2022-11-12: Homecoming ~SABOTAGE~
- Cast: Mikoto Utsugi, Guy Shishioh, Takeshi Todo, Koji Kabuto, GBR-04 Volfogg, Zan, Patrick Colasour, George de Sand, Sayaka Yumi, Chibodee Crocket, Sousuke Sagara, Haneul Kysahra
- Where: GGG Orbit Base
- Date: U.C. 0096 11 12
- Summary: Orbit Base is still reeling from losing a key staff member, not to mention the morale damage of losing so many other friends to Akane Shinjo's work. Compounding that loss with Earth's defenses strained by an attacking Angel and the loss of JOSH-A, Orbit Base's defenses have never been weaker. And thus, the hero Kotarou Taiga and his Ruin Apostles strike.
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
Attacks are happening across the Earthsphere. The Frontier Fleet, the Republic of Zeon, an Angel in Tokyo-3. In the wake of JOSH-A, Federation forces are disoriented and off balance, and now spread thin.
And it's here that GGG Chief Taiga makes his move. The order is given. The ripples in space that are the ES Door open, and through it comes the golden Division Ship VII- The Super-Winged Shooting Command Warship Tsukiyomi. At it's bridge is Geki Hyuuma of GaoGaiGar- and at the front of the bridge is GGG Operator Mikoto Utsugi.
"Even if they're weak, we know who we're up against! Put them down, quick and hard!" Hyuuma's orders echo across the quiet bridge.
"Todo-san, Volfogg... you are cleared for launch. Do what you have to, but remember... They're our friends. They should have a swift, painless end." The heartbreak is clear in her voice.
The Mirror Catapults on deck wake up, ready to launch those that need launching... but there's one more machine there. Familiar to those of the GGG of old.
EI-15, the 'Zonder GaoGaiGar', glowing with the orange light of Dawn.
It is the first to be fired forward, towards Orbit Base and Battle.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
In Orbit Base, the Main Order Room is alive with light.
"They're making their move," Executive Supervisor Yang observes, patiently.
"Tracking ongoing combat in Frontier Fleet and outside the Zeon Homeland," Intelligence Operator Kamuy Pauvre Saginomiya notes, the monitor glaring off his glasses. Despite the tension, he manages to keep his cool; he's one of the newer GGG Operatives, but he's still got a Brave's nerves.
"Kakuseijin GaiGo has deployed to Frontier to intercept Mic Sounders the Thirteenth! No forces available to assist Zeon!" barks Mobile Operator Ayame Ushiyama.
Guy Shishioh stands at the Chief desk, stanced next to GGG Blue Chief Shigeru Akamatsu, both with jaws set and tensions high.
"GaoGaiGar?" Shigeru mutters in aside.
Guy grimaces. "Might work..."
"The current equipment allotment has GaoGaiGar using Stealth Gao Mark I," Yang notes, from one tier down. "Its space capability will be quite low, even if Final Fusion succeeded. Which I project at, oh..."
Tamara pipes up from the Research station, "Less than three percent if attempted at this moment!"
Shigeru grimaces deeper. "Don't like those odds."
"First time was lower," Guy says. "Is ShouGaoGaiGar an option?"
"It'd use manual clamps. Basically, ShouRyu wouldn't be docked so much as clutching StealthGao. Low stability, likely to be broken," Yang says.
"Then I'll count on his courage to see it through. Get it ready!"
"Uhm," both Ushiyamas say, Tsuguo at Engineering and Ayame, at Mobile.
Shigeru belts, "What's the hold up, greenhorns!!" They're actually two of the most senior GGG Blue operatives, in terms of onboarding date, but they served a relatively short stint until their marriage and child put them into semi-retirement.
"Sir," Ayame says, what sounds like timidness at first. Rare, for the boisterous mother. "ES Window detected, at, uhm."
"Here," Tsuguo finishes. That wasn't timidness. That was fear. "They're here, Chief!"
"WHAT!?"
As the Ruin Apostle forces start to rush toward Orbit Base from that ES Window, Guy's jaw sets.
"All regular Federation forces that can be here in less than an hour are already fighting in other locations!" Ayame barks. "We're on our own!"
"Alright, Zeon's going to have to fend for itself. Same plan! Get ShouRyu and the GaoMachines ready for launch right away! I'll Fuse in..." Now it's Guy's turn to trail off, eyes darting across the field map. "No," he mutters. "No J-Ark? Just Tsukiyomi?"
Yang's eyes cut toward him. "You think you know their plan, Guy?"
"When the Primevals attacked, J got right past all our defenses," Guy says. "Teleported right in on an ES Missile....Get everyone out of the data center, right now! Cancel GaiGar deployment, I'll be busy! Get NichiRyu and GetsuRyu out there to hold them, I don't care if they can't dock!"
"They won't hold against two Ruin Apostles for that long, Chief!" Ayame yelps.
"That's fine. Help's coming." Guy marches for the command elevator.
"What's your plan, Guy?" Advisor Prickle grunts from his own side.
"I'm going to call a friend. And then J and I are gonna make a big mess," Guy says, and the doors slam shut.
In the dark of the command elevator, he pulls a small item out of his pocket. A matching item to a gift he'd given a dear friend not so very long ago, a fist-sized object shaped like the GGG emblem, with a display where the fourth point of the diamond might be.
His hand gleams, the G-Stone transmitting a signal to it, and the GGG Emergency Pager's screen lights up, sending a signal to the very small number of matching devices across the Earth Sphere.
10-4 10-10
EMERGENCY. RETURN AT ONCE.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Early-warning radars at the Photon Power Lab scream alerts keyed to the new energy emission frequencies provided to them by Orbit Base: RUIN APOSTLE ACTIVITY.
Koji has a fully-enclosed version of his winged helmet tucked under his arm, fastening his guard suit and making sure it's properly sealed. "I'll be taking the Spazer up. We're going to need speed for this."
He looks at Sayaka, and swallows a sudden knot of panic in his throat. "Let's show them they can't just push us around without their friends stepping in."
====== MINUTES LATER ======
Artificial stones grind aside on the surface of Mt. Fuji, much like they do when Mazinger Z signals a Jet Scrander launch. However, in addition to the Scrander's flight rail, upon which Koji's new Double Spazer rests ready to launch the mountainside extruding a colossal magnetic barrel.
A mass driver sufficient for launching combat units into orbit at ridiculous velocities.
"Ready, Sayaka?" Koji prefires the Scrander's engines, speaking into the launch pod Sayaka's unit is mounted in.
Nossori and Sewasshi monitor them from the Lab's situation room. "T-Minus five... four... three... two..."
Koji cuts them off: "MAZINS, GO!"
The Photon Jet Thrusters on the Double Spazer scream to life, pushing the vehicle inexorably down the rail and into the sky.
The mass driver thunders.
The aerospace jet and the deployment pod accelerate into the stratosphere on an intercept course for Orbit Base.
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
Even for a Ruin Apostle, there's a limit to what regeneration can do. Or rather, the body can regenerate just fine, more or less. The mind and soul are not quite as easily repaired. After accomplishing his mission over in Central Dogma, Takeshi Todo has been... kind of laying low. He's had a terrible, throbbing headache for several weeks now after personally hijacking two of three (and most of the third) MAGI while fending off some of the Earthsphere's most potent anti-infiltration techniques, but it's not anything that's kept him from desk duty.
Mostly. He's been kind of sulky, but he's done his job.
Now, though, there's a reason for him to return to duty. Chief Taiga is making his move, and they need all the firepower that they can muster. "Don't worry," he answers Mikoto as a bonfire of vermilion energy billows out of his body like the surging birth-waves of a spawning nebula, "Ideally we won't need to kill them at all. Stay safe out there, Utsugi."
A blossom of orange flame emerges from one of the Tsukuyomi's airlocks, resolving into a pillar of morning light. A giant of dawn leaps from the conflagration, seeming to sail effortlessly through space. "+orange,Attempting to access Orbit Base's systems now. Let's see if they've done any security updates since the last time..."
Of course, even if they have, the Giant of Dawn is on a collision course with the space station regardless. Even if he can't penetrate their network and cause havoc from the inside, Gridman Sigma nevertheless poses a threat that's impossible to ignore.
<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
Likewise, Volfogg has been laying low, though that's not much of a divergence from his usual shadow lurking. But now...
"In any case, it will be quick," Volfogg assures, the same muted note of pain in his his voice. Armed up to the size of a Dragon Twin, Volfogg launches from the Tsukiyomi with the extra bulk of his GunMachines, the mirror coating breaking off from his armor in rippling shards. He is a purple blur that angles straight for the Orbit Base's hull, following Gridman Sigma, optics narrowed. He pulls a single rotor blade from his arm, flicking it to thicken the edge, his feet swinging forward in an attempt to brace for impact.
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
Zan had been ordered to return to the Orbit Base.
It wasn't pretty, but he was still having programming errors that were being swiftly contained and repaired internally.
That being said, the knowledge of something happening has him waking from the programming stasis.
What comes out of the Orbit Base is not the expected pair, but the longer form of the Iron Railer Train as boosters flare before it begins to change.
The engine flips over and the train cars reverse from what has been seen before. More powerful limbs switch for those that are more maneuverable as the giant train turns into a body quite quickly. Notably a pair of guidance wings deploy out of the engine torso as thrusters fire to stop the movement and let the ORCA craft of Zan's smaller body dock and join with the giant body.
Zan's voice echoes out into the void of space, "ZAN GATTAI, RAIL CHANGE ORBITAL MODE!" Zan's notably changed his transformation call.
Rising up into the air as magnetic lightning flows along, the massive machine raises it's arms to seemingly flex, "IRON ZANRAILER!"
The resulting behemoth of a machine moves to put itself in the way of the incoming threats to the Orbit Base.
He sends a transmission, "Ruin Apostles. Cease hostile actions or face me."
Here's hoping it works, too, as far as he knows there is little to no back up at the Orbit Base.
Internally, Zan makes a few quick programming adjustments. Ones meant to hold at least until the battle is done. He fears a little at the battle to come. The main incoming machine he's preparing to intercept looks vaguely familiar.
<Pose Tracker> Patrick Colasour has posed.
JOSH-A. The Frontier. Side 3. The OCU. There's no doubt that the Earth is in crisis. It seems like there's a new problem rearing its ugly head every hour. The brass simply can't keep up.
Which means there's nobody to tell Patrick Colasour what to do. And that's when he does his best work. So why on earth is he doing it 'here'? Well...
Colasour doesn't spend a lot of time in orbit. If anyone asks, he'll just say he got lost while out of contact. The truth is, this is his chance to see the Braves at work, and he's just too much of a red-blooded, old-fashioned fanboy to miss that chance. Does that mean Patrick Colasour thought ahead enough to recognize that Orbit Base would be a target?
Go ahead and prove he didn't. "Hey there, heroes of the Global Guard! You seem a little shorthanded. The Federation's very own Patrick Colasour is here to stand with you!"
KTS: Takeshi_Todo has deployed as a Rival.
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
The world was changing. And not in a way George liked. The Shuffle Alliance was founded to stem the tide of violence in the world, and the strife was only increasing. And now the Ring was being targeted. We still have a long way to go, he thinks to himself as the Gundam Rose approaches the scene. But we can still protect our own home!
Arriving on the battlefield, the Gundam Rose pulls out its Chevalier Saber with a flourish. "Gutsy Global Guard! The Shuffle Alliance is honored to offer you its assistance in the defense of our beloved Ring!"
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
As the warning signal flashes, Sayaka looks nervously at the screen. "They're making a power play for the Orbit Base, are they..." she notes. Last time, she fought a Ruin Apostle, Amuro Ray at Torrington, her Ichinana was annihilated. Lightning may strike twice if she deploys one again against the forces of Triple Zero, but Aphrodite Areia is not (yet) suited for space combat, and you know what they say over at 3G: victory goes to those with COURAGE. Looking back at Koji, pilot helmet on, she nods, with a hint of resolve. "We'll back them up with everything we got. Let's see if this doesn't catch the Ruin Apostles off guard." She manages a grin.
"Ready! Set... MAZIN GO!" The high speed of the mass driver is near overwhelming, as the Ichinana deployment pod roars well past the unit's specs into the depths of space, but it's well worth it if it means they can save their friends in their time of need...!
<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
Chibodee has been distracted for months trying to put out fires across Brittania. There is so much need and so little resources, even by his standards. Every bit he spends somewhere is something he can't spend somewhere else. So he organizes, marshals, tries to build up more infrastructure. The shadow safety net of the Shuffle Alliance is made out of people, and people have to be maintained with relationships.
But all hell is breaking loose. Chibodee can't stay down with the people for as long as he wants. They need his special power in space, and though it pains him to leave the packing lines for socks and toiletries, he's got to get up there and help. George is out there, fighting his heart out, and by God Chibodee's not going to let him fight alone.
Gundam Maxter bursts out of the launch tube from Neo-America, riding on its surfboard through space. Crockett avoids fighting in space -- his crushing physical force requires gravity to truly dial in his excessive muscular violence -- but sometimes there's no choice in the matter. People need him. Better the fight not touch the beautiful Earth at all.
"George," Chibodee radios over on the Shuffle operations channel, "I'm coming, buddy. Back to back once again. I've been meaning to call over to hang out -- you know, stop in before the holidays start up. The girls miss Maria -- honestly I think they just want an excuse to shop..."
I hate fighting up here, I hate fighting up here, I hate it --
Gundam Maxter accelerates. The machine grabs onto one edge of the surfboard as it picks up speed, pulling out one of its revolvers as it starts trying to draw down on a target. There's an orange light -- that looks like trouble. Maxter thumbs back the hammer of one of its revolvers as it tries to get a targeting solution.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke Sagara is on semi-permanent assignment to protect-slash-irritate a highschool girl who lives on Earth, so space missions aren't really something he's normally in a position to respond quickly to. To say nothing of the fact that the machine Sousuke is dedicated most directly to, the ARX-7 Arbalest, is an Arm Slave, a machine type notoriously poor for space use.
But today, the call comes while he's on the Mithril West Pacific Fleet's home base of Merida Island - a signal straight from the Hearts Division. Orbit Base under assault by Triple Zero force. Federation support unlikely. Capture unacceptable. Intervene at once.
When Sousuke arrives at the Merida Island hangar, he discovers: One, an eEXM-17 Alto kitted out with a Thruster Module; two, a ballistic missile mounted to a Minovsky Craft second stage booster; three, Ed Sachs, the chief engineer of the fleet, giving him the most 'THIS IS GONNA BE SO COOL IF YOU SURVIVE :D' grin Sousuke's ever seen.
"...Not a problem," Sousuke says, and pins the collar of his pilot suit closed.
*
A LITERAL MISSILE fires up from the atmosphere, making top speed for the area. It's been a good few minutes of Orbit Base's local force defending the field against the Ruin Apostles' assaults, but the reply is far faster than any Federation ship might have given.
"Uruz-7!" Sousuke calls out. He's having to manage his communications his own self and he kind of hates it, and the Alto is so far from the top of the line it's practically the bottom, but...he knows how to make a machine like this sing. He sees machines swarming already toward the... giant... and another toward the...police car bolted to a helicopter...?
So he settles for the one that annoys him on a primal level the least. "Engaging!" he barks, and directs the Alto straight for the Zero Robo. "Unknown composition...what is this?"
No answer. He's getting too used to that chatterbox of an AI. He swings the Alto's machine gun up first, peppering the ZeroGaiGar with fire as he gets into range for more physical combat.
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's Pseudo-EI-15 Zero Robo has been disabled. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has deployed in Pseudo-EI-15 Zero Robo. KTS: Mikoto_Utsugi has deployed as a Boss for 3 opponents. KTS: Patrick Colasour's AEU-09T AEU Enact Commander Type (Colasour) - Flight Mode has been disabled. KTS: Patrick Colasour has deployed in AEU-09T AEU Enact Commander Type (Colasour) - Flight Mode. KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Mikoto Utsugi with ExAMACS Machine Gun Shot! KTS: Takeshi Todo has deployed in Gridman Sigma. KTS: Takeshi_Todo has deployed as a Boss for 3 opponents. KTS: Haneul Kysahra has deployed in Lanze. KTS: Haneul Kysahra's Lanze has been disabled. KTS: Haneul Kysahra has deployed in AC Sleepwalker.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
The long red spines along Orbit Base's perimeter light up, individual emitter nodes along each flashing into presence. The old GGG will know what that means. Maybe they're even expecting it:
"Protect Shades online!" Tsuguo Ushiyama yells from the Engineering desk. "Setting distortion factor to maximum! Advisor, we won't be able to get any communication in or out this way!"
Prickle mutters, "But they won't be able to get any bullets in, either, so I'll take it."
*
Orbit Base's systems took a beating from the departure of Alouette Pommier, but the Three Doctors have been all but killing themselves to make sure all systems are online before an attack just like this occurs. Sigma does, momentarily, get a reply signal.
The response is a giant simulation of Minoru Inubouzaki's slightly gaunt face with massive, accusing eyes and the text 'NOT THIS TIME.'
Then the signal cuts completely, as the Protect Shade's radical spatial distortion forces his electrical signal to travel several dozen hundred thousand miles across about four millimeters, running out the strength.
On the computer deck, the command elevator opens directly into the server room in silence.
And then a golden blur fires out of it like a shot, leading with a green speartip. "WILL KNIFE!!!" Guy Shishioh screams, soaring directly over the low platform into which GGG's central server is slung.
...and colliding with a dawn-orange blade emerging from a dawn-orange bracer.
"Evoluder," Soldato-J says.
"SOLDATO-J!!!" Guy screams back.
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
Well, that answers that question. "Damn. Looks like he's picked up a few of Entouji's tricks," Sigma curses up at the image of Minoru Inubouzaki's face glaring at him IN HIS BRAIN. There are many things that Takeshi Todo did not ever want in such high fidelity in his brain, and that is definitely up there on the list. "There goes any chance of a covert operation. Oh well. It wouldn't be GGG if they'd go down without a fight."
Still, the way Taiga planned this out, the chance of failure is approximately 0.1\%. Without aid, without their King of Braves, GGG is a sitting duck.
And then, somehow, aid does show up. The Gridman would arch a brow if it were capable. Instead it diverts its course, surging like a lightning bolt through space that terminates approximately on top of Patrick Coulasour's Enact. "Don't try to be a hero. Humanity is on its way out. Just like the rest of this universe." Gridman Sigma lunges, diving into a lunging blow to grab hold of the mobile suit-- before turning and racing towards the Rose Gundam in much the same fashion, dragging the Enact along for a ride if its pilot isn't careful. "You too, Shuffle Alliance. The time has come for all battle to cease. Your adjudication..."
Another arrival, another blow-- this time a rushing kick. He leaps off on contact with either the Rose or a chunk of orbital debris, arms folding over his chest. "Has come to an end!" A beam of Dawn-colored light screams out from the Gridman's forearms, scything through space, missing the two mobile suits entirely... Only to come slashing down across the Maxter in the distance...!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Patrick Colasour with Cyber CQC! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets George de Sand with Superconductive Surge! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Chibodee Crocket with Sigma Spark! KTS: George de Sand successfully evades Takeshi Todo's Superconductive Surge KTS: Sousuke Sagara enervates Mikoto Utsugi, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Sousuke Sagara's ExAMACS Machine Gun Shot, taking 3960 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sousuke Sagara's Where'd He Go!? activates, causing Deject! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sousuke Sagara's Battlefield Mastery activates, causing Control Bonus! KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Patrick Colasour rushes into the attack! KTS: [Lucky] Patrick Colasour's I'm Special! activates, and luck goes his way! KTS: Patrick Colasour retreats from the attack! KTS: Patrick Colasour successfully avoids Takeshi Todo's Cyber CQC
<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
Volfogg might've been banking on swift surprise. He has no tricks to avoid this barrier here, not yet away, and his collision course is cut short as he endures the sharp distortion in space and reels back from it. There he lingers, on the very edge, attention drawn by Zan's transmission. He's poised with his blade still, helm turning slightly to eye the various units that have shown up to aid and intervene with their gamely flourish. It might've been downright admirable if it weren't so heartbreaking. Or... GS-Ride breaking. Whatever it is, Volfogg feels it, though you wouldn't guess it from his stoic stare.
As Gridman Sigma engages with their intrepid opposition, Volfogg follows suit, thrusters at his back powering a quick lunge straight for the first unit he spots coming into range. He lifts exhaust-piping-turned-gun mounted on his arm to fire a beam volley angled for Koji.
KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Koji Kabuto with 4000 Magnum Focus Fire! KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to evade GBR-04 Volfogg's 4000 Magnum Focus Fire, taking 3600 damage! KTS: Chibodee Crocket rushes into the attack! KTS: Chibodee Crocket partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Spark, taking 2378 damage! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Chibodee Crocket!
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
The Gundam Rose engages its thrusters and dashes to the side, deftly avoiding the attack from this...strange version of Gridman, its mantle somehow fluttering in the vacuum of space. "You don't get to be the judge of that! Humanity has a right to choose its own path!"
George holds the Chevalier in front of him and points it directly at Sigma. "En garde!" He lunges in to strike the giant with his saber!
KTS: George de Sand targets Takeshi Todo with En Garde!
<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
Chibodee sees the unit rushing at the Enact. Without thinking, Maxter surges in, trying to intercept Sigma before he can get much further. He blazes in, guard high, not flinching in the face of opposition. Don't try to be a hero, huh?
Chibodee doesn't need to try to be a hero. Maxter rushes down Sigma, being grazed by the slash. Sparks burst along Maxter's left shoulder and bicep, the brilliant impact grazing over Maxter's left leg. Chibodee feels like he's been cleaved, the impact points hitting him at high-density sensory points on his Trace Suit.
Chibodee is blinded for a moment by the shockwave of pain. Doesn't matter. He sees with his fists, not his eyes. George goes on the attack, and so Chibodee pivots, trying to draw attention from George by moving in at a different angle. The Queen of Spades bellows and swings in his Trace Suit, Maxter obeying his physical commands without delay.
"People want to live!" Chibodee shouts as he starts flurrying in at Sigma, the Maxter wobbling on its flying surfboard but not relenting. "The universe wants to exist! You don't get to tell us when we're done!"
KTS: Chibodee Crocket targets Takeshi Todo with Dempsey Roll!
<Pose Tracker> Haneul Kysahra has posed.
It's been one of those weeks, theoretically relaxing, but when you're fishing for contract work and not having any luck there's not really any relaxing. Haneul didn't even fully read the situation before she hit accept. Worry about it later, the job didn't seem too fishy at least.
That's how she finds herself in a hangar back in space. Standing at her AC's hatch, she does a last minute check on her munitions tags, tugging one loose. Checking the ammo cans, kicking the pile driver to make sure it's not loose then the Martian pilot's sealed up in her cockpit. Ready to launch. Systems online, screens online, weapons online. The AC's fingers work open and closed in time and she does a quick targeting sweep for good measure before leaning back and punching it.
Zero G's not her strong suit in a weapon designed for ground based hit and run, but Haneul's got enough boosters strapped to this thing to at least improvise. Dashing out into the battle field from a launch tube and checking for targets at full burn.
KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to rush. KTS: Takeshi Todo partially guards George de Sand's En Garde, taking 1350 damage! KTS: George de Sand has engaged Takeshi Todo! KTS: Takeshi Todo parries Chibodee Crocket's Dempsey Roll, taking 1230 damage! KTS: Chibodee Crocket has engaged Takeshi Todo! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Sayaka Yumi with Pass! <Pose Tracker> Patrick Colasour has posed.
The great giant's hands come down, and the Enact spins across the void... untouched? Patrick sways and clenches down on the sticks, swinging the mobile suit around to point at the Giant's back as it squares up against one of the famous Gundam Fighters.
Well. Everyone gets it wrong sometimes, right? The Enact's legs sway, the frame teetering, before it snaps back into its sleek aerial aesthetic, then vanishes into a plume of smoke. "I'm not going to give up on living just yet, big guy! I still haven't met the woman of my dreams!"
Look, take it easy on him; everyone's got a motive. That's what living is, right?
KTS: Patrick Colasour targets Takeshi Todo with Leg Missile Pods Double Fire! KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Patrick Colasour's Leg Missile Pods Double Fire, taking 1230 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
tThe Zero Robo doesn't flinch from Sousuke's gunfire, pulling one massive arm to take the brunt of the Alto's attack- an arm that has dents and damage the Aura of Dawn has to work to repair- and it loses track of Sousuke in that moment.
Fortunately, there is another bigger target in the form of the Iron Zanrailer, and the Zonder Magnum starts spinning before firing a snapshot at the Giant Super AI, it's one hand' firing off towards the Super AI.
With it's other, clublike limb, it charges towards the Armoured Core entering the battlefield, trying to bring it's massive weight to bear on the smaller unit.
But that leaves Sousuke, the attacker in the Alto- and it sees that old machine, and the drill on it's chest spins. It does not, however, attempt to drive it into another opponent. Instead, a burst of Triple Zero's energy fires from the drill, spiralling towards Uruz-7 and his ExAmac.
And on the bridge of the Tsukiyomi, Mikoto watches fearfully, just as she did so long ago.
"Guy... Please don't fight us."
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Zan with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Haneul Kysahra with EI-15 Fists Strike! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Sousuke Sagara with Triple Zero Emission Blast! KTS: Zan blocks Mikoto Utsugi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 2160 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara charges into the attack! KTS: Sousuke Sagara partially guards Mikoto Utsugi's Triple Zero Emission Blast, taking 2088 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
As soon as Sayaka and Koji arrive, the fighting has already erupted around Orbit Base. Despite the dangerous position it is in, however, the Ruin Apostles seem to have surprisingly few forces in play... a diversionary tactic? Sayaka sure hopes not.
The pair is greeted by a peppering of magnum fire upon the Double Spazer from the shadows; Sayaka's Ichinana is spared for the moment. An ambush attack... "That must be Volfogg," she warns, sliding her fingers across the Ichinana's high-tech interface, presenting what data on Volfogg exists. Which must be terribly outdated, considering it's not accounting for the near-limitless power of Triple Zero. "No matter how fast you are, as long as we're here, we won't let you reach the base," she declares. Amuro didn't listen to her, Volfogg won't either, but it doesn't hurt to let in that courageous spirit.
Nearby, the Shuffle Alliance members are engaging what looks like a Giant of Light - even if the light he's emitting is more orange than usual. "Shuffle kids!" she radios. "We're fighting to protect Orbit Base, but make sure you don't overextend. That might just be what they're counting on." As far as Sayaka knows, these kids have only ever fought for show. An opponent like Triple Zero Gridman Sigma seems way beyond that scope, but 3G needs all the help it can get.
KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets Koji Kabuto, Chibodee Crocket, and George de Sand with Caution. KTS: Sayaka Yumi suggests caution, raising Koji Kabuto's Intuition!
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Bringing Photon Power reactor up to combat output," Koji reports as the Double Spazer closes in on Orbit Base. "Tracking Dawn energy signa - oh shi - !!" he yanks the control yoke but moments too early (instinctively adjusting for Mazinger Z's weight rather than what he's actually flying), beam fire peppering the Double Spazer's underbelly as Big Volfogg easily tracks his evasion attempt. "What the hell sighted us at - " he peers at the instruments, adjusting the zoom. "Oh. Big Volfogg. Crap." He scans the battlefield. "The Zonder GaoGaiGar hopped up on Triple Zero. Great. And... what the heck is that giant?"
Koji has still never seen a Gridman in the digital flesh, Sigma or otherwise.
Back to Volfogg; he turns back to face the purple Brave Robot, and opens a laser channel. Time to see how much talking 3G's stoic ninja badass feels like doing. "Going loud early, huh, Big Volfogg? That's super not your style, but if you want to tussle that bad, Sayaka and I are happy to oblige! Photon Power at maximum!" He flips switches under the dashboard and squeezes the yoke's trigger. "REITO BEAM!"
Crystal blue beams of energy lance out from under the nose of the Double Spazer, sweeping across Big Volfogg! If he can't slip away from the beams, ice will supercool and crystallise across his joints, hindering his movements!
KTS: Haneul Kysahra fails to rush. KTS: Haneul Kysahra partially guards Mikoto Utsugi's EI-15 Fists Strike, taking 1665 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has engaged Haneul Kysahra!
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
"Actually, it doesn't," Sigma answers Chibodee in a voice that might be too casually matter of fact. He sounds like a teacher patiently delivering a special lecture to an underperforming student. "The universe wants to stop existing, so that it can begin anew. This universe is sick, Shuffle. Not in the sense that there are rampant social and political issues-- though those are a concern too." Fists fly, only to be met blow for blow by the Gridman in a sequence that is far more art than science. But even so, Takeshi is no expert boxer. He comes away worse in the exchange, but perhaps not as worse as Chibodee wanted. "No, it is sick in the way that a body is sick. It is diseased in the way a limb is infected with gangrene, pockmarked with holes and infiltrated by foreign bodies. The only way it will survive is to rest-- to stop Being for long enough to recover. Intelligent life-- humanity-- is only prolonging its suffering. By demanding to live, you put at risk all existence to come. People may want to live, but the selfish desires of gut bacteria means little compared to the health of the body."
A blade slides in. George rushes, driving forward with his thin blade. Takeshi darts aside, a sword of his own manifesting in his hand. It nudges the Rose Gundam's rapier aside at the final moment, the beam blade raking away a thin sliver of the Giant of Dawn's aura. "And what gives you the right to judge us? Your awareness is limited, Shuffle. But that can be helped, if you are willing to bear witness to the truth."
Missiles. Missiles race through the void. Missiles smash against a summoned shield, the Gridman turning to level a withering gaze at the Enact. "Much as I admire your earnestness, the universe cannot afford to suffer for one man's libido." Gridman Sigma whirls, darting forward to slam his shield into Chibodee's face, opening the melee up enough for him to-- not disengage, but to rush the other two pilots with a whirling combination of sword slashes. Somehow, he defies physics as it exists in this space, seeming to flit effortlessly through the void. But then, he is a Gridman, and those are kind of... weird.
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Chibodee Crocket with Sigma Shield Bash! <Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
The Iron Zanrailer brings up an arm to ward off the incoming giant spinning fist, a rather large bulldozer blade coming out to extend and take the brunt of it before pushing the giant projectile upwards and letting it send sparks and dents along the arm of it's giant form. The head turns to briefly look at the damage before turning to track the robotic monster.
"Two can play that game." It says.
The undamaged arm of the behemoth comes up, tracking the Pseudo-Zonder. It's fist clenched as the forearm just past the wrist opens up and the fist slides back slightly to lock in place. Fire flames from the new vents as the Iron Zanrailer takes aim.
"ROCKET PUNCH."
There would be a loud boom if this was in the atmosphere. Out in space, it's lacking, but the wire connected fist launches out at incredible speeds to try to nail the Pseudo-Zonder with some of it's own medicine in a unique way. At least the announcement will serve as a warning for his allies in this fight to get out of the way.
KTS: Zan targets Mikoto Utsugi with Rocket Punch! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets George de Sand with Sigma Slash! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Patrick Colasour with Sigma Slash! KTS: Sayaka Yumi suggests caution, raising George de Sand's Intuition! KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Reito Beam! Patrick Colasour transforms to AEU-09T AEU Enact Commander Type (Colasour) - MS Mode
KTS: George de Sand rushes into the attack! KTS: George de Sand partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Slash, taking 4560 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged George de Sand! KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Patrick Colasour fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Sigma Slash, taking 4560 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Patrick Colasour! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg successfully evades Koji Kabuto's Reito Beam KTS: Sayaka Yumi suggests caution, raising Chibodee Crocket's Intuition! KTS: Chibodee Crocket rushes into the attack! KTS: Takeshi Todo rattles Chibodee Crocket, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Chibodee Crocket partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Shield Bash, taking 3600 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Chibodee Crocket!
<Pose Tracker> Patrick Colasour has posed.
Colasour actually sputters a bit at that one. The Enact sways and shifts, Patrick rising out of his seat to howl invective at the giant. "I'll have you know I'm a gentleman! I just happen to think it's worth ENJOYING life, you giant killjoy!"
Unfortunately, the delay that comes with the AEU's ace scrambling back to his controls is just enough that the hum of his beam saber is... a little too late. The Enact's arms curl protectively around the cockpit as metal sheers away from the defense rod and tumbles into space. The whole suit tumbles and Patrick tumbles with it - but that's not enough to distract him from the matter at hand. Magnetic roaring is met with sharp electric discharge as high-speed slugs answer the offensive.
KTS: Patrick Colasour targets Takeshi Todo with Linear Rifle - Sighted Shot! <Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
"This isn't you talking! It's the Triple Zero controlling you! You're the one whose awareness is limited, being driven by another!"
George knew. George knew all too well.
The foreign intruder, infecting your body, mind, and soul, whispering wicked thoughts into your ear and claiming they're you're own.
A prisoner in your own body, your very being becoming your own personal Hell.
George knew that Chibodee knew as well. That's why the Shuffles fought. Their predecessors gave everything to save them, and they would return the favor just in kind for the new generation!
The Gundam Rose thrusts its arm to the side, several Rose Bits emerging from under its shoulder. They hover over to Gridman Sigma, collecting energy and shooting a charged beam at the giant.
KTS: George de Sand targets Takeshi Todo with Rose Charge!
<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
Chibodee is unused to receiving coherent arguments back from people he's hitting. Sigma has bamboozled Chibodee for a few critical moments as a result.
Maxter strikes and strikes. Chibodee can't find a big, meaty hit. He's struggling in microgravity, not used to adapting under these circumstances.
Sigma clobbers Maxter back with its shield. Chibodee manages to get enough of a block up so that Maxter isn't wrecked, but the torso takes a big hit. He's under some pressure now, but he's disoriented from the big hit. His inner ear is spinning, but neither he nor George will give up.
Bacteria. He's a bacteria, is he? Chibodee bares his teeth inside his cockpit. George's bits are going out -- good, that might give him enough cover to justify this thing he's doing.
"If I'm a bacteria, be a better disinfectant! If I'm worth that little, WIPE ME CLEAN!" Spittle flies out of Chibodee's mouth as he charges in again, throwing a big left hook at Sigma. "WE'LL SEE WHO'S THE STAIN!"
KTS: Chibodee Crocket targets Takeshi Todo with Left Hook! KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Patrick Colasour's Linear Rifle - Sighted Shot, taking 1050 damage! KTS: Takeshi Todo parries Chibodee Crocket's Left Hook, taking 1350 damage! KTS: Chibodee Crocket has engaged Takeshi Todo! <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"No designation data coming in," Sousuke mutters. "...the shield. Right. Does that mean they didn't know about this unit at all before now...?"
Well, that ain't great. "AL could run a thorough search, but I don't have time."
It's starting up an attack. Sousuke grips the controls and drives the Alto hard AT the Zero Robo, bringing up the shield to repel the worst of the damage of that scorching blast. It's not perfect, but it deflects much of the worst of that assault. "Triple Zero...got to remember to minimize contact! But still!"
He swings the Alto's arm back, securing the minigun he started with and grasping the ExAMACS' sword unit off the backpack. He swings it round, driving it down and IN, attempting to sever some of the head connections that keep the circuits working. Of course...an unpiloted machine perhaps doesn't need those.
But Sousuke doesn't know it is one.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Mikoto Utsugi with ExAMACS Sword Disorienting Blow! KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to rush. KTS: Takeshi Todo partially guards George de Sand's Rose Charge, taking 1800 damage! <Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
In the seconds following his barrage of fire, Volfogg makes quiet note of the various cries of opposition. The reasoning. Humanity must be permitted to choose it's own path. The universe wants to exist. At least long enough for this one person to meet the woman of his dreams. Will this be of any use? Probably not. Volfogg shows no interest in debating or arguing this particular point at present. Certainly not to Sigma's degree. As he looks between the combatants, the only words that come to mind are swift and painless.
It's hard to discern, how Volfogg's gaze shifts ever so slightly to Sayaka's Ichinana and her vow of protection. He stares in that direction for a good, unnerving moment, until Koji goads and brings that lance of ice down.
Alright. Well. Volfogg wasn't planning on a debate, but there's now a prickle of anger that drives his movements as he jerks out of the way and materializes his giant shuriken. "If you could only understand," he hisses. "Come and let me end this quickly." He flings his shuriken, the 4-point star first angled for Sayaka, then Koji.
KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Koji Kabuto with Silver Cross! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Sayaka Yumi with Silver Cross! KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to Intercept GBR-04 Volfogg's Silver Cross, taking 5720 damage! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Sayaka Yumi fails to evade GBR-04 Volfogg's Silver Cross, taking 4160 damage! <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Koushiryoku Beaaam!!!" Koji yells, beams of light scattering from the nose of the Spazer to try and shoot down Big Volfogg's throwing star.
The beams scatter harmlessly off the spinning blades' mirror coating, and the Silver Cross carves the Double Spazer's tailfin clean off.
Koji curses again as the craft shakes, but his teeth are bared and there's a fire in his eyes. "Oh, I get it, Big V. I just think those precepts sitting in your AI block aren't worth the memory they're hogging. You need a defrag, and we're gonna help you get it."
Rerouting power and shutting off the alarm lights flashing in his cockpit, he exhales, leaning forward over his yoke. "Eat this! Double Missiles!"
Launchers mounted on the VTOL pods at the end of the Double Spazer's wings belch forth warheads, screaming silently through space towards Big Volfogg!
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
In the Main Order Room...
"Detecting fighting on multiple decks!" Ayame yells.
"More intruders?!" Chief Shigeru asks.
"No sir! Looks like Chief Shishioh tackled Soldato J entirely out of the server rooms! Looks like he's trying to get him down to the hangars!"
"He'll have more options there," Yang says. "Heavy weapons. Plus..."
"Our Key to Victory," Shigeru rumbles. "Ugh. Repairing this damage is going to take months...How's the battle outside?"
"Joined," Kamuy announces. "Triple Zero-enhanced Braves appear to be as frighteningly powerful as we predicted. At this rate..."
Shigeru clutches his fist. "All they have to do is hold them off long enough for Guy to finish it."
Yang's glasses gleam in the light. "But can he?" he says, quietly. "Even before, Cyborg Guy was never a match for Soldato J without his Hyper Mode...his Evolual powers are greater, but J as a King of Ruin will be greater still."
Shigeru tenses so much it's almost certain he's even curling his toes. "We gotta believe in him. Our King of Braves...!"
KTS: Koji Kabuto targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Double Missiles - Full Volley! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg fails to react to Koji Kabuto's Double Missiles - Full Volley, taking 6380 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi fails to Charge. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi partially guards Zan's Rocket Punch, taking 4750 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara rattles Mikoto Utsugi, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Sousuke Sagara's ExAMACS Sword Disorienting Blow, taking 2775 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has engaged Mikoto Utsugi!
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Volfogg sidesteps the icy beam of photon, and nails a simultaneous swing of the Silver Cross shuriken on the Double Spazer and Ichinana. Before Sayaka can shuffle the Ichinana out of the way, the mass produced Mazin is cut just above the torso. "Not ideal," she grimaces. "But this is far from over!"
Unlike the other Triple Zero combatant, who is more than happy to explain how the universe is dying, and the natural course must be corrected, Volfogg simply declares that he wishes they could understand. "Don't patronize me," Sayaka clenches her teeth. "We'll finish this on our terms!"
In response to Volfogg's silver cross attack, Sayaka cooks up a ranged attack of her own. "BURNING... FIRE!" The Ichinana's chest area glows red, and a wave of fire emits towards Volfogg alongside Koji's missiles. The blaze of photon light pierces through the shadows Volfogg prefers to hide within!
KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Burning Fire! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg fails to react to Sayaka Yumi's Burning Fire, taking 5520 damage! <Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
"It isn't?" Takeshi asks, but it's clear he knows the answer. "Do you think we don't know what has made us this way? We've been filled with the very substance of creation, Shuffle. This isn't the Devil Gundam or some malicious external artificial intelligence speaking through us. This is the will of the universe itself. The world is sick. Do you think it's normal that individual people are able to do things like overcome physics with sheer willpower? Do you think it's natural for someone to be able to generate infinite energy in violation of thermodynamics with courage alone? The laws of creation are being twisted and torn, and the longer it goes on the more likely that this world will fall apart-- that all future worlds will never have a chance to exist! All that we have seen is the truth-- we fight so that the infinite lives in the future can live in a healthy, stable universe!"
Rose bits. A concentrated beam pours down in a deluge. The Gridman surges into it, shield-first, trying to race towards the Rose Gundam. He's stopped midway by a fierce left hook, swung at breakneck speeds directly into his face. But...
Chibodee's blow is dampened. The shield, again, this time pressed right into the boxer's forearm. A puff of orange energy rolls in from the opposite direction, knocked clean by the Gundam Fighter's blow.
Just then, the Enact's linear rifle fires, and it's only by the fact that the Triple Zero-enhanced Gridman Sigma operates on what may in fact be luminal processing speeds that ht's able to cleave the shot in two, shrapnel tumbling through his blazing body. "The universe is no laughing matter. If you want to have fun, then kindly go ahead and die already so that you can transmigrate into a more carefree life in the next world!"
Sigma grips his blade tight. With a roar, he swings it in a flurry of blows, each one launching a crescent-shaped beam of light. A half dozen is slung at each of the mobile suits, each sword-beam capable of cutting through armor just as easily as a beam saber...! "Don't get me wrong, Shuffle," he's speaking to Chibodee, now. "I count as bacteria, too. We all do, against the sheer scale of the universe. Heck, if you compare us by size alone, we're not even bacteria. How can our lives matter more than this world in which we all live!?"
KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Chibodee Crocket with Sigma Saber Beam! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets George de Sand with Sigma Saber Beam! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Patrick Colasour with Sigma Saber Beam! KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Patrick Colasour blocks Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber Beam, taking 2700 damage! KTS: Chibodee Crocket fails to rush. KTS: Chibodee Crocket successfully avoids Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber Beam KTS: George de Sand successfully evades Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber Beam
<Pose Tracker> Haneul Kysahra has posed.
Hanuel is most certainly not as familiar with the combat situation, but you learn as you go. Particularly when a much larger mech decides to try and cave your flimsy armor in!
Jerked in her cockpit by the blow she didn't quite evade under. She twists the mech and quick boosts back to buy herself a moment of breathing space before cocking the left arm up and dashing right back in, attempting to drive the heavy duty spike home. It's a big target, helps make up for the heavier weight on the thing right?
"Come on come on-" she mostly chants to herself, keeping the radio off she... she thinks. Dash in, punch, dash and twist to avoid the follow up. Keep moving, never stop or you're dead.
The callouts remind her, "Engaged- large target." She doesn't really have an ID yet. Or one she's reading at least, too focused on what's at hand. Trying to stay moving erratically to avoid being quite literally squished on her first (again) solo mission.
KTS: Haneul Kysahra targets Mikoto Utsugi with Counter Bunker! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Haneul Kysahra anchors Mikoto Utsugi, forcing her into close range. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Haneul Kysahra's Counter Bunker, taking 1875 damage! KTS: Haneul Kysahra has engaged Mikoto Utsugi! <Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
Volfogg finds himself annoyingly caught up in Koji's provocation. The battlefield is clear in front of him, targets marked and tracked on his HUD, possibilities calculated in milliseconds, dynamically adapting, and YET, his focus snaps from logic to emotion. Maybe it's the vague threat of somehow toying with his AI that sets him off. It's enough to stagger his reaction, and he does indeed, Eat This, taking warheads against his armor in an burst of explosive force. It frays G-fiber and fluid at his side, and before he can recover, Sayaka's fiery photon light impacts and wrecks havoc with its heat. "Agh!" Volfogg braces and twists to try and smother or otherwise reduce the damage, to little effect.
"You're only making this more difficult for yourselves," Volfogg manages (patronizingly), then reroutes some energy to a single thruster, pivoting into a blurring whirl that bursts with a heavy barrage of kunai, the three-foot blades launched in every direction.
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has activated the Rouse Spirit Command. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has activated the Rouse Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
"And then what happens when future worlds reach this same level? You just keep killing again and again? Will the suffering never end?!" With as little unnecessary movement as possible, the Gundam Rose turns to the side to let the saber beam sweep through the space next to it.
"A heart so clouded would never lay a scratch on me!" With that retort, his saber delivers its own riposte, delivering a quick thrust directly into Sigma's chest.
KTS: George de Sand targets Takeshi Todo with Riposte! KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks George de Sand's Riposte, taking 1380 damage! KTS: George de Sand has engaged Takeshi Todo! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Sayaka Yumi with Whirling Death Strike! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Koji Kabuto with Pass! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to react to GBR-04 Volfogg's Pass, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
Gundam Maxter is in its zone now. Chibodee slides from side to side, the plasma blade skimming by Maxter's pauldrons but never quite connecting. It takes split-second reflexes and subconscious drill to maintain this level of defense, even as Maxter keeps pressing in.
"Specks on specks and dust on dust," Chibodee calls back. "Then all I can do is hit you back as hard as I can. If it's ending anyway, I'll end following my nature!"
Maxter hurls an overhand right at Sigma, a big, heavy swing: "That's all I've got left!"
KTS: Chibodee Crocket targets Takeshi Todo with Overhand Right! KTS: Sayaka Yumi successfully avoids GBR-04 Volfogg's Whirling Death Strike <Pose Tracker> Patrick Colasour has posed.
"You talk big, but you don't do much listening, do ya?" Battered as it is, the defense rod whirls, the beams spilling and coruscating over the Enact. Patrick Colasour stands his ground. "'Course we're small in the grand scheme of things. Even a guy like me can see that looking down on the Earth. Nobody can see the whole universe with their own two eyes!" Maybe it's being so close to others fighting their hardest. Maybe it's the chivalry of another AEU hero. Maybe it's just the bravery in every heart, even this one. But the Enact's beam saber snaps up in a mirror of George's own fencing pose. "A lot of folks don't even get out of their own backyard. But that life's all we've got! Maybe that happiness seems small and worthless to you, but it can be someone's entire world!"
Patrick Colasour, as he always does and in the way only he can, goes in.
KTS: Patrick Colasour targets Takeshi Todo with Beam Mode - Saber Strike! KTS: Chibodee Crocket anchors Takeshi Todo, forcing him into close range. KTS: Takeshi Todo parries Chibodee Crocket's Overhand Right, taking 900 damage! KTS: Chibodee Crocket has engaged Takeshi Todo! KTS: Takeshi Todo parries Patrick Colasour's Beam Mode - Saber Strike, taking 1200 damage! KTS: Patrick Colasour has engaged Takeshi Todo! <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
tSeeing Zan's rocket punch gear up, the Zero Robo tries to beat him to said punch- but it's not fast enough, clocking massive damage to it's shoulder- but the arm is already regenerating to functional. There's nothing to fight in in this thing. It can't speak, it can't roar. But the thing made up of spare GaoGaiGar parts starts driving punch after punch at Zan's body, to batter the Zanrailzer.
Sousuke's sword drills into the neck of the unit, even as as the Zero Robo's hand returns through space to try and smash the ExAMAC away like a particularly stabby hummingbird. It's a fast swing, clumsy but violent, at a much smaller unit, that could be devastating.
As Haneul drives her bunker through the Zero Robo's armour, and the Pseudo EI-15 tries to swat her away too- but it lacks the limbs. What it still has, though, is that drill. It spins to full speed, and waves of Triple Zero energy flood out towards Haneul's machine to try and shred it apart with an energy of the end. As it does so, the Zonder Energy Field activates- as though the machine has reassessed the threat posed, and is taking greater to steps to combat the enemy.
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Zan with EI-15 Fists Brawl! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Sousuke Sagara with Zonder Magnum Close Quarters Shot! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Haneul Kysahra with Triple Zero Emission Pulse! KTS: Zan has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Zan blocks Mikoto Utsugi's EI-15 Fists Brawl, taking 1650 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has engaged Zan! KTS: Zan has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara fails to parry Mikoto Utsugi's Zonder Magnum Close Quarters Shot, taking 4840 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has engaged Sousuke Sagara!
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
That behemoth of the Iron Zanrailer brings it's own fists up, engaging and blocking blows. The damage is... neglible that does get through on a few swings, but it's just wild swinging. Standard boxing blocks take care of most of it.
When it turns it's attention away, that is when Zan sees a moment to strike. And hopefully give one ally some cover as well!
By then the line has reeled back the rocket punch to allow him to do something a few of the former crew he has run with will be proud.
Engage in a rather brutal, solid looking punch aimed at the Zonder.
He transmits over the airwaves, "Your fight is with me." He transmits.
KTS: Zan has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Sousuke Sagara KTS: Zan targets Mikoto Utsugi with Iron Punch! <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Koji's devilish grin is broader on his face as Volfogg threatens them, and he can't help but laugh. "Big V. Come on. When has that kind of threat ever made Sayaka or me back down? Brocken and Ashura couldn't make it happen, and you're our friend." Well. Mamoru's friend, technically, but Shiro is also Mamoru's friend, and that's close enough for Koji.
"So we're gonna fight all the harder to get you back."
Volfogg... ignores him? And directs all his attention and aggression to Sayaka's Ichinana. She practically dances through the mirror coating shards, though, and Koji lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding as he circles their duel, angling the Double Spazer for a new attack run.
"Sayaka, we need to finish this quickly." He lines up the targeting reticule, approaching Volfogg from a flanking angle to Sayaka's approach.
"Full power! CYCLONE... BEAAAAAAAAAAM!!!"
Additional emitters mounted on the VTOL engines crackle and spark, conjuring forth a storm in the vacuum of space - and lightning lashes forth towards Big Volfogg!
KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Cyclone Beam - Projected Storm! KTS: Haneul Kysahra rushes into the attack! KTS: Haneul Kysahra partially guards Mikoto Utsugi's Triple Zero Emission Pulse, taking 1980 damage! <Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
"When future worlds reach this level? Well, ideally the very substrate of the universe will not be so full of holes that it would get that bad. The laws of physics exist for a reason. A future universe would be free from the madness that afflicts this one. So we'd have no reason to do anything," Again the Rose dips in for a thrust. Again, Sigma narrowly deflects it, golden sword clashing against blazing plasma. Again another sliver of energy is stripped from the giant of dawn. He darts under the blow, swinging a heavy kick directly at the Rose Gundam's midsection--
Before receiving two more strikes. Another punch is absorbed by that damnable bulwark. Another saber is captured and parried. Sigma's expression seems to darken. Energy races down the length of his sword as he strikes, delivering not a scorching blast of energy...
But a payload of viral programming, designed to utterly wreck a mobile suit's operating system and overload its circuitry. "I don't listen? I'm telling you, I know how small we all are. That's why our sacrifice is the least we could do for the world in which we live. What you all seem to misunderstand is that we'll follow you all shortly thereafter. For this universe to survive, we all must make way for the next world!"
Again, to Chibodee-- "Hmph. At least one of you seems to get it. Go out fighting if that's how you wish to go. Decide the terms of your death, Shuffle. I'll be glad to help you along!"
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets George de Sand with Superconductive Strike! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Chibodee Crocket with Sigma Cyber Slash! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Patrick Colasour with Sigma Cyber Slash! <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Clearly, the combination of missiles and flame catches Volfogg deeply off-guard, and he begins to lose his stoic edge. "Protecting the people I care about... the choice couldn't be any more easy," Sayaka hits back Volfogg's next retort. It must be the same for him, as he considers his actions a mercy, but his mind isn't in the right place right now - it's up to them to set things straight.
Suddenly, blades scatter in all directions towards the Ichinana, as Sayaka is forced to make beautifully precise maneuvers to avoid them. Still, she does! And that must be a hit to the morale of the proud Super AI ninja in its own right.
"I hear you, Koji! Let's end this!" she calls, as Koji covers from a distance with a shockingly powerful cyclone beam. Sayaka unleashes a powerful sword dance of her own, closing in melee with the Mazinger Blade, to ensure Volfogg can't retreat closer to Orbit Base. "MAZINGER BLADE! GOOOOO!"
KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Mazinger Blade Revenge Strike! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg fails to evade Koji Kabuto's Cyclone Beam - Projected Storm, taking 6789 damage! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg successfully evades Sayaka Yumi's Mazinger Blade Revenge Strike KTS: Sayaka Yumi roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable. KTS: [Lucky] Patrick Colasour's I'm Special! activates, and luck goes his way! KTS: Patrick Colasour rushes into the attack! KTS: Patrick Colasour partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Cyber Slash, taking 2976 damage! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Patrick Colasour! KTS: Takeshi Todo begins a Formation attack! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: George de Sand has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: George de Sand fails to retreat. KTS: George de Sand fails to react to Takeshi Todo's Superconductive Strike, taking 3840 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged George de Sand! KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Valor Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke gets a proximity alert and swings the Alto around, ripping the sword out of the neck of the Zero Robo and swinging it up in defense!
Then he sees what he's defending against. "Damn!" he yelps, and though he tries, the differences in mass and energy are simply not counterable in this way, not so quickly; he's knocked away, send tumbling in a way that someone with less experience in a mech might find deadly.
The Alto's thruster unit flares, orienting him. He's not a space fighter by specialty, but he's learned the key tricks, anyway. The things that make sure you survive. He sees Zan move into his path. "Uruz 7 to Zanrailer. Assistance appreciated." All he spares for the exchange, before surging back in, slashing fiercely into the hide of the Zero Robo to try and score some serious damage on those shoulders, the Alto's single gleaming camera blazing in the night.
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
George attempts to jump back, taking the brunt of the strike to his midsection. He stumbles over in his cockpit, slightly rattled by the impact.
"Nngh! Chibodee, Colasour! I'm going to hang back for a bit to prepare my next attack! I know you two can handle him!"
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Mikoto Utsugi with ExAMACS Sword Combo! KTS: George de Sand targets Chibodee Crocket and Patrick Colasour with Sound Spirit.
<Pose Tracker> Patrick Colasour has posed.
"That's just exactly what I'm talking about! You think you get it because you've seen how big the universe is..." Colasour presses in, accepting the whirling blade, letting it sink through metal and make the machine shriek and shudder... and anchoring himself against his target as he squares his rifle against the giant's torso. "But being too big is just as bad as being too small! There's a whole world you're NOT seeing, shared between people living their lives!" The Enact is creaking, sparking, and there's an enormous whirring as lightning crackles down the barrel.
"Sir de Sand! I'm leaving the rest up to you! I know you'd never betray... the pride of the AEU!"
The roar is immense. There's absolutely no chance the light of dawn will find its way into the Enact or its pilot... because most of it is hurtling backward from the shattered barrel of its railgun.
KTS: Patrick Colasour targets Takeshi Todo with Linear Rifle - Full Charge! KTS: [Lucky] Patrick Colasour's I'm Special! activates, and luck goes his way! KTS: Patrick Colasour successfully accepts George de Sand's Sound Spirit KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Zan's Iron Punch, taking 3480 damage! KTS: Zan has engaged Mikoto Utsugi! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Sousuke Sagara's ExAMACS Sword Combo, taking 2170 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has engaged Mikoto Utsugi!
<Pose Tracker> Haneul Kysahra has posed.
Haneul's not a fan of her mech being rattled apart at the seams, or at least that's what she's feeling like. Probably would have been even worse she'd caught it full on. A quick boost closer in at the last second, trying to make that angle hard limiting the damage. Hitting her head back against her seat, focusing herself. Zan's radio transmission is met with a double click of her radio as she she spins up the head system's jammer. Meeting Zan's declaration with, "Jamming systems-" before initiating, a brief squawk on her radio, "Set it up and we'll drag it down."
The pilot in question trying to get back in the groove of working with others. Others that aren't familiar to her. Debrief should be fun.
KTS: Haneul Kysahra targets Mikoto Utsugi with Jam! KTS: Haneul Kysahra jams Mikoto Utsugi's sensors, reducing her accuracy. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Valor Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
"Please refrain from calling me that," Volfogg tells Koji, like this is a very normal thing to ask from your enemy on the battlefield. Term of endearment or not, it's obvious he Does Not Like.
Volfogg's actions were initially out of mercy, surely. Now he's just... Well. It's probably a good thing Mamoru isn't here to witness him slowly losing his usual cool. They're close-- So close. The base is RIGHT THERE. And all this talk of saving, fixing, winning him back. It's painful.
But what's even more painful is the devastating lance of lightning lights up ever sensory fiber in Volfogg's frame. "AAGH!" Riding the surge of heat and agony, he pulls the rotor blades from his forearm, snapping them together and hurling the weapon like a lance angled for the Double Spazer's fuselage.
As Sayaka draws close and slashes with her blade, Volfogg barely manages to evade. It's clear he's flagging. But, "I'm not through yet." He draws what's left of his rotor blades, edges extending, and lunges forth to try and carve into Sayaka's Ichinana.
KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Koji Kabuto with Thorn of the Rose! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Sayaka Yumi with Claws of the Tiger! KTS: Sayaka Yumi blocks GBR-04 Volfogg's Claws of the Tiger, taking 4464 damage! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg has engaged Sayaka Yumi! KTS: Patrick Colasour has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to intercept GBR-04 Volfogg's Thorn of the Rose, taking 4500 damage! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has disengaged. KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Trust Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Missiles slam into the flank of the Double Spazer, ripping actual holes in its hull. Koji grits his teeth and closes his eyes, pulling away from Volfogg, then squints at his readouts.
Less than 10 percent of reactor stability left?
Yet again, Koji Kabuto has an opportunity to scrape through a battle by the skin of his teeth.
"Ha. Almost got me, Big Volfogg." Blood is in his mouth. His heart is racing. He's an inch from defeat...
And he's in his element.
He reviews his options. One missile launcher remains functional. It'll have to do.
"Let's finish this, then!" He swings back around, and dumps every single warhead from the remaining launcher straight at Volfogg.
KTS: Koji Kabuto targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Double Missiles - Homing Shot! KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to evade Patrick Colasour's Linear Rifle - Full Charge, taking 7200 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Patrick Colasour's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Chibodee Crocket fails to react to Takeshi Todo's Sigma Cyber Slash, taking 2976 damage! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Chibodee Crocket! KTS: Takeshi Todo begins a Formation attack! KTS: George de Sand's sound spirit flares with his performance, raising Chibodee Crocket's Morale!
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
The Zero Robo, semi-living machine that it is, finds it's ablity to function hampered by Haneul's jammers, and it's ability to battle being hampered as Zan's fist impacts it's chest, and the sword of Sousuke's Alto into it's shoulder and neck again. Even the Aura of Dawn isn't keeping up. This also means all three are within close contact of the Zero Robo and for the first time, it speaks...
"Zonder..."
The metallic form of the Zero Robo oozes out, becoming grey tendrils- reminiscent of the DG Cells. It's only a small part, but it's going to try and tear metal from all three- and for a brief moment try and consume their systems.
It's Zan who gets the worst of it- as something tries momentarily to subsume him, before trying to pull away with the plating of his fist. It's easy to pull away in this moment- but for a moment it's as though something is trying to pull away *him*.
For Haneul, it tries to take that entire arm the bunker was attached to, and will if she doesn't get away fast enough. It's possible, but it's going to take exertion.
And Sousuke? Sousuke can feel it truin to take the sword and some of the Flight Pack. He can definitely save one, but can he save both? That's the tricky part.
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Zan with Demoralize! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Haneul Kysahra with Despirit! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Sousuke Sagara with Goad! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg fails to react to Koji Kabuto's Double Missiles - Homing Shot, taking 8160 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi demoralizes Zan, reducing its Morale drastically. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Zan's Hidden AI Strength activates, and its spirit endures. KTS: Chibodee Crocket has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Zan has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Chibodee Crocket has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Chibodee Crocket has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"It missed-?" Sayaka's eyes widen a little as Volfogg manages to scrape past the hulking Mazinger Blade. It's always disappointing when your finishing attack doesn't go as planned, but they still have Volfogg on the ropes!
It's actually... pretty sad to see Volfogg so worn down, so tired. But even still, he's a Brave. Even if his purposes have been twisted, he clearly doesn't intend on giving up, as he tries to drill the rotor blades into the Ichinana.
Sayaka utilizes the still-equipped Mazinger Blade to attempt to shield the Ichinana from the drill. It does quite a number, but the Ichinana still stands strong, its Mazin eyes glaring at Big Volfogg.
It's a good opportunity to further the distance: staying too close to a Triple Zero'd opponent too long just intuitively sounds like a bad idea.
So close... the Ichinana doesn't have enough energy to launch a Breast Fire... but they're so close. "It's over!" Sayaka declares, as the Mazin sheaths its blade in place of a machine gun, and Sayaka attempts to unload the entirety of ammo the thing has onto Volfogg at once!
KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Ichinana MG Full Barrage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi despirits Haneul Kysahra, reducing her SP drastically. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi goads Sousuke Sagara, reducing his Intuition drastically. KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg successfully evades Sayaka Yumi's Ichinana MG Full Barrage <Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
Maxter is getting battered in the storm of attacks. Sigma finally manges to tag into it, ripping holes in the machine's torso and legs. The blows flash across Chibodee's brain, staggering him in the cockpit. Still, he must continue. There's too much at stake -- and Chibodee can feel George pushing him onward. No way back now.
George needs a moment. There's no more time. Chibodee rallies up his strength, Maxter straining as it begins to become the conduit for an immense attack. Got to push it, Chibodee tells himself, and roars as he swings his arm forward --
Gundam Maxter unleashes a furious volley of blows that erupts out out of its striking arm. Plasma streams burst out of the swing, creating a tornado of plasma and force that strikes in toward Sigma in an unrelenting torrent!
It's got to be enough, Chibodee hopes!
KTS: Chibodee Crocket targets Takeshi Todo with Burning Machine Gun Punch! KTS: Takeshi Todo successfully evades Chibodee Crocket's Burning Machine Gun Punch
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
Zan was prepared for a lot. But then he remembers old briefing files. Things he found out after joining NERV. And the 'Zonder' has him aware of what type of enemy he is facing. Then he feels whatever that is as it tries to take *him* with it.
To separate Zan and the Iron Railer again.
Again.
The behemoth moves away from the other as the thought hits.
Zan's voice is low over the transmissions, "Not again."
Then he raises it to a yell. An almost painful one if not for comms able to squelch that kind of volume. "Not again!"
Out of one of the legs comes a vehicle with a seeming blade on it before the Iron Zanrailer charges in again. The vehicle opens into a rather large claw as it tries to puncture the Zonder's armor. Zan tries to find something to yank out to cause as much damage as possible to it. Power source, wires, whatever the tie extractor claw can grab into that will make it not want to do that again.
His voice booms over the transmissions again, "NOT AGAIN!" And that voice sounds very, very angry.
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Zan's Hidden AI Strength activates, and its spirit endures. KTS: Zan targets Mikoto Utsugi with Tie Extractor! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Zan anchors Mikoto Utsugi, forcing her into close range. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Zan's Tie Extractor, taking 4080 damage! KTS: Zan has engaged Mikoto Utsugi! <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
The damage is accumulating. It should be working! Whatever this is, it doesn't seem to have any greater power than--
"ZONDER..."
Sousuke's blood runs cold. He's never fought those demons, but...he's read the briefs. The instructions. Most of them were various coded ways to advise you to prepare for death or destruction.
For a heartbeat, he thinks he remembers red and blue ribbons flying together in the breeze.
The decision is nothing; Sousuke prefers mid-range weaponry and he needs that Thruster Pack to have any real mobility this far out from Orbit Base. He sweeps the sword around to saw away the tendrils reaching for the Thruster Module and then blasts away at full speed, letting the damnable thing have the sword. He reaches back and grabs the ExAMACS' bazooka, swinging it around and down. The panoramic cockpit is almost *too much* visibility for him, but without an AI, a tri-monitor model like he's used to from ARM Slaves would be a real challenge in a three-axis scenario like this.
Veering free, he's able to spin the Alto quickly, bringing it to bear. "Target has machine assimilation abilities similar to the Zonder Robos...it can't just be one, can it...? Is it a BioNet machine?" They have Pseudo-ZMs, he knows that.
At a loss, and with little communication from Orbit Base, he fires, bombarding the Zero Robo with exploding rounds.
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
If it wasn't for the interference of these would-be heroes, they would have seized the program codes they need right out from under GGG's nose already. Nevermind how many of the New GGG they might have been able to show the light to. But no, Gridman Sigma is here now, tied down in a battle that should never have happened.
But then, GGG has always been resourceful.
A singular round races through space on the heels of a thunderclap that should not be able to propagate through the vacuum. Sigma turns too late to block it, and--
Staggers, as the bolt tears a hole straight through his torso.
For a moment, it seems like that may be it. The end, delivered by one Patrick Coulasour.
But... Sigma twitches. The gem on his forehead flashes, then blazes. With a roar of pain, he doubles over, grasping at the hole in his chest. Contrails of dawn-light dangle from the wound like viscera trailing through space. In a way, it is that. Unlike a proper Gridman, there is no buffer between Takeshi and this form. It is his body. His form. But no matter how much it hurts, even if his heart is cored out of his chest...
The dawn does not allow him to die.
His fingers grasp at the hole in his heart, vermilion oozing from the wound like the corona of a horrifying, glorious, alien star. "And those lives are somehow more important than all those to come? Than the countless trillions in the infinite universes to come!? You don't even fathom how small 'small' is!"
Chibodee launches into a final, desperate attack. A whirlwind of flame and plasma twists towards the Hyper Agent, capturing him, holding him steady. He feels each blow land. Each punch...
He feels... bone cracking. Organs bursting. Flesh tearing. Everything. Everything.
And then he feels-- the tornado turning. Twisting. Crimson fading into vermilion. Sigma's voice roars through the vacuum.
As he launches like a cosmogone lightningbolt through the substrate of Spade the Queen's technique.
"Enough playing around! Let's finish this, Shuffles!" The other may be too far away now, but these two... These two are very close. Sigma surges through space, a being of pure energy. He lunges for the Maxter first, grabbing it by the arm and looking to fling it straight at the Rose. Then he lunges for both, moving at the speed of thought-- at the mind-blending velocity of an electron racing through a superconductor. Each time he passes, he strikes, either with shield or sword or simply with fist or foot or forehead. Space itself begins to glow, an orange light suffusing the void as Sigma seems to be... everywhere.
This... is the power of a Hyper Agent...?
Or is it just the might of one pushed to impossible, self-destructive heights by the very power that brought the universe into creation...?
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Mikoto Utsugi with ExAMACS Bazooka Shot! KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo targets George de Sand with Sigma the Hyper Agent! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Chibodee Crocket with Sigma the Hyper Agent! KTS: Chibodee Crocket fails to rush. KTS: Chibodee Crocket partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma the Hyper Agent, taking 6150 damage! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Chibodee Crocket! KTS: Takeshi Todo completes the Formation attack! <Pose Tracker> Haneul Kysahra has posed.
As the creature reaches out for the Sleepwalker's arm, Haneul jerks it away with a twist of the torso and a dash in the opposite direction. "Hands off! That gear's expensive!" A mercenary at heart. It did strip some of the paint though, and probably corroded the armor and- she's angry.
"Screw you too." She declares before lifting the AC's right arm and just letting recoil do the work. Not even remotely bothering to control the heavy recoil of the heavy caliber machine gun. This big a target? Aiming up? No risk of crossfire after that dash to boot.
Admittedly she does jerk her head at the sudden burst of noise in her headset. "You okay?" sent Zan's way, not sure if he'd taken a blow she hadn't seen yet. There's an awkward pause. Her briefing probably covered this, but it was short notice.
She does twist to check Sousuke's firing angle, keeping clear, keeping it in mind for her dodging.
KTS: Haneul Kysahra targets Mikoto Utsugi with Heavy Rifle Point Blank! KTS: George de Sand fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Sigma the Hyper Agent, taking 8160 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: George de Sand has been defeated! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged George de Sand!
<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
Every warning, alert and alarm that can blare and flash on Volfogg's HUD does so as Koji's warheads light up his armor and burst it open like paper. The vacuum of space stifles the dramatics of smoke and steam here, but much of his machinery is exposed, and somehow he summons enough wherewithal to dodge Sayaka's machine gun barrage. He begins to back away, gaze darting from radiance of Sigma to the Zero Robo.
Volfogg hits his sirens. Not that the sound can do much here in space, but it's more than just sound, a shockwave of complex signals that cuts into metal, rattling targeted armor from beneath and within.
KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Koji Kabuto with Melt! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg targets Sayaka Yumi with Melt! KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to react to GBR-04 Volfogg's Melt, taking 0 damage! KTS: Sayaka Yumi fails to react to GBR-04 Volfogg's Melt, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Armour integrity collapsing. Do or die time."
This is so down to the wire it's risking an electrical shock, but Koji has never been a man to retreat.
"C'mon, c'mon, let me get a shot... Koushiryoku Beaaaaaaaaam!"
This time the beams lancing out from the Double Spazer's nose are a pure white, Photon Power itself as a directed energy attack.
KTS: Koji Kabuto targets GBR-04 Volfogg with Koushiryoku Beam!
<Pose Tracker> George de Sand has posed.
George hadn't expected this. The Hyper Agent's attacks come so fast and from so many angles that he can hardly even bring his saber up to parry them. The continued assault leaves the Gundam Rose critically damaged, the pilot inside battered and bleeding as warning lights and sirens go off all around him.
"Merde...Looks like you're the one who gets the bragging rights this time, Chibodee. It hurts me to retreat, but I know when I've been beaten."
With a chuckle hiding his shame, the Gundam Rose drapes its mantle over its front, boosting back to retreat to Neo-France.
"By the way, Chibodee. Maria would love to come to Neo-America to see the girls again. I hear the Revue has a Christmas show that's to die for."
KTS: George de Sand's GF04-009NF Gundam Rose has been disabled. KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg fails to react to Koji Kabuto's Koushiryoku Beam, taking 2790 damage! KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg has been defeated!
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Meanwhile, deep in Orbit Base...
"You're still SLOW, Evoluder!"
J blurs at him, one, two, three times. Guy counters each slash with the Will Knife, but each time he's ready again a little bit slower, before J smashes him fiercely down the long open space they've been brawling in, down toward the hangar decks. Guy slams into the decking, breathing heavily, the long horns on his ID Suit's crown gleaming in the cold light of the large space. He lands on his knees, fist down, breathing.
J touches down across from him, softly shedding orange light.
"You have a purpose," J says, ice in his tone. "Whatever trap you have will not avail you. There are more ways to destroy your world than stars in the sky."
Guy grits his teeth. "Not while I'm still here!" he screams, and bursts into green light, bulleting directly at J. He saws off a chunk of armor before J knocks aside his arm, deflecting the blow.
The warrior of the Red Planet stares at him under the helmet...but doesn't move yet.
In the Orbit Room, Ayame's fists are balled tight, watching the camera feed from above. "What's he waiting for!?"
"He doesn't know Guy's next move. All he knows is it hasn't gone off yet," Prickle mutters. "...but it won't last long like this."
<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
So, some part of Chibodee thinks. This is how it ends, huh. As the Burning Machine Gun Punch sails out from Maxter, Chibodee already knows he didn't get it off in time. The Earth turns behind him. Maxter's anchoring on its surfboard starts to slip.
Death, he thinks, as Sigma grabs Maxter. Yes, here it is. With George alongside him. He's not dying alone.
Maxter flies into the Rose. The Maxter feels its impact as Sigma strikes it again and again. Chibodee is hit hard enough through Trace feedback to go into shock, critical systems across his body failing. Blood bursts from his mouth as he tries to wewather the storm for George. George, he pleads with God, let George make it --
The Rose drops off his IFF system as the Maxter keeps taking blows. Every crisis system is firing as the Maxter nears critical failure, ripped off its jetboard, clobered so much that it barely has navigational systems left. He thinks of every single person he said he'd talk to this week. He remembers that he wanted to get another hundred boxes of warm, dry clothing made. Chibodee thinks of the Gals.
Blood in his ears. Someone is calling for him. His lungs feel wet. Draw up. Draw up one. Last. Time.
Chibodee clenches his striking arm, knock-kneed inside his Trace Chamber, red lights flgshing, atmosphere starting to vent. In space. The black dead empty, far from the life-giving soil. Run, everything in his body tells him to do.
Chibodee canters forward, punch-drunk, blinded from pain. Just feel where it is. Hit him hard enough so that he gets a scar. Die with his blood in your mouth.
"this," he breathes. "this hand..."
Chibodee ratchets down, feeling sinew twisting in his shoulder, and pushes against not just the Trace System but the inertia of dying machinery. He wrenches Maxter's striking arm up one more time, throwing the mass of the machine at Sigma, the Crest sparking on its fist as it swings at Sigma. Once, twice, three times, the machine splintering apart as it tries to slam into Sigma's midsection, head dragging forward, retrorockets burning with every last ounce of fuel.
KTS: Chibodee Crocket has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Chibodee Crocket has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Chibodee Crocket targets Takeshi Todo with Dempsey Roll! KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to react to Chibodee Crocket's Dempsey Roll, taking 4920 damage! KTS: Chibodee Crocket has engaged Takeshi Todo! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Sousuke Sagara's ExAMACS Bazooka Shot, taking 2029 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Haneul Kysahra's Heavy Rifle Point Blank, taking 2400 damage! KTS: Haneul Kysahra has engaged Mikoto Utsugi! <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Ugh... even if victory goes to those with courage, the sight of Volfogg in front of Sayaka, doesn't even look like courage anymore. Koji is looking pretty beat up himself, but with Sayaka standing between them, it doesn't look as if there's any shot of Volfogg leaving with a victory.
With his weapons busted, Volfogg seems to resort to the melting siren, which while effective in softening up the armor, isn't much of a finishing attack at all.
And the charade is finally put to an end when Koji fires a direct Koushiryoku Beam upon Volfogg, effectively immobilizing him.
Standing between the weakened Double Spazer, and Volfogg, Sayaka draws the Mazinger Blade downwards towards the defeated Super AI. "You lost," she states. With none of the purifiers in GGG available, however, there's not much they can do about this victory.
Even if it looks like giving up, she hopes that Volfogg will at least agree to these terms. "Please, return to your ship. Look at you - you're completely falling apart." She shakes her head slowly. "We can't fight you anymore like this."
<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.
Volfogg gets a nice heaping helping of photon beam clear across his chest. Agile machinery grinds to a halt as too many systems fail, smoldering and melting into one another. Left staring up the length of Sayaka's Mazinger Blade, Volfogg can only glower as he hangs there, only upright for the lack of gravity. But Sayaka is right, he can't continue like this. Wordlessly (with POINTED silence), he pivots and burns what's left of his fuel to retreat back to the Tsukiyomi.
KTS: GBR-04 Volfogg's Big Volfogg has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
The downside to Triple Zero is that it doesn't make you invincible. It makes you regenerate faster than anything ever should but it does not make you invincible. In the aftermath of his flurry of blows, Sigma is still bleeding. His shoulders rise and fall as if he were struggling for breath. There is no air in space, but somehow each heave apes the motion of breath well enough to resonate in that primitive part of the brain that does image recognition.
But even through it all, Chibodee Crockett does not fall. Even as his comrade makes his retreat, the punch drunk boxer still stands. Takeshi wheezes, fingers curling around the slowly sealing hole blown in his chest. "I see... Very well. Shuffle. Chibodee Crockett..."
He could leave now. Keep his distance. Bombard with a blast of raw dawn-light energy. But Takeshi is still Takeshi. Someone who once saved the world. Someone who once almost ended the world. Someone who, at his core, has an affinity for the hero in the story-- after all, a hero was his first friend.
And so he doesn't run. He stands. He delivers. Each blow the Maxter throws, he receives-- on the jaw, in the gut. Each shot, he reciprocates. Strike for strike. Punch for punch. He has to.
This was how Chibodee Crockett wanted to die.
And so it's the least he can do to fulfill his last wish.
...But...
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Chibodee Crocket with Cyber CQC! KTS: Chibodee Crocket has activated the Assail Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo anchors Chibodee Crocket, forcing him into close range. KTS: Chibodee Crocket fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Cyber CQC, taking 4200 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Chibodee Crocket has been defeated! KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Chibodee Crocket!
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
Armor crunches beneath his knuckles. Takeshi's voice growls out, "...I will grant you the end you desire!"
And yet...
Heroes... Don't die so easily, do they?
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
The claw pushes through the Zonder barrier, and into the Zero Robo's chest- a risky proposition for anything not using Mirror Coating and G-Stone technology at the best of times, let alone right now. There's two corruptive influences in one there. Still, he manages to pull free with a chunk of Zero Robo- but not enough to stop it.
Sousuke's barrage of bazooka blasts hammer against Zero Robo, taking away chunks of the plating on the left arm- the one without a hand. There's something under those plates, though, even as it struggles to fend things off- things like the blast from Haneul's hyper rifle, which removes a big piece of faceplate revealing- empty space, mostly. Unlike the King of Braves, there's nothing under the Zero Robo's armour.
The Zero Robo seems to have had enough- it swings it's magnum hand at Sousuke's Alto rapidly, before lashing out with a series of violent blows at Haneul's sleepwalker- but for Zan, it has something different. The things under the left arm move, and it sprouts a second hand that it clasps together with the other. They begin to glow red, furious and violent. There is no protection here, just destruction.
It surges forward, to try and drive it's hands through Zan's chest, and tear out, well, whatever's there. The Zero Robo is a pale imitation- it doesn't understand why GaoGaiGar did what it did, all those years ago. But it knows the movements- and it knows how to imitate them for an approximation of the effect.
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has activated the Enable Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Volfogg is forced to retreat, but there's no time to celebrate. The other defenders of Orbit Base are struggling too. Koji flicks a switch a couple of times to no avail, makes an irritated noise, and slams his fist on the dashboard.
<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.
Give George time to retreat, some part of Chibodee is telling him. Buy the others time. They're important. Meaningful. This is your job. This is what you were always here to do.
The Gundam Maxter and the Sigma get into a grueling match of blows. Both machines are ravaged throguh the exchange, but it's Maxter that keeps breaking apart. Plating shatters, coolant vents. Chibodee's Trace Suit is glowing red from damage. The emergency limits activated and blew some time ago. Chibodee's body is being beaten apart in cybernetic feedback.
Sigma gets a good combination on him. Chibodee vomits on himself but does not stop, enduring another blow through his guard, buffaloing forward. George, he thinks, get clear --
Sigma beats Maxter down, finally knocking off its head entirely. The headless machine swings wildly a few more times at dead space before the Sigma crunches it in the midsection. The striking arm swings at nothing before the machine finally shuts down, burning from a hundred points of failure. The cockpit block finally, mercifully, jettisons from the doomed machine, hurling itself in the general direction of Neo-America. Chibodee will be unconscious for several days. The Gals will hold vigil over him until he finally, weakly, manages to open an eye for a few moments before passing out again.
Chibodee will live. In the near term, he won't want to.
KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Zan with Pseudo-Hell and Heaven! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Haneul Kysahra with EI-15 Fists Focus Strike! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi targets Sousuke Sagara with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire! <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Volfogg is forced to retreat, but there's no time to celebrate. The other defenders of Orbit Base are struggling too. Koji flicks a switch a couple of times to no avail, makes an irritated noise, and slams his fist on the dashboard.
The thrusters rekindle. Koji grunts in satisfaction, exhales, and looks over the rest of the fight. The Shuffle Alliance's crest bearers are foundering against the giant, but the EI-15's opponents seem to be faring somewhat better. Even so, he can't shake the feeling that this battle hangs over a knife-edge.
(A Will Knife's edge, perhaps, as the World's Strongest Evoluder battles the Last Warrior Cyborg of the Red Planet beneath the notice of Orbit Base's defenders.)
Koji watches Gundam Maxter crumple under the giant's relentless punches, and makes a reckless decision. "Sayaka. Not much left in the Double Spazer - maybe I can put her down in Orbit Base's hangar if I take another hit." And if the Protect Shade goes down in time. "Gotta use this moment to hit them as hard as possible. Cover me - and kick my ass later if you want."
Kicking the thrusters back to life, Koji coaxes just a little more out of the Double Spazer's screaming reactor as atmosphere vents from his pilot cabin (thankfully, he long-since sealed his guard suit and strapped himself in). He bellows in defiance as he pulls up a glitchy targeting reticule. "We won't just roll over for Ruin, and you all should know that better than anyone! CYCLONE BEAAAAAAAAAM!!!"
The photonic lightning cascades forth as the Double Spazer rockets directly towards Gridman Sigma.
KTS: Koji Kabuto targets Takeshi Todo with Cyclone Beam - Projected Storm! KTS: Zan has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to evade Koji Kabuto's Cyclone Beam - Projected Storm, taking 6789 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara blocks Mikoto Utsugi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 2160 damage! KTS: Zan has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Zan parries Mikoto Utsugi's Pseudo-Hell and Heaven, taking 915 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has engaged Zan! KTS: Haneul Kysahra rushes into the attack! KTS: Haneul Kysahra partially guards Mikoto Utsugi's EI-15 Fists Focus Strike, taking 6000 damage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has engaged Haneul Kysahra! KTS: Zan has activated the Trick Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
As Koji makes his risky play, Sayaka raises an eyebrow. But it's Koji Kabuto, if anyone can pull off a ridiculous stunt like this, it's him. "All right, Koji. I'll do just that!" She replies. About the cover fire? About the ass-kicking? Both!
Cover fire is quite literal - as Gridman Sigma is still reeling from the Cyclone Beam, Sayaka charges enough photon power in the Ichinana to bring an old classic to bear. First Volfogg, now Gridman Sigma.. this might be too much for the poor Ichinana, but nonetheless... "We'll fight as many of you as it takes to stop this! BREAST FIRE!"
As with Burning Fire on Volfogg, the Ichinana's chest array glows a scarlet red, and it unleashes an even more powerful wave of scorching flame upon the Cyber Giant of Light!
KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets Takeshi Todo with Ichinana Breast Fire! KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Sayaka Yumi's Ichinana Breast Fire, taking 4050 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
Despite being crazed, angry, and very much not the mostly passive self that started this, Zan knows he didn't do enough damage with the claw from his leg. The tie extractor releases and retracts.
That's when he sees the hands glow. Old videos that he studied come to mind. The Braves were some of the role models that once he was self aware, he aspired to be.
"No... it can not be." Zan transmits, calmer now as seeing the glowing hands looks to have snapped his programming back to focus.
Twin dozer shields come out of both wrists. Instead of trying to meet the attack head on, he knows that is suicide. Magnetic energy flows to the dozers while the Heaven and Hell imitation charges, and at the same time as it makes the move, the Iron Zanrailer drops down, bringing it's legs up as the arms come up at the same time. There's an almighty crash that might even be heard as the opposing forces meet.
Something sparks in Zan at the sight, even as his dozer shields spark as he pushes the Heaven and Hell imitation off course. Parrying the impossible to block move as he roars.
More magnetic energy begins to flow as he uses the impossible angle and charges up the one attack that not many know he has. One that pales in comparison, but is more devastating than the Iron Spiker as a bright electric blue starts to shine from the chest of the Iron Zanrailer.
A brief transmission is sent to Sousuke and Haneul. "Get clear."
The glowing turbine gets brighter and brighter.
And then Zan lets loose.
"TURBINE TORNAAADOOOO!" Comes the transmission.
And for the Zonder Robo, what can only be called an electromagnetic tornado fires off at it nearly at point-blank range. Electric blue, natural coloring to such energies, shoots out of the turbine engine that it was aiming at. Spinning, electric blue death that gathers up natural space debris and impossibly forms a tornado in the middle of space as it seeks to end the fight once and for all.
KTS: Zan targets Mikoto Utsugi with Turbine Tornado! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Zan's Turbine Tornado, taking 6882 damage! KTS: Zan roots its unit, coming to a standstill and leaving it vulnerable.
<Pose Tracker> Haneul Kysahra has posed.
There's only so far you can push your luck when you're engaged at knife fighting ranges with a critter bigger than you are, intent on killing you and lacking the kind of things that might rattle a living opponent. Haneul's quickly approaching that point. Something something automated grumbling.
On the one hand she should probably disengage if she wants to succeed, but you do what you've got to do. With another dash, she drives her mech's left fist forward, the bunker slaming forward before dashing away. She's learned her lesson and keeps it short. In and out, quick as you can.
The transmission's met with a simple, "Yeah." as she leans into the throttle, pulling further away from the zonder that's doing a considerable amount of damage to her AC. The display... well, she might trigger another quick dash just for good measure.
KTS: Haneul Kysahra targets Mikoto Utsugi with Heavy Bunker Puncturing Blow!
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"It's empty," Sousuke mutters. "Not even motive units..."
Silence in the cockpit. No Mao, no Kurz, no Kaname or the Captain...with Chibodee and George down, even the Shuffle near-field comms are quiet. "Uruz-7," he notes, though only one of those is still conscious to hear him: "Continuing engagement."
Get clear, says the Iron Zanrailer. "Uruz-7, Acknowledged," he replies, and the Alto boosts away. The high-speed Magnum comes at him, but the Alto's shield is a surprisingly tough thing and he's able to batter the attack aside. He watches the Turbine Tornado roar, hears it in his ears. "...wasteful," he mutters, unconsciously, and swings the Alto's bazooka up, lining it up carefully. He quickly programs a recoil-counter macro into the thrusters; he knows that process like an old hand, although the ExAMACS UI for it is a bit different from what he knows.
"Firing!" he calls, bombarding the Zero Robo with every shell currently in the bazooka.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Mikoto Utsugi with ExAMACS Bazooka Barrage! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Haneul Kysahra's Heavy Bunker Puncturing Blow, taking 3850 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Haneul Kysahra's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has been defeated! KTS: Haneul Kysahra has engaged Mikoto Utsugi! <Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
The Maxter finally falls. Sigma stands hunched, bent, but not broken. Already, the miracle energy that is Triple Zero begins to reconstitute his body, setting colossal bone and mending flesh. An emergency escape capsule launches from the mobile suit, and Takeshi lifts a hand that shines with the blazing light of dawn--
Only for a different light to slam into him. Two, in fact. The Double Spazer and Sayaka's Ichinana unleash a torrent of energy born from the scientific miracle of Photon Power. Takeshi's voice rises in a scream of pain as the twin blasts tear into his form, scattering twisting contrails of vermilion energy, and briefly revealing the blue and red and white body underneath--
But light still gathers in the Gridman's hands. It twists in space, forming a pattern like a circuitboard in the void. "Grid... Sigma..."
Volfogg is clear. Takeshi roars, lifting his arms towards the onslaught of photonic power and raw thermal energy. "BEEEEEEEEAAAAM!" A blast of blinding, vermilion force washes out from the Gridman's crossed arms, scything through the column of energy pouring down upon him. The three beams twist among one another, but where the Photonic Lab crews' had been spent by the time Sigma fired, The Giant of Dawn's is still fresh...!
And it's racing right towards them, a veritable wall of growing dawnlight...!
KTS: Sousuke Sagara enervates Mikoto Utsugi, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Mikoto Utsugi blocks Sousuke Sagara's ExAMACS Bazooka Barrage, taking 7080 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sousuke Sagara's Where'd He Go!? activates, causing Deject! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sousuke Sagara's Battlefield Mastery activates, causing Control Bonus! KTS: Mikoto Utsugi has been defeated! KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Koji Kabuto with Grid Sigma Beam! KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Sayaka Yumi with Grid Sigma Beam! KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to Evade Takeshi Todo's Grid Sigma Beam, taking 7080 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Koji Kabuto has been defeated! KTS: Takeshi Todo roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable. KTS: Sayaka Yumi fails to Evade Takeshi Todo's Grid Sigma Beam, taking 7080 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has been defeated! KTS: Takeshi Todo roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Time seems to slow as the Grid Sigma Beam fills Koji's field of view, terrible dawnlight capable of melting away everything left of the badly-damaged Double Spazer. Koji closes his eyes, part of him accepting the price of his reckless maneuver.
He sees bright blue eyes and powder-blue hair, the face of a teenage girl who for some reason looks up to him.
His eyes snap open. He breathes sharply, and yanks the yoke hard to starboard.
It's not enough to fully evade Gridman Sigma's ire, but an entire wing disintegrated is better than losing the entire craft. Koji slams manual overrides to kill the Double Spazer's reactor and coaxes the more-or-less-helpless craft away from the fight on its backup thrusters.
"C'mon..." He watches the great train robot hold its own against the EI-15 replica, electromagnetic tornado lashing out. "Show 'em there's more Braves protecting the Earth than they thought."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
J glares down his nose at Guy.
Guy glares up it at J, seeing just below the helmet at those all too human eyes thanks to his low, battered angle.
"You've lost, Evoluder. The power of your G-Stone is nothing next to the J-Jewel and the Dawn. Latio, Arma, both are on the other side of the Earth system. You've sent what few machines you have out to stall the enemy. Nobody else here can help you. It's over, Superhuman Evoluder Guy Shishioh."
Guy huffs, heavy, deep breaths. "Looks like that's how it's shaping up, huh?" he says, conversational despite the doomed tone.
"But you're wrong." He smiles. He surges, blasting himself into Purification Mode again and lunging with the Will Knife with one last push. J bats it aside, but he's not expecting the followup punch that knocks J in his jaw, sending him stumbling a few precious feet in front of a different bay.
And Guy screams, "GALEON!!"
Twin pearls of emerald light ignite in the darkness behind J.
J freezes, shock overcoming his reflexes. "The--Impossible!"
"Nothing's impossible, Soldato-J! NOT WITH COURAGE!"
Galeon affirms the statement with a mighty, thunderous roar, the shockwave of it sending things flying across the hangar, sending *J* flying across the hangar--
And the tide of Triple Zero washes away from him for just a few precious seconds.
Long enough for Guy to surge at him, and drive his Will Knife deep into his chest. "Triple Zero's regeneration will make sure this can't kill you," he cries. "But I know even you will need a minute to get up from this one, J!"
He slashes the Will Knife out, creating a long, ugly wound, and then KICKS him in it, sending J sprawling to the side, just in time for Galeon to lunge at him and bat him back the other way with his massive paw, like hitting him with a truck.
Guy approaches the Last Warrior of the Red Planet, Will Knife out. His ID Armor is cracked. He's bleeding profusely down his face, his breath comes in pants.
But in his eyes are only courage.
"Don't imagine you'd stay here until Arma gets back to purify you?" Guy says.
J gurgles low as he forces himself to his knees. "...Tomoro," he says, to the air. Even through the communications blackout of the full-power Protect Shade, the J-Jewel unites the two as surely as the G-Stone unites Guy and Galeon. "...get me an ES Window. The mission has failed."
Guy doesn't hear the reply. He just sees the ES Window open at the far end of the bay. Guy doesn't help J walk to it. He knows he'd never accept it.
"This isn't over, Evoluder."
"Not until you're home," Guy says, and J scoffs as he stumbles into the portal, and it slides shut.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka was acting as the cover, and the Ichinana had a bit more juice left in it than the Double Spazer to begin with.
Despite that, the wrath of Gridman Sigma, doesn't fare all too much better for the Ichinana, as a pure vermillion glow begins to flood into Sayaka's field of vision, searing into the melting armor of the Ichinana.
Still, her thoughts are exactly the same as those in JOSH-A - she can't die here, she won't die here. Those thoughts are enough to keep her going, as she puts Photon Power at full throttle.
Once the blast subsides, she turns her cameras backwards, worried whether Koji made it or not. Thankfully, although the Double Spazer is torn asunder, by the miracles of modern science, it's still moving.
"Koji... thank goodness. Ugh, what a battle," she sighs. It isn't over yet, but they have to place their hopes in the remaining defenders. And the Braves holding the line inside the Orbit Base itself.
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
Under the sustained triple attack- the Iron Zanrailer's Turbine Tornado traps the Zero Robo in a electromagnetic storm. It tries to drive one of it's hands through the storm- only for Haneul to puncture it with the bunker and ruin it's attempted escape. As such, when Sousuke's barrage of rockets crash into, explosion after explosion.
Even with the Aura of Dawn, these things can be killed. They can be destroyed.
And they can explode, leaving a fading ripple of orange across this part of the battleield, the only sign the Zero Robo had been there at all.
Takeshi feels a message through the Limpid Channel, reaching the Hyper Agent in a way that can't be intercepted.
<<Todo-san, we've lost. We need to leave. They were able to stop J.>>
The Tsukiyomi waits exactly long enough for Takeshi to board before the ES Door opens for it- Tomoro reacted promptly. Mikoto sits at her desk, uneasy. They'd lost... but that means Guy was still alive. He'd gotten stronger... and cleverer. She had a sad smile on her lips. He was still the man she loved more than anyone else...
She reaches out, and in the moments as Tsukiyomi disappears, Guy will feel her words through the limpid channel.
<<Live, Guy. Live the life you should have had. For both of us.>>
And then they are gone.
KTS: Koji Kabuto's Double Spazer has left Koji Kabuto teleports out.
KTS: Patrick Colasour's AEU-09T AEU Enact Commander Type (Colasour) - MS Mode has been disabled. Patrick Colasour teleports out. GBR-04 Volfogg teleports out.
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
The two Photon Labs representatives are down. Takeshi Todo-- Gridman Sigma-- turns towards the remaining defenders. His body twists with guttering vermilion flame. If he must, he'll throw himself against them as many times as it takes.
...But as it turns out, he doesn't. The retreat order is given. Sigma hangs in space for a moment longer, before a faint acknowledgment is transmitted across the Limpid Channel. The Giant of Dawn disappears in a rush of light, racing towards the Tsukuyomi before it starts pulling out of the battlefield.
A loss. But...
They were made to bleed for it, at least.