(Rewritten) Ch. 29 – Armored Up

"Good combat preparations make a ritual. Have a list of vital things to do, and follow that list religiously. Never skip, never skimp.

That'll keep y'all alive while you crap your pants at the double digit crashing through the wall right next to you, because you did take care to ready that cannon you didn't think you were gonna need today.

No, it definitely wasn't something I learned the hard way. Nope."

– Road Rash, when asked about advice by fresh samurais, June 2054

***

We had my rifle-plus-Sentinel with its stored shots, the Hummingbird, and one Foxteeth. Further, I had the armored overall, a helmet I couldn't use, the visor I didn't need, and…some additional ammunition for the Foxteeth, as well as that one magazine of hypersonic rocket-powered 7.62 I'd never shot.

"Leah, I've got some armor for you that I can't actually use anymore. Saved my life, it's cheap, but good. Other stuff, too. How's the Sleeve working?"

"It fits. Can't tell how I need to move with it, yet. Maybe once I'm out?"

I turned to her, saw her tower in the middle of my bubble, and my mouth fell open. Holy crap was she tall. One ninety? Her torso was larger than mine, so I thought maybe she'd have half a head on me, but it was actually small in proportion to what the Sleeve said her legs should be!

And dangit, she had that really imposing kind of slenderness of tall people with wide shoulders, too. Her substantial curves were kind of hidden by her…greatness. The skintight Sleeve let me see them clearly, but they'd be masked by normal clothes, I thought.

Once again Leah studied me, and with a satisfied grin she said, "Like what you see?"

Nrgh. Never have I blushed so many times in so few hours. "Um. Yes. Honestly speaking, quite. I'm…surprised how much, considering my type used to be, well, me." Small, curvy, cute, adorable, sweet… You get the idea.

Now it was Leah's turn with a smattering of red across her cheeks and nose. "You really don't hold back, do you?"

"Not with you, no," I shook my head gently, smiling at her mischievously. With more serious consideration I continued, "I don't yet really have a grip on how much the biological changes that come with being a woman affect my personality, but I'll probably still be rather reserved with strangers. You aren't that. …Perk of the circumstances." I smiled at her and glanced meaningfully at my bust, causing her to blush even more.

Then she worked to assume a theatric expression, arms akimbo, and promised, "I shall have my revenge, this I swear!"

I giggled, happily drunk on the banter. Completely helpless against my charms she was, yes!

Wow, what a thought to have. Vanity-check! All present and accounted for!

I handed her the overall. "Try that on. You're almost as tall as I used to be, and it can adjust itself some. Might be a little baggy in some areas and a little tight in others, but it should work."

She bent over to step into it, and promptly had to catch herself or fall on her face. Her center of mass must've been really weird with the missing limbs.

I held back from helping, figuring she really needed the chance to get used to moving with the Sleeve. Although maybe she could fill up the legs with stones or something? Actually no, loose mass like that sounds like a terrible idea. Well, that too, she can figure out herself. She was a samurai, and the agency would do her some good.

She picked up the overall once more, and carefully started putting it on. It took her multiple attempts to balance on one foot, but she never got discouraged. When she'd finished pulling it up and it zipped itself around her and fitted itself to her contours somewhat, I had her lean into me.

"I'm gonna punch you lightly, so you can see how it protects you, okay?"

"Go for it."

As she held herself up by my shoulders, I gave her a weak gutshot. The hexagonal armor plates and the shock-absorbing gel activated and hardened up across a wide area.

"Felt that?" I asked.

"Nah, this stuff is fine. A bit loose, but it'll probably save my life."

"Yeah. It can take small arms fire, nevermind low-tier Antithesis attacks. The hood will protect your head, but actually, I've got a helmet for you. I've removed some of its active components though." I showed her the horseshoe I'd glue to my waist again. "I don't have a helmet for myself right now, but I'm generally tougher due to my enhancements." I looked up at her, and continued after a second, "I'll stay ahead of you because of that. Also because I can move freely. I don't think you'll be able to deal with surprises and ambushes quite so easily."

She nodded and said, "Yeah, that makes sense. Let's be real, I'll be busy just not falling over."

I laughed lightly, "Yeah. I'm gonna keep this thing," pointing at the horseshoe. "It was the helmet's active defense. It can stop rather large-caliber hand weapons. I'd normally prefer to give this to you as well, since I'm better protected even with you armored up. Actually, Tynea, am I?"

Yes, your Battle Skin and skeleton are tougher than the overall and helmet. You'd be fine getting shot by most modern Earth weapons less than tank cannons. Though, you might find yourself flung around by guns that you otherwise wouldn't get hurt by, depending on the kinetic energy the projectile imparts on you. You are less than half the weight you used to be.

Leah heard that, apparently, and got ideas. She picked me up and crushed me in a hug while she leaned back against the bubble to steady herself.

With a wide smile she said, "You're so friggin' cute. Why are you so smol and light, anyway?"

I decided not to struggle. I loved hugs. I'd been starved of them my entire life, and I figured I wasn't going to endanger my new source of hugs.

So instead I placed my chin atop her chest and looked up at her, with big, huge, innocent puppy eyes, like a good little girl should. Might be laying it on a bit thick.

I couldn't stop the humor from crinkling the corners of my eyes, though, which Leah reacted to with her own grin.

"Tynea, please feel free to continue transmitting your answers to Leah when I ask stuff out loud. I enjoy the results so very much."

As you command, milady.

Leah laughed that free laugh again, and regrettably I had to gag her with my tail. "Sorry, but we don't yet know how that model One got here, or how many there are. I can't hear or sense any, but let's not risk it, yeah?"

She blew the fuzz out of her mouth and nodded.

I remembered her question and answered, "I'm gonna get myself some wings once I have enough points. I wanted to wake up with them, but I would've had to give up some more crucial things. Tynea even had to knock some sense into me over it. I almost made some bad decisions concerning my enhancements due to fatigue. I would've had wings, and would've been able to fly, but probably wouldn't have survived the attempt for very long."

"Oh. Well, then I owe you thanks, Tynea. I'm glad you're keeping Tinea safe."

That is my job, worry not.

Leah squeezed me, and returned us to the topic of gearing up. "Got anything else for me?"

"Yeah, the helmet and a visor."

She let me down and I picked up the targeting computer. "This thing will let you shoot stuff around corners as long as you can get visuals on it, and have the right kind of bullet. You will, with me around. Hacked cameras, drones, whatever, for the guidance data. It's cheap, but it'll do."

"Ypsi, is it better than my eye?"

"Um! No, but you can still use it! It's good enough that the eye can sideload some functions."

Huh, I hadn't even thought of that. Glad this thing wasn't useless.

I stretched up a little to attach the thing to her face, and she steadied me at my waist. The absentminded, supportive gesture almost pushed tears into my eyes. I was so helplessly vulnerable to physical closeness… I didn't know if that was going to be a problem or not. I didn't want it to cause us any heartache, but…it also felt natural?

Finishing with the visor, I looked at my hands, especially that fingernail with the golden path above the abyss and the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'd have to watch myself, see how my behavior affected things. Figure out how much of that was the endless loneliness I'd lived with, and how much of it was just a normal, healthy need for contact.

I have no experience to judge by.

Leah watched me, curiosity written all over her face, but decided to leave me be. I thought that was a good idea, for now. I needed a chance to analyze myself before I shared more. I…didn't want to lie, not even by accident, if I could avoid it.

"Okay, helmet," I said, refocusing with a slight slapping of my cheeks. Leah grinned at the action, so I squished her face, too. "Let's see if it fits you."

"Wull, Uh cun't duu 'nuthn loik dyss," she replied and tickled my sides until I twitched away, giggling. I went to pick up the visor, but Leah waved me off, in favor of more practice. Carefully she crouched down, took it in hand, and studied it. I turned it for her the right way 'round, and she donned it.

It adjusted itself to her without issue, and she gave me a thumbs up. I hated the thing already. "I can't see your face through that, but better safe than dead."

"Oh, Ypsi? Can we do something about that?"

A moment later, my vision glitched a blink, and then I saw the front of Leah's helmet go misty, her face clearly visible to me through a thin veil of white vapor that was framed in golden lines. It looked…pretty damn cool actually. Scary, cool, atmospheric.

"Wow, that's…boss. Neat? Amazing. Just a video stream for me, or did you do something to the helmet?"

"Just you. But this is the aesthetic I go for with my gear. Same as the eye, really."

"Yeah. The Warforge stuff? What does it do?"

"Yup. It's basically hella fast, armored infantry, tanks, even artillery capable of close quarters combat. You see it, you think 'alien Blitzkrieg'. The aesthetics are alien, yet really graceful."

"Huh. Heavy. mobile. graceful. Those aren't adjectives I thought would go in the same sentence, but…I think we could work together really well, you know? I'm gearing up for dextrous flying. Dragonfly-style."

"Aerial combat? That does line right up, I think. I could probably offer you a really solid platform to, uh, sally forth from. Motherships, sorta. Once I've got the points, that is."

I smiled at her, and picked up the weapons. "Then let's get ready. I've got three weapons. The rifle and Sentinel atop it, the self-guiding Hummingbird, and this cheap Foxteeth Model-D. The Sentinel takes care of guidance for the rifle and the Foxteeth. That leaves the Hummingbird as the solo weapon."

"If you don't mind, I'll take the Hummingbird," said Leah. "It'd be good if I had a hand free to catch myself, plus you're up front. Take the bigger guns."

"Alright. Uh," I looked down at my nakedness. "Lemme dress, real quick."

Accompanied by Leah's amused snort, I slipped into my wannabe-bathrobe and tied it closed with a series of sticky silk threads, which I covered with non-sticky silk patches. I fixed some of the tailoring along the way, too. The support and stuff.

Then I made sure I had my defenses equipped, and all the replacement magazines tucked away. I let the Sentinel chamber the rifle with the first HSRP cartridge.

Then, with a last check, I declared, "Good to go. Any last ideas?"

Leah leaned down, hugged me tightly, and let go. I smiled back, and waited for her reply.

"Nope. Ready as I'll ever be."

Turning around, I crawled through the tunnel first.

***