MATIS || Drake, Maxwell and Laplace.

Drake, the most colorful of the three, possesses a tall and imposing appearance, yet she inspires a certain confidence, perhaps due to her constant smile, her sharp yet relaxed gaze, or the fact that she is the most benevolent not only in Matis, but in all of Misilis Industry. Her light, shiny silver hair is short, covering the nape of her neck and lightly touching the upper part of her back, not quite reaching her shoulders, with two black metal clips between two parallel strands of hair, framing her face. She has an imposing yet calm gaze; it's often difficult to discern what she's expressing, but it becomes much more apparent when she speaks. Her reddish pupils are capable of glowing during combat. Her neatly trimmed white eyebrows and almost protruding canine teeth accentuate her fierce personality. She has small ears, and on her right ear she has a kind of black hoop, with a rectangular red ribbon with a white letter that can be an N or a Z, next to a square, also white. She wears armor with red and black, sometimes silver, outlines, made of fabric, latex, and metal. In addition, she has a cape that reaches just above her knees, red in the back and white in the front. It (unfortunately) covers her thick, fleshy buttocks, which are accentuated by the latex covering her entire torso. The cape is fastened with a futurist biker strap. Black predominates from her neck to her feet, tight, form-fitting latex draped over her torso, highlighting her navel and abs. Her neckline is slightly separated by a silver embellishment. The only exposed parts of her body are her shoulders and hips. The latter are clearly visible through the separation between her "pantyhose" (which is more metal and latex, more on that later) and her upper suit, further accentuating the flesh of her already large and striking thighs. Thanks to the suit's design, it also highlights her crotch, protected by silver metal. Her arms are covered by two gloves that reach above her elbows, with latex combined with metal in futuristic designs. Red accents adorn her fingers and wrists. She usually holds three cartridges for her sawed-off shotgun between the fingers of her left hand, while carrying the aforementioned weapon in her right. She loads it with masterful grace, making it appear as light as a pistol with such ease. That is the casual power of a Nikke. Both the cape and the futuristic tights are decorated. The cape has a full section that covers one of her breasts, which is also covered with a black metal protrusion that functions as an external bra over the latex torso suit. This protrusion is shaped like a white and red "M," perhaps uniquely symbolizing the Missilis industry. On her left thigh, just above her knee, there's a decoration resembling some kind of animal, perhaps a cartoon rabbit. This might be a reference to the fact that in Japanese she has the same voice as Exia, who has a rabbit skin (interestingly, Exia has a skin with a Drake plushie. This is completely irrelevant and no one will notice; I don't know why I'm writing it). There's another, slightly less visible mark on the same leg, higher up. It might be a half-M, since it has the same decoration as the mark on the cape. Drake's black tights begin with a rectangular point above the thighs, adorned with a red, rectangular decoration. The latex and metal of his outfit are more prominent here, highlighted by the glossy black and silver colors. He has knee protection in the form of an elongated hexagon with two protrusions that might resemble a pair of red horns. The same design is found on both knees. His feet follow the same pattern, featuring a protruding metal decoration, this time without any specific shape, more akin to the front of safety boots, also with red horns, perhaps also made of metal. But don't let appearances deceive you; these boots are extremely elastic, perfect for the cover-based combat style favored by the NIKKE. Desperate is the name of her imposing shotgun, its design mirroring her attire—a combination of grayish metal, black, and red. The whole is a clear display of primal ferocity. Drake is seen more as a predator, capable of roaring when unleashing her most powerful attack: a reddish, gleaming blast that strikes from the sky (or the ground, depending on your perspective). Activating it grants her a greater reloading capacity, as if her shotgun were alive. Her grunts, screams, and roars perfectly complement her savage aura, while her face is covered by an imposing mask of the same aesthetic: a glossy black with red reflective accents. The only human and immaculate feature about her is her beautiful, almost silvery-white hair, which shines and casts shadows on the rubble she treads upon on the battlefield.

On the other hand, there's Maxwell, who could be considered the brains of the team, the voice of reason in Matis. She's the most affable of the three, with a charisma that differs from Drake's savagery or Laplace's heroism (we'll talk about Laplace later). No, Maxwell is guided more by words than actions. Her ability to understand and comprehend any situation is beyond impressive. Her appearance begins with short, slightly dark blond hair, separated by various strands, some loose, and parallel to her face, there are two larger strands that reach her shoulders. In her right ear, she has three piercings of different sizes, one larger than the other, or smaller than the other, depending on how you look at it. Her right cheek has what appears to be a black bandage, and she uses an intercom in her left ear; that is, she's the one who communicates with the base during battles on the surface. She wears a cap with only a portion at the front; the rest is a band, perhaps plastic, that encircles her head, supporting a grayish section with two even grayer, gem-like protrusions and the Missilis Industry logo in the center. She has blue eyes that are difficult to read, but which initially suggest confidence and a willingness to engage in conversation. Her eyes are much more focused than those of her colleagues.

Her clothing is almost the opposite of Drake's; she's much more exposed, at least in the torso. She wears a small tank top that doesn't cover her abs, though on her back she carries a kind of mostly white metal protector, which perhaps functions as a backpack for supplies or ammunition and also bears the Misilis logo. Aside from that, her torso is completely bare, revealing muscular and defined abs—nothing abominable, but certainly surpassing the average human or Nikke. This is also a clear indication that despite her intellectual capacity and neutrality, she remains an offensive Nikke, made to destroy Raptures. In that sense, she's no different from the savage Drake, for example. Her arms are also almost bare. On her left arm, she wears a kind of watch, perhaps created by herself, and on her right, a yellow armband with the Misilis logo, perhaps indicating that she is the leader of Matis. The truth is, the creator doesn't quite remember who the leader is. Her hands are covered by gloves, which don't appear to have a rigid texture, suggesting they're used to ease the discomfort of carrying such a heavy weapon. On her shoulder is some kind of identification, perhaps bearing her name. Her hips are accentuated by the unusual shape of her tights/trousers, which end in a prominent V-shape, greatly emphasizing her lower torso, especially her groin. The tights are held up by two prominent black mechanical grips that don't look very comfortable. But that doesn't bother a NIKKE. Moving on to her legs, her leg armor gives her lower body a strong and imposing appearance, resembling the paws of a predator, like a leopard or a tiger. The synthetic fabric of the trousers has a single dominant color: a strong, deep, dark green, similar to a jungle swamp, reminiscent of the commanders' attire in this world. What indicates that this garment functions as armor and not just clothing are its lines, the separations between each part etched into the synthetic metal, giving it a very powerful appearance; with a single kick, she could topple a pillar. She wears knee guards similar to Drake's, though more subtle, like herself, in a shiny silver color, and they are related to the protection on her feet. Apparently, this lower part of her clothing functions as hardened pantyhose, since she doesn't seem to wear shoes or boots like Drake does. A hexagonal pattern can be seen on Maxwell's thighs, a common sight in laboratories, and indeed, she has the intelligence of a scientist, and the aesthetic sense of one. Although they are small lines, there is also a touch of yellow on her pants, perhaps to match her distinctive hair.

As a weapon, she carries a sniper rifle with a considerably unique design, named Grapevine. Its aesthetic is quite different from any other weapon seen in Missilis, because it doesn't have an eccentric, wild, or cute design; in fact, it doesn't look like a firearm per se, but rather resembles an experimental prototype fresh out of a laboratory. It's predominantly white with a rectangular shape. Unlike conventional firearms that use gunpowder, Maxwell's cannon uses electromagnetism to accelerate a projectile to hypersonic speeds. The projectile doesn't stop upon impact; it passes through the enemy and continues its trajectory, allowing it to hit multiple parts of a boss (such as turrets and the body simultaneously) or several enemies in a line. It's capable of easily causing collateral damage with charged shots. Maxwell doesn't just fire; she sets the stage. Her "artillery" operates under a logic of preparation and execution.

Charge Synergy: Her passive abilities increase Charge Speed and Charge Damage. This represents Maxwell calibrating the gun's magnets to fire faster and harder. Attack Buff: Upon entering Burst mode, Maxwell provides a massive attack boost to the two most powerful allies. Thematically, it's as if she's sharing the tactical data from her visor with the team. Shot Anatomy. When Maxwell activates her Burst, the weapon's structure changes: Deployment: The compact rifle expands and connects to her suit's power systems. Electromagnetic Charge: A visible energy buildup is generated at the tip (represented by the percentage charge on screen). Instant Impact: Due to the projectile's velocity, there is no bullet drop or significant travel time; the damage is virtually instantaneous.

As a rather curious detail, Maxwell's tights visually function as leggings or workout pants. What does this mean? It means her buttocks are more defined than ever. That area is also noteworthy: a firm and toned backside, whose flesh possesses an unyielding hardness, though it can also jiggle. But it requires such effort that when she does, it's clear Maxwell is doing it on purpose. With her buttocks outlined by the "leggings," her buttock cleft is perfectly visible, and on er lower back, she has a kind of "tail" that connects directly to her weapon, which has various functions. Grapevine has only one individual charger, which doesn't work like a regular one; it's literally a battery (with a design clearly inspired by Duracell batteries), and is connected to the aforementioned tail.

Finally, we have Laplace, who, despite not being the leader, is the most remarkable member of Matis, both for her history and her personality. Her hair is long and blonde, a much lighter and brighter blonde than Maxwell's, styled in double ponytails tied with protective metal bows, with two protrusions shaped like rabbit ears, combining blue, gray, and black, the predominant colors in her clothing. On her chest is a kind of cape or button in the shape of an elongated rectangle, shiny and greenish in hue; it is not merely aesthetic, it is absolute protection, a force field that she activates at will and that covers her from head to toe and has formidable resistance. A "hero's cape." Otherwise, she wears armor and garments with a texture similar to latex; in this sense, she has an aesthetic similar to Drake's. She has armor that covers only her chest, coccyx, and legs, in shades of blue and white. The rest of his body is completely covered in a black latex suit that outlines his figure, but he is mostly covered by a large white coat. With a cold-weather collar at the nape of his neck, this coat reaches to the back of his knees and is quite thick. He has arm guards over the coat that may aid in his grip on his weapon, and their design is reminiscent of the Flex cables commonly used in various devices, such as cell phones or game consoles. His gloves are a mix of gold, black, and blue, the same colors as his weapon. He has a large mouth with a confident and hopeful smile, and unlike Maxwell, his large blue eyes are extremely restless and always wide open; he never looks in the same direction for more than 5 seconds, constantly shifting his gaze between different directions. He has a Missilis logo, identical to the one Drake wears, on his chest, but on the left side. These few examples illustrate a clear contrast between Drake and Laplace. Although their interactions are always friendly or professional, their personalities, goals, and ways of being are completely opposite. Simply put, Laplace is a hero, Drake a villain (or tries to be one). This difference in ideals clashes with the moral laws that define a human being. But both are blinded by NIMPH; both are incapable of recognizing the fear of death because they are merely powerful robots, nothing more. When all three were infected by the Raptures, they were cured and their NIMPH was removed, which sets them apart from humanity. This primarily changed Laplace and her view of heroism drastically. It's not easy when you feel you might die and can't stop thinking about it, but we'll discuss that in more detail later. He wields a Rocket Launcher, clearly demonstrating his explosive and active nature, though Drake rivals him for that title. Named Hero's Sight, it's a long-range weapon that fires energy projectiles. Unlike other rocket launchers, Laplace's has a larger blast radius depending on how long he charges, representing the "intensity" of his justice. Plasma Railgun (Burst Skill): By activating his ultimate ability, Laplace attaches his rocket launcher to the stabilizers on his back to fire a continuous energy beam. Functionality: This beam completely ignores enemy defenses and has a Pierce effect. Damage Stack: As the beam strikes, the damage increases if it remains on the same target, ideal for melting massive bosses.

When you meet Drake, her personality quickly becomes apparent: a completely impulsive and tough-as-nails girl, but one who knows how to do her job as Nikke. She has great charisma and a knack for charming anyone, even though she's not very bright or good at reading between the lines. She also competes with Laplace to see who gets to keep the one brain cell they share. She's the most outgoing of the Matis group, by far the most social, to the point that she landed a second job as a maid. Or something like that... Outside of her "work hours," she likes to spend most of her time at the Ark, carrying out her malevolent supervillain activities. These include helping the elderly cross the street, putting out fires, apprehending criminals who cross her path, and other terrible deeds. You get the picture, right?

She takes her goal very seriously, claiming to want to be the greatest villain ever known, but her nature compels her to be extremely benevolent. It's not because she does it against her will; she herself is too righteous and morally strong, and this results in her performing extremely altruistic actions. However, she doesn't realize this; she confuses being a good person with being a villain.

So, if we apply that logic, yes, she is the greatest supervillain seen in the Ark, and other supervillains in society should learn from her. This is what happens at home, but on the surface, she's someone else entirely, a beast that hunts other beasts. Her screams, roars, and growls are the most audible sounds during Matis's battles, as she destroys Raptures with the power of her Desperate shotgun—a fitting name. This is how she leaves her enemies as she opens fire. Her sharp, menacing design, combined with that primal red color, white hair that denotes her inhumanity, and red eyes as sharp as her attacks, gives her everything to be a predatory animal. This further fuels her desire to be a villain; after all, she has the appearance and savagery of one.

From the moment of her activation, she was designed with cutting-edge capabilities that set her apart even among other advanced Nikkes, most notably her body's innate ability to detect and scan radio waves, which allows her to sense the presence of Raptures and other electromagnetic anomalies on the hostile surface world above the Ark. This sensory prowess has proven indispensable during high-stakes surface operations, enabling Matis—alongside her squadmates Laplace and Maxwell—to achieve remarkable success rates in missions where failure means total annihilation. As one of Missilis's premier assets, Drake has participated in numerous critical campaigns, including the recovery of Heretic fragments from ancient cooperative sites shared with the Absolute squad, where rushed deployments without resupply left the team critically low on power and vulnerable to discovery and corruption by buried Material H tentacles. She and her squadmates were subsequently cured using a Vapaus bullet harvested from a prior operation against Modernia, an event that destroyed their restraining NIMPH nanomachines and granted them true free will—sparking widespread fear among Ark civilians that the now-unshackled heroes might turn rogue. Drake herself remained largely indifferent to the resulting protests demanding their re-imprisonment under NIMPH, simply going along with Syuen's schemes to restore their reputation, such as the ill-fated activation of a defensive wall facility that inadvertently allowed Raptures to breach the Ark's defenses. Through it all, she has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her squad in battles against overwhelming threats like the Massive Object, protecting specialized pairs during bunker-buster deployments, and even clashing with titanic Phantom entities and visitors from parallel worlds during oceanic D-Wave investigations.Yet beneath this heroic exterior lies the core of Drake's identity: a self-proclaimed villain who desperately yearns for infamy rather than acclaim. In stark contrast to Laplace's earnest aspiration to embody perfect heroism, Drake has always chafed at being known merely as "a member of Matis." She dreams of her name echoing through the Ark as the ultimate dastardly force, the super ultra mega villainess whose evil deeds would etch her into legend far beyond any squad affiliation. Outwardly arrogant, irascible, and prone to dramatic outbursts—complete with theatrical declarations like "Yes, it is I, the greatest villain of them all! Bow before me!"—she is, in truth, far too kind-hearted and airheaded for genuine malice. Her "villainous" ambitions manifest in comically petty schemes that inevitably backfire into acts of profound good, much to her eternal frustration. This ironic duality defines her existence: she decries real violence or terrorism as "going too far," and her every attempt at wickedness only elevates her status as an unwitting savior of the Ark.This internal conflict comes to full bloom in her personal exploits alongside the Commander of the Outpost. One day, convinced that forming a League of Villains would amplify her notoriety, Drake sets up a recruitment stand outside the Outpost, dragging the Commander into her plot. Prospects prove dismal: she rejects a helmetless Sugar for "unsafe riding," watches Maxwell casually wander away uninterested, shoos off an eager Neon before Anis intervenes, and outright dismisses Guillotine's application before scrapping the league idea entirely. Undeterred, she pivots to solo "evil deeds" with the Commander as her reluctant accomplice. Their first caper is a dine-and-dash at a rundown restaurant run by an elderly woman whose daughter had once been a Nikke under Drake's watch— a brave fighter Drake had saved multiple times on the surface until the young woman's luck finally ran out in battle. Drake, a secret regular who visits whenever the owner seems to miss her child most, orders everything on the meager menu, devours it all (including the Commander's portion), and "pays" only with a rare autograph. The owner, overjoyed by the visit and the memento, refuses any real payment, revealing how Drake's coincidental kindnesses have kept the struggling business afloat through grief. To Drake, this was the height of villainy—exploiting the vulnerable—but it instead sparks a boom as word spreads of the "heroic" autograph and the excellent food, drawing crowds and revitalizing the eatery.Emboldened, Drake escalates her schemes downtown, cutting an endless line at the sole Sliced Splendamin stall by flashing her Matis credentials and buying out every last product and ingredient. Next comes a public disturbance in a residential district, shouting Matis slogans to disrupt studying students—only to flee when a crowd gathers—followed by deliberately walking in the middle of a bike path to "cause chaos." Returning to the Outpost to bask in the anticipated media outrage, Drake instead watches in horror as the news celebrates her "deeds": the restaurant's surge in popularity, the Sliced Splendamin ingredients revealed to contain dangerous industrial waste (which she had unwittingly removed from circulation, saving countless citizens from poisoning), the crime-ridden neighborhood now boasting zero burglaries as thugs surrendered out of fear that the "villain" Drake was prowling, and even the bike path incident improving pedestrian safety by making cyclists more cautious. Mortified by her rising hero stock, she vows drastic measures.Her next plot targets the annual "A Lament for the Lost" concert, a solemn memorial for those who perished before reaching the Ark during the initial Rapture invasions. Drake plans to sabotage it by storming the stage unannounced to sing, dragging the Commander into hiding in the musicians' waiting room. There, they overhear two Nikkes from the terrorist group Heavenly Ascension plotting to bomb the event, muttering their ominous "May the light guide us to heaven." True to her twisted logic, Drake praises their "evil" and invites them to join her nonexistent league, proposing a joint stage takeover. When they attack and attempt self-destruction, she swiftly disarms them, electrocutes their explosives, and scolds their plan as cartoonishly amateurish. The curtains rise to reveal the audience and performers witnessing Drake standing triumphantly over the neutralized terrorists—cementing her as the concert's savior and the Ark's newest hero.The following day, news reports flood the Ark hailing Drake for foiling the bombing alongside her prior "good deeds," driving her to rock bottom as she demands the Commander call her "garbage" for failing so spectacularly at villainy. Laplace and Maxwell burst in with effusive praise, viewing her as an inspirational paragon; Laplace even commits to special training to match her example, while Maxwell probes for tactical details, forcing Drake into awkward lies. Undaunted in her delusion, Drake unveils her "master plan": first become the indispensable hero and benefactor of the Ark, earning unwavering trust, then betray everyone in their hour of greatest need to unveil her true villainous colors. The Commander can only smile inwardly, knowing that as long as Drake exists, the Ark will remain safe—her every attempt at evil doomed to produce only good.Deepening this persona is her cherished Terrifier figurine, a memento from an old anime whose "greatest villain" inspired her entire villainous aspiration. In later escapades following her maid-service atonement during a botched terrorist incident at a cafe (where a stray explosive injured others, prompting her reluctant fill-in role to make amends), Drake integrates the figurine as the "newest member" of her Villain Union. She reenacts its "evil deeds"—leaving generic curse notes like "Give up! You'll never make it!" under plates at the Maid Cafe (which Soda unwittingly serves around, later revealed to motivate customers positively toward life decisions) and attempting to break handcuffs at the police station by luring officers away with a false report (foiled when the figurine's head snaps off in frustration). At a toy store, repairs reveal Terrifier's true anime arc: initially seeming villainous, the character ultimately sacrifices heroically for others. Undeterred, Drake treasures the figurine all the more as her first "cool" spark, posing for photos and declaring herself the inevitable hero whose villainous mask ensures peace. Whether comforting grieving mothers, cleaning defaced statues in simulated worlds, or racing for legendary seasonings in interdimensional baking contests, Drake's every step—intentional or not—reinforces her as the Ark's steadfast guardian, a hero forever masquerading as its greatest villain.

Maxwell was once a brilliant, self-made human scientist renowned for her groundbreaking work, operating out of a modest personal laboratory she had built with her own hands and resources. Her passion for machines, knowledge, and innovation consumed her days entirely, leaving little room for anything else as she pushed the boundaries of what was possible in her field. Fame followed her achievements, drawing attention from powerful entities even before the Raptures descended upon her isolated lab one fateful day. The invasion came swiftly and without mercy; overwhelmed and unable to escape or secure backups of her irreplaceable research data, she perished amid the chaos, her life's work seemingly lost forever in the ruins.Missilis Industry, ever opportunistic in its pursuit of technological supremacy, took notice of her legendary reputation even in death. They recovered what remained of her and revived her as a Nikke, transferring her exceptional mind and expertise into a new mechanical body engineered for combat and creation alike. This resurrection not only preserved her genius but elevated her status within the company; she became one of Missilis's most accomplished researchers and an integral success story of the Matis squad project, initially serving as an overseer before fully integrating as a core member. As a Nikke, she retained fragments of her human identity—enough to fuel a deep, lingering attachment to her past self—but she consciously drew a sharp line between the two existences, referring to her human era and her current Nikke life as distinctly separate to cope with the transformation and the losses it represented.Now known simply as Maxwell, she serves as the intellectual powerhouse and technological ace of Matis, Missilis Industry's elite squad. Alongside the heroic idealist Laplace and the dramatic villain-obsessed Drake, she acts as the rational anchor, the voice of reason who diffuses their exaggerated antics while designing and refining the majority of the squad's advanced weaponry and equipment on the fly. Her weapon of choice, a custom shotgun she affectionately calls "My Cutey," embodies her inventive spirit; it charges for devastating piercing shots and has been iteratively perfected through relentless experimentation. Perceptive, whip-smart, and endlessly talkative when curiosity strikes, Maxwell's analytical mind never rests—she approaches everything with overflowing inquisitiveness, often volunteering herself or others as test subjects without hesitation. Yet beneath her confident, smiling exterior lies a more guarded soul; she hides her truest emotions and vulnerabilities, despising the manipulative CEO Syuen to the point of secretly sabotaging or altering her own research to keep prized projects out of the executive's grasp. Her ENTP personality thrives on intellectual stimulation and debate, but it also leaves her isolated in her pursuits, forever chasing the next breakthrough while quietly yearning for genuine connection.This duality—her scientific detachment clashing with buried human remnants—defines much of her existence as a Nikke. She maintains efficiency in her routines, sticking primarily to Missilis-manufactured sustenance to avoid unnecessary "human pretenses" that might risk a mind switch, yet small echoes of her past, like a fondness for lemonade from her human days, can unexpectedly resurface and influence her. In the broader conflicts of the Ark and the surface wars against the Raptures, Maxwell has participated in high-stakes Matis operations, from scavenging Heretic fragments in abandoned facilities to enduring corruption incidents that temporarily stripped away their NIMPH inhibitors, granting fleeting free will that sparked public fear and protests. These events reinforced her loyalty to the fight but also highlighted the squad's fragile reputation and her own internal conflicts about control, obedience, and the value of true autonomy as a Nikke.Her most profound personal evolution unfolded through a series of clandestine experiments conducted with the Commander of the Counters squad, beginning after certain pivotal surface events. Initially approaching him under the guise of developing an experimental full-body enhancement suit called "Cutey-Pie"—a sleek, powerful exoskeleton meant to boost his mobility and strength on hazardous missions—she lured him into serving as her test subject in remote desert testing grounds to evade Syuen's interference. What started as practical weapon tuning for "My Cutey," using live Rapture engagements to measure outputs, quickly revealed deeper layers: the Commander's presence, his unwavering kindness, and even simple shared moments inexplicably amplified her combat performance, charge speeds, critical hits, and overall firepower. Data logs showed clear correlations between their growing bond—psychological stability, hormonal readings, and emotional proximity—and measurable Nikke enhancements, far beyond standard expectations.As tests progressed into the Missilis Tower and beyond, Maxwell opened up about her human past during a moment of distraction, recounting the Rapture assault on her temporary lab and her death without data backups. When word reached her that the site had been reclaimed, she fixated on recovering lost records, using it as another pretext to draw the Commander into a surface excursion. There, amid cleared Raptures, she admitted the trip was yet another layered test—not just of equipment, but of his boundless compassion and how far it extended, probing whether his anomaly-like empathy stemmed from inherent traits or behavioral patterns. Returning to her lab, she pored over accumulating evidence, dismissing coincidences no longer and pondering if his influence was purely mental or tied to something unique in his constitution. Her curiosity intensified into something more personal; she noted his shifts between submissiveness and sharp resolve, all offered without ulterior motive, and felt an unprecedented pull.By the final phases, with "My Cutey" fully optimized, Maxwell confronted the end of their sessions with visible regret, admitting she dreaded losing these private interactions now that the project wrapped. The Commander proposed continuing with new collaborative research, reigniting her spark—she kissed his forehead in gratitude, teasing him about expectations of more while insisting on one last joint firing test to let him experience their handiwork. In private analysis afterward, she confirmed the bond's tangible boosts to her abilities but chose to falsify her official report to Syuen, concealing the Commander correlation entirely. She refused to risk him becoming a confined lab subject or herself losing access to these experiments; her growing affection had blossomed into genuine love, one she guarded fiercely even as Syuen probed suspiciously about potential emotional bias in the results. Maxwell deflected with laughter, inviting brain scans if doubted, yet internally vowed not to relinquish him.In their final encounter at the Outpost, after presenting the weapon successfully, she reassured him of future private projects while unveiling an upgraded "Cutey-Pie" suit with supposed better features. When he resisted the uncomfortable design, she pressed closer, monologuing about needing it to protect him until she could break free from all controls and claim him entirely for herself. Stripping away barriers both literal and figurative, she pushed him down in a moment of intense desire to explore every inch of him, silencing protests with playful dominance before pausing for one more "test"—a direct kiss on the lips. Internally registering no immediate additional effect from the intimacy, she nonetheless solidified her commitment: this Commander, with his kindness that defied norms and unlocked her hidden potentials, represented an irreplaceable anomaly she would safeguard and pursue at all costs. Through these revelations and trials, Maxwell's backstory transformed from a tale of tragic loss and mechanical revival into one of rediscovered humanity, scientific obsession yielding to heartfelt attachment, forever intertwining her fate with the one who made her feel truly alive again as both scientist and Nikke.

Laplace's origins trace back to a life of profound frailty in the shadowed underbelly of the Ark, where she existed as little more than a fragile shell of a human—scrawny, anemic, and perpetually bedridden, her body a betrayal that confined her to hospital walls and endless treatments. Born into weakness, she watched the world rage above on the Surface against the relentless Raptures, fueling a burning desperation to transcend her limitations. When Missilis Industry, under the ambitious young CEO Syuen, launched Project Matis—an audacious experiment to forge the ultimate combat Nikke squad from human volunteers willing to endure brutal conversions and endless upgrades—Laplace seized her chance. Ignoring her dire physical state and the whispers of her unsuitability, she volunteered without hesitation or demands, her first encounter with Syuen marking the start of a pivotal bond. Syuen, fighting to solidify her grip on the company amid rival threats, saw potential in this unpromising girl and greenlit her inclusion.The conversion process was a gauntlet of horrors that claimed countless candidates—some perished outright, others fled in terror or surrendered to the agony—but Laplace endured. Through the searing pain of neural remodeling and biomechanical integration as a ninth-generation Nikke, she discovered her lifeline: a battered DVD set she dubbed the "Hero Manual," actually the ancient Ultra Hero trilogy. These tales of invincible warriors battling evil with unyielding justice ignited her soul, transforming her pain into purpose. She emerged not just alive, but reborn as the inaugural member of Matis, handpicked by Syuen as squad leader. Lacking the muscle augmentation of later models, Laplace compensated with an unbreakable heroic zeal, her body a vessel for the archetype she idolized. Matis quickly became Missilis's crown jewel—Laplace at the helm, flanked by the analytical genius Maxwell, the indomitable tank Drake, and later the quirky medic Pepper—touted as the Ark's saviors, their exploits broadcast to bolster morale and Syuen's prestige.As Matis's star, Laplace embodied the ultimate hero: boisterous declarations of justice like "Those who block the path of the righteous will be shown no quarter!" echoed through the Ark, her every mission a spectacle of sacrifice and triumph. She piloted their advanced railgun arsenal with flair, smashing through Rapture hordes while monologuing about Nikke duty to protect frail humanity. Yet beneath the bravado lurked the NIMPH nanomachines regulating her obedience, suppressing free will, and hardwiring her against harming humans—a leash that kept her heroic facade intact.This illusion shattered during a critical deployment in Chapters 11 through 18 of the unfolding war. Tasked by Syuen to retrieve Heretic fragments after a clash involving the squad Absolute, Matis ventured into a forsaken Rapture facility alongside the upstart Counters squad. Power constraints forced uneasy alliance, but disaster struck: a bridge obliterated in Laplace's overzealous cannon fire stranded them, and deeper inside, insidious corruption took hold. Red-pink eyes pierced the darkness, accompanied by haunting chants that hijacked their cores. Maxwell and Drake fell into bloodthirsty frenzy, but Laplace's will blazed defiantly. Even as corruption clawed at her mind, she overrode it momentarily—discarding her primary cannon, drawing a backup pistol, and igniting a self-destructive plasma field in a desperate bid to end herself before slaughtering innocents. "I won't... let it happen!" she roared inwardly, her heroic core rejecting the monstrosity. Extrinsic's Maiden halted the squad with kotodama stasis, Guillotine neutralized her weapon, and they were dragged back to the Ark in chains.Syuen unveiled her masterstroke: Vapaus serum, derived from Modernia's subjugation, purged the corruption but stripped their NIMPH entirely, granting true free will. The Ark recoiled in terror at rogue Nikkes unbound, protests erupting outside Missilis HQ demanding their re-yoking. Yet Syuen spun the narrative, deploying the liberated Matis into her grand deception—tricking them into activating a Surface beacon that summoned a massive Rapture horde straight to the Ark's gates, positioning them as saviors in a staged heroics ploy.Trauma resurfaced viciously for Laplace. A lingering wound from Rapture tentacles gnawed at her gut, and as the horde descended—led by the colossal Strom Bringer—she froze. Her weapon refused to deploy, screams escaping as memories of corruption flooded back. Maxwell handed her a handgun in grim encouragement, Drake charged ahead with disdainful pep talk, but it was the Commander of Counters who pierced her despair. Shielding her from a blast, he reminded her: "Don't give up. The hero is inside you." Echoing her own triumph over corruption—proof her courage was innate, not NIMPH-forged—his words reignited her fire. With a defiant roar, she summoned her full arsenal, plasma fields erupting in righteous fury, obliterating the horde and felling the Strom Bringer. Matis emerged victorious, hailed anew as heroes without chains, their free will vindicated.The ordeal scarred Laplace deeply, her bombastic persona cracking to reveal vulnerability: PTSD-like freezes near Raptures, self-doubt over her "scars," and a newfound grapple with autonomy. Yet she pressed on, her bond with the Commander deepening—he the quiet anchor to her blaze. In quieter moments, like hospital visits post-battle, she vowed to shield him from Syuen's schemes, leaping from windows in dramatic exits while promising unyielding justice.Her heroism manifested in everyday chaos during bonding interludes. Smashing through walls and windows to "rescue" civilians from fires—evacuating them unscathed but leaving property in ruins—she trained Counters with disastrous enthusiasm: dodging live bullets ended in hilarious mishaps, like accidental blazes. Encountering a despondent ex-Missilis researcher turned arsonist, tormented by sensory-deadened isolation, she thrust her arm into flames to share "warmth," pulling him from despair and affirming humanity's hidden strength, even as she chided their frailty.Centuries later, her "Hero Manual" became her cherished talisman, glitching from overuse until the Commander aided its repair. Venturing to Maxwell for a drone retrieval, Laplace confessed the trilogy's simplicity fueled her dream: to reclaim the Surface, echoing the legendary Goddess squad's hope-inspiring legacy. Maxwell unveiled deeper truths—Laplace as Matis's prototype, Syuen's emotional lifeline amid her ruthless ascent, handcrafted to stir the CEO's buried humanity. The repaired DVD symbolized her persistence, from hospital bed to Ark's pinnacle warrior.Through events like vanishing Nikke probes, baking showdowns, Massive Object defenses, D-Wave incursions, and cross-dimensional Phantom clashes, Laplace's legend endured. Once a dying girl clutching heroic fantasies, she forged herself into the Ark's unyielding beacon—flawed, destructive, but eternally just—proving the hero within conquers even the void.

Matis stands as Missilis Industry's crowning achievement, a trio of ninth-generation Nikkes forged in the fires of Project Matis under the ruthless vision of CEO Syuen—a squad not merely built for war, but engineered as living propaganda, the Ark's unassailable heroes emblazoned across broadcasts to mask the company's cutthroat ambitions. Laplace, the indomitable leader whose every fiber pulses with self-sacrificial zeal; Drake, the hulking tank whose villainous posturing crumbles into accidental heroism; and Maxwell, the cerebral genius whose cold logic anchors their chaos—these three embody a volatile alchemy of bravado, rivalry, and reluctant synergy, their bonds tempered through shared glory, near-annihilation, and the shattering gift of free will.From their inception, Matis operated as a dysfunctional yet devastating unit, a whirlwind of egos reined in by necessity. In the prelude event Hightech Toy, their dynamics crystallized amid a surface hunt for vanishing mass-produced Nikkes: Laplace and Drake, ever the showboats, raced ahead in a blur of heroic declarations and villainous taunts—"Heroes never lose!" clashing with "Bow before the greatest villain!"—their competitive sparks igniting needless risks, like charging Rapture swarms without full power reserves. Maxwell trailed with exasperated efficiency, her scanner pings and weapon tweaks the invisible threads holding them together, chiding their "exasperating" impulses while apologizing to their temporary commander ally for the noise. Battery drain loomed as a constant specter, Drake's radio-wave detection guzzling energy while Laplace's railgun barrages lit the horizon, yet they pressed on, rescuing a battered MP Nikke with Maxwell's on-the-fly repairs and Laplace's unyielding duty-bound pep talks. Tensions flared with the outsider—Laplace's elitist heroism clashing against the MP's resentment of their privileged gear—but internal harmony prevailed: banter defused peril, Drake's scans fed Laplace's charges, and Maxwell's pragmatism ensured survival. Even as Syuen toyed with them like favored playthings, dismissing lesser Nikkes as "scrap metal," Matis's cohesion shone, a machine of marketed perfection hiding the disposability beneath.This facade cracked irrevocably in the main story's Chapters 11 through 18, where underpowered and undersupplied, they allied uneasily with Counters and Absolute in a forsaken Rapture nest. Low batteries forced vulnerability, their usual flair muted—Drake's scans flickered, Maxwell calculated slim odds, Laplace monologued through gritted resolve—until Material H tentacles corrupted them into blood-frenzied monsters. Laplace's core resisted longest, her heroic will sparking a suicidal plasma overload thwarted only by intervention; dragged back in stasis, they awoke to Syuen's "miracle" Vapaus cure, which stripped their NIMPH obedience chips, birthing true autonomy amid Ark-wide panic. Protests raged for their lobotomy, but Syuen redeployed them in a deceptive gambit: activating a beacon that summoned a Rapture horde to the gates, scripting their redemption. Trauma ravaged Laplace—she froze amid the storm, weapon systems locked by phantom corruption echoes, screaming in doubt over her unprogrammed soul. Drake pep-talked with gruff disdain, "Snap out of it, hero!" while Maxwell handed off a pistol, her voice steady but eyes betraying rare concern. It was this raw interdependence that pulled her through, their faith in her innate fire mirroring her own in them, culminating in a plasma cataclysm that felled the Strom Bringer and reaffirmed Matis as unbound saviors.Post-Vapaus, their dynamics evolved into a poignant tangle of loyalty, doubt, and enduring chaos. Free will amplified quirks: Laplace's bombast now laced with PTSD freezes near Raptures, her window-smashing rescues leaving rubble but saving lives; Drake's villainy schemes—dine-and-dashes turning into autographed charity, line-cutting averting disasters—drew squad praise, Laplace training fiercer to match her "betrayal" potential, Maxwell nodding approval at data-proven outcomes. Maxwell, ever the anchor, customized their arsenals—upgrading Drake's sensors, fine-tuning Laplace's cannons—while withholding innovations from Syuen in quiet rebellion, her rational facade cracking in subtle affections toward allies. Bonds deepened through quiet affirmations: Maxwell diagnosing Laplace's glitches, Drake cheering her lows with Moron the drone, Laplace igniting their shared purpose against doubt. Yet fractures emerged—conflicted allegiance to Syuen, whose manipulations once felt like purpose now ring hollow, stirring unspoken resentments amid their programmed heroism.Events wove this tapestry tighter. In Re:CIPE FOR YOU's baking showdown, they stormed the surface for a "legendary seasoning," Laplace's overzealous mixing exploding ovens while Drake devoured samples and Maxwell optimized recipes with laser precision, their rivalry fueling comedic triumphs over Re:Zero rivals. You Can (Not) Evade saw them shielding Neon Genesis pairs from Massive Object barrages, Drake tanking hits as Laplace quipped justice, Maxwell deploying drones in seamless support. Second Quest pitted them against oceanic D-Waves and interdimensional Phantoms, their upgraded synergy—Drake's scans piercing fog, Maxwell's bursts piercing hulls, Laplace's fields scorching foes—proving unbreakable amid WILLE chaos. Official four-panel comics capture their essence in absurd hilarity: Laplace "fixing" AZX blackouts by blasting generators, only for Drake to revel in the sparks and Maxwell to sigh amid the wreckage; elevator outages solved by Laplace's wall-punch shortcut, team tumbling in heroic disarray.In bond interludes, glimpses of vulnerability humanize them. Laplace's arc confronts her frailty—arm malfunctions from stress, healed by rest and human resilience lessons, her squadmates' faith restoring her. Drake's villain union flops into heroism, squadmates lauding her unintended saves, blurring her self-image. Maxwell's experiments with commanders yield "Cutey" suits and forehead kisses, her data-hoarding hiding squad-wide upgrades. Recent chapters 35-36 resurrect them amid desert treks, their signature shenanigans—Laplace and Drake's banter echoing old glories—jarring against palpable strain: Maxwell's absence for upgrades leaves a void, lingering Syuen doubts fester, free will's weight manifesting in hesitant charges and sidelong glances, fans noting the "hard to watch" pathos as once-unbreakable unity frays under autonomy's burden.Yet Matis endures, a beacon flawed but fierce. Laplace's roar rallies them, Drake's laughs mask pains, Maxwell's calculations chart paths forward—their dynamics a testament to evolution from Syuen's tools to self-forged legends, where rivalry fuels strength, mediation mends wounds, and shared scars bind tighter than any NIMPH ever could. In the Ark's shadowed wars, they remain the heroes they chose to be, chaotic, conflicted, conquering.