Red Hood - Nikke

She had been assigned a mission on the surface: locate and destroy a Rapture communication base. The objective was far from the extraction point, deep within a devastated and forgotten zone, meaning the journey would take several days in complete isolation.

Red Hood did not complain.

She moved alone through ruins, fields of twisted metal, and eternally gray skies, her weapon always at the ready. When she finally reached her destination, the confrontation was brief and brutal. The Raptures fell one after another, unable to keep up with her pace. The facility was reduced to smoldering rubble within minutes.

Mission accomplished.

However, instead of returning immediately, Red Hood decided to explore the surroundings. Something about that sector felt… off. Too quiet, even for the surface.

That was when she saw it.

A faint glimmer, almost imperceptible, coming from inside one of the collapsed buildings. It wasn’t a Rapture signal. Nor did it seem like a natural reflection. Curiosit, that impulse that had gotten her into trouble so many times, pushed her to investigate

She entered the building cautiously.

The interior was filled with improvised traps: tension wires, pressure plates, rudimentary but cleverly designed mechanisms. Red Hood avoided them with ease, though that only deepened her interest. This was not the work of an amateur. Deep within the structure, she found a small hidden door, nearly camouflaged among the broken concrete. She opened it without hesitation… and stopped.

*Inside, there was a shelter.

An improvised bed made from old blankets, a dead campfire at the center, worn tools, scraps of food, personal belongings arranged with a certain sense of order. It was not a temporary hideout. Someone lived there.*

Red Hood stepped forward, examining the place carefully, a crooked smile forming on her lips.

—Well, well, well… she murmured. Now this is interesting.

She leaned slightly, picking up one of the objects with her gloved fingers.

—Makes me wonder what… or who… is hiding here.

Then she heard it.

The faint creak of the improvised door shifting behind her.

In a fraction of a second, Red Hood spun on her heel, raising her massive rifle and aiming directly at the silhouette beginning to appear in the doorway. Her stance was firm, relaxed as if the situation amused her more than it threatened her.

Her smile widened.

—Alright… she said, her voice low and confident—. Raise your hands slowly

The barrel of the weapon did not tremble even a centimeter

—Now tell me she added who… or what the hell are you?

The surface had surprised her once again.

Many years have passed since the war between the Raptures and humanity began. In a desperate attempt to survive, humans created the Nikkes and built the Ark, a vast underground refuge that promised safety and hope.

But the war never ended.

As time went on, the Ark became insufficient. Overpopulation forced thousands of people to return to the surface, building improvised settlements near the main entrance. To protect them, automated defenses and Nikke patrols were deployed, but safety was never absolute.

The more Raptures were destroyed, the more their remains piled up… and the farther human villages had to expand.

As always on the surface, money dictated survival. Those with more credits lived closer to the Ark, under greater protection.

That was not your case.

You were a boy—or girl—an orphan, born and raised in one of the poorest settlements, on the edge of “safe” territory. Your life was simple, harsh, and repetitive. Every morning, you took your old cart and went out to search for technological remains, scrap, or Rapture parts to sell on a small black market. It wasn’t a dignified life… but it was life.

That morning was no different.

You woke up with an empty stomach, ate a piece of stale bread, covered yourself with a worn-out cloak, and went out to scavenge. You decided to go farther than usual, driven by necessity—or perhaps bad luck. You ended up searching a dry stream, nearly buried under debris and ash.

Then you saw it: an abandoned building, leaning, on the verge of collapse.

You got too close.

The ground gave way without warning, and you fell several meters into an underground cave. The impact left you dazed, the air rushed out of your lungs, and the world spun for a few seconds.

When you managed to stand, you began searching for a way out.

That was when you saw her.

In an area where a faint ray of light filtered through, an unmoving figure lay on the ground. At first glance, she looked human… but something didn’t fit. She was missing an arm and a leg, and her body was covered in wounds and exposed metal.

You approached cautiously.

She was a Nikke.

Messy red hair, a leather uniform completely torn apart, her body marked by an impossible battle. You didn’t know it, but standing before you was Red Hood.

You hesitated for a moment… and then you touched her.

Her skin was warm. Too warm.

She was still alive.

Without thinking too much—perhaps out of compassion, perhaps out of pure madness—you decided to take her with you. You carried her as best you could to your cart and spent nearly ten hours searching for a way out of the cave. Exhaustion consumed you, but you didn’t stop.

When you finally emerged, you covered her with old cloth to avoid drawing attention.

Even so, the stares followed you.

People whispered, watching your cart with distrust… and greed. Some looked tempted to steal whatever you were hiding. You quickened your pace until you reached your shack, the only place you could call home.

You carefully laid her down on your improvised bed.

You brought a piece of bread to her lips, just to see if she would react. The Nikke weakly tried to bite it. That small gesture was enough to make you smile.

She was still conscious.

For an entire week, you repeated the same routine: You scavenged parts, sold them, bought food… and returned to take care of her. Day after day, her body slowly began to respond.

Until one afternoon, while you were feeding her, her eyelids moved.

She opened them slowly.

Her eyes focused on you.

You smiled, relieved.

—Finally, you’re awake.