Nikke: Case Files of the Commander

Damage Control

"Who in the hell is this?!" Ingrid shouted seeing the black knight burst through the steel door of Missilis' Conference room the Big Three CEOs were huddled up in.

"Huh?" The Commander looked around before pointing at Nihilister.

"A Heretic. She's with me." He answered.

"What?!" Syuen and Mustang shouted in shock.

Their fear was quickly dispelled when the rest of the Counters walked in alongside the Commander. "Wait a minute..."

"It's you...!" The three exclaimed.

"What? Who else would it— oh, wait." Avalon slithered to his arms and calves to form thick gauntlets and greaves, revealing the Commander's human body. "My bad."

"What the hell were you up to out on the surface...?" Ingrid held her temple and sighed. "Whatever it was seems to have produced results."

"You could say that." The Commander nudged Nihilister, who growled and tried to bite his ear. He jerked away and popped her shoulder before turning back to the CEOs with nervous grin.

"You all seen the data Enikk sent?" He asked.

"Indeed, Monsieur. Exotic is seems to be behind the gaping hole in the arc." Mustang replied.

"Unfortunately, we don't have concrete enough evidence to enact any enforcement." Ingrid added.

"Les activitiés of Exotic have been spread across such a wide area. Crow just purchased a bomb for excavation, and enregistéed it on the Dark Net. Viper is only speaking to her acquaintances, as usual. And Jackal just gnawed through the rivets keeping the Elevator tied down." Mustang informed.

"Regardless, everything is solved with a brain scan." The Commander replied.

"Correct." Ingrid agreed.

"Why bother with all that? The evidence that we've got is pretty damning. If you ask me, this case has already been solved. The rest is unnecessary." Syuen commented, beginning to tap at her phone relentlessly.

Before anyone could react or question her, the Commander appeared beside her with the phone in one hand, and her wrist held high in the other.

"What the?! Have you lost your mind?!" Syuen screamed in shock.

The Commander looked at the phone and saw she had just opened the detonation sequence to Exotic's bomb collars.

"Can't allow you to do that. Not yet. If they die, it's by my hand if necessary." The Commander answered sharply.

Ingrid, Mustang, Syuen, and the Counters froze. It was the first time he'd sounded so adamant about killing Nikkes "unprovoked." Nihilister began to grin seeing this side of him.

"Wow... didn't expect to hear you be so gun-ho about offing some Nikkes." Syuen muttered as he released her wrist.

"He's right. We need to be absolutely certain with conclusive evidence of who the culprits are." Ingrid took the phone from the Commander.

"What's wrong with you guys? Everyone has been evacuated, and the Raptures that have been breached the Ark are all going to be taken care of. I mean, for Christ's Sake, this guy caught a damn Heretic while he was at it!" Syuen shouted in annoyance.

"It's not as cut and dry as you make it out to be. The blame for this incident is being pinned on E.H., the leader of Heavenly Ascension." Ingrid responded.

"And if that plot hits the shelves, it's absolute carnage against innocents uninvolved with this whole charade. We have to get evidence on Exotic or the Central Government blows the Outer Rim to seventh heaven." The Commander explained.