"You're late, Nine! And what are you wearing!?"
Entering the changing room, Nine found her two fellow Valkyries waiting, already in their battle suits. She did arrive right on time, however that didn't stop Zero Three from voicing complaints as she was used to doing.
"Sorry about that, Three. Doctor had a few things he wanted to discuss, that's why-"
"The old man?" The young looking Valkyrie frowned at the mention of their physicist. "What does he want from us now? Couldn't it wait till after the examination?"
"Well, we just happened to meet at the library, that's all."
As she spoke, Nine removed the tight uniform she had on freeing her bosom and revealing the leotard-like battle suit hidden underneath. Turning to her locker, she proceeded to attach the exoskeleton that was inside one part at a time on the shoulders, back, arms, hips then legs and feet. Once that was done she noticed she'd yet to undo her braid, however seeing how convenient it was while changing she decided to keep it that way, realizing it would help her while on the move.
"Doctor… huh…"
Zero Five's quiet mutter didn't go unnoticed by the other two. She usually only spoke when necessary so it took them by surprise when they heard her voice.
"He's a curious person, isn't he?" Zero Five asked, emulating the way a young girl would act when being bashful.
"Yes." Nine replied with a beaming smile. "He's one interesting human."
"Interesting? That old man?" Walking to the exit, Zero Three came to a sudden stop and turned to the other two with a disgust-filled expression. "I've seen corpses livelier than him!"
"He is an adult, after all." Nine walked past her and into the next room. "Though he's supposed to be around my age. Well, the age I'm made to be, not my actual age."
"Doctor is twenty six." Said Zero Five as she followed behind the other two. "He might not look like it but he's still in his youth."
The floor below them began to move like a treadmill and the walls around them opened up with mechanical arms moving out. A few things were attached to the exoskeleton on each of the girls; small propellers on the feet and hips, chest pieces of different sizes, wing-like shoulder pads that pointed backward, arm and leg guards… etc.
"He's only twenty six!" Zero Three exclaimed. "I thought he was at least a hundred!"
"Humans usually don't live that long, Three." Said Zero Five. "Especially nowadays, with the war and whatnot."
"He's still so young yet he acts like a geezer. No wonder he always looks so miserable."
Holding her hand out, Zero Three caught the handle of a box-like case one of the mechanical arms moved in front of her.
"I think the Doctor is under a lot of pressure." Nine she took her own case, which was quite a bit larger. "No matter how much we resemble humans, in the end we're still weapons. It's only natural that he'd get stressed from being so close to us."
"Hah! I think the word you're looking for is coward." Zero Three shot back.
"No, I don't think that's the case." Zero Five replied, checking the long thin case in her hands before strapping it to her back just like the other two. "Unlike other humans, Doctor doesn't give us any special treatment. The way he behaves around us is no different from how he behaves around people."
"And how would you know?"
A blinding light poured into the room as the shutters at the front began lifting.
Walking outside the three found themselves on the usual runway. It was empty with no one in sight; only a few drones moved about here and there taking care of their usual tasks. The sun was approaching the zenith and the heat, accompanied by the clicking sound of cicadas, reminded everyone that it was the middle of summer.
"Come to think of it..." Nine began, turning to glance at the shortest among them. "Doctor warned you not to use the outdoor pool often, didn't he?"
"Yeah, I don't really get what's the problem." Zero Three replied, standing apart from the others while they stretched their limbs preparing for the takeoff.
"Isn't it obvious?" Said Zero Five. "It might not be on the same level as humans, but the sun damages our skin nonetheless. It's better to conserve resources by reducing what needs repairing as much as possible."
"Who cares? It's barely noticeable so there is no point!"
"Not according to the headquarters."
With her argument instantly shut down, Zero Three turned on her propellers and took off into the sky. Seeing the way she acted caused Zero Five to sigh. Nine on the other hand only smiled as she started her propellers as well.
"What?" Noticing the blonde one's gaze on her, Zero Five asked with clear annoyance. Her long ponytail swayed as she began to float. A couple of seconds later the two were flying through the sky at an easy pace.
"You seem a little talkative today, Five." Nine spoke with her usual smile. "Normally, you barely participate in small talk like this."
"Really?"
"Yes. At most, you'd make a short comment, but that's it."
A minute of silence passed while the two glided through the air. The world around them seemed to gradually change, and at some point, everything seemed to turn red. The grass-covered plains, the ruins of an abandoned city, the snow-covered mountain peak. It was as if everything was being displayed through a red filter.
This was the Red District; the blood-tainted lands ravaged by the Calamities and the territory currently under their control.
Once they were in, it seemed like Zero Three had slowed down so she would stay in their line of sight. Because of that, the other two didn't feel the need to hurry and catch up with her.
"Actually, yesterday I asked Doctor if he sees me as a human."
When the conversation resumed, what Zero Five said was so shocking that Nine lost her balance for a moment.
[WHAT!!!?]
Going by the shout that came from their communication devices it became clear that Zero Three was still keeping an ear on the conversation.
"And? What was his answer?" Eager for an answer, Nine got dangerously close to her ponytailed friend.
"He said to never mention it again." Zero Five replied. The sigh that escaped her telling of her disappointment. "Apparently, humans are scared of that question."
[They hate being grouped with us, that's all.] Zero Three's voice rang in their ears. [We're just tools they made so they wouldn't have to do the fighting.]
"I think they're afraid of us hurting them." Nine said, turning to the right after having caught something in the corner of her eye.
"I don't know about that." Zero Five's cheeks began to redden as she remembered when he stated his reason. "He said I was too beautiful to be human."
Before they could react to that last sentence, the three Valkyries turned in the same direction with hardened expressions.
[D class Calamity detected.] Said Zero Three. Being the closest to it she was the first to get a scan on the unidentified flying object.
It was a large cone-like shape rotating around itself slowly as it flew at a steady pace. The Calamities had no set shape or form so there was no way to know how they fought. It was one of the reasons humans were unable to do much against them at the beginning of the war.
The Valkyries had two courses of action after encountering a Calamity; they could either take it down as fast as possible before it could retaliate, or observe it until they learned of a way to destroy it. The first option was always preferable.
"Keep your distance, Three. Don't engage." Said Nine, taking the case off her back.
Pressing a switch on the handle she carried it with, the case split into multiple blocks that shuffled repeatedly until they formed a new shape. In her hands, Nine now held a large rifle with a long barrel that was almost as tall as her.
Still in the air, the blonde Valkyrie took a stance and prepared to shoot her shot.
Her eyes quickly adjusted locking onto the target without the use of a scope. A moment passed as she waited for the bullet to charge and once it was ready she pulled the trigger. A ray of light shot out from the barrel heading straight toward the unidentified object and exploding upon contact.
The Valkyries kept their eyes on the smoke cloud that had formed waiting to get a visual on the target. A few seconds later the smoke dispersed showing the Calamity as it changed shape having survived Nine's attack without a scratch.