Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 13 preview 3/4 (Patreon)

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It was a scene taken straight from Hell. 

Giants strode upon the land, their step mighty and their height kissing the sky in their metallic embrace. Engels-class machine units born from the fire of the factory and the gloom of the sea marched on old Tokyo. Moss and fauna covered ruins fell before them and their bulwark. Strong enough to stand the test of time but not so strong as to resist the machine invader. Their frames, boxy and industrial, great plumes of smoke billowing from pillars on their back. With roaring saws for hands, it used it to chip away those buildings it could not trample. 

If 9S had to be honest with himself, dealing with the Engels-class machines would be a matter of swarming it but such a tactic wasn't so easy. 

Not when the Engels units had other smaller machine units backing it up. 

A shadow loomed over the land, cast by the massive gigantic machines, but also smaller shadows too that came from swarms of machine flight units and airships, both of whom poured fire against the androids that tried to resist. 

"2B, watch out!" he cried as he let loose a fusillade of machine units that were trying to swarm her. The spotted flight units fell from the sky and erupted in a great explosion. 

"I didn't see them. Thank you, 9S," came 2B's thanks, though he voice had as much emotion in it as a rock did. Still, thanks was thanks and 9S beamed at it. 

"No problem, 2B!" 9S said eagerly before turning to the task at hand. He and 2B had returned to their flight units to join the other YoRHa assets in racing towards the ruined city. As they came close to the decayed urban sprawl, it became clearer that the areas the Engel's class had trampled on would be out of commission. Great holes were left in their march, dust and ruin wherever they stood on. 

"Where the hell did all these goliath's come from?" 9S asked aloud. 

"Speculation: These Engel class machine units came from the abandoned factory, the facility YoRHa Unit 9S was tasked to scout," Pod 153 theorized. 9S's eyes went wide. No wonder this all felt so strange to him! And goodness, that place was far more important than he thought!

"1D had theorized that we were going to undergo an operation to destroy the factory if it wasn't for Outpost 13's discovery," 12H whispered, her face conspiratorial. Their Ho.229's were all at full blast, thrusting forward in speeds that would have outflight the Angels in heaven themselves. Before she could elaborate, their pods began to ring. 

The screen opened. 2B blinked as she saw 6O appear. 

"This is Command to all YoRHa Squadrons, do you read?" 

2B spoke quickly. With 1D dead and the others gone, she was basically in command now of what was left of her squad. "This is 2B, acting-commander for 1D's squad. We are 30 kilometers away from the targets. What are your orders?" she asked, joining in the throng of YoRHa squad leaders all reporting their progress and status. 

"There are six Engels class units rampaging throughout the ruined city. 2B, you are to engage with the one trampling over city central," 6O said, typing onto her keyboard. 2B blinked, seeing 6O's face vanish from her screen.

"Command, do you read?" 2B tried to speak. 

"Alert: The Engels Class machine units are jamming communications. Local frequencies are the only one that is available. Do you wish me to tune in to the others?" 042 asked. 2B inwardly frowned. Not being able to communicate with the bunker would leave it up to them to interpret and act out their orders. 

Oh well.

"Just the three of us?" 12H guffawed. "Against that one massive machine?" 

"All the other YoRHa squads are engaged, 12H. Unless you want to go home already?" 2B asked her dryly. Furious, 12H glared at her. 

"Bring it on!" 

And with that, the three YoRHa units blasted off into the distance, where a giant was turning the land into rubble. 

Below, the Resistance had their own qualms.

"Come on! Come on! Move it! We don't got all day!" 

Trucks roared to life as resistance androids all rushed to climb on their backs. Jackass yelled expletives at the troops, urging them to move as fast as they could. It really was uneeded for every single Resistance android there knew what was at stake. While the ruined city wasn't their place of birth, it had been their home. And they were going to give everything to defend it. 

Anemone lurched as the truck she and her men were on lurched forward, darting back with as much possible speed. Erstwhile, her communicator was frantic with cries. 

"Shit! This is Station 12! We need urgent reinforcements now! We-arghhhh!" 

"Station 14, mayday, mayday! We need more firepower, our small-arms ain't cutting into the Engel's armor!" 

"Fuck! Fuck! Too big! Too big! ARGHHH!" 

Anemone despaired like never before. Her men were dying. Their homes were getting trampled and yet, they were still so far away. She activated her communicator, her voice she kept so desperately level despite her knees threatening to give way. "This is Anemone. Rampart, take your men and reinforce Station 14. That place occupies a strategic outlook! Do not let the machines have it! Havoc, take Squads 12 and 17 and do what damage you can!" 

"Aye aye!"

"Rog!"

Behind her, her androids nervously fiddled with their weapons. Some were crying, being comforted by their comrades. Others prayed. 

Anemone glanced behind briefly, looking at where the androids where praying to. Glancing up, she saw it. 

Ever since the goliaths arrived, the humans hadn't moved a muscle, still holding in position in the air, like sentinel angels. 

"Aren't they going to help?" Jackass whispered to her, their kicking them up here and there. Anemone turned to Jackass, her expression grim. "I...I don't know. This is a real danger, Jackass. These are Engels class units, not a field of dumb stubbies. I don't know if the Colonel wou-" 

"Call him, Anemone. You have his number!" Jackass urged her. 

Taking a breath, Anemone did so, dialling up the Colonel. But there was no reply. Perplexed, she tried again and still, there was nothing. 

"Anemone! I got a report!" An android behind her spoke. "We're being jammed! The engel's are putting up a field around the Ruined City that's keeping us in a bubble! We are on our own!" 

Why did things have to go so wrong at the worst times?

"Anemone! Try the sergeant! Can you contact him?" Jackass yelled at her. 

Right!

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"Sergeant, we need urgent help. YoRHa is here, yes. But we need every single advantage we need," came Anemone's voice. 

High above the sky, Damian's fingers tapped against the trigger of his suit.

Six red dots were on his screen, leaving behind a trail of utter destruction on old Tokyo. Not only that, the screams of the dead and dying were being fed to him live. Each cry of pain, each desperate call, he had heard it. Damian knew that something was wrong when the Colonel and the Bunker stopped speaking with him. They were being jammed, he realized. 

"Sergeant, you don't have to help us but your YGGDRASIL suits are heavily armed. Please, anything that can be used to help means one less android will die today," Anemone asked again, her voice doing little to hide her anxiety. 

"Sir, please. We need your help," 

In the distance, another explosion battered Tokyo as well as fresh screams. Flashes of light appeared, indicating that YoRHa had now engaged the machine units. 

Their orders were to strictly engage the Hegel unit that did him in, and that was it. They had already fulfilled their objective and they were supposed to return to the outpost. They were there to do a job and they had done it. Damian glanced at his screen. There were four YGGDRASILs, all under him. Big Bertha, Jolly Roger, Spirit Indomitable, Falafel Man and Hummus Maker (YGGDRASIL Pilots were very creative in naming their suits)

"Anemone, Stand By," Damian said. Anemone's face upon hearing that was the epitome of anxiety. Damian sighed, calling the other pilots. 

"They need our help," he said simply as soon as the others came into view. 

"We don't have orders to do that," Spirit reminded him. "We are only here to destroy that machine that fought you then pull out, let the androids handle the rest." 

"Well, let me tell you, Spirit," Bertha spoke up. "I know that we have no such orders but that doesn't mean we can't think for ourselves. Let's get  over there and help the androids out." 

Nods of assent rang around. 

"I agree," added Falafel. "They've been very good to us. It's only natural that we go help them." 

"As much as I disagree with the Egyptian, we have to. Look at them. They're dying out there," Hummus piled in.

"But we don't have orders nor the authority to make that decision!" Spirit agitated. "Who knows what the Colonel might do to us if we do this!" 

Damian thought of the Colonel, of the man he had served under since the start of WCS. He knew the Colonel well enough to know that he'd approve of helping the androids. Shit, the man basically opened up their arsenal when he didn't really need to. 

"I saw we're helping. Who all wants to go fight the big massive robots, say aye." 

A chorus aye's rang around, with fourth one being much more hesitant. 

"Spirit?" 

"We do not have the authority to make this decision. We need to pull out as ordered." 

"Then sit on the benchers if you don't want to fight," Damian said, turning his YGGDRASIL around. "Besides, my girl is on the front lines. I'll be damned if I don't fight alongside her." 

"You're really going to risk death for some android's ass-cheeks?" 

Damian grinned, eyeing the Engel goliaths YoRHa were engaging with. "Something is." 

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A/N: UPdooot time!

I hope yall had a happy halloween!