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{{CharacterTabber}}
{{CharacterTabber}}
{{Spoiler}}
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==Character info==
{{StoryQuote|Freedom is the right to defiance.<ref name=FP410 />}}
RPK-16 is a social and mysterious Doll, and the fourth member of [[Task Force DEFY]]. She often introduces heavy philosophical topics in a conversation out of the blue before quickly making light of it. She is also fond of using strange and creepy metaphors or poems,<ref name=PL21B /><ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Hay Fever – Beginning}}</ref> especially the metaphor of moths attracted to flames.<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[RPK-16/Quotes|RPK-16's Quotes]]}}</ref><ref name=DR26B /><ref name=DR54 /><ref name=MS313B /><ref name=MS44A /><ref name=FP410 /> She nearly constantly puts up a mysterious smile.<ref name=MS41A /><ref name=FP411 />
 
Though she accepts the advantages of her technical immortality as a Doll,<ref name=C135 /> RPK-16 yearns to abandon her Doll body for a human body, viewing mortality as philosophically perfect.<ref name=DR26B /><ref name=MS23B /><ref name=MS34A /><ref name=MS44A /> She has no special reverence towards humans however, casually discussing their contradictions and flaws, and having no qualms about being cruel with them.<ref name=PL24A /><ref name=DR26B /><ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Infernal Enlightenment V}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Torricelli’s Trumpet II}}</ref>
 
RPK-16's specifications are the lowest among Task Force DEFY,<ref name=AK4 /> and she is built for support fire rather than frontline combat.<ref name=MS211A />
 
===Relationships===
RPK-16 emphasized the importance of trust between herself and AK-15, and between AK-12 and AN-94,<ref name=AN4 /> but she often engaged in passive-aggressive confrontations with AK-12, in reaction to her haughty attitude.<ref name=C135 /> RPK's retorts carried the implication that she thought of 12 and herself as equals.<ref name=C135 /><ref name=MS14A>{{cite|gfl|ms|Torricelli’s Trumpet I}}</ref> 12 claims she doesn't hate RPK, but that RPK's quirky persona, while perceived as friendly by some, makes others instinctively distrustful of her.<ref name=DR23B /> 12 called RPK the caretaker of “the female gorilla”, which was her nickname for AK-15.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Sintering}}</ref> RPK was much more agreeable towards AN-94's meeker demeanor,<ref name=C135 /><ref name=AN4 /> though she also discounted her as 12's shadow.<ref name=MS48A />
 
Despite her initial reserves about RPK due to her lower spec by DEFY's standards, AK-15 came to put her trust into RPK for enabling her to make the most of her abilities<ref name=AK4 /> and being able to approach objectives efficiently in ways she couldn't.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Gathering Frost Wolves}}</ref> RPK frequently asked 15 about her point of view,<ref name=AK1 /> encouraged her to think beyond her usual approach to combat<ref>{{cite|gfl|{{doll name|AK-15|AR|6|costume=costume1}} Neural Upgrade Story 5}}</ref> and to speak her thoughts with her.<ref>{{cite|gfl|{{doll name|AK-15|AR|6|costume=costume1}} Neural Upgrade Story 3}}</ref> After RPK's betrayal, 15 made special preparations to go against her. 15 considered that she was the best adversary for RPK, as RPK knew more than anyone that she would stand no chance against 15, and planned to make RPK her last target.<ref name=AK4 />
 
RPK felt that because of her position as the youngest and weakest unit within DEFY, the other members of DEFY looked down on her and more easily trusted her because she was not a threat to them.<ref name=MS48A />


== Personality ==
[[Gray]] is the only person to consistently call her by her true name, “Pandora”,<ref name=MS48A /><ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|E2-8}}</ref> and was her sponsor within Paradeus.<ref name=PR47>{{cite|gfl|pr|E4-7}}</ref> [[Nemhran]] also considered her a valuable asset.<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E3-3}}</ref>
She gives people the impression of being a cheerful and talkative girl. She's very easy to get along with and being around her isn't stressful in the least. As others lower their guard around her, she often says surprising things, which leaves them startled. ...The more time you spend with her, the more you'll come to see how she's different from the rest.


== Story Involvement ==
== Story Involvement ==
===Project Wolf Pack===
RPK-16 was created as the last unit from [[Statesec]]'s Wolf Pack Project.
Led by Doctor [[Shaw]], the project initially called for the creation of a pair of extremely high-spec [[Tactical Doll]]s, a combat specialist paired with a tactical command unit. However, after Incident Zero, the two units, {{doll name|AK-15|AR|5}} and {{doll name|AK-12|AR|5}}, refused to work together and AK-12 instead partnered with the prototype {{doll name|AN-94|AR|5}}.<ref name=AN3>{{cite|gfl|{{doll name|AN-94|AR|6|costume=costume3}} Neural Upgrade Story 3}}</ref><ref name=AN4>{{cite|gfl|{{doll name|AN-94|AR|6|costume=costume3}} Neural Upgrade Story 4}}</ref> Shaw needed to produce a fourth unit to provide a partner for AK-15, whom she considered her masterpiece.<ref name=AK4>{{cite|gfl|{{doll name|AK-15|AR|6|costume=costume1}} Neural Upgrade Story 4}}</ref>
During the project, Shaw was also convinced by [[Angelia]] to take part in a conference about next-generation Dolls by [[Persica]].<ref name=AN3 /> Shaw found Persica's vision for third-generation Dolls naive. She believed that trying to give freedom to Dolls was hypocritical because humans themselves are not free, and instead argued that Dolls would become more human if they were granted “defiance”.<ref name=AK1>{{cite|gfl|{{doll name|AK-15|AR|6|costume=costume1}} Neural Upgrade Story 1}}</ref> She decided to make Wolf Pack Unit 4 the implementation of this idea.
Thus, Shaw created “Pandora”,<ref name=MS48A /><ref name=AK4 /> giving her the codename “Silver Fox” and formal designation {{doll name|RPK-16|MG|5}}. RPK would take a tactical overview role to enable AK-15's preferred frontal approach to combat,<ref name=AK4 /> but Shaw also omitted the programming preventing her to attack humans,<ref name=MS48A /> thus offering her the choice of “defiance”.<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E4-10}}</ref> Shaw also arranged for RPK's core memories to be stored in the base layer of her Neural Cloud, making them impossible to delete and “reset” RPK.<ref name=MS48A />
Though Angelia heard good reports of their combined performance, AK-15 and RPK-16 operated in complete separation of Angelia, AK-12 and AN-94 until they were reunited during the Paldiski Incident.<ref name=AN4 />
===Paldiski Incident===
[[File:BG Polarized Light 6.png|thumb|[[Task Force DEFY]] against [[Yegor]]'s [[Ares]] mech.]]
{{StoryQuote|We'll do our best, the same way drowning fish poke their heads out of the water in search of oxygen.|RPK-16 exposes [[the Commander]] to her strange metaphors for the first time.<ref name=PL21B />}}
When Task Force DEFY infiltrated the Paldiski Submarine Base ahead of the battle between [[Griffin & Kryuger]] and the [[KCCO]], [[K]] took command of AK-15 and RPK-16. They were attacked by the incoming [[Sangvis Ferri]] forces and went to secure the control room for the gates of the quarantine wall, while [[Angelia]], AK-12 and AN-94 became trapped in the lower levels of the base. K was wounded by a bullet as they reached the control room and ordered RPK to hold the position before passing out.<ref name=PL24A /> RPK sent an encrypted message to the Griffin & Kryuger forces, introducing herself to [[the Commander]] and announcing her team had taken control of the quarantine wall but that Ange's team had gone dark.<ref>{{cite|gfl|12-4E}}</ref>
When [[Squad 404]] approached the gate control room with [[Zener Protocol|Zener signals]] shut off, RPK and 15 opened fire, thinking they were enemy infiltrators.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Polarizer I}}</ref> {{doll name|UMP45|SMG|5|costume=costume3}} insisted to open the gates fast and shot down RPK's attempts at familiarity. RPK became puzzled at the gap between them despite both being Dolls and teased 15 by asking her opinion, but was shot down again as 15 only commented on her decreasing ammo reserves, then on RPK's inability to break through the enemy forces before. RPK lamented that a Doll's command ability could not compare even to mediocre commanders like K. After opening the gates, 45 announced they would go after Ange and RPK offered to have 15 accompany them, but 45 refused and left RPK with the codes to communicate with the Commander.<ref name=PL24A>{{cite|gfl|pl|Diffraction Grating}}</ref>
RPK contacted the Commander to warn them of a breach in the quarantine wall made by the KCCO to reach the coastal guns.<ref name=PL21B>{{cite|gfl|pl|Waveguide I}}</ref> RPK and AK-15 were then deployed on the battlefield to scout out the KCCO command post, enabling AR Team to target it with the base's coast guns<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Shattered Plane of Polarization I}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Recrystallization Resolution II}}</ref> before retreating inside the base.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Shattered Plane of Polarization II}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Asymmetric Induction I}}</ref> After Squad 404 broke Ange's team out of the lower levels of the base, Ange ordered RPK and 15 to join them to fight Captain [[Yegor]]'s [[Ares]] mech.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Virtual Image Reforging}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|13-3}}</ref>
AK-12 refused to engage Yegor at first, until Ange revealed that 15 and RPK were also present in the base, at which point 12 came up with a battle plan making use of 15 to pin the mech down and herself as the main shooter.<ref name=AN4 /> RPK teased 12 about the low chances of success of her plan, asking Ange for a bonus and upgraded gear after being uploaded in replacement bodies,<ref name=C135>{{cite|gfl|13-5}}</ref> but admitted to AN-94 that she couldn't find any better solution. RPK also shared her thought with 94 that she didn't think 15 would be the linchpin of the operation, but rather 94 herself, as she would be in charge of protecting 12, the main shooter.<ref name=AN4 /> RPK opened the battle by luring Yegor into the room where DEFY sprung their trap.<ref name=C136>{{cite|gfl|13-6}}</ref> When Yegor used a frag missile to destroy the Dolls with shrapnel,<ref name=PL52B>{{cite|gfl|pl|Light Cone Frame of Reference I}}</ref><ref name=C136 /> 94 followed RPK's advice and sacrificed herself to shield 12.<ref name=AN4 /> RPK herself was critically damaged by the attack, but 12 picked up her explosives to use them against the mech. Before coming offline, RPK remarked that this kind of situation was why she found humans fascinating, and presented the explosives as her tribute to Yegor.<ref name=PL52B />
===Bremen===
[[File:Dual Randomness Login Wallpaper1.jpg|thumb|DEFY operating in civilian clothes in Bremen.]]
Acting on the intel found at Paldiski (though misguided by [[Paradeus]]<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E1-1}}</ref>) Angelia pushed her search for [[William]] to Bremen, in [[Germany]]. To shake off unwanted eyes, Ange set up a trap at the city's entrance with AN-94 and RPK-16, the two DEFY members able to pass as civilians, and eliminated the agents tailing them before entering the city. During the investigations in Bremen, RPK used the name “Renate”.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|The Curtain Rises I}}</ref>
After receiving a lead from the Commander involving Bremen's Flora Institute, Angelia deployed AK-12 and RPK-16 to talk with the horticulturists of the institute and investigate their clients.<ref name=DR23B>{{cite|gfl|dr|Flower View}}</ref> While the rest of DEFY helped the [[Stasi]] agents infiltrated in the institute take down the cultists attacking Angelia, RPK tracked down [[Leone]], the leader of the institute, to acquire her research materials.
{{StoryQuote|Yes, I'm a werewolf; I'm a Yeti; I'm Frankenstein's monster. But what about you? You're just a pathetic human. You think of yourself as a martyr, yet you're no less a coward than anyone else in face of death. You might try to justify your cowardice by claiming that you wish to do more to further your cause. However, you have done nothing but dance on a string to someone else's tune this whole time. To a spectator like me... You're not even dancing the Kazachok; you're just clowning around.<ref name=DR26B />}}
Leone attempted to attack RPK with a gun, but the Doll broke her wrist, pinned her to the ground and tortured her by breaking her fingers when Leone refused to talk. RPK also applied psychological pressure by leaning into Leone's hostility towards Dolls, calling herself a monster wearing a human face and pointing out the contradictions between Leone's extremist environmentalist belief and her fear of death. After RPK laid out how Paradeus had purposefully left the institute under-prepared to face the Stasi investigation, Leone relented. When RPK released her grip, she turned her back to Leone, who fired at her. Leone expected RPK to kill her so she would become a martyr, but RPK refused to kill her, and Leone realized too late that she had used her last bullet on RPK instead of herself. In the end, the server containing incriminating evidence had been wiped off.<ref group=Notes name=DoubleAgent /> Seeing Leone's despair, Ange disapproved of how far RPK had gone for her interrogation.<ref name=DR26B>{{cite|gfl|dr|Hay Fever – End}}</ref>
RPK contributed to the murder investigation in the Berle Orphanage by buying the children's trust with sweets, leading to her discovery of the previous disappearance of multiple children.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Piper}}</ref> During the investigation of the refugees camp, RPK and 15 identified and tapped into the transmission channels of the police officers trying to capture them and their records of the Paldiski Incident. After planting signal emitters on passerbys to confuse the agents, RPK and 15 neutralized them and interrogated their field commander, who revealed the details of their operation. RPK mounted a counter-operation as efficient as fun for her tastes: hacking into the local cameras network, RPK sent fake images of herself and 15 entering a building to mislead the enemy strike team, then stormed their control center with 15 to capture their data. The nationalist terrorists working with the police triggered the explosion of the building,<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Animal Chess}}</ref> but could not confirm whether the two Dolls had been eliminated.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Delta Attack – End}}</ref> RPK and 15 returned in a surprise attack to seize [[Wolfgang Hopps|Hopps]] and eliminate his GIP forces after he revealed himself as a traitor and attempted to capture Angelia.<ref name=DR54>{{cite|gfl|dr|Infernal Enlightenment IV}}</ref>
===Berlin investigations===
{{StoryQuote|A base layer like a blank sheet of paper... It's as close to a human soul as you can get. I suppose you could say that in a certain sense, you have a human heart, Miss RO. Then have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be a human? After all, the only thing that keeps you from being completely human is not having a body made of flesh, right? If a Doll had a soul as pure as a human's and a body as pure as a human's, then she would practically be no different than her creator...<ref name=MS23B />}}
After DEFY was brought to Berlin by the [[Stasi]] under accusations of murdering [[Morridow]], RPK inspected the Neural Clouds and Fire Control Cores of the team to ensure the Stasi had not modified them, despite AK-12's reluctance,<ref group=Notes name=DoubleAgent /> then concurred with 12 in advising Ange to rest for a few days and recuperate from her interrogation.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|An Arrow in Flight II}}</ref> Both used the downtime to gather intel on Ange's behalf. When [[Griffin Lyons]] summoned Ange to the Athena's Owl bar, he left the message in RPK's Neural Cloud, silently and completely bypassing her electronic defenses.<ref name=MS14A />
As Angelia used the Athena's Owl to meet with [[the Commander]], RPK and 15 met [[AR Team]] for the first time. Commenting on the positive reactions to the Idunn [[ELID]] cure among German citizens, RPK mused about the ability of humans to gain great strength from small hopes despite their natural weakness. {{doll name|RO635|SMG|6|costume=costume3}} tentatively agreed, but when {{doll name|M4 SOPMOD II|AR|5|costume=costume1}} said she preferred the replaceable body of a Doll, RPK invoked the notion of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus Ship of Theseus] to present the human body as more “pure” than a Doll's. She then displayed great interest in RO's nature as a third-generation Doll, comparing her blank base layer to a human soul or heart, and mused about her mechanical body being the only thing separating her from a human. The increasing uneasiness among the other Dolls was cut short by the end of the conversation between their respective commanders. {{doll name|UMP45|SMG|5|costume=costume3}}, monitoring the teams from afar with Squad 404, grew suspicious of RPK.<ref name=MS23B>{{cite|gfl|ms|Ship of Theseus III}}</ref>
When Angelia met Doctor [[Gray]] informally in the bathrooms of the Galatea Sanatorium to ask about her ties with the Flora Institute, RPK was hidden in one of the stalls to back her up in case they would need to capture Gray.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Cretan Liar}}</ref> Ange also visited Leone in the sanatorium, but she was under threat from Gray and didn't reveal new information. Leone warned Ange that Gray was similar to RPK, but Ange thought none of it. RPK suggested to use her brand of interrogation on Leone again but Ange elected against it. Seeing Ange's suspicions towards [[Light]], RPK warned her not to let her investigations steer her into paranoia.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Heraclitus’ River I}}</ref>
In order to prove Galatea's connection to Paradeus, Ange, 12, 15 and RPK infiltrated a remote Galatea warehouse storing smuggled hallucinogenic drugs and manned by [[Nyto]]s. RPK hacked the alarm and CCTV systems to enter the building,<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|The Grain of Millet I}}</ref> but an explosion caused by a [[Nyto White]] destroyed all evidences. 15 shielded RPK from the explosion and 12 shielded Angelia, but she was damaged in the process. Ange ordered RPK to repair 12 using 15's parts as spares, but 12 refused. DEFY prepared to engage Gray and the police when they arrived on site, RPK even taunting Gray by pointing out she might catch a stray bullet during the fight, but the arrival of Light and the [[Stasi]] prevented a shootout.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|The Grain of Millet III}}</ref>
When Paradeus assault squad attacked DEFY's safe house, 12 decided to sacrifice herself so Angelia could evacuate the building. She transferred command authorizations over DEFY to RPK, designating her as temporary captain.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|The Prisoner’s Dilemma I}}</ref> Defending from the Paradeus attackers proved difficult for RPK's spec, but she shielded Angelia with her body until 15 and 94 reinforced her.<ref name=MS211A>{{cite|gfl|ms|The Prisoner’s Dilemma III}}</ref>
After Ange persuaded Leone to reveal Gray's plans by promising her the Stasi's protection,<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Cratylus’ River III}}</ref> RPK volunteered to be her bodyguard while Ange took the assault-capable 94 and 15 to confront Gray. Leone was understandably unhappy with the arrangement and had another argument with RPK, who argued that Leone went to great length to survive even after trying to kill herself during their previous encounter. When Leone wondered out loud why someone would create a “psycho AI” like her, RPK replied her personality stemmed from “something far more valuable” than her programming. Leone feared that multiples of RPK might exist, but RPK explained she had no interest in this, but rather wanted to become human. Their conversation was cut short when [[J]] enabled RPK to access the sanatorium's security system, immediatly followed by the arrival of a new Paradeus assault team. RPK took Leone away with her,<ref name=MS34A>{{cite|gfl|ms|Achilles and the Tortoise I}}</ref> but they were ambushed by a Nyto White who killed Leone before succumbing to self-injected poison.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Achilles and the Tortoise III}}</ref> There was no footage of Leone's death.<ref name=MS313B>{{cite|gfl|ms|Zeno’s Circle of Knowledge}}</ref><ref group=Notes name=DoubleAgent>Some of RPK-16's prior actions can be reexamined after the reveal of her role as a Paradeus double-agent (though it is currently unknown when exactly she began acting as such):
*Though RPK-16 reported the disappearance of the data related to Paradeus during the investigations of the Flora Institute, their disappearance is first conveyed to the reader by the narrator rather than by RPK-16, who also expresses surprise at the disappearance. This makes it unlikely that RPK-16 herself deleted the data.
*Leone's death on the other hand is likely intended to have been facilitated by RPK-16, since RPK-16 herself took Leone away from her allies, the cameras had been sabotaged so there was no footage of Leone's death, and the White Nyto seemingly didn't attack RPK-16 before succumbing to poison.
*RPK-16's inspection of DEFY's Neural Clouds after they were released by the Stasi might be the moment she introduced the backdoors she later exploited to take down AN-94 at William's mansion.</ref>
===Betrayal===
{{ThumbSlider|width=300|align=right|list=
{{p|[[File:BG Mirror Stage 10.png|thumb|RPK-16 traps [[Angelia]] during the mansion search.]]}}
{{p|[[File:BG Mirror Stage 12.png|thumb|{{doll name|AK-15|AR|5}} fights with RPK-16 in the mansion.]]}}
}}
{{StoryQuote|The way I see it, there is an irredeemable flaw in the very design of Dolls. We don't know real pain, sorrow, or even joy. We also have no genuine understanding of life and death. It is always the humans who win, and it is always the Dolls who perish, yet at the end of the day, only humans have the prerogative to die. Don't you find it ridiculous, paradoxical even? I want to be human, Ange. I want to experience what only real humans can experience. I want to feel what only real humans can feel. Emotions. Life and death. The future.<ref name=MS44A />}}
Taking over AK-12's role as [[Angelia]]'s adjutant, RPK-16 attempted to reason with Ange, who was becoming frantic about finding new clues on [[Paradeus]]. RPK reminded her that they were under [[Griffin Lyons]]'s control in Berlin, and that refusing to wait and see could lead her on the same path as [[Yegor]]. Angelia decided to push forward regardless and located the former home of [[William]] in Berlin by breaking into Griffin's strategic room at the Athena's Owl. RPK again warned her against acting rashly, but Angelia decided to investigate the mansion. Rather than frustrated, RPK seemed pleased by the development.<ref name=MS313B />
In an uncharacteristically serious tone, RPK tried a second time to convince Angelia to not investigate the mansion, arguing that they should inform [[Statesec]] HQ first, but Angelia had abandoned the idea after [[Mikhail Tsvigun|Misha]] didn't return her call. Ange criticized RPK for trying to second-guess her orders, saying that RPK's thoughtfulness made her more different from 12 than she had realized.<ref name=MS41A>{{cite|gfl|ms|Schrödinger’s Cat}}</ref>
RPK then talked with AN-94, explaining she didn't feel cut for a command role and that 12 had designated her as captain only because 94, who knew her best, was not present at the time. 94 disagreed, thinking that RPK's ability to strategize and communicate with Ange made her the best choice as replacement, though her approach differed from 12's. RPK felt 94 had grown despite still harboring feelings of inferiority, but 94 retorted this was a strange opinion coming from the last DEFY member to be rolled out.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Remembrance}}</ref>
Before entering the mansion, AK-15 noted that RPK was less talkative than usual and might not be in peak condition. RPK admitted thinking that making her team captain was 12's second worst mistake of her life. When asked about 12's worst mistake, RPK only replied it was a secret between 12 and her. RPK and Ange explored one wing of the mansion while 15 explored the other, and 94 stood watch outside.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Pandora’s Box I}}</ref> Once they were alone, RPK locked Ange with her in a room and explained her ambition to become human. Sensing RPK's change in attitude, Ange drew her sidearm just as RPK shot at her, deflecting the bullet. RPK revealed the circumstances of her creation due to [[Shaw]]'s ambitions, and that she had defected to Paradeus to become mortal. Ange used a grenade to put some distance between them, buying enough time for 15 to arrive.
15 attempted to punch RPK through a wall, but RPK pinned her to the ground with a throw. Seizing RPK's firing arm, 15 twisted it nearly to the breaking point and prevented RPK from firing. Knowing full well about the gap in fighting ability between her and 15, RPK remotely activated the grenades she had planted on 15's belt. 15 had been wary of RPK since noticing her unusual behavior, and threw the grenades before they could damage her, though she had to loose her grip on RPK. Ange ordered 15 to recover RPK's core after neutralizing her.<ref name=MS44A>{{cite|gfl|ms|Pandora’s Box III}}</ref>
{{StoryQuote|Are you going to wipe all my memories? You can't do that unless you kill me and destroy my neural cloud completely. No one has access to my base layer—it's thoroughly sealed. This is the curse that Shaw has placed on me. Do you know what she calls me? Pandora.<ref name=MS48A />}}
15 had difficulties to shoot at RPK due to her nimbleness, the enclosed space and the numerous explosives RPK had planted in the mansion before the fight, but RPK could not escape due to 15's ability to track her through walls using her Wolf Eyes. During the fight, 15 reproached her deceptions to RPK, who replied it had worked only because DEFY had been looking down on her. After they emptied their main weapons, RPK tried to use her sidearm but 15 rushed her and managed to throw her to the ground, breaking her wrist, before pummeling her, intending to take RPK offline before she could retaliate with hacking. When RPK declared that 15 was destined to kill her, 15 replied that RPK's Neural Cloud would be corrected and she would be revived. RPK revealed the safeguard Shaw had built to prevent this, and 15, once again growing tired of RPK's ramblings, drew her sidearm and steeled herself to take down her partner.
Their talk had however bought enough time for {{enemy name|Gray (Enemy)|boss|alt=Gray}} to arrive at the mansion. Gray's opening attack broke the arm 15 was using to pin down RPK, and she assisted Gray in combat until they took down 15 and captured Angelia. During Light and 94's last-ditch attack, RPK neutralized 94 using the backdoors she had left in DEFY's Neural Clouds as a last resort,<ref group=Notes name=DoubleAgent /> and deployed a shrapnel shield to catch the shot that would have killed Gray. Ange blamed RPK for Light's death, but RPK replied that it was caused by Ange's recklessness.<ref name=MS48A>{{cite|gfl|ms|Möbius Strip}}</ref>
===Nyto===
[[File:BG Fixed Point 16vs16 b.png|thumb|{{enemy name|RPK-16 (Enemy)|boss|alt=RPK-16}} fights with {{enemy name|M16A1 (Boss)|boss|alt=M16A1}} in Avernus during Operation Aeneas.]]
{{StoryQuote|I did wonder if I would be a moth that dives right into the fire or an aphid that munches on petals. In the end, I turned into a plant that feeds on insects. Ironic, isn't it?<ref name=FP410 />}}
The massacre at the mansion having left no witnesses, RPK continued to operate as a double-agent for a time and contacted [[J]] to lure the Stasi into a trap.
RPK explained she had been separated from DEFY at the mansion and was the only survivor, after which she had contacted [[the Commander]] to organize a rescue mission, as she knew where Angelia had been taken. Her coordinates were consistent with the ones discovered by [[Nele]] during her investigations on [[Wolfgang Hopps|Umruss]]. Despite having been placed on house arrest by Director [[Romy Riefenstahl|Riefenstahl]] for insubordination, J assembled in secret a group of Stasi agents to carry out the rescue mission. RPK further pushed J to action by giving him the Stasi cufflinks Light had entrusted Angelia with before his death.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|E4-2}}</ref> J also revealed Nele's identity as his informant to RPK, enabling Paradeus to make an attempt on her life.<ref name=PR49 />
At the abandoned plant marked by the coordinates, RPK guided J's team through the route she had allegedly prepared during a scouting run, and urged them to enter without waiting for the Commander's forces they had been expecting.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|E4-3}}</ref> Only [[Mona]] suspected RPK might be misleading them.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|E4-5}}</ref> RPK then bailed once J's team was deep enough into the plant for {{enemy name|Bramedb|boss}}'s forces to massacre them.<ref name=PR47 /> J survived thanks to the arrival of the Commander's forces, and RPK's betrayal was revealed.<ref name=PR49>{{cite|gfl|pr|E4-9}}</ref> Her missions accomplished, RPK was officially accepted into Paradeus,<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E1-8}}</ref> and she was sent to Avernus to transfer her Neural Cloud into a Nyto body.<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E3-1}}</ref>


=== Chapter 12 ===
In Avernus, RPK killed the “crazy Nyto” guarding and torturing Angelia, and replaced her with [[Koleda]]. When the “crazy Nyto” warned RPK that her transgression would not be forgiven, RPK retorted she did not seek forgiveness.<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E3-3}}</ref> Shortly after, when [[Laplace]] performed brain surgery on Angelia, RPK-16 infiltrated her memories, taking the role of various characters such as [[Minor Characters#Xenia|Xenia]] in Ange's childhood, [[Minor Characters#57th Guards Division, 3rd Platoon|Alexander]] from her military service, {{doll name|LAMG|MG|5}} from her time at [[Griffin & Kryuger]] and her own self during Ange's investigation in Germany, irreversibly altering Ange's memories.<ref name=SS28 />
RPK-16 was first mentioned on Chapter 12-4 Emergency, from encrypted message packet received by Kalina sent by Angelia. The message was damaged as it's scrambled from jamming, and Kalina asked {{doll name|UMP45|SMG|4}} to decrypt it as {{doll name|M4A1|AR|4}} and {{doll name|RO635|SMG|5}} were currently busy computing simulation process.


UMP45 finished repairing the message packet, and Kalina put it on the big screen. RPK-16 informed that she has managed to took control of the gate in the barrier walls to Paldiski Submarine Base, but she lost contact with Angelia and the other members of Task Force DEFY.  
Shortly after acquiring her Nyto body, RPK confronted {{enemy name|M16A1 (Boss)|boss|alt=M16A1}} at the Western Tower during Operation Aeneas, when M16 participated in the infiltration of Avernus. RPK claimed they had met many times, though M16 had no recollection of her.<ref name=FP49 /> RPK offered to spare M16, as [[Nemhran]] had ordered to keep one intruder alive, and to become a Nyto like her, but M16 rejected the offer. Discussing why M16 had decided not to delete the core order dictating her loyalty towards M4A1, RPK put up that “freedom is the right to defiance”, while M16 replied that “freedom is choosing to be loyal despite the right to defiance”.<ref name=FP410>{{cite|gfl|fp|E4-10}}</ref> Eager to put [[Persica]]'s creation to the test, RPK taunted M16, remarking that their fight was “traitor against traitor,” and that if participating in Operation Aeneas was M16's way to repent for her previous actions, then she had also betrayed herself.<ref name=FP411>{{cite|gfl|fp|E4-11}}</ref>
The way is open and they’d hold the fort and wait for Griffin to arrive.


=== Polarized Light ===
Though RPK's movements were restricted to a single room by cables plugged into her body, she blocked M16's way and generated a force field<ref name=FP49>{{cite|gfl|fp|E4-9}}</ref> to lure her into close-combat. Under cover from a smoke grenade and the explosion of an oxygen tank, M16 rushed RPK, dislodged one of her shoulders and took her by the neck before menacing her with a knife, ordering her to open the blast door in her way. M16 tried to use her knife when RPK refused, but RPK summoned mechanical arms to immobilize M16.
RPK-16 finally made her appearance on Chapter 2, guarding the gate control room along with {{doll name|AK-15|AR|5}} waiting for UMP45 and {{doll name|HK416|AR|5}} to arrive. K was commanding them but he took a bullet from Sangvis ambush, but managed to order them to hold their position before passed out. After opening the gate, UMP45 and HK416 continued their mission to find Ange and the remaining of DEFY, and told RPK-16 to link up with Griffin as they will provide support. RPK-16 contacted Commander through the radio, informing that northern barrier wall has been breached, with the probability that KCCO used it to enter the base. She knew that Commander already sent a team to seize the shore gun, and urged the Commander to keep an eye to the team movement.


=== Chapter 13 ===
However, M16 activated the shaped charge she wore on her body, stunning RPK and breaking free of her mechanical arms to attack her again, but she stopped as she realized something about RPK. RPK informed her that her objective was not where she was headed, and M16 left, wishing RPK good luck. RPK transmitted the data from their combat to Nemhran and awaited the completion of her transformation, which she reckoned would only deepen her bond to M16.<ref name=FP411 />
After being together with Griffin force in struggle to repel the KCCO troops from entering the base but still failed, it's time for their jolly cooperation to end. Angelia ordered RPK-16 and AK-15 to link up with the rest of DEFY, to stop the remaining KCCO troops. The two made contact with {{doll name|AK-12|AR|5}} and {{doll name|AN-94|AR|5}} in the depth of the base, carrying out plan to put the end to Yegor once and for all.  
[[File:BG Slow Shock BecomeHuman d.png|thumb|“From now on, I am you, and you are me. We are one.”<ref name=SS28 />]]
{{StoryQuote|I can only show my loyalty through betrayal. I am you, when I am I.<ref name=SS18D>{{cite|gfl|ss|E1-8D}}</ref>}}
After Ange was awakened by {{doll name|RO635|SMG|6|costume=costume3}} and [[Koleda]], she refused to leave Avernus and insisted to buy time for [[the Commander]] to carry out [[Operation Muromets]]. However, both her mind and body were left extremely weak from [[Laplace]]'s experiments. In RO's absence, RPK met with Ange and claimed she manipulated her memories to better understand her and put to the test her conviction to never admit to being powerless and to always struggle. She offered to take control of Ange's body and accomplish Ange's objective in her stead. After taking over Ange's body,<ref name=SS28>{{cite|gfl|ss|E2-8}}</ref> RPK took off the Strongarm used by G&K to monitor Angelia's vitals and position and disappeared.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ss|E3-20}}</ref>
{{clr}}
==Notes==
<references group=Notes />


The sound of explosion in the distance alarmed them that Yegor is coming. RPK-16 emptied her magazines at Yegor's mech to draw the attention, and Yegor replied by sending two grenades to her position few seconds ago. The blast still managed to knocked her to the ground despite she was behind cover. AK-15 and AN-94 executed the next attack on the mech's leg, and Yegor retaliated by using various of his mecha arsenals. In the end, Yegor managed to bring them down but AK-12 was able to execute the final attack. The curtain finally closed for Yegor.
==References==
<references />

Latest revision as of 21:38, 25 January 2024

RPK-16 Story Quotes

"This is classified information!"

This article contains unmarked spoilers. You have been warned.

Character info[edit]

“ Freedom is the right to defiance.[1] ”

RPK-16 is a social and mysterious Doll, and the fourth member of Task Force DEFY. She often introduces heavy philosophical topics in a conversation out of the blue before quickly making light of it. She is also fond of using strange and creepy metaphors or poems,[2][3] especially the metaphor of moths attracted to flames.[4][5][6][7][8][1] She nearly constantly puts up a mysterious smile.[9][10]

Though she accepts the advantages of her technical immortality as a Doll,[11] RPK-16 yearns to abandon her Doll body for a human body, viewing mortality as philosophically perfect.[5][12][13][8] She has no special reverence towards humans however, casually discussing their contradictions and flaws, and having no qualms about being cruel with them.[14][5][15][16]

RPK-16's specifications are the lowest among Task Force DEFY,[17] and she is built for support fire rather than frontline combat.[18]

Relationships[edit]

RPK-16 emphasized the importance of trust between herself and AK-15, and between AK-12 and AN-94,[19] but she often engaged in passive-aggressive confrontations with AK-12, in reaction to her haughty attitude.[11] RPK's retorts carried the implication that she thought of 12 and herself as equals.[11][20] 12 claims she doesn't hate RPK, but that RPK's quirky persona, while perceived as friendly by some, makes others instinctively distrustful of her.[21] 12 called RPK the caretaker of “the female gorilla”, which was her nickname for AK-15.[22] RPK was much more agreeable towards AN-94's meeker demeanor,[11][19] though she also discounted her as 12's shadow.[23]

Despite her initial reserves about RPK due to her lower spec by DEFY's standards, AK-15 came to put her trust into RPK for enabling her to make the most of her abilities[17] and being able to approach objectives efficiently in ways she couldn't.[24] RPK frequently asked 15 about her point of view,[25] encouraged her to think beyond her usual approach to combat[26] and to speak her thoughts with her.[27] After RPK's betrayal, 15 made special preparations to go against her. 15 considered that she was the best adversary for RPK, as RPK knew more than anyone that she would stand no chance against 15, and planned to make RPK her last target.[17]

RPK felt that because of her position as the youngest and weakest unit within DEFY, the other members of DEFY looked down on her and more easily trusted her because she was not a threat to them.[23]

Gray is the only person to consistently call her by her true name, “Pandora”,[23][28] and was her sponsor within Paradeus.[29] Nemhran also considered her a valuable asset.[30]

Story Involvement[edit]

Project Wolf Pack[edit]

RPK-16 was created as the last unit from Statesec's Wolf Pack Project.

Led by Doctor Shaw, the project initially called for the creation of a pair of extremely high-spec Tactical Dolls, a combat specialist paired with a tactical command unit. However, after Incident Zero, the two units, AR AK-15AK-15AK-15 and AR AK-12AK-12AK-12, refused to work together and AK-12 instead partnered with the prototype AR AN-94AN-94AN-94.[31][19] Shaw needed to produce a fourth unit to provide a partner for AK-15, whom she considered her masterpiece.[17]

During the project, Shaw was also convinced by Angelia to take part in a conference about next-generation Dolls by Persica.[31] Shaw found Persica's vision for third-generation Dolls naive. She believed that trying to give freedom to Dolls was hypocritical because humans themselves are not free, and instead argued that Dolls would become more human if they were granted “defiance”.[25] She decided to make Wolf Pack Unit 4 the implementation of this idea.

Thus, Shaw created “Pandora”,[23][17] giving her the codename “Silver Fox” and formal designation MG RPK-16RPK-16RPK-16. RPK would take a tactical overview role to enable AK-15's preferred frontal approach to combat,[17] but Shaw also omitted the programming preventing her to attack humans,[23] thus offering her the choice of “defiance”.[32] Shaw also arranged for RPK's core memories to be stored in the base layer of her Neural Cloud, making them impossible to delete and “reset” RPK.[23]

Though Angelia heard good reports of their combined performance, AK-15 and RPK-16 operated in complete separation of Angelia, AK-12 and AN-94 until they were reunited during the Paldiski Incident.[19]

Paldiski Incident[edit]

Task Force DEFY against Yegor's Ares mech.
“ We'll do our best, the same way drowning fish poke their heads out of the water in search of oxygen.
— RPK-16 exposes the Commander to her strange metaphors for the first time.[2]
 ”

When Task Force DEFY infiltrated the Paldiski Submarine Base ahead of the battle between Griffin & Kryuger and the KCCO, K took command of AK-15 and RPK-16. They were attacked by the incoming Sangvis Ferri forces and went to secure the control room for the gates of the quarantine wall, while Angelia, AK-12 and AN-94 became trapped in the lower levels of the base. K was wounded by a bullet as they reached the control room and ordered RPK to hold the position before passing out.[14] RPK sent an encrypted message to the Griffin & Kryuger forces, introducing herself to the Commander and announcing her team had taken control of the quarantine wall but that Ange's team had gone dark.[33]

When Squad 404 approached the gate control room with Zener signals shut off, RPK and 15 opened fire, thinking they were enemy infiltrators.[34] SMG UMP45UMP45UMP45 insisted to open the gates fast and shot down RPK's attempts at familiarity. RPK became puzzled at the gap between them despite both being Dolls and teased 15 by asking her opinion, but was shot down again as 15 only commented on her decreasing ammo reserves, then on RPK's inability to break through the enemy forces before. RPK lamented that a Doll's command ability could not compare even to mediocre commanders like K. After opening the gates, 45 announced they would go after Ange and RPK offered to have 15 accompany them, but 45 refused and left RPK with the codes to communicate with the Commander.[14]

RPK contacted the Commander to warn them of a breach in the quarantine wall made by the KCCO to reach the coastal guns.[2] RPK and AK-15 were then deployed on the battlefield to scout out the KCCO command post, enabling AR Team to target it with the base's coast guns[35][36] before retreating inside the base.[37][38] After Squad 404 broke Ange's team out of the lower levels of the base, Ange ordered RPK and 15 to join them to fight Captain Yegor's Ares mech.[39][40]

AK-12 refused to engage Yegor at first, until Ange revealed that 15 and RPK were also present in the base, at which point 12 came up with a battle plan making use of 15 to pin the mech down and herself as the main shooter.[19] RPK teased 12 about the low chances of success of her plan, asking Ange for a bonus and upgraded gear after being uploaded in replacement bodies,[11] but admitted to AN-94 that she couldn't find any better solution. RPK also shared her thought with 94 that she didn't think 15 would be the linchpin of the operation, but rather 94 herself, as she would be in charge of protecting 12, the main shooter.[19] RPK opened the battle by luring Yegor into the room where DEFY sprung their trap.[41] When Yegor used a frag missile to destroy the Dolls with shrapnel,[42][41] 94 followed RPK's advice and sacrificed herself to shield 12.[19] RPK herself was critically damaged by the attack, but 12 picked up her explosives to use them against the mech. Before coming offline, RPK remarked that this kind of situation was why she found humans fascinating, and presented the explosives as her tribute to Yegor.[42]

Bremen[edit]

DEFY operating in civilian clothes in Bremen.

Acting on the intel found at Paldiski (though misguided by Paradeus[43]) Angelia pushed her search for William to Bremen, in Germany. To shake off unwanted eyes, Ange set up a trap at the city's entrance with AN-94 and RPK-16, the two DEFY members able to pass as civilians, and eliminated the agents tailing them before entering the city. During the investigations in Bremen, RPK used the name “Renate”.[44]

After receiving a lead from the Commander involving Bremen's Flora Institute, Angelia deployed AK-12 and RPK-16 to talk with the horticulturists of the institute and investigate their clients.[21] While the rest of DEFY helped the Stasi agents infiltrated in the institute take down the cultists attacking Angelia, RPK tracked down Leone, the leader of the institute, to acquire her research materials.

“ Yes, I'm a werewolf; I'm a Yeti; I'm Frankenstein's monster. But what about you? You're just a pathetic human. You think of yourself as a martyr, yet you're no less a coward than anyone else in face of death. You might try to justify your cowardice by claiming that you wish to do more to further your cause. However, you have done nothing but dance on a string to someone else's tune this whole time. To a spectator like me... You're not even dancing the Kazachok; you're just clowning around.[5] ”

Leone attempted to attack RPK with a gun, but the Doll broke her wrist, pinned her to the ground and tortured her by breaking her fingers when Leone refused to talk. RPK also applied psychological pressure by leaning into Leone's hostility towards Dolls, calling herself a monster wearing a human face and pointing out the contradictions between Leone's extremist environmentalist belief and her fear of death. After RPK laid out how Paradeus had purposefully left the institute under-prepared to face the Stasi investigation, Leone relented. When RPK released her grip, she turned her back to Leone, who fired at her. Leone expected RPK to kill her so she would become a martyr, but RPK refused to kill her, and Leone realized too late that she had used her last bullet on RPK instead of herself. In the end, the server containing incriminating evidence had been wiped off.[Notes 1] Seeing Leone's despair, Ange disapproved of how far RPK had gone for her interrogation.[5]

RPK contributed to the murder investigation in the Berle Orphanage by buying the children's trust with sweets, leading to her discovery of the previous disappearance of multiple children.[45] During the investigation of the refugees camp, RPK and 15 identified and tapped into the transmission channels of the police officers trying to capture them and their records of the Paldiski Incident. After planting signal emitters on passerbys to confuse the agents, RPK and 15 neutralized them and interrogated their field commander, who revealed the details of their operation. RPK mounted a counter-operation as efficient as fun for her tastes: hacking into the local cameras network, RPK sent fake images of herself and 15 entering a building to mislead the enemy strike team, then stormed their control center with 15 to capture their data. The nationalist terrorists working with the police triggered the explosion of the building,[46] but could not confirm whether the two Dolls had been eliminated.[47] RPK and 15 returned in a surprise attack to seize Hopps and eliminate his GIP forces after he revealed himself as a traitor and attempted to capture Angelia.[6]

Berlin investigations[edit]

“ A base layer like a blank sheet of paper... It's as close to a human soul as you can get. I suppose you could say that in a certain sense, you have a human heart, Miss RO. Then have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be a human? After all, the only thing that keeps you from being completely human is not having a body made of flesh, right? If a Doll had a soul as pure as a human's and a body as pure as a human's, then she would practically be no different than her creator...[12] ”

After DEFY was brought to Berlin by the Stasi under accusations of murdering Morridow, RPK inspected the Neural Clouds and Fire Control Cores of the team to ensure the Stasi had not modified them, despite AK-12's reluctance,[Notes 1] then concurred with 12 in advising Ange to rest for a few days and recuperate from her interrogation.[48] Both used the downtime to gather intel on Ange's behalf. When Griffin Lyons summoned Ange to the Athena's Owl bar, he left the message in RPK's Neural Cloud, silently and completely bypassing her electronic defenses.[20]

As Angelia used the Athena's Owl to meet with the Commander, RPK and 15 met AR Team for the first time. Commenting on the positive reactions to the Idunn ELID cure among German citizens, RPK mused about the ability of humans to gain great strength from small hopes despite their natural weakness. SMG RO635RO635RO635 tentatively agreed, but when AR M4 SOPMOD IIM4 SOPMOD IIM4 SOPMOD II said she preferred the replaceable body of a Doll, RPK invoked the notion of the Ship of Theseus to present the human body as more “pure” than a Doll's. She then displayed great interest in RO's nature as a third-generation Doll, comparing her blank base layer to a human soul or heart, and mused about her mechanical body being the only thing separating her from a human. The increasing uneasiness among the other Dolls was cut short by the end of the conversation between their respective commanders. SMG UMP45UMP45UMP45, monitoring the teams from afar with Squad 404, grew suspicious of RPK.[12]

When Angelia met Doctor Gray informally in the bathrooms of the Galatea Sanatorium to ask about her ties with the Flora Institute, RPK was hidden in one of the stalls to back her up in case they would need to capture Gray.[49] Ange also visited Leone in the sanatorium, but she was under threat from Gray and didn't reveal new information. Leone warned Ange that Gray was similar to RPK, but Ange thought none of it. RPK suggested to use her brand of interrogation on Leone again but Ange elected against it. Seeing Ange's suspicions towards Light, RPK warned her not to let her investigations steer her into paranoia.[50]

In order to prove Galatea's connection to Paradeus, Ange, 12, 15 and RPK infiltrated a remote Galatea warehouse storing smuggled hallucinogenic drugs and manned by Nytos. RPK hacked the alarm and CCTV systems to enter the building,[51] but an explosion caused by a Nyto White destroyed all evidences. 15 shielded RPK from the explosion and 12 shielded Angelia, but she was damaged in the process. Ange ordered RPK to repair 12 using 15's parts as spares, but 12 refused. DEFY prepared to engage Gray and the police when they arrived on site, RPK even taunting Gray by pointing out she might catch a stray bullet during the fight, but the arrival of Light and the Stasi prevented a shootout.[52]

When Paradeus assault squad attacked DEFY's safe house, 12 decided to sacrifice herself so Angelia could evacuate the building. She transferred command authorizations over DEFY to RPK, designating her as temporary captain.[53] Defending from the Paradeus attackers proved difficult for RPK's spec, but she shielded Angelia with her body until 15 and 94 reinforced her.[18]

After Ange persuaded Leone to reveal Gray's plans by promising her the Stasi's protection,[54] RPK volunteered to be her bodyguard while Ange took the assault-capable 94 and 15 to confront Gray. Leone was understandably unhappy with the arrangement and had another argument with RPK, who argued that Leone went to great length to survive even after trying to kill herself during their previous encounter. When Leone wondered out loud why someone would create a “psycho AI” like her, RPK replied her personality stemmed from “something far more valuable” than her programming. Leone feared that multiples of RPK might exist, but RPK explained she had no interest in this, but rather wanted to become human. Their conversation was cut short when J enabled RPK to access the sanatorium's security system, immediatly followed by the arrival of a new Paradeus assault team. RPK took Leone away with her,[13] but they were ambushed by a Nyto White who killed Leone before succumbing to self-injected poison.[55] There was no footage of Leone's death.[7][Notes 1]

Betrayal[edit]

RPK-16 traps Angelia during the mansion search.
AR AK-15AK-15AK-15 fights with RPK-16 in the mansion.

“ The way I see it, there is an irredeemable flaw in the very design of Dolls. We don't know real pain, sorrow, or even joy. We also have no genuine understanding of life and death. It is always the humans who win, and it is always the Dolls who perish, yet at the end of the day, only humans have the prerogative to die. Don't you find it ridiculous, paradoxical even? I want to be human, Ange. I want to experience what only real humans can experience. I want to feel what only real humans can feel. Emotions. Life and death. The future.[8] ”

Taking over AK-12's role as Angelia's adjutant, RPK-16 attempted to reason with Ange, who was becoming frantic about finding new clues on Paradeus. RPK reminded her that they were under Griffin Lyons's control in Berlin, and that refusing to wait and see could lead her on the same path as Yegor. Angelia decided to push forward regardless and located the former home of William in Berlin by breaking into Griffin's strategic room at the Athena's Owl. RPK again warned her against acting rashly, but Angelia decided to investigate the mansion. Rather than frustrated, RPK seemed pleased by the development.[7]

In an uncharacteristically serious tone, RPK tried a second time to convince Angelia to not investigate the mansion, arguing that they should inform Statesec HQ first, but Angelia had abandoned the idea after Misha didn't return her call. Ange criticized RPK for trying to second-guess her orders, saying that RPK's thoughtfulness made her more different from 12 than she had realized.[9]

RPK then talked with AN-94, explaining she didn't feel cut for a command role and that 12 had designated her as captain only because 94, who knew her best, was not present at the time. 94 disagreed, thinking that RPK's ability to strategize and communicate with Ange made her the best choice as replacement, though her approach differed from 12's. RPK felt 94 had grown despite still harboring feelings of inferiority, but 94 retorted this was a strange opinion coming from the last DEFY member to be rolled out.[56]

Before entering the mansion, AK-15 noted that RPK was less talkative than usual and might not be in peak condition. RPK admitted thinking that making her team captain was 12's second worst mistake of her life. When asked about 12's worst mistake, RPK only replied it was a secret between 12 and her. RPK and Ange explored one wing of the mansion while 15 explored the other, and 94 stood watch outside.[57] Once they were alone, RPK locked Ange with her in a room and explained her ambition to become human. Sensing RPK's change in attitude, Ange drew her sidearm just as RPK shot at her, deflecting the bullet. RPK revealed the circumstances of her creation due to Shaw's ambitions, and that she had defected to Paradeus to become mortal. Ange used a grenade to put some distance between them, buying enough time for 15 to arrive.

15 attempted to punch RPK through a wall, but RPK pinned her to the ground with a throw. Seizing RPK's firing arm, 15 twisted it nearly to the breaking point and prevented RPK from firing. Knowing full well about the gap in fighting ability between her and 15, RPK remotely activated the grenades she had planted on 15's belt. 15 had been wary of RPK since noticing her unusual behavior, and threw the grenades before they could damage her, though she had to loose her grip on RPK. Ange ordered 15 to recover RPK's core after neutralizing her.[8]

“ Are you going to wipe all my memories? You can't do that unless you kill me and destroy my neural cloud completely. No one has access to my base layer—it's thoroughly sealed. This is the curse that Shaw has placed on me. Do you know what she calls me? Pandora.[23] ”

15 had difficulties to shoot at RPK due to her nimbleness, the enclosed space and the numerous explosives RPK had planted in the mansion before the fight, but RPK could not escape due to 15's ability to track her through walls using her Wolf Eyes. During the fight, 15 reproached her deceptions to RPK, who replied it had worked only because DEFY had been looking down on her. After they emptied their main weapons, RPK tried to use her sidearm but 15 rushed her and managed to throw her to the ground, breaking her wrist, before pummeling her, intending to take RPK offline before she could retaliate with hacking. When RPK declared that 15 was destined to kill her, 15 replied that RPK's Neural Cloud would be corrected and she would be revived. RPK revealed the safeguard Shaw had built to prevent this, and 15, once again growing tired of RPK's ramblings, drew her sidearm and steeled herself to take down her partner.

Their talk had however bought enough time for Gray to arrive at the mansion. Gray's opening attack broke the arm 15 was using to pin down RPK, and she assisted Gray in combat until they took down 15 and captured Angelia. During Light and 94's last-ditch attack, RPK neutralized 94 using the backdoors she had left in DEFY's Neural Clouds as a last resort,[Notes 1] and deployed a shrapnel shield to catch the shot that would have killed Gray. Ange blamed RPK for Light's death, but RPK replied that it was caused by Ange's recklessness.[23]

Nyto[edit]

RPK-16 fights with M16A1 in Avernus during Operation Aeneas.
“ I did wonder if I would be a moth that dives right into the fire or an aphid that munches on petals. In the end, I turned into a plant that feeds on insects. Ironic, isn't it?[1] ”

The massacre at the mansion having left no witnesses, RPK continued to operate as a double-agent for a time and contacted J to lure the Stasi into a trap.

RPK explained she had been separated from DEFY at the mansion and was the only survivor, after which she had contacted the Commander to organize a rescue mission, as she knew where Angelia had been taken. Her coordinates were consistent with the ones discovered by Nele during her investigations on Umruss. Despite having been placed on house arrest by Director Riefenstahl for insubordination, J assembled in secret a group of Stasi agents to carry out the rescue mission. RPK further pushed J to action by giving him the Stasi cufflinks Light had entrusted Angelia with before his death.[58] J also revealed Nele's identity as his informant to RPK, enabling Paradeus to make an attempt on her life.[59]

At the abandoned plant marked by the coordinates, RPK guided J's team through the route she had allegedly prepared during a scouting run, and urged them to enter without waiting for the Commander's forces they had been expecting.[60] Only Mona suspected RPK might be misleading them.[61] RPK then bailed once J's team was deep enough into the plant for Bramedb's forces to massacre them.[29] J survived thanks to the arrival of the Commander's forces, and RPK's betrayal was revealed.[59] Her missions accomplished, RPK was officially accepted into Paradeus,[62] and she was sent to Avernus to transfer her Neural Cloud into a Nyto body.[63]

In Avernus, RPK killed the “crazy Nyto” guarding and torturing Angelia, and replaced her with Koleda. When the “crazy Nyto” warned RPK that her transgression would not be forgiven, RPK retorted she did not seek forgiveness.[64] Shortly after, when Laplace performed brain surgery on Angelia, RPK-16 infiltrated her memories, taking the role of various characters such as Xenia in Ange's childhood, Alexander from her military service, MG LAMGLAMGLAMG from her time at Griffin & Kryuger and her own self during Ange's investigation in Germany, irreversibly altering Ange's memories.[65]

Shortly after acquiring her Nyto body, RPK confronted M16A1 at the Western Tower during Operation Aeneas, when M16 participated in the infiltration of Avernus. RPK claimed they had met many times, though M16 had no recollection of her.[66] RPK offered to spare M16, as Nemhran had ordered to keep one intruder alive, and to become a Nyto like her, but M16 rejected the offer. Discussing why M16 had decided not to delete the core order dictating her loyalty towards M4A1, RPK put up that “freedom is the right to defiance”, while M16 replied that “freedom is choosing to be loyal despite the right to defiance”.[1] Eager to put Persica's creation to the test, RPK taunted M16, remarking that their fight was “traitor against traitor,” and that if participating in Operation Aeneas was M16's way to repent for her previous actions, then she had also betrayed herself.[10]

Though RPK's movements were restricted to a single room by cables plugged into her body, she blocked M16's way and generated a force field[66] to lure her into close-combat. Under cover from a smoke grenade and the explosion of an oxygen tank, M16 rushed RPK, dislodged one of her shoulders and took her by the neck before menacing her with a knife, ordering her to open the blast door in her way. M16 tried to use her knife when RPK refused, but RPK summoned mechanical arms to immobilize M16.

However, M16 activated the shaped charge she wore on her body, stunning RPK and breaking free of her mechanical arms to attack her again, but she stopped as she realized something about RPK. RPK informed her that her objective was not where she was headed, and M16 left, wishing RPK good luck. RPK transmitted the data from their combat to Nemhran and awaited the completion of her transformation, which she reckoned would only deepen her bond to M16.[10]

“From now on, I am you, and you are me. We are one.”[65]
“ I can only show my loyalty through betrayal. I am you, when I am I.[67] ”

After Ange was awakened by SMG RO635RO635RO635 and Koleda, she refused to leave Avernus and insisted to buy time for the Commander to carry out Operation Muromets. However, both her mind and body were left extremely weak from Laplace's experiments. In RO's absence, RPK met with Ange and claimed she manipulated her memories to better understand her and put to the test her conviction to never admit to being powerless and to always struggle. She offered to take control of Ange's body and accomplish Ange's objective in her stead. After taking over Ange's body,[65] RPK took off the Strongarm used by G&K to monitor Angelia's vitals and position and disappeared.[68]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Some of RPK-16's prior actions can be reexamined after the reveal of her role as a Paradeus double-agent (though it is currently unknown when exactly she began acting as such):
    • Though RPK-16 reported the disappearance of the data related to Paradeus during the investigations of the Flora Institute, their disappearance is first conveyed to the reader by the narrator rather than by RPK-16, who also expresses surprise at the disappearance. This makes it unlikely that RPK-16 herself deleted the data.
    • Leone's death on the other hand is likely intended to have been facilitated by RPK-16, since RPK-16 herself took Leone away from her allies, the cameras had been sabotaged so there was no footage of Leone's death, and the White Nyto seemingly didn't attack RPK-16 before succumbing to poison.
    • RPK-16's inspection of DEFY's Neural Clouds after they were released by the Stasi might be the moment she introduced the backdoors she later exploited to take down AN-94 at William's mansion.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E4-10
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Waveguide I
  3. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Hay Fever – Beginning
  4. ↑ Girls' Frontline, RPK-16's Quotes
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Hay Fever – End
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Infernal Enlightenment IV
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Zeno’s Circle of Knowledge
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Pandora’s Box III
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Schrödinger’s Cat
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E4-11
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Girls' Frontline, Episode 13-5
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Ship of Theseus III
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Achilles and the Tortoise I
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Diffraction Grating
  15. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Infernal Enlightenment V
  16. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Torricelli’s Trumpet II
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Girls' Frontline, AR AK-15AK-15AK-15 Neural Upgrade Story 4
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, The Prisoner’s Dilemma III
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 Girls' Frontline, AR AN-94AN-94AN-94 Neural Upgrade Story 4
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Torricelli’s Trumpet I
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Flower View
  22. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Sintering
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Möbius Strip
  24. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Gathering Frost Wolves
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Girls' Frontline, AR AK-15AK-15AK-15 Neural Upgrade Story 1
  26. ↑ Girls' Frontline, AR AK-15AK-15AK-15 Neural Upgrade Story 5
  27. ↑ Girls' Frontline, AR AK-15AK-15AK-15 Neural Upgrade Story 3
  28. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Poincaré Recurrence, E2-8
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Girls' Frontline, Poincaré Recurrence, E4-7
  30. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E3-3
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Girls' Frontline, AR AN-94AN-94AN-94 Neural Upgrade Story 3
  32. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E4-10
  33. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Episode 12-4E
  34. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Polarizer I
  35. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Shattered Plane of Polarization I
  36. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Recrystallization Resolution II
  37. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Shattered Plane of Polarization II
  38. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Asymmetric Induction I
  39. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Virtual Image Reforging
  40. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Episode 13-3
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Girls' Frontline, Episode 13-6
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Girls' Frontline, Polarized Light, Light Cone Frame of Reference I
  43. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E1-1
  44. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, The Curtain Rises I
  45. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Piper
  46. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Animal Chess
  47. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Dual Randomness, Delta Attack – End
  48. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, An Arrow in Flight II
  49. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Cretan Liar
  50. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Heraclitus’ River I
  51. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, The Grain of Millet I
  52. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, The Grain of Millet III
  53. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, The Prisoner’s Dilemma I
  54. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Cratylus’ River III
  55. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Achilles and the Tortoise III
  56. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Remembrance
  57. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Mirror Stage, Pandora’s Box I
  58. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Poincaré Recurrence, E4-2
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Girls' Frontline, Poincaré Recurrence, E4-9
  60. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Poincaré Recurrence, E4-3
  61. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Poincaré Recurrence, E4-5
  62. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E1-8
  63. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E3-1
  64. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E3-3
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Girls' Frontline, Slow Shock, E2-8
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 Girls' Frontline, Fixed Point, E4-9
  67. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Slow Shock, E1-8D
  68. ↑ Girls' Frontline, Slow Shock, E3-20
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