2024-06-30: What Is Your Reason For Fighting?
- Log: 2024-06-30: What Is Your Reason For Fighting?
- Cast: Onija, Juuga, Sizumu, Koyomi Yamanaka, Wing Combine Force, Mujina, Shari Loom, Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo, Zan, Kaworu Nagisa, Asuka Shikinami Langley, Liam 7-020, Priscilla
- Where: Nouvelle Tokyo
- OOC - IC Date: U.C. 0099-06-30
- Summary: An ultimatum given, a plan concocted. The Kaiju Eugenicist Juuga is unable to let go of what once was. Seeking an answer, he deploys a kaiju in the heart of Nouvelle Tokyo. Can betrayals be forgiven? More importantly... What happens when one doesn't want forgiveness?
<Pose Tracker> Sizumu has posed.
"Heh. Right on time."
Throngs of people gather just beneath a bridge leading out of Nouvelle Tokyo; murmurs throng the crowds, cameras up and recording...
... something.
Something large. Something colored in psychedelic hues of magenta, indigo, cyan and yellow. Something clinging to one of the bridge's support pillars like some sort of oversized insect, its 'wings' shimmering with crystalline, cyan light.
"Hoo! Those are some crazy-ass colors!"
The Kaiju Eugenicists stand at a fence just outside the gathering of people, observing the burgeoning kaiju with a critical eye. Onija grins a savage grin, stabbing a finger at the thing and turning to the others, the rings hanging on his necklace jingling gently as he pivots.
"It's already pretty damn big, isn't it??"
"Not surprising," is Sizumu's placid response. Those cool, red eyes focus on the kaiju. "Everything's going pretty much as expected." That piercing stare turns towards the taller, dark-haired man standing beside him.
"Juuga?"
"... Right."
Juuga steps forward, past the others. His right arm lifts up, fingers up and palm forward.
"They'll know exactly where to find us with this. And if Gauma doesn't come back--"
"Tch! If he does I'll kill him twice!"
"--then I won't show any mercy to him or that phony kaiju of his."
Onija's grin broadens with the promise of bloodlust. Sizumu's attention drifts, off in some faraway direction in the heart of Nouvelle Tokyo as Juuga's middle and ring fingers spread out into a broad V revealing his yellow-eyed gaze between them.
"I'll make you remember, Gauma."
That yellow eye starts to glow a bright and inhuman scarlet-red.
"Instance Domination."
And so too, does the kaiju's once-violet gaze as it begins to rapidly grow in size.
"The future belongs to kaiju."
-++-
There's a kaiju marching through Nouvelle Tokyo's business district.
There was no warning. No sign of the creature on the periphery. In one moment, everything was peaceful.
In the next...
The sound of synthesized harmonics is a strange accompaniment to the noise of crushing cars and churning streets as the strange, insectoid kaiju marches aimlessly through the city. The damage it wreaks just by walking is tremendous -- and if anything happens to get in its way, the yellow ports on its chest spit out magenta beams to wipe out the obstacles in rippling, smoke-belching explosions.
... But right now, it doesn't seem to be -attacking- per se. Or even rampaging. It seems to have no direction in particular in mind -- almost as if it's just playing a waiting game and the destruction it's wreaking is incidentally part and parcel.
Like it's all just a way to get the very specific attention it wants.
<Pose Tracker> Mujina has posed.
"...It came here awfully quick, too."
That seems to be the sum total of what Mujina has to say about it- something that is talked over by Onija talking of it's size, and Mujina looks away with an annoyed 'tsk'. With Juuga stepping up to take control of the Kaiju, Mujina leans lazily against the fence. She can't really get excited for this... there's no real excitement added just because it's been a long time (or not that long at all, in a way) since they've done this.
-=-=-
If there's one good thing for the propensity of science criminals in and around Nouvelle Tokyo, it's that the citizens know exactly what to do in situations like this, and the outer edges of the attack are already evacuated- unfortunately, there are still those caught in the middle of the chaos, and the mysterious kaiju seems to be doing as much destruction as it can, indiscriminate and unfocused. It's simply violence- or perhaps attention getting.
Nouvelle Metropolitan Police Wanzers redirect traffic and provide token resistance, but against something like this a Wanzer Baton is like bringing a stick to a cannon fight. It is beyond what can be handled by the NTMPD can handle.
Which is why the Mayor's office have put in a call to those that the OCU call on whenever such an emergency strikes- the Grand Glorious Guard.
The scene that rescuers come upon is... chaotic. Keeping citizens out of reach of the massive property destruction, as one beam blast the ground, collapsing the road over a subway route, trapping the commuters inside. Another obliterates half the supports on an office building, putting it in imminent danger of collapse. It's too late to solve this problem with the Dividing Driver, unfortunately- even if the space was compressed, the damage is already in earnest from a Kaiju that appeared with literally zero warning.
MISSION 1: Rescue the trapped subway commuters!
MISSION 2: Evacuate the collapsing office building!
MISSION 3: Prevent the building collapse or prevent further damage!
OPERATION START
<Pose Tracker> Koyomi Yamanaka has posed.
Three people stand at a bridge on one of the waterfronts of Nouvelle Tokyo. This place is home to them. And, it has been threatened.
The smallest of the five whistles as explosions of light and smoke fill the air further downtown. "Don't need To-witter to tell that's goin' down, huh?" Chise Asukagawa quips, hands above her head, fingers linked together to rest her head against them.
The tallest grunts, pink-red hair blowing in the shockwaves kicked up from the kaiju's arrival. "That's kaiju for you," Gauma says. "Alright. I'm not going anywhere...so let's take up that challenge! Minami better get back here with Yomogi fast....!"
He and his partner raise their hands, containing objects like toys to the sky. "ACCESS MODE--"
*
Smoke billows out of the ruined streets and damaged buildings in plumes as high as the sky. As another blast rakes across the horizon, though, it splits apart, sundered by a charging hero.
Thrusters in the pylons of its legs slow its landing so it does not shatter the street. It is enormous, though, 60-some meters; a hero in bright red and yellow, with feet that look more like pillars. Its chest is a vibrant red, with wing formations along it shoulders, and something like wheels at its shoulders and elbows. Its fingers, bright and gold, flex easily, and blue lenses peering out from a helmet like a dragon's mouth gleam.
Even with the dust billowing, even as people scatter and scream as buildings topple like toys, it stands astride the streets. Its very silhouette stirs the heart, like the presence of ancient heroes singing the arrival of their newest kin.
Gauma takes one breath. "No time to waste. Dynazenon...Battle, GO!" Gauma roars, and the huge machine charges straight for the assaulting kaiju, rears back one mighty fist, and---
It is no longer present when the swing goes through.
"E...eh?" Gauma stutters.
Another attempt. Windows creak with the whistle of Dynazenon's sweeping chop, but nothing connects. "It's so fast!? What the hell!?"
Koyomi pipes up from the cockpit of Dynastriker: "Not so sure it's fast...it might just be warping?"
"WARPING!?" Gauma yells, offended by this violation of spacetime. "Hell...we can't hit it like this! Split up, figure things out for a bit! Keep it busy by giving it more targets to hit!"
And, thus, following its heroic entrance, Dynazenon erupts apart into four different machines, each scattering in their directions. One, a submarine-like ship, splashes into the nearby river; another, like a car, cruises away, wide enough to take up both sides of a highway as it drives.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
Shari Loom is in transit today; she was just out on a great trip with Gerardo Aritza out into the mounntains... and was on the way home when the kaiju struck. Specifically, they were on the subway from across town going back to their apartment eventually and now--
"Everyone!?" Shari calls from the dark subway car, holding her head for a moment--the impact dazed her, but didn't injure her. She's still in her seat. Next to her, she spots Gerardo leaned over, cradling his arm. "Ah!" he tells her, "Shari--Are you all right!?"
"I'm fine!" she insists, but sees his face--"But you're not. What...?" She sees; the rock impacted the subway car enough to bend inward, and his arm looks possibly broken.
"Shit," Shari says, "That's bad. I..."
Panic starts to swell around as people come to, and Shari looks to see the emergency lights coming on. "Everybody!" Shari calls, "Stay calm! They'll come for us!"
But... How soon? Will it be enough?
"...I'll open a door!"
"How!?" a man demands of her--and Shari pulls a small, strange, black and green device. "I'll cut one," she says.
So, those who approach one of the subway cars may see a green 'laser' blade sticking out of the side of the car, attempting to cut its way free of the debris... but it's slow going. It's not big enough to do it all the way quickly.
Within, Shari is on hands and knees, teeth gritted. "Hold on!"
Someonne bangs on the walls and Shari calls, "Help! We're trapped!"
KTS: Sizumu has deployed in Guardian Enemy Kaiju - Greyjhom. KTS: Sizumu has deployed as a Boss for 5 opponents. KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka has deployed in Dynastriker. <Pose Tracker> Wing Combine Force has posed.
Every time Yomogi's phone buzzed with a new text, the temptation to turn it on silent and just forget about all of this grew stronger. Right now, all he wanted to do was move everything that needed moving at work - a truck just came in an hour ago, and the sooner it was all put away, the better. ...For what? It's not like he was even spending any of the money he earned here...
There's a crate of mangoes in his arms when the texts turn into the chime of actually getting a call. (The ringtone, incidentally, is just an instrumental of Sheryl Nome's recent 'Life in Progress'. Yomogi picked it because it was popular, and nice enough.)
"You can take that if you want, we're mostly done here," Inamoto chimes in, her own hands busy unwrapping the plastic over a box of bananas.
"...Eh? ...Well, it's not really...that important. It can wait, can't it?" Yomogi sets the box onto the store's shelves with a long exhale, thinking about the last time he answered them. He's been distant from the others lately, skipping practices to go to work...
...the last time he went, someone threatened to kill him, after all. Is it really worth that?
"I dunno what your parents mighta told you. Hmmmm." Inamoto tips forward just a little to take a good long look into Yomogi's eyes, and he stops just short of taking a step back. "Maybe they're strict, maybe not. Can't tell! But nobody calls these days unless it's important, so you really should step out and answer."
...Yomogi can't exactly argue with that, and, with a little resigned sigh, drags himself away from the grind to step out the grocery store's sliding doors, finally answering the incessant call.
"There you are," Yume's voice picks up. "A kaiju showed up. Gauma yelled a lot about how we need you to form Dynazenon. Are you gonna come?"
"...I'm still at work," Yomogi answers in the most 'lame excuse' voice ever. "...It'll be a while before I can get there, and I don't really know how to make it move, so can't the rest of you-"
"All you need to do is go along with us for now," Yume insists, and then- "You should look to your right, Yomogi."
Yomogi looks to his right.
The entire width of the street is taken up by the hovering crimson imposition of Yume's Dynawing.
"...Ah. ...Maybe I shouldn't have said where I worked..."
-- -- -- -- --
As promised, all Yomogi has to do is tag along, right? Once Dynazenon combines, despite his Dynasoldier being at the core of it, the whole thing seems totally capable of moving. Really, it's Gauma's willpower that seems to really animate the thing. Though also Yume's is pretty strong? And it's not like Koyomi's...well. It's hard to explain, but he sees all their faces talking tactics along Dynasoldier's edges.
"Warping is going to be a problem," Yume responds, as though this made really obvious sense. "Well, that just means we've gotta take advantage of Dynazenon's flexibility. I'll do the usual with Dynawing." And just like that, Yume splits off like it was the most natural thing in the world - Dynawing flitting and circling like a bird of prey, hoping to be Greyjhom's most annoying distraction.
...which just leaves Yomogi, a little dazed and confused, aimlessly remarking, "...I really don't know how to use this thing in a fight yet...!" ...A single arm lifts stiffly. Up, and over, and then in a complete 360 circle. He is nowhere near Greyjhom at all.
KTS: Wing Combine Force has deployed in Dynawing. <Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It appeared quite suddenly - a kaiju in bright colors, marching down the Nouvelle Tokyo streets. A slow march, heedless of the destruction it causes - and the Nouvelle Tokyo police can only do so much, when it attacks anything that draws too near.
The Grand Glorious Guard have been called in and Rikka, in turn, has reached out and gathered a team - people she trusts to be able to handle themselves. The Mu Gundam flies at the head of the group, soaring over the city and staring down at the chaos. A concerned frown crosses over Rikka's face as she takes note of it.
"This is bad... It's too late for the Dividing Driver to make any difference. And..." Rikka starts, trailing off. She can feel it from the city - fear, terror, despair... People, afraid, as they find themselves trapped and unable to escape. "There are people who haven't been able to evacuate yet."
Just then - something appears. A massive red and yellow giant. Distinctly mechanical, and standing against the kaiju. It goes to attack - but the kaiju vanishes out of the way each time. And then the combination unit... splits apart?
"A combination unit...? Do we have any data on it?" Rikka asks consideringly. A thoughtful look crosses her face. They're facing the kaiju, and it seems like they have a plan - any outside interference now might interrupt their teamwork. And so... she decides to make a judgment call.
"This is Chief Takarada of 3G Red." Rikka greets, trying to make contact. "I hate to ask this of you, but there's still people who haven't been able to evacuate. Can we trust the kaiju to you?"
She'll leave it in their hands - while she takes the lives of the people of this city into hers.
"There's two primary points of concern." Rikka starts, turning her attention back to those focused on evacuation. "This subway, and this office building... There's people trapped inside both, and the latter's supports are weakened. I need people on both - and if we can address the risk of collapse too, that'd be great."
She sends over the relevant data.
"I'm going to try to get the people out of the office building. If you have any way to help - follow my lead!" Rikka says. With that, the Mu Gundam takes off, flying toward the office building. As she flies, the funnel rack raises. She sends several of them flying off, and they race toward the building - and rather than open fire, they move to press themselves against it, acting as a brace for potential stress points. Alone, they won't stop it - but it might supplement the efforts of others to prevent the collapse. And with that, the Mu Gundam lands.
"It's alright! We're here to help you. I'm coming in to get you - just stay calm and wait for me!" Rikka announces, for the benefit of the people inside. The cockpit opens - she reaches for her headset and communicator, sliding the former onto her head and the latter onto her belt, and she leaps out. This is... dangerous. She knows that. But she's the best suited for it. If it's about to come down, she's likely to notice it before it does. And seeing the Chief there might help keep people calm - and a panicked rush to flee is the last thing they need. With that, she moves to make her way inside.
KTS: Priscilla has deployed in Brownie <Battle Armor>. <Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane and Rikka both have their jobs -- Rikka is focusing on the office building. Akane, as Intelligence's representative, is actually to remain on foot and comb for additional issues and help people as she encounters them. ... well, 'on foot' -- really more 'on a mass-produced GunDober prototype that needs some testing.'
Galactron is not precisely a reassuring presence yet, so if it isn't needed, it's better for Akane to do what she can down here.
So far, as she moves through the heart of Nouvelle Tokyo, she hasn't found much that isn't already attended to by either 3G or local civil defense. That's a good sign -- procedures remain in place and for the most part they're well-adhered-to.
Akane reports, "My area seems pretty stable --" but something gnaws at her. A familiar-yet-unfamiliar feeling in her gut. ... It could be a Somnium, she thinks at first -- but it doesn't feel quite like it did when Lamia came to say hello, either. Kaworu's first intrusion into Tsutsujidai... that's a closer reference feeling, but that doesn't feel right either. It's... more intimate somehow. More familiar.
"... I'm going to put the prototype on automatic mode," Akane says over comms, after a little thought. "It'll be a pretty good test for the simple AI. Something feels kinda off."
Her brow furrows as she dismounts and starts walking. Her hands drift down to her pocket, gripping her pass holder for just a moment. Her eyes turn up, and she starts moving -- through an alleyway, vaguely in the direction of a hunch teasing at the corners of her perception.
It's hard to hide one's intent. A sense of faint curiosity swirls around a point in Nouvelle Tokyo -- drawing ever closer to the Eugenicists, though not in line-of-sight quite yet...
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
Even Super AIs had a side job and hustle they did. In Zan's case, it was also doubling as one of the big repair crews. He was, after all, a one robot repair crew when he had the time. That's why he was in Nouvelle Tokyo.
It was understandable that he had a human crew helping out, too, as there was some things too small for him to use. And he preferred it that way. Now, however, the signal goes out.
And Zan is understandably looking up from the work his many components are doing.
He looks down at the human foreman over the job, "Sorry, boss. Duty calls." He says.
Flying towards the scene, the massive Iron Railer train gives off a loud train whistle to announce it's presence. To get the Kaiju's attention.
Then the train streaks upwards. The shuttle launches the orange form of Zan's aircraft form as he changes to his robotic form, followed by a shuttle from the front launching. "System Change! Zan Robo! Rail Docking!"
That shuttle bends in half before the wings invert. Arms and legs come out of the blue aircraft as it approaches Zan.
Zan himself folds in at the arms and legs and attaches to the shuttle, forming a head and chest section that is then covered by the shuttle itself. "Zanrailer! Rail Combine!"
A strong magnetic field shoots out to encompass the train and the new robot before the train separates and the cars lengthen. Feet appear from the rear two cars, fists from the first two, and the train engine folds over in half before coming down on the Zanrailer. The cars slide on to the legs and over the arms as the wings fold backwards to allow the engine to come down over the top. A helmet drops down over the Zanrailer's head. "IRON ZANRAILER!"
The massive train robot drops down to land in front of the kaiju, jets firing from the back and legs to soften the landing as it brings up it's hands in preparation for battle. "Kaiju, cease activities and leave the city or face me."
KTS: Zan has deployed in Iron Zanrailer. <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Nouvelle Tokyo is technically Grand Glorious Guard territory. However, with Tokyo-3 only a handful of miles away, it would be appalling to simply ignore a crisis while it's underway, and while politically things might be fraught, the actual personnel of NERV and GGG still get along. With the understanding that GGG command's orders take precedence, NERV fields one Evangelion to engage in kaiju battle and one Evangelion to focus on disaster relief and defense, with on-foot personnel going in on the ground to help with the evacuation.
Naturally, if you're going to send anyone to go on the offensive, it's going to be Asuka Shikinami Langley. Kaworu's orders, as he arrives in the city in Unit Beta, are to avoid combat (and thus expensive damages) and focus on limiting damage, blocking stray attacks, and keep evacuations smooth.
Unit Beta's A.T. Field thus comes in strong from the start, forming a clean, permeable line to help box in the battle and prevent further collateral damage while not interfering with the defenders. On the ground, NERV personnel identify that office building that's taken a hit and move to help escort evacuees to a safe place. (Galactron certainly isn't reassuring to them, but Kaworu has faith in Akane.) Kaworu himself, in Unit Beta, steps with care over to Mu Gundam to help hold the building itself up.
"Rikka, hello," Kaworu transmits to Rikka as she leaves her mobile suit to head inside. "NERV is here to support you. Let us know what you need done."
Of course, she's already given orders to her own people on what to do, so it'll be simple enough for it to get passed on accordingly.
And while Kaworu helps keep that building from collapsing, his gaze travels across his view of the city to a certain spot, where a certain quartet overlook the fight...
<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
A Kaiju is marching through the streets of Nouvelle Tokyo. And like it or not, the OCU requested GGG, but that's a separate issue in her resentment.
The rail still runs, speeding into the outskirts of Nouvelle Tokyo, before screeching to a halt before it would run afoul of the city's 'infrastructure disruptions.'
An oversized tarp flies off, even as a tower rises, cranking the enormous Evangelion into position.
It's green optics glow as workers on the NERV's tac teams move to connect the cables. "Feh. Two Evas is better than they deserve for just some stupid Kaiju attack. It's not like they were even calling us in on this one."
Asuka is definitely seething resentment on that, the state of the world angers her, like NERV's cred has gone down.
"Hey Zungenbrecher - I'm launching, whether or not you're in position. That thing's just gonna make rescue efforts tougher every second we twiddle our thumbs."
It's a new nickname for Kaworu, she didn't exactly run it by him or anything, but - she did as she requested anyhow.
Zungenbrecher. 'Tongue Twister'. Perhaps a reference to the classic saying 'She sells Seashells on the Seashore.'
Either way is unclear, but the Red Evangelion catches it's various armaments as they erupt out of crates, and she takes off, veering away from evacuation routes, and trying to utilize the shallower parts of the Bay on the approach.
There's an odd feeling however as she approaches, something throbbing in the crimson hue through which she perceives the world now...
... there's nothing different about this one, but it feels different, and she's not sure why.
Catching an eye on Dynastriker and Dynawing, Asuka murmurs, "They look a lot like that thing from before..."
Before she switches to the GGG public band and in contrast to Kaworu's common assurances of offering help offers a dissonant sense of accusation, "<Hey, this is Eva-02 with NERV forces.>"
A picture of the Dynastriker and Dynawing are displayed from the Eva's sensors, reflected from interior of her entry plug, "<3G's not fielding those things right? If so now's the time to come clean!>"
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has deployed in Evangelion Unit-02. KTS: EN Barrier activated! <Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
The subway tunnel is lit with red. Dust filters down from the collapsed roof. The commuters stranded on a nearby platform are still largely processing what just happened. Some have turned around and fled back aboveground. A young woman cradles a cellphone to his ear, and stammers the station number and situation to a dispatcher. A man and three children shelter next to a wall above the emergency exit. A conductor recites emergency instructions over the PA.
And Liam, who survived Dublin, lies curled up on the ground in front of the seat he fell off, hand planted on the ground. He takes deep breaths, repeating the cool-down exercise he did with Dr. Hinoki less than fifteen minutes before. Deep, square breaths.
Slowly, he rises, and glances around. A moment later, once he's out of the grip of memory, reality sinks in. A fresh flood of adrenaline surges through him.
The train. There's still people inside.
Liam glances about--a few commuters have moved in to try and open the emergency door, but they aren't having much luck. A woman curses and pulls a cut, bloodied hand away from what's left of the access panel. Liam sees his objective.
In a few moments, he's there, next to her. "I've got it," he says. "Stand back." The cyborg plants his hands on either side of the door, and starts to push, slow and steady. He meets with resistance from the hydraulics, immediately, but he keeps pushing, trying to open the door with raw muscle power alone.
He's not thinking about how this is not something people should be capable of doing. Right now, he's just focusing on the people in front of him, and how he can help.
<Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
Priscilla has plenty of reasons to be in the Nouvelle Tokyo area. It's not like she can call anywhere on Earth home, but when Koyomi Yamanaka offers you his place for your mailing address, it starts to at least feel close to home.
...The monster attacks, unfortunately, aren't unfamiliar, either. While Priscilla's come to understand that Nouvelle Tokyo's evacuation and disaster relief systems are way better than they are near anywhere in Terra, apparently this one was a personal challenge to her allies in the Dynazenon.
And is there anything more unforgiveable than dragging countless innocent lives in your own personal mess? Since she's in the area, Priscilla decides it wouldn't hurt to give them a little support - after all, Brownie fights to protect others. "This is Priscilla and Brownie! I'm here to back you up, Dynazenon!" She comms, to the four separated Dynazenon machines. "But uh... this one's pretty weird, isn't it? Got a game plan in mind?"
A heavily armoured pink machine skates in to meet the Guardian Enemy Kaiju. It's one that NERV would most certainly recognize as one of the intergalactic alien forces that attacked one of their bases last month. It doesn't attack the kaiju just yet - seeing how ineffective Dynazenon's were - but it's not hostile to NERV either. For now, Priscilla just waits, studies the kaiju as if it were any other opponent, until she can go for a weak point. But if she just attacks randomly... she knows it wouldn't be pretty for the evacuees and rescuers below.
Evangelion Unit-02 catches her notice, too, and Priscilla grimaces within Brownie. It's that tall, red one from Kamogawa... and probably the same pilot, too, considering how one-of-a-kind the 'Evangelions' were. She decides to take it carefully and avoid provoking Asuka... even if she doubts she'll escape her attention.
<Pose Tracker> Sizumu has posed.
In one second, the kaiju is there. And within the passage of this moment into the next
wings expand
sparkles are shunted from them in shimmery sounds like scales from a moth
and it disappears.
It's like a visual bug, the way that giant monster flickers and then just suddenly is -not- there, every time Dynazenon tries with its assault.
Every time, Dynazenon hits nothing but the empty air, only for Greyjhom to be suddenly -there-, behind it, punishing it for its hubris of thinking it could compare to the raw, uncanny power of kaiju.
How do you hit something that aggressively refuses to obey the laws of time and space?
-++-
Yellow eyes bleeding out into glowing flows of scarlet red, Juuga smiles.
"I knew you'd come."
Beside him, Onija triumphantly pumps a fist as he watches the mayhem.
"HAH! Hell yeah! That dumb bastard and his phony kaiju can't even touch you! Smash 'em good, Juuga! Oi! Mujina, did you see those moves?? Oi! Look at 'em!"
In the background of Onija persistently nagging, Sizumu seems content to just stand, back turned to the others, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. There is a certain kind of placid detachment to his lack of reaction to the ongoing attack they've sparked -- like none of it is particularly noteworthy or surprising.
But...
Juuga blinks at the arrival of another, mechanized foe.
"--Wait. We have more."
Onija looks up from his enthusiastic pestering, squinting.
"Hahh? Who the hell're those twerps? More fake kaiju?"
Juuga pauses for a moment. Then -- those glowing red eyes narrow.
"No. They're another trial to overcome."
As Onija loudly encourages Juuga to, quote, "pick up the big skinny red one and beat the chunky train one to death with it"... the gold-haired youth's attention shifts.
Beneath the brim of his hat, Sizumu's gaze turns westward.
In the vague direction of a certain representative of GGG Red Intelligence, far off.
Far off, but on the approach.
"..."
-++-
Greyjhom, which had been busily chasing around the component pieces of Dynazenon, comes to a sudden halt as Unit-02 Iron Zanrailer and Brownie arrive. For a few blissful seconds the Dyna Team have a reprieve from its warping havoc as it seems to simply -- stall there, one massive, clawed foot crunching down on the crumbled ruins of a car beneath its tremendous toes -- like it simply shut off, for lack of a better term.
It stands there like a perfect statue exactly long enough for one to start to think that it might ACTUALLY be complying with the Iron Zanrailer's orders to stand down--
Before its visored stare suddenly burns with a baleful red hue. The blade-like wing components at its back spread out.
Sparkling particles like little fragments of a starry cosmos jettison from them in an unfocused spray.
And with a bizarre, static glitch --
it's gone.
3G's not fielding those things right? If so now's the time
The sound of static crackles slightly in Asuka's communication lines.
A shadow casts over Unit-02.
to come clean!
And the dangerously curved length of its blade-like right and comes sweeping down right for Unit-02's head.
One strike, simple, clean, -violent-. Sparkles spew.
It's gone.
There's an unoccupied space hosting a bulldozed construction site somewhere between Zanrailer and Brownie.
It's no longer unoccupied.
Crouched low, arms bundled against its chest, the strange, insectoid kaiju lets out a harmonic roar. The ports at its chest and back start to glow.
When its arms snap wide, ALL those ports ignite into beaming, furious streams of strange purple particle fire, ripping indiscriminately across buildings and streets on a hellacious path towards Brownie, Dynawing, the Iron Zanrailer and even as far out to the Dynadiver cruising the waters.
Wings spread. Space glitches.
And it's a single jump cut's worth of time to take Greyjhom far away to where Dynastriker weaves through the city streets, one foot raised to just try to--
-stomp- on it
like it's a bug.
There's a certain irony there that might be better pondered when Koyomi isn't about to possibly die.
(onija, it must be noted, is currently laughing his ass off)
KTS: Sizumu targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Thinking With Porting Strike! KTS: Sizumu targets Koyomi Yamanaka with Thinking With Porting Slap! KTS: Sizumu targets Priscilla, Zan, and Wing Combine Force with Beam Ports Sweep! KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley engages guard against Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Strike! KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Sizumu enervates Asuka Shikinami Langley, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Asuka Shikinami Langley poorly guards Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Strike, taking 3420 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What chains still bind you? activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What is it that moves you? activates, causing Deject! KTS: Wing Combine Force engages evade against Sizumu's Beam Ports Sweep! KTS: Best Defense! Wing Combine Force successfully reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Sweep, taking 0 damage! KTS: Priscilla engages charge against Sizumu's Beam Ports Sweep! KTS: Best Defense! Priscilla successfully reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Sweep, taking 4050 damage! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka engages evade against Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Slap! KTS: Best Defense! Koyomi Yamanaka moderately reacts to Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Slap, taking 0 damage! KTS: Zan engages charge against Sizumu's Beam Ports Sweep! KTS: Zan moderately reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Sweep, taking 4860 damage! <Pose Tracker> Mujina has posed.
Mujina is absolutely not watching the fighting, sitting on top of an air conditioning unit. "I saw them," Mujina responds, lying openly to her comrade- just in time to get him nagging her to look. "I've seen Juuga use Kaiju a bunch of times," she responds, unenergetically, but the path of least resistance is to turn her head slightly to the right and watch. "There, happy?" She responds to Onija, not noticing whatever if it Sizumu did.
-=-=-
In one stopped subway train in particular, amidst the panic and destruction, the panic rises with the emergency lights in both the train and the tunnel, but it's still dark even with that- and the emergency exit for this car in particular is crushed shut by the debris. People start jostling and panicking- green light starts carving out the side of the car, slow but steady, but reveals the initial problem- there's too much rubble on the other side and it will start caving. A second cut further down pays off, however, and the path to the next car is open. A young teen- though Zentradi, by the look of him, looks over to Shari and Girardo. "Hey, you need some help moving?" He asks, even as others move to the next car.
And at the next car, Liam uses his augmented strength against the train doors to force them open. This is, in fact, a thing that Nouvelle Engineers have taken into account on the designs- both the tendencies of cool heroes to come forcing doors open and science crime monstrosities coming to tear at them and rip out people for eating like delicious canned meats. They're resistant against beating and slashing, but pushing? Once Liam is able to force to the doors open enough to get his hands between them- no small feat- he'll find two points sized for human hands to slide into to give better grip and disable the hydraulics pushing back. From there it's just force- and the doors open.
Outside the train though, there's a long walk through the tunnels to the next station either side, and one route is collapsed. On the other hand, there are shelters half way between each station for this exact reason, and maintenance exits from the tunnels. Green emergency lights guide the way-
Unfortunately, the external access switch to the shelter itself is non-responsive. Emergency power is up, so why...?
The presence of the Grand Glorious Guard is a thing of comfort to the people of Nouvelle Tokyo, and by this point Chief Rikka is an accomplished rescue worker on top of everything else. Her funnels move in to act as supports underneath the building, providing something to keep it upright, before making her way in. Good news- the floor Kaiju Warden is doing their job in their obvious red safety hat. The bad news- there are people cut off by the collapsed floor, and the drop would put them straight into the underground carpark, likely with two broken legs.
Unit Beta reinforces the funnels- for now, the collapse is halted between the two units- but it won't stand without them, and Evangelion units are prone to operation time limits without external power.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
Shari manages to finish cutting open her second attempt and stands back up, wiping sweat fromm her brow. Luckily, her makeup is heavy-duty too. Less luckily, as she looks back Gerardo is still cradling his arm, and his sleeve is bloody. The teenager asks--
"Yeah," Shari says, "My boyfriend's hurt. Can you help us?" Shari will stay with him, of ccoruse--with them. And as hey start to move to the next car, she spots--
"Hey!" she says, "Strong guy!" That's Liam, of course. She looks back at Gerardo--and hesitates. "Just keep up with me," she tells him and the Zentradi teenager. "Thank you."
"Strong guy!" she says again. "My name's Shari. I've got some gadgets and some tech knowhow. I don't knkow what's up with the kaiju, though..."
She comes out, and looks around. "Emergency lights... But--"
The shelter's in accessible. Shari frowns. "...Let me," she says, and pulls a small toolkit, cracking open the internals to get a look. "I can get this working. I just need to power it..."
She pulls her green torch and smacks it against the wall, opening up its mechanisms to use its power source for the panel. "A little power and..."
It's Void Green, though it's not uncomfortable to look at, unlik Elisa's pwoer; there is no psychic shockwave. It's just... green.
"C'mon," Shari says, "C'mon..."
Gerardo winces, and walks up behind, a litle slower. She says to Liam, "She really is very good at this. Between the two of you I am sure we will be all right."
<Pose Tracker> Koyomi Yamanaka has posed.
A moment passes before Rikka gets an answer, coming from the machine like a submarine out in the river. It's a male voice, but the video feed is, somehow, despite there not being a camera there, a view of the front of the machine, its front windows illuminating with his voice like the Assist Weapons used to do.
...a lot, like the Assist Weapons used to do. Is this Hyper World stuff?
"Chief, huh..." A few moments' thought. "Count on us! Dynazenon won't back down!"
Dynastriker, the car-like vehicle, for its part, does a broad drift around an entire office park in the process of escaping Greyhjom's blipping assault. He answers Prscilla, "Not really? Keep it busy so it can't trash too much else, mostly..." Koyomi says. "Maybe if we can force it to keep moving, we'll get an eye on how it's"
bzzp
"warpoh dear."
Koyomi grips the control and all those practice sessions pay off at once. Greyjholm *appears* *directly* in front of him, fit to smash Dynastriker flat at once. But the machine veers left, then right, then ROLLS onto two wheels, neatly skidding right past Greyjholm as the foot smashes right where the body of the Dynastriker was a second ago. There's no pedal work to play with here. Just a stick and buttons. But Koyomi's hand claws and his eyes focus intently as Dynastriker slides back down, spins around its own center of gravity almost like it were rotating in place, and then the cannons on the front light up and FIRE! A blast of yellow-white light races downrange!!
Koyomi watches what it does in reply, intently.
Out in the river, Gauma calls out, "Alright, that'll hold it! Missiles, FIRE!"
Dynadiver's dorsal silos swing open, firing a wave of missiles up to arc down on Greyjhom! This will probably go well!
KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka targets Sizumu with Strike Blasters! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka's Read the Road activates Strike! KTS: Sizumu engages evade against Koyomi Yamanaka's Strike Blasters! KTS: Sizumu poorly reacts to Koyomi Yamanaka's Strike Blasters, taking 3600 damage! <Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
The Iron Zanrailer looks over at Asuka. And despite not having NERV access, Zan can do one thing.
<< Asuka. Kaworu. Good to see you both. >>
That bizarre static has the Iron Zanrailer looking around. Zan internally runs over what he saw before coming to a conclusion.
"Unknown transportation abilities." He announces.
The massive robot takes some of those strange particle beams to the back before it detects the static glitch again. This time, it tries to pinpoint where that sudden mass appears. Seeing as it will be nearly impossible to grab, the Iron Zanrailer instead charges and leaps, feet extending as it tries to summarily drop kick the kaiju in the center mass.
Jets fire afterwards to slow the massive robot or keep it from hopefully crashing into the ground. It's not the most conventional version, but the point is to try to make it ignore the others and make it realize that Zan is one of two big threats to it right now.
KTS: Zan targets Sizumu with Rail Stomp!
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam's hands slip into the manual release latch. A few moments later, the doors open wide, and he lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
'Hey! Strong guy!'
The cyborg looks in Shari's direction, brow furrowing. He knows her from somewhere, and that's absolutely the light of a Void weapon. Unease drips down the back of his neck, until--
"Shari Loom?" Liam's voice is a hushed, urgent whisper. Shockwaves echo through the ground--the rhythmic footsteps of massive machines, up above. "Everyone, clear out!" he cries, a moment later. "It's too dangerous here!" Shari told him to keep up with her, but Liam takes a moment to hang back--he doesn't move to join her until the train car is evacuated. He jogs back to Shari, one grimy hand darting into his pocket to pull out his cellphone.
"Wish we didn't have to meet like this," Liam says, as he taps out a text message to Lucine.
It's not easy. His hands are visibly shaking. Deep breaths.
KTS: Sizumu engages evade against Zan's Rail Stomp! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Zan's Rail Stomp, taking 0 damage! KTS: Zan roots its unit, coming to a standstill and leaving it vulnerable. <Pose Tracker> Wing Combine Force has posed.
Accompanying the first window to Rikka is a second - this one, small, and displaying the dinosaur-like head of Dynasoldier. Yomogi somewhat meekly remarks, "...We'll do our best, but things are getting...really outta hand-"
"Of course, Chief Takarada," Yume interrupts, Dynawing's visual feed barging over top of Yomogi's, the panels on the cockpit flashing aplenty. "We're still getting a handle on it, but just like he said, this is what Dynazenon was made for." Her voice is a little forceful and excited, right until she takes a deep breath. "...The 3G's here to help us with the tougher part of getting everyone to safety, yeah? That's reassuring. I was honestly a little worried about that..."
...Within Dynazenon's own communication systems, Yomogi can't help but stare sidelong at Yume's wistful determination - and she's of course looking straight forward. When he tries to, he sees Yume spiraling and swaying through the web of beams Greyjhom fills the sky with, just at the edge of danger - and in front, Dynastriker skids sidelong to give the kaiju hell.
They're both fighting like they've been waiting for this their whole lives, so why can't Yomogi...
"There's nothing I can do but try, huh. Nothing makes sense out here...but I'm just gonna have to figure it out by getting in there, aren't I?" Yomogi grips the controls with all his might - the ones that never feel like they can control something as complicated as a whole humanoid mobile weapon - and, stiff and awkward as can be, Dynasoldier starts sprinting forward as soon as the kaiju finally warps back into reality for a short while. A fierce clawed arm raises up, ready to take a chunk out of Greyjhom...
...But it's really not a punch Yomogi throws, is it? It's more like...rapidly whirling around Dynasoldier's upper body, because that's what he thinks can get that fist forward. But he overcorrects, and spins once, twice, thrice-! Before finally actually landing the arc that'd swing those claws right through Greyjhom's armor-plated belly.
"...I think I'm gonna be a bit sick from that," Yomogi gasps.
"...He really doesn't get what he's doing yet, huh? ...Well, what can you do. ...I'm honestly not sure why I do get it. Maybe I get why Koyomi does a little more than myself...ah, nice one down there, both of you. Really, I'm serious. This thing isn't easy to pin down, so...do your best-!" Yume's earnest attempt at cheering the rest of the team on comes out sounding so sardonic by pure accident and affect that she can't help but click her tongue, which leads to slightly biting it mid-barrel roll.
KTS: Sizumu's What is this strange longing? activates! KTS: Wing Combine Force targets Sizumu with Nauseous Spinning! KTS: Wing Combine Force's What is this thumping heart? activates Wall and Valor! KTS: Sizumu fails to engage evade against Wing Combine Force's Nauseous Spinning! KTS: Sizumu successfully reacts to Wing Combine Force's Nauseous Spinning, taking 4050 damage! <Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka does get an answer, eventually - the video feed mysterious displaying the front of the submarine-styled vehicle. It's strange - and strangely familiar.
She'll keep that in mind for later. For now, she nods her gratitude.
"Thank you, Dynazenon." She says... and soon enough, there's two more windows. Dynasoldier, soon followed by Dynawing. Yomogi seems meek, where Yume has a bit of forced energy... She can't see their faces, but their voices...
Teenagers, huh? ...It's kind of nostalgic. Were they, too, wound up into a fight to protect their home?
"It can be difficult... Just take a deep breath, and just try to focus on what you can do for now." Rikka encourages Yomogi. As for Yume, who says they're getting a handle on it, Rikka nods. "That's right - we're here to help. We'll make sure people get out safely. You keep yourselves safe too, alright?"
With that, Rikka focuses on the trouble at hand. Fortunately, help is here, in many forms. Unit Beta arrives, stepping over the Mu Gundam to hold up the office building. Internally, Rikka feels some relief. That'll make things go a lot smoother.
"Kaworu. Good to see you." Rikka greets. "Thanks. For now, this office building and the nearby subway are the points in the greatest amount of danger - I'll keep you updated as the situation changes."
And as she climbs out to enter the building, there's another voice - another Evangelion Unit. Asuka... so she's back on her feet? At least enough to fight. She smiles, just a bit. The accusation doesn't phase her.
"This is my first time seeing them - they're not one of ours." Rikka replies. "It's worth keeping an eye on, but right now, they're trying to fight."
WIth that, Rikka heads into the building - where she finds good news and bad news. Rikka frowns, just slightly.
"The floor's out in here, and everyone's cut off." Rikka says, speaking into her headset. It's like a repeater for the Mu Gundam, allowing her to keep in touch even in here. "The floor's out, and it's too far for them to just drop down... I'm going to look for some rope or something, but if you have some ideas or can make a path, Kaworu, I'd appreciate the help."
With that said, she gets to searching. She just needs a rope of some kind - even a heavy-duty cable or hose would do, there's enough for her to secure it onto. While she does, though, she turns her attention to the Kaiju Warden.
"The carpark below... if we found a safe way to climb down, would there be a convenient exit?" Rikka asks. "I can support anyone who can't climb down under their own power."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
It befits Akane to approach from the west. Her passing is often marked by the setting sun, after all.
That feeling -- that prickle at the back of her neck -- grows. It's... managed to become unfamiliar, in the last couple of years -- so much so that it takes her a few moments to realize just how familiar it is... and how different it is to see it from outside.
"Hhhhhuh," Akane murmurs. She glances down to her 3G pager.
206. 202.
'Do not meet me; job is not complete.'
She draws closer still. Whether she likes it or not, there are circumstances in which she cuts an impressive figure. Her gaze turns up toward the sky, as she starts to weigh something.
Come as she is...? Or -- if it's a kaiju, if it's something standing apart from humanity... should she present that face, too?
The gulf between the 'her' that she wanted and the 'her' that she's constructed... is it small enough to make something like this less risky?
For a few moments, she goes over the options in her head until she wears a groove in her mental 'floor' -- it's her way, as she makes her way past a damaged Seven-21. She puts it on pause for a moment to give a middle schooler directions to the nearest shelter -- but then it's right back to it.
Slowly, she raises her hand up, palm pointed inward, as she slips into the alleyway next to it. Her other hand holds tight to that pass holder, still with her -- nearly always with her, in fact.
"Instance --"
Lilac hair shades to grey as someone steps out of that same alleyway. Golden epaulettes adorn her shoulders, and when her hand emerges from a pocket that no longer exists, it -- and its counterpart -- bear long, white gloves. A purple corset with white cups and gold trim, a matching purple skirt, and tall white boots with bright blue accent gems cover the rest of her form. For good measure, she has a couple accents. The first -- a big white ribbon with gold trim at the bottom of either of its side streamers adorns her back. The second -- draped across her biceps and looping under the cups of her corset sits a white band adorned in four colors -- colors to paint her world.
At her neck is a reminder of where she belongs -- where she fought so hard to be.
The presence that approaches from the west now truly seems as bright as the sun. For those sensitive to the feelings of kaiju, it seems as though yet another kaiju may well have taken the field... despite nothing new joining the battle.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"Do as you will," Kaworu tells Asuka mildly. "That's why you're here."
It seems he doesn't mind the new nickname. (He finds it charming, really--less charming coming from Asuka, whom he knows doesn't mean it that way, but still.)
As for Asuka's more accusatory tone, well, it's Asuka. Kaworu trusts that GGG hasn't been split from NERV for so long that they've forgotten what she's like.
Similarly, when Zan greets them, Kaworu transmits back warmly, "<Likewise. Fight well, Zan. I will help take care of defense.>" Asuka's greeting will probably be significantly less warm.
Priscilla arrives in the Brownie, and Kaworu gives her a thoughtful look. He certainly remembers her. She clearly isn't hostile, opting instead to survey the battle and the psychedelic kaiju. "<We meet again,>" he transmits to her. "<What brings you here?>"
The Greyjhom's warping alone makes it a considerable foe, and its offensive firepower makes it more considerable yet. Already it's giving Asuka trouble, to say nothing of Zan, Priscilla, and the pilots of the various parts of the Dynazenon. It nearly squashed the Dynastriker--though that "nearly" is important, too. Its pilot is doing well for themself. Asuka, meanwhile... That strike will do a lot of damage.
Still, Kaworu has his own orders, and making sure the Lilim get to safety is of considerable importance. Unit Beta stays right where she is as a result, holding up the would-be collapsing building and maintaining the A.T. Field, shifting in real time as necessary to block any stray attacks. She and Unit-02 at least won't need to worry about running out of power--the transport trains that brought them here from Tokyo-3 have umbilical cables--but it'll be a problem if the cables get snapped during the fighting.
For now, this gives Kaworu plenty of time to watch both the battle... and a familiar figure working her away across the ground towards one both like and not like him. But only for a moment, as Rikka responds to his hails.
"<Understood,>" he transmits to Rikka. And, a little later, when she says everyone is cut off: "I can carry them down by hand. Tell me what windows you all can reach."
Once Rikka's relayed that data, assuming there are any windows that those trapped inside can reach, Unit Beta will shift her weight against the building to better carry it on one side, then hold up the other to the appropriate floor for people to clamber onto. Once everyone's secure, she'll move them to ground level. It may take a few trips, though, depending on how many people are there. Of course, if they can't reach any windows, that won't be an option.
<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
'Do as you will,'
"I'll hold you to that." She replies, before Iron Zanrailer notes it's good to see them both, and Asuka sounds irritated, "<You expect me to say the feeling is mutual after you turned coat and left?>"
Asuka's mid accusation when a shadow falls over her. It's not the same seeing it when her world is filtered through this crimson haze.
"<Then whose are t- Hngh!?>"
The Evangelion's head suddenly twists sideways, even as the blade falls upon the Eva, shearing part of the restraint armor from it's upper back clean off- something that scents of iron spraying from the Evangelion.
There's an odd effect which Juuga or perhaps the Kaiju 'as' Juuga sees in which the blade strike stops midway down.
A shimmering field just preventing further momentum, and spoiling the killing blow. Asuka makes a noise like a wounded animal within her LCL as nerve signals fire and tell her that part of her upper back took a slashing wound.
"...HUUUUU BASTARD-!" She pivots suddenly. The crossbow held and fired at point blank- metal spitting through the sky like a bolt of lightning, even as the other arm is grabbing it's Naginata awkwardly one handed.
And is met with open air.
The sudden burst of rage is spoiled by the unexpected, "The hell!?" As if it deescalates the battle fervor just by that overwhelming surprise.
She'll never know what Onija just goaded Juuga to do. Instead she sees, "YOU!" Unfortunately, her spinning where the Kaiju no longer is - puts her in line of sight with Priscilla.
"<Is this your doing?! Part of the INVASION?>"
And for one tense moment, it's like Asuka is going to fire on the Brownie instead. Something throbs in her head however, this pulsating, migraine like sensation in which she flinches and...
... the Evangelion whirls suddenly, it's crossbow held up, as it fires a metal stake right where it's foot is trying to make contact with the Dynastriker.
As it flies through the city, it tries to catch it before that feeling vanishes again. "I'll deal with YOU later!"
She promises tot he Brownie pilot, the Red Evangelion taking off into a charge, slinging the crossbow up over one of her Eva's pylons, in favor of that two sided Naginata.
Up close and personal always was her preferred MO, "CUT YOU TO PIECES!" She shouts her promise, though whether it's a promise she can even keep...
... it's a lot of distance to cover between her and the Kaiju. Especially one that can just outright warp. Whether she's figured that out or not is debatable, in her current murder haze.
She'll figure out what's going on with the Dyna-Stillthinks3Gissecretlyfieldingthem-zenon team after.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Sizumu with MM-144 EC Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Bolt From the Blue! KTS: Sizumu engages evade against Asuka Shikinami Langley's MM-144 EC Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Bolt From the Blue! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Asuka Shikinami Langley's MM-144 EC Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Bolt From the Blue, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
"Teleportation?!" Priscilla exclaims, watching Greyjhom's magical trick of moving place to place without effort. "Geez, no wonder Dynazenon was having such a hard time with this one... You just don't fight fair, do you?" She doesn't sound disheartened, though... if anything, such a cheap trick only motivates her even more to overcome it.
"Gotcha! We'll figure it out," She replies briskly as Koyomi explains their... options, limited as they are. "Brownie's got some tricks up its sleeve, so I'll see what I can do. Besides, even kaiju get tired, right? All that warping's gotta wear it out." Priscilla too, capitalizes on her opponent's stamina, why wouldn't it apply to skyscraper-sized monsters?
Kaworu is surprisingly cordial for an 'enemy' pilot, "It's you again! Hehe, I probably shouldn't be saying 'good to see you again'." She replies, surprisingly good-naturedly in return. "I'm gonna fight that kaiju, of course! So don't worry, I'll stay out of your way if you're here to help people evacuate."
Asuka is not so cordial, though, accusing her of masterminding the attack for the purpose of an 'invasion'. Priscilla feels that hostile intent, raising Brownie's arms defensively when it feels like Asuka's going to attack. "It wasn't me, pinky swear! It'd be pretty dumb to use something you can't control... for a so-called 'invasion'!" She claims, though she jumps out of the way when the kaiju comes for Asuka.
Suddenly, Greyjhom is in front of her though, in that empty construction site, and she can tell that roar is trouble. Priscilla's got an idea, though, as she watches that purple particle beam sweep across - as long as she follows the beam, she can keep a lock on its position, even if she needs to sacrifice some of her armour to do so.
"Not bad, kaiju," Priscilla grins, struggling to keep her standing balance as the beam rocks the purple armour plates of Brownie, a few heavy chunks of it falling clean off. "But not even you can run away from Brownie!!" A brief glance to Zan, who was also blasted by the same beam. "Hey, you in the orange Armor! You alright? You seem like a pretty reckless Rider, you know~"" Does... does she think Zan is a pilot?
As for Asuka, she just does an exaggerated gesture. "See? That thing's going for me too!" As for Asuka's threat... "Sorry! Can't make any promises there. Bet we'll both be busy with the aftermath of this mess. And it's those GGG guys who make the rules around here, right?" It's sort of a taunt, but she also saw what last time did to Asuka's mental state. She's not going to intentionally trigger that with a fight.
...And with a glitch in space, Greyjhom is gone. But now that the weight of some of that armour is jettisoned off, Priscilla estimates that Brownie should be fast enough to catch up to the kaiju's new position and back up Koyomi and his friends. "Trying to hold it down? Sounds like a plan...!" Priscilla follows their lead, unleashing Brownie's electrifying whip.
"Spark Needles! Pin 'em down!" Priscilla calls, as she launches each of the electrifying needles of her whip into Greyjhom's body, hoping they'll at least connect and shock it just long enough for anyone to capitalize on the chance.
KTS: Priscilla has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Priscilla targets Sizumu with Spark Needle Shutdown! KTS: Sizumu engages evade against Priscilla's Spark Needle Shutdown! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Priscilla's Spark Needle Shutdown, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Sizumu has posed.
C R U N C H
goes Greyjhom's foot against pavement, fissuring its print deep into asphalt.
In the distance, Onija leaps up to the edge of the chain-link fence, leaning over it to peer with wide, pinkish-red eyes.
"HAH! Like a freakin' bug! Aw, shit! Didja get it??"
Juuga's brows furrow. His right eye twitches fractionally as Greyjhom's foot lifts--
revealing nothing, just in time for Dynastriker to confirm its survival with a scorching lance of yellow-white light. It scores a glancing blow across the kaiju's technicolor-metal surface--
before it once again vanishes in a static screech, leaving nothing but dissipating sparkles in its wake for Unit-02's electromagnetic stake to PUNCH through, IMPALING the cracked and crumbling street its foot once occupied.
"Tss! You blew it, Juuga!"
"Can't you go back to bothering Mujina?"
Juuga would apologize for making Mujina a sacrifice to Onija, but he's in the Zone right now.
The Zone would be where Greyjhom reappears in -front- of the Dynastriker, slightly singed but otherwise no worse for wear. It gets a second's reaction time before the two inward-most ports at its chest ignite into twin streams of purple light- searing an ugly path down churning pavement towards Koyomi's Dynastriker like some sort of city-wrecking tit for tat.
Beam ports are still sputtering and sparking by the time Zan springs upon it with shocking speed and force to deliver that devastating drop kick. It's surprising - he's frighteningly accurate in his targeting - and yet --
Wings flare. Sparks fly.
Iron Zanrailer's foot pistons straight through empty air, rather than central mass.
What comes next is the shadow of the Greyjhom casting over Zan from above as the beetle-like kaiju tries to -crash- into him from above, pincer-like hands -stabbing- downward in an attempt to make his controlled landing more of a crashing kind before it sparkles, sputters, and disappears once more.
When it reappears, it is a few feet from Dynasoldier -- the component that Juuga had largely been ignoring up until now, mostly because he had in his mind quite correctly surmised that the pilot had no idea what he was doing. He's -still- not paying it any mind as Greyjhom's visored gaze tunnels onto the Dynadiver in the waves below.
It's something he - and Greyjhom - pay for when the Dynasoldier's wild, inaccurate whirling sends it careening -right- into the kaiju with a powerful SMACK.
What the Dynasoldier ultimately strikes is not Greyjhom's back; it's something Yomogi might discover, if he looks: clawed hands have struck and wedged -right- up against the kaiju's folded wings, awkwardly stuck into the space between them.
There is a moment there, a conspicuous moment where the Guardian Kaiju just -stands- there, much like before. Yet this time, it's not immobile. Not entirely.
No. Others might see it; Yomogi might -feel- it.
Those wings, trying to fold back out, only to get jammed up in the would-be fake kaiju's claws. There is the sound of metallic groaning. Harmonic, synthesized sounds ripple like discordantly autotuned melodies from the insectoid creature's maw. It thrashes once, twice, its kick knocking a kiosk so hard it CRASHES into the side of a building.
And then those wings -forcefully- spread, just in time for Greyjohm to spin around and face Dynasoldier.
Particles are spitting wildly into the surrounding air seconds before the broad side of its pincer-like left arm seeks to SMASH into the side of Dynasoldier's head.
And then it's gone again in a static screech.
When it reappears, it is right around where Eva-02 is charging towards it. Its legs bend at the knees as if it intends to meet Asuka's charge in equal measure. Its visor flares as Asuka brandishes her Evangelion's naginata.
But then --
Asuka might just notice the way its wings fan outward and something -strange- seems to tug at her senses like the fabric of space pulling a t h e r e y e b a l l before the kaiju once again disappears in a glitchy scramble of technicolor.
In the space its silhouette once occupied?
Asuka will see a whole host of missiles streaking the air fired by the Dynadiver currently racing for her.
They're not -that- difficult to deal with, at least. But it might be the absolute worst person they could have misfired on.
Something to worry about later, though. For now?
For now, Greyjhom is reappearing DIRECTLY above her, all four ports at its front opening up to pour a deluge of laserfire down on her Evangelion in an indiscriminate rain that pummels the surrounding landscape and washes it away in explosive firepower.
The assault is short-lived, however, as Brownie's offensive demands its immediate attention. Electrified needles whip across the air for it; it's a smart play, trying to short it out and stun it long enough to capitalize on.
Yet, if the kaiju has ever heard of the term 'stamina,' it certainly doesn't seem to abide by the concept, immediately jump-cutting into nothingness the second those needles are about to land, sending electrical pinions swiping the air just where it once occupied.
This time -- this time, it appears -right- in front of Priscilla's Brownie, ports pointed down to fire magenta-pink energy at the Armor battler again, and again, and again -- and a few more salvos to boot, trying to pin -her- down in a mass of overwhelming firepower.
(across the battlefield, Onija complains, with a complete lack of self-awareness: "How's that tiny thing so damn fast?! That ain't fair!!")
-++-
"... There's something strange about that red one."
Juuga's words come almost casually; all of this, even the struggle he finds himself in, is a familiar place, and its as satisfying to him as getting the chance to stretch out a cramped muscle. It feels -good-. And yet...
Dark brows furrow. Yellow, scarlet-tinged eyes narrow. He's not certain, the information he's processing from Greyjhom -- that brief introduction of resistance from Unit-02. Like a barrier, but...
"It doesn't feel like a machine, like the others. That field is weird. It's like..."
"They're restraining what it wants to be."
Sizumu's words cut in, even distant and distracted as they are. He doesn't look over his shoulder at the fighting, his attention focused on that westward point with a level of curiosity that flies in stark contrast to his typical, nonchalant exterior. And yet, those words come certain nevertheless:
"Restraining what they both want to be."
His words trail. Red eyes widen. And...
"Huh? The hell's that supposed to mean?" Onija blanches, scratching the back of his head in a futile attempt to grasp Sizumu's words. "Does it mean it's gonna be harder to kill, or... hey! H-hey!"
... this would be about the time Sizumu, instead of answering, just starts to walk towards the west, ignoring all the rest of the world as -something familiar- gets closer and closer.
Intent to meet them halfway.
No. Meet -her- halfway.
After everything -she's- done...
It's the least -he- can do.
"Sizumu! Where're you goin'! Juuga! Where's he goin'! All you asshole's keep ignoring me -- argh! Mujina! C'mon! We're goin' too!"
KTS: Sizumu targets Koyomi Yamanaka with Beam Ports Blast! KTS: Sizumu targets Zan with Thinking With Porting Strike! KTS: Sizumu targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Beam Ports Pulse! KTS: Sizumu targets Priscilla with Beam Ports Rapid Fire! KTS: Sizumu targets Wing Combine Force with Thinking With Porting Slap! KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to engage Evade against Sizumu's Beam Ports Pulse! KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley moderately reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Pulse, taking 3045 damage! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka engages guard against Sizumu's Beam Ports Blast! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka moderately guards Sizumu's Beam Ports Blast, taking 4930 damage! KTS: Priscilla fails to engage guard against Sizumu's Beam Ports Rapid Fire! KTS: [Spirit Defense] Priscilla's But I still won't lose! activates, and her spirit endures. KTS: Sizumu enervates Priscilla, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Priscilla poorly reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Rapid Fire, taking 6360 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What chains still bind you? activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What is it that moves you? activates, causing Deject! KTS: Wing Combine Force fails to engage parry against Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Slap! KTS: Wing Combine Force moderately reacts to Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Slap, taking 4140 damage! <Pose Tracker> Mujina has posed.
Mujina doesn't really need apologies, she's happy for Onija to be briefly distracted bothering Juuga instead. Frankly, throwing someone else under the 'get bothered by Onija' bus is frankly tradition at this point. It's when Sizumu mentions the restraints that she looks at him confused. "That's... different." Not Sizumu saying something mysterious of course, just. A restrained something... could be interesting? Maybe?
Regretfully, Mujina is the last to notice the extra presence coming from the west. She's not particularly in tune with Kaiju, after all- indeed she only notices that Sizumu's wandering off for no reason- "...Should we follow him?" She asks her comrades (mainly Juuga, even though he's busy)- but when Onija makes the call, Mujina nods. "Got it. I'm coming." Her walk is lackadaisical to Onija' practical charge. Still, she turns back to Juuga as she leaves. "We'll catch up when you finish this?"
-=-=-
When Shari cracks open the internals to the door, and finds the problem- a strange little mouse robot had eaten the wiring- and most of the switch mechanism- to the shelter. Catherine Vuitton was here.... well, there IS a jewellery store upstairs. The Iron Mouse leaps out and runs away- while the lever is non-functional, Shari CAN use a surge of void power to activate the door. From there, there's good news- the internal lever and the camera over the door are still functional, so people inside the shelter can let others in once the door is closed. It's there Liam can be more of use, helping those with difficulties moving into the shelter. It's something to do while cell coverage is down...
The fire suppression system doesn't involve a hose, unfortunately, but there is heavy duty cable. While not ideal, it will do in a pinch. The pillars up here are solid enough to secure them around, and Rikka can easily manufacture a way down under the circumstances. The downside, there's not an immediate exit from the underground carpark to the surface Those who can still move are using the fire escapes and other options to get out- now the building is stabilized, normal procedures work fine work for those mobile, and for those who can't, Kaworu's Unit Beta is there to help them down. It's makes the building a touch less stable, but for the purposes of getting everyone out: it's working. The building will be safely evacuated shortly.
MISSION COMPLETE! Train evacuated! Take shelter or make for the surface!
UPDATE: Find a way out of the parking lot!
UPDATE: Permanently stabilize or safely destroy the building!
OPERATION CONTINUE
KTS: Zan fails to engage Guard against Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Strike! KTS: Zan poorly reacts to Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Strike, taking 5100 damage! <Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane's stance, her walk -- everything is just a little different, like this. (... Not least because a corset and a butt ribbon make some very different demands of your movement.) The unassuming, even tentative walk of Akane Shinjo, Nouvelle Tokyo Institute of Technology student -- and the careful, tense walk of Akane Shinjo, 3G Red Intelligence Coordinator -- both get discarded. Here, she walks like she's in her element -- back straight, lips turned up in a confident smile.
Pushing a stray hair out of her face, Akane keeps walking as the speed of that approach doubles. Ah -- so whoever this is has noticed her, too. A likely outcome, given the conclusions she's drawing about this feeling in her gut.
She may as well make herself easy to find, she thinks. Whatever meeting is headed her way now seems foreordained.
After pulling a public trash bin about a foot closer to a nearby bus stop, Akane climbs atop it -- then atop a map of the bus routes -- and then, finally, atop the bus stop itself. Taking a seat on the canopy, she daintily crosses one leg over the other, letting them hang off, gently tap-tap-tapping the back of her heel at the glass.
The sunset looks east, waiting.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
"Oh, it's you!" Shari says, and smiles to recogize a familiar face, even if that smile is brief. "Liam. Yeah, it'd bee better otherwise. This is Gerardo by the way," she says, gesturing to the young man with the apparently broken arm. "Are you any good at first aid? I'm not."
His hands are shaking... "If you are," she says, "He could use help."
But... the problem. "A--a MOUSE!?" Shari exclaims, and frowns at the little guy. "What a jerk!"
She brute forces it with some Void Power and there, sshe can see the shelter in use. "Liam," she says. "Can you help Gerardo into the shelter?"
She considers. She debates.
"...No," she says, "I should go, too." She looks up, in the direction of the kaiju in the distance, though surely there is something between her and it.
"...But maybe next time, I can do more..."
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
Unable to do split second maneuvers like the kaiju, there is little Zan can do except raise it's massive arms to try to block. The blades cut into the torso of the train robot as it the full weight of the kaiju comes down on it.
A loud boom followed by a cloud of disturbed dust, and building windows shatter around the impact sight, followed by at least one falling over into another away from it.
The Iron Zanrailer lays there a second before it sits up suddenly, sparks coming from the gashes to it's armor as it looks around for where the kaiju went. Rockets fire to get the large robot back on it's feet.
And then he decides to open fire with something that might be faster than it can think hopefully. The eyes of the robot light up before firing off a pair of lasers at it.
Internally, Zan takes notice of the systems damage. The various readouts would have him frowning if he did not have the face mask on. As it stands, he can look a little worried as he tries to track the kaiju and zap it with his eye lasers.
Seeing the destruction from just one attack landing badly on him has him considering going to Zanrailer, but he knows he needs the size and firepower to try to stop this thing quickly. Or so he hopes.
KTS: Zan's Stop Hitting Me Now activates! KTS: Zan has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Zan has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Zan has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Zan targets Sizumu with Eye Lasers!
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"Gerardo," Liam says, looking up from the cellphone, and--after a moment longer--tucking it into his pocket. The little 'Sending...' wheel is going to keep turning until service is restored, and staring at it won't help. He swallows.
First aid. "I can do that. Should be a kit just inside the shelter, probably more--" Suddenly, a mouse. Expecting an actual animal, Liam whirls around, and stares daggers at the robotic rodent. "That's one of Vuitton's drones," he says. "Must've gotten turned around?" But the shelter door is open, now, and Liam feels a bit of weight leave his shoulders. "Yeah." He offers Gerardo an arm, and a shoulder to lean on. A few more of the civilians need to be lifted, steadied, and generally physically helped inside, but once they're all safe, Liam follows them in.
"We should get it splinted, just in case," says the cyborg, popping open the big red-and-white container sealed to the wall. He removes supplies: a length of clean cloth, a sturdy plastic splint, antiseptic wipes, bandages. As other commuters move to take their own supplies, Liam kneels past Gerardo, his face pinching. "Keep your arm as still as you can," he says. "God, I just got out of therapy..."
<Pose Tracker> Koyomi Yamanaka has posed.
It's so FAST. Koyomi's positive he has the right idea with this - it stops sometimes, and there has to be a catch to why and how. If he can just catch it happening! But his shot causes enough debris that he only sees the jump from where it WAS, to where it NOW IS, which is in front of him with its guns charging. "No no no no no!" Koyomi babbles, inexpertly jabbing two buttons at once. The guns ignite again, then bloom into something like a defensive field. It's not perfect but it does mean the worst of the damage washes past the hull of Dynastriker and blows out trees and windows down the street, rather than Koyomi's Human Life. A bus, a police car, and a row of evacuated personal vehicles all arc through the air behind it and SLAM back down to the ground. A Kei-truck bounces three times and then lands on its wheels, invincible if now windowless. Koyomi heaves a withering sigh, and then grimaces when the missiles slam into Gauma. "Don't think we can really use the missiles until we can get it away from the city," Koyomi mutters. "Jeeze, she's gonna be mad about that, huh...?"
Gauma grumbles, fussing with his stick to no particular effect other than dodging and weaving with Dynadiver to try and avoid any cheap shots from Greyjholm. "It's fine! This is chaotic, I'm sure she understands!!"
"That really the impression you get from her...?" Koyomi says back, uneasy. Distracted, too, trying to catch Greyjhom in action as it clashes with Yomogi.
There.
"Yomogi," Koyomi says, opening line to Dynasoldier. "Did you see that? When you caught the wings it got stuck for a second."
He grabs Dynastriker's controller again, tapping a few buttons, and then the cannons ignite once more! And...separate...
Oh cool it can deploy the hands in car mode. Dynastriker's fingers spread wide and fire a small array of blasts toward Greyjhom, peppering it with small, scorching shots meant to mostly force it to keep moving. If he can herd it toward Dynasoldier...!
"You're the only one who can grab! It's up to you, Yomogi!" Koyomi calls.
KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka targets Sizumu with Jam L1! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka's Read the Road activates Focus! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Wing Combine Force KTS: Sizumu engages react against Zan's Eye Lasers! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Zan's Eye Lasers, taking 3300 damage! KTS: Sizumu accepts Koyomi Yamanaka's Jam L1! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Koyomi Yamanaka's Jam L1, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Kaworu says he can carry the people by hand, and asks what windows she can reach.
"Alright." Rikka says. She looks up, taking stock of the windows - and once she has it figured out, she relays that information. From there, they can get to work - with the building temporarily stabilized, people can use the fireworks again. And for those who aren't mobile enough for that or unwilling to risk it, there's Unit Beta - Rikka watches everyone, joining in helping transport people onto her hands to be brought down to ground level.
And in the end, the number of people still inside is cut down. That'll help.
"Alright - let's climb down one at a time. No rushing, we'll all get through this together." Rikka says. She oversees people climb down from up top.
"Kaworu, when I give the signal, my group's going to be safely in the underground. I'll remove my funnels from the supports - can you make sure the building doesn't fall into any escape routes?" Rikka asks. With just the two of them, and her not in the Mu Gundam to control it directly, it might be difficult to prevent a complete collapse - the best result might be ensuring that nothing important is damaged. It can always be rebuilt - the Carpenters will see to that, later.
Soon enough, she joins the others in descending. It was her idea, after all - she's not going to leave them to their own devices. And, finally, she touches down.
"...Alright, we're down below. I'll trust your judgment, whatever you decide to do." Rikka says, sending one last message to Kaworu. And, with that, she reaches into her coat and pulls out a flashlight. It's a heavy-duty one, perfect for disaster situations.
"Alright, everyone, follow me. Stay close, and keep an eye on whoever's next to you to make sure no one gets lost. We'll get through this." Rikka says. And with that, she'll start to lead to try and find a way out. She takes a deep breath, letting the feel of the city wash over her - and using it to stay clear of any paths that scream 'danger' to her Newtype senses.
<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
"Pinky swear!? What kind of alien are you that you PINKY SWEAR?"
Wait a second does Asuka imagine Priscilla to be some tentacled monster in that cockpit or something?
The fact is though, Asuka KNOWS it wasn't likely her, it's just this strange sense that she's being straight with her. Still, she's not likely to back down.
She's mid-charge at the weird prismatic Insectoid Warping Kaiju when...
... there's an odd sense of something pulling at her eyeball. It twitches, and she's pinches down her left eye with a hiss of agony.
ehehehe
A sense of sadistic glee titters as the Kaiju vanishes in a glitchy scramble and she sees the Dynadiver firing at her.
Abruptly backpeddling from the swarm of missiles, she's still impacted one after another, as the multiple small blast waves spoils the Eva's momentum and causes a loss of footing, it backpeddles, then as it falls skids backwards on a knee, crushing a local convenience store and charging station.
Making a pained noise through her teeth, she unsquints her eye.
'It's fine! This is chaotic, I'm sure she understands!'
"<It's FINE!? You think it's-! You-! YOU!>"
They're restraining what it wants to be.
That really the impression she gives off to you...?
Restraining what they both want to be.
The world swims in red, blood throbs within her head. She no longer needs to breathe, but blood passes anyway from respiratory to circulatory and back.
The Evangelion suddenly runs over to the Dynadiver in the bay, and shedding it's Naginata with a splash, it eschews any weapon but it's own two hands, gripping it, and hoisting up it's enormous mass, still dripping from the waters.
"<Tell you what... because I'm so understanding. I'll consider letting it go.>" Asuka says with this threatening edge to it.
The Evangelion suddenly looks at the Kaiju, and the Evangelion, still tethered, restrained to humanity's moors, it runs, it leaps, the Dynadiver held high.
"<ASSUMING YOU SURVIVE THIS!>"
That certainly is Evangelion Unit-02 DUNKING the Dynadiver, by using it as a bludgeon against the Kaiju at close range, before then swinging it repeatedly on landing, smashing it into the Kaiju again, and again, and again.
Gauma may have called this one a little wrong.
Just you know, a smidge.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Sizumu with Eva-02 Martial Arts Savagery! KTS: Sizumu engages react against Asuka Shikinami Langley's Eva-02 Martial Arts Savagery! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Asuka Shikinami Langley's Eva-02 Martial Arts Savagery, taking 4425 damage! <Pose Tracker> Wing Combine Force has posed.
...Yomogi can't say he expected the kaiju to struggle like that just from Dynasoldier getting tangled up in its wings. All the sudden, he's doing something important! No, very important-seeming, since he figured Greyjhom would just teleport away. And Koyomi just goes and reaffirms his suspicions that, somehow, the wings are the key.
The only problem, of course-
"I really didn't do any of that on purpose-! How am I even supposed to pull that off again..." Yomogi stammers, right before Greyjhom clobbers him in the face for his indecision, sending sparks of metal flying and sending Dynasoldier crashing into a now-empty office building.
For a second, he's rubbing his own cheek, before snapping himself out of it - and grimacing at the destruction to the city that he's partly responsible for. If only all this made more sense...all Yomogi can take solace is that he's not alone. ...It's not like he knows Priscilla all that well, but she's someone Gauma and the others trust, right? And she's certainly got the spirit of a fighter. He knows the Evangelions protect Earth, even if they're unsettling. And Zan's about as tried and true a heroic-type super robot as it gets.
In the middle of all this internal debating and comparison...
Yomogi's phone rings. He looks down and checks it - it's from Inamoto. Right. He did kind of just step out of work and then vanish it.
At the same time he's pondering actually answering, in a time like this - like it's a lifeline of normalcy in a situation way over his head...
Yume's face appears in one of Dynasoldier's window. Almost impeccably timed. Circling overhead, chasing down Greyjhom like flying came as naturally to her as a bird, all she asks Yomogi is:
"Let's work together again."
...right. Right. The whole reason Dynazenon even works is because it's a team effort, isn't it? Yomogi narrows his eyes at the smoldering track of destruction Greyjhom leaves with every teleportation, and a spark rises from his gut. ...He may not understand yet, but maybe...
He reaches forward, and the mere act alone makes Dynasoldier suddenly feel so, so much lighter. (As only befits the center of the machine, that connects to all others - of course it felt so uncomfortable trying to be individualistic with this.)
Where just seconds earlier, Yomogi could barely move, now, it feels natural to leap up into the air. Where just minutes before, the conversations happening across the battlefield were noise he wasn't in on, now, Yomogi and Yume feel completely in sync shouting out loudly,
"-DYNA SOLDIER!-" "-WING COMBINE!-"
Latches unfurl. Thrusters reroute. With a curling of its own wings, Dynasoldier and Dynawing rise skywards, soaring like a dragon together. Yume can't help but smile, just a little. Yomogi's heart finally races, the way it feels like it should have from the start.
"We'll do everything we can to protect this place! Everyone, don't hold back when we try to grab hold of this kaiju! We'll be okay!" Yomogi's voice finally raises over the communications, and with all that rocketing speed, the two lunge like a rocket towards Greyjhom, arms extended-
"...Captain Gauma!? What in the world have you gotten yourself into...?" Yume can't help but remark, gazing to her side mid-lunge to see Asuka whacking the kaiju with Dyna Diver. "...I feel like we should maybe do something about tha-"
"Just stop hopping around already!!!" Yomogi calls from the top of his lungs, colliding with Greyjhom's back like an arrow of light.
"...I guess it's kinda feast or famine on him getting into it, huh? ...hehe."
KTS: Wing Combine Force has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Wing Combine Force has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Wing Combine Force targets Sizumu with All Out Rush! KTS: Wing Combine Force's What is this thumping heart? activates Wall and Alert! KTS: Sizumu accepts Wing Combine Force's All Out Rush! KTS: Sizumu successfully reacts to Wing Combine Force's All Out Rush, taking 5130 damage! <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
"You know? Like this?" Priscilla actually does the motion of twisting her pinky, and Brownie's interface is sensitive enough to match it. Why would her Armor be so humanoid if there wasn't a human inside? "Or do Earthlings have some other kind of slang for making a promise? Either way, it's obvious what I meant!" Either way, that hostile intent from Asuka does seem to dial down, and while Priscilla doesn't think she's in the clear... she leaves Asuka to it. Besides, it's funny to imagine Gauma's reaction to being hurled around like that.
---
"Awww... so close!" Priscilla curses, as those Spark Needles just barely don't make their mark, reattaching themselves to her whip with a crackle. But there's no use of thinking about what could have been - as Greyjhom advances itself right in front of her, taking relentless aim.
While Priscilla surmises she might be fast enough to avoid the worst of it if she set her heart upon it, she decides to sacrifice the rest of her armour plating instead. After all, there won't be too much collateral damage if she takes the brunt of it, right?!
But it's even more firepower than even her seasoned eye would have predicted, and Brownie nearly falls from the pressure of taking so much energy at once. "Haaa... Not yet..." Priscilla whispers, shakily. Between the flash of magenta light and the pile of purple armour that just landed on the street below, one might guess that there's nothing left of Brownie.
Until a storm of unrelenting machine gun fire aims to hopefully pepper Greyjhom from above, as Brownie's polished fully-unarmoured form lands on the ground to meet it once again. "I said~! You haven't beat me yet!" It's not a trick as fancy as teleportation, of course - just a mere common stage magician's trick of using light and expectations as a veil.
At the same time, Dynazenon's finally found their team spirit, and Priscilla smiles as Dynasoldier and Dynawing combine. Now that's what she calls a comeback. "I hear you, Yomogi-kun!" Priscilla replies to Yomogi's communications. "I'll make sure you two get all the opening you need, so... go get 'em!"
KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates! KTS: Priscilla targets Sizumu with Rabbit-Tail Cannon Spreadshot! KTS: Priscilla has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Priscilla has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"<I don't mind either way,>" Kaworu reassures Priscilla. "<It seems we have the same goals this time, so I'm fine with staying out of each other's way.>"
Much as he's doing with Asuka, really, although the emotional tenor is rather different. 'Do as you will' might have been a little too permissive, but Kaworu's always had trouble with that.
Unit Beta won't be able to help those in the underground parking lot. She's just too big to reach in there and lift anyone out safely. Fortunately, she won't need to. After elevatoring people from the upper floors, Rikka guides the rest down into the park and gives Kaworu the signal that they've arrived safely. "I can," he confirms when she first tells him about it, and then when she confirms everyone's safety, "One moment. You should have a clear path shortly."
Rikka won't need to wonder for long what he means by that. The A.T. Field that lines the battlefield fades--and then rematerializes around the half-collapsed building itself with the precision of a scalpel in a world-class surgeon's hand. The funnels are gone, but the building stands, crushed, crushed, crushed inwards between the expanse of Unit Beta's hands. As it is reformed, the sky will open up to those in the once-underground parking lot. Not a single speck of concrete dust will fall on their heads. They'll still need to find a safe path, but there is significantly less of an obstruction, and also a lot more light. Certainly there's no more risk of a collapse.
With perhaps disturbing ease and speed, soon the wrecked building will be... a rod, perhaps, or perhaps a staff. Unit Beta takes it up in one hand, and her faceless mask turns towards the battlefield--towards, specifically, Unit-02 and her savagery. That kind of behavior is superficially normal for Asuka, but... there's something wrong.
Besides the fact that she's trying to bludgeon that kaiju with a submarine, one means.
"Second. Catch," he calls, just before Unit Beta flings the staff that was once a concrete building in a graceful arc towards Unit-02. As it spins, he adds, "Be careful--it's heavy."
Once it's in Unit-02's hands, Kaworu will shift Unit Beta's A.T. Field back towards defending against stray shots from Greyjhom... and his gaze towards the Dynazenon as two of its pieces unite and its third piece herds the kaiju their way.
Akane will handle the others, he trusts.
KTS: Sizumu engages react against Priscilla's Rabbit-Tail Cannon Spreadshot! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Priscilla's Rabbit-Tail Cannon Spreadshot, taking 3570 damage! Priscilla transforms to Brownie <Full Battle Mode>
<Pose Tracker> Sizumu has posed.
"Huh?"
Scarlet eyes blink as Mujina addresses Juuga; he looks over his shoulder to their retreating forms for a brief moment, before smiling a hapless, 'what-can-you-do' kind of smile.
"Sure. I can take care of things here; I'll meet you all at the usual spot."
Scarlet eyes turn back to the cityscape, narrowing as the focus of his attention fills his waking thoughts once more. His last words may be lost on Onija and Mujina as they depart behind Sizumu...
"I don't think it'll take too much more to make Gauma see the error of his ways."
... but it probably wouldn't be entirely unexpected.
-++-
Wings flex, and then fold in the aftermath of Greyjhom's latest assault.
Fires flickering and licking at its heels, the Guardian Kaiju turns its head the Dynadiver's way. Juuga's determination manifests itself quite clearly as those beam ports open up again, firing off volley after volley of laser fire after the boat. Several of them scorch through buildings -- many more hit the ocean surface in BURSTS of steam as water superheats and evaporates in record time. Yet none of them -quite- manage to land a clean hit on the Dynadiver.
It's an open question whether Juuga is trying to make Gauma see the error of his ways through a show of force or by actually, literally killing him; he'd insist it was the former.
But admiration and love can both be very complicated sentiments.
Regardless, that aggressive assault seems intent on going on for as long as Juuga is capable of it -- and it lasts exactly as long as it takes for Zan to open fire on the kaiju once more. -This- time, it seems so oddly engrossed in attacking that -specific- component of Dynazenon that it doesn't notice the Iron Zanrailer's attack until its too late; Juuga's determination and/or obsession stands to Zan's benefit as that pair of laser fire SWEEPS across the back of the kaiju, igniting it in a burst particles that get -dangerously- close to its folded wings. It reacts -immediately-, but perhaps not in an expected way:
Purple ports at its back suddenly bloom open where they weren't before, -firing- lasers at Zan from behind with such overwhelming power that it sends the entire kaiju -hurtling- forward from the sheer force of it, churning street and sidewalk like it was made of butter and sending it crashing torso-first into a nearby building before it gets scrambled by static and simply -disappears- with a synthesized screech.
"Tch! All of you, getting in my way--!"
When Greyjhom reappears, it is directly in front of Eva-02. Pincer-like claws wind backwards and -snap- forward in the beginning of a blitz, that singularly powerful double-clawed thrust -meant- to lead into something more--
--when the Dynastriker attacks with a sudden and unexpected volley of blasts that do not directly -damage- it -- but are enough of a threat that it suddenly teleports -backwards- half-a-step to renew its assault --
-- just in time to see what Unit-02 is holding.
Greyjhom suddenly seizes up. Its claws swing up like a 'PLEASE CALM DOWN' gesture.
It's all a perfect reflection of Juuga's widening eyes and mildly horrified look all the way on the other side of the city as he gets an eyeful of Dynadiver, in Bludgeon Form.
"Wait, don't be reckless with that--!" he shouts to no one in particular, all alone as he is, and despite the fact that he was just trying to detonate the Diver with an unhealthy amount of lasers.
Again. Love and admiration. Complicated.
Asuka, sadly, cares nothing for complexities[citation needed].
The end result is the Greyjhom, unwilling to punch a hole through Dynadiver, finding itself on the end of a very mean talking stick beatdown. Unit-02's counterargument is a brutal and convincing one. SMASH! SMASH! SMASH! are the most salient points of her well-reasoned debate, colliding into the kaiju over and over with crunchy, screechy impacts of metal-on-metal.
Greyjhom lets out a hideous, auto-tuned gurgling sound, that strikes the balanced between a synthesizer and the static-squeaking of a long-horn beetle, its ports firing off a blinding flash of purple light before its no longer occupying the space where Unit-02's final swing collides.
Warping, again, it appears about a foot away, energy ports charging as Juuga's teeth grit. He barely gets out a "how dare you--" before Dynastriker manages to pinpoint Greyjhom, its renewed volley sending it warping backward, and backward, and backward. Already off its feet and concentration in shambles thanks to Asuka's unexpected Random Weapon attack, Priscilla and Brownie's attack find a primed mark: machinegun fire -hails- across the Guardian Kaiju's shimmery technicolor frame, many of those bullets ricocheting off but more than a few managing to punch little holes in its armored exoskeleton, revealing strange, yellow, red and green circuitry lines beneath.
All of this combines to completely distract Juuga, opening up Greyjhom at the perfect moment--
-DYNA SOLDIER!- -WING COMBINE!-
"What?!"
-- for the combined form of Dynasoldier and Dynawing to COLLIDE into Greyjhom's back at sudden, unexpected speeds.
T H O O M
The sound of the impact is deafening. It rips Greyjhom completely off its feet, claws flexing vainly. Its wings strain, laser ports opening at both back and front to try to blast both Brownie -and- Wing Combine at the same time in a hideous, blinding BURST of firepower at near point-blank range. And yet--
"Who cares if you combined--"
Wings strain as Greyjhom is sent soaring upwards. Struggle. Flex.
Bend inward. Crumple.
There is a final, shudder spit of cosmic-sparkles.
OST: https://youtu.be/ANgUy3qR84E?si=JK4OiBQ2B7QkdYEU - All This Metal
But Greyjhom does not disappear, this time, as its wings
C R U N C H
leaving it suddenly, very vulnerable.
-++-
The sunset looks east, waiting.
"It's you."
It doesn't have to wait for long.
They appear in the east, looking towards where the sunset waits. Three of them this time - one is occupied of course.
All of them dressed in white, and gold, and purple.
Just like Akane.
The red-haired one, Onija, so often accustomed to storming to the front, now lingers at the back as he stares up at Akane, so dramatically perched. His first thought is to maybe make some off-hand comment about how she's trying too hard and he doesn't get it at all--
but he is the first to come to a complete stop at the sight of her, pink-red eyes widening with surprise and confusion.
"... What... What the hell? Her outfit -- the bars--"
And at the front? Is the one who so often lingers forgotten at the back. The short, gold-haired youth only stops a few feet out from that bus. He looks up at Akane, her features a silhouette thanks to the backlighting of the setting sun. But he doesn't need to see her clearly to know her.
He smiles. It's a small thing, but a genuine one. It's familiar, but not.
It's alien, but intimate.
Like the kind of smile that sparks a nauseating feeling that you've been through all this so many times before--
"I was hoping you'd make it."
KTS: Sizumu targets Zan with Beam Ports Engulf! KTS: Sizumu targets Koyomi Yamanaka with Beam Ports Blip! KTS: Sizumu targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Thinking With Porting Crush! KTS: Sizumu targets Priscilla with Beam Ports Pulse! KTS: Sizumu targets Wing Combine Force with Beam Ports Pulse! KTS: Priscilla engages evade against Sizumu's Beam Ports Pulse! KTS: [Spirit Defense] Priscilla's But I still won't lose! activates, and her spirit endures. KTS: Sizumu enervates Priscilla, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Priscilla poorly reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Pulse, taking 5588 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What chains still bind you? activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What is it that moves you? activates, causing Deject! KTS: Priscilla has been defeated! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka engages evade against Sizumu's Beam Ports Blip! KTS: Sizumu enervates Koyomi Yamanaka, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Koyomi Yamanaka poorly reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Blip, taking 7200 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What chains still bind you? activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What is it that moves you? activates, causing Deject! KTS: Wing Combine Force engages guard against Sizumu's Beam Ports Pulse! KTS: [Spirit Defense] Wing Combine Force's What is your reason for fighting? activates, and its spirit endures. KTS: Sizumu enervates Wing Combine Force, reducing its Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Wing Combine Force poorly guards Sizumu's Beam Ports Pulse, taking 4752 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What chains still bind you? activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sizumu's What is it that moves you? activates, causing Deject! KTS: Zan has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Zan has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Zan fails to engage Guard against Sizumu's Beam Ports Engulf! KTS: Zan successfully reacts to Sizumu's Beam Ports Engulf, taking 5760 damage! KTS: Priscilla uses Lucky Charm <Pose Tracker> Mujina has posed.
Safely getting Gerardo into the shelter, it's easy enough to rest. There are people who will need medical attention, and someone up front operating the shelter entrance, but for Liam and Shari, they can rest now. Their part is done. Some who got off the train come to thank Liam, while many others come to thank Shari for getting the shelter open and getting them out of their train car. There's even a few gifts- small things, like a candy bar or some cash. The people are grateful.
Rikka gets everyone down, one at a time- and there's plenty of space to take cover in this sprawling carpark. There's a few people struggling with mobility issues, and some complications in getting a lightweight but awkward wheelchair down, but ultimately everyone is down safely. Rikka's experience and practice in Tsutsujidai and refinement later is paying off. These people are safe-
And then Kaworu takes care of the building itself, compressing it into a weapon. In the days to come, a renowned poet will write a groundbreaking poem about forging concrete and steel into an evil smiting weapon, then be found to have plagiarized it from an eyewitness and get their comeuppance. But that's not for now- for now, Kaworu and Unit Beta resolve the building situation in what is both an extremely safe and completely unsafe (for Kaiju!) method.
MISSION COMPLETE! All Passengers have taken shelter!
MISSION COMPLETE: There is a safe exit to the carpark!
MISSION COMPLETE: The building has been safely destroyed!
OPERATION COMPLETE - RANK S
-=-=-
Mujina's eyes, for once, are wide. Four bands of different colours- she's dressed like... one of them.
And only Sizumu seems to know who she is.
"...Who is this?"
Was there a fifth, all this time? Did she come after Gauma's betrayal?
Or did she predate even Sizumu?
This is a mystery, a new person, a new experience-
And at the sight of her- at Sizumu's strange reaction- at someone, something new-
Mujina can feel something. And she wants to chase it whatever direction it goes....
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to engage Guard against Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Crush! KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley poorly reacts to Sizumu's Thinking With Porting Crush, taking 5000 damage! <Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane's legs uncross and then cross again, as her eyes -- bright red, of course, shading just barely into orange at the bottom -- meet Onija's, then glance away.
(Try as she might, she still struggles to meet a sufficiently intense gaze. Some things you just can't fake.)
Her eyes flick between the three in front of her once she's comfortably broken eye contact. Black, magenta, cyan... like her own. That remark on the bars implies recognition of a set; that implies a fourth, perhaps, in turn. She'll have to keep that in mind.
Akane brings a finger up to her chin, letting it rest there for just a moment. "Well well~. Thanks for the warm welcome," she offers Sizumu, as he tells her he hoped she'd make it. The words come easy -- as does the persona behind them. It's far from the first time she's been cautiously insincere to feel a situation out.
Her eyes lock on that familiar presence... first at the heart, then back up to the cap, and finally to the eyes. Red, shading into orange -- like her own, in this state.
Alien, but intimate. Familiar, but not.
"Sounds like my reputation's a few steps ahead of me," she adds, remaining nonchalant. There's a hint of confusion slipping into her -- but at the same time, these people's hearts... seem to be shaped much like her own was, once.
"This is you guys's handiwork, right?" she continues. "Having fun~?"
Raising her hands, she greets them the way she once greeted the entity she came to know as Gridman, years ago:
Snip snip.
To Mujina, at last, she offers:
"Akane Shinjo. What about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.
The beams firing cause the Iron Zanrailer to take a few steps forward before it catches itself. The back turbine jets and wings are damaged now. Not as bad as the main torso from before, but definitely hurting. Then it turns to look and sees the subsequent beating of the kaiju by Asuka with someone's... submarine?
That gives Zan pause before he opens a private channel, or so he hopes with all the damage he may hit the wrong button, and direct it towards Kaworu,
<< Now I see why everyone says to not make her mad. >>
Zan refocuses on the fight. Seeing what happens to the wings, the Iron Zanrailer looks at it, then at the kaiju.
"Those wings were the source?"
The left hand slides out a construction vehicle. With a large blade at first on it. That opens up to reveal it's really one large claw.
The Iron Zanrailer runs forward, causing the streets themselves to shake before it launches itself upwards with a rocket assisted jump as it comes down at the kaiju with that clawed hand brought back.
And it tries to catch said kaiju to hold it down for someone else to attack. The wings being gone means that Zan just has to watch for beam ports, and one hand is free to be ready to put it into those as needed, or get in the way.
KTS: Zan targets Sizumu with Tie Extractor Left! KTS: Sizumu accepts Zan's Tie Extractor Left! KTS: [Mirage] Sizumu's The Kuleshov Effect activates, and he slips into a mirage. KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Zan's Tie Extractor Left, taking 0 damage! KTS: Zan anchors Sizumu, preventing his from Evading the next attack! <Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
The building overhead is ripped away, through the power of the A.T. field, crushed and reformed into a weapon. Rikka braces herself for a moment - but so fine is it that no debris falls from above. There's no risk to the people underneath it. Rikka stares in surprise - they can do that? You learn something new everyday.
But without the building overhead, it becomes much easier to see - and through that, it becomes much easier to lead everyone to safety. She turns her flashlight off and stows it away.
"Alright, everyone. Let's go - I'll lead you to shelter." Rikka says, and starts. But as she moves, she looks back briefly - back to where the fight is still going. She spots those machines that she saw in the video feed, and thinks back to the voices she heard.
"...Good luck, Dynazenon." Rikka whispers to herself - and then, looks ahead once more, getting back to work.
<Pose Tracker> Koyomi Yamanaka has posed.
"Wh--What!?" Gauma squawks as Asuka proceeds to haul ass straight the hell at him and heft Dynadiver into the air. He jerks the stick but Dynadiver doesn't have any control like this, of course. Its rudders wag plaintively. "Put me down, lady! Or did you forget there's a kaiju!?"
Koyomi cringes behind his bangs as the air soon fills with kaiju screams and also Gauma screams. "I think she's pretty aware, actually, Captain..."
Eventually, for some small mercy, Asuka is convinced to release Dynadiver, perhaps via the medium of offering her a superior weapon, as is the tradition of her barbarous people (Germans).
Dynadiver clangs to the ground, quite powerless, sitting on the road like a lump. Gauma is flat on his back groaning. "What are they feeding these kids," he moans half-sensate. "In my day--"
...He thinks of Onija.
"...no, come to think of it, that was kind of familiar," he grunts, and then forces himself back upright and getting a hand on his controls.
Greyjhom warps right in front of Koyomi again, and for all his focus and Dynastriker's speed, he just can't quite dodge it. Zigs when he should zag; Dynastriker takes a straight hit and takes to the air, pinwheeling skyward and then slamming into a building that hopefully does not shortly thereafter collapse. "Augh!" Koyomi barks out, and then again when Dynastriker flops back to the ground.
That's just in time for him and Gauma both to to watch Dynasoldier and Dynawing unite! "Perfect. That's the trick, you two! Hold him steady, I'll get him! No dodging this time!!" Gauma calls, and jams the missiles button again, sending another wave of rockets into the sky.
Koyomi steadies his nerves as best he's able, but shaking fingers still find a button he's only fiddled with a little until now. "...alright, let's try it," he breathes, and brings Dynastriker up to full speed again, and then JUMPS at a still-standing high-rise, and then proceeds to DRIVE UP THE SIDE.
And then, off the side, onto a road of solid light, as Dynastriker veers skyward along with the others. "I'm coming...I'm on my way! Hold it there!"
Dynastriker screeches across open air as it careens, light flashing off its tires. Blue, and orange, and then purple, with increasing intensity and light, before it CRASHES into the captured Greyjhom, then skids back away before the missiles can arrive!
KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka has activated the Accel Spirit Command and and has gained Terrain bonus! KTS: Priscilla has deployed in Brownie <Full Battle Mode>. KTS: Priscilla has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Asuka Shikinami Langley KTS: Wing Combine Force has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka targets Sizumu with Dyna Spark Drift! KTS: Koyomi Yamanaka's Read the Road activates Trick! KTS: Sizumu accepts Koyomi Yamanaka's Dyna Spark Drift! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Koyomi Yamanaka's Dyna Spark Drift, taking 4575 damage! KTS: Wing Combine Force has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
<Pose Tracker> Wing Combine Force has posed.
Beam after beam pelts through Dynasoldier's chest - ripping holes into Dynawing's wings. Yomogi can feel the machine shaking, cracking, breaking around him. He's forced to wonder - is it in pain? Is that what this is? ...Is he in pain?
The moment Greyjhom's wings break, something nauseous builds in Yomogi's gut, something he thinks should just be attributed to g-forces he's not used to - pushing himself further than he should. ...And yet he can't help but briefly think...
"...Yomogi, are you doing okay?" Yume chimes in, her face so eerily calm. (She knows her face is too calm, even in the middle of this turmoil.) "...Just surprising seeing you get this worked up. Don't push it too far."
"Gauma's got a plan, so I know what we've gotta do...just a little more, Dynasoldier! If you need to detach, Yume, then I'll just keep-"
"I'm not gonna do that, Yomogi, don't even think about it." Yume turns back forward - she's always turning back forward, always clutching that thread of willpower as tight as can be. She can fight on her own - she can support someone else. But part of her knows if she let go of Yomogi - wouldn't that strange fire engulfing him fizzle out?
Reeling backwards and encircling Greyjhom, Dynasoldier's feet skid into the road, tearing a gouge into the pavement, a thing Yomogi would've felt paralyzed about just a few short moments ago. ...Isn't it normal, though? This surge of willpower? Like in all the movies...is this really how it feels?
Rearing Dynasoldier's leg back for a fierce axe kick aiming to drive the kaiju back down into the ground, the thumping in Yomogi's heart won't stop. Two fires colliding against each other, feeding each other.
"It's too late to doubt anything...it's time to end this!"
((Doesn't it hurt for a kaiju too?!))
In concert with Dynastriker's impact knocking Greyjhom back, Yomogi sees his chance, and leaps upwards to finally crash back down on the kaiju with everything he's got, those claw-like feet latching onto its shoulders and neck, twisting and clutching with all his might.
...He doesn't even know how loud and clashing his own breathing is, Yume realizes. ...Maybe he's someone who doesn't know how to handle her faith in him at this moment.
KTS: Wing Combine Force targets Sizumu with Striker Combine - Striker Storm Alpha! KTS: Wing Combine Force's What is this thumping heart? activates Focus and Alert! KTS: Sizumu accepts Wing Combine Force's Striker Combine - Striker Storm Alpha! KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Wing Combine Force's Striker Combine - Striker Storm Alpha, taking 4125 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
"THERE SURE IS!" Asuka informs Gauma, of her acute awareness of the Kaiju's presence.
Should someone do something about this?
It's a fascinating question, as fundamental as crab. Should she crack the shell, the juicy Gauma meat within will be exposed.
Well, in theory. The Dyna Diver's shell aint cracking, as she repeatedly smacks it against the exterior of the Kaiju.
It's rhetorical riposte being it appearing to snap forward into a double clawed Blitz. Asuka the great Orator, replies with, "MRGGGLEEE!" As bubbles foam from Asuka's mouth the moment it's claws pierce through Eva Unit-02's great restraint defense.
Sadly the complexity of love and admiration with Juuga are lost on Asuka in this moment, the 'please calm down gesture' seen as aggressive dialogue, "YOU REALLY THINK THAT'S ENOUGH!?" As she goes crab-submarine cracking in this debate of smashy-smashy-smashy against Greyjhom's exterior!
Priscilla doesn't get an answer, it's just Asuka found it odd that an ALIEN makes promises straight out of human culture. If she really stands to think about it though, it will mean only one thing.
The aliens have infiltrated THAT FAR as to know that a pinky promise exists!
It is perhaps a fortunate thing thus, that Kaworu calls out 'Second, Catch'
And Asuka simply drops the Dynadiver aside to react reflexively in the same manner as 'Think fast', the poor thing tumbling aside as she catches the molded building staff - probably to Juuga's profound relief.
"JUST WHAT I NEEDED!"
Not necessarily to Greyjhom's however.
Because a wrecked building in the hands of Unit-02 is like handing an Evangelion a polearm in a Neo-soulslike.
It is thus perhaps surprising, when after the Wing Combine Force impacts it with it's storm of blows Asuka swings it back like a baseball bat, seemingly not utilizing it's reach at all.
As she gets in close to the fallen Greyjhom. "BATTER UP!" She's nearly point blank range however, when both Pylons open, and abruptly Juuga learns the Hedgehog's Dilemma.
For Asuka in trying to get close to him, showers his Kaiju with point blank spines, that pierce, and penetrate, and distract, perhaps forcing it to shield itself with it's claws.
And that's when Asuka's true aim is utilized, because - she used a powerful human technique, known as...
... lying.
The staff is suddenly jabbed forward in her grip as she attempts to jam it right into the creature's exposed abdomen, before the Eva takes off running, to RAM it right into the side of another building where the moment it meets resistance, so much steel and metal will be shoved in as she tries to impale it.
Like one enormous spine.
Right before Evangelion Unit-02's green optics and mauled 'frame' turn to fixate on the 'Dyna crew' "<NOW! Who the hell do you morons WORK FOR!?>"
Perhaps it would have been better to ask that question before using their leader as an improvised bludgeon.
Also without using the word moron, but... you might as well ask Asuka to stop breathing.
Wait.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Sizumu with Nail Gun 'Pencil Roc' Hedgehog's Dilemma! KTS: Sizumu accepts Asuka Shikinami Langley's Nail Gun 'Pencil Roc' Hedgehog's Dilemma! KTS: [Mirage] Sizumu's The Kuleshov Effect activates, and he slips into a mirage. KTS: Best Defense! Sizumu successfully reacts to Asuka Shikinami Langley's Nail Gun 'Pencil Roc' Hedgehog's Dilemma, taking 0 damage! KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley rattles Sizumu, making his next maneuvers more difficult. <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
Brownie's combination attack with Wing Combine is quite devastating, forcing Greyjhom on the back foot - it really does feel like they're finally making some progress against this behemoth.
But Greyjhom still has plenty of fight left in it, and that combination between Dyna-machines almost seems to spark some sort of reaction from it. Priscilla braces herself, trying to predict just where it's line of fire will go, preparing to jump at just the right moment. Sometimes, when you've been fighting for such a long time, you rely on your instincts too much, though...
And they miss the mark just barely as that jump, combined with the sheer force of Greyjhom's beam sends Brownie's unarmoured form hurling just too far that Priscilla can't mitigate the massive impact of the very consequential crash into the evacuated street below.
"Come on, Brownie... please move!" Brownie's previously swift movements are much slower and more delayed - without the protection of the most essential parts from the battle armour, the motion tracing operation system malfunctioning. If this was her fight, perhaps she'd still find a way to force a victory, no matter what.
r
But as Dynastriker closes in with that awesome impact, and Wing Combine follows up with that brutal twist of the claw, Priscilla just smiles anyways. Victory is already in the hands of the champion who won it. "Dynazenon Team... can you do it?" Priscilla wonders, as Brownie stands up to watch the battle to its conclusion.
<Pose Tracker> Sizumu has posed.
Things fall apart for Greyjhom in shockingly short order.
As if its strings were cut, the second its deprived of its warping powers, the kaiju loses almost any ability to properly defend itself... and so deprived, reveals how fragile it actually is. Unable to flit about the battlefield without consequence, the insectoid kaiju becomes shockingly unwieldy, twisting through the air after Wing Combine's singularly powerful assault leaves it wingless.
And in the air, without the ability to warp, it's open season on Greyjhom. In freefall, it can do very little about Unit-02's advance; even the fact that Asuka's NOT wielding Gauma like a bludgeon is far from Juuga's mind -right now- (he's a little grateful just reflexively, let's be honest); the Kaiju Eugenicist lets out a rare curse of frustration as needles hammer and pierce the exoskeleton of the beetle-like kaiju; sparks ignite and dance around every impact point like disrupted circuitry as it swings its arms up and lets out another warbling, harmonizing sound...
... that gets all but drowned out as Unit-02 DRIVES that slab of steel and concrete, IMPALING it the world's most abominable shrike into a nearby building with a deafening crunch of metal and shatter of glass. It hangs there limply in the aftermath, for one second. Two.
"Don't underestimate kaiju--!"
Before those pincer claws suddenly GRAB that staff and CLENCH, shattering it and freeing Greyjhom with a forward slump. It braces, leaps--
--and Zan -slams- into the kaiju just in time to intercept it, clawed hand -ensnaring- it and holding it in place just long enough for Dynastriker to make its move. Exoskeleton crunches and crumbles beneath the Zan's grip as the building-careening Striker rides a road of light straight into a collision course with the Guardian Kaiju. Its shell crunches and splinters right at the gaping wound Asuka left in its wake; all that strange, tri-colored circuitry that might be so very familiar to some here is exposed for a brief few seconds....
... before the combined might of Yume and Yomogi CRASH into the Kaiju. Claws collide into shoulder and neck, sending Greyjhom's head snapping forward. Another synthesized shriek slips savage from the kaiju as it flails --
But the Wing Combine holds it still -just- long enough.
BOOM.
... Just long enough for the Missile Method to finally pay off.
Rockets explode one after the other. Greyjhom is engulfed in a fireball in the sky, heat and force rippling with enough intensity to shatter the windows of any nearby buildings still standing and set off car alarms for blocks.
In the aftermath, Priscilla's faith is rewarded. In the aftermath, there's nothing. The space Greyjhom once occupied is empty.
Empty but for a few shimmery sparkles, sputtering out into non-existence, and its glimmering, crystalline horn, impaled into the ground far beneath where it once stood.
-++-
The scarlet glow fades from Juuga's eyes as a look of defeat seizes his features.
He stands alone for the longest time, staring at that battlefield in the distance.
And then he exhales an exasperated sigh and smiles a hapless smile despite himself, shoulders lifting in a little, defeatist shrug.
"Damn. Guess we lost. I was really hoping that would do the trick," he murmurs to himself, before turning around and walking off like he just got off work.
"Fine. We can just consider this our declaration of intent, Gauma."
...
...
"... Wait. Do the others know where the usual spot is?"
-++-
Onija does not remember where the usual spot is.
But that's not really on his mind at the moment. He's just staring, with dumbfounded shock, at Akane. He feels like he should say something. Anything. Accuse her of plagiarism, not really knowing the specifics of what plagiarism entails except it sounds bad. Something. Anything. Maybe threaten to kill her.
... He feels like he doesn't want to, though, for some reason, and so all he can find it in him to say is a very put-upon,
"Uhhhhhhhhh."
Sizumu seems content to let Onija stay at a loss for words for now. He doesn't introduce him, or Mujina -- they can handle that themselves. Instead he just smiles at Akane, head tilt to the side. That smile of his is normally a placid thing. Curious, but detached.
Now, though, there's a small spark there for the observant.
Something like... happiness?
What does happiness look like, for Sizumu?
...
It's hard to quantify, except for the fact that grasping at it might provoke an uneasy, queasy feeling.
Are they having fun?
The tan-skinned youth's only response is to shut his eyes with the berth of that smile.
"It's not about fun," he says easily, simply.
"It's about making a new order in things. Right?"
Who is this?, asks Mujina. Akane provides her own introduction. And Sizumu follows up soon after:
"She's the one who made all this possible."
Sizumu states it like a certainty. He states it like praise, despite the fact that 'all this,' on its face, simply looks like wanton, mindless destruction for the sake of it.
Now might be the time where he offers introductions of his own. But as his lips part again--
A fireball ripples in the sky above them. Even from this far out, the shockwaves vibrate the ground beneath them and the high perch of Akane's perch. Onija's attention rips away from his attempts to grasp what's happening here to stare at that marvel of violent finality. A soft "Tch!" escapes his lips.
"Crap. Juuga failed. We oughta bail before stupid Gauma and his phony kaiju find us."
But Sizumu doesn't look away. He just stares up at Akane for a quiet few moments...
... and then lifts up a fingerless gloved hand, offering something he's only ever offered four other people in this life:
"Hey. Want to join us?"
KTS: Sizumu's Guardian Enemy Kaiju - Greyjhom has been disabled. <Pose Tracker> Koyomi Yamanaka has posed.
Dynastriker smashes down to the ground in the wake of the kaiju's explosion, watching as the erupting particles fill the air. Something in Koyomi makes him smile. "We...did it, huh....we really stopped the kaiju." But...
Oh that other ...robot? Kaiju?? is quite upset at them it looks like. That's the one that was battering Captain Gauma around, too...
So when Asuka rounds on Dynastriker and Dynadiver, Dynastriker has zoomed up to Dynadiver and the cannons have split apart into fingers again, *picking the submarine up*, and then it just hoists it high and drives off at top speed down the open thoroughfares of Novelle Tokyo. Maybe he's making for the train system? That's pretty big. You could hide a super robot or something in there, probably.
But Gauma's not quite enough to take a yelling lying down, so even though the vidoe never goes live, he still boastfully holds up a fist at the windscreen when he yells, "Dynazenon works for peace! OBVIOUSLY!"
Koyomi almost mutters about that...but something tugs at the edges of his lips as he drives. "Yeah," he agrees, quietly. "We help people. That's all."
Dynastriker and Dynadiver then skid toward the tunnel network, escaping all pursuit and parting shots. Gauma yells up, "Yume, Yomogi! We're done today! Get home safe, OK!?"
*
Far, far away, at the edge of town, hunkered down in a safely ignored bus stop, a girl in gradients of red and black grins around her lollipop at her phone showing the kaiju fallen and the components of Dynazenon scattering. "You go, guys," she says, ignoring the hook in her heart at just how far away they all are.
Ignoring the little tangle of something that isn't quite entirely unlike bone in her new hip bag curls out a new wire that might someday be a leg.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
That... happiness-and-not. That's familiar to Akane, too, in its way. Perhaps it's a mark of how much she's changed, that it makes her as uneasy as it does... but at the same time -- its familiarity makes it something she can deal with.
... Besides, the most overpowering emotion in her is curiosity -- in all its myriad, monstrous forms. "Don't you look smart," Akane teases Onija, rolling her shoulders back just a bit. It's Sizumu who gets the lion's share of her regard, though. When she, too, has the impulse to speak just a little more -- that fireball rips through the sky, shaking her bus-stop perch. Her hands come back down to stabilize herself, as she looks off at an all-too-familiar sight: a kaiju, defeated and gone.
Do kaiju live and die just to be defeated?
As the din dies down, Akane greets Sizumu's offer over the faint klaxon of a distant car alarm:
"No one's expecting me back for a while yet, and without a kaiju around, I bet a couple of you are getting hungry. ... Saidariya's pretty much never closes, isn't gonna' ask questions about the outfits," a faint tilt of the head toward Onija, "and I bet he'd kill a couple sirloins. My treat."
The 'yes,' it seems, will remain implied.
The curiosity certainly hasn't gone away.
<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
Does Asuka underestimate Kaiju? It's an interesting question, as someone who was raised to murder them. There was Anti, who became Knight - where she learned they are more than monsters.
It was Bardiel, become part of her - who showed her the true horror of Kaiju.
No, she doesn't underestimate them.
She's terrified of them. Even with one as her friend, even utilizing one as a human shackled weapon.
And thus she doesn't hold back from murdering them. In the wake of it's death by so many missiles, she turns around and makes her demand-
And sees so many dotted lines.
The neck of the mauled Eva-02 whirls as she's told Dynazenon works for peace, "Peace!? YOU GET BACK HERE!"
She'll chase them to the edge of the harbor at least, when you know - aerial superiority finally gets the better of her.
There she mutters, in her Eva, "The hell is a Dynazenon? ... ... ... Sounds like the name an idiot would give to an alien toy store."
Her prevailing theory thus remains 'alien invasion' even if she can't explain why aliens are battling Kaiju in Tokyo.