It took me loo recover from my own attack than it did to -up the mess. I was still a little dizzy while I lying the flesh melters to the corpse, and my ears didn’t sting until I finished applying a thick yer of quick setting foam to fix the hole the shrimp opened in my defensive line. When I was dohe street still looked like a disaster area, but at least it was retively secure again.

  You should sit down, your body is still rec. Nyx said, as I stumbled my way bato the base.

  “Thanks, I hadn’t sidered that,” I paused as the two bots that I had bought to cover me on the roof jumped down from the wall to join me. “Nyx, why am I looking at two rabbits?”

  You wanted something fast, so I had to make some adjustments to the basic bear pattern. These are much faster thaher models, but less tanky.

  “And they’re rabbits because…”

  I figured you’d want a way to differentiate them from the others. A ‘rabbit response squad’ if you would.

  I grabbed my head with one hand and groaned, “My head is still killing me, and you’re making puns.”

  If I hadn’t made the pun you would have, eventually.

  “... you’re probably right, as much as I hate to admit it. So how fast are these guys?”

  About four to five times faster than your bears, fast enough to keep up with you at a dead run.

  I paused, “I’m not that fast.”

  You didn’t notice, but Bandit tried to follow you when you fronted Magpie, and only really caught up as she was leaving. You’re signifitly faster than your team now.

  “Ahhh…” I g my bears, which were still methodically killing off Antithesis approag from the north, then sighed. “Now that I have the points they’re due for an upgrade. Plus I should really establish a few standard bot models that’ll be needed going forward. What’s my point total right now?”

  You’re at 104,523 points, and two tokens.

  “How much?”

  I said 104,523 and two tokens, but that value has been increasing rapidly due to the number of Antithesis smashing into your defenses.

  “Fuck me… I thought I had a lot when I had eight thousand st week. I upgrade my bears to Css III with all that?”

  Unfortunately no, one of the rules the protectors established is that in order to open a Css III catalog you o have already unlocked multiple Css II catalogs that are reted. You already have the Css II Robotisor Modules catalog, but you’ll need a few more before unlog Css III.

  “A…” I moaned. “Fihen, I guess I work with the Css I and II stuff for now. Where to start…”

  I sat on the bumper of my trud pulled off my helmet, my eyes skimmed over the team and were quickly drawn to Heavy. Uhe other bears he just refused to take cover and, over the course of a few minutes, he took a couple O-o the face, already dead from the PDS system but still flying, and half a dozen model fifteen spihat got through.

  “What is up with him, is he defective or something?”

  It seems to be how his AI is developing, w towards a protector and front line bat.

  “He looks like a pin cushion.”

  I didn’t say he was great at it.

  “The’s fix that. I purchase the remaining enviroal hardening blueprints, along with some heavy armor and apply it to him?”

  It would be difficult. He’d have trouble carrying all that weight, so you’d need a slightly bigger frame and heavy duty actuators for it to work.

  “But he’d be able to take whatever’s thrown at him, right?”

  To a point. His frame would be about as strong as Bobs was, and you saw even that had limits.

  I winced, and turo look at the big bear. Bob was still sitting in the repair bay, but he was lookier-ish. Less cave. Progress was slow, but I still held out hope that his auto repair funs would ki soon.

  “Add everything required for it to the top of the list, right after Css II Matter Refiguration Maes.”

  You want to upgrade your Creation Engine?

  “If I’m going to standardize I might as well get the forces up to Css II, less losses that way and,” I g Bob’s frame again, “more options fetting my boys ba their feet.”

  Noted.

  “As for the others. I want to get some AI into at least one bear on each team, so I don’t have to mianage when my forces grow. That’ll go into Spooky. Dusty get the new rabbit speed upgrade, without the facade, and for Deadbeat.” Evelyn paused for a moment, “I probably need a support bot, but I’m unsure what that’ll entail right now.”

  You know you don’t o figure this all ht this moment.

  “I know,” I huffed, “but it doesn’t hurt to start getting this down. on wise Bandit needs something with more punch, maybe the ability to mark targets.”

  You could unlock a Designated Marksman Rifle, or DMR, catalog. They have more accuracy, and power, than battle rifles, while being more maneuverable than sniper rifles.

  “Perfect. Rabbits get the XRs going forward, sihey reposition, along with a lighter on. SMGs maybe?”

  That could work.

  “Finally Heavy and his poraries need something to sweep hallways, or tunnels. Maybe a heavy mae gun?”

  If I may, the Css I Shotgun catalog might also be an option. There are a couple fully automatic, eve fed options, which would be exceptionally powerful in close quarters.

  I hmmm’d. “Let’s split the difference, maybe find a heavy ons catalog that has both energy and ventional ons so I adjust to the situation. Plus that probably meshes better with my Area Denial catalog in the long run”

  I’ll add it to the list.

  I nodded, my eyes were strangely heavy and I was having trouble keeping them open. “We’ll upgrade the Creation engine first, then work on individual upgrades after that.” I yawned, “I’m feeling pretty tired all of a sudden.”

  You’ve been running off adrenaline, fixing issues and fighting ever since your team nded. I could give you a pick me up…

  “Ns!”

  Or I could give you a meal a you nap for a couple mihe area is retively safe at the moment, and I wake you if there are any issues.

  I thought for a moment, then nodded. “Nap now, upgrade after. Also, remio che with the rest of the team when I’m up.”

  do.

  Slowly I made my way around to the side of my truck, opehe back door, and colpsed on the back seat. I was asleep so fast that I didn’t eve a ce to close the door behind me.