After escaping the people who planted that tracker, the sniper retreated to rejoin the Xenon group. Seeking refuge beyond the reach of the ARK, they established a hidden base outside the city nestled at the foot of a dense mountain forest. As the days blurred into weeks, Xenon's forces grew bigger. With the summoning of a automated factory securing a passive stream of funds.
"Doctor Xenon," a voice called out as the Pathfinder sniper materializing from the air, deactivating his optical cloaking.
"Were you followed?" I asked without turning, my eyes fixed on the blueprints laid out before me.
"No."
"Good... Come."
I walked deeper into the expanding facility. Sparks rained down like dying stars as X-Scientists welded thick plates of steel into place, building the future piece by piece.
Entering a makeshift briefing room, I turned to face him. "Talk."
"I've spotted multiple Rapture movements heading toward the forest," he reported.
"Small squads. We can eliminate them now while their numbers are still manageable."
"Mhm..." I stroked my chin, contemplating the battlefield. "I don't trust it. They might be a scout force. Attacking now risks revealing our location. For now, just observe."
I dismissed him and made my way toward the completed main hangar.
"Doctor Xenon! We've successfully assembled the Eradicator Mk 1, though further field testing is required," an X-Scientist called out, bowing slightly.
"Good! Once the main factory is fully online, I will command an infinite legion of Eradicators!" A maniacal laugh burst from my chest before I caught myself. "Ahem... Prepare Phase 2."
"Understood, Doctor Xenon."
Walking into the adjacent hangar, I inspected the newly summoned hardware waiting in the shadows: the Eradicator Mk 2 Plus—a personal suit I could pilot myself flanked by four additional Eradicator models.
Mk 4, Artemis, Zeus, Mk 2 Plus, and Phobos... I thought, running a hand over the cold metal armor. Unlike the original designs, I can pilot these personally. They still carry the structural flaws of the earlier prototypes, which I'll fix in due time, but their basic AI will suffice for now.
Three Months Later
A squad of Nikkes advanced through the desolate urban ruins, weapons raised in a tight formation. Suddenly, a heavy thud shook the pavement. A flying Eradicator Mk 1 descended from the sky, slamming down directly in front of them.
[Target spotted!] standard mechanical tones buzzed through its speakers. [Initializing battle core... Charging combat drive... Overclock engaged. This unit will not fall.]
Without warning, a volley of rockets burst from its shoulder pods.
"Encounter!" the Nikke squad leader shrieked. "Take cover!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions tore through the decaying building facades. The Nikkes immediately retaliated, opening fire on the towering machine, but their high-caliber rounds merely ricocheted off its energy shield.
[Die!] the Eradicator bellowed. Its faceplate unlatched, spewing a torrent of white-hot flame that engulfed the surrounding street in an inferno.
A surprise anti-armor rocket slammed into the unit's left shoulder. Through the smoke, dozens of reinforcements additional Nikke squads surrounded the machine.
"Fire!" a human Commander bellowed.
A heavy barrage of rockets struck the Eradicator point-blank. Yet, behind its kinetic energy shield, the machine stood unyielding, its hull completely unscathed.
[Crush you into stardust, into me she puts her trust,] the machine synthesized, its voice distorted as it fired a retaliatory strike, driving its massive blade into the asphalt and crushing several Nikkes instantly.
[Your actions won't bait me, her Kingdom awaits with glee.]
More heavy fire battered the barrier.
[Warning: Shields disabled... Rage Mode activated.]
An ear-splitting mechanical screech echoed through the ruins, stunning every unit in the immediate radius.
"RAAAAHHHH!"
The Eradicator brought its giant sword down with catastrophic force, detonating a localized shockwave that rocked the entire city block.
"Everyone, give it everything you've got!" the Commander screamed, pulling his sidearm.
The surviving Nikkes concentrated their entire arsenal on the single target. Finally, a lucky rocket pierced the unit's chest plate, rupturing its primary power core. The giant fell to its knees, smoke pouring from its vents.
"Yes! Target down!" a young Commander cheered, stepping forward.
An older, battle-hardened officer grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. "Be quiet! Something is wrong..."
The fallen Eradicator slowly rose to its feet, sparks flying from its exposed core.
[My purpose was not to defeat you...] the mechanical voice crackled. [...it was to lure you.]
Its back thrusters ignited with a deafening roar, launching the damaged machine into the sky.
Before the squad could process the trap, the sky darkened. A rain of targeted tactical missiles descended upon the Nikkes and their commanders, obliterating the entire block in a blinding white flash.
--
Meanwhile with xenon in her base
"Hahaha! Fools! Did you truly believe I would let you attack my creations without setting an ambush?" I laughed, leaning back in my command chair.
"I finally have the ARK's full attention after wiping out those outposts and Nikke teams. The battle data harvested from those encounters is the final piece of the puzzle."
The office door slid open, and an X-Scientist stepped inside. "Doctor Xenon, Eradicator Mk 1-009 has returned. We've scanned it for tracking devices and routed it for repairs. What are your orders?"
"Ah, yes... Upgrade Mk 1-009," I said dismissively, waiving my hand as I turned back to the tactical holographic map.
"Understood, Doctor Xenon." He bowed and exited.
I zoomed in on our expanding map markers. "With multiple outposts and bases established worldwide, we've successfully pushed back the Rapture forces. The Plague Doctor's upgraded zombies have proven remarkably useful, turning the battlefield's dead into disposable infantry."
I picked up a glowing shard of metal from my desk. "With so many Nikke remains left in our wake, I've managed to synthesize my own power straps infused with Calamity Energy... Goddessium is proving stubborn, but I will crack its secrets eventually."
I smiled to myself. "The undead can wield standard firearms now. They're still weak due to decaying tissue, but with my cybernetic enhancements, they'll hold the line. Now then... time for the next phase of the master plan! AhAHAHAHA!"
--
Meanwhile in the ARK
"Tsk! What an utter failure!" a young girl barked, glaring down at a trembling group of surviving Nikkes.
"You had one job! Capture or bring me the components of that unknown Rapture variant!" she yelled, her voice dripping with bratty indignation. "Ugh! Do you have any idea how many resources were wasted?!"
She paced back and forth before crossing her arms. "At least you managed to record the audio logs..."
She pressed a button on her terminal, playing the Eradicator Mk 1's corrupted combat audio:
[ Crush you into stardust, into me she puts her trust... ]
[ Your actions won't bait me, her Kingdom awaits with glee... ]
The bratty girl paused, her eyes narrowing as a slow, sinister grin spread across her face. "'She'... Hm. A controller, perhaps? It seems someone out there is finally worthy of my attention."
--
Xenon Base – Underground Hangar
Inside the deepest vault of the mountain base, a colossal, dormant machine stood anchored in the center of the dark hangar.
"Heh," I smirked, looking up at the towering silhouette.
[Furnace: ACTIVATED.]
A deep, rhythmic hum echoed through the metal flooring as the machine's internal reactor roared to life, casting an amber glow across the dark vault.
A crimson hologram flickered into existence beside me a sharp-looking woman with long hair and glasses, clad in a sleek tailored suit.
"Doctor, everything is prepared for your plan," Loji reported, adjusting her glasses.
I turned toward the awakening machine, a wide grin spreading across my face.
"Good, Loji. Now then... let's show these fools who they are messing with."