Arknights: Starsfall I

Chapter 23

"We are Valkyries"

Lemuel "Exusiai"
December 14th, Earth time, 2055
October 15th, Local time, 1097
Abandoned Sedentary City

Texas had to come up and shake Exusiai out of her shock. The angel girl was still looking at the big weapon that had taken out the abomination that Ramirez and Dunn was calling the "Armored Artillery Crab". Exusiai held the thing in her hands, breathing heavily, still looking at it, still... observing it. The thing practically saved their lives, so Texas understood, however, Exusiai was still fixated on the weapon. After one more firm shake and wafting an Apple Pie in front of her, Exusiai finally snapped out of it, "Ha?! Wha-?"

"Exia, you alright?" The Lupo questioned. Exusiai look right back at her. She let out a long sigh as she sets the NLAW down. "I'm fine it's just... wow that was a rush." The angel rubbed the back of her head, eyes shut as now she can process what happened, what she just did. She looks back at the thing and then at the smoldering corpse? of the monster she had just slain.

"I understand," came Texas, gently patting her on the back, "You did good with that..." she paused and looked down at the four letters, "...NLAW. I'm surprised you learned it so well." Standing, and going to get another 2 containers, Exusiai turns to face her.

"I'm surprised too, I'm thankful that it's so easy to use one these," a familiar carefree smile came back, "These things felt like a blessing to use, didn't have to focus my arts or anything!" That put Texas at ease, Exusiai seeming to revert to her good ol' personality.

Texas gave her an amused hum, as she hands Exusiai the apple pie slice, who took it with delight, "Everything is going to be alright." Exusiai nodded and gave through the amount of pie in her mouth, Mhmm! Texas turned to Ms. Sawyer who was interviewing some people.

The camera... Exusiai brought her attention back to it and she thought, deep in the back of her mind, Wonder what Mostima's doing? Did she see what I did?

She shook her head, not thinking on that now. Outside the convoy was setting up buildings and these... emplaced weapons that looked more like tubes. With sights.

How does that even work. Then again, she looked at the NLAW she just used and shrugged.

Nearly the same principle there.

"Everybody listen up," Foley came in, Carmen following close behind, "We will begin pushing further into the city in less than 5 minutes, do whatever you need before moving out." Time, a constraint.

Exusiai quickly got back to checking her magazines. As she was making sure they were loaded up, she noticed Lappland glossing over some spare M5 rifles with bayonets at the end. She looks at her blade and... actually she probably doesn't want to know as Lappland began to take 2 rifles and some duct tape.

Lord have mercy she's now armed.

The cameraman made sure the camera was still charged and everybody else took in their last deep breaths. Texas got up, just as Foley entered.

Foley had said that time was up, and everybody went outside, double file line. However, just as they got outside, a soldier from another unit began to go up to them and started to arm them with, what Exusiai can guess looking at Ramirez's gun and the one that they were being given, older models of the gun. Croissant wanted to say no, "Sorry mister, but we aren't Arts users." The soldier blinks, before laughing a little.

"You don't need Arts to fire these." Croissant was about to retort when he shoved the gun into her hand, alongside some magazines. "Should be self explanatory," he holds up the rifle when everybody got their rifles, Exusiai and Jessica still took it just Incase,and he began a short explanation. "Put the magazine here..." he puts it into the open slot, "and then hit either this," he points at a button but then at a bolt, "Or push this forward." He presses a button on the side that seemed to be striped, "Press this to release mag," to demonstrate, be pressed and allowed the magazine to drop to the dirt, "Here's the safety and select fire mode." After he points to the things, and demonstrate how to use them, he began to walk off.