2024-07-23: Returning Cast From Grace
- Cast: Sousuke Sagara, Yuta Hibiki
- Where: Team Crossbow Hangar, Huffman Island
- Date: U.C. 0099 07 23
- Summary: Sousuke takes delivery of some parts!
Yuta delivers some parts!
Then, a brief rumination on the nature of conflict.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
The hangar for the Crossbow Team was once a Shuffle Alliance cache of sorts - the hangar of the Arena battler Qivi, who made some of her space available to the Alliance for emergencies. Well, the emergency came and went, and now it's listed as owned by a woman named Nami, and a team named Crossbow.
That's information from another life, of course. But a lot of people are dealing with that kind of problem, lately, not least of all Sousuke Sagara, who is currently dressed down to his undershirt to cope with the tropical Pacific heat of Huffman Island's Freedom City. He's sitting at a table, making no secret of the pile of papers and printouts of the camps guarding the now-missing Galactron. He has a small notebook at hand, jotting down conclusions and correlations.
That's until one of the local mechanics, a man named Kaew, pokes his head in the door. "Hey, Sagara! Delivery's here any second! Get the freight door!"
Sousuke nods, silently tidying up and then striding over to the large door where Crossbow - an RK-91, a positively ancient arm slave tuned up for arena combat - can receive precious supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Driving a truck containing a varied of Arm Slave spare parts, mechanical coolants, bolts and small part engineering equipment of all kinds, there was Yuta Hibiki, making a delivery in the middle of what was definitely not Japan, and not remotely close to Tsutsujidai. Their hair was slicked back and tied up in a ponytail for comfort - this place felt like it was summer in Japan, just /constantly so - a breezy, sleeveless shirt that still looked professional enough, in light colors to absorb less light and heat, rimless glasses adorning their face.
Of course, they weren't here just for a delivery. Not to say that the job wasn't worthwhile and more connections were always welcome, but the red-haired youngster was here for a particular investigation on the side. "Galactron...." They muttered to themself.... They had seen it recently enough, but perhaps there was more to be found around the places they were kept.
Yes, the job was mostly an excuse to be here. As they made their way through the hangars and pavilions, Yuta checked for the team they'd be making this delivery for... and ah-, there it was - Crossbow - this should be the place. Parking in front of the freight door, a single honk echoed in the place to announce they arrived.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
The door swings open soon, and familiar shaggy brown hair gives way to familiar sun-weathered skin. Steel gray eyes and a cross scar on the cheek. Oh yes, Gridman knew Sousuke Sagara, if somewhat in passing. But you don't really know someone who lives as explosively as Sousuke 'in passing....'
On the same token, Sousuke blinks twice in surprise at the one he sees in the van.
The grease monkeys for the Crossbow team elbow past him, one towing a pallet jack into view. Sousuke only starts back to attentiveness when one of them barks, "Oi, Sagara!"
He steps to the side, making way for the truck to back in, making eye contact with the driver as he does.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Certainly, the face that 'greeted' Yuta was.... not one they were unfamiliar with. Well, it was not a face they've met, but it was a face they knew. Sousuke Sagara.... who certainly had more in baggage than Yuta Hibiki had cared to know about, it seems. Alas, he was a hero, and a hero doesn't do things like collecting information on people. Regardless, Yuta themself had changed more than a fair bit, compared to when they last met. Both physically and in countenance.
"Fancy meeting you here, Sagara-kun. Though I guess it's better to say 'Nice to meet you', given the circumstances." Yuta said in surprise, before composing themself with a business smile. "I have the parts you guy asked for right in the back, do you mind if I drive in? There's some parts being actively cooled down for transportation purposes, and I'd rather not stay in the sun more than I need to."
With that said - the question was more of an acknowledgement process as the red-haired youngster drove and parked inside, as it was usual for business in the area. No one wanted potential rivals to find out what parts you were using around here, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
But of course. Sousuke nods to the greeting. "Affirmative," he agrees, and then manages the kind of smile that might've seemed impossible on him once - strained, maybe, but earnest. "I believe this is 'our' first meeting, then. I certainly didn't expect to see you here. Yes, please, enter."
He stands aside while the truck is wheeled in. The mechanics quickly set to work with offloading their share, Arm Slave components all - muscle packages, some ammunition, some power controllers, et cetera. Sousuke stands apart, letting the men work.
Maybe he's expecting Yuta's attention when he says, "Some of these parts have dropped in price half or more since we were scavenging for duplicates in Tsutsujidai." His brow furrows. "Too fast. The world's changing. Faster and faster..." ... He shakes his head, turning his attention to Yuta, eyes briefly scanning over the young man's changed countenance. "...You've survived," he says, bluntly, but given Sousuke's way it's something like praise.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Certainly, the face that 'greeted' Yuta was.... not one they were unfamiliar with. Well, it was not a face they've met, but it was a face they knew. Sousuke Sagara.... who certainly had more in baggage than Yuta Hibiki had cared to know about, it seems. Alas, he was a hero, and a hero doesn't do things like collecting information on people. Regardless, Yuta themself had changed more than a fair bit, compared to when they last met. Both physically and in countenance.
"Fancy meeting you here, Sagara-kun. Though I guess it's better to say 'Nice to meet you', given the circumstances." Yuta said in surprise, before composing themself with a business smile. "I have the parts you guy asked for right in the back, do you mind if I drive in? There's some parts being actively cooled down for transportation purposes, and I'd rather not stay in the sun more than I need to."
With that said - the question was more of an acknowledgement process as the red-haired youngster drove and parked inside, as it was usual for business in the area. No one wanted potential rivals to find out what parts you were using around here, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
But of course. Sousuke nods to the greeting. "Affirmative," he agrees, and then manages the kind of smile that might've seemed impossible on him once - strained, maybe, but earnest. "I believe this is 'our' first meeting, then. I certainly didn't expect to see you here. Yes, please, enter."
He stands aside while the truck is wheeled in. The mechanics quickly set to work with offloading their share, Arm Slave components all - muscle packages, some ammunition, some power controllers, et cetera. Sousuke stands apart, letting the men work.
Maybe he's expecting Yuta's attention when he says, "Some of these parts have dropped in price half or more since we were scavenging for duplicates in Tsutsujidai." His brow furrows. "Too fast. The world's changing. Faster and faster..." ... He shakes his head, turning his attention to Yuta, eyes briefly scanning over the young man's changed countenance. "...You've survived," he says, bluntly, but given Sousuke's way it's something like praise.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Stepping out of the cargo truck, Yuta takes a couple steps to join Sousuke, since the veteran seemed to be giving way for their crew to work. Most likely the mechanics, they'd assume. Their job here was simply delivery, getting confirmation, and perhaps a next order, but finding a familiar stranger made wonders for small talk..... supposedly. "Well, we all are, I guess. Though, it's surprising how easily can someone get their hands on these things now...." They said, nodding towards the crew busy at work, referring to arm slaves. Weapons in general. Technology. Even as a freelancer that dropped out from high school, they managed to get their hands on things that by all means should be military equipment as fair as they're aware.
"Even someone from Tsutsujidai can now do delivery of those things here, in the whole other side of the big ocean, haha." A small chuckle escaped their lips, which they disguised by putting a hand in front of their mouth and doing a little 'ahem' as they cleared their throat. "But, well, the world is changing but we're all changing along with it. You look a bit more.... approachable to what he remembers, even." They say while pointing towards their brain. Sousuke can likely pick up that they were referring to Gridman. The last comment, however, that one did elicit a somewhat.... difficult reaction from Yuta. Their face turned into a small frown, before shaking their head slightly and nodding to the ravenette young man.
"Entirely by luck, fortune, and other people's efforts, but that I did, Sagara-kun. Funny that I disappeared for two years and a lot of people assumed me for dead, though."
@emit "Am I?" Sousuke asks, gray eyes turning to Yuta with "Hm." Well, that abrupt manner is the same, at least...until a faint smile touches his limits. "I made up my mind," He says, and his gaze turns firmer. "I have to protect Kaname. The people I care about. There are people who won't stop hunting us. I need to hold on to my skills to defeat them."
"And then..." There's something in his gaze, a fraction of a second's exhaustion and longing. "...I think I would like to become a man who doesn't need a weapon."
He lets the words linger for a moment, and then steps back over to the table.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Am I?" Sousuke asks, gray eyes turning to Yuta with "So that's how you experience it. I see. Hm." Well, that abrupt manner is the same, at least...until a faint smile touches his limits. "I made up my mind," He says, and his gaze turns firmer. "I have to protect Kaname. The people I care about. There are people who won't stop hunting us. I need to hold on to my skills to defeat them."
"And then..." There's something in his gaze, a fraction of a second's exhaustion and longing. "...I think I would like to become a man who doesn't need a weapon."
He lets the words linger for a moment, and then steps back over to the table, motioning Yuta over to where he's got a workspace laid out, including water. Refreshments is mostly smoked sausage and calorie bars, though. "Luck and camaraderie aren't to be underestimated. A soldier who forgets how important those are doesn't have much hope. Come. Kaname's not here, but she'd want me to get you something I think."
He holds out a water bottle, with an earnest look. "However it came about, you're here with your feet on the ground. I'm glad for it."
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Definitely more to both Sousuke and Kaname than Gridman had bothered to know about, it seemed. "That's not a bad mindset. I, too, have been honing myself as I could in these past two years, I guess." Making up your mind was important. Resolve was the first catalyst to self-forging. Sensing that the young man turned serious, however, Yuta adjusted themself slightly, their red ponytail swaying with a small neck crank. "A man who doesn't need a weapon, I see.... Though I'm not the most reliable source of philosophy you could have, I feel you'll have a hard time ahead of you with that one. Given...." They nod towards the crew still busily unloading weapon parts out of the truck, while treading towards the workstation in question. Wherever the world was heading, it definitely didn't feel peaceful.
That aside, Yuta could understand even if they couldn't emphasize with that feeling. To Yuta, their body was a tool to be used like any other, but they understood generally speaking, people would rather not have that mindset. "Maybe in the future though, if we all keep working towards it." Peace wasn't bad, however. Not having to fight to be able to prolong your existence wasn't a bad thing in the slightest.
"Thanks, Sagara-kun. I'm guessing Kaname is around with you, then? Given you're... on the run?" Yuta takes the bottle of water, running from what, was the question that they left implied - while giving ample berth for Sousuke to brush them off, if he so desires. Popping the bottle open, the red-haired blue-eyed youngster wastes no time in taking a large gulp and swig of it. All in all, the weather was hot. And humid. And just overall miserable, but they were in an island, so that was to be expected.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Yes," Sousuke agrees. "It will take time. Maybe a long time." Maybe longer than he'll be alive. "...but someday..." he says, hand curling over his heart.
Still: Offerings. "Yes, she's out doing something with Nami. -Ah, that's the actual owner of Crossbow here." The machine has a paint scheme Gridman's memories may recall - it's not the same *machine* as Sousuke's Arbalest, but it's the same color, primary white with navy and yellow trim.
Not an accident. Nor particularly subtle. For a man who claims to be hiding, that seems like a great way to do the opposite. He answers all, sort of, with: "...Leonard Testarossa. Do you remember Tessa? Teletha Testarossa, my commander before everything changed. He's her brother." His eyes narrow with the closest thing to anger he's displayed. "Among other things. His men nearly killed our class at Jindai just to get to us. Launched an assault at the same time as Princess Euphemia's rampage, as if he somehow planned around something unthinkable. He seems to have some purpose for Kaname." He motions to the scattered papers, apparently trusting Yuta enough to leave the notes on Galactron out. "At first I thought the mechanical kaiju from a few months back was his work, but it doesn't seem to be so."
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Teletha Testarossa, that one they do know. Folding their arms, they listen to the information Sousuke gives them with a nod to acknowledge that they were listening. "I see. That's.... despicable." Though, perhaps, expected. Not morally correct, a weakness to exploit was a weakness to exploit. Saying so would be a moot point, however. "A rival organization, I assume? And you've decided now to go on the offense? Or try to fish them out for more information?" That doesn't explain why they'd target Kaname Chidori in particular. Something that they should investigate... or ask in another setting. In fact, they were about to do so when their attention was shifted towards the table.
"That is-- Galactron!?" Yuta exclaimed with mute surprise, tuning their voice so that it could be heard by the mercenary in their immediate vicinity, but no further. "To think I'd get a hint on it right at the gate..." or so they said, putting the matter of why Kaname Chidori was so important for later. Turning to Sousuke, they immediately offer an explanation. "You see, this was related to the second job I had on this island... or less than a job, I guess you could call it a private investigation, since I'm the one who decided to check on it."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
A rival organization? "So it seems. It's best you avoid them if you can...but their name is Amalgam," Sousuke confirms and explains. "But you've got the right." He casts his eyes on the workers laying out parts in preparation for what will end up in Crossbow immediately versus in storage for later. "There's an operation here. If I can keep their eyes on us here, make them think I don't know what I've walked into, we have something resembling an edge. However we end up needing to use it."
But, the subject turns, and Sousuke nods. "Oh, yes. I had been researching."
He steps over, pulling his notes apart for better examination. "It arrived some months ago, and then remained largely inert. Its biggest impact was largely the motion of OCU and NUNE forces into and out of the area, which suggested a rapid build up toward a tipping point." A slow breath as he looks at his maps and pictures. "Things changed before it could do so, fortunately..."
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Yuta sharply inhales, pondering... but then, how did it end up in....? That was a question to be answered, fortunately or not. "I see... Seems that you haven't been informed, but Galactron appeared again, Sagara-kun. In Nouvelle Tokyo.", they added. "This time it was being piloted. Though whoever was on command, it was acting along NERV and GGG forces, so that shouldn't be a problem in itself." Then again a witch had been fighting alongside NERV and GGG forces that day, so that doesn't say much on itself, does it?
"Is there anything more about it, that you know? From construction, to weaponry, anything would help. Of course, I'll compensate for the information accordingly, if I can. A piloted, mechanical Kaiju is a bit of an anomaly as far as I'm aware, and I'd rather know about it than not." Both their questions are motive were genuine, though perhaps not all of the truth.
Given Sousuke was the one to point Yuta to the documents in the first place, the red-haired youngster was already pouring through the scattered pages, eyes quickly darting through letters as they diagonally read them.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke hems at that revelation, cupping his chin in thought. "Nouvelle...that's the other side of the Pacific. How..."
...he shakes his head. "All I can tell you is that there was a battle, eventually. It came to life and attacked the joint research station. Responders were able to subdue it before MAPW countermeasures were deployed." MAPW - Mass Area Preventive Weapon. In other words, weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear, and nuclear-like, weaponry. "But I gather they were under consideration. That's just how tense things are on Huffman."
"As for what happened after, I believe it came into the OCU's custody." He reaches for a photo, showing a slumped Galactron, with GGG personnel from all three of its divisions working at it, including some of their mechanized Strongest Brave Robo Corps.
"Weaponry..." Sousuke says, and steps around the table to another point, pulling out a notebook. "Defensive equipment, armoring estimated at category C, suitable for battlefield use but insufficient against high-volume assault. Weaponry, sword from the horn, firearm weaponry in the hands..." Blink. "Nami has a note here 'yapping', all lower case, which I'm afraid I don't know the meaning of."
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
It's Yuta's turn to stop and ponder. At least one question had been answered, it was safe to assume that the Galactron was, in fact, under GGG's control somehow. And given someone's history with Kaiju, a potential name for its pilot did come to mind.... "Akane... Akane Shinjo might have been piloting it." A plausible deduction. Or was it the aforementioned Fate at work once again?
"That said, while I don't know about the 'yapping', I did get to see a sort of.... wild attack where it shot red beams everywhere, before homing on the Kaiju they were fighting against. Given it did a lot of damage to an enemy that was blinking out of reality, I assume there is some sort of special effect to it." Which means that the Galactron had even more attacks than whatever was listed here.
"Was this Nami involved with the Galactron somehow? I assumed they had nothing to do with this whole case when you mentioned they were the owner of the Crossbow, but since these are their notes on it..."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Akane," Sousuke says, quietly. He was involved in those battles too, after all. "I see. They did report Galactron spoke with a woman's voice, during the battle on Huffman. Perhaps it had some connection." For better or worse? He has to believe in better. He must.
Sousuke flips through his notebook a bit and then jots down Yuta's provided information. Just good to have data. "Not unusual for a technological kaiju to have energy projection abilities," he notes. "Though it seemed to have trouble managing the fight. Kaname notes here it wasn't making effective use of its core unit." He looks up again at Yuta's question. "Oh, no. Nami's a brilliant programmer but she had little to do with Galactron. I was just reviewing the footage I have where she could see."
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Given the ex-merc seemed to trust even Yuta enough to share all of this information with them on first meeting, the red-haired youngster didn't doubt that Sousuke had been reviewing files just out in the open where someone else could see him. "I see.", is all Yuta says to that. Although Yuta doesn't have physical notes to take, they stash the extra information away. How would Kaname know that the Galactron wasn't properly tuned, however? Regardless of her source, Sousuke seemed to fully believe its validity. This line of questioning looped around to what they had stashed away earlier - why exactly are Amalgam and Mythril interested in Kaname Chidori.
"Do you know if Kaname would be able to provide more insight about this particular tidbit?" Leaning to commit to memory as much of that notebook as they could, Yuta adjusted their horn-rimmed glasses slightly - they had begun to slip, a bit. "I'm somewhat surprised an until-now-normal high-schooler would know that much." Granted, circumstances were the key to everything. Wasn't that true to themself as well?
There was also the question of who built the Galactron in the first place, but this fortuitous meeting has already been a incredibly productive for a first day.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Yuta has completed a Task for Sousuke and therefore they are owed several units of plot progression. That is the currency of these harsh times.
Well that and Sousuke is, indeed, giving Yuta some credit for his time with Gridman, and for Sousuke's own fondness for the people he knew as students. Still, Yuta spots more than even Sousuke wanted to share. "Kaname..." Sousuke says, realizing he said too much. "...is very insightful, in these matters." Slightly misrepresenting the scope of it all without really lying; that's about Sousuke's limit. He's always been a bad liar. "It's part of Amalgam's purpose for her. I don't really understand it all myself." THAT part's just true, at least. "She might be some help, but might not."
He steps away, then, mostly to fetch his own drink. "I suppose you're out of school after all this..." he says, changing the topic somewhat - as much because he's out of useful info as anything else. "You mentioned you hadn't seen some people in a few years...I'm in the same situation, of course, but the circumstances are different. What have you been up to?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Yuta was fortunately, great at reading social cues, and didn't mind following along Sousuke's shift on topic - and a non-answer was an answer in itself, to an extent. Plus, everything so far has been free of charge, which happens to be a rarity. "Well, I'm not being chased by anyone in particular - I've dropped out of highschool on my own terms, soon after the incident." Stopping to take a sip of their bottle. Hell, did this place even have AC? Was it just that hot? Did someone turn on the oven, or was the building on fire? Anyway.
Yuta stops a second of how much they should tell to someone who wants to put down their weapons and rest in peace. "You could say I went in a journey of self-discovery, I guess. Upon waking up I realized I didn't know nearly enough and couldn't do nearly enough to guarantee my survival. Not in Tsutsujidai, and definitely not in the wider world."
"Though the incident with Akane was resolved thanks to everyone's help and Gridman making good use of this body, imagine my surprise as I woke up two years after and hear all about it!" They clapped hands together to showcase their surprise. Either way, rather than 'having heard about it', Yuta had 'knowledge imprinted upon them'. "Wouldn't have been strange if I or anyone around me died at any point, right?"
"So like you're doing right now, I traced my own plans to learn more about.... well, in my case it was more about everything, I had just woke up, after all. With that said, I can proudly say that it wasn't all for nothing!" Or so they'd like to believe. But it still wasn't enough. It'd never be enough. "And after working part-time in a lot of places, I now man my own one-person freelance agency." A business card exchange, presenting the SSSS Yuta company. They even used a stylized Gridman's face as the logo - though probably only recognizable by people who had been up and close to the incident. "Thanks for your business, by the way." They nod at the cargo truck, now empty as the crew finished unloading it.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
It's a hangar for a combat robot that's run on a shoestring budget, so actually no, they probably don't have AC. ...is that why Kaname prefers the office...
Sousuke's more used to it, anyway. A life in the harsh deserts of Helmajistan will do that to you. Really, the people here are all from pretty tropical regions with high humidity, so maybe they don't think about it. Sousuke keeps an eye on Yuta's water intake and quietly slides another bottle over. Kaname taught him that such things are an important part of caring and kinda just being normal. Sousuke just knows that a person who needs water badly shouldn't miss out on opportunities, and that Yuta...
Yuta Hibiki is somebody Sousuke would like to see live.
"The circumstances are unique, but you're not the only one I know who's needed to take their time like that. It's common enough. People live, and leave, and find new places to rest their feet." He takes a drink of his own. ... "Still. I don't envy you. To have everything you thought you understood change so completely..."
A quiet look at Crossbow. "I do know something about that," he says, thoughts a thousand miles away. Kyouko, with blood pouring from a wound he inflicted...he shakes his head. Was that even how it happened? Or was that just the nightmare? He looks back to Yuta. "You've found a way to continue on your own," he says, nodding with that restrained smile of his. "I'm glad. It sounds like you've done well with the hand you were given. Then, as strangers who've met at work," he says, and steps over to a shelf to pull out a card of his own. Not quite a business card - more of an advertisement of sorts for the Crossbow Team. Still, it's something. He trades it to Yuta. "A pleasure to work with you."