"Theodore... data?"
2B questioned, her brow furrowing slightly under her visor.
"That designation is non-standard. You need to explain your presence immediately."
Before Theodore could offer a cocky reply, the metallic whine returned, louder and deeper this time.
Across the plaza, the heavy door of a ruined underground parking garage burst open, and a wave of new Machine Lifeforms poured out.
These weren't the simple bipeds; they were Goliaths—massive, multi-legged units armed with devastating energy cannons.
"Talk later, fight now!"
Theodore barked, instantly dropping into a combat stance. He glanced at 2B.
"Look, I'm here to help you win. Those things are bad news. We need to focus fire on the joints! They don't respect the laws of physics, so neither do we!"
2B, pragmatic and focused only on the current threat, acknowledged the logic of his powerful intervention.
"Pod, engage suppressing fire. Human, coordinate with my movements. Do not interfere with my primary targets."
The battle erupted immediately.
Theodore activated his enhanced speed and strength simultaneously, turning him into a wrecking ball of pure kinetic energy.
[Skill Activated: Wind Walk]
[Skill Activated: Giant Strength]
Theodore focused entirely on the largest, slowest Goliath unit.
He didn't engage in fancy footwork; he simply charged with impossible speed and delivered a single, focused attack powered by Giant Strength.
He drove the Ascalon sword into the Goliath's thick knee joint.
The impact, boosted by his stats, caused the entire massive machine to seize up, grinding its metallic teeth before collapsing into a sputtering wreck.
2B used the distraction Theodore created.
While the remaining machines focused their attention on the human whirlwind, she executed a perfect aerial sequence, slicing apart the smaller machines and using her Pod to launch a focused energy blast at the second Goliath's optical sensor array.
Her movements were fluid, precise, and entirely focused on efficiency.
A medium-sized machine attempted to flank Theodore. Before he could react, 2B's katana flashed, slicing the machine's head clean off. Theodore met her gaze, offering a quick nod of thanks.
"See? Teamwork!"
The final Goliath, infuriated, began charging its main energy cannon.
"He's charging the ultimate! Get behind cover!"
2B commanded, already retreating.
Theodore knew that 'cover' wasn't fast enough.
He used his remaining Wind Walk speed to sprint to the massive, fallen machine he had initially disabled.
He activated Giant Strength one last time and, with an inhuman effort, shoved the wrecked Goliath carcass directly into the path of the incoming blast.
KABOOM!
The energy cannon blast struck the metallic shield, causing a deafening explosion and sending massive shrapnel across the plaza.
The remaining Machine Lifeforms were incinerated in the blast, and the final threat was neutralized.
2B slowly approached the smoking wreckage.
Her Pod unit scanned Theodore, who was breathing heavily but completely unharmed, the powerful effects of his temporary stats fading.
"Unacceptable data anomaly,"
2B stated, her voice devoid of emotion, but her stance relaxed.
"Your actions provided a 78% increase in mission efficiency. Who are you, and why do you refer to this situation as a 'run'?"
Theodore wiped a speck of dust from his sword.
"I told you, I'm Theodore. I'm a Gamer. And a 'run' is just a way of saying I'm here to fix the story and make sure the good guys win. I saw you were the main character, so I came to help."
He leaned in conspiratorially.
"Look, I know what happens next. You get separated from 9S, you deal with all the philosophical dread, and then the ending gets complicated. I'm skipping the filler and going straight for the True Ending. My mission is simple: get you to the ending where you live."
2B processed the information, her CPU likely struggling to reconcile his statement with standard YoRHa protocol. She did not raise her weapon.
"A claim of omniscience is illogical, human. However, your combat ability is undeniable. You are designated as a Provisional Irregular Combat Support Unit. Your primary objective is to assist in locating the Machine Network Server. Do not interfere with YoRHa protocols unless explicitly necessary."
Theodore grinned.
"Sounds like a plan, 2B. Lead the way. Let's go find the server."
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