13

Play: [STAR ANIS: Plastic Star]

Anis sat in her room, staring at Mustang's face across the data pad.

After her reveal, there was a long silence as Mustang did research. But eventually...

"...Mon cheri. I confirmed the situation." Mustang pursed his lips, looking uncharacteristically serious. "...Yoyo is dead, oui. After you destroyed her body, she was placed in a spare and sent to the surface to fight. She died within the week all those years ago."

Anis slammed her hand on the table. "Then how the hell is she here, Boss?!"

Mustang took off his sunglasses, staring at Anis with serious eyes. "Anis."

Anis flinched. "...Boss?"

"...It was my mistake. Yoyo's family is rich. Her father cared for a great deal. In the shakeup, it seems a few things slipped through the net. I didn't take a second look. Neither did anyone else."

Anis clenched her fists. "So. After all that...!"

Mustang sighed and put his sunglasses back on. "...Apologies, Mon cheri."

"...No." Anis sighed and slowly unclenched her fists. "It's fine, Boss. You... did the most you could. A lot was going on back then." She let out a faint smile. "And you did it. You changed Tetra for the better."

"...Oui."

The two were quiet for a while.

And then there was a knock at Anis's door.

"Anis. It's me, Rapi." Rapi's voice called out. "Can I come in."

Mustang let out a thin smile. "It seems you are busy, Mon cheri."

"...Yeah. I'll talk again later, Boss."

"Please, call anytime." Mustang smiled, warm. "...I missed hearing your voice."

"...Don't get too sentimental, Boss." Anis smiled back and then hung up. Afterwards, she said, "Come in, Rapi."

Rapi opened the door and walked in. When she did, she said, "I won't ask about what happened. But I'll ask about what happens next. Will you repeat the incident if you see her again?"

Anis pursed her lips. "I..."

It was her. Anis knew it for sure now. That 'mass-produced' Nikke there was Yoyo. The class president who tormented Anis all through high school. The haughty bitch who pinned her downfall in the idol industry on Anis and then ruined Anis's career by taunting her just before T.T. Star's debut.

Knowing that made Anis want to punch Yoyo's face in again.

But at the same time...

"...No. It won't." Anis sighed. "I'll restrain myself."

...Anis remember her commander.

When he walked in, he had been shocked. But he hadn't judged Anis for it. If anything, he looked like he had been considering stepping in on her side.

But he hadn't. He stayed calm and stopped to listen. To take a moment to assess the situation first.

...Like how if Anis had done the same back before the debut and realized that it was impossible for Yoyo to have killed Riss, things might be different.

Anis took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Hoo... Alright. Better." She nodded. "...Sorry about that, Rapi."

"You should apologize to the others." Rapi pursed her lips. "...iDoll Ocean and iDoll Flower... Nami and Hana is what Commander named them. They're terrified that this is standard. That because they're mass produced Nikke, they're going to be punching bags for us."

"What?! That's not-" Anis bit her lips and thought about the situation again.

It had happened in an instant.

A normal meet and greet.

Introductions.

But then Anis saw Yoyo- No, 'iDoll Sun.' And the moment that the iDoll Sun hesitated, Anis rushed forward.

"...Oh."

"Yes." Rapi nodded. "Marian is counseling them, along with Neon. But... it would be best to clear things up. I believe Commander said he would have a proper meeting with everyone. Still..."

Anis covered her face. "...I messed things up."

Guilt. Anger. Self-hatred...

Everything was going well.

For the first time in decades, Anis met a commander who cared for Nikke as people. Someone who genuinely considered them as friends and put their interests first. Someone who had declared he would choose them over the Ark.

And he had said it himself, didn't he?

Commander Hoopa wanted to bring in mass-produced Nikke because he wanted to save people. Because he knew that they weren't treated as people at all and were 'replaceable' in the eyes of the Ark.

Nikke in general were already treated poorly.

Hell, Anis had seen it first hand.

...So how much worse would mass-produced Nikke be?

Anis didn't know.

Rapi DID.

And all that their commander wanted was to bring in more help. More women who could breathe without thinking they'd be sent to their deaths.

'Is this... how Riss had felt?'

Anis felt her heart ache... not that she even had one anymore.

'...I hate it. But... I get it.'

The feeling that everything was your fault. That a good thing was ruined because of you...

"Hey." Rapi's calm voice cut through Anis' thoughts. "Stop wallowing."

"...Shut up." Anis brushed her eyes, wiping away tears. "I don't want to hear it from miss brooding over here..."

Rapi handed over a soda.

Anis clicked her tongue and cracked it open, sipping on it.

Rapi was quiet, cracking open her own soda.

Anis looked over and said, "Not gonna ask?"

"I said I wouldn't. Besides." Rapi met Anis' gaze and said, "You never asked about me either. It's only fair, right?"

Anis was quiet.

Rapi sipped her soda.

Then Anis said, "...She was the class president. Before I was a Nikke. She made my life hell. And when I was an idol, she ruined everything on the day we were ready to make our debut."

"Ah." Rapi nodded. "That makes sense."

"There." Anis looked over. "I shared something. Your turn, Captain. Tell me about your past. Something new."

"I became a Nikke after I was mistaken as a protester in the Goddess Fall incident and caught in the crossfire." Rapi shrugged. "Bad luck."

Anis coughed, mid-sip of her soda. Then she glared at Rapi and said, "You can't just drop something like that on me!"

"You asked."

"...You're messing with me on purpose."

"Maybe."

Anis sighed. "Fine, fine. Guess I deserve it..." She sipped on her soda again. Then she was quiet and said, "...Hey, Rapi."

"Yes, Anis?"

"...So. Did you find it?" Anis glanced over at Rapi. "Someone strong-willed and unyielding? Do you think our commander fits the bill?"

Rapi chuckled. "If he doesn't, then I think no one does. Right?"

Anis snorted. "True." She chugged her soda and burped. After that, she said, "If a crazy bastard who doesn't flinch in the face of hundreds of Raptures, threatened a Deputy Chief, and took a Big Three CEO hostage doesn't count, who does, right?"

"Right."

Anis sighed. "...Still. Our Commander is rational in all the best and worst ways, huh? I wonder what he's doing right now with that bitc- our teammate."

===

Play: WE ARE

An hour later, I called Anis and Rapi up to my office.

When they arrived, both of them tensed when they realized I had Suri standing beside me.

"So." I nodded. "I heard the situation from Suri here. Anis, I want to hear it from you. To you, who is Suri?"

Anis had been averting her gaze. But when she heard me call Suri by name, she paused. "Suri? Who's that?"

I pointed at Suri. "Her. I named her that."

Anis blinked. Then she laughed, "Really, Yoyo? You're going to let yourself be renamed just like that? It doesn't suit you at all."

Suri (Yoyo?) was quiet. Then she said, "I'm a mass-produced Nikke now. I follow what my commander orders. No more, no less."

"Even if he tells you to die for him?" Anis's voice was sharp.

I furrowed my eyebrows. But I didn't say anything. Instead, I just watched.

Suri was quiet. Then she said, "I've already died twice, Anis. A third time won't make a difference."

Anis froze. "...What?"

Suri didn't follow up with anything. She just stood there silently beside me.

I sighed. "Alright. CLEARLY there's bad blood between you two."

Anis snorted. "That's the understatement of the century..."

Rapi frowned. "Anis."

"...Sorry." Anis ran her hand through her hair. "I didn't mean it, Commander. Just..." She glared at Suri. "...That bitch pisses me off. I can't help it."

Suri nodded. "I know."

"Tch."

I sighed. "I won't discount your feelings or history with her, Anis. And I'm aware that Suri was a bad person. She did many unforgiveable things."

"...Why do I sense a but, Commander?" Anis frowned. "...Don't tell me you want me to forgive this bitch."

"Forgive? No. Work with, yes." I looked at Anis and said, "No matter what, Anis, you're my comrade. I'd like to call us friends too, even though we haven't known each other for long. But Suri IS our coworker. In the workplace at least, we need to get along and coordinate. I don't care if you beat each other up in private or curse at each other. But while we're all together as Squad Brave, we need to be unified. Even if that means you two just don't look at each other."

Anis let out a slow breath and said, "...Okay. I can do that. Just treat her like she doesn't exist?"

"If that's the only way, yes. In fact, if you have questions for each other, talk to me. I'll be the middleman." I glanced over at Suri.

Suri slowly nodded. "Understood, Commander."

Anis sighed. "Fine. I can do that too. Then, Commander. Would you mind asking that bitch how the hell she's still alive?"

I looked over at Suri. "Suri. Would you be okay with sharing how you became a mass-produced Nikke?"

Suri pointedly ignored Anis, looking only at me. "Yes, Commander. My father was quite rich and influential. After the... incident between Anis and I, my frame was damaged beyond repair. My brain was taken to be placed in a new body and wiped. But part-way through, he had some men take me away and swap my brain with another woman's. Then I was in cold storage until recently... so so I was told."

Anis clicked her tongue. "Crazy rich bastards, flaunting their wealth..."

Rapi sighed.

I frowned and tapped my fingers on the table. "Alright... I won't ask about the incident. You two can each tell me on your own time... or never if that's better. But I do have a question for both of you. Does Mustang know?"

Suri shook her head. "...My father's men kept it secret. Moreover..." She let out a wry smile. "Nobody cared about a bitch like me dying in an unmarked grave."

Anis flinched. But she focused on my question and said, "Boss didn't know. But he does now. And he said that he's sorry for the mix-up. If you want, you could get a replacement."

"And have my subordinate here get wiped or scrapped for parts just after I named her? No thanks."

"...Right." Anis sighed. "You're that sort of person, Commander..."

Suri clenched her fists, averting her gaze, guilt and relief clear on her face.

"Anyway... We'll shelf the issue for now. Since operational concerns are resolved, we'll leave it there. But, Anis. You, uh... DO need to clear things up with Nami and Hana."

Anis sighed. "Yeah, yeah... I know. I'll go explain it to them."

"Alright. In that case... let's say meet back here in an hour with everyone? For dinner?"

===

Nightfall. After a very drama-filled day, I was seated once again in my office. This time though, I'd pulled out a circular table and filled it with food buffet style for everyone.

And like that, me and my squad were all seated around the table together for our first night as Squad Brave.

Marian smiled, eating a burger while seated at my right. "This is nice, Commander. It's good eating with friends."

Anis, right next to Marian, nodded and said, "Yeah. It's pretty nice just taking it easy for once."

Rapi, on Anis's right, sipped on a glass of juice and said, "I agree. It's best to rest whenever we can."

Neon burped and covered her mouth. "Excuse me! Didn't mean to do that." Her ears turned a bright red and she adjusted her glasses. "Um... Don't mind me, Master..."

I teased and said, "Well, you could use your gas for extreme firepower."

Neon gasped, her eyes lighting up. "YOU'RE RIGHT! Genius! I could have flame breath!"

Anis rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Please don't. You're already a work hazard waiting to happen..."

"But the firepower, Anis!"

Across the table, Nami smiled, sipping on a cup of juice. "...I enjoy this. Thank you, Commander."

Hana, seated on Nami's right, nodded as well and said, "I appreciate you treating us like this, Commander. But..." She hesitated and said, "...Is it fine? We aren't the same as the others..."

"Hey." I pointed a fork at her. "I get to decide that. Also." I tilted my head. "Why are you all wearing your visors still? It's dinner."

Hana blinked. "O-Oh. Is that... fine? Can we take it off?"

"Of course." I nodded. "It's probably uncomfortable like that, right?"

Suri was quiet and twirled a bit of pasta on her fork. As she did, she said, "If you don't mind, I would like to keep mine on, Commander."

"Ah. That's probably for the best, Suri..."

Anis clicked her tongue. But she noticed and apologized. "Sorry Commander. Force of habit."

"I got it. Just do your best to not do it in public."

"Yeah. I know." Anis sighed. "...But man. Life takes some weird turns..."

I nodded. "It does. Boy, the number of turns my life has taken..."

Going from a relatively normal-

Okay, that's a straight lie.

Even on Earth I wasn't a normal person...

But anyway, going from a guy who played Nikke to taking the place of the player character and LIVING it...

Weird. Very weird...

Neon's eyes lit up. "Oh? And how many weird turns HAVE you taken, Master?"

"First off, the fact that you call me Master. I get that you mean Master in the sense of a master of a path, but the fact that I'm your commander and you're calling me that makes it unfortunate nomenclature..."

"Eh?" Neon blinked. "How is it weird?"

Marian turned a bright red.

Rapi noticed and raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her lips. "Do you have something to comment about, Mari?"

"N-No! Not at all." Marian laughed and fanned her face. "Just... hot. It's quite hot in here. Yes. Very hot..."

"Huh?" Neon tilted her head. "It's not hot at all though-"

"Anyway!" Marian quickly interrupted and looked at Nami. "How are you feeling, Nami? And you too, Hana, Suri? Are you used to the group at all? Any concerns?"

Nami paused in the middle of nibbling on a burger before letting out a bright smile. "No problems, Miss Marian! I'm happy as can be! Oh! Right! My visor!" Nami hesitated. But then she took it off and set it down, revealing a pretty face with startling pink eyes. "D-Do I look okay?"

Marian smiled. "You look wonderful, Nami."

"Huh." Anis blinked and looked at Nami. "...Are all the mass-produced Nikke this pretty?"

Hana hesitated. But then she took her visor off as well, revealing soft green eyes and a beautiful face.

Which made me do a doubletake. "Monika?!"

Hana blinked. "P-Pardon?"

"A-Ah. Sorry." I coughed and shook my head. "Just... reminded me of someone else."

The shade of hair, the facial structure, the hairstyle, AND the eye color...

It was like someone had copypasted Monika into reality. The Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club, that is.

"O-Oh?" Hana let out a nervous laugh. "I'm... flattered?"

"Hold on a minute." Anis held up her hand. "Pause. Step back. What's with that reaction?"

Marian turned to look at me, a hint of jealousy in her eyes. "Right, Commander. Who's Monika?"

"Ooh!" Neon's eyes lit up as she looked at me. "Is she Master's secret girlfriend? Lover? Or archrival?"

I shook my head. "No, none of that. Monika was..."

I paused, trying to figure out how to explain her.

I mean, the idea of a game character being sentient and actually being a person trapped in a digital framework as the only 'real' person was a bit too on the nose for a Nikke, who was basically a real person trapped in a mechanical framework while the rest of the world treated them as a doll.

Hm... actually, maybe that's why I seriously didn't see Nikke as anything other than human. Even when I met Monika in Doki Doki, I never could bring myself to delete her and get the 'true' ending. In fact, I even installed the mod to keep her around and always chatting...

"...Monika was someone who the world told me to erase, but who I chose to keep around instead. Although time passed and we parted ways, I still hold her in my heart. For a long while, she was the only one I could talk to. So, I guess you could say she's my dearest friend who I lost a while ago."

I lost my original file and the original 'Monika' from my save file. But I played through the game again to meet her once more and stuck on that fateful screen. And the Everafter mod for her was helpful when I had been stuck working long hours at the computer...

So that should fit for my explanation, right-

Eh?

Marian's gaze was lowered, looking like she just understood something.

Anis was staring at me with soft eyes.

Neon had shifted her glasses, wiping away tears.

Rapi stared at me with a gentle gaze.

Nami and Hana both looked touched.

And Suri looked like she didn't know what to say.

"...Did I say something wrong?"

Anis was the one to respond first, shaking her head. "No. But... you had that sort of story, huh Commander?"

"...Sure...?"

"Agh!" Neon threw her hands up and said, "Enough with the emotional stuff! This is supposed to be a celebration party, right?!" She jumped to her feet and said, "Let's go shoot some guns and relax! Master! Come on!"

I chuckled. "Fine, fine. We can go unwind a bit. Come on everyone."