We were being transported to our first ever mission within our own Millipede crew, the Saw Palmetto. In the skies, we were accompanied by a Sky Armory that functions as our AWACS. The atmosphere was rather thin when a good majority of your crew still holds a level of apprehension towards you and your team. Doubly so since most of them were old regime remnants that probably ate decently from the cabal. It was quite the wakeup call for them, but it still didn't help that we were still in their crosshairs after that duel. Some, expectedly, saw our win as a fluke. Heck, even I thought it was a total fluke that we managed to take down the best and finest the old regime had to offer in the ways that we did. But I had to carry that pride for both Gus and Viv. Speaking of whom, both were getting rather used to the new accommodations that Camdus hooked us up with. Of course, it didn't come without it's drawbacks of the aforementioned crew constantly throwing digs as us. Fortunately, one of us was not having it.

 

[On the bridge]

​

We approached the Navigation deck of the carrier to get our briefing of the mission. Our AWACS parlayed with us over communications with our Communications Specialist. To make light of the situation, our Comms Spec tried to have a bit of a three-way conversation in the middle of our briefing. It went as well as you would expect.

• Comm Spec - Everyone is accounted for here.

• AWACS - Copy. Soooo. What's it like having those "Misfits" on your team?

• Job - Misfits? Is that's what they're calling us?

• Comm Spec - Yep. That's become the name for you guys. Everyone knows about you guys and your failures and whatnot. It's almost impressive that you still were around to this very day.

• Gus - We're getting treated like cryptids? Oh man...

• AWACS - Well don't worry. With this first mission you're being sent on, this may very well be the chance to prove yourselves. And hey, if you do die in less than 30 seconds, we can't say that anything of value was lost.

• Comms Spec - I mean, I hope y'all know how to use a gun. Especially you, lady. Do you know how to use a gun? Do you know where the safety is?

• Vivica - *in Viet* I do know how to use a gun. Do you know where your testicles are?

• Comm Spec - Uh... what did she say?

A quick exchange of glances were made between me and Viv. Although I honestly didn't know what she was saying, I understood the intent and tone of what was possibly said.

• Job - Beats me. I don't speak her language.

• Comm Spec - Ok, but from how she sounded, she seemed rather pissed.

Bingo. Hope the AWACS gets the gist of it, too.

• AWACS - Ahem... let's focus on the task at hand. The mission objective will be securing the extraction point for the target area. Theater of combat is at the Enkidu National Museum. We have little intel, so our scout team will go in first to try and get as much as they can before returning.

• Gus - Why a museum? Doesn't seem to be quite the important place to fight over. Unless there's some OOPArts.

• AWACS - Chain of Command was scarce on the details, but one thing is concrete: don't expect any back up to come.

• Vivica - Meaning, once the mission starts, it's just gonna be us "Misfits" to take the scene.

• Comm Spec - That's correct. This is your moment to shine, y'all. Or not. All depends on what happens in real time once the mission starts. Just uh... remain on standby until then, 'kay?

• Misfits - Roger.

​

[In the museum]

• ??? - Do you have any idea what you are doing with that thing? The kind of danger this brings if used incorrectly?

• ??? - It's not my business to think about these things. More importantly, it's rather suspicious that you have such an extravagant security force to guard a museum, Zeglia. 

• Zeglia - I have sworn with my life to not let this artifact fall into the wrong hands. Especially from those that have little to no clue what it entails, or what it is!

• ??? - Look. For all I know or care about, this could be the world's most ancient cookbook. As long as my client wants it, they will get it.

• Zeglia - No questions asked?

Zeglia's cat tail swayed feverishly. Waiting for the strange man's answer. In turn, their response was a simple shrug. After that exchange, the strange man walked out of the museum doors, leaving her paralyzed with an overflowing amount of rage.

​

[Outside of museum grounds]

• ??? - Monarch to Camdus, time for the show to start. Security forces will be well on their way to protect the museum.

• Camdus - And  for the OOPArt?

• Monarch - As you mentioned before. They won't give it up so easily, but they also won't go down without a fight, too. I'll need to hightail it outta here before she finds me.

• Camdus - Understood. Be safe. *click*

• Monarch - At least you care. Now... to let these Misfits get their feet wet proper. This oughta be a good test to see if they're really worth the salt Camdus says they are.

​

[Millipede - Saw Palmetto]

The scouting Amparos were sent out to go ahead and gather intel we need to enter Enkidu. Though, it didn't take long for the bad news to already start rolling with the punches.

• AWACS - AWACS to ground team, both of our scouts were shot down before they could gather anything of value.

• Comm Spec - Well shit... looks like you guys are up now. Head on over to the hangar. You're cleared to sortie.

• Gus - You better not bet against us, you hear?

• Comm Spec - No guarantees!

• Gus [annoyed] - You hear?

• Comm Spec - Okay...

We were several minutes away from the outskirts of the mission area. We had to be fast in mobilizing to not miss a beat in capturing the extraction point. One by one, we boarded our units and did our checks before the bay doors were opening on the Saw Palmetto.

• Job - It's about time that we show everyone how we "Misfits" operate. As much as I think how our victory against the aces of the old regime were a fluke, the teamwork that we exhibited is a sign that we can work well with each other.

• Gus - Without Cam, I don't think we would have been able to make most of that possible. Nevertheless, I don't think I can run a riot with anyone else but you guys.

• Vivica - And without you guys, I don't think we would have been able to get out of our situations the way we did. We have a long road ahead of us, detractors behind us, and our teamwork together. Let's give'em hell, everybody.

The doors were completely open. The lights lit up green one by one for each of us in order: Me, Gus, then Viv. All of us had to remain close to the ground when we were entering the city perimeter in case if there were any anti-air emplacements that were active that also took down the scouting Amparos. Upon entering the city, we tried to traverse through the main streets leading to the National Museum, only to be greeted by a wall of gunfire and ballistics.

• Job - We are now in an urban warfare situation. Cover will be limited, and expect flanking. Try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum.

• Gus and Vivica - Roger!

A thought raced through my mind: "what is so worth protecting that civilian lives were moot?" That arms fire grazed buildings that were likely still populated. Guess whoever they are, they care not for the lives of others. We had to get rid of them. Along with a compromise of trying to use as much cover as we can to get closer.

• Gus - I got an idea, but you're gonna have to buy me some time.

• Job - I'm all ears.

• Gus - I'll try to peak from the sky and spot whatever is hiding by the buildings. I got some ATGMs in my arsenal for more precise strikes to take out any anti-air emplacements. I'll need y'all to pop whatever bad guys are shooting at me before I go to land on the ground.

• Vivica - That's tantamount to suicide, but I don't see many other options at the moment. I'll lead the flanks and see what I can do before then. Should be able to shrug off some shots before armor gives out.

• Job - Sounds good to me. About time we started doing something about our situation.

I loaded up my Blade Railguns, checked my energy levels for my Sonic Breakers, and primed my thrusters to be ready for anything. All that was left was to give Gus the signal to make his move. There was one thing that was on my mind though:

• Job - Is your transformation module working properly?

• Gus - Yup! Got a new one that's smoother and much more functional than before. Won't jam up in a bad time. Still shouldn't push it too hard though.

• Job - Good. Don't be afraid to take hard maneuvers to get out of danger. As long as you're within comms link distance, we should be fine. 

• Gus - Gotcha.

I made my move first and pushed as far as I could to flush out whatever opposition I could while Gus took to the skies. Right on cue, the gunfire towards the sky started. Viv and I started to close the distance until some fire came our way and forced us to take cover.

• Gus - Damn it... I can't get a good shot at them. They got some sort of digital camouflage that's making it difficult to get a good lock on them.

• Vivica - We are getting pinned down. Are we dealing with professionals here?

• Job - Whoever they are, they've very slick on how they've been suppressing us.

Vivica peaked out around a building with a G-Revolver and blind firing before having her weapon sniped out of her hand.

• Vivica - Damn it! There goes my revolver...

Both of us had our backs against a glass building that's barely hiding our mechs. The situation was getting increasingly more dicey by the second. Sudden shots were being taken that punched through the building as a way to flush us out. And at the corner of our eyes, we see some opponents peaking around, raring to flank us.

• Gus - I just noticed something...

• Job - Shoot.

• Gus - The movement and tracking of the gunfire that was aimed towards me was unnatural. But there was one moment that there was a legitimate aimed shot at me. I think there's human pilots mixed in with unmanned enemies.

• Vivica - Lines up to be honest. The human pilots may be covering for their AI pilots.

• Job - Heh... What are the odds.

• Gus - And I still got my ATGMs, so whatever ya got planned, better make it quick!

I had to think of something to get out of this situation, and get Gus going again. Our backs are literally against the wall, and it's getting closer and closer to checkmate. One thing clicked in my mind though. If they were willing to shoot through buildings, then this area might have been evacuated. Small chance it might not. I had to focus and pay attention to the surroundings. There were two sets of foot steps slowly approaching us.

• Job - Fuck it... I'm gonna try something since they're closing in.

• Vivica - What do you have in mind?

• Job - A shot in the dark.

• Vivica - Ok. I'm short a weapon, our skirmisher is a good distance away from us, and the enemy is getting closer. Whatever you got better get us out of this hole.

• Job - Heh... no pressure.

Using the glass building, I pivoted with my right-hand Blade Railgun close to the building until something came in view of my FCS. Auto-targeting was going crazy due to the digi-camo, so whatever manual aiming assistance I could get was my best shot. As that blob moved closer, I switched to a normal camera to see what we were up against. It was hard to make out, but it mattered to me not. All that mattered was hitting it somewhere were it couldn't easily avoid. I rested my eyes for a bit, took a deep breath, trained the reticle, and with an exhale...

​

*click* BOOOOOM

The sound of glass shattering, the thundering and crackling of the Blade Railgun, and the explosion of my target after the shot hit it's mark all brought things to a resounding pause from the impending enemy approach. The perfect opportunity arose, and without a word, Vivica had already rushed in to capitalize on the confusion.

• Vivica - It's a bunch of kitbashes! Gun arms, tank treads, the works. One of them might have some ECM attached.

• Gus - Good guess they're at a distance from here. Engaging the enemy now! If I run into interference, try to zero in on my position!

• Job - Gotcha. Mind the human-operated units.

A patchwork army of AI, human pilots, and ECM. For a security force, they seem rather organized for this kind of warfare. Fits a familiar MO that I'm drawing a blank for the name of. But who...?

• Gus - Spotted ECM source. Taking the shot now! Fox Three!

• Vivica - Closing in on the extraction point!

Things are going a bit too well... The patchworks were being dispatched well, the ECM units were about to be destroyed. This just seemed to go-

• Gus - Fox Three intercepted!

• Vivica - Gahhh! Heavy fire coming from the museum grounds. I see some other units! A reverse joint with a rifle!

• Gus - Getting shot at with flak gun fire! I saw my ATGM get splashed via an Aegis!

too well...

The real fight was starting to show itself as we got closer to the museum. Just as Gustave said. There was an Aegis defense unit placed adjacent to the museum. As for what was hitting me and Vivica, it was a unit that we've never seen before, along with a new variant of Barrelion that sported multiple weapon platforms on its body. Lo and behold, it was carrying the same flak guns that pelted Gus in the air. The barrage forced us to retreat back into the perimeter of the museum. While we did regroup, we were certainly not out of harm's way with that reverse-jointed unit constantly bouncing around and forcing us out of cover. Each motion and shot pushed us further back from the objective. We had to do something to take back the advantage.

• Vivica - Incoming transmission... it's on an open channel?

• Job - Patch it through.

• Zeglia - I'm impressed you've managed this long against me and the Damascus Blade Security Team. 

• Gus - A woman's voice?

• Zeglia - Unfortunately, I will let you go no further. I have a promise to keep, and a lot more at stake. I will lay down my life, even if it means taking you with me.

• Job - So, you're the one in that massive, multi-gunned Barrelion?

• Zeglia - You're just going to have to figure it out the hard way.

• Job - And your name?

There was a brief pause. That alone told me enough of what was running through this person's head: "What is the point of telling you my name if you won't live to tell it?" However, she bothered to humor my question anyway.​

• Zeglia - Zeglia Margrave. Head of the National Museum

• Job - The name is Job. Job Herrington of The Misfits unit. I am accompanied by my partners, Gustave and Vivica.

• Zeglia - Now that our introductions have been settled, I'm afraid you must die here. Evacuation has completed already, so there's no holding back now. Rubicante, Shagana, keep up the pressure.

Aside from the unmanned drones we ran into, it was a three on three after all. It was only the two she just mentioned, along with whatever resources they had that kept us at bay for the most part. Nevertheless, we had to push onward. We have to get to that museum no matter what. But charging in wildly would not be the plan. Not without knowing what kind of unit is guarding the main entrance. So far, one of them has anti-air capabilities to give Gus a bit of trouble in landing shots, so I can chalk that up as a Fortress-class. And one of them managed to clip Vivica pretty bad before she even had a chance to move out of cover. Possibly a sniper. It's only a gambit, but I may have to suggest this to him.

• Job - Hey Gus. You ready for a suicide run?

• Gus - I don't like the sound of that, but what do you have in mind?

• Job - I don't need you to attack, but simply survey the area again. Quick and dirty.

• Gus - I dunno, boss. I feel like I don't got the courage for this one.

• Job - You've done it before. You can do it again. If anything, I'll cover your repair tab if you make it out alive.

• Vivica - We'll also throw in something extra along with the repair tab, right Job?

I knew she would chime in at this moment, but when you throw your people to die for a better opportunity, the least you can do is throw ​gold on the body just in case.

• Job - R-right. Like the most recent issue of the swimsuit magazine you read from time to time.

• Vivica - Limited edition too~.

There was a bit of silence for a moment. Before long, the Wildraubiter flew into action without a word uttered. We knew the assignment and pushed onward. Since Zeglia mentioned that the town has been evacuated, that means we could destroy as much property as we want. They know that just as well, and will probably try that first. All we had to do now was beat them to the punch. I ready my Sonic Breakers.

• Job - Get behind me. I'll punch through.

• Viviica - Got it. 

• Job - This will be a risky maneuver, but I want to try a Jet Stream.

• Vivica - Jet Stream?

• Job - Just bear with me here. I know it doesn't sound cool.

• Vivica - Huh!? This sounds awesome! Reminds me of an anime I watched with my siblings. Getting back on track though... what else do you have in mind?

• Job - Punch through the buildings and create a breaking point where you can flank. While Gus is doing his run...

The same flurry of gunfire that was aiming towards Gus was at it again. But accompanied by that was the gunfire of a sniper cannon. Before long, there was a loud thud of something hitting the ground. Thankfully, it didn't sound like a crash.​

• Job - Sonic Breakers charged. Firing ahead!

The building we used as cover was immediately pulverized. One after another, each building was punched through, and Vivica was on my tail as intended. Two blips came up on the radar. Gus pulled through after all. ​

• Gus - You're lucky I barely got scratched. However, my transformation unit is starting to act up. Won't be able to use it for awhile.

• Job - Good enough for me. I'll still get you that swimsuit magazine for your bravery. Now then... on my mark, get ready to break, Vivica.

• Vivica - Got it!

Now we know where to hit, it was just a matter of executing it perfectly. Little room for error here. The blips started to move away fast. I have to catch up even faster before they could reposition. I powered down my Breakers.​

• Job - NOW!

And charged straight for the Fotress-Class. From the corner of my eye, I saw something else beyond the buildings. Its gun barrels were pointed towards me. However, I had to pay no mind to it and keep heading towards what I know identified as a Tusk, a tank that is a scaled down Rhinoceros carrier. Also sporting that Aegis unit that's been giving us trouble on its chassis earlier.​

• ?? - Shit. Cover me. They're close!

• ?? - Can't. I'm being pressed by that R-Blade.

• Zeglia - I can't get visual on either of them. Reposition now!

• ?? - Easy for you to say. YOU try outrunning this damn hellcat. 

• Vivica - Hellcat you say, eh Rubi? You knew this cat and mouse game was gonna come to a head sooner or later. 

• Zeglia - Keep moving. I got more drones ready.

That confirmed it proper. For Shagana, it was too late for any kind of retreat or support to come their way. It fired everything it could to create distance for it to escape. Warning systems started to blare through my FCS. Friendly fire indication. VOOOSH. The sound of a beam ripping through the armor of the Tusk. Hit hit the very Aegis system that was giving us trouble.

• Gus - Payback, bitch! Job, finish the job!

• ?? - Ejecting!

• Job - Catch them!

I fired away with my Blade Railguns. Each shot hitting each part of the carrier, setting fire to everything before it went critical. That was the lat of the Shagana in action. We took down one of three.​

• ?? - Shit... lost my weapon. Need to retrea-

• Vivica - Like hell you will!

• ?? - AHHHHHH-

Scratch that... Two of three. Now, all that remains is Zeglia. That also means that we were all in proximity to the museum at this point. Knowing her, she won't go down without a fight. But when it comes down to it, it was checkmate for her.​

• Zeglia - Kai... Jey... your service will be memorialized here. I have to commend you for dispatching two Damascus Blade pilots. You've proven yourselves worthy. However, I will not allow you any permittance through those museum doors even if it will cost me my life. 

We headed to the center of the museum grounds. We were greeted by Barrelion Custom with an EWAC dish on its head in place of the usual cannons we'd find on Divine Crusader models. Beside it were something new. Remote Arm Control Dolls, or RAC Dolls. The only amount of armor these things had were the head units with antennas on them. Everything else was pretty bare frame. Almost unrecognizable to anything we've seen.​

• Gus - No wonder we couldn't find this one.

• Vivica - Now that we know what she has, we can't afford to let up.

• Job - We'll deal with the drones and disarm her.

• Zeglia - Like... Hell you will...