Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 8 preview. Part 2/2 (Patreon)

+++

[spoiler=Suggested OST: BFG DIVISION]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHRuTYtSbJQ[/spoiler]

Sergeant Damian did not know what was happening or what the state of the world was. All he knew was that the Colonel needed pilots to defend the outpost and that the Colonel needed him to kill. 

And kill he was going to do. 

Red dots appeared on his HUD. Countless red dots that was bearing down on their position with intent. He spoke, his voice distorted and deep through the suit's speakers. "TARGETS IDENTIFIED" Damian lifted up his chain gun, slowly revving it up as he sighted his targets. "TARGETS LOCKED," 

His systems showed green. "ENGAGING" 

Six gyrotating 20mm cannons fired, dousing the incoming horde in a storm of maso generated bullets. Metal was torn, oil splattered onto the sand as countless machines died under the onslaught of Damian's fire. He did not let up, firing until his suit's systems warned him that it was overheating. "Firing missiles!" Damian called out as his missile launcher chimed. A single missile flew from its pod, streaking into the air in a brilliant show of light. But, as it neared the machines, it suddenly split apart as multiple smaller missiles were dropped. The missile storm struck the sands, throwing up brilliant flashes of light and smoke. 

"Area denied," Damian reported, seeing the plumes of smoke and ash in the distance. Yet still, more machines came. The machines recovered from their shock, recognizing Damian as a threat. A pair of medium bipeds charged up to assail him but before Damian could engage, 2B was at the forfront, cutting up the two in a flash with Virtuous Contract. Breathing heavily, the android turned to Damian who craned the suit's head down to look at her. 

"Thank you, sir. But we YoRHa have it covered," 2B spoke, glancing up at the suited human. It had to be a human inside that suit. It was far too boxy and bulky to be anything made by the Army of Humanity.

"It's Sergeant, not sir. I work for a living!" Damian responded. The cannon on his shoulder maneuvered downwards as he sighted a distant machine, a goliath biped. To him, it might as well be a walking tin can with massive iron hands. Thunder boomed as his cannon fired, a 150mm recoilless rifle. The goliath's plate cracked as shell after shell pierced through it. Stumbling back, the goliath tried to maneuver itself but a final shell tearing through its pilot was its death knell. It collapsed on the sand, exploding in a blaze of light. 

He regarded the gothic lolita maid with as much seriousness as he could. The Colonel had given him and his men a quick rundown of everything when they awoke. As difficult as its was to believe, they all had an idea that by the time they would wake up, everything would be weird. 

Androids, Gestalt failing, Aliens and their machine hordes. 

In the distance, more jet engines roared as more of the suits arrived. Some landed by the Resistance lines, offering fire support with their weapons systems. Others went up to join Damian, others stayed suspended in the air, firing missiles onto the sands, saturating the machines in a sea of fire. 

"Very well, Sergeant," 2B nodded. If this is what the human wanted her to call him, that was what she would call him. "Your orders?" 

"What the Colonel ordered!" roared Damian. "Turn em to scrap!" 

"Yes sir!" 2B yelled out, her grip on Virtuous Contract tightening. Damian's thrusters came to life as he ascended into the sky, his rifle firing as he did so. He found a target and landed on a medium biped, crushing it underfoot. His claymore flashed as he entered melee mode. Like a whirlwind, he leapt at the first medium biped, slicing it in two with a clean swipe. The next, he launched himself with the use of his thrusters, bisecting three more bipeds with a clean swipe of his claymore. The machines did not take this lying down, launching themselves at Damian. One biped leapt at him, blade glinting in the light. It was about to connect to Damian's suit but it bounced back, a shimmering light surrounding him. Undeterred, the machine reared back to stab the trooper but 2B was on it. 

"Pod! Laser program!" she yelled. 042 acknowledged her order and fired a beam of light at the biped, throwing it away in the blast. She rushed to Damian's position, herself a torrent of death for the machines caught under Virtuous Contract and Treaty, 042 supporting her with his gatling gun program. 

Back at the Resistance lines, their reactions were what you would expect. The Resistance androids cheered at the sudden reinforcements. They walloped as the armored suits with a ferocity and rage they had never seen before. They roared in triumph as they saw Damian's suit punch through a goliath with such force it had shattered the machine unit into pieces of metal and wires. 

Anemone stood up slowly, watching in awe as one of those armored suits flew close to her position, its attention towards the machines in the distance. Her face was contorted in absolute awe as the armored suit let loose a volley of fire from its chain-gun. Her heart thumped in her chest as the suit hovered closely, firing even more of its missiles outward, orange light flashing against her eyes. 

For a thousand years, she had long dreamt of those moment, to fight alongside her gods. And now, here they wore, punishing the machine horde with such fire and vengeance. She knew that the humans were fighting to defend their facility but to her...to her fellow androids...it finally felt like humanity had arrived to deliver retribution to the invaders ruining their home and locking her kind in a never ending struggle of life and death. 

Humanity has returned and they were now showing the machines how war, true war, was waged. And what vengeance meant. 

Pride and hoped soared in Anemone's chest, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long long time. She felt like she could fly, like she was being carried to the human heaven herself. Eyes widening and lips quivering, she shouted. 

"Defend this position and make those bastards regret for ever coming here! For Earth! FOR THE GLORY OF MANKIND!" Anemone yelled maniacally as she emptied the contents of her rifle at the enemy. 

"RAAAARGGGGGGH!" her androids shouted aloud in ecstasy, loyalty and pride brimming in their hearts. They had all fought this long war. The very first thing an android learned upon their activation was how to kill and how to fight. Each one of them was a veteran in their own right, some a bit more senior than others. Their lives were long thanks to them being synthetic and not exactly organic beings with a expiry date. In the course of this war, loss of friends and comrades, the weight of everything had made many lose hope. But now? 

Humanity had returned and not only that, humanity had joined them in their fight. 

They were going to give their all. Their very programming was screaming at them to fight and fight. And that was what they were going to do. What was once complicated programming, a simple order pounded in their minds. A simple phrase once uttered meant nothing but a whole world of hurt. 

Rip and Tear.

Until it was done.

+++

A/N: Android morale right now is unfucking breakable. And this isn't even the end of goodies the bunker has.