2023-06-27: Beck Comes Back - Breuddwyd Rhonabwy
- Cast: C.C., Ryoma Nagare, Roger Smith, Schneizel el Britannia, Cascade Vermillion, Liam 7-020, Orpheus Zevon, Kallen Kozuki, Emilia Eschonbach
- Where: Paradigm City
- Date: U.C. 0097 06 27
- Summary: The Black Book of Carmarthen, Act 3 - The Dream of Rhonaby. Paradigm City's outside collides with its nature.
KTS: Roger Smith has deployed in The Big O. KTS: EN Barrier activated! KTS: Roger Smith has changed loadout. <Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
All over the newspapers, the same sight proliferates. Paradigm's maximum security prison surrounded by the harbor's stormy waters - put under attack by a mysterious colossal machine, all to bust out the notorious criminal mastermind - Jason Beck!
"Get a load of these papers, gyahahaha!" --Beck himself, in his secret warehouse hideout in Dome 13, tosses up the daily paper into the air, a winning grin wide on his face. "They're eating up all the chirps we fed them to cook up a whole life story about me! T-Bone, break out your best little violin- they say that when I was just three years old, my dad fell into a boiling vat of metal, and my mother got so grievously sick that little old me had to turn to a life of crime just to barely scrape by! You learn new things about yourself every day!"
T-Bone, a stout henchman with dark glasses, chortles, "Hehe, boss, they oughta make a movie about you!" Dove, the lankier, pale-faced henchman, echoes, "If they did, we could totally get a foot in the door, and maybe make it big ourselves, our names up in lights!"
Bonk. Bonk. Beck sends both his henchmen staggering, before straightening out his garish yellow tie. "Idiots! Quit saying stupid nonsense when we've got guests!" That company...is none other than his collaborators, the Black Knights. After all, despite Beck's goofy demeanor, there's no doubt that he's resourceful and connected - right this moment, he's sitting on a colossal pile of cash, over 3 million dollars, from the kidnapping of Francis Wise, getting immediately back into the game the moment the Knights aided in busting him out of prison. "It looks like our little enterprise has gotten a lot more profitable, ladies and gents! And don't you worry just one bit - I've got pleeeenty more where this came from. Why, I can even get you a 'special audience' with Mr. Rosewater himself, if you catch my drift! Especially now that I've framed that bozo, Roger the Negotiator, for this very kidnapping...!"
As Beck and the Black Knights negotiate on just how they're gonna take this town over, though...
-------------------
In the intervening time, of course, Francis Wise has been found and secured by the Military Police...with the help of a contingent from Britannia and NERV, explaining how the recent incursion of other external 'Negotiators' are heavily suspected of, in fact, being collaborators with Beck. With his location somewhat carelessly fully disclosed to the man they'd just extorted in the process of the investigation, a Military Police convoy is rapidly closing in on that Dome 13 warehouse - and at its head...
"Jason Beck! You're under arrest for violating Paradigm law, and your friends are under arrest for insurrection against Britannia! Surrender peacefully at once!" Atop a white, green and gold Knightmare Frame, none other than a Britannian Knight of Twelve, Monica Krushevsky, announces herself outside the warehouse, a little too eager to run this routine.
Down below, the ever-beleaguered Dan Datsun rubs at his temple, sighing out, "That's supposed to be my job, you know...these Britannian folks sure are bossy to deal with..."
KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has deployed in BBAF-1001 Avalon. KTS: EN Barrier activated! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has deployed in Mk4-E3E1 Panzer-Wespe Cascade Custom. KTS: Ryoma Nagare has deployed in MPMZ-17 Ichinana Nagare Custom. KTS: Liam 7-020 has deployed in NRV-00 Neo Helios. KTS: Liam 7-020 has changed loadout. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has deployed in RPI-13P Sutherland Purist. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has deployed in Plan 1059 Codarl-m 'Rapunzel'. KTS: Kallen Kozuki has deployed in Type-02 Guren Mk. II. KTS: Orpheus Zevon has deployed in Type-01/C Byakuen. KTS: Mobile_Weapon_Team has deployed as a Boss for 2 opponents.
<Pose Tracker> Ryoma Nagare has posed.
In the hangar, someone's not meeting with Beck, directly. He's *listening*, but he's remained in his machine this whole time - a red Ichinana with custom armblades. He's currently eating a cup of ramen cooked through the machine's heating system (yes, that's unhealthy), quickly slurping up noodles when the Britannians arrive with a Knight of Twelve.
The Ichinana lights up, as the speakers ignite. A fluent OCU Japanese speaker, with a rough voice. <"Hah? Repeat that again, I don't think we know that word. 'Surrender'? Never heard of it.>"
Ryoma inhales, and then exhales. He mutters to himself. "The waves are about to crash. Let's make this clean, for everyone else's sake."
And then, turning back on the speakers, he grins. His red scarf flutters inside the cockpit. <"You face a *real* ace, knight! Veteran of the Gryps Conflict! Champion of the Dinosaur Wars!">
The Ichinana uses its bluster to appear as if he's gonna fire the chest beam, torso lighting up. Instead, however, he starts getting closer, lightup still occuring...
And then suddenly swipes an armblade into her Knightmare's smaller frame, the glow fading as he sets up a brutal fake out.
<"Say my name, or regret it for the rest of your life, never knowing the man who will cut it short!">
<Pose Tracker> Roger Smith has posed.
"That Beck fellow again... ugh, this is humiliating. At least we were able to resolve that ugly kidnapping nonsense... but Beck can't be planning anything good with the money and industrial parts he stole."
"He is a very irritating man, isn't he?"
"The one who bothers me is that Wise... He was way too quick to fold. All to protect that dirty secret of his... and now look at this! I had no intention of allowing the Britannians set up shop here... but I won't be used as part of some criminal ploy, either. Just remember, we're here to stop Beck - but I don't like the idea of Paradigm becoming a battleground for Britannia's wars, either."
With the arrival of so many mobile weapons, an on-foot approach is simply too risky - especially with KMFs rolling around, there's only one way to resolve this.
"Keep an eye out, Dorothy! Don't let that crook sneak away! And now... Big O, SHOWTIME!"
The Black Megadeus rises onto the streets, its Negotiator and his ward in tow, bright eyes glinting as he once again settles into the cockpit of this baroque behemoth.
"Come on, then, 'Black Knights'. If you're going to fall in with a guy like Beck, I won't be cutting you any slack! It's time... Action!"
<Pose Tracker> Schneizel el Britannia has posed.
Recently there has been some interesting reports-more rumours really-coming out of the city of domes. Strange goings ons. Sightings of important people. Including potential Black Knights forces. Not that they're all that interesting themselves. But some of the rumours have drawn the interest of one of Britannia's more famous Princes, who has travelled to the city to see for himself what is unfolding here.
The BBAF-1001 Avalon is not currently in the air, instead landed at Paradigm City's airport. And it is making no means to leave. The breaking out of some prisoners hardly seems like something worth bringing Britannia's flagship in for.
Still, Schneizel sits on the bridge of the vessel, watching and listening as reports of the situation come in. He taps a few buttons on his chair, bringing up a view of the Knight of Twelve herself on one of the screens. He then addresses her, <"Knight Monica. You of course are not under my authority, but I do hope you do not mind that I am indulging in this little distraction by sending some of my forces to assist.">
Said forces soon roll up on landspinners to join the military convoy approaching the location of the escapee, Beck, and his co-conspirators. Four Gloucesters, each bearing the personal insignia of Prince Schneizel el Britannia. Thankfully not exactly the Avalon's full contingent of Knightmare Frames. But still likely to be of some concern.
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade Vermilion is here, but she hasn't been saying very much.
The Black Knights are collaborators all right, but Cascade doesn't always put herself forward in this kind of planning session until it's time for her to ask questions, of which there are often too many. She's a reliable pilot - a natural, even - but she only sometimes gets involved with planning, usually once she knows something about it.
And Paradigm... she doesn't know Paradigm. Part of what she's doing is taking notes on it, in fact (mental notes). And listening. A lot of listening. Hanging out with criminals doesn't seem to bother her all that much, even if she is - as far as anyone knows - a Britannian minor noble.
Honestly, she was more thrown by having Ryoma around. *He* sure got some looks. He's famous, after all... and not in the good way, not on New Yark.
She'd been getting ready to ask her typical barrage of questions when the Britannian police - more than police, judging by that voice; a Knight of Twelve - show up with a megaphone. "I thought you said you'd successfully framed 'Roger the Negotiator'," Cascade says, taking a couple steps toward her terribly blocky Knightmare Frame, gripping the leg and starting to climb up it. "Or is this unrelated lawbreaking?"
The insurrection doesn't even get a comment. It's not exactly a false charge. The Black Knights really are going for insurrection.
---
Several moments later, behind the Ichinana, a new unit wheels itself out of the warehouse. It's a particularly heavy-looking Knightmare Frame, almost overbuilt; blocky and heavy, with a cannon mounted on its left shoulder and extra hardpoints at chest and hip, armed with machine cannons, missile pods, and (presumably) slash harkens. Clenched in its hands - less true hands and more blunt grippers with only two fingers and a thumb - is what looks like an enormous spear, the head extended to almost be a glaive-like blade.
The Panzer-Wespe is a newish-model European Knightmare Frame; not especially popular, but not unheard of. Its artillery is a role that is generally filled just fine by wanzers in that size bracket and has been for years, and it is a descendant of a particularly unloved and awkward KMF design. The Panzer-Hummmel didn't even have hands!
"This is more firepower than I'd expect unless they knew how many of us were here, and what we'd brought," Cascade sends to the Black Knights; she often ends up as a spotter because of her unit and talents and so she's trying to do that now, keeping an eye on the battlefield as much as anything else.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam was not expecting Britannia to roll out an entire detachment for one arrest. He really, really should've known better.
The Neo Helios stands well behind the picket line of Knightmares. Liam hasn't said more than the bare minimum necessary to coordinate--to establish himself as a pilot of NERV, and an associate of local hero Roger Smith. His skin crawls beneath his Trace Suit as Monica makes her proclamation. One of the Knights is out there. Not only that, he recognizes the logos on one of the detachments. The Second Prince's personal vanguard. This isn't just a normal show of force. This is one of the big ones--they're here to make examples of the Black Knights... and perhaps Paradigm as a whole.
The Neo Helios only moves once the vanguard has engaged, its gait slow and awkward compared to the other times it's deployed. Ryoma's announcement makes it stop, for a brief second, but only that. With no fanfare whatsoever, Liam selects his target--one of the spotters, that artillery KMF he doesn't recognize. The Neo Helios' plasma cannons spool up as it delicately makes its way down the street--aware of its size, and the damage it could cause.
The first shot is a deliberate miss, striking the street twenty feet away from Cascade's KMF. A warning shot. The next three are aimed for the legs.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Cascade Vermilion with FACULA Mk. 2 - Plasma Shot! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
When it came to the mission, Oz was one that usually kept to himself. As a soldier someone who could do his work and listen was an asset that couldn't be undervalued. Though there had always been a reason for that. So long as their missions were relevant to dealing with Britannia, to stifle their efforts in some way...It didn't really matter to question it. So when the matter of going to Paradigm City was mentioned...And the target was shown of who they were aiding...
"Are you sure you're wanting to get into bed with such a person...?"
It's an honest question that he asked within private conversation with Zero...And his green-haired shadow prior to the events. It was understandable. Even if this person had the resources that they might have needed, from appearances alone he seemed...Unreliable...
- - -
Even now, as Beck and his goons negotiate with the higher-ups of the Knights currently within Dome 13, he finds himself taking his time to observe the situation of all Beck's goons within the room. A detail that could matter another time. For now though, negotiations we're being handled by those expected to until...
'Jason Beck! You're under arrest for violating Paradigm law, and your friends are under arrest for insurrection against Britannia! Surrender peacefully at once!'
There's a look of annoyance that goes from Oz to Jason. Though Cascade ends up asking the questions that he wants to know. "Someone was apparently sloppy dealing with loose ends..." He's not going to point fingers one way or another at this point. Though he's perhaps a bit quick to assume that such a leak of information might be due to a certain person. [015]"We'll begin greeting our guests. If any of your group needs to escape, this'll be the time. We can't afford letting any of your assets be claimed." It's a bit blunt, but that tends to be Oz's style. So long as there was a new location that could be reached, and Beck could hide his money, it meant the Knights could get to it without worry going into the future...Even if Beck ended up being a lost cause.
- - -
Following those events, another would be making their way back to the hangars as Ryoma had already launched from the Ichihana, and the Panzer quickly followed it out. Though one of the last units to deploy is a unit that's color scheme definitely clashed with that of the Black Knights. A white knightmare-frame deployed masking its deployment behind the Panzer and Ichihana. Trying to keep its choice of weapons and its path as concealed as possible as the fighting began...
"As long as we can clear out a path that Beck's men can move anything they need from the Dome, it shouldn't matter how many they brought. Just hold the line..."
Those were the thoughts that game to mind. This didn't have to be a full-on brawl. They just needed to make sure that everyone that needed to get out, got out, and then the Knights could retreat. So long as no one specifically decided they were going to stick around that wasn't necessary, that is...
All that said, that didn't exactly mean Oz was going to let the enemy take the initiative. Before their formation began to split, Monica would only have a moment's notice to realize that she's got a lock on her. A sakuradite bullet bursts out from the cannon-like weaponry that replaces the white KMF's arm. It seemed unlike Monica or Ryoma, this pilot cared very little about warnings or making small talk.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to react to Liam 7-020's FACULA Mk. 2 - Plasma Shot, taking 2400 damage! KTS: Ryoma Nagare targets Mobile Weapon Team with Fake Out! KTS: Ryoma Nagare has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Orpheus Zevon targets Mobile Weapon Team with Precision Shot: 70mm Liquid Sakuradite Explosive Cartridge! KTS: Orpheus Zevon has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Truthfully? Kallen doesn't care for Beck. He's too smug and smarmy. Too full of himself in many ways, without the competence to really pull it off. In that last way, he reminds her of Tamaki, who she keeps having to stop from doing something mindbendingly stupid. But this collab isn't her plan, so she's keeping her opinions to herself.
Besides, they DO need Paradigm funds, as their usual resources aren't really working out over here. So she doesn't really have the right to complain. No matter how much she might feel like putting this doofus back in a cell herself.
There have also been some... recent changes to their membership, and with those, some new difficulties. She's been doing what she can to try and keep Emmy and Ryoma from coming to blows, partly by helping her practice with her Codarl. But that's not helping tonight... "I'll take on the big one. But if any of you need some help... just shout."
Given the chance, she'd rather talk this out. But with a Rounds here, and a team of Britannia's 'finest', that's so incredibly not an option. She hadn't stepped out of her Guren, much like Ryoma with his Ichinana. In this case because she just knew SOMEHOW this wouldn't go to plan, and she wanted to be ready. So with the size of the group coming to face everyone... Well, she kind of has to go for the Megadeus. It's huge, and she's on the more agile side. Best suited to evading it. Or at least trying to. So she squares up with Roger. <"You're calling for Action, then let's see what you've got up your freshly-ironed sleeves."> She's pretty sure she can trust everyone else to handle themselves... but who knows what might happen. Honestly she's fairly certain this thing's armor will stand up to all but her best attacks. But she still has to go for it anyway, so for her opening, a single grenade is shot low, though still aimed upward in order to strike against the knee joints of the Megadeus.
KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Roger Smith with Arm Cannon Grenade Shot! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team partially guards Ryoma Nagare's Fake Out, taking 5580 damage! KTS: Ryoma Nagare has engaged Mobile Weapon Team! KTS: Ryoma Nagare begins a Formation attack! KTS: Orpheus Zevon rattles Mobile Weapon Team, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team fails to evade Orpheus Zevon's Precision Shot: 70mm Liquid Sakuradite Explosive Cartridge, taking 6360 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Disabling Strike activates, causing Jam L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Orpheus Zevon completes the Formation attack! KTS: Roger Smith blocks Kallen Kozuki's Arm Cannon Grenade Shot, taking 1470 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emilia had, for a long time, been wanting to know what the hell Paradigm City was, and why it was in the crater that was her home. Now that she was here, she was no closer to any answers.
Part of this is because their contact had just botched a kidnapping, and was now-
Well, right now she was sitting in the cockpit of a unit ready for it's first sortie. A purple ARM Slave, with long hair like fibers descending from it's head. Three red eyes, and a large red crystal like structure on the forehead.
The Codarl-m named Rapunzel.
Before that, though, she had been part of the negotiation team? Why send the stammering half-spacenoid to negotiations. She'd spoken little, and hid behind her mask and hood. her lavender hair in a bun. One question came a little too late though. "Wh-where the h-h-hell is the hostage?"
As a shout comes over the battlefield, it becomes clear why Emmy was on the negotiation team.
Someone had the sense to keep her away from the man in the Red Ichnana. But she can't not hear that battle cry.
"Th-that's... why? Why is he here!?"
"Pilot Nagare and Ichinana are part of this battlegroup." Responds the simple AI that is Rapunzel. "Open frequency?"
"D-d-don't you dare! Rapunzel, a-activate all c-c-c-combat systems! Now!"
"Affirmative. Systems active in thirty seconds."
The warehouse was not going to be secure any time soon, now that Britannia were here. Cascade and... that man had launched already. Kallen was out there too, against that giant.
"Leave the. Small fry to. Me." Comes her voice, modulated and corrected by Rapunzel's AI.
And then the codarl bursts out of the roof of the warehouse, running along it and drawing a monomolecular cutter from it's back, diving straight for the KMFs half it's size. She can hear that voice offering support to the Knight of the Round. Prince Schneizel himself. So these were his doing?
The knife's blade is easily a meter long, a huge risk to something the size of a KMF, and it swings with speed.
But for Emmy, the Codarl is so fast. So responsive. It's nothing like how Jack ran. "Come on! Die for. Your wicked prince!"
KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Schneizel el Britannia with IAI Dark Edge Monomolecular Cutter Rending Dash! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia fails to Parry Emilia Eschonbach's IAI Dark Edge Monomolecular Cutter Rending Dash, taking 4200 damage! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has engaged Schneizel el Britannia! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach begins a Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
"...B...Boss, I thought you said the cops weren't gonna be on our tail," T-Bone blubbers out, a petrified grimace on his face.
"Now unless we've got a getaway plan, we're ALL toast!" Dove cowers behind a convenient pile of money, as though the literal ransom money of the man who told the cops everything was going to help their case once the cops barged in.
Beck's gritting his teeth and trying to think of where it all went wrong. "That damned Negotiator...! I knew he was a slippery bastard, but he must've somehow sweet-talked his way past the cops and led them here!"
"...Boss, wasn't it kind of a bad idea to tell Mr. Wise where our safehouse was for dropping the money?"
Fingers gripping at his imacculately combed and poofy hair, utterly ruining his do, Beck stamps his foot down on a button - and from the chamber beneath his warehouse, a great golden goliath swallows up the back half of the building. The same one that busted Beck out of prison! Its stocky body, crown-like head, and slightly lanky legs are a sight to behold rising from the streets of Paradigm...though its arms are unnatural-looking, locked in an upright-bent position.
"Check it! This sweet baby's none other than the one and only Beck Victory Deluxe! Bet this lame black Megadeus is cowering in its pants! Don't you worry, miss red-seeing knight! Beck's got this one in the bag!" (literally, the person who least asked him to help-) "Dove, T-Bone, launch the finger beam!"
With a chorus of "On it, Boss!", Beck's henchmen set the Victory Deluxe's hands spinning wildly, pointed in a cone at the Big O, launching a vicious laser beam...!
...which ineffectively glances off of its armor, gouging a thin canyon across the surface of the neighboring Dome...
------------------
"You've GOT to be kidding me," Datsun groans - he can already smell the myriad emergency calls and paperwork cooking up, even when the Military Police doesn't have to be directly involved.
"Don't worry, Major Datsun! With a Knight of the Round defending the homefront of Britannia, they're not gonna get away with that a second time!" Monica chirps in, her festively colored Sutherland whirring to life and preparing its little spear showily, as though that would deter a Getter pilot.
"They shouldn't have been able to get away with it a first time..." Datsun sighs, before sending his men into the warehouse - only to find it, by now, utterly empty.
Monica, of course, does NOT successfully scare off Ryoma - if anything, she's just goaded him, standing her ground to try countering his attack, only for her Sutherland to go hurtling down an avenue in the process, skidding and sparking to her knees - and right when she tries to stand up, the world utterly engulfs in explosive chaos, leaving a massive crater in the road thanks to Orpheus's liquid Sakuradite.
"Khhhh-!!! You're all SO under arrest! Now stay STILL-!" Monica fumes, the ever-familiar Slash Harkens weaving out from the Sutherland's torso - one trying to entangle Ryoma's Ichinana by the legs, the other one utterly snaking around Orpheus's Byakuen...!
KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team targets Ryoma Nagare with Slash Harken Hook! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team targets Orpheus Zevon with Slash Harken Entangle! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade flips her radio back on to send to all the Black Knights (though it's directed to Kallen.) "<The same to you. If you want artillery support against something that size, let me know.>" The Black Knights don't always get support fire, so it's nice to supply it when she can.
She sends a quick burst of acknowledgement to Emilia, though nonverbal at first; it ends with: "<And that goes for all of you.>" She saw the Codarl, and unlike most of the Black Knights she has a decent idea of what it represents - it's not the first time she's seen one. Or, rather, it is the first time *Cascade* has seen one... but not Gamia NX-2.
But she has a battle of her own to fight.
The Panzer-Wespe continues to wheel forward, accelerating now that it's out of the warehouse and onto the streets. Cascade guides it through maneuvers to avoid road damage, then pulls back at the last moment as Liam fires at her.
The first shots don't connect. More road damage, but she can go around it - the Panzer-Wespe isn't very agile by KMF standards but it's still at least reasonably mobile, at least near the ground. She pivots, weaving left and then right -
Liam's follow-up shots connect with the side of the Panzer-Wespe as it moves to evade. None of them do significant damage, but all of them do cause some; the armour is scorched and pitted, but not enough to stop it. Not even to really slow it down, as now it barrels *at* the Neo Helios, firing its chest-mounted missile pods as she tries to get a lock-on on the plasma-powered robot. She does not immediately speak. To him, anyway.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Liam 7-020 with Chest Missile Pod Barrage! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team anchors Ryoma Nagare, forcing him into close range. KTS: Ryoma Nagare blocks Mobile Weapon Team's Slash Harken Hook, taking 1170 damage! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has engaged Ryoma Nagare! KTS: Orpheus Zevon successfully evades Mobile Weapon Team's Slash Harken Entangle
<Pose Tracker> Schneizel el Britannia has posed.
The squad of Gloucesters come to a combined stop as something bursts its way out of the warehouse roof and starts rushing them. The Gloucester at the front of the formation turns to watch the Arm Slave, the KMF's faceplates opening as the factsphere beneath takes in the other machine.
The faceplates quickly snap shut again as Emilia calls out to them. The lead Gloucester reaches its hand down to grab the hilt of the sword at its waist, detaching it and raising it in preparation. The blade of the weapon turns a light red as the Gloucester pilot counters, <"You would dare insult the prince!? Know your pla-"> The voice is cut off as the pilot had clearly misjudged the Rapunzel's speed. Barely beginning to move his own sword to try and meet Emilia, her larger blade has already passed by and strikes the Gloucester dead on. There's some resistance for a brief moment, before the sword cuts clean through the Knightmare, its cockpit quickly ejecting and rocketing away.
The other three Gloucesters briefly roll backwards a short distance at the sight of the other being taken down in one hit.
On the Avalon, Schneizel simply watches with some amusement at the strange, new machine, "Impressive. To think the Black Knights would add yet another high performance machine to their roster. Or perhaps it is a local?" Schneizel taps his finger against the arm rest for a moment, before saying, "Have Lord Albert engage and pull back to point C6. Lord Cero and Lady Jessica will split off to points F4 and F8."
Two of the Gloucesters begin to move, splitting up from the third and rolling on landspinners down opposite alleys between warehouses. The third holds its ground for a moment, raising its assault rifle and starting to unload a burst of gunfire at the Rapunzel. But it quickly starts to roll backwards to try and maintain distance while firing.
KTS: Schneizel el Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with KMF Squadron Feigned Retreat! KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach successfully Evades Schneizel el Britannia's KMF Squadron Feigned Retreat KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. Jezebel Richens teleports in.
KTS: Liam 7-020 fails to Intercept Cascade Vermilion's Chest Missile Pod Barrage, taking 4140 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Roger Smith has posed.
The bright red KMF whirls out, answering Roger's challenge. The Megadeus brings its hefty arms up, shielding its legs as best it can from the explosive shot - and plodding forward, predictably much less maneuverable in this environment than its opponent. Roger sighs, unable to bring the machine's beam weapons to bear on something so underfoot... not without building some distance, anyway. Pivoting back, the Big O's center rack opens up - and unleashes a spray of missiles. Pretty inelegant, but sometimes saturation is the best option for things like this.
<"Hey, Liam. You recognize this one? You don't have to say anything our friends might hear... I just want to make sure we're both seeing the same thing.">
As the smoke settles, Beck's machine rises... and Roger recoils for a brief second before staring blankly at the laser splashing past the Megadeus's crown harmlessly. With a dismissive huff, he sets the Megadeus stomping forward, its anchors spiraling out to secure that ostentatious gold eyesore in place.
"Stupid punks... even my patience has limits, you know."
Its awkward shape and stiff joints make it an easy target as Roger brings a hand down to grip the "Victory Deluxe" by its head, preparing to finish it off - but it's still an annoying waste of time when he should be dealing with that much more talented KMF pilot.
KTS: Roger Smith targets Kallen Kozuki with Missile Party Barrage! KTS: Roger Smith has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Kallen Kozuki successfully Evades Roger Smith's Missile Party Barrage
<Pose Tracker> Ryoma Nagare has posed.
As he and Orpheus team up against Monica, Ryoma banters with the knight. <"No can do! You'll have to bring up the charges with the AEU, OAC..."> He begins rattling off a few space colonies as well, all places he's wanted for one crime or another (no matter how minor), as he pushes the overclocker a bit up on the Ichinana, right as the slash harkens come in. He allows them to hook, using evasive maneuvers to avoid their actual damage as much as possible, before reaching to grab...
...the Ichinana's wings. <"Tsk, tsk. Didn't say my name."> He suddenly rips one off, revealing a pole shaft, and then rips off the other and connects them together. Forming a massive tomahawk, he takes it in one hand of the Ichinana and sweeps low, moving to slice into what would be the Knightmare's lower half with a heavy swing.
<"I am... Ryoma Nagare! Treat me seriously, or get your faces out of here!">
KTS: Ryoma Nagare targets Mobile Weapon Team with Sweep n' Slash! KTS: Ryoma Nagare has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team retreats from the attack! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team successfully avoids Ryoma Nagare's Sweep n' Slash
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
%A solid hit, but not a kill. For Liam's personally-assigned mission parameters, this is optimal. The Neo Helios stands, tense but unyielding, as the Panzer-Wespe approaches.
Then, the back half of the warehouse erupts, and an immense sensor signature bursts from inside. The Neo Helios whirls to face the newcomer, its body language speaking of a sudden stress response; its cannons immediately lock on what has to be Beck's hidden card. The machine that got him out of prison.
Two things happen in this moment: The Beck Victory Deluxe fires on the Big O, and fails, utterly--even hilariously, by certain metrics--
Liam--startled, already uneasy, distracted by the new machine--momentarily loses track of the opponent he's already engaged with. Cascade's initial salvo hammers the Neo Helios, and it stumbles back, ablative armor falling from its frame in big, half-molten chunks. In the cockpit, Liam's torso lights up with sympathetic pain. He chokes back a scream. Focus, he thinks. Focus.
The Neo Helios plants its feet, and brings its clenched fists to its waist. The main vent in its torso irises open, revealing a sphere of burning blue-white--which immediately extrudes its own containment field, pouring plasma into a brilliant beam. Liam is aiming for a low sweep, trying to melt the road around the Panzer-Wespe, or--ideally--damage the legs. KMFs have tremendous mobility in urban spaces like this. Liam is not in the best state of mind, but he knows he's at a disadvantage.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Cascade Vermilion with Coronal Mass Ejection! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion charges into the attack! KTS: Liam 7-020 rattles Cascade Vermilion, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Cascade Vermilion partially guards Liam 7-020's Coronal Mass Ejection, taking 2295 damage! <Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emilia can't help but feel a pang of disappointment as the Gloucester pilot escapes death. One less Britannian Soldier is one less threat to her friends. One less chance of Milly getting shot again for doing what's right.
But off the battlefield is good enough for now.
She tsks, as two of the KMFs peel off. They'll be coming back to ambush her. "R-Rapunzel, predicted t-t-trajectories?" She yells, as the third one tries to stand it's ground.
"Unknown. Too many possible approaches."
Emilia tsks. It was probably too much of an ask. "O-okay."
"<Under. Stood.>" Emilia's response to Cascade has a staccato, Rapunzel correcting her speech to her allies too. "<Just. Keep yours busy. For now.>"
And then she hears it. Him shouting his name while Emmy is trying so hard to hide herself. "Pilot R2, your heartrate is elevating."
But something grips Emmy- anger and fear. Why was he here? How DARE he come to the grave of her home. How *dare* he hide himself as one of her allies. "R-Rapunzel, kill his f-f-f-f. Frequency!"
"I cannot. He is using the loudspeaker."
The bullets fly for Rapunzel, and the Codarl moves with the elegance of dancer, leaping out of the way of the gunfire that takes out the wall of the building behind her. She lands, roughly, on another roof. He's trying to run. She won't let another escape. "<GET BACK HERE!>"
The chainsaw like blade of the Dark Edge revs to life, as Emilia makes a leaping stab at Lord Albert's KMF. Maybe she's playing straight into Schneizel's hands. But she doesn't care.
Right now all she cares about is taking out the enemy, here in this city that lives in the crater of the home Ryoma Nagare didn't save.
KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Schneizel el Britannia with IAI Dark Edge Monomolecular Cutter Ripper Gouge! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia fails to parry Emilia Eschonbach's IAI Dark Edge Monomolecular Cutter Ripper Gouge, taking 4680 damage! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has engaged Schneizel el Britannia! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach completes the Formation attack! <Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
The Ichihana's fake out appears to provide a solid strike, even going so far as forcing the knight back so as to keep her from the hangar while others had been retreating. It's an ample opportunity to provide his follow-up attack in the moment as Monica was forced to try and get her KMF standing once more. An explosion from the round leaving its mark without a doubt, scarring the city streets.
Monica's retaliation doesn't appear to be as oppressive as the assault that was unleashed upon her at first. Ryoma's able to meticulously parry them in such a way that they simply scrape its frame before latching onto him. Meanwhile, the Byakuen's movements were so organic that it felt less like a machine, and more an agile animal that had escaped the harkens as they attempted to ensnare it. While it was true that the Britannian forces and local authorities had a superior amount of numbers on their side, at the moment...It felt as if in this scuffle at least Ryoma, a hero, and a war dog like Oz were quite easily in their element... So much so that well...
<The only thing you should be worried about with not getting away, is you if you keep this up.>
Finally a voice calls out to the Knight of the Rounds. A voice that almost seemed as young if not younger than Ryoma's perhaps even around her own age. Although, maybe that too was a bit difficult to process. After all, compared to Ryoma's boastful tone, this one was more calm and blatant.
<The moment you weren't able to break through our lines you lost this war...At least if you fall back now you can avoid...>
This was how he saw it frankly. Yes, this was a victory the Black Knights could still claim. Beck was still in danger, yes, but as far as Oz was concerned, they had already managed to deal with most of his resources. What happened next well...Hopefully Beck would be fine, but if not...
That was a concern for another time, for in the throes of battle, The Byakuen once again continues a follow up assault on Knight's KMF. Whereas Ryoma had been going for a sweeping blow, this time Orpheus had opted to follow up the attack in close quarters as well. The cannon upon its arm retracted, only to show what appeared like two serrated blades that had joined together to create a larger sword component. He swings it down upon Monica's unit as she'd be attempting to defend herself, literally attempting to disarm her and prove the point that, <...Being torn to pieces!>
KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Orpheus Zevon targets Mobile Weapon Team with I'll Tear Through!' Combined Blade Component! KTS: Orpheus Zevon has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Beck and his goons pulling out there machine, at first gives Kallen the faintest bit of hope that MAYBE they're good at piloting at least. If nothing else. It turns out that faith was unfounded however. They are, arguably, worse than useless! She breathes in calmly, pushing away the annoyance and steadily expanding headache. "Please don't use that weapon again. It's more likely to bounce off and hit one of us, than even scratch the armor." Are there... ANY redeeming factors to working with this man? She can't find any. And she's half tempted to tell him he should try to escape, just because that might get part of the heat off their backs.
Thankfully for her, he's not TOO distracting, and when the Megadeus shoots out its barrage of missiles, the Negotiator gets a very good look at just how agile the Guren really is. As it weaves between the first wave, casually spinning through the streets like a dancer. Roger has a solid plan for fighting her, really he does!
There's just one slight issue. He's trying to get range, on a machine designed to stay in close and apply constant melee pressure. So she happily will take her mobility, skating across the wall of a building as she closes in. He's distracted too... yes, that's very helpful. Particularly when she leaps off a building, using a Harken like an acrobat's wire to flip her way up and grind her silver claw against the armor of Big O's legs. It's going to be a slow, arduous effort, but if she can shred through enough, that's her key. A little patience and luck, and if all goes well, they all might witness Big O faceplanting the street by the time this is over. And... maybe she has time for some light taunting. <"You know, it's only a matter of time. This city being so deep in their territory, yet clearly not part of their empire. ...How long do you think it is, before That Rounds Girl, and all the rest, come here to invade. Looking to take something that isn't theirs? To take away everything about your way of life, like they did OUR homeland."
Only after that does she respond to Cascade. <"Appreciate that. Always nice having a friend at your back."> Indeed, it truly is rare to have supporting fire and artillery in their formations. She's happy to welcome such a thing.
KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Roger Smith with Iron Nail 'Drill' Slash! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team fails to parry Orpheus Zevon's I'll Tear Through!' Combined Blade Component, taking 5580 damage! KTS: Orpheus Zevon has engaged Mobile Weapon Team! KTS: Roger Smith fails to react to Kallen Kozuki's Iron Nail 'Drill' Slash, taking 4700 damage! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Roger Smith! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Trick Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
"All right. Understood," is Cascade's quick response to Emilia and Kallen both. She's smiling, though, just a little. She's smiling -
Why? This is work. But the smile stays, even if nobody can see it.
Behind her, the Beck Victory Deluxe makes its triumphant (?) ascent. Cascade does not turn and look at it, but she has to admit it's one hell of a distraction - and one she's going to try to capitalize on.
The landspinners on the Panzer-Wespe whine as Cascade accelerates, crouching the Panzer-Wespe slightly. She can tell that the opponent is using - is that an exposed plasma core? She could kill it, she thinks, if she could damage its containment systems. It would be an efficient thing to do.
Hellishly difficult, though. She's not sure it's the best plan.
The beam of plasma sweeps out, but the Panzer-Wespe is already moving, already powering past it. It washes over the KMF, and sparks burst out from one of its legs - but on the landspinners it doesn't even slow down. If anything, it accelerates.
Cascade lowers the Stinger Lance. It's more like a heavy spear, really; a point that's really designed for piercing but can slash too, the whole length of it reinforced. And the reason for the reinforcement is obvious when she comes in; a faint hum starts to build up, and when she tries to drive it in (aiming for the Neo Helios' side rather than its center - specifically its hip, so she can down the larger unit) on impact it releases a hellacious jolt of electricity with an audible thunderclap.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Liam 7-020 with Stinger Lance Impale! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Strike 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 fails to Parry Cascade Vermilion's Stinger Lance Impale, taking 7320 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 has engaged Liam 7-020! <Pose Tracker> Schneizel el Britannia has posed.
<"Curses! Why can't I hit this thing!?"> Watching the Arm Slave leaping across his screen, Lord Albert keeps moving his machine's aim to catch up as he backpedals, but the shots keep whizzing past the Rapunzel. Then a feeling of dread as the machine finally leaps towards his, blade outstretched.
The Dark Edge sinks into the Gloucester's torso, spinning teeth tearing through metal and sending sparks flying. In the cockpit, Lord Albert can feel the vibrations of the terrifying weapon reverberating through the Knightmare's frame, even as damage alerts are quickly filling his screens. He quickly pulls on the ejection handle.
And nothing happens.
The roaring sound of the chainsaw blade is growing louder. Lord Albert starts pulling on the ejection handle multiple times in a panic, "Damnit! Come on! Come on! Work you bloody thing!" Sparks are starting to fly inside the cockpit! When finally-
The Gloucester's cockpit block jettisons, rocketing away with a large gash in its side.
<"Lord Albert!">
The other two Gloucesters make their presence known, attempting to ambush Emilia as she had predicted. One bursts out of a warehouse door right beside Emilia, its Maser Vibration Sword sweeping upwards towards the Rapunzel from below. The other KMF appears via leaping off a rooftop, falling towards the Arm Slave with its own MVS swinging down in a combined attack.
----
"Lord Albert has ejected."
Schneizel isn't quite so smiling as the report comes in, the second of his Gloucesters taken out. But it's not because he's concerned. Far from it. He's simply thoughtful, musing, "We must give credit where it is due. The power of that machine is greater than expected. And the pilot clearly has skill."
Schneizel rubs his chin for a moment, before ordering, "Lady Jessica will press the attack. Perhaps she will be able to create an opening for Lord Cero. Assuming they both survive long enough."
KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has activated the Resupply Spirit Command. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with KMF Squadron Ambush! KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach parries Schneizel el Britannia's KMF Squadron Ambush, taking 1740 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Schneizel el Britannia's Checkmate activates, causing Control Bonus! KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has engaged Emilia Eschonbach! <Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
Considering how easily the *Victory Deluxe* gets its big shiny head torn right asunder from its body, it's a wonder how the darn thing was standing up at all. Was the shininess not for show? Was it somehow made of actual gold? Beck and his henchmen are cowering in the little spherical cockpit within the mechanical mess's crown, lighting shut off, the remains of the Victory Deluxe crumpled at Roger's head.
Dan Datsun, for his part, is cheering just a bit. "There we go! Knocked 'em out right quick!", before clearing his throat and remembering that the black Megadeus is a ~menace to society~ and he's gotta get all formal about it. "...I figure we'll take in the convict then. Get ready to bring him in, boys!"
Monica holding her own for just a little longer against two of the more actually combat-adept Black Knights only compounds how their 'collaborator' just got utterly shredded in the blink of an eye. "So you're a total scoundrel, huh? I'm the only one whose name you've gotta know around here! I'm Monica Krushevsky, Knight of Twelve and captain of the Imperial Royal Guard. This place they call 'Paradigm City' is LEGALLY still New Yark and falls under the Emperor's dominion - no amount of- 'psychodimensional disturbance' is about to change that!" Monica falters for a second as her Gloucester hops above Ryoma's tomahawk, fast to adapt to a more hot-blooded pilot's maneuvers, a landspinner nimbly grazing across its surface. That little spear of hers swiftly gets charged with electricity, and the Knight of Twelve leaps up to lunge right at the Ichinana's head!
She tries to block Orpheus's blade with her bare mechanical hands, but underestimates just how easily they'll tear through manipulators, grimacing when it leaves her entire right arm utterly shot. "You're the ones who really ought to fall back! The moment we saw reports from Electric City, the Britannian Office of Paradigm Abnormality Affairs suspected the Black Knights wanted to take advantage of this city's chaos, and we're going to make you regret it!Let justice be served today!!!" Though her arm's a mess, the AR from over Monica's shoulder still deploys on its swiveling mount, spraying out a barrage of bullets to at least repel Orpheus a little.
On the Black Knights radio, though, a more familiar voice chimes in. C.C. taps her microphone a few times, blowing into it, then cooly hums, "We've made out with all the ransom money, just so you know. Sorry about how much of an idiot he turned out to be. I had him figured for one of those idiot savants, but it seems like the only thing he's become exceptional at over the years is building ways to bust himself out of prison. I'd probably advise turning tail while you can, though I do like how you're mercilessly bullying a Knight of the Round."
KTS: Mobile Weapon Team targets Ryoma Nagare with Stun Tonfa Discharge! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team targets Orpheus Zevon with Sutherland AR Barrage! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Orpheus Zevon rushes into the attack! KTS: Orpheus Zevon partially guards Mobile Weapon Team's Sutherland AR Barrage, taking 2250 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
<"Artillery KMF drawn off. Increasing pressure."> That's the only thing Liam transmits over the Britannian local band. This includes Roger. The tone--or the complete lack of it, empty but for mission-focus and the ghost of physical pain--is so unlike the polite, kind, lightly-embittered young man who sat in his home and had tea and asked about Paradigm.
That Liam has been buried, for now.
But that doesn't mean he's stopped existing. Indeed, a perverse relief swells in his chest as his foe outmaneuvers him, not only evading the bulk of the plasma blast but pressing their advantage. The Neo Helios takes two steps back, into an intersection in the street. Its hand rushes out, the magnetosphere strengthening around it to knock the smaller machine away.
But Cascade has read him. The lance buries itself in the Neo Helios' upper thigh, missing the disabling hip-joint shot by less than three feet. This does not make it any less painful for Liam, who instinctively takes weight off that leg, and sucks in air. Monica's voice echoes through his cockpit, immediately adding 'gut-twisting anxiety' to his list of problems. He shouldn't be here.
<"Sustained damage. Engagement increasingly infeasible."> The Neo Helios stumbles, staying upright by virtue of Liam's skill at balancing, and a few redundant systems. There's a huge, smoking wound in its thigh, but it moves regardless, thrusting out its right hand; plasma boils from within, into a sculpted electromagnetic field. Liam thrusts the spear at the Knightmare Frame's upper half--he knows where the cockpit block is, roughly, and he's aiming towards giving that a wide berth...
He's trying to keep the pilot alive. Despite his misgivings against the Black Knights, the thought of killing for Britannia makes him sick.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Cascade Vermilion with Sunbright Spear! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion partially guards Liam 7-020's Sunbright Spear, taking 3943 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has engaged Cascade Vermilion! KTS: Ryoma Nagare fails to Parry Mobile Weapon Team's Stun Tonfa Discharge, taking 4299 damage! KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has engaged Ryoma Nagare!
<Pose Tracker> Ryoma Nagare has posed.
Ryoma responds on the Black Knight's radio right as the stun spear comes in, grazing the side of the Ichinana's fast moving head and causing static across the radio. Once it clears...
<"Sorry, I don't run away. Especially when I'm winning!">
The Ichinana's axe moves to push the spear away, having missed the parry chance. He props it against something, planning to retreat with it later, and instead moves to finish this.
Speakers flare up. <"Out of my way! You need to learn the way of the world, knight! Words don't mean shit - use your fists, always!">
Heat begins to exude from the Ichinana. Burners suddenly ignite on its limbs, as it lunges forward, moving for a powerful low punch straight into the center-mass of the knightmare, complete with burning force.
<"Taaaaake this! HEATS IMPACT!">
KTS: Ryoma Nagare has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Ryoma Nagare has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Ryoma Nagare targets Mobile Weapon Team with Heats Impact! KTS: Ryoma Nagare has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team fails to parry Ryoma Nagare's Heats Impact, taking 6510 damage! KTS: Ryoma Nagare has engaged Mobile Weapon Team! KTS: Ryoma Nagare roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Another one escapes, and Emilia swears. "B-b-bastard! Get back here!" She yells in her cockpit, not broadcast to anyone else.
And then the expected mbush comes, and the knife comes up to catch the first sword, and knocking it away, the blade scoring the ground. The downwards strike comes, and somehow the larger machine mostly twists out of the way, catching some of the slice with Rapunzel's arm.
"Minor damage. Combat capability unaffected."
The Codarl is pincered, right now, and in tight corners. Their lordships should have the advantage.
Should.
"<Since when did. Britannia care. About New Yark!?>" Rage rises in the modulated voice again, drowning out C.C.'s confirmation they have what they want. "<When the Dinosaurs came. You RAN. You left New Yark to die! You left her people to die! How DARE you. Say New Yark is Britannia's!"
That rage flows through her, and the hair like filament begins to glow. "YOU. COWARDS! YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED INSTEAD OF HER!"
The Codarl spins, and the blade slashes. But there's something... different about the slash. The Codarl's heat signature spikes, and the blade cuts further than it should reach. The buildings the KMFs erupted from are sliced through, and the roofs collapse inward. The ground is scored meters deep.
That blade reaches farther and deadlier than it should, as it slices for Schneizel's team- one intent on Emilia's mind- slicing the KMFs to ribbons. Cutting through them. "DIE! DIE DIE DIE!"
KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Schneizel el Britannia with Lambda Driver - Low Output Enhanced Blitz! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia fails to parry Emilia Eschonbach's Lambda Driver - Low Output Enhanced Blitz, taking 4275 damage! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has engaged Schneizel el Britannia!
<Pose Tracker> Roger Smith has posed.
The shattered cockpit is deposited unceremoniously in front of Paradigm's defenders. That'll give Dan something to do while he deals with...
Wow, that thing closed in fast. These KMFs are no joke. Sharp claws scrape against the black iron of the towering Megadeus, showering sparks onto the streets - and Roger sighs, curling one hand over his cheek and chin as he considers the pilot's words.
<"I know very well that it's not as simple as hiding behind the domes. In the end, you're right - just like Paradigm, the Britannians see the people here as property. And maybe to you, it'a naive to simply focus on taking care of these people, instead of using them as weapons... but I want to protect those humble lives, miss Black Knight. I consider that part of my duties as a negotiator.">
Trying to actually bring down one of the Megadeus's tremendous fists would be like trying to smash an ant with a hammer - so it stops a bit short. And then the piston slams home - and a wide furrow of concrete peels as a tempest blasts from the wrist of the Big O!
KTS: Roger Smith has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Roger Smith has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Roger Smith has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Roger Smith targets Kallen Kozuki with Burst Impact! KTS: Roger Smith has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Kallen Kozuki retreats from the attack! KTS: Roger Smith rattles Kallen Kozuki, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Kallen Kozuki fails to react to Roger Smith's Burst Impact, taking 5043 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade twists the spear.
This isn't to cause additional pain to Liam - Cascade has actually identified it as something with free movement, whether Trace Suit or direct connection or something else she can't tell, so she is aware it hurts. But that's not why she does it.
No, she wants to send another jolt through the joint before she pulls it out with a metallic *chunk* from the jointing system in the Panzer-Wespe's arms. Those primitive gripper claws shift her grip as she spins the spear defensively, expecting to deflect a return blow. This thing looks like it could do hand to hand.
She can't quite *deflect* the incoming plasma spear. Cascade tries anyway, the plasma working like a cutter and literally carving the Stinger Lance into two pieces with a scream of tortured metal, ripping onward, cutting across the Panzer-Wespe's front...
Cascade wheels backwards, smoke and steam boiling from the superheated metal and burned paint and damaged structure of the Knightmare Frame. It's still mobile, but it's not as mobile as it was before, one of its arms having had its elbow melted enough that it no longer bends and the center torso structural damage.
Gamia wants to make some noise. Cascade fights it down, a momentary confusion in the cockpit as she gets her metaphorical wires crossed; all her radio transmits is a crackle of static instead of whatever she wanted to say.
Cascade wheels backwards, suddenly, as fast as she went forward. She turns, slightly, taking in the rest of the battlefield. Emmy, carving up the street. Kallen, caught in against that Megadeus. Ryoma and Orpheus, holding their own and then some...
But CC *did* call for a retreat. Mission's complete. Anything else is reckless.
Cascade raises both shoulder cannons - they still work even though one of the arms doesn't - and begins to fire. Staggering which one is firing, Cascade begins to shell this part of the warehouse district; it's mostly industrial so she isn't likely to put people's houses out, and many of them are scattered more to make pursuit difficult than anything else. Some of them aren't even 'real' shells, but smoke, or in one case an airburst EMP (not Minovsky, thankfully, but it does confuse scanners and you probably wouldn't want to fly into it).
Two of the shells are very real and very aimed around the Neo Helios, though. Sorry Liam.
"<Black Knights! I have covering fire for you.>" More directly: "<Rapunzel, you can't stay here alone, they WILL chase you down!>" Cascade starts to wheel to a place where she can get better oversight of Emilia - if she has to help people out, she will.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Liam 7-020 with Shoulder Cannon Shelling! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Cascade Vermilion's Shoulder Cannon Shelling, taking 5100 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has been defeated! <Pose Tracker> Schneizel el Britannia has posed.
The shouting of the Rapunzel's pilot filters out of the Avalon's bridge speakers, picked up by the two Gloucesters still functional. Schneizel listens intently, quietly saying, "There is much pain in this person's voice..."
----
Even the ambush was only mildly effective, the power of the Rapunzel and the skill of its pilot on display. Finding themselves facing a counterattack of unknown design, the two Gloucesters quickly back away from the glowing Arm Slave. Only for the swipes in their direction striking them regardless. Their armor withstands the assault better than the buildings around them, though deep grooves are cut into their machines.
<"Jessica, are you alright?">
<"I'm alive... But I've taken considerable damage.">
<"Press the attack. We can break through!">
The two Gloucesters charge in as they do so a transmission comes in, Schneizel's face appearing on a screen in their cockpits. But not just theirs, to everyone else's too.
<"The loss of New Yark was a terrible tragedy. We, as the Britannian Union's leaders, are burdened with the immense weight of that collective sorrow.">
The Gloucester to the Rapunzel's front starts to unleash a series of strikes with its sword, trying to put the Arm Slave on the defensive.
<"Families were shattered. Communities left reeling. And countless lives forever altered. To you, I offer my deepest condolences and share in your anguish. Each life taken away leaves an irreplaceable void, and no words can fully heal those wounds.">
While the first Gloucester is attacking, the second sweeps around behind the Rapunzel to try and take advantage of any openings the other is able to create. Its sword switches modes, the red of its blade fading. Only for electricity to start arcing across its surface.
<"We failed to protect New Yark that day. We failed to recognize that our strength as a nation should lie in our unity. Supporting one another in the face of adversity.">
Seeing what he believes to be an opening, Lord Cero acts, blade lunging forward to try and pierce the Rapunzel's armor and deliver a shocking blow to its systems.
<"I can only hope that such a tragedy, as well as those we have experienced since, will serve to remind us to cherish each moment. And to foster a society built on empathy, compassion, and understanding.">
KTS: Schneizel el Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with KMF Squadron Flanking Maneuver! KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Beck the Woefully Inadequate has already been caught. Good, Kallen thinks, he was a pain. Thankfully that Green Witch of Cats chimes in, to let them know the only thing they needed here, is already taken care of. So to the rest of the team... <"You all heard the lady. Clear your escape route and haul ass. We can fight these guys all day, but eventually Prince Sparkles over there is going to send enough to overwhelm us. And I do mean Everyone."> The fact remains, Q-1 CAN make herself sound stern and commanding when the need arises. It probably helps that she's not getting wound up, or in a depressive funk. <"If any of you still need to get the aggression out of your systems, you can fight me when we get back."> And THAT is just a dangerous thing to say in this company.
Still... her route is in fact very much not clear yet. And while the Megadeus might not be attacking directly with its fist, the Impact Piston certainly does its job, showering the Guren in shrapnel and partially flattening out the unit. More than flattening, she's getting error readings all over her display. All kinds of systems crippled or and functioning at reduced power. Also? She's pretty sure she's bleeding from somewhere on her head right now.
So... one parting shot, make damn sure this thing can't give chase, and then bring up the rear of their exit. <"Hey, Negotiator? I get it. I'm not asking you to weaponize your people. Just make sure they've got a home to call theirs, even if it isn't perfect. Long as you protect them from Any figure that wants to take it from them, we've got no real fight with you."> Of course, those words MIGHT be a bit soured by the fact she is, there's no mistake, trying to melt the joints together, to stop Big O in place here. There's really no other reading for the way she climbs up to grab its knee with that damn claw, or the way the claw is distorting the air with intense heat.
KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Roger Smith with Wave Surger Eruption! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
"Why was I the one who got paired up with the noisiest duo...? "
It's a grievance he can only provide simply for the fact that in the heat of the moment things truly were working out so well for them. Well there was the matter of Beck about to be captured but
All a sudden, a message comes in from that familiar voice and he simply can't help but heave a sigh. "If you were just after this idiot's resources there were easier ways that didn't involve us all having to get into this mess. Next time, just reach out to me will you?"
He makes it sound so matter of fact in his ability to have handled this issue on his own. If it was just getting Beck's men to hand them their assets then well, that was something that could have been handled even while he was still in Jail. Oh right, speaking of heat of the moment...
Monica's movements are keen to completely pounce over that tomahawk, a feat that assuredly shows that despite this awkward showing, that she must have had a certain skill set to be acknowledged as a Knight of the Twelve. Though on this day she will not claim victory, nor will she dispense Justice on these two. Even as her lance attempts to find purchase against the Ichihana, it simply doesn't connect.
Then there's the matter of Orpheus, while his blade was no Revolving Blade Sword, it's able to cleave through well enough to disable that right arm.
<"Sorry, I don't run away. Especially when I'm winning!">
<Wait, Ichihana, hold!!!>
The Byakuen's pilot calls to Ryoma over the frequency though it's apparent that such calls would have no effect.
If that's the case, I have too...
The Byakuen prepares to charge forward, for Monica this could only be assumed to be an act meant to have him act in tandem with the Ichihana once more to finally silence their enemy. Her barrage of bullets is fully intended to repel the KMF, though it seems that the pilot is too driven, too insistent as he allows the frame to soak up the barrage so that he might...
<"Out of my way! You need to learn the way of the world, knight! Words don't mean shit - use your fists, always!">
...Intercept the Ichihana?
In the final moments as its limbs radiate with heat, its fist aims to slam right into the center of the Knight of Twelve's Knightmare. It's an attack fully capable of bringing about her demise and yet..Just as that fist is about to connect, the Byakuen that had forced its way past gunfire, instead of reaching for that knight could be seen as its blade opened up into what appeared almost like a scissor blade. That blade snapping at the wrist of the Ichibana, though clearly not able to cleave the punch. If anything, the blade is already melting away at the touch. Though the contact was enough, just enough for Oz to force the trajectory to divert so that rather than slam right into the KMF's center of mass, it's redirected more toward its side. Surely that still would leave enough damage to leave mechanics bemoaning for months, but at the same time reducing the chance for loss of life significantly. Even now the Byakuen's alarms were going off and heat was building up around its arm to insane levels.
In other words...
<Tell me, Monica Krushevsky...What's more just in this world...? Being sacrificed nobly as a pawn by your own country... Or being saved by your enemy?>
At this point the comms would commute for both Ryoma and the rest of the Knights. He'd begin speaking on a more secure channel, not bothering to elaborate further to this justice-brained knight.
<Ichihana, we're leaving now... Even if you land the final blow, you might take Britannia's bait. Even if by chance this pilot's a Knight of Twelve in name only, if we finish her here...It gives Britannia every excuse for them to send everything they have at us. We can't handle that...Not at their front door. This is...Britannia's way of the world.>
Was he speculating on this? Perhaps. Was this a plan that seemed like one that would have been used from a Britannian handbook...Absolutely. And for him, that simply just wasn't worth the risk. Now, the Byakuen would stand in the path between the Ichihana, and Monica's KMF. Capable of being smacked around from either side. From the Ichihana and Ryoma if he chose to burn his way of the world into both Oz and Monica alike, or by Monica if she chose to exact her own kind of justice. Either way, the white KMF simply stands upon the battlefield waiting for the next action...
KTS: Orpheus Zevon targets Mobile Weapon Team with Pass! KTS: Orpheus Zevon has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapon Team fails to react to Orpheus Zevon's Pass, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Electricity arcs up the Neo Helios' body, and in the cockpit, Liam fights back against the phantom tremors in his own muscles. Push through, he reminds himself, as he remembers Desmond. Push through.
The Knightmare Frame falls back, its melee weapon disabled, and for a moment, Liam hopes it's retreating. He's not so lucky. Vent covers detach from the Mobile Fighter's body, moving around and sticking together in the force of its magnetosphere. The first shell strikes the barrier, and it holds. The second...
There is a tremendous metallic CRUNCH, and a localized hailstorm of shrapnel. The Neo Helios slumps back against a warehouse, its torso smoking and battered. It does not move.
<"Engagement no longer feasible,"> Liam says, over the Britannian tightband. He's updating out of habit, now, like he did in the Crucible. He hates how easy it is for him to slip back into it, in fear. The modulated voice, coming from a machine he cannot immediately see, is not helping; the pain and grief are all too familiar, despite the modulation. He was not expecting the response that voice gets. Liam fights his way upright, and kills the transmission halfway through.
"Liar," Liam spits, in the relative safety of his cockpit. "LIAR! Why are you HERE if you CARED THAT MUCH! Why are you here with KNIGHTMARES INSTEAD OF FOOD AND SHELTER?!" Schneizel can't hear him, of course. He heaves a wracking sob, and then falls still.
KTS: Roger Smith fails to evade Kallen Kozuki's Wave Surger Eruption, taking 6903 damage! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Roger Smith! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: [Mirage] Emilia Eschonbach's Lambda Driver activates, and she slips into a mirage. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach parries Schneizel el Britannia's KMF Squadron Flanking Maneuver, taking 0 damage! KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has engaged Emilia Eschonbach!
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
The two KMFs are struck, and Schneizel starts to speak. His face, his voice intrudes on Emilia's cockpit. Her visor, her mask, her hood. They all hide her. Nothing is sent back out. Protecting it's pilot's identity is one of Rapunzel's directives. The pilot camera is deactivated.
"<You...>"
The KMF comes for her and every slash is perfectly parried- the blade always connects with *something* but... her blade isn't moving fast enough to match every hit. There's something more there, as though her knife is responding to her will rather than simply her reactions.
"<How... dare you...!?>"
Cero drives forward for Emilia's flank-and his blade meets an invisible wall. It's there for but a moment, but it's as though he slammed into the plating of a battleship, without ever having a chance to connect. The three red eyes of the Rapunzel glow, as do those filaments. Her head turns to face the attacker from behind.
"<MY PAIN ISN'T YOURS TO SHARE!>" She yells, the knife coming up. "<MY PAIN. ISN'T YOURS. TO TWIST INTO. YOUR LIES!>" The codarl lashes out, not with focused slices but wild swings, the Codarl's weight going into every stroke. It moves so fast, with enough force to slice a KMF in half. To crush it with the flat of the blade. "<MY PAIN IS. MY PAIN IS MINE! MY LOSS IS MINE! IF YOU WANT PAIN!>"
The chainsaw blades rev, as Emilia shows no mercy. She wants these pilots dead. She wants all her enemies dead. She wants Schneizel dead.
"<If you. Really want pain.>" With one final slash, the buildings near her collapse fully. "<COME DOWN HERE YOURSELF! AND I'LL GRANT IT TO YOU UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT!>"
KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Schneizel el Britannia with IAI Dark Edge Monomolecular Cutter Gleeful Slaughter! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Schneizel el Britannia fails to react to Emilia Eschonbach's IAI Dark Edge Monomolecular Cutter Gleeful Slaughter, taking 6500 damage! KTS: Schneizel el Britannia has been defeated! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has engaged Schneizel el Britannia! <Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
The blistering heat from Ryoma is enough to singe Monica's hair even in her cockpit - not like her Sutherland retains much of a cockpit in the wake of that vicious assault, the somewhat poorly equipped Knight getting quite the gash in her KMF's front. "Khhhhh...I will only admit that you are skilled at sheer force of combat. Were I not expecting more civil and tame resistance, I'd have been willing to break the seal on my Knight's Oath...!" (is that what she calls her personal frame???)
Judging from the contingent that's slowly falling in Schneizel's squadron, given the unprecedented ferocity and fervor with which Emilia's blazing like a star, and the shocking amount of difficulty the Megadeus is facing, not to mention the fallen Helios...somehow, the criminals gained the upper hand despite the seeming advantage in intel...!
-And that's when one of them steps forward to prove his worth. To show an unprecedented amount of nobility. Monica had assumed many were like what Kallen or Todoh or indeed Ryoma displayed - fiery and war-minded stalwarts itching for supremacy, all beneath the charismatic hand of an opportunist like Zero. Hearing Orpheus extend something akin to chivalry...
"...Lord Schneizel, we've arrested the primary culprit. Much as I'm loathe to admit it, all we're likely to achieve going forward is greater public damage. And...and that girl in the Arm Slave, she's...it's...it's painful to see someone in that much distress. ...You. That Black Knight who has shown me such grace. Promise me...that this girl who cares so deeply about what this city once was - promise me you'll take care of her. If you do, I shall forgive your transgressions today."
As expected, Monica stays true to her word, and begins backing away carefully, joining the entourage of Schneizel's that's fallen back.
--There's just a moment where she feels something uneasy at the crumbling Neo Helios, and she makes a point of making a brief connection to Liam. A simple, one-way communication of: <<"You take a lot on yourself, I can tell from the way you fight. ...You're as virtuous as knight as any, but do not let your shield be too heavy on your shoulders.">>
--------------
...In the distance, atop an artfully placed gargoyle crowning a skyscraper, a flash of green flutters in the wind, one hand over her eye, the other holding onto a thin pizza slice abjectly coated in anchovies, onions, mushrooms, and relish. At her side is a little walkie talkie - the rest, she can divine for herself.
"I suppose Mr. Beck at least drew out our biggest problem here. Figures that they wouldn't openly show their hand with their interference in the events that make Paradigm something special, but make a show of breaking their law and order, and they can't help themselves. Luckily for the both of us, V.V., neither of us were too cowardly to bring our force to bear, and if anything, you've underestimated me. That girl who cares with all her heart - that's the greatest asset I have here of all.~"
<Pose Tracker> Ryoma Nagare has posed.
As Ryoma is pushed back, and Monica retreats, the pilot turns towards Orpheus. The heat dies off, and...
The Ichinana's fist slams into the back of Orpheus's KMF once the Britannians are gone, as he begins to retreat himself. He broadcasts over BK frequencies. <"We had a kill there. You think sparing them will stop them from hunting us down? You think it matters? The violence never stops. They'll either slowly or quickly grind us down, make examples of us, unless we tear them limb from limb.">
A pause. <"Next time you do that, I'm not turning the heat off."> And then he's gone, moving to retreat in the salvo of fire from Cascade.
<Pose Tracker> Roger Smith has posed.
<"Well, then, miss Knight... If you can appreciate it, keep it in mind! Most people here aren't comfortable with the outside world... they see folks like you as a source of trouble. You'll want to be a little more delicate, in the future. Get to know this city a bit better, and you won't ruin your reputation with crooks like that Beck character.">
That practiced calm sputters quickly as an iron claw slams against the Megadeus's knee, dark metal warping under the extreme heat, the already lumbering machine forced to stagger as carefully constructed joints find themselves pushed out of their intended design.
"Ugh... Norman's going to be pretty disappointed with the repairs this time."
"You should try harder not to make extra work for him, Roger Smith."
"And what, crush some young lady to death? I'm not a monster, Dorothy. I've never particularly been comfortable with violence towards women, you know."
"...you're a louse, Roger Smith."
KTS: Roger Smith targets Kallen Kozuki with Pass! KTS: Roger Smith has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Schneizel el Britannia has posed.
Schneizel sits calmly as the Rapunzel's pilot returns his words with significant venom. As she finishes with an offer that Schneizel certainly isn't going to accept, he simply sighs with some sadness, <"It is unfortunate, but I will leave you be. May we meet again in more peaceful circumstances."> He taps a button on his chair, closing the signal.
To some of the others on the bridge sending looks his way, Schneizel simply shrugs, "To some, the pain is too much. That doesn't mean we should give up on them, should another opportunity arise in the future."
----
While Schneizel sits comfortably on the Avalon, lamenting past tragedies with the Rapunzel's pilot, the two remaining Gloucesters are currently facing their own tragedy in the form of the Rapunzel itself. Nothing they attempt is getting through to the machine. And in return they are suffering under its wild swings. At the front, Lady Jessica's Knightmare takes a lot of the focus. First it loses an arm, severed. Then its head receives a large gash across the front, destroying the factsphere inside and rendering most of her screens to static. Unable to process the Rapunzel's movements well enough, she can only watch as it winds up for a final slash...
... And then her view is blocked, the familiar shape of a Gloucester's back obscuring it. Lord Cero's machine places itself between the Rapunzel and its ally, taking the brunt of the swing and that strange power behind it. The cut goes in deep, half way through the machine's centre torso.
There's a wet choking sound, before the Gloucester's pilot struggles out, <"G-Go..."> The Knightmare collapses to its knees, before falling over. Red begins to leak out of the large hole in the cockpit. Emilia got her blood.
The remaining Gloucester pauses for just a moment, before quickly spinning around. Its slash harken fires, digging into a structure further down the road before the line goes tight and starts rapidly pulling the Knightmare away from deadly foe. As it does so, Lady Jessica's voice calls back, cold anger seething within it, <"You... Monster! You'll pay for this.">
----
"Lord Cero's life signs have ceased."
Schneizel shakes his head a little, quietly saying, "We've lost a good man, today."
Monica's tranmission then comes in, to which Schneizel nods and replies, <"I agree, Knight Monica. To pursue further would unwise. The cost has already been too great. Nonetheless, well down on apprehending the one responsible. I suppose I should expect nothing less of the great and beautiful Knight of Twelve.">
Schneizel waves a hand to the others on the bridge, "Signal the withdrawl. We are done for today." He then goes quiet, letting the bridge officers handle the details while he considers the events thus far. And whether they might have any connection to his true reason for coming here...
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade looks back at Liam - the Neo Helios, anyway. She has no idea who's driving it. It's not one of Britannia's usual designs, though - so she's going to have to look into it. It's important to know who's standing against the Black Knights, for multiple reasons...
...but not right now. Right now she has an urgent task to do, something made more urgent by the transmissions she's picking up, slightly tinny for coming through the Panzer-Wespe's little internal speakers but audible enough.
So Liam gets to see Cascade stop her bombardment, turn, and skate away... but not away from the battle, entirely. At an angle that takes her closer to the Codarl's engagement with the Gloucesters.
The first sign *they* get, assuming they're not watching her to begin with, is when an artillery shell flies in toward the Gloucesters... and goes up in smoke. Cascade wasn't going to fire a live shell at a melee engagement including a Black Knight.
Even if the buildings are collapsing. Gamia NX-2 knows what a Codarl is, and what it can do, if not how - she doesn't understand (and wasn't told) the science, but she's read the Knights' account of the Behemoth *and* some of Amalgam's messages. Cascade shouldn't have nearly as much information.
She slows as the saw sweeps, cutting through a building's support. It starts to collapse; Cascade judges her time, tenses both her body and the Panzer-Wespe's legs -
Emilia's blade comes down. Cascade does not feel any particular distress at the death of a Britannian, but it makes her next decision clearer.
Cascade's Panzer-Wespe zooms in, narrowly avoiding a chunk of a roof. "<R2! Rapunzel! We can't stay here any longer. It looks like they are pulling back, but only for regrouping - they have a support ship nearby if they are bringing in this many people on short notice.>"
The Panzer-Wespe jerks around as the surviving Gloucester retreats, a second smoke shell sent her way to land in the street. "<After that they will be everywhere, for a time. We need to pull back!>" Just because she's quiet and asks a lot of questions doesn't mean she doesn't show some spine... especially amongst the Black Knights, or around friends.
And, she does not want any of the Knights to die here. They got what they wanted. So Cascade pulls her Panzer-Wespe up alongside Emilia's Codarl and literally tries to bar her way from chasing after Lady Jessica. "<Please. We've won this day - don't turn it into a loss, even if you want to kill them.>" She heard those messages, too.
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
Monica believes the one before her is someone that has a level of nobility, something that is beyond fiery and war-minded. He can't imagine that if she truly knew who he was she'd still feel that way. A person that had been broken down by war, built back up for war, and then lashing out against those with a fiery passion that couldn't be quelled over the years.
In the end, like most things in Oz's life, it's simply not true. What she considers a noble act is simply a deed done for their own benefit. If anything, in this moment he has become an entity to which is closest to that of Zero. A man of miracles that are conjured upon from lies. Lies, a misconception that he can portray himself as for his own benefit. She's come to expect so much of him in only a first meeting, without even knowing who he is...
That goes doubly so when she asks him to look after that girl. He can't imagine himself being someone she'd even want to see half the time, let alone attempt to save her.
"For someone who's had her life spared, you ask for a lot...She's not someone you need to worry...Go..." It's not as much a promise, nor as much a lie. It's...Something.
It's as she finally retreats, does Oz feel himself being rolled around in his cockpit as the Ichihana bashes into the back of the KMF, to which well...Is where the cockpit is designated. It's also hear that Ryoma voices his complaint.
<It does matter. There's a difference between a scuffle in this city, and full out war. We can win scuffles, but the Knights don't have the kind of resources to face Britannia head on. Even Zero would tell you the same.>
Nothing is said as he gives his warning. There's many things he could say...Yet, he simply finds himself letting out a sigh, somehow the aftermath of the battle's made him more exhausted than the actual battle itself.
<Byakuen and Ichihana are retreating from the battlefield. Also... > As C.C. enjoys her pizza, she can tell that from the tone of Oz's voice he's clearly getting ready to direct something to her. <Get me a meeting with Zero, otherwise I'll make it my personal mission to make sure that it's impossible for you to get a single slice of pizza throughout this city...> It seemed he had some questions, and maybe...Just maybe she could 'help' him resolve them.
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
An amount of common ground is spotted, and seized upon. <"I think I'll do just that. Perhaps you'll spot me enjoying the local sights sometime soon. I'd very much like to build a better relationship with the city, actually."> And with a little bow of her KMF, she begins to depart. To help Cascade ensure Emilia retreats as well.
Along the way, she takes note of Oz opting to spare a Rounds... Quietly, she approves in fact. Much to her own surprise, as she had gotten the impression of the man that he was... callous, and that taking lives was easy to him. Didn't matter to him. She herself... has grown less willing to kill, as time passes. Not UNwilling. She's certainly willing and capable. Especially for certain types of people. But... she also wants to believe that even a high ranking Knight could change. Adapt and grow into a better person, given the chance.
She's also however, certain that SOME people, like that Prince, lie as easily as they breathe. For them, manipulation is a way of life. Using people, and discarding them on a whim. Those are the people she has no qualm about tearing apart.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
In the moments that follow, it's hard to say what goes through Emilia's head.
Satisfaction? Oh yes. That still burning fury? Definitely. The fear of the man on her own side? That's still there.
The desire to keep going, to keep fighting until there's nothing left to fight? Absolutely.
It's not until Cascade's Panzer-Wespe comes to block her following.
Rapunzel stands there, monomolecular cutter drawn, ready to advance. The woman swears vengeance against her, but it barely registers. Neither does Monica's request for Orpheus to help her. Schneizel's parting words would get her to spout Venom-
But her ally pleads with her to stop. To pull back.
Wordlessly, she puts the monomolecular cutter back in it's place on the small of the ARM Slaves back. She turns away from the woman who can no longer fight.
"<R2. Retreating.>" She says, finally, to Cascade, and the Codarl moves as Cascade and Kallen urge her.
Monster, huh...?
She can handle being a monster, if it lets her kill other monsters.
There's at least three on her list right now.