2023-02-12: Pursuit! The Photon Research Institute Under Siege!
- Cast: Asciel Colette, Cascade Vermillion, Koji Kabuto, Sayaka Yumi, Roux Louka, Liam 7-020, BP-110 Deckerd
- Where: OCU Japan - Fujinomiya
- Date: U.C. 0097 02 12
- Summary: A three-pronged attack on Photon Power itself! Two enigmatic intruders test the iron will of Mazinger Z! Can Koji Kabuto and his allies deter this bold assault on the light that powers Japan? And what of the secret slumbering within Mt. Fuji...?
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
A creaking, ear-splitting roar cracks the peace of Fujinomiya City. It's a sight that, perhaps, is familiar, yet unwelcome to the Photon Research Institute. A lumbering, blue and red monster with three heads - one skeletal and adorned with two great bladed horns, and the other two serpentine and flexible - all three with gun-turrets for eyes. Yes - none other than the shambling monstrosity of old - Garadoubla MK01!
...except...
It certainly was a Garadoubla MK01, once upon a time, during the terror of Dr. Hell's reign. But its slow, clattering motions...its lack of a left arm...the searing slag melted across its torso. It's, to put it shortly - a zombie, one Mazinger Z itself had slain once upon a time, so covered in dirt and plantlife that it looks, for all the world, like it crawled back from the dead. Is it just here because so many years ago, the job just barely wasn't finished...?
...on the streets of Fujinomiya City, though, a gentle whirring and clattering can be heard - little more than bigger than average footsteps shuffling, mistakeable for an odd wind, perhaps. Dogs begin barking a little irrationally. Birds clear the area in this wind's wake. Cats pause, leering warily - but it looks for all the world like a few errant shimmering heat hazes. In February.
--<Gorgenion Team~ The entrance to the facility on the south side shoooooould be a little less guarded and more accessible. Nike 1, 2, and 3, take a peek on the northern edge and assess security and defenses there - if they're looking a little bit flimsier than I assessed, flag us and we'll regroup there. Nike 4 through 8, you're at the east! Cover Fujinomiya itself for a bit - make sure we're not being intercepted by any errant foes besides the Photon Institute defenses. 30 minutes from now, you all center on raiding as muuuuch Japanium as you can get your hands on. We have potential drop points for later recovery if you gotta sneak out and retrieve it later - ECS won't work on what you're carrying! Please give me any of your questions.>--
--<...OWL, which squad are you being assigned to?>--
--<...ufufu. Don't be silly. A monster Mazinger Z slayed once before isn't exactly going to buy us much time. No...it's just a little advantage. I've been dying to feel just how durable that thing is. You all take it niiiiice and easy and focus squarely on the mission. It's my job to fight devils.~>--
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
But the Garadoubla is not alone.
Or, rather, it was alone. It showed up by itself. It's just that a second unit showed up some time afterwards... but it absolutely cannot be trusted to defend the Photon Power Plant. Rather the opposite; it's almost certainly here to make things worse.
Androktasia X2 is a red and black design. Deep red along the limbs, black at the chest and across the hips and between the legs. It uses copper as an accent several times, as trim to define the edges of its gauntlet or boot. The whole robot has a feminine build, less bulky than something like Mazinger but perhaps slightly more than Aphrodite - and it does have a face, a strangely human-shaded one, as Venus A does.
"Baron Ashura demands that none attack the Photon Power Plant without their knowledge!" Gamia NX-2 strides toward the facility, walking without intense haste. She hasn't been seen or heard in public since her attack around Christmastime, which of course begs the question of what she has been doing - but regardless, she is here now.
If Asciel wanted a distraction, she's going to get a bigger one than she probably intended.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has deployed in Androktasia X2. KTS: Roux Louka has deployed in MSZ-006-3 Zeta Gundam 'Strike Zeta' <Mobile Suit>. KTS: Liam 7-020 has deployed in MPMZ-17 Ichinana. KTS: Cascade_Vermilion has deployed as a Boss for 2 opponents. KTS: Asciel_Colette has deployed as a Boss for 3 opponents. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has deployed in J-Decker.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
This is the second time this decade that the Monster Attack alarm klaxon has been played over Fujinomiya. In the control tower of the Old Lab, Koji is watching the display screens, brow furrowed. "That's... Garadoubla. The original model. I remember taking that arm off."
He glances to Sayaka at his side. "If this was a full-force attack, surely it would have been fixed up? Nossori, are we getting any Bardos control frequencies?"
The heavily-bearded scientist at the console shakes his head. "Nothin' on the old channels, Koji."
"... So we can rule out Ashura." Koji clicks his tongue. "Either way, full force or not, that thing's heavy enough to cause real enough damage." And then the second attack unit appears on their scopes, and Koji looks to Sayaka again. "Isn't that the one from your fight over Christmas? ... Okay, this just got a lot more serious. Get both Pilders warmed up, double-time!"
Receiving approval, Koji grabs on the obligatory emergency pole down to the hangar, vaulting into the new Hover Pilder's front seat and flipping the activation switches, launching the small craft out of the Old Lab to circle above the facility - a vantage point from which he can observe the approach vector of the attackers. "Garadoubla's a ways out from the city... Delaying return time, maybe? Sayaka, do you wanna take the rematch? Someone get in touch with Shiro, we might need the Third Company on the ground in case this is a diversion."
Initial assessment made, Koji pulls down his helmet visor. "Alright, people, let's do this! MAZINS, GO! JET SCRANDER, LAUNCH!"
((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgrbL3b1M6Q))
The pool in front of the Old Lab grinds open, water cascading down as the elevator at the base of the hangar secreted underneath it grinds upwards, lifting the iconic silhouettes of Mazinger Z and the Next Generation Aphrodite Areia up, gleaming with their quick wash. Over on the side of Mount Fuji, trees flop aside as a launch rail rises out of the ground, the Jet Scrander backpack unfolding as it moves up the rail into its launch position before rocketing into the air towards the Lab.
Koji guides the Pilder down with a deft hand, calling out "PILDER: ON!" as it sockets neatly into Z's empty cranial socket. The Castle of Iron's yellow eyes flash to life, but rather than its iconic flex it crouches, fires its feet thrusters, and leaps up to meet the incoming Jet Scrander, which electromagnetically matches the flight path and with a call of "SCRANDER CROSS!" latches on around Z's waist.
"Intercepting Target MK01!" Koji calls out as Mazinger Z descends upon the shambling husk of the kikaiju. "MAZIN... KICK!"
The Castle of Iron crashes down foot first, slamming into Garadoubla MK01.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
For quite a long time, Fujinomiya has been a city of peace. The last time an attack happened, when a kaiju targeted Shiro Kabuto, it was a huge deal! Besides that, Dr. Hell recently offered a pretty unconvincing offer of a truce.
But even so, the Photon Power Institute isn't just going to let it stand the NEXT time the warning siren blares. The force is pretty small - one kikaiju that's seen better days and the other belonging to the Gamia who attacked on Christmas Eve. "Sure is... must be capitalizing on the opportunity." Sayaka muses, in response. "As for the other one, a diversion seems likely. I can think of a lot of things that we're protecting that some characters would love to get their hands on." Sayaka agrees grimly on that suggestion.
"Which just means we're NOT holding back!" Sayaka grins with a fiery passion, her own helmet on tight.
"APHRODITE AREIA - PILDER ON! ARTEMIS ARROW CROSS!" Rising back to back from the pool with the much wider Mazinger Z, stands Aphrodite Areia, who catches her own jet-like wings, the Artemis Arrow. Her scarlet, unflinching gaze meets the kikaiju.
And at the same time as Mazinger Z goes for the stomping kick, Areia lunges forth as the wings, sharp as blades, cut through the other half of the kikaiju in a devastating combination attack. "It's back to the scrapyard with you!"
Teletha Testarossa teleports in.
POT: Teletha Testarossa is now set observer.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux Louka was literally just here. Nevertheless, after an encounter in space - a stint on the Ra Mari II - and perhaps some tense conversations of her own - she returned to Earth. Earth, to space, to Earth, to space, to Earth...
She didn't go back to her mailing address in Spain, though. She went to Free Japan.
AT THE SPA HOTEL
"Back so soon?" asks the clerk.
"Yeah, well," Roux huffs, "I didn't want to miss the chocolate and vanilla face mask, I guess." She slaps her card down.
"What industry are you in?" the clerk replied.
"Covert operations," Roux complains.
EITHER WAY
Roux, through a mixture of pulling tough-girl faces and knowing several of the owners, had gotten berthing for the Strike Zeta at the new Photon Power Labs' hangars. While they couldn't replace the missiles she had expended in space, well, she didn't shoot that many of them, and basic maintenance is fine.
But it has an expectation...
"On the scene!" Roux says, as she fulfills that expectation!
Zwip! A kikaiju is looming there. "Oh my god," Roux complains immediately. But it's not the only thing out there - what is definitely also present is...
"YOU," Roux says, eyes widening. "What the hell are you doing here?! Are you trying to steal Valentines Day as well as Christmas? Are you starting a frigging collection? Get out of here! If you had some kind of idea that any of this would be easy --" And Roux swings along the Hyper Mega Launcher!
She does not fire it right away. Crap, she thinks. I have to be careful - this is like fighting inside of a colony. She scans the readouts as the Mazinger and Aphrodite launch. But the Strike Zeta does not defer! Like a dam, it stands stout, holding its gun. "-- Have you been WATCHING this? You go back to Baron Ashura and you tell them to get a job, alright??"
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
After ten days, several trips to orbit, and a few hours spent trapped in a lift with Angelo Sauper (don't ask), Liam finally got his "borrowed" Long Dagger back to NERV. His cover story needed updates, but conveniently, Yuliana Kafim has given them to him. He gathered and compiled data on the dragon-kaiju he designated HSD-1, and it's only proper he gather as much intel on 'HSD-2' as he can. He was absent for a while because he needed recovery time after the Institute raid... but also because he was consulting with one of his sources for camera footage and leads.
This last bit wasn't even a lie. The Dianthus' gun-cam showed a PPL machine--a modified Ichinana--engaging the dragon as well. He was just at the Lab's front desk, waiting, when the alarm went off. Rather than take shelter, he pulled out his phone.
"Dr. Kabuto. Liam here. Authorization to launch?"
One of the Institute's handful of Ichinanas flies high over the building, its MP Scrander firing to gain altitude. In the cockpit, Liam--still dressed in civilian clothes--frowns as he takes sight of the kikaiju and its more capable escort. "Obvious distraction," he says. "But... who's coordinating?" It almost sounds like the red robot is chastising whomever deployed that kikaiju.
<Pose Tracker> BP-110 Deckerd has posed.
A loan police car and trailer truck comes barreling down the road, sirens blaring loudly as they suddenly drift to a halt. The car door swings open, and out steps Yuta, holding firmly on to a badge as he assesses the situation.
So this is the Photon Research Institute, huh? He's learned a bit about it back at school, which means the things attacking must be... Kikaiju? Huh. They're still really at it. Guess the reports and distress signal he got weren't wrong after all. Well, he's got a solution, now raising the badge in his hand high up into the air as it flashes brightly and opens up.
"Brave up! J-Decker!"
Responding to the command, the police car drives forward, a new, massive truck trailer following behind it as it begins splitting apart, forming most of a body save for a chest and head. It doesn't take long for that hole to be filled however, as the police car jumps and folds in half, slamming itself into the newly formed body as an empty helmet is placed on top of it. For a brief moment, a smaller head can be seen filling the empty noggin, though it's immediately concealed by a face mask that seals it up, creating the completed form of the Brave known as-
"J-DECKER!"
The Brave officer now lands down, still a sizeable distance away from the Garadoubla, though not so far that he can't draw his rifle and aim it at the machine. He places a hand underneath the gun to help stabilize it, before letting out a few controlled bursts directly into the kikaiju's back, providing undisruptive supporting fire for the two Photon machines.
"Hold up! Brave Police! You're under arrest!"
Honestly, from what Deckerd has in his databases, he's pretty sure arresting Kikaiju isn't on the table. It's procedure, however, and, perhaps a bit more importantly than that, he likes using the line Yuta came up with for him.
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
>And there it is - the Castle of Iron, just like nothing's changed. ...But of course, so very, very much has, even in such a short span of time. The irrational itch to overcome you, something laced into the well of wisdom I drank and drank from...
Garadoubla roars - clawing and reaching at Mazinger Z and Aphrodite Areia, a roar from each mechanical throat in agony from that which killed it once before. But it was never given this life again to conquer its old foe - it yearns to kill just as it did, but the arm it wants to grasp is no longer there, and its movements are far, far too sluggish to adapt. The kick sends it hurtling backwards into the forested hills - the blade cleaves a fatal gash through its heart, and J-Decker's rifle sends its core reactor in flames. - and though it trashes about in a rage, it's not long before the reactions in its chest fade away, smoke and steam spilling from each of its mouths.
Right when all would seem silent and relieving, though...
--Soaring across the sky--
<"Sora ni sobieru~">
--A castle of iron--
<"Kurogane no shirooooo~">
<"Supeeeeeeer~ Robot- oh!~ Mazinger Z!">
The singsongy voice cuts at the end - as does the veil of invisibility of a by now slightly troublesomely known cyan Arm Slave, perched atop Garadoublas's primary head - leaning against one of its horns. <"Hoooonestly, I was a little worried you were going to run out here in one of those tiresome imitations! Hmhmhm, and the Aphrodite as well, though it's looking rather more festive and showy than before!">
With a tongue-clicking noise, the Arm Slave grips one of Garadoublas's detachable horns - a scythe taller than the little mobile weapon is - wrenching it free and twirling it in its grip. <"Isn't it sad that these things were forged into a life where dialogue is impossible... Why, I didn't even have to tell this poor thing to come here. Tinkering around in its heart made it immediately wake up and march its cute butt over this way. The ancient grudge of Mycenae, reforged into the - well, I suppose not ancient anymore grudge of Dr. Hell. I wonder, if it's so innately yearning to spend its life wreaking havoc on the Photon Power Institute - I wonder if it sees something most don't.">
<"Why, I gather it's that even the Myceneans knew of the danger this 'Japanium' posed. A miracle material that keeps making free energy over and over - dear oh dear! I, personally, would be so much more cautious before making an entire nation rely on something impossible! So that's why - ~catch!~">
Mid-sentence, the Arm Slave hurls Garadoublas's scythe in a whirling arc at Mazinger Z, before leaping upwards to catch it just before it'd go past Koji - only to slash it from above at Aphrodite's wings.
...The interloper's head then cranes towards Deckerd mid-air, a vivid light blooming in the Arm Slave's heart. <"Now now now, I think the police should be focused on defending the laws of physics, thank you very much. J-Decker - the adults are talking, so your dearest big sister Atrytone will be helping you SIT DOWN."> She points one finger at J-Decker - a series of 3-dimensional grids forming between there and the Brave Police - and at an irresponsible speed, a mote of light races across these coordinates, erupting once it reaches Deckerd.
Only once Asciel lands, does she finally remember to phone in to Cascade. --<"Now now now. I'd promised Dr. Hell himself a little bit of intel on what's within Mt. Fuji, since he seemed to insist there'd be a liiiiittle more to it than just a Japanium mine. I think his head's a bit screwed on backwards, but then agan, maybe he's right!~ Be a dear and make sure my assistants make it as far in as possible, and I'll reward you later.">--
The similarly cloaked Arm Slaves approaching the Photon Labs find the weakest-guarded way inward - but it's one that still requires just a teensy bit of plastic explosive to bust down the door, and soon, the exact nature of this operation becomes pretty obvious, even if the perpetrators are difficult to track!
KTS: Asciel Colette targets Koji Kabuto with Monomolecular Cutter Slash! KTS: Asciel Colette targets Sayaka Yumi with Monomolecular Cutter Slash! KTS: Asciel Colette targets BP-110 Deckerd with Lambda Driver Pinpoint! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 164. KTS: SP Regen activates. Your new SP value is 80. KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to parry Asciel Colette's Monomolecular Cutter Slash, taking 3240 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette has engaged Koji Kabuto! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Sayaka Yumi, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Sayaka Yumi fails to Parry Asciel Colette's Monomolecular Cutter Slash, taking 4320 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Asciel Colette has engaged Sayaka Yumi! KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd blocks Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Pinpoint, taking 1320 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
"I have no need to steal anything related to Valentine's Day, for I do not wish to make a gift to Baron Ashura! Giving a gift to your parents is not traditional and I have no need of a romantic companion!"
What Gamia NX-2 actually *thinks* is 'ew, gross', and then discards it for being out of character for Gamia NX-2 to think.
Asciel sends her a message. Oh, Gamia thinks. It's *her*. "<Understood,>" is what she transmits back, biting back the first thing that comes to mind. Surely Baron Ashura and Dr. Hell will reward her if she actually *does* come back with something useful... They do need some Japanium, to say nothing of anything else they may find.
Fighting in Fujinomiya is slightly better than a colony; there's an entire safe direction to fire beams (up) and you're not likely to run out of air or water. But there are an awful lot of buildings around, even if the area around the New Photon Power Lab has parks and lakes, which are less populated if no less fragile.
Gamia NX-2 has the advantage of not caring about the pretty park and its pretty artificial lake and simply *looks* at Roux's Zeta, the eyes glimmering with potential -
No, wait, that's actually glowing, and a few seconds later they discharge paired energy beams directly at the Zeta! A moment later and she repeats the process at the Ichinana, though her instincts tell her to attack Sayaka, attack *Koji* - or maybe that's training at work. She refrains. For now.
Either way, the back of Androktasia opens slightly, a sword's hilt poking up over the robot's shoulder. Androktasia reaches behind her and draws it, gleaming in the evening light.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Roux Louka with Eye Blaster! KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Liam 7-020 with Eye Blaster! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Cascade Vermilion's Eye Blaster, taking 2280 damage! <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Iron Cut - " CRUNCH. The whirling thrown arm scores a gash across one arm as Koji brings it up to knock it aside, and the pilot grits his teeth.
"Damn. Faster than I thought." Koji turns Mazinger to track the bright-blue arm slave as she strikes at Aphrodite Areia and shoots at Deckerd. "... So you're the infamous Atrytone, huh?" Mazinger Z flexes now and its arm blades pop out, eyes flashing as its horns crackle with icy-blue Photonic light. "You're coming in awful hot for a first meeting, you could stand to chill out a bit! REITO BEAM!!!"
Beams lance forth from the Mazin's horn-tips, an impossible thermodynamic reaction taking place in their impact point that strips away heat from the area around the Arm Slave and catalyses the rapid formation of ice around it!
"How do you know it's a crime against physics? What makes you the expert?"
KTS: Roux Louka charges into the attack! KTS: Roux Louka successfully avoids Cascade Vermilion's Eye Blaster KTS: Koji Kabuto targets Asciel Colette with Reito Beam! KTS: Koji Kabuto has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
As expected, the kikaiju wasn't all there is to it, as an Arm Slave phases into reality: one she recognizes from the kikaiju fight over at Christmas Eve. "So you've decided to show your face, Atrytone... shame you're not fighting on our side again, let alone lead an entire operation against us."
But Atrytone comes out swinging, as she drives the monomolecular cutter towards the pair of Mazins. "Disappointing. I'm sure LiSA would've loved to catch up with you." Sayaka prepares the Mazinger Blade to intercept but it doesn't come out fast enough and Areia takes a heavy hit, losing momentum in the wings, but still not losing the Arrow Cross connection.
"As of now, relying on the impossible has done us quite good, actually." Sayaka answers Atrytone. "And if it turns out we've made a mistake in doing so... correcting it is what our science team is here for in the first place." Still, with that tone... Sayaka senses that this invader is just trying to get under her skin. Is Japanium really all they're here for...? Surely they haven't found out about Infinity.
Liam requests to scramble. "Ah, Liam? That's usually my jurisdiction, since I'm the director here." Sayaka usually cares very much about this sort of protocol. "Either way, go right ahead. We need all the support we can get!" But in cases like this, it isn't entirely necessary.
Koji might hear a loud groan at his awful pun as he attempts to freeze Atrytone in her tracks with the Leito Beam, but nonetheless Sayaka goes in perfect sync. "MAZINGER BLADE!" Taking advantage of the cooled systems, Sayaka attempts to strike right where it hurts.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
"Oh, hey Liam," Roux says when a random guy she met the other day deploys in an Ichinana. THAT feels somehow comfortable.
J-Decker-- the presence of a police officer is less comfortable, but Roux glances over towards the onboard database on the Strike Zeta, which validates the legitimacy and remit of the Brave Police and eases Roux's criminal mindset. Even so, she doesn't call out to Deckerd, not right away.
But it's GAMIA NX-2 who's in front of her. "Well good, then leave," Roux says in words that sort of get rolled over because Cascade sure isn't going to stop because Roux is talking, but she says it, at least. The enemy machine gives her a look--
No, Roux thinks, that's --
FORWARDS! The Strike Zeta's thrusters kick in; it floats along the boulevard, or rather above it, enormous jets throwing litter and loose snow everywhere as it closes the gap, Roux tilting to the side slightly as she says, "I SAID GET LOST!" as she swings out a beam saber, erupting to scintillant light in a fountain of magenta megaparticles!
As a song - no, other words - "Atrytone?!" Roux says, incredulous, dismayed, but also very occupied in the whole 'sword play against an enemy mobile suit.'
"--Liam, flank her!"
KTS: Roux Louka targets Cascade Vermilion with Beam Saber! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets Asciel Colette with Mazinger Blade Slice! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Cascade Vermilion parries Roux Louka's Beam Saber, taking 960 damage! KTS: Roux Louka has engaged Cascade Vermilion! KTS: Asciel Colette fails to retreat. KTS: Asciel Colette successfully evades Koji Kabuto's Reito Beam KTS: Asciel Colette rushes into the attack! KTS: Asciel Colette successfully avoids Sayaka Yumi's Mazinger Blade Slice <Pose Tracker> BP-110 Deckerd has posed.
<"What?">
Protect the laws of physics? What does she mean, exactly? And just what exactly did she mean by 'sister'? It's not like he has a lot of time to ponder these things either, he's immediately put on the defensive as a column of light is shot directly at him.
There's a pained grunt as he moves out of the way, using his comically large riot shield to soak up what he wasn't able to avoid as he gets back to steadying himself again, kneeling down as he points the rifle at the Arm Slave.
<"If you really are my big sister, I need you to step down and talk things through before you do something you regret, please.">
He honestly doubts they're related. There's no record of any new BP units being developed and deployed. Still, if he can de-escalate things by appealing to her, he's got to at least try.
He can't, however, let her get any closer to the power plant, so he sadly can't be all talk. Pulling the trigger, he lets loose a blast of focused fire at the machine, this time aiming for its feet as it tries to keep its movement in check.
Leina Ashta has connected.
KTS: BP-110 Deckerd targets Asciel Colette with Gun Mode: Focused Fire! KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
'Ah, Liam? That's usually my jurisdiction, since I'm the director here.'
"Apologies, Director," Liam says. The person he was here to speak with, and he went over her head without thinking! He takes a breath to steady himself. His hands tighten on the sticks as the Ichinana descends, racing towards Androktasia's position. Someone else addresses him, then. "Ms. Louka?"
How does she know this person, and did they really try stealing Christmas?
Androktasia gives him no time to think on that. The Ichinana pulls its blade from its mount, and settles into an improvised parrying stance mid-descent. The beam glances off the machine's forearm, leaving a red-hot trail, but the Super Alloy Z soaks up the rest of it as Liam twists the sword into place. "Understood," he says, and he sweeps the blade in high for Androktasia's head--
It's a feint. The real attack comes in the form of a snap kick to the knee, backed by the Ichinana's weight. Doing these kinds of maneuvers in a purely manual cockpit isn't Liam's first choice, but it was drilled into him long before he ever used Mobile Trace.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Cascade Vermilion with Ichinana CQC Strike! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to react to Liam 7-020's Ichinana CQC Strike, taking 2400 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has engaged Cascade Vermilion! KTS: Asciel Colette blocks BP-110 Deckerd's Gun Mode: Focused Fire, taking 2450 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 25860 KTS: BP-110 Deckerd roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd begins a Formation attack! <Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
"I will not leave! You, Roux Louka," oh no she knows who she is, "have now challenged me twice!" Gamia does not recognize Liam, not yet as anything more than an Ichinana pilot, so he is safe from verbal opposition.
Gamia NX-2 is here to... what? Watch? See what the kikaiju is doing? If what she said was all of the truth, the only thing she's here to do is make sure that if anyone gets something out of attacking the Photon Power Labs she knows about it.
And yet here she is and she shows no signs of leaving. 'Testing the defenses' is also a valid thing to do, as well as 'keep an eye on Atrytone'. Androktasia continues its slow but implacable march forwards.
Until Roux swoops in with a beam saber! Already armed with her own sword - a slightly wider, heavier physical sword - Gamia interposes it. Whatever the sword is made of, or however it's coated, it manages to actually lock up against the beam saber for a moment, fragments of light spraying every which way from the impact point... until, suddenly, Androktasia's sword breaks!
Or falls apart, in any case, the sword dividing into many segments of blade connected by a slim cable. The front tip of the sword stabs forward, extending many times over directly at Roux's mobile suit's shoulder, some kind of fume hazing the air around the sharp edges.
Because, as it turns out, the blade is poisoned: something like the chemical from Koji's own Rust Hurricane, but liquid. Rather than misting the air, it starts eating away at the suit's armour and structure unless Roux can get out of the way!
She'd follow it up, but Liam coming in for her knees is a problem. Androktasia staggers back, Gamia's sword reconnecting itself into a standard blade with a series of clicks and clacks. Rather than use it against the smaller Ichinana, Androktasia's *other* hand gleams with a violet energy, and when she drives it forward in an open-palm slam it emits a tremendous shockwave and imparts a frankly ridiculous amount of kinetic energy to knock away the Ichinana.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Roux Louka with Serpent Sword Sting! KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Liam 7-020 with Pulsar Palm! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: [Mirage] Roux Louka's Anti-radar Suite activates, and she slips into a mirage. KTS: Roux Louka fails to parry Cascade Vermilion's Serpent Sword Sting, taking 0 damage! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has engaged Roux Louka!
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
<"Oh, please~ When it comes to energy production, correcting later has never been how this shakes down.~"> Asciel meets Koji's freezing beam with a wave of immense heat - if anything, the reduction in temperature that still takes place is a bit to her benefit, as the shimmering light fanning out the Codarl's 'ponytail' diminishes. Still limber and flexible, she's free to lock blades with Aphrodite - getting in close enough to latch her feet onto Sayaka's arm.
<"Something that seems to spit in the face of one of the foundational laws of physics is absolutely going to rear its ugly head as an aftereffect in some corner you'd neglected to look. Or maybe~ Maybe it's already doing that, and you've sold the public on something truly despicable! The moment we find out that, say, this Photon Energy comes at the cost of plunging the world itself in darkness, that's when historically, we begin shifting the blame onto others, or lying about the cause. But since you've entangled Japan so deeply into it - maybe you might resist the trial that'd come, but you might find your sense of justice and heroism preyed upon by wolves who continue to yearn for this power.">
With a vibrant little laugh, Asciel parts the faceplate on the Codarl, giving Koji a cheery little wink on that human-like face behind it. <"Oh, but don't worry about that. Me giving you a fight is because I want this. I want to show that I can surpass a legendary hero. That my power can better protect the secrets lurking beneath this terribly cannibalized mountain. Mine - which is my indomitable spirit, the real light of the future!~">
The star at Asciel's heart blazes brighter - and 'envelops' Mazinger Z, replacing the clear day of Fujinomiya with a world of uncertainty and haze, a 'sandstorm' of light and chaos. As part of what seems like a byproduct - an immense force expels from the Codarl's rear vents. Too unnatural to just be exhaust, but something more determined, weaponizing a seemingly 'missing' counteraction. She's having her cake and eating it on Newton's Third Law - the force that would exert on herself instead exerting on Aphrodite, pushing even as she latches on.
--at some point, it builds up, into a momentum that abruptly catapults her towards J-Decker, eating a shot to the shoulder but mitigating it with a brief cyan-hued barrier. A saber of some sort deploys from Asciel's forearm, caught in her grip and swung, seemingly without any i-field - only to emit a powerful, high-temperature laser at the exact moment it intersects with the Brave Police.
<"Hmmm, you're the one who has that brat as a friend. What a joke.~ Justice reinforced by the pure morality of a child - except children are anything but pure. The 'innocence' you'd draw upon is naivete - justice is a calculation that we wind up often failing to teach kids. I'm glad you seem to have come here without him - he surely clouds your judgment.">
An alarm, by now, is surely blaring from the Photon Power Institute - the large hallways meant for vehicles to mine Japanium occupied by the two strike teams Asciel's brought along, trading their stealth for speed at this point. Several of them turn their ECS off - it's a platoon of gray Zafran-developed Zy-98 Shadows, among the latest and greatest in flexible small mobile weapon technology, operating in a way like many special forces would in infiltration, compact assault rifles ringing out at any who try to deter them in the facility...
KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with BP-110 Deckerd KTS: [Spirit Defense] Sayaka Yumi's Symbol of Peace and War activates, and the spirit is adjusted. KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Sayaka Yumi KTS: Asciel Colette targets Koji Kabuto with Lambda Driver Static! KTS: Asciel Colette targets Sayaka Yumi with Lambda Driver Reject! KTS: Asciel Colette targets BP-110 Deckerd with LS-3303 Laser Blade Lance! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 171. KTS: SP Regen activates. Your new SP value is 75. KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates BP-110 Deckerd, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd blocks Asciel Colette's LS-3303 Laser Blade Lance, taking 4180 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Asciel Colette has engaged BP-110 Deckerd! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Sayaka Yumi, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Asciel Colette rattles Sayaka Yumi, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sayaka Yumi fails to Parry Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Reject, taking 4560 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Asciel Colette repulses Sayaka Yumi, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to retreat. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Koji Kabuto, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to evade Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Static, taking 5980 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Liam 7-020's Catecholamine Regulation System activates, and his spirit endures. KTS: Cascade Vermilion enervates Liam 7-020, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Cascade Vermilion's Pulsar Palm, taking 5760 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Eye activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Knife activates, causing Deject! KTS: Cascade Vermilion repulses Liam 7-020, forcing him to disengage. KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Gah!!" Mazinger Z is consumed by the swirling static light, sparks playing off the Super Alloy New Z as the Mazin raises its arms to ward off the worst of the assault. It stumbles, a little, pressed down by the weight of Asciel's gloating.
For a moment, doubt weighs on the heart of Koji Kabuto. Is she right? Is her power what's needed to protect his nation? Mazinger Z falters again, sinking down to one knee.
LiSA, watching the battle, sucks in a breath, but is also reading the data of the fight, and grabs the com. "Master! These readings - !"
The console of the Hover Pilder pings and a readout appears: POSITIVE MATCH - GENESIS ATTACKER.
"... Huh."
In the static, the red glow of Mazinger Z's chest array flares to life, along with its eyes. "I get it. You think we're gonna make the same call as Creuset, and turn an invention that's supposed to help humanity against the lives we've sworn to protect."
The eyes flash. "RUST HURRICANE!" and a typhoon of wind and charged particles surges forward, scattering the static shock of the Lambda Driver, revealing Mazinger Z standing proud once more.
"Tell me then, Atrytone - what makes you any different from us? You, too, are grasping power that could make its bearer become a devil or a god, and you used it against GENESIS."
He remembers standing over the bodies of Garada and Doublas back in his first deployment, and steps over the body of Garadoubla. "Do you truly understand what that means? Are you ready to shoulder that responsibility?"
KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Koji Kabuto targets Asciel Colette with Rust Hurricane! KTS: Koji Kabuto has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux doesn't want to think about how she knows this person and how they tried to steal Christmas. But that's in part because -- she was there. She saw it all...
She saw everything.
There's Liam's Ichinana, and Roux lets out a shout of encouragement at the telling blow. But she's moving around the Beam Saber, and when Gamia moves to parry, it throws sparks, light, heat; energy! It breaks. Hah! Roux thinks.
Then, "What?!"
And then Gamia stabs forwards towards the Strike Zeta's suit. Poor Strike Zeta! Made to fight a war that honestly failed - this one, found in a cache where its siblings were all totalled and scrapped in a raid on Kilimanjaro base - now it will suffer this indignity, of high molar acid, or rapid corrosion; but whatever fate this is, Roux doesn't parry in time.
Instead--
It's as if the Strike Zeta got smaller? What sorcery is this?
It is NOT sorcery. It is the mixture of AMBAC weights, normally less helpful in gravity, surging backwards so the Strike Zeta leaned back -- and the firing of the self-same maneuvering thrusters that had engaged earlier, pulling it backwards without changing its attitude of orientation to the Androktinis!
Roux exhales with force.
"Damn it - I thought Atrytone was your enemy and now you're cooperating with her?" Roux says, before the Strike Zeta comes to a halt four or so map squares -- er -- large buildings away from where Gamia's machine remains. (OK, what can I use. Crap crap crap. CRAP. If I bombard her and she dodges I'm not going to be able to be seen in this town -- alright, the vulcans -- wait, I'm an idiot, that's the entire thing here!)
The Beam Saber is held at the ready, as if to discourage a charge in; but thigh apertures open up and there is a sudden spray of magenta light from that low angle, the back-lean meaning that any misfire shall indeed angle slightly upwards. "Last chance! -- Gah!! Liam!!"
KTS: Roux Louka targets Cascade Vermilion with Thigh Beam Cannon! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"No problem, Liam. I have no orders for you, except to make it out safely." Sayaka quickly transmits to Liam, before turning her attention back to her opponent.
"And what's the alternative? Without Photon Power, we almost certainly would have plunged ourselves into darkness already. I... believe in Photon Power as a light to the future." Sayaka wholeheartedly counters Asciel's points. Ahaaa, it almost feels like one of those government meetings where a bunch of people question the usage of Photon Power and she has to answer all their questions. It's just that it's a lot harder to do when they're also firing lasers and stabbing you with blades!
"And even if it comes to some terrible catastrophe I believe in our resilience to overcome it... as we have before, as we are now, and as we always will." She's even prepared to take full responsibility if it comes to that.
But clearly, Atrytone's words have struck some sort of nerve, and how could it not when you consider the potential and danger of Mazinger Infinity in equal measure?
So instead of focusing on Atrytone's words, she notes her actions - what kind of power is that? Seems Koji's figured it out... the same type of energy used by GENESIS. Sayaka and Aphrodite Areia hold out as long as they can, no matter how much it hurts, and she puts everything into her next counter-attack.
"Energy can be a symbol of war or peace. You've made your decision and we've made ours. So have some more of this.. Double Mazinger Storm: RUST CYCLONE!" From one direction comes Mazinger Z's Rust Hurricane, covering its tracks is a second burst of corrosive wind, threatening to dismantle the Lambda Driver for good.
KTS: Sayaka Yumi targets Asciel Colette with Rust Cyclone! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion rushes into the attack! KTS: Cascade Vermilion's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Cascade Vermilion partially guards Roux Louka's Thigh Beam Cannon, taking 2378 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette successfully evades Sayaka Yumi's Rust Cyclone KTS: Asciel Colette blocks Koji Kabuto's Rust Hurricane, taking 6480 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 19380 KTS: Koji Kabuto repulses Asciel Colette, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Koji Kabuto completes the Formation attack! <Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"Understood," Liam says, to Sayaka. "Will provide direct aid once secondary assailant is downed." That might be a big ask. The primary assailant--'Atrytone', Liam has noted--is plenty determined, and is throwing some alarming readings into the air, but Androktasia is no slouch either.
Case in point:
The Ichinana skips back, its knees bending as it settles into a low, stable stance. Liam is expecting reprisal from that segmented sword, and gets it in another form entirely. The wave of force slams into the smaller machine, and sends it sailing through the air. Liam works the jets, forcing the Ichinana into a sort of controlled careen. It arcs high over an office building, and lands in the empty but immaculately-maintained park next to it. Clods of earth fly everywhere.
The Ichinana picks itself up, and shrugs the dirt off its frame. "Behind you, Roux," Liam says, as his machine draws the standard-issue MG. It takes aim at Androktasia's center of mass, and opens fire in short, controlled bursts, filling a cone of fire with lead.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Cascade Vermilion with Ichinana MG Full Barrage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> BP-110 Deckerd has posed.
<"Brat? You mean Yuta, right? If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be talking to you like I am now. He might be immature, irrational, and irresponsible, but there's more to people than just their negatives. What I responded to wasn't that, no, what I responded to was- ">
She's not listening, she seems to just be self-indulging in her own conclusions. That's fine, everyone has those, himself included, which is why he's in the middle of sharing his.
Raising his shield to deflect the blow, J-Decker is knocked back from the force, his shield starting to meld and buckle under the heat of the saber, but even in this disadvantagous state, there arises an oppurtinity. He takes a chance, pointing his rifle at the Arm Slave as the underslung part of the gun folds out and lengthens the barrel. There's an audible charging noise as the open bit begins to glow, and he now rests his finger on the trigger as he continues his sentence.
<"His heart! His dreams! His love and trust in me! His friends and family who have their own set of quirks that make them who they are! Listening to that doesn't make my judgement clouded, if anything I see as clear as day!">
Having said his piece, he fires the J-Buster, aiming a single, condensed shot directly at the Glaux's's head section.
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion successfully avoids Liam 7-020's Ichinana MG Full Barrage KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd targets Asciel Colette with Rifle Mode: Single Shot! KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Asciel Colette blocks BP-110 Deckerd's Rifle Mode: Single Shot, taking 3800 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 15580
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
IS Atrytone her ally? Gamia NX-2 personally thinks that she has been annoying and they did fight, before, but also they're fighting alongside each other now. Sort of. More 'at the same time, in the same place', but perhaps it counts.
"She did not ask me here," is as much as Gamia is willing to admit. "This is my business! Why must you continue interfering in it, *Roux Louka*?"
Roux may be hoping Gamia doesn't charge, but charge she does; rushing forward all at once, Androktasia moving with more smoothness than most machines its size can manage. Honestly, it moves like a person wearing armour, with the subtle differences in its gait and weight balancing rather than the automated balance of an AMBAC unit or the heavy stompiness of tank-like controls, and never is that more obvious than when she's in a flat-out run.
The Strike Zeta's beam clips it, knocking Gamia out of her forward rush; it is enough to check her momentum entirely, coming down with her weight heavily on Androktasia's left foot and pivoting. She does what she can to turn that into a defensive mechanism, the upper breastplate of Androktasia glowing with a faint light as she focuses the gravitational anomaly a pace or two in front of her.
Liam's bullets hit it - hit it and are caught, trapped in the field, bobbing in the air. Gamia shifts in the cockpit, and this is echoed by Androktasia straightening, shoulders back as she flings the bullets at Roux, a hail of tiny shards of metal twisted and warped by being compressed in the gravitational distortion. So much for charging her.
"And you," she says to Liam as Androktasia turns back toward him, "are infuriating!" Having abandoned her previous rush, Androktasia raises a hand, forming that twisted gravitational disruption into that hand; a flat disc of violet, edged with bright-glowing white energy, which she flings like a frisbee that rips like a buzzsaw, carving through armour and spinning shrapnel around the edge of the disc to only make its sawing more vicious.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Roux Louka with Shard Lancer! KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Liam 7-020 with Accretion Discus! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Roux Louka retreats from the attack! KTS: Roux Louka fails to evade Cascade Vermilion's Shard Lancer, taking 5500 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Cascade Vermilion's Accretion Discus, taking 3225 damage! <Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
At having a gun pointed right at her face - Asciel can't help but give J-Decker a sulky little pout, complete with glimmering eyes. <"If you're just going to be exactly like a human, delving into caring deeply for a single one of them, then I don't exactly see what the point of the Brave Police is. Taking ultra expensive cutting edge technology and just making a human out of it. How awful.">
>How awful. How awful! But really! Basing your judgment, your will, your determination on one person? It makes me so sick. You...you wouldn't have any idea. Khh. How do I. How do I make him know-!
A distinct haze enters Asciel's expression. Lips falling flat. Eyes glowing a fiercer orange. <"Imagine entrusting your 'heart' to a million Yutas. Each of them different - each of them conflicting - many of them rejecting you. Something like you should be capable of viewing beyond the trust for a single person. You have the capacity to go beyond a human - to look at the myriad dreams and loves, and assess what will collide, what is incompatible - whether fulfilling the dreams of one person sacrifices the dreams of others.">
<"Honestly, it disappoints me that the 'Brave Police' relies on an individual's love, when you have such a vast responsibility. This sounds pretty conflicting to me!~">
>that's always been so easy to say. why is it harder now
---Before the intruding Codarl can make a move on J-Decker though, the twin Rust Hurricanes ring out, immediately inducing a noise that sounds like a ragged breath drawn inward. Asciel leaps out of the way of one, but it's only putting her in the path of the other storm, and a long, high pitched squealing sound rings out - - deeply inhuman, but maybe chalked up to an affect on the actual huge speakers she's using?
<"WELL FOR ONE THING I WON'T HURL ACID EVERYWHERE! Hah. Hahahahah! What a abhorrent weapon that is. What a nasty thing you invented! Painful painful painful-">
. . . just a tiny bit has actually seeped into Asciel's core segment, after all.
<"Why yes, thank you for observing that I pushed myself to the limit to help save this pitiful planet from exactly what you describe! THANK YOU. Hah! No. It feels good hearing that! It feels good being observed doing that. It's fairly simple, actually! I think the answer to your question, Koji Kabuto, is extremely, unfathomably simple!">
<"Humanity should never have the power to become EITHER. I should get rid of every scrap of it all and stop you from pursuing any more of it. It's my responsibility to use this one light of willpower to burn away all these horrible, horrible things you pursue. To make a world where there's no REASON to pursue them. No more enemies. No more future. No more judgment. A world where people can live, without hurling each other into the furnace in hopes that the fumes can rocket the survivors to the stars. I was BORN ready for that responsibility - I am here to fulfill that responsibility! You two enjoyed that light so much - take it. TAKE THIS DREAM THAT I'VE SHELTERED SO LONG, AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND ME, FINALLY~">
The rainbow-hued light expands from Asciel's chest. A little sphere begins to form. And expand. And expand. And expand. Like a heartbeat. Exponent derived - it expands faster for a while, but approaches a set limit at a rate calculated from e. The circumference is constant. And it's fueled by her deepest imaginings. This light - the link between Asciel and everyone else in the world - - - one that would lay them low.
...she has to give so much of herself to producing it, that she can't even hear when the leading advance team of her infiltrators has seen a glimpse of the [impossibility] lying within Mount Fuji-
KTS: Asciel Colette targets BP-110 Deckerd with Demoralize! KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Sayaka Yumi KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Koji Kabuto KTS: Asciel Colette targets Koji Kabuto with Lambda Driver Smite! KTS: Asciel Colette targets Sayaka Yumi with Lambda Driver Smite! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 114. KTS: SP Regen activates. Your new SP value is 60. KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Sayaka Yumi has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Sayaka Yumi's Symbol of Peace and War activates, and her spirit is adjusted. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Sayaka Yumi, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Sayaka Yumi blocks Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Smite, taking 8880 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Sayaka Yumi has been defeated! KTS: Koji Kabuto fails to rush. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Koji Kabuto's Mazin Pride activates, and his spirit endures. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Koji Kabuto, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Koji Kabuto partially guards Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Smite, taking 8880 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Koji Kabuto has been defeated! KTS: Asciel Colette demoralizes BP-110 Deckerd, reducing his Morale drastically. KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Resupply Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Gamia NX-2 clarifies some things. And asks a question. "I keep interfering...?"
"That time in Mongolia was just chance," Roux says. "But this place... It may not be my home, but my dear friends live here. That's why you keep running into me!" Her voices heat grows somewhat, even as she watches those naturalistic movements. "Because I'm not going to sit on my ass when they need my help! And they'd do the same for me--" presumably!
And then it comes. A barrage. Not so much bullets as Roux was imagining as a sheet of metal coming forwards in an enormous wave that rolls across the Strike Zeta with the noise of ten thousand pins striking the relatively plastic surface that is the front armor of a mobile suit - a sort of kerraaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAACK! sound, taken as a gestalt.
The Strike Zeta staggers back --
-- dammit --
-- I'm not going to --
Roux's eyes saccade to the side. Is it -
Yeah, she thinks (or hears), as she turn sher head.
"And that's why I'm going to send you packing. And Atrytone, too, if I have to!!" Roux brings back one of the Strike Zeta's arms - to connect and to grasp at the hand rail of the weapon she had stowed in concern for the wellbeing of Fujinomiya city when she deployed. (God, what if I hadn't? she thinks, but the thought is quelled somewhat.) "Alright, lock in - secondary reactor - good!"
Boy, she thinks, this is going to be kind of close. But with a lurching mechanical noise, the HYPER MEGA LAUNCHER is unracked.
"Eat this!" Roux says, in lieu of cool name or trigger phrase. Instead, the Strike Zeta, bracing the weapon in both hands, pulls the trigger with a loud ratch-CRACK and the aperture in front gleams for a moment. The specialized reactor IN the Hyper Mega Launcher - itself a distinct device, powered sufficiently to be used even by machines with no sort of microfusion drive - takes just a fraction of a second to synchronize particle release with the Strike Zeta.
In this moment Roux crouches and arcs the weapon upwards a fraction of a degree, calling towards Liam, "Box her in!" JUST as the beam erupts outwards - and it IS a beam, not 'a packet of weaponry which we're calling a beam because megaparticle has five syllables and doesn't abbreviate well'-- a collated fountain of shrieking energy, aiming to hit the Androktasia in its centermass and send a ray of hope, or at least, of devastated invader into the Japanese winter sky.
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka targets Cascade Vermilion with Hyper Mega Launcher Viper Beam! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to react to Roux Louka's Hyper Mega Launcher Viper Beam, taking 8190 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Koji sees the terrible light, and hears the cry - 'TAKE THIS DREAM THAT I'VE SHELTERED SO LONG, AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND ME, FINALLY~'
"Let's see it," he growls, and the Scrander's thrusters flare to life as Mazinger Z dives into the burning light, battered by the beam, arm outstretched.
The light fades away, and Mazinger Z is standing... if you can call 'frozen in place by its joints melting under the incredible, impossible heat' standing. The Super Alloy New Z is smouldering, seared and cracked, plates falling away from the Castle of Iron. The chest array is totally splintered, the red glow of the heat within guttering, the Jet Scrander's wings have been melted to uselessness... And its massive outstretched fist is frozen, just an inch from the 'head' of Atrytone's Codarl.
"Joints are slagged. Retrieval's gonna be real cross with us, I think, Sayaka." Koji grunts, spitting the bitter tang of defeat out of his mouth - and wiping away a bit of blood from his nose.
Smoke occluding his canopy, Koji smacks the manual override and the glass dome atop the Pilder retracts, allowing him the freedom to stand up in the cockpit, clicking his helmet mic. "I see you, Atrytone."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
The light's impact on Aphrodite Areia is brutal in its own measure; the armour of the Artemis Arrow cracking, leaving the Mazin grounded and collapsing in the exact same way as Mazinger Z. "Initiating emergency pilder off. I'm going to retreat and see if I can't make contact from inside the labs." They shouldn't have been able to make access to Infinity, nor does she think someone like Atrytone, with all due disrespect, have the guts to touch it. But but she wants to check, just in case.
Koji has different plans it seems. Making direct contact with the machine that felled Mazinger Z and Aphrodite Areia, cockpit completely open and exposed... it worries Sayaka.
The Pilder abandons Sayaka's partner in battle, swerving to meet Koji. "Koji...? What are you trying to do?"
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
That field. Liam sees the constellation of glinting metal, and realizes what Androktasia's doing the instant the pattern changes. "Roux!" he shouts. "Look--"
Metal hammers against the Strike Zeta. The third word is strangled. "...out." The Zeta's still standing, but that's cold comfort to Liam. The Ichinana slides the MG back into its rack on rote reflex, and is already gripping the Mazinger Blade when Androktasia turns to him. A familiar burn sinks into Liam's brain as the regulation systems spool up to the next stage.
"Good," Liam says, sparing precious breath to talk to Androktasia. The discus flies, and the Ichinana steps forward, sweeping the blade up to parry. The horrible shrapnel-edged thing grinds against the Super Alloy Z, sending sparks flying everywhere. In the cockpit, lights turn red as the Ichinana's already-stressed joints strain even further. Its arms sag, slightly, and Liam instantly goes for the levers to compensate--
The discus flies, sprays metal everywhere as it glances off the Ichinana's shoulders, and embeds itself in churned-up park turf. The machine stumbles back, mechanical grace failing it for a few moments.
Mazinger Z comes to a halt not that far away. Liam glances sidelong at it as he rights his machine, and sees... glowing, seared metal at the joints. Aphrodite Areia isn't any better; Sayaka's voice takes a little edge off, informing Liam instantly that she's still alive. "G--get to safety, Dr. Yumi. I'll--"
Koji pops the cockpit. He's not running.
"Doctor Kabuto!" Liam shouts, genuine panic in his voice--but he can't cover for Koji without bringing Atrytone down on him, too. The Ichinana plants its feet, and raises its arms, bends them slightly at the elbows as if flexing. "Go away."
The red portion of the Ichinana's chest flares brilliantly as the Photon Reactor within pours power into the collection arrays. A moment later, a searing BEAM races through the air, aimed dead-center at Androktasia.
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Cascade Vermilion with Ichinana Breast Fire! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Cascade Vermilion partially guards Liam 7-020's Ichinana Breast Fire, taking 5145 damage!
<Pose Tracker> BP-110 Deckerd has posed.
<"A million Yutas? I...Hmmmm... ">
J-Decker pauses to think. He can't handle that many people. Honestly, no one should have that responsibility thrust on them, let alone have to think about that sort of thing. Deckerd's real face grimaces underneath his mask. It's just a hunch, a gut feeling, but the fact she's even asking this sort of question kind of explains a bit of her to him, assuming she's what he thinks she is.
<"I can't process that question, sorry. I'm a person, not a machine, and you are too, aren't you? The key to everyone's happiness starts with your own happiness. Worrying about every small detail you can't account for will only make you miserable. I suppose that's another illogical, and not the sort of answer you'd expect from an officer, but I'd rather answer what I feel rather than what makes sense.">
With both Mazinger and Aphrodite now out of comission, it falls to Deckerd and the rest of those here to help protect the lab. Honestly, given how pushed he is, he should probably grab both Koji and Sayaka and make a run for it. However, he doesn't make a last stand, nor does he retreat. He just drops his arms to his sides and waits for Asciel's response.
KTS: BP-110 Deckerd targets Asciel Colette with Pass! KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
"Friends."
Gamia NX-2 says it flatly, nearly without inflection - which is honestly very different than the way she has previously been talking, all vigor and volume. It isn't disdain, even; it's just nothing.
For another moment, Gamia is lonely. She fights it down; it isn't proper for her to act that way now. That isn't what Gamia NX-2 would do. But she does wonder, just for that moment, what it would be like to not act, to just be - the same emotion she felt as she packed up Baron Ashura's gift at Christmas. For that moment, she hesitates.
She lets out a growl without meaning to and steps Androktasia forward, and that's when things start going wrong.
One beam - the Beast Fire, from the Ichinana - strikes Androktasia in the side. Its shielding works to protect it, at least to an extent, and the armour does some more, but it still slows, its flank glowing hot as it suddenly moves to dodge -
Directly into the path of Roux's beam.
The blast goes right through Androktasia's shoulder, and draws a sound from Gamia: a surprised sound of pain that cuts off very quickly as she cuts the microphone. In the cockpit, wired into Androktasia like it was part of her own body, she felt that pierce her own shoulder, a stab of pain that she couldn't ignore.
Gamia's reaction is immediate. Where Androktasia's chest was glowing before, now it is *blazing*; not red but a blue-purple that shades to white around its edges, like a reverse corona. Androktasia slams its fists together, then spreads its arms wide, presenting its chest.
"BLASTER!"
An enormous blast of kinetic force, shot through with streamers of white and blue energy that make it quite visible and quite bright, erupts from the damaged machine. Both of her opponents are her target, and incidentally quite a bit of greenery as the blast penetrates the park, shattering trees and ripping the ground, punching through hills and spraying dirt for hundreds of feet.
Gamia lowers her arms afterwards, breathing hard, Androktasia mimicing her movements even more closely than it was before. And then she leaps backwards, rather than forwards.
"<Atrytone,>" Gamia says, her voice forced flat. "<Have you done what you must? Can we end this farce?>" It is as close as she gets to bitterness, and may be the first time she has tried.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Roux Louka and Liam 7-020 with Hyperkinetic Blaster. KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 charges into the attack! KTS: Cascade Vermilion enervates Liam 7-020, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Cascade Vermilion rattles Liam 7-020, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Liam 7-020 partially guards Cascade Vermilion's Hyperkinetic Blaster, taking 7800 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Eye activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Knife activates, causing Deject! KTS: Liam 7-020 has been defeated! KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka fails to charge. KTS: Cascade Vermilion rattles Roux Louka, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Roux Louka partially guards Cascade Vermilion's Hyperkinetic Blaster, taking 6175 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
Atrytone is fuming with steam and smoke at the vivid unveiling of her light, a long static-ey noise spilling from the speakers - eyes now a flat, burning hot orange. She falls to one knee, only awakening from the sight of Mazinger Z's fist just inches from her face.
The focus retrurns, fighting off the potent satisfaction of pushing her all through the Lambda Driver - and she sees the Castle of Iron still and silent, and the Aphrodite calling to retreat.
A vast smile crosses her lips. <"...hehe. Ahahahahahahah! That's right. I am indeed Atrytone, the unyielding - moreso even than the famous Mazinger Z! The bulwark that will save humanity from itself. Koji Kabuto, Sayaka Yumi. . . you two, who were given no other choice but to take up that mantle yourself, as your governments occupied themselves with petty skirmishes. Long have I understood your struggle, and those like you. I'll change the world, such that you never need to wield this power again. I promise. ...I promise. But my promise is not fulfilled yet. If you truly 'see' me, Koji Kabuto, then you'll listen to your companions - and run along home, and entrust the world's salvation to me.~">
Staggering to her feet, Asciel stumbles once regaining her balance, craning her neck over to Deckerd, her hair glowing so hotly that it singes to the touch - a small fire breaking out on her hand when she tousles it away from her face - and she points to Deckerd with that blazing fingertip. <"I'll save you, too. I'll save you from the comforting, but poisonous wine you've gulped so deeply from. Don't be ridiculous. My feelings and the feelings of others are entirely separate. Honestly, I can only do a little bit for everyone's happiness, that's something they can figure out on their own. My duty is their long-term survival, maintenance of their environment, and defense of their persistence. Priority #1, therefore, is the complete destruction of everything that could eradicate large swathes of life, because you can't argue the dead are very happy!">
<"Think about that a little bit, and get back to me when you realize just how proactive you'll have to be to really save lives where it counts. I believe in you, J-Decker!~ Until then, farewell.~"> Asciel's fingertip curls under her thumb - then flicks the air in front of her. Somehow, this translates into a gale force wind that would sweep up Deckerd in its force!
The Codarl's visor clamps shut, eye glowing, as she switches from blabbing in public to blabbing to her collaborators. --<It sounds like you're really tired and discouraged, Cas~cade. I'll do my best to refill your energy a little bit, since I'm thrilled with my results here. Don't worry! It was always going to plan. You're doing magnificently, and really you can go home whenever you like, since I think our operatives are--<
--<ARE YOU LISTENING TO US, DAMN IT? Nike-2 reporting in, like I have been for the past 3 minutes! Stop screwing around out there - what do you want us to do about whatever the hell this is?>--
Asciel winces just a little as she walks closer to the Photon Power Institute, one arm slowly raising up - - as she receives the pictures her team is taking of---
>...Record subject 'Gigantic Mazinger'. Initial Notes: 'fuck me, something like this was inside Mt. Fuji?' 'I cannot actually believe that insane thing Dr. Hell said was like, literal' '...it's worse than I thought THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS SO MUCH WORSE THAN I THOUGHT'
--<...shit. Don't TOUCH that damn thing! Man, I. I almost want you to try caving in the whole damn place! Take whatever Japanium you've managed to extract from the mining sectors and rendezvous at point C1 and C3 for Gorgenion 3 and 4. Khhh. Yeah. Disrupt their access to that thing as much as possible, then get the hell out, I'm cleaning up the last of the defenders.>-- --at their word, the Nike team begins trying to shoot at the scaffolding and supports that are built around the slumbering titan deep within Mt. Fuji, while the rest consolidate their gains and secure and escape...!
Asciel's raised arm flares up the laser blade - and with a very distinct, twitching, whirling motion, ruthlessly intervenes in Cascade's operation by launching off an energy wave like a flare gun at Roux's Strike Zeta, along with a cheery little hailing. <"It's good to see you again, Roux! You should probably get out of here very fast, because you're in way too deep and something absolutely awful is here. I'm completely right, as usual, and this whole mountain is a disaster in the waiting. I might throw up when I get home! So you get on home too, before anything bad happens to you.~">
KTS: Asciel Colette targets Roux Louka with LS-3303 Laser Blade Wave! KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette targets BP-110 Deckerd with Lambda Driver Reject! KTS: Roux Louka fails to evade Asciel Colette's LS-3303 Laser Blade Wave, taking 4400 damage! KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette rattles BP-110 Deckerd, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: BP-110 Deckerd blocks Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Reject, taking 2280 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette repulses BP-110 Deckerd, forcing him to disengage.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
'Friends.'
That one word prompts a 180 in the enemy's presentation, like Roux just dredged something up without even thinking about it. Liam recognizes it, because it's happened to him so often he's lost track. He knows what's likely coming next. The Ichinana lowers its arms, and glances again at the two fallen Mazins.
But he doesn't miss that flinch, and that cut-off cry of pain. That wasn't a cockpit clip, was it? Some sort of programmed feedback? Gamia doesn't give him time to think on it further.
The kinetic storm races at the Ichinana. Liam draws the machine halfway into a runner's starting-block stance, and then BURNS the jets as hard as he can. Acceleration forces slam into his chest, but he shrugs them off. The wash from the violent energies shreds the Ichinana's external plating, and throws it around; in the cockpit, Liam rolls with it, lets the shock gel they put in his CSF handle the impact. The Ichinana jets at Androktasia, its hand extended--
"STOP!" Liam roars, even as the jets die, and the machine falls out of the air. The shredded Ichinana lands on its side in an intersection and grinds to a halt.
As he sits in his cockpit, surrounded by red lights, Liam has the first chance to listen to Atrytone's words. "All this," he grates out, "so YOU could show everyone how GREAT you are?! FUCK YOU!" The last two words are spat, not at Gamia, but at Atrytone--as much with genuine rage as teenage transgression.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Koji!" The Pilder's radio barks - Shiro. "They got through the security cordon on the research site! Third Company's pushing them back now, but - "
"They've seen it, huh?" Koji sighs. "Thanks, Shiro. Don't get too badly hurt clearing them out, okay?" He reaches down to click the radio off, looking back at the Arm Slave Mazinger Z was inches away from striking, gesturing with the hand holding his helmet. "It is frightening, isn't it? The questions it raises. Its inherent impossibility."
He grunts as Atrytone continues to speak. "I might have been thrust into the cockpit in the beginning, but Sayaka and I have chosen the path we're walking - and if we threw in the towel over one defeat, we couldn't live with ourselves." He grins. "Good fight, Atrytone. I can't fault the light of your conviction... But how can you steward a world you won't understand?"
He looks up at Sayaka's pilder overhead, nodding to his partner as he drops back into the cockpit and closes the canopy. "Pilder off!"
The red vehicle, its paint job scorched in places, detaches from its cockpit housing.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
In the aftermath of that great light--
Roux's eyes cut to the side. "Koji! Be careful! I had the same thought - I don't understand what she's doing!! There's something there, but--!!" Fear, concern
anxiety. With a certain undertone of--
-- he's already done it.
But can he pull back?
FOCUS ON YOUR OWN BATTLE, ROUX LOUKA. Liam has unleashed Breast Fire but it seems it wasn't enough. The Hyper Mega Launcher, though it's now running hot, has not yet fully replenished its capacitors as something is glowing on the Androktasia. Roux hasn't seen it before and it doesn't make any sense and -- something about the menace before her feels like a layer cake of hazardous energy -- and then
THWAM!
The Strike Zeta is struck and is bobbled slightly into the air. That slightly would be a prelude to something much worse - potentially being slammed into a building or into the street, dragged, ground into nothingness. As is often the case, the salvation is quick motion on the cyclic; the thrusters fire, controlling and moving with the 'storm', leaving the Gundam to drag itself out, a devastating impact turned into something that's going to be awful for a block and a half of surface street, but that's why you don't want to have 'stroads' in your town.
OK, it's like the one central artery and there's a lot of cross walks, and people in Japan drive friendly. Even so.
But the landing, though clumsy, works -- she turns around -- "Alright, that's it -"
SWAP! A bursting wave smashes into her arm. No, not her *arm* - the Strike Zeta's arm... the dominant one, in this case, in that it was linked to the Hyper Mega Launcher, which, thankfully, is not itself struck other than a power conduit. Is there a big arc, yeah, but there wasn't one of those fun 'reactor pops' which are mostly solved problems *for mobile suits*. As the arm falls downwards, the Strike Zeta staggers and Roux sputters out, "What--"
"What are you even -- talking about?! This place -- This is --"
Somehow it hurts. A twinge of betrayal. Even if they had perhaps not been close, Roux had thought perhaps they could be friendly. She had even been charmed by the huffy effortful nature of someone who seemed to care, but didn't know how to say it. It was a lot easier to think that before that energy wave struck the Strike Zeta.
I don't feel the same thing I do then, Roux thinks. But why? Her eyes cut that way, even as the Gundam reels.
And towards...
"Are you telling me that because you believe it, Atrytone? Or are you talking about yourself?" Roux remembers having said about half a second after she said it.
She shakes her head once, violently, and smashes down a control. "Even without the Hyper Mega Launcher, the Strike Zeta isn't some plaything! I'm serious about protecting this place. Let's see how well you operate -" Hey, she shot something into the air.
It's sort of hanging there. It... it even had a tiny drogue chute? Awww.
BURST! A sudden cascade of pink mist - supercompressed Minovsky particles... the density in the area spikes enormously, suddenly. Everyone - EVEN YOU - loses Wifi connection; the air itself seems to distort in a hazy mist. Visual spectrum light starts getting a little funky, even if on Earth this effect will surely soon enough fade, thanks to all that gravity they have going on. (Of course, this probably has little effect on sealed Photon Power systems!)
"If you can hear me," Roux says, even though there's no real way for the comm system to push through it, "J-Decker... just... get 'em to screw off, you know?" She's sweating. Huh, Roux thinks. When did that start?
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Shiro gets through to them - they found Infinity. Thankfully she was right - Atrytone is too terrified of the potential that Mazin holds to do anything about it.
And then Sayaka listens to Atrytone speak - self-grandizing, yet somehow kind of reassuring. Sayaka.. doesn't really buy it, though. "It would be so easy. So easy to continue my work as a researcher and never take up the cockpit ever again." Sayaka agrees.
"And I thought that's how it was going to be for years. But you know? I wasn't happy at all." Sayaka looks back down at what currently remains of Aphrodite Areia. "Besides, Koji's right. I've been fighting even before he knew how to control that pilder... it's never just one person carrying the burden alone." A wry smile to match Koji's grin. "So best of luck not crushing yourself under the weight of that impossible responsibility." And with that, she bids farewell to Atrytone... for now."
Sayaka watches grimly as Roux and J-Decker stand as the last line defense, though. They won't last much longer, it seems, so she just hopes that pilfering some of the Japanium supply is enough to satisfy her before Shiro and the might of Third Company inevitably chase her away.
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Liam isn't even speaking to Gamia anymore, and his entire attitude has changed; she can tell that without needing to try. What is he feeling for her? Sympathy? Pity? She wants neither.
When the Ichinana grinds to a halt, Gamia fires upon it once more. A single bolt of kinetic energy, more of a shove than a strike for damage, but being ignored by him in favour of screaming at someone else hurts and she can't even tell why.
"I will not stop," Gamia says. "I will return, and on that day, Roux Louka and Liam," she must have overheard that much, "I will show you exactly what Baron Ashura - "
Exactly 'what' she will show vanishes in a crackle of disruption as Roux's canister of Minovsky particles erupts. Intentionally scattering Minovsky particles to disrupt communications is a war crime, technically, but not one of the ones that's really bad, and technically Gamia probably is a war crime too so it balances out. (She's certainly some kind of science crime.)
Previously, Androktasia's gravity shielding has only been beneficial. Here, it is not; the discharge drifts to it and seems to float in it the same way as the bullets did. Except unlike the bullets, this means that Gamia is in a particular shroud of communications jamming; it's even worse for her than everyone else.
Being primarily mechanical herself, Gamia and Androktasia are designed to have complimentary sensory systems, and wired directly into them as she is, it's *disorienting*. She's getting ghost inputs, rippling waves of blanking or amplification; the closest analogy she has is looking directly into a cloud of churning multicoloured lights, but since it's not (primarily) a visual disruption it's not exactly the same. If she was on foot, she wouldn't be too badly affected aside from losing her Internet connection, but trying to scan through Androktasia's enhanced sensors is a Problem.
Gamia recoils from it. She tries to send Asciel a message, but it comes out as a long string of electrical crackle.
She manages to communicate by the simple method of loudspeakers: "I have no reason to be here any longer! But this is not the last time we will meet," she says, before Androktasia leaps backwards.
She doesn't come down for a good mile, coasting rather than really flying and dragging a comet-tail of Minovsky particles with her.
<Pose Tracker> BP-110 Deckerd has posed.
"Wait!"
Deckerd doesn't get much time to get anything back in word wise, not that he'd have anything to instantly say back once she leaves. She said the two are separate towards her, but that doesn't feel right. Can you really care about everyone's happiness like that and still have time for your own? Even for a Super AI, that's...
Just as J-Decker's about to get ready to shift focus on the Androktasia, it too, flees the scene, leaving the Brave Detective truly alone to ponder just what that woman was all about.
<"Ah! Sorry! I should... I'll get to cleaning up. If any of you need medical assistance, please speak up.">
That's right. People's safety comes before heavy thinking. It'll have to wait for now.
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
Fiercer resistance than anticipated rages inside the Photon Research Institute - Asciel had figured the Shadows were a reasonable match for any Ichinanas, especially with their smaller size to navigate areas of the facility - but speed is of the essence, especially since there's sure to be added forces closing in and securing the facility, and getting penned in is not an option. As quickly as they broke in, they evacuate, each one seizing supplies of Japanium and sprinting on an escape route into the deeper mountains of Japan's interior, due west of Fuji - hardly in the middle of nowhere, but concealable enough - especially with how adept Arm Slaves are at navigating river systems.
<"Oh please, Roux, I'm just setting my boundaries here. Let's call it a 'dragon' sleeping under the earth here - that's the disaster in waiting, and I can only imagine what will happen when it awakens. Which could be any day now! ...hehehe, but I can tell you're generous, the Minovsky cover's super convenient~!">
Of course, Asciel can hardly resist piping her voice into Liam's faltering cockpit. <"I can heeear you there, you know. For what it's worth - I am the current reigning champion of the Gundam Fight, since they ended it right after me seizing a bunch of heads, so it's clear that this world has been built to entrust its safety to the strongest. It's a perverse system that has to end, so I will fight gods and devils alike, to purge them all from this world. I have to believe in myself to do it. You fight so awfully hard, I can hear it in your voice. I'll destroy everything that made you do so.">
This she says openly, even as the Glaux quickly fades away, crackling and strained but succeeding at reinforcing the ECS. <"I won't be crushed. I will seize the wisdom to encompass the world, and the strength to shield it. Honestly, to make it a little more fair on you all, I should judge your capabilities one on one. My determination is so very fierce and indomitable that when I'm outmatched, I get too unfairly powerful to handle, ahahah~ But that's okay. That's what this world needs. Thank you, for helping me grasp this truth.">
<"In the meantime, do reconsider how Photon Power seems to be centering the livelihood of the people off of a terrible buried monstrosity! Do that for me.~">
...and gratefully, Fujinomiya goes quiet after having to put up with concert-grade loudspeakers yelling at nearly all its residents for the past few hours.
. . . . as soon as the distance and Minovsky interference fades, Asciel does, from a distance pipe into Cascade, ---<I should invite you to my dearest city soon. You've earned a VIP-class tour for all your help today. <3>---