Chapter 54: Code Name: Epsilon
Being called at zero-three-eighty at night is not fun, especially if it for testing a prototype of a suit of armor. Having her first and last cup of coffee, Ivy walked down the sidewalk to the palace, where she could barely stay awake. It was by Neko law that any mean could not wake a Neko if they have fallen asleep. It seems like humans have yet to find the demi-humans of this world equal. Boy, it will be a while to achieve equality, just like gender equality.
Ivy hated this stupid call, why did Neo call her at night?! She could have called her in the morning, but no, she calls her at night, where she is dead asleep. Ivy will make sure Neo will pay.
Ivy bypassed the front gates of the palace, where she saw a servant greeting her who was very wary and tired. Seeing both of them were tired, neither one said anything during the walk into the basement of the palace. Ivy didn't wear anything important. Just a white top and white pants.
Entering the basement and bypassing a metal locked door, Ivy greeted Neo, the king, Dr. Nighterwalker, and Ruby. Of course. Ivy groaned at seeing Ruby, but she kept her annoyance to herself.
Ivy turned her attention to the glaring massive suit of armor that was wired and connected with pipes and electricity and in a circular frame where the suit stayed in place. Sighing, Ivy walked up to the piece of armor and observed what she was getting in. It had multiple opens parts. The neck around, elbows were only protecting the bone and not the flexibility, shoulders, knees, torso, waist, and wrists, plus it had protection around the fingers joints. The rest of the armor was simple, a helmet with a visor upfront with air filters below it, a massive chest and back piece, two long upper shoulder plating along with two forearm plating as well. That was once the upper part of the body while the bottom consisted: thigh platings, the crotch where she hoped that she wouldn't be shot or stabbed there, knee guards were attached to the leg plating that wrapped around the whole leg. Then the footing where the entire bottom and side where protected securely and the top only reveal a bit of the ankle.
Ivy was impressed by the design of the armor and structured plating. She heard shuffling as she turned to her side, where Neo was standing.
"It was difficult to design something like this, especially if it has been a couple of years since I made one," Neo said, she was proud at seeing the armor again but still felt the presence of the haunting memories of the factory burning down.
"I can tell," Ivy smiled lightly before yawning. She blinked a few times to get the water out of her eyes before facing Neo. "I still have to wear the suit again?"
Seeing Neo nod, Ivy simple groaned before finding a private place for her to change. Neo simple assured that Ivy was getting ready to put on the suit, she has to put on something over her skin to protect her skin from being under mass amount of pressure.
After ten minutes, Ivy came out from her little private room in where she was wearing a skin-tight suit that revealed a lot of Ivy's body and curves. She hated wearing the damn suit, but it was the only way to make sure she was coming out of this alive.
Seeing that Ivy was ready, Neo walked over to her chair and started typing on her computer, where the pipes and electrical wires disconnected from the armor as the frame kept the suit in place.
Ivy stared at the armor before opening her mouth, "Got a name?"
"Well, let's name it after you survive," Neo chuckled before she had the frame moving towards Ivy.
Sucking in a breath, Ivy turned around and faced the king and Ruby, who was observing the test. Ivy lift arms in a t-pose, her hands spread out as she could hear the armor being taken apart in small pieces. The sound of the machine moving closer to her as she felt the first piece of armor attached to her, the gauntlets.
It took a full twenty minutes for the whole set of armor to finally be on Ivy, except the helmet. During the entire attachment, Ivy stayed perfectly still, not wavering a single movement.
"You're light-is green," Neo confirmed the whole operation of was a success.
Ivy relieved a sigh before flexing her fingers to make sure she got used to the sudden addition of the plating and gel layer underneath the plating.
"Baby steps Ivy," Neo reminded Ivy that although she has used the suit before, it did have a significant upgrade.
Testing her fingers once again, Ivy moved her arms before stepping forward and backward. Her body felt heavy due to the armor being hefty in weight but also the gel layer softening each movement. Ivy stared at the helmet before pointing at it.
"Right, I'm gonna need your AI for that. There's a slot for your AI to be inside your helmet and brain, but the only problem is that your AI will read your movement before you do," Neo explained, she worked on the helmet the most, but it was the hardest to make it feel important other than it protecting the human head.
"Hey AI, I need you for a few minutes," Ivy called out, she still didn't know what to call her AI since calling her AI Boop would be weird but cute.
Hearing her chance to be active, Ivy's AI immediately popped out with a shy expression. She was ready to help Ivy, but being inside her host's mind and helmet felt like a strain on her.
Walking up to Ivy's AI, Neo held out a chip that had a hole about two inches in diameter. Ivy's AI seemed to understand what Neo wanted as she walked up to the chip and disappeared inside the chip's storage.
"Alright, well, since you survived. What are we naming your armor or code name, I guess," Neo said, her voice etched tiredness all around as she typed in a few codes as the machine moved and spread the filters a little more before placing it over Ivy's head. The helmet then sealed back into place as Ivy slowly moved her head.
Seeing as there was no difference yet, Ivy sighed before waiting for Neo to implant her AI.
Neo got out of her chair as she held Ivy's AI chip in her palm. She tilted Ivy's head down as she revealed a small slot perfect for the size of the chip. She first place the chip into the slot before pressing down, she felt Ivy's body go ragged for a second before she came back up.
'Feels weird having my AI planted into my helmet,' Ivy thought as she rubbed the back of her helmet.
"Don't forget there's two fo us in here now," Ivy's AI said.
"Well, whatcha gonna name the armor?" Neo smiled as she watched Ivy finally look like a full-on super badass.
'AI name system,' Ivy activated her AI system as she pretends she was thinking of a name. Finally, coming up with one, she said, "Epsilon."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone