Bouquet

"**Bouquet**" is the fourth Story chapter of *Goddess of Victory: Nikke.*

This chapter continues the story of the previous chapter, following Counters squad and Wardress' secret operation in apprehending a highly-intelligent Rapture known as "Chatterbox."

## Synopsis

The protagonist manages to warm up to Wardress over the course of the mission to track down Chatterbox. But a run-in with their target, their narrow rescue by a savior in white, and what follows after sets the protagonist on another journey to seek out the truth...

### Twisted Gears

With today's hunt for Chatterbox ending in failure, Rapi suggests setting up a camp due to the poor visibility outside and the commander's need to rest. While he has some reservations about resting in their current location, Anis echoes Rapi's sentiments. Their call is to occupy one of the nearby vacant buildings and set up decoys 500m away to divert the attention of any nearby Raptures, which will grant them safety for about 4 hours. For Anis, it has been a while since she last set up camp. For, Neon, this is her first.

The firepower maniac wanted to set up a campfire, only to annoy her superior. The members of Wardress, the squad accompanying them, offer to be the ones to set up the decoys. Seeing how exhausted both Mihara and Yuni appeared, Rapi reiterated that she would handle it. After Yuni admitted to being tired herself, Mihara was content to let Rapi set up the decoys.

Soon after, Yuni fully dozes off on Mihara's lap. While in her slumber, Anis takes this opportunity to pry into the relationship the members of Wardress have between each other. As to why, Anis can sense how much Yuni relies on her squadmate, a notion Mihara felt was inaccurate. When it comes down to it, the two depend on each other for many things, for they have no choice but to rely on one another. When two people interact with each other, they are akin to a pair of gears that work perfectly in sync. For Yuni and Mihara however, they are more like crooked gears. No one else fits well with either of them alone, but fortunately, the two just so happen to compliment each other perfectly. It was from their loneliness that the two found each other and how they became inseparable from each other ever since.

Mihara is fully aware how odd her and Yuni's relationship appears to newcomers, but Neon can tell that there is a sense of care coming from both of them for each other. Anis however, still doesn't quite understand. With Anis's question answered, Mihara changes the topic towards the dynamic of the Counters as a whole. Though she has not worked with them for long, she can deduce that Anis and Rapi have worked together for a long time and that Neon has only joined recently. Neon not so subtly again shares her cover as a spy and Anis chimes by suggesting that like her squad, the Counters also have their differences (or defects). Feeling drained herself, Anis wants to get some beauty sleep. Mihara could tell she struck a nerve, but agrees to not prod her any further.

The following morning, the commander appears worse than before he slept, his mouth was dry and for some reason... he is unable to move. When he fully comes to, he awakens to realize that he has become Yuni's body pillow. Mihara tries to wake her friend up to prevent her from accidentally crushing him to death, she enjoys laying on his warm, firm, and comfortable figure too much to give him space to breathe. The others are also shocked at the current situation the two ended up in with Rapi reiterating that they needed to move. Yuni however, had little interest in moving and tightened her grasp of the protagonist, to the point she would have crushed every bone in his body with her bear hug. All the others could do was look on in  ~~jealousy~~ admiration.

### Warm Hands

As the search for Chatterbox continues, Anis jests to Mihara that Yuni seems to be more interested in the commander than in her. So long as the sadist is happy, Mihara doesn't mind that being the case. While watching them interact, Yuni and her plaything look like a father and daughter together.

As for the two in question, Yuni has grown more fond of the protagonist, to the point where she wants to be more... physical with him. This starts off with the two walking hand in hand only for Yuni to slowly tighten her grip on him. Though she's starting to cut off the circulation to his hand, she can't help but enjoy the warmth he exudes.

The Counters ponder amongst themselves why a Nikke would enjoy heat, but Mihara explains that's not the full story. Yuni can only sense physical stimuli when she is in contact with someone else. It is unclear if she was always like this or if this is a side effect of the powers she has, but in the end, this has resulted in Yuni being very... handsy for a lack of a better word. It's because of this that she tends to make others uncomfortable and drive them away. For someone like the commander to not only pique Yuni's desires and to indulge them in equal measure, would make him very special indeed. All three of the Counters come to the same conclusion; their leader is not "peculiar" in the slightest and is just a genuinely caring person.

### The Ties That Bind Briefly: A

At their current location, Rapi fears they are in a prime position to be ambushed. Mihara ponders if their quarry led them to this spot on purpose. Neon reminds her of when she mentioned that Raptures aren't known for their intelligence, only for Mihara to change her tune to believe they are currently in a trap.

From below, the commander notices something shimmering on a nearby rooftop and upon closer inspection, the group notices a sniper taking aim at them. Yuni takes this opportunity to paralyze the protagonist from the legs down which saves him from having his head incinerated by an electron beam. As he is their main target, Rapi orders him to fall behind them as they deal with this new foe. Fully trusting his comrades, he allows them to get into formation. With everyone in position and with weapons drawn, the encounter commences.

### The Ties That Bind Briefly: B

The sniper has been eliminated and Mihara and Yuni feel they gel well with the Counters, especially their commander. Anis also likes working with them, but Rapi remains tight-lipped about her thoughts on this arrangement. Anis felt she should be free to share her opinions, and she admitted to not entirely trusting the two yet, a response that puzzled Mihara.

### Garrulous Talker: A

Feeling she did a good job protecting the protagonist, Yuni feels she deserves a reward from him. Mihara reminds her that he is human and that she can't be as forceful with him as she is with her, but he is willing to grant Yuni's request, regardless of the risk doing so poses to his own body. Though his immediate acceptance comes as a surprise to the sadist, she again wants to clasp his hand again. He offers it without saying another word and Yuni was all too eager to grip it even tighter than before. In spite of the crushing pain he's feeling and the back of his hand now slightly bleeding, he was willing to endure it for Yuni's pleasure. Only after Mihara's command does she let him go for the time being. Seeing the bruises on hand, Rapi takes off her gloves to cover his hands to stop the bleeding. The process takes only a moment, but in that same amount of time, the group, and the commander in particular, are discovered by something very unsettling.

A large, metallic, smiling beast appeared from behind them and was looking to toy with the group before killing them one by one. What was most disturbing was unlike the other Raptures they have encountered, this one... possesses the ability to speak. Rapi races to get in front of the commander, only to be kicked aside like a soccer ball and sent flying into some nearby ruins. Seeing the creature's feet in the flesh was enough for Wardress to realize that this was the Chatterbox they were looking for.

Chatterbox's curiosity was focused on the group's leader and who or what exactly he is. While he was distracted, Mihara transferred her pain sensors to the monster and began tearing her abdomen apart. Doing so caused Chatterbox severe abdominal pain and Yuni made things worse by temporarily blinding him. With their target virtually incapacitated, Mihara was ready to complete the mission.

### Garrulous Talker: B

Though the combined might of the Counters and Wardress have done significant damage to Chatterbox, he's refusing to admit defeat. Seeing how much slower he's become, Anis also wants to end this quickly. Having figured out Mihara's ability to swap her pain sensors with him, Chatterbox tears off his own arm and gouges and scrapes more of his own body, satisfied all the while. As more of his body ripped apart, Mihara suffered the brunt of the pain and collapsed as a result into a twitching fit. It was too much for even a masochist like her to handle.

Enraged by what he put her friend through, Yuni wanted to take down Chatterbox personally. One swipe of the Rapture's massive tail took her out of the fight. He realized that she hadn't changed locations since her little stunt and figured she would've felt safe since his vision was impaired. In an instant, all of Chatterbox's injuries healed up and his body was whole once again. The revelation of a Rapture that could repair itself put everyone on edge, the monster stopped his assault to have a word with the commander, who was in no mood to listen to him. Even if his limbs were severed from his body, Chatterbox could function without issue. Before she could lay his hands on the protagonist, Rapi returns from the rubble and stands in between them, determined to protect her superior.

Chatterbox was surprised that a Nikke shrugged off his attack so easily, but quickly deduced that she was one of the those "fairytale models"; the Red Riding Hood one in particular. Rapi ordered the protagonist to flee while she held off Chatterbox for as long as she could, but he refused to leave her in this battle alone. In their current condition, none of the Nikkes were capable of protecting him. Rapi tells him to return to the Ark to share with the others what he has learned. Before he could do anything however, the commander was sent flying by Chatterbox's tail, but the impact didn't cause any major injuries, but his right leg has become broken.

The Counters have become enraged at what Chatterbox did to their superior, but he was more interested in a fight. Rapi ordered her two comrades to back her up and they both reluctantly agree to help her out. That was until a mysterious figure clad in white fired her sniper rifle and blew a hole in Chatterbox's body. Rapi was startled to see a Nikke with ammo that could take down airships, but this stranger felt confident enough she could handle this Rapture on her own. Firing more rounds into Chatterbox, he realized a Pilgrim had come to their aid, but she was more concerned about ridding the world of his existence. She fired more and more rounds into the monster, to the point he was taking more damage than he could heal. Seeing this was a fight he could not win, Chatterbox made a swift retreat. Before she could give chase, the stranger warned the protagonist to return home before disappearing after her target,

In the aftermath, Anis was left confused as to what had transpired. Before they could begin to grasp that, Rapi ordered Anis and Neon to grab the protagonist and Wardress and to get them somewhere safe.

### The Wounded

During their brief moment of safety, Rapi administered first-aid to the injured, but it will only serve as a temporary solution. For Yuni, Mihara, and the protagonist, returning them to the Ark is the best chance they have at survival. Anis mentions that they cannot return the way they came and Neon determines they are unable to communicate with anyone. To make things worse, Wardress is in even worse condition and unable to care for their commander or themselves. The two apologize for being careless, but Rapi felt everyone here was in over their heads. Anis suggests to light up a signal flare, but Rapi wants them to keep going to a radio tower so they can have direct communication to the Ark. As for how long it will take to get there, it would normally take two hours to get there on foot. However, as half of the group is out of commotion, it would take sextuple the amount of time at least.

In spite of his broken leg, the protagonist is certain he can still handle himself. Rapi suggests that Yuni should disable the feeling in his legs to stem the pain, but that also would serve as a minor fix. Mihara offers to switch her pain sensors with him instead as she's more adept at dealing with it. Rapi is against that because it would put them in a worse position if she was dealt even more damage. While he appreciates everyone's offers to help, he's willing to grin and bear the pain on his own. The others are grateful for his sacrifice, but Anis reminds them that they're in for a world of trouble if they make it back since their commander is injured. Rapi doesn't want to think about those consequences and thinks they should focus on reaching the radio tower.

### The Unknown

On their trek, the group was left speechless as to what they had just witnessed. The existence of Chatterbox appears to be an anomaly as he's the first known Rapture-like entity that could talk. Mihara was also surprised by this and at the time, was completely unaware of what Syuen was setting them up for. Anis was also curious about the Nikke who saved their necks and how she was able to wield such powerful weaponry. Whatever they've gotten themselves into, it appears there are more players involved. There is so much to report and so many questions that need answers. Mihara was just as in the dark as everyone else. Anis dreads what will happen when they return, but wants to check on the commander's condition. While he is still in extreme agony, he is still able to move on his own. Anis teases that they should carry him, but Rapi objects to that since that would make them easier to ambush, but she is fine if he needs to lean on them. Mihara is impressed by his resilience.

### Meaning of Existence

At the radio tower, Rapi wants to try to patch through to the Ark and orders the commander to rest while he can. Anis and Neon agree to keep their eyes peeled for any Raptures leaving Wardress to also tend to their wounds. Left to themselves, the two admit to feeling pretty useless right now. A pair of Nikkes who specialize in capturing Raptures who couldn't even catch one. Yuni fears they will be discarded after they return, but Mihara gives her a glimmer of hope by reminding her that that is Syuen's call. This is a fate that neither of them want to happen to each other so Yuni pleads to the protagonist to prevent that from happening. He's willing to do everything in his power to save them from being turned to scrap. While Mihara is unsure how he would be able to pull that off, he's certain he can come up with something. Even with his non answer, she decides to trust him.

Rapi returns not long after and has managed to get in contact with Shifty and has briefed her on what has happened. Right now, she wants to have a word with him so Rapi hands him her Comblink. Needless to say, the operator was not happy with him in the slightest. Not only had he headed to the surface without filing a report, he also brought Nikkes with him, both serious crimes. He tries to explain that Syuen was the one who put them up to this and upon hearing that, she deduces a mistake has been made and she will report this to Andersen. After going into further detail about their current situation, Shifty notified him of a nearby runway that will take 10 minutes to get to by foot. She will send a transport ship over to fetch them. She reminds him however that he will face the consequences of his actions if he makes it back alive.

After the broadcast ends, the group is ready to head to the runway.

### Threat

On their way to the pickup location, the protagonist receives several messages from Syuen, none of them legible since they were seemingly laced with heavy profanity. She was enraged by the stunt he pulled and made a fool out of her in the process by sharing her scheme to the Ark. After some more swearing, she only now asks about the mission and he confesses to have encountered Chatterbox. She reminds him to keep his mouth shut about this and that the Nikkes should do the same, lest the terrorist plot she fabricated goes public. Now that they're on the same page, she wants them to return as soon as possible.

After communications are cut off again, the commander again feels he's in over his head.

### Absolute: A

At the runway, Neon is amazed by the wide-open space and feels they are not in any immediate danger. Neon points her squadmates attention to dust forming in the distance. What she attributes to a sandstorm is actually a pack of Raptures heading towards their location, approximately 200 of them. Until the transport ship arrives, the Nikkes will have to fight for their lives. Anis was a little miffed that trouble kept finding them while this was more than what Neon had bargained for during her first trip to the surface. Anis feels that things could always get worse since everyone is still alive which does brighten Neon's mood. With 30 seconds left until a fight breaks out, the Nikkes get into formation.

### Absolute: B

Having eliminated wave after wave of Raptures, the Nikkes have about reached their limit. Fortunately, the transport ship has just arrived. The Raptures divert their attention towards it and it is clear some of them have anti-aircraft weaponry. Rapi orders the other to focus on them, but it is clear that they are outnumbered and in a bad position. Suddenly a red flash emits from the airship and in a moment, their target is blown to smithereens. Rapi and Mihara are stunned that it had access to long-ranged rifles. Anis questions if this is a normal weapon type added to them, but Rapi knows of only one squad that commonly uses them as weapons, Absolute: Elysion's most powerful squad.

   As the ship descends, a clunking sound rings across the vicinity and thick plumes of dust swirl in the air, making it difficult to see. Once things start to clear, three Nikkes become recognizable. Though they are glad to have made it down safely, it has become clear to them just how many Raptures they are up against. Both Anis and Mihara were pleasantly surprised that they were being rescued by such an esteemed unit. Their leader detected 153 enemy aircraft heading for them, after getting into position, Absolute eliminated every single one of them.

Everyone was left stunned by Absolute's performance. Now that the coast was clear, it was safe for them to land. The commander thanked their leader Eunhwa for saving them, but she was not in the mood to talk to him and only did so since she was following orders. Needless to say, he was taken aback by her rude conduct. The short one named Vesti reminds her that she was talking to a commander and while Eunhwa didn't understand her point, after snapping back at her, Vesti decided to keep her mouth shut. The group's final member, Emma, was ecstatic to reunite with her friend and former teammate Rapi, who felt the same way. Emma was a little miffed Rapi left the squad without so much as a goodbye, and while she apologizes for that, Emma was happy enough that she seems to be doing well. Rapid was confused by her comment so Emma elaborates by saying she seems different, in a good way. She takes that to mean Rapi has finally found what she has been looking for and while she doesn't exactly know if she had, Emma was content seeing her friend in higher spirits.

Vesti was also glad to reunite with Rapi and started to cry upon seeing her. Despite having long since left Absolute, Rapi can tell the three of them haven't changed a bit. Eunhwa however was not interested in reuniting with her former comrade. She was irked that she had to save Rapi from another mess she put herself in. She felt that Rapi had always acted with reckless abandon and still believes that is the case now. Though she calls Rapi a defective that should be recycled for spare parts, her smile indicates there's a part of her that is glad to see her friend again.

Anis snapped back at Eunhwa for insulting her squadmate but she shut her down so the two could continue their chat. It was at this point that Anis figures out that Eunhwa is a no-nonsense kind of person. Emma apologizes for her squadmate's attitude and shares she's not very kind to people she doesn't know. The woman in question tries to shut her up, but Emma was completely aware of the truth. Wanting this conversation to end, Eunhwa orders everyone on the plane so they can return to the Ark.

### Judgement

To answer for the crimes he had committed, the protagonist and the Nikkes were sent to face judgment from Enikk, the supreme artificial intelligence that runs the Ark. She begins by listing off his offenses including venturing to the surface to carry out a mission without filing a report, bringing along five Nikkes that shouldn't have accompanied him, and despite all that, his intentions brought by the previous two actions were indeed for the betterment of humanity. After performing a search, Enikk discovers two similar incidents have happened before and the judgements for both were consistent. With that said, Enikk bans the protagonist from performing missions for two days as punishment, in line with the previous rulings.

As for the Nikkes accompanying him, the charges against them include not fulfilling the prerogative of protecting their commander above all else, proceeding with an operation that everyone knew violated the command system, and their misguided actions resulted in damage to valuable property belonging to the Ark. After performing a search, Enikk discovers two similar incidents have happened before and the judgements for both were consistent. To prevent more incidents like this from happening again, Enikk sentences Rapi and Mihara to undergo memory wipes as they are the squads' captains.

### Imitate Mankind

Back at the Outpost, Anis wanted to give Syuen a piece of her mind and demanded to know why she didn't confess to orchestrating this from the start. She remained quiet as to her reasons. While Anis thought her role as Missilis's CEO could've helped prevent this, but she was stumped as to why they contacted the Ark in the first place. Anis reminded her they were almost killed by Chatterbox, which made Syuen curious about his whereabouts. Anis manages to stop her from changing the subject and it becomes clear that Syuen sees no qualms in her own Nikkes losing their memories. To her, Nikkes are weapons that serve humans and don't need memories as a result. She figures that she and Rapi have grown close to each other and suggests to take this opportunity to start anew with her.

Anis was about to take matters into her own hands, but the commander stopped her. He also contemplates doing so, but Rapi stops him. Anis feels powerless while Syuen mocks them for being human imitations. The CEO takes her leave, but not before telling the Counters to clean themselves up to hide their embarrassment.

Neon is worried about what will happen to Rapi after her memory wipe, but she trusts the spy to handle things. She decides the best thing she can do now is go get some air. The protagonist follows suit.

### Farewell

As he exits the Command Center, the commander sees both Rapi standing by herself and Wardress huddled together. Seeing as both Rapi and Mihara are soon to undergo a memory wipe, he has the opportunity to talk to one of them.

#### Rapi

The protagonist decides to check on Rapi before she undergoes her memory wipe. Honestly, she's a bit nervous about what's to come. She cannot help but feel the A.I. made the wrong judgment, but her rulings are absolute. On the bright side, the squad will continue on even with all of her memories gone. He questions what the outcome of the memory wipe will be and she shares that she acts as if she was a newly created Nikke and all of the experiences she had up to this point will be forgotten. While her fighting abilities will remain unaffected, everything else probably will be. The memories she had with her squadmates and with him will disappear. Even if that does happen, the commander refuses to forget the Rapi he has grown closer to. For the final time, Rapi thanks her commander for all that he has done for her and also preemptively thanks him for what he will do after her memory wipe.

#### Mihara

The protagonist decides to check on Wardress before Mihara undergoes her memory wipe. Mihara's concerned about his broken leg and Yuni learns about her friend's fate and wants to know how they can stop it, a question he has no answers for. Yuni begged and pleaded for him to stop this from happening, to the point she would do anything he asked of her. All he could do is apologize for being unable to defy Enikk's decision. This led her to believe the commander deceived her, but Mihara knew that's not how she truly felt. Yuni then apologizes for snapping at him, but he still feels responsible for what is going to happen, a response that surprised the two of them. A silence grows amongst them until Yuni shares her concerns about being forgotten, a fate that seems set in stone. Despite that, Yuni promises to remember her friend, which is more than enough for her. The two then make a deal so that after Mihara's memories are erased, Yuni will use what she knows about her to turn her back into her usual self. This cheers the blue sadist up.

In Andersen's office, he and Ingrid discuss Syuen's more brazen actions. Her latest scheme broke the chain of command, but was not illegal by any means, which doesn't make things any less complicated. Andersen feels the Big Three have been running things with impunity and they need to be reigned in a bit. Even as one of the heads of the Big Three, Ingrid agrees with his assessment. Despite that, there's not much either of them can do except take what Syuen does in stride as for better or for worse, she's a valuable asset to the Ark. Andersen was curious what she gained from all of this, but Ingrid knows as much as he does.

From Neon's report, Ingrid gathers that they encountered the Rapture known as Chatterbox, or more accurately, he found them. They were also visited by a Pilgrim, though they barely got a good look at her so they don't know which one saved them. Andersen contacts Shifty to bring the new commander to his office at this very instant.

### Floral Tribute

After the fiasco that had unfolded, the commander entered Andersen's office, his leg still broken. It has come to his attention that the commander's style of leadership is rather unorthodox compared to most. Though Andersen figures that he would be upset that Rapi and Mihara would have their memories erased, he is still curious as to how he's feeling. All in all, he's not feeling the best right now, physically or mentally. Though this is to be expected, Andersen does have some news that may lift his spirits, if only a bit.

He shares that in reality, he does have information about the one responsible for Marian's corruption and so long as he refuses to share it with anyone else, he will gladly tell him everything he knows, a promise he swears to keep. Though Andersen was not entirely convinced by his response, he agrees to uphold his end. From what he has gathered, someone from within the Ark tampered with some Nikkes, Marian included, and sent them up to the surface to sabotage their operations. The culprit(s) involved are still a mystery or if there's even more than one, but it is clear that those involved appear to be in league with the Raptures.

The reasons he refused to share this before was because he was certain the commander wouldn't believe him at the time. Chatterbox's existence should be enough to prove his point. A Rapture with it's own intelligence and the ability to communicate is a new phenomenon. Corruption, implanting code into a Nikke's brain and bending it to one's will, is not something humans are capable of yet. He deduces a human used the corruption code from Chatterbox to tamper with Marian and the others before they were sent to the surface, or in other words, the Ark had a mole. Whoever did this would is not an ordinary citizen as they were able to gain access to the Aegis Barriers undetected and can use a separate line of communication. The most likely candidate is a high ranking official from within the Ark.

As for what Andersen wants the commander to do, he wants the one responsible apprehended, a goal he believes the two can agree upon. Chatterbox is the one who knows the identity of the mole so tracking him down should be his top priority. Find him, and all will be revealed. The protagonist agrees to this assignment and as he has another meeting in a few minutes, Andersen has to get ready for it. The commander then questions why Andersen is willing to help him all of a sudden, but to him, all he has done is provide a bit of a consolation for the Nikkes who are undergoing a memory wipe at the moment.

Two days later, both Rapi and Mihara underwent the procedure with the latter ending up as a complete blank slate. Though Mihara's memories of Yuni were erased, she couldn't help but smile. Mihara finds her "new" squad mate adorable and is looking forward to the two of them working together. She wants to know about Yuni's interests, but she's more interested in hers. Mihara's love of being in pain has vanished, but she was open to looking into some new hobbies given she feels she's a newly created Nikke. Fortunately for her, Yuni knows all too well what she's into. From who she likes to associate with, to what she likes to eat, her hobbies and even her favorite places, she knows everything about Mihara and is looking forward to bringing her back to her normal self and keeping the promise they made. Unaware of this, Mihara was looking forward to it.

In the Command Center, Anis, Neon, and the commander wait patiently for Rapi to return. Though she seems glum now, Anis wants to take this opportunity to appear more respectable to Rapi. The two discuss pretending to be grizzled old war vets to make themselves seem cooler than they really were when Rapi finally entered the building. Though the three Nikkes were caught a bit off guard by each other, Anis and Neon took no time to assert her authority over her new "rookie". Rapi addresses the commander personally and before he can reintroduce himself, Rapi confesses that... her memories were left completely intact. This comes as a shock to everyone.

### Commander's Order

Upon the realization that the memory wipe had no effect on Rapi, the others grilled her to see if she was telling the truth. From their questioning, she was able to remember everyone's names and didn't fall for their tricks either. Anis questioned if they even attempted to erase her memories and everything that happened to Rapi before and after the wipe was fresh in her mind. Anis took this to mean Rapi faked losing her memory, something Neon understood was impossible. Her concerns turn towards what will happen if the others learn of this. If that happens, the procedure will be done again and if it fails again, Rapi will be discarded for being an Irregular.

At the end of the day, it's the protagonist's choice whether to report this or not. He considers letting Andersen aware of this situation, but Anis has her suspicions about him. Neon takes this to mean that the only ones who will be aware that Rapi still has her memories are the four of them, which was her point. Rapi questions what would happen in the event of a brain scan being conducted on her so Anis suggests that they take her brain out and throw it into a fire if her secret gets out. Neon wasn't privy to her joke, but Anis reminds everyone that if word of this gets out, Rapi would have to sell out the commander. While he was unaware of what that would mean, she ignores his concerns before reiterating that this choice is his to make and they will follow whatever he chooses. If they get caught however, he will be relieved from his duties and best and banished to the Outer Rim at worst. Making tough choices is what it means to be a Commander, but in a sense, this grants him the purest sense of freedom imaginable.

Neon can tell Anis was upset from her undertone and she admits as such. She's unhappy that no matter what decision they make, they will have to stick to it. Continuing to dance around the final verdict isn't making things any easier. At this point, everyone in the room, and the protagonist specifically, are caught in a dilemma. Neon then considers Rapi the source of her frustration. While was extremely relieved her friend had returned completely unharmed, the fact that she didn't consider how revealing this and essentially forcing them to decide what to do with her was what really irked her. Rapi apologizes for not considering Ani's feelings before sharing her secret, but she lets her off the hook.

After much deliberation, it's time for the commander to make a decision. His order; keep the truth that Rapi's memory was not erased a secret. Anis and Neon agree with his decision and at his command, what the four of them have talked about today, will not leave this room. Neon remembers that sharing this with her might not be the best idea given that she's a spy, but the idea of being a double agent sounds more appealing.

### A Touch of Vengeance

Not too long later, Syuen returns and is not comfortable with the accommodations. The protagonist is confused as to why she's here so she shares she has another mission for them. While explaining her plan, he notices Rapi giving him a nod before she heads over to Syuen and delivers a roundhouse kick to her stomach. She slumps to the ground with her arms covering where Rapi "attacked" her. Anis and Neon were confused as to what just happened and Rapi informs him an "intruder" is in their midst. She asks him about how to deal with her and posits executing her on the spot, much to Syuen's horror.

The protagonist reminds the CEO that Rapi had her memory erased so she doesn't know who she is, but assures her that Rapi won't harm her again. After clearing up this "misunderstanding" Rapi apologizes for her rash behavior. All Syuen could do in response was writhe on the ground and tell the others to call a medic for her broken ribs.

Not long after, Syuen was carted away by Missilis Medical. Though the Nikkes got some schadenfreude out of Syuen's misery, Anis knew that this was something they couldn't replicate, much to everyone's disappointment. At that moment, Andersen messages the protagonist attempting to warn him of Syuen's arrival, completely unaware as to what transpired. He shares that the CEO was taken away in a stretcher and while the Deputy Chief was left out of the loop, he wants the commander to visit his office again so he can give him his next mission.

### Up North

Back in Andersen's Office, his assignment he has for the Counters is to travel to the surface and travel north. After learning about a mysterious woman that was able to stand up to Chatterbox, he was able to track her movements to the north. He hopes that the commander could have a word with her to learn about the monster's location. The protagonist still has no idea who he will be dealing with so Andersen shares that she is a Pilgrim, Nikkes that spend their lives roaming the surface. While he was surprised that there are more than one of them, the Deputy Chief informs him that little is known about them aside from the facts that they travel across, leading them to be nearly impossible to track the surface and they have never interacted with the Ark.

Already anticipating his question of how they are supposed to find the Pilgrims, he is aware of a research base that should give them some info they can use. Shifty already has the coordinates. Once they arrive, the staff there will provide them more assistance. This was enough information for the commander to digest and Andersen needs to get ready for another meeting. He also asks about his broken leg and while it's not completely fixed, it's still working. It turns out, Ingrid had prepared him an exoskeleton that serves as a cast with some extra features. He hopes that after he returns, he will deliver him some good news.

### En-tertainment!

At the Ark's elevator, the commander explains their next mission to the Counters. Rapi was surprised they weren't getting any backup, but Anis reminds her that with less ears listening in on them, they don't have to be as paranoid about what they say. Anis informed them that the research base is completely inaccessible without a pass and Rapi warns that the facility is heavily fortified and littered with armored troops. She was surprised that the protagonist wasn't given anything they can use to safely enter the building, but before he could go return to Andersen for confirmation, a rather flamboyant looking man covered in lights with a disco ball hanging behind him stops them.

This man turns out to be Mustang, the CEO of Tetra Line and the greatest showman in the entire Ark. After sharing his signature catchphrase "En-tertainment!" the Nikkes became intrigued at best and embarrassed at worst. He was pleased to see Anis again after all this time (she's one of Tetra's Nikkes) and while the feeling isn't exactly mutual, he's glad she looks as fabulous as ever. He was curious as to when she would return to his side, but she informs him that she has other things to do first. In spite of her rejection, Mustang is content to wait. He then addressed the commander. He too is aware that they are heading towards the research base in the north and shows him a pass so they can enter. There is a catch though, this pass is... unique for a lack of a better word. While Neon questions if anyone else is hearing music accompanying the CEO, he reveals that in order to use a pass, a dance has to be performed in order to use it.

Mustang then proceeds to dance to the beat of his own theme song and the only words the protagonist has for his performance is that it's rather... unusual. After he finishes, the pass begins to glow. This pass is the company's crowning achievement and while Neon was impressed, Anis felt that it was a big waste of technology. The CEO allows the protagonist to take it, but he offers to dance some more beforehand. He politely declines the latter. Mustang was very impressed he was able to remember the dance after seeing it once. Anis questions her boss as to why he's here. As it turns out, the Counters have become very famous in the Ark. As the king of the Ark's entertainment, it serves his interests to be in their debt. He was also curious to meet the squad that impressed Ingrid, but hid that last part when the others misheard him. After giving the Counters good luck, Mustang disappears.

Most of the Counters were left speechless after meeting Mustang firsthand, except for Neon who was thoroughly entertained. That's not the word Anis would use however.

## Character appearances

* Protagonist
* Rapi
* Anis
* Neon
* Mihara
* Yuni
* Chatterbox (***Debut***)
* Red Hood (***Debut; Mentioned***)
* Snow White (***Debut; as ???***)
* Syuen
* Eunhwa (***Debut***)
* Emma (***Debut***)
* Vesti (***Debut***)
* Enikk (***Debut***)
* Andersen
* Ingrid
* Mustang (***Debut***)