'Thinking'

"Speaking"

"[Intercomms/Radio Transmission]"

*noises*

======

(A/n): Back from the grave! I apologize for the late update.

======

Babylonia
Command Center
1700 Hours

Tap here, tap there. The sound of clicking keyboards and constant chatter of the intelligence and logistics crews resonated around the Command Center, just like every day.

Gray Raven was waiting for Hassen and Celica's arrival on the far corner of the room.  Lucia, who was holding a paper - presumably a battle report on their mission, was sitting with Lee and Liv on a bench.

(Y/n) was with them, though he didn't sit with them and instead leaned against the wall. He was not in the mood to sit, and it was probably for the best as not to make the Gray Raven uncomfortable.

The three Constructs thought that he was probably distancing himself away from them because of what happened with the past commanders they've been assigned with. They were having a hard time trusting their current commander, and they have judged him too early, already thinking that maybe he's just like them.

But, they were wrong. (Y/n)'s different.

He actually cared for his team, even treating Lucia's wound even though it would reveal his ability to them. His ability to heal was indeed outstanding, but it was a double-edged sword. His powers was beneficial to those he healed, but in return, their wounds were transferred to himself, which worried them greatly, especially Liv, since (Y/n) was using it without hesitation.

Another factor that improved their relationship is that he's not a coward that hides behind the constructs as they battle through hordes of Corrupted. Instead, he takes up the lead and fearlessly charges forward, like how a proper commander should act.

"C-Commandant?" Liv called out.

(Y/n) turned towards her. "Is there something you need?"

Liv stood up and approached him. "I just want to say... thank you."

"For what?" (Y/n) asked, slightly taken aback. Liv was scared at him back then, but she's talking to him now.

"For looking out for us." Liv answered. "And... thank you for taking care of Lucia from... her. If we arrived sooner, then I could've-"

"Hey, stop it." (Y/n) cut her off. "Don't beat yourself about it. I was only doing my job as a Commander."

Liv frowned at his response. "But..."

(Y/n) smiled and patted her head, causing her to blush. She doesn't hate it, she was just surprised from the gesture since it's her first time getting a headpat from someone. It made her feel... accepted and safe.

Lucia saw what (Y/n) was doing and smiled, though she suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling looming around her. She was angry? Or perhaps... jealous? But why would she get jealous of a single headpat?

'No! Snap out of it, Lucia! This is not like you!' Lucia diverted her attention away from the two.

Lee simply watched the scene unfold, and couldn't help but smile. He was happy that Liv was finally out of her shell, expressing her true feelings to someone she can trust other than him or Lucia.

'Looks like we can trust him, after all...' Lee thought with relief.

The door slid open as Hassen and Celica entered the room, the door sliding shut behind them. The Gray Raven immediately stood in attention as Hassen approached them.

"Gray Raven." Hassen greeted. "Good job back there."

Lucia walked towards Hassen and gave the paper to him. "We only did what we're told to."

Hassen accepted the paper. After reading the contents, he looked at the group. "We've already examined the Nozzle model based on the battle data you've sent me. We made the right choice on sending you four to hunt that thing down."

"And of course, you're now free to rest on your dorm." Celica added. "However, I need Commandant Schmitt to stay for a bit longer."

"Why?" Lee asked.

"We will talk about with something." Hassen answered. "You three can go now."

The three constructs did as they were told and left the Command Center. As ordered, (Y/n) stayed behind, waiting for Hassen to speak.

"What is it?" (Y/n) inquired.

"Commandant, have you heard about the rumors of an 'Iron Maiden' recently?" Celica queried.

"No." (Y/n) said. "What about it? Another corrupted?"

"Yes." Hassen said. "Apparently, the rumor have started after expedition teams reported spikes piercing on dead soldiers. A team even got a footage of the 'Iron Maiden' and sent it to us before they got slaughtered. However, the video was only a second long."

(Y/n) nodded. "What does this 'Iron Maiden' look like?"

"She looked like she was wearing a dress made of metal, and her head is covered with a white protective gear." Hassen elaborated. "But, the footage was vague and corrupted."

"Following your success on defeating nozzle, High Command decided to assign the Gray Raven to hunt down the Iron Maiden." Celica added. "Her last known location was at Sector 27, formely known as Texas. We want the Gray Raven to track her down and eliminate her."

"Is that all?" (Y/n) said.

Celica nodded. "Yes."

"Great." (Y/n) said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go grab some food. I'm hungry."

Hassen chuckled at his remark. "Sure, go ahead."

======

Babylonia
Gray Raven Dormitory
1600 Hours

The rest of the Gray Raven had stayed on their dorm and waited for their commander to arrive. It was slient, and no one dared to break the silence. They just prefered it to be that way.

The door slid open moments later, revealing (Y/n) who was holding a tray of various snacks. "Sorry I'm late. Hassen talked for quite a while."

"No, it's quite alright." Lee said. "What did President Hassen told you?"

"About the corrupted codenamed 'Iron Maiden' or something." (Y/n) replied. He walked to a nearby table and placed down the tray. "You heard the rumors about her recently?"

"Yes." Lucia answered. "However, we didn't really have enough information about the Iron Maiden."

"I see." (Y/n) said.

(Y/n) picked up a nutrition bar and tossed it to Lee, as the construct catched it with minimal effort. He did the same with Lucia and Liv, as both of them catched the bars like Lee did.

"Commandant..." Liv cooed upon seeing the brand of the nutrition bars. "These are quite expensive..."

"Nah, don't worry about worry about it." (Y/n) spoke. "I pretty much don't know what to spend my money on, so I thought I'll just treat you three."

"Commandant, if you don't mind me asking, you really didn't spend your money on anything?" Lee asked.

"Except for foods and snacks, I haven't." (Y/n) replied. "Go on, eat it. Don't worry about me, I've already ate on the way here."

Taking the cue, the constructs thanked him as they unwrapped their nutrition bars and began eating, savoring the flavor of the bar with every bite.

While the were eating, (Y/n) removed his tactical vest and gently placed it down on the floor. He then took off his uniform, leaving only his combat pants and a thight-fitting t-shirt, which greatly emphasized his muscles, causing the two females to blush.

(Y/n) sat down on the nearby bench and lets out a relieved sigh, finally getting a rest. He soon noticed Lucia and Liv looking at him while blushing, which confused him.

"What? Is there something on my face?" (Y/n) inquired, still a bit confused.

Lucia and Liv snapped out of their daze and quickly apologized before looking away, which confused him even more. He didn't do anything wrong, did he?

(Y/n) sighed and decided not to think about it any further. He crossed his arms and decided to sleep even for a bit. A little nap wouldn't hurt.

Lucia, Lee, and Liv looked over and saw their commander, fast asleep. Liv walked over and poked his cheek a few times, but he didn't woke up. She stopped poking his cheek and looked at his face.

'He looks so cute when he's sleeping...' Liv thought.

"Liv, stop that. I'm sure Commandant is tired, so let him sleep." Lee said to her and took another bite from the nutrition bar.

Liv complied and took one final glance before she walked away, leaving him alone on the couch.

======

The Next Day...

Sector 27
0830 Hours

The spacecraft the Gray Raven was in landed on a barren wasteland. Everything was fine, except for that fact that the team had to go though the giant and murderous belt of space debris corrupted by the virus.

The Gray Raven soon got out of the spacecraft and walked away from the vehicle as it took off towards the sky, before completely disappearing from their sights.

(Y/n)'s watched beeped three times, indicating an incoming transmission. He raised his hand as Celica's hologram appeared, and waited for her to speak.

"[Gray Raven.]" Celica said. "[I'm glad you made it back down safe and sound.]"

"Yeah, but we literally had to pass through a bunch of space junk and our craft ALMOST got hit by one." (Y/n) sarcastically elaborated. "One hell of a ride if you ask me."

Celica sighed. "[Anyways, you remember the things I've said on the briefing, yes?]"

"Yes." (Y/n) replied.

"[Good luck on your mission, Gray Raven.]" Celica bid her farewell and ended the transmission.

Their mission is to hunt down the 'Iron Maiden', and retrieve information about the 'Ascendants'. According to the other squads, the Iron Maiden has high combat capabilities. They need to cooperate with the other squads and set up Iso-Devices in specific conditions in the city, creating a small isolation zone.

The isolation zones will then create a ring, ultimately containing the movement area of the target. If everything goes smoothly, then the mission will go as expected. However, they knew that everything will and could go south in a moments notice, so they have to be ready for anything.

"It's been a long time since we've gone on a mission like this." Liv remarked.

"Yes." Lucia agreed. "This only shows that the enemy is a force to be reckoned with."

"According to Celica, there are several sealed Iso-Devices near our landing zone. We'll have to find access into those devices to utilize them." Lee cut in.

Liv turned towards Lee. "Lee, do you know about the Iso-Devices?"

"Yes." Lee answered. "It's something from the Cosmos Technicians Union. The Iso-Devices emanates a Corrupted-repelling field for a certain amount of time."

"Like a bug spray?" (Y/n) inquired.

"Something like that." Lee said. "However, the devices are bulky, and setting them up will take some time. Typical of those technicians..."

"Speaking of which..." Liv said. "When I first learned that you were good with mechanics, I thought you were one of the Cosmos Technicians, too. I was surprised that you were from Kurono Ops."

"Really? I've heard they've got the best technicians out there." (Y/n) added.

Lee hummed in response. "I was just a non-staff personnel. Didn't stay there for long."

"Anyways... Celica said that HQ sent a Construct in our vicinity to aid us, right?" (Y/n) continued. "Where is she now?"

"Yoohoo! Gray Ravens!" A voice called out.

They all turned to the direction where the voice came from and saw a short, petite girl with a gray-ish brown hair wearing a black uniform, black skirt, knee-high combat boots, and her hand was painted yellow to match with her outfit. On her ears were black pointy things, presumably a communication device of some sort.

Lucia looked examined her for a moment before she spoke. "Are you the Construct that Celica mentioned?"

"Indeed." The unnamed Construct replied. "Walking the path of heavens... The Construct who will rule everything... My name is... Nanami!"

An uncomfortable silence loomed over after the Construct's enthusiastic introduction. The wind blew gently, throwing off dust in the air as a tumbleweed passed between them.

(Y/n) cleared his throat. "Nice to meet you, Nanami. I'm (Y/n) Schmitt, Gray Raven's Commander."

"Oh! You're one of the 'Top Gun' everybody was talking about!" Nanami perked up. "I must say, you're quite cute, but Nanami's still cuter than you!"

"'Top Gun'?" Lucia, Lee, and Liv asked at the same time.

"That's the nickname given to the top five who graduated in the Omega Project." Nanami said. "In fact, your Commandant is the top of his class. You didn't know?"

"Commandant never said anything..." Liv muttered.

(Y/n) turned towards Liv. "That's because I don't want to brag about it."

"Oh..." Liv cooed.

(Y/n) then looked back at Nanami. "Are you always alone?"

"Nanami's always been by herself!" Nanami replied and pulled out a chainsaw out of nowehere, making the four sweatdrop. "Um, what was I doing just now? Those grafitti looked super-duper interesting so Nanami decided to take a walk around to see more of it!"

"Do you understand what the graffiti means, then?" (Y/n) inquired, in hopes of finally getting a clue of what message was behind Nozzle's graffitis.

"Um... no." Nanami said. "Nanami just thought they look super cool and decided to take a look with them."

(Y/n) deadpanned. "I see."

"..." Lee looked at Nanami blankly and sighed.

"Anyways, Nanami's ready to dance!" Nanami gently spun around twice. "Oh, right! Nanami has something else to do! See y'all for now!"

And with that, Nanami left the squad while humming a song and whipping her chainsaw around. The Gray Raven stood there, wondering what just happened.

"Nanami's quite carefree. Almost contagious." Liv commented.

"Yes. It's an... enviable personality." Lucia added, a frown forming on her face.

"Um... I think you have a great personality, too, Lucia!" Liv cheered her up.

"Agreed. Rather than some whimsical dice, I'd much prefer working with someone more down to Earth." Lee added.

(Y/n) nodded "I side with Lee."

"..." Lucia found no words to respond, though she was happy of what they said.

"Back to that Construct Nanami though..." Lee changed the topic. "There's not much about her in the database. She's a bit suspicious if you ask me..."

"Let's not waste time thinking about that." (Y/n) broke it off. "Come on, let's go. We have a Corrupted to hunt."

======

Sector 27 - Southern Area
1045 Hours

*bang*

*bang*

*bang*

The last Corrupted fell down to its back as (Y/n)'s rifle went silent, smoke pouring out from the muzzle. He removed the empty magazine and inserted a fresh one onto the magwell before slapping the bolt, loading a bullet onto the chamber.

Liv scanned the perimeter around them, looking for any potential threats. After finding none, she walked back and rejoined her teammates.

Lucia puts her sword back on the sheath. "We've reached the coordinates for deploying the Iso-Devices. We'll have to deploy them every 1.5 kilometers until it links with the other devices from the other squads."

"The map shows the other squads are already on the move." Liv announced. "We have to hurry."

"Wait..." (Y/n) muttered.

"Is there something wrong, Commandant?" Lucia asked.

"There's a... connection request from a nearby Construct?" Liv pondered. "It's from... deep within the Corrupted zones..."

"Do we know their identity?" Lee chimed in.

"Please wait..." Liv said. After a few seconds, she decrypted the signal. "I got it. It's from a Construct named 'Tifa', a support type Construct, member of the Suzaku Squad. According to the logs, Suzaku Squad is also in this operation. Their Commandant was killed in action and the other members were missing. No consciousness were recalled as well..."

"If I remember correctly, the massive loss of Construct squads also began at that time." Lee explained. "We mistook the Nozzle model before, due to the lack of any intact survivor memories and information."

"But now that we know who's the real suspect here, the only thing we need to do is to track and kill her." (Y/n) said.

"Commandant, shall I link with this signal?" Liv queried.

"No." (Y/n) disapproved. "I don't mind connecting with more than three Constructs at once - I know that it will place a heavy burden in my mind, but I don't care about it. However, based on our previous experiences, this could be a trap."

*beep*

*beep*

*beep*

(Y/n) sighed and raised his hand, chest level. "Who is it this time?"

A hologram of a red-haired woman soon popped out from the watch. "Why hello there, Gray Ravens! This is the leader of the Cerberus Squad."

Both Lee and (Y/n) sighed in annoyance upon seeing who it is. The two had probably have some moments being with her, and Lucia and Liv quickly knew that it was not a good experience.

"Vera..." Lee called out to her.

"Oh, Lee, my dear, how have you been?" The girl, now known as Vera, adressed to Lee with a smirk on her face.

"I must thank you. After leaving Kurono and joining Gray Raven, my faith in humanity was restored." Lee said blankly.

"Oh, you're as sweet as ever." Vera giggled. "And... (Y/n), my darling~"

(Y/n) rolled his eyes. "Hello, Vera. To what I owe the displeasure?"

"Aww, don't be so cold now, darling." Vera said. "Anyways, I know you guys are in a hurry so I'll go straight to the point. I sure you all noticed the signal from Construct Tifa, yes?"

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"Well, this Tifa is our target, the Iron Maiden." Vera explained.

"Oh, I couldn't have guessed." Lee sarcastically replied.

"No, I mean that she is OUR target." Vera said.

"Don't try it, Vera. Try to disrupt our mission and I will not hesitate to take you down." (Y/n) threatened.

"Oh, you, are mere human, would take me down? Don't make me laugh, Commandant." Vera mocked. "From the way you look, you're way too far out of my league."

"The target might escape if the Iso-Devices aren't deployed at the right time. Don't drag us down because of your own selfishness." (Y/n) added.

Vera chuckled. "Oh, that? It's already sorted."

"..." (Y/n) said nothing.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" Vera said.

"Thank you." (Y/n) said. "Now if you'll excuse me, we still have a mission to finish."

Vera gasped. "How rude-"

*disconnected*

"Commandant, that Vera... Who is she?" Lucia questioned.

"She was one of the former members of the Kurono Ops. Later became the leader of the Cerberus, part of the Task Force. She only recruits members coming from Kurono into her team." Lee explained.

"Even in the Task Force, Vera's squad is a unique one. They recieve orders directly from Nikola." (Y/n) added. "Anyways, enough talk. We've already wasted enough time. Let's go!"