Hang on, something’s off about it. Can’t tell what yet, though. One of the IFFs is different from the others.” Mordred mutters, working at the panels. “None of the Legion of Coal are helping me like I’d hoped up here, so I have to control it myself, they’re too busy with those laser secondaries you’ve been building for Kongou.”

“Keep watch, but something’s different about one of them!” Wolfen calls out.

In the distance, they can slowly see a single Abyssal racing ahead of a group of 40 others, even as the convoy pulls further away.

“Oh, shit. That’s one of Hoppou’s kids!” Mordred snarls.

Wolfen’s eyes slowly widen as she recognizes the IFF. “First one’s friendly, Kongou! I recognize her, she’s one of Hoppou’s!”

Kongou’s eyes widen in surprise, followed by horror as her rangefinders finally spot the Abyssal properly.

Damaged guns. Burning metal. One of the arms shot off. Both aircraft launch pads melted ruins. What was obviously a new, young Aircraft Carrier Demon? Now barely floats.

“Aunt Wolfen!” A cry from her, as she desperately reaches forwards with one arm, eyes alight at seeing Wolfen there. “Run!”

Wolfen moves forwards, pulling up the young Abyssal, who clings to her.

“What happened?” Wolfen asks, glancing at the ones chasing her.

“Betrayal. Pacific Ocean’s other Abyssals… assaulting us.” A quiet whisper.

Several tiny Legion of Coal units jump aboard the Abyssal, before Wolfen gently pushes her back towards Kongou.

“Little one, stay with her. I know you might have problems with Kongou and Iku, but they’ve been letting me run this convoy in return for materials to help you and the others with.” Wolfen states, then moves towards the group behind her.

A whimper of pain is all that she hears from behind her, as she moves ahead. Towards the group that followed her.

40 Abyssals grin at her, widely. All young. More to Wolfen’s growing horror, she can identify a few of them as belonging to Hoppou.

“Why are you chasing her? Moreover, you little ones that I knew before? Why have you abandoned Hoppou?” Wolfen asks, pulling out her rifle.

“You know damn well why, Wolfen! Just SHOOT THEM!” Mordred snarls.

“Mother will belong to the greater fleet soon enough, you know?” Several smile at Wolfen. “She has failed to realize that all of humanity must fall, for us to reign.”

Silence reigns, as Wolfen looks at them, horror in her eyes.

“Why do they have to fall?! I agreed to a convoy, to get you and your mother, your aunts, all materials you needed! Equipment you could use! Your mother and her allies all have a good plan, a working plan!” Wolfen shouts at them, almost screaming. “It’s not impossible to live in co-existence!”

“And while your little group of ‘friends’ manages to live in co-existence, the rest of us gets to starve?” The others ask, in sync.

“I didn’t plan that for any of you. I hoped to see peace between humanity and Abyssals!” Wolfen retorts, then sighs. “Please, don’t make me fight you.”

“You don’t have to fight us at all!” One steps forwards, a wide smile on her face. “A simple token of blood, and service, is all we require. Your service, and the blood of everyone else here that isn’t part of our group, including that little traitor that came to you for aid, the deaths of those two shipgirls behind you, and the deaths of every human on that convoy you’ve been escorting!”

Wolfen stares at the Abyssal in front of her. “You’re shitting me, right?”

The Abyssal in question smiles, shaking her head slowly. “That will happen, one way or another. All you’re going to do in this situation is make it slower, or faster.”

“Tell me why, at least!” Wolfen all but shouts, her rage leaving them blinking in surprise for a long moment.

“Part of the ship, part of the crew.” The one before her says at last, a sad smile on her face. “Branded, forced to join, perhaps. But part of the ship, part of the crew. So too is it branded by a fleet, part of a fleet!” With those words, she pulls down her shirt, showing a runic marking branded into her skin under her cleavage, covering an older marking that’s slowly fading away.

“No choice. No choice in our sailors, no choice in Poseidon’s games. No ability to keep our people that were our sailors, once! Forced to take those that openly were failed to be saved on the seas, or the monsters that ruled them. The children! The mutineers! Pirates! Brigands! Privateers! The fucking nazis!” She finishes with a scream, then, as she heaves for breath, she glares at Wolfen. “Not like the shipgirls that obeyed Poseidon’s games. The ones that won, and got to keep their crews.”

“You’re a Wo class, you can beat her!” Another calls out from behind, a wide smile on her face. Others shout out their encouragement as they all face Wolfen down, smug smiles on their faces.

Then Wolfen raises her rifle, tears dripping from her eyes, and fires the laser cannon.

The 30 foot wide beam of hot light is the last thing many see.

Wolfen dashing forwards, a 5 foot red light of death catching most of their shots, as she fires repeatedly from her rigging, leaves most of the rest of them staring in stunned horror a few moments too long for them to survive. Distantly, the fire from Kongou can be heard, with shouts of “Burning Love!”, as well as torpedoes from Iku. But Wolfen can’t register that so easily.

“She’s like a princess! No, like two princesses fighting us at once! RETREAT!” One screams, as Wolfen tears through all but two.

Two, staring at her in stunned horror. Two of Hoppou’s children.

For a long moment, they stare at Wolfen, stunned silence in the air as they stare at the massacred Abyssal fleet. Then they look at each other, before the one on Wolfen’s left quietly speaks up. “Maybe you can save mommy after all… before it’s too late for her.”

“What do you mean, too late?” Wolfen whispers, quietly.

“They’re going to make all of them join their fleet. Brand them, as we were. If we live, we’re only going to be your enemy, Aunt Wolfen.” The one on the right quietly whispers. “I’m sorry. I loved your fish. I loved your chocolate. But we’re part of the enemy side now, no matter how much we love mommy. So we’re going to have to die for you to save her.”

“Tell mommy we loved her, okay?” They turn towards each other, then mutually blow each other’s heads off, in front of a horrified Wolfen, who promptly collapses into tears. Soon enough, Kongou is gently holding Wolfen from behind, rocking Wolfen gently in her arms.




Author’s Notes (Originally written November 22nd, 2020):
More of the backstory involving Abyssals and Shipgirls in this universe, much to Wolfen’s trauma and horror.


There’s a lot of faceless mooks in Kantai Collection, ships that while have unique looks, aren’t really worth much of anything. Some authors all give them names. Others? Just treat them as faceless enemies to be destroyed.

I’m going for an interesting middle ground. Those that have personalities, mindsets, enough to be worthy to be stronger? Become Demons. Those that are stronger than that? Princesses.

There currently isn’t anything stronger as of yet.

That doesn’t mean that war hasn’t come.

However, as Wolfen’s starting to realize? War is hell. There is no plot armor for this war. There is no joy, no kindness, and as the war between Abyssals and humanity rapidly surges back towards “hot” once more, things are going to go back to being hell for both sides



Also, for why the fight went how it did? Yes. I know perfectly well that at first, it reads as Wolfen almost being Mary Sue-ish here. However, it’s for a kind of simple reason.

The bulk of the ships here were beginner enemy ships. Most basic ships are pretty weak in Kantai Collection. 20 hp, 5 armor, 35 hp and 10 armor, things like that. The only real threat here was the Wo class ship with 80 hp. 25 Aggravated damage from Wolfen’s Laser Cannon, as a pre-emptive strike, is going to tear through most of them like a hot knife through butter.


Next chapter you’ll see how Wolfen actually stacks up compared to Princesses...

Author's Notes MK2:
A few bits and pieces changed for this. Mostly word usage. I didn't want to let anyone realize that this was immediately after Fate/Anarchy, and that the Eldritch Kaiju in question was the final fight of Fate/Anarchy's story, thus the intial phrasing for how long it had been, jumps between universes, etc.

[Arbitrarity]

Some early Ciel interaction... this is probably going to accelerate the timeline, or warp it somehow. I suppose Erik isn't quite as worried about side effects from his intervention. He's not quite as dependent on foreknowledge, more... preparation.
One of the interesting bit here, to me, is the matron is a Reploid, and presumes Erik is as well... from his appearance? I suppose he has the metal arm, and is in his power armour, ah. It's not really clear to me what proportion of people are Reploids vs humans here, so I wasn't sure if you would assume random people were Reploids.

Train theft is a more organic way to show the energy-centric conflicts that are so important in this setting. I suppose only Slash Beast is actively trying to prevent casualties, and isn't a Maverick, so we haven't seen really sympathetic (actual) Mavericks yet, but their goals seem pretty understandable. Amusingly, that wiki article claims Slash Beast is a Maverick, yet the overall Repliforce article... does not. Mega Man lore consistency may not be its strong point.

I think you may have a typo in one of your minor changes with Kongou being more aggressive

Teitoku will me mine!”

[RanmaBushiko]

Some early Ciel interaction... this is probably going to accelerate the timeline, or warp it somehow. I suppose Erik isn't quite as worried about side effects from his intervention. He's not quite as dependent on foreknowledge, more... preparation.
One of the interesting bit here, to me, is the matron is a Reploid, and presumes Erik is as well... from his appearance? I suppose he has the metal arm, and is in his power armour, ah. It's not really clear to me what proportion of people are Reploids vs humans here, so I wasn't sure if you would assume random people were Reploids.

Train theft is a more organic way to show the energy-centric conflicts that are so important in this setting. I suppose only Slash Beast is actively trying to prevent casualties, and isn't a Maverick, so we haven't seen really sympathetic (actual) Mavericks yet, but their goals seem pretty understandable. Amusingly, that wiki article claims Slash Beast is a Maverick, yet the overall Repliforce article... does not. Mega Man lore consistency may not be its strong point.

I think you may have a typo in one of your minor changes with Kongou being more aggressive

Yeah, Ciel... Erik in this case is hoping that if he can help teach her, he can help her realize her grand accomplishment, faster. That, and he doesn't want to sit around waiting, building and being bored until the Wolfen's repaired by any sense of the word.

Repliforce... isn't Maverick. But was declared to be Maverick, by refusing to disarm in X4. Loosely, both the Maverick Hunters and Repliforce showed up to help a city when it was endangered, the Maverick Hunters didn't realize one of their own went Maverick, and blew up the power core for the area, and both sides overreacted. Just as Sigma planned.

Lore in the setting is a little more explained in games, but... barely? You get a bit of dialogue per boss fight, you have a fight, rinse, repeat, with Sigma eventually showing up bragging about how he'd arranged everything, and how stupid his pawns were, after he (usually) infected them.

In the settings, the only way to tell if it's a reploid, is metal cone speaker-like ears, for the humanoid ones. So if armor's covering it up? Yeah... pretty much impossible to tell if it's a human or not. They're that lifelike, if wearing lots of metal all the time.

I thought the train theft would go well. Slash Beast... isn't a Maverick, as I covered before with Repliforce's bit above. But he's technically considered one by the games canon? And seriously, with exactly how many times certain Reploids get resurrected... (And reports that they wanted Vile showing up 100 years later, but the game boy advance simply didn't have room for him...?)

*sighs* Bit of a mess, all told. No, megaman lore isn't perfect. And the games are ambiguous to plot, right up until Mega Man X: Command Mission, and Mega Man Zero 1-4.

The original games only had plots in the manual, after all. X's series aren't really much better. Zero's... actually had some plot in the games, but by then, the world was so crapsack, it's a trainwreck and a ruin all mixed into one clusterfuck. Wily nearly did apocalypses. Sigma DID do apocalypses. There were more apocalypses set off after that, and a huge chunk of the planet's population simply ceased to exist as a result. And now we're running into the newest attempt at wiping out humanity 3.0 (or maybe 4.0, since Wily tried some stupid shit there, towards the end...?).

Also, I hope I did the train scene justice. Tried getting it to the favorite chase scene from Castle in the Sky, but I'm not sure I got it right.

Also, thanks for the typo correction. I'll have it fixed in a minute.

[RanmaBushiko]

Chapter 3: An Old Captain


Mordred studies Slash Beast, carefully. “So, you seemed awfully interested in the Energen.”

“It’s hard to think when you don’t have enough. Like being constantly hungry.” Slash Beast admits, the grizzled lion Reploid settling back. “I was hoping to use it and old patterns to Energen distribution, to find a good source of it.”

“A good source, huh?” Mordred hums, thinking. “Interesting. Any ideas of where it came from?”

Slash Beast pauses, thinking. “That… shall we say, wasn’t my cup of tea, exactly? I was the brawling meathead, relied upon for fighting, over anything else. But I do recall some of the Reploid scientists in Repliforce having stumbled upon a big discovery. One that they died before telling anyone else about.” He admits, quietly. “With enough Energen, I should probably be able to restore those files from the glimpses I saw, but with how old my hardware is?”


Mordred nods, thoughtfully. “Energen, or power in general?”


Slash Beast frowns, thoughtfully. “I could use the Energen, but power in general would be relatively fine, I suppose…”


“Erik, my summoner, has a bunch of reactors.” Mordred admits, thoughtfully.


“Ah.” Slash Beast nods, thoughtfully. “And so he’s the reason why they thought attacking Neo Arcadia would be a good idea. They thought Neo Arcadia had the fuel to power them all with ease, rather than that pitiful amount of Energen.”


“And the moment they realize their mistake, they’ll fight me.” Mordred grins. “Should be fun.”


“And if they get past you?” Slash Beast queries, curiosity on his face.


“Erik’s a scary fucking bastard when he wants to be. And he specializes in mecha.” Mordred nods. “I’m pretty sure that if they do get past me, they’re fucked anyways.”


A slow nod from Slash Beast is her answer, before she frowns, looking around, just in case of observers.


A Reploid runs for cover, his yellow body and metal belt holding an array of grenades, eyes wide in terror as he realizes she realized he was there.


Clarent cleaves through his skull like a hot knife through butter, before instinct guides the Noble Phantasm through a different part of his body.


Then Slash Beast and Mordred both stare, blinking, at the robot chassis leaving a tank of blue crystals behind.


“Is this the Energen stuff you need?” Mordred asks, curiously.


Slash Beast nods, eyes wide at the huge container. “That fellow really shouldn’t have had so much…”

Mordred frowns and nods. Then glances over at Sage Harpuia floating upwards and frowning at the dead Reploid.

“Not one of ours.” Sage Harpuia admits, then turns to look at Mordred. “You’ve been asking him interesting questions.”


“He’s got especially interesting answers.” Mordred admits, thoughtfully. “And he might be old, but he remembers some information we might need.”


A slow nod from Sage Harpuia, as the Green Reploid floats down, button in hand.


“Any idea of if that might set things off in my body?” Slash Beast asks, curiously. “I’d rather not die yet.”


“I’m not sure.” Sage Harpuia admits, silently glowering at the remote. “It’s an older model, but not one I’m used to.”


“May I look at it, then?” Slash Beast asks, looking at Harpuia.


“...” For a long moment, Sage Harpuia studies Slash Beast, before nodding, and offering it over. “Mordred trusts you, so far. And you aren’t malicious, yet.”


Slash Beast silently looks at Harpuia, then nods. “I’d offer to do something, but I have no clue what is in me, and out of me.”


Mordred frowns, thinking hard.


For a moment, she recalls Clarent growing impossibly long, and the liquid warmth flowing through her.


Liquid warmth… almost like a Prana Burst?


Slowly, Mordred’s mind wraps around that. For one moment, she can feel the liquid warmth, like a pool within her.


A massive number of uses lie within her. Then she shivers, at the feeling of one somehow slipping into her mind.


“Hmm…” Mordred hums, thinking rapidly at the feeling of being better somehow. Then pauses, at the slight feeling of danger from Slash Beast. Not big, yet.


“...It’s probably a bomb on a countdown.” Mordred states. “I can feel you steadily getting more dangerous, as you speak.”


“And if I don’t get it taken out in a special way, I’m dead.” Slash Beast mutters. “Of course I’m dead. Little bastard never planned on me living long enough to matter.”


Sage Harpuia frowns. “I don’t read anything. Are you sure, Mordred?”

“I’ve always had an insanely good intuition, which lets me fight while wearing such a concealing helmet.” Mordred admits. “It’s going off that something’s started to be dangerous about him, but it’s not dangerous to me, yet.”


“A longer countdown than we thought, then.” Harpuia admits, thoughtfully. “One that may be used to our advantage.”

Mordred nods, helmet disassembling, before she walks forwards to focus. “Stay calm, while I try to work things out. Okay?”

Then she glances at Sage Harpuia. “Can you get one of Erik’s Legion of Coal units here? Ground Penetrating Radar, the way his units specifically have it, may give us an idea of the general location of things in him.”


A quick nod from Harpuia is her answer, before he jets off.


“You’re avoiding certain subjects.” Slash Beast observes, thoughtfully studying the warrior beside him.


“Subjects that give me the feeling of danger getting worse from you, are a bad sign to my intuition right now.” Mordred admits, quietly.


“While it wasn’t, before?” Slash Beast muses. “You’re a good leader, not letting me get killed. Reminds me of the Colonel, and his sister.”

Mordred pauses, humming. “Erik wouldn’t mind having you around, teaching about the era back then, and giving us hints to things.”

“Hints? Slash Beast curiously thinks. “Ah, Energen.”

Mordred nods, settling back. “We found a few odd properties to it that no one else has noticed before.” She finally admits. “I’m hoping you’d know of places that this era has lost, stores of it and the like.”


Slash Beast blinks, outright staring at Mordred, before laughing. “Ah, that’s perfectly fair. Not a retirement, but a cushy teaching job?”


Mordred nods, quietly feeling her Intuition fade a bit, then focuses. Leading not one but two of those liquid warmth streams to what she’s realized is her intuition.


For a moment, she can feel it. The precise location of the bomb in him.


“Don’t move, and trust me, please.” Mordred whispers.

Slash Beast blinks, then nods.

Another flow of liquid warmth to her intuition, then two, then three more, hoping her Intuition is right.


Then Clarent stabs forwards, Mordred Pendragon’s instincts guiding her blade true.

A slow blinking whine, hidden in Slash Beast’s body, dies, as the bomb shuts down.


“What…?” Slash Beast winces, then blinks at Mordred, curiosity overriding everything else for the lion Reploid. “What did you do?”

“Cut the bomb’s control circuit off… I think? And into your outer… skin.” Mordred winces, rubbing her forehead. “Gotta say, though. That hurt to do. I’ve got a headache from that one.”

“Overdid it, huh? Just like I tended to do.” Slash Beast sighs. “Let’s get under cover then, while that fellow in Green gets back. I don’t like how the clouds are looking.”

“Get some of the Energen in you from the yellow guy, will you?” Mordred mutters.


Slash Beast quietly nods, moving to retrieve it.

“Looks like your friend in green is back.” Slash Beast calls out to Mordred.

“What happened?” Sage Harpuia looks at Mordred, slight worry in his eyes at the sight of her suffering from a headache.


“Overdid it. Tried to use a technique Father could use, for wildly different purposes. It may have worked to augment me, but the migraine I got is seriously nasty.” Mordred admits. “You’ll want to get a look at him and the damage. I told him to take some of the Energen from the yellow guy I dealt with, too.”

Sage Harpuia quietly blinks at Mordred, then sighs. “And your intuition is saying he’s not a threat?”


“No, but that bomb was reacting to our words, the entire time.” Mordred admits, quietly. “Smart weapons worry me.”


“As do us all.” Sage Harpuia admits, frowning. “This may lead to more Maverick attacks.” Then he sets down the Legion of Coal unit, who kneels in front of Slash Beast.


“Some sort of explosive device with far too much potency was in his insides.” The Legion of Coal unit announces, eventually. “One in between two large racks of hard drives.”


“Well, damn.” Slash Beast murmurs. “Little bastard planned for a lobotomy for me.”


“No damage to the hard drives, but there are two further down in you, and Sir Mordred’s blade carved through two larger than usual units.” The Legion of Coal unit admits, quietly.


“Damn. That’s how he got me rigged, huh?” Slash Beast sighs. “Let’s get me to a repair center, if you wouldn’t mind.”


“I’d suggest getting the explosives out, first.” Sage Harpuia states, frowning. “I don’t want a bomb that big going off if there’s any other controls or setups in case the first controller fails.”


“Fair. If you can let me do emergency surgery with my laser rifle?” The Legion of Coal unit asks, carefully.


A lot of delicate work follows, as the Legion of Coal unit carefully works, the years of engineering perhaps not countering the confusion of trying to understand every technical advancement, but enough to make things stable, for the moment.


It takes a long while. But work between the Legion of Coal unit, Mordred’s Intuition, and Sage Harpuia’s knowledge of how Reploids are constructed, they eventually pull the explosives out.


Leaving two devices having replaced memory banks, and those memory banks having been stored elsewhere in his body as well as four disturbed people.


“That fucking prick put these in two of my memory slots?” Slash Beast murmurs.


“It looks like they’re meant to activate when a surge of power goes through you.” The Legion of Coal unit adds in.


Slash Beast and Sage Harpuia frown, as Mordred growls in rage. “Isn’t Energen like food to you Reploids?” Mordred growls out. “They planned to lobotomize you the moment you ate.”


Slash Beast flinches. “Can we put the two memory units back in?”


“After we get them scanned, please. I’d rather you not get plugged into something meant to hurt you.” Sage Harpuia admits, quietly.


“Understood. A wise thought.” Slash Beast admits, sheepishly.


“Much like my brother that way.” Sage Harpuia admits, quietly.


“I’m still pretty eager to give you all a sparring match.” Mordred admits, as several teams land to collect the discarded Energen.




Elsewhere





A lone armored figure sits at a table, studying the glass of alcohol in his hands.


Then pauses, at the sound of footsteps.


“Well?” The figure asks. “How did the raid go? Slash Beast should have been more than enough for anything but one of X’s kids.”


“Failure, sir. Some unknown being interfered. Our spy tried to listen in, but aside from some odd information, we didn’t get much before he died.” The newcomer admits.


The figure at the bar pauses, humming softly, then pulls up his green helmet to sip on his drink. “Irritating. Mind giving me a copy of that sound file?”


“Yes, sir.” The newcomer admits, before sliding a tablet over, scratching at his white metal beard thoughtfully.


For a long while, the one in green armor swirls his drink, frowning as he listens. “At least now, I can tell if it’s bourbon instead of mud.” He admits, wryly, then pauses.


Rewinds, then plays again.


Then again.


“Not a Reploid?” He murmurs aloud, quietly. “Fascinating.”


“Sir, it’s more than likely that this newcomer was full of bullshit, or our person was influenced somehow.” The newcomer states, before pausing as his boss turns to face him.


“No. I think we’re onto something here. If they’re throwing generators around like candy, and searching for the birthplace of Energen? Interesting…” With those words, he finishes the last of his drink, then stands up.


“S-sir?” The newcomer almost whimpers, staring at his boss, then winces as his mind changes subtly. Then winces further, as his Torpor fades, transforming him from subservient minion, to an equal.


“I was hoping to save her for Zero’s eventual reawakening, as a nasty little present to show my continued existence, but I think I’ll use her as a sleeper agent, instead. Wake up that Repliforce Girl, Iris. It’s time to show the world that I, Vile, still exist.” Vile smiles under his T-Visor, as he walks towards the door, his follower dutifully following behind.


“As you wish, Sir. We’ll set her up to be a sleeper agent, as planned. I, Isoc swear it.” Isoc admits.


“Even with my eighteenth rebuild, X’s children still pose a remarkable threat to my plans. Four are far more irritating than one. But if we can use those properties before they can…?” Vile trails off, thoughtfully.


“We may be able to intervene and influence things to our own plans, instead?” Isoc asks, curiously.


“And our dream of a world ruled by Reploids alone may still come to fruition.” Vile admits, frowning. “Perhaps I should go back to my original paint job, to make sure they recognize me when I fight them, though?”


“To be fair, Sir.” Isoc admits. “They might realize something’s off if you do that.”


Vile slowly nods, frowning under his helmet. “A fair point. Wake the girl up, using patsies after putting the new equipment into her rebuild. We’ll need her to spy for us unknowingly.”


“As you wish, so shall it be done. And with Slash Beast seeing only a recovered comrade, they’ll be unaware of the danger they’re in.” Isoc admits.


“You’ve changed personalities again, I see. Your mental template is that unstable, Isoc?” Vile queries.


“...Considering how much it takes to even think straight now? To say the least, yes. I wasn’t supposed to have lost so much of myself. A few more iterations, and I’m not sure if there’ll be anything left of me, to recover and stabilize myself in order to exist again.” Isoc admits, with a frown.


“Hmm. Take it easy then.” Vile states. “Just make sure people can’t easily notice the spying equipment in her.”


Isoc nods. “Of course, Sir.”


“And none of that ‘Sir’ business with me when you’re not in Torpor. We both know who you really were, Isoc. Or shall I say, Dr. Wily?” Vile asks, amusement seeping into his voice.


Author’s Notes:


So. Funny thing. The method of “Boosting” that you all chose? This version relies directly on Mordred’s Endurance stat, for how much past human baseline she is. Every time she uses “Liquid warmth”? Boosting.


Clarent raises her endurance by one full rank, as a result of her being a Divinely Appointed King, whether Clarent likes it or not.


Hello A+ rank Endurance, how are you today, leaving her number of boosts at the same exact number as how many times past normal human endurance she is? Why, that’s a hundred? Wow, what a huge number!


Yeah… and people wondered why I was hinting at the different styles of boosts for Erik and Mordred. Instead of the multiplicative one by number of ranks in the stat like Erik got? Instead she gets it for how many times past human baseline it is. It’s pretty much serving as an augmentation of Prana Burst taken past it’s limits.


Much like her helmet limiting Prana Burst to lower than what she can handle with Clarent Blood Arthur, so too does it limit her boosting abilities.


As for the reveal, on the other hand?


A story’s gotta have a villain somewhere while waiting for the big bad idiot wanting to destroy the world to come in. And boy oh boy, I chose one of my favorites. Vile.

A pain in the ass threat, surrounded by nearly as much mystery as the one who’s helmet shape’d visor he shares, Boba Fett. (At least, in the original Star Wars Trilogy…) And a love for curb stomping people in giant mecha.

Note, I’m basing him more on the Rockman X Manga’s version of Vile/Vava. Not the version from Maverick Hunter X, who’s a bloodthirsty asshole that wants to prove he’s better than X and Zero combined, and doesn’t think far into the future at all. (Seriously, PSP remake? SERIOUSLY?!) Nor the version from the original X games, where he’s just a mocking pain in the ass who likes to beat your face in with his current mech of the day, irregardless of game he’s in. But the thoughtful, cunning, calm monster to fight that he is in the manga.


Quoting word for word, one of my favorite fanfiction statements about him from Red Draco’s “Bass is not a fish”? "X, you're far too fond of getting yourself into nasty situations that involve little prick robots that like to hide behind big huge mech suits."

I miss the writer of that, Red Draco. They did so much for the Megaman community and world-building back then that wasn’t just “Oh, look at the same!” or bad crossover attempts. Especially considering they made a 200 page novel out of two games barely having 2 pages of text, each. Kudos to them for that crazy stunt. It kind of exploded the fandom into something… better. For back then, at least? Pity they disappeared in 2013, 2014 from all the sites I could find them at.


…Correction! I found them posting under a new username, for some stuff, and a whole bunch of stuff online! Yay! Just not much about Mega Man anymore, dammit.

Ah well, I digress. Vile is a pretty good option for Mavericks, old and new, to rally under the banner of. Considering exactly how little Neo Arcadian forces were able to be used against Ciel’s “Resistance” at any point in time, the Four Guardians having him to deal with makes a lot of sense, canon-wise.

[RanmaBushiko]

Originally posted here.
Chapter 5: Princesses and Pain



Wolfen sits on the ocean’s waves, crying, as Kongou holds her tight.

“I’m here for you, Wolfen. Just try to breathe, and relax with Kongou. She’s got you safe in her arms, okay?” Mordred whispers in Wolfen’s bridge, gently, patting the panels she has access to. “Just cry it out, as long as you need to. I know it hurts, especially with how much we’d helped them over those few days.”

“I’m here, Wolfen. I’m here…” Kongou whispers, softly, into Wolfen’s ears, as she gently rocks Wolfen, helping her relax slowly.

Wide eyed, the young Abyssal Aircraft Carrier Demon watches, even as she quietly eats food to refuel.

After a few moments, Wolfen towards the Demon in question, before pulling her close and hugging her, too. “I’m so sorry! If I’d been a little faster, maybe I could have saved more of your siblings!”

“We couldn’t have, as much as I wish it was otherwise. But… if wishes were fishes, as Erik would say.” Mordred admits, quietly.

Kongou just bows her head. “You were busy making a deal with Teitoku, Wolfen. Nothing you could have done would have changed things.”

“I helped raise them, damn it!” Wolfen shrieks, shaking for a long moment. “Those poor children… Not even 19 days ago, I was teaching them how to fish, Kongou! How to learn to gut their food, how to search for clams, even what sort of pearls they might come across to be able to trade to humanity for supplies!”

“Auntie Wolfen, we don’t blame you!” The Aircraft Carrier Demon speaks up, as she moves to hug Wolfen with her remaining arm. “It hurts to be around Shipgirls… I remember losing my crew while they kept theirs, being better than us, so many times… but Mama Hoppou said that the one you’d likely be traveling with would be nice, if you said she’d be nice.”

“You heard her. She doesn’t blame you. Hell, she’s trying to trust Kongou right now! Trust in them.” Mordred gently encourages Wolfen.

Slowly, Wolfen nods, hugging the young Abyssal back. “Tell me what happened.”

“That…” The Abyssal Demon in question pauses, thinking. “We’d just settled down on Midway for a training exercise with Mama Hoppou! One of Aunt Ayako’s would be training with us, so we switched our shells out for some practice rounds. Then, half an hour earlier than the assault was planned, we’d heard some explosions in the distance. Aunt Ayako was heard shouting to switch the training shells back, then we didn’t hear anything but gunfire from their location for a long time…”

Aircraft Carrier Demon pauses, frowning. “It gets a bit hazy, but… the last thing I clearly remember was a bunch of our sisters suddenly getting ambushed by submarines dressed in black, Mama Hoppou shouting at me to escape and find you, to ask for your aid, then having to evade far too many fleets on my way out.” She admits, quietly. “Now I’m so badly damaged, I can barely float, and…”

Aircraft Carrier Demon, pauses, looking behind Wolfen at once of the cargo ships, getting closer.

“Well, we know the basics, at least. Still, what’s with that cargo ship?” Mordred mutters, grumpily.

“By the new United Nation Rules, we get to execute that one!” A sailor calls out, gleefully.

“Don’t kill the idiot.” Mordred mutters.

Wolfen pauses, glaring at the ship, then simply moves in between the sailor and the Abyssal.

“Oi! Get out of our way! We’ve got an 8 inch shell with that Abyssal’s name on it!” the sailor calls out, growling. “Huge bounty for the ship, if we can claim that one’s life with video proof!”

“Again, don’t kill the idiot, Wolfen.” Mordred states, louder this time.

“I’ll send you some crew, and give you some food, okay?” Wolfen asks, quietly, her eyes far harder.

“I don’t recall that being authorized as a rule! Are you sure of your sources?” Kongou calls out, loudly.

“It’s one according to the United States! Don’t forget who’s helping get you your food, girl! Now, get your friend to step aside, so we can tear that one to bits for what’s been done to us!” More sailors call out, as they grin. “We’ve got backup on the way, ever since that fleet showed up, including the Mighty Mo!” The first sailor grins.

Wolfen stares at them, quietly, even as a portside gun slowly turns to aim at her.

“Don’t kill the idiot, Wolfen. Be prepared to catch the round, but don’t kill him.” Mordred continues to state, eyes narrowed.

“Could you stop?” Wolfen asks, glaring.

“Nope! Too many good American citizens were slaughtered by monsters like her, little shipgirl! Now, obey our laws, and move!” The sailor retorts, with a grin. “You can’t ignore a Lieutenant, can you? All you shipgirls start far too low to have any ranking when it comes to us right now!”

“He’s just an idiot that won’t listen right now. He’s likely lost family to Abyssals. Don’t kill the idiot. I know you want to, but that won’t solve things here.” Mordred continues trying to calm a ticked off Wolfen. “Point out that she’s a child, see if that calms the moron down, okay?”

“She’s a child. Moreover, she’s a child of a group that’s hoping to trade with humanity, not raid it.” Wolfen retorts.

“I don’t give a shit, if she’s a child! She gets the gun!” The Lieutenant retorts, frowning.

“You’re ruining a plan from someone far above your paygrade with your belligerent actions, sailor.” Wolfen retorts.

“Again. I don’t care.” The lieutenant grins. “You can tell your Admiral your sob story, when we’re done sinking that there bitch behind you, but move your ass, shipgirl.”

“Now, he’s pissing me off. Get ready to shoot that gun out if he continues being this stupid, but don’t kill the idiot. We can’t afford to do that again after we took out that rival of Admiral Kouzuki.” Mordred growls.

Wolfen’s eyes narrow, as she summons her rigging. “And if I sink your ship for trying to ruin the plan that can keep the entire Pacific Ocean safe from Abyssals attacking humanity?”

“WHAT DID I JUST SAY, WOLFEN?!” Mordred snarls.

“You… what?” The Lieutenant pauses, staring at the rigging. “You don’t have a chance of doing that, girl. Not as long as you’re a naval ship of the United States, or Japan!”

“I wasn’t built by either, I’m afraid.” Wolfen’s eyes narrow. “Nor am I held hostage by being under someone’s command. So, will you reconsider your situation, knowing that I’m escorting this convoy for the sake of helping out Kongou, not because I care about you and your issues?”

“DAMMIT, WOLFEN! WE CAN’T KILL THE STUPID BASTARD! I KNOW YOU WANT TO, BUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO BLUFF, YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO BACK IT UP!” Mordred all but shouts from her chair.

“I’ve detected Missouri and two other ships, closing fast, Wolfen.” Iku pulls her head out of the water, to warn them.

“Aww, I was scared for a moment there, but it looks like Mighty Mo’ pulls through! My, you’re that ship that got away from her, though, aren’t you? Talking with the Abyssals behind our backs, are you?” The Lieutenant in question grins. “Now, move away from the girl, or else you’ll get shot by us to-” His further words are interrupted by a sharp crack.

A long pause, as the Lieutenant glances to his right, to the destroyed cannon he was getting ready to shoot at Wolfen, then back at Wolfen lowering her rifle.

“Good job, Wolfen, and thank you. You had me worried there, damn it.” Mordred sighs with relief.

“Don’t piss off the shipgirl with a railgun, you asshole Lieutenant.” Wolfen sighs. “I get that you’re mad, but she’s a child.LITERALLY A CHILD. Moreover, you’re endangering a time sensitive, critical operation with your actions, Lieutenant, that’s from high up enough in the Japanese Military that if word of this leaks, you’ll be scrubbing toilets for decades if you’re lucky.”

“I don’t see no time sensitive mission, I see an injured Abyssal that should be put out of her misery, and a dangerous shipgirl who’s firing upon a convoy she’s supposed to protect!” The Lieutenant retorts.

“Shut up.” Kongou states, climbing out of the water, and picking the Lieutenant up, to glare at him. Then, she pulls him over her shoulder, and starts walking off with him.

“Iku! Catch!” Wolfen calls out quietly, before tossing the newly finished laser secondaries to the shipgirl in question. “Get them to Kongou, while I get Aircraft Carrier Demon out of here, okay?” Iku quietly nods, catching the two devices, before swimming a little deeper to hide them in her hold.

“You will put me down right now, or else I’ll see you stripped of your pay, girl!” The Lieutenant retorts.

“Get out of here, Wolfen, do as you need to do!” Kongou calls out. “I’m going to introduce the dear Lieutenant to tea, and have a long talk with him about how foolish he’s being!”

“Tea?! We have an ABYSSAL TO SHOOT AT! I don’t care about TEA!” The Lieutenant retorts, as Wolfen picks up Aircraft Carrier Demon, in her arms, before both slowly fade out of view.

“Where the fuck did those two go?! LET ME GO, so I can shoot the one, and capture the other!” The Lieutenant shouts. “My orders were to ensure Missouri brings that shipgirl into protective custody, and I’m going to ensure that she goes into custody!”

“You’re seriously going to try and make a shipgirl with a cloaking device follow your orders?” Kongou retorts, darkly. “You aren’t my Admiral, and more importantly, you aren’t in my Chain of Command. You’re just a traitor to humanity, hoping to steal Wolfen’s secrets for your own gain, before both our nation's burn from the enemy.” Kongou continues. “Get out of my sight, you don’t deserve my tea.”

With those words, Kongou throws the Lieutenant away, leaving him on the deck, breathless, and staring at Kongou with no little horror.




15 Minutes Later…




Kongou sighs, looking at USS Missouri sailing up, a large smile on her face. “Well, if it isn’t Kongou! Enjoying the slower cargo transport ride here? I’ve come to take your ‘friend’, Wolfen, into custody.” Missouri calls out, a smug smile on her face.

“You just missed her, I’m afraid. Some of the classified work she’s been doing for Teitoku seems to have almost been ruined in the last day or so, and one of your Lieutenants was ready to destroy the remaining work.” Kongou smiles sweetly.

“Oh, to destroy a damaged, hurt Abyssal?” Missouri continues on with a smile. “They’re all trash that should stay dead, Kongou. No more, no less. We’ve been summoned back to destroy them all, not to disobey superiors!”

Kongou sighs, shaking her head quietly. “I see your Admiral has almost decided to commit an act of war against Japan, then, by shooting at an allied ship under orders from my Teitoku himself.”

Missouri stills, a bigger frown on her face.

“I’m afraid that I don’t care if it’s considered an act of war to you, Kongou. She will be taken in, and produce equipment for the good of America!” Missouri continues. “We have an order from quite a few Senators to that, as well as Generals.”

“Pity you missed her, then, hm?” Kongou shoots back, her arms folded. “Also, keep that mouthy Lieutenant off of the convoys, if you know what’s good for him. I’m surprised Wolfen didn’t blow his head off for being an asshole and blowing every form of operational security for this.”

Missouri pauses, then looks at Wolfen, amusement in her eyes. “I’m sorry, are you saying that she was ready to kill the Lieutenant?”

“Considering she’s been making in-roads with a group of Abyssals, in an attempt to get them to trade with humanity over warring with humanity and us?” Kongou shoots back. “The Lieutenant was ordering her to let him shoot a young Abyssal that she’d helped raise, and taught to fish.”

Missouri pauses, actual conflict in her eyes for a moment. For one long moment, she turns to look at the now bone white Lieutenant, hidden in the doorway. “Yeah, if I’d been ordered to murder a kid I’ve taught how to fish, I’d be shooting at the idiot ordering me to do that, too. Shit. You don’t just kill a kid you’ve taught how to fish, you know? It’s just not right or how things are done back in the state I’m named for. Any suggestions of punishments for the idiot?”

"Scrubbing out toilets for the next ten years." Kongou admits.

Missouri sighs, softly, then looks at Kongou carefully. “Damn, what a clusterfuck. They’re friendly, then? If she’s teaching them how to fish, she’s trying to civilize them, after all.”

“Not to us, Dess. But they’re friendly to humanity, and wish to trade with them.” Kongou retorts.

“Why the fuck not us, Kongou?!” Missouri growls, glaring.

“That involves a lot of classified intel that Wolfen managed to give us, Missouri. You’re a shipgirl. I’m fairly sure you’d fight for humanity, over a Lieutenant’s orders, if it came down to it…” Kongou pauses as she gathers her thoughts before continuing. “But Wolfen’s come across what the hell they’re fighting for in the first place, and why that nightmarish month where those Abyssals attacked in the first place, happened. Teitoku has classified it to the utterly highest level. Myself and Teitoku are the only ones that know what the hell is going on, because Wolfen entrusted me with the information as well.”

“More political bullshit?” USS Missouri asks, halfheartedly.

“More the other politicians are trying to see either him die, or us marry the way Arizona did the last Admiral Richardson, so my Admiral is out of the way of their plans? Including multiple plots of ordering me to see China conquered, possibly with a Nanking 2.0 involved?” Kongou retorts. “If it wasn’t for Wolfen stepping in, at the cost of any political help for her long term? My Admiral would be dead. Those… animals had explosives set up in every inch of the base Teitoku normally goes to, as well as in Teitoku’s personal home.”

Missouri stills, flinching outright. “Shit. I… shit. We’re both in a fucked up situation, aren’t we?” Missouri admits. “Fuck. I’m sorry.” Missori finally says, with a sigh.

“What little I can say, though, is that we don’t remember what the Abyssals fully do, Dess. And they came back, thinking we all came back with, for one single, long battle to end all battles…” Kongou admits. “Winner rules all, literally.”

“But we didn’t all come back.” Missouri states, then freezes, as cold horrible realization sinks in. “Only a very small number of us came back! The rest…!”

Kongou quietly nods, then glances down at Iku sneaking something into her right palm.

“The rest didn’t come. Something’s terribly wrong from what little Wolfen managed to find out from a tribe of Abyssals that want trade, or tithes on caravans of goods.” Kongou admits. “The Abyssals are utterly terrified, especially of us.”

“Where exactly did Wolfen go, Kongou?” Missouri asks, quietly.

In the distance, both pause, listening to a distant sound of several jet engines firing up, before the sound rapidly fades away. Kongou and Wolfen both stare at where the sound was, then at each other. “I’d say that was her, cloaked, heading off to fight a bunch of Abyssal fleets, and princesses, to save a friendly group. Or at least a friendly leader.” Kongou admits.

“Subtle, Wolfen is not.” Missouri admits. “But if she’s got multiple jet engines on board, the plan for ships to catch her won’t actually work. My stupid, stubborn admiral...”

“Here’s hoping she’ll be safe. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be talking with Iku for a while.” Kongou replies, quietly.

Missouri silently looks at the bone white sailor staring at them. “And I have a disloyal sailor who didn’t ask the right questions, to punish. I think I'll start with having you scrub the toilets with a tooth brush.” Missouri admits, her eyes cold. "And if they're not perfect, I'll be having you redo it, until you get them right."

For a long moment, Kongou sighs while watching Missouri sail off, Lieutenant under one arm. Then she glances down, before casually pulling out two of her secondary guns, and sliding the new laser rifles into the places where the prior guns were before.

Then, reality seems to almost twitch as text seems to appear in her vision.

“Alternate Faction Equipment Registered.

To properly equip this equipment, you must leave your current Faction!


Warning! New Faction is not aligned to the war you are in! Faction will recieve no benefits from fighting in the War for Poseidon’s Trident!

Do you wish to leave the Poseidon Faction of Shipgirls: Light, and discard your enmity with the Poseidon Faction of Abyssals: Dark, in return for joining the Faction of Prototype Aerial Battleship Wolfen?

Yes
No”

For one long moment, Kongou stares at it, and the giant glowing yes and no buttons at the bottom, floating in midair. Then, she asks aloud, quietly. “Can I look this over later, please, when I’m with my Admiral?”

Kongou blinks at the screen changing in front of her.

“Poseidon, the Arbiter of the War has acknowledged your query. Please remove equipment until your decision is made.”

Kongou looks down, slowly removing them, then focuses, storing them within her ship’s hold quietly, before putting in her old secondaries with a quiet frown.

Then Kongou blinks in realization. “Wait, that screen called her a WHAT?” Kongou whispers, quietly. “Wolfen’s amazing, Dess!”




With Wolfen, at the same time




Wolfen sighs, adjusting herself. “Stay quiet, little one. My cloak’s covering us, but I’ve gotta figure out how to fly us both out without being noticed. If I move wrong, they’re definitely going to see me, and even if I adjust myself right, they’re likely to hear my engines when they fire up.”

“I’m a Demon, though! I’m a big sister now!” Aircraft Carrier Demon retorts, a smile on her face. “Thank you for helping with repairs, though!”

“Mmhmm.” Wolfen nods, quietly. “Now, can you hold onto me like this?”

“Not a problem, even with one arm!” The Demon in question smiles back up at her Aunt.

“I’m going to have to save your mom, so we’re going to have to be careful with this one. My fairies should help you with most of your repairs, though, okay?” Wolfen admits.

Aircraft Carrier Demon nods with a smile.

Wolfen looks back up, still bent over, then focuses, adjusting internal systems slowly until they both slowly rise up out of the water to float in the air.

“Calibrating electromagnetic systems to counter the forces of gravity… check. Spinning up Jet Engine Thrusters 1 through 8… check. Adjusting fuel flow for maximum speed… check. Firing up Secondary and Tertiary Reactors… check. Bringing my Main Reactor to full power… check. All systems nominal for assault.” Wolfen mutters, as the main thrusters slowly grow to a whine.

“Ragnarok countermeasures… offline. Cannot access. Radiant Wave Surger online and ready… check. Fifteen 500 pound bombs modified for cloaked firing… check. A clip of 20 railgun rounds, modified for cloaked firing… check. Mecha launchers ready… check. All systems are geared for Aerial Assault. Launching!” With those final words, the thrusters engage as one, even as Wolfen starts humming the tune of Danger Zone.

“We’re going so fast, Auntie Wolfen! This is AMAZING!” Aircraft Carrier Demon squeals with glee as she realizes the sheer speed they’re going at, before blinking. “Eh? I don’t have water in my damaged spots? We’re flying?! AUNTIE WOLFEN, WE’RE FLYING!”

Wolfen giggles softly, hugging the damaged Abyssal Demon in one arm. “We are! Just keep a good grip on me, okay? I don’t want to drop you at this speed!”

It takes roughly an hour of flying time, before they see the storm over Midway. A massive storm, rain constantly pouring down, as steam and vapor flow up, making the rain look somewhat closer to a monsoon than rainwater.

Cracks of lightning flicker within, as more and more fog and water raises up from the ocean to join the storm and fuel the rain within.

“How’s your repairs, little one?” Wolfen asks, quietly.

“I won’t sink, but I don’t have guns yet. The new arm is wonderful though.” Aircraft Carrier Demon admits, quietly. “You mentioned mecha before?”

“Still not sure how to launch mine, I’ll admit…” Wolfen trails off, thinking. “Unless you have ideas?”

“If Mecha is like planes? Focus on your big gun, visualize your… mecha in a clip, several per bullet. Then fire. The bullet should turn into planes, or... whatever a mecha is?” The demon in questions admits. “That’s what I saw back before this war started, anyways. At least Mama Hoppou can ensure most of our sailors aren’t bad ones…” She trails off, frowning. “Unlike before…”

“I’ll talk with her about things, afterwards. Okay?” Wolfen whispers, quietly. “Now, grab my legs with both hands, and pull yourself further up, okay? We’re going to need to dampen the sound from my engines as much as possible for me to save Hoppou.”

Wolfen sails on, then slowly enters the massive storm, quietly searching as she looks around. There’s a noticeable flinch from them both, as the cloak flickers for a moment, weakening, before slowly fading back into full power.

“That’s not good, is it?” Aircraft Carrier Demon whispers, quietly, as Wolfen slowly lowers, her eyes narrowed.

“No, no it isn’t, kiddo.” Wolfen mutters. “I’m extending the cloak enough that keeping you in it and myself invisible is more fragile than normal.”

For a moment, Wolfen thinks, before handing Aircraft Carrier Demon a knife. “Use this if you need to cut bindings on Hoppou, okay? I’ll distract them while you get her and get out.”

Aircraft Carrier Demon nods, as Wolfen lowers her into the sea. Then, with narrowed eyes, Wolfen moves off, the sounds of her thrusters inaudible now.





15 minutes later...




“You’re sure of this working?” Southern War Demon asks, the four arms, complete with hands, sticking out of her rigging and holding her against the soil of Midway Island below her. Below, a long poker with an elaborate insignia at the end slowly heats up within the gaping jaws of her engine room.

Nearby, lies the unconscious figure of Hoppou, on the dirt. Drenched with rain, covered with injuries, she’s definitely had a harsh battle. Steel cables hold her in place to the ground.

“I am. She’s an installation, yes, but she’s one of their weaker numbers, with only Anti Aircraft batteries for defense. Since she’s run out of planes, Northern Ocean Princess is within our clutches.” Airfield Princess retorts, a wide smile on her face. “All you have to do is use those new, super hot engines of yours to heat up the Brand hot enough to fully take, and all debts are settled, Southern War Demon.”

Southern War Demon quietly nods. “I owe you. Just understand, you’ve given your oath that I won’t be branded and forced to bend the knee, Airfield Princess. I don’t take betrayal lightly, and if it means I screw over your war effort, branded or not, I’ll do my best to die before bowing.”

Airfield Princess frowns, before nodding with a sigh. “Fair enough. I just want those shipgirls to be done with. As do you, I think. The sheer amount of trauma the oldest ones put us through, I can’t forgive them.”

“Nor can I.” Anchorage Princess, along with a younger looking Anchorage Demon, walk up. “Midway Princess is held back, for now. Though our Battleship Princess is having issues with their own Battleship Princess.”

A sigh comes from Airfield Princess, before she stretches, the two airstrips to each side of her jiggling as her body moves. “I’m glad your artillery cannons work well against them and their fleets, to be fair.” Airfield Princess admits.

“Indeed.” Anchorage Princess admits, before frowning. “Still no sign of the fleet we sent after Northern Ocean Princess’s little Demon, though. Do you think the ones that were turned, could have been lying about an allied Shipgirl?”

“Someone taught them how to gather food in those ingenious ways.” Anchorage Demon admits. “Gives a much higher yield than hunting whales did for us before, at least.”

A slow nod from Airfield Princess is all that’s answered, before she looks up. “Deepen the storm. I don’t want anyone or anything to get through.”

“Yes.” The group, barring Southern War Demon reply, as the rain increases from a monsoon with occasional lightning strikes to a thunderstorm filled monsoon, rapidly growing in size to encompass over 3 miles.

“Brand is at 75%, Airfield Princess!” Southern War Demon shouts.

“Hoppou… where is Hoppou?” A quiet whisper greets them, as Hoppou snaps awake.

“Oh? The guest of honor has awoken, just in time to realize she’s failed to keep her children safe, as well as herself!” Airfield Princess smiles calmly, walking forwards.

“Hoppou won’t forgive you for doing what you did!” Hoppou snarls, trying to pull herself up, then winces at chains groaning, but not letting her go. “This…!”

“Oh, we had Harbor Princess help make sure they’d hold up long enough for you to be dealt with, I’ll admit.” Anchorage Princess admits, a look of amusement on her face. “Can’t let you outperform all of us, you know what I mean? You’ve destroyed the balance of power in the Pacific Ocean far too much with your little antics, you and your group.”

Hoppou glares, sullenly, the loud thunder from constant lightning strikes all that’s illuminating her face. “If Hoppou wasn’t out of planes, Hoppou would deal with you here and now for this!”

Loud laughter erupts from the group, before Airfield Princess kneels to look at Hoppou. “Sorry, but we win.”

“Brand’s at 95%. Get it to full heat, like ordered?” Southern War Demon asks, her arms folded.

“Of course! We should ensure our guest succumbs properly and can’t fight it off, you know?” Airfield Princess smiles, the smug look on her face growing ever more pleased with herself, as she continues on. “It’s not like your Battleship Princess can save you, you know? There’s so many Battleships, after all, and she’s fighting another Battleship Princess!”

“Ninety Eight Percent! Almo-” A loud crack interrupts Southern War Demon, as an explosion detonates in the gaping maw of her body. “Enemy attack!”

A snarl erupts, as Airfield Princess and Anchorage Princess both start releasing massive numbers of fighters, spreading out as they search. A few seconds pass, as their eyes narrow.

“Any sign of the attackers?” Anchorage Princess calls out, loudly.

“Negative, I can’t spot a thing in this rain, nor can my fighters.” Airfield Princess calls back, her eyes narrowed.

Another crack interrupts their searching, before Southern War Demon screams in utter agony, slowly pulling out the Brand with one shaking, damaged arm. The other is desperately held against the gaping mouth, as she shakes with pain.

“That next shot drove it into my boiler! It was only bare luck that I wasn’t branded!” Southern War Demon calls out, holding her stomach. “Oh, that hurts so bad, too!”

“Tch.” Airfield Princess mutters, quietly, before raising her voice. “Lower the storm’s potency, the rain isn’t letting us know where they are! We’ll have to use sight to target them. Anchorage Demon, can you make sure the Brand is fine?”

“Of course, Ma’am!” With those words, Anchorage Demon moves forwards, her long hair flapping in the wind.

The monsoon lessens, as does the lightning storm, leaving dark clouds overhead with light falling water.

Another crack sound erupts, from their southwest, before Southern War Demon’s head detonates. The detonation rapidly reaches her magazine, leaving her going up in a massive fireball, sending the Brand flying.

“Oh no you don’t! Anchorage Demon shouts, running towards the Brand, as the fighters of both Airfield Princess and Anchorage Princess fly towards where the sound came from, mouths wide open and breathing fire as they rush towards the place the sound came from.

Then a chorus of confusion erupts from the Abyssal fighter planes, as they find nothing.

“Where the hell did they go?! I was planning for Southern War Demon to fall deeper into my grasp, not get sunk! It’ll take months before she resurfaces with a new crew!” Airfield Princess screams.

A moment later, another explosion occurs, as the Brand is sent flying into the water. A long hissing sound occurs, as all five people on the island stare, Hoppou with joy and the others with rage, as the heat goes out of the Brand.

“I couldn’t reach it in time, my Princess. Punish me as you will.” Anchorage Demon admits, shivering.

Airfield Princess narrows her eyes, and steps forwards. “Coward! I label thee coward! You, who fights with smoke and mirrors! Come out or Northern Ocean Princess gets what’s coming to her since we can’t brand her! DEATH!”

Eyes narrow for the group, as they stare. Up near the clouds, Wolfen breathes out, as she repeatedly launches several groups of Mecha Fafnir jets to harass them, then shivers as she waits for her cloak to resume.

The 25 jet dragons move down, launching attacks and bombs, but nothing results in actually doing damage to the 4 enemy Princesses below.

“What, are you out of range to hear me yourself, then? COWARD!” Airfield Princess growls, batting away a dragon trying to fire flamethrowers into her eyes, as she approaches Hoppou.Wolfen’s eyes widen, then narrow, as Airfield Princess picks Hoppou up, then puts one of her gun turrets directly against Hoppou’s head. “Call off the attack, or she dies! I know your fighter planes can hear me!”

For a moment the fighters pause, before pulling away. “Tch. Annoying little things you have, but they’re not good enough to beat us!” Airfield Princess snorts. “Now. We can do this the easy way, where you leave, or we can do this the fun way. We fight, and the loser serves the winner. Of course, if you miss, then my cute little hostage will take the attacks for me!” Airfield Princess grins.

A thirty foot laser beam slams into her head, barely missing Hoppou as the only reply she gets. For one long moment, steam hangs in the air, before Airfield Princess appears, hair somewhat singed.

“Was that your best shot? I’ll give you credit for not hitting her once, but now that I know you have such a wide attack…” Airfield Princess trails off as she smiles. Then she frowns.

“Wolfen, we can’t cloak yet.” Mordred admits, breathing out. “Not sure how we’re going to defeat them, either. I’m low on Legend from the ring Erik made me. We’ve got maybe one more cloak before we’re out, completely.”

“You think I’m out of tricks, then?” Wolfen calls out, frowning. “Still, I accept your little challenge.” Wolfen then pauses, looking at the Radiant Wave Surger on her left hand. “I’ve still got an ace to play, after all!”

Airfield Princess frowns, as she hears loud engines fade rapidly. Anchorage Princess also frowns. “I’ll pull my planes back, I suppose.”

The three move, then pause, at the sight of sunlight in the drizzling rain, a hole in the clouds letting them see sunlight for one long moment, before their abilities leave the cloud cover unbroken once more.

“What the hell is her trump card?” Airfield Princess frowns. Then the frown turns to joy, as she spots their allied Battleship Princess in the distance.

“Glad to have you back! We’ve got issues with an ally of Northern Ocean Princess harassing us, but the foolish girl agreed to an older style Pacting Fight.” Anchorage Princess calls out. “One against our Airfield Princess here!”

Battleship Princess frowns, nodding. “That other one was irritating to get away from. They’re taking names, too.”




Meanwhile, 2 Miles up...




Wolfen frowns, locking her rifle to her back, as she checks up her systems. “I’ve only got one shot at this, Mordred, but I think it’s the best way.”

“We’re going to do a hell of a lot of damage to your internal structure pulling this, Wolfen. Are you sure?” Mordred asks, carefully. “It’s a hell of an idea, I’ll admit, but it’s dangerous to us, as well. ECM is keeping satellite footage from spotting us, but I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to do this trick too often.”

“Their armor is too thick for anything else we can throw at them, Mordred.” Wolfen admits. “And with the cloaking function not an option until you can regenerate more Legend? It’s the only thing I can think of, left. I can’t produce nukes yet, after all, and it’s going to take me a month or two for one.”

Mordred nods. “Let me buckle up first, then. Also, keep in mind we’re down to 25% fuel, Wolfen. You’re pushing your engines hard here, we’ll need time to check for issues after this is over.”

“Roger that, my Captain.” Wolfen grins, then looks down.

A loud click from within Wolfen’s head sounds, before Mordred smiles. “Ready!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR5RY7pnMGI (Joker and the Thief ~ Wolfmother)

With that word from Mordred, Wolfen rolls, aims her head down, then fires her thrusters at full power, sending her rapidly down towards the cloud cover below.

Faster and faster she goes, her speedometer giving her higher and higher readings as she pushes her jet engine thrusters to their limits, with the addition of gravity helping her move towards the enemy far below.

Then, Wolfen grins, activating her Radiant Wave Surger as she plows through the cloud cover, the fog rapidly vaporizing around her left arm as she continues speeding up, dropping more like a meteor.

Down below, Wolfen’s eyes catch Airfield Princess’ own eyes, the sound of her engines howling obviously alerting her foe below to her incoming presence.

Dozens of planes snap towards Wolfen, dashing in and launching attack after attack, as Wolfen descends into a massive amount of firepower from the terrified Airfield Princess. A flinch from Wolfen leaves Airfield Princess grinning with glee, as multiple hits make their mark on Wolfen’s hull, some punching through. Slowly, Wolfen struggles with pulling up, the sheer speed she's moving at making it difficult for her body to catch the wind to angle herself while still moving down at the rate she's going.

“Spider silk layers in the walls can’t hold up to this punishment long, Wolfen! GET HER!” Mordred shouts, barely heard over the whine of the jet engines. Airfield Princess smiles with glee, even as Anchorage Demon grabs Hoppou and pulls her back.

Then Wolfen slams into Airfield Princess, and carves a five foot sphere through her body like a hot knife through butter. It’s followed by a horrifying crunch as Wolfen slams into the ground, flight systems unable to counter the sheer amount of inertial force Wolfen had put herself through.

“Looks like you won!” Anchorage Princess smiles coldly at Wolfen. “Pity that killing her meant you can’t get her services after she comes back with a new crew, of course! But now that you’ve been damaged so heavily… sink!”

With those words, the four Abyssal leaders open fire on Wolfen, punching massive holes into her superstructure while ignoring Hoppou entirely.



Author’s Notes (Originally Written November 28th, 2020):
First, on Missouri and Kongou here? You’re starting to see aspects of their crews influencing them and their mindset. They’re not exactly human with their origins, and things slip through here and there on how they’re not exactly human in mindset. Doesn’t stop them from protecting humanity, though.

You’re also seeing more backstory on how much humanity dislikes the Abyssals right now. Imagine the sheer clusterfuck that had to have happened to islands, island nations, Hawaii, Panama Canal… really, anywhere with access to water deep enough for a ship, and you can see why that Lieutenant was so pissed.

Kongou and her situation, finally, is a little more unique. What she’s seeing is how her mind understands the message she’s getting, rather than things being more literal.

As for Wolfen’s foes?

Not too many princesses and demons were around this early in the game. You are however, seeing the beginnings of what would be several Kantai Collection events. Wolfen’s meddling goes farther than she knows...

As seen here, the group of loosely allied Abyssals working with Wolfen has sparked most of the other 2013 Demons, Princesses and the like to look over at them, and decide they’re a threat that needs to work under them. Mostly because Hoppou and the others have the ability to eat and feed themselves now, and with warm food, and comfortable shelter? They’re getting a lot more kids fed, so more young Abyssals survive, becoming major threats, etc. A slowly growing threat that the other Abyssals want absolutely no part of fighting. If it wasn’t for Wolfen, Hoppou and the others she’s allied with? Would have become a threat to be dealt with in 2014, by the Japanese Navy, clearing out the Pacific Ocean inch by inch. Now they’re a steadily growing power, instead.

The only weak one out of the combination of Anchorage Demon, Airfield Princess, Southern War Demon, yet another Battleship Princess aside from Misato, and Anchorage Princess, is Southern War Demon, with a paper thin armor of 10, much like Wolfen’s 15.

Every single Demon and Princess involved in the early game? Has over 100 armor, barring Southern War Demon. Who was implied to have her armor been a typo… irritatingly enough. Seeing as she’s the sole second generation demon boss of the entire franchise at this point, though? I’ll settle for her being the enhanced small fry of the group. Especially since Wolfen came into one of the worst situations to date for herself. Wolfen might have an overwhelmingly large offense, for most small fry, but it’s not nearly enough to outright kill more than one princess solo. Mostly because the only way for her to deal with her opponents right now is lots and lots of explosives and lasers, or using the Radiant Wave Surger at full speed. Which carries the risk of the damned thing outright shattering when used like that. The explosives have to break through armor to do real damage, and lasers are the only thing she has that can melt enough armor to do real damage.

That doesn’t stop Wolfen from getting a lucky shot in, here and there, or detonating an explosive inside a gaping, fire breathing jaw, for more damage, however…

Ironically, this comes from Scion being much more health point heavy than armor heavy. Scion: Companion has a listing for Yamato, as being 15 armor and 75k hp. In comparison, Kantai Collection’s Yamato has a base hp of 98, and armor of 88.

Wild, vastly different situations, huh? Considering Wolfen was built with 15 armor, and 100,000 hp, she can survive a lot of things that would sink others. At the same time, any shots into her will, as seen here, likely punch straight through dangerously sensitive equipment that she can’t afford to have damaged. So her armor is almost literally paper-thin in the setting.

Comparing that to the 100, 200+ armor some enemies have in this setting?

Yeah, Wolfen’s going to have issues down the line for damaging the real strong stuff.

Add in the fact that the only one thinking in her head is Mordred? It’s going to take a long while for her to realize how she can fix things, I’m afraid.

Also, that song only lasts for the intro, while reading this. But it's a good intro for the song, nevertheless. And let's be honest, a little variety in the music isn't bad...

Author's Notes MK2:
Not really that much changed here. A few mistakes, adjusting phrasing here and there.

Still one of my favorite scenes to have written, though. You'll also note links to pages for the enemy Abyssals being used here, from Kancolle's wiki. Unfortunately, I had to link to some older versions of those articles, because something's messed up with the wiki, and not all the articles are fixed yet...

Edit: Ah, right. Before I forget? The "Pacting Fight" reference is a reference to an astral fight where you can pick a fight, and the loser serves the winner. I've been through a few, and they all sucked. Closest literary comparison would be the "Blood pact" from the old fanfic, "Shadows and Blood".

[Arbitrarity]

I did get the impression Mordred was using some sort of boosting ability, and as previously described, it's pretty abstract. Abstractly empowering intuition certainly seems very useful, though I can imagine it's not a solution to everything. While 100 uses is a lot, it's less clear how that pool recharges. I assume it correlates with prana supply somehow?

Vile isn't necessarily the villain I'd expected. His information-gathering capabilities seem impressive, and you mention he's more intellectual here than in some of his other depictions. Isoc seems possibly more dangerous existentially, if he's Wily (again). I was wondering why Torpor was capitalized, but since it's Wily hiding himself, I can follow. Surveillance, infiltration, and information-based warfare is an interesting angle. Even with Erik's paranoia being a defining trait, it seems like he may be challenged.

[RanmaBushiko]

I did get the impression Mordred was using some sort of boosting ability, and as previously described, it's pretty abstract. Abstractly empowering intuition certainly seems very useful, though I can imagine it's not a solution to everything. While 100 uses is a lot, it's less clear how that pool recharges. I assume it correlates with prana supply somehow?

Vile isn't necessarily the villain I'd expected. His information-gathering capabilities seem impressive, and you mention he's more intellectual here than in some of his other depictions. Isoc seems possibly more dangerous existentially, if he's Wily (again). I was wondering why Torpor was capitalized, but since it's Wily hiding himself, I can follow. Surveillance, infiltration, and information-based warfare is an interesting angle. Even with Erik's paranoia being a defining trait, it seems like he may be challenged.

Yup. Mordred's figuring things out, mostly with guesswork and intuition. And where it's great in some ways, it's not perfect. As noted by the headache, etc. As for numbers, not... quite? There will be explanations later, of course.

Vile... is interesting in the Mega Man X setting. Where Sigma's the "guaranteed big-bad evil dude" of X, Vile's a lot more interesting, in every portrayal. Aside from his being the biggest Boba Fett Cosplayer known to the series, that is.

*snickers*

In X1, Vile was known as "That prick in the Ride Armor that curbstomps you in the opening stage with it.", while the remake had a much more interesting variation, as shown below. In X3, Vile's known for shit like rigging an entire factory to blow up, just to guarantee killing his foe, win or lose in the ensuing fight. In X8, on the other hand, as Mark 5? He's gone pretty much batshit crazy. Ironically, I outright enjoyed playing Maverick Hunter X's rendition of him as a character. "Fuck this shit, I'm fighting to show I'm better than X and Zero. If that means killing Sigma's generals before they get to them, to show them up? So be it!". Of course, when he got through them, and realized he'd won, destroyed all he had, and beaten Zero and X, for nothing...?

End of the line for his story line.

He hadn't even realized or thought of what he'd do when confronting Sigma, after he was done fighting X and Zero. So pretty much wanting to prove himself better than X and Zero, and not thinking things through was his standard in that game.

Back to the Mark 5? I've rationalized how that crazy actually worked, considering the entire game's setting and plot involved new reploids able to copy and reproduce the forms and abilities of old models of Reploids, including SIGMA HIMSELF, the fucking idiots! Gee, it's like Capcom came up with it's own answer to the problem they made!

*snickers more*

Now, as for Isoc/Wily... In this case, Wily copied himself and ensured he'd hold together... somehow. Just like his rival did, no less! Considering the 8 games having pods with armor upgrades showing up damn near everywhere, by Doctor Light as an AI. That doesn't mean Wily's in very good shape. You know how fast computer hard drives can break down, after all. No matter how much you do for de-fragmenting the hard drive, etc., he's still losing parts of himself over time. So where it used to be Wily, now it's... a lot more like Darnic's situation in Fate/Apocrypha and Fate/Anarchy. A shattered, fragmented part of the once Genius who built the first robots, and built Zero, barely existing as a ghost of his former self. Thus the reference to Torpor, much like Darnic's own issues with the situation.

Leaving interesting ways things can play out. Especially with Vile somehow having the corpse of at least two Reploids from Repliforce... mwahaha.

You have to wonder, exactly how the hell he got Iris' corpse out from a destroyed space station... especially one that blew up the way that one did...

[RanmaBushiko]

Chapter 4: A Thickening Plot (You need something to read as part of the plot, rather than a lazy time skip. Don’t fret the small stuff, huh?)


“So.” Mordred looks at Sage Harpuia, as the three head back towards Neo Arcadia. “Any idea about that enemy, the yellow one?”

“The others were grunts, but that looked like a yellow model of the Knob Beret line. I’m not familiar with it exactly, though.” Slash Beast speaks up. “The Knob Beret line of Reploids were produced for Repliforce, but I’d heard of some going rogue at the Sky Lagoon incident before the attempt at secession happened by my bosses.”

“Indeed. Shitappers, I believe. They were a similar model of grenadier, ones that could launch grenade-like explosions with their grenade launcher pistols, or throw grenades. Irritating fellows.” Sage Harpuia admits. “They’re often re-used when Mavericks get their hands on one of the old production lines for Reploids. I keep hearing of them showing up, now and again. Like cockroaches.”

Slash Beast frowns. “Shitappers? Never heard of them, but if some Mavericks had gotten their hands on a similar design, it would explain why Repliforce looked like we did the attack.”

“Yeah, makes sense. False flag attacks are irritating.” Mordred admits, thoughtfully. “Still, how’d that one have so much Energen?”

“Probably a spy of sorts. We’ll figure out where the communications were being sent, eventually.” Sage Harpuia points out.

Mordred nods. “Hurry up and wait, all over again, huh?”

Slash Beast laughs, long and hard. “Oh, definitely! Definitely! That’s the joys of being in any army, you know? Hurry up and wait!”

Sage Harpuia snickers for a moment, but his face is calm and impassive when they turn to look at him.

“Any idea of how they brought you back, Slash Beast?” Mordred asks, curiously.

“There’s signs that I’ve been revived a few times prior to this.” Slash Beast admits. “There’s setups in each main base for Repliforce and the like, that can reconstruct us if we’re badly hurt. Much like a one-up in a video game.” He continues on, thinking.

Mordred listens, nodding as he catches her eye. Then the old Captain continues, quietly.

“It wasn’t perfect, though. You’d lose bits and pieces of yourself each time, and there’s a span of a few days where your mind’s operating on combat instincts, and nothing else, if you actually die before being brought back with that method.” Slash Beast admits. “And only the heaviest hitters tended to get such.”

“But it takes power. Lots of power.” Sage Harpuia admits. “Which is why it was rare, and a lot tended to store the minds involved in a database after there were… incidents.”

Mordred frowns, while Slash Beast nods. “Too many Reploids couldn’t handle the strain. Drove them slowly nuts, as a result.”

“Ah. With no way to train them to handle the strain slowly…” Mordred trails off, understanding in her voice.

“Yeah, exactly. Then there’s special cases like Colonel and Iris were…” Slash Beast trails off. “Good people, them.”

“Old war stories are never bad to hear.” Mordred admits, smiling.

Slash Beast laughs, then grins. “Let me tell you about the time I beat that Sigma bastard in a drinking contest, before he went Maverick!”

Sage Harpuia jolts in shock, unflappable calm beaten by those words, as he turns to stare at Slash Beast with wide eyes. “Seriously?!”

Slash Beast grins and nods.

“You’re going to be my brother’s best friend…” Harpuia admits, smiling.

“Sounds good to me!” Slash Beast grins. “Let’s talk as we go, shall we?”

A few hours later, Mordred is nearly bent in half, laughing her ass off. “He tried to drink an entire keg?!”

“Yup! The bald bastard did! And then he challenged me after he failed!” Slash Beast admits, laughing heartily as he walks.

Sage Harpuia is just snickering away. “Damn, I think my father would have been entertained by that.”

Slash Beast pauses, studying Sage Harpuia quietly. “You remind me a lot of X.”

“I was built using some of his armors and upgrades, you could say.” Sage Harpuia nods. “One of four siblings.”

“Zero around, to tease you as his little nephew?” Slash Beast muses aloud.

“Not at all, I’m afraid. Father only told us that he’d gone through a lot in the war, and wanted to sleep.” Sage Harpuia admits.

“...Damn. Losing Iris must’ve been rough on him, the poor fellow.” Slash Beast murmurs, eyes looking downcast. Then he shakes his head. “As for your father? He was there, watching the entire thing, as was Zero!”

“Seriously?” Sage Harpuia’s eyes glimmer with mirth.


“Oh, yes. I recall him being three sheets to the wind at that point! He was the only one of us that could taste alcohol back then and distinguish it for flavor. He never could figure out why it affected us so much, to be fair.” Slash Beast admits. “But he tended to be a good sport of things, when Zero wasn’t trying to get old video game consoles to work, or finding old albums and records to play with him.”

“Sounds like they were fun.” Mordred smiles.

Slash Beast nods, smiling.

“So, we’ll be taking him to a place to get checked up.” Sage Harpuia nods to Mordred.

“Mind if I come? Erik’s knowledge with machinery may not be up to date, but I’m rather curious about how things work.” Mordred admits.

“The more the merrier, I suppose.” Sage Harpuia admits, thoughtfully. “And if you can get my sister to drink tea and talk shop, it may get me the free time I need to get some extra responsibilities done.”

Mordred nods, for a moment, solemn. “Yeah, the only reward for good work is more work.”

“Well said!” Slash Beast laughs hard. “Well said, indeed!”

It takes a day of work to get Slash Beast fully checked out, in the end.

Spying equipment scattered through his interior hull, all cut by seemingly happenstance. A bomb with the force to level a good chunk of the city, rigged in his internals, set to explode from all sorts of things happening.

The primary memory nodes he’d need to think perfectly? Ripped out and left in a bag, meant to be ground up and destroyed when he got into any real combat.

All so he’d be a perfect slave that would die on command.

But Slash Beast walks out, a new Reploid, free of fuckery, well fed, and a bunch of extra memories as well.

“So. What’s your plan now?” Mordred asks him, studying him without her helmet on.

“Meet your boss, I suppose.” Slash Beast muses. It’s not like there’s anything else to d-” Slash Beast pauses.

For a moment, Mordred blinks at the tall lion Reploid not walking beside her, then glances back to look at him.

“Slash Beast?” Mordred asks.

“It can’t be…” Slash Beast whispers, staring in wide eyed shock, sole eye as wide as it can go.

A caravan is helping an injured Reploid off. Brown hair, green eyes, a pretty dress. Slash Beast’s eyes never leave the figure in the distance.

“You know them?” Hidden Phantom asks, from the shadows.

“That’s Iris, Colonel’s little sister. But with him long dead like you said, she should be dead…” Slash Beast whispers, staring in stunned shock. “Her systems weren’t designed to continue on without him existing. They were built as siblings to take the strain off of each other.”

Hidden Phantom frowns. “We’ll put her through the same battery of tests you went through.”

“I’ll have to stay here, and watch over her, if that’s okay.” Slash Beast says, quietly.

“I’ll get Erik to look in on things, okay?” Mordred states, mind obviously going back to recent events involving Slash Beast and not liking things one bit. “This reeks of a trap… somehow.”

“I’ll appreciate that.” Slash Beast whispers, then moves over at a fast pace, Hidden Phantom moving with.

“You’re old enough, and with us, that most people won’t recognize you anymore as who you once were.” Hidden Phantom admits aloud. “And your work to help my brother with your innocence, as well as testimony of both yourself, my brother, and Mordred back up your claims. That doesn’t mean we’re letting you go off alone yet.”

Slash Beast nods, quietly. “I get that, perfectly. I have no interest in being framed as a Maverick a second time.”

Hidden Phantom nods, decisively, then steps forwards.

“Sir Hidden Phantom! We’re escorting this Reploid to the hospital. She’s badly damaged and barely conscious.” One Reploid says. “The scrap hunter who found her, found an odd hidden room in the crashed remains of one of the old space stations, from long ago, and her in it. Managed to jury rig repairs from what he said, but she’s still horribly damaged.”

“Weren’t those well searched by now?” Hidden Phantom muses.

Mordred glances at Slash Beast, one eyebrow raised. The former Repliforce Captain nods. “Sounds fishy, doesn’t it?” He murmurs, quietly.

Mordred nods, folding her arms as she listens in.

“Did you get the scrap hunter’s identity card?” Hidden Phantom queries, curiosity in his voice.

“They…” The two Reploids pause, looking at each other. Then both frown. “He was rushing us. So no, we didn’t. Looked like he had an anchor of sorts with him, though? Older model Reploid, if it helps.”

A slow nod from Hidden Phantom is the reply, before Hidden Phantom frowns. “We’re going to need you to give copies of your memories. Another person involved with the same space station was used as a patsy for the train robbery the other day. One where if he didn’t fight, the explosives in their body would detonate.”

The two Reploids flinch, then nod. “Got it. We’ll gladly give a copy of our memories involving the person, and be on the lookout for the scrap hunter. If it’s someone posing as one, we’ll get to the bottom of it, sir!”

“C’mon, you two! Back to work! Delivering scrap to the smelters doesn’t stop if we laze about, you know!” A foreman calls to them, before they nod and rush off.

“Scrap hunters, huh?” Mordred muses. “Sounds like a good way to stay hidden from the system…”

Mordred kneels, looking the brown haired Reploid in the eye, studying her.

“Z…Zero…?” Blue eyes look up, eyeing her, with a look of raw, desperate hope, only for it to fade instantly, at the sight of Mordred’s face not being the one she was looking for.


“Not quite, Iris.” Slash Beast whispers quietly to her. “Not quite. Let’s get your systems analyzed, and you patched up.”

A slow nod from the Reploid girl is their answer, relief in her eyes.


Quietly, Slash Beast picks up Iris in his arms, giving the girl a princess carry. “Where to, sir?” He asks, looking at Hidden Phantom.

Hidden Phantom quietly leads the way, towards a much different looking place than the one Slash Beast just came from.

Mordred glances around, then smiles. “Oi, Erik!” With those words, she makes a beckoning motion for him to follow.

Erik frowns as he slowly catches up, already out of breath. “First, helping my wife shop, then jogging…” Erik shakes his head, puffing. “Recovery training sucks.”

“Hah. The humans I knew always agreed with you on such things.” Slash Beast remarks.

Erik glances up at the tall lion Reploid, then chuckles. “Nice to meet you. Mordred’s new friend, huh?”

“Indeed. Though my name may be changed in the future, if people take my reconstruction wrong…” Slash Beast trails off, thoughtfully.

Erik nods, thinking. “Yeah, I get it. Worked as a bounty hunter as well as hunter for a few years.”

Hidden Phantom perks up slightly, at Erik’s words.

As he breathes deeper, breathing straightening out to something closer to “normal”, Erik glances around, before his eyes stop on the injured Reploid of the group. Under his helmet, Erik’s eyes narrow for a long moment, before he continues on cheerfully, no sign of tension in his voice.

“Ah, someone injured. Do you want me out of the way of you getting your fair maiden to the hospital?” Erik asks.

Slash Beast chuckles, then walks again, following Hidden Phantom. Wordlessly, Erik follows.

“What the everloving fuck is that girl doing alive? Any ideas, Mordred?” Erik queries.


“I’m in the dark as much as you are, Erik. Is she a problem?” Mordred asks back, no sign of the chat covering her face.

“Let’s just say she shouldn’t be functional, with the stuff that happened during Megaman X4.” Erik admits, via his link with his Servant. “She pulled in the parts of her brother and integrated them into her systems. It… pretty much made her nearly invincible, at the cost of burning herself out, from what I gathered of it.”

“And here she is, alive and whole…” Mordred replies, thinking.

“Yeah. I can see some sort of trail of energy leading away from her. Have they picked up on any transmissions of any sort?” Erik checks, thoughtfully.

“None. Nothing from me, either. You can see something, Erik?” Mordred stretches, watching Slash Beast and Iris closely for a moment.

“I can see a line of weakness trailing from her to something else, but I’m not detecting anything except an odd sense of… long dead emotion, ashes of something greater.” Erik admits.

When they arrive at the building, Erik watches carefully, eyes studying the Reploid girl closely, who’s asleep in the lion Reploid’s arms.

Then he catches Hidden Phantom’s eye, and nods towards a different room. “I’ll be talking with Hidden Phantom, Mordred, if that’s okay with you.”

“Not a problem, Erik!” Mordred smiles.

“You eyed me and the room. What’s going on?” Hidden Phantom asks, looking closely at Erik. Erik’s response is to glance around, checking for a long moment. “Interesting thing, did you pick up any transmissions leaving her like I did?”

Hidden Phantom pauses, shaking his head slowly. “Any idea of what kind?”

“Looks like some sort of bullshit we’re both unfamiliar with, then. I’m barely picking up anything at all, but she’s wired to communicate with something.” Erik admits.

Hidden Phantom pauses, slowly nodding. “Probably something small, like the situation with Slash Beast.”

“I was busy getting acquainted with Ciel, and working out the ins and outs of how to take her as an apprentice, while we both also go through the schooling system, to be honest.” Erik admits, wryly. “Hoping to learn the differences in our engineering, and where to start from has been… interesting.”

Hidden Phantom nods, quietly. “The sheer number of idiot scientists we’ve had trying to break the world hasn’t helped much.”

“Out to find forbidden information, then go crazy once they have it?” Erik asks, morbid curiosity in his voice.

“More they fall awry of the memetic hazards half the data involves.” Hidden Phantom admits.


“Maybe write a warning message about it, then? Add that to the history books, as well, so people understand there’s reasons why not all the data is being taught?” Erik asks.

“You’re…” Hidden Phantom pauses, thinking it through, then nods. “Not wrong. I’ll work on getting the data uncensored, at least to that point.”

Erik nods, quietly. “Especially with my robots not having dangers of going Maverick? We might be able to help in some ways.”

Hidden Phantom nods, quietly. “Can you track where the signal’s going towards?”

“If you give me time and permission to go into the buildings involved? I’ll need to be allowed to bring her with me for triangulate the places properly, too. Maybe with one of your people along with, to field and answer questions about why I’m going where I’m going?” Erik muses. “That and some recording equipment that isn’t a part of my armor.”

Hidden Phantom nods, quietly thinking. “Should be doable, and easy enough to explain.” He finally says with a sigh. “Now if those Mavericks would stop attacking long enough for me to rest and have time to plan…”

“Yeah. I get it.” Erik admits, sighing. “I felt just about as stressed while trying to colonize Mars…”

For a moment, both sigh, the sigh of the overworked administrators. Then they nod at each other in commiseration and mutual understanding.


Erik pauses, looking back into the room he can tell Mordred is in, then chuckles. “Well, at least we’ve got one interesting thing to keep in mind. If we wake Zero up early, his long dead girlfriend being there to greet him will make him blue screen.”

Hidden Phantom pauses, then starts snickering. “Do you think we should record it?”

“Oh, definitely!” Erik grins, chuckling softly. “For him and your father both to enjoy.”

“You think father will ever be done with sealing the Dark Elf away?” Hidden Phantom asks, curiously.

“I’m sure he left ways to keep an eye on you in some form.” Erik glances at the camera, where he can feel X watching from, doing so obviously enough that Hidden Phantom can look as well. “Especially since I can feel someone accessing computers on occasion, and the last time I called them out on it, your dad replied.”

“Did you have to spoil it?” X asks, out of the speakers in the ceiling.

“Being a stalker dad is all good and fine, but they could use some rest and recovery from the paperwork.” Erik snarks back.

Hidden Phantom blankly stares at the speaker. “Oh.” He murmurs, then shakes his head, slowly, eyes literally turning blue as his mind blue-screens for a moment.

Then his brain reboots, and his mind slowly goes over things.

“Ah. Hello father. We’ve got a lot of things to talk about, like you disappearing on us for so long.” Hidden Phantom breathes out, slowly.

“Probably costs a lot of power to do more than check up on you, you know?” Erik admits.

A long pause, before Hidden Phantom slowly nods. “A fair point…”

“And absolutely true.” X admits from the speaker. “I only have so much processing power to spare while keeping the Dark Elf at bay, and even if I can occasionally speak? It’s not much.”

Hidden Phantom slowly nods. “But keeping watch for us, and trying to give us warnings is enough, at least. Thank you, father.”

Erik nods at the camera, then closes his eyes, smiling softly. “I’m sure you four can all take trips to visit him and give him hugs, later.”

Hidden Phantom snickers. “Oh, certainly. Maybe draw all over his armor?”

“Or once you wake up Zero, and he recovers from the trauma of the dead girlfriend being around and alive again, have him give you ideas on teasing your dad?” Erik muses aloud.

“You’re being mean.” X whines through the speaker, playfully.

“Parents dealing with raising children never anticipate the children being just as bad as they were as kids.” Erik chuckles. “Or that’s what all the self help book my wife got us for when we first married all said.”

For a moment, Erik frowns as the signal from X fades. Then he sighs. “Looks like he’s gone. Or too weak to reply.”

“Thank you for letting me know that our father is still looking out for us.” Hidden Phantom whispers, quietly.

Erik nods softly. “Just keep in mind, he’s likely saving his strength for when he needs it most.”

Hidden Phantom nods again, more quietly.

“So. How much work do you have to deal with, exactly?” Hidden Phantom finally asks, looking at Erik curiously.

“I’m still recovering from the damage, considering I’m not healing like I’m used to. My armor seems to be the only thing holding me together some days, and I’m not sure if I’ve just gotten that weak, or if something else is wrong, and I just can’t tell. Especially with my blood tests being so odd right now.” Erik admits, quietly. “I’m up to my neck in rebuilding, working out ideas for keeping Mordred around, trying to figure out Energen, and designing the rebuild for my Wolfen using what materials we have left, and the armor plating we have left.”

Hidden Phantom nods, and sighs. “Pity. I was hoping I could bribe you to help with the paperwork.”

“Want me to build a couple of Legion of Coal units for that?” Erik muses.

Hidden Phantom blinks, then grins. “I wouldn’t mind. Maybe that would help?”

“That, and maybe secretaries?” Erik asks, as they both start heading back to the main room, to watch.

“Or perhaps asking the Eight Gentle Judges for help…” Hidden Phantom muses, then pauses. “Well, speak of one of them, and they shall appear.”

“Huh. A Kitsune Reploid? Nice.” Erik states, studying the Nine Tailed Reploid, disguised in a more human form.

“...Well, not as foolish as he appears to be, I suppose. Though how you, of all people, know of kitsune in this day and age…” Cubit Foxtar starts, only for Erik to put one hand up, moving his other hand into his pocket. Silently, Erik simply pulls out a picture of a well-worn wedding photo, and flips it to show both Reploids.


“I married the real thing.” Erik states, calmly. Cubit Foxtar silently bluescreens at the sight of Erik in a tuxedo happily carrying Tamamo with 9 tails hanging out of her dress, towards a limousine.


Hidden Phantom silently looks at the picture, then at Erik putting it away. “Nice.”

“Can you blame me for marrying her?” Erik asks Hidden Phantom, grinning.

“...Ah. And suddenly the insistence of the Four Guardians keeping you from chatting with us makes far more sense.” Cubit Foxtar admits, quietly.

For a long moment, Erik nods, studying Cubit Foxtar. “Yeah. Dimensional jumps suck.”

A long pause as one of the Eight Gentle Judges works through that, then winces outright. “I see… so then you’re rather lost, hmm?”

“And I’d rather help fix things around here than make it worse.” Erik nods.

A slow nod from the judge before him, before Erik sighs, stretching softly. Both Hidden Phantom and Cubit Foxtar wince at the sounds of Erik’s back creaking as bones snap slightly into place.

“So, why the armor, then?” Cubit Foxtar asks, studying Erik closely.

“Healing side effect as I wear it, in the most layman of terms. It makes me heal faster by far. Even after the multiple week hospital stay, my body’s still recovering from the strain of the dimensional jump.” Erik nods at the kitsune Reploid studying him.

“Makes a fair amount of sense. May I ask why we aren’t being briefed on things?” Cubit Foxtar asks, curiosity in his voice.

Hidden Phantom frowns, then glances at the room they just came from. Erik just sighs softly. “That’s the only perfectly secure room in the building, then?” Erik finally asks, as they walk back just from where they came, trying to not bring up X’s involvement earlier.


“Yes. Yes, this is the only secure room in the building that we have secured against wiretapping.” Hidden Phantom replies, trying to not bring up his father punching through earlier as well.

“This is going to be one of those sorts of conversations, isn’t it?” Cubit Foxtar asks, genre savvy enough to realize when he’s going to learn something he really isn’t going to like.

A simultaneous statement of “Yes.” from both Erik and Hidden Phantom doesn’t take Cubit Foxtar’s worries away.


Author’s Notes:

It took me about 2 and a half hours to find the link for the enemy I used, Shitappers. I nearly gave up and used another Mega Man X boss instead, because they looked so similar, before I managed to find the enemy in question.


I swear, that’s the real name.

Capcom, I sometimes wonder about you and your naming sense. Even if I called them the “yellow grenade bastards” in my head all the time, Shitapper? Seriously?!


“Underling” in Japanese makes a bit of sense, but still… Ugh…

[RanmaBushiko]

Originally posted here.
Chapter 6: Repercussions and an Asskicking (Or: Why Wolfen is not a Mary Sue.)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9_p-nhZXLg (Rain (female vocal version) ~ Cowboy Bebop)


Imagine, for a moment, you’re getting thousands of bbs hitting you at once, as a freak accident rains them down on you, like a shower of them dropping down on you, or a bag of them being cut open right over your head.

Replace bbs with bullets, and thousands with hundreds, and you’ve got the situation Wolfen is in, as she desperately opens fire with her missile launchers and mortars, trying to force her enemies back.

“Main Cannon’s charged, hit them and use the blinding laser to try and dodge, damn it!” Mordred outright shouts, before yelping as a near miss takes out a console near her. “Their shots are going through our armor like a hot knife through butter, damn it! We can’t take much more of this, especially with how you flattened decks five and six!”

Wolfen desperately pulls the Radiant Wave Surger up, hoping desperately to stop the shots using it as a shield in one hand, then dumps extra power into her rigging, desperately trying to shoot down attacks hitting her.

It isn’t enough. Between the sheer amount of aircraft Airfield Princess had, as well as Anchorage Princess’ own? Wolfen’s getting pounded from all sides, constantly.

Dimly, for one moment, Wolfen can hear her Mecha Fafnir class mecha all attacking again, but moments later, they go quiet from the sheer weight of the fire against her. Likely having been shot up nearly instantly.

A blast from the laser cannon drives them off for a moment, but as the steam clears from the laser heating up the water on the ground, Woflen has only moments to realize someone’s in front of her. Then Battleship Princess picks her up using the two massive arms on her rigging, and starts to squeeze, trying to crush her decks in a rather painful way.

Or her head, Wolfen privately admits, as she thrashes, trying to get away from the pain. The Radiant Wave Surger does some damage, slowly melting into the massive arm holding her.

But Wolfen flinches as her arm cracks, making a horrible sound as something inside is twisted backwards, leaving the Radiant Wave Surger offline. A long, pained whimper erupts from Wolfen’s throat, as she struggles to fire, to do anything to get the monstrous fighter at her back to stop.

Multiple cracks resound through her superstructure, as Wolfen can feel the Battleship behind her continue to try and squeeze and damage her more. Then she whimpers, as the feeling of an arm around her neck, holding her up.

Two wide grins meet her, as Anchorage Demon and Anchorage Princess open fire with everything they have, constantly shelling the nigh-helpless Wolfen.

“Heavy damage to decks 1 through 3! Main Power feed has been separated in 3 different places!” Wolfen faintly hears Mordred’s shouts, as she stares at the two shooting at her. “All the spider silk barriers meant to cushion impacts have been destroyed! Internal defenses are completely open for them to shoot through!”

Somewhere in the pain, Wolfen spots Hoppou being snuck away, as Aircraft Carrier Demon rescues her mother.

“Emergency power’s about all we’ve got left, Wolfen. Not sure how much longer that’ll las-wait. If I drain the main laser cannon of power, we’ll have about 5 minutes of run time, before we start shutting down. More, if I can fire up the Metal Gear Rex line…” Mordred mutters for a moment. “We’re running out of decks to get crushed, though. If she crushes deck 4, we’re well and truly fucked until the Legion of Coal can build new hallways…”

Wolfen struggles, glaring at the ones in front of her, before focusing. For one single moment, Wolfen grins with glee, as her missile launchers and mortars fire everything they have, as fast as they can. A round a second from 8 weapons does a lot of damage.

Then Wolfen winces, as the arms tighten further around her, before grabbing her, and ramming her face first into the mud.

“You’ve lost, shipgirl.” Battleship Princess grins malevolently from above her. “Now, all we have to do is finish you off, and then we can figure out your weapons at our leisure. So sink for me already!”

For a long while, it’s nothing but pain, as Mordred continues whispering reports of damage to Wolfen. As more and more of the Legion of Coal get damaged and hurt within her, she can feel huge chunks of her mind almost shut down.

She doesn’t notice when the gunfire stops hitting her. Too much pain, too many injuries.

Wolfen does notice, however, when the Battleship Princess falls down right next to her, injuries so bad that Battleship Princess can’t even move.

“She’s dead. She has to be. No one can take that sort of punishment.” A voice calls out. Slowly, Wolfen struggles to clench a fist. Do anything. Moments later, she starts to black out from the pain and agony.

“Hoppou didn’t want her to die. She killed that Airfield Princess so easily, but when she landed, she did horrible damage to herself.” A voice vaguely recognizable as Hoppou whispers, from far away.

Mordred frowns from inside Wolfen, looking at the windows of the metaphysical bridge she’s on, then sighs, before punching them out. Then, she focuses, before screaming at the top of her lungs “OI! We’re not dead yet, over here!”

Five voices all in sync go “Eh?!”

“The repairs are going to take days, if not weeks, but Wolfen’s still alive, damn it. Think you can help get her to safety? As her captain, I’m going to be busy trying to figure out how to repair half her shit!” Mordred continues shouting at the top of her lungs.

Hoppou leans down, looking Wolfen in the eye, then blinks, staring at Mordred leaning out the eyeball and waving a fist at them.

“She’s alive?!” Hoppou whispers.

“Barely. Main power feeds are cracked in over a dozen places, outright wrecked in others. Thankfully Erik designed her to be able to survive such things, and we’ve still got a deck that isn’t crushed. The stuff Wolfen here bartered for you, from the Japanese is on board, too, in the deck 4 hold.” Mordred admits. “Some might be a bit crushed, sorry.”

Hoppou silently pulls Wolfen into a big hug, gently, tears running down her cheeks, joined soon after by a relieved looking by Misato, Saki and Ayako.

“Not too rough, okay? She’s still bad off.” Mordred calls out a little more quietly.

Hoppou quietly smiles back.

“I brought them over to help! Did I do good for Auntie Wolfen, Auntie Wolfen’s Captain?” Aircraft Carrier Demon smiles, waving.

“Yup, you did good, kid. Call me Mordred.” Mordred nods at her. “Now let’s see… if I’m right, the flight rune should be… there.” Moments later, Wolfen slowly floats up off the ground.

“Good thinking! We’ll tow you as we can, okay?” Ayako smiles, then gently starts carrying Wolfen.




30 minutes later...




“So, what happened to our enemies, anyways?” Mordred asks, quietly.

“We drove them off. Between you taking down that Southern War Demon, and Airfield Princess, they’re not going to be able to challenge us for a while. It’ll let us cement our plans for the area, and help guarantee shipping near us, as well as fishing.” Saki admits, quietly.

Mordred nods, thinking for a long time, before sighing. “Yeah, repairs are going to be at least a couple weeks, I think. We tore Wolfen up pretty hard to save Hoppou and the little one.”

“Got it. We’ll have some fish soup ready for when you can eat it.” Misato smiles.

Mordred nods, smiling as well. “Should be good.”

Over time, as they sail to the Aleutian Islands, Misato starts to frown a bit, looking down at Wolfen carefully.

Finally, she sighs. “Ayako, a little help with carrying Wolfen? She’s getting heavier.”

“Sorry. The Metal Gear Rex units are running out of fuel, and considering that was mostly stored on Deck 2, I’m running low on power for keeping what’s left of the electromagnetic flight system running, to reduce Wolfen’s weight.”

“Hoppou’s sorry! Hoppou shouldn’t have been kidnapped like that!” Hoppou yelps, moving closer to help as well.

Mordred looks at Hoppou, then sighs, before leaping out of Wolfen’s bridge, to move over. Then Mordred pats Hoppou’s arm, for what’s nearby, gently.

“It’s okay. She cares, you know? As her Captain, so do I.” Mordred admits.

“You look pale.” Saki notes, carefully.

“I’ve been reinforcing the flight rune with my own personal store of power, little I might have. I only get a trickle charge from the ring Erik made for me…” Mordred trails off, thinking. “Mostly because there’s another ring out there, and the part of me that he summoned from death to serve him? The other me is wearing it, too, getting most of the power.”

A slow nod, then a pause, before Misato speaks up. “Then you serve her maker?”

Mordred nods, smiling softly. “Yeah. He’s a good friend, from what I remember. Since I’m still alive, for that other body, though, I don’t get too much. Flashes, at most. Of memories. Perhaps impressions. Not the bulk of what I’d get if the other me died.” Mordred admits, thoughtfully.

A slow nod from Hoppou, as she thinks. “Your armor isn’t very good for taking attacks. Do you think you’d like us to upgrade it?” Hoppou eventually asks.

“I’m not sure, to be honest.” Mordred admits. “The armor’s meant for fighting against spiritual beings, like deities, or supernatural creatures, more than Shipgirls, if I remember right.”

The five Abyssals slowly nod, thinking over that. After a bit, Hoppou frowns, thinking. “I wonder then, if you could give Hoppou upgrades like Wolfen’s?” Hoppou muses. “Hoppou owes you her life, and if Hoppou was closer to your firepower, maybe Hoppou could have fought better?”

“Maybe? Most of the weapons seemed pretty weak against anything but their own guns, though.” Mordred thinks. “Or it could simply be that Erik didn’t develop ammunition well enough to fight against beings like an Abyssal Princess.” Mordred admits, quietly.

A quiet nod greets her, as they think. “Hoppou noticed the rifle did wonders, though, on some of them!”

“And yet, most of the shots tore off armor, instead of hurting them.” Mordred muses, thinking. “If it wasn’t for the Radiant Wave Surger, and you all coming back to help Wolfen?” Mordred looks over at Ayako, Saki and Misato, pointedly. “I’m pretty sure Wolfen would have been sunk. So thank you for the save. As her captain, I’m glad we didn’t sink.”

For a long moment Mordred smiles quietly. “I’ll be getting back to work on fixing things up, okay? And letting Kongou know what happened.” With those words, she moves back into Wolfen.




2 days later…




Kongou frowns, blinking at the screen on her bridge, while awaiting the flight to send her back to Japan, and the email only she can see.

“So.” Missouri states, walking up to settle down in a chair beside her. “Got you some burgers to eat, and some of that fancy black tea you were looking at in that place we passed by.”

Kongou blinks, her head jerking up to stare at Missouri, before she smiles softly. “Thank you! Should be delicious!” With those words, Kongou sips the tea, smiling. “Ah, I really do love a cuppa~!”

“How on earth are you pronouncing a tilde?” Missouri asks, blinking. “Seriously.”

“As that anime character I just watched last night, Xelloss says, ‘Sore Wa Himitsu Desu!’” Kongou smiles widely at Missouri, before digging into her meal. “Thank you for the food, by the way. It’s taken a few days to really build up my fuel and food reserves after things.”

“I get it. You’re normally under rationing, even as a member of the military. Even without the rationing, like we have over here, your body’s getting used to the larger amounts of food again.” Missouri retorts, then sighs. “Off the record, any signs of Wolfen?”

“An email to let me know she’s alive, from a drone she gave me that’s linked directly to my bridge.” Kongou admits. “Still not sure where it got the laptop screen from. My Captain’s been complaining ever since seeing it. Something about ‘newfangled technology’ I believe?”

Missouri gives Kongou a blank look, before quietly blinking. “Good to know. Off the record, Admiral Richardson is having quite a few people look at him right now, for all his recent messes, and might be facing a demotion soon.”

“At least you don’t have to worry about a political party assassinating your Admiral like I do, Missouri.” Kongou bitterly replies.

Missouri flinches, before quietly nodding. “Why can’t they just put aside the politics and let us win the war?”

“Because they want us to be the super powered weapons they can rely on for true victory.” Kongou retorts. “At least you don’t have to worry about stupid ideas like nuclear rounds being put on board your ship yet.”

“I’m too far behind on equipment for that nightmare scenario, yes. But the moment a shipgirl comes along with the ability to fire off nukes, I suspect every country in the world will do their best to kill her, or force her to submit to their rule.” Missouri admits, frowning.

“Considering our attacks have spiritual weight to them, as do the Abyssals? Or at least, that’s what Wolfen calls it.” Kongou trails off, musing.

“Anything else you’ve learned from Wolfen, Kongou?” Missouri asks, thinking, before taking a sip of her coffee.

“Mostly how to guarantee I’ll succeed if I decide to seduce my Teitoku!” Kongou admits, right as Missouri takes a large gulp. Moments later, the chair opposite them is covered with spit coffee, as Missouri clenches her nose, dripping coffee out of it.

“Seduce?!” Missouri rants. “I’ve got coffee up my nose from what you just said, Kongou!”

Kongou simply smiles. “You deserve it for tormenting poor Wolfen, and acting like a metaphorical Javert to her, for nothing she’s done wrong.”

Missouri glares at Kongou for a long moment, dabbing a napkin against her nose, before she sighs. “Fair enough, I suppose.”

A long pause, as Missouri thinks. Finally, she speaks up, her curiosity no longer able to be contained. “Say, exactly what did she tell you to do to guarantee seducing someone?”

“Wearing only your underwear, and an apron while cooking, Dess! The Legendary Naked Apron usually wins against men that don’t realize your feelings!” Kongou grins.

A long pause, as Missouri suddenly gets an image in her mind, before going a brilliant, bright red, her blush covering her entire face.

“Got the image of seducing your Admiral, too?” Kongou asks, knowingly.

Missouri quietly nods, her blush never fading.

“Well, Wolfen gave some other tips as well…” Kongou trails off, a smile on her face.

Hours later, on the jet back to Japan, Kongou smirks. “All according to plan…” She murmurs, under her breath. “Better to ensure a Javert is too busy focused on romance to bother someone she shouldn’t be harassing, after all.”

With those words quietly murmured, her attention focuses on her bridge, and the email she received.

“Hey, Kongou! Mordred here!

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but repairs are going to be a few weeks at the minimum. Couple Abyssals died before Wolfen took some pretty horrifying damage on our end. She’s only got one functional deck left.

I’d almost suggest you talk with the Abyssals, but I think you might give them PTSD, offerings of tea or no.

Good luck on seducing your Admiral when you next meet him, and I hope you remembered whipped cream and chocolate syrup!

Sincerely, Captain Mordred Pendragon”

For a moment, Kongou muses. Then a wide smile covers her face.

“Dear Mordred,

Thank you for your letter describing your current situation. How long will it be until Wolfen awakens?

Would it be possible to send, or ship them some tasty black tea, as well?

On a different note, when I tried putting in the secondary guns Wolfen made for me, I got an interesting notice hovering in front of my face. The basics of it explained to me that if I installed the new weapons, I’d be leaving the Shipgirl (Light) faction of the war for Poseidon’s Trident, to join Wolfen’s own, who apparently isn’t at war with the Abyssals (Dark) faction.

Any ideas for what’s going on, on that front?

Sincerely, Kongou.

PS. No ‘BURNING LOVE!’ for my Teitoku yet. I’m eager to introduce him to it, though!”




One Week Later

Kongou blearily awakens, to a beeping sound. Slowly, she glances to her left, staring at her Teitoku by her side in bed.

A soft smile covers her face, as she snuggles up closer to Suzaku Kouzuki, her wonderful Teitoku, before closing her eyes once more. Whatever the beeping sound was, it could wait for morning.

Morning comes, faster than either would like. But as her beloved Teitoku starts up his shower, Kongou smiles as she sneaks out to the kitchen, pulling an apron on once more.

Soon enough, a delicious Japanese breakfast is finished, with some tasty pastries on the side.

“Kongou. If you continue tormenting me like that by simply bending over in nothing but an apron, I’m never going in for work.” Admiral Kouzuki admits, a wry smile on his face.

“Considering how I dealt with the political ramifications of us being together, Teitoku? I think it’s just fine if you enjoy breakfast for a little bit, you know?” Kongou retorts, a smile on her face.

“A breakfast and a show?” Admiral Kouzuki admits, a wry smile on his face.

“A healthy body needs a healthy breakfast!” Kongou retorts, a wide smile on her face. "And a little eye candy from the girl that loves you is never wrong!"

“I suspect you’re trying to get me dragged back to the bedroom, Kongou. Please stop for now, so I can deal with the terrible demonic inspired creation known as paperwork? I already had to deal with the Emperor over our new relationship once this week, and I recall firmly promising him that I wouldn’t let our relationship interfere with my duties.” Admiral Kouzuki admits, rubbing his forehead.

“Oh, fine.” Kongou huffs out a sigh, before smiling brightly. “Finish your food, then go deal with paperwork! I’ll help you with it after I’m done getting dressed myself, Dess!”

As Admiral Kouzuki wolfs down his breakfast, Kongou hums as she heads to the shower. As she starts taking one, she pauses, focusing on her bridge once more.

Another email for her.

“Hey, Kongou! Mordred here again!

First, bad news. Repairs are going slow. I’ve got decks 3 and 2 opened up and running again, though, so we’ve finally got access to the fuel reserves to repair everything else. Barely, anyways. Thankfully, the spare uranium that the wasabi you fed us, has been enough to ensure the reactors keep chugging out the power needed to keep Wolfen going.

Gonna take at least another 2 weeks before I can mine enough iron, smelt it to steel, and get it used for the interior, before I can open up the rest of the decks to work on them, though. So approximately a month left before Wolfen can really start doing more than sipping on soup, and replacing lost mechanical crew.

She’s awake, though barely conscious, by the way. I’m doing practically all the thinking for her and myself both.

On the different news, Hoppou is rather curious to see if she can join up with Wolfen’s faction like you had the option to. She’s rather worried about the results, though. Her and her kids are kinda… staffed by the dead children, lost at sea. Or something like that...? There’s a lot of confusing metaphysical bullshit involved, but she’s worried that if she leaves the Abyssals, all her kids will stop being safely crewed by children, and will start being crewed by others that are decidedly less pleasant.

I won’t be able to get constant communications with you until next week, at the least, as a result of how slow repairs are going. The satellite Wolfen was planning on launching for better coverage got squished flat in the fighting we did to save Hoppou, unfortunately, and getting stuff clearly is kind of sketchy for now.

Hope you’ve had luck with your Admiral, and I wish you all the best!
Captain Mordred Pendragon.”

Kongou smiles, drying herself off, then hums, as she dresses, before going out to the kitchen once more.

Admiral Kouzuki is long gone for work nearby, as Kongou glances at the time. “7:30 AM? Teitoku needs more sleep than he’s been getting… 7 hours isn’t enough.” Kongou admits quietly, before pulling her own plate of food out, still warm for her to eat.

As Kongou eats, she words her reply.

“Dear Mordred,

Sorry to hear it’s going so slow! Her superstructure must be insanely complicated for 9 days to only repair her this much, so I feel for you! Still, I’m glad the wasabi could help as much as it did. I hope you get faster repairs than you’re expecting, but if my crew can do anything for you, I’ll do whatever it takes to help!

On my end, I’ve wound up dating my Teitoku! When Wolfen can think clearly, please tell her that her suggestions worked, okay? Mmm. Seducing was the best option I could have done, I’ll admit!

On that note, Teitoku wasn’t wrong about the Emperor insisting on him showing up to explain himself. But I, Kongou, was there with him to save him, and explain rather nicely, that I would trust no other woman with my Teitoku, and that if anything was done to him, so too would it be done to me.

Then I asked if he was going to have Teitoku commit seppuku.

Thankfully, our dear Emperor realized that I was dead serious, and started asking questions rather than pulling rank! When he learned how badly the others had fallen in their desire for Teitoku to serve, he blessed our relationship, and ensured we would have peace so long as we continue to serve Japan faithfully!

Sorry to hear about the crushed satellite, by the way. As for what’s going on with Hoppou? It would be nice to meet her, and not as an enemy, I’ll admit!

But I’ll take sending tea via Wolfen express as a nice gift, if nothing else, especially to those poor children that she cares for!

Best Wishes, Kongou”

With those words, Kongou hits send, before heading off to the office. “Now, to work as Teitoku’s secretary until the next convoy! I’ll make sure my Teitoku enjoys my ‘BURNING LOVE!’ quite thoroughly, with how I help him!”

With those words, a giggling Kongou heads off, humming a cheerful British tune.

Author’s Notes (Originally Written Decmber 1, 2020):

Yeah. Wolfen got her ass kicked in the last two chapters.

Kantai Collection repairs are effectively a stupidly long period of time to heal up for the mobile game. Adding in the somewhat more realistic nature of this series, no healing methods have been developed to speed things up. Yet, at least. The High Speed Repair Material looks to have been developed in the 2019 summer event.

Though the anime apparently refers to Repair Fluid? Might just refer to whatever they do to fix shipgirls...


Eh. This is so early in compared to where the anime would be playing things out, I can say that we’re early on in the setting. Super early on in, truth be told.

As in “before Ooyodo became the de-facto secretary for the Admiral in the mobile game” early. Looks like Kongou has managed to steal that spot, too! For now…

Let’s see now, any other stuff… not as far as I remember. Looks like I’m set for posting thi- oh, right.

That little trick Wolfen pulled out towards the end of the fight, was ordering the Legion of Coal to manually pass each other shells to the mortars and missile launchers, at approximately 1 shell to each, per second. It’s one that canon Wolfen had, and has in Fate/Anarchy.

At the same time, it’s not easy on any of the weapons, and likely to damage the barrels if going on too long.

As for Kongou’s side of things? Kongou’s effectively gets to enjoy being happy. At least, until politics might rear their ugly head once more. But that’s a possible story arc for another day. As a side note, did you really think she’d fail to seduce her Admiral, the moment she had a Kisune Goddess’ personal seduction manual in her hands?

Author's Notes Mark 2:
Not too much has changed. A bit of emphasis, here and there. A couple extra phrases. Still pretty happy with the chapter, all in all.

[Arbitrarity]

That is indeed a very silly enemy name.

We're getting a bit of reflection on concepts about how revival works in Megaman that seems pretty relevant for Vile and Wiley. When you say

a lot tended to store the minds involved in a database after there were… incidents

I presume that's an alternative to allowing them to be revived, and not a safer backup to revive from. It's always interesting to me when a sci-fi setting adds resurrection, but still doesn't have many cases where there are multiple identical people running around. There's a lot of fun questions to be had about identity there. Then again, there might not be many opportunities to do that in this setting, since resurrection seems to involve salvaging the original hardware.

I am inordinately pleased to see Erik being immediately paranoid, though it feels like he's been quite trusting of most people in this setting up until now. His memory is a good justification. The mention of memetic hazards is intriguing. Again, haven't played any real Megaman, so I don't know if they introduce the concept in quite that way, but I have to admit that I think of the Sigma Virus like an infohazard. It's not really "you know it and you're a Maverick", but there are similar concepts in other science fiction.

X remains a lot of fun. There's something very relatable about how he's so young at heart, while his "children" are all much more serious. I suppose they're all burdened with serious responsibilities. And of course, there's a Kitsune judge.

Giggling about

Yes. Yes, this is the only secure room in the building that we have secured against wiretapping

because that is 100% the level of awkward redundancy that happens when you're intentionally trying not to think about something and lying badly to cover it.

[RanmaBushiko]

That is indeed a very silly enemy name.

We're getting a bit of reflection on concepts about how revival works in Megaman that seems pretty relevant for Vile and Wiley. When you say I presume that's an alternative to allowing them to be revived, and not a safer backup to revive from. It's always interesting to me when a sci-fi setting adds resurrection, but still doesn't have many cases where there are multiple identical people running around. There's a lot of fun questions to be had about identity there. Then again, there might not be many opportunities to do that in this setting, since resurrection seems to involve salvaging the original hardware.

I am inordinately pleased to see Erik being immediately paranoid, though it feels like he's been quite trusting of most people in this setting up until now. His memory is a good justification. The mention of memetic hazards is intriguing. Again, haven't played any real Megaman, so I don't know if they introduce the concept in quite that way, but I have to admit that I think of the Sigma Virus like an infohazard. It's not really "you know it and you're a Maverick", but there are similar concepts in other science fiction.

X remains a lot of fun. There's something very relatable about how he's so young at heart, while his "children" are all much more serious. I suppose they're all burdened with serious responsibilities. And of course, there's a Kitsune judge.

Giggling about because that is 100% the level of awkward redundancy that happens when you're intentionally trying not to think about something and lying badly to cover it.

Yes, it's very silly. I compared notes with Kieran, and he agreed that it was silly, as well. I mean, Knob Berets? I can get. Shittapper? What the hell, Capcom? You didn't even give them an english translation?! Lazy game makers, I swear...

On the revival concepts part? They have extra lives everywhere in the Megaman games. And a boss rush in every game, where you fight against all the bosses once more. There has to be a reason why not everyone just uses them all the damn time. I'm not going quite the same way as most of the games portray it, where "it's hard on a reploid/robot's systems, cost prohibitive, etc.". Instead it's a mental strain. So they had databases set up to help reconstruct dead Reploids, usually put into major bases. In this case, I'm going to be more explicit that it summons back the original hardware to revive the Reploid in question... at a cost prohibitive measure, right as the reploid's power core goes off. (They have functional teleporters. It's either that, or they mass produce robot body doubles, and I can't see that happening... not in the situation they're in.) Some decent fanfiction had it "They use the teleporter to reproduce the body from scratch, heal your wounds, etc., and it's expensive enough to be a one-off, and hurts like a bitch." which turned out fairly well. Others? Ignored it altogether, and pretended extra lives didn't exist. I'm going for something closer to the games here, mostly because they're mechanical. And if the bosses can come back, game after game in the X series, Extra Lives have to work out as well. So it being a hard mental strain, and you needing training to be able to even function after resurrection makes more sense to me than anything else.

Considering the sheer amount of collateral damage the Maverick Hunters do in every game, though? Not surprising how those databases would go occasionally missing, instead of just destroyed. Without that backup, salvaging the original hardware is necessary. Thus, the plot involving Vile and Wily/Isoc. Not even going into Wiel yet. His brand of crazy is just... ugh.

Erik's paranoid for good reason, to be fair. But at least he's pointing out the common sense measures of "Let people know there's hazards of looking at the data" rather than just sealing it up and hoping no one finds it. After all, the Zero series is very, very blatant about "old data" being outright damaging to people that view it, old records sealed in a place known as the "Sunken Library" for good reason. The guy who becomes the final boss of Zero 2? Got mindfucked by some data, going from "wanting to help humanity" to "wanting to build a civilization where Reploids can live in peace, damn it!" pretty damned quick. And took the "Mother Elf" (Read: Sealed Evil in a can that X is holding at bay) as being a way to do that...

Yeah... Zero 2 got dark, kinda quick. Not nearly as bad as Zero 3 did, though... Fucking Omega. Wiel and his bullshit, I swear...

I digress, though. The Sigma Virus is a bit like a living infohazard, but they had far worse developed during the Elf Wars, from what I understand of it. When the phrase "Over half the earth's population was destroyed as a result", things got bad...

Glad you enjoyed X. I have no clue why he ensured a Kitsune judge would be built, but Cubit Foxtar was memorable for being a pain in the ass to fight for me when I played Zero 3. One of the only ones I lost lives to on a regular basis.

As for the last bit? Glad you enjoyed that! I'd hoped you'd catch it, Hidden Phantom lying through his teeth there. Spy's going to spy, you know?

[RanmaBushiko]

Chapter 5: Fallout



“So.” Cubit Foxtar quietly rubs his temples. “You.” He points at Erik, pointedly. “You’re a former half human turned God from another universe. Who got into a fight with a nearly kilometer sized eldritch snow monster possessed by a fragment of ice itself.”

Erik nods, his arms folded.

“And in your world, there were video games terrifyingly similar to our situation in a few short years?” Cubit Foxtar stares at Erik.

Erik nods again.

“Why, exactly, haven’t you come to us before with this, Hidden Phantom?!” Cubit Foxtar asks, staring at Hidden Phantom in confusion.

“Mostly because some of the supplementary material couldn’t decide on if the Eight Gentle Judges were in on Dr. Wiel having access to an escape route… as well as helped him with ways to counter his imprisonment.” Erik trails off, pointedly.

Cubit Foxtar pauses, then slowly winces.

“Oh. Oh fuck.” Cubit Foxtar slowly looks up at Erik with eyes full of dread. “How bad?”

“Those games had Neo Arcadia getting annihilated by an orbital bombardment courtesy of his death laser powered space station, with a written death toll of twenty million.” Erik nods at Cubit Foxtar.

“...And if any of us were in on his plans, or that place being built…” Cubit Foxtar whispers in dawning, terrified horror.

Erik nods quietly. “Yeah.”

Hidden Phantom watches, carefully, as does Erik. Then Erik catches Hidden Phantom’s eye, as he spots something, then activates Raika, and moves.

Cubit Foxtar blinks at the lightsaber in his gut, but not penetrating any vitals. Then slowly looks down, at Erik looking in.

“Got whatever you thought might go active, Erik?” Hidden Phantom asks.

“Yeah, most likely something to alert Wiel if anything was on to him being involved with them in any way, knowingly or unknowingly.” Erik states, quietly.

“Damnation.” Hidden Phantom winces.

“...Oh…” Cubit Foxtar winces, quietly, as the judge connects the dots. “He got something into us. Meaning…”

“Meaning you’re all possibly compromised?” Erik nods, quietly. “Exactly the problem.”

“We need to check the others.” Cubit Foxtar admits, quietly.

“You’re the kindest, so us Guardians hoped you’d be simply manipulated. But this could mean anyone in the line of building repairs and upgrades for the Judges are also possibly to blame.” Hidden Phantom admits, ruefully. “Just like I’d hoped it wouldn’t be.”

Erik nods, quietly. Then frowns, focusing.

“Mordred? Be on guard. One of the Gentle Judges had a cybernetic system in him that was trying to transmit data. I just destroyed it, but…” Erik sends, focusing.

“They just put that Iris girl down to sleep, Erik. Hidden Phantom’s aware of the link you saw? And got it, I’ll be on guard.” Mordred sighs.

“Mordred will alert us if we have any incoming, I’m sure. But I’m not liking how that thing was going active. If it got any signals off…” Erik trails off.

“Two people incoming, Erik.” Erik’s eyes narrow, then glance at the door, Raika ready to cut again.

Hidden Phantom narrows his eyes at the door, taking on Erik’s unspoken cue.

“Box them in from behind, Mordred.” Erik sends, as metal flips on the right arm to form the arm cannon and his armor powers fully to life.

Then two of the Eight Gentle Judges burst in, eyes wide and desperately looking for Cubit Foxtar, one with a device in hand. One wide and chubby looking, the other tall with a hunched neck, holding said device.

Then both stare at Erik and Hidden Phantom, watching their every movement.

The fat one turns to his partner, glaring. “I thought you said Cubit Foxtar was badly damaged! He looks fine, and we’ve got one of the Guardians in here with him!”

The tall, hunched looking one, on the other hand, narrows his eyes further. “Well, shit.”

Then they pause at the door slamming shut behind them.

“May I present my comrades of the Eight Gentle Judges, Glacier le Cactank, who appears to be worried about my safety, and Deathtanz Mantisk, who appears to have something less pleasant planned for me?” Cubit Foxtar states, voice dry.

Glacier le Cactank pauses, his pudgy frame slowly backing from his erstwhile ally and comrade.

“Tch.” Deathtanz Mantisk frowns, his eyes narrowing. “You shouldn’t have been able to find that device without aid. And you apparently are the one that took it out of him.” His eyes land firmly on Erik.


“You can’t hurt me without declaring yourself a Maverick.” Erik states, calmly.

Deathtanz Mantisk frowns as he turns from a human form, into a massive twin-scythed Mantis Reploid, then glares. “Well. A pity, that. All I need to do, then, is ensure you’re jailed by appearing to be insane. I suppose my explanation will start with my running in, only to spot you, having murdered everyone else in the room-”

Clarent being rammed through his neck interrupts anything else Deathtanz Mantisk was about to say, as Mordred appears from behind the rapidly insane sounding Reploid.

Glacier le Cactank and Cubit Foxtar quietly stare at the now-headless corpse of their former ally, silently.

“Well. That was a thing.” Hidden Phantom mutters. “And now we need to check the others.”

“Before they can run.” Erik adds in, growling. “Great. More fucking work.”

“So. On a scale of one to ten, how bad is this?” Glacier le Cactank asks, a slight tone of dread in the fat Reploid’s voice.

“Eleven.” The Reploids in the room state, as one.

“Got it. I’ll comply with anything you need.” Glacier le Cactank states, arms up.

“The device he had out was something linked to Wiel.” Cubit Foxtar admits.

“Oh, fuck no.” Glacier le Cactank whispers, woodenly. “I saw Devilbat Schilt and Tretista Kelverian heading off towards an escape route for us Judges, when I was coming here.”

Hidden Phantom slowly nods. “Meaning they’ve possibly gone to alert their master of something going wrong.” For a moment, he focuses, then nods. “I’ve got my Cutting Shadow Squadron on it. If they can be stopped, they will be.”

“Want me to put my own forces on alert?” Erik asks, thoughtfully. “I’ve still got a fucking space-ship…”

“No. There’s a private trans-server there. The technology only works for Reploids, or cybernetically augmented humans right now.” Glacier le Cactank admits, quietly.

“...Damn. Meaning they could be anywhere?” Erik muses, then sighs.

“Not… quite. Those were recently renovated, in case of a scenario like this.” Hidden Phantom admits, one eye on the robotic corpse of Deathtanz Mantisk silently.

Erik slowly nods. “We’re going to need to check them all over once this is done. Do you want access to my facilities, in order to keep things quiet?”

“No, we already have such. Thank you for your… consideration, however.” Hidden Phantom replies, eyeing Erik thoughtfully.

Erik nods, and sighs.

It takes time to vet the remaining ones. Hours of them moving, hours of them working. And hours of checking the cold site the others were sent to, before Erik glances up to hear Sage Harpuia approaching. “We’ve rounded them all up. Thank you for the help.”

Erik nods, smiling a bit. “Glad to help. Here’s hoping we’ll be able to continue our good relations, with how I interfered with your investigation to help, as I did.”

Sage Harpuia blinks, then laughs softly. “If only all our citizens would be more willing to help as much as you are.” He ruefully admits.

Erik nods, silently. “I get it. I’m used to doing everything with only a few trusted friends. That’s great to a point, but sooner or later, it’ll eventually crumble if you don’t get help.”

A slow nod from Sage Harpuia is Erik’s answer, as they both settle back, thinking.

“You’re going to need your ship rebuilt.” Sage Harpuia admits, quietly. “You’ve been putting it off.”

“I have.” Erik admits. “Not sure where to even start, to be honest… a lot of the systems were custom made one-offs. It’ll let me take out a lot of issues, admittedly. The damned thing was a lot more like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars than I’d like, towards the end.” Erik sighs.

“So many additions built on, that it just gave you issues?” Sage Harpuia murmurs.

Erik nods, thinking. “Add in that I’ve got all sorts of ideas, and nearly no time to work on it? It’s going to be rough.”

“Does it need to be?” Sage Harpuia asks, thinking.

Erik pauses, turning to look his conversation partner in the eye. “I’m listening…”

“You have the resources, we have the manpower. Hire Neo Arcadia out.” Sage Harpuia states.


“What do you want in return?” Erik asks, curiously.

“Teach us. Whatever you can, if at least in reason. Your skills are from a different technological path. If that can give us ways to counter issues Wiel may bring?” Sage Harpuia trails off, trying to word things right.


Erik slowly nods. “Teaching in return for construction work, huh?” Erik thinks, quietly.

“...” Erik studies Sage Harpuia, then sighs softly. “Yeah, that’s agreeable. I will ask for something, though, aside from Ciel being recognized as my apprentice. Slash Beast and that girl, Iris. Not as property, but to be moved to my care.”

“Why Iris? Slash Beast, I understand. Mordred’s taken a shine to him.” Sage Harpuia murmurs.

Erik drums his fingers, silently thinking, then nods. “She’s got something in her acting as some form of communications device.” Erik admits. “Transmission, or something, but I’m only noticing it from some of the more esoteric stuff that happened to me mid-transit between universes.”

Sage Harpuia slowly nods, thinking quietly. “You’re wanting her out of the way?”

“Out of the way, but still prepared to give Zero a hug whenever he gets his ass woken up, no matter how bad off he might be.” Erik admits.

Sage Harpuia blinks.

Erik chuckles. “She was the closest thing he had to a girlfriend, in the prequel series.”

“You haven’t exactly given us anything involving that, I’ve noticed…” Sage Harpuia trails off.

Erik sighs, softly. “Yeah. Those games are…” Erik trails off, thinking on how to word it.

“Right, you mentioned only a few pages worth of dialogue, and ‘everything being in the instruction manual’ before.” Sage Harpuia admits. “So, what’s the reason for you sitting on them?”

Erik rubs his forehead. “What, exactly, is left of information about the history of Albert Wily? His creations, and so on?”

Sage Harpuia pauses. “He set off multiple robot wars, developed a robot virus, and was originally Thomas Light’s partner in building robots. They completed Blues, or Protoman as was his official name, before going off to build several others…” Sage Harpuia trails off. “Not much is left about him.”

“No issues with him, or his works?” Erik asks, curiously.

“It’s been two hundred years since he was alive. None.” Sage Harpuia states.

Erik nods, then motions for Sage Harpuia to follow him in, silently.

Now curious, Sage Harpuia follows. Then, Erik motions for Sage Harpuia to sit beside him, as Erik turns on an old fashioned Super Nintendo for them both to enjoy.

“Thomas Light, built your Father, X. Albert Wily, on the other hand, built what, if he wasn’t in hibernation, could have been your Uncle, Zero.” Erik admits. “That was said pretty damned plain in the X series.”

“...FUCK.” Sage Harpuia whispers, his unflappable exterior broken by understanding.


“Indeed. And there were hints that Dr. Wily survived as… something that could pose as different reploids twice over… with a tendency to come out of hiding when his ‘Greatest Creation’ needed to be rebuilt after death or near-death.” Erik admits.


Sage Harpuia slowly puts his face in his hands. “And now it makes perfect sense why you’re sitting on this information. Need to know is a drastic UNDERSTATEMENT for this mess.”


Erik nods. “So. Play the games. Hate the game makers as much as I did and still do, especially for the utter mess that’s the seventh game. There’s a gamefaqs guide printed out for each game, to help you out.” Erik sighs. “It’s going to take hours. But keep it quiet. He may not have been influenced by the Maverick Virus like others, but there were hints that his creator originally created the damned thing like Roboenza from before.”

“...FUCK.” Sage Harpuia whispers. “If that got out…”


“You’d be facing revolts by everyone?” Erik admits. Then sighs. “First, Wily posed as a Reploid named Serges. Then as a different Reploid named Isoc. Either of those names familiar?”

Sage Harpuia pauses, thinking, before he slowly nods with a wince. “That Green Maverick that leads one of the bigger Maverick force thorns in our side that’s left? He’s often assisted, according to reports captured by Hidden Phantom’s forces, by a Reploid named Isoc.”


“...So Albert Wily still lives… in some sense of the word.” Erik trails off, thinking. Then he nods. “And with his original body having been stolen, I think the good doctor would rush to help his Greatest Creation once more, wouldn’t you?”

“A trap?” Sage Harpuia pauses.

“Or letting him fix up Zero for us…” Erik admits. “I’m not sure the construction for the replica body is nearly as good as what Wily originally designed.”

Sage Harpuia slowly nods, thoughtfully. “My siblings would freak out and forbid us, if we let them know.”

“The pros and cons of being smart and rational, and having a good family that cares.” Erik smiles. “But… if we could get him on our side?”

Sage Harpuia nods. “Worth it, I think. Genius on par with our father’s maker?”

Erik nods. “Talk with your siblings about this, as much as you want. I’ll leave you to play the games. Though please do be careful, I’m not getting any more spare controllers anytime soon.”

“Thus the walkthroughs.” Sage Harpuia states, almost looking grumpy.

Erik nods, and leaves the room. “That, and I saw you being in open communication with someone the entire time. Have fun!”

With those words, Erik walks out.

“Well. That’s confirmation that Erik can see radio waves, amongst other things. Though the biological scans gave nothing, except a hell of a lot of extra stuff in his blood?” Sage Harpuia sends.

“Indeed. Intriguing development. No wonder he was so worried. That sort of thing would break our country. Him sitting on it until he could tell one of us in confidence, is nice, at least. And yes, most of his genetics are human looking, but enough is mixed in that seems wrong…” Hidden Phantom admits, over the line.


“Pity he’s taken. He looks like his abs have abs.” Fairy Leviathan chimes in. “Still… we’re going to have to give Uncle Zero a hug when we find him and wake him up, won’t we? Poor Uncle…”


“Considering how much those games seemed to want to have you and him in a relationship? Or at least the game version of you in them, wanted one with him?” Fighting Fefnir muses.

“Fair. I wonder if Uncle would be fun to fight? Or date?” Fairy Leviathan muses.

“Shouldn’t we be saving this chat for the bomb that he dropped on our heads?” Sage Harpuia replies. “It costs power, after all.”

“Fair, fair. Still, he’s not wrong…” Fairy Leviathan admits. “Albert Wily on our side would be a force to be reckoned with. But keeping him under control…”

“Let’s leave that to Erik and his faction.” Fighting Fefnir states. “Erik can keep him under control, or war with the tenacious bastard, while we deal with other things. Like finding the rock Wiel hid under, and nuking it until it glows, so we can shoot him in the dark.”

“Agreed. All in favor, as the Four Guardians?” Hidden Phantom queries.


“Aye.” Three voices chime in unison.


“Then we’ll give him those two, and start working on helping with his Wolfen being rebuilt.” Sage Harpuia states.

Author’s Notes:

Fuck some of those names for the “Eight Gentle Judges”. Seriously. Fuck them.

Why, exactly, do Mavericks, evil bosses, etc. from Megaman X and Megaman Zero all have to have such odd fucking names, that are a bitch to type and write out, time after time?

Ugh.

More seriously, though? We’re starting to see the pros and cons of having Erik around, with meta knowledge that isn’t exactly perfect. The games hint that Copy X lets Wiel mess with the “Eight Gentle Judges”, sure. But the official art book hints that they helped Wiel out with ensuring he’d have a way out of his punishment in the first place…?

Yet they were the “kindest” judges in Neo Arcadia, up until he showed up and “upgraded” them.

So we’re looking at a compromise. One of “Some got messed with, and some didn’t”. Because if a couple helped hold the others down long enough for him to “upgrade” all of them, and he did it one at a time? Would make a lot of sense for exactly how fast they wind up as bosses in Zero 3… Praising Wiel. NotX, as I might restate. Wiel. Ugh. The crazy bastard that makes Wily looksane and rational.


So some fuckery is involved there, for certain.

[RanmaBushiko]

Originally posted here.
Chapter 7: A Slow Awakening



Mordred muses, sitting on Wolfen’s head, while watching the stars quietly. Wolfen lies wrapped in blankets, sitting up. Then she glances over, to look at Hoppou entering the room. “Glad we put in some aquariums, Hoppou? Sorry for a bunch of the glass being damaged like that. Thankfully the crew’s lasers could heat the glass up and repair it.”

“It’s fine! It makes things more pretty for the children to look at, anyways!” Hoppou replies with a smile. Then she sits down beside Wolfen, looking at Mordred. “Slow going on the repairs?”

“I’m taking a break from studying the engineering the Legion of Coal is having me learn.” Mordred admits. “It’s fascinating, and I’m sure Erik is teaching the other me, but it’s slow.”

Hoppou nods, quietly. “The armor plating didn’t work out, I noticed.”

“No, and Kongou messaged me, mentioning that the upgrades Wolfen had designed and built for her made some sort of screen pop up in front of her, asking her if she wanted to change her faction to Wolfen’s, so she could equip and use them.” Mordred admits. “So relying on yours might be problematic, unless it’s only your own crew.”

“They don’t seem as… lifelike as you and yours, are, though.” Hoppou frowns. “Adding in that Hoppou’s crew is all children, and it’s just slow going.”

Mordred quietly nods. “Ayako’s offered to help, too. But some of her crew worry me, some days. Nothing against her… but something about some of them leaves me feeling like they want to do things to me.”

Hoppou nods quietly. “You can only imagine what it’s like for us to be crewed by people like that. It feels nasty, and disgusting.” Hoppou eventually admits. “Personally, Hoppou might be able to steer it for myself and others, towards children alone, due to some of the abilities I gained? Saki, Ayako and Misato all chose differently, however.”

Mordred nods, closing her eyes for a moment. “Yeah, I get that. I’m guessing you did something to gain them?”

“A lot of us fought to earn abilities, to counter the Shipgirls within our eternal war in the afterlife. But they came at the cost of losing crew more easily.” Hoppou admits, quietly. “We didn’t realize the real catch until Poseidon gloated about how we’d only dug ourselves deeper into failure.”

Mordred winces, and nods, sighing. “I get it. He sounds more and more like my mother, all the time…” Mordred trails off, with a frown. “Or Merlin, that bastard.”

“Bad memories, then?” Hoppou asks, carefully.

Mordred’s response is only a nod, before she sighs.

A small beeping interrupts them, before Mordred stretches. “That should be Kongou, replying to the most recent email. She’s been taking some political heat, to ensure that your group doesn’t get revealed or raided, right now.”

Hoppou blinks. “She’s a shipgirl. Why would she do that?!”

“She’s a nice girl, all polite British hospitality and everything, along with Japanese manners. Means she’ll be polite as possible, up until she’s forced to fight.” Mordred admits, then sighs. “That, and she doesn’t remember what happened at all, yet.”

Hoppou blinks, then winces. “Leaving her at square one for knowing what to do?”

Mordred nods, climbing in, as she replies. “Yeah, exactly. She’s lost, confused, clinging onto the Admiral that somehow summoned her, literally.”

“Huh. Hoppou didn’t realize that they were having such issues. Perhaps if she was willing to leave her guns disarmed when showing up, we could chat?” Hoppou muses, quietly. “I’d have to talk with the others, they’re a lot more wary than I am.”

“She’s apparently offered to bring tea to help Wolfen recuperate, and introduce you to both tea and baking.” Mordred admits, while looking over the email.

“Tea and baking? What’s tea?” Hoppou asks.

“It’s a bitter drink, made of specific, hard to grow leaves that only grow in certain countries. It helps people wake up, and the British love it.” Mordred admits. “Kinda tasty if prepared right, or if you have something tasty to eat along with it. It’s also warm, which might help against the cold up here.”

Hoppou nods, thinking. “Our engines tend to deal with the heat, more than we need that wood stove already, but something like that might help.” Hoppou rubs her chin, thinking, then looks down at her Zero plane in her arms, quietly. “Hoppou will talk with them, but no guarantees, okay?”

“Yup. No worries.” Mordred admits. “Though if you’re going to have her disarm, you’ll have to make sure she has a guard force to ensure she doesn’t get hurt by other Abyssals!”

Hoppou nods, while leaving the room.

“Dear Mordred,

I’m glad to hear your crew is repaired enough that your emergency drilling for resource methods are working! Though, it sounds rough up there. Still, another week or two before she wakes up is wonderful news! I’m glad that your crew is finally working out how to work with shipgirls, not just ships.

Down here, things are getting more political. That Admiral, Richardson, has been harassing Missouri to try and harass me into admitting where you and Wolfen are holed up, insisting on ‘rescuing’ you two. He’s also been burning favors left and right, trying to get the Japanese Government to put pressure on Teitoku to ensure you’re found. By Americans, of course.

We’ve stonewalled them so far, but I’ll be meeting the Emperor tomorrow over it.

Do you mind if I go up to meet you, when Wolfen is about ready to wake up? Do you think the Abyssals would mind? Teitoku would gladly send me up, to ensure I get out of the political line of fire. I could bring wasabi with me, to help refuel Wolfen, too!

Sincerely, Kongou”

After a bit, Misato comes in, looking thoughtful. “Mordred, you say that Kongou would be interested in visiting?”

Mordred comes out, nodding. “Looks like it. She’s been covering for us down in Japan, keeping the Americans from knowing where we’re all at. Plus, Wolfen likes her.”

Misato slowly nods, thinking. “We’re a little miffed about Wolfen’s bluff with the glowing red hand, I’ll admit, but considering what Wolfen went through to save Hoppou, we’ve mostly forgiven her for it. As for this Kongou, do you think she’d be willing to disarm for us?”

“So long as you send an escort, keep her weapons safe, and ensure she’s completely safe while meeting her at some point in the middle? Certainly.” Mordred admits. “That’s the feeling I get off her, anyways. Of course, considering you all overpower her, as far as I can tell?”

Misato thinks, pondering things. “Us, as in Princesses, right?”

Mordred nods, quietly.

“I’ll vote yes on it, then. Have her head to Midway, to meet up with Ayako and Saki, they’ll escort her up here.” Misato states, with a smile. “It’ll let us get our fleets used to a shipgirl that won’t be hostile, anyways.”

Mordred nods, a smile on her face. Then she enters, to write her reply.

“Hey, Kongou! Mordred here once more with a reply for you!

They’re willing to meet up with you at Midway, and take you to the location we’re at, escort and all, if you’re willing to be disarmed once you get to Midway. I got Misato to agree to a decent escort, not taking your weapons off until you’re there, with them keeping you and your weapons safe.

Keep in mind, they’re paranoid of you. Deathly so. They also admitted some pretty horrifying stuff to me, earlier, in secret. Not sure if they’ll talk with you about it, though. Still, if you manage to pull this off, we’ll have a pretty big advantage of them meeting you, and realizing not all shipgirls might be the enemy!

Also, good job in handling that ‘Dess!’ verbal tick of yours. If you said it much more, I would’ve nicknamed you ‘Dess Boat’ or something along those lines, you know?

Good luck with the Emperor, and if you need to admit anything, admit that Wolfen’s working on an assignment unique to her, trying to convince four Abyssal Princesses to be friendly to humanity. Warn him that if the Americans stick their nose into it, they’ll likely shoot first, and listen after the Abyssals in question are dead. Also, if you absolutely have to, let him know that there’s only three people on our side alive that know where they are. One of them is you, one of them is me, and both of us don’t trust the politicians that are trying to screw your Admiral over.

Sincerely, Captain Mordred Pendragon”

With a press of the key, Mordred sends the letter, before moving down to help with the work on Wolfen’s superstructure, clarent by her side.




The next day




Kongou looks down, as she kneels before Emperor Akahito once more, bowing deep, before raising her head to look at her Emperor.

“You have insisted on talking with me alone about things. As our battleship, we acknowledge you, Kongou. So tell me, why are you ignoring orders to give away the position of one ‘PAB Wolfen’?” The Emperor asks, carefully studying the Shipgirl before him.

“She’s the only one that has access to Abyssals, your Majesty.” Kongou admits, quietly. “She’s been a valuable asset, going behind enemy lines in order to try and turn a group to humanity’s side.”

The Emperor of Japan pauses, settling back into his throne as he thinks. “Then why not crow it to the heavens?”

“The Americans wish to strip her of her unique weapons, or make her build them for their forces alone. If we give away her position to them, they’ll use it to steal her away, and harm her. USS Missouri might be questioning her orders, but the others, I fear, might not.” Kongou admits, frowning. “Their eagerness to acquire her services are troubling. I fear she’s meant to be a political tool, one pulled out only to show how strong America is.”

The Emperor frowns, folding his arms as he thinks. “There is more to things than what you’re telling me, isn’t there?”

“The Americans insisted, when we first saw her, that she either work for her and be disarmed after the war, or be destroyed, irregardless of her maker being an American, and her maker’s wife being Japanese.” Kongou admits. “Her story is… astonishing, but has so far checked out.”

The Emperor settles back, thinking. “You aren’t telling me everything, why?”

“Begging your pardon for being blunt, but after what happened the second to last time I was involved with politics, my Teitoku was nearly assassinated. The next time, I had to ask you if you wished for me to commit seppuku alongside my Teitoku, for you to realize that I wasn’t budging on loving him. I do not trust politics, or politicians, your Majesty. You, I trust, my Teitoku, I trust. The bulk of that military base, I also trust.” Kongou pauses, breathing out. “The rest of the politicians in Japan? I’m not so sure about that. America? I can’t tell, with how bad things have gotten over there from what little I’ve seen.”

The Emperor slowly nods, rubbing his chin, as he thinks. Then pauses, frowning, before putting his arms down. “I recall yanking out my chin hairs if I did that too long, when I was younger.” he murmurs, quietly. Then he looks up to Kongou, pointedly. “What else can you tell me about things?”

“She remembers being the Kami of her ship, before a part went through a dimensional portal, and landed her here.” Kongou admits, quietly. “She’s also the only shipgirl that Abyssals won’t attack on sight, and is trying to convince the most dangerous group in the Pacific to side with humanity, or at least let convoys go through. Either for a tithe, or with trade.”

Silence reigns, as the Emperor of Japan studies Kongou with wide, surprised eyes. Then he starts to smile. “So, Shinto is true then?”

Kongou nods with a smile. “She apparently had tea parties with the other magnificent inventions her father made, and her father’s wife, who she considers to be truly her mother. She loves them both as parents, even if her mother was the only one to hear her.”

A slow nod results from the Emperor, as he thinks. “You’re not saying everything, still.”

“I’m not sure if those politicians have the palace bugged, your Majesty. And with how they’ve been desperate to get a shipgirl summoned for their own agenda, if we’ve even missed one being summoned by them, they could have set up shipgirl equipment to ensure we didn’t catch them spying on you.” Kongou admits. “Wolfen has the tools to deal with such things. I, on the other hand, do not.”

The Emperor frowns, then sighs softly. “Fair. Anything else you can tell me?”

“That Tamamo no Mae truly existed, at least in her home universe, as did Amaterasu-Sama.” Kongou smiles, to the befuddled look on the Emperor’s face. “She has yet to determine if they exist here, still, but she’s planning on looking into it, once we can get Abyssals out of the Pacific, as well as possible.”

Then he smiles, a quiet true smile, directly from the heart. “So her plans are for the Pacific to be cleared of all but the one group willing to trade, or claim taxes?”

Kongou nods, a smile on her face.

“Very well, then. I’ll ensure the politicians stop harassing you about it for a month or two.” The Emperor finally admits, with a sigh. “Just try to lay low and not irritate them too much, okay? Their reaction to you not being merely a ship to be ordered around, but a woman in your own right, has been aggravating with all the meetings I’ve been to. I only finished all the meetings involving your little stunt in the last meeting, last night.” He pauses, then sighs. “I’ll admit, I’m getting old. All this stress isn’t good for me. I may have to push Naruhito’s ascension to my throne faster than I’d originally planned.”

Kongou nods. “The fact that we got Naka and Ooyodo might help. Naka wound up watching some Idol anime, and got hooked on it, and Ooyodo plans on helping Teitoku with secretarial work. It’ll let me work in his office, out of sight and mind. As for the stress, perhaps getting a massage, your Majesty? Or a hot spring trip?”

The Emperor nods. “Dismissed, then. However, when Wolfen officially returns to Japan, I wish to meet with her as soon as is reasonably possible. Also, thank you for the advice.”

Kongou bows again, before leaving.

3 hours later

“Naka? What are you doing?” Kongou asks, blinking.

“Becoming an Idol of the fleet! If I sing songs, and do music, it’ll cheer everyone up!” Naka smiles.

“Try making videos on youtube, then? It’ll help a lot, Dess!” Kongou asks, a bemused look on her face.

Naka smiles, the smile of a woman who’s found a true passion in life. “That sounds wonderful!” Naka admits, with a sigh.

“Just keep in mind, to watch youtube videos first. On how to act, how to pose, how to record yourself, and other similar things. I’m sure we have people on base that know how to work a video camera, and they might help if you ask nicely.” Kongou admits, with a smile.

Naka nods, before rushing off. Then she moves back, bows before Kongou, with a loud “Thank you!” before rushing off again.

Kongou simply smiles, humming as she moves to meet with her Teitoku, before stretching out.

Then she enters the office building at a run. “TEI-TOU-KU!” The smug looks on the soldiers she’s passing by leave her grinning widely.

Rounding the door’s entrance, she leaps over Ooyodo, flips forwards with a shout of “BURNING LOVE!”, then lands on her Teitoku’s lap, kissing his face repeatedly and hugging him.

The flabbergasted expression on Ooyodo’s face is ignored, for her kissing Teitoku repeatedly. Finally a muffled “GET OFF!” reaches her ears, before she pulls back to let her Teitoku have air.

“What did I say about public affection, Kongou?” Admiral Kouzuki asks, grumbling under his breath.

“That it happens when we’re not out in public, of course!” Kongou replies with a grin.

“The meeting went well, then?” Admiral Kozuki asks, with a sigh.

“Yes sir! I mentioned just enough to keep Wolfen and ourselves out of trouble for a couple of months.” Kongou nods with a smile.

“Good to hear. Kongou, I’d like you to train Ooyodo in what you do for me for the rest of the day, since I’m approving your plans to deliver tea to Wolfen.” Admiral Kouzuki admits, a smile on his face at Kongou’s wide eyes. “Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to meet with Wolfen, ascertain if she’s being held hostage, or is truly friends with the group she’s trying to turn to humanity’s side of things.”

“OF COURSE, DESS!” Kongou shouts with glee. “I won’t let you down, my Teitoku!”

“Good, because this will be done alone. Do you think you can handle going without an escort there?”

Kongou nods, saluting. Then she turns to Ooyodo. “Time to teach you the ropes, newbie! Just understand that I’m dating Teitoku right now. No getting ideas of stealing him, understand?”

Ooyodo quietly blinks, before smiling widely. “I would never do that! I never got to properly lead back then, so helping with the back side of things is where I can truly shine!”

“I’d treat you to tea and scones, but I’ve got to ensure I’m on my way to a certain classified place sooner rather than later.” Kongou admits. “The pros and cons of being a cute shipgirl. We never have enough time.”

Ooyodo simply nods, as Kongou drags her off to show her the ins and outs of office paperwork.




12 days later




Wolfen blinks, as slowly, reality comes back to her eyes. Slowly, she looks around, fully awake and cognizant of her surroundings for the first time in a long while. A smile crosses her face, before she sighs, smiling. Then she looks for a way out of the blankets, springs in the mattress adjusting as she does so.

“Sounds like she’s up, Dess!” Wolfen blinks at the familiar voice nearby.

“You were out for over a month, Wolfen. We’re going to have to work on that trick, and move it to an angle. We might lose speed doing that, but it’ll keep us from destroying half our decks. Again.” Mordred’s voice reaches her, sounding tired. “Kongou showed up, and agreed to be disarmed for the duration of her stay. She’s a little iffy about it, but they’ve kept to their promise so far.”

“Wolfen!” Kongou smiles as she opens the door, to see an awake Wolfen, blinking at her. “You’re up!” With those words, she pulls Wolfen into a hug.

Quietly, Wolfen tries to hug back, only to frown at her arms not moving much.

“I’m wrapped up like a blanket mummy.” Wolfen quietly mutters.

“You had to stay warm, with how bad you were damaged, Dess!” Kongou retorts, frowning at Wolfen. “You had 5 of your six decks crushed, Wolfen!”

Wolfen flinches, nodding. “My screw up, I’ll admit. I should have come at an angle against their fire, not straight down, to kill that Princess threatening Hoppou.”

Another body landing on her is the only sign of Hoppou’s entrance, as Hoppou hugs Wolfen tight. “Yay, Wolfen’s awake! Hoppou missed you and wanted to thank you!”

“Help get the blankets off, please?” Wolfen asks.

A giggling pair of girls slowly unwrap Wolfen, before a smiling Misato sticks her head in. “Glad to see you’re alive after you nearly died saving Hoppou, there.” For a moment, her smile fades a bit as she looks at Kongou. “Gotta admit, you weren’t wrong about Kongou, as much as I thought it would be otherwise.”

Wolfen quietly nods. “Kongou’s nice, isn’t she?”

“Even if she has an obsession with the word ‘Dess!’ sometimes?” Mordred pipes in, arms folded, as she sticks her head out of Wolfen’s body.

Kongou pouts at Mordred. “Don’t be so mean, Mordred! Consider how much I’ve helped you out!”

Mordred grins and waves. “With the bulk of the repairs all but done, I’m getting some sleep. Thanks to you and Ayako, Kongou, for the help with the engineers, and keeping Ayako’s bunch in line. I don’t care about their attempts to steal Wolfen so much, they don’t have the technical skill to figure out that most systems are password protected. But it still grew annoying.”

Kongou nods with a smile. Then frowns, before rushing off. “Gotta save the scones in the oven~!”

The sound of drills erupts in the room, as two small drills pop up out of the ground, before small Legion of Coal units lead wheelbarrows full of ore towards Wolfen’s location. Wolfen quietly blinks at that, then smiles widely. “I’d forgotten I had those two driller units…”

“They’re good for getting us basic resources!” Hoppou admits, a wide smile on her face. “Hoppou has been using them to get ideas on how to help you!”

Then Hoppou frowns. “Unfortunately, with you not being part of my faction, we can’t actually build you better armor.”

Wolfen nods, then winces quietly, at the sound of her hull subtly moving. “Oh, that doesn’t sound good.” She admits, a wince on her face.

“Unfortunately, that gets us to the problems with your rebuild. Unfortunately, your keel that was built by someone else isn’t fully linking to the rest of your hull. It’s safe, but you don’t have full strength until we can find a way to repair that problem or issue.” Hoppou admits, with a pout. “It’s odd. No matter how much Hoppou looks, it’s impossible to fix!”

Wolfen gently leans forwards, kissing Hoppou’s forehead. “It’s okay, Hoppou. You tried your very best, I’m sure!”

Hoppou nods, her frown staying, before pulling Wolfen close for a hug.

“Now, if you could stop keeping me wrapped up in all these blankets, maybe I could hug you back?” Wolfen wryly questions Hoppou, with a smile on her face.

“Oh! Sorry!” Moments later, Hoppou is unwrapping Wolfen from the blankets.

After a bit, Wolfen looks down, before slowly moving, testing her body. Her arms work, but her spine has issues with bending. Then, after a bit, she finally frowns.

“My spinal weapons are the only thing keeping half my keel connected to the parts that Daddy made… damn it.” With a sigh, Wolfen rubs her forehead.

Hoppou outright winces at Wolfen’s words, before hugging Wolfen tight while bowing her head. “Hoppou can’t fix it. Sorry.”

“I can reinforce it for now, but that’s going to limit my close in combat effectiveness until I can fix it.” Wolfen admits. “I’ll have to go on a trip, and see if I can’t find any legendary smiths still around that might be able to pull it off, really.”

“Would you like me to come with, Wolfen? That sounds interesting.” Kongou asks, as she returns, a plate full of hot scones in her hands.

“Maybe. Might be better to have you researching the issues, to be fair.” Wolfen admits, sighing.

“How well are you repaired, anyways? Hoppou is rather curious.” Hoppou asks, quietly thinking.

“About 80% of me is repaired, but with my keel having issues, I’d say I can’t get fully fixed up until my crew realizes how to work out the differences between me being a ship and a girl.” Wolfen admits. “Or getting more legendary engineers than they are, to finish fixing things up.”

“Any suggestions?” Hoppou asks, thinking. “Hoppou can’t think of anything right now.”

“Wasn’t dwarves a part of Norse mythology? Perhaps you might know of where some dwarves could be at?” Kongou asks, settling down.

Wolfen pauses, thinking. “I haven’t seen any easy portals to the realms where the Gods live, but I’m able to still pass through, I suspect. Though finding them is another thing entirely.” Wolfen trails off, rubbing her forehead. “Might have to start with going from country to country, hunting down places of legend and hoping I get lucky.”

“Which means if I go with, I’ll be co-opted into helping, rather than helping our resident Abyssals who wish for trade.” Kongou admits, with a sigh. “I’m too visible for that.”

“Could Hoppou go?” Hoppou asks, quietly.

Wolfen looks over, studying Hoppou, before motioning Hoppou over. “Get on my back, and we’ll test my cloaking device out.”

Hoppou is rather quick to jump onto Wolfen’s back, before the cloak engages for a few minutes, leaving them both mostly invisible.

After a bit, Wolfen nods, releasing the cloak. “It was harder with Aircraft Carrier Demon, but you’re so small, I’m pretty sure I could handle you on my back, Hoppou. I think it’s going to take a few more days to weld both parts of my hull together, using my spinal weapons to hold them from falling apart though, which will leave them likely unusable during our searching.”

“That’ll be rough, Dess.” Kongou pulls Wolfen in for a hug, gently. “But if you need my help, I’ll be happy to help you out.”

Wolfen quietly hugs Kongou back, gently, shivering as she does so.

“There, there, I’m here for you, Wolfen. There, there.” Kongou whispers softly, as she rocks the weakened Wolfen in her arms. “It’s okay. We’ve all got your back, we’ll support and help you, and get you fully repaired.”

Wolfen quietly nods, cuddling with Kongou, before closing her eyes and resting against Kongou’s side, gently. Soon enough, she’s half dozing.

“Eat some scones, snuggle, and relax. It’s safe here. The others have been ensuring that most Abyssals can’t attack the convoys to Japan, Wolfen. Both Hoppou and I are going to stay here and keep you personally safe, while they shape up the Pacific.” Kongou’s voice whispers in Wolfen’s ear, before a tasty scone is inserted into Wolfen’s mouth.

Wolfen munches gently. For a moment, she frowns, before her mind links to the satellite she launched before, as she glances over the world news headlines.

“Japan and America’s ties grow stronger, as Abyssal attacks lessen dramatically! Canada and Mexico recovering as pacific assaults lessen. Convoys being taxed by an Abyssal group willing to help humanity recover! ‘Saki’ and ‘Ayako’ two Abyssal Princesses with names, helping humanity, while mentioning two other allied Princesses! Will more join in, or will we see them as the only groups to see trade as a better option to war with humanity?


No word from South America, as the third month of silence continues. Has South America fallen to the Abyssal threat? Or have they simply dug in at higher ground, to wait out the threat of the Abyssals?

Russia and China growing more disgruntled with each other, as they refuse to return each other’s loaned shipgirls! Is war on the horizon for those two former steadfast allies?

USS Missouri and Arizona shipped to Eastern front, to help deal with massive surge of Abyssal attacks in the Atlantic Ocean! Day 13 of Abyssal attempts to get to the Whitehouse!

Europe is still heavily at war with Abyssal Forces, as day 40 of constant assaults upon most European countries continues! Warspite and Bismark are teaming up to slaughter the opposition, but the endless hordes of the Abyssal threat still swarm Europe to devastating effect!

Africa is still dark, barring Egypt, as no warlords seem to have survived the crisis!

India struggling with massive Abyssal forces!

Australia one of the few major holdouts left without shipgirls, as Abyssals are struggling to get to any local cities. Is the legendary deadliness of the Australian wildlife and horrifying powers of the Abyssals meeting their match against each other?”

“Cut it out, Wolfen. I can hear you thinking, and I need more sleep, damn it.” Mordred mutters. With those words, Wolfen closes her eyes, and sleeps.


Author’s Notes:

This is the second to last chapter, before we have the Konosuba snippet happen, and more plot starts up as a result.

Working out what the last Emperor of Japan was named, as well as how he was titled, was one thing. Working out how the rest of the world has been reacting, is another, worse thing.

As for the rest? You get to see some actual world building. Yes, the world is having major issues, as of right now. Europe is in the middle of struggling to not burn to the ground, as most of the Atlantic’s half starved Abyssals go after the breadbaskets in Europe. Russia and China refuse to give back the other’s shipgirls, as they desperately fend off attack after attack, continually pissing off each other.

That’s not going into what happened to the Mediterranean, the Philippines, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and everywhere else.

Also, sorry for taking so long to post this. The research alone...

Author's Notes MK2:
Not too much changed here. Just a bit to adjust, since it irked me that I didn't word things the right way properly the first time through.

Went to Sakura Con yesterday on my birthday. Had a fun time. Had the newest chapter of the main story ready, but wasn't up for posting it, understandably so.

And finally found something missing that I've been searching for, for months now. I needed it back in December, but I'm glad to have it when I want it most. Whew.

[Arbitrarity]

Haven't seen you for a bit. Sakura Con does sound fun.

Erik's senses are doing a lot of work here. Mordred was doing something similar with intuition, but Erik can outright perceive electromagnetic transmissions with significant precision. The Judges being compromised is a good explanation for why they're enemies in the normal game.
I'm not entirely sure I understand the implications of Wily being Zero's creator with regard to Neo Arcadia's stability. I'd guess that this would lead to the populace wanting to destroy Zero as a Maverick, and the governing Guardians/Judges for protecting him?

Dialog between the Guardians is pretty fun. We haven't really gotten much of a view into them working as a team. I was expecting Harpuia to be talking with X, but suppose X already knows most of this information.

[RanmaBushiko]

Haven't seen you for a bit. Sakura Con does sound fun.

Erik's senses are doing a lot of work here. Mordred was doing something similar with intuition, but Erik can outright perceive electromagnetic transmissions with significant precision. The Judges being compromised is a good explanation for why they're enemies in the normal game.
I'm not entirely sure I understand the implications of Wily being Zero's creator with regard to Neo Arcadia's stability. I'd guess that this would lead to the populace wanting to destroy Zero as a Maverick, and the governing Guardians/Judges for protecting him?

Dialog between the Guardians is pretty fun. We haven't really gotten much of a view into them working as a team. I was expecting Harpuia to be talking with X, but suppose X already knows most of this information.

Erik's picked up some interesting stuff with his half-shift to a Titanic nature, hasn't he? Part of it is him outright seeing the "weakness" in the communication, however. Even if he can't understand how the communication is happening, he can still see the weakness in it's existence, due to those goggles he absorbed.

In modern terms? Zero being Wily's last creation is about the same as if a beloved politician turned out to be responsible for Covid 19 in it's entirety, and was secretly Hitler's kid. And fully on board with his father's methods. Keep in mind, the Maverick Virus wars death total was BILLIONS WITH A B. The Elf Wars, where Zero got his original body stolen? 70% of the planet's population got wiped out.

Not good is very much the understatement of the year. Riots, attempted assassinations, everything would be on board to try and get rid of him, if that ever came out, to punish Wily through destroying his last creation. It would literally tear the city in half, as half would want him dead for his creator's crimes, and the other half would be arguing for peace, that he'd more than made up for everything his creator had done...

Glad you enjoyed the Guardians. It's a pity they don't get as much screen time as they deserved, in the games. And yeah, X overheard Erik giving Fiore the full infodump, explaining the connotations, while Harpuia got the games, and time to work things out himself.

Edit: Had a bit of time to think on how to word this a bit more.

Even if Zero doesn't share his creator's "ideology", Zero has been shown to be influenced by the Maverick Virus in the past. Specifically, the variant that Wily originally made, shown in X5 influencing him pretty heavily. Thus the politician point I made.

The entire plot point of Zero 3? Zero was discovered to be "immune" to the Maverick Virus, and so his original body was stolen. If it ever came out that it was from him being made by it's maker? It's still going to be a massive clusterfuck.

[RanmaBushiko]

Interlude: Epitaph of a Shattered Singularity

‘It had been almost like snowing’, she noted idly, one gauntlet covered hand holding her injuries tight.


Grey, instead of white puffs.

Smoke instead of clear icy air.

“Galahad’s… reincarnation? Avatar? Has injured me, badly. A pity. I would have longed to talk with her, if not for the corruption lapping at my soul…” She noted, aloud, as her eyes flicker from green to a cold yellow and back. Looking up, at the sky, and not at the cave where she’d crawled from. The singularity around them slowly fading, as she faintly notes the world outside not showing earth, but something eldritch in the gaps in the sky.

The sky ripples, and she blinks.

A shower of something erupts from… somewhere outside.

And Arturia Pendragon Alter pauses, her hand reaching out to grasp at the tiniest shard of something blue, having landed before her.

For a moment, she pauses, hand inches away.

“This is something new.” She murmurs aloud. “I don’t know what it will do. I don’t even know why I’m still alive in this crumbling world…”

A distant roar answers her, and she winces outright. “But my final foe still lives, as does I. Perhaps we’re destined to clash, again and again…?”

With those words, she reaches out, and grasps the tiny shard.

It feels like ice to her, as it floods her soul with power… but not one she’s used to.

“What are you, little shard of ice?” She murmurs quietly, as ancient instincts and teachings from Merlin click, her body desperately struggling to convert it to prana or at least something that she can use.

For a moment, it almost beats, like a heart, before she smiles as success finally happens.

“It may not be the weight of a Master, but it’s some prana generation irregardless.” She finally admits aloud. “Even if it’s hard for me to convert to prana…”

Green warring with yellow in her eyes, Saber Alter smiles as she stands, weakened but stronger. “Even in this shattered world, perhaps I can still be of use?”

Her eyes look over the shattered city of Fuyuki, clouds of smoke still erupting from most of it.

Then realization strikes. “He possessed her…” She murmurs aloud, thoughtfully. “I wonder if I could do the same thing, if my body degrades enough?”

Then she frowns, and sighs. “It’s not like a suitable host would drop in to help me, right?”

With those words, Arturia Pendragon laughs, hollowly, as she moves to search for more crystals like the one she’d already found.

A few days pass, as she struggles. Struggles to find more shards. To get them before the black giant can, who’s also searching for them.

All the while noting how the world away from the shards is slowly breaking to pieces…

Then, one day she returns to Shirou’s home.

To find it ransacked.

The mad giant had been there, searching for the crystals she was absorbing, perhaps?

“Damnation. Now where am I going to store food…?” She murmurs aloud.

Instincts scream, and her sword moves to block.

She gets sent flying, anyways, from the force of the blow.

A loud growl is heard by her, as she slowly turns to stare at the Black Giant of a Berserker, having sent her flying.

For a moment, she stares at him, then flees.

It takes her a while to realize that he didn’t follow. Heartbeat pounding as she runs.

In the distance, though, she can see him searching through Shirou’s home.


Through specific parts of Shirou’s home.

The parts she’d been staying in most.

“Is he tracking me…?” She murmurs, as she runs.

Then, comprehension hits.

“It’s not me that he’s tracking. He’s tracking the crystals I’ve been absorbing! Since I’ve been absorbing them so much at Shirou’s home…” She trails off, understanding. “He could eventually feel the lingering traces, and went there for them, thinking I hadn’t absorbed them, yet. Meaning the more I absorb, the more he’ll be able to sense me.”

For a long moment, Arturia Pendragon, eyes flecked with green, sits and just closes her eyes, thinking over things. Letting her mind wander, as she takes refuge from the ash and heat of the fires.

“Demi-Servant. That’s what Lancer told me that girl, Galahad’s host called herself a Demi-Servant.” Arturia Pendragon admits aloud.

Then she slowly pauses, as she tries to focus.

“Individual memories of dealing with Galahad, and his father… but I don’t… why do I remember two sets of memories as to what happened with Camelot?” She murmurs. “I remember Lancelot fondly, but at the same time, so many of his so-called ‘accomplishments’, I distinctly remember being done by my other Knights…”

Then she closes her eyes, thinking. “Something to do with knowledge being downloaded into my brain? Or perhaps someone wrote more into the legend…?”

“Hmph. Probably the French, with their dislike of my country.” Arturia admits, quietly. “And that’s not even going into that ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ video that I watched while Shirou was at school... If the French were even a hundredth as bad as they were in that film, back then?”

She nods, eyes tinged with yellow as her emotions start to deaden once more. “I’ll beware of flying livestock if I ever deal with those French bastards again. Who knows what other things they might launch? And it’s such a waste of food…”

Her stomach growls, and Arturia pauses, before looking down at her stomach. “Right! Hunger is the enemy, and thus I need to eat. Now, where’s something that might still be working around here…?”

Hours later, she finds a Burger King. On the furthest edge of the Singularity, near where the waterfront once was.

Nestled in the cracks, she looks, checking the equipment.

“Oh? The appliances still work, even if the power doesn’t…” She murmurs quietly. “I wonder why?”

Then comprehension hits. “A secondary source of gas besides those… mains that blew up so spectacularly.” With that, she nods, looking around and exploring.

“A guide to cooking? How wonderful!” She murmurs with joy. “And this does look tasty…”

More hours later, Saber Alter sighs, rubbing her bloated stomach, green eyes shining with joy for a long moment, before her eyes start tinting yellow again.

“I wish Shirou could have cooked that. But that was so good…” She finally admits, aloud. Her eyes turned melancholy at the memories of her former master, and his cooking.

Days pass.

They fight, on occasion. Her blade finds purchase in his skin occasionally, just as often as she gets flung by his massive stone blade.

But more often than not, they find mutual acceptance in leaving each other be, and going after crystals in different areas.

As they work, and slowly grow, the Singularity continues to deteriorate around them.

Day in and day out.

Searching for more meat to cook or food to eat in general. Water to drink. And exploring for little shards of the crystals that give them some semblance of continued existence.

As the eternal fires of the shattered singularity burn around them.

Eventually, she finds Rin’s home, and starts ransacking it for food.

Nothing seems to be of much value, except for a few prana laced gems she stores. Up until she finds the real prize, in a chest hidden within the home.

Arturia Pendragon, eyes looking confused, pulls out the dormant Kaleidostick, then blinks at it.

Then it wakes up, slowly. “Oooh, my head hurts.”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t have one.” Arturia snarks. “What are you, some blasted creation of Merlin?”

“Nope! Zelretch was my maker!” Kaleidostick Ruby states, a grin in her voice.

Arturia pauses, looking back at the chest, then at the Kaleidostick silently. “Oh…? And he’s supposed to be better, how?” Her tone of voice is dangerous, as her eyes turn slowly yellow.

“I’m made to help?” Ruby whimpers. “Please don’t break me? It’s lonely in the bo- where’s Rin, anyways? She’s supposed to be pulling me out, not some Servant…”

“Dead, along with almost everyone else.” Arturia states, quietly.

“...Well, whatever happened, damaged my power supply badly. If you hadn’t come around, I would have lost it in a few more days.” Ruby states. “It feels like a part was outright removed!”

“Perhaps Rin did it, in some of the last few hours before things went to hell…” Arturia muses aloud.

“...How bad is it?” Ruby asks, quietly.

Arturia simply moves to a window, letting Kaleidostick Ruby somehow look out, at the shattered, burning landscape.

“The fires haven’t stopped for weeks on end.” Arturia admits. “Berserker is around, as well. If there is anything like the Christian ideas of Hell? I suspect we’re all in the closest we’ll ever find, while alive.”

Ruby silently looks at things, and at the tiny fleck of black at the center of the damaged Singularity. “Makes sense. It feels like time is slowly starting to speed up, as well. And whatever that black thing is at the center, it reminds me of a black hole, slowly forming to eat this place.”

Arturia winces, quietly. “Some icy shards fell into this place, some time back. They seem to stabilize things here.” She admits.

“Singularity is the name of it.” Ruby states, quietly. “Even if the speed up from my fellow Kaleidosticks make them barely comprehensible, they still know we’re in one. And it’s dangerous to be in one. We should be long dead…”

Arturia slowly nods. “Nevertheless, Berserker yet lives, as do I. And though the mad giant has…quieted somewhat? We need a miracle to defeat him if he ever starts attacking again.”

“Why not talk with him?” Ruby queries.

Arturia pauses.

“How, exactly, do you think we’re supposed to talk with a dark skinned giant who wears only an armored kilt? One who only roars and growls, no less?” Arturia queries.

“Oh. It’s Herakles. Yeah, that’s… wait. How did I know it was him?” Ruby speaks aloud, before freezing up.

Arturia pauses, before slowly wincing. “Perhaps your master knew more of what’s going on than either of us know?”

“Perhaps. Speaking of things, what’s with your eyes constantly shifting between yellow and green? It’s… concerning.” Ruby asks, curiosity in her voice.

“I was… exposed to something.” Arturia admits, hesitantly. “A… black mud, of sorts. That impacted me after my Master’s death, when one of his friends went… berserk.”

Arturia breathes out, shivering for a long while. “It… I was confronted by something. Another… me, almost. All my inner darkness, made manifest within me. Like another personality, almost, except her looks were… darker.” Arturia whispers, hesitantly and quietly. “Then… when it seemed like she was going to try and take control… the person controlling the mud died.”

For a long while, she pauses, before continuing on, quietly. “Not until after having bathed myself and Berserker in it, though. He took… far worse amounts than I did.”

“What happened?” Ruby whispers, quietly, the Kaleidostick somehow emoting curiosity and worry.

“It felt like she… merged with me somehow, even though I was out of the mud so quickly. Some days, I’m more in control. But if I’m fighting, then it feels less like me, and the more like I’m riding in the back of my head, with her in control.” Arturia admits. “And the longer I fight or guard, the less it feels like myself, and more like her alone.”

A long pause, as Arturia and Ruby think over things, before Ruby slowly somehow makes the appearance of nodding. “Perfectly fair to be worried. I might be able to help, or I might make things worse.”

“How so?” Arturia queries, quietly.

“At full power, I might be able to stabilize you, if you were merely a Saint Graph copy of yourself, like those Chaldea people deal with. But as you are, you appear to be actually Arturia Pendragon, if manifested with Prana.” Ruby admits. “And I’m not sure what meddling with your soul while you still apparently exist might do.”

“This… is me from when I’m on the verge of death, if healed…” Arturia admits, quietly. “Rather than being summoned from after my death, like all the others, I’m summoned whole and hearty. If in… rather different garb than what I wore at Camlann.”

“So we can’t tell what would happen if I tried to adjust you, or protect you.” Ruby states. “What a pity! I was hoping to get you to be Magical Girl Kaleido Ruby, or Magical Girl Saber, and see you in some of the outfits I have!”

For a long time, Saber simply stares at the Mystic Code Zelretch made.

Ruby happily emotes a smile, while hugging itself with her wings. “Oh, you would have been so cute! And all the fanservice, too!”

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m stuck with the mystic code equivalent of a female Merlin…?” Arturia murmurs aloud.

“So many options to get pictures of you, all sudsy in the bath and everything, it would have been great!” Ruby continues, voice now ranting.

‘Does she have an off-switch?’ Arturia wonders to herself. ‘Because if not, I’m going to throttle her creator…’




Castle Einzbern, Shattered Remains of Singularity F




Herakles studies the damaged, injured form of his former Master, silently. Then looks over at the damaged form of Sella, working to heal her Mistress.

Then he sits, focusing.

For a long moment, he looks at the shattered form of Illyasviel, who has far greater wounds than before.

“It’s not enough…” Sella whispers, quietly, voice full of raw despair. “Nothing I do seems to stabilize her. She still exists, but the moment I run out of prana, even with these items? She’ll be gone.”

Herakles looks at her, thinking silently, then slowly nods.

“I can only hold it for a few more days, at most.” Sella admits. “Unless we figure out something different…”

Herakles pauses, holding his hand up, then pulls up the icy shards, thinking.

For a long moment, his mind struggles against the madness enhancement.

She had ordered him to stay mad, that he knew. If not why. Even in his rage, he comprehended it.

Accepted it.

She, who reminded him of the children he’d killed. His own children.

‘Ah.’ He realizes, in a moment of clarity. ‘I’m thinking again…’

Then his eyes return to the broken form of Illyasviel von Einzbern.

‘Searching for shards isn’t enough.’ He finally admits, to himself, if nothing else.

Reaching out, he pats Sella’s head, gently, as he struggles to continue thinking, his Twelve Labors working to adapt him against the madness he’s locked in, enhanced by the power of the icy shards he holds.

Then, his eyes turn towards the crystal. Herakles studies it, then focuses. Not on absorbing the pitiful remains of Legend to continue his existence, but to instead use it as a focus.

Clarity comes, for just a little while. The hint of a truly insane plan.

“Blood Transfusion. Me to her.” Herakles whispers, voice echoing through the damaged castle.

Sella pauses, eyes going wide. Then her eyes rapidly go from him to her mistress, eyes widening further. “That’s… could it truly work?” She whispers, quietly.

He slowly nods. “It will cost me dearly.” He slowly rumbles, each word coming out slowly. “Our only way to save her? Is to ADOPT her.”


A slow, quiet nod from her is his answer, as he slowly moves to get medical equipment ready, the information from the Grail helping him even now to know what is medical equipment for a blood transfusion.

‘Perhaps… I could do for her, what I couldn’t do for the rest of my children? Save her?’ The thoughts flicker in his mind, as the tall giant works.

“This should work for the transfusion. All we need now, is time. And faith, that this will work.” Sella admits, quietly. “I don’t know what this will do to her.”

Herakles nods, sitting and watching over his former Master.

For a long while, Sella studies Herakles, lost in thought. Then she frowns. “It’s going to take everything I have, to fix her.” Sella finally admits. “Everything I am. Everything I have. I’ll be gone when she wakes up. Please… protect her for us.”

Herakles wordlessly points outside, at the massive damage to the world around them.

Sella nods, accepting his point. “I know. It burns no matter what. And the rips in existence… hurt to look at.” She admits, wryly. “Even if we somehow manage to exist after this, we’re… likely to not last forever.”

Herakles nods in acknowledgement. “No.” He finally grinds out, words coming out slow. “Supplies dwindle, unlike fires.”

“The more of those crystals you find, the stronger you are… but reality weakens where they aren’t.” She admits, quietly. “Eventually, you’re going to run out of options.”

Herakles nods, acknowledging her point.

“If you could take care of the other Servant, would it work better?” Sella finally asks.

Herakles pauses, mind going over things, before he finally shrugs. “Not the same food, resources. Hides.”

Sella frowns, looking at him.

“Hides her home.” He emphasizes.

Slowly, Sella nods as comprehension hits. “She does her best to hide where she lays low. Like a knight would. Somehow, she realizes you can track her, if not exactly how.”

Herakles nods, thoughtfully. “Can tell if energies accumulates enough, though not sense it.” He finally manages to explain.

Sella slowly nods, thinking. “So she’s taken steps to keep from building it up enough around her home base that you can’t find it. Absorbing the crystals when she finds them elsewhere, instead.”

Herakles nods.

Sella muses. “With that in mind, you can only track her if she builds up enough of them…”

Another nod from the black-skinned giant.

Herakles resumes his vigil, as Sella finally goes quiet, lost in thought.

Then his eyes widen, as he spots it, and leans forwards.

The rise and fall of Illyasvial von Einzbern’s chest, however faint.

And, most importantly, a spark of divine power welling within her.

Slowly, ruby eyes open. Groggy from time without being awake, on the edge of death.

Then they go wide.

“Ber…ser…ker…?” Her voice echoes through the room.

“Here.” He rumbles.

A quiet smile on her face, as she looks outright relieved.

“He didn’t get you, then…” She whispers, quietly. “The man in green, who stole my Command Spells from me…”

Herakles and Sella both freeze outright at her words.

“I saw…” It’s a quiet whisper from her, before she weakly focuses. “No. Heard. Him talking about how to get to Saber, next.”

“She lives.” Herakles growls softly.

A slow nod from Illyasviel is his answer, before she takes his hand, weakly.

“Good.” She murmurs, quietly. “If she lives, then his plans were stopped…”

A solemn nod from Herakles is her answer, as he takes her hand, gently.

“Berserker… can you invite her here?” Illasviel whispers, quietly.

Berserker softly nods. “I will.” He growls out, softly.

Illasviel nods, and rests her eyes, holding his hand gently.

“I don’t have much more time before my body fails. Perhaps Saber can do as a substitute for myself…?” Sella murmurs, quietly.

Herakles nods, as he leaves. He has a Servant to find, after all.

To Be Continued… Or shall I say, properly started after the Mega Man Zero arc is done?

Author’s Notes:

Yeah, this is still being written. Having to account for the missing Sword of Atli made me take a much… shall we say, different tactic? And where one relic might fail, another can work nearly as well…

Suffice to say, with it being over a bunch of shards of a shattered Scion Relic, rather than a single weapon, things are going to turn out somewhat differently than the original story had. Mostly due to pacing, and not just one single artifact to make Herakles the way he was. And with the longer time difference… so too does all the other things change.

A few days more, a few days less, spread around here and there, can make all the difference. “For want of a nail,” and all that.

A barely lucid Berserker and a half-shifted Saber/Saber Alter. Told you guys I’d re-do this eventually… and do Saber Alter more justice for how things affected her, as well as explaining better.

[Arbitrarity]

Ah, revising that Singularity F idea, adapted for the lack of Sword.

Ilya was injured by Lev... that tracks. I don't recall many specifics from Singularity F canon at this point. Saber also independently discovered Ruby... but probably can't repair it. She found it earlier than Erik previously did, presumably because she had to keep moving to find the Heart of Winter shards.

[RanmaBushiko]

Ah, revising that Singularity F idea, adapted for the lack of Sword.

Ilya was injured by Lev... that tracks. I don't recall many specifics from Singularity F canon at this point. Saber also independently discovered Ruby... but probably can't repair it. She found it earlier than Erik previously did, presumably because she had to keep moving to find the Heart of Winter shards.

Yup. Mostly had it as the planned sequel to the Mega Man Zero arc all along, thus the original version having a few references to a "Charge Shot" for humor. Setting up things for the revision now will make things easier for when Erik drops into the mess the singularity will be.

We really don't know too much about Singularity F, to be honest, except that Saber Alter was guarding the Grail, she'd re-started the grail war instead of letting everything die (likely in the hopes of resurrecting her master), and that Medusa was a Lancer with HARPE but never USES THE DAMNED THING. (Just one of both myself and Kieran's gripes about that...) As well as Caster being Cu Chulainnan. Archer's still gonna be EMIYA, and Berserker's pissed and curbstomps everything, where huge fighting showing on the map, went down in the singularity.

Specifically, it looked like Arturia went toe to toe with Berserker, with the number of uses of Excalibur shown in the woods where you fight him, at, when looking at the overworld map. Multiple still-burning lines going through the landscape like a hot knife through butter, to be exact...

Without the Sword, we don't have Herakles fully Lucid or rational yet, which makes for interesting future writing. Moments of brief lucidity, certainly... however, he's still mostly under the Command Spell's power at this time.

Still, I thought you'd appreciate the adjustments to the writing, to flesh things out a lot more. Not to mention Ruby's interactions with Arturia...