ReaptheMusic

The War of the Three

<Snipped quote by Awesomoman64>

*Licks Awesomo's eye.* "Is it moister now?"

@KoL

Ew;;;

Deep Ground Online (Hiatus)

Erika Mitsuki and Asahi Goroshi

Erika had come into her home and was in the kitchen. A shadow over her eyes, she grabbed what she needed and slowly slid drawer shut. She turned to leave her home, tugging at her purse on her shoulder but still otherwise in the same attire she'd been in during the event. She paused. Her brother was there.

"Headed out?"

What he asked was simple but the real questions in his eyes were complex.

Erika looked him in the eyes, but didn't respond.

"What's with that look? I'm not going to give you hell about it. You know I sneak out all the time. Actually, if you want, we can hang out together--"

"No... no. I.... Need to go do something. Alone."

Her brother's eyes narrowed and he stepped towards her.

"You sure came out of that coma sassy. I like it, don't get me wrong, but I'm worried about you, Eri."

Erika's grip on her bag tightened, knowing what she'd just slipped into it. She paused, looking up at her brother who stood just before her. After an unbearable tension in the room grew too high for her comfort, Erika wrapped her arms around him. He returned the hug, albeit surprised.

"Hito... If I did something bad..." She murmured at last. "Would you hate me for it?" Her brother blinked in surprise.

"Okay, Now you've really got me worried. You know you can talk to me. You know you can..." Erika pulled back from the hug, a stressed, sad smile on her lips as she pushed him back as well.

"I need to take care of this."

After a long pause, not unbroken by soft blue puppy dog eyes on Erika's part, Hitoru broke with a loud groan. He patted her head with a scowl.

"Go do what you need to."

Erika smiled up at her brother one more time before rushing out the door, not without Hitoru watching her with the same scowl, and the same concerned eyes.

---

Her black curls bounced, her chest was heaving but not nearly as bad as it did before she went into her coma. She had the P.E. class to thank for that. She ran, her path lit by moonlight as she barely made it to the train station in time.

Just as the doors to the train slid closed, she thrust herself inside the cabin and fell into herself, her hands on her knees and half bent over with her head down as she caught her breath. This train should take her closer to the park.

Asahi sat near by rubbing his eyes. So much to do, so little time. He had to rally his guys together and get them organized. The Ebony Strykers needed to get their shit together and now the Cobalt Bruisers really needed help. He didn't care about what people said about their alliance; it wasn't over yet. Of course to make matters worse, the Sweepers were on the move too. He's already had a few brush in with cleaners, and one in particular gave him a warning that there was a purge going on. Who initaited it was unknown, but aparently the top dogs of the Sweepers think there is a traitor in their midst. As if things couldn't get any worse.

Right now he was taking this train to his old stomping grounds at the Full Moon Market. If he was going to get ready for war he needed to train. He's been slacking off on it to focus on DGO, but if the Sweepers really are on the move he needed to stay in shape. As he waited he heard someone dash onto the train and glanced at them. Much to his surprise it was Erika. She had earned herself quite a bit of fame recently for the reveal that she's dating the red king. But what was she doing looking so out of breath on this train?

"Late for your date or something?"

"...Huh...?"

Erika looked up slowly, cheeks red from the exertion of running. Then her eyes widened and she straightened her back. She knew who this guy was. It hadn't been difficult to find out who the owner of the infamously badass-looking avatar 'Arms Slave' belonged too. Erika looked away uncomfortably and not without tension in her shoulders.

"Something like that."

Ah, Asahi was familiar with that look. That look of fear. Normally he'd relish it, but now he just felt guilty. No doubt Erika was one of his past victims back when he was just some thug for the Sweepers. Chuckling he looked down at his feet. "I guess my reputation proceeds me... I don't suppose you'd accept 'I was just following orders' as an excuse?" A bit of guilt built up inside of him. He promised to make the Sweepers great again, that he'll change for the better. Looking back up to the girl he decided that trying to make amends with her would be a good step. "I'm Asahi Goroshi. Arms Slave. Ah... If I did anything to you, sorry. I mean...." This was very awkward for him.

"It doesn't really matter now anyways." She spoke with a finality as her gaze was still turned away. Erika had been well known around the school for her bubbler personality that had emerged and that had gained her her popularity. Here, her dark curls framing her face and curving back up to her lips, she looked like a young woman walking to the gullotine.

After looking at him for a pause, Erika decided she did want to sit beside him. She didn't immediately say anything more, choosing to let the rumble of the train speak for her as she stared at something unseeable, something in her mind.

"I guess you already know me as Erika Mitsuki. On Deep Ground, I kept my identity a secret but I can't remember why now. The reason seems stupid and pathetic now that I look back on it." Erika held her bag in her lap. Her hands gripped at it a little tighter. "I should have been more proud of myself, I think. Now it feels like I've wasted a lot of time on..."

Erika paused, her eyes were tight.

"Like I've wasted precious time that I could have spent being amazing instead. Heh..." Erika lowered her head, a thin but wide smile on her face. It could just be the reflection off her glasses onto her eyes, but they looked moist. She turned her head to Asahi, eyes closed in an upright angle with a smile on her face.

"My avatar is Azga the Amazing."

Azga... Azga... That name was familiar. Looking through his e-mails he found the name easily enough. She was one of his targets in the past. Admitidly the details of the battle with her was very faint. He was only certain that he had defeated her at some point. "I see. Yeah, I think I kinda remember that name. Azga the Amazing huh..." It was quiet between the two for a short while. The train went through multiple stops, but neither of them left. Their destination was else where. Breaking the silence Asahi spoke.

"I... If you don't mind me asking, how did you fall into a coma?" Asahi was pretty sure he had only been asked to attack her in DGO. He's never been comissioned to attack Erika herself. Certainly wouldn't do that now.

"I was about to defeat you in Deep Ground. You attacked me and my best friend." Erika had lowered her head and stared at the ground in front of her. "Then, your chain snatched me and pulled me down. Crushed by the environment collapsing." Erika pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

The train rumbled on.

"I didn't wake up."

That was weird. Asahi had made threats about knocking players out in real life, but he's never actually done it. It made him a bit unnerved that happened to her. "That's... What? Did I really do that?" Granted Asahi has killed people before. He wasn't going to cry over that. Frankly he was more surprised that he had somehow knocked Erika into coma, and felt very little guilt about it. He isn't sure what that says about him.

"I'm sorry. I know they're just words, but... Well..." Asahi sighed. "I promised to change. I quit the Sweepers. But things are getting out of hand you know. DGO was suppose to be a game, but lives are at stake now, you know? People's livelihood." The portly boy wasn't sure what he was going with all of this. Surely Erika didn't care about his sob story, her body becoming visibly tenser. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, except that you have the perfect reason to hate me. But I intend to change things in DGO. I'll make the Sweepers clean up their act. No more assassinations. No more cheating. I want them to make the Ebony Strykers into a respectable guild now. I... I want to be better. I guess."

Just hearing himself say all of this made Asahi feel like puking. It was so sappy. He really needed to work on this speech more. "As one of my former victims, feel free to take my words with a grain of salt. If you want payback then you're welcome to come after me. But I intend to change things around here. And... And I'll start by doing right to those I've done wrong too. Yeah, that sounds good."

"I don't hate you."

Erika's whole body language had taken a shift. Her words were sharp, cutting, and she sat upright glaring at the air in front of her with a scowl on her face and a very, very dark shadow over her eyes.

"I don't want an apology, either."

Her hands were gripping her purse so tight, her knuckles were white.

"Nothing you did to me matters, Asahi. None of it was your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. We were just... we were just playing a game."

Erika's head slowly lowered. Her words became softer and her grip on her purse relaxed a little.

"We were having fun, you know? Trying not to think about the fact that it ruled the rest of our lives. That it would change where we would be and our social status. That, in a few years, those of us who were too lazy to level up would probably never see each other again. We were just fighting for fun. We were just... " Erika's voice choked with emotion. After a moment, she took a deep breath and lifted her head again, her expression stressed. When her eyes opened, they were sharp again. "You can try to change the surface, but here, it's the core that's rotten.

That... is nobody's fault."

The train came to a stop slowly. The doors opened and Erika stood up. This was her destination.

"The only way to stop it from consuming you, from consuming the people you care about... is to cut it out before it can infect anyone else."

Erika stepped off the train and looked back at Asahi, her body only half turned to his. After a moment of her stoic expression gazing at him, she smiled.

"Another time... Another place... Maybe we could have been friends."

The doors closed on Erika and the train began to move away. Erika stood in place, smiling at the departing train with a sadness in her eyes.

"Hey. Fuck that." After the train left, Asahi was on the otherside of the track. His hands were cletched and he seemed angry. "Is that always going to be our option? Cut them off? I'm tired of doing that. Always got to do things in extremes. DGO has problems, for sure, but cutting yourself off from it isn't going to do shit!" Asahi was taking this a bit more personally than Erika may have realized. Mostly because of what she said; that one could change the surface but the core would remain rotten. Asahi couldn't accept that.

"I don't know what you're talking about Erika, but we don't need to run away. We don't need to get rid of DGO! We can take it over! We can call the shots. DGO doesn't need to change us. We can change DGO." Asahi looked at Erika, and then into his hands. He opened and closed them, looking at his bloodied and bruised knuckles. "We don't need to keep dreaming you know. There's nothing stopping us from doing what we want right here, right now. We... We could be friends now you know."

Erika's eyes widened in slight surprise, watching Asahi on the opposite side of the train tracks. Slowly her expressioned softened into a smile. Then she giggled, then the giggled turned into a full on laugh, her hands on her knees until there were tears in her eyes as she leaned over herself. Then, as her legitimately happy laughter came to an end, she straightened up and took a breath, smiling at the boy across the train tracks.

"You mistake me. I'm not cutting myself off from Deep Ground. Far from it. As far as us taking it over..." Erika shifted her eyes to the side, then closed them.

She paused, then opened them again to look at Asahi.

"You're wrong about Deep Ground. It does need to change, just not in the way you think. As it stands, there is absolutely no possibility of us ever calling the shots." Erika raised her chin. Her blue eyes filled with a fire, a defiance that seemed, to Asahi, most likely to come from nowhere.

"You are not the reason I didn't wake up." Her eyes burned into his. Her hand clenched at her bag. It was like... she was trying to tell him something. Something she couldn't say.

A train was approaching, the one bound for downtown. It wouldn't stop here, just passing through. Erika took a step back.

"I really wish... I could be your friend. I do." Erika closed her eyes as the train got closer, a smile on her face. "I can't though. It's time for me to be a Hero. After tonight... You're not going to want to associate with me. Goodbye, Asahi"

Erika opened her eyes. The train rushed through the station at a high velocity, obscuring Erika from view. When the train had finished passing, Erika was gone. She'd already run down the stairs to make her way to the park where she would meet the White King.

Asahi stood there thinking about Erika's words. "A hero huh? A hero... Heh. That's a rocky road you're walking on Erika. I'm sure we'll see each other again." By the time the train left Erika was gone. He has no idea what she was up to but perhaps he wasn't the only one who had some conspiracy going on here. Between the Sweepers, himself, the Kings, and who knows how many others, there were many gambits being piled up here. Things were only going to get more complex from here on out. "I better step up my game."

The War of the Three

@ReaptheMusic
Nope, it's a galaxy, more or less. Sliske owns a planet.

@Mega Birb

Ohhh Thanks~

The War of the Three

@The 42nd GeckoI think the Nexus is just a planet and for the most part. I perceived it as the three factions are warring over continents/territories to claim that sporadically pop into existence (as it seems that's what Arcadia did from what I've gathered, correct me if I'm wrong) while coexisting together on the same plane, I didn't think any space travel was involved myself.

The War of the Three

@Lmpkio@Lucius Cypher Cherry would be a likely volunteer?

The War of the Three

Before The War

Cherry/Krieg

Kreig awoke in his factory. It was quiet. Too quiet. There should have been a caphony
of machines creating weapons of war for him. Killa Khans and his new minions, Deff Dreds. Giant stompy robots of destruction that could only glipse at the glory that was Grafdakka. But there was none of that. Only silence.

"My legion... My soldiers... MY MINIONS! WHERE ARE YOU!?" From the black box in Mu-01's body came a black ghost, with sickling glowing veins and a red mouth. A single cyplopic eye floated on his face, darting around. He started looking for machines he could possess but there were none. Not even a computer. He went into his factory and saw that it was all gone. All the machines, all his robot soldiers, even his battle bodies were gone. He went back to Mu-01 and tried to possess her but he found no avail. She was too damaged to use. He kept looking until he noticed there was a message left behind.

Seeing what was written drove Kreig mad. "How dare she.... HOW DARE SHE! I AM KRIEG! GRAFDAKKA DESTROYA! QUEEN EOS'S MIGHTIEST WARRIOR! That slave in rags has no right to do this to me!" Kreig went to find Hibiki and destory her but he didn't get far. Before he could even leave the building he felt a pull against his ghostly body. His black box was keeping him bound to this location. Struggle as he might, he couldn't go beyond it's boundry. But Krieg kept trying, pushing against this invisble wall, shouting spiteful things to fuel his rage.

But no one would hear him here, he thought. Not in this lonely factory where even his voice doesn't echo. He was a Machine Spirit, and only machines could hear him. And they have always been silent. Krieg didn't know how long he struggled against the boundry of his cube but eventually he his rampaged died down to simple loathing. Mumuers of hateful things as he beat his ghostly fist against the air. What could he do now?

"Are you really Queen Eos's Mightiest Warrior?"

The voice that broke the silence and monotony of the dim factory came from behind the tantrum throwing ghost of machines. Behind Krieg, in a short and very revealing dark pink outfit with bare feet, blue eyes and hair both as thick as it was light in color, a tiny android stood with her hands clasped in front of her body.

Her head ticked to the side, examining the specter before her, her blue eyes wide as they scanned him up and down slowly. As she spoke again, her voice was light, hopeful, and very classically romantic in the way that seeing a girl at dusk sitting beneath a wilting apple bloom tree might be.

"Are you hurt, Warrior? I can service you... Oh!"

The tiny android leaned over to look at the other side of Krieg, spotting the downed Mu-01. She brought up a small hand to her lips and began to pad over to it, almost immediately forgetting about the ghost of green mass right before her.

Krieg turned his head towards the voice. It was an android. Female body, soft voice, seductive outfit... It was a sexbot. Krieg never had interests in the machina's carnal desires. If it wasn't a fight he had no interest in it. And these sexbots lacked anything he desired. And unless she was going to go offline right here, he doubts there was anything she could do for him. "Go away. There's nothing you can do for me..."

When the android went closer to Mu-01 and his back box, he dashed right to it, standing between her and his core. "I said leave me! I don't need you! I can take care of myself!" Even though he was a Machine Spirit, he could lie. His face was angry but also shaking. He wanted help, but he didn't want to be weak. He wanted to be able to somehow take possession over Mu-01's damaged body and make his way to his old Grafdakka armor, but it was too far away. It was on the otherside of the factory, far beyond the reach of his core.

"I... Am High Queen Eos's mightest warrior and most loyal servant. I am Krieg Grafdakka Destroya, Mu-01! I don't need your help! So go away!"

The Pleasure Droid's face went blank as she paused, looking up at the trembling spirit.

....

....

Oh! Her face lit up, as if she'd just figured something out. She pressed her fist gently down into her hand.

"Oh I get it, you're intimidated by me!"

"What!? No! You're just a... A toy. A play thing! And I don't want you anywhere near my belongings! Who knows where those hands have been." Krieg would wish he could say he never felt fear, but there were times he was scared. But certainly not now, he just felt annoyed that of all robots that could help him, it had to be a pleasure droid.

"If you want to help me then go away! You're in the way of my work." Another obvious lie. Though Krieg was certainly doing a lot of nothing. He started waving his arms at her, his ghostly appendages extending far beyond what would normally be possible in a mortal body. "Even without my body I am a Machine Spirit! I can possess the bodies of the mightest robots in all of the Machina! So leave me, or else I will possess you!"

"Shhh...~" The android stood up on her tip toes and pressed a finger over where the ghosts' lips appeared to be. After she was satisfied with his silence, she fell back onto her heels, her face never once losing a serene, hopeful and slightly needy expression. "I am not dirty," She began to explain, sounding as if she's recited this hundreds of times before, "I bathe three times a day to meet with the cleanliness standards with full internal cleaning compatibility. Everything about me is as sanitary as can be with no risks of passing diseases or bacteria as I am an efficient android of Gears of Ple... mm, The Machina Militia."

She paused, then smiled up at him again, eyes sparkling as lights shimmered behind the lenses of the aritficial orbs.

"It's okay to be afraid if you haven't done this before. I promise, I'll be gentle." A small heart emoticon formed in the air beside her, a blush appearing on her androidal cheeks. As with most pleasure bots, the blushes were perfect ovals that appeared right on either cheek bone.

Humming, the android moved through Krieg's ghostly form, reaching inside of Mu-01's body and pulled out the core. She immediately plopped down beside the bullet riddled form, pulled the core up against her chest, and began covering it in tiny, chaste kisses.

Small heart emoticons appeared all around her as she did, sweetly caressing the core. The ghostly specter may have then felt a strange, warm sensation as the effects of the android, healing, even with these small kisses, took effect on his core and any scuffs it might have received in the fire of war.

By leaning back, too, against the Mu-01, some of the robo-maid's exterior seemed ot be slowly rewiring itself.

"Stop! Stop stop stop!" Krieg shouted as he tried in vain to stop the robot from touching his stuff. He didn't need anyone's help! He wasn't going to accept weakness. He had to be able to fend for himself. That being said, there was nothing he could do now but watch as the android took his core and... Started kissing it.

Now this was just weird.

"What are you... Stop that. That's strange. Let go of my... Core... Right now..." A strange feeling was going through Krieg's mind. It felt like that demon's illusions. It made his ghostly form feel warm and pleasant... No, this was different from the succubus. The Succubus fed his bloodlust and blinded him with the glory of battle. This feeling felt softer. It was a strange new thing that made Krieg feel sluggish, hot, yet oddly satsified.

The damage to his core was gone. Mu-01 still needed some repairs, but now Krieg was more or less okay... Sans missing a physical body of course. His mind wasn't so full of hate, but confusion. Who was this android and what did she do to him? "Who are you? What did you do to... Me?" Krieg looked calmer. His angry snarl turned into a straight line. He also seemed smaller.

A small moan escaped the small android's body and she paused just as she was letting her kisses get a little more erogenous against the core when the ghost spoke again. She lowered the cube that was Krieg's core into her lap, a little steam, as is usual for the effect of a Pleasure Droid showing arousal, lifted off of her and was visible as she exhaled, smiling brightly up at the ghost.

"1001101011-XXX," She began, her legs shifting beneath her, "I am a Pleasure Android that's been repurposed for the war as healer... Mmmmm... By contact... My old owners called me 'Cherry' when referencing me to their customers, but they could rename me if they wanted, too."

Cherry lifted her legs to her chest, balancing Krieg's core on her knees carefully while also exposing she wasn't wearing any garments beneath the short skirt she wore. She was, in a word, fully autonomous.She leaned her head on top of the core while batting her eye lashes up at the specter.

"You were upset, Mr. Krieg Graffdakka Destroya, Mu-01. Would you be pleased if I helped you find your minions, your soldiers, and your legion?" Her shoulders raised up and she averted her gaze, rubbing her cheek to her shoulder as she hugged the core close to her chest. "I'd love to see you happy..."

"Did you hear all of that?" Now Krieg just felt embarassed. He was angry, sure, but he had kinda hoped he was just ranting to himself. This android, this Cherry, made him feel very, very odd. She made him feel warm, fulfilled, and oddly tired. Him, a ghost and usually a machine, tired. Though his face couldn't turn red he still turned away from the android to hide his flustered face.

"J-just Krieg is fine... Grafdakka and Mu-01 is only when I'm in certain forms. This is just Krieg." The ghost looked down at his hands and flexed them.It has actually be a long time since he's gotten a good look at himself. Usually he was in Mu-01's form overseeing the construction of a new body or weapon, or in Grafdakka doing battle. Krieg hasn't seen any action at all.

The ghost in the machine was quiet for a long time as he thought about Cherry's question. "Hmm... No. No, you don't need to find my minions. I... I guess I don't really need them. Maybe I got too used to bossing them around." Looking back at Mu-01, Krieg moved over to try and possess the body, but it was still too damaged. "I can't move beyond the boundry of my core. This body is too damaged to be used right now, but I have my Destroya Form on the other side of the factory. Perhaps if I can get my core over there I can..."

Krieg thought about what exactly he was going to do if he got inside Grafdakka. It wasn't exactly made for delicate work like Mu-01 was. He thought about maybe going after Hibiki, but he doesn't know where she lives or where she's at. He'd just wander through the city aimlessly and be angry. And for some odd reason, Krieg didn't want to be angry right now. "I... I don't really know what to do now. Usually I'm fighting or getting ready to fight but I can't really do either of those things right now."

The android watching Krieg slowly tilted her head to the side and frowned. It bothered her, very greatly (as it should,) that the ghost seemed. sad. She thought of her memory, replaying it inside her head as she'd peeked around the factory at the screaming Krieg. She popped up to her feet, sparkle emoticons all around her.

"That's no way to be, Mr. Krieg!" Her sparkle emoticons got brighter, "First things first, I'll get you to your body!" The android turned sharply and marched toward the direction of where it seemed the Destroya body might be, undoubtedly tugging the ghost along as she held the core. "Then you can go back to what you do best! You are the mightiest warrior of the Queen, you said so yourself! Won't she be looking for you?"

The android's radius of sparkles grew as she paused to smile back at his specter, giggling brightly.

"No, she wouldn't. I mean the only reason I'm even in this predicament is- Whoa!" Cherry walked faster than Krieg anticipated when he felt the boundry slam into his face to follow after his core. Turning around Krieg went after Cherry trying to explain the siutation. "Y-you weren't suppose to hear that. I mean, I am a strong fighter and I was made for war. It'll only make sense if I'm good at it. But I don't think Queen Eos thinks highly of my right now you see, because I've sorta been fighting demons even though we were suppose to retreat and well... One of the other soldiers came by and kinda killed me, because I was distracted fighting and all. I mean I know that sounds strange coming from me because usually I think of nothing but fighting and to be honest right now I could actually go for a good scrap but I'm almost certain that I'm suppose to be doing something else oh and we're here."

Krieg and Cherry soon stood before the massive metal behemoth that made the name Grafdakka. This crude iron titan sat in an inactive charging bay, it's weapons unloaded and still strapped into the bay. Moving towards his body Krieg could possess and active the bay to release Grafdakka. Now all he needs to do is posess his body and he could be autonomous once again. But there was hesitation. After Grafdakka was freed Krieg just stood there looking at it. Cherry looked over at him, his core still pressed to her chest. Her emoticons had died down, now she only had her small LED blush in perfect ovals on her cheeks active. Her blue eyes blinked up at him.

"What's wrong, Mr. Krieg? Isn't this your body?" Then she parted her lips, turning towards him fully, a slightly pouty look on her face. "Are you not pleased?

After a moment of silence, Cherry perked up again, an idea popping into her head.

The Pleasure Android kneeled to the ground and set the core down there gently. She sat on her legs right in front of it and moved her hands up to her torso, eyes closed with a smile on her lips. She pressed somehing on the right of her upper abdomen, elciting a click, and then, like a curved cupboard, the upper portion ofher abdoment where the ribcage would usually be swung open. A nearly organized myriad of objects were inside, (including seasonal items like a travel size can of whipped cream and maraschino cherries) and she pulled open a small pink bottle, closing her abdomen with a soft 'click.'

She opened up the bottle and pressed some of the fluid into her thumb, then pressed her thumb to the top of the core twice. There, a pink heart shape was placed on the core from her efforts.

Cherry put away the tube of edible paint quickly and picked herself and the core up, kissing it once more as she looked up at Krieg, blush upon her face.

"You were made for the military, right?" Her eyes were bright again as she gazed up at him. "Well... um... I'm in the military now too. If... you don't mind, I can't defend myself out there... could we... stay together, Mr.Krieg?"

"What."

Anger became pleasure, pleasure became doubt, and now that doubt was confusion. This android was too weird for Krieg. First she just shows up and helps him, which he finds odd due to his dwarnist mentality, does odd things to his body that he isn't sure what to make of, and now she tells him that she's actually a soldier like him? Sure a lot of the Machina warriors were physically appealing and often employed sex for whatever reason, but Cherry didn't come off as the type who'd beat a man to death. But she would certainly beat him off.

"Just... What? Give me a moment." Kireg turned away and put his face into his hands. He had to seriously consider what was going on with him right now. While he was argueably Mu-01 most of the time, Grafdakka was the form he identfiies most because it was only in Grafdakka's body that he's done most of his memorable things. But after Cherry healed him he felt strange. Perhaps the demonic corruption that had first claimed him was cleansed? After all, that Succubus had only managed to lure him away by feeding his rage and fury. Perhaps Cherry was able to lift that illusion and left Krieg without said rage and fury. But now he just felt empty.

"A soldier... A soldier. You're a soldier?" Krieg turned back to Cherry, noticing that she had drawn a heart on his core for some reason. He decided not to question it for now. "Look, you and I we're made for different purposes. That core may be my real body but this," Krieg pointed up to Grafdakka. "This is where I belong. You said it yourself that you can't defend yourself. So... So.... Why? Why do you want to be with me, and why have you helped me?"

Of course thinking about it Krieg figured out why and quickly corrected himself. "Nevermind, I know why. You're a pleasure bot of course. You're suppose to make soldiers feel better about themselves. You only want to stick with me because that's what you were made for. Just like how I'm made to fight, you're made to love." Saying this made Krieg feel jaded. He enjoyed fighting, and he was sure once he got inside Grafdakka all his doubts and fears would wash away. He'd find confidence in himself and march off to war again without any fears or worries. Yet right now as Krieg he didn't have that confidence. He questioned things. He made things complicated.

"If I go inside this machine, you'll have to leave. I... I wouldn't tolerate someone who can't fight. I don't care if you could heal me, Grafdakka doesn't have patience for weaklings and deadweight. I... Thank you for your help. But your done now. I don't need your help anymore." Krieg turned his back from Cherry and looked up to Grafdakka. His face was trembling.

...

...

...

Oh she left his side quite some time ago. Cherry had gotten bored trying to listen to what he had to say and was already climbing up Grafdrakka's giant form, pulling herself easily to replace the core in its rightful spot. She was humming something while hoisting herself up onto the giant's shoulders. She looked down at where Krieg was, waving her arm and cupping a hand around her mouth as she set the core down.

"Hey, where do I put this?!"

...

...

...

...

"OH SHIT! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

It's been forever since Krieg had used the Destroya Form and some parts of him needed replacement. Krieg knew this but it wasn't relevant until he saw Cherry climb onto Grafdakka's shoulder. Just as she looked down and started shouting towards him, the shoulder plate she was on started to shift. Before Cherry would realize it, the plate she was on fell off Grafdakka and with it, Cherry and Krieg's core.

The specter had to act fast. This was no time for self reflect: he went striaght to Grafdakka, possessing him to reach out and catch Cherry in the crux of his left arm. He had no hands to catch her with so this was the safest way for him to grab her. Grafdakka now stood up on his feet, looking down at Cherry's comparatively miniature form.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? MY CORE DOES NOT BELONG ON THIS BODY. YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF HURT. I AM NOT ABLE TO REPAIR YOU IF YOU HAD DAMAGED YOURSELF."

Cherry had caught Krieg's core as she'd fallen, holding in her hands as she stared at the mecha shouting at her in her face.

Then she smiled, small heart emotcons appearing around her as her blush formed on her face. She popped up, standing on her feet on the crux of his arm, and leaned forward to press a kiss to the metal torso of the mech. She rubbed her cheek against the cold metal, when she spoke it sounded like she was melting.

"Mmm, yell at me some more...~"

The Android let out a steamy exhale.

Oh if only Grafdakka had hands. This android was werider than most demons. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if this Android is actually one of those succubi. It was the only way to explain her strange reactions to everything. Grafdakka always thought maybe he was one of the strange ones for his eagerness to fight, and certainly seemed like a freak compared to some of the more straight-laced Machina soldiers. But once more the nexus only proves that there are those who can out-do him in the strangest ways.

Letting Cherry down on the floor Grafdakka took a few steps forward away from her, shaking off loose parts until he was stripped down to his chassis. Without his factory producing him new parts he doubts this form would be ready for battle anytime soon. Hibiki did mention that he would be allowed to use his most recent upgrade, so he'll just have to go find that one soon. But he had one more problem to deal with. Turning back to Cherry Grafdakka tried his best to seem stern, though unlike his ghostly form Grafdakka lacked a face to make exrpessions.

"HMM. YOU ARE VERY TROUBLESOME. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, CLIMBING ONTO THIS BODY? CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT I AM IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR? I WAS NOT EVEN ONLINE AND I COULD HAVE DESTROYED YOU! FOR A SOLDIER, YOU ARE QUITE FOOLISH. AND WHAT IS WITH THAT PERVERTED PERSONALITY OF YOURS? ARE YOU SOME SORT OF SEX DEMON? THIS IS WAR YOU HUSSY, NOT A BROTHEL! WE DON'T NEED WHORES HERE! EVEN IF YOU DO MAKE ME FEEL GOOD!"

The Android moaned loudly, sitting on the ground, staring up at the mecha with the core situated between her open legs as she sat on her knees, heart emoticons over her blue eyes as steam poured off of her. Cherry trembled, it was clear she was enjoying this.

Letting out a mechanical sigh Gradakka walked back to his charging bay, posessing the machines to lock Grafdakka back up. Soon after Krieg left Grafdaka's to speak to Cherry in person. "Seriously. You... You just make me so confused. You make me feel happy, than worried, then angry, it's crazy. But it looks like I'm stuck with you for better or for worse, since I can't do maintence on my war machines until I get a smaller body ready." Sighing, Krieg pointed towards the exit of the factory.

"If you're going to stick with me, then you do as I say, got it? First thing's first, we need to get my new war machine. I don't need to take this big guy out of here, so I want you to carry my core to the factory. While we're out I need to find a new body to inhabit too, since Mu-01 is still too damaged. She was due for an upgrade anyways. I actually know a place for her replacement, so we'll go there after we get my new body."

"Alright...~"

Her giggle was whimsical as a windchime. She picked up his core from between the growing heat between her legs, smoothed her skirt and stood up, pressing the core to her chest protectively. No doubt the militia officials she'd been accompanying were wondering where she was right now, well, they'd have to wonder a little longer. She'd found where she needed to be.

---

Cherry/Krieg

It's been weird.

Grafdakka didn't think he'd ever find a companion. Certainly not someone like Cherry. The few times he's even considered friendship he often thought they'd be powerful fighters like Bastion, Titania, or Marquis. Instead he of all people gets saddled with Cherry, the sex bot. She was about as useful in a fight as a fifth wheel on a wagon. Sure, she could secret some sort of restorative ooze from her body, but unlike some soldiers Grafdakka lacked the parts to please Cherry. He figured that alone would have been enough to keep the sex bot away from him, but she seemed to deride pleasure riding him.

As in, sitting on his shoulder as he moved about fighting. Apparently she liked to feel the rough rumbling of his body in motion as it slammed into his foes with great fury and passion. It didn't help that Grafdakka had been using his new body, the Grind Gear. Unlike the Destroya Form that was land-based and combined melee and ranged, the Grind Gear was entirely melee and was capable of agile manuvers. Though still large and bulky it was built for both speed and durability instead of being a mobile turret like the Destroya Form.

Though despite the awkwardness between him and Cherry, she utlimately was a positive one. Grafdakka focused more on keeping her out of danger and bossing her around instead of pursueing petty vengence against Hibiki. While he still felt a bit sour, after mulling over it he can accept his punishment. He thought it was odd that he was promoted to commander anyways: his place wasn't tactics or strategy, just taking his weapons and himself to the enemy and laying waste to them.

The next battle took place in an area called Arcadia. There were many floating islands that just showed up and it was a scramble land grab. The objective was simple: Leave no survivors. That made Grafdakka utterly giddy: no complicated objectives, no need to distract enemies. Just kill everyone keeping it simple. Grafdakka was one of the first to hear of the battle and left immediately to the air feild where flying carriers would be taking them to the battlefield.

Naturally, the pleasure android had joined him, having also been called to be on the front lines for her healing abilities.

And waiting for the actual carriers was horribly boring.

"HaAAAaaahhh....~!" Cherry's small body shuddered, straddled against one of the large, vibrating pieces of armor plating on Krieg's Grind Gear shoulders. Her androidal body relaxed slowy, and she exhaled with copious amounts of warm steam pouring from her body. She laid back, relaxing completely against the flat of his shoulder, nuzzling her face up against the top of his.

"Will it be much longer...? I don't want to use up all my fluids..." Her face burned with the LED blush, her fingers walking themselves up the head of the robot that she leaned up against.

A low groan echoed from Grafdakka's body. He should really be used to this by now, but he still found Cherry's habits a bit off putting and distracting. At least she cleans up her messes. "THEY BETTER NOT KEEP ME WAITING. IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG SINCE I HAD A PROPER FIGHT!" Grafdakka's voice boomed as he loaded into the air carriers. Though there was plenty of islands to fight on, air superiority was the key to this battle. Though he did have a few tricks and ideas to utilize the envioment in battle, if he gets the chance to use it.

Once Grafdakka's carrier was loaded it flew off ahead of the rest to the battlefield. They moved fast and were given a few minutes before arriving to brief and get ready. "ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN HANG ON? I WILL NOT SAVE YOU IF YOU FALL OFF." Grafdakka's Grind Gear lacked any handholds for Cherry to hold on his shoulders, since normally people shouldn't be on his shoulder anyways. While he was a giant robot he was not a piloted back so he didn't have a cockpit either. And he never installed one because he doesn't want Cherry to make lewd comments about being inside of him.

"I'll be okay~" Cherry smiled at him, a heart emoticon appearing beside her shoulder. She'd been busy on the ride over looking out the windows and softly murmuring her amazement of the beauty of Arcadia. As she spoke, she opened up her abdominal compartment and ruffled around for something inside.

"The Militia said I just need to stay put on one of the smaller floating islands as a rest stop for the other Mechas so I can heal them when they need it. If you can take me there, I'll be able to handle myself."

She paused, then winked at him.

"Are you concerned for me, Mr. Krieg~?" She said this with a blush on her face.

Grafdakka lifted and dropped his shoulder suddenly, causing Cherry to be tossed into the air and land roughly back onto his shoulder, eliciting a small 'eep!' from the android. "THAT'S GRAFDAKKA! WHEN I AM IN THIS BODY, I AM GRAFDAKKA. REMEMBER THAT, OR I WILL GRIND IT INTO YOUR CPU!"

"Hhhh....~ Yes, sir....~" The Android clung to his shoulder to right herself, pushing her hair back with her hand as she blushed and bit her lip, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her companion.

There was about five minutes before they arrived to the battleground. Grafdakka made sure he was properly fulled, his blades sharp, and his armor in top condition (Recent staining aside). There was just one more thing to do. Opening up his chest compartment fully revealed a large nuclear reactor in the center of his body, currently dormat. Should he fall in battle or be close to capture, he had his nuclear core to self-destruct and kill himself and his enemy, leaving no trace behind. However it needed a key to activate it and that key was his Black Box. Without Mu-01 to protect it, he now needs to carry the box with him. Unfortunately without any minions and no hands of his own, he couldn't put the box in himself. That's where Cherry came in.

"CHERRY, INSERT THE CORE."

The Android nodded and slid down off his shoulder. She'd opened her comparment on her abdomen before for this now.

Her small, pale hands reached inside of her abdomen, where she had stored the Grafdakka's core very carefully, and held it now in her hands. The small heart she had imprinted on his core now still very much visible on top of it, the android briefly rubbed at it with her thumb fondly. She looked up at the Mecha with her wide, blue eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Grafdakka said simply. His core pulsated with a soft green glow, waiting for Cherry to do the deed.

The Android nodded, blush prominant on her face, as she lifted it up into Grafdakka's chest and slid it in delicately with hands made to be as gentle as possible. When it was in far enough, her finger tips pressed against the flat of the core and slid it the rest of the way in until an audible 'click' was heard. Then she leaned forward, pressing her face against the core right beside the nuclear reactor for a moment before giving it a sweet, gentle kiss. Cherry peeked up at Grafdakka with a small smile.

Shortly after Cherry inserted the core into Grafdakka's chest, the entire nuclear reactor started glowing with an awesome power, humming to life. Heat eminated from it's surface and soon coolant was sprayed onto it to keep it from overheating. Once it was stablized Grafdakka's nuclear reacted glowed at a steady beat, as if his heart had awaken. A heart capable of utterly disintergrating himself and any enemies near him. Once Cherry was safely removed from the core Grafdakka resealed his torso and they had arrived to the battlefield.

One by one other machina soldiers left to do battle. Before Grafdakka left he turned his head towards Cherry. "THIS BATTLE WILL BE CHAOTIC. I CERTAINLY INTEND TO DESTORY EVERYTHING HERE, FROM THE ISLANDS TO MY ENEMIES. YOU WILL BE SAFEST WITH ME." Probally not true, but Grafdakka didn't really care about the truth. He was keeping Cherry with him and that was final.

"Well... if it's an order from my captain, how can I refuse?" A mischeivious smile on her lips, Cherry nodded as she looked up at Grafdakka, her lower regions already moist of the idea of Grafdakka's rumbling form in battle pressing up against her. The idea alone made her giggle and blush. The Android opened up her compartment and pulled something out before closing it again.

She mounted his shoulder, climbing back on with little difficulty. The Pleasure Droid, chains in hand, fingered around on his shoulder until she'd found some small open mounting piece that had been used to stabilize the mecha on his charging dock, sliding the chains through. She held onto the chains, tugging on them to ensure they wouldn't come off easily. Being so light, there was a risk in staying on the mecha as he fought, but she'd rode him as she fought before. Cherry nodded from her mount on his shoulder.

"I'm ready."

Nodding his head Grafdakka looked forward towards the carrier's bay doors and jumped out. He fell through the skies at break-neck speeds, with G-force strong enough to have torn a normal human to shreds. But for the likes of himself and Cherry, this was just a breeze. He was falling towards an island, faster and faster by the moment, until at the last minute he activated his thrusters and charged forward towards the enemies in the distance. There was no words to describe these feelings, nor to describe his thoughts about recent events or his return to battle. So much has happened that he still needs to figure out. But if there was one thing he had to say, it was this.

"WAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The War of the Three

@Lucius Cypher I'm free now~ Please pm me somewhere we can collab then? This will be so fun~~

The War of the Three

@ReaptheMusic Gel actually is a demon and currently preoccupied with some political stuff. If you want, we could do something between Cherry and Krieg. Though Fran is my horny succubus, Krieg is actually way more straight laced and doesn't care for sex. but he could use Cherry's service to find him a new body while his current ones are being built for the next battle. It would be a awkward but funny friendship between the android courtesan and the machine of war! Perhaps Cherry could even teach Kreig how to love.

Awww, that sounds adorable, she's so light she could ride around on his mecha body with ease<3 And a relationship between the two of them would probably be very beneficial later since she can't fight worth a lick but will need to be in the battlefield and may need protection later. Maybe she could try to throw a rock if she /tried/ but the android is twenty damn pounds heavy. I love it, let's go for it~

The War of the Three

@Mega Birb ;;; If you don't want my character to approach yours, please just say so. Of course I wouldn't want another player to feel uncomfortable;;;;;

@Lmpkio A collab with a Machina? I suppose I do need somewhere to start...

The War of the Three

@KoL Plenty of butterflies for Cherry to chase while she's bored by the fighting until she's useful then, lol. Sounds nice~